Issue #141Vol. XIII, No. 8January 1989

PublisherMike Cook

EditorRoger E. Moore

Associate editorRobin Jenkins

Fiction editorBarbara G. Young

Editorial assistantKimberly J. Walter

Art directorLori Svikel

Production staffPaul Hanchette Betty ElmoreKim Janke Carolyn Vanderbilt

SubscriptionsPat Schulz

U.S. AdvertisingSheila Gailloreto

U.K. correspondentLyn Hutchin

U.K. advertisingDawn Carter Kris Starr

D E P A R T M E N T S

C O V E R

2 JANUARY 1989

SP E C I A L A T T R A C T I O N

15 Not Human Enough:Humanoids have very simple tastes (and they like the taste ofadventurers best).

16 The Dragon�s Bestiary � The ReadersWant some excitement? Let the PCs meet a swamp-orc assassin tribe.

2 2 Orcs Throw Spells, Too! � Randal S. DoeringShamans and witch doctors must earn their magic � but the price is steep.

34 Boulder-Throwers and Humanoid Hordes � Arthur CollinsThe bigger they are, the more you should worry.

38 Hey, Wanna Be a Kobold? � Joseph ClayIn just seven minutes, we can make you a humanoid.

OT H E R F E A T U R E S

44 The Ulfjarl�s Stone � fiction by Mickey Zucker ReichertWas he sent out to die or to live?

50 Role-playing Reviews � Jim BambraThe state of the galactic gaming art: GDW�s MEGATRAVELLER� and SJG�sGURPS® Space games.

64 The Role of Books � John C. BunnellSorcerers from England, China, and the lands beyond.

68 The Game Wizards � Mary KirchoffIt�s trilogy time! New book releases from TSR, Inc.

72 The Role of Computers � Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserStart the New Year on the right disk (or VCR tape).

80 Through the Looking Glass � Karen S. GarvinBrown is a fine color for a horse, but not all the time!

88 The Marvel®-Phile � David Edward MartinA mad scientist and a benevolent sorcerer � on the same super-team.

3 Letters 62 TSR Previews 9 2 Convention Calendar6 Forum 84 Gamers Guide 98 SnarfQuest

14 Sage Advice 86 Index to Advertisers 102 Dragonmirth

Daniel Horne calls his cover painting �Strength in Numbers,� pointing out that thebest thing you can have when you face a big problem is a friend who will help yousolve it. Here, two gnome guards have discovered a qullan in their cavern treasury� and there�s only one solution to that problem.

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

Holo-DragonDear Dragon:

Have you seen National Geographic’s Decem-ber 1988 issue? The cover is a hologram. Itwould be interesting to see a DRAGON Maga-zine issue with a hologram on its cover. This isan ideal for a special issue � e.g., 150th issue or13th anniversary issue. Even if this might raisethe price of the magazine for that issue, I�msure faithful readers wouldn�t mind the price.I�m even sure that that issue would sell likehotcakes! I don�t know if you�d be able to dothis, but it would be great if you could.

Emanuel MatosSt. Bruno, Quebec

This idea has been suggested before (thanks toseveral National Geographic covers), but theNational Geographic Society has a far biggerbudget than we have. We haven’t checked onthe exact cost, but a phone call to the NationalGeographic Society revealed that the technicalproblems the magazine’s staff faced in produc-ing their two hologram covers were enormous,as was the cost (and we’re talking about a maga-zine with 2.8 million readers). Oh, well!

Where�s Krynn?Dear Dragon:

I have noticed that there have been no articleson Krynn for a good period of time (over ayear). I have tried to do my part as a writer tohelp remedy this situation. I am sure otherswho love the world of Krynn and adventuringin it would also love to see more. Will there bemore on Krynn in the future? If so, I hope it isin the very near future. Krynn has plenty ofroom to grow; will you help it by publishingmore about it?

Jeff MaxwellTroy MI

We have received very little material onDRAGONLANCE® campaigns and only margin-ally more material on the WORLD OFGREYHAWK® setting. Though these settings arewidely played, few have written to us aboutthem. It would be easiest to tailor a group ofcharacters, magical items, monsters, or newspells to fit one of these settings for our “Lords& Legends,” “Bazaar of the Bizarre,” “TheDragon’s Bestiary,” and “Arcane Lore” columns.Perhaps some of our readers would like to trythis (nudge, nudge).

Value of EPTDear Dragon:

I am inquiring about the value of the EMPIREOF THE PETAL THRONE role-playing game(copyrighted 1975 by TSR, Inc.). I received itrecently from my aunt, who paid a mere dollarfor it! My cousin and I both believe it may be acollector�s item. It contains all of its originalcontents, in mint condition, minus the dice.

Kevin CollinsDearborn Heights MI

At the 1983 and 1984 GEN CON® Game Fairs,copies of this game in good condition sold forabout $15-16. The price has probably increasedsince then, but (as noted in the response to theletter �Golden oldies” in issue #135) the priceyou’ll get depends on the buyer. Keep yourgame in good shape and see what people wantfor it in game auctions, if you want to sell it. Formore information on the EPT game, see “Role-playing reviews” in issue #128.

Setting recordsDear Dragon:

My gaming group has been playing AD&D®games for about a year now. We are interestedin trying to break the world record for continu-ous playing of the AD&D game [and] I amwriting to you for the marathon rules. Wewould be much obliged if you could send us therules and the current record. The most up-to-date record we have is 84 hours.

Mark WayNo address given

This is one of the most frequently askedquestions we get at TSR, but we are the wrongpeople to ask. The offices of the Guinness Bookof World Records should be able to help youwith this, since they publish the records. How-ever, we do not really recommend this activitysince of course it means prolonged periods ofsleep loss.

Computer glitchDear Dragon:

What happened to one of my favorite sec-tions, �The Role of Computers�? I noticed inDRAGON issue #139 that instead of �The Role ofComputers� you had �The Role of Books.� Iwould like �The Role of Computers� returned.Thank you.

Ted LengNorth Caldwell NJ

�The Role of Computers� and �Role-playingReviews� were bumped from issue #139 at thelast moment due to a number of problems.Barring unforeseen events, these columns willcontinue to appear in the magazine on a regularbasis � or at least as regular as we can manage.

DRAGON 3

This is the first editorial I�ve writ-ten since my mononucleosis passed(sort of) in late November. In myaddled state, no coherent themesuggests itself to start the new year,so we will make do with

Random notesWe�re International! This issue

of DRAGON® Magazine ends theseries of U.S. and U.K. editions thatwere printed throughout 1988.Whatever you now see in the maga-zine is the same material thata p p e a r s e v e r y w h e r e , w i t h t h eexception of some cover changes.D R A G O N M a g a z i n e h a s h a d a ninternational flavor for many years(see the editorial for issue #135).Wherever you happen to be, youwill get the best of what we have.

We�ve moved! Or rather, the TSRLimited (formerly TSR UK Limited)offices have moved. Our readers inthe Uni ted Kingdom and Europeshould note the new address: TSRLtd., 120 Church End, Cherry Hin-ton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, England.The TSR Ltd. offices offer subscrip-tions to DRAGON Magazine, too; seethe subscription information at thebottom of the first �Forum� page.

The mailing address for the edito-rial offices of DRAGON Magazinehas changed, too. Our address isnow: DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box111, Lake Geneva WI 53147.

No errer: This is the January1989 issue, but the copyright datesherein are correct. This issue wasprinted in late December 1988, sothe copyrights are for 1988. We�llchange to 1989 dates in February. Imention this only to stop the floodof �Ha, ha, you screwed up!� lettersw e g e t .

Changelings: In the last sixmonths, we�ve had a number of staffc h a n g e s ( a s e v i d e n c e d b y t h emasthead-box changes on page 2 ofeach i s sue ) . Some readers havewondered what was going on. Brief-ly: Two of our people gained newadditions to their families and haveleft TSR for the more demandingroles of parents (one is a free-lancewriter whose material still appearshere); one left and joined the staff ofa magazine in California; three leftTSR to pursue free-lance work aswriters and/or editors; one got mar-ried and changed her name (but stillworks here); and we�ve rearrangedthe job positions of the rest (afterC o n t i n u e d o n p a g e 4 3

“Forum” welcomes your comments andopinions on role-playing games. In the Unit-ed States and Canada, write to: Forum,DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 111, LakeGeneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, writeto: Forum, DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd,120 Church End, Cherry Hinton, CambridgeCB1 3LB, United Kingdom. We ask thatmaterial submitted to “Forum” be eitherneatly written by hand or typed with a freshribbon and clean keys so we can read andunderstand your comments.

I rarely read �Forum,� but the debate onillusionists and illusionist spells has brought meto write about my feelings on the subject. Illu-sionists are my second-favorite character, and Ihave had lots of experience on the giving andreceiving ends of illusions. The way that I havedealt with them is very similar to the way that Ihave played the AD&D® game all this time; I usecommon sense regarding the logical powerprogression of the illusion spells. Each time anillusionist gains a new spell level, he has thepotential of affecting a new sensory system of avictim, but the illusionist is in no way a masterof this ability.

Let us first consider the phantasmal forcespell. It affects only sight and therefore is onlygood for illusions of mundane, inanimate objects(i.e., traps and barriers). A creature would makeno sound when attacking (grunts, weaponcontacting armor, etc.), and any magical attacksuch as fireball or lightning bolt wouldn�t havethe thermal component to make it believable. Asto the limits of what the illusionist can make,that is all determined by the area of effect. Anillusion adds; it doesn�t take away. A person canbe impaled by illusory spikes but will not falldown a pit so made. As in all illusion spells, havethe caster describe exactly every detail of hisillusion. The complexity of the illusion plays a

factor in the damage (if it is offensive) andbelievability of the illusion.

Next, there is improved phantasmal force,which adds the next sensory component: sound.Note that these are simple sounds; the illusionistis not a master as soon as he gets this ability.This spell should allow for simple creatures orvery believable traps. (You can hear the trapmechanism working and also hear it as it grindsits way into the victim�s armor.) The monsterscreated only have spells and abilities that pro-duce sight and sound; there is no thermal com-ponent to make a fireball or a fire-breathingdragon. Once again, the power of the creaturedepends on the area of effect and how thecaster describes his creation. It is wise to thinkbefore getting overly zealous. Anyone down-wind of a dragon or an army of orcs will bevery suspicious if he cannot smell them.

Last in the line of pure illusions is spectralforce, which adds the olfactory and thermalcomponents (and, since taste depends on smell,taste can be added as well). This is very usefulfor creating complex monsters since they can besmelled (but that is a characteristic that theillusionist must be very familiar with), and themonsters can have abilities that involve heat orcold. Once again, an illusionist who justacquired this spell is not a master of thesesenses; he cannot make many different smells(one or two at the most) or make fire hotterthan that of an average campfire. The ability tomake an illusion as all powerful as a fireball orcone of cold does not come until the sixth-levelspell shadow magic, and then it is only a one-shot deal from the illusionist himself, not fromthe endless reserves of some illusory magic-user.

Now, I�m not saying what an illusionist cancreate with his spells � only what he can makebelievable. A 9th-level fighter with an intelli-gence of 5 will probably believe a fire-breathingdragon is there with only the use of a spectralforces spell. This brings up the next topic:

disbelieving and saving throws.I rule that intelligence is always checked when

dealing with illusions, no matter how powerfulor experienced the person is. Experience onlymatters in how quickly the victim can disbelieveand get his saving throw (with maybe a littlebonus or two). Will [allowing a saving throw]require a small error or a major faux pas [onthe part of the illusionist]? Characters have toconsciously disbelieve in an illusion before theyget their saves, and monsters are no different.An ordinary group of orc soldiers does notattempt to disbelieve every spell cast at it; justwhen the group is allowed a save is left up tothe DM�s discretion (sprinkled with a littlecommon sense),

However, there are certain oversights forwhich I always give saving throws. First of all,illusions don�t last long against missile-firingarmies. A sword will be held back by a believingmind if the weapon �hits� an illusory barrier(though the sword-wielder would be suspiciousif no sound occurred on contact), but an arrowdoesn�t have to disbelieve as it passes throughan illusion. Also, a huge monster appearingfrom nowhere or in an illogical manner (forexample, a red dragon appearing in the Arctic)will immediately give just about everyone asaving throw against it. For this reason, myillusionists always carry around balls of clay;they mold them into the monsters they want,then make the clay monsters look like theygrow into the real things. Opponents believe theillusionists are powerful magic-users or havemagical statues. Once people find out that sucha spell-caster is an illusionist, however, theyalways get an automatic saving throw againsthis spells.

The caster also needs to concentrate on hisillusion at all times. Except in the case ofshadow monsters and the like, the monster willnot react to a blow unless the illusionist concen-trates and makes it do so. An illusion shouldcover its victims as well. An illusory woundincurred by an enemy is not quite believable ifillusory blood and guts do not accompany it. Assoon as an illusion is set on autopilot, it losesquite a lot of its power. Yet another reason forusing missile weapons against an illusionist:They ruin his concentration.

Finally, what sort of illusions should be usefulto the party? As the other PCs know of the

DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 02796848 ) is published monthly by TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States of America. The postal address for all materials from the UnitedStates and Canada except subscription orders is: DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.; telephone: (414) 248-3625. The postal address for all materials from Europeis: DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, United Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), 44-223-212517 (international); telex: 818761; fax: (0223)248666 (U.K.), 44-223-246966 (international).

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6 JANUARY 1989

illusionist and his spells, he cannot do anythingextravagant unless it is at least partially real orhe manages to come up with some logical expla-nation otherwise. The PCs still get a large bonusto their saving throws, either way. Therefore,the illusionist is stuck with performing simplecoverups, like changing the smell or sight of,food to make it more savory. An illusory clericcreated to heal the party is out of the question;he would only be able to heal psychologicaldamage if he was believed (e.g., fear, damagefrom an illusion or psionics, etc.). Most of thepure illusions are very one-sided; that�s why therest of the spells on the list are utilitarian.

These guidelines are almost as vague as theones given in the rules, but that is the way thegame was meant to be. If we shoot for too manyset rules and tables, we may find ourselvesspending hours over a combat situation thatcould easily take a few minutes.

Walker WhiteOak Ridge TN

Being a player of the MARVEL SUPERHEROES® game, I find the use of martial arts infighting extremely useful, but I do not think youcan limit it to five categories. Therefore, Iexpanded the categories in my role-playingadventures. Here are some that I use:

1. Martial arts F � This martial art is designedto cause damage by hitting pressure points. Itgives a + 1CS when dealing with damage in as l u g f e s t .

2. Martial arts G � This form of martial arts isdesigned to lessen damage inflicted in combatby dodging and blocking. It is a purely defensivemartial art. It gives the user a + 1CS whendodging and lessens damage by - 1CS in hand-to-hand combat.

3. Martial arts H � This martial art isdesigned to focus the user�s internal energy byconcentrating one round. The character canrelease the energy in a sudden burst, giving himone extra attack without a penalty.

4. Martial arts I � This martial art isn�t reallya martial art but more of a discipline. It is usedto recover lost health and to avoid stuns byraising endurance + 1CS.

Applying martial arts in combat can some-times make a difference in a fight. I am hopingthat these martial arts can make a charactermore formidable in hand-to-hand combat.

Brad ShimizoFremont CA

I have noticed in many particular issues ofDRAGON® Magazine that articles, though lim-ited by subject, do not take account of eachother. Issue #133 is an example of this. Thearticles on perception and surprise are related,but there is no consideration of the effect of aperception statistic on surprise values.

A perception characteristic would be yetanother in a long line of such. I feel a newcharacteristic would upset the apple cart, sim-ply because of its ramifications; after all, theperception article as it stands gives bonuses tocertain skills for particular classes (e.g., thief,monk, ninja, etc.). A less harmful manner ofintroducing perception would be to consider itas a function of class and race, in terms of theabilities to surprise and be surprised (whichafter all is perception at work) and the ability tonotice something unusual and put the observeron guard.

Therefore, we already know how perceptiveany particular being or character is. The �Sur-prise!� article provides a useful translation ofawkward die rolls into percentiles, and it allowsspecific difficulty factors for many situations.

8 JANUARY 1989

I suggest the perception skill merely be acolumn on the �Surprises on a� line in Table 1.Thus, Beln the ranger surprises 3 in 6 times.Beln meets Pigsy, a fighter who is surprised [andsurprises] 2 in 6 times. On the table, Pigsywould be surprised 50% of the time. If Pigsywere following Beln through the streets, Belnshould have a [100%-17%= 83% chance] ofnoticing him. If Balin the svirfneblin (mentionedin the article) did the trailing, Beln should only.have a 74% chance of detecting him.

For hidden objects, whether natural or other-wise, the same sort of test applies. Who hid theobject? Penalties may be applied if a skilled crafts-man hides something. Any half-decent DM shouldbe able to assign a level of difficulty when some-thing is naturally hidden or dropped. The chanceof finding something will then vary with the abilityof the searchers, and the chance will not be anunreasonable value applying for all.

It may also be reasonable to consider thedifference between noticing something andactively searching for it. Perhaps a deduction ofa base 17% value should be made for someonewho �just happens to notice� something.

There are, however, anomalies in the rules,such as the secret-door location chance for elvesand half-elves, the underground abilities ofdwarves and gnomes, etc. These could be attribu-uted to racial inheritance or to upbringingwhich aids their normal perceptiveness incertain circumstances. These are neverthelessawkward to explain rationally.

As to the informal survey on the future ofrole-playing announced in issue #133�s editorial,my opinion is that role-playing will split morebetween hack-n-slay games and role-playinggames as new games appear. Only a few newgames will remain as easily variable as theAD&D game is.

Mark HunterTorworth, Notts, U.K.

I�m writing to you on three related subjectscovered in issue #135 in �Forum.� These subjectsare low-level spell-casters, illusionist spells, andspell books.

I find that a 1st-level magic-user needs noimprovement to survive. He has all the resourc-es needed to survive as is, if only you look forthem. These resources are his intelligence andhis starting money.

According to the Players Handbook, a magic-user starts the game with 20-80 gp and canequip himself for 10 gp. The extra money canbe well used in several survival strategies, asfollow:

1. Join a group of adventurers. There is safetyin numbers, and this is how the game is sup-posed to be played.

2. Loan money to a fighter for armor. Thishelps him survive, and he�ll owe you a favor andsome money.

3. Hire a bodyguard. This is costly, but itguarantees he�ll place your life before almosteverything else. You might be able to get one onthe promise of a magical item for him or by useof a charm spell.

4. Buy a bodyguard. If there�s slavery in yourcampaign, it is easy. Otherwise, you can buy aguard dog for 25 gp or a hunting dog for 17 gp.You might also be able to pick up somethingmore exotic, like a nilbog or a rust monster.

5. Make a bodyguard or helper. This option isnot usually open to low-level spell-casters, but ifyou can get a golem or undead to serve you,you�re doing great. Cantrips and 1st-level spellsusable for this are bee, bug, gnats, mouse,spider, enlarge, find familiar, mount, unseenservant, and Tenser’s floating disc.

6. Sell your services in town. Remember, 1 gp= 1 xp. All you need is the imagination to applyevery spell in the book.

I must now defend my position on the construc-tion of traveling and permanent spell books (issue#129). I based my description on the size, volume,and weight figures on the writing of Eric Krein inissue #123 and the assumption that a travelingspell book would be built �form follows function�while a permanent spell book would be �functionfollows form.� I will grant that I didn�t consultUnearthed Arcana.

Mr. Krein, in turn, seems to have missed a keynote in my description of a traveling spell book�the pages are thin! They are made to besqueezed into a small space, not to endureattacks. Permanent (or standard) spell books areconstructed to serve the same function for amagic-user as treasure serves a dragon: statussymbols! The better quality of these workswould give them a +2 bonus to saving throws.

This example of spell book constructionshould help: A wizard orders one traveling andone standard spell book. He is informed that thestandard book will be ready in a year, and thetraveling book in a month.

The traveling book is built as a loose-leafvolume. The pages are between one-half and

one-tenth the thickness of a hair. The coverconsists of two iron pans filled with alkaloidsand capped with ceramic tiles. The book comeswith an airtight glass case to keep it. and, maybe,a few spell components inside. It�s built forvolume, not strength.

The standard spell book is built as a hard-bound work. Each page is 2-5 hairs thick andstored in preservatives until needed. The pagesare sewn to the cover with elf hairs and gluedin place. Endpapers are used. The cover isconstructed of hardwood and covered with rareleathers. The book is decorated with gold leafand jewels, and is built to last 1,000 times the1-2 years of the traveling book.

My final topic concerns the vagueness ofillusionist spells. I say they have to be vague; anillusionist has to be able to create everythingfrom a butterfly to Tiamat to a ball to a gapingcrater full of demons with a given spell. Hisspells have to be powerful and flexible. Thismeans they are complex to the point thatnobody can conceive of an eight-level illusionistspell. The spells do this as they stand.

Douglas M. BurckCincinnati OH

I�d like to reply to Kenneth Arromdee�s replyto my letter [issue #135]. If you have everplayed or run a magic-user who has set up hisown magic shop, one of the first things youdiscover is that scrolls are the primary source ofincome available to you. There are a couple ofcases where the cost of making a single applica- tion�s worth of ink for a scroll exceed the saleprice listed for that scroll, but for the most part,scrolls are a high-profit, easily produced itemwith a price range within reach of people whocan�t afford the cost of magical items. More tothe point, they can be made at low levels. Scrollsare the only thing an 8th-level magic-user canmake and sell.

Mr. Arromdee doesn�t like the loophole Ipointed out about the spell phantom armor andstates how he�d make a ruling against it in hiscampaign. But just for the record, all this rulingdoes is rob the players of the chance to role-play(that magic-user has no rings, cloaks, or bracers;how did that ogre miss?). And while reversingthe robe so the armor doesn�t show protects itswearer from having the armor dispelled bydisbelief, when was the last time anyone ever

used disbelief to get rid of a phantom armorspell? That ruling is the equivalent of making aninsurance policy against being run over by a1913 Rolls Royce while within the Grand Can-yon illegal.

The point he made about PCs needing DMcollusion in order to mistakenly sell a higher- level version of an armor or magic missile spellis nonsense. I didn�t post any odds for it in myletter because there were too many variablesinvolved. Obviously the odds of it happening aresmall, but impossible? Look at the chance thegame gives for characters to make a successful�god call.� Consider a magic shop run by anabsent-minded buffoon like the alchemist Ame-lior from DQ1 The Shattered Statue. In such acase, the PCs actually have a fair chance oflucking out. They might do slightly worse if thestore is being run by a new apprentice. Theodds are that the PCs will only get the regularscroll, but the chances of getting lucky arerealistically within the range of the dice we roll.If tossing the dice to see if a party gets anunlikely break is DM collusion, I am a card-carrying collusionist!

His last paragraph had nothing to do with myletter but deserves a little comment. Using thedual-classed character option to help a magic-user survive is an admission that the single-classed magic-user is not weak at low level � it�shopeless! The problem is that a lot of charactersdo not have the minimum 15 strength and 17intelligence needed to qualify for the fighter/magic-user dual class. What do you do with thisset of rolls: S 5, I 17, D 13, W 11, CN 16, Ch 10,CM 12 � declare the character hopeless?

Even if the character does qualify, there is aproblem. Look at the minimum starting age for

a fighter (16) and for a magic-user (26); see theDMG, page 13. Do you get the idea that there isa long length of preparation to learning how tocast spells? How long should a character who ischanging classes leave the campaign, and howfar does the rest of the party advance while heis gone?

Even if you are generous and let Joe Fighterspend a couple of weeks at Magic Camp andcome back as a 1st-level magic-user, he is a least,one level behind the rest and starting anew inone of the slowest advancing classes. (Incidental-ly, most players who go this route go up to 3rdlevel as a fighter to get the benefits of bettersaving throws, a better �to hit� chance, andextra hit points for a relatively small experience-point cost.)

No, the dual-class option in not the solution,unless the player has a lot of DM collusion.

Larry MaddenGlendale CA

Donald Miller�s article in issue #127, �TwoHands are Better Than One� was very interest-ing, but I feel I must disagree with his treatmentof the subject on some points.

First, [I disagree with] his maximum weaponlengths and weights for humans. He has themaximum weapon length for a secondary weap-on as 2�, when the wakizashi (which [in OrientalAdventures] is commonly used in the secondaryhand) has length of 2-3� (presumably averagingat about 2�6�). For the length of primary andone-handed weapons, he uses the user�s height(presumably 6� for the average human) timestwo-thirds, then comes up in his table with thefigure 3�9�; however, the bastard sword (whichcan be used one-handed) has length of 4�6�. He

10 JANUARY 1989

gives 15 lbs. as the maximum weight for a polearm, when the halberd weighs 17.5 lbs.

I propose the adjustments in Table 1 as allowa-ble weapon lengths and weights, for an average

Table 1Maximum Weapon Values

Maximum MaximumWeapon length weight

Secondary 2'6� 5 lbs.Primary 4�6� 7.5 lbs.

One-handed 4'6� 10 lbs.Two-handed 6� 25 lbs.

Pole arms 12� 17.5 lbs.

human of 10 strength and 6� height.Donald Miller then goes on to calculate the

weapon lengths, weights, and weapons allowa-ble for characters of the demi-human races, ofaverage height and strength. But characters,particularly player characters, are seldomaverage. It would therfore be more reasonableinstead to state the maximum weapon lengthsand weights as functions of height and strength.For simplicity of derivation and calculation, Iassume that weapon lengths and weights allow-able are linear functions of height and strength(see Table 2). This will allow maximum weaponlengths and weights to be calculated for individ-ual characters, and will mean that a characterwith wimpy strength will not be able use a two-handed sword simply because he is a human.

Donald Miller rounds his length limits to thenearest inch; I would recommend roundingthem up to the next half foot (and next 5 gp forweights), as all weapon lengths (except for thedagger) are given in half feet (and weights in 5gp) increments and to allow for the fact that thelengths and weights given are averages, and wewish to give upper limits (if someone finds thatan average-size weapon is slightly too long, hewill simply get a slightly shorter one).

This system seems to work for low and medi-um strengths but may need adjustment for veryhigh strength (as it stands, you need a 25strength to wield a two-handed sword with onehand, given that you are tall enough to do so). Apossible adjustment would be to give double theincrement of allowed weight for each strengthpoint beyond 15 and an increment for eachcategory of exceptional strength (i.e., 01-50, 51.75, etc.). This would then allow someone who is8� tall and has 18/91 strength to use a two-handed sword one-handed.

I would also like to suggest the followingadjustments for individual weapons:

Short sword: This is stated in the PlayersHandbook, page 38, to be 2� long, but is notedon page 37 as being 15-24� long, I suggest that acharacter with sufficient strength to use it andmore than the minimum height required to usea dagger (length 15�) be allowed to use one.

Battle axe: This weapon seems unusually long,being nearly three times as long as a hand axeand longer than the long sword. A more reason-able average length might be 3�.

Hand axe: Currently, this has the same weight,length, and average damage as a hammer, sowhy did anybody bother putting an axe bladeon it? A better weight might be 40 gp.

I also suggest that allowable speed factors bebased on a character�s dexterity rather thanbeing a fixed value. A character should not beable to use in his primary hand any weaponwith a speed factor greater than half his dexteri-ty, or any weapon in his secondary hand that

Table 2Weapon Sizes Per Height and Strength of User

Two- One-Pole arm handed handed Primary Secondary

Length-heightratio* 2.0 1.0 0.75 0.75 0.40

Weight-strengthratio** 1.75 2.5 1.0 .75 .5

* Number shows length in feet of weapon, per foot of the user�s height.* * Number shows weight in pounds of weapon, per pound of the user�s weight.

T a b l e 3Weapon Sizes: Ambidexterity Proficiency

Length-height ratio*Weight-strength ratio**Speed factors/dexterity point

Total of twoweapons

1.151.250.83

Maximum individualweapon

0.75.750.5

* Number shows length in feet of weapon, per foot of the user�s height.* * Number shows weight in pounds of weapon, per pound of the user�s weight.

has a factor of greater than one-third of hisdexterity.

In �Be a Two-Fisted Fighter� (DRAGON issue#68), Roger Moore wrote that ambidexteritycould simply be considered a matter of havingvery high dexterity. This is not true; I myself amnearly completely ambidexterous but am notparticularly dexterous. Ambidexterity is havingboth hands being equal or interchangable andis, as far as I can see, partly a matter of naturaltendencies, but mostly a matter of tuition. Iwould therefore suggest the following:

Ambidexterity Non-Weapon Proficiency: Thisproficiency allows a character to attack withboth hands equally when using two weapons(both being at - 3 to hit, plus the Reaction/Attacking Adjustment). It also lets the characteruse larger weapons in his secondary hand at theexpense of using a smaller one in his primary.That is, weapons can be used in any combina-tion, as long as the totals of the lengths, theweights, and the speed factors of the two weap-ons are not greater than those of the totals ofprimary and secondary weapons allowable, andboth weapons are permissible as primary weap-ons (see Table 3).

In addition, a character with ambidexteritymay use either hand �one-handed� withoutpenalty.

Timothy MakinsonDunedin, New Zealand

I realize it�s a bit late, but after reading the�Forum� letter by Matthew Hamilton in issue#121, I feel compelled to respond. The very ideaof a Christian campaign is, to me, blasphemous.I don�t think that any real religion, modern ornot, should be allowed in an AD&D game. I ama Jewish person who is not offended by much,but this gets me mad. Even though the AD&Dgame is roughly based on the Middle Ages, tosay that the game must have a set of modernmoral values is outrageous. In my game, theparents of my players do not think poorly ofour game simply because I do not play with�gods.� I have simply removed that element fromthe game.

I do make assumptions, however. Clerics andpaladins are assumed to have a place of worshipto which they donate regularly (simulated byremoving money and items from the characters�possessions), that they take time out to serve

12 JANUARY 1989

every so often (simulated by removing thecharacter from play), and that they take timeeach day, before breakfast or before they go tosleep, to pray. These things are assumed. We donot role-play them. (�Well, my cleric, finds somerocks to build an altar, then he builds it.�)

If modern values do show up in our game, itshould be because of the beliefs of the players,but these morals and values should not beimposed by the DM.

Aaron GoldblattFort Worth TX

I�m currently Dungeon Master for an AD&Dgame. I�ve been keeping up with the argumentsabout magic-users wearing armor and usingweapons, and with arguments in mind, I soughtsome information that would support either ofthe arguments. I found this quote inDRAGONLANCE® Legends, volume 2, page 111:

�At the beginning of time, magic-users wereprohibited by the gods from carrying any typeof weapon or wearing any sort of armor. Thereason being, ostensibly, that they needed todevote time to study that could not be spentachieving proficiency in the art of weaponry.But, after the magic-users helped Huma defeatthe Queen of Darkness by creating the magicaldragon orbs, the gods granted them the right tocarry daggers upon their persons. . . .� I allowmagic-users to use daggers (and use oil) asweapons.

Now let�s talk about fighters. I have found thatthe fighter is considered undesirable for a fewreasons. First, fighters have no special abilitiesoutside of combat; second, if a player wants acharacter that wears good armor, can take anddish out decent damage, and has nice hit points,then he could choose a cleric and get turningand spell abilities to boot! So, I feel since afighter is trained in combat, he would also beable to treat minor wounds. Using this rule, afighter could heal 1 hp of damage each day insemisterile conditions (meaning anywheredecently clean).

Darrell AndersonElma NY

I am writing this letter in response to TimMerrett�s comments in issue #136. Although Ihave no problem with his idea of requiring theuse of a weapon proficiency slot for shield use,his comments on weapon specialization showthat he did not fully understand weapon special-ization.

He stated that a ranger could become �special-ized in a bow, double specialized in a sword andan axe, and finally specialized with a dagger.�According to Unearthed Arcana (page 18), thedecision to specialize �must be made when thecharacter is initially created� � in other words,the only time a character can chose to specializeis at first level. Furthermore, careful reading ofthe text also reveals the following text, �Thisdiscipline is manifested in the character�s choiceof one weapon to practice and use, to the exclu-sion of others.� A character can never specializein more than one weapon.

Allowing fighters the use of weapon speciali-zation gives them a great advantage. To allowfighters to specialize in more than one weaponwould greatly unbalance the game.

Jimmy B. EllisVictoria TX

by Skip Williams

If you have any questions on the gamesproduced by TSR, Inc., �Sage Advice� willanswer them. In the United States andCanada, write to: Sage Advice, DRAGON®Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: SageAdvice, DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120Church End, Cherry Hinton, CambridgeCB1 3LD, United Kingdom.

This month, the sage visits the WORLDOF GREYHAWK® fantasy setting for aworking vacation. These questions are notrelated to the GREYHAWK® Adventurestome, but many concern the older WORLDOF GREYHAWK setting boxed set.

Where in the WORLD OFGREYHAWK setting are the ClashingRocks and other special locationslisted in the Dungeon MastersGuide?

The landmarks and objects mentionedon page 164 of the Dungeon MastersGuide have no fixed locations; they areintended only as examples.

Which areas of the WORLD OFGREYHAWK setting are the mostsuitable for adventuring? I want tostart a campaign using the mostmysterious and intriguing areas.

I won�t make a value judgment aboutwhich areas of the Flanaess are the �mostmysterious and intriguing.� Read thedescriptions and decide for yourself; thatis what DMs are supposed to do. Theindividual area descriptions and therandom-encounter charts will tell youwhat sort of creatures live in each area.When searching for the mysterious andintriguing, don�t overlook your ownoptions as a campaign designer. TheWORLD OF GREYHAWK setting is a play-aid; you are free to develop it as you wish.Even the most humble village or manorcan be mysterious if you, the DM, chooseto make it so.

I seem to remember that aDRAGON issue had a WORLD OFGREYHAWK weather screen in it.Where can I get a copy of it?

The DRAGON Magazine issue was #68.You may check with the Mail Order HobbyShop (P.0. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI53147) to see if it is in stock (which is notlikely), or you may be able to obtain a copyat a convention. Information on Oerik�sweather can be found in the WORLD OFGREYHAWK setting�s Glossography.

14 JANUARY 1989

How big is the Hepmonaland jun- gle, and what�s in it?

The entire area of Hepmonaland is unex-plored. No one knows how big it is orwhat is in it, except for those DMs whodevelop it for their campaigns.

Which of TSR�s modules are set inthe WORLD OF GREYHAWK setting?

The following AD&D® game moduleseries are set in or related to the WORLDOF GREYHAWK setting:

The �WG� seriesThe �A� seriesThe �G� seriesThe �D� seriesThe �Q� seriesThe �S� seriesThe �T� seriesThe �EX� series

The random-encounter tablesinclude single-classed elven clericsequipped with edged weapons. Isn�tthis impossible in an AD&D gameworld?

Mr. Gygax�s Greyhawk campaign wasstarted long before the AD&D game cameon the scene. The first rules used were thethree booklets and (later) three supple-ments of the original D&D® game. In time,Mr. Gygax used what he learned fromrunning Greyhawk to write the AD&Dgame rules. The campaign, which wasolder than the AD&D game rules, couldnot be switched over to them because theD&D game and AD&D game rules are notcompatible. When TSR published theWORLD OF GREYHAWK fantasy setting,the editors decided to remain faithful tothe original campaign. This is how thisrule-breaker got in.

DMs have one of two options: You canbe faithful to the AD&D game rules andnot allow elven clerics to use edged weap-ons unless they are multiclassed, or youcan remain faithful to the setting andallow elven clerics to use edged weapons.The latter choice will not cause any realproblems if you are using just the PlayersHandbook rules. Elven-cleric advancementlimits are low enough so that giving themedged weapons does not significantlyeffect play balance. If you are usingUnearthed Arcana, however, I suggest thatyou not allow single-classed clerics of anyrace to use edged weapons. If you insist onmaintaining an authentic WORLD OFGREYHAWK setting, then you should atthe very least not allow single-classedelven clerics to exceed the normaladvancement limits (see Unearthed Arca-na, page 8).

