DRAGON 1

P u b l i s h e rMike Cook

Editor-in-ChiefKim Mohan

Editorial staffPatrick Lucien Price

Roger Moore

Art director and graphicsRoger Raupp

SubscriptionsGeorgia Moore

AdvertisingMary Parkinson

Contributing editorsEd Greenwood

Katharine Kerr

This issue�s contributing artistsDenis Beauvais

Jeff BuschBob Walters

Jim RoslofRoger Raupp

Timothy TrumanMarvel BullpenDavid Trampier

Richard TomasicJoseph Pillsbury

Larry Elmore

2 DECEMBER 1985

SPECIAL ATTRACTION

41 SUDDEN DAWN — William TracyOur first �magazine module� for the MARVEL SUPER HEROES� game

OTHER FEATURES

8 The rogues of role-playing: Special section on thieves

9 The well-rounded thief �John C. BunnellNot every wall-climber does it for the same reasons

Race is ahead of class �John C. BunnellThe varying outlooks of demi-human thieves

Was it worth the risk? � Bruce BarberHere�s what you get for picking a pocket

2 0 Oriental opens new vistas � David CookAn overview of the latest AD&D® game book

22 Three challenges in one � Michael DobsonNew module intermixes wargaming and role-playing

2 4 Meeting of the minds � Peter ZelinskiExpanded table for psionic encounters

2 8 Leomund�s Tiny Hut � Lenard LakofkaHow weapon specialization affects game balance

3 3 The ecology of the ochre jelly � Ed GreenwoodAn extra-large amoeba with an appetite to match

3 8 Assessing, not guessing � Lionel D. SmithHow PCs can tell what something is worth

5 8 Spy�s advice � Merle M. RasmussenAnswers and suggestions for the TOP SECRET® game

DEPARTMENTS

3 Letters 64 TSR Previews 89 Wormy4 World Gamers Guide 69 The ARES� Section 93 Dragonmirth6 The forum 88 Convention calendar 94 Snarfquest

62 TSR Profiles

11

16

COVERWhenever Denis Beauvais sends us a new cover painting, he describes it as �The bestthing I�ve ever done� � and so far, he�s been right every time. His latest work, �Spin-ning Tales,� depicts a wizard and his distinctive way of telling a story about a dragon,a princess, and a knight. You might know how the story comes out before he finishes it� but when you can see it as well as hear it, you can�t help hoping that it never ends.

Module mistakesDear Dragon,

Robert Schroeck�s �City Beyond the Gate�(issue #100) was inventive, original, and probablythe best example of consecutive blunders I haveseen in your magazine for a long time. Frankly,Mr. Schroeck would have been well advised to sethis module in a country which he knows some-thing about. His idea of London had more incommon with a cross between Charles Dickensand Manhattan Island than the city I know.

Firstly, his ideas of British currency are curi-ously dated and even in the long gone days whenwe did use shillings and pence, there were twentyshillings to the pound and twelve pence to theshilling.

His next mistake was to do with the Britishpolice (rarely known as bobbies today and neverknown as �woolies�). These policemen (knownas cops, fuzz, or the Bill), unlike their U.S.counterparts, do not carry firearms on duty. Inaddition, there are no SWAT teams in this coun-try (at least not under that name) nor the num-bers of urchins which seem to have been liberallysprinkled across one of the most upperclass areasof London. That sort of thing went out withOliver Twist.

His minor slipups included the price of a tubeticket (40p, or about 55 cents) and the fact that Ihave never yet seen either a horse-driven beerwagon or hackney cab outside a museum.

My advice to DMs who wish to play London asit should be played is to remove all firearms fromboth the security forces and criminals. Secondly,all traces of Victorian England should be re-moved. London is, after all, a 20th-century

capital city. Thirdly, the currency should becorrected. There are 100 pence to the pound, andshillings don�t exist.

An unarmed police force should not be aproblem for a good DM. Just remember that theyare not as vulnerable as they appear and mostintelligent people do not cross them. They cancall on virtually unlimited (restrained) force.Player characters who indulge in mayhem shouldbe made to regret it!

With the exception of these minor gripes, itwas a very good scenario and I congratulate Mr.Schroeck for his good work.

Andrew PriceWest Sussex, England

After we received this letter, we sent a copy toRobert Schroeck and asked him for a response;following are the pertinent excerpts from his letterback to us. Before we give him the floor, however,we have to take some of the �credit� for one ofthe shortcomings that Andrew pointed out. Weshould have double-checked the statements aboutthe monetary system, but we didn�t. As for theother �blunders,� Robert does a good job ofexplaining why they exist. Also, it�s been pointedout to us that we neglected to designate the officeson the maps of the museum. In general, assumethat any small, unidentified enclosures (such asthe row of rectangles on the right-hand edge ofthe second floor) are offices. And now, here�sRobert. � KM

Robert�s response. . . I�ve been waiting for a British player to

trip me up. Actually, I was aware of some of the�blunders� in the module; some were inten-tional, some not.

I must admit that my view of London has beeninfluenced by both Charles Dickens and myproximity to New York City. But the primaryflavor to be found in �my� London comes from apair of extraordinary books, The Borribles andThe Borribles Go For Broke, by Michael deLarrabeiti (published in paperback by AceBooks). They present the adventures of a band ofmutated children with elflike characteristics inand about London. The city, especially the neigh-borhoods of Wandsworth and Battersea, is pre-sented in a dark, foreboding manner throughout,with plenty of decay and despairing tomes, aban-doned buildings, and evil adults. It is very Dick-ensian in that sense. The other Dickensian touch,the street urchins, also comes from these books.The urchins were, in the original version of themodule, members of the various tribes of Borri-bles, as were the urchin NPCs (who were three ofthe main characters from the books); because Iwas unable to secure permission from Ace Booksto use de Larrabeiti�s material, I adapted theBorribles into street urchins, and changed thenames of the NPCs, in order to use them as aband of potential allies for the PCs. The term�woolie� for the police also comes from thenovels � I had assumed it was a common term.

I dispute Mr. Price�s contention that unarmed

First impressionscan be wrong

I won�t try to write a full review of TheDungeon Master in this small amount ofspace. Suffice it to say that I got a bad firstimpression from the cover blurbs, and I amhappy to report that the book was muchmore interesting than I expected it to be.My first impression was wrong.

Of course, the main reason I read it wasto see what the author, William Dear, hadto say about the DUNGEONS &DRAGONS® game. As it turned out, thegame had nothing to do with why DallasEgbert disappeared, but Mr. Dear had noway of knowing that before Dallas wasfound. So he educated himself about thegame and persuaded a couple of studentsfrom Michigan State University to play anadventure with him.

Mr. Dear devoted a 23-page chapter tohis recounting of the only time he played.For his sake and the sake of everyone whoplays the game right, I wish he had receiveda better first impression of the game.

The companion of his first-level playercharacter was a second-level fighter/thiefwith scores of 18 in everything but wisdomand charisma. When was the last time yourolled four 18�s?

The two player characters were at oddswith each other (and that�s putting itmildly) more often than not. Tor (Dear�scharacter) had his pocket picked by Dan(the other character). The words �coopera-tion� and �alignment� don�t appear any-where in the chapter. Ultimately, the onlyway Tor could get Dan to demonstrate anycompassion or teamwork was to cast acharm person spell on him. But within afew minutes of game time, the spell woreoff, and Dan was his treacherous old selfagain.

It�s bad enough that the Dungeon Masterand the �experienced� player screwed upthe rules, but what�s worse is that theycorrupted the intent of the game. WilliamDear came away from his first D&D® gamesession with a very distorted sense of howplayer characters, and the people playingthem, operate. Coupled with the negativeimpressions he had received about the gamebefore he played, this served to reinforceDear�s estimation of the game as somethingsinister and potentially dangerous.

My only criticism of the way Mr. Dearconducted his investigation is that he didn�tgive himself an opportunity to play thegame again with different people. If he had,I think he would have found that his firstimpression, too, was wrong.

DRAGON 3

police officers could stand up to a well-armedparty; even at the generously high levels Igranted to individual officers, they would not bemuch of an obstacle to a party that lacked theingrained British respect of the police. I armedsome of them to provide more of a challenge, andbesides, if you�re going to be playing in themodern world, you�ve got to use guns some-where, if only for shock effect. SWAT teams arecalled that simply because I don�t know what theBritish equivalent is called.

My sources never mentioned that the shillinghad disappeared with the decimalization of Brit-ish currency. I was aware of the old ratios ofpound:shilling:pence, and I assumed that theshilling had become the equivalent of the Ameri-can dime. The price of an Underground ticketwas based on my recollection of the price of aParis Metro ticket (about 20-25 cents, as of mylast visit).

I regret any severe distortion of London. Icould have avoided this by setting the module in,

say, New York, but that would have been too easyfor my players and the readers; in choosing alocale unfamiliar to them, I had to choose oneequally unfamiliar to me.

Before I close, I have my own correction toadd. On the map of the Island House, the roomlabeled �E� is not keyed in the text. It is thejakes, an indoor outhouse flushed by water fromthe same spring that cools the coldbox.

Robert M. SchroeckJersey City, N.J.

The World Gamers GuideIf you live outside the continental

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game; GW = GAMMA WORLD®game; SF = STAR FRONTIERS®game; MSH = MARVEL SUPERHEROES� game; TS = TOP SECRET®game; T = TRAVELLER® game;RQ= RUNEQUEST® game. For spaceconsiderations, only the first three pref-erences given can be printed.

The World Gamers Guide is intendedfor the benefit of gamers who live outsidethe continental United States and Can-ada, in areas where nearby gamers aresmall in number or nonexistent, as a

way for them to contact other game-players who would be interested in cor-responding about the activities that theyenjoy. Unfortunately, we cannot extendthis service to persons who live in remoteareas of the U.S. or Canada, or to U.S.military personnel with APO or FPOaddresses. Each eligible name and ad-dress that we receive will be published inthree consecutive issues of DRAGON®Magazine; to be listed for more thanthree issues, you must send in anotherpostcard or letter.

Stephen White (DD, AD SF)21 Nankeen StreetModbury Heights 5092South AustraliaAustralia

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Erebor RPG AssociationMosehusvej 22700 BroenshoejDenmark

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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, LakeGeneva WI 53147; the business telephone number is (414)248-3625. DRAGON Magazine is available at hobby stores and bookstores th roughout the United States and Canada, andthrough a limited number of overseas outlets. Subscription rates via second-class mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 1 year (12 issues) sent to an address in the U.S., $36 in Canadianfunds for 1 year (12 issues) sent to an address in Canada. Payment in full must accompany all subscription orders. Methods of payment include checks or money orders made payable to TSR,Inc., or charges to valid Mastercard or VISA credit cards. Send subscription orders with payments to: TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60678. A limited quantity of back issues areavailable from the TSR mail order department, P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147. For a copy of the current catalog listing available back issues, write to the mail order department at theabove address. The issue of expiration of each subscription is printed on the mailing label for each subscriber�s copy of the magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of subscription copiesmust be received at least six weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery. All material published in DRAGON Magazine becomes the exclusiveproperty of the publisher, unless special arrangements to the contrary are made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork;however, no responsibility for such submissions can be assumed by the publisher in any event. Any submission accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will bereturned if it cannot be published.

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4 DECEMBER 1985

DRAGON 5

Charging may not be cheap, but it is certainly I believe that this a good option to include in aa better alternative than trying to accomplish the game, since it is always easier to replenish aninvolved rituals for the creation of a magical itemfrom scratch. Besides, who has time to wait for a

item already in one�s possession than to make onefrom scratch. In a normal game, if I may con-

lightning bolt to strike an oak tree and splinter sider the games I participate in �normal,� onethe beginnings of a wand of lightning? Or who is has little chance to make an item, but has manywilling to give, and then take back, an incomplete opportunities to capture, take, or find magicalrod of rulership from a succubus? My characters items already working. Doesn�t it make morearen�t. They have all they can handle trying to sense to spend one�s time researching to find therun their petty governments, keep food on the energy recharging words and learning a recharg-table, protect themselves, and still have time for ing spell, than to waste one�s life creating oneadventuring into what little unknown remains. magical device?

Peter Johnson�s article, �Charging isn�tcheap,� does give some excellent and detailedmaterial concerning the ritual and procedure forthe creation of magical items, taking up wherethe DMG left off. But it does not entirely addressthe true subject of the article, namely the charg-ing and recharging of magical items.

Richard W. EmerichNew Canaan, Ct.

* * * *

Recharging of some magical items is, by defini-tion, straightforward �I cite the staff of the magiand the rod of absorption as examples. TheDMG lists the method of recharging these valu-able items. But for items of less renown, such asthe wand of secret door and trap detection andthe staff of command, what does one do to re-charge these items?

I greatly enjoyed the new Best of theDRAGON (Vol. IV) Magazine, and I certainlyhope to see the fifth volume appear in the future.The article �Two-fisted fighting� by Roger E.Moore answered many of my questions for use oftwo weapons (that is, if you have two arms);however, there is one usable secondary weaponmissing.

I suggest a simple means of handling thisproblem. First, whenever a magical item ismanufactured, the creator instills in it a com-mand that allows magical energy to flow into it.Then, whenever it becomes necessary for the userto recharge the device, he can cast a special spellover it that transfers a regulated amount ofmagical energy into the item. The spell to which Irefer would have to be added to the lists of clericaland magic-user spells: call it recharge an item.Since it does not have the power of an enchant anitem spell, but is related to it, it would be a 5th-level magic-user or clerical spell.

The user of the device would construct a pro-tective circle, stand within it, and cast the spellover the item. Just as with any other spell, asmall opening to the Positive Material Planeopens, but instead of the energy continuingthrough to the Negative Material Plane, guidedby the spell caster�s energy and mind, it is lockedinto the magical device. Optionally, a DM mayallow more than one unit of energy to be storedin the device, depending on the level of the spellcaster. Say that one �charge� may be stored at9th level, and an additional �charge� per three orfour levels above that.

This weapon, commonly known as the sword-breaker, was commonly used in the 16th century.The sword-breaker, consisting of a deeplynotched blade about 15 inches in length, wasintended to catch and break the sword of anantagonist. It can also be used as a dagger (atperhaps -1 �to hit�). The opponent must firstmake an attack with his sword (any thrusting orslicing weapon), and must miss at the attempt.This gives the sword-breaker wielder a chance tograpple and perhaps break the antagonist�sweapon, which is done by using the �to hit�table. A successful roll will cause the weapon inquestion to roll on Table 2 of John R. Shaw�s�These are the breaks� article [also in the Best ofDRAGON Magazine #4 � Editor]. If this chartis not available, the DM may decide to have theweapon save vs. crushing blow or be rendereduseless, or to make up his own damaged-weaponstable.

Thus, a solution to the problem of creating anew item from scratch and the ambiguous refer-ence to the recharging of magical devices isfound. Although recharging may seem quite easy,and therefore unattractive to DMs who like tomake their players work for their magic, recharg-ing is only slightly less difficult in actuality.Unless the magical item was created by the user,one must discover the secret word that will acti-vate the energy absorbing option, learn a high-level spell, create a magical circle of protection,and then properly cast the spell. To further com-plicate the result, one might include a base failurefactor in the spell recharge an item, so that thespell caster will not be assured of charging theitem every time.

Talking about new weapons, have you everheard of a weapon called a pilum? A kind of pikeor javelin, about 5 to 6 feet in length, the pilumwas sometimes used at close quarters as an offen-sive weapon or to parry blows. More often,however it was thrown at the enemy to affix itselfin a shield, at which time the thrower or an allywould rush up and seize the shaft of the pilumwith his secondary hand, in order to draw theshield down. He would then follow up the attackwith a weapon in the free hand (usually the longsword). There are several steps to deal with thepilum in AD&D terms. First, this weapon mustpenetrate the opponent�s shield, which is done bythrowing it like a javelin. Give large shields anarmor class of 8 and normal shields an AC of 7(add 2 to the armor class for metal shields, andalso add 1 for every plus of shield). If a hit isscored, someone must run up and grab the pilumwithin 3 rounds or it will be pulled out by thebearer of the shield. In order to grasp the pilum�sshaft, a �to hit� roll must be made vs. AC 5,which will cause the shield-bearer to add 2 to hisAC and be held in place, able only to attack to

6 D E C E M B E R 1 9 8 5

the front of his person (this is step 2). However,after the first round of such and every roundthereafter, the shield-bearer must make a savingthrow vs. paralyzation or be held for yet anotherround. This roll is bonused with the victim�sstrength ability score added to it, while the pilum-holder�s strength is subtracted from it. A success-ful roll will break the shaft of the pilum, freeingthe one being held. During that round, thatperson can then attack whoever held the pilum at+2 to hit, gaining automatic initiative. Thepilum is especially useful for breaking up tightshield formations which elude missile attacks, orusing it to hold the line if in need for more time.

Mark DeseckBrighton, Mich.

* * * *

Bravo! Paul Suttie�s answer to alignmentproblem in issue #101 of DRAGON Magazinewas a good, innovative idea which advances thecause of role-playing in my humble opinion. ButI still prefer the alignment system outlined in thePlayers Handbook for its simplicity. It is neces-sary for DMs controlling intelligent swords andmonsters. I propose that the two be unofficiallyintegrated herein.

For one thing, no one, not even a paladin, hasto be a pure alignment. Everything can haveneutral tendencies. To illustrate this, look at page119 of the PH. A paladin whose alignment isgraphed between the boldfaced words �LawfulGood� and �Neutral� is no less a paladin thanone who is graphed directly on top of the word�Saintly.�

Alignment does not have to be absolute. It canbe perceived as Paul mentioned, so an Englishpaladin can fight a French paladin, if both feel itwill benefit their ideas of law and good. If theyboth serve the same god, it is highly unlikely thatthey would choose to fight each other; however,each could strike at the troops of the other ingood conscience, provided each feels it will dosome good. The actions of good people shouldbring about some form of good, while those of thelawful should help to establish order.

No one need be killed for violating his align-ment in a few minor forms. Even a seriousbreach, when committed unknowingly, should beseen with mercy by the DM. For example, apaladin (they are always picked on when peopleattempt to alter alignment) sees a camel-like beastwith wings and the head of primate set the floorunder his feet aflame. Naturally, he attacks.Although he should have used his powers ofdetecting evil first, he should not lose his pala-dinhood for this. At the extreme, he may lose hisuse of �laying on hands� and clerical spells untilhe atones for his sin.

A person�s duty to important causes, religion,and ruler should heavily influence that person�sdecision-making. Alignment is there for use whennecessary, but it will not prevent political, reli-gious, or personal struggles. A little is necessary,but that should always be so, according to thisDM.

William Bond Jr.Omaha, Neb.

* * * *

If the AD&D game dies, it will be of terminalover-sophistication. Those who make their living(or merely an extra buck every now and then)writing about the game have seen fit to add evermore Byzantine complexities (new PC races, newPC and NPC classes, etc.) to a rules systemalready rich in detail. Also, deep and serious

(Turn to page 25)

8 DECEMBER 1985

The well-rounded thiefNot everyone steals for the same reasonsby John C. Bunnell

�You see two figures wearing leather armor,� says the DungeonMaster. �Aha!� shouts a player character. �Thieves � get them!�

Later, another player character is around the corner scouting andpasses a note to the DM. When the rest of the party arrives, theyfind a heap of gold and a complacent-looking halfling. �Okay, Frow-dough,� says the party leader, �where�s the big gem?� Sure enough,when Frowdough is turned upside down and shaken, a diamonddrops out of his boot.

Thieves are probably the most misunderstood and misplayedcharacter type in all AD&D® game play. Most of the thieves I�veplayed with and refereed over the years remind me all too much ofthe two examples just noted. Even good AD&D game players, givena thief character, fall readily into the stereotypical pattern of theconniving gem-stealer and backstabber who avoids fights and meltsinto the background at the first hint of danger. The fact that theAD&D game rules tend to support and amplify the evil aspects ofthiefdom doesn�t help. We�re told that thieves tend to congregate inpowerful guilds, skulk continually and suspiciously in the shadows,and specialize in deadly attacks from behind. All this makes forthieves with highly unsavory reputations.

It�s easy to fall into the stereotyped mold; not only is it implied bythe content of the rules, it makes for a profitable character, too. Thiseconomic advantage, however, is outweighed by the fact that suchthieves make for predictable and untrustworthy adventuring part-ners. Parties of good-aligned characters gradually become tired ofwatching the thief appropriate all the valuable gems and rings, andbegin devising excuses to leave thieves behind or maneuveringthieves into dangerous or fatal dungeon encounters. Sometimes,players of thief characters feel that the rest of the group is out to getthem, and will either start new characters in other classes or leavethe group entirely.

The key to avoiding the preceding situation and to producingviable thieves lies in deciding why they have adopted their chosenprofession. Strictly speaking, not all thieves are thieves � certainly,not all thieves steal for the same reasons. There are five distinctmotivations for becoming a thief, each of which is interrelated to thecharacter�s alignment, the way he behaves in groups, the kinds ofthings he is likely to attempt to steal, and (if the Dungeon Master isso inclined) certain aspects of his special abilities. Most thieves willhave only one dominant motivation, but the following descriptionsare only examples, and combinations are possible. A reference tablehas also been provided to illustrate the differences between differ-ently motivated thieves.

Table I: Types of thievesAbility

Alignment Associates Specialty AdjustmentGreed chaotic few grab & run noneProfessional lawful guild burglary + 5% trapsRevenge neutral variable varied no pickpocketingArtistic chaotic hirelings high-risk little magicRecreational any usually varied none

Note: This table is for comparison purposes only. Refer to text forfull descriptions of all motivating factors. Ability adjustments inparticular are purely optional and at DM�s discretion; they may bedisallowed or expanded as appropriate. For example, thieves of goodalignment might be denied the use of poison, or avenger-types couldbe prohibited from backstabbing.

The greed motivationOf all the reasons to steal, this is the most obvious and the most

frequently found in AD&D game characters. Thieves of this typesteal almost exclusively for personal profit, though not usually tosupport an extravagant lifestyle. Greedy thieves are nearly alwayschaotic, usually evil (though many won�t admit it), and often a bitparanoid as well. They tend to work alone whenever possible; evenwhen traveling or adventuring in a group, they will trust no onecompletely. They are hoarders, going to great lengths to conceal theextent and location of their wealth. They avoid violent confronta-tions as much as possible, fighting only in dire emergencies while ondungeon or wilderness expeditions. In such situations, other partymembers are only safe from the thief to the extent that he needsthem to get out of the dungeon alive.

In towns, these thieves are solitary operators and make up most ofthe pickpocket population � an indication of the methods theyprefer. Greedy thieves will generally avoid planning sophisticatedburglaries � they prefer to grab and run. Their favorite targets aregems and rings of all kinds, but anything portable and valuable isworthwhile prey. Magic items may be an exception to this rule,however, as they are more difficult to sell or learn to use. Greed-motivated thieves are generally more likely to employ poison thanany other type.

The professional motivationProfessional thieves are, like those driven by greed, among the

most numerous and easily located sorts. These are the second-storymen, the hired burglars, and the career stickup artists. They stealfor the same reason that weavers make rugs and smiths forge armor�it�s their source of income, the one thing they do well. Profes-sional thieves are nearly always lawful and generally affiliated with alocal guild, relying on the guild for training, job contacts, and tech-nical support. Most work alone, though in some cases teams of twoor three will operate together. More experienced professionals willfrequently specialize, stealing only certain kinds of merchandise oroperating exclusively as cat burglars or armed thugs.

A professional thief's goal is to be thorough, efficient, and incon-spicuous. He will carefully scout a target prior to carrying out a theftto determine the extent and type of security to be overcome. Busi-ness arrangements made with a client will be strictly honored so longas the client acts in good faith, but should a professional be deceivedor betrayed, he will act to protect his interests and will not hesitateto kill to do so, though guild-affiliated thieves especially frown onunnecessary violence. Experienced members of a guild will onlyrarely accompany a party on a dungeon adventure or the like, unlessthey have been hired to overcome a specific obstacle or recover aparticular treasure. If the campaign supports it, a DM may elect toallow guild-affiliated professionals a 5% better chance at finding andremoving traps as a result of their special opportunity for training inthis area.

The revenge motivationThe avenger or crusader is an unusual and relatively scarce sort of

thief, typified in literature and legend by Robin Hood and theCount of Monte Cristo. He is distinguished from other thieves inthat he only steals from a particular individual, organization, orsocial class, and usually does so in the name of justice. Frequently,some incident in a character�s past in which he has been wronged isresponsible for the decision to assume the role of thief. In gameterms, avenger-type thieves are normally neutral or neutral good in

D R A G O N 9

alignment. Their goals are ultimately those of law and order, buttheir approach is chaotic in nature.

Avengers are almost never affiliated with guilds, and often con-duct their thieving careers under cover of a new name or identity.Many avenger-types are dual- or multi-classed, having changedcareers to vent their wrath. They generally work alone or as theleader of a very few trusted partners, and their campaigns of ven-geance often encompass much more than simple thievery. Avenger-types often possess a very developed sense of honor, and can berelied on when they give their word, though they are not aboveorchestrating elaborate deceptions designed to ruin or humiliatetheir chosen enemies. Some DMs may elect to rule that, because oftheir highly honorable characters, avenger-type thieves will notemploy the ability to pick pockets.

The artistic motivationThis sort of thief steals neither for the money nor as a professional

contractor � at least, not primarily. Rather, he is continually devis-ing and testing ways to commit the perfect crime. Though typicallychaotic in alignment, the artistic thief is frequently a member of aguild, disdaining all but the most difficult and prestigious assign-ments. At these, however, he will excel. �Impossible crimes� andingenious confidence games and swindles are the artist�s stock intrade, and though such a thief will invariably plan and engineer aproject alone, he may have hirelings or trusted assistants to carry outthe actual theft. Above all, they are stylists, and will occasionallytake unnecessary or flamboyant risks in pursuit of their goals.

Artist-thieves are equally likely to accept paid commissions or toundertake jobs purely for the challenges they represent. Their tar-gets are invariably of the highest value and rarity. Though an artist-thief will on rare occasions mastermind a kidnapping, he will usuallyavoid violence and murder. There are two reasons for this: first,artists have exceptionally high overhead (many leave imitation itemsin place of the stolen property), and second, many artist-thievesbegan as guild members with that organization�s desire for obscurity.

Such thieves do have one unusual prejudice �they will almostnever employ purely magical methods (such as using a chime ofopening) to achieve their ends, considering the action to be �cheat-ing.� They have no objection to protective magic, however, and willsometimes employ minor magical effects under special conditions. Afew mavericks subscribe to the opposite extreme regarding magic,and will use it liberally if possible; these thieves are generally multi-classed or have a wizard as a close companion.

The recreational motivationThieves of this persuasion might also be called adventurers,

though not in the same sense as the term is generally used. In manycases, they are not thieves in the criminal sense at all, but havemerely acquired their special skills either by accident or withoutcriminal intent. Bilbo Baggins, Tolkien�s archetypical burglar, is therole model for thieves of this motivation. If these characters steal atall, they do so not for profit or revenge, but rather because it is moreexciting than making keys or repairing trunks. They are a travelingbreed, sometimes reluctantly so but always inevitably, and encom-pass a wide range of temperaments and alignments. Not all may beas mild-mannered as this description might imply; some could befleeing guildmembers caught with their hands in the cookie jar, orinveterate pickpockets moving to fresher and safer territory. Still, thegood adventurer-thief will generally do nothing to endanger hisstatus with the band of wanderers of which he is normally a part. Hewill have little or no objection to fair distribution of jointly discov-ered wealth, though a private windfall gained at serious personal riskis another matter.

Thieves of a recreational philosophy are rarely specialists; theywill apply their talents to whatever opportunities arise, relying on adogged pragmatism rather than sophisticated strategy. They willfight and kill if need be, though not indiscriminately, and usuallyfinish anything they begin � rarely indeed does an adventurer-thiefleave a project in the middle. Some will be more active than others;many, like Bilbo, require a certain amount of persuasion to leavetheir homes and families for an adventure in lands and cavernsunknown.

