DRAGON 1

45

22

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
In the center: SAGA OF OLD CITY Poster
Art by Clyde Caldwell, soon to be the cover of an exciting new novel

34

Publisher
Mike Cook

45

THE CITY BEYOND THE GATE Robert Schroeck

The longest, and perhaps strongest, AD&D adventure weve ever done

22

At Moonset Blackcat Comes Gary Gygax

Gary gives us a glimpse of Gord, with lots more to come

34

DRAGONCHESS Gary Gygax

Rules for a fantastic new version of an old game

Editor-in-Chief
Kim Mohan
Editorial staff
Patrick Lucien Price
Roger Moore
Graphics and production
Roger Raupp
Colleen OMalley
David C. Sutherland III
Subscriptions
Georgia Moore
Advertising
Patricia Campbell
Contributing editors
Ed Greenwood
Katharine Kerr
This issues contributing artists
Dennis Kauth
Roger Raupp
Jim Roslof
Marvel Bullpen
Dave Trampier
Jeff Marsh
Tony Moseley
Larry Elmore

OTHER FEATURES
6

Score one for Sabratact Forest Baker

Role-playing moves onto the battlefield

All about the druid/ranger Frank Mentzer

Heres how to get around the alignment problem

12

Pages from the Mages V Ed Greenwood

Another excursion into Elminsters memory

86

The chance of a lifetime Doug Niles

Reminiscences from the BATTLESYSTEM Supplement designer . . .

96

From first draft to last gasp Michael Dobson

. . . followed by the recollections of an out-of-breath editor

100

Compressor Michael Selinker

An appropriate crossword puzzle for our centennial issue

DEPARTMENTS
3 Letters
10 The forum
69 The ARES Section

101
World Gamers Guide
102 Convention calendar
107 Wormy

109 Dragonmirth
110 Snarfquest

COVER
Its fitting that an issue filled with things weve never done before should start off
with a cover thats unlike any of the ninety-nine that preceded it. The artwork is
actually a paper sculpture created by TSRs Dennis Kauth, who built up shapes
and surfaces from a flat background to produce this scene of a faerie dragon
serenely gliding along the edge of a stream, while the sword and the small pile of
coins suggest that some other creature had come this way before. The sculpture
was turned into a photograph after being illuminated to bring out the threedimensional aspects of the piece, and for an extra touch we tossed in some color
on the dragon and the Dragon and had the colored part of the cover embossed.
Why purple? Because a purple faerie dragon is the oldest and most powerful of its
kind. And the faerie dragon itself is symbolic of DRAGON Magazines contributions to the AD&D game; the description of the creature, originally written by
Brian Jaeger, appeared in issue #62 and was later picked up for inclusion in
Monster Manual II.
2 AUGUST 1985

Memories are
made of this
Well, not really. This month, the Letters
column should more properly be called Answers. We decided to spend some space in issue
#100 to deal with some questions that get asked a
lot (or that we suspect get asked a lot), but which
dont fit well into the format of our regular Letters column.
Two qualifications before we start: First, you
should understand that a lot of statements in
these answers are expressed in absolute terms for
the sake of brevity, and we dont necessarily
mean them to be taken entirely at face value. In
other words, assume the word usually in front
of every verb. Second, the statements and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of
the Editor-in-Chief and do not necessarily represent the opinions of TSR, Inc., my boss, or
anybody else who isnt me. And now, the first
envelope . . .
Why didnt you answer the letter I wrote?

Our reasons for not answering a letter are just

about as numerous as your reasons for writing
one. The major causes boil down to these:
You asked us about something we arent
qualified to talk about, such as a game or other
product put out by TSR, Inc. For instance, this
is not the place to direct questions or observations
about The Book of Marvelous Magic, or about a
TSR module for the AD&D or D&D game. We
cant help anyone with questions like Where can
I get a copy of issue #13? or How much is my
copy of issue #2 worth? or with other similar
questions pertaining to out-of-print back issues.
We dont hand out information on other departments and sections of TSR, Inc.; if you want to
submit your novel, write to the book department,
and if you want to solicit an assignment to illustrate a module, then contact the people in the art
department. This category covers a lot more
ground than these examples indicate please
understand that our sphere of knowledge is
relatively limited. We cant take the time to dig
up answers that we cant quickly provide, and we
wont speculate about things we dont know
about.
You asked a question that has also been
asked by several other people, and for which we
intend to publish an answer in the magazine. The
best recent example of this is the avalanche of
letters we got pertaining to the druid/ranger
alignment problem; Frank Mentzer has answered
all of those letters in one fell swoop in the article
that begins on page 9 of this issue.
You didnt enclose a self-addressed, stamped
envelope with your letter. We do respond to some
letters that come in without SASEs, and we dont
always answer letters that do have SASEs. In
general, the content of your letter will be the
major factor in determining whether it gets
answered, but your chances of hearing back from
us are better if you send an SASE.

Why did it take so long to get an answer?

Nobody has actually asked this question, but

Ill bet that most of the people whove written to
us have thought it. The stock answer, of course, is
Were busy but who isnt? I figured that a
short description of our work schedule would help

everyone who has received an answer understand

why it was so long in coming, and it will serve as
fair warning for anyone who might write in the
months to come.
Our schedule runs on a cycle that repeats itself
about every four weeks, and we keep track of
time in a backward fashion. The day after we
send an issue off to the printer is not deadline
plus 1, its deadline minus 29. For Roger
Moore and me, at least two weeks out of every
four are spent in production that is, doing
things that contribute directly to making the next
deadline. During that production time, we have
little if any opportunity to dig into manuscripts,
art submissions, and other correspondence. (In
addition to what he does for this magazine, Pat
Price also has to contend with getting an issue of
AMAZING Science Fiction Stories out the door
every 60 days. I wont even try to explain what
his schedule is like.)
So, what that leaves us with is two weeks at
most out of every month to deal with four
weeks worth of articles, letters, and art samples.
Obviously, its a losing battle. I consider myself
caught up if I can get to the point where Im
answering letters that arrived three weeks previously, and I dont get caught up very often.
Manuscript evaluation lags even farther behind
than regular correspondence, because it often
takes almost as much time for us to evaluate an
article submission as it took the author to write it.
If you get an answer back on your submission
within six weeks from the time you sent it to us,
then you must have hit us at a good time. Or else
your submission was very good . . . or very bad.

How do you handle a manuscript submission?

Article submissions go to Roger Moores desk

first. He weeds out the ones that are obviously
unacceptable or inappropriate, and then forwards
the potentially good ones to me. This group
includes manuscripts that he thinks are good
enough to print as is, plus some other pieces that
he thinks might pass muster if theyre revised to
some extent. Then I read them and pass my
recommendations back to Roger, and in most
cases he takes care of corresponding with the
authors to give them the good or bad news.
Its essentially a simple process, but on a oneby-one basis, decisions about particular manuscripts are often very complex. If we dont accept
or reject something outright, well ask the author
to revise his submission and will usually give a
fair amount of specific advice on how we think it
could be expanded, shortened, or improved
but without making any promise that the revised
manuscript will automatically be accepted.
Fiction manuscripts start their journey at Pat
Prices desk. He reads them and shows the good
ones to me and, on occasion, Roger, too. The
process is pretty much the same as for article
manuscripts, except that we hardly ever ask for
revisions to a fiction submission: If it isnt right
for us exactly as written, we send it back, perhaps
with a suggestion to show it to other publishers.

How do you handle an art submission?

At least ninety percent of the art submissions

Issue Number One Hundred has more

significance for me than you might expect. And if youll allow me a little random reminiscing, Ill try to explain why
thats so.
On the day this magazine starts rolling off the press, it will have been exactly six years since I sheepishly walked
in the door at TSR Periodicals.
When I first laid eyes on Tim Kask,
the editor of what was then known as
The Dragon, I had to fight back the
impulse to run the other way not
because Tim was ferocious, but because
I was scared stiff.
Even though I had worked as an
editor for more than nine years, I had no
reason to suppose that my credentials
would impress a guy who didnt know
me from a hole in the ground. I thought
I knew a little bit about this game called
D&D (which had not yet earned its
circle-R) but all too soon I found out
just how little I did know.
I took a deep breath and started my
speech. I ve got some experience as an
editor, and I was wondering if you guys
could use some help. Not exactly a hard
sell, but . . .
Tim listened, and talked, and talked
some more. He ended up deciding that,
sure, there were probably some things I
could help with, and I might be able to
pick up some money by working as what
he called casual labor.
As a test of what I could or couldnt
do, he dug out a few manuscripts and
gave them to me to take home over the
weekend. I worked on them in anything
but a casual fashion, peppering them
with red marks to show how I thought
they ought to read.
Less than a week later, it looked like I
had proved myself judging by the fact
that Tim was giving me more to do and
I was wearing out red pens almost as fast
as I could take off the caps.
Less than a month later, I attended
my first convention an experience
that is still so clear in my mind that it
could have happened yesterday. If that
was my final exam, then I must have
passed, because by the middle of September 1979 I stopped being casual labor
and started being an official employee of
TSR Hobbies, Inc.
The days flowed into weeks, the weeks
into issues. (In this business, the principal measurement of time is the issue;
when you start work in June on something that doesnt really exist until August, the word month doesnt really
apply.) And the issue numbers began to
mount up.
Overtime was a way of life. Eating
was something I did with my left hand,

DRAGON 3

while I sat at the typewriter and pecked

out letters to writers with my right hand.
(When you type like I do, using one
hand doesnt slow you down that much.)
Sleeping was something I did necessarily,
but reluctantly. I loved every minute of
my new job, even after it wasnt so new
any more.
Putting together each issue was like
embarking on a new and exciting adventure. We tried to make each one better
than the last, and we succeeded more
often than not.
As an indication of how far weve
come, I can recall sitting in a meeting in
early 1980 when one of TSRs management team predicted, with a straight
face, that wed be selling 50,000 copies
per issue within a year from that time.
No way, I thought and its a good
thing I kept my thought to myself. That
prediction came true, not quite within a
year, but soon enough so that even we
who were in the middle of it all were
amazed.
Many issues went by, and a lot of
people came and went, before anyone
started to think about Number One
Hundred as anything more than the
most abstract of concepts. Then, at some
undefinable point, One Hundred became a destination we could faintly make
out on the horizon.
Even as recently as a year ago, it
hadnt really sunk in that we were eventually going to Get There. And it wasnt
until after #99 was kicked out of the nest
that the reality rose up and nailed me
between the eyes.
Letting this issue go off to the printer
is satisfying and scary at the same time
satisfying, for reasons that I hope will
be obvious to you when you read what
weve put in it, and scary because I cant
keep from thinking that it could have
and should have been better.
After all is said and done which is
just about to happen the final determination is up to you. Was it worth
waiting for? Will it be a tough act to
follow? And on that note, I guess its
time to get busy on One Oh One.

we receive come to my desk initially, and most of

them go back out in the mail without being seen
by anyone else.
Like most publishers, we get a lot more solicitations from artists than we could ever hope to
take advantage of. Unlike most publishers I know
of, we get approached by quite a few people who
are starting out along the road that they hope will
lead to a career in illustration. One of the most
unpleasant aspects of my job is being the bearer
of bad tidings to the vast majority of the artists
who show us samples of their work (just as Im
sure Roger doesnt enjoy sending rejection letters
to writers).
Practically all of the people who get their
artwork published in the magazine nowadays are
artists with a few years of professional experience.
Were not prejudiced in favor of established
professionals, but when we have a choice between
working with someone whos starting out and
someone who has already traveled down the road,
well . . . . what would you choose?
When we run across a submission from someone whose style and technical expertise compare
favorably with what weve been publishing, we
send back a more-or-less positive response that
says, in so many words, we like your stuff and
theres a possibility that well get back to you in
the future with a proposal for an assignment to
illustrate an article or a short story. (Virtually all
of the interior artwork we use is done on assignment; we dont usually try to make off-therack illustrations work because they hardly
ever do.)
Sometimes we decline an artists solicitation
even if the style and technique displayed in the
samples are of professional quality, because that
style and technique just arent appropriate for us.
And all too often we are forced to send back
samples submitted by someone who obviously (in
our estimation) hasnt been working at the craft
long enough to develop and mature. We try to be
encouraging, without sugar-coating our criticism,
and we hope that everyone who receives a turndown takes it in the same spirit it was given.

Are the articles in the magazine just as

good as the rules in the books?

Yes . . . and no. The key word in this question

is in quotation marks because it has at least two
different meanings that can be applied here. The
articles we accept and publish are just as well
thought out, just as logical and sensible, and just
as usable within the context of a game or campaign as the rules of the game itself so, yes,
they are just as good as the rules.
But, at the same time, they arent actual
additions to the rules. You, as the DM, can
incorporate the ideas or the substance of a DMoriented article into the game that you run for
your friends. You, as a player, can (with the prior
knowledge and consent of your DM) use an
article directed primarily at players to make your
character, or your playing technique, different in

some way from what the rules of the game provide for. But in neither case are you actually
changing the rules of the game you play and,
in this respect, the suggestions and guidelines
offered in an article are not as good as the
rules that the article was inspired by or derived
from.
Lets use the MONOPOLY game for an
analogy. The rules of that game dictate that the
Free Parking space is just that a place
where nothing good or bad happens to you. Yet
some people like to throw a lot of the banks
proceeds into a pot that is picked up by the next
player who lands on Free Parking. (Maybe the
space should then be called Free Lunch.) If a
group of players uses this variant rule, you certainly cant (and shouldnt try to) tell them that
they arent playing a MONOPOLY game. But if
they enter a sanctioned MONOPOLY competition, theyll find out that theres no such thing as
a Free Lunch (unless the regulations of the competition, for some reason, specify otherwise).
That doesnt mean that the Free Lunch variant is
bad but its not a rule, and not everyone is
obliged to play that way.
So it is with a magazine article that suggests a
way to improve the game you play. If you like
it, use it. (That is, after all, what were here for.)
If you dont, turn the page. In either case, the
rules of the game you play havent changed.

Why dont you make posters of your cover

art?

When we pay an artist for the privilege of

reproducing a painting on the cover, all we purchase is the right to use that painting one time,
for one specific purpose. Sure, we could draw up
a contract that allowed for the possibility that we
would want to make a poster of the painting at a
later date, and if so, we would make a second
payment to the artist.
Sounds easy and it wouldnt be much more
difficult than it sounds. However, we arent in the
poster business. (I was going to try not to answer
any of these questions with Thats the way it is,
but . . . that is the way it is.) The reasons why we
arent have a lot to do with the workings of big
business (which is another thing I promised
myself I wouldnt talk about). Many of the stores
that sell the magazine dont carry posters, so
wed have to develop a different distribution
network for them. And even if we had enough
poster outlets rounded up, we would have no way
of knowing ahead of time which, and how many,
paintings to make into posters. A lot of people
might like a painting that appears on the cover of
a $3.00 magazine, but how many of them would
like to spend another few bucks to put an oversized reproduction of the same artwork on their
wall? (If anyone out there can guarantee a pleasant answer to that question, Im sure our marketing department would like to see your resume.)
Simply put, we dont do it because we arent

(Turn to page 105)

DRAGON Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc. The mailing address for all material except subscription orders is DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 110, Lake
Geneva WI 53147; the business telephone number is (414)248-3625. DRAGON Magazine is available at hobby stores and bookstores throughout the United States and Canada, and
through a limited number of overseas outlets. Subscription rates via second-class mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 1 year (12 issues) sent to an address in the U.S., $36 in Canadian
funds for 1 year (12 issues) sent to an address in Canada. Payment in full must accompany all subscription orders. Methods of payment include checks or money orders made payable to TSR,
Inc., or charges to valid Mastercard or VISA credit cards. Send subscription orders with payments to: TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60678. A limited quantity of back issues are
available from the TSR mail order department, P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147. For a copy of the current catalog listing available back issues, write to the mail order department at the
above address. The issue of expiration of each subscription is printed on the mailing label for each subscribers copy of the magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of subscription copies
must be received at least six weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery. All material published in DRAGON Magazine becomes the exclusive
property of the publisher, unless special arrangements to the contrary are made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork;
however, no responsibility for such submissions can be assumed by the publisher in any event. Any submission accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will be
returned if it cannot be published.
DRAGON is a registered trademark for the monthly adventure playing aid published by TSR, Inc. All rights to the contents of this publication are reserved, and nothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in part without first obtaining permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright 1985 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147.
USPS 318-790, ISSN 0279-6848.

4 AUGUST 1985

DRAGON 5

Score one for Sabratact

New sport combines targets with teamwork
by Forest Baker
INTRODUCTION
by Gary Gygax
Some of you might know that I came into
role-playing games through chess, more
mundane games, and wargaming of both
the mapboard and tabletop/miniature figures varieties. I first met Forest Baker because he was a gamer of the sort who
wished to take military simulations and
enlarge and abstract them so as to get something with the precision of chess combined
with the flexibility offered by both board
wargaming and military miniatures. I was
the fantasy buff and crazed individual fighting with rattan swords against armored
members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, while Forest was a studious game
developer and historical buff
But now. . . gadzooks! The varlet has
turned the tables on me! After removing
from the Lake Geneva area, the Goodly Sir
Baker has developed a most profound
method for combining exercise, play history military, and Ye Grand Tourney (if you
will) into what he dubs sport.
SCA members, players of The Survival
Game, and just about everyone else interested in exciting outdoors activity with life
& death adventure elements should enjoy
this new sport, Sabratact. I have been fascinated with the whole project from the start
but Forest, Sly Chap that he is, wouldnt
breathe a word of what it was all about until
just before he sent me the following. . . .
Read on!
A new sport is being played in southern
Connecticut. No longer will it be said that a
team sport is attractive because it mimics
the battlefield. Sabratact, the name of this
new sport, is the battlefield!
Sabratact, in a very real sense, looks,
plays, and feels like battle. The sport is
played outdoors on a very large field, rather
like a golf-course setting but without so
much grooming. The teams can be quite
large; Sabratact is designed for hundreds of
players, although smaller teams are certainly more often the case. Sabratact, as we
shall see, is not an individual sport.
Each warrior steps onto the Sabratact
battlefield equipped with:
A helmet in any number of styles, and
which is protective in the same manner
as a fencing mask. Two targets are carried on the helmet.
A heart target attached to a chestprotection piece of armor.
6

AUGUST 1985

Three torso targets attached to the chest

armor.
Four torso targets attached to the back
armor.
Four limb targets attached to the outside
surfaces of protective armor worn on the
upper arms and the thighs.
A shield which is strapped to the forearm
or carried in the hand.
One of several types of weapons. The
weapons range from the classic (fencing)
sword design through certain handdelivered missiles. The weapon is designed to effectively break the target
surface, but to be very safe for the participants.
The targets are three-inch-diameter stainless steel cups. These are bolted to the armor through the use of brass grommets.
The open end of the cup is covered by the
target surface. When the weapon breaks or
penetrates this surface material, points are
scored.
Scoring system
Points per target
Total
1st 2nd 3rd 4th possible
Heart
10
10
Head
3
7
10
Chest
10
2
3
5
Back
1
2
3
4
10
Limbs
1
2
3
4
10

Bonus points:
10 for breaking all targets
10 per warrior captured
10 per warrior for achieving tactical goal
10 per warrior freed from capture
20 per warrior on defending team for
achieving strategic goal
Penalty points:
100 per warrior involved in committing
infraction
If the heart target is broken, the warrior
must stop playing and leave the battlefield
immediately. No further points can be
scored against this warrior.
If a warrior is captured and surrenders,
no further points can be scored by or
against this warrior. The captive is escorted
to the Field Prison by a member of the
capturing team. Any unscored points
(unbroken targets) remaining on the captive
are counted by the capturing team if the
warrior is not rescued before the end of the
battle.
Any foul called by a Sabratact Field
Judge will result in the immediate exit from
the battlefield of the warrior(s) involved.
Penalty Points are awarded to the victimized team in all cases of rule violations. (A
full set of Official Sabratact International
Rules and Regulations will be provided on
request by Sabratact International.)

Before the battle, the opponents-to-be help each other get safely outfitted. . . .

The armor being used in southern Connecticut is made of leather, mostly in a

traditional Greco-Roman design. However,
certain pieces of armor look Japanese, and
the helmet designs range from Mediterranean to Japanese and African images. Sabratact International has designed armor
incorporating metal surfaces and some with
high-tech plastics, but leather has proved to
be very functional and attractive as well. A
lacrosse or hockey glove is normally worn
with a leather gauntlet on the forearm of the
weapon hand.
The shields in use are wood framed and
covered with either painted canvas or
leather. The designs of the shields are traditional Oriental, European, and African
variations. Weapons are constructed of
extruded and machined plastics.
Because Sabratact battles are held in an
open battleground setting, the visual images
created are dramatic. Banners and military
musicians (especially drummers and buglers) serve to heighten the pageantry. The
flow of battle is quite orderly. Battle lines
are tight and disciplined. Light infantry
(skirmishers) and heavy infantry accompany and support the main body of warriors. There is no full contact aspect to
Sabratact. Warriors stay at weapons length
apart; to close inside this distance makes the
weaponry ineffective.
The objectives of an infantry battle are
threefold:
1) The defeat of individual members of
the opposition. This may be accomplished by imposing injury (breaking
targets), elimination (breaking the
heart target, or capture.
2) Holding the field. Positions may be
established and held. These afford
jumping-off points from which the
strategic objective of the battle may be
more easily reached. This constitutes
the holding of ground for tactical purposes. If these positions are captured
by the opposition (and a stationary,
rigidly mounted target is broken),

points are awarded to the capturing

side. If the opposition has taken prisoners, the location of the field
prison may be captured (and a target
marking the prison broken) so that the
prisoners are returned and their points
recovered with bonus points awarded.
3) Attaining an objective on the opposite
side of the battleground. A single
target is rigidly mounted. If the oppositions target is broken, points are
awarded.
Depending on the size of the battlefield
and the size of the battle units, Sabratact is
divided into a number of periods extending
some minutes each. The actual number of
periods is quite variable, and the duration
of each period varies both between matches
and within a single match. For example, a
battle may be calculated on a certain course
to be six periods in length with the first two
periods lasting three minutes each, the third
and fourth periods being six minutes and
two minutes, and the final two periods
lasting eight minutes and four minutes. If
the battle units are larger or smaller, then
the length of the battle, duration of the
periods, and size of the field would be altered accordingly. Each facility will have a
unique set of battlegrounds and formulas.
At the beginning of each period, warriors
enter the field from opposite borders, move
forward into positions, and engage. As the
battle proceeds, specific positions are established and held, allowing some warriors to
start the following periods from these forward points rather than from the edge of the
battleground.
As play continues, individual warriors
may be heavily scored against, individuals
may be eliminated, positions may be captured, the Strategic Goal may or may not
be achieved, and warriors may be captured
and perhaps rescued. At the end of the last
period, scoring is tallied and the winning
team is declared.
Sabratact International is manufacturing

equipment and putting it into the hands of

the first Sabratact warriors. As the volume
expands, manufacturers will be given orders
for armor, weapons, and shields. At this
time, Sabratact International is distributing
directly to Sabratact clubs. As volumes rise,
retailers will be allowed to carry approved
designs. Sabratact battles are being fought
on public athletic fields. As battle units
grow, formal facilities will be franchised and
made available for contests. Record-keeping
is being performed on an automated database. Each warriors permanent record is
maintained by Sabratact International.
Sabratact International will retain very
rigid control of equipment design. Manufacturing must always be of the highest
quality, for safety reasons. Franchised retailers of Sabratact equipment will not be
allowed to offer uncontrolled or unapproved equipment. Sabratact Battlefield
Judges will conduct pre-battle formal inspection reviews. Only approved designs
will be allowed on the battleground. Uncontrolled weapons, armor, or shields could
present some risk of injury.
Sabratact battlefield facilities will provide
well-trained Field Judges at a very heavy
ratio to warriors. Sabratact rules and regulations will be strictly applied at all times.
Men and women of all skill levels and
physical conditions now compete comfortable in the same contests, together. Age and
size are not important factors. The combatant adopts a warrior identity and frame of
mind as a result of the images created; the
experience of battle is very real and exciting. This creates a healthy sense of the
classical battleground.
Sabratact is something of a departure in
team sports. Whereas most sports concentrate heavily on individual skills, such as
ball handling, teamwork is only a desirable element of success in those sports. In
contrast, Sabratact is heavily dependent on
cooperation between warriors and individual discipline. No matter how skilled any
warrior might be, that ability must be

. . . And then they take to the fields, swords and shields flailing!
D

RAGON

blended into the fabric of the fighting unit.

Every member of the battle unit must be
disciplined to respond instantly to the direction of the field officer.
The challenge of the field commanders
task is dramatically more demanding than
that of, for example, a football quarterback.
Primarily, the dynamic nature of Sabratact
is very much more complex when compared
to the focused on the ball nature of most
team sports. Further, the time involved in
developing and implementing each play
on the Sabratact battlefield calls for confident, steady control. The most skilled group
of warriors, if they are not disciplined to the
field officers command, is but a rabble
no matter how correct that command might
be. This rabble can be easily defeated by a
battle unit composed of less skilled warriors
but led in a disciplined manner. Discipline
has always been the first rule of the battlefield. Individual performance, in Sabratact,
must be in the context of the fighting unit,
and utterly subject to the direction of the
field commander.
Battle units are organized under field
commanders of increasing rank, as the size
of the battle unit increases. Individual
warriors may qualify to declare themselves
as field officers, and gather to themselves
battle units under their personal command.
These battle units may fight as Sabratact
Independents, or may be attached to
higher-ranking field commanders in largescale Sabratact battles.

Battle
unit
Individual
Squad
Platoon
Company
Regiment
Brigade
Legion
Army
Nation
Empire

Ranking
officer
Warrior
Samurai
Lieutenant
Centurion
Commander
Colonel
General
Field Marshal
Crown Prince
Emperor

Number of
warriors
1
4
16
100
300
1,000
4,000
12,000
50,000
250,000

The numbers given above are approximate. Long and short battle units will
be allowed within certain constraints outlined in the Official Sabratact International
Rules and Regulations. It will be several
years before we see conflicts between battle
units of the larger scales (Nations and Empires).
Getting started
How does one become involved? The first
step is to acquire weapons, armor, and a
shield. Sabratact International is distributing these items directly. (A price list can be
obtained by contacting Sabratact International.) Individuals should register themselves with Sabratact International, and upon
doing so will receive information regarding
clubs and activities.
A good next step would be to organize
yourselves into squads. Sabratact International will register these battle units and the
identity of the Samurai of your choosing.
Field Officers (starting with the rank of
Lieutenant) must be qualified by Sabratact
International. Any individual Warrior or
Samurai will be eligible for appointment as
a Junior Officer, according to the guidelines
contained in the Official Sabratact International Rules and Regulations. At this point,
individual officers will gather their battle
units of squads, platoons, and companies in
order to engage their opponents.
Sabratact International will provide
detailed Battle Report forms with which to
register the results of your contests. These
reports will go into your permanent records
and become, in part, the basis for an officers eligibility for promotion.
It is an officers responsibility to gather
and maintain the force of warriors who will
fight under that officers banner. No Samurai will be obligated to fight for any particular officer. An officer will maintain a
following only through battlefield success
and personal leadership.
Any individual may fight at any level of
rank already achieved, or at any rank below
that one, without constraint. Any warrior
may aspire and work toward the highest
Sabratact ranks.
For more information . . .
Sabratact International may be contacted
by writing to:
Forest Baker
Suite 16-F
1120 North Lasalle Street
Chicago IL 60610

AUGUST 1985

All about the druid/ranger

A classy explanation, better late than never
by Frank Mentzer
Editors introduction
Both elven and half-elven characters can
be druid/rangers, or can be triple-classed as
druid/ranger/magic-users.
Little did we realize the uproar that
would follow the publication of that single
sentence in issue #96, near the end of Gary
Gygaxs article on New jobs for demihumans. As scores of people have pointed
out to us since then, the job of druid/ranger
is impossible to qualify for under the existing AD&D game rules.
It quickly became obvious that an explanation was in order even if it had to be
after the fact. This Eager-to-Please Editor
imposed upon Frank Mentzer to prepare an
essay that would describe how and why this
illegal class combination could and
should be possible. Frank was more than
happy to comply, and Gary also gave this
piece of writing his stamp of approval
tacking on the final paragraph which appears here and leaving the remainder vir-

tually unchanged. So here, without further

delay is the rest of the story
Though the druid/ranger is permitted in
the AD&D game rules, an alignment
conflict is obviously present. But the combination is equally obviously logical; both
classes are woodland-oriented. Then again,
why should high-level rangers gain druid
spells, even when their alignments are
radically different from those of the deities
who grant such spells?
First, allow this multi-class combination
only for characters of the Neutral Good
alignment. For a rationale, consider the
behavior and philosophy of each class in the
context of the campaign.
Druids, on the whole, minimize their
association with civilization, usually
shunning the settlements of humans and
humanoids for their beloved wilderness. To
the truly Neutral druid, each thing exists
as a part of the whole, one as a check or

balance to the other, with life necessary for

death, happiness for suffering, good for evil,
order for chaos, and vice versa. (See
DMG, page 23.) The druid lovingly tends
the balance of all things, epitomized by
Nature herself, while accepting the undeniable fact that Nature is sometimes cruel
survival of the fittest, and all that.
The actions and beliefs of a druid in the
game are good not in the alignment
sense, but in the common meaning of beneficial. Strictly within the druids milieu,
the druid considers his or her actions as
good (more precisely, best) for all
things everywhere.
A ranger, on the other hand, is required
to have a Good moral alignment: Each
creature is entitled to life, relative freedom,
and the prospect of happiness. Cruelty and
suffering are undesirable. (Again see
DMG, page 23.) This moral perspective of
the ranger, who deals with civilized areas
much more often than the druid, is closely

RAGON

tied to relationships, and to the welfare of

other beings. In relation to Nature herself,
the rangers outlook is very neutraloriented. The balance of Nature is a
good thing (lower-case g, as opposed
to Good alignment). The primary divergence between the ranger and druid philosophies is in their attitude toward suffering
individuals: The ranger will always try to
help, while the druid might look on, believing that even suffering has its place and
purpose.
The Neutral Good ranger may thus be
considered nearly true Neutral when functioning in the realm of Nature. Playercharacter druid/rangers are thus permitted,
if of that alignment. Druids and Neutral
Good rangers can be quite friendly toward
one another the druid considering the
ranger as a soul nearly saved, and vice
versa.
As to rangers of other alignments
Chaotic Good and Lawful Good one can
only speculate as to the reasons why they
are granted druid spells. The druid deity (or
deities) might consider any rangers respect
for and good treatment of the realm of
Nature as deserving of such boons. If so,
the thoughtful ranger should realize that his
or her actions in variance to the true Neutral ways will be balanced, in the long run,
by someone elses converse actions perhaps those of the local druid, repairing the
damage caused by excessive Law, Chaos,
or Good.
Moral extremists those rangers who
are notably and constantly (i.e. excessively,
to the druid) Lawful or Chaotic might be
denied spells by the DM, having strayed too
far (again, from the druidical perspective)
from the balance of all things. If the DM
excludes rangers of certain extreme alignments from spell acquisition, the players
should first be informed of this, whether
their rangers are of low or high level.
As a final note, research into the ways of
ancient druids can help flesh out the class
and its campaign activities. Druid beliefs
were historically anchored in a gnostic
monotheism, the worship of a Great Mother
of All (known by different names in different times and places). Druidism evolved
from an early matriarchal stage, limiting
the priesthood to females only (and hence
giving rise to the woodland females, dryads
et al.), to the later more open stage, allowing males. Traces of druidism were found as
late as 1874, in Russia. Acorns and oak
leaves are still used in wreaths and harvest
decorations, and many towns hold seasonal
ceremonies at great oak trees. To some
extent, the remnants of the ancient religion
persist to this very day.
Of course, AD&D gaming seeks only to
base its fantasy upon historical actualities,
and it in no sense suggests reality or the recreation of supposed pagan practices. A
sound knowledge of history, however, and
an understanding of ancient and medieval
culture, will certainly enhance the enjoyment of a campaign and enable the DM to
add much to the milieu.

10 AUGUST 1985

In regard to the current debate over the importance of the official rules, I offer the following
words of Mr. Frank Mentzer, TSRs Creative
Aide to the President, from POLYHEDRON
Newszine #9:
An emphasis on role playing comes closer to
the original concept of the game than does an
obsession with details. Gary [Gygax] doesnt run
a straight AD&D campaign; hes too creative to
feel comfortable in that rigid system. You say you
are, too? How many games, modules, and articles have you written lately? Have you given the
system, as published, a chance? Have you tried
the D&D game, a flexible and adaptable framework, instead of the far more complex and regimented AD&D system?
The letters in the Forum in DRAGON issue
#98 all extol either a nitty-gritty rules fixation,
a more flexible interpretation of the word official, or a combination of the two. Unfortunately,
none of the correspondents mention gaming
experience or creativity, two factors which I feel
cannot be ignored in this discussion. I use my
own experiences to illustrate this point.
I started my first D&D game eight years ago,
having no experience with the rules or even
RPGs in general. Back then, all we had were the
classic blue book and D&D module B1, In
Search of the Unknown. Beyond that, we made
our own dungeons, in which yellow mold lined
the only passage into an orcs chamber and
nobody said anything. How did the orc get its
food? Nobody wondered and nobody cared.
Since then, I have almost doubled my age and
have grown in all respects. I am not the same
person I was then, and I dont play the same
game. Today I play a highly modified form of the
AD&D game which is nonviolent. Very few parts
of the game are unchanged from their published
form, yet enough has been salvaged so that the
game is at least recognizable as an AD&D game.
Eight years ago, I would have laughed at
anyone who suggested that I play a nonviolent
game. We played the D&D game for its wonderful combat system, and giving that up would be
like removing your left arm, if not your heart.
But even if I had the inclination to create a
nonviolent game, I still could not have pulled it
off. I simply did not have the knowledge or skill
to manage a game like the one I play now.
One of the most important steps in the creation
of my present campaign was the switch to AD&D
gaming in one $50 swoop. The game was somewhat overwhelming in its scope, but we played it
exactly as published for some time. As we progressed through our campaign, we began to
notice flaws in the game and started to create
ways to change the game to our own ends. The
eventual outcome was our current campaign. The
campaign will end soon, and the game will
change further.
There is no question that the AD&D game, as
published, is both complex and regimented.
But it must be fully comprehended to be altered.
Otherwise, the results of change will never be
noticed. The only way to understand the game is
to play it, at least for a short amount of time, as it
is written. After some experience with the game,
you may feel your creative impulses suggest

changes in the system. You may wish to borrow

from other games, from other gamers, and from
other sources of literature. By all means, do it.
But at least know what its like to play without
the changes you and your players wish to install
in the game. It will make the changes that much
more rewarding.
One note: If the AD&D game does seem too
rigid to you, try the D&D game. It is a good
system in itself which allows a more freeform style
of gaming. It is designed to be added to by individual DMs in a manner that cannot be done
with the AD&D game.
Michael D. Selinker
Seattle, Wash.

Although this letter isnt about an actual part

of gaming, I think some people will be familiar
with this story. I first began playing the D&D
game about three and a half years ago. Im not
really sure if you could call it playing, since I was
in the sixth grade at the time; in my area, that
was the time when everyone played the D&D
game and no one played it right. Everyone
played in a Monty Haul campaign, but no one
had even heard the term.
All through seventh grade, players slowly
thinned out and the remaining players I gamed
with decided to reform. We had long meetings
for our D&D club in which we ended up either
watching TV or fooling around outside. Our DM
said hed never done enough of his world for us
to play in it, although he cant really be blamed
for it since no one else had the initiative to be a
DM. As expected, this finally ended in the late
summer after seventh grade, with the group
splitting in half.
At this point, I finally gained enough initiative
to become the DM. I was inspired by an excellent
DM who was a counselor at a camp I had gone to
that summer, and I was the DM all through
eighth grade. By this time, I realized that many
people who used to play the D&D game no longer
did. Im quite sure (lets face it, folks) that the
reason is that D&D gaming is not considered cool
to a majority of kids starting into the eighth
grade. While Ive been lucky enough for it not to
have happened to me, many kids that play the
D&D game are considered nerds.
So, what finally happened was this. I was
playing D&D with two other kids, I was using
characters while I was DMing, and we had 17
characters between the three of us. Characters
were reaching 4th level after one adventure.
Now, I know the Gary Gygaxes and the Lenard
Lakofkas are screaming Blasphemy! at this
moment, but instead, I think more people are
shocked to realize that other people are in the
same situation that they are in. You have to
realize how hard it is for a DM to be a good DM
with only two other players. Finally, my two
players began to lose interest, probably for three
reasons. First, they were a little worried about
their image. Second, they were never as serious
about playing as I was. Third, my campaign was
not all that good, and if there had been better

(Turn to page 98)

DRAGON 11

Pages from the Mages V

From Elminster, to Ed, to you more lore
by Ed Greenwood
Strangely, there is nothing Elminster likes
better than sitting in a canoe, his blazing
pipe between his teeth, and looking up at
what must to him be completely unfamiliar
stars as I paddle slowly, softly down the
river on warm summer nights. He likes to
watch the fireflies wink and glow (his pipesmoke keeps the mosquitoes and, indeed,
everything else away) in the darkness
under the trees, and talk of legends and
scary tales of the Realms, and of magic. He
hasnt yet figured out that the lifejacket I
make him wear has one of those tiny tape
recorders in it, and he knows I cant take
notes while paddling, so he doesnt mind
telling me all about more lost spell books
(figuring Ill have forgotten everything after
a long night of chatting, and several
drinks). Id feel more guilty about my small
deception if I hadnt seen him swipe a bottle
of Baileys Irish Cream from my mantelpiece just before he trotted off to the gate to
the Realms last time. I wonder if hell have
worked out how to make the stuff in the
Realms before his next visit. . . .
I have accumulated details of another
four spellbooks by the above method, and
here they are.

Sabirines Specular
Appearance
A large, heavy tome (five handwidths
across by ten handwidths high, two fingers
thick) of twenty-eight fine vellum pages
with stamped brass corner-pieces, and
covers of thin black marble affixed to the
thinnest of suth-wood sheets by large brass
corner caps.
History and description
Sabirine was a mage of long ago, instrumental in the exploration of the North; her
adventures are a part of the fireside lore of
traders and travelers there yet. She compiled and concealed spellbooks in various
caches and favorite haunts about the
wilderlands, and the one known as The
Specular has survived, for it is known to
have been in the library of the sage Eiron
the Old in Neverwinter until his death
and the subsequent pillaging of his house by
thieves of the Red Hand guild only four
winters ago.
Sabirine learned the secrets of lichdom
but chose to die a natural death instead. She
was a mage with an especial interest in
cantrips, and was an enthusiastic advocate
of the continued use and refinement of
12

AUGUST 1985

cantrips by magic-users of long career and

high level. The Specular, for instance,
contains three unique cantrips developed by
Sabirine: catfeet, snatch, and spark.
Each cantrip and spell in the Specular is
set forth alone on a page, and there are two
additional pages at either end of the book;
that at the beginning being an inscription
identifying the tome as belonging to.
Sabirine, with her rune (an S depicted as
a swan), and that at the end bearing a
curious piece of black felt in the shape of a
vial. The frontispiece page is actually a
unique spell, spell engine (detailed hereafter) of unknown authorship, which has been
concealed by use of a secret page spell. The
command word of the secret page is not
known. The last page is thought to be an
unused magical useful item (see robe of
useful items description in the Dungeon
Masters Guide) a potion of extrahealing, Elminster believes.
The pages between bear six cantrips:
catfeet (detailed hereafter), clean, freshen,
snatch (detailed hereafter), spark (detailed
hereafter), and unlock, and spells as follows:
comprehend languages, enlarge, light,
Nystuls magic aura, sleep, bladethirst (a
unique spell, detailed hereafter), detect evil,
ESP: clairaudience, gust of wind, tongues,
charm monster, dig, fire charm, Meralds
murderous mist (a unique spell taught to
Sabirine by her tutor, the mighty archmage
Merald; the spell is detailed hereafter),
polymorph other, Bigbys interposing hand,
disintegrate, geas, and phase door.
Spell Engine (Abjuration/Alteration)
Level: 8
Range: 0
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: Sphere about caster, of
1 radius per level
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 turn
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: This rare and
powerful magic does not come into operation until another spell is cast within its area
of effect. When that occurs, a huge, shining
wheel or vertical disc of glowing white light
will instantly appear (some inches above
any ground or floor that was there at the
time of casting, or is there at the time of
activation) where the caster stood while
casting the engine (even if that spellcasting
occurred centuries before). It will begin to
turn, with a gentle rushing noise, and will
absorb the energy of all spells cast within its

area of effect so that they are wasted and

do not work, but serve instead to power the
turning wheel. The wheel does nothing
except turn, light up an area, and benefit
magic-user and illusionists with a curious
side-effect: Its sound and energies aid magical concentration, and spell memorizing
times for spellcasters who study within its
area of effect are halved. Once activated, an
engine will not disappear until dispelled; if
starved for magical energy, it will merely
turn more and more slowly, and gradually
grow dim, until it hangs motionless, translucent and ghostly.
A spell engine cannot be dispelled by
dispel magic (which it will absorb), nor
affected by normal weapons (which pass
through it as though it does not exist). A
wish, limited wish, or alter reality spell,
properly worded, will destroy it, as will
contact with any magical item or artifact
which causes a magical explosion doing
1-20 points of damage to all within 1 (1-8
to those from 1 + to 2 away), and
destroys a magical item; an artifact must
make a saving throw. If such an artifact is
not destroyed, there is a 75% chance that it
will be shifted (with or without any creature
wielding it) into another plane of existence.
Magic mouths, glyphs, symbols, and
protective circles or other runic magics will
not be affected by a spell engine; thus, a
doorway can be guarded by a symbol, and a
spell engine cast in front of the doorway will
prevent the symbol from being dispelled.
Detect magic will reveal the presence and
shape of an unactivated spell engine; the
wheel is typically 12 in diameter and 2
thick, standing upright on edge, although it
will grow marginally larger if charged by
many spells and the surroundings permit
such growth (its area of effect remaining
unchanged). It is often cast in a narrow
passageway before a door. Until activated,
the wheel of a spell engine has no physical
existence and cannot be touched. A disintegrate spell will have no effect on an unactivated spell engine, but it will destroy an
activated spell engine, with an explosion
identical in effect to that caused by contact
between a spell engine and a magic item or
artifact. Note that a spell engines area of
effect extends through rock and void alike in
a perfect sphere; it cannot be easily avoided
by use of a passwall, dig, or phase door.
Living creatures not possessing magic items
can pass through the area of effect of an
active spell engine without effect; it does not
drain spells from minds. Inactive spell
engines cannot be contacted by a living

creature, magic item, or artifact, and thus

cannot be so activated; nor will the presence
of a functioning spell, psionic effect, or
magic item function activate a spell engine
it is only the actual casting of a spell that
activates the engine.
The material components for this spell
are a small disc of fine, polished ivory,
bone, shell, or marble; a drop of water or
one of the casters tears; and a gem (any
type) of at least 1,000 gp value.
Catfeet (Alteration)
A of E: 1 pair of feet (self)
CT: 1/6 segment
This personal cantrip, enacted by making
a stroking motion with the fingers of one
hand, acts upon the caster (and cannot be
made to affect another person) for 1 round
(plus one additional round per experience
level of the caster, above first level). Movements or the weight (tread) of the casters
feet, regardless of the surface being walked
upon or climbed, are rendered silent. This
does not cloak any other sounds made by
the caster, such as breathing, the swish of
clothing, sounds made with the hands
grasping or moving, etc. Anything dislodged or broken by the casters feet will
make whatever noise it normally would,
and traps or other devices triggered by a
footstep will also function normally. In
addition, the caster will land, balanced and
unwinded, on his or her feet, from a fall of
any height suffered while the cantrip is in
effect (and a modifier of -1 from each die of
falling damage suffered applies).
The dweomer also lends some surety of
traction and movement; a - 15% chance of
slipping or falling in damp, greasy, or otherwise slightly slippery conditions underfoot.
Note that this does not enable the caster to
climb or walk upon walls or ceilings unless
other magic is employed (such as a spider
climb spell), but will reinforce all such
magics to lend increased safety in hazardous
conditions.
Snatch (Evocation)
A of E: 1 person
CT: 1/6 segment

must be within 4 of the caster within 1

if the caster is a O-level apprentice), and
simultaneously makes a jerking motion with
a hooked finger, visualizing the location and
precise direction of the desired snatching, to
enact the cantrip.
Spark (Evocation)
A of E: Special
CT: 1/2 segment
This personal cantrip is enacted by the
caster snapping his or her fingers and making a popping verbal noise simultaneously;
this causes a large, powerful blue spark to
come into being at any precise location
(familiar, or unseen and merely chosen by
direction and distance) within a range of 1
per level of the caster. The energy of the
spark will be transmitted by any conducting
materials it contacts, but the spark does not
require the presence of electrical (or any
other) energy, and is not affected by dampness or other atmospheric conditions. If the
caster is of 6th level or higher, the cantrip
will Produce 2-5 (1d4 + 1) sparks in the
same spot, in rapid (successive segments)
succession.
Bladethirst (Alteration)
Level: 2
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round
Area of Effect: Blade(s) of one weapon
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: By means of a
pinch of powdered silver, adamantite, or
mithral, and at least a drop of (human)
blood, the caster endows the blade (or
blades) of an edged weapon with a + 3
bonus to hit on the following round only.
This temporary magic is visible as a bluewhite glow about the weapon, and fades
when the blade strikes a creature or the spell
expires, whichever first occurs. The weapon
must be touched by the caster, and can be
wielded by the caster or any creature but
if it is thrown, cast, or launched (i.e., a

fired missile weapon such as an arrow), the

+ 3 bonus will not apply. (Note that an
arrow held to stab like a dagger would gain
the bonus.) The weapon does not gain a + 3
bonus on damage, but is considered magical
for to hit purposes on the round following spellcasting, and if it must make a saving throw during that round, it gains a + 3
bonus on the save. (Polearms such as spears
and halberds are edged weapons, but spiked
weapons such as a flail or a morning star
are not.)
Meralds Murderous Mist (Evocation)
Level: 4
Range: 0
Duration: 2 rounds
Area of Effect: 2 radius sphere
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 4 segments
Saving Throw: Neg.
Explanation/Description: A billowing
cloud of misty vapors is created by the use
of this spell; it radiates outwards from the
caster to fill a 2 radius spherical area above
and below the casters ground level, penetrating all obstructions in only 2 segments;
at the end of the round of casting the magic
takes effect, and the mist changes in hue
from blue-gray to green, becoming poisonous. All breathing creatures within the area
of effect not possessing a (magical) separate
air supply except the caster, who is
immune to the effects of his or her own
murderous mist must immediately save
vs. spell. Those who save are unharmed.
Those who do not take 2-8 points of damage
from the vapor, which is corrosive to flesh
but does not affect clothing or items. Creatures which cant move out of the area of
effect within the round take a further 1-4
Points of damage on the following round, as
the vapors begin to combine with the air
and disappear. The globe of murderous mist
is a magically bound, precise area unaffected by natural or magical winds. Dispel
magic or part water will cause it to disappear before expiration of the spell, and
various magics or items (such as rope trick
or a portable hole) will protect an individual
by providing escape from the mist, but it is

This person-affecting cantrip causes a

brief, violent jerking force to act upon a
body portion or limb of a subject creature.
This force has little strength, but may serve
to cause a running being to stumble or turn
about, or cause someone to fumble or drop
small objects such as keys, material components, gems, coins, and the like. A saving
throw (of the subject, vs. spell) determines
whether such objects are actually dropped,
or a fall or mishap actually occurs or
whether the snatch merely delays the subject for 1-3 segments, In no case can successfully snatched objects be animated or
conveyed magically by the caster; the snatch
is a brief tug, not an unseen servant. The
caster hisses softly at the subject being (who
DRAGON 13

otherwise unaffected by natural or magical

forces.

