D R A G O N 1

PublisherMike Cook

Editor-in-ChiefKim Mohan

Editorial staffPatrick Lucien Price

Roger Moore

Graphics and productionRoger Raupp

SubscriptionsPat Campbell

AdvertisingLee Hein

Contributing editorsEd Greenwood

Ken RolstonKatharine Kerr

This issue�s contributing artistsClyde Caldwell

Bob MaurusRoger RauppDennis Kauth

Marsha KauthErnest Yates

Marvel BullpenJayne Hoffmann

Peter BerrymanDave TrampierDenton Elliott

Robert AlbaneseJoseph Pillsbury

Larry Elmore

2 FEBRUARY 1985

SPECIAL ATTRACTION43 Creature Catalog II

Eighteen more new monsters for AD&D® game adventures

OTHER FEATURES8 Official changes for rangers � E. Gary Gygax

The long-awaited tracking rules, and more

10 An army travels on its stomach � Katharine KerrEven fantasy armies must live by the laws of the land

18 Same dice, different odds � David G. WeeksDivided rolls produce more unpredictable results

22 Reptiliad Attack wins big � Dan Sample & Kim EastlandColor photos of the Masters champ from the Miniature Open

24 The ecology of the chimera � Ed GreenwoodThe three-headed terror and its even more horrible relative

32 Playing in the modern era � Game review by Arlen P. WalkerThe many virtues and few faults of the MS&PE system

41 �My Honor Is My Life� � Tracy HickmanBackground for DRAGONLANCE� campaigns: The Knights of Solamnia

56 Fortunes of a Fool � Nicholas YermakovWherein a man and his frog are not soon enough parted

82 The Gun That Shot Too Straight � Ralph RobertsSooner or later, this story will hit the spot

88 World Gamers GuideOur first listing of, by, and for overseas gamers

DEPARTMENTS3 Letters 35 Convention calendar 89 Wormy6 The forum 64 Coming Attractions 93 Dragonmirth

3 7 The Role of Books 65 The ARES� Section 94 Snarfquest

COVERThe first Clyde Caldwell painting we�ve published in more than a year is thisstriking portrait of a female ranger. The model was Jeanne Stanley of Winston-Salem, N.C., who met Clyde when both of them were attending the 1984 GENCON® Game Convention.

Drop a name and make a pointI got a memorable phone call from Greg Stafford the other day. Memorable because we

only cross paths every couple of years or so, and because it�s a special pleasure to pass sometime with Chaosium�s counterpart to Gary Gygax. We got caught up a little bit on this andthat, and then Greg sort of tentatively changed direction.

�Are you looking for . . . anything on Runequest?� he asked.�Well, shore,� I shot back. �Especially if you�re offering to write it. We�d always be glad

to see stuff from you guys out there,� I said, thinking back to Steve Perrin�s article for theSUPER WORLD� game not too long ago.

Greg said he�d think about doing that, but apparently he wasn�t just asking for himself.�Some of the kids out here,� he added, �say that they haven�t sent anything to you becausethey didn�t think you�d use it.�

�I guess I can understand how they get that impression,� I said. We don�t devote a lot ofspace consistently to many popular games, including the ones Chaosium has produced. Wedo like to keep our hand in by using an occasional piece of (what we think is) top-quality

(Turn to page 87)

We always start out intending to position each By putting our special feature in the center, weissue’s special feature symmetrically around the intend to make it possible for the feature to becenter of the magazine, and intending to have it removed and used separately. Based on whatoccupy a number of pages evenly divisible by you’ve told us, we know that for every readerfour so that those who want to can remove the who does remove every module, there’s at leastmodule, game, or whatever and leave the rest of one other who doesn’t want to dismember thethe magazine intact and stapled together. Nine magazine and leaves the module stapled inside.times out of ten, that’s the way it has worked ever Although we regret having to frustrate the taker-since we started our middle-of-the-magazine outers among you, we think that’s preferable tofeatures in issue #37. But sometimes they just leaving out a vital part of a module, or fluffing itwon’t fit nicely into four, or eight, or twelve, or out and taking up space that could be better usedsixteen pages. If the text and graphics can’t be by something else. If we did either of those twostretched or trimmed to hit one of those numbers, things instead, all of you would suffer the conse-you get an off-center module. quences. — KM

Off centerEditor:

I would like to complain about the practice ofplacing the modules printed in DRAGON in themagazine in such a manner as to make it impos-sible to remove them without damaging otherportions of the magazine. Recently this was donewith �Aesirhamar� (#90) and �The Sword ofJustice� (#92). I would like to know why youplace modules in the magazine this way.

Robert W. ClarkGettysburg, Pa.

DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc. The mailing address for all material except subscription orders is DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 110,Lake Geneva, WI 53147; the business telephone number is (414) 248-3625. DRAGON Magazine is available at hobby stores and bookstores throughout the United States and Canada,and through a limited number of overseas outlets. Subscription rates via Second-Class Mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 1 year (12 issues) sent to an address in the U.S., $36 inCanadian funds for 1 year (12 issues) sent to an address in Canada. Payment in full must accompany all subscription orders. Methods of payment include checks or money-orders madepayable to TSR, Inc., or subscriptions may be charged to valid MasterCard or VISA credit cards. Send subscription orders with payments to: TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 72089 Chicago, IL60678. A limited quantity of certain back issues of DRAGON Magazine are available from The Mail Order Hobby Shop, P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. For a copy of its cur-rent catalog listing available back issues, write The Mail Order Hobby Shop at the address indicated above. The issue of expiration of each subscription is printed on the mailing label foreach subscriber�s copy of the magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of subscription copies must be received at least six weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order toassure uninterrupted delivery. All material published in DRAGON Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the publisher upon publication, unless special arrangements to the con-trary are made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork; however, no responsibility for such submissions can beassumed by the publisher in any event. Any submission which is accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published.

DRAGON is a registered trademark for the monthly adventure playing aid published by TSR, Inc. All rights to the contents of this publication are reserved, and nothing may bereproduced from it in whole or in part without first obtaining permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright © 1985 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. USPS 318-790, ISSN 0279-6848.

D R A G O N 3

Ettin addenduhDear Dragon,

In the article on the ettin (#92), it's stated that�a one-headed ettin is well able to survive its loss

and carry on a normal life.� How is this possiblewhen the jugular vein obviously had to have beencut? Wouldn�t the ettin bleed to death after thishas happened?

Sean C. ParryMadison, Fla.

Dear Dragon,In issue #92, you emphasize the fact that the

right head of an ettin is always dominant. Youalso said it could survive with only one head.Would the ettin have any significant loss infighting ability, tracking, etc. if he lost his righthead?

Scott SawsonMarion, Mass.

A few words about the physiology of the ettin(Duh what?) are in order. First, let’s assume thatan ettin can survive the serious injury, or even theloss, of one of its heads. Because it has a head tospare, and that head is capable of “running” thebody by itself, it can and often does survive suchan injury. Why doesn’t it bleed to death? For thesame reason that a chimera or a hydra doesn’t diewhen one of its heads is put out of action. Maybeall multi-headed creatures have some sort ofinstinctive muscular or biochemical reaction thatshuts off blood vessels and nerve endings andreroutes the circulatory and nervous systems sothat blood and nerve impulses go only to theremaining head(s). (Our latest ecology articleproposes something like this; see p. 24.)

Does losing his dominant head make an ettindumber, slower, or less coordinated? Nope. Thearticle described what happens if one head isrendered powerless by magic: “. . . the unaf-fected head will resume control of the bodywithout pause or struggle.” It seems that the ettincan throw some switches in its nervous systemalmost instantaneously, so that one head takesover while the other lies drooping on its shoulder.This works the same regardless of which head isincapacitated. If an ettin loses his right head,that’s all he loses. The left head becomes thedominant head, more or less by default. An ettinis already born slow, dumb, and clumsy; let’sleave bad enough alone. — KM

Different dwarvesDear Dragon,

The section in the Aesirhamar module (#92)describing Dwalin says that he is a neutral evil7th-level fighter/l7th level magic-user. But thechart on page 14 of the Players Handbook saysthat dwarves cannot be magic-users, even asNPCs. Could you please explain this?

Ricky RushingKilleen, Tex.

We already did. The module’s companionarticle, “Plane facts on Gladsheim,” points outthat dwarves native to Gladsheim (specifically,Midgard) “are not dwarves as described in theAD&D® game.” They can cast spells, but theylose a “normal” dwarf's special resistance tomagic — and they cannot be used as playercharacters without breaking the rules of thegame. — KM

4 FEBRUARY 1985

The rules of the AD&D® game state that as acharacter�s level increases, his skill to hit anopponent also improves, manifested by the fig-ures on page 74 of the Dungeon Masters Guide.But do not the injuries received by a playercharacter decrease that character�s ability to hit?Surely a 4th-level fighter on the verge of deathwould not be able to fight an opponent as well asa perfectly healthy 2nd-level fighter. This couldalso apply to damage (which might be lessened bya weak blow, caused by injuries).

I propose that a system be established wherebythe existing system (roll d20 �to hit�) would bemodified by the character�s percentage of hitpoints (# of hit points/total hit points), checkedagainst page 74 of the Dungeon Masters Guide.As one might imagine, this system might getlengthy, so this modification might be made at thefirst two 33% changes (66% of character�s origi-nal hit points = -1 penalty �to hit�; 33% of origi-nal hit points = -2 penalty), and at 25% of theoriginal hit points, when the character�s amountof energy and strength starts to decrease rapidly,the penalty �to hit� would be -3. After this, asthe character is suffering extensively, the penaltywould be an extra point per every 5% below 25%(-4 at 20%, -5 at 15%, etc.).

Kurt G. BarringhausN. Little Rock, Ark.

* * * *

While I admire the detail of research andreasoning in Stephen Inniss�s article (�Realisticvital statistics,� #91), I think he�s made an errorby comparing the proportionate weight of a dwarfexpanded to six-foot stature to that of a six-foothuman. This is comparing apples with pears. Adwarf is not human, therefore the human equiva-lent needn�t apply. There�s nothing intrinsicallywrong with a four-foot dwarf, as in his example,weighing 150 pounds, yet a six-foot dwarf of anyweight is absurd!

Additionally, he is imprecise in stating, �theweight (or volume) of an object is proportionateto its linear dimensions.� He does not address athird factor, the density of an object. A pound oflead and a pound of feathers weigh the same buthave nowhere near the same volume. Therefore,if the physical components of a six-foot man couldbe compressed into the volume of a dwarf, thedensity could skyrocket while the mass remainsthe same.

Dwarves are essentially muscular creatures ofheavy build and short stature. It seems unfair tolimit them to the weights of small humans (chil-dren). There are many people alive in our realworld, one a line actor in a well-known televisioncomedy, that disprove [the contention that] short

adults must weigh as [much as] children.Ultimately, the statistics in the article render

dwarven characters less playable because theydisadvantage dwarves in combat. A lighter char-acter (logically) has greater difficulty overbearingand using his weight against an opponent, as achild would versus an adult. What justifies thisdisadvantage?

A stronger case might be made for halflings,who are very similar to small children. But,again, why disadvantage such characters? Theyare already disadvantaged in combat.

I must reject Mr. Inniss�s system because itinterferes with playability without appreciablyimproving the game. But I reject it again becauseit interferes with the fun. With the original sys-tem in the DMG, fantastic varieties of sizes andweights can be generated, adding to the crazinessand fantasy elements of the game. A friend ofmine has an immensely obese halfling characterwho never fails to amuse us all with his weightproblems. This in turn adds to the playability.

I respect the �realism� in this newer system,but it brings with it the relatively mundaneaspects of our real world, and that is what I wishto escape through playing the AD&D game.

Tim NyeBellingham, Wash.

* * * *

I want to respond to two comments about my�Forum� letter on evil PCs and all-evil cam-paigns. In issue #91, Scott Hicks wrote at greatlength to defend this kind of gaming, but heutterly avoided my basic question: Why is play-ing evil PCs so important in the first place, andwhy does he derive such satisfaction from thiskind of fantasy? It�s a pity he missed the point,because he seems to be in a good position toanswer those questions.

In issue #92, Christopher Kopec made athoughtful and well-reasoned attempt to answerthose questions, but I still feel that he fell a bitshort of the mark. First of all, he started with anargument-by-exaggeration when he misinter-preted me as saying that such players are

�psychotic.� There is a world of difference be-tween a psychotic and someone with a few hang-ups that bear examination.

Secondly, he compared the release of negativeemotions in an all-evil campaign with the releaseof expressing such feelings in a therapy group.There is another world of difference betweenexpressing negative feelings that are firmly an-chored in reality under the supervision of atrained therapist and dwelling on morbid fanta-sies in the company of a couple of friends. Be-sides, it�s possible to release all kinds of emotionsby playing a good-aligned character. Christopherthus leaves himself open to another question:Why are his negative feelings directed at goodNPCs, not evil ones?

Katharine KerrSan Francisco, Calif.

* * * *

I would like to comment on the current debateover the most logical, realistic, and simplisticsystem for determining the success of actionsattempted by characters, using the correspondingability score to generate a base percentage roll. Itseems to me that Katharine Kerr�s system ap-peared in an earlier issue of DRAGON Maga-zine. [Editor�s note: Yes, in issue #68.] I do agreethat her system is much more logical than the onedesigned by Jonathan Heiles in his letter in issue#91.

I have come up with a subsequent system thatseems to follow a similar pattern as Katharine�s,but which compensates for Jonathan�s complaintthat Katharine�s system is too generous towardlow scores and too stringent toward high abilityscores. It also affords a variation of percentagechances for scores between 15 and 18 inclusive,unlike Kim Mohan�s idea in his response toJonathan�s letter.

The system follows Katharine�s 5% theory upto and including an ability score of 10. This isalso the same as Kim�s suggestion, but this iswhere my system changes. For scores between 11and 17 inclusive, the adjustment should be anadditional 7%, not 10% as Kim suggested. Thiswould constitute a 99% chance to perform anaction which is taken into account by a score of17. Thus at 18 (or higher in the case of strength)the action being attempted would automaticallybe successful, as it should be with a perfect abilityscore.

Of course, everyone likes to create their ownsystem, but I�ve found that this system is easilyadapted to any campaign and is flexible enoughto be used by even the most devious DMs.

Steve PajakSchenectady, N. Y.

* * * *

A few comments on your answer to JonathanHeiles�s letter in issue #91.

The chance of rolling 5 or less on 3d6 is slightlyover 4.6%, not slightly over 3%.

The reason you couldn�t think of an example ofa charisma check is simple: �Charisma check� issimply another name for �reaction roll.� Any

(Turn to page 30)

6 FEBRUARY 1985

Official changes for rangersNew rules to clear up tracking and hackingby Gary Gygax ©1985 E. Gary Gygax. All rights reserved.

For some years now, I have used a sys-tem for tracking by rangers which differsmarkedly from that presented in theAD&D® Players Handbook. The level ofthe character is considered, and the circum-stances of the trail to be followed are like-wise important. Since so many WorthyPlayers have requested that this system bedetailed, I herein offer the following as an�official� change for the sub-class of ranger.

Tracking is principally used in outdoorsituations, although there are conditionsunderground (�indoors�) which will enablea ranger to track a creature.

Outdoor trackingThe base chance to successfully track

outdoors is 10% per level of the ranger, plusan additional 10% � for example, 20% fora 1st-level ranger or 70% for a 6th-levelranger. The base chance can rise as high as110% (for a ranger of 10th level or higher),but can never exceed that figure. Note that,even in such a case, the adjusted chance candrop below 100% if negative modifiers aretaken into account. An adjusted chance ofgreater than 100% is treated as 100%; thatis, the trail can be followed for as long asthe current conditions (terrain, number ofcreatures being tracked, etc.) apply.

Terrain modifiers:Soft enough to hold impressions

(footprints, pawprints, etc.) ofcreature being tracked . . . . . . . . . . .+20%

Allows occasional marks orobvious signs of passage (brokentwigs, bent grass, etc.). . . . . . . . . . .+10%

Allows only infrequent signs ofpassage due to rock, water,wind, other creatures crossingor overtracking, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0%

Prevents all but the minutesttraces of passage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-50%

Other modifiers:For each creature beyond the

first in group being tracked. . . . . . .+02%For every 12 hours elapsed since

the trail was made . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-05%For each hour of precipitation

that has fallen on the trailbetween tracker and quarry . . . . . .-25%

If intelligent efforts are made to hide thetrail, consider the terrain modifier to be ofthe next lower category (e.g., down from+20% to +10%). If the terrain modifier wasalready of the -50% category, then trackingis impossible.

8 FEBRUARY 1985

Indoor trackingBase chance is the same as that for out-

door tracking.

Surface condition modifiers:Dirt floor, or unused and dusty

area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .+20%Wooden floor, or area which

allows some occasionalindication of passage . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0%

Stone floor which prevents allbut the minutest tracesof passage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-50%

Other modifiers:For each creature beyond the

first in group being tracked. . . . . . .+02%For passing over an area where

other creatures cross orovertrack trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-50%

If intelligent efforts are made to hide thetrail, including passing through a secretdoor, consider the surface condition modi-fier to be of the next lower category. If thesurface condition modifier was already ofthe -50% category, then tracking is impos-sible.

Special note: Tracking indoors is impos-sible if the ranger desiring to do so hasnever observed some distinguishing featureabout the tracks of the creature to betracked, or if the ranger does not observethe quarry making the trail and then followthe tracks within a reasonable period oftime (typically 10-30 minutes) thereafter. Inall cases, the DM must use common senseas to whether or not it will be possible tofollow a creature by tracking. For instance,creatures which leave obvious trails canalmost always be tracked � worms, slimes,jellies, and the like are obvious example ofthis. Conversely, creatures which do notnormally leave any sign of passage arealmost always impossible to track � flyingcreatures, ghosts, wraiths, and spiders cometo mind. However, since tracking is a com-bination of visual, audio, and olfactoryabilities, tracking might sometimes be possi-ble by unusual means � the disturbance of

things left by a flying creature�s passage, thesound of its passage, the trail of odor left,and so forth.

Light condition, outdoors or indoorsAll tracking is assumed to be done under

conditions of good illumination � daylightor the equivalent (a continual light spell, forinstance). The movement rate of a rangerwhile tracking is somewhat slowed evenunder optimum conditions; in even poorerconditions (of light, or of the quality of thetrail, or both), the ranger�s movement ratemay be reduced drastically.

Movement rate while tracking:Obvious tracks, good

illumination. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/4 of normalObvious tracks, poor

illumination. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/3 of normalOccasional tracks, good

illumination. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2/3 of normalOccasional tracks, poor

illumination. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/2 of normalFaint tracks, good illumi-

ation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/2 of normalFaint tracks, poor illumi-

ation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/4 of normal

Definitions:Obvious = 71% or better chance to track.Occasional = 31% -70% chance to track.Faint = 30% or less chance to track.Poor illumination = anything less than

daylight and greater than total darkness.Tracking is not possible in total darknessunless some non-visual evidence is available(as referred to above).

Identification of tracksWhether tracking outdoors or indoors

(underground), a ranger may be able toidentify what sort of creature(s) made atrail, what direction the quarry was goingin, how many creatures were in the groupbeing tracked, and how fast they were trav-eling. When the trail is outdoors, the rangermay also be able to determine the approxi-mate time of passage � that is, how muchtime has elapsed since the tracks weremade.

Ability to identify:

Identification of tracks can only occur ifthe attempt to track is successful. Thechance for successful identification is thesame as for tracking, with a second dice rollrequired to determine success. Identifica-tion abilities gained by level are cumulative;i.e., a 4th-level ranger has the abilities of a3rd-level ranger, in addition to the skillsgained at 4th level. For the purpose of thisdetermination �woodland creatures� arethose which are able to be encountered infaerie or sylvan settings, as per the en-counter tables in the AD&D rules.

R a n g e r

Humanoid/�giant class� opponentsFollowing is an expanded list of those

humanoid creatures that are considered�giant class,� qualifying the ranger for adamage bonus (+1 hit point per level of theranger) when such a creature is engaged incombat. The roster includes all �giantclass� creatures mentioned in the Players

level1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

Common woodland creatures�tracks and direction of travelCommon woodland creatures�number and paceCommon woodland creatures�time of passage (outdoors only)As 3rd level with respect touncommon woodland creaturesAs 3rd level with respect torare woodland creaturesAs 3rd level with respect tovery rare woodland creaturesAs 3rd level with respect to allsorts of creatures (woodlandand otherwise) within a 100-mile radiusAs 7th level, plus the ability todetermine the general size andweight of humansAs 8th level, plus the ability todetermine the size and num-bers of mounted creatures (forinstance, if a horse is carryingmore than one rider)As 9th level with respect to allcreatures ever observed, priorto attaining 10th level or subse-quently

L a b e l y o u r l e t t e rL a b e l y o u r l e t t e rThe address of DRAGON® Magazineis P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI53147, and that�s all you need tomake sure your letter gets here. Butyou can help us serve you morequickly by adding a line at the top ofthe address to tell us what depart-ment should receive your letter orpackage. Call it a �manuscript sub-mission,� �cartoon submission,��query letter,� or any other shortphrase that tells us what�s inside, andit�ll get exactly where it�s supposedto go.

Handbook, plus other similar creaturesfrom the FIEND FOLIO® Tome and Mon-ster Manual II.

bugbear goblincyclopskin grimlockdune stalker hobgoblinettin koboldflind meazelgiant norkergibberling ogregnoll

ogre mageogrillonorcquaggothtasloitrollxvart

Have fun tracking and fighting!

The ranger�s weaponsOf the ranger�s three initial weapons of

proficiency, one must be either a bow (anysort) or a light crossbow. However, theranger cannot have both a bow and a lightcrossbow as weapons of proficiency untilattaining 7th level (at least), when theweapon type not already taken could becounted as the fifth weapon of proficiency.By the time a ranger gains a fourth weaponproficiency at 4th level, the character�s listof weapons must include:

either a bow or a light crossbow,a dagger or a knife,a spear or an axe, anda sword (of any type).

The initial weapon selection for the char-acter must be made so as to take theserequirements into account.

D R A G O N 9

Large-scale logistics in a fantasy worldby Katharine Kerr

In most fantasy role-playing games, thebasic unit for adventuring is the small party,which can move across open countryquickly, cheaply, and easily. Eventually,however, many long-running campaignsreach the point where both the players andthe gamemaster want to field small armiesor at least squads of troops. At this pointcertain basic problems arise, particularlywith the movement of these armies.

Although most role-playing rules pointout that movement rate is reduced for largeunits, many gamers don�t understand thereasons behind the rules and thus are un-able to role-play them. Army and troopmovement end up being a version of stan-dard wargaming and lose the special excite-ment of role-playing. What gamers need tounderstand is that once the moving unitgrows beyond a few people and animals, therealities behind the movement rate havechanged drastically. To role-play amedieval-style war, both gamemaster andplayers must know something about thelogistics of the medieval-style army.

Logistics can be simply defined as the artof supplying and moving troops, but thesimplicity is deceptive. Even in a technolog-ically advanced society like our own, move-ment is always dependent upon supply, not

10 FEBRUARY 1985

the other way around, for the basic reasonthat it�s futile to send troops into an areawhere they�ll eventually starve. In a non-technological society, feeding itself becomesan enormous problem for any army, be-cause of the inefficient agricultural systemand inherent problems of food transport.

To role-play wars and troop movementsproperly, gamers have to take food supplyinto account. Players need to know howmuch their army will eat, how they will getwhat the army needs, and finally, how theirsupplies will be transported. This article willdiscuss these and related questions andshow gamemasters how problems of supply,not arbitrary movement rules, can be usedto determine how far a given army canmarch on any given day.

First, it should be pointed out that anarmy consists of more than the actual fight-ing men. Although the ratio of combatantsto noncombatants in a medieval or ancientarmy was far larger than it is today, anarmy would still have about one noncom-batant for every five combatants. Thesenoncombatants include armorers, fletchers,blacksmiths, a surgeon or two, a scribe,some heralds, servants for the noble-born,and (in fantasy-world armies) magiciansand priests. All these personnel also need

food for themselves and their mounts. Also,an army packs along a large amount of non-edible supplies � weapons, blankets, andso on. On the average, there will be onehorse or mule, or three slaves, per each sixpersonnel to carry such gear.

The minimum daily requirementUntil recently, historically speaking, grain

was the mainstay of an army for men andanimals alike. Almost all ancient or medie-val armies carried querns (handmills) togrind grain fresh daily because flour spoilsmore quickly than whole grain.

The modern role-player has to under-stand what transporting food means in aworld without refrigeration and preserva-tives. For example, in summer fresh redmeat will begin to spoil in three days.Yeasted bread either moulds (in damp air)or turns rock-hard (in dry air) in aboutthree days, too. Thus the main rations ofmedieval armies were porridges of variousgrains, dry flat bread like sea-biscuit, andsoda breads cooked fresh nightly, supple-mented with small amounts of cheese, saltpork, and whatever pickled meats or vegeta-bles were available in their part of theworld. Even these rations often spoiled; letus remember that the army of Henry V

won the battle of Agincourt while sufferingfrom diarrhea brought on by bad food.

No matter what the kind of food, todetermine how much of it an army requires,the gamer must start with the needs of eachmember of it. The following food require-ments are those of a 150-pound humanmale, a decent average. Although in ordi-nary conditions women require less foodthan men, we can assume that an army ofAmazons will have the same energy outputand probably the same body-bulk as agroup of men and thus will have the samefood needs.

Each warrior needs 3,500 calories a day,including 70 grams of protein, to stay infighting trim and good condition. In pro-longed battle conditions, he requires 4,000calories and 80 grams of protein. In medie-val ration terms, this translates to three orfour pounds of whole grain, measured raw,and a pound of mixed cheese, meat, fruitand so on a day. Without some fruit andvegetables, warriors will develop scurvy andyaws.

In a fantasy world, non-human raceshave different needs, based on average sizeand food preferences, which can be figuredby referring to the standard ration above.Here are some examples of races commonto many game worlds. Elves need three-fourths of a standard ration, which trans-lates to 2 pounds of grain and 1 pound offruit and vegetables. Salt pork and otherpreserved meats would be indigestible toelves. Dwarves, despite their small stature,

need a full ration to maintain their extraor-dinary endurance. They will, however, eatthe same things humans will. Technicallyspeaking, halflings only need half a stan-dard ration, but if they feel underfed, theywill grumble badly and lower the army�smorale. Orcs and goblins require a standardration, but they will insist on having a largepart of it in meat and will spurn fruit andvegetables.

When adding up individual figures toarrive at the army�s total needs, the gamershould use common sense and only includethose non-humans who will make a differ-ence to the averages. Among 500 humans,for instance, 10 elven archers will makelittle difference � but 10 giants, with theirneed for 50 standard-sized rations each aday, would make a drastic one.

Besides the warriors, both riding mountsand pack beasts require large amounts offood. Although horses and mules can sur-vive on grass in the wild or in the pasture,they need grain every day to perform heavywork like carrying riders. The averagehorse or mule needs 10 pounds of grain and10 pounds of fodder � grass, hay, or (in apinch) straw � every day, or it will beunable to perform its job with the army.

Carnivorous mounts, like the wolves usedby orcs and goblins in many game worlds,present a special problem, because theyneed fresh meat every day or they will turnnasty � a situation to be avoided at allcosts. The average war-wolf will eat about 5pounds a day; beasts the size of lions will

need about 20 pounds. Carnivore-mountedcavalry thus either has to spend severalhours a day foraging for fresh meat or elsebring cattle or other herds along as amesshall-on-the-hoof. Prisoners of warcould provide another source of supply forevil armies, of course.

Let�s see how these figures translate intoprovisions for an example army. Our typicalmedieval-style army might comprise 500mounted warriors, 500 mixed pikemen andarchers, 200 noncombatant personnel, and180 pack horses carrying the non-ediblegear. In one single day, this army eats10,400 pounds of grain, 6,800 pounds ofmixed animal fodder, and 1,200 pounds ofmixed human rations. We�re talking, inshort, of over 9 tons of food every day �and this is only a small army. Even a squadof 50 mounted men, traveling withoutnoncombatants and pack animals, wouldneed 650 pounds of grain, 500 pounds offodder, and 25 pounds of mixed rations aday.

Water is another basic necessity. Theaverage man drinks about 5 pounds ofwater a day in mild weather conditions.(This includes the water content of ale,mead, milk, and so on.) Dry (desert) orhumid (jungle) conditions double this andall amounts following. A horse or muleneeds 80 pounds a day; an ox, 160 pounds.Non-human needs can again be judgedproportionally. An elf, for instance, needsabout 3½ pounds of water. If these figuresseem high, remember that we�re not talking

D R A G O N 1 1

about people sitting around in offices orschools all day, but people who are march-ing and fighting in the warm summer.

Even in well-watered countryside, gettingenough water for a large group can presentproblems. Armies need rivers or deepstreams, not just wells or springs. Considerour example army, which collectively needs26,400 pounds of water a day. Suppose thatthey come to a village well with a bucketholding 40 pounds and that it takes twomen one minute to raise the bucket andpour the contents into a receptacle. It willtake more than 5 hours to raise half a day�srations � assuming that the well hasn�tgone dry by then.

In desert or arid conditions, water mustbe carried. The game referee should insistthat the players figure out their armies�water needs and make provisions for thenecessary water. The average man or horsedeprived totally of water will die in 3 days;on half-rations of water, an army will fightand move at half normal efficiency.

In general, the lack of adequate food ofthe right types should have a strong effecton play. A half-starved army will fight atbelow its normal capability and willrefuse to march at normal speed. Morale isanother important problem with hungryarmies. Although the player characters maydrive themselves on by willpower, the hum-ble NPCs who make up their armies aregoing to be preoccupied with their rationsjust like real soldiers are. If a player is

undersupplying his army, the referee shouldadd penalties to morale checks in gamesthat have them, or decide when mutiny anddesertion will occur in games without for-mal morale rules. As a general guide, I�dsay that after five days of poor and inade-quate rations, 25% of a mercenary armywill desert, and 5% of a motivated one.Armies led by great, awe-inspiring heroeswill stick things out longer, but after acouple of weeks of real hunger, even themost loyal soldiers will begin slipping away,05% at a time.

Once the players figure out the amount offood that their characters� armies need, theycan turn to the far more interesting questionof where they are going to get it. Onemethod is to follow the example of someancient and medieval commanders andresort to foraging as the army marches.�Living off the country� produces visions ofswaggering warriors with hams tied to theirsaddles and loaves of fresh bread in theirknapsacks. In a subsistence agriculturaleconomy, the real picture is grim. To under-stand why, we must consider what subsis-tence agriculture, the economic basis ofmost game-worlds, really means.

Living off the land

Primitive agriculture is extremely labor-intensive. For example, it took the medievalfarmer about 148 man-hours to raise 2½acres of wheat, as opposed to the 6½ hoursit takes a modern farmer. Depending on the

12 FEBRUARY 1985

fertility of a region, at least 85% or morelikely 90% of the population must activelyengage in agriculture, stock raising, andgardening in order to supply the needs ofthe total population. Thus we can see thatsurplus food is going to be in short supply.

Furthermore, with poor tools, like themedieval iron-tipped wooden plowshare,and a limited knowledge of fertilizers, likemanure or nothing, the yield per acre is alsolow. The total yield is lowered further bythe three-field system in use during theMiddle Ages, in which only one-third of thearable land is growing crops at any giventime while the other two-thirds lies fallow torestore its fertility. Obviously, the yield ofthis system varied enormously dependingon the fertility of a given stretch of land, theamount of available rainfall, and so on, butas a very rough average, medieval farms ongood land produced per year about 500pounds of grain per acre, or 160 tons persquare mile. (Compare this to the modernUnited States yield of 1,760 pounds peracre.) Our example army of 1,200 menconsumes about 21 acres of wheat per day,or a square mile�s worth in one shortmonth. Thus we see why contemporarywriters often compared medieval armies tohordes of locusts.

In a world with poor storage techniques,the food supply is also dependent on theseasons. The three-field system brings intwo crops a year in a European or NorthAmerican kind of climate � one in June,the other in October. Starting with the Juneharvest, grain is as plentiful as it ever isuntil December, when the grain stored fromthe October harvest begins to spoil. Kingand peasant alike begin to go hungry; byMarch, people are hunting sparrows andscavenging old cabbages from the bottom ofbarrels. Finally, in May, some of the harvestis milk-ripe and harvested green to tideeveryone over until most of the grain ripensin June.

An army, therefore, can demand grain asloudly as it likes in March, but there willsimply be no grain to give it. In the late fall,farmers and villagers will fight to keep theirharvest for themselves, because the alterna-tive is starving to death in the winter. Be-cause we moderns, with our vast foodsurplus produced by mechanized farmingand protected by freezing and preservatives,forget that getting enough food to eat is aconstant battle in primitive societies, I wantto drive this point home: Gold coins andjewels cannot buy food that doesn�t exist.

How, then, can we translate this situationinto game terms? First of all, armies run byplayer characters can only march during thestandard �war season� of the Middle Agesand the ancient world � that is, the sum-mer and fall. Although there are historicalcases of wars being fought in the winter,those cases are rare and usually the result ofdesperate circumstances, like the civil warsduring the reign of King Stephen of En-gland. Most fighting begins in May orJune, and truces or retreats are declared byNovember.

TABLE OF FOOD PRODUCTIONLand type Grain Fodder Meat Vegetables1 OtherRich arable 4,500 tons 600 tons 2 tons 2 tons 500 lbs. each of ale,

cheese, butterPoor arable 2,225 tons 300 tons 1 ton 1 ton Small amounts of

aboveForest none 1 ton 2 tons2 none A few berries, nuts,

rootsWild scrubland none 100 tons 2 tons2 none Berries, nutsWild grassland none unlimited 3 tons2 none nonePastoral none 1,000 tons3 120 tons none What few provisions

the herders have

(Remember that this is not the total year�s production, but what will be available duringthe summer or directly after the fall crop comes in.)

1. Includes fruit.2. Wild game, including deer, rabbits, fish, etc., but hunting takes much time.3. The army will be competing with the herds for fodder and water.

Second, if armies are going to forage, thegamemaster needs to know how much foodis available for the army to acquire, eitherby force or by coin. Here we have a verycomplex situation indeed, because theamount of food will depend on the kind ofterrain, its fertility, its degree of settlement,the year�s weather, and myriad other factorsthat make a precise and realistic determina-tion too time-consuming to be worth theeffort. For simplified gaming purposes, thesystem summarized in the table above isplayable, but I offer it only as a suggestion.Any referee who wishes can vary the tableto make it more precise, historically accu-rate, or suitable for special conditions in aparticular game world.

The referee should first map out the warzones and march routes in ten-mile hexes,mark in the streams and rivers, and thendecide what type of terrain each hex con-tains. Pastoral land is open meadows, oftenhilly, given over exclusively to large flocksor herds of cattle, sheep, and horses. Wildgrassland is basically pastoral land that nosentient races are using; it supports manywild animals. Wild scrubland is semi-grassy,but dry and covered in part with bushes andchapparal. Forest is of course obvious;desert is not included because it offers solittle food that it might as well offer none.