10 DECEMBER 1985

Any one of these motivating factors may be the driving forcebehind a player character or NPC thief. Understanding and devel-oping these diverse kinds of thieves can easily lead to innovative andunusual adventures for characters (and players) accustomed to thestandard �chaotic greedy� mold. Players might be drawn into theintrigue generated by an avenger-type, hired to execute a theftplanned by a high-level artist, or asked to persuade the only thiefcapable of dismantling a complex trap to travel halfway across thecontinent from his flower garden.

Both players and DMs can make creative use of unusual thiefcharacters. A routine random encounter with two footpads can turninto something quite unusual if the two footpads happen to be work-ing for the Hooded Jackal, the same cruel duke who tossed the partyinto the dungeon at an earlier time. Similarly, a player who designsa clever artist-thief may gather a group of followers around him andprompt the group�s DM to design a series of unique encounters andadventures appropriate for the character. It is significant to note thatdifferent permutations of the various motivations allow thieves to beof nearly any possible alignment, good and evil alike, so that charac-ters can no longer react without thinking to an encounter with athief or thieves, assuming that �they must be evil, so let�s kill them.�They must deal with each encounter, relying on character interac-tion and role-playing instead of merely reaching for weapons andcombat dice. Further, logically motivated thieves are much morelikely to be productive members of adventuring parties, so thatexplorers need no longer sacrifice the valuable skills of the thief classin order to keep party members from cutting each other�s throats.

In short, adding logically yet uniquely motivated thieves to acampaign can serve as a catalyst to spice up a drooping adventure,provide a new focus for the party�s attention, or attract a new playeror two.

Even if a thief simply has an odd personality quirk, the results canbe startling. Case in point: A player in one of my campaigns createda very chaotic thief character, whose unstable temperament causedhim to change his surface alignment in times of stress. Thus, at onetime he was behaving in a highly evil fashion and tried to backstab ahigh-level magic-user, but on another occasion he was most coopera-tive and lawful in talking his way through a trial. (Needless to say,this called for very careful role-playing.) Well-rounded thieves are alltoo rare in AD&D gaming, but they can make the difference be-tween an average campaign and an excellent one.

Race is ahead of classDemi-human thieves act according to heritageby John C. Bunnell

Mention thieves to a band of adventur-ers, and every eye will suddenly turn tostare at the halfling in the next-to-last rankwho has been trying very hard to look in-conspicuous.

Mention thieves to a group of playersrolling up a new party of characters, andsomeone is bound to ask, �Do we reallyneed one of those? The last thief we hadstabbed Roger Ramjet in the back and gotaway with his + 4 sword.� Shortly after-ward, somebody manages to come up withstatistics good enough to start a monk.

Mention thieves to a DM, and his or hereyes will roll while a resigned sigh blowsover the referee�s screen. �Thieves are apain in the neck,� you�ll be told. �In orderto be sneaky and devious, they have to passme notes � which lets everybody else knowthey�re trying to be sneaky and devious.And then I have to cope with dozens of littlescraps of paper I can only decipher half thetime anyway!�

All those reactions are based on the samekind of thief � the nasty little halfling whofilches gems at every opportunity and disap-pears at the slightest drop of a twenty-sideddie. Unfortunately, that�s the sort of thiefwith which most gamers are best ac-quainted. Even the occasional human or elf-born thief is usually of the sameunpredictable stock, and remains difficultfor fellow adventurers to tolerate on a long-term basis.

That�s a bit surprising, considering thefact that the thief is the only character classin the AD&D® game open to members ofany demi-human race, and that almost norestrictions exist on the number of experi-ence levels thieves may attain. Still, thiev-ing behavior patterns remain stubbornlyentrenched; even in Roger Moore�s excel-lent series of articles on the races inDRAGON® issues #58 to #62 (reprinted inThe Best of DRAGON anthology, Vol. 3),descriptions of demi-human thieves suggestthat they follow their professional instinctsfirst and their racial instincts second.

Such a characterization not only doesn�tmake psychological sense, it unnecessarilylimits the potential diversity and rangeavailable to aspiring players of thieves. Infact, there�s no particular reason that allthieves have to be marginally trustworthy atbest, or perpetually greedy and selfish atworst. A thief�s race will almost always havea profound effect on the way he or shefunctions in a game setting, and that effectwon�t necessarily make the character aliability to an adventuring party. A look at

each race illustrates the differences in out-look that demi-human thieves possess.

Elven eavesdroppersAs Roger Moore observed in DRAGON

issue #60, elves place a lower value thanmost other races do on personal property,largely because of their exceptionally longlifespans. As a result, elven thieves arelikely to use their special skills to acquireanother commodity of more importance:knowledge. Elves, with their inherent knackfor ferreting out secret doors and theirgenerally superior senses, are already keenobservers. Add to this a thief�s ability tohide and move silently, and the result is acharacter uniquely suited to gathering allkinds of information and discovering all butthe most carefully guarded secrets. (Anelven thief residing in a populated area is atleast 75% likely to be aware of any politicalor adventuring activity � including mili-tary movements � before the normal in-habitants find out what is going on. Thisstatistic, of course, applies exclusively toNPCs and would vary with individualcircumstances.)

That�s not to suggest, however, that elventhieves are exclusively devoted to uncover-ing other kinds of knowledge, notably con-cerning the whereabouts of long-lost magicsand mysterious civilizations. These thievesdo spend part of their time researchinglikely prospects, either in musty old librariesor in and around the homes and guildhallsof various wizards and sages. They are alsoadventurers, though, following up the cluesand persistently journeying into remoteareas in quest of abandoned towers andcities.

On such expeditions, these elves oftenemploy magic items and carry away plun-der that would ordinarily be neglected bymembers of other races. In particular, theyare fond of the various information-detecting wands (some have been known towear similar devices in the form of rings),and they are far more likely to collect oldbooks, scrolls, and tapestries � magical orotherwise � from their dungeon visits thanthey are to come home with bags of goldand silver. Though such treasure may seembulky and of relatively low value, elventhieves can sell any book or artwork ofhistorical interest for 10% to 20% morethan can their colleagues of other races.

Although elf-born thieves value knowl-edge highly � and are not above makingthat fact abundantly clear to charactersseeking it � they are not as a rule especially

secretive. They will always share informa-tion about their goals and intentions withadventuring colleagues (though they maynot reveal the full value or power of asought-after magical item if they fear aparty member might try to seize or misuseit), and they are less reticent than mostother thieves about tales of their past ex-ploits and adventures. Further, while elvesare only rarely members of a thieves� guild,they will generally display the same highdegree of professional reliability that marksa guild-affiliated thief on an assignment.

The wandering half-elfThe number of half-elves who adopt the

profession of thief is relatively small. Whilesuch characters share the enhanced sensesand interest in information of their demi-human ancestors, they are unmistakablyhuman in their taste for intrigue and decep-tion. As a result, half-elven thieves tend toavoid elvish communities and kingdoms,instead traveling extensively and mixingwith human society as much as possible.

The half-elf�s abilities set the tone for thebrand of thievery he practices. Half-elventhieves are masters of the confidence gameand the elaborate swindle, preferring tomake a profit from showmanship and misdi-rection rather than by brute force or armedconfrontation. For instance, a half-elf arriv-ing in a middle-sized town might eavesdropon a wealthy magician, then turn up on hisdoorstep the next day with a map leading tothe hiding place of a valuable item the magejust happens to be hunting for. Would thewizard be interested in buying the informa-tion? What about financing an expedition tosearch for the item? Of course, by the timethe spot has been reached, the item is nolonger there � but the thief has long sincecollected his fee and vanished.

While their tendency to shade the truthmakes them potentially awkward travelingcompanions, half-elves are generally cau-tious enough to make the problem a minorone, at least in fairly large parties where thethief is clearly in the minority. (After all,half-elven thieves do spend a lot of time onthe road, and it doesn�t pay to bite the handthat�s protecting you.) A half-elf's firstpriority in such circumstances is his ownpersonal safety; in a conflict between poten-tial profit and potential injury, discretionwill almost always prevail. In fact, a half-elven thief may go to some length to makehimself useful to a group of adventurers ifhe expects to need their protection in theimmediate future � though his loyalty will

DR A G O N 11

rarely extend to sharing the profits of aprivate project. The thief usually won�t staywith the same adventuring party for longerthan it takes to safely reach the third orfourth town along the road, where he canbegin a new swindle with little fear that hisreputation has preceded him. (He might,however, rejoin the party the next time itpasses through if escape is necessary bythen.)

Dwarven locksmithsThe majority of dwarves belonging to the

�thief� character class are not thieves at all,in the criminal sense of the word. Rather,they are experts at designing and craftingthe very locks, traps, chests, and vaults thatother thieves are so eager to bypass or rob.Just as many dwarves are superb and well-regarded armorers and weapons makers,the bulk of dwarven �thieves� are reallylocksmiths, cabinetmakers, or architectswho specialize in keeping things safe fromrobbery.

poses. The two most frequently encounteredexamples of this are the troubleshooter andthe liberator.

A troubleshooter is a special breed of

Although many of the dwarves who pos-sess thieving skills don�t use them to steal(and frequently don�t even adventure,instead residing in towns or dwarven com-munities where their skills are eagerlysought by merchants and nobles), they oftenpractice their crafts for other related pur-

locksmith/designer who specializes in testingelaborate locks and traps for clients worriedabout the safety of their valuables or theimpregnability of their dungeons. Such acharacter may be assigned to try to steal apiece of jewelry from a locked vault or tobreak out of a supposedly escape-proofprison. If he fails, the troubleshooter hasproven the worth of the protective device; ifhe succeeds, he offers advice to his clientson how to prevent future thieves from re-peating the feat. Such service is alwayscostly, but is utterly reliable and generallyworth the investment if a client wants to feeltruly secure.

is less than honorable!Not many dwarven thieves adopt the

adventuring lifestyle, but those who do aremore often liberators than trouble-

Liberators are rarer, but more closelyallied to the usual concept of the thievingclass. These are thieves especially trainedand outfitted to recover valuables that havealready been stolen � usually from otherdwarves, but sometimes from clients whopay for the service just as they would for atroubleshooter. These dwarves (who aresometimes trained as fighters as well) picklocks and disarm traps � frequently re-marking on their inferior construction asthey do so � in single-minded pursuit ofwhatever they have been assigned to bringback. They are fiercely proud of their abili-ties and their dwarvish heritage, and woebetide anyone who suggests that a liberator

12 DECEMBER 1985

shooters, and most of these have been castout of dwarven society for some act of theftagainst another dwarf or a client or ally. Itis not entirely safe to generalize about theseoutcasts; although most continue to bestaunch upholders of dwarven superiorityand of the fierce professional honor that is adwarfs trademark, they can also be unpre-dictable and occasionally dangerous. Someoutcasts � perhaps the majority � havelearned from the mistakes for which theywere banished, and have adapted fairly wellto the benign questing of the adventurer. Afew, however, feel so deeply wronged bytheir fellow dwarves that they turn to thedarkest side of the thieving profession.These unstable characters pillage and de-stroy wherever they go, taking specialvengeance on any other dwarves who maycross their paths and treading periouslyclose to the ways of the assassin. But these�dark dwarves� are quite rare, and dwar-ven thieves generally make solid, reliableadventuring partners who are especiallyhandy in underground settings.

The fun-loving gnomeGnomes, more than any other racial

type, take pure pleasure from the act ofstealing. This outlook, however, stems notfrom a tendency toward evil but from sheergnomish delight in slipping through intri-cately crafted defenses and collecting avaluable prize. While other races considerthievery a profession, gnomes practice it asa recreational pursuit � with much thesame devotion that DRAGON Magazine�sreaders are likely to pursue role-playinggames.

As a result, gnomes are much more de-serving of the title �burglar� than the half-lings to whom the description is more oftenapplied. If a wealthy merchant reports thata valuable jewelry collection has vanishedfrom the double-locked false bottom of achest hidden in his most secret closet, theodds are good that the thief responsible wasa gnome. If an adventuring party hasn�tbeen able to collect a particular treasurefrom a nearby dungeon because it�s too welldefended by an intricate series of traps,their surest solution is to take the problemto the nearest gnome settlement � thoughit may cost them a fair percentage of thehoard, any thieves there will be likely tojump at the opportunity.

Yet while gnomes have developed analmost legendary reputation for succeedingat �impossible� burglaries, they are by nomeans infallible. Indeed, their failures areoften as spectacular as their achievements�and the gnomes do not always mind, solong as they can get a good story out of theepisode. The reason for this is that gnomescarry out their thieving activities less bycareful planning and organization than byinstinct and impulse. In this way, a gnome�sthieving habits are not unlike those of apack rat: if he sees something that looks likean interesting trinket, he is liable to dropwhatever he�s doing at the time to make astab at collecting it.

This �pack rat� mentality also influencesthe kinds of objects a gnome will steal andwhat he does with them afterward. Gnomesare, of course, especially attracted to gemsand jewelry (the more valuable, the better);they are also easily seduced by the lure ofmagic items, especially those with someform of illusion-producing power. They arenot, by contrast, especially interested inhoards of mere coin or other bulky goods,since a gnome does not usually sell theitems he steals. Rather, he keeps them toadmire their beauty (in the case of gemsand such) or their magical powers. But astime passes, gnomes often lose interest intheir less valuable prizes, and have beenknown to leave them behind in place ofnewly stolen items of greater value � hencethe comparison to the pack rat. This isespecially true of adventuring gnomes, whoare frequently traveling and cannot easilyamass more loot than they can carry.

Characters whose parties include thievesof gnomish extraction are usually in littledanger of being betrayed or backstabbed. Infact, while gnomes are normally reluctant tostart a fight, they are quick to leap to afriend�s defense. But adventurers who travelwith gnome thieves should be prepared tomake allowances for the gnomes� uniquepersonalities, particularly in two respects.First, they should not be surprised to occa-sionally find themselves the butt of thegnome�s practical jokes, which are alwaysintended purely to amuse (and perhaps to

embarrass) but not to injure. Secondly,fellow adventurers should be most careful toavoid short-changing gnome thieves whenthe time comes to divide treasure. A gnomewho feels his contributions have been un-dervalued or who especially craved a partic-ular bracelet will not be above collecting�his rightful due� from a fellow party mem-ber, though the gnome is likely to leavesufficient gold in his victim�s purse to moreor less balance the shares.

The half-orc�s priorityHalf-orcs of any class don�t seem to be

found in great numbers in the averagegaming campaign; half-orc thieves, if any-thing, are found even less frequently. It maybe just as well, for half-orcs make perhapsthe single deadliest sort of thieves a party islikely to encounter.

Meetings with half-orc thieves, as a rule,will not occur in dungeons or other remotesettings where an adventuring group ishunting for hidden treasure. Instead, theyare likely to take place in the dark alleys oflarge cities and towns, or on fairly well-traveled but under-patrolled roads betweensuch communities. This is because half-orcsare almost invariably practitioners of the�art� of armed robbery � the easiest, leastsubtle form of stealing. Half-orcs typicallylack the patience and subtlety to make goodburglars, are often failures as pickpockets,and are too self-centered to work well ingroups. That leaves strong-arm tactics as

D R A G O N 1 3

the most reliable means of making a quickgold piece on which to survive.

The more intelligent half-orc thief willalmost always take up the role of highway-man, either alone or as the leader of a smallband of significantly weaker bandits. Heknows that as a half-orc, he won�t easily fitinto city life, where he will be viewed withconstant suspicion and where patrols ofguards are entirely too frequent. He will liein wait for merchants and adventurers,robbing them by force if practical or by thedark of night if necessary.

Such highwaymen, however, do not makeup the majority of half-orc thieves, thoughthey are often the most powerful andlongest-lived of their race. The majority ofhalf-orcs who adopt the thieving professionare quickly hired as enforcers and strong-arm thugs by crime lords and powerfulguildmasters in urban areas, serving muchthe same purpose as the hired gunmen andgoons employed by modern-day organizedcrime bosses. That purpose, of course, is tothreaten reluctant clients and customerswith violence unless they do as they�re told

�and to carry out the threats if necessary.In one respect, half-orcs would seem

unsuited to the status of hireling; theirtypical �me first� attitudes suggest thatthey would make unsafe employees at best.But the masters of half-orc thugs take greatcare to retain the loyalty of their staffs.These measures include regular (and rea-sonably good) pay, fairly close supervision,

and active efforts to keep hired enforcersfrom using the full range of their thievingskills. Most significantly, such hirelings arestrongly discouraged from searching for andremoving traps, a practice which decreasesthe likelihood that a thug will be able tomake off with his employer�s carefully se-cured loot or acquire professional secretswhich could be sold to a rival. If kept on ashort leash, a half-orc thief is almost asreliable a killer as a genuine assassin.

Very few half-orc thieves remain to joinadventuring parties, and even fewer remainwith such groups for long. A good percent-age are quickly done in by unlooked-fortraps (and, to a half-orc in a dungeon, mosttraps are unlooked-for). Most of the others,once they have identified the most valuabletreasure carried by party members, willsteal the best items and leave their victimsin no condition to pursue. In short, nomatter what the circumstances may be, anencounter with a half-orc thief is likely toleave the thief's opponent worse off than hewas before.

Halflings: another lookPopular reports have characterized half-

ling thieves as sly, avaricious tricksters whoshould be trusted only as far as high-levelfighters can throw them. Closer observationof halfling society, however, reveals that thisportrait is almost entirely without founda-tion. In fact, such characters may be amongthe most reliable adventuring companionsimaginable.

The sheer greed that so many treasureseekers associate with halflings is the firstcasualty of a serious investigation. Thoughhalflings do value their comfort, especiallyin their own homes and villages, they arenot particularly interested in money, gaudyjewelry, or even magic. Rather, the posses-sions they value are useful as well as attrac-tive and durable: furniture, good food, fineales and tobaccos, and the like.

While the preceding description applieschiefly to halflings who stay at home andlead quiet, peaceful lives, those who take upthe adventuring lifestyle are not very differ-ent. Almost all halfling adventurers belongto the thief character class; fighters andclerics tend to stay at home serving andprotecting their villages. The single person-ality quirk that distinguishes these travelersand explorers from other halflings is anintense, constant curiosity about the worldbeyond the hills visible from the parlorwindow. Halfling thieves aren�t satisfiedwith mere stories about dragons, two-thousand-foot waterfalls, or cities built ofrainbow-colored glass; they want to see allthese things for themselves.

A halfling�s inquisitiveness, however, cannever entirely overwhelm the shy cautionthat is the race�s trademark, nor can it keepthem from complaining periodically aboutthe danger, discomfort, and uncertainty thatgo with an adventuring life. As a result,halflings often go to some length to avoidencounters with unknown persons andcreatures, making themselves as inconspicu-

ous as possible until they are sure it is safeto emerge from their hiding places. Andthey are wary of any situation where theyare offered something for nothing; halflingsare shrewd bargainers who know there isusually a catch to such transactions.

It may be noted that this description ofhalfling thieves makes virtually no referenceto stealing or to other skills normally associ-ated with the thief class. This is not unin-tentional; rather, it mirrors the almostcomplete lack of attention paid by halflingsto such matters. To a halfling, treasure andother material rewards for adventuring arebasically irrelevant, and in fact, halflingshave been known to refuse enormous re-wards and turn down chances to collectmagnificent treasures � such things arefrequently too cumbersome to be easilytransported, and often are not likely to bevery useful once they are dragged home.

This is not to say that halflings lack theskills possessed by other thieves � thoughit�s a mystery where they acquire them,since very few of the little folk engage inlocksmithing or metalwork, and no halflingsociety yet discovered is host to a thieves�guild. The difference is in the use to whichhalflings employ these talents to protect andrescue themselves and their associates whenan adventure somehow gets out of control.As long as the party is proceeding smoothlytoward its goal or destination, a halflingthief is likely to spend most of his timeadmiring the scenery. Only when troublestarts will he rush to set things right, dart-,ing bravely (but never foolishly) into com-bat, or scurrying to free trapped comrades.

All this is done matter-of-factly and with-out undue fuss; any praise heaped on ahalfling�s shoulders afterward will probablybe shrugged off lightly, often with grumblesthat the crisis wasn�t his fault. Such grati-tude is still well deserved. A halfling willnever willingly desert a companion in need,and may go to truly amazing lengths toeffect a rescue.

Thieves and thievesIt should be clear from the preceding

sketches that the character class labeled�thief� is by no means as narrowly special-ized as the name would suggest. Thoughmany members of the character class arethieves in the more conventional sense ofthe word, just as many are reasonably law-abiding folk who would be insulted if theirfriends and companions accused them ofbeing criminals. In particular, demi-humanthieves illustrate this point as a result of thevastly different worldviews held by each ofthe races. To put it simply: There arethieves, and there are thieves � and thensome. Calling someone a thief in the realworld implies some fairly specific legal andmoral judgments, but saying the same thingabout a character in a game campaigndoesn�t carry the same impact. Furtherdetails are necessary before players canmake judgments about thief characters.Among those details, the thief's race is oneof the most significant.

14 DECEMBER 1985

Was it worth the risk?A DM’s guide to pickpocketing successby BruceBarber

The picking of pockets is a skill that mostthieves love to exercise, and rightly so.However, even the most prescient DungeonMaster cannot always foresee the situationsin which a thief will use this ability, and onsome occasions the DM may not be asprepared to judge the results of a randompickpocketing attempt as he would like tobe. The system described in this article isfor use in precisely those circumstances.

The DM�s first task is to ascertain whattargets are available for the thief to pick-pocket. Assuming that the general sur-roundings have been established, potentialvictim density is then determined. Thisdefines the number of people within a 15�radius of the thief, representing those per-sons whom the thief would have a reason-able chance to examine briefly andapproach in one round. Conditions mayindicate a sparse distribution (e.g., a sidestreet at mid-morning) � d4 persons; dense(such as a tavern, early evening) � 2d4persons; or crowded (perhaps a marketplaceat noon) � 3d4 persons.

16 DECEMBER 1985

The DM then rolls percentile dice foreach person indicated, referencing the resulton Pickpockets Table I below. A fair (butveiled) description of each one is then givento the thief. (If the character insists on adetailed description, this will require alonger examination of the potential victim,incurring a 10% cumulative chance perround after the initial round of observationfor the NPC to notice this scrutiny andeither move off or confront the thief.)

The PC thief then selects a victim fromamong those available and makes the actualattempt to pick a pocket. At this point, anymodifiers to the base chance for success thatthe DM feels are warranted should be ap-plied. If the pocket is successfully picked,the DM next rolls percentile dice and refersto Pickpockets Table II; this accounts for thefact that any given victim will have severalpockets, and no thief is infallible or luckyenough to hit on the most profitable pocketevery time.

Depending on the results of the aboveroll, the DM then consults either the en-

counter explanations which accompanyTable I, or he is referred to PickpocketsTable III. If the attempt to pickpocket isunsuccessful, the thief should, of course, beprepared to use smooth tongue, feet, ordagger to deal with the probably unpleasantrepercussions.

Pickpockets Table I: Potential VictimsExcept for those marked (1), (2) and (3),

all encounters are with humans; duplicateresults are acceptable, with varying physicaldetails; there is a 20% chance at night forany given Potential Victim (PV) to bedrunk (DM�s discretion as to degree). Notesand Encounter Explanations follow thetable, which otherwise conforms to thedescriptions in the DMG on pp. 191-194.

Day Night Potential Victim Notes01 01-03 Assassin 102 04-05 Barbarian 1

03-12 06-08 Beggar �13 09-10 Brigand �

14-18 11-13 City guard �

19-2122-2324-25

2627

28-2930-33

34-3839-40

4142-45

4647-5051-58

59

60-6162

63-6667-69

7071-72

7374-7879-8283-97

98

9900

Notes

City officialCity watchmanClericDemonDevilDopplegangerDruidDrunkFighterGentlemanGhoulGoodwifeHarlotIllusionist

1415-23

2425262728

29-3637-3839-40

4142-4344-50

515253

54-5859-60

6162

63-6465666768

69-727374

75-8283-8990-92

9394

95-9697989900

LaborerMagic-userMercenaryMerchantMonk or bardNight hagNoblePaladinPeddlerPilgrimPress gangsterRakeRakshasaRangerRuffianThiefTradesmanWerebearWereboarWereratWeretigerWerewolfWightVampire

��12221

�1

�3

��1

�1

��12

�1

����21

�1

�2222233

(1): These encounters are with a singlecharacter of 6th-11th level (d6 + 5). It issuggested that the DM have �generic�NPC personalities prepared in advance,suitably equipped with wealth, magic items,etc. Otherwise, the Character Subtable inthe DMG, pp. 175-176, contains informa-tion relevant to this sort of random en-counter. It is further suggested that thesecharacters be holding only 50-200 gp in�pocket money,� or 1-3 items of value (100-1000 gp each), perhaps from the Jewelryand Items Typically Bejeweled Table in theDMG, p. 219. Finally, the DM may wish toflesh out the pocket contents of these victimsas follows: if the initial roll on PickpocketsTable II indicates 2 rolls on Table III, sub-stitute for the second a d10 roll on the fol-lowing subtable, which reflects a selection ofthe distinctive items carried by members ofsome character classes. Note that no specialitems are indicated for certain types ofcharacters (such as barbarians and fighters).If one of these types is indicated as a Poten-tial Victim, simply ignore this subtable andmake two rolls on Table III as usual.

Table IA: Special itemsVictim Die roll ResultAssassin 1 Vial of Type A

ingestive poison2 Dagger, normal

BarbarianCleric

Druid

FighterIllusionist

Magic-user

Monk/bardPaladin

RangerThief

3-5 Garrotting wire6-10 False moustache� �1 Silver holy symbol

2-4 Small holy text5-10 Material spell

component1 Gold sickle

2-3 Holly/oak leaves4-5 Mistletoe, lesser6-10 Mistletoe, greater� �1-2 Travelling spell

book3-10 Material spell

component1-2 Travelling spell

book3-10 Material spell

component

1-3 Holy symbol4-10 Prayer book� �1-3 Thieves� tools4-7 Brass cesti8-10 Dictionary,

thieves� cant

(2): One monster of the sort indicated.While it is highly unlikely that any of thesecreatures would have anything worthwhilein their pockets (assuming they have anypockets at all), it is important to note thatall of the creatures designated (exceptingsome types of devils and demons) havesome method of appearing in human form(such as shapechange, illusion, lycanthropy,etc.) and will be so disguised. A failedpocket-picking attempt here could wellresult in the thief's becoming painfullyaware of his �victim�s� true nature! Also,bear in mind the DMG�s strictures on therarity and placement of such beings.

(3): There will be only one visible, al-though others might be lurking nearby. Asthese are undead creatures with corporeal,humanoid bodies, often clothed (albeit inrags), there is a 25% chance that the thiefwill be unaware of just exactly what he orshe is creeping up on until within 5� of it;the darkness and mist that these creaturesprefer is also a factor in the chance of mis-taking them for �real� people. Again, theseshould be rare and suitably placed.

Encounter explanationsThese explanations deal mainly with the

money carried by the victim. All otherinformation is as per the DMG pp. 191-194. Encounters will be with just one indi-vidual, but any henchmen or companionsindicated by the DMG will be somewherewithin earshot of the victim and will cer-tainly come running if called for.

Beggar: 2-8 cpBrigand: 2-8 gpCity Guard: 1-10 sp, plus a set of iron

manacles (can be snapped on successfulattempt to bend bars/lift gates)

City Official: 10-100 gp, plus a damagedgold ring of office, worth 75 gp

City Watchman: as city guardDrunk: A wine-sodden bum, 1-20 cpGentleman: Fop/fighter, 50-200 gp; Gen-

tlewoman, 1-4 jewels worth 50-200 gp eachGoodwife: 1-4 spHarlot: Slovenly trull, 1-10 cp; Expensive

doxy, 10-100 gp; Brazen strumpet, 2-20 cp;Haughty courtesan, 20-200 gp; Cheaptrollop, 3-30 cp; Aged madam, 30-300 gp;Typical streetwalker, 1-10 sp; Wealthyprocuress, 40-400 gp; Saucy tart, 2-20 sp;Sly pimp, 10-60 pp; Wanton wench, 3-30sp; Rich panderer, 10-100 pp

Laborer: 5-20 cpMercenary: 50-200 gpMerchant: 10% have 10-200 pp, all

others have 50-500 gpNoble: Nobleman, 10-200 pp; Noblewo-

man, 1-6 items of jewelry worth 200-800 gpeach

Peddler: 10-40 spPilgrim: 3-24 cpPress gangster: 2-12 spRake: 10-100 gpRuffian: 5-20 cpTradesman: 5-20 gp (to determine type,

use Secondary Skills Table, DMG p. 12)

Pickpockets Table II: General Content

Dice roll Result01-30 Empty pocket31-48 Money (consult descriptions

from Table I)49-86 One roll on Table III87-00 Two rolls on Table III

Pickpockets Table III: Odds & EndsThe items on this table are for the most

part of little practical or monetary value,but there are certain minor surprises andhazards. Should any of the items seem toostrange, frivolous, or unlikely to your taste,feel free to replace them with those of yourown design. A standard market value foritems is given where applicable; items withvalues marked by an asterisk are �blackmarket� merchandise; such items cannot bepurchased through normal, public outlets.

