Issue #144Vol. XIII, No. 11

April 1989Special Attraction

PublisherMike Cook

EditorRoger E. Moore

Associate editor Fiction editorRobin Jenkins Barbara G. Young

Editorial assistantKimberly J. Walter

Art directorLori Svikel

Production staffPaul Hanchette Betty Elmore

Kim Janke Angelika Lokotz

SubscriptionsJanet L. Winters

U.S. AdvertisingSheila Gailloreto

Other FeaturesU.K. correspondent

Lyn Hutchin

U.K. advertisingDawn Carter Kris Starr

1 1 Everything You�ve Ever Wanted To Know About Role-Playing(Everything that wasn�t in the rules, that is.)

1 2 A Field Guide to Game-Convention Ornithology � Skip WilliamsSee any Bull-headed Slashers in your gaming group last evening?

2 0 Cheating Made Easy � Jefferson P. SwycafferCreative ways to roll dice, measure movements, and enrage your friends

2 4 Cheating Made Even Easier � Spike Y. JonesIf the last article didn�t stop you, then you�re ready for the big time!

2 8 Claydonia Conquers the World! � Paul C. EastonClay-O-Rama campaigns; or, �My Claydonian is stuck to the ceiling!�

3 2 Still More Outrages from the Mages � John M. MaxstadtLoads of great new spells that only a killer DM could possibly love.

3 8 Role-playing Reviews � Jim BambraIn the land of cartoon characters, death is a four-letter word.

4 6 When Gods Walk the Earth � Paul JaquaysIn Chaosium�s RUNEQUEST® game, Divine Intervention is not divine atall.

5 8 The Game Wizards � James M. WardBad puns, good games, and free-lance work at TSR, Inc.

6 0 The Role of Computers � Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserTry a fantasy golf course to end all golf courses.

7 0 Through the Looking Glass � Robert BigelowHow much damage can a BattleMech�s lasers do? Find out in this column.

8 4 Red Guns � William Wilson Goodson, Jr.Which is deadlier: your Marvel Universe® hero or a Soviet Hindhelicopter?

Departments3 Letters6 Sage Advice8 Forum

56 TSR Previews 96 Dragonmirth80 Gamers Guide 100 Bludgeons & Flagons88 Convention Calendar 102 SnarfQuest

COVER

If Sports Illustrated can have a swimsuit issue, so can we. Daniel Horne provides thecover artwork for this month: a ravishing Valkyrie on her magnificent Pegasus. Or that�swhat Lori told me it was. I haven�t seen the artwork yet, really, but Lori said it wasgreat. Christie Brinkley, eat your heart out.

2 APRIL 1989

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

Odds & ends IIThe following letters were actually received

by the editors of DRAGON Magazine and, exceptfor minor editing, appear as they were written.

Dear Dragon:I�m a new subscriber, and I love your maga-

zine. This is my first letter, so I have high hopesyou�ll answer me. This isn�t your everydayletter. It deals with sexuality among the differ-ent races in the AD&D game. I hope you cananswer the questions I was brave enough to ask.[Remainder of letter deleted by editor.]

Um . . . next!

Dear Dragon:Being a high priest in good standing of Zeus, I

am slightly perturbed at having been calledupon or, as the case often is, yelled at to healwounded fools who haven�t sense enough to runfrom such dangers as red dragons or Asmodeushimself, or to chase away skeletons, zombies,and other such undead merely because theremaining members of the party have no wishto fight the beasts themselves.

If you please, explain to your readers that weclerics have studied to accomplish better thingsthan to turn the undead and to heal idiots.

Certainly. We can’t have that going on.

Dear Dragon:A couple of years ago, I was in some mall in

Penn. I saw a strange-looking man with darksunglasses and a cane. It may have been myimagination but he met this lady. They startedto talk about overthrowing TSR.

It was your imagination

Dear Dragon:My character was recently polymorphed into

a worm. Another character cut my worm/character in half. If both halves were eachallowed to grow into two whole worms, thenwere polymorphed back to my character�sregular form, would I have two identical charac-ters? And since both parts are equal, I will nothave to worry about them trying to kill eachother, such as it would be with a clone, right?

Our sage refused to answer this question andhanded the letter back to the editors. We thinkyou will get two midgets instead of two normalcharacters, since each half of a worm growsback to form a shorter worm. You’ll have todecide which half of the worm got the brains.Better still, perhaps you should take up chess.

Dear Dragon:I would like to submit this article on dwarf

mud wrestling. I am a 40-year-old homemakerand mother of two.

We almost accepted this article, which sug-gests that your editors should take up chess,too.

jDear Edcitor.I rote to yo avoubt 3 moith s ago and yout

didn;t asndteer. Mye charcther agot won of itsfolowers fptregndnt. what can I doo abvoutthiso . . My dungon gasyer saisd too cal dr Ruthabout ist on Her nexst showe. I dont thind Ishoukd beleive him. He sayis he ist seroiws.Whot do yoo thindk. I alsot whant to knowedsyhty there is nakerd babies on Led Zep;asblums.(is Houses of the Holydl ). ;l + -0 Whyudo ythinmsk.

You’re still not getting an answer.

Dear Dragon:Is there such a thing as an elf sapper?

Yes, but you cannot get much sap from them.

Dear Dragon:I particularly liked [issue # 129]. It was the best

of your recent issues. One thing I missed was anillustration by Gustave Dore. His pictures have areal feeling for medieval times. Who is he? Is hea contemporary artist? Is he releasing anyposters or the like?

Gustave Dore, the famed French painter andillustrator, died in 1883. He is not currentlyreleasing any posters. His pictures had a realfeeling for medieval times because he lived a lotcloser to them than we do.

Dear Dragon:Hello, I would like to know what the cow

skulls are for.

Keeping cow’s brains warm.

Continued on page 95

Legend

The mountain pass was called theDemon Tongue, which implied theremight be a demon and treasurethere, so the party headed for itright away. The characters werehungry for combat and cash � lotsof each. I was the DM. We weregaming on the pool table in themedical company rec room in WestGermany, a decade ago last fall.

Not many of the details of thatadventure are left with me now, butI remember what happened whenthe adventurers got to the DemonTongue. The paladin was the pointman, mounted up and armored likea tank (he had volunteered for � no,demanded the position). Some dis-tance behind, the wizard was check-ing the landscape with his amulet ofESP, hunting for enemy thoughts.Everyone else was gathered nearthe wizard, weapons ready. Theywere on a narrow road in the passitself, with a slope up to the left anda sheer drop to the right, when thewizard got a reading.

I rolled the dice and checked thebooks. The party had found thedemon, but the amulet of ESP hadmalfunctioned. I scribbled a noteand passed it to the wizard�s player.He read it and gave me an incredu-lous look.

�Hey, guys,� said the wizard, reign-ing in his horse. �That demon ishere, but that demon is the Demo-gorgon. We are doomed.”

Everyone stared at the wizard�splayer, then at me. Everyone hadread the Monster Manual. Theentire party came to a halt. Then thecharacters began to guide theirhorses back the way they had come,looking around with nervous grins.

All but the paladin, that is. Hestopped where he was, stood up inhis stirrups, raised his sword, andshouted, �COME OUT AND FIGHT,YOU MISERABLE @#$ + §&%*!!!� atthe top of his lungs. Seconds later, agiant ball of darkness appeared onthe road ahead.

Before anyone could react, one ofthe characters was telekinesized offhis horse and hurled into the can-yon beside the road. He took 20 diceof damage and became a memory.Every one of his companions bolted� except for the paladin, whoroared, �SHOW YOURSELF,DEMON!!!� (The rest of the playersscreamed that they were riding

Continued on page 94

D R A G O N 3

by Skip Williams

If you have any questions on thegames produced by TSR, Inc., �SageAdvice� will answer them. In the Unit-ed States and Canada, write to: SageAdvice, DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Sage Advice,DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120Church End, Cherry Hinton, CambridgeCB1 3LD, United Kingdom

This month, �Sage Advice� covers a potpourri of questions on various top-ics related to TSR® games.

D&D® gameThe D&D Expert Set says that only

maidens can ride unicorns. How canmy female PC become a maiden?

Females don�t become maidens. Maidensare born, not made. In fantasy literature, amaiden is a young, unmarried woman. Inthe D&D game, a true maiden also has aLawful alignment. You might also look upthe word �virgin� in a dictionary.

At what level can PC mystics starton a path to Immortality? Does anypath favor Mystics?

Mystics can seek immortality any timeafter reaching 16th level. A mystic�sintense devotion to his discipline makesthe Epic Hero the only suitable path for amystic; the DM must decide if this is alsothe favored path (see the Master DM�sBook, page 15).

Will a weapon of wounding negatea troll�s regeneration ability in theD&D game?

Only insofar as the troll suffers the extradamage caused by the �wound� (1 hp perround). The troll can regenerate this dam-age, however.

STAR FRONTIERS® game

I enjoyed the article �Armored andDangerous� in issue # 129 (page 70),but I have a few questions. Does thebasic suit of powered armor comewith a bodycomp and any specialscanners? I assume there is a bodycomp because Zebulon�s Guide toFrontier Space says that an enviro-

6 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

comp is required, and implies that amaster-comp is also required.

The basic suit has no scanners, but itdoes have a bodycomp with a type D proc-essor and a kingpack power supply. Thestandard progits are: master-comp, med-inject (three of them), body-scan, andenviro-comp. Additional progits can beadded to the computer, up to thekingpack�s 12-progit limit.

I like the helmet rafflurs and gre-nade launchers in Zebulon�s Guide,but I can�t find costs and weights forthem.

As explained on page 70 of that book,helmet attachments cost 20% more thantheir regular counterparts. The weights ofthe helmet and regular versions are identi-cal. Helmet rafflurs, for example are mere-ly two rafflur M-1s attached to a helmet.The cost and weight of the rafflur M-l aregiven on page 34 as 300 Cr and .50 kg.Therefore, helmet rafflurs cost 720 Cr((300 X 2) X 1.2) and weigh 1 kg.

AD&D® game

Why does a paladin become a cava-lier instead of a fighter when heloses his paladinhood?

With the appearance of Unearthed Arca-na, paladins became a subclass of thecavalier, not the fighter.

Both the Monster Manual I and theBest of DRAGON Magazine Anthol-ogy, vol. III, say that halflings have a+ 3 �to hit� with missile weapons.Do PC halflings get this bonus inaddition to any adjustments fordexterity?

No; the + 3 bonus is given only to NPChalflings, who are assumed to spend a lotof time practicing with short bows orslings (as well as to have high dexterities).The + 3 bonus applies only to these twoweapons.

Are elves immune to charm effectsthat aren�t from spells, such as avampire�s gaze or a harpy�s song?

Elves and half-elves are resistant (notimmune) to all forms of sleep and charm,including those above.

If a dwarven character and ahuman character got married andhad kids, wouldn�t their offspringbe half-dwarves? What would the

racial characteristics of half-dwarves be?

We suppose that a human and a dwarfwould produce a half-dwarf, if they couldproduce a child at all. Such a child, how-ever, might be either a tall, hairless dwarfor a short, hairy human, as there are nohalf-dwarves in the AD&D game. While itis possible to create more crossbreedsthan are already present in the AD&Dgame, we recommend that you stick withthe ones in the rules.

Can humanoids such as gnolls ororcs use weapon specialization?

No; weapon specialization is for thefighter class only. We suppose that somevery extraordinary humanoids mightactually have fighter training and so couldspecialize. This would be very rare.

Here is my 8th-level troll thief.What do you think of him?

See the DMG, page 21, �The Monster asa Player Character:� for the official view onthis and all other cases like it involvingmonsters as PCs.

Can a character worship a deityfrom the pantheon of another race?Why or why not?

Yes, he can, but he might find himselfoutcast, accepted neither by his own racenor the race associated with the deity. Thisdepends on how appropriate the deity isfor the character. The Greek deityHephaestus, for example, is very appropri-ate for dwarves or gnomes. Likewise,deities who are associated with a particu-lar class are generally appropriate for anycharacter of that class regardless of race.A dwarven worshiper of a giants� deity,however, is likely to be unwelcome wher-ever he goes. Clerics are a different mat-ter; refer to the individual descriptions ofeach deity to determine which races thedeity will accept as clerics.

When can a character build astronghold and attract followers?

Characters who are allowed to constructstrongholds in order to attract followersmay do so when they reach �name� level.�Name� level is the level at which a classno longer gains additional hit dice or con-stitution bonuses (see Unearthed Arcana,page 12). DRAGON issue #117, pages 16-17(�Feuds and Feudalism�), has some sugges-tions for midlevel strongholds as well. AnyPC with the money may build a stronghold� but attracting followers other than theusual henchmen and hirelings could bedifficult if the PC is of low level.

Which classes get a constitutionbonus higher than +2 per hit die?

To be absolutely clear: fighters (includingrangers and barbarians) and cavaliers(including paladins).

Do nonthief characters have any

chance to open locked chests ordoors?

Only thieves can pick locks in the AD&Dgame. Other characters can try to forcelocked closures by making an open doorsattempt or bend bars/lift gates roll, as perthe Players Handbook, page 9. It is up tothe DM to decide when and how a lockeddoor or chest can be opened.

Do nonthief characters have anychance to listen at doors?

See page 60 of the DMG for nonthiefhear noise attempts.

What is the effect of nonmagicalexercise on ability scores?

Officially, none. All character classes areassumed to exercise to a degree appropri-ate to their professions, as a normal partof training for advancement. The less-physical classes fill in their nonadven-turing time with study and mentalexercises.

Can a character hold his breathand avoid the effects of gases?

Yes, it, is possible for a character whosuspects or detects poisonous gas beforehaving to make a saving throw against it tohold his breath and avoid the effects ofmost gases. Some gases, such as greendragon breath, take effect on contact andcannot be avoided simply by holding one’sbreath. Rules for characters holding theirbreaths are given in the Dungeoneer’sSurvival Guide, page 12.

Do characters still get constitutionbonuses to their hit points afterreaching “name” level?

No. Once the character stops gainingnew hit dice, he also stops gaining consti-tution bonuses.

When a character is raised or res-urrected and loses a point of consti-tution, does he also lose bonus hitpoints? For example, would a 13th-level paladin with an 18 constitu-tion lose 13 hp after being raised?

Yes, a character who loses a point ofconstitution loses all the bonus hit pointsthat went with it. Note that the paladin inyour example would have stopped gainingbonus hit points for constitution at level 9,so he would lose 9 hp. Some campaigns,rather than subtracting previouslyacquired hit points for the constitutionloss, allow the PC to retain his old hitpoints but restrict new hit-point bonusesfor constitution to the amount appropriatefor the new constitution. For example, an8th-level magic-user with a 16 constitutiondies, is brought back to life, and loses apoint of constitution. His hit points areunchanged, but when he earns his nextlevel, he gets only a + 1 bonus for his 15constitution.

Page 13 of the DMG says that

adjustments due to aging will loweran ability score a full point, so that a– 1 will reduce an 18/00 strength to

rience to advance more than onelevel? Say that a 1st-level fighterearns 4,500 xp on an adventure,

“Subtract 1 point (or half exception-17. Yet under “Middle Aged,” it says:

al rating) of strength.” Please resolvethis contradiction.

The text has been changed in a laterprinting of the DMG. When going from“Mature” to “Middle Aged,“ a characterloses one point of strength or half theexceptional rating. Thereafter, any losslowers strength a full point. A percent-age-rated 18 strength at middle age dropsto 16 with the two-point loss at “Old.”

fighter. Does he simply train for 3rdenough to make him a 3rd-level

level, or does he also have to spendtime and money training for 2ndlevel at the same time?

Characters are limited to gaining onelevel at a time (see the DMG, page 86). If acharacter earns a windfall of experience,he gains only enough to place him withinone point of the next highest level – the1st-level fighter in the example would have4,000 xp, one point short of 3rd level. Theextra 500 xp are lost, and the character

If a character’s intelligence, wis-dom, or charisma score increases,can he make a new check for psi-onic ability?

Yes. The character may check for psionicability each time his chance improves, butnever when it gets worse. Fractions aredropped when calculating psionic poten-tial, so the new number must round downto a number at least one point higher thanthe old number before the character isentitled to a new roll.

cannot gain additional experience untilcompletes his training for 2nd level.

he

How do you figure the trainingcost and time for a character whohasn’t gone adventuring, such as acity NPC who earns all his money(and hence experience) through abusiness or service?

You figure them just as you would for anadventuring character (see the DMG, page86). Substitute individual transactions orstandard periods of time for adventureswhen rating overall performance.

Where can I get a map of Kara-Turfor inclusion in the WORLD OFGREYHAWK® setting? Where is Kara-Tur in relation to Oerik? I assume tothe west, since Zeif, Ekbir, and theirneighbors have a Middle-Eastern

Can a character be awarded expe-rience points for an adventure inwhich he dies?

Yes, but this is up to the DM. The DMGsuggests an optional 1,000 xp bonus fordying (see pages 85-86). (The DMG alsosays that earned experience should bedivided equally among the surviving char-acters; see page 85.) Survivors may becounted after all attempts to revive char-acters by magical means have beenresolved.

flavor.Maps for Kara-Tur are now available for

the FORGOTTEN REALMS™ setting in theform of a boxed set released in the fall of1988. WORLD OF GREYHAWK setting DMsshould have little trouble adapting thisproduct for use with their campaigns.Otherwise, the section on the geographyof Kara-Tur, starting on page 136 of Orien-tal Adventures, gives you all the informa-tion you need in order to make your own

If a character has been fighting ordoing something very strenuous fora long time, would he still be able touse his strength bonuses?

See the fatigue rules on page 88 of theWilderness Survival Guide.

What do you do with a characterwho has accumulated enough expe-

maps. DMs can place Kara-Tur anywherethey want in relation to Oerik, but theopposite side of Oerth is best.

DRAGON 7

�Forum� welcomes your comments and opinionson role-playing games. In the United States andCanada, write to: Forum, DRAGON® Magazine,P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. InEurope, write to: Forum, DRAGON Magazine,TSR Ltd, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton,Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom. We askthat material submitted to �Forum� be eitherneatly written by hand or typed with a freshribbon and clean keys so we ran read andunderstand your comments.

I am writing this letter in response to some ofthe past letters in “Forum” concerning the topicof the low-level magic-user. Some of the lettershave been a little too compassionate toward thepoor little guy. Others, though, were saying thatit’s a tough world out there, and if you don’t likeit, well, that’s life as a magic-user.

First, I think that some weapons like the sling,club, mace, flail, and hammer should be allowedbecause they are not too hard to learn how touse effectively. Also, there could be a penaltyfor the new weapons requiring two or moreproficiency slots because these weapons werenot originally intended for the magic-user class.If the character opts not to use one of the newlyintroduced weapons, however, he could get thebonus of an added nonweapon proficiency oradded spell/cantrip.

Secondly, dealing with the problem of armorfor our defenseless mage, a mage does not needto use any armor whatsoever. Just think for aminute here: If all the modifications that havebeen voiced in “Forum” were to be put intoeffect, we would come up with Joe, a 4th-levelmagic-user wearing chain mail and a ring ofprotection +3, carrying a short sword +4, witha 17 dexterity and a backpack holding his spellbook and two potions of giant strength. Give alittle thought to this guy for a minute; he has anarmor class of -1! And if he and his buddiesdecide to go adventuring in the Dungeon ofDeath and happen to meet up with a band ofspectres (say about a dozen or so), and theparty’s cleric is killed by a shambling mound intheir last battle, we could have Joe the magejump into the front row with all the warriorsand kill off the spectres without wasting any ofhis precious spells.

Finally, a note on the hit-point debates: Themage does not need more hit points to survive.In fantasy literature, magic-users do not striveto be the healthiest people around. They relyinstead on their magical nature and spell-castingabilities. If a player wants more hit points, heshouldn’t have a magic-user.

Also, if you want to be able to protect yourselfwith good weaponry and armor, try running aranger. You get armor, weapons, and magic-userspells, along with druidic spells. I hope that thisdebate is settled by the time the AD&D® 2ndEdition Players Handbook is published.

Tim OakesBerlin CT

8 APRIL 1989

Issue #134 presented some very educationalreading. I particularly enjoyed the letter to“Forum” by Tim Lieberg. I applaud his attemptto improve on a situation that so many otherpeople have failed to do effectively. I myselfhave been doing many of the same things thatTim suggests to realign the powers of 1st-levelmagic-users. I do not fully agree with him on hisviews on cantrips; however, I am not using thecantrip system quite how it was presented, andI am not prepared to actively disagree with him.

I am writing to state my belief that too manyAD&D game players these days put too muchemphasis on combat, and thus can only think of1st-level magic-users as one-shot sleep spells.Even though Tim’s article centered entirely onthe magic-user, much could be learned aboutthe other classes by applying the theories inTim’s article to those other classes. I havenoticed a general tendency of late to add powerto the low-level characters of all classes. Specificexamples of power boosting can be seen in:weapon specialization, new character die-rollingmethods, new statistics minimums for 1st-levelcharacters, and the addition of cantrips (toname a few). This tendency, I believe, stemsfrom the fact that most players and DMs believethat the game is centered on combat.

I am not arguing with the fact that the gameitself is a combat-heavy system. I am merelypointing out the fact that there are many morethings that a low-level party could do besidesfight everything that it sees. Players becomebored with noncombative activity and putpressure on the DM to liven things up a bit. Thisleads to other problems. Too many times have Iplayed in games in which each and everyencounter forces the party to rest or heal up.This usually causes the DM to warp the rules onspell memorization, to include multiple regain-ing of spells during a day’s time. At higherlevels, this also causes the DM to allow muchmore healing or even boost the effects of thestandard potions or spells. Fighters and clericsstart to look like Sherman tanks, bristling withmagical weaponry, armor, and healing spells.Magic-users start to look like artillery units,each boasting several wands, rings, cloaks, etc.

My point is that combat should be deempha-sized right from the beginning. Charactersshould have more to strive for than just morepower and wealth. Use of noncombative skillsshould be rewarded by experience points andsome form of praise for those who skillfullyrole-play their characters. If this is done, thenultimately the players might be more willing toaccept those things presented to them whichadd depth, instead of power, to their characters.“The Mystic College” (issue #123) presented aperfect example of such. I know of very fewcampaigns where such an idea would go overwell with the players of wizards. “Why would Iwant to waste my money on that!� is theresponse that usually comes back. The idea thatone should spend money in order to gain pres-tige or a good reputation is alien to most.

Many DMs complain that their players’ char-

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

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acters become too powerful for the monsters,

R. J. Wenzel

or that they become too rich. True enough!Then the DMs go one step further and blame

Lancaster CA

the new rules or articles in DRAGON Magazine.I propose that DMs should look to their policy inbringing up the characters from low levels inorder to find out where the fault lies!

The DMG says [DMs should] give out experi-ence points for gold pieces on a one-for-onebasis if the value of the guardian equals orexceeds that of the party which took the trea-sure. The DMG then says that this is a compro-mise, and a more realistic system would be tooboring and would disrupt the game flow. Thenit gives a system for level advancement that hasthe characters spend gold to gain levels.

I believe a better system wouldn�t give experi-ence for gold at all unless that gold were spenton training. In one stroke, you could provide forlevel advancement with no training and alsotake the gold, with the players feeling that theyare getting a valuable exchange.

Thus, if Ned Nimblefingers the thief is stealingwithout the Thieves� Guilds knowledge, hewould be foolish to try and go to the Guild tobuy training. In that case, he would only earnexperience for performing his jobs, and it wouldtake longer for him to gain a level, though hewould have more money. If Ned was a memberof the Guild, then he could add as many experi-ence points to his total as he paid on his Guilddues. This would simulate [his association with]the older, more experienced thieves and [use ofthe] training devices that the Guild owns.

In the first case, Ned could earn 1,000 xp and2,000 gp in five jobs. In the second case, Nedcould have earned the same amount but mightalso have had to pay out 25% of his take to theGuild, which would be 500 gp (adding another500 xp to his experience total).

Clerics and wizards would gain experience foreach new magical spell they research, successfulor not, and each magical item they create thatthey have never created before.

Fighters would gain experience on the moneyspent for training and on the number of troopsthey command (everybody respects a man with1,000 men at his beck and call).

You get the idea. The characters get experi-ence for doing the things their classes are notedfor. A magic-user isn�t going to get any experi-ence for running an army, and a fighter won�tget any for trying to research a spell.

Finally I come to the point of getting experi-ence for magical items. I don�t understand howpicking up a wand, pointing it, and saying theright word is going to gain any experience.Maybe figuring out the right word to say willgain experience for the person who figured itout, if the problem was hard enough. Makingthe wand in the first place would have beenhard, but the way the DMG is written, you don�tgain any experience for that.

I have been playing the AD&D game sinceJanuary 1982 and had a DM who had beenplaying since the very beginning. He hadworked it out so that PCs didn�t get experiencefor gold and didn�t have to train for leveladvancement. Other groups I played in wouldgive experience for gold but no training forlevel advancement. I believe that my system willbalance out some of the problems and fairlyaward experience for actions performed by thecharacters.

James M. RogersMcConnelsville OH

10 APRIL 1989

Yes, the standard method of distributingexperience according to monsters slain andtreasures won is fairly well balanced and fair.Yes, it is much better than methods using train-ing or class-related activities or even [givingexperience only for slaying] monsters.

My old DM did, and he spent a few hoursafter every adventure adding up the experience

So, do I use the standard experience-point

points from all the monsters killed, then lettingus add in the treasure and any special bonuses

system? Of course not!

or penalties. I am simply too lazy for that.Before I start an adventure, I decide approxi-

mately how many experience points I want thecharacters to get when the adventure ends. Ifthey did well and defeated all the challenges,they get that many experience points, plus anybonuses I award. If they did poorly, they onlyget part of it. The final result has more to dowith how long I want it to be until they hit nextlevel than how many monsters they killed andhow much treasure they found.

This lets me control just how fast they rise inlevels. If I have an adventure ready for nexttime that is a little too tough for them, I award[more experience points].

Sometimes simpler is better.Tommy SronceFort Worth TX

I would like to throw my two cents worth inon an item I noticed in �Forum� in issue #136,from David Carl Argall, which was the latestcomment in a continuing discussion regardingthe accrual of experience points.

In my eight-year career as a Dungeon Master,I have never given any experience points formagical items found, and at present, I give noexperience for gold. (I used to give some experi-ence points for gold pieces gained, in a ratio of 1xp per 10 gp obtained. I no longer do even this.)

Further, with only one lamentable exception,no Dungeon Master I have ever played withever gave his players points in this manner. Inthat exception, I took a human thief characterfrom 6th level to 14th in only 10 weeks! I freelyadmit that we played a lot, two to four sessionsper week and six to eight hours per session, andwe had some incredible hauls of treasure, but Imaintain that giving experience points formagical items and gold is neither worthwhilenor balanced.

As an example, I am currently running acampaign that is six scenarios old. Most of thecharacters have crossed their thresholds for2nd level and now await an opportunity totrain. I believe that this rate (five to six adven-tures to go from 1st to 2nd level) is a reasonableand balanced progression through the ranks. Igive experience points for actions other thancombat, such as spell-casting, thieving functions,and actions in accordance with the character�salignment. I admit that this system is a bitcomplex, but if you keep on top of it, theaccounting is not that bad.

Mr. Argall states that training is dull and is tobe kept in the background. I must disagree withhim yet again. As a Dungeon Master, it�s a realtrip at training time to watch the players huddleover their sheets, calculating whether they canafford to train, buy new equipment, and still eaton the funds they have. When the player of a1st-level character in my world discovers that itwill cost 1,800 gp to be trained to 2nd level, theexpression on his face is priceless! I use trainingas a major method (along with taxes) of siphon-ing off a party�s wealth, and it works like acharm. The shoe fits on the other foot as well.

As a player, many times I have squirmed overmy calculator and had to finagle loans fromother characters to finance my character�straining.

Nelson E. HemstreetBrick NJ

For quite some time now, I�ve read the polem-ics about how the AD&D game is a differentgame from the old D&D game, and how thenew Mentzer D&D game is the true descendantof the old D&D game. I beg to differ. I haveresearched copies of all the D&D and AD&Dgames, and I have come to some easily provenconclusions:

1. The AD&D game is the original D&D gameput into hard covers, with the rougher edgesfiled down. Almost everything in the DMG,Players Handbook, and Monster Manual is fromthe original three books (with the Blackmoor,Greyhawk, and Eldritch Wizardry expansionbooks) or the early DRAGON and The StrategicReview issues. For example: artifacts and relicsfrom Eldritch Wizardry (page 41) are now in theDMG, page 155; the bard character class, fromTSR #6, is now in the Players Handbook (pages117-119); the ranger character class, from TSR#2, is now in the Players Handbook (pages 24-25); the druid character class, from EldritchWizardry (page l), is in the Players Handbook(page 20-21); and the thief, dwarf, paladin, elf,hobbit (now halfling), and half-elf, fromGreyhawk (pages 1-12), are now in the PlayersHandbook, (pages 15-30). Most of the treasuresin the DMG first appeared in those small paper-bound books. The game matured a bit in therewriting and reprinting into hard covers, butthe major difference between the version is thateverything has been made easier for the playersthan it was in the earlier three-book-plus set.

2. The new D&D game is actually the latestrewrite, of the D&D game. This game IS differ-ent, relies more on skill [than does the AD&Dgame], and is MUCH better [than the AD&Dgame]. It is a carefully thought-out gamedesigned for play up to very high levels withchallenge all the way. [The monsters are rela-tively stronger than their counterparts in theD&D game, the characters are relatively weak-er], and in the D&D game, the monsters havemore friends, too. An AD&D game fire giant hasa 25% chance of having 1-4 hell hounds; a D&Dgame fire giant has an 80% chance for 3-18 hellhounds and a 20% chance for 1-3 hydras.Experience-point awards are smaller in theD&D game, and you don�t even get experiencepoints for magic, period (this corrects itself,though, as it takes fewer experience points toadvance to levels higher than the first nine).

This is an answer for all those folks who thinkof the new D&D game as being for �kids.� Ibelieve that any player why tries it will find, as Ihave, that the new D&D game, not the so-calledADVANCED D&D® game, is skill-based.

Ivy K. ReynoldsPortland OR

Continued on page 79

©1989 by Skip Williams

A Field Guide to

Game-ConventionOrnithology

Is that a Common Worrywort or aSpoon-billed Kibitzer?

Most campers and hikers find bird and animalwatching to be pleasant additions to their outdooractivities. Gamers can engage in the same enjoyabledistractions � and not just at game conventions, either.Many of the unusual species described in this articlecan be spotted in your own living room or den when-ever there is a role-playing or war game in progress.Good close-up views of a few of these species can alsobe had in store windows and bathroom mirrors.

Birds are far and away the most common and visibleforms of game-convention wildlife. They can be foundin all convention habitats and display a wide range ofcalls and behaviors, many of them annoying.

Normal ornithologists have a distinct advantagewhen identifying different avian species, as normalbirds come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Notso with game-convention species: They all look alike.The usual plumage of game-convention birds consistsof a tight T-shirt (which displays a ubiquitous abdomi-nal bulge), ratty shorts, tattered sneakers or loafers,and the obligatory satchel or stack of rule books. Agrimy baseball cap is common but optional. This same-ness makes visual identification impossible, so it is bestto rely on habitat, activity, and sometimes voice. Someof the most common species. to look for follow, in noparticular order.

1 2 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

an you identify��----these species of game-

convention wildlife?

Read this articleand test your skills

of identification.The answers are

on page 18.

Ruffle-necked Windsprinter(Quixotious impetuous)

This bird is found only in role-playingareas. It can be distinguished by its exces-sive energy (rare among sedentarygamers), and it cannot sit still for morethan two minutes. It can always be foundeither trying to get the GM’s attention orengaging in some inane game activity, suchas interrogating the town drunk, helpinglittle old ladies across the street, or tiltingat windmills. This bird doesn’t care what itdoes as long as it’s the center of attention.Windsprinters like to be game referees sothat they can be in the limelight all thetime. This bird can often be recognized byits oft-repeated and plaintive call, “Isn’tthere anything to do?” Some of the morevocal specimens of this species might beconfused with the Spotted Chatterbox.Close observation, however, will revealthat the Windsprinter actually pays atten-tion to the GM and has its character dothings.