Glanvyls Workbook
Appearance
A small (one handspan in height, seven
fingers wide, and two thick) volume constructed from two leather-covered boards
held together by brass triangular-head nails,
through a central spine of heavy hide to
which are sewn a dozen parchment sheets.
The outside front cover bears a personal
rune, thus:

Beneath it, an inscription in Common:

Glanvyl his Workbook. Both rune and
inscription are burned into the leather, and
the grooves filled with molten copper, which
has hardened into rainbow-scarred, predominantly orange metal traceries.
History and description
Glanvyl is an unknown magic-user who
assembled this Workbook probably
under the tutelage of one or more magic
users of greater power in the caravancrossroads city of Scornubel some three
hundred years ago. It was hidden in a chest
of silk gowns, behind a loose stone, in a

cellar wall of a house owned by the merchant Pentle, and before him by the illusionist and adventurer Alkunda Gar. After
Pentles house was destroyed by a fire, one
of the rebuilders found it, and took it with
stealth to the sage Bendulphin, who gave
him five hundred pieces of gold for it.
Bendulphin died of natural causes,
shortly thereafter, and his son Tresk took the
Workbook to Waterdeep, where he sold it to
a conjurer, one Braszetor. This new owner
disappeared shortly thereafter, and his
rooms were rifled by the Master Thief
Nighteye or someone else who dared to
use his mark. The whereabouts of the
Workbook at present are unknown;
Nighteye has probably traded or sold it, but
he could have done either of these things
with almost anyone, anywhere.
From Bendulphins notes, we learn that
the Workbooks twelve pages bear the following spells and writings: the unique cantrips horn, listen, and scorch (all described
hereafter), set forth one to a page, and the
spells write, detect magic, Leomunds trap,
and Nystuls magic aura, one to a page, in
the order given. These are followed by a
page of notes on the intensities and hues of
various dweomers viewed by detect magic
(confused and subjective of little practical
use), and then a unique druid spell, smoke
ghost (presumably copied by Glanvyl
through use of a write spell, and then found
to be an untranslatable druidic prayer or
perhaps never identified by him at all).

Particulars of this spell are given below.

The last two pages of the workbook contain
spell-ink formulae for writing the spells
haste and lightning bolt, respectively (these
are also reproduced below).

Horn (Evocation)
A of E: Special
CT: Special
A haunting-sound horn cantrip causes the
sound of a non-existent horn or trumpet
being winded to be heard within 2 (6 if
loud). The pitch, volume, apparent distance
(echo and muffling), and length of note
(only a single call is permitted) are all controllable by the caster. The caster faintly or
inaudibly hums a tone to set the pitch, and
then opens his or her mouth into an Oshape while cupping the fingers of one hand
over it. The trumpet call will last as long as
the mouth is open in an O. The volume and
steadiness of the note are controlled by the
fingers (which flare open to increase volume, and pinch shut to mute it) and can be
shaken to give a tremulous note. A caster
practiced in the use of this cantrip can
imitate horn blasts perfectly.

Listen (Alteration)
A of E: 1 creature
CT: 1/10 segment
A person-affecting listen cantrip enables
the caster to attract the attention of a target
creature within 6. The cantrip is activated
by the casters pointing at the target and
then at himself, while simultaneously saying, Ahem. The target will then be
alerted to the message subsequently (beginning within 1 segment of the casting) spoken by the caster i.e., across a wide
street or crowded room, etc. The cantrip
does not act as a message spell; there must
be no barriers to sound between caster and
target, and the cantrip does not improve the
targets hearing or the volume of the casters
voice nor does it capture the targets full
concentration, so it will not ruin or delay
spellcasting. If the message is spoken in a
language not understood by the target, the
cantrip does not translate it. The cantrip is
ideal for alerting a friend to the presence of
the caster. A listen cantrip will never be cast
upon the wrong target due to movement
during the casters pointing; the casters
view of the target determines the target.
Scorch (Alteration)
A of E: 1 object
CT: 1/3 segment
This reversed cantrip, despite its name,
creates neither flame nor heat. Instead, by
magically exciting the molecules of any nonliving object (of up to 100 gp weight), it
causes the object to char without noise,
smell, or smoke. The caster must touch the
object (to hit roll required if another
creature is attempting to protect the object

14

AUGUST 1985

or keep the caster from it), and the object is

allowed a saving throw vs. magical fire. If
the save fails, the object is consumed. This
can trip will readily destroy magical writings
such as spellbooks and scrolls. The verbal
component is a hissing noise; the somatic
component is merely touching the object to
be affected.
Smoke Ghost (Alteration)
Level: 4
Range: 1/level.
Duration: 1 round/level
Area of Effect: Special
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 4 segments
Saving Throw: 1/2
Explanation/Description: By means of a
pinch of dust and mistletoe, cast into an
existing fire or cloud of smoke (of magical
or natural origin), a druid can affect smoke,
drawing it into a wraith-like cowled form
which will fly or glide, drifting up to 14
per round in the direction he or she wishes.
The smoke ghost is not a living creature or
sentient force, and cannot wear clothing,
carry things, or be made to speak. It is
merely an apparition with one attack ability: it can envelop an opponent and suffocate it with thick, choking smoke and ash.
This causes 1 hp of damage per round the
victim is within the ghost (the druid can
cause the smoke ghost to move with an

opponent) and blinds the victim so that all

attacks are at -2 to hit, spellcasting and even
normal speech are impossible for the victim
(violent retching and coughing will occur
when these are tried). The victim will be
rendered unconscious through suffocation
in 4-9 (1d6 + 3) successive rounds of envelopment.
A successful saving throw vs. the ghost
(one, against breath weapon, must be made
each time a creature is enveloped, even if
the same creature has escaped from within
the ghost once or several times before)
causes the victims attacks to be only at -1,
damage to be -1 hp only at the end of each
two successive rounds of envelopment (no
damage for lesser time periods, or fractions)
and means suffocation will occur only at the
end of 9 successive rounds of envelopment.
Beings who have thus saved vs. a ghost can
manage to utter item command words,
power words, or cast some other spells and
cantrips that require only a single spoken
word; doing so usually wracks them with
uncontrollable coughing fits for the following round. A smoke ghost is a cloud of
thick, billowing grey smoke approximately
9 high by 2 in diameter, and cannot
achieve a greater stable volume, but its
precise form is variable, in accordance with
the casters wishes. A smoke ghost can rise
up into the air 1 per level of the druid, or
be made to sink to the ground, flowing
along the earth like some sort of living
blanket, and can swoop and maneuver

through cracks and crevices precisely as the

druid wills. It can shift into a globe-form or
wall-form in 1-4 segments. A druid who
cannot see his or her smoke ghost cannot
direct it, nor can a druid whose concentration is turned elsewhere (i.e., in casting
another spell) do so. In both cases, the
smoke ghost will hang motionless until it is
dispelled or the spell expires (a ghost that
reaches the casters maximum range will
also stop and remain in place until disappearing, or until directed elsewhere by the
caster. The caster can will the ghost to
disappear into nothingness at any time
(which will take 1-6 segments). It can also
be destroyed by a gust of wind, dispel
magic, or strong natural winds.
Haste ink preparation
1 ounce giant squid sepia
1 large, find diamond, powdered
1 large blue sapphire, powdered
6 drops of lemming blood
1 Pegasus heart, whole
12 drops of cheetah blood
(or 2 drops of baku blood)
2 birthwort leaves
3 foxglove flowers, intact, and 6 leaves
4 drops holy water
(or 1 drop of a potion of speed)
2 drops quicksilver (mercury)
6 drops human blood
Crush the birthwort and foxglove, and

DRAGON 15

sprinkle into a crucible containing the squid

sepia, lemming blood, cheetah blood, and
holy water. Stir well, and place over a wellestablished fire. Immerse Pegasus heart in
crucible and heat mixture steadily to boiling, stirring occasionally. The heart will
dissolve slowly; when it is gone, add the
powdered gems, and remove from heat,
allowing the crucible to cool undisturbed.
When cool, add the quicksilver; do not stir.
Cover, keep in a dark place for at least four
days and nights, and then uncover under
the light of the moon (which must be waxing or full). Decant into a flask or vial, add
the human blood, and shake well.
Lightning Bolt ink preparation
1 ounce giant octopus ink
1 ounce crushed amber (may be from
several gemstones or fragments;
honey-orange hue is best)
1 large blue sapphire, powdered
1 ounce powdered copper (pure, not sulfate)
(or 1 ounce powdered gold)
1 volt tail, intact
6 or more drops volt blood
(or 12 or more drops electric eel ichor)
6 + ounces umpleby flesh
water
metal rod (ferrous metal, any type)
Boil the umpleby flesh and volt tail in a
copper vessel, until the liquid has boiled
away. Remove from heat and add the giant

octopus ink and powdered gemstones, stirring with the rod of ferrous metal. Pour into
a stone bowl or depression and add the volt
blood, a drop at a time. Leave an end of the
rod in the mixture. Lightning must then be
induced to strike the rod; lightning of a
natural storm is best, although magic such
as lightning bolt, call lightning, and control
weather-induced storms will do. Electrical
charges of smaller magnitude (such as those
produced by an umpleby, an electric eel, or
a shocking grasp spell) can also be used, but
these must be applied repeatedly; once a
night for six successive nights. (A combination of these sources may be employed.)
Thereafter, let stand. When the mixture
turns blue, it is ready to use.

The Red Book of War

Appearance
A large (two elbow-to-forefinger cubits
across by three high), impressive volume
whose covers are made of used, bloodstained armor plates beaten flat, carefully
shaped, and hinged at the spine of the book
to form a very strong binding, containing
fifty-one thin pages of burnished copper,
carefully stamped with letters and sigils,
each page containing one prayer or clerical
spell on one side only. No sigil or title is
visible on the outer covers. A permanent,
pale-red flickering faerie fire emanates from
the books pages.
History and description
Worship of the war-god Tempus is well
established in the more lawless and troubled
lands of the Realms, and a numerous, wellorganized priesthood has come into being
over the years. More of Tempus need not be
said here; the Red Book of War is one of
half a dozen or so similar volumes, temple
tomes containing prayers for use by the
priests of Tempus. However, the Red Book,
unlike its fellows, has gone missing lost
to thieves in Telflamm when the great Tower
of Tempus there was robbed one night three
winters ago by representatives of the local
thieves guild. It seems that Taeron, High
Priest and Champion Rampant of Tempus
in Telflamm, refused to render unto Volludan, Guildmaster of the Shadowmasters of
Telflamm, certain protective monies and
so the Shadowmasters relieved the temple of
several of its greatest treasures, including
two great magical blades, a helm of brilliance, and the Red Book.
The Shadowmasters promptly quarreled
over their booty (aided by vengeful priests
and worshipers of Tempus i.e., most of
the mercenaries in the city), and Volludan
and several of his lieutenants perished. All
of the temple treasures were recovered
except the Red Book, which is still actively
sought by all priests of Tempus; a reward of
25,000 pieces of gold (plus, if the finder is a
faithful of Tempus, a promotion of one rank
in the priesthood) can be claimed at any
temple of the Wargod in return for the
complete Red Book of War. The Red Book

16 A UGUST 1985

will be recognized on sight by all canons

and higher-&king priests of Tempus, and
they will do anything including mounting an ambush or pitched battle with all the
armed men they can muster necessary to
regain it. Its present whereabouts are
unknown, but it is thought that thieves
conveyed it far from Telflamm, and that it
may have changed hands several times since
its theft.
The Red Book contains the following
cleric spells, one to a page, appearing in the
order mentioned (all are in standard Players
Handbook form except for some unique
spells, which are described hereafter
these unique prayers being special to the
priests of Tempus; they may or may not be
heard, and answered identically, by other
deities): bless, command, cure light
wounds, detect magic, remove fear, augury,
chant, hold person, know alignment, resist
fire, slow poison, spiritual hammer, animate
dead, continual light, cure blindness, cure
disease, dispel magic, feign death, holy flail
(special prayer; see below), locate object,
prayer, remove curse, speak with dead, cure
serious wounds, detect lie, divination, exorcise, neutralize poison, protection from evil
10 radius, reveal (special prayer; see
below), tongues, atonement, commune,
dispel evil, flame strike, quest, raise dead,
true seeing, blade barrier, heal, speak with
monsters, stone tell, word of recall, bladebless (special prayer; see below), gate, regenerate, restoration, resurrection, sacred link
(special prayer; see below), symbol, and
wind walk. The special prayers to Tempus
contained in the Red Book are as follows:
Holy Flail (Invocation/Alteration)
Level: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round/level
Area of Effect: Special
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 6 segments
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: By calling upon
his or her deity, the cleric casting a holy flail
spell temporarily transforms his or her own
holy symbol, or any non-bladed weapon
which the cleric touches wielded by another
being, into a magical holy flail. For 1 round
per experience level of the cleric, the holy
symbol or transformed weapon becomes a
snakelike, flexible field of force attached to a
rigid hand-hold; an invisible, crackling
spectral flail that is + 2 to hit when
wielded in battle, and is considered a magical weapon for to hit purposes. A strike
from a holy flail does 2-7 points of damage
and, if wielded by a cleric, an additional 1
hit point per experience level of the cleric
damage per strike to all undead, and to any
creature of a greatly different alignment
than that of the cleric (see below).
If a holy flail spell is cast upon a bladed
weapon, nothing will happen, and the spell
will be lost. If it is cast upon a weapon held
by a creature of a greatly different align-

ment than that of the casting cleric (i.e.,

good vs. evil; lawful, chaotic, and neutral
considerations do not matter in this case),
the flail will not form. A holy flail will
always vanish if it is transferred from one
creature to another, unless the being receiving it is the spellcaster or another cleric of
the same deity. A holy flail does not need
continued concentration on the part of the
cleric to maintain it, and can be dropped to
enable spellcasting (or thrown as a weapon)
without vanishing. A holy flail created from
a holy symbol can only be wielded by a
cleric of the same deity as the symbol, or it
will vanish. The material components of
this spell are the holy symbol or weapon
(which is not consumed or damaged in any
way by the spell) and a pinch of powdered
gemstone (of any type).
Reveal (Divination) Reversible
Level: 4
Range: Touch
Duration: 4 rounds
Area of Effect: 12 sight range
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 7 segments
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: This spell is
cast upon the cleric or another (willing)
creature into whose eyes the cleric induces
the material component of the spell. It
allows the affected being to see clearly the

location and outline of symbols, glyphs of

warding, magically concealed inscriptions,
and dweomers existing upon surfaces
viewed, even if these are not yet activated
(such as magic mouth, Mordenkainens
faithful hound, Leomunds trap, Nystuls
magic aura, hallucinatory terrain, wall of
force). No clue as to the precise nature of
the magic is given by the spell, but protective circles, symbols, and glyphs can all be
scrutinized in detail and might well be
identified by someone familiar with them,
or recorded for later study.
Reveal will show the presence of gates (or
other links between planes, including the
presence of an astral silvery cord), inactive
or not, but will not reveal astral, ethereal,
or invisible creatures or things. Unlike true
seeing, the auras of creatures are not
shown; nor are polymorphed or magically
changed things shown for what they truly
are (although the dweomer of an illusion,
for example, would be seen) or formerly
were.
The spell requires an ointment composed
of four drops of the clerics (or spell recipients) blood; two drops of water; two drops
of giant squid sepia; a pinch of the powdered herb eyebright; and two powdered
gemstones, a large blue sapphire and a
carbuncle of at least medium size. The
cleric mixes these in a bowl or depression of
stone, china, or earthenware (not wood or
metal) with his or her finger, speaks the
words of the spell while holding his or her

holy symbol over the paste, and then

applies it to the eyes.
The reverse of the spell, conceal, will
mask all the above things from any creature
to whom the ointment (composed in this
case of a pinch of powdered monkshood
(aconite); six drops of onion juice; a pinch
of dust; and seven drops of water, mixed
and enspelled as above) is applied for 1 turn
per level of the cleric casting the conceal,
and if during this time the affected being
employs true seeing or detect magic or
equivalent magics, these spells will appear
to work, but the phenomena listed above
will simply not be seen by the affected creature. Awake, mobile creatures unwilling to
have the ointment for either version of the
spell applied to their eyes must be contacted
by the cleric twice (two successful to hit
rolls require), but washing or any means
short of dispel magic, exorcise, or a limited
wish will not prevent the ointment from
working.
Bladebless (Necromantic)
Level: 7
Range: Special
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: Special
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Saving Throw: Special
Explanation/Description: By use of this

DRAGON 17

spell, a cleric heals a specific wound by

bestowing a blessing on the weapon that
caused it. This magic works only upon a
non-magical bladed weapon, which the
cleric must touch and hold as he or she
intones the blessing. Immediately upon this
being done, the last wound caused by that
blade (if any wound has been so caused, to
any living thing, within 1 turn per experience level of the cleric) will instantly be fully
and completely healed, even if the blade
was poisoned, a disease conferred, or a limb
or head was severed. Such healing occurs
even if the affected creature is several planes
distant at the casting of the bladebless
and if death occurred due to a failed system
shock roll or poison saving throw, then life
is restored. (If death was due to cumulative
hit point loss, life is not restored; nor will
this magic heal other wounds upon the
victims body.) The healed creature need
not ever be seen, touched, or even known to
the cleric. If such a wound has already
healed or been magically healed, it is unaffected, and the bladebless magic is lost. The
material components for this spell are the
weapon in question, the clerics holy symbol, and a drop of the clerics own blood.
Sacred Link (Evocation/Alteration)
Level: 7
Range: Touch
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: Special
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 2 rounds
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: To bring about
a sacred link, a cleric must hold in his or
her hands the two objects to be linked, and
then cast the spell. The two items must be
fashioned of the same material(s) and be
roughly the same size; they cannot be living
creatures; and ideally they will be nearly
identical (i.e., matching swords, scrolls,
statuettes, etc.) The sacred link spell causes
an invisible magical bond to be created
between the two items; both will radiate a
very faint dweomer, and although the link is
not a tangible pathway or thread that one
can follow, what happens to one item will
also happen to the other, even if they are
separated by myriad planes or any distance.
The link lasts until one of the items is
destroyed (or until a dispel magic is cast
upon one of the items, which negates the
link). For instance, if a map or scroll is sold
to an enemy and the match for it is retained
by the cleric, his or her temple, or even
another being, several days after the sale
this being could burn his or her copy and
the enemys copy would also be consumed,
regardless of its location or situation (i.e., if
the map was buried or underwater, no
flames would occur, but the map or scroll
would still turn to ashes and be destroyed,
in unison with its burning twin; on the
other hand, if the enemys copy is in a
backpack or on a desk with other papers, its
immolation could well ignite other, adjacent
flammable materials).
18 A U G U S T 1985

By means of this spell a weapon can be

damaged or destroyed by affecting its twin
or conversely, any item could be
improved by plating with gold, adorning
with gems, or careful carving. This spell
can be used to link magic items, and thus,
re-charging or activating one would identically affect the other but there is a 3%
cumulative chance per use of the link
(which is involuntary and not under the
control of the cleric or another being; one
cannot choose to have one action duplicated
in the twin item, and another not) that one
of the items will shatter or explode (discharging all of its functions or charges), and
end the link. The material components for
this spell are the two items, the clerics holy
symbol, and a strand of find wire, human
hair, or spiderweb.

The Alcaister
Appearance
A large, russet-colored volume constructed of metal plates covered with burlap
or hessian, tied together with a spine of
waxed, intricately interwoven leather
thongs (like the lacings on a ladys high
leather riding booth, according to the sage
Nornagrym). To the weavings are sewn
forty-six pages of the finest thick parchment, each containing a simple magic spell
or cantrip except the last, which bears a
curious rune, thus:

and in Common, the word Kuhoralminthannas written in a circle around it. The
outer covers bear only the inscription The
Alcaister burned in small, fine flowing
letters in Common, picked out in paints of
silver. The book shows only light weathering, but its appearance gives the impression
of some age.
History and description
The Alcaister is of great antiquity but
unknown origin; it was written somewhere
in the North by a mage of good penmanship
and some powers at least six hundred years
ago, when it appears in a merchants
catalogue-of-cargo as declared before the
plague-masters (quarantine officers) of the
time, of Waterdeep. It was passed into the
city, and presumably sold, but does not
surface again until brought to the sage
Ardagundus in Baldurs Gate by an adventurer, named Wilund, in payment for information as to the whereabouts and uses of
the Magical Chessmen of Ultham-Urre.
Argandus gave the book to his apprentice
Nornagrym for cataloguing and study, and
it is from Nornagryms exacting catalogue
that precise details of The Alcaister come.
Nornagrym is believed to have brought
the book with him to Waterdeep upon his
masters death, where it reposed in his
library until his own death, whereupon it

vanished again. It was observed by the

sorcerer Zemloth of Amn to be in the
library of his onetime tutor, Orgoth the
Tainted (the same who was later destroyed
by three demons he had summoned), but
was not found when the party of the adventurer Malahuke searched the hidden,
untouched tunnels of Orgoths ruined fortress. Its present whereabouts are a complete mystery, but Zemloth asserts that it
must still exist, because he encountered a
prestidigitator in a tavern in Zazesspur who
employed a sting cantrip (set forth only, as
far as Zemloth knows, in The Alcaister).
The prestidigitator, one Mavrhune, was
involved in a tavern brawl at the time and
did not survive it, so Zemloth was unable to
inquire where and from whom the cantrip
had been learned.
The Alcaister has a tradition of slaying
those who read it; as more and more of the
book is perused, the reader grows weaker
and weaker, and finally slips into slumber
from which he or she does not wake.
Nornagrym found the cause of this regrettable side-effect; the edges of The Alcaisters
metal pages are coated with a colorless,
transparent gummy substance of unknown
origin a contact poison as yet unidentified and seemingly unique. This substance
works through skin (a cut is not necessary)
and it numbs the senses subtly, so that the
victim is not likely to notice its effects. Each
contact with (or turning of) a page drains 1
hp; the body recovers from such damage at
normal healing rate. There is also a temporary (2-5 turns) loss of one point of strength
(18/percentage to 18, 18 to 17, and so on)
for every 5 hp of damage so suffered. This
substance retains its efficacy after many
years and resists attempts to remove it, but
Nornagrym found that its efforts (assuming
one is aware of its presence) can be simply
avoided by wearing gloves or by turning the
pages with a knife or other aid.
The Alcaisters forty-six pages contain the
following inscriptions, one to a page: the
unique cantrips cut, gallop, and sting (all
described below), and the spells affect normal fires, charm person, dancing lights,
erase, hold portal, identify magic missile,
protection from evil, read magic, spider
climb, audible glamer, ESP fools gold,
locate object, magic mouth, mirror image,
rope trick, wizard lock, clairaudience, dispel
magic, flame arrow, gust of wind, haste,
hold person, infravision, slow, water
breathing, charm monster, dimension door,
ice storm, remove curse, wizard eye,
Bigbys interposing hand, cone of cold,
feeblemind, anti-magic shell, death spell,
geas, reconstruction (unique spell,
described below), reverse gravity simulacrum, body sympathy (unique spell,
described below).
Cut (Alteration)
A of E: 1 object
CT: 1/10 segment
By means of this useful cantrip, thin

objects such as rope, cord, delicate chain,

wire, cloth, wax candles, sausages, and the
like, up to one inch thick per level of the
caster, can be instantly severed. The caster
must be able to see the object to be cut, and
it must be within 2. The verbal component
is a soft snikt sound, and the somatic
component is a scissoring motion made with
two adjoining fingers. Magical (even temporarily enspelled) objects are unaffected by
this cantrip.

silence coherent speech by afflicting the

tongue, or cause delicate manipulation of
tiny objects (jewelry, or material components in spellcasting) to be ruined, and the
handled item(s) dropped or fumbled. Thus,
spellcasting can be ruined by successful use
of a sting. The cantrip is a once-only magic,
causing but one pain if successful. It is often
used to warn or cow ignorant creatures who
threaten the spellcaster.

Reconstruction (Alteration/Phantasm)
Level: 6
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round + 1 round/level
Area of Effect: Special
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: By means of

Gallop (Alteration)
A of E: One quadruped creature
CT: 1/2 segment
When this useful cantrip is used, the
caster may cause one four-legged creature
(if intelligent, it gains a saving throw vs.
spell which, if successful, negates the
cantrip) to move at its maximum movement
rate for 1 round, plus 1 additional round
per level of the caster. The beast may be
ridden or not; direction traveled is arrowstraight (regardless of mounts, riders, or
casters wishes) in the direction pointed at
by the caster (if this leads into a snare, pit,
or precipice known to the beast or any rider
on it, a saving throw vs. spell at + 3 is
allowed; if successful, the beast will turn
aside at the last moment and continue in a
new course, detouring freely as terrain
demands, until the cantrip expires). Gallop
has the same effect on unfamiliar, unwilling,
lame, or exhausted creatures alike. The
enspelled beast cannot pull a laden cart or
wagon without incurring a half-movementrate penalty, and although this cantrip can
be used on exhausted creatures, they can be
permanently damaged or even slain by the
effort (system shock roll applies in many
cases). The caster can ride the enspelled
creature, and in any case can halt a gallop
before its expiration by act of will, whenever he or she wishes, if the gallop is of his
or her own casting. The cantrip is cast by
touching the target creature, making a soft
kissing or clucking noise with the lips as
contact is made, and continuing this noise
as the caster points in the desired direction
of travel (impossibilities, such as straight up
into the air or straight down into the
ground, will have no effect and will merely
waste the magic); effects are immediate.

Sting (Alteration)
A of E: One creature
CT: 1/2 segment
This person-affecting cantrip enables the
caster to harm a single creature up to 4
distant in a minor way: By making a buzzing noise and pointing an extended finger at
an area of his or her own anatomy, the
caster causes a brief (2 segment) but intense
pain in the corresponding area of the target
creature (unless the latter saves vs. spell).
This pain causes no permanent damage
(i.e., loss of hit points), but if applied to the
eyes it can blind for 1 round, or it can
DRAGON 19

this spell, the caster temporarily restores or

makes whole a broken item, even if it is
badly shattered and/or portions are missing.
The object is restored to its appearance
before being broken even to smell,
weight, solidity, sound when struck, and
texture, and will appear whole and unbroken to normal scrutiny. Detect magic will
show the spells dweomer, and a gem of
seeing or true seeing spell will reveal the
illusion for what it is, but the item can be
touched and used i.e., a rope or bar to
hold things or support weight, a weapon to
strike with, etc. normally, without dispelling the illusion, and with results as though
the item were whole. Thus, the hilt of a
rusted longsword found in a tomb could be
temporarily transformed into a brand-new
longsword, doing the same damage in battle
as the original did. Magical weapons can be
temporarily mended by this spell, and due
to the spell, will be magical for to hit
purposes, but will not regain any bonuses or
special properties; a silver or gold coin can
be temporarily remade into a whole coin by
means of this spell; and crushed gemstones
restored to their previous, whole, form. If a
reconstructed item is subjected to prolonged
heat and impacts, however (e.g., a blade
being reforged), or if a permanency or
enchanted weapon spell is cast upon one,
the magic will be ended, and the item will
revert instantly to its real, damaged, form.
A reconstructed item will not revert to its
true form if its illusion is merely revealed,

and it cannot be disbelieved out of existence by an onlooker.

Living things cannot be affected by a
reconstruction spell, nor can unbroken
items be altered to the prior forms of their
component materials; thus, a stone statue
cannot be made to look like the boulder or
mountain it was carved from. The caster
need not know the original appearance of
the whole item to duplicate it. A maximum
volume of 1 cubic foot of actual item per
level of the caster can be reconstructed
(although the reconstructed whole may be
far larger than this maximum, and will still
appear in its entirety). The material components of this spell are the item (or fragment)
to be reconstructed, a pinch of fine sand,
and a pinch (of at least thumbnail size) of
sticky sap or gum.
Body Sympathy (Necromantic)
Level: 8
Range: Special
Duration: 1 turn/level
Area of Effect: Special
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 8 segments
Saving Throw: Special
Explanation/Description: This is a
description spell cast by a magic-user at
an enemy (who must be within sight of the
magic-user and concentrated upon, or if not
within view, visualized by the caster, who

must speak the target beings true name (see

truename spell, Unearthed Arcana) during
the casting. It links the magic user and his
chosen victim (who must save vs. spell at -4
to avoid the spells effects), so that whatever
happens to the magic-users body (i.e.
drowning, burning, whipping, wounding,
strangulation, charming, or feeblemindedness, insanity, unconsciousness, etc.) happens to the victim; if the caster dies, so too
does the victim. This is not similar to the
ESP spell (neither being gains any hint of
the others thoughts), nor does it make the
victim mimic the movements and speech of
the caster. It is a two-way link; damage
occurring separately to the victim (or curative spells applied to the victim!) will also
occur to the body of the caster. Once cast,
the spell operates regardless of the casters
wishes or lack of concentration he or she
cannot willingly break the link before
expiration of the spell, and can engage in
other spell casting or activities without
ending the body sympathy. The link will
work across any distance and despite magical protections such as anti-magic shell,
prismatic sphere or lesser barriers, but will
not work from one plane to another (so if
either caster or victim plane shift, become
astral, or employ oil of etherealness or
another such item, the link is instantly
broken). Movement of target or spellcaster
within a given plane will not affect the link,
regardless of distances moved, speed of
travel, or how often movement occurs. This
spell is sometimes called Death Link by
sages in the Realms.
The gate page
The last page of The Alcaister (that
which bears the rune shown above) is a gate
that will shift any creature standing on the
rune (or at least touching it), with the book
open, while the word written around the
rune is spoken aloud by the creature touching the rune or another. This plane shifting
occurs regardless of the wishes of the creature touching the rune, and will transport
only one living creature (plus all items worn
or carried by that creature) at a time to one
of the following destinations:
01-48
Prime Material Plane (if used
while on the Prime Material, the
destination will be an alternate
Prime Material Plane)
49-66
Avernus (uppermost layer of the
Nine Hells)
67-76
Concordant Opposition
77-88
Nirvana
The demi-plane of Shadow
89-92
Any one of the five planes of
93-98
Limbo
Other (DMs choice)
99-00
The creature being gated must be holding
The Alcaister with his or her bare hand as
the word of activation is intoned to bring
the tome along; otherwise it remains behind
on the Prime Material Plane. (If the gate is
used on a plane other than the Prime Material, the book will always accompany the
creature back.)

20

AUGUST 1985

DRAGON 21

22

AUGUST 1985

ONCE upon a time in the mythical city of Greyhawk

there lived a young urchin known as Gord. His life and
adventures, from slum waif to beggar-apprentice, from
thief to deposer of deities, are told in a new series of novels which TSR will publish during the next two years. The
initial work, Saga of Old City, will be available in November. The second book, Artifact of Evil, is planned for release in early 1986.
DRAGON Magazine herewith presents, for your
amusement and edification, a short story about Gord of
Greyhawk. The action takes place in the fabulous City
itself, at a time when Gords initial indoctrination to the
world at large is over and before he sets off on his first real
quest. Thus, the story is an interim piece which fills the
gap between the two novels mentioned above. In the story,
you will meet both Gord and his bosom friend, Chert.
Only after completing Saga of Old City, and prior to the
writing of this tale, did I notice the similarity between this
pair of doughty adventurers and Fritz Leibers famous
characters Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. I have great
personal admiration for Fritz Leiber and his renowned

Swords & Sorcery duo. But, the similarities notwithstanding, I trust that you will also notice the distinct differences
between the pairs of protagonists. I myself have been
flattered too often by imitators to accept aping as a
sincere form of flattery. . . .
At the time of this story, Gord is about twenty-one years
of age and his barbarian comrade Chert is but a year or
two older. They are both typical young adults not dissimilar to what I was and what you will be/are/were at
such an age. Think about and remember that, please.
Times, circumstances, and technology change but
people dont. The tale involves fun, adventure, and a
sprinkling of the swordplay and sorcerous doings so necessary to any effort in this genre. There occurs herein a
learning experience which will stand Our Hero in good
stead later in his life. In the meantime, there is some High
Excitement to be experienced.
Return with me now to those thrilling days of
neverwhen, as heroes set about their derring-do and spellworkers cast their nets of magic, and a certain arch-mage
learns that . . .

At Moonset
Blackcat Comes
A Tale of Gord of Greyhawk
by Gary Gygax
1985 E. Gary Gygax. All rights reserved.
The last rays of the setting sun washed the dun walls of
the city with the color of old blood and cast long shadows
on the broad thoroughfares which bisected the New Town.
In Greyhawks Old City, the twisting, narrow lanes and
alleys were cloaked in obscuring dimness. Through the
gathering dusk hurried honest folk, anxious to be safe
behind closed doors, while those of another disposition
altogether slunk forth to prey upon the unwary and belated. Encompassing these two extremes, and everything
between them, was the nighttime city, that world where
bon vivant and criminal, adventurous young nobleman
and professional gambler mingled. Along the notorious
Strip, pimps and prostitutes competed with tavern hucksters and gambling dens for the clinking coins of rivermen
and riffraff, mercenary and petty merchant. The scene

was more genteel and subdued in the upper-class equivalent, that place where High and Garden Quarter adjoined, but the activities were of similar, if more
expensive, nature. Fortunes, whether consisting of a few
copper commons or a stack of gold orbs, were lost to
wheel or dice, drink or drab, no matter if the latter was
called a whore or styled herself a courtesan. Into this
gloaming walked a pair of young, well-dressed men.
Where to this night, Gord? asked the taller of the
two.
Gord, a fellow of but moderate height and build,
glanced at his companion and smiled. This roguish grin
transformed his seemingly average face into a boyishly
handsome one, and his white teeth flashed bright in the
fading light. Brushing back a stray lock of black, wavy
DRAGON 23

hair, he replied: Chert, my friend, tonight we visit the

Foreign Quarter!
Why there.? Chert demanded. Theres more action
and prettier women just nearby! he exclaimed, waving
one of his massive arms vaguely toward the flaring torches
which illuminated the elegance of the establishments of
Fortune Street and the other byways of the fashionable
upper portion of New Town.
But last night you nearly killed that snot-nosed rake
Lord Fradels scion, as I recall when you caught him
cheating at dice. If we are seen in these parts again soon,
do you think that some band of his henchmen wont fall
upon us with murderous intent?
So? Such twits as Fradels whelp can muster will be no
threat to us! shot back the lately sophisticated barbarian.
Considering Cherts towering, six-foot, six-inch frame,
bulging muscles, and weapons skill, his claim was unquestionably true even without the commensurate sword
and dagger work of his comrade to support his contention.
Gord looked fondly at his friend again, measuring him
from the top of his curly, light brown head of hair, already
showing signs of its usual disarray, down to his thick legs
encased in leather boots of the latest design popular with
the elite of Greyhawk. You appear civilized, Chert, but it
is only a veneer! We must be regarded as boon companions and moneyed sports, not brawling killers. Youd soon
have us on the wrong side of society, rightly or not. How
then would we practice our livelihood?
Glowering, Chert snapped: A pox on society! Who
needs those fops and dandified pretenders? We still have
gold from the sale of those gems we took from the catoboligne demon guarding the cairn and when thats gone,
we can easily take what we need from those soft, simpering fools who think themselves bladesmen and dangerous
opponents.
Perhaps, Gord countered, but do not pass them all
off too lightly, for there are indeed fine swordsmen
amongst those you term fops, albeit masquerading as
urbane, sophisticated courtiers. Gord paused to direct his
comrade toward the desired destination, then continued:
Besides which, there are also artful thieves and blackhearted assassins within that crowd, too not to mention
the hard-bitten mercenary fighters who serve those very
ones you pass off so easily.
Chert grumbled but made no resistance to being steered
to the place that his friend had said was to be tonights
area of adventure. The pair soon came to a dimly lit tavern just within the precincts of that portion of Greyhawk
specified for those not claiming to be citizens of the free
city. Entrance to the Foreign Quarter was not difficult, but
soon the gates would be shut and barred, sealing off the
place until morning came. Escaping the place at night
would be impossible, save by climbing over the thirtyfoot-high wall or passing under it by means of some secret
tunnel. Both were certainly possible for the duo to
achieve, so neither adventurer gave the matter a second
thought.
To his credit, Chert did not bellow out an order immediately when he walked through the doorway into the
tavern. But when the ostler inquired as to his preference,
the barbarians response belied his cultured appearance.
24

A UGUST 1985

Strong ale! he rumbled in his deep voice. And a brace

of those fat ducks I see turning on the spit! He punctuated the order by slamming his fist down on a heavy
oaken table, hard enough to make the table jump.
Somewhat ashen-faced, the proprietor turned and hurriedly asked Gord: And you, sir?
Keoghish amber the oldest vintage you have,
Gord replied mildly but with a wolfish smile. Capon
roasted golden, with crisp skin, and galda fruit and ripe
cheese after.
The ostler scuttled away as if he had hot embers in his
breeks, and the sight was enough to break Cherts dark
mood into peals of deep, ringing laughter. Ahh, he
sighed, rubbing his huge, calloused palms together briskly
in anticipation of the coming repast. A bite of food and a
sip of frothy brew, and Ill be ready for anything even
such devious plots as you hatch, Little Man!
Gords hand darted out, slapped the barbarian lightly
across his surprised face, and returned to lie flat on the
table before Chert could twitch a muscle. Little man?
he shot back. Slender, certainly, not a great tub of
bearguts disguised as a human! Normal-sized, not a hulking ogre! And far too quick and clever for the likes of you
to defend against, I agree but not little!
Their drinks arrived just then, turning Cherts goodnatured and tolerant expression into a broad smile of
pleasure. With a single, swift motion, the brawny fellow
hoisted the bumper and quaffed its contents in a long
gulp. Cherts smoothness and speed belied the insults
which Gord had just heaped upon him, and he knew it.
More ale, quickly ! he shouted after the retreating ostler
as he banged the empty vessel down on the old, stained
planks of the trestle.
*

This place is new to me, Gord, murmured Chert as

they approached a narrow building five storeys in height.
The sign that hung above its iron-bound portal showed a
golden ship surmounted by three silver coronets on a deep
blue field.
The Ship and Crowns? Gords question was purely
rhetorical, for he immediately went on: I frequented this
place occasionally in my younger days I was known as
the Grand Count then. . . . Did I ever tell you about the
time I was impersonating a Velunese knight? I called myself Sir Margus
Countless times! the big barbarian interjected. Just
tell me why we come to the . . . Ship and Crowns . . . this
night.
It is a place much frequented by wealthy merchants,
ships captains, traders, and even slumming noblemen. It
has gorgeous serving wenches, the best of potables even
that new fiery distillation called whiskey and most challenging games.
Games? Bah! Chert replied in disgust. Why come
here for gambling when the whole of New Town abounds
with gaming establishments?
The dark-eyed young adventurer gave his comrade a
look which bespoke pity for someone hopelessly retarded
in intellect, and muttered something about the correlation

between mighty muscles and minute mind. Gord pulled a

crown-shaped key from his pocket, inserted it into the
heavy doors great lock, and entered the place. Chert
stepped in behind him, amazed in spite of himself at the
sight thus revealed.
Instead of the interior of some typical common house,
he saw a chamber more befitting an aristocrats private
study than a drinking establishment. The floor was clean
and polished where thick rugs of exotic origin did not hide
its surface. The paneled walls gleamed, the polished wood
being replaced by plastered and painted wall upward from
about waist height. These latter surfaces were covered
with artistic works tapestries, trophies, carved ivory
pieces, paintings of exceptional workmanship. Gleaming
brass lanterns and candelabra held thick tapers, the soft
light from which made the whole place warm and comfortable. Perhaps a half-dozen chairs and two small tables
were scattered about the room, and there wasnt a single
person in sight.
Not a very popular place, Chert muttered while continuing to gaze at the surroundings.
Wait and learn, Gord replied simply.
They stood, in relaxed postures, and in another moment a tall girl with long, blond hair and garments of
diaphanous silk appeared from a draped archway at the
back of the chamber. May I ask my lords pleasure this
evening? she offered. Do you wish jolly company and
merrymaking? Beauty and quiet to sample marvelous

potions? Or perhaps you have come to contest in challenges of tactics and wit?
Her last query was somewhat hesitant as her gaze took
in the towering barbarians substance, for his stance and
bearing revealed those aspects of his nature which finery
and dress could not hide. Here, she thought, is one suited
for berserk battle, the wild hunt, or questing after dragons
not the sedate pursuit of victory on a game table.
Cherts massive arm looped itself easily around the
lovely, milk-white shoulders of the pretty lass. I say that
my pleasure will be best served, girl, by you and I going
to some secluded nook to sample those marvelous potions
you mentioned!
Oh, no, sir! the girl exclaimed as she slipped easily
from his grasp with a fluid motion born of long practise.
My station is here, but I will have you escorted above to
the Masters Cabin, or the Leisure of Lords the two
pleasure salons at the top if that is your desire. . . .
No! Gord managed to insert the word even as his
barbarian companion was opening his mouth to assent
happily to the suggestion. We have come to sample your
best spirits, and enliven our minds with contests of the
intellect not to wallow in carnal combat of the delicate
sort.
Cherts mouth closed, then opened again, and he was
about to voice a strong protest, but the girl spoke first.
Most certainly, sirs. With that, she drew aside the curtains and ushered them through a short hall into the inte-

DRAGON 25

rior of the establishment. Please ascend the stair. Games

and contests of skill are featured in all of the rooms of the
second storey.
Gord was already mounting the steps as she spoke, and
his brawny companion had little choice but to follow.
They climbed past a floor where the thick, plush-draped
entrance only slightly muffled the sounds of ribald singing
and laughter. Again Chert tried to distract Gord from his
stated goal, but the slender fellow never paused in his
progress upward. Cursing softly under his breath, the
barbarian stamped after Gords retreating back. Games of
skill, indeed!
Here, now! exclaimed Gord when he reached the
second storey. In here are the things to challenge the
mind, sharpen the wit, and test ones true mental mettle!
Glumly unconvinced of such wonders, Chert shook his
head and refused to show the slightest trace of enthusiasm.
Gord led him through several rooms to a place where
cushioned chairs and soft divans surrounded oddly shaped
and patterned tables. The patrons were of mixed sort,
diverse race, and both sexes. All were obviously wealthy.
Gord and Chert took their ease on a long divan, and they
were no sooner seated than another maid, this one an
auburn-haired beauty of dazzling smile and extraordinary
figure, was before them.
What may I bring you, sirs? she asked with a curtsey
which revealed a breathtaking display of rounded bosom.
Chert was reaching, but Gord was quicker and caught
his companions great paw before it attained its desired
destination. At the same time, he hastily responded, We
shall each sample your famous whiskey potion.
Bring a keg of the stuff! Chert demanded, truculent
over the foiling, once again, of his imagined sport.
There were a number of others in the room, sitting
around one table or another in pairs, trios, or quartets,
evidently engaged in various forms of the games that Gord
was so eager to indulge in. At the noise of the commotion
caused by Chert, several looked up to scowl a bearded
Kettite in orange turban, a fellow wearing Tenhite dress
and obviously of Flannish race, and a burly ships captain,
among others and hastily returned their eyes to the
tables before them at the sight of the giant who glared
back at them. This one certainly sought some more active
form of contest than any here cared to offer on this night!
After sampling a draught of the distillation, Chert
swilled the whole contents of his beaker down and poured
some more from the large earthenware jug the wench had
brought to them. Urrruphf! he belched, then smacked
his lips, sighed with real pleasure, and, The stuff is tasty
. . . and I like the way it burns all the way down the gullet. This . . . whiskey . . . fairly makes a man glow! he
finished loudly. Nobody looked up this time, much to the
disappointment of the barbarian.
Gord, who had been watching a game involving runeinscribed stones, dice, pathways, pits, and walls, turned
angrily toward his comrade. Godsdamnit, Chert, he
growled in a half-whisper. Cant you control yourself for
once? Just because we arent gambling, wenching, or
brawling, you think yourself deprived and mistreated.
Well, tonight I am going to do something I like to do
enjoy something cerebral, not full of physical action or
26

AUGUST 1985

violence. If you dont wish to be uplifted, then why dont

you just bugger off?
All right, his friend said flatly and with finality. This
is bullshit. See you later. And without another word
Chert arose and stumped off.
Gord was sorry hed been so sharp then, for he enjoyed
the barbarians company, and a little coaxing would have
certainly mellowed him to the point where he would have
actually enjoyed the new atmosphere and the gaming.
Worse still, he had taken the jug when he left! Well, no
help for it now. Chert and whiskey were gone. Gord decided to make the best of it. A few coins brought a fresh
flask, and Gord began strolling here and there to watch
the contests going on and to look for a possible opponent
in one or another of the games.
Although the games were often tense matches, Gord
found little enjoyment or excitement in being a mere spectator. He wished to pit himself against some worthy opponent in a contest of strategy and skill. But all here were
already partnered, and the role of observer palled upon
the young man. After going through several of the many
rooms, Gord came to a small, secluded study which had
only one, three-layered table, flanked by a pair of overstuffed armchairs with high backs and protruding sides.
He was about to move on, thinking the place deserted,
when a voice called to him.
Your pardon, good sir, but do you seek someone to
challenge?
What? Gord spun, startled at the unexpected sound
of a voice coming from a place he thought deserted. He
took two wary steps into the chamber, angling his path so
that he could see the far chair and the figure seated in it.
Oh, yes indeed! he continued, adopting a casual tone
to cover his surprise. He moved farther into the room and
surveyed the strange-looking table. I have played at
Chatraj before, but this board is far different . . . His
voice trailed off as he realized how different it was.
Chess has many forms, the other fellow purred as he
held aloft the ornately carved figure of the scarlet king,
but all are similar, too. Allow me to introduce myself. I
am Rexfelis no mean player, to be sure, but one who is
quite willing to offer instruction to another devoted to
such pursuits. Will you accept the challenge . . . ? he
added as he stood and offered his long-fingered hand in
greeting.
I am Gord, and happily I accept, Rexfelis, so generous an offer. Gord shook the mans hand, assessing his
new opponent as he did so. Rexfelis an unusual name,
Gord mused was just about his own build and only
slightly taller. That explained how he could go unnoticed
by one so sharp-eyed as Gord, hidden as he was by the
great chair. Of indeterminate age, the fellow appeared
highly intelligent and seemed to move with the same catlike grace which Gord so prided himself upon. There was
some similarity in their looks, too, for this Rexfelis had
dark hair and eyes, a fine-featured face, and long, sinewy
limbs. Instead of Gords olive skin, however, Rexfelis had
a very pale complexion, which made his black eyes seem
large and somewhat startling. On the whole, though,
Gord found himself liking the fellow and feeling immediately comfortable with his company.