[A reference on page 4 of the Glossogra-phy from the boxed set refers to multi-classed fighter-cleric elves as �elvenclerics.� Fighter-cleric elves could indeeduse edged weapons. This reference mightbe misunderstood to mean the elven cler-ics were single-classed, which might alsobe the problem.]

What is the symbol of the pennoncarried by the lead knight on thebox cover?

The symbol on the pennon is the armsof Fax, a city on The Wild Coast, with abar, azure, in fess (the blue horizontalstripe) added for distinction. This probablydesignates one of the more importantnoble families in Fax.

Where can I get a map showing theboundaries of the various countriesof the Flanaess?

Approximate boundaries are shown ofpage 44 of the Guide to the WORLD OFGREYHAWK Fantasy Setting. Exact bound- aries cannot be determined due to thepolitical instability in the Flanaess.

When do the �G� and �D� seriesmodules take place?

These modules occur after CY 576 (seethe Guide to the WORLD of GREYHAWKFantasy Setting, page 9). The exact timingis up to the DM.

Are non-Oerth deities usable in aWORLD OF GREYHAWK setting cam-paign? For example, can I use Besfor dwarves or one of the Norsedeities for the frost barbarians?

The nonhuman deities from UnearthedArcana are more suitable for a WORLD OFGREYHAWK setting than are Egyptiandeities from Legends & Lore. Nordic dei-ties would be appropriate for the variousbarbarians and nomads.

How large are the hexes on theWORLD OF GREYHAWK setting�scampaign map?

Each hex is 10 leagues (30 miles) across.

Zuggtmoy (from T1-4 The Templeof Elemental Evil) is listed as ademon in the Monster Manual II.Does she have the usual demonicabilities and immunities?

Zuggtmoy has standard demonic abili-ties, as outlined on page 16 of the MonsterManual, in addition those listed on page123 of The Temple of Elemental Evil.

What is Oerik�s relationship toOerth�s poles?

Oerik�s latitude is given on page 18 ofthe boxed set�s Glossography.

Since this issue of DRAGON® Magazine is devoted to humanoids, we searched ourfiles and found a number of creatures that look � at least a little bit � like humans.

theDragon�s Bestiary

Nonhuman creatures � with human form

BL A C KT R O L LCreated by: Michael J. Szarmach

FREQUENCY: Uncommon in Abyss, veryrare elsewhere

NO. APPEARING: 1-8ARMOR CLASS: 2MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 7 + 10% IN LAIR: 40%TREASURE TYPE: ENO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and 1 biteDAMAGE/ATTACK: 7-14/7-14/2-12SPECIAL ATTACKS: Hurl rocks, spell useSPECIAL DEFENSES: + 1 or better weapon

to hit, regeneration, spell use, variousresistances

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 60%INTELLIGENCE: AverageALIGNMENT: Chaotic evilSIZE: L (13� + tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Black trolls dwell on some of the 666layers of the Abyss and are believed to bedescendants of normal trolls who werechanged by demonic forces. Black trollshave 18/00 strength and can, in addition totheir claw/claw/bite attacks, hurl rocks upto 180� for 1-10 hp damage each. The mostpowerful attack a black troll has is a 6-36hp bolt of chained lightning (usable threetimes daily) that can ultimately injureevery member of a party. A black troll canproduce such a bolt ¼� wide and up to 7�long; black trolls sometimes use this attackduring hand-to-hand combat because oftheir natural immunity to electrical

attacks. Black trolls canalso perform the

16 JANUARY 1989

following spell-like abilities at will: dark-ness 10' radius, pyrotechnics, telekinesis(5,000 gp weight), dispel magic, and tele-port without error. Black trolls can alsogate in 1-2 normal trolls (40%), 2-5 dretchdemons (20%), or another 1-2 black trolls(40%) with a 50% chance of success.

Black trolls take only half damage fromcold and poison-gas attacks. Like othertrolls, they regenerate 3 hp per round andcan reattach all severed limbs. Among thelargest of all trolls, black trolls have blackskin, gleaming green eyes, and red horns.Unlike most trolls, they are smoothskinned and oddly humanlike in physicalappearance. Black trolls are also known asdemon trolls. Rangers,dwarves, andgnomes receivethe sameattack and

defense bonuses against black trolls asthey receive against normal trolls or giant-size monsters.

CAIVEHCreated by: Gregg Sharp

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1-10ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVE: 18�HIT DICE: 2 + 1% IN LAIR: 40%TREASURE TYPE: BNO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws, or 1 weaponDAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-5/2-5, or by weapon

typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: Berserker furySPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised only on a 1

in 6, thief skillsMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: Average to veryALIGNMENT: Neutral goodSIZE: M (7� tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: NilATTACK/DEFENSE: Nil/nil

Caivehs are occasionally found workingin mercenary armies in human countriesin tropical lands. If more than five caivehsare encountered, the group will be a fami-ly comprised of one male and three ormore females. Caivehs resemble humansbut with strongly leonine features. Half aninch of long fur covers most of theirbodies, and the males have thick manesthat add greatly to the lion image (they are

called lion men bymost peoples).

About one in 10 caivehs possess theability to go berserk in certain circum-stances. If surrounded or cornered byhostile forces, psionically assaulted, orcaptured and taunted, a caiveh berserkerhas a 75% chance of going into battle-rage.If the caiveh tries to suppress this rage,the chance of entering berserker furydrops to 45%. A caiveh in this state ofmind has intelligence and wisdom scoresof 1, but his strength rises to 18/00, whichallows a + 3 to hit and + 6 to damagescores. While berserk, a caiveh tossesaside all weapons and uses its claws alone,with appropriate combat bonuses.

Caivehs are quite stealthy by nature andpossess a number of thieving abilities, asshown below. Note that the percentagechance given in parentheses is the chanceof performing the skill within the caiveh�snative setting. This setting is always situ-ated in a forested or mountainous tropicalregion.

If encountered as part of a military unit,caivehs use human-style weapons. If afamily unit or pride of caivehs is encoun-tered, it relies on the following weapons inorder of preference: falchion sword, handaxe, broad sword, trident, claws.

Thief abilityMove silentlyHide in shadowsHear noiseClimb natural surfaces

Chance ofsuccess25% (95%)20% (75%)15% (35%)85% (95%)

CY N A M O L G U SCreated by: Ronald C. Morgan II

FREQUENCY: UncommonNO. APPEARING: 20-200ARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 1% IN LAIR: 25%TREASURE TYPE: L on individuals; B, Q

( X 2), S, X in lairNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 weaponDAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: Resistance to fearMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: LowALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutralSIZE: M (6� + tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Cynamolgi live in loose bands, usually inwoods and near rivers. They are ferociouswarriors who are resistant to fear; as aresult, fear spells have only a 10% chanceof affecting them. Bands of cynamolgioften war upon each other, except in timesof great trouble when they occasionallyjoin forces for a few weeks at most.

For every 20 cynamolgi encountered, aleader with 8 hp (attacking as a 2-HDcreature for 3-9 hp damage) is present.This leader possesses a magical item 15%of the time and has average intelligence. Ifover 100 cynamolgi are encountered, theband includes: a subchief (AC 4, 12 hp,attacks as a 3-HD creature for 4-10 hp

damage); 2-8 guards (AC 4, 10 hp,attacks as a 2-HD creature for 3-9

hp damage); and 2-6 war dogs(16 hp each). The guards are

each 25% likely tohave one

magical item,

and the subchief always has one magicalitem, usually a weapon.

While cynamolgi normally live in thewild, they sometimes move into aban-doned villages or huge caves. In thesecases, the cynamolgi (15% chancel keep1-4 wolves around as guards. There isusually a chief in these habitats, a hugecynamolgus (AC 3, 16 hp, attacks as a 4-HDcreature for 6-12 hp damage) who has apowerful magical item and keeps a wolfwith maximum hit points.

Cynamolgi may employ any type ofweapon, although they prefer swords,maces, and pole arms. Cynamolgi arechaotic but not actually evil. They havetheir own language, which sounds muchlike the barking of dogs. Cynamolgi appearto be dogheaded men of normal dogbreeds and colors. Cynamolgi dress them-selves in poorly cured animal skins. Theiraverage life expectancy is 30 years.

DI U R G ECreated by: Scott Bennie and Steve Sloane

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 4-40ARMOR CLASS: 4, with bonuses for

dexterityMOVE: 15�HIT DICE: 6 (9)% IN LAIR: 65%TREASURE TYPE: M, N, Q (X 3) on individ-

uals; F in lairNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 touch, or 1 weaponDAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4, or by weapon typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy drain, psionicsSPECIAL DEFENSES: + 1 or better weapon

to hit, regeneration, various resistancesMAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard (45%)INTELLIGENCE: High to geniusALIGNMENT: Neutral evil (Lawful evil)SIZE: M (5½-6½� tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: 141-240 (181-280)

Attack/Defense Modes: All/All

Diurges are humanoid natives of theNegative Material plane who live in anightmarishly twisted mirror of the PrimeMaterial plane called Darkrealm. Diurgesserve the evil lords who rule Darkrealm,

but they occasionally venture to the PrimeMaterial plane to wreak havoc. They havetwo castes: common and commander.Game statistics for commander diurges arelisted in parentheses following the normalentries. For every 10 diurges encountered,one commander is present. The statisticsfor each caste are shown in the accompa-nying table.

Armor classes of diurges are AC 4 atbase (from innate power, not from armor,which is not worn), with dexterity adjust-ments. All common diurges are fighters atthe same level of proficiency as their hitdice (i.e., 6th-level fighters). In addition tobeing 6th-level fighters, diurge com-manders are also 9th-level magic-users.Diurge commanders are limited by noweapon restrictions, and they may use anymagical item appropriate to magic-users orfighters.

In combat, a diurge will often elect toattack by touch rather than with a weap-on. The touch of a diurge carries a power-ful sting, inflicting 1-4 hp damage anddraining life energy sufficient to cause aloss of 5,000 xp from the victim. Further-more, for each 5,000 xp thus drained, thediurge restores 10 of its own lost psionicpoints. A diurge is unaffected by non-magical weapons and regenerates 2 hp perround for any damage (provided thediurge is above zero hit points).

Diurges are unaffected by charm, hold,or sleep spells, as well as by paralysis,poison, polymorph spells, and life-levellosses. Although not technically undead,common diurges can be turned by clericswith the same chance of success as againstliches; commanders can be turned asspecial cases. Diurges sustain triple dam-age from spells which employ the energyof the Positive Material plane.

Common diurges have one or two psio-nic disciplines from the following list:body equilibrium, detection of magic,domination, ESP, levitation, molecularagitation. Commander diurges possess twoto four psionic disciplines from the abovelist, with the following additional choices:aura alteration, molecular manipulation,probability travel, telekinesis.

Diurges have dark gray skin, white or

Diurge Statistics Table

StrengthIntelligenceWisdomDexterityConstitutionCharismaComeliness

Common Commander16-181 16-181

14-17 15-1813-16 14-1712-172 13-182

13-183 16-193

13-16 15-183-12 5-20

1 If strength is 18, there is a 50% chance of the diurge having exceptional strength.2 Dexterity bonuses apply to armor class.3 Constitution bonuses for hit points apply to each hit die the diurge has.

metallic-red hair, and solid red orbs foreyes. Otherwise, they are human inappearance. Diurges have ultravision andinfravision. They are extremely sadistic,bear no love to any creature, and arehighly manipulative in the pursuits oftheir goals. As a common goal, mostdiurges work toward conquering all formsof life in the most painful, ruthless mannerpossible. Individually, these creatures arenot particularly selfish or greedy, and arethus capable of working together toachieve this common goal.

J O RCreated by: Michael J. Szarmach

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1-20 (20-200 in lair)ARMOR CLASS: 5 or 6MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 2 + 3% IN LAIR: 35%TREASURE TYPE: K, M on individuals; O,

U in lairNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 weaponDAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: Back-stabbing, poison,

surprise on 1-3SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hiding, surprised on

1 in 8MAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: Average (low)ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evilSIZE: M (6� tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Jors, also known as swamp orcs, are themost powerful and cunning breed of orcs.They have developed limited assassinabilities which they use to the utmostadvantage. When surprising any victim,jors have a 35% chance to kill by back-stabbing. In addition, jors make a specialsleeping poison from swamp plants andwaters. They use this poison to coat theirweapons (saving throw vs. poison at +2 orsleep for 2-12 rounds; one use only). Jorsare extremely hard to find in the swampand are surprised only on a 1 in 8 as aresult. In addition, they have a 50%chance to hide in natural terrain. Jorssurprise on a 1-3 in 6, and are typicallyarmed as follows:

WeaponsScimitar and crossbowScimitar and shieldBastard sword and axeBastard sword and spearBattle axe and flail

Chanceof having3 0 %3 0 %10%2 0 %10%

Jors wear a form of scale mail armor(AC 6). Shield use betters this to AC 5.

Jors, like their orcish cousins, hate sun-light and are therefore found outside theirlairs only after sunset. For every group inexcess of 15 jors, there is a leader and twoassistants. Each leader and assistant has 18hp, and because they are the strongest

18 JANUARY 1989

and most cunning creatures of theirgroup, also have a 50% chance to killwhen back-stabbing. If 30 or more jors areencountered, the group includes a sub-chief (AC 3, 3 +4 HD) and 1-4 bodyguards(AC 4, 3 + 1 HD). This large group alsocontains a master jor (AC 3,4 + 2 HD) whohas a 75% chance to kill when back-stabbing. A master jor also has a 90%chance to hide in natural terrain andsurprises on 1-5 in 6. Jors general travelthrough swamps in small hunting partiescomposed of young males.

Jor lairs contain females equal to thenumber of males. All females fight as wellas the males but have a less-effective back-stabbing ability (15% chance to kill whenemploying this tactic). Jor lairs also con-tain jor young (AC 8, 1 HD, noncombat-ants) equal to 150% of the males. Inaddition, each lair contains the following:a chief (AC 2, 4 + 5 HD), two subchiefs,4-16 bodyguards, 12-15 leaders, and1-6 master jors. Jor chiefs always have theabilities of master jors.

The jors and lizard men are great rivalsin the swamp, and they often attack eachother on sight. Jors look much the same asorcs, except that their skin tends to begreenish blue in color. It is rumored thatall jors belong to an assassin�s guild whosegoal is to destroy mankind bit by bit.

RO C KT R O L LCreated by: Linda Hankins

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1-12ARMOR CLASS: 2MOVE: 9�HIT DICE: 9% IN LAIR: 30%TREASURE TYPE: QNO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and 1 biteDAMAGE/ATTACK: 9-14/9-14/3-12SPECIAL ATTACKS: Automatic bites, sur-

prise on 1-3SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration, missile

deflection, surprise 1 in 8MAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: LowALIGNMENT: Chaotic evilSIZE: L (11� tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Rock trolls usually dwell on the elemen-tal plane of Earth but have been known todwell in dungeons, caves, and remotemountains on the Prime Material plane.Rock trolls attack first with their twoclaws, then with a gnashing bite. If bothclaw attacks successfully strike a medium-or small-size opponent, the victim hasbeen grabbed and is automatically hit witha bite at +2 to damage. Following the firstbite, the victim may break free from therock trolls grip with a successful bendbars/lift gates roll (with a + 10% modifierto the chance). If the victim fails, he is hitwith two bite attacks the next round (withthe same modification to damage). If the

rock troll suffers 8 hp or more damage inone attack, it drops its opponent.

The rock troll regenerates 2 hp perround beginning three rounds after initialdamage is sustained. A transmute rock tomud or passwall spell destroys any rocktroll within the spell�s area of effect unlessa saving throw vs. death magic is made at- 5. When in rocky surroundings, rocktrolls surprise their opponents on 1-3 on1d6 and are themselves surprised only ona 1 on 1d8 Their senses of smell areacute, and their infravision has a range ofSO�. Rock trolls have strengths of 19 (hillgiant strength) and add + 7 to all damagedone as a result.

Rangers, dwarves, and gnomes receivethe same attack and defense bonusesagainst rock trolls as they receive againstnormal trolls or giant-size monsters. Rocktrolls are able to bat away missiles such asarrows, bolts, darts, and bullets 25% ofthe time, but they must use one clawattack to do so. Missiles such as spears,javelins, hand axes, and so on can bedeflected 10% of the time, and giant boul-ders can be caught 15% of the time. How-ever, machine-hurled missiles (fromcatapults or ballistas) cannot be deflected,and rock trolls will sustain damage fromthem if they try to catch them (whichmany will do until they learn better).

Though larger than regular trolls, rocktrolls are similar in appearance to their

cousins. A rock troll�s skin coloration willchange to correspond with that of nearbyrock types, shifting from light brown todark gray.

DRAGON 19

by Randal S. Doering

OrcsThrow Spells, Too!

Humanoid and giant spell-castersfor AD&D® games

In the highly magical worlds of the AD&D® game universe, theability to manipulate magic often determines the winner in aconflict. Thus, the various AD&D game books contain moreinformation on spell-casters than on any other type of character.Yet, since only humans and demi-humans are allowed to be playercharacters, very little information has been given in regards to athird set of spell-casters: the humanoids.

All the information pertaining to humanoid spell-casters can befound in a few brief paragraphs in the Dungeon Masters Guide andLegends & Lore. While this information is excellent for setting upthe bare statistics of a humanoid spell-caster, it does not go fartoward helping the DM run such an unusual NPC. This articlebegins with tips on creating, preparing, and playing humanoidspell-casters, then addresses how these beings gain and keep theirpowers. New lists of spells are given to bring the DMG lists up todate with Unearthed Arcana, and level limits are suggested for newhumanoids given in the FIEND FOLIO® tome and Monster ManualII. Finally, there is a section devoted to specific religious practicesperformed by each individual humanoid race and how thesepractices can be used by the DM to help flesh out humanoidspell-casters.

22 JANUARY 1989

Purposes and problemsThe humanoid spell-caster represents

the means employed by a humanoid deityto promote the deity�s religion, unite thehumanoid�s tribe, and give the tribedefenses against its magic-wielding humanand demi-human foes. Humanoid spell-casters are not meant to be capable ofsustained magical combat, but serveinstead as buffers between the human-related races and the humanoids. Thus,their abilities tend to concentrate on pro-tective and miscellaneous magic ratherthan on battle magic.

The DMG suggests that humanoid spell-casters are rare, but there is no reasongiven for this lack of competent mastersamong the humanoid races. A carefullook, however, reveals two excellent rea-sons for a lack of spell-casters among

humanoids. The first is the warrior ten-dency of these races. The second is (blunt-ly put) the stupidity of the humanoids.

From the puniness of the ½-HD koboldsto-the terrible might of the 14-HD foggiants, humanoids are characterized byviolence. Of over 24 humanoid races, lessthan a half dozen are good or neutrallyaligned; the rest are downright evil. Thesemasses of wicked creatures live by raidingtheir neighbors. Their energies are thusspent in preparing for and conductingwars. Little time is left for anything else.Young humanoids grow up learning howto wage war; those young that cannotkeep up with the physical regimen of sucha life quickly die, leaving ranks upon ranksof hardened warriors. This is hardly anauspicious beginning for a young spell-caster!

In the larger humanoid bands, however,especially those that are settled and enjoysome measure of security, there occasion-ally arises a youngster who can survivethe physical rigors of humanoid life and isnot satisfied with them. This individual istoo weak to seek physical power butwants some means of gaining an advan-tage over his peers. If this individual isvery lucky, he could become spell-caster.

Now a new factor works against thesefew: the stupidity of the humanoid races.On the whole, humanoids tend to be adim-witted and barbaric lot. Those bornwith unusual intelligence or wisdom learnto use their spell-casting abilities ruthlesslyor are killed by jealous rivals. Added tothis is the fact that other humanoid bandsare often jealous of any tribe with a spell-caster. Thus, unusually gifted humanoidsface a dismal future, and most of these donot survive their apprenticeships or themore dangerous process of self-teaching.

This simple reasoning demonstrates whythe DMG suggests that humanoid spell-casters are so rare that they should beplaced by the DM. Unfortunately, thereare no guidelines to follow in this process.To a beginning DM, taking great care inplacing humanoid spell-casters mightmean including only one or two witch

doctors or shamans per group of human-

oids. To aid the beginning DM and give theexperienced DM a hand in determiningthe frequency of such NPCs, the followingguidelines are offered.

Assuming that shamans are more com-mon than witch doctors (since witch doc-tors are the more powerful of the two),there is a 5% chance for a shaman toappear per 25% of the maximum strengthof a humanoid band. For example, thenumber of gnolls usually encountered is20-200. If there are 50 gnolls (25% of thepossible maximum), there is a 5% chancefor a shaman to be present. In a groupsmaller than 50 gnolls, there is no chancefor a shaman to be present; a band of thatsize could not protect its shaman wellenough and would quickly lose its spell-caster. This applies to all humanoid bands:No spell-casters are ever encountered in agroup smaller than one-quarter of itsmaximum size, as given in the AD&Dgame rules. This principle works in 25%increments � that is, in a group of 99gnolls, there is still only a 5% chance for ashaman to be present, but at 100 gnolls,the chance jumps to 10%. This serves tokeep the chance of a shaman appearing toa minimum and increases the scarcity ofspell-casters.

Shamans are a silver-piece-a-dozen,however, when compared to witch doc-tors. These more powerful humanoids

24 JANUARY 1989

have mastered two forms of magic, some-thing that only the rarest of even demi-human or human spell-casters accomplish.The chance of meeting a witch doctor isalso based on 25% increments, but theprobability of meeting a witch doctor isonly 1% per increment. This means that ahuge pack of 400 kobolds is only 4% likelyto have a witch doctor in its midst.

Don�t use this system for humanoidswho run in very small bands (e.g., giants),or there will be too many such spell-casters. When the maximum normal sizeof a humanoid group is 20 or less, thechance of a shaman appearing in thegroup is a flat 5%; for a witch doctor,there is a 1% chance. Of course, if thegroup is unusually large (i.e., 20 stonegiants), the DM might wish to double oreven triple this chance. As with lesserhumanoids, groups of giants must haveenough members to support a spell-caster,since the spell-caster is too busy witharcane arts to hunt or otherwise supportbasic survival functions. Thus, giant spell-casters appear only with groups whichhave half or more of the maximum normalgroup size for that type of giant.

No humanoid tribe has both a shamanand a witch doctor, and the shaman isalways checked for first. The system givenabove reflects the small numbers ofhumanoid spell-casters (especially witchdoctors); it should keep humanoid spell-casters uncommon enough to retain theexcitement of their use.

Creating the spell-casterWhen the dice or the DM have deter-

mined that a humanoid spell-caster existsin a group of humanoids, the DM musttake pains to create a well-balanced NPC.The guides given in the official rules arevague in assigning levels to these rarecreatures, and leave room for creatingNPCs with too little or too much power.

A humanoid spell-caster should beassigned levels based on the strength ofhis band, using the maximum normalgroup size divided by the maximum levelof spell use possible for that race, round-ing fractions up. The following exampleshelp illustrate how to assign levels tohumanoid spell-casters.

Example one: Ogres appear in groups ofup to 20 individuals, and ogre shamanscan rise to 3rd level in experience. Thus,for every seven ogres, the shaman willhave one level of experience.

Example two: Hobgoblin witch doctorscan rise to 7th level as clerics and 4th levelas magic-users. The maximum �NumberAppearing� for hobgoblins is 200. Forevery 30 hobgoblins, the witch doctor willhave one level of clerical experience; forevery 50 hobgoblins, the witch doctor willhave one level of magic-user experience.In a group of 170 hobgoblins, then, thewitch doctor will be a 6th-level cleric anda 4th-level magic-user.

Note that, by the suggestions given earli-er, no 1st-level ogre shaman could ever be

met, since no spell-casters can appear ingroups, of less than one-half the maximumnormal group size for humanoids whichrun in bands of 20 or less. By the sametoken, no hobgoblin witch doctor couldever be met as a 1st-level cleric, sincethere must be at least 50 hobgoblins (25%maximum �Number Appearing�) for thereto be any chance of a spell-caster in thegroup in the first place. Low-level spell-casters can be added by the DM asapprentices (5% chance of 1st-level clericper tribe with higher-level shaman, and1% chance of low-level witch doctor pertribe with the same) or as solitary spell-casters (give each tribe without a spell-caster a flat 5% chance to have a 1st-levelcleric and a 1% chance to have a low-levelwitch doctor), or the DM may dispensewith them entirely in favor of slightlyhigher-level humanoid spell-casters.

Once the spell-caster�s levels have beenassigned, he is ready to receive his spells.No humanoid shaman has access to everyspell for every level of spell use he is capa-ble of employing. A humanoid shaman islimited to knowing two spells per spelllevel (out of the lists given later in thisarticle) and must choose his daily spellsfrom them by praying for them, as does ahuman or demi-human cleric. No spellbooks are kept of these spells, though theshaman can use clerical scroll spells (if hecan read). This limited knowledge is afunction of being primarily self-taught andserves to vary the spells available to eachshaman. The DM can roll for spells ran-domly or assign them.

Shamans gain knowledge of two newspells per level, either from the prior levellists or from the next highest list, if theshaman just gained a new level of spell use(a shaman just gaining 3rd level wouldlearn two second-level spells). These newspells are taught to the shaman by a moreexperienced shaman or more often by aservant of the shaman�s deity. The shamanmust meditate and pray to �charge� thespells he desires for the day, drawing fromthose spells known to the shaman. Therest of the spells in the shaman�s mind arespells which he knows but for which hehas insufficient power to use (so theycannot be cast by the shaman that day).Shamans do not gain bonus spells for high wisdom, as is explained later, but havenormal chances of spell failure.

Witch doctors gain their clerical spells asdo shamans, but they have the addedresponsibility of maintaining spell booksfor their magic-user spells. A witch doctorstarts with three random first-level spellsfor his spell book and is given one newspell per level earned. The new spell is ofthe highest level of magic usable by thewitch doctor. Witch doctors must checknewly acquired spells for understanding,as must any magic-user (a very importantpoint if a PC�s spell book falls into a witchdoctor�s hands). The lists given later in thisarticle are for those spells which are com-monly handed down from witch doctor to

witch doctor.It is recommended that each witch doc-

tor be given one or two spells from out-side these lists to give each witch doctoran individual flair. Consider an infamouskobold witch doctor with a charm personspell or a feared hobgoblin witch doctorwith magic missile. Such NPCs will bewidely known and will add excitement ascharacters get a chance to test themselvesagainst them. Witch doctors have only oneset of spell books; these are considered tobe traveling spell books for all intents andpurposes, for the witch doctors haven�tthe time, money, nor skill to make better(see Unearthed Arcana, pages 79-80).

A quick glance at the magic-user spelllists given later reflects a basic problemfor the witch doctor�s spell books, in thatthe witch doctor has no way to read orwrite new spells. If the DM decides to staywith this ruling, as given by the lack ofthese spells in the official lists, it is certainthat the witch doctor�s spell book will benothing more than a collection of loosepages taken from many sources. This spellcollection is very sloppy and certainlycannot have magical protections set uponit. In addition, the collection is worth onlyhalf experience-point and monetary valuesfor a PC who captures it. If the DM wishesthe humanoid spell-caster to have truespell books, along with the power to readand write more spells, he must award thewitch doctor read magic and write inaddition to the witch doctor�s other start-ing spells. This will make the witch doctorfar more versatile and powerful.

The humanoid spell-caster is an impor-tant part of his tribe and should be pro-tected as such by the tribe. Such personsare often surrounded by guards equal inability and in number to those who guardthe subchieftain. In addition, the spell-caster stays near the war leader, combin-ing his many bodyguards with magic tocreate a potent defense. War leaders arecertain to defend their tribal spell-casters,for those shamans or witch doctors arethe only defense against magic their tribemay have. A final wise defense for thespell-caster is placing guard animals nearhim. Most humanoids employ guard ani-mals, and these animals are often tougherthan the races for whom they work. Imag-ine a low-level party running into severalgiant weasels, a dozen bodyguards, a warleader or two, and a kobold witch doctorall at the same time! In small groups ofpowerful humanoids (such as giants),there are no chieftains, bodyguards, andsuch. Nonetheless, all members of theband fight to protect their spell-caster.

Use of magical itemsOnce the spell-caster�s protection is

provided, all that remains is the consider-ation of magical items to be assigned.

Perhaps the greatest power held by atribal spell-caster is the ability to employmagical items. With a little help from awand of fire, a goblin witch doctor is a

strangulation is a fine gift for a hatedsubchieftain and a scarab of death is anexcellent missile weapon against unar-mored foes (provided the thrower hasheavy gauntlets). While the averagehumanoid would not even realize thatsuch items were magical, the tribal spell-caster is very alert for them. These NPCsmay employ any magical item of generaluse or of use by the appropriate magic-using classes (e.g., clerics and magic-users).In addition, shamans (due to their combatorientation) may employ magical itemsusually reserved for fighters. This givesthe humanoid spell-caster a greater rangeof items to use and allows an innovativeDM the chance to create highly individual-istic NPCs of this sort.

This is not to say that every koboldwitch doctor has a staff of power. Thechance for a humanoid spell-caster to ownmagical items is given on page 196 of theDMG, treating the NPC as a spell-caster ofthe appropriate class and level. It is impor-tant to note that the witch doctor rolls ontwo tables (clerical and magic-user), andwill probably have half a dozen smallmagical items as a result. If this seems tooliberal, remember that only the morepowerful humanoid bands have spell-casters at all, and that such bands do a lotof raiding. The spell-caster will be certainto examine new treasures closely for a chance to increase his power, and willthus collect as many items as possible.

The DM can also choose to assign magi-cal items, realizing that one or two potionsand a scroll should be nearly standardequipment for a humanoid spell-caster.Luckier ones might have a magical ring orwand. Whichever method is used, keep inmind that the PCs might capture this magi-cal equipment during the course of theadventure. As a result, these items shouldnot be enough in quantity or quality tomake the victorious party too powerfuland thereby damage the campaign.

Playing the spell-casterThe shaman is a tribal cleric. He has the

functions of any cleric � that is, to revital-ize and protect himself and the war leader.Because the deities served by such NPCsare usually evil, the shaman carries moreoffensive and defensive spells than cura-tive spells. As a result, cause light woundsis often a favorite spell, as are dispel mag-ic, chant, etc. Cures are often saved foruse after a battle by the shaman or per-haps the war leader. The shaman�s deitybelieves in strength and does not expectsuch magic to be wasted among commonmembers of the tribe. Indeed, the shamanvery rarely uses magic to directly aid-common humanoids, although he is cer-

frightful foe indeed. Astaff of command wouldcertainly make a hobgoblinshaman more terrible to meet.Even cursed magical items becomedeadly when in the hands of a cleverhumanoid spell-caster � a necklace of

tain to point out how powerful the magicalaid is to himself and to the war leader. Forthose shamans serving neutral or gooddeities, a more balanced spell selection ispossible as dictated by the situation. Suchshamans are more likely to share theirpowers and use them to benefit othermembers of their bands.

The humanoid deities have little to dowith the undead and grant their wor-shipers no power with the thinkingundead (ghouls and greater undead). Aglance at the spell lists in the DMG showsthat animate dead is not on the originalspell lists � humanoid shamans are con-tent to let human clerics dabble with theirown dead, while the humanoids concen-trate on spells of war. However, shamansof evil alignment can command weakundead into their service as can any evilcleric (�weak� being defined as skeletonsand zombies). Neutral and good shamanscan turn these lesser undead but cannotcommand them. These shamans have nopower over the thinking processes of theundead.

Shamans are fully expected to fight andare given extra power (hit points) to aidand support their battle conquests, asnoted in the �Nonhumans� Deities� sectionof Legends & Lore. Shamans are notrestricted to blunt weapons but are lim-ited to weapons used by that humanoid

DRAGON 25

type. Fire-giant shamans use great swords;kobold shamans use short swords, axes,spears, or spiked clubs; and so forth.Shamans are expected to show braveryand bloodlust, and are expected to meleefrequently. They may thus wear any sortof armor without penalty and may use thebest armor and weapons available to theirtribes.

As noted earlier, shamans do not gainadditional spells for high wisdom scores.This is due to the fact that all humanoiddeities value strength over magical prow-ess. These deities grant spells only toprove the might of the gods in the firstplace, and they will not allow any shamanto become dependent solely upon magic todefeat foes. Consequently, these deitiesgrant only a bare minimum number ofspells to their shamans.

Witch doctors live by the same rules asshamans insofar as their clerical spells areconcerned. However, witch doctors arenot allowed to wear armor or use anyweapons other than the standard magic-user weapons. Because witch doctors aremagic-oriented, they are not expected tobattle. This magic-orientation also meansthat witch doctors cannot serve the stand-ard humanoid deities (who consider themweaklings). Most witch doctors worshipthe most powerful demons and devils tobuy their powers; the rest follow evilhuman or demi-human deities. This tendsto alienate the humanoid deities, however,angering them and making them hostiletoward the tribes with witch doctors. Thewitch doctor is forced to compensate bypresenting a powerful image and castingmany spells in frequent displays of power.Witch doctors invariably have impressiveabodes filled with all sorts of grislyremains and unusual items.

This need for sheer power has severaleffects on witch doctors. First, they willinstantly seize and hoard all suspectedmagical items brought into the tribe.Along this line, all witch doctors are veryeager for an identify spell and will go to

any length to get it. Second, witch doctorsuse their spells and magical items freely,for it is imperative to maintain their tribe�sconfidence in their power. Tribes withwitch doctors put up with trouble evenfrom their own race, due to friction withthe humanoid deities; because of this,tribal members want constant proof thattheir witch doctor is worth the trouble.Finally, witch doctors of maximum level(both as clerics and magic-users) arealmost always the tribal leaders. At thispoint, they gain no more spell abilities andthey need an advantage to stay in power.Their takeover at this point can be overtlyphysical (such as blowing the formerleaders to bits) or subtle (such as castingcharms on the leaders). In the formercase, the witch doctor must have a greatamount of power or the other members ofthe tribe will desert. The latter optionopens a wide vista to the DM, who could,for example, set PCs warring against warleaders while the clever witch doctorstands back and watches all his foesdestroy one another.

Witch doctors serving neutral or gooddeities are probably not excessively greedyor violent, although they are certainlysecretive. They, too, are protective of theirpower and will go to great lengths topreserve it (usually through trickery anddeception). Such witch doctors are notunder nearly as much pressure as theirevil counterparts and only rarely leadtheir tribes.

As a final note, no humanoid spell-casterever builds or lives in a temple of any sortexcept for instances involving short peri-ods of time (a few months at most). Allhumanoids are wanderers, as is evidencedby their low chances of being found intheir lairs, and their deities prefer forthem to live by hunting and raiding. Atemple means responsibilities which pre-clude a spell-caster from going on raidsand impressing the tribe with the might ofthe deity. Furthermore, such an easy lifewould make the spell-caster lazy and

might even encourage weakness. Thedeities of the humanoids simply do notallow this sorry state to come about. Evenamong tribes that are settled, the worshiparea is plain and simply adorned so thatthe spell-caster need not waste time tend-ing it. Among the spell-casters of neutraland good deities, this still holds true, forthese groups wander as much as their evilcousins.

New spell listsThe spell lists given on page 40 of the

DMG need to be updated with spells fromUnearthed Arcana. The spell lists providedin Tables 1 and 2 herein add the new spellsto the old lists. Spells from UnearthedArcana have been carefully selected tofollow the same lines as those given in theDMG � that is, they contain primarilydefensive and miscellaneous spells. TheDM may alter these lists as he sees fit,keeping in mind that too many combatspells will certainly destroy the purpose ofsuch an NPC. Spells taken from UnearthedArcana are denoted by asterisks. Witchdoctors can use cantrips but do not haveany unless the DM specifically decides toassign them in each individual case. As aresult, these spells are not included inTables 1 and 2. Note also that humanoidspell-casters can use the reversed forms ofany spell that is reversible.