Bull-headed Slasher(Anarchistus desperadus)

A close relative of the Ruffle-neckedWindsprinter, this bird should migrate tothe traditional war-game habitats wherekilling things is all there is to do. Unfortu-nately, this species lacks the historicalbackground and the understanding ofstrategy and tactics required for success inthe war-gaming habitats, so it remainsamong the role-players. Like the Wind-sprinter, the Slasher is seldom satisfiedwith what is actually happening in thegame, so it seeks to create its own action.Such action almost always involves com-bat, but the Slasher can make do withanything that requires a die roll instead ofthought. Not satisfied with helping littleold ladies across streets, the Slasher triesto throw them under speeding wagons,chop them into little pieces, or at least picktheir pockets. A Slasher never tilts atwindmills (windmills don’t bleed), but itwill cast bolts of lightning into crowdedbars. Occasionally, a Slasher will bite offmore than it can chew, whereupon itmutates into a Why Me? Bird.

Common Worrywort(Paranoidus certainus)

The gaming birds known as the Worry-worts (genus Paranoidus) are most com-monly found in role-playing habitats,although the board-game and miniaturesareas have their shares of them. AllWorryworts appear to have a symbioticattachment to their characters or gamingpieces (even to those assigned to them 10minutes ago). The Worrywort lives inconstant fear that some harm will befall itscharacter. While all good role-playerssuffer for their characters, the Worry-w o r t s s u f f e r w i t h t h e m .

For example, the Common Worrywort iscertain that the referee is out to get hischaracter or the character’s entire party.

Common Worryworts find it impossible tonegotiate with NPCs, and they conductdungeon adventures like bomb-squadmissions. The pining calls of these birdsattract Windsprinters, Slashers, andSpoon-billed Kibitzers like bees to honey.Occasionally, though, particularly intelli-gent specimens of Worryworts areencountered which are actually capable offormulating workable plans.

Common Naysayer(Paranoidus pessimist)

This Worrywort bird can find at leastone reason why any given plan will notwork, and it can manufacture at least adozen horrible consequences for anygiven failure. This bird's gloomy outlookcan drive even a Rubber-necked Butt-ininto a fit of depression, although a LesserKibitzer can often persuade a party totemporarily ignore the Naysayer.

Goldbricker(Paranoidus milksop)

This Worrywart bird cannot tolerate anydamage to its character. Goldbrickersprefer to play warriors or priests (fighterswith over 100 hp and more armor thanthe U.S.S. New Jersey are perennial favor-ites with the species). When a fight breaksout, the Goldbricker's character headsstraight for the rear (if it isn't therealready), even if the opponent is an

arthritic goblin. This habit often causesthe bird to be confused with the GetBehind, an altogether different creature. Ifthe character’s hasty retreat fails to take itto safety, the Goldbricker will do all it canto obliterate the opponent before theopponent gets an attack, stopping onlylong enough to berate the GM for notallowing its character to win initiative. Ifits character is damaged, the Goldbrickerwill immediately use its most potent heal-ing magic (if it has any) or whine pitifullyuntil someone cures all its character’sdamage, even if all opponents are deadand the character still has 99 hp left.

Don’t Waste It Bird(Paranoidus frugalis)

A close relative of the Goldbricker, thisWorrywort bird hordes everything: spells,gold, and especially charged magical items.It can be immediately distinguished fromits cousin by its distinctive call (e.g., “No, Iwon’t use my wand; it has only 57 chargesleft on it.”).

Barrel-chested Loudspeaker Bird(Vociferous stridentus)

Usually heard but not seen, this bird’spiercing call is audible almost everywherewithin a crowded game room. The call isusually sufficient to disrupt games in thebird’s immediate vicinity. This strangebehavior is triggered when the bird thinks

DRAGON 15

16 APRIL 1989

it sees someone it knows on the other sideof the room. Unfortunately, the bird nevergets a response because the target personhas been misidentified or cannot hear thecall because he is out of range. When theLoudspeaker Bird gets no response, it willrepeat its strident call with foghorn regu-larity until it grows hoarse or gets clippedin the beak. Angry remonstrations of anonphysical nature from nearby GMs andplayers are always ignored, although aLesser Kibitzer can usually induce thisbird to lapse into five minutes of bemusedsilence by suggesting that the LoudspeakerBird actually walk the short distance to thetarget person and converse normally.

Spotted Chatterbox(Vociferous verbosus)

A close relative of the Loudspeaker Bird,the Spotted Chatterbox lacks its cousin�svolume and power, but it makes up forthis by chattering nonstop, pausing onlyoccasionally for breath. It has learned tospace these pauses, however, so that theGM and players think they�re getting aword in edgewise. Its constant habit ofinterrupting everybody often causes it tobe misidentified as a Ruffle-necked Wind-sprinter, but the Spotted Chatterbox neversays anything worth hearing. Occasionally,a GM or party manages to get on with thegame in spite of the Chatterbox; thisdoesn�t bother the bird at all, as it simplyselects a new victim and chatters away.This habit makes the Chatterbox a terriblehazard to any Spoon-billed Kibitzers hov-ering about the game.

Are-you-sure-you-heard-me(Prolix adnauseus)

This bird can be found nearly every-where, though it prefers games where aSpotted Chatterbox is already causingconfusion and providing a smoke screenfor the Are-you-sure-you-heard-me�s activi-ties. This bird has an uncanny ability topick the worst possible time to tell a ref-eree what it intends to do, then judge thepossible results and rebroadcast a slightlyaltered version a moment later. An Are-you-sure-you-heard-me will never acceptthe fact that it has made an error; instead,it insists that it wasn�t properly under-stood. If allowed to repeat itself oftenenough, it can transform even the silliestaction into a brilliant operation. SkilledAre-you-sure-you-heard-mes are able tomake this transformation virtuallyundetectable.

Why Me? Bird(Obstreperous excusus)

This gaming bird can be identified by itsunparalleled bad judgment and its ada-mant refusal to accept any blame for theoften fatal consequences of its ill-consid-ered actions, The Why Me? Bird has oneof the most complex songs of all conven-tion birds, sometimes so prolonged thatthe bird is mistaken for a Spotted Chatter-

box. A typical excerpt runs like this: �I hadto open that chest or the thief would�vegotten all the treasure, and if the fighterhadn�t led us into that nest of scorpions,the cleric wouldn�t have had to use hisantipoison spell on him, and besides, heshould have had two antipoison spells. . . .�

Rubber-necked Butt-in(Omnisciencea cad)

This particularly obnoxious bird ofteninhabits role-playing games, hoping thatthe GM will ask the party to designate acaller. Other specimens prefer miniaturesgames where they can steal the otherplayers� thunder under the guise of actingas overall commander. The Butt-in has theamazing ability to control several charac-ters or units simultaneously, stepping onother players� toes with impunity andciting superior experience (or bigger fists)as justification. If left uncontrolled, thispest will usurp the prerogatives of everyother player at the table; experiencedreferees use gags, muzzles, or straitjacketsto exert proper control. Rubber-neckedButt-ins sometimes join flocks of Spoon-billed Kibitzers, but they only do this inorder to attack GMs.

Spoon-billed Kibitzer(Omnisciencea maximus)

This bird generally shuns role-playingareas, being cowed by the GM�s presence.Its favorite habitat is the board-game area,where it can quietly watch a game inprogress and quickly offer unsolicitedadvice before anyone can stop it. Occa-sionally, large flocks of Spoon-billed Kib-itzers will descend on a role-playing game,however, where they exchange commentswith each other as the game progresses.These flocks are skilled at staying out ofthe GM�s hearing range while making surethey can be overheard by at least twoplayers.

Lesser Kibitzer(Belatus sagacious)

This close relative of the Spoon-billedKibitzer is never found in flocks; in fact, itoccasionally actually joins games. Like theRubber-necked Butt-in, this bird has ideasfor every character, but it always offerssuggestions instead of issuing commands.The Lesser Kibitzer often withholds itsadvice until after a player has made anerror, then explains its own ideas. Unfor-tunately, by that time it�s too late for theadvice to do any good. This tactic frus-trates players but usually placates refereeswhen the Kibitzer is not a player. Whenfunctioning as a player, this bird oftenremains detached from the game for longperiods of time, and in this passive mode itcan actually be mistaken for a Great Grog-gy Tortoise. Once the Kibitzer settles downin this way, only a prolonged session ofdithering will rouse it. Once so roused,however, there is no way to stop thestream of advice coming from the bird.

When the Lesser Kibitzer is operating inthis fashion, it often appears to be aRubber-necked Butt-in, but it may bedistinguished from the latter by its polite-ness. Like the Ruffle-necked Windsprinter,the Lesser Kibitzer often prefers to be areferee, where its smarts can be morefully appreciated.

Crested Falsetto Bird(Androchauvinus superficialis)

Curiously, no females of this specieshave ever been observed. This bird isundetectable until it is given a femalecharacter to play. When this happens, thebird immediately begins primping andpreening and adopts an ear-wrenchingfalsetto voice. When it does drop its adopt-ed voice, it is usually only to give the GMwitty instructions, such as: �My charactergoes off and does girl stuff.�

Fisher Rex(Deceptus ex cathedra)

There is a theory that the Fisher Rex isnot a true species at all, but merely amutated Rubber-necked Butt-in or LesserKibitzer. This bird is found only as a ref-eree, and it delights in giving playersequivocal or incomplete information inorder to force them to make serious blun-ders. Dealing with this bird can be particu-larly frustrating, as it often drops subtlehints and clues that will reveal the truth ifthey are noticed in time, This insidiousbird can even fool a Common Worrywort,though its favorite prey is the WalkingSucker Catfish. The Fisher Rex also takes aheavy toll of Conclusion Hoppers.

Blue-faced Role-player(Rantus vaudevillis)

The bird is named for its habit of role-playing until it is blue in the face. It isfound only in role-playing habitats. Largeflocks of them regularly gather at the mostexclusive and prestigious role-playingevents. Their favorite call is: �I don�t carewhich character you give me.� It is oftenvoiced just as the bird comes to roost.Great Groggy Tortoises prefer to act asGMs for players of this species, since thesebirds are capable of running an entiregame all by themselves. (This ability infuri-ates Ruffle-necked Windsprinters, butLesser Kibitzers don�t seem to notice.)Individuals of this species will invariablyfall into confusion when confronted with asituation that requires the application ofcommon sense or game logic, and thusthey often fall prey to the Fisher Rex.

Convention Organizer(Travailus exhaustus)

A few respected ornithologists maintainthat this bird does not exist at all, andindeed this species is seldom seen. Thefact that these birds are similar to thelegendary phoenix helps to maintain theirmystique: Each individual disappearsyearly, only to rise again from the ashes of

old conventions. Some subspecies havebeen known to disappear and reappear ona quarterly basis. Typical specimensexhibit an overall rumpled appearance anda jaundiced expression. This is usually nothelpful in identifying them, as all conven-tion gamers tend to look like this, especial-ly on days three and four of a four-dayconvention. On closer inspection, however,an observer will note that this bird has aninexplicably belligerent attitude (actuallycaused by ignorant conventioneers whoinsist on feeding these birds too manystupid questions and inane complaints).While this bird is not always dangerous,observers should take special care, as thesmallest misstep can cause an outbreak offrenzied violence. Usually, however, theConvention Organizer will issue a warningcall first, such as: �Clear out of here! I�vegot an event scheduled in this room in twominutes!� Such warnings can be ignoredonly at extreme peril.

Great Crested Rules Lawyer(Proctus obstructus)

This bird is arguably the worst pest ofall convention birds. While it is usually lessobnoxious than the Rubber-necked Butt-in,it has a wider living range, encompassingall convention habitats (it is rumored,however, to be quite respected in board-game areas). Generally innocuous, theGreat Crested Rules Lawyer becomesimmediately noticeable when it begins itsdistinctive behavior and song. The birdsquares its shoulders; throws out its chest,and clears its throat with an audible�ahem.� Thereafter, it pontificates aboutthe rules currently in play. When in fullsong, it resembles a Spotted Chatterbox,but it can be distinguished by the monot-ony of its recitations. Several things cantrigger this behavior, the two most com-mon being the appearance of a monsterthe party has never encountered before,and the sight of anyone reaching for a rulebook.

All Great Crested Rules Lawyers actuallyknow their rule books by heart with onlya few (usually quite convenient)holes in

memory, and they can quote the rules ver-batim. Some specimens can actually recitethe rules backwards � this is not asimpressive as it seems because these indi-viduals tend to try to apply the rules back-wards as well. Unfortunately, even whenthis bird remembers the words frontward,it often does not know what they mean.The same methods used to controlRubber-necked Butt-ins will usually quellthe Great Crested Rules Lawyer�s out-bursts, but some referees like to add asmack from a cattle prod, too.

Other Notable Species

While you enjoy watching the manyvarieties of convention birds, be sure tokeep an eye out for these game-conventionplants and animals.

Look-see Creeper(Encroachus agogus)

This vine can be found growing right atthe referee�s elbow. When the plant is fullgrown, it is impossible for the referee tomove without brushing against it. Thevine�s everquesting tendrils constantly tryto sneak a peek behind the referee�s screenand often succeed at knocking the screenover. A shrublike subspecies grows at thefoot of a gaming table, where it can get alook at the adjacent referee�s materials.

Get Behind(Poltroonus skulk)

There are two distinct subspecies of thisannoying rodent, both of which inhabitrole-playing areas. The first, the BackBiter, prefers to play thieves and assassins,but it plays characters from other classesin the, same manner. This rodent is con-stantly circling, climbing walls, flying, andotherwise trying to get behind any oppo-nent encountered. It has been known tobecome very angry at GMs who allow it tobe spotted either before or after it makesits back attacks. The second subspecies,the Hide Behind, often resembles a Gold- bricker. It spends all its time cowering

D R A G O N 1 7

under cover, emerging only to launchmissile attacks. Both subspecies will panicif confronted by a foe who can see ormelee with them.

Great Groggy Tortoise(Stuperous oblivious)

This reptile is often overlooked amid thehurly-burly of a convention. It likes todrowse in the body heat of other gamers,and can be found quietly snoozing atgaming tables, its appendages and headwrapped in a semifetal position. It isknown for being able to sleep eventhrough the blustering of a LoudspeakerBird, and one specimen has even beenseen with a Spotted Chatterbox perchedon its carapace. The tortoise can some-times be roused in order to roll a die, butthereafter it dozes off again. Great GroggyTortoises can sometimes be found runningmorning games, much to the chagrin ofRuffle-necked Windsprinters and thedelight of Are-you-sure-you-heard-mes.

Walking Sucker Catfish(Clodus faux pas)

This amphibious fish resembles thewalking catfish of the southeastern UnitedStates. When confronting other players, itcan be a hardy and tenacious foe. It hasone great weakness, however � it alwaystakes a referee at his word, making it aneasy target for the Fisher Rex. Many speci-mens have reportedly taken bait, hook,line, sinker, and pole.

Conclusion Hopper(Spurious prejudgus)

This insect can be found almost every-where, except in face-to-face board-gaming habitats (although it can be foundin double-blind and PBM board games).The Conclusion Hopper is always willingto make a decision based on an assump-tion or incomplete information. Once thisinsect reaches a conclusion, it is almostimpossible to convince it that it is wrong.In fact, it is usually able to convince otherplayers that it is right. A Conclusion Hop-per that has just made a disastrous conclu-sion often resembles a Why Me? Bird.

Point Hound(Cupidius enfant terrible)

Though this bothersome canine occupiesthe same habitats as the Blue-faced Role-

player, it does not care about role-playingfor its own sake. It only cares about beingrecognized for role-playing.

All Point Hounds belong to a huge con-clave whose territory covers most of thecontinental U.S. and southern Canada,with smaller packs in places as widelyscattered as Alaska, Germany, and Nor-way. Communication within the conclaveis remarkably efficient; even the mostdistant and isolated members always knowwhat the other members have been up to.They probably cover such vast distancesby howling in relays (see below), but no

1 8 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

one knows for sure. Point Hounds typi-cally travel in packs of three to sevenindividuals, but even these tend to split upwhen unleashed upon a convention. Whentwo Point Hounds from different packsmeet, they usually engage in a dominancetussle, and the Hound with the higheststatus within the conclave invariably wins.Lone Point Hounds are more pests thanthreats, although when role-playing theyhave been known to turn on fellow play-ers and shred them at the drop of a hat.Point Hound GMs will ignore all otherspecies and give their attention only toother Point Hounds.

Point Hounds appear to be exceptionallyintelligent, but they are merely sly anddevious. They often instigate elaboratesubterfuges in order to get what theywant, even when what they desire is easilyobtainable (like event tickets) or totallyimaginary (like the advancement advan-tages gained from sitting in a certain posi-tion at the gaming table). When notrole-playing, they loll about tournamentheadquarters with their long, wet tongueshanging out, waiting for the results from their last event to be calculated and post-ed. If kept out of headquarters, they makenuisances of themselves by scratching andsniffing at the door. In any case, theirincessant yipping and whining about pointtotals, advancements, and who probablytook first place can try the patience ofeven the most saintly referee or conven-tion worker.

When results are finally posted, all PointHounds in the area will sit next to thesheet and howl at it. When other PointHounds hear this, they immediately rushto the sheet and join in. Eventually, everyunoccupied Point Hound at the conventionwill join the chorus, producing pandemo-nium that is audible for miles.

When encountered in a pack, PointHounds are more confident, more noisy,and more rude, though usually not dan-gerous. If a potential victim is cornered,however, trouble is sure to ensue, as evena lone Point Hound becomes bold anddownright vicious. Experienced tourna-ment organizers often carry chairs andwhips to guard against such possibilities.Muzzles and bludgeons are useless; anenraged Point Hounds slavering jaws andpin head will always slip a muzzle, and anattacking Point Hound is so single-mindedthat it simply doesn�t notice blows to anypart of its anatomy.

Many Point Hounds have a chameleonpower that makes them look just like anormal gamer or one of the species men-tioned previously. This has led at least onetournament organizer to collar and tagthem for easy identification.

by Jefferson P. Swycaffer

Role-playing games arestill games, and one of thehazards of any game is thefellow who believes he canget away with cheating.This lowlife blackguardruins the fun for everyoneelse. He is scurrilous, vil-lainous, shameful, and tobe disdained.

20 APRIL 1989

Cheating has always been one ofthe most fascinating parts of gam-

bling. Las Vegas is alive with fascinatingtales of clever scoundrels who each devel-oped a new scam � from the man with along crooked wire he uses to �fix� the slotmachine, to the poker player with mir-rored sunglasses (which she takes off andsets on the table, to reflect the cards thatshe deals). These knaves provide us allwith two important benefits. First, thestories about them are entertaining. Thereis something funny about the �drunk� whowalks up to the roulette wheel and placeshis bets on ambiguous points on thewheel, then argues loudly about how hisbets were �actually� placed. Second, thestories are educational. We learn whattricks have been tried and how to catchand counter them.

The purpose of this article is both toentertain and to educate. Some of thetricks detailed herein are amusing, someare brash, and some are utterly ludicrous.Furthermore, once you�ve read aboutthem, you�ll know how to look for themwhen others try them on you.

That any readers of this magazine mightactually try such tricks themselves is, ofcourse, a fantasy to be instantly dismissed.

The die is cast. . . .

Dice are fun. You can do all sorts ofthings with them. Just a slight rounding ofone corner of a six-sided die will have anastonishing effect. To cause the die to rollhigher than normal, just shave the cornerwhere the 1, 2, and 3 meet.

No die is perfect, of course. You canoften find a die that rolls consistently highor low because of some flaw in the cast-ing. One die I owned � �Old Reliable� �had an almost incredible record of rolling1s. I once got a record of fifteen 1s in arow with it. I was playing SPI�s WAR INEUROPE game at the time; in the air-warsequence, a roll of 1 killed an enemy air-craft. Soon the other players caught on,and that one die became very popular.After a few weeks, we started taking turns� the Russian player got to use it, then theGerman player, then the Western AlliesPlayer. That die never let us down.

Finally, in a unique three-way consensusamong warring nations, we took �OldReliable� out to a driveway and bashed itinto powder with a sledgehammer.

The interesting question that I still won-der about is, were we cheating when weused a die with a manufacturing defect?

Percentile dice offer even more opportu-nities for cheating. To generate numbersfrom 0 to 99, you roll two 10-sided dice,reading the results of one die as the tensdigit and the other as the ones digit. A rollof eight and five is 85 � but it might alsobe 58.

The average roll using two 10-sided diceto return a 0-99 result is 49.5. Simplyneglect to specify which die is high and

which is low, and the mean value of yourroll can be as low as 34.65 or as high as64.35. This has quite a powerful effect ingaming.

But there�s another, more subtle effectyou can get with percentile dice. Lots ofgamers roll the two dice sequentially, firstrolling the tens die and then the ones die.It draws out the suspense, and it certainlymakes it obvious which die is which.

If you are rolling the dice and are fastenough, you can play a very naughty littlegame. Roll the tens die, and quickly decidewhether or not you want to keep theresult. If you don�t like it, roll the die forthe ones digit � and use it to knock thetens die flying. It�s like billiards. Youhaven�t any control over what the tens diewill end up reading, but it gives you asecond chance. For example, supposeyou�re rolling for low numbers and, fur-ther, suppose that high numbers � 90 orhigher � are fumbles or are otherwisecatastrophic. You roll the tens die, and it�sa nine. You roll quickly, and the ones diebumps into the tens die, overturning itwithout knocking it off the table. (This isone of the risks with this kind of maneu-ver.) It looks very natural and is difficult todetect.

It�s interesting to note that there�s atrade-off here between the chances ofgetting caught and the mean value of theroll. Suppose again that you�re rolling forlow values. If you only reject a value ofnine on the tens die, the mean value of thepercentile roll is 45. But if you give thetens digit a bump any time it reads six,seven, eight, or nine, the mean value ofthe roll is 37.5. There�s also a point of noreturn: Rejecting a value of one or higherbrings the mean back up to 45. (See Tables1 and 2 for details.)

Since performing this manipulationinvolves a very definite risk � namely,getting caught � accepting a less satisfyingmean might be a Sensible sacrifice in orderto perform the manipulation less often.

An amusing sidelight is that in somegame systems, a double zero (00) is treatedas 100, not as zero. Furthermore, a roll of100 is, in these systems, the worst fumbleyou can roll. When using this system ofcheating to get low numbers, the chancesof rolling double zero is increased. Anerror here can be highly amusing.

Other tricks with dice include droppingthe dice from a low height (with the facesyou want pointing up) instead of rollingthem, making one face of a die slightlysticky (a maneuver that is �tacky� in everysense of the word) so that it usually landsdown to allow the opposite side to face up,and simply rolling the dice out of sight ofeveryone else and lying shamelessly aboutthe results.

Computer fraud

What about other random-number gen-erators? Many players have access to high-

Table 1Rolling For Low Values From 0-99

Tens digit Tens digit Meanvalues values valueskept rejected of roll

0 1-9 450-1 2-9 41.50-2 3-9 390-3 4-9 37.50-4 5-9 370-5 6-9 37.50-6 7-9 390-7 8-9 41.50-8 9 450-9 none 49.5

Table 2Rolling For High ValuesFrom 0-99

Tens digit Tens digit Meanvalues values valueskept rejected of roll

0-9 none 49.51-9 0 542-9 0-1 57.53-9 0-2 604-9 0-3 61.55-9 0-4 626-9 0-5 61.57-9 0-6 608-9 0-7 57.5

9 0-8 54

tech gadgetry. For instance, when I am aplayer in Victory Games� JAMES BOND 007game, I�ve found that a hand-held com-puter is very convenient. (Resolving effectsin this game involves multiplying twonumbers, rolling percentile dice, thencross-indexing values on a table.) Since Iprogrammed the computer myself, theopportunities for cheating are limitless.

Another interesting abuse of calculatorsand computers is simply to sit and �roll,� asif tinkering aimlessly with the machine,until a really nice value comes up. Whennext asked to make a roll, pretend to pushthe buttons, then display the result you�vebeen holding.

Many electronic random-number gener-ators like the Dragonbone gadgets displaythe result for a brief time, then blank outagain. This is of use only to the lowestclass of die-roll cheaters: the poker-facedliars. I have found no means short ofcomplete rewiring that will let me alterthe results given by a Dragonbone � butthere are gamers who are capable of doingthis rewiring.

D R A G O N 2 1

Military measurements

Beyond cheating with the results of dierolls, there are other fun ways of havingyour way with reality. Sand-table minia-tures players might be familiar with thecheater�s definition of one inch. One inchis about this long:

ing hexes or squares. On the other hand,when using a hex map, what�s an addition-al hex or two between friends? Fifteen,sixteen � it�s all pretty much the same.And lines of sight are quite difficult toascertain on a map board. It�s amazinghow well arrows fly around corners,through massed ranks of friendly troops,and deep into the enemy formation.

plus about this much more: File forgery

and, in the heat of battle, perhaps anadditional:

or so more.When using a ruler or other movement

gauge, remember that you can always addthe length of the miniature�s base to itsmovement. Just start a measurement fromthe base�s front and end it from the back.If you get caught, ask the other player toreread the �charge bonus� rules whichexist in many miniatures rules sets. (Whilehe�s reading, take the time to readjust theposition of your troops. Some of the great-est generals in history won battles bystealing a march of the foeman.

Sand-table movement can be incrediblysloppy, and that�s one of the legitimatefaults of that system, as opposed to usingdiscrete movement measurements involv-

Most role-playing games involve recordkeeping. Naturally, you should keep allrecords in pencil. Soft pencil is more easilyerased than hard pencil. Keeping notes onscratch paper rather than on permanentcharacter sheets is even more effective.Scratch paper, you see, is easily lost. Asgovernment officials have proven time andagain, if the records are shredded, then noproof of wrongdoing can exist.

Furthermore, few referees are able tocheck every little detail of every character.(�My character has always had a dexterityof 17.�) Who bothers to check encum-brance? Who bothers to record how manyarrows have been fired?

But wait. . .Cheating? Who�d do such a thing? Why

would any of us go to such extravagantlengths in a game � a game, for pity�s sake

22 APRIL 1989

– in which the object is to have fun?Unfortunately, fun is a relative thing.

People have the ability to be amazinglyshortsighted. If a role-playing game lacksany possibility of character failure ordeath, it quickly devolves into foraysthrough a �Monty Haul� gilded hole thatalso lacks excitement. If a game does havethe possibility of character failure ordeath, then sooner or later characters willfail and will die. It�s no fun to have a well-beloved character die.

The tug-of-war is between game balanceand wish fulfillment. Not everyone has thematurity and discipline to see how neces-sary the risk of failure is for success tohave any meaning.

I believe the same laws of short-sightedness govern most illegitimateendeavors. People commit crimes becausethey imagine themselves to be immune tocapture. (�Other people get caught, but notme.�) One of the things that police officerssee over and over again is the expressionof utter surprise and panic on the face of ayoung criminal who thought it could neverhappen to him. Airlines sometimes scampon their maintenance expenses, because aquick profit outweighs a tragic accidentthat might not happen. People leave theirseat belts unfastened because they wrong-ly feel they can avoid accidents and injury.Smoke detectors are generally not sold tothe very people who need them most:careless people. (I�m reminded that Ihaven�t checked the batteries on my homesmoke detector in over six months. . .)

Cheating is a quick-gratification trip withconsequences that far outweigh the tran-sient pleasure of the moment. It�s compa-rable to shoplifting, which is easily donebut at moderate risk. But when the riskfinally comes home, the final payoff is at atragically high cost. The inescapable rulesof game theory win once more. The resultis seldom pleasant.

In a game, the only real risk is the alien-ation of your friends. But that, for me, isfar too high a price to pay.

A s everyone knows,winning is everything and

by Spike Y. Jonesall�s fair in love and wargames. The Dungeon Masterand the other players willalways try to keep you fromthe treasure and experiencethat rightfully belong to youbecause of your gamingbrilliance. What can you do?Use your aforementionedbrilliance to further yourselfin the only avenue left opento you: Cheat for all you�reworth. After all, if the otherplayers had your brains,they�d be doing it, too. If the

Of course, if you�re going to cheat,then do it right!

DM hasn�t the smarts toprevent it, that proves thatyou�re justified in takingwhat you can get away with.

24 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

Although these suggestions were writtenfor role-playing games, the methodsdescribed can be adapted for war, board,or card games with little difficulty forsomeone with your talents. Take #10, theTable-Leg Kick; it can accidentally happenduring almost any type of game; but ittakes only quick reflexes and a quickermind to use this event to your advantage.

There are two classes of cheating tech-

Prepared Methods� 1. First, there�s the old favorite of dice-shaving or weighting. Don�t make it tooobvious, though. A spherical die can onlyroll one number, but even a DungeonMaster isn�t dumb enough to fall for thisone very often.

� 2. When buying new dice, test themwith a few hundred rolls to see if they arenaturally �loaded.� If so, buy them immedi-ately and record what number each onerolls most often (in secret code, of course).No matter what number each is keyed to,given time there is bound to be a situationwhen it will come in handy to roll a 9 on a12-sided die or a 15 on a 20-sided die. Infact, a die that consistently rolls an 18 isoften more useful than one that alwaysrolls a 20, as the DM and other players aremore likely to keep track of the number oftimes 20 is rolled than any other result.

n 3. Try painting a few extra marks onyour dice to turn each 1 into a 7, singledigits into �teens:� etc. This method worksbetter with larger numbered dice. No onewould be fooled by a 7 on a four-sided die,and the faces on an eight-sided die caneasily be checked, but 20-sided and 30-sided dice are too big for easy inspection.

n 4. Practice looking innocent as you say�No, I haven�t read that module; I couldn�tafford to buy it.� Then buy all the modulesever produced and memorize them to thelast word. Don�t let your secretly acquiredknowledge become too obvious, so thatyou �guess� every orc�s hit points; save itfor the big stuff. If you can�t afford themodules on your own, you may want totrick friends and relatives into buying themodules for you (Christmas and yourbirthday roll by every year). Beg, borrow,and steal modules you can�t afford. All willbe forgiven if you win.

�5. Check out the DM�s record collection,noting any music group whose albumsappear more than three times. Watch forthat group�s next concert in your area,then buy a couple of tickets. At the lastmoment, come up with a convenientlyforgotten prior engagement and give thetickets to the DM. The day after the con-

niques: prepared cheats (which must beplanned before gaming sessions) andunprepared cheats (which can be broughtinto play at any time). The first classrequires forethought, research, and even abit of money, but it doesn�t require thesame lightning reactions as the secondclass. All cheaters should honestly evaluatetheir resources and skills to decide whichclass of cheating they will use most.

cert, the staff of power should be yours.(�Oh, by the way, Jack, thanks for theSpringsteen tickets.�) Hockey cards, base-ball pennants, and the like can also suggestsports events for the same purposes.