Allow me to provide us with refreshment, sir, said

Gord, while you instruct me in the intricacies of. . . .
What is it you call this game?
Agreed! said Rexfelis with a merry laugh. And I
call this Dragonchess. It is easy to learn, but difficult to
master much as a woman!
Soon a pair of crystal glasses filled with tawny liquid
were gracing the sides of the game table, as Gords newfound comrade explained the form of the board and its
many pieces: The upper board is clear, you see, with
checks of palest blue and faint white. The whole represents the air above us, and the element as well. On it are
ranked the sylphs, the griff, and each of our terrible
dragons. Next, the transparent layer of light green and
amber squares is the board which represents the land
surface the mundane world, as it were. Note the warriors filling the second ranks of each side, and behind
them stand the oliphants, unicorns, heroes, and thieves
some prefer to call them elven thieves, or simply elves, but
I say thats begging the question. The middle board also
houses the singular pieces cleric, mage, king, and paladin or assassin, if you attribute evil to a game.
Below the middle board is the underworld region, that
place of caverns and caves. It is checkered deep brown
and red, you will notice. There are positioned the
dwarves, the basilisks, and the counterpart to the dragon
high above, the elemental. I shall show you how to array
these forces, demonstrate the movement of each piece,
and then perhaps we may begin with a few instructional
games?
Gord readily assented, and after some time he was playing rather well if he did say, or actually think, so himself.
Although he lost all of the first six games played, each new
contest saw him lasting longer and more effectively guarding and attacking.
Excellent! Rexfelis exclaimed as Gord moved his
basilisk into a position where it froze movement of the
pale mans king. Youd have me beaten next move with
that gold thief, but for this . . . checkmate! Rexfelis finished, moving his remaining griffon with a swooping motion to a square diagonally below its upper-board position.
There it captured Gords cleric and threatened his king.
Checkmate? Yes, blast it! The griffon was protected by the
scarlet mage, and the game was lost indeed.
I almost had you that time, Gord said with frustration and a trace of bitterness.
Rexfelis looked somewhat smug and superior as he sat
back and stretched languidly. He cocked an eyebrow at
Gord and, with an unwinking gaze fixed upon the young
man, said, Perhaps it is the hour, and you are tired
although you do seem to have remarkable skill at learning.
Well . . . another day?
No! responded Gord, emphatically but still, he
hoped, politely. I can manage an eighth game and this
time I suggest you be on guard, sir, for I intend to win!
This was neither bluff nor braggadocio. Gord was an
expert player at other forms of the game, and despite the
difficulties of this more complex version he thought he had
sufficient knowledge of the positions of opening and middle play to take advantage of weaknesses he had detected
in his opponents game. Whatever the case, he and Rexfe-

lis played an eighth match, and after much maneuvering

and exchange of pieces Gord managed to corner and
checkmate Rexfeliss king. It was most satisfying!
Now I must confess that I myself grow weary, said
Rexfelis after graciously congratulating the victor. I bid
you goodnight.
But you cannot leave so soon, said Gord. The night
is hardly past midpoint, if that. Let us try a single, last
game. . . . But Rexfelis was shaking his head and arising,
so Gord added hastily, Stay, friend, and I shall supply us
both with a stimulating beverage and a tasty snack. Thus
shall our bodies and our minds be refreshed all enjoyable and at no cost to you, dear sir!
Time . . . time is the price, said Rexfelis, but then he
hesitated, halfway between rising and sitting. Then he
seemed to firm his resolve, for he stood fully and said,
The offer is kind, and it tempts me, but the prospect of a
ninth game fails to excite my weary brain sufficiently.
A wager, then? asked Gord, desperately desiring a
last game to verify to himself his newly learned skill at
Dragonchess.
What sort of a stake? the somber-clad man inquired,
looking at Gord with intensity. I am a gambling man,
and that does interest me.
Gord was always alert to such reactions, for they were
the mark of sharpers, professional gamblers, and thieves.
Being a master of both arts himself, Gord scrutinized
Rexfelis with new respect and suspicion. Was this man
hustling him? No, the adventurous young man thought,
this was unlikely. Gord knew virtually every thief in the
city (although few of them knew him by the name of
Gord). This fellow was no thief. His bearing was aristocratic. He was a noble, certainly, although one of strange
sort. He wore the finest garments Gord had seen inside or
outside any palace, and his heavy gold jewelry was
adorned with gems. Certainly he was no sharper seeking
an easy victim. Perhaps he was one of those afflicted with
a passion for wagering. . . .
You choose the stakes we contest for, sir. I too am a
gambler, Gord replied, his eyes locked on his adversarys.
The pale man sat down again, smiled, and said, Let
us make a small wager, but a dear one nonetheless. I admire that cats-eye ring you wear on your left hand. Let us
play for that against this carnelian amulet I wear at my
breast.
Gords first impulse was to decline, for he prized the
ring highly and suspected that it had some hidden
dweomer yet unrevealed to him. But before he could object, Rexfelis spoke on: Yes, yes, I know it is a most
wondrously valuable ring, but I assure you this amulet is
its superior. I shall tell you what power each has, if you
win.
As Gord was on the verge of standing up and saying
no, the mocking tone and expression of the black-clad
Rexfelis suddenly filled him with a burning desire to wipe
away the mockery with an ignominious defeat, and he was
further infused with a power and confidence he often felt
when he thought fortune was smiling upon him. The
stake shall be as you say, he proclaimed. Let us begin!
Gords golden pieces went to the attack quickly but
just as quickly they were countered, and all too soon the
D RAGON

27

scarlet components of his adversarys force were marshalled to bear upon him. Rexfeliss red forces above,
below, and on the board of the mundane were pressing
home an inexorable attack, and some of the nuances of the
position were not apparent to Gord.
Careless, remarked Gord as he removed the scarlet
dragon with his hero. Both men were playing quickly, and
Rexfelis was losing more pieces than Gord was.
Check, replied his foe matter-of-factly as he made his
following move.
The threat was from a scarlet hero, and Gord was
shocked to find that his king had no safe retreat on high or
middle board. He moved his monarch to the underworld
board without comment. Rexfelis sacrificed two more
pieces, leaving Gord no option but to accept both captures, and then broke the silence with three chilling words:
It is over.
Gord stared at the position with sudden understanding.
He had been maneuvered into a situation where his king
could not return to the middle board. Two more forced
moves, and it was checkmate.
I agree, Gord said tonelessly. I believe this is now
yours, sir. . . . he added, removing the gold ring set with
a cabochon cats-eye chrysoberyl and extending it across
the table.
Be not so hasty, my friend, Rexfelis said with a small
smile. Perhaps there is another wager you can agree to
one that will enable you to retain the ring and gain the
amulet as well!
I have been gulled once, Gord said sourly, but I am
ever a fool. Say on.
The black-garbed man couldnt help smiling more
broadly at Gords cynical assessment of his own situation.
Perhaps you do face a foe with an advantage, he said.
I know that you have a certain repute . . . Blackcat.
Although it was said softly, Gord jumped at the mention
of that name his appellation as a burglar! Why name
me thus? he retorted briskly. I am not the elusive thief
you identify, one who is sought high and low as the bane
of the citys wealthy.
Are you not? Well, no matter, Rexfelis said. The
reward from the wager is for Gord, although Blackcat
might succeed at its challenge more easily. What say
you?
Gord met the fellows steady stare with his own. Of all
the people in Greyhawk, Gord had thought that only
Chert and he himself knew that he was the burglar called
Blackcat the name coined by victims who had caught a
glimpse of his inky form disappearing over a rooftop,
running along an impossibly narrow ledge, leaping distances not thought possible for normal folk. Yet, even
though Rexfelis also had this information, Gord saw no
malice or devious intent in his face, only a cool, quizzical
detachment, as though he were assessing Gords courage
and daring. Name the terms, Gord said evenly in reply
to the challenging stare.
In an hour the moon will set. In another two, the rosy
orb of the sun will push its way heavenward. In that span,
during those two hours of great darkness, a bold and daring thief might enter the Tower of Rigello and bring back
. . . a small item.
28

AUGUST 1985

Rigello is an arch-mage and one of vicious disposition, I am told, Gord replied slowly.
True on both counts, Rexfelis agreed. The one who
dares to enter his domain would have to be exceptionally
skilled, well-prepared, and lucky.
What is this small item to be stolen?
Not stolen, corrected the dark-clad man. Let us say
recovered returned to its rightful possessor. It is a statuette of a tiger carved from a single piece of jacinth, inlaid
with bands of polished, black coral, and bearing eyes of
perfect emerald. A masterwork, a nonesuch, and stolen
from me by Rigello! The pale man hissed the last words
with such hate that Gord drew back reflexively.
What preparation is needed? asked Gord, thoughts
of thievery coming into his head as he implicitly agreed to
undertake the endeavor. And what reward for the . . .
return of the property?
Rexfelis smiled contentedly, correctly assuming that he
had found his man, and bent closer to Gord. Harken
now, he said, drawing forth a folded parchment. I will
show you the plan of the tower and suggest what might be
useful in penetrating its defenses. My quarters are nearby,
and therein is stored all you will need in the way of gear
and armaments.
The reward you spoke of is it only my ring and that
amulet?
Rexfelis grinned broadly at this, showing his small,
slightly pointed teeth. You refer to my ring, of course,
and the amulet, and you suggest that these are insufficient
for the risk? Ahh, my young friend, if you but knew. . . .
Nevertheless, I will bargain, for the hazards are most
perilous, admittedly, and you are the sole hope I have. If
you return here with the statuette before the sun clears the
horizon, then the ring, the amulet, and one hundred gold
orbs will await. Do we have agreement on that?
Let us make haste, said Gord, with a note of urgency
in his voice, as his way of assenting. The moon sails
toward its setting even now!
After a few more minutes of intense conversation to
make final plans, both men left the Ship and Crowns rapidly, but without obvious haste. Gord was uncertain about
what he had agreed to, but felt he had little choice. If this
man was indeed certain that Gord was the thief called
Blackcat, a single word would suffice to sign Gords death
warrant. How Rexfelis came by his knowledge, Gord
would determine later. Now, however, was the time for
action. Regaining his ring, plus the acquisition of both the
amulet and a stack of gold, was more than sufficient cause
for him to accept the challenge and besides, this was a
test befitting the greatest burglar Greyhawk had ever
known.
Here, down this lane and up the stairs at its end, said
Rexfelis shortly after the two had left the building. There
is my apartment and the equippage you will need.

When Rexfelis showed Gord the map of the place, he

had indicated where sentries and guards were likely to be
posted, and had warned him where traps and alarms
might be encountered. This information, just as the pale

mans knowledge of Gords alter-persona of Blackcat, had

been obtained by a mysterious means which Rexfelis had
not revealed despite some prodding by Gord. But it was
accurate, no doubt, for Gord discovered a flint-eyed sentry lurking in the shadows of the wall surrounding Rigellos dwelling, just where he had been told to expect one.
That watcher, a hard-bitten mercenary judging by his
bearing and garb, was the first to die. A thrust through
the neck, quick and clean, and Gord passed quickly to the
garden beyond. There he encountered another guard.
This one, according to Rexfelis, was the chief henchman
of Rigello, an assassin known as Deathspider.
Gord came upon him as the hunched, spidery man was
descending the short, outer stair leading down to the towers base. He had heard of Deathspider even before his
conversation with Rexfelis, and as he struck the cloaked
figure from behind with shortsword and dagger, he whispered, Here, Spider, is venom of the sort you like to
inject!
Despite the two fell blows, the crabbed figure managed
to turn to face his assailant. Long, narrow blade in hand,
the assassin stood, tottering, yet unwilling to die. He
opened his mouth, trying to expel a cry of warning to his
master. But Gord struck again before Spiderdeath could
make a response in word or deed. The burglar plied his
weapons swiftly and surely sword into the open mouth,
dagger through the black heart and this second dose of
venom was fatal. Gord took a moment to hide the corpse
and then began ascending the same stair his victim had
just come down. When that short pathway expired, he
dug in with fingers and toes and negotiated the roughhewn outer wall itself. It would have been a treacherous
journey, to say the least, for someone not so well trained.
But for Blackcat, the climb required little more effort than
a stroll down the boulevard.
He stopped and braced himself on a narrow ledge just
below a window. Then, at the sound of approaching footsteps, he brought a short rope from beneath his outer garb
and uncoiled it, holding the base of the noose close to his
body.
The sentry never knew what happened. One moment
he was idly peering out the window. Then, in the same
instant that he glanced down and spied Gord lurking below, the noose came up and tightened around his neck.
The rope choked off his cry, and with a flick of the wrist
Gord pulled the guard out and away, sending him pitching
downward to the stone pavement many feet below. After
the solid thud of his victims impact, Gord heard no further sound, assuring him that the incident had gone unnoticed by other patrollers.
Taking the silver of a spell-binder can jeopardize your
health, he murmured over his shoulder, glancing back at
the broken form below. Then he hoisted himself up and
through the window, into a small, unlit room. Rigellos
chambers are just above, he said softly to himself, and
there are bound to be guards but three fewer now than
before. With that, he crept across the room to where a
faint, reddish light limned the narrow doorway separating
it from the central stairwell.
Dark and silent as a shadow, he moved upward on the
worn spiral of stone which pierced the heart of the ancient

keep. Clad in high, soft boots of ebon hue, shirt and hose
of like color, with black leather jack and a hooded cape as
black as the rest, face swathed so that only the eyes
showed, and earlike protrusions mimicking a feline head,
Blackcat was more than a creature of the night he was
part of the night.
Two times during his ascent he slipped past watching
guards stationed in chambers adjacent to the stairway.
Then one final twist of the stairs, a deft step over a flagstone trapped to. release a many-spiked grill of iron suspended by a strong chain above the entry, and Gord was
within the sanctum sanctorum of the arch-mage Rigello.
By unsheathing his shortsword, a weapon of powerful
dweomer, he was able to see the chamber as well as if it
had been illuminated by a dozen candles.
There you are, little tiger, he said softly as his gaze
came to rest upon a statuette. The green eyes of the figurine seemed to wink knowingly at him as Gord moved
with utmost stealth across the floor to stand before the
pedestal upon which it rested. Gord reached for the exquisitely carved figure, planning to thrust it within the small
pouch he carried just for that purpose, when a sixth sense
warned him . . . too late!
He sprang backward, but the glowing sigil which had
suddenly burst into life upon the onyx stand seemed to
buffet his very brain with a searing beam of radiance. The
backward leap ended with a sprawl, and Gord lay helpless
on the floor, stunned and barely able to move. The jump
had, however, saved his life. Immediately after the jarring
light from the magic sigil sprang forth, great bolts of
crackling, blue-white energy snapped and spat around the
pedestal. Any living thing within six feet of the stand
would have been burned to a charred heap by such force.
Gord was only vaguely aware of his narrow escape, although his scattered senses could not fail to register the
hellish light from the arcing strokes of electricity.
The energy bolts faded and then, in the next instant,
the very air of the chamber was rent with inhuman cries of
Thief! Thief! Thiefl The noise went on as if it would
never end, reverberating throughout the place and reaching every part of the great cylindrical structure.
In the brief pause between each outcry of the disembodied voice, Gord could hear the bellowing of a horn
coming from somewhere below him. Both sounds, horrible though they were, actually seemed to help him gather
his wits. He shook his head and managed to scramble to
his feet in the following few seconds, and then . . .
Oh, shit! he exclaimed, for at that very moment
bright lights sprang forth from a quartet of hideous masks
hung around the walls of the chamber. Rigello was indeed
prepared for attempts at burglary! Then the shrill cries of
Thief! ceased as abruptly as they had begun, and although there was still a great noise and confusion audible
from below, no legs could be seen descending the stairs
from above. If Rigello was indeed higher up in the tower,
as Gord suspected, then he had apparently elected to let
his traps, his alarms, and his minions dispose of the intruder without entering the fray himself.
Darkness was Gords only ally, and there would be no
darkness again until the masks were disposed of. With a
bound, Gord reached the nearest wall where one of the
D RAGON

29

brightly glowing visages was hung, tore it free, and hurled

it through the window. He dashed around the perimeter
of the chamber, pulling each mask from its mooring and
sending it after the first. When the fourth was disposed of,
the room was again in darkness.
Surrender, thief, and your death will be swift and
merciful!
Gord ignored this sepulchral-voiced command which
boomed from somewhere above. Whether this was the
voice of Rigello himself, or some form of magical invective, he did not know and it did not really matter.
Now, all his thoughts of gaining the prize were gone. He
could not risk another encounter with the crackling energy
that he suspected the pedestal would still contain, and he
realized that all of his skill would be needed to escape the
tower alive.
Just as he was about to bound down the stairway, Gord
was brought up short by the sound of something ascending the same passageway. What the godsdamned devils
do we do now? he murmured to himself.
Surrender, thief, and I will give you swift death! the
hollow, grating voice boomed out, as if in reply to his
question.
Eat batdung! Gord cried in response, grabbing a
heavy table and sending it crashing down the stone spiral.
The sound of its progress stopped suddenly, and a terrible
howling roar replaced the rolling thunder of its fall. There
followed a splintering sound, and the clatter of small bits
of wood falling. Whatever was coming up after him had
taken the force of the bronzewood tables downward
plunge, torn the thing to flinders, and was again climbing
toward him!
The window? Not his first choice not unless he
wished to die, for it was surely the place he would be expected to emerge in his attempt to flee. Then an idea
came to him in a flash. Gord vaulted himself up to a ledge
near the ceiling and adjacent to the entranceway. There he
waited, his enchanted dagger in hand, for his tablesmashing foe to appear.
A moment later a huge, glowing blue demon of indeterminate sort appeared in the doorway to the chamber. The
thing paused and looked around the chamber for a second
or two and then spied Gord crouched upon the nearby
ledge, for the moment still out of reach of the squatbodied monster. As Gord had suspected, the pressure
plate in the floor had been neutralized somehow, so that
the heavy iron frame with its daggerlike spikes did not
drop upon the monster. But . . .
A poignant climax to your tail! Gord yelled, swinging his enchanted blade to sever the chain which held the
iron grate nearly ten feet above the demons head. At this
sound, the creatures baleful gaze turned directly upward,
and it experienced a split-second of stupid amazement
before the half-ton of iron struck it. The demon was
crushed into a howling, gibbering heap beneath the
weight. Gord leaped down from his position near the ceiling, landing full upon the spiked grate. The iron fangs
drove more deeply into the malignent fiend, and its corresponding bellow was ear-shattering.
Thanking whoever watched over him for the metalslicing power of his magical dagger, Gord jumped down
30

AUGUST 1985

from atop the death-dealing grate and moved noiselessly

down the spiral staircase, taking the steps three at a time.
As he rounded the final curve before coming to the first
landing, he saw a pair of magic-users barring the way,
preparing to cast their spells at him. Gord leaped into a
somersault from the third step above the landing and
vaulted over their heads. His blade lashed out at them
from the rear almost before his feet had touched ground,
and his first blows struck. The nearer of the two spellcasters screamed and clutched his side, his incantation
ruined. In the cramped space of the landing, Gord could
not get close enough to the second magic-user for an immediate strike with sword or dagger. His adversary
turned, ready to unleash his magic and at that moment, the other magic-user writhed and lunged into the
path of the magics force. In an eye-blink, the screaming
and writhing stopped as the form of the wounded
dweomercraefter was turned into porous, gray stone.
What are you? demanded the shocked wizard in an
attempt to distract his enemy as he groped for a wand
amongst the folds of his robes.
As his answer, Gord drew a knife from his belt and
hurled it. But the throw was a hurried one, and the blade
only succeeded in cutting a bloody channel across the
spell-casters cheek. The wizard managed to draw forth
his ivory baton as Gord moved around the petrified body
and thrust with his sword, missing but momentarily
throwing the wizard off balance. Then, as Gord pulled
forth his dagger, the magic-users wand spat forth a bluish
beam. It passed within a hairsbreadth of Gords leg, and
he felt that member grow heavy and numb for just an
instant. He lunged at the spell-caster, scoring with both
blades but not inflicting a mortal wound. The wizard
backed away, circling around the form of his petrified
companion, trying to buy time until he could ply his wand
again. Gord ruined that plan by pushing the petrified
form toward his foe. The sorcerer moved out of the way
nimbly enough, but lost his chance to counterattack. The
statue toppled over, struck the paved floor, and broke into
bits. At this, the wizard voiced a cry of horrified rage, but
this did not deter Gord; he closed upon his foe again,
sword and dagger flashing. The wizard leaped backward
to avoid the weapons, and with a scream tumbled out of
sight down the stairway.
Another avenue closed, Gord panted. He knew that
he had to get away immediately now otherwise, guards
from below and arch-mage from above would soon crush
him in a fatal vice. He moved through a nearby archway,
and in the room beyond saw a window. He pulled forth a
flat spike of metal, hammered it into place on the window
ledge between two stones, and leaned out to survey the
area.
Here! Below me! I see him, master! This cry was
punctuated with a buzzing sound, and Gord felt the wind
of an arrows passage as the missile streaked down from
above, barely missing his head. He ignored the threat,
pulled out a thin cord that was looped around his waist,
and leaned farther out the window, holding onto the small
grapnel fastened to one end of the line. He swung the
hook over his head once, twice, and then loosed the line.
The grapnel sped out and down, and Gord jerked himself

back into the room just as another arrow splintered itself

on the ledge.
Gord tugged on the other end of the line with all his
strength, and was glad to find that he could pull it taut.
Hoping that the far end was truly secured, he ran the end
he held through the eye of the spike, tied it fast, and made
sure his weapons were firmly sheathed. He could hear the
sound of feet pounding up the stairs, only a second or two
away from the landing. Now or never, he told himself,
and launched himself out the window.
As he leaped, he caught hold of the line with both
hands. This was the critical moment: Would the grapnel
come free? Should that happen, he would be battered
against the tower side, fully exposed to attack from above,
and would finally drop directly into the clutches of waiting
enemies below. The cord sagged and Gord began dropping!
But, in the space of a single, terror-filled heartbeat, his
fall was stopped short. He managed to retain his grip as
the line jerked taut again. Gord swung his legs up and
hooked them around the thin rope, loosened the grip of
his fingers slightly, and slid rapidly away from the tower,
gravity pulling him down and the lifeline carrying him
outward. A flock of shafts flew around him as he began his
descent, but none struck their target. And his chance of
escaping increased with his velocity. He was invisible,
black against black, and traveling swiftly. The cord took

him into the branches of a tree beyond the wall surrounding Rigellos tower. Scant seconds after beginning the trip,
he grabbed a limb of the tree and lithely jumped to the
ground. He could hear the uproar in and around the
tower, and with a quick glance over his shoulder he saw a
troop of men-at-arms scurrying out of the gate in the wall.
Gord, however, was already a hundred paces distant and
gaining speed. So much for success, he thought with a
twinge of disappointment . . . but at least Blackcat had
kept his life.

For whatever reason, Gord admitted himself into the

Ship and Crowns some quarter-hour before sunrise. The
club was quiet now, most of its clientele having long since
departed. Waving aside the tired little maid who came to
see who was entering at such an hour, Gord headed directly for the little alcove two floors above.
It is a pleasure to see you, Rexfelis murmured, barely
glancing up from his study of the Dragonchess game before him.
You bastard, Gord hissed. The place was a death
trap you knew I couldnt succeed, didnt you?
But you did succeed, in a fashion, anyway, the pale
man replied with a contented smile.
Gord sneered at him. If by being alive I have won,
DRAGON 31

then I agree. I admit failure, though, in gaining the object

you required of me and I must also demand satisfaction from you for what you set me up for!
Rexfelis waved languidly and said, Why be in such a
hurry to lose what you have fought so hard to retain? To
challenge me is to court death more certainly than you did
in your assault on the tower of Rigello. Wait and hear me
out, he drawled as Gord started to interject something
uncomplimentary.
You could have succeeded, but the odds were long, so
I took the trouble to support the mission, as it were, by
insinuating myself into the tower just after you yourself
entered. I witnessed the whole affair, and I must say you
did exceptional . . . work. In any event, during the confusion which followed your escape, I picked up the prize
see? Rexfelis drew the carved jacinth from beneath his
tunic and displayed it proudly for a moment, then returned it to a position next to his heart.
Impossible! cried Gord. No one could have beaten
me back to this place,
But obviously I did, said Rexfelis. That is of no
consequence. Here is the ring yours again but I
shall keep my amulet since you didnt meet the terms of
our wager.
Gord caught the casually tossed cats-eye, placed it in
his belt for safekeeping, and then looked darkly at the
seated man. I think this is insufficient under the circumstances, Rexfelis. A matter of honor
Dont even think about showing your sword, interrupted Rexfelis. The words were biting and hard, but
tempered by the rest of what he said. The hundred gold
orbs, and my favor as well, are yours in addition to the
ring but not because I wish to buy you off, rest assured! Call it a whim; better still, regard it as a gesture of
respect for the talents of one daring to call himself Blackcat. Agreed?
I have been used!
Have you not done so with others? the pale man
countered.
Gord found himself hard pressed to reply to that. And,
after all, he had his life, his ring, a small fortune in gold,
and the memories of one hell of an adventure. Why, he
had to honestly ask himself, should he be demanding a
duel to the death with this man?

32 A U G U S T 1985

Not only talented, but wise as well, Rexfelis said

smoothly as Gord sank into the chair opposite him.
What powers has my ring? asked the young thief,
curious to know this long-kept secret.
No, Gord-Blackcat, that I will not tell you not this
night, anyway. The sun is nearly risen, and I must away
now. Another time, and we shall meet again, perhaps. For
now, farewell!
Wait! Gord called out as Rexfelis arose. Where will
we meet? When?
That, dear fellow, is dependent upon the whim of the
fates and your need.
Gord felt absolutely stupid, but he could not help blurting out yet another question: My need?
,Rexfelis smiled, spoke, and disappeared. The words
seemed to linger after him: Your need to invoke the Lord
of Cats. . . .
*

Have a hell of a good time playing games? Chert

demanded, grumpily from his bed. Gords none-too-quiet
entry into their mutual quarters had awakened him from a
sleep made restless by too much ale and whiskey.
Games? Gord said before he could stop himself,
wondering why it was that all he could do this night was
reply with questions. Of course, games at the Ship and
Crowns. . . .
What an asshole, the barbarian muttered sleepily,
turning over to resume his slumber. Dont you even
remember what you did all night?
Yes, yes indeed, friend, Gord answered. And I think
Ill remember the lessons I learned at playing for a long
time to come. Heres what happened
Would you shut the hell up? roared the irate Chert.
Just because you sat on your ass and amused yourself
doesnt mean I did. I had one hell of an active time not
pushing little pieces around . . . or not exactly, anyway. I
dont give a hop in hell what strategies you used I want
to sleep!
Fine. Go to sleep, Gord sighed. Some things, he
mused, were perhaps not meant to be shared, no matter
how close the comradeship.

DRAGONCHESS
by Gary Gygax
The DRAGONCHESS game is a fantasy-based variation of
chess, in which the object of the game (as in standard chess) is to
checkmate the opposing King. An understanding of the rules of
chess is helpful in order to understand how DRAGONCHESS is
played.
The playing surface for DRAGONCHESS is a three-tiered structure of rectangular boards, with each board composed of a grid 12
squares wide and 8 squares deep. The squares are alternately colored light and dark (or other color tones that contrast with each
other), configured so that a light-colored square is in the near righthand corner when the board is viewed from the longer side. The
upper board represents the air, the middle board the land, and the
lower board the subterranean world. To simulate the various environments, it is suggested that the squares on the upper board be
colored light blue and white; on the middle board, light green and
amber; and on the lower board, red and brown. Each board is the
starting place for pieces particular to its environment; some pieces
cannot move up or down off the board they begin on, but other
pieces can travel between two or even all three boards. The opposing
forces are designated as Gold and Scarlet, with Gold always moving
first.

Starting position, upper board

Scarlet

Gold
Starting position, middle board
Scarlet

Setting up
At the start of the game, each players pieces are positioned as
shown in the accompanying diagram. Each force on the upper board
consists of six Sylphs, two Griffons, and one Dragon. On the middle
board, each side possesses one King, one Mage, one Paladin, one
Cleric, two Heroes, two Unicorns, two Oliphants, and twelve Warriors. Each sides force on the lower board is made up of six
Dwarves, two Basilisks, and one Elemental. In all, there are 42
pieces per side, or a total of 84 pieces in the game.
Notation and terminology
In the following descriptions of how pieces move and capture,
squares on the board(s) are described in algebraic notation, with files
(columns) labeled a through l reading left to right from Golds
viewpoint, and ranks (rows) numbered 1 (nearest to the Gold player)
through 8 (nearest to the Scarlet player). A numerical prefix of 1
(upper board), 2 (middle board), or 3 (lower board) designates the
board on which a certain square is located. Thus, 1a1 is the
square in the near left-hand corner of the upper board, as viewed
from the Gold players position, and 3l8 is the square in the far
right-hand corner of the lower board. Each piece is identified by the
initial letter of its name (S for Sylph, etc.) except for the Dragon,
which is identified by Dr to distinguish it from a Dwarf piece.
In all other respects, movement and capture notation is essentially
the same as for standard chess. A full description of this notation is
given near the end of this text.
Standard chess pieces are referred to frequently in the descriptions
of how DRAGONCHESS pieces move and capture; in such cases,
their names (king, rook, etc.) are not capitalized, while the names of
DRAGONCHESS pieces are always capitalized. In the diagrams of
movement that accompany the description of each piece, M designates a square that a piece can move into, if that square is unoccupied (i.e., no capture is permitted); C designates a square that
can be occupied only if a capture is involved; and X designates a
square that can be occupied either by a capturing or a non-capturing
move.
Because many pieces can move in three dimensions, nomenclature
for movement between squares has been standardized as follows:
horizontal refers to a side-to-side move as viewed by the player
34 AUGUST 1985

Gold
Starting position, lower board
Scarlet

Gold

moving the piece; vertical is a move forward (toward the opponents side of the board) or backward (toward ones own side) along
the file occupied by the piece; and up and down refer to movement from one board to another.
THE UPPER BOARD
Sylph: The Sylph has a move on the upper board which is essentially the converse of that of a pawn. It moves forward only, one
square diagonally either to the left or right, and it can capture a
piece on the upper board which lies directly ahead of it by moving
forward into that square and supplanting the opposing piece that
was located there. Thus, every time a Sylph makes a capture on the
upper board, it changes the color of the diagonal along which it
makes further (non-capturing) moves, from dark to light or vice
versa. Golds Sylphs begin the game on the light-colored squares of
the second rank, while the Sylphs of the Scarlet side start on the
dark-colored squares of the seventh rank.
In addition to its movement and capture powers on the upper
board, the Sylph can capture an opposing piece on the middle board
which lies directly below it. This is the only way in which the Sylph
can move to the middle board. It cannot move to, nor make a capture upon, the lower board. Once located on the middle board, the

Griffon (upper board)

Griffon (middle board)

Sylph (upper board)

Sylph cannot move except to return to the upper board. It may do

this by moving directly upward to the square it previously occupied,
or by moving upward to any of the six starting squares for Sylphs of
the appropriate color. A Sylph cannot capture by means of an upward move; it must return to the upper board by moving into an
unoccupied square.
A Sylph located at 3c4 can move to 3b5 or 3d5. It can occupy 3c5
or 2c4 by capturing an opposing piece, if one is located on either of
those squares. After making a capture at 2c4, the Sylph can move
back to 3c4 on a subsequent turn, if that square is empty, or it can
move up to any unoccupied starting square. For a Gold Sylph, the
legal destinations are 3a2, 3c2, 3e2, 3g2, 3i2, and 3k2.
A Sylph that reaches the eighth rank on the upper board can
move no farther on that board, but retains the power to capture
downward. If such a capture is accomplished, the Sylph can regain
mobility on the upper board by moving up into one of the starting
squares for Sylphs of the appropriate color.
Griffon: Starting squares for the Gold Griffons are 3c1 and 3k1;
the Scarlet Griffons begin at 3c8 and 3k8. When on the upper
board, a Griffon moves one square horizontally or vertically and two
squares diagonally. Like the knight, it vaults over intervening
squares (even if they are occupied) and only exerts control over the
destination square, not the intervening ones. (This is identical to the
move of the elephant in Korean chess.) A Griffon at 3d4 can move
to or capture a piece at 3a2, 3b1, 3f1, 3g2, 3g6, 3f7, 3b7, or 3a6.
In addition, a Griffon may occupy the middle board by a move
down to one of the four squares on the diagonal from the upperboard square it started from. (Note that a Griffon located on the
edge of the upper board only commands two squares on the middle
board instead of four.) A Griffon returns to the upper board by a
move to any of the four (or two) squares diagonally above the

Griffon. It can move between the upper and middle boards whether
or not a capture is involved. A Griffon at 3d4 can move to or capture at 2c5, 2c3, 2e3, or 2e5.
While a Griffon is on the middle board, it forfeits the power of
flight, and as such it can only move and capture in the squares diagonally adjacent to it. A Griffon located at 2e5 commands all of the
following squares: 2f6, 2f4, 2d4, 2d6, 3f6, 3f4, 3d4, and 3d6.
Dragon: The starting square for the Gold Dragon is 3g1, and the
Scarlet Dragon begins at 3g8. A Dragons movement and capture
powers on the upper board are a combination of the moves of the
king and the bishop: unlimited along the diagonals, or one square in

Dragon (upper board)

any horizontal or vertical direction. While the Dragon cannot move

downward, it does have the unique ability to capture an opposing
piece on the middle board which lies in the square directly beneath it
or on any of the squares horizontally or vertically adjacent to that
square. The captured piece is removed from the middle board, but
the Dragon remains on the upper board. A Dragon at 3c4 could
capture from afar an opposing piece located at 2c4, 2c5, 2d4, 2c3,
or 2b4.
DRAGON 35

THE MIDDLE BOARD

Warrior: At the start of the game, the twelve Gold Warriors are
positioned along the second rank, and their Scarlet counterparts
begin on the seventh rank. The move of the Warrior is identical to
that of a pawn, except that a Warrior cannot advance two squares on
its first move. The Warrior can move into an unoccupied square
vertically ahead of its location, and it can capture an opposing piece
located on either adjacent diagonal square ahead of it. The Gold

Unicorn (middle board)

Warrior (middle board)

Hero (middle board)

Warrior which starts the game at 2c2 can move to 2c3, or it can
occupy either 2b3 or 2d3 by capturing an opposing piece located on
one of those squares. A Warrior that reaches the opponents back
rank is promoted to a Hero, in the same fashion that a pawn is
promoted, However, unlike standard chess, the owning player does
not have a choice; a pawn can be promoted to a queen, bishop,
knight, or rook, but a Warrior can only become a Hero. A Warrior
cannot move to or capture pieces located on the upper or lower
boards.
Oliphant: The Oliphants for each side start on the corner squares
of the middle board 2a1 and 2l1 for Gold, 2a8 and 2l8 for Scarlet.
The move of an Oliphant is identical to that of a rook that is, as
many squares horizontally or vertically as desired, as long as no
piece interferes with its path of movement. An Oliphant cannot
move to or capture pieces located on the upper or lower boards.

Oliphant (middle board)

A Hero can also move up or down one board at a time, going to

any square diagonally adjacent to the square directly above or below
its former location. A move back to the middle board is accomplished the same way. When located on the upper or lower board, a
Heros only move is to return to the middle board; it cannot travel
to any square other than the one to which it ascended or descended.
A move from one board to another can involve a capture if so desired.
Thief: The two Thief pieces for each side start the game adjacent
to the Heroes 2d1 and 2i1 for Gold, 2d8 and 2i8 for Scarlet. A
Thief moves and captures exactly as a bishop, going any number of
squares diagonally as long as no piece interferes with its path of
movement. It cannot move to or capture pieces located on the upper
and lower boards,

Thief (middle board)

Unicorn: The Unicorns for each side start on the squares horizontally adjacent to the Oliphants 2b1 and 2k1 for Gold, 2b8
and 2k8 for Scarlet. A Unicorn moves and captures in the same way
as a knight, including the ability to vault over pieces on intervening
squares. It cannot move to or capture pieces located on the upper or
lower boards.
Hero: The Heroes for each side start adjacent to the Unicorns
2c1 and 2j1 for Gold, 2c8 and 2j8 for Scarlet. On the middle board,
a Hero moves either one or two squares in any diagonal direction,
with the ability to vault over an intervening piece on a two-square
move. Capture is accomplished in the same manner.
36 A U G U S T 1985

Cleric: The Gold Cleric starts on 2e1, the Scarlet Cleric on 2e8.
The basic, two-dimensional move of a Cleric is the same as that of
the king: one square in any direction. In addition, a Cleric can
move one square directly up or down, and retains its full movement
(and capture) abilities on both the upper and lower boards.

Cleric (all boards)

Mage: The Mage for each side starts on the square adjacent to the
Cleric 2f1 for Gold, 2f8 for Scarlet. On the middle board, a Mage
moves and captures in the same way as the queen, able to follow an
unobstructed path in any horizontal, vertical, or diagonal direction.
In addition, a Mage can move (and capture, if applicable) directly

Mage (middle board)

King (middle board)

Paladin: The Paladin for each side begins in the square adjacent
to the King 2h1 for Gold, 2h8 for Scarlet. On the middle board, a
Paladins movement and capture abilities are a combination of those
of a king and a knight. It can also move upward or downward with a
knight-like move, i.e. one board up and two squares horizontally or
vertically, or two boards up and one square horizontally or vertically,
and it can vault over intervening pieces with this sort of move, just

Paladin (middle board)

Mage (upper or lower board)

Paladin (upper or lower board)

upward or downward across one or more boards. However, a Mage

on either the upper or lower board is limited to a move of one square
in a horizontal or vertical direction. A Mage located at 2c4 could
move up to 3c4, and on its next move could go downward two
boards to 1c4. If the Mage then remained on the lower board, it
could only move to 1c5, 1d4, 1c3, or 1b4.

as if the move did not involve a change of boards. Upon the upper
or lower board, the Paladin is limited to a king-like move (and capture) of one square in any direction. A Paladin located at 3c4 can
move between boards to any of the following squares: 2c6, 2e4, 2c2,
2a4, 1c5, 1d4, 1c3, or 1b4.

King: The King for each side begins on the square adjacent to the
Mage 2g1 for Gold, 2g8 for Scarlet. The King moves and captures similarly to a king in standard chess. In addition, the King
may move (and capture) by shifting one square directly up or down.
A King which has moved to the upper or lower board cannot move
upon those boards, and must return to the middle board before it
can again move and capture normally.

THE LOWER BOARD

Dwarf: The six Gold Dwarves start on the dark-colored squares of
the second rank on the lower board; the six Scarlet Dwarves begin
the game on the light-colored squares of the seventh rank on the
lower board. Similar to a Warrior, a Dwarf can make a noncapturing move one square vertically ahead, and captures ahead
diagonally. In addition, a Dwarf can make a non-capturing move
D

RAGON

37

one square in either horizontal direction, and it can capture an

opposing piece on the middle board that lies directly above the
Dwarf. If a Dwarf moves to the middle board by means of a capture,
it retains the movement and capture powers it has on the lower
board, but a Dwarf cannot move to or capture pieces located on the
upper board. It may return to the lower board by a move directly
down to an unoccupied square; i.e., the downward move cannot

Dwarf (lower board)

Elemental: The Gold Elemental starts on 1g1; the Scarlet Elemental begins the game on 1g8. An Elemental can move one square
diagonally or one or two squares horizontally or vertically. It captures only on horizontal or vertical moves. It may move up to the
middle board to make a capture by moving one square horizontally
or vertically and then directly upward. It may remain unmoving on
the middle board if so desired, or it can return to the lower board by
a reverse of the upward move, i.e., directly down and then one
square horizontally or vertically. The upward move can only be

Elemental (lower board)

involve a capture. A Dwarf on 1d4 could move (without capturing)

into 1d5, 1c4, or 1e4; it could capture an opposing piece located on
1c5, 1e5, or 2d4. A Dwarf on 2d4 could return to the lower board by
moving to 1d4, but only if that square is unoccupied. A Dwarf that
reaches the opponents back rank is limited to horizontal moves on
the board it occupies, and also retains the ability to move between
the lower and middle boards in the manner described above.
Basilisk: The two Gold Basilisks start on 1c1 and 1k1; the Scarlet
Basilisks start on 1c8 and 1k8. A Basilisk moves one square at a
time, either ahead diagonally or vertically or backward vertically. It
captures by forward movement only. A Basilisk also has the unique
ability of freezing an opposing piece but not a friendly piece
located directly above it on the middle board, such that the opposing
piece cannot move until the Basilisk is moved or captured. (This
freezing is automatic and involuntary; the player owning the

Basilisk (lower board)

Basilisk cannot choose not to immobilize the piece, and does not
have to specifically declare that the freeze is in effect.) If the opposing King is the piece being frozen, the King is checkmated if
any other piece attacks it and the opponent is unable to capture the
attacking piece or interpose a piece to blunt the attack.
A Basilisk located on 1d4 can make a move or a capture into 1c5,
1d5, or 1e5. It can move to 1d3 if that square is unoccupied, and it
automatically freezes any opposing piece on 2d4, or one that is
subsequently moved into 2d4. A Basilisk cannot move off the lower
board or (with the exception of the freezing power) capture a
piece on any other board.
38 A U G U S T 1985

made if a capture is involved, but the downward move can be made

without capturing.
An Elemental on 1d4 can move (but not capture) into 1c5, 1e5,
1e3, or 1c3. It can move or capture into 1d5, 1d6, 1e4, 1f4, 1d3,
1d2, 1c4, or 1b4. It can capture upward into 2d5, 2e4, 2d3, or 2c4.
An Elemental on 2d4 can move or capture downward into 1d5, 1e4,
1d3, or 1c4.
Movement between boards
At first, it may be difficult for players to envision and properly
execute the upward or downward movement of pieces. However,
thinking in three dimensions will come easily after one or two
practice games are played. Perhaps the hardest single concept to
grasp is the idea of intervening squares on moves from one board to
another. The general rule is this: If a piece is unable to vault over
intervening squares in its basic (two-dimensional) move, then it is
likewise unable to move between boards if a piece blocks the path it
must take. Specific applications for particular pieces are as follows:
The Griffon, the Hero, and the Paladin all have the knight-like
ability to vault intervening squares, and this applies on any upward
or downward move made by those pieces. (The square directly
above or below the piece in question need not be vacant.)
The Mage can move from the lower board to the upper board (or
vice versa) in a single move, but it cannot vault intervening squares.
Thus, in order for the Mage to travel upward from 1d4 to 3d4, the
square at 2d4 must be vacant.
The Elemental is something of a special case. Its move between
boards is a two-step process, and it cannot vault over intervening
squares. Its upward move begins with a shift of one square horizontally or vertically on the lower board; thus, at least one of the
squares horizontally or vertically adjacent to the Elemental must be
vacant in order for it to make an upward move. The Elemental is
even more restricted when moving down from the middle board;
since the horizontal or vertical move is preceded by a move directly
down, the square immediately beneath the Elemental must be vacant in order for it to make a downward move.
Chess rules that do not apply
Two conventions of standard chess are not part of the DRAGONCHESS rules. The Warrior is unable to move two squares ahead on
its first move, and as such it is not possible for a Warrior to capture
en passant as a pawn does. Also, because of the multiple boards,
greater area of play, and larger number of men, castling is not possible in DRAGONCHESS.

Values of the pieces

The complexities of multiple-board play and the varying powers
of the pieces in DRAGONCHESS makes absolute valuation far
more difficult than it is for standard chess pieces. In chess, a pawn is
valued at 1, knights and bishops at 3, rooks at 5, and the queen at 9.
(If the king were not of infinite value, its movement and capturing
power would give it a value of 4.) The approximate relative values of
the pieces in DRAGONCHESS is detailed below, to give players an
idea of which exchanges are beneficial and which are not. For instance, the trade of a Hero for a Griffon is roughly an even exchange, while the trade of a Basilisk for an Oliphant will generally
result in a material advantage for the player losing the Basilisk.
However, it should always be kept in mind that the true value of a
piece in any game situation depends primarily on the pieces location
and its role in the game, rather than on its theoretical movement
and capture powers.
Piece
Value
**
King
11
Mage
Paladin
10
Cleric
9
Dragon
8
Griffon
5
5
Oliphant
Hero
4
** In practice, the value of the
this piece means the loss of

Piece
Thief
Elemental
Basilisk
Unicorn
Dwarf
Sylph
Warrior

Value
4
4
3
2
2
1
1

King is infinite, since the loss of

the game.

Movement and capture notation

The method of recording moves in DRAGONCHESS is basically
the same as for standard chess, with certain differences (explained
earlier) to account for the different names of the pieces and the
multiple boards. The following examples cover all the situations that
could occur in a game:
1) w2f3
2) S/3e2-3d3

3)
4)
5)
6)
7)

W2e3
Wx2e3
W/2d2x2e3
WxU2e3
WxU

A basic non-capturing move; notation 1 is the

first non-capturing move that the Gold Warrior
starting at 2f2 can make. (Read it as Warrior
moves to 2f3.) In most cases, a non-capturing
move can be noted simply by naming the type of
piece being moved (W) and the square it moves
to (2f3). When more than one piece of the same
type is capable of making the same move, the
moving piece is specifically identified by naming
the square it is moving from, using a / to
indicate at. (Read notation 2 as Sylph at 3e2
moves to 3d3.) In this notation, a hyphen is used
to separate the location square from the destination square.
Five ways of describing a capture; the correct
notation depends upon the position of the pieces
and, to some extent, the preference of the players. Notation 3 can be used if only one Warrior is
capable of moving to 2e3, and if that move involves a capture. Notation 4 is more specific,
using the x to indicate a capture. (Read as
Warrior captures (unspecified piece) at 2e3.)
Notation 5 is necessary when more than one
Warrior would be capable of making a capture at
2e3, again using the / (as in notation 2 above)
to indicate at. (Read as Warrior at 2d2 captures at 2e3.) Notation 6 includes the identification of the type of piece captured in this case,
the Unicorn located at 2e3. Notation 7, read
simply as Warrior captures Unicorn, can be
used if only one such capture is possible. In most
cases, the proper notation would be 4, 5, or 6, or
a minor variation on one of those. The important
thing is to describe each move in such a way that

the notation could only refer to one specific move

by one specific piece. This will avoid possible
confusion if the moves of a game are to be studied or replayed.
8) W2f8(H)

The move and promotion of a Warrior. (Read as

Warrior moves to 2f8 and is promoted to a
Hero.)