New humanoid spell-castersWith the addition of two new monster

books to the AD&D game, the list ofhumanoids that can become spell-castersneeds to be updated. Table 3 provides a listof some of these new races and the levelsthey may achieve as spell-casters. Raceswhose spell-casting classes are describedin the books are not repeated in Table 3,nor are those races which have spell-likepowers (for these cannot also use spellsunless such is stated in their descriptions).The DM is free to modify the informationgiven in Table 3 as necessary, perhapsadding such races as the qullan and others

Table 1Clerical Spells

First levelCeremony * * *Cure light woundsDetect evilDetect magicEndure heat/cold *Invisibility to

undead *LightPortent *Protection from evilResist cold

Second level Third levelAid* Cure blindnessAugury Cure diseaseChant Dispel magicDetect charm Flame walk *Detect life Locate objectMessenger * Magic vestment *Resist fire PrayerSnake charm Remove curseSpeak with animals Remove paralysis *(Un)holy symbol * Water walk *

Fourth levelCloak of fear *DivinationExorciseNeutralize poisonSpell immunity *Tongues

* These spells are taken from Unearthed Arcana.* * Ceremonies usable by humanoid spell-casters include coming of age, burial, dedication, and consecrate item.

26 JANUARY 1989

(such races were excluded primarilybecause they appear in numbers too smallto support a spell-caster). Among giants,small groups are fine because giants arepowerful enough to be able to allow oneof their number to study and meditateinstead of hunt. Among the comparativelyweaker races, however, survival is tootime-consuming to afford any member theluxury of not helping in the basic choresof survival. If this situation is different in agiven campaign, the material presentedherein and in the DMG should help a DMassign spell abilities to humanoid races.

Note that the upper level limits of 7thlevel for a shaman and 4th level for themagic-user abilities of a witch doctor arerules of steel which should never be bent.The humanoid mind is too coarse (even insuch exceptional individuals as treatedherein) to rise beyond these limits. If ahigher-level spell-caster is needed, use anevil human or demi-human spell-caster.

Deity/shaman relationsSo far, this article has given guidelines to

help the DM with humanoid spell-casters.This section is devoted to the relationshipsbetween specific humanoid deities andtheir shamans, addressing interestingpractices and special powers that deitiesgrant their shamans. These are helpful inadding detail to humanoid spell-casters,and thus create more unusual individualNPCs. Appendix 3 in the Legends & Loretome (Clerical Quick-Reference Charts)gives good background for these practicesand is useful in conjunction with whatfollows. The relationships detailed hereare with primary deities only; relation-ships with lesser deities are up to the DMto detail.

BugbearsHruggek is an exacting deity who

demands that his shamans make sacrificesof at least two levels or hit dice of foe perlevel of the shaman, per month. Shamanswho fail to meet this quota receive nospells for the following month. Shamanswho exceed the minimum have a 1%chance per five additional levels or hit dicesacrificed of being granted one additionalspell of the highest level usable by theshaman, for use over the next month. Thisspell is a gift that is usable only once. Ifthe shaman fails to use the spell by thefollowing month, the spell is taken back(though a replacement may be given as aresult of abundant sacrifices). The shamanmay choose his own bonus spell.

When gaining levels, these shamansmust sacrifice the levels or hit dice of foesfor each level the shaman possesses and10 more for the level to be gained. Failureto make proper sacrifices earns instantdeath for the shaman, as Hruggek strikeshim down. Exceeding this minimum by 20or more levels or hit dice gives a 5%chance of the shaman earning one addi-tional hit point (added to the roll for thatlevel).

This system of reward for greater sacri-fices urges bugbear shamans to conductmass sacrifices and has earned them agrisly reputation among the weaker racesfavored as sacrifices.

EttinsAlthough ettins and hill giants both

worship Grolantor, ettin practices differgreatly from those of their weaker kin.Ettins pay the deity homage not as a deity,but as an extremely powerful ettin.Because of this attitude, and the fact thatGrolantor is the least intelligent humanoiddeity, the god does not grant spells to ettinshamans (remember that first- and second-level spells are based on the faith of theshaman, with no help from the deity).Ettin shamans do not sacrifice to Grolan-tor and receive no special benefits fromtheir deity.

Giants, fireSurtur demands nothing in the way of

sacrifice from his shamans, but he has onerule which can never be broken: His sha-mans must never be defeated in personalcombat. Those who are lose all clericalabilities and are marked by the deity sothat other fire giants drive the outcastaway. This mark is a flaming sword on theface of the outcast, the tip on the formershaman�s chin and the pommel on hisforehead. The mark is silver, in contrast tothe giant�s black skin, and can be seeneven if covered or hidden. Even deathdoes not remove this dishonor.

When Surtur�s shamans reach 7th level,they are granted the power to summonone 8-HD fire elemental once per month.The summoning takes one melee round,and the elemental appears in 1-4 rounds,staying for six turns or until it is des-troyed. The elemental acts independentlyof the shaman, who need not concentrateon controlling it. This power is a bonusability and does not take the place of anyof the shaman�s spells.

Giants, frostThrym is a demanding deity who follows

the same code of battle as Surtur, with onetwist: The frost-giant shaman who loses abattle dies on the spot. While Thrymdemands no regular sacrifices, he requiresthat one human from every group ofhumans battled by the shaman�s band betaken unhurt and frozen alive. Failure todo this results in the shaman being strip-ped of all power and being forevermore astandard frost giant.

Frost-giant shamans are subjected torigorous tests for every level they attemptto gain. While tests vary, all involve com-bat against foes at least equal to the frostgiant in hit dice and power (four ogreswould be a good test). In addition, theseshamans must sacrifice 5,000 gp in gemsto Thrym for each level they have and10,000 gp more for the level to be gained,each time they are eligible to gain a level.

As if this were not enough, any frostgiant may challenge the shaman to a battleto the death at any time. The winnereither keeps or receives the powers of theshaman. Thus, if a 5th-level frost-giantshaman were defeated by a standard frostgiant, the winner would walk away with

Table 2Magic-User Spells

First level Second levelAffect normal fires Audible glamerAlarm * Deeppockets *Dancing lights Detect invisibilityIdentity In visibilityMelt * Know alignment *Mount* LevitatePush Magic mouth *Run* Preserve *Shield ScareVentriloquism Vocalize *

* These spells are taken from Unearth-ed Arcana.

Table 3New Humanoid Spell-Caster Level Limits

Race

AarakocraBullywugDakonFlindGiant *Grimlock

Shaman Witch doctor(clerical levels) (magic-user levels)

7 -5 23 -5 4

25 4

-3 -3 -5 25 4

OgrillonTaerTroll, giantVegepygmyXvart

* This includes fog, fomorian, mountain, and verbeeg giants.A dash indicates that the race cannot employ magic-user spells and thus cannothave witch doctors.

DRAGON 27

the loser�s extra hit points and the spellabilities of a 5th-level shaman.

In return for this risky life, the frost-giant shaman is granted two powers. Uponreaching 5th level, the shaman may createa wall of ice once per week as a 10th-levelmagic-user using the spell. At 7th level, theshaman may summon an 8-HD ice elemen-tal from the plane of para-elemental Iceonce per month. This ability works exactlylike that of the fire-giant shamans (seeprevious section). Both of these powersare bonus abilities which are in additionto, not in place of, the shaman�s full com-plement of spells.

Giants, hillHill giants worship Grolantor as a deity

(unlike ettins, as noted earlier). Perhapsthis is why hill giants may advance inlevels so far beyond ettins. Hill-giant sha-mans are not required to make sacrificesto Grolantor, but most shamans like tosacrifice enemies and small valuables tothe deity anyway. Grolantor occasionallyrewards diligent shamans with a specialmagical club which provides a +4 to hitand damage against dwarves. This weaponworks only in the hands of a hill-giantshaman and is useless to all others. Thereis a 5% chance for a hill-giant shaman ofany level to own such a club.

28 JANUARY 1989

Giants, stoneThe shamans of Skoraeus Stonebones

are allowed to live as they choose and arenot required to make sacrifices orundergo trials to gain levels. Due to theircloseness to the earth, however, theseshamans are restricted from certain spellsand are given access to spells which noother shamans may use. The forbiddenspells have to do with elements other thanearth; these include resist fire, flame walk,and water walk. In return, the followingspells are added to the lists available to thestone giant shamans: stone shape (third-level druidic spell) is added to the list ofthird-level spell choices; spike stones (fifth-level druidic spell) is added to the list offourth-level spells; and wall of stone (fifth-level magic-user spell) is added to the listof fourth-level spells.

Occasionally a stone-giant shaman isextremely devout to Skoraeus, sacrificingeverything he owns to the deity and keep-ing not so much as a single copper pieceor lowly potion. Skoraeus may grant sucha shaman the power to cast an earthquakespell once per month as an added abilitywhen the shaman reaches 7th level. Thepower takes one turn to activate andaffects an area 60� in diameter; otherwise,it conforms in all other ways to theseventh-level clerical spell of the samename. There is a 5% chance for any 7th-level stone-giant shaman encountered tohave this power.

GnollsThe shamans of Yeenoghu have, without

a doubt, the harshest deity in the human-oid pantheon. To maintain their power,gnoll shamans must sacrifice four levels orhit dice worth of enemies at each monthlyceremony in a trial by combat. The sacri-fices are permitted natural weapons or adagger, while the shaman is restricted tohis flail and no magic (although a magicalflail is permissible). If an intended sacrificekills the shaman, the person or creature isfree to leave.

When gaining levels, a gnoll shamanmust scourge himself for 5 hp damage foreach of his levels and 6 hp damage for thelevel he wishes to attain. Those shamanswho cannot withstand the punishment fora new level are frozen at the level wherethey can stand the pain. For example, ashaman desiring to reach 4th level musthave at least 21 hp or that shaman is stuckat 3rd level. This test ensures that only thetoughest gnolls rise to power. It is assumedin this case that a gnoll shaman whoscourges himself to zero hit points doesnot die but simply falls unconscious; astrike with a whip does 1 hp damage.

In return for these tests, the shamansreceive the power to automatically com-mand up to two ghouls per level, drawingthese creatures into the shaman�s service.Many gnoll shamans do away with gnollbodyguards in favor of these loyal petsinstead. Gnoll shamans need not roll dice

to wrest control of ghouls from clerics ofother deities; their deity�s relationshipwith ghouls automatically empowers themto control these creatures. Gnoll shamansare also allowed to choose negative planeprotection as a third-level spell.

Goblins and hobgoblinsGoblin and hobgoblin shamans both

worship Maglubiyet in his giant goblinform. The deity treats both races in thesame manner. At each monthly ceremony,these shamans must sacrifice the livinghearts of two levels or hit dice worth offoes per level of the shaman. It is vital tonote that these foes must possess souls(spirits of animal life energy will not do);the Mighty One accepts nothing less. Fail-ure to give proper sacrifices causes theshaman�s spells and extra hit points to fleehim in the next battle, never to return.[Humans, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, andhalf-elves are assumed to have souls; elves,half-orcs, and other beings do not.]To gain levels, the shaman must sacrifice

the still-beating heart of a human warriorof a level equal to or greater than thatwhich the shaman hopes to gain. Thesacrifice must have been personallydefeated in combat by the shaman or byuse of the shaman�s magic.

Maglubiyet�s shamans may not use heal-ing spells. This includes any spell withcure as part of its title, and includes neu-tralize poison as well. Goblin and hobgob-lin shamans are free to use the reverses ofthese spells, as well as a few combat spellswhich Maglubiyet approves of: command,spiritual hammer, and sticks to snakes. Inaddition, those shamans who survive to5th level are granted immunity to fear �even fear of a magical sort. It is said thatthe Mighty One absolutely refuses to seehis shamans flee from fights.

KoboldsKobold shamans gain more from their

position than any other humanoid sha-mans, for the extra hit points they receiveput them far beyond their peers in surviv-ability. As a result, Kurtulmak puts hisshamans through rigorous tests.

Kurtulmak�s shamans must personallyslay the leader or subleader of all groupsof foes that the shaman�s band attacks.Shamans may use magic as well as weap-ons to accomplish this. For whatever rea-son, one failure permanently freezes ashaman at his current level. Two failurespermanently strip a kobold shaman of allpowers and extra hit points.

Kobold shamans must sacrifice gnomesto gain levels, the gnomes possessing asmany levels between them as the shaman,plus one level for the level which theshaman is trying to gain. To gain finalpower (5th level), individual shamans mustpersonally hunt down and capture thegnomes to be sacrificed. Any means to thisend, including magical items, spells, andpoisons, are acceptable, but the shaman

must do the capturing alone and unaidedby others. Failure or cheating at thisendeavor permanently strips a koboldshaman of all power.

Upon attaining 5th level, kobold sha-mans are granted a unique ability: thepower to find traps (as per the second-level clerical spell of that name). Thisability is permanent and is granted as anatural extension of the race�s love oftraps and ambushes. For this reason, ahigh-ranking kobold shaman is oftenfound in the front of his band when enter-ing new territory. This ability works con-stantly without concentration, and it is inaddition to the shaman�s regular spell load.

Lizard men The worshipers of Semuanya are found

only among civilized groups of lizard men,as the barbaric lizard men do not followthe gods code of neutrality. Shamans ofthe deity are not tested, although they arerequired to sacrifice 10% of all huntingtrophies taken by the tribe. Civilized lizardmen do not consider humans and demi-humans to be hunting trophies, and gener-ally either let them go or hold them forransom.

Semuanya�s shamans strive for the emo-tionless reptilian ideal and are grantedimmunity from spells which play on theemotions (such as fear-related attacks,symbols of hopelessness or discord, andconfusion spells). Furthermore, theseshamans may attempt to dispel the effectsof any emotion-influencing attack bytouching the afflicted creature. The targetthen receives another saving throw versusthe effect at +4 on the roll. Lizard-manshamans may use this power once permelee round any number of times per day.As with powers bestowed upon othershamans by their deities, this calmingability is a bonus.

Locathah and mermenShamans of the locathah and merman

races worship the same form of Eadro andare treated equally by the deity. Locathahshamans are limited to lower levels thanmermen simply because they tend to be

more coldly logical than mermen and havedifficulty placing faith in an unseen deity.Shamans of these races are ignored bytheir deity for the greater part and needmake no sacrifices. Shamans gain levelsautomatically and need pass no testsexcept to have faith.

Eadro�s shamans are forbidden the useof spells which involve fire, even spellswhich provide protection from that ele-ment. For compensation, locathah andmerman shamans are allowed to chooseprecipitation and cloudburst spells to useagainst fire-wielding surface foes. In addi-tion, certain outstanding shamans of maxi-mum level (about 5% of the total) aregiven an enchanted conch shell by Eadro.This shell summons an 8-HD water ele-mental when blown. The elemental arrivesthe next round and stays for up to onehour or until destroyed. It will battle on itsown, requiring no concentration from theshaman. Such shells are usable only bymaximum-level shamans of Eadro and arenot even magical in the hands of otherbeings.

Ogres and trollsOgre and troll. shamans worship Vaprak

every time they kill something, and thusare not required to make formal sacrifices.When gaining a level, shamans of Vaprakmust seek out and slay a creature of theirown size and power (rival members oftheir own tribe will do). This combat mustbe done without the aid of magic and byusing only natural body weaponry. Sha-mans who break these rules immediatelylose all spells and extra hit points. In manycases, these shamans are slain by theirown tribes.

There is a 2% chance in any battle thatVaprak grants berserk fury to one of hisshamans, as noted on page 96 in Legends& Lore. The deity grants no other favorsto its shamans. Shamans of Vaprak areforbidden the use of any healing andcurative spells, though the reverse applica-tions are encouraged.

OrcsThe relationship between orcish sha-

30 JANUARY 1989

mans and their minor deities is covered inthe Best of DRAGON® Magazine Anthology,volume III, in �The gods of the orcs.� Theonly deity whose shamans are notdescribed is Gruumsh; the shamans dis-cussed here belong to that deity.

Orcish shamans in the service of Gruumshare highly favored by that deity in his effortto outdo other deities, but the price foroffice is high. These shamans are allowed tokeep only half their loot, sacrificing the restto the deity. In addition, these shamans mustmake monthly blood sacrifices to Gruumsh,these being five levels or hit dice worth ofcreatures (animals are acceptable) per levelof the shaman. Failure to meet this quotastrips the shaman of one level per incident.If the shaman reaches zero level throughsuch failure, he is used as a sacrifice byother shamans during the next ceremony.

Levels lost due to failure can be regained byfurther conquest.

Orcish shamans of Gruumsh can neverlose a personal battle upon pain of instantdeath from above. If the shaman�s tribeloses a battle, the shaman loses a level asnoted earlier.

To gain a level, an orcish shaman mustfirst battle any other orc who wants hisposition in a combat to the death. Thewinner of this fight either leaves withlevels intact or has earned the right tobegin training as a 1st-level shaman. Oncechallengers are dealt with, the shamanmust then slay in combat a creature withlevels or hit dice equal to his own. Thesebattles come one after the other in onelong ceremony, and the use of spells andmagical items (other than acceptable magi-cal weapons, or those types used by mostorcs) is forbidden.

Gruumsh�s shamans are not allowed touse curative spells of any sort on others,restricting such cures to themselves. Thereverse applications are highly encour-aged. As compensation for these rigors,Gruumsh grants two favors to his sha-mans. First, when hit points are rolled,two hit points are added to each level�sroll. This extra favor from the deity givesorcish shamans of Gruumsh a large advan-tage in battle and encourages them tomelee. Second, Gruumsh�s shamans areextensively trained with weapons; allow-ing them to fight as full-fledged fighters ofequal level. They have thus earned a repu-tation as fierce foes and are feared bymost other humanoid races. Finally, cer-tain shamans of Gruumsh are so outstand-ing in their destructive tendencies that thedeity rewards each of them with a magicaliron spear. In the hands of an orcish sha-man, this weapon acts as a spear +4(hand-held, not thrown); this weapon isnonmagical to all other creatures. If an elftouches such a weapon, he or she receives5-10 hp burn damage with no savingthrow, and must drop the weapon. Thereis a 5% chance for any maximum-levelshaman of Gruumsh to own such a spear.These weapons are not granted to lower-

level shamans.

SahuaginSahuagin shamans follow a savage code

which results in small numbers of sha-mans among the race. These shamans areallowed no bodyguards and must protectthemselves during battles. Furthermore,they are expected to be in the forefront ofall attacks made by their tribe, fightingnext to the war leaders. Sahuagin shamanscan move up in rank only by slaying theirimmediate superior and thus must beready to fight to retain their own posi-tions. Battles for rank are fought withtooth and claw only; no weapons or magicare allowed.

In addition, sahuagin shamans mustsacrifice foes worth three levels or hit diceper level of the shaman per month. Sinceceremonies are irregular, shamans maysave their quotas until a ceremony is per-formed. However, failure to sacrifice theproper amount of foes at this time will seethe shaman fed to the sacred sharksinstead.

Within a sahuagin tribe, 75% of theshamans are of the four-armed variety. Tothese shamans, Sekolah grants the abilityto cast spells with one pair of arms andconduct melee with the other pair. Thismay continue as long as the shaman is nothit. As soon as the shaman is damaged,spell-casting ability is lost-until the shamancan pull out of melee and regain concen-tration. This ability also allows these spe-cial shamans the ability to hurl or firemissiles and cast spells simultaneously.

At 5th level, four-armed sahuagin sha-mans are put through a tortuous ceremo-ny which deadens their nerves, makingthe shamans virtually resistant to pain.Shamans of this level may melee and castspells even after hit, as a result of thisceremony and the will of Sekolah. Noother abilities come from this ceremony.Symbols of pain do not affect them.

Iwo-armed sahuagin shamans gain nospecial benefits and generally do not livelong. They perform minor functions andact as cannon fodder for the more impor-tant four-armed shamans.

Shamans of Laogzed have a relativelyeasy life, for their deity generally ignoresthem. They make one sacrifice per year,involving the burning of humans withtotal levels equal to the shaman�s levels.This quota is not difficult to meet; failuremerely strips all clerical abilities until suchtime as the quota is met.

occurs within a few months, usually).Shamans of Laogzed may not use fire

spells (that is, resist fire and flame walk),but they may learn cloudburst and createwater if they so desire.

To gain levels, a troglodyte shaman sacri-fices all of its earthly belongings, oftentossing in a bonus human or two for goodmeasure. Larger sacrifices are not reward-ed, but withholding some item or itemsearns the shaman a painful death as soonas Laogzed catches the offender (which

Troglodytes

Witch doctors and deitiesAs, noted earlier, witch doctors are alien-

ated from their humanoid deities by theirdesire to use magic more than brute force.Because of this, witch doctors are forcedto worship all sorts of demons, devils,daemons, and various evil human anddemi-human deities for their powers.There is no way to give specific examplesof deity interactions for witch doctors,since there are so many different sorts ofworshiped beings, but there are a fewcommon rules which apply to all.

1. Any entity which a witch doctor wor-ships is extremely powerful, for whensuch an entity supports a humanoid witchdoctor it is directly snubbing the human-oid deities. Therefore, the entity must be aPrince or Lord among demons, an Arch-Devil among devils, a Greater daemon, ora deity of at least Lesser God status. Forneutral shamans, the greater HierarchModrons occasionally support worshiperson the Prime Material plane, and there area few solars venturous enough to sponsorthe rare, good-aligned witch doctors.These entities take a great deal of interestin their witch doctors, since they have fewworshipers on the Prime Material plane.As a result, they tend to grant morepowers to their witch doctors in order toincrease their power on that plane. Theseentities grant spells freely and often letunworthy sacrifices get by, as long as thewitch doctor is actively furthering thepatron�s ends. Beings like these are liberalwith gifts and spells outside the lists. Manyallow their witch doctors to affect theundead, depending upon the entity�s realmof influence and alignment. In addition,these beings tend to give out minor magi-cal items to deserving witch doctors muchmore frequently than humanoid deitiesreward their shamans.

Finally, witch doctors may call upondivine aid from their deities, whereas ashaman would never dare admit weaknessin this manner. If a witch doctor is in asituation where he will die, his pleas foraid have a 1% chance per clerical level ofbeing answered. An answer to these pleasusually involves the worshiped being

sending servants to aid the witch doctor,although the patron occasionally simplyteleports the shaman to safety. The patronnever risks itself by appearing to aid itswitch doctor, regardless of the witch doc-tor�s level and power. A false alarm whenpraying for divine aid earns an immediateand gruesome death for the witch doctor,so most witch doctors are careful to becertain that death is at hand before tryingthis final option.

Final notesHumanoid spell-casters are an exciting

opponent for any party to face, for theyadd an element of unpredictability andfreshness to familiar foes. Even a mid-levelparty can be hard-pressed by a shaman orwitch doctor with unusual spells andmagical items, and lower-level parties mayfind these NPCs to be much more challeng-ing than random hack-and-slash encoun-ters. The addition of a few spells fromUnearthed Arcana and from outside thelists as given in the DMG should give pauseto those players who have the DMG mem-orized, and will add new twists to thosecampaigns where the DM has alreadymade use of humanoid spell-casters. TheDM can have plotting spell-casters weaveintricate plots for clever PCs to unraveland can center entire adventures aroundfamous humanoid spell-casters. With agreat understanding of the motivationsand desires of the humanoid spell-caster,the DM will be able to create many well-conceived, interesting NPCs of this sort touse and remember.

[Other articles that may be of use toDMs in developing shamans and witchdoctors include: �The half-orc point ofview� and �The gods of the orcs,� from theBest of DRAGON Magazine Anthology, Vol.III; �The humanoids,� from the Best ofDRAGON Magazine Anthology, Vol. V; and�The Citadel by the Sea,� in DRAGON issue#78.]

DRAGON 33

by Arthur Collins

Boulder-Throwersand Humanoid

HordesGiants, humanoids, and Dungeon Masters

Giants and humanoids are the stock in trade of the Dungeon Master. They arebasic to the AD&D®games, far more exotic monsters in the variousreference books. Orcs, goblins, gnolls, giants, and the rest form the basic set of oppo-nents for most beginning campaigns. Long before an adventuring group is ready totake on drow and dragons, it is ready for a bunch of hobgoblins.

The problem with giants and humanoids is that their strengths are their weakness-es. Sound strange? Look at it this way: Giants have awesome fighting power, givingand taking lots of hit points of damage. Humanoids can give and take less in combat,but they come in great numbers. This makes these foes challenging for low to mid-level parties, but dull for higher-level groups. Once you reach a certain level ofmagic-use and acquire a certain number of hit points and magical items, giants andhumanoids aren�t challenging any more. Goblins and kobolds are the worst; with lessthan one full hit die, they face fighters who get as many attacks per round as thefighters have levels. Additionally, giants and humanoids are lumped together in thegiant-class category, against which rangers do extra damage. In the end, the mostpowerful groups of giants and humanoids only delay a party, not challenge it seri-ously.

So what can be done about it? Are these races simply not credible challenges afterthe party reaches a certain point? If you let that happen, the campaign will soon suf-fer from adventure inflation � the unwarranted expansion of magic, treasure, andtreat that make so many campaigns dull. However, experienced DMs can use giantsand humanoids effectively throughout the adventuring life of the PCs� party, but ittakes knowledge of some tricks about DMing these monsters.

34 JANUARY 1989

The bigger they are...Giants are like the old naval descriptions

of battleships: eggshells armed with ham-mers. They are capable of dealing outawesome damage, but they come few innumber. Thus, the first principle of usinggiants successfully is to take advantage oftheir long-range attacks. Most DMs playgiants as close-and-bash types. However,most giants have special attack abilitieswith hurling boulders or other missiles.

These abilities should be taken seriously.There was a rather cocky wizard in mycampaign who was twice splattered allover the side of mountain passes by giant-hurled boulders. He eventually learned notto lead the charge on his broom of flying.While even the rather stupid giants love toget up close and bash, it should be a pointof honor among giants to see who wins atthrowing contests. They may make betson their abilities in leisure times. When

engaged in an ambush or open combat,they should almost always attempt to hurlboulders before closing.

Giants should use their missile-hurlingcapabilities in other ways. Giants may likefortified gateways and ravines alike, sinceattacking and defending from above areamong their most basic tactics. Note themissile-fire cover and concealment adjust-ments in the DMG, page 64. Even under- ground, place giants on ledges and over

DRAGON 35

gateways (with rocks to throw). Smartergiants can construct powerful artilleryweapons, which giants can pick up anduse the way humans use crossbows orslings. Beware of giants with ballistas!

The second principle of using giantssuccessfully is to exploit their magicaltalents and possessions. Remember thatsome giants can have clerical abilities.Giant shamans are more than most PCsbargained for. With abilities running up to7th level, giant shamans are a lovely edgeon the competition. Not every lair shouldhave a shaman, perhaps, but certainlythere should be a shaman for every tribeof giants in a given area. This alsoincreases the amount of magic that thegiants have to use against their enemies.Giant-size magical items should probablybe avoided, since they may eventuallywind up in the PCs� hands. Go for expend-ables, such as potions and scrolls, whichthe giants can use up in healing them-selves and fighting the party. And don�tforget that certain giant types, such as thefirbolg, have innate magical abilities.

Third, take advantage of the giants�home turf. There is no reason why a giantlair should be easy to enter. Cloud giantslive on cloud islands or mountain peaks;stone, fire, and frost giants live in oftenequally inaccessible places with their owndangers. In addition to making the PCsovercome the difficulties of reaching andentering the giants� lair, the DM shouldremember that giants do not neglect traps,guards, ambushes, alarms, patrols, andlocks. If a giant constructs a trap, it proba-bly causes more damage than one made bya man-size opponent.

Fourth, note that many giants havepowerful pets: spotted lions, hell hounds,winter wolves, dire wolves, giant lizards,cave bears, and so on. In addition, manygiants take slaves or live in cooperationwith other giants and humanoids (ogres,orcs, etc.) who will fight if so ordered bythe giants. Nor do the giants always haveto be in charge. Giants can be found shar-ing their homes with dragons or else play-ing the roles of minions for a humanmagic-user or cleric (or a vampire or lich).

Giants can be found in all sorts of circum-stances, both as leaders and followers.

Fifth, keep in mind those special touchesthat make for truly inspired refereeing.After all, there is nothing sacred about thestatistics on giants. They can be tinkeredwith. How about giant undead, such asgiant skeletons, giant zombies, giant liches,and giant mummies? How about frostgiant berserkers? How about Oriental hillgiants who have mastered martial arts andcan kick PCs like footballs? How aboutfirbolgs always approaching in man-size?How about using regeneration? ethereali-ty? phasing? lycanthropy? poison resist-ance due to large size? giant shades? Thepossibilities are endless.

The more, the merrierThe first help to give humanoids is to

improve their lousy generalship. DMsoften use humanoids as cannon fodder. Ifthese humanoids are really trying to sur-vive in a tough world, why do they fightso stupidly? Humanoids have many missileweapons and a level of civilization thatwould seem to make them formidableguerrilla fighters. Why not use them insmall raiding parties with missile weapons,acid grenades, and stealth? When the PCsinvade the humanoids� home turf, the PCsshould encounter stiff resistance. Ahumanoid lair, underground or above-ground, should be as well thought out andheavily defended with traps, guards, pets,patrols, ambushes, and fortifications as ahuman town or castle. The humanoidsshould fight tenaciously and intelligentlyin their home�s defense. If the situationbecomes untenable, they should evacuatewith many vows of revenge. They shouldnot just keep coming and coming to beground into hamburger by the guys withthe swords of blending, +3 (Oster). Onemust presume that the war chiefs areintelligent battle leaders, and play them asfull-fledged NPCs.

Second, when they do go off to war enmasse, use the BATTLESYSTEM� supple-ment rules for combat with large, orga-nized companies of humanoids, whichgives them a greater advantage. A couple

of high-level fighter-types can stand andchop humanoids all day long under thenormal melee rules, and they�ll hardly gettheir armor scratched. But under theBATTLESYSTEM supplement rules forCharacter vs. Figure Combat, no PC canwipe out a whole unit of humanoids thatfast, and in addition, the humanoids get arealistic chance to overwhelm a characterthat the humanoids probably can�t evenhit individually! If your players complain,point out to them that the humanoids arenot just skirmishers; they are fairly disci-plined, trained warriors engaged in abattle maneuver. Thus, BATTLESYSTEMsupplement rules correct a deficiency thatmany of us saw long ago, making masscombat faster, more realistic, and betterfor the underdog humanoids.

Third, humanoids also have shamansand witch doctors. These spell-casters cangather magical items, undead, and otherspell-casters to wreak havoc on a PC party.Even if a hobgoblin shaman doesn�t havemany effective spells, the extra hit pointsfrom being a shaman help him betterstand up to opponents.

Fourth, like giants, humanoids can alsobe augmented by their subordinate rela-tionship to an overlord, whether a magic-user or an outer-planes creature such as abarghest. Other monsters, such as behold-ers, liches, and dragons, are sometimesfound as overlords to humanoid tribes.

Fifth, humanoids are no more sacred intheir statistics than giants. There is noth-ing intrinsically wrong with a hobgoblinwith 7 HD � although you ought to figureout some reason why he rose so high.There is nothing wrong with a tribe ofOriental humanoids versed in martial artsor using ki powers. Half-orcs that resem-ble their orcish parents could be found inpositions of leadership in an orc tribe.Humanoid cavalry mounted on giant liz-ards, harpies, and even dinosaurs (as wellas the conventional worgs) is in order.

And finally, don�t forget that finest ofhumanoid pleasures: poison. Large dosesof poison in a campaign are generallyconsidered unfair, since too many �zap �you�re dead!� situations are a poor meansof evening the odds with the high-levelplayers. On the other hand, blade venomshould be the forte of humanoids. Makingpoisoned arrows and blades more com-mon is one means of increasing PC respectfor the poor humanoids.

ConclusionGiants and humanoids can remain chal-

lenging opponents throughout a PC�s life.The problem is not with the monstersthemselves, but with Dungeon Mastersbeing unable to use them in more sophisti-cated manners. As long as we rely onmore aspects of these monsters than theirhit dice and numbers, we can keep usingthem over and over again � and neverrun out of excitement.

36 JANUARY 1989

by Joseph Clay

Hey,Wanna Be a

Kobold?Humanoids as player

characters in AD&D® games

The following material is highly variant, but gamers may use it to start an alter-nate campaign in which the bad guys get a little glory for a change. If these rulesare not adopted for PCs, a DM may wish to use them for creating extraordinaryNPCs (perhaps even populating an isolated area of the world with �super human-oids� for the PCs to fight. Note that the D&D® Gazetteer GAZ 10 The Orcs of Thar(released in December) contains a humanoid character-generating system as well,though this article does not mesh with that or with other material on humanoids inthis magazine issue.

Exceptional humanoids are rare anddistinct from the other members of theirrespective races. Such special beings couldconceivably enjoy limited level advance-ment, and a person playing a humanoidcharacter would have a unique role-playing challenge. Some people would likethe chance to be a rustic and downrightdisgusting orc after role-playing one toomany noble elves. Other maverick role-players may similarly want to play adiminutive yet lethal kobold, breaking outof the mold of the average, easily slainhumanoid. It is for these people that thefollowing guidelines for humanoid PCswere created.

The pecking orderTo get the proper feel for role-playing

humanoids, one must first understandtheir motivations. Humanoid society isusually formed into tribal hierarchies withthe strongest members in control. Thistype of organization is also found in wildanimal populations and is often referred toas the �pecking order!� In groups of preda-

38 JANUARY 1989

tory animals like wolves or lions, therivalry of the pecking order establishesthe most physically powerful male as themaster of all he surveys. This masteryallows the strongest male to have his firstchoice of a mate, food, and all else hedesires. The leading male also has greatresponsibilities in the hunt and in theprotection of his group. In humanoidsocieties, the pecking order works inmuch the same way; in both cases, thegroup is there for the protection of itsindividual members over all other outsideinfluences. Humanoids take this reasoninga step further so that all other outsideinfluences must be eliminated, controlled,or used for group or individual benefit.Most humanoids fervently believe that theonly way to get something in life is to takeit by force.

Humanoids of all races will not beadverse to joining forces in order to attackcommon enemies; however, each race isaware that when the battle is done, thereshould only be one race to claim the spoils.Most of the time, different humanoid

races war against each other for food andslaves. This intertribal and interracialwarfare is imbedded in their religions andin their minds. The warring weeds out theweak and gives the survivors power andglory, thus establishing the pecking orderon a large scale. Exceptional humanoidsthat become adventurers are a result ofthis weeding process, and are nearlyalways driven by the same competitive-ness their tribes possess.

Notes on the tablesThis article provides several tables to

help DMs and players determine the vari-ous aspects of humanoid PCs. Tables 1-3provide minimum and maximum attrib-utes, the number of dice used to deter-mine these attributes, and any applicablemodifications made to the rolls. Thesefigures are determined by race, which isreflected in the focus of each table. Thesetables are based on Character Race TableIII: Ability Score Minimums & Maximums,on page 15 of the Players Handbook.

Tables 4-6 provide character-class levellimitations. These limits are determined by race, as illustrated in the focus of eachtable. Tables 4-6 are similar to CharacterRace Table II: Class Level Limitations, onpage 14 of the Players Handbook.

Tables 7 and 8 provide racial adjust-ments for humanoid thief and thief-acrobat abilities, respectively. These tablesare derived from the Racial Adjustmentssections of the Thief Function Table onpage 28 of the Players Handbook, and theThief-Acrobat Function Table on page 24of Unearthed Arcana.

Table 9 is a new table; it lists a numberof physical abnormalities for humanoidPCs which are described in the followingsection. Table 10 lists starting ages foreach of the humanoid races (as in the Non-Human Characters Table on page 12 of theDungeon Masters Guide). Table 11 showsthe various age categories for eachhumanoid race (as in the Age Categoriestable on page 13 of the DMG).

Table 12 is the Shaman Experience table;it provides the experience points, levels,titles, and numbers of hit dice for thisspell-casting class. Spells for this class arelisted in Table 13. Table 14 (like Table 12)lists experience information for the witchdoctor character class. Spells available tothis class appear in Table 15. These tablesare similar to those provided in the Play-ers Handbook for the other characterclasses.