When it comes to arable land, the refereeshould keep in mind that in medieval condi-tions, a much lower percentage of the landwill actually be in crops than is the case inthe big mechanized family farms of moderntimes or in huge agribusinesses. Much of itwill be rough pasturage for dairy animals,stands of woodlands for firewood, and spacefor roads, villages, and dwellings. Thus theyield per hex on the table is lower than theper-acre figures given in the text abovewould indicate.

Once the referee has established the totalfood capacity of each ten-mile hex from thetable, he can figure the available surplus.Although in reality the surplus would varyat different times during the summer andfall, to keep things playable we can setconstant percentages. (Remember that fromJanuary to May there will be very littlegrain or vegetables available at all, and no

surplus.) In rich arable land, the surpluswill be 15% of the total; in poor arable,10%; and in pastoral, 20%. If the armyneeds more food than the available surplus,it will have to extort it out of the peasantryor fight for it.

The referee also has to keep firmly inmind that this food supply doesn�t magi-cally restore itself. If one army strips aterritory of food in early summer, there willbe no more food for a second army until thefall harvest. In fact, if the first army hasstripped every bit of available grain, therewon�t be a fall crop, because there won�t beany seed grain left for planting. There areno convenient feed-and-grain stores in amedieval world.

Once armies strip an area down to theseed-grain, the area becomes depopulated.Those peasants who can will abandon theirfarms and flee; those who can�t will starveto death. When armies march back andforth over small territories, depopulation or

isat least a major reduction in populationinevitable. During the Viking raids, thenorthern coast of France became a waste-land not so much because of the deathscaused by the raids but because of the dep-redations of the armies sent to chase theVikings. When an area has been depopu-lated, it will produce no food at all the nextyear because there won�t be anyone there togrow it.

As a system of food supply, foraging has

In the Middle Ages, the decent rulerstried their best to spare the peasantry out ofenlightened self-interest � empty farmsdon�t pay taxes and support castles � butin desperate conditions, the armies tookwhat they needed first and worried aboutfarmers later. Many commanders also de-stroyed crops to keep them out of enemyhands. In any game where alignment orsome form of �honor points� are involved,the referee should judge player characters�actions carefully in this regard. Medievalknights considered that starving peasantswas dishonorable and a bad thing; in one ofthe old French chansons de geste, for exam-ple, the knight Rainouart gains great honorby killing men who are stripping a peasant�sbean fields.

other inherent problems, the biggest ofwhich is that it dramatically slows the move-ment rate of the army. Foraged food mustbe located, then either bought or extortedfrom the peasants and townsfolk who ownit. If a hostile army is taking food by force,the peasants will flee, leaving the army todo its own harvesting and its own chasingafter cows. Once the food is obtained, itmust be distributed and packed. Even anarmy of 1,200, like our example, needsseveral hours to strip a farm, and what theyget may only last them a single day. Food islikely to lie off the direct line of march, thusslowing the army�s forward movement evenfurther.

Consider our example army with its grainneed of just over 5 tons per day. At thebeginning of a summer�s campaign, thesoldiers march through rich arable landhaving a surplus of several hundred tons.Farmers gladly sell them what they need,and several days� provisions at a time aretheirs for the time spent loading it. But thewar rages all summer with that area becom-ing an important tactical location. By thetime two different armies have eachmarched back and forth across it, the fright-ened farmers have taken to the hills. Ourarmy is lucky to find a few vegetables rot-ting in gardens, much less tons of grain.Most of each game-day will be spent fan-ning out on each side of the road andsearching desperately for food. The armywill move only about 5 miles per day for-ward and will also be demoralized andvulnerable to sneak attacks.

Taking it with youTo avoid such desperate situations, most

historical commanders preferred to takesupply trains with them, and the wise playercharacter will do the same. Since a ridinghorse or an infantryman can�t carry morethan a rider and a few pounds of gear (inthe case of the horse), or his weapons and afew pounds of gear (in the case of the infan-tryman), the commander must resort toeither large carts or pack animals to carrysupplies. Since in our motorized societycarts are usually the first thing gamers thinkof, let us consider them in some detail.

A medieval-style cart or wagon is made ofheavy wood and has wooden iron-rimmedwheels, which are extremely vulnerable toruts and rocks. In any group of five carts,one will break down each day to the tune oftwo hours of travel time lost while the cart isrepaired. Heavy mud renders carts immo-bile; light mud or hills reduces their move-ment rate to 1 mile per hour. On steepuphill roads, men have to shove a laden cartfrom behind in order for it to move at the 1mile per hour rate.

Each cart requires a team of either oxenor heavy draft horses, plus a carter. In goodconditions, oxen pull at 2 miles per hour,but oxen can only pull for 5 hours a daybecause of their sensitive (and unshoeable)hooves. A horse team pulls at 3 miles perhour for 8 hours a day, but because ofbreakdowns, it�s unlikely that any line of

D R A G O N 1 3

carts will be moving for a full 8-hour day.Oxen require 25 pounds of fodder and grainper day apiece, while the draft horses re-quire only 13 pounds of each foodstuff.

What oxen can do, of course, is pullmuch more weight than horses can. As avery rough average estimate, with amedieval-style cart on medieval-style roads,a pair of oxen can pull 6½ tons plus theweight of the cart and carter, while horsescan only pull 3 tons. In any case, even inoptimum conditions, an army with horse-carts can make no more than 20 miles aday, while one with oxcarts can do a maxi-mum of 10 miles a day.

By now it should be obvious why somany ancient and medieval commanderspreferred a baggage train of pack animals toany kind of cart. The difficulty with a packtrain is simply that it takes a great manyhead of stock to carry a large amount ofsupplies. The average horse can pack 180pounds beyond the weight of the pack sad-dle; the average mule, 220 pounds. Even atwo-mule team can pull much more weightthan the 440 pounds they can pack. A packtrain also runs into an interesting law ofdiminishing returns because pack animalsneed food of their own. A mule carrying220 pounds of grain, for instance, on an 8-day march is packing food for itself, a cav-alry horse, and several men. On a 22-daymarch, however, the mule will eat the entireload by itself. Thus, no matter how manypack animals it has, an army can never

carry food for more than 19-21 days onpack animals alone.

Donald Engels (see the bibliography atthe end of this article) gives a useful formulafor finding the total number of pack animalsneeded for a given march. Divide the totalweight of food by the carrying ability ofeach animal minus that animal�s share ofthe food it carries. For example, our armywants to march for 5 days through countrywith ample fodder and water, meaning thatthey only have to carry grain. They thusrequire 58,000 pounds of grain and mixedhuman rations. Each mule can carry 220pounds, minus the 50 pounds it will eatduring the march. Thus: 58,000 divided by(220-50) = 341.2, meaning that 342 mulesare needed � an enormously long baggagetrain, to say nothing of an expensive one.Historically, armies did travel with as manyor even more animals than this.

We can also reverse Engels�s formula tosee how long an army can march if we knowthe length of its pack train. Let�s say ourexample army with a daily grain and mixedration need of 11,600 pounds has acquired200 mules, to bring their need up to 13,600pounds of food a day. The total carryingcapacity of these mules is 44,000 pounds.Thus, dividing the daily food need into thetotal carrying capacity (44,000 divided by13,600 = roughly 3.2), we realize that thearmy can only carry food for a little over 3days at a time.

Given the limitations of pack trains, we

can see that the average army has to resortto a combination of carrying food and for-aging if it�s going to travel long distances,or else resign itself to using carts and travel-ing slowly. Making this choice shouldpresent players (and their characters) withan interesting decision that could well influ-ence the outcome of the war.

Horse care: a matter of life and deathWhether the army commanders decide to

use cart horses or pack animals, finding thenecessary animals for the supply train � tosay nothing of cavalry horses � shouldpresent a further problem in a medieval-style game world. Since supporting a horseor a mule takes about 20 acres, and an ox40 acres (both for fodder and for grain), fewfarmers will keep anything but a plow team.Specialized horsebreeders, like any otherkind of specialist, will also be rare.

In the Middle Ages, lords set aside partof their holdings to raise the horses andmules so necessary to war. The ancientempires, both Roman and Chinese, boughttheir horses from the nomads of the CentralAsian steppes � as did the much laterBritish Empire in India. Gamemasters willhave to decide if such nomads exist in theirworld, of course, and players may well haveto have their warlike PCs breed stock oftheir own to supply their armies.

What happens, however, if the PCs lose alarge portion of their baggage train whenfar from home base? Determining just how

14 F E B R U A R Y 1985

many horses and mules will be available inany given part of the game world is a near-impossible task to do accurately and histori-cally, just as was determining the foodsupply. As rough and playable estimatesonly, I offer the following. In arable land,there will be only 15 horses suitable for warand 40 pack mules per 10-mile hex. If an-other army has already marched throughthat hex, it�s aany left at all.

good bet that there won�t be

On a military campaign, then, horses andmules are worth their weight in gold. Toomany gamers persist in treating horses andmules like trucks � inexhaustible as long asthey�re refueled. By doing so, they are notonly going contrary to reality but also ig-noring one of the primary logistical influ-ences on movement rates � that is, theneed for time to take care of the stock. Thiskind of ignorance gives rise to rules thatstate that cavalry may always move fasterthan infantry over long distances (on thebasis that horses can run faster than men,probably) � when the reverse is oftenactually the case. Well-trained infantry canoften out-march cavalry over the long termsimply because they don�t have to tend andfeed their horses. Let�s see why this is so insome detail.

For all their appearance of strength andnobility, horses are physically delicate andemotionally moody as well as quite stupid.While his willpower spurs a warrior to featsof endurance, a horse or mule has no suchresource. Commanders who force animalsbeyond their natural limits are going to losea lot of valuable stock to laming, saddlesores, foundering, and broken wind. Whilesaddle sores can be treated by rest, the otherconditions do not automatically go awayeven with the best care in the world. Theonly thing an army can do with a wind-broken or foundered horse is to eat it.

What kind of care does stock require onthe march? The most important thing isalways having grain to eat. An army thattries to feed its stock on grass alone loses05% of its horses and 03% of its mules onthe fourth day of such treatment (this means05% or 03% of the beginning total, not thesteadily decreasing current number) and onevery day thereafter. An animal marchedwith inadequate water will founder in 5days.

Rest is almost as crucial. No fully loadedanimal should be marched more than 8hours per day at a walking pace if the ani-mal is laboring under a pack-saddle and fullload. (Well-fed cavalry horses can travel for8 hours at a walk-trot-walk pace; they cannever gallop for more than about twentyminutes straight without injury.) One dayout of every 6, all animals must rest un-loaded for a full day. What�s more, sinceanimals won�t graze in the dark in unfamil-iar territory, the army must wait each morn-ing and camp early enough each night toallow the stock at least an hour of grazing,depending on how lush the available fodderis.

If a commander insists on a forced

march, or if one is absolutely necessary, hisstock will pay for it. A forced march isdefined as moving more than 8 hours in aday at normal speed or moving 8 hours aday at faster than normal speed, that is, atfaster than a walk-trot-walk for laden ani-mals or gallop-trot-walk-gallop for cavalry.Well-fed stock can make a forced march of 2days without harm, provided that they canrest for a full day afterward. If not, andespecially if the forced march continues, thearmy will lose 10% of its horses and 05% ofits mules on that third day, as it will also doon the fourth day. If a forced march con-tinues without a day of rest past that point,the army will lose 20% (of the beginningtotal) of all stock every day the march con-tinues. These penalties are cumulative.Stock fed only on grass or watered inade-quately as well as being force-marched willfounder at a doubled rate.

Moving it alongNow we can turn to the daily movement

rate of an army and see that the crucialpoint is not how many miles an hour anarmy can march, but how many hours aday it can stay on the march. The hourlymovement rate for an army will be muchthe same as for an individual foot soldier,that is, 3 miles per hour. (This rate has tobe modified for terrain, of course, using thereferee�s own system.) What the referee hasto determine is how many hours a day willbe available for moving at this rate.

The first thing that the gamemaster hasto consider is any limitations imposed bytraveling with carts. As we�ve seen, oxcartscan only travel 5 hours a day, period. Al-though horses can keep pulling for 8 hours,cart breakdowns will cause delays, so thathorsecarts will be on the road only 6 hours aday.

If the army is traveling with a pack train,food will be the main limiting factor. Insummer, with sufficient food, the army canindeed move a full 8 hours per day. In theshort days of spring and fall, taking time tolet the horses graze reduces movement to 6hours per day. If the army needs supplies,the referee has to determine how manyhours it will take to provision the army.Specific figures for all situations are impos-sible to give here, but I suggest that buyingfood takes at least 2 hours and extorting it 4hours, for 1 day�s worth of food. This timeshould be doubled for 2-3 days� worth andtripled for 4-5 days� worth. It�s thus possiblefor a large army to spend several days ac-quiring provisions.

There are a number of optional factorsthat the gamemaster might wish to take intoaccount when determining available march-ing time. Since a grumbling, disorganizedarmy takes a long time to get moving, thereferee could penalize demoralized troopsfor an hour of march time. If water isscarce, there could be penalties for the timespent searching for it. Finally, if an army ismarching into unknown territory, the game-

D R A G O N 1 5

master could decide that it must spendseveral hours a day waiting for advancescouts to rejoin the group.

By taking account of logistics and usingthis system of determining available marchtime, daily movement will range from 10miles per day for an army using oxcarts to24 miles per day for a well-provisionedarmy with a pack train. Since these ratesare much lower than those in most gamesystems, let’s look at a couple of historicalexamples to see if the system is accurate.Alexander the Great’s army, the speed ofwhich absolutely dazzled the ancient world,averaged 20 miles a day. During the Nor-man Conquest, King Harold, desperatethough he was to engage William, took afull week to march the 135 miles from Yorkto London. Charlemagne’s army, whichused oxcarts, averaged 8 to 10 miles a day.

Any player, therefore, who wants tomarch 60 miles in two days — just becausethe rules in his system allow it — is delud-ing himself, as the gamemaster is now in aposition to point out.

Logistics and the gameIncluding logistics in a campaign does

more than add a certain sour note of real-ism to play. Gamers forced to operatewithin the limits of their armies will have tomake fascinating strategic decisions, whilegamemasters can add those extra touchesthat keep campaigns dangerous to the over-bold and rewarding to the clever.

To begin with, player characters can’tTo begin with, player characters can’traise large armies and march off to war atraise large armies and march off to war atthe drop of a helmet. While the would-becommanders are scouring the countrysidecommanders are scouring the countrysidefor necessary animals and supplies, thefor necessary animals and supplies, thereferee has opportunities for diplomacy,referee has opportunities for diplomacy,negotiation, and downright treachery. Play-negotiation, and downright treachery. Play-ers will also have to send out spies or scoutsers will also have to send out spies or scoutsto find the logistical information they’llto find the logistical information they’llneed while on the march. Even more to theneed while on the march. Even more to thepoint, planning march routes on the basis ofpoint, planning march routes on the basis ofavailable supplies and securing supply linesavailable supplies and securing supply linesbecome essential parts of strategy, as in thebecome essential parts of strategy, as in thereality of war. A player character who canreality of war. A player character who canfeed his army while forcing an opponentfeed his army while forcing an opponentinto barren territory has won a victoryinto barren territory has won a victoryworth ten battles.worth ten battles.

Logistics also evens the odds betweenLogistics also evens the odds betweenlarge armies with stupid commanders andlarge armies with stupid commanders andsmall ones with brilliant commanders. Insmall ones with brilliant commanders. Innon-technological armies, movement andnon-technological armies, movement andposition mean as much as total shockposition mean as much as total shockstrength or firepower. Rather than forcingstrength or firepower. Rather than forcingcostly pitched battles, the outnumberedcostly pitched battles, the outnumberedleader can attempt to control grain-richleader can attempt to control grain-richareas and well-stocked towns and thusareas and well-stocked towns and thusdictate his larger opponent’s movements.dictate his larger opponent’s movements.The smaller army also has the opportunityThe smaller army also has the opportunityto use “scorched earth” strategies to starveto use “scorched earth” strategies to starvethe enemy or to wage a guerrilla warthe enemy or to wage a guerrilla waragainst enemy foraging squads without everagainst enemy foraging squads without everengaging the main body of troops.engaging the main body of troops.

When it comes to sieges, logistics takesWhen it comes to sieges, logistics takesthe center of the stage. The referee shouldthe center of the stage. The referee shouldremember that the besiegers need to eat justremember that the besiegers need to eat just

as much as the besieged do. By keepingtrack of the food taken from the surround-ing countryside, the gamemaster may wellfind that the besiegers have eaten the terri-tory bare. In that case, they will either haveto negotiate with the besieged or else bringin supplies from a distant area. Such longsupply lines will be in danger from attacksby allies of the besieged, as well as drainingmen from the siege itself.

Logistics are so important to a medievalcampaign that the historian H.J. Hewittwrote: “Medieval warfare is not solely, noreven largely, battles and sieges. For weeksand even months on end, it is militarypressure exerted by the destruction of life,property, and the means by which life ismaintained” — that is, fields, farms, andlivestock. A player character who neglectsthis important truth should learn his mis-takes the hard way, just as Napoleon didduring the invasion of Russia. It was thenthat the great general forgot his own goodadvice: “An army marches on its stomach.”

BibliographyBeeler, John, Warfare in Feudal Europe,

Cornell University Press.Grigg, D. B., The Agricultural Systems

of the World, Cambridge University Press.Engels, Donald, Alexander the Great and

the Logistics of the Macedonian Army,University of California Press.

Tellen, Maurice, The Draft HorsePrimer, Rodale Press.

16 FEBRUARY 1985

Same dice, different oddsDivided rolls add variety and uncertaintyby David G. Weeks

In a gaming campaign or even just asingle adventure, many occasions arisewhen a referee must devise a method forrolling damage, or for generating a randomnumber in some non-standard fashion. Therules of the game provide figures for all thestandard monsters, weapons, magical at-tacks, or whatnot. But often a new creature,trap, hazard, or other device will be createdin order to surprise and amuse the players.If a new weapon or attack form is intro-duced, this may require some different rulefor calculating damage or some other ran-domly determined result. In most cases, thisresult is arrived at by the roll of a die, or bycalculating the sum of several rolls of thesame type of die. This article delineatessome of the limitations of this standardapproach, and suggests some of the possiblealternatives.

Plotting the distribution of the roll of aparticular die or group of dice yields agraphic illustration which indicates thefrequency of occurrence of that specific roll.In other words, this type of graphing chartsthe chance of a specific number (say, 3 on1d6) appearing when considering all thepossible results (1 through 6 on 1d6) thatcould be obtained. Figure 1a plots the rollof a single die. This is a flat, or linear,distribution: each result has the samechance of occurring. Figure 1b, on the otherhand, represents a bell-curve distribution:when several dice are rolled, each result nolonger has the same chance of occurring.(With 2d6, results of 2 or 12 occur lessfrequently than any results between thosetwo extremes.) The top of the curve indi-cates the number that occurs most often.(For 2d6, this number is 7.) Traveling fromthat high point down both sides of thecurve, the frequency of each possible resultdecreases symmetrically; the numbers thatcorrespond to each end of the curve havethe same frequency, but that frequency ismuch less than that of the number at thetop of the curve.

Figure 1a and Figure 1b have one ele-ment in common: symmetry. In contrast,Figure 1c diagrams an asymmetric distribu-tion. If a dice roll using an asymmetricdistribution were used for damage calcula-tions, the long tail at the right of the figurewould represent a small chance for damagefar beyond the typical (average) amount.

The chance of an extraordinary event �in this case, abnormally high damage � isusually beneficial to the enjoyment of thegame. Player characters become more waryof an adversary who can occasionally inflict

great damage, and overcoming the chal-lenge then proves to be more satisfying.And, giving player characters the chance todo extraordinary damage encourages themto keep trying when they otherwise mightnot do so, and helps to build a legacy ofmemorable events in the campaign.

The extraordinary event must be, bydefinition, rare. Low-probability events canbe found in Figures 1b and 1c, where theheight of the curve is low: the long tails onboth sides of the bell curve, and the long tailon the high (right) end of the asymmetriccurve. Both curves have a long right tail; ingame terms, this means high damage with alow probability. The sum of several rolls ofidentical dice gives a distribution like that ofFigure 1b, the bell curve. Why, then, useanything else? The problem with the bellcurve is that its average result is a highernumber than the average result on an asym-metric curve with the same maximumvalue. For example, the distribution of a4d4 dice roll does not have very long tails,but the average is 10. In a certain case, thereferee may want the maximum result to berelatively high, but not at the expense of ahigh average result. Therefore, a method

Figure 1a

that renders a small probability for abnor-mally high damage, yet that has a reasona-bly low average damage level, must befound.

A divided die roll is created by dividingthe result of one roll by another roll. Forinstance, for a d20/d4 divided die roll,simply roll a d20 and a d4, divide the num-ber on the d20 by the number on the d4,and round the result to the nearest integer.(For certain purposes, you may want toround all fractions up, to avoid a result of0.) The distribution of d20/d4 is plotted inFigure 2. This diagram is an asymmetricdistribution just like the one in Figure 1c.The most common number produced willbe between 1 and 6 inclusive, but there is aslight chance that the damage could go ashigh as 20. (Specifically, there is a 1-in-80chance of this happening.) The averageresult is approximately 5.6, which is almostthe same as the average for a roll of 1d10.So, substituting a d20/d4 die roll for a 1d10roll leaves the average result essentially thesame, but adds the chance of rolling valuesfrom 11 to 20.

A few examples will help to illustrate thepossible uses of divided rolls. Some low-level monsters in the AD&D® game (e.g., alarge spider) do 1 hit point of damage witha successful hit. A similar creature, how-ever, could do d4/d6 of damage. Some ofthe time, no damage will be done -2/5and 1/3, for example, are less than 1/2, sothe result would be rounded down to 0.(The attack was enough to be felt, but itproved to be little more than a scratch.Occasionally, though, the damage could beas high as 4 points. The d4/d6 methodproduces an average roll of about 1. A d10/d20 roll is another alternative here. A muchgreater chance of no damage exists, but themaximum possible damage is 10 (when thed10 roll is 10 and the d20 roll is 1).

Generally, a hit from a bare fist does 1-2hit points of damage. This is an average of1.5. Two divided rolls that can be used

Figure 1b

18 FEBRUARY 1985

Figure 1c Figure 2

instead are d4/d4 and d8/d8. Which systemyou should choose depends on how high youwant the maximum damage to be; thisfigure is always the maximum of the firstdie (the one before the slash). The highermaximum damage of a d8/d8 roll is bal-anced, however, by a greater chance of aresult of 0. Similarly, a dart does 1-2 pointsof damage against large opponents. This iscommonly determined by ½d4. Replacingthe ½d4 roll with d8/d8 could result in thedart merely scratching the monster�s hide(no damage). Once in a while, however, adart strike can be as vicious as a good swordblow. Those reluctant to change the rulesfor all darts could introduce a new type ofdart � perhaps one with a longer, thinnerpoint. Often the point bends or breaks �but if it hits solid, watch out.

A dagger does d4 (1-4) points of damageagainst small or medium opponents. Itseems that a dagger-like weapon could bemore deadly than this. Any of three dividedrolls could be used instead of d4: the rolls ofd8/d4, d12/d6, and d20/dl2 would be ap-propriate. These three choices provide agood selection for potential damage. With ad8/d4 roll, 8 points of damage is the maxi-mum � enough to kill any zero-level type,as well as many first-level characters. How-ever, there is but a 1-in-32 chance of rollingthis result. The d20/d12 roll, on the otherhand, has a much greater maximum of 20� enough to fell the average third-level

lighter in one blow. But there is also abouta 13% chance that the blow will do nodamage. (In contrast, the chance of nodamage with d8/d4 is only 6%.)

Divided die rolls can be useful in manysituations not covered by the rules. Forinstance, consider the problem of determin-ing damage caused by a rockslide that hasstruck a group of adventurers. Rolling aseparate amount of damage for each partymember would be a logical procedure.Some characters might get hit with reallybig rocks, whereas others would suffer onlya hail of pebbles. The maximum damagefrom a rockslide should be very high, whilethe average damage should be moderate.Perhaps it would wipe out a first-level party,but in a fifth- to seventh-level party, onlythe really unlucky would die. Let�s try adivided roll of d100/d10: in the long run,5% of the rolls will generate damage of 50hit points or more. The average damage isaround 15, and over half of the time dam-age will be less than 10. This sort of diceroll would also be well suited to a monsterwith a powerful breath weapon or othermagical attack form. Braving such a crea-ture would be an acceptable risk for even amoderately low-level party � yet the attackhas the potential to slay all but the strongestcharacters. This is a situation guaranteed togenerate excitement.

Some game systems allow for the possibil-ity of a �critical hit� � that is, an extraor-dinarily rare blow that does an extremelyhigh amount of damage. Many of thecritical-hit systems (both official and unoffi-cial) used by referees call for an extraordi-

nary result on a roll of 20 on the attempt tohit. Applying this sort of rule to the AD&Dgame combat system, we can see that itleads to some odd results. For instance, anorc that attacks a human who has an armorclass of -1 will always score a critical hit if ithits at all (because the orc needs a 20 to hitAC -1). A frost giant attacking that samehuman will achieve a critical hit only one-tenth of the time that the giant scores a hit(because it hits on 11 or better, and 20 isjust one of ten numbers that indicate a hit).Overall, both monsters have the samechance for a critical hit � a 1-in-20 chance.But the �to hit� roll already reflects thedefender�s armor class, the attacker�s level,any magic defenses and weapons, dexterityadjustments, and so on. It should not beroutinely burdened by carrying any moreinformation. For all these reasons, the rarechance of exceptional damage � if this is tobe a part of the combat system � should becarried within the damage roll itself.

Critical-hit systems also commonly havea provision for automatic death, but divideddie rolls include no such provision. If deathis a desired possibility for every blow, re-gardless of the attacker�s power or the de-fender�s hit points, then another systemmust be used. This point should also benoted: critical-hit systems diminish thevalue of gaining experience levels, since thechance of dying from a critical hit is notreduced at all as a character gains levels;however, monsters, spells, and magical

weapons that can (according to the rules)cause instant death become less special,because lesser creatures or weapons can dothe same thing, just less often.

Determining the number of creaturesappearing in an encounter is another gooduse of the divided die roll. For example,d100/d4 could be used for creatures thattend to lair in large numbers, but that huntor patrol in smaller groups. A d100/d4 rollhas an average result of about 26, andabout half of the time, it will be 20 or less.Some monsters appear singly or in pairs.Beholders, for example, are listed in theMonster Manual as appearing singly only.The logic behind this fact is that they aretoo voracious for two to share a territory(see DRAGON® Magazine, issue #76, p.6).Yet since the monsters are intelligent andlawful, there seems to be no reason why asmall group of beholders cannot be occa-sionally encountered. When a d4/d6 roll issubstituted for the number appearing, ahigh-level party might come to regret itscasually considered frontal assault on abeholder�s lair when the party discovers thatthe resident beholder has invited two orthree of its friends over for a game of �zapthe humans.� A result of 0 could be treatedin three ways: it could mean no encounter,the 0 could be changed to 1 (though thisraises the average), or it could mean thatthe party does not (yet) encounter the be-holder, but acquires evidence that the mon-ster is nearby.

D R A G O N 1 9

Treasure, either the number of coins of aparticular type or the value of a particularitem, can be generated with divided rolls.Suppose a referee plans to have 1-20 gemsin a particular hoard. The average of6d6/d4 is almost the same as a roll of 1d20,but the range is from 1-36. Alternatively, ad100/d20 roll could be used; it has a loweraverage result than 1d20 (about 9 instead of10.5) but a higher maximum one. Theprinciple is the same as that for damage:excitement is enhanced when there is achance for treasure much greater than theaverage.

Sometimes, a roll that goes the other wayis desired � a large chance of getting aresult near the maximum, with a long tailon the low end. To get this effect, make thedivided roll as usual, then subtract theresult from the maximum roll possible. Forexample, there is a pool of water into whichthe party might suddenly need to dive inorder to escape some monster. The pool isas deep as 20 feet in some places, averages15 feet, and has occasional shallow spots.Characters who dive into shallow spots willtake damage. A d20/d4 roll has an averageof 5.5 and a maximum of 20. So, 20 minusd20/d4 has an average of 14.5 (20 minus5.5), with results that also (like the�straight� divided roll) range from 0 to 20.

To help the referee select the right dividedroll for a particular purpose, a number ofpossibilities are listed in Table 1. The bestway to use the table is to decide first what

the average should be, then select a dividedroll with an average close to the desiredfigure. If several are close, then the onewith the range that seems the most appro-priate should be used. If a roll with anaverage larger than any of those listed isneeded, one method should be selected andits results multiplied. For example, thereferee wants an average result of around100. In the table, 6d6/d4 has an average of10.9, so [6d6/d4 x 9] has an average of 98.1(which is probably close enough to thetarget average of 100). The maximum iscalculated in similar fashion: the highestresult of 6d6/d4 is 36, and 36 x 9 = 324.

The examples described in this articleillustrate how divided rolls can be used andhow their use might improve a campaign.Obviously, the bite of a large spider cannotalways be replaced with a damage roll ofd4/d6, nor can the depth of every pool bedetermined by [20 minus d20/d4]. It is upto the referee to decide when a divided rollmight be useful, and which combination ofdice to use. It may take a little time to findthe appropriate divided roll for a specificpurpose, but this can be done before playbegins, when time matters a little less. Therolls take a little longer to read, but theextra time can be reduced by using a calcu-lator. Though the examples were derivedfrom the AD&D® game system, the uses ofdivided rolls can extend to just about anyrole-playing game system.

TABLE 1Selected divided rolls

Divided P(0)roll

d10/d20d4/d6d4/d4d8/d8d6/d4d10/d8d20/d20d8/d4d12/d6d20/d12d12/d4d20/d8d20/d6d30/d10d30/d8d20/d43d8/d63d8/d4d100/d204d8/d46d6/d4d100/d125d10/d4d100/d10d100/d8d100/d6d100/d4

Avg. Near 95%

1.0 1 .45 31.1 1 .25 21.4 1-2 .13 31.6 1-2 .19 41.9 1-3 .08 41.9 1-3 .15 61.9 1-3 .23 62.4 d4 .06 62.7 d4 .08 82.8 d4 .13 93.5 d6 .04 93.6 d6 .08 124.4 d8 .05 144.6 d8 .07 155.3 d10 .05 185.6 d10 .03 165.6 d10 0 157.1 2d6 0 169.1 2d8 .05 339.5 2d8 0 21

11.0 d20 0 2413.1 3d8 .03 4614.4 4d6 0 3214.8 6d4 .02 5017.2 5d6 .02 6020.7 6d6 .01 7026.4 6d8 .01 80

Avg. is the average result of the roll.Near is a conventional roll with an aver-

age near that of the divided roll.P(0) is the probability of a result of zero.9.5% lists the number that 95% of the

rolls are at or below.

20 FEBRUARY 1985

22 FEBRUARY 1985

This long shot of the entire diorama shows therealism appearance and placement of the foliage,which conceals most of the activity within untilyou look more closely. The small patch of red inthe upper right corner of the scene is the crest onthe top of the reptiliad leader�s helmet, visiblebecause the figure is standing on a log, spurringhis troops on to victory.

Reptiliad Attack wins bigText by Photos byKim Eastland Dan Sample

The last two issues of DRAGON® Maga- ters competition. The scene includes dozens surrounding foliage, even scratch-builtzine have contained photographs of some of of figures from RAFM�s Reptiliad line � snakes � in short, enough features to keepthe prize-winning entries from the Minia- regular infantry, Gilla-Worm Infantry, someone looking at the diorama for severalture Open contest at the 1984 GEN CON® Gilla-Worm Cavalry mounted on War minutes just to take in everything that�sConvention � but we saved the best for Newts, and War Turtles that lead the army�s there to see. Every element of the composi-last. Pictured on these two pages is Repti- push through this patch of swampland. tion works together to produce a realisticliad Attack by Eric Heaps of Milwaukee, There are spotters in the trees and many scene that stands as a goal for next year�sthe diorama that won the prestigious Mas- figures that are all but obscured by the contestants to shoot for.

If you were hidden in a thicket just off the beatenpath, this is what you would see as the reptiliad

army advanced past your position. The WarNewt Light Cavalry and the Reptiliad Infantry

figures show up well, and we get a good close-upglimpse of the trees, ground cover, and foliage

that Eric constructed.

This striking aerial photograph gives some indi-cation of the complexity and detail throughoutthe diorama. As the War Turtles advance througha clearing, the dart throwers on the back of theturtle in the center stand ready to assault any-thing that moves.

D R A G O N 2 3

The ecology of

the chimera

by Ed GreenwoodElminster sighed. �Well, it�s one of the

�classical� monsters, sung of by every bardand written of by every sage and too manyothers pretending to sagacity, so I�m notsurprised you asked about it.� He waved hispipe at me. �Now mind, there�s the chi-mera proper, and its crossbreeds, of whichmany types are rumored, but only twoconfirmed: the gorgimera and the thes-salmera.�

�Thessalmera?� I repeated, astonished.�There is such a thing as the offspring of achimera and a thessalhydra?�

�Aye. And a more ugly, ungainly, anddeadly creature you cannot imagine.Thankfully, they cannot breed.� The sagesucked on his pipe and considered. �You�llbe wanting a story, of course, and all that Ican recall are untrue.� At my questioningeyebrow he continued: �All of the balladsand folktales concerning chimerae are al-ways either simple, bloody fights with them,and this or that hero prevailing � or theyinvolve heroes and heroines too weak tofight a chimera, who overcame it and slewit, stole from it, or escaped from it by set-ting its various heads to arguing amongthemselves.

�This is pure piffle. Chimerae are toostupid to argue. They know only when toattack and eat weak opponents or withdrawwhen badly hurt. Instinct tells them what isgood to eat, what is too hot or too cold forcomfort, and when to mate. Most sagesthink of chimerae as somewhat less cunningthan dragons, but otherwise about the same

24 FEBRUARY 1985

as a foe, and they could not be more wrong.I�ve found only one report in my librarythat is correct � and you will note that it iscorrect only because it is so vague andincomplete.�

Elminster then read me the followingreport. The added footnotes represent theconclusions drawn by the author fromElminster�s detailed additions, comments,and explanations, for the study of chimeraewas a hobby of his in the days when heworked with the late Laelun of Teshendale.

From the De Naturis Rerum (�About theThings of Nature�) of Alaphondar, SageMost Learned of the Royal Court of KingCormyr:

Of the weird and misbegotten creaturesof nature, most repellent and infamous tomen, one of the most ungainly and terribleis the thankfully rare chimera.

Chimeras (or �chimerae�) have threeheads: a goat head well equipped for crop-ping grass and the eating of all manner ofrotting vegetables and the like; a lion headadmirably suited for battling and devouringgame � and a dragon head that can roastflesh and subdue even the strongest prey:man himself. It is an old and cruel joke thatthe chimera is the only beast that cooks itsrepast to the desired degree before partak-ing � old men roasted well done, butyoung ones only toasted medium rare.Much else is said, often wrongly, about thismonster most foul, so herein I do set downthe record straight.

