SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS

Issue # 176
Vol. XVI, No. 7
December 1991 9 The elves: a worId of difference
Two in-depth features on the elves and their beliefs.

Publisher
James M. Ward
10 Servants of the Seldarine — Chris Perry
Try elven clerics with real power! Specialty priests of the faerie folk.

Editor 16 If You need Help— Ask the Drow!— Ed Greenwood and Steven E.
Schend
Good-aligned drow? Visit Undermountain’s temple of Eilistraee.
Roger E. Moore

Fiction editor
Barbara G. Young OTHER FEATURES

Associate editor
Dale A. Donovan 31 The Voyage of the Princess Ark — Bruce A. Heard
“You got till noon to clear out of Smokestone City,” said the sheriff to
the admiral.

45 Propping Up Your Campaign — Spike Y. Jones

Editorial assistant
Wolfgang H. Baur Some game-mastering tools you might never have thought of—the
Nerf ball, for instance.
Art director

57
Larry W. Smith The Role of Computers — Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser
“Lucky” Jake Masters isn’t very lucky these days—but you will be with
Production staff Heart of China.
Gaye O’Keefe Angelika Lokotz
Tracey Zamagne 64 Time For an Experiment — fiction by Michael G. Ryan
He would rise from the depths to achieve everlasting fame. It was only
a matter of time.
Subscriptions
Janet L. Winters

U.S. advertising
74 Role-playing Reviews — Doug Niles
The study of strategy: three board games with unusual tactics.

Roseann Schnering
77 The MARVEL®-Phile — Scott Davis and Steven E. Schend
Heroic castaways of the MARVEL UNIVERSE™.

84 Playing in the Paleozoic — Gregory W. Detwiler

U.K. correspondent
and U.K. advertising An electric agnath? A long-jawed Erythrosuchus? Where do these
Bronwen Livermore guys come from, anyway?

97 Novel Ideas — Marlys Heeszel

The Cleric Quintet: a new series arrives from Bob “Dark Elf”
Salvatore.

101 The Game Wizards — David Wise

If you want the Hand and Eye of Vecna, wait for the 1992 AD&D®
trading cards!

112 Through the Looking Glass — Robert Bigelow

You want a castle? You want a wizard’s tower? Have we got a deal for
you!

DEPARTMENTS
5 Letters 41 Convention Calendar 102 Dragonmirth
6 Editorial 52 TSR Previews 104 Twilight Empire
27 Forum 93 Sage Advice 108 Gamers Guide

COVER
Gnolls, goblins, and leucrotta hurl themselves across the last barricade in an elven
mansion, as the defenders wield spells and steel against them. The final moments of a
doomed elven house are recorded in our cover painting by Lissanne Lake.

4 DECEMBER 1991
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Dear Dragon, physical characteristics of most, if any, of the for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address,
Does TSR have plans to develop an African pharaohs. Egypt was a “melting pot” for every or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent air mail to any
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We strongly recommend that prospective authors write
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Beckley WV ISSN 0279-6848.
Continued on page 15

DRAGON 5
 poverty) in its events, you probably dis- There are no living survivors of the Natch-
And he is us card some of the negative aspects of hav- ez, Yahi, Haush, Chono, Yaghan, and Ga-
ing a multiracial universe when you are brielino peoples, destroyed by warfare
daydreaming. All role-playing gamers are and disease just in the last few hundred
Visit faraway places, meet interesting familiar with tales of interracial and inter- years during the European settlement of
people, and kill them. species wars. You know how a dwarf the Americas. The entire Arawak tribe of
T-shirt slogan, U.S. Army sneers when he sees a half-orc, or how Hispaniola, one million strong, was exter-
everyone tenses when a kzin walks into minated less than 100 years after Christo-
We have met the enemy, and he is us. the room. Maybe you imagine that we pher Columbus found them. I lack the
Pogo, Walt Kelly could do a little better than that in real references to name African, European,
life. Would we really have rampant inter- Asian, and Pacific peoples whose names
racial warfare just because humans, and cultures now exist only on the pages
dwarves, orcs, and elves look and think of old, unread history texts.
differently from each other? The story goes on, of course. It was in
You know the answer to that. your grandparents’ time when merely
If you yearn to meet intelligent life with being Jewish was sufficient to have you
a strikingly different outlook from yours, jammed into a boxcar with your entire
you have your wish. You live on a planet family to be taken to a concentration
of five billion strikingly different individ- camp. It was in your parents’ time when
uals, no two of whom look or think alike. being a Biafran in Nigeria was a sentence
We are part of a single species divided into to death by starvation. It is in your own
possibly five distinct geographic races, time now when atrocities are being com-
with many hundreds of cultures and sys- mitted against peoples around the world,
tems of beliefs spread among us. We have detailed every day in your newspaper and
conquered space and the depths of the on television and radio. It will be in your
sea, harnessed nature to serve our ends, children’s time when poisonous fruit will
fought disease, built cities, and enriched ripen, grown from seeds being sown today
our lives with art and literature. And we by earnest people, young and old, who
have exhibited the worst traits that any urge intolerance against anyone who does
fantasy/SF game designer or novelist has not look or think or pray as they do. Who
ever imagined in a multispecies setting. will be the next to go?
Surely you must have thought about it Of the five geographic races of humani- Curious, isn’t it, how well fantasy stories
at some point. Perhaps you were playing ty, two—australoids (Australian aborigines) and games reflect the real world.
FASA’s SHADOWRUN* game or TSR’s and Khoisanics (African Bushmen)—have What can you do about it?
AD&D® system, or using Games Work- been nearly annihilated in conflicts with The next time you daydream about
shop’s WARHAMMER 40,000* or GDW’s Europeans and Bantus, respectively. The centaurs near your farm or a Klingon
MEGATRAVELLER* rules. Perhaps you native Ainus of Japan, whose origins are student in your school, think about your
were reading Larry Niven’s Ringworld or still uncertain, have suffered terribly from real neighbors, the real people you see
Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, or watch- local persecution. A possible sixth race of every day who would like to see a new
ing Star Trek: The Next Generation. Surely humanity, the Tasmanians, was completely and friendly face. Open your mind and
you must have wondered what it would be destroyed over a 72-year period by dis- your imagination and your life to those
like to live in a world where humans were ease, warfare, and atrocities inflicted by who are different. See things from their
not alone, where other races and minds European settlers in the 1800s. Another perspectives. Grant others the respect and
and cultures walked among us and shared race of humanity—the muscular, thick- aid and friendship that you would want
with us their own visions of life, the uni- browed Neanderthals of “cave man” them to grant you.
verse, and destiny. fame—vanished from the Earth only Maybe someday your descendants will
Humanity does seem kind of boring after 32,000 years ago, an eye blink in the sum live in a world where being different is
you’ve played a number of role-playing of human existence. Anthropologists have not a crime. If you like fantasy, a world of
games or read fantasy and SF novels set in long suspected that Cro-Magnon humans peace certainly fits that definition.
worlds harboring every imaginable sort of gave their Neanderthal kin a not-so-gentle Maybe it’s time we brought that fantasy
intelligent species. You might yearn to push into extinction; the swiftness with to life.
meet someone different from everyone which the Neanderthals died out once the
else you know, secretly wishing that a Cro-Magnons moved in (one estimate says
family of centaurs had a hidden sanctuary the complete process took only 3,000
near your farm, or that your best friend years) certainly makes you wonder. Yet
was a gruff, hard-bitten dwarf who told another branch of the human tree, a little- Bibliography
you tales of his underground home. May- known Asian/Indonesian people, vanished Diamond, Jared. “The Great Leap For-
be you dream about meeting and befriend- at the same time, as Cro-Magnon folk with ward.” Discover magazine (May 1989):
ing Vulcans, kender, wookies, ents, Aslan, modern features swept out of Africa and pages 50-60.
or even orcs or Klingons. What would you across the world. Nowak, Ronald M., and John L. Paradiso.
learn about life if your best friend was an But why bother picking on separate Walker’s Mammals of the World (4th
orc, eh? races? Whole cultures of humanity have edition), vol. 1. Baltimore: Johns
Of course, in the same way that the been nearly or completely wiped out in Hopkins University Press, 1983; pages
Society for Creative Anachronism deliber- quite recent times. Where are the Native 448-450.
ately discards all the negative aspects of American peoples today, who once ranged Wallechinsky, David, and Irving Wallace.
the Middle Ages (such as the plague, reli- freely from the white wastes of the Arctic The People’s Almanac #3. New York:
gious warfare, serfdom, and crushing to the green jungles of South America? Bantam Books, 1982; pages 301-308.

6 DECEMBER 1991
 Servants of the
Seldarine by Chris Perry

Since the emergence of the AD&D® 2nd The Seldarine is composed of many Those seeking to expand the elven panthe-
Edition game, the concept of specialty and deities, of whom few are lawful and none on should check out DRAGON issue #155
mythos-specific priests has grown in popu- are evil. While all are powerful, none (“The Elfin Gods” or “The Folk of the
larity. From the FORGOTTEN REALMS® compare to Corellon Larethian, the one Faerie Kingdom”) for some ideas. Note that
Adventures book to The Complete Priest’s greater power among them. Lolth was while some elvish deities have overlapping
Handbook, there are many kinds of priests once part of the Seldarine, long ago, but spheres of control, Corellon is the master
and clerics you can use to color your she turned to evil and was cast out by of magic and no other member of the
world. However, no sources have dealt Corellon and the others. Her priests are Seldarine comes close to matching his
specifically with the demihuman deities also described here, and DMs will find that powers.
found in the AD&D 1st Edition game’s Lolth’s specialty priests make interesting Bonus spells are granted in addition to
Legends & Lore or Unearthed Arcana. NPCs and formidable opponents. all normally gained spells, and do not
With this in mind, I have researched and With the exception of Lolth’s cult, all replace them. The casting level of such
designed specialty priests for one such elven religions are tolerant of each other spells equals the current level of the caster
pantheon, the elven Seldarine (from Un- and get along very well as a group. This unless otherwise stated.
earthed Arcana, pages 112-114). doesn’t mean that conflicts between them
Specialty priests are an elite order with- never occur, but most of the time such
in a priesthood, usually in the minority but problems are settled fairly and peacefully. Aerdrie Faenya
wielding powers that normal clerics lack. The only known case of a holy war within Lesser power of Olympus/Arvandor, CG
Considering that elven priests cannot be the Seldarine occurred many thousands of Symbol: Cloud with a birds silhouette
multiclassed (2nd Edition Player’s Hand- years ago, when Lolth was banished and Portfolio: Air, birds, weather
book, page 44), the specialty priests found her temples razed in the fighting that Worshiper’s alignment: Any nonevil and
here are well balanced. followed. nonlawful (elves)
The descriptions of the priesthoods are
generally self-explanatory. When reading
about a non-elven priesthood, you will see
an abbreviation next to the gods name
indicating whether the god and its minions
in question are native to the WORLD OF
GREYHAWK® (WG) setting or the
FORGOTTEN REALMS® (FR) campaign
world. There is little mention of the ha-
tred between Lolth and the Seldarine, as
that is well known to all.
Elven worship tends to be bright and
joyous in comparison to other religions.
During their ceremonies, elves often pray
for knowledge about themselves and oth-
ers, giving thanks to the gods for such
insight. Magical weapons and items are
often crafted on holy days, in the belief
that the gods allow magic to flow more
strongly and freely during such times.
Those wanting to know more about
elves and their gods should read the
AD&D 1st Edition Legends & Lore chapter
on nonhuman deities, Unearthed Arcana’s
Appendix S, or the original articles on
demihuman deities from The Best of
DRAGON® Magazine anthology, volume 3.

DRAGON 11
Pries t’s alignment: CG held each spring and fall in honor of to drive the elves out of the Vesve Forest.
Requirements: Wisdom 13, dexterity 13 Aerdrie and the changing seasons. Corellon is worshiped by the vast majori-
Weapons allowed: Bows (all), dagger/dirk, ty of the elves, except the drow. His tem-
dart, javelin, knife, mace, spear, staff ples are found in rocky areas of natural
Armor allowed: Chain mail (maximum), no Corellon Larethian beauty, always with a special place for
shield Greater power of Olympus/Arvandor, CG viewing the moon and stars. Such temples
Required nonweapon proficiencies: animal Symbol: Quarter moon are rare, however, since the elves are
lore, animal training, weather sense Portfolio: All elves individualistic when it comes to worship.
Major spheres: All, Animal, Creation, Worshiper’s alignment: Any good or neu- Shrines are more common, but are little
Divination, Elemental (air), Healing, tral (elves) more than clearings with a good view of
Protection, Sun, Weather Pries t’s alignment: CG the sky. Corellon is especially popular with
Minor spheres: Charm, Combat Requirements: Wisdom 13, intelligence 12, mages, musicians, and poets, for he is
Magical items allowed: Same as clerics charisma 13 patron of the arts as well as magic.
Weapons allowed: Bows (all but cross-
Granted powers bows), dagger/dirk, knife, lance, mace,
1. A specialty priest of Aerdrie may quarterstaff, spear, sword (long/short) Deep Sashelas
speak with birds at will, and he gains a + 2 Armor allowed: Plate mail and shield, Intermediate power of Olympus/Arvandor,
on reaction rolls when dealing with avian maximum CG
and semiavian creatures like pegasi and Required nonweapon proficiencies: An- Symbol: Dolphin
giant eagles. cient history, reading/writing Portfolio: Oceans, sea elves
2. At 3rd level, a specialty priest of Major spheres: All, Astral, Charm, Combat, Worshiper’s alignment: NG, CG (sea elves)
Aerdrie may cast a feather fall spell once Divination, Guardian, Healing, Necro- and sailors (land elves)
per day. For every four additional experi- mantic, Summoning Priest’s alignment: CG
ence levels, the priest may cast another Minor spheres: Creation, Sun, Thought Requirements: Constitution 12, wisdom 14
feather fall spell. Magical items allowed: Same as clerics Weapons allowed: Dagger/dirk, harpoon,
3. At 5th level, a specialty priest of javelin, knife, net, spear, short sword,
Aerdrie may cast a version of the fly spell Granted powers trident
that allows the affected creature to levi- 1. A specialty priest of Corellon may Armor allowed: None
tate (hover) as well. The spell may be cast turn undead as a cleric. He is treated as a Required non weapon proficiencies:
once per day for every five experience cleric with four additional levels when Swimming
levels the priest has. attempting to turn creatures native to the Major spheres: All, Animal, Combat, Divi-
4. At 12th level, a specialty priest of Outer Planes. nation, Elemental (water), Healing,
Aerdrie has the ability to summon an air 2. A specialty priest of Corellon is im- Necromantic, Protection, Wards
elemental (as per the conjure elemental mune to the paralyzing touch of ghasts as Minor spheres: Guardian, Plant, Weather
spell). He may do so once per week for well as ghouls. He gains a + 1 on saving Magical items allowed: Same as clerics
every level he has over the 12th. throws versus other forms of paralysis,
like the touch of a lich. Granted powers
Restrictions/Taboos 3. A specialty priest of Corellon may 1. A specialty priest of Sashelas may
1. Due to their strong ties with nature, immediately receive either the singing or turn undead if the latter are aquatic in
specialty priests of Aerdrie cannot turn musical instrument proficiency. Choosing nature (lacedons, etc.).
undead. one does not occupy an initial proficiency 2. A specialty priest of Sashelas can
2. Specialty priests of Aerdrie have a slot. Taking both requires a single profi- communicate with dolphins, who are
strong fear of being confined or trapped, ciency slot. trusted friends of the elves.
bordering on claustrophobia. They suffer 4. At 7th level, a specialty priest of Corel- 3. At 5th level, a specialty priest of
a - 1 penalty on initiative, attack rolls, and lon may cast a powerful version of the Sashelas may cast shark charm, a variant
saving throws under such conditions (this abjure spell. The priest casts this spell as if of the snake charm spell that affects up to
includes nearly all underground areas). he were four levels higher than his actual twice the priest’s hit points in sharks. This
They must sleep outdoors except during level. The spell may be cast once per day. spell may be cast once per day and may be
winter or times of bad weather. cast once more for every three additional
3. Birds are sacred to Aerdrie and her Restrictions/Taboos: None. experience levels of the caster.
priests. Priests are forbidden from eating 4. At 7th level, a specialty priest of
them or causing them harm. Notes Sashelas has the ability to shape change,
Ceremonial garb for priests of Corellon like a druid. The priest may change only
Notes consists of sky-blue robes made of gossa- into a dolphin up to three times a day,
Aerdrie’s temples are located on high mer and silver circlets worn on the head, becoming a dolphin in all ways except for
hilltops having a good view of the land quarter moons engraved on the circlets his mind.
around them and the open sky. It is there and embroidered on the robes. The cir- 5. At 12th level, a specialty priest of
that the priests raise various birds and clets and robes are often worn in normal Sashelas may summon a water elemental,
more exotic creatures like griffons and situations, but this by choice and not as per the conjure elemental spell. He may
hippogriffs. Aerdrie is popular with those required. do so once per week for every level he has
concerned with weather but also has a Specialty priests make up about 30% of over 12th.
large following among elves who have the priesthood. They have more status
flying steeds. Specialty priests make up than normal priests, but relations between Restrictions/Taboos
only 20% of the priesthood, but they occu- specialty priests and clerics are excellent. 1. Only water-based spells of the elemen-
py many of the high positions within the The priests of Corellon are on good terms tal sphere may be used, though priests of
church. with the other elven priests, but they are sufficient level may use the transmute
Ceremonial garb for priests of Aerdrie deadly enemies of the drow goddess Lolth rock to mud spell.
consists of sky-blue robes, with those of and her priestesses. It was Corellon who 2. Insect-based spells cannot function
high rank wearing the darkest shades. drove Lolth from the lands under the sun, underwater. Creeping doom and summon
Feathers are used in decorating their and she plots endlessly against the upper- swarm are the exceptions, as the priests
clothing and armor, and at least one feath- world elves. They are also enemies of Iuz have developed variant spells that rely on
er is worn in their hair. Celebrations are (WG) and his minions, for Iuz is attempting crustaceans instead of insects.

12 DECEMBER 1991
 [Alternatively, see “Undersea Priests” in Restrictions/Taboos of the opposite sex (an elven female with a
DRAGON® issue #165 for revised sea- 1. A specialty priest of Erevan cannot charisma of 16 would thus have a cha-
priest spell lists.] turn undead, nor can he command them. risma of 18 with respect to elven males).
2. Specialty priests of Erevan are forbid- The increase is permanent and is only
Notes den to pray in the same place twice, so granted once during the recipient’s
Deep Sashelas is the primary god of the they commonly pray everywhere except lifetime.
sea elves and is known as “The Knowl- their temple, which is reserved for meet-
edgeable One,” for he provides advice as to ings and the like. Those who break this Restrictions/Taboos
where food can be found or where ene- taboo will lose their spells for a day. Should a specialty priest of Hanali drop
mies are hidden. Specialty priests and below 16 charisma, he must go on a quest
clerics are known as the Ideri, and they Notes in order to keep her favor. If the priest
hold ceremonies during especially high or Priests of Erevan are wild and mischie- fails, he is cast out of the faith until he
low tides. They wear ceremonial armor vous, playing tricks on others for the regains a charisma of 16 or higher.
made of shells and wear Sashelas’s symbol, sheer joy of it. Specialty priests are called
a dolphin. Tricksters, and they make up about 40% of Notes
Deep Sashelas has many temples among the priesthood. They wear black leather Hanali’s priests are flighty and somewhat
the sea elves and has an organized clerical armor and black caps, though the armor is vain, given to dancing and wild celebra-
hierarchy. The temples provide each other often concealed by clothing or cloaks. tions. Specialty priests and clerics (who
with information about the movements of Erevan’s followers have a number of make up 30% of the total number of
the sahuagin and other enemies. The rivalries, notably with Mask (FR) and Be- priests) are known simply as priests, and
priests have prevented many sahuagin shaba (FR). They are despised by the fol- temple leaders are called high priests. The
incursions from succeeding, gaining the lowers of Pholtus (WG), who have been hierarchy is loosely organized, and priests
latter’s undying hatred. Sashelas’s priests embarrassed one too many times by these are free to join or leave the church as they
also conduct ritual shark hunts and attack mischief makers. wish.
sahuagin communities. Erevan’s followers are a mix of adven- Priests of Hanali have a preference for
turers, priests, and thieves. His temples things of gold, especially jewelry and
are few and carefully hidden. There is a statues. They wear robes of gold and wear
Erevan Ilesere loose clerical hierarchy in which each necklaces with gold hearts on them. Tem-
Lesser power of Olympus/Arvandor, CN branch is loosely connected to others. ples of Hanali are bright and beautiful,
Symbol: A nova star with asymmetrical with fountains and springs all about.
rays There is an intense rivalry between
Portfolio: Change, mischief, thieves Hanali Celanil Hanali’s followers and those of Sune (FR).
Worshiper’s alignment: Any chaotic and Intermediate power of Olympus/Arvandor, This is because some elves have chosen to
thieves (elves) CG follow Sune instead of Hanali, and this has
Priest’s alignment: CN Symbol: Heart of gold incurred Hanali’s wrath.
Requirements: Wisdom 12, intelligence 12, Portfolio: Beauty, romantic love
dexterity 14 Worshiper’s alignment: Good and neutral
Weapons allowed: Blowgun, bows (all), alignments: those who enjoy beauty or Labelas Enoreth
dagger/dirk, dart, knife, lasso, quarter- are in love (elves) Intermediate power of Olympus/Arvandor,
staff, sling, sword (broad/long/short) Priest’s alignment: CG CG
Armor allowed: Leather armor, no shield Requirements: Wisdom 12, charisma 16 Symbol: Setting sun
Required non weapon proficiencies: Weapons allowed: Bow/short, club, dart, Portfolio: Longevity, time
Disguise flail, lasso, mace, net, sling, staff Worshiper’s alignment: N, NG, CG (elves)
Major spheres: All, Astral, Chaos, Charm, Armor allowed: Chain mail (maximum), Priest’s alignment: CG
Creation, Healing, Protection, Travelers any shield Requirements: Wisdom 14, intelligence 14
Minor spheres: Divination, Elemental, Sun Required nonweapon proficiencies: Danc- Weapons allowed: All bludgeoning
Magical items allowed: Same as clerics plus ing, herbalism weapons
items usable by thieves Major spheres: All, Astral, Charm, Divina- Armor allowed: Plate mail and shield,
tion, Guardian, Healing, Protection, Sun maximum
Granted powers Minor spheres: Necromantic, Summoning Required nonweapon proficiencies: An-
1. A specialty priest of Erevan has some Magical items allowed: Same as clerics cient history, reading/writing
thieving ability. He starts with the thieving Major spheres: All, Astral, Divination,
base scores set out on page 29 of the Play- Granted powers Healing, Necromantic, Protection, Sun,
er’s Handbook, with 20 discretionary 1. A specialty priest of Hanali may turn Thought, Time
points to distribute among them. Each undead as a cleric. Minor spheres: Charm, Guardian
time he gains an experience level, another 2. A specialty priest of Hanali may at- Magical items allowed: Same as clerics
20 points can be added. A priest of Erevan tempt to charm (as per the charm person
does not gain other thief-related abilities, spell) individuals of the same race and Granted powers
such as the backstabbing bonus or scroll opposite sex. The priest may attempt this 1. A specialty priest of Labelas can accu-
use. once per day, but if it fails (the victim is rately determine the time of day, within
2. At 7th level, a specialty priest of allowed a saving throw versus spells) the the hour, and will know exactly what day
Erevan may cast a chaos spell (as per the priest cannot use the charm again until of the year it is, regardless of the priest’s
wizard spell) once per day. A specialty the proper offerings and meditations have circumstances.
priests of Erevan is allowed a saving throw been made (usually taking two days). The 2. A specialty priest of Labelas receives a
vs. spells when struck by a chaos spell. victim is penalized one point on his saving saving throw vs. spells against spells or
3. At 14th level, a specialty priest of throw for every point of charisma the attacks that affect age or time (for exam-
Erevan may cast a polymorph any object priest has above 16 ( - 1 at 17, -2 at 18). ple, a slow spell or the aging attack of a
spell (as per the wizard spell) once per 3. An elven worshiper of Hanali who has ghost).
day. earned a great gift from her, usually by 3. At 6th level, a specialty priest of Labe-
completing some great quest in Hanali’s las may cast a slow spell once per day. He
name, may be granted an increase of two may cast another slow spell for every five
charisma points with respect to members experience levels he has.

DRAGON 13
 4. At 8th level, a specialty priest of Labe- Restrictions/Taboos: None.
las may cast a haste spell once per day. An
additional haste spell is granted for every Notes
four experience levels of the caster. Lolth is a dark goddess worshiped by
5. A specialty priest of Labelas may turn the majority of drow. Temples dedicated to
undead as a cleric. her can be found in every drow city. Her
influence is strong, and her temples are
Restrictions/Taboos one of the few organized parts of drow
1. A specialty priest of Labelas must society. The church is matriarchal in na-
pray every day at sunset. If he does not do ture, so few male drow achieve positions
so, he loses 1-4 of his spells, selected at of authority within the hierarchy. About
random, the following day. 85% of Lolth’s priests are specialists, and
2. Priests of Labelas are the keepers of 90% of all her priests are female. Relations
elven history and lore, and are charged are strained between the specialists and
with searching for hidden facts of the clerics, and isolated clashes occur between
past. They must compile and protect such them.
sacred knowledge. The priests of Lolth hate all upper-world
elves and plot against them continually.
Notes They particularly despise those elves who
Only about 20% of Labelas’ priests are are priests of Corellon. Corellon defeated
specialists, but there is little rivalry since Lolth and drove her from the upper-world,
they are considered equals. Both special- and her priests have not forgotten it.
ists and clerics are called Lorists, for most Priests of Lolth wear tunics of red and
of them are historians who gather knowl- black and wear helms. Jewelry worn by
edge about elvenkind’s past. Historians or the priests consists of spider medallions
not, all who follow Labelas are lovers of and other spider designs, all made of
history, and his temples always have li- platinum. Her temples are always under-
braries for elves and others to peruse. ground, usually made of marble. The
Lorists wear robes of light gray and architecture is spiderlike in design and is
worship in small groves by their main both beautiful and horrifying.
temple. Such worship occurs at sunset
every day. When in battle, priests wear
the setting sun symbol of Labelas on their Rillifane Rallathil
armor and shields. Intermediate power of Olympus/Arvandor,
CG
Symbol: Oak tree
Lolth Portfolio: Nature, wood elves
Intermediate power of the Abyss, CE Worshiper’s alignment: N, NG, CN, CG
Symbol: Spider (wood elves)
Portfolio: Drow Priest’s alignment: CG
Worshiper’s alignment: Any evil alignment Requirements: Wisdom 14, charisma 14
(drow) Weapons allowed: Bows (all), dagger/dirk,
Priest’s alignment: CE knife, mace, spear, sword (long/short)
Requirements: Wisdom 14 Armor allowed: Scale mail and shield,
Weapons allowed: Dagger/dirk, hand maximum
crossbow, javelin, mace, short sword Required nonweapon proficiencies: Ani-
Armor allowed: Chain mail and buckler mal lore, herbalism
Required non weapon proficiencies: Major spheres: All, Animal, Combat, Crea-
Reading/writing, religion tion, Elemental, Healing, Plant, Sun
Major spheres: All, Astral, Chaos, Combat, Minor spheres: Charm, Divination,
Divination, Healing, Necromantic, Pro- Protection
tection, Summoning Magical items allowed: Same as clerics
Minor spheres: Creation, Sun (reverse
only), Wards Granted powers
Magical items allowed: Same as clerics 1. A specialty priest of Rillifane may
identify animals, plants, and pure water
Granted powers with perfect accuracy.
1. A specialty priest of Lolth may com- 2. A specialty priest of Rillifane may
mand undead as a cleric. speak with forest animals at will.
2. A specialty priest of Lolth can commu- 3. At 3rd level, a specialty priest of Rilli-
nicate with spiders of all kinds, and spi- fane may pass without trace at will. Fur-
ders will never harm her in any way. thermore, he may pass through overgrown
3. At 5th level, a specialty priest of Lolth areas at his normal movement rate.
may cast a web (as per the wizard spell) 4. At 7th level, a specialty priest of Rilli-
once per day. fane may shape change into a bird, mam-
4. At 7th level, a specialty priest of Lolth mal, or reptile up to three times a day.
may cast a summon shadow spell (as per Each animal form can be used once per
the wizard spell) once per day. day (see the druid class for details).
5. At 10th level, a specialty priest of
Lolth can summon 2-8 giant spiders once
per day. They will appear in 1-3 rounds
and will obey the priest fully.
14 DECEMBER 1991
Restrictions/Taboos guishes himself in some extraordinary way forces with the priests of Rillifane and
1. A specialty priest of Rillifane cannot may be given an arrow of slaying of the even with druids in order to wipe out
have a permanent residence within the normal sort, designed to slay the type of Malar’s followers.
walls of a city. creature -that is the recipient’s greatest
2. A specialty priest of Rillifane cannot enemy at that particular time. This gift can
turn undead. be received only once in each elf’s lifetime.
3. A specialty priest of Rillifane cannot
Restrictions/Taboos
shape change while wearing metal armor,
though leather armor can be worn (it will A specialty priest of Solonor cannot turn Letters
undead. Continued from page 5
magically be discarded whole).
immediately to the following people and tell
Notes Notes them your views: Karen Boomgarden (AD&D
Specialty priests and normal clerics of Temples of Solonor can be found deep in game) or Bruce Heard (D&D game), c/o TSR,
Rillifane are known simply as priests, and the forest, carefully hidden with guarded Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147,
in ceremonies wear armor made of bark paths. In ceremonies, priests of Solonor U.S.A. Your views are important, and this is the
and laurel wreaths. Dark green dyes are wear elven chain mail with cloaks of silver time to let your opinions be heard. We need
rubbed into the armor to show rank with- and hoods of green, though in normal proof of the gamers’ desire for such products,
in the church (the darkest is for the high situations green cloaks are worn instead of and any letters we receive will be forwarded to
priests). Rillifane’s temples are actually silver. Specialty priests of Solonor are the appropriate manager
known as Hunters, and they wear silver And, if you happen to have some ideas for
huge oak trees with platforms built in the articles or modules about African-based topics,
branches. The hierarchy is organized medallions with a stag’s head on them send for the writers’ guidelines from the proper
regionally, generally keeping to itself and (stags are sacred to Solonor). Rangers are magazine. Just enclose a stamped, self-
helping its fellow elves. In times of war, part of the church hierarchy, as Solonor is addressed envelope and send it (with a note
however, the leaders of each region unite the patron of elven rangers and hunters. asking for the guidelines) to: DRAGON Magazine
the tribes into a single force. Specialist The church makes use of clerics, rangers, or DUNGEON Adventures, P.O. Box 111, Lake
priests make up 30% of the clerical and hunters in a ratio of 40/30/30 (special- Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.
hierarchy. ty priests make up 40% of all of Solonor’s
All priests of Rillifane have great hatred clerics). Relations between these groups
for the priests of Malar (FR), for Malar’s are excellent, and Solonor’s priests are on
followers sometimes make elves the object good terms with those of Rillifane.
of their hunts. They clash often with the Priests of Solonor are deadly enemies of
forces of Iuz (WG), for Iuz seeks to destroy those who worship Malar (FR), as the
the wood elves of the Vesve Forest. latter sometimes hunt elves and the sacred
stags. Often the priests of Solonor join
Solonor Thelandira
Lesser power of Olympus/Arvandor, CG
Symbol: Silver arrow with green fletching
Portfolio: Archery, hunting
Worshiper’s alignment: Any good or neu-
tral alignment (elves)
Pries t’s alignment: CG
Requirements: Wisdom 12, dexterity 14
Weapons allowed: Bows (all), dagger/dirk,
hand axe, knife, sling, spear
Armor allowed: Chain mail (maximum), no
shield
Required nonweapon proficiencies:
Bowyer/fletcher, hunting, tracking
Major spheres: All, Animal, Combat, Heal-
ing, Protection, Summoning
Minor spheres: Divination, Elemental,
Necromantic, Plant
Magical items allowed: Same as clerics

Granted powers
1. A specialty priest of Solonor gains a
+ 2 bonus when using the bowyer/fletcher
and hunting nonweapon proficiencies. In
addition, he has the tracking ability of a
ranger (no penalty, + 1 modifier for every
three levels).
2. A specialty priest of Solonor gains a
+2 attack bonus when using any bow.
3. A specialty priest of Solonor has the
ability to move silently and hide in
shadows as a ranger (PHB, page 29). He
can move silently even while wearing
elven chain mail (no penalty modifier). He
is also hard to track ( - 3 penalty to find
the priest’s tracks).
4. A worshiper of Solonor who distin-

DRAGON 15
16 DECEMBER 1991 Cartography by Diesel
 If You Need Help—
Ask the Drow! by Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend

“Good eve, gentlemen. Thy workspace, adventurers to plumb the depths and Promenade was founded in Under-
Steven, appears to have taken on shades of secrets of the place. Alas, many are simply mountain, near the infamous lawlessness
Elminster’s.” fresh prey, falling before the ever-hungry of Skullport.
The silky-soft voice startled us from our monsters of the Underhalls or to Halaster’s Drow who raid or trade with the sur-
reverie. No matter how much you prepare cruel humor. Though I am loathe to reveal face world have always found their way to
for the nocturnal entrances of archmages, all of the secrets of the Dark Halls, thou near-surface trading settlements through-
they nearly always surprise you. Another and thy readers need to be aided by news out the Realms, and Skullport is no excep-
late night found us buried in the lore of of beneficial places within this dungeon’s tion. Among these drow are always a few
the deepest dungeon of them all, examin- sanguinary confines.” misfits, both outcasts and those who se-
ing a worn copy of the Ruins of Under- Something seemed amiss with Laeral. cretly long for a life of peace and richness
mountain boxed set, with scribbles and Not that we minded hearing her lovely in the vast, fabled lands of light. These are
notes of our own, and a copy of the voice, but she was being direct and clear, the drow who, if they hear her song or
FORGOTTEN REALMS® source book FOR2 which a Northern mage of power rarely is, the haunting call of her hunting horn,
The Draw of the Underdark, with notes in her telling of Undermountain’s legends. often turn to Eilistraee, also called the
on that which applies to Undermountain. In any case, Laeral spun a tale of a bur- Dark Maiden, Lady of the Dance, and Lady
Our hauntingly beautiful guide, Laeral, geoning force for good near Skullport Silverhair.
appeared unexpectedly (as usual), settled from a most unexpected quarter—a drow The ruined city housing the temple
into the best chair in our office, and took temple! We hereby present the secrets of complex has revealed few of its secrets to
up a small glass of cola. Eilistraee’s temple, often known to her those currently dwelling there, nor have
Twirling her drink, Laeral smiled faintly. faithful—the Chosen—as the Promenade of the settlers been inclined to delve deeply
”‘Twould seem that thy writings on the Dark Maiden. into its past, being too preoccupied with
Undermountain are powerful indeed; at their present work. The number of races
least, they are not slow to attract more The Promenade living in harmony within the temple is
The temple complex, also known as
Eilistraee’s Promenade, occupies the large
ruined city east and north of Skullport
(and to the west and south of the Eye’s
lair). Its appearance has changed slightly
from the Level Three South map included
in the Ruins of Undermountain boxed set,
the interior caverns altered by Eilistraee’s
worshipers to suit the dark-elven goddess
of goodness, beauty, and delight. Eilistraee
is the patron goddess of those drow who
yearn for a return to the surface world
and peaceful coexistence with others, not
a life of intrigues, endless feuds, and wars
with all non-drow. (For more information
on her, see FOR2 Drow of the Underdark.)
The drow females who have dedicated
themselves to the worship of Eilistraee
typically establish her temples in the
mouths of dark caverns and in dim forests
on the surface world, venturing forth at
night to brave the moonlight. It is rare for
clergy of Eilistraee to found a temple
below the surface, even one so close to the
world above. The history of the temple,
which follows, tells something of why the