Physical abnormalitiesIn some humanoid societies, physical

abnormalities are a fact of life. Abnormali-ties run from unfortunate deformities touseful new abilities. Exceptional human-oids are distinct from regular humanoidsbecause they are so often remarkablyabnormal, even for humanoids. Physicalabnormalities are determined randomly byrolling twice on Table 9. These abnormali-ties are detailed as follows:

Abnormally tall: Height is increased by1-2�, weight by 20-40 lbs., and strength by1 point. If height is increased past 7� tall,the humanoid is considered to be in thelarger-than-man-size category for weapondamage.

Color blind: Certain colors cannot bedistinguished and will appear uniformlygray, at the DM�s discretion.

Disgusting habit: This causes a penaltyof -2 to charisma and comeliness. Possi-ble bad habits could include great unclean-liness, slobbering, belching, or worse(player�s choice).

Disproportionate arms: Increasestrength by 1 point, but only with respectto the use of hands, arms, and shoulders.This extra point of strength may be usedfor wielding hand weapons, pummeling,and grappling. In addition, increase thechance of successful climbing by 5%.

Dumb: The humanoid may be dumb, butnot stupid. Reroll intelligence and wisdomscores using 1d4 +4.

Furry/hairy: The humanoid is covered inheavy growths of fur. Improve naturalarmor class by 1 point and give + 1 tosaving throws vs. cold damage.

Heightened smell: The sense of smell ishighly acute, allowing the humanoids todistinguish hundreds of different peopleby scent alone. Surprise rolls are granted+ 1 in favor of an individual with thisability. Tracking by scent can be done on a20% chance.

Homing instinct: With this ability, a losthumanoid can always make a straight-linepath to his home ground (if he is on thesame world as his home).

Insanity: Roll for the type of insanity onpage 83 of the DMG. It is suggested thatinsanity should be a type that mightimprove role-playing rather than one ofthe more serious, uncontrollable, disrup-tive forms (like suicidal mania, etc.). [See�Methods to Your Madness,� in DRAGON®issue #138, for playable types of characterinsanity.]

Iron stomach: An iron stomach-allowsthe owner to eat bad food, carrion, rats,rot grubs, or anything that might beremotely edible with no ill effects. Savingthrows vs. ingested poison are at +4; if nosaving throw is normally possible, thehumanoid gains a saving throw of 16,adjusted by other applicable bonuses frommagical items.

Keen hearing: The humanoid has an80% chance to hear noise, with a 20%chance in the worst conditions.

Oversized claws: The humanoid canmake regular claw attacks, doing 1-4 hpper clawed hand (two such attacks perround) plus bonuses for strength.

Oversized teeth: The humanoid can bitefor l-4 hp damage (normally, humanoidbites only do 1 hp damage).

Psionics: This rare humanoid is psioni-cally endowed and must roll for psionicability, powers, and disciplines, as per thePlayers Handbook, pages 110-117.

Stupid: Reroll intelligence and wisdom

Table 1Orc Attributes

Attribute Min. Max. Dice Mod.Strength 8 18/00 3d6 + 1Intelligence 2 16 2d8 -Wisdom 2 16 2d8 -Dexterity 2 17 3d6 - 1Constitution 10 19 3d6 + 1Charisma* 2 16 2d8 -Comeliness* 2 12 2d6 -

* Add + 2 to the given charisma when dealing with orcs from the PC�s own tribe.

Table 2Goblin Attributes

Attribute Min. Max. Dice Mod.Strength 3 18/75 3d6 -Intelligence 3 17 3d6 -Wisdom 2 16 2d8 -Dexterity 3 18 3d6 -Constitution 8 17 3d6 - 1Charisma* 2 16 2d8 -Comeliness* 2 8 2d4 -

* Add + 2 to the given charisma when dealing with goblins from the PC�s own tribe.

Table 3Kobold and Xvart Attributes

AttributeStrengthIntelligenceWisdomDexterityConstitutionCharisma*Comeliness*

Min.3223222

Max.1516161816168

Dice3d62d82d83d62d82d82d4

Mod.- 1------

* Add double the PC�s experience level to charisma when dealing with humanoids fromhis own tribe.

Table 4Class Level Limitations (Orc)

Ability score

15161718

18/9918/00

192021

Shaman Fighter Magic-user Thief Assassin

5 2 4 7 126 3 4 8 127 3 4 9 128 4 4 9 12- 5 - - -- 5 - - -10 6 5 10 1311 8 6 10 1411 12 6 10 14

DRAGON 39

scores using 1d4 + 1. Although not particu-larly bright, the humanoid with this afflic-tion can be single-mindedly tenacious. Thehumanoid can continue to fight for 1-4melee rounds after reaching zero through- 6 hp before being killed. At - 7 hp ormore, death is immediate.

Sensitive skin: In direct sunlight, thehumanoid with this affliction suffers 2 hpdamage per hour from burns.

Thick cranium: The humanoid with thisenlarged forehead can use it as a large,hard object when pummeling (UnearthedArcana, page 107). Subtract 1 point ofintelligence.

Tougher hide: Subtract 2 from the natu-ral armor class of the humanoid.

Ugly: Reroll comeliness using 1d6 + 2,and subtract 1 point from charisma (maxi-mum score of 10 allowed).

Table 5Class Level Limitations (Goblin)

Ability score15161718

18/9918/00

192 021

Shaman789

10--111111

Fighter223445689

Magic-user4445-

Thief9

101111-

- -6 117 128 12

Assassin11121213--141414

Table 6Class Level Limitations (Kobolds/Xvarts)

Ability score15161718

18/5018/7518/99

192021

Shaman5678---

101010

Fighter2222345667

Magic-user2234--- -

5 126 128 12

Thief10111212--

Assassin10101111---

121212

Ugly (very): Reroll charisma using1d10 -8, and subtract 3 points from cha-risma (maximum score of 8 allowed).

Ugly (extremely): Reroll comeliness using2d6 -20, and subtract 5 points from cha-risma (maximum score of 6 allowed, withno minimum score). If two �Ugly� resultsare rolled, the charisma effects are cumu-lative and the lowest possible comelinessscore using either result is adopted. Any-one who sees a humanoid with charismaand comeliness scores of negative valuesmust make a saving throw vs. spells or beaffected as if by a scare spell. It is obviousthat such a humanoid must keep his facecovered when he is not in private.

Starting moneyFor the sake of simplicity, all humanoids

can be given the starting money normallyallowed to their prospective classes. But ifa DM wishes to create a more challengingdilemma for starting humanoids, he mayequip each of them with any three of thefollowing useful groups of things instead(player�s choice): any one weapon; one suitof ring mail, studded leather, or leatherarmor; a shield (any size); one week�s foodand water; a pouch with 2-8 random coins(with thieves picks and tools if the human-oid has thieving abilities); a completelyloyal, immature pet (must be a nonmagicalmammal having 5 HD or less when fullgrown); a wooden holy symbol (for sha-mans and witch doctors); a crudely madespell book (written on thin wooden sheetsor old paper) for witch doctors, with spellcomponents for 2d10 castings; one set ofvery warm furs, a hat, boots, and gloves;1-4 one-gallon jugs of highly volatile drink-ing grog; 1-2 flasks of oil; one flask of arandomly determined poison (DM�s deci-sion as to potency, effects, and use). Moth-eaten or dirty old garments are free forstarting humanoids. The DM must remindthe humanoid that he comes from a tech-nologically backwards, if not impover-

Table 7Racial Adjustments for Thieves

Race of Pick Open Find/removethe thief pockets locks trapsOrc - 5 % +5% +15%Goblin +5% +5% +5%Kobold +5% +5% +5%Xvart - +5% +5%

Move Hide in Hear Climb Readsilently shadows noise walls languages

- - +5% + 1 0 % - 2 0 %- +5% +5% - - 1 0 %

+ 10% +15% +5% - 1 5 % - 1 0 %+ 1 0 % +15% +5% - 1 5 % - 5 %

Table 8Racial Adjustments for Thief-Acrobats

Race of Tightrope Pole High Broad jumping: Tumbling maneuvers:

acrobat walking vaulting jumping standing running attack evasion fallingGoblin - - 2 ' -1' - 1½' - 2 ' +5% + 10% -

Kobold - - 2 ' -1' - 2 ' - 2 ' - + 1 0 % +5%Xvart - - 2 ' -1' - 2 ' - 2 ' - + 10% +5%

40 JANUARY 1989

ished, tribal situation; even shoes or bootsare rarely available. Table 9

Physical AbnormalitiesCharacter race descriptions

OrcsExceptional orcs may be fighters, sha-

mans, magic-users, thieves, or assassins.Orcs may be multiclassed as witch doc-tors, fighter/assassins, or shaman/thieves.

Orcs have a natural armor class of 10,modified by dexterity and armor. In addi-tion to their own language, orcs speakGoblin, Hobgoblin, Ogrish, and a crudeform of Common. They also speak theiralignment language but can learn no addi-tional languages. Orcs pick up mostobscene and slang words and phrases ifexposed to a given language for more thanone week�s time.

Orcs have infravision to a 6� range; inbright light, they take a penalty of - 1 on�to hit� rolls and saving throws. Orcs havea base movement rate of 12�) an averageweight of 170 +2d12 lbs., and an averageheight of 66 +4d4� (about 6�). All orcshave excellent mining skills, and excep-tional orcs have a 35% chance to detectgrade, slope, new construction, slidingwalls, traps, and depth underground.Many orcs have the ability to constructlarge engines of destruction, such as cata-pults, battering rams, etc.; some orcs haveextra proficiency in the use of one specificsiege-engine type, receiving a + 1 bonuson �to hit� rolls. A few know how to trainelephantine creatures as war mounts.Orcs can handle any hand-held weaponsthat humans can handle.

Orcs hate elves and their ilk, and willgenerally attack them before attacking anyother creature. Exceptional orcs will toler-ate elves as long as there is no imperti-nence. This balanced tolerance rarelyprevents an orc from using harmless butvulgar puns which the orc regards as highsarcasm. All orcs are rude, crude, andhave bad manners, especially when fight-ing and eating. Attempts at teaching anorc complex tasks sometimes result invaguely acceptable behavior, although thisis usually perverted into unintentionalparodies of the desired goal.

GoblinsGoblins may be fighters, shamans,

magic-users, thieves, assassins, or thief-acrobats. They may be multiclassed aswitch doctors, fighter/shamans, fighter/thieves, fighter/witch doctors, andshaman/thieves.

Goblins have a natural armor class of 10,modified by dexterity and armor type. Inaddition to their own language, goblinsalso speak Hobgoblin, Kobold, Orcish, anda stilted form of Common. They also speaktheir alignment language and a maximumof one other language, regardless of intelli-gence. A goblin can call off attacks fromwolves, worgs, and most dogs if he rollshis charisma or less on 1d20, with a + 2bonus.

Goblins have infravision to a 6� range.In bright light, goblins take a penalty of- 1 on �to hit� rolls and on saving throws.Goblins have a base movement rate of 6�)an average weight of 70 +2d10 lbs., andan average height of 43 + 2d4�. Goblinshave fair mining skills, with a 25% chanceto detect grade, slope, new construction,sliding walls, traps, and depth under-ground. When attacked by larger-than-man-size creatures, goblin characterssubtract 1 from their opponents �to hit�rolls because of the relative speed andsmall size of goblins.

Goblins hate gnomes and dwarves, andwill generally attack them before attackingany other creature. Exceptional goblinsmight rein-in their racial hatreds in orderto benefit from mutual cooperation, butthis does not keep them from subterfuge,manipulation, or worse at a later date.Goblins of all alignments can have hench-men, but evil goblins will literally enslavetheir followers.

Kobolds and xvartsKobolds and their blue-skinned cousins

may become fighters, shamans, magic-users, thieves, assassins, or thief-acrobats.They may be multiclassed as witch doc-tors, fighter/shamans, fighter/magic-users,fighter/witch doctors, fighter/thieves,

ldl0001-0203-0607-1011-1213-1617-2021-2223-2526-2728-3031-3435-3637-3839-42

4344-4546-4950-5152-5354-5960-6465-6667-9495-99

00

AbnormalityAbnormally tallColor blindDisgusting habitDisproportionate armsDumbFurry/hairyHeightened smellHoming instinctInfravisionInsanityIron stomachKeen hearingOversized clawsOversized teethPsionicStupidSun-sensitive skinThick craniumTough hideUglyUgly (very)Ugly (extremely)No abnormalitiesRoll again twicePlayer�s choice

Table 10Age Categories

Race Young adult Mature Middle aged Old VenerableGoblin 10-12 13-25 26-35 36-50 51-65Kobold/xvart 20-30 31-65 66-100 101-135 136-180Orc 8-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-55

Table 11Humanoid Starting Age

Race Cleric Fighter Magic-user ThiefGoblin 9+1d4 9+1d4 13 + 1d8 9+1d4Kobold/xvart 28 + 1d4 20 + 1d4 37 +2d12 26 + 1d4Orc 7+1d4 7+1d4 11 + 1d6 7+1d4

Table 12Shaman Experience Table

Experiencepoints0-2,000

2,001-4,0004,001-8,000

8,001-17,50017,501-35,00035,001-70,000

70,001-140,000140,001-285,000285,001-570,000570,001-845,000

845,001+

Experiencelevel

1234567891011

8-sided dice foraccumulated

hit points23456789

1010+210+4

Leveltitle

Minor shamanMinor shamanMinor shaman

ShamanShamanShaman

Shaman priestShaman priestShaman priest

Greater shamanGreater shaman

DRAGON 41

fighter/assassins, shaman/thieves, shaman/assassins, magic-user/thieves, or witchdoctor/thieves.

Kobolds speak their own language, Gob-lin, and Orcish; xvarts know their owntongue, Kobold, and Goblin. These tworaces also speak their alignment languagesand a maximum of one more language.Kobolds can deal with wild boars andgiant weasels as goblins do large canines,and xvarts deal with all rats and bats in asimilar fashion.

Kobolds and xvarts have infravision outto a 6� range; in bright light, they take apenalty of - 1 on �to hit� rolls and onsaving throws. Their base movement rateis 6�) average weight is 34 + 2d6 lbs., andaverage height is 31+ 2d8�. Kobolds havea natural armor class of 8 and xvarts of10, with modifications for armor wornand dexterity. When being attacked bylarger-than-man-size creatures, thesebeings subtract 1 from their opponents �tohit� rolls because of the size differential.

Normal kobolds and xvarts almostalways live in large war bands whichmakes up for their individual small sizes.Exceptional kobolds and xvarts compen-sate for their smallness by the use of cun-ning tactics, common sense, and raw skill;still, they realize that safety lies in num-

bers and will always retain good standingwithin one or more tribes. Each suchhumanoid therefore finds it advantageousto increase the size and might of his tribe,indirectly gaining more prestige and per-sonal power. For example, by seeking toimprove tribal ironworking techniques,the exceptional kobold benefits, as histribe can create better weapons andarmor of higher protective value. Thesesmallest beings must look after each otherin order to survive annihilation by theirnumerous enemies. To reflect this tribalorientation, an exceptional kobold or xvartadds double his level of experience to hischarisma score to get the charisma effectwhen dealing with humanoids of his owntribe.

Since so many assorted creatures attackthem, kobolds have become clever haters,particularly despising the likes of brown-ies, pixies, sprites, and gnomes. Exception-al kobolds tolerate the more powerfulgnomes only if they can ignore them. Anyconversation with these races is terse andto the point. By contrast, xvarts seem tohate everyone equally.

The shamanThe shaman is a primitive subclass of

the cleric. A character must have a mini-

Table 13Shaman Spells

Number 1st level 2nd level1 C e r e m o n y Augury2 Cure light wounds Chant3 Detect evil Detect charm,4 Detect magic Detect life5 Light Holy symbol6 Portent Resist fire7 Protection from evil Snake charm8 Resist fear Speak with animals

Number 3rd level 4th level1 Cure blindness Abjure2 Cure disease Control temperature 10� radius*3 Death�s door Divination4 Dispel magic Exorcise5 Flame walk Neutralize poison6 Locate object Produce fire*7 Prayer Spell immunity8 Remove curse Tongues

Number 5th Level1 Animate dead monsters2 Atonement3 Commune4 Control winds*5 Cure critical wounds6 Dispel magic7 Quest8 True seeing

* As the druidic spell of the same level.

6th LevelAnimate objectConjure animalsFind the pathForbiddanceHealSpeak with monstersStone tellWeather summoning*

mum wisdom ability score of 9 to be ashaman; if wisdom is greater than 15, thecharacter adds 10% to the experiencepoints awarded to him by the referee, Ashaman PC also gains bonus spells fromhigh wisdom.

The shaman is dedicated to a deity andurges his tribe to worship that god. Theshaman�s alignment is that of his deity, andhe uses the weapon and armor types usedby that deity and by his own tribe.

PC shamans are limited to the casting ofcertain spells; these are listed hereafter.Shamans have the same number of spellsusable per level as clerics, using thesespells to protect the welfare of theirtribes. Shamans may additionally useclerical scrolls with spells other than thoseon the shamans� spell table.

Shamans use the cleric�s fighting andsaving-throw tables. All saving throws vs.disease and poison are made at +2, due tothe hardy lifestyle of the shaman.

The shaman character has some of theprimary abilities of the barbarian class.These primary abilities are: hide in naturalsurroundings, surprise, and leadership.The shaman also has the followingbarbarian-class secondary abilities: surviv-al, first aid, outdoor craft, and tracking.

Exceptional humanoid shamans alsohave sage knowledge, having two to fourspecial categories within the major field ofstudy. The major field of study will, ofcourse, always be �Humanoids andGiantkind.� Shamans can read and writeany language they can speak with a 5%chance of success per intelligence point.

Humanoid shamans of 9th level canconcoct poison as assassins can. Scrollsmay be inscribed by shamans of 7th levelonly if the shamans can use the spells theyinscribe.

If and when a humanoid shamanachieves 8th level, he automaticallyattracts humanoid followers if he estab-lishes a place of worship. These humanoidfollowers are fanatically loyal and servewithout pay as long as the shaman doesnot change deities or alignment. The num-ber of humanoid followers is the same asthe �Number Appearing� statistic found inthe Monster Manual under the appropri-ate humanoid type. In addition, there willbe subleaders of the appropriate type and4-20 temple guards (normal humanoidswith maximum hit points). For eachadvance in level beyond the 8th, the sha-man gains 2-20 additional humanoid fol-lowers. The shaman may also build acastle or some type of fortified templeupon reaching 9th level, as would a nor-mal cleric.

The tribal magic-userThe tribal magic-user is the same as a

regular magic-user, except that spell listsare more limited for magicians in suchrustic situations. The spells of tribal magic-users are engraved into poor-quality paperor wooden tablets because the expensiveparchment required to make a proper

42 JANUARY 1989

spell book is beyond the technologicalcapabilities of most humanoid tribes.These spell �books� are bulky, having anencumbrance value of 10 gp per spell levelfor wooden tablets and 3 gp per spell levelfor paper books.

Humanoid magic-users and witch doc-tors are initially limited in magic-userspells, but they may attempt to learn anduse other magic-user spells if such areaccessible. The spells must be provided bythe very few human or demi-humanmagic-users who are willing to trade withhumanoids (or are forced to do so). Sincethe providing magic-user runs the risk ofbeing labeled as a traitor (or worse), hewill certainly charge many times the for-mal fee for such services. Exceptionalmagic-users and witch doctors all beginwith the spells read magic and write, with1-3 other spells as well.

Wooden or parchment scrolls may beinscribed by 7th- or higher-level tribalspell-casters, so long as the spells involvedare on their allowed spells lists.

The witch doctorWitch doctors are a special form of

multiclassed magic-user/shaman open only

to humanoids. The witch doctor differsfrom other multiclasses because a six-sideddie per level is used to determine hitpoints. Witch doctors have all the abilitiesand level limitations of shamans.

The ability to learn and memorizemagic-user spells is restricted by the levellimitations of the tribal magic-user class,even though the witch doctor can achievehigher levels.

In addition to the special abilities ofshamans, witch doctors have other skills.At 3rd level, witch doctors can brewcrude alcoholic beverages. At 5th level, thefollowing spells can be brewed as potions:cure blindness, cure disease, cure lightwounds, resist fear, and resist fire. Neu-tralize poison and spell immunity can bebrewed as potions upon attaining 7thlevel. Also at 7th level, a witch doctor hassufficient alchemical ability with which toconstruct a homonculous. Note that no aidfrom an alchemist is required unless thewitch doctor wishes to make other potiontypes.

Table 14Witch Doctor�s Experience Table

6-sided dice forExperience Experience accumulated Level

points level hit points title0-4,500 1 1 Acolyte

4,501-9000 2 2 Evoker9,001-18,000 3 3 Witch-Conjurer

18,001-39,500 4 4 Bewitcher39,501-75,000 5 5 Witch-Brewer75,001-130,000 6 6 Witch-Brewer

130,001-230,000 7 7 Witch-Brewer230,001-420,000 8 8 Witch Doctor420,001-820,000 9 9 Witch Doctor

820,001-1,220,OOO 10 9+2 Witch Doctor1,220,001+ 11 9+4 Witch Doctor

Witch doctors gain magic-user and clerical spells of the appropriate levels; when themaximum spell-use level for one class is reached, spell progression continues for theother class only.

EditorialContinued from page 3

adding a few new faces on the produc-tion staff). Nothing remains the sameexcept change. I don�t even want toimagine what will happen this year.

And finally �Allycia & Scud & Waldorf &

harpies: Regretfully, we are notaccepting any more letters for �Forum�in which writers point out variousways in which the beautiful elven cava-lier Allycia and the scum human fighterScud can bash each other for the privi-lege of crossing a bridge. They werefirst used as examples in a joustingarticle in issue #118, page 25, and theiralternate adventures have dotted the�Forum� since then (we�ve gotten a half-dozen other letters on them, too). Ithink we all know in our hearts thatAllycia and Scud are in love and aregoing to get married, so we need nofurther speculation on their martial(and marital) jousting.

We also have more than enoughletters describing ways in which every-one�s favorite character lays intoWaldorf, the 358th-level magic-userwho H-bombed Oerth (issue #138). Wemay run a few of these later, butbelieve me, our files are full. We havealso turned our backs on the burningissues of whether dwarven womenhave beards, how harpies reproducethemselves, and the existence ofbanded-mail armor. This was not donewithout many hours of intense soul-searching, but we trust we have donethe right thing. We must make way forwholly new bizarre topics for 1989,and we are counting on you � ourreaders � to help chart our course.

From all of us, to all of you: Have awonderful New Year.

Table 15Tribal Magic-user and Witch Doctor Spells

Number 1st level1 Affect normal fires2 Dancing lights3 Identify4 Jump5 Mending6 Push7 Run8 Shield9 Taunt

10 Ventriloquism

2nd levelAudible glamerBindDetect invisibilityInvisibilityLevitateMagic mouthMirror imagePreserveScareShatter

3rd levelClairaudienceClairvoyanceDefect illusionDispel magicFlame arrowHasteInvisibility 10� radiusMaterialProtection from normal missilesSlow

4th levelDigEnchanted weaponFearPlant growthPolymorph otherPolymorph selfRemove curseUltra visionStoneskinWizard eye

DRAGON 43

rystals of frozen breath clung to thefur that lined the hood of AnradSnorrison�s cloak. Wind beat againsthis face, and the tears it drove fromhis eyes hardened to ice on his cheeks.Swiftly, the rhythmical zigzag of hisskis passed miles beneath him, but the

TheUlfjarl�sbleak, white landscape never changed. He longed for the

shelter the pines had provided scarcely half a day earlier.Now, the forest dwindled to a thin black line behind him,separating the snowfields from the cloudless sky.

Anrad knew venturing this close to Jotunheim wasdangerous. In a winter so severe the elders claimed it as Stonethe first of three that would herald the battle of Ragnarokat the end of the world, his journey seemed sure suicide.Still, Anrad had not been offered a choice. He harboredlittle love for his father, but Snorri Hardhand was a chiefand a great warrior, and he should not have to die in a by Mickey Zucker Reichertsickbed. So, the village priest ordered Anrad to leave hisfather�s side and seek the Ulfjarl�s stone. Legends claimedits reading would bring new strength to the chieftain.

The ground trembled as a distant glacier marchedtoward the sea. Anrad felt its movement through feet that had grown wooden from cold. He longed to turn back andsurrender to the smoky warmth of the longhouse. But ifAnrad returned without finding and reading the runicstone he sought, he would prove himself a coward andcondemn his father�s soul to Hel, the final rest for menwho died ravaged by illness rather than the glories of war.

As a youth, Anrad recalled his mother�s tears while hehid behind a thick beam. His father paced angrily. �Youmake my son into a milksop. He must learn of Odin andthe warrior�s skill of klima as well as the White Christ andbooks. To control the stallions that wander my fief, hishands must be strong enough to hold their reins. Youmake him a weakling.� His mother had struck his father aringing blow across the face and ran from the room. Hisfather�s voice chased her. �Teach him that, and I�ll bepleased.�

Anrad sniffed the air, and the cold slid mucus down histhroat. Blood filled his hairless cheeks. I�ll not give my fatherthe satisfaction of proving me a coward. I�ll read the runic stone, orI�ll not return.

Anrad�s pack of provisions, axe, and bow weighedheavily on him. His fingertips burned, and his elk hidemittens stiffened from the cold. The sun paused, half-hidden by the blank vista that stretched before him. Thisnight would lay long and bitter across the land. He was ill-provisioned for a night on the open ice.

Anrad set his axe and bow on the ice and slid the packfrom his shoulder. Its leather flap broke free in his hand.Swearing, he groped through his hard mittens to removethe tent. Despite his efforts, the bundle of sealskinremained frozen to the pack. Anrad had never goneviking or traveled far from his father�s garth, but he knewhe could not survive the night without his tent and thelantern secured beneath it. I won�t allow myself to die in anattempt to save my father�s worthless life. In frustration, hethrashed the pack until he stood, panting, and sweat stunghis eyes.

The warmth wrestling with the pack produced quickly Illustrations by Janet Aulisio

DRAGON 45

gave way to cold. With his woolen underclothing damp,Anrad knew he must find shelter soon or perish. Bitter-ness welled within him. He pressed his face into the palmsof his mittens and cried. Father was right. Anrad Snorrison is acraven. He squeezed his hands against his eyes to forceback the tears. The rigid leather raked his skin, and afrozen thong from the seam cut his cheek. He jerked hishands away. A drop of blood fell to the snow.

Anrad removed one of his mittens and reached throughthe cool dampness of his cloak. He grasped the knife at hisbelt and drew it from its sheath. Wind and particles of icebit mercilessly into his bare hand while he studied thelong, black blade. There are quicker ways to die than freezing.He reversed his grip on the knife and stood, motionless,watching a pale splotch of frostbite spread across histhumb.

A gust of wind struck Anrad from behind and drovehim a step forward. His ski caught on the pack. He fell,driving his uncovered hand deep into the snow. The crustclawed at the frozen skin of his knuckles. The knife slidfrom his grip. Screaming with pain, he wrenched his handfrom the snow, thrust it beneath his heavy robe, andforced it inside his breeks.

The warmth of his crotch brought new pain to his fin-gers. As he rolled helplessly in the snow, his skis seemedlike shackles on his feet. Cruelly, the handle of the knifepressed into his cheek. Above the blade, the dark form ofhis pack loomed defiantly.

Anrad struggled with his mittened hand to push himselfto his feet. His muscles responded sluggishly. The bittermetal of the knife clung to his face and peeled away pain-fully as he rose. He stood, hunched forward and teetering

in the wind. He reached for the knife. His stiff mit closedaround its handle. Maddeningly, it fumbled in his grasp;but he managed to saw through the thongs that bound hisfeet to the skis and stagger onto the snow. The crust heldbeneath his weight, and he collapsed beside his axe.

Wearily, Anrad raised his knife and hacked at the raw-hide lacings which closed the seams of his pack. He trem-bled from the cold as death drew nearer. Suddenly, panicseized him, and he flailed wildly with the blade. Chunksof rawhide fell away, but most of the pack clung tenacious-ly to its contents. He clawed at the mangled pack withboth hands. One of the sides pulled free. He pried his tentloose and unrolled the stiff sealskin on the ice.

The cold conquered Anrad�s mind as well as his body.He felt no joy or triumph as he lifted the lantern filledwith frozen fat from his shredded pack, crawled across hisaxe and bow, and slithered between the layers of sealskin.Mechanically, he drew a fist-sized piece of flint from thepouch at his belt and struck it with the spine of his knife.The sparks alighted in the fat and died, unable to ignitethe protruding cloth wick.

The drowsiness that crept into Anrad�s mind seemed hisonly reality. Without the heat the lantern could provide,he harbored little hope of living through the night. As thecold numbed his remaining senses, thoughts of sleepreplaced those of survival. The cold would disappear oncehe closed his eyes. He could light the lantern tomorrow.Anrad curled into a ball and surrendered to the chill dark-ness of the arctic night.

46 JANUARY 1989

The haze of dream stirred through Anrad�s mind. Dis-embodied, he watched as a great assemblage of Norsemenshouted down a speaker. Strong men with tangled manesof greasy, blond hair crashed swords against their shields.The women spat at the man before the crowd and turnedaway while children gathered stones. Revulsion at thecrowd�s treatment of the speaker shook Anrad. He driftedcloser to the young man being harried by the crowd.

As Anrad approached, he recognized the speaker�s tear-streaked face as his own. Gradually, the buildings andfaces among the crowd became familiar. He entered thebody that stood impotently before the mob. Anger, fear,and vulnerability wrenched at his soul. This was the gath-ering to hail him chief after his father�s death, but his people would not have him. His spirit and his dream bodyboth wept.

A stone from the crowd crashed against Anrad�s side.Growling epithets, the armed men pressed forward andswept him from his feet. They tossed him about like a ragdoll in the hands of an enraged child.

A sharp pain cut through Anrad�s dream. Dizzinessseized him as he tumbled through the air. He struck theground with a bone jarring impact. Snow crunchedbeneath heavy footfalls. Only one of the white bears wouldtravel on the open ice! Anrad jolted awake as realizationstruck him a blow as savage as the cuff from the polarbear. He recalled stories he had heard as a child. Oneblow from a bear�s paw could shatter a bull seal�s skulland hurl the body from the water onto the ice. His fatherhad told of two white bears who fought to the death; nei-ther gave quarter. With most of its head torn away, thewinner had crawled away to die.

The white bear snuffled and woofed as it circledAnrad�s tent. A warm dampness spread through hisbreeks. He waited, praying to Christ the bear would leavehim unmolested. The footfalls stopped near the edge ofAnrad�s tent. He wanted to burst through the sealskin andrun, screaming, to the safety of his father�s garth. Butterror held him motionless, except for a trembling notentirely from cold.

Suddenly, the tent snapped taut and thrashed wildly.Anrad rolled from the opening and sprawled in the snow.He stared as the bear towered over him, clutching the tentin its jaws. The sealskins dangled half a man�s height fromthe ground. Effortlessly, the beast shredded the tent.

Anrad ran. His boots broke through the snow�s crust.He tripped, slid across the ice, and crashed into the rem-nants of his camp. His pack and bow spun away, but theaxe caught beneath him and jerked him to a stop. Thebear charged. Anrad snatched up the axe and fled.

The white bear traveled in an easy lope that belied itsspeed. Quickly, it closed the distance between them. Thewill to live tore open fear�s grip on Anrad. His heart beatfaster. Spinning, he raised his axe to meet the bear. Nei-ther he nor the beast hesitated. The axe crashed into itsface. Impact drove the weapon from Anrad�s grip, and hisworld exploded into darkness.

Anrad awoke, warm for the first time since he had lefthis father�s garth two days ago. Each breath came with

great effort. A weight pinned his shoulder to the ice, andhe could not roll far enough to free it. His discomfortseemed inconsequential, compensated by the warmth thatenveloped him.

Gradually, the thought-dimming blanket of uncon-sciousness lifted from Anrad�s mind. His situation becameclear. The single blow from his axe had killed the bear, butthe force of its charge carried the vast body forward andtrapped Anrad beneath it. Even after death, the beast is notvanquished. Anrad held his breath and pushed until themuscles in his arms and legs burned. Hot blood swept hischeeks, and sparks swirled before his eyes. He exhaled,nearer to exhaustion than escape. He could not move thebear.

It might take days for the bear�s carcass to freeze, butonce it did, Anrad knew his death would follow. No fatecould seem bleaker than helplessly awaiting one�s owndeath. For the first time in Anrad�s life, he felt sympathyfor his father�s illness. He thought he understood the des-peration that forced Snorri Hardhand to allow the priestto send his only son on this hopeless mission. Any attemptto fight, no matter how feeble, took more courage thansurrender.

Anrad braced his feet against the bear and pushed. Thecarcass remained immovable, but Anrad slid between thebear and the snow. He repositioned his feet and shovedagain. Light penetrated the coarse fur that surroundedhim. Hope spurred him on. After another push, his heademerged into the blinding pallor of arctic day. Wind stung,his face and brought tears to his eyes. He wondered ifsurvival was worth separating himself from the bear�swarmth. A final kick slid him free.

The bear sprawled on the ice before Anrad. Alive, ithad stood more than twice as tall as any man. Anrad�s axeremained wedged in its skull. Pride for his kill brought aninner warmth and sense of worth he had never known. Noteven Snorri Hardhand can call me, Anrad Bearslayer, a coward!

To Anrad Bearslayer, finding the Ulfjarl�s stone nolonger seemed impossible. He cut strips of hide from thebear and fashioned new bindings for his skis. He pried hisaxe free, lashed the skis to his feet, and set out to completehis quest. No longer burdened by the heavy tent, Anradtraveled swiftly. Miles passed beneath his skis. At length,he came upon a pressure ridge that drew a jagged line ofvertical ice across his path. Beyond it, black cliffs loomedabove the fiord where the priest had told him to seek theUlfjarl�s stone.

When Anrad neared the ridge, he removed his skis anddrew his axe. Methodically, he carved steps into the iceand climbed. As he inched toward the top, he thought ofhis father. The image of Snorri Hardhand lying in hisdeathbed stirred feelings of pity, but no love. Anrad couldnot respect a man who would wager his only son�s life onan errand based on foolish superstition.

Anrad mounted the last step and stood atop the ridge.Only a narrow stretch of ice separated him from land. Atriangular rock jutted from the ice at the base of the cliffs.If God or the Norns graced me with luck, I�ve found the Ulfjarl�sstone.

Anrad retied the bindings on his skis and prepared for thefinal part of his journey. Anticipation lent strength to his legs.

He glided across the ice to the monolith. A thin film of snowcoated the Ulfjarl�s stone and obscured the carvings beneathit. He drew his axe and meticulously scraped free everyspeck of ice before reading its inscription:

Ulfjarl went a-huntingaurochs in the highlands.Enemies and chieftainswith a host surprised him.

Mighty Uljarl stood alonefighting bitter foeman.Axe and shield and byrniesplintered all around him.

Bravely our Ulfjarl died.The valkyries attend him.It is for his living kinto go out and avenge him.

Stone cold will our eyes bewhen we refuse the weregild.Brands into their longhousewill not soon be forgotten.

We tarry carving rune stoneto make the world rememberthe vengeance of the yeomenwho loved him as a brother.

DRAGON 47

Anrad reread the poem in disbelief. He found no traceof the magic he sought to save his father. The song ofUlfjarl could not help Snorri Hardhand regain his health.Grim understanding seeped into Anrad�s mind. The priestand my father sent me away to die. They never believed a snivelingmilksop could find the Uljarl�s stone. Frustration, betrayal,and rage writhed within him. Like Ulfjarl�s men, I must avenge myself. And vengeance requires I return to my father’s garth.

The fjord and the pressure ridge quickly disappearedbehind Anrad. With the passing miles, his rage dwindled.He knew Snorri Hardhand was a fair man. If Anrad hadbeen a son worthy of his father�s attention, the chief couldnot have helped but love him.