� 6. If concert tickets are too expensive foryou, bringing chips and drinks to thegames will win the favor of the DM. Hewon�t be eager to upset you by killing offyour favorite character if it might meanthe end of his free junk food. The otherplayers will also be willing to support youin an argument if they�re living off yourlargess as well.

n 7. Subscribe to as many gaming magazinesand fanzines as possible, and record orremember every useful rule variant (prefer-able on microfilm or some other, easilyconcealed medium). Whenever any situationcomes up that was covered by an article youread, mention the rules variant in anattempt to convince the DM that this newmethod will work much better than the oldway. Of course, only mention variants thatwould be helpful to you. If he trusts yourword on these variants, then make a few up;he�ll never know the difference.

n 8. Try to write articles for these maga-zines, too. Most DMs have sent their arti-cles to a number of places but have yet tofind success in their writing aspirations.Thus, they will have sympathy for anyoneelse trying to break into the field. If youdo happen to get something printed, youwill win their respect and the admirationof the other players in the group.

n 9. Arrange for a friend to phone the DMonce or twice during the game. In the fewminutes he�s occupied, you can memorizethree average-size paragraphs or skim twopages. This is very useful if the DM writeshis own adventures, eliminating the advan-tage you gained by buying modules. Infact, with the money you saved by notbuying the modules, you can probablyafford to buy an Instamatic camera to takequick-developing copies of the DM�s keysheets. Those new, hand-held photocopi-ers can also be of use. A good cheatermust keep up with the latest technology. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and the

TSR logo are trademarks owned by and usedunder license from TSR, Inc. © 1989 TSR, Inc. AllRights Reserved

D R A G O N 2 5

Unprepared Methods�10. Kick a table leg to topple figures,sneeze or breathe heavily at cards orcounters, and spill your drink on gameboards and maps marked with water-soluble ink. In games with extremely lightplaying pieces, telling a joke at an appro-priate moment can easily cause gusts oflaughter-produced wind to completelyrearrange the game components. Thisallows you considerable leeway to reposi-tion figures and counters or to redraw thespoiled maps. Don�t try to get away withtoo much, as the other players mayattempt to take advantage of this situation,too. The player making the most moderatechanges will be the one least likely tosuffer the DM�s wrath if he notices thealterations.

n 11. Lie about your character�s savingthrows, hit points, spells, skill levels, andso on. Try to keep your lies consistent, butdon�t worry much about it; the DM hashundreds of PCs and NPCs to keep trackof, and he�ll never remember what yourcharacter�s dexterity really is.

n 12. Write everything on your charactersheet in light pencil. Not only can nobodyread it, but it makes secret erasing andchanging much easier. And while you�rewriting things on your character sheet,you might just forget to write down a fewunimportant details, such as the fact thatyour character just lost 30 hp to a dragon�sbreath.

n 13. Your character can carry anything atall with no encumbrance problems ifnobody sees your character sheet. A fewextra daggers, a coil of rope, even a sec-ond long sword in case your first onebreaks � all of these things can be hiddenin the unused corners of the page, on theback of the sheet, or even in the middle ofthe page if the items are written in lightlyenough. (�Les, where did that alchemist onthe mule come from?�)

�14. Keep your character sheet in a clip-board with numerous other materials. Ifthere is a lot of mundane paperwork inthe clipboard, people are unlikely to lookthrough everything to find the multiplecharacter sheets you have hidden within,each one slightly different to deal withdifferent situations.

�15. Sit as far from the DM as possible.This has numerous benefits to the cau-tious cheater. Most randomly encounteredmonster attacks and other unpleasantrieswill cause the people sitting closest to theDM to bother him as he concentrates.Thus, the DM will not notice you alteringyour character sheets, and he would nev-er suspect you of peeking at the adventure(a well-placed mirror behind the DM canbe very handy in this context).

�16. If you sit near the DM, try to convincehim that mirrored sunglasses are the �in�thing to wear at games, even at indoor games.If he is hesitant, just buy him a pair of theseglasses as a thank-you gift for all of the won-derful work he�s done so far In mirrors assmall as these lenses, the only part of theDM�s papers that are likely to be visible to youare the maps, but good cheaters can make alot out of a little information.

n 17. If the DM allows you to make yourown �to hit� and damage rolls, develop thehabit of rolling dice periodically, evenwhen the rolls aren�t required. If you endup with a good roll (remember rule #2 � a17 could be better than a 20), leave the dielying there and point at it when a situationcomes up that requires such a roll.

n 18. If the DM uses chits or cards insteadof dice, and he allows you to pick yourown chit (an act which is illegal in 15states; check local ordinances), mark theback or side of a chit having a good num-ber with the edge of your fingernail. Makethe mark small, but make sure it can be

26 APRIL 1989

felt with a fingertip so the next time youneed that number, you can find it.

n 19. If you happen to make a bad die roll, asimple distraction may allow you to make asecond roll to replace the first one. Spilling adrink, knocking over an ashtray, or artfullyexposing cleavage (if you have cleavage toexpose) can distract many a DM.

�20. Always agree with the DM if he makesa mistake in your favor, but make no delayin pouncing on mistakes made against you.But remember to let mistakes stand thatharm your fellow players. They�re yourenemies as much as the DM is.

n 21. Better yet, butter up the DM bypointing out minor mistakes in your favor.Once he trusts your honesty, switch tomethod #11 (outright lying) and hope forthe best. If you are cautious, ignore mis-takes made in your favor but point outerrors that affect the rest of the party.

�22. You can even challenge the DM whenhe makes a correct decision. Challengingthe DM makes him lose self-confidenceand he might make even more mistakes(and if he does, you can use method #20or #21 as you see fit). If you can get threeor four other players to agree with yourcomplaint, the DM probably won�t look upthe problem in the rule book, hoping tosave time and trouble.

�23. If the other players follow yourexample and start picking fights with theDM, take his side and try to keep theothers in line. The hard-working DMneeds all of the help he can get, and he�lllook kindly on you for your assistance.

n 24. Finally, if you catch someone elsecheating (and he should be easy to spot forsomeone with your talents), immediatelyreport him to the DM. DMs reward honestand helpful players like you.

Note to the DMPlace this article in a prominent location

and secretly observe the result, using apeephole, mirrors, video camera, etc. Anyplayer who reads more than halfwaythrough this article is probably untrust-worthy. Anyone who smiles to himself isguilty of something. Who wants peoplearound who�d cheat at a game, anyway?

Earlier versions of this article appearedin Sound & Fury #3 and Alarums & Excur-sions #139. My thanks to the readershipand editors for their comments, and mythanks, too, to my friends, whose ideas Istole.

All is quiet on the battlefield as the two opponentstake their places. Smoof, the gourd-shaped claything, looks malevolently at his opponent, the four-armed,six-legged, multi-colored monster called�Creepy� even by his mother. Creepy is the reigningClay-O-Rama champion, having beaten 15 oppo-nents and eaten 10 of them. Smoof is his next meal�er, opponent.

Creepy suddenly moves forward and shoots threesquare orange things at Smoof; two of them hit. Theangry Smoof propels himself at the monster, butCreepy bites Smoof and hits him twice. Wounded, Smoof teleports himself to the opposite side of thegame area. Creepy lets out an evil laugh and teleportsnext to Smoof. �Too bad, sucker!� hisses Creepy as he kills Smoof and proceeds to add him to his body. Sat-ed, Creepy shouts in triumph�but is destroyed byan angry art teacher.

28 APRIL 1989

the world of Clay-0-Rama in DRAGON®issue #125, I immediately went out and thing was great, except for the additionalbought half a dozen cans of Kenner�s amount of clay stuck in my hair and thePLAYDOH® Modeling Compound. Some fact that my favorite Claydonian was titles, and additional benefits. The leveldemented friends of mine came over, and baked to a crisp by someone who failed to number corresponds to the number ofwe threw colored clay at one another. I see the humor in my using three-inch powers a Claydonian has. All Claydonianswas immediately hooked. I loved this new steelies as Claydonian ammo. As the days begin at first level with one power. As theypastime but felt that something was miss- went on, I added more powers to the list. defeat enemies (i.e., anyone they can flat-ing from the game. After eating a cheese This is how my Claydonian saga began. ten), they rise in level and gain more hitcake, drinking two liters of Cherry 7-Up, points. The hit points are cumulativeand watching Sesame Street reruns, I Campaign rules (unlike powers); thus, by fifth level, acame to the following conclusions: one, Players who win Clay-O-Rama game Claydonian would have 65 hit points add-there is no black PLAY-DOH compound; sessions may wish to keep their Claydo-and two, being a lover of the AD&D® nians and use them in future game ses-game, I was disappointed to find that theClay-O-Rama rules offered no way to

ed to its original score. By sixth level, theClaydonian has become too powerful to be

sions. A long-lived Claydonian deserves fun and it ceases to enjoy life, thus dyingsome reward for surviving these silly of �old age� (or drying out, whichever

advance your Claydonians or conduct battles. The campaign rules additions are comes first). Of course, in your campaignongoing campaigns. explained as follows: Claydonians may be immortal. I�ll leave it

Consequently, I was motivated to write Experience level: This is just a power up to you, but I wouldn�t worry about itadditional rules for the game, for my ranking created to satisfy a Claydonian�s anyway. I�ve never had a Claydonian livefriends and my own personal use. Every- ego. Table 1 provides level numbers, level to see third level, much less sixth.

DRAGON 29

Table 1

Claydonian Level Advancement

Number ofenemies

destroyed ordefeated

0-56-1516-3031-5051-80

81

Experiencelevel Title Benefits

1 Silly Thing 1 power2 Weirdo 2 powers, +5 hit points3 Freak 3 powers, + 10 hit points4 Kook 4 powers, +20 hit points5 Blob Monster 5 powers, + 30 hit points6 Supreme Slime Claydonian dies of old age

Table 2

Teleport Direction1 d 6 r o l l D i r e c t i o n

1-2 North3 West

4 - 5 South6 East

Taking the same power twice: If a playeropts to take the same power twice, theeffects of that power are doubled. Forexample, if a Claydonian takes Regenera-tion twice, its regains 2-12 instead of l-6hit points each turn. A Claydonian withAbsorb Opponent taken twice cuts the �tohit� number it needs by half (round frac-tions up) when applying this power.Claydonians can also triple their powers,but this may make such Claydoniansunfair opponents when certain powers arethrice increased.

Regaining lost hit points: During a gamesession, a Claydonian cannot regain lost hitpoints without the power of Regeneration.At the end of the game, however, thesurviving Claydonian (or Claydonians, ifyou�re playing in teams) regains all lost hitpoints, and all sustained damage isrepaired.

regain all lost missiles at the end of a gameand can take all of the losers� missiles, too.

Reshaping: At the end of a game session,a Claydonian can be reshaped with thefollowing restrictions:

1. No new missiles may be made.2. Missiles may not be added to body

mass.3. The number of limbs used for attack-

ing may not exceed four.4. The Claydonian�s powers may not be

changed.Death: When a Claydonian reaches sixth

level or is defeated (i.e., killed), it is �recy-cled� by the gods. If a Claydonian dries up,it is dead. Favored Claydonians should belovingly zip-locked in a damp bag, keptcool, and guarded carefully. Enemies havebeen known to microwave their oppo-nents for revenge; in extreme cases, angryopponents have been known to use vari-ous torture machines, such as the PLAY-DOH Barber Shop and the PLAY-DOH FireEngine. If consumed by a dog or smallchild (PLAY-DOH is nontoxic), a Claydonianis considered dead. Note that dried Claydo-nians may sometimes be revived by addingwater, if rescued in time.

�No referee� rules: To eliminate a refereefrom the gaming environment, Clay-O-Rama players may lock him out of theroom. There is, however, an easier way:Simply have everyone play a Claydonian.

30 APRIL 1989

players not involved in the dispute makethe final decision. Another system is tohave a referee who plays and referees atthe same time. This referee makes alldecisions on damage and such exceptwhen his Claydonian is involved (playersnot involved in the disagreement make thedecision in this instance). In a two-playergame, problems are resolved by smackingthe other person�s Claydonian before hecan get to yours.

Silly Putty: This is a new type of materialfor creating Claydonians. No one knowsfor certain where this strange materialcame from. Some say it is a gift left by anextraterrestrial intelligence, and some sayit came from across the rainbow. I say it�sradioactive jelly. One thing is for sure: SillyPutty makes nifty Claydonians and adds anew dimension to Clay-O-Rama battles.Although it doesn�t come in the prettycolors that PLAY-DOH compound does,with Silly Putty, you can put the face ofyour favorite cartoon character on yourClaydonian. But don�t let your fun turninto a political argument, as once hap-pened when a player put Ronald Reaganon his Silly Putty creature and said that hecouldn�t be defeated because he was Presi-dent (the problem was settled when some-one threw the Putty Reagan down thegarbage disposal). You should note, how-ever, that Silly Putty doesn�t mix well withclay or PLAY-DOH compound. As a result,clay characters with the Absorb Opponentor Absorb Missile powers may have trou-ble absorbing Silly Putty.

A sticky situation: What do you do if amissile or other object sticks onto aClaydonian? Well, you pry it off, of course.Note, however, that the Claydonian thentakes damage amounting to half the totalcaused by the object (e.g., a missile hits aClaydonian for 4 hit points of damage andsticks; the Claydonian takes an additional 2hit points of damage while taking it off). Iftwo Claydonians get stuck together, theyeach take 1-6 hit points of damage whenseparating from each other. In allinstances, round damage down to thenearest integer.

Honoring a Claydonian death: Anotheradvantage of clay characters is that when they die, you just dry them out and �voila! � you have a nice statue to use as amemorial, centerpiece, or clay pigeon.

Power, power, and more powerThe following list of powers has been

created to add more red peppers to thespice of the game.

1. Missile Absorption: When hit by amissile, a Claydonian with this power rolls2d6 and compares the result to its �to hit�number. If the result is over the �to hit�number, the Claydonian take no damagefrom the missile and may add the projec-tile to its body mass. For each missilesmaller than marble-size absorbed, add 1hit point to the Claydonian. Add 2 hitpoints for each marble-size missileabsorbed, 3 hit points for any missile up to

golf ball size absorbed, and 4 hit points foranything over golf ball size. This powerdoes not allow a Claydonian to absorb thefollowing: an opponent, a poke, a Blob ofDeath, or any object larger than fist size.In addition, absorbed missiles may not beused to create other missiles � they justadd to the bulk of a Claydonian.

If the Claydonian does not make its �tohit� roll, it takes half damage (round frac-tions down) from the missile and does notabsorb it. Note that a Claydonian may notabsorb missiles that it throws at itself, andit takes full damage from a missile if itdoes so.

2. Absorb Opponent: This power gives aClaydonian the ability to absorb any otherClaydonian it kills. When a Claydonianwith this power kills an opponent, itmakes a �to hit� roll. If successful, theClaydonian adds the dead opponent to itsbody bulk, adding the number of hitpoints that the old opponent had to itsown. If unsuccessful, the dead Claydoniangoes screaming up to the Great Hand inthe Sky.

3. Regenerate: A Claydonian with thisability regenerates 1-6 hit points of dam-age per turn. This ability allows theClaydonian to replace lost hit points only;it does not create new ones.

4. Drain Power: A Claydonian with thispower may drain one power from anotherClaydonian for six turns. Using this powertakes the place of three attacks. To drain apower, the player must choose an oppo-nent adjacent to his own Claydonian andmake a successful �to hit� roll. If unsuc-cessful, the power is wasted. This powermay be used once every five turns.

5. Create Limb: A Claydonian with thispower may create a temporary limb. Thistemporary limb may replace one normalattack for a small- to normal-size limb; itmay replace two normal attacks for alarge-size limb; and (how could you guess?)it may replace three normal attacks for avery-large-size limb. This temporary limblasts for four turns, and it hits and doesdamage according to its size. So, if yourClaydonian already has four limbs, it couldhave five normal attacks per turn by add-ing a temporary limb!

6. Repel: This power may be used by adesperate Claydonian in place of allattacks. No �to hit� roll is needed, and theresults are immediate. When this power isused, all opponents must move their maxi-mum movement ranges away from theuser for one turn. Moreover, the powersTeleport, Change Places, and Move Out ofTurn cannot be used by opponents for oneturn. In addition, the user may not be hitby missiles for one turn. This power maybe used every third turn.

7. Endurance: The Claydonian with thispower takes only half damage from allattacks. Round all fractions down.

8. Stomp: This deadly attack may beused only once in a gaming session. Inaddition, the Claydonian using this poweris unable to take any action for two turns

thereafter. The attacker chooses an oppo-nent adjacent to him and rolls to hit. If asuccessful hit is made, the player takesone of his shoes (or boots, if he is luckyenough) and gives the opponent a goodsolid WHACK! with it. Damage should bedetermined by the amount of the oppo-nent flattened (e.g., if half of the Claydo-nian is flattened, it loses half of its hitpoints). Totally flattened Claydonians areleft with only 1 hit point. More than oneClaydonian may be affected by this modeof attack, including the attacking Claydo-nian. If the attacker somehow misses, itstill suffers the exhaustive effects of theblow. Smart players will wear mountainboots, moon boots, or track shoes for thisattack. Snow shoes or skis are not allowed.

9. Toss: A Claydonian with the Tossability may use this power in place of allattacks. The attacker chooses an adjacentClaydonian and rolls the �to hit� dice. Ifsuccessful, the player picks up the oppo-nent�s Claydonian and tosses it no fartherthan the gaming area. If the opponent istossed off or out of the gaming area, itmay reshape itself, regain all lost hitpoints, and reappear in the gaming areaanywhere it chooses (except on anotherClaydonian). The number of hit points lostmust be determined by the referee or byplayers not involved in the attack. Thisnumber depends on the amount of struc-tural damage sustained (about 10-20 hitpoints is appropriate). Tossing an opponentat the ceiling is legal as long as the oppo-nent lands in the game area. If the oppo-nent is tossed against the ceiling and hitsthe game surface, 20-30 hit points of dam-age are taken. If the opponent sticks to theceiling, the Claydonian is out of the gameuntil it falls. If it never falls and dries upinstead, consider it dead. As a final noteon this attack, if a tossed Claydonian hitsanother Claydonian, only the tossedClaydonian takes damage.

10. Catch: When something is thrown ata Claydonian with this power, the Claydo-nian makes a �to hit� roll. If successful, theClaydonian catches the item thrown at it.If the item happens to be a missile, theClaydonian catching it can reuse the mis-sile. If the thrown object is anotherClaydonian, the target Claydonian catchesit and takes no damage. If the Claydonianis unsuccessful in its �to hit� roll, it takesfull damage from the missile.

11. Teleport: A Claydonian can use thispower in place of all its missile attacks.The Claydonian with this ability can reap-pear anywhere on the game surface and,if possible, attack right away. To Teleport,the player must specify any vacant spot onthe game surface that he wants his Claydo-nian to occupy. The player then rolls the�to hit� dice. If unsuccessful, the playermust then roll 1d6 twice. The first die rolldetermines the direction in which theClaydonian teleported (reference thisnumber on Table 2). The second die rolldetermines the distance in number ofhands that the Claydonian moves.

12. Use Self As Missile: This powerallows a player to throw his Claydonian inthe same way one would throw a missile.The referee or players not involved in theattack assess the damage taken by boththe missile and the target.

13. Trade: In a desperate situation, aClaydonian with this power can choose anopponent in an adjacent area and make a�to hit� roll. If successful, the player tradeshis Claydonian for the target Claydonian.This power may only be used once pergame in place of all attacks for that turn.The player plays the new Claydonian withits shape, hit points, attacks, and move-ment, but retains his former Claydonian�spowers. Likewise, the other player retainshis former Claydonian�s powers, but isnow stuck with your Claydonian�s body.

14. Speed: A Claydonian with this powercan double its movement for one turn inplace of an attack.

15. Paralyze: On a successful �to hit�roll, a Claydonian can cause an adjacentopponent to stop moving and attacking fortwo rounds. This attack takes the place ofall normal attacks. The paralyzed Claydo-nian cannot initiate any action for tworounds. This power may be used everythree turns.

These additional rules are intended toget you started. Feel free to change themas you deem necessary. As a final note,there is nothing to stop you from makingup your own powers; play with the rulesthat work best for you.

D R A G O N 3 1

3 2 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

Dimwitted dweomers fromthe Misbegotten Realms

�It must not be supposed that all themages of old were wise, clever, or evenmentally competent,� said Elkwhisker,smugly employing his endearing device ofmaking irrelevant statements out of theblue to pique my interest. I was franklymore interested in my madeira, so I lefthim hanging. Lately, it�s been everythingfrom Halloween masks to pet rocks withthe old boy.

He chafed for a while, then resumed allby himself. �I can sense your eagernessfrom the look of open-mouthed fascinationon your face��

�That�s a yawn,� I said quickly, but notquickly enough.

��so I will not keep you in suspense.Nimrod of Nump, known far and wide asthe greatest schlemiel in the Realms, hadsome glimmerings of magical talent, how-ever mismanaged and poorly applied.History recounts some of the more spec-tacular blunders of this idiot savant in hislair in the Verdant Forest, subsequently�known as the Verdant Desert. However, itis not generally known that he was a pro-lific inventor of many new spells.

�His spells were actually created bymistake, which might also be fairly said ofNimrod�s entire career, not to mention themagicker himself. He had developed whathe proudly called the cylindrical scroll,

joined at both ends in a mystical way sothat the joint disappeared into a continu-ous band of parchment. One side effect ofthis novelty was that the spells inscribedthereupon were inscribed permanently,never to disappear no matter how manytimes they are read aloud or copied into aspell book. A less-salutary side effect wasthat the words in the names of each of thespells were forced out of synchrony, sothat the last words of each spell nameappeared following the first words of thenext, with correspondingly disastrouseffects on the spells themselves.

�Several of these cylindrical scrolls stillroll about on the floors of many adungeon in the Realms, and not a fewunfortunate dungeon explorers have cop-ied these spells into their spell books orcast them directly from the scrolls. Asdescriptions of the spells� effects do notappear on the scrolls with the spell namesand incantations, the poor sods � er, souls� can be said to have been inadequatelywarned, although in many cases thenames of the spells themselves might havegiven pause to the wary.

�After Nimrod�s death (the direct resultof his attempt to increase the power of thefirst-level spell erase), some of these scrollsbecame scattered among several bands ofadventurers. The survivors voluntarily

by John M. Maxstadt(with inadequate apologies to Ed Greenwood)

Still MoreOutragesFrom the Mages

brought these items together in a kind ofquarantine. I myself found them in adumpster behind the legendary House ofOut, in the Kingdom of Slumdudgeon, andlearned of the following dweomers.�

I myself had nodded off about eight linesinto the preceding. But my tape recorderwas running the whole time, so I got allthe details. After all, a buck is a buck.

Scroll the First(Bumfoozle�s Bane)

Find Terrain (Examination/Indentation)Level: 1 Components: V,SRange: Touch CT: 2 segmentsDuration: Instant. ST: NoneAE: PersonalExplanation/Description: Casting thisspell enables the magic-user to locate theterrain (i.e., the ground beneath his feet).The somatic component of this spell con-sists of falling flat on one�s face to get acloser look, doing 1-4 hp damage.

* Permanent for the familiar, of course.Explanation/Description: When thisspell is cast, the spell-caster�s familiarexplodes, doing 1-4 hp damage to all with-in the area of effect (note spell range) anddoing rather more damage to the familiar.Special familiars (brownies, imps, quasits,etc,) explode for 2-5 hp damage and makea nicer noise.

Explosive Familiar (Demolition)Level: 2 Components: VRange: 1� CT: 2 segs.Duration: Instant.* ST: NoneAE: 2” radius

Invisible Runes (Circumspection)Level: 1 Components: V,S,MRange: 0 CT: 1 turn/runeDuration: Perm. ST: NoneAE: 5 runes/lvl.Explanation/Description: This spellenables a magic-user to inscribe runes thatare completely undetectable to all forms ofnormal and magical inspection (includingall those available to the caster himself). The runes have no other magical powers.This is an excellent way to create reallysecret documents or to simply kill anafternoon without accomplishing any-thing. Material components for this spellinclude at least one potion of invisibility(for the ink) and anything else the DM cansucker the player into wasting on an effectindistinguishable from that of writing withan empty pen.

Wizard�s Stalker (Self-Destruction)Level: 6 Components: V,SRange: 1 inch CT: 1 roundDuration: Not long ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: By casting thisspell, the magic-user summons a randomLevel X monster (beholder, vampire wiz-ard, lich, etc.), which proceeds to stalk,

with intent to kill, the nearest wizard (notespell level and range). The somatic compo-nent of this spell consists of putting one�shands over one�s eyes. If by purest chancethe spell-caster survives this spell, noexperience points are gained (casting thisspell was stupid to begin with).

Bigby�s Interposing Eye (Astigmatic)Level: 2 Components: V,S,MRange: 2� CT: 5 roundsDuration: 2 rnds./lvl. ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: Casting thisspell causes a disembodied and sightlesshuman eye, of normal size, to interposeitself between the spell-caster and anyattacking creature. This eye is as effectiveas any normal eyeball in impeding onrush-ing and enraged monsters, although itmight deter the more squeamish dungeondenizens. The material component for thisspell is a human eye, and the magic-userhad better have one handy before castingthe spell; the ability of this dweomer to�improvise� can be attested by Mooncalfthe Monocular, among others.

Remove Hand (Amputation)Level: 4 Components: V,SRange: 0 CT: 1 segmentDuration: Perm. ST: NoneAE: PersonalExplanation/Description: When this

spell is cast, one of the magic-user�s hands(determine which randomly) drops off atthe wrist. One drawback of this spell is thefact that the effect is not painless. Alsonote the spell duration and the fact thatthe spell is not reversible.

Audible Curse (Vociferation)Level: 2 Components: VRange: 0 CT: 1 segmentDuration: Instant. ST: NoneAE: 10 milesExplanation/Description: This spellallows the caster to pronounce his or herfavorite four-letter word with feeling andat maximum volume. It is up to the DM toprevent characters from exercising thisoption without casting the spell, whichwill at least increase the range at whichthe word will be heard (drawing any num-ber of interested wandering monsters, ofcourse).

Hallucinatory Glamer (Affectation/Ostentation)Level: 3 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch CT: 1 roundDuration: 2-12 days ST: Neg.AE: Creature touchedExplanation/Description: The recipientof this spell will seem, to those with lowintelligence or less, to be a person of greatwealth and notoriety. The exact effectsvary with the level of the caster. At highest

3 4 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

levels, the recipient may appear to be afemale entertainer who turns over cardsbearing glowing runes and points at trea-sure, or a black-and-white terrier whoparty-hops with his entourage ofcoquettes; at lower levels, the recipientbecomes either the overly made-up wife ofa disgraced high priest or a Democraticpresidential candidate. Monsters typicallyreact to this dweomer by pestering therecipient for autographs, kidnapping himor her for ransom, or writing nasty thingsabout the recipient for local tabloids. Thematerial components for this spell includea fake fur, a string of rhinestones, and abottle of Grecian Formula.

Scroll the Second(Odod's Oracle)

Burning Mouth (Conflagration)Level: 1 Components: V,S,MRange: 0 CT: 1 segmentDuration: Instant. ST: NoneAE: All creatures within range (i.e., thecaster)Explanation/Description: Similar insome ways to burning hands, this spellcauses 1 hp of heat or fire damage perlevel of the caster, with the above limita-tions on range and area of effect. Thematerial components for this spell are sixjalapeno peppers, which must be eaten asthe spell is cast.

Locate Hands (Confirmation)Level: 2 Components: V,SRange: 2�/lvl. CT: 2 roundsDuration: 1 rnd./lvl. ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: Casting thisspell enables the magic-user to find hisown hands, even in the dark. Ordinarily,he will find them at the ends of his arms(one each), unless remove hand has beenpreviously cast. In the latter case, this spellcould be quite useful; however, it has alimited range and an extensive somaticcomponent, either of which might com-promise its effectiveness in findingdetached hands.

Detect Object (Cerebration)Level: 1 Components: V,S,MRange: 0 CT: 3 segmentsDuration: Special ST: NoneAE: 1" radius/lvl.Explanation/Description: By means ofthis spell, the magic-user can detect thepresence of one or more objects withinthe area of effect. The spell does not dis-close the size, nature, or number of theseobjects. It lasts as long as the magic-usercontinues to concentrate. The materialcomponent for this spell is any object ofconvenient size, which must be held justabove the tip of the spell-caster�s nosethroughout the duration of the spell.

Feign Invisibility (Delusion)Level: 1 Components: V,S,MRange: 0 CT: 1 roundDuration: SpecialAE: Personal

ST: Neg.

Explanation/Description: Casting thisspell enables the magic-user to put on areally good act of being invisible. Monstersthat see the spell-caster must save vs.spells; those who fail their saves are con-vinced that the spell-caster is in fact invisi-ble � but that they, for some reason, arenow able to see invisible creatures. Theeffect lasts as long as the magic-user con-centrates � usually only for a short while,after which the magic-user becomesapparent again. The material componentfor this spell is an ostrich feather.

Charm Dead (Net-Romantic)Level: 2 Components: V,MRange: 12� CT: 2 segmentsDuration: Hard to tell ST: NoneAE: 1 corpse/lvl.Explanation/Description: This spellcauses the spell-caster to affect the dead asif he had an 18 charisma � oh, what theheck � as if he had a 25 charisma! Eitherway, the effect is the same (exactly thesame) on dead characters, monsters, ani-mals, and even plants. This spell does notaffect the un-dead, nor does it work inconjunction with animate dead or speakwith dead, nor does it serve any otheruseful purpose. The material componentfor this spell is a drop of eau de boneyardbehind each ear.

Drawmij�s Instant Death(Extermination)Level: 8 Components: VRange: Infinite CT: 8 segmentsDuration: Instant. ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: When thisspell is cast, Drawmij, wherever he is andwhoever he is, dies. He dies immediately,without even a saving throw. As this spellhas been around for some time, it is safeto assume that Drawmij is getting prettysick and tired of it.

Magic Summons (Arraignment/Charge)Level: 4 Components: V,SRange: Special CT: 4 roundsDuration: Special ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: This spell callsinto existence an extradimensionalprocess-server, who hands the spell-castera summons (for any random offense �possibly the murder of one Drawmij) andvanishes. If a fine of 500 gp is not paidimmediately, the magic-user is teleportedto an extremely strange alternate plane ofexistence known as night court, where herisks being sentenced to imprisonment (asper the spell) for 1-100 years.

Scroll the Third(Goophus�s Grimoire)

Speak With Mud (Elocution)Level: 1 Components: V,SRange: 1�/lvl. CT: 1 segmentDuration: Special ST: NoneAE: 1” rad./lvl.Explanation/Description: This spellenables the magic-user to converse withnormal, nonmagical mud. The mud hearseverything the magic-user says and cananswer audibly. Unfortunately, this spelldoes not endow the mud with any othermagical powers (such as intelligence), soits answers are generally restricted tounedifying glugs and gurgles. The spellduration continues until the magic-usergets sick of the whole thing or shoutshimself hoarse in frustration.

Water Plant (Precipitation/Inundation)Level: 7 Components: V,S,MRange: 1� CT: 7 roundsDuration: Special ST: NoneAE: 1 small plantExplanation/Description: Casting thisspell calls into existence an extradimen-sional watering can, which functions as aconduit between the Prime Material planeand the plane of elemental Water. Waterflows through the can onto a plant at arate of one pint per segment per level ofthe caster (so high-level spell-casters aregetting into trouble already). As it hap-pens, Nimrod never got around to formu-lating the incantation to dismiss thewatering can or to stop the flow of water,and no power short of a wish can divertthe spout of the can from the plant it wassummoned to water. The material compo-nent for this spell is one small pottedplant, preferably one of little value to thecaster.

Stone Breathing (Suffocation)Level: 6 Components: V,SRange: 0 CT: 6 segmentsDuration: 1 turn/lvl. ST: NoneA E : P e r s o n a l Explanation/Description: This spellendows the spell-caster with the ability tobreathe solid stone. Unfortunately, it alsodeprives him of the ability to breatheanything else for the duration of the spell.As a result, the spell-caster is likely to bein trouble unless he casts the spell whileencased in solid stone (note, however, thatthe spell has an extensive somatic compo-nent). It is also possible for the spell-casterto survive the duration of the spell bysucking on a pebble. However, if this con-tinues for more turns than the caster haspoints of constitution, he becomesbefuddled and disoriented (a conditiontechnically referred to as becoming�stoned�).

Affect Shape (Starvation)Level: 5 Components: SRange: 0 CT: NoneDuration: 1 wk./lvl. ST: NoneAE: PersonalExplanation/Description: Throughout

the duration of this spell, the magic-userloses 2 lbs. per day (which can be danger-ous, especially for elven wizards). How-ever, when the spell duration is finished,the magic-user gorges himself nonstopuntil he has gained back twice as muchweight as he lost, none of which can belost by any means short of a wish.

Detect Normal Fires (Immolation)Level: 1 Components: V,SRange: Touch CT: 1 secondDuration: Special ST: NoneAE: One fireExplanation/Description: Casting thisspell enables the magic-user to detect thepresence of normal (nonmagical) fire (notethe spell range). The somatic componentfor this spell is to cover the eyes, turn thehead, and thrust out either hand. If bothhands are full, another bodily membermay be substituted at the DM�s option. Theverbal component (which follows thesomatic) is similar to that in audible curse.The effect of this spell is considerablyenhanced by coating the hand with lan-tern oil prior to casting; a helpful DM willno doubt suggest this.

Wall of Evil (Profanation)Level: 4 Components: V,SRange: 3� CT: 4 segmentsDuration: 1 turn + ST: Neg.

1 rnd./lvl.AE: SpecialExplanation/Description: This spellcreates a vertical wall of sheer diabolical(or demoniacal) evil, 10� square per level ofthe spell-caster. Paladins and other min-ions of good who pass through this wallmust save vs. spells or feel distinctlyunwelcome. Aside from the fact that noundead or creatures from the lowerplanes can be turned by clerics separatedfrom them by this spell, this dweomer hasno other function.