DRAGON 17
representative of the surface Realms. Cavern C is the priestesses’ ward of the western end of the hall has been altered to
Many of the temple’s faithful are escaped Promenade. This cavern was the first to function as a bath; the lower length of the
slaves who braved the River Sargauth’s be restored into living quarters. The four- hall is occupied by 12 beds along the walls.
terrors rather than the lash of a Calishite story building carved into the cavern’s The priestesses occupy the rooms to the
slave driver, and they fled here to the eastern wall is the domicile of the high east just outside the hall; despite any reac-
protection of Eilistraee’s worshipers. Some priestess, her consort, and her family. Its tion they receive, outside of violence, the
of the higher-placed guards and skilled stepped terraces are kept well illuminated priestesses will be kind and courteous to
craftsmen are former adventurers who by glowing lichens and softly lit glow- any who are brought to them. After the
chose to remain here rather than explore globes of green and blue hues. The two- patient is well, he is taken to the priest-
the depths of Undermountain. story central building constitutes the esses’ ward and housed in a guest house of
Cavern A (see the map) is the current temple’s house for honored guests; the his station. The price for these services
area under development, with the temple larder is well stocked with foods from all can be simple, like one new song for the
workers busy clearing away the rubble of across the Realms, and its halfling cook, worshipers to sing in praise of their deity,
the centuries as well as the excavated Meryl Vyrmoth, can prepare nearly any or one day’s work for each day spent in
material from Cavern B. In general, the dish imaginable (Laeral particularly recom- the hall and at the temple. Supplies or
buildings on the western side of the ca- mended the roast cockatrice in mushroom gems are also readily accepted, though
vern serve as quarters for many of the sauce). The other domiciles are occupied frowned upon as helpful only for the
workers. Being two to three stories tall by the other Dark Ladies (priestesses), followers and doing little to “benefit the
each, with stone stairs carved into the Maids (acolytes and aspirants to the clergy Lady.”
southern or eastern walls for access to the who wish to join the temple or who have
upper stories, these buildings can house not yet attained full priesthood), and the Eilistraee’s worship
four to six families or groups of workers temple’s lay servants. Visitors who want to The day-to-day worship of Eilistraee, as
each. The exits leading west out of Cavern keep a low profile are usually taken to practiced by the faithful of the Prome-
A have been temporarily been sealed with rooms deep in this warren of caves, build- nade, is a mixture of practical works and
rubble and protection spells, preventing ings, and winding passages. More than one devotions. The pragmatic work consists of
any dangers from entering from Skullport curious visitor has discovered that the food-growing and temple-building chores,
or the other caverns. Maids sometimes spy on visitors from patrolling the temple caverns and pas-
After six months, the workers have many secret passages that entwine about sages, and practicing diplomacy designed
cleared away the rubble in the streets of the quarters. to influence events beyond the immediate
Cavern A and demolished the buildings Cavern D has been fully restored. Its temple area. This diplomacy includes
adjacent to Eilistraee’s Mound (A1). The southern and western buildings serving as dealings with those of Waterdeep and
mound itself has been painstakingly tend- guards’ barracks, and its remaining build- Skullport, and face-to-face negotiations
ed by several of the dwarven workers, its ings are storehouses and armories with with worshipers of Eilistraee, merchants,
slopes smoothed and its jagged peak living quarters on the upper levels. adventurers, and representatives of other
carved into a beautiful representation of To the north of the caverns is the Hall of drow communities. The Chosen of Eilis-
Eilistraee (the statue is actually a likeness Healing. This long-sealed place was once traee work tirelessly to further the Lady’s
of Qilue Veladorn, the high priestess of the dedicated to the evil god Moander, but the aims toward the peaceful co-existence of
temple, the most beautiful of all her wor- heavily armed Chosen who broke into it drow with other races of the Realms, and
shipers). The mound now rises 30’ above found only dust, the ashes of burnt tapes- the return of the dark elves in strength to
the floor of the cavern at its peak; the tries, and a smashed altar in the form of a dwell in the surface Realms—and to fulfill
statue’s head comes within 40’ of the huge cupped hand. The hand was black her commandments about preventing the
cavern ceiling and faces east over Cavern with many years of sacrifice, and it ap- return of Ghaunadaur. Unlike many other
B, the Cavern of Song. peared that the shield-sized eye in its palm temples, this practical work takes prece-
Cavern B is totally devoid of its former had once been living—but on its riven, dence over rituals.
architecture. Using powerful magicks and twisted remains had been lain a golden The Promenade does observe “cycles”
a legion of summoned earth and water symbol of Tyr, Lord of Justice. Some un- (days measured by the light of the moon,
elementals, the temple elders destroyed known band of adventurers had laid low not the sun). A cycle begins with an infor-
any lasting remnants of the former city. the power of Moander the Undying, when mal gathering of all ranks and races within
The rubble from the buildings was then Qilue Veladorn was yet young and the the temple for bathing and chatter. At
either removed, disintegrated, or ground defeat of Ghaunadaur still a fresh and length, Qilue or the ranking priestess
into tiny pebbles and rock dust to cover terrible thing (Ghaunadaur is detailed in present will conjure moonfire (see the
the cavern floor. New tunnels were carved FOR2 The Drow of the Underdark). following) and begin the Charge, the open-
to provide easier access to Caverns C, D, The Chosen cleansed the hall with the ing recitation for many rituals of the
and the Hall of Healing. A variety of spores most powerful magic they could muster, Promenade clergy; all full priestesses join
and fungi have been cultivated on the destroying all traces of Moander. The in. The Charge is heard by many in Skull-
floor of this cavern, creating a soft, slight- symbol of Tyr they kept in honor, with port, if only as a rising and falling murmur
ly luminous covering. The southern leg of Eilistraee’s full approval, and it now hangs echoing eerily from afar to the river barge
the cavern slopes down and ends in a above the stricken who are brought here. or dark passage where they happen to be.
magically generated spring that supplies The hall was chosen to serve as a sick- Councils, among the Chosen of Eilis-
the temple with fresh water. nursery, for the care and tending of the traee, are always secular and free-
The cavern’s ceiling rises to a height of temple’s wounded as well as those unfor- speaking meetings: Secular and business
100’ and causes a peculiar phenomenon. tunates who suffered from the dangers of affairs are discussed plainly, all priestesses
In the other caverns, there is a standard the Under Halls and were rescued by the having an equal voice regardless of rank.
background echo of sound; in this cavern, Dark Ladies. A fixed one-way teleport spot The Council is chaired by Qilue or the
there is never an echo at all, save when from level six delivers adventurers and senior priestess present, but informality
the congregation raises its voices in song an infrequent monster to the northwest- and candor are the order of the day.
and a ringing comes from the upper walls ern corner passage north of the Hall itself. The Council is closed by a prayer to
and ceiling in harmony with the song. The The temple will heal any who come here, Eilistraee made by the chair-priestess, and
dwarves claim the cause might be a offering the hand of friendship oft denied the Chosen then disperse to begin their
unique crystal that reverberates with the to those of the Shunned Races. daily work. After four hours of work, all
pitch of the song, but they cannot explain The hall is tended at all times by a lesser priestesses and aspirants not engaged in
the existence of such crystals. priestess (C3-5) and two acolytes (C1). The essential work gather in the Cavern of

18 DECEMBER 1991
Song for the Grand Chorus. favor of Eilistraee. Their locations vary to be cast.
This is the central, grandest daily ritual but, if they stretch far enough to meet The Chorus is followed by a brief rest
of worship to the Lady: an ongoing cele- with natural moonlight filtering down period, then the priestesses practice dance
bration of vocal music. A senior priestess from the surface world (through the and song until a senior priestess wanders
always leads the Chorus with an overrid- Seacaves, for instance), Eilistraee’s power about the Promenade, singing “The Call to
ing theme or melody. allows her priestesses and all beings or Eilistraee,” a haunting melody that draws
The Chorus always brings into being items they are touching, wearing, or car- all the Faithful back to the Cavern of Song
shafts of sparkling moonlight in the under- rying to gain a special power. If these (Cavern B). There, the priestess launches
ground passages and caverns of the Prom- priestesses so wish, they can be instantly into the Charge to open another, shorter
enade, as well as in various locations transported along the webs of moonlight Council. Afterward, the priestesses dis-
elsewhere in Undermountain. These flow to any place that the moonlight reaches. If perse to take their evening meals in small,
spontaneously into view, sparkling and the moonlight is broken or ends, travel informal, ever-changing “tables” (eating
glowing brighter as they reflect the fervor stops at that point. Such travel is other- groups that don’t necessarily involve a
and emotion of the worshipers and the wise entirely safe and requires no magic table) about the temple area.
This is followed by a play-and-work
period in which all of the faithful do re-
pair work, storage, food preparation, and
the like until they end the cycle by taking
to their beds. During this time, the Chosen
make their most important prayers of the
day: the personal, solitary Flame Songs.
A priestess performs a Flame Song when
moved to do so, dancing around a candle
or other flame. The song to the goddess is
personal, taking any form desired, and
ends when the flame dies. It is the height
of rudeness for a priestess to deliberately
interrupt the Flame Song of another; out-
siders and nonbelievers are usually for-
given for their ignorance. Priestesses often
try to find an alcove or passage where
they can be alone to make a Flame Song. A
visitor to the Promenade at this time can
hear the eerily beautiful echoes of half-a-
dozen or more of these solos at once,
drifting down various passages and in side
caverns and rooms.
Moonfire
All full priestesses of Eilistraee gain the
power to conjure moonfire by a silent act
of will, once per day for every experience
level they possess. In rare circumstances,
males who worship Eilistraee—or beings
without any priestly powers who work to
further Eilistraee’s aims and need her
visible blessing and support (or just some
light)—will temporarily manifest moonfire.
Such manifestations are at the will of the
goddess; the lucky recipient has no control
over the duration, intensity, and location
of the radiance.
Priestesses can conjure controlled moon-
fire. It can range from a faint glow to a
clear, bright (but not blinding) light, and it
varies in hue as desired, including blue-
white, soft green, white, and silver. It
cannot equal or exceed full sunlight (“day-
light”) for purposes of fighting undead, but
it serves as a source of light for reading,
finding one’s way, and attracting others to
a desired location. Moonfire does equal
the strongest moonlight for natural and
magical purposes. Each manifestation of
moonfire can last for one round per level
of the priestess. Concentration is not re-
quired to maintain it, but it can be ended
at any time by the summoner or by any
application of dispel magic or darkness
(which the moonfire negates during its
own destruction).
Moonfire always appears to emanate
Artwork by Bob Giadrosich
DRAGON 19
from some part of the body of the priest- oozing, and creeping creatures were wor- of the Underdark (including illithids and
ess manifesting it, but it can move about shiping a great and loathsome tentacled orcs), and adventurers who always seem
as the user wills. Priestesses of 4th level or thing. to assume that they are evil menaces. The
higher can cause moonfire to move away Qilue went while shining with her infrequent raiding bands of all races com-
from their bodies altogether, drifting goddess’s silver light like a bright beacon, ing from Waterdeep or Skullport kept the
about in the manner akin to dancing and the bravest drow younglings stayed Chosen alert, and the increasing battles
lights. Moonfire moves about the manifest- with her. Where their swords touched the with oozes, jellies, and slithering monsters
er’s body as rapidly as desired, but when oozing, shifting masses, the creatures of unusual size and power made it clear
no longer in contact with the manifester it shuddered and drew back. For long, wea- that a strong, permanent presence was
can drift in any direction (and through the ry hours, the young drow cut their way essential. The Chosen knew they would
tiniest openings) at a rate of up to 40' per through the undulating masses until Qilue often need the guidance and aid of Eilis-
round. Moonfire can fill as large or small reached the central pit where the gigantic traee to prevail. Two years ago, the faith-
an area as the manifester desires, up to thing quivered and hissed. ful of the Promenade began to construct
the volume limits of one cubic foot per There, she flung aside her sword like a their temple complex, much to the con-
level. blazing torch, and her body burst forth cern of some neighbors in nearby Skull-
Elminster reports that he and many with roaring silver flames. She flung her- port.
other wizards, in the days when Myth self upon the massive thing and embraced The Dark Ladies of the temple are all
Drannor was hearty and proud, re- it—and its flesh melted away, burning with masters of both combat and negotiation,
searched a moonfire spell. It was a second- horrible roiling smoke. Frantically, it defending their complex against many
level spell and produced only a single howled and gestured until a swirling iris forces and outside influences, and gather-
manifestation of radiance. In all other of shimmering force coalesced in the air ing whatever aid possible from kindred
respects, the spell’s results were identical above it. It quickly drew what remained of spirits. They particularly need adventur-
to the powers of the priestesses of its blackened, scorched bulk into this ers who can help them keep in contact
Eilistraee. opening—and was gone. with fellow worshipers of Eilistraee on the
As Qilue stood triumphant in that awful surface world, and they are willing to pay
The great mission place, all the remaining creatures bur- well for such services in fine gems. Adven-
Contrary to the norm, the Chosen wor- rowed frantically down into the earth turers who blunder into or deliberately
ship Eilistraee from Undermountain, rare- beneath that foul pit. With them went approach the Promenade will not be at-
ly coming to the surface world to worship glowing, many-tentacled symbols and tacked outright unless they attack the
as do standard clergy of the Dark Maiden. black blades of gigantic, inhuman design, Chosen; the priestesses are always looking
The priestesses of the Promenade do all among other arcane devices. Qilue went to for new worshipers of the Lady. Adventur-
the work for good that regular clergy of every hole and slime trail they left behind, ers who are willing to act for the temple
Eilistraee do (including healing and pro- and fire blazed forth from her that melted for hire are also needed, even if such
tecting injured adventurers of all races) rock to seal off the ways down. When she people worship other gods. Those who
and encourage trade and drow travel was done, the light faded from her and “consort with the Dark Ladies” are not
between the surface and deep Realms. she fell as if dead—and the voice of Eilis- well received or well liked in Skullport,
Still, they keep their temple beneath the traee was heard by the other drow, telling though the Lords of Waterdeep, at least,
surface, allowing themselves only brief them that they had defeated the abomina- understand and approve.
missions and pilgrimages “to the moon” tion of Ghaunadaur that day.
(the moonlit surface lands). They remain “One defeat was simply that,” Eilistraee Protectors of the song
in one spot, altering it to their needs (also continued, saying Ghaunadaur would Over the past two years of the temple’s
unusual for clergy of Eilistraee, who tend attempt to take swift and terrible revenge existence, there has been an increasing
to live in harmony with their surround- if they allowed it to return to its place of need for guardians to keep back both the
ings, leaving few traces of their passage or greatest power. Eilistraee’s words are still monsters of the deep and beings no less
habitation) because of the great mission. remembered: “You must take a stand here dangerous emigrating from Skullport. The
Priestesses of the Promenade tell the tale close to the surface world, for a mighty current garrison of temple guards consists
of the mission like this (Laeral assures us city of humans shall rise above, and you of 24 drow (nine females), nine dwarves,
that the priestesses cleave close to the must be ever vigilant against the return of 27 humans (12 females), and four half-
truth but leave some important things Ghaunadaur. If you are to make peace lings. Commanding these varied troops are
unsaid): Nigh a thousand winters ago, with humankind and your surface elven the consort of the high priestess and his
Eilistraee herself—a 9’-tall drow maiden of kin, this place is best suited for you.“ lieutenant, each described later.
wild and dazzling beauty—appeared to The Chosen’s first act was to seal off this The forces are split into four guard
Qilue Veladorn, then only a child. She unholy place, eventually triggering the shifts of six hours each, with 16 guards on
commanded Qilue to gather her fellow rockfall that almost completely filled the duty at all times. Guard posts are marked
children from their play, take weapons former place of Ghaunadaur. Qilue, when on the map with circled numbers that
that the goddess would provide, and aid she recovered, had lost the special fires of indicate the number of guards during a
drow who were in dire need nearby. Eilis- the Lady but was marked with a wisdom normal shift. Posts seemingly out in the
traee provided singing swords to those and a grasp of magic from that day forth. open along the river are usually held by
who responded to Qilue’s call, these weap- She quickly became the first—and thus far drow guards, who can easily hide in
ons being magical bastard swords + 3 only—high priestess of the Chosen. At shadows to avoid detection. The guards
(fully detailed in FR4 The Magister) that first, the drow dwelt in wandering bands are generally 2nd-level fighters, though
remain precious relics of the temple today. in the area, resisting permanent habita- there are some special guards (10 of the
Qilue obeyed and rallied her playmates, tions and contact with others. Their drow, eight of the humans, and three
moving about while clad in a shifting and armed, vigilant tours in the caverns dwarves have 1d6 + 2 experience levels),
flickering silver radiance, the power of around the sealed Pit of Ghaunadaur were including two halfling psionicists of 3rd
her goddess. She gathered her friends mockingly called “promenades” by other and 5th level. The guards are generally
from part of the now-vanished drow dark elves, but they proudly took that garbed in chain mail or leather armor
settlement of Buiyrandyn, a small, poor term for their own. with shields, and they wield long swords,
gathering of drow families too small to be Change has slowly been forced upon short bows, and hand and battle axes as
considered a city. Qilue led the ragtag Eilistraee’s Chosen. Over the years, those weapons of choice.
band of children in an attack on an unholy of the Promenade have endured many The greatest relics of the temple are the
temple where all manner of slithering, skirmishes with hostile drow, other races singing swords granted to the temple
20 DECEMBER 1991
faithful by Eilistraee. In very rare and using missile weapons, preferring to close Promenade to also be a subcommander in
unusual circumstances, priestesses will hand-to-hand with a foe. the Protectors, Iljrene is a drow of deceiv-
loan—but never give—one of the singing Elkantar is devoted to Qilue and will do ingly soft, cuddly looks. She customarily
swords to someone who will aid them in a anything—even die—for her. He is a care- conceals her armor beneath high-fashion
crucial and dangerous mission. If some- ful, masterful tactician and a crafty guard gowns and sometimes goes into Skullport
thing befalls a swordbearer beyond the commander. Many are the adventurers with a basket over one slim arm to buy
reach of the temple clergy, adventurers who thought they’d won past a temple sundries (with backup guards shadowing
are typically hired to retrieve the relic. It guard undetected, only to find themselves her from behind, in case she needs aid).
is said that the Lady keeps watch over in an ambush. Elkantar isn’t eager to at- Few in Skullport bother her these days,
anyone carrying one of her blades, and if tack intruders without first finding out since she became known as the slayer of a
the bearer is not faithful or at least sympa- who or what they are, and why they’ve Hired Horror who presumed too much
thetic to her, she directs her followers by come, but he can be considered fearless if apparent weakness in her.
sending both the bearer’s appearance and encountered within the temple. The Pro- Iljrene collects stuffed toys and dolls, has
warning dreams to them. tectors revere and obey him unhesitating- been known to squeal with delight at a
ly (a Protector charmed and ordered to gift, joke, or flowery compliment, and can
The faithful attack or confine Elkantar, for example, be embarrassingly affectionate. Those who
Abbreviated character entries for some should be awarded an immediate saving mistake this “little girl” act for weakness
of the most important characters of the throw to throw off the charm). He holds often don’t live long enough to regret it. In
Promenade are given here for the DM’s grudges and never forgets a face but is battle, she seems immune to pain, her wits
convenience. Specialized powers and also a staunch ally who won’t hesitate to lighting-fast and her icy calm unshakable.
restrictions of priestesses of Eilistraee can plunge into danger to aid a friend or a Piergeiron, Lord of Waterdeep, once called
be found in FOR2 The Drow of the Under- stranger who has aided him or fellow her “the most dangerous battlemaster I
dark. Details on the inhabitants of Skull- drow of the temple. have ever laid eyes on in all Toril.“
port may be found in the Ruins of
Undermountain boxed set and in “Seeing Arrikett Uruth, Hand of the Protec- The latest news
the Sights in Skullport,” in DRAGON® issue tors: AL CG; AC 9 (10); MV 12 (6); halfling Some in Skullport, who know nothing of
#172. male F9; hp 51; THAC0 12; #AT 3/2; Dmg the Chant of the Chosen, whisper that the
The faithful of the Promenade have by weapon type (dagger, short sword, or odd noise often heard shows that there
strained relations (i.e., armed hostility) drow hand crossbow); S 16, D 15, C 14, must be some sinister powers active near-
with most of the more-traveled inhabitants I 14, W 14, Ch 14. by, perhaps seeking to rise up and over-
of Skullport (Gildar Blackthrone, for exam- This bristling, brawling, snarling sub- whelm intruders in its dark domain. This
ple). A notable exception is Ithlyn of the commander of the temple guard behaves theory derives from the steadily growing
Five Fingers, who acts as their go-between more like a dwarf than the halfling he is, numbers of jellies, oozes, gelatinous cubes,
and surface contact without charging fees. probably because he has dwarven blood in and similar creatures in the caverns
his recent ancestry (infravision and around Skullport. Skullport has begun the
Qilue Veladorn, High Priestess of the direction-sensing abilities mark his halfling quarterly chore of arranging concerted
Promenade, Chosen of the Chosen: AL CG; descent as Stoutish). Arrikett is belligerent, “burn hunts” to eradicate the disgusting
AC 6; MV 12; drow female P16; hp 92; brawny, and a head taller than most half- horrors.
THAC0 10; #AT 1; Dmg by spell or weapon lings. He customarily wears tattered, bat- Molheeruae, a mid-level priestess of the
type (dagger, long sword, or singing tered clothes, a girdle of storm giant Promenade, has been disturbing many
sword); S 14, D 18, C 16, I 17, W 17, Ch 18. strength, and boots of striding and spring- supplicants by telling them of a hidden
Qilue is strikingly beautiful. She stands ing. He scorns armor. If convinced of the cult of Ghaunadaur in Waterdeep. Qilue
6’ tall, has silver hair that reaches almost need, Arrikett will grudgingly don a dismisses this rumor, but Molheeruae
to her ankles, and customarily wears a halfling-sized suit of chain mail + 1, but insists on its existence, swearing she’ll get
robe (powers, if any, unknown) that flick- nothing will make him use any sort of proof—by destroying the cult in the near
ers with a shifting, silvery glow. She cus- helm or shield. future.
tomarily carries a blast scepter (detailed in In battle, Arrikett wields a short sword Arrikett and a handful of his guards
the Campaign Guide to Undermountain, of quickness and daggers (he has at least recently raided the Lair of the Eye, freeing
page 113, in the Ruins of Undermountain five hidden about his person at all times). 12 captive adventurers and returning with
boxed set) and can summon an un- He has adopted the drow “handbow” hand them to the temple. All 12 are being tend-
sheathed singing sword into her hand at crossbow, with which he fires non- ed in the Hall of Healing. The Eye has
will. Qilue has a firm, commanding, yet poisoned bolts (1-3 hp damage each, range sworn to get revenge on the halfling and
warm manner and is usually gentle and 60 yards) but is just as happy hurling the temple; temple guard details have
encouraging in her speech and dealings. rocks (with which he gains the standard increased in anticipation of an attack.
She has a mischievous streak, however halfling + 1 attack bonus). Three horribly wounded adventurers
(often betrayed by an uplifted eyebrow), Arrikett is often moved to tears by the made their way into the Promenade, seek-
and there are persistent rumors that she is beauty of the temple songs, but he is really ing shelter and healing. After two days of
linked to the Harpers. more at home in a rollicking good fight. He healing and rest, they gave their names as
is the guard commander most likely to be Shasslan Timtrane (F12, CG human fe-
Elkantar Iluim, Right Hand of the met on “wide patrols,” scouting the pas- male), Crommlar Muirel (C10 of Tempus,
Lady: AL NG; AC -2 (7); MV 12; drow sages and caverns of Undermountain CN human male), and Tanagost Arletoll
male F11; hp 89; THAC0 10; #AT 3/2; Dmg farthest from the Promenade, at the head (M8 CG human male), and claimed to be
by weapon type (dagger, long sword, or of 6-8 drow and human soldiers (equally members of the Hunt, a company formerly
singing sword); S 17, D 17, C 16, I 15, divided among sexes). based out of Selgaunt. They were sepa-
W 15, Ch 15; wears black, drowlike (but of rated from their comrades in Myth Dran-
surface elven make) elven chain mail +4. Iljrene Ahhruyn, Hand of the Protec- nor two months ago when they were
Qilues consort commands the Protectors tors: AL NG; AC 1 (8); MV 12; drow female teleported to deep within Undermountain.
of the Song, the Promenade’s temple F7/P7; hp 44; THAC0 14; #AT 1; Dmg by They currently plan a return to the sur-
guards. He is a proud, graceful, sleek spell or weapon type (long sword); S 16, face world, needing only a safe boat to get
drow who exults in acrobatic combat, the D 16, C 15, I 15, W 17, Ch 16; elven chain them through the Seacaves.
love of Qilue, and the growth of the Prom- mail +2 (surface-elf make) Various sources who travel the Sargauth
enade. He hates to look foolish and dislikes The only powerful priestess of the report that a lone dwarf sometimes ap-

22 DECEMBER 1991
pears in a cleft in the rock wall along the A lone poleman from a river barge sur- * * *
western shore, just north of the Eye’s lair. vived a swim in the Sargauth, paddling his
It is impossible to stop at the area due to way back to Skullport. His barge was set When our companion finished speaking,
it was late indeed. The lady smiled at us,
the swift currents, but those traveling aflame when one of the polemen prodded
south and east never report seeing him. a large, bobbing sphere of metal in the set down her now-empty glass, and rose in
Those who’ve seen the dwarf describe him water. The sphere spun around and train- a graceful shifting of skirts.
as standing alone with the bright glint of ed riveted, hinged eyestalks on the boat. “It’s been a pleasure, gentlemen. Laeral
gold aplenty shining through a crack in was right; thou are a ‘delightful bunch of
The central eye spewed a blast of fire, the
the rock behind him. smaller eyes emitting various rays of light- crazy folk.’ Fare thee well, until next we
There is an unidentified male human ning and cold. The blasts set the barge meet.“ As a gentle silver radiance grew
about her, she turned away.
making numerous inquiries about Iljrene aflame and killed all aboard save the one.
He escaped while the “artificial beholder” “‘Laeral was right’?” we asked in aston-
around Skullport since he arrived three
weeks ago. He has recently purchased five fed on the remains of his comrades. ishment. “Then who, good lady, are you?”
“claws” of zombies (20 zombies with five A waitress of the Deepfires returned to The lady turned back to us. In the sil-
very light, she seemed somehow taller, her
juju zombie controllers); their use to him is her rooms recently, hysterically screaming
hair as silver as the moonlight in her hand,
unknown. about something she saw in the river. She
Adventurers are being hired in Skullport had gone downstream to bathe in relative and her skin darker.
“Names are not things to be lightly given.
and in the Dock Ward of Waterdeep to peace; as she lay in the water, a body rose
I am the Seventh, if thou must place me;
serve as caravan guards to protect the out of it near her. It was man-sized, with
Laeral is but one of my sisters. I used to
goods of the Pasha Kyel of Calimshan. The black-scaled skin, enormous milky-white
goods arrive on ship into Skullport and eyes like a cave fish, and a silver dorsal fin get into trouble, when we were young, for
taking her likeness and working mischief.
must be taken through the Seacaves, load- from its head to the small of its back.
Thou may have noticed, as in thine own
ed onto wagons, and escorted to Luskan. When she screamed, it quickly returned to
lives, that old habits die hard.“
Rumors abound of the cargo, and it has the river, leaving only a necklace of what
sparked the attentions and interests of was described as dragon-turtle shell chips. The moonlight dwindled, and she was
gone, leaving us staring at each other. The
even the most reserved illithid in Many inhabitants of Skullport are buzz-
Skullport. Realms still hold secrets to dumbfound us,
ing over a rumor that one of the senior
There is a recent unexplained influx of and there will always be mysteries. Life, as
priestesses of Eilistraee’s temple has been
heavily armed drow patrols into the Port made a Lord of Waterdeep. The Skull- Elminster reminds us gently from time to
time, is like that.
of Shadows. The priestesses and soldiers portians feel that Waterdeep may be tak-
are notoriously close-mouthed about their ing a more active interest in their affairs
intentions but seem to be planning on and are arming themselves against a raid
staying awhile. by the Waterdeep Guard.

24 DECEMBER 1991
DRAGON 25
“Forum” welcomes your comments and opinions I would handle Mr. Curtis’s problem in one of I would like to offer some advice and opinions
on role-playing games. In the United States and several ways: on the dilemma brought up by Mr. Curtis in his
Canada, write to: Forum, DRAGON® Magazine, First of all, if your PCs are of any consequen- “Forum” letter in issue #172.
P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In tial levels (4th level or higher) and your NPC is I have played the AD&D game for eight years,
Europe, write to: Forum, DRAGON Magazine, of equal footing, the NPC should have some the better part of which has been spent as a
TSR Ltd, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton, renown. What happens when he disappears, DM. I was very glad to see his letter; I have had
Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom. We ask never to be heard from again? Didn’t someone similar problems with a couple of my players
that material submitted to “Forum” be either notice him making arrangements with the PCs (until now, I believed these two were psycho-
neatly written by hand or typed with a fresh the previous day? Maybe one or two unfortu- pathic), and I was glad to see that it is not as
ribbon and clean keys so we can read and nate mishaps in the dungeon (or wherever) will unusual or serious as all that.
understand your comments. go unnoticed. But if the PCs keep going off When my players started doing this, I wanted
adventuring and always return minus one NPC, to kill their characters. I agree that killing
I would like to compliment Cory S. Kammer someone is bound to notice, especially when the helpful NPCs is very disruptive, and after a few
on a job well done in writing “Maneuvering for PCs always show up with the NPC’s stuff. It’s such episodes I took steps to prevent these
Victory,” in issue #165. I have been looking for definitely time for the law-enforcement people abuses. I came up with several possible options.
something like this since the first time I rolled to ask the PCs some tough questions. Perhaps All involved setting the characters up a bit, but I
the 1d20. Combat has always been unrealistic on the PCs’ next outing, the town militia will felt the situation warranted it.
and, in most of our campaigns, the downfall of covertly send one of their number with them to I agree with Andrew that NPCs should not be
the game. At times I’ve even dreaded it. It see what happens. If he doesn’t return, the overly powerful in comparison with the PCs,
always seemed to take the creativity out of the militia recovers the body, casts a speak with but that concerns only levels and magical items.
game. You go from describing the evil grin on dead spell to find out what happened, and the The best parts of role-playing games are a
the anti-paladin’s face to “He rolls a seventeen! PCs are really in for it! character’s personality and background. NPCs
He hits you for eight hit points!” Boring, boring, A squad is sent to arrest them. The PCs can have these things, too.
boring! run, fight, or spend most of their lives in the First, the DM can make an NPC someone of
The glory ground for the fighter is the field of lord’s dungeons. Don’t make this squad too importance, but keep this fact from the players.
combat. But the glory was always lost in a powerful; if the PCs kill a couple guardsmen in Maybe the NPC is a member of some powerful
jumble of die rolls and random numbers. Now, the escape so much the better. I’ve always been noble house who is traveling incognito. He
instead of hearing, “It’s a good thing I hit him one to let the PCs hang themselves (of course, might be an agent for the government of a large
with a twenty!” we will hear boasts something I’m usually there feeding them plenty of rope). city or kingdom. He might even be a member of
like, “so I did the unexpected and feinted to one Now, the town militia pulls out all the stops, a secret society of some sort. There are numer-
side, came up on the other side, and caught him sending their highest-level guards (include some ous reasons why he might not reveal this to the
with his pants down!” spell-casters with some nasty spells and magical party. If the characters kill him, they are in
This is definitely a blessing to the AD&D® 1st items) to bring back the PCs, dead or alive. trouble. They might not even know what they
Edition game fighters. The only question I have From this point on, when the PCs least expect have done. The NPC’s family, liege, or comrades
is when each maneuver needs to be announced. it and at the most inconvenient times, this squad could hire adventurers or assassins to come
What I have below is the best I could come up will show up to harass them, causing them to after the group with a vengeance. Either the
with. Your corrections or suggestions are much use up valuable spells, potions, and magical characters get away after learning a needed
needed. Keep up the good work. items. When your PCs complain, be quick to lesson, or they die because of their irresponsible
Announced before initiative: Drive, Speed, remind them that they brought this on them- actions. I hope the latter won’t be necessary.
Slam. selves. One thing to remember when using this Second, what about the NPC himself? I’ve seen
Announced after initiative: Feint, Parting tactic is to do things by the book. Have your several adventures containing NPCs who were
Blow, Parry, Weapon’s Length, Riposte, Weapon NPC mage’s spells written down beforehand. there just to help the characters. The characters
Catch, Dodge, Evasion, Clinch, Stun, Weapon Know what spells each spell-caster will cast in have goals and motivations that make them go
Breaker, Hit Location. the first three or four rounds of combat. Plan adventuring, and so should NPCs. What I’m
Terry C. Parlett the NPCs’ tactics before play. You know what saying is simply this: Reverse the situation. Put
Pueblo CO the PCs’ weaknesses are—exploit them! in an NPC whose true goal is either to kill one of
When the PCs go into a new town, this NPC the PCs or steal a specific item from him. Obvi-
I am writing in response to Andrew Curtis’s group follows close behind, informing this ously, the NPC can’t just come up and hack the
letter in DRAGON issue #172. It seems to me town’s militia of the PCs’ past deeds and request- PC to pieces; the others would destroy him. His
that Mr. Curtis has lost control of his players, ing help. Always keep in mind that your NPC plan would have to involve cunning and the
and they see any NPC as just another monster squad is working within the law, but your PCs ability to escape (teleport is a wonderful spell).
that must be slain and its treasure taken. It has are not. Good times for such actions are during combat
been my experience in the 10 years I’ve been a What if a PC dies from all this? Too bad! or when the party is split up. The players may
DM that players are much like children and Remember, they did this to themselves, and you not get the point right off the bat, but this
should be treated as such. With that harsh gave them plenty of warning. One other thing: worked well in one of my campaigns.
statement, let me explain: The resurrection of PCs should also be impos- A third possible remedy involves a bit of rule
If you set boundaries for a child, telling him, sible, no matter what the PCs offer in return. manipulation. Say that the next time characters
“If you cross this line, you’re going to get it!“, Even if the cleric is willing, the deity will be decide to go after an NPC, he somehow gets
then let the child cross that line while you do uncharacteristically uncooperative. away. The DM might have to fake a saving
nothing, you have reinforced bad behavior. You Does this sound harsh? It is! But in a medieval- throw if needed, or maybe a wandering-
can bet that the child will continue to push his world mind-set (and this DM’s mind-set, too), monster encounter occurs. Once the NPC gets
boundaries as far as you’ll let him. The object just actions deserve just rewards! out of danger, the characters have had it. The
lesson? You must punish bad behavior and Dave Wile NPC could easily let everyone know what scum
reward good behavior. So it is with players, too. Dover DE the characters are. The PCs will be lucky if they