9) Drx2c4

A capture from afar by a Dragon. (Read as

Dragon captures (unspecified piece) at 2c4.) To
avoid the awkward Drx usage, this move could
be written as Dr2c4 since any move by the
Dragon involving a square on the middle board
must necessarily be a capture from afar.

10) UxOch

Other symbols:
dbl ch
dis ch
mate

Illustrating the use of ch to indicate a move

that puts the opposing King in check. (Read as
Unicorn captures Oliphant with check.)
These three terms, taken from standard chess
notation, indicate certain special occurrences.
Double check (dbl ch) occurs whenever a move
enables one or more pieces to give check at the
same time. Discovered check (dis ch) occurs when
the move of one piece opens a path that enables a
different piece to give check. And mate, of
course, is checkmate noted on the final move
of a game, when the King is attacked in such a
way that it cannot avoid being captured on the
attackers next move.

No special notation is given for the Basilisks freezing power,

since it is not technically a move or a capture, and since it is automatically assumed that any piece occupying the square above the
Basilisk is frozen. Thus, a notation of B1e3 makes it clear that (a)
the Basilisk now occupies square 1e3 and (b) any opposing piece
located at 2e3 is thereby immobilized as long as the Basilisk remains
where it is.
Strategic and tactical tips
No single piece of text even one many times longer than this
could fully describe and analyze the myriad positions and situations
that can occur in DRAGONCHESS. However, some general strictures are apparent from an examination of how the various pieces
move and capture, and certain basic facts of chess strategy apply
equally to DRAGONCHESS.
Mobility is all-important, and, just as in chess, control of the
central squares is usually a prerequisite for victory. The rectangular
board of DRAGONCHESS makes the central squares area somewhat more difficult to define than it is in chess but it certainly is a
larger area. It could be described as a 2x6 rectangle with 2d4, 2d5,
2i5, and 2i4 as its corners; or, a 2x8 rectangle extended out on either
side; or, a 4x4 rectangle in the center of the middle board. In any
event, the side that does the better job of controlling the center
squares will have a greater amount of mobility and will more easily
be able to bring pieces to bear upon critical squares anywhere on the
playing surfaces.
In many instances, the square that a piece stands on is not as
important as the squares that the piece controls. Players should be
mindful of moving their pieces into positions where they command a
large number of squares, thereby limiting the opponents ability to
occupy those same locations.
In general, it is wise not to bring the big guns (particularly the
Mage and the Paladin) into active positions until some of the minor
pieces have been developed. Making a lot of moves with the Mage
(for instance) early in the game is usually a bad idea, because this
delays the development of other pieces that could have been moved
out instead, and because this could subject the Mage to a series of
harassing attacks from the opponents minor pieces which are
being developed at the same time that they are doing the harassing.
DRAGON 39

(In chess, this phenomenon is known as a queen hunt, and it has

led to the downfall of many a player who had visions of ravaging the
opposition with sweeping moves of the queen but instead ended
up without a queen to move.)
It is no accident that each sides Dragon begins the game directly
above the King of the same side. While the Dragons are obviously
powerful offensive pieces, each must play predominantly a defensive
role to begin with for if one Dragon sallies forth on the upper
board to wreak havoc upon the opponents middle-board pieces, the
King may be left vulnerable to a quick but deadly attack from the
opposing Dragon.
The power of the Basilisk to immobilize an opposing piece has a
lot of potential for use in offensive and defensive strategy. To help
protect one of your own pieces, move it to the square above one of
your Basilisks. Then, if it is captured, the capturing piece is frozen and you can capture it more or less at your leisure without
necessarily having to make the return capture immediately. A welltimed Basilisk move can lead to an abrupt checkmate even if the
opposing King is not the piece that is frozen, in a case where the
Basilisk immobilizes a piece that was crucial to the defense of the
King. Except for the fact that it occupies a square on the board, an
immobilized piece can be treated as if it did not exist. An immobilized Mage may be better than no Mage at all but not by much.
In general, the pieces on the lower board (especially the Dwarves)
do not play critical roles in the opening or the middle game, but if
the Dwarves havent already been moved too far forward, they can
be very useful in the endgame (when relatively few pieces remain on
the board) as defensive outposts, to prevent the opponents middleboard pieces from penetrating too deeply into the territory nearest
your side of the board.
Do not underestimate the power of the Cleric. Of the five types of
pieces that can move up or down to any of the three boards, the
Cleric is the only one which moves and captures in the same fashion
regardless of which board it occupies. The Paladin and Mage are
limited in their mobility when not on the middle board, to such an

40

AUGUST 1985

extent that they will not generally spend much time on the upper or
lower board and the Heroes and the King, although they can
move to the upper or lower board, cannot move on those boards,
and the King especially can be easily trapped if left on the upper or
lower board for any longer than necessary.
Putting together a game
For reasons that should be obvious, this presentation could not
include actual components for a DRAGONCHESS game making
a board and filling it with pieces must be left up to you. For our
playtesting and development purposes, we constructed a board from
sheets of plexiglass with contact paper applied to form the checkerboard patterns. The boards were spaced approximately six inches
apart, allowing enough room for hands to reach in and manipulate
pieces. The squares on our board are 1 on a side, making a
playing surface 18 wide and 12 deep. The plexiglass sheets were
cut large enough to allow another 1 all around, and had
holes drilled in each corner. Through these holes we inserted
threaded metal rods, fastened into place with connectors to space the
boards properly and capped on each end with plastic knobs to prevent scratching the surface on which the entire board is placed during play. It probably isnt necessary to build a three-dimensional
board; three flat rectangles placed in a row on the tabletop could be
used to represent upper, middle, and lower levels. But its a lot
easier to visualize the up-and-down moves of pieces if the playing
surface is actually composed of three levels.
The pieces came from our collection of metal miniatures, and they
do not in all cases exactly resemble the pieces they represent. (For
instance, we used centaur figures for Oliphants because we couldnt
find any 25mm scale elephants and even if we could have, they
would have been too large for the board.) Any sort of pieces will do,
even simple tokens, as long as each type of piece looks distinctly
different from the others.
Good luck, and may all your moves be ones that Rexfelis would
envy. . . .

42 A U G U S T 1985

DRAGON 43

The City
Beyond the Gate

The City Beyond the Gate

An adventure for high-level AD&D characters
Designed by Robert Schroeck
INTRODUCTION
As Roger Moore noted in his adventure
The Dancing Hut (DRAGON issue #83),
high-level adventures are much in demand,
and often the most powerful magic items
are the sources of many adventures. So it is
with this particular adventure. However,
unlike in The Dancing Hut, characters who
visit The City Beyond the Gate will not find
powerful enemies to challenge them in
combat, nor magic in great amounts. Instead, they will find themselves in an alien
world where they must use wit, wile, and
stealth to achieve their goal. They will find
themselves in a modern, technological city.
Obviously, an entire city cannot be presented in the excruciating detail required to
give players a complete sense of their locale
and its atmosphere and populace. Therefore, this adventure is for the most part
given in a very general form, with guidelines and suggestions to aid the DM in
clearly and accurately conveying a sense of
this new milieu. Please note that, to this
end, many of the locations described in the
following text are not critical to the completion of the adventure. They are described
here in the interest of giving a reasonably
complete picture of the city in which the
adventure takes place.
The City Beyond the Gate is designed for
characters of 9th level and up. However,
with some modification of the Gate Island
section and the goal of the expedition, this
adventure could conceivably accommodate
characters of as low as 4th or 5th level.
THE GOAL
The fabled Mace of St. Cuthbert has
been lost from the sight of both human and
demi-human for many centuries. Some
claim it lies at the heart of an active volcano, guarded by salamanders and flowing
lava; others swear it lies buried deep inside
the earth, warded by powerful magics raised
by those who would see its power denied to
the forces of Law and Good. A few assert
that it has never left the possession of the
Saint, and even now he holds it in his
strong right hand. But a few claim that
none of these are so that long before the
Sainted Cuthbert rose to his exalted station,
his mace was hidden away from those who
would steal it before he returned for it,
hidden away outside the bounds of normal
time and space, in a place so outlandish that
the Maces power and destiny would be
unknown and unknowable, and thus safe.
These same seers claim that the time is
coming for the &face to reappear in the
46 A

U G U S T

1985

world and lend its strength to the forces of

right before returning to its owner.
The Mace of Cuthbert was hidden in a
universe other than that in which the natural laws of magic and miracle hold sway.
In fact, it has been secreted in a technological universe. To be more specific, it is on
our Earth, in London, England, in a museum.
The job of quantifying the milieu of a
technological world such as this one is difficult but vitally important. The best treatment of the subject is found in issue #57 of
DRAGON Magazine, in the article Modern monsters: The perils of 20th-century
adventuring, by Ed Greenwood. However,
if a copy of this article is unavailable, do not
panic all vital information is to be found
below. Modern monsters is a useful and
entertaining background work for those
DMs who plan to run this adventure. Players with some idea of what they will be
getting into might also wish to examine the
article, for it contains a section on tactics
that just might keep their characters alive.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Magic works in our world, though with
some limitations. Magic-users without spell
books will, of course, be unable to regain
cast spells. Clerics will be completely out of
touch with their deities and their servants,
and subsequently will not be able to regain
spells above second level. There may be
problems obtaining material components
for spells, and substitutions may result in
interesting alterations of spell effects at the
DMs option. Some spells are affected by
the location; see below for more information
on spell alterations.
Modern humans will generally be 0 level,
with 1-3 hit points. Police and security
officers will generally be the equivalent of
2nd- to 4th-level fighters. SWAT teams,
military forces, professional mercenaries,
and the like will range from 5th to 8th level
in the fighter class. Thieves of all levels up
to 14th will be found. The higher the thiefs
level, the rarer and more specialized he will
be; for example, thieves of 10th level and up
in the modern world will often be sophisticated cat burglars or jewelry thieves a la
The Saint. Thieves from the modern
world will not have the ability to read foreign languages.
There are no native spellcasters on Earth.
Note that the Anglican and Catholic
churchmen of the vicinity are not likely to
look with kindness upon pagan priests
(i.e., player-character clerics) who perform

so-called miracles. Also note that while

the use of the more spectacular spells may
panic the populace, minor magics are likely
to go unnoticed, except perhaps by psychic
researchers and tabloid newspaper reporters, either of whom will cause no end of
trouble for a party.
Encountered natives with training in
karate, kung fu, or other martial arts should
be treated as 1st- to 5th-level monks. Of the
total, 75% will be 1st level, 10% 2nd level,
8% 3rd level, 5% 4th level, and 2% 5th
level equivalents. They will possess none of
the special, semi-magical abilities of regular
monks, having only combat abilities, saving
throw bonuses, and thief abilities as seem
reasonable.
Street thugs and such ilk will range from
0 level to 2nd level in either fighter or thief
classes, with fighters predominating. For
examples of extraodrinary 0-level types, see
the AD&D Rogues Gallery, pp. 28-29.
The most common weapons to be encountered in the modern world are knives,
billy clubs and handguns. Treat knives as
daggers, adjusting damage to fit blade size.
The standard switchblade knife given in the
table below has an eight-inch blade; the
blades of folding (pocket) knives range from
three to seven inches, and combat and
survival knives range from six to eighteen.
Treat billy clubs as identical to clubs, except
doing 1-4 points vs. size S or M and 1-2 vs.
size L opponents. Handguns and other
weapons likely to be encountered are presented on the Firearms and other weapons table given herein (based on the
original in Modern monsters).
London bobbies (or woolies, as they
are sometimes known by runaways and the
like) will be equipped with billy clubs and
.357 revolvers. Lower-class thieves will
possess anything short of a submachine
gun. Terrorists, while unlikely to be encountered, can be assumed to possess all of the
above weapons (excluding the drovers
whip), plus hand grenades (doing 4-10/4-10
to all within 30 (save vs. petrification for
half damage) plus stunning (for 1-4 rounds)
and deafening (for 1-4 turns) effects; victims
30-60 from the explosion suffer 1 round
of stunning and 1-4 rounds of deafness; save
does not apply to these effects. Terrorists
may also possess simple bombs (producing
8-48 points damage, plus a system shock
roll for survival for all within 60) and
stunning and deafening effects as above;
save vs. petrification for half damage and
no system shock). SWAT teams are
equipped as regular police officers, also

having rifles, shotguns, tear gas (treat as a

stinking cloud), and body armor that improves their AC to 5.
The drovers whip is included in the table
because of the numbers of horse-drawn beer
wagons traversing the streets of London
during the average day. The driver of any
wagon with more than two horses will possess such a whip, but he rarely uses it on his
team in such a way as to cause damage.
ENCOUNTERS
The following tables are basically selfexplanatory. Please bear in mind that these
are strictly extraordinary encounters
that is, encounters other than the usual
traffic to be found on the streets or in the
park areas. There will always be traffic
during the day and through most of the
night, with a minimum of twenty cars,
trucks and taxis per one-block area at any
given time. During the day, there will always be 5-20 humans of both sexes and
assorted ages within 40 of any PC(s),
unless action is taken by the PCs to avoid
people. Only late at night will the streets
and parks be virtually empty.

Street encounters, continued

(1 in 4, check every turn)

28-34
35-41
42-55
56-65
66-70
71-81
82-89
90-93
94-98
99-00

Dice Encounter
01-23 Major fire/fire engines on their
way to a fire
24-31 Traffic helicopter or other lowflying aircraft
32-44 Major traffic accident
45-54 Mugging/robbery in progress
55-64 Street gang warfare (night only)
65-79 Police van (25% chance police will
stop PCs and try to arrest them)
80-88 A tall, blue box with a bright light
on top is found. A tall, curlyhaired man with a floppy hat and
a long scarf enters the box, followed by a girl saying, But Doctor, where are we going now?
The light starts to blink, and the
box makes hideous screeching
noises and slowly vanishes. This
encounter can only occur once.
89-95 Terrorist attack (bombing, sniper,
or the like)
96-00 1-8 terrorists (incognito, not on an
attack)

Dice Nighttime encounters

01-10 1-4 street urchins
11-25 1-4 police on foot
26-37 1-3 police on horseback
38-45 1-2 police in patrol car
46-52 Bum/wino (15% chance is also
pickpocket, equal to 6th-level
thief)
53-61 Street gang (25% punks)
62-67 1-4 muggers (treat as 2nd-level
fighters with clubs or knives)
68-77 Bus (35% double-decker)
78-88 Horse-drawn hackney cab
89-96 1-3 prostitutes
97-00 Special (see subtable)

Park encounters
(1 in 6, check every 5 rounds)
Dice Daytime encounters
01-15 1-3 police officers (40% on horseback)
16-20 1-3 street urchins
21-25 Truant officer
26-32 2-16 children
33-38 Lovers
39-46 Band in bandstand
47-52 1-3 persons riding horseback
53-62 Nanny with pram (baby carriage)
63-74 2-12 people playing soccer
75-85 Picnicking family
86-98 Horse-drawn hackney cab
99-00 Special (see subtable)

Street encounters
(1 in 4, check every turn)
Dice
01-08
09-11
12-18
19-27

Special encounters subtable

Daytime encounters
1-2 street urchins
Truant officer
1-4 police officers on foot
Crowd of 10-20 shoppers (50-100
near peddlers, 10% chance for a
pickpocket to be with them)
Pushcart peddler (DMs option as
to wares)
Pickpocket (treat as 10th-level
thief)
Horse-drawn hackney cab
Bus (35% double-decker)
Beer wagon
Group of 2-12 tourists
Group of 2-6 children
1-6 punks
Reporter
Special (see subtable)

Notes on encounter tables

Street urchins are wild children who
live in the streets of London and are often
accomplished thieves (1st-4th level). Sometimes orphans, more often than not they are
rebellious kids escaping school or bad family
situations and trying to survive on their
own. To best portray the majority of these
children, think of Fagins crew in Oliver
Twist. Urchins are not easily identified as
such; they may have slightly grubbier clothing than the children found on the ParkDay matrix, but that may be the only
outward distinction between them.
Truant officers are the bane of street
urchins, seeking to take them off the street
and see that they are taken care of. A truant
officer is not necessarily a bad person, but
he may be overworked and as a result a
little bad-tempered. Most (75%) truant
officers work in plain clothing, while the
remainder wear uniforms similar to those of
the police. They are unarmed.

Nighttime encounters
1-3 police officers (50% on horseback)
26-35 Lovers
36-50 Street gang (35% punks)
51-60 1-4 muggers
61-65 Bum/wino (15% may be pickpocket, as above)
66-75 Horse-drawn hackney cab
76-95 1-3 prostitutes
96-00 Special (see subtable)

Dice
01-25

FIREARMS AND. OTHER WEAPONS

Weapon
9mm/.45 pistol
.357/.38 revolver
Rifle
Shotgun
Sawed-off shotgun
Submachine gun
Slingshot
Switchblade
Garrot
Drovers whip
Blackjack

Damage
(S-M / L)
1-8 / 1-6
1-8 / 1-6
2-12 / 2-10
1-8 / 1-6
1-10 / 1-4
2-8 / 2-8
1 /0-1
1-3 / 1-2
1-4 / 1-2
1-8 / 1-6
1-4 / 1-2

Fire
rate
4
4
2
1(2)
1(2)
20
3

Supply
7 or 8
6

2
1(2)
1(2)
20-50

Reload
time

2
2

S
6
6
11
4
2
7
1
0
0

Range
M
12
12
19
8
6
15

L
18
18
35
13
9
20
5

S
+3
+3
+3
+2
+5
+5
+1

Range
modifier
M
+1
+1
+2
0
0
+1
0
-

L
0
0
0
-3
-2
-1*
-3

**
-

* Increase range modifiers to + 8 (S), + 4 (M), and 0 (L) if fire is traversed across target.
** If garrot attack is made successfully and a hold can be maintained for three rounds, the target of the attack will be reduced to
zero hit points by suffocation (this assumes a breathing target with a vulnerable neck area).
DRAGON 47

Police encounters should be treated with

common sense. Bobbies who are armed will
shoot persons attempting to escape arrest if
theyre considered dangerous and cant be
run down on foot. English cops may have a
reputation for being peaceful and helpful,
but they are police officers just the same.
Play them like they were polite N.Y.C. or
L.A. cops.
Punks are outrageously dressed persons
of either sex, usually in leather or other
non-standard garb. Their hair will be in
various shades not normally found in nature
or completely shorn off, and their behavior
will be calculated to shock or disgust. Think
of a belligerent Boy George.
Street gangs will sometimes be composed
of punks, but generally will conform to the
American stereotype of the gang. They will
number from 2-16 youths, armed with
knives (10% chance for 1-4 9mm pistols).
All but the leader will be 0-level humans;
the leader will be a 1st-level fighter. A gang
will usually (75%) be composed of males
ranging from fourteen to twenty years in
age. The remainder will be either all females of the same age (60%) or mixed.
Beer wagons are huge, wheeled vehicles,
averaging 20 -30 long and carrying a
dozen or more barrels of English beer,
delivered daily to the local pubs. They are
drawn by teams of six to ten large horses
(Clydesdales or Percherons), guided by a
driver who sits 10 off the ground. Consider
the horses to be equal to heavy warhorses,
but with only one hoof (smash) attack for 16 points each. By law, beer wagons always
have the right-of-way on London streets; if
one is encountered, it is likely that the party
noticed the ruckus made by traffic getting
(or being made to get) out of the wagons
way.
Reporters are likely to notice anything
out of the ordinary about a party, like full
armor and drawn weapons, and they will
investigate. Even if PCs are disguised, a
reporter is still 40% likely to notice something odd and check out his hunch. To this
end, he or she will tail the PCs, attempting
not to be noticed, and will take notes on
their actions when applicable. A reporter
may also consult police, street urchins and
other sources of information on PCs, and
may possibly alert police and other hostiles to the partys location. 40% of all
reporters are female. 10% work for radio or
wire services and 25% for television. The
remainder are employed by the many London newspapers. Television reporters are
40% likely to have a camera crew ready
nearby. More experienced newspaper and
wire-service reporters may be the equals of
1st- to 3rd-level fighters or thieves, depending on the beat they work and the type of
newspaper that employs them.
Terrorists are not likely to be nice. They
will always be politically motivated, and
fanaticism is not uncommon. Should a
terrorist group get an idea of what a party is
capable of, it will attempt to gain control of
the PCs by using hostages or other means.
There is the possibility that if the terrorists
48

AUGUST 1985

see the party being persecuted, they might

offer shelter and aid, at the DMs option.
Terrorist groups will be composed of 1-6
each of fighters, thieves, and assassins, with
levels from 3 to 6 (d4 + 2).
VEHICLES
As Ed Greenwood pointed out in Modern Monsters, vehicles in the modern
world will be of countless forms, and almost
all will be strange and unfamiliar to PCs.
However, all non-motorized vehicles will be
easily mastered, once their purpose and
workings are determined; even a bicycle can
be figured out in (at most) a day or two by
the determined adventurer.
Motorized vehicles are another matter
entirely. The accompanying table (adapted
from Greenwoods original) gives the vital
statistics on a good selection of vehicles
likely to be found in the areas of London
covered by this adventure. Note that Greenwood scaled down movement rates, sometimes by as much as a factor of ten; if you
anticipate the possibility of a high-speed car
chase through the streets of London, dont
forget to restore full movement rates
otherwise it will be rather slow-moving. For
off-road travel, keep movement rates given
for all situations. Acceleration to full speed
takes two rounds for most everything; large
trucks require three rounds, while cars
smaller than standard-sized, along with
motorcycles and mopeds, need only one
round to reach full speed. However, note
that full speed is substantially greater than
the maximum speed limit (which is somewhere around a 48-50 rate, and slower in
some areas).
It is possible for characters to learn to
drive simple cars and trucks. This requires
instruction (from someone who knows how
to drive) given for a period of time equal in
hours to twenty minus the intelligence score
of the PC who is trying to learn. Once this
VEHICLES TABLE

Maximum
move per
round
55

period of instruction is over, the PC will

have sufficient knowledge of how to operate
a vehicle if necessary. The instruction does
not provide driving skills, which must be
attained with more practice than the PCs
will have time for, nor does it provide more
than a cursory treatment of the rules of the
road. As a result of these two factors, PC
drivers will have a 25% chance per turn
(non-cumulative) of causing an accident or
attracting the attention of a police officer.
Of course, such things as intoxication and
magical effects will alter this percentage
upward (DMs discretion as to the exact
modification).
For purposes of atmosphere and accuracy,
DMs should remember that traffic in England follows a flow pattern that is the
reverse of that in America vehicles drive
on the left side of the road, not on the right.
Consequently,. the drivers seat is positioned
differently, and the entire traffic system runs
a little strangely (to those used to American
driving). Do not remind players of this,
though let their characters discover it on
their own. (One fighter from the original
presentation of this adventure leaped in the
left door of a police van to wrest the wheel
from its driver, only to find an empty seat
and the driver on the other side pulling a
gun on him. . . .)
OTHER TECHNOLOGY
During the course of this adventure,
characters will inevitably encounter items of
modern technology ranging from butane
lighters and flashlights to household appliances to high-powered weapons. In the
absence of someone to instruct them in their
use, PCs may attempt to puzzle out modern
artifacts on their own. To do so, they roll on
one of the Investigation Charts given
herein. Put a marker on the start position,
and have the player roll a dl0 for each

Impact
damage * Notes
4 passengers (2 in
1-2
comfort), poor protection in collision
66
5 passengers (4 in
Car, compact
3000
1-4
comfort)
6 passengers (5 in
70
1-4
Car, standard**
3500
comfort)
6 passengers, heavy
78
1-6
Car, large
5000
passenger protection
(limousine)
Small truck
70
5500
6 passengers (2 in
1-6
comfort; police vans
(including panel
(empty)
(empty)
hold 8 prisoners), can
trucks and
carry 2 tons of cargo
police vans)
70
200,000
1-8
3 passengers (up to 20
Large truck
in trailer), can carry
(tractor trailers)
60,000 lbs. of cargo.
2 passengers (1 in
Motorcycle
60
500
1-2
comfort)
1 passenger
30
0-1
Moped
150
* Damage per 10 mph of velocity. Impact damage applies both to persons struck
by and persons inside the vehicle, should it crash.
* * Includes police cruisers.
Vehicle
Car, subcompact

Weight
(pounds)
up to
2500

round his character spends puzzling out the

item. The following modifiers apply to each
roll (all modifiers are cumulative):
Intelligence less than 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + 1
Intelligence greater than 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . - 1
Similar object seen in use . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 1
Object has been explained by someone
familiar with it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 2
Operated similar object previously. . . . . . - 2

CHART I: WEAPONS

All death-dealing
devices, from switchblades to submachine
guns

* Weapon goes off, injuring the user or some

nearby person. (If both results are possible, then
50% chance of each.)

CHART II: SIMPLE NON-DEADLY ITEMS

Bicycles
Mopeds
TVs and radios
Flashlights
Cigarette lighters, etc.

CHART III: COMPLEX NON-DEADLY ITEMS

Automobiles and trucks
Computer terminals
Stereo systems
Video equipment
Video games, etc.

DRAGON 49

PEOPLE AND REACTIONS

The natives of London will generally not
react favorably to a party that remains in
full battle array as it wanders about the city.
Until such time as PCs manage to blend in
with the crowd, either by magic or by buying or stealing ordinary-looking clothing,
their unusual appearance will draw attention to them.
The presence of non-humans in the adventuring group will affect the reactions of
London citizens. Elves and half-elves will
prove to be an asset, for their exotic appearance and often unearthly beauty will entrance onlookers, sometimes to the point
that the rest of the party will be ignored.
The presence of a half-orc will automatically
result in the opposite response; if the halforcs charisma or comeliness is 8 or less, a
disguise will be required in public, lest some
good people run screaming from the horror
in their midst. Halflings will often go unnoticed, as they look very much like human
children in general appearance even
more so when clothed to blend in with the
crowd. Dwarves and gnomes will attract
attention, but only because of their size,
and then only for a short time.
Any party spending time in public in full
fantasy regalia will attract the attention
of police. Inquiries will be made as to the
film company that the PCs are with, and if
this proves fruitless, the bobbie(s) will attempt to convince the party that they are
not wearing appropriate clothing. There is a
good chance (DMs decision on exact odds)
that the entire party will be considered of
questionable sanity, and reinforcements will
be sent for to take them to the Royal Hospital for examination. While London police
are generally calm and friendly, and can be
counted on to endure strange people and
events with little reaction, they do have
their limits.
One of those limits is weapons. Weapons
openly displayed (even if sheathed) will
immediately bring police trouble. The
bobbie will call for backup and will attempt
to bring the party to the local station-house
under arrest for possession of dangerous
weapons. A concealment charge is likely if
the weapons were sheathed, or worn, as is
the case with many thieves and magic-users,
up sleeves or in boots and belts. Resisting
arrest and escaping police will put the party
on a wanted list, with warnings that they
are armed and considered mentally unsound. If PCs go out en masse after being
placed on such a list, they may quickly be
identified by police anywhere in the city
(100% if they are still in their original garb,
65% even if they have changed to local
clothes). Shortly thereafter, they will be
surrounded by a large (2-4 times the partys
size) armed force. For individuals going out
alone or in small groups, there is only a 5%
chance per person (cumulative) of being
identified.
Except where otherwise indicated in the
building keys, the following applies to the
remainder of London as long as the party
members remain in their original garb: as
50

AUGUST 1985

long as no violence or magic use occurs,

public reaction will be neutral, tending
towards negative (-25% on reaction rolls for
encountered individuals). There will be a
general assumption that the party is either a
publicity stunt, part of a movie being
filmed, or simply a more outrageous than
usual punk gang. The closer the PCs get to
parks and other areas of London where
unusual dress is the norm, the less negative
the average reaction will be (-10% on reaction rolls within 3 blocks of parks and plazas, no adjustment when in the parks and
plazas themselves).
Combat or fatal violence of any sort will
cause panic in onlookers and bring police
and reporters, as will major displays of
magic (fireballs, lightning bolts, or anything
with lots of special effects). Once such a
panic is caused, the undisguised party or
individual PC will not be able to travel
anywhere in the city afterward without a
similar panic and its attendant attentions
starting. Given time to get to know PCs,
citizens may eventually come to overlook
their exotic abilities and origins. However,
most will not want to take the time.
As to special subgroups in the population,
well, punks will embrace PCs for what they
will see as the ultimate rebellion against
modern society. Major criminals and terrorists who have a chance to calmly evaluate
the partys capabilities will find advantages
for themselves, and plot accordingly. Muggers and the like will hesitate to assault a
fully outfitted party, although PCs in disguise are just as likely as anybody else to be
victims of an attempted robbery.
One final topic: language. Unless the
DM assumes that the common tongue is
virtually identical to modern English, the
PCs will not be able to communicate with
any local citizens. The use of spells, magical
items, and the like will help overcome this
handicap, but the DM should always keep
the language barrier in mind. (How do you
ask for a restroom, for instance?)
If the language barrier is deemed too
great a hurdle, the DM may declare that
passage through the gate alters a characters
memory of language. The common tongue
is instantly translated into English when the
character reaches London; the reverse
transformation of English into common
occurs when the character passes back
through the gate into the AD&D game
world.
MAGIC MODIFICATIONS
The alternate universe in which London
can be found exists on the Prime Material
Plane of the AD&D multiverse, one of the
many such alternates (others include
Midgard, from the module Aesirhamar,
DRAGON issue #92, and the worlds
connected to the Demonweb in AD&D
Module Q1, Queen of the Demonweb Pits).
However, there is something odd about it.
Nearly everywhere in the multiverse, save
for a few other freak planes, the laws of
magic rule. The plane that London is on is
something of an ignored backwater uni-

verse, for it is solidly connected to the rest

of the Prime Material, Astral, and Ethereal
Planes at only a few points, and is at best
tenuously connected with the rest of the
Inner Planes, and almost not at all with the
Outer Planes. (This was one of the main
reasons that the Mace was hidden there.)
Because it is so weakly connected to the
rest of the magical multiverse, Earth has no
magic. There is no leakage of the extraplanar energies that cause the evolution of
magical and semi-magical creatures and
that produce the oddities which stimulate
human research into magic. Because of its
isolation, Earth is magically null. As a
result of this, some spells will function
differently or not at all in London. The
following sections cover all the spells found
in the AD&D Players Handbook, as well as
those published in DRAGON Magazine
during the last few years. (Some of these
also appear in Unearthed Arcana). If a spell
is not listed below, assume that it works
normally unless the nature of the spell
dictates otherwise.
One special note: Remember that the
people inhabiting London generally have no
experience with illusions. Therefore, they
initially receive no saving throws to disbelieve them. Repeated exposure to illusionary displays may allow for saving throws,
and some citizens may believe they are
viewing an advanced form of laser hologram or are hallucinating instead of seeing
real magic.
Cleric spells
Astral spell is severely limited. The spell
will function as long as travel by it is only
through the Astral Plane and around Londons plane; any attempts to reach other
planes (including the partys home) will fail.
Ceremony (consecrate item) will not work
because it implies the attention of the god or
the deitys servants for the investiture of the
holy aura. Holy symbol will not function for
the same reason.
Commune, divination, and spiritual
hammer will not function because the cleric
is beyond the reach of his god for the time
he is in London. The cleric will realize this
before casting the spell.
Dust devil will fail 50% of the time,
because the connections between Londons
plane and the Elemental Planes are so tenuous that only the smallest and weakest
elemental beings can find a path large
enough to allow them passage. For this
reason, all greater summonings (such as
aerial servant) will fail.
Gate and Negative Plane protection will
not function because of the separation of
Earth from other planes.
Magical vestment will not work unless
the cleric casting it has established in London an appropriately consecrated area of his
own religion at least the size of a chapel.
Word of recall will not return a cleric to a
sanctuary on a plane different from that of
Earth; it is possible, though, for a sanctuary
to be designated in the modern universe
and thus allow the spell to be used there.

Druid spells
Call woodland beings is useless. There
are no such beings to call in the vicinity of
London.
Chariot of Sustarre, conjure fire elemental, and conjure earth elemental will not
function because of their Elemental Plane
connections, as explained in the section on
the cleric spell dust devil. Fire storm is
likewise partially elemental in source, and
will fail 25% of the time.
Reflecting pool will not be able to scry
beyond the universe in which London lies.
Reincarnate will not result in the reincarnation of a character in a magical or semimagical form, such as a faun, centaur, etc.,
that is not native to Earth.
Magic-user spells
All cantrips function normally.
Astral spell: See the cleric spell of the
same name.
Cacodemon will not function, as the
Abyss cannot be contacted from Earth.
Conjure elemental will not work, as
described for the cleric spell dust devil. For
obvious reasons, distance distortion is also
useless.
Con tact other plane will not work. See
the cleric spell commune.
Demand: See sending.
Drawmijs instant summons will not work
for items on other planes.
Energy dram will not function because it
requires a stronger connection to the Negative Material Plane than the modern world
possesses.
Ensnarement will create a planar opening
elsewhere on Londons plane, and a random human, animal, or alien will step
through it rather than the targeted creature.
The spell will continue to function as
though the desired being had been ensnared, though.
Find familiar will locate no special familiars, and the only normal familiars available
in the vicinity of London will be black cats,
crows, and toads. Treat all other results as
no familiar available.
Gate will not function (see cleric spell).
Invisible stalker will not function; see
cleric spell dust devil.
Leomunds secret chest, if sent from the
home universe, cannot be retrieved in London. If one is placed in the Ethereal Plane
from the modern world, it will be lost if the
caster does not retrieve it before going
home.
Magic mirror has limited effect. See
druid spell reflecting pool.
Maze will fail 25% of the time, but when
successfully cast, it will have double duration because the isolation of Londons universe allows a larger extradimensional maze
to form.
Monster summonings (all levels) will not
work because there are no monsters in or
near London.
Protection from normal missiles will
provide an impenetrable barrier against
bullets and grenade fragments the best
bulletproof vest one could want. In similar

fashion, shield will still act to improve the

recipients armor class, and is thus also
handy to have when the lead starts to fly.
Reincarnation: See the druid spell reincarnate.
Sending acts as though London is six
planes removed from any other Prime Material alternate due to its isolation; sendings
beyond the Prime Material Plane also operate with this six-plane initial handicap
i.e., if one sends a message to an Elemental
Plane, there is a base 35% (5% x 6 plane
removal handicap, plus 5% for an actual
planar displacement) of an unsuccessful
sending.
Wall of stone will meld into concrete slabs
and bricks, as well as clay bricks, cinder
blocks, and asphalt.
Illusionist spells
Purely illusionary spells (phantasmal
force, create illusion, and the like) work
automatically on all natives of London, no
saving throw allowed, as noted above.
Astral spell: See the cleric spell of the
same name.
Demi-shadow magic and shadow magic
victims who fail their saving throws take
only one-half normal damage.
Magic mirror: See the druid spell reflecting pool.
Maze: See the magic-user spell of the
same name.
Shadow monsters, demi-shadow monsters, and shades will produce monsters that
have one-half the given hit points and inflict
half the given damage against victims who
make their saving throws, due to the remote
position of London with respect to the Plane
of Shadow.
Shadow walk will function correctly only
50% of, the time; 25% of the time it will fail
outright, and the other 25% of the time it
will leave the illusionist (and his companions, if any) stranded on the borders of the
Plane of Shadow.
Summon shadow will not function because of the remote connections between
London and other planes.
Vision will not function (see cleric spell
commune).
CLOSING INFORMATION
Characters will probably travel on foot
for the majority of this adventure; assume
for this purpose that PCs travel at a constant rate of 4 mph for large-scale tracking.
Otherwise, use standard movement rates for
dungeon scale. Of course, chases, running
and hiding, and the like will alter these
movement rates.
Characters will eventually encounter
British economics while in London, if the
DM is doing his job correctly. The British
pound sterling () is made up of ten shillings, each of which is in turn composed of
ten pennies (pence). Most prices in the
modern milieu should equal the Players
Handbook gold piece price in pounds,
except where such prices would be ridiculously high or low. Peddlers and costers will
sometimes sell their goods at substantial

discounts. Let common sense be your guide

here, and remember that for most consumer
goods, British prices are close to American
ones. At the time that this module takes
place (June 1985), 1 is roughly equal to
$1.33. If the DM wishes to have more
contemporary values, he should check with
local banks on the current exchange rates.
Adventurers will probably be unfamiliar
with the concept of paper money, travelers
checks, and bank accounts, but coins from
an AD&D universe are not going to be valid
currency in London. PCs must exchange
their coins for pounds if they intend to
spend their money in the city. The following
exchange rates will be in effect for the duration of the partys stay in London. Roll
variations in exchange rate every few days
or so in order to simulate various current
economic pressures and shifts.
AD&D coin
Copper
Silver
Electrum
Gold
Platinum

Value in British pounds

1-5 shillings per 10 cp
6 + 1d4 per sp
See below
150+1d10 per gp
320 + 1d20 per pp

Electrum is a gold-silver alloy that is

rarely seen or used. Assume that most
banks will be unfamiliar with it and will not
be willing or able to trade pounds for electrum coins. If a jeweler or metalsmith is
contacted, electrum may be sold for varying
amounts (10-100 per ep). Fantastic metals
like mithral or adamantite will bring varying prices, depending upon the DMs
whims.
American Express and other similar
institutions, located throughout London,
will give 100% of cash value; jewelers and
others will offer 60%. Either way, even the
poorest character will be well off here,
thanks to the gold-rich and inflationary
economies of most fantasy-campaign
worlds.
Thieves are going to have trouble with
modern cylinder locks, since they are beyond medieval state of the art. To simulate
the impact this new technology will have on
thief PCs, do the following. For the purposes of picking modern locks, all thieves
are regarded as being 1st level. For each
modern lock they successfully pick, they
regain one level of experience in lock picking until they return to their original level
of expertise. Combination locks will stymie
thieves with an intelligence of less than 15,
but those with an intelligence of 15 or better
will progress as with normal locks, except
that they cannot progress farther than two
levels below their actual level for picking
combination locks.
The location and disarming of traps is
another matter entirely. Until informed by
anyone familiar with what technological
burglar detection/prevention devices look
like, thieves will have no chance whatsoever
to detect them, let alone remove them.
However, once a thief is given a sufficiently
detailed and accurate description, the detection of technological traps such as photosenDRAGON 51

sors and motion detectors is handled in the

same manner as lock-picking. When instructed by one who is knowledgeable in
how to disarm such a unit, the thief will still
have only a 10% chance to deactivate it
(dexterity and racial bonuses do not apply
here). Failure on this roll indicates that the
device is immediately set off.
On a larger scale of problems, there are
the following: First, there is a time differential between the two sides of the gate. The
ratio is roughly one day (London) to one
month (AD&D universe). Thus, if PCs
spend any significant length of time in
London, they may be thought dead and the
usual procedures (reading of wills, selling of
property, whatever else is done depending
on the milieu) will be performed. The PCs
will NOT find any information that suggests that this time differential exists before
they step through the gate; let them find out
on their own.
This is unlikely to occur, though, because

The gate island

of the second problem. Because of this

universes isolation from the magical energies of the multiverse, those influences
which allow AD&D game characters to be
more powerful than modern men will be
lacking. Like a vitamin deficiency weakening a persons body, the lack of these vital
environmental factors will eventually cause
a loss of energy (experience) levels in PCs
who remain in London too long. After the
first month (should the party stay so long),
all characters will begin to lose one level per
week until they return to their home universe. Excursions to the Astral or Ethereal
Planes will, on a one-time basis, delay this
weakening for one month, but will not
prevent it. Once home, characters will
immediately start to regain levels at the
same rate at which they were lost.
One further point before the adventure
begins. The map provided covers but a
small portion of the city of London, although many major sites of interest are

Scale: 1 hex is
100 feet wide

included. Characters may express an interest in wandering beyond the edges of these
maps. It is not recommended that they be
allowed to do so even if you, the DM;
have the resources and inclination to let
them gallivant all over the British Isles.
They have a mission to complete, and they
will start to feel weak after a while, too, so
short-circuit the PCs any time they try to
move outside the modules area of focus.
The sudden appearance of blue police vans
in front of the party is a most effective, if
unsubtle, means of accomplishing this; even
encounters that might have otherwise been
mere casual run-ins can become important
enough to distract the players. After all,
London is a modern city, full of the hustle
and bustle of the crowd and the Crown.
There will always be something happening
somewhere, something to interest the party.
Keep them interested in London dont
give them a chance to wonder about areas
not on the map.
Good luck. And now . . .