Transmute Rock to Stone(Redesignation) ReversibleLevel: 7 Components: V,SRange: 1 1”/lvl. CT: 7 roundsDuration: Perm. ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: This powerfulmagic enables the spell-caster to turn anyamount of nonmagical rock into stone.The casting time does not include the timeit takes to determine whether or not thespell has taken effect, which can be con-siderable. The somatic component for thisspell requires that the spell-caster pull hisindex finger out of his mouth so that hischeek makes a popping sound, then rotatethe finger vertically in the air while whis-tling a low glissando.

Continued on page 79

DRAGON 37

38 APRIL 1989

TOON® gameSteve Jackson Games, Inc.Design: Greg CostikyanDevelopment: Warren SpectorIllustrations: Kyle MillerComponents: 64-page book

$9.95

The TOON role-playing game is hardlywhat you�d call new; after all, it wasreleased in 1984. What�s it doing here,then? Well, the TOON game is a classic � agame which deserves the attention ofeveryone looking for a dramatic change ofpace and emphasis in their role-playing.While it may be old, it hasn�t lost any of itscharm and excitement in the last fiveyears. When you consider the age of a lotof the cartoons which are still shown ontelevision, the TOON game clocks in as averitable youngster.

The TOON game is set in the realm ofcartoon mayhem. In this freewheelinggame, anything can happen and frequentlydoes. Forget about planning your nextmove or considering the options. In theTOON game, you�re advised to act beforeyou think, put your brain out of gear, andrely on your sense of humor and instincts.If you have to think about something, thenyou�re taking too long. Grab the situationand make of it what you can. Play is fastand furious to maximize on the fun andthe silly situations. Don�t worry aboutwhat is going to happen to your character� just get on with it!

The rules: To be able to pull off thiskind of fast-flowing action, you need aflexible and easy-to-use rules system, orelse you�re going to get bogged downfiguring out how the game works. TheTOON game rules are very, very simple.All you need are a couple of six-sided dice.To start, you decide what type of charac-ter you want to play: pig, rabbit, duck,robot, human, trash can, or anything elseyour imagination can come up with. If yousimply can�t decide, you can roll on thenifty Species Table on page 17 of the book.Next, grab 1d6 and roll for your fourattributes: Muscle, Zip, Smarts, and Chutz-pah. If you�d rather allocate the scoresyourself, you get 14 points to spreadamong these attributes. To determine hitpoints, roll 1d6 and add 6 to the result.Now decide what your character lookslike, what its natural enemies are (if any),and what its beliefs and goals are (you canhave as many of these as you want; theyhelp define your character�s outlook andindicate how it should react in certaincircumstances).

To make sure your character is better atsome things than others, you select skills.There are 23 skills from which to choose,and you have 30 skill points to spend onthem. All of the skills are based on yourcharacter�s attributes. By spending skillpoints, you can raise skill levels to a maxi-mum of 9. For example, Tom the Cat has aMuscle of 4, but he wants to be good atclimbing, so he spends 5 skill points toincrease his Climb skill (based on Muscle)to 9.

The skills cover all the things your char-acter is likely to want to do. Muscle skillshave to do with fighting, climbing, break-ing down doors, and throwing things. Zipskills (a mixture of speed, alertness, dex-terity, and coordination) lets the characterdodge, drive vehicles, fire guns, run, ride,and swim. Smarts skills are geared tobrain power; they help the character hidethings, see things, track things, and resistthe fast-talking spiel of another character.Finally, there are Chutzpah skills, whichmeasure how pushy your character is.These skills let your character fast-talkothers into doing things which are reallydumb or dangerous, pass or detect shoddygoods, sneak around, and perform actionsbased on sleight of hand.

To use a skill, you roll 2d6 and hope toget your skill number or less. If yourcharacter is fighting another character,the other player rolls as well. If you bothsucceed or both fail, nothing happens; ifone succeeds and the other fails, the win-ner hits his opponent. It�s pretty simple.Chuck in a few special things like shticks,amazing special powers (including hypno-sis, incredible luck, teleportation, or beingable to change shape), and some personalitems, and the fun�s ready to start.

But you can start even earlier than thisif you want. In fact, by page 12 you canparticipate in your first cartoon. TheTOON game is designed for fast action andfun, and the rules are presented in thesame way. The book quickly introducesyou to the basics of role-playing and to theminimum number of rules you need toplay the first adventure. Pregeneratedcharacters are provided specifically forthis adventure, in which the characterscompete in �The Cartoon Olympics.� Onceyou�ve completed this adventure, you canthen create a full-fledged character for usein the other adventures.

The world of TOON adventures:Forget about natural laws. In the TOONgame, the real world only impinges if yourcharacter is too smart for his own good.He can breath underwater or walk on airover gaping chasms with no problems,provided that he�s too dumb to realizeotherwise. Any time your character isinvolved in an impossible situation, rollagainst his Smarts score. If you fail, great� he can carry on. But if you make theroll, he�s in trouble! The realization that heshould be drowning or plummeting to hisdeath causes him to do just that. It pays tobe dumb in the TOON game.

Death? Did I say �death�? I meant to say�fall down.� Yep, whenever somethingreally terrible happens to your character,he�s in big trouble. Squashed, flattened,out of hit points, drowned, baked, fried,or sliced, they�re all the same � he endsup falling down. That means you�re out ofthe game for a full three minutes. Oncethat�s up, your character is back in thegame, right where he fell down (unlesshe�s been moved by forces beyond hiscontrol).

The action in the TOON game takes

place in one of four basic locations: Any-town, Outside of Town, The City, andOuter Space. Where else would you wantto go? Anytown has all the amenities of atown. If you want anything more, youhead for The City. Outside of Town is anyplace that�s not in Anytown or The City:the North Pole, Australia, the Stone Age,etc. And if you leave the Earth, naturallyyou end up in Outer Space.

The Animator: You may be wonderinghow you�re going to cope with all theseindestructible player characters rushingall over the place, creating mayhem andrunning totally out of control. Well, it�seasy: You get to make all manner of funnynoises, and no matter how zany the playercharacters are, you�re always in charge.All you�ve got to remember is to be evenzanier than the player characters, andeverything will be fine.

And if all else fails, you can always fallback on the Fifty Percent Rule. This neatrule of thumb allows you to reduce anyproblem to a yes/no answer. Question:�Will it work?� Answer: �Yes/no.� All you�vegot to do to arrive at the right answer isroll 1d6. If a 1-3 comes up, the answer is�yes.� If a 4-6 comes up, the answer is �no.�Pretty easy, huh?

Commentaries on the art of being anAnimator provide plenty of tips and showhow to put them into practice. As thereare no complicated rules to puzzle over, allan Animator needs is the ability to thinkquickly. It also helps to have a good feelfor slapstick humor.

The adventures: Three adventuresbesides �The Cartoon Olympics� are pro-vided to get things moving. �I Foogled You�is a short adventure in which the charac-ters head Out Of Town to Darkest Africain search of the legendary Foogle Bird.�Spaced Out Saps� is set in Outer Space,and �The Better Housetrap� takes place inAnytown. All three adventures containplenty of opportunities for cartoon may-hem and serve as ideal introductions tocartoon role-playing. These adventures arelots of fun. Once you�ve finished playingthem, you�ll be more than ready to eitherdesign your own or to rush out and pickup some more TOON material from SteveJackson Games: TOON Strikes Again,TOON Silly Stuff, and Son of Toon.

Artwork: Artwork is spread liberallythroughout the rule book. It does an excel-lent job of capturing the atmosphere ofthe game, and it�s not just there to makethe book look pretty; it actually illustratesmany of the rules and shows you howeverything works. Full marks are awardedhere for graphic presentation.

Evaluation: The TOON game providesan excellent change of pace and a shift ofemphasis away from the more seriousrole-playing games. I highly recommend itas an evening�s entertainment and as acure to role-playing blues. Buy a copy ifyou are in a silly mood or need to becheered up. The TOON game and supple-ments are available from Steve JacksonGames, Inc., Box 18957, Austin TX 78760.

D R A G O N 3 9

BULLWINKLE AND ROCKY� Role-playing Party Game

TSR, Inc. $15.00Design: Dave �Zeb� CookDevelopment and editing: Warren SpectorArt and graphic design: Sue MyersComponents: (Are you ready for, this?) A

16-page �How To Play the Game� book-let, a 16-page �Stories� booklet, a 32-page �The Guide to Frostbite Falls andBeyond� booklet, 108 official storycards, six spinners, 18 character stand-ups, one Narrator�s microphone, oneblank character stand-up, two diplo-mas, and 10 hand puppets.

Welcome to the world of the newBULLWINKLE AND ROCKY game, stuffedfull of nifty bits and pieces created tomaximize an evening�s fun. Designed in acheap and cheerful way, this game letsplayers assume the roles of Bullwinkle theMoose, Rocky the Flying Squirrel, thePottsylvanian spies Boris Badenov and

Natasha Fatale, Fearless Leader, CaptainPeter Peachfuzz, the Moon Men Gidneyand Cloyd, Dudley Do-Right, Horse,Inspector Fenwick, Nell Fenwick, SnidleyWhiplash, and a whole bunch of othercharacters.

A quick glance at the components tellsyou that this is not a standard role-playinggame. Instead, the whole package is set upto let the players tell their own versions ofthe cartoon shows. So, how does it work?

The BULLWINKLE AND ROCKY game isreally three games in one. Let�s start withthe basic version: the Narration Game.

The Narration Game: To play thisversion, all you need are the 108 storycards. These are printed with varioushumorous pictures and captions tellingyou what they are. The idea is to tell astory using the cards. Each player is dealta hand of cards (five cards if there arefour or less players, four if there are fiveor more players). One player then takesthe 16-page �Stories� booklet and selects astory to play. This can be either a Rockyand Bullwinkle story, a Dudley Do-Rightstory, or a story drawn from one of theother cartoons: Fractured Fairy Tales,Peabody�s Improbable History, or Aesopand Son fables. The Rocky and Bullwinkleand the Dudley Do-Right stories each havea �story so far� section which describesevents leading up to the start of the story;they also have an ending. The other car-toons are given in less detail, thus allowingplayers to set their own beginnings andobjectives.

Once a story has been chosen and theending told to the players, the gamebegins. The player who chose the storykicks off by playing a card from his handand by adding a bit to the story based onthe card. As the cards contain a widerange of events, characters, items, andother stuff, the story can progress in

strangely improbable ways. Fitting thecard you play into the ongoing story line iswhere the fun comes in. If you can�t thinkof a use for your card, you can discard itand as many other cards as you want,then draw new ones to replace them. Thegame continues with each player addinghis bit to the story until each player onlyhas one card left.

Now the players have to bring the storyto its ending. To do so, the person whochose the story counts to three. Eachplayer then throws his last card onto thetable. If your card lands first, you get totell the ending to the story. The moreclever the pun and twist in the story line,the better. But what if you haven�t got asuitable card to play? No sweat � yousimply discard it and draw a new one. Andif you have a really great ending, let theother players know by jumping out ofyour seat and waving your arms about!

Okay, the story is over. What now? Youhand out diplomas for the best gag, funni-est pun, best ending of the evening, orwhatever else you feel like. Dump the twodiplomas into a photocopier and run off asmany you want. Admittedly, in this ver-sion of the game, the diplomas mean zilch,but they do add to the fun.

The Everybody Can Do SomethingGame: Once you�ve mastered the Narra-tion Game, it�s time to get technical andmove onto the Everybody Can Do Some-

40 APRIL 1989

thing Game. So far, it�s just been a card

has evil consequences. If convinced by

game; now we get into the role-playingpart. But this is role-playing with a differ-

another player to carry out an evil deed,

ence. For starters, there�s no GM. Sure,you have a Narrator, but everyone gets tobe the Narrator. The Narrator�s Micro-phone stand-up is passed around the tablein the course of a game. The Narrator�s jobis to keep the story moving and to ask theother players what their characters aredoing.

The basic set-up is the same as in theNarration Game, with a story being select-ed by one of the players and each playerbeing dealt a hand of cards. Each player,including the player who starts as theNarrator, also gets a character to play. Thisis where the character stand-ups come in.These stand-ups have pictures of the char-acters on them and details of each charac-ter�s powers. Each player also takes aspinner with the picture of their characteron it. These are used as randomizers andare spun to see whether a character suc-ceeds when carrying out an action. Forexample, Dudley Do-Right nearly alwaysdoes things wrong. Any time he formu-lates a plan or is told by another player todo something, he spins the spinner to seeif he does it successfully. The spinner isloaded against him, so Dudley often mes-ses up. Dudley also can�t do anything that

Dudley automatically gains some benefitfrom it. Throw in a few other bits of the

which is lots of fun to play and allows

provided characterization, and you�ve gota character ready to take part in full-

players to come out with some of the

blown cartoon adventures. To give thestory some structure, there are goals forthe good and bad guys, and some greatideas to try out in the course of the story.

The current Narrator reads out �TheStory So Far� and asks one of the playersto continue it from there. Players can usetheir powers by spinning their spinnerthingies (if necessary) or play cards fromtheir hands. Using a card to advance thestory means you automatically succeedand don�t have to spin your spinner. If youuse your powers and get a bad spin, theNarrator decides what happens to yourcharacter by making it up or by playing acard.

After the current Narrator plays a card,the Narrator�s microphone stand-up ispassed to the player on the left, who nowbecomes the new Narrator. Once anyplayer has only one card left, he may tryto end the story, hopefully after complet-ing the characters� goals. To see if yousucceed, spin the spinner. If you get a�yes� result, great; if you get a �no,� youdraw one or more cards and the storycontinues.

This adds up to a very free-form game

4 2 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

worst story twists and puns imaginable. Tofurther add to the excitement, you can usea glove puppet for your character (thoughnot all of the characters have one provid-ed). Wave the puppet around, make it talk,do what you want with it. In game terms,the puppet is totally useless, but who saideverything has to have a purpose?

The diplomas are handed out just as inthe Narration Game. In this version, how-ever, once you�ve accumulated a few diplo-mas, you can use them to aid yourcharacter. If you cash in two, you getanother attempt at spinning a spinner.Cashing in five lets you succeed at anaction without having to spin the spinner.

The Graduate Game: Once you�vemastered the other two games, you�reready for the Graduate Game. This gamehas guidelines for designing your owncharacters, drawing their pictures (theRocky and Bullwinkle way), and makingup your own stories. This is where theblank character stand-up comes in, andyou get a few blank cards with which youcan add your own designs to the game.The Graduate Game is really an extensionof the Everybody Can Do SomethingGame, letting you do whatever you wantwith the game.

�The Guide to Frostbite Falls andBeyond�: In this booklet, you find outabout the characters and world setting,and you get some ideas of how you canuse the cards in play. Nicely written andfun to read, the booklet is well illustrated(as are the other two booklets) and formsa useful sourcepack to the game.

Evaluation: There you have it, theBULLWINKLE AND ROCKY RoleplayingParty Game � fast, manic fun, guaranteedto liven up even the dullest party (andwith plenty of bits and pieces to play with,too). Treat it as a board game, rather thanas a serious role-playing game, and you�rein for a treat. It ain�t art, but it�s fun.

Short and sweetPARANOIA™ Form Pack, by Steven Gil-

bert. West End Games, $8.00. Hey, dude,looking for something special to makeyour PARANOIA game clones� lives misera-ble? Then look no further. The PARANOIAForm Pack contains 10 Form RequestForms, four Equipment Complaint Forms,four Equipment/Weapon/Vehicle RequestForms, and a special Code 7 adventure,�Hole In The Complex.� The forms are intriplicate and come complete with carbonpaper.. Use them to catch the� player char-acters out (PARANOIA-style) and to livenup existence in Alpha Complex. Proudowners of the PARANOIA Excessory Pack(see �Role-playing Reviews� in issue #132)will already possess copies of theEquipment/Weapon/Vehicle RequestForms, which limit the PARANOIA FormPacks effectiveness; still, spare formsalways come in handy. The forms includedelightful questions such as:

�The Commie mutant traitor threat is worsenow than ever before. Yes. No.

If you answered yes, why is the threat worsenow? Does this mean The Computer is anineffective leader? Are you suggesting thatyou could do a better job than TheComputer?

If you answered no, why? Do you feel TheComputer is exaggerating the CommieMenace? Why would you think that?

The three-page adventure is designed tointroduce new Red-clearance-level clonesto the wonderful world of bureaucracy. Ituses the forms to good effect and leavesyou with plenty of spare ones for futureadventures. If you like tongue-in-cheekprops in your game, this pack is worthgetting. If you�re just looking for an adven-ture, save your money and buy somethinga bit more substantial. This product (andthe following one) are available from: WestEnd Games, RD 3 Box 2345, Honesdale PA18431.

Don’t Take Your Laser To Town, byMalcolm Mouvis and Vern G. Hargett. WestEnd Games, $8.00. Journey back to thedays of the Old West to meet the Bot WithNo Name, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and abunch of other western cliches hangingout in WST Sector of Alpha Complex. Joinforces with the Dooke and put an end tothe nefarious schemes of Black Bot. In this32-page adventure, the bygone days of theWild West get the PARANOIA game treat-ment. This fast-moving adventure fairlyrips along, but at times it moves too fastfor its own good, with staging and GM tipssuffering slightly in the process. This is afun supplement, but it lacks the uniquecharm which characterized earlier PARA-NOIA adventures. While not first-class,Don’t Take Your Laser To Town will cer-tainly keep your clones amused.

FR5 The Savage Frontier, by PaulJaquays. TSR, Inc., $7.95. The AD&D®FORGOTTEN REALMS� campaign seriescontinues to grow with this 64-page sup-plement, which takes a close look at thelands to the north of the City of Water-deep. The color maps and text add furtherdetail to the northlands and Trackless Sea,and place firmly in context the descrip-tions given in FR1 Waterdeep and theNorth. This campaign supplement containsinformation on the Northmen, theUthgardt Barbarians, and the northerndwarves and orcs. In addition to providinginformation on major settlements, strong-holds, and ruins, The Savage Frontier isalso laced with lots of adventure ideas.This supplement is for anyone who can�tresist the call of the wild.

WARHAMMER™ Townscape. GamesWorkshop, $22.95. In this WARHAMMERsupplement, you�ll find 39 card-stockbuildings suitable for use in war gamesand for displaying special role-playingscenes set in towns and villages. The25mm-scale buildings are fairly easy to

construct; glue, scissors, a modeling knife, reviewer, I consider it my job to point outand a metal ruler are all you need. The the good and bad aspects of any products Ibuildings are not new � they have been cover. Sometimes a product comes alongtaken from previous WARHAMMER build- which I consider to be of inferior quality.ing packs. Nevertheless, this is your first Here, I have two options: I can ignore itchance to get them all together. WAR- entirely, reserving the review column forHAMMER Townscape is guaranteed to games, supplements, and adventuresenhance the visual aspects of any tabletop which I heartily recommend; or I canaction. This product is available in the U.S. occasionally review a product which Ifrom: Games Workshop US, 1220 Key personally don�t like in order to show howHighway, Baltimore MD 21230. In the U.K., it is lacking in certain areas and why Icontact: Games Workshop, Chewton consider products dealing with a similarStreet, Hilltop, Eastwood, Notts, NG16 3HY. topic to be superior.

MERTWIG�S MAZE� Gamefolio, by TomWham. TSR, Inc., $9.95. The king liesdying, and the evil Grand Wizir intends toseize the kingdom for himself. Only theappearance of the king�s long-lost childrencan stave off this dreadful event. Thoughmany claim to be the king�s rightful heirs,only a character possessing a royal birth-mark and a royal treasure can hope tobecome king. Thus, you have to go adven-turing to find a treasure and a birthmark.To assist you in your perilous quest, youcan hire various companions in the city tofight and cast spells for you. Then you setoff to brave the horrors lurking in thewilds of the kingdom.

This game features a large map of thekingdom, eight card displays showing themaps of the adventure areas, a wholebunch of cards, and easy-to-play rules.Unfortunately, you don�t get a box inwhich to keep the bits, so make sure youhave some plastic bags on hand. TheMERTWIG�S MAZE Gamefolio is hardlyserious fantasy, but you wouldn�t reallyexpect anything else from the designer ofSteve Jackson Games� AWFUL GREENTHINGS FROM OUTER SPACE� game. TheMERTWIG�S MAZE Gamefolio is a wackyand fun-filled game.

As always, any review reflects thereviewer�s interests and perceptions. The�Role-playing Reviews� start off eachmonth by introducing the current topicand putting it into perspective. Theseintroductions give an insight into my opin-ions on the topic, as well as my thoughtson currently available products.

This is where you come in. I�m inter-ested in hearing what you think the role ofthe reviews is, any any thoughts you mayhave on the reviews themselves. Are thereviews too critical, too detailed, or aboutright? Is there a topic, game, supplement,or adventure that you�d like to see fea-tured? My schedule may prevent me frompersonally answering your letters, but I�minterested in hearing from you. My mail-ing address is:

Jim Bambra180 Moorbridge LaneStaplefordNottinghamNG9 8GTUnited Kingdom

Who reviews the reviewers?Following the review of Mayfair�s City-

State of the Invincible Overlord inDRAGON® issue #136, Jim Bennett, ofCollege Station, Texas, came to its defense.Jim saw the City-State as a good fantasysetting, the city�s spacious layout beingjustified on the grounds that it had recent-ly been rebuilt to maximize the benefits ofwide, straight streets and open areas.

While this may well be the case, I stillconsider this boxed set to be one of theleast-convincing urban fantasy settingsavailable. Sure, you can take the descrip-tions of the buildings (and the NPCs whoinhabit them) and turn the whole lot into avibrant campaign setting, but there arebetter city packs available which providesuperior starting points and which areimbued with far more flavor. Urban set-tings with straight streets and suburbangardens may be great places to live, butwhen it comes to a fantasy environment,I�ll take colorful descriptions of windingalleys, slums, and docks any day.

Jim�s comments raise an interestingpoint about reviews in general. As a

D R A G O N 4 5

©1989 by Paul Jaquays

uch of terrestrial legenddeals with gods whowalked the earth in theguises of men and beasts. Sometimes they were summoned by

worshipers in times of need, but usuallythey came and went of their own free will.The mythologies of many peoples tell ofthe gods� intervention and interference inthe lives of mortals. Ancient peoples ofearth attributed the events of their timesto the direct involvement of the deities.Often, the actions of the gods were forsome greater purpose; but normally, theypursued their own selfish interests ofrevenge, greed, love, and lust.

However, only at the height of theirpower could the gods visit earth at will. Asthe �golden age� of the gods waned, so didthe frequency of their visits. Furthermore,the gods could not just drop in on earth intheir full glory and majesty. Gods whoappeared in all their power on earthrisked danger and damage to both them-selves and mortals. The gods would oftenlessen the impact on themselves and onlesser beings by taking on familiar shapes� those of humans, beasts, and monsters.In any of these familiar forms, only aportion of a gods being was manifest,allowing the god to move freely (and oftenunnoticed) among mortal creatures. Thesemanifestations, or avatars, of the gods hadaccess to all the powers normally availableto the gods they actually were. Butbecause the avatars also partook of mortalflesh and its inherent weaknesses, the useand extent of those powers was necessar-ily limited.

In role-playing games such as Chaosium�s

46 APRIL 1989

RUNEQUEST® game, direct dealings withgods and powerful mythological monstersand demons is a normal part of the questsby which true heroes are made and tested.However, it is possible to use the directintervention of the gods as a part of bal-anced game play involving characters whoare not yet up to hero stature. The guide-lines in this article are designed to be usedprimarily with RUNEQUEST games, boththe second-edition Chaosium rules (RQ II)and the revised third-edition rules (RQ III)published by The Avalon Hill Game Com-pany. In addition, these rules are alsointended for use with most role-playinggames based on Chaosium�s BASIC ROLE-PLAYING game system (including the CALLOF CTHULHU®, STORMBRINGER,SUPERWORLD, and ELFQUEST� role-playing games).

The first two editions of the RUNE-QUEST rules were set in the mythos ofGlorantha, in an age when the gods oflegend still existed but had ceased to bedirectly involved in the affairs of mortals.In the golden age before the supremacy ofTime (that is, before Time actually began),the gods and other great spirits roamedthe earth freely, interacting with mortalcreatures. The compromise of Time forcedthe gods away from the physical plane andinto the spiritual plane of existence, whereTime did not rule the sequence of events.The gods were able to retain their greatpower, but in the compromise, they lostthe ability to exert free will and becamelocked into what they had previouslybecome or done. Instead of functioningdirectly on the physical plane, the godsand great spirits learned to use mortalworshipers to effect their purposes. Great

magics were then worked only by thePriests of the gods.

The greatly revised RQ III places theworld setting for the game in ancientEurope, roughly paralleling the Byzantineperiod of actual Earth history. In thispseudohistorical world, polytheism andthe �old gods� of Greece, Rome, Scandina-via, the British Isles, and the Mideast areslowly but surely being replaced by thenew monotheistic deities of Christianity,Islam, and Judaism. Though these old godsonce walked the world freely, their powerhas weakened as their followers havediminished. The advance of time has madeit difficult if not impossible for them toenter the physical plane without assist-ance. Although the Priests of the gods stillwork great magics, strong-willed sorcerershave risen to fill the void in magic use.

Even though circumstance and compro-mise have worked to prevent the godsfrom entering the physical plane, the lawsof Time have their loopholes. It is possiblefor the worshipers of gods to find ways tosummon their deities to the physical plane(and sometimes it is possible for a god tofind a means to summon himself).

As mentioned before, the lesser manifes-tation of an earth-visiting god takes theform of an avatar. The term comes fromHindu mythology and is defined as theincarnation of a god in human form. Forgame purposes, however, the avatar neednot be a human being or even a human-oid. This being is a representation of thegod, containing only a portion of its fullabilities. The relationship of the avatar tothe god is much like that of a dreamdragon (from Gloranthan mythology) to areal dragon. The thoughts and motivations

and desires of the god are there, but thepowers it can wield are but a dim shadowof the real gods capabilities.

The summoningUnless a campaign is played with

extremely powerful player characters, theadventurers are more likely to be involvedwith a preexisting avatar rather thaninitiating the attempt to summon one. Forthat reason, the methods of summoningwill only be briefly outlined.

Two conditions must be met to summonthe avatar of a god. The first condition is agreat sacrifice of spiritual Power (POW) onthe part of the summoner or summoners.The second condition is that a rituallyprepared vessel be available to house theavatar.

In RUNEQUEST games, the acceptablemethod of summoning a god into avatarform is to call upon Divine Intervention.The summoned deity is then offered asuitable vessel to contain its manifestationon the physical plane. This vessel can beeither a human or other sentient being, anappropriate cult animal, or a statue of thegod itself. The type of vessel and its will-ingness (or unwillingness) to perform asan avatar varies from cult to cult. The typeof vessel used is mostly up to the prefer-ence of the game master (GM). The sum-moned gods abilities, however, depend on

the god itself and the type of vessel thatcontains it.

Generally speaking, the amount of POWrequired to summon a god from the spirit-ual plane and place it into a vessel on thephysical plane is more than a single, nor-mal living creature (even a powerful sha-man) can provide. Due to the number ofparticipants that need to be involved,summoning ceremonies are usually per-formed in temples that �have from 150 to500 worshipers (minor temples) and sev-eral resident Priests. For the best chanceof a successful summoning, large numbersof people are required. The actual formatfor this ceremony varies from cult to cult,

but the end result is that a number ofPriests and Initiates of the cult under thedirection of a coordinating High Priest usethe Divine (or Rune) magic call DivineIntervention. Although each individualattempts to make his own sacrifice ofPOW, under the direction of the HighPriest, the individual sacrifices are mergedinto a single, communal request.

To determine the success of a summon-ing, find the amount of POW sacrificed inthe ceremony using the following formula:Multiply the number of worshipersinvolved in the ceremony by 11%. Thisrepresents the number of worshipers whowould statistically make their Divine Inter-vention roll. (Divine Interventions aremade by rolling 1d100. If the result is less

than or equal to the Initiate�s POW charac-teristic, the Divine Intervention succeedsand the Initiate permanently loses anamount of POW equal to the roll.) Take theresulting number and multiply it by theresult of a 2d4 roll (two four-sided dicewhich represent an approximation of theaverage amount of power sacrificed byeach Initiate). This final number is theamount of POW available for summoningthe god into avatar form.

If PCs (or NPCs with unusually highPOW characteristics) participate in thesummoning ceremony, roll their DivineInterventions separately from the congre-gations. Add any contributed POW to thetotal.

In RQ II, for each successful PriestlyDivine Intervention (a Rune magic spell),multiply the number of spell pointsexpended by five. Add the Priests� sacrificeto the worshipers� (Initiates and Rune-lords) total.

The summoners must now make a singlepercentile roll of less than or equal to thetotal amount of sacrificed POW to sum-mon their deity and place a portion of itspower into the prepared vessel.

If using RQ III, the High Priest�s Ceremo-ny skill (divided by five and rounded up)can be added to the POW total to improvethe ceremony�s chance of success.

After the roll is made for the summon-ing, roll 1d4 and subtract one from the

48 APRIL 1989

result. This will determine the effect ofthe ceremony on the participants. Theresult of the roll is the percentage of wor-shipers who died as a result of successful-ly making their Divine Intervention rolls (if

These rules make it unlikely that PCswill summon up gods on a regular basis.However, if the summoning of a godsavatar is necessary to advance a story linein the GM�s adventure, assume that it willbe successful and that about 1% of theNPCs involved will die of POW loss.Describing the pomp and mysticism of theceremony and the chilling results of asuccessful summoning can make for agreat prelude to an adventure.

all a character�s POW is sacrificed, thecharacter irrevocably dies).

The avatarIf the summoning roll is successful, the

prepared vessel becomes an avatar of thesummoned god and must be carefullyplayed by the GM from then on. If theavatar has been summoned to accomplisha specific task or mission (such as slaying ademon or curing a plague), it will go aboutperforming that task. Thereafter, unlesssomehow banished or dismissed back tothe spirit plane, the avatar remains.

The summoned avatar is now a �living�free-willed creature, but is under obliga-tion to its summoners to perform the taskfor which they created it. Once that task iscomplete, that control is broken, andunless banished from the world, the ava-tar will follow its own desires.

Because the avatar is actually a repre-sentation of things that the god reallywants, and not necessarily what its fol-lowers have decided the nature of the godto be, the avatar will generally go aboutmaking a nuisance of itself, demandingconstant worship, substantial tribute, hugetemples � possibly even sacrifices and theelimination of rivals in holy war. Failure toperform these functions means facing agods wrath. Even the most tolerant wor-shipers of a benign and benevolent godmay soon find themselves chafing at theirdeity�s incessant demands (and looking for

likely heroes to put an end to their newsuffering).

To role-play a freed avatar, the GM mustimagine in detail what the gods particularwants, motivations, and needs might be.Although wants and motivations varyfrom god to god, most avatars have a needto be worshiped and needed, as if theywere the real god and not just a lessercopy. Initially, the need to be needed moti-vates the avatar, and it will seek to pleaseits followers. An avatar of a healing godmay create hospitals to cure the sick. Awarrior god may extend its protection tothe masses by fighting their enemies.

However, as the avatar begins to developa personality separate from the originaldeity (in essence becoming a completelyseparate entity), its plans may becomegrandiose or counterproductive to society.It becomes greedy, haughty, demanding,and even dangerous. The healing avatarmay cause illnesses in order to have moresick to cure; the war avatar may bringnations into conflict. Both will demand thedevotion of their followers and tributeworthy of their imagined status. Althoughavatars are not full gods, they are power-ful enough to make sure their demandsare followed.

Avatar bodiesThe abilities and powers possessed by an

avatar vary with the type of vessel (senti-ent being, animal, or statue) in which it isplaced and with the relative success orpower of the summoning. Although theselection of a vessel and its preparationvaries from cult to cult, and may dependon the need of the summoners, they gen-erally conform to the following types.

alley on a dark night.