DRAGON 27
ever see a helpful NPC again, especially when Speaking of the assassins’ guild (if one doesn’t on the PCs (it’s just a shame that the priests’
they really need one. exist in your campaign, perhaps now is the time gods have taken away all their abilities, isn’t it?).
I know from experience that players can be to introduce one), it would not be idle. First, it If ghosts or spectres aren’t to your liking, why
broken of annoying and disruptive habits like might take the blame for deaths in which it had not afflict the NPC with lycanthropy and really
this with a little creativity. I would just like to no part; and second, it might begin to fear that start some sparks?
say that I do not normally support DMs playing someone was taking over its territory. It might I hope these ideas might make players think
against their players’ characters. However, this not be long before it took some kind of retaliato- twice next time before their PCs kill off that
situation does require it. Good luck, Andrew. ry action. NPC simply to get his treasure. Let’s hear more.
Michael Kellam By far, the most obvious consequence of doing Tony Quirk
Mesquite TX away with an NPC is that sooner or later some- San Diego CA
one is going to notice that he’s missing. The
In responding to Andrew M. Curtis’s plea for authorities will eventually be notified and, after This is a reply to the inquiry Andrew Curtis
help in DRAGON #172, I have several ideas that sufficient questioning and backtracking, will made about handling players whose PCs kill the
should go a long way toward curing his players discover that the deceased was last seen alive in NPCs they meet. What Mr. Curtis must do is
of their PCs’ yen for killing NPCs simply to get the company of the PCs. (Surprise! It’s just what make his players’ PCs afraid to kill these people.
their valuable items. It looks as though they usually happens in real life!) If the PCs have There are a few ways that this can be done.
have no fear whatsoever of any kind of retribu- murdered enough NPCs, the law will have One thing to remember involves monsters and
tion for committing (let’s call it what it is) mur- amassed sufficient information to not only deities. Some monsters enjoy disguising them-
der. Nothing could be further from the truth. brand the PCs as “armed and dangerous” but selves as human beings. What would happen to
To begin with, paladins would lose their status put a price on their heads as well. Encounters the PCs when that seemingly easy target turns
immediately and irrevocably, and any priest of with bounty hunters or law-enforcement offi- out to be an ancient gold dragon who doesn’t
good alignment would be in instant disfavor cials should become more common until the appreciate the social etiquette displayed by the
with his god. The AD&D® 2nd Edition game’s PCs’ only safe option might be to flee the king- PCs? What if that NPC turns out to be a minion
Player’s Handbook (page 85) states that “it dom altogether. of a deity, or a deity in person? Is there a cleric
behooves the priest to maintain himself in good If these dire consequences are not enough to in your party? Good! Make that NPC a minion of
standing with this power, through word and deter PCs from murder, even sterner measures that cleric’s deity, and bring on the divine
deed.“ What should a deity’s response be when can be taken. Who’s to say that some of the wrath. Make that cleric perform monumental
his faithful believer commits (or does nothing to equipment taken from the dead NPC is not quests to appease the deity, meanwhile not
prevent) murder (and murder for material gain, cursed? A ring of delusion, amulet of inescap- being granted spells by the deity or getting the
at that)? For starters, the deity should deny all able location, jewel of attacks, robe of power- reverse of what is prayed for.
spells to the guilty party; in addition, the sinner lessness, or flask of curses can be particularly Mare Blanchard
should be forced to do penance before being damaging, especially if the PCs find themselves Manchester NH
taken back into the fold. This could include battling the assassins’ guild.
anything from making a huge monetary gift to Finally, if after all of that the PCs still continue * indicates a product produced by a company other
the deceased’s family, friends, or loved ones to waylay innocent NPCs, don’t despair. This is than TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarks
fantasy, right? Who says death has to stop the owned by the companies publishing those products.
(making the sum beyond the PC’s current means
The use of the name of any product without mention
of paying, of course) or taking a quest of some NPCs from exacting their revenge? The unfortu-
of its trademark status should not be construed as a
kind (such as clearing out the assassins’ guild), nate victim could return as a ghost, spectre, challenge to such status.
or even doing both. revenant, or some other undead to wreak havoc
DRAGON 29
 With relief, Raman received my thanks
and authorization to return to his books. I
left Talasar in command of the Princess as
the landing party and I quietly went down
to Smokestone City.
We found the place Raman had de-
scribed, the Red Steel Saloon. However,
this place was totally unlike anything I had
seen before. A dozen tables occupied the
main hall opposite a long bar, hosting
people playing cards, drinking, and smok-
ing. A charming lady was standing in a
corner before a curious spinning wheel,
enjoining people to try their luck and bet
their money on a random number; judging
from the vast possibilities offered, this
seemed like a losing proposition. Nonethe-
less, half a dozen men were tossing small
ivory chips on the numbered carpet, wish-
ing for instant wealth. Some things never
change.
I faced an utterly shocking vision as I
turned away from the glitzy, spinning
wheel. Five ladies were dancing and sing
ing in a scandalous manner before dozens
of hooting ruffians. To the rhythm of a
tortured harpsichord, the wenches sud-
denly lifted their dresses to reveal their
by Bruce A. Heard legs, petticoats, and other frou-frou. Lady
Abovombe fumed; “I’d better have a talk
This series chronicles the adventures of zetteers I had gotten in Saragón, Smoke- with Raman!” she muttered. Utterly em-
an Alphatian explorer and his crew as stone City was the capital of a country—or barrassed, our party quickly retreated to
they journey across the D&D® Known “county,” as the locals called it—that the front desk.
World in their skyship. The information seemed very different from the baronies The party broke up into four rooms:
herein may be used to expand D&D cam- we had seen in the past weeks. One of the Ramissur and Leo, Xerdon and Nyanga,
paigns using the Gazetteer series. gazetteers also alluded to a source of Myojo and myself, and finally Lady
cinnabryl somewhere south of the capital. Abovombe. As we prepared to climb the
From the Journals of I was hoping to acquire a small quantity stairs to our rooms, a thunderstorm
prince haldemar of haaken for study and magical experiments. rocked the night. Talasar would have to
Lord admiral of the Mightiest Empire Raman returned from a quick visit to the leave the area and head for calmer skies. I
Captain of the Ever-Victorious place. He described the capital as a place had total confidence in the man and knew
princess ark somewhat more rugged than the Guar- I needed not worry further about the
Imperial Explorer, etc, etc. diano baronies but otherwise industrious Princess’s safety.
and peaceful to foreigners. So confident Escaping from the heavy rain, a dozen
Eimir 24, AY 2000: Two days after was he that he even made reservations for cattle drovers stepped into the main hall.
leaving Ciudad Matacán, I changed head- four rooms at a hostel on the main street They looked like trouble. By the time we
ing and veered toward a curious place The price seemed right, and it included reached the mezzanine overlooking the
called Smokestone City. According to ga- hot bath for each room. Why not? main hall, a brawl had started. One of the
visitors had impulsively bet and lost his ously on the way. The coach would have fell to lightning bolts or galloped away,
salary at the spinning wheel, which quick- to take the longer route off the trails, west dumping their riders in the process. Those
ly ended up around the saloon owner’s of Cougar’s Bluff, through Little Big Rock, goblins who fought us died. The surviving
head. We paused, taken in by the spectacle Bushwack Prairie, Buffalo Run, and then badlanders were rounded up with their
and thinking ourselves safe above the to South Gulch. That was a four- or five- hands high above their heads and rather
fight. day ride. Unexcited at this prospect, the contrite and fearful expressions on their
While the fight raged on, the wenches seven of us climbed into the coach and off faces.
and the insane harpsichord minstrel con- we went on a long, uncomfortable ride. “We better get a-goin’ now!” said the
tinued their outrageous show as if nothing Rain began to fall again even as the driver driver. “Them badlanders normally ride by
was happening. The barman dove behind whipped the six-horse team. the hundreds.“ We could already hear the
the counter as a bottle crashed into a large Eimir 25, Talasar—from a later distant rumbling of hooves on the prairie,
mirror behind him. Things were getting account: An alarm was sounded in the so we grabbed our prisoners’ weapons
bad until one man entered. morning. Five skyships had been spotted and climbed back into the coach. As the
Cool and quiet, with eyes of steel, he in a break in the seemingly endless clouds driver whipped the horses, over 80
stared down one of the rowdier fellows. beneath the Princess. Judging from the badlanders came charging around a hill. A
The leader of the cattle drovers walked up reports, these ships were not of Alphatian wild chase began, the coach skidding and
and stood rather arrogantly before him; designs, but more likely fast Heldannic bouncing down the dirt path. Xerdon and
he pulled back the side of his jacket to Warbirds. It would seem the Hulean Mas- Myojo hung out on the coach’s footboards,
reveal a tiny crossbow. “Well, what have ter and his lackeys had not given up on us having a grand time shooting the tiny
we here? Another yellow-bellied lawman.” yet—and these people knew how to defeat crossbows we had taken from the
Silence overtook the place as everyone the Princess’s invisibility. badlanders—but not with much effect, I
carefully stepped out of the way. The I needed to learn more about their would say. Occasionally, when a couple of
steely-eyed man calmly answered, “You forces before engaging them. Damn this badlanders got too close to the coach, I
have ten minutes to leave Smokestone weather! The admiral and Xerdon were would let go with a fireball, prompting a
City, Baraboo Jack.“ sorely needed. Routine maneuvering of round of “Ooh!” and “Aah!” from Lady
Suddenly the ruffian pulled out his the Princess was one thing, but engaging Abovombe and Leo.
crossbow, but the other man was even in combat was another. I had no way of There were far too many of these gob-
faster. Seemingly quicker than his own knowing how the ship would respond to lins to handle. Nyanga soon climbed out
shadow, he had drawn his weapon and my orders in the admiral’s absence. Per- and sat next to the driver, who was
shot the ruffian dead, hitting him between haps this ordeal was put on my path by wounded. Ramissur got on top of the
the eyes. Several troublemakers drew Razud to test my faith. So be it. I had the coach, firing his newly acquired dart-
their crossbows out and started shooting. skyship dive into the cover of the thick, shooter.
Amazingly, the lawman rolled behind a billowing clouds. Navigator Ashari was at Another wave of badlanders appeared
large potted plant, while shooting another her post as usual, listening for approach- ahead of us, clearly blocking the way. We
five times with incredible accuracy! By the ing vessels. This dangerous game of hide thought our last battle had come, but the
time he stood up again, five more men and seek could prove deadly for all with a sound of a bugle tore through the clamor
were on the floor, wounded or dead. This mid-air collision; lightning and fire were of the chase. It was the cavalry! A column
was no ordinary fellow. Theirs was no yet another concern. I could sense the of regular horsemen appeared behind the
ordinary weapon. This was no ordinary Princess’s reluctance to enter the storm goblins and bravely charged ahead, lances
place at all. clouds. All was quiet aboard as the hunt and sabres forward. Soon the decimated
Eimir 24, Talasar—from a later began in the eerie twilight of the clouds. badlanders rode back into the hills.
account: The watch spotted large black Eimir 28, Haldemar: We had been “Well done, captain!” said Lady
clouds rising on the horizon a few hours riding in the wilderness since yesterday Abovombe. The handsome officer in
after the admiral left with the landing when the coach turned off Bugle Trail. We charge saluted briefly and responded,
party. I ordered a routine maneuver to were following a bumpy path toward the “Seventh Cavalry at your service, ma’am!”
climb above the storm. Unfortunately, we south when I heard the driver exhorting Burymir 1, Talasar—from a later
would have to remain out of touch with his horses frantically, whipping them on. account: The thick clouds made it impos-
the admiral for some time, but the risk “Them desperados are a-ridin’ for us sible to chart our position. For all I knew,
was too great to remain. agin!” he shouted. “Better get yore shoot- we were hundreds of miles away from the
Eimir 25, Haldemar: After some ers out quick an’ start a-firin’!” Brigands admiral. I dared not climb above the
investigating at the LB Trading Co., I man- were riding down the hills, trying to get clouds to sight on the stars, exposing the
aged to deduce the whereabouts of Cimar- ahead of us. Judging from their size, our Princess to our pursuers.
ron County’s cinnabryl. It was a place attackers were goblins on ponies. We had been playing hide and seek with
called South Gulch. I got only blank stares Nyanga winked at me and said, “Yo, the five Heldannic Warbirds over four
from the LB Trading Co.‘s clerks when I goblins!” Ramissur responded with a sinis- days and nights. These ships seemed to
asked about acquiring some of that red ter grin, whispering, “No sweat.” In a sin- have guessed my moves, at least quickly
metal. Someone must have called their gle move, all seven of us pulled out blades, enough to catch up with the Princess
lawman—Sheriff “Wild Tex” Mokum, as I wands, and other implements of war, before she could effectively break away. I
recall. “Pardner,” said he with a slow ready to jump out of the coach. suspected they were using some magical
drawl, “some questions are best not asked. Already, one of the goblins had jumped device. Our encounters had been at closer
The next coach out of town leaves at high on the lead horse, and the coach came to a ranges each time; I could sense their grip
noon.” The point of this visit wasn’t to stir halt in a cloud of dust. The rest of the getting tighter every day.
up trouble, so I agreed to follow his ad- badlanders formed two groups, one on I decided to somehow get aboard one of
vice: “Much obliged, pardner,” he said. each side of the coach. One of them point- the Warbirds. Perhaps I could discover
Unfortunately, there was no coach de- ed a large crossbow at the driver, a weap- what their secret was and destroy it. I
parting for South Gulch. The heavy rain on so large that the goblin could barely knew I might not survive the attempt, but
had turned the Wrangler’s Trail in the handle it. “Put ‘em up! Hey, you in there! the Princess would then stand a better
south into a muddy mire. The coach offi- Y’all get out with yer hands up!” chance to break loose. I would have to put
cial from Zachariah & Peabody Co. point- Armed to the teeth, our party leaped out Chief Engineer Raman in command, how-
ed out that the rainy season just had of the coach on both sides, howling in our ever. The man had never had the charge
started in that region. Judging from the savage attack. I must say, it did surprise of a ship, and certainly not in an uneven
rumblings in the sky, more rain was obvi- the badlanders. Half of their ponies either combat situation. I had to meditate. Per-

DRAGON 33
34 DECEMBER 1991 Cartography by Dennis Kauth
haps Razud would brighten my path lated, and the marshals were prompt to though, for it allowed me to get below-
through this darkness. send out bounty hunters after those who decks without being seen.
Burymir 3, Haldemar: At last, South had acquired red ore illegally. All hands were on the main deck for
Gulch. This mean little village had all the The old tortle candidly offered us his what seemed an imminent assault. There
callousness of those greedy places built blessing, his house, and his food if we was no time to waste. I reached the stern
during a gold rush, except no gold was to decided to help him. How could I refuse? I of the ship unhindered, where I found a
be found here—just the deadly red ore, sensed there was more to this old cheloni- small chapel with an altar. From the icons,
cinnabryl. an than his knobby shell, though I had I could tell the chapel was devoted to
From what I could gather, South Gulch never dealt with his kind before. I could Vanya, a warlike being.
was a native tortle’s village, overrun by always find red ore some other time. I Fastened to the deck was a large censer.
red-ore miners a decade earlier. Tortles accepted his kind offer, which provoked a Among the silver wisps of smoke I could
are strange turtle-like people, rather Guar- raised eyebrow from Xerdon. see five golden sparks surrounding a red
diano in style as an ethnic group. Peaceful Burymir 3, Talasar—from a later flicker. Each spark seemed linked to the
and quiet, the tortles offered little resist- account: The dampness of the heavy other with a thin golden thread of light. It
ance to the rowdy miners. Fortunately, darkness chilled me to my bones. Ashari must have been their scrying device. Per-
most of the miners moved on years ago to quietly stood at the prow of the lifeboat haps if I broke the link, all the enemy
the mine itself, eight miles northwest. while the Princess disappeared into the ships would lose their guidance. Pouring
Food shortages are a constant problem night behind us. the contents of my flask on the burning
here, as bands of miners regularly come Upon deciding to put my plan into incense seemed to do quite well in that
down from the hills and pillage whatever action, I ordered the small skiff painted respect.
supplies might be in the village. black and covered with a black canvas. I would have left then had it not been
When the word got around that we When Ashari heard a ship approaching for a slight glow under the drapes cover-
weren’t miners, an old tortle came up to astern of the Princess, she courageously ing the altar. There, I discovered a crystal
seek our help against the miners. He must volunteered to come with me. I would urn; inside it was a hovering gem that
have been a sage or a shaman, for he indeed need her help to maneuver in the pulsated and hummed as if a power radi-
knew what had brought us here. (Of dark around our pursuer and board it. ated from it. I could feel my skin crawl
course, perhaps only those seeking the red Indeed, the massive hull of a Warbird and a slight tingle run through my hair, an
ore would ever come here.) He said we passed just above our lifeboat. As Ashari ominous sensation that great magic was at
would never get what we sought, as the silently fastened our skiff to the ship’s hand. It was a great magic that only high
mine was too well defended for this. The claws, I climbed aboard. The deck was clerics understood, and it tapped directly
miners were notorious for not trading busy. The knights had removed their into the power of the Immortals. With a
their ore to anyone but an LB Trading Co. clunky armor and put out all lanterns to quick prayer to Razud, I slipped a glove on
representative. This was the law in this avoid attracting the Princess’s attention. and moved toward the gem.
county. Red-ore trade was heavily regu- This darkness would be their undoing, “Stop, you fool!” The warning came from

DRAGON 35
36 DECEMBER 1991
another door; a knight had walked in, The gem I had captured from the where the boltmen could see their targets.
sword unsheathed. “You will destroy us Heldannic Warbird was what had kept it I managed to get the Princess to climb
all, and you with it!” flying across the sky. The crystal urn above the clouds. According to the man-
There was only one way to ensure this enabled the gem’s power to shoot forth in ual, I would at least have the advantage of
ship would not repair its scrying device. I all directions. I had surmised that a num- altitude.
grabbed the stone as the knight lunged at ber of receptacles to receive this magic There were no Warbirds there. Sudden-
me. Suddenly, we were weightless; the had been spread out in the ship, solidly ly, the spirit of Berylith spotted something.
Warbird rolled on its side and began a anchored in its hull. Once removed from Her spectral head turned down to star-
frightening dive. The knight and I fell the urn, the gem kept its magic to itself— board, allowing me to see what she was
tumbling across the room, each shouting and the ship fell. looking at. Far below, barely visible in the
in fear. In seconds, the vessel broke apart. Of course, this did keep me hanging in swirling clouds, was the tip of a mast
The room itself split open, and I was the air, desperately holding onto the gem emerging ever so slightly from the clouds.
hurled into the black, endless sky. as the Warbird’s remains vanished into the That could only be one of them.
Burymir 4, Haldemar: It wasn’t long cloudy depths below. Under my weight, I must have thought very “loudly” then,
before a new mob of miners came down the gem slowly dug into my leather glove. for Berylith reacted swiftly. She roared at
from the hills. There were 50 of them, I was in agony and called out for Ashari. the target, causing a hail of blue bolts and
screaming and galloping through the vil- At last, she showed up, amazed at seeing fiery death to pour over the Warbird’s
lage on horseback. One of them managed me hanging there in the sunlit morning deck. We could hear the horrified screams
to catch a slow-moving tortle with his clouds. Exhausted from the pain in my of her crew. Their ship quickly performed
lasso, dragging the poor thing behind his hand and arm, I finally let go and fell into an evasive maneuver and ducked deeper
horse. That was enough! the lifeboat. Free, the gem shot up into the into the clouds. We had become the
One by one, the miners fell prey to sky like a rising star. There was no telling hunters, and they the hunted. Long live
Xerdon’s well-choreographed defense, in where it went. Perhaps it returned to the the Empire!
which we all had parts. Nyanga skillfully celestial vault, to twinkle forever among Soon after our attack came another
unhorsed a number of miners, casually the stars and the Immortals. surprise. Somehow, the Warbirds did not
striking them aside with the flat of his Burymir 5, Raman—from a later seem as coordinated as they had previous-
giant sword. Meanwhile, several young account: I was afraid to think the worst. ly. Had Talasar indeed succeeded? Had the
tortles knocked Nyanga’s victims out and Commander Talasar had not returned Warbirds been deprived of their cunning?
tied them up in neat piles. Leo had devised from his mission against the Heldannic The answer to this came from the thick
several traps to immobilize the miners. His Knights. I was the last officer left on clouds, as the diving Warbird collided with
best consisted of a series of four spears board. I could maneuver the Princess Ark, another vessel with an explosive bang.
mounted on a ballista; when shot, the but my attempts at communicating with Both went down in flames. The Princess
spears spread apart, deploying a large net. her spirit yielded only sluggish responses. followed their flight down and emerged
Lady Abovombe’s bolas worked beautifully Nonetheless, I was fortunate enough to beneath the clouds, into a pouring rain.
against the miners’ horses. have pulled a few useful tomes from my There, we watched the two Warbirds
Myojo then led a fine charge against a library. I located a few pages in the Imperi- tumble down and crash into the dark,
massive group of miners; behind him al Airman’s Manual that provided me with stormy sea below. In the distance, two
came a mob of tortles armed with pots, tactical hints that came in handy later on. other Warbirds dove out of the clouds and
pans, pitchforks, and other bric-a-brac. As At this point, either Commander Talasar retreated, full speed astern. I knew we
for Ramissur, he became an ace at shoot- had succeeded in his mission or he was had won.
ing the tiny crossbows. I thought he over- dead. Judging from Ashari’s absence, I Hours later, we recovered Commander
did it when he walked across the main believed the latter to be true. If the War- Talasar and First Class Navigator Ashari,
street, spinning the crossbows on his birds could still find us here—and they drifting in the wind and frantically scooping
fingers each time he hit a target. How he would, sooner or later—we would proba- water out of their lifeboat. At long last, it
learned to do that is beyond me. bly be better off fighting in the open, was time to retrieve the admiral.
Eventually, the whole fight came down
to the miners’ leader and myself. “Come
out of yer rat hole and face me if yer a
real man, wizard!” he roared. He stood in Cimarron Six-Shooter Table
the middle of the street, waiting for me. I
couldn’t disappoint him. He had his dart- Mastery Ranges Damage Defense Special
shooter, and I had my wand of lightning P=H Basic 50/100/150 1d4 - -
bolts. Fair enough. Skilled 60/100/150 1d6 M: + 1AC/1 Stun (s)
It was high noon. I could barely see his Expert 70/110/150 2d4 M: + 1AC/2 Stun (s)
eyes under the brim of his hat. No one Master 80/110/150 P:2d6 M: + 2AC/3 Stun (s)
moved. A tumbleweed blew across the S:1d6 +2 M: + 2AC/3 Stun (s)
street. A puff of dust twisted up in the air. Grand Master 90/120/150 P:3d6 M: + 3AC/4 Stun (s)
His mouth twitched. Suddenly, the man S:2d6 + 2 M: + 3AC/4 Stun (s)
reached for his weapon.
I was faster. P=H — Primary target uses either a hand-held or a hand-thrown weapon.
His charred remains were buried on P: — Primary target.
Boot Hill by sundown. The tortles paid S: — Secondary target (with missile weapons or natural weaponry).
their respects to his grave, then quietly M: — Armor-class bonus to the six-shooter’s user against attacks from opponents using
returned to their chores. The surviving missile weapons or natural weaponry.
miners left. They knew the tortles would AC/# — Number of attacks affected by the armor-class bonus each round.
fight them from then on, and they had no
stomach for the battle. Note: Don’t forget to apply the Hit Roll bonuses from the table on page 76 of the
Burymir 4, Talasar—from a later D&D® game Rules Cyclopedia. Stunning is explained on page 81 of the same book;
account: I fell through the blasting wind (s) indicates that only beings smaller than the attacker are affected. Two six-shooters
and thought that Razud had finally sev- can be fired at the same time, one in each hand, provided they are both armed at
ered the thread of my life. But such was the end of the previous round. Apply a - 2 penalty to hit on both shots.
not my fate.
DRAGON 37
 Burymir 8, Haldemar: It would have ing, six-shooter-toting duelist. member the Old Fort!“, the self-appointed
been another week before the coach re- The first traders to set up on the Claw General Cimarron finally defeated the
turned to South Gulch. The tortles kindly Peninsula were the Lawful Brotherhood baronial troops at the Battle of Hondo. His
led us back to Smokestone City by taking a (see D&D module X9 The Savage Coast, supporters promptly “dubbed” him Earl of
shortcut through the forest. Before we and DUNGEON® Adventures issues #6 and Cimarron, and his lands became today’s
finally parted, the old chelonian came to #7, Tortles of the Purple Sage,” parts 1 free-styled county.
me again. He thanked me for our help— and 2). They were soon followed by ship- Earl John rules the county today. This
and our martial training to his people— loads of adventurers from many different larger-than-life character hardly fits his
and handed me a small gift, a token of his areas of the Known World. The first Law- role as a head of state. He is extremely
friendship. ful Brotherhood outpost was located at the active, prompt to lead a posse against gnoll
Later that day, Talasar greeted us back present site of the Old Fort, at the tip of desperados to the north or goblin badlan-
on the Princess. Raman was standing by the peninsula. It is still used as a military ders to the west. Ever since his father’s
with a broad smile on his face and a small port and local garrison. As a clerical body, death at Longhorn’s Last Stand, he’s
ribbon on his chest: a red stripe with a the Lawful Brotherhood is now defunct. It shown a particular hatred of goblins. To
golden bolt, the ribbon normally awarded did survive as the LB Trading Co., how- avert further incursions, he had Bushwack
after a commanding officer’s first combat ever, now a powerful commercial enter- Prairie garrisoned at a strategic point. Fort
mission. Raman? Commanding officer? prise behind many endeavors in Cimarron Whitestone is a desolate cavalry outpost at
Combat? I then noticed a small bandage County. Based in Smokestone City, its the end of Bugle Trail, constantly on the
around Talasar’s right hand. I would have traditional concerns include exploration, lookout for goblin drifters and humanoid
to ask him about that, but first I wanted to mining, hand-crossbow manufacturing, ale horse thieves.
check that gift. production, and general trading of mer-
It was a skillfully painted tortle egg. chandise in the Gulf of Hule. Cimarron six-shooter
Judging from the weight, it felt almost During the time of the Lawful Brother- The six-shooter is a weapon unique to
empty. The bottom easily came off, with a hood, many of the early colonists were the Cimarron folk. This little wonder was
simple twist of the hand. Inside, wrapped Guardianos. Facing the undesirable arrival originally created by Smithy, a clever
in velvet, was a small rock. A small red of the many gringos from the eastern watchmaker from Rockhome, and Wes-
rock. Cinnabryl. states, the old Barony of Almarron sent tron, a crossbow expert from the Five
To be continued . . . troops to formally claim the-land. Several Shires. They came up with the idea of a
decades later, however, the increasingly very light crossbow that could shoot darts.
The Claw Peninsula alien population rebelled. Many insurgents The true innovation lay, however, in the
Cimarron—Capital: Smokestone City lost their lives during a disastrous battle at use of a spring mechanism that rearmed
(Pop.: 14,500—humans, halflings, and the Old Fort, after refusing to yield before the weapon after each shot. A S&W hand
dwarves); Ruler: Sir John of the Wain, Earl the baron’s vastly superior forces. Rallying crossbow could hold up to six small darts.
of Cimarron; typical NPC: cool, unwaver- his last troops with the famous call “Re- Recocking the crossbow required only a

38 DECEMBER 1991
quick motion of the hand, which could be effect. Cool can also be used to negate beats his Dexterity score by the highest
done in the same round the weapon was someone else’s attempt to use Cool or to amount gains the initiative.
fired. It takes a full turn to load another spin one or two six-shooters on one’s fin- Hip Shooting (Dex): The user has the
six darts into the weapon’s handle. gers without dropping them. ability to shoot from the hip. This skill
Unfortunately, the six-shooter has al- Fan Shooting (Dex): The user at- allows the user to shoot faster, adding a
ways been a fragile weapon that easily tempts to shoot as many darts as possible +2 bonus to Dexterity Checks made for
jams. A to-hit roll of 1 or lower, after modi- within one round. The extent of success Fast Draw or Fan Shooting attempts. Un-
fiers are applied, causes the dart to jam on the user’s Dexterity check indicates the fortunately, it is less accurate and causes a
inside the weapon, requiring one round to number of darts that can be fired a given -2 penalty to hit in both cases.
clear and rearm the device. combat round. A successful Dexterity Repair Hand Crossbow (Int): On a
Nowadays, a Cimarron six-shooter costs check allows at least two shots during the successful Intelligence check, the user can
80 gp (including a leather holster, the same round; if the Dexterity score was repair a jammed weapon. Each attempt
hand-crossbow itself, and 18 darts). The beaten by 3-5 points, at least three shots in takes a full hour. He may try as many
hand crossbow has an encumbrance of 25 a round; 6-8, up to four shots; 9-11; five times as needed to repair the weapon. An
cn. An extra supply of 18 darts costs 5 gp. shots; and 12 or more, all six shots. Each unmodified score of 20 causes the weapon
Some notorious sharpshooters use de- successive shot suffers a cumulative - 1 to break permanently.
pleted cinnabryl darts, which add a flat penalty to hit ( - 1 for the first shot, - 2 Sharpshooting (Dex): On any to-hit
10’ to all ranges and cause an extra hit for the second, etc.). roll of 20 or better after modifications, the
point of damage. These special darts cost The first shot occurs when the user user may make an extra Dexterity check.
20 gp each. should normally be allowed to fire a mis- If successful, the user designates a particu-
At Skilled level or better, the user may sile weapon during the combat round. lar spot on a target to be hit by the dart.
acquire special skills related to the six- Each successive shot then alternates with This can be used to automatically disarm
shooter’s use. General skills in the D&D other missile-weapon users in the user’s an opponent, stun a man-sized opponent,
game are explained in the new Rules Cy- group. If there are none of the latter, all or inflict maximum damage. Sharpshoot-
clopedia, pages 81-86. These special skills remaining shots take place at the end of ing cannot be used with the Hip Shooting
are as follows: the user’s Missile Weapon phase. Fast or Fan-Shooting skills.
Cool (Cha): This allows the user to Draw and Fan Shooting skills can be used
stare down an opponent in a duel and gain simultaneously.
a psychological advantage. On a successful Fast Draw (Dex): Upon making a suc-
Charisma check by the user, the opponent cessful Dexterity check, a user can shoot
suffers a -2 penalty to his next to-hit roll before anyone else during a combat
(and to his next Dexterity check if using round, regardless of the original Initiative
the Fast Draw skill below). This skill re- result. If two opponents fight a duel and
quires two rounds of concentration to take both use the Fast Draw skill, the one who

DRAGON 39
 WRIGHT STATE U. GAME FAIR
Jan. 18-19 OH
This convention will be held on the main
campus of Wright State University in Fairborn,
indicates an Australian convention. Ohio. Events include introductory sessions on
Convention Calendar Policies indicates a Canadian convention. role-playing by Shield Games, a parents’ session
indicates a European convention. on role-playing games, and RPGA™ Network
This column is a service to our readers events. Registration fees have not yet been set,
worldwide. Anyone may place a free listing but there will be discounts for attending both
for a game convention here, but the follow- * indicates a product produced by a company other than TSR, days, for RPGA™ Network members and qualify-
Inc. Most product names are trademarks owned by the ing GMs. Write to: Scott Hala, Game Fair Direc-
ing guidelines must be observed. companies publishing those products. The use of the name of
In order to ensure that all convention any product without mention of its trademark status should not tor, WSU Adventurers’ Guild, PO. Box 31016,
listings contain accurate and timely infor- be construed as a challenge to such status. Dayton OH 45431-0016.
mation, all material should be either typed
double-spaced or printed legibly on stand- MACQUARIECON ‘91, Dec. 13-15 SWANCON 17, Jan. 24-27
ard manuscript paper. The contents of This gaming convention will be held at Mac- This three-in-one convention will be held at
each listing must be short and succinct. quarie University, North Ryde, in Sydney, Aus- the Ascot Convention Center in Perth, Western
The information given in the listing must tralia. Events include a wide range of Australia. Events include SF/F panels, an anime
include the following, in this order: role-playing games. Write to: Macquarie Univ. festival, and numerous role-playing and board
1. Convention title and dates held; Role-playing Society, Box 83, c/o Macquarie games with the PARSEC game convention.
2. Site and location; Univ. Students’ Council, Macquarie Univ., North Guests include Terry Dowling, Nick Statho-
3. Guests of honor (if applicable); Ryde, NSW 2109, Sydney, AUSTRALIA; or call poulos, and Philippa Madden. Accommodations
4. Special events offered; Patrick at: (024) 983639. will be available. Registration: write for costs.
5. Registration fees or attendance re- Write to: SWANCON 17, P.O. Box 227, North
quirements; and, JANCON II, Jan. 17-19, 1992 CT Perth, Western Australia 6006, AUSTRALIA; or
6. Address(es) and telephone number(s) This RPGA™ Network club-sponsored conven- call Jeremy: (09)340 8901 during working
where additional information and confirma- tion will be held at the Quality Inn in New hours.
tion can be obtained. Haven, Conn. Events include Network tourna-
Convention flyers, newsletters, and other ments, a benefit for the Literacy Volunteers of CANCON 14, Jan. 25-27
mass-mailed announcements will not be America, and AD&D®, BATTLETECH*, CALL OF This convention will be held at the University
considered for use in this column; we CTHULHU*, DIPLOMACY*, WARHAMMER*, of Canberra in Bruce, ACT, Australia. Events
prefer to see a cover letter with the an- and STAR FLEET BATTLES* games. Other include Australian ancients titles, DIPLOMACY*
nouncement as well. No call-in listings are activities include a costume party, a miniatures- games, and 20 role-playing tournaments, includ-
accepted. Unless stated otherwise, all painting contest, a movie room, and an expand- ing several RPGA™ Network events. Write to:
dollar values given for U.S. and Canadian ed dealers’ area. Send an SASE to: JANCON II, CANCON, c/o Wes Nicholson, GPO Box 1016,
conventions are in U.S. currency. c/o TimeWarpers, P.O. Box 55552, Bridgeport CT Canberra, ACT, AUSTRALIA 2601; or call: (06)
WARNING: We are not responsible for 06610; or call: (203) 371-4330. 254-9926 days.
incorrect information sent to us by conven-
tion staff members. Please check your PANDEMONIUM IX, Jan. 18-19 FANTASY WORLD ‘92, Jan. 25-26
convention listing carefully! Our wide This convention will be held at the Ryerson This convention will be held at the Handels-
circulation ensures that over a quarter of a Hub Cafeteria, Jorgenson Hall, Ryerson Poly- beurs in Antwerp, Belgium. Events include a
million readers worldwide see each issue. technical Institute in Toronto, Ontario. Events celebration of J. R. R. Tolkien’s 100th birthday.
Accurate information is your responsibility. include two game auctions, over 60 games, a The special guest is Dave (Darth Vader) Prowse.
Copy deadlines are the last Monday of miniatures contest, and many local dealers. Other activities include a parade, swordfighting
each month, two months prior to the on- Prizes will be awarded to tournament winners. and martial-arts demos, board and role-playing
sale date of an issue. Thus, the copy dead- Registration: $20 (Canadian)/weekend, or $15/ games, graffiti art, a castle-model auction,
line for the December issue is the last Saturday and $10/Sunday. Write to: PANDEMO- music, films, and miniatures and paintings
Monday of October. Announcements for NIUM IX, c/o 17B Wales Ave., Toronto, Ontario, exhibitions. Write to: Palantir vzw, P.O. Box 461,
North American and Pacific conventions CANADA M5T 1J2; or call: (416) 597-1934. 2000 Antwerp 1, BELGIUM.
must be mailed to: Convention Calendar,
DRAGON® Magazine, PO. Box 111, Lake
Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. Announcements
for Europe must be posted an additional
month before the deadline to: Convention
Calendar, DRAGON® Magazine, TSR
Limited, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton,
Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom.
If a convention listing must be changed
because the convention has been can-
celled, the dates have changed, or incor-
rect information has been printed, please
contact us immediately. Most questions or
changes should be directed to the maga-
zine editors at TSR, Inc., (414) 248-3625
(U.S.A.). Questions or changes concerning
European conventions should be directed
to TSR Limited, (0223) 212517 (U.K.).