The City Beyond the Gate

THE SCENARIO
There are a number of possible opening
scenarios, but they are almost all variants of
two basic situations, given below.
1) Over the course of several adventures,
the adventuring party accumulates a number of scraps of information regarding the
Mace. Most are legend and hearsay, but
two or three seem to suggest the location of
the Maces hiding place, and one hints of an
extra-planar location. Research on the little
solid information available yields the location of a small island relevant to the quest,
in a nearby sea or ocean.
2) In exchange for a needed resurrection,
regeneration, or similar favor, the party
undertakes the recovery of the Mace for a
high-level cleric or deitys servant. The
adventurers are given an enigmatic map
which displays an island and gives its approximate location. Optionally, the party
may be geased by the cleric to perform the
mission.
In either case above, it is up to the party
to obtain a ship or other passage to the
island, as well as appropriate equipment to
conduct the search for the Mace.
THE GATE ISLAND
At the location given in their sources, the
characters do find an island. Approximately
half a mile long north to south, it has a
lagoon guarded by two high cliffs to the
northeast, promontories at both the north
and south ends, and a high plateau in the
center. Some forested areas exist, especially
around the base of the plateau, but the isle
is predominantly grass-covered or white
sand beach. Upon the plateau can be seen a
simple white house, while on the south cliff,
a small temple-like building stands in partial ruin.
The lagoon is the best place to anchor a
ship, as it is sheltered and calm, its clear

52

AUGUST 1985

waters revealing white sand (and no dangers) below. Upon the partys anchoring
here (or at any other spot off the island, for
that matter), two young women will be seen
on the shore, hailing the ship. Both are redhaired and beautiful, and will introduce
themselves as Selvana and Lilith (not their
real names); they request that all seekers for
that which is of Law accompany them to
their humble home. They are modest and
kind, and are actually Type V demons
polymorphed into human shape: AC -5
(torso)/-7 (tail), MV 12, HD 7 + 7, hp 40
and 43, ATT: 6 weapons/1 constrict, DAM:
by weapon/2d4, MR: 80%) hit only by + 1
or better weapons, psionic (see below);
numerous special spell powers (see Monster
Manual for details). If a cleric attempts to
banish these demons (by rolling the score
for special on the Turning Undead
table), he will receive a + 1 bonus to the roll
due to the residual aura of Good which still
permeates this place.
Each of these two demons has the following psionic powers: clairvoyance, detection
of magic, and aura alteration. The latter
power will be used at all times when the
party is nearby, as the demons will be concealing their alignment (causing their auras
to radiate as lawful good). Anyone with
psionic powers will sense the use of psionics
from the two demon-ladies, but will not be
able to tell what powers are being employed
by them. If asked, the demons will say that
they are protecting themselves their isle
is sought after by many evil creatures, and
one cannot be too careful.
The demons were sent to the isle fifty
years ago by an unnamed demon prince (or,
optionally, the leading chaotic evil deity in
the current campaign). After destroying the
garrison by surprise, they established themselves to kill off any other adventurers who
happened to come upon the isle. Unless
attacked, the demon-ladies will quietly lead
the party to their home, the small white
house glimpsed from the ship. If possible,
they will attempt to charm the adventurers
secretly, one by one, and will detect invisible objects to make sure no one is creeping
up on them (though they will not act as if
they see anything unusual if they do see a
hiding thief or invisible magic-user).
1. The white stone house was built of
local fieldstone and whitewashed. This
simple structure has the look of a farmhouse
that has withstood many decades, maybe
even centuries of sea air and weather. There
are four rooms to this building.
A: Sitting/dining room. The centerpiece
of this room is a massive table surrounded
by a dozen chairs. It is well-worn as if many
a feast had been presented here before. The
room is lit by oil lamps suspended from
brackets on the stucco walls, which are
decorated with a great many weapons:
polearms, swords, and daggers of varying
ages and manufacture. Twelve weapons
have no dust on them: six each of battleaxes
and bastard swords. These are the demons
weapons, Should they be attacked anywhere

Island house

else on the island, the demons will teleport

here and assume their demonic forms to
wield their weapons. If a major party is
fighting against them, the demons will take
the time to summon 1-3 extra demons each
(only of types I-IV) to assist in the attack on
the party.
B: Kitchen. This room is furnished as a
fine kitchen, slightly better than such a
simple structure would suggest, with
enough cooking utensils and food storage to
feed a small garrison. A coldbox is set into
the floor in one corner, refrigerated by a
small spring that wells up nearby and provides water for the whole house. The coldbox is large enough to hold four humansized creatures. On a high shelf in the opposite corner of the room, hidden from direct
view by several canisters of spices, are five
unlabeled potion bottles that contain the
first part of a two-stage poison. This bottled
substance is harmless by itself, but becomes
deadly when combined with the second part
(see below). Note that a spell or power that
detects poison will fail to register this substance (or the second part of the poison) as
dangerous.
C: Sleeping quarters for the party. Again,
this room looks to have served a small troop
of people at one time or another, for the
room has a dozen beds. It is lit by candles
in sconces on the walls. These candles are
impregnated with the second part of the
two-stage poison found in area B. As before, this part of the poison is harmless
unless mixed with the first part above. The

Scale: 1 square = 5 feet

demons will light the candles in this room

before the party retires for bed that night.
D: The demons quarters. This room
appears to be a very plain room with simple, hard beds and a small shrine, but this is
a permanent illusion. The room actually
contains two large nests in which the demons rest while in their natural forms.
Entering the room will not dispel the illusion, which possesses tactile and olfactory
components; it requires a deliberate effort
to disbelieve the rooms contents to gain a
saving throw. Scattered and mixed in with
the rubbish of the nests are the following
items, all belonging to the demons previous
victims: 20,000 gp, 14 gems, a gold armlet
worth 2500 gp, a platinum necklace inset
with emeralds worth 10,000 gp, a chime of
opening with 20 charges left, three jars of
Keoghtoms ointment, and a scroll of seven
magic-user spells: mass charm, crystalbrittle, symbol, contact other plane, time stop,
ice storm, and Mordenkainens magnificent
mansion.
The demons will invite the party to stay
with them and prepare themselves for their
search for the Mace, and will cook them a
sumptuous meal, liberally laced with the
first part of the two-stage poison. The second part (as mentioned before) is in the
candles in the partys quarters, and anyone
breathing the air therein within ten hours of
ingesting the first component of the poison
will suffer the following effects. First, fatigue will set in within 1-2 hours, causing
characters to save vs. death magic or fall
DRAGON 53

asleep for 5-10 hours. Those who save will

be groggy and will fight at -2 to hit, and
will lose all dexterity bonuses to armor
class. The characters will also be severely
weakened, their strength scores falling by 36 points for 2-5 hours before they fully
recover. Characters who fall asleep cannot
be awakened for the first 2-5 hours of sleep,
except by a neutralize poison or wish. The
demons will attack as soon as all party
members are so drugged. If no one eats of
the demons food, the demons will act offended but will say they understand (and
they will attack the party at the best possible
opportunity afterwards).
If the demons are destroyed or dispelled,
a spirit will appear (treat as similar to a
haunt from Monster Manual II, except that
it cannot possess characters and is able to
communicate with living beings). The spirit
will take the form of an old but robust man
in the garb of a cleric. Identifying himself as
Girard, a priest of St. Cuthbert, he will
explain that he is the original guardian of
the gate, and headed a garrison of troops
housed in the white house to protect the
way to the Mace from those who would
destroy it. He and his troops were murdered by the demons, who took his place to
ensure that no force of Good would reach
the Mace. While his troops were taken to
their reward above, Girard was charged to
remain until the demons were vanquished.
To show his power, he will resurrect any two
good-aligned party members slain in the
battle with the demons. He will then lead
the party to the mace detector and the
gate.
2. A small cave hidden by brush is the
first place to which the spirit of Girard leads
the party. It is a tiny opening in the side of
the plateau, curtained by the scrub and
bushes that surround the base. Unless led
there by Girard, only rangers, elves, and
half-elves have a chance to notice this cave
(2% chance per level for rangers, normal
chance of noticing concealed doors for elves
and half-elves). The demons never found
this cave, being more interested in protecting the isle than in exploring it.
The cave is small and cramped, with
room enough for only two people and
Girard. (A third can be fitted, but that
would mean someone would have to stand
in the same place as the spirit an unnerving but harmless experience.) The caves
stone floor has a thaumaturgic triangle,
inlaid with gold (12 gp worth), inscribed
thereon. At the center of the triangle is a
short wooden post surmounted by what
appears to be a 6-inch elliptical disk of white
quartz, with the emblem of a mace engraved on the end of one long axis.
This disk, Girard will tell the party, is the
device that will lead them to the Mace of
Cuthbert on the other side of the gate. It
will flash a blue-white light at a rate dependent upon the nearness of the Mace 10
flashes per minute for a mile or more distance, 20 per minute down to 1/2 mile, 40
per minute down to 1/4 mile, 80 per minute
54

AUGUST 1985

between 1/4 and 1/8 mile, and 120 flashes per

minute when between 1/8 mile and 200. At
closer than 200, the mace detector gives off
a continuous glow. The brightness of the
light emitted is relative to the facing of the
crystals engraved mace end toward the
Mace. That is, the glow is brightest when it
is facing in the direction of the Mace, and it
is darkest when it faces ninety degrees or
more away.
3. The gate building is the ruined temple
that could be seen from the ship when
rounding the south end of the island. When
the adventurers near the structure, they will
see that it is actually built in the form of an
open, Parthenon-like structure with randomly laid stone blocks about it that make
the building appear from a distance to be
crumbling. The two demons have explored
this building before, but having no means
to open or control the gate, they have left it
alone.
The interior of this structure is quite
empty and clean, as if it were swept regularly. It is bare of all furnishings and ornamentation, save for a massive stone arch in
the exact center of the floor. This 12 tall,
10 wide arch is the magical, interplanar
gate leading to London. Girard tells the
party that the gate opens from either side by
holding the detector disk toward it and
commanding, Open! After wishing the
party luck and performing a benediction,
the spirit will go to his well-deserved rest.
Unless otherwise garrisoned by the player
characters and their servants, the island will
probably be uninhabited by any intelligent
creatures while the party is adventuring
through the gate. See, however, the section
at the end of this module on closing the
adventure.
BEYOND THE GATE
Once through the gate, the party members will find themselves on a wooded isle in
a small lake with lightly wooded shores.
Beyond the young trees on the lakeshore
can be seen open fields in which there seems
to be scattered public recreational activity.
The characters have gated in on the
major island in the Boating Lake of Battersea Park, London, south of the Thames
River and one of the many parks in the city.
The party will exit the gate through an arch
exactly like the one on Gate Island, except
that this one has a small plaque on one side
that reads: Sculpture donated by Hon.
Edward Cuthbert 1932. If perchance
some PCs search for records pertaining to
Edward Cuthbert, they will find that no
such records exist. Given the time differenHow to read the map key
The large map on pages 56-57 is keyed
with two sets of numbers. The numbers 1
through 7 printed inside squares refer to
locations described in the Beyond the
Gate text section, and the numbers 1
through 9 printed inside circles refer to
locations described in the Large-Scale
Map section that begins on page 59.

tial between the universes, the gate between

London and the current campaign world
has been established for over 640 years
(reckoning by the fantasy worlds years).
The weather will initially be clear, bright,
and sunny. The London time is 9 a.m.,
June 1, 1985 (or the current time when this
scenario is played out). If desired, the DM
may have the weather patterns follow that
currently experienced in either London or
in the nearest major city, so long as such
conditions would logically occur in London
(no monsoons, tornadoes, etc.). No other
people will be on the island when the PCs
first appear, though future scenarios may
not allow the party to be so lucky.
1. Battersea Park is slightly larger than
the average London park in size, lightly
wooded around the edges and around the
lakes, with the central east-west lane lined
with trees. The remainder of the park is
open grassy meadow. Its many paths make
it a popular locale for horseback riding. The
area called The Festival Pleasure Gardens is a collection of buildings including a
bandstand, a small amphitheatre, stables,
refreshment stands, and the like.
Once the party gets off the island, they
will encounter a police officer (end-level
fighter, AC 9, hp 12, armed with billy club)
grappling with a blonde girl about twelve
years old. The police officer will be swearing at her as she kicks his shins and yells for
help, insisting I aint done nothing! The
girl is named Charlotte; she is a street urchin and a 3rd-level thief (see the description of Charlotte at the end of this module).
She is armed with a slingshot and 20 stones
(treat as sling stone for range, doing 1-2/1
points of damage).
If the party does not interfere, the police
officer will eventually wrestle Charlotte into
submission and cart her off into the city.
The bobbie will be so intent on this that he
is only 15% likely to notice the party. If the
PCs decide to get involved, the officer will
be so astounded by their appearance that he
will let go of Charlotte (who will immediately hide behind the nearest PC and put on
a very innocent-looking expression) and will
be dazed for one round. Once he recovers,
he will attempt to get the girl back, politely
at first, then becoming progressively more
threatening. If his threats are answered or
topped, he will retreat and report the party
to the nearest station house (thus making
them subject to arrest if identified). He does
not want the girl desperately enough to try
fighting it out with the PCs who confront
him.
If the group thus successfully defends
Charlotte, she will thank them, tell them
that theyve gotten themselves in trouble
with the woolies, and offer them a place
to hide. Should the party not accept the
offer, she will repeat it, more urgently, and
if the PCs still decline, she will reluctantly
leave them. There is a 15% chance that any
subsequent street urchin encounter will
include Charlotte, who will repeat her offer;
also, should the PCs find themselves in a
(Text continues on page 59)

56

AUGUST 1985

DRAGON 57

58 A U G U S T 1985

serious situation, there is a 20% chance that

Charlotte will appear to offer help.
If the party accepts her offer, she will
remain with the party (unless convinced or
forced to do otherwise) for the duration of
their stay in London. All urchins encountered by PCs while she accompanies them
will be automatically well disposed to them
because of her influence.
2. Abandoned house. This is a large,
three-story building with fading grey and
black paint on Battersea High Street. Near
the top are painted the letters Bunham
Patent Locks, Ltd. It has apparently been
empty for years, but it is now home for
Charlotte and two of her friends: Nicky, a
tousle-haired lad of twelve years, and
Rocco, a black youth of about eleven (see
the descriptions given at the end of this
adventure). While most of the house is in
acceptable condition, the children inhabit
the basement because it is easier to keep
light from leaking out of its small windows
at night. Charlotte will lead the party here,
where it is comfortable and theres enough
room for everyone on its floor. There will be
some argument between Charlotte and her
roommates over food and room, but she will
win out in the end.
The house is entered through a broken
cellar door in the rear of the building. In a
closet on the third floor of this house can be
found Charlottes secret cache of books: La
Morte dArthur, Ivanhoe, Robin Hood,
and a number of modern swords-andsorcery novels and novel trilogies.
If communication can be established with
the children, they will ask the party hundreds of questions concerning their business
in London, their homes, their equipment,
and anything else the DM can imagine. If
the party reveals any information on their
true mission and origins (and can demonstrate a little magic), the children will do
everything they can to help the adventurers
without risking their lives directly. The
children will be tempted to steal a few minor items from the group, but if well
treated, they will return the items after a
short inspection.
3. Doctors office. In this building is the
office of Dr. Andrew Bainbridge. He is in
his sixties, and treats the street children free
of charge out of concern for their wellbeing, and because he once lived in the
streets as a boy. The children in return
respect him and consider him a friend.
They trust him implicitly and he has never
betrayed them or their trust. However, he is
a law-abiding man, and if PCs are brought
to him and they are wanted by the police,
he will feel obligated to turn them in should
he recognize them.
Dr. Andrew Bainbridge is treated as a
sage (AC 10, hp 24, no attacks) with the
special categories of human biology and
human psychology, plus a minor field of
chemistry. He possesses 1st-level thief skills
(left over from his days as an urchin). He
can immediately restore 1-6 lost hit points

through wound treatment, with a 50%

chance for an additional 1-4 points next day,
followed by normal healing rate. He can
cure most acute diseases of no greater than
moderate severity in 1-8 days with his prescriptions and treatments. When he does
charge for treatments, his bill is on the
order of 8- 11.
4. Churches. A number of churches are
found on the map; unless otherwise noted,
90% are Anglican churches and the remainder are Catholic.
5. Libraries. These are public libraries,
holding 5,000-30,000 volumes each. While
they have circulating collections, it will be
unlikely that the PCs will qualify for cards.
There is a 3% chance per library that there
are 1-2 books on magic that could actually
aid magical research.
6. Battersea police station. This is the
primary police station for the Battersea
area, from the Thames to the park, and
south to Battersea Park Road. It is detailed
below, and a plan of the building is pro-

vided. If the DM is doing his job right, a

PC will sooner or later end up here.
A: Entry hall. This narrow corridor is
filled with traffic at all hours; there will
usually be 1-4 police officers passing
through every round, and 25% of the time
they will be escorting prisoners. For a little
excitement, allow a 5% chance per prisoner
being moved that he will get free, grab a
gun, and try to shoot his way out.
B: Office. This is where citizens walking
in off the street will go to talk to a police
representative. The room is divided by a
long counter, behind which are two desks
covered with paper. There are three officers
in this room, unarmed. They are generally
very polite and helpful.
C: Chiefs office. The local captain has
his office here. It is immaculate, perfectly
clean and neat. The captain is something of
a fanatic on cleanliness, and there is some
dislike of him among the ranks because of
this. PCs arrested because they were recognized as wanted will be brought immediately to Captain Byrne; otherwise, they will
be put in the holding area (E) right after
being booked (Captain Byrne: 4th-level

Battersea police station

Scale: 1 square = 10 feet
DRAGON 59

fighter, AC 9 (7 in riot gear), hp 35, LN,

armed with .38 revolver). At any given
time, Byrne is 60% likely to be in his office.
D: Communication and records. Two of
the walls of this room are lined with filing
cabinets. On the third is a switchboard and
radio setup, with two officers manning it at
all times. Another two officers handle the
records, which includes booking all incoming prisoners and notifying London central
police headquarters of their arrest. The
basic booking procedure takes fifteen minutes per prisoner and includes fingerprints,
photographs, and basic form-filling.
E: Holding area. This bank of cells is a
temporary holding area, housing prisoners
until they can be transported to the main
complex elsewhere in the city (one day is
the average wait). The cells are of simple
iron bar construction. All prisoners will be
frisked and all personal belongings are
removed, tagged, and stored in the closet on
the west end of the room. The cells are
segregated by gender, and at any given
time, they will be filled with 2-16 drunks
and suspects of assorted crimes ranging
from prostitution and petty theft to murder.
F: Squad Room. The area where off-duty
officers rest, eat, drink coffee and tea, read
newspapers, and talk. There are always 312 officers in this room at any time. Against
the west wall is a bank of vending machines, dispensing sandwiches and drinks.
Along the south wall is a row of coat hooks.
Under the third coat from the left is a belt
holster holding an unloaded .38 revolver. A
box containing 30 bullets can be found in
the right pocket of the coat. Along the east
wall of the room is a weapons rack holding
3 shotguns, 4 rifles, 10 .45 caliber handguns, and 20 rounds of ammunition for
each. The rack is locked with a combination
lock and is constructed of steel bars and
wire screening.
In a locked cabinet next to the rack hang
three bulletproof vests. Made of a special
plastic mesh, they will stop bullets or other
projectiles (arrows, sling bullets, etc.) from
any range; no real damage will be sustained, but a character wearing a vest must
roll his dexterity or under on a d20 when
shot to keep from being bowled over by the
impact. A vest is similar to padded armor
and has an encumbrance of 50 gp; it provides protection against all blunt weapons
such as maces, reducing all damage from
them to 1 point. However, if struck by an
edged weapon, it must save as cloth vs.
crushing blow at + 3, or it will be pierced
and the wearer will sustain damage.
50% of the officers in the station are 1stlevel fighters with AC 9 and 6 hp, 35% are
2nd level with 16 hp, and 15% are 3rd level
with 35 hp; all are armed with billyclubs
and .38 revolvers. In the basement of the
station is a generator to provide emergency
power and two 50-gallon drums of gasoline
to run it. Outside the building proper is a
garage holding two squad cars and one van,
and an adjoining stable housing three
horses (treat as light warhorses, but having
no effective attacks).
60 AUGUST 1985

7. Battersea Church Road. This is not a

description of a particular building, but
rather a rundown of the more important or
noticeable features of a street. The road is a
major marketplace one could even call it
a social center for the Battersea neighborhood. Every day the street is jammed
with crowds and costers (salesmen with
pushcarts) from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is in
these crowds that Charlotte and her friends
obtain their food and what little money they
possess. In regard to this, there is a 5%
chance per urchin (should they accompany
PCs to the market) that he or she will be
caught swiping something, with predictable
results.
From where the Church Road starts on
the Battersea Bridge Road down to where it
ends at Westbridge Road, there can be
found a coster or van every few feet. The
most common item sold is food: there are
many greengrocers with barrows holding
fruits, fresh fish, large crabs, donuts, pretzels, and other foodstuffs. Ironmongery,
hardware, and the like are also common. In
addition to the costers, there are stalls set
up along the length of the street, and the
holders of these stalls often sell goods right
out of the vans that they park by them. An
eclectic collection of products is available;
assume an 85% chance to find any particular item (within reason), at a 0-19% (d20-1)
discount, after 6-60 rounds of searching.
Aside from the carts and stalls, food can
be found in regular shops along the length
of Church Road. All shops and taverns
serve dark English beer, but they do also
provide stronger beverages and foreign
brands.
A junkyard is located a block down from
the Bridge Road along the Thames side of
the street. Beyond it is a British Army
surplus store which sells knives, compasses,
fatigues, and everything short of firearms
and vehicles. Devices like flares and
battery-powered torches (flashlights) will
not work in the AD&D universe unless the
DM so allows it, but compasses and other
non-powered items will. Next to the surplus
store is a pawnshop, where items may be
pawned for up to 20% of their total value.
LARGE-SCALE MAP
Expanding outward from the Battersea
area, we come to the larger-scale map of
London, reaching north as far as Hyde
Park. There are several places of interest
within this area:
1. Buckingham Palace. Dont even think
of letting PCs in here. This site is included
on the map for atmosphere and is not in
any way connected to the fulfillment of the
partys mission, The entire area of the
Palace grounds, as defined by the streets
around it, is surrounded by a 12 stone wall
with iron spikework on top. The only visible
gates are in the front, facing out on the
Mall, the street/park that proceeds roughly
northeast parallel to St. James Park. These
are the gates guarded by the famous, expressionless Coldstream Guards. There are

two guards for each of the three gates (3rdlevel fighters, AC 8, hp 20, armed with
rifles). The palace is closed to tours during
the partys stay for various reasons.
The palace is regarded with an almost
religious respect by street urchins as the
place where the Queen lives. Should the
party members consider storming Buckingham Palace, any urchins with them at the
time will attempt to dissuade them; should
they fail in this attempt, they will quietly
sneak away, not to return, while PCs ready
themselves. Then, if the PCs continue with
their plan, the DM should immediately
throw in as many SWAT teams as it takes to
convince them of the foolishness of their
actions. The palace, being the home of the
Royal Family, is extraordinarily well protected. For game purposes, assume an
unlimited number of troops will arrive,, all
totally loyal to the Crown and not checking
morale. Thieves trying to climb over the
wall will be noted immediately by patroling
guards and arrested, if not shot; those trying to escape arrest will be fired upon.
2. Victoria Station. This is the major
train station for this area of London, connecting with the subways and many lines
out of the city, all more or less underground, starting at Victoria Station Square.
It is a huge building, although only about
half of it is concourses and other areas
where the public is welcome. However, that
half will be heavily populated at all times
except between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5
a.m.; it will be most heavily conjested between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 4
p.m. and 6 p.m., when the London rush
hours fill the buildings public areas to
overflowing. Off the main concourses, PCs
will be noted by security guards immediately and will be escorted back to the public
section unless they can give a plausible
reason for their presence there.
Most trains leaving Victoria Station do
not stop again in the city. Unless you plan
to take on the immense job of running a
campaign in England at large, do not let
characters find out how to get tickets or
even what the station is; tell them that the
crowds are too confusing and their jostling,
scurrying movement makes it impossible to
get ones bearings for more than a few
moments at a time. If visited at night, all
facilities in the station except for a few ticket
windows will be dark, and the clerks at
those windows will not take favorably to
customers who havent the faintest idea
where they want to go or by what trains or
lines.
3. The Royal Hospital. Perhaps the
largest hospital in metropolitan London, the
Royal Hospital, overlooking its spacious
gardens and the Thames beyond them to
the south, is a massive building of grey
stone nearly a quarter of a mile long, with
several smaller buildings on either side of it.
One of these smaller buildings serves as the
hospitals psychiatric ward.
Should PCs end up in the psychiatric

ward, they will first be seen by a consulting

psychiatrist, who will administer the standard ink-blot, word-association, and other
tests, after which PCs will be dressed in
standard hospital gowns and placed either
in a ward with 5-20 other patients or in
isolation if they resisted capture. What
happens after this is largely up to the DM.
Great potential for humor can be found
here (exactly how does the psychiatrist
explain an elf?), as well as suspense (how
will the PCs escape?). If the PCs are wanted
by the police, then they and their gear will
be turned over to the authorities once it is
concluded that they are no longer any real
danger.
The Royal Hospital is open continuously.
Because of Englands socialized medicine,
nearly any citizen can obtain treatment at a
minimal cost. PCs, on the other hand, may
have some problems with the bureaucrats
who manage the hospitals paperwork. If
the PC in question needs aid badly enough,
he will be an emergency room case, with
no attention paid to the paperwork until
after the initial treatment. Otherwise, characters attempting to get treatment will have
to fill out long forms that have questions
about their places of residence, medical
plan, and other information which will not
be believed if answered truthfully; these
forms take three turns to fill out, with a
25% chance of an error being made which
requires the completion of a new set of
forms. Non-emergency medical treatment
will not be provided until the forms are
filled. This assumes, of course, that the PCs
can read and write English.
Assume that most medical treatment
costs the same number of English pounds as
the equivalent spell would cost in gold
pieces back home. However, the hospitals methods are not as time-effective as
spells. Roll 1d4 per level of the curative
spell equivalent to the treatment being
performed; this gives the number of weeks
the patient must stay in the hospital (except
for the equivalents of cure light wounds,
which can be administered without an
extended stay and which take effect immediately). Multiply the die roll by one-eighth of
the basic cost of the treatment for the cost of
the stay itself. Note that modern medical
technology can duplicate the effects of spells
only up to regeneration, and that only for
the reattachment of a severed limb. Raise
dead and resurrection are beyond the modern doctor, except for those techniques used
in surgery for reviving patients on the table.
4. Battersea Power Station. This is a
typical electricity-generating plant. It is a
large, grey and beige, stonish-looking building with tall smokestacks, surrounded by an
8 chain-link fence. Around the plant itself
are several smaller buildings, including a
depot for several sidings that extend from
the main rail lines passing close to the station. There are always 8-15 (1d8 + 7) guards
on duty at the gate and along the perimeter
(guards: 4th-level fighters, hp 23, AC 9,
armed with .357 revolvers). Perimeter

guards are accompanied by 2 guard dogs

each (2HD, hp 12, AC 8, ATT 1 for 2-8).
Should the party members manage to
enter the station proper, they will find massive furnaces burning coal and undefined
mechanical devices that extend from them,
humming and occasionally giving off steam.
An unprotected character who comes within
10 of the furnaces will suffer 2-8 points of
heat damage per round of closeness. Examining the mechanical devices (the generators, turbines, and steam conduits) will
result in the following: heat/electrical damage of 2-16 points (75%), or the examining
character will be dragged in by the machinery and crushed to death (25%; save vs.
petrification for merely 4-48 points of damage). Poking around with metal or partmetal implements will result in an electric
shock doing 10d6 of damage (no save).
Every turn there is a 50% chance that the
party will be seen by a technician who will
summon a security force of five men (5thlevel fighters, hp 35, otherwise same as the
guards) to escort the party to one of the
smaller buildings while they call the police.
Both the police and the security force will
assume that the PCs are a group of terrorists and take no chances with them.
5. The Underground. The London Underground is one of the more famous subway systems in the world, and to a limited
extent PCs may use it to shorten traveling
times north of the Thames. At the cost of
two shillings per person, the Underground
will transport characters from station to
station in one-tenth the time it would take
for them to walk the distance. As long as
characters remain on the system, it does not
matter if they leave the boundaries of the
map; if they stay on the train long enough,
they will return to where they started. If
PCs get off at a stop beyond the map edges,
simply tell them that they are lost. All passersby will be able to tell them where the
Underground station is if the characters lose
sight of it. Stations are marked with large
signs having the following design: a red
circle with a bar through it horizontally. On
the bar is written in white, Underground.
All street urchins will have perfect knowledge of the Underground in their neighborhoods, and are 75% certain of areas outside
their own.
In case characters somehow get pushed
onto an Underground track, there are four
rails, two of which carry 660 volts DC.
Persons shorting out the live rails will be
frozen to them by the current, and will take
1d20 points of damage per segment until
freed. Using conducting materials to free
them is not a good idea, since the person
doing so will be frozen by the current just
like the person he is trying to rescue. To
make matters worse, a new train appears
every two turns; its impact damage will be
5-50 points per person at any point between
stations, and 2-20 at a station. Characters
not stuck to rails by the current flow receive
a save vs. petrification to avoid the oncoming train by rolling out of the way.

6. The Royal Albert Hall. A huge circular domed building of reddish stone, the
Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall of great
size. Small signs outside the hall read,
David Bowie Live in Concert! One Night
Only! Tickets available now: 5.5, 8.5,
10. On the doors to the Hall, though, are
signs reading, Closed for repair and maintenance, and inquiries at the box office will
reveal that the Hall will be closed for another two weeks. The southern doors to the
Hall are open, though, and a small pickup
truck is parked by them. The truck has a
sign on it which reads, R. Starkney, Contractor, 4000 Wholsen Road, Blackburn,
Lancastershire, and in the trucks bed are
assorted tools, tiles, paint pots, and lumber.
If PCs enter the Hall, they will find Mr.
Starkney hard at work repairing a number
of small holes in the floor of the building.
Internally, the Hall resembles any large
auditorium.
7. Imperial College of Science and Technology (7A) and The Royal College of
Science (7B). These two colleges are bustling with students (it being the end of the
spring semester and near exam time). If
PCs wander around here, there is a 75%
chance for every five rounds of wandering
that a student will ask them if they are
looking for someone or something, or will
ask if he can help them. If characters happen to observe lectures or classes, they will
be able to understand the basics of nearly
everything they hear being discussed, except for elementary courses in geology,
physics and mathematics.
In the Archaeology department of the
Royal College of Science can be found an
expert on old weapons who has examined
the Mace of Cuthbert in the Victoria and
Albert Museum across the street, and plans
to write a paper on its unique metallurgical
properties as compared to other weapons
from the same period. Professor Byron
Marlowe, Ph.D. (0 level, AC 10, hp 8,
STR 16, INT 17, CON 17), is a robust and
hearty 65-year-old, and he knows how to
use the deceptively decorative weapons that
hang on his walls: a morning star, a broadsword, a halberd, and a crossbow. However, he is not a violent, or even unlikeable,
man; he is quite personable and will take
the time to talk about his work with anyone
who expresses interest, and will go into
ecstasies if he meets someone whose knowledge of medieval weapons meets or exceeds
his own. He is quick-witted and strong of
arm, and will not hesitate to grab one of his
weapons (the morning star is his favorite;
he has not worked with the broadsword
enough to manage it yet) if he is threatened
or attacked.
8. The Natural History Museum. This
museum is filled predominantly with galleries of dinosaur bones, rocks, meteors,
displays on cultural groups, English history,
and the like. One gallery has as its centerpiece a massive, 30 -diameter globe of the
Earth, showing the planet in great detail,
DRAGON 61

rotating on its axis. For more details, just

picture the typical museum, and describe
things in terms that will be moderately
puzzling to characters. Remember that it is
a small museum, and as such, it need not
be extensive.
This museum is provided mainly as a
diversion; errors in triangulation or whatever other method is used to zero in on the
Mace can possibly indicate that this building holds the Mace instead of the Victoria
and Albert Museum; and it does contain a
display of ancient weapons, including a
couple of maces. This display just happens
to be located parallel to the location of the
Mace across the street in the other museum.
That is, if the mace detector is pointed at
this display, it will register positively for the
actual Mace, which is about 150 beyond it.
Characters paying close attention to the
mace detector will note that its brightest
light is about five degrees off the line pointing directly at the maces here, although the
continuous glow implies that the actual
Mace is nearby.
9. Victoria and Albert Museum. One of
Londons many fine museums, the Victoria
and Albert specializes in the fine and applied arts. Spread throughout its two floors
and many galleries can be found everything
from 20th-century watercolors to medieval
illuminated manuscripts to arms and armor
from many of Earths cultures. It is in this
building that the Mace of Cuthbert lies.
The following is a short summary of
pertinent details necessary to the presentation of the museum in game play. The
museum is located north of the Thames,
approximately a mile and a half from Battersea Park and the urchins home. It is
open every day, and admission is free.
Free tours depart from room 25 on the
first floor every hour starting at 10 a.m.,
providing an excellent opportunity to scout
the museum and assess its defenses. These
tours stop in almost every gallery for a few
minutes, and the tour guides provide a
running commentary on the major items on
display, as well as answering (or, at least,
trying to answer) any and all questions.
Security appears nonexistent during the
day, but in any given room at any time
there is a 50% chance that a plainclothes
officer will be present. Plainclothesmen are
armed with .38 revolvers and should be
considered the equivalent of 4th-level fighters, with 27 hp and AC 8 due to training
and clothing. Any disturbance in the presence of a plainclothesman will be immediately responded to by the officer, and all
disturbances (whether or not an officer is
present) will be answered by 1-4 other
plainclothes officers in one round.
All items on display, unless specifically
described otherwise, are found in glass
cases. Breaking the glass or moving a case
more than one inch (real scale) will trigger
an alarm, bringing 2-12 security personnel
in one round during the day, and 6-15 after
closing. All will be armed with .38 revolv62 AUGUST 1985

ers. At night, all major galleries also have

electric-eye beams surrounding the more
valuable exhibits; these may be noted during the day, since they are not hidden. In
addition, all display areas have ultrasonic
motion detectors scanning them. Due to
their superior hearing, gnomes have a 70%
chance of actually hearing the ultrasonic
pulses sent out twice a second by these
devices. Breaking a beam or moving too
quickly in the area of a motion detector will
have the same result as tampering with a
display case.
Note that motion detectors can be defeated by moving slowly enough; they operate by scanning the echo pattern reflected
from the area they cover and comparing it
to the pattern stored from the last scan. If
the two patterns vary by more than a certain percentage, the alarm is triggered. By
moving slowly enough, the increments of
change in position can be reduced below the
detectors alarm threshold. Exactly what is
slowly enough is up to the individual DM
and how difficult he wishes to make this
portion of the adventure.
At night, all alarms will also sound in a
nearby police station, resulting in the appearance of 2-5 police cars with two officers
in each (identical in stats to security plainclothesmen) in 5-8 rounds.
The museum security force consists of 40
men during the day (25 being 3rd-level
fighter equivalents with 19 hit points each,
and the remaining 15 conforming to the
general statistics given above). At night, the
museum contingent numbers 50 (35 3rdlevel and 15 4th-level equivalents). Several
two-man teams constantly patrol the museum after closing, armed with .38 revolvers
and billy clubs and carrying a walkie-talkie,
with which they communicate with the
security center; every fifteen minutes, such
a patrol will enter each room/area, examine
it for 1 round, and then depart unless their
suspicion is aroused or they are attacked.
The museum is constructed generally with
smooth walls and floors, so that the sounds
of a scuffle or combat may carry and have a
50% chance of attracting the attention of
another patrol. These will report in to the
security center, then investigate. If they do
not check back three rounds later, 5-10
more security guards, all of them armed,
will be dispatched to the guards last reported location.
At all times during open hours, there will
be from 3-30 people present in each room or
gallery, taking tours or just walking about
the museum on their own. All are O-level
characters with 1-3 hit points. There is a
10% chance that a professional thief (13thlevel equivalent) will be present in the museum, and will notice PCs as being out of
place. He will surreptitiously follow them
and attempt to find out what they are planning or doing.
Note that during open hours and for
some time afterward, the museum is
brightly lit. Commencing two hours after
closing, lighting will be reduced to roughly
the level of torchlight. Even so, there is no

limitation on radius of vision, since all

lighting comes from conveniently spaced
fixtures overhead or on the walls. There are
few shadows inside the museum that are
suitable for thieves hiding abilities.
The following are standard descriptions
for several common room types found in the
museum.
Elevators (marked E on the maps): Each
of these is a chamber roughly 7 square,
with a sliding metal door. On the outside,
next to the door, is found a small plate with
two buttons of a horn-like material; one is
marked with an arrow pointing up, the
other with an arrow pointing down. Pressing the button causes it to glow. After 1-2
rounds, the glow ceases and the door slides
open. The interior is wood-paneled, and to
one side of the door is another plate similar
to the one outside, except that the buttons
are marked 1 and 2. The elevator
doors will close 3 segments after they open,
but unless a floor button is pressed, they
will not move for several rounds, at which
time they will go to the other floor to pick
up 1-8 museum visitors.
Closets (marked C on the maps): These
are irregular in shape and size, but all will
contain 1-4 each of the following items:
brooms, pails, mops, and buckets/bottles of
cleaning supplies. There is a 50% chance
that one of the following may also be found
there: large cartons holding paper towels
and toilet paper, a wheeled trash bin large
enough to hold two human-sized creatures,
or 1-6 partially full trash bags.
Offices (marked O on the maps): These
rooms each have 1-4 desks (depending on
floor space available), occasionally covered
with papers. For every desk, there will be
one computer terminal available. During
the day, an office will have double its number of desks in people (all 0 level with 1 hp)
bustling about. If a PC enters an office, the
people therein will demand to know his
business with them. If the PC does not
answer, or answers incorrectly, he will be
shown the door and told the department
that he does want to see. At night, offices
will have no inhabitants and will be unlit.
Departmental offices: Six offices are
identified in the key as departmental offices. Each one has from 6-10 desks, double the number of desks in people working
there, and at least four computer terminals.
They will usually be decorated in a manner
appropriate to their department. Department people tend to be busier than others,
but they will try to help if the PCs have a
problem related to their field.
Some doors on the maps are marked X.
These doors bear signs reading Authorized
Personnel Only. Museum visitors will not
open these doors, although security and
other staff members regularly pass through
them. Anyone who is not a museum employee and is found past these doors is told
by the nearest employee that they are in a
closed section and are kindly asked to leave.
If the PCs refuse, security guards will be
called and will appear in one round to escort them to a public room.

Computer terminals will be found in

almost every office. They are the standard
video type, that is, having a keyboard attached by a cable to a TV-like monitor, the
whole attached by another cable to a box
mounted on a nearby wall. If a PC is successful in rolling on the modern artifact
table to understand the terminal, he may
then access any information desired. All
references to the Mace of Cuthbert refer to
it as a 12th-century mace with extraordinary resistance to rust and corrosion and
link it with two nearby swords that possess
the same properties.
Note that most room descriptions following are very vague. This is because there
are so many items in each room that describing them would prove prohibitively
long. Outstanding items will be noted, but
it is suggested that the DM either research
appropriate furnishings or improvise as
needed. Unless otherwise noted, though,
room contents will generally have no appar-

ent value to the characters, other than their

intrinsic beauty or appeal. In any case,
most items will be too distinctive to be
disposed of in London.
First floor
Note that many first floor galleries extend
upward to the roof and the skylights there.
Many of the second-floor areas are balconies and walkways over these rooms. The
glass in the skylights is old and fragile, and
will shatter with any impact.
1. Entry Hall. This area, like the rest of
the museum, is floored with marble slabs. A
dome soars 50 overhead. Statues of Buddha are seated in the corners of the hall,
and the finely sculpted staircases to the east
and west lead upward to the next floor and
down to the mens and ladies rooms. A
uniformed security guard sits in the center
of a circular desk just inside the main entrance to the museum.
2. Central Hall. This is the center of a

Museum, first floor

long hall extending both east and west. It

arches up like a cathedral to form the roof
30 up; skylights punctuate this roof. Two
walkways cross this room immediately
overhead, and mezzanines can be seen to
either side. Here are found more Buddhist
figures.
3. West Hall. This long section is filled
with an eclectic collection of items, including ornately sculpted fireplace fronts, doll
houses, architectural woodwork like
columns and balustrades, all finely done,
and the entire front of a house (dated 1500)
which looks like the latest in architecture
back home.
4. East Hall. This gallery is filled with
examples of Italian and French architecture,
including a whole Italian chapel from the
fifteenth century. Its altarpiece has a painting of a knight (St. George) slaying a green
dragon. Also, a number of sculpted busts
are found here. A walkway crosses overhead
50 from the eastern end of the hall.

Scale: 1 square = 10 feet

DRAGON 63

5. Florentine sculpture, including

Christ in the Sepulchre, Christ Giving
the Keys of Heaven to St. Peter, and other
large pieces.
6. In the north end of this area is a Cupid
by Michelangelo, surrounded by his wax
models for other sculptures. A number of
paintings line the walls, along with an ornately painted shield having a very complex
heraldic device indicating ten or more generations of knighthood in the family. A
number of Italian medals are also displayed
in this area.
7. Ivories and crystal carvings. There are
20 of each on display, and each one is worth
from 200-2000 gp each, except for a finely
worked ivory casket worth 3000 gp.
8 to 16. A series of galleries displaying
English furniture and woodwork from A.D.
1300 to 1790. Entire rooms have been reconstructed in painstaking detail throughout
this entire area, to better display the furniture pieces in their original settings.
17. Departmental office of architecture
and sculpture. This office is decorated with
wooden cornices and columns, and it has a
number of small bas-reliefs of English and
Italian origin embedded in its walls. Much
of the south wall is a bookcase. Five turns of
searching this bookcase will uncover a book
on construction methods unknown but
usable in the AD&D game world, methods
so new and innovative that the book will be
worth 5,000 gp to the right buyer. However,
unless the character who finds this book has
some knowledge of the subject matter, it is
only 5% likely that he will recognize its
value.
18. Storage. This room is locked with a
modern cylinder lock. Inside will be found
several empty boxes, two crates holding a
porcelain set wrapped in straw (worth 5,000
gp if the entire set can be transported back
to the campaign world), and a small chest
holding what appear to be many carved
wands made of ebony. While worth perhaps
300 gp, these are not wands this is actually a set of pickup sticks crafted for an
Italian dukes daughter.
19. High-security storage. The central
room of this area always has two armed
security guards on duty, and the doors are
equipped with photo-electric beams. Room
19A is currently empty, but in 19B is a set
of gold dinnerware destined for display in a
month. Each piece in the set is worth from
20 to 100 gp, and the entire set of 120
pieces is worth 10,000 gp complete.
20. Corridor displays: A. Chinese and
Japanese lacquerwork and furniture; B.
Ivories and leatherwork; C. Chimney
pieces; D. Musical instruments; E. Plaster
casts (sculptures).
21. The Loan Court. Also known as the
Octagon Court. There are many varied
items on display in this room. The most
interesting are: a collection of ancient Far
Eastern pottery and bronzes; examples of
English silversmiths work (45 pieces of
wrought silver jewelry determine value
as in the DMG, but none over 1,200 gp); a
collection of clocks, watches, sundials, and
64 AUGUST 1985

astrolabes from the 16th and 17th centuries

(the watches and astrolabes will prove interesting to sages and magic-users, but not of
great value); Greek embroideries; and a
Chinese tapestry worth 4,000 gp.
22. West Court. Rugs and carpets from
Europe, Japanese and Chinese furniture,
including the gold throne of the Emperor
Chien Lung (worth 200,000 gp, but impossible to move).
23. West Central Court. Chinese sculpture, Japanese bronzes (including a 12
sitting Buddha); early Mideast carpets
the Ardabil carpet, from Persia (c. 1540,
worth 1,200 gp), plus Persian silks and
velvets (value as indicated in the DMG, p.
27, for valuable commodities).
24. Souvenir and print shop. Guidebooks
to the museum are available here for only
4sh 3p, along with other printed material on
the various displays and collections, plus the
usual things you find in souvenir shops.
The shop is staffed by a young girl just out
of the English equivalent of high school,
who could easily fall for a handsome fightertype (Diane MacKie, 0 level, AC 10, hp 2,
charisma and comeliness 16 each).
25. Tours. 25A is the office of the guided
tour service; every hour on the hour, a tour
leaves from here. The single desk in this
glass-fronted room is manned by a bored
young fellow who would welcome a little
excitement in his job. As it stands, he plays
Adventure on his computer most of the
time. If he sees the party involved in a
fistfight or other altercation, he is 80%
likely to join in just for some excitement on
a random side if it appears that the party is
not strictly breaking any laws, otherwise he
will join the side of the security guards.
Bored young man (Mark ODowd): 0 level,
AC 10, hp 6, STR 17. 25B is the lounge for
resting and off-duty tour guides. At any
time, 1-4 guides may be found here.
26. Central Court. Tapestry-maps of
England and other tapestries and carpets
are on display here.
27. East Central Court. Several Rodin
sculptures are found on the floor, while
tapestries line the walls: a Flemish Siege of
Troy, a three-paneled Triumphs of Petrarch, and a depiction of the Fates.
28. A large tapestry hangs here, but the
main items of interest are a collection of
musical instruments: lutes, dulcimers, lyres,
recorders, flutes, panpipes and more, dating
from about 1200 to 1750. One small lyre is
of particular quality and will catch the eye
of any bard who happens to glance through
this room. While not magical, it is of exquisite craftsmanship and despite its age is in
excellent condition. Because of its quality, it
will add 5% to charm attempts by any bard
who plays it.
29. Square Court. Running the length of
the room overhead is a walkway which
seems to have pottery stationed along its
length. The room itself contains many
plaster casts. Some are obviously miniatures
of other works in the museum (some are
studies for the sculptures in 27), but most
are works in and of themselves, depict-

ing a number of different subjects, including many Greek gods and goddesses.
30. Ironwork gallery. Much decorative
wrought-iron work is found along this hallway, including fireplace implements, hinges
and bolts, cast iron firebacks and firedogs,
and locksmiths work. Any thief carefully
studying the progress of locksmithing in this
hallway (which extends from a period contemporary with AD&D lock technology to
about 1890) will start picking all locks,
modern or medieval, at two levels above his
old skill level, permanently. For this to
occur, one week of careful study of this
exhibit is required.
31. Casts of wrought-iron work are found
in the hollow of this stairwell, while books
are displayed on the landing. There is nothing of any interest here.
32. The museum garage. This building
houses four compact automobiles and two
trucks belonging to the museum, as well as
the equipment needed to maintain them.
During the day, there will be one mechanic
(0 level, hp 5) on duty, and there is a 50%
chance per vehicle that it will be in use (i.e.,
gone). At night, the garage is locked and
dark, and is checked by the security patrols.
It is also hooked into the alarm system by
several motion detectors.
33. The Quadrangle. This is the open
courtyard in the center of the Museum. It is
set up to be a small garden, with paths
winding through the exotic foliage. There
are many plants not native to England, and
all are labeled with small signs at their bases
or on their trunks. Should the characters
search long enough (10% per round cumulative), they will discover a young yew here,
suitable for making several bows. At the
north end of the quadrangle, there is a patio
with about twenty tables, each surrounded
by chairs. This is the outdoor dining area
for the restaurant at area 48.
34. Leadwork and several church bells
are placed here under the mezzanine. None
have any value for the PCs. Besides, the
bells are heavy the lightest weighs something close to 250 pounds, and the heaviest
is in excess of one ton. To prevent damage
to the floor, the bells are on stone blocks
about 1 1/2 high.
35. Monumental brasses are found in this
area, brassworks on a scale comparable to
the church bells in area 34. On display here
are brass cannon barrels and early brass
handguns. Other pieces include a cast-brass
battering ram head that was never used,
dated c. 1280, and massive brass candlesticks over 8 tall and weighing well over a
hundred pounds each.
36. A display of Sheffield plate, that is,
silver work, is found here under the mezzanine. There are seventy pieces on display,
all of significant quality, but none worth
over 5 gp each.
37. These areas hold what appear to be
hundreds of many different kinds of gold
and silver coins and ingots on display.
While there appears to be 7,500 gp worth of
precious metals here, these are all electroplate copies of the actual coins (as anyone

bothering to read the identifying signs will

discover). All of these false coins, if returned to the partys native world, can be
immediately detected by any coin dealer,
dwarf, or gnome who has the chance to hold
one.
38. In special recessed displays, built so
that only a small pane of glass is vulnerable
to breakage, a number of valuable pieces of
jewelry are visible. There are twelve pieces
or groups of pieces on display, totaling
17,000 gp. The glass covering them is
shatter-resistant, and a blunt weapon
wielded with a strength of 18(45) or better is
needed to break it. Note also that the displays have vibration sensors, and motion
detectors scan this room continuously.
39. English silver is on display here, real
silver this time: ingots and wrought structures, 55 pieces worth 1-50 sp each.
40 and 41. South Court, west and east
halves. A walkway crosses this gallery,
supported by pillars which effectively divide
the room in half. Both halves contain essentially the same types of exhibits, namely the
works of various types of metalsmiths:
candlesticks, censers, incense boats, altarcrosses, cups, bowls, spoons, watches, rings
and seals, all of various precious metals. In
area 40 there is a book made of thin metal
sheets, enameled and illuminated, which
could be worth up to 15,000 gp to the right
buyer. In area 41, there is also a collection
of gems, 120 in all. However, only 15%
have a base value of 50 gp or more, and in
any case none are worth over 200 gp.
42. Chinese and Japanese enamelwork is
on display in this alcove. Sample pieces
include enameled metal plaques, vase and
bowls, plus other utensils.
43. Some thirty pieces of pewterwork are
on display here, all household items like
plates and pitchers. Each piece is worth no
more than 1 sp.
44. Similarly, leadwork is displayed in
this area. The majority of the items on
display are hand-crafted toy soldiers. About
a dozen figures are of a type similar to
gaming miniatures.
45. Pieces of Near East and Far East
metalwork line this hallway, including a
bronze mosque-lamp (an Aladdin -style
lamp) from Cairo, tinned copper, iron and
steel work including a ceremonial dagger
with a bone handle, more Buddha figures,
tall statues of mandarins and other Chinese
authority figures, and several 5 incense
burners, green with age.
46. The armor room. On display in this
room are examples of armor from all over
England and Europe. The central room,
which rises to a skylight 30 above, is
ringed with balconies and holds ten figures
of knights on horseback (positions indicated
on the map). The knights are in chain mail
and plate mail. All examples of barding on
display are plate mail. The center display is
of a knight in a full suit of plate on a rearing
horse, brandishing a lance. Note that all
this armor is about six inches too small for
most human characters (since medieval
Earth humans averaged that much smaller

than PCs), although elves could wear it if

they didnt mind a little bagginess. The
alcoves on the perimeter of this room are as
follows: A. Later, very ornate suits of English plate and chain. B. Spanish armor.
C. Portuguese armor. D. French armor.
E. Swiss armor.
47. The Computer Center. The floor in
this room is not the usual marble; instead, it
is made up of slightly springy white tiles
about 1 1/2 on a side. The floor slopes up at
point A until it rises about 1, then opens to
the rest of the room. A glass wall with a
door in its center divides the room into two
parts: to the west are a number of low tables
with computer terminals on them, twelve in
all, and mounds of long, wide paper with
green stripes and strangely formed lettering.
There will be from 4-16 people in this area
at any given time during open hours and for
two hours after closing. On the east side of
the glass wall are a number of blue and grey
metal boxes. Most are strangely constructed
wheels and disks that spin behind glass or
under cover; one spits out reams of the
green and white paper found outside. One
box has several small lights on its top, but
otherwise seems to do nothing. This is the
computer itself.
If a PC ventures past the glass wall, he
will be thrown out as quickly as possible.
However, if the PC manages to do more
than look at any of these boxes, he has a
percentage chance of crashing the computer
equal to 100 minus his intelligence score.
Crashing the computer will greatly anger
the 2-8 technicians here and will result in
the arrival of 2-8 security guards one round
later.
48. J. B. Wineberrys a restaurant.
This area is decorated with reproductions of
the more famous paintings in the museums
collection, and is dimly lit, to about the
brightness of torchlight. A waiter will appear as soon as the area is entered, to escort
patrons to one of the twelve tables (each
seats four) inside. Or, as he will remind the
PCs, one may dine outdoors in the Quadrangle on fair days. Prices are reasonable,
about 5, and the menu has a selection of
seven entrees. DMs are urged to take advantage of all the possibilities for humor,
should PCs decide to dine here. (Culture
shock is a wonderful thing.)
49. Kitchen. Long preparation tables,
large ovens and stoves with boiling and
bubbling pots, stainless steel shelving,
gleaming utensils, pots hanging from overhead racks, and a constant murmur of
activity as five waiters, two cooks and about
a dozen scullery kids rush around fill this
room so completely that PCs will find it
difficult to get in, let alone search it, during
the day. At night, it will be completely
empty.
50. The restaurants refrigerator. Frozen
foods of all descriptions. Characters staying
in here for more than one round will begin
to take 1-6 points of cold damage per round
until they leave if they can leave; the
refrigerator door does not open from the
inside, and there is a 5% chance (20% if

the door is slammed) that the outside latch

will fall into place by itself.
51. Dry goods. Flour, fresh vegetables,
bottles and cans of sauces, syrups, and
soups, and the like all will be found here in
abundance.
52. Mens restroom.
53. Womens restroom.
54. Oriental metalwork is on display
along this hall. By section there are: A. Cast
iron, bronze, brass and copper pieces.
B. Japanese weapons. Two katanas (longswords) and a wakizashi (short sword) of
extraordinary quality are found in this case.
C. Sword-furniture (that is, accessory
pieces) and other fine metalwork. D and E.
Japanese and Chinese armor (Samurai
armor in particular there are three suits
on display).
55. English weaponry. On display here
are three longswords, a broadsword and a
two-handed sword, several assorted polearms, a pair of battleaxes, two maces, and
three morning stars. Crossbows and longbows hang from the walls, and a series of
prints beneath the bows show the process of
making arrows. A long, low table displays
many styles of daggers and other short
bladed weapons, along with two trick
swords one with a spring-loaded dagger
in its hilt, the other with a well for poison.
Most of the weapons in this room are old
and fragile, except for those described below. Should an attempt be made to use a
weapon found in this room, roll d100 vs.
the wielders strength the first time it hits its
target; 1 point of strength = 1 percentage
point, exceptional strength getting 1% for
every 10 points, rounding up, and 5% for
every point at 19 and greater. Should the
DM roll this number or lower, the weapon
shatters; if the roll is high, the weapon
remains intact and no further check is required for the life of the weapon.
Two of the swords are of obvious, though
archaic, elven manufacture, and one of the
maces shows little wear and no marks indicating that rust or corrosion were removed
(as do most of the other weapons). This
mace is the Mace of Cuthbert. Note that
this area is but 50 from Museum Securitys headquarters. If the glass case holding
the Mace is smashed or moved enough to
trigger the alarm, it will take less than one
round for security personnel to arrive.
56. Steelwork other than weaponry. A set
of dioramas depicts the process of medieval
steel-making, and the many tools needed
are found in the glass cases of this room.
Also, ornate iron caskets, iron and steel
tools, torch sconces and lamps and lanterns
may be found here.
57. Metalwork departmental office. The
office is decorated with several more swords
(mounted on the north wall, surrounding a
shield in good condition), and a number of
decorative but functionally decrepit halberds. Otherwise this area is similar in
contents and description to area 17.
58. Woodwork departmental office. This
office is furnished with pseudo-antique
desks and chairs, and has decorative wood
DRAGON 65

carvings in the corners and hanging on the

walls. It is otherwise similar to the previous
departmental offices.
59. Security headquarters. A cluttered,
almost homey-looking room, Security Central has half a dozen desks, each with a
computer terminal, a pile of papers, and a
harrassed officer. Along one wall is a bank
of tell-tales and other indicators from the
assorted alarm triggers throughout the
Museum. A basic staff of ten will always be
found in this room, and the remainder
come and go as required by their duties.
The Chief of Security, whose desk is found
in the southeast corner of the room, is a
rangy man of about forty (6th-level fighter,
AC 9/7 with bulletproof vest, hp 49, carries
two .38 revolvers). He is on duty from an
hour before opening to three hours after
closing.
60. Very high security storage. This safe
(because thats essentially what it is) has
3 -thick stone and concrete walls, and its
door has a complex combination lock that
subtracts 80% from a thiefs chance to crack
it (assuming he has any idea how), since it
is like nothing a thief will have ever encountered before. The door is always locked, and
only the Chief of Security and his assistant
who takes the night shift (4th-level fighter,
AC 9, hp 25, armed with .38 revolver)
know the combination. It is currently
empty.
61. Main office of the museum. Another
bustling and homey place, this room is
constantly in motion during the day, as its

Museum,
second
floor
Scale: 1 square = 10 feet

66

AUGUST 1985

25-person staff carries on the daily business

of running a museum. At the time the party
is around, an ancient switchboard system is
being removed, and a more modern
intercom/phone system is being installed, so
this area will be even more hectic than usual
as 2-5 workers rush in and out per round,
carrying mysterious equipment and tools.
Each of the ten desks here has a computer
terminal. While harried, the museum staff
will try to be courteous and helpful to persons seeking help and information, and will
try to direct those with questions that they
cant answer (65% of all inquiries) to people who can.
Second floor
(Again note that much of this level is
mezzanine or balcony. Wherever such is the
case, there will be a 3 1/2 railing of carved
marble.)
1. East Central Staircase. Pottery from
many different cultures is found on the
stairs and at their top. Generally Middle
Eastern in origin, the pottery is colorful and
distinctive in form.
2 through 10. Textiles and clothing.
Along this long set of galleries, one may
find the following: Near Eastern (Persian/
Arabic) ecclesiastical garments (this and all
such following will be recognized as clerical
robes and gowns, but of unknown type);
Continental religious garb dating from
A.D. 1100-1420; Turkish silks and velvets,
which are worth 1 1/2 times the rate given in
the DMG due to age and quality; English

ecclesiastical vestments; European and

Oriental silks, brocades, and velvets, also
worth one and a half times the going rate;
stuffs from Egyptian burying grounds:
embroidered hangings and other cloths, all
very beautiful but worth little; European
embroideries, including a Spanish rug
common enough in workmanship to be
worthless back home, though very striking; Greek embroideries; embroideries from
Algeria, Morocco, Palestine, Persia,
Turkestan and many other cultures. While
worth little if anything to the party, the wide
variety of styles and culture names on the
exhibits in this area should prove very
intriguing.
11. The Salting Collection. A miniature
museum in itself, this room contains everything from Italian Renaissance bronzes of
sphinxes and an equestrian figure, to
worked leather caskets, to enamelwork, to
all forms of metalsmithing, including gold,
silver, and steel.
12. French Renaissance furniture. Delicate, almost spindly pieces are on exhibit
here; all items of furniture are on open
daises, but are protected by motion detectors.
13. Miniatures (works 3 x 3 in size and
smaller). While curiosities, the paintings
and etchings by Durer, Lucas Van Leyden
and Rembrandt are seemingly too small to
be worth anything.
14. Glass vessels from all cultures, especially Europe and Arabia. A set of chemical
glassware worth 10,000 gp to a sage, magic-

user or alchemist is found here.