Humanoid (sentient being): For mostbenevolent cults (the term is looselyapplied), the sentient vessel will be a ritu-ally prepared volunteer, aware of thepersonal danger�s (and benefits) involved inaccepting the spirit of a god into his body.The host�s gender should usually matchthat of the summoned deity. Nonbenevo-lent cults may conscript a vessel off a back

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and theTSR logo are trademarks owned by and usedunder license from TSR, Inc. © 1989 TSR, Inc. AllRights Reserved.

DRAGON 49

Ability Human formSTR 1d6 X host�sCON 10 X host�s SIZ 2d6 + host�sINT 3d6 + 12POW 2d4 x 20DEX 1d3 x host�sCHA/APP (1d4 + 1) x 10

Table 1

Avatar Vessels

Animal form1d6 X host�s10 X host�s2 X host�s1d6 + 62d4 X 151d3 X host�s(ld6 + 1) X 5

Statue20 + (1d8 X 10)SIZ x 10Hosts3d6SIZ x 10(2d6 X 2) � (SIZ/10)1d4 x 10

Animal: This is always an animal that isspecial or sacred to the god and the cult. Itis normally a superior specimen of itskind, without blemish or infirmity, and isritually cleaned and sanctified. The host�sgender should usually match that of thesummoned deity.

Statue: This is always a reasonably well-sculpted image of the god. It may be ofany size, but usually the POW that thesculpture contains is limited to 10 times itsSize (SIZ) characteristic.

Avatar powersOnce the avatar is successfully summon-

ed, the GM should use the guidelines inTable 1 to create the avatar�s characteris-tics. GMs should work out hit points, hitlocations, and other attributes as if for a

normal character. Note that for CALL OFCTHULHU gods, the statistics neverexceed those listed in the rule books forthose gods.

The relative success of the summoningalso dictates the power of the summonedbeing. The GM should subtract the valueof the percentile dice roll that was made tosummon the avatar from the total amountof POW successfully sacrificed during thesummoning. At the GM�s discretion, thedifference may be distributed between theavatar�s characteristic scores (increasingthem beyond the values normal for theselected vessel). The GM should reservesuch an increase for the god�s specialtycharacteristic. For instance, Lhankor Mhy,the Gloranthan god of knowledge, wouldhave a drastically higher intelligence,while the storm god Orlanth would have ahigh Strength and Constitution.

Appearance: The appearance of thesummoned avatar depends upon the hostvessel. A humanoid (sentient being)assumes the popularly accepted appear-ance of the deity, in glorious, living color.The animal avatar looks like a beautiful,powerful member of its species. A statuetakes on the appearance of flesh, butmaintains the feel, of its original material(stone, wood, or metal).

Spirit Magic use: The avatar knows allSpirit Magic spells (Battle Magic spells inRQ II) that are not specialty spells limitedto the followers of another cult. VariablePOW spells are known for up to six pointsmaximum. This type of magic may be castat normal POW cost.

Divine Magic use: The avatar knows allthe Divine Magic spells (Rune Magic spellsin RQ II) allowed for its own cult at themaximum allowable power (but nevermore than six points per spell). If theavatar is at its seat of power (the area inwhich its was summoned), Divine Magicsmay be cast as if they were Spirit Magicsof the same POW cost. Away from this seatof power, casting Divine Magics causespermanent POW loss to the avatar equal tothe point value of the spell.

Sorcery: Avatars in RUNEQUEST gamescannot use sorcery skills or magics. Ava-tars in other game systems may use someor all magics available in that game system(see below).

Magic in BASIC ROLE-PLAYING games:

Avatars in BASIC ROLE-PLAYING gamesystems may use all spells normallyallowed to the deity in its full manifesta-tion (at the GM�s discretion), but withlimits imposed by its semimortal form. Anavatar of the outer god Nyarlahotep inCALL OF CTHULHU games can use all thespells of the Cthulhu mythos. An avatar ofDonblas, god of Justice in the STORM-BRINGER game, would be a 5th-RankSorcerer and may manifest the four Vir-tues of Law (Attack, Defense, Knowledge,and Travel) at any time. An avatar in theMAGIC WORLD game (from the oldWORLDS OF WONDER boxed set) wouldknow a number of spells equal to his Intel-ligence and would use them at 95% ability.

Weapon skills: A human or humanoid-statue avatar uses its cult weapons (bothattack and parry) at 100% ability, with a+ 1 bonus for each two points of its Intelli-

gence. If no weapons are available orusable (as is the case for animal avatars),the avatar punches, kicks, claws, or bitesat the same ability as its animal host. War-rior gods receive an additional 2d20 pointsof skill in any event.

Other skills: An avatar uses all cult-special skills at 100% ability. Any otherskills common to the culture are usable at30% plus 1d10 X 5 ability (at the GM�sdiscretion).

Armor: An avatar�s natural armor isgenerally raised by 1d6 points. If the ava-tar is capable of wearing other armor, hewill generally enchant that armor to pro-tect himself as much as possible. Thereaf-ter, he will use spells to further increasehis own protection.

Shapeshifting: An avatar in a human-host vessel may shapeshift to any cultanimal. All characteristics and statisticsremain the same.

Size alteration: An avatar may alter hissize at will, up to 10 times larger orsmaller than his original size. However, heattacks as if he were his previous size. Heis, in essence, expanding or shrinkingwithout gaining or losing mass.

Special powers: The avatar has at leastone of the powers ascribed to the god,usually something that serves the purposefor which he was summoned: a healinggod�s merest touch might cure the sick; asun god would glow with light andwarmth; a fertility god might cause cropsto grow in salted earth.

Offspring: An avatar who mates with amortal creates superior offspring. Whencreating these special children, roll theircharacteristics normally, but replace thelowest die in each roll with eight points.For example, when rolling for STR, theplayer rolls a one, a five, and a six. Theone is replaced by an eight for a total of 19points. Thus, it is possible for an avatar�schild to have characteristics of up to 20points.

Destroying the avatarThere are three ways to send an avatar

back to its source. The first way is to

destroy its vessel (i.e., kill it). The second isto reduce the vessel�s POW characteristicto one-tenth of its normal figure (a POW of100 would have to be reduced to 10),forcing the avatar to weaken its hold onthe host vessel. Since avatars are highlymagical beings, even an army may havedifficulty destroying an avatar in thismanner.

The third way is to find the avatar�ssecret weakness. Fortunately, each avatarhas a flaw in its construction placed thereby the stresses of Time. Somewhere in theworld, there will be a weakness that willimmediately cause the spirit of the avatarto depart its vessel. A number of weak-nesses are suggested in Table 2. Each ofthese weaknesses needs to be furtherdeveloped by the GM to fit into the ongo-ing campaign. These weaknesses are pro-vided as scenario hooks designed tostimulate adventure ideas. The weaknesscan be chosen by the GM or selected byrolling 1d20 on Table 2.

The mission to destroy a god will neces-sarily be a three-part epic. First, theheroes must discover what will force theavatar to leave the world. Second, theymust obtain that object. Third, they mustuse the weakness against the god (whichgenerally means coming into the avatar�spresence).

Of course, the avatar knows its ownweakness and will do everything in itspower to protect itself from harm. Hiddenitems will be guarded, protected by greatmagics, and disguised. Vulnerable areaswill be protected by armor and spells, andthe avatar himself will usually be guardedby fanatical followers, Although RUNE-QUEST game deities are not omniscient,the GM can probably assume that an ava-tar will be aware of attacks against it andany missions to discover its weakness.

When an avatar departs a host vessel,the host undergoes incredible stress. Eachtype of vessel must make a saving roll toavoid being destroyed as the avatardeparts. Roll 1d100.

Animal: The animal survives if the roll isless than or equal to three times the ani-mal�s original CON. If the animal fails theroll, it dies instantly.

Humanoid: The person survives if the rollis less than or equal to five times the charac-ter�s original CON. If the vessel fails the roll,it ages at the rate of one year per minuteuntil death from old age occurs (successfulDivine Intervention can stop but not reversethe aging). Additionally, the character mustmake a 1d100 roll of less than or equal to itsoriginal INT times five or be reduced toincurable insanity (gibbering and drooling,but nothing more complex). Finally, thecharacter must make a 1d100 roll of lessthan or equal to five times the average of itsoriginal POW and CON, or it retains thephysical form or appearance of the god. Ifthe host vessel survives all this, each of itscharacteristics (STR, INT, POW, etc.) will beincreased by 1d6 points.

Table 2

Avatar Weaknesses1d20 Weakness

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19-20

The avatar�s heart or some other vital organ is magically separated from itsbody. This organ will usually be hidden and/or well protected. It may bepossible that the avatar will become even more powerful if its organ isrejoined with its body.A missile weapon made from a particular wood, metal, or stone will slaythe avatar instantly, but will not necessarily kill the vessel. Treat such anattack against the vessel as if it were a critical hit (an attack of 5% or less).The venom or blood from a powerful, mythological creature will slay theavatar slowly. The avatar will probably order all such creatures slain.The avatar has a preset destiny. When a certain set of events occur, theavatar will be banished to the spirit world again. This could include stellarand planetary conjunctions, the birth of a particular child, the arrival of amysterious stranger, etc.The avatar has a vulnerable spot or �Achilles� heel� somewhere on its body.The location is determined by rolling 1d20 to determine hit location, usinga chart that corresponds to the avatar�s host vessel. The location has nonatural armor protection. A hit here could be instantly fatal.A particular magical item will banish the deity. This could be an enchantedweapon, a staff, a mystic orb, etc.Upon demand, the avatar must perform a preordained task that will resultin its banishment. Speaking in front of the avatar could be deadly!When all persons responsible for summoning the avatar have died, thedeity will be banished. Because of this, the avatar will usually keep at leastone summoner alive against the summoner�s will.If a particular graven image of the god is destroyed, desecrated, or altered,the god will be banished. This could include paintings, sculptures, tapes-tries, sand pictures, carvings, drawings, etc. The item will usually be wellprotected, possibly with multiple duplications to confuse would-be godslayers.A Divine Intervention similar to the one required to summon the avatarwill banish it � provided, of course, that it is of equal or greater power.A more-powerful avatar must be summoned to destroy the existing avatar.However, this could lead to problems similar to those of the �Little old ladywho swallowed a fly. . . .�A particular gem, magical item, or object of no apparent value must bestolen from the avatar and then destroyed.An enemy of the avatar is released from imprisonment to wreak its venge-ance on the avatar. However, it may also decide to stay and wreak itsvengeance on everyone else.The avatar can be slain only by a particular person who meets specificcriteria, such as being a virgin, the seventh son of a seventh son, a blindman, etc. (the more unusual, the better).The avatar�s soul is kept in a small animal. Destroying the animal will ban-ish the avatar.The avatar must replenish or replace its POW each day from a specialmagical item, machine, or magical place. If the POW source is destroyed orstolen, the avatar loses 10 POW points per day until it finally withers away.The avatar may be slain only by one of its own offspring. Treat all hitsagainst the avatar caused by such a foe as critical hits (maximum damage,no armor protection). The avatar is unable to personally defend itself orreturn attacks against its own child. However, it may command underlingsto perform such acts.The avatar may be slain only by the offspring of another god�s avatar.Treat these attacks as described for item 17 above.Roll twice again on this table, ignoring rolls over 18. The results of bothrerolls must be somehow combined.

Statue: The statue survives if the roll isless than or equal to five times its SIZ;subtract five from this value for a stone

statue; subtract 10 for an iron/steel statue;and add five for a wooden statue. If thevessel fails the roll, it crumbles to dust.

DRAGON 55

NEW PRODUCTS FORMARCH

Illegal AliensTSR� Books novelby Nick Pollotta and Phil FoglioA ruthless street gang foils the plans of a

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FR7 Hall of HeroesAD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS�

accessoryby Lots 0� PeopleHow strong is Alias of Azure Bonds? What

levels are Tristan and Robyn of Darkwalker onMoonshae? What classes are Wulfgar and Drizztof The Crystal Shard? This anthology has all thegame information you need to bring theseheroes from fiction to your FORGOTTENREALMS� campaign. Want to meet Shandril ofSpellfire! fame? Just look in the Hall of Heroes.Suggested Retail Price: $10.95/£6.50Product No.: 9252

WG8 Fate of IstusAD&D® GREYHAWK® accessoryby Lots 0� People IIThe goddess of Greyhawk has decided to

weed out the unnecessary elements in thepopulation of Oerth � and that may includesome of the player characters! Will your favor-ite character class survive the trials of Istus,ruler of Fate? This module anthology for theWORLD OF GREYHAWK® setting is the first touse the AD&D® 2nd Edition game rules. Beprepared for anything!Suggested Retail Price: $10.95/£6.50Product No.: 9253

GAZ11 The Republic of DarokinD&D® Gazetteerby Scott HaringReturn to the Renaissance � in the D&D®

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TSE1 Web of DeceitTOP SECRET/S.I.� moduleby Bob KernThe first module in a trilogy of espionage

56 APRIL 1989

adventures, this product introduces the agentsof the Orion Foundation to lovely San Cristobal,an island that has everything: Web agents, athriving drug trade, piracy, and even voodoocults. What more could a secret agent want?Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 7634

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ArrivalBUCK ROGERS� book seriesby Flint Dille, et. al.This anthology of seven novellas reveals the

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DarkwellFORGOTTEN REALMS� novelby Douglas NilesHostile clerics, undead armies, and Bhaal

himself confront the heroes Robyn and Tristanin this, the last volume of the Moonshae trilogy.But Bhaal has wrought havoc even in the rela-tionship between Robyn and Tristan, who mustnow decide whether to face the future as kingand queen � or as mortal enemies.Suggested Retail Price: $3.95Product No.: 8416

MT1 All This and World War IIMARVEL SUPER HEROES® moduleby Ray WinningerThe Third Reich is crumbling under the

onslaught of the Allies when an alien and histime machine crash-land in Germany. Hitler andthe Red Skull� get their hands on the time-travel gear, organize commando teams to stealfuturistic technology, and the rest (as they say)is history. It�s up to you to make sure that theNazis don�t rewrite the history books! Join thebattle in the all-new MARVEL® Time-Warpadventure trilogy!Suggested Retail Price: $7.95/£4.95Product No.: 6885

FRC2 Curse of the Azure BondsAD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS� moduleby Jeff GrubbOne morning, you wake up to find someone

has put magical sigils on your arms � but thatperson forgot to tell you who he was, why hedid it, or how to get rid of the sigils and theircurse. That can only mean an adventure!Based on the AD&D® computer module fromSSI (and based on the novel Azure Bonds, too),this module promises the wildest of adventuresfor all AD&D® game players.Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£5.95Product No.: 9239

WG9 GargoyleAD&D® GREYHAWK® moduleby Dave Collins and Skip WilliamsOne morning, you wake up to find someone

has stolen your wings (you are a gargoyle, butno one said humans were the only ones withproblems). What are you going to do about it?You�re going to hire some low-level adventurersto get your wings back! (And if that bunch getsaxed, there are always more adventurers wherethey came from.)Suggested Retail Price: $5.95/£3.95Product No.: 9251

Unless otherwIse noted® and ™ denote trademarks owned by TSR, lnc.©1989 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved

MARVEL MARVEL UNIVERSE MARVEL SUPER HEROESand all Marvel character names and distinctive likenessesthereof are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment Group, lnc.©1989 Marvel Entertainment Group, lnc. All Rights Reserved

BUCK ROGERS is a trademark used under license from TheDille Family Trust © 1989 by The Dille Family Trust All RightsReserved

by James M. Ward

TheGame WizardsA little bit of everything for everyone

I have several bits and pieces of news topresent to the DRAGON® Magazine read-ers in this issue, and here they are:

Pun contest winnerA while ago [issue #135], I ran a quick

and easy AD&D® game pun contest. Ireceived hundreds of letters, some ofthem great (they were all interesting, atthe very least). My personal favorite was areal groaner: the vel crow, which had oddprotrusions attached to its wings. Some ofthe others were:

The C-monster, C-dragon, sand witch,and arrow of sleighing;

The gate scroll that produced a metalgate;

A servant whose name was Aerial;A small, square, brown creature that bit

back if bitten, called a brownie (twelvemake their lair together in a metal pan);

A cat the size of a small house (a housecat);

The dwarven thrower +3, a magicalhammer that hurled the dwarf who usedit at the intended target;

A two-handed sword that clapped when-ever it was used; and,

Hundreds of blue dragons, including sadones, singing ones, and ones that madetheir lairs in toilet bowls.

I thank each and every one of you foryour wonderful puns. They made someexhausting workdays a little brighter.

On writing for TSRThis statement appears every year,

because there are a lot of gamers outthere dying to create products for TSR,Inc. First of all, it�s tough even getting ourattention � not because your ideas aren�tgood, but because for every solid idea weget, we see over a hundred bad ones.

The best way to be considered for free-lance design work on TSR game projects isto first have articles or modules publishedin DRAGON Magazine, DUNGEON® Adven-

58 APRIL 1989

tures, or POLYHEDRON� Newszine [writefor their guidelines first, however]. If youhave had materials printed by other gamecompanies, that counts, too. You can thentalk to our free-lance coordinator. Send aself-addressed, stamped envelope with acover letter (described below) to:

Free-lance CoordinatorTSR, Inc.P.O. Box 756Lake Geneva WI 53147

Don�t send your great ideas or any otherproducts you might have in mind with thisget-acquainted letter. Just state your quali-fications and the fact that you are availa-ble for free-lance design work. Mentionthe TSR product lines that you feel mostqualified to work with, and TSR will getback to you.

This introduction process also applies toanyone wishing to edit game materials forTSR on a free-lance basis. Letters fromprospective free-lance editors should beaddressed to the Free-lance Editing Coordi-nator at the given address.

Please remember that there are moreastronauts in NASA than there are suc-cessful game designers and editors. Thisshould tell you how hard it is to get yourfoot in the door.

Jim Ward�s Pick of the MonthIn past columns, I have briefly talked

about the five boxed game sets TSR isproducing this year. The more I see ofthem in the developmental stages, themore wonderful they look. We�ll highlightthem once more for interested readers.

Dawn of the Emperors (TSR product#1037) hits the stands in July, and it dealswith two huge D&D® game countries.Thyatis is the largest military power in theKnown World, and Alphatia is a country ofwizards whose magical strength is beyondimagining. The player characters will be

thrown into the middle of the warbetween those two nations. The adventureand excitement possible in this situationare perfect for any gaming style.

The City of Greyhawk (TSR product#1043) is also a July release. The full-colorposter map of the city is a delight to theeyes, and the two 96-page booklets arefilled with details on life in this magicalcity. Full-color, 8½� × 11� cards providequick and easy adventures. This is a pack-age that I am unusually proud of.

The Deluxe City Campaign Set (TSRproduct #6890), yet another July release,is a product that has been long needed. Itfills all the gaps on running New York Cityfor Judges of the MARVEL SUPERHEROES® game system. Heroes new andold are covered in detail. The Big Appleand its infinite possibilities for adventureare brought to the reader in grand style.All MARVEL SUPER HEROES game fanswill be delighted to have this set.

Spelljammer (TSR product #1049), whichcomes out in September, sends the AD&Dgame into outer space! This concept isquickly developing a style and beauty allits own. Jeff Grubb has shown me some ofhis material for this set (everything ofwhich I like), and all those in CreativeServices have also thrown their two centsinto Jeff�s idea hat. When the product iscompleted, we will have a tool to connectall of the AD&D campaign worlds togetherand increase your gaming enjoyment.

Time of the Dragon (TSR product #1050)comes out in October. Set on the side ofthe DRAGONLANCE® world of Krynnopposite Ansalon, this campaign set will bea winner with all DRAGONLANCE sagafans. David �Zeb� Cook is the designer ofthis project, and he has brought a newprespective to the campaign. I liked hisattitude from the very beginning, when hesaid, �Imagine what would happen to theworld when a huge rock hit. . . .� He imme-diately began talking about huge volcanoesand the pressure on the planet�s crust,then spun tales of tinker gnomes buildingships to sail lava rivers � and a lot more.Zeb is going to deliver a product thateveryone who loves Krynn can appreciate,

[Each of the boxed sets described abovewill sell for $18.00 retail.]

Game after game. with no end in sight

s we write thiscolumn in February1989, ahead lies

another year of computertrade shows. The recentConsumer ElectronicsShow in Las Vegas andMacWorld in San Franciscoare now only hectic memo-ries of demonstrations anddiscussions. Both showsgave debuts of technologi-cally advanced hardwareand software goodies to a most agreeable consumingpublic. The slowdown in the computer industry thatwas predicted by �those-in- the-know� has not come topass. Computer gamingcontinues to increase inpopularity.

There is ever-growing interest in the Apple Macin-tosh II, a computer that ishighly suited for gamedevelopment. This is due tothat computer's advanced yet easy-to-learn user inter-face and multicolor capabili-ties. MS-DOS computerscontinue to advance asmachines of choice by gamedevelopers, with the Com-modore Amiga taking a close second in that regard.The Apple IIGS is alsobecoming a favorite devel-opment machine, according to the statistics we've seen.With prices expected todrop on all of these unitsover the next severalmonths, we see no end tothe continual develpomentand marketing of superiorsoftware entertainments.

Reviews

Discovery Software163 Conduit StreetAnnapolis, MD 21401(301) 268-9877

Arkanoid * * * * *Apple Macintosh version $49.95

Okay, we admit it: We�re hooked! There�sno getting away from the fact that Arka-noid is one habit we have no intention ofshaking. This is one fantastic arcade gamefor Macintosh aficionados.

Back in the late seventies, there wasBreakout, for the Apple II computer. Thislow-resolution game had graphics thatconsisted of multicolored blocks. You usedpaddles or a joystick to manipulate an on-screen paddle that batted a ball at the wallof blocks. When the ball struck the wall, itknocked a brick out of position andreturned to the bottom of the screen, Withnimble fingers, you would reposition youron-screen paddle to once again return theball to the wall. The object was to keepthis up until all of the blocks batteredaway. Then, a new screen with anotherwall would appear.

Breakout was a big hit. In one form oranother, it has survived the past decade ina variety of presentations. In fact, Macin-tosh users may also have had the opportu-nity to play the DA version that is stillavailable on many bulletin-board systemsEnter Taito, a Japanese firm responsiblefor many of the coin-operated arcadegame hits popular at 7-11 stores and pizzaparlors, with Arcanoid. With DiscoverySoftware managing conversions and mar-keting in the United States, Arkanoid hasfinally been released for the Macintosh. Aversion for the Commodore Amigaremains one of the hottest-selling productsin that gaming market.

The premise of Arkanoid is quite simple:It is Breakout turned into a space-adventure game with vastly improvedgraphics, sound, wall varieties, and ball-reflection algorithms. In this revised game,the starship Arkanoid carries nearly fivemillion human beings in states of suspend-ed animation in its hold. These humanshave survived a brutal alien attack and areseeking a new home. Without warning,the upper deck of the Arkanoid isdestroyed by a single drone fighter. Theship�s reactor begins to overload, and helpmust be obtained to prevent the annihila-tion of all aboard. The Vaus, theArkanoid’s emergency shuttle, blasts awayfrom the ship and enters warp space, onlyto be brought to a halt inside a spacelabyrinth. As pilot of the Vaus, you mustshatter the walls surrounding the emer-gency shuttle.

The Macintosh mouse controls the Vaus,which can be equated to the paddle inBreakout. You move the Vaus under an

DRAGON 61

energy ball, using the ball to strike at thespace walls surrounding the shuttle. Thereare 33 game different levels from which toselect, and two players can compete simul-taneously for the highest score.

There are several ways to reinforce theVaus. As the energy ball strikes some ofthe bricks in the labyrinth, special PowerCapsules are knocked loose. These cap-sules can elongate the Vaus, cause it tocapture the falling energy ball for betteraim at the wall, or turn it into a laser thatblasts away the enclosing walls.

Falling debris can cause well-aimedenergy strikes to ricochet away from thetarget wall, thereby increasing the strikes�return speeds. Be careful of ricochets thatoccur near the Vaus, or you�ll find yourselfspinning your mouse�s wheel aimlessly asthe energy ball disappears at the bottomof the screen.

The walls themselves consist of a varietyof patterns. Some of the bricks are metal-lic and cannot be destroyed. These bricksform pathways along which a well-aimedenergy ball can travel and destroy otherportions of the wall that cannot bereached by an external attack. But whenyou finish off one wall, another appears totake its place.

You can select as many as five lives foreach game. Additional lives can be earnedas your score climbs higher. The soundeffects that accompany the game areextremely well planned, such as the metal-lic boing that accompanies the energy ballas it strikes a metal brick. The game doesnot, however, take advantage of the Macin-tosh II�s larger screen. When using thiscomputer, you must also be certain toaccess the Control Panel and change yourmonitor setting to two-color mode.

After continuous Arkanoid play of over45 hours, we�ve come to the conclusionthat this offering remains challenging andexciting. Arkanoid will certainly becomeone of the classic arcade games for theMacintosh computer family.

62 APRIL 1989

Electronic Arts1820 Gateway DriveSan Mateo CA 94404(415) 571-7171

Zany Golf * * * * *

Apple IIGS version $39.95What happens when you combine

superb animation, graphics, music, andsound in one package? What happenswhen these elements are combined in aminiature-golf game? You get perfection!Zany Golf is the game, and it is one of thebest arcade games that we�ve played inseveral months. Will Harvey and his crewat Sandcastle Productions have created agame that should turn several Apple IIGScomputer fans away from all the boringshoot-�em-up games and make them takenotice. Zany Golf is a tongue-in-cheekparody of a miniature-golf course, with afew nutty twists added for excitement.

Even when booting the game, the titlescreen and accompanying music astonishthe senses and add real character to thisgame. After you select the number ofplayers (one to four), the game begins witha sign, superb in its graphic detail, thatindicates the name that this course hasbeen given. Once the course is loaded, youget an overview of the first hole as well asany special instructions. Once you clickthe mouse button, you see your ball on thethree-dimensional course. The graphicsare so real you swear you could almosttouch the objects on the screen.

The object of Zany Golf is to play yourball into the hole at or under par. Puttingthe ball is simple – just click and hold onthe mouse button while dragging it back-ward. A dotted line appears and thisreveals the angle and power assigned toyour putt. When the button is released,the ball is struck. From here, it should gowhere you wish it to go: into the hole (atleast in theory).

This would normally be a simple gameto play. However, there are restrictionsand obstacles that hinder your ability toscore easily. In the upper right-hand cor-ner of your screen is a box that revealshow many shots you have remaining inwhich to sink your shot. When these shotsare taken, the game ends. If you sink the

There are two other methods to gainstrokes. You might be told there is a fairyor timer on the hole. Hitting the fairy onthe course gives you extra strokes, whilesinking your ball before the timer runs outgives from one to four free strokes.

Each hole has a name. There are theCastle, Magic Carpet, and Energy Holes, toname just three. A musical theme is alsoassigned to each hole. If you hit your ballonto a checkered floor spread at the MagicCarpet Hole, you can control the ball’smovement by using the mouse. The AntHill Hole has a mind of its own, making itdifficult to complete a shot.

But the Pinball Hole surprised us themost. Here you actually have to play pin-ball before you can make the ball go intothe hole. With these obstacles, Zany Golfprovides a challenge to anyone who playsthe game.

This is one of Electronic Art’s best Apple

ball without using all of your strokes, thenumber remaining is transferred to thenext hole. In addition, you get a number ofextra shots equal to the par of that hole.

IIGS products. The animation, music, andsound effects make this game a uniqueexperience. This game is easy enough forkids to learn and addictive enough foradults who want to play “just one game.”Furthermore, Zany Golf is great for par-ties. This game is a must buy for AppleIIGS users.

Epyx, Inc.600 Galveston DriveP.O. Box 8020Redwood City CA 94063(415) 366-0606

The Legend of Blacksilver * * * *Commodore 64/128 version $39.95

Charles and John Dougherty, whoseinitial commercial success was Legacy ofthe Ancients, have once again parlayedtheir programming capabilities into a newfantasy role-playing game, The Legend ofBlacksilver. This game moves C64/128gaming up another notch with its first-person views and 3-D effects that only afew months ago wouldn’t have beendreamed possible on the C64/128. Addenhanced visuals and sound effects, fromtorches sizzling in their wall sconces to theocean lapping against the shore, and a plotwith more variety than Napa Valleygrapes, and you have an adventure gameworthy of inclusion in your softwarelibrary.

The planet Bantross, where the game’saction takes place, has been suddenlytossed into a state of disorder. Not only hasthe king been kidnapped, but an evil bar-on has decided to rule the globe. In adream, you are informed by PrincessAylea that a hero is needed. Within hismines, the evil Baron Taragas has locatedBlacksilver, a mineral that contains power-ful magical properties. With this mineral,the Baron will be able to exercise hisdesigns on the entire planet.

When you accept the validity of thedream and decide to participate in theadventure, you find that there are 16different towns to visit, five dungeonstotalling 40 levels of mind-boggling action,a special 22-section labyrinth, and 82nasties (64 of them outdoor creatures) toconfront your every move.

You become the champion for the king’sdaughter, but as with any good fantasyrole-playing game, there is no single ele-ment to conquer. One success is depen-dent upon another quest’s completion.Without a full and complete investigationof all elements, the game cannot be won.

The towns not only offer sustenance andother critical supplies but also enable youto earn money by working at odd jobs.One such task we undertook was in thetown of Iron Forge (look to the northeast).The Sweet Shop needed a package deliv-ered to the town of Crissold Creek, ajourney fraught with danger and death.

Other elements of this game include avariety of tips to help you along the way.For example, if you pay the town, jailguards the correct number of monetarypieces, they may allow the prisoners with-in to tell you a tale worth recording.

The Legend of Blacksilver also includes afull-color map showing the Lands of Tha-len and the Lost Lands of Maelbane. Namestickers included in the box can be placedon the map as you locate each specificarea; they can also be moved to new loca-tions when you find out that your initialplacements were incorrect. There are alsostickers for dungeons, temples, and otherstrange locales (such as the labyrinth).When you come across a town, it’s a goodidea to map each building and make notes

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and theTSR logo are trademarks owned by and usedunder license from TSR, Inc. © 1989 TSR, Inc. AllRights Reserved.

of what might be offered there, includingthe prices of objects of war.

The game is controlled by a joystick. Allof the commands specific to your currentenvironment are shown on the left side ofthe screen. You simply move the cursor tohighlight the command you wish to exer-cise, then press the fire button on thejoystick.

When adventuring outdoors, you�llnormally spot a creature advancing upon you before being pounced upon. You canapproach the beast, stalk it, wait for it, orsimply flee and hope you�re faster than itis. If you wait for the creature to comewithin range, you can battle it, charge it,cast a spell, or select the Other option.The latter selection is quite appropriate,especially if the adversary is of humanform. This option allows you to barterwith the creature, and is thus a greatmethod for obtaining a variety of objects(such as potions, food, and weapons).

The Legend of Blacksilver is a vastadventure that offers hours of interestinggame play. With the convenience of gamesaves, you should progress at a decentpace without becoming bored or over-taxed. Our only wish is that the game-savefeature had been incorporated into allareas of play, not only outdoors or in adungeon. We certainly recommend thatCommodore gamers take a peek at TheLegend of Blacksilver for inclusion in theirsoftware libraries.

Interplay Productions1575 Corporate DriveCosta Mesa CA 92626(714) 549-2411Battle Chess * * * ½

Commodore Amiga version $49.95Battle Chess is a chess game for the

Amiga, but with a new twist. Its firstscreen exhibits a set of 3-D animated fig-ures which represent chess pieces, eachhighly detailed and graphically outstand-ing. Moving these pieces adds even morerealism to the game, as pawns move for-ward, knights march, and the queen�s hipssway as she walks. The sound accompany-ing each piece adds to the quality of thegame: the knight�s armor chinks as hemarches, and the bishop�s leather sandalsslap against the marble floor. Clicking themenu reveals a scroll held by two cupids.As the user chooses an option, the cher-ubs� wings flap furiously.

After setting up the pieces on a two-dimensional board, you can play out clas-sic chess strategies or test new ones. Also,you can replay a move in case of a mis-take. The computer can play at nine differ-ent levels and offers help through its�suggest move� menu option. Two humanplayers (at the same machine or viamodem), a player and the Amiga, or theAmiga by itself can engage in Battle Chess.