A chimera is a stupid beast, but it needslittle finesse to survive with the powers itpossesses. It seldom cooperates with othercreatures, but only rarely does one chimerafight with another. A chimera ranges widelywhile hunting, trusting to its powers to keepit safe from harm, avoiding only large citiesor the lairs of creatures that have bested itbefore. It is a clumsy flier,1 able to use itsfiery breath, or only one of its heads, or itsclaws, in aerial combat. It prefers to pouncefrom flight or high ground onto prey, usingits bulk to drive its victim to the ground,where it can rake with its lionlike foreclawsand bite unhampered.2

Chimeras are omnivorous, but prefer todine on raw flesh. They kill their preythemselves, rather than scavenging or hunt-ing with other creatures. They are largelysolitary, banding together with others oftheir own kind only for short periods toundertake specific hunts or to mate. Chime-ras take no permanent companions, butoften mate with another of their own kindupon first encounter.3

These beasts have awesome powers of vitality and regeneration.4 In a month, one can grow a new head to replace one that islost or badly damaged. The creature can, ofits own will, cut off the blood supply to adamaged head. Then it will ram and rubagainst rocks to remove the wounded ap-pendage, or sometimes bargain with an-other creature to devour or remove theuseless flesh. If a chimera loses its dragonhead, it will hide in its lair until the headgrows back and the creature regains its

power to breathe fire (a gas-producinginternal organ is involved). This entireprocess takes between two and threemonths.

Chimeras speak a grunting, crude formof red dragon language, and sometimesbargain with red dragons for prey and aid,in return for treasure or spell scrolls. Achimera hides such treasure (gained fromprey) in its lair, usually under a concealinglayer of boulders. Chimera lairs are typi-cally in caverns, disused mines, or ruinedcastles, particularly if the latter structuresrise high to command a view of the sur-rounding terrain.

The origin of the chimera is unknown;some believe it was human experimentationthat initially caused the interbreeding of ared dragon, a lion, and a goat. The truth islost in the mists of time; it is only certainthat chimeras are now a stable, if rare,species, and can breed with their own kind(to produce chimeras), with red dragons (toproduce more chimeras), with lions (toproduce lions), with gorgons (to produce thesterile gorgimera), or with thessalhydrae (toproduce the sterile thessalmera).

Notes1. A chimera is of maneuverability class

E, as are its cousins the gorgimera andthessalmera. The creature�s body is verybulky, so even its powerful dragon-wingscan do little more than keep the chimeraaloft; high speed and abrupt sharp turns areout of the question, which is why the beastonly uses flight as a means to gain a

positional advantage over a ground-basedopponent. A chimera will almost nevervoluntarily engage in aerial combat withanother flying creature, not even one asungainly as itself.

2. The fiery breath of a chimera does asmuch as 3-24 points of damage to a targetwithin a 5� distance from its dragon head,in a cone-shaped area 2� in diameter at thefarthest point. Against a formidable foe, itwill use this attack as frequently as possible(as often as once per round, up to 6 timesper day). In a less challenging situation, thecreature will rely on its claw, hoof, and biteattacks and only use its breath weapon on a50% chance (roll separately for each roundof combat). A target within the area ofeffect can take only half damage by makinga successful saving throw vs. breathweapon.

A chimera�s lion head bites for 3-12points of damage, the slash of its goathead�s horns can do 1-2 points of damage ifa target presents itself, and its dragon headdoes 2-8 points of damage on every bite thathits. The lion foreclaws do 1-4 damageeach, and the hooves on its rear goat-legs do1-3 points of damage each from kicking(only possible against targets behind orbelow the chimera). The creature�s tail andwings do no damage, but can buffet, trip,distract, and sometimes even knock overopponents. A chimera is capable of wieldingall of its various appendages against sepa-rate foes simultaneously. Its scaled, sinuousdragon head is armor class 2, its leatherywings AC 5, and its vast, bulky body (in-cluding the lion and goat heads) is AC 6.

A gorgimera�s body is entirely AC 2except for the gorgonlike hindquarters andbull-head, which are AC 5. A thessalmera�sbody is AC 0, except for the gorgon-head(AC 5) and the wings and dragon-head(both AC 2).

3. The mating of two chimerae will pro-duce offspring only 30% of the time. Whenit is successful, the mother will give birth to1-3 small, mewling, helpless young 6-9months afterward. (The gestation period islonger when multiple births are involved.)For a month after giving birth, the motherhunts for the young, dragging her kills backto the lair, and then leaves them to fend forthemselves. By this time the young canbreathe fire (3� range, 2-12 damage, savefor half damage, same frequency limits asan adult). A young chimera does 1-6 dam-age with its lion bite, 1-4 with its dragonbite, and 1 point of damage apiece with anyof its claw or hoof attacks. Immature chime-ras are size S (2� at shoulder), can move 9�on land but only fly at 12� (for a maximumof 2 rounds at a time before needing to restfor 1 round). They have 3 HD and haveAC figures of 8/7/4.

For 3 months after being left alone, theyoung will hunt together out of mutualnecessity. At the end of this time they willhave grown to 7 HD and acquired full adultpowers, except that they can only breathe

fire 4 times per day. At 4 months of age theystrike out on their own, and 2 months laterthey reach full adult size (9 HD) andpowers. Thereafter they may slowly gainweight with age and heavy eating. Chime-ras sometimes mate with gorgons (see Mon-ster Manual II, �Gorgimera�) orthessalhydrae (see below).

T H E S S A L M E R A

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 5/2/0MOVE: 12�/18�HIT DICE: 10% IN LAIR: 40%TREASURE TYPE: All possible, lair onlyNO. OF ATTACKS: See belowDAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 (x6 to x8)/

1-12 (tail)/2-8/3-12SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon;

poisonSPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to petri-

fication and acidMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: AnimalALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: L (12� tall, 20� long)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

The very rare thessalmera lairs inswamps, jungles, or caverns, and can en-dure extremes of climate with impunity. Asterile crossbreed of thessalhydra and chi-mera, the cunning thessalmera is oftenfound close to civilization (where it can feedupon isolated bands of travelers or uponlivestock, hunting in stealth by night). Itpreys chiefly on the choicest of red-bloodedcreatures: man.

The thessalmera has the scaled, lizardlikebody and pincer-clawed tail of the thes-salhydra, six to eight snakelike heads, acentral lion�s head, and a red dragonlikehead. The dragon head can bite for 2-8points of damage or (up to 6 times a day)breathe fire in a cone up to 5� distant, ½�wide at its jaws and widening to 2� across atmaximum range. This breath weapon does3-24 points of damage, or half damage if thetarget makes a save vs. breath weapon(objects save vs. normal fire). The lion jawsbite and rend prey for 3-12 damage. Thepincerlike tail does 1-12 damage on a hit,and can grasp one M-sized or smaller oppo-nent, holding that victim immobile (roll lessthan Str on d20 to escape, one attemptallowed per round). The snakelike heads do1-6 damage per bite, plus an extra 1-6 oneach hit from the creature�s acidic venom(unless the victim saves vs. poison). Thethessalmera cannot spit its acidic venom likea thessalhydra can.

4. Chimerae, gorgimerae, and thessalme-rae can all regenerate 2 hit points of damageevery 24 hours, regardless of activitiesengaged in during that time. They are alsoall resistant to fire (+3 on saving throws vs.all types of heat and fire) and immune to

D R A G O N 2 5

W r i t e o n !W r i t e o n !Got a question about an article? Asubject you�d like us to cover � ornot cover? What do you think of themagazine you�re reading? Drop us aline at �Out on a Limb,� P.O. Box110; Lake Geneva WI 53147. We�llread every letter we get, and we�llselect certain letters of general in-terest for publication � maybe evenyours!

petrification, and the thessalmera (like itsthessalhydra parent) is also immune to theeffects of any sort of acid. The naturallifespans of these three creatures are un-known, but are thought to be more than 30years in every case.

A mature chimera has 9 hit dice, distrib-uted as follows: dragon head 2, lion head 2,goat head 1, wings ½ each, and body 3. Itsdragon head can swivel 360 degrees aboutto attack creatures behind, above, or belowthe chimera, and its long, scaled neck candart with great speed (in 1 segment) up to1� outward, or around corners, etc., tobreathe fire at opponents. The chimera

never falls into a complete, deep sleep;rather, one or two of its heads will nap atone time while the third remains watchful,able to bring the whole beast awake andalert in an instant.

The hit dice of a mature gorgimera aredistributed identically to those of a chimera,except that the gorgon head has 2 hit dice,whereas the chimera�s goat head has only 1,and the creature sleeps in a like manner.

A thessalmera (see above) has hit dice asfollows: dragon head 2, lion head 2, tail 1,body 5. The snakelike heads can be severedby dealing them 12 points of damage each,but harming or severing one or more ofthem does not diminish the HP total of therest of the creature. The venom of the thes-salmera loses its efficacy upon the death ofthe creature, and has not yet been success-fully duplicated or preserved by alchemists.

Chimerae and gorgimerae are too stupidfor their heads to argue among themselves,and are in any case immune to their ownbreath weapons. A thessalmera is alwayscontrolled by its lion head unless it is de-stroyed or damaged, whereupon the dragonhead takes over; if that is also destroyed, athessalmera will become a semi-intelligent,frenzied killing machine, fearlessly andrecklessly attacking all living creatures itcan perceive and reach. When all suchcreatures are slain and eaten, it will seek alair and remain hidden therein until its lionand dragon heads have regenerated.

26 FEBRUARY 1985

D R A G O N 2 7

(From page 6)situation that can be handled by either one couldbe handled by the other equally well. The rulesspecify the reaction roll table; so be it.

You and Mr. Heiles both missed the main pointof multiplying by 5 and using d100, namely thatthere�s nothing sacred about the number 5. Foreasy tasks where even low-attribute charactershave a good chance, you can multiply the attrib-ute score by, say, 8, 10, 15, or 20 (with 00 still anautomatic miss � even a dexterity 18 charactercan plant his foot on something that slips as hemakes his leap). For hard tasks you can multiplyby 3, 1, or ½. Dexterity times ½ on d100 is areal test, yet even the clumsiest cleric has achance (unlike the reaction roll table, I mightadd, where charisma 3 has no chance of a friendlyreaction).

By the way, some other FRP games (Bushidoand Runequest, for example) make quite exten-sive use of attribute checks. It is even possible tobase the mechanics of a system on attributechecks alone (see The Fantasy Trip).

Ralph SizerProvidence, R. I.

* * * *

A reader wrote to you in issue #92 about yourusing the name �Dwalin� in your Norsemythology-based module �Aesirhamar� whenthe name was also used in J. R. R. Tolkien�swork.

On page 125 of Daniel Grotta-Kurska�s biogra-phy J. R. R. Tolkien: Architect of Middle Earth,it says: �The names of the dwarfs in The Hobbit,for example, were not invented by Tolkien, butlifted intact from The Elder Edda. In that work,the dwarfs� names were Durin, Dwalin, Dain,Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Nori, Thrain, Thorin,Thror, Fili, Kili, Fundin, Gloin, Dori, and Ori(there was even a Gandalf).�

The same book quotes Tolkien as saying, �Igave the dwarfs actual Norse names which are inNorse books.�

Since the name of Dwalin was invented centu-ries before Tolkien ever used it, how can there beanything wrong or illegal about using it?

Roy CozierRupert, Idaho

* * * *

In a letter in issue #92, Tim Evenson statesthat it is a �fact� that bats are blind and thereforewonders how they can have infravision in thearticle �Bats that do more than bite.� This issimply not true.

I normally have no problem accepting any ofthe monsters in the AD&D game system, eitherin the official books or those presented in yourmagazine. After all, there are no real dragons,orcs, dwarves, or, for that matter, most of themonsters found in the game. But for some rea-son, certain readers always are writing to say thatthis or that monster is not �realistic,� when infact it doesn�t even exist. They are mythical tobegin with, so why try and make them fit into thereal world in the first place?

My profession is that of naturalist, and a lot ofmy time is spent trying to educate people aboutthe plants and animals around them. A large part

of this is the squelching of rumors concerninganimals who have a poor reputation with thegeneral public, such as snakes, bats, and spiders.

In truth, bats can see very well. But since mosthunt at night, they have developed a superbecholocation system to allow them to locate prey.Other bats are fruit eaters, and these bats areactive during the day and �hunt� fruit using onlytheir eyesight. The saying �blind as a bat� issimply an old wives� tale.

It is one thing to argue about whether or not achimera is �realistic,� but another to perpetuatemyths about animals that really do exist in ourworld. Bats are not blind, they do not all carryrabies, and they do not get entangled in women�shair. Please bring these facts to the attention ofyour readers.

In the meantime, keep up the good work inbringing us the fantastic monsters that are onlymeant to exist in an AD&D game universe.

Gary A. NelsonNew Lenox. Ill.

GuidelinesIf you�re interested in contributing anarticle to DRAGON® Magazine, thefirst thing you need is a copy of ourguidelines for writers. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to�Writer�s guidelines,� c/o DRAGONM a g a z i n e , P . O . B o x 1 1 0 , L a k eGeneva WI 53147; and we�ll sendyou back a sheet with all the basicinformation you need to make sureyour manuscript has the best possi-ble chance of being accepted.

30 FEBRUARY 1985

Game review

Playing in the modern eraMS&PE package provides both fun and freedom

After finishing a book by Fleming orChandler, don�t you sometimes wish thatyou could take a character into that worldand follow along with Bond or Marlowe,encountering the �monsters� lurking in thedark alleys or dingy brownstones of today?Sometimes we get carried away with all ofthe fantasy role-playing adventure games onthe market and forget that there are othertimes and places where we can adventure.Cinema and television offer us many differ-ent possibilities for adventure right here inthe modern world. There�s the super-spyworld of James Bond or Napoleon Solo, thedirty-grey world of Philip Marlowe or MikeHammer, even the explosive arena of theA-Team. All of these worlds are rich inadventure. To complete the package, weneed a set of rules that enable players toexplore the potential for adventure in themodern world.

The MERCENARIES, SPIES, &PRIVATE EYES� game, by Michael Stack-pole, is just such a set of rules for role-playing in the modern era. Released twoyears ago by Blade (the game division ofFlying Buffalo), the game consists of asingle 112-page rule book and sells for$9.95. As might be guessed from its title,MS&PE permits you to play almost everytype of modern adventuring character.

Characters are created for this game byrolling three six-sided dice, once for each ofsix characteristics; if any roll comes uptriples, two more dice are rolled and addedto the total. This makes the usual characterfall into the 4-18 range, while an excep-tional character (1 in 1296) can have acharacteristic as high as 30.

There are two major categories of role-playing systems on the market today: level-based systems and skill-based systems. TheDUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game is anexample of the first category, in which asingle number representing the character�slevel determines how well the characterperforms any particular task, and as thatnumber increases, so does the performancein all of the character�s skills. The secondcategory includes products such as theRuneQuest® and Lands of Adventure�games, in which a character has a set ofratings that govern the use of the character�sspecific skills, and these ratings can beimproved separately.

MS&PE belongs to an increasingly popu-lar third category: the hybrid system. Acharacter will improve in those skills heuses, but as he adventures, he will also gainin levels, which can lead to other improve-

32 FEBRUARY 1985

Skill rolls in this hybrid system are madeby using the level rating of the skill in addi-tion to the applicable characteristic whenthe character is attempting to use that skill.For example, if a character has the skill ClipPistol at a level 4 rating, the level (4, in thiscase) is added to the character�s DEX whenhe attempts to shoot something. If the gunshould jam while fired, the character addsthe skill level (once again, 4) to his IQ inorder to determine his chance of clearingthe jam.

ments (e.g., a gain in any of his characteris-tics).

The entire skills system is based on thesaving-roll philosophy found in the Tunnels& Trolls� game system. A level of difficultyfor the skill use is determined by the ref-eree. This difficulty level yields a successnumber, and the character�s relevant char-acteristic (Strength, Dexterity, etc.), plusskill level and the number rolled on two six-sided dice, must meet or exceed that num-ber for the character to succeed. Anextremely high success number does notnecessarily make a skill roll impossiblebecause every time doubles are rolled on thesix-sided dice, you roll again and add thisnumber to the previous total. Therefore,there is no theoretical maximum to thenumber rolled.

The application of different characteris-tics to the same skill modifier, depending onthe context of the skill use, is something Ihadn�t seen in a game before, and it makesa great deal of sense. This is the only skillsystem I�ve run across which allows for theexistence of the �book genius,� the fellow

who knows everything about electronics butcan�t change a light bulb without gettingelectrocuted in the process.

And the skill list is astoundingly com-plete. I couldn�t come up with a single skilla modern character could be expected tohave which wasn�t allowed by the rules, duein main to the catch-all categories of Occu-pational and Recreational skills. Whilethese are quite general categories, enoughinformation is given about the philosophy ofthe skill-level system here to enable anyreferee to accurately gauge the level of skillof a character in these areas.

The background a player invents for hischaracter is important in setting up thecharacter, and MS&PE is one of the fewgames that acknowledges this. If the back-ground created for a character calls for aspecific skill, but the player doesn�t haveenough points to buy that skill when gener-ating the character, the referee may use hisdiscretion to allow the player to purchasethe skill anyway. I�ve always granted acharacter those abilities his backgroundwould normally have given him, regardlessof how poorly the player rolled dice in anevening. I don�t believe the charactershould be penalized simply because theplayer is unable to come up with a decentdice roll. Others have claimed that thisattitude destroys play balance, but theobject of the game is to role-play, not to roll-play, and it�s easier to role-play a reasonablydesigned character than some strange ran-dom construction. It�s good to have a de-signer on my side this time.

Being able to adjust a character�s skill is aminor point, I realize, but it serves as anindication of the great flexibility found inthese rules. They are intended to help play-ers build characters which they can comfort-ably role-play, and isn�t that what everyrules system aims for (but so few hit)?

An excellent gauge for the realism of anymodern role-playing system is how well ithandles combat. In this enlightened era, wehave invented many ways of killing quicklyand efficiently, and modern combat rulesshould reflect this fact. Combat is short andbloody in this system, with very few guns(which cannot kill with a single bullet) listedin the tables. This might be considered ahandicap if what you�re trying to do is role-play the A-Team, but it serves as a definiteadvantage if you�re trying to get your play-ers to do something besides shoot anythingthat moves (and many things that don�t).

The area where most game systems falldown is in the handling of the martial artist.

I have yet to play a game which could cap-ture the real flavor of a martial-arts duel (asin Enter the Dragon, for example). Mostgames merely give the martial artist somegimmick or special power, and this game isno different. The gimmick here is that themartial artist is the only character able toattack, in hand-to-hand combat, more thanone opponent in the same round, an aver-age martial-artist being able to take on 3 or4 people. But every type of martial artist isplayed the same way, with no real differencein game terms between, for instance, karateand judo. As written, the martial arts rulesdo play quickly, with the resulting damagefigures a trifle high for my taste, but proba-bly reasonable. If Blade had provided agaming difference between the differentstyles of fighting, it would probably haveresulted in a much more complicated andslow system. As it is, the system is hardlyless realistic than any other attempt I haveseen at gaming martial artists, and playsfaster and easier than most.

In fact, the only real fault I can find inthis game is in the implementation of theskill system. The number required forsaving rolls goes up by five points per levelof saving-roll difficulty, while you only getto add one point per level of skill. This doesn�t quite feel right in action. An im-provement of one level in a skill doesn�t feelas if it gives noticeable improvement in thepossibility of making the next higher levelsaving roll. But this feeling is sometimesincorrect, as a single level of skill improve-ment occasionally raises the percentagechance of success by a significant amount.

The rules for this game take up about thefirst 50 of the book�s 112 pages. The rest ofthe book contains the expected tables, suchas weapons statistics, plus some guidelinesfor writing scenarios for each of the genresmentioned in the title. The most completeset of guidelines are for the mystery genre,but they contain much information whichcan usefully be applied to the other genres.The guidelines are well done and shouldassist any referee in designing an enjoyableadventure for the players.

The release of this game from Bladeroughly coincided with the release of HeroGames�s Espionage� game, and the twocompanies struck an unprecedented bargainwhich bodes well for those who game in thisgenre. All of the MS&PE aids that Bladepublishes will also have the game statisticsnecessary for use with the Espionage game,while all of the Espionage and Justice Inc.game aids from Hero Games will containconversions for use with MS&PE. Thisensures that a much wider variety of sce-narios will be published for both games. Anagreement between two competing compan-ies to essentially supply scenarios for eachother�s games in order to better serve thegamer is a development I heartily applaud.

If you�re planning on role-playing in themodern era, whether you�re interested inJames Bond or George Smiley � or evenNero Wolfe � this would be an excellentsystem to choose. If you�re after a system

which allows a great deal of freedom ofaction, both for referee and player, this is byfar the best.

THE ADVENTURE OF THE JADEJAGUAR is a small solo adventure releasedalong with MS&PE. The original intentionwas to include this adventure in the boxwith MS&PE, but when the decision wasmade to release MS&PE as a single book,unboxed, it was also decided to issue thisadventure as the first solo adventure for theMS&PE system.

Because The Adventure of the Jade Jag-uar was originally intended as a teachingtool as well as an adventure, and because itwas intended as a throw-in to be sold withthe game, it isn�t that absorbing of an ad- venture. As a teaching tool, it succeedsbecause it demonstrates the use of many ofthe rules and also allows you to try bothviolent and problem-solving approaches tothe game.

But as an adventure, it is too short to bevery enjoyable. The first time I played thisadventure, I was in and out successfully in amatter of ten minutes or less. While somesubsequent runs lasted much longer, tenminutes proved to be about the averagetime for any adventure. Still, it is possibleto play this adventure through several timeswithout losing any suspense because there isa great deal of variety in the storyline. Thestory may take many different courses, withthe same character being sometimes a vil-lain and sometimes a hero, depending onthe choices you make during the adventure.But while the variety makes it an excellentteaching tool for the game mechanics, theextremely short duration of most adventuresleaves much to be desired from the enter-tainment point of view.

I wouldn�t recommend this adventure ifyou�ve already been playing MS&PE for awhile (or, if you play the Tunnels & Trollsgame regularly); however, if you�re justnow buying the game, the extra $4.95 toacquire this teaching tool would be wellspent. If you�re already familiar with the

mechanics of either abovementioned game,then you won�t need the practice that I did,so the teaching aspect of this adventure willprobably not apply for you. For the rest ofus, though, the solo scenario will come inhandy.

STORMHAVEN, written by MichaelStackpole, comes in a folder containing twobooks � one an 8-page booklet of maps andthe other a 56-page book containing thescenarios and character descriptions. Thereare also illustrations on the inside cover ofthe folder, showing a cutaway view of themanor house, as well as diagrams of thecaves and control points around the island.In addition, there are 23 cardboard heroesfor use with this gaming aid. I use thephrase gaming aid rather than scenariobecause there are many different scenariospresented here.

If you�re a big fan of oblique referencesto outside material, this package may beworth the $9.95 price, even if you neverplay it. Stormhaven Manor is owned by oneKenneth Allard (wake up, Shadow fans)and is located on Savage Island. And howcould Savage Island exist without a Ren-wick nearby (this one�s called Jennifer)?There�s even a reference to �an upstateNew York hospital� along one of the neigh-boring shore lines. Other familiar namesare to be found here as well. For example,without reading the text of the description, Icould warn you not to trifle with a Ruma-nian nobleman named Count Vlad Tepescu.

The acknowledgement in the opening ofthe book thanks Allard Technologies for itsassistance, as well as Fred Saberhagen forintroducing the author to �an old friend ofthe family,� and includes a dedication toWalter Gibson and Lester Dent. If you�vebeen on another planet for the last 30 years,you'll probably need it explained that Wal-ter Gibson (a.k.a. Maxwell Grant) is theauthor of the Shadow, and that Lester Dentis the man behind the Kenneth Robesonpseudonym for most of the Doc Savageadventures.

Small details scattered lightly throughout

D R A G O N 3 3

the text, such as artwork resembling news-paper stories about the people ofStormhaven, help establish the NPCs andStormhaven itself as real.

As is usual for Blade, quality control isabove average. There was only one realproblem in the books I had: part of a para-graph on page 13 (describing Count Vlad)was missing. The books are printed in ablue ink that�s somewhat troublesome toread. The blue ink was originally intendedfor the maps only, in order to give you thefeel of actually reading blueprints, but forreasons of economy both books were printedat the same time, and with the same ink. Ifyou find the blue ink bothersome, turningthe light down a little may help. Also, asusual for Blade, the artwork by itself isalmost worth the price of the book. Some ofthe drawings in here would make excellentposters.

The maps and floor plans for Stormhavenand the surrounding grounds are found in aseparate book, allowing you to page backand forth between the different room de-scriptions without ever losing sight of themap � it�s amazing how many game com-panies overlook this simple convenience.

The major characters in this book are allcompletely fleshed out. They comeequipped not only with complete descrip-tions and statistics, but each also has areason for being on the island and a person-ality which will guide the character�s inter-action with the player characters.

The MS&PE game system is meant formany different styles of play. To which doesStormhaven belong? All of them. As Ipointed out earlier, this is not so much ascenario as a scene, a backdrop againstwhich many different adventures may beplayed out. There are scenario ideas pro-vided in the package for all of the differentstyles of play.

For example, if you are using MS&PE asthe basis of a horror campaign (along thelines of Lovecraft and Saberhagen), thenscenario #l, �Crom�s Sacrifice,� is the oneyou�ll want to play. On the other hand, ifyou�re playing a spy- or action-orientedgame, then scenario #2, �Tiger Trap,� isthe one for your tastes. Scenario #3, �Quar-antine Death,� is more oriented towardmystery and problem-solving. Those threeare the most completely described scenariospresented here, but there are also ideas forother scenarios dealing with informationleaks, lost treasure, revenge, even politicalintrigue � all organically hooked into thebackground of the manor, the guests, andthe island.

And these are not all of the adventurespossible here. There is enough substance inthe description of the manor, family, staff,and guests to fuel several more adventures.It is quite possible for Allard Technologiesand Kenneth Allard to remain in the play-ers� minds for years. Stormhaven may eventake on the status of a welcome vacationspot for your players as they are invited.

34 FEBRUARY 1985

back � perhaps as an opportunity to takeon another job, or as a reward for bringingthe last job to a successful conclusion.

This package won the 1983 Originsaward for the Best Role-Playing Adventureof the Year, and, looking at the detail andquality of both the NPCs and the manor,it�s not hard to see why. Stormhaven getsmy vote not only as the best of 1983 but also as one of the half-dozen best of all time.If you role-play in the modern era, regard-less of the system, this one�s a must!

The MS&PE CHARACTER FOLDERSare 8½� by 11� sheets of paper, with spacesin which to write information about yourcharacters. For a folder with a group of 20sheets, the price is $4.95.

If these are 8½� by 11� sheets, why arethey called folders? Because you can fold thebottom third up and staple it to the rest ofthe paper. This does two things: first, itallows you to fold the top third down, pro-ducing a character sheet narrow enough tofit it in most shirt pockets; second, it pro-vides a carrying pouch for all those littlenotes you write to yourself (or at least, Iwrite to myself) about the people yourcharacter meets, the things he does, andwhat he owes to whom.

There are also 24 small character por-traits (beautifully crafted by Liz Danforth),which can be photocopied and fastened in ablock on the character sheet reserved forjust that purpose. While you may not find aportrait here which exactly fits your mentalimage of the character, chances are you�llfind one which is close enough to be ex-cused as a bad photograph. If you aren�tsatisfied by any of them, get a picture fromsomewhere else, and use it. The block onthe character sheet is neither too small nortoo odd-sized that pictures from magazineads or newspapers wouldn�t fit there asw e l l .

I rarely use a commercially availablecharacter sheet for my characters, since nosheet available has enough spaces for thekind of information I write down; thesesheets are no exception. They have no spaceprovided for background histories or per-sonality profiles. These things can be writ-ten on additional sheets and carried in thepouch, true; however, you end up carryingtwo character sheets for every character. Ifyou don�t work out detailed backgrounds orprofiles for your character, however, thesesheets will do nicely.

For the $4.95 price, you get 20 of thesesheets, making them about 25 cents persheet � not a bad price at all. In addition,you get the 24 Danforth character portraits.

While these character sheets include someblocks not found on the character sheetcontained in the rule book, the sheets are byno means necessary to the game. But if youmake a lot of small notes about your charac-ters and are looking for a way to carry themto the game neatly, they might be worth thequarter apiece.

� Reviewed by Arlen P. Walker

DUN DRA CON IX, Feb. 15-18To be staged at the Oakland Airport

Hyatt hotel, this gaming convention will in-clude games, seminars, a painting contest,and a flea market. Admission fees are $15until February 10, $20 at the door, or $10 fora special one-day membership. For more in-formation about this convention, contact:T. O. Green, 386 Alcatraz Ave., OaklandCA 94618.

WAMCON �85, Feb. 15-17This convention will be held at the

Chamberlain Hotel near Hampton, Va.Events will include a writer�s seminar, paneldiscussions, and NASA displays. A. C.Crispin will be guest of honor. Admissionfees are $15 until December 31, and $20 atthe door. A special gaming fee of $10 existsfor those participating in gaming only. Con-tact: WamCon, P.O. Box 2223, PoquosonVA 23662.

ORCCON 1985, Feb. 16-18This gaming convention will be staged at

the Pasadena Hilton hotel at GrosvenorPlaza in Pasadena, Cal. All sorts of gamingactivities are being planned for the event, asis an exhibitor area. For more details, con-tact: Orccon 1985, P.O. Box 758, BellflowerCA 90706, or telephone (213)867-4140.

WISCON 9, Feb. 22-24This annual science-fiction convention

will be staged at the Concourse Hotel inMadison, Wis. Guests of honor will bewriter Lisa Tuttle and artist Alicia Austin.Admission fees are $18. Contact: SF3, P.O.Box 1624, Madison WI 53701, or call(608)251-6226 (days) or (608)233-0326(evenings).

CONFLIX �85, Mar. 1-3This event will be held on the campus of

the University of South Carolina in Sumter,S. C. Events will include a variety of role-playing and board games. For more infor-mation, contact: Conflix �85, USC-SumterWargamers Club, USC-Sumter, 200 MillerRoad, Sumter SC 29150.

COASTCON �85, Mar. 8-10This annual convention will be staged at

the Royal d�Iberville Hotel in Biloxi, Miss.Toastmaster for the convention will beVonda McIntyre, and Alan Dean Foster willbe among the guests of honor. Gaming ac-tivities, an art show, a costume party, and anauction will be some of the features availableat the convention. For more details aboutthis event, contact: Coastcon, P.O. Box1423, Biloxi MS 39535.

TRI-CON III, Mar. 15-17This gaming and science-fiction conven-

tion will be staged at the North CarolinaState University campus. Guests of honorinclude Karl Edward Wagner and OrsonScott Card. A variety of tournaments will beoffered. Admission is free. For details, senda self-addressed, stamped envelope to:Tri-Con III, P.O. Box 50201, Raleigh NC27650.

FRONTIER WAR, Mar. 16-17Sponsored by Dungeon Masters� Associa-

tion South, this gaming event will be held atthe Scottish Rite Temple in Bloomington,Ill. Among featured activities will be aTraveller® tournament coordinated by MarcW. Miller, the game�s creator. Registrationfees are $5 until February 1, and $6 at thedoor; in addition, each event costs $1. Forfurther information, contact: DMA South,c/o Catherine Brennan, 1305 HeritageRoad, East Normal IL 61761.

MIDSOUTHCON 4, Mar. 22-24This event will take place at the Airport

Quality Inn in Memphis, Tenn. Fred Pohlwill be guest of honor, and Keith Bardek willbe artist guest of honor; other guests will in-clude Sharon Webb and Suzette HadenElgin. Admission fees are $15. For more in-formation, contact: Midsouthcon 4, c/oRichard Moore, 1229 Pallwood, MemphisTN 38122.

NEO CON IV, Mar 22-24This gaming convention will be staged at

the Gardner Student Center at the Universi-ty of Akron. For more details about thisevent, contact: Neo Con IV, P.O. Box 7411,Akron OH 44306.

STELLARCON 10, Mar. 22-24For more details about this gaming con-

vention, contact: Stellarcon 10, Box 4,Elliott University Center, UNC-Greensboro, Greensboro NC 27412.

CONTEST II, Mar. 29-31This gaming convention will occur in

Tulsa, Okla. Features will include science-fiction and fantasy role-playing games, wargames, and miniatures tournaments. For ad-ditional information, send a self-addressed,stamped envelope to: Contest II, TacticalSimulation Society, P.O. Box 4726, TulsaOK 74159.

I-CON IV, Mar. 29-31This annual convention of science fact,

fiction, and fantasy will be staged at the cam-pus of SUNY in Stony Brook, NY. For

further details about convention events andadmission fees, contact: I-Con IV, P.O. Box550, Stony Brook NY 11790.

POINTCON VIII, Mar. 30-31Sponsored by the Military Affairs

Wargames Committee, this convention willbe staged at the U.S. Military Academy inWest Point, N.Y. Board and role-playinggames, tournaments, and demonstrationswill be some of the activities featured at theconvention. Note that admission to thisevent is free. For more information aboutPointcon VIII, contact: Cadet John Surdu,P.O. Box 3206, West Point NY 10997.

TIPPY-CON IV, Mar. 30This convention will take place in the

Economics Building of the TippecanoeCounty Fairgrounds in Lafayette, Ind. Forfurther agenda information, contact:Tippy-Con IV, P.O. Box 5596, LafayetteIN 47904.

CAROLINA CON IV, Apr. 19-21To be held at the Tremont Motor Inn in

Cayce, S.C., this convention will offer anassortment of role-playing, board, andminiatures tournaments. For more informa-tion, contact: Ed Vincent, 1851 WindoverRoad, Columbia SC 29204; or, RobertChenoweth, 133 Casbel Court, Hopkins SC29061.

WIZARDCON �85, Apr. 20This gaming convention will be held in

Ferris Booth Hall at Columbia University InNew York, N.Y. Events will includedemonstrations, panels, and role-playingand board game tournaments. Althoughthere will be no admission charge, a nominalentry fee will be required for each tourna-ment. For more information, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: ColumbiaGames Club, 301 Ferris Booth Hall, Colum-bia University, New Ork NY 10027.

ALTI-EGOS, Apr. 26-28This science-fiction and fantasy conven-

tion will be staged at the Sheraton DenverTech Center in Denver, Col. Guest of honorwill be acclaimed author Anne McCaffrey.Featured events will include a writer�s panel,an art show, a variety of gaming activities,science-fiction and fantasy films, and amodel contest. Registration fees are $25 un-til March 1, and $35 at the door. For moreinformation about this convention, contact:Alti-Egos, P.O. Box 261000, Lakewood CO80226.

GAME FAIRE �85, Apr. 26-28To be held at Spokane Falls Community

College in Spokane, Wash., this conventionwill offer a large variety of role-playing tour-naments and board games. Preregistrationfees are $7; registration fees are $5 for asingle day and $9 for a weekend pass. Formore details, contact: Paul Wilson, c/oMerlyn�s Science Fiction/Fantasy Store,West 621 Mallon, Spokane WA 99201, ortelephone (509) 325-9114.

D R A G O N 3 5

GOLD CON III, Apr. 27-28To be held at Omni Auditorium in Pom-

pano Beach, Fla., events for this conventionwill include historical, fantasy, and science-fiction games, various movies, and a dealers�area. Participants of U.S. Armed Forces arewelcome. Registration fees are $6. For fur-ther details about this convention, contact:John Dunn, Omni Box Office, B.C.C.-North, 1000 Coconut Creek Blvd., Pom-pano Beach FL 33066, or telephone(305)973-2249.