15 and 16. Fine laces: Venetian point,
Flemish, English and French point. Worth
perhaps 15 gp per yard, the 40 + yards of
material here are too old and delicate to
survive any but the most delicate handling.
17. Costumes and clothing from the
Elizabethan age to the Victorian. Gloves,
shoes, lace, needlepoint, whole outfits are
displayed on a rotating schedule in the glass
cases found along the entire length of the
mezzanine in this area.
18. An exhibit of fans, valueless to PCs.
19. The balcony of the East Court. A
reproduction of the Bayeux Tapestry (worth
no more than 400 gp), and linen damasks
(see DMG, p. 27, for value).
20. Balcony of the West Court. A technical exhibit illustrating the printing and
bookbinding process. If the campaign world
does not have manufactured books, this
exhibit will prove incomprehensible except
to those characters with a 16 or higher
intelligence.
21. Illuminated manuscripts. The St.
Denis and Lesnes Missals, an Italian manuscript of Plinys Natural History (worth
5,000 gp for its scientific value alone),
volumes illustrating printing, decoration
and illustration of books, and miniature and
liturgical books.
22. The library. 160,000 volumes (noncirculating) on fine and applied art. Assuming a desired subject comes under these
headings, there is a 10% per turn (cumulative) chance of locating 1-6 relevant volumes, should one be searching. Entrance to
the library is by application at the museums main office; whimsical or irrelevant
requests will be turned down.
23. Textiles departmental office. Glass
cases on all walls hold examples of
clothwork from civilizations ranging from
ancient Egypt to modern Europe.
24. Stained glass and ceramics departmental office. Decorating this office are
stained-glass panels hanging upon the walls
and illuminated from behind. The passage
east of area 17, down the stairs, is a short
entry hall with glass-encased examples of
pottery and terracotta work through the
ages.
25. This gallery contains a collection of
military medals, all of which are very eyecatching and splendid, but are worth very
little, as opposed to the mother-of-pearl
carvings which share the space: twenty
pieces with values of 2-40 gp each due to
their workmanship.
26. Gallery across the Square Court.
Exhibited here are examples of modern
English and Continental pottery work.
27. Manuscripts, including originals
from Dickens, are in sealed display cases
here, along with a number of very old
books. Among the works here are three
notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, which
would be priceless (well, worth at least
50,000 gp) to any number of sages in the
campaign world. The notebooks are written
in Leonardos characteristic backwards
script, in medieval Italian and Latin, and

are incomprehensible short of the use of a

spell. Thieves who try to read these books
will get very bad headaches and nothing
else.
28. Two galleries of the graphic arts.
These areas contain paintings, drawings,
and etchings in abundance; Rembrandt
etchings, oils by 19th century French masters, 20th century watercolors, oils by modern artists, even a fresco. A veritable
bonanza of color and light.
29. Engraving, illustration, design, and
painting departmental office. Prints of
famous works, engravings, and a few actual
works in oils hang on the walls here.
30 through 32. Dutch and Flemish glass
paintings are on display in these connected
rooms, glass paintings being works executed
with great delicacy and color on mirrors,
glass implements, and even simple plate
glass.
33. Art of the Theatre. Drawings and
designs of many of the great English theatres since the Elizabethan period. Also
prints, sketches, and engravings of scenes
from performances.
34. Students room. This room is open
during regular hours, and is for the viewing
of items from the Engraving and Illustrations department which are not on display
(indeed, most of the collection is stored due
to lack of exhibit space). Access is through
the departmental office, and is not difficult
to obtain.
35. Candelabra in the form of nymphs
and fauns, clocks, and snuff-boxes from
17th and 18th century France.
36. China: Sevres, Chelsea and Meissen
porcelain in sealed glass cases overlooking
the quadrangle. The individual pieces are
so fine they that they are worth 1 gp each.
37. A French armoire from the 17th
Century stands here.
38. Lecture hall. A raised dais in the
semicircular north end of this room holds a
podium facing about a hundred seats. A
microphone on a gooseneck support tops the
podium. Switches found underneath the
podium raise/lower a movie screen behind
the speaker and turn the public address
system on and off. Two knobs brighten/dim
the lights in the room and raise/lower the
loudspeaker volume.
39. A finely decorated washstand (commode), along with a dressing table (labeled
a secretaire-toilette) originally belonging
to Marie Antoinette.
40. Another selection of oil paintings and
miniatures.
41. Three theatre models stand in glass
cases at this spot. The models are of Shakespeares Globe and two more modern theatres. All three are of cutaway construction,
showing the various levels and rooms in the
structures.
42. Stained glass from France, Germany,
Italy and other countries.
43. These galleries hold the museums
collection of 18th and 19th century watercolors. Of particular interest are the works
of Turner, including his scenes of the burning of the houses of Parliament, done on the

spot as the buildings were gutted. Ash and

smoke from the conflagration are embedded
in the works.
44. This gallery is guarded by a standard
security guard at either end. It contains a
set of preparatory drawings by Raphael of
designs for tapestries now in the Vatican.
Unless one of the player characters has an
eye for art, these fading sketches will prove
uninteresting.
45. Two or three more sketches by
Raphael, plus a number of watercolor
works occupy this small room.
46. Gallery of oils. This is the major
collection of oil paintings in the museum,
including works by Gainsborough, Turner,
Constable, and the Old Masters, as well as
preliminary sketches and studies for some.
47. Carved and sculpted wood and
wooden furniture are exhibited in this area.
48. Library of illustrations and etchings.
The majority of the collection of these works
is kept in storage here, due to space limits
on the display floor. A librarian (0 level, AC
10, hp 1) is always on duty during open
hours, assisted by 1-3 college art students
on work study grants (also 0 level, AC 10,
hp 1). The librarian is patient to the point
of fault, helping to the best of his ability
even someone who just wants to browse.
49. Roof. All doors to the roof are locked
from the outside, although they open easily
from the inside to allow fire escape routes.
However, opening these doors sets off fire
alarms in their general vicinity, attracting
attention to whoever tries to go through
them. The roof itself is flat and uninteresting, with only three ventilation ducts emerging from it. The ducts are too small to
allow even a halfling or gnome to crawl
down them.
CLOSING
Once the Mace has been retrieved, what
then? Obviously, it must be returned to the
clerics of the Saint, and to do that, the party
must go through the gate once again. This
return will happen sooner or later for every
party, due to either the partys sense of
obligation or the weakening effect described
at the beginning of this module.
The decision may be an easy one to
make. But how easily will it be for that
decision to be carried out? Thats up to you,
the DM. If the party has behaved itself and
generally kept out of sight, then there
should be no trouble as they head back to
Battersea Park that is, unless they happen to meet up with the bobbie whom they
kept from carting off Charlotte. If the party
has been a little rowdy, then the entire
police force might be looking for them.
It is my recommendation that the DM
not allow the party to leave without a fight.
No matter how the party has conducted
itself in London, at one time or another it
must have done something to annoy someone its inevitable. Have some great final
battle between PCs and their various opponents occur in Battersea Park as the characters fight their way back to the gate. Use
this as the opportunity to bring to a head all
DRAGON 67

the conflicts that have established themselves during the course of this adventure.
Exactly what conflicts there are will vary
wildly from campaign to campaign, and
there is no way to account for all the possibilities a sufficient number of imaginative
players can develop over the course of playing this module, so this must needs be but a
brief outline of them.
However it happens, the opposition must
be strong enough to keep PCs from merely
brushing it aside and continuing on. If, for
example, they encounter the police officer
who had been arresting Charlotte, this time
he will radio for backup aid and will fire on
the party to keep them from escaping.
Before he can be stomped by one of the
fighters, five or so police cars roar in, and
the battle is begun. Perhaps a street gang
whose leader was trashed by the party when
he was with only a few of his men has been
spying on them, waiting for the right opportunity to attack with full force in the park.
Maybe a terrorist group is looking to gain
the partys mysterious power. It may even
be an attack of conscience on the part of a
paladin, for helping in the theft of an object
(the Mace) from its rightful owners (the
museum), and hes decided to return it until
it can be obtained lawfully.
Whatever conflict arises, the single most
important guideline to remember is that it is
there to climax the adventure, not to keep it
from successfully ending. If the PCs have
managed to get the Mace from the museum, they have every right to take it back
home with them. Dont make the last battle
in London a deathtrap, but make it challenging nonetheless. Whatever it is, it must
prove to be difficult, but not impossible, to
overcome.
Returning to Gate Island may also prove
a problem. It is possible that buccaneers,
pirates, sahuagin, or other unfriendlies have
taken over any ships the characters left
behind. Other demons could have arrived,
or the ships crew could have given up
waiting and sailed away.
Additional adventures may be set up
using the gate to London, though the
Dungeon Master may wish to close the gate
down at a future date to prevent excessive
transplanar contamination of his campaign
(unless this comtamination can somehow be
controlled).
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
The following are descriptions of the
three most important non-player characters
that the party will meet in London: the
street urchins.
Charlotte
Human child; 3rd-level thief
Height: 4
Weight: 70 lbs.
Hair: blonde
Eyes: green
AC6
15 hp
Alignment: Chaotic good
Weapons: Slingshot, 20 stones
Strength: 6 (-1 to hit)
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 10
68 A U G U S T 1985

Dexterity: 18 ( + 3 with missiles)

Constitution: 15
Charisma: 16
Charlotte is a twelve-year-old girl who
has been living in the streets for most of her
life. She is loud, abrasive, and often insulting, but she is loyal to friends and those
who do her a good turn. She moves quickly
and thinks even faster, and seems to possess
an unnerving cunning. She is sometimes
careless, though, when she thinks that no
one is around. Her one fear is rats she
was once bitten by a rat and was in mortal
fear of her life until the wound healed.
Despite her guttersnipe appearance,
Charlotte is a voracious reader, often stealing books from merchants along the Battersea marketplace. Hidden in a closet on an
upper floor of the house she shares with
Nicky and Rocco is her library: a rotting
cardboard carton holding dozens of books,
many of which are modern fantasy novels
(from which she gets some idea of who and
what the party is).
Nicky
Human child; 4th-level thief
Height: 4 1
Weight: 80 lbs.
Hair: brown
Eyes: blue
AC 7
18 hp
Alignment: Neutral good
Weapons: Slingshot, 12 stones, pocketknife
Strength: 9
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 11
Dexterity: 17 ( + 2 with missiles)
Constitution: 11
Charisma: 14
Twelve-year-old Nicky is the undeclared
leader of these three. His quiet manner and
tendency towards silence belie the influence
he has over his friends, but he by no means
controls them; most of the time he makes
suggestions that they may follow if they like
He does not venture often into the marketplace, only as he and the others need to
for food and other goods. He is good with
his hands and is the one who made the
Bunham building habitable, tapping into
power lines for heat and light.
On the palms of both of Nickys hands
there may be seen terrible burn scars. He
will refuse to discuss these if asked about
them, and may become violent if the matter
is pressed. Charlotte and Rocco know a
little about them, but will not talk, either.
Nicky has a cache of maps and other
papers which he occasionally peruses.
Rocco
Human child; 3rd-level thief
Height: 4 4
Weight: 75 lbs.
Hair: black
Eyes: dark brown
AC8
12 hp
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Weapons: Slingshot, 20 stones
Strength: 8
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 9
Dexterity: 16 ( + 1 with missiles)
Constitution: 11
Charisma: 12

Rocco is a black child of about eleven,

and Nickys best friend. They have lived in
the streets as a team for about two years
and together found the building in which
the three live. Rocco is very active and can
almost never be found in the house, except
when he is bringing back the fruits of his
latest excursion into the marketplace.
Rocco talks softly but constantly, and has
a lisp which is worsened by his protruding
front teeth. He is excitable and active, and
often takes risks to see what he can get away
with, although he will never knowingly put
his life in direct danger. He and Charlotte
occasionally team up to steal food from
barrows with a distraction/attack technique
that they have developed.
THE MACE OF CUTHBERT
The Mace of Saint Cuthbert, like all of
the artifacts and relics in the AD&D game
system, is a customizable magic item with
powers and side effects chosen by the individual DM. In the course of running the
original incarnation of this adventure, I
found that the following version of the Mace
best fit the milieus of both the game world
and the modern world that held it hidden
for so long.
The Mace of Cuthbert is a lawful good
relic, being a mace that is + 5 to hit and
damage, with the disruption effects of a
mace of disruption. Only a lawful good
cleric with a strength of 18 can use the
additional powers inherent in the Mace.
The Mace has three minor benevolent
powers. It detects evil continuously when
held, casts light, as the cleric spell, seven
times a week, and renders the possessor of
the Mace immune to all forms of magical
fear when kept on ones person. The Mace
has two major benevolent powers, allowing
the user to heal, once per day, by touching
the Mace to the injured person, and the
possessor can cause fear with his gaze, at
will. However, if the user is not lawful good
in alignment, he will immediately change
alignment to lawful good upon touching the
Mace. This change cannot be reversed by
any means. Few people have handled the
Mace over the years in the London museum, but those who did later recalled that
they changed to some degree in personality
afterwards. This effect has never been recorded, of course, as it was not really considered scientific, and no one connected
their life change with touching the Mace.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Id like to thank the following people for
their help in creating and playtesting this
adventure: the members of the Simulation
Games Union at Princeton University and
others from my campaign, namely Iain
Bason, Adam Frankl, Sean Fitts, Randy
Peters, Chris Cohen, Marian Pugh, Roger
Hain, and all the folks I can remember
clearly but whose names Ive forgotten;
and, John Carr, John Gold, and Lyn
Tumlin, who role-played slightly different
versions of Rocco, Nicky, and Charlotte as
a favor to me.

CONTENTS
ARES Log: . . . . . . . . . . . .70
CREATIVE CONJURING
Eric Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

A variant MARVEL SUPER HEROES

magic system

CHAMPIONS PLUS

Steven Maurer . . . . . . . . . . 74
New skills and powers

CHARISMA COUNTS

S. D. Anderson . . . . . . . . . . 78
A VILLAINS & VIGILANTES special

DEFENDERS OF THE
FUTURE

William Tracy . . . . . . . . . . .
The Guardians of the Galaxy

80

THE MARVEL-PHILE

Jeff Grubb . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Defenders Ensemble!

Welcome to the Costumed Crusaders issue of the ARES

Section! Because of the flood of mail in favor of more superhero articles, we present an equal flood of material in
return. Well try it again if the readers like it.
A few random notes. Yes, Frog-Mans Endurance was
raised from Typical (in the Campaign Book) to Excellent
(DRAGON issue 96), but Jeff did this out of pity for the
character. Gamers may adopt either score, depending on
their Pity Level.
Readers of recent issues of the Fantastic Four comic discovered that She-Hulk has gotten stronger (and may be
getting stronger still). Raise her Strength to Monstrous (she
can lift 75 tons now) in descriptions of her in the modules.
The Abomination is appearing with Titania, the Hulk,
and Hercules in the super-module Rampage! See issue #25
of POLYHEDRUN Newszine, coming soon.
All True Believers in the MARVEL SUPER HEROES game
should get on the stick and send in a list of things they want
to see in the Advanced MARVEL SUPER HEROES game,
which may be released next year. Jeff Grubb is looking for
all the mail he can get on the subject.
As for the rest of you supergamers, here are some
thoughts. Weve gotten a few requests for listings of original
heroes and villains from game campaigns for the
CHAMPIONS and VILLAINS & VIGILANTES games (a la
the Marvel-Phile, though trademarked heroes from Marvel
Comics or elsewhere cannot be used), and were considering
this as an irregular feature.
If youd like to see this series, let us know. If theres something else youd like to see, let us know that, too. We really
do read the mail from our readers. Send us a postcard or
letter and speak out! Write to: ARES Department, DRAGON
Magazine, P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva, WI 53147.
Nuff said.

ARES Section 100

THE SCIENCE-FICTION GAMING SECTION
Editor: Roger E. Moore
Editorial assistance: Michael Breault, Eileen Lucas, Georgia Moore, Bruce
Nesmith, Patrick Lucien Price
Graphics, design, and production: Betty Elmore, Kim Lindau, Colleen
OMalley, Patrick Lucien Price, Roger Raupp, Dave Sutherland

ON THE COVER

The Guardians of the Galaxy make their

appearance in this issue of the ARES Section. For more information on this futuristic group, see the article on p. 80. Art by
the Marvel Bullpen.
70 A U G U S T 1985

All materials published in the ARES Section become the exclusive property
of the publisher upon publication, unless special arrangements to the contrary are made prior to publication. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome,
but the publisher assumes no responsibility for them, and they will not be
returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope of
sufficient size and volume.
ARES is a trademark of TSR, Inc.s science-fiction gaming section in
DRAGON Magazine. All rights on the contents of this section are reserved,
and nothing may be reproduced from it without prior permission in writing
from the publisher. Copyright 1985 TSR, Inc.
DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc. 1985 TSR, Inc. All Rights
Reserved.
All Marvel characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks
of the Marvel Comics Group. MARVEL SUPER HEROES and MARVEL SUPER
VILLAINS are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright 1985
Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation. All
Rights Reserved.
CHAMPIONS is a trademark of Hero Games. VILLAINS & VIGILANTES is a
trademark of Fantasy Games Unlimited.

Creative Conjuring
A variant magic system for the
MARVEL SUPER HEROES game

by Eric Walker
The MARVEL SUPER HEROES game is
a fast-paced, action-filled adventure
game in which the players can do anything they want. However, like all
games, it has a few bugs, particularly in
the character generation system. The
Campaign Book (p. 45) notes that magical training is not available as a normal
talent, meaning that players cannot use
Doctor Strange or create characters
with magical powers. As the game
stands now, magic is too powerful; characters can do anything with it. A sorcerer with a Psyche of Good (the
minimum required for magical training)
can do everything that a sorcerer with a
Class 1000 Psyche could do, albeit
within a very limited range, This article
will attempt to solve these problems by
categorizing the Marvel Universe
magic system and limiting its powers, so
that even Doctor Strange is not all-powerful. This system is based on the
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
magic system, and Judges may modify it
as they please.
The Campaign Book states that all
magic comes from three sources: Personal Energy, Universal Energy, and
Dimensional Energy. A brief description
of types of spells is given on pp. 10-11,
and the rest of the section describes the
casting of magical spells. Actually, the
three spell sources can be divided into
subgroups as given on the following
table.
Personal
Universal
Dimensional
Energies
Energies
Energies
Extended
Alterations Conjurations
senses
Divinations Creations
Illusions
Evocations Necromantics
Mental
powers

These nine categories contain all types

of magics, including raising mystical
force fields, dimensional travel, and
turning people into frogs. Most spell
effects that a Marvel Super Hero mage
would desire to cast are duplicated in
the AD&D Players Handbook and easily
classified by the above system.
A spell caster can choose a certain
number of magical powers from these
categories, depending upon his Psyche.
For every rank of a sorcerers Psyche
above Typical, he gets to choose one
magical power from the table. Thus a
sorcerer with a Psyche of Good would
have only one power (such as Alterations), while a magician with Class 1000
Psyche would have all nine powers.
Furthermore, a wizard with Good
Psyche could only choose his power
from the three powers under Personal
Energy, and cannot use Universal or
Dimensional Energies. A sorcerer with
Excellent Psyche (able to use two
powers) can use Personal and Universal
Energies, but not Dimensional ones. The
use of Dimensional Energies requires a
Psyche of Remarkable or better.
This simple system limits a magicusing character but still allows him great
variety in the types of spells that he can
use. All nine of the magical powers are
described below.
The only way for a sorcerer to gain
more magical powers is to either have
his Psyche raised magically or to augment his magical powers through the
use of magical items. These are
enchanted objects under a sorcerers
control that allow him to practice magic
outside of his normal range of spells.
Magic items such as crystal balls, talismans, and wands can either be taken
from enemy sorcerers (a difficult deed),
or they can be enchanted by the sor-

All Marvel characters, their likenesses, and MARVEL SUPER HEROES are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. 1985 Marvel
Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries. All Rights Reserved.

cerer himself. To make a magical item,

the sorcerer must follow the steps in
Chapter 2 of the Campaign Book, in the
section Building Things (under the
category of special devices). Instead of a
Reason FEAT roll, he must make a
Psyche FEAT roll.
To create a magical item, though, the
sorcerer must have something connected with the power he wants to
enchant into the item. If he wants an
item that increases Strength, he must
have some part of a creature of a
strength equal to the level desired, such
as the ear of a bull (or even a lock of the
hair of Thor). A device to allow travel
through the dimensions would likely
require something from another dimension. This can lead to interesting scenarios as the character and his allies
venture into another dimension in
search of the required item.
Personal

energies

Extended senses This is the ability of

a wizard to heighten or lessen his own
ability scores or powers, or those of a
willing subject. It also includes the ability to see into other dimensions and to
project his soul into the Astral Dimension. There are limits as to how high or
low ability scores or powers can be
adjusted. A sorcerer with a Psyche of
Good to Remarkable can change ability
DRAGON 71

scores up to 2 ranks above or below

normal; a sorcerer with Incredible to
Monstrous Psyche can affect scores
for up to 3 ranks; a Psyche of
Unearthly and Shift X allows him to
affect scores by 4 ranks, and a Class
1000 Psyche allows him to alter the
scores by 5 ranks. Unlike all other
spells, the effects of raising or lowering ability ranks puts such a drain on
the spell caster that abilities are only
affected for one day at most, and the
sorcerer automatically loses 10 Health
points when the spell wears off. This
does not happen when the sorcerer
augments his normal senses, such as
sight or touch; a normal Psyche FEAT
roll must be made as usual.
Illusions This is not the same as
the Image Generation power (under
Mental Powers in the Campaign Book).
The illusions that can be created are
extremely varied, and include illusionary creatures and things, invisibility,
and even the illusory healing of damage. If the latter illusion takes effect
(meaning the affected being thinks the
illusion is real), the being will be
healed of a number of Health points
equal to the casters Psyche. Actually,
no damage has been healed, and the
Judge will have to keep a running total
of the beings Health points; when they
reach zero, the being is affected normally. Only then does he learn that the
healing was an illusion.
Mental powers This magical
power can be treated the same as the
Mental Powers super power (p. 42 in
the Campaign Book), except that the
Image Generation power will not
work. A wizard having this power can
use telepathy, launch a mental blast,
generate a force field, and so forth. If
the spell cast is permanent, the caster
does not gain mental powers as a
super power. Because it is a magical
power, this power can be detected and
dispelled normally. (Dispelling magic is
detailed under
Evocation.)
Universal energies
Alteration This is a sorcerers ability
to physically change things. With this
power, a boulder can be changed into
a statue, weather can be summoned
and controlled, people can be changed
into animals (and vice versa), and so
on. Anything affected by this spell will
radiate magic for the spells duration;
this is a tell-tale mark of a sorcerers
work. Note that if the spell caster has
never seen a particular thing (for
72 A U G U S T 1985

example, a Skrull), he cannot turn

any person or object into that thing.
Divination This is the ability to
uncover information. With this power,
the sorcerer can detect sources of
magic (such as other sorcerers), locate
physical objects (such as a key or hidden weapon), or contact other beings
(such as the rulers of other dimensions) and seek advice from them. If he
attempts to do this, he must make a
Personality FEAT roll. White means
that the being is angered by the sorcerers interference, and he might
send one of his minions to attack the
sorcerer. A green result means that no
information is received (Sorry, all
lines are busy now. . . .). Yellow means
that the sorcerer receives a vague
message or vision that must be deciphered. Red means that the sorcerer
receives exactly the information he
wanted to get.
Evocation This is the sorcerers
ability to harness magical energy and
channel it in certain ways. This power

governs the casting of magical bolts of

power, the raising of mystical shields,
the power to reflect a spell completely
(requiring both a red Psyche FEAT roll
and the players prior declaration that
this is being attempted), or the casting
of a special spell called dispel magic.
Dispel magic allows a sorcerer to
completely erase or neutralize a magical effect. To accomplish this, the
caster must make a Psyche FEAT roll
as normal, but if his Psyche is less than
the Psyche of the wizard who cast the
spell that he is trying to negate, he
must make a red FEAT roll to successfully dispel the magic. If his Psyche is
equal to the opposing spell caster, he
needs a yellow FEAT to succeed; if his
Psyche is greater, a green FEAT will
successfully dispel the magic. If the
FEAT fails, nothing happens, and the
sorcerer will not have another chance
to dispel the magical effect. Note that
he may automatically dispel his own
magic, whether he has the power of
Evocation or not.

AH Marvel characters, their likenesses, and MARVEL SUPER HEROES are trademarks of the MarveI Comics Group.
1985 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries All Rights Reserved.

Dimensional

energies

Conjuration This is the power to

summon creatures or things from
other dimensions. (Teleportation is a
power found under Evocation.) With
conjuration, the sorcerer can steal a
piece of rock from the Negative Zone
(though this is extremely dangerous),
or he could summon one of the creatures from the mystic dimensions
i.e., demons. Demons are very powerful monsters that most characters
should avoid, as they have certain
magical abilities of their own. Unless
the sorcerer has some way to control
the demon he summons, there is nothing to stop it from attacking as soon as
it appears. However, demons are
repelled by the holy symbols of various religions, and a pentagram will
serve to successfully contain a
demon: the creature cannot cross the

boundaries of the star, nor can it cast

spells across the barrier. A typical
incantation to summon a demon might
be versed as follows:
(Hear me, Dormammu the Dark!
A boon I dare to ask of thee:
I call upon the Black Hellspawn
Awake! And harken unto me.
Note that the power of Conjuration
can be reversed, so as to banish a
being from this dimension to a dimension of the sorcerers choice.
Creation This is simply the creation of things. With this power, the
sorcerer can create a physical object
out of thin air; its dimensions are the
size of one area square per rank of the
spell casters Psyche above Excellent.
Thus, a sorcerer with Remarkable
Psyche could create an object of onearea size, such as a small wall, while a
wizard of Class 1000 can create a
seven-area object. The object can only

be roughly shaped; for fine detail, the

Universal power of Alteration will
have to be used by the sorcerer.
Rough shape means the object can be
given no more than a humanoid form
or the general outline of an automobile, for instance.
Necromancy This is the most
dangerous of all magical powers, as it
involves intrusions into the domain of
the being known as Death. This is the
sorcerers ability to bring the dead
back to life. Only a red FEAT will bring
the dead back to life, and, whether the
caster succeeds or not, Death will
become aware of the spell casters
existence. Death may ask a service of
the wizard in exchange for the dead
soul, or he may just shorten the sorcerers life span by an appropriate
amount. The Judge has complete
authority when dealing with the sorcerer on this matter; if he thinks that
the dead being should not be brought
back to life, he can rule that Death
does not want this soul to return to
the land of the living, thus wasting the
spell (and getting the sorcerer into
terrible trouble).
Other forms of Necromancy that are
much less dangerous include the healing of damage (equal to the spell casters Psyche), the ability to fake death
(stop heartbeat and brain patterns,
etc., but still live), and to steal the soul
of another being and place it in a container (called magic jarring a variation of this spell was used on Ghost
Rider once). The chance for the spell
caster to steal a soul is the same as the
sorcerers chance to dispel magic
based on the victims Psyche. Note that
the stealing of souls is an extremely
evil act, and it is sure to affect the
Popularity of the sorcerer.
Doctor Stranges personal abilities
are given in the Campaign Book, on
pp. 4-7. Under this revised system,
Doctor Stranges magical abilities are
not as ultimately powerful as they
were under the original MARVEL
SUPER HEROES system. Nonetheless,
this system should give wizards in the
game a fighting chance, and it will still
keep a sorcerer from upsetting the allimportant game balance. It should also
be said that though this system limits
the powers of wizards, magic-users
should be very rare (at best) in the
Marvel Universe. I would suggest that
there should be only one wizard in
every group of player characters.
Otherwise, why would the game need
beings like the X-Men?
DRAGON 73

CHAMPIONS

Plus!

New powers for CHAMPIONS heroes

1985 by Steven Maurer

In the CHAMPIONS game, players
role-play superhero characters of their
own design. Rather than consulting
experience tables or character classes, a
player creates characters using generic
powers listed in the rules and defines
his own special effects. It doesnt matter
whether you call your Energy Blast a
plasma laser or a mystic hammer of
force; its the number of dice that the
character buys for the Energy Blast that
sets the cost of the power.
Power advantages can be bought to
allow a wider use of the various
CHAMPIONS powers. In addition, a
power can be bought with limitations
which reduce both the price and effect
of the power. Finally, to help pay for the
characters powers, players may purchase disadvantages for their characters
which give a base experience bonus to
the characters taking them.
The CHAMPIONS game has a rather
impressive list of rules with which to
create a character. By defining your own
special effects, anything from magic to
super-technology and from mutants to
aliens can be defined with equal ease.
However, there are still a few effects
that cant be simulated easily.
The following rule additions are
optional. Because of widely differing
styles of play, some rules may be perfectly reasonable in one campaign but
not in another. Few of these powers are
completely new; most could be simulated using the current rules, but it is
nice to be able to consult a table rather
than make up your own on the fly.
74 A U G U S T 1985

is a favorite skill among street heroes.

Combat Luck

If an entry says nothing about END

(Endurance) cost, then the power costs a
characters END to run. Remember to
include the END cost associated with
any normal END-increasing power
advantages which have been bought on
the power. Skills dont cost END.
New skills
Bouncing;

5 for INT roll /

+ 1 for 2

This is the skill of finding structures in

the inner city against which a character
may bounce. Scenery such as flagpoles
and telephone wires can be found with
a successful use of this skill. An Acrobatics roll is still necessary to bounce
against the item or to keep from falling
from it. If the Acrobatics roll is made,
the character may leap at five times the
normal distance allowed for the characters strength; characters with Superleap
add this extra distance to the end of
their normal leaping distance. Bouncing

15 points per 1d6

Combat Luck is just like normal Luck,

except that it is three times as expensive
and allows for three die rolls instead of
one. Unlike Luck, Combat Luck works
even when a character is winning in
combat or in situations where the character doesnt need it. Combat Luck is
usually a manifestation of some other
super-power the character possesses;
characters are usually not just super
lucky. An example of Combat Luck is a
character blessed by some mystical
power or who has a form of universal
awareness of his surroundings.
Extra Life

4 each
For every 4 permanent experience
points, a character may, buy an Extra
Life. An Extra Life is a one-use 3d6 Luck
roll thats assumed to come out as all
sixes. Once used, an Extra Life disappears. (The experience that bought it
disappears, too.) Extra Lives are a form
of superhero insurance. They allow characters hit with a mortal blow to somehow escape death, but they must be
bought before they are needed. Extra
Lives may be used in any other situation
the player wants; the expense is presumed to prevent totally outlandish use
of them. Extra Lives cannot save the life
of a character other than the one who
bought them.
Example: Metalfist, an android martial
artist, is trying to get out of a death trap
in which a supercriminal has put him.
Unfortunately, while leaping from one
electrified pillar to another, the player
rolls an 18 on Acrobatics and Metalfist

does a one-and-a-half gainer into a vat of

acid below, Luckily, the player bought
an Extra Life some time ago and
expends this power now. Metalfist finds
that the acid in the vat reacts strangely
with his synthetic skin. The mixture
explodes, knocking Metalfist unconscious but also knocking him completely
out of the vat. Though damaged, he is
still alive.
New powers
2d6 for 15
This EGO-based attack is a combination of Telepathy and Mind Control. It
allows the character to impose his consciousness over a victim and take control of the characters body. The dice are
tallied and applied against the targets
EGO as noted below. Each point of the
targets EGO defense reduces the total
before it is compared on the chart.
Domination

EGO
mult.
1X
2X

3x

4x

Domination effect
No effect
The wielder can control the
targets normal movements and
use the senses they share in
common. The wielder must
stand motionless, but the target
may perform half -normal move.
As above, but the wielder can
control the targets powers
(including speech) that the two
have in common. The wielder
must divide a full move between
himself and the target (only one
may attack, however).
As above, but the wielder can
control all of the targets
powers. Both wielder and target
may make a full move, but only
one may attack.

When one character Dominates

another, all skills that the victim possesses are lost for as long as the Domination lasts. The speed of the victim
becomes that of the attacker. A conscious victim may fight Domination by
pushing EGO defense; if the Domination
dice total is ever lowered by the EGO
defense to a lower power effect multiple, the power effect remains lowered.
Domination costs END to maintain each
phase.
Enragement

5 per 1d6

This EGO-based power is a specialized

form of Mind Control combined with
Mental Illusions. It takes advantage of
the violent tendencies that some characters have. When an EGO attack is successful, the wielder rolls the number of

dice of Enragement and compares the

total to the EGO of the target on the
following table.
EGO
mult.
1x

2x
3x
4x

Enragement effect
Roll an EGO roll; upon failure,
target rolls the most commonly
occurring Berserk he has (no
effect if the target has no Berserks)
Roll the targets most common
Berserk (no effect if the target
has no Berserks)
Roll an EGO roll; upon failure,
target goes Berserk with any
Berserk disadvantages)
Target goes Berserk

The character stays Berserk as long as

END is paid. If the wielder wishes to
direct whom the Berserk character
attacks, the results are shifted down one
level on the preceding table. If the
wielder is attacking a target who is particularly easy to anger (such as one with
Arrogance or Psychological Hatreds), the
results are shifted one up. When the
attacker stops paying END, the target
stops being Berserk if he has no Berserk
disadvantages; otherwise, he immediately tries to make his normal recovery
roll. Enragement is not a nice power,
and no one but villains will carry it.

Power Healing

1d6 for 15

This power heals injured characters;

each point rolled on the dice corresponds to one power or characteristic
point which is healed. The specific
power or characteristic that Power
Healing works on must be decided when
the healing is bought. Several powers
can be specified, but this means that
they divide the points between them in a
fixed ratio, and any points used to heal
undamaged powers or characteristics
are lost. (Power Healing cannot boost a
power or characteristic beyond its original value.)
Power Healing has no range. It can be
used on other characters, in which case
it is considered an offensive action, and
it takes only one-half move to execute.
Power Healing may change the nature
of a campaign if abused, so referees are
warned to carefully examine this power
before allowing it into the game. END
Healing cannot be put into a multipower.
Example: Empath has 4d6 Healing
which works for BODY and STUN at an
even ratio of hero points. When Slicer
hits Empath with a killing attack, she
takes 5 BODY and 5 STUN. Empath gets
away and decides to heal herself. She
rolls a 13, of which 6 hero points go to
BODY and 7 go to STUN. Since BODY
costs 2 hero points to buy, Empath

regains 3 BODY and all 5 STUN.

There are a few special disadvantages
for Healing. Works Only On Self gives
x 1/4 points, and Applies Only Once to a
Wound gives x 1/2 points. Damage other
than characteristics and powers can be
healed, as noted in the chart below.
Power Healing cannot cure debilitating
wounds unless the referee decides otherwise. (Debilitating wounds include
things like death, loss of powers, and
amnesia.) When healing characteristics
or special damage, any left-over Healing
points which dont heal a full damage
point are totally lost. For example, if a 1
or 2 is rolled on DEX healing, nothing
happens.
Special Damage
Flash Blindness
Mental Control

cost
3 per phase
2 per point of
control
Weakness found by 5 for every point
an opponent
Find Weakness
score was exceeded
Injury Point
5 per point
STUN taken from
being hit
1 per STUN
Phase being
5 for the phase
stunned
Transformation
BODY
2 per BODY
END lost from
exhausting
2 per disadvantage
disadvantage
bonus multiple
Presence shock
5 for every level
3 for +1
Knockout
Knockout is a characteristic your character never knew he had. Every time a
normal character is knocked to -10
STUN, the character loses speed in
recovery. Such is also true when a character is at -20 STUN, -30 STUN, and -40
STUN. Each point of Knockout increases
this base number of 10. For example, a
character with 2 levels of knockout,
suffers lower recovery at -12, -24, -36,
and -48 STUN. A characters total Knockout cannot be higher than the total
amount of BODY he has.
Slipperiness
3 per + 1
Every 3 points of this power gives 1
point of Entangle defense. Entangle
defense subtracts 1 from both the BODY
and the resistant defense of any Entangle thrown on the character. Slipperiness also subtracts 1 from the BODY of
the STR roll of anyone trying to grab the
character. Not having the grapple
defense is a x 1/2 point disadvantage on
Slipperiness. Slipperiness costs no END
to use.
76 A U G U S T 1985

Temporal Fugue

30 for base (11 or

less) / + 1 for 10

Temporal Fugue is also known as

replay. It allows a character to replay
immediate past events and take a different action, now that the character
knows exactly what will happen. To use
Temporal Fugue, the character must roll
the ability, minus the number of 1/2phase actions he wishes to reverse. If
successful, the replay starts at that
point, with all rolls and actions staying
the same until the character interferes
with the past. You can only replay an
event once.
Example: In a battle, Orakle sees an
agent leveling a blaster at her. Since he
is just a normal agent, she decides to
depend upon him missing but the
agent shoots and hits. Before damage is
rolled, Orakle uses her Temporal Fugue
power to undo his %-phase attack. She
rolls a (12 - 1 = ) 11; her attempt succeeds. When the agent levels his gun at
her, she dives for cover. Play resumes at
this point. The agent, seeing that Orakle
has just jumped behind some boxes, lobs
a grenade at her. Orakle, having already
undone the attack once, cannot use her
Temporal Fugue again.
Referees may choose to extend 1/2phase actions to include non-combat or
simultaneous moves. Thus, an ambush
might be considered a single action for
purposes of Temporal Fugue: the same
goes for running down a blocked corridor. Though it is a power, Temporal
Fugue has all the limitations of a skill: It
cannot have power advantages or limitations, and it cant normally be placed in
a power modifier. Only Temporal Fugue
levels add to the Temporal Fugue roll. It
is a no-phase action and it costs END.
Transmutation

5 for 1d6

This power changes inanimate objects

into other inanimate objects. When
buying the power, the character must
state what specific change will take
place; the mass of the object must
remain reasonably constant, and Transmutation of objects into highly explosive,
radioactive, or other harmful substances
is not normally allowed.
For every 5 points put into this power,
a character gets 1d6 of Transmutation.
The attack is made normally, including
range and size modifiers for small
objects. Foci held by characters are
allowed to add the DCV of the character.
If the BODY rolled on the dice is greater
than the DEF and BODY of the object, it
has been Transmuted. If not, nothing
happens.

Two power modifiers apply to Transmutation: Cumulative Effects and Partial

Transmutation. Cumulative Effects costs
+ 1/2. It allows the BODY rolled in the
attack, which surpass the DEF of the
object, to accumulate over time. When
the total BODY accumulated exceeds the
BODY of the object, the object is Transmuted. Partial Transmutation also costs
+ 1/2 and allows any extra BODY which
surpasses the objects DEF to immediately Transmute a part of the object.
Partial Transmutation can only change
the substance of an object, not its shape.
Foci which have been partially Transmuted should check for failure using the
Damage Check Chart in the CHAMPIONS II vehicle rules (p. 48).
Transmutation closely resembles a
Transformation attack. But, while Transformation is based on the cost of a
ranged killing attack, Transmutation is
based on Tunnelling. While irreplaceable
foci are not totally immune to the effects
of Transmutation (just as heroes are not
immune to Transformation), under certain circumstances a referee may allow
them additional resistance. While this
power may be used for monetary gain
(turning lead into gold, etc.), excessive
use of it would ruin the economy, and
should be disallowed by the referee.
Vertigo

5 points for 1d6

This EGO-based power is a specialization of Mental Illusions. It works by

disrupting the perception centers of the
brain, causing the victim to lose all sense
of balance. This has several effects, as
shown below.
EGO
mult.
1x

2x

3x

4x

Vertigo effects
Target takes a -1 to OCV, DCV,
and DEX rolls (including all DEXbased skills).
Target takes -3 to OCV, DCV, and
DEX rolls. A DEX roll must be
made to control flight or the
target falls (optionally having
uncertainty about its location)
As per 2x above, and Target
OCV on all ranged attacks drops
to zero. The targets control of
Light Illusions and Mental Illusions is lost. A DEX roll must be
made to control any movement.
As per 3x above, and the Target
unable to stand. OCV and DCV
is 0. The target is blinded.