Each move is made by clicking on apiece and then clicking on its destination.When you take an opponent�s piece, the

action really begins. When two piecesconverge on one square, they actuallyfight each other. A bishop�s staff turns intoa spear as it stabs the queen, and a knightchops a pawn�s puny weapon in half as itburies its sword into the pawn�s head. Thegraphics, however, are not gruesome, andsome are particularly humorous. Thesound and animation during these battlesare breathtaking. Like chess, though, thecaptured piece always loses.

Battle Chess adds a new dimension tochess. The only problems with this game isthat there are a limited number of actionsequences, so continuous viewings maycause boredom for some people.

The graphics and sound reveal thatInterplay is not limited to role-playinggames, but can be just as creative in thestrategy market. We recommend this gameto chess enthusiasts, people looking for agame with a twist, and those looking for agame that utilizes the Amiga�s capabilities.All in all, Battle Chess is a good effort byInterplay.

SEGA of America, Inc.(distributed by Tonka Corporation)573 Forbes BoulevardSouth San Francisco CA 94080(800) USA-SEGA (toll-free, outside Calif.) (415) 742-9300 (within Calif.)

Space Harrier 3-D * * * * ½

Requires SEGA�s 3-D glasses

64 APRIL 1989

Space Harrier is back, and this time it�sin 3-D! The Space Harrier returns to stopan evil tyrant from corrupting the peace-ful Land of the Dragons. This can be doneonly by finding Euria, the missing heir tothe throne. Knowing the consequences ofyour last mission in the Land of theDragons, you bravely set out to returnjustice to this world.

Played with the SEGA controller, SpaceHarrier 3-D is a fast-paced action gamethat keeps you on your toes. The graphicsare as well done as in the first Space Har-rier game, and the three-dimensionalaction adds outstanding visual effects withcolorful backgrounds and characters. The13 game stages provide constant challengeas you battle your way to the finish.

You can run across the ground or take tothe air using your flight belt (somethingyou must wear at all times). Enemies andobstacles are numerous and will attackyou with every means available. Some ofthe stationary obstacles can be destroyed,while others are immune even to youratomic blaster.

At the end of each game stage, you fightan evil captain. Each captain can absorbmore punishment than the last, so theybecome more difficult to defeat. Further-more, their firepower is greater than theother enemies you�ve faced earlier in thegame. If you do complete all 13 stages, youmust then fight each of the captains, oneat a time in sequence. Should you finishthem off, the evil king then comes afteryou and tries to dissuade you from endinghis tyranny over the Land of the Dragons.

Space Harrier 3-D sets an example forother video systems by showing whatqualities are needed to create a goodaction game. The animation is smooth,even with the complex 3-D effects. Thesound is not quite as good as that whichaccompanied the original Space Harrier,but it is still enjoyable. We especially likethe game�s continuation feature thatallows you to play on even if killed (sort oflike putting another token into a coin-operated game to forge ahead, eventhough your time has run out). An optionscreen allows you to alter the difficulty ofthe game or change from 3-D to 2-D.

This offering is a constant challengebecause of the difficulty in rememberingeach alien�s attack pattern; there are over50 aliens in Space Harrier 3-D, and eachuses a different tactic to destroy you. The3-D effects can sometimes strain your eyesand leave you with a temporary headache.Also, when there are several enemies onthe screen, the animation has a tendencyto flicker, which could be distracting tosome players. Space Harrier 3-D is a mostappropriate SEGA cartridge for any arcadeenthusiast.

Wonder Boy in Monster Land * * * * ½Wonder Boy in Monster Land is a good

game with a bad name: In this sequel toSEGA�s Wonder Boy game, our hero, BockLee Temjin, must save Wonder Land from

a dragon and its evil henchmen. Gameplay is superb. As Wonder Boy, who isnow a teenager, you must travel throughvarious lands to gain information andbetter items with which to kill the evildragon.

When you start, you are wearing leatherarmor but must still find a weapon. Lucki-ly, a sword is not far afield. During yourjourney through 12 mysterious lands, youencounter many creatures � most of themhostile. You can slay them with yoursword, but some of these creaturesrequire more than a single hit to end theirlives. You can also pick up swords ofincreasing power as you move through thegame. After killing an enemy, you mightfind his money useful for buying neededitems. Or perhaps your victim possessedan object that will garner game points andhelp you later in the adventure. Exploringin Wonder Boy in Monster Land is greatfun. You can locate hidden shops, extramoney, new levels, and various othersurprises.

The game�s on-screen life meter is fullwhen play begins. Life is lost each timeyou take damage in combat. You canregain health by paying for additional lifein the first-aid room, and can even obtainmore life at certain locales in the game.Also shown on screen is an hourglasstimer. When it runs out of sand, some ofyour life is taken away. If you find one of

the hidden hourglass timers, however,your time can be restored.

A sense of role-playing has also beenadded to the game. Your character canbuy better shields to deflect enemyattacks, boots to help him run faster andjump higher, and armor that weakens thedamage of enemys� attacks in case anoffensive onslaught cannot be stopped.There is even a magic shop available forthe purchase of magical spells. In thetaverns that lie scattered through thekingdom, rumors can be obtained � for asuitable price, of course. The only itemsnot available for sale are swords. Theseitems can only be found, most often pro-tected by powerful creatures. Each ofthese protecting creatures is unique andhas a special weak spot by which it can bekilled quickly.

This game is one of SEGA�s classicproducts. It involves arcade and strategyplay, and even (for the first time in SEGA�shome-system history) role-playing action.These elements combine to make WonderBoy in Monster Land a truly original andenjoyable game. SEGA users will want tobe sure to get this game. The only draw-back to Wonder Boy in Monster Land isthat once you die, you must restart fromthe beginning of the game, walkingthrough the kingdom again and again andagain, which can get boring. Overall, SEGAhas done an excellent job.

DRAGON 65

News and new products

Absolute Entertainment251 Rock RoadGlen Rock NJ 07452(201) 652-1227

For MS-DOS gamers, Absolute hasreleased Crossbow, a graphic arcadeadventure. Already available for the AppleII and C64/128, this is a re-creation of theExidy arcade adventure. Crossbow chal-lenges players to lead a band of medievaltravelers through many dangerous landsto reach a distant castle. The party isconstantly threatened by predators andsupernatural phenomena. Players mustprotect the travelers by shooting attackersbefore they can cause harm to the helplessparty. Crossbow contains all of the graphicand game-play elements of the originalarcade version, and requires 256K of RAMand CGA, HGC, or EGA graphics adapters.This is Absolute�s first release for MS-DOSenvironments.

Activision, Inc.(distributed by Mediagenic)3885 Bohannon DriveMenlo Park CA 94025(415) 329-0800

One of many new releases from Activi-sion is F-14 Tomcat, the Naval WeaponsFighter School simulation initially format-

6 6 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

ted for the C64/128 computer. This simula-tion re-creates the career of a naval fight-er pilot from Whiting NAS in Florida as hemoves to Miramar NAS in California. In F-14 Tomcat, real-life flight characteristicsare accurately simulated to enable thegame player to experience aerodynamicmodeling, realistic acceleration and flightceiling, true-to-form loops � even black-outs and redouts when the player pullsstrong enough g-forces. F-14 Tomcat alsofeatures accurate weaponry, including a20mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon, Amraamair-to-air missiles, and Sidewinder andPhoenix missiles. A radio intercept officer(RIO) keeps the player updated on thelocations of enemies. The player also hasthe ability to track six independent targetssimultaneously, while a realistic heads-up-display (HUD) shows altitude and airspeed.The price for this game is $39.95.

The sequel to Activision�s The Last Ninjahas made its way to C64/128 monitors.Last Ninja 2 continues the original storyline after the defeat of Shogun Kunitoki, asamurai master who eliminated the entirebrotherhood of the White Ninjitsu exceptone � the Last Ninja. Players are trans-ported from the shogun�s domain in Japanto the gritty, treacherous streets of Man-hattan where they begin the quest todestroy Armakuni, the evil samurai mas-ter. To survive, players must use all theirmartial-arts skills to outrun, outfight,outmaneuver, and outwit the corruptpolice force that protects the mercilessvillain.

A new fantasy role-playing adventurewhich Activision alleges is the next genera-tion of such entertainments is also beingreleased. Entitled Prophecy I: The Fall ofTrinadon, this game features one of thelargest weapon inventories of any role-playing game, as well as the most�advanced combination of graphics androle-playing with joystick action. Theadventure is set in CrissCross, a littlevillage that hides from Krellane and therule of the Gendorian Empire. Living inconstant fear of discovery, the people ofCrissCross dream of the day that a herowill appear and vanquish Krellane. Butnow, as their worst fears come true, theplayers (as residents of CrissCross) findtheir families and friends slaughtered bythe powerful Empire. Alone and unarmed,Prophecy I players set out on a quest tofulfill the ancient prophecy and save theworld from Krellane and his evil Empire.

Guided by lightning-fast reflexes andquick wits, players fight through numer-ous obstacles and wondrous creatures insearch of vast treasures and clues tounlock the puzzle and defeat Krellane.Traveling through the enchanted forest,where every turn in the path is different,players can meet over 20 individuallyrendered monsters. Through interactionwith nonplayer characters, players canlocate weapons, obtain magic, and unearthclues needed to undo the dark secret ofCastle Trinadon. The price for Prophecy I

is $39.95 for MS-DOS computers.Activision is also involved in releasing

games for both the SEGA Master Systemand the Nintendo Entertainment System.For SEGA, Galaxy Force, Cyborg Hunter,Rampage, and Bomber Raid are beingreleased. Galaxy Force, a Japanese smash-hit arcade game, is a futuristic space-fighter classic. Players select five differentspace scenes through which to fly, rangingfrom fiery seas of lava to meteor storms.

Cyborg Hunter takes place in the year2242. Monstrous cyborgs, led by the evilVipron, threaten to control the universe.As Paladin, the toughest bounty hunter inthe galaxy, your mission is to gain accessto Vipron�s chambers and destroy him.

In Rampage, the player controls one ofthree nasty monsters � Ralph the Wolf,George the Ape, or Lizzie the Lizard � ona campaign of destruction. The player cancrunch the concrete alone or team upwith a friend to trash the town together.There are 50 cities to demolish.

Bomber Raid is an aerial combat game inwhich the player pilots a fighter bomberdirectly into enemy territory. The playerwill need full mastery of controls andweaponry to survive five dangerous mis-sions filled with hundreds of screens ofdogfight action.

The Nintendo Entertainment Systemofferings include Three Stooges andStealth Eagle, which join Activision�s Pred-ator and Ghostbusters cartridge games.Three Stooges is a breakthrough comedyhit that stars TV and movie legends Curly,Larry, and Moe. Choose from among 10subgames and relive scenes from yourfavorite �Three Stooges� episodes.

Stealth Eagle is a flight simulation thattakes its player into the skies to confrontdangerous enemy aircraft in fast, arcade-style action. The player can take on acomputer-controlled enemy fleet or battlea second player in an all-out dogfight.

Predator is an adaptation of the hit 20thCentury-Fox film starring Arnold Schwar-zenegger. The player assumes the role ofthe leader of an elite military rescue team.The mission is to battle through the deepjungles of South America, past militantguerillas, to rescue U.S. diplomats from aterrorist stronghold. Players must avoidthe relentless tracking of the alien preda-tor that eventually leads to a final confron-tation. Another Nintendo hit for Activisionis their previously released Ghostbusters,wherein players build a franchise andavert a ghostly disaster brewing in NewYork City.

New World Computing, Inc.14922 Calvert StreetVan Nuys CA 91411(818) 785-0401(818) 785-0519 (tech support)

New World has finally released the long-awaited Might and Magic II: Gates toAnother World. This is the sequel to thesmash hit and Beastie Award winner,Might and Magic I: Secret of the Inner

Sanctum. Released for the Apple II com-puter family, Gates to Another Worldchallenges players to solve an elaborateadventure game in which cunning, might,and intelligence are the keys to survival.

You�ll enter the mysterious world ofCron and explore a doomed land. Rumorsabound of a terrible destruction to occuras the land approaches its millennium. Asyou and your party travel across Cron,utilizing the largest 3-D graphics windowof any current fantasy role-playing game,the truth of the rumors comes out, andyou must find and vanquish their source.To accomplish this, you and your party ofas many as eight characters (includingNPC hirelings) must explore the more than60 different areas which make up Cronwhile seeking clues to aid in your task.There are over 250 monsters, more than250 powerful weapons, 96 devastatingspells, an advanced combat system, andhundreds of strengthening and beneficialquests. The price for this game is $49.95.A version for MS-DOS and compatiblemachines is also available, as is a C64/128version.

Sir-Tech SoftwareP.O. Box 245Charlestown Ogdensburg MallOgdensburg NY 13669(315) 393-6633

Sir-Tech Software sources have told usthat the company is reworking their Mac-intosh version of Wizardry I. Enhance-ments will include better graphics andsome animation. Maze walls will nowappear as bricked instead of only lined.The scenario is currently being beta test-ed. Also this year, Sir-Tech plans to releasewizardry II for the Macintosh.

Sir-Tech Software is also the recipient ofa 1988 Computer Entertainer Award ofExcellence. The company�s fantasy role-playing game, Wizardry IV: The Return ofWerdna, was given this award in theApple II game category. Computer Enter-tainer is a monthly newsletter published inVan Nuys, Calif. It provides critical com-mentary and analysis of computerproducts on the market.

�We�re extremely pleased:� said Sir-Techvice president, Robert Sirotek, �but weknew this Wizardry sequel was worthy ofdistinction.� Sirotek estimates the numberof requests for Wizardry IV to be comingin at the rate of 25 calls per hour, prompt-ing the company to install three new linesto handle the switchboard overload. Sir-Tech presented its first Wizardry scenario,Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, in1981 at the Boston AppleFest.

Sir-Tech�s game hint hot line is (315) 393-6633. The hint service runs from 12 noonto 6 P.M. on weekends and from 4 P.M. to 8P.M. on weekdays.

Clue corner

The Bard's Tale (Electronic Arts)

68 APRIL 1989

On the third level of Harkyn�s Castle[C64/128 version, first adventure], there isa very large source of experience points. Itcan be reached by casting conjuror spellAPAR; North 5, East 12, Up 2, after takingthe entry stairs. However, your charactersmust be of at least 9th or 19th level, andbe able to utilize mind blade (sorcererspell MIBL) and restoration (magician spellREST). One warning: The price for thisexperience may be high!

Peter ThompsonBrandt, South Dakota

The Bard's Tale III (Electronic Arts)If the [Apple-version boot] disk is CATa-

loged, the files are revealed on-screen.One of these files is a binary file titled�YUMMY.� This file allegedly is a display ofone of the creators of this game getting�axed� off the development team. To dis-play this file, do the following:

1. Get into ProDOS.2. Insert The Bard’s Tale III boot disk.3. Type in �BLOAD YUMMY?Now you�ll see the picture of the team

member being removed from the team.This picture can also be found on the bootdisk of the C64/128 version of this game.

Chris CarmanOxford, Ohio

Deja Vu (Mindscape)To win at the slot machines, the pattern

is to operate a quarter on the left machine(you will lose), then operate a quarter onthe right machine (you will lose again),then operate on the right slot machineagain (and you will win a lot of money);this pattern usually works. Try this combi-nation: 626 Auburn Road. The combina-tion to the safe is 33-24-36. To find outwhat the note pad (in the mansion) said,operate the pencil on the note pad. Shootdoors to open them. Hit a certain winebottle in the wine rack to open the secretdoor.

Zachary M. DavisEugene, Oregon

Might and Magic I (New World Comp.)If you are frustrated by constantly get-

ting lost in the desert, the exiled LordKilburn has the map that you need. And asfor that key you�ve been looking for, thecanine has it. He can be found in the Mino-taur�s Stronghold.

Robert IsaacsonSudbury, Massachusetts

At B1 4,7 lies a hidden treasure. Also,excessive donation to temples results inextremely powerful protection spells beingcast on your party. Lastly, don�t accept theoffer of the dying wizard, as you will gainhis ring anyway.

Bruce NormanKingston, Ontario

Moebius (Origin)Use your sword to chop down vegeta-

tion, then sharpen it with a whetstone.

Before you fight an Evil Monk or an Over-lord, do Bare Hands. Don�t talk to a pris-oner with your sword Equipped. Never hita corpse! Have a Monk Follow you to ashrine after you kill the Evil Monk. Fire-balls can only be used in shrines. Use thesoil sample for Teleport, the Tiger Teethfor Ventriloquism, and the Fish Scalesfrom the Astronomer for Invisibility.

Chris CarmenOxford, Ohio

Sub Battle Simulator (Epyx)For those who are addicted to this World

War II submarine simulation and wouldlike a couple of wartime engagementhints, the following advice comes directlyfrom the experience of Gordon Walton,the developer of the game. �To sink all ofthe ships, engage the armed escorts first.All other ships are lightly armed, and mostare slower than your top speed, so surfaceand use your deck gun after the escortsare taken out.�

On those occasions when you mustescape the sonar pings of pursuingdestroyers, Gordon recommends you keepyour sub�s profile as small as possible andsteer away from the circle the enemy shipis making overhead. Remember: The ene-my�s depth charges are set to explode atthe depth indicated by their last sonar fixon you.

Times of Lore (Origin)To purchase the Magic Axe, go to the

town of Lankwell and enter the buildingin the NNW corner. If no one is home, waitfor someone to arrive. When you meetthis person, choose the Speak command.He will offer to sell you the axe. This axeautomatically returns to your hand aftereach use (unlike the dagger, which youmust retrieve after each use). This axemakes combat much easier and faster.

Dave GentzlerThomasville, Pennsylvania

Ultima V (Origin)You must use the Amulet to find the

entrance to dungeon Doom.Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser

We�d like to remind everyone to weartheir reviewers� hats. The 1989 DRAGON®Magazine Beastie Awards for the finestgame software will be upon us in no time.No, it is not too early to start voting. As amatter of fact, we�ve seen at least threegames that easily vie for the� top honors.To get involved in the voting, simply writeyour name, address, the game for whichyou are voting, and the system uponwhich you played the game on a postcardand mail it to:

The Beastie Awardsc/o Hartley & Patricia Lesser 179 Pebble PlaceSan Ramon CA 94583

Until next issue, game on!

©1989 by Robert Bigelow

A short walk into the combat zone

Ral Partha’s TOG Female

Adventurers: lmperial Rome

meets the Space Age.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®

miniatures: Two opponents to

delight any Dungeon Master.

T his month, we bid abrief good-bye to our

discussion of the meth-ods used in painting miniatures,and instead we enter new terri-tory. When this column wasstarted in issue #135, one areaof coverage we considered wasa �combat zone,� in which read-ers could see how gamers usedtheir figures in miniatures bat-tles and how painting andscenery-placement techniqueswere so used. During the lastfew months, I have receivedmany letters from readersrequesting that we do morefeature articles on science-fiction games, with many askingfor BATTLETECH® game arti-cles or painting techniques.

Thus, this month we presenta short but epic battle for thosewho wish to see the dramaticways in which other gamersuse their miniatures. Our pre-mier action, the Battle forHeadquarters Hill, was run bythe gaming club at my hobby,shop. �Battle Zone� will appearat the end of this column whena good battle is available. Insome cases, material in thereview part of this column mayturn up in �Battle Zone� aswell.

7 0 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

Reviews

Miniature-figure ratings

***************

PoorBelow average

A v e r a g eAbove average

Excellent

This month, the column features severalmultiple-figure kits. These kits make mygamer�s heart and wallet happy; purchas-ing numerous figures in one set is usuallycheaper than buying the figures individu-ally. Another advantage is that you get allthe figures you need in one fell swoop,rather than making several trips but miss-ing one elusive figure.

Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc.5938 Carthage CourtCincinnati OH 45212

TOG 02-959: Female Adventurers * * * *One of the most popular settings in

science fiction is that of an interstellarempire grown old and arrogant. FASAused this theme in a new series of science-fiction games, creating a Terran-basedinterstellar government modeled on theRoman Empire. The domineering andimperialistic TOG enjoys such old sportsfavorites as chariot racing, gladiatorialcombat, and rebel hunting. The rebels, ofcourse, want to unseat the empire andfree the galaxy.

This figure pack presents three womenfrom the TOG�/RENEGADE LEGION�universe in various poses. There is nospecification as to whether their loyaltieslie with the government or the rebels. Onefemale is wearing the pleated skirt andshoulder epaulets usually seen in moviesabout the Roman legions. Her jerkinappears to be of leather or malleablemetal, as her ribs can be faintly seen, andit is joined with detailed leather straps.She carries a long sword on her left hipand a long knife in a sheath behind her, ona belt near a water flask. The figure wearshigh boots with knee protectors. The faceon the figure is plain but well detailed.

The second female adventurer displaysno visible weapon. Her hands are held in amartial-arts defensive posture, one hand infront of her face and the other handcurved at shoulder height. She is dressedin a cape and hood, and her shirt is beltedat the waist and split from the upper hipalong the leg. She is wearing calf-highboots with either fringe or turned-overtops. Close examination also shows somesort of beads hanging from her belt. Herface has a look of concentration and is lessplain than that of the previous figure.

The third figure is obviously a proficientfighter. She is carrying two swords, oneheld pointing up and the other ready fordefense. She dressed in flexible plate

armor from foot to waist. with a chain-mail shirt, probably with leather or lightplate underneath. She also wears a longbelted tunic with a cape behind her.

These figures are well done and havethe extra value of being usable not only inthe TOG/RENEGADE LEGION games, butin any role-playing games in which womenwithout sci-fi weapons or modern dresscan be used. This pack costs $3.50.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®miniatures

11-404 Umber Hulk ****11-405 Ogre Mage * * * * ½

This is not the first time that officialAD&D® figures have been introduced inthe hobby marketplace, but it is the firsttime they have been done by Ral Partha. Ianxiously awaited these figures and cannow pass my impressions on to you.

The umber hulk is an impressive figure,one that dungeon parties are not going tobe happy to see. The figure is slightlyhunched over but is still an imposing 1¾�tall and 1� wide at the shoulders. It hasthe short, stubby hands and feet shown inthe Monster Manual, and it has clawssuited for digging. The monster�s bodyplates overlap and have the surfaceappearance of stone walls and rocks. Thearmored spine also blends in well with thefigure.

Best of all is the head, which measures7/8� from the front of its mandibles to theback of the monster�s head. The smalltusks and rows of sharp teeth shouldconvince any PC party that it is in thewrong place at the wrong time. The onlyfailing that I can see with this miniatureconcerns the eyes located beside the man-dibles, on which some detail is lost afterthe figure is primed. Use care, as theengraved lines are very fine and fill easilyand quickly with paint. The stand on thisfigure is thick and looks like the engraved,inlaid stone of a dungeon floor.

The ogre mage is a real gem for thosewho play Oriental Adventures or FGU�sBUSHIDO� game. The figure stands 1%�tall with bent knees, and it is well propor-tioned. This figure deviates from the illus-tration in the Monster Manual but looksthat much the better for it. The figure hassandals, and its body is covered by a loose,belted robe. The figure also wears quilt-and-metal armor on its arms with knuckleprotectors on the hands, over each ofwhich appears to be a bracelet or bracer.

The ogre mage�s face has a hostile look,with a jutting chin and protruding brows.The horns on his head and the small tusksin his jaws are easily seen but do notdetract from the miniature. To cap it off ishis long, unruly hair, running straightback from his head to fall short of midwaydown his back.

Best of all, this figure has options at noadditional cost. The figure has an openright hand, and his left arm ends at thewrist. Into his right hand you can place akatana big enough to slice through ahorse, or you can leave the hand open to

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and theTSR logo are trademarks owned by and usedunder license from TSR, lnc. © 1989 TSR, Inc. AllRights Reserved.

DRAGON 71

BATTLETECh® Regimental Command Lance: Now, this is armor!

simulate a spell-casting pose. Of tworeplacement left hands, one clutches aknife the size of a short sword, and theother holds a damsel in distress.

These figures are definitely worth grab-bing, as there are no other figures of thesekinds available. The only other umberhulk I have seen looks like a pet on aleash, and the only other ogre mage looksjolly in comparison with this one. Getthese figures and enjoy making it rough onyour players� parties. The retail price forthese figures is $3.50 per package.

RP 10-807 BATTLETECH® RegimentalCommand Lance

Figures * * * * ½ Lance * * * ½Modern military organizations have a

command element built into each majorunit. It is the duty of this unit to designateattack areas, direct engagements, performscouting, and do a hundred other thingsnot done by direct-combat units. Com-mand units, while important today, areeven more important in the future, inwhich battles may not even take place

on your own world.Ral Partha has long had BATTLETECH

figures available in single packs, and itspresent policy of issuing BattleMechsorganized into lances (the basic militaryunits of the BATTLETECH game) makes iteasier for gamers to get individual �Mechswhich work well together.

This pack is alleged to be a generic com-mand lance and includes �Mechs havingscout, command, intelligence, and reserve-firepower abilities, Serving as a scout is avery well done Ostscout model. The Osts-cout has a long game-given history ofscouting and is in fact probably the best ofall scout �Mechs, but its firepower is toolow. On a restricted gaming field, this�Mech can become shredded wheat in ahurry, but its speed and common availabil-ity make it good for a campaign or large-area game.

Communications and command aretaken care of by the Cyclops. This 90-ton�Mech can serve as satellite data link, radiolink, and sophisticated battle computer; itcan direct a �Mech regiment easily. The

�Mech�s �head� is a vulnerable spot, andthe model has the �helmet� added by manyof the pilots of this machine. The commun-ications add-on is also well detailed, as arethe weapons.

The Atlas is presented for the back-upfirepower (and panic) it can provide. Themodel portrays the aura of power of thismachine, and the head almost seems tohave a deaths-head leer. The weaponsshow clearly. I have a healthy respect forthe modeling here. When painted, some ofthe lines appear to be flexed (at the elbowsespecially), giving a powerful illusion ofaction to this figure.

The single potential fly in this ointmentis presence of the Zeus as the attachedassault �Mech. When I saw this figure,something bothered me. I went back to acopy of the BATTLETECH Technical Read-out 3025, in which the Zeus is noted asbelonging to only the Lyran Common-wealth. On the positive side, the figurelooks exactly like the line drawing in thebook, only much more detailed.

This is a good set to own. When you buythe lance sets, you save about $.50 overthe individual figure prices and get a set ofhex bases as well. The hex bases look niceand do much to protect your figures bymaking the �Mechs harder to knock over.This set costs $18.00 retail.

FORGOTTEN REALMS� miniaturesRP 10-550 Heroes * * * * ½

As the FORGOTTEN REALMS� settinggrows in popularity among AD&D gameplayers, there is an ever-growing numberof support products that goes with it.Among these products are paperbacknovels set in the Realms, which can fuel

FORGOTTEN REALMS™

miniatures: Crossing swords

with Tristan and Drizzt.

72 APRIL 1989

rumors, build legends, and otherwise adddepth to the world. Gamers can also buildcampaigns based on these books � but todo that, you need figures!

This set contains 10 different heroesfrom four of the FORGOTTEN REALMSnovels presently on the market. Theseheroes appear to have almost been select-ed at random and include seven males,two females, and a lizard-like being namedDragonbait. The males include an elf and adwarf.

To review this set, I grabbed myFORGOTTEN REALMS paperbacks andchecked the cover art against the figuresrepresented in the pack. Ral Partha hasdone its regular quality work. Alias andDragonbait match their book-cover art(from Azure Bonds) almost perfectly, theonly differences being in sword position-ing. Alias�s right arm has some raised spotsand swirls from her elbow to her wrist.My magnifier did not show the area well,

but if you have a 5x or better magnifierand a 10-0 brush, you could probablypaint the tattoo. Alias does appear to bemissing her forearm bracelets.

Tristan and Robyn also fared well in thetransition. These two major charactersfrom the Moonshae Trilogy are accuratedown to the belt buckles. The detail onRobyn�s cloak and druid�s cape comes outclearly. The character who did not farewell was poor Newt, the little fairie dragonwho accompanies Robyn. Somewherealong the line, some of Newts body detailwas lost, and he almost looks like a bird onRobyn�s hand.

ty workmanship and attention to detail.The totem carried by Thunderstormshows detail right down to the edge of thefeathers, and is clear at that. The capes,cloaks, and robes worn by all show thetransition between cloth and edging, be itanimal fur or a different fabric. The char-acters Magister, Elminster, Drizzt, Wulfgar,and Bruenor are in action poses, somewith wind-blown hair, and look eager foraction. All of the figures are clearly shownon the back of the box in full color. Withcare, you should have no trouble paintingthese figures accurately.

This set is highly recommended for itscollectors� and display values, and for usewith your AD&D® game campaigns. Allthe figures may be used in non-Realmscampaigns. At $15.00 per box, these fig-ures are not significantly more expensivethan other single-packaged figures. Myonly request is that there be another set ofFORGOTTEN REALMS figures, as some ofmy favorites are missing.

This pack, and Ral Partha�s other fig-ures, are also available from: Minifigs, 1/5Graham Road, Southampton, England S020AX; RAFM, 20 Park Hill Road East, Cam-bridge, Ontario, Canada NlR 1P2; andJeux Descartes, 5, Rue De La Baume,75008, Paris, France.

Games Workshop Ltd.Chewton StreetEastwood, NottinghamUnited Kingdom NG16 3HY

The rest of the figures were impossible Games Workshop USto judge by the book covers. All of the 1220 Key Highwayfigures are done with a great deal of quali- Baltimore MD 21230

WARHAMMER™ SIEGE:

Creative ways to handle uninvited guests.

GWS 0015 WARHAMMER� SIEGE * * * *½Fantasy and historical miniature rules

have many similarities, among them thelack of an effective and fairly accurateway to attack and defend castle andstrongholds. There have been weakattempts at making rules for siege weap-ons effective, but these were poorly doneif done at all.

Enter WARHAMMER� SIEGE! I held offfor a long time on reviewing this product,as when I first looked through it it seemedto focus primarily on Games Workshop�sMighty Fortress [see �Through the LookingFORGOTTEN REALMS™ miniatures:Glass� in issue #140], with no attempt

Magister and Elminster made to deal with other types of castles.prepare their spells. But I admit that I was wrong. Upon close

FORGOTTEN REALMS™

miniatures:

An odd couple –

Dragonbait and Bruenor.

DRAGON 73

examination, I found much to recommendthis rules book.

WARHAMMER SIEGE has the first trulyeffective set of rules that I have ever seenfor the use of miners, sappers, or engi-neers. These individuals were importantmembers of almost any siege occurring inthe Middle Ages, and they should be animportant part of any fantasy siege. It wasthe job of these men to dig long tunnelsunder the walls of an enemy castle andthen cause these tunnels to collapse,which often did severe damage to build-ings and walls above them. These menwere also responsible for the long zig-zagtrenches which provided the cover formen attacking the castle. In the castle�sdefense, these men were responsible forpreventing these very same deeds, andthey had to protect any breaches in thecastle�s walls.

WARHAMMER SIEGE also covers suchthings as the use of boiling oil, hot water,and the like for discouraging unwantedhouse guests using ladders or grapples. Ittells you how to build siege weapons onthe field and how to place them. Manypeople nowadays assume that medievalarmies carried siege weapons with them,but these rules point out the work thatwent into building these engines ofdestruction (with game mechanics as well).The rules are workable and even fun.

The book�s rules make use of hidden

movement, which for many gamers will bethe first �blind� game they have played.When you play blind, you use maps tomove your troops around, and you do notknow what your enemy is doing till youstumble over him. The mapping instruc-tions can be applied to any castle or for-tress and game area, not just the ones inthe book. There is even a section on magicin sieges.

In addition to the medieval/fantasy sec-tion, you receive a bonus section allowingyou to do science-fiction game sieges. Themapping� remains much the same, andwith a little digging into rules, you canfight sieges with figures from almost anyof the science-fiction sets made by othergame companies.

The biggest simple benefit of this rulesset is that it can be used with many differ-ent miniatures systems, though it wasdesigned to go with the WARHAMMERgames. I have seen it used with threedifferent game systems without majordifficulty. I have even seen it convertedfrom use as a system for 25mm figures toone for 5mm figures.

There are two minor problems with thisrules set. First, Games Workshop has onceagain turned a good, viable set of rulesinto a commercial message. You have todig below this message to get at the qualityin the system. The other disadvantage isthat the binding on this book is fairly

74 APRIL 1989

fragile. If you remove the rules summaryand templates, you are almost guaranteedto have a mess of loose pages as a result. Irecommend that you photocopy the sum-mary and templates, transfer them tocardboard or commercial counters, andsave the ones in the book for use as mas-ters to replace missing or damaged chits.