01: Long, straight pin (50% chance ofpricking finger sufficiently to elicit cry ofpain)

02: Platinum piece (counterfeit � actu-ally lead covered with a thin layer of plati-num. Shopkeepers and merchant-types havea 20% chance of recognizing it as ersatz. Amoneychanger will certainly know!); Value1 sp

03: Ball of string04: 1-4 dried herrings (edible)05: Wooden snuff box, 3 pinches of snuff

remaining (induces sneezing for 1 round ifsniffed); Value 3 cp

06: Ornate iron key to a �MembersOnly� club; Value 1-10 gp*

07: Silver-plated neck chain with brokenclasp; Value 4 sp

D R A G O N 1 7

08: Pair of bone dice (30% chance ofbeing �loaded�); Value 12 cp

09: 12 oz. clay flask of grain alcohol;Value 8 sp

10: 1-10 thistleburrs11: Folded sheet of ragged parchment

with various foodstuffs listed12: Onion (10% chance it is rotten)13: 2-12 rusty iron nails (5% chance of

receiving a small nick, in which case there isa 1% possibility of tetanus infection)

14: 2-8 colored glass spheres, each ¾inch in diameter; Value 1 cp ea.

15: Deck of ordinary, battered playingcards (35% chance of being �marked�)

16: Small book containing the definitionsof common words and phrases in the coun-try�s official language; Value 5 sp

17: Plain wooden comb18: Cowhide wallet containing identity

papers appropriate to the encounter; Value2-20 gp*

19: Clod of dirt20: Small speckled frog, live21: Mousetrap (set; 75% chance of

springing on contact; no damage, but pain-ful enough to provoke a loud �Ouch!�);Value 10 cp

22: Glass inkpot (loose cork will dislodgeon contact, spattering the thief's fingerswith indelible black ink)

23: Promissory note to the local money-changer: �Pay the Bearer on demand thesum of 50 gp,� signed by a wealthy localfigure (5% chance per turn, cumulative, of

18 DECEMBER 1985

the victim discovering the theft and alertingthe money-changer and/or the city watch);Value variable

24: Cloth bag containing about ½ oz. ofexotic crushed herbs, along with a woodenpipe; Value variable

25: Sewing-thimble of silver with em-bossed family-crest pattern (a thatuththymbol?); Value 1 sp

26: 4-inch-long wooden wind instrumentthat produces �raspberry�-like sound whenblown; Value 15 cp

27: A 2-by-3-inch portrait of a woman orman comely enough to cause the viewer toreact as if in the presence of a person with18 charisma; Value 4 gp

28: Fleas (1 turn after contact, the thiefwill experience uncontrollable itching untilhe or she bathes)

29: An embarrassingly explicit love letterto a well-known woman of easy virtue froma prominent (and married!) local politician

30: 8-inch-diameter coil of fine copperwire; Value 14 sp

31: Ring of Visibility (A simple copperband with a non-magical rune engraved onit; when worn the wearer will be plainlyvisible to anyone within sight, exactly asbefore donning the ring!); Value 6 cp

32: Sixteen 3-by-5-inch cards of stiffparchment, numbered consecutively, writ-ten in an unfamiliar language which trans-lates as notes on �The FascinatingPermutations of Economics in an AgrarianSociety�

33: An egg (40% chance of breakingwhen grasped)

34: A bent copper piece; Value 1 cp35: A large hole, directly underneath

which is the victim�s skin (50% chance ofthe victim feeling the touch of the thief'shand)

36: Cold beef sandwich on thick blackbread, wrapped in dirty cloth (hot mustardoptional)

37: Vial of vile perfume; Value 2 cp38: Silk handkerchief (with the DM�s

monogram); Value 5 cp39: Leather bag containing a 25mm lead

figurine of the victim, dressed outlandishly(describe modern S-piece suit) and 6 oddlyshaped bone dice; Value 15 cp

40: Two engraved invitations (generic) toa Ball at the Palace/Manor House/Castleetc., the following week; formal dress (75%chance that the former owner will simplyassume them lost)

41: A dead bug (of whatever sort theplayer hates most)

42: 2-8 interesting but completely value-less stones

43: Tattered map (DM�s determination ofcontents, i.e., city, ocean, etc.; it should bemissing information or be partially inaccu-rate); Value variable

44: Silver ring with partially legible elvishscript on the inner surface: �. . . to bringthem all, and in the . . .� (cheap facsimile,silver-plated lead); Value 1 sp

45: One-quarter pound of cheese (DM�soption as to type and condition)

46: Quill pen, broken nib

47: Feather of Lightness (when tossedinto the air, this pigeon-feather will floatlazily to the ground)

48: Vial of mild poison, sufficient toinduce vomiting for 1-4 rounds; Value 1 gp

49: White mouse, live (trained andfriendly); Value 1 sp

50: Pouch of 20 wooden �5 cp coins�51: Lump of coal52: Tinderbox; Value 1 gp53: Small lodestone attached to leather

thong, with a runic �N� chiseled into oneend (indicates magnetic north); Value 1 gp

54: 12 oz. flask of very cheap wine, la-beled �Old Wyvern Breath.� It has a heavy,overpowering bouquet that can knock abuzzard off a dung-wagon; Value 1 cp

55: Set of 2-8 iron keys (DM�s choice asto where the keys may be used, if any-where); Value variable

56: Small, black leather book containing5-20 names and addresses (DM�s discretionas to contents)

57: Orange peels58: 1-4 cheap cigars, with a pungent

aroma reminiscent of a stable; Value2 cp/doz.

59: One-quarter pound sack of oats60: Wooden wrist sundial, broken strap;

Value 15 sp61: Small slip of parchment indicating

that (fill in name) owes the city 10 cp forleaving his horse in a proscribed area, oneweek overdue; Value � 10 cp

62: Stiff parchment card containing thename and address of the town�s best tavernand a message indicating that the card isgood for �one on the house�; Value 1 sp

63: One-inch cube constructed of smallerinterlocking moveable colored cubes (any-one who shifts the positions of the smallercubes must save vs. spell at + 3 or be con-fused for 1-4 rounds); Value 1 sp

64: 1-inch-diameter ball of hard, redrubber; Value 15 cp

65: A notice on crumbled parchment,dated that day, to the effect that the beareris not to be found in taverns, inns, brothelsor in the company of known criminals, for aperiod of 1-6 months; signed by the Captainof the City Watch

66: Wooden vial of spice (cinammon,oregano, nutmeg, etc.); Value 1 sp

67: Wad of gum arabic, sticky and lint-covered

68: Bag of beans (usually ordinary, but a5% chance that it is the magic item of thesame name)

69: 1-4 potatoes70: Pair of cloth men�s gloves, knitted so

as to leave the thumb and fingers exposed;Value 1 sp

71: Small knife (3-inch blade, bone han-dle, 1 hp damage) and a half-whittled chunkof wood; Value (of knife) 5 sp

72: Wooden case containing vials of red,black, and white grease paint and a thinstick of dark graphite; Value 1 sp

73: 3 darts (damage 1-3/1 -2) in a leathercase; Value 1 gp

74: Wedge of cold cheese and onion piewrapped in greased brown parchment

75: Sand76: 3-inch-diameter wooden brooch with

�Vote (DM fills in name) for Grand Vizier�burnt into the outer face

77: Blackjack78: 6-inch-long green snake, live (but

harmless)79: Gold necklace inset with rubies and

emeralds (gold plate, paste gems � easilyrecognizable as costume jewelry); Value1 gp

80: 4-16 brass tacks (25% chance ofprovoking cry of pain when grabbed); Value1 cp

81: Mummified monkey�s paw on leatherthong (2% chance of enchantment enablingthe paw to grant one limited wish)

82: Small silver holy symbol of a lawfulgood religion, fastened on a broken chain;Value 10 gp

83: Half-eaten head of cabbage84: Deck of brand-new, non-magical

playing cards decorated with the sameimages found on a deck of many things

85: Silver arrowhead (50% chance ofgrasping point for 1 hp damage and loud�ouch�); Value 1 sp

86: Vial of camphor-menthol unguent(will ease headache and clear clogged nasalpassages); Value 2 sp

87: Crude bearclaw and rawhide necklace88: Book containing religious hymns,

psalms, etc., with the inscription �Gidyon�

on the flyleaf (alignment of religion is DM�schoice)

89: Peddler�s license; grants the licenseepermission to sell wine in the marketplace

90: Set of wooden teeth, two or three ofwhich are cracked

91: Parchment signed by the Chief of theCity Watch, giving the designated bearersafe passage anywhere in the city or there-from (bearer�s signature may altered by ascribe for 5 gp); Value 10 gp*

92: Heel from lady�s shoe93: Personal diary (contents determined

by encounter; owner may or may not desireits return); Value variable

94: Jar of adhesive paste of sufficientstrength to bind parchment or small bits ofwood; Value 1 sp

95: 2-8 nuggets of iron pyrites (fool�sgold)

96: Small pouch containing three nut-shells and a pea

97: 2-12 wooden �arrows,� each 3 incheslong, for stirring drinks

98: Rolled-up pair of used black silkstockings; Value 6 sp

99: A 3-by-5-inch card of stiff parchmentidentifying the bearer as having a highlycontagious skin disease (which may or maynot be true)

00: Magic item: the relatively low-poweritems on the following subtable are culledfrom those in the DMG which are usable by

any class, and pocket-size. For the purposesof this system it may be assumed that inmany cases the bearer is unaware of theitem�s magical qualities (i.e., it may havebeen stolen, found, etc.). If any item comesup which seems totally inappropriate, rolluntil a suitable result is obtained.

1: Dagger + 12: Eversmoking bottle 3: Flask of curses4: Iron flask5: Keogthom�s ointment6: Medallion of thought projection7: Necklace of strangulation8: Periapt of health9: Periapt of wound closure

10: Philtre of love11: Potion of healing12: Potion of speed13: Potion of sweet water14: Quaal�s feather token, 1 only15: Ring of contrariness16: Ring of free action17: Ring of swimming18: Ring of warmth19: Ring of weakness20: Scarab of insanity

Note that those characters designated bynote (1) on Table I are not eligible for anyof these items, as it is assumed that the DMhas already made provisions for any suchitems they might be carrying.

DRAGON 19

Oriental opens new vistasWhat the latest AD&D® game book has to offerby David Cook

The Oriental Adventures book began, asan idea, many years ago. It was an ideaworth pursuing � but, like all good ideas(it seems), it had to wait for a while. Therewere other projects that had to be done,schedules to be kept, and a general lack oftime. Finally, in the spring of 1985, every-thing coincided and the work began. Byearly autumn, the design and productionwere finished, and the book should be avail-able by now in your neighborhood book-store or game/hobby outlet.

So, what is the Oriental Adventuresbook? Well, don�t take the title too literally�this book is not a great big module orseries of adventures set in oriental lands. Itcontains new player-character races andclasses, new rules for clans, revised andexpanded rules for proficiencies, new rulesfor honor, new monsters, new treasures,and new weapons and equipment. Thebook is an AD&D game expansion thatgives characters brand-new and differentlands in which to adventure. It is meant tobe for the Orient what the original AD&Drule books are for the Western world.

In keeping with this purpose, OrientalAdventures draws its inspiration from allthe lands of the Far East, not just one singlecountry or nation. Included within thisbook are elements of the Japanese, Chinese,Korean, Philippine, Malaysian, Indo-Chinese, Mongolian, Ainu, and Siberiancultures. The historical periods coveredrange from ancient to medieval. DungeonMasters will be able to recreate any numberof fantasy settings with the rules and infor-mation provided.

There are two principal ways you can usethe Oriental Adventures expansion. Bothare perfectly fine ways to use the book (andso are any other uses for the material thatyou may find). The first and most obviousway is to use the material for an orientalcampaign. Such a campaign would be setexclusively in the oriental world. Player-character classes and races from other bookswould not be allowed.

However, many of you already havecampaigns well under way. Publication ofthe Oriental Adventures rules hardly meansyou have to scrap your current world. A lotof the book is information that you canintegrate into your current campaign �you can introduce the new character classes,new races, new spells, and so forth into theworld you�ve already designed.

The emphasis in the Oriental Adventuresrulebook is on new material, and most of itis designed to be used by players (and their

20 DECEMBER 1985

characters). Player characters can be hu-man, or can belong to one of three newcharacter races � korobokuru, an offshootbranch of the dwarvish race; hengeyokai,mischievous and intelligent shapechangingbadgers, cranes, rabbits, foxes, dogs, andother animals; or spirit folk, the refined andgraceful offspring of the marriages of hu-mans and the natural spirits of the fantasyworld.

Each of the new non-human races has itsparticular strengths and limitations. Thekorobokuru are hardy and stout fellows liketheir dwarvish cousins, but in the highlycivilized and cultured lands of the orientthey are considered somewhat backwardand primitive. The hengeyokai are able toassume three forms at will � their animalshape, a combination of human and animal,and a human form. But they are loners,occupying a niche outside the highly struc-tured human society. The spirit folk gainpowers from their supernatural heritage,powers that can both aid and hinder them.

The selection of new character classes isbroad, reflecting the diversity of the orientalworld. The samurai represents the aristoc-racy, the noble warrior and leader of thepeople. He has potent fighting abilities anda natural tendency to rule. He lives by afierce code of honor (bushido) that stresseshis reputation and his warrior ideals. Theshukenja is a wandering priest, a clericdevoted to helping and aiding others. Forti-fied by spells, both old and new, he is aweak fighter, oriented more toward aid andinvestigation. The sohei is at the otherextreme of the same spectrum � a warrior-priest who is skilled in the fighting arts butless adept at the magical and mystical.

An offshoot of the thief class is the ninja�the popular figure of so many books andmovies. The ninja possesses many of theabilities of the thief, acrobat, and assassinclasses. The ninja does not exist as a sepa-rate class, but is a specialty that must becombined with another character class,allowing for characters with formidablecombinations of fighting or spell-castingplus ninja abilities. In this same grouping isthe yakuza, a shadowy figure of the under-world. Sometimes a protector of the com-mon people, the yakuza has many resourcesat his disposal, including information-gathering and thieving skills.

Of the fighter types, the bushi is the mostcommon. He is a warrior of no mean skill,but one who often suffers the hardships ofpoverty and low rank. He has the opportu-nity to rise to important posts, competing

for recognition with the samurai. Deadliestof all warriors is the kensai, a master in theuse of a single weapon. His life is dedicatedto perfection of his art, man and weaponbecoming one. Although vulnerable at lowlevels, he is a powerful and efficient fighterat higher levels.

The counterpart to the magic-user is thewu jen, the mysterious spell caster of theeast. He has slightly more combat abilitythan the magic-user and a spell list thatcombines magic-user, illusionist, and morethan 50 new wu jen spells. Through patientstudy, he can become a master of one of theelements, thereby gaining extra power fromhis spells.

In addition to these new character classesare a couple of familiar names, the barbar-ian and the monk. Each has been adaptedto take into account the new rules associatedwith the oriental world.

But the mere descriptions of the characterclasses do not create the complete orientalcharacter. Of near equal importance to thesetting are their skills in the arts and theirfamily background. Thus, new rules havebeen provided to give the characters skillsand abilities such as weapon-smith, calligra-phy, poetry, falconry, herbalist, ettiquette,and swimming. These skills, an expansionof the proficiency rules already found in theAD&D game system, help create the knowl-edge of the character.

Still, the oriental character would beincomplete without a family clan and his-tory. Each player determines his character�sbirth rank, designs a family (according tosimple rules), learns the family�s history andbackground, and determines the character�sbirthrights. Thus, a samurai character maybe the grandson of the head of his clan, whoowns a small castle and several parcels ofland. Before adventuring, the character isgiven a sword of quality and several horsesas his birthright. Another character mayhave had a famous general in his ancestry,but his family has fallen on hard timessince. The family background can becomeimportant in play, affecting the reactions ofNPCs to the character on the basis of hisfamily.

Of course, a brand-new setting leads tobrand-new equipment and weapons. Unlikemany other possible historical settings, theoriental world offers a wide range of newand exotic equipment. Weapons range fromthe commonplace to the bizarre � fromswords, spears, bows, and crossbows to chu-ko-nu, jitte, kau sin ke, kiseru, kusari-gama, metsubishi, sode garami, and

uchi-ne. Those of an unusual nature aredescribed and illustrated for easy reference.Likewise, armor ranges from common suitsof leather, chain mail, and banded mail tospecific pieces such as do-maru, hara-ate-gawa, and sune-ate. New rules are providedfor wearing pieces, not complete suits, ofarmor, a common enough situation in manyoriental lands. The rules allow characters towear any combination of pieces � kote(armored sleeves) with sune-ate (shinguards) or do-maru (breastplate), haidate(thigh guards), and sode (shoulder guards),etc. Players accustomed to the armors usedin the AD&D game system will be in for asurprise � there is no type of plate armorcommonly available in oriental lands.

Exotic weapons are one thing associatedwith the orient. Another area linked to thatof the orient is martial arts � the exoticstyles of combat with and without weapons.Here, the original rules for martial artshave undergone a great deal of expansion toallow the DM and players to create differentstyles of martial arts. Each style generatesits own armor class, number of attacks,damage, main method of attacking, andspecial maneuvers. The last of these, specialmaneuvers, are extraordinary feats that canbe attempted by the characters � flamboy-ant kicks, powerful punches, throws, locks,parries, and mental feats. Learning thesemaneuvers requires dedication and patienceon the part of the player character, as wellas the sacrificing of other proficiencies hecould learn instead. In addition, the martialarts fighter can learn to use a number ofspecialized weapons, adding these to hisrepetoire of fighting skills.

Of course, no adventure is completewithout adversaries. Therefore, new mon-sters peculiar to the oriental milieu areprovided. New dragons and other creaturesmake their first appearance � the ikiryo,kuei, jishin mushi, jiki-ketsu-gaki, tengu,and shirokinukatsukami (winner of thelongest monster name yet), to name a few.They range from implacable foes to benevo-lent protectors of mankind. A new class ofcreature type is introduced here, too � thelesser and greater spirits. These creatures(of which there are many) are those thingsof the �half-world,� the boundary betweenthe mortal and celestial realms. Normallyfound throughout the oriental world, thesecreatures possess supernatural powers, oftenquite formidable in scope. Fortunately forthe characters, the shukenja and wu jen areprovided with spells to deal with these spiritcreatures. Indeed, dealing with spirits is theshukenja�s equivalent of the cleric�s turningundead.

Along with new monsters come newtreasures. The stories of the orient are filledwith unusual and powerful magic items.Furthermore, the vast number of new weap-ons need to be included in the lists of possi-ble magical weapons. The new treasureslisted include miscellaneous magic itemsrepresentative of those found in the orientand a system for creating magical weapons.No longer are swords the only intelligent

weapons � many different weapons havethe chance for special powers and intelli-gence. Not only are there magic swords,there are magic halberds, daggers, katana,kama, naginata, and more. There aremagic bows, arrows, crossbows, spears,darts, sling stones, uchi-ne, shurikens, andother missile weapons. There are magicmartial arts weapons and magic ninja weap-ons. The DM can create any number ofmagic weapons with a variety of powers.

The Oriental Adventures rules can beused within an already existing campaign orto play in an entirely oriental world. For thelatter option, new encounter tables havebeen provided. However, there are morethan just encounter tables. Given here is asystem for creating yearly and monthlyevents. These events can be natural disas-ters (fires, earthquakes, floods, andplagues), social events (contests, rebellions,wars, births, assassinations, and bandits) oreven supernatural occurrences (hauntingsand visitations). By creating a year�s worthof events, the DM forms a backdrop for theplay of his campaign � a living world hischaracters can adventure in. The eventsystem breathes life and energy into a cam-paign world.

Finally, there are sections giving an over-view of the life and culture of a mythicaloriental continent � Kara-Tur. This conti-nent can be used as a starting place forcreating your own adventures and will alsobe the setting for future Oriental Adven-

tures modules published by TSR. Describedis the general climate, geography, and prin-cipal empires of the land. In addition, thereare also sections dealing with aspects of thedaily life in the orient � types of food,dress, buildings, and so forth. Finally, to getyou started are a series of suggested adven-tures, highlighting the different style of playin the oriental world.

Playing in an oriental setting is different,and this difference creates excitement andenjoyment. The standard �dungeon crawl�is an uncommon event here. Instead char-acters, even low-level ones, will find them-selves undertaking more wildernessjourneys and adventures. More emphasis isplaced on dealing with NPCs, too. Theoriental lands are highly civilized and cul-tured places, more so than the lands of thewest at the same time. Players will find theircharacters more often dealing with nobles,lords, and officials � engaging in politicsand government, helping to shape the des-tiny of provinces.

The Oriental Adventures book has some-thing for every DM and player, not justthose fascinated by the inscrutable East.Within its pages is material that can beapplied and adapted to any campaign. DMsand players are encouraged to experiment,mixing the strange powers and wonders ofthe orient with their own campaigns. Suchexperimentation is creative, imaginative,and, most of all, fun. And fun is what theAD&D game system is all about.

DR A G O N 21

Three challenges in oneNew module mixes wargaming and role-playingby Michael Dobson

New rules for the D&D® game make newthings possible. One of the great thingsabout the BATTLESYSTEM� FantasyCombat Supplement is that it changes someideas about how the D&D game can beplayed. A new D&D Expert Set campaignmodule, designated X10 and titled RedArrow, Black Shield, explores one of thesenew ideas: how to build a world at war.

I�m especially fond of this adventure, notjust because it�s the first module I�ve writ-ten by myself, but also because it doessomething that has never been done beforein the D&D game system � it is a combina-tion of strategic wargame, tactical wargame,and role-playing adventure. You can adaptthe techniques in this module to your owncampaign world, and I think you�ll have amuch more lively campaign if you do.

In X10, the Master of the Desert No-mads (last seen in the X4/X5 Desert No-mads saga) returns to menace the civilizedlands of the D&D Expert Set game world.But this time, instead of being scouts for thedefending army, the PCs become diplomatsand generals directly involved in fightingthe war. This wasn�t possible before thepublication of the BATTLESYSTEM Sup-plement (which works for the D&D game aswell as for the AD&D® game) and the WarMachine from the D&D Companion RulesSet. The BATTLESYSTEM rules handlethe tactical battles, and the War Machine(specially modified with rules for countermovement on a hex grid for this adventure)handles the strategic war. These new rulescreate a new excitement in managing alarge campaign. (The adventure also con-tains a lot of new information about thenations of the D&D Expert world.)

While the PCs are engaged on the role-playing or tactical level, the strategic gamekeeps track of the whole war, week by week.Like a novel that changes point of viewfrom the individual to the omniscient, theadventure constantly flows from one level ofplay to another.

This ability to change scale dynamicallyopens up important new horizons in role-playing. In the past, it has been nearlyimpossible to get individual adventurersinvolved in the great sweep of the geopoliti-cal campaign. Traditional role-playing rulesfocus on the individual, but in the strategicscale the individual tends to fade out andvanish into the common herd of humanity.PCs in a normal role-playing campaign donot have the perspective that allows them tosee strategic movement. It is a case of notbeing able to see the forest for the trees.

22 DECEMBER 1985

This three-level technique (role-playing,BATTLESYSTEM, and War Machine)allows you to design a campaign worldmuch as you would design NPCs or mon-sters, and to run each country as a gameentity while still keeping an individual-scalerole-playing campaign running smoothly. Todo this, you must (1) lay out the campaignworld, (2) identify the various nations, (3)create national identities, (4) define therelationships among the nations, and (5)design the armies.

To put this system into practice, you needthe following items: the D&D CompanionSet, the BATTLESYSTEM Supplement,and (ahem) module X10 for the War Ma-chine variant rules. You also need a fewhundred blank half-inch wargame countersand large mapsheets with a 16 mm hexgrid. (The back sides of the counters andthe large map in X10 are left blank for justthis purpose.)

First, you have to map out the basiccampaign world. (In X10, I didn�t have todo this, because I already had the D&Dcampaign world from the Expert Set todraw upon. This illustrates the importanceof creative borrowing in game design.)Don�t get too ambitious at first; you canalways add more continents as you needthem. Figure out the basic continentaloutline and geography, place major moun-tains, rivers, and other features on the map,and decide on national borders. To makethe job easier, do some research first. Studyhow the WORLD OF GREYHAWK�Fantasy Game Setting and the D&D cam-paign world are put together. Various arti-cles that have appeared in DRAGON®Magazine (recently in issues #87, 90, 93,97, and 98, for example) contain usefulideas for world construction. Above all,consult your local library for books on themedieval world, geography, cartography,etc. Prepare a large map of your worldusing a scale of 24 miles to a 1-inch hex.

Next, design each of the nations in yourworld. Make up a name for each country,and decide what form of government it has.Create the rulers and any really importantcitizens as NPCs. (You can add additionalimportant personages as your campaigndevelops.) Decide on some basic informa-tion, such as population, racial composition(humans, demi-humans, etc.), wealth, anddegree of civilization. Place the capital andother major towns and cities on the map.Draw in some roads, and decide where themajor trade routes are located. Finally,write a short sentence or paragraph to de-

line each nation�s national purpose, such as,�The Empire of Nefaria wants world domi-nation, and will provoke war with anyneighbor weaker than it is,� or �The Re-public of Fealty is interested in expandingtrade, and will do anything it must to avoidwar.� Decide how each nation feels abouteach of its neighbors. Use the Dominionrules in the Companion Set to determineresources, income, expenses, and Confi-dence Level. As the campaign world evolvesduring play, make Confidence Checks anddetermine Dominion Events as required.

The last step is to design armies for eachnation. The strength of the standing armyshould depend on population, wealth, andnational objectives. Decide on makeup ofthe forces and how many divisions make upthe army. Also, design reserve forces foreach nation. These are additional divisionsthat could be activated in case of war, usu-ally by drafting the peasants. Reserve unitsare normally ill-trained, poorly equipped,and have low morale. For each unit, use theWar Machine rules to calculate a BattleRating (BR). On the half-inch counters,write the name of the country, the unitname (14th Division, XXI Legion, etc.),the basic BR, and the movement rate(MV). On a scale of 1 hex = 24 miles. 1turn = 1 week, I arbitrarily assigned eachinfantry unit an MV of 4 and each cavalryunit an MV of 6. Individuals or smallgroups on horseback have an MV of 10.

Now you have a complete campaignworld ready for play � and in record time!

As you run adventures in your campaignworld, you can easily keep track of what�sgoing on in the strategic game by movingarmy counters and calculating DominionEvents using the War Machine and Domin-ion rules from the Companion set.

When war breaks out, as it inevitablywill, the effects on the PCs are major. Whatif the dungeon they are about to explore islocated in a war zone? What if the PCs arepress-ganged into the army? What if thePCs respond to an advertisement for merce-naries? When the PCs get involved in theaction, pull out your BATTLESYSTEMsupplement and have at it. Characters earnexperience points for leadership and battle-field heroics, and it�s a natural way for PCsto grow in reputation, and eventually tobecome great generals, great lords, or evenrulers of their own kingdoms.

Module X10 is the place to start, but youcan build and develop a D&D game worldof your own � packed with excitement,life, and involvement for your characters.

Meeting of the mindsAn expanded table for psionic encountersby Peter Zelinski

When the FIEND FOLIO® Tome andMonster Manual II were released, revisedencounter tables for monsters were in-cluded. One table that was missing in bothvolumes, however, was the psionic en-counter table. This article presents a newversion of this table, combining all previ-ously described psionic creatures from theofficial AD&D® game volumes.