Anrad�s shadow stretched before him. After manyhours, the remains of his last camp lay scattered beforehim. A white fox ran from Anrad, dragging the fat-filledlantern across the snow. Without heat from the lanternand with his tent in shreds, he would be forced to travelthrough the night. He might still die because of hisfather�s hopeless errand. New anger flared.

The sun dropped below the horizon. As Anrad pushedthrough the night, his thoughts turned from anger to.despair to guilt and back to anger. His emotions seemedlike a wheel to carry him across the snow and back to hishome, its axle a question for his father: Why did you try tokill me?

When the first rays of dawn filtered through the pines,the low buildings of Snorri Hardhand�s stead squatted inthe valley before Anrad. Wisps of smoke curled from thelonghouse. The sight rekindled rage that sped Anrad�s skison the familiar trail. He skated toward the hall where his father lay.

When Anrad arrived, the priest pushed open the hide-,bound door. Closing the panel behind him, he approachedAnrad. Anrad drew his axe and cut the bindings from hisskis, the bear�s blood still frozen in scarlet rivulets on theblade. Then Anrad met the priest.

A strand of moist, gray hair fell across the priest�s wiz-ened face. He started to speak, but Anrad cut him off.�You sent a boy north to die. I froze. I fought one of thegreat bears. I found your useless stone. I returned.� Hisknuckles whitened around the axe haft. �Take me to my

father before I brush the hair from your eyes and most ofyour scalp with it.� The old priest turned and strode along a narrow trail

toward the forest. �Your father would see you as well.� Hebeckoned Anrad to follow. �You�ll have use enough foryour axe later.�

Silently, the priest walked into the forest. Anrad trailedhim, confused. His reception was not at all as he imaginedit. The priest did not seem surprised at his return. He didnot cringe from Anrad�s bloody axe nor apologize. Andwhy did the priest lead me away from. the longhouse? WhenAnrad had left to seek the Ulfjarl�s stone, his father couldnot sit without assistance. For Snorri Hardhand to walk inthe woods, Anrad�s quest must have brought success.

Anrad trudged after the priest, in awe of the magic hehad worked. He tried to picture the Ulfjarl�s stone andunderstand the eldritch craft that made it more than mererock and words. Consumed by his own thoughts, he failedto notice the small cabin they approached. The prieststopped by its door.

Anrad stared as the old man pulled two large, triangu-lar pieces of cloth from beneath his cloak. �Hel shoes?� Acondemned soul�s only protection from Hel�s eternal ice. Hereached for the shoes. �Father died? The stone ��

�Did its job,� the priest finished. �Snorri Hardhandforbid anyone other than his son to bind the Hel shoes tohis feet. If you never returned from the ice, he wouldshare your fate.� The priest continued. �You were right.We sent a boy to die on the ice. He did, and a manreturned.� The priest dropped to one knee. �And theUlfjarl�s stone made the chieftain strong. Hail ChiefAnrad Icewalker!�

48 JANUARY 1989

©1988 by Jim Bambra

Role-playingReviews

In space, no one can hear you fail a morale check

Science fiction is rapidly becoming the�in thing� in the gaming world. For years,fantasy games and campaigns have domi-nated the gaming market, but sciencefiction is now big and looks set to get evenbigger. FASA Corporation has done sterlingwork in producing a steady stream ofhigh-quality products for the BATTLE-TECH� and STAR TREK® role-playinggames. Its RENEGADE LEGION� series (theINTERCEPTOR�, CENTURION�, andLEVIATHAN� games) may make a hugeimpact in science-fiction board games.Games Workshop�s WARHAMMER�:40,000 (see �Role-playing reviews� inDRAGON issue #129) has captured theimaginations of large numbers of minia-tures players. West Ends STAR WARS?The RPG (DRAGON issue #131) and PARA-NOIA® game (DRAGON issue #132) are twomore excellent examples of the quality ofcurrent science-fiction games.

And the list goes on: I.C.E.�s SPACE MAS-TER� game; TSR�s third-edition GAMMAWORLD® game and new BUCK ROGERS�

50 JANUARY 1989

board game; GDW�s TWILIGHT: 2000� and2300 A.D.� games; R. Talsorian Games�MEKTON II� game; Palladium�s ROBO-TECH� game; Leading Edge�s LIVINGSTEEL� game; New Infinities� CYBORGCOMMANDO� game; and others. When itcomes to science fiction, gamers are notleft wanting.

But it wasn�t always this easy to find astar-spanning RPG. At first, there was onlythe TRAVELLER® game. Way back in 1977,the TRAVELLER role-playing game cameblasting into the solar system, consisting ofthree black books in a dinky black box.This role-playing game left the confines ofthe dungeon and the starship (TSR�sMETAMORPHOSIS ALPHA game was seton a slower-than-light ship) for the vastexpanses of the interstellar void.

Starships, strange alien worlds, robots,high-tech gadgetry and weapons, wars anddeath on a mass scale � this was the stuffof epic science fiction, and the TRAVEL-LER game seemed to offer them all. But acloser inspection revealed that the TRAV-

ELLER game was not a cosmic space operain a box. A lot was missing: aliens, robots,and real high-tech hardware. With theexception of lasers, the TRAVELLER gameput weapons technology back into the1950s.

Like its fantasy role-playing contempo-raries, the original TRAVELLER gamenever told you what you were supposed todo with all this stuff. Sure, you couldgenerate characters (if they didn�t expirein the process), and characters even had afew skills (provided you could figure outwhat to do with them). The combat systemleft a lot to be desired � you played withrange zones. Early TRAVELLER gamecharacters could only advance or retreatacross a two-dimensional piece of paper;no fancy movements here! Forward, back-ward, and staying put were your onlyoptions. And armor, instead of soaking updamage, made you harder to hit, just as itdoes in TSR�s D&D® game.

Worlds were rated using an abstractsystem, with few tips on how to add color

to them and bring them to life. There wasno GM�s section telling how to stage adven-tures or establish campaigns. You were onyour own � after all, you played the D&Dgame, so you knew what you were doing,right? Surely you could manage. It�s only asimple task to map the entire universe andfill in all those interesting details thatbring games to life, right?

Even with its lack of tips, the TRAVEL-LER game attracted a sizable following,and GDW soon began to publish supple-ments and adventures which added great-ly needed background and structure to itscreation. Over the years, the TRAVELLERgame became vast � more weapons, moretechnology, less abstract combat systems,more detailed and competent characters,bigger starships, the appearance of robotsand detailed alien races. A special bookletwas published to provide GM guidelineson how to actually play, and this wasfollowed in the early 1980s by two neweditions (the TRAVELLER Book and theStarter Edition) which explained the gamemore thoroughly and also included some�ready-to-run adventures. As time movedon, a multilayered universe (complete withdetailed history) slowly took shape, andthe potential offered by the original three-book set was more fully realized.

But things have changed,� the TRAVEL-LER game has been recently treated to adramatic face-lift to bring it zooming intothe modern era. The MEGATRAVELLER�game has arrived; it more than lives up toits title, and it�s sure to keep GDW in theforefront of science-fiction gaming for

years to come.But the MEGATRAVELLER game is not

the only recent addition to the realms ofstar-spanning cultures. The GURPS® Spacegame from Steve Jackson Games, whilebeing a more generic pack, is also a majorlandmark in the current science-fictionupsurge; instead of providing detailedbackgrounds, it makes it possible to designthe universe of your choice or even play inthe universe of your favorite science-fiction author. Laying down the basis forany number of future universes, theGURPS Space game is in many ways astepping stone to things to come. Beforelooking more closely at this product, how-ever, let�s check out the MEGATRAVELLERgame, the giant of science-fiction gaming.

MEGATRAVELLER� gameScience-fiction role-playing gameBoxed set of three books and one mapGDW $30.00 (boxed)

$10.00 (each book)Game design: Marc W. MillerAdditional design: Frank Chadwick, Joe D.

Fugate Sr., and Gary L. ThomasEditing: Joe D. Fugate Sr. and Gary L.

ThomasContributers: Loren Wiseman, J. Andrew

Keith, John Harshman, and Timothy B.Brown

Cover illustrations: David Deitrick, James

Make no mistake, this game is undeni-ably mega! The MEGATRAVELLER gameconsists of three large books: a 104-pagePlayers� Manual, a 104-page Referee�sManual, and a 96-page Imperial Encyclope-dia. Weighing in with a total of 304 pages,it�s an impressive product. The three book-lets are available separately or as part of aboxed set. As well as having a handy boxin which to store the books and additionalsupplements, purchasers of the boxed setalso get a large, color stamp of theSpinward Marches, a sector of the uni-verse that will be already familiar to players of the TRAVELLER game.

Couple the sheer volume of the rulebooks with the large number of rulessystems and topics covered, and it adds upto a very remarkable package. And well itshould, for the MEGATRAVELLER gamedeals with a vast universe in which thepossibilities for adventure are enormous:hardened mercenaries toting powerfulweapons of destruction; merchants strug-gling to make a profit and keep their shipspaceworthy; scouts exploring newworlds; characters engaged in espionage,assassinations or philanthropy � youname it, you can do it. The potential forrunning adventures in a variety of settingsis infinite. Players may travel between thestars to any number of different worlds,explore their hidden secrets by venturinginto the wilderness or under their oceans,or simply relax in the starport and neverset foot outside its confines. Whole cam-paigns can be based on only one world, ora group of adventurers can spend themajority of its time traveling betweenworlds.

The rule books: The Players� Manualis an essential reference work for playersand referees. It contains the character-generation rules, a multitude of skills, thebasic combat system, and the lowdown onpsionics. Players of the TRAVELLER gamewill find much in here that is both familiarand new. New players will discover thatthis game has its own unique characterand charm; neither veterans or new-comers will be disappointed.

Kicking off the Referee�s Manual is asection on running MEGATRAVELLERcampaigns. This gives a brief overview ofthe types of adventures that can be runand looks at the attributes of a good ref-eree: imagination, improvisation, keepingthings in proportion, and organization. Itthen moves on to describe how to refereean adventure session. While providinggood, solid advice on adventure and cam-paign structures, little emphasis is placedon providing staging tips or suggestions asto how to role play NPCs effectively. Thissection is a little short and perfunctory,but it adequately covers the basics ofrefereeing a MEGATRAVELLER game.

Stuffed full of interesting essays andentries on the universe, The ImperialEncyclopedia is an invaluable referencework. It also contains copious amounts ofequipment and sample craft, plus theHolloway, and Steve Venters

details of the Spinward Marches. An inte-gral part of the MEGATRAVELLER gamerules, The Imperial Encyclopedia roundsout the MEGATRAVELLER game and laysthe basis for adventuring in the shatteredImperium.

Marginal entries abound throughout allthree of the rule books, supplying snippetsof information on the history and currentstate of the Imperium and giving invalu-able insights into the nature of the uni-verse. Large, full-page maps show thethree Imperiums in various stages of theirexpansion and graphically depict theextent of the current troubles. These mapsare informative and amply demonstratethe magnitude of the game�s background.

Overall, the presentation is impressivewhen it comes to detailing the Imperium.Where it tends to fail is in presenting

some of its rules systems in a far too con-densed form. More examples would havemade certain rules easier to understandand would have avoided the many grayareas where a second or third reading isrequired in order to grasp the rules. Typo-graphical errors have also crept in hereand there, but in a project of this size, it isonly to be expected. GDW has put togeth-er a MEGATRAVELLER game errata; it�savailable to anyone who sends GDW anSASE (see the address at the end of thisreview).

Background: The background of theTRAVELLER and MEGATRAVELLER gameswas created with a careful eye to detail. Itamounts to a very satisfying and highlybelievable future history. Almost 400,000years before Earth launched its firstspaceflight explorations, the mysteriousAncients had already transported largenumbers of humans and dogs across theuniverse. By the time the humans of Earth(or the Solomani, as they came to beknown) were able to reach out to thenearest stars, the Ancients had long disap-peared from the universe, and many inter-stellar empires had already risen andfallen. The Vilani, an empire of humanswhose ancestors had been transported bythe Ancients, lay on the borders of theTerran system. The two races of humanity clashed in innumerable wars which culmi- nated in the fall of the Vilani empire andthe ascendancy of the Solomani. The Ruleof Man then followed, but this secondempire collapsed under its own weightand the Long Night began: a period ofretrogression and barbarism that lastedfor 2,000 years.

The Third Imperium rose from theashes of the two previous empires and hasbeen in existence for over 1,000 years. Inthat time, it has expanded its borders, hasbeen torn apart by civil wars, has beeninvaded by outsiders, and has experiencedall manner of political upheavals. But thehistories of the three Imperiums are onlyone part of the story � Humaniti (asfuture humans spell it) is not alone in thegalaxy. Alien races border the Imperium:the Aslan � humanoid, catlike creatures

DRAGON 51

with a strong warrior code; the Vargr �wolves which were genetically manipu-lated by the Ancients to give them intelli-gence and hands; the K�kree � militantherbivores who suffer from claustropho-bia; the Hivers � creatures who resemblesix-limbed starfish, abhor war, but strikefear into enemies; the reptilian Droyne �the direct descendants of the Ancients;and the Zhodani � humans who are sohighly skilled in the use of psionics thattheir society appears abhorrent and aliento the average Imperial citizen. Otherminor alien races also exist within andoutside the Imperium�s borders, addingfurther variety to this rich universe.

This is a huge. interstellar setting whichis both highly credible and absorbing in itsdetail and depth. The universe of theTRAVELLER and MEGATRAVELLER gamesranks as one of the best campaign settingsever conceived for a role-playing game.

To coincide with the release of theMEGATRAVELLER game, GDW has addedadditional twists and background. For1,116 years, the Imperium has stood as asolid and reliable power, but now it isbeing torn apart by internal strife. Thelegitimate emperor is dead, gunned downby an assassin who now claims the throneby right of an obscure, yet legitimate,precedent. While the Imperium falls apart,other claimants push their �rights to suc-ceed to the Iridium Throne. The Imperium

is in turmoil, a situation which some of its

Character generation: The character-generation system creates human charac-

neighbors have been quick to exploit.

ters from a wide range of backgrounds.Alien PCs are not yet covered, but GDW is

Bands of Vargr corsairs have crossed the

already planning a supplement to dealwith the diverse alien races in the MEGA-

border into Imperial territory, and the

TRAVELLER game and has touched upontheir use as NPCs in the Referee�s Compan-ion (see this months �Short and sweet�).

Solomani, who previously broke awayfrom the Third Imperium, are advancing

For those of you unable to wait, try to gethold of GDW�s Alien Modules for theTRAVELLER game; most of these are out

their sphere of influence at the Imperium�s

of print, but if you come across any sec-ondhand copies, snap them up, becausethey contain the finest treatment of alien

expense. Many worlds have been cut off

psychologies and cultures ever published.For now, the 18 human career types cov-

or turned into battlegrounds. The Third

ered in the Players� Manual more than

Imperium is wracked by anarchy and

s u f f i c e . Character generation consists of creat-

ing a character�s personality profile by

sectional interests. It�s an exciting place for

rolling 2d6 for six attributes. Once this is

adventure, and this is only the start.

52 JANUARY 1989

done, a homeworld is then chosen orgenerated randomly. As well as helping toflesh out a character�s background, thehomeworld also influences the careeropportunities open to a character and thetypes of skills which may later be learned.

As in the old TRAVELLER game, charac-ters enlist for a period of four years in a

Once this is done, it�s time to begin a

career, to earn skills and improvements to

career: army, barbarian, belter (asteroid

attribute scores. The system is random,and most careers involve a certain amount

miner), bureaucrat, diplomat, doctor, flyer,

of danger; if you fail a survival roll, youget booted out of the career and your

hunter, law enforcer, marine, merchant,

character must start adventuring (underthe old system, a failed survival rollresulted in death, but this has now

navy (space), noble, pirate, rogue, sailor

become an optional rule). After four years,characters may attempt to reenlist and

(surface navy), scientist, or scout.

gain more skills. Basically, characters cyclethrough the character-generation tablesuntil they decide to leave the service oruntil they fail either a survival or reenlist-ment roll. The main benefit gained byquitting the service early is that yourcharacter starts adventuring while stillrelatively young. Long-term career PCstend to be older and suffer penalties foraging, but if they�re lucky, they may beable to find anagatics (longevity drugs) tooffset the aging process.

On leaving the service, characters begintheir adventuring careers. They can gainmore skills later by study or by learningthrough practice. This experience systemallows characters to continue to growduring play and is a vast improvement on

�the old TRAVELLER game system.More detailed careers are available for

characters entering the army, marines,navy, scouts, or merchants. This optionalsystem takes longer to use, but the bene-fits gained in the form of more colorfulcharacter histories and additional skillsmake it well worth the effort. Althoughlimited to only five careers, ambitiousreferees will be able to use these as exam-ples to create advanced careers for otherservices.

Combat: Combat is flexible, quick; easyto use, and complicated. Do �easy to use�and �complicated� sound like contradic-tions? Well, yes and no. With simple riflesand lasers there�s no problem, but add ingrenades, high-explosive slugs, energyweapons, and other area-effect weapons,and it starts to get tricky. With a carefulreading, the various elements of the com-bat system mesh together, but it�s not veryeasy to grasp. More examples would havemade this section more user-friendly andwould have alleviated any confusion, butthe system is still impressive in the num-ber of situations it covers.

With these rules, you can fight a brawlin a starport, engage in a running gunbattle down the corridors of a starship,

zoom across a planetary landscape in aheavily armored tank, or blast groundforces into their component atoms usingthe impressive firepower of a starship.The types of weapons covered includerevolvers, lasers, high-energy plasma andfusion guns, grenade and rocketlaunchers, rapid-fire heavy weapons,starship weapons, and even bows andarrows. Armor ranges from leather jack-ets up to powered battledress and heavilyarmored vehicles. While armor providesvaluable protection, combat can still bevery deadly. Fight only when you havelittle choice and, preferably, when youhave the upper hand. Futuristic weaponsdo lots of damage, so don�t expect toalways walk away. Brains, not brawn, arethe prime requisites for survival.

Psionics: Mind reading, clairvoyance,telekinesis, body control, teleportation,and various special powers are all availa-ble, but not without some hard work onthe part of PCs. Psionics are illegal in theImperium, and the penalties for possessionof psionic powers are harsh. They are alsoharder to gain and master as your charac-ter grows older, so if you want them, yourcharacter had best start at an early age tolook for an illegal Psionics Institute.

The task system: This forms the coreof the MEGATRAVELLER game. This sys-tem first appeared in Travellers� Digestand was used in an amended form in theTRAVELLER: 2300� game (recently re-launched as the 2300 A.D. game). The tasksystem is easy to use (roll 2d6 and add anyapplicable modifiers) and rates tasksaccording to the degree of difficultyinvolved. The system is highly flexible andinfinitely expandable, being easily appliedto personal and starship combat, com-puter programming, bribery, psionics, andanything else you can think of.

As well as determining the chance ofsuccess, the task system also gives you theamount of time required to perform atask, the element of danger involved, andeffects of any mishap or failure. Thissystem defines any action neatly and suc-cinctly in game terms, and makes theMEGATRAVELLER game more than just a

reworking of the old TRAVELLER gamesystem. Under the old rules, the refereewas often left in the dark as to how skillsworked in practice, thus giving birth tohundreds of house rules and individualinterpretations. Now they are no longerneeded, but referee input is still requiredto define individual tasks during play.

Design and generation tables: Muchof the Referee�s Manual is taken up withdescribing how to detail something as vastas the universe. Starting with star systemsand working down to animal encountersand craft design, this section containssufficient raw materials to make any ref-eree into a competent universe creator.The systems are flexible and, if used intel-ligently, produce credible results. Fortu-nately, star and planetary statistics and amap are provided for the SpinwardMarches, so you can skip the star- andworld-generation tables, only using themwhen you want to create a new subsector.Similarly, animal-encounter tables can beleft until you need them for a specificadventure.

The craft-design tables cater to the con-struction of a wide variety of vehicles andstarships, from a small gray platform allthe way up to a massive starship bristlingwith weapons. Again, there�s no need touse the tables before play, as sample craftare provided in the. Imperial Encyclopedia. You do, however, need to select weaponsfor a few of them.

The strength of the design and genera-tion tables is that they are there if youwant them, but they can be just as easilyignored until you need them. The scope ofthese tables is impressive, and you canhave lots of fun designing the starship ofyour dreams.

Trade and commerce: This is myfavorite bit of the MEGATRAVELLERgame. It gives PCs a reason to travel andprovides plenty of hooks for adventuresessions. With these rules, PCs buy andsell goods as they travel from one world toanother; sometimes they might strike itlucky and make a fortune on one deal, butother times they�ll sink into debt � and debt is bad, because the PCs are supplied

54 JANUARY 1989

with a compelling motivation to makemoney: keeping their starship running. Todo that, they have to make deals, carrypassengers, travel away from their star-ship to pick up exotic cargoes, and visitinnumerable worlds in their search forprofits. Whole evenings can be taken upwith finding the right cargo or with pas-sengers attempting to hijack the ship. Asthe PCs travel, they get involved withcustoms officers, pirates, and other mer-chant lines.

Profit-hungry PCs generally respondwell to any adventure that promises themmonetary rewards; if there�s something init for them, they�ll generally do it. And youcan always put the PCs into debt; moststarship owners owe vast amounts ofmoney to the bank, and meeting the pay-ments can keep them busy for a very longtime. In addition, starship repairs areexpensive. Major damage can be repairedby an outside party, thereby placing thePCs deeper into debt; to pay off part of thedebt, they may have to carry out somedangerous or illegal mission. Campaignswhere trading is important come withready-made adventure hooks and are verycolorful. These hooks are an ideal way togive structure to an adventure session.

Starship combat: The last section ofthe Referee�s Manual deals with starshipcombat. With these rules, fights betweenone-man fighters and enormous battle-ships can be played out. Use of sensorsplays a major role in any starship combat;enemy vessels need to be located and havesensors locked onto them before weaponscan be fired. This makes it possible forships to run silently by powering downtheir power plants in the hopes of notbeing detected. Combat between ships ofdifferent sizes is fast and bloody; when thebattlecruiser orders your small merchantship to stop, you don�t argue unless youwant to be blown to pieces. Combatbetween ships of similar sizes is moreprolonged and allows for many tacticaloptions.

Evaluation: The MEGATRAVELLERgame is impressive in, its size and in theextent of its systems. Veteran TRAVELLERgame players will not be disappointed, andnewcomers will find it a very completegame. While its clarity of presentation isnot always as good as it should be, this ismore than offset by its breath of scopeand the magnitude of its goals. The MEGA-TRAVELLER game builds on the strengthsof its predecessor and surpasses it in agreat many ways. Don�t let the size of thisgame put you off. The future is here; rushout and get a slice of the action now. TheMEGATRAVELLER game is available fromGame Designer�s Workshop, P.O. Box 1646,Bloomington IL 61702.

GURPS® Space gameA GURPS role-playing supplement128-page bookSteve Jackson Games $14.95Design: Steve Jackson and William Barton

Additional material: W. G. Armintrout, Background: Similarly, the back-Stephen Beeman, Ben Ellinger, John M.Ford, Don Gallagher, J. David George,Mike Hurst, David Ladyman, and MikeMoe

Cover illustration: Michael Goodwin

The GURPS game boasts an elegant andeasy-to-use rules system, and lots of excel-lent role-playing hooks are built into itscharacter-creation system. To bring theGURPS game into the worlds of tomorrow,new rules have been added to cover high-tech medicine, bionics, weapons, andother types of common hardware. TheGURPS Space game rules additions fitlogically and smoothly into the basic gamewithout altering its basic mechanics in anymajor way.

ground of the universe is up to you. TheGM decides whether the campaign is setagainst an alliance of planets, a federation,a powerful corporate interest, an empire,or just a group of independent worlds.The merits and drawbacks are discussedfor each one, as well as the likely long-term effects they may have on a campaign.

Whereas the MEGATRAVELLER gamecomes complete with a very detailed,incredibly rich, and believable campaignbackground, the GURPS Space game con-centrates on providing GMs with the toolsfor creating any SFRPG campaign back-ground desired. This is one of its strengthsand also one of its weaknesses � strengthfrom being highly flexible, and weaknessfrom lacking a coherent and exciting back-ground.

The level and style of technology is alsoset by the GM; for instance, starships cantravel using hyperdrives, jump drives, orwarp drives. The relative efficiencies ofthe various drives influence the speed oftravel and consequently the extent of thecampaign area. If large distances can becovered in a short time, a large campaignarea is advisable. Conversely, a universewhere slow-moving starships are the normcan be much smaller.

Extra touches can provide further per-sonalization. Jump ships may requirepsionic triggers to function, or entry tojump space may only be possible by firstentering a black hole or an artificialstargate. Once in jump space, time forstarship passengers may pass at the samerate as in the normal universe, at a slowerrate, or even at a greatly accelerated rate.

Armed with this 128-page book, you canset the technology of your universe anddefine its major elements with ease. Thebook describes the types of universessuitable for science-fiction gaming, allow-ing you to tailor the background to theneeds of a particular campaign. It doesthis in a very satisfying and concise man-ner, and even provides references to theworks of various science-fiction authors.

By plundering the works of science-fiction authors for ideas and presentingthese concepts in game terms, the GURPSSpace game allows you to pick and choosewhich elements you desire. The resultsare lucidly presented and highly satisfying.

The GURPS Space game also covers thebenefits and drawbacks of the variouscampaign types, ensuring that the choices you make are informed choices. For exam-ple, PCs can search for new worlds, sur-vey them from orbit, then land to conducta more detailed survey. The advantagesare that PCs who work for a governmentor private survey organization will have apowerful patron who supplies equipmentand a ship, but they will often be inremote space � away from daily controlby their superiors. The variety of newworlds provides campaign diversity. Thiscampaign can be ideal for small groups �a scout crew can be as small as one per-son. However, if the characters work forthe Galactic Survey Service or a private(probably merchant) organization, PCs willprobably explore worlds by assignment. IfPCs explore on their own, their ability tokeep a starship fueled and supplieddepends on finding profitable worlds. Forthe GM, a scout campaign means constant-ly generating new systems (and surprises).

Character generation: The GURPSgame system encourages good role-playingby making character traits an integral partof character design. The GURPS Spacegame provides brief character back- grounds and tips to show which skills andtraits are likely to be held by each charac-ter type. This allows characters to besuited to the needs of a campaign andprovides plenty of role-playing hooks.

Another bonus to character generationis the presence of variant human races.Instead of being Earth-standard humans,PCs can elect to be heavy worlders (short,squat, and muscular), light worlders (talland thin, with long limbs and spideryfingers), or spacers, (characters who havelived in zero-gravity for their entire lives,consequently being very thin and oftenunnaturally tall). Genetically enhancedhumans who have been bred to perform aparticular function are also available.

Alternatively, PCs can be merchanttraders, star soldiers, space pirates, rebelsagainst an evil empire, colonists, or lawofficers. You can tailor your campaign sothat it neatly fits the kind of adventureyou want to run.

The coverage of alien races is necessar-ily brief but touches on the major areasand provides design tips on how to designspace operas or hard science-fiction cam-paigns. The three sample aliens are fine asfar as they go, but they suffer from thegeneric emphasis of this product. Thealiens of the MEGATRAVELLER game gaina lot of their credence from being fullyintegrated into the game�s background.Steve Jackson Games is thinking aboutpublishing a book dedicated to aliens � aproject which certainly gets my vote.

Starship design: This is really a

design-your-own-starship system. Putanother way, this system lets you create adesign sequence that fits the type of uni-verse you have in mind. Once a particularstarship-design system has been chosen,the design process is very easy to use,being far simpler than the one in theMEGATRAVELLER game. It is also morelimited. In the MEGATRAVELLER game,any type of vehicle can be created; theGURPS Space game only allows for theconstruction of starships. It is also worthnoting that the GURPS Space game con-tains very few vehicles, no tips on howthey can be designed, and no indication ofhow they might be used in combat.

The starship-combat rules, while beingworkable, are very abstract and stand atodds with the tactical emphasis that theGURPS game places on man-to-man com-bat. While this is not really a problem, itmeans that personal combat and spacecombat play very differently.

Star and world design: These sec-tions are excellent. They discuss astro-graphic features such as galactic clusters,galactic arms, globular clusters, nebulae,and open clusters; they also give some fineexamples of the types of stellar objectsthat are likely to exist in a given area ofspace. Armed with this information, it�s asimple matter to design an interesting andevocative campaign area.

The various kinds of planets and satel-

DRAGON 59

60 JANUARY 1989

lites likely to be visited by PCs are coveredin commendable detail, and this translatesreadily into game terms and effects. Oncea world has been defined according to itsphysical nature, its government and otherhuman (or alien) features are easily added.Again, the guidelines include ideas tostimulate the imagination and make this arelatively easy task. In the sections onworld design, this game gains full marksfor its detail and ease of use.

Evaluation: It is easy to point to thewealth of the MEGATRAVELLER rules asbeing more complete and therefore superior to the GURPS Space game, but theMEGATRAVELLER game has 10 years ofTRAVELLER gaming experience behind it(a substantial period in which to identifythe weaknesses, expand the strengths, andoverhaul the entire system). It�s worthremembering that the GURPS Space gameis a young system; this book is only thebeginning, although the GURPS Humanxgame book, detailing the universe of AlanDean Foster, is already available. Planshave been made to produce a tacticalspace-combat book, a book of high-techdevices, and the previously mentionedal iens book.

Then again, is it really fair to comparethe GURPS Space book to the MEGA-TRAVELLER game? The two systems start-from very different design precepts: TheMEGATRAVELLER game codifies andexpands on the universe of the TRAVELLER game, while the GURPS Space gameprovides a generic source book whichallows any kind of universe to be created.The GURPS Space game does this in a veryclear and helpful way and contains nogray areas; all the rules are well presentedand clearly set out. Its strengths lie in itsflexibility, in the neat role-playing andcombat aspects of the GURPS system, in itsdescription of a wide array of possiblefuture histories, and in its clarity of pre-sentation. Even if you never intend to playthe GURPS game, the GURPS Space gameis worth picking up on the basis of itsideas alone. For GMs who enjoy designingunique backgrounds for their players, andfor GURPS players everywhere, this bookis well worth getting. It is available fromSteve Jackson Games Inc., Box 18957,Austin TX 78760.

Short and sweetThis month�s review offers (among other

(things) a quick look at two magazines ofinterest to science-fiction gamers.

Challenge. Managing editor: Loren K.Wiseman; associate editor, Timothy B.Brown. GDW, $3.25. Challenge magazine isan excellent source of adventures, ideas,and hardware for GDW�s TWILIGHT.2000, 2300 A.D., and MEGATRAVELLERrole-playing games, but many of its fea-tures are also easily convertible to othergame systems. Recent issues have included

combat scenario for the 2300 A.D. andSTAR CRUISER games, and adventureideas and updates in the form of newreports of the current state of the shat-tered Third Imperium. Individual issuesand subscriptions are available from GameDesigner�s Workshop, P.O. Box 1646,Bloomington IL 61702-1646.

Travellers� Digest. Editor: Gary L. Thom-as; associate editor: Joe D. Fugate Sr.Digest Group Publications, $3.95. Thisquarterly magazine, from the editors ofthe MEGATRAVELLER game, contains awealth of background information,detailed adventures, and hardware for theMEGATRAVELLER and 2300 A.D. games.Recent issues have covered new alienraces, detailed planetary systems, medi-cine in the MEGATRAVELLER game, andEarth in the 57th century. Individual issuesand subscriptions are available fromDigest Group Publications, 8979 MandanCourt, Boise ID 83709.

Challenge and Travellers� Digest maga-zines are available in the U.K. from Gamesof Liverpool, 89 Victoria Street, LiverpoolL1 6DG; and from Chris Harvey Games,c/o Matthew Harvey &, Co. Ltd., P.O. 38,Bath Street, Walsall, West Midlands,WS1 3BY.

Rebellion Sourcebook and Referee�sCompanion, both by Marc W. Miller. GDW,$10.00 each. Both of these 96-page booksoffer solid support for the MEGATRAVELLER game. The Rebellion Sourcebookcontains essays on the background andprogress of the current rebellion, andprovides detailed descriptions of the moti-vations and power bases of the main con-tenders, be they human or alien. It alsotakes a detailed look at the armed forcesof the Imperium and presents some newstarships and vehicles. The adventureoutline is thin, requiring substantialamounts of work by the referee, but therest of this book is an excellent resourcefor anyone running adventures in whatremains of the Third Imperium.

The Referee�s Companion covers adiverse range of topics: large-scale combat;in-system operations for starship crews; adetailed look at technology; and essays onrobots in the Imperium, communications,research projects, megacorporations, andhow to run large-scale campaigns. This isall very useful stuff, and its look at theDroyne, Zhodani, Aslan, and Vargr pro-vides additional insights into these alienraces. The book is rounded out with aVilani word-generation system and variousblank maps designed to make the referee�sjob easier when it comes to mapping starsystems and planets. This is another fineaddition to the MEGATRAVELLER game.

101 Vehicles. Digest Group Publications,$7.95. Loads of vehicles (101 to be precise)for the MEGATRAVELLER game can befound in this 48-page book. All of thedesigns, whether military, civilian, alien,

high-tech, or low-tech, are ready-to-use.

101 Vehicles is a handy source of instantvehicles and a good example of the versa-tility of the design sequence. It is a usefuladdition to the MEGATRAVELLER game.

Space Atlas, by Steve Jackson and Wil- liam Barton, Steve Jackson Games, $7.95.Presented in this 64-page book are 24worlds for use with the GURPS Spacegame or any science-fiction role-playinggame. Each world is presented in a double-page spread. One page contains a geodesicmap of the planet and provides generalinformation about the planet and its sys-tem; the other page has information aimedprimarily at the GM and contains adven-ture ideas for each world. The worlds canbe individually slotted into an ongoingcampaign or used together to create acoherent space sector. A useful basis forstarting a GURPS Space game campaign(and a source of ideas for other systems),the Space Atlas comes complete withalternate backgrounds for different cam-paign settings and maps of the OldFrontiers Sector.

THE AWFUL GREEN THINGS FROMOUTER SPACE� game, by Tom Wham.Steve Jackson Games, $6.95. It�s back! Thisclassic science-fiction game has been outof print for far too long! Now you can jointhe crew of the starship Znutar as theybattle for survival against the Awful Green

Things. This is a lively, tongue-in-cheekboard game for two players. One playercontrols the crew, which uses every itemthat�s not nailed down against the ever-growing and ever-multiplying monsters.The other player controls the monsters,which set out to overwhelm the ship, eatthe crew, and choke on the robot. Thecrew player doesn�t know what each item does until it gets used in combat. If youlike fun board games, don�t miss this one,or you�ll never forgive yourself.

Free Catalog!

Send for your free catalog of gamesand gaming supplies! In the UnitedStates and Canada, write to: TSRMail Order Hobby Shop, c/o TSR,Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to:TSR Mail Order Catalogue, TSRUK Limited, The Mill, RathmoreRoad, Cambridge CB1 4AD UnitedKingdom. Our catalog is free —send for it today!