WARHAMMER SIEGE is a good introduc-tion to medieval-style historical and fanta-sy gaming with little extra investment. Ihighly recommend these rules, which are£10.99 in the U.K. and $29.95 in the U.S.

Grenadier ModelsP.O. Box 305Springfield PA 19064(figures distributed by West End Games)

Lucasfilm�s STAR WARS® miniaturesWE 40301 Heroes of the Rebellion * * * *

One of the most popular movies of alltimes, Star Wars, created a kind of fan cultall its own. With the introduction of WestEnd Games� STAR WARS®: The RPG severalyears ago, there has been a need for figures to go with the game. The figures arenow out and are made by GrenadierModels, which has a long history of qualityminiature manufacturing. This set is billedas a collectors� set and is a prize for anyone who is a Star Wars fan.

The set consists of 10 figures, two ofwhich are generic Rebel soldiers in differ-ent poses. One soldier has a laser pistol atthe ready, and the other appears to bewaiting, with his hand by a pistol in hiship holster. The armed soldier has extrapockets in his pants, a power pack orcarrying pack on his back, and extra gear.The waiting soldier has different pants, nobelt, and no pack. He could easily pass asan officer. An X-wing pilot is included inthe set that has a blaster drawn and isrunning. This figure has an air pack,ribbed suit, and communications helmet;the air and communications line on thesuit is also evident and fairly accessible forpainting.

The main draws of the sets are the actu-al Stars Wars personalities. Included inthis set are R2-D2, C-3P0, Luke Skywalker,Princess Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbac-ca, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Each is accu-rately done with regards to facial features,with more than one being an exact matchwith pictures of the characters. The sizesare correct, as C-3P0�s outstretched armcan rest his hand directly on top of R2-D2.Chewbacca is almost exactly one headtaller that Han Solo. The only figure thatlooks slightly off is Princess Leia, wholooks too thin and straight compared withthe others. The crossbow weapon thatChewbacca carries has some molding flashlines that are easily fixed.

The packaging has good and bad points.Only one small color photo appears on thefront of the box; if you want to find thedifference between the color of Chewy�sfur and that of his cartridge belt, you will

either have to look very closely or getanother source. The color detailing to gowith C-3P0 and R2-D2 is also not clear, andObi-Wan�s light saber, robe, and clothesare not shown. On the good side, each ofthe figures included in the set has a set ofstats included so you can immediately usethem in the STAR WARS game withouthaving to guess at their abilities. As aminiaturist, I would rather have a paintingand color guide, though. A pack consistingonly of Rebel soldiers would be good, too.

I recommend this set, especially forthose people who collect Star Wars memo-rabilia or are frequent players of the role-playing game. The retail price of $10.00per set comes to a dollar per figure, some-what cheaper than normal industry prices.Do be careful if any of your figures situnevenly on their bases; one figure brokewhen we tried to straighten it.

These figures are available in the U.S.through West End Games, RD 3 Box 2345,Honesdale PA 18431.

The Battle forHeadquarters Hill

The Battle for Headquarters Hill was aminiatures battle in a BATTLETECH cam-paign by the Gamemaster�s Guild ofWaukegan. In this campaign, each playerruns one or more lances in a mercenaryBattleMech unit which he has designedhimself. These �Mechs may be either stockor modified according to a design andpoint sheet.

The judges for the campaign haddesigned a series of contracts for eachmercenary unit. These contracts werefrom unspecified Houses in the campaignuniverse and gave the merc units choresthat would not be practical for Houseunits, such as situations involving directconfrontations with other Houses.

In this months battle, contract #1 speci-fied that the unit concerned was todestroy an HQ unit and a bunker locatedin a forest on a tiny unnamed planet. Theopponent�s strength was unknown butcould consist of up to two lances. Unfortu-nately, the maximum landing capacityavailable to the unit drawing this contractwas only six �Mechs. Stealth was advised,as there was no chance of reinforcementsand only a maximum of 10 turns could beused before the dropship would have toleave. The reward for success was high.

Contract #2 specified that the HQ was tobe protected at all costs, with minimal orno damage to the HQ. Defense of this areawould be difficult, but there were woodsand hills around the bunker to help con-ceal it. The attack could come from anydirection but the east, which was blockedby impassable cliffs and debris. Thedefenders could use any �Mechs availableto them for defense of this vital objective.

There were several unique aspectsabout this battle. For one, no one knewthat the HQ itself was a space-monitoring

STAR WARS® Heroes of the Rebellion: No introductions necessary.

station that gave the defending House asubstantial edge in knowing when anattack was coming � hence, the disparityin force sizes. For another, the opposingplayers were husband and wife: Benjaminand Crystal Olliff. These two players werethe first to draw out of the 12 availablecontracts, and they managed to draw thetwo that would pit them against eachother. Both are also beginning players, sothe battle was more intense than usual.

The battlegroundThe board was set up on a 6� X 8� table

using Geo-Hex scenery. The table was levelone, and the HQ was placed on top of afive-level forested hill. The eastern edge ofthe board was considered to be a sheercliff. The northeast corner had four sec-tions of forests ranging from medium tothick. The northern plains had little or nocover except for occasional patches ofwoods. The western edge had a four-levelforested hill and woods. A one-level-deeplake was placed in the center of the table.Woods and hills covered part of the south-ern edge of the board.

The forcesThe forces used in this battle are given

in the accompanying table. If you areinterested in trying this battle for yourself,the Ral Partha stock numbers are includedfor your convenience.

The battleThe action in the battle is taken directly

from the battle reports written by Ben-jamin and Crystal Olliff. Players in ourcampaign keep battle logs so that damageis recorded. Other members of the clubcan get the feel of the battle by readingthe reports, even if they were not there.

Crystal: At the start of the battle, �TheSting� was located in the woods the westof the base and northwest of the lake.Janice�s �Butterfly� was stationed on thehill southwest of the base in a grove oftrees. The �Lone Wolf� was west of thebase, behind the hill near the lake. �Sala-mander� acted as lookout to the north,hiding in the woods on the first elevationof the base�s hill. �Satan� had the watchtoward the south, in the woods at thesouthern base of the hill. Everyone else

DRAGON 75

wandered around on the headquartershill, battle-ready. No one was sure fromwhich direction the attack would come,except that it could not come from theeast. It was thought that the west wouldbe the most likely direction � but theenemy surprised us by coming from thenorth.

Benjamin: I chose my six biggest Bumsfor this mission, since the contract allowedfor only six. One group of three �Mechswas designated for support fire: �Notre-dame,� �Julius Caesar,� and �Long Arm.�The second group consisted of �WilliamTell,� �Outlaw,� and �Felix.� This group hadmy long-range missiles.

It was reported that the westwardapproach was the easiest, but that thesouthern and northern approaches werealso available. Because the west was theeasiest, I figured it would be the mostheavily guarded, so I chose to approachfrom the north. The south involved toolong a march, and there was a grove oftrees in the north close to the base of thehill on which rested our objective, theheadquarters.

Crystal: Stardust spotted the enemy firstand informed �Windsong,� who recalledthe lookouts. The lookouts were still goingto keep watch, only closer to base. If theenemy attacked from more than one direc-tion, the scouts would not be so far awaythat help could not reach them quickly.

Stardust was told to torch the woods assoon as the enemy entered them, buteither the order was misunderstood or shegot trigger happy and jumped the gun.Stardust rushed into a position to flamethe woods as soon as the enemy wasreported. This would have been fineexcept that she now happened to be out inthe open.

Benjamin: As soon as my Bums were inrange, we opened fire. Because Mike andJosie were directly behind the trees, I(Benjamin Bonington) was the only one inmy group with a clear shot. I managed toblow several holes in the hill around theheadquarters as well as putting 5 points ofdamage on the building itself. My othergroup spotted a Firestarter. You do not seethese often, but since we luckily have oneof our own, we know what they can do.Betty ordered an all-out attack, and she,Frank, and Gaius opened up with all theweapons they could use without overheat-ing. Frank missed with his LRM 15s �better luck next time. Betty fired her AC-20 and two of her medium lasers at theFirestarter; only one medium laser hit for5 points to the left torso. Gaius let loosewith his AC-10. He got a lucky shot to thehead � a critical, causing the head toexplode and kill both �Mech and pilot.

BATTLE FORHEADQUARTER HILL

Crystal: Before poor Stardust turnedinto particles, she managed to set thewoods on fire in front of the Archer, Der-

The Battle for Headquarters Hill: Forces�Benjamin's Bums� (Benjamin Olliff)�AttackingStock No. Mech type Vehicle name PC Pilot

20-849 Centurion �Julius Caesar� Gaius Philippus20-854 Hunchback �Notredame� Betty Walton20-876 Dervish �Outlaw� Josie Wales20-887 Trebuchet �Long Arm� Frank Pettijohn20-852 Catapult �Felix� Mike Miles20-842 Archer �William Tell� Benjamin Bonington

�Hellcats� (Crystal Olliff) � Defending

Stock No. Mech type Vehicle name PC Pilot20-832 Wasp �The Sting� Helen Hawkings20-832 Wasp �Butterfly� Janice �Ail� Johnson20-865 Commando �Lone Wolf� Mary Little Eagle20-850 Firestarter �Salamander� Stardust20-853 Panther �Blackie� Kathy Oden20-885 Hermes II �Satan� �Frenchie� LaRoug20-854 Hunchback �Ugly� Millie Phillips20-837 Wolverine �Little Death� Cantus Marshall20-855 Ostosol �Dirty Harry� Jo Holland20-888 Grasshopper �Death Dealer� Martha �Hotlips� Harrison20-846 Goliath �Big Death� Ariel Melody �Windsong� Marshall

7 6 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

vish, and Catapult. This ensured that toget closer, they would have to move outin the open. My �Big Death� opened up onthe Hunchback that ordered fire on Star-dust; both the PPC and LRM-10 hit, doing10 points to its right torso and 8 points toits left leg. Jo�s �Dirty Harry� fired both ofits large lasers but only did 8 points to theHunchbacks left arm. Cantus in �LittleDeath� fired her AC-5, doing 5 points tothe Hunchbacks right arm.

Benjamin: Betty and I ordered theBums to advance 3 hexes, which putBetty�s group in light cover in the woods.I realized that my bunch would be out inthe open, but then everyone would havea clear shot at the bunker. My groupopened up with our LRMs, but I was theonly one to score a hit for another 5points. Betty�s group fired on the Wolver-ine. �Notredame� and �Long Arm� bothput 5 points each on it, Betty to the rightleg and Frank to the left leg. Then wemoved back 3 hexes to make the rangelonger for the enemy but still keep us infair range of the headquarters.

Crystal: Cantus, Millie, the bunker, and Iall fired on the Archer. Millie�s �Ugly� put20 points on the right torso with its AC-20.Cantus did 5 points to the center torsowith her AC-5. Jo and Kathy fired on theHunchback but only Jo hit it; �Dirty Har-ry�s� large lasers did 8 points to the lefttorso and 8 points to the center torso.

During the next round of firing from myHellcats, the bunker and I were the onlyones to hit the Archer, though Millie tried.The bunker�s AC-5 put 5 points into theArcher�s left leg. My �Big Death� did 10points to its left torso with my PPC, and 5points in the left arm and 5 points into theleft leg with the LRM-10. After Martha�s�Death Dealer� tried three times to set fireto the woods in which the enemy Hunch-back, Centurian, and Trebuchet werehiding, Cantus managed to do the job. Jo�s�Dirty Harry� hit the Hunchback withlarge lasers for 8 points to its right armand 8 points to its center torso.

Benjamin: I had been laughing becausethe defenders included a couple of peoplewho could not hit the broad side of a barn.Looks like the last laugh was on us,though. Only Gaius�s �Julius Caesar� hitanything, doing 5 points to the Wolverine�sleft arm. I was beginning to get worried;not only was �William Tell� shot full ofholes and my second-in-command hurting,but now both �Notredame� and �JuliusCaesar� reported a loss of 5 heat sinkseach. Could the enemy have gottenadvance warning? I seem to also remem-ber that he who runs away lives to fightanother day!

Crystal: Everyone moved three hexesinto the open, because we could sense thatthe enemy�s morale was failing. Cantusmissed the Archer, but the bunker, Millie,and I hit it. The bunker crew and Millie�smedium laser each slapped 5 points ofdamage on the left arm. My PPC made a10-point hole in the Archer�s left torso,

FASA’s BATTLETECH® game: Waiting for action at Headquarters Hill.

while my LRM-10s did 5 points to theright torso and 1 to the left leg. Marthaand Jo both fired on the Trebuchetbecause there was too much smoke tosee the other two targets. �Dirty Har-ry�s� two large lasers did 8 points to thecenter torso and 8 to the left arm; Mar-tha�s large laser put 8 points into theright leg. The game then ended. Ourrevenge for Stardust�s death would haveto wait until another day.

Initiative rollsTurns 1, 2, 4 and 5: Bums had initiative.Turn 3: Hellcats had initiative.Turn 5: Game ended.

S u m m a r y Six other battles were fought by our

gaming club on the same day this onewas. In addition to Stardust, six other

pilots died in combat during that firstcampaign weekend.

If you have battles that you wouldlike to share, send them to me. Makesure that all the information includedin this article is present, that any pho-tographs and maps submitted are clear,and that your name and the names ofthose who participated in the battleare included. Please send a signedletter giving permission to use thebattle in this column.

Further information on the Gamemas-ter�s Guild is available. The Guild islocated halfway between Milwaukeeand Chicago in Waukegan, Ill. Just writeto: Gamemaster�s Guild of Waukegan,1411 Washington, Waukegan IL 60085.The telephone number is (312) 336-0790. You can reach me at that sameaddress. Until next month!

Stardust memories: A direct hit at Headquarters Hill.

FORUMContinued from page 10

I ran the introductory AD&.D game at a localcon a couple of weeks ago and wrote up theplayers� character sheets a little differently. Iwas reading the statistics for a 15 strength tothe players, and as I was about to give theadditional gold-piece weight encumbrance, Irealized what a useless statistic it was. It is anaddition or subtraction made to the formulaused to calculate the maximum weight a charac-ter could carry if his strength is abnormallyhigh or low. The problems are that: 1) theformula gives the weight in pounds, while theadjustment is in gold-piece weights (the old sawabout apples and oranges pops to mind); and, 2)what is needed on the character sheet is not theadjustment to the maximum weight a charactercan carry, but the maximum weight the charac-ter can carry.

What I did for those players (and for thecharacters I roll up for myself) is to calculatethat [maximum weight] figure. It�s a lot easier todo this if the information I need is in a chart. Iworked out the figures for myself.

I did find a nice little goof. Your 3-strengthmagic-user has a base carrying capacity of 35lbs. [Players Handbook, page 101] but has apenalty of 350 gp [page 9], which comes out to� 35 pounds. Point a wand at someone? Carryspell components? [It is difficult to do] with anet 0 lbs. carrying capacity.

On a related note, keeping track of encum-brance is difficult when many relatively heavyitems listed in the provisions tables have noweights listed. A monk, thief, druid, magic-user,or illusionist is not going to have much in theway of weapons or armor but may well stockup on other necessary items, and only arms andarmor have weight listings (arms in gold pieces,armor in pounds). If the amount of treasure acharacter carries back from an adventuredetermines whether or not he is able to pay forthe training needed to go up a level before thenext adventure, the character and the playerneed to know precisely how much his equip-ment weighs. Frankly, the game has failed toprovide this vital information since the originalD&D game came out.

Strength Chart

Strength 3

4-56-7

8-1112-1314-15

161718

18/01-5018/51-7518/76-9018/90-99

18/00192021222324 25

Unencumbered wt.limit (lbs.)

010203545557085

110135160185235335485535635785935

12351535S. D. Anderson

Whittier CA

Continued from page 37

Scroll the Ancient Yule-Tide Carol (FalalalalaLalalala)

Wall of Missiles (Perforation)Level: 5 Components: V,SRange: 1�/lvl. CT: 3 segmentsDuration: Special ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: When thisspell is cast, a solid wall of speeding mis-siles, similar. to heavy crossbow quarrels,is created. The wall covers a 1� square perlevel of the spell-caster; each 1� squarecontains 64 missiles, which hit for 2-7 hpdamage apiece. This spell would have beenNimrod�s greatest (in fact, only) triumph, ifhe had included some way to point themissiles away from the spell-caster, or tomake the spell function when there issomething between the missiles and thespell-caster.

Minor Globe of Iron (Conglobation �it�s a word; look it up)Level: 1 Components: V,MRange: 0 CT: 1 segmentDuration: Perm. ST: NoneAE: One globeExplanation/Description: This spellcreates a sphere of solid iron exactly 0.175inches in diameter that is perfectly roundand smooth. The material component forthis spell is a gem of at least 500 gp value.The verbal component is the second letterof the alphabet, repeated twice.

Monster Invulnerability (Exacerbation)Level: 6 Components: VRange: 3�/lvl. CT: 6 segmentsDuration: 5 rnds./lvl. ST: SpecialAE: 1 monster/lvl. Explanation/Description: This spellcauses affected monsters to be immune toall forms of magical and nonmagicalattacks. Monsters gain a saving throw(whether they want it or not) equal totheir adjusted reaction roll, which is rolledon 1d100. To save the reader a lengthyperusal of the Encounter Reaction table(Dungeon Masters Guide, page 63), itshould be noted that this spell affects onlyactively hostile monsters and those thatcannot save vs. spells on a roll of 26 orhigher.

Fools Summoning III (Consternation/Exasperation)Level: 5 Components: V,SRange: 5� CT: 5 roundsDuration: Variable ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: This spellsummons three fools (i.e., NPCs with com-bined intelligence, wisdom, and charismascores of less than three � among them).They tag along, asking stupid question,

telling knock-knock jokes, and otherwisemaking themselves obstructive and objec-tionable. They are immune to all forms ofattack and will not go away until they aregood and ready. The quickest way to getrid of these fools may be to teach them tocast some of Nimrod�s other spells.

Protection From Normal Gold(Ruination)Level: 2 Components: VRange: 0 CT: 2 segmentsDuration: Perm. ST: NoneAE: PersonalExplanation/Description: When thisspell is cast, it sets up a field of negativeenergy that repels all nonmagical goldaway from the spell-caster�s body to adistance of 2� per level of the spell-caster(the distance increases, therefore, as thecaster advances in levels). This affectscoins, jewelry, and all other nonmagicalitems containing gold (including electrum,which is part gold). It does not affect golddragons, gold bugs, or any kind of goldwhich might be capable of harming thespell-caster, as that, obviously, would notbe normal gold.

D R A G O N 7 9

80 APRIL 1989

D R A G O N 8 1

82 APRIL 1989

Sovietfirepower

in theMARVEL

SUPERHEROES®

game

by William Wilson Goodson, Jr.

84 APRIL 1989

In DRAGON® issue #105 ("The BigGuns"), some basic rules were outlined forthe use of heavy military equipment in theMARVEL SUPER HEROES® game. TheMARVEL SUPER HEROES Advanced Setincludes detailed rules for tanks, planesand such, but the descriptions of the dif-ferent vehicles remain very vague. Whenplaying against a submarine or helicopter,it helps to have a clear picture or exactlywhat the vehicle can and cannot do.

In a world-spanningcampaign, yourcharacters are likelyto run into Soviet aswell as Americanweapons. TheSoviets are noted for

their productionof simple

but

dependableequipment, andweapons manufact-uring is one of theirfew profitableindustries. Havinglicensed the pro-duction of their olderweapon systems to

other countries, the Soviets now haveinstructors and advisors stationed all overthe world. The vehicles mentioned in thisarticle can be found in many places. Forexample, the Hind helicopter can be foundin Afghanistan and Nicaragua, andWhiskey-class submarines are used to spyon Western countries.

Each description has a few uncertainties,as the Soviets do not publish details on theirmilitary vehicles if they can avoid it. Statis-tics agreed upon by most sources were used,as were the most common NATO designa-tions. When ammunition or missile suppliesfor a weapon are not given, make up areasonable result (up to 10 missiles and1,000 rounds of ammunition).

The Russians constantly upgrade theirequipment. Reports have reached theWestern press that the newest Soviet tankshave armor that is highly effective againstantitank weapons. The Soviets are alsodesigning shells which they hope willcrack America's new ceramic tank armor.In view of this, just about any of thesuperscientific weapons described in theMARVEL SUPER HEROES game may beplaced on Soviet vehicles. You can bet theSoviets of the Marvel Universe® createweapons to deal with Western heroes aswell as with super villains.

The following terms are used in thevehicle descriptions in this article:

Body: Body is the amount of damage avehicle can take before it stops operating.

Different Body ratings are given againstconventional, electric, and magneticattacks.

Bulls-eye targets: These are the least-armored parts of a vehicle which a preci-sion weapon may be able to hit. Forexample, an archer may not be able todamage the hull of a tank, but he couldbreak the tank's infrared spotlight.

Control: This is how well a vehicle canexecute changes in direction and speed.

Crew: This is the number of people avehicle requires in order to operate. Acrew member may carry almost any kindof hand weapon the referee chooses.

Kill results: If an attacker scores a Killresult on a vehicle, the hit should causeserious damage to the craft. For example,a Kill result against a ship might (at theJudge's option) stop the engine or jam oneof the propellers.

Protection: This is the amount of armora vehicle provides for passengers inside it.Different protection ranks are givenagainst conventional attacks and bothchemical and biological weapons. Sovietcrew members may be individually pro-tected by special suits which give ExcellentProtection against chemical and biologicalweapons. Such a suit cuts Agility andFighting abilities by two ranks and offersno protection against blows or gunfire.

Speed: This is the rank representing themaximum safe speed of a vehicle. Oneknot (used in seagoing-vessel descriptions)is about 1.15 MPH.

Armament descriptions have been keptas simple as possible so that each cannon,machine gun, or other projectile weaponwill have a simple classification. Thisallows readers to use the game character-istics of the weapons, bombs, and missilesin the Advanced Set Players' Book onpages 41-46.

Whiskey V class submarineThe Whisksey-class submarine was

designed in the early 1950s and is a smallvessel that forms a compromise betweenhaving a long cruising range and havingthe ability to maneuver close to a coast-line. Approximately 260 of these subswere built, and they have been sold toPoland, North Korea, Cuba, Egypt, andIndonesia, among other places. The Peo-ple's Republic of China has produced itsown version of this model. A Whiskey-class submarine ran aground near a majorSwedish naval base in 1981. Others havebeen detected in the same area since then,suggesting this submarine is being usedfor coastal reconnaissance.

The Whiskey-class submarine has Excel-lent Control, Poor Speed, and a Remark-able Body, with Excellent Protection for itscrew of 54. Though small, this submarinehas a heavy, pressure-resistant, compart-mentalized hull; if one chamber isbreached, it can be sealed to protect oth-ers from flooding. Each separate hullbreach reduces the sub's Control and Bodyby one rank; if either ability reaches Fee-

ble, the helpless sub sinks. The electricalsystems essential to both control and thelife-support systems have Good Protectionfrom electrical or magnetic attacks.

Bull's eyes may be scored against theperiscope and radar disc. Damaging thedisc (Good Material Strength) destroys theship's radar system, making it possible forplanes and ships to approach undetected.Damaging the periscope (Typical MaterialStrength) renders the ship blind while it issubmerged.

A Kill result can damage one of thesubmarine's two propellers, cutting Speedand Control in half. If both shafts aredamaged, the ship has no means of propul-sion and sits dead in the water (though ifsubmerged, it can surface by blowing itsballast tanks). A Kill result with enoughpower to penetrate the hull is able todamage one of the submarine's fourengines. Two diesel engines are used whensurfaced, and two electric engines areused when submerged (diesel enginesrequire a great deal of air in order towork).

This submarine's top speed is 18 knotson the surface and 14 knots submerged.Its best depth is a secret but is assumed tobe less than 500'. To go below this levelrequires a FEAT roll against the hull'sstrength. A White or Green result meansthe sub survives; a Yellow roll means thesub drops a rank in every class; and on aRed roll, the submarine is crushed anddestroyed.

This submarine requires 25' of water tomaneuver on the surface. In shallowwater, the sub will run aground. Escapethen requires a Green FEAT roll on theTypical column, but may be tried onlyonce every 10 turns.

The primary weapons carried on thissubmarine are four bow torpedo tubes,each able to fire 21"-diameter torpedoes.This sub also has two stern tubes able tofire 16"-diameter torpedoes. The torpe-does can be treated as missiles (ExcellentBody, Remarkable Control, ExcellentSpeed, 25-area Range), but they can onlybe fired at objects in the water. Thesetorpedoes usually carry carry concentrated-explosive warheads (Remarkable damage),but NATO believes they can carry nuclearbombs of unknown size (Unearthly toClass 1000 damage).

Whiskey-class submarines have beenobserved with several types of deck guns,so the Judge may put almost any sizemachine gun or artillery piece there.Crewmen may be equipped with almostany type of hand weapon listed in thePlayer's Book.

Nanuchka class III missile corvetteThe Nanuchka-class corvette is produced

by the Russians for their own navy, butthese ships have also been sold to severalcountries in the Middle East and to India.Each corvette has Typical Control,Remarkable Speed, and a RemarkableBody providing Excellent Protection for a

DRAGON 85

crew of 100-120.These missile corvettes were designed

for firing antiship missiles. Each corvettehas a wide hull which makes it a steadymissile-firing platform in rough seas. Theyoperate both as fleet escort vessels and asshore patrol boats. Though lightlyarmored, these ships have advanced elec-tronic countermeasures of Remarkableefficiency to prevent them from beingseen on radar.

These corvettes are compartmentalizedto protect them from flooding. When theouter hull is breached, only one chamberwill flood before that chamber is sealedoff. Each breach of the hull causes theship to lose one rank in both Body andControl. Whenever the ship reaches Fee-ble in either of these ranks, it sinks.

Possible Bull's-eye targets are the radardisc, radio antenna, and any crew mem-bers operating on the deck. The disc andantenna each have Good MaterialStrength. Damaging the radar disc kills theearly-warning system, while breaking acorvette�s antenna prevents the ship fromcommunicating by radio and cuts off itselectronic countermeasures.

A Kill result means one of the threepropellers (Excellent Material Strength)has been damaged or fouled. This reducesthe ship�s control and speed by one-third.The Nanuchka-class corvette has six dieselengines and normally travels at 32 knots.

8 6 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

This corvette cannot move into waterless than 40� deep or it will run aground.Escape then requires a Green FEAT roll onthe Typical column; escape attempts mayonly be made once every 10 turns.

The Nanuchka-class corvette carries twoclose-range weapons systems: a 76-mmgun (treated as light artillery in the gamerules) and a Gatling turret (treated as amilitary machine gun). Its principle long-range antiaircraft defense is a twin SA-N-4surface-to-air missile launcher. Thelauncher is housed in the deck andrequires about five minutes or 50 combatturns to pop up when needed. An SA-N-4missile is fired vertically, then guided byradar (Good Body, Incredible Control,Excellent Speed, 60-area Range,concentrated-explosive warhead). Theship�s main weapon is a set of two tripleSS-N-9 surface-to-surface missilelaunchers. The SS-N-9 missile is a radio-linked missile, so its course can be cor-rected if fired at a target over the horizon(Excellent Body, Incredible Control, Excel-lent Speed, 68-mile Range, high-explosivewarhead).

Mi-24 Hind helicopterThe Hind is a multipurpose attack antiar-

mor helicopter. It is in service all over theSoviet Union and has been used extensive-ly in Afghanistan, where it has becomeknown as a symbol of Soviet brutalityagainst a poorly armed enemy.

This helicopter has Excellent Control,Remarkable Speed, a Typical Body, andprovides Good Protection. The Mi-24 has acrew of two, a pilot and co-pilot, and cancarry eight passengers. The helicopternormally offers Typical Protection, withPoor Protection from magnetic and electri-cal attacks. The crew and passengersreceive no protection from the helicopterfrom chemical or biological weapons.

A Bulls-eye result against the Hind maydamage the tail rotor, requiring the craftto land immediately. A Kill result destroysthe motor or main rotor, causing the heli-copter to crash immediately.

The Hind gunship has a cruising speedof 140 MPH and a 300-mile Range. It canland and take off in a single area andhover in one place until it runs out of fuel.While hovering, it can turn to face anyhorizontal direction.

The Hind comes in several versions,each with different types of armament. Allversions can carry four missiles each. TheHind A has a heavy machine gun (treat asa military machine gun) mounted in itsnose, The Hind C has no nose gun, whilethe Hind D and E each carry a four-barrelmachine gun (treat as four militarymachine guns). The Hind A, C, and Dcarry either the AT-2 Swatter or AT-3 Sag-ger antitank missiles. The AT-2 Swatter is aheat-seeking missile with a concentrated-explosive warhead (Excellent Body,Remarkable Control, Excellent Speed,7,000� Range). Its guidance system isdesigned to find hot tank engines. The AT

3 Sagger is a wire-guided missile with aconcentrated-explosive warhead (ExcellentBody, Excellent Speed, 840� Range). TheSagger�s Control is equal to the operator�sAgility since he guides the missile by sight.The Sagger, also known as the Milutka,can be fired by two-man teams on theground. The Hind E carries four AT-6Spiral missiles, which are guided by a laserbeam focused on the target; the laser canbe operated by the helicopter or by menon the ground. The Spirals concentrated-explosive warhead is designed to penetratearmor, while its Control rank is equal tothe operators Agility (Excellent Body,Amazing Speed, 16,500� Range).

Sukhoi Sui-17 Fitter-CThe Sui-17 is a tactical ground-support

jet fighter. The Fitter-C model was built inpart for export and is used not only byRussia but by Peru, Egypt, and severalWarsaw Pact countries. Sui-17s saw com-bat in both sides of the recent Libyan-Egyptian conflict.

This aircraft has Excellent Control, ShiftX Speed, and a Typical Body providingTypical Protection. It is a single-seat air-craft with a crew of one (the pilot). Thefuselage has Typical Protection, but theelectronics system has only Poor Protec-tion from electronic and magnetic attack.The plane has electronic countermeasureswhich provide Good Protection againstradar detection. The pressurized cockpitgives Unearthly Protection to the pilotfrom all chemical and biological weaponsas long as it remains sealed.

A Bulls-eye result may damage theplane�s controls, requiring it to land imme-diately. A Kill result means the engine isknocked out and the plane will crash.

The Fitter-C has a single turbojet engine.At sea level its maximum speed is 798MPH, while it can go 1,432 MPH at its stand-ard altitude of 59,050�. It can climb 45,275�per minute. However, the Sui-17 isdesigned for close support of groundtroops and often operates well at near-ground level. This fighter requires 25areas of smooth, hard surface in a straightline in order to take off or land.

The Fitter-C carries two 30mm NR-30cannons (treat as light artillery). One can-non is mounted on each wing with 70rounds of ammo. The jet also carries droptanks and has six wing pylons able tocarry up to 11,023 lbs. of bombs, napalm,and missiles. This jet normally carries AS-7Kerry air-to-surface missiles (ExcellentBody, Remarkable Control, ExcellentSpeed, 6.8-mile Range, high-explosivewarhead). The AS-7 is believed by Westernsources to follow a beam sent by the air-craft to its target. It is not known if thebeam is a laser or radar beam.

The Su-17 is equipped with radar andtwo separate radios � one for contactingits base and other aircraft, and one fortalking to ground troops.

The Su-17 can ram for Remarkabledamage to itself and its target if in flight.

However, if either its Body or Control rankfalls to Feeble, it blows up. It must makean immediate Control check (Yellow FEAT)in order to avoid going out of controlwhen it strikes anything or is struck itself.If the plane is damaged, the pilot may ejectif he makes a FEAT roll against his, Agility.

T-62 main battle tankThis vehicle is manufactured by the

Soviet Union and is used by its own army,as well as by Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia,East Germany, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, Isra-el, Libya, Poland, Romania, and Syria. Ithas an Incredible Body, Poor Speed, Excel-lent Control, and Remarkable Protection.The tank has a crew of four (commander,gunner, loader, and driver).

The T-62 has up to 3� of welded armorand weighs 16,600 lbs. The crew receivesExcellent Protection not only from chemi-cal and biological weapons but from radia-tion when the tank is sealed. Its electricalsystems, including the ignition and radio,have Excellent Protection from energyattacks.