[Editor�s note: The only new creaturefrom the Oriental Adventures volume thatis psionic is the ikiryo (p. 123); none of thenonhuman player-character races listened inthat volume are psionic. Because the mon-ster lists for an Oriental campaign are sodifferent from those of a regular AD&Dcampaign, the ikiryo is not included in thisexpanded table.]

The table should be used in the mannerdescribed on p. 182 of the DMG: If a peri-odic roll for random encounters indicatesthat an encounter occurs, and if any mem-ber of the PC party has used psionic powers(or spells resembling psionic powers) duringthe previous turn, then there is a 25%chance that the random encounter will bewith a creature from the following table.Keep the surrounding environment inmind, and re-roll if an inappropriate mon-ster is indicated. For instance, an abolethwould only be found near water, and amind flayer would not be encounteredabove ground.

Dicerol l Encounter01 Aboleth02 Agathion03 Algoid0 4 B a k u05 Brain mole

No.appearing

11

1-61

1-3

06-09 Cerebral parasite10-29 Character race1

30 Couatl31 Crysmal

32-35 Gray ooze36 Daemon, greater2

37-39 Demon, minor3

40 Derro

41 Deva, astral42 Devil, greater4

43 Elemental prince ofevil5

44 Githyanki45 Githzerai

46-49 Grippli50-53 Hollyphant

54 Intellect devourer55 Ki-rin56 Lich

57-60 Mind flayer61 Modron, hierarch6

62-68 Mold, yellow69 Opinicus70 Phoenix71 Planetar72 Shade

73-76 Shedu7

77 Skeleton warrior78 Slaad8

79 Solar80 Swanmay

81-88 Su-monster89 Titan

90-93 Triton

94-96 Ustilagor97 Vagabond98 Xag-ya or xeg-yi5

99 Yochlol

3-12variable

1-41-61-3

11

1-2 (out of3-30)

11

11-41-4

1-101-31-2

11

1-41

1 patch1-2

111

2-81111

1-121 (10% of 2)1-3 (out of

10-60)1-3

111

00 Yuan ti 1-4

Notes1. This can be a psionic NPC or an NPC

party with one or more psionic members.All varieties of elven, dwarven, halfling,and human characters are included, aslisted in the AD&D expansion volumeUnearthed Arcana. Because of this, noseparate listing is given for gray dwarves onthis table.

Of all psionic characters, 90% will behuman. Of the remainder, 5% are elven (ofany race), 2% are halfling, 2% are dwar-ven, and 1% are special or unusual charac-ters or creatures of unique races or normallynon-psionic races (such as ogres, giants,dragons, or orcs).

2. One in ten of these encounters willinstead be with the oinodaemon.

3. Roll d10: 1-3, encounter is insteadwith a major demon; 4, encounter is insteadwith a semi-demon; 5, encounter is insteadwith a demon lord or prince.

4. One in ten of these encounters will bewith a duke or archdevil.

5. Choose one or roll randomly.6. Roll d10: 1-6, encounter is with a

nonaton; 7-9, encounter is with a secundus;10, encounter is with Primus.

7. One in eight of these encounters willbe with a group of six or more led by agreater shedu.

8. One in ten of these encounters willinstead be with a slaad lord.

It is recommended that the followingofficial new spells from Unearthed Arcanabe added to the list of spells resemblingpsionic powers: demand, detect illusion,eyebite, Otiluke�s telekinetic sphere, run,sending, sequester, and teleport withouterror.

The 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.

24 DECEMBER 1985

(From page 6)thinkers continue to try to impose �realism� on afantasy game � even, Odin help us, historicaland moral realism. As the alert reader may havesurmised, I have just read Unearthed Arcana.But I am directing the brunt of my remarks atPaul Suttie�s article on alignment in DRAGONissue #101.

Paul deplores (as well he should) �the introduc-tion of twentieth-century morality� into theAD&D game; yet, his indictment of the standardalignment system, as stated and implied through-out the rulebooks, is based on twentieth-centurymoral concepts � to wit, moral relativism andmoral equivalency. His argument is that thepaladin or ranger who is committed to the exter-mination of goblins and orcs is not �good� fromthe goblins� and orcs� points of view. In fact,from an objective point of view, the paladin whoseeks to kill orcs and the orc who seeks to killpaladins are morally equivalent. Good and evil,then, are relative, depending on your point ofview; all sides in a bloody conflict may be equally�good� if they are loyal to their respective deitiesand kings.

Now, I am no Moral Majoritarian, to decrymoral relativism as the tool of secular humanistsand the devil. I think that it is an intelligentapproach to moral conflicts in the real world. Butfantasy games do not take place in the real world!They do not take place in twentieth-centuryreality, nor do they take place in the tenth-century quasi-historical �reality� that Paulevidently has in mind. They take place in a

fantasy world � and in a fantasy world, the rulesof morality, just like the rules of physics andecology, are different.

Throughout the classic fantasy literature, fromBeowulf to Tolkien, �good� and �evil� areentities unto themselves � �elements,� if you like(as in The Temple of Elemental Evil). They arenot relative; they do not depend on your point ofview, because in a fantasy world there is nospectrum of legitimate points of view. Orcs, forexample, have no legitimate point of view, mor-ally speaking. They are inherently evil: they areborn evil, they live evil, and they die evil. Theymay be forced to perform a good act or two, butthey cannot be reformed and killing them, evenas infants, is a good act, not an evil one. Psycho-logically, we may explore their motives, andcompare their approach to evilness with that ofgoblins, gnolls, etc. (as in the famous �Point ofView� articles), but morally they are evil, andthat is the end of it.

The prolongation and preservation of life is�good� only if we are talking about the lives ofgood creatures such as lammasu and devas;killing evil creatures such as trolls and devils isequally �good.� (In fact, it seems difficult tounderstand how Paul can justify moral relativismin a game with devils and demons on one sideand devas, solars, planetars, etc., on the other �in a conflict between them, would he argue thatboth sides were �good,� depending on your pointof view?) Neutral monsters should be allowed tolive if they are harmless (to �good� creatures)and intelligent; otherwise, they can be killed forpractical reasons with no more moral anguishthan we expend over swatting a mosquito orbutchering a Thanksgiving turkey.

Humans, demi-humans, and semi-humans arethe exception to the above, because they have the

power of moral choice. They are not born to anyalignment. An assassin chooses to be evil, and,given the right circumstances, could change hismind. Good characters, like good monsters, havea right to live that must be respected by all othergood characters and monsters. Neutral charactersalso have a right to live, unless for some reasonthey are bringing misery or destruction to largenumbers of good and neutral folk; and even then,killing them is at most an undesireable necessity,the lesser of two evils. Evil characters have noright to live, unless they could be redeemed orconverted. In each of the last two cases, a judge-ment call is required from the character; but it isan intellectual judgement rather than a moralone. (Can this blackguard really change his ways?Can we prevent civil war without killing the mad,but not evil, king?) Characters could be duped orhonestly mistaken in these judgements withoutrisking their alignments.

Paladins, then, need not be pacifists. On thecontrary, the destruction of evil and evil creaturesis one of their highest duties, and the one they aremost specifically fitted to perform. However, inperforming this duty, they must adhere to theircode of honor: no attacking by surprise or frombehind, no duplicity or use of underhandedmethods such as poison or flaming oil. They fightto kill, but in a way reminiscent of Arthur�sknights fighting a giant, troll, or dragon. Paren-thetically, it seems to me that much of Paul�sargument is rooted in his resentment of paladins,whom he views as self-righteous, overbearing,hypocritical bigots � the question being, howcould such insufferable jerks as he envisions everobtain 17 and 18 charisma?

Not all good characters need emulate thepaladin. The more practical rangers, for exam-

(Turn to page 66)

D R A G O N 2 5

by Lenard Lakofka

Specialization and game balanceUnearthed Arcana finalizes many rule

changes and additions that have appearedin DRAGON® Magazine over the last fewyears. Among those changes are weaponspecialization for the fighter and ranger andweapons of choice (involving essentially thesame principles) for the cavalier and pala-din. To get the maximum benefit from thesenew systems, the DM must understand themathematics underlying the new rules andwhat the systems do to play balance.

Let�s look at an example of what willhappen in an �average melee� � one inwhich all luck (die rolling) is removed andaverage figures are used for �to hit�chance, damage, and hit points. Usingaverage figures, we can compare two oppo-nents and determine the probable winner ifthe melee proceeds at an average rate.

Hit points for each character are calcu-lated as one-half of the sum of the maxi-mum and minimum rolls, plus anyconstitution bonus that might apply. Ourfirst character is Hero, a 4th-level fighterwith a constitution of 16. At 1st level he has6 �base� hit points (see UA p. 74, fixingminimum hit points for beginning playercharacters) plus 2 for constitution, or a totalof 8. For levels 2 through 4, he gains 5.5�base� hit points per level (½ x [ 1 + 10]x 3), or 16.5 hp, plus 6 more for constitu-

tion, for a grand total of 30.5 hp.Average character number two is War-

rior, a 2nd-level fighter also with a 16 con-stitution, which means he has 15.5 hitpoints (6 + 2 + 5.5 + 2).

Average damage is calculated in the samefashion as hit points � one-half of the sumof the highest and lowest possible results,plus any relevant bonuses. Let�s give eachcombatant a non-magical long sword, whichdoes 1-8 points of damage against a M-sizedopponent, or average damage of 4.5 (½ x[1 + 8]).

Dealing with averages in terms of �tohit� probabilities is a somewhat differentmatter. In this example, we�ll equip bothfighters with chain mail and shield (AC 4).To determine �to hit� numbers, I will in-dulge a personal preference and employ the�special note� below the attack matrix forfighters (DMG, p. 74). This means thatHero needs a 13 to hit AC 4, and Warriorneeds a 15. In percentage terms, then, Herohas a 40% chance to do damage on anysingle hit attempt, and Warrior has a 30%chance.

28 DECEMBER 1985

This leads us to the calculation of averagedamage per round that each character willinflict. The figure for Hero is 4.5 (averagedamage) x 40%, or 1.8 points. The figurefor Warrior is 4.5 x 30%, or 1.35 points.

Now the �average melee� can begin.When the fighters start swinging at eachother, Warrior will take 1.8 points of dam-age per round, so his 15.5 hit points will lastfor 9 rounds. Hero will take 1.35 points ofdamage per round, and losing hit points atthat rate he will easily outlast his lower-levelopponent. After 9 full rounds of combat, hewill still have 18.35 hit points left.

Okay, so that was no big surprise, Now,here�s the point:

Let�s run the same melee again, but thistime let�s say that Warrior has specialized inthe long sword, so that he is + 1 to hit and+ 2 to damage and gets two attacks everyother round. Now he hits 35% of the time(on 14 instead of 15), does 6.5 points ofaverage damage (4.5 + 2), and strikes 1.5times per round instead of once per round.All of those changes raise his average dam-age per round to 3.4125 (1.5 × 6.5 ×35%).

Now our Hero has a big problem. If heloses hit points at the rate of 3.4125 perround, he won�t last through round 9 either�and Warrior will win the combat if hestrikes first in round 9 and reduces Hero tozero hit points before Hero does it to him.With the �simple� addition of the advan-tage of weapon specialization, the lowlyWarrior has become a much more potentlighting force. All other things being equal,he will usually beat a 3rd-level Swordsman,he is an even match against a 4th-level Hero(as we�ve just demonstrated) � and with abit of luck in a normally rolled melee, hemight even be able to outlast a 5th-levelSwashbuckler.

Does this mean that weapon specializa-tion is somehow �bad,� because it throwsoff the balance of the game? No � but itdoes mean that a lighter, ranger, cavalier, orpaladin using weapon specialization or aweapon of choice is a much greater threatthan before. Members of all other classes,and all monsters, have become much morevulnerable to these specialists. The advan-tage (or disadvantage, depending on yourperspective) is even more pronounced whenhigher-level fighters and cavaliers are in-volved, and double or even triple specializa-tion is brought into play. The �average

melee� we used for demonstration is a fairlytame example of how the new rules canchange the complexion of a melee, an ad-venture, or even an entire campaign.

For the DM, more thought and a bitmore work is required to incorporate spe-cialization into a campaign and keep every-thing else in line with it. Experience-pointawards, for instance: Someone who defeatsa specialist in combat (assuming the oppo-nent was using an appropriate weapon)deserves a greater reward; I suggest youaward one �exceptional ability� addition(DMG, p. 85) for a single specialization andtwo for a double specialization, and theremight be cases where an even higher awardmight be warranted.

Encounters designed to test the mettle ofa weapon specialist will need to be beefedup. Where 10 orcs might have been suitablebefore as opposition for a PC party includ-ing one or two lighters, now you mightwant to consider using 12 or 14 orcs if thosefighters are specialists; instead of 4 bug-bears, make it 4 or 5 ogres. The overalleffect of these adjustments will be to givethe party as a whole more experience pointsthan the PCs would have gained by beatinga smaller or weaker enemy force.

There are many ways to toughen up theopposition in an encounter, of course, but Iwould not recommend automatically in-creasing the magic held and employed bythe opposition as a balance against weaponspecialization. This may make encountersmore of an even match once again, but inthe long run your campaign will suffer morethan it benefits if you introduce an overa-bundance of magic.

How does a lighter get weapon specializa-tion? It must be learned from a teacher ortutor, as with any other sort of skill. Thisgives you, as DM, a way to control whenand how quickly a fighter, cavalier, etc.obtains the skill. Even if a teacher/tutor isreadily available for training a characterbefore 1st level or between levels, thatteacher might not be qualified to teachspecialization in a certain weapon. Ateacher who is not specialized in a weaponcertainly cannot convey that knowledge.

Weapon specialization for melee weap-ons, as-described on p. 18 of UnearthedArcana, may be too abrupt a change foryour campaign. You might want to considerwatering it down as follows: The + 1 to hitapplies in all cases, as per the rules. A 1st-

level specialist (fighter or ranger) gets nobonus to damage, at 2nd and 3rd levels thedamage bonus is + 1, and at 4th level andhigher it is + 2.

Instead of a flat figure for attacks perround, try this system: At 1st level there is a10% chance, rolled at the start of eachround, that the character will get 2 attacksin that round. This chance goes up 10% perlevel until at 10th level the character has a100% chance per round of being able toattack twice. The cycle begins to repeatitself at 11th level, when the character al-ways gets 2 attacks per round and has a10% chance for 3 attacks. This system�tops out� at 15th level, when the characterhas a 50% chance for 3 attacks in any givenround. This is essentially the same effect asgiving the character 5 attacks every 2rounds, but in this system there is an ele-ment of uncertainty that keeps things inter-esting. The fighter may get 3 attacks in eachof several successive rounds, or if the dicego against him he may only get 2 attacks ineach of those rounds. Over the long haul,however, things will even out.

As a final adjustment, you might want totone down double specialization so that itonly gives + 2 bonuses to hit and damageand reserve the + 3 bonuses for those mostunusual individuals who succeed in obtain-ing triple specialization. Whatever youdecide to do, be sure that your decisionscontribute to maintaining the balance ofyour campaign.

30 DECEMBER 1985

The ecology of the

by Ed Greenwoodochre jelly

�Old favourites� time, is it?� Elminsterasked, draining his cocoa and reaching forhis pipe simultaneously with practiced ease.�I know that ye folks that play at the sort o�things that happen for real in the Realmsare overly fond of pitting yer charactersagainst witless giant amoebas! Just abouttheir style, eh?�

I regarded him over the uplifted bottomof my mug. �Witless giant amoebas?� Iasked, with the proper amount of deferencein my tone.

�Ochre jellies, ye dolt!� Elminster shotback, expelling puffs of green smoke like atesty dragon. �Ye just asked about �em �don�t ye know anything to start with?�

�They�re blobs, they ooze along lookingfor food � like adventurers � and they�realways hungry,� I offered. �I hoped you�dfill in the rest.�

� �Course ye did! �Course ye did!�Elminster replied, drawing on his pipe.�And,� he sighed (Ever see someone sighwhile drawing on a pipe? Spectacular!), �Isuppose � as usual � ye�re right. Payattention, then � and no questions,mind, till the tale�s done.�

I did as I was told, and Elminsterrelated the tale of �How Grymmar Heldthe Pass�:

�Now, in the days when the Sea of FallenStars was new to men, and the lands stillwild and unsettled, bands of lawless menrose about scavenging and slaying andpillaging. Kings were hard put to it to payand train fighting-men to guard themselves,to say nothing of their kingdoms. And whena king rode to war, it was likely to be withanother king, over some insult or spurneddaughter or an uncertain line on a map.Kings did not spend time or men chasingafter a few brigands who would flee andleave traps behind, or set an ambush, andin the end melt away before searchers asthough they had never been � until thesearchers turned their backs, of course.

�The King of Cormyr was one of thesemonarchs, and a man with a problem. Afterspending a hot summer fighting all acrosshis realm, from the Wyvernwater toEveningstar, he had few men indeed left tocall the Royal Host of Cormyr � somesixty-five stouthearts, to be exact. Then hisweary ears heard news of an incursion fromthe east into Arabel, a merchant city tooprecious to give up without a fight.

�This was bad enough in itself, but com-pounding his plight were local cries rising inEveningstar about bandits on the roadsand a huge brigand army somewhere in the

D R A G O N 3 3

34 DECEMBER 1985

mountains to the west. Nowadays, with thegreat fortress of High Horn looming overthe west pass, such news would be of littleconcern. But in these early days of Cor-myr�s sovereignty, no such fortress existedto impede the progress of enemies from thewest. Clearly, the king�s men could not bein both places at once, and dividing theforce could mean failure for both halves.But the king dared not disregard eitherthreat. He called his men together to givethem the facts of the matter and told themto be ready to travel the following day.

�Later that evening the king called forGrymmar, the oldest of his stalwarts, andasked for the grizzled lieutenant�s counselon how to divide soldiery and supplies so asto meet each threat. The king was surprisedto hear that Grymmar had formulated aplan to deal with the brigands � a plan forwhich no soldiers would be needed, saveGrymmar himself and a couple of strongmen. The monarch gave his approval to theplan and his blessing to Grymmar, supply-ing him with documents that would enablehim to acquire the goods and services hewould need, and on the morrow the kingled his army eastward.

�Grymmar spent part of this first daygathering supplies. With the king�s author-ity to lend weight to his requests, he pro-cured an unused stone coffin, placed withinit three grunting and squealing pigs, andwith the aid of his strong assistants loaded itinto a cart along with a barrel of pitch andseveral torches. Then Grymmar and hiscurious entourage set out � not directly forthe pass, but on a northerly route to a placenot far from Eveningstar.

�Only days earlier, some of the king�smen had cleaned out this place, an olddwarf-delve that had served as a hidingplace for a group of bandits. A dozen ruffi-ans there were in all, no trouble � butGrymmar and the others with him had alltaken a fright when, as they leaned on theirswords afterward in a deep and freshlybloodied chamber, something moving andshapeless and alive, ochre in color andhorribly hungry in motion, had oozed inunder the door.

� �A flesh-eater! � one of the warriors hadwarned, and they all had backed awayhastily as the jellylike thing advanced. Itflowed over stone and corpse alike, and leftonly bones and metal in its wake. Thesoldiers circled toward the exit, rushedthrough the doorway, slammed the portal,and sealed the space between door and floorwith loose dirt.

�Now Grymmar made a return visit tothe bandit hold, and with the help of hiscompanions transported the contents of thecart down into the chamber where the flesh-eater was last seen. The coffin was set out,its lid awry, and the men sat nearby inside acircle of pitch they had smeared on thefloor. Fairly soon the flesh-eater appeared,attracted by their presence, flowing eerilyalong a wall. Grymmar set the ring of pitchaflame, and the jelly shrank away from themen and went for the pigs in the coffin.

When the thing was entirely inside thecoffin, the men leapt forward, put the lidback in place, and sealed the container withmore of the pitch. Then they carried thecoffin back to the cart. Grymmar and one ofhis helpers headed directly for High HornPass, and the other man veered toward thedruids� grove in the forest to the south andeast of the pass.

�By the time Grymmar reached the passat sunset of the following day, he could seethe bandits in the distance, approachingfrom the other direction. He and his cohortunloaded the coffin, storing it under a ledgewhere it would not be detected in the dark-ness, and watched from an elevated hidingplace as the brigands made camp in the passitself � an expanse of land broad and flatenough to house all of their tents at once,although they had to keep rather closequarters.

�Then the druids arrived in the dark ofnight, responding to the summons of theirking as conveyed by Grymmar�s helper, andit was time to put the last stage of the planinto action. Grymmar crept back down tothe coffin, scraped away the pitch, andloosened the lid. At the same time, thedruids began their enchantments. Massive,threatening clouds formed in the sky abovethe pass, and before too long the air wasrent with driving rain, booming thunder,and crackling bolts of lightning. The ban-dits were protected from the elements insidetheir tents, and they slept unafraid, buttent-cloth could not keep them safe from thereal danger.

�To this day, some folk still tell of how thedruids saved Eveningstar by bringing downthe awesome storm that decimated thebrigand army and forced the survivors toturn back. But others know better, for theyhave heard the real tale. The storm abatedafter a time, and at first light the nextmorning when Grymmar and the druidslooked down upon the bandits� campsite,they saw scores of flesh-eaters � born of thelightning strikes � and dozens of corpses,many of them already nothing more thanskeletons. The few bandits fortunate enoughto escape death from the jellies now couldsee the carnage that had been wroughtduring the night, and they ran for their livesback the way they had come. . . .

�. . . And that was how Grymmar heldthe pass.�

At this point Elminster sat back and re-ignited his pipe, satisfied with the way hehad told the story. I thanked him � andindeed it was a good tale � and then setabout quizzing him as to the practical (toadventurers) details of the ochre jelly.Elminster related the following information,much of it drawn from the Bestiary ofHlammech the Naturalist:

An ochre jelly is amorphous in form,having an outer elastic �skin� or bag oftough, translucent cells, ochre in color.Inside the skin is a large mass of fluid � themain bulk of the creature. This fluid isthick, soupy stuff � stabbing an ochre jelly

D R A G O N 3 5

won�t cause the stuff to drain away quickly,like the way a wineskin loses its contents ifpunctured; fluid will ooze from the wounduntil excess skin cells (produced from thecellulose the creature devours, and carriedaround in little globules inside the fluid)arrive to �patch the leak.� In this fashion,an ochre jelly can heal any wound it suffersfrom an edged weapon within 5-12 rounds(d8 + 4). A wound from a blunt weapon ismore traumatic, rupturing a greater num-ber of skin cells and taking 11-20 (d10 + 10)turns to close. In either case, the hit pointslost when the wound was suffered are re-gained when it is healed.

Because of its construction, an ochre jellycan squeeze through any crack large enoughto permit a thin �wafer� of skin cells (bothsides) and internal fluids to pass � aboutan inch in width is required for an average-sized jelly. The creature�s movement rate isonly 1� when it compresses itself to travelthrough an opening smaller than the jelly�snormal thickness. When at rest and undernormal conditions, an average-sized ochrejelly is 3 to 6 inches thick and occupies asurface area equivalent to a 6� -diametercircle; however, the term �at rest� is theo-retical in this case, because an ochre jellynever stops moving except to devour prey.When it moves, it does so by extending oneor more pseudopods of skin and fluid, be-coming elongated in the direction of move-ment, and setting up a rippling motion thatenables it to �slosh� forward by means ofinertia.

Ochre jellies can adhere readily to walls,ceilings, glass, and so forth � they do notseem affected by water, wine, oil, grease,and the like, and have never been observedto slip � but their grip on surfaces is notstrong enough to enable them to pull openchests, armor, closed doors, etc., and theycan be readily scraped or shoved off of asurface by a creature of at least averagestrength.

The creatures are non-intelligent andhave no visual organs as we know them.They can detect heat, vibrations, and thescents of organic substances, and will movein the direction from where these stimulicome (in the order given; ochre jellies ap-parently �prefer� live humans or animals asprey, but can �smell� wood or plantgrowth, or corpses, if no live creatures arein the vicinity). They can sense the heat of atorch flame at a range of 500 feet, and thebody heat of a living animal from 100 feetaway; their sensitivity to vibrations (such asthose caused by footsteps) or scents has arange of at least 500 feet, and often muchfarther depending on the severity of thevibration or the intensity of the odor; forinstance, an ochre jelly can detect a troglo-dyte, by its scent, from several hundredyards away.

Ochre jellies will move mindlessly towardany stimulus, but will not voluntarily comeinto direct contact with any stimulus (suchas a flame) that can damage them. In theabsence of any detectable stimulus, an ochrejelly will continue to flow in the direction it

36 DECEMBER 1985

is heading until forced to turn or doubleback on its path because of an obstacle;Grymmar and his companions were boundto eventually encounter the ochre jelly inthe closed-off chamber, because the creaturehad nowhere else to go.

When an ochre jelly comes into contactwith any consumable (i.e., living or once-living) substance, a number of one-wayvalves in the creature�s skin surface willopen, and globules of the corrosive digestivefluid inside will be expelled onto the prey.This fluid seems to be a sort of acid-basedenzyme which first eats away and thenbreaks down (by chemical reaction) the fleshor cellulose. The ochre jelly then reabsorbsthe digestive fluid at the same time that itingests the nutrients, through a set of simi-lar one-way valves that work in the oppositedirection. These valves are veryonly letting in the fluids that the

selective,ochre jelly

�intends� to absorb; the creatures havebeen encountered in coastal salt waters, andin order to subsist in such an environment,they must be able to prevent the taking inthe water with which they are surrounded.

As so often happens with the unique bodyfluids of certain mysterious creatures, theacid-enzyme secreted by an ochre jellybecomes inert if the creature is killed or thefluid is somehow prevented from beingreabsorbed by the body. This neutralizationof the fluid takes place immediately uponthe death of an ochre jelly, or if the creatureis forced to abandon partially consumedprey (which is why a victim�s flesh does notcontinue to �dissolve� if the jelly is killed orpushed off). Similarly, the skin of an ochrejelly loses its distinctive properties after thecreature is killed and cannot be salvaged forany useful purpose.

An ochre jelly can and will instinctivelyflow over or around its prey, enveloping itso as to retain contact if the target moves orstruggles. If the creature is attached to awall or a ceiling, it can send out pseudopodsto contact something edible that is below orbeside it. Once having made contact in thisfashion, the jelly can detach itself from thewall or ceiling and flow onto the victim.

An ochre jelly can be damaged by cold-or fire-based attacks. Severe cold (freezingtemperature or lower) of a lasting naturewill further impair the creature, slowing itsmovement rate to 2� and adding 2-5 roundsto the time required for it to heal a wound,since its internal fluids cannot flow as freelyto reach the affected area. (Note that a coneof cold spell, to name one example, is notcold �of a lasting nature,� since the spell�sduration is instantaneous.) Any single fire-based attack that does damage equal to atleast one-quarter of the creature's maxi-mum hit points will cause a wound thattakes 16-25 (d10 + 15) rounds to heal, andfor 4-7 rounds following the attack the ochrejelly will lose 3 hit points per round as fluidcontinues to leak from the wound. Firedamage of less severity will take 11-20rounds to heal, the same as for a blow witha blunt weapon.

The sudden application of intense electri-

cal energy (such as a lightning bolt or magi-cal or natural origin) does not damage anochre jelly; instead, this serves to increasethe creature�s metabolism and cause it todivide immediately (within the round fol-lowing the electrical contact) into a numberof smaller jellies, each identical to the origi-nal creature in all respects except for sizeand damage; they are capable of doing 2-6(d4 + d2) points of damage per attack. Thenumber of �offspring� created is usually(75%) 2-4, but occasionally as many as 5-8are produced. These smaller jellies willgrow into normal-sized creatures (doing theusual 3-12 points of damage) within 1-3months after the split occurred.

In rare instances, an ochre jelly will split�voluntarily� into two equal-sized creatures(each doing normal damage), but onlywhen the original creature is of huge size.Ochre jellies grow slightly every time theyfeed, but do not shrink when they go with-out food � and they can survive for severalweeks on little or no nourishment. No ex-ample is known of an ochre jelly that died of�old age�; perhaps they do not age (as weunderstand the term), or perhaps theydecompose quickly when they die in thismanner, thus leaving no evidence of theirpassing.