DRAGON 61

NEW PRODUCTS FOR DECEMBER

FR6 Dreams of the Red WizardsAD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS�

accessoryby Steve PerrinThe nation of Thay, along the eastern shores

of the Inner Sea, is ruled by the hated andfeared Red Wizards. Their legends, deeds,spells, and plans are all included in this 64-pageaccessory. The sourcebook even has adventuresin which player characters can meet the RedWizards � and good luck to the PCs!Suggested Retail Price: $7.95/£4.95Product No.: 9235

DL16 The World of KrynnAD&D® DRAGONLANCE® supermoduleby Douglas Niles, Michael Gray, and

Harold JohnsonThis wide-reaching supermodule takes you

back to the world of Krynn in four challengingadventures. Many loose ends from theDRAGONLANCE® saga module series are tied upat last, yet this product also serves well as anintroduction to this campaign world and itsinhabitants.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£6.50Product No.: 9237

TSAC6 Covert Operations Source Book,Volume 2

TOP SECRET/S.I.� game accessoryby John PradosThis is the second source book for the TOP

SECRET/S.I� game detailing real-life espionagecases from the years 1945 on. It also includesprofiles of the espionage agencies of 11 nations,including Israel, Britain, France, and Soviet blocmilitary intelligence organizations. Whether youlike espionage role-playing games or just likeespionage stories, this remarkable volume willprovide many hours of enjoyment.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 7632

MU4 Gamer�s Handbook of the MarvelUniverse #4

MARVEL SUPER HEROES®1 gameaccessory

by David Martin, Chris Mortika, andScott Bennie

This huge volume gives you all of the statisticson the superheroes and supercriminals from Sto Z in the MARVEL SUPER HEROES®1 game.This 256-page, loose-leaf accessory comes witheach sheet punched for three-ring binders. Full-color illustrations and up-to-date informationare found with every character!Suggested Retail Price: $13.95/£8.95Product No.: 6884

62 JANUARY 1989

NEW PRODUCTS FOR JANUARY

GAZ10 The Orcs of TharD&D® Gazetteerby Bruce HeardOrcs are rude, crude, and socially unaccepta-

ble, which is why everyone likes them. Learnmore about your favorite monsters in this 96-page Gazetteer for the D&D game�s KnownWorld � and get an updated version of the ORCWARS board game that appeared in DRAGON®issue #132, as well as a player-character genera-tor for orcs, goblins, gnolls, and more!Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£6.50Product No.: 9241

Lords of DarknessAD&D® module anthologyintroduced by Ed GreenwoodBring the undead to life! This 96-page module

anthology pits your player characters againstevery sort of undead in existence, in scenariosfor every level of PC. Visit graveyards, tombs,ruins, and places you never dreamed you�dmeet the undead. All of the scenarios are set inthe FORGOTTEN REALMS� setting but mayadapted to other campaigns.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 9240

Mad Monkey VS the Dragon ClawAD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS�/

Oriental Adventures moduleby Jeff GrubbTwo rival gods of the Orient declare war, and

their martial-arts minions are in the front lines� with the player characters caught inbetween! This 64-page module will challenge allOriental Adventures PCs.Suggested Retail Price: $7.95/£5.95Product No.: 9242

Weasel�s LuckDRAGONLANCE® Saga Heroes novelby Michael WilliamsGalen Pathwarden certainly had no idea he

would be forced to serve for a year as a knight�ssquire. He also hadn�t planned to face the hor-rors of the journey on which his master, aKnight of Solamnia, led him � through shape-changing swamps, across illusion-trapped plains,and into the Scorpion�s Nest, the lair of theultimate illusionist.Suggested Retail Price: $3.95/£TBAProduct No.: 8325

Red SandsTSR� Books novelby Paul B. Thompson and Tonya R.

Carter

After escaping from the sultan�s foolproofprison a rebel nomad acquires some unusualtraveling companions: a panther shape-shifter, aheretic priest, a young noble, and a cowardlythief. This fast-paced Arabian adventure pits thefive against the Sultan�s deadliest soldiers,monsters of the desert, wicked necromancers,and worse.Suggested Retail Price: $3.95/£TBAProduct No.: 8203

Unless otherwise noted:® and ™ denote trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.©1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved

1©1988 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.MARVEL, MARVEL UNIVERSE, MARVEL SUPER HEROES,and all Marvel characters, character names, and distinctivelikenesses are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc.

©1988 by John C. Bunnell

TheRole of BooksWizards of this world and others

WAR OF THE MAELSTROMJack L. Chalker

Ace 0-441-10268-9 $3.95There isn�t enough room here for the

complicated essay it would take to unravelall the problems with this book and Chalk-er�s Changewinds saga in general � someof which have been noted in previouscolumns. An attempt to explain is neces-sary, though, because the tale�s third vol-ume drastically redefines the context ofChalker�s narrative.

New definition 1: Contrary to the coverdescription, War of the Maelstrom is not

64 JANUARY 1989

part of a series, but the last third of athree-part novel. That revelation, made ina brief preface, abruptly lends structuralcoherence to the overall story. But it isinformation that should have been provid-ed at the outset, and its absence from theearlier volumes manipulates readers�minds almost as shamelessly as Chalker�ssorcerers manipulate the tale�s heroines.

New definition 2: Yes, the spectacularhardships and mind-twisting spells towhich Charley and Sam have been subject-ed on their roundabout way to a rendez-vous with master sorcerer Boolean are ge-

nerally depraved � but that�s all right,because it�s a character-building processdesigned to transform them from self-indulgent vegetables into self-reliantdynamos capable of saving the universe.This would be fine if the two teenagersended up saving the universe, but that�snot what happens. One of the girls avertscosmic disaster by pure luck, renderingpersonal growth irrelevant in the process.The other, after watching the fireworks, ishanded a storybook happy ending. (Afterall the novels rhetoric about open-mindedsexual attitudes, Chalker�s charactersuniformly adopt traditional monogamouslifestyles.) The story relies on contradicto-ry premises: that the girls have no realchoices (true), and that the choices theymake are integral to the novel (false).

New definition 3: The conflict that drivesthe novel is not, as implied in the first twobooks, rooted in issues of political andracial justice. Instead, it�s a petty personaldispute arising from an old academicscandal, and the reduction in scale furtherweakens an already sagging plot.

What�s most frustrating about War ofthe Maelstrom is that some interestingideas and concepts surface near the end,when Chalker explains the theories ofmagic and creation that define the cosmosof the Changewinds. There�s material foran intriguing yarn in those ideas, but notin the saga as written. Rather than chal-lenging his audience to think, Chalker hastried to direct the audience as a possessiveDungeon Master directs his players. Theresult is a tale which will satisfy no one�sexpectations but the author�s.

THE FAIRY OF KU-SHEM. Lucie Chin

Ace 0-441-22563-2 $3.50We have had Oriental tales of complex

intrigue and mystery, of love and loyalty inthe Emperor�s court, and of an Emperorset on a quest halfway across the world.Now, M. Lucie Chin adds to the growingcanon of Eastern fantasy with a novel thattakes readers into the realms and affairsof the gods themselves. The Fairy of Ku-She is almost encyclopedic in its tour ofthe Chinese heavens, and is an intricatelypatterned suspense yarn besides.

Two of Chin�s three major characters areimmortal, while the third merely makes acareer out of avoiding death. He is WeiPan Ch�ao, a Taoist monk with substantialpowers of magic (probably a wu jen inAD&D® game terms) and even more sub-stantial powers of deception. For severalhundred years, he has cheerfully eludedthe Chinese Judges of Death, and his latestfeat of trickery is the theft of the magicalGolden Chopsticks from the Fairy of Ku-She, guardian of the snows.

While Ku-She is near the bottom ofheaven�s imperial hierarchy, the theft hasmajor ecological consequences in themortal world, and she is dispatched toseek the Chopsticks. Unexpectedly, shefalls in love with a relative of Wei PanCh�ao, and though the chopsticks are

eventually recovered, Ku-She is exiled toEarth for her husbands lifetime.

Heaven, however, has taken an interestin her son, Wei T�ai-Tsung � but variouserrors in judgment combine to warp theyoung man�s character, and his uniqueheritage subsequently enables him tobecome a powerful threat to heaven andearth alike. Ku-She and a seeminglyreformed Wei Pan Ch�ao have their handsfull trying to keep up with him, let alonetrying to end his wave of destruction.

books most appreciative audience, thereare more than enough sword fights andfireworks to satisfy less-intellectual tastes.Certainly this is one of the more uncon-ventional adventures to hit the stands oflate, and that�s always good news.

THE SORCERER�S HEIRPaula Volsky

Ace O-441-77231-5 $3.60Most contemporary fantasy qualifies as

Chin conveys an excellent sense of thevastness and the convoluted internal poli-tics of Chinese heavenly bureaucracy, bothimportant factors in her plot. Her charac-ters are likewise well drawn, relativelysmall cogs struggling to find places in anextremely large system. And the wealth ofdetail will ably assist AD&D OrientalAdventures referees, especially thosewishing to create more magically sophisti-cated campaigns. As long as Wei Pan Ch�aocan escape the Judges of Death, moreadventures of this caliber will be welcome.

comedy in the literary sense � that is, thecharacters overcome obstacles rather thanbeing overcome by them, as happens intragedy. That�s why Paula Volsky�s newestnovel is such a surprise. The Sorcerer�sHeir is the second volume of a trilogy thatshows every sign of becoming a tragedy inthe classical mold.

THE ARMOR OF LIGHTMelissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett

Baen O-671-69783-8 $3.95The Armor of Light opens with a three-

Luckily for those who missed the firstbook (titled The Sorcerer�s Lady), thecurrent tale is basically self-contained.Newcomers may not fully appreciate thearcane web of human politics Volskyweaves, but that�s a minor issue at best;the story�s centerpieces are its exception-ally crafted characters.

page list of �Dramatis Personae� that readslike the index of a history of ElizabethanEngland, but the narrative owes more tothe drama and adventure created by thelikes of William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson,and Christopher Marlowe, all of whomhave parts in the tale. The Elizabethanperiod is usually considered too late asetting for traditional fantasy games, mostlikely due to the presence of such thingsas cannons and gunpowder. But Scott�sand Barnett�s alternate England, wheremagic is very real (if somewhat unusual byAD&D game standards), otherwise seemshighly suitable for sophisticated adventur-ing. (Possibly a Victorian-period rulessystem would be the easiest to adapt.)

Terrs Fal Grizhni is the son and name-sake of Lanthi Ume�s most powerful sor-cerer (now dead), and is the cornerstoneof Volsky�s plot. Raised in the undergroundcaverns of the alien Vardruls, he disdainshuman ways in favor of their communalrapport with their ancestors� spirits. Terrs�growing powers make him the Vardruls�natural leader, but his distorted sense ofidentity forces him to reject human friend-ships and drives him toward open war. Hisis a tremendously strong and idealistic, yetdoomed, personality. Volsky captures thisessence with unsettling skill.

Terrs� mother Verran is more likeable,

Essentially, the book is a spy thriller,with agents and double agents, mysteriousterrorists, intricate high-level diplomacy,and dramatic duels. Most readers willrecognize Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raleigh,and Scotland�s King James among the cast;fewer will be familiar with poet andscholar Sir Philip Sidney, who shares theleading role with playwright and sometimespy Christopher Marlowe (whose author-ship of Dr. Faustus is not coincidental).

but her fears tilt in the opposite direction.A blend of circumstance and passivity haslimited her influence in her son�s development, and her extreme unease with theVardruls limits her ability to reason withTerrs.

Sidney and Marlowe share an aptitudefor wizardry, but Sidney is a theorist andMarlowe is a realist. Though they are sentto Scotland together to ward off evildirected against King James, Marlowe�sorders call for him to secretly watch Sid-ney and prevent the mission from suc-ceeding. In the process, Marlowe �finds hiswriting being fulfilled by his actions, andSidney is forced to seek magical aid from apolitically risky quarter.

Rillif Har Fennahar complicates mattersfor both mother and son when he infil-trates the Vardrul caverns. His intentionsare benign � he hopes to mediate theworsening strife between the previouslydocile Vardruls and a ruling house bent ondestroying the Grizhni line � but histactics misfire badly when he tries toconceal another motive from Terrs. Fenna-har seeks the previous Grizhni�s pricelessspell books, and failing that task costs himthe chance to bring peace.

Matters are no better in Lanthi Ume,where political intrigues seem petty bycomparison. Warring factions conspireineffectually as order collapses, and thehumor is decidedly black; a father-daughter team of assassins stands out.(Volsky�s novels are easily a gamer�s bestargument for assassins as a characterclass.)

The novel has a well-researched feel toit, and Scott and Barnett include a post-script indicating their point of departure

The book ends with the originalGrizhni�s curse of eternal darkness loom-ing ominously ahead, and every appear-

from real-world history. Yet while students ance that impending doom is inescapable.of the period and its literature may be the And although that might not be the appro-

priate end for an RPG campaign (I supposeplayers of games such as Chaosium�s CALLOF CTHULHU® game might differ), it isdefinitely an apt ending for this trilogy.The Sorcerer�s Heir is clearly a powerfulnovel, and Volsky has the potential tomake its successor more powerful still.

THE CRYSTAL WARRIORSWilliam R. Fortschen and GregMorrison

Avon O-380-76272-7 $3.50Chris Miller of Avon Books writes inter-

esting letters. (The books and proofs I getform other publishers frequently includepress releases or generic form letters. Bycontrast, material from Avon often comeswith a note suggesting specific angles ofinterest to DRAGON® Magazine�s readers.That�s an extra effort � especially giventhe average editor�s workload � and Iappreciate it.) Her comment about TheCrystal Warriors was precisely on target:�While it�s a military fantasy, it is not whatI would call a militaristic novel.�

Fortschen and Morrison are using afamiliar premise; in fact, it�s almostdirectly borrowed from Brian Daley�sCoramonde novels of the late seventies.Their execution, though, gives the currentnovel a very different flavor and explorescultural and personal issues not raised inthe earlier books. When opposing captainsMark Phillips and Ikawa Yoshio find theirrespective troops thrown headlong into awar of sorcery in another world, theconflicts that ensue frequently have morethan two sides.

The American and Japanese soldiersdeclare a tentative truce as they arrive onHaven, but the detente proves to haveragged edges as events unfold. Both

groups, though, are recruited by a demi-god figure � one of a fair-sized pantheonwhose members are constantly maneuver-ing for position � and become crystal-wielding sorcerers in Allic�s army.

Fortschen and Morrison have developedan intriguing magic system based on spe-cialized focusing crystals. Some crystalsare pure laser-style beam weapons; othersconfer powers of flight or mental com-munication. This is carried to sharplylogical conclusions, and the Earthmen arenearly lynched for disrupting the economywhen they discover the potential forcrystal-based mines and grenades. (Thesupply of crystals is limited, and blowingthem up is considered wasteful.) Adaptingthe idea to an AD&D game environmentmay be too complex to contemplate, butit�s nonetheless a remarkably balancedcreation.

But if the magic cannot be translated,the combat patterns are beautifully ren-dered illustrations of fantasy warfare.BATTLESYSTEM� supplement tacticiansshould be ecstatic, yet there is still enoughone-on-one action to satisfy those whoprefer not to cope with large-scale strat-egy. Moreover, the authors succeed inoffering a plot that blends the three dis-tinctive strategic styles of Haven, Japan,and the U.S. The Japanese warrior ethic,

DRAGON 65

66 JANUARY 1989

as practiced by Ikawa, is especially wellpresented.

Yet, despite the definite focus on mattersof war, The Crystal Warriors manages toremain a novel of people and personalities,notably emphasizing the characters of thetwo captains. Fortschen and Morrisondisplay a remarkable diversity of skills intheir crafting of this adventure, and theresult is a story that admirably lives up toits promotion.

THE QUEST FOR THE 36Stephen Billias

Questar 0-445-20670-6 $3.95�One of the tales of Jewish folklore, of

which there are thousands, is the legendof the Thirty-Six Just Men, pillars of virtuewhose saintly lives keep the world fromdegenerating into the chaos of evil. . . .common people, bakers, tailors, and soforth, unknown to one another This leg-end happens to be true.� With thosewords, an anonymous Hasidic rabbi sendstalent agent Dexter Sinister on a world-wide scavenger hunt whose prize is noless than the fate of the world.

But Stephen Billias� account of Dexter�sadventures is about as far from preten-tious as you can get. There is plenty ofvaudeville shtick, which is logical giventhat Dexter�s current theatrical projectinvolves a vaudeville revival. There are theThirty-Six themselves, who include littleold ladies who can turn into ladybugs, anoncannibal from the South Pacific, andan Eskimo from Nome, Alaska. And thereis Dexter�s skeptical lady-friend, LolaCorolla. (Billias gets major points for hisperfect ear for absurd-sounding names,and more points for not hitting readersover the head with them.)

At the same time, Billias weaves theserious undercurrent of a world teeteringat chaos� edge, subtly but tightly, into hispattern. His characters enjoy their abilityto startle and bemuse Dexter, but remainpassionately and quietly committed totheir cause. The Thirty-Six, normally scat-tered to the ends of the earth, must cometogether so that their work may be judgedagainst the evils and disasters of themajority.

The premise is, of course, eminentlysuited for a variety of modern RPG cam-paigns, though TOP SECRET/S.I.� gameagents should leave their guns at homeland superhero referees will need to refinethe concept somewhat. But that virtue islargely coincidental for Billias, who hastaken the idea, imbued it with a strongdose of cautious optimism, and turned itinto the most appealing little parable thisside of a stack of Bibles. (I am not kiddinghere. The Quest for the 36 has an excel-lent chance of finding its way into all kindsof church study groups.)

But Billias� novel requires no preconcep-tions to be appreciated � merely the will-ingness to speculate. And as DexterSinister remarks in closing, �on certainFridays now, I, who am not Jewish, go to

temple just to hear them blow that crazyhorn.�

SONG OF THE DWARVESThorarinn Gunnarsson

Ace O-441-72690-9 $3.50A name like Thorarinn Gunnarsson on

the cover of a book about the Norse godsconveys a certain air of authority. In thiscase, it does so with good reason; Song of the Dwarves is not only excellent Norselore (which is too rare in the first place), itis a mythological retelling with the poten-tial to become a cornerstone work.

�Retelling� is exactly the right wordhere. Gunnarsson�s narrative draws liber-ally and openly on the original myths: thecoming of Loki among the Aesir, the ori-gins of Thor�s hammer, the battlesbetween the gods and the giants, thechaining of the wolf Fenrir. Not surprising-ly, this lends most of the volume a some-what episodic quality. But Gunnarsson�sstyle maintains a flowing cadence that islight and formal at the same time, mini-mizing the breaks and giving the impres-sion of both nearness and distance. Inaddition, the final chapters introduce theongoing threat of the �Ring of Andvari,� amythic predecessor to that created by J. R.R. Tolkien. Only Balder, youngest of thegods, is missing from the volume, butpromised sequels will most likely intro-duce him as Gunnarsson moves forward in�history.�

It�s unlikely that gamers would want tobe drawn deeply into the Aesir realms asplayers (except possibly in a very carefullycrafted campaign involving the gods them-selves as PCs). But the legends that Gun-narsson presents are essential backgroundmaterials for serious Norse campaignersand are far more accessible than the aver-age English-class mythology text. Indeed, itdoesn�t seem impossible for Song of theDwarves to become such a text � unlessthe secret masters of curriculum decidethat it�s too entertaining to be of literarysignificance.

Recurring rolesStar Trek literature is currently a

growth industry, with the debut of novelsfeaturing The Next Generation charactersand the arrival of the series� first originalhardcover. The news, however, is other-wise mixed. Spock�s World (Pocket,$16.95), Diane Duane�s hardback entry,uses much the same storytelling techniqueas the earlier Romulan Way, combininghistorical chapters with a plot involvingVulcan�s possible departure from the Fed-eration. While individual bits of historyare colorfully rendered, they do not flowtogether well, and they force Duane tooverabbreviate the secession story. It�s stillquite enjoyable (and full of Vulcan lore)but not sufficiently distinctive to merit theboost in format.

As for The Next Generation novels, anidentity has yet to emerge. Diane Carey�sGhost Ship (Pocket, $3.95) is simply ill-

advised; publishing schedules apparently maintains a much lower profile in theRealms� affairs � but the sage�s presence ishardly a disadvantage.

The chief problem with Lloyd ArthurEschbach�s Gates of Lucifer series is thatthe volumes are so widely spaced. Other-wise, The Sorceress of Scath (Del Rey,$3.50) is a worthwhile addition to thisrelatively quiet but well-crafted sequenceinvolving Scotsman Alan MacDougall and amysterious set of lost worlds. Eshbach hasa knack for constructing clever magicalprops, and this novel showcases severalgood examples.

Meanwhile, Simon Hawke continues the

this second book�s depth will startle read-ers expecting no more than the lightlysatiric tone of her earlier novel.

required its completion before the TVcharacter relationships were fully set, andediting is sloppy � the new series estab-lishes Warp 10 as a new �light barrier,� butthe novel still acknowledges objects travel-ing at nearly Warp 15. The Peacekeepers(Pocket, $3.95), though truer to the televi-sion characters, faces the problem ofsqueezing them all into one story.

Elizabeth Moon continues the adven-tures of female mercenary Paksenarrionin Divided Allegiance (Baen, $3.95), andthe results are both impressive and unset-tling. Paks gains notably in experience,

Truth in advertisingThe mass-market edition of Deborah

Turner Harris� The Gauntlet of Malice (Tor,$3.50) quotes this column on its frontcover � but the quote describes the pre-vious book in the trilogy, not the one towhich it�s attached, and doesn�t accuratelyreflect the comments made about Gauntletin this space. That�s not good marketingpractice, and Tor Books should knowbetter.

wisdom, and wealth, but just as her desti-ny seems brightest, she becomes the tar-get of mysterious evil forces, and the bookends on an extremely odd note. Moon alsoprovides an invaluable amount of lore onthe care and creation of paladins.

Spellfire (TSR, $3.95) proves what read-ers have suspected about Ed Greenwoodfor years: that he is a skilled storytellerwho can handle a far-ranging narrativevery well indeed. The plots and counter-plots in this FORGOTTEN REALMS� novel

adventures of Wyrdrune, Kira andModred in The Wizard of Whitechapel(Questar, $3.95). This time the setting isLondon, and the plot involves werewolvesand a latter-day Jack the Ripper. Unfortu-nately, most readers will be as disgustedwith this novel as Merlin is with the plotdevice Hawke uses to resurrect the wiz-ard. The series (more books appear inevi-table) seems to be moving downhill fast.

Much better, if only peripherally con-nected to the gaming world, is Mary Moni-

As always, comments and suggestionsare welcome, though I can�t promise toreply personally to all correspondence.Letters (and books for possible review) should be addressed to:

John C. Bunnell3728 SE 39th Avenue #4Portland OR 97202

are numerous, but the focus remains onShandril and Narm, a pair of young adven-

ca Pulver�s prequel to Murder At the War,which features policeman Peter Brichter

turers caught up in a web of magic andintrigue. Readers may be surprised to findElminster of Shadowdale involving himselfrather openly in this adventure � pre-vious material would have us believe he

and Kori Price. The Unforgiving Minutes(St. Martin�s, $17.95) still manages to give awalk-on part to the SCA, and is a first-classmurder mystery besides. Pulver is becom-ing a sensitive and powerful writer, and

DRAGON 67

by Mary Kirchoff

The

Game WizardsSome novel ideas from TSR Books

TSR published its first novel five years ago. We�ve come a long way in a shorttime, and our 1989 book line is top-notch. We will have a DRAGONLANCE® sagatrilogy that brings back favorite heroes � Raistlin and Caramon, Tasslehoff andFlint, and Kitiara and Sturm � and documents their adventures during the fiveyears before the best-selling DRAGONLANCE Chronicles. Bold new FORGOTTEN REALMS� books will add to the best-selling stories begun in 1987 and1988. Witty, fascinating, and poignant books will appear in the imaginative TSR� Books line. Science-fiction stories on the cutting edge by noteworthy SFwriters will also be released in 1989 as part of the BUCK ROGERS� line. Thesebooks are listed alphabetically herein by product line, so you can easily locateyour favorite works and their release months.

BUCK ROGERS� BooksThis year, TSR is introducing the first of

its BUCK ROGERS� books � an anthologyby outstanding science-fiction writers,including Robert Sheckley and JerryOltion, and a novel trilogy by M. S. Mur-dock. In March, Arrival introduces old andnew BUCK ROGERS characters. In A.D.1995, an American pilot flies a suicidemission against an enemy Space DefensePlatform to save the world from nuclearwar. Anthony �Buck� Rogers blasts histarget and vanishes in a blaze of glory.

68 JANUARY 1989

In A.D. 2456, the legend of Buck Rogerslives on in a colonized Solar System whereEarth is a polluted ruin whose meager.resources are exploited by an evil corpora-tion from Mars. In the midst of this 25th-century battlefield, an artifact is found inthe asteroid belt � one valuable enough toignite a revolution, be a bargaining chip insolar diplomacy, or bring a fortune to itsowner. The artifact is none other than theperfectly preserved body of the 20th-century hero, Buck Rogers.

Rebellion 2456, the first in the MartianWars trilogy, will be released in May. BuckRogers joins NEO, a group of freedomfighters dedicated to ridding Earth of thecontrolling Martian megacorporationRAM. NEO�s goal is to gain enough of afollowing to destroy RAM�s Earth spacestation. If they fail, the war may endbefore it�s begun.

In the August release, Hammer of Mars,NEO ignores RAM�s threats and sendsBuck Rogers to Venus to strike an alliance.A furious RAM makes good on its threatsand sends its armada against a nearlydefenseless Earth.

Armageddon Off Vesta, the conclusion tothe Martian Wars trilogy, will be releasedin October. Martian troops speed to Earthin unprecedented numbers. Earth�s surviv-al depends on Buck�s negotiations withVenus. But even as Venus considers offer-ing aid to Earth, Mercury is poised toattack Venus.

DRAGONLANCE® PreludesDRAGONLANCE saga fans will be happy

to see a return to the beloved charactersand tone of the DRAGONLANCE Chroniclesand DRAGONLANCE Legends trilogies.

In the April release novel by PaulThompson and Tonya Carter, Darknessand Light, readers will finally hear of thetravels of Kitiara and Sturm before themeeting at the Inn of the Last Home at thebeginning of DRAGONLANCE Chronicles.Sturm sets off to find news of his father;Kit comes along for the adventure. Along

the way, they stumble upon a flying vesselpiloted by 12 gnomes who offer them aride to Solamnia, but the group ends up onLunitari during a war. Eventually escaping to Krynn, Sturm and Kitiara admit theirattraction for each other.

On the lighter side, Kendermore, anAugust book by Mary Kirchoff, has Tassle-hoff Burrfoot collared by a lady bountyhunter and charged with violating thekender laws of prearranged marriage. Toensure his return, Kendermore�s councilhas his Uncle Trapspringer in prison. Tasmeets the last woolly mammoth and analchemist who wants to pickle one ofeverything, including one kender. What noone knows is that the Dark Queen is incit-ing the riots in Kendermore as part of herplan for the battle of good versus evil.

Brothers Majere, a December book bybest-selling author Rose Estes, reveals theorigins of the love/hate relationship of thebrothers Caramon and Raistlin as devel-

oped in the first two trilogies. Caramon,distraught over his ailing mother, reluc-tantly allows her to die. Unable to forgivehis brother, or himself for his inability tosave her with his magic, Raistlin agrees topursue their mother�s last wish, unawarethat they are all pawns in a power struggle between the gods of good and evil.

FORGOTTEN REALMS� BooksFORGOTTEN REALMS setting fans will

be happy to see six new novels in thisseries in 1989. In the conclusion to DougNiles�s Moonshae trilogy, Darkwell, aMarch release, the heroes of the first twobooks are back. Robyn must exert hergrowing druidic powers as never before,and Tristan must exercise his leadershipskills with untried wisdom if they are todefeat political clerics, undead armies, andthe horror of Bhaal himself. But Bhaal haswrought havoc even in their relationship.They must decide if they will face thefuture as king and queen � or as enemies,forever separated by failure and mistrust.

R. A. Salvatore�s second book in the best-selling Icewind Dale trilogy will bereleased in January. In Streams of SilverWulfgar the barbarian, Bruenor thedwarf, Drizzt the dark elf, and Regis thehalfling search for Bruenor�s birthplace,the legendary Mithril Hall.

Richard Awlinson�s Avatar Trilogy willtake readers through an entire three-booksaga in one year. In May�s release, Shadow-dale, three adventurers, desperate toescape the dark elements of their pasts,search for a magic-user to round out theirgroup. Unfortunately, the one they find isdestined to lead the group into greatertrouble than they were in before. Mid-night is no ordinary magic-user; she wasrecently infused with god-level magicalabilities � at a time when the entire pan-theon of gods has been kicked out of itsplanes because of some missing tablets.The plot thickens when Midnight and hercompanions are accused of the murder ofElminster, the most powerful mage in theRealms.

Book Two, Tantras, is a July release.Falsely convicted of the murder of Elmin-ster, the heroes are forced to escape thedungeons of Shadowdale. On the way toTantras, the party is split over what to dowith the tablets once they are recovered,and Cyric is drawn into the service of theevil Zhentarim. Will Midnight and theforces of good beat Cyric and his evil armyto Tantras and recover the first tablet?

In Book Three, Waterdeep, a Septemberrelease, the companions flee the wrath ofthe gods to the enchanted city of Water-deep, where they believe the last tablet ishidden. However, one of the heroes hascast his lot with the evil gods, and hewants Midnight for her powers. His deni-zens await the heroes at every turn, andthe mysterious power inside Midnightthreatens to annihilate them all when theyleast expect it.

Pool of Radiance, a November book byJames M. Ward, is the novelization of SSI�scomputer module of the same name.Located on the northern shore of theMoonsea, the fabled city of Phlan has beenoverrun by monsters driven by a mysteri-ous leader. Five companions find them-selves in the unenviable position ofdefending the soon-to-be ghost townagainst �a rival possessing incredible power.

TSRTM Books Authors on the slate for TSR�s newest

line of science-fiction and fantasy booksinclude Hugo Award-winning artist andauthor Phil Foglio; Ardath Mayhar, whohas written science fiction and fantasy forDaw, Ace, Doubleday, and Atheneum; andNick O�Donohoe, whose Nathan Phillipsmystery series has received widespreadacclaim (as have his DRAGONLANCE sagashort stories).

In Nick Pollotta�s and Phil Foglio�s Febru-ary release, Illegal Aliens, aliens arrive onEarth intent on picking up some �guineapigs� for study. It just happens that theyland in Central Park and that their speci-mens are members of the Bloody Deckers,a ruthless New York City street gang.Chaos erupts over the intergalactic inci-dent, and the U.N. First Contact Team andthe Space Marines only make mattersworse. This one-of-a-kind, science-fictioncomedy thriller is full of wondrous techno-logical marvels, uncharted planetary sys-tems, mutants, warobots, and advancedand retrograde life-forms.

In Nancy Berberick�s The Jewels ofElvish, an April book, a growing threat inthe north forces the Elvish and Mannishraces into an alliance, and the Elvish prin-cess is wed to the Mannish prince. To themarriage, Nikia brings her strange, magi-cal ways and an ancient family heirloom,the Ruby of Guyaire. In the lands of theMannish, amid strange customs and ene-mies, she struggles to make both her mar-riage and the tenuous alliance a reality.But when the ruby is stolen, its true worthis discovered. Nancy Berberick is theauthor of four DRAGONLANCE saga short

stories and the DRAGONLANCE novelStormblade.

Ardath Mayhar�s and Ron Fortier�s novel,Monkey Station, is a June release. A custo-dian�s error sends a deadly, mutatingplague across the globe. Furthermore, it�straveling so fast that the civilized worldcan do nothing to stop it. Isolated in thetropical rain forests of South America,researchers doing genetic experiments onmonkeys find that they�ve made the maca-ques evolve faster � and one of the testspecimens can talk!

A new GREYHAWK® Adventures novelby Rose Estes will be published in August.In The Eyes Have It, a blind elven kinglooks for revenge and a rock that hebelieves can restore his sight. Meanwhile,the lord of the dragons is planning anenvironmental cleanup that will restorehis kingdom to its former splendor � thatis, free of elves, dwarves, halflings, cities,roads, and villages. Into this stumbles agroup of unwitting heroes.

October�s Too, Too Solid Flesh has awonderfully imaginative theme. An inven-tor creates a troupe of acting androids toappear on college campuses to performHamlet. When their inventor is killed, thethespian androids must solve the crime.

Susan Olan�s The Earth Remembersrounds out the 1989 TSR Books line inDecember. In this book, Texas and Mexico

DRAGON 69

are ancient history � part of a mythologyborn in a distant past, with stories ofheroes, saints, and gods with names likeCuauhtemoc, Cilla, Crocket, Zapata, andQuetzalcoatl. Thousands of years in thefuture, Pecos Territory, once a part ofancient Texas, has been conquered andenslaved � but the past and the dream ofliberty are kept alive in the myths and theland itself. Cimarron and Angelina, a cou-ple drawn together by a passion that tran-scends this lifetime, join with a giant whois a throwback to an ancient race, aComanche warrior, and the mutateddescendant of a dinosaur to challenge anarmy and destiny itself.

CATACOMBS� BooksIn CATACOMBS books, the reader cre-

ates and guides his own adventure byexploring the items and avenues of hischoosing from 30-plus full-page illustra-tions. In Allen Varney�s FORGOTTEN REALMS� solo adventure book (due forrelease in May), artist George Barr�s sensa-tional illustrations bring the reader face-to-face with the creepiest creatures inWaterdeep. The reader plays the part ofan undead paladin who must take on theundead of the North and find pieces of amagical staff.

Troy Denning�s August book, Foul Play atFool�s Summit, places the reader in theTOP SECRET/S.I.� game setting. Webagents have infiltrated several world-classski teams which will compete in races atthe legendary Fools Summit. The reader/adventurer is an agent from the OrionFoundation. He knows who the plants are,but he doesn�t know Web�s plans.

Other fantasy productsThe 1990 FORGOTTEN REALMS� Calen-

dar will be available in May. Focusing onthe Realms� many cities of enchantment,the 1990 calendar contains 13 poster-quality reproductions of paintings byrenowned fantasy artists Jeff Butler, ClydeCaldwell, Jeff Easley, Larry Elmore, andJim Holloway.

September will see the release of TheArt of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®Fantasy Game, Book II. This full-color, 128-page edition will display the best coversand interior art from recent TSR fantasyproducts, including the works of top fanta-sy artists Clyde Caldwell, Jeff Easley, LarryElmore, and Keith Parkinson.

BUCK ROGERS is a trademark used under license fromThe Dille Family Trust.

70 JANUARY 1989

©1988 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser

T h e

Role ofComputers

New games for the new year

Computer-game ratings

x Not recommended* P o o r** Fair*** Good**** Excellent***** Superb

A r c a d i a (distributed by Electronic Arts)(415) 571-7171

Roadwars * * * ½

Commodore Amiga version $34.99Rockford * * * * ½

Atari ST version $29.99AAARGH! XCommodore Amiga version $34.99

Three programs have been rushed tothe market from Arcadia. Two are worthpurchasing, but the third is not.

Roadwars presents arcade-quality excite-

ment for one or two players. You drivewhat is known as a Battlesphere � anovoid, mobile weapon used to removedestructive debris from the spacewaysbetween the moons of the planet Arma-geddon. However, the magnetic side panelsthat keep vehicles on the spaceways aregoing nuts; some panels can not only delaybut completely destroy a Battlesphere.Armed with a laser cannon and a protec-tive shield, you and a partner do yourutmost to ensure the stability of the space-ways. We found the two-player mode themost successful for Roadwars and, despiteslow program response to joystick com-mands, worked up a sweat with this offer-ing. The game is also available for Atari STand Commodore 64/128 users.

Rockford is great! This action-packedarcade game more than equals its coin-opcounterpart, Boulder Dash. The game hasfour difficulty levels, 80 screens, digitizedsound effects, and crisp graphics. You visitfive worlds on a treasure hunt, but youmust collect the treasures without getting

Dive Bomber: Givingthe Bismarck its

good-bye kiss.

72 J A N U A R Y 1 9 8 9

stoned � there are rocks on each worldthat would like nothing better than to seeyour onscreen character turned into apancake. Rockford is thoroughly enjoyableand will entertain players for hours. Thisgame is also available for CommodoreAmiga and 64/128, Atari 8-bit, and IBMmicros and compatible machines. TheAtari ST and Commodore Amiga versionsare graphically superior to other formats.