On the T-62 series, Bull's-eye targetsinclude the radio antenna, headlights, andinfrared spotlight. The tank also has twoperiscopes used by the commander whenthe hatches are shut. All these items haveTypical Material Strength. On a Kill result,the Judge may decide to jam one of thetreads or damage the engine, stopping thetank in place until it is repaired.

The T-62 has a water-cooled dieselengine and is capable of moving about 30MPH on flat terrain. The tank can climb aslope of 60°, roll over a vertical obstacle30� high, and ford water up to 4½� deepwithout modifications. Enough fuel iscarried for traveling 310 miles, but extragas tanks can be carried on the tanks rear.The infrared spotlight removes any Con-trol loss during night travel.

The T-62 has a forward-mounted 115mmcannon (treat as heavy artillery) whichuses shells with rear fins to stabilize themin flight. The cannon can only fire in thedirection the turret is facing, but the tur-ret can turn 360°. Also mounted on theturret is a 7.62mm machine gun (treat as amilitary machine gun). The infrared spot-light is mounted next to the guns andremoves any loss of accuracy at night.

Like most Soviet tanks, the T-62 canproduce a smoke screen of Excellent den-sity. This screen is produced by pumpingdiesel fuel into the exhaust system, and itspreads over 1 area every 2 turns behindthe tank.

The T-62 can ram for Remarkable dam-age. If it rams and rolls a Red result on theRemarkable column, it will run over thetarget (if the target is not too large) and doIncredible damage.

MARVEL, MARVEL UNIVERSE, MARVEL SUPER HEROES,and all Marvel character names and likenesses are trademarksof Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc.©1989 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

D R A G O N 8 7

Convention Calendar Policies

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

In order to ensure that all conventionlistings contain accurate and timely infor-mation, all material should be either typeddouble-spaced or printed legibly on stand-ard manuscript paper. The contents ofeach listing must be short, succinct, andunder 150 words long.

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

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

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

where additional information and confirma-tion can be obtained.

Convention flyers, newsletters, and othermass-mailed announcements will not beconsidered for use in this column; weprefer to see a cover letter with theannouncement as well. No call-in listingsare accepted. Unless stated otherwise, alldollar values given for U.S. and Canadianconventions are in U.S. currency.

WARNING: We are not responsible forincorrect information sent to us by conven-tion staff members. Please check yourconvention listing carefully! Our widecirculation ensures that over a quarter of amillion readers worldwide see each issue.Accurate information is your responsibility.

Copy deadlines are the last Monday ofeach month, two months prior to the on-sale date of an issue. Thus, the copy dead-line for the August issue is the last Mondayof June. Announcements for North Ameri-can and Pacific conventions must bemailed to: Convention Calendar,DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 111, LakeGeneva WI 53147, U.S.A. Announcementsfor Europe must be posted an additionalmonth before the deadline to: ConventionCalendar, DRAGON® Magazine, TSRLimited, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton,Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom.

If a convention listing must be changedbecause the convention has been can-celled, the dates have changed, or incor-rect information has been printed, pleasecontact us immediately. Most questions orchanges should be directed to either RobinJenkins or Roger E. Moore at TSR, Inc.,(414) 248-3625 (U.S.A.). Questions orchanges concerning European conventionsshould be directed to TSR Limited, (0223)212517 (U.K.).

* indicates a Canadian convention.

88 APRIL 1989

* indicates a product produced by a company other than TSR,Inc. Most product names are trademarks owned by thecompanies publishing those products The use of the name ofany product wlthout mention of its trademark status should notbe construed as a challenge to such status

DALLAS FANTASY FAIR, April 7-9Held at the Marriott Park Central, 7750 I-635

at Coit Road in Dallas, Texas, this gaming con-vention will feature 140 dealers tables, morethan 60 guests, two 24-hour video rooms,Japanimation, 24-hour gaming, four-track pro-gramming, a masquerade, an open con suite, anart show and auction, a charity auction, artists�and writers� workshops, autograph sessions,filksinging, dancing, an amateur-film festival, atalent show, and more. Approximately 2,200people are expected for this event. Admission is$15 for three days, if paid in advance, or $20 atthe door. One-day memberships will be availableat the door; prices are $8 for Friday, $10 forSaturday, and $8 for Sunday. Write to: BulldogProductions, P.O. Box 820488, Dallas TX 75382;or call: (214) 349-3367.

GAME FAIRE �89, April 7-9The 10th-annual GAME FAIRE convention will

be held at the Spokane Falls Community Collegein Spokane, Wash. Events will run from Fridaynight through Sunday afternoon, and includegame tournaments, microarmor and historicalminiatures, a video room, dealers� tables, role-playing games, board games, family games, agames auction, and a demonstration by the localSCA. Registration for GAME FAIRE �89 is $10prepaid or $12 at the door. One-day member-ships are available at $5 for Friday or Sunday,or $6 for Saturday. All profits go to the WishingStar Foundation, a charity dedicated to helpingchildren. Write to: Merlyn�s, W 201 Riverside,Spokane WA 99201; or call: (509) 624-0957.

ROUNDCON IV, April 7-9The Round Table Gaming Society will hold this

gaming convention at the Russell House StudentUnion on the University of South Carolinacampus. Events will include multiple-roundAD&D® and CHAMPIONS* tournaments, single-event role-playing games of all types, miniaturesevents, a video room, a miniatures-paintingcontest, board games, and rooms for opengaming, with awards and door prizes. Preregis-tration is $3 if postmarked before March 15; forconfirmation of preregistration, please send anSASE. Write to: ROUNDCON IV, USC Box 80018,Columbia SC 29225; or call: (803) 254-2601 or(803) 772-4784.

GAME CON, April 8Game Master, Ltd. presents its first gaming

convention in the Bergen Mall Auditorium,Route 4 East, Paramus, NJ. (only six miles fromthe George Washington Bridge). Featured eventswill include board-game tournaments, AD&D®tournaments, a miniatures-painting contest, andan open-gaming area. Preregistration is $2;otherwise, admission is $3 at the door. Thisconvention will open at 10 A.M and run until

8 P.M. on Saturday. GAME CON is still looking forplayers and game masters. Gamers may receivemore information by writing to: GAME CON, c/oGame Master, Ltd., Village Mall � Lower Prome-nade, Bergen Mall Shopping Center, Paramus NJ07652; or call: (201) 843-3308.

MOUNTAINTOP �89, April 8-9This gaming convention will be held at Lehigh

University in Bethlehem, Pa. Events include anAD&D® tournament, a games auction, and aswap meet. Board, role-playing, and computergames will also be played. Preregistration is $8before March 15; thereafter, registration is $10.Send an SASE to: Earl Kinsley, U.C. Box 276,Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA 18015.

SCRYCON �89, April 8Able adventurers are needed to regain lost

shards of the Famous Crystal Monolith at SCRY-CON �89, the seventh-annual one-day tourna-ment sponsored by the seekers of the CrystalMonolith Gaming Club. This year�s conventionwill be held at the Red Hook Methodist Churchin Red Hook, N.Y. (approximately 60 miles southof Albany on Route 9). The tournament willconsist of AD&D® tournaments, alternategames, miniatures-painting contests, and ourpopular used-game flea market. Admission is $5for the whole day. Send an SASE to: SCYRON�89, PO. Box 896, Pleasant Valley NY 12569.

VALLEYCON II, April 8-9Sponsored by the Northeast Wisconsin Game

Players Association (GPA), this gaming conven-tion will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. All forms of gaming will bepresented, including a 40� X 39� miniaturesbattle of the Assault on Hoth, strategic minia-tures and board-game battles, and role-playingevents ranging from the D&D® and AD&D®games to science-fiction games. Other eventsinclude a miniatures-painting contest, doorprizes, and more. Ticket prices for game mas-ters are $3 plus $2 per event entered in theconvention for one day, or $4.50 plus $2 perevent entered in the convention for two days.To preregister, send your name, address, tele-phone number, game system you wish to run,and the admission and entry fee (check ormoney order only) to: VALLEYCON Headquar-ters, 1211 Morris Avenue, Green Bay WI 54304.Game-master packets and schedules are at theconvention. Send an SASE to the address above,or call: Brian Severa at (414) 494-7313.

BAMACON III, April 14-16This science-fiction, fantasy, and gaming

convention will be held at the Econo-Lodge(formerly the Stagecoach Inn), located at 4810Skyland Boulevard East in Tuscaloosa, Ala.Special guests include Hal Clement, NancySpringer, Brad Strickland, Phil Foglio, MaryHanson-Roberts, Allen Hammack, Dr. MaureenKendrick, and many others. Featured eventsinclude author and artist panels, movies (Wiz-

DRAGON 89

ards, Highlander, Heavy Metal, Star Trek, ThePrincess Bride, and more), an art show andauction, a Friday night ice cream reception, anAD&D® team tournament with $210 in cashprizes, many other tournaments with prizes,filksinging, author readings, a Saturday nightcostume contest (with cash prizes), a masquer-ade ball (right after the contest), exhibitions,parties, a fantastic dealers� bazaar, and an all-you-can-eat banquet ($6, scheduled for Sundayat 10 A.M.). Preregistration is $20, or $25 at thedoor. Dealers� tables are $40 (includes one freemembership). T-shirts are $7 with preregistra-tion, or $10 at the convention. Hotel rates are$29.38 for one to four people (mention BAMA-CON III). Write to: BAMACON III, University ofAlabama, PO. Box 6542, Tuscaloosa AL 35486;or call Dave at: (205) 758-4577; or Steven at:(205) 758-2186.

LEPRECON 15, April 14-16LEPRECON is an art-oriented science-fiction

and fantasy convention with a strong gamingfocus. Events will be held at the Phoenix HyattRegency in sunny, downtown Phoenix, Ariz.Guests of honor are author Chelsea QuinnYarbro and artist Richard Hescox. Gamingevents include AD&D® (Monster Mash andmore), BATTLETECH*, microarmor, WAR-HAMMER* FANTASY BATTLE, GURPS*, STARWARS*, and EMPIRE BUILDER* games. Otherevents include special workshops and panels, aminiatures-painting contest, a used-gamesauction, open gaming, check-out games, andmore. Regular activities include an art show, adealers� room, movies, Japanimation, com-puters, panels, parties, and other great stuff.Registration is $25. Write to: LEPRECON, PO.Box 26665, Tempe AZ 85282; for gaming infor-mation, write to: Don Harrington, 3505 EastCampbell #14, Phoenix AZ 85018; or call: (602)956-1344 (before 10 P.M. MST).

DEF-CON I, April 15-16Sponsored by THE CLUB, this gaming conven-

tion will be held at the Howard Johnson�s inPortage, Ind. (intersection of Route 20 and U.S.249). Special events include group vs. grouprole-playing, and RPGA� Network and computertournaments. Other events include AD&D®,MARVEL SUPER HEROES®, CHILL*, TWILIGHT:2000*, and BOOT HILL® games. Fees are $3preregistered, or $5 at the door. Prices are fromfree to $3 per game. Write to: David Machin,719 Juniper Road, Valparaiso IN 46383; or call:(219) 759-2530.

GAMEMASTER �89, April 15Boise, Idaho�s favorite gaming convention will

again be held in the Student Union Building ofBoise State University. Featured games willinclude AD&D®, MEGATRAVELLER*, CARWARS*, WARHAMMER*, BATTLETECH*,GURPS*, STAR TREK*, STAR FLEET BATTLES*,MARVEL SUPER HEROES®, and ZOMAX*games, with open gaming, miniatures contests,and an auction. Our guest of honor, Gary Thom-as, will explain how to get your role-playingmodules published. We will also have a StarTrek trivia competition. Registration will be $5at the door or $4 if your preregistration isreceived before April 8. To preregister, write to:The Gamemaster�s Guild, 4948 Kootenai, Suite204, Boise ID 83705; or call the Gamemaster�sGuild at: (208) 338-1410.

PLATTECON BETA, April 15-16Sponsored by the Platteville Gaming Associa-

tion, this two-day convention will be held at theStudent Center of the University of Wisconsin-

9 0 A P R I L 1 9 8 9

Platteville. Gaming events will begin at 9 A.M.

and run until 9 P.M. on Saturday and will beginat 9 A.M. and run until 5 P.M. on Sunday. Ourfeatured guest will be E. Gary Gygax. Specialevents include a LASER TAG* competition, aminiatures contest, and an RPGA� NetworkAD&D® tournament. Other game events will beannounced at the door. Admission for both daysis $7 at the door, or $5 if paid in advance. Sendan SASE to: Platteville Gaming Association, PO.Box 109, Platteville WI 53818.

AMIGOCON 4, April 21-23This science-fiction, fantasy, and gaming

convention will be held at the Holiday InnSunland Park in El Paso, Tex. Melinda Snodgrassis author guest of honor, and Frank Kelly Freasis artist guest of honor. Other guests includeWalter Jon Williams, Rick and Pati Cook, Jenni-fer Robertson, Mel White, and George AlecEffinger. Advance membership fees are $12.Registrations purchased at the door are $15 forall three days, or $7.50 for one day. Write to:AMIGOCON 4, PO. Box 3177, El Paso TX 79923.

CHATTANOOGA COMICS, CARDS, &COLLECTABLES SHOW, April 21-23

This semiannual collectors� show will be heldat the Eastgate Mall on Brainerd Road, just off I-75, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Show hours are 9 A.M.

to 9 P.M. Friday and Saturday, and 11 A.M. to 6 P.M.

Sunday. Guests will include representativesfrom Marvel Comics. Events will include: anAD&D® tournament (which begins Friday, withwinners announced Sunday); an ongoingDRAGONLANCE® board game; video showingsof Star Trek Bloopers, The X-Men, and more; anauction hosted by our own Freddy Krueger; anda costume contest Saturday night. Admission isfree! The entire mall is the showroom area; itwill include comic books, baseball cards, StarTrek and Dr. Who memorabilia, Japanimation,gaming, and more. Dealer tables are $100 each,or $150 for two. Tables are 8� long. Write to:Amazing World of Fantasy, 2518-C ShorterAvenue, Rome GA 30161; or call: Dana Pinkard(show chairperson) at (404) 235-2179, or PatrickSwinford at (404) 234-5309.

GALACTIC TREKFEST, April 21-23This science-fiction and gaming convention

will be held at the Henry VIII Hotel in St. Louis,Mo. Guests of honor include Richard Hatch,Merritt Butrick, Bill Mumy, and others. Specialevents include a banquet, open gaming, con-tests, costuming, regional science-fiction meet-ings, convention rooms, and dealers� tables.Weekend passes by preregistration are $20;other passes are available by inquiry or may bepurchased at the door. Over 33 events in all willbe sponsored at this convention, including anacting class by Richard Hatch, all-night videosand gaming, and more. Write to: GALACTICTREKFEST, 640 White Street, Belleville IL 62221;or call: (618) 233-2404.

SALUTE �89, April 21-23 *This gaming convention will be held at the

Best Western King�s Inn, 5411 Kingsway, Burna-by, B.C., Canada. Featured events will includetable-top miniatures, board gaming, and fantasyrole-playing. In addition, 7th-edition 15mmAncients, SQUAD LEADER*, and D&D® tourna-ments and a miniatures-painting contest will beheld, along with trade stands and a swap meet.Write to: Barry Kemp, Convention Director,SALUTE �89, 5850 Rumble Street, Burnaby, B.C.,CANADA V5J 2C4; or call: (604) 526-4463 or(604) 437-3038.

AGOG: A GATHERING OF GAMERS,April 22-23

The University of Arizona Historical GamesSociety invites one and all to their second-annual gathering of gamers, to be held in themain ballroom of the University of ArizonaStudent Union. Tournaments are offered forTRAVELLER*, MUSTANGS AND MESSER-SCHMIDTS*, JOHNNY REB*, BATTLETECH*,CIRCUS IMPERIUM*, WARHAMMER 40,000*,and AD&D® games. Open gaming will beoffered. Role-playing, board, and miniaturesgamers are encouraged to attend this event. Agame auction will also be held; all attendees areinvited to participate (bring your old games).Registration for this convention is $3 for eachday, or $5 for the weekend. Write to: MelissaKay Giffords, 2859 North Soldiers Trail, TusconAZ 85749; or call her at: (602) 749-4070. Youmay also call Robert Orman at: (602) 299-1315.

COSCON 89, April 22Sponsored again this year by the Circle of

Swords, this one-day gaming convention will beheld at the Butler County Community College inButler, Pa. Scheduled events will include RPGA�Network tournaments, board games, miniaturesevents, and other role-playing games. Alsoincluded is a dealers� room and a miniatures-painting contest. Registration is $6 until March31, and $8 thereafter. Send an SASE to: COS-CON, c/o Dave Schnur, 127 Crosslands Road,Butler PA 16001; or call: (412) 287-6797 or (412)283-1159.

ONCE UPON A CON, April 28-30The International Fantasy Gaming Society will

sponsor its first-ever gaming convention inDenver, Colo. Guests of honor will include LarryNiven and David L. Arneson. Events will includeIFGS live gaming, seminars, a live tournamentmaze, board and role-playing games, an artshow and auction, a costume contest and ball,and a variety of science-fiction and fantasyprograms. The convention will be held at theHoliday Inn, I-25 at 120th Avenue in Denver,Colo. Special room rates are available. Write to:ONCE UPON A CON, PO. Box 16436, ColoradoSprings CO 80935; or call Mark Matthews-Simmons at: (303) 499-2812.

WERECON X, April 28-30This year�s WERECON role-playing game

convention will be sponsored by the DetroitGaming Center and the City of Detroit Recrea-tion Department, and will be held at the Light-house Center on Riverside Drive in Detroit,Mich. Guests will include Erick Wujcik (designerof the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES*,REVISED RECON*, and NINJAS AND SUPER-SPIES* games) and a stellar cast of Detroit�sfinest game masters. A complete schedule ofrole-playing games and tournaments will befeatured. There will be no dealers room at thisconvention. Registration for WERECON X isfree. Game fees per event range from $1 to $4.Write to: Erick Wujcik, PO. Box 1623, Detroit MI48231; or call: (313) 833-3016.

THE WIZARD�S CHALLENGE,April 28-30 *

This seventh-annual convention will be held atthe Victoria Inn in Regina, Saskatchewan, Cana-da. Tournaments will include an AD&D® teamtournament, and BATTLETECH*, STAR FLEETBATTLES*, CAR WARS*, and ADVANCEDSQUAD LEADERS* events. Other features willinclude board and role-playing games, minia-tures events, demonstrations of games, movies,a games auction, and a closing-night Medieval

Feast. Admission is $5 for the entire weekend.The AD&D® tournament fee is $20; other gamefees may vary. Write to: Ken McGovern, c/o TheWizards Corner II, 2124B Broad Street, Regina,Saskatchewan, CANADA, S4P 1Y5; or call: (306)757-8544.

UMF-CON, April 29-30This convention will be held at the Student

Center at the University of Maine at Farmington, in Farmington, Maine. CHAMPIONS*, WorldWar II miniatures, TOP SECRET/S.I.�, BATTLE-SYSTEM�, AD&D®, and DIPLOMACY* gameswill be featured, with live mysteries, boardgames, and contests for miniatures painting andart. Admission is $5, with a $2 charge per game.Send an SASE to: Table Gaming Club, c/o Stu-dent Life Office, Student Center, 5 South Street,Farmington ME 04928.

MISCON 4, May 6-7Science fiction, fantasy, and gaming will be the

subjects of this convention, to be held at theHoliday Inn, 200 South Pattee Street in Missoula,Mont. Room rates are $32.50 per night forsingle occupancy; call (406)721-8550 to makereservations. Vonda McIntyre is author guest ofhonor; Dan Reeder is artist guest of honor; Glen(Scruffy) Hammer is fan guest of honor; and RayBeauvais is gaming guest of honor. Events willinclude an art show, a masquerade party, origi-nal Japanimation, dances, SCA events, gaming,videos, writers� workshops, a computer room,an art gallery, a dealers� room, panels, and anauction. Membership rates are $16 until April15, and $20 at the door; one-day membershipsare $12 at the door. Children under six years ofage get in free with their parents; children 6-12years of age get in for half price. Dealers� tables(6� X 2�) may be purchased for $40 (member-ship included). Write to: MISCON, Box 9363,Missoula MT 59807; or call (406) 549-1435.

AMERICAN GAMES FAIR, May 11-13Communications, Conferences, and Exhibi-

tions, Ltd. is the organizer of this event, whichwill take place at the Madison Square GardenExhibition Rotunda. All categories of games areincluded in the scope of this show, including:board, trivia, card, magic, adult, party, VCR,sporting, video, juvenile, educational, action-and-skill, battery-operated, computer, andelectronic games. To facilitate trade buying, thefirst day of the show is designated as a �trade-only day.� Consumers will be allowed to attendthe last days of this three-day event. A programof special events and entertainment will runthroughout the duration of the show. Write to:Mary E. Gray, CCE Ltd., 122 East 42nd Street,Suite 1121, New York NY 10168; or call her at:(212) 867-5159, (212) 682-6232 (fax), or 425442MEDIA (Telex).

NASHCON �89, May 12-14Sponsored by HMGS�Midsouth and Games

Extraordinaire, this miniatures-gaming conven-tion will take place at the Music City RodewayInn in Nashville, Tenn. Special guests includeScott Bowden of Empire Games, Mark Blackmonof Empire Miniatures, Atley Turner of FrontierMiniatures, Richard Houston of Lyzard�s Grin,RSM Ltd., Rudy Nelson (author of Garde duCorps), and Mark Campbell (author of CloseAction). Historical-miniatures events will includeNapoleonics, American Civil War, AmericanRevolution and Colonial-era battles, as well asmicroarmor, Age of Sail, and ACW naval battles.Alternative gaming will include WARHAMMER*40,000, WARHAMMER* FANTASY BATTLE,WARHAMMER* SIEGE, BATTLETECH*, and

92 APRIL 1989

STAR FLEET BATTLES* events. Other featuresinclude seminars, a dealers� room, a gameauction, and a gamers� flea market. Registrationis $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Hotelrates are $42 a night; accommodations may bearranged through Games Extraordinaire. Writeto: NASHCON �89, c/o Games Extraordinaire, 109Donelson Pike, Nashville TN 37214; or call: (800)777-GAME, toll-free.

BEACH TREK �89, May 19-21This Star Trek convention will be held at the

Holiday Inn Executive Center in Virginia Beach,Va. Guests include Walter Koenig, A. C. Crispin,and Bjo Thimble. Write to: BEACH TREK �89, c/oVISTA, PO. Box 62854, Virginia Beach VA 23462.

CON WEST, May 19-21This gaming convention will be held at St.

John�s College in Santa Fe, N. Mex. Featuredevents will include AD&D®, BATTLETECH*,WARHAMMER*, ROLEMASTER*, STAR FLEETBATTLES*, RISK*, DIPLOMACY*, AIR SUPE-RIORITY*, UP FRONT*, AXIS AND ALLIES*,CIVILIZATION*, SQUAD LEADER*, SUPREM-ACY*, PARANOIA*, STAR TREK*, PANZERGRUPPE*, and other games. Preregistration is$9. At-the-door fees are $13 for two days and$10 for one. Send an SASE to: Christian Eddle-man, 1160 Camino De La Cruz Blanca, Santa FeNM 87501; or call him at: (505) 984-8554.Gamers may also call Luke Warren at: (505) 984-2063. When writing, please list the games youwish to play.

CON*CEPTION �89, May 20-21The New England Games and Comics Club is

proud to announce its 1989 CON*CEPTION, tobe held at the Multi-Purpose Center in Lewiston,Maine. Guests will include Steve Stern, PaulPelletier, and Dan Cote from the internationallycirculated Zen Comics. Events will includeAD&D®, D&D®, TOP SECRET/S.I.®, andMARVEL SUPER HEROES® games, along withTWILIGHT: 2000*, VILLAINS AND VIGILAN-TES*, PLAY-DOH WARS*, and many otherevents. Contests will include art, miniatures-painting, costume, and trivia events; with cashprizes awarded in several. Other features willinclude an art and game auction, and a largedealers� room. Preregistration is $5 for NEGACCmembers and $7 for nonmembers; at-the-doorfees are $6 for NEGACC members and $8 fornonmembers. Gaming sessions are $3 each. Foradditional information, NEGACC memberships,club and dealers� tables, or preregistrationinformation, write to: NEGACC, c/o Sheldon T.Hussiere, Star Route Box 160, Poland Spring ME04274; or call: (207) 998-2682.

GAMEATHON �89, May 26-28Join the Schenectady Wargamer�s Association

for its 10th-annual charity convention held atthe Studio of Bridge and Games at 1639 EasternParkway in Schenectady, N.Y. Charity-ratedRPGA� Network tournaments will be offered,including a new three-round AD&D® gameevent. There will be miniatures, role-playing,and board games; a costume contest; a gamesauction; and a banquet. Basic registration forthe weekend is $20. Write to: The SchenectadyWargamer�s Association, 1639 Eastern Parkway,Schenectady NY 12309; or call: (518)346-3773.

GAMESCAUCUS II, May 26-29TriGaming Associates will hold this convention

at the Concord Hilton located at 1970 DiamondBoulevard in Concord, Calif. Special guest ofhonor will be Dave Arneson. Featured eventswill include AD&D®, D&D®, BATTLETECH*,

CHAMPIONS*, TWILIGHT: 2000*, WAR-HAMMER* 40,000, TAC AIR*, SEVENTHFLEET*, AXIS AND ALLIES*, and TALISMAN*games. Also featured will be 15mm and 25mmAncients, Renaissance, World War II, and Mod-ern miniatures events, worldwide DIPLOMACY*games, and more. For hotel reservations, call:(415)827-2000. Be sure to mention TriGamingAssociates or GAMESCAUCUS II to receive aspecial room rate. Registration for all three daysis $15 before May 1, or $20 at the door. Single-day memberships are $10 at the door. Forconvention registration or more information,write to: TriGaming Associates, PO. Box 4867,Walnut Creek CA 94596-0867.

INTERDIMENSIONS I, May 26-28This first science-fiction and gaming conven-

tion will be held at the Omni Netherland Hotelin downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Sponsored byKeepers of the Balance, the events includeRPGA� Network tournaments, a miniatures-painting contest, panels, an art show, a costumecontest, a banquet, and more. Guests of honorinclude Tim Zahn, RPGA� Network coordinatorJean Rabe, and artist Gary M. Williams. Regis-tration is $20 at the door. One-day rates will beavailable. Volunteers and judges are needed.Send an SASE to: INTERDIMENSIONS I, PO. Box266, Batesville IN 47006-0266; or call: RobertWesterman any time after 7 P.M. EST at (812)852-4542.

LITTLE WARS �89, May 26-28LITTLE WARS, one of the premier war-

gaming conventions, will be held in the BoneConvention Center on the Illinois State Univer-sity campus in Normal, Ill. All major miniatureslines will be represented, mostly by the manu-facturers. There will be over 100 open games,plus a National Team Ancients Championshipsponsored by NASAMW. We are also pleased tohost the National Pike and Shot Championship.This convention will be hosted by HMGS-Midwest and its affiliate, the Central IllinoisTabletop Warriors. Admission is $6 per day or$8 for the weekend. HMGS members receive a$2 discount off the admission price. Write to:LITTLE WARS, c/o Todd Fisher, 6010 NorthMarmora, Chicago IL 60646.

V-CON 17, May 26-28 *V-CON, Vancouver�s annual science-fiction

convention, will be held at the University ofBritish Columbia campus in Vancouver, B.C. Thetheme of this year�s convention is �Humor andSatire in Science Fiction.� Guests of honorinclude Spider Robinson, Robert Sheckley, andBob Shaw. Events will include panel discussions,an art show, videos, gaming, a writers� work-shop, a costume bacchanal and dance, a dealers�room, and �guerrilla� theater. Membership forthe weekend is $18 Canadian ($16 U.S.) untilMarch 31, and $24 Canadian ($20 U.S.) at thedoor. One-day memberships will be available atthe door at a cost of $10 for Friday or Sunday,and $15 for Saturday. Room rates at TotemResidence will be $26 Canadian for a single and$40 Canadian for a double. Write to: V-CON 17,PO. Box 48478, Bentall Centre, Vancouver, B.C.,CANADA, V7X 1A2.

EditorialContinued from page 3

away all the harder.)The darkness fell away and there

was the demon, not Demogorgonbut it hardly mattered as it was oneof those brutal 11-HD Type IVs. Itgrinned through its boar�s tusks andtraced a symbol of fear in the air asthe paladin spurred his horse andcharged the monster. The paladinmade his saving throw and cutthrough the demon with his sword� easy enough to do as the demonwas a projected image. The demonjust laughed.

Enraged, the paladin began curs-ing the demon in language that mostof us assumed paladins wouldscarcely admit to knowing, muchless using, but the most telling insultwas �coward.� I figured that anydemon worth his evilness wouldtake offense at being called a cow-ard by a mere mortal, so the project-ed image vanished � and the realdemon appeared on the road, roar-ing out its own challenge. It begantracing another symbol in the air asthe paladin charged again.

The paladin made his savingthrow and struck at the demon �

and his sword bounced off thedemon�s hide, as the sword wasn�tpowerful enough to affect the mon-ster. The paladin�s player realizedhis character had only one weaponleft that might do the trick. Wheel-ing his horse around and comingback for another charge, the paladindrew his dagger +2, then leaped offhis horse and tackled the demon.

Had this been any other player, Iwould have pointed out the usualproblems involved in leaping off acharging horse in plate mail to tack-le a 10�-tall demon with a dagger,but the paladin�s player had thatlook on his face that said he wasreally into it. He wanted that demonbadly. He got it. Screaming androaring, the paladin and the demontore into each other, dagger againstclaws and teeth. The paladinslammed home every attack, but sodid the demon. Worse yet, thedemon began to levitate itself andthe paladin over the road. Dicerolled, blood flew, hit points plum-meted, and the other players beganshouting, �Get �im! Get that thing!�

The demon died at an altitude of

about 100�. Its levitation spell shutoff. The paladin, still attacking,clung to the demon�s body all theway down. When the rest of theparty finally mustered the courageto ride back, they found the paladin� in the single digits of hit points,but alive.

�Got �im,� said the paladin, brush-ing himself off.

A legend came to life that evening,though we had not meant to createone. We had courage, heroism,danger, and excitement, all there inthe rec room of an Army barracksfar from home. Ten years later, thethrill and the glory of that paladin�striumph still live with me. It doesn�tmatter that the paladin wasn�t evenmy character.

I like a lot of things about role-playing games � the friends, thelaughter, the bad puns, the mun-chies � but creating a legend is thebest part of all. It sure beats playingbridge.

LettersContinued from page 3

Dear Editor,Your readers are interested in adventure,

mystery, and romance. We at Mush Alaska offera unique adventure that will be of interest tothem: a trip to Mount McKinley via dog sled.

Dear Dragon:I�m 14 and my brother has a very powerful

assassin and he said he would whip the snot outof the most powerful demon. I want to knowhow I can defeat my brother�s character. I�ll giveyou some information about him. [Half page ofcharacter statistics follow.]

We suggest using the eraser on a #2 pencil.That should do the trick.

Yes, yes, a trip to Mount McKinley by dog sledwould be a wonderful idea for many of ourreaders. We quite agree.

Dear Dragon:I would think that many young people might

not try to get things published, thinking thatanything they write would be inferior to mostDRAGON articles. I would like to point outsomething to these people. If you�ve seen manyrecent issues of DRAGON Magazine, you�rebound to have noticed the name of Jeff Grub.What most people don�t realize is that Mr. Grubis in ninth grade. I happen to know this becausehe rides my bus, which means that he is justone of us young folk. Yet he has had manyarticles published in DRAGON Magazine, he haswritten a TSR module, and he�s even designedthe MARVEL SUPER HEROES® game. Not to saythat Jeff is necessarily your average teenager,but nonetheless.

Though the Jeff Grubb (two b’s) who works atTSR long ago left the ninth grade, your lettergave us many hours of enjoyment. We thankyou. Jeff liked your letter, too, despite us.

Dear Dragon:Want me to send you a quick and easy system

for picking up girls, using the 30-sided die?

Yes, but not for publication.

D R A G O N 9 5

96 APRIL 1989

DRAGON 97

102 APRIL 1989

DRAGON 103

104 APRIL 1989