An ochre jelly cannot be poisoned orintoxicated or otherwise adversely affectedby attacks with purely fluids (including acidbut not including flaming oil). It will absorball such fluids, �walling� them into globulessurrounded by excess skin cells, suspendingthem within its internal body fluid, andholding them harmlessly until it is not feed-ing on prey or involved in combat, where-upon it will expel them through the sameopenings that release its digestive fluid. Aphysical attack upon a jelly that ruptures aglobule of this stored fluid may cause itscontents to squirt out at the attacker.

Astute students of biology will note thatochre jellies are not precisely �amoebas� aswe know them � but when I mentionedthis to Elminster, he merely fixed me with acold eye and grunted, �Hah! And what doyour scientists in this world know of any-thing?� And that is all I learned from himabout the ochre jelly.

If 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.

Assessing, not guessingHow PCs can make their own value judgmentsby Lionel D. Smith

The game is moving along well, and thenew player is enjoying himself immensely.The party has just slain the evil troll and isexamining the haul.

Dungeon Master: You find 1,200 goldpieces and a jeweled necklace, and also agreen gem � a spinel.

Veteran Player: What�re they worth?Dungeon Master: The necklace is worth

900 gp, and the spinel is worth 100 gp.New Player: How do we know that?DM: Er, ah . . . um, er . . . . uh, you can

tell, I guess, by looking, you know, uh. . . .

The AD&D® game rules make no allow-ance for assessment by player characters ofthe worth of gems, jewelry, and other valu-able items which they may encounter fromtime to time. This is unfortunate, since itseems obvious that characters would gener-ally not be able to accurately determine themonetary value of such items without call-ing on some relevant experience, eithertheir own or someone else�s. Of course, itwould be undesirable to clutter the gamewith some overly complicated mechanismfor such assessment; many supplementarygame systems, designed to add realism tothe tame, are more trouble than they areworth. Bearing this in mind, here is a rela-tively simple mechanism that allows a char-acter to evaluate the worth of an object,based on that character�s experience andskills.

Any character possesses a percentagechance of assessing the exact value of theobject in question. Should this chance bemissed, the object�s value will be assessedincorrectly, to a greater or lesser degree oferror. Only two dice need be thrown: a d20and any other die. The d20 acts as an ab-

breviated d%. For example, consider acharacter whose correct assessment percent-age (CAP) is 35%. Any roll of 7 (35%) orless on the d20 indicates that the object�svalue is determined exactly. Higher rollsindicate progressively worse estimates. Aroll of 9 (45%) indicates that the guess is offby 10% (45% - 35% = 10%); a roll of 14(70%) means that the estimate is off by35%; and a roll of 20 would result in aguess that was wide by 65%. Is the estimatetoo high or too low? This is determined bythe other die. If its result is even, then theguess is high; if odd, it�s low. This tableshows examples for a character, with a CAPof 40%, trying to evaluate a fur coat worth5,400 gp.

Character�sd20 roll d12 roll estimate (gp)

4 (20%) [ 9] 5,400 (correct)8 (40%) [ 4] 5,400 (correct)

1 0 ( 5 0 % ) 11 4,860 (10% low)15 (75%) 8 7,290 (35% high)20 (100%) 2 8,640 (60% high)20 (100%) 7 2,160 (60% low)

Square brackets indicate an irrelevantroll.

The d20 is used rather than a d% for tworeasons. First, it makes the rolling some-what simpler. Second, it avoids such hair-splitting calculations as �39% high.� Notethat the higher the CAP is, the smaller themaximum absolute error.

What is a player character�s CAP? It is afunction of class, experience, and race, asnoted on the following table.

Class CAP modifierThief. . . . . . . . . . . . . .35% +5%/level

Assassin . . . . . . . . . . .20% + 5%/levelCleric, druid, magic-user,

illusionist, bard,fighter. . . . . . . . . . .15% +5%/level

Paladin, ranger, monk,barbarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5%/level

Dwarf, gnome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . + 10%Half-elf, halfling, human . . . . . . + 0%Elf, half-orc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - 10%

A multi-classed character, or one withtwo classes, uses the class and levelwhich give the best CAP; e.g., a magic-user/thief of 3rd/4th level would use thethief class and level for a CAP of 55%.

If the players so desire, only one CAP rollneed be made for any party. The party isapt to accept the estimate of its most knowl-edgeable member and not second-guess hisassessment. Optionally, if each member of asix-member group is told his estimate of theitem�s value, it will be a simple matter toaverage these assessments and arrive at areasonable figure. Or, if two party membershave identical high CAPS, two rolls aremade; each of the two can then assess theitem independently and �compare notes.�In practice, the DM will likely be aware ofthe party�s CAPS before the adventurebegins. This would allow the DM to roll thedice beforehand and place the party�s as-sessment of valuable items right into thekey, thus saving time during the adventure.For example, the key might read: �Dia-mond ring, value 4,000 gp; Karnul willassess it at 4,400 gp.�

Optionally, the DM may wish to usesecondary skills (DMG, p. 12) in findingcharacters� CAPS. This may get a littlecomplicated, though, as characters andparties may have different percentages fordifferent types of items. If you�re one ofthose gamers who thrives on figures, try thesuggestions in Table 3.

Table 3Secondary skillJeweler/lapidary

Tailor/weaver

Trader/bartererTrapper/furrier

Evaluation+ 20% gems &

jewelry only+ 20% clothes, tapes-

tries, etc., only+10% on all+ 20% furs, etc.,

only

Note that for a fur coat, a tailor/weaver(knowledgeable in textiles) would not get abonus, but a trader/barterer or trapper/furrier would.

38 DECEMBER 1985

The purpose of all this is related to thefact that some characters do not wish toamass huge piles of gems, jewelry, and othersuch baubles, preferring instead to sellthem. This requires some idea of the valueof the items which they are attempting tosell. Any dealer in such items (i.e., a jew-eler, furrier, or whatever) will generally beable to appraise such items at their exactvalue; after all, it�s part of the trade. Adealer�s best offer will likely be below theactual value of the item in question, sincethe dealer needs to make money, too. As ageneral rule, a dealer�s maximum offerwould be 80%-95% of the real value (75 +[d4 x 5]). If an item was highly unusual,the dealer might (if he were of the poeticpersuasion) pay up to 120% of the truevalue of the item just for the joy of owningit. This might occur, for example, in thecase of a gem worth more than 5,000 gp orjewelry worth more than 10,000 gp.

The main problem for the player charac-ters in any sale is that their idea of an item�sworth may well be distorted. For instance,they might ask for an outrageously highprice, and be ridiculed for it; or, they mightask for only a fraction of the item�s worth,and be taken in. A good strategy would beto ask the dealer what he or she is willing topay. An honest dealer (20% of them) wouldoffer around 70% of true value as a startingpoint; an average dealer (50%), around60%; and a dishonest dealer (30%) wouldprobably start at around 30%-40% of truevalue. All dealers will haggle, but will buyat no higher than their previously deter-mined maximum. Note that if asked whatthey will pay for an object, many dealerswill inquire �How much do you want forit?� since they know that the seller may beignorant of the item�s value. Also note thatif a character asks for a ridiculous price (say,over 120% of true value), the dealer�s initialoffer may be even lower than the outlinesgiven above. A dealer�s honesty, or lack ofit, will often be general knowledge in thecommunity.

Another situation which may occur is thatof a character using some valuable item ascash to purchase goods or services � inother words, barter. This is a rather morevolatile case, since the other party may haveless idea of the item�s worth than the char-acter. If the character is buying goods, theseller is likely (as an experienced barterer)to have a pretty good idea of the item�svalue. A good guideline would be a CAP of70%-85% (65 + [d4 x 5]), although thiscould vary considerably. If the character ispurchasing a service, the seller may berather more ignorant.

For instance, a hireling being paid offmight have a CAP of only 10%, while thatof a cleric being paid to cast a spell woulddepend on his level. The DM�s discretionwill decide; just remember that anyone, nomatter how ignorant, will arrive at someassessment of the item�s value and hagglefrom there. It is quite possible that a playermight find a gem worth 200 gp, assess it at300 gp, and use it to pay a month�s wages

to his alchemist, who thinks it�s worth 340gp! Of course, the alchemist might estimateits worth at 80 gp, and get rather upset; or,both characters could assess it at around160 gp, come to a pleasant agreement, andbe totally wrong. The system�s most attrac-tive feature is the ease with which it allowssuch estimates to be made by characters.

From time to time, characters may alsowish to sell magic items. This will occurrelatively infrequently; nonetheless, it be-hooves the DM to have some coherent,consistent system to allow for such sales.First of all, it will frequently be difficult tofind a. buyer. The market for magic itemswill be quite limited; there will not be anymagic dealers or magic shops (unless thecampaign has some serious balance prob-lems). In fact, no one will ever buy a magicitem, except perhaps a potion, with theintention of selling it again. Magic itemswill be purchased only by those who intendto use them. In order to sell one, a charac-ter must find someone who (a) wants theitem, (b) can use the item, and (c) canafford the item. Players should beware ofcasually publicizing the fact that they havemagical goods for sale; there are many whowill just as casually steal or kill to obtainsuch goods.

With a buyer found, the item can gener-ally be sold for a price roughly equal to thatgiven in the DMG, pp. 121-125. The onlysubstantial variation in sale price occurs inthe sale of spell scrolls. A scroll will only be

bought by someone of the correspondingclass or subclass; in other words, an illu-sionist won�t buy a magic-user scroll, and amagic-user won�t buy an illusionist scroll.Furthermore, the price paid will depend onthe spell-caster�s status regarding that spell.The base value of the scroll is that given inthe DMG (p. 121); i.e., 300 gp per spelllevel. Variations will be as follows:

1) Buyer can use the spell and has it inspell book: 300 gp/level.

2) Buyer can use the spell and does nothave it in spell book: 600 gp/level.

3) Buyer not of high enough level to usespell: Magic-user � 600 gp/level; illusionist� 500 gp/level; cleric/druid � 300 gp/level.

Case #1 includes any spell to which thepotential buyer has access; thus, for clericsand druids it includes all of the spells in thePlayers Handbook that their level will allowthem to use.

Case #2 covers all spells of which thebuyer�s level will allow the use, but to whichthe buyer has no access. For illusionists andmagic-users, this means that they don�thave the spell in their books. For clerics anddruids, it refers to any of the new officialspells (see Unearthed Arcana) which theyhave not yet encountered and hence cannotuse.

Case #3 is subdivided by class. Magic-users will pay more since (using the writespell) they can copy higher-level spells intotheir books for use when they attain higher

D R A G O N 3 9

experience levels. Illusionists will not havethis option. They can either hang on to thescroll until they attain the requisite level, orengage in the somewhat risky (see DMG, p.128) business of casting a higher-level spelldirectly from the scroll. Note that a magic-user without the write spell would be treatedas an illusionist for this purpose, since hisoptions would be identical. Also, in theunlikely event that the magic-user alreadyhas the spell in his books using write, case#1 will apply.

Finally, clerics and druids pay the leastfor such spells since they will be able to usethem automatically when they reach theappropriate level. Therefore, the only use ofthe scroll is in casting the spell directly fromit (again, rather risky). Note that the newofficial spells mentioned above do not affectthis case; after all, if a cleric can�t use third-level spells, then he�s not going to know thatmeld into stone is a third-level spell that hewon�t be able to use even when he can usethe third-level spells � if you see what Imean.

Using this system, a scroll will be worthdifferent amounts to different buyers. Amultiple-spell scroll will require a little workin calculating its value, but in any balancedcampaign, characters will seek to sell suchan item very rarely, if at all. An examplemight be a scroll with the spells burninghands, forget, and teleport. If the magic-user was 9th level and knew all of thesespells, he would pay 300 gp per spell level

for a total of 2,400 gp. If he was 9th leveland only knew forget, then he would pay300 gp/level for that spell (600 gp), and 600gp/level for the others (600 gp and 3,000gp) for a total of 4,200 gp. If he was 2ndlevel, knew none of the spells, and didn�tknow write, he would offer (600 gp x 1) +(500 gp x 2) + (500 gp x 5) = 4,100 gp�if he had that much.

How much money does a potential buyerhave to offer? How much will such a char-acter offer? Often, NPCs will have beendeveloped to a greater or lesser degree bythe DM and these questions can be an-swered immediately. Generally, though,when the players have tracked down apotential buyer, he is only momentarilyinvolved in the campaign, and rarely has adeveloped personality or a given amount ofcash.

In such cases, some simple guidelines willsuffice. First of all, it is not logical for char-acters to be able to assess magic items in thesame manner as valuable non-magicalitems. After all, it would be unusual for anycharacter to encounter, say a cloak of themanta ray more than once in a lifetime.How could an assessment be made of itsvalue? The easiest (and fairest) system issimply that a character trying to sell such anitem will be offered a fair price (true value,give or take 10%), or will be turned down ifthe object is not wanted or cannot be af-forded. The maximum amount of cash, incoin, gems, or whatever, that a random

NPC has available at a given time is herebyassumed to be 500 gp times the square ofhis level (multi-classed characters and thosewith two classes use their highest level). Theactual amount could be determined bymultiplying this maximum by a percentileroll (or perhaps just d4 x 20%, if the maxi-mum seems too high).

For example, a 5th-level thief is encoun-tered. The maximum amount of cash shecould have is 5 × 5 × 500 = 12,500 gp; apercentile roll reads 52, so she actually has6,500 gp. Characters encountered adventur-ing will usually have only 2%-20% of theirmaximum � or else they wouldn�t be ad-venturing. A character who did not haveenough money to make a fair offer for anitem, but who did want the item, mightoffer services to the player as part or all ofthe payment; then again, he or she mightjust try to steal it.

At any rate, the use of some or all of thesuggestions presented above should add tothe realism of the campaign without causingany undue delay in play. It is hoped that theuse of these ideas will allow for some �socialinteraction� gaming, which is sadly lackingin most campaigns. Player charactersshould not be able to simply say, �We�ll sellthe necklace,� and get cash up front equalto its full value. Force them to haggle! Letthem get ripped off! Let them rip people offnow and then, too! The business of buyingand selling can and should be an adventurein itself.

40 DECEMBER 1985

Many believe that the Marvel Universe�began in the 1960s with the birth of theFantastic Four�, the Hulk�, and Spider-Man�. In actuality, comic-book heroeshave been around for much longer thanthat. During World War II, costumedheroes were quite famous, fighting inEurope or on the home front against theAxis powers.

According to the history of the MarvelUniverse, the most famous of theseheroes joined together to form thesuper-team known as the Invaders�:Captain America�, Bucky�, the HumanTorch�, Toro�, and the Sub-Mariner�. Inearly 1942, the evil Nazi genius knownas the Red Skull� was able to gain hyp-notic control over all of the Invadersexcept for Bucky. Bucky broadcast aradio appeal for help and was answeredby a number of costumed heroes; thisnew group was christened the LibertyLegion�. The Liberty Legion preventedthe mind-controlled Invaders from per-forming acts of sabotage, and during aclimactic battle between the two groups,Toro flew into the Red Skull�s airshipand destroyed both it and the hypnotic-control device.

The Liberty Legion members electedto stay together to stop Nazi sabotage inAmerica, while the Invaders went back

to fight overseas. One of the mostimportant missions the Legion evertackled came in 1944, but little was everheard about it because of the nature ofthe mission. Only now can the full storybe told. . . .

This adventure is designed for a Judgeand eight players. It is possible for fewerplayers to participate, if several playerswish to run multiple characters. Moremay play, using characters from theInvaders. Captain America appears inthe boxed MARVEL SUPER HEROES�game, the Sub-Mariner was listed inDRAGON® issue #89, and Bucky appearsin the MARVEL®-Phile of this issue.Compared to the Liberty Legion mem-bers, however, Captain America and theSub-Mariner are exceptionally powerful.As an alternative, time-traveling heroesfrom the modern world might voyageback to help out, or super-soldiers suchas Nick Fury� might be added to theadventure. If more heroes are used, theJudge should increase the power of theopposition by 3-4 more soldiers per heroper scenario, or he should increase theKarma of the Marvel Super Villains� by100 points apiece. Players may, ofcourse, use original characters.

Note: If the Sub-Mariner is used, heshould be granted Excellent body armorfrom his dense skin.

Though the founding member of theLiberty Legion, Bucky, has gone toEurope, the group is carrying on asusual. The Spirit of '76�, a hero from aBritish hero group (the Crusaders�), hasreturned home, however. He will berecruited into the adventure in the firstchapter as a player character.

The Judge should read through thisentire adventure carefully and shouldbe especially familiar with the powers ofBaron Blood�, the mastermind behindProject: Sudden Dawn. A Marvel vam-pire is a terrible opponent, and BaronBlood was one of the worst next toDracula� himself!

At all times, the villains should actwith reason and forethought, and theyshould be played so that they act asnasty and as rude as they do in comicbooks. Common soldiers and spies obeytheir masters implicitly, but villains(especially the ones in the Super-Axis�)are often consumed with hatred for oneanother as well as for their heroic foes.Though the Super-Axis villains claimedto fight for Hitler, in truth they selfishlyfought for their own individual fameand power.

PLAYING NOTES

The referee may set up the game byremoving the player character cardsstapled in the center of this magazine,cutting them apart, and passing themout to the players. The players may thenchose which heroes they wish to use.

A brief glance over the heroes for thisadventure reveals that they are muchweaker than most costumed crimefigh-ters in later eras. Care will have to beused to complete the adventure if theheroes are to remain in one piece! Play-ers should be given time before theadventure starts to discuss possiblestrategies for making it through danger-ous situations.

The use of a Karma pool is suggested,particularly if the players work welltogether. Be aware that killing an oppo-nent will destroy the entire Karma pool.If each hero donates half of his or herKarma to the pool, the Liberty Legionand Spirit of '76 will have 98 Karmapoints to share.

The maps required for this adventureare those provided with the variousmodule packs and with the boxedMARVEL SUPER HEROES game set, savefor the ones in Chapters 2 and 4. Eachchapter lists the maps required. Judgesshould ensure that they have the proper

42 DECEMBER 1985

maps before the game gets under way,or else they should generate their ownmaps. Counters for all the heroes andvillains in this scenario will have to becreated by the Judge and players.Counters for vehicles, crowds, soldiers,spies, etc., should also be generated.

If a hero is injured severely enough torequire hospitalization, a new playercharacter may be substituted in laterscenarios. The Judge may declare thatheroes who would be killed in thisadventure are sent instead to the hospi-tal for several months, requiring substi-tution of a new player character. Newheroes may be chosen as noted above;Bucky is strongly recommended.

In role-playing the heroes, the maincharacteristics they all share are patriot-ism, moral integrity, and a hatred forthe Axis. Patriot� emulates CaptainAmerica in personality and is one of themore even-tempered of the heroes. BlueDiamond� is rather hot-headed andimpulsive. Jack Frost� is aloof, being anonhuman, but friendly. Whizzer� andMiss America� are quite attracted toeach other. Thin Man� and Red Raven�are excellent friends. Bucky (if used inthis scenario) is fervently patriotic andactive, but may act before he thinks.

Spirit of '76 is also highly patriotic, andoften insists that his fists can solve anyproblem a villain gives him.

Heroes and bullets: One importantconsideration concerns protection fromflying bullets, which the Nazis in thisadventure fire by the thousands. Heroeswith no armor protection should usestealth and their wits to defeat armedfoes. Villains in the same area as a heroattack only with fists, knives, clubs, andthe like.

Blue Diamond has little to worryabout, even from artillery fire. RedRaven and Spirit of '76 have some pro-tection from bullets from their cos-tumes. Jack Frost can make ice shields,and Thin Man can either absorb ordodge some bullet hits by thinning.

It must be noted that none of theheroes like using guns or rifles, andSpirit of '76 is particularly adamantabout using only his fists to stop crimes.Each time a hero uses a gun, this shouldcause a Karma loss of -10 (-20 for Spiritof '76) for that hero. The only time thisKarma loss can be avoided is if theheroes are confronting Baron Blood,when special weapons must be used.There is no Karma loss for killing BaronBlood, since he is already dead!

Chapter 1: THE BLITZ BEGINS!

CAMPAIGN

Read the following to the Liberty Legionplayers.

It�s May, 1944. Rumors circulatedaily throughout the streets ofNew York City of a possible Alliedinvasion of Europe, coming withinmonths, weeks, or even days. Ifthe Allies can gain a toehold onFortress Europe, the days of NaziGermany are numbered.

The end of the war would comenone too soon. So far, America hasbeen spared the devastation vis-ited across the rest of the world.Your worst fears are that AdolfHitler and his Super-Axis allies willfind a way to bring the war toyour own shores. U-boats alreadypatrol the Eastern seaboard andtorpedo ships which leave theharbor. cont . . .

JUDGE'S INFORMATION

The heart of this adventure con-cerns both the attempted theft ofthe Manhattan Project�s atomicsecrets by agents of the Super-Axisand the subsequent attempt atatomic extortion. Under the direc-tion of the red Skull in Berlin,Baron Blood has assembled a forceof soldiers, agents, and super-powered characters to steal infor-mation on the Manhattan Projectfrom the U.S. Army. The relativesuccess of the heroes in stoppingthis plan in early stages of theadventure has a direct bearing onthe power of the primitive nucleardevice constructed in chapter 4. Ifthe heroes are alert, the bomb willbe relatively weak and have littleeffect. If they slip up, however,things could be quitedangerous later on. . . .

Lately spy and sabotage activitieshave been at a low. You sense thatthe enemy may be preparing tostrike at America�s war industry,and each of you has tried to dis-cover such plans without success.

Now it�s Friday afternoon. Youare gathered at a local radio sta-tion, enjoying a break. Patriot hasjust finished his weekly broadcastabout the war effort, and you arediscussing your plans for the com-ing week. Abruptly, one of thesound engineers breaks into yourdiscussion. Some sort of distur-bance is going on down the street,and the police are calling forassistance � meaning you!

The referee should use the city mapfrom the boxed MARVEL SUPERHEROES game set. The radio stationwhere the Liberty Legion begins play ison the first floor of the Krupp Building;they may leave the building at the startof the scenario. The sounds of gunfiremay be heard from the western end oftown, around 7th Avenue.

Read the following to the Spirit of �76player.

You�ve only been off the plane anhour now, but already you feel asif you�ve never left America. If itweren�t for your special assign-ment, you�d be tempted just towander the streets of New Yorkand enjoy yourself.

But for now, you�ve other thingson your mind. British intelligenceservices intercepted a special mes-sage. Some of Nazi Germany�s mostdangerous super-powered agentshave come to America, and youknow it can�t mean anything buttrouble for the Allied cause. You�vegot to stop them any way you can.You didn�t have time to warn theproper authorities or get authori-zation for military backup, soyou�ve come alone to do what youcan. The Globe Press building isgoing to be the first target of Axissabotage � but why? You aim tofind out!

Spirit of �76 may start the scenarioanywhere around the block whereGlobe Press, Minski�s Foods, and AceHandling are located. He is wearing atrench coat, but is ready to throw it offat a moment�s notice and attack.

Unknown to the Liberty Legion, aforce of criminals has been secretlyhired by Agent Axis�, a top enemy spy,to rob the jeweler�s store and keep thelocal police and heroes busy. The impor-tant action is about to happen over atthe Globe Press building. There, AgentAxis and a force of disguised Germansoldiers are going to attack the offices ofGlobe Press. A Nazi agent discoveredthat the U.S. Army was using GlobePress as a secret research center forwork on the Manhattan Project, theproject to build the first atomic bomb.Agent Axis intends to steal as many ofthe notebooks and diagrams in the build-ing as he can find. This is the first stepin Baron Blood�s master plan.

BATTLE

The initial action revolves around Rosen-stein�s Fine Jewels. The Judge should setup four thugs (as per the CampaignBook, p. 27), armed with handguns, inand around the jewelry store. A policecar is parked at the corner of GarfieldStreet and 7th Avenue, and two policeofficers (as per the Campaign Book, p.27) are exchanging gunfire with therobbers in front of Rosenstein�s. Allnearby pedestrians have fled, except fora young boy outside of Crystal�s depart-ment store (corner of Arthur Street and7th Avenue). The boy is too frightenedto either run or to seek cover.

The gunfire continues for fourrounds. In the third round, one of theofficers is wounded and knocked down.In the fifth round, the robbers head forthe alley behind Rosenstein�s to jumpinto a waiting getaway car. (The driver isa pistol-armed thug.) In this same round,unless the heroes have moved him, astray bullet hits the boy in front of Crys-tal�s, seriously wounding him. The get-away car starts to leave the alleyway inthe sixth round, heading south on Gar-field Street at top speed (to draw policeand heroes away from Globe Press). Ifthe getaway car leaves the game map,the robbers have escaped.

If at any time it is possible for thethugs to capture a hero, they will do so

D R A G O N 4 3

and hold him (or her) as a hostage toensure their escape. They will laterdemand a ransom; the Judge shouldhandle this as seen fit.

In round seven, the entire side of theOverton Storage warehouse facing Gar-field Street explodes, doing Excellentdamage to anyone in the two GarfieldStreet areas beside the building. (Thebuilding was secretly taken over by Naziagents and has been used as a stagingarea for the assault on Globe Press.) Alarge tank with a flamethrowermounted in place of a tank gun thenrolls out of the building over the rubbleand takes up a position facing southalong Garfield Street.

The experimental Nazi flame-tank hasExcellent control, Poor Speed, and aRemarkable-strength body. The flame-thrower mounted on the tank�s turrethas a range of 2 areas and does Remark-able damage to all that it hits. Anyonehit by the flames may attempt to make aRed FEAT roll for Agility in order toescape most of the flames and take onlyGood damage. Each time the tank fires,make a FEAT roll in the Remarkablecolumn. A Red result means the tank�sflamethrower jams for that round,though it may try to fire normally in thenext round. A roll of 00 indicates thatthe tank flamethrower has brokendown; the vehicle is able to move, butthe weapon is permanently jammed. Aroll of 01 indicates that the tank�s drivesystem has jammed; the tank stops,though its flamethrower still works. Thetank is crewed by two German soldiersarmed with pistols.

On the round after the tank rolls outinto the street, ten black-hooded andheavily armed men (Nazi soldiers, as perthe NPC capsules at the end of this mod-ule) charge out, led by Agent Axis (wear-ing a black suit and a black slouch hat).The soldiers are armed with six pistols,two rifles, and two submachine guns.One soldier armed with a pistol alsocarries two hand grenades, one ofwhich he will use to blast his way intothe front door of the Globe Press build-ing. The extra grenade is for meddlinghero-types. Agent Axis carries a subma-chine gun and two pistols. Grenades aretreated as per the Campaign Book, p. 17.

The Globe Press building is unoccu-pied except for two American soldiers(as per the Campaign Book) with onepistol and one rifle each. Both will beincapacitated when the grenade-usingNazi blows up the front door, wherethey were standing. The plans and note-books that Agent Axis wants are lockedin a file drawer near the center of the

44 DECEMBER 1985

building. If he spends two completerounds in the building without perform-ing any other actions, Agent Axis willdiscover the notebooks and steal them.

Agent Axis wishes to avoid capture atall costs. His henchmen will do every-thing they can to help him escape, evenat risk of their own lives. Three getawaycars are parked on Garfield Street infront of the Midtown Utilities Building;Agent Axis and his fellows head forthem as soon as the notebooks arerecovered. The drivers of all three carsstart their engines as soon as the attackon the Globe Press building begins; driv-ers are treated as thugs (as per the Cam-paign Book) and are armed with pistols.The cars split up and attempt to leavethe game map, heading in the directionof Rathbone Park at high speed. If anycar leaves the eastern edge of the gamemap, the occupants are assumed to haveescaped. When Agent Axis and the sol-diers head for the getaway cars, thetank crew will abandon their vehicleand leave with the rest.

The Judge should locate a few otherparked cars around the area, to avoidcasting suspicion on the getaway cars.However, a hero making a Yellow Intui-tion FEAT roll within one area of theparked cars notices that the drivers areacting suspiciously (checking watches,looking up the street, not fleeing wheneveryone else has, etc.).