And then comes AAARGH! How is itpossible that a company that developssuch fine programs as those already men-tioned can produce such a worthless pro-gram as this one? The Amiga versionallows you to become either a giant lizardor fearsome ogre. You use the joystick tocause these creatures to eat people, burninhabited dwellings, and fight off othermarauding monsters; should your crea-ture lose in battle to giant flying mosquitosor succumb to cannon fire, there is arather bloody dismemberment scene asyour monster is torn to shreds. Your objec-tive is to collect giant rocs� eggs, whichmeans fighting another monster. Eventu-ally, you must find a golden egg in a volca-no and have a final battle to win the game.This game is boring, violent without pur-pose, and lacks a solid plot. We hopeAAARGH! is not a portent of future pro-grams coming from Arcadia.

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

Dive Bomber * * * * ½

Atari ST version $39.95Play Action VCR CaliforniaGames ** * *

Play Action VCR Golf * * * *

Play Action VCR Football **

Head-On Baseball * * * ½

Head-On Football * * * ½

All VCR games are $49.95Epyx has released a series of video-

cassette- and audio cassette-based sportsgames that are quite enjoyable. But first,the software review. Dive Bomber on theAtari ST is fantastic! The object of thistwo-disk game is to pilot a GrummanAvenger and hunt for the German battle-ship Bismarck � but getting there is morethan half the fun. Before you can eventhink of going off into the night sky tosearch for the German battleship, you�vegot to learn to fly the aircraft. The graph-ics are awesome, and the digitized soundis extremely realistic. You use a mouse onthe Atari ST or Commodore Amiga ver-sions to make your menu selections andfly the plane. Taking off and landing onthe aircraft carrier Ark Royal is tense �especially landing!

Several screens are employed. The Pilot�sScreen is used to fly the plane, with suchcontrols as the brake, vertical speed, artifi-cial horizon, and torpedo release. TheEngineer�s Screen is used to select fuel

tanks and to set the fuel mixture andthrottle. The Navigator�s Screen shows amap of the surrounding area and thelocations of enemy aircraft and ships. TheTail Gunner�s Screen shows the enemyaircraft attacking your dive bomber fromthe rear, where they can be machine-gunned. The player�s manual containssuperb tips for flying your Avenger.

This is a most satisfying offering fromEpyx and will require many hours of playto reach success. Four missions are select-ed by drawing straws during the openinggame sequence. ST owners should defin-itely hunt this game down! This game isalso available for Apple II, C64/128, andIBM micro and compatible systems.

The VCR offerings from Epyx each con-sist of a videocassette, game board, andplaying pieces. The California Gamesproduct, our favorite, finds as many as sixplayers involved in a road race fromnorthern California to San Diego � butyou don�t have any money when you startthe game. By engaging in various conteststhroughout the state (surfing, skate-boarding, rollerskating, sailboarding,bodyboarding, and BMX), you earn cash.There are three locations on the CaliforniaInterstate Freeways that each require atoll of $100. If you aren�t successful atyour sports events, you don�t win money,without which you cannot go south andwin the game.

By rolling a die, you determine the num-ber of spaces your playing piece moves onthe game board, which is a map of Califor-nia with designated contest sites, areas oftrouble (road out, mud slides, etc.) andpositive karma spots (find a sponsor andget $10). When you land on a contestspace, the videocassette is played and aCalifornia Game is shown onscreen withappropriate background music (usuallythe Beach Boys). You watch a short clip ofan event and, should you succeed at theevent, the tape tells you how much moneyyou�ve won. If you lose, you pay the bank.The videocassette tells you when to pausethe tape so that you don�t get a preview ofthe next event. However, after playing thegame several times, it gets to the pointwhere you can pretty much guess whatthe next event will be. Some of the tapedevents are so spectacular that you neverforget them! That�s the only drawback,and if you play with several people, theodds are that you won�t truly recall everyevent until you�ve played it often � andthat could be months in the future!

The VCR Golf Game is next best in theseries, as it has a four-screen view ofdiffering golf shots that are applied to theboard, which itself is one of several famous golf course holes. Although notmuch in the way of skill is required to playthis offering, it is at least entertaining. Thefootball version is not as good, as the playsyou think you�ve called are not alwaysshown onscreen. However, a clever red-filter system is employed on the game cardto allow each play to be judged by game

Zork Zero: Thedecline and fall ofthe GreatUnderground Empire.

BattleTech:Gun-to-gun with thesteel titans.

Shogun: Survivingthe shipwreck is theeasy part.

statistics as to its success or not. Mostpassing plays have a video-based play thatis shown on your TV, with the results (inyardage gained or lost) shown onscreen.The audio cassette games are quite enjoyable and can be played wherever a tapecassette player is found. All in all, Epyxshould find success with these offerings.

Mindscape Inc.3444 Dundee RoadNorthbrook IL 60062(800) 221-9884

PowerPlayers Joystick * * * * *

See below $29.95Many times, we overlook an item

DRAGON 73

Zak McKracken andthe Alien

Mindbenders: Thetitle says it ail.

Zak McKrackenOn the IBM . . .

Zak McKracken:. . . and on the

Commodore 64/128.

responsible for much of our softwaregaming enjoyment � namely, the input/output device, the most common of whichis the computer keyboard. However,adventure and arcade games usuallyrequire that the player use a joystick ormouse to perform onscreen movement.

Origin Systems, Inc.136 Harvey Road, Building BLondonderry NH 03053(603) 644-3360

We�ve found the perfect joystick for usewith software for the Atari d-bit and STand the Commodore 64/128 and Amiga:the PowerPlayers Joystick, distributed byMindscape. It is rather unusual when firstviewed. Usually, the player holds the joy-stick above a base platform, with one ortwo buttons placed on the platform forfiring procedures. The PowerPlayersJoystick requires the player to hold ahandle below the platform, much as someof the earlier �shoot �em up� arcade gamesrequired. Inserted into the comfortablehandle is an ultrasensitive trigger thathandles all firing activities. Your handneed never leave the joystick itself �which is placed above the platform andhas a steel shaft with smooth pivoting,thanks to its ball-bearing construction. Wenoted comfortable use by both right- andleft-handed players. Even better was thelong cable that allowed us to jump upfrom our chairs with only momentarythought given to pulling the entire com-puter system from its table. This joystick ishighly recommended and appears able tohandle being accidentally slammed againstthe table, high drops, cord entanglements,and so forth.

Moebius: The Orb Of CelestialHarmony

Apple Macintosh version $39.95* * * * ½

Apple Macintosh II color version $39.95As unusual a fantasy role-playing game

as you�ll ever experience, the Macintosh IIcolor version of Moebius is phenomenal!We�ve played the other computer versionsof-this adventure offering and enjoyed all,but the Macintosh II version leaves theothers behind as far as screen presenta-tion. Knowing that not everyone has a MacII, it is only fair to say that if you have notexperienced the Mac II version, the otherformats are still above average in playabili-ty. The 9� screen of the regular black-and-white Macintosh does not give justice tothe graphics environment of the game. Butwith the Mac II, you experience a world invivid color that brings far more detailonscreen, allowing the player to see theapproaching tiger or guards in time toprepare a proper defense.

The object of the adventure is to recoverthe stolen Orb of Celestial Harmony. Yourcharacter can only start his quest afterbeing trained in martial arts (unarmed andwith sword), and increasing his mortality

74 JANUARY 1989

(Body), mental prowess (Mind), Karma, andDexterity. The success of Karma develop-ment is totally dependent upon your skillwith either the keyboard or joystick (ormouse on the Mac) as you attempt tomaintain Karma within certain bounda-ries, a difficult feat to accomplish. Onceyou have been successfully trained, you gooff to rescue the land. There are encoun-ters, treasures, missile and magical com-bats, a fully animated combat systemallowing fights with opponents onscreen,and a constantly changing playing field.

This Oriental adventure game is hard tomaster and will require considerable prac-tice. You will learn much even as you fail.Fortunately, a save-game feature isemployed, so you can always restart thequest at a point before your last death.This is a novel, innovative, and enjoyableadventure game.

SEGA of America, Inc. Solitaire Royale * * * * *

573 Forbes Boulevard Apple Macintosh II version $34.95South San Francisco CA 94080 Commodore Amiga version $29.95(800) USA-SEGA (toll free, outside Calif.) Tetris *****(415) 742-9300 (within Calif.) Apple Macintosh version $34.95(distributed by Tonka Corporation) also available for IBM and C64/128)

Alien Syndrome **

price n/aAlien Syndrome is the official adaptation

of the coin-op arcade game to the SEGAsystem. In the arcade game, you play awarrior whose mission is to rescue hos-tages trapped in various alien-infestedspaceships. As you move through thespaceships, the screen shows an overheadview of different, mazelike rooms. Thereare weapons and robots called �options�available in the various ships that helphold the aliens at bay while you conductyour rescue. Maps can be found which aidin finding your trapped comrades. Alienschase you only if you enter rooms thatthey have made their homes, and they aremanufactured by guardians that requireseveral shots to eliminate. An exit at theend of each ship allows you to move on tothe next one. This action, however, pitsyou against an alien boss that must bedestroyed before you can move on to thenext game level. All of these objectivesmust be accomplished as a timer-detonatorruns down. If the timer ever reaches zero,your character is killed and the gameends.

The SEGA home version of Alien Syn-drome lacks some of the qualities thatallowed its arcade counterpart to draw inthe coin-op players. Only three weaponsare available to you in the SEGA version: afireball, a laser, and a short-range pistol.The home game is only for a single player,and that takes some of the fun and excite-ment out. There are warps in the homeversion that allow you to teleport to differ-ent areas on the ship, and question-markicons that can make you invincible, but thegame lacks maps to show where the hos-tages are imprisoned. The graphics on thecartridge lack the high quality found in

the arcade version, except for the graphicsshown when fighting the alien bosses atthe close of each level. Guardians in thehome version do not construct aliens as inthe coin-op version; they only shoot atyou. Lastly, the robots in the original gameare not available in the home version.

Alien Syndrome is good if you are look-ing for an original game for your SEGAEntertainment System. However, if yourecall the coin-op version and enjoyed it,this translation will not satisfy your yearn-ings for a similar game. There are manyother games for the SEGA system of betterquality than this offering, which appearsto have been made rather quickly.

Spectrum HoloByte2061 Challenger DriveAlameda CA 94501(415) 522-3584

Solitaire Royale is, bar none, the finestsolitaire card-game simulation ever seenon any computer. The card colors andcard-back designs are dazzling, the digi-tized sound of shuffling extremely realis-tic, and with eight solitaire games includedon the disk, the game contains hundredsof hours of entertainment. If you enjoysolitaire or any computerized card game,Solitaire Royale is an offering you shouldseriously consider adding to your softwarelibrary.

We have already reviewed other systemformats of Tetris. We now have the Macin-tosh version and have found it to be just asgood, if not better, than the other versions.The reason? Now, scored music by EdBogus (famous for the Studio Session andJam Session Studio Mac music synthesissoftware) enhances game play, there is asix-player tournament mode as well as anadvanced player mode, and a Desk Acces-sory version comes as part of the packageand allows you to play Tetris even whenother applications are running. Thismeans that if you get tired of word proc-essing or number crunching, you cansimply call up the Tetris D/A and relaxwhile learning how to maneuver shapesinto correct positions for higher and high-er scores. Additionally, for those luckyenough to possess a Macintosh II, Tetriscomes in a color version as well. There isno question that this game, developed byRussians and enhanced by Spectrum Holo-bite, is an excellent purchase for any Mac-intosh gamer.

Berserker WorksP.O. Box 14268Albuquerque NM

Sign of the Wolf * * * ½

Commodore 64/128 version price n/aThe following review is of software that

cannot be classified as a game. It�s a fullyillustrated science-fiction novel written toa software disk, from Berserker WorksLimited: Sign of the Wolf, by writer FredSaberhagen. The graphics are extremelywell done, considering its C64 8-bit envi-ronment, and the story lives up to Mr.Saberhagen�s reputation. This is a mustread for any science-fiction enthusiast.The book appears page by page onscreenwith the attendant illustrations. This is asurprisingly entertaining way to read thenovel. Other Saberhagen-authored soft-ware includes Wizard War, an interactivefantasy game co-written with Lloyd John-son, and Berserker Raids. The latter isbased on the Berserker science fictionseries that has been read over the past 20years by millions of readers. In the latteroffering, there are 10 scenarios dealingwith the fight against the space-going warmachines. These offerings, for IBM microsand compatibles and C64/128 computers,are published by Baen Software.

News and new products

Datasoft(distributed by Electronic Arts)(415) 571-7171

Datasoft continues its new productrelease parade with Napoleon in Russia �Borodino 1812. This is a new strategic

DRAGON 75

wargame for the C64/128, recreating thebattle that led to the overthrow of Napo-leon. Players have complete control overall battle elements, and scrolling battlemaps have been recreated from Russianmilitary cartography. The price is $24.95;with a version also available for Atari 8-bitcomputers.

DataSoft has released Cosmic Relief:Professor Renegade to the Rescue. This isa graphics-rich adventure game that findsthe players transported backwards in time40 years. Professor Renegade has foundan asteroid rocketing toward Earth, andhe is the only one who can save the planet.Unfortunately, he has disappeared, andthe game players must find him so that thegood professor can build an asteroiddeflector. One of five famous internationaladventurers is selected to help you findhim. This is available for the CommodoreAmiga and Atari ST ($34.95) and C64/128($24.95) computers.

released A Question Of Scruples, based onthe popular SCRUPLES board game. Theplayer, with as many as nine human- orcomputer-managed friends, must approxi-

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

One of EAs affiliated label companies isVirgin Games. That company has now

mate the qualities of his own personality,such as honesty and busybody factors.With all questions based on a participant�smoral point of view, many responses areelicited. The program has been releasedfor the Atari ST at $39.95.

Epyx, Inc.

tests of skill, tackle vicious monsters, andsearch for clues and objects to help in thequest. For the C64/128, and for the AppleII and IBM micros and compatibles in

A new baseball simulation is going to be enroute to retailers soon. This new offer-ing is The Sporting News Baseball, whichwill feature truly realistic baseball action.Epyx has also released The Games � Sum-mer Edition, officially licensed by the 1988U.S. Olympic Team. Set in Seoul, Korea,this software simulation presents competi-tion for one to eight players in springboard diving, uneven parallel bars, polevaulting, spring cycling, hammer throw,hurdles, archery, and rings. The offeringis for the Commodore Amiga and C64/128,Apple II family and IIgs, IBM micros andcompatibles, and Apple Macintosh. Theprice is $39.95 for all formats. Also from Epyx comes The Legend ofBlacksilver, wherein players must aid thebeautiful Princess of Bantross by rescuingher father from the evil Baron Taragas,who himself is possessed by the mysticalmineral Blacksilver. Players will endure

76 JANUARY 1989

1989, the price will be $39.95.The company is also releasing a compan-

ion game to its Street Sports series. Thenew game on the block is Football, with aplaying field of dirt and concrete. Youselect your team from the hoodlums of theneighborhood and select plays from acomputerized playbook or design yourown action. The game is released for theC64/128, Apple II, Apple IIgs, CommodoreAmiga, and IBM micros and compatibles,at $39.95 for all formats.

Other new Epyx offerings for the AtariST include: Technocop, in which playersbecome part of the Enforcers, an elitepolice force, to thwart the internationalcrime family known as D.O.A. ($39.95);Tower Toppler, an action game in whicheight towers rising from the ocean�sdepths must be destroyed ($39.95); andSports-A-Roni, a zany sports challengeincluding a pillow fight, a sack race, apole-vault competition, and a pole climb(with olive oil!) in Italy ($24.95).

Software Heaven/FTL Games6160 Lusk Boulevard, Suite C206P.O. Box 112489San Diego CA 92111(619) 453-5711

In issue #136, we reviewed the phenom-enal Dungeon Master from FTL for AtariST computers. Conversions for the Com-modore Amiga and the Apple IIgs havecome out. FTL will also release a mini-adventure for these three systems that isreally an add-on to the original DungeonMaster game. This scenario will open upnew and deeper sections of the dungeon,and players will be able to design theircharacters any way they wish. This sce-nario will include a mini-paint program.Also being ported is FTL�s fantastic arcadegame, OIDS, for the Apple Macintosh.

Casady & Green, Inc.P.O. Box 223779Carmel CA 93922(408) 624-8716

This company has released version 2.2of CrystalQuest ($49.95), which in its newformat is the first arcade game releasedthat can take advantage of the color capa-bilities of the Apple Macintosh II. It has300K of incredible digitized sounds, plussave- and resume-game features. TheCritterEditor ($79.95) will also be available,which allows the user to make over 1,000changes to the game�s colors, sounds,shapes, and critter behavior. The user canthen save those changes in a parameterfile and play the games they have createdat a later date.

Infocom, Inc.125 Cambridge Park DriveCambridge MA 02140(617) 492-6000

Infocom has released Journey, starting anew genre of interactive storytelling thatthe company calls Role-Playing Chronicles.In an illustrated world of dwarves, elves,

nymphs, and wizards, players share themagical adventures of four characters asthey solve puzzles, overcome obstacles,and explore unknown lands. You controlthe party�s actions while trying to defeatthe evil that has infested the land,

Zork fans will be delighted to know thatInfocom is releasing a prequel to the Zorktrilogy: Zork Zero. Epic in size and scope,this game covers a century of time andexplores the collapse of the Great Under-ground Empire. There are more than 200locations and as many puzzles as in thewhole Zork Trilogy itself. This game alsoincorporates the first graphic puzzles toever appear in an Infocom title.

Another offering with expected highconsumer zeal is Battle Tech, a revolution-ary new role-playing adventure gamebased on the FASA Corporation�s BATTLE-TECH� game universe. This is the largestcomputer role-playing game everdesigned; there are over 4,000,000 loca-tions which, if completely transversed,might result in a reward at the close of thegame! Spectacularly animated graphicsexecuted in the style of Japanese comicsappear onscreen. You will feel as if youhave been thrown into the middle of thebattlefield, going head-to-head with anenemy BattleMech.

James Clavell�s Shogun is yet anotherInfocom release. An adaptation of thenovel by Zork author Dave Lebling, thisgame relies upon the player�s ability tothink and make decisions as Blackthornewould, rather than on solving complexpuzzles. Shogun takes you into a. worldrich in history and culture, with thegraphics presented in traditional 16th-century Japanese style.

These games are, or will be, available forthe Apple Macintosh, Apple II and IIgs,IBM micros and compatibles, Atari ST, andCommodore Amiga and C64/128 systems,at $49.95 for all formats.

Koei Corporation 20000 Mariner Avenue, Suite 100Torrance CA 90503(213) 542-6444

Koei has dedicated its product line toIBM microcomputers, with each programcapable of utilizing either EGA or CGAvideo boards. The Koei line encompassesOriental adventures, such as Nobunaga�sAmbition and Romance of the Three King-doms, that are conversions of Japanesesoftware games. Both are historical simula-tion games. The first offering takes placein 16th-century Japan, the latter in China�ssecond century. Koei games are historical-ly accurate and are similar in approach to both role-playing games and strategicwargames. These games feature high-quality animation and graphics as well aslarge databases of game information. Eachcomes with detailed historical notes, refer-ences, and necessary maps. The suggestedretail price of these games is $59.95 each.Also out is Genghis Khan, for IBM microsand compatibles, Khan, a simulation gamebased on this warlord.

Lucasfilm Games(distributed by Mediagenic)P.O. Box 2009San Rafael CA 94912(415) 662-1966

Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindben-ders is finally shipping! This is the latest ina line of comedy thrillers for personalcomputers. The lead character is a journal-ist, Zak McKracken, the creator of sensa-tional (but not always accurate) stories forthe tabloid National Inquisitor. He hasdiscovered that a worldwide stupidityepidemic is really an extraterrestrial plotto reduce everyone�s IQ to a single digit.The only folk he can find to help him stopthis insidious takeover are two Yale coedsand a spunky occultist. This is a cinematicadventure with 3-D environments, dramat-ic �camera angles,� and colorful backdrops.This game is available for IBM micros andcompatibles ($44.95) and the C64/128 andApple II ($34.95).

Mindscape Inc.Watch for a new Balance of Power �

1990! Written by Chris Crawford, thisgame of global power is said to be evenbetter than his original offering. Thisversion is for the Apple Macintosh andcosts $49.95. Mindscape is also convertingthe most popular SEGA game cartridgesinto versions for C64/128, CommodoreAmiga, and Atari ST computers. The first release will be the popular Out Run($49.95 for all versions).

New World Computing, Inc.(distributed by Mediagenic)P.O. Box 2068Van Nuys CA 91404(818) 785-0519 (tech support)

Jon Van Caneghem, president of NewWorld, has indicated that Might and MagicII will soon be released for the Apple IIcomputer family. He has also signed alicensing agreement with Starcraft inJapan, which will simultaneously convertand release that game there, as well asmanage the conversions of all New Worldentertainments to Japanese versions.Currently, Might and Magic is available forIBM micros and compatibles, the Tandycomputer and its compatibles (with sup-port for EGA video boards), the C64/128,and the Apple II and Macintosh. Might andMagic was the Beastie Award winnernamed in last month�s issue. New WorldComputing has also acquired Task ForceGames, best known for its STAR FLEETBATTLES and STAR FIRE games, as well asdistributing the City Book and Traps Bookseries of role-playing game aids.

Origin Systems, Inc.Two exciting new games are scheduled

to be released by this leading softwareentertainment company, responsible forthe Ultima FRP adventure series. The firstnew offering is Times Of Lore ($39.95),which expands upon the company�ssuperb interactive character environments

and adds the excitement of arcade combat

sequences. This game will be released forboth the C64/128 and IBM micros andcompatibles. The second offering isT.A.N.C., an acronym for Tactically AwareNeural Cybertek. This game places theplayer in the role of an Artificially Intelli-gent Cybertank, and it includes a program-ming language and compiler that allow forcreations as complex as the programmerrequires. Cybertanks can be saved to diskand exchanged with other players, andother players can even have a differentcomputer system and still play with yourtank designs! The initial release will be forApple II computers, followed by IBMmicros and Macintosh versions in thespring of 1989 (no price established yet).

Paragon Software Corp.600 Rugh Street, Suite AGreensburg PA 15601(412) 838-1166

Paragon Software has signed an exclu-sive license agreement with Game Design-er�s Workshop to bring that company�shighly successful and classic science-fiction TRAVELLER® game to the homecomputer. This game was originallyreleased in 1977 and includes the chal-lenges of unknown star systems, trade andpiracy, governments and politics, bizarrehuman and alien cultures, and fast-actioncombat with futuristic weaponry. Since itsintroduction, the TRAVELLER game has

DRAGON 77

sold 250,000 units worldwide. Paragon�sfirst TRAVELLER computer adventureseries will focus in a sparsely settled areaof the Imperium called the SpinwardMarches. The Marches are fertile groundfor powerful adventures, surrounded withunfriendly cultures. The game will bedeveloped for the IBM PC and CommodoreAmiga, and the first adventure will bereleased in March 1989.

Rainbird Software(distributed by Mediagenic)P.O. Box 2227Menlo Park CA 94025(415) 322-0412

Carrier Command has been released forthe Commodore Amiga, Atari ST andApple Macintosh ($44.951, IBM micros andcompatibles ($39.95), and C64/128 com-puters ($34.95). In the year 2166, fossilfuels and essential industrial metals havebeen found in an area of volcanic islandsin the Southern Ocean. These are therarest commodities in the modern world.The carrier ACC Omega has fallen underenemy control, and your carrier must notonly populate as many of these richislands as possible, but must also slow theenemy�s rate of progress and fight forvictory. You control four aircraft and fouramphibious vehicles, all-with offensive anddefensive weaponry. There are 64 islandsand 3-D solid-filled scrolling and specialeffects.

Rainbird Software has also releasedStarglider II, a fast-paced entertainmentgame that combines spectacular graphics,digitized sound effects, and smooth anima-tion for the Amiga and Atari ST com-puters, with an MSDOS version as well.This is the sequel to the highly acclaimedStarglider that was released in 1986. Play-ers control Icarus, a spaceship completewith a unique 3-D instrument panel andsophisticated weaponry. During this inter-planetary battle, players destroy Egronpatrol craft and rescue alien coloniesunder Egron attack. The game possessesfast and solid 3-D graphics and animationto give an incredibly realistic feeling offlight. Stunning sound effects and multiplecontrols and game options enhance gameplay. The price is $44.95. Watch for areview soon!

Strategic Simulations, Inc.(distributed by Electronic Arts)1046 North Rengstorff AvenueMountain View CA 94043-1716(415) 964-1353

Battles of Napoleon has been released.This is an advanced wargame and con-struction set for Apple II and C64/128computers. It allows players to simulatepractically any Napoleonic engagement ona detailed tactical level. The players canuse the computer to generate randommaps and modify them, or start fromscratch by building maps square-by-square. You can also create armies oradjust the armies provided to suit personalspecifications. The price is $49.95.

Clue corner

Alternate Reality: The City (Datasoft)I have found out that this program is

different for the Apple Macintosh than forother versions. When playing the otherversions, you can�t get any type of job inthe city, join any of the unions, or learn orcast spells. Additionally, the command tooffer an item is not on the chart, and thereis no reason not to kill everything as thereis no reason to worry about alignments.

[The writer played the Apple IIe versionand adds that the game would be of inter-est to players who enjoyed The Bard�s Tale,but �the only problem is that the Apple IIversion is just a hack and slash game.�]

Robert SpeicherBuffalo Grove, Ill.

Might and Magic (New WorldComputing)

If you have extra gold, you can change itfor experience points in Dragadune. Neverrelease a chained lady, just kiss her. If youwant to speak to King Alarnar, agree withany Druids you might happen to meet. Afast way to get under the City of Gold is inthe Weeping Woods, and also give a help-ing hand in the Dead Swamp.

Harry MorenTeaneck, N.J.

The Bard�s Tale II (Interplay)My clue concerns the Destiny Knight,

who is by far the most powerful playercharacter in this scenario. He cannot diefrom most wounds, and his spell and hitpoints regenerate as well. However, he isvulnerable to stonings, possessions, andwithering, and poison can kill him if hispoints are allowed to fall to zero. I havefound that by decreasing his hit points tothe lowest level, he can escape such dam-age. Also, store an extra supply of theseven segments as they are molded intothe Sceptre upon the Archmage�s transfor-mation. This is helpful if you want one,two, three, or more Destiny Knights.

John GarrisDenver, Colo.

In Oscon�s Fortress, you can only take four adventurers into the Snare; this isbecause you have to have three statuesjoin your party. The statues are Rock,Paper, and Scissor, and they must be inthat order. In the Grey Crypt, the answerto the Sphinx�s question is �Wise One.�Lastly, in the Maze of Dread, when theman appears in a puff of smoke, answerhis question by entering �red� backwardsto get the Sword of Zar!

Aaron PauleyDemotte, Ind.

The Bard�s Tale III (Interplay)To obtain the best possible scores, hit

points, and spell points for your mageswhen starting this game � and if you havein your possession The Bard�s Tale I and II� I recommend the following. When youtransfer your characters from either BTIor BTII to BTIII, go to Skara Brae. Find theOld Man and, after he gives you your firstquest, change classes. If transferring fromBTII, this only works with a single mage;make one of your BTIII mages a Chrono-mancer. If transferring from BTI, makeone mage a Chronomancer and one anArchmage (provided that mage meets therequirements for that class). After youcomplete your quest, they will instantly beadvanced to 35th level, as will any of yourcharacters who have not yet attained thislevel.

Cody SimsAddress unknown

Our address for comments, questions,and Beastie Award ballots for 1989 (pleaseinclude the name of the system with eachvote for a computer game) is:

Hartley and Patricia Lesser179 Pebble PlaceSan Ramon CA 94583

We sincerely wish all DRAGON® Maga-zine readers the happiest and best gamingyear they have ever experienced in 1989!Computer gaming technology continues toforge ahead, and we�ll continue offeringour insight into these exciting environ-ments. Game on!

78 JANUARY 1989

©1988 by Karen S. Garvin

Throught h e

LookingGlass

A horse of a different color

You�re deep into a painting session.Choosing your palette with great purpose,you create, from a horde of leaden clones,a unique persona � the highwayman.Astride his horse with sword raised insalute, the highwayman is a dashing figure. He is dressed in soft deerskin breech-es and a tan tunic, belted at the waist by awide red belt. His knee-high, black leatherboots are dulled by road dust. A blackvelvet cape wraps about his waist, drapingstylishly over the saddle�s cantle. On hishead, set at a rakish angle, is a wide-brimmed gray hat surmounted by a scar-let plume.

You paint his horse brown.Brown � not cinnamon or copper or

chestnut or chocolate � just plain old, boring brown, the brown of a hundredother miniatures. Somehow, it doesn�tseem to fit in with the bon vivant imageyou�ve just created for the highwayman.What can you do? How can you changethe horse to give it some pizzazz withoutgoing to unreal lengths? How can youmatch the horse to its rider by choosingan appropriate color or marking for themount?

Basic color and markingsHorsemen have studied the coloration of

horses for so long that it is practically ascience in itself. Horse coloration isdivided into five basic groups: black,brown, chestnut, bay, and gray. An enor-mous range of variations exists withineach group, and the difference betweentwo colors may sometimes be so subtlethat horsemen often find themselves argu-ing about what color a horse actually is.

When preparing a horse miniature forpainting, white primer is recommendedover red primer; it is harder to cover upthe red primer with a light color such aswhite, and it is easy to mistake the red foran actual color, especially when you�repainting the horse a reddish brown. If youare going to give your horse white mark-ings, paint them so that you are not tryingto cover up a dark color with white.

The five basic colors for horses aredescribed below.

Black: Coal black and raven black aretwo variations of this color. A coal-blackhorse has a dull coat that reflects littlelight. To accomplish this effect, use a mattesealer on the horse after painting. Ravenblack, on the other hand, is very shiny andoften shows green or purple highlights. Toget this effect, wash the horse with a deep blue-purple after painting, and finish witha gloss sealer. Black horses almost alwayshave some white markings.

Brown: Brown may range from a lightreddish brown to a deep, nearly blackbrown. Brown horses have muzzles thatare either the same color as their bodiesor somewhat lighter. Use almost any earthcolor for this type of horse. Matte sealer isrecommended.

Bay: The body of a bay horse rangesfrom a yellowish brown to a reddishbrown. Bay horses always have blackpoints � meaning the muzzle, mane, tail,legs, and tips of the ears. White markingsare also common. Matte or gloss sealermay be used.

Chestnut: The redhead of the horseworld, a chestnut horse has a flashy color

80 JANUARY 1989

that is rare in its appearance. It may belight yellow, red, or mahogany. Sorrel is adiluted variety of chestnut; add white tothe color you would use for the chestnutto obtain sorrel. Chestnut and sorrelhorses have manes and tails that matchtheir body colors or are lighter. Theyfrequently have extensive white markings.Gloss sealer is recommended for the chest-nut and matte sealer for the sorrel.

Gray: Steel gray is a medium gray withdark legs, mane, and tail, Flea-bitten grayis a light gray (almost white) with darkreddish-brown speckles (�flea bites�) scat-tered over the entire body; the mane andtail are light gray or white. Gray is notusually a very shiny color, so use mattesealer to finish this type of miniature.

When choosing paints for any of theabove colors, remember that yellow andred refer to earth tones of these colors,not the bright primary colors. Almost anyearth tone makes a good horse color. Someof the grays on the market, though, aretoo flat and machinelike in appearanceand may need to be washed with a blackto give depth to the color.

Most horses have solid-colored coatswith white markings on the face or one ormore legs. Facial markings range fromsnips (small patches of white on the nose)to baldface, where the entire front of theface is white. Paint these markings with acrisp white, not an off-white or ivory. Legmarkings can be small white patches nearthe hoof, or they can extend above theknee, hock, or somewhere between. Mark-ings tend to be very irregular in shape andsize, so give your imagination free rein.

Getting fancyNow that you know about the colors of

everyday horses, here are some fancycolors to further tempt your imagination:

Buckskin: A buckskin horse�s body isyellowish brown with black points. Usu-ally, a dorsal stripe (a black stripe running

the length of the spine from mane to tail)is apparent. Faint zebralike stripes occa-sionally appear on the lower legs. Buck-skin is a dull, dusty color, so use mattesealer.

Palomino: Palominos can range from avery light yellow to a bright copper. Theirmanes and tails are always lighter thantheir bodies and are often flaxen in color.Use a color such as Poly S Frost GiantIvory, or use white with a dash of yellowadded to it. Roy Roger�s famous horseTrigger is an example of a palomino.

Pinto: Also known as a paint, the pintohas large irregular patches of white andanother color (usually black or brown).Piebald is the term that describes a black-and-white pinto; a brown-and-white pintois referred to as snowbald. Within thesetwo divisions, a pinto may be primarilywhite or primarily colored. Tobiano is awhite pinto with large, dark patches onthe body; the white of this horse extendsdownward towards the belly. Overo is apinto whose coloring consists of jaggedwhite markings that extend upwards fromthe belly against a dark body. In bothpatterns, facial markings are common.Gloss sealer is recommended for darkpintos and matte for those mostly white.(White hair does shine, but the shine isusually not visible to the extent that darkhair is.)

Appaloosa: This is a breed of horse aswell as a marking. Appaloosa coat patternsare divided into a variety of their owncategories. Blanket is a mostly solid-colored body with a white �blanket� cover-ing the rump. Snowflake is almost thereverse of the flea-bitten gray, with whitespeckles covering a dark coat. Drybrush-ing with white will help achieve the snow-flake appearance. Leopard Appaloosas arewhite with egg-sized dark spots coveringtheir bodies (not unlike the spots of dalma-tians). In addition to their fancy markings,Appaloosas usually have pink and black

vertical stripes. Use a coral pink and avery dark gray for coloring hooves. Glosssealer for dark-colored horses and mattesealer for light-colored horses are recom-mended.

The language of color�A horse is a horse, of course, of course,�

or so goes the song, but the fact remainsthat color plays an important role inchoosing a horse, both in the real worldand in the world of miniatures. Somechoices are nothing more than personalpreferences, but more than one horsemanseems to think that the color of a horse�scoat plays an important part in determin-ing its psychological makeup. Theoriesabound as to why this may be, so colordoes seem to make a difference.

For example, chestnuts are consideredhigh-spirited and temperamental creatures� true to the fiery redhead maxim. Bay isconsidered the toughest color; likewise,bay horses are sturdy and reliable mounts.Brown and black horses are more sensi-tive than bays, but not as fiery as chest-nuts. Finally, gray horses are consideredkind, gentle, and not easily upset.

So how can you use this information tomatch the perfect mount to your charac-ter? First establish what kind of horseyour character needs for the purpose athand. Soldiers need tough horses, horsesthat are easy to care for on long cam-paigns. Based on this, soldiers would pre-fer bays and browns. Practically speaking,gray horses get too dirty. They are alsohighly visible � not something a soldier inbattle would appreciate. However, a gen-eral might prefer a gray horse because itdoes stand out in a crowd.

Black has long been a symbol of power,and a black horse, especially a stallion,embodies this power. Since Western cul-ture associates white with good and blackwith evil, a black horse is probably theonly choice for an evil paladin.

White is a color associated with purity,

DRAGON 81

thus, a lady would likely ride a white orgray horse. A princess, on the other hand,might well ride a chestnut or a fancy-colored horse, such as a palomino orAppaloosa. Female adventurers would bewell suited for a bay or steel-gray horse.

A flamboyant character, such as thehighwayman mentioned at the start of thisarticle, would go for the showiest horse hecould find. A pinto or an Appaloosa wouldbe a good choice, or a chestnut with a lotof white markings. These are only generalguidelines, so feel free to experiment.

Magical markingsCertain markings have been ascribed to

have magical importance. These variousmarkings and their purported qualities arelisted below. Note that medicine hat andbloody shoulder are both real-world mark-ings; magic saddle is a fantasy invention.