DRAGON 41
EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN ‘92, Feb. 7-9 IL activities include a miniatures-painting contest TOTAL CONFUSION VI, Feb. 21-23 MA
This convention will be held at the Student and a dealers’ room. Registration: $11.50/ This convention will be held at the Best West-
Center on the campus of Southern Ill. Univ. in weekend preregistered; $13.50/weekend or ern Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlborough, Mass.
Carbondale, Ill. Events include RPGA™ Network $8.50/day at the door. Write to: CLUB CON I, Events include AD&D®, GURPS*, BATTLE-
AD&D® and MARVEL SUPER HEROES” tourna- PO. Box 142, Kent OH 44240-0003; or call: (216) TECH*, SPACE HULK*, DIPLOMACY*, CHAMPI-
ments, plus WARHAMMER 40,000*, SHADOW- 673-2117. ONS*, CALL OF CTHULHU*, CAR WARS*, and
RUN*, and CHAMPIONS* games. There will also AXIS & ALLIES* games. Other activities include
be a game auction and a miniatures contest. CHIMERA CON VIII, Feb. 14-16 NC RPGA™ Network events, a miniatures-painting
Registration: $8/weekend preregistered; $10/ This SF/fantasy convention will be held at the contest, and a costume competition. Registra-
weekend or $3-$5/day at the door. Single-day University of North Carolina Student Union in tion: $22/weekend or $8.50/day preregistered;
passes will be available. Send an SASE to: SIU Chapel Hill, N.C. Events include panels, work- $10/day at the door. Write to: TOTAL CONFU-
Strategic Games Society, Office of Student shops, games, and an auction. Registration: $12 SION, PO. Box 1463, Worcester MA 01607; or
Development, Southern Ill. Univ., Carbondale IL until Jan. 1; $15 thereafter. Write to: CHIMERA call: (508) 987-1530.
62901-4425; or call: (618) 549-1869. CON VIII, 6H Kingswood Apts., Chapel Hill NC
27516. JAXCON ‘92, Feb. 28-March 1 FL
WARCON ‘92, Feb. 7-9 TX This gaming convention will be held at the
This convention will be held at the Memorial DUNDRACON XVI, Feb. 14-17 CA Radisson Inn at the Jacksonville International
Student Center on the campus of Texas A&M This convention will be held at the San Ramon Airport in Jacksonville, Fla. Events include role-
University in College Station, Tex. Events in- Marriott, in San Ramon, Calif. (Mention DUN- playing, board, and war games. Write to: JAX-
clude AD&D® CHAMPIONS*, CAR WARS*, STAR DRACON for special room rates.) Events include CON ‘92, P.O. Box 4423, Jacksonville FL 32201;
FLEET BATTLES*, AXIS & ALLIES*, WAR AT over 120 games using virtually every system or call Kathy at: (904) 778-1730.
SEA*, SIXTH FLEET*, CYBERPUNK*, GURPS”, now in print. Other activities include seminars,
SPACE HULK*, TORG*, and SHADOWRUN* board games, miniatures games, a flea market, a TOURNAMENT IN SHADOW
games. Other activities include numerous WWII miniatures-painting contest, a dealers’ room, Feb. 28-March 1
war games, naval miniatures, microarmor, and and open gaming. Registration: $25/weekend This convention, sponsored by the Univ. of
computer games. Registration: $10/weekend until Feb. 1; $30/weekend or $15/day at the Alberta Phantasy Gamers’ Club will be held at
preregistered, or $12/weekend at the door. door. Write to: DUNDRACON, 386 Alcatraz Ave., the Student Union on the Univ. of Alberta
Write to: MSC NOVA, Box J1, College Station TX Oakland CA 94618. campus in Edmonton, Alberta. Events include
78440-9081; or call: (409) 845-1515. AD&D®, CYBERPUNK*, WARHAMMER FANTA-
ECLECTICON VI, Feb. 15-17 CA SY BATTLE*, and TALISMAN* games. Other
CLUB CON I, Feb. 8-9 OH This SF/F convention will be held at the Sacra- activities include a video room and a miniatures
This RPG-only convention, sponsored by an mento Hilton Inn in Sacramento, Calif. Guests painting workshop. Admission to the event is “a
RPGA™ Network club, will be held at the Holi- include George R. R. Martin and Delight Pres- single loonie” [whatever that is]; admission to
day Inn Hudson in Hudson, Ohio. Events include cott; the dead guest of honor is Mary Shelley. tournaments is about $10 (Canadian) each.
over a dozen RPG tournaments, featuring Activities include panels, seminars, workshops, Write to: UAPGC, Box 46, Students Union Bldg.,
AD&D®, PARANOIA*, TORG*, CALL OF and a blood drive on Feb. 16. Registration: $40. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA
CTHULHU*, CHAMPIONS*, SHADOWRUN*, Write to: ECLECTICON VI, #176 P.O. Box 19040, T6G 2J7.
RAVENLOFT™ and STAR WARS* games. Other Sacramento CA 95814.
WESCON II, Feb. 28-March 1 CT
This gaming convention will be held at the
Holiday Inn in Cromwell, Conn. Events include
RPGA™ Network tournaments, with MIGHTY
EMPIRES*, BLOODBOWL*, TALISMAN*,
GURPS*, and AD&D® games. Other activities
include board games, war games, SCA demos, a
human chess game, a miniatures-painting con-
test, dealers, an art exhibit, and an auction.
Guest artist is Batton “Wolff & Byrd” Lash.
Registration: $15/weekend before Jan. 31, or
$20 thereafter. Send an SASE to: Games & Stuff,
501 Main St., Middletown CT 06457; or call:
(203) 344-8895 during business hours.

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DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc.
©1991 TSR, Inc. All Rights Resewed.

42 DECEMBER 1991
 Propping Up Your
Campaign Dress up your modern-era RPG with props
©1991 by Spike Y. Jones
Role-playing games are, for the most them all. This being the case, you might as have a computer on your gaming desk,
part, games of the imagination. At no point well look the role. you can make things even more “real” by
during an espionage-style game does an To do this, all GM screens, dice, rule actually accessing files and printing out
actual KGB agent leap onto the gaming books, and other gaming equipment information for the players right before
table to terrorize the players. However, should be removed from the view of your their eyes.
certain things can be done to add to the players (perhaps they can be laid flat on If the group has to deal with more than
effect of a paper-and-pencil RPG, especially the table before you with your notes). You, one Suit over the course of an adventure,
in modern or near-future game settings the GM, should dress in executive camou- you should attempt to schedule the shift
where usable props can be picked up in flage, with gray and black being the choice from one Suit to another during a lunch or
places as close as the local convenience colors for the suits of Suits. Place appro- dinner break, so that you can rearrange
store. Knowing first-hand the budget of priate Suit toys (e.g., a telephone, a Rolo- the desk and possibly change your suit in
the average game master, the best ideas dex, a desk calendar and pen-set, etc.) on order to present a different image to the
are often the most affordable ones. the desk or table in front of you, and act, players when the game resumes. If there
not as the GM, but as the Chief Executive isn’t time to make an involved Suit-change,
Corporate image Officer of Game Master, Inc. just moving desk items around and taking
Many encounters, both good and bad, in If the players ask a question that re- off the jacket or tie (clip-ons are useful in
modern-era games are with corporate quires you to make a dice roll or to check this situation) can be enough of a change
executives, organizational leaders, or the rules, you should make some excuse, to tell the players that they’re dealing with
other powerful men that can be classed such as having to “look the data up” or a different Suit for the moment.
together as “Suits.“ As the GM, you not “find the appropriate file,” to look into a
only play the roles of all the Suits in the drawer or filing cabinet where the dice The number you dialed . . .
game, you are also the most powerful of can be rolled out of sight. If you happen to Telephones are a major part of the life of

DRAGON 45
most gamers, and they can play as big a few minutes of the game running the southerners get into the swing of charac-
role in the games. The easiest way is to player characters through a mini- ters from Canada.
use the phone as a route to the NPCs. Not adventure, all geared to giving them a A baseball cap, with an appropriate logo,
all of the encounters that characters in a scrap of paper with the answering ma- can help “place” a character in a specific
modern-era game have are in person; chine’s phone number on it. It’s always city or job. An “Andy Capp” hat makes it
some of them involve emergency phone more fun to have the adventure described easier to play a New York cabbie, while a
calls to headquarters, delicate investiga- to the players in some way other than just fedora sets the scene for a game taking
tions conducted over long distances, or being told by the GM. Note: Avoid putting place between the World Wars. More
even just tedious minutes trying to get anything on the tape that might cause exotic headpieces like a fez or turban can
past the operator to make one of the more unwanted problems or misunderstandings be used to let players “see” a Middle-
interesting calls. As a bit of window dress- if someone’s wife, mother, or other friends Eastern contact, and the basic elements of
ing, you can actually hold a (dead) phone calls in unexpectedly. Good judgment a turban (a towel with the possible addi-
receiver in your hand when playing out should always be used. tion of a feather or fake jewel) can be
these parts, instead of just miming it with If you are pretty sure that the players found in any home.
your thumb and pinkie. will be through with the message after a If your hat collection isn’t that extensive,
Better yet, actually have the conversa- certain fixed time (such as a half hour into other articles of clothing will serve. Long
tion over the phone. Some GMs have dis- the game), then arrange in advance with evening gloves can be used to play a “high
covered that one way to reduce the strain the friend to change the tape after that society” lady (this assumes that you are a
on their voices and minds during a session time to a boring “We are sorry, but the woman), while a well-soiled pair of work
is to farm out NPC roles to other players. number you have dialed is not in service” or garden gloves show the other end of
With the help of the telephone, these message, so that the mission briefing will the spectrum. Costume jewelry, suit jack-
“farmed-out” players don’t even have to be have “self-destructed” (just in case the ets, an apron, glasses (prescription or sun),
at the game. You have only to write out a players forget their mission and try to or any other piece of clothing can be
briefing sheet describing the NPC and phone the number again). thrown on by a player or GM at a mo-
listing things that the NPC knows that ment’s notice to change a scenario’s mood.
would be of interest to the players calling Sounds good to me
in. When the other players do phone, the While you are fooling around with a The keys to imagination
“off-stage” player can react as if he were tape recorder to make these answering- In fantasy RPGs, most characters ride
the actual receptionist, executive, or oper- machine tapes, you might also think of horses, sail in ships, or ride exotic convey-
ator on the other end of the line. (You making a taped collection of sound effects, ances like magic carpets and floating
should listen in on an extension, just to like the sounds of a busy office (clicking clouds. In the modern era, things are
check what the NPC ends up saying to the computer keyboards, snippets of conversa- much more mundane and standardized;
players.) tion, background Muzak), a park (children just about every adult gamer has access to
In recent years, telephone-answering laughing, wind in the leaves), or a busy a car of some kind, and so do most of their
machines have become almost as common street (cars and trucks, jackhammers and modern-era characters.
as phones themselves; whether you’re construction work, people walking and While it would be as difficult to give
annoyed by them or thankful for them, talking) to be played as an introduction to each player a car as it would be to give
you can’t avoid them. In a modern-era a scene shift in the game scenario. The him a horse or broom of flying, you can
RPG, the characters’ boss is not always tape player should have a counting mecha- still give them all car keys. These are not,
sitting around his office waiting for his nism on it that can be used to locate the of course, keys to any specific car (particu-
agents to call and be rescued. He’s got place on a tape where a certain sound larly not your own car!), but extra keys
other important things to do, and he’ll effect has been placed. You can then write that don’t open anything at all, like a bicy-
have to handle the characters’ requests as down where on the tape each sound effect cle lock that has long ago rusted solid.
they come in. is to be found, so that you can fast- Parents are a good source of useless keys,
Before a game session starts, you can ask forward to the desired effect in seconds as some people can’t seem to throw out
around and see if you have a friend who without having to interrupt the game for the junk that they accumulate over the
won’t be coming to the game. If so, ask if too long. course of the years. Stores that make keys
this friend would be willing to change his For a more immediate effect, you can sometimes have uncut keys (blanks) or
machine’s message to fit your evening’s have an assortment of bells, horns, whis- keys that were improperly cut, and these
plot (e.g., “We’re sorry, but all of our ‘Dou- tles, buzzers, kazoos, harmonicas, and the can be gotten for very little (improperly
ble Zero’ agents are on assignments right like in a drawer where you can pull them cut keys in a variety of colors can often be
now. If you’ll leave a name, number and out whenever one seems appropriate. gotten free for the asking).
mission, we’ll send an agent out to you as These can be used as fire alarms, door- Take your collection of excess keys,
soon as possible.“). Finally, the players bells, ringing phones, or the sound made carefully label and record each one, then
should be informed of the “emergency when The Computer fries a character in give them to players to represent their
number” to call in case they need assist- West End Games’ PARANOIA* game. You characters’ cars. The players can then
ance. Once this prop has been used for the don’t have to use every one of your “toys” personalize the keys by buying key chains
evening, the person with the answering in every game (and shouldn’t), but the wise and fobs that typify the style of their
machine can restore his old message., use of an incidental noise can take the characters. If you are being particularly
If the answering-machine’s owner isn’t players off guard (like having a phone ring sneaky, wait until the day the players
worried about missing messages from just when one player is describing the way forget to bring their keys to the game,
other callers coming in (or puzzling his his agent is breaking into a rival spy- then use that as an excuse to say that their
callers), another sort of recording might organization’s offices). characters’ cars were stolen.
used to use to start an adventure. In old
Mission: Impossible TV episodes, an adven- Topping it off Larger than life
ture always started with some convoluted Another readily available role-playing Even at prices of less than a dollar per
dealings in order to get a tape recorder aid is the hat. Most people own a couple, figure, buying and painting a full array of
with the mission briefing on a tape that and it’s surprising how much this one lead miniatures for a campaign can bank-
“will self-destruct in 10 seconds.” article of clothing can do to help create an rupt any GM. Worse yet, for modern-
You can do the same thing by first put- image. A cowboy stetson is a great inspira- period games, the selection of figures is
ting a mission briefing on the answering tion for a northerner trying to role-play a not yet as wide as that for the orcs, fight-
machine’s tape, then spending the first Texan, while a woolen toque helps those ers, and wizards of fantasy campaigns—
46 DECEMBER 1991
but there are a great number of figure doors, and everyone nearby who is not things that would be of interest to the
sets available for the other genres that involved in the game should be told what’s character (like business cards from con-
combine advantages like being larger than going on. tacts he’d be likely to make) or periodically
25 mm, prepainted, poseable, accurate cleaning it out as his interests change. Play
without need of modification, and proba- Having a blast money can be added as desired. For a
bly already somewhere in your little Some people solve the problem of buy- character’s ID, a player can use an expired
brother’s toy collection. ing masses of expensive miniatures by ID of his own. For a touch more realism,
Action figures for G.I. Joe, Star Wars, going in the other direction: lowering the player could visit stores that sell joke
Star Trek, and Transformers (or one of the costs by using cardboard or plastic playing ID cards, such as “CIA Covert Agent” iden-
many rip-off versions of each) make per- pieces. While this makes for a potential tity cards. Few things make a character
fectly usable character figures for any of disaster when a stray foam-rubber ball more realistic than being able to pull out a
those genres. They can be modified with a hits the table, it does give you a new way snapshot of a superhero’s wife and chil-
little paint or an exchange of weaponry to of determining damage done by an attack. dren, if someone should happen to ask
fit other characters or other games. Merely assign each weapon used a “Nerf after them. If the character’s wallet is
They’re a little expensive to use for build- Rating,” then select an appropriately soft stolen in the game, what would the thief
ing an enemy army, but pooling the collec- object (from Nerf ball to pillow) to bounce learn about his victim? This could lead to
tions of an entire gaming group can off the battle board; whatever’s left stand- interesting adventures later on.
produce a large and highly varied assort- ing obviously took no damage from the
ment of heroes and villains to choose attack (this is great for humorous games Cheap thrills
from. You don’t have to worry if a few of and scenarios). In games set in the far future, photo-
the figures are out of scale with the oth- Other methods of producing the same graphic ID is often not used for character
ers; in the heat of battle, people’s impres- effect involve the use of hair dryers aimed identification. Instead, computer-encoded
sions of size are governed more by threat at cardboard figures (the “high” setting ID bracelets (such as in TSR’s GAMMA
level than by literal height. On a less realis- equals a tactical nuclear blast or hurri- WORLD® game) or other solid identifiers
tic level, there are Lego spacemen, con- cane) or properly scaled racing cars run are used. One particularly handy place to
struction workers, knights, and “normal across the table to demonstrate the effects buy these “ID bracelets” is in the nearest
people” of all sorts, along with all of their of plastic figures caught crossing a busy supermarket. Often, the cereal and candy
props and the materials to make more. If h i g h w a y . aisle or the check-out counter will have
the figure works and the players don’t displays of cheap plastic costume jewelry.
mind, then any sort of figure will do. Games within games For just a little money, less than that spent
While they make up the bulk of it, RPGs on a new module or box of lead minia-
Set phasers on stun aren’t the only games I play. I also have an tures, you can quickly build up a useful
While you are busy raiding your broth- Intellivision, and I spend as much time assortment of plastic circlets and baubles
er’s toy box (with his permission, I hope), playing games on my computer as I do to be doled out wherever applicable. (Gum
you might also grab up his Captain Power writing articles on it. Those video and machines and cereal boxes are also good
or Laser Tag guns. Having a toy gun in computer games can be used as part of a sources of such trinkets, but I don’t rec-
hand makes it a lot easier for a player or role-playing game, too. A car-racing game ommend them as you might have to eat a
GM to demonstrate how a character is can simulate a chase scene, horse racing lot of cereal or chew a lot of gum to get
holding or pointing a weapon. Even an or blackjack games can serve as back- the particular prop you want.)
empty squirt gun can be used for this sort ground when the PCs meet a contact at For the same sort of money, one can go
of effect. Note the word “toy,” please. Only the racetrack or in a casino, and any sort to an electronic-parts clearance store and
toys should be used for weapon props, of game as a distraction for the other pick up interesting props such as televi-
and all toys should be unloaded—no water, players while a particular player is in sion remote controls without the “guts,”
darts, rubber bullets, plastic disks, etc. conference with you. More detailed com- assorted circuit boards and transistor
In a PARANOIA game campaign, puter games could even be used as substi- collections, or “black boxes” with all sorts
different-colored plastic guns make for an tute rules systems, if the group is playing a of wires going in and out to no end. While
easy way to identify character levels. This game that gets bogged down by an overly none of these really do anything, they all
can cause problems for a player armed complex combat or movement system. do look like they could do something,
with a red squirt rifle when his character which is almost as important. Having the
is promoted up to Orange or higher level More than just money players use these as if they were real can
and is stuck with an inferior weapon. Many things besides money can be prove quite entertaining.
Nerf-ball shooters can become grenade found in the average player’s wallet or
launchers. Besides, it’s a lot of harmless purse. There are identification cards (both Pretty as a picture
fun in a stressful moment to start tossing with and without photographs), credit One common feature of superspies and
Nerf balls around for no reason at all (one cards, photographs of family and friends, other movie characters is that they are
disadvantage of lead miniatures here is bus tickets, phone numbers on scraps of good looking—as handsome as movie stars,
that the painter gets very upset when the paper, driver’s licenses, library cards, to be more precise. So, why bother labori-
foam rubber starts to fly and accidentally miscellaneous sales receipts, and other ously drawing a picture of a player char-
knocks over his figures). junk. acter or NPC that never quite looks the
One special warning has to be made Unless a character doesn’t have a civilian way he was imagined to look? Just find a
about the use of toy guns. Many people identity or occupation, he’s going to have a picture of that character in a magazine.
don’t like having guns pointed at them, similar collection of odds and ends in his Careful searching through a stack of
even toy guns, and the more real the gun own wallet. Some of it will be useful only magazines will turn up photos of almost
looks, the less pleased they’ll be. If you are to himself (like banking machine state- any reasonably human character (in a
gaming with someone who asks not to ments), some will be of general use (like number of poses and costumes), his wife
have a toy pointed at him, respect his his ID) and some will be of no earthly use and family, a few friends, and maybe even
preference. Never use toy guns in a situa- at all (like ads for book sales long gone by). his boss or enemies. A GM or player
tion where someone could mistake them Players can make up “wallets” for their doesn’t have to be particularly skillful with
for the real things; not everyone knows characters, putting the contents in file scissors and glue to combine a costume
that everyone else is only playing a game, folders or discarded real wallets. A charac- found in one picture with the face of
and the police have no sense of humor on ter’s wallet can start with the discards another to perfectly customize a charac-
this topic. The game should be kept in- from the player’s own wallet, adding ter’s image.

DRAGON 47
 These family photos make a character’s graphic. The maps arrive every couple of that helps rid players of misconceptions
wallet look that much more like a living months, and they are usually quite up to about what-was-there-then based on what-
person’s. You might be grateful to a helpful date. Along with specific political and is-there-now. Despite what you may think,
player who presents you with visual aids physical features, they also often have vintage maps are easy to come by.
depicting a number of your major NPCs. A short notes sprinkled across them giving The first place to look for old maps is in
particularly foresighted GM will even get historical details of certain areas. Usually, the glove compartment of your parents’
into the habit of clipping photos in ad- the back side of a National Geographic car. Along with current maps of the city
vance, so that he’ll have a file of mean, map tell the story behind the region and state you live in, possible treasures to
helpful, trustworthy, or smart-looking mapped, and there are often inset pictures be found include outdated maps of the city
characters whenever he needs an NPC on showing changes that have occurred over spanning 20 years, a map of Cleveland
a moment’s notice. time in the area. The best thing about from your vacation of 1970 (if you’re from
For pictures of characters who aren’t them is that most people in the United Cleveland, this map will probably be of
supposed to look like movie stars, just States (and much of the rest of the world) Miami), and innumerable hand-drawn sets
change the magazine selection. National know someone with a subscription who of directions to parties and places long
Geographic has photos of “average” people would be willing to donate some maps to a forgotten.
from every area of the world, while news needy gamer. For those willing to invest a little money,
magazines and newspapers do the same Vacations and business trips have intro- antique stores (especially in small towns
thing closer to home. duced me to another great and cheap map and villages, not in big city “antique bou-
The story the pictures come with may source. Many American states and Canadi- tiques”) often have boxes of worn-out
also give you a scenario idea or informa- an provinces have tourist information maps for which the owners don’t really
tion that you can give to the players in the pavilions strung along their main high- expect to get as much as a quarter each.
form of a clipping. Real news articles on a ways. These often provide racks of pam- Most of these won’t be impressive, but
foreign country or city can give the char- phlets and flyers describing tourist Detroit probably looked a little different in
acters much-needed information for an attractions in the area that are all free for maps from the 1950s, and at 25 cents a
espionage or super-hero mission they must the taking. In many cases, these freebies shot, it’s worth a peek (even the gasoline
complete—and they have real-life (if unin- include a detailed regional map. By way of advertizing on the back of the map adds
tentional) educational benefits, too. my travels, and with the help of friends in “period flavor”).
faraway places, I have amassed a large Used bookstores sell world atlases for $5
Back-to-front collection of road maps that I can use to to $10 if they’re out of date or in bad
In ICE/Hero Games’ CHAMPIONS* game, give players a good grasp of the geography condition. My own collection (costing a
character sheets include partially drawn of a city or country that they’ve never total of $10 Canadian) includes a world
figure templates—the outlines of male and been to in real life. Don’t be tricked into atlas from 1950, a copy of my father’s
female bodies in various heroic poses— searching for certain maps only in certain grade-school atlas from the 1940s, and a
which any player can customize by draw- states; I got my free map of New Hamp- pocket dictionary, dated 1911, that in-
ing his PC’s costume and features over shire in a motel lobby in Maryland! cludes a “Gazetteer of the World” with
them. A player competent with pencil, For players whose characters will be maps of the Russian, Japanese, German,
pen, and Liquid Paper can create wonder- spending a lot of time in one specific set- and Austro-Hungarian Empires, American
ful character portraits with the aid of ting (like super heroes in New York City), possessions like Alaska, Hawaii, Cuba,
these portrait starter kits. bus- and subway-route maps would proba- “Porto Rico” and the Philippines, and
To go a step beyond this, the player can bly give an in-depth feel for the places white expanses around the North and
make a few photocopies of his character their characters are likely to visit. If the South Poles, each marked “Unexplored
sketch; then, on the back of one copy, he characters are only passing through, a Region.“
can trace the outline of the costume from more basic sight-seeing map, with tourist Not only do these atlases provide visual
behind. With only a little more effort than attractions highlighted, is something they’d information, they also list many statistical
it took to draw the front of the costume, be likely to get hold of (a well-done tourist and other facts. Did you know that the
the player can now fill in the back side. map could even be used by an invading population of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was
After cutting out one front and one rear army, depending on its targets). Some real- 374,000 in 1910, compared to New York
picture, the two sides can be mounted on estate agents have similar freebies to give City’s 4,767,000, and that these figures had
the two sides of a piece of stiff cardboard out. You can also call or write to large gone up to 587,000 and 7,454,000 by
to get a “three-dimensional” portrait of the tourist attractions and state parks in other 1940? That “growing sentiment” was lead-
character. Another piece of cardboard can areas, requesting information for planned ing the U.S.A. of 1910 to adopt goldenrod
be taped to the bottom of the portrait to vacations with a good chance of getting as its national flower? That American first-
make a base for it. Optionally, the two free maps in the mail. The foresighted GM class postage was once two cents an
pictures can be glued to a long card in from a previous section with his file of ounce? The back pages of these books are
head-to-head positions, so that the whole NPC photos can also assemble a large as filled with useful “period” information
can be folded to make an A-frame stand- folder of assorted maps and tourist hand- as are the maps themselves!
up. If these stand-up portraits are the outs for a number of cities, just in case he
right scale to go along with the action- ever runs an adventure set in those areas. Over and above
figure toys mentioned before, they can Another source of reliable maps is the In the other direction, high-tech map
double as inexpensive figures. (Just be- U.S. Geological Survey, although these ping is not necessarily as expensive as it
cause the character templates come with maps generally cost a few dollars each. sounds. The highest tech readily available
the CHAMPIONS game doesn’t mean that You can get a free copy of the USGS’s is the home computer, and there are many
you can’t use them with any other system.) catalog of maps by writing to: U.S. Geologi- commercial mapping programs around—
cal Survey, Earth Science Information but most of these are either complex,
Map-o-mania Center, 507 National Center, Reston VA expensive, or extremely limited in the
Maps are fascinating things. They are 22092, U.S.A. (or call: 703-860-6045; you areas that they can map. (There are some
useful conveyers of important informa- will get a recording giving you ordering good freeware and shareware programs
tion, they’re colorful and even decorative, information). out there, but they make up for low costs
and they’re sometimes a hassle to fold. by being less flexible when it comes to
Most importantly, they can be had cheaply Old but not forgotten gaming uses; a few might also have com-
for RPGs. For games set earlier in this century, puter viruses.)
My first source of maps is National Geo- maps are an even more useful resource At a more down-to-earth price, there’s

48 DECEMBER 1991
DRAGON 49
aerial photography. No, don’t hire a heli- set in a lot of time periods. I’ve seen post- picture. Double exposures can be used to
copter and go up for a few snapshots; cards almost a century old, on sale at produce “ghosts” for a horror game. No
someone’s probably already done that for pennies apiece, which would have been matter what the picture really is, the
you. Most cities have urban-planning great scene-setters for Chaosium’s players rely on you to tell them what
departments in their city halls, each with a CTHULHU BY GASLIGHT* campaign. Big they’re supposed to see. Even if the pic-
complete collection of aerial photos as a events like the 1939 Worlds Fair have ture isn’t exactly what you had in mind,
major tool. In order to use this resource, wide coverage in the stock of junk stores. you still have an opportunity to correct
you must first choose the sites for which Beyond merely showing the cards to photographic mistakes with a proper
you’d like to have photos. While a full players to let them see the same things as description.
overhead picture of your home town their characters, for the price you paid One more potential target of your photo-
might be interesting, a regular map could you can also afford to make alterations to graphic attentions should be people. Lots
serve that purpose almost as well. What the cards. Simple stick figures drawn of faces you see instantly scream out “se-
you must do is to decide what sort of place directly onto the postcard can show the cret agent,” “half-ogre,” or “Doctor Phan-
you wish you had a photo of—for example, exact position of the giant ape scaling the tasm,” and you could snap and put them in
a nuclear weapons plant in the Soviet Washington Monument, while a truly your NPC files if only you had a camera.
Union—then scout around for places that talented artist could either combine pic- When shooting real people, however,
remind you of a nuclear facility: a large tures from different postcards into one there are a few things you have to remem-
factory, a train station, or an actual nucle- scene, or actually draw miniature charac- ber. Unlike landscapes, people are some-
ar power station, if there’s one nearby. ter sketches that can be cut out and glued times not happy to have their pictures
After making a list of the appropriate to the card. Clipping photos of UFOs and taken, and they have certain legal rights in
addresses, take it to city hall and ask if you Bigfoot from supermarket tabloids will that respect. In addition, while photos
could buy aerial photos of those areas (the give you other things to glue onto the taken in public places are usually legal, to
prices are more reasonable if you know backdrop of the Atlantic City boardwalk. take pictures on private property you
exactly what you want). With the prints in These quick sketches needn’t all be done need the permission of the owner (subway
hand, make some photocopies and begin in advance, although it helps if you do platforms, malls, and other people-places
cutting up the copies. Shuffle the pieces much of your preparation beforehand. If are usually private, not public, property).
around, rearrange them, and, after gluing the players fall into discussion among Whenever a legal question comes up about
them together in the new arrangement, themselves, you can use the break to your photo-taking, be polite, know your
make more copies to hand out to the play- update your sketches or draw new ones, rights, and be willing to compromise. It’s
ers (a photocopier is one of the most use- instead of interrupting the players and only a picture for a game, after all.
ful behind-the-scenes props you will ever telling them to get back on track. As ev-
use). What you get then is not just a pic- eryone knows, a picture is worth a thou- Conclusion
ture of some local factories that the play- sand words from an overworked GM. Although I listed more than a few possi-
ers are likely to recognize; instead, you If you’re going to make quick sketches to ble props for modern gaming, this article
have a full-fledged spy-satellite photograph illustrate your descriptions, another useful is by no means exhaustive. The key to
of the Sverdlovsk Nuclear Weapons Facili- tool is an easel with a big pad of paper on coming up with your own props is to take
ty (remember to label the photo in Cyrillic it, along with an assortment of colored everything out of context. (“When is a
if it is supposed to be from a Soviet, in- markers. An imaginative artist can make a book not just a book? When the GM has
stead of an American, source). passable picture to describe a scene in dog-eared one page that has an underlined
only a few seconds. With lots of paper, you clue on it for the players to find.“) You
Cards and letters can just flip the page over when you’re have to change your perspective from
The mail offers lots of opportunities for finished with a particular scene. looking at things around you as they are to
game props. To begin with, you can begin looking at things as they could become.
an adventure with a letter. Instead of Film at eleven Most importantly, you have to keep your
telling a player that his character has Have you ever said “I wish I had a pic- eyes open at all times, being constantly on
received a mysterious letter, you could ture of that!” as you walked or drove by the lookout for ideas and objects that
actually mail a letter to the character (in something interesting or unique? Well, might have some future use, not just for
care of the player), detailing the mission why didn’t you get a picture of it? things needed now or which could have
and scheduling a rendezvous at a secluded The pocket camera is an inexpensive and been useful in a game gone by. It would be
location that, coincidentally, happens to be commonplace piece of hardware that few ridiculous to expect any GM to employ
the address of the GM. You then name a people associate with gaming. If you keep every one of these props, but just a few,
time when everyone had expected to have a fully loaded camera with you wherever or even one, can change the entire flavor
the game anyway. you go, you can snap shots of scenery, of a campaign for the better.
One of the advantages of doing a lot of streetscapes, buildings, or cars that catch (An earlier version of this article ap-
letter writing is that I make contacts with your eye. At the right time, these pictures peared in The wild Hunt #150, and I am
people all over the world who are willing can be whisked out to detail a game scene thankful to the readership of that APA for
to do me small favors for free. Taking in living color, comments and suggestions.)
advantage of their generosity, I can mail For those of you who use a camera
those invitation letters from locations system more complex than the one-button * indicates a product produced by a company other
than TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarks
besides my home town. I can have cryptic type, there are certain special effects that owned by the companies publishing those products.
postcards mailed from Australia or Thai- can be easily applied towards gaming The use of the name of any product without mention
land, or a friend in Detroit can mail a photos. Using black-and-white film makes of its trademark status should not be construed as a
letter from a character’s school buddies. a photo look older (for games set in the challenge to such status.
1920s through the 1950s) or more primi-
The quick draw tive (usable in a post-holocaust game). A
That same antique store that sold you few ravines, garbage dumps, abandoned
old road maps a few paragraphs ago is buildings, or derelict cars can be extrapo-
also likely to have used and faded post- lated into an entire war-torn landscape (I’d
cards that can be bought in bundles for a recommend using a telephoto lens for
couple of bucks. While the messages writ- shooting toxic waste dumps, though).
ten on them might be banal, the pictures Special color filters or “soft focus” lenses
can be used as backdrops for campaigns can give a desired nightmarish effect to a
50 DECEMBER 1991
All TSR products are trademarked and copyrighted by TSR, Inc. DRAGON 51
 RR3 Van Richten’s Guide to Vampires
AD&D® game RAVENLOFT™ accessory
by Nigel Findley
NEW PRODUCTS FOR Within this 96-page accessory for the
RAVENLOFT™ gothic horror setting, Dr.
DECEMBER SJS1 Goblins’ Return Rudolph Van Richten, one of Ravenloft’s fore-
AD&D® game SPELLJAMMERTM module most lore masters and vampire hunters, shares
GREYNAWK® Wars game by Bruce Nesmith his vast knowledge of decades of research and
AD&D® 2nd Edition game boxed set & At one time, the goblinoids vied for control of experience into these “kings of the undead.” Dr.
board game the crystal spheres. They were thrown down by Van Richten details vampiric powers, weakness-
by David “Zeb” Cook the elven armadas in a war 1,000 years ago. es, feeding and sleeping habits, as well as their
This is TSR’s first-ever war game for a role- Now, the goblinoids are back—with a venge- varied relationships with others of their kind.
playing setting! Play out the critical war that ance. This adventure begins the Second Unhu- Suggested Retail Price: $10.95/£6.99
reshapes the Flanaess! In this set, you’ll find man War, with the goblinoid races raiding and Product No.: 9345
years of conflict in one box. The barbarians, led looting every ship and colony they can find. The
by the clerics of their northern gods and allied elven armadas that destroyed them the first MC11 Monstrous Compendium,
with hordes of humanoids, sweep out of their time fall in the first major battle of the war! FORGOTTEN REALMS® Appendix
icy strongholds down onto their enemies to the What part will your PCs play in the Second AD&D® 2nd Edition accessory
south. The entire continent of the Flanaess is Unhuman War? by Lots o’TSR Folks
plunged into a lengthy war. Included is a histo- Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£6.50 This, the second Monstrous Compendium
ry, the campaigns and major battles, plus maps Product No.: 9343 Appendix for the FORGOTTEN REALMS® set-
of the transformed countryside. If you’ve ever
ting, includes all the latest monstrosities from
adventured in the WORLD OF GREYHAWK® MSL4 Stygian Knight the manic minds of many of TSR’s maniacs.
setting, you need this boxed set. MARVEL SUPER HEROES™ game Keep your FORGOTTEN REALMS® campaign
Suggested Retail Price: $20.00/£11.99 module PCs on their toes by adding some of these
Product No.: 1068 by Anthony Herring beasties to your DMing menagerie. All 64 pages
DDA4 The Dymrak Dread The being who stole the Cosmic Control Rod are full of new creatures to sic on your party,
D&D® Basic game module from Annihilus has finally mastered it. Stygorr and each page is hole-punched for easy addition
by TSR Staff comes out of hiding and tries to use the Rod to to either of the MC binders.
A goblin chieftain and his war bands have conquer Earth—determined to then use humans Suggested Retail Price: $10.95/£6.99
been terrorizing travelers near the Dymrak to invade and conquer the Negative Zone! The Product No.: 2125
Forest, and the Lord Forester has posted a thief must be stopped from completing his
bounty on their heads. This 16-page adventure cunning scheme! DLR2 Taladas: The Minotaurs
provides novice players with a 25 mm scale Suggested Retail Price: $6.95/£4.50 AD&D® game DRAGONLANCE®
dungeon map and 3-D stand-up figures. Discov- Product No.: 6904 accessory
er the secret of the goblins of Dymrak Forest by Colin McComb
and their frightening dungeon! Lightning’s Daughter The warlike race of Taladan minotaurs is
Suggested Retail Price: 6.95/£4.50 TSR” Books striving to become the dominant military and
Product No.: 9272 by Mary H. Herbert cultural force on Krynn’s continent of Taladas.
This book is the sequel to 1990’s best-selling In this 64-page reference guide, you’ll uncover
FR13 Anauroch
Dark Horse. In it, young Gabria comes to terms information on the minotaurs’ history, culture,
AD&D® game FORGOTTEN REALMS®
with her unique magical ability and her role as a military strategies, and way of life.
accessory
strong young woman in a male-dominated Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£6.50
by Ed Greenwood
society. The magic-blessed outcasts from the Product No.: 9344
This 96-page book is a complete overview of
the Great Desert of Anauroch, a trio of waste- horse clans make Gabria their leader, and she
must eliminate a magical creature bent on Dark Heart
lands greater than Cormyr and Sembia com-
destroying the Dark Horse Plains. DRAGONLANCE® Saga Meetings Sextet,
bined. Yet, beneath the desolation of the Sword,
Suggested Retail Price: $3.95/£2.99 Volume Three
the Plains of the Standing Stones, and the High
Product No.: 8222 by Tina Daniell
Ice lurk ancient empires of long-forgotten
The story of the beautiful, dark-hearted
creatures who seek to expand their domains
Kitiara Uth Matar, from the birth of her twin
into the lands of the humans and demihumans!
brothers Caramon and Raistlin, can now be told.
Suggested Retail Price: $10.95/£6.99 NEW PRODUCTS FOR Kitiara’s youthful mercenary deeds and her
Product No.: 9320
JANUARY 1992 fascination with evil lead her to the company of
MU7 Gamer’s Handbook of the MARVEL a roguish stranger and an eerie mage whose
UNIVERSE*, 1991 Character Updates DS1 Freedom fates are intermingled with her own.
MARVEL SUPER HEROES™ game AD&D® game DARK SUN™ module Suggested Retail Price: $4.95/£3.99
accessory by David “Zeb” Cook Product No.: 8342
by Davis, Herring, and Tracy This, the first adventure set in the new DARK
This is a must-have for all players of the SUN” campaign setting, is presented in the
MARVEL SUPER HEROES™ role-playing game. versatile two flip-book format first used in the Unless otherwise noted:
® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
This full-color book is full of new characters like DARK SUN” boxed set. These books are twice ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
Cable, Stellaris, and Calypso plus updated infor- as big and come with full-color art; packaged in ©1991 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
mation on all of your favorite Marvel heroes. a folder that doubles as a DM’s screen unique to
The pages of this book are designed to be easily the adventures. This package also includes a MARVEL SUPER HEROES, MARVEL UNIVERSE, Marvel
removable for quick reference during play. short story found nowhere else. characters, and the distinctive names and likenesses thereof
are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and are
Suggested Retail Price: $ 15.95/£9.99 Suggested Retail Price: $12.95/£7.99 used with permission.
Product No.: 6903 Product No.: 2401

52 DECEMBER 1991
DRAGON 53
54 DECEMBER 1991
 Heart of China
(Dynamix)

Adventure through the Heart of China

Some readers have wondered why their that it will fit the space in the magazine set graphics, and a variety of other memory
clues haven’t yet appeared in this column. intensive features in new game releases,
There are many possible reasons for this. older IBMs and clones may not run these
First, we have a four-month lead from them.—The Editors] offerings correctly. You’ll see many PC/MS-
the time when we write our column to its On another topic, be certain to read the DOS games now advising, somewhere on
publication date. This issue’s column was system requirements needed for a particu- the package cover, that a player needs at
written in August, so a hint received in lar software entertainment, especially if least 80286 performance as a base require-
August wouldn’t appear until now. you are a PC/MS-DOS gamer. With the ment. The game may even advise that you
Second, we receive 15-30 pieces of mail inclusion of state-of-the-art animation, need a processor running at 20 MHz or
a week from readers who supply us with better. If we hadn’t upgraded our com-
hints and other information. Due to space puter’s CPU to 33 MHz, our enjoyment of
limitations, we try our best to publish as Computer games’ ratings the game featured in our lead review
many different clues as possible in each would have been tempered by slow anima-
column. X Not recommended tion, screen refreshing, and sound.
Third, a hint you sent may have already * Poor
been submitted by another reader, and the ** Fair KnightLine
latter submission has either been pub- *** Good Sir-Tech Software has announced the
lished in an earlier column or will be **** Excellent title of its sequel to Wizardry: Bane of the
published later. ***** Superb Cosmic Forge. It is called Wizardry: Cru-
[Also, if we need to trim this column so saders of the Dark Savant. It will be ini-
DRAGON 57

I
tially released for PC/MS-DOS machines in
256 VGA color and contains several new
technological advances.
In the last issue, we reviewed Castles,
from Interplay. The company now informs
us that Castles Campaigning Disk #1: The
Northern Campaign will soon be released.
In it, you’ll confront the Picts, an even
more formidable foe than the Celts. Bigger
plot lines, new graphics and messengers,
and economics are now included. You can
also buy and sell grain as well as other
items. Look for enemy archers and wave
attacks, reserve forces, and even Vikings.
To counter the opposition, you can train
your troops to increase your military
efficiency and also upgrade your weapons.
The price is $29.95 retail, but if you order
through Interplay, the cost for the new
disk is $19.95. Orders must be called in to:
(800) 969-GAME.
By the way, Roger Wilco fans, Sierra has
licensed its Space Quest hero to Malibu
Graphics for a comic-book series.