As above, if it is possible for AgentAxis or his men to capture a hero, theywill use the hero as a hostage to ensuretheir escape. The hero will not be ran-somed. Instead, the Nazis will attempt toship the hero back to Nazi Germany,where horrible experiments, torture,and brainwashing may await him.

If Agent Axis sees that the experimen-tal flame-tank is in danger of being cap-tured, he will pull out a small, hand-heldradio control device and push the redbutton on it. This will cause the tank toexplode. Anyone inside the tank willtake Amazing damage; those outside thetank in the same area will take Incredi-ble damage, and anyone one area awayfrom the tank will take Good damage.Agent Axis won�t mind killing the tankcrew if he feels it necessary. He willdefinitely blow up the tank once he andhis men are leaving, before he exits thegame map. Only grappling with AgentAxis, shooting the transmitter box, orfreezing his hand (using Jack Frost�spowers) will stop him from accomplish-ing this. Assume it takes one round forhim to pull the radio-control device outand another round to push the button,allowing the heroes time to react.

The Judge may add extra NPCs to thisscenario, such as newly arrived policecars, crowds of curious onlookers, andwell-meaning citizens who try to stopthe bad guys from doing whateverthey�re doing. Appropriate Karmabonuses and penalties should beawarded to the heroes for saving inno-cents, assisting with rescues, and soforth. Note the section on crowd reac-tions in the Campaign Book, p. 28.

AFTERMATHIf Agent Axis is captured, he will refuseto talk, and he will be held for trial onespionage, sabotage, and other othercrimes. It is highly likely that rescueattempts will be made by other Super-Axis agents later on.

If the soldiers with Agent Axis arecaptured, they will initially confess verylittle. They were assigned to this missionby Agent Axis, but have no idea of whatthey were to steal or who is in charge ofthis project. They only know their mis-sion was of critical importance to theAxis cause. Some men will be openlycontemptuous of the heroes, particu-larly the most popular heroes. Any herowho manages to get a Nazi soldier orspy to talk (Campaign Book, p. 28) willlearn that the men are fearful of punish-ment from their superiors for havingfailed to accomplish the mission.

Anyone reading the papers that AgentAxis was attempting to steal discovers(after a Yellow Reason FEAT roll) thatthey are covered with complex mathe-matical and physics formulas on radia-tion. Nothing else of value can bediscerned from them, except by RedRaven or Thin Man. Either of thesecharacters are capable of discerningthat these papers could be describingthe effects of splitting the atom. Loosetalk about these papers or the Manhat-tan Project will anger the Army, andpossibly cause the hero to be detainedand interrogated himself temporarily.

After the battle, the Liberty Legionand Spirit of �76 are contacted by high-ranking officers in the U.S. Army. Theyare sworn to secrecy, and made tounderstand that what they are about tolearn is classified material of the highestimportance.

The research being conducted at theGlobe Press offices is only one small partof an important American project tocreate a weapon that will hopefully endthe war. To maintain the project�ssecrecy, the Manhattan Project has beensplit into several departments whichknow nothing about each other. Eachdepartment is working on a different

aspect of the weapon�s design and devel-opment. Nothing more can be said aboutthe weapon itself, except that it will beof unheard of power and destructive-ness. The Army officers treat the projectwith grim seriousness. They never usethe words �atomic bomb,� �fallout,��nuclear weapon,� or the like. They wantthe project to stay secret, even fromheroes. After all, if the Red Skull couldbrain-wash the Invaders . . .

Unfortunately, Hitler is believed tohave learned of the project, and a simi-lar weapons program is in progress inNazi Germany. Though Hitler is skepticalof the weapon�s power, he has allowedfunding for the project. So far, limitedsuccess has been achieved, but with noworking prototype.

Thus, Hitler has decided to have infor-mation on the American project stolenby his agents. Possession of this materialwould hopefully fill in the gaps in theirknowledge. British agents learned thatthe assault on the Globe Press buildingwas the first phase of this plan. ThoughSpirit of �76 was flown back to theUnited States in order to warn theauthorities there, he wasn�t able toreach them in time, so he went ahead tothe site of the first attack.

The Blitz Begins KARMA

Prevent boy (or other inno-cents) from being wounded +30

Capturing Agent Axis +20Stopping theft of notebooks +20Each wounded policeman

and soldier assisted +15Capturing tank intact +15Each thug, enemy soldier,

or spy captured +10Each getaway car

prevented fromleaving map +10

Each thug or enemy agent(including car drivers)escaping the map -10

Each hero captured/incapacitated -20

Agent Axis escapes withoutnotebooks -20

Loose talk about ManhattanProject -20

Agent Axis escapes with thenotebooks -40

Killing any enemy, includ-ing Agent Axis -All

Other Karma awards and penal-ties may be given out as the Judgesees fit, as per the Campaign Book.

The Army now wishes the Liberty on the list. If desired, extra help can beLegion to defend two other important received from the Army and from thesites from possible Nazi aggression. Office of Strategic Services (the wartimeIntelligence sources have learned that intelligence service that later becamethese places are the ones most likely to the CIA) to replace lost manpower.be attacked, and the Legion has to move Heroes may heal up to twice theirimmediately to defend the next target Endurance before the next chapter.

Chapter 2: THE LIBERTY LEGION BOWL

CAMPAIGN

The Thin Man will be asked to fly hisspecial aircraft to the place where theU.S. Army believes the Nazi agents areready to strike next. The Liberty Legionplane is described on the Thin Man�scharacter card. The plane can hold theentire Legion, plus the Spirit of �76,though it may be a tight fit. If Thin Manis incapacitated or not used, the groupwill be flown to their destination, butwill have no time to prepare for theencounter and will not have the use ofany aircraft.

Thin Man�s plane is especially con-structed to take his elastic and far-reach-ing arms into account. Anyone elseusing the plane must make a GreenAgility FEAT every two rounds whenflying the plane to avoid crashing, aswell as making a Yellow Reason FEAT atfirst to understand the plane�s controlsituation.

The Legion is instructed to fly to theUniversity of Chicago, to the Stagg Foot-ball Field. The Army grants the Legionpermission to land in the field parkinglot, which is easy to do since the currentcollege dean hates football and the lot isempty. The Legion arrives before dusk.

Before leaving for Chicago, Patriot isgiven a special message from an Armygeneral associated with the ManhattanProject. He is informed that a researchcenter has been set up beneath StaggField, and the center is to be defended atall costs. The work going on there iscritical to the success of the project.Dangerous materials are stored there aswell. A special telephone was secretlyinstalled in the stadium of the field forthe heroes to use to summon help; mili-tary units are standing by, but at a dis-tance (so as not to scare the villainsaway, if they come).

If the characters arrive on the LibertyLegion plane, they will have two hoursto plan their strategy for the nextencounter. The Liberty Legion planemay be moved aside and covered bytarps. If they arrived on another plane,they will get to the field in a regularautomobile only one round before theNazis arrive.

The map required for this chaptershould be generated by the Judge. Asmall-scale version of the map, which iseasy to reproduce and uses staggeredsquare blocks, appears at right. It

46 DECEMBER 1985

essentially depicts Stagg Field, thebleachers around it, and other relevantscenery. The map squares should beabout 1� to 1½� wide, each one repre-senting an area about 20 yards across.The map is not meant to be an exactreplica of the real Stagg Field; it is onlythe way it looked in the 1940s of theMarvel Universe.

The materials used in the stadium atStagg Field are as follows: goalposts �Good; walls between field and benches� Excellent (5� high); benches � Poor;railings in stands � Excellent; doors tounderground complex � Incredible.

Note the location of the secret tele-phone. A military operator located nearthe stadium will answer the phone if thereceiver is picked up. He can summonany reasonable assistance, includingpolice, fire, medical, and military aid.(Military aid, for obvious reasons, willarrive first.)

Just after darkness falls (which iswhen the PCs arrive if they are trans-ported by the Army Air Force), thegroup hears the sound of a propellor-driven plane approaching the field fromthe east. After a minute, a strange-look-ing aircraft appears, moving slowly overthe stadium stands and heading for thecenter of the football field. The aircraftappears to be an airplane standing up onits tail, with several fins and smallerpropellors projecting from its sides. Theplane is painted with a camouflage stylethat anyone making a Yellow ReasonFEAT roll will recognize as a typicalGerman design.

The aircraft is an experimental modelof a VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Land-

ing) vehicle. The plane has Excellentcontrol, Good speed, and a Good body. Itis armed with two machine gunsmounted on its sides which do Remark-able damage at a range of 10 areas; theguns fire with Good Agility.

Unless it encounters heavy ground fireor is made to crash, the plane lands inthe center of the football field. Tworounds later, as the main propellor iswinding down, two costumed beingsand eight submachine-gun armed Nazisoldiers (wearing normal Americanclothing) leave the plane by a foldingstairway at the bottom. After one roundof hasty conversation, one of the cos-tumed beings (a giant woman) leads thesoldiers across the field to the largedoors leading to the complex beneaththe field. The costumed man will fly intothe air and slowly circle the field, look-ing for costumed heroes, police, or mili-tary people to attack.

The military forces near Stagg Fieldhave heard and seen the VTOL�sapproach. They arrive shortly after itappears over the field, as noted below.

BATTLE

The costumed man and woman are twosuper-powered Nazis: Master Man� andWarrior Woman�. Warrior Woman is incharge of the mission to break into theunderground complex, steal as much aspossible, and destroy everything else.

If not interrupted, Master Man con-tinues to fly in a circle around the fielduntil the U.S. Army arrives in force.Meanwhile, Warrior Woman reaches the

doors leading to the underground com-plex, destroys them in one round, andcharges inside with her henchmen.After six rounds underground, WarriorWoman and five of her soldiers emerge(the other soldiers were killed orwounded in the raid), bearing numerouspapers and pieces of equipment. Theyhead for the VTOL plane, board it intwo rounds, summon Master Man, andtake off. It takes three rounds for theVTOL to warm up to the point that itcan fly again, once the pilot sees peoplereturning to the plane. One Luftwaffepilot (unarmed, with Typical stats) andtwo soldiers armed with submachineguns remain aboard the ship at all times.

If any heroes appear, Warrior Womandirect her soldiers to spray them withsubmachine-gun fire. She then has Mas-ter Man attack and joins in the battleherself. She attempts to subdue andcapture any heroes she can, taking themaboard the VTOL plane, If any of hermen are wounded, she will direct othersto pick them up and bring them aboardthe VTOL if possible. If Master Man isput out of action, Warrior Woman willabandon him and attempt to escape. IfWarrior Woman is knocked out, MasterMan will attack until he is defeated orhe defeats the heroes; the soldiers willflee in the meantime. Neither super-character will flee otherwise.

If any of the enemy forces escape inthe VTOL, the Liberty Legion mayattempt to pursue them using ThinMan�s special aircraft. The chase occursat night, of course, and the Judge mayadd additional problems to the fight �such as civil defense forces mistakingthe dogfighting planes for an enemyraid, which will soon produce an attackby Army Air Force fighters. If theLiberty Legion has no plane, the Nazisescape and make their way back to ahidden base in upper New York state.

If the VTOL takes a Red �Kill� roll fromany missile weapon, the main propelloron the craft has been hit. The VTOLimmediately drops from the sky andcrashes, doing Remarkable damage to alloccupants. If the ship takes more thanGood damage from any attack, a �Bull�s-Eye� result means that a passenger hasbeen injured. Select a passenger at ran-dom inside the VTOL and apply theresults of the attack damage (minus theGood body armor of the VTOL) to him.If the pilot is hit, the plane will crash atonce, as noted above.

Warrior Woman and Master Man, ifthey survive the crash of the VTOL, willstay and fight until overwhelmed oruntil they destroy all opposition and can

flee. They will then try to make theirways to an emergency hideout, run byNazi spies on the outskirts of Chicago.

Six rounds after the villains manage tobreak into the underground complex (ifallowed to do so), the Army arrives.Four large trucks, each containing eightsoldiers (armed with rifles, all as per theCampaign and Battle Books), a driver,and an officer (the latter two with pis-tols) pull up outside the field and unload.If any of the four officers fails to make aGreen Intuition FEAT roll, he assumesthat the heroes are also Nazi saboteurs,and orders his men to open fire on themas well as on the real Nazis.

AFTERMATH

Neither Warrior Woman (out of pride)nor Master Man (out of stupidity) arewilling to surrender to Allied heroes;both fight until they are unconscious orflee (as outlined above). The soldierswith these characters surrender imme-diately when both of the super-Nazis aretaken out of action.

Warrior Woman and Master Man aresimilarly hard to interrogate when cap-tured, though Master Man may acciden-tally let information slip out underquestioning if he makes a White (only)Reason FEAT roll during an interroga-tion session. Warrior Woman cannot beintimidated and refuses to talk at all ifcaught. The soldiers may be interro-gated as per the Campaign Book, p. 28.

The soldiers only know that theyarrived in the U.S. by U-boat and thatthey have been staying at a hiddenencampment in New York state. There,they were assigned to work with thetwo super-Nazis in stealing some plansfrom Stagg Field�s laboratory. Theyaren�t sure what the plans were for, butseveral guess that the Americans areworking on a poison gas bomb.

Master Man, if he slips, becomes angryand tells the heroes that they�ll regrettheir deeds �vonce der Baron hears ofzis!� He clumsily tries to cover his slip bydenying that he said anything at allabout a baron; he meant �der Führer�(i.e., Adolph Hitler). This clue is stillconfusing, as it could refer to eitherBaron Blood, Baron Zemo, or BaronStrucker, all of whom are major Nazifigures well-known to most Americanheroes. It could also mean some otherbaron, or it could be a code-name forthe Red Skull.

The information on the papers thatthe Nazis are trying to steal deals withsetting up an controlled atomic chainreaction, which is the nature of the

research going on beneath the footballfield. Some of the papers also deal withthe process of creating an uncontrolledatomic reaction, which would releaseimmense amounts of energy. Anyonemaking a Yellow Reason FEAT roll recog-nizes these facts after a short scan ofthe papers. The equipment representssamples of dampening rods used inmaintaining a stable atomic pile. None ofthe equipment is radioactive.

When the battle ends, the militarydrops a security net over the entireoperation, keeping out reporters andunauthorized civilians. Any hero whotalks indiscriminately about what he orshe has read in the stolen papers risksbeing arrested and temporarily confinedby the military police.

The Army won�t discuss the projectgoing on at Stagg Field. Once the battleis over, the heroes are asked to head forthe next high-security facility that maycome under attack. Again, transporta-tion is provided, granted that the Lib-erty Legion is not able to use Thin Man�splane. All heroes may recover twoEndurance ranks of Health on the wayto their next job. Injured or capturedheroes may be replaced, as noted above.

The Liberty Legion BowlKARMA

Stop Nazis from entering theunderground complex +50

Capture Master Man +40Capture Warrior Woman +40VTOL captured intact +20Each Nazi soldier captured +10Each Nazi soldier who

escapes -10VTOL destroyed -15Each American soldier

injured by heroes -15Loose talk about Manhattan

Project -20Each hero captured/

incapacitated by enemy -20Nazis enter underground

complex -40Master Man/Warrior

Woman escapes -40 eachPlans and equipment taken

away by Nazis -40Enemy or friendly person

killed by hero -All

Other Karma awards and penal-ties may be given out as the Judgesees fit, as per the Campaign Book.

D R A G O N 4 7

Chapter 3: U-DAY!

CAMPAIGN

Read the following to the players.

Before leaving for the nextassignment, you are given a brief �ing by an Army general. He tellsyou that the next point of Nazisabotage has been discovered tobe the Barcley Research Center,along a river near the New Yorkcoast. Your Legion is to land at aprivate airfield only five milesfrom the facility, two hours beforedawn. Two jeeps and several Armyofficers will meet you there totake you on to the center.

The buildings at the researchcenter have been evacuated.Unfortunately, much of the largerequipment cannot be moved.Rather than destroying it, theArmy wishes the Liberty Legion todefend the equipment. The equip-ment is stored in one particularbuilding. Other structures are themess hall, barracks for workersand scientists, warehouses, and soforth. Your force must be sta-tioned in the facility as best youcan before the enemy assaultbegins.

Barcley Research Center is not a his-torical location, but existed in theMarvel Universe of World War II. Themap used for the Barcley Center is theriverfront city map found with the MHAC 6, New York, New York game acces-sory. All of the labels for the buildingsshould be ignored for the purposes ofthis scenario, and should be replaced bythe following:

The Dobson/Spartan/Le Grand block isnow the main research building, wherethe most important machinery is stored.The Hayes Street Library/Museum blockis the auxiliary research building, withother equipment. The Keeler-and-Thompson/DocTech block is now theresearch center�s main office area, withlots of communications gear kept in theDocTech Labs area. The Arthur StreetBridge extends no farther than the edgeof the map, becoming another pier (andall piers are owned by the researchcenter). The three blocks near the river(Aiken�s, Brand Corp. warehouses, and

48 DECEMBER 1985

the legend block) are normal ware-houses, filled with assorted minor mate-rials like clothing, foods, regular tools,etc. The Sutherland/Manchester/Highleyblock has become the rec center, gym,and mess hall. The triangular blocks inthe lower left side of the map are entrygate buildings to the research center. Allother buildings west of Harrison Streetare barracks buildings (now empty), andall others east of Harrison Street areabandoned and empty. Ignore theprivate pier�s fence.

The main and auxiliary research build-ings are constructed of Excellent mate-rial (concrete). All other buildings areTypical in material strength (reinforcedwood). The machinery in the tworesearch buildings is made of Good-strength material, and the furniturefound anywhere in the complex is ofPoor material strength (wood). Piers andwharfs are of Typical material. All doorsin the complex are of Good strength,except for the doors on the researchbuildings, which are of Excellentstrength. The two research buildingshave no windows.

BATTLE

The heroes encounter nothing except astray dog (the camp�s mascot) as theywait through the night. The dog is acarefree mutt that barks loudly and longat any costumed being he sees (FASE =all Typical, Health = 24, bites for Gooddamage). If the dog is harmed, then thescientists who normally live at theresearch center will be angered. Thedog won�t bite unless attacked first.

As the first rays of the sun cross thesky, a wake appears in the river andapproaches the shore. Three roundslater, a conning tower from a U-boatsurfaces across from the Keeler-and-Thompson building. The sub coversthree areas, with the average width of astreet. The conning tower appears inthe center area of the three sub areas.The interior of the sub may be detailedby the Judge if desired, though it maynot be necessary for the adventure.

The body and hatches of the subma-rine are of Remarkable material. Thesub has Good control and speed.

On the round after the sub surfaces, ahatch opens and twelve Nazi sailors

The entire complex is surrounded (atmap�s edge, with the three areas in thelower left corner being excluded) by anelectrified wire fence made from Typi-cal material (Good damage if touched).No fence extends along the shoreline.

No building is higher than one story inthis complex. All weapons and ammuni-tion have been removed from the area.

All of the above information on build-ing identifications should be passed onto the players before the heroes hidethemselves in the area. The defense ofthe two research buildings is of greatestimportance.

Special note: The Army has man-aged, at the last minute, to drop offnumerous books and papers in the tworesearch buildings that are filled withfalse information. Anyone who readsthis material believes it to be no differ-ent in nature from any of the othersecret material seen in the previous twochapters. However, the information doesthem no good if they decide to use it forbuilding any nuclear devices. The Armywill not tell the heroes at any time thatthe information is false.

(treat as soldiers in all respects) climbout. Ten, equipped with one submachinegun and one special grenade each, headfor the research complex by climbingonto the Arthur Street pier from thebow of the submarine. Two other menremain on the sub, readying the deckgun mounted in front of the conningtower. Two rounds later, the gun will beready to fire (as light artillery in theCampaign Book, p. 17).

One round after the U-boat surfaces, acostumed figure leap from the wateronto the middle pier. Any hero seeingthis person recongizes him as U-Man�, arenegade Atlantean working for theNazi cause. U-Man is carrying a smallpouch of waterproof equipment, con-taining a miniature camera and severalwaterproof bags (empty). His mission isto reach the two research buildings,break inside, take pictures of any inter-esting equipment, snatch all valuable-looking documents, and destroy allremaining equipment. It takes oneround to break into a building, threerounds to take pictures, two rounds tosnatch papers, and three rounds todestroy equipment in each researchbuilding.

The ten sailors entering the complexcautiously proceed into the heart of theresearch center, searching for hatedAmericans to kill. They continue topatrol the streets until such time as U-Man finishes his tasks. When his tasksare completed, U-Man runs for theArthur Street pier, dives into the water,and leaves the scenario. The U-boat firesone warning shot from its gun over thewater; the sailors then hurl their gre-nades into as many buildings as they canto destroy them. The grenades areincendiary in nature, setting fire to allmaterials within the area they detonate(Remarkable damage, followed by tworounds of Good damage from flames).Once this is done, the sailors flee to the

U-boat, where the U-boat�s gun opensfire on the riverside offices and com-munications center, destroying themcompletely in three rounds. As the U-boat leaves, it continues to fire shellsinto the complex for six rounds, blastingall shoreline buildings into rubble.

The submarine contains eight moresailors, each armed with a pistol andhaving soldier statistics. If the subma-rine�s armor is penetrated, the sub willsink in five rounds. Each man aboardthe sub must make a Yellow EnduranceFEAT in order to escape drowning andmake it to shore. The sub captain is alsoaboard; treat him as a mercenary, as perthe Campaign Book, p. 27.

U-Man fights any costumed hero with-out a moment�s hesitation, hoping togain status in the eyes of the Reich. Hewants to capture a few heroes and bringthem alive to the submarine, where theycan then be taken to a Germandestroyer in the Atlantic and transferedto Germany. He will not retreat unlesshe has less than one-quarter of hisHealth points left; then he dives into thewater and swims to the bottom, out ofreach of the heroes.

The sailors in the complex split up intogroups of two as they patrol the streets,wondering where the Americans went.They tend to avoid closing with cos-tumed heroes, firing their sub-machineguns and throwing grenades instead. Ifone member of a team is knocked down,the other man will not leave him. Smallgroups will quickly reform into largergroups once danger threatens, and themen have been trained to set upambushes and crossfires wheneverpossible. They, too, try to captureheroes, as they stand to gain medals andpromotions for doing so. If the sailorssee U-Man knocked out of the fight, theywill flee for their U-boat without tryingto rescue him.

AFTERMATH

U-Man, like other previously capturedNazi villains, at first refuses to talk.However, if shown that other super-Nazis have been caught, he might bemade to talk according to the rules inthe Campaign Book (p. 28).

U-Man claims that he was hired byBaron Blood for this mission. He has noidea of what he�s supposed to be lookingfor and cares nothing about the Manhat-tan Project. He only wants to becomethe ruler of Atlantis, supported by hisNazi buddies. He pretends to be as coop-erative as possible, but will escape at thefirst opportunity.

The sailors with U-Man know less thanhe does. They were to raid the researchbase and destroy as much of it as possi-ble. They cannot offer more than that.

After the battle, the characters aremet by a grim Army general. The entireraid against the Barcley Research Centerwas only a feint. American intelligencenow believes that the Nazis meant forthe Americans to discover the leads tothe Barcley raid, as a second raid wentuninterrupted on the New Jersey coast.An important scientist was kidnappedby other Nazi raiders, and an experi-mental prototype of the project�sweapon was picked up.

Early reports from the area say that adense fog rolled in and hampered secu-rity efforts. Several guards were discov-ered in a dazed condition, two of themwith unusual neck wounds and severeanemia. Both soldiers are being hospital-ized, but should recover. (They will notturn into vampires later.)

The Liberty Legion and Spirit of �76are given two days off to rest. Each heromay regain up to twice his or her

Endurance rank in Health (or doublethis rate for each day spent in bed).

U-Day KARMACapture U-Man +40Prevent U-Man from enter-

ing research buildings +40Prevent sailors from bomb-

ing any buildings +30Capture U-boat intact +20Each enemy sailor captured +10U-boat destroyed No lossEach enemy sailor that

excapes -10Dog in Barcley Center.

harmed -10Each hero captured/

incapacitated -20Loose talk about Manhattan

Project -20Planted notebooks taken by

Nazis -20U-Man�s camera (with

pictures taken by Nazis -20U-Man destroys any

equipment -20U-Man escapes -40Any enemy killed -All

Other Karma awards and penal-ties may be given out as the Judgesees fit, as per the Campaign Book.Though the planted notebooks areuseless to the Nazis, Karma is stilllost for their theft, as the heroeswere to prevent such an actionanyway.

D R A G O N 4 9

Chapter 4: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

CAMPAIGN

Read the following to the players.

Two days have passed since thefight at the Barcley Research Cen-ter. You are now back in New YorkCity, and are broadcasting a spe-cial radio show featuring a conver-sation with Spirit of �76. �Six� isretelling his experiences with theCrusaders in fighting Axis aggres-sion in Europe. Suddenly, thebroadcast is jammed by a morepowerful transmitter. As the staticclears, a dreadful, hissing voicecomes from the speakers.

�Your petty broadcast has beentemporarily cancelled so that Imay issue the following ultima-tum. At this moment, I, BaronBlood, have taken control of thetop story of the Empire StateHotel, in downtown Manhattan.We have in our possession a newtype of powerful bomb, which weacquired from your own corruptand incompetent military.

�The bomb has been armed, andit is set to go off in exactly 24hours. Only I am able to stop the

50 DECEMBER 1985

bomb from exploding. I will gladlydo so if I receive news that Ameri-can troops are going to be with-drawn from Britain and Africa,and that the American govern-ment will negotiate peace with theAxis powers.

�Do not attempt to attack me! Iam able to cause the bomb toexplode at any time. The blastalone would reduce all of theLower East Side of Manhattan tosmoldering rubble. If you don'tbelieve me, ask your military sci-entists. That is all. Sieg Heil!�

The Liberty Legion is aware thatBaron Blood is a vampire and that theonly way to stop him is to destroy him.Anyone making a Green Reason FEATmay remember the sorts of devices thatslay a vampire, as listed under BaronBlood�s capsule description at the end ofthis module. Obtaining these devices in ahurry may prove difficult, however.

Dark storm clouds fill the sky outsideover New York City. Upon reaching the35-story Empire State Hotel (down thestreet from the Empire State Building),the heroes find the area jammed withspectators. Military police and New York

City cops are just now starting to arriveand are trying to cordon off the buildingand evacuate everyone from a one-blockarea around the hotel. (Remember, noone in 1944 has any idea of what sort ofbomb the Army has been working on, orwhat kind of power atomic weaponshave.) As soon as they see any costumedheroes, the police and military men willescort them to a command post set upacross the street from the hotel.

The colonel in charge of the militaryforces there is on a radio linkup to thegovernor of New York state, the mayorof the city, and President Roosevelt.After many �Yes, sirs� and �No, sirs,� theharassed colonel hangs up and tells theheroes that they've got their work cutout for them. The President, the gover-nor, and the mayor all agree that theAmerican government cannot give in tothe demands of the Nazis. The heroesmust try to disarm the bomb and bringBaron Blood and his henchmen to jus-tice. The assault on the building mustbegin as soon as possible. It is now 2 P.M.

The only map required for this adven-ture is the one appearing in the gameaccessory MH AC 6, New York, NewYork, on the inside cover of the module.Use the Manchester Hotel�s PenthouseSuite Level for the top floor of theEmpire State Hotel, only changing theroom numbers to 3501-3504. The Judge

may detail the floor further to show thelocation of furniture, potted plants,lights, electrical outlets, and so forth.The storage area is filled with cleaningsupplies, linens, spare furniture, tools,extra carpeting, wastecans, extra lightbulbs, and mops and brooms. The stairsgoing up lead to the roof.

The outside walls of the hotel are ofRemarkable-strength material (rein-forced concrete). The floors and ceilingsare also of Remarkable strength. Theinterior walls are of Typical material,and the doors are also Typical strength.Furniture is of Poor strength. Windowsare Feeble strength. The elevator doorsare of Good strength; the elevator carhas Typical armor (partially shieldingthose inside from grenade blasts), andthe elevator cables are Excellentstrength.

BATTLE

Baron Blood, his men, and the bombwere landed on the roof of the hotel thenight before by VTOL. Since then, theBaron has been using hypnosis to con-trol hotel employees and set up his baseof operations on the 35th floor.