Medicine hat: This is a marking worn bysome pintos. The ears are covered with adark �bonnet� and the chest by a dark�shield.� The Cheyenne Indians thought-that these horses had mystical powers.Shielded by these markings, a horse withmedicine-hat markings was believed to beimpervious in battle. The rider of such ahorse was likewise protected as long as hewas mounted. Because it is a shield, themedicine hat marking is considered a formof magical armor, awarding variable pro-

tection to horse and rider without weigh-ing the horse down. Add + 1 to +4 to thearmor-class rating of the horse and of thecharacter when he is mounted. Movementis not affected by this change.

Bloody shoulder: This is a marking char-acterized by a red coloration over thehorse�s shoulder. Bedouin legend tells of adevoted mare who carried her wounded master over her shoulder to safety. Thismarking is extremely rare. Any horseexhibiting it proves loyal to one persononly and may not be ridden by anyoneelse. If a horse with this type of marking isstolen, it runs away from its captor at thefirst opportunity and seeks its true master.The horse does not panic or run awayfrom melee as long as its master is alive. Ifthe master dies, the horse then runs wilduntil it is captured and tamed by anotherperson. In order to tame a horse with thebloody shoulder marking, a charactermust have a charisma of 15 or greater;even then, there is only a 20% chance oftaming the horse.

Magic saddle: This is another pintolikemarking in which a dark saddle-shapedpatch covers the horse�s back. Any ridermounted on this horse will not fall off orbe knocked off in battle. The rider maydismount only when it is his wish to do so.Because of this, the rider may even sleepin the saddle, since falling off is virtuallyimpossible (the key word is �virtually�).

ConclusionWhat does this all mean for the model-

er? Well, a basic understanding of horsecoloration can provide a useful set ofguidelines when realistically painted horseminiatures are desired. Of course, you canalways paint your figures lavender orgreen if you so desire; this is, after all,fantasy. But when you want realism, thisarticle can be invaluable in providinghorses with individuality and authenticity.Above all, it makes painting them a lotmore fun!

Label Your Letter!

If you decide to write to us atDRAGON® Magazine, please labelthe outside of your envelope toshow what your letter contains —be it a letter to the editor, “Forum”submission, gaming article, short

story, artwork, cartoons, or sub- scription problem. This ensuresthat the letter or package you sendhas a better chance of getting to theright person. Our address is:DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 111,Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.

DRAGON is a trademark of TSR, Inc.©1989 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

82 JANUARY 1989

84 JANUARY 1989

DRAGON 85

Index to Advertisers

Acropolis Design* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Strategic Simulations, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Alley Bookshop (Preston Games)* . . . . . . . 77 Supremacy Games, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10AMAZING® Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49, 101 Tabletop Games* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67Bantam Books (Spectra) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Telford Models* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Bard Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 TM Games* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Britton Designs (Elysian Field) . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Triple D & F Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Crazy Dwarf* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 TSR, Inc. . . . . . inside front cover, 1, 4, 32, 53, 61Dice & Games (Hobbygames)* . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 62, 63, 66, 76, 82, inside back cover, back coverDRAGON® Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . 21, insert card TSR Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20DUNGEON® Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . 87, insert card Virgin Games Centre* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Esdevium Games* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Warlord Games Shop* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Final Frontier* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Game Designers' Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 * United Kingdom/EuropeG-P Computer Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75Game Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Games Review Monthly* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83Games Workshop US

(Citadel Miniatures) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 55-58Gladiator Games* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Guardroom* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Jade Games* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11KJC Games* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Legend* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Magicware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Mayfair Games, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70NAL Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Palladium Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37, 96Prince August Ltd. (Mithril Miniatures)* . . . . . .97RPGA™ Network

(POLYHEDRON™ Newszine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

86 JANUARY 1989

by David Edward Martin

TheMarvel®-PhileBack from Earth-S: the Redeemers� (Part 1)

This month, our exploration of theMarvel Universe takes a detour to a diver-gent world. Our destination is an alternateworld called both �Other-Earth� and�Earth-S,� the world of the SquadronSupreme. This world has far fewersuperbeings than the Marvel Earth. Also,the villains tend to be few and weak, whilethe heroes are so few in number that asingle team can incorporate them all.During the 1940s, this team was the illus-trious Golden Agency. In modern times,they have been replaced by the younger,more powerful, and more active Squadron Supreme. This team ended up plungingtheir world into chaos, then tried to makeamends by transforming America into a

paradise by means of the Utopia Program.However, we will not discuss the Squad-

ron Supreme itself. Details of their livesand powers are found in the Gamer�sHandbook of the Marvel Universe, Vol. 4.Instead, we�ll concentrate on their adver-saries, the last hope of Earth-S, theRedeemers.

The Redeemers were the brainchild ofNighthawk (Kyle Richmond, formerlySquadron Supreme cofounder and ex-President of Earth-S�s United States). WhenNighthawk realized the potential for abusein the Utopia Program, he left the Squad-ron Supreme and began his covert waragainst his former friends. He found newallies in a variety of places. One was a

former Golden Agency member, nowretired; another was an expelled SquadronSupreme member; others were newlydiscovered superhumans. The rest werevillains who were more afraid of beingcaptured than of working with their nem-esis Nighthawk. The Redeemers� finalroster included Black Archer (formerly theGolden Archer), Foxfire, Haywire, Inertia,Lamprey, Master Menace, Mink, Moon-glow, Nighthawk, Pinball, Professor Imam,Redstone, Remnant, and Thermite. Assome of these characters infiltrated theSquadron Supreme, they were included inthat team�s entry in MU4 Gamer�s Hand-book of the Marvel Universe, Vol. IV. Here,we will concentrate on two members ofthat crew: Master Menace and ProfessorImam. Next issue, we will conclude thistwo-part series, as we look at three othermembers of the Redeemers: Mink, Pinball,and Remnant.

MASTER MENACETM

Dr. Emil Burbank

Normal In ArmorF GD(10) RM(30) Health: 36/130A TY(6) EX(20)S GD(10) RM(30) Karma: 90/90E GD(10) AM(50)R IN(40) IN(40) Resources: AMI IN(40) IN(40)P GD(10) GD(10) Popularity: -30

KNOWN POWERS

Hyperinvention: Master Menace has theAmazing ability to build about anything hewants to. He and Tom Thumb are equallythe most inventive men on Earth-S,although their technological quests havetaken them in different directions. Any-thing one man builds, the other cancounter with a new device. The rest ofMaster Menace�s powers are derived fromhis variation inventions, many of whichare incorporated into his battle armor.

EQUIPMENT

Battle Armor: Master Menace wears a steelsuit designed to give him protection,powers, and enhanced abilities. It is thefunctional equivalent of Dr. Doom�s or IronMan�s armor. Master Menace�s suit hasIncredible Material Strength and gives himIncredible protection from physicalattacks and extreme environments. Thesuit contains a variety of useful devices aswell as a number of modules and circuitsthat Master Menace can reconfigure toperform any desired task. The suit isnormally powered by a small nucleargenerator; if removed from the armor, thegenerator could easily supply a largebuilding�s power needs. An induction coilhidden within the suits chest insigniaserves as an auxiliary power source. Theinduction coil has the equivalent ofAmazing-rank absorption power, and it

88 JANUARY 1989

can convert external energy into powerfor special tasks. The battle armor canrecycle air, water, and food for severalweeks survival.

Dimension Travel: Master Menace�s �D-Ray� has the Feeble ability to transport achosen subject to any preset dimension. Alarge D-Ray is secured on a platform inMaster Menace�s secret headquarters. Thisray can automatically home in on MasterMenace�s armor, no matter what dimen-sion he is in. Master Menace�s portablebazookalike D-Rays can transport a singleperson to a preset dimension. The ray hasa range of one area. Using it is treated asan attack, and the intended target can tryto evade it through normal means. A scan-ner connected to his main D-Ray enablesMaster Menace to view scenes in otherdimensions.

Force Field: Master Menace possesses twotypes of force fields, both of Monstrousstrength. One of these force fields isdesigned to give Master Menace�s armorenhanced protection; the other is locatedin his headquarters. The latter acts as abooby trap; it encloses intruders in indi-vidual force-bubbles, which float in midairand travel throughout the lair at MasterMenace�s control. The bubbles are com-pletely energy resistant and allow onlyvisible light of normal intensities to pene-trate them. If Master Menace wants tointerrogate a captive, he must reduce thediameter of the sphere so that the captive�s head emerges.

Levitation: Several of Master Menace�sdevices are equipped with Feeble antigrav-ity powers. These are primarily used tohelp him move bulky loads. Curiously, nosuch device is included in his armor. Thismay be due to unknown technologicalproblems.

Teleportation: A variation of his D-Ray canteleport Master Menace up to 1,000 miles,The teleport beam has a Good power rank.A homing device in Master Menace�sarmor enables the beam to automaticallyreturn him home from any location withinits range.

Spaceship: Master Menace�s flier performsa variety of functions: it can hover, flythrough air, and orbit at low altitudes. Inaddition, it can be surrounded by othermaterials to disguise its true nature. Forexample, Master Menace once covered theexterior with rock when he wanted theship to be mistaken for a meteor. Thefunctions of this spaceship are assignedthe following values:

Control Speed Body ProtectionRM Y EX EX

Secret Headquarters: Master Menaceworks out of a mountaintop site that isdisguised as an observatory. The head-

quarters complex contains a well-stockedwarehouse and automated factory com-plex. Operations are overseen by Cere-brac, an advanced computer system.Cerebrac has the equivalent of AmazingReason for purposes of data processing,but it is not self-aware. The exterior wallsof the headquarters have Amazing materi-al strength.

HISTORYDr. Emil Burbank is perhaps the most

dangerous man on Earth-S. He is the pro-verbial mad scientist out to conquer theworld. While he is a brilliant physicist andinventor, he is also an egomaniac. He feelscontempt toward other people and seesthem as little more than ignorant peasants(at best) or as prey (at worst). Dr. Burbankis a solitary man. He sees few people asworthy of even serving him, let aloneremaining in his presence. He does notenter into alliances proposed by others.For this reason, Master Menace originally chose not to actively assist the Redeemers.Instead, he undertook an independent plotinvolving the android Hyperion fromMarvel Earth. When that plot failed, Mas-ter Menace grudgingly agreed to assist theRedeemers by building a device capable ofundoing the effects of the Behavior Modifi-cation Machine. (The Behavior Modifica-tion Machine was built by Tom Thumb toalter the brain patterns of criminals, thuschanging villains into super heroes. Asmentioned, the Redeemers found a way

around this and changed the villains backto normal.) Master Menace chose to sit outthe final battle, however, and observe theresults from afar.

Post-Squadron Adventures: The defeat ofthe Squadron Supreme means that theway is clear for Master Menace tocontinue his program of eventualworld conquest. However, he firsthas a minor security problem tosolve: Hyperion, Mink, and Remnant know the location of hisheadquarters. As a result,Master Menace must eithermove to a new lair orsomehow silence thosethree.

PROFESSOR IMAM�F FE (2) Health: 110A PR (4)S PR (4) Karma: 180 E UN (100)R IN (40) Popularity: GD (10)I IN (40)P UN (100) Resources: AM (50)

KNOWN POWERS

Professor Imam�s full range of powers isunknown. Because he is Earth-S�s SorcererSupreme, we can reasonably assume that,when he was in his prime, his powerswere equal to those of Doctor Strange andother, more familiar Sorcerers Supreme.Now, however, Professor Imam is an oldman who no longer has any real controlover the physical world. He hoards hisremaining powers in the simple effort tostay alive long enough to train his replace-ment (who will appear centuries fromnow). The following are the few powershe currently employs.

Clairaudience, Clairvoyance, and RemoteSensing: Although he remains sequesteredwithin his hidden sanctum, ProfessorImam uses these Remarkable powers tomonitor conditions in the outside world.He has a maximum range of 250,000 mileswith these powers, although he rarely hasreason to extend his senses beyond theatmosphere.

Cosmic Awareness: Professor Imamretains his Shift-Z awareness of the cos-mos. He is able to observe the patternsof events on a number of dimensional

planes. Professor Imam is able toperform a Power Stunt by

extrapolating events cen-turies into the future.

DRAGON 89

Dimension Travel: Professor Imam retainsthe Incredible ability to transport severalpeople to other dimensions at will, whilehe remains within his sanctum. Suchtransportees must be within 10’ of Profes-sor Imam originally, although transporteescan be retrieved from any location by theProfessor.

Enchantment: Professor Imam retains theability to endow items with specific usefulpowers. In his current state, he limits hisenchantments to detection or sensorypowers. For example, Professor Imamgave Nighthawk a small crystal pyramidcapable of detecting superhuman allies ata range of 1,000 miles. For game purposes,such enchanted items can have a singlepower of up to Amazing rank.

The Third Eye: This magical talisman isworn by Professor Imam on his chest. Thisitem appears as an open eye within aninverted triangle. The Third Eye may besimilar in nature and powers to Dr.Strange’s Eye of Agamotto. When Profes-sor Imam uses a power, it is focusedthrough this triangle.

HlSTORYThe professor was one of the original

members of the Golden Squadron.Although he originally championed theAmerican cause, he later expanded his

concerns to encompass the entire world.Professor Imam grew increasingly remotefrom the daily, mundane crime fighting ofthe Golden Agency. He eventually retiredfrom the world to concentrate on his finaltask — staying alive long enough to trainhis successor, who will appear 443 yearsfrom now. It is unknown how and why hisphysical powers waned. He retains hismental powers and uses them to monitorthe world and to await his successor’sbirth. Because of his weakened condition,Professor Imam was unable to actively aidNighthawk when he came seeking allies.Instead, Professor Imam transportedNighthawk to Marvel Earth, then laterreturned him (along with his allies Mink,Pinball, and Remnant). As a final gift,Professor Imam gave Nighthawk anenchanted pyramid that enabled him tolocate more allies on Earth-S. These alliesincluded Haywire, Inertia, Moonglow,Redstone, and Thermite.

Post-Squadron Adventures: Conditions onEarth-S rarely affect Professor Imam. Mostoften, he remains sitting in his Temple ofContemplation. His only concern is hissurvival and the training of his successor.If a dire emergency threatens his currentexistence or his successor’s eventual birth,Professor Imam may summon the aid ofother heroes. Likewise, he may give mar-ginal support to requests for aid from

other heroes, mostly in the form ofenchanted devices.

Next month, we’ll conclude this two-partinstallment of “The Marvel-Phile” by listingthree other members of the Redeemers:Pinball, Remnant, and the Mink.

Marvel, Marvel Universe, Marvel Super Heroes, and all Marvelcharacter names and likenesses are trademarks of MarvelEntertainment Group, Inc.©1988 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Label Your Letter!

If you decide to write to us atDRAGON® Magazine, please labelthe outside of your envelope toshow what your letter contains —be it a letter to the editor, “Forum”submission, gaming article, shortstory, artwork, cartoons, or sub-scription problem. This ensuresthat the letter or package you sendhas a better chance of getting to theright person. Our address is:DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 111,Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.

DRAGON is a trademark of TSR, Inc.©1989 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DRAGON 91

Convention Calendar Policies

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

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

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

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

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

where additional information and confirma-tion can be obtained.

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

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

Copy deadlines are the last Monday ofeach month, two months prior to the on-sale date of an issue. Thus, the copy dead-line for the May 1989 issue is the lastMonday of March 1989. Announcementsfor North American and Pacific conventionsmust be mailed to: Convention Calendar,DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 111, LakeGeneva WI 53147, U.S.A. Announcementsfor Europe must be posted an additionalmonth before the deadline to: ConventionCalendar, DRAGON® Magazine, TSRLimited, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton,Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom.

If a convention listing must be changedbecause the convention has been 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 an Australian convention. indicates a Canadian convention.

92 JANUARY 1989

* lndicates a product produced by a company other than TSR,Inc. Most product names are trademarks owned by thecompanies publishing those products. The use of the name ofany product without mention of its trademark status should notbe construed as a challenge to such status.

PROJECT. . . GENESIS IV, January 15This fantasy-gaming convention will be held at

Chiminello�s Hall, 2221 N. Weber in Fresno, Ca.Featured tournament and open-play eventsinclude BATTLETECH*, STAR FLEET BATTLES*,STAR WARS*, TOON*, and AD&D® games, withcomputer gaming, Japanese films, a miniaturescontest, a swap meet, and more. Preregistrationis $3 if paid before January 1; after that, it is $5.Dealers� tables are $20 for an 8� table; check onavailability. Swap meet tables are $5 for a wholetable and $3.50 for a half. Table space isrequired for this event. PROJECT . . . GENESISIV is in need of judges; those accepted receive arefund on their registration fees. Write to:PATCO, c/o Phillip S. Pittz, 5415 East Washing-ton, Fresno CA 93727. Make all checks payableto Phillip S. Pittz.

ICON XIII, January 20-22Only slightly delayed, ICON XIII will meet at

the Rodeway Inn, at I-80 and Highway 965, atCoralville, Iowa. Author Joel Rosenberg andartist Darlene Coltrain are guests of honor, andAlgis Budrys is the toastmaster. Other guestsinclude Joe and Gay Haldeman and MickeyZucker Reichert. Featured events include theTrans-Iowa Canal Company, a film festival, aspace-opera round-robin, an art show, a writers�workshop, and more. Registration fees are $15until January 1, and $18 at the door. For hotelinformation, call: (800) 228-2000 (toll-free) or(319) 354-7770, and tell them you�re with ICON.For con information, write to: ICON XIII, PO.Box 525, Iowa City IA 52244-0525.

DALCON �89, February 3-5Dalhousie Simulations presents its third-

annual gaming convention, featuring AD&D®,BATTLETECH*, KILLER*, and MONOPOLY*tournaments, as well as CALL OF CTHULHU*,WARHAMMER FANTASY BATTLE*, SQUADLEADER*, ROBOTECH*, and historical minia-tures game events. Also featured will be acasino-style raffle, a scavenger hunt, and aminiatures-painting competition. Conventionhours are 7 P.M. to midnight on February 3; 10A.M. to midnight on February 4; and 11:30 A.M. to11:30 P.M. on February 5. The convention will beheld in the McInnes Room, on the second floorof the Dalhousie Student Union Building. Theentrance fee will be $3 Canadian per day, or $5Canadian for the weekend. Write to: Dalsim, c/oEnquiry Desk, Dalhousie Student Union Build-ing, University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia,CANADA, B3H 4J2.

JACKSONVILLE SKIRMISHES 89February 3-5

SKIRMISHES challenges you to conquer theriver city at our second-annual JACKSONVILLESKIRMISHES, which will be held at the Jackson-ville Hotel, 565 South Main Street, Jacksonville,

Fla. Events will include AD&D®, TRAVELLER*,STAR FLEET BATTLES*, CAR WARS*, BATTLE-TECH*, INTERCEPTER*, and SEEKRIEG* games,board gaming, a KILLER* tournament, dealers,an art show and auction, a miniatures-paintingcontest, demonstrations by the SCA, and otherrole-playing and gaming events. Reservationsmay be made through the hotel by calling: (904)398-8800. Room rates are $49 for single to quadoccupancy. Registration for the weekend is $18at the door. Preregistration is $12 if mailedbefore January 22. Write to: SKIRMISHES, P.O.Box 2097, Winter Haven FL 33883; or call: (813)293-7983 or (904) 246-1325.

REDCON 89, February 3-5The Royal Military College of Canada will hold

its annual International War Gaming Conventionin Yeo Hall on the campus grounds in Kingston,Ontario. Special guest for this event is LarryBond of the war-games club of USMA, WestPoint. Scheduled events include HARPOON*,BATTLETECH*, microarmor miniatures, Napole-onics, CENTURION*, and AD&D® tournaments,plus plenty of open gaming. Retail vendors andgame-company representatives will demonstrateand sell their wares. Registration is $5 Canadianin advance and $7 Canadian at the door for theentire conference. Send an SASE to: RMC Com-bat Simulations Group, c/o OCdt Derek Buxton,4 Sqn., Royal Military College of Canada, Kings-ton, Ontario, CANADA, K7K 5LO; or call: (613)541-6277, between 7 and 10 P.M. week nights.Preregistration must be completed beforeJanuary 1.

WARCON �89, February 3-5Texas�s oldest gaming convention will be held

at Texas A&M University in College Station, Tex.Featured events include an RPGA� NetworkAD&D® and a CHAMPIONS* Open Team tourna-ment, with a variety of board games, miniaturesevents, role-playing tournaments, a dealers�room, and 24-hour gaming. Preregistration is$8, or $11 at the door. Write to: MSC NOVA,Texas A&M University, College Station TX77844; or call: (409) 845-1515.

THE EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN �89February 4-5

The Southern Illinois University StrategicGames Society will host the second-annualEgyptian Campaign at the SIU Student Centeron the campus of Southern Illinois University inCarbondale, Ill. Featured events include RPGA�Network tournaments, with AD&D®, BOOTHILL®, DIPLOMACY*, CIRCUS MAXIMUS*,RUNEQUEST*, CAR WARS*, GURPS*, BATTLE-TECH*, CHAMPIONS*, ROBOTECH*, ACE OFACES*, WINGS*, and SUPREMACY* games. Ascience-fiction and fantasy miniatures-paintingcompetition, Clay-O-Rama, an exhibitors� area,and more are also offered. Preregistration is $8for the weekend, or $5 per day at the door.Send a business-sized SASE to: SIU StrategicGames Society, Office of Student Development,Southern Illinois University at Carbondale,Carbondale IL 62901-4425; or call: David T.

Blustein at (618) 457-6416 or (618) 453-5302.

ORCCON 12, February 10-13STRATEGICON will sponsor this convention,

which is to be held at the Los Angeles AirportHyatt Hotel. All types of family; strategic, andadventure board, role-playing, miniatures, andcomputer gaming will be offered at this conven-tion, as well as flea markets, an exhibitors�room, auctions, seminars, demonstrations, andspecial guests. Write to: STRATEGICON, 5374Village Road, Long Beach CA 90898; or callDiverse Talents at: (213) 420-3675.

DUNDRACON XIII, February 17-20DUNDRACON is back at the Oakland Airport

Hyatt, 455 Hegenberger Road, Oakland, Calif.(Mention the convention name to get the special$65 room rate for single through quad occupan-cy.) This year�s convention offers numerousrole-playing games, with over 120 events in avariety of fantasy, modern, and science-fictionsystems. Also included are seminars, boardgames, miniatures events, a huge dealers� roomand a flea market, a figure-painting contest, SCAdemonstrations and armor displays, and lots ofopen gaming space. Preregistration for theweekend is $20 to February 1, or $25 at thedoor. One-day registrations may be purchased atthe door for $10. Write to: DUNDRACON, 386Alcatraz Avenue, Oakland CA 96418; or callDorothy Heydt at: (415) 524-8321.

FAL*CON �89, February 17-19This fantasy and science-fiction convention

will be held at the Howard Johnson�s Conven-tion Center in Meridian, Miss. Big-name guestsand many panels are featured, as well asAD&D®, TALISMAN*, KINGS & THINGS*,COSMIC ENCOUNTER*, CAR WARS*, KING-MAKER*, and STAR FLEET BATTLES* tourna-ments. An art show, art auction, indoor poolparty, masquerade and dance, SEA demonstra-tions, Civil War reenactment, hospitality suite,and dealers� room are also offered. Admissionfees for the weekend are $15 until December31, or $20 thereafter. Daily admission is $10.Send an SASE to: FAL*CON �89, P.O. Box 492,Meridian MS 39302; or call: (601) 693-0384.

GENGHIS CON X, February 17-20 Attend a special birthday party with GENGHIS

CON X as it celebrates its 10th anniversary atthe Ramada Inn, Westminster, Colo. This eventis sponsored by the Denver Gamers-Association.Gaming of all kinds will be offered, along withan official RPGA� Network AD&D® tournamentand a games auction. Miniatures events will bestaged by the Colorado Military Historians.Registration is $14 for the weekend until Janu-ary 31, or $17 thereafter. Write to: DenverGamers Association, P.O. Box 11369, Denver CO80211; or call: (303) 433-3849.

OMACON 8.5 � GAME FEST, February 18This convention will be held at the Holiday

Inn Central, 72nd and Grover in Omaha, Nebr.,from 8 A.M. to midnight. Gaming events will beoffered in fantasy, historical, and science-fictiongenres (with prizes awarded in several catego-ries), along with a dealers� room and OMACON 9preregistration discounts. Admission is $5.Write to: OMACON 8.5 � GAME FEST, c/o StarRealm, 7305 South 85th Street, Omaha NE68128.

BASHCON �89, March 3-5BASHCON �89 is the seventh gaming conven-

tion held by the University of Toledo�s Benevo-lent Adventures Strategic Headquarters

(UT-BASH). This event features an auction, aminiatures contest, movies, game exhibitors/dealers, an RPGA� Network AD&D® tourna-ment, and more than 130 role-playing,miniatures, and board-gaming events. Theconvention will be located in the Student Union,third floor, at the University of Toledo�s MainCampus. The special guest of honor will be PoulAnderson. Send an SASE to: Student ActivitiesOffice, UT-BASH (BASHCON �89), 2801 WestBancroft Street, Toledo OH 43606-3390; or call:(419) 537-4654.

SIMCON XI: The New BeginningMarch 3-5

The convention will be held on the Universityof Rochester�s River Campus in the WilsonCommons. Events will include role-playingtournaments, war gaming, miniatures, movies,demos, and a dealers� room for war gaming,role-playing, miniatures, comics, and science-fiction fans. Registration fees are $5 beforeFebruary 1, and $10 thereafter. Write to: SIM-CON X, P.O. Box 29142 River Station, RochesterNY 14627; or by calling: (716) 275-6186.

CALCON IV, March 10-12This gaming convention will be held at the

Sandman Inn in Calgary, Alberta. Events willfeature a large variety of games, including anAD&D® tournament, miniatures contests, guestspeakers, and more. Send an SASE to: CALCONIV P.O. Box 204, Station M, Calgary, Alberta,CANADA, T2P 2H6.

COAST CON XII, March 17-19This science-fiction and fantasy convention

will be held at the Gulf Coast Coliseum Conven-tion Center in Biloxi, Miss., with accommoda-tions at. the Howard Johnson�s (call (601)388-6310 or (800) 654-2000 for reservations)Guest of honor is Joel Rosenberg, author of theGuardians of the Flame series. Other guestsinclude: Steven Sechi, designer of Talislanta andAtlantis; P.D. Breeding-Black, artist for Talislan-ta; and John Levene, who plays Sgt. Benton onDr. Who. Scheduled events include an RPGA�Network tournament, video rooms, a meet-the-guests party, a costume contest, filk singing, acharity auction, an art exhibit and auction, anda large dealers� room. Registration is $15 untilJanuary 1, and $20 thereafter. Write to: COASTCON, Inc., P.O. Box 1423, Biloxi MS 39533.

NEO-VENTION VIII, March 17-19NEO-VENTION VIII will be held at the

Gardner Student Center of the University ofAkron in Akron, Ohio. Featured events includeRPGA� Network and miniatures events, a gamesauction, and more. Write to: UGS, University ofAkron Gardner Student Center, Office #6,Akron OH 44325. For a quick reply, send a 25-cent stamp or SASE.

OWLCON X, March 17-19Rice University�s WARP and RSFAFA will hold

this gaming convention at Rice University.Registration will take place in Sewall Hall.Events include RUNEQUEST*, PARANOIA*, CARWARS*, TRAVELLER*, DIPLOMACY*, ILLUMI-NATI*, CIVILIZATION*, BATTLETECH*, STARFLEET BATTLES*, ADVANCED SQUAD LEAD-ER*, and AD&D® tournaments, with opengaming and with prizes awarded in someevents. Admission fees are $10 for all three daysbefore March 3, or $12 at the door. One-daypasses $4 for Friday or Sunday, and $5 forSaturday. To preregister, send a check for

admission made payable to RSFAFA. Write to:OWLCON Preregistration, P.O. Box 1892, Hous-

ton TX 77251.

ABBYTHON 7, March 18-19The Abbyville Community Center in

Abbyville, Kans., becomes a Guild Hall onceagain as the Abbython Adventure Guild hosts itsseventh-annual 24-hour role-playing gamesmarathon. New members are welcome. Bestplayers will be awarded prizes for their efforts.Admission is $5 if paid before February 18, $6thereafter, and $7 at the door. Send an SASE to:ABBYTHON, P.O. Box 96, Abbyville KS 67510.

GAMES 89, March 24-27This major Australian games convention will

offer role-playing, war, computer, and othergame events on a massive scale. Nongamingevents include: a formal dinner Saturday night(followed by other social events, such as cocktailparties, Easter egg hunts, etc.), show bags, films,lectures, and more. Convention fees are $16Australian for the weekend, or $5 Australianper day. Write to: GAMES 89, P.O. Box 242,Lilydale, Victoria, 3140, AUSTRALIA; or call:(03) 726-7525.

UMF-CON, March 25-26This role-playing and war-gaming convention

will be held at the Student Center of the Univer-sity of Maine at Farmington, in Farmington,Maine. World War II miniatures, AD&D®, TOPSECRET/S.I.�, BATTLESYSTEM�, DIPLOMACY*,and CHAMPIONS* games will be featured, withlive mysteries, board games, and contests forminiatures painting and art. Admission is $5,with a $2 charge per game. Send an SASE to:Table Gaming Club, c/o Student Life Office,Student Center, 5 South Street, Farmington ME04928.

I-CON VIII, March31-April2Held at the State University of New York at

Stony Brook; Long Island, I-CON (Island Conven-tion, not Iowa Convention) is the largest science-fiction, fact, and fantasy convention in theNortheast. This year�s guests of honor includeFrederik Pohl and E. Gary Gygax. Other guestsinclude Joe Haldeman, Barry Longyear, JuliusSchwartz, and the current Dr. Who, SylvesterMcCoy. Gaming guests include Martin Wixtedand Greg Costikyan. More guests are confirmeddaily and a Star Trek actor-guest is in the works.Featured events include speakers, movies,autograph sessions, and AD&D®, CHAMPIONS*,STAR WARS*, and DIPLOMACY* games. Gamemasters are welcome. Advance tickets are $16until March 17, or $18 at the door. One-daypasses are also available. Send an SASE to: I-CON VIII, P.O. Box 550; Stony Brook NY 11790.

MARCH FANTASY REVELMarch 31-April 2

Come to the fourth-annual MARCH FANTASYREVEL at the Harborside Holiday Inn inKenosha, Wis. Activities will include a war-gaming area, a silent used-game auction, adealers� area, and role-playing events. FeaturedRPGA� Network events include an AD&D®Grand Masters, AD&D® Masters, AD&D® Fea-ture, TOP SECRET/S.I.� Feature, and MARVELSUPER HEROES® Feature tournaments. Otheractivities include workshops, a gamers� banquet(please make reservations early), and an RPGA�Network members� meeting. Special guestsinclude Harold Johnson, Jean Rabe, and SkipWilliams. Fees are $8 a day or $16 for the week-end, if paid before February 1. Thereafter, feesincrease to $10 a day, or $20 for the weekend.RPGA� Network members receive a $2 discount on registration. Write to: Keith Polster, 2432Park Avenue, Apt. 6, West Bend WI 53095; or

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call: (414) 338-8498. Gamers may also contact:Janice Ours, P.O. Box 840, Silver Lake WI 53170;or call her at: (414) 889-8346.

TECHNICON 6, March 31 - April 2Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Science-Fiction

and Fantasy Club (VTSFFC), this sixth-annualscience-fiction, fantasy, and gaming conventionwill be held in the Donaldson Brown Center onthe Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va.Guest of honor is John M. Ford, author of twoStar Trek books and the PARANOIA* gamemodule Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues (win-ner of the 1984 World Fantasy Award and theCharles Roberts award for best role-playingmodule). Fan guest of honor is Chip Livingston.Convention activities include three 24-hourvideo rooms, three tracks of continuous gaming,a dealers� room, panels, the TECHNICON play,computer gaming, a masquerade, science-fictionJeopardy, a dance, parties, and more. Preregis-tration is $12 for students and $15 for others, ifpaid in advance. Otherwise, fees are $15 forstudents and $18 for others paying at the door.Write to: TECHNICON, P.O. Box 256, BlacksburgVA 24063-0256.

CONNCON, April 1-2Held at the Quality Inn in Danbury, Conn., this

convention features role-playing, board-gaming,and miniatures events. Two RPGA� Networktournaments will be held, one open to all play-ers and one for members only. A benefit eventwill be held; proceeds will go to the AmericanHeart Association. Preregistration is $10 for theweekend, if paid in advance. Registration paid atthe door is $15. Write to: Hobby Center, 366Main Street, Danbury CT 06810.

GAME FAIRE �89, April 7-9The tenth-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 FAIR �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.

SCRYCON �89, April 8Able adventurers are needed to regain lost

shards of the Famous Crystal Monolith at SCRYCON �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 Church

of 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, P.O. Box 896, Pleasant Valley NY 12569.

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 PC vs. PC (group vs.group role-playing), RPGA� Network tourna-ments, and computer tournaments. Otherevents include AD&D®, MARVEL SUPERHEROES®, CHILL*, TWILIGHT 2000*, andBOOT HILL® games. Fees are $3 preregistered,or $5 at the door. Games are either free or costup to $3. Write to: David Machin, 719 JumperRoad, Valparaiso IN 46383; or call: (219) 759-2530.

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 is $10 if paidbefore December 31. Thereafter, membershipfees are $12. Registrations purchased at thedoor are $15 for all three days and $7.50 forone day. Write to: AMIGOCON 4, P.O. Box 3177,El Paso TX 79923.

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 tournament

maze, 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, P.O. Box 16436, ColoradoSprings CO 80935; or call Mark Matthews-Simmons at: (303)499-2812.

MISCON 4, May 5-7Science 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 $12 until Decem-ber 31; $16 until April 15; and $20 at the door.One-day memberships will be available for $12at the door. Children under six years of age getin free with their parents; children 6-12 years ofage get in for half price. Dealers� tables (6� x 2�)may be purchased for $40 (membership includ-ed). Write to: MISCON, Box 9363, Missoula MT59807; or call: (406) 549-1435.

LITTLE WARS �89, May 26-28LITTLE WARS, one of the premier war-

in Red Hook, N.Y. (approximately 60 miles south gaming conventions, will be held in the Bone

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Convention 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 26-28V-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 writer�s work-shop, a costume bacchanal and dance, a dealers�room, and �guerrilla� theater. Membership forthe weekend is $16 Canadian ($14 U.S.) untilNovember 30; $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,P.O. Box 48478, Bentall Centre, Vancouver, B.C.,CANADA, V7X 1A2.

MOBI-CON �89, June 9- 11Mobile�s convention for comic books and

science-fiction and fantasy gaming will be heldat the Days Inn Hotel at Airport Boulevard andInterstate 65 in Mobile, Ala. Guest artists areDave Dorman and Lurene Haines. Featuresinclude a dealers� room, movies, a D&D� and aTALISMAN* tournament, a games auction, andother events. Preregistration is $12.50 untilJune 1; thereafter, it is $15. One-day member-ships may be purchased at the door for $6.Write to: MOBI-CON, P.O. Box 161257, MobileAL 36616; or call: (205)661-4060.

MICHICON GAMEFEST �89, June 16-18About 2,000 gamers are expected to attend

this three-day gaming convention, to be held inthe Southfield Civic Center in Southfield, Mich.There will be 60 board-game events, 60 minia-tures events, and 25 role-playing events. Inaddition, there will be 35 dealer�s booths, three used-games auctions, and a lot of open gaming.Advance admission is $12 for all three days and$7 for one day. Food and beverages will be soldat the convention. Preregistration informationincludes a list of all events, as well as a map ofthe convention site and several nearby motelsand restaurants. The Southfield Civic Center isaccessible via I-96, I-75, U.S. 10, and U.S. 29. Formore information, send an SASE to: MetroDetroit Gamers, P.O. Box 656, Wyandotte MI48192. For daytime telephone information, callBarry Jensen at: (313) 591-2300, ext. 325; forevening information, call Mike Bartnikowski at:(313)928-7744; for dealer information, call JoeTomassi at: (313) 382-1734.

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