H.E.L.P.
James Lee of Spring Lake, NC., an-
swered Eric Korman’s question in issue Heart of China (Dynamix)
#172 regarding Might and Magic II: “In
order to get past the barrier, go to area
13,3—the area west of the barrier in the the Scepter, Crown, and Amulet of Lord
same room. You cannot have anyone else British.“
there help you, unless he is either a thief We wish to thank Luca Christian Boris
or a cleric.“ Gentile of Varese, Italy, for his highly tech-
Doug Parsons had this suggestion: “If nical examination of BUCK ROGERS®:
you go to 13,3 in Corak’s Cavern with your Countdown to Doomsday Luca sent a
party of clerics, an old man will lower the method for editing your characters, using
barrier for you.“ Doug also wrote about a a PC/MS-DOS program called PC Tools. If
way to receive many hit points. “Go to the you are a Countdown to Doomsday player,
Dragon’s Dominion, Area D1-12,14. Once are technically competent in PC/MS-DOS,
inside, head toward 15,15. You will have to and wish a copy of Luca’s editing hints,
kill an ancient dragon (which is nearly send us a stamped, self-addressed enve- Heart of China (Dynamix)
impossible to do) or get past it by hiding. lope, and we’ll send you the information. Reviews
Once past it, go to 7,14 and break the For those working on Wasteland’s prob-
glass, rest, and you will find yourself 1,000 lem of finding the Blackstar Key, Yehuda Heart of China *****
hit points richer.“ Bresler of Far Rockaway, N.Y., has the Dynamix/Sierra (209-683-4468)
Wesley Lin of Phoenix, Ariz., was able to same problem with the PC/MS-DOS ver- PC/MS-DOS version $59.95
answer J. David Glaes’ question in issue sion of the game. He had heard that the There is nothing better than reviewing a
#172 about the Shard of Cowardice in key could be obtained from the Cyborg nearly perfect software entertainment.
Ultima V (and add other advice as well): Commandos in Las Vegas, but, when he This graphic adventure has been expertly
“The Shard of Cowardice lies on L’A,” L’I” in killed them, all he received was another assembled to give the look and feel of a
the underworld. Gardner, the keeper of Sonic Key. He wrote to the company but truly interactive environment, with sound
the Flame of Courage, tells you this. Hy- has received no answer. and graphics of the highest quality availa-
thloth is a dungeon containing the Codex, Joe Jankowski of Conshohocken, Pa., ble with today’s PC/MS-DOS technology.
on the southeast tip of the isle. To have a asks for hints regarding the use of the Despite minor flaws in the story line itself,
character talk to a merchant, you must gray reagent in Journey from Infocom. “I Heart of China (HOC) embroils your he-
select the character as an active player; if am in the city just after obtaining the gray roes in a global adventure filled with excit-
none is selected, the character in the lead reagent and have no clue how to open the ing puzzles, thrilling arcade sequences,
will talk. Sin’Vrall, the daemon, tells you Emporium or jail cell with it. Any help and movielike screen presentation. The
about Astaroth, the Shadowlord of Hatred, would be greatly appreciated!” sound track that accompanies the game is
and the Shard of Hatred.“ Next is a Bard’s Tale problem from Jona- one of the best we’ve heard through our
Mike Edwards of Erie, Pa., also an- than Corathers of New York. “I’ve been Roland MIDI board. Note that 20 MHz CPU
swered Mr. Glaes’ question about Ultima V, playing The Bard’s Tale for about six or better is required to run this game
but his letter included a way to reach months, but I can’t answer the riddle I’ve properly. The game uses only VGA graph-
Dungeon Doom. “Complete the sacred run across in Kylearan’s Tower. ‘Name the ics and requires a mouse or joy stick.
quests for all of the Shrines. When you one of cold, foretold, twofold.’ The hint The lead character of this adventure is a
travel to the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom book claims the answer to the riddle is in World War I ace, “Lucky” Jake Masters,
for the last time, it will tell you how to get the sewers, but I can’t find it. I’ve written who operates a tour service in the Far
to Doom and what you must do to get in. to the company, but no one has respond- East. He is also, unfortunately, indebted to
Before you go to Doom, I recommend that ed. Please help!” a rather unpleasant gentleman named E.
you kill all of the Shadow Lords. You A. Lomax, who forces Masters to rescue
should also possess the Magic Carpet, plus his beautiful daughter, Kate. Kate is a

58 DECEMBER 1991
 dedicated nurse practicing her profession
in China near a village called Chengdu.
The fortress at Chengdu is owned by Li
Deng, whose collection of Oriental arts
and artifacts is said to be most impressive.
Li Deng wants to add Kate Lomax to his
collection and has kidnapped her. Natu-
rally, her father wants her back; he has
promised $200,000 to Jake to return his
daughter to him unharmed. However, Jake
loses $20,000 for each day it takes him to
accomplish this rescue.
There is a unique buddy system in HOC,
and interaction between game characters
is quite realistic. Character icons appear in
the lower portion of your monitor. The
full-color icon in the lower right of the
screen represents your current primary
character; this is the inventory icon. The
black-and-white icon in the lower left
section of the screen is the secondary
character icon. To make the secondary
character the primary, all you do is click
once on the black-and-white portrait and it
becomes the primary character. The pri-
mary character leads the adventure, and
all discussions with nonplayer characters
on-screen take place through him. J. B. Harold Murder Club (NEC Technologies)
Your cursor serves multiple purposes in could see it change into one of two exit through to help new players with the first
HOC. The marvelously created screens icons that reveal adjoining rooms or loca- stages of the adventure. If you are inclined
produce rich color and lifelike animation tions to which you can move. Or, it could to try and work things out for yourself,
in VGA. When you move your cursor atop become a magnifying glass that invites you don’t even look at pages 35 through 42.
an NPC, a conversation bubble appears. to zoom in for a closer look at whatever it Just keep in mind that a Chinese individual
Click on the left (mouse or joy stick) but- is pointing at. When your cursor turns is best used to speak the native tongue
ton, and interaction is initiated. Some- into a hand icon, you enter the hand-to- with NPCs.
times, you will be presented with three hand combat mode and can use any weap- Combine superbly crafted animation and
answers to an NPC’s question. Think care- on in your inventory that was previously graphics with a somewhat appealing lead
fully about how you reply, for your an- placed in your primary character’s hand. character, and you’ve got one heck of a
swer affects how that character reacts to HOC includes some extremely thought- great adventure from Dynamix. State-of-
your words. This can be a difficult deci- ful player features. You can save or reload the-art software coding now requires the
sion, especially when your primary char- a saved game at any point in the game gamer to pack a computer with some
acter is Jake, as he is rather prone to act except for the arcade sequences. In the punch. No level beneath VGA is supported,
with his ego and not his brain. latter, should you fail at the sequence, a and, as we mentioned at the start of this
For example, a key interaction in the dialog box appears that allows you to retry column, you must possess a CPU with at
game is a conversation with a peasant the arcade without having to reload a least 20 MHz clock speed. If you have a
after you arrive at Chengdu. To talk with a sequence or restart the game; this is a computer capable of handling the load,
peasant while playing Jake as the primary great addition to the game! this is a definite “keeper.“
character is not a good move. Hopefully, The graphic detail is astounding. In some
you have acquired the companionship of scenes, small spiders can be seen scram- J. B. Harold Murder Club ****
Zhao Chi, a ninja, who is a much better bling down webs. When you come across NEC Technologies, Inc. (708-860-9500)
conversationalist with the local people and an item that can be retrieved, the cursor Turbographx-16 version (CD-ROM) $61.99
can play a major role in your successes. By turns into a pointing arrow. Once an item Since the release of Sherlock Holmes,
making Zhao Chi the lead character, you is located, it can be dragged onto the pri- NEC has wasted no time in releasing its
stand a good chance, if you remain honest, mary character icon and is immediately second mystery/suspense CD game, J. B.
of moving onward successfully. placed in that character’s inventory. Harold Murder Club. As a famed investiga-
When a new screen appears, move your Plot branches appear throughout HOC, tor, J. B. Harold, you must uncover the
cursor about the screen to see if the icon and there is more than one way to win the mysterious circumstances surrounding the
changes to meet any game needs. You game. Plot-branch signposts pop up when death of Bill Robbins.
you have taken one pathway and another This case is definitely not easy. You must
route exists. The appearance of a plot- go to locations and question witnesses,
branch icon does not mean you have made suspects, and other people you meet.
an incorrect choice; it simply means that Evidence must be found, analyzed, and
another choice exists. For those who enjoy used for your case. People might not be
multiple-plot branches, you can always go willing to talk at first, but may have valu-
back to the adventure and play it using able information as the case becomes
different methods simply to see the extent more involved.
to which Dynamix has constructed this Talking is exactly what the people do.
fine adventure. Question one of them about his alibi, and
The manuals are extremely well written. you can hear their response over your
The control documentation not only speakers. There is no digitized video in
shows how to use your I/O device correct- this game, but people and evidence are
Heart of China (Dynamix) ly, but at the back of the booklet is a walk- represented by digitized still photos. The

60 DECEMBER 1991
 have characters continually use the same
actions until the combat is over or you
press “B” to break out of that mode. This is
where we found ourselves a bit disap-
pointed. In Phantasy Star II, animations of
characters swinging swords or using tech-
niques were shown. Here, however,
slashes of weapons or various techniques
are shown without the character. It
seemed like a vast amount of memory
from the combat portion of the game went
into making this game a larger quest.
Though we didn’t like it as much as
Phantasy Star II, Phantasy Star III is crea-
tive in many ways. First, you have the
ability to marry a person and then become
the offspring of that union to continue the
quest. The various endings in this game
are a definite plus as well. The graphics
are excellent, except for the combat (Phan-
tasy Star II is better here). A hint book is
not included with the game but is available
separately. Overall, this game will defin-
itely keep you fixed to the television for
weeks. Even after finishing one of the
A-10 Tank Killer (Dynamix) endings, you can go back and try to find
the other three, making for an even longer
play life.
jazz soundtrack is very catchy as well. Phantasy Star III ****
The questioning is limited to menu Sega of America, Inc. (415-508-2800)
choices, but choices grow large very Sega Genesis version $81.75 Game conversions
quickly. You might solve another case in Today you are to marry Maia, a mysteri-
the meantime and, with a warrant, be able ous woman you found on the shores of A- 10 Tank Killer *****
to arrest someone. Down at the station, your father’s kingdom. But, as happens in Dynamix (209-683-4468)
you can interrogate the suspect further. all video-game universes, something goes PC/MS-DOS version (updated) $59.95
This game allows players to solve “mini- wrong: A winged demon grabs your bride With troops still returning from the
cases” along the way, giving the player a from your arms and disappears. Thus Persian Gulf, software companies are
sense of accomplishment. begins the third and largest of the Phanta- introducing combat simulators dealing
You can save the game at any time and sy Star sagas. Before the journey is over, with Middle East campaigns. One such
can find out how well the investigation is you will have explored seven worlds and offering is actually an updated version of
going. The status is represented by four lived through three generations. A-10 Tank Killer. This version includes a
categories: evidence, interview, interroga- In Phantasy Star III, you are either Rhys Middle East campaign, boasts better VGA
tion, and information. Graphics fill each or—later-his offspring, and must search graphics, new flight models, full sound-
line; the more complete the line is, the for Maia. (Depending on whom you marry board support, and user-definable weapon
further along you are in the investigation. later on, you could eventually become one loads. Also enclosed with this update is
There is plenty of information on the of a variety of people who will determine new documentation, plus a section dealing
CD, with over 20 people to investigate— which one of four different endings will with the history of the A-10 (including
more than enough to keep any mystery be your destiny.) Along your travels, you how it was used during the Desert Storm
fan busy for a long time. Each person has will meet people who might want to join confrontation). Users of the Maxx Yoke
a detailed record that includes occupation, your cause. You can have up to five char- and Maxx Rudders will be pleased, as the
hobbies, native places, blood type, special acters in your party at once. Travelling is new version supports both joy sticks.
licenses, martial status, and family. Com- seen from an overhead point of view, and The animation is fast and clean. The
bine that with the way the people hold the graphics are crisp and very detailed, VCR menu, new to this version, allows full
back information or lie, and you will have though the dungeons are from an over- access to repeated viewing of your mis-
to visit places and people several times head view, as in Phantasy Star II. sions. Multiple camera views available
before the case is solved. In a town or village, you can visit one of include victim and engagement, plus a
This is a great game for mystery fans, many shops. The inn allows you to save floating camera view that gives you a
though the audio tracks used when talking the game in progress to one of the two viewpoint around and away from the
to people take a few seconds to load and battery-back-up save games. The tech-
can become tedious. Thankfully, this fea- nique shop is a place where you can buy
ture can be turned off so only text is rare and highly valued powers. Only cer-
viewed instead. Another problem with this tain characters can use these techniques,
game is that an unsolved case in the police which include healing, melee, time, and
records includes a rape. There are no order.
specific details, but this case has no bear- When combat occurs, the scene shifts
ing on the outcome of the game. The pro- from a first-person perspective to one
grammers should have deleted that case, where enemies can be seen directly. Icon
or at least put a warning on the box about controls allow players to attack specific
the mature subject matter in this game. foes, use techniques, use items, defend, or
Otherwise, J. B. Harold Murder Club is a run away. In addition to these options, you
thinking game that is well worth the can choose to go one round in combat
money. before choosing new options, or you can

DRAGON 61
A-10 Tank Killer (Dynamix)
aircraft. The floating camera reminds us
of Lucasfilm’s Battlehawks and Battle of
Britain views, except that the A-10 view is
in real-time mode. You can watch yourself
fire on unfriendly aircraft and ground
targets from almost any angle you desire.
The most enjoyable feature is the new
Middle East missions. You can see how
difficult it was for pilots to destroy Scud
launchers and other Iraqi targets. We
Space Quest lII (Sierra On-Line)
quickly found ourselves engrossed in the
simulation, trying to avoid antiaircraft fire
and surface-to-air missiles while trying to
provide cover for rescue planes or hitting
a primary target. A-10 Tank Killer demon- of your energy, can also save your skin The Macintosh version utilizes black-
strates the hazards pilots face in complet- when facing dozens of enemies simultane- and-white or 16-color video mode. Again,
ing their missions. It is mind boggling to ously. Your ultimate capability is to change we thought that Space Quest III should
think of the thousands of related missions from a robot to a fighter jet. The jet limits definitely be enhanced to take advantage
that were flown every day during the your field of fire but allows you to fly to of the Macintosh’s powerful color capabili-
confrontation! places that are far higher in altitude than ties. However, like Thexder, it is still a
A-10 Tank Killer, version 1.5, cleans up your robot can jump. The jet also allows classic game that any Macintosh adventure
most of the flaws of the original release you to enter areas that are too cramped gamer should have.
and includes many more features that will for robotic maneuvering.
keep flight simulator fans extremely hap- Thexder is on two 800K disks, hardly a
py. This is definitely a recommended space problem for those who wish to Clue corner
Christmas gift for any flight simulator install it on their hard drive. The only flaw
fanatic. we have to report about Thexder is the Bane of the Cosmic Forge (Sir-Tech)
lack of color. The game is a direct port 1. Wait until your priest, monk, or bish-
Thexder **** from the IBM CGA version, which means op receives Dispel Undead before fighting
Space Quest III **** Macintosh users who have color capabili- the zombie in the castle spire.
Sierra On-Line (209-683-4468) ties can play the game in only two or four 2. The apples restore spell points, and
Macintosh & PC/MS-DOS versions colors. This is not bad, as the game’s playa- the rutabagas restore hit points.
Prices n/a bility makes up for the lack of color, but 3. For a good fight and treasure, wave
Don’t have a clue as to what entertain- Sierra could have enhanced the game the rotten cheese in front of the mouse
ment software you should purchase for when converting it to the Macintosh. hole.
your Macintosh? Afraid Santa Claus will Otherwise, this is a great arcade treat that Danny Thompson
leave another boring application? Fret no starts to fill the large gap in the Macintosh Cologne MN
longer, for Sierra On-Line has converted arcade game software.
two computer hits to the Macintosh: Thex- The second offering from Sierra is Space
der and Space Quest III. Quest III. It was a big seller for the IBM
Thexder, an arcade smash in Japan and PC, and now Macintosh users can experi- That’s it for this month. Please don’t
in the U.S., is now an addicting side-view forget to mail or fax your vote for the best
ence the humorous adventures of a janitor
arcade game for Macintosh gamers. The turned hero for themselves. game of the year for the Beastie Award.
action is simple and quick, but strategy is Roger Wilco, at the end of Space Quest Our fax number is (209) 832-5742 (please,
needed if you want to complete all 16 II, had escaped from Sludge Vohaul’s aste- fax only between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M.,
levels. roid fortress. He entered an escape pod Pacific time, weekdays). Our address is:
As a pilot of super assault vehicles, you and hibernetic sleep to save his dwindling The Lessers, 521 Czerny Street, ‘Racy CA
must destroy dozens of different types of oxygen supply. Little does the sleeping 95376, U.S.A. Please include not only the
enemies. The key is that you must avoid character know that his snooze will be all game’s title but also the computer system
contact with them while on your mission. under which you played it, and your name
too short, as he will awaken in an alien
Touching an enemy results in loss of en- vessel. and address in case vote verification is
ergy, revealed by a bar at the bottom of required. We appreciate your interest.
Action can be controlled by the mouse
the screen. However, destroying enemy or keyboard (we recommend the latter). Until next month, game on!
units replenishes some of your lost energy. Users must look closely at their surround- BUCK ROGERS is a trademark used under license
Completing a level not only replenishes ings, examining everything as thoroughly from The Dille Family Trust.
but increases your energy capacity. as possible. Otherwise, an object not
The enemies can be destroyed by using picked up now can come back to haunt
your guns. Your shield, which saps some the player later on during the game.

62 DECEMBER 1991
 airday One: They came from all over

Time
vast Worldcastle with their poles and
their tents on the first day of Spring-
rise to erect the Pavilion Fair. The
muddy snows were still on the

for an
ground, but the mood was festive as
canvases were pulled tight and tables
bearing an assortment of sale goods were established all
across the north-central district called Valicarn.
Valicarn was usually a down-trodden region reserved

Experiment
for the poor, the lower castes, or the unwanted, and its
residents liked it that way. There was privacy in anonym-
ity. Even the Laram-Soldat, the singular military body in
Worldcastle, left Valicarn to its own devices, choosing to
send smaller patrols to the district at irregular intervals.
Any crime that someone could commit in such a weak and
vulnerable region could not be a crime worthy of Soldat
intervention.
Throck Gundmundur kept the five red-armored Soldat
conscripts in his peripheral vision as he considered em-
barking on a life of crime. He fidgeted with the folds of his
robes, stamped his foot angrily, and wondered if they’d
catch him should he decide to grab the watch and run for
it. Probably. And that would certainly put an unpleasant
end to his dreams of becoming a truly powerful wizard. by Michael G. Ryan
Gundmundur leaned forward on the table before him,
ignoring the shouts and pounding around him as more
tents were raised to begin the Pavilion Fair Celebration.
He didn’t give a dead rat’s rotted tail about the Pavilion
Fair; he hated it. It was an infringement on his privacy as
a citizen of Worldcastle in general and Valicarn District in
particular. Every year they came and every year they
gawked, as if he were one of the freaks in the sideshow.
They pointed and they stared, and one year a fat noble-
man and his fat noblelady and their fat noblebrats had
been rude enough to ask Gundmundur to sit for a street
portrait.
“You see,” the fat nobleman had said, “we’ve never
seen a real dirt elf.”
“Then,” Gundmundur had answered softly, “you’ve
probably never seen a real dirt elf do this.” He then pro-
ceeded to make obscenely rude gestures with his hands,
and the fat noblefamily had beat a hasty retreat.
Gundmundur knew he was unique, perhaps one of only
eighty of his kind living in all of vast Worldcastle. Dirt elf.
It was a typically human translation of paligru, the elven
word meaning subterranean. Underground meant dirt to
humans, and thus did the rare race of elves who chose to
live beneath the surface of Worldcastle come to be known
as dirt elves. It offended all of Gundmundur’s sensibilities.
He was a curiosity when he chose to come to the surface.
An anomaly because he was not tan like his many elven
cousins who lived aboveground. An aberration because
his flesh was mottled during the wet or cold seasons. A
monstrosity because his slender hands were not delicate
like others of his race—his were spadelike from his years
of excavating his home in the soil. A freak, once a year to
suffer the repulsed, wide-eyed stares of insufferable hu-
mans because he needed to come to the Pavilion Fair.
There was nowhere else he could obtain the material Illustrations by Robert Klasnich
components for his magic spells. Without the Fair, he

DRAGON 65
 would have to travel into other districts outside of Valicarn, Fieldhall, slowed down in passing to whisper about him.
districts where word about his activities and purchases He couldn’t stand there much longer, on display for the
could lead him into confrontation with Lord-General early arrivals to the Pavilion Fair. But twenty thousand
Indigo Mole or others in the militocracy of Worldcastle. standard gold! He had perhaps half that amount in all of
Gundmundur did not want that. If anyone else knew of his his savings, including his valuable spell components. He
experiments, he would become nothing more than a tool could raise a quick five thousand by selling a jade circlet
for the Lord-General and his underlings. used for his powerful shape-change spell, but there had to
Stare all you want, Gundmundur thought as the first of be some other way. Yet the merchant wouldn’t let the
the Fair-goers began to mill about him. He looked again watch go for less than the asking price. Gundmundur
at the five Soldat warriors nearby, but their interests were gnashed his teeth.
drawn elsewhere. Gundmundur sighed thoughtfully. I must He knew what he would have to do if he wanted to raise
have the watch! such a large amount, and the thought sent shudders
The watch was contained in a glass box, propped up so through his thin frame. The Soldat would swoop down on
that it might be viewed by potential buyers. Its face was as him if he broke the law, and there was only one legitimate
big around as the surface of a dinner plate, and both means by which he could make ten thousand gold pieces
hands were pointed straight up at the number twenty-four, before the Fair closed in six weeks. He would have to go
which would indicate the middle of the night. Gundmun- to work. He would have to sell himself.
dur surmised that the watch’s current owner did not both-
er using the watch for timekeeping, as it was midday at Fairday Three: It took a day to find a merchant with
this moment. rental space available, and another day to bring some
Each of the twenty-four hour numbers was highlighted cheap equipment from his home before Gundmundur was
by the placement of a precious stone on the watch’s face, ready to put on his show.
from an amethyst at number one to a topaz at number He used some of his personal savings to buy advertising
twenty-four. This, Gundmundur reasoned, must be the in the Fair. He pushed hard for the correct wording on his
reason for the watch’s outrageous price of twenty thou- posters and his single billboard, and it cost him extra—the
sand standard gold pieces. The current owner—whom Fair’s administrators did not enjoy dealing with a dirt elf,
Gundmundur had tried to negotiate with—was too stupid and they made it difficult for him to join the ranks of mer-
to know if he was scratching the watch or winding his chants. But he persisted, never allowing the image of the
butt, so Gundmundur remained confident that the watch’s watch of Direbrand Gordark the Fiendish to slip from his
history was still unknown. mind. The administrators gave him a tent, a small stage,
But Gundmundur knew. and ten battered wooden benches. He was in business.
The watch had belonged to an ancient wizard, Dire- He hired a boy to take admissions, and thus did the so-
brand Gordark the Fiendish, who had lived more than two billed dirt elf Phantasmatist open his tent for curiosity
hundred years ago during the Gap-Closing Wars. Dire- seekers. He put on a show that consisted of an unveiling
brand Gordark was the only wizard in Worldcastle’s histo- of his elven features under eerie magical lighting, a few
ry to have ever successfully achieved time travel. And the simple parlor tricks from his early days as a magic-user,
watch had been the most vital component in working the and, for the finale, the summoning of a soil elemental—a
powerful spell, a spell that Throck Gundmundur had giant humanoid formed from the very ground at the
spent six decades attempting to duplicate. He had nearly stage’s edge.
succeeded once before, but with disastrous results—it had The audience was pleased during the first three shows.
cost him his only assistant. He had needed the watch of The soil elemental sprang from the dirt at Gundmundur’s
Direbrand Gordark the Fiendish to make the spell operate command, towering above the audience until it seemed
correctly, but it would take eight more years of research to that the creature must burst through the tent’s canvas
realize his mistake. Records of the Gap-Closing Wars ceiling. And then, as it turned angrily toward its summon-
were difficult to come by, and Gundmundur was even er, Gundmundur dispatched it and the audience cheered.
more restricted by genetics— it was difficult for a dirt elf to It was an easy trick; while humans might have a difficult
gain access to dated scrolls in obscure libraries. time calling forth the soil elementals, dirt elves were able
But he had done it. He had knowledge no human would to do it without even straining their magical resources.
ever have the patience to seek out, knowledge most other Gundmundur could do it fifty times in an afternoon and
wizards would not waste time looking for; there were not be tired. Bored, perhaps, but never tired.
many other more lucrative areas of study for the profit- During the first three shows, Gundmundur was able to
minded magic-user than the iffy field of time travel. But it raise only seventy gold pieces total. He quickly did the
was what Gundmundur wanted. He wanted fame. He math, figuring that he would do ten shows every day until
wanted to rise above the stares that went with being a dirt the Fair left Valicarn. The figures discouraged him. A
elf, and he wanted to raise his eighty brothers and sisters little less than the ten thousand gold he needed, and that
from obscurity into acceptance. He wanted to be known was if business stayed constant. After accounting for his
and maybe even liked. He wanted to be Throck Gund- spendings on space rental, advertising, and paying the
mundur, an elf of Worldcastle, and not the dirt elf of the boy who took admissions, Gundmundur would still be
Pavilion Fair. short over three thousand gold.
Gundmundur grimaced as two tower elves, those of the He would not cry, though it tore at his heart to see his
clan who directly served Lord General Mole in the dream of becoming the most accomplished wizard in

66 DECEMBER 1991
Worldcastle slipping away with time. He thought it bitter- fumbling with the drawstrings of his own pouch as well as
ly ironic that time was his enemy right now, though it his newly acquired wealth, his heart snapped in his chest.
would be his savior if he could just purchase the watch. He felt for a moment as if glass were exploding all around
I’ll be no one forever, he thought sadly. A repulsive dirt elf doing him, glass that cut him without external pain but shredded
parlor tricks for haughty humans. his insides like confetti paper!
He was ascending the stage in preparation for his fourth The watch of Direbrand Gordark the Fiendish was gone.
show when there was a commotion at the tent’s entrance,
and his admissions boy cried out in surprise. Fairday Four: Gundmundur sat on the raised wooden
Gundmundur cringed expectantly as he hurried to the patio at the Growling Owl Tavern and felt sorry for him-
boy, fearful that perhaps some drunken Fair-goers had self. He sat in a corner by the railing and looked down
taken it upon themselves to have some sport with the dirt over Feast Street at the revelers gorging themselves at the
elf. It had happened in years past, and Gundmundur had Pavilion Fair. The air was cloudy with pleasant smells of
learned to accept violence as a human nature, one he did baked goods, sweets and meats, candies and wines. Gund-
not entirely understand. He could kill if it meant survival. mundur did not sniff them. He swallowed deeply from his
But doing it for fun, as humans did, disgusted him. chalice, soaking up the alcohol into his thin elven blood,
“I think he’s dead,” the boy whispered as Gundmundur and wept openly. The other patrons, mostly human with a
reached him. The child cowered before the dirt elf, fearful few dwarves, stayed well away from the grieving dirt elf.
of the touch of those spade-hands, but Gundmundur was Gone. Purchased yesterday by a tall blonde woman who
too preoccupied with the bleeding human on the ground had more than enough gold to snatch the watch right out
to notice. from under Throck Gundmundur. The dirt elf moaned.
The human was old, wrinkled like a poorly made bed, His future was over. The watch had been the vital compo-
and he still clenched a walking stick in one gnarled hand. nent in completing the time travel spell, and without it,
He wouldn’t be walking anymore, Gundmundur knew. Gundmundur was just another abnormality in Worldcas-
He was definitely dead. The back of his head was col- tle. He would stay hidden in his hole in the ground, com-
lapsed like an egg, splintered with bone and brain. There ing out for the Pavilion Fair, and practice spells that any
was blood all over his skull and shoulders, running down adequate magic-user could master, given enough diligence
his arms to the ground. and time.
At his waist was a thick pouch, bulging with the unmis- Time! The word appalled him now. He would never
takable outlines of standard gold pieces. use the word again, if he could help it. The world was an
Gundmundur’s tongue dried up in his head. He looked infinity for him now; no beginning and no ending. Time
around, wary of Soldat conscripts, but they had not yet ar- meant nothing.
rived. A few Fair-goers clustered about, for all of Worldcastle “I hate to interrupt you, but this is not the time for me
resembling cattle, and there was the admissions boy. He to be tactful,” someone said.
could do it. He could take it. It was like a gift from his god Gundmundur looked up, dismay carving his elven fea-
Rapoudflax. The Blind Toad offered his worshipper a future tures. Another gawker, no doubt. He saw ringlets of yel-
with a dead man’s pouch. He had to do it. He had to. low falling from the human’s head as she sat down, her
“Help me roll him over,” Gundmundur hissed to the face a sharp contrast to Gundmundur’s—hers was devoid
admissions boy. “Take his other arm.” of emotion. She smiled quickly, placing a large leather
From somewhere nearby came a shrill whistle. Soldat backpack on the table between them.
men would be coming. He had to hurry. “Go away,” Gundmundur growled, glaring at the, wom-
As they turned the corpse, Gundmundur slipped one an. “There’s no show today, she-dog.”
hand into his thick robes, searching for and finding his The woman’s smile remained. “I don’t know about
slim dagger. He drew it from its sheath. The admission that, wizard. But I won’t waste your valuable time.”
boy’s eyes were on the dead man’s face; Gundmundur’s Gundmundur could not tell if the woman was being
body blocked the view of the Fair-goers gathered near. He sarcastic or sincere, but either way, the dirt elf was eager
moved. to be rid of her. He began to consider a nasty combination
The cords to the pouch cut easily, and his palm moved of jeering and a banishment spell that would recover his
like sleight-of-hand to catch it as it fell. It was heavy. The privacy.
dirt elf felt a weight lift from his head as he slipped the “This is for you, mentor,” the woman said abruptly,
pouch into his robes, returned the dagger to its place, and pushing the backpack across the table, nearly upsetting
rose from the body. Success. Gundmundur’s chalice. “As is my trustword. Cardinalia.”
The arriving Soldat conscripts never suspected a thing, Gundmundur choked at the sound of his mother’s
only speaking to the dirt elf if it was absolutely required. name. It wasn’t possible for any human to know it. Yet
They spent the bulk of their time taking a description the woman across from him offered it as some sort of link.
from the boy— a female assassin who clubbed the old man “What do you know of Cardinalia?”
from behind. Gundmundur excused himself to close up “Your mother.” The woman rose quickly. “I have to go.
the tent. Ten minutes later, he was hurrying deeper into I can’t stay any longer. Do you trust me? I learned your
the Fair, his eyes lit with fever and anticipation. The fu- mother’s name from a friend, someone who assured me
ture. All of time. Dignity. The watch was nearly in his that you would trust me if I spoke it to you.”
grasp. Gundmundur’s heart, already strained, ached for his
But when he reached the merchant’s table, his fingers long-dead mother. He nodded tiredly to the blonde wom-

DRAGON 67
 an. “I trust you, though I know nothing about you.” aside the men and women before him. He did not under-
“You will,” she answered. “I want you to remember stand the centaur’s language but recognized the tone of
two things: First, you need an assistant, and you owe me voice —the centaur hated the woman and was prepared to
for the backpack. Make me your assistant. Second, when kill her. The lightning came to Gundmundur’s fingertips,
the time is right, send me for the watch.” streaking out over the heads of the people about him, the
Gundmundur felt the curl returning to his lip. “You’re ancient words hissing under his breath. It was the least he
too late, child. The watch is gone. I won’t be sending you owed her for the watch. The least.
for anything. And as for an assistant, without the watch I The lightning crackled, and the woman’s hair stood on
don’t have much use for—” end as she expertly rolled away from the thrashing cen-
“Remember,” the woman cut him off. She turned then, taur. A nauseating smell wafted from the half-man as the
hurried across the patio and down the stairs, and pushed electricity burned his horsehair, blackened his skin, fried
her way into the crowds on Feast Street. Within a minute, his eyes. He wailed miserably, and its echo was not yet
the masses of the Pavilion Fair had swallowed her up. gone when all that remained of the creature was a shape-
“Insane,” Gundmundur breathed, watching her go. He less pile of charred bones.
took the backpack she had left behind. “Another insane The woman rose painfully to her feet, her eyes wide.
human, as if there weren’t enough of them.” She had drawn her sword but seemed to have forgotten
He opened the pack, and his hands suddenly went cold, how to use it in the presence of Gundmundur’s magic.
the blood washing from his blotched face, his heart surg- “You’re the dirt elf,” she said softly as he approached.
ing with new life. Gundmundur tried to smile comfortingly, but the years
“Thank you, Rapoudflax,” he whispered to his god as of living alone, unwanted, made such a gesture impos-
he reached in and carefully drew out the watch of Dire- sible. He settled for taking her arm and steering her away
brand Gordark the Fiendish. “Thank you, God of Wis- from the muttering crowd. “As if you don’t recognize
dom, God of Wanderlust. Thank you for my future.” me,” he said. “Come along. We can talk more securely in
There was no time to waste. Gundmundur fumbled my home, if you don’t mind descending into the soil.”
with the backpack, handling the watch as if it were made The woman’s composure was coming back quickly.
of fragile glass, and hastened from the Growling Owl “My name is Renetta Kasset. I want—”
Tavern. The staring faces of the ignorant humans in Feast “I know what you want,” Gundmundur murmured as
Street did not affect him now, not now that he possessed he led her around the stone wall he had erected to give his
the final ingredient that would establish him as a celebrity home privacy. “And I am willing to grant it. You can
in Worldcastle. Soon their looks would be filled with admi- consider yourself my assistant, Renetta Kasset. And, as
ration and a desire to be his friend. Despite the years of difficult as it may be for me to say, you have my thanks
hatred and loneliness, Gundmundur would take them all for the watch. You’ve made me very happy.”
in. He would befriend all who sought his company, be- Renetta Kasset said nothing. She followed in silence as
cause though he might be master of time, he would never the dirt elf led her to the steel door in the ground, and
be master of life. There was time enough to travel, but not beyond, down into the blackness of the soil.
time enough to spend in isolation. He would never be
without friends again. And people would finally say good Fairday Five: Gundmundur had not believed her last
things about him, Throck Gundmundur, the Time night when Renetta had said she’d never seen him before
Wizard. in her life. She had no memory of delivering the watch,
His feet could not carry him fast enough through the not even a memory of having bought it in the first place.
crowds, bound for the northern edge of Valicarn District Gundmundur bit his lower lip and said nothing harsh—he
and his home, a hole in the ground dropping into his at least had company, someone not repulsed by his
chambers. He would travel time today, tomorrow at the presence.
latest. He would achieve his dreams. “Then why were you waiting for me?” he had demand-
And there she was again, the woman who had delivered ed. “Why were you sitting there on the street corner?”
the watch to him at the Growling Owl Tavern. She sat on “I was waiting for a couple of friends,” she had said.
the street corner nearest his hole’s entrance, her attention “Not you. I don’t know anything about watches, and I’ve
shifting about as if she were waiting for someone. Gund- never even heard of the Growling Owl Tavern. I swear to
mundur had the suspicion that she was waiting for him, you that I’ve never done these things you say I did.”
but for what reason he could not imagine. She had men- Gundmundur let the subject drop, but it did not leave
tioned being his assistant. Was that why she was here? his mind. He fumbled with it over and over during the
He was approaching her, pushing his way through the night, over breakfast, and as he led his new assistant to
crowd, when he saw the drunken centaur behind her. The the chamber where he would cast his time-travel spell, the
half-man half-horse weaved, his hooves striking sparks on room he called his Dweamer Room. Renetta followed
the concrete walkway, but the woman did not react. She quietly, soaking in the dirt elf’s aura of power. Gundmun-
turned her head, intent on her surveillance of the crowd, dur was almost able to be pleased; whether she remem-
and spotted Gundmundur as the centaur rose on his hind bered their conversation at the Growling Owl Tavern or
legs. not, she was a good choice for an assistant. Silent, observ-
“Gare-ah Maite!” the centaur bellowed angrily, its ant, and respectful. Dutifully impressed by talk of time
voice thunder in the crowd. travel. Gundmundur found himself actually liking her and
“Beware!” Gundmundur shouted hoarsely, shoving enjoying her company, despite her human blood.