MILCON, Apr. 27-28To be held at the Ramada Inn in

Milwaukee, Wis., this science-fiction andfantasy convention will feature Car Wars�,Chill�, and AD&D® tournaments. Registra-tion fees are $10 until March 20, and $15thereafter. For more information about con-vention offerings or about judging events,send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:Metropolitan Gaming Association, c/o LouisB. Mengsol III, 5616 W. Cairdel Lane, Me-quon WI 53092, or telephone (414)242-2304after 3:00 P.M.

CONJURATION 2, May 10-12This event will be held at the Camelot

Hotel in Tulsa, Okla. Toastmaster will beEd Bryant, and guest of honor will be MikeResnick. For more details about this gamingconvention, contact: ConJuration 2, P.O.Box 690064, Tulsa OK 74169, or telephone(918)438-3336.

MADNESS �85, May 11Sponsored by the RECAP Truancy

Prevention Program, this gaming conven-tion will be held at Middletown High Schoolin Middletown, N.Y. Registration fees are$3. For more information, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Madness�85, 34 South Street, Middletown NY10940.

TALLY CON 4, May 24-26This gaming convention will be held at the

Hilton in Tallahassee, Fla. Guests of honorwill be L. Sprague and Catherine Crook deCamp. Activities will include an art showand sale, panel discussions, a game room,and �filksinging.� Registration fees are $12until March $1, and $15 thereafter. Formore information concerning this conven-tion, contact: The Grinning Gremlin, 824-CW. Tharpe St., Tallahassee FL 32303, ortelephone (904) 385-1518.

V-CON 13, May 24-26

M.I.G.S. VI, May 26Sponsored by the Military Interests and

Games Society, this event will be held at theKitchener-Waterloo Regional PoliceAssociation Recreation Centre in Cam-bridge, Ontario. Featured activities includewargaming tournaments and a paintingcompetition. Registration fees are only $1.For additional information, contact: GeorgeM. Bawdfen, 11 Veevers Drive, Hamilton,Ontario, Canada L8K 5P6.

HATCON 3, June 6-7To be held at the Ramada Inn, this con-

vention will include a hat masquerade, apool party, a champagne Sunday brunch,and various games. Guests of honor will beIan and Betty Ballantine and Fred Haskell.Registration fees are $25 until April 1, $30until June 1, and $35 at the door. For addi-tional information, contact: KennedyPoyser, CT SF Society, 108 Park Ave., Dan-bury CT 06810, or telephone (203) 743-1872.

This science-fiction convention has a WINDSOR GAMEFEST III, July 13-14theme which focuses on the bizarre, the This convention will take place at Am-macabre, and the supernatural. Featured bassador Hall at the University of Windsor.events will include role-playing and board Fantasy, science-fiction, and miniaturesgames, an art show, and a dealers� room. tournaments will be featured. Preregistra-Registration fees are $15 (in Canadian funds tion fees are $10 (in Canadian funds);only) until March 31, $18 until May 23, and registration fees are $12. For details, in$20 at the door. For more details about this Canada, contact: WRPA Head Office, 584event, contact: V-Con 13, P.O. Box 48478, Brighton, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N8NBentall Centre, Vancouver, British Colum- 2L6; or, in the U.S.: U.S. Office, 8675bia, Canada V7X lA2. South Lane, Grosse Isle MI 48138.

36 FEBRUARY 1985

The role of booksLiterature that�s laced with gaming ideasReviews by John Bunnell

SECRET OF THE SIXTH MAGICLyndon Hardy

Ballantine/Del Rey 0-345-30309-1 $2.95Lyndon Hardy�s first novel obviously

made a lasting impression on readers offantasy. Four years later, its somewhatunexpected sequel is fighting for positionson various best-seller lists. (The week Ichecked, the New York Times placed it oneslot above the latest Piers Anthony paper-back. That�s popular.)

Strickly speaking, Secret of the SixthMagic is a sequel only in the general sense.Though it shares a world and several castmembers with its predecessor, Master of theFive Magics, Hardy�s new novel is really anentirely separate story. The protagonist isJemidon, a would-be master mage who hasfound it difficult to apply himself to any ofthe specialized forms of magic which oper-ate in Arcadia and in the surrounding king-doms. Jemidon�s quest for power andrecognition takes up most of the tale.

On the surface, such a plot summarysuggests that Hardy has merely rewrittenhis first book with renamed characters �and in fact, that conclusion isn�t entirelywrong. Like Alodar in the earlier novel,Jemidon is seeking a niche in the magicalhierarchy of society; and, also like Alodar,he finds intrigue and romance along theway. The quests at the cores of both novelsare cast in precisely the same pattern, vary-ing only in details.

But Secret of the Sixth Magic is also theopposite of its predecessor. Where the ear-lier novel discussed the concept of magicalunity (or proficiency in several mutuallyexclusive subfields of magic), Secret of theSixth Magic examines the workings ofmagical chaos, the power to manipulate thelaws through which magic functions withoutbeing able to make use of the laws of magicindividually.

It�s an intriguing idea, both for its story-telling possibilities and as a potential gam-ing device. Unfortunately, Hardy seemscontent merely to postulate his �metama-gic� without really explaining it. The un-derlying theory behind the premise isn�ttreated in depth until near the end of thebook, and by then Jemidon is less interestedin exploring metamagic�s possible uses thanin shutting it down and not using it.

Readers are likewise on their own shouldthey decide to develop the principles ofmetamagic for use in a game environment.With considerable fine tuning and adapta-tion, the concept might well be used invariant AD&D® game settings akin to the

DRAGONLANCE� milieu. Likewise,Hardy�s books could themselves serve as thebasis for an entirely new game system in thesame fashion that Robert Asprin�s Thieves�World anthologies inspired the game of thesame name.

Whatever one thinks of metamagic,though, Secret of the Sixth Magic clearlyreveals Lyndon Hardy�s strengths andweaknesses as a writer. His characters andatmosphere are average at best, but hisplotting and theoretical speculations areoriginal and fascinating � for example, atrading center in which the economy isbased on a unique form of magic. Hardy�scareer is off to a promising start; its futuredepends on his ability to continue to breaknew ground rather than simply revisitingthe old.

THE LAND BEYOND THE GATELloyd Arthur Eshbach

Ballantine/Del Rey 0-345-31647-9 $2.75A player taking his first character

through a dungeon and a reader settlingdown with a fantasy novel for the first timeare comparative innocents. After a dozen orso dungeon campaigns have been experi-enced, or after a quantity of paperbackshave been read, a jaded feeling settles in,

and one is left with the unsettling suspicionthat all dungeons or all quest novels are thesame. The initial sense of wonder wears offall too quickly.

By rights, Lloyd Arthur Eshbach shouldbe even more jaded than are most of us: hisexperiences with fantasy date back to the1920s, when the genre was just beginningits major upsurge. But The Land Beyondthe Gate not only possesses a tangible senseof wonder but also does so while recountinga thoroughly traditional tale of a modernscientist thrust headlong into an ancientmagical intrigue.

Part of Eshbach�s secret lies in good, solidwriting that manages to be colorful andunderstated at the same time. While there isa wealth of detail and a light touch of Scot-tish dialect in the author�s descriptions, theatmosphere doesn�t call undue attention toitself. Instead, the descriptive materialsimply flavors Eshbach�s smoothly pacedadventure yarn without getting in the wayor seeming overdone.

The Land Beyond the Gate also takescare to keep itself firmly focused on AlanMacDougall, whose search for a brother loston a walking tour of Scotland leads himthrough a portal into another world. Infor-mation about that world is revealed only asAlan uncovers it, a narrative approach thatputs the reader on equal terms with thecharacter rather than several steps ahead, ascan happen when an author takes the omni-scient viewpoint.

Once Alan arrives on the other side of theportal, his adventures follow a long-standing pattern. He encounters a variety ofraces and beings ranging from Celtic toOriental to literally diabolical, discoversthat his appearance is the subject of an oldprophecy overdue for fulfillment, and findshimself an object of considerable interest toseveral different gods.

Through all of this, Eshbach�s ability tomaintain a sense of wonder in the tale pre-vents it from seeming uninteresting orrepetitive. In addition, the cosmology be-hind the novel seems carefully thought out,and the plot takes an occasional offbeattwist. The result is that, despite its tradi-tional roots, The Land Beyond the Gatemakes enjoyable reading. While it may notbe possible to identify precisely the qualitiesthat make that statement true, Eshbach�ssuccess at making the old quest story comealive should prove to even the most jadedrole-player that the familiar need not neces-sarily be dull or void of pleasant surprises.

One final point worth mentioning: the

D R A G O N 3 7

book�s biographical note reveals that TheLand Beyond the Gate is the first in a four-volume sequence. Eshbach, however, hasmade the novel entirely self-sustaining � awelcome change from the recent flood ofmulti-volume sequences of which the storiesare left maddeningly incomplete at the endof each book.

RAPHAELR. A. MacAvoy

Bantam 0-553-24370-5 $2.75Since the first volume of R. A. MacA-

voy�s trilogy appeared about a year and ahalf ago, reviewers have been of two mindsabout the tales of Damiano Delstrego, aprotagonist of the trilogy. Some reviewersbelieve that the books are positively bril-liant, while others are of the opinion thatMacAvoy has spent too much effort devel-oping lackluster, weak-willed characters.

For game-playing readers, the debate islargely irrelevant. Raphael, which con-cludes the trilogy, is valuable reading be-cause of its deft handling of an earthlyconflict between powers greater than mortalbeings. Referees intimidated by the pros-pect of introducing demigods and their ilkinto role-playing campaigns would do wellto study MacAvoy�s treatment of the prob-lem.

The novel�s title character is the angel ofBiblical legend, whose outlook on life is sobenign as to border on the naive. And that�sthe crux of the story. Satan, also in all hisscriptural splendor, lures the naive Raphaelinto a situation in which the angel�s trustcosts him his freedom of action. Satan usesthe opportunity to deprive Raphael of hisangelic powers and of his contact withHeaven, leaving Raphael to walk the Earthalone, with only a part of his memory in-tact.

What follows is the tale of Raphael�sredemption, as attempted by a reluctantminstrel, a pagan sorceress, Damiano�sghost, and a magnificent black dragonwhich may or may not be related to the onein MacAvoy�s otherwise unconnected firstnovel. Like deities in an AD&D® gamemilieu, the opposing immortals tend toavoid direct confrontations on earthly terri-tory; there are, however, several superblyconceived aerial combat sequences that mayhelp players and DMs understand the com-plications inherent in fighting while air-borne. And the novel�s climax illustrateswhat happens when the inadvisable can nolonger be avoided, and so Satan andRaphael meet face to face.

Despite the periodic fireworks, however,Raphael isn�t meant as a tale of hack-and-slash action, nor is it seriously intended as aguidebook for role-players interacting withthe gods (though its usefulness in the lattercapacity is clear). Rather, Raphael is adeeply introspective novel about a quest foridentity, and the combination of that questand the story�s religious context produces atexture in MacAvoy�s writing that is unlikevirtually anything else in the spectrum ofcontemporary fantasy.

38 FE B R U A R Y 1 9 8 5

That difference is the source of the criti-cal debate over the trilogy, and it ultimatelyboils down to a matter of taste. Some read-ers will welcome Raphael and its compan-ion volumes as a refreshing break from thefantasy mainstream, a river overflowingwith confident heroes and swarms of elvesand fairies. Others will be less comfortablewith MacAvoy�s deliberate, often philosoph-ical pace and mood and her refusal to pro-vide stock answers to characters� questions.Raphael is an unusual novel, though; even those who don�t expect to like it can expectto find something worthwhile when theyread it.

THE DARKANGELMeredith Ann Pierce

Tor Books 0-812-54900-7 $2.95There is a tendency on the part of many

game players to dehumanize the vampire.Vampires are so difficult to kill that theaverage DM simply doesn�t bother takingthe time to develop his vampires as adver-saries with character. So, the potential forhuman feelings and ingenuity on the part ofthe vampire is ignored.

Meredith Ann Pierce, however, has takenthe time. And the result is a very unusualand thoughtful vampire tale that has a ringof reality about it, yet the story bears littleresemblance to the usual Dracula yarns.

The Darkangel does not have the narra-tive quality of a genuine folk tale which hasbeen handed down and retold for genera-tions in the same Eastern European coun-trysides where the Dracula legends wereborn. Pierce�s writing is both matter-of-factand richly detailed, providing vivid imagesof character and scene without seemingheavy-handed or pretentious.

The story also has the power and depth of

a true epic, though even the most exotic andspectacular situations never quite lose anelement of down-to-earth common sense.There is an ancient prophecy, as well as aquest; there are magical bags, spindles, andblades; and finally, there are characters ofall shapes, dispositions, and origins. Thislast group includes a duarough (best de-scribed as the best parts of a hobbit, wizard,troll, and dwarf put together), thirteenwraithlike women whose souls have beenstolen by the vampire, and Aeriel, theformer servant to one of the wraiths whosecapture and enslavement by the vampireform the heart of the story.

Pierce�s vampire is by no means the samecreature as the one in the Dracula stories orthe being described in the AD&D MonsterManual. But The Darkangel is worth read-ing, however. This novel demonstrates whatsuch beings can become if given half achance. And all those who finish Pierce�stale will find that no vampire, of whateversort, will never seem quite as predictable asit has in the past.

THE SONG OF THE AXEPaul O. Williams

Ballantine/Del Rey 0-345-31658-4 $2.95Forget for a moment that The Song of the

Axe is the sixth volume in a loosely knitseries called the Pelbar Cycle. Forget thatits author picked up the 1983 John W.Campbell Award in the Best New Writercategory. And, forget that the book is ex-actly the type to show up in high-schoolEnglish classes next to The Catcher in theRye. The important point is that Paul O.Williams has proven once and for all thatcivilization will survive after The Bombgoes off.

Putting that last claim in perspectiveinvolves realizing that the GAMMAWORLD ® science-fantasy game, whichshares a post-holocaust setting with Wil-liams�s books, really doesn�t offer a com-plete portrait of civilization. (I shouldcaution readers that I haven�t played thegame using the revised rules; I�m judgingfrom earlier experience and recently pub-lished articles in DRAGON® Magazine.)What the GAMMA WORLD game pro-vides is simply adventure in a setting some-what less improbable � though not muchless � than that of the D&D® and AD&D®

games. Mutations replace spells, while oldtechnological relics substitute for magicitems and artifacts. Any background cultureis more or less assumed rather than createdor explained.

By itself, that flaw doesn�t ruin thegame�s entertainment value, and moreenterprising referees can design their ownbackground civilizations. But in practice,GAMMA WORLD game adventures mayoften seem disjointed by comparison to theirAD&D game counterparts. A certain tex-ture and depth are missing from the setting.

The Song of the Axe, on the other hand,possesses those qualities in excellent mea-sure. The future North America that Wil-liams develops is a consistent and

fascinating world, whether or not his char-acters are on the scene; a society that viewshang-gliding as a religious experience andanother culture situated next door to aglacier are especially memorable examples.Appropriately enough, certain central char-acters are not unlike typical RPG charac-ters: Tor is a confirmed wanderer despitethe fact that his tribe has been substantiallyabsorbed by a more agrarian, settled group,while Tristal, his nephew, is less inclined toindependence.

The story of Tor and Tristal�s journeyacross a generous slice of the continent isnoteworthy in another respect: it can beread and appreciated without having Wil-liams�s previous books at hand. Though allsix are uniformly well written and the char-acters and events overlap, each volume isan independent story capable of standing onits own merit. In some ways, The Song ofthe Axe is a better introduction to the seriesthan most of the others of the cycle, since itdips only lightly into the complex HeartRiver society for which the cycle is named.

It�s possible to regard The Song of theAxe as a classic quest story, as a �growing-up� novel (thus, the comparison to TheCatcher in the Rye; Williams handles char-acterization well indeed), or as a moreliterary look at such abstract things as loy-alty and courage. But those with more thana passing interest in the GAMMA WORLDgame system will get something uniquelyvaluable from the book: a genuine feel forlife after World War III that can add theneeded detail and texture to the averageGAMMA WORLD campaign.

THE HAREM OF AMAN AKBARElizabeth Scarborough

Bantam 0-553-24441-8 $2.95Innumerable fantasy novels have been

written about dragons and the problemsinherent in their care and feeding. Now,Elizabeth Scarborough has assembled whatmay well be the definitive book on dealingwith a rather neglected and even morechallenging servant: the djinni.

The Harem of Aman Akbar (subtitledThe Djinn Decanted) offers vast quantitiesof practical advice on managing and gettingalong with those elusive folk from the outerplanes. The reader learns, for example, thatthe AD&D® Monster Manual wasn�t kid-ding about the differences between goodand evil masters � Aman�s djinn-constructed palace is a magical marvel thattestifies to the axiom�s truth. And, there ispractical advice on what to do if someonetries to steal a djinni�s bottle � be sure thethief doesn�t get the stopper as well.

Besides being a superb manual of djinnimanagement, the novel is also a rousingadventure straight from the ArabianNights. Included along with the benevolent,if sometimes exasperating, djinn are a capti-vating harem, a despicable emir, a practicalholy seer, and a trained elephant. It allmakes for an exciting, danger-filled questthrough the mysterious East, spiced withthe cheerfully sly humor that has marked

how acquired magical powers along theway, presumably through a romantic linkwith Irissa. Irissa, on the other hand, per-sists in getting herself into trouble, as noless than two different unsavory local bar-ons capture her in the course of the novel.But just as Kendric and Irissa seem to bemaking a place for themselves in their new-found society, who should call for help butIrissa�s relatives. Apparently, they now needhelp badly enough that they�ll withdrawtheir objections to Kendric�s presence.

The number of convenient allies andlucky breaks that pop up in Exiles of theRynth is substantial: there are always ridinganimals at need, creatures rumored to beman-eating menaces turn out to be helpful,and the conclusion finds our heroes withmore magic rings than they know what todo with.

In a way, the book is a serious disappoint-ment. Six of Swords, which introducedKendric and Irissa, was interesting if notmemorable reading, and the clearly forth-coming third book in the series might easilybe a worthwhile yarn, picking up on theoriginal story�s themes. But Exiles of theRynth comes across as an irrelevant middlevolume that does nothing for the trilogyexcept provide filler material. LikeDungeon Masters entranced by their ownbrilliantly intricate plots, Douglas needs tolearn that her characters are at their bestwhen given free rein to shape their owndestinies.

the author�s Argonian tales. Scarboroughalso gives her female characters more lifethan is usual for women in this genre, with-out sacrificing a reasonably authentic Is-lamic background.

No gamer should neglect buying TheHarem of Aman Akbar. Too few fantasynovels give as much good game-playingadvice wrapped up in such a solidly enter-taining package; this one does just that, andadvances Elizabeth Scarborough firmly intoplace as one of the field�s leading writers.

EXILES OF THE RYNTHCarole Nelson Douglas

Ballantine/Del Rey 0-345-30836-0 $2.95Every Dungeon Master has experienced

the frustration of watching a party of adven-turers open the wrong door, miss a pivotalclue, or otherwise manage to get completelysidetracked chasing something totally unre-lated to the mission or quest supposedly athand. There are two ways to deal with suchgroups of characters: the referee can eithercater to the party�s whims and instincts,following the wishes and priorities of theplayers, or deliberately channel the groupback toward the right goal by means ofcareful stage management.

But problems arise when, as in Exiles ofthe Rynth, the characters stubbornly resistall efforts at redirection while the �referee�persists in pushing them along toward thenext book. As the story begins, Irissa andKendric are halfway through a gate betweenworlds that is guarded by Irissa�s mysticalTorloc relatives. The family, it seems, won�tlet Kendric through the gate because he�sonly a swordsman, so the two are cast outinto an unfamiliar world.

Kendric adapts fairly easily despite mak-ing the unsettling discovery that he�s some-

D R A G O N 3 9

�My Honor Is My Life�All about the Knights of Solamnia by Tracy Hickman

that the rebel leaders came willingly to hiscamp and detailed their grievances. Solam-nus�s investigations soon proved the storiesto be true. The knight was appalled at thecorruption and deprivation he witnessed.What was worse was that Vinas knew hehad unwittingly been a part of this evil, byhis failure to see what was happening beforehis own eyes.

Solamnus called his knights together andpresented the case of the people. Anyknights who believed in the cause of therebels were entreated to stay. Those who didnot were given leave to return to Daltigoth.Even though his men knew that doing someant exile and possibly death, most choseto stay with Solamnus. Only a few returnedto Daltigoth, bearing a message from So-lamnus for the emperor. Either redress thewrongs of the people, the message read, orprepare for war. Thal Palik denouncedSolamnus as a traitor, and stripped him ofhis lands and title. The people of Daltigothprepared for war.

Thus began the War of Ice Tears. Al-though Ergoth was in the grip of the mostterrible winter ever chronicled, Solamnusand his dedicated army of knights and frontier nobles marched on Daltigoth andlaid siege to it. Solamnus personally leddaring raids into the city itself. These raidshad a twofold purpose. First, they reducedthe city�s food supplies; second, the raidersspread the news of the emperor�s corruptionamong the people of the capital, showinghow they were being made to suffer whilethe emperor remained hidden away safelyin his palace. Within two months the capitalfell. A revolt of the people, led by some ofthe knights Solamnus had allowed to returnto Daltigoth, forced the emperor to sue forpeace.

As a result, the northernmost part ofErgoth gained its independence. The grate-ful people supported Vinas as their king andnamed their new country Solamnia in hishonor. Although it never attained any greatpower during the rest of the Age, Solamniabecame synonymous with honesty, integrity,and fierce determination.

The organization of the KnightsVinas Solamnus organized the Knights of

Solamnia during the Age of Dreams, and ithas changed little over the subsequent cen-turies. The Knights subscribed to twocodes: The Oath and The Measure. TheOath was Est Sularus oth Mithas � �MyHonor is My Life.� The Measure was anextensive set of codes, many volumes inlength, the purpose of which was to define�honor.� The Measure was complicated and

exacting; only a brief summary of its lawsconcerning organization can be given here.A complete set of the tomes of The Measurewas known to exist in the great library ofAstinas of Palanthas.

The Knights were led by the GrandMaster, who sat in judgement on matters ofimportance to the Knights and, subse-quently, the nation of Solamnia as a whole.Below him were three posts: the High War-rior, the High Clerist, and the High Justice,representing the three major Orders of theKnights. They were, according to TheMeasure, the embodiments of Honor, Wis-dom, and Loyalty. All three ruled the entireknighthood jointly, though they governedthe three Orders separately.

The three Orders of the Knights of So-lamnia were named the Rose (honor), theSword (wisdom), and the Crown (loyalty).Squires accepted into the Knights of Solam-nia entered under the Order of the Crown,learning the laws and codes of loyalty first.They then had to demonstrate their accept-ance of the codes of that Order before pro-gressing to the Order of the Sword. Thetesting was rigorous, requiring great deedsof bravery in battle as well as strict adher-ence to The Measure in all aspects of life.Entry into the Order of the Rose, thehighest-ranked order, could be attained onlyby those of noble blood; thus was the greatHuma excluded from that order, though hewas considered by many to be the greatestof the Knights in all aspects of honor, wis-dom, and loyalty.

The military power of the Knights wascarefully structured. As set forth in TheMeasure, the three Orders of the Knightswere to maintain seven armies apiece. Eachof these twenty-one armies was jointly ruledby three Lord Knights, one from each of thethree different Orders. This arrangementapparently helped to temper the leaders�judgment in battle, and kept the knighthoodunified.

Each knight wore a clasp bearing thesymbol of his Order (a rose, a sword, or acrown) which was used to fasten his cloak tohis armor. All knights carried a shield bear-ing the symbol of the Knights of Solamnia:a kingfisher with wings half extended, asword grasped by both its claws; a rosecentered on the sword between the claws;and a crown held over the bird�s head in itsbeak. By these signs the Knights wereknown wherever they went.

The Cataclysm and the presentThe Kingpriest of Istar brought down the

wrath of the gods upon Krynn, and thegods punished the people for their pride by

Much of the background on the world ofKrynn is presented in the AD&D® gamemodule DL 5, Dragons of Mystery. How-ever, several important aspects of the worldof the DRAGONLANCE� saga still remainto be revealed. This article deals with one ofthose aspects � the history, development,and organization of the Knights of Solam-nia. Players who are using the characterSturm in the DRAGONLANCE� adven-ture series will need to know much of thismaterial in order to role-play that characterin greater depth. Other player charactersdirectly associated with the Knights willappear in later modules.

The origin of the KnightsThe Knights of Solamnia came into being

nearly two thousand years before the War ofthe Lance, rising like a phoenix from theashes of the empire of Ergoth. The isles ofErgoth were, in those days, one with thecontinent and not separated from Ansalonby any waterway. From that region, duringthe Age of Dreams, arose Ergoth. But asthe years passed, Ergoth grew into such avast. and sprawling empire that it could nolonger be governed effectively. The em-peror, Thal Palik, was the worst of a longline of rulers, impractical and inept; theonly way he knew to keep his subjects inline was to govern with an iron hand. Hisarmy of knights was of prime importance tohim. He lavished the treasury�s money onit, depleting the empire�s finances andbleeding the peasants dry with taxes.

The people of the eastern plains of Ergothwere a proud, noble, and independent folk,and soon rebelled against the emperor�streatment of them. Having feared rebellionall along, Thal Palik was prepared. Hecalled for the captain of the guard, VinasSolamnus, and ordered his knights forth tocrush the rebellion.

Vinas Solamnus, commander of thepalace guard in the capital city of Daltigoth,was a pious man, a gallant warrior, andmuch beloved by his men. Noted for hishonor, his greatest fault may have been thathe was too loyal to his emperor and was,consequently, blind to what was happeningin the empire. Although he started outfirmly determined to destroy the rebels ashis emperor commanded, Solamnus wassoon repelled by the terrible conditions andoppression under which the people livedoutside the capital.

When he reached the northern plains,Vinas let it be known that he would meetwith the rebel leaders under a banner oftruce to hear their side of the story. Sowidely respected and trusted was Solamnus

D R A G O N 4 1

casting a fiery mountain down on the land.The destruction and desolation caused bythe disaster disrupted the world for months.Although their land had been spared theworst of the blow, the people of Solamniastill suffered greatly during that time. Evilcreatures, long banished, returned to theland. Many of the Knights perished fightingthe unknown and unspeakable horrors thatravaged the countryside.

In the end, it was the common people ofSolamnia who cast the Knights into dis-grace. For centuries, the Knights had keptthe peace and safety of the realm. Now, inthe hour of their most desperate need, itseemed that the Knights were powerless.Rumors began to spread that the Knightshad foreseen the coming of the Cataclysmand had done nothing to stop it. Someknights, it was said, actually intended toprofit by the disaster and increase their landholdings.

Before long, knights were jeered in publicand openly reviled. Darker acts were alsocommitted: knights were foully murdered,their castles and homes invaded, and theirfamilies slain or driven into exile. So it wasthat the Knights silently disappeared fromthe knowledge of most common men.

Of far greater consequence to the knight-hood, more damaging than the Cataclysmand more relentless than the hate of thecommon people, was time itself. The Oathand The Measure had held up, in theknights� eyes, for more than a thousand

years. Yet during that time, the worldchanged in many ways which the writers ofThe Measure could not have foreseen. Thecode of laws by which the knights measuredtheir every action was outdated and ponder-ous. It gave no practical answers to thequestions that time and change had broughtabout. The Measure was law, but it was anunbending law, not tempered with a senseof justice. Many of the newer knights se-cretly questioned how much longer it wouldbe before justice demanded that the ironcladrules of The Measure be broken.

The knights who remained found them-selves forced to roam the countryside insecret and under false names, lest they bediscovered. Still, they kept their ideals andtheir honor, and did what they could to fightthe growing evil in the world. A few knightswho found their loss of status intolerable lefttheir homeland and settled across the waterson Sancrist Isle. To this day, a strong groupof knights exists there, while only covertorganizations survive within Solamnia.

At the time of the War of the Lance, allthe high ruling posts (Grand Master, HighWarrior, High Clerist, and High Justice)are vacant. Sixty-three warriors of variousOrders remain in the world (that are knownof), and all are vying for the high posts bytheir performance of great deeds in theworld. Tension is running high as rivalriesdevelop between the different orders as wellas among the knights themselves. Tradition-ally, one of the Lord Knights of the Rose

42 FEBRUARY 1985

Huma was buried with great reverence,and for many years those who aspired tojoin the Knights made a pilgrimage to thetomb of Huma, which � so legend had it� was carved in the shape of a SilverDragon. As the world descended into evil,the road to Huma�s tomb became dark anddangerous to travel. Soon afterward, peoplebegan to question Huma�s very existence,and now the location of his tomb and hisbody are not known.

would take the place of the Grand Master.However, no one strong enough to be apublicly acclaimed leader has come forth,and the contention for high rank among theknights continues.

Additional notes on SolamniaSolamnia is on the silver standard; the

most valuable coin of the realm is a silvermonarch, equivalent to 506 sp in the�world� outside Krynn. Silver castles(worth 10 sp) and silver tharns (worth 1 sp,the lowest-valued silver coin) are used.Copper equivalents of these coins exist, andare respectively worth 50 sp, 1 sp, and1/10 sp. If a gold coin is minted, its value isalways given in silver pieces.

Several legends are common to all ofSolamnia and may have particular rele-vance to the Knights (and thus to playerswho have characters that are members ofthe Knights). Two of these legends are briefly described below.

Bedal Brightblade was a hero said to, havefought the desert nomads to a standstill,holding a pass into Solamnia singlehandedlyuntil help came. His sword, Brightblade,was said to be of dwarven make and neverrusted or dulled despite vigorous use. Histomb is somewhere in the far southernmountains in an unknown location. It isrumored that Bedal will return to aid So-lamnia in its time of need. SturmBrightblade might be a distant descendantof this legendary figure.

Huma Dragonbane, known as the mostperfect of the knights, gathered together agroup of heroes to destroy the dragons anddrive them from the lands of Solamnia. Huma�s legend, compiled by the great elvenbard Quivalen Soth, is fragmented now.Many doubt that Huma ever really existed(the same people who now doubt the exist-ence of dragons). But the story of the lastbattle between Huma and the leader of thedragons is still told, along with the tragiclove Huma bore for the Silver Dragon. (Seethe �Song of Huma,� in the book Dragonsof Autumn Twilight, the first volume of theDragonlance Chronicles.)

Huma managed to slay, the evil dragon-leader with the Silver Dragon�s help, but indoing so he sustained a mortal wound. Bysome accounts, Huma died on the field ofbattle; others, however, say that he lingeredfor days in such pain that the gods themsel-ves suffered in sympathy, inflicting terriblethunderstorms upon the land. To this day,you will find people who say that whenlightning and thunder strike the land, it isin memory of Huma�s agony.

C C IIREATURE ATALOG

Contents

Firestar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Flamewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Hurgeon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

B e l a b r a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Betta, Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Bhaergala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Dragon, Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46E k r a t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 7Fireball Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Lightning Bug, Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Lillend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Orgautha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

R e k e i h s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Rummele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52U r i s k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2V i l t c h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3Wyrm, Great . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53X a v e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

CreditsDesigners

Ed Greenwood: Belabra; Bhaergala; Firestar; Flamewing; Orgautha; Xaver.Matthew Quinn: Betta, Giant.Samuel Offutt: Dragon, Phase.Gregg Sharp: Ekrat.Lenard Lakofka: Fireball Fly; Lightning Bug, Giant.Roger Moore: Hurgeon; Urisk; Wyrm, Great.Stephen Inniss: Lillend; Rummele; Viltch.Kris Marquardt: Rekeihs.

ArtistsDennis Rauth: Belabra; Orgautha; Rekeihs.Marsha Kauth: Bhaergala; Ekrat; Firestar.Bob Maurus: Betta, Giant; Dragon, Phase; Fireball Fly; Flamewing; Lightning Bug, Giant.Roger Raupp: Hurgeon; Lillend; Rummele; Urisk; Viltch; Wyrm, Great; Xaver.

Note: Experience-point values for the monsters in Creature Catalog II were calculated using the guidelines from thearticle �What is a monster worth?� in DRAGON® Magazine issue #89, pages 48-50.

44 FEBRUARY 1985

BELABRA

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: -2 (�head�);

6 (tentacles)MOVE: 4�/7� (hop) (MC: E)HIT DICE: 4 + 4% IN LAIR: 10%TREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 bite or 1 ramDAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-12 or 2-8SPECIAL ATTACKS: Entangling;

barbed tentaclesSPECIAL DEFENSES: Blood sprayMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: LowALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: M (tentacles 5� long)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: V/250 + 5/hp

The belabra, or �tangler,� is as valuedamong merchants and other travelers as it isfeared in the wild. Though it is a carnivore,it can be trained to entangle and hold crea-tures captive at its master�s command with-out harming its victims.

The belabra earns its nickname for itstwelve tentacles, which it uses to capture itsmeals. Each tentacle grips and holds se-curely but does no damage unless the victimtries to pull free. (Escape requires the victimto roll his chances to bend bars or lift gates;one such attempt may be made per round.)Barbs on the tentacles holding the strug-gling victim will then do 3-6 points of dam-age. In the wild, a belabra pounces uponvictims, holds them doggedly, and can thenbite repeatedly until only the victim�s skele-ton is left. A belabra�s bite does 3-12 pointsof damage, and its white stomach expandsto take in what is eaten. A belabra caneasily devour creatures much larger thanitself.

A belabra moves by crawling along the

ground with its tentacles or by boundinginto the air, beating its tentacles once with asharp clap and snapping them out behind itto serve as a rudder. By the latter method itcan glide up to 7� in still air (more if de-scending from a height or riding strong air-currents).

At any point in its glide, the belabra canwhip its tentacles about a target and plum-met earthward. Falls do only 1 hp of dam-age for every 10 feet fallen to the rubberybelabra, so this attack method is often used.

A belabra in combat bounds about, seek-ing to keep its armored head between itsopponent and the vulnerable tentacles, untilall twelve can lash out at once to entanglethe opponent. Entangling occurs if thebelabra successfully hits against an oppo-nent as a 9 HD monster. The victim thenloses all dexterity bonuses for armor classand the belabra may bite at the victim witha +4 bonus to hit. The tentacles are quitedextrous; belabras have been known toopen doors, delve into cages or sacks, andsaw through nets with their barbed tenta-cles. A favored attack is the ram, in which

the belabra springs or glides forcibly into anopponent, striking with its armored head.This does a jarring 2-8 points of damage ifit hits.

The belabra hunts by scent and sight. Itsfour eyes are mounted on retractile stalksprojecting from its armored head, and itsolfactory organs are located under the rimof the armor. Both sets of organs and thearmored head are AC -2; the white, rub-bery tentacles are AC 6, and they may onlybe attacked when the belabra has entangleda victim. However, injured tentacles spraywhitish blood that blinds and causes sneez-ing in humans, halflings, and elves (allwithin 1� must save vs. poison at -3 toavoid effects). Victims so affected make allattacks at -4 �to hit� and have their armorclass reduced by 2 ranks for 3-24 rounds.The belabra is surprisingly light for its size,weighing from 60-80 gp (6-8 pounds) whenits stomach is empty.