Any costumed figure entering thebuilding during daylight (unless dis-guised or hidden) has a 95% chance ofbeing spotted by the Baron�s men. Anyflying figure is automatically seen andreported. The Baron will then turn onhis radio and announce that any inter-ference by so-called heroes will causehim to detonate the bomb in his posses-sion (see below). He avoids carrying outthis threat unless the heroes actuallybreak into the 35th floor and enter com-bat with the Nazis there.

The Baron�s men have jammed theelevator circuitry. Anyone with electri-cal or mechanical skill (or an appropri-ate super-power) may repair theelevators and use them to head for the35th floor. However, the guards outsidethe elevators on the top floor will imme-diately notice the elevator�s movementand will report it. In addition, they willforce the elevator doors open and willdrop hand grenades down upon theelevator�s roof. Forcing the elevatordoors open requires a Red StrengthFEAT roll for one man, a Yellow FEATfor two or three men, and a Green FEATroll for four or more men. One attempttakes one round.

The heroes may climb the stairs,though this will be exhausting. Heroeswith an Endurance of Excellent or bet-ter may run up the stairs without rest-

ing before battle. Those with GoodEndurance have to rest one round at thetop of the stairs before fighting (unlessan Endurance FEAT is made). Thosewith less than Good Endurance requirefrequent rests on the way up, unlesswalking. Those with Poor or worseEndurance have to rest while walkingupstairs.

A number of people may be found onthe 35th floor. Four soldiers armed withtwo grenades, a dagger, and a subma-chine gun apiece (in full SS combat uni-form) patrol the corridor outside theelevators. Three similarly equippedsoldiers stand at the top of the staircaseby the storage room door; two othersoldiers are on the building�s roof (whichis flat and has two air ducts, withoutelevator access), looking over the edge ofthe building with binoculars. In addi-tion, the super-powered Iron Cross� isalso on the roof, watching for aircraft. AVTOL similar to the one used in Chapter2 is parked on the roof beside an airduct. No military aircraft have flownover the building yet, so the VTOLhasn't been spotted. The VTOL pilot isresting inside the plane, which alsocontains the radio transmitter.

Suite 3501 has been turned into atemporary cell for captured hotelemployees and guests. Two bellboys, twomarried couples, a businessman, and a

maid are being kept here under guardby two other soldiers, equipped asabove. The guards are not prone to usetheir weapons to kill their prisoners,preferring to use them on any heroesthey see. If any heroes attempt to breakinto the room, the businessman (an ex-NYC cop, using police statistics in theCampaign Book) will join the fight.

Suite 3502 contains the bomb, a primi-tive fission device looking like a large,wired-up crate (weighing 400 lbs.). It�sguarded by three soldiers and BaronBlood. In addition, the scientist capturedin Chapter 3, Dr. Horatio Martin, ispresent. He is the only man who candefuse the bomb, a process that takesonly two rounds unless Baron Blood haspushed the red button on top of thebomb. If this happens, the bomb willexplode in twenty rounds. (Defusing itthen takes four rounds.) Baron Bloodwill then order all Nazi soldiers andsuper-characters to the roof, where theywill board the VTOL and escape. How-ever, Baron Blood will drop Dr. Martinoff the roof before he goes, so that noone will be able to stop the explosion. Ahero with knowledge of electrical work-ings can disarm the bomb after sixrounds of work on a Yellow ReasonFEAT roll. Certain mutations or powersmight also be helpful.

The power of the bomb is determined

DR A G O N 51

by the relative success or failure of theheroes in the previous chapters. Thebomb is not well designed and wouldnot normally produce the enormousfireball that we are accustomed to see-ing. The bomb is powerful enough togenerate partial fission if the Axis super-agents have gathered enough informa-tion from the Americans beforehand.

The bomb has a basic destructivepower that is augmented as outlinedbelow. At present, the bomb cannotgenerate a nuclear blast, but the explo-sive casing around the bomb can scatterradioactive material across the 35thfloor and out through the windows intothe streets below. The blast causesIncredible damage to anyone in thesame area with the bomb, Remarkabledamage to all one area away, and Gooddamage to anything two or three areasaway. The radioactive material doesFeeble damage to anyone within thearea where the bomb explodes and allareas immediately adjacent to it; thisdamage is taken every round until theaffected characters leave the area andclean themselves off. The blast alsosmashes the roof and floor of the room.

The theft of the notebooks in Chapter1, the theft of material from the StaggField station in Chapter 2, and the pic-tures taken by U-Man in Chapter 3 eachcontribute to the power of the bomb. Ifonly one of the above incidents occurs,the bomb will function as above, but theradioactive material spread around thearea will do Poor damage every round(as it has been better refined). If onlytwo of the above incidents occur, theblast will do Amazing damage to thearea in which it rests, Incredible damageto all things one or two areas away,Excellent damage to all out to fourareas, and Typical damage out to sixareas. The radioactive material from thebomb�s core will do Poor damage everyround as above, to anyone who entersthe blast zone.

If all three incidents occur, the bombwill be capable of partial fission. Thefireball will destroy the upper five floorsof the hotel, showering a wide area ofManhattan with radioactive debris andbroken concrete. Dozens of people willbe killed, hundreds will be injured, andmilitary authorities will take days toclean the area up. The incident will spurAmerica�s war effort, greatly angeringthe people and the government, and willturn an already terrible war into one ofgreat savagery. Moves will be made tospeed development of the atomic bomb,with the intent of using the first oneagainst Berlin in late 1944. The Judge

52 DECEMBER 1985

should handle these developments as heor she sees fit.

The blast does Unearthly damage toanyone within five areas of the center ofthe explosion. The damage decreasesover area until it reaches Poor levels attwenty areas away. The fallout from theblast does Poor damage every round toanyone in the building, and does Feebledamage to anyone within the area of theblast across Manhattan every hour, untilcleaned up. Baron Blood and all whoescaped in the VTOL are not affected.

However, if the misleading documentsin Chapter 3 are stolen by U-Man orothers, the power of the bomb isdropped by one level. The base powerof the bomb cannot be reduced beyondthe lowest level mentioned above.

At present, Dr. Martin is under BaronBlood�s hypnotic control. He has beenputting the finishing touches on thebomb, using the materials that theBaron has had stolen by others. He willnot fight any costumed heroes, as he istoo aware of his poor physical condition(FASE scores are all Poor; Reason isRemarkable in nuclear physics andExcellent otherwise; IP scores are eachGood).

Suite 3503 has been converted into atemporary barracks for Nazi soldiers.Two soldiers are present, resting fromtheir tour of guard duty. Their equip-ment and weapons lie by their beds. Abackpack beneath one bed contains$52,000 in cash, jewelry, and other valu-ables stolen from the people on thisfloor. Suite 3504 is not in use, though ithas been searched for valuables.

Baron Blood can use the storm toattack heroes with lightning bolts(requiring a Green Agility FEAT roll) orwind storms. He makes maximum use ofall of his powers in a conflict, alwaysacting with cunning and malign intent.

AFTERMATH

The aftereffects of the bomb explosionare detailed above. Once the heroeshave managed to prevent the explosion,the Army will be pleased, but will pres-sure the heroes to say as little as possi-ble about the incident, for reasons ofnational security. Presidential citationswill come, though the citations will becarefully worded to avoid mentioningthe incident directly.

A news blackout is imposed on thewhole adventure, with the Army simplyrefusing to discuss any details of theepisode. The heroes have to play along,never discussing the fact that they. foiledthe first nuclear ransom.

Iron Cross, if defeated and captured,

talks as outlined in the Campaign Book(p. 28). He knows only that he was toguard the bomb, about which he knowsnothing, and assist Baron Blood in anymanner that he could.

Baron Blood never reveals the detailsof his mission. He will not stand to becaptured, and will fight until slain oruntil he escapes. He has no interest incapturing a hero � he only wishes todrain them of blood and turn them intovampires for the cause of the Axispowers! Because she can fly and israther attractive, he has his eyes set onMiss America in particular for a role ashis vampiric assistant.

The soldiers know nothing about thebomb. They were brought along only toassist the Baron in any ways they could.

Dr. Martin remembers little about hiscaptivity, except that he is ashamed thathe served Baron Blood so willingly (evenif he didn�t mean to do so).

Once the adventure ends, Spirit of �76will return to Britain and the Crusaders.The Liberty Legion members will begiven a rest for a few days � but theyhave a war bond rally at Yankee Stadiumcoming up. . . .

The Final CountdownKARMA

Prevent bomb fromexploding + 100

Iron Cross captured +40Doctor Martin rescued +30VTOL captured intact +20Each captive rescued from

Nazis +10Each Nazi soldier captured +10Baron Blood slain No lossEach Nazi soldier escaping -10VTOL destroyed -15Each hero captured,

incapacitated, or controlled(by Baron Blood) -20

Loose talk about theadventure -25

Dr. Martin killed byBaron Blood -30

Dr. Martin injured byheroes -30

Iron Cross escapes -40Bomb explodes

(non-nuclear) -50Baron Blood escapes -50Enemy or friendly person

killed by heroes -All (forkiller)

Bomb explodes (nuclear) -All (forentire group)

Other Karma awards and penaltiesmay be given out as the Judge seesfit, as per the Campaign Book.

SUDDEN DAWN�S VILLAINS

BARON BLOOD�Lord John FalsworthAgent of the Super-Axis

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)Agility: REMARKABLE (30)Strength: REMARKABLE (30)Endurance: INCREDIBLE (40)Reason: GOOD (10)Intuition: EXCELLENT (20)Psyche: REMARKABLE (30)

Health: 120Karma: 60Resources: EXCELLENT

(backed by Nazi Germany)Popularity: -30 (in U.S.A.)

Powers:

ANIMAL CONTROL. Baron Blood is able to summon andcompletely control bats, rats, mice, and wolves. This poweris Incredible in nature. A swarm of bats, rats, or mice arriveson the round following the start of his summons, and attacksany one area the Baron desires within four areas of himself.The swarm has the following statistics:F A S EGood Typi Feeb Exce

If a hero inflicts 38 points of damage on the swarm ofcreatures, it disperses and is gone. A swarm only attacksthose in the area the Baron designates, and does Typicaldamage to everyone in that area every round. The swarmalways gains initiative. Those leaving the area continue to beattacked (rats have Feeble and bats Typical Speed).

If wolves are available, use the statistics for Guard Dogs inthe Campaign Book, p. 30. Wolves, as above, only attackthose within a particular area the Baron designates within afour-area radius of himself.

FLIGHT. Baron Blood is able to fly without transforminghimself into a bat. He can move 6 areas per round in thismanner, which may be a form of psionic levitation.

HYPNOTISM. Anyone looking at Baron Blood for longer thanone round must make a Psyche FEAT roll to avoid beinghypnotized by him and falling under his complete control. ARed FEAT is required if one�s Psyche is less than Remarkable;a Yellow FEAT is needed if one�s Psyche is Remarkable, and aGreen FEAT if one has a Psyche of Incredible or better. Hyp-nosis lasts six rounds, but the Baron must not fight.

POISON RESISTANCE. Any toxic substance eaten or injectedinto Baron Blood�s system affects him normally, but is notcapable of causing his death. Assume that he always has atleast 8 Health points left, no matter how large a dose of poi-son is given him.

REGENERATION. Baron Blood�s regenerative powers areUnearthly in nature, allowing him to recover up to 100Health points at the beginning of each round. He loses thispower in direct sunlight. This power does not operateagainst certain attack forms described below and cannot beused to regenerate lost limbs.

VAMPIRIC BITE: If Baron Blood is able to make a Red FEATroll on the Grappling table, he can bite his held victim anddrain him or her of blood. The bite inflicts Typical damageevery round, but if the hold isn�t broken before the victimdies, the victim�s body will arise in three days as a vampire.Anyone who suffers a loss of over half his or her Health to avampire�s bite will develop into a vampire in 2-20 weeks,being under the complete influence of the attacking vampireuntil then. The lost Health cannot be recovered, and themedical science of the 1940s cannot stop the onset of vampir-

D R A G O N 5 3

ism. Note that aliens, robots, androids, and nonhumans Background: Baron Blood was a member of the British(including Jack Frost) cannot become vampires and cannotbe drained of blood in this manner.

aristocracy, a young nobleman who sought the tomb ofDracula in hopes of reviving and controlling him. Unfortu-

WEATHER CONTROL. Baron Blood can control weather withRemarkable ability; he can be assumed to control all theweather upon any particular campaign map that he occu-pies. Fog reduces visibility to a one-area radius around acharacter. Heat waves and cold snaps would cause Feebledamage to everyone with an Endurance of Typical or less.Baron Blood can summon lightning once per three turns(Remarkable damage), cause winds of Remarkable strength(forcing heroes with Excellent flight or less to land or crash),or produce rain, hail, or snow for five rounds.

VULNERABILITIES. Though he is an exceptionally powerfulvampire, Baron Blood has certain vulnerabilities that arecommon to all such creatures. He can tolerate brief periodsof sunlight (up to half an hour) without harm, due to cos-metic surgery performed upon him by Nazi scientists. If heremains in sunlight beyond this period, his FASE scores suf-fer a loss of one rank each for every two rounds he con-tinues to stay in direct sunlight (to a minimum of Poor).When all of his scores reach the minimum of Poor (Health =8), he disintegrates in the following round and turns intodust. Unless the dust is scattered (which will permanentlydestroy Baron Blood), the dust will mystically reform into theBaron in five rounds, once placed in darkness.

Baron Blood must satisfy his craving for fresh blood atleast once every other day. It is assumed that the Nazis aresupplying him with fresh blood during the course of thisadventure, though he might not be adverse to taking somefrom a hero.

Though most vampires become comatose in daylight,Baron Blood is able to operate normally during the day. Hemust spend some time asleep, however, in a coffin filled withsoil from England. Unlike other vampires, Baron Blood can-not shapechange due to his operation.

Baron Blood will not come closer than one area to anyonewho wears garlic or holds aloft a religious symbol in whichthe bearer has faith. The touch of a holy symbol wielded bya true believer causes damage equal to the attacker's Psycherank. Baron Blood avoids mirrors, though they cause him noharm, because he casts no reflection in them. His imagecannot be captured on photographic film.

Weapons made of silver or wood cause Baron Blood greatpain, and he actively avoids combat with anyone using suchdevices � even fleeing if necessary. Running a wooden stakeor silver blade into his heart (a Red FEAT on the Hack-&-Slash chart) instantly slays the Baron, but removing theweapon from his body causes him to come to life again, evenif his body has fallen into dust. This process takes only fiverounds. Baron Blood cannot regenerate damage from a heartstrike until the weapon is removed. Beheading the Baron(requiring a Red FEAT roll with a large bladed weapon and atleast Excellent Strength, using the Hack&-Slash chart) alsokills him.

Baron Blood was not permanently destroyed until longafter the end of the Second World War, when CaptainAmerica finished his career. For the purposes of this module,killing the Baron in one of the above ways should be suitable,so his death will not be permanent. His family will wish hisremains returned for burial in England.

nately, Dracula bit and killed Lord Falsworth, turning himinto a vampire. Lord Falsworth was sent to Britain beforeWorld War I to wreak havoc, and he became an assassin forthe Germans, killing many high-ranking British leaders.Wounded by the first Union Jack�, Baron Blood (as he wascode-named by the Germans) fled. He made contact with theNazis during their rise to power, was operated on to gainspecial powers at the cost of his other abilities, and returnedto England. He again started a reign of terror, which wasended by the Invaders and Union Jack. He was resurrected,however, and joined the Super-Axis cause.

Baron Blood has no compunctions about killing and is aninhumanly evil foe. He hates British figures, especially thoseof the aristocracy.

AGENT AXIS�Real name unknownSuper-Axis spy

Fighting: REMARKABLE (30)Agility: REMARKABLE (30)Strength: EXCELLENT (20)Endurance: EXCELLENT (20)

Health: 100Karma: 46

Reason: GOOD (10)Intuition: REMARKABLE (30)

Resources: EXCELLENT(backed by Axis powers)

Popularity: -5 (in U.S.A.)

Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Powers: No special powers

Talents: Agent Axis is an expert with all forms of firearmsand sharp weapons. He is also a marksman and excels inmartial arts and wrestling. His Reason in military matters isExcellent, and he has Incredible Reason in espionage.

Background: Agent Axis was the product of the accidentalmerging of three master spies (one German, one Italian, andone Japanese) into one body. He is now employed by theintelligence services of all three Axis powers.

MASTER MAN�Wilhelm LohmerAgent of the Super-Axis

Fighting: INCREDIBLE (40) Health: 120Agility: GOOD (10) Karma: 12Strength: REMARKABLE (30) Resources: GOODEndurance: INCREDIBLE (40) (backed by Nazi Germany)Reason: POOR (4) Popularity: -5 (in U.S.A.)Intuition: POOR (4)Psyche: POOR (4)

Powers:

FLIGHT. Master Man can fly at 6 areas per round withTypical control and agility in the air.

Talents: Baron Blood has Excellent Reason in matters of theoccult.

Talents: None

Background: Wilhelm Lohmer was injected with a Nazi-produced variant of the Super-Soldier formula that gaveCaptain America his powers. The formula gave him thepower of flight in addition to increasing his physical abilities.Master Man is prone to take orders from any (Nazi) authorityfigure and is not very intelligent. An arrogant fighter, hehates the Liberty Legion with a passion.

54 DECEMBER 1985

WARRIOR WOMAN�Frieda RatselAgent of the Super-Axis

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)Agility: GOOD (10)Strength: INCREDIBLE (40)Endurance: INCREDIBLE (40)Reason: GOOD (10)Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Health: 110Karma: 26Resources: GOOD

(backed by Nazi Germany)Popularity: -5 (in U.S.A.)

Powers:HYPNOTISM. Frau Ratsel is highly skilled at hypnotism. Ifshe can work with a captured or willing subject, she canforce the victim to tell her any information he knows, unlessthe victim makes a Yellow Psyche FEAT roll. Only one roll ismade per victim per day.

Talents: Frau Ratsel has Excellent knowledge of espionage,having been a spy before she gained super-powers.

Background: Frau Ratsel received another variation on theSuper-Soldier formula, growing to 10' in height as a result ofa laboratory accident. She hates all men except for theFuhrer, and is sadistic in nature. Warrior Woman sometimesuses a whip (range: one area; Typical material; Incredibledamage; can entangle foes on a Bull�s-Eye).

D R A G O N 5 5

U-MAN�MerannoCitizen of Atlantis

Fighting: REMARKABLE (30)Agility: EXCELLENT (20)Strength: AMAZING (50)Endurance: REMARKABLE (30)Reason: TYPICAL (6)Intuition: TYPICAL (6)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Health: 130Karma: 18Resources: GOOD

(backed by Nazi Germany)Popularity: -5 (in U.S.A.)

Powers:

ATLANTEAN POWERS. Meranno is an Atlantean, and as suchhe can breathe underwater indefinitely through his gills andswim at 5 areas per round. He can move around on land inthe open air, but takes 1 point of damage every round forthe first 20 rounds (10 minutes) that he is on the surface.After that, he takes 10 points of damage per round fromsuffocation until he can get to the water again. In addition,his FASERIP abilities shift down one rank every two rounds;again, this occurs only after the first 10 minutes out ofwater, and will reverse itself once he is in water again.

Meranno�s vision is sensitive to green light, allowing him tosee well underwater.

DENSE FLESH. Meranno has Excellent body armor from histhick skin, and has Excellent resistance to cold.

Talents: None

Background: Meranno managed to artificially heighten hisstrength. In exchange for his work in defeating the Allies, hewas to be made ruler of Atlantis by the Nazis, in place of hishated enemy, the Sub-Mariner.

IRON CROSS�Helmut GrulerAgent of the Super-Axis

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)Agility: POOR (4)Strength: GOOD (10)/

INCREDIBLE (40)Endurance: GOOD (10)/

REMARKABLE (30)Reason: TYPICAL (6)Intuition: POOR (4)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Health: 44/94Karma: 16Resources: GOOD

(backed by Nazi Germany)Popularity: -5 (in U.S.A.)

Resources: GOOD (backed by Nazi Germany)Popularity: -5 (in U.S.A.)

Powers:

BATTLE SUIT. All of Iron Cross�s powers come from hisarmored battle suit, which enhances his Strength, Endur-ance, and Health. The suit allows Iron Cross to fly at 6 areasper round with Typical control, and grants him Remarkableprotection against physical attacks and Good protection fromenergy attacks. Furthermore, the gauntlets of the suit fireeither electrical bolts or beams of intense cold. These doRemarkable damage at a 3-area range. The suit can dis-charge sleeping gas to cover the area in which he is standing(Yellow Endurance FEAT required to withstand the effects)and has fire extinguishers of Excellent power.

56 DECEMBER 1985

If his armor takes damage from heat or fire, it must makea yellow FEAT roll (on the Good column) or else the circuitswill fuse, rendering the armor immobile and nonfunctional.

Talents: None

Background: Helmut Gruler is a German champion whowears a suit of armor created by Professor Franz Schneider.He is fanatically loyal to the German cause and despises allAllied heroes.

Average Nazi soldier

Fighting: GOOD (10)Agility: TYPICAL (6)Strength: TYPICAL (6)Endurance: GOOD (10)Reason: TYPICAL (6)Intuition: TYPICAL (6)Psyche: POOR (4)

Health: 32Karma: 16Resources: TYPICALPopularity: -1 (in U.S.A.)

Talents: Military skill; also, shift to right one column whenusing knives, handguns, rifles, or submachine guns. See theBattle Book (p. 14) and the Campaign Book (p. 17) for moreinformation on weaponry available to soldiers. The Judgemay have selected soldiers with other talents, such as Marks-man, Weapon Master, Martial Arts, Wrestling, ThrownWeapons, Blunt Weapons, and so forth.

Average Nazi secret agent

Fighting: GOOD (10)Agility: TYPICAL (6)Strength: TYPICAL (6)Endurance: GOOD (6)Reason: GOOD (10)Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Health: 28Karma: 26Resources: TYPICALPopularity: -3 (in U.S.A.)

Talents: Each agent has one or two weapons (usually ahandgun or knife) with which he shifts one column to theright. Agents also have Excellent knowledge of espionagematters. See the Battle Book (p. 14) and the Campaign Book(p. 17) for more information on weaponry.

A Selected Bibliography

The full story of the creation of the Liberty Legion may befound in the following magazines: Marvel Premiere� #29(April 1976), The Invaders� #6 (May 1976), and MarvelPremiere #30 (June 1976). Spirit of �76 and his allies in theCrusaders made their first appearance in The Invaders #14(March 1977). Various issues of The Invaders comics detailedother Allied and Axis characters who fought on the battle-fields of World War II.

Credits

Designed by Wild William TracyEdited and developed by Rickety Roger Moore, with proof-

reading assistance by Pugnacious Pat Price.Illustrations by the Mighty Marvel Bullpen and Jumbo Jeff

ButlerProduction work by Rapid Roger Raupp and Kwik Kim

LindauSpecial assistance from �Indiana Harold� Johnson and

Delightful Deborah Highley.

DRAGON 57

Spy�s adviceQuestions and answers on the TOP SECRET® gameby Merle M. Rasmussen

Note: Unless otherwise stated, all pagenumbers given in this article refer to theTOP SECRET® rule book, specifically thesecond and later editions. — Editor

What happens if an agent leaves his spyagency and starts his own investigation,assassination, or confiscation business?

At one time, an agent who quit a servicewas considered to be a defector. Today,“going private” and becoming a “corporatespook” are options for agents who resign orare let go by their agency. Espionage is notas financially secure a business as it oncewas, but private individuals and corpora-tions are finding it increasingly necessary tohire persons with espionage and counter-espionage related job skills.

A self-employed professional agent whoworks for the highest bidder is called an“independent.”Extremely mercenary innature, the independent usually works formoney only, prefers verbal contacts, anddoesn’t like being sold out.

Could an agent get to use weapons likeVulcan cannons, bazookas, heat-seekingmissiles, military aircraft, tanks, anti-aircraft weapons, destroyers, bulletproofattack helicopters, mortars, homing rock-ets, guided missiles, and the like?

Yes, but such hardware would very rarelybe issued to agents. The TOP SECRETgame is not a military role-playing game,and official statistics on most military ordi-nance are not currently available. If anagent encounters such equipment in thefield, the local Administrator will have todecide on weapon characteristics andwhether to allow the agent to keep suchdevices. Keep in mind the game balance

UZI TABLERange modifierS M L WS Rate Cost A CWeapon (mode) PWV

Machine pistolsMini-Uzi (SA) 56Min i -Uz i (FA) 68

Submachine guns10.2” brl. (SA) 60 210.2” brl. (FA) 72 59.2” brl. (SA) 58 BA 2

6 4 15 4 1

9.2” brl. (FA) 70 5

Carbines16.1” brl. (SA) 74 S10.2” brl. (SA) 62

PB

+3+3

+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4

+5 - 1 6 - 8 0 -240+5 - 1 6 - 8 0 -240

- 1 7 - 8 7 - 260- 1 7 - 8 7 - 260

- 1 7 - 8 3 - 250- 1 7 - 8 3 - 250- 1 7 - 8 3 - 250- 1 7 - 8 3 - 250

AA

BABA

E

310

2 280 18 0 5 4 3 -24(NC) 12 8.4 3.8S 2 250 12 0 5 4 3 - 1 2 11 7.7 3.5

300 10 2300 10 2

300 12 0300 12 0305 11 1305 11 1

F P R DECP WWV WP WK

5 4 1 - 8 8 5.84 2.656 4 1 - 8 8 5.84 2.65

5 4 1 - 1 2 10 7.7 3.5- 1 2 10 7.7 3.5- 1 0 9 7.48 3.4

6 4 1 - 1 0 9 7.48 3.4

For an explanation of most of these abbreviations, see the Weapons Chart (pp. 21-23). SA = semi-automatic; FA = full automatic;” brl. = barrel length in inches; WP = weight in pounds; WK = weight in kilograms

and one’s own personal campaign limits.

What about lasers and other advancedequipment and weaponry? What statis-tics should such devices have in thegame?

As noted in the answer given above,equipment like laser weaponry would al-most never be issued to agents, and lasersand electromagnetic weapons (such as port-able nuclear accelerators) have no officialstatistics. I do suggest that in your owncampaign a defensive device be provided foreach offensive device introduced. Check outthe STAR FRONTIERS® game rules forsuggested game effects.

When a car is fired upon, how do youdetermine where the bullets strike thevehicle?

Refer to the Bullet Use Against VehiclesTable (page 38) and interpret the results todetermine hit location. If the result is SpeedReduced 50%, Loss of Control, CannotMove, or Will Crash, the shot probably hita tire, If the result is Speed Reduced 50%or Cannot Move, the engine may have beenhit. If the result is Loss of Control or WillCrash, the steering system may have beendamaged. If the result is Speed Reduced50%, Loss of Control, or Will Crash, andthe vehicle was shot at night, one or bothheadlights may have been shot out; duringdaylight, the windshield may have beenshattered. If the result is Explodes, the fueltank is ruptured. If the result is No Dam-age, the body of the car is hit, but no otherdamage occurs. If you’d like, roll on theGeneral Injury Determination Table (page25), substituting car body locations forhuman body locations, as follows:

head/neck = front bumper/grillarm = front fender/hoodhand = headlight/signalchest = lower front doorupper back = front door windowabdomen = lower rear doorlower back = rear door windowleg = rear fender/trunkfoot = rear light/signal

Finally, check the “called shots” para-graph under the section on bullet useagainst vehicles (page 38).

Can you give us more information onthe Uzi and its variations?

Due to the overwhelming controversyconcerning whether Uzis are concealable ornot, I re-examined its weapon statistics.During my research on the Uzi submachinegun, I came across statistics for the Uzisemi-automatic carbine and the Mini-Uzi.This data caused me to correct the subma-chine gun statistics. To show how compli-cated giving statistics for various kinds ofguns can be, I developed the table givenbelow showing 9mm Uzis, with variousfiring modes and barrel lengths. I hope theinformation will be of great use and interestto all agents.

Stock modifications: If the metal stock ofany Uzi weapon is unfolded and placedagainst the shoulder, its PWV is increasedby + 10 and deception is reduced by - 12.