68 DECEMBER 1991
 “And this is where I will cast the spell,” he said as he suspicions about his new assistant were not entirely dis-
led her into the Dweamer Room. He held the watch of pelled, but he could always learn more about her later. He
Direbrand Gordark the Fiendish in both hands. could even go back in time and watch her movements in
The magical pattern on the floor glowed a rainbow of the past if he so desired. Perhaps he would do so. In fact,
colors, providing the only means of illumination for the he promised himself he would. “You look ill.”
chamber. Runes leapt into the air, forming words before Renetta looked around in confusion, then straightened
Gundmundur’s eyes—greetings from the sentient pattern. authoritatively. “I’m fine, mentor. I guess the magic of
“Good morning,” he said aloud, approaching. “Today’s the pattern overwhelmed me for a moment.”
the day, my child.” “I see.” Gundmundur held up the watch and looked
The pattern shimmered excitedly. expectantly at Renetta. “Well, then, we should get on
“It understands you!” Renetta said with amazement. with our work, I think.”
“It responds with a thought process of its own!” Renetta nodded and came forward.
Gundmundur nodded. “I told you, Renetta Kasset, “I have figured out,” Gundmundur said casually, “why
that I was the most powerful wizard you could ever hope you have no recollection of buying the watch, why you do
to work for.” not remember our conversation at the Growling Owl.”
“I believe you,” Renetta breathed. “And why is that, mentor?”
“It’s a shame,” Gundmundur said gently, “that the “Simply, Renetta Kasset, because you haven’t done so
feeling isn’t mutual.” yet. You see, it was my original intention to go back in
Renetta whirled, her blonde hair flying, and was about time myself, to explore the past and establish a sufficient
to denounce the wizard when the dirt elf’s spell drowned name for myself that I would be famous by this time. I
her emotions in a sea of compliance. The truth and charm still intend to do just that —but first, I have to send you
spells descended around her like friendly clouds, cushion- back to buy the watch.”
ing her anger and stripping her clean of her hidden revul- Renetta looked horrified for a moment before finding
sion to the dirt elf. She was pleased, of a sudden, to be in her voice sufficiently to protest. “You told me yesterday
his presence. that your last assistant died trying to travel through time.
“I’m sorry,” Gundmundur said, “but this is the only I don’t think, mentor, that sending me first sits well in my
way I can learn the truth of you, Renetta Kasset. That is mind. I don’t want to die yet.”
your name, isn’t it?” Gundmundur stepped closer. “I didn’t have the watch
Renetta nodded, unable to lie even if she wished to do then, but I do now. There may be other explanations,
so. The spell motivated her to answer quickly and Renetta, but none that make as much sense. There could
honestly. be an impersonator of you. A doppleganger. A twin. A
“All right, then. Now that we’ve established that, per- clone. But all of those explanations pale logically next to
haps you can tell me what you know of the watch of Dire- the likelihood that I sent you back first, to insure I would
brand Gordark?” have what I needed by the time this moment came.”
“Nothing.” Renetta brushed her hair from her eyes. The wheels of his mind began to turn faster. “I didn’t
“I’ve never seen it before.” have enough gold, Renetta, to buy the watch. But a rich
Gundmundur thought feverishly. What did this mean? old man conveniently died literally at my door, and I sud-
“Did you come to meet me at the Growling Owl denly had enough gold to buy the watch twice over. That
yesterday?” was your doing as well. The boy who worked for me, my
“No.” admissions boy, told the Soldat conscripts that he saw a
An imposter? Gundmundur wondered. Doubtful. An im- woman commit the murder. He saw you. As did the mer-
poster to what end? What was it that the centaur had called her? chant who owned the watch in the first place.”
Gare-ah Maite. What did that mean? Renetta came with many Renetta took a deep breath, calming herself. “What do
mysteries, but Gundmundur didn’t have the patience to you propose to do, mentor? I am listening.”
figure all of them out. When the time was right . . . The dirt elf fairly shook with excitement. He already
And then it came to him. Her words on the patio of the had proof that his spell would work—he would be able to
Growling Owl Tavern: “When the time is right, send me travel through time, as the past already proved. He had
for the watch.” but to finish the circle, arrange for the watch to be his,
I understand! he wanted to shout. It all makes sense! But and he could then begin his own travels. “I’ll send you
there are still a few other things I need to know, like the meaning of back to Fairday Two —the day before the old man died in
the centaur’s words. But I can look those up in my own time. I front of my tent. That was the day the merchant said he
have important work to do now. sold the watch to a tall blonde woman. Here.” He handed
“I am wondering,” he said to Renetta, “if you are Renetta the bag of standard gold pieces he had stolen from
working for someone besides myself right now, and if you the old man’s corpse. “Use this to buy the watch.”
are, then why are—?” Renetta accepted it.
The spell’s magical duration ran out. Renetta shook her “Now then, the next day, Fairday Three, you need to
head as if to clear her thoughts, though Gundmundur be outside my tent. There’s a sign proclaiming the Dirt
knew she had no recollection of their conversation. The Elf Phantasmatist. An old man with many wrinkles and a
spell left her with the feeling that she had swooned for a walking stick will approach before the fourth show. Strike
moment, and nothing more. him on the back of the head as hard as you can with the
“Are you all right?” Gundmundur asked patiently. His pommel of your sword.”

DRAGON 69
 Renetta raised an eyebrow, nearly shivering. “You’re completion of his incantation, he spun the hands more
sending me to my own arrest and execution, aren’t you?” quickly, back over the last seventy-two hours. Each hour
“Not at all,” Gundmundur scowled. “I saw you the that he wound backward was an hour that Renetta would
next day. They didn’t catch you.” skip over when the magic worked.
“Very well.” The blonde woman looked skeptical but The watch was set. She would arrive on Fairday Two,
had seen enough of the dirt elf’s magic to believe in his the day she bought the watch and fulfilled his dream.
skills. “What next?” “Tejart!” He bellowed the final word of the spell and
“On Fairday Four, the day after you kill the old man, plucked one of the watch’s stones—the jade—from the
go to Feast Street, where they sell all the baked goods. You watch’s face, casting it into the center of the pattern. He
know the place? Good. There you’ll find the Growling mentally noted the jade, vowing to replace it later—when
Owl Tavern. Shortly after the shifting of daywatch, I’ll be he was famous and could afford to do so.
sitting in one of the corners of the patio, drinking. Take The pattern screeched with pleasure, and whirl-winded
the watch to me there, in a pack. I won’t know you yet, about the Dweamer Room. The roaring faded as quickly
but we’ll get around that. You speak my mother’s name— as it began, and the magic simmered down to a calm sur-
Cardinalia—and I’ll trust you enough to listen. No one face on the floor.
alive but myself knows that name. Renetta was gone.
“Then, ask me to take you on as my assistant, and tell Gundmundur hugged the watch to his chest, his laugh-
me this: ‘When the time is right, send me for the watch.’ ing almost hysterical, his joy brightening the pattern as it
Verbatim. Understand?” shared in his pleasure. She was gone! There was no mess
Renetta agreed. “But then, mentor, how do I get on the floor, as there had been with his other assistant!
back?” She was gone! The spell had worked!
The dirt elf laughed aloud, an unpleasant sound to his He allowed his excitement to boil for a moment more
ears but one he hoped to hear more in the future, as he before grasping control of himself once more. He shivered
became someone important, someone with friends. with anticipation. Things were about to change. He was
“That, my assistant, is the wonder of only sending you about to have a real life, with real friends, with real
back a few days. By the time you’ve passed the watch on power. He had achieved the impossible and it would bring
to me, it will be yesterday—Fairday Four. There’s no him everything a shunned dirt elf could ask of life. The
means for me to give you transportation back to today, blotches on his face would be lovingly recreated in the
but you’ll be only a day away. Hang about the Fair for a make-up of women. Perhaps even the Fieldhall of the
day and a night. It’s an hour after midday now. If I send Lord-General would be replaced by a subterranean palace
you back in the next fifteen minutes, you can simply show from which the Lord-General and his court wizard,
up here at my home within a few minutes after you left. Throck Gundmundur, would rule Worldcastle.
I’ll hardly even know you were gone.” He stifled himself. That would never happen. He could
Renetta hefted the pouch of standard gold pieces and not let the Lord-General or any of the hierarchy have
looked doubtful. “I’m trusting you, mentor. I don’t un- access to his spell. Oh, they could know all about the other
derstand all of this, but you sound certain.” spells—any mage could perform those. But time-travel
The dirt elf lowered his eyes. “I have never been more would remain the sole and exclusive property of the paligru
certain.” elf Gundmundur.
“Let’s do what must be done, then.” He took a breath and reviewed his plans. First, unan-
swered questions. Were there any? No, he had solved it
It took Gundmundur less than ten minutes to make all.
certain that all the other components were in readiness. Then he remembered the centaur’s words. “Gare-ah
The living pattern pulsed merrily as Renetta, the pouch Maite,” he had said.
clenched in both hands, stepped into its center. The watch needed to be reset so that Gundmundur
“A good trip to you, assistant,” Gundmundur said could plan his own voyage. He wound the hands carefully
dramatically to the woman. “I’ll see you back here in ten back to their original position (though it didn’t matter
minutes or less.” much where they rested, so long as he could remember
“Four days, if the truth be told, mentor,” Renetta said how many hours he had turned them backward or for-
tensely. ward), and moved to his desk, looking for one book atop it
Gundmundur nodded, and lifted the watch of Dire- in particular.
brand Gordark the Fiendish. When all this was done, “Gare-ah Maite,” he mumbled, opening the tome on
Gundmundur would travel back to the Gap-Closing Wars languages. It was too large to be lifted from the desk.
and chat with the only other man ever to master time “Centaur. Gare-ah Maite. Ah. Meaning ‘woman soldier,
travel. They could compare notes. particularly one associated with the Laram-Soldat. Mear-
“We begin,” the dirt elf whispered, and began to wind ah Maite can also be used, though this applies more to a
the hands of the watch backward. He held-it out over the mercenary or freelance warrior.’”
pattern, so that the magical shape could feel the watch’s He closed the book slowly, his face drawn in horror. She
presence. was Laram-Soldat! She was military!
He wound slowly at first, muttering the words that There was a sound in the other room, in the entrance
would ultimately bring the pattern to a cone of power to hall. “Mentor,” she called, her voice hollow in the under-
propel the woman back through time. As he neared the ground chambers. “I’m here. All is done. All.”

70 DECEMBER 1991
 Gundmundur felt his head swell and his knees threaten not interested in conversation. His slim dagger was al-
to give. He began the chant again, hurrying through the ready drawn, and he moved in with lightning speed. He
words and winding the clock back slowly. Escape. He would have used magic, but it was too flashy for such
wound past the twelfth hour. The magic in the room close quarters. He struck angrily, spending his frustration
jumped and crackled as the pattern awoke, eager to please on her pretty blonde head.
its master. It was over in less time than it had taken for him to
“Mentor.” She was close. Outside the door to the travel back to this time.
Dweamer Room. “I hope I’m able to duplicate your selfless smile as easi-
The door swung gently open as she pressed upon it with ly as I’m able to duplicate your pretty form,” Gundmun-
the tip of her sword, her eyes burning with satisfaction. dur snarled to the dead Lady-Captain as he withdrew his
Behind her stood five red-armored Soldat conscripts, more bloody dagger. In his other hand he held the jade circlet
than willing to kill for their commander, Lady-Captain that would allow him to shape change into Renetta Kas-
Renetta Kasset. She stepped into the room. set; for a time, he would be Renetta Kasset. “My be-
“It’s no good, dirt elf,” she called over his chanting and trayed former self awaits the arrival of you and your
the sparking magical pattern. “You can run, but you can’t Soldat conscripts to complete the time-circle. He requires
hide, not even in time.” you to motivate this time jump, and since you won’t be
Gundmundur did not stop winding. Past the twentieth around to inspire him, my dear assistant, I suppose I’ll
hour now. have to do it myself.”
“We’ll have all of your records,” Renetta called, gestur- Turning, Gundmundur fled Baker’s Row into Feast
ing to the Dweamer Room. “And I had the watch in my Street, bound for a dark hiding place where his precious
possession for over forty-eight hours while waiting to de- watch was stowed, and where he could concentrate on his
liver it to you. I can describe it in great detail to Lord- spells—his shape change, his phantasmal projection that
General Mole and his wizards. They can duplicate it would create illusionary Soldat conscripts for tomorrow.
based on my testimony.” And when it was all over, when the betrayed Gundmun-
Gundmundur stopped winding, staring at his assistant, dur leaped into the past, then Gundmundur the Time
his betrayer. His shatterer of dreams. Wizard could begin to plan for his glorious future.
Renetta smiled the smile of a conqueror. “You lose, dirt
elf. Give up and join us. We’ll be gentle. I promise.”
Gundmundur relaxed for a moment, all his thin elven
muscles collapsing in resignation, and then he plucked the
bloodstone from the watch’s face.
“Tejart!” he screamed loudly, and threw the bloodstone
at his feet.
The magic swirled for many moments, and as Lady-
Captain Renetta Kasset watched, the elven wizard van-
ished within his own spell.
She sighed, stretching with mild frustration. “As he
wishes,” she said. She turned to the Soldat conscripts.
“Gather his notes.”

Fairday Four: She descended the steps leading to the

patio of the Growling Owl Tavern, her burden delivered.
Now all she had to do was be ready tomorrow.
She hated to fool the silly little elf, but after all, this was
in the best interests of the hierarchy. Lord-General Mole
would promote her when she brought the dirt elf in tomor-
row, and even if she had to kill the elf and bring just his
notes, there would still be honor in that. She had served as
first-hand witness to time-travel; she had doubted up until
the last minute, but now she knew. She had even seen
herself once, the other Renetta hovering around the dirt
elf’s home in hopes of picking up his trail.
She slipped into Feast Street, excited by the success of
her mission, and hurried out of sight of the Growling Owl
Tavern. She didn’t want the dirt elf to follow her, the Re-
netta from the future, when Renetta from the past was
waiting to be saved from a vengeful centaur with a hatred
for the military.
She rounded the corner of Feast Street and Baker’s
Row, pleased with her day, when he was there.
“How did you—?” she began, but Gundmundur was

DRAGON 71
 ©1991 by Doug Niles

Three board games—

and three approaches to strategy
One of the most fascinating aspects of Game Company. Each of these products Wham swears in the designer notes, in-
gaming is the opportunity to try various opens up enjoyable possibilities—and spired by the movie Alien). The good ship
approaches to problem solving, experi- involves only the investment of a few Znutar is sailing through space, manned
menting with different ways to achieve a hours for two or more people. by a happy crew, when Awful Green
goal with no real risk except to the play- Things suddenly sprout from a souvenir
er’s ego. Different approaches to game THE AWFUL GREEN THINGS rock brought onto the ship by a Frathm
play, from rash and impetuous to careful FROM OUTER SPACE game (or was that a Redundian?) spacefarer. The
or even ponderous, mark individual styles Steve Jackson Games $19.95 monsters show up as eggs, babies, and a
of play. Choices made during a game—and Components: One “tastefully illustrated” few ravenous adults.
the success of those choices measured in box, 16-page rule book, 151 counters, Game play is fast and easy to learn.
game terms—provide the player with five little green dice, one zip-lock bag, During a turn, the monster (Awful Green
much of the enjoyment of the experience. one 11½” X 21” game board Things) player performs four steps: Grow;
Strategy in this context, is the making of Move, Attack, Wake Up. Next, the crew
those choices. A variety of meaningful This is hardly a new game, having made player can: Grab Weapons, Move, Attack,
choices is the hallmark of any good game, the rounds of the hobby since it appeared Wake Up; then it’s the monster’s turn
though naturally the outcomes of those in DRAGON® Magazine (issue #28) in 1979. again, and so on. The game develops into a
decisions are usually influenced by luck as In the past decade, it has become some- battle for control of the Znutar, with mon-
well as the player’s acuity. thing of a classic. If you haven’t played it sters reproducing, spreading, and devour-
These points apply well to role-playing yet, it’s well worth the effort. The version ing, while the brave crew struggles to beat
games, but they also apply to board published by SJG in 1990 is an amusing back the green tide.
games, which role-players may wish to try package, complete with a short comic strip The growth of the Awful Green Things
as an evening’s change of pace. The three that sets the stage for the invasion of the is fun to see, in addition to being a unique
board games discussed here all reward spaceship Znutar by the Awful Green game mechanic. The monster player can
careful strategy, yet the approach to strat- Things. take any one age group of Awful Green
egy taken by each is dramatically different This game is Tom Wham at his gory best. Things (eggs, babies, or adults) and in-
from the others. All three can be easily From the racial makeup of the “good guys” crease them all by one category (adults,
learned and offer elements that will appeal (the crew of the spaceship Znutar includes naturally, lay eggs). The decision as to
to role-players and board gamers alike. Snudalians, Frathms, Smbalites, and Re- which group of monsters is allowed to
In other respects, the three games could dundians) to the perpetually breeding and grow each turn is an important one. Accu-
hardly be more different. Now in its growing Awful Green Things, the game is mulating eggs, hatching them to babies,
fourth incarnation since 1979 (three of an exercise in whimsy that nonetheless and keeping babies alive to become horrif-
them under TSR, Inc.), the first is a classic provokes a tense and well-balanced battle ic adults is an important strategy that
of the adventure-gaming hobby; the sec- for survival. Throughout, the rules retain develops over the course of many turns.
ond is an obscure title that is slowly gain- a storytelling air that makes for enjoyable Movement is limited, with babies al-
ing notice in the United States; and the reading and wild, unpredictable game lowed to move one space and adults two.
third is a revitalized version of one of the effects. Attacks are simple; the monsters can gang
early war games from The Avalon Hill The premise is simple (but was not, up on individual crew members, or spread
74 DECEMBER 1991
out and go for many victims. Attack dice OUTER SPACE game is a wild and woolly each detective. Movement occurs by play-
for all attacks against a single victim are game that moves quickly and promises to ing a ticket and using the appropriate type
rolled, and pips are counted. If the pip be different each time it is played. Despite of transportation. A player must move
count equals or exceeds the target’s consti- its silliness, it is a game that rewards a every turn. You have to be on a bus or
tution score, the poor Frathm (or what- careful and consistent strategy worked out subway stop to use a bus or subway ticket
ever) dies. Adult monsters are stronger over a period of turns. (you’re always on at least a taxi stop). A
than babies, getting four attack dice to the ticket buys passage in any direction along
babies’ two. “Waking up” is performed by the appropriate route, on to the next stop
Awful Green Things stunned by weapons. SCOTLAND YARD game in that direction of the taxi, bus, or sub-
The crew of the ship rallies in defense of Ravensburger $27 way. The detectives start with a finite
the Znutar, battling the aliens with knives, Components: 125 tickets (bus, taxi, under- supply of tickets; Mr. X can use any type of
communication beamers, pool sticks, fire ground), 20” X 26” game board, rule ticket as often as he desires.
extinguishers, and many other weapons, book, Mr. X movement record (plastic A plastic tray is smoothly designed for
all of which are placed around the ship at frame and pad of paper), Mr. X visor, Mr. X to record his moves and to serve as
the start of the game. The crew members six plastic playing tokens, 18 starting- a record of the (maximum) 24-turn game.
usually move faster than adult monsters, location tiles The Mr. X player writes, on a circlet of
but they are not as good at hand-to-hand paper framed by a plastic hole in the tray,
combat. This 3-6 player game is an interesting the number of the space where he ends
The crew’s only chance to survive comes puzzle of movement and guesswork from his move. He then places one of the appro-
from the use of the various weapons. The a German company, Ravensburger. The priate ticket types (bus, etc.) over the
problem is that no one knows what a game is easy to play and makes an attrac- number.
weapon will do until it is tried on a mon- tive package of components. Turns #3, #8, #13, #18, and #24 are
ster. These effects are determined by One of the players is Mr. X, whose object framed by oval holes. On these turns, after
another nifty game mechanic, one insur- is to avoid capture. The rest are detectives making his move; Mr. X must reveal his
ing that each game will require different for Scotland Yard who are trying to catch position and place his token on the board.
strategies for that playing of the game. Mr. X. Movement occurs by using tickets When he next moves, he removes the
The first time a weapon is used, its effects for taxi, bus, or underground rides. playing piece and goes back to recording
are determined by a blind chit draw. The board is a map of London’s center. his move secretly—though each turn he
Results include killing and stunning mon- Every intersection is a numbered space must still must reveal what mode of trans-
sters, but also can cause Awful Green and is always at least a taxi stop, some- port he uses.
Things to shrink or grow, or even to break times with a bus stop and (more rarely) a ‘Iwo types of special tickets enhance Mr.
into fragments which can themselves subway stop as well, A network of taxi, X’s chances: black tickets and double-turn
grow into babies! The workings of the bus, and underground routes is shown on tickets. Black tickets allow him to move
various weapons are cross-referenced the maze of streets. These are color coded; without revealing the type of transporta-
with the effects, so it’s possible to get an green lines, for example, are bus routes, tion, and are played in the plastic tray in
area effect, like an explosion of rocket and green semicircles mark the bus stops. lieu of a regular ticket. They are also the
fuel, that fills a corridor and turns six Each SCOTLAND YARD player starts only way any player can use the ferry
baby monsters into 6d6 fragments! with 10 taxi tickets, eight bus tickets, and routes shown in black on the Thames—a
The strategies of play vary considerably, four subway tickets. Mr. X starts with one quick and sneaky way for Mr. X to slip
beginning with the many possibilities black ticket for each detective player, and across town when he feels the dragnet
present for the placement of the monsters. two double-turn tickets, both of which closing in. The double-turn tickets are
Battles develop as the crew struggles to allow him special movement powers (ex- returned to the game box when used. A
contain the Awful Green Things, often plained later). Each player randomly double-torn ticket can be played right
through the control of two or three choke draws a starting-location tile. The detec- after Mr. X’s regular move, and it allows
points in the network of ship corridors tive pieces are placed on the board, but him to immediately move again.
and compartments, Weapon after weapon the Mr. X player keeps his own piece’s Mr. X is captured if a detective lands on
is discarded, often amid floors spattered starting position a secret. The Mr. X player his space or if he is forced to move onto a
with growing Awful Green Thing frag- must also don his cardboard visor, which detective’s space (remember, a player must
ments. is surprisingly useful for making sure that move every turn). Otherwise, the game
Dice rolling determines the results of all the other players don’t see where he’s ends when the detectives run out of tick-
combats, but so many dice are rolled that looking on the board. ets, with a victory for Mr. X.
the effects of luck should, theoretically, Mr. X moves first, followed in turn by The strategy for Mr. X involves the
balance out. Of course, we all know how
that goes. Luck also controls the effects of
weapons. Sometimes it takes a while to
find the weapon that is really effective
against the monsters—but, by then, its
source might be cut off by the advancing
Awful Green Things. Rocket fuel, for ex-
ample, can only be found in the fuel pods.
If the monsters control the stern of the
Znutar, that line of defense is unavailable.
The components of the game, unfortu-
nately, don’t live up to the system. The
board is light and flimsy, and the counters
need to be cut out with a scissors. Still, the
SJG version has added rules for movement
and battle outside the Znutar, together
with counters for a bunch of jet suits and
cargo movers that the crew can use for
space combat.
THE AWFUL GREEN THINGS FROM
DRAGON 75
 guessing of his opponent’s upcoming move and attack. However, the types of
moves and a selection of routes and modes movement provide some significant
allowing him to quickly disappear after choices for a player. Units can move far-
each of the turns when his position must ther if they do not attack, so the balance
be revealed. Double-turn and black tickets between advance and battle must be care-
are precious and are generally used when fully maintained.
the detectives are just a space away, gath- The game has an easily resolved but
ering in a threatening circle. Do you take moderately detailed combat system. Each
the ubiquitous taxi, thus only moving a battle involves die rolls by both players.
block (but it could be any block in the The rolls are compared to determine both
game), or do you go farther by bus or a winner and the result suffered by the
subway, thus revealing yourself to be on loser. It is a more interactive system than
one of a significantly smaller group of rolling on a combat table, one that serves
spaces? to keep both players interested. Modifiers
The detectives must cooperate with each for terrain, supply, entrenchments, and
other and use their tickets wisely, pounc- types of attacking and defending units can
ing on Mr. X every time he shows himself. all influence the roll.
Diligent strategy is usually rewarded. It is Sometimes, after a battle, armor units
a very slippery Mr. X indeed who makes it can advance and make an additional attack
to the end of a game! against a retreating unit. This feature adds
This is a diceless game where luck is still a nice, fluid touch to the combat system.
a big factor, but it’s the luck of a guessing As for balance, I found consistent German
game. Mr. X is the most fun to play, and victories in the shorter scenarios and a
because the Mr. X visor rotates from play- better balance in the long game.
er to player after each 30-60 minute game, The Battle Manual booklet is an interest-
everyone gets a chance at him. It’s a game ing addition to the game rules. It includes
that’s worth looking for. a number of optional rules (air units,
weather, movement options, German fuel
BATTLE OF THE BULGE game supplies, and others) that, in general, add
The Avalon Hill Game Company $19 good details to play without a great deal of
Design: S. Craig Taylor, Jr. additional playing time. An assortment of
Components: One 14" X 22” game board, historical reference articles and a good
one rules sheet, two 10-sided dice, 194 bibliography round out the book.
die-cut counters, one Battle Manual, The Battle of the Bulge was the largest
two Order of Appearance Cards battle ever fought by the U.S. Army. It had
the perfect villain: hordes of attacking
This war game has a number of things Nazi SS Panzer divisions. It occurred
to recommend it to the casual gamer. In its among places that even the casual reader
approach to strategy, it offers a very dif- of military history will know: Bastogne, St.
ferent outlook from the two preceding Vith, the Ardennes Forest.
games. This is a great game for someone who
The game system is easily accessible; wants to try a war game for a change of
indeed, the basic rules are included on the pace. However, the optional rules and
front and back of a single sheet of paper! lively game system make for a lot of replay
Objectives are clear for each player. The enjoyment, even for experienced war
German player needs to make ground, and gamers.
the Allies need to slow down the pace of The player strategy in this game remains
the German advance. Both players want to consistent from game to game. Successful
inflict losses on the opponent to the great- tactics of attack and defense, the right
est extent possible. balance between movement and attacking,
The map is attractive, mounted on a and the correct amount of daring and risk
hard board and crossed by enough forests, taking all become apparent in a few play-
rivers, and rough terrain to give a player ings. The course of battle can vary widely
the feel for the dense Ardennes, but in a as attacks, counterattacks, and skillful
readable-enough fashion that strong de- retreats change the shape of the front.
fensive positions become obvious, as do Still, a player must try not to lose sight of
the most promising routes of German his overall plan. The game lends itself well
attack. to replay because the varying levels of
In this game, unlike the two previously success or failure can offer differ radically
discussed, the designer and the player between games.
have a historical model for comparison. The BATTLE OF THE BULGE game is in
We know about the progress made by the The Avalon Hill Game Company’s Ameri-
Germans in the initial stages of the battle can History series, authenticated by the
and about the gradual shift of momentum Smithsonian Institution. It does a good job
that ultimately—and inevitably—doomed of covering its topic in an interesting and
the German offensive to failure. That easily playable fashion.
history, and the fact that the initial setup is
the same every time the game is played, * indicates a product produced by a company other
allow for a great deal of planning, most than TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarks
owned by the companies publishing those products.
especially in the opening series of moves. The use of the name of any product without mention
The sequence of each turn is simple: The of its trademark status should not be construed as a
Germans move and attack, then the Allies challenge to such status.

76 DECEMBER 1991
 by Scott Davis and Steven E. Schend

Castaways I: Rookies of the MARVEL UNIVERSE”

The “castaways” columns may yet be- influence and draw power from all people extend into longer campaign goals of un-
come an annual event for readers of “The within a two-area radius of her body. covering the city official’s illegal activities
MARVEL®Phile,” as we present characters These targets must be willing to support (e.g., the real reason Bandera is after him).
who were written up for MU7 The her on some level and cannot be hostile Perhaps the heroes themselves, whether
Gamer’s Handbook to the MARVEL UN- toward her in any way. With this popular in civilian identities or in costume, get
IVERSE™, 1991 Character Updates, but support, she can perform the following swept up by Bandera’s power and find
who just couldn’t be shoe-horned into that power stunts: themselves fighting alongside her against a
128-page product. These characters were —Rally: She can rally the group she is common evil. As stated before, Bandera is
set adrift in an editorial life boat, and they with to fight alongside her for her cause, highly enthusiastic and doesn’t always pay
just washed up outside our offices at but never simply for her benefit. heed to how much danger she is in; the
DRAGON® Magazine. We hereby introduce —Energy Conversion: Bandera can fire a heroes may find themselves saving La
them to you now that they’ve dried off bolt of energy from her staff, inflicting Bandera from overwhelming foes.
and cleaned themselves up a bit (more force or energy damage equal to the num-
characters will appear in later columns). ber of her supporters (e.g., 26 supporters
Also, MU7 should be in stores now, so = 26 points of damage), to a maximum of
hurry to get your hands on the newest Amazing (50) intensity.
update sheets for your MARVEL SUPER —La Bandera’s supporters treat her as if
HEROES™ game, including some of the she has a Popularity of 100. Of course,
hottest characters of 1990 and 1991 (Ca- popularity doesn’t preclude common
ble, Calypso, the Mutant Liberation Front, sense; if the supporters meet some threat
and the new Ghost Rider) and some of beyond their ability to fight, they will
Marvel’s greatest classic characters (Thor, leave.
Mr. Hyde, all the Spider-Slayers, and Odin).
This month, we have Bandera (from WEAPONS: Bandera wields a staff, both
Wolverine #19-21) and Windshear and as a blunt weapon and as the focus of her
Witchfire (from recent issues of Alpha power blasts. Made of Incredible strength
Flight), all of them fledgling heroes. Their materials, the staff inflicts Good (10) blunt
inexperience makes them unpredictable damage when used as a weapon.
and daring against their foes, but it also
gets them into trouble that might be more TALENTS: Bandera is a Weapons Special-
than they can handle! Will these rookies ist with her staff. Bandera is also an excel-
survive to gain the experience to become lent speaker, able to arouse strong
major heroes of the 21st century? Pick up emotions from her intended audience.
the dice and find out!
ROLE-PLAYING NOTES: Bandera is a
young heroine, prone to exuberance and
LA BANDERA™ the mistakes that come with youth. She is
Real name unrevealed highly dedicated to a cause once commit-
Revolutionary ted to it, and she possesses a strong desire
to accomplish the goals she sets for her-
F EX(20) Health: 80 self. With her determined sense of right
A EX(20) and wrong, this young woman will be
S GD(10) Karma: 36 quite a heroine after gaining some needed
E RM(30) experience.
R Ty (6) Resources: TY (6) In MARVEL SUPER HEROES campaigns,
I GD(10) your heroes might be called in by an un-
P EX(20) Popularity: 20 (see text) scrupulous city official who wants you to
stop this young lady from inciting riots
POWERS: among his dock workers or other employ-
Leadership: La Bandera has the ees. This problem of not knowing who to
Remarkable-rank mutant ability of leader- trust is a standard in comic books, and
ship. She harnesses peoples’ beliefs and works quite well in game situations. Play
unites them in a common cause, while she upon the heroes’ doubts over who is right
gains power from their beliefs. She can and wrong in this case; this can always

DRAGON 79
HISTORY: Bandera’s early history has not has a healing touch) and a reformed vil- WINDSHEAR™
been revealed yet. It is known that her lain, Roughhouse. Again, Bandera split Colin Ashworth Hume
father was a “big deal” in Fidel Castro’s with the group to gather factions of her Alpha Flight operative
revolution in Cuba, but he became disillu- people together to continue the battle
sioned soon after Fidel gained power. He against Caridad. F EX(20) Health 70
fled to Florida, became hooked on drugs, Wolverine and his group were captured A EX(20)
and eventually died a junkie. It can be when Sister Salvation betrayed them to S EX(20) Karma: 22
assumed that Bandera’s vehemence and the forces of Caridad. Her son was still E GD(10)
determination while fighting the corrupt with the army, and to protect him she R GD(10) Resources: EX(20) w/Alpha
ruler of the country of Tierra Verde can turned in her companions. Bandera, with Flight
be traced back to her father’s tragic life. her new allies, attacked the complex in I TY (6)
Bandera began her public super-hero which Wolverine was being held captive. P TY (6) Popularity: 0
career by taking on the powerful villain This time, her revolution succeeded, but it
Tiger Shark in the city of Puerto Verde. forced a creature created by the Deviant POWERS:
With the timely assistance of Wolverine, race, Spore, to reveal itself. It had been “Hard Air” Generation and Control:
Tiger Shark was driven off. Bandera then hiding in the body of Caridad. Wolverine Windshear can manipulate the properties
led a short-lived revolution against Cari- and Bandera fought the Deviant-created of the air molecules around him, giving
dad, the corrupt ruler of Tierra Verde. creature but it was ultimately defeated by him the following powers.
During this attempt, she crossed paths the healing touch of Sister Salvation. —Flight: By propelling “hard” (com-
with Wolverine again. They lost a battle When last seen, Bandera was in meet- pressed) air molecules behind him at a fast
against the villains Geist and Tiger Shark, ings with her rebel partners, trying to iron rate, Windshear can fly up to eight areas
but managed to escape in a helicopter out the new government—a task that she’s per round (Remarkable air speed).
with Sister Salvation (Caridad‘s wife, who not sure she’s capable of. —Explosions: Windshear can compress
large amounts of air within his area, then
forcibly release all of it at once, causing an
explosion of Remarkable (30) force that
affects all targets except Windshear within
the area.
—Force Field: Windshear can erect a
hard-air screen that grants him Amazing
(50) rank protection against physical at-
tacks, and Remarkable (30) protection
against energy attacks. This screen can be
generated only within two areas of Wind-
shear’s position. Windshear can also
change the shape of his air screen to form
simple geometric shapes like cones, cubes,
and globes.