A belabra can be trained to obey theverbal commands of a master, hunting andimmobilizing or killing like a trained dog orfalcon. It can also aid its master in battle(95% loyalty in dangerous situations, 100%otherwise). Such training is a skill, andgood trainers require 4-16 weeks to train acaptured belabra, given a secluded trainingarea, a large supply of live animals to serveas training kills and food, and access to theperson the belabra is being trained by (for 4consecutive hours per day). Poor trainers,unfavorable conditions, or constant inter-ruptions will lengthen the training period.Belabra young, if raised for 2 years, willobey many commands and will pause beforedevouring entangled prey as a matter ofcourse.

Belabra young gestate for 6-10 months ina sack formed within the stomach of theparent. It seems that belabras have only onesex, so any belabra can carry an offspring.Belabras are otherwise solitary. Capturedbelabra young may bring as much as 4,500gp on the open market.

BETTA, Giant

FREQUENCY: UncommonNO. APPEARING: 1 male, 1-8 femalesARMOR CLASS: 8MOVE: //18�HIT DICE: males 3 + 3, females 3 + 6% IN LAIR: 55%TREASURE TYPE: Q in nestNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 biteDAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8SPECIAL ATTACKS: Bonus �to hit�SPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: AnimalALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: M (5�-6� long)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III/85 + 4/hp

Giant bettas, also known as giant Sia-mese fish, are somewhat similar to their

smaller cousins. They inhabit fresh, tropical Male bettas will create a bubble nestwaters that are warm all year around. Giant when they desire to breed. A bubble nest isbettas are encountered in schools which an underwater air pocket at least one cubicinvariably contain one male fish and one or foot in volume, set under an overhangingmore female followers. Males are brightly rock, a collection of interlocked branches, or

colored, coming in red, blue, and greenversions; females are always a drab green.Males have longer fins than females.

Male giant bettas are extremely hostiletoward other males of their kind. If a malebetta sees its own reflection in a mirrorlikesurface, it will attack the reflection immedi-ately, to the exclusion of any other enemy.The same applies to illusions the betta seesof other males. (Bettas receive no savingthrow against illusions of this sort.) Malebettas will attack other brightly coloredobjects they see in the water, gaining a +2bonus �to hit� against them; this includescharacters wearing flashy clothes, brightsilvery armor that will reflect the betta�scoloration, and so forth. This does notapply to female bettas.

D R A G O N 4 5

other� suitable object. The male betta willinhale a large quantity of air at the surface,swim down to the place where the nest isbeing built, and exhale, forming the airpocket. Any leakage will be stoppered byscooping mud onto the leaking spot. Themale might also collect a few small shinyobjects to enhance the nest�s attractiveness(hence the presence of gems).

Upon finding a female, the male willhave her lay eggs in the bubble nest and will

BHAERGALA

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVE: 16�HIT DICE: 4 + 4% IN LAIR: 20%TREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and 1 biteDAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6/1-8SPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: Poison resistance;

spell turningMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: AverageALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: L (up to 9� long)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P VALUE: III/130 + 5/hp

speech and song of men and elves, and will

The bhaergala, or �gunniwolf,� is a largepredator encountered in heavily wooded

often use this faculty to lure prey. Most

areas from tropical to temperate climes. It ismost common in jungles where the under-growth is dense, for it uses the heavy coverto conceal itself from prey. Its food is knownto include sylvan elves, satyrs, and man.

A bhaergala can accurately mimic the

bhaergalas can speak Common, and all ofthem love song. A bhaergala can be lulledto sleep by good singing. If one feels safefrom attack, it may request a song from anymen or elves it meets. Stories are told of thebard Mintiper, who befriended a bhaergalathat became his traveling companion, butsome say these tales are pure fancy.

Anyone encountering a bhaergala has a25% chance of singing the beast into slum-ber, +5% if alone, +5% per point of cha-risma over 16, and +15% if a trained orpracticing singer (all bonuses cumulative).

DRAGON, PHASE

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1-2ARMOR CLASS: 2MOVE: 6�/24� (MC: C)HIT DICE: 3-5% IN LAIR: 10%TREASURE TYPE: FNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 biteDAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4

then chase the female away before she has achance to eat the eggs. The male will guardthe nest for two days, after which time theeggs hatch. After a short period of time, themale betta will eat whatever young remainin the area; the rest must scatter and hide.Young males soon start attacking each otherand separate to go their own ways.

Young bettas are born with 1 hp and gaina full hit die every three months. Their bitedamage becomes effective against other

creatures when they are three months old,doing 1-4 points damage. When they are sixmonths old they do 1-6 hp damage, andfinally they reach adulthood (and normalbite damage) at nine months of age.

Bettas live in shallow waters not over100� deep. They have to come to the sur-face and gulp air to breathe. Though malescan be dangerous to underwater adventur-ers in the tropics, female bettas will attack.only if hungry or if attacked themselves.

This chance drops to 0% if the bhaergalafeels threatened, has been attacked or in-jured recently, or is hungry. A bhaergalanaps for 1-10 rounds, never sleeping forlong. If it finds a singer gone upon awaken-ing, it will usually give chase.

A bhaergala is solitary, seeking othersonly to mate. It is a savage fighter, rakingwith powerful foreclaws and biting mouth-fuls of flesh from opponents with its jaws,dropping these to be consumed later. Abhaergala tends to bite continuously untilits prey is dead.

A bhaergala stalks prey from downwind;its fur has a faint but unmistakable odor,often described by adventurers as akin tothat of fresh-baked bread or biscuits. It isagile and can spring or fall up to 7� verti-cally without harm, landing upright as a catdoes. In greater falls, a bhaergala will sus-tain 1d6 damage for every 1� over 7� fallen,but it will often pounce on fleet prey fromgreat heights, hoping to stun or cripple it.Upon impact, a leaping bhaergala�s clawsboth do maximum damage if they strike.

A bhaergala feels little pain or fear, and

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weapon;possible spell use

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Phasing ability;see hidden/invisible objects

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%INTELLIGENCE: Average to veryALIGNMENT: Chaotic (neutral or good)SIZE: S (3� long)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV to V/175 + 3/hp

to 360 + 5/hp

will flee or break off combat only when itfeels further battle will be useless or danger-ous. The great constitution of a bhaergalaallows it to regenerate 2 hp of damage suf-fered per day, and allows it +3 on savingthrows versus poison and a 99% systemshock score. Further, a bhaergala can con-sciously turn spells directed against it (as aring of spell turning) up to 4 times per day.This is a power under its control and not aninvoluntary or automatic reaction. Abhaergala has standard magic resistance tospells that are not turned.

Young bhaergalas have the speed andpowers of their parents, but have only 2+2HD and do only half damage. Beasts ofboth sexes are externally identical, and amated pair remains together only until theyoung have made their own first kills.Bhaergalas usually sleep on tree boughs orin thickets; their lairs are seldom-visitedplaces of refuge and also act as storehousesof treasure (musical instruments and noise-makers taken from corpses or in raids oncaravans or villages). Such lairs are alwayswell hidden, usually in caves or ruins.

The phase dragon can be found almostanywhere, although it prefers sparselyinhabited areas in and around forests. Itslair can be found in caves and in stout,hollow trees. Though of small size, a phasedragon is as greedy as any other dragon andcovets precious metals, gems, and magicitems.

This dragon�s phasing ability allows it toshift out of phase with its surroundings as aphase spider can; it uses this power whenattacking or being attacked. The dragon

46 FEBRUARY 1985

will bring itself back into phase when it isready to deliver a bite or breath weapon (itcan see its surroundings even when out ofphase). When out of phase, the dragoncannot be struck by normal weapons, but itcan be seen and attacked by someone wear-ing armor of etherealness or using oil ofetherealness; other ethereal beings can alsoattack it. A phase door spell will cause thedragon to remain in phase for seven rounds.

Because a phase dragon hates to fight, itwill prefer to use its breath weapon first inan unfriendly encounter and then try toescape. The phase dragon can attack onceper round with either a bite or by breathinga 10� diameter cloud of white gas thatcauses all within it who fail a saving throwvs. breath weapon to become confused, asper the druid spell confusion.

A phase dragon is able to use magic, andif taught to do so (as 40% of them havebeen), it can learn a 1st-level magic-userspell for each of its first four ages and a 2nd-level magic-user spell every age after that,to a maximum of four 1st-level and four2nd-level magic-user spells at ancient age.

Phase dragons have the same age catego-ries and abilities to detect hidden or invisi-ble beings that regular dragons have, butthey lack any fear aura abilities. They canbe subdued. Phase dragons are a glossylight blue-gray in color, and their scaleshave a mother-of-pearl sheen to them. Theyspeak their own tongue and their alignmentlanguage, and 75% of them know the com-mon tongue as well. Phase dragons are 40%likely to be found sleeping. They makesaving throws like regular dragons.

EKRAT

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 1 + 1% IN LAIR: 90%TREASURE TYPE: L, M, Qx3, plus

magical writings (see below)NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 weaponDAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: Consumes magical

writingSPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised only on

roll of 1 on a d12MAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: VeryALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutralSIZE: S (1� tail)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: II/44 + 2/hp

These wily beings are similar in appear-ance to leathery-skinned leprechauns,though they are thinner and have dull yel-low eyes. Ekrats have exceptional hearingand are difficult to surprise. They usuallycarry a dagger with them for self-defensebut are not known to waylay or harm any-one without cause.

Ekrats are most often found in the neigh-borhood of a poorly guarded library ormuseum, though a few enterprising speci-mens have made their ways into majormagical libraries. Ekrats feed upon themagical power contained within enchantedwritings of any sort. Ekrats also eat paperand drink ink, though no one has figuredout how they can get nourishment fromthem. Any other vegetable matter can beconsumed, such as corn, rice, wheat, oreven grass and tree bark, but ekrats preferpaper products over all other foods.

The average ekrat will eat as much as 30sheets of paper per day, preferably with inkwriting upon them, if such can be found.Magical tomes, scrolls, spellbooks, and thelike are consumed differently. Four times a

day, an ekrat can cast a special form of erasespell with a range of 12�. This spell willaffect one spell from a magical scroll, tome,or spell book, and has a 60% chance ofsuccessfully erasing the magical writingsinvolved. The ekrat will continue to seekout as many other magical writings to �eat�as possible.

An ekrat may safely erase cursed scrolls,and a protection or cursed scroll counts asone �spell� for eating purposes. Magicalglyphs, runes, and symbols may also be

eaten in this manner, and the same appliesto explosive runes (though these will imme-diately detonate if the attempt to eat themfails).

Even a powerful magical tome such as alibram of gainful conjuration or a vacuousgrimoire can be so destroyed, though theekrat must make four successful erase at-tacks in a row in order to destroy the work,and the book must fail a saving throw vs.disintegration each time (roll of 20 requirednot to fail). Little wonder, then, that ekratsare often referred to as �folio fiends� or�manual monsters.�

An ekrat will keep a lair and is very likelyto be found there, casually stuffing itselfwith paper, drinking ink, or otherwiseamusing itself when it isn�t hungry.

Though ekrats eat magical writings, theydo keep other treasures, particularly gemsand jewels. A chance exists of finding somemagical writings being kept in an ekrat�slair as late-night snacks. Roll the followingchances for magical writings cumulatively:50% chance of 1-4 scrolls, 50% chance of amap (with magical writings upon it), 20%chance of a spellbook, and a 5% chance of amagical tome or manual. A spellbook is80% likely to have belonged to a magic-user(of level 1-8) and 20% to be that of anillusionist (of level 1 - 10).

FIREBALL FLY

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 2-12 (6-36 in lair)ARMOR CLASS: 7MOVE: 1�/15� (MC: B)HIT DICE: 1 hp% IN LAIR: 35%TREASURE TYPE: 50% each of treasure

types J, K, L, M, and N; 5% chance ofmagical weapon, armor, or shield

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 biteDAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2SPECIAL ATTACKS: Fireball burstSPECIAL DEF.: Immune to fire, heatMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: AnimalALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: S (3 in. long)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: II/33

D R A G O N 4 7

Fireball flies travel in small groups inwarm wilderness areas. They initially attackvictims by biting, doing 1-2 hp damageeach. If a victim falls, the fireball flies willback away and wait to feed upon the bodywhen it is left alone by any nearby com-rades. They will only attack one person in agroup at a time.

If one or more of an attacking swarm offireball flies is slain, there is a 50% chanceon each round thereafter that 1-2 fireballflies will dive on the victim in suicide at-tacks. Diving fireball flies will have a +3bonus �to hit� and will explode on impactwith a solid surface. The dying fireball flywill burst into a 3� diameter ball of flamesimilar to a miniature fireball; the victimstruck will suffer 3-12 hp damage per explo-sion unless he saves vs. spells (saving willonly yield half damage). A victim who failsto save must have all of his equipment savevs. magical fire to keep it from being de-

stroyed; clothing is included, of course.When a fireball fly dives on a victim, the

other fireball flies will move out of range ofthe fireball and will hover nearby to see ifthe explosion has disabled the victim. If thistactic fails, the fireball flies will not pursue a

walking or guarded victim and will leave tofind easier prey.

A fireball fly is immune to fire of all sorts,even red dragon breath or the heat frommolten lava. If struck by any form of magi-cal frost, including a cone of cold, icestorm, or even being touched by afrostbrand sword, the fireball fly will dieinstantly. If struck by a normal weapon(excluding hands or feet), there is a 25%chance that the fireball fly will explode atonce; for this reason, missiles and hurledweapons are preferred means of dealingwith them.

Fireball flies lair in rocky areas, andincidental treasure from previous victimsmight be found nearby; only rarely willexpensive or magical items be found. Fire-ball flies are sometimes released indungeons, tombs, or other places that needguardians, though capturing them is verydifficult.

FIRESTARFREQUENCY: UncommonNO. APPEARING: 1-12ARMOR CLASS: 2MOVE.: 16�HIT DICE: 2 + 2% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: See belowDAMAGE/ATTACK: See belowSPECIAL ATTACKS: Electrical sparkSPECIAL DEF.: Immune to magic;

heat/electrical absorption; in visibilityMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: HighALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: S (3�-6� diameter)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: Nil/Immuneto attack

LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III/110 + 3/hp

This eerily beautiful creature is usuallymistaken for the feared will-o-wisp. A fire-star appears to be a silent, floating, fist-sized mote of light. It is usually seen danc-ing in intricate patterns in secluded,moonlit hilltops or forest glades (hence thenickname �moondancer�). It tends toignore other creatures unless disturbed, butis attracted to firelight within a two-milerange and by spell use within a 20� range.

A firestar can absorb energy from normaland magical flames and from electricaldischarges, taking as many hit points aswould normally be given out in damage and

gaining them as additional body hit points,up to a maximum hit point total of fourtimes its original score. For example, a 12hp firestar could absorb up to 36 hp ofdamage and keep them as its own hitpoints. The hit points will be lost after 2-5hours. Any additional hit points of fire orelectrical damage that are not absorbed arelost. A firestar is otherwise immune to theeffects of flame and electricity. Note thatfiery damage from a flame tongue sword canalso be absorbed, at a rate of +1 hp absorbedper sword strike (thus reducing the weap-on�s effectiveness against firestars).

If attacked, a firestar can transmit an

electrical jolt similar to a miniature light-ning bolt of 2-12 hp damage to an enemy,up to five times per day. No saving throw isgiven against this attack. Such a dischargehas a 30� range, and can be conductedthrough metal armor or weapons.

Firestars are intelligent and can under-stand movements, gestures, and even somewords of Common or the predominant localtongue. They can communicate only ifanother creature employs a speak withmonsters spell or telepathy to converse withthem. They have their own intricate lan-guage, a series of dancing patterns accom-panied by fluctuations in their glow.Firestars can control the intensity of theirglow and even blank it out entirely for 2-8rounds (during which times they are effec-tively invisible) .

A firestar�s light fails if it is slain, reveal-ing an egg-shaped, 2� long body coveredwith a black spiderweb of nerves intersect-ing at many nodes. At each node is an eye.Within the body are several distinct organs,one of which is valued as an alternativecomponent for the dancing lights spell, andall of which may serve as ingredients inmagical inks for the spells affect normalfires, dancing lights, and detect magic. Afirestar itself is immune to psionic attackand to all spells except detection or com-munication spells, magic missile, and cold-related spells (all of which have normaleffects). A firestar can be hit by normalweapons, but any flaming weapon whichstrikes a firestar will both physically woundand strengthen it as noted above.

FLAMEWING NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and 1 bite

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1-3ARMOR CLASS: 7MOVE: 22�HIT DICE: 2 + 2% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: Nil

48 FEBRUARY 1985

INTELLIGENCE: LowALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: M (up to 5� long, wingspan to 9�)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6/1-6SPECIAL ATTACKS: Flaming wingsSPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to fireMAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III/65 + 3/hp

Flamewings are omnivorous, batlikecreatures encountered in temperate climes.They prefer areas with trees or rocky spireswhere they may perch safe from suddenattacks. Flamewings have keen eyesight andgood olfactory and vibratory senses.

Though they never sleep, they often rest byperching in complete immobility. In thisstate, their body processes are slowed andthey may be mistaken as lifeless. But, theymay instantly burst into flight or attack atany provocation.

Flamewings hunt like hawks, wingingsilently down to snatch up prey with theirhind claws. But when fighting, they scream,swoop, and wheel about in ceaseless flight,diving repeatedly to buffet opponents withtheir flaming wings.

A flamewing has a saclike organ con-nected to its stomach that collects methanegas, which aids in flight by adding lift andbalance to the flamewing�s tissue layer. Thegas also accumulates in expandable cham-bers located behind the massive bony lead-ing edges of the wings. The powerful wingmuscles can expel jets of the gas from ventsin the leading edge of the wing at will. Bymeans of its unique body chemistry, aflamewing may choose to ignite (or douse)gas leaving the vents. A wing strike does

HURGEON

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 8-32ARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 6�HIT DICE: 2-5 hp%. IN LAIR: 40%TREASURE TYPE: M (x10)

and X (in lair)NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 or 2 (weapons)DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: Missiles; spell useSPECIAL DEFENSES: Spell use; invisibe

in natural terrainMAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%INTELLIGENCE: Average to exceptionalALIGNMENT: Neutral goodSIZE: S (1� tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: Ni l

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: II/38 + 1/hp

Hurgeons are small creatures that resem-ble hedgehogs, though they walk erect ontheir hind feet and have hands for forepaws.They are dark brown in color and havebright brown eyes. These creatures speaktheir own language and can speak with anyanimal naturally. About 20% of them knowthe elven or Common languages, and 5%know the secret tongue of the druids.

Hurgeons live deep in woodland areas farfrom civilized places, and they make theirburrows in the soil beneath the largest trees.The burrow entrances are so skillfully cam-

1 hp of impact damage, 2-8 hp of fierydamage, and 1-2 hp from the wing claws(unless the target has AC 5 or better, inwhich case no damage is taken).

ouflaged with flowers and leaves that onlyspells or devices that detect invisible objectswill locate them. Hurgeons gather localnuts, fruits, and berries, and several typesof edible roots for their meals. Their vege-tarian and inoffensive natures allow them tomake friends with local woodland creaturesand make arrangements for mutual assis-tance with them in times of need.

Hurgeons are tool-users and constructelaborate underground dwellings with nu-merous rooms branching off from the maintunnel. Work aprons and belts made fromleaves or softened bark are often worn. Ifattacked, hurgeons use tiny daggers (1-2 hpdamage) to defend themselves. Many carryslingshots that have an 80-yard range (withno range penalties) and inflict 1 hp of dam-age per shot; two shots may be fired perround. They may use animal friendship,invisibility to animals, faerie fire, locateanimals and plants, and pass without traceas often as they desire, one spell per meleeround, at the 6th level of effect. They mayalso cast an entangle spell once per day atthe 6th level of effect.

Half of the hurgeons encountered in theirlair will be male and half will be female. Tothe casual observer, both sexes are exactlyalike; only druids can tell them apart. Therewill be 4-10 children in the community aswell, though they are usually kept indoorsor in the immediate vicinity of the burrow.

The only contact that hurgeons have withother humans or demi-humans is nearlyalways through sylvan elves and druids

Against lesser opponents, flamewings usetheir claws and powerful bite. The hindclaws have been known to strike througharmor and do 1-6 hp damage each.Amongst themselves, flamewings communi-cate the most basic of emotions and inten-tions with rattling, throaty calls.Flamewings are immune to all heat- andfire-based attacks, but suffer +2 on all diceof cold damage, and they will not survivechilling temperatures for long. They arefearless and ruthless in battle.

Flamewings are marsupials, and one cancarry 1-4 �flamelings� � tiny offspringwith 1-3 hp, doing 1-4 hp fire damage, 1-3hp with hind claws, and no damage frombuffeting and their immature wing claws.Only one flamewing in twenty will be soencumbered by young. The flamelings willdetach themselves and flee to safety if themother is endangered. Young flamewingshave been captured and tamed successfully,but they always turn wild again when theyreach adulthood.

(who love and respect the �hedgehog folk�)or humans lost in the woods. Some wander-ers in deep forests claim to have witnessedhurgeons performing a springtime dancingritual in woodland clearings, forming circu-lar paths that are called �fairie rings.�

If a druid of 12th level or above encoun-ters a hurgeon colony and performs a greatservice for the members, one of the hur-geons may follow the druid and become acompanion to him. Though the hurgeonwill not have a telepathic link to the druid,it will help the druid in whatever way it canand act as a guide in unfamiliar territory.The possibility that this will occur in agiven situation is left to the Dungeon Mas-ter�s discretion.

LIGHTNING BUG, Giant TREASURE TYPE: Nil ALIGNMENT: NeutralNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (see below) SIZE: S (2� long)

FREQUENCY: Common DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below PSIONIC ABILITY: NilNO. APPEARING: 1-12 SPECIAL ATTACKS: Lightning spark Attack/Defense Modes: NilARMOR CLASS: 9 SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: II/34MOVE: 1�/20� (MC: B) electrical attacksHIT DICE: 2 hp MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard Giant lightning bugs tend to swarm% IN LAIR: Nil INTELLIGENCE: Non- harmlessly in temperate forests unless a

D R A G O N 4 9

piece of metal larger than 30 gp in weight isbrought within 60� of them. The bugs willsense the presence of the metal and willmove toward it. When they get withinrange, they will each discharge a 10� longspark of lightning at the metal; this attackcan be made only once per turn. No �tohit� roll is required, though persons wear-ing metallic armor or carrying metallicweapons or tools of sufficient size mustmake saving throws vs. spells to sustain halfof the total damage taken from the lightningin each round. Note that being properlyinsulated, such as holding a metal weaponin rubber or thick leather gloves, will pre-vent any electrical damage from beingtaken. However, victims who are standingin water have a -4 penalty on their savingthrows.

These magical insects give off a blink oflight from their abdomens at night, oneflash per segment, that can be seen up to60� away. A dead giant lightning bug willradiate this light continuously for up to anhour, and they have been used as temporarytrail markers in this manner. A pile of 20dead bugs will produce enough light toequal a clerical light spell.

Any magical metal object struck by thiselectrical spark must save vs. lightning at+4, or all magical properties it has will belost forever. Giant lightning bugs are them-selves immune to all electrical attacks,including natural lightning and blue dragonbreath. Nonmagical or nonmetallic itemsare unaffected by this spark.

Giant lightning bugs have no lairs and habit of �sparking� metal appears to bekeep no treasure, even incidentally. Their related to their mating rituals.

LILLEND

FREQUENCY R a r eNO. APPEARING: 3-12ARMOR CLASS: 3MOVE: 9�/27�//15� (MC: C)HIT DICE: 7 + 14% IN LAIR: 20%TREASURE TYPE: ANO. OF ATTACKS: 1 tail constriction and

1 weaponDAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12 and by

weapon typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: Dropping in flight;

spells; continual damageSPECIAL DEFENSES: Spells; various

immunitiesMAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%INTELLIGENCE: HighALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral or

chaotic goodSIZE: L (human torso with 20� long body),PSIONIC ABILITY: 190

Attack/Defense Modes: All/allLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VII/1900 + 10/hp

Lillendi are natives of Gladsheim (seeDRAGON® Magazine, issue #90), thoughthey may travel astrally to the Prime Mate-rial Plane and may also be found on theplanes of Olympus or Limbo. On the mate-rial plane, they prefer to dwell in temperateor tropical woodlands. They are peacefuland delight in song and conversation, butthey are by no means harmless. Those whooffend lillendi may receive harsh treatmentat their hands, and even blameless individ-uals are subject to their pranks. Lillendi areparticularly hostile toward those who seek toimpose civilized order on the wilderlands.

Lillendi can cast spells, charm with mu-sic, affect morale, and use legend lore as7th-level bards, and they may use anymagical items that bards can use. In addi-tion (three times per day), fire charm (onceper day), hallucinatory terrain (three timesper day), knock, light or darkness (as acleric), Otto�s irresistible dance (once perper day), hallucinatory terrain (three timesper day), knock, light or darkness (as acleric), Otto�s irresistible dance (once per

patterned. Each individual has its ownunique color combination and is quiteproud of it. A lillend wears no clothing butsometimes wears jewelry. It always carriesweapons and musical instruments.

A lillend has the torso and head of acomely man or woman, but is providedwith broad, powerful, feathered wings andhas a stout serpentine body from the waistdownwards. Though the humanlike por-tions of a lillend are of unremarkable hue,the feathered and scaled parts of its anat-omy are brightly colored and strikingly

Both male and female lillendi have 17strength and 16 dexterity ratings for theirhuman torsos, with attendant bonuses incombat. Their weapons, sometimes magicalin nature, are usually longswords, spears,or powerful longbows. If a lillend catches itsopponent in its coils, it inflicts 2-12 hpdamage that round, and does 2-12 hp auto-matically each round thereafter. Those heldin a lillend�s coils save, do damage, andattack at a penalty of -1. Attacks made bythe lillend on held persons are at +1 �to hit�and damage. Particularly unpleasant ene-mies can be carried into the air anddropped from a height. Lillendi can carryup to 2500 g.p. (250 pounds) in flight for upto 1 turn, though they cannot do constrict-ing damage while flying.

These creatures can breathe water andcan move swiftly on or under the surface(their features are water-resistant). They areimmune to poisons, noxious gases, normalfire, the effects of the Positive or NegativeMaterial Planes (including life-level drain-ing), and to any magical effect which has amusical base, such as harpy song or satyrpiping. They are unaffected by allenchantment/charm spells, and only +1 orbetter magical weapons will harm them.

day), pass plant, polymorph self (into hu-manlike form only), speak with plants,speak with animals, and transport via plants(once per day). A lillend can understandany sort of intelligent communication,including writing or sign language. Alllillendi have normal ultravision, and eachhas two major and three minor randompsionic disciplines.

50 FEBRUARY 1985

ORGAUTHA

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1 (5% chance of 2-4)ARMOR CLASS: 8MOVE: 11�HITDICE: 4+8 to 6+8% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 biteDAMAGE/ATTACK: See belowSPECIAL ATTACKS: Blood drain, slowSPECIAL DEFENSES: SilenceMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: AnimalALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: L (12� long or more)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV to VI/210 + 5/hp

to 600 + 8/hp

The orgautha, or �land leech,� is a crea-ture encountered so seldomly that it is onlya legend to most rangers, wanderers, andhunters. Few who encounter it live to tellthe tale, so many human disappearancescould well be the results of orgautha attacks.The favorite food of the orgautha is man-kind, but any warm-blooded mammal ofhuman size or smaller will serve as food.

The orgautha gets its nickname from itsappearance and method of feeding. It is adark brown, wormlike monster of giantproportions � some have been known toreach 20� in length, although most areabout 12�) and have a 5'-diameter girth.An orgautha presses its snout, of which ithas one at either end of its body, against avictim and exerts bone-crushing suction tohold its prey. The orgautha then bites into

the victim and sucks the blood from itsvictim�s body. The initial contact does nodamage, but cannot be broken unless thevictim successfully rolls his chances to bendbars or lift gates, or the orgautha breaks itto attack another foe, or it recoils in pain(which it will do on any round in which itreceives more than 16 points of damage). Itsteeth do 1-4 hp damage on the round afterit first catches a victim, and 1-4 hp perround thereafter until there is nothing left.

One end of an orgautha can feed whilethe other fights, or both ends can drain twocreatures at once. The orgautha is veryflexible and has been known to attack avictim with both mouths.

The relatively soft body of an orgauthawould seem to make it easy prey in a fight,but it has two offsetting natural powers: itcontinually radiates silence 15� radius,concealing its approach and hampering anyteamwork among multiple victims, and allwithin 10� of the beast are slowed unlessthey save vs. paralyzation at -2. All crea-

tures must make a saving throw for eachround that they are within 10� of an orgau-tha to determine if they are slowed thatround or not.

Orgautha wander tirelessly in search offood, instinctively avoiding cities and largesettlements. They have been known to wipeout isolated steadings and villages, hauntbattlefields when the fighting is done, andeven track and ambush trappers along trap-lines. Orgautha inhabit forests, rocky scrub-land, caverns, and subterranean realms.Usually solitary, they seem to gather in asyet undiscovered places to reproduce everyten seasons or so, females laying large (1�diameter) eggs which in texture and hueresemble dark blue grapes. Orgauthas avoideach other rather than fight, but may teamup for short periods if they encounter eachother while hunting.

Orgauthas have no eyes, but can sensevibrations and large sources of heat within7�. They can also smell keenly, within a 6�range.

REKEIHS

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1 (20% chance of 2-5)ARMOR CLASS: 7 (body), 2 (tentacles)MOVE: 3�HIT DICE: 4-6% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 4 tentaclesDAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10/1-10/1-10/1-10SPECIAL ATTACKS: Multiple attacksSPECIAL DEFENSES: Cold resistanceMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: Semi-ALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: M (5�-6� tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X. P. VAL.: 4 HD, III/110 + 4/hp;

5HD, XV/170 + 5/hp; 6 HD, 300 + 6/hp

The rekeihs (pronounced ree-KAYZ; thename is the same in singular or pluralforms) is a carnivorous plant found in tropi-cal swamps and other warm, damp areas,including some dungeons. It preys largelyupon live animals, including adventurerswho wander into its territory.

A rekeihs has four powerful legs thatform its major root systems; these are usedto draw nourishment from slain animalvictims and, when necessary, from muddysoil. Although it is powerful, the rekeihs is aslow-moving creature with no jumpingability.

The four upper tentacles of the rekeihsare secondary roots that anchor themselvesin mud when the creature isn�t moving.

They are also used in combat and can dragslain prey toward the rekeihs. When attack-ing, the tentacles lash out and grasp a vic-tim, wrapping partially around it; then thetentacles suddenly jerk free and the suctionpads underneath each tentacle rip away atthe victim�s skin. If the victim is using ashield, there�s a 25% chance that the shieldwill be pulled away by any one tentacleunless the shield bearer can roll his chanceto open doors (based upon his strength).Victims wearing armor of AC 5 or betterwill only suffer 1-4 hp damage per tentacleattack.

A rekeihs is able to attack four opponentsat once and can direct up to three of itstentacles against any one single opponent.The main body and legs of a rekeihs are AC7; the tentacles are AC 2.

Growing from the top of the rekeihs�shead are vibration and auditory sensors,which can pick up any loud sounds within a25� radius of the creature. Each of therekeihs�s four eyes have infravision out to30� and regular vision out to 120�. (Re-keihs are nearsighted.) Rekeihs are drawntoward moving light sources and will oftenattack illuminated beings at night. Theytake half damage from all cold-based

DR A G O N 51

attacks, but fire-based attacks do +2 hp perdice of damage to them.

Once a year, a rekeihs will reproduceusing a slain animal or human victim. Itwill attach its four �legs� to the victim,though it will fend off attackers during thistime with its tentacles if necessary. Withinone turn, the rekeihs will have sent rootletsthroughout the body of the victim; raisingthe victim from the dead is then impossiblewithout use of a wish. The rekeihs willbecome immobile (except for its flailing

tentacles during a fight). Within 3-18 turnsafter attaching itself to a body, the rekeihswill explode violently, causing 6-24 pointsdamage to all within 30� of it. This kills therekeihs, but within 2-12 turns after thisexplosion, from 3-6 young rekeihs (each 1�

separate from the bodytall) will grow andof the slain victim.

The young rekeihs will grow at an as-tounding rate; within a month, the (1 HDat birth) youth will have grown to adult size(4 HD). A new hit die is gained every

month afterward until full adult size (6 HD)is gained.

The rekeihs has a bulbous shape withfour stout legs and four tentacles-spacedeven around the body. Above each tentacleis a single unblinking eye, and a wavygrowth of filaments extend from the top ofits head. The main body of the rekeihs is adull, mottled green; the legs and tentaclesare darker, turning to purple or even blue inolder specimens. The eyes are dull blackwith green pupils.

RUMMELE

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1 (10% chance of 4-16)ARMOR CLASS: 4MOVE: 18� / /15�@15�HIT DICE: 5 + 10% IN LAIR: 20%TREASURE TYPE: FNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 biteDAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-12SPECIAL ATTACKS: SpellsSPECIAL DEFENSES: Various immuni-

ties; never surprisedMAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%INTELLIGENCE: Average to veryALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral or

chaotic goodSIZE: M (3� at shoulder)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VI/550 + 6/hp

Rummeles are from the planes of Glad-sheim (see DRAGON® Magazine, issue#90), though they are also found on Limbo,Olympus, and the Prime Material Plane.These canids are good-natured and areparticularly friendly toward humans anddemi-humans. Though they are somewhatunreliable, rummeles generally mean well.

A rummele can blink as a blink dog does,with the same chance of attacking frombehind and the same ability to teleport awayentirely. It may also activate the followingspell-like powers at will, one per round, at

the 6th level of ability: detect evil/good,diminution (as per the potion), enemydetection (as the wand), find the path (or itsreverse), haste (once per day), invisibility,polymorph other (once per day), and poly-morph self (to humanlike form only). Arummele may also create food and drinkand other non-metallic items as a djinnidoes. A rummele has infravision and ul-travision out to 90�, and can regenerate 1hp per turn. This regenerative power can betransferred to one other being, by touch, foras long as physical contact is maintained.

The rummele is immune to diseases,poisons, effects of the Positive and NegativeMaterial Planes (including life-level drain-ing), and to petrification and polymorpheffects. It is immune to certain will-force

spells as if it had a 20 wisdom (see theDEITIES & DEMIGODS� Cyclopedia).Its magic resistance is of the uniform sort,equally effective regardless of the level ofthe spell or its caster; there is always a 30%chance that a spell will fail against it.

These agile creatures can dodge ordinarymissiles or knock them out of the air on aroll of 8 or better on 1d20. They have pre-hensile paws and flexible joints, and mayclimb walls as 10th-level thieves. If they fall,they take no damage for the first 30� of the

taking normal damage afterwards40�) etc.). Rummeles cannot be

descent,(4d6 forsurprised because of their keen senses andhigh dexterity.