Barrel lengths: The semi-automatic car-bine is available in two barrel lengths; long(410mm) and short (260mm). The SecretService of the United States has taken 1” offthe barrel of the Uzi submachine gun, so itcan be hidden in a briefcase or under araincoat; it can be fired accurately andeffectively at close or long range with one

58 DECEMBER 1985

DRAGON 59

hand.Type of fire: The submachine gun and

Mini-Uzi have selective fire, which meansthey can be instantly switched between fulland semi-automatic firing modes. For thepurpose of game balance, all full automaticrates of fire have been halved. Even at thisreduced rate, 32 rounds of ammunition willlast just over three seconds in the Mini-Uziif the trigger is held down.

Ammunition: All Uzis are manufacturedby Israel Military Industries (IMI), and use9mm Parabellum ammunition in staggered-box type magazines holding either 20, 25,or 32 rounds. A 32-round clip extends wellbelow the pistol grip but does not adverselyaffect concealment.

Magazine weights: The following tablegives approximate values for magazineweights, depending on the type of ammuni-tion used (normally standard lead).

No. of Empty Loadedrounds WO WG WO WG

20 6.2 175 15.9 45025 7.0 200 17.3 49032 7.8 220 21.2 660

WO = weight in ouncesWG = weight in grams

Accessories: Several accessories can bepurchased for either the semi-automaticcarbine or the submachine gun. Amongthese accessories are a scope mount ($50 forcarbine, $100 for submachine gun), a mag-azine clip to join two magazines together inan �L� configuration ($1), canvas magazinepouches ($10), a spotting light that mountson the barrel ($15), a bayonet and scabbardthat mounts on the barrel ($50), and awooden stock ($20).

The magazine clip allows for fast maga-zine changes (3 phases). The canvas maga-zine pouch will hold ten 32-roundmagazines joined in pairs with a magazineclip. The battery-powered spotting lightshines for a total of 30 minutes and in-creases the weapon�s PWV in darkness by+ 10 per shot. The attached bayonet andscabbard will not affect the balance of theweapon; the weapon can then be used like asword in hand-to-hand combat. The

wooden stock replaces the metal foldingstock. All Deception values given for theUzis are without the stocks extended.

Restrictions: The Uzi semi-automaticcarbine is the only Uzi weapon that can belegally purchased in Canada or the U.S.A.by the average citizen. In America, it iscategorized as a sports carbine and can bepurchased without a pistol permit. In Can-ada, the weapon is considered a restrictedweapon; a gun permit is required to possessand carry it. Average citizens in the twocountries are prohibited from possessing theUzi submachine gun and Mini-Uzi.

At what point does an object, usually aweapon, change from having a numericalDeception Modifier to a rating of �NoConcealment� (NC)? How can you jus-tify modifying someone�s Deception valuebecause they are carrying a weapon?

Concealment is a relative thing depend-ing on many outside factors. Generally, anaverage person wearing a long coat or rain-coat can conceal most non-bulky objects orweapons up to the equivalent of a barrellength of 11� to 12.5�. Somewhere betweena Deception Modifier of -14 and -17,objects become very difficult to conceal. Atthat point, an agent might just as well carrythe weapon out in the open past the securityguard. (However, concealment might workwhen bundled against the weather in Sibe-ria.) The agent�s Deception value is reducedenough by the undisguised object that theaverage viewer will know what the agent iscarrying. Imagine how obvious carryingmore than one weapon becomes with theadditional Deception modifiers applied! Ifthe agent is in a sauna, his trenchcoat willgive him away even sooner.

By this definition of �No Concealment,�most of the submachine guns on the Weap-ons Chart would have a Deception Modifierof -8. The .45 Thompson without its drummagazine would be -14, almost visible.The 9mm Uzi, with the statistics correctedabove, would have a Deception Modifier of-12. Unfortunately, the carbines, rifles,assault rifles, shotguns, and other weaponslisted as NC will remain visible with modi-fiers between -20 and -40. One exceptionmight be the 5.56mm NATO CAR-15,

60 DECEMBER 1985

with a Deception Modifier of -16.

When firing two weapons, is the hitdetermination modifier -30 for eachgun?

No wonder you�re confused. Part of thesecond paragraph under Hit Determinationon page 23 is missing. The paragraphshould read, �The various modifiers arelisted below. Starting with the Offense valueof the character, add the Projectile Weaponvalue of that particular weapon and thenadd the bonuses and subtract the penaltiesappropriate to the situation for each shotmade. The result will be the percentagechance of striking the target.� If you fireboth weapons during a combat phase, thereis a -30 penalty for each shot fired.

Agent A has a NATO FAL and Agent Bhas a Thompson. Both decide to fire afull burst at each other. Agent A fires firstat Agent B, killing him. Does the FALfire the extra two rounds, and theThompson five, or can the agentstheir fire to save ammunition?

hold

Since Agent A decided to fire a burstbefore combat began, all 3 bullets are fired.Since Agent B was killed before he had achance to pull the trigger, his five bulletswere never fired. If Agent B had been anNPC, the Administrator could have thedying agent rattle off live harmless shells fordramatic effect.

Does an increase in Charm increase theDeception as well?

Yes. Permanent changes in PrimaryPersonal Traits affect Secondary and Ter-tiary Personal Traits. Permanent changes inSecondary Personal Traits affect TertiaryPersonal Traits. Temporary effects, such asa lowered Life Level or reduced Deception,may not affect other traits.

What kind of guns did they use on�The Man from U.N.C.L.E.� televisionshow?

U.N.C.L.E. stands for �United NetworkCommand for Law Enforcement.� TheAmerican TV series featured a modified9mm Walther P-38, complete with barrelextension, muzzle brake, silencer, and stockextension. It could also be fitted with atelescopic sight. Yes, scopes may be placedon handguns.

Can Fortune and Fame points be usedagainst executions? Or if the agent wasstanding next to a tremendous explosion?

Yes, as long as the agent can give theAdministrator a logical reason why theintended harm should not occur.

When you wrote that rifles may bescoped, did you also mean assault rifles?

Yes, assault rifles may be scoped. Pistols,carbines, rifles, shotguns, spearguns, andcrossbows can all be scoped. Ball-point penguns, submachine guns, machine pistols,bows, slingshots, blowguns, air (pellet)guns, and dart guns cannot be effectivelyscoped.

HAROLDJOHNSON.

In the dead of night, whengame designers are asleep intheir beds, visions of new modulesdancing in their dreams, one man,a figure shrouded in mystery, sitsat his lonely desk in the TSR build-ing, patiently reviewing manu-scripts. Every so often, this shadowyfigure scratches a comment on thepaper, then reads on.

Meet Harold “Wisconsin” Johnson. TSR’s Director of Game Design. Youmay not know his name, but he is animportant contributor to every game,module, and accessory published byTSR.

Harold supervises all of the TSR staffgame designers: David “Zeb” Cook,Doug Niles, Tracy Hick-

man, and Jeff Grubb. He also man-ages the Acquisition Department, staffedby Jon Pickens and Bruce Heard. Haroldhas final responsibility for all games andgame accessories published by TSR, andalso decides what specific items the com-pany will publish each year.

As you might imagine, Harold is verybusy, running from meeting to meetingwith a harried expression on his face, hismemo pad filled with a thousand notesconcerning each product in development.One minute he is checking final typesettingin the Graphic Arts Department, the next heis deep in conversation with a designer,helping him solve a major technical prob-lem. Harold’s eye for detail is legendary.“I’m a very good proofreader,” he saysmodestly.

Harold was born in Evanston, Illinois. Heattended Northwestern University and gothis B.S. in Biology in 1977. He was intro-duced to his first D&D® game in 1976 byfriends in Nebraska, and he quickly becamean avid player. In 1977, he attended hisfirst GEN CON® convention in take Geneva.“I was very surprised to find that TSR waslocated so close to Chicago,” he said.

When he graduated from college, Haroldworked at odd jobs, continued to playgames, and thought about his future. In thefall of 1978, he saw an ad in DRAGON®Magazine for a job as a Games Editor atTSR. He applied and got an interview, butwasn’t selected. Refusing to become dis-couraged, he applied again for another jobas a Game Designer. This time, he got the

offer, but before he joined the company,TSR asked him to become an editor, be-cause they needed an editor more than theyneeded another designer just then. Haroldaccepted, with the promise that he couldtransfer into game design. . . . but his fu-ture beckoned in a different direction. His first assignment was as Copy Editor

on the Dungeon Masters Guide, to whichhe contributed the rules on destroying arti-facts. At the same time, he began workingon a tournament module that later becameCl, Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan. “Thatwas to prove to the company I could write,"he says. He also created all the PC and NPCcharacter record sheets for the AD&D®game system.

Less than seven months after Haroldjoined TSR; he was promoted to Manager ofProduction, with responsibility for editing,layout, and dealing with the printers —from design turnover to manufacturingturnover. This was the year that TSR’sgrowth really took off, and the companyjumped past the $1 million mark and kepton growing. In the years that followed,Harold was at various times Assistant tothe Vice President for Research & Develop-ment, Manager of Game Design, and Man-ager of Editing.

In 1982, Harold was promoted to Direc-tor of Games Research & Development, aposition he has held ever since. The sameyear, he married his wife V.J., and in 1984they had their first child, Allison.

During his tenure with the company,Harold has been responsible for hiringFrank Mentzer, Jon Pickens, Tracy Hickman,Pat Price, and many others. Although hisfirst love has always been game design, hismanagement responsibilities have carried

for the DRAGONLANCE® line.Harold’s eagle eye, experience, and

knowledge of game design have earnedhim the respect of peers and subordinates.“Harold has the ability to find any weakpoint that lurks in a design,” said JeffGrubb. “He has contributed to every designthat has come out of this department.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cl HIDDEN SHRINE OF TAMOACHANCl HIDDEN SHRINE OF TAMOACHANA2 SECRET OF THE SLAVER�SA2 SECRET OF THE SLAVER�S

STOCKADESTOCKADEIJAC1 JUDGE�S SURVIVAL PACKIJAC1 JUDGE�S SURVIVAL PACKIJ4 THE GOLDEN GODDESSIJ4 THE GOLDEN GODDESS

him away from his ownwork to provide mentoring,oversight, and direction toothers. He has hadcredited role in many projects, in-cluding co-creation of the concept

is important for my work.”

DAVID "ZEB"COOK

“He who dies with the most toys, wins.”This is the motto of David “Zeb” Cook,

Senior Game Designer of TSR, Inc. Zeb, ashe is generally known, is working hard towin. His mammoth collection of toy robotsand plastic Japanese monsters has threat-ened to completely take over his office.

Zeb is perhaps the most versatile gamedesigner at TSR, having created role-play-ing games, modules, family board games,card games, rulebooks, and party mysterygames. He designed and wrote the AD&D®game Oriental Adventures book under GaryGygax’s guidance and direction, and cre-

ated the PARTYZONE™ mystery game line.The SPY RING™ Scenario, the first PARTY-ZONE game, was named one of the Top100 Games of 1985 by GAMES Magazine.

“I’m the TSR fire brigade,” Zeb says.“Whenever there’s a licensed game or aproject in trouble, they throw it on my desk.I like it that way, because I never know whatI’ll get to do next.”

Zeb’s wacky sense of humor and generalinsanity keep life at TSR constantly hop-ping. His legendary Bad Japanese MovieParties are raucous affairs in which the dia-logue supplied by the audience is muchfunnier than what’s happening on thescreen. Zeb has also orchestrated many ofthe water pistol shootouts that rage up anddown the halls, soaking innocent by-standers as well as combatants with equalglee.

It’s no wonder that Zeb’s favorite word is“Wahoo!” — a word that describes his atti-tude to game design as well as lifestyle.“It’s most important to me that a game befun and simple to play,” he says. “It takeshard work to make a simple game, but Ihave fun at the same time. I've never lost

track of my childlike nature, which

Zeb was born in East Lans-ing, Mich. His father was a farmerand a college professor, and he grew up ona farm in Iowa. In junior high school hestarted playing wargames like Blitzkriegand Afrika Korps from The Avalon HillGame Company. “I was primarily a war-gamer, but there wasn’t any role-playingavailable then.” In college, he was intro-duced to the D&D® game by the Universityof Iowa gaming club.

He got his B.A. in English (Theater mi-nor) in 1977, and married his high schoolsweetheart, Helen. They have one son, Ian.

He became a high school teacher in Milli-gan, Nebraska, where his studentsawarded him the nickname “Zeb” becausehis signature looked like a big “Z” and alsobecause he resembled a James Arnesscharacter in an old Western whose namehappened to be “Zeb.” The name stuck.

One January, he saw an ad in DRAGON®Magazine for a game designer position atTSR. It seemed to him that this would be alot more fun than teaching, and his wifesaid, “Why don’t you try it?” He completedthe designer test that the company thenused, and wrote a sample module section,and . . . “Doggone! They liked me!”

Zeb was the third full-time game designerhired by TSR. As Senior Designer, he coor-dinates in-house playtesting and runs theThursday morning “show and tell” meetingin which all the designers and editors bringeach other up to date on their projects.“That’s enough management for me,” hesays.

“Game designing is hard work,” he says,“but everything worth doing is hard work.The important thing is to do it well, and tohave fun while you’re doing it.”

“Keep it fun, simple, and wahoo!” hesays, “and you’ll never go wrong.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ROLE-PLAYING GAMESORIENTAL ADVENTURESCONAN® THE BARBARIAN GameTHE ADVENTURES OF INDIANA

JONES™* GameSTAR FRONTIERS® Game

ADULT AND FAMILY GAMESSPY RING™ Scenario, PARTYZONE™

Game #1SIROCCO™ Master RulesESCAPE FROM NEW YORK™ Game

MODULESCM4 EARTHSHAKERAC5 DRAGON™ TILES IIAC2 D&D® GAME COMBAT SHIELDB6 THE VEILED SOCIETYCB1 CONAN UNCHAINED!M1 BLIZZARD PASSX4 MASTER OF THE DESERT NO-MADSX5 TEMPLE OF DEATHTS005 ORIENT EXPRESSBH2 LOST CONQUlSTADOR MINEX1 THE ISLE OF DREADI1 DWELLERS OF THE FORBIDDENClTYA1 SLAVE PITS OF THE UNDERCITY

TITLES SHIPPING IN DECEMBER

CA1 SWORDS OF THE UNDERCITYAD&D® Lankhmar�, City of

Adventure Moduleby Bruce Nesmith, Doug Niles,

and Carl SmithThree exciting short adventures set in the

City of Adventure! Join Fafhrd™, the GrayMouser™, and Fritz Leiber’s other excitingcharacters in adventures in the night. . . inthe dangerous underworld of Lankhmar. Inthe first adventure, brave the dangers ofthe Sinking Lands! Next, fall in amongthieves in the dangerous underworld! Fi-nally, visit Lankhmar’s scenic sewers to bat-tle the monsters within! Each adventure isplayable in a single session, or you canstring them together into a continuing cam-paign!

Product No. 9150Suggested Retail Price: $6.00

LANKHMAR, FAFHRD, and GRAY MOUSER are trademarksowned by Fritz Leiber and used with permission.

TEST OF THE NINJAAD&D® ADVENTURE

GAMEBOOK #5by Curtis SmithThe SUPER ENDLESS QUEST™ Game-

books are now known as AD&D® AdventureGamebooks! The excitement of OrientalAdventures can be yours with Test of theNinja, the latest action-packed gamebookfrom TSR. You were trained as a samurai,but you may be offered a chance to enter adarker realm . . . the midnight profession ofNinja!

Product No. 8955Suggested Retail Price: $2.95

TARZAN® AND THETOWER OF DIAMONDS

ENDLESS QUEST® Book #31by Richard ReinsmithTARZAN®, Lord of the Jungle, braves the

dangers of the fabulous Tower of Dia-monds, where danger lurks at every turn!

Product No. 8531Suggested Retail Price: $2.25

TARZAN® owned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., and used by per-mission.

FALL HIGHLIGHTS

AD&D® ORIENTAL ADVENTURESby Gary GygaxIt’s on everyone’s Christmas list . . . the

most exciting new world ever for theAD&D® game system! Strap on your ka-tana and wakizashi, memorize the latest wujen spells, try to avoid the deadly shirokinu-katsukami, and enter the mysterious worldof Kara-Tur! And, while you’re at it, watchfor module OA1, Swords of the Daimyo,coming in March, in which gaijin come toKara-Tur.

Art of The DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®Fantasy Game

Edited by Margaret WeisThis beautiful art book should definitely

be on your Christmas list, if you don’t al-ready have it! Damsels in distress, evilmonsters, horrific undead — it’s the bestfantastic artwork you’ve seen!

Don’t miss these recent modules!SFAC4 Zebulon’s Guide to Frontier SpaceMHAC8 Weapons LockerDL10 Dragons of DreamsX10 Red-Arrow, Black ShieldMl Into the MaelstromCM6 Where Chaos Reigns

SNEAK PREVIEWS

We’ve just gotten our first glimpse of the1986 schedule, and are we excited! Thispast year has been filled with highlights,from Unearthed Arcana to Oriental Adven-tures, from the BATTLESYSTEM™ Supple-ment to the D&D® Master Rules Set. Buthang on to your hats, because we’re notstopping now!

In February, the excitement continueswith DRAGONLANCE™ LEGENDS, a newfantasy trilogy that takes you back into thedark history of Krynn!

Later in the spring, the ultimate part ofthe D&D® game system, the D&D Immor-tals Rules Set, will be coming out. With theImmortals set, your D&D character canstrive for the highest goals ever in the his-tory of the game!

For the AD&D® game, there’s a new hard-cover rules expansion called . . . well, we’vegot to keep a few secrets for the monthsahead. But we promise you, it will be worththe wait!

If you thought T1-4, Temple of ElementalEvil, was worth the wait, as we did, you’ll beamazed when you see A1 -4, Scourge of theSlave Lords. This exciting 128-page super-module is based on the original A-series,but it’s totally revised and expanded for thisspecial book.

And if you’re a fan of the MARVEL SUPERHEROES™ game, you’ll love what we havefor you in July. . . . but Jeff Grubb wants totell you himself, in an upcoming MARVEL®-PHILE column, so we won’t ruin his sur-prise.

The titanic GREYHAWK™ ADVENTURESsaga by Gary Gygax continues this spring.If you haven’t tried the first book, Saga ofOld City pick it up today and find out whatyou’ve been missing!

If spies and derring-do are your cup oftea, check out the Agent 13:The MidnightAvenger novels, out in May, for unrivaledexcitement! (And watch the pages ofDRAGON® Magazine as well for a previewof this new adventure series.)

Next time, we’ll pass along some morenews about upcoming TSR releases. In themeantime, get your favorite store to reserveyour copies of our newest releases!

Unless otherwise noted:® denotes registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.™ designates other trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.MARVEL SUPER HEROES is a trademark of the Marvel ComicsGroup.

©1985 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(From page 25)ple, may use almost any means to the end of thegreater good (i.e., ridding the world of evilhumanoids). Characters may disagree aboutmethods or priorities in promoting good anddefeating evil. Clerics of Tyr and Diancecht,equally lawful good, might disagree over therelative importance of pursuing the malefactorsor aiding the victims after an orcish raid on afarming village, but this would probably end inan amicable division of labor, with the one takingthe role of policeman and the other the equally�good� role of doctor (all of which Fraser Sher-man pointed out in DRAGON issue #86). But allgood characters will have certain ethics in com-mon, such as that no creature should sufferunnecessarily and that one must protect innocent�good� creatures from harm with one�s life, ifnecessary. There is, therefore, some objectifiabledifference between good and evil.

Simple-minded? You bet! but, in a fantasygame, morality has to be simple-minded. Moraldilemmas and deep introspection are not the stuffof fun adventures � and fun adventures, Iassume, are the whole point of gaming.

John MaxstadtBaton Rouge, La.

I am writing this letter concerning the badpublicity the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®game sometimes gets from ministers or television.I saw a news report on one of my local news

stations in which they talked about how D&Dbooks contained descriptions of demons anddevils and how bad an influence D&D gaming ison young people. The report was highly biased inthat they only got the point of view of a ministerwho was against the game. They did includesome film of regular kids playing a game, but theway they presented the game, the event didn�tlook as fun as many say it is supposed to be.

I couldn�t stand the report but I watched thewhole thing and took notes about what eachperson said and who was involved (e.g., theminister�s name and church). I then wrote a letterto the news reporter and explained how I thoughtthe report was slanted and expressed how thereport could have been more balanced. All Iwanted to do was vent my opinion and I didn�texpect her to get back with me personally. Sheasked me if I would give my side of the story andI happily agreed. In the end, we did get our sideof the story told, albeit not in the way I wouldhave preferred.

There were a few things I learned, though,which people should be aware of. In my opinion,the report we were part of was not presented inthe way I had expected. Mainly, they allowed twoof the four people to say one sentence; the re-porter said everything else, and they showed a lotof footage of our painted figures, which theyobviously thought were pretty neat. Now, forthose who might happen to get into this spot, afew warnings. The news report is not in yourhands. The editing (what goes in and what staysout) is entirely in the hands of people who knowlittle or nothing about the game. What makes theeditor put something into the report is the qualityof the picture; is the person�s face focused, did theperson speak ineffectively, etc. The editor wantsto put together a montage of his best pictures

rather than try to present you in the way youwould like to be presented.

Another problem I ran into was that the re-porter asked me questions like �What would youlike to say about the game?� I hadn�t preparedmyself for any of her questions and found myselfbumbling a lot of words (that scene didn�t getinto the report, of course). Another question sheasked me was, �Could you explain how the gameis run?� Again, I knew what I wanted to say, butbecause I didn�t prepare myself I bungled up inmy explanation by repeating things. When yousee politicians on television, they look goodbecause they�ve prepared themselves for thecamera. On the other hand, I didn�t have anyexperience with the camera and I didn�t preparemyself at all.

Finally, the last thing you have to be aware ofis the fact that working in front of the camera isnot as glamorous as it looks. There are a lot ofmundane things that have to be taken care of,like: Do you have a large table where they canfilm you? Is there enough room to move thecamera around and set up lights? Then they tellyou to act normally as if no one was about.

I hope that this information may prove usefulto future �television aspirants.� I have done mylittle part to ferret out any misinformation con-cerning role-playing and would gladly do itagain, but only if I prepared beforehand.

I am 17 and a freshman at Georgetown Uni-versity, majoring in international political science.I have been playing the ADVANCEDDUNGEONS AND DRAGONS® game for fiveyears, incorporating my love of languages intomy milieu. I read DRAGON Magazine regularlyand am an RPGA member.

Nick JamillaCape Coral, Fla.

66 DECEMBER 1985

D R A G O N 6 7

68 DECEMBER 1985

LOGLOG

CONTENTS

ARES Log . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

STAR LAW RETURNSMatt Bandy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Variant rules for the interstellar police

HEXES AND HIGH GUARDJefferson P. Swycaffer . . . . 74Space combat revised for TRAVELLER®gaming

THE EXTERMINATORJohn P. Mau

and Brian Shuler . . . . . . . 76A nasty GAMMA WORLD® encounter

THE KZINTI HAVELANDED!Jon Slobins . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Kzinti characters for the STAR TREK®game

THE MARVEL®-PHILEJeff Grubb . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82All this and World War II!

ON THE COVERIf you�ve ever wondered where the Kzinticharacters were in STAR TREK®: The Role-Playing Game, look no farther � they�reon page 78! Cover art by Roger Raupp.

70 DECEMBER 1985

A little over a year ago, this column had a review on asuperb book discussing careers in the space program(DRAGON® issue #90). I�ve since discovered another bookthat is just as valuable to students in high school who areconsidering a career in the fields of science.

Thomas A. Easton, a college biology teacher in Maine,wrote a book appropriately entitled Careers in Science (DowJones-Irwin, 1984). It costs only $9.95 in paperback, and itcan be ordered from any bookstore. Careers in Scienceoffers a wealth of information on preparing yourself for acareer in a scientific field, and gives capsuled summaries ofthe job markets and opportunities in social, life, earth, physi-cal, space, and engineering sciences. Personal characteristicsthat can help you in your career are discussed, as are cur-rent job prospects (beware of political science and sociology).Addresses of companies offering job information are giventhroughout the book. �Hot spots� of future activity are alsohighlighted (like the space sciences boom expected in the1990s).

Easton�s book is invaluable. The cover isn�t especiallyattractive, but you don�t buy books like this for their covers.Look for a copy as soon as you can.

In last month�s column, I neglected to mention Kelly GreigAdams as another Canadian contributor. (Remember thecentaurs piece?) Sorry, Kelly. Who else did I miss?

This month, we have our third ARES� Section Special, bythe highly prolific William Tracy. Harken back to the goldendays of yesteryear, when the heroes of the Liberty Legion�took on the might of the Axis menace! We also have Kzinti,Star Law, and an interesting (and familiar) creature from theland of the mutants. . . .

We have some surprises in store in the coming year. Have aMerry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Good Yule, and aSuper Solstice. Until next year . . .

ARES™ Section 104THE SCIENCE-FICTION GAMING SECTION

Editor: Roger E. MooreEditorial assistance: Eileen Lucas, Georgia Moore, Patrick Lucien Price

Graphics, design, 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,but the publisher assumes no responsibility for them, and they will not bereturned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope ofsufficient size and volume.

ARES is a trademark of TSR, Inc.�s science-fiction gaming section inDRAGON® 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, STAR FRONTIERS,and GAMMA WORLD are registered trademarks of TSR, Inc. Copyright©1985 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

All Marvel characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarksof the Marvel Comics Group. MARVEL SUPER HEROES and MARVEL SUPERVILLAINS are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright ©1985Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation. AllRights Reserved.

STAR TREK is a registered trademark of Paramount Pictures. The article onKzinti appears by kind permission of Larry Niven, Chaosium Inc., and FASACorporation. TRAVELLER and the JOURNAL OF THE TRAVELLERS� AIDSOCIETY are registered trademarks of Game Designers� Workshop.

Star Law ReturnsA new look at a STAR FRONTIERS® agency

by Matt Bandy

Over the past year or so, Star Law hasbeen the subject of much attention inthe ARES� Section. [See DRAGON®issues #87 and 91. � Editor] Some ofthese articles, however, seemed to sacri-fice a bit of reality for the sake of playa-bility. Star Law, as previously presented,is ideal for campaigns in which playercharacters are members of the organiza-tion, as PCs are granted more freedomof action as individual Rangers.

A law enforcement agency with theresponsibilities of Star Law, managingan area the size of the Frontier, needs tobe larger and more tightly organized.The Star Law agency presented heremay be useful for campaigns in whichplayer characters are not members ofthe force, so the lawmen of the Frontierserve as NPC encounters. Parts of thisarticle may be incorporated into anongoing STAR FRONTIERS® campaign asdesired.

General information

Star Law was created during the FirstSathar War as a counterintelligenceagency, to check the Sathar espionageorganization. After the war, when theSathar retreated to lick their wounds,the number of enemy agents in theFrontier was reduced significantly; thisleft Star Law overstaffed. The UnitedPlanetary Federation (UPF) SecurityCouncil chose to take advantage of thesituation by expanding the scope of StarLaw�s responsibilities to include thecontrol of marauding pirate bands thathad arisen in the Sathar�s wake. At thepresent time, Star Law also intervenes inminor corporate skirmishes on occasion.

One of the provisions for membershipin the UPF is that Star Law be allowed tocarry out its duties on member planetsand their territorial possessions withoutinterference from their governments. Itmust, however, obtain warrants tosearch private property in situations notcovered by the �hot pursuit� exception.

If the investigation of a suspectedSathar agent, escaped convict, or other

DR A G O N 71

hunting), without proper training andlicensing, is not encouraged by StarLaw. To obtain a bounty hunter’slicense, a character must have at leastone 4th-level ranged-weapons skill.Bounties are almost never awarded fordead bodies; suspects must be broughtto the proper authorities alive and rela-tively unharmed. Anyone with a bountyhunter’s license may obtain a list of allbeings wanted by Star Law and therewards offered for their capture. Boun-ties are set by the referee.

The rarity of treason cases recordedwithin Star Law is due to the intensescreening of Academy applicants. Anydisobedience of orders is dealt