EQUIPMENT:
Battle Armor: Windshear still wears a
suit of battle armor designed for him
while he was a Roxxon “Para-Operative.”
The suit provides Excellent (20) protection
against physical attacks for Windshear
alone.

TALENTS: None known.

ROLE-PLAYING NOTES: Windshear is

an amateur hero and has had some doubts
about his ability to make the grade in the
world of costumed heroes. He often acts
impulsively due to his inexperience. When
he gets nervous or put under stress, his
British accent becomes more apparent.
Windshear is not easily cowed or fright-
ened into inaction, but he is still uncom-
fortable in his role as a hero. He
constantly looks to others for confirmation
that he is doing well at his job, even
though he commits himself fully in his
heroics. He thought he did his work only
for money when he was with Roxxon.
Now, as a member of Alpha Flight, Wind-
shear is realizing that he is a hero, despite
his lack of experience and confidence.
In your campaigns, Windshear might still
be a confused and naive Roxxon operative,
possibly taking orders to hunt down and
80 DECEMBER 1991
capture one of your players’ heroes. An- joined Alpha Flight and fought alongside Spell of Interference: This spell inter-
other option might be for Windshear to the group against Headlok. Despite his feres with another spellcaster at a dis-
turn to other heroes for help, if Roxxon inexperience, Windshear carried himself tance. If successful, it immediately stops
wants his armor back and has deployed the well and was eventually officially named a her opponent’s spell from working. She is
Serpent Society or some other villains to member of the team. able to cast this spell at Remarkable range
return the armor—his body not included. and level.
Alternately, Windshear could appear in
your campaign city on a mission for Alpha WITCHFIRE™ EQUIPMENT:
Flight. He could seek out your heroes for Ananym (last name unknown) Wands: Witchfire has used three differ-
information or assistance, or he could Adventurer ent wands during her short career—a red
accidently walk into the middle of a battle cane, a white wand, and a gnarled, wood-
between your heroes and their arch-foes. F GD(10) Health: 56 en wand. Any information on the wands is
If you have any British heroes, they might A GD(10) pure speculation, as magicians don’t reveal
know or even be related to Windshear. S TY (6) Karma: 76 their secrets easily. These wands may be
E RM(30) the source of her powers, or they may
HISTORY: Alpha Flight’s newest, member, R TY (6) Resources: GD(10) as mem- augment existing magical powers.
Windshear, was born in Canada. His moth- ber of Beta Flight
er is black, and his father is a white career I RM(30) TALENTS: None known.
diplomat from England. When Colin was P IN(40) Popularity: 5
young, his family moved from Toronto to ROLE-PLAYING NOTES: Witchfire is
England against the wishes of his mother’s POWERS: just a novice adventurer, but that hasn’t
father. Nature Magic: Witchfire is a wielder of stopped her from letting people know her
Colin was first seen in action when Nature Magic, a form of magic attuned to opinions. She is a forthright character
Roxxon’s Denver facility borrowed Wind- the order of the natural world. A key to
shear from the Super Human Division, this magic is the belief that all of nature is
U.K. Branch of Roxxon to help against a part of a whole, so that everything has a
mechanical growth in the lower levels of tangential relationship to everything else.
the site. Box and Diamond Lil of Alpha (For more information on this and other
Flight were also called in to combat the forms of magic, see MHAC9 Realms of
ever-growing machine, which had hooked Magic.)
into all electronic networks and had taken Witchfire is young and still learning her
control of all the systems in the building, full powers, and she currently uses magic
including security. The security weaponry at the Disciple level. Limitations are usu-
pulled Madison “Box” Jeffries out of his ally associated with Nature Magic, but
armor, though Madison did discover that Witchfire hasn’t exhibited any of these yet.
there was a man in the middle of the Her use of wands as a focus for her spells
security machine. might be a necessity rather than a choice.
Forge of the X-Men was also called in, When Witchfire casts spells, magical fire
given his intuitive knowledge and skill dances around her body, a unique mani-
with electronics, but the site blew up as festation of her magical potential.
Forge arrived to aid them. The explosion The following are the powers that
was a result of Roxxon trying to “unplug“ Witchfire has exhibited so far, though she
the machine by cutting off all power to the probably can use spells other than these.
facility. Unless stated otherwise, Witchfire’s spells
With Forge aiding Box, the heroes (and their effects) are cast at Remarkable
tapped into the machine and found that rank.
the man at the center of it all, the one was
causing all the mayhem, was James Mc- Personal Energy:
Donald Hudson—also known as Guardian Flight: Witchfire can fly at up to eight
or Vindicator, the former leader of Alpha areas per round (Remarkable-rank air
Flight. Box phased into the mechanical speed)
portion of Hudson and brought out his Sensing Evil: Witchfire can sense evil up
human consciousness by focusing on to a Remarkable range (eight areas). This
Heather, Hudson’s wife. is not automatic, as is usual with this spell;
At the beginning of his first chronicled she has to concentrate for this power to
adventure, Windshear worked solely for work.
money. During this time, he met and
Universal Energy:
worked with Forge and other heroes who
Eldritch Bolt: She can cast a bolt of mys-
did these dangerous things because they
tical energy that causes Excellent force or
need to be done. Windshear thus began
thinking seriously about his motivations energy damage.
and how he was using his powers. When Miscellaneous Spells:
he found out that an explosion that killed Spell of Attunement: This spell causes
many civilians was caused by a Roxxon materials within one area to adhere to
employee, Samuel Higgins, Windshear quit other materials of similar composition.
Roxxon and flew to Canada with Hudson, The spell affects inorganic materials only.
Diamond Lil, and Box. Higgins vowed to For example, when a part of a skyscraper
himself that Windshear’s armor would under construction fell, Witchfire cast this
somehow be recovered by Roxxon. spell and the falling metal sought other
Consequently, Windshear unofficially metal, thus adhering to the building.
DRAGON 81
with a strong will. warned by the Canadian government not Wolverine after a long and bloody chase.
In your campaigns, Witchfire might seek to use their powers in public, but Vindica- Gamma Flight stuck together, though, and
out any magic-users to learn more magic. tor and Diamond Lil were forced to battle broke Wild Child out of a maximum-
Alternatively, she could seek the aid of the Nekra and the Scorpion in Winnipeg, in security cell. Wolverine tracked the mem-
heroes to help her regain her wands from order to combat the plans of Llan, the bers of Gamma Flight to a factory, where
the Sorcerer or some other magical or Sorcerer. Gamma Flight was duty-bound to he and Vindicator beat the whole team. At
Alpha Flight foe (perhaps one who has stop them, but first the villains had to be the end of the fight, the heroes Auric and
encountered your players’ heroes in the stopped. Witchfire used a spell to cut Silver left, heading for their homeland,
past). Witchfire could also investigate any Llan’s controlling strings to the villains. China; Nemesis and Wild Child were either
magic-wielding hero, gathering informa- Gamma Flight then arrested those mem- disintegrated or teleported in a flash of
tion for Department H, since she and bers of Alpha Flight who were present, light; and Witchfire asked to join Alpha
Shaman are consultants for the Supernatu- and the latter went along peacefully. How- Flight as a trainee.
ral Sciences Division there. ever, the members of Alpha Flight who At this time, Witchfire started using a
were captured quickly escaped jail to short, white wand with which to focus her
HISTORY: Witchfire first appeared as a continue the fight against Llan. Gamma magic. Most recently, she wields a gnarled
member of Gamma Flight when they were Flight found out and went after Alpha. wooden wand in battle. It’s unknown
called in by the military to investigate a After a short battle, Talisman sent a men- whether these items focus her magic or
killing spree in a neighborhood of Montre- tal picture of Llan’s amassing army to whether they are actually a source of
al. Gamma Flight had been appointed anyone near Alpha Flight. This convinced some of her magical might. Witchfire
Canada’s official superteam, since the the Gamma Flight members that the Al- shared one adventure with Alpha Flight,
government was having a difficult time phans weren’t the real enemy, so the two the battle against Headlok, before being
controlling Alpha Flight. An evil demon, teams joined together to defeat Llan. assigned primarily to Beta Flight for fur-
sent by the Sorcerer, was beaten back by In the wake of defeating Llan, the Cana- ther training. She has also been assigned
the combined group of Alphans and dian government both rescinded the ban to Gamma Flight as an advisor on super-
Gammas. During this battle, Witchfire that it had placed on Alpha Flight and natural sciences.
used a red cane as a focus of her magic recommended that the current version of
and first exhibited the mystical fire that Gamma Flight be disbanded. Wild Child The MARVEL-Phile’s Marvel characters and the distinctive
names and likenesses thereof are trademarks of Marvel
surrounds her when she uses her magic, went berserk, thinking that disbanding Entertainment Group, Inc. and are used with permission.
hence her “professional” name. Gamma would result in throwing the Copyright ©1991 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All Rights
Reserved.
When Alpha Flight and Gamma Flight members back onto the street, but she
next met, they were at odds with each was later captured by Vindicator and
other. Alpha Flight’s heroes had been
DRAGON 83
 Playing in the
The evolution
by Gregory W. Detwiler
revolution: survive it, if you’re fit!
There are two standard scenarios for SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
This article details the Paleozoic era, the Paleozoic adventuring: a time-travel adven- SPECIAL DEFENSES: Camouflage
most neglected of the three prehistoric ture or the exploration of a “lost world.“ SIZE: M (5’ long)
eras in popular study, fiction, and AD&D® The PCs could be lost, seeking a specific MORALE: Unsteady (7)
games. Only a handful of its denizens are item or being, exploring on their own, or XP VALUE: 120
well known: the fin-back pelycosaurs in the employ of a sage seeking informa-
Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus, the trilo- tion or a ruler planning to expand his The opabinia is a bizarre creature that
bites, the giant dragonflies and cockroach- territories. Clever PCs might use the body as far as we know first appeared in the
es, the 30’ armored fish Dinichthys, the parts of Paleozoic animals as treasure Cambrian period, 600-500 million years
mammal-like reptiles like Cynognathus, (imagine using the ink of primitive nauti- ago. In a fantasy world, it might be a dis-
and the giant amphibian Eryops. Not for loids as scroll ink, or one of their tentacles tant relative of the gulguthra clan (otyugh
this era do we have the vast profusion of for Evard’s black tentacles). In any event, and neo-otyugh). In appearance, it has a
glamorous dinosaurs such as the Mesozoic the adventure will be dull without a sup- long body composed of segmented ridges
era has, nor even the large and weird porting cast—hence, the new monsters in with lateral flaps protruding, enabling the
mammals and flightless birds of the Ceno- the next section. thing to crawl on the floor of the shallow
zoic era (to say nothing of primitive man). sea. In front, it has five eyes mounted on
However, the Paleozoic is fascinating in its The monsters short stalks and a single long, tentacle-like
own right and has many creatures that The monster listings are for those Paleo- arm. This arm ends in a crablike claw or
can make an adventure very interesting. zoic animals that have not been mentioned pincer that is used by the opabinia to
The relative dearth of powerful mon- before, either in the various hardcover catch prey. Since it could not move swiftly,
sters in the Paleozoic makes this an ideal books or in Stephen Inniss’s article on it was probably a passive hunter, camou-
time period for introducing new, low-level Mesozoic life in DRAGON® #112 (“Dino- flaged in the color of the sea bottom and
player characters to exotic worlds and saurs”). Unless otherwise noted, all the lying in wait for prey to approach.
lands. Paleozoic terrain is quite different creatures listed in this article conform to Striking first from ambush, the fictional
from its modern counterpart, thereby the following statistics: giant opabinia is a threat to low-level ad-
conveying the glamor of foreign lands ACTIVITY CYCLE: Day venturers; it can pull a wading man off his
while not subjecting relatively weak new ORGANIZATION: Solitary feet and hold him under until he drowns
PCs to powerful beasts. Indeed, unless the INTELLIGENCE: Animal (roll a strength check on 1d20 each round
PCs engage in underwater adventure, a TREASURE: Nil to escape). The creature’s arm is fairly
party could do quite well in a Paleozoic ALIGNMENT! Neutral flexible, and in murky water it will be
adventure without any magical weapons MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil difficult to pinpoint the attacker’s location.
or items at all. Of course, in an age before The categories of “Combat,” “Habitat/
any intelligent life, there’s virtually no Society,” and “Ecology” have been dropped,
chance of finding any magical items or as the creature descriptions are fairly Agnath, electric
even “mundane” treasure: coins, gems, short.
jewelry, silks, etc. Thus, DMs can give the Most of these creatures are real, but a CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Shallow ocean
PCs some fancy thrills early in the cam- few are partially of my own invention and bottoms
paign without the slightest risk of disrupt- are noted as such, in particular the giant FREQUENCY: Common
ing game balance. If a powerful party opabinia and some enlarged therapsids. DIET: Omnivore
wishes to go this far back in time (up to Erythrosuchus really belongs in the Trias- NO. APPEARING: 1d4
600 million years in our worlds history), sic, but its kind may have first appeared in ARMOR CLASS: 5
you will have to use fantasy monsters to the Permian and it has not yet been cov- MOVEMENT! 4
beef up the opposition. ered in the game, so it’s here for good HIT DICE: 1/2 (1d4 hp)
Because of the relative weakness and measure. Although the Paleozoic is mainly THAC0: 20
scarcity of many monsters, a Paleozoic for low-level adventurers (assuming no NO. OF ATTACKS: None
campaign can be used for adventures even fantasy monster additions), we ought to DAMAGE/ATTACK: None
by lst- to 3rd-level PCs. Some of the mon- have at least a few big creatures to supple- SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
sters listed later are too powerful for such ment Dinichthys and Dimetrodon. SPECIAL DEFENSES: Electrical discharge
a party in a stand-up fight, but the PCs SIZE: S (1’ long)
might still be able to beat them if the PCs MORALE: Unreliable (3)
use their wits. With ordinary animals as Opabinia, giant XP VALUE: 15
the monsters, of course, there’s no fear of
the foe pulling out an unnatural or magi- CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Shallow sea floor Agnaths are the first fish of any type to
cal tactic at the last moment to spoil a FREQUENCY: Rare appear in the oceans of the world. These
clever PC trick. Most of the monsters are DIET: Carnivore creatures are small bottom dwellers, slow-
more the PCs’ speed, so you can arrange NO. APPEARING: 1d4 ly gliding over the sea bed while grubbing
encounters with a clear conscience. Take ARMOR CLASS: 8 up whatever organic matter they can find
out one of the old beginners’ dungeon MOVEMENT: 2 in the mud. They have no regular jaws or
modules, leave it where the players can HIT DICE: 3 biting teeth, relying solely on a passive
see (and draw false conclusions from) it, THAC0: 17 defense. All agnaths, even those without
put a time warp in the dungeon near the NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 special powers, have heavy armor for
entrance, and get ready for the fun. DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d6 protection.

84 DECEMBER 1991
Paleozoic
Artwork by Thomas Baxa
Armored predatory fish

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Oceans
FREQUENCY: Common
DIET: Carnivore
ORGANIZATION: School
NO. APPEARING: 5d10
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT! 8
HIT DICE: l/2 (1d4 hp)
THAC0: 20
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2
SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
SPECIAL DEFENSES: None
SIZE: S (1’ long)
MORALE: Unsteady (5)
XP VALUE: 7

This category covers all the small preda-

tory fish that appeared during the Devoni-
an period (405-345 million years ago).
These creatures are assumed to have
hunted larger prey in schools and may
have “ganged up” on the eurypterids be-
fore larger predatory fish drove them into
extinction. Their bite does little damage,
hence the large number of fish attacking.
They do not swim as well as their modern
counterparts, but their armor class is
considerably better due to their heavy
bone armor.
Characters only partially armored had
best be careful when fighting these things.
Although these fish are not intelligent,
millions of years spent getting at eurypte-
rids and other armored foes have caused
them to evolve very thorough attack plans
Electric agnath designed for finding every weak spot in an
opponent’s armor. Several dozen fish may
attack a lone victim at once, biting every
Some agnaths in fantasy universes have SPECIAL DEFENSES: None where to find the weak spots (use a lower
developed a special defense mechanism. If SIZE: M (6’ long) armor class for the victim if part of his
an enemy grabs (or in the case of adven- MORALE: Steady (11) body is unarmored), and you may be sure
turers, steps on) the fish, it generates an XP VALUE: 65 that leather belts, pouches, pack straps,
electrical shock. This should be considera- The eurypterids (the above statistics are etc. will be severed. Even for high-level
ble, as it was meant to be used against the for the best-known one, Pterygotus) were adventures, these fish are useful in nui-
man-sized eurypterids described next. The the supreme marine predators of the sance encounters.
electrical jolt does 1-4 hp damage in a 5’ Silurian period (425-405 million years ago).
radius underwater, double that if the They are also the first natural predators in
target (presumably human or humanoid) is time that would actively go after human Eogyrinus
clad in metal armor. The agnath will not adventurers if they encountered them, as
actively seek combat, but the existence of opposed to merely ambushing them or CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Swamps, marshes
this creature should at least make charac- striking out in self defense. FREQUENCY: Uncommon
ters watch where they put their hands Water scorpions attack with their DIET: Carnivore
and feet when in murky water. clawed forearms, each of which does 2-8 NO. APPEARING: 2d6
hp damage (they have no poisonous tail ARMOR CLASS: 8
stinger). Like the giant opabinia, a eurypte- MOVEMENT: 2, Sw 6
Eurypterid (water scorpion) rid in shallow water might drag a wading HIT DICE: 4
man down and hold him under until he THAC0: 17
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Ocean bottoms drowns; a strength check on 3d6 is al- NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
FREQUENCY: Uncommon lowed for escape each round. Remember DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d4
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any that these creatures naturally breathe SPECIAL ATTACKS: Surprise bonus
DIET: Carnivore water, while a man will have to come up SPECIAL DEFENSES: None
NO. APPEARING: 1-2 for air sometime (a potion of water breath- SIZE: L (15’ long)
ARMOR CLASS: 3 ing won’t last forever, even assuming the MORALE: Steady (11)
MOVEMENT: 6 victim drank it right before going under). XP VALUE: 120
HIT DICE: 3 They can also detect prey within 60’
THAC0: 17 through sensing the water vibrations or Eogyrinus is typical of the largest am-
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 moving animals, and can thus hunt in phibian predators of the Carboniferous
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d4/2d4 murky water or at night with only a -2 to period (345-280 million years ago), a time
SPECIAL ATTACKS: None hit, giving them a further advantage. of tremendous forestation on the swampy

DRAGON 85
 Cacops

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Swamps, rivers

FREQUENCY: Common
DIET: Carnivore
NO. APPEARING: 2d4
ARMOR CLASS: 7/3 (back)
MOVEMENT: 4, SW 6
HIT DICE: 2
THAC0: 19
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
SPECIAL DEFENSES: None
SIZE: S (3’long)
MORALE: Steady (11)
XP VALUE: 35

Cacops is another amphibian of the

Eogyrinus Permian period that spent more time than
usual out on land. It is best known for its
heavily armored backbone; this gives its
back a better armor class than the rest of
land. A swamp dweller, this monster’s Cyclotosaurus its body (since it is so small, attacking
length is due to the long, slender shape of characters will hack down at it). Its mouth
its body, with short legs and a crocodile- CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Swamps, marshes, is full of sharp teeth.
like skull. It will attack anything that steps rivers
in front of it (lying in ambush is its prefer- FREQUENCY: Common
red hunting technique). In swampy ter- DIET: Carnivore Platyhystrix, giant
rain, give it a + 1 bonus to surprise NO. APPEARING: 3d8
opponents because of its skill at hiding. ARMOR CLASS: 8 CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Swamps, rivers
MOVEMENT: 2, SW 10 FREQUENCY: Uncommon
HIT DICE: 5 DIET: Carnivore
THAC0: 15 NO. APPEARING: 1-2
Eryops NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 ARMOR CLASS: 3/7 (belly)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d12 MOVEMENT! 2, SW 6
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Swamps, marshes SPECIAL ATTACKS: + 1 to surprise foes in HIT DICE: 4
FREQUENCY: Common swampy terrain THAC0: 17
DIET: Carnivore SPECIAL DEFENSES: None NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
NO. APPEARING: 2d8 SIZE: L (14’ long) DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d8
ARMOR CLASS: 7 MORALE: Steady (11) SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
MOVEMENT: 2, SW 2 XP VALUE: 175 SPECIAL DEFENSES: None
HIT DICE: 4 SIZE: L (10’ long)
THAC0: 17 Cyclotosaurus is something of a succes- MORALE: Elite (13)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 sor to Eogyrinus in the “amphibian- XP VALUE: 120
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10 crocodile” line. Possibly appearing in the
SPECIAL ATTACKS: None mid-to-late Permian period, it is found Platyhystrix is a relative and contempo-
SPECIAL DEFENSES: None most often in the Triassic period in the rary of Cacops in the Permian period. The
SIZE: M (5’long) Mesozoic era. Unlike the eel-like Eogy- original version was only 3’ long, but it’s
MORALE: Steady (11) rinus, Cyclotosaurus is built like a conven- so weird that I’ve included a giant version
XP VALUE: 120 tional crocodile with about the same body for AD&D game play. The creature looks
proportions. Only the lack of scales on its like an amphibian version of Dimetrodon,
Eryops is the most famous of the large smooth skin betrays its real ancestry, and having the same sail-like fin on its back.
amphibians of the early Permian period a character caught in its jaws might not This fin is a further development of the
(280-230 million years ago). It spent a bit appreciate such subtleties. back armor of Cacops, and the ribs of
more time out on dry land than its fellows Cyclotosaurus hunts in the same manner Platyhystrix have also broadened out to
did, and it adapted to meet the challenge, as a crocodile, lurking near riverbanks protect the creature, so it is AC 3 when
as is reflected in its slightly better armor and ambushing anything that comes by to attacked from both flanks as well as on
class. It is thick bodied, weighing at least drink. Its great jaws do enough damage to the back. A vicious predator, it can be
as much as Eogyrinus although it is only a kill the toughest 1st-level character with a found on land far more often than any
third as long. Its mouth is large and heavi- single snap. The creature’s durability is other amphibian, even Eryops. If your
ly studded with teeth. In areas where the testimony to its efficient hunting methods; players haven’t heard of Platyhystrix, they
reptiles haven’t totally taken over yet, it did not become extinct until real reptil- might mistake it for a Dimetrodon at a
Eryops will be one of the most-common ian crocodiles evolved from a branch of distance and waste an arrow of reptile
predators. the archosaurs. slaying on it.

86 DECEMBER 1991
Estemennosuchus DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d4 (bite), or 1d4 HIT DICE: 8 + 8
(butting) THAC0: 13
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Forests SPECIAL ATTACKS: None NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
FREQUENCY: Common SPECIAL DEFENSES: None (some have DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3d6/1d4/1d4
DIET: Herbivore poison) SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
ORGANIZATION: Herd SIZE: S to L (up to 10’ long) SPECIAL DEFENSES: None
NO. APPEARING: 5d10 MORALE: Unsteady (7) SIZE: L (10-12’ long)
ARMOR CLASS: 4 XP VALUE: 120 (270 for poisonous ones) MORALE: Elite (13)
MOVEMENT: 6 XP VALUE: 975
HIT DICE: 4 These are the mammal-like reptiles of
THAC0: 17 the Permian period, somewhat different This creature didn’t really exist, but I
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 from the cynodont and dicynodont that thought we ought to have a couple really
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d6 (head butt) or 2d4 appeared in the Mesozoic era (described in big natural animals in the Paleozoic even if
(bite) “Dinosaurs,” DRAGON issue #112). These this one would be more at home in the
SPECIAL ATTACKS: None early therapsids are a varied group: an- early Triassic period. Think of this fellow
SPECIAL DEFENSES: None teosaurs, titanosuchians, gorgonopsians, as the culmination of therapsid develop
SIZE: L (10’ long, weighs 1 ton) and therocephalians. All members of this ment: a giant cynodont with fangs and
MORALE: Average (10) catchall group have some things in com- clawed feet. Such a creature would still be
XP VALUE: 175 mon. They are still more reptilian than driven into extinction by the dinosaurs,
mammalian, meaning they are slower and either by “wolf packs” of coelurosaurs or
Estemennosuchus is one of the Dinoce- less efficient than later models. They also by more efficient stalking Teratosauruses.
phalia, or “horrible-headed” mammal-like have tough reptilian hides instead of the Another competitor is the last creature in
reptiles. These creatures of the Permian softer skin of mammals; hence their supe- this collection.
period are herbivorous, but sport large rior armor class. They may have been
fangs and a prominent bony boss or out- intelligent enough to hunt in packs; no one
growth on their heads (hence the name) knows for sure. Erythrosuchus
for protection. They travel in sizable herds Two of these therapsids are equipped
and may cooperate in the common de- with special attack forms. Anteosaurs have CLIMATE/TERRAIN: swamps, rivers
fense in case of attack. The males will prominent bony eyebrows, giving them a FREQUENCY: Rare
range themselves around the rest of the butting attack for 1-4 hp damage that was DIET: Carnivore
herd; as they each weigh a ton, it will be used for social combat. The gorgonopsians NO. APPEARING: 1-2
hard for any ground creature to get past may have been equipped with a poisonous ARMOR CLASS: 4
them. They fight either with head butts or bite (save at +2; the first land-vertebrate MOVEMENT: 15
their great fangs. poison shouldn’t be all that strong). From HIT DICE: 10
the outside, these therapsids mostly look THAC0: 11
alike. They fill up all predator roles where NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
Therapsids, early they are dominant, being as varied as DAMAGE/ATTACK: 7d4
lions, tigers, and bears today. SPECIAL ATTACKS: None
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Forests SPECIAL DEFENSES: None
FREQUENCY: Common SIZE: L (15’-20’long, 1,000 lbs.)
DIET: Carnivore Therapsid, giant MORALE: Elite (14)
ORGANIZATION: Hunting pack XP VALUE: 2,000
NO. APPEARING: 2d4 CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Forests
ARMOR CLASS: 4 FREQUENCY: Uncommon Erythrosuchus, the “red crocodile” (so-
MOVEMENT: 10 DIET: Carnivore called because the rock formation in
HIT DICE: 4 NO. APPEARING: 1-2 which it was found had stained its bones
THAC0: 17 ARMOR CLASS: 7 red) is the largest of the predatory theco-
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 MOVEMENT: 14 donts that stayed on all fours. The crea-
ture’s skull alone was at least 3’ long!
Early therapsid (Dicynodon) Given its great size and weight, I felt justi-
fied in giving it a really nasty bite. Until
the dinosaurs get properly established,
Erythrosuchus and its kin are the kings of
beasts.

The campaign setting

A generic campaign setting of a Paleozoic
world would have all terrain features possi-
ble, though mountains, hills, and deserts
appeared only during the last period (the
Permian) in real life. The climate in general
would be very dry, with few open sources of
fresh water such as rivers and streams. Any
characters who try to quench their thirst at
a lake will be in for a nasty shock the first
great lakes were created from pockets of sea
water left behind as the oceans retreated
from the drying climate. Since mountains
and hills are so new, no specialized life
forms will be living among them. If uplands
are near the coast or a body of water,
 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3
Paleozoic Water Encounters Paleozoic Swamp Encounters Paleozoic Forest Encounters