A rummele looks somewhat like a long-limbed, shaggy dog with pendant ears and along, slender muzzle. Its woolly coat maybe of almost any color, and it has shinyblack eyes. A rummele�s charisma is 19 withrespect to other canids (dogs, wolves, etc.),including intelligent or magical beasts likewinter wolves, and it can communicate withany dog, wolf, jackal, or fox. Though it isvoiceless in its natural form, the rummelehas telepathy (as per the psionic discipline).Because of its fondness for humans anddemi-humans, a rummele sometimes travelspolymorphed as them. The astute andinformed may recognize a polymorphedrummele by its prominent nose and brightblack eyes, which are retained even in poly-morphed form. If it learns that it has beenidentified, however, a rummele will almostalways leave the area.

URISK (Lubin)

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1 (10% chance of 2-5)ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVE: 15�HIT DICE: 2 + 1% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: M (x100), QNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 butt or 1 weaponDAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 or by

weapon typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: Minor spell use;

+1 with weaponsSPECIAL DEFENSES: Hiding in natural

terrainMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: VeryALIGNMENT: Neutral (lubins are

chaotic neutral)

52 F E B R U A R Y 1 9 8 5

SIZE: S (3� tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III/95 + 3/hp

The urisk is very much like a 3� tall,goat-headed satyr, having goatlike legs, ahuman torso, arms, and hands, and a smallbushy tail wagging behind. A urisk is cov-ered in shaggy brown fur. The urisk issolitary in nature and wanders throughmountainous and forested terrain with noestablished lair, though it may have smallcaches of buried gold or gold jewelry. Inti-mately familiar with the terrain it inhabits,a urisk can hide well enough to becomeinvisible to the casual observer.

If encountered, a urisk is 25% likely to bealone and 75% likely to have 1-4 mamma-lian companions with it, such as giant

goats, bears, sheep, rams, deer, or the like.It can cast up to four charm mammal spellsper day (save at -4) and may speak to anyanimal as often as desired. The charmmammal spell will only affect normal orgiant mammals, and not humans, human-oids, or demi-humans. The mammals socharmed will obey the urisk completely,even unto death.

A urisk may also cast warp wood at the12th level of ability three times per day, andmay pass without trace for up to one hour aday in any terrain. A urisk will attack bybutting most of the time, but some prefer touse small weapons like daggers, hand axes,clubs, and short swords. Any weapon beingheld by a urisk will function as a +1 weaponfor hit-determination purposes if it is non-magical; magical weapons are treated nor-mally. This bonus to hit is temporary only,

and is removed as soon as the urisk lets goof the weapon.

Urisks are particularly friendly withgnomes and druids, neutral towards hu-mans, elves, halflings, and dwarves, andhate all humanoids such as orcs and gob-lins. They speak their own language, theiralignment tongue (neutral), common, andthe languages of gnomes, dwarves, elves,and orcs.

A variant species very much like theurisk, called the lubin, averages 2½� inheight and is black-furred; but otherwisesimilar to the urisk. Lubins inhabit forestsand fields and cast charm person spells upto three times a day, rather than charmmammal. Lubins may also speak withanimals as they please, but do not havecompanions as urisks do. Lubins are chaotic

neutral alignments, and speak their owntongue, their alignment tongue, and the

language of sylvan elves, gnomes, andcommon. All other spells, powers, andhabits are as for urisks. Lubins and urisksspeak to each other in the language of ani-mals rather than in each other�s languages.Both urisks and lubins are quite rare, andnot frequently encountered.

For random determination of a givenurisk�s companion when encountered, useAppendix L: Conjured Animals in theDungeon Masters Guide, rolling a d6 to seewhich hit-dice category each of the 1-4companions is and rolling percentile dice todetermine exactly which animal is present.All companions of a urisk will be completelyat ease with one another and can work incomplete harmony, even if this is not nor-mally likely (due to the powerful charmupon them).

VILTCH

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1-20ARMOR CLASS: -4MOVE: 21�HIT DICE: 5 + 2% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and 1 biteDAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-5/2-5/2-8SPECIAL ATTACKS: Minor poison; spellsSPECIAL DEFENSES: Spells; never sur-

prised; various immunities & resistancesMAGIC RESISTANCE: 40%INTELLIGENCE: AverageALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral or

chaotic evilSIZE: M (5� tall,)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VI/575 + 6/hp

Vitches are hateful creatures from theplane of Pandemonium, inclined to maligndestruction and disorder. They are skilledvandals, ripping open wineskins, spoilingfood, biting through ropes and straps, tor-menting domestic animals, smashing wood,and generally creating havoc wherever theygo. The more beautiful or orderly an object

They seek out weak prey and avoid directconfrontation with powerful creatures.

The following powers are available to aviltch, usable one at a time, once per round:detect traps, dimension door, shatter (threetimes per day), teleport (once per day), trip(three times per day), warp wood (threetimes per day), and gate (30% chance of1-20 more viltches from Pandemonium). Aviltch is immune to electrical damage,psionic attacks and powers, and poisons orgases of any sort. It takes half damage fromcold or fire. Viltches have both infravisionand ultravision out to 90�.

Viltches are never surprised and alwaysgain +2 on initiative rolls because of theirspeed. They have the abilities of 12th-levelthieves in picking pockets, opening locks,removing traps, and climbing walls. Aviltch can dodge non-magical missiles if itsaves vs. petrification. The venomous biteof a viltch causes pain in a live victim (-3�to hit� and no chance of casting spells orattacking psionically) for 1-6 turns.

A viltch resembles a mandrill with mattedand disheveled fur, and is a dirty gray color.Its muzzle is blue-gray. It has a mane ofdarker color, and its eyes burn a balefulyellow. A viltch has only three legs: a singleleg in back, and two in front. It seems notto be handicapped by this arrangement.

or an arrangement is, the greater theirdetermination to destroy it. Though theycan inflict fatal wounds, viltches prefer tocause mere scratches and nicks, concentrat-ing on various random acts of hooliganism.

WYRM, Great

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: -1MOVE: 15�HIT DICE: 13-15% IN LAIR: 45%TREASURE TYPE: H, ZNO. OF ATTACKS: 2 claws and 1 biteDAMAGE/ATTACK: 4-24/4-24/4-40SPECIAL ATTACKS: Breath weaponSPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration;

detect invisible beingsMAGIC RESISTANCE: 5%INTELLIGENCE: VeryALIGNMENT: Neutral evilSIZE: L (60� long)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: 13-14 HD, IX/9200

+ 18/hp; 15 HD, X/12,200 + 20/hp

Great wyrms are distant relatives ofdragons and dragonkind, a dying breed thathas become more rare with each passingyear. Wingless, six-legged intelligent rep-tiles, great wyrms lair far from civilizedareas.

These gray-green beasts are so rarelyseen that encountering one is considered alucky (or unlucky) omen. Great wyrms areso old that some are said to remember theearly days of their world, and a few king-doms protect and defend their wyrms forthe information they possess (though thewyrms charge steep prices for such knowl-edge). Great wyrms speak their own tongue

and no other, though they apparently un-derstand many languages and will answerquestions put to them in a variety of dialectsand tongues.

Malign, crafty, and indirect in speech andthought, some great wyrms are also senile,and a few are said to be insane. No newwyrms have been born for centuries, and itis generally believed that these monsters areaware that their species is headed for extinc-tion. Certainly the wyrms say little aboutthis, and tend to eat those who are boldenough to ask them about it.

A great wyrm is capable of breathing outa cloud of poisonous gas four times a day;such a cloud is 60 yards long, 30 yards wideand 26 yards high, and all who are caughtwithin it must save vs. breath weapon orsuffer the poison�s effects. Victims who

D R A G O N 5 3

breathe the fumes will be immediatelyincapacitated by choking and nausea, col-lapsing at once without defending them-selves or attacking in any way. The victimswill then die in 1-4 rounds. Saving againstthe breath weapon will reduce the victim tohalf of his former hit points (round fractionsup) and will leave him choking and gasping;he will, however, be able to attack at -2 �tohit� odds, and can defend himself, thoughwithout armor class bonuses for dexterity.These latter effects will last 4-16 rounds.

In addition, great wyrms are able toregenerate their wounds to a limited extent.While they cannot rebond severed limbs,they can heal wounds at a rate of 1 hp everytwo rounds. Although this does not greatlyaffect combat, it allows the wyrm to recoverquickly from serious injuries if given achance to rest. Wounds caused by fire can-not be rehealed, though those caused byacid can be healed normally.

Great wyrms pass through the same lifestages that dragons do, but no wyrms youn-ger than �old� are known to exist. Theyalso come in the same size categories, andcan detect hidden or invisible creatures

within a 1� range per age level. They liveabout ten times as long as regular dragons,so an old wyrm is probably between 1000and 2000 years old.

All wyrms possess the fear aura ofdragons, but regardless of their age, thewyrms have the aura effect operate without

bonuses to the victims� saving throws.Great wyrms, because of their innate ego-tism and strength of will, cannot ever besubdued; attacking one in this manner is agrave mistake. Wyrms cannot cast magic.

Because great wyrms are so old, each onehas at least one especially vulnerable spotupon its body. The dragon�s scaly hide willhave been damaged by disease, combat, orby general wear and tear at these points,and nervous ganglia tend to gather there.During physical combat, a person strikingat a great wyrm with a sharp-edged weapon(including arrows and hurled hand axes anddaggers) has a 1% chance of accidentallyhitting such a vulnerable spot. The blowwill strike the dragon as if against AC 4,and the blow will do double damage to thewyrm. The wyrm will immediately retreat ifstruck in such a spot, and will attempt tofind safety and recover from the wound.Magical attacks, even magic missiles, willnot affect the wyrm in this way. If a vulner-able spot is located and recognized, attack-ers may strike at the spot further unless thewyrm covers the spot or moves it out ofreach of weapons.

XAVER

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1-4ARMOR CLASS: 2MOVE: 9�HIT DICE: 2 + 4% IN LAIR: See belowTREASURE TYPE: See belowNO. OF ATTACKS: 1 slashDAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-5SPECIAL ATTACKS: Metal corrosionSPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to metals,

poisons, heat, and electricityMAGIC RESISTANCE: 45%INTELLIGENCE: Average to highALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: S to M (3� to 6� tall)PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: IV/175 + 3/hp

Xavers are curious creatures of unknownorigin and thankful rarity which, like rustmonsters, have a diet consisting entirely offerrous metals and alloys (such as iron,steel, and mithral or adamantite alloys).Unlike rust monsters, xavers are intelligentand will not be �bought off� with a meal ofa few spikes or nails when they see an easilywon suit of armor or much weaponry.

Xavers normally inhabit rocky lairs, butare sometimes found in treasure hoards inwhich they have concealed themselves.(Such hoards will have no ferrous materialsin them, of course.) There is a 1% chancethat any hoard initially determined to con-tain magical ferrous armor, shields, orweapons will also contain one or morexavers; then eliminate the metallic itemsfrom the hoard.

Xavers have silvery, smooth metallicbodies, and are flat and tapered with a

54 FEBRUARY 1985

Metal of any sort will pass harmlessly

bulbous base at one end. They resembleshort swords or long swords. The ring of thebase of a xaver is studded with six green,hard, faceted eyes that resemble gems. An8-inch-long leg is set between each eye. Axaver lies motionless at the approach ofcreatures and radiates no body heat (thusbeing invisible to infravision) or sound.Instead of breathing, it absorbs solar heatand needed gases through the long �blade�of its body. It has no senses of hearing orsmell, but has 9� infravision as well asnormal vision.

A xaver about to give birth goes on aneating spree, building its body size to themaximum in order to provide sufficientnourishment for its offspring. Young areborn live and singly, and have full powers atbirth; young have 1 + 2 HD and are about3� long, growing rapidly if the food supplyallows.

Xavers scuttle about on their legs, re-tracting them with blinding speed if they seedanger approaching. They can cut victimswith the razor-sharp edges of their �blades�like wielded swords, doing 2-5 hp damage.Usually they swing their bodies in wild,circular slashes as they go into their �battledancing.� Xavers do not rust or corrode,and rust monsters cannot harm or eat them.

Though xavers cannot control their cor-rosive powers, they can choose not to touchmetallic items in order to lure victims wear-ing lots of armor to come closer to them.Non-ferrous metals will not be corroded anddestroyed, though they can be consumed fornourishment if necessary.

Any ferrous metal that contacts a xaverwill crack and fall into shards within 1segment. The xaver will have caused themetal to corrode (though the corrosion doesnot resemble rust) and will then attempt toeat the metallic shards for nourishment. Asa xaver eats metal it grows slightly; severalsuits of armor or about ten weapons mightmake one grow 1� or so.

through a xaver�s body as if the latter didnot exist, and metallic weapons used againstthe xaver will do no damage. Weapons ofwood, stone, and other materials do normaldamage. Heat and electrical attacks do nodamage, but the xaver will conduct thesethrough its body and pass the damage on toanyone in contact with it. A xaver suffers +1hp per HD of damage from all cold attacks.Poison has no effect upon them.

D R A G O N 5 5

5 6 F E B R U A R Y 1 9 8 5Illustrations by Ernest Yates

VAN THE SIMPLETON HAD NEVER

spoken with a frog before. But it didnot seem strange to him that a frogknew how to speak; Ivan believed thatany animal would talk, if given provo-cation. The way they sometimes lookedat you, it seemed to Ivan that they were

just about to speak, only for some reason chose not to atthe last minute. He had shared this insight with his Un-cle Vanya in the tavern one night, and Uncle Vanya hadagreed with him.

�Just so, Ivanushka,� he said. �Why, only just thismorning, I went into the barn to milk the cow, and I wasin a hurry so I forgot to warm my hands before the milk-ing. The moment that I touched her teats, she turned areproachful look upon me and said, �Vanya, your handsare cold.� And I said, �So they are. I�m sorry, I forgot towarm them first.� At which the cow nodded understand-ingly and said, �I forgive you, Vanya, but see that youdo not forget again.� And, just to remind me not to for-get, she gave less milk than she does usually.�

And the men in the tavern had laughed uproariously,and Ivan had laughed with them, though he did notquite see why the story was so funny. But ever sincethen, he always made sure to warm his hands beforehelping Uncle Vanya with the milking. And it seemed tohim that the cows always looked at him with gratitude.Yet, they never spoke to him. But this did not surpriseIvan. After all, he was a simpleton. Everybody said so,even Uncle Vanya. And if animals only speak to peoplewhen it is important, why should they speak to him? Hewas not important. Everybody said so. Whenever hewanted to discuss something with someone, they smiledat him and said, �Ivanushka, that�s not important.�

So Ivan had taken to discussing matters with himself.Not too far behind the little farm where he lived withUncle Vanya and Aunt Sonya, there was a stream fed bythe snow that melted from the mountains. A large willowtree grew on the bank of the little stream, and its rootswere thick and protruded from the ground. The way theroots protruded and the tree trunk angled away slightlyfrom the stream, it made a nice place to sit, almost like acomfortable chair, and Ivan would go there every daywhen his chores were done to nibble on some stalebread, toss pebbles in the water, and discuss things withhimself. He always paid very close attention when hespoke, even if the things he said were not important.

During a pause in his conversation with himself, Ivannoticed a little frog sitting on a rock in the middle of thestream. The frog was watching him intently.

�Are you hungry?� asked Ivan.The little green frog seemed to nod.�I can offer you some bread,� Ivan said, breaking off

a frog-sized piece and tossing it carefully so that it landedon the large flat rock. �I�m sorry that it�s a little stale,but it�s all I have.�

The frog didn�t seem to mind. It greedily gobbled upthe little piece of bread, and Ivan tossed it another.

�Now there�s the life,� Ivan said. �Nothing to do butlie upon a rock all day and sun yourself. You can take aswim anytime you want, you don�t have chores to do,

Illustrations by Ernest Yates

Fortunesof aFoolby Nicholas Yermakov

Copyright ©1985 Nicholas Yermakov

D R A G O N 5 7

and if you�re hungry, all you need to do is lie very stilland wait for a nice big juicy fly to happen by. And atnight you can sing to your heart�s content, and no oneyells at you to be quiet. Oh, to be a frog!�

�You wouldn�t like it very much,� the frog said qui-etly.

Ivan sat up. �What did you say?��I said, you wouldn�t like it very much, being a frog,�

the frog said, more distinctly.�Oh? Why not?��Being a frog is vastly overrated,� said the frog with a

sigh. �It�s not as easy as you think. You always have tobe on guard against a hungry fox or a ravenous raccoon.If you lie down upon a rock to close your eyes and sunyourself, some sadistic child tries to smash you with astick. The water�s very cold, and flies taste awful. Tryeating one and find out for yourself. And as for the sing-ing, all frogs ever sing about is how tough life is whenyou�re a frog. I just can�t stand it.�

�But you�re a frog,� Ivan said. �It�s what your lot inlife is. My lot in life is to get up at dawn and work �tildusk, doing my chores.�

�And to sleep in a warm bed���I sleep on a straw mattress in the barn,� Ivan said.�Whatever. It�s a vast improvement over a cold rock.��That�s true,� Ivan admitted.�And you get to eat warm, fresh baked bread ���Aunt Sonya sells the bread,� said Ivan. �I only get

the stale stuff that�s left over.�The frog shot out its long tongue and scored a direct

hit on a passing fly.�There you are,� the frog said. �A nice big juicy fly.

And it�s freshly killed, not stale. Which would you ratherhave, the fly or your stale bread?�

�I�ll take the bread, I think,� Ivan said.�There, you see? Just as I expected. You�re not quite

ready to trade places with me yet, whereas I would tradeplaces with you in an instant. A warm straw mattressand a loaf of stale bread � now there�s the stuff of para-dise!�

�I never thought of it that way,� Ivan said. �I supposethat�s because I�m simple. I never realized that I was sowell off.�

�That�s just the trouble with most people,� said thefrog. �They don�t know when they�ve got it good.�

Ivan thought about it for a moment, and he decidedthat the frog was right. He really had the best of it. And,realizing that, Ivan felt sorry for the frog.

�I�ll tell you what,� he said. �Why don�t you comehome with me?�

�And get eaten by your dog?� the frog said. �No,thank you.�

�We don�t have a dog,� Ivan said. �Aunt Sonya has acat, but he�s old and fat and lazy. He never leaves thehouse, and if he sees a mouse, all he does is look at it.You would be in no danger.�

�Where would I sleep?� the frog asked,�In the barn with me. You don�t take up much room.

And I could share my meals with you, since you don�teat very much. After all, it�s only fair, since I�m so muchmore fortunate than you.�

5 8 F E B R U A R Y 1 9 8 5

�You�d do that for me?� the frog asked.�Why not?� replied Ivan. �It would cost me nothing,

and with you around, I�d have someone to talk to. I�dlike that, wouldn�t you?�

So Ivan took the little frog and placed it gently in hispocket. And that night they slept together in the barn ona mattress of warm straw.

The next day, the frog said, �Ivan, I think we shouldget married.�

�Married?� said Ivan, astonished.�Yes, married,� said the frog. �After all, it�s only

right. I am a female, and we slept together on the samestraw mattress. What will people say?�

�I didn�t know you were a female,� said Ivan.�That changes nothing,� said the frog. �People will

talk.��Why should they?� asked Ivan. �No one knows you

spent the night with me.��I know,� said the frog. �After all, I have my princi-

ples. What sort of frog do you think I am?��But . . . I don�t want to get married,� Ivan pro-

tested.�Why not?�Ivan thought hard. �I can�t afford a wife,� he replied

triumphantly.�What�s to afford?� said the frog. �You yourself said

that having me live with you would cost you nothing. Ieat only crumbs of stale bread and the occasional icky fly,and I don�t take up much room on your straw mattress.Besides, you don�t have to buy me clothes, and I don�twear any jewelry. It would weigh me down. And you doadmit that it�s nice to have someone to talk to whodoesn�t dismiss everything you say as being unimport-ant.�

Ivan pursed his lips and grudgingly conceded that thefrog had a point. Then he brightened. �Suppose yougive birth to tadpoles?�

�That takes two, you know,� the frog answered wryly.�I can hardly do that without your cooperation, andunder the circumstances, I�m not too excited by the idea.Sleeping with you is challenging enough. I have to watchout in case you should roll over, and besides, you snore.�

Ivan was having a hard time trying to follow the frog�slogic, but then Ivan had a hard time trying to follow anykind of logic at all. He frowned, thinking hard and try-ing to come up with a convenient excuse to maintain hisbachelor status.

�I would marry you,� he said at last, �only no priestwould marry us. What priest in his right mind wouldmarry a human to a frog?�

�If I can find a priest to marry us,� said the frog,�then will you do it?�

�If you can find a priest willing to perform the cere-mony, then I�ll marry you,� said Ivan, confident that nopriest would ever be so hare-brained as to marry a per-son to a frog. I might be simple, Ivan thought, but I�mnot stupid.

Unfortunately, the frog did find such a priest. FatherDmitri was very old and very deaf. He was also blind.But he was not dumb, and he could say the words. Theceremony was tasteful and, well, simple.

When Uncle Vanya and Aunt Sonya found out whatIvan had done, they were so shocked and outraged thatthey turned him out of the house. Actually, they turnedhim out of the barn, but it amounted to the same thing.Ivan was driven out of town and forced to flee into theforest.

�Now what am I going to do?� Ivan said miserably.�I have no home and I have no money and no one willeven take me on to work for my room and board. Andit�s all your fault.�

�It is not my fault,� said the frog, �but the fault of theignorant and prejudiced peasants of your town. Can Ihelp it if they�re racists?�

Ivan did not know what a racist was, but he was notup to arguing with his little green wife. He only knewthat he was homeless and he had no place to go. And allbecause he had taken pity on a frog.

�Don�t fret, Ivan,� his gangly-legged wife said. �Iwon�t leave you in the lurch. You did the right thing byme, and I�ll do the right thing by you. I know where youcan get your hands on lots of money, and it�ll only take alittle elbow grease.�

And the frog directed Ivan to a special place deep inthe impenetrable forest (which they only just barelymanaged to penetrate), and she showed Ivan a giant oaktree that was hundreds of years old.

�Just dig at the base of that oak tree there,� she said,indicating the spot with her froggy digit, �and you�ll berich beyond your wildest dreams�.

Ivan did as he was told, and after about an hour�sworth of vigorous digging, he unearthed a chest. It took

him about another hour to break the chest open, butwhen he did he saw that it was filled with treasure. Ru-bies as large as his fists, diamonds the size of his eyes,emeralds the size of meadow muffins, and pearls so largethat they would trip swine if they were cast before them.It all took Ivan�s breath away.

�As soon as you�re able to breathe again,� said thefrog, �we�ll go pawn some of those jewels, and then I�lltell you how to make some smart investments. And thenwe can see about shopping for a house.�

It wasn�t long before Ivan was settled in a palatialhome in St. Petersburg. He had a whole closet full ofrichly embroidered clothes and fancy leather boots, hehad a staff of servants and a silver coach with liveriedcoachmen, and no one thought the things he said werenot important any more. He was still a simpleton, but,while being simple is a disadvantage to a hard-workingpeasant, it�s considered a virtue in an aristocrat. Thefrog had her own room with a built-in swimming pondand a very fancy rock.

With the money from his investments, Ivan had acomfortable income, and he started a profitable loansharking operation that simply raked in dough. UncleVanya had come to Ivan with hat in hand, humbly beg-ging forgiveness and a loan. Ivan gave him the loan, butwhen he didn�t pay it back on time, Ivan had his enforc-ers beat the living daylights out of Uncle Vanya, tar andfeather him, and send him home. Aunt Sonya was soupset at seeing her husband return in such a stateshe hit him with an iron ladle, cracked his skull, andkilled him. Ivan then gave her a job washing floors in his

DRAGON 59

palatial mansion.�Never let it be said,� he told her, �that Ivan does not

look after his own.� He gave her a warm straw mattresson which to sleep, and he made sure that she got plentyof stale bread every day.

One night, while he was sitting in his room, drinkingthe finest wine from Italy and munching on dates im-ported from Arabia, Ivan noticed a roiling blacknesshovering just below the very ornately painted ceiling. Atfirst, there was a dimness in his room, a seemingly mo-mentary failing of the light as though a cloud had passedacross the sun � only it was night outside and it wasdark. All of a sudden, the atmosphere inside his roombecame even darker than the night outside. Ivan lookedto his candles, which were burning, but for some reasonweren�t producing any light. Gradually, the blackeningeffect grew worse, and Ivan couldn�t even see across theroom. Then the thunder started. It was then that Ivanstarted to become nervous, for the thunder was comingfrom inside his room. Following the thunder were jaggedbolts of lightning that lanced across his bed, and then thewhole house began to shake. Truly frightened now, Ivancrawled beneath the covers of his bed and pulled theblankets over his head.

The blackness seemed to throb and pulse, like a giantheart, until it gathered itself at the foot of Ivan�s bedand, with a deafening clap of thunder, resolved into theterrifying form of Kastchei the Immortal, the mostfeared and evil sorcerer in all the land. Kastchei theImmortal stood at the foot of Ivan�s bed, dressed fromhead to toe in blackest black, his long beard buffeted bythe howling wind that suddenly shrieked through Ivan�sbedchamber. Ivan shivered underneath his covers, mes-merized by the unholy fire of the two red glowing eyesthat seemed to pierce him to his very soul.

�I am not in a good mood,,� said Kastchei the Immor-tal.

Ivan knew who was addressing him, of course. Everymother�s son in Russia, at one time or another, wasthreatened with the name of the greatest bogeyman thatever lived, the evil wizard who could never die, Kastcheithe Immortal. This amused Kastchei. He liked makingan impression.

�What. . . what did I do, Your Fearsomeness?� Ivanstammered, quaking underneath his bedclothes.

�Have you seen my treasure?� Kastchei asked in atone of ominous foreboding.

�Your . . . treasure?� said Ivan.�That�s right, my treasure,� said Kastchei. �You

know, rubies as large as your fists, diamonds the size ofyour eyes, emeralds the size of meadow muffins, andpearls so large that they would trip swine if they werecast before them.�

�Oh. That treasure,� said Ivan.�I don�t suppose you know anything about it,� said

Kastchei, to an accompanying clap of thunder. The wiz-ard loved dramatic sound effects.

�Well . . . uh, suppose I do?� said Ivan, trying todisappear beneath his bedclothes.

�It seems to be missing,� said Kastchei, glowering atIvan. �When next the moon is full, I will once again

60 FEBRUARY 1985

seek out the ancient oak tree where I buried it, and Iexpect to find my treasure still intact, just the way I leftit.�

�Uh, suppose it isn�t there?� Ivan said, tremblingmightily.

�Well, let�s not be pessimistic,� said the sorcerer. �Ialways like to look on the bright side. The next time Icheck, I fully expect my treasure to be right where I leftit. If, however, by some chance, some poor simpletonwas fool enough to dig it up, why, that would make mevery angry. I don�t like being angry. I fear I do not pos-sess the temperament to handle being angry very well. Idevastate the countryside, turn people to stone, call forthplagues of demons, take people�s souls away, and makethem burn in eternal torment. Things can get quite outof hand. No, let�s just hope I find my treasure where Ileft it. Then I�d be happy, you�d be happy, and therewould be no need for me to run amok with all sorts ofnasty necromancy. That would be much more pleasant,don�t you think?�

�Just swell,� Ivan said, all the color draining from hisface.

�Somehow I thought you would agree,� Kastchei said.And with another clap of thunder and an impressive

display of pyrotechnics, Kastchei the Immortal disap-peared, leaving a wide fissure in the floor of Ivan�s bed-chamber and a tang of brimstone in the air. Ivan layabsolutely still for a long time, waiting for his heart tostart again. When he finally stopped shivering and foundhis voice, he took a long, deep breath and called his wife.

�Honey, would you come in here for a minute?�His wife came hopping into the bedroom.�Yes, Ivan? What is it?��You didn�t notice anything just now? Like a thunder-

storm, a mild earthquake, perhaps?��No, Ivan. What are you talking about?� asked the

frog.�Guess who just paid me a visit?��I don�t know, dear. Who?��Kastchei the Immortal.��Ooops,� the frog said.�Ooops? What do you mean, ooops? Is that all you

have to say, ooops?��Now, Ivan, don�t get excited,� said the frog.�Don�t get excited? Don�t get excited? You get me to

steal the treasure cache of the most feared sorcerer in allthe world, and all you have to say is don�t get excited?�

�Now, don�t exaggerate, Ivan,� the frog said. �He�snot that feared. I�ll admit he can be pretty nasty, but themost feared sorcerer in all the world? I�d say that pointwas open to debate.�

�Well, he scares me plenty!� shouted Ivan. �What inGod�s name were you thinking of?�

�Look, don�t go blaming it all on me,� said the frog.�I didn�t hear you asking where the treasure came fromor whose it was when you dug it up. I must admit that Iknew there was some risk involved, but I didn�t knowFather would miss it quite so soon.�

Ivan wasn�t sure he had heard that right. �Father?�he said, weakly.

�Well, you may as well know the truth,� the frog said.

�I�m no ordinary frog. My name is Vasilissa the Wise,and I�m Kastchei�s daughter. Father turned me into afrog because I was born smarter than he is. If there�s onething he can�t stand, it�s losing an argument at the din-ner table. He has a very nasty temper, and he turned meinto a frog one night. My curse is that I must remain afrog until I can get a man to fall in love with me. Andwhat man in his right mind could love a frog? I had justabout resigned myself to being a frog forever when youcame along. You were simple and no great catch, butyou were a man and that was close enough. I thoughtthat I could trick you into marrying me and then makeyou feel gratitude. In time, I thought that you wouldgrow to love me and the curse would then be broken.But I didn�t think Kastchei would miss his treasure quiteso soon. I really should have known he�d check hishoard. He�s so possessive.�

�Well, that�s just great,� Ivan said miserably. �Nowwhat am I supposed to do? How can I return his treasurewhen I�ve already spent it? I�m doomed. It serves meright for being simple.�

�If you weren�t so simple, you�d know that you�re notdoomed. Not yet,� said Vasilissa. �How long did he giveyou to return the treasure?�

�Until the next full moon,� Ivan said.�We�ve got time,� she said. �The first thing you must

do is liquefy your assets. Sell the house, sell all the serfs,sell your coach and clothes and all the furniture. Tellyour enforcers to make sure that all outstanding debtsare paid in full. Take all the money that you�ve madefrom your investments and everything you�ll get fromdisposing of the house and all your worldly goods, andconvert it into gold. Then sell the loan sharking opera-tion.�

�But that will leave me with nothing!� cried Ivan.�You�d rather face my father�s wrath?��I�ll sell, I�ll sell,� Ivan said hastily.And he did just as she said. Amazingly enough, by the

time that he was finished with all of his transactions, hefound that he had quite a bit more money than the origi-nal treasure had been worth. But then there wasn�tenough time to track down all the jewels that he had soldso he could buy them back. And Kastchei the Immortalsaid that he wanted to find his treasure just as he had leftit.

�What am I going to do?� Ivan cried. �There isn�tenough time!�

�Control yourself,� the frog said, �They don�t call meVasilissa the Wise for nothing. We still have just onechance to restore my father�s treasure, but it isn�t goingto be easy.�

�I�ll do anything you say,� Ivan said, feeling desper-ate.

�Fine,� said Vasilissa. �Pack all the gold into a sackand pack some provisions, too. Put it all into a wheelbar-row and then put on your peasant clothes, if that�s allyou have left.�

�Where are we going?� asked Ivan.�To see Baba Yaga.��On second thought, being turned to stone doesn�t

sound so bad,� Ivan said.

�Suit yourself,� she said. �I�m only trying to help.�Help? She got me into this mess to begin with,

thought Ivan. It was bad enough that he had stolen atreasure cache belonging to Kastchei the Immortal, butnow she meant to have him seek out Baba Yaga, an age-less witch who, it was said, was so frighteningly hideousthat just one look at her was enough to put you off yourfeed. It was claimed that she lived in a hut surroundedby a fence of human bones and that she traveled thecountryside by flying seated in a giant mortar, steering itwith her witch�s broom. And all I ever wanted, thoughtIvan, was to do my chores and eat my stale bread and sitby the stream, throwing pebbles into the water. And nowI�m all mixed up with sorcerers and witches. And allbecause I took pity on a frog!

Nevertheless, having no other choice, he did as Vasi-lissa had instructed, and soon they were once more deepwithin the impenetrable forest, having penetrated it witha great deal of difficulty. It was almost the time of the fullmoon when they reached the clearing where Baba Yaga�shut hobbled incessantly about in a circle. Inside a fencemade of human bones, the wooden hut swayed about onchicken feet, turning in a constant circle, giving theentire clearing an air of magical foreboding. There wereno doors or windows in the hut, and Ivan did not seehow they would manage to gain entrance even if the hutstood still long enough. With a whimper of resignation,

D R A G O N 61

Ivan trundled his wheelbarrow containing his gold, hisprovisions, and his wife through the gate of humanbones and up to the shiftless hut.

�Baba Yaga, you have some visitors,� croaked Vasi-lissa. �Let us in so we can show you all the gold we�vebrought!�

It was well known that Baba Yaga was fond of gold,both because she liked its color and because it was verymagical, to one who knew how to use it properly.

�What�s to prevent her from taking all our gold andturning us into toadstools?� asked Ivan.

�There is that possibility,� said Vasilissa.�That wasn�t what I wanted to hear,� he said.Even as he spoke, the hut stopped turning and a door

appeared inside what had been a solid wall momentsbefore. The hut settled on the ground, folding its chickenfeet beneath it, and from within they heard a wheezingsound, an emphysemic cackling that made Ivan�s bloodrun cold.

�Come in, my children, do come in,� said Baba Yaga.�Come in and show me all the lovely gold you�vebrought.�

�Yes, being turned to stone definitely doesn�t sound sobad,� Ivan said.

�Oh, come on, Ivan,� said Vasilissa. �Be a man!Besides, it�s much too late to turn back now.�

With a sinking feeling, Ivan pushed the wheelbarrowthrough the door.

It was dark inside the hut, but there was some lightcoming from a giant cauldron � an eerie, hellish glowthat seemed to shift from red to blue to green. The hutwas filled with the sickening sound of burbling as thecauldron bubbled, filling the tiny single chamber with asmell unlike anything Ivan had ever known. It smelledeven worse than Uncle Vanya.

Hunched over the cauldron was the most vile creatureIvan had ever seen. Baba Yaga was old and withered, anevil-smelling crone with wrinkles in her wrinkles andwith ugly, disgusting warts. Her nose was hooked and sogargantuan that Ivan first thought it was the weight of itthat made her assume her bent-over posture, but then hesaw that Baba Yaga was hunchbacked. Perched upon herhump was a cat as black as pitch and with eyes thatshone a brilliant emerald green. The cat arched its backas Ivan and Vasilissa entered, and spat at them, diggingits claws into Baba Yaga�s hump.

�Stop that!� cried Baba Yaga, flailing at the cat withher spindly arms and hopping about. Ivan saw that oneof her legs was paralyzed. He also saw why the cat choseher hump to perch upon. No matter how she moved, itwas the one place Baba Yaga could not reach. �You mis-erable cat!� she shouted. �If I get my hands on you, I�llboil you for supper!�

But the cat paid her no mind. Instead, it decided tomake itself comfortable. It sat down on her hump anddid that thing that all cats do when they decide to makethemselves comfortable: alternately raising one paw andthen the other, digging its claws into her hump and purr-ing all the while.