EGO Defense applies against a vertigo

attack. The effects remain, as long as the
attacker keeps paying the END cost.

Charisma counts!
A new charisma system for
the VILLAINS & VIGILANTES game
1985 by S. D. Anderson
NEWS ITEM: (Center City) The archcriminal Killer Scumdog was foiled in his
attempt to rob the Center City Orphanage today by the citys Commando
Crusaders. Most of the Scumdogs
henchmen were captured, but the archfiend himself escaped, and the heroes
opted not to pursue him. He may be
scum, but we like him, said one hero.
NEWS ITEM: (Center City) Alfred
Alford, who is alleged to be the confidence man known as Mr. Charm, was
walking down the streets of the downtown section yesterday morning. The
good citizens of Center City reacted
warily toward him; within minutes, the
Commando Crusaders were on hand to
beat him into submission.
Speaking from the hospitals criminal
ward, police spokesman Lt. Victor
Broyko said no charges could be filed
against Alford, in as much as he has not
committed any crimes. When asked if
assault charges would be filed against
the Crusaders, Lt. Broyko asked Why?
Sound ridiculous? They are, but such
scenarios must happen if FGUs
VILLAINS & VIGILANTES game is
played by the rules. The higher a villains charisma, the greater the hatred a
hero has for him. This only applies to
NPC reactions, but it is illogical in any
event. Besides, one can find many examples of love relationships between
heroes and villains in the comics. Under
78 A U G U S T 1985

the existing rules, such relationships are

difficult at best and impossible if both
characters have charismas over 40.
The situation is even worse at the
other end of the scale. Characters with
low and negative charismas get positive
reaction modifiers from characters on
the opposite side of the law. In the case
of a negative-charisma monster being
encountered by a group of heroes as it
ravages a citys downtown, the + 8 modifier it gets means the worst reaction
possible is a 9 neutral!
Where the existing system fails is in
using the charisma score for three separate purposes. That score serves to
measure the charisma of the hero, the
reputation of the hero, and the charisma
of the heros secret identity things
which should be treated separately.
A superhero in his secret identity
often takes on a personality different
from his super-identity, to help keep his
super-identity hidden. In game terms,
this means that the two identities have
different charisma scores. A character
who is a skilled actor can usually pick
the charisma score he wants each persona to have, but a typical character will
only be able to modify his charisma by a
limited amount. Divide a characters
intelligence score by 10 and round up.
This number represents the number of
points a character can credibly alter his
charisma by unskilled acting ability
alone. Charisma is not truly altered
here; other characters have a chance of
seeing through the act, and the actual

charisma score should be used for saves

or powers whose ranges are determined
by a charisma score.
For example, David (Concussion)
Havens decides to make his costumed
identity appear a little antisocial and
make his secret identity a little more
likable to enhance his disguise. With an
intelligence of 13, he can alter his charisma of 11 by 2 points. Havens would
then appear to have a charisma of 13,
while Concussion would be a barely
tolerable 9.
Training bonuses could be used to
improve the disguise, either by increasing the point spread for varying charismas or by making it more difficult for
someone to see through the act. Anyone
who rolls his characters intelligence
score times three or less will realize that
someone else is putting on an act and
varying charisma. For each level of
training put into this roll, lower the
score the character needs to penetrate a
disguise (or disguised charisma) by 5%.
In this new system, charisma and
reputation are treated as two separate
but related characteristics. Charisma
reflects how a characters personality
directly affects other characters. Reputation reflects indirect consequences of
ones actions and charisma.
A high charisma is obviously useful,
and an extremely high charisma may
even make other characters forget
which side of the law the charismatic
character is on. Of course, an occasional
psychotic might despise a highly charis-

matic character, and personal grudges

between characters can nullify the benefits charisma usually gives. Though it
makes a difference whether a character
is good or evil, the new Reaction Modifiers Table given with this article does
not preclude positive reactions from
others as does the original system.
A good reputation cant hurt, either. In
game terms, a reputation is measured by
reputation (rep) points. A characters
base reputation score can be calculated
by the following formula: (2 x charisma
score x level)/100 = rep points. To have
any public recognition at all, a character
must have at least 1 rep point, and any
score less than one rounds down to
zero. After a character acquires a reputation, fractional points can be valuable.
Round any score over .5 up to the next
number; if it is exactly .5, round it to the
nearest even whole number.
There are many ways a character can
acquire rep points. A referee may award
or reduce them as per the rules on charisma points in section 2.9 in the
VILLAINS & VIGILANTES rulebook; a
character may acquire them through
training (by cooperating with the media
or hanging around criminal districts in
disguise telling stories); or, outside influences can cause the character to gain or
lose rep points. A local politician may
decide to make the characters existence
an election issue, or a best-seIling novel
about super-types may appear that
prominently mentions the character.
Even characters who make no effort to
build a reputation will acquire one as
they progress in levels.
For example, the 1st-level heroine
Flame Rider has a charisma of 14 and
thus a rep point score of 0.28, or 0. At
2nd level, her score would be 0.56 (still a
0). At 4th level, her score would reach
1.12 (1), and she will have a reputation.
On the other hand, were she to use her
first level of training to boost her rep
point score by one point, shed have 1.56
(2) rep points at 2nd level.
Characters can use rep points as charisma reaction modifiers. However, rep
points do not have a specific positive or
negative value assigned to them as charisma modifiers do. Charisma modifiers
work in a alignment-specific manner
with good, evil, and neutral categories
being defined. Reputations are not that
simple, and they vary greatly depending
upon who is viewing the character.
For example, the hero Streetfighter has
a deserved reputation for using violence
to subdue criminals. To the members of
the Avenue Guardians, a group of karate

students who banded together to protect their neighborhoods from gang

violence, Streetfighters rep has a very
positive effect. To the members of the
Activists against Media Violence, Streetfighters rep is a definite minus. Both
groups are of good alignment, so alignment is not a valid indicator when figuring the effect of rep points.
In short, rep points do not measure
the effect a characters reputation has
on others; they only measure its magnitude. Its the referees job to determine
how a particular characters reputation
is going to affect other people, assigning
a positive or negative sign to the score in
each instance.
While reputations will vary, certain
aspects of a superheros life are going to
be fairly standard, and a few effects are
going to be rather constant. A heros (or
villains) rep should be able to counteract any unrealistic gains that his high
charisma gives him. Characters on opposite sides of the law should have every
opportunity to hate each others guts,
and rep points will help feed the fires.
Non-violence is a trait noticeably
absent from most superbeings. Most
characters are going to acquire their
reputations over the course of a long
career, and they are going to have to
come out on top in quite a number of
fights. Being tough is an inherent part of
a supercharacters reputation. All of the
above should make people reacting to
the character a little less likely to resort
to violence. There will certainly be
exceptions to this rule (the young punk
out to make a name for himself by challenging old hands comes to mind), but
such exceptions should be infrequent.
How big can a reputation get? In real
life, a reputation can only get so big
before ceasing to be credible. In game
terms, a reputation score of 10 should
be the limit, no matter how high the
formula says it is. Certain exceptions can
be made, as close friends and archenemies will believe stories about a hero
long after the general public shakes its
collective head in disbelief.
Another thing to keep in mind is that
characters may have more than one
reputation, or that their reputation may
vary with different people. Depending
on how much bookkeeping a referee
wants to do, a single character could
wind up with quite a few rep scores. If
your campaign is set in a modern urban
area, specific reputations could be targeted at the general public, the criminal
underworld, other superheroes, law
enforcement agencies, the government,

and covert-operations agencies.

When awarding or penalizing a character with rep points, a referee may add
or subtract the points from any or all
rep categories as he sees fit. Points generated through the formula should be
treated as a base for all categories, since
they represent the amount of reputation
a character gets unintentionally. Points
earned through training only alter one
category, and the player must determine
which category their character is going
to go for first. (Its possible for a character to work out a publicity scheme that
will cause the training for reputation to
work simultaneously for additional categories, but it will cost Inventing points
to do so.)
Other categories for classifying rep
scores are possible and may even be
necessary, depending on the circumstances of a referees campaign, but too
many categories will bog down the system. Limiting characters to a single
reputation under any and all circumstances may not be very realistic, but it
does save precious time and mental
effort. If you feel comfortable with more
reputation categories, by all means use
them, but dont let a system designed to
ease your work destroy your game.
Reaction Modifiers Table
Viewer is . . .
Charisma on same on opposide of site side
of
character
law
of law neutral
Negative
-6
-12
-8
0-2
-4
-6
-10
3-5
-4
-2
-8
6-8
+0
-2
-6
9-11
-4
+0
+1
12-14
-3
+1
+2
15-17
-2
+2
+3
18-20
-2
+3
+4
21-25
-1
+4
+5
26-30
-1
+6
+5
31-35
+0
+7
+6
36-40
+0
+8
+7
+1
41-45
+9
+8
46-50
+1
+10
+9
51-55
+11
+10
+2
56-60
+11
+12
+3
61-65
+12
+4
+13
66-70
+14
+13
+5
71-75
+14
+15
+6
76-80
+16
+15
+7
81-85
+16
+17
+8
86-90
+17
+18
+9
*
91-95
+18
+10
*
*
96+
+11
* Receives maximum benefits.

DRAGON 79

DEFENDERS
OF THE

FUTURE
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

trolled the Solar System for several

years until a band of super-powered
beings rallied the remaining humans
and successfully pushed the aliens off
Earth. Several more years were spent in
attacking Badoon posts still in the system; then, the Guardians, with the aid of
the time-traveling Defenders, were
able to drive the Badoon completely out
of solar space.
After ensuring that Earth was safe,
the Guardians set off to give aid to any
in the Milky Way Galaxy who needed it,
using their starship Freedoms Lady.
Since then, the Guardians have made
two trips to our current time, one of
which caused the divergence of the time
streams mentioned above.
Two separate Popularity scores are
given, The first is the characters Popularity in twentieth-century Earth, and
the second is their Popularity in their
future alternate universe. [Statistics for
the alien Badoon will be given in a
future article. Editor]
VANCE ASTRO
Vance Astrovik, Major U.S.A.F.
Ex-astronaut, now adventurer
Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)
Agility: EXCELLENT (20)
Strength: TYPICAL (6)
Endurance: GOOD (10)
Reason: EXCELLENT (20)
Intuition: GOOD (10)
Psyche: GOOD (10)
Health: 56
Karma: 40
Resources: EXCELLENT
Popularity: 5/100
Powers:
TELEKINESIS. Vance has a limited telekinetic ability that allows him to project
beams of force. His power is only able to
affect those within the area he occupies.
The force beams can do up to Incredible
damage if focused on one target, or can
do Excellent damage to everyone around
him. Vance is not able to produce other
telekinetic powers. This power has an
Incredible rating.

All Marvel characters, their likenesses, and MARVEL SUPER HEROES are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group.
1985 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries. AU Rights Reserved.

by William Tracy
Over the years, the Marvel Universe
has expanded to include various dimensions and alternate universes. The
Guardians of the Galaxy come from an
alternate future of the Marvel Universe,
albeit one that diverged in the mid80 A U G U S T 1985

Twentieth Century, when a Guardian

affected the life of his past counterpart.
In this alternate future, the Earth is
successfully invaded and taken over by
an alien race, the Badoon, in the thirtyfirst century. The Badoon empire con-

SPECIAL BODY SUIT. Vance was given a

special body suit to keep him alive on his
first interstellar voyage. It is made of a
Remarkable material. If the suit is hit
with any one attack that does more than
30 points of damage, the suit will tear
and Vances body will be instantly
destroyed.
Talents: Vance Astro is able to fIy any
space vehicle and can pilot or drive

almost any other type of vehicle. Being

an astronaut, Vance was also trained in
physics, astronomy, electronics, engineering, and chemistry; his Reason is
Remarkable in those areas. Vance was
trained in martial arts in the Air Force.
Background: Vance Astrovik was the
only son of a small-town butcher, and he
joined the Air Force at the age of 18.
Three years later, Vance became the
youngest person to ever join the U.S.
astronaut-training program. In 1988,
Vance volunteered for the first U.S.
manned interstellar mission to the Alpha
Centauri system. His ship, Odysseus I,
was not able to travel faster than light,
so he was provided with a special bodysuit, described above, to preserve his
body for the thousand-year trip. During
the journey, he was placed in suspended
animation; as a result, his latent psionic
abilities surfaced.
Upon reaching the Centauri system,
he discovered that Earth ships had
reached the system 200 years earlier,
thanks to the invention of a faster-thanlight drive. Humans had been unable to
intercept Vances flight path. Upon
reaching Centauri IV, Vance was given a
heros welcome.
A few days later, Centauri IV, along
with other interstellar Earth colonies
and the Earth itself, was invaded by the
Badoon. Vance joined with several other
heroes to drive the Badoon from Earth,
and he went on to become the leader of
the Guardians of the Galaxy.
While visiting the twentieth century
on a time-traveling mission, Vance
sought out his teenage self and tried to
convince him not to become an astronaut, so that he would not have to experience his own future. The meeting of
these two minds caused psychic feedback which brought the younger Astros
psionic abilities to the surface years
before they were supposed to arise. This
caused a divergence of the timestream,
so the future of the original Vance Astro
is not that of the current Marvel
Universe.
CHARLIE-27
Charlie-27
Ex-space soldier, now
adventurer
Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)
Agility: GOOD (10)
Strength: REMARKABLE (30)
Endurance: REMARKABLE (30)
Reason: GOOD (10)
Intuition: TYPICAL (6)
Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Health: 90
Karma: 22
Resources: EXCELLENT
Popularity: 0/l00
Powers:
BODY ARMOR. Charlie-27s dense skin
gives him Typical protection against
physical attacks.
Talents: Charlie-27 was a space soldier,
trained with guns, blunt and sharp
weapons, wrestling, first aid, and
related military matters.
Background: Charlie-27 was born on
Jupiter in A.D. 2981, the son of two
mine workers. Like all Earth colonists
on Jupiter, Charlie-27 was bio-engineered to withstand the high gravity of
the planet. The process made his body
massive compared to the human norm.
At age 16, Charlie enlisted in the space
militia of the United Lands of Earth. In
A.D. 3007, when the Badoon invaded,
Charlie became the only survivor of the
Jupiter colony. He went on to become a
member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
MARTINEX
Martinex
Former space technician, now
adventurer
Fighting: GOOD (10)
Agility: GOOD (10)
Strength: REMARKABLE (30)
Endurance: GOOD (10)
Reason: EXCELLENT (20)
Intuition: TYPICAL (6)
Psyche: TYPICAL (6)
Health: 60
Karma: 32
Resources: EXCELLENT
Popularity: 0/100
Powers:
COLD AND HEAT PROJECTION.
Martinex is able to generate beams of
intense heat from his right hand and
beams of frigid cold from his left hand.
These beams can do up to Shift X damage, but he can only use them four times
each per day, due to the fact that the
energy for the beams is taken from his
body. Martinex can project the beams
with Excellent Agility within a one-area
range. This power is Unearthly.
BODY ARMOR. Most of Martinexs body
is composed of silicon, providing him
with Unearthly protection against firebased and cold-based attacks.
TaIents: Martinex went to the Pluvian
Technical Institute and was trained in

engineering, physics, and electronics.

His Reason is Remarkable in these areas.
Background: Martinex was born in
A.D. 2986, the son of two professional
technicians on the Earth colony on
Pluto. Like all colonists of Pluto,
Martinex was bio-engineered to withstand the local low temperatures and
poisonous atmosphere. When the
Badoon invaded, the planet was evacuated while Martinex stayed behind to
destroy Plutos advanced industrial complexes. Martinex was rescued by
Charlie-27 and eventually became a
member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
YONDU
Yondu Udonta
Adventurer
Fighting: GOOD (10)
Agility: GOOD (10)
Strength: GOOD (10)
Endurance: GOOD (10)
Reason: TYPICAL (6)
Intuition: INCREDIBLE (40)
Psyche: REMARKABLE (30)
Health: 40
Karma: 76
Resources: EXCELLENT
Popularity: 0/100
Powers:
MYSTIC EMPATHY. Yondu is a mystic
who is able to sense and form a rapport
with local animals and plant life. Using
this ability in the wilderness, he is able
to sense objects and life forms that are
not a part of the natural ecology of the
area. He is also able to find specific elements within the area, such as a specific
plant or animal. Yondu is able to sense
and pinpoint mystical, psychic, and
magical forces and beings, and he can
sense their presence and activities automatically. These powers are Unearthly
in nature and range.
UNIQUE WEAPON. Yondu uses a bow
and a quiver of arrows, the arrows
being made of yaka, a sound-sensitive
metal only found on Yondus planet,
Centauri IV. By whistling, Yondu is able
to control the direction of the arrows
flight after he has shot it. Unless Yondu
is unable to whistle, each arrow has an
Incredible Control rank and can even be
made to return to him.
Talents: Yondu is a trained woodsman
and is an expert with bows.
Background: Yondus people were
characterized by blue skin and a red
dorsal fin on their heads. Yondu was in
DRAGON 81

the wilderness, undergoing his ritual of

manhood ordeal, when the Badoon
destroyed the Earth colony on the
planet and then destroyed all other
natives. Yondu was able to escape with
the aid of Vance Astro, and he became
one of the Guardians of the Galaxy after
liberating Earth.
STARHAWK

Stakar and Aleta

Adventurer

Fighting: GOOD (10)

Agility: GOOD (10)
Strength: REMARKABLE (30)
Endurance: REMARKABLE (30)
Reason: AMAZING (50)
Intuition: UNEARTHLY (100)
Psyche: MONSTROUS (75)
Health: 80
Karma: 225
Resources: EXCELLENT
Popularity: 0/100
Powers:

RESISTANCE TO POISON. Starhawk has

Monstrous immunity to most diseases,
poisons, and illnesses caused by
radiation.
LIGHT CONTROL. Starhawk is able to
manipulate light energy from any
source, changing it into energy that he/
she can use to perform superhuman
feats. He/she can project beams of heat
or force, create temporary bridges of
solid light, and penetrate energy fields
by jamming their wavelengths. This
power is Unearthly in nature, though
the strength of particular powers used
is directly proportional to the ambient
light energy within Starhawks area.
Thus, a Good-intensity light (normal
daylight) would allow Starhawk to shoot
force bolts at Good range doing Good
damage, create light bridges lasting 10
minutes, or penetrate Good-intensity
energy fields.
FLIGHT. Starhawk is able to fly using
his/her light control ability, reaching
Unearthly speeds in space and Monstrous speeds in a planets atmosphere.
Starhawks suit contains a life-support
system that can work indefinitely, and it
will deploy winglike structures to catch
and use the solar wind. Starhawks Agility increases to levels equal to his speed
when he flies, with a minimum Agility
rating of Good.
MENTAL POWER. Starhawk is able to
sense abnormal concentrations and
expenditures of energy and disruptions
in the space-time continuum. This
82 A U G U S T 1985

power is Class 1000 in nature and range.

Talents: Starhawk is an expert in
almost all sciences and is a scholar.
Background: In the early twentieth
century, a great war began on the planet
Arcturus IV between two factions, one
wanting natural childbirth and the other
believing that babies should be bioengineered in the laboratory. The war
ended in a nuclear catastrophe.
More of the laboratory-bred natives
survived than the natural Arcturians.
The laboratory-bred ones mutated into
horrible creatures, and the surviving
natural Arcturians formed bands called
Reavers, whose main task was to
destroy the mutants. On the raid in
which the last of the mutants were
destroyed, a Reaver named Ogord
found a baby male mutant who looked
normal. Ogord received permission to
raise the baby as his own; the child,
whom Ogord named Stakar, grew close
to his step-sister Aleta as the years
passed.
In time, Stakar and Aleta entered some
ancient ruins and discovered a learning
helmet. They both struggled for the
helmet and it malfunctioned, converting
Aleta into energy. She entered into a
religious idol of a hawk-god, animated it,
and began attacking the bands of Reavers looking for her and her brother.
Stakar used the helmet to form a telepathic link with her and then somehow
merged his being with hers. The resulting being left the world and roamed the
universe. After several centuries,
Starhawk met the Guardians of the
Galaxy and helped them chase the
Badoon from Earths solar system.

NIKKI

Nikki
Adventurer

Fighting: GOOD (10)

Agility: EXCELLENT (20)
Strength: TYPICAL (6)
Endurance: GOOD (10)
Reason: GOOD (10)
Intuition: GOOD (10)
Psyche: TYPICAL (6)
Health: 46
Karma: 26
Resources: EXCELLENT
Popularity: 0/100
Powers:

SPECIAL RESISTANCE. Nikkis skin

contains a large amount of a specially
mutated form of melanin. This and
several other mutations give Nikki

Unearthly protection against attacks

using ultraviolet radiation and
Monstrous protection against heat-based
and infrared-energy attacks.
PROTECTED SENSES. Nikkis eyes have
been altered so that they have Incredible protection from blinding light.
Talents: Nikki is a marksman and
weapons master. She is trained to be an
expert with guns, thrown weapons, and
blunt and sharp-edged weapons. She is
also skilled in martial arts.
Weapons: Nikki usually carries two
weapons: a neuronic-frequency stunner
and a pulsed, high-powered, green laser
pistol. The laser pistol does Remarkable
damage and has Typical range. Its
power clip contains enough energy for
10 shots. Anyone hit by the stunner
must make an Endurance FEAT roll in
the yellow area of the column. If they
fail the roll, they will be paralyzed and
stunned for 100 rounds minus their
Endurance rank number. The stunner
has Typical range and has a power clip
that has enough energy for 10 shots.
Background: Nikki was the only
daughter of two administrators of the
mining colony on the planet Mercury,
and was born in A.D. 2997. Like all
colonists on Mercury, Nikki was bioengineered to withstand high temperatures and ultraviolet radiation. The
process gave her very dark skin and
specialized eyes. When Nikki was a
child, the Badoon invaded the Solar
System and killed all other Mercury
colonists. Nikki managed to escape in a
spaceship, but she soon ran out of food.
Luckily, she discovered an abandoned
cargo ship and boarded it. For the next
seven years, she lived alone on the cargo
ship, whose life-support system worked
but whose communicators and engines
did not. She was rescued by the
Guardians of the Galaxy, who had driven
the Badoon out of the Solar System, and
she has stayed on as a team member.

Freedoms Lady
Freedoms Lady is an Annihilator-class
Earth battleship, owned and operated
by the Guardians of the Galaxy. The ship
has Unearthly speed, Amazing control,
and a Remarkable body. It is protected
by an almost invulnerable defense
shield, that provides the ship with Shift
X protection. The ship has five laser
cannons (Damage: Incredible, Range:
Monstrous) and two torpedo launchers
(Body: Good, Control: Incredible, Speed:
Incredible, Damage: Monstrous).

The MARVEL -Phile

by Jeff Grubb

Defenders Ensemble!
All Marvel characters, their likenesses, and MARVEL SUPER HEROES are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. 1985 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries. All Rights Reserved.

For the 100th issue of DRAGON Magazine, lets correct an old oversight and
deal with one of the groups most
requested by the readers of this column,
the Defenders. We have, in other
products, described the Fantastic Four,
the X-Men, Alpha Flight, and the
Avengers (both coasts). But the

Defenders have eluded us to date.

The current team of Angel, Iceman,
Beast, leader Candy Southern,
Moondragon, Gargoyle, Cloud and
Valkyrie have only been mentioned in
bits and pieces. The first four listed take
their bows in MHAC-5, Project
Wideawake, while Beast and

Moondragon appear in MHAC-2,

Avengers Assembled!. But, to date, we
havent talked about Cloud, Gargoyle,
and Valkyrie. This is a serious oversight
and, of course, our purpose in these
columns is to correct oversights (heh,
heh, heh). So set your sights on these
sites, the rest of the Defenders!

GARGOYLE
Isaac Christians

force that powers his flight lets Gargoyle

regenerate damage at an Amazing rate.
In addition, he may regain lost body
parts through regeneration, and he is
immune to the effects of disease and
normal aging.

removed from his Health as were used

in the bolt attack. This loss of Health will
last for 2 rounds.

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)

Agility: POOR (4)
Strength: REMARKABLE (30)
Endurance: INCREDIBLE (40)
Reason: GOOD (10)
Intuition: TYPICAL (6)
Psyche: GOOD (10)
Health: 94
Karma: 26
Resources: POOR
Popularity: 4
Known powers:
BODY ARMOR. Isaacs thick hide gives
him Excellent protection from physical
damage.
FLIGHT. While the small wings on his
back are not powerful enough to grant
him true flight, Gargoyle can still fly by
manipulating bio-mystical energies,
letting him move 3 areas per round.
REGENERATION. The same bio-mystical

BIO-MYSTICAL LIFE FORCE CONTROL.

Gargoyle can manipulate the bio-mystical life force of others, allowing him to
remove up to an Incredible amount of
Health from a target on touch. This loss
of Health lasts only 2 rounds, being
quickly regenerated, but if a victims
Health drops below 0 as a result of such
an attack, the victim will die (with resultant Karma losses for Gargoyle).
Gargoyle can control how much Health
he will take from a victim, but must
announce before the attack the amount
of Health to be taken (e.g., a Typical
attack would remove 6 points of Health).
FORCE BOLTS. Gargoyle can also redirect his own bio-mystical life force into
force bolts that can do up to Incredible
damage, but as many points will be

ANTIMAGICAL FORCE FIELD. Isaac may

also manipulate his personal life force to
project a force field giving him protection from magical energies and attacks.
This force field functions at the Monstrous level and costs 10 of Isaacs Health
points for each round of operation.
Health lost by using the force field may
only be healed in the normal manner.
Gargoyles story: Isaac Christians was
the mayor of the small Virginia town of
Christiansboro, a town founded by his
family. Distressed by the decline of his
town and the rise of local poverty, Christians began to seriously explore the dark
arts he had encountered in his travels
following the First World War. Christians
contacted the extra-dimensional creature known as Avarrish, and he offered
the self-proclaimed demon his service in
return for a solution to his towns ills.
The demon agreed and traded ChrisDRAGON 83

tianss life spirit with that of a gargoyle

animated years before, one that had
been captured and enslaved by Avarrish
and his allies.
As the Gargoyle, Christians kidnapped
Patsy (Hellcat) Walker on orders from
his master, but he rebelled when he
learned that Walker and her fellow
Defenders were marked for death by
the demons. Gargoyle and the Defenders
defeated the demonic alliance, but at a
price: Christians was trapped in his
gargoyle form.
Christians has remained with the
Defenders since that time. He has
helped save his home town from the
revenge of his former demonic allies,
had his demonic body controlled by a
hostile mage, and has met and defeated
the original Gargoyle, who was trapped
in (and perished in) Christianss human
form. As the oldest mortal member of
the Defenders, Gargoyle is often the
voice of patience and reason.
CLOUD

Real name unrevealed

Fighting: GOOD (10)

Agility: GOOD (10)
Strength: TYPICAL (6)
Endurance: REMARKABLE (30)
Reason: TYPICAL (6)
Intuition: GOOD (10)
Psyche: GOOD (10)
Health: 56
Karma: 26
Resources: POOR
Popularity: 6
Known powers:

ALTERNATE FORMS. Cloud can take

three forms: one as a young woman
wrapped in mist, the second as a young
man similarly wrapped in mist, and
lastly as an amorphous, gaseous cloud.
Which of these three incarnations are
her/his true form is unknown at this
writing. All of Clouds powers are usable
only in her/his cloud form.
CLOUD FORM. Cloud can become a
small cloud about four feet in diameter.
This cloud is made up of various gases
excluding oxygen. In cloud form, she/
he can surround a single air-breathing
target and attempt to smother it (requiring an Endurance FEAT roll for the
target, or it will be rendered unconscious for 1-10 rounds). Cloud may fly
up to 3 areas per round while in cloud
form and can move through narrow
cracks and openings. She/he communicates telepathically to others when in
this state.
84 A U G U S T 1985

LIGHTNING. When in cloud form, Cloud

can fire lightning bolts of up to Remarkable damage, directed at targets up to 3
areas away.

or up to Amazing damage on the Slugfest column by using the flat of the

blade. (She will use the latter attack to
avoid slaying her opponents).

Clouds story: Very little is known

about Cloud; at the time of this writing,
mysteries are accumulating with regard
to her/his true origins. The Defenders
first encountered Cloud in female form
as an operative for Professor Power, a
world-beating madman who had reorganized the Secret Empire. Cloud and
other operatives tried to capture the
android Vision but were thwarted by
the Defenders. Cloud left the Secret
Empire after suddenly experiencing new
memories that seemed to show that
Power killed Clouds parents. (These
memories, however, may be false ones
implanted by Power or another source.)
Cloud fled to the Defenders, and after a
battle between the team and the Secret
Empire, Cloud joined the group as a full
member.
Throughout this period, Cloud
appeared to be either a cloud or a 17year-old woman. Soon after joining the
Defenders, Cloud fell in love with
Moondragon. Unable to resolve these
feelings toward the female telepath,
Cloud changed sex to a young man.
Since that time, Cloud has shifted
between the two forms, but her/his true
origins remain a mystery.

WEAPON: IRON SPEAR. Valkyrie also

wields an iron spear which can inflict
Amazing hack-&-slash damage and can
be thrown up to 10 areas for Incredible
damage.

VALKYRIE

Brunnhilda of the Valkyrior

Fighting: MONSTROUS (75)

Agility: REMARKABLE (30)
Strength: AMAZING (50)
Endurance: AMAZING (50)
Reason: TYPICAL (6)
Intuition: EXCELLENT (20)
Psyche: GOOD (10)
Health: 205
Karma: 36
Resources: TYPICAL
Popularity: 15
Known powers:

BODY ARMOR. Like all Asgardians,

Valkyrie has Good protection from all
physical attacks.
WEAPON: DRAGONFANG. Carved from
the tooth of an extra-dimensional dragon
by an Oriental wizard, Valkyries sword
Dragonfang was given to her by Doctor
Strange. The blade is made of material
with Unearthly strength, and when
wielding it Valkyrie attacks on the
Unearthly column. She can inflict Monstrous damage on the hack-&-slash table

MOUNT ARAGORN. Formerly the

mount of the Black Knight, this snowwhite Pegasus was given by the Knight
to Valkyrie and is faithful to his mistress.
Aragorn can run at 5 areas per round,
fly at 10 areas per round, and has the
following stats:
Health
F
A
S
E
GOOD EXCE REMA INCR 100
Talents: Valkyrie is skilled at martial
arts, sharp weapons (swords), and
thrown weapons.
Valkyries story: The Asgardian
Brunnhilda was chosen by Odin to lead
the Valkyrior, a group of nine goddesses
who brought the souls of the honored
dead from the battlefield to ValhalIa. She
performed well until Odin ceased all
dealings with Earth around A.D. 1000.
At that time, the Valkyrior were disbanded, and Brunnhilda roamed Asgard
looking for adventure.
Brunnhilda finally encountered Amora
the Enchantress, but the life of adventure that Amora offered was dishonorable, and the leader of the Valkyrior
rebelled. The Enchantress ensorcelled
Brunnhilda, keeping her body in suspended animation while bestowing
Brunnhildas powers on herself or others. In this fashion, Amora led an allfemale group of super-powered
individuals against the Avengers, but she
was defeated.
While serving as a temporary ally of
the early Defenders, Amora granted the
Valkyries powers and consciousness to a
mortal madwoman named Barbara
Norriss. Valkyrie fought beside the
Defenders for several years in her mortal body before regaining her immortal
form. She has decided to remain with
the Defenders and was chosen by Odin
to watch and guard Moondragon, in
hopes of teaching the telepath humility
and to guard humanity from the powers
of Moondragons darker side. Valkyrie
bears some hard feelings toward Odin
for disbanding the Valkyrior and for
ignoring her plight as a captive of the
Enchantress, and she would rather
remain on Earth than return to Asgard.

DRAGON 85

The chance of a lifetime

BATTLESYSTEM project was a designers dream
by Doug Niles
The opportunity to design a mass-combat
system for the AD&D game was one of
those chances that a game designer gets
once in a lifetime. From the moment I
received the assignment, I began to wrestle
with the multitude of problems that the
BATTLESYSTEM rules would necessarily overcome.
The original concept was first seen as a
small folio system, but it grew quickly.
Everyone had ideas about the potential
utilizations of the game. The project finally
crystallized into a series of ambitious objectives, and I was locked in an office to hammer out the first design draft.
Among the objectives that Bloodstone
Pass, as the game was then called, was
supposed to accomplish were the following:
to handle fantasy battles involving
troops numbering anywhere from a
few dozen to several thousand;
to use a scale that allowed individual
action by high-level PCs and NPCs,
yet handled large numbers of massed
orcs, peasants, and low-level types in
general;
to maintain the spirit and, as much as
possible, the letter of the AD&D game
rules throughout;
to make the supplement equally playable with or without miniatures; and,
to make it useful for streamlining the
encounters of a normal AD&D campaign, as well as adding the new dimension of mass combat for any
players who wanted it.
The list went on and on, but those were
the high points. Although a little taken
aback by the extent of the project, I had lots
of aid in the form of suggestions and playtesters, and the rules began to take shape.
One point that stood out throughout the
project was the strong feeling that an
AD&D world is not simply a medieval
world with magic slapped over it. Instead, it
seemed that societies which had evolved
with the common use of magic spells, items,
and creatures would have become significantly different from the medieval societies
of history.
Naturally, these fundamental differences
would affect the way these societies waged
war. Supplies, formations, tactics, heroic
combat even the terrain of the battlefield
would have to be re-evaluated in the
light of a magical world. Obviously, simply
adding magic rules to a standard set of
ancient or medieval miniatures rules would
not reflect these changes.
The BATTLESYSTEM supplement does
86 A U G U S T 1985

not dilute any of the fantastic realities of

the AD&D universe. Magic, in a concentrated dose of high-enough level, will determine the outcome of a great many battles
just as it has decided the outcome of a
great many smaller-sized AD&D gaming
encounters. This assumption underlies
every rule in the set. Players who want to
recreate an accurate depiction of a battle
between a Roman cohort and band of Huns
might not find what theyre looking for in
these rules. But if you wonder what would
happen to 1,000 orcs that try to overrun a
forest protected by 250 elves, youve come
to the right place!
Creating the system
The first problem to resolve, fundamental
to virtually all games, was the question of
scale. How big should the counters and
miniatures bases be? How many of each
creature should be represented by a single
figure? How much real time would the
events that take place in a BATTLESYSTEM turn require?
I selected counter sizes after a few meetings with the miniatures sculptors in our
3-D department and a look at the typical
miniatures base sizes throughout the industry. Because of the variety of creature sizes
used in the game, three different dimensions were employed. The S, M, and L
designations in the AD&D game provided a
nice reference to all creatures. Since the
degree of flexibility allowed by individual
counters or figures works well in the context
of a role-playing game, the structure of
massed formations grew from the idea of
individually mounted, separate figures
instead of large bases containing many
miniatures.
In determining the number of creatures
represented by a single figure or counter, we
dealt with the problem of varying numbers
of hit dice. This was solved with a sliding
scale; at one end, creatures of 4 HD or less
are represented at a 10:1 ratio, while at the
other end those with 9 or more dice use a
2:1 ratio. Individuals, especially PCs and
major NPCs, are represented at a 1:1 ratio.
Ideally, players can use miniature PC figures from their campaign on the field of
battle, whether the rest of the forces are
displayed with counters or miniatures.
Finally, a time scale was needed. Although the AD&D game provided some
time referents turns and rounds neither seemed to be the best length of time for
a mass-combat turn. Melee rounds, at the
AD&D level of lethality, would yield battles

that were unrealistically brief and far too

bloody. Turns, on the other hand, diluted
the effect of magic spells too drastically,
unless one allowed magic-users to cast 10
spells in every BATTLESYSTEM turn.
The deviously simple solution, perfectly
in keeping with the sliding scale of both
units and figure ratios, was to create a
game round of unspecified duration. A
game round is longer than a melee round
but shorter than a turn. In a battle between
a few hundred troops, a game round might
represent 2-3 minutes of real time, while a
battle involving thousands of warriors calls
for game rounds of perhaps 7-10 minutes in
real time. This ratio is built into the rules
and has no deleterious effect on play.
The next issues that reared their ugly
heads were the rules for unit organizations
and formations. Once again, the assumption about the far-reaching effects of magic
prevented a simple adaptation of historical
unit formations. Imagine the results of a
fireball dumped into the middle of a close
formation of swordsmen or archers!
An analysis of the use of artillery-type
spells fireballs, lightning bolts, ice
storms, and the like yielded the conclusion that AD&D warfare would have as
many similarities to modern warfare as it
would to medieval combat, even to the
extent of having airpower and poison gas!
This conclusion indicated that the use of
massed, tightly closed formations would be
of much less value in the AD&D world than
similar formations had been historically.
Thus, every regular unit has the option of
opening up its formation to minimize losses
caused by such attack forms.
Similarly, the attrition caused by enemy
missile fire can be extremely lethal in the
AD&D world, especially if halflings or elves
do the firing. This provided another incentive for open, flexible formations.
Units still needed to have the shockattack potential provided by tight concentrations of fighters and large masses of
troops. There is a place for heavy infantry
and cavalry forces, which are especially
effective in a low-magic environment
i.e., a battlefield where magic spells of the
5th level of power and above are rare or
nonexistent. In a high-magic environment,
however, infantry must be able to move
quickly and open up formations in order to
survive and close with the enemy. Once
again, the flexibility of the AD&D system
provided the solution: Players can design
their own forces with the armor class (and
corresponding movement rates) desired.

DRAGON 87

Two areas of particular interest in the

supplement were the role of player characters on the battlefield and rules for command and morale. Heroic combat the
one-on-one fighting of two high-level characters, or of a character and a monster
was another area that required special attention. The BATTLESYSTEM supplement, with its roots in role-playing, needed
to provide solid rules for the use of both
PCs and NPCs.
The command rules evolved easily. The
AD&D charisma rating provided a ready
measure of a characters innate ability to
command, and experience level provided a
good approximation of rank.
Heroic combat went through a few more
convolutions before ending up in the relatively simple state that it is now. Originally,
a system was designed having detailed
morale benefits and penalties for the victor
and loser of heroic combat, as well as penalties for declining to accept challenges. Playtesting soon proved these rules to be
unnecessary. Because of the importance of
commanders and the power of high-level
characters operating alone, high-level PCs
naturally tended to seek out powerful opponents and engage in duels of heroic combat.
In the context of a role-playing campaign,
where inter-character relationships can
provide additional motivation for seeking
out and engaging in these duels, the original rules proved even more superfluous.
The simple fact is that a reasonably bal-

88 A U G U S T 1985

anced battle will often be decided by the

actions of a few heroes or villains. Additional rules to motivate characters to fight
these duels seemed heavy-handed.
Certain campaigns, of course, might call
for morale effects to result from heroic
combat. DRAGONLANCE module
DL-8, Dragons of War, provides a good
example of these effects. If a major PC
accepts a duel with a dragon, the morale of
the PCs forces can be improved significantly even if that PC dies in the fight!
DMs are encouraged to create these kinds
of modifiers in their campaigns, where
appropriate.
The basic melee combat system would
normally have been the hardest part of the
project. Here, however, I was fortunate to
have the use of a Combat Results Table
designed by Bruce Nesmith and Zeb Cook
during a previous stint with the project. (As
Michael Dobson has mentioned in the
article that accompanies this one, the
Bloodstone Pass project had been on and
off the schedule for several years.)
This table provided an accurate conversion of average AD&D combat damage
applied to large numbers of troops and
creatures. We started by converting
THAC0 (the base chance to hit AC 0) to
something called an Attack Rating (AR),
which is affected by the ratio of creatures to
figures, and may also be modified by certain factors as per the AD&D combat rules
(such as striking from behind). Once the

AR of a certain combatant (which may be

an individual, or may be a large group of
creatures) is determined, the result of a roll
of 2d6 is added to it. This number is crossreferenced on the Combat Results Table
with the column corresponding to the
amount of damage done by the weapon
type(s) being wielded. The table was structured so that AR plus 7 (the average result
of a 2d6 roll), when read on the appropriate
damage column, results in average damage
for the attack. The damage figure determined for a certain attack is simply multiplied by the number of figures attacking
and immediately applied to the enemy
force.
The 2d6 roll works very well in this context, providing consistency plus the potential for variability at the same time. Results
will tend to average out when many different creatures or characters make attacks.
On the other hand, the chance of extreme
results on the 2d6 roll (2 or 12, to name the
most extreme) still allows the prospect of a
highly successful or unsuccessful attack.
The other nice thing about this system is
that you only need to roll 2d6 once for each
side for each game round to determine the
outcome of that attack. There are
arithmetic computations to be made, of
course, but most of them are simple and
come easily to anyone acquainted with the
AD&D melee system.
By utilizing the BATTLESYSTEM Combat Results Table in conjunction with the

AD&D concepts of armor class, variable

dice of damage, bonuses for flank and rear
attacks, number of attacks per round, etc.,
plus THAC0, the BATTLESYSTEM rules
can easily be added to a campaign.
At this point in their development, the
rules practically began to design themselves.
So many of the AD&D rules date back to
the games origins in miniatures gaming
the Chainmail rules, to be specific that
concepts for missile ranges, movement
rates, field artillery (ballistae and catapults),
modifications for charges and meeting
charges, and even maneuverability ratings
for flying creatures, could be taken right
from the Players Handbook or Dungeon
Masters Guide.

90 A U G U S T 1985

Finally, specific spells and magical abilities had to be addressed. Playtesting showed
that I had a bigger job ahead of me than Id
originally thought. For example, Zeb and I
were playing one of the first games to employ the magic rules. I commanded the evil
forces and made a strong push with several
units of goblin and orc infantry, opening
what I thought was an ideal hole for my
killer force of mounted orcs on war boars.
Zeb could only muster a feeble force of 0level humans backed by a wizard of only
middling level, and I gleefully prepared to
trample his rabble into the dust. Sure, he
might drop a fireball or lightning bolt into
my ranks, but orcs mounted on war boars
are tough. I anticipated a few casualties but

knew that I would give far more than I got.

To make a long story short, you wont
believe how big an area can be affected by a
simple rock to mud spell. My entire war
boar unit the spearhead of my army
sank into the ground right in front of Zebs
feeble line of humans. All of a sudden, the
battlefield had a very different look to it.
After I retrieved the dice I had thrown
across the room, we sat down to discuss the
implications of this magical potency. After
all, it wasnt a 50th-level magic-user that
sank my unit he was only 10th level! The
problem was how to determine whether or
not the ground on the battlefield was rock,
gravel, or dirt. This determination was
needed before deciding the success of the
spell, of course.
Several more experiences with potent
magic spells, including the likes of hallucinatory terrain (and illusions of all types),
charm plants (How much damage does a
lilac bush do?), and wish convinced me that
a referee was necessary to adjudicate highmagic battles. Otherwise, because of the
open-ended nature of the AD&D game, too
many battles would break down into fruitless arguments between the gamers.
Of course, the referee can be the DM in a
players-vs.-DM type of battle. In this case,
the DM holds the same responsibilities as
he has during a normal campaign, and the
players fall into their normal roles of cooperating to combat the forces of evil, which
are run by the Dungeon Master.

DRAGON 91

However, a battle that is not part of a

campaign or that occurs between different
player-controlled factions within the same
campaign requires a neutral referee in order
to run a smooth battle. How would you feel
if your opponent suddenly produced an
invisible cavalry force, directly behind your
carefully fortified lines? The referee can see
that such events (which are quite possible,
by the way) are handled fairly and within
the rules.
We put this idea into effect immediately,
adding a referee to all playtests where spells
of 3rd level or higher were employed. This
considerably speeded up play and allowed
the characters to attempt things that would
not be allowable otherwise. The use of
invisible troops and movement through
other planes are two areas where the referee
proves his worth. The manipulation of
terrain and weather soon became common
as well. In all of these cases, the use of a
referee allows players to attempt all sorts of
tricks to deceive and surprise the opponent.
In cases involving invisibility or illusions,
where the opponent has a reasonable chance
of detecting the strategem unbeknownst to
the sneaky player, the referee makes all such
detection rolls secretly. Thus, both players
remain in the dark as to the extent of the
opponents battlefield intelligence.
The culmination of this testing was the
grand battle described in Michael Dobsons
article, utilizing three planes and a host of
strange creatures. Bruce Nesmith refereed

that melee, and afterward he provided

many more constructive suggestions for the
rules. (Of course, after he was subjected to
a full day of harassment and rules-lawyering
by eight moderately berserk gamers, several
of Bruces suggestions were not only unconstructive but unprintable!)
By this time in the games development,
favorite tactics were beginning to emerge.
Hardly a battle went by without dig spells
fortifying the front. Hallucinatory terrain in
all its manifestations spread across the
battlefields. And, of course, the reliable
fireball remained ever popular. As the rules
drew near to their final shape, final adjustments for the effects of control weather
spells and night battles were added. More
special magic considerations appeared, each
receiving its treatment in the everexpanding Magic section of the rules.
Altering the rules
The BATTLESYSTEM supplement has
undergone a steady evolution into the form
finally released. Naturally, this evolution
continues during the playtesting of the
modules and adventures using the
BATTLESYSTEM rules. During this testing, a few more procedures have shown
themselves useful in streamlining the game.
Ill make some suggestions about these, but
dont regard them as official rule alterations. If everyone in your campaign prefers
one of these options, feel free to use it to
amplify or replace existing rules systems.

DRAGON 93

Morale penalties for small units: Morale

penalties apply to all units that do not include at least twelve figures. Although this
works fine for preparing armies for a largescale battle, it often inflicts a harsh penalty
on the character who wishes to create a unit
for campaign purposes but cannot afford to
pay the wages of 120 troops. Thus, this
morale penalty can be ignored when troops
are organized into smaller units for use
during a campaign.
Simplifying leader rosters: When a player
must record a roster block for a relatively
generic leader, this can result in bookkeeping that could otherwise be dispensed with.
For example, 180 orcs arrive at the battle,
led by an orc chieftain as described in the
Monster Manual. In cases like this, do not
fill out a separate roster block for the leader.
Instead, under the units roster entry for the
unit commander, simply note the name and
command radius of the leader and mark its
location with a 1/2 counter.
Small numbers of figures in combat:
When one or two counters of relatively lowlevel creatures engage each other in combat,
several game rounds can pass before either
side has the opportunity to wound an opposing figure. To increase the chance of
these small units taking damage, and consequently speed up battles between skirmishers or within confined spaces, allow damage
equal to 10% (instead of 25%) of the victims hit dice to cause a wound. This rule
adds greatly to the excitement of small-unit
combat.
Multiple weapon types within a single
unit: The rules require all members of a
unit to be armed with the same weapon
type. This simplifies and speeds up combat,
but multiple weapon types can be used
without a great deal of added complexity.
Allow players to arm different ranks of a
formation with different weapon types. For
example, the first line of figures might be
armed with swords, the next with spears,
and the third with pikes, to get the most
melee power from the unit. This option
carries a restriction, however: Units designed this way cannot alter their frontage
so that figures employing different weapon
types end up occupying the same rank of
the formation.