1d20 Encounter 1d24 * Encounter 1d30* Encounter

1 Portuguese man o'war 1 Bloodworm 1 Dimetrodon
2 Urchin (roll for type encoun- 2 Muckdweller 2 Cacops
tered) 3 Giant aquatic slug 3 Eryops
3 Giant leech 4 Eogyrinus 4 Giant Platyhystrix
4 Muckdweller 5 Violet fungi 5 Herbivorous reptiles (pa-
5 Giant aquatic slug 6 Eryops reiasaurs or rhynchosaurs)
6 Mottled worm 7 Dimetrodon 6 Early therapsids
7 Dinichthys 8 Cacops 7 Estemennosuchus
8 Armored predatory fish 9 Cyclotosaurus 8 Large spider
9 Shark 10 Giant Platyhystrix 9 Huge spider
10 Giant octopus (really eight- 11 Otyugh (60%) or neo-otyugh 10 Giant spider
armed nautiloid, AC 3 for (40%) 11 Large pedipalp
body, AC 10 for arms) 12 Giant leech 12 Huge pedipalp
11 Giant squid (really ten-armed 13 Pudding, brown 13 Giant pedipalp
nautiloid, AC 3 for body, AC 14 Crystal ooze 14 Miner
10 for arms) 15 Slime, olive 15 Pudding, black
12 Kraken (really intelligent 16 Will-o-(the)-wisp 16 Beetle, rhinoceros
nautiloid, AC 3 for body, AC 17 Mottled worm 17 Beetle, giant stag
10 for arms) 18 Vodyanoi 18 Beetle, death watch
13 Giant lamprey 19 Shrieker 19 Beetle, giant slicer
14 Giant gar 20 Shambling mound 20 Vegepygmy
15 Giant pike 21 Kelpie (no charm ability, but 21 Huge centipede
16 Giant water spider can change shape) 22 Giant centipede
17 Giant opabinia 22 Giant water spider 23 Stegocentipede
18 Agnath 23 Armored predatory fish 24 Giant dragonfly
19 Eurypterid 24 Land lamprey 25 Violet fungi
20 Strangle weed 26 Purple worm
* Roll 1d12 and 1d6. On a score of 1-3 27 Bloodthorn
treat them as forested terrain in the en- on 1d6, use the 1d12 roll as is; on a 28 Cynodont (optional)
counter tables; if not, they are mostly score of 4-6 on 1d6, add 12 to the 1d12 29 Giant therapsid (optional)
lifeless and barren and should be treated roll. 30 Erythrosuchus (optional)
as desert terrain.
Trees will be cycads and primitive coni- other environment save the swamps. * If a 1d30 die is not available, roll 1d10
fers (predecessors to today’s evergreens), The four encounter tables given here and 1d6. On a roll of 1-2 on 1d6, use
with a large number of giant ferns and are for a generic Paleozoic setting in the 1d10 roll as is; on a roll of 3-4 on
horsetails supplementing them. Smaller which historical accuracy has been sacri- 1d6, add 10 to the 1d10 roll; on a roll of
versions of these latter plants will take the ficed for playability. -Creatures from all 5-6 on 1d6, add 20 to the 1d10 roll.
place of bushes; no grass is present. In the Paleozoic periods are present, as well as
animal line, all arthropods are present, those regular AD&D game monsters I
and many insects (beetles, grasshoppers, thought were suitable additions. If you’re
crickets, bugs, dragonflies, cockroaches, running this adventure for low-level PCs, Table 4
etc.). There are many small lizards and feel free to ignore the high-level AD&D Paleozoic Desert Encounters
turtles about, as well as small mammal-like game monsters such as the otyugh, neo-
reptiles and salamander-like amphibians otyugh, and shambling mound. 1d20 Encounter
(frogs and toads haven’t appeared yet). The Paleozoic era is greatly underrated 1 Dimetrodon
The seas will be full of the full spectrum in prehistoric-world articles and stories 2 Early therapsids
of invertebrate marine life, as well as for the public. Lacking dinosaurs and cave 3 Estemennosuchus
seaweed and a great variety of primitive men as it does, it still has a wealth of bi- 4 Scorpion, large
fish. PCs hunting for natural spell compo- zarre creatures that can frighten and 5 Scorpion, huge
nents will find the going difficult (druids delight readers and adventurers alike. 6 Scorpion, giant
take note: no mistletoe is in existence yet). Give it a try; you won’t regret it. 7 Solifugid, large
Aesthetic characters may feel oppressed; 8 Solifugid, huge
there are no flowers to provide color, Bibliography 9 Solifugid, giant
merely endless rich green. Most general prehistoric-life books have 10 Pudding, dun
In general, when planning creature decent, if not overly detailed, accounts of 11 Sandling
encounters, the DM should note that the life in the Paleozoic. Most of the spectacu- 12 Herbivorous reptiles (pa-
fish are in the water, the amphibians are lar animals of this time period live in the reiasaurs or rhynchosaurs)
in the swamps, and the regular and Permian. The best book on the evolution 13 Dustdigger
mammal-like reptiles are on dry land, of mammals is John C. McLoughlin’s Syn- 14 Purple worm
though there is some interpenetration of apsida, which concentrates on the various 15 Whipweed
these habitats. On dry land, the reptiles mammal-like reptiles of the Permian and 16 Witherweed
should be most numerous in the desert Lower Triassic. Chapter 20 of Robert T. 17 Pernicon
and other open areas where there is little Bakker’s book, The Dinosaur Heresies also 18 Cynodont (optional)
water and plenty of sunlight. In shaded covers the rise and fall of the mammal-like 19 Giant therapsid (optional)
forests, where water is more abundant, reptiles. Synapsida alone will give you all 20 Erythrosuchus (optional)
the mammal-like reptiles should hold the information on mammal-like reptiles a
sway, with more amphibians than in any DM could desire.
90 DECEMBER 1991
92 DECEMBER 1991
 by Skip Williams
If you have any questions on the games accumulate a few of them can quickly the spell-user can see normally, perhaps
produced by TSR, Inc., “Sage Advice” will become psionic juggernauts. through “gaps” in whatever effect the spell
answer them. In the United States and uses to conceal the user, which might
Canada, write to: Sage Advice, DRAGON® A hasted spell-caster cannot cast explain why the user can occasionally be
Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI two spells each round because haste detected by creatures with superior per-
53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Sage cannot speed up magic, but can a ception (see spell description).
Advice, DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 hasted psionicist or possessor of a
Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge wild psionic talent use psionics Can creatures viewing a mirror
CB1 3LB, United Kingdom. We are no twice each round? After all psionics image spell disbelieve the effect? If
longer able to make personal replies; aren’t magic. they can, it seems to me that it’s a
please send no SASEs with your questions Both magical and psionic power “flows” lousy spell; on the other hand, it’s
(SASEs are being returned with writers’ through and around characters at fixed an illusion. Can an invisibility spell
guidelines for the magazine). rates. A hasted psionicist or wild talent be disbelieved?
Join the sage as he takes a quick look at wielder cannot use psionic powers any Far too many players and DMs try to
psionics in the AD&D® 2nd Edition game, faster than can a character who is not overextend certain character abilities and
considers some hard facts about illusions, hasted. game rules. For example, take the fellow
and splits a few magical hairs. in issue #175 who wondered if druids
If the second-level wizard spell were immune to all enchantment/charm
invisibility uses light to create an spells. Not all illusion/phantasm spells can
Will an anti-magic shell stop psi- illusion that makes the user invisi- be disbelieved; mirror image and invisibili-
onic powers or attacks? Why? ble (“Sage Advice,” issue # 168), does ty are just two examples.
According to page 110 of The Complete the spell work at night? How can The rules for disbelieving illusions in the
Psionics Handbook, an anti-magic shell has the user see? Will infravision detect PHB, (pages 82-84 and 130) apply only to
no effect at all on psionics. The game logic the user? those illusion/phantasms in which the
behind this rule is that magic—which The invisibility spell actually makes the caster creates an image with details sup-
includes such special attacks such as user invisible—that is, impervious to visual plied from his own mind. Spells that have
breath and gaze weapons—and psionics detection. The effect is classed as an illu- fixed effects, such as invisibility, mirror
are two different things. In terms of game sion because the viewer’s perception of image, hypnotic pattern, phantasmal killer,
balance, it is desirable to draw a firm line the spell-user is changed. The spell works et al. are not illusions in the sense of the
between magic use and psionics use. Psi- in any light condition, though it’s usually term used in those rules. If you’re feeling
onics, the reasoning goes, is a type of redundant in total darkness. The spell obstinate on this point, consider single-
power completely different from magic in defeats most types of vision, including purpose illusion/phantasms (such as invisi-
all its various forms. infravision, as the spell description plainly bility) to fall into the “automatic belief”
However, my colleagues at TSR, Inc. states (Player’s Handbook, page 142). Ex- category.
have made it clear to me that all the rules actly how the user is rendered invisible is There are many cases where illusion/
in the various handbooks are optional. left up to the DM. In any case, however, phantasm spells don’t use the standard
Considering that anti-magic shells can stop
things like gaze attacks, sonic attacks, and
breath weapons—all of which ignore mag-
ic resistance—I don’t think you’d be
stretching things too far if you assumed
the field created by an anti-magic shell
stopped all preternatural effects of non-
divine, nonartifact origin. Both magic and
psionics involve the transfer and manipu-
lation of some kind of power, and an anti-
magic shell can be assumed to prevent the
passage of such power.
Nevertheless, I suggest you tread care-
fully when mixing magic and psionics.
Psionic powers are potent and must be
adjudicated carefully even if you follow all
the rules scrupulously. For example, if you
blur the line between magic and psionics
by introducing magical items that augment
or bestow psionic powers, characters who
DRAGON 93
disbelief rules. Phantasmal killer, for exam- would keep its ability to sever necks. Very should shorten the time to create the
ple, requires victims to use an intelligence intelligent magical weapons changed into wand of magic missiles in your example.
check to disbelieve it. Whenever the rules any form probably should lose some of First, the item’s creator must gather the
give such rules for determining resistance their abilities when in polymorphed form proper materials. This could take days,
to or detection of an illusion/phantasm, even if these abilities have nothing to do weeks, or months of game time, depend-
use them—not the disbelief rules. Finally, with the weapon’s size or configuration. ing on how rare the DM decides to make
note that some illusion/phantasm spells Such weapons are the result of a long and the materials and how intelligently the
have normal saving throws (fear, for exam- intricate process, and even subtle changes character goes about gathering them.
ple); victims need not make disbelieve in the weapon’s form can disrupt the Since the quest for materials helps move
attempts vs. any spell whose save is listed enchantment. DMs must decide what the campaign along, the actual time re-
as “Neg.“ In such cases, the saving-throw happens on a case-by-case basis, but the quired here really is irrelevant.
rules apply, not the disbelief rules. Note more abilities the weapons has, the more Once the character has gathered and
also that several illusion/phantasms, such likely that even a small change in form will prepared the materials (Dungeon Master’s
as mirror image have no save at all. Such cause one or more of the abilities to be- Guide, pages 87-88), he must cast enchant
spells work automatically—disbelief not come inactive; of course, large changes an item, which takes 1d8 +2 days (at eight
withstanding—unless the victim is immune will disrupt even more of the weapon’s hours a day). Then the item makes a sav-
to them (perhaps because of a high Wis- powers. ing throw, and the initial spell is cast on it,
dom score or other ability). which takes 2-8 hours per spell level. A
If a wizard wants to create a wand permanency spell is then required to fix
If a polymorph any object spell is of magic missiles with 80 charges, the enchantment and prepare the item to
used to transform a magical weapon does he have to cast 80 magic mis- receive charges. Once this is done, I sug-
into another kind of weapon—say, a sile spells into it? As it takes 2-8 gest you use the rules for recharging
long sword + 3 into a katana—will hours to cast each spell level into magical items (DMG, pages 88-89). Each
the weapon lose its magical bonus? the item, it would take 160-640 charge requires a separate spell with the
This is up to the DM, but I see no reason hours, or 20-80 days at just eight normal casting time. As suggested in issue
why something as simple as a general hours a day; if the item had to make #172, the item needn’t make a saving
enchantment should be lost in this case. a saving throw for each spell the throw each time a charge is added, but the
Abilities that might depend on the weap- process would take a lot longer. Is a item does need to make a saving throw
on’s size and weight probably should be saving throw required for each when “recharging” starts, and the creator
lost. The spell description (PHB, page 191) charge? is still limited to eight hours of work a day
uses a vorpal sword, polymorphed into a In healthy campaigns, magical-item (or a full “load” of spells dumped into the
dagger, as an example; since daggers are creation is a long and arduous process; if item, whichever is less). During the whole
not really suited to chopping and severing, it were not so, player characters wouldn’t time, the caster must stringently follow
the sword loses its vorpal ability. On the have much reason to risk life and limb on the requirements of the enchant an item
other hand, a vorpal sword that has been adventures. However, a little common spell (PHB, page 176).
polymorphed into a bardiche probably sense and a careful rereading of the rules
 R. A. Salvatore, whose books have re- young man reached a crossroads, and the
peatedly made the New York Times best- path of evil was chosen.
seller lists, is one of the most prolific and There will undoubtedly be many com-
best known of the authors who currently parisons made between Drizzt Do’Urden
write for TSR, Inc. His new series, the and Cadderly. One is dark, the other light,
Cleric Quintet, begins in the long-forgotten in both character and mood. Fans who like
cellars of a monastic library high in the the dark elf and feel an empathy with him
Snowflake Mountains. Though the under- may at first find Cadderly a bit flippant.
ground location may at first remind read- But the two youths are both products of
ers of the dark tunnels of Menzober- their environments and parentage. Each
ranzan, the home of the series’ protagonist must grow to maturity under duress, as
bears little resemblance to the Underdark they face both their own souls and the
world of the drow Drizzt Do’Urden, who reality of their worlds. Decisions must be
has been so popular with Salvatore’s fans made; paths must be picked. Readers of
over the past several years. the Dark Elf and Icewind Dale Trilogies
Cadderly is a young scholar-priest in already know Drizzt’s choice, but what
Canticle, volume one of the Cleric Quintet, will Cadderly’s decision be when he is
which is being released in November. faced with the ultimate revelation about
Seemingly lighthearted and innocent, his own existence?
Cadderly has lived at the renowned Edifi- “Drizzt Do’Urden is both my blessing
cant Library since the age of five. Life and my curse,” said Salvatore when asked
seems idyllic for him, and he spends his about Drizzt and Cadderly. “My blessing
time inventing unique and ingenious because the character has been so enor-
weapons, studying (albeit half-heartedly) mously popular, and because he has devel-
for the priesthood, and generally driving oped into exactly the type of fantasy hero
his superiors crazy. Cadderly is clearly a that I always wanted to write about. But
youth who has yet to find a reason to Drizzt may be my curse as well, because I
grow up. fear that, in the eyes of some of those who
Things soon change, however, when the have come to care for the dark elf, I may
wizard Aballister and his imp, Druzil, never be able to match him.
choose the library as their first step in the “My task, then, in the Cleric Quintet and
conquest of the Shining Plains. Dark in all of my other books, is not to replace
powers are put to work, and the library, a Drizzt, but to create equally satisfying
place of enlightenment and research, is characters. Cadderly is a lot like Drizzt
besieged by forces no one understands.
Only Cadderly, his friend Danica (a young
regarding his moral code, if not in temper-
ament and certainly not in method. The Some choose to be
woman who studies the ancient martial
arts of Penpahg D’Ahn), and Newander, a
characters might be friends, but probably
not rivals.
heroes; others have
druid, are able to resist the mysterious
essence that turns the well-ordered library
“While Drizzt clearly recognizes right
from wrong, and has the ability to set
no choice
into a place of chaos. Aided only by a rare things straight, Cadderly sometimes feels by Marlys Heeszel
white squirrel and two dwarven brothers, helpless against the onslaught of the
the three allies battle foes both living and worlds violent realities. Because of his
dead in an attempt to defeat the strange unparalleled fighting skills and under-
force that has taken control of the library standing of battle, Drizzt inevitably rises
and its inhabitants. to become the leader of his party. Cad-
Unknown to Cadderly, however, the evil derly, on the other hand, has a more diffi-
he fights is not so easily defeated. cult road to that spot—in the beginning of
Throughout the Cleric Quintet series, he the Cleric series, he has to struggle even to
finds that a mysterious, unknown foe is be included when the trouble, particularly
more than eager to do battle with him. the fighting, begins.
The second book in the series will be “In terms of how they view right and
available in April 1992. In Sylvan Shadows wrong, a philosophy of tolerance and
shows the young cleric fighting in an elven preference for peace, readers will see
forest, Shilmista, where a new opponent great similarities between Cadderly and
leads an army of vile monsters. As the Drizzt, though their methods are differ-
battles move to other lands, they grow ent. Drizzt, when all else fails, can fall
ever more personal to the scholar-priest, back on his fighting abilities. Cadderly has
who wonders where his destiny lies. To to rely on his intelligence and on the many
see into the future, Cadderly must look far inventions he carries around with him.
into the past, to a time when a different “Drizzt is an outcast dark elf, misunder-
DRAGON 97
stood and burdened by a past he did not claimed Pikel Bouldershoulder to be October 1992 will see the publication of
in any way deserve and which he cannot among my best developed, most likeable, TSR’s first hardcover volume by Salvatore.
seem to leave behind. Cadderly has been and most unusual characters ever. I was The Legacy will pick up where The Half-
sheltered all his life, then is thrust into the forced to point out that in the entire man- ling’s Gem left off. Life is good for Drizzt,
middle of a situation he does not under- uscript the lovable Pikel speaks a total of better than it ever has been. His dearest
stand. They face similar moral dilemmas, about three or four words! friend, the dwarf, Bruenor, has reclaimed
similar feelings of guilt and resignation “Buoyed by the Bouldershoulder broth- his throne, and Wulfgar and Catti-brie are
toward those things they cannot change.” ers, the supporting cast of the Cleric Quin- to be wed. Even the halfling, Regis, has
Salvatore assures us that lighthearted tet is every bit as strong as in my other returned to join his friends in the safety
does not mean camp. “If I kept writing the books. I remember getting a letter from and prosperity of Mithril Hall. But Drizzt
grim stuff of Drizzt’s past, I would have one reader who insisted that Drizzt should has left powerful enemies in his wake, and
fallen into a severe depression! One of the be given the magical bow the companions one will stop at nothing to ensnare Drizzt
things I wanted to capture in the Cleric found in Mithril Hall since ‘Catti-brie is a once again in a web of evil. Will they suc-
Quintet was the rollicking, high-spirited wimp.’ A wimp? I thought Catti-brie was ceed? Only Salvatore knows.
adventure tone seen more in the Icewind among the most sensitive and strong char-
Dale series than in the Dark Elf books, like acters in all of my books. In answer to that
when Bruenor, in The Crystal Shard, tied a reader, I have created Danica, Cadderly’s
rope to himself and secured it against a love, a fighting monk who can, quite liter- SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL
rock, then barrelled into a couple of ogres, ally, kick the road apples out of a buffalo GAME CONVENTION!
launching the whole group over the side nickel. Danica is Catti-brie with punch. A game convention is the perfect
of a cliff. Or the dwarf’s out-of-control, She’s cute, sensitive, feminine when she place to make new friends who en-
flaming chariot ride in The Halfling’s Gem. wants to be, and can leap tall buildings in joy the same hobbies you do —
That’s rollicking fun. a single bound. whether you like board games,
“For tools, I’ve utilized not one but two “Make no mistake about it, I put my role-playing games, miniature war
dwarves in the Cleric Quintet, the broth- heroes through the proverbial wringer in
games, or just shopping around. If
ers Bouldershoulder. Ivan, the more seri- the Cleric Quintet, hitting them with an-
ous of the pair, is a lot like Bruenor, if a bit cient curses, evil wizards, brutish mon- you’ve never attended a game con-
more earthy. Pikel Bouldershoulder, on the sters, undead horrors, and even several vention before, please check out
other hand, is a bit different from any kitchen utensils. the Convention Calendar feature in
dwarf I’ve ever read about in serious “Rollicking fun. And just what my emo- this issue for the game convention
fantasy. Easygoing and always smiling, he’s tional state needed after the grim Dark Elf nearest you. Take some of your own
almost the antithesis of the stereotypical series, a short reprieve before we go again gaming friends along, too — and
gruff-and-spitting dwarven hero. A critic —and yes, we certainly will go—out on the make it an experience to remember.
who read the manuscript of Canticle pro- road with Drizzt Do’Urden!’

98 DECEMBER 1991
 Wading-card fever: We’re turning up the heat!
by David Wise

Trading-card enthusiasts who have dis- mini-series cards, and some 400 brand- cross-dressing elf you ordered?” “Dave, I’m
covered AD&D® Collector Cards will, no new character cards to collect and en- still not clear on the swashbuckler format;
doubt, have also discovered the 750-card hance your role-playing. could you write us another memo and
1991 1st Edition Factory Set by now. This, We should mention that cards 721-750 explain it all again?“). The end result will
the first complete boxed set of TSR trading will not be made available for sale in the be a bunch of great personalities created
cards, is bound to be a valuable invest- 16-card packs; those last 30 will comprise by a great bunch of personalities.
ment down the road. Taking home a boxed a particularly rare set. We will package Another new element in the ‘92 cards
set is a great way to fill out your collection them in original-edition colors and send will be the aforementioned mini-series, in
and maybe double up on a few of those them to distributors all over the country, 13 sets of nine cards. You can collect Mor-
cards that will be popular trade-ables in to be made available to a lucky few. (Cards denkainen and the Circle of Eight, the
years to come. #721-737 are also slated to appear in vampires of the RAVENLOFT™ campaign
As Jim Ward mentioned in “The Game DRAGON issue #178.) world, a set of famous artifacts (like the
Wizards” in DRAGON® issue #174, we’ve As the editor of this “monstrous” 1992 Hand and Eye of Vecna, the Dragonlance,
made a subtle change in the coloring of project, I’ve really spread out the charac- and the Crown of Souls), and a set special-
the cards to differentiate between the ter cards between the classes, making sure ly chosen from our new DARK SUN”
original sets of cards and the factory set. to include plenty of specialists in each campaign world. I’ve also put together a
Most of the original cards have a gold class. I’ve leaned heavily upon the kits in set of portals to be used in conjunction
border around the art, while the factory each of the Complete Handbooks, so with game play: It contains all manner of
set’s borders are silver. In order to ensure you’re going to see cat burglars, amazons, magical doors, such as an “express ladder”
the trading value of the original cards, this transmuters, monks, samurai, psionicists— that climbs to the ceiling and then dimen-
will be the format for all sets to come. the gamut of player and nonplayer charac- sion doors you to the roof, and a “fire exit”
We must admit that we’re thrilled as a ters of all levels. Not only that, but I’ve (my favorite) that teleports you to the
dragon with his own gold mine, to make a divided the card-designing responsibilities nearest edge of that dragon breath you
subtle analogy, because AD&D Collector among some of the TSR creative staff, so were just caught in. There’s a mini-series
Cards have been a smash success. So, with you’re going to see original creations from of nasty traps for you to “spring” on your
the ‘91 set under our belts, we’ve lost no the likes of Jeff Grubb, Zeb Cook, Jim gaming group, and even a set of city cards
time in putting together next year’s collec- Ward, and the rest of us. Coordinating the from the FORGOTTEN REALMS™ adven-
tion. In the ‘92 set, you’ll find 120 mon- efforts of these maniacs posed a real chal- ture setting. It took a lot of brainstorming
sters, 90 magical items, a special group of lenge for me (“Hey, Dave, what’s with this to come up with 13 sets of nine (“No,
Dave,” said Jim, “you can’t do nine TSR
editors and designers. Nobody wants to
look at a bunch of burned-out husks sit-
ting in front of computer screens.”). Still, I
think you’ll be pleased with what you get.
Another new feature in the ‘92 cards is
the addition of cards that were designed
by members of the RPGA™ Network. At
the 1991 GEN CON® game fair, we circu-
lated forms to the attending members and
invited them to immortalize their favorite
characters by describing them in detail,
with all their equipment, physical traits,
and personal histories. I’ve received some
pretty interesting submissions, too, and
have managed to work almost all of them
into the project. (Sorry, the kender cava-
lier had to go.)
Now that you’ve had a chance to collect
100 DECEMBER 1991
 Card Numbers 001-100 Card Numbers 301-400
001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310
011 012 013 014 015 016 017 018 019 020 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320
021 022 023 024 025 026 027 028 029 030 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330
031 032 033 034 035 036 037 038 039 040 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340
041 042 043 044 045 046 047 048 049 050 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350
051 052 053 054 055 056 057 058 059 060 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 368 359 360
061 062 063 064 065 066 067 068 069 070 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 379 370
071 072 073 074 075 076 077 078 079 080 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380
081 082 083 084 085 086 087 088 089 090 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390
091 092 093 094 095 096 097 098 099 100 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400

Card Numbers 101-200 Card Numbers 401-500

101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410
111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420
121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430
131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440
141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450
151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460
161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470
171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480
181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490
191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500

Card Numbers 201-300 Card Numbers 501-600

201 202 203 204 205 206 207 2 0 8 2 0 9 210 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510
211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520
221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530
231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540
241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550
251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560
261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570
271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580
281 282 283 284 285 286 827 288 289 290 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590
291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600

Note: Rare card numbers are in bold face for ease of reference.

Card Numbers 601-700

some AD&D Collector Cards and have 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610
heard about some of the things to come, 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620
I’m curious about your reactions to the 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630
631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640
product and what’s on your trading-card 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650
wish list. Although I’ve put together next 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660
year’s set with your interests in mind, I’m 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670
sure that you can think of a zillion ideas 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680
that I haven’t. No problem! 1993 is just 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690
around the corner (at least it is if you 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700
work at TSR), and you have just enough
time to help us make the ‘93 set a tailor-
made gem. Write me, David Wise, c/o TSR,
Inc., P.0. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147,
U.S.A.
Card Numbers 701-750
By the way, for those of you who haven’t
managed to snag the collector-card check- 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710
lists, the complete list for the ‘91 set is on 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720
the next page. And get yourself in good 721 722 723 724 728
725 726730727 729
standing with your local trading-card 731732 733 734 738 739 740
735 736 737
dealer now, for the special sets (cards 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750
#721-750) of 1992 collector cards to
come!
DRAGON 101
 By Barbara Manui & Chris Adams
102 DECEMBER 1991
By Joseph Pillsbury DRAGON 103
104 DECEMBER 1991
DRAGON 105
DRAGON 107
108 DECEMBER 1991
DRAGON 109
110 DECEMBER 1991
 Iraqi combat equipment. Using these rules,
the players in a Persian Gulf war miniatures
campaign should alternate playing Coalition
or Iraqi forces. The Iraqis should try to slow
or stop invading Coalition forces (as they did
in reality), while the Coalition forces forge
ahead as quickly as possible. This rules set
usually costs about $6.95 to $8.95, and it is
for 1/285th- or 1/300th-scale armor (one
miniature vehicle represents one vehicle).

Reviews
Black Dragon Pewter
2700 Range Road
North Bellmore NY 11710
©1991 by Robert Bigelow
#9680 “More Than He
Photography by Mike Bethke Bargained For” ****½
Here is a figure that reminds us that being
a wizard is not always easy. “More Than He
Bargained For” is an off-scale pewter piece
that provides humor and heavy detail in a
well-done diorama. The base is a half oval,
28 mm from back to front, representing a
rough dungeon floor. On the floor are a spell
book and a crystal ball that has fallen off its
stand. The stand has bas-relief figures, and a
bookmark lies across the pages of the book.
The back of the base consists of a large
wooden door with stout metal hinges and a
large key lock. The top of the door is deco-
rated with a grinning skull with “jewels” in
each of the eye sockets.
The door appears to be tough, but right
now all that secures it is a disheveled and
terrified 34-mm wizard. He is dressed from
shoulders to floor in traditional fur-trimmed
wizard’s robes; a thin braided belt, with
scroll tubes and spell components in the
back, cinches the waist. The wizard’s beard
appears to have hair-by-hair detail. The
detailed look of panic on his face is evident;
his hat is askew, and his mouth is open in a
“ ’Tis the season to buy miniatures....” silent scream in his effort to contain the
creature trying to fight its way past the door.
The creature or creatures he summoned
December is a month of dark, cold days make the other blink and back off. Neither reveal four appendages: two octopus-like
for us poor folk in the northern zones— did, and the stage was set for the Persian tentacles; a giant armored eyestalk with a
but it’s a prime time for painting and gam- Gulf war. red-gem iris; and a mournful face on a pseu-
ing with the figures that we’ve been I’ve been asked to recommend miniatures dopod, complete with jeweled eyes (of which
collecting all year. Early December should rules that will allow people to play out the one was missing on my set). All are eagerly
be spent checking out the status of your war’s power imbalances without having to reaching out for a taste of our world.
miniatures supplies and troops, and lists of make any statistical changes to play. The This miniatures set is a good buy at $50.
needed items should be written up and rules set I recommend for Iraq-vs.-Coalition As a gift, it will bring a chuckle, and it is
given to those who love us so that they scenarios is the PANZERTRUPPEN 1990 highly recommended.
will have time to find the difficult items as game, available through many different
holiday gifts. Early dispersing of this list hobby shops. This rules set was created by
may save you from unwanted gifts of five individuals who played microarmor on a Fantascenes
shirts and so on, though I refuse to guar- regular basis; the rules slant toward NATO Box P
antee results. but give a perfect play balance when their Pine Plains NY 12567
It’s hard to believe that last year every statistics for Soviet equipment are applied to
one was waiting for the start of a major 002 Wizard’s Tower *****
war involving many of the world’s armies. Every wizard needs a good tower to hide
The British and French units were in place Miniatures’ product ratings in. It provides him with solitude, storage
in Saudi Arabia, ready to respond to any room, solid cover if spells go awry, and a
action by the Iraqis. Scores of small vehi- * Poor daunting structure to discourage visitors.
cles patrolled the border on the Coalition ** Below average Now, you can provide your wizard with a
side, and Iraqi vehicles prowled Kuwait as *** Average suitable hiding place, too.
part of Iraq’s pacification program and **** Above average This polyurethane plastic foam castle is
patrol pattern. The Coalition braced for ***** Excellent scaled for 25 mm; it is 217 mm wide on the
possible gas attacks, and each side tried to ramp side, 184 mm wide, and 245 mm tall.
112 DECEMBER 1991
The castle consists of four major parts: the merlons. These wall sections allow plenty of
keep, keep roof, tower, and tower roof. The room to set up troops and resolve combat.
wide base tapers up to the walls. A ramp The walkways lead to the towers or keep
leads to molded double doors, complete with sections by way of well-molded entryways
hinges, You may wish to widen the crack in shaped to fit the classic 25-mm figures, less
the middle of the doors to show a separa- so the new 28-mm and larger figures. The
tion. The walls appear to be of randomly top tower sections are hollow and thick
sized cut stone with smooth outward faces. walled, with slits to allow the defenders
The building has many rough spots, deliber- clear fields of fire. The floor is rough
ately molded, that give texture to the walls planked.
and ramp and provide a base for drybrush- Unfortunately, the tower roofs (which are
ing plant growth onto them. complete with battle grids) should probably
Four pilasters in front and five on each of have their bottoms hollowed out, as there is
the other three sides support an upper over an inch between the bottoms of these
battlement. The inside of the lower keep is pieces and their tops; this could make it hard
109 mm X 104 mm X 50 mm deep, which to put the roofs on if tall figures are inside
allows lots of figures to fit inside. A large the tower rooms. I suggest that you leave a
grate is on the floor, and stairs lead to the ¼” -½” lip around the roof base when you
roof. Unfortunately, the stairs do not line up begin to carve, to insure that the roof piece
correctly with the well-done trapdoor on the will join with the tower correctly. Be careful
roof. The area under the floor on the lower not to cut through the floor or trapdoor of
section is solid on my model, but will be the roofs. The pieces are easy to tell apart,
hollow on later models to allow you to cut and the tower roofs are interchangeable.
out the grate and replace it with mesh that The front wall consists of two half-wall
can be made from cross-stitch material, sections and a gatehouse entrance. The walls
giving you an entrance to a lower keep level are 91 mm high, with the gate structure
or dungeon. The merlons on the battlements rising above the other walls by 85 mm; the
are tall enough to provide good protection gate includes a protected walkway and
for archers, and there is ample room for barbican. This building can be entered only
figures. The interior walls of the lower keep by a door at ground level. My review copy
are finished in black. does not have any gate or door for the
The wizards tower sits atop the lower gatehouse, but company spokesmen tell me
keep. It is 81 mm X 78 mm X 100 mm tall that a cylindrical door piece will be present
without the upper merlons. About 52 mm when this gets to hobby shops.
up is a hollow room (the study) with a trap- The rear wall contains the living quarters
door in the floor and four windows, one per for the inhabitants. The building is two
side. The tower has a trapdoor on its roof stories high, with a detailed and hollow top
and a door at its base; the latter is reached floor. A trapdoor is in the room’s floor, and
from the roof of the lower keep. The roof arrow slits in the wall double as windows.
fits loosely onto the tower top. The roof is stone edged and shingled in slate
This building is highly recommended for tiles to avoid fire hazards. The roof and
anyone who uses miniatures in combat or bottom story are solid in my model, but they
adventuring. Since the building can be taken will be hollow in models released later. This
apart, it increases the number of scenarios building is the weakest point of this fortress,
possible with it. At $39.95, it is a good value; as it has defensive blind spots and the roof is
a painted version is available at $64.95. This pitched rather than flat, so no one can fight
building can be painted with oil-based or on it. A well-planned defense can overcome
water-based paints. these problems.
This castle is made of a polyurethane
001 Castle Craggy ***** plastic foam that is light and fairly durable
Castle Craggy is the flagship release of the It can be painted and detailed using almost
new Fantascenes Scenery company and a any type of paint. As these castles are made
product that the company is rightfully proud of foam, no two will be exactly the same. I
of. This large fortified castle is scaled to 25 failed to find any pitting in my castle, and
mm, being roughly 680 mm long X 485 mm the parts generally fit together well, but
wide X 210 mm high at the manor house or some did fit loosely. I plan on carving out my
keep. The castle comes in 10 different pieces buildings and adding much more detail to Lance and Laser Models, Inc.
that share many of the same features. The them. P.O. Box 14491
walls and buildings are molded to represent Although this castle is slightly smaller on Columbus OH 43214
a variety of shapes and sizes of stones, the long side than the Mighty Fortress by
placed together and molded to represent Games Workshop, it packs better-quality Pendragon P-001 Knight
finished block walls. On the outer base of detail and has more uses in both fantasy and and Lady ****½
these walls, rock formations were molded to historical gaming than the latter. It’s well Pendragon P-002 Knight
making it appear that this castle was built on worth the $139.95 price tag or the painted- and Lady ****½
top of a hill. version price of $199.95, even if the main Having talked about castles, we now need
The castle’s two side walls each include building doesn’t have fireplaces. to stock them. Many castles such as Castle
two end towers with removable roofs. These Craggy would be occupied by a baron, his
walls each have a stair section, wide walk- family, and several knights and their ladles
ways, narrow crenels, and thick, flat-topped They would use the castle as a defensive
DRAGON 113
 Thunderbolt Mountain
Miniatures
656 E. McMillan
Cincinnati OH 45206-1991

Kings of the North *****

Tom Meier has introduced another set of
Limited Edition figures, these being superla-
tive leaders for human troops. This set of
three mounted and standing kings is molded
of lead and scaled for use with 25-mm fig-
ures and scenery. The figures, including
horses, share a common-sized set of hexago-
nal bases that are the same size as earlier
hex bases in this series; each horse is mount-
ed on a group of hex bases that are joined
together. All figures are separate castings,
with cast-in tabs running across their feet
that will require side cutters, careful atten-
tion to detail, and a set of files to remove.
First, we have a barbarian king. The stand-
ing figure is dressed from head to thigh in
an excellently sculptured set of chain mail;
the gaps are deep, and individual links are
clearly visible. His baggy trousers have
carved wolfs-head and plate protectors from
knee to ankle, with clearly visible cinching
straps. The belt is made of interlocking disks
and supports a knife. His rigid right hand is
raised high with an axe grasped tightly; his
left arm supports an ornate round shield. A
skin cape covers his shoulders and drops
almost to his knees, with a single clasp that
is dwarfed by the ornate chest plates. His
helmet is crowned by a set of horns joined
by a jewel.
The rider figure is identical, except that
his right hand is extended upward to hold a
totem capped with a bear and exhibiting two
heads on the cross arms. In the center of the
bar is a hand on a disk and a set of braided
tassels. The horse is a large, 12-14 hand
stallion with its mane and tail fluffed out. Its
reins are made of interlocking circles with a
point to patrol and protect their liege’s lands. head. Her face is young and serious. Her camouflaged bit and a normal halter (except
These troops and knights would spend long dress has a low bodice and is cinched by an for some disks protecting its forehead). The
periods on these patrols, but when they ornate belt. A cape is secured around her saddle is simple tooled leather with circles
returned, it would be a time of festive throat by a well-done chain clasp. One hand engraved on it, and the chest protector has
parties. is out as if she is asking for something, while another series of interlocking circles. There
Each of these 25-mm sets is made of lead, her right hand holds the hem of her dress is some flash on the figure.
and the figures have thick, circular bases off the floor. Tiny buttons adorn the front of The second king is standing and is dressed
with what looks like straw or stone across her blouse. The knight of this set wears in a combination of plate and chain mail. All
the tops. Both sets show the nobility in their tights tucked into knee-high, sharp-pointed plate joints are hinged, and clasps are evi-
finery. boots. His jerkin has wedge-cut trim at the dent throughout. A thin belt supports the
P-001 presents a knight with a chalice hips and shoulders, and his buttoned shirt sword and scabbard at his waist. His face is
raised in toast. He wears no weapons and has sleeves that reach to the tops of his well done, with an angry stare and mouth
shows no rank or insignia. The figure is 25½ boots. He is armed with a knife in a sheath, open in a war greeting. His left arm holds a
mm tall and stands proudly. His head is and his slightly pudgy, middle-aged face is triangular shield, and his breastplate and
covered, exposing a grim, sharp-featured clearly seen. His hair is cut in a page-boy shield share an eagle standard in bas-relief.
face. His hair flows from under his skull cap bob. The king is using a goupillon (three-ball
and over the top of a long cape. He wears a Both of these sets are recommended in mace), swinging it back. Minute flash ap-
surcoat and low boots. His lady stands with spite of some small flash problems. These pears on his right arm and the back of his
her hand out and raised; her pillbox hat and figures are usable as minor nobility, and head and crown.
hair covering join a high-necked bibbed they could also be used as generals in either I assume the king’s horse is barded with
dress that stretches to the floor, hiding dain- fantasy or historical campaigns. They are plate or chain under its cloth covering It is
ty shoes. She, too, wears a long cloak that good values at $3.00 per set. a large horse with a padded saddle and an
stretches from shoulder to floor. eagle emblem on the cloth. The reins have
P-002 has a lady with her hair braided and elaborate decoration, and the horse has a
wrapped in circles along both sides of her protector plate on its face, complete with a

114 DECEMBER 1991

 spike on his forehead and a plume. The Grenadier Models, Inc.
rider is identical to the standing figure ex- P.O. Box 305
cept that his right hand is out to hold his Springfield PA 19064
standard: a large pole topped by a two-
headed eagle, with a dovetailed banner (with Grenadier Models UK Ltd.
eagle emblem) on the crosspiece. One peculi- 19 Babbage Road
arity I noticed was that the rider and horse Deeside, Clwyd, Wales
bear a single-headed eagle as an emblem, UNITED KINGDOM CH5 2QB
but the banner and pole sport a double-
headed eagle. Is this possibly a captured Julie Guthrie has produced a lot of individ-
enemy’s flag, or an oversight on the part of ual characters in her Fantasy Personality
the sculptor? series for Grenadier. We’re going to cover
The third king is Byzantine in appearance. three of these figures individually, all of
The figure is dressed in scale mail covered which share some common traits. These
by a long surcoat that drops to his ankles figures are made of lead and have oval bases
and is cinched by a chain-link belt. The with dimensions of about 17 mm X 10 mm.
surcoat bears the design of a dragon on the All figures are scaled for 25 mm and are
chest. The hands are covered by gauntlets; within 1 mm of scale. Almost all bases need
the right hand clasps a long sword, while the filing to stand level, and clean-up of a light
left hand supports a huge kite shield bearing mold line in the middle of the stand running
a dragon emblem. An embroidered cloak lengthwise. Each single figure costs $1.50.
falls from his shoulders and is held by an
engraved disk. His head is protected by a 8125 Female Ranger ****½
nasal helm that leaves his face open but The female ranger strides forth into the
includes an intricate crown. A beard and unknown armed to the teeth. In her right
mustache stick out from under the helm. hand is a raised long sword; in her left is a
The riding figure’s right hand is molded to short sword, pointed down. A knife is on
grasp a standard consisting of a straight pole her right hip and a quiver of arrows on her
topped by a dragon with two long banners back. She is dressed in leather armor or
rippling behind. The horse is completely buckskins, with the lacing detail clearly
covered by scale mail except for its head, visible. Her boots appear to be leather. She
which is covered by plates. The reins are wears a jerkin, slightly open at the throat
elaborate but functional, and the saddle is and with a flared collar. A mold line runs up
almost English in style, resting over padding. from the right collar to her hair, but it
These figures are highly recommended for should be easy to trim. The facial and hair
both game usage or miniatures collections. detail is very good, but it has shallow spots
Unfortunately, while most people could use that should be looked for when you paint or
two sets—one for use and one for display— prime. There are belts, sashes, and lines for
the $30 cost per set will be prohibitive. the quiver, all present, clear, and separate.
That’s almost too bad. This figure is well done. My one complaint
is that there are no scabbards for the
swords, nor does she have a bow. With a
116 DECEMBER 1991
DRAGON 117
 8106 Female Paladin ****½ the hand and between shield and body, but
The female paladin is wearing armored, that is easily removed, too.
flexible boots and jointed plate-mail armor. The chief detraction from the figure is the
Armored gauntlets and a long sword in her mold line that goes across the shoulders and
right hand complete her armament. Her head. My figure’s front and back are slightly
head is bare, and her plain but well-done off. This distorted the face detail, which was
face stares off to the horizon. Her hair falls good otherwise; the mold line put a “curl” in
in waves between her shoulder blades. A her hair Close checking of the stock in my
cape with a brooch in front falls from her hobby store showed no problems with the
shoulders to the ground, and a sack hangs other figures of this type, so all you need to
from her belt. This female figure is definitely do is check the figure before you purchase
not displaying a chain-mail bikini. This fig- it. This is a simple fighter but worth its
ure, too, is highly recommended. price.

8123 High Elf Fighter ****

Elves and half-elves inhabit almost every
party. Invariably, at least one is a fighter Free Catalog!
with the legendary elven chain mail and
much fighting prowess. This character Write for your free catalog of
represents just such a figure.
games and gaming supplies! In the
The figure wears boots with lacing on the
inside of each boot. The chain mail starts at United States and Canada, write to:
the boots and covers the elf’s body, except TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop, c/o
her head and hair A wide belt with an TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva
ornate buckle circles her waist and supports WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write
a sheathed dagger. Her left hand holds a to: TSR Mail Order Catalogue, TSR
shield with well-done riveted hand loops. A Ltd, 120 Church End, Cherry Hin-
mold line is visible on the front of the shield, ton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United
little work, the short sword could be re- but it is easily filed to match the rest of the Kingdom. Our catalog is free —
moved and a bow put in that hand. This shield. Her right hand holds a long sword up send for it today!
piece is highly recommended. as if to strike. There is some flash around

118 DECEMBER 1991