�Aaah! Oooh! Ouch!� cried Baba Yaga, and then, indesperation, she threw herself against the wall in an

effort to dislodge the cat. But the cat was not dislodged,and all Baba Yaga succeeded in doing was stunning her-self. She sat upon the floor, waiting for her eyes to focusand breathing heavily.

�She doesn�t look so mean to me,� whispered Ivan.�She does put me off my feed, though.�

�Sssh!� said Vasilissa. �You want her to hear?��I heard, I heard,� said Baba Yaga. �That�s the trou-

ble with young people today, no respect for their elders.Well, I�ll teach you some respect!�

And with that, she raised her palsied hand in a threat-ening gesture of wizardry.

�No, wait, Baba Yaga!� the frog cried. �He�s just asimpleton. He didn�t mean it.�

Baba Yaga squinted at the frog. �Vasilissa? Is thaty o u ? �

�It�s me, Baba Yaga.��Been fresh with your father, I see,� said Baba Yaga,

cackling gleefully. �You�re lucky I�m more even-tempered than that oaf. And speaking of second-ratesorcerers, how is the old charlatan?�

�As mean and nasty as he ever was,� said Vasilissa.�Pah! Kastchei isn�t mean, he�s simply arrogant,� said

Baba Yaga with a sneer. �Well, what do you want fromme? To change you back? Can�t do that, dearie. Mindyou now, I could, if I had a mind to, but I don�t believein interfering when a father disciplines his child.�

�No, that�s not it, Baba Yaga.� And the frog told theold witch all about how they had dug up Kastchei�s trea-sure and how they had until the next full moon to put itback exactly as it was, or else.

�Or else?� asked Baba Yaga. �Or else what?��He didn�t specify,� said Vasilissa.�He spoke of devastating the countryside, turning

people into stone, calling forth plagues of demons, andtaking people�s souls away to make them burn in eternaltorment,� said Ivan, trying hard to keep from trembling.

�Tsk, tsk,� said Baba Yaga. �It all sounds quite dra-matic, but an apprentice sorcerer could weave thosespells without a bit of trouble. So what am I supposed todo? Restore the treasure? For this you brought gold?�

�That�s more or less what we had in mind,� Ivan saidhesitantly.

�Hmmm, I could use a little gold,� said Baba Yaga.�I think I�ll just relieve you of that wheelbarrow andturn you into a toadstool.�

Ivan was on the verge of tears.�Now, don�t be hasty, Baba Yaga,� said Vasilissa.�What? You�re worried about him? He�s just a sim-

pleton. Any fool can see that. He�d make a better toad-s t o o l . �

�Oh, I wasn�t all that worried about him,� said Vasi-lissa, �but I was only thinking that Father would be verymuch annoyed if he found the treasure just the way heleft it. Then he�d have no excuse to run amok with nastynecromancy. And he�d have to know where the treasurecame from. He�d know I went to you. It would be asmall way of getting back at him for making me a frog,and it would be yet another opportunity to show who isthe greater sorcerer.�

�Kastchei would be annoyed, eh?� said Baba Yaga,

62 FEBRUARY 1985

scratching her giant nose. �I wouldn�t mind tweakingKastchei�s nose for him. All those claps of thunder andjagged bolts of lightning � no finesse, none whatsoever.All right, I�ll do it. I won�t need all the gold to restorethe treasure, but I will keep whatever is left over.�

�That�s only fair,� the frog said.�All right, then. Let�s get to it. I�m a busy woman.�And with a few spare gestures, Baba Yaga turned

slightly less than half of the gold inside the wheelbarrowback into the treasure. Everything was there, just as ithad been originally. Rubies as big as Ivan�s fists, dia-monds the size of his eyes, emeralds the size of meadowmuffins, and pearls so large that they would trip swine ifthey were cast before them.

�Child�s play,� said Baba Yaga. Then she made an-other pass with her wrinkled hands and the treasuredisappeared, to reappear buried at the base of the an-cient oak deep in the impenetrable forest, and in a chestjust like the one Kastchei had buried it in. Only thischest had Baba Yaga�s initials on it, just to rub it in.�The rest of the gold is mine,� she said. �Now I havework to do� so the two of you can disappear.�

Ivan and Vasilissa disappeared in a puff of smoke, toreappear on the edge of the impenetrable forest, by aroad that led to the settlement from which Ivan hadcome. When he realized that he had escaped with hisskin and soul intact, Ivan was overjoyed.

�You did it, Vasilissa! You saved my life! I love you!�And no sooner had he said those final words than the

frog disappeared, and in its place stood the most stun-ningly beautiful woman Ivan had ever seen. Her hairwas the color of spun gold and it reached down to herwaist, which was slim and saucily curvaceous. Her skinwas soft and flawless, and her eyes were a sparkling

azure blue. Her legs were long and slender, shaped tosheer perfection. She was the kind of woman men wouldkill for, the kind that caused poets to be at a loss forwords. She was incredibly desirable and Ivan, overcomewith love, reached out for her.

�Just what do you think you�re doing?� asked Vasi-lissa, placing a restraining hand upon his chest.

�But . . . but you�re my wife!� Ivan protested,amazed that she should ask.

�Don�t be silly, darling. You were married to a frog.��But . . . but . . .��Now that my father�s spell is broken, all my powers

have returned,� she said. �What do I need with a hus-band?�

And with that, she turned into a graceful swan andflew away. Ivan burst into tears. Not only had he lost themost beautiful woman he had ever seen, but he hadnothing left. No treasure, no gold, no house, no coach,no serfs, not even his loan sharking operation. Onceagain, he was just plain Ivan the Simpleton.

He returned in shame to his little village and movedback in with his Aunt Sonya, who paid him back formaking her wash floors by making him work ten times ashard as he ever had before and by making his life miser-able beyond belief. Ivan was so broken-hearted, he nolonger bothered having discussions with himself, so nowthere was truly no one for him to talk to. Late in theevening, when his chores were finally done, he would goback to his favorite place beside the stream, where hewould sit, resting his weary bones and throwing pebblesmorosely into the water. One evening, as he was sittingby the stream and eating a few crumbs of stale bread, henoticed a little green frog watching him intently.

Ivan smashed it with a stick.

D R A G O N 6 3

BLADE OF VENGEANCE D&D ® Expert Set Module O2

A Duel the Referee adventure foruse with the D&D® Expert Set, for acharacter of 4th to 14th level. A singleelf confronted with the mysteriousdestruction of his home must findthose responsible.

In a Duel the Referee adventure, asingle player matches his skill againstthe problems posed by the DungeonMaster and the plot of the scenario.Each adventure has several alternativeplots, so that the player can switchroles and see which character bestachieves the goal of the adventure.

TARZAN® and the Well of SlavesEQ #26 by Douglas Niles

In this book in the ENDLESSQUEST® series, the reader takes thepart of Tarzan. While on the trail ofjungle kidnappers, you stumble uponthe remains of a long-lost civilization.The decisions you make when con-fronted with threats and opportunitiesalong the way will determine theoutcome of the adventure.

TARZAN is a trademark owned by EdgarRice Burroughs, Inc. Used with permission.

COBRA� GameThe Breakout from Normandy

This new SPI™ game takes playersfrom the beaches of Normandythrough the hedgerows of Franceduring the summer of 1944, includingthe assaults on St. Lo and Caen. Spe-cial expanded rules enable players tobegin the game with the D-Day inva-sion and then follow through thebreakout from the beaches, leading upto the time when the Allies hoped toestablish a firm foothold in France forthe assault on the German homeland.For two players, medium complexity.

TSR, Inc.PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION�

TO FIND A KINGAD&D ® game Module C4

An adventure for characters oflevels 4-7, based on the scenario usedfor the 1984 GEN CON® ConventionAD&D Open Tournament. In thismission, the first of the two-partProphecy of Brie series, a band ofadventurers must try to bring togetherthe vital elements necessary to restoreGood King Llewellyn to his people —while the forces of darkness threatento enslave the adventurers along withthe king.

BOOK OF MARVELOUS MAGICD&D ® game accessory AC4

More than 200 new magic scrolls,potions, and other fantastic objectsare featured in this book, written foruse with the DUNGEONS &DRAGONS® game rules. A truly mar-velous addition to the magic-item listsgiven in the rule books, with enoughquantity and variety to make everyadventure distinctly different fromevery other one.

FACE OF THE ENEMYSTAR FRONTIERS® Knight HawksModule SFKH3

The second adventure in a trilogythat began with Mutiny on the EleanorMoraes, this module features interstel-lar combat in the grand tradition ofscience fiction.

CONAN® THE OUTLAWEQ #25 by Roger E. Moore

This ENDLESS QUEST® book, thethird to feature one of the greatestwarriors of all, takes you (in the role ofConan) deep into a dangerous, bar-baric world where only your greatfighting ability and wits can keep youalive. Vammatar the Deathless, an evilHyborean wizardess, is trying to recap-ture you after your escape from herslave camp. Forced to survive as awarrior turned outlaw, you are huntedby Vammatar’s fiendish undead fol-lowers and face nightmarish dangerswherever you turn.

CONAN ©1985 Conan Properties, Inc.

NAPOLEON�S LAST BATTLES�GameQuadrigame of Waterloo

This four-in-one SPI™ game presen-tation features the separate games ofQuatre Bras, Ligny Wavre, and LaBelle Alliance. They can be playedindividually or combined to create asingle campaign game that covers theentire Battle of Waterloo. For twoplayers of novice to intermediateexperience, low complexity.

L O GL O G

You may consider this our MARVEL SUPER HEROES�Special Issue of the ARES� Section. Readers asked for moreon S.H.I.E.L.D.�, the super-agency responsible for thedefense of the world in the Marvel® Universe, and we havethe latest information in William Tracy�s article.Many of you also wanted to know more about the worstcriminals in the Marvel Universe. Curiously enough, thethree most-wanted men are all deadly enemies of theAmazing Spider-Man�. Jeff Grubb tells more about them.

Dave Cook, one of the creators of the STAR FRONTIERS®

game, also makes an appearance here with some thoughts onsetting up interstellar governments in new star sectors. Any-one care for a Dralasite anarchy?

You might want to read Jeff Grubb�s introductory remarksabout the MARVEL SUPER HEROES game in his article. Someinteresting ideas have been tossed around here at TSR, Inc.,and you have the chance to tell us what you think of them.

What was the WORST science-fiction game you�ve everplayed? Out of sheer curiosity, I�d like the readers (you) todrop me a postcard or index card with the name of the all-time worst science-fiction game (boardgame, role-playinggame, etc) that you ever played, with a few remarks aboutwhy you thought it was the worst. Be specific; point out theflaws in the game that kept it from being enjoyable or thatmade it silly.

Send your vote to the ARES Department, DRAGON® Maga-zine, TSR Publishing, P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva, WI 53147.In return, I�ll pick three winners at random and will sendeach of them a special prize. Only one entry per person,please, and remember to print your name and addressCLEARLY on the postcard or index card. This contest will beopen until 1 April 1985.

See you next month.

CONTENTS

S.H.I.E.L.D.�William Tracy . . . . . . . . . . . 67Defenders of the world!

ARES Log . . . . . . . . . . 6 6

THE MARVEL®-PHILEJeff Grubb . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2Unfriendly neighborhood Spider-foes

FROM ANARCHY TOEMPIREDavid Cook . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Interstellar governments in the STARFRONTIERS® game.

ON THE COVERNick Fury™ has come a long way from hisdays with the Howling Commandos™. Nowthe director of S.H.I.E.L.D.™, he fights onland, sea, and in space for the security ofEarth. For more on the man and the orga-nization, see p. 67. Cover art by Steranko(Marvel Comics Group).

66 FEBRUARY 1985

ARES™ Section 94THE SCIENCE-FICTION GAMING SECTION

Editor: Roger E. MooreDesign: John Meyers

but the publisher assumes no responsibility for them and they will not be

ARES is a trademark of TSR, Inc!s science-fiction gaming section in

Editorial assistance: Patrick Lucien Price, Eileen LucasGraphics and production: Kim Lindau, Roger Raupp

All materials published in the ARES Section become the exclusive propertyof the publisher upon publication, unless special arrangements to the con-trary are made prior to publication. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome,

returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope ofsufficient size and volume.

DRAGON® Magazine, All rights on the contents of this section are reserved,and nothing may be reproduced from it without prior permission in writingfrom the publisher. Copyright © 1985 TSR, Inc.

DRAGON and STAR FRONTIERS are trademarks of TSR, Inc. All Marvelcharacters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of theMarvel Comics Group. MARVEL SUPER HEROES and MARVEL SUPER VIL-LAINS are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright © 1985 MarvelComics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation. All RightsReserved.

S.H.I.E.L.D.�A MARVEL SUPER HEROES� game supplement by William Tracy

S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme HeadquartersInternational Espionage Law-Enforce-ment Division) is an international organi-zation independent of all governments.Its job is to seek out and destroy thosethreats which endanger mankind andthe Earth itself � be they terrestrial orfrom other worlds. S.H.I.E.L.D. wasformed in the early 1960s to oppose thegrowing power of the organizationknown as HYDRA�. Nick Fury�, a CIAagent and hero of World War II, wasmade the agency�s public director. Sinceits beginning, SH.I.E.L.D. has played amajor role in the world�s defense, fight-ing villains and criminal forces, with andwithout the help of the other MarvelSuper Heroes�.

created A.I.M (Advanced IdeaMechanics), which created the scientificweaponry for HYDRA, and THEM,which supervised the efforts of HYDRAand other subversive organizations.

By the early 1960s, HYDRA had agentsall over the world and an arsenal thatwas larger than that of most nations. It

Casebook and history

S.H.I.E.L.D. has fought many opponentsover the last two decades. Some of themost challenging cases are brieflydescribed below � though not inchronological order.

HYDRA: HYDRA was a secret, highly-organized group that planned to con-quer the world using advancedtechnology. HYDRA was created by agroup of Japanese subversives, but itwas taken over by the ex-Nazi BaronWolfgang von Strucker at the end ofWorld War II. Though von Strucker hadbeen one of Hitler�s top men, he soonhad a falling out with the Fuehrer andhad to flee Germany before the war�send.

Von Strucker came to Japan andbecame the secret leader of HYDRA byassassinating the former one. He built asmall island in the Pacific, and soonHYDRA scientists were learning how tomake nuclear weapons. A band of Amer-ican commandos called the �LeatherneckRaiders� and a group of Japanese com-mandos known as the Seven Samuraijoined forces and destroyed the island,but von Strucker escaped.

Over the next fifteen years, vonStrucker slowly rebuilt HYDRA and setup his headquarters in America. Duringthis time, two branches of HYDRA were

that Fury discovered that Scorpio was

ended in victory for Fury but escape forScorpio. It wasn�t until many years later

Scorpio: Just after S.H.I.E.L.D. wasestablished, Nick Fury was attackedseveral times by a man known only asScorpio. Their confrontations always

Von Strucker then planted a Death-Spore Bomb aboard the Helicarrier�,but his plans were again stopped byFury. Fury invaded HYDRA�s new dome-covered island fortress and placed theBomb there. While fighting with Fury,von Strucker accidentally ran into anuclear reactor chamber and was incin-erated. Fury escaped as HYDRA�s islandsank into the Pacific forever.

Since then, various splinter groups ofHYDRA and its sister organizations havesurfaced, but none have achieved anyreal success. The villainess namedViper� took control of the New Yorksection of HYDRA for a time, but sheaccomplished little.

THEM, and the Secret Empire attackedS.H.I.E.L.D., while HYDRA quietlyrebuilt. Von Strucker had stayed out ofthe picture and assumed many falseidentities, including that of John Bron-ston, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Once againhe took control of HYDRA and threat-ened to use the Overkill Horn, whichwould have set off every nuclear devicein the world. He was again defeated byFury and his men.

was then that S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Furycame on the scene. Baron von Struckerand Fury were bitter enemies from theSecond World War, though Fury was notaware at first that von Strucker wasHYDRA�s leader.

After Fury became S.H.I.E.L.D.�s direc-tor, HYDRA tried to blackmail the worldwith its orbiting Betatron Bomb. WhileTony Stark de-activated the Bomb, Furyand his men captured HYDRA�s NewYork office. After that defeat, A.I.M.,

actually his brother, Jake, who hadbecome mentally unbalanced and has

NICK FURY™since died (see Defender�s #50).

Mockingbird�: One of S.H.I.E.L.D.�s

D R A G O N 6 7

best agents, Barbara Morse, has sinceresigned from the agency to undertake afull-time career an adventuress:Mockingbird�, of the West CoastAvengers�. Her struggle against traitorswithin S.H.I.E.L.D. was documented inthe MARVEL®-Phile of DRAGON® Maga-zine issue #93.

Dire Wraiths�: Recently S.H.I.E.L.D.undertook to fight against the sorcerous,shape-changing aliens known as the DireWraiths. Along with the Avengers�, the

Fantastic Four�, and other Marvel SuperHeroes�, the Dire Wraiths wererepulsed from Earth.

S.H.I.E.L.D. has been involved directlyand indirectly with many other adven-tures, most of them unknown to thegeneral public. Nick Fury� and his menhave worked closely with CaptainAmerica� and the Avengers� in theirbattles for justice. Another ofS.H.I.E.L.D.�s former agents, the BlackWidow�, also works with the organiza-

tion at times. (Black Widow is detailed inModule MH-4, Lone Wolves.)

S.H.I.E.L.D. has its share of internalproblems, to which some of the casesabove allude. S.H.I.E.L.D. onceattempted to train super agents, but theproject was discontinued when twoagents turned traitor. At one point, atelepath named Marvin Flumm workedwith the organization�s ESP unit; he laterbecame known as the villain Mentallo�.

S.H.I.E.L.D. AGENTS*1. NICHOLAS FURY

Executive Director (Level 1)2. TIMOTHY “DUM DUM” DUGAN

Special Director (L-2)3. GABRIEL JONES

Special Field officer (L-4)4. ERIC KOENIG

Regional Director, Born (L-3)5. SHARON CARTER (Deceased)

Special Field Officer (L-4)6. LAURA BROWN

Field Agent (L-6)7. JASPER SITWELL

Special Field Officer (L-4)

* Better known members

8. VALENTINA ALLEGRO DE FONTAINESpecial Field Officer (L-4)

9. SIDNEY E. LEVINE “THE GAFFER”Technician (L-8)

10. JAMES “JIMMY” WOOSpecial Field Officer (L-4)

11. CLAY QUARTERMAINSpecial Field Officer (L-4)

12. JERRY HUNTRegional Field Officer, London (L-5)

13. BARTH BUKOWSKIRegional Director, Los Angeles (L-3)

14. GAIL RUNCITERField Agent (L-5)

68 FEBRUARY 1985

Organization

The S.H.I.E.L.D. organization is based oneight different command/security levels.Only one man is on Level 1, ColonelNicholas Fury�, the Executive Directorof S.H.I.E.L.D. The duties of the otherlevels are given below.

Level 2: Special Directors make com-mand decisions when Fury is not availa-ble. They also coordinate efforts tofollow Fury�s special orders. Currently,Timothy �Dum Dum� Dugan, Fury�s bestfriend, is the only person on this level.

Level 3: Regional Directors head up theS.H.I.E.L.D. regional offices across theworld, co-ordinating all S.H.I.E.L.D. activi-ties in their area unless they receivespecial orders from Fury or Dugan.

Level 4: Special Field Officers areagents who usually work alone under-cover, taking orders directly from Furyand Dugan. Their task is to gather infor-mation for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Level 5: Regional Officers help theRegional Directors co-ordinate activities,and provide leadership in their regionwhen their Regional Directors are notavailable.

Level 6: Field Agents make up themain fighting force of the organization.Sometimes Field Agents will workundercover, reporting to their RegionalDirectors. They are the backbone ofmost para-military operations.

Level 7: Administrators make surethat S.H.I.E.L.D.�s activities are doneaccording to law. They take care of thered tape and paperwork that are a partof any bureaucracy.

Level 8: Technicians keep S.H.I.E.L.D.�smachinery in good repair and constantlyupdate the agency�s old equipment whilethey create new equipment.

The Helicarrier� also houses a smallgroup of people who have no designatedlevel. These are the ESPers, who areemployed in special research projects andassist the organization when it is facingpsychic foes. The ESPers are hooked intoa Psionic Amplifying Machine, which givesthem a group Psyche rank of Amazing.When hooked into the PAM, ESPers arecapable of performing any of the mentalpowers listed in the MARVEL SUPERHEROES Campaign Book.

As mentioned above, S.H.I.E.L.D. main-tains offices all over the world, includingNew York, Los Angeles, London, andBonn. Some hidden bases exist in Com-munist countries. S.H.I.E.L.D.�s head-quarters are in the gigantic Helicarrier.Though their operations are secret, theorganization�s existence is known to thegeneral public, and S.H.I.E.L.D. main-tains a few public offices.

The Helicarrier�

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters are based in agigantic, flying aircraft carrier known asthe Helicarrier. The HeIicarrier is animportant part of the World-Wide Mili-tary Command and Control System(WWMCCS), which maintains communi-cations in times of world crises. It is alsoa major link in the Defense Communica-tions System (DCS). The Helicarrier�smain function is the surveillance of landand space, and it houses a number ofhighly trained electronic intelligencepersonnel. Field Agents are also testedand trained aboard the Helicarrier.

The Helicarrier has three layers ofarmor: two layers of 5-inch hardenedalloy with a 12-inch layer of fragmentsupressor sandwiched between them.This gives the Helicarrier an ExcellentBody and Monstrous Armor.

The Helicarrier is powered by a smallthermonuclear plant and flies by meansof an anti-gravity generator augmentedby six large twin-bladed helicopterrotors. The Helicarrier has Good Controland Excellent Speed. The Helicarrier isrigid enough so that it may land on theground or in water, but its radar �ball�deck must be jettisoned beforehand.

The Helicarrier is armed with thefollowing weapons:* ten 70mm radar-guided anti-missileelectric cannons (Range: Excellent, Dam-age: Amazing; can be used as anti-missiledefense),*six 40mm radar-guided anti-missileelectric cannons (Range: Good; Damage:Incredible; can be used as anti-missiledefense),* four armored boxed missile launchers(eight missiles each, Body: Remarkable,Control: Incredible, Speed: Remarkable,Damage: Amazing),* cruise missile launch deck (30 cruisemissiles, Body: Remarkable, Control:Incredible, Speed: Amazing, Damage:Unearthly); and,* an anti-missile teravolt charged parti-cle projector (Range: Amazing, Damage:Amazing).

Not only is the Helicarrier heavilyarmed, but it also serves as an aircraftcarrier by the following military aircraft:* thirty-two F/A-18 planes (Body: Typi-cal, Speed: Incredible, Control: Excel-lent); Weapons: 4 guided missiles(regular types) and 2 machine guns(Range: Good, Damage: Remarkable),* two E-2C Hawkeye early warningplanes (Control: Good, Speed: Excellent,Body: Typical); Weapons: 2 guided mis-siles and 2 machine guns (as above); theyalso have a radar range of 300 miles andconstantly patrol the airspace around

the Helicarrier; and,* four mini-Sea King anti-submarinehelicopters (Control: Good, Speed: Excel-lent, Body: Good); Weapons: 2 air-to-seatorpedoes (Body: Remarkable, Control:Excellent, Speed: Good, Damage:Amazing), 2 depth charges (Range: Good,Damage: Incredible), 2 machine guns (asabove); used for submarine patrol, cargohauling, and rescue missions.

The deck of the Helicarrier houses avibration-isolated missile silo whichcontains an intermediate-range ballisticmissile (Body: Remarkable, Speed:Remarkable, Control: Incredible, Dam-age: up to Class 1000). It has a range of3500 miles and can achieve low earthorbit. It can be used as a weapon or fora variety of special missions, such asplacing a satellite into orbit.

The Helicarrier is usually crewed by450 men, but in emergencies it can holdup to a thousand people. It carriesenough food and water to last a regularcrew for 30 days. The Helicarrier itselfcan maintain flight indefinitely.

Weapons and specialequipment

S.H.I.E.L.D. will always be equippedwith the most modern weapons andspecial equipment. This section detailsthe items that S.H.I.E.L.D. agents regu-larly employ. The agents themselves aredescribed in the Avengers Assembled!m o d u l e .

S.H.I.E.L.D. regulation uniforms aremade of nine-ply kelvar, providing Typi-cal protection from physical attacks. Theuniforms are also made of beta-cloth(type C), which can withstand tempera-tures up to 1700°F, providing Excellentresistance to fire.

Each S.H.I.E.L.D. agent is providedwith two types of handguns. One is aplasma beam handgun (Damage: Excel-lent, Range: 5 areas), with a powerpackthat enables it to fire 19 times beforerunning out of power. The other regula-tion handgun is a .30 caliber rapid fireautomatic machine pistol (Range: Good,Good Damage from single shots,Remarkable Damage from bursts). Thebullets are armor-piercing, with cores ofhigh-density spent uranium. Each ammoclip holds 60 rounds (600 bullets), andthe gun has a variable rate of fire, en-abling it to shoot 1-100 bullets/round.

When S.H.I.E.L.D. agents go on para-military operations, they each carry thefollowing weapons and special equip-ment:* 1 smoke bomb (see smoke grenade onp. 17 of the Campaign Book),* 1 flare (does Typical damage if used as

D R A G O N 6 9

a weapon, burns for 5 rounds),* 1 thermite bomb (as explosive gre-nade, p. 17 of Campaign Book, except itdoes Incredible Damage and will doExcellent Damage every round to any-one hit due to clinging flames until theflames are extinguished),* 1 fragmentation bomb (as explosivegrenade on p. 17, Campaign Book,except it does Incredible Damage),* 1 throwing knife (Excellent Damagewhen thrown),* 1 gas bomb (knockout gas with Incred-ible potency),* 1 radio link pocket computer (10 mileradio range, Remarkable complexity),* 1 flexible saw (able to saw through 1inch of Good material in 5 rounds); and,* 1 garrote reel (must surprise opponentfrom behind to be used; does ExcellentDamage each round; use GrapplingBattle Effects Table to determine if vic-tim can free himself; escape requires aroll in a Red area).

The main transportation forS.H.I.E.L.D. agents is the Flying Car, amodified Ferrari 330/P4 Berlinetta. Thecar is armored with 1� foamed alloy,and its windows are made of 1� bullet-proof Lexan, giving it Excellent protec-tion with an Excellent Body.

The car is electrically powered byturbines. While on land the car hasRemarkable Control (computer-aidedsteering) and Remarkable Speed. Thecar�s four wheels are also mini-jet tur-bines enabling the car to fly withRemarkable Control and IncredibleSpeed. The car is also totally submers-ible with a 5-hour air supply, although itonly has Typical Speed and ExcellentControl underwater.

The car is armed with a 20mm electriccannon (Range: Excellent, Damage:Excellent, ammo supply of 1000 rounds),a 30mm radar-guided anti-missile elec-tric cannon (Range: Excellent, Damage:Excellent, ammo supply of 50 rounds),and a missile launcher (4 air-to-air mis-siles, Body: Excellent, Control: Excellent,Speed: Excellent, Damage: Incredible).The 20mm cannon is in the front of thecar; the 30mm cannon and the missilelauncher are in the rear.

The car also has a variety of specialequipment, including self -sealing tires,radar, a computer and communicationsconsole/scrambler, a S-band communica-tions satellite antenna, 20 cm of radarchaff to disrupt radar signals, ejectionseats, and a car parachute.

Over the years, S.H.I.E.L.D. has usedthe Life Module Decoy Matrix severaltimes. This machine creates androiddoubles of the person placed in the

Master Matrix. Androids will have thesame physical attributes as the originals,but their mental attributes are onlyTypical since they have no real mind.They are either pre-programmed orvoice/radio controlled.

S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have also used jetcycles, an Entrope Phase Barrier GuardSystem (Remarkable-strength forcefield), an image scanner (discerns realform of items and people), mold cocoonpellets, and two-way wrist communica-tors. Assume that any weapon or gadgetthat can be invented has already beendesigned by S.H.I.E.L.D. technicians andhas probably been built and used.

Nick Fury�

No article on S.H.I.E.L.D. would be com-plete without mentioning Nick Fury, thedirector of the organization. ThoughFury is no costumed crusader, he is atough, die-hard fighter, especially withthe man-power and technologicalresources of S.H.I.E.L.D. to back him up.

NICK FURY�Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)Agility: EXCELLENT (20)Strength: GOOD (10)Endurance: EXCELLENT (20)Reason: EXCELLENT (20)Intuition: EXCELLENT (20)Psyche: GOOD (10)

Health: 70Karma: 50Resources: AMAZINGPopularity: 75

Talents: Fury has trained as a para-trooper, a ranger, a demolitions expert(including underwater demolitions), anda pilot. He can operate any vehicle madeon Earth, including spacecraft and lunarlanding modules.

A master of martial arts and wrestlingFury is also a marksman and weaponsmaster. He knows much about law andlaw enforcement, engineering, history,first aid, and military science.

Nick Fury has access to all S.H.I.E.L.D.weapons and equipment. His personalweapon is a .15 caliber needle gun witha range of 4 areas (it does Good Dam-age). An ammo clip holds 300 rounds.

Nicholas Joseph Fury was the elder oftwo children born to an American pilot.His father died in action during WorldWar I, and Nick grew up in the toughestsection of New York City, Hell�s Kitchen.In December, 1941, when Americaentered World War II, Fury was unem-ployed and decided to enlist in the U.S.

Army. Fury took basic training at FortDix, New Jersey.

After basic training, Fury was quicklypromoted to the rank of sergeant andput in charge of an elite group of sol-diers who were known as the �HowlingCommandos�.� This special unit becamefamous throughout the European the-atre of operations, performing manyimportant missions for the Allies. Thegroup was first organized in 1942 byCaptain Samuel �Happy Sam� Sawyer,the force�s commanding officer. BritishPrime Minister Winston Churchill madethe �Howling Commandos� the firstAmerican Ranger squadron to gain therank of Commandos in His Majesty�sArmy. The �Howling Commandos� weremade up of Nick Fury, Timothy �DumDum� Dugan, Gabriel Jones, Robert�Rebel� Ralston, Percival �Pinky� Pinker-ton, Isadore �Izzy� Cohen, Dino Minelli,Eric Koenig, Jonathan �Junior� Juniper(killed in action in the war) and FredJones (disabled in combat).

During a special mission in France,Fury came under the medical care ofProfessor Berthold Sternburg, whoinoculated Fury with the �Infinity For-mula� serum. Fury takes this serumannually, and it has slowed down Fury�saging process enormously.

The �Howlers� were disbanded afterthe war, but Fury remained on activeduty during the Korean War. During thisconflict, the �Howlers� were reunitedfor a special mission in which theysecretly crossed the 38th Parallel anddestroyed an enemy MIG base. Duringthe mission, Samuel Sawyer was killedand Fury was given a battlefield commis-sion of Second Lieutenant. During themid-1950s, Fury was on loan to theFrench government and served as anespionage agent for France during theearly part of the Viet Nam War. Thiswork earned him a promotion toColonel.

After his Viet Nam work, Fury becamean agent for the Central IntelligenceAgency for a few years. In the early1960s, he was offered the directorshipof S.H.I.E.L.D., which he has retainedever since.

Anytime the player characters dis-cover an international conspiracy or anorganization that threatens mankinditself, there is a good chance that at leastone S.H.I.E.L.D. agent will be encoun-tered on the scene as well. If S.H.I.E.L.D.agents are involved, heroes such asCaptain America� may soon be on thescene, and more heroes will be comingas things get tougher.

D R A G O N 7 1

The MARVEL�-PhileUnfriendly neighborhood Spider-foes by Jeff Grubb

Last month, we revealed the first-placewinner of the �Overwhelming Readers�Response Survey� by publishing theabilities and history of the mysteriousMockingbird�. Now it�s the bad guys�turn, and the three most-requested pestsare all enemies of your friendly neigh-borhood Spider-Man�: Hobgoblin�,Kingpin�, and Spider-Man�s own mali-cious (former) Suit. [Kingpin is describedbriefly in Bruce Nesmith�s module, MH-4Lone Wolves; the Karma score given

here is the correct one � Editor.]Before pressing on, there�s a debate

going on here regarding the future ofthe MARVEL SUPER HEROES� game.We�ve gotten a lot of positive mail con-cerning the game, and many gamerswant to see a more intense treatment ofthe game in terms of subjects (otherdimensions, time travel, and newworlds) and rules (an advanced magicsystem, a more complicated combattable, and individual Karma awards).

Would you like to see an �AdvancedMARVEL SUPER HEROES� book? If so,what would you like to see in it? Dropus a line (and mention which heroesyou�d like to see in future editions of theMARVEL-Phile, while you�re at it). RogerMoore forwards all the Marvel Mail tomy cubicle (usually cackling gleefullywhile he�s at it).

Without any further editorializing,let�s bring on the bad guys: Hobgoblin,Kingpin, and Spidey�s Suit!

HOBGOBLIN�Real name as yet unrevealed

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)Agility: REMARKABLE (30)Strength: INCREDIBLE (40)Endurance: INCREDIBLE (40)Reason: EXCELLENT (20)Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: EXCELLENT (20)

Health: 130Karma: 50Resources: EXCELLENTPopularity: -20

Powers:

BODY ARMOR. Hobgoblin�s outfit con-sists of small-weave, insulated chain mailthat provides Excellent protection fromphysical attacks and Remarkable protec-tion from electrical attacks.

ELECTRICAL BLASTERS.Hobgoblin�s gloves are equipped withpower-conducting microfilaments thatenable him to project Incredible electri-cal damage up to one area away.

GLIDER. One of Norman (original GreenGoblin�) Osborn�s inventions, this one-man, turbo-powered glider has the fol-lowing stats: Incredible Control, GoodSpeed, and Excellent Body (but offers noprotection to the rider). The Glider cancarry up to 400 pounds, but it is DOWNTWO on Speed and Control if carryingmore than the Hobgoblin�s own weight.

BATTLE VAN. A complete mobile weap-ons system devised by Osborn but neverused in his career as the Green Goblin,

HOBGOBLIN™

All Marvel characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are the trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group,MARVEL SUPER HEROES is a trademark of the Marvel Comics Group.© 1985 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries. All Rights Reserved.

72 FEBRUARY 1985

the Battle Van has Incredible Control,Remarkable Speed, and Incredible Body.It has a full communications and com-puter setup and can be operated byremote control or on its own auto-pilot(which has Remarkable Control). TheBattle Van possesses a top-mountedconcussion gun turrent doing Remark-able Damage with a range of 7 areas.The van was partially destroyed in ahigh-speed chase that left it in the EastRiver, but Hobgoblin has reclaimed thevan and is rebuilding it.

THROWING BLADES. Hobgoblin packs aset of throwing knives carved in bat-wing shapes. Each razor-sharp bladedoes Good Damage on the Hack 'n Slashtable. Hobgoblin throws 1-5 of theseblades at a time, usually to prevent pur-suit. Shift DOWN ONE to hit for everyblade cast beyond the first. Hobgoblincarries 6-15 of these blades.

PUMPKIN BOMBS. Hobgoblin�s explosivebombs are shaped charges having theform of jack-o�lanterns. He can throwthem out to a range of 3 areas, and thebombs can have a timed-delay burst ofup to two rounds. When exploded, thebombs cause 20 points of damage andforce a victim to make an EnduranceFEAT to avoid being knocked out by theconcussion. Hobgoblin carries 1-10 ofthese devices.