Getting a campaign started

Players should have little difficulty learning the BATTLESYSTEM rules, since they
draw so heavily from the AD&D and D&D
games. Nonetheless, the idea of moving a
hundred or more pieces around during an
encounter might be a little foreign to many
role players. A few suggestions are offered
here to make the transition easier.
Play a small, low-level battle first. This
acquaints you with the BATTLESYSTEM
combat rules without trouble, allowing
players to become familiar with the Combat
Results Table and figure movement without
having to worry about more complicating
aspects of mass combat such as spells, invisibility and so forth.
Play a few battles in which the highest
level of a PC or monster is no greater than
4. Use about 4-6 units per side and be sure
to include at least one cavalry and one
missile-firing unit on each side.
After playing one or two battles at this
level, use your judgment to decide how big
and how complicated you want your
BATTLESYSTEM encounters to be. Remember, a large battle with low-level characters is not very complicated, whereas a
small engagement with 15th-level magicusers on one or both sides can become very
complicated, indeed.
Dungeon Masters should consider
Michael Dobsons suggestions for working
BATTLESYSTEM into your campaign.
Certainly, there are an infinite number of
scenario possibilities, and some of the circumstances within your own campaign will
lend themselves to mass combat situations.
Allow your players to select and design
their own units, if this is appropriate to
your campaign. This will get the players
more involved with the fate of their units on
the field and more likely to make reasonable
decisions in a role-playing sense. All in all,
everyone will have more fun with the system if they are allowed to create the types
and sizes of units that they desire.
Allow characters to advance themselves
and their units upward in levels, as explained under BATTLESYSTEM rules
Case 16.0, in the campaign rules. This
assures that the players gradually move into
more complex levels of battle after learning

the systems and gaining experience at using

their troops.
Of course, caution is necessary when
allowing players to design their own units,
especially in the area of troop availability.
For example, a player should not be able to
recruit 180 5th-level fighter/magic-user
elves, just because he thinks they would
make a good unit. The DM must ascertain
how many elves are available for this purpose in this area of the campaign world,
what levels they are, and why they would be
willing to serve this PC.
With mercenaries, of course, money
provides the motivation for the troops.
Many humans and demi-humans, however,
will need a more significant reason for
joining a unit, usually involving a special
cause that the unit is supporting. Other
possible incentives for troops include the
repayment of a debt of gratitude owed to
the unit commander (he saved the whole
village once, so everyone has to serve a term
in his army), feudal duties to a liege lord, or
simply the loyalty of a large band of henchmen and hirelings.
Once a few military units exist in your
campaign, the dynamics of PC and NPC
interaction will probably bring about reasons enough for battle. Depending on your
philosophy as DM, you may wish to allow
or disallow PC-vs.-PC battles, which can
become very costly to the characters involved. A situation more in keeping with
the cooperative spirit of the AD&D game is
to structure battles between a force of good
units, controlled by a coalition of PCs, and
the forces. of evil run by, of course, the
DM. When constructing encounters and
adventures such as this, give serious
thought to having one or two extra players
help you run the bad guys. This greatly
speeds play, and you will find yourself having a lot more fun than if you try to run an
entire army alone against a collection of
PCs running an army of equal size.
If you enjoy fighting mass-combat encounters, they dont have to be tied directly
in to the fate of your PCs. Perhaps youll
want to set up a BATTLESYSTEM engagement that occurs offstage in your
campaign world. With no PCs present and
thus no players having a great emotional
stake in the battle, you can simply divide
the players (yourself included) into a couple
of teams and have at it!

Guidelines
If youre interested in contributing an
article to DRAGON Magazine, the
first thing you need is a copy of our
guidelines for writers. Send a selfaddressed, stamped envelope to
Writers guidelines, c/o DRAGON
Magazine, P.O. Box 110, Lake
Geneva WI 53147; and well send
you back a sheet with all the basic
information you need to make sure
your manuscript has the best possible chance of being accepted.
94 A U G U S T 1985

DRAGON 95

From first draft to last gasp

. . . Wherein the editor gets the final word
by Michael Dobson
The idea of doing a new set of miniatures
rules for the AD&D system had been
around for a while, but the project (originally called Bloodstone Pass) had been
on and off the schedule. This phenomenon
is not that unusual, since there are always a
lot more great ideas than there is time to get
them done.
Finally, the project was placed back on
the schedule, and assigned to Doug Niles
(the designer) and myself (the editor). Doug
had created the Knight Hawks game for the
STAR FRONTIERS system, and I had
been the editor of the DRAGONLANCE
module series. We started meeting on the
Bloodstone Pass project in March 1984,
almost a year before the game would reach
the market.
When TSR staff members create a new
game, module, or accessory, the first thing
that happens is a series of meetings to create
a concept and a plan. Harold Johnson,
TSRs Director of Design, helped create the
concept and approve the ideas that Doug
and I were proposing. Early in this process,
the design team realized that this project
had a great deal of untapped potential.
Although several previous AD&D miniatures rules sets existed (going all the way
back to the venerable Chainmail game,
where it all started), none of them were up
to date with the full, current AD&D system.
The new game would have to include all
new magic spells, new character classes,
and every monster in the entire system!
But something else something more
important came out of those early meetings: Bloodstone Pass was going to be an
AD&D game expansion first, and a miniatures game second. The design team felt
that it was more important to have a game
that kept the flavor and structure of the
entire AD&D game universe than to be a
traditional miniatures game. From there, it
was decided to use cardboard counters as an
option, and to add 3-D ADVENTURE
FOLD-UP figures for additional gaming
excitement.
That decision had many more consequences that became evident as the design
phase began. Early on, the design team
decided that the name Bloodstone Pass
didnt convey a feeling of what the game
was all about. After much discussion, the
name was changed to the Official
ADVANCED DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS BATTLESYSTEM Fantasy
Combat Supplement. The Bloodstone
Pass name was freed up for other uses.
The management of TSR was very ex96

AUGUST 1985

cited by the new game, and gave the project

its utmost support. Dennis Kauth, Dave
Sutherland, and Bob Maurus, of TSRs
3-D Products Division, started coming up
with literally hundreds of ideas for cardboard figures and miniatures that could be
used with the game. Dave Zeb Cook,
Bruce Nesmith, and many other designers
contributed ideas.
Doug Niles created the first draft of the
rules, and then playtesting began. The
main conference room turned into a miniatures battlefield for weeks on end. After the
first draft had been thoroughly tested, I
edited the rules, putting in all the changes
that had resulted from the playtests. Then,
the second draft got playtested, and a third
draft was required . . . and a fourth draft
. . . and a fifth draft.
With each draft, the rules became better,
tighter . . . and longer. Every day, it
seemed, people were thinking up new and
better uses for the game.
Finally, we held the ultimate playtest
eight people each designed their own armies, using the recently developed Creating
Armies rules. The TSR designers are a
sneaky, underhanded bunch, and they all
pored through the manuals trying to create
the nastiest, most powerful, most outrageous armies they could find. The final
battle took place on three planes (Ethereal,
Astral, and Prime Material) with about
40% of the total forces invisible when the
game began. There were devas, planetars,
mezzodaemons, galeb duhr, and 10,000
gibberlings each with a sword and a
girdle of storm giant strength. There were
catapults firing mirrors of life trapping that
contained powerful monsters. There was a
force of 220 invisible shadow dragons.
There were three hundred-handed giants
(see the Legends and Lore volume for details). There were drow cavalry on nightmares (they didnt last long). It took 8
hours of playing time (and 4 large deep-dish
pizzas) to get through two turns . . . but it
was an incredible amount of fun, and a lot
was learned.
That led to the sixth draft . . . and eventually to the seventh.
The final edited rules were turned over to
TSRs graphics department in December,
and John Meyers began work on graphic
design and presentation for the various
booklets, boxes, counters, ADVENTURE
FOLD-UP figures, and forms that went
into the game. With our release date looming near, everyone was in high gear down to
the day it all went to the printers.

Doug and I, meanwhile, had persuaded

TSR to use the old Bloodstone Pass
name for the first BATTLESYSTEM game
accessory H-1, Bloodstone Pass. Because
nothing related to the BATTLESYSTEM
project was done halfway, Bloodstone Pass
became a supermodule, with more
counters, roster booklets, adventures, and
an entire 3-D village using ADVENTURE
FOLD-UP figures. Bloodstone Pass is
scheduled for release in July.
Tracy Hickman, creator of the
DRAGONLANCE series and an incredibly prolific and talented game designer,
decided to bring the BATTLESYSTEM
game into the DRAGONLANCE campaign
world. The results appear in DL-8,
Dragons of War, also a July release. In
DL-8, the heroes of the saga command a
small army in the defense of a key pass. Not
to be outdone, Doug Niles has created a
huge aerial battle for DL-9, Dragons of
Deceit in which the DRAGONLANCE
heroes ride good dragons into combat!
There are other projects that will use the
BATTLESYSTEM rules. I am designing
X-10, Red Arrow, Black Shield, a D&D
Expert Set module, for November release.
This adventure uses both the War Machine rules from the D&D Companion Set
and the BATTLESYSTEM rules adapted
for the D&D game. Other designers are
thinking about what they can do with mass
battles, so in the coming months, you
should see quite a few adventures for these
new rules. If youre going to attend the
GEN CON 18 Convention this year, be
sure to see the BATTLESYSTEM Supplement demonstrations.
Using the BATTLESYSTEM game
If youre a fantasy miniatures buff, of
course, youll want the game right away,
since you can set up and run neat fantasy
miniatures battles with it. But what if
youre not particularly interested in a miniatures game?
The BATTLESYSTEM game is a lot
more than just a set of miniatures rules, and
theres a lot that can be done with it even if
you dont care about miniatures gaming.
For one thing, you dont have to invest in a
large collection of figures to use it, although
painted miniatures make for a very attractive battle scene. The cardboard counters
included with the game work just as well
(and also work in an ordinary AD&D or
D&D game), and they look pretty impressive themselves when arrayed on a tabletop.
The most obvious thing you can do is to

run melees that are a lot larger than what

you could run previously. Want to have 200
orcs attack your PC party and still finish the
playing session by ten oclock? No problem.
In BATTLESYSTEM game scale, there are
only 20 counters to be maneuvered, and a
single dice roll can take care of 200 separate
attacks.
At higher levels, most PCs accumulate
henchmen and hirelings. When they are
well played, henchmen and hirelings add a
great deal to the life and excitement of the
game, but they complicate things for the
DM. When they are poorly played, henchmen and hirelings just clutter up the board.
If you use the BATTLESYSTEM rules, you
can handle a much larger number of hirelings in combat. If your players decide to
hire a couple of hundred mercenaries to
help clean out the local dungeon, youre all
ready for them.
With the BATTLESYSTEM Supplement, PCs can enter military service or
become mercenaries. This can open up
entire new vistas in a campaign. Low-level
PCs can work their way up through the
ranks, earning experience points and seeing
the world. If the PCs earn enough money,
they can even recruit their own mercenary
forces and hire themselves out to the rulers
of your campaign world. This is a good
vehicle for getting your characters involved
with the political and military situations in
the campaign.
Wars shaped the history of the ancient

and medieval worlds. The AD&D game

campaign worlds, such as the WORLD OF
GREYHAWK Fantasy Game Setting and
the world of Krynn from the
DRAGONLANCE series, also are concerned with wars. Whether youre using a
TSR-designed world or a campaign world
of your own devising, consider how the
ambitions of rulers, enmity between nations, and other circumstances can lead to
big wars. With the BATTLESYSTEM
Supplement, you can get your PCs involved
in the wars, and so participate in the shaping of history.
If youre playing a D&D game campaign,
dont forget the War Machine rules in
the D&D Companion Set. Its not necessary
to fight out every single battle using the fullscale BATTLESYSTEM rules. You only
have to create those battles that actually
involve the PCs. (The upcoming module
Red Arrow, Black Shield uses both War
Machine and BATTLESYSTEM rules,
and has useful tips for how to integrate both
sets of rules into your campaign.)
D&D game characters who have acquired
dominions (also described in the Companion Set) can use BATTLESYSTEM rules as
well as War Machine rules to fight battles
that involve their dominions. Wars of conquest, wars of defense, wars of revenge
theyre all possible.
The BATTLESYSTEM rules lead to a
wide variety of potential scenarios. Here are
a few ideas.

Your characters are exploring a dungeon,

but find out that the territory around the
dungeon is embroiled in a huge battle. The
characters can get involved on one side or
another, or they can just try to escape the
battlefield without getting killed.
After a few too many drinks at the local
tavern, the characters awaken the next
morning to find that theyve been pressganged into the local army and that they are
expected to march out onto the battlefield
and fight in the defense of some local baron
theyve never even heard of. And, just in
case they get any ideas, the penalty for
desertion is death by hanging.
The characters are commanding a small
elite unit heading for the wars, but they
have to cross hostile territory. They are
pinned down in a small, abandoned fort by
several thousand goblins, and they have to
fight for their lives against an overwhelmingly numerous force (also known as the
Zulu scenario).
The characters are again commanding a
small elite unit. This time, they have to
defend a narrow pass against a huge enemy
army, or their kingdom will collapse (also
known as the Thermopylae scenario).
A small band of freedom fighters (the
PCs) must recruit peasants and form them
into an army to attack the evil usurper in
his impregnable castle (the Robin Hood
scenario).
A strange invading army from the Outer
Planes is menacing the Prime Material

Plane. The invaders can be modrons, githyanki, hordlings, or even slaadi. Because of
the oppositions alien nature, special
powers, and inhuman desires, the PCs must
develop new strategies to overcome the
threat.
Similarly, the invaders can come from
deep within the earth (drow or kuo-toa),
from beneath the sea (sahuagin invading a
coastal town), or from strange corners of the
world (norkers, xvarts).
The Emperor has decided to expand his
realm to include the barbarian tribes that
occupy the northern wastes. An army is
assigned to conquer the tribes and bring
them into the empire (the Julius Caesar in
Gaul scenario). The PCs can either be
leaders in the Imperial Army, or they can be
war chiefs of the barbarian tribes, trying to
resist the inexorable might of the empire.
This scenario emphasizes guerrilla action,
small-unit raids, ambushes, etc.
A time warp catapults an AD&D or D&D
army into Nazi Germany. This scenario was
originally created by Gary Gygax in an
article titled Sturmgeshutz and Sorcery
or, How effective is a panzerfaust against a
troll, Heinz? (reprinted in The Best of
DRAGON Magazine, Volume 1). You can
use the scenario presented in that article, or
create your own version.
Similarly, AD&D or D&D armies can be
transported into the universe of another
role-playing game. The Dungeon Masters
Guide provides guidelines for translating
the AD&D system into the GAMMA
WORLD and BOOT HILL universes.
You can also pit an AD&D army against a
STAR FRONTIERS army, or perhaps even
some characters from the MARVEL
SUPER HEROES game.
If the player characters in your campaign
have acquired dominions of their own, you
can promote strife between them, and let
your PCs fight each other in a series of
wars. To do that, you have to control dominion income and troop costs to make sure
that each player character builds only reasonable armies.
You can create a campaign environment
similar to the Old West, with orcs, barbarians, or berserkers as the Indians. This
can lead to supply-train or wagon-train

98 A U G U S T 1985

raids, caravan-guard battles, and literally

hundreds of other engagements.
You can adapt great battles from any
period of history to an AD&D or D&D
game equivalent. For example, D-Day can
inspire an amphibious assault on an island
controlled by a powerful wizard. The Trojan Horse can be the foundation of an exciting adventure in which a small force enters
an enemy city and fights from within. The
Battle of Britain can lead to a huge aerial
campaign involving dragons, pegasi, and
other strange flying creatures.
Weve found that the BATTLESYSTEM
Supplement is particularly easy to design

(From page 10)

quantity and quality of playing, they would

probably still be gaming.
This brings me to stage four, the book
player. I read all my issues of DRAGON Magazine over again, read my incoming ones from my
subscription, and looked over my books. I hadnt
played in several months. Finally, I decided to do
something about it and called up most of the
people I knew who played the D&D game. Virtually all of them were in the same situation I was
in. After some organization and many long
phone calls, we decided to form an AD&D group.
Although we wont be playing an official
campaign, meaning well be using some of the
changes suggested in DRAGON Magazine and
some of our own, but there will be no critical-hits
tables or spell-point systems or other such variants. The mere thought of DMing without having
3rd-level fighters using + 5 plate mail gives me
ecstasy.
To wrap it up, I would like to know just how
many people out there have gone through any of
these stages. I may be wrong, but I bet some of
the people reading this letter havent role-played
in six months.
Brian McCaskill
Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.
*

In issue #96, a letter by Mr. Joseph Dornbierer

was printed in the Forum section of your magazine. Since then, several people have given their
answer to his question: Do people really use the

scenarios for. An hour or two of creative

effort can easily produce a scenario that is
good for ten hours or more of playing. You
have to create a situation that leads to a
battle, create the terrain, construct the units
and prepare the Army Roster Sheets, and
lay out the tabletop. Then its time to play!
The release of the BATTLESYSTEM
Supplement, the new Unearthed Arcana
book, the D&D Masters Set, and the
AD&D Oriental Adventures book later this
year makes 1985 a milestone year for both
the AD&D and D&D games. Dont be left
out as fantasy role-playing reaches new
heights!
nitty gritty rules, or do they just guesstimate a
lot? In answer to Mr. Dornbierers question, let
me say the following. Every DM Ive ever
known, myself included, has changed something
in the official AD&D rules to meet with his
particular tastes.
I agree with Mr. Paul F. Culotta (we are not
related, to my knowledge) when he said in his
letter to the Forum (issue #98), It is absolutely
true that several of the official rules are too
unrealistic, unplayable, cumbersome, or, worst of
all, not fun. Such rules as weapon speed
factors and weapons AC adjustments just slow
down and complicate a game that should be
relatively fast-paced. No DM Ive ever known
has used these in his campaign, and I seriously
doubt that most do.
On the other hand, some very reasonable
rules are often ignored. Such things as encumbrance and weapons restrictions for short characters add a touch of realism to the AD&D game. (I
know many feel that realism has no place in a
fantasy game, but I feel that it does.) For example, I took part in a campaign in which a halfling
thief was armed with a large trident. Sure, Ill
change a few things here and there, if I feel its a
must, but that is going overboard! Needless to
say, I was slightly annoyed at the breaking of
what seems to be a perfectly logical rule, but
because I was not the Dungeon Master, I said
nothing about it.
Many articles in DRAGON Magazine are
great for AD&D play, and it seems idiotic to me
that someone couldnt use one because one man
hasnt declared it an official rule. Some of these
articles include the Creature Catalogs and Treasure Troves, as well as the Pages from the
Mages and Ecology series. These, along with
many other articles, have been priceless in aiding
my campaign.
Many new character classes have been added
to the AD&D game. On occasion, I have heard of
a player who could not belong to one of these new
classes because his DM didnt believe in using
unofficial material. I myself have used classes
from the pages of DRAGON Magazine (though
altered slightly to fit into my campaign), and my
players think theyre great, even though they
werent official.
To be sure, Im not saying that I disagree with
everything Mr. Gygax says is official. He is
indeed the founding force of the AD&D game,
and without him we would most likely not have
it. Yet, he is still a man, and no one man has
ALL the great ideas. I dont wish to sound insulting, and I hope Im not, because I have great
respect for Mr. Gygax. Im only trying to make a
point: Something doesnt have to be official to be
fun.
Chad P. Culotta
Shreveport, La.

DRAGON 99

COMPRESSOR

by Michael D. Selinker

ACROSS
1. Investigators alternative to Fortune
5. 1977 Richard Harris film
8. Smile former
11. Non-profit network
14. Credit-earning report card marks
18. Night _ (any time)
19. A preservative
20. Babylonian god
21. Kangas kid
22. _-kiri
23. Thinker androids cohorts
27. Two-headed humanoid
28. Word for a cuss
29. Number of a certain conjunction in
the clues
30. Elemental suffix
31. Realtors sign words
32. Coral or North
33. Norse healing goddess
35. Gorge
38. Wall _
40. Laverne DeFazios stepmom
42. 1/SIN, in math
44. See 59-Down
45. Apollos creators
46. Vowelless word
48. Pork fat
50. Dawn
51. Auditors
55. Walled City, e.g.
61. Pearl Harbors locale
62. In port
63. Member of the hound folk (GW)
64. Shape of 98-Down
6 5 . _ ol man!
67. Unsavory smelling beast
68. What Kind of Fool_?
69. Pore over
71. Possess
72. Weapon of the Dwarvish Lords
73. Druid spell
78. Cupid
80. Gormandize
81. Identify
82. Summer at Normandy
83. Gave _ performance (fell short)
86. Author
88. Babys word of disgust
89. Point on a rose
90. Sidestep
91. . . . not_? When it is...
92. Acereraks abode
96. Davenport
97. The Doctors apprentice
99. Elephantine creature
100. Journal or legal suffix
101. Mephit form
103. Punch-line word for 91 -Across clue
105. _:ITL
107. European capital, to natives
111. Former prestidigitator
114. S o _ g o o d
116. Spoken
118. Negatory: prefix
119. _ of thousands
100 AUGUST 1985

120. Cosmic Encounter Corp.

121. Morass
123. 43-Downs forte
125. Tensers floater
126. Force weapon
131. Financier John Jacob
132. AD&D game creators initials
133. Weed or moray
134. Sumerian god
135. _ resemblance to (looked like)
136. Whom the bells toll for
137. Coloration
138. Pollution regulating org.
139. Concorde, e.g.
140. Vortex

DOWN
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

. . . better and_
Decorated
_ effort (work)
Beholder
Dragonkind items
The Throne of the Gods, et al.
_ time (never)
Attorneys field
Time _ Bottle (Jim Croce)
What GAMMA WORLD Knights
practice
11. Straitlaced
12. Half-orc, to 132-Across

13. Morse distress call

14. Miocene bird
15. Colorlessness
16. Spruce up
17. Alternative to shorts
24. John Barleycorn
25. What Bugs calls Porky
26. Report
31. Worth and Leavenworth: abbr.
34. Orcuss or Demogorgons blood
36. Evil 43-Downs spell
37. Fervor
38. _ about (approximately)
39. Spectator
41. Country near northern Spain
43. Deity worshiper
47. Forefoot digit
49. TOP SECRET talent: abbr.
50. See 19-Across
52. Return on face value
53. Put _ on (curse)
54. Arrids competitor
55. Corns relative
56. New Yorks location
57. _ Change
58. Run the _
59. With 44-Across, expensive
protection
60. Glorify ones valor
65. Gave ones word

66.
68.
69.
70.
71.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.

In accord
Alda or Arkin
Constrictor, e.g.
Car part
A Tale_Cities
Meadow
Ten feet, gamewise
Words before a question
Slow eater
The Lords of Chaos and
Morningstar
79. Love_ (The Beatles)
84. Fetor
85. Unworked metals
87. Loyalty factor

110. _ Now (Smokey Robinson)

111. Gossett role
112. Humanoid language
113. Social stratum
115. _ Wan Kenobi
117. Records
120. Border on a corner
122. Stone of weight, e.g.
124. . . . have to do _ yourself
126. Exclusive club
127. Lupercalian event
128. _ plant (GW creature)
129. Pie _ mode
130. Hickory or acorn
(Answers on page 106)

88. Believe _ not!

89. Liquid level line: abbr.
90. Questioning words
93. Kind of ski lift
94. Drakkars propulsion
95. Greek cheese
9 7 . _ Got a Secret
98. Lengthy fish
102. Morrisseys forte
103. _to be reckoned with
104. Genie race
106. Reacts to a second-level spell
108. Can you make _ out of the letters
in NEW DOOR?
109. Used a thoroughfare

The World Gamers Guide

If you live outside the continental
United States and Canada, you can be
included in the World Gamers Guide by
sending your name and full address, plus
your gaming preferences, to World
Gamers Guide, DRAGON Magazine,
P.0. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147
USA.
Abbreviations in parentheses after a
name indicate games in which that person is especially interested:
AD = AD&D game; DD = D&D
game; CC = CALL OF CTHULHU
game; DQ= DRAGONQUEST game;
Colin Andrews (DD)
3 Alfred Sheat Street
Richmond, Nelson
New Zealand
William Vernon (AD, CC)
Avenida Sojo
Residencias El Escorial
1er piso, No. 12
Urbanizacion El Rosal
Caracas 1060 Venezuela
W. J. Poulter (AD, DQ)
35 Coronation Road
Hellesdon,
Norwich NR6 5HB
Norfolk, England

GW = GAMMA WORLD game;

MSH = MARVEL SUPER HEROES
game; SF = STAR FRONTIERS
game; TS = TOP SECRET game;
T = TRAVELLER game;
RQ= RUNEQUEST game;
R = RINGWORLDTM game; ST = STAR
TREK: The Role-Playing Game. For
space considerations, only the first three
preferences given can be printed.
The World Gamers Guide is intended
for the benefit of gamers who live outside
the continental United States and Canada, in areas where nearby gamers are

Adrianne Harris
70 Thompsons Road
Coffs Harbour 2450
New South Wales
Australia

Steven McKeown (DD, SF)

4 Harbourview Flats
Strand East
Whakatane
New Zealand

Dewa Mann (AD,

MSH, GW)
142 Sublime Point Road
Leura 2781
New South Wales
Australia

Thomas Haas (AD)

Am Forsthaus 30
6078 Neu-Isenberg 2
West Germany

Peter K. Campbell (DD, AD)

R. S. D. 40,
Moriarty Road
Latrobe 7307
Tasmania, Australia

Richard Holmstrom (AD,

CC, GW)
Regnbagsgatan 8B
802 30 Gaule
Sweden

Timothy Steinberg (AD, SF)

Einener Str. 60
4410 Warendorf 31 Einen
West Germany

Rainer Nagel
Heinrich-von-Meissen-Str. 21
6500 Mainz 42
West Germany

Winfried Hohn (AD, TS)

Seitzstr. 7
6900 Heidelberg
West Germany

Leo Arceo (AD, GW, TS)

34 S. Batac
B.F. Homes, Exec. Village
Paranaque, Metro Manila,
Philippines

Jorge Barriobero (DD, TS)

Serrano 27
28001 Madrid
Spain

small in number or non-existent, as a

way for them to contact other gameplayers who would be interested in corresponding about the activities that they
enjoy. Unfortunately, we cannot extend
this service to persons who live in remote
areas of the U.S. or Canada, or to U.S.
military personnel with APO or FPO
addresses. Each eligible name and address that we receive will be published in
three consecutive issues of DRAGON
Magazine; to be listed for more than
three issues, you must send in another
postcard or letter.

Jens Kruuse (AD, RQ, T)

Ericavej 170
2820 Gentofte
Denmark
Colin Heathcock (AD, TS)
Berta Bratensvei 1
1347 Hosle
Norway
Stu McNeilly (DD, SF, ST)
17 Parkview Road
Fairlight 2094
Sydney, Australia
Simon Benz (TS, R)
89 Head St.
Alice Springs, Northern Terr.
5750 Australia

Stephen Nojek (AD, T)

Temple Townhouse #212
American Embassy Compound
1-38 Roppongi 2-chone
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106
Japan
Gavin Mountjoy (AD)
21 Victory Crescent
Tawa
Wellington, New Zealand
Ken Nielsen (AD)
Arresogade 9
2200 Kobenhavn N.
Denmark
Sebastian Welsh
35 Munro Street
Baulkham Hills 2153
N.S.W., Australia
Franzl Pichler
79 Churchill Rd.
Murrays Bay,
Auckland 10, New Zealand
Anthony Cabebe
31 W. Waipulani
Kihei HI 96753
U.S.A.

D RAGON

101

GAME-FEST VI, Aug. 9-18

San Diegos 6th annual game festival will
be held in the Old Town district, and it will
feature over 60 different gaming events with
more than $1500 in total prizes. This convention will also include special game
demonstrations and instruction sessions,
figure painting, diorama design, and
costume contests. Registration fees, which
include a $20 coupon book for game purchases, for all 10 days are $15 until August
8, and $20 at the door. Fore more details,
contact: Game-Fest VI, c/o Game Towne,
3954 Harney St. (Old Town), San Diego CA
92110.
VALLEYCON 85, Aug. 17
This science-fiction and fantasy gaming
convention will be held at the Tulare Community Center in Tulare, Cal. Films, trivia
and costume contests, and open gaming are
among the scheduled events. Admission to
this convention is free. For information,
contact: Valleycon, c/o Big Mikes Video,
1766 E. Tulare Ave., Tulare CA 93274.
GEN CON 18 GAME CONVENTION,
Aug. 22-25
This gaming convention will be staged at
the MECCA Convention Hall in
Milwaukee, Wis. For more details about this
event, contact: The GEN CON Convention Office, P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI
53147, or telephone (414)248-3625.
MEMPHIS FANTASY CONVENTION,
Aug. 23-25
This benefit convention will take place at
the Rodeway Inn West in Memphis, Tenn.
All proceeds will be donated to St. Judes
Childrens Hospital. The convention will
feature an RPGA Network AD&D tournament, plus many other games. Contact:
MFCA, 3336 Scenic Terrace, Memphis TN
38128, or telephone (901)454-5098.
TERRA-CON 85, Aug. 23-25
This convention will be held at the Hilton
Inn East in Wichita, Kan. Guests of honor
include Poul and Karen Anderson and
David Le Anderson. Registration fees are
$10. For more details, contact: Terra-Con
85, P.O. Box 947, Wichita KS 67201.
TRIANGULUM, Aug. 30 - Sep. 1
This convention will be staged at the Marc
Plaza Hotel in Milwaukee, Wis. Guests of
honor will include Harlan Ellison and David
Gerrold; Isaac Asimov will be guest speaker
(via teleconference). Activities will include
gaming, films, a masquearde, a writing
workshop, and a trivia contest. A Saturday
102 A UGUST 1985

morning brunch is planned; cost will be $9.

Registration fees are $29. For more information, contact: Triangulum, P.O. Box 92456,
Milwaukee WI 53202.
GATEWAY 85, Aug. 31- Sep. 2
This convention will be staged at the Airport Hyatt Hotel in Los Angeles, Cal. Roleplaying games, family games, seminars, and
a game auction will be featured. For more
information, contact: Gateway 85, P.O.
Box 8399, Long Beach CA 90808, or
telephone (213)420-3675.
FANTASY FAIRE, Aug. 31- Sep. 2
This annual convention will feature films,
panels, filksinging, workshops, a costume
contest, and a cabaret/talent show. Guests of
honor include science-fiction writers Poul
Anderson, Fritz Leiber, Evangeline Walton,
and Paul Edwin Zimmer. Registration fees
$25. For more details, contact: Fantasy
Publishing Company, 1855 West Main St.,
Alhambra CA 91801.
AUTUMN CAMPAIGNS, Sep. 7
This convention will take place at the
Holiday Inn North Bluegrass Pavillion in
Lexington, Ky. Featured activities will include role-playing and board games, tournaments, and miniatures events. Registration fees are $5. For more information about
this convention, contact: Tim Wisner, c/o
The Rusty Scabbard, 513 E. Maxwell St.,
Lexington KY 40502.
COGACON 85, Sep. 20-22
This gaming convention is sponsored by
the Central Ohio Gamers Association, and it
will be staged at the Airport Quality Inn in
Columbus, Ohio. A variety of role-playing,
board, and miniatures games will be offered.
Registration fees are $5. For more details,
contact: Paul T. Riegel, c/o War Game
Designs, P.O. Box 124, Hilliard OH 43026.
EARTHCON V, Sep. 20-22
This science-fiction convention will be
held at the Cleveland Hilton South. Guests
of honor will include David Smith, Ted
Rypel, and Tony Isabella. Featured activities include a dealers room, an art show
and auction, a masquerade, and videos. For
more information, contact: Earthcon V,
P.O. Box 5641, Cleveland OH 44101.
1985 COI/COD FALL MANEUVERS,
Sep. 21-22
For more details about this wargaming
convention, contact: Bill Thomson, 7081
NW 16th St., Apt. 114, Plantation FL
33313, or telephone (305)587-3315.

VALLEY CON 10, Sep. 21-22

This science-fiction and fantasy convention will be held at the Holiday Inn in Fargo,
N.D. Guest of honor will be fantasy author
Patricia Wrede. Featured activities will include videos, an art show and auction,
panels, a Tarot reader, and a wide variety of
gaming events. Registration fees are $5 for
adults and $3 for children under the age of
13. For additional information, send a selfaddressed, stamped envelope to: Valley Con
10, P.O. Box 7202, Fargo ND 58111.
NOWSCON 85, Sep. 28-29
Sponored by the Northern Ohio Wargaming Society, this convention will take place at
the National Guard Armory in Brookpark,
Ohio. The convention will feature an official
RPGA Network-sanctioned AD&D tournament, and the winner will be awarded the
coveted Golden Pegasus trophy. For more
information, contact: NOWS, P.O. Box
29116, Parma OH 44129.
TOL-CON III, Sep. 28-29
This gaming convention will be staged at
the Ramada Inn Southwyck in Toledo,
Ohio. For more details, contact: Tol-Con
III, c/o Mind Games, 3001 N. Reynolds
Rd., Toledo OH 43615, or telephone
(419)531-5540.
CRUSADER CON V, Oct. 4-6
This gaming convention will take place at
the Metropolitan State College in Denver,
Col. Tournament events will include
Diplomacy, Kingmaker, Champions,
Squad Leader, and AD&D games, and
much, much more. Registration fees are $8
until September 15, and $10 thereafter. For
more details about this event, contact: The
Auraria Gamers Club, P.O. Box 13395,
Denver CO 80201-3395.
MAINECON, Oct. 10-12
This convention will be held at the
Waynflete school in Portland, Maine.
Events include fantasy role-playing games,
miniatures, board games, and seminars.
On-site dormitory space available at
reasonable cost; however, bring your own
bedding. For more details, contact: The
Maine Wargamers Association, 116 Front
St. Bath ME 04530.
COUNCIL OF FIVE NATIONS XI,
Oct. 11-13
This gaming event will take place at the
Union College in Schenectady, New York.
Featured activities will include costume and
miniatures contests, an auction, and
around-the-clock gaming. Contact: Pamela
Boynton, Council, P.O. Box 4086,
Queensbury NY 12801.
WINGAMES VI, Oct. 11-13
Held at the University of Manitoba, this
event offers one of the largest AD&D tournaments in Canada. Free admission; an entry
fee may be required for some events. Contact:
Wingames VI, Box 80 University Center,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2.

KING CON 1, Oct. 5

Sponsored by the Knights of the Griffon,
this convention will be held in the community building at the Mt. Vernon city park.
Featured events will include role-playing
game tournaments, seminars, a painting
competition, a fantasy and science-fiction art
show, and much more. Registration fees are
$5 in advance, or $1 entrance fee for each
scheduled gaming event. For more details,
contact: King Con 1, c/o The Dragons
FALLCON, Oct. 19-20
This science-fiction and fantasy convention will be held at the newly built University
Centre Hotel in Gainesville, Fla. Guest of
honor will be Piers Anthony. Events will include videos, an art show, a cocktail party,
and a costume contest. Registration fees are
$10. For more information, contact: Bill
Hatfield, c/o Novel Ideas, 1122 W. University Ave., Gainesville FL 32601.

Lakewood, Colo. Guests of honor include

Somtow Sucharitkul and Leslie Fish; Edward Bryant will be toastmaster. Featured
events will include a computer game room, a
trivia bowl, and a filk concert. For more information, contact: Mile Hi Con, P.O. Box
27074, Denver CO 80227.
NECRONOMICON 85, Oct. 25-27
This convention will be held at the Holiday Inn in Riverview, Fla. Guests of honor
will include Andre Norton, Robert Adams,
Robert Bloch, and Roger Zelazny.
Autograph sessions, a caberet, a costume
contest, alien cooking, and a banquet are
among the featured activities. Registration
fees are $10 until October 1, and $15
thereafter. For more details, contact:
Necronomicon 85, P.O. Box 2076, Riverview FL 33569.

ADVACON 85, Oct. 20

This gaming convention will be held at the
Polish Falcon Hall in Depew, N.Y. Fantasy
and science-fiction role-playing games,
board games, and miniatures tournaments
will be among the featured events. For
details, contact: The Advacon Fellowship,
101 Floss Ave., Buffalo NY 14211.

RO VA CON 10, Oct. 25-27

This science-fiction and fantasy convention will be staged at the Roanoke Valley
Civic Center in Roanoke, Va. Guests of
honor include Richard Pini, Hal Clement,
and Angelique Pettyjohn. Activities will include filk singing, a variety of gaming tournaments, and a costume contest. Fore more
information, contact: Ro Va Con, P.O. Box
117, Salem VA 24153.

MILE HI CON 17, Oct. 25-27

Denvers oldest science-fiction convention
will be staged at the Sheraton Inn in

UNICON II, Nov. 8-10

This convention will take place at the L.A.
Pittenger Student Center on the Ball State

University campus in Muncie, Ind. Guests

of honor will be David Gerrold, Nancy
Springer, and Buck and Juanita Coulson.
Movies, seminars, workshops, and
miniatures competitions will be featured.
Registration fees are $10 until October 15.
Contact: The Quetors Society, Unicon II
Preregistration, L.A. Pittenger Student
Center Box 279, Muncie IN 47306.
CONTACT, Nov. 15-17
This convention will be staged at the Airport Sheraton Inn in Evansville, Ind. Guests
of honor include author Jack L. Chalker and
RPGA Network coordinator Penny Petticord. Panels, an art show and auction, and
comet gazing will be among the featured
events. Registration fees are $8 until
September $15, $10 until November 1, and
$12 thereafter. Contact: RCSFA, P.O. Box
3894, Evansville IN 47737, or telephone
(812)858-5419.
TROPICON IV, Dec. 6-8
This science-fiction convention will take
place at the Holiday Inn in Ft. Lauderdale
West, Fla. Guests of honor include Robert
Bloch, Lee Hoffman, and Gary Alan Ruse.
Activities will include panels, films, an art
show, and a banquet. Registration fees are
$10 until November 1, and $15 thereafter.
Registrants win a $50 value carton of books.
For details, contact, Joe Siclari, c/o South
Florida Science Fiction Society, 4599 N. W.
5th Ave., Boca Raton FL 33431.

(From page 4)
sure wed make enough money on the effort to
make it worth doing, from a business standpoint.
Someday, maybe, well give it a try, and maybe
well find out that we had nothing to worry about
in the first place. In the meantime youll have to
be content, just as we are, with seeing your
favorite paintings on the cover of your favorite
magazine.
How do you decide what goes into a Best of
DRAGON anthology?
In each of the three BODs Ive been involved
with producing, the first and foremost consideration has been reader desire we reprint what
you want to see, not necessarily what we think
are the best articles weve done. The decisions
arent based on how many people write to say
they like an article when its printed (although we
do enjoy the kind words); instead, theyre based
on requests from people who want us to reprint
an article from an issue they dont have, or from
people who say, Why dont you do an article on
so-and-so? when so-and-so happens to be
a subject we covered in an old issue.
One of the incidental advantages of an anthology is being able to produce a group of related
stories in a package, so that you dont have to leaf
through a pile of magazines to get all the information you want. That was one of the motivations behind our reprinting of Roger Moores
excellent Point of View series in the Best of
DRAGON anthology, Vol. III.
And sometimes we like to give you a look at
the way things were, a sampling of the sorts of
subjects that were filling up the magazine before
most of you even knew it existed. That was part
of the reason for the collection of articles by Gary
Gygax that graced the pages of Vol. II the
thoughts of the man who started it all, dating
back to a time when dice was something you did
with vegetables and AC was a term referring to
electricity.
How does a letter get selected to be published in the Letters column?
Any letter that contains what we consider to be
a legitimate question about an article, or an
observation about some aspect of the magazine,
goes into a special Letters file. Once a month,
just before the deadline for the upcoming issue,

we sort through whats there and pick enough

letters to fill the space we have available. We can
never guarantee that a particular question will be
answered in print, or that a certain persons letter
will be printed, but your chances of having your
letter published will be enhanced if at least one of
the following things is true:
Your question or observation is phrased in a
civil, reasonable tone. We do use inflammatory,
caustic, or downright insulting letters once in a
great while, but only (heh, heh) when it serves
our purpose to do so.
Your question or observation, if its a specific one, pertains to a magazine thats no more
than four months old when letter-picking time
comes around. (For instance, if we had used a
regular Letters column in this issue, the general
cutoff point for questions and criticisms would
have been issue #96.) This keeps the column from
getting too stale and gets questions answered
and issues resolved at a time when the magazine
feature that spawned the question is still fresh in
peoples minds.
Your question is one that was asked by a fair
number of people. (That way, we can be reasonably sure that your concern was shared by a good
portion of the readership.) In such a case, we try
to use the letter from the person who got the
question to us first; promptness counts, even if
the answer to your question doesnt show up for
three or four months after you sent it in.
We dont print a letter as a special favor to
someone. (Thats directed at the dozen or so of
you who have written in the last few months to
say, Please print this, because I have a bet with
my friends that I can get a letter published.)
And we dont take dares, such as I dare you to
have the guts to print this. Thats the nice thing
about having guts: When youve got em, you
dont have to flaunt em.
How does a letter get selected to be published in the Forum column?
Two of the general guidelines in the previous
answer apply to Forum letters as well as Letters
letters. We dont look kindly upon insults, slander, or letters that criticize a writer instead of
what that writer said. And your chances of getting into print are better if your topic is relatively
timely; dont wait three or four months to send in
your reaction to a Forum letter, or you run the
risk of buying your ticket after the train has left
the station.
As befits its name, the Forum column is a place
for two kinds of letters: those that raise new issues
and ideas, and those that respond to, rebut, or

Index to advertisers
Name of firm or product

Page(s)

Adventure Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

AMAZING Science Fiction Stories . . . .106
Armory, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42-43
Balboa Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Chaosium Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Companions, The . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
DRAGON Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Dunken Co., The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Entertainment Concepts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Fantasy Games Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . 14, 20,
75, 90
Game Designers' Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Game Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Game Towne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Gamers' Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104-105
Games Workshop U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91,
inside front cover
GEN CON Convention. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Name of firm or product

Page(s)

Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .1,

back cover
Lotus Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Mayfair Games Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Nichols Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Nova Game Designs, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Pacesetter, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Palladium Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
RAFM Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Reality Simulations, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
S&T Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Sky Realms Publishing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Supply Company, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
TSR, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17, 19, 33, 40, 58,
77, 88, 97
Tudor Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
West End Games . . . . . . . . . .Inside back cover
D RAGON

105

support a letter that was published in an earlier

issue. We like to keep a discussion on a certain
topic alive for a while not to fan the flames of
controversy, but to give people a chance to get
their two gps worth in. At the same time, we try
not to beat an issue into the ground and we try
not to publish two letters that say essentially the
same thing, no matter how differently the
thoughts are expressed. (If you see a letter that
sounds like your opinion translated into someone
elses words, you can safely assume that your
letter isnt going to make it in.)
At least once every two or three issues, we try
to include a letter that introduces a new topic for
continued discussion. If part of your motivation
for writing a Forum letter is to see it in print (and
it should be), then you might do well to break
some new ground or dash off a response to a topic
that has just been introduced. The longer you
wait, or the older your topic is, the greater the
chance that your letter, after being read, will
become a permanent resident of the Old
Forum file.
Do you read every letter you get?
Yes. Absolutely every one. All the way
through. Sometimes more than once.
If you cant be sure of anything else, you can
be sure of this: If your letter gets delivered, it gets
read and kept. We can only print a small
fraction of all the letters we receive, but every one
we read has some amount of influence on how we
do what we do. (If you could hear the number of
times I start a sentence with We get a lot of
letters from people who . . . then youd know
what I mean.)
Every one of you who has written, or will
write, deserves credit not only for making the
effort to send a letter, but for making that effort

in the face of overwhelming odds against that

letter being published. For as long as Ive been in
control of deciding what we print, we have had a
policy of not publishing letters that are written
solely for the purpose of complimenting the
magazine and its contributors. (When you spend
a lot of time patting yourself on the back, the best
you can hope for is a sore arm.) But, over the
years, that hasnt stopped hundreds of you from
dropping us short notes and long ones to
make sure that we know you appreciate the
product we put out. If you got letters like the ones
we get, youd read em all, too.
How do you decide what articles to put in
each issue?
Well, as we log in each accepted manuscript,
we assign it a number. Then, when issueplanning time rolls around, we get out the dice.
But seriously, folks . . . a fair amount of
thought does go into figuring out what we would
like to run in each issue. The first consideration,
obviously, is what we have in the to be published pile: Once upon a time we tried printing
an article that no one had written yet, and it
wasnt very exciting reading.
After assessing whats on hand, we make
preliminary selections with the intention of (a)
satisfying your continual demand for articles on
certain games that we, and you, consider top
priority the AD&D game and the MARVEL
SUPER HEROES game, to name the two most
prominent examples and (b) providing, when
we can, a little bit of variety with an occasional
historical piece or an article or two on lowerpriority games.
With a total readership of better than 300,000
people every month, DRAGON Magazine
cannot possibly please everyone at the same time.

What we do try to do is provide the greatest good

for the greatest number and even that approach is ultimately doomed to fail. We get letters
every month saying that the most recent issue was
the best yet, and we get letters saying that the
same issue was worse than most. Fortunately, the
first group outnumbers the second and as long
as that continues to be true, well continue to
operate the way we do.
Is the Roger Moore on your staff the same as
Roger Moore the movie star?
Nope. Our Roger Moore once got an offer to
play James Bond, but he decided to hold out for
the role of Mr. Fantastic. Hes still waiting.

Lets try
that again. . . .
Some of you who have bought our
BEST OF DRAGON Vol. IV anthology may have already realized
that, in addition to some pretty good
articles, the book contains one of the
best mistakes weve ever made.
The problem is a piece of type that
was incorrectly positioned on page
50, making the top of the page pretty
hard to understand. To fix it (in your
mind, if not on the page), pretend the
page starts with the seventh line of
the right-hand column, beginning
with the words shallow turns. Then
keep reading to the end of the third
line under the paragraph numbered
10, to the words any rider. Then go
back to the start of the left-hand
column and read everything else
straight through, ignoring the bad
block of type the second time you get
to it.

Crossword answer
Compressor would be a good puzzle to
use in any issue, because its a good puzzle.
But its especially appropriate for this issue
because of the fact thats revealed by the
answer to 29-Across which also happens
to be the number of the page the puzzle is
printed on.

106 A UGUST 1985

DRAGON

107

108 A UGUST 1985

D RAGON

109

110

AUGUST 1985

D RAGON

111

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AUGUST 1985