WRAITH BOMBS. Hobgoblin�s smokeand gas grenades have clear plastic casesresembling wraiths. Their usual effectsare as per the smoke and gas grenadeson page 17 of the Campaign Book, butboth operate at Incredible potency. Inaddition, Hobgoblin has rediscoveredOsborn�s formula for a gas that weakensSpider-Man�s Spider-sense if he isexposed to it (and fails to make a FEATroll). He makes use of this chemicalwhenever he anticipates meeting hiswall-crawling foe. This gas deprivesSpider-Man of his Spider-sense andreduces his Intuition to Typical.Hobgoblin�s satchel carries up to tenbombs, and any that are not explosivejack-o�lanterns will be wraith bombs.

Hobgoblin�s story: The Hobgoblin�strue identity has not been revealed, yetcertain parts of his history are known.His story begins with that of his prede-cessor, the Green Goblin.

Norman Osborn was co-owner of achemical company with subsidiariesinvolved in robotics and electronicsOsborn, ever greedy for more power,had his partner arrested for embezzling

74 FEBRUARY 1985

and took control of the business. Among in a bomb explosion, but Harry has sincehis former partner�s notes, Osborn dis- made a full recovery and is now presi-covered a formula to increase the user�s dent of Osborn Industries, Inc.intelligence and strength. Osborn began Neither Harry Osborn nor Dr. Hamil-to experiment with the formula but was ton found the large number of weaponscaught in a chemical explosion. Expo- caches and secret hideouts that thesure to the formula made Osborn original Green Goblin maintainedstronger, but the chemical drove him throughout the city, usually in secretinsane as well. Taking the identity of the rooms in Osborn Industries plants andGreen Goblin, Norman Osborn set about warehouses. A bank robber namedto slay Spider-Man and establish himself George Hill found one of these hideoutsas a New York crime-lord. while fleeing from Spider-Man. Hill

His genius boosted by the formula, brought his discovery to the attention ofOsborn built most of the devices that the another as yet unidentified man, whoHobgoblin would later use, though as promptly killed Hill and used the recov-the Green Goblin he was continually ered equipment and Osborn�s notes todefeated by Spider-Man. On several become the Hobgoblin.occasions, Osborn was believed to have At first, Hobgoblin had the technologybeen cured of his madness, but he of his namesake, but not the increasedwould soon have a relapse and adopt his strength, endurance, or intelligence. Hecriminal ways. During his final relapse, refined Osborn�s formula and, afterthe Green Goblin killed Gwen Stacy, using a hireling as a guinea pig, placedPeter Parker�s girlfriend, and was killed himself under the drug�s influence. Hehimself by being impaled on his own jet remained too long affected by the chem-glider. ical, and this may have had a serious

Since Norman Osborn�s demise, two affect on his mental stability.others have taken up the identity of the Hobgoblin is using all of Osborn�sGreen Goblin. Norman�s son Harry, under hidden lairs and diaries to firmly estab-the influence of drugs, stole his father�s lish his power where the original Goblinold costume and sought revenge on Spi- failed. Hobgoblin, with the aid of ader-Man for his father�s death. Harry was crime-lord named the Rose�, wishes todefeated and placed under psychiatric build a crime syndicate rivaling that oftreatment. Unfortunately, his psychia- the Kingpin. Like the Goblin, Hobgoblintrist, Dr. Barton Hamilton, took up the desires the death of Spider-Man, whoGoblin�s persona. Hamilton was killed has foiled several of his plots.

THE KINGPIN OF CRIME� wrestler who works out daily, KingpinWilson Fisk, �Humble Dealer in receives an UP ONE shift to the rightSpices� when Grappling.

WALKING STICK. Kingpin�s walking stickconceals a three-shot, high-energy laser.This laser has a range of two areas anddoes Excellent Damage. The stick alsocarries two doses of Amazing-potencysleep gas that requires a yellow Endur-ance FEAT roll or else the victim fallsasleep for 1-10 hours. The stick is madeof Remarkable material.

STICKPIN. Kingpin also packs a dose ofhis sleep gas in his diamond stickpin. Hemay only use it in a slugfest againstopponents who are in front of him.

THUGS. Kingpin rarely travels alone,and although his daily fighting regimenmakes him the superior of most �body-guards� in his employ, he maintains a

Fighting: REMARKABLE (30)Agility: GOOD (10)Strength: EXCELLENT (20)Endurance: INCREDIBLE (40)Reason: GOOD (10)Intuition: EXCELLENT (20)Psyche: GOOD (10)

Health: 100Karma: 40Resources: INCREDIBLEPopularity: 31

Powers:

BODY ARMOR. Through his fightingdisciplines, Fisk has developed PoorBody Armor.

mettle of his opponents.WRESTLING. An experienced sumo

MARTIAL ARTS. Fisk is a master of judo small private army of goons to protectand oriental boxing. He may Stun and his headquarters and prevent unneces-Slam opponents of higher Endurance sary interruptions. Kingpin will alwaysthan his strength would normally allow. have 4-13 thugs no more than a door

away to deal with intruders and test the

The Kingpin�s story: Wilson Fiskclaims to make his living as a �humbledealer of spices,� and is the wealthyowner of several companies. He is lesspublicly known as the Kingpin of Crimeand is the leader of the largest non-Maggia criminal organization inAmerica.

Little is known of Kingpin�s back-ground, save that he became interestedin body-building early in his life. He nowmaintains a physical training schedulethat makes him a superior fighterdespite his apparent bulk. His otherkeen interest was political science, andhe used these theories in forming hisown criminal empire. He has been care-ful not to be directly involved with thecriminal activities he promotes, so hehas no criminal record.

At one time, Fisk was the leader,

through his son Richard, of the Las to remove Vanessa permanently, to forceVegas branch of HYDRA� and planned his former employer to regain his posi-to take control of America and the tion in the underworld.world through that group. However, the Vanessa disappeared in an explosion,Kingpin turned against HYDRA upon but she was rescued from the New Yorklearning that the Red Skull� was the sewers by the hero Daredevil�, heractual leader of the Las Vegas organiza- physical and mental health destroyed.tion. He has since had nothing to do Fisk, anguished first by the loss of hiswith HYDRA or its new incarnations. beloved Vanessa and later by her shat-

Kingpin�s one weak spot is his family. tered state, has retaken control of hisHis son Richard took on the costumed old organization and eliminated thoseidentity of the Schemer� in order to who threaten his criminal empire.ruin his father. His wife Vanessa, a lovely Kingpin has battled both Spider-Manlady of New York society who supported and Daredevil over the years, but heFisk through years of power struggles, sometimes maintains a standing trucefinally convinced the Kingpin to give up with them, providing aid to both when ithis criminal activities. Fisk retired to the is in his best interests to do so. (He res-Orient until Vanessa persuaded him to cued Spider-Man from Hobgoblin at onetestify against his former criminal com- point because he was concerned aboutrades. Upon his return to the states, one the latter�s motives.) Fisk has hiredof Kingpin�s old �soldiers� sought to super-powered agents as agents and

bodyguards, and the respectable posi-

Kingpin controls a criminal empiremade up of East Coast gangs that, whilenot in the Maggia�s class, is more power-ful than any single Maggia family in NewYork. His limitations are few in regardsto morals. He only rarely deals in drugs,nor does he encourage his associates todo so. He is a man of his word and willhonor it, letting foes go free when theyhave done him a great service. Finally,he is so fiercely devoted to his family, inparticular to bed-ridden Vanessa, that hehad one of his henchmen turn down theoffice of the Mayor of New York City inorder to insure his wife�s safe return.

tion of Kingpin�s assassin has gone to thebest in the field, including Bullseye� andElectra�.

KINGPIN™

SPIDER-MAN��S SUITAlien symbiote

Fighting: REMARKABLE (30)Agility: AMAZING (50)Strength: INCREDIBLE (40)Endurance: INCREDIBLE (40)Reason: GOOD (10)Intuition: EXCELLENT (20)Psyche: MONSTROUS (75)

Health: 160Karma: 105Resources: NonePopularity: Not applicable

Powers:

SYMBIOTIC NATURE. The Suit survivesby feeding off a host creature�s power.In its most recent incarnation, the Suithas acted as the costume of Peter

D R A G O N 7 5

Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man�. Thissymbiosis has several effects:1) The Suit may be commanded to

change shape or color by its host to avariety of forms, and can create holdingpouches or similar adornments.2) The Suit, with long use, can duplicate

the physical powers of its wearer. Theabove stats are duplicates of the physicalabilities of its last host, Spider-Man.3) The Suit can control its host, forcing

him to conduct actions against his will. Itsability to control the bodies of others is ata Monstrous level, and it shifts DOWNONE for each level of Psyche of its target.Unaware or sleeping targets are easier tocontrol, such that the shift is only DOWNTWO at most.4) The Suit feeds off energy from its

host, leaving him weak and sluggish. Thereferee should secretly halve the Healthrating of any hero under the influence ofthe Suit for as long as he wears it.5) The Suit does not wish to be sepa-

rated from its host and will, therefore,tighten over the host�s body, crushing it inan unescapable grappling attack, if anattempt is made to remove it. In this caseany damage taken from an outside attackis absorbed by the Suit first, then by thehero wearing it (see below).6) Other than as noted above, the Suit

has no effect on the Body Armor of any-one wearing it. Its structure is such that ittransmits the force of a physical blow toits host.

WEB SHOOTERS. In duplicating Spider-Man�s original costume, the Suit also dupli-cated his web-shooters. The Suit can fireMonstrously strong webbing up to 2 areasaway and can use it for swing-lines, nets,and entrapment devices.

The Suit�s story: The creature known asSpider-Man�s Suit is a parasitic symbiote, abeing that feeds off the mental and physi-cal energy of its host. It was a native of aworld used by the Beyonder� to constructhis battleplanet in the Secret Wars�. Thecreature took refuge in the complex com-mandeered by Doctor Doom� and hisbench-villains.

Spider-Man found the creature�s lairwhile trying to locate a machine to repairhis own badly-damaged costume. Using alikely looking device, Spider-Man �sum-moned� the Suit from its hiding space. TheSuit spread over Spider-Man�s body, subtlycontacting his mind and reading histhoughts, and became Spider-Man�s newcostume.

Returning to Earth with Spider-Man [theInvasion of the Body Stocking? -Texan

Ed], the Suit quickly began to feed off itshost�s energy. It took command of Parker�ssleeping body during the night, forcinghim to sleep-walk (or, more correctly,sleep-websling) through the city in orderto get its sustenance. Peter Parker got noreal rest, and a general deterioration ofSpidey�s Health set in.

After several weeks of increasinglystrange problems and effects, Spider-Mancontacted Reed Richards of the FantasticFour� to analyse the Suit. Richards discov-ered the organic and symbiotic nature ofthe Suit, but the Suit itself resisted anyattempt to be removed from its host.Richards finally separated the Suit fromParker by subjecting it to ultra-sonicwaves. The Suit was then placed in aglassed-in environment for study.

The Suit displayed its animal craftinessin its many attempts to escape, but it wasfinally released by a exploration probeunder the control of an unseen foe of theFantastic Four. The Suit escaped into NewYork City, and, after possessing a numberof bodies, sought out its former host onceagain.

In the battle with Spider-Man that fol-lowed, the Suit was apparently destroyed.It should be noted, however, that no traceof the alien symbiote was found after thefinal battle.

SPIDER-MAN's™ SUIT

76 FEBRUARY 1985

From Anarchyto Empire

Interstellar governments in the STAR FRONTIERS® game

[Editor�s note: David �Zeb� Cook was oneof the original designers of the STARFRONTIERS® game system. This articleis ��official� STAR FRONTIERS gamematerial, though its principles may beapplied to many science-fiction games.]

What lies beyond the Frontier? Even-tually, the characters in a STARFRONTIERS game campaign will startprobing the reaches beyond the knownstar systems, and the referee shouldkeep up with them by designing newsectors of space for the group toexplore.

When preparing a new sector map,the referee should think about the gov-ernments that will control the planets inthe sector. How many governments will

78 FEBRUARY 1985

by David Cook

there be, and what will they be like?How will the different governments getalong? These are just a few of the con-cerns that a referee must consider whendevising interstellar governments.

Interstellar governments

Interstellar governments ruling planetsin several different systems (as the UPFdoes) may or may not exist in a sector, asthe referee desires. Some basic types ofinterstellar governments that may beused in the referee�s sector aredescribed briefly, with notes on howthey work and what their aims or goalsmight be.

Trade federation: Under this govern-

ment, each member planet rules itselfand has its own laws, but all the planetswill have signed a trade agreement. Thisagreement promises free trade betweenall the member planets and also servesas a mutual peace treaty. The differentplanets will try not to interfere witheach other�s business. If one planet isattacked, the other planets will join withit to fight the enemy.

Trade federations are delicate andeasily upset, since each member is in thefederation for a profit. If a planet or agroup of planets decides it can do betteron its own or with another group, itmay pull out of the federation. An exam-ple of a trade federation today is theEuropean Common Market.

Socialist state: The state owns and The race of the inhabitants affects thecontrols most activities for the equal society with its particular needs, likes,good of all people. Such states are often and dislikes; these, then, play a part inused by Humans and Dralasites. any planetary society of that race. If the

Stratocracy: Rule by a nation�s military referee creates a new race, he shouldleaders. Yazirians will often form this write down what that race considerstype of government, using the military important and consider how that affectsleaders from each clan. the culture.

Syndicracy: Rule by an organization of The physical conditions on a planetthe most powerful corporations on the affect how people live and what theyplanet. Vrusk favor these governments. consider important for their survival. If

Theocracy: Government by religious a planet has very little water, waterleaders, sometimes seen among Humans becomes very important. People whoand Yazirians. waste water would be �bad,� and bath-

ing would be a luxury saved for specialevents. Swimming and boating might be

Aterrifying for the average dry-lander. Ifa planet has a great deal of water, people

n empire stays who couldn�t swim might become social

in power by keep-misfits. The referee should think aboutthe planetary conditions that might

ing its subjects affect the society.The government of a planet also

happy and by the affects the society�s customs. A plane-tary dictatorship is rarely likely to toler-

liberal use of mili- ate free speech; people of such a planet

tary force.may be unwilling to speak their minds.Under an anarchy, those citizens sup-porting an organized government maybe considered dangerous or �strange.�

Many variations and combinations of Atheists in a theocracy are bound tothese basic governmental structures are have difficulties with the focal govern-possible. A little research into Human ment. The laws of the planet also make ahistory will turn up many more ways to difference. A theocracy has more lawsrule a planet (or portion thereof). dealing with religious crimes, while a

Human and alien societiesdictatorship has laws to control freespeech, and a plutocracy has laws to

A society is the way a group of people protect the very rich.lives together � how members deal with When creating a society for a STAReach other, what they believe in, what FRONTIERS planet, it helps to start bythey consider important, and how they listing a few notable customs of thework. Societies do not have specific planet�s citizens. These customs shouldnatural laws to follow and seldom have be interesting and obvious to the playerwritten laws or regulations. People in a characters. The Dralasites of Innersociety generally know what is correct Reach in the Frontier Sector dye theiror incorrect; they learn this by experi- skin every day, for example. As the char-ence as they grow up. This section gives acters become more involved in the lifegeneral guidelines and suggestions on on the planet, they will probably wanthow to create interesting societies in a to know why the Dralasites do this. BySTAR FRONTIERS game. having the players ask such questions

To gain specific ideas on creating plan- (and by giving them answers), the ref-etary societies, the game referee should eree will slowly build a description ofcheck out some books on Earth-Human the society on the planet.history and present societies. Human The referee should remember that itcivilization is filled with examples of is not necessary to have every detail of amany different societies and cultures society worked out in advance. Signifi-that may provide ideas for gaming. cant customs and laws should be pre-

Societies are formed from several pared, but playing the game and havingdifferent forces � the planet�s races, the player characters get involved withgovernments, current laws, religions, life on the planet often helps the refereeclimate, landforms, history, etc. To ask a focus on the social elements he needs toreferee to think out all these areas is far evolve. The referee should make eachtoo time consuming. Instead, the referee planet distinctive and unique whenevershould work with what he already possible, to enhance the enjoymentknows about the planet. gained in playing the game.

Galactic empire: All of the memberplanets are controlled by one govern-ment, usually based on one planet whichis considered the heart of the empire.All other planets may be treated as colo-nies, provinces, or states of the empire.Because an empire tries to controleverything from one place, it is oftencorrupt or loaded with layers ofbureaucracy.

An empire stays in power by keepingits subjects (the people) happy and bythe liberal use of military force. Sinceempires have a way of getting in troubleif they stand still, they are often tryingto expand their frontiers by colonizationor by military control. The ancientRoman Empire is an example afterwhich interstellar empires may bemodel led.

Political federation: Each memberplanet rules itself; however, all planetsbelong to one loose governmental body,and all must follow certain standards ofconduct. The United States of Americaand the UPF are political federations.

More possibilities exist, of course. Thereferee should feel free to create anyother interstellar government he wants.

Planetary governments

When designing a planet, the refereeneeds to think about the governmentcontrolling the world. Even though theplanet may be part of an interstellarunion, it may have its own laws andelected officials. Many sorts of govern-ments operate among human worlds,and alien races may have governmentsthat humans have never been able tomake work. Some of the possible plane-tary governments are given below.

Anarchy: No organized government atall. Some Dralasite worlds do very wellwith this type (or lack) of government.

Company-owned world: A planet con-trolled by a company or corporation andrun for profit. This system is commonon Vrusk worlds.

Confederacy: A number of smallerareas banded together under one looseplanetary government. Yazirian clansoften form confederations.

Democracy/republic: A governmentrun by elected representatives. Humansand Dralasites favor this option.

Dictatorship: Absolute rule by oneleader. Humans sometimes have thisgovernment.

Monarchy: Rule by a king or queen,usually of one family. Only Humans usethis type of government.

Plutocracy: A government run bythose with the most wealth � anotherpopular government used by the Vrusk.

D R A G O N 7 9

80 FEBRUARY 1985

D R A G O N 8 1

82 FEBRUARY 1985

NCLE NIRED�S VOICE CAMEclose to sputtering as he stood in thedriveway berating his nephew.

�I haf better things to do than withmy dumb brother�s dumber son wastetime. Already I lose half day to drivedown here from Connecticut.

Then I stand here thinking no one home for five minutesbefore you show up to tell me doorbell broken. I alreadyknow that because push button is gone!�

�Relax, Uncle Nired,� Henry said with a smile, know-ing his uncle to be much more tolerant toward his onlynephew than his present manner might indicate. �Here isthe answer to the doubling of your gun factory�s busi-ness.� He extended the hand weapon he held, offering itto his uncle for inspection.

Uncle Nired shrugged, causing a tidal-wave effect toripple across the plump belly of his obviously tailoredthree-piece suit. He slammed the door of his huge blackMercedes, brushed one ring-bedecked hand over his fullwhite mustachios, and glared at Henry.

�Hah! With this president we got not increasingdefense spending like there�s no tomorrow, I should worryabout more business? Three shifts I work already,� UncleNired protested but eagerly took hold of his nephew�s newinvention. His eyes glinted with intelligent interest.

�Bullets you don�t put in, hah?��Exactly right, Uncle Nired. A completely new concept

in a personal weapon. See, the money you loaned Fatherfor sending me to MIT is paying off.�

�Umpf,� Uncle Nired grunted while closely looking overthe weapon. �Money I haf not yet seen again and moneyyou wasted reading the science-fiction books instead of theengineering books studying. I�ve spoken to your profes-sors. Bright you are, they say, but unlikely to finish thecourse. You win awards but not the old sheepskin, eh?�

�That doesn�t matter now,� Henry said confidently.�This little beauty is gonna make us millionaires. Themilitary, local law enforcement, foreign governments, allkinds of people will be breaking our doors down to buythe gun of the future from us.�

�Hah!� replied Uncle Nired. �Already I am the mil-lionaire several times over and the doors to be brokendown already belong to me.� He paused momentarily,hefted the weapon thoughtfully in his hand, and shrugged.�But . . . The cost of business, keeps going up � anddoors can be replaced. . . . How does this thing work?Some kinda laser, hah?�

A pained look crossed Henry�s face. �No, no. Lasersare for kids. This is a truly powerful device. Come outback and I�ll demonstrate.�

They went through the neatly kept little house and outthe back door, while Uncle Nired continued to study theweapon he carried. It was not much to see, he quicklydecided. The gun was just a thin metal tube with a barelydiscernible pinhole on the firing end; the tube wasmounted on a thick power pack that served as the pistolgrip. It was heavy, maybe five pounds, very hefty for ahand weapon. The workmanship was very amateurish butthen, Uncle Nired chided himself, the boy was better withbrains than hands. And the trigger looked like the

The GunThatShot TooStraightby Ralph Roberts

Illustrations by Peter Berryman

D R A G O N 8 3

84

push button from a . . . Uncle Nired nodded sagely,remembering the broken doorbell.

�Over here, Uncle Nired,� Henry said and stopped inthe center of the small back yard.

Uncle Nired looked first at the board fence only ten feetaway, and then to his nephew. �Not the greatest or mostsafe firing range you have here, Henry.� He sighed inresignation, knowing from prior visits that the area behindhis brother�s house was uninhabited. �Tell me how toshoot this thing.�

�Simple,� Henry said. �You aim and press the button.I tested it this morning just before calling you.� A slightlyperplexed expression crossed Henry�s face. �Maybe Ibetter show you something first.�

Henry motioned his uncle over to the yard�s lone tree, adiseased-looking elm. He tapped a paper target hangingon the tree, in a spot where many other targets had beennailed. �See where I test-fired?�

Uncle Nired nodded, meanwhile wondering if the treelooked sickly because it had lead poisoning. His nephewhad given this tree a hard time over the years.

�So? You hit it three times. Lousy shot group. You weremaybe at arm�s length?�

Henry ignored his uncle�s condemnation of his marks-manship and reflectively stroked his not-clean-shavenface.

�You can only do so much design work on paper orwith computer simulations,� he said. �Sometimes theresults are greater than you predict.�

�I see,� said Uncle Nired, whom no one had everaccused of being slow on the uptake. He gazed at theweapon, then strolled behind the tree.

�Low,� Henry told him. �I purposely angled it downjust in case.�

�Hah! It shoots all the way through a three-foot tree!�said Uncle Nired, a hint of excitement creeping into hisvoice as he examined the three clean exit holes.

�I checked with Dad�s calipers. Slightly larger goingout. And check the ground.�

�Umpf,� grunted Uncle Nired, bending over with nosmall difficulty and looking at the three small holes in theground. �And how deep are these?�

Henry shrugged and gestured at a three-foot wire rodleaning against the back fence. �More then three feet.�

�They look deeper, eh?� commented Uncle Nired,squinting as he tried to look down the small holes. �Wehave to check these out later.�

Straightening and walking back to the front of the tree,Uncle Nired nodded to himself.

�Uh hah. Through a three-foot tree and to unknowndepth in ground. Not bad this is.� He felt mountingexcitement.

But there was still a trace of worry on his nephew�s face.�The holes in the ground,� he said, �were just slightly

larger than the exit holes from the tree.��How can you accurately measure the crumbling sides

of a hole in the dirt?� questioned Uncle Nired. �Let metry three shots also into the target.�

�Yeah,� Henry replied, still thinking. �Just point andpress the button.�

�No safety, hah! You want I should shoot my foot off,

FEBRUARY 1985

maybe?��Sorry, shoulda mentioned that. It�s just a prototype;

we�ll refine it later.�Uncle Nired grunted irritably but angled the gun at the

tree-mounted target and gingerly pressed the ex-doorbellbutton. A tiny but searingly bright ball of light flashedfrom the muzzle end of the gun to the target, making asmall, neat hole next to the others.

�You got two more shots, Uncle, then we need a newpower pack.�

Uncle Nired shrugged and quickly fired twice more intothe tree, this time shielding his eyes from the glare withhis other hand. �About the light also I shoulda beenwarned.�

Henry ignored this. �Great, isn�t it? I�ll help you refinethe gun by getting the bugs out, and we can go into pro-duction as soon as you can get the plant retooled.�

�Not so fast,� Uncle Nired said, walking around thetree again and gazing thoughtfully at the six little holes inthe ground, three of them still sprouting thin tendrils ofwispy smoke. �Let us go inside and chew the fat aboutthis thing of yours. All I know is the holes it makes in thedirt. I�m just an old ignorant gunsmith; the new stuffleaves me in the dark.�

�Don�t play games with me, Uncle. You have moremechanical engineering degrees than hairs on your head.�

Uncle Nired ran a gnarled hand through his thin-on-topwhite hair. �Maybe a few degrees from the top I am los-ing, hah?�

�Come inside,� Henry said to quickly change the sub-ject. �I�ll pour us a splash of brandy and we�ll firm up ourplans.�

�And does your father know how liberal you are withhis good brandy?�

�Do you want some or not, Uncle?� Henry asked asthey re-entered the living room.

�Be generous,� replied Uncle Nired as he sank into thebest easy chair. He still was cradling Henry�s invention.Again he examined it as Henry poured the brandy intosnifters. �No laser, hah?�

Henry handed Uncle Nired his drink. �No, nothing atall like lasers, Buck-Roger rayguns, or any of that ilk. Icall it a disrupter-ball generator. The small fireball yousaw projected from the weapon is an energy reaction of arather unusual type. Anything hit by this energy is molec-ularly disrupted; a hole the size of the diameter of theenergy ball gets punched through it.�

�Disrupted?� asked Uncle Nired, looking up at Henry.�Well,� Henry said. �It�s the closest term I can think of

to describe my theory of just how the gun works.� Hesipped at his brandy as if gathering his thoughts, thencontinued.

�You see, the gun generates a small but intense fieldfrom its firing end that actually breaks down the molec-ular bonds of whatever substances are there. Free oxygenin our atmosphere, for example, is bonded into a two-atommolecule.�

�A chemist, I do not want to be. Get on with it.��Anyway, the breaking down of these molecules releases

an energy which is used like a shaped charge in explosivesto affect the adjacent area along the target path. And the

energy from that area disrupts the next one and so on.�Henry waved his now empty brandy glass to emphasizehis point. �Through air, wood, and dirt!�

Uncle Nired nodded, gazing with some awe at theweapon.

�And how many different materials will this affect?Like plate steel, maybe?�

�Maybe,� replied Henry. �I need a lot more computertime to calculate all the different materials the field willdisrupt.�

Henry put down his glass and grabbed a sheet of paper.�The mathematics of it is rather elegant,� he said. Heyanked the gnawed stub of a pencil from his pocket andcovered the page with esoteric symbols accompanied byobtuse explanations.

Uncle Nired listened with eroding patience for a fewminutes.

�Is good, Henry,� he said finally, breaking off his neph-ew�s excited flow of jargon. �But tell me, what is therange? What is the muzzle velocity? How far before thisenergy reaction dies out? These things we must know tofurther test and evaluate this weapon.�

�I don�t know, Uncle Nired,� Henry answered with asheepish grin on his face. �My theory�s not that exact yet.It�s only been fired these six times. My three this morningand yours.�

With a disgruntled grunt, Uncle Nired glanced at hiswatch and took a sip of his drink. �On this I must think.Meanwhile, turn on the television so that we may see theevening news. I must hear if the new defense appropria-tions passed Congress.�

He settled back into his chair and continued to idlyexamine Henry�s prototype disrupter gun and drink hisbrandy. The sound came up on the TV.

�. . . in the South Pacific today, a Royal Australian AirForce jet was downed by a yet unexplained fireball risingdirectly out of the Pacific . . .�

�What!� Henry exclaimed.�Be silent!� Uncle Nired roared.�. . . parachuted to safety. Captain Smythe reported

that the mysterious fireball was the size of a large beachball and completely sheared off one wing of his HawkerBoomerang as he flared out of a dive. He immediatelyejected and . . .�

�Oh, migawd. What have I done?� Henry said and puthis head into his hands.

�Ssssh!� hissed Uncle Nired, leaning forward andwatching the TV screen intently.

�. . . the second fireball was reported three hundredmiles southeast by an American naval vessel; the third,some fifty miles west, was seen by the crew of an AirFrance jumbo jet. No other damage by or occurrence ofthese weird phenomena has so far . . .�

�Hmmmm,� Uncle Nired said. �Not a bad shot groupfor that far away.� He turned to a stricken Henry. �Whattime did you test-fire this morning?�

�About eight-thirty,� Henry said, removing his headfrom his hands. He looked extremely miserable andfrightened.

�Umpf, ten hours. Now we know how to calculate themuzzle velocity of your weapon. In ten hours, hoo boy,

another surprise they got coming!��Huh?��Not important, Henry. I don�t think we�ll shoot this

gun again just now.��All the way through and out the other side,� Henry

muttered. �Oh, migawd.��Pull yourself together, my boy. To Hartford and the

plant we must go.�Henry looked incredulously at his uncle. �Uncle Nired,

we can�t build this weapon now. It�s far too powerful.��You�re not just the Dixie whistling,� Uncle Nired said.

�A gun that shoots through planets is of no use to anyone;the order of magnitude is too great. But� � Uncle Niredwaved the gun and his eyes seemed to gleam � �the prin-ciple can be greatly toned down and used. And as a gun, Ido not mean. A self-sustaining energy reaction powerfulenough to travel through thousands of miles of rock andpressure has many uses. We shall hire great physicists tofind these uses. Come!�

They went out to Uncle Nired�s Mercedes, but hepaused by the door and looked up into the starry night-time sky.

�What is it, Uncle Nired?��I was wondering, if the energy balls continue travel-

ing, how big will they get and what will they hit?��I don�t know.�Uncle Nired shook his head as they got into the car.

�Also, who the shooting back will do?�

85DRAGON

86 FEBRUARY 1985

Drop a name . . .(From page 2)material on one of those �other� games.And since we don�t use very many �other�articles, we�re even pickier than usual aboutwhat we�ll accept. Considering both of thosefacts, I can�t blame anyone for thinking it�sno use to send that kind of stuff to us. Theodds are awful high against you (unlessyour name happens to be Greg Stafford orsomesuch), but it ain�t impossible. Andthat, in a nutshell, is what I told Greg.

�A few times, we�ve addressed this sub-ject in print when someone writes in to askwhy we don�t cover this game or thatgame,� I said to him. �But I guess it�s beena while since we covered it. One of thesedays I�ll have to figure out a way to sneakin some mention of it.�

�Good idea,� he said. �It might help.�I hope so, Greg. And thanks for calling.

Index toadvertisers

Name of firm of product Page(s)Adventure Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9AMAZING® Science Fiction Stories . . . . . 88Armory, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80-81Compleat Strategist, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Draco Digitalis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Dunken Co., The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Entertainment Concepts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Fantasy Games Unlimited . . . . . . 9, 26, 34, 41Game Designer's Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Game Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Game Towne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Gamers' Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86-87Games Workshop Ltd. . . . . . inside front coverGraaf Simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Hawaii Con . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc. . . . 1, back coverMayfair Games Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Nichols Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39, 76Nova Game Designs, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Pacesetter, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15RAFM Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Reality Simulations, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 12RPG, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Sky Realms Publishing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 14Time-Life Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17TSR, Inc. . . . . . . . . . 5, 7, 21, 28-29, 55, 73, 77West End Games . . . . . Inside back cover

D R A G O N 8 7

The World Gamers GuideWe�re proud of the fact that many of the

people who read DRAGON® Magazine livein countries around the world. But weknow, from letters we receive from some ofthem, that a lot of our readers in foreigncountries are frustrated because few, if any,other players live close enough to them tomeet them.

Our solution is the DRAGON MagazineWorld Gamers Guide, a feature that makesits first appearance in this space. Below arelisted the names and addresses we�ve re-ceived since we announced several issuesago that this service would begin. Here�show the system works:

If you live outside the continental UnitedStates and Canada, you are eligible to haveyour name and address printed in theguide, free of charge. Put your name andfull address on a postcard or in a short letterand send it to World Gamers Guide, c/oDRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 110, LakeGeneva WI 53147, USA.

Your address must be complete (includingthe country you live in) and legible; wewon�t publish something we can�t decipher.(And we can�t be responsible for a mistakeor inaccuracy in someone�s address �unbeknownst to us � that prevents a letterfrom reaching its destination.) As you�ll

notice, the addresses do not appear in anyparticular order. For the sake of simplicityand to save a little space, we will not listmultiple names for a single address; onlyone name (the first one mentioned) willaccompany any address. If you want to,you can also list up to three role-playinggames that you enjoy, so that anyone whowrites to you will know something aboutwhat you like. We will publish each nameand address for three consecutive issues; ifyou want to be listed for more than threeissues, you�ll have to send us another post-card when your first listing expires.

Sorry, but we can�t extend this offer toU.S. servicemen who live overseas, or topeople who live in sparsely populated areasof the United States or Canada, becausethere are still more gamers per square milein places like Utah or Alberta than there arein countries like Japan and India. We canonly afford to use a limited amount of spacefor the World Gamers Guide, and we wouldrun into a severe problem if we tried toexpand it any further.

Gaming preferences are abbreviated asfollows: AD = AD&D® game; DD = D&D®

game; SF = STAR FRONTIERS® game;MSH = MARVEL SUPER HEROES�game; GW = GAMMA WORLD® game;

RQ= RUNEQUEST® game; CC = CALLOF CTHULHU� game; TS = TOPSECRET� game; RW = RINGWORLD�game. These preferences, when stated bythe sender, are given after his or her name,and should NOT be used as part of themailing address.

And now, without further ado, the firstWorld Gamers Guide:

Mark Kemperman (AD)Ironstone RoadForreston 5233South Australia, Australia

Wayne Percival (AD, SF, RQ3 Enoch StreetClontarf 4019Queensland, Australia

Patrick Hogan (AD, SF, MSH)P.O. Box 54Agana, Guam 96910, U. S. A.

Gary G. Aguiar (AD, DD)P.O. Box 10322Hilo, Hawaii 96721, U. S. A.

Russel Davidoff (AD, MSH, GW)110 Greenlands CrescentSunningdaleJohannesburg 2192, South Africa

Elrik Schwartz (DD)P.O. Box 39-244Taipei, Taiwan

William Vernon (AD, CC)Calle Sojo, ResidenciasEl Escorial, UrbanizationEl Rosal, 1er Piso, No. 12Caracas 1060, Venezuela

Phil Caughley (DD, TS)c/o Woodstock SchoolMussoorie, U.P. 248179, India

Alfred Shook BradfordAm Raestruper Bahnhof 324404 Telgte, West Germany

Robert Stockdale (AD)Innerkoflerstr. 168000 Munich 70, West Germany

Michiel Krohne6 Chemin de Bacounis1245 Collonge Bellrive, Switzerland

Soren Petersen (AD, RQ RW)Gefionsparken 43000 Helsingor, Denmark

Selauk Gozubuyuk (AD)Cumhuriyet cad. Duygu apt.No. 13 Kat: LKucukyali Istanbul, Turkey

Samantha Hayman (AD)17 Kainui RoadHataitaiWellington 3, New Zealand

8 8 F E B R U A R Y 1 9 8 5

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90 FEBRUARY 1985

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DRAGON 93

94 FEBRUARY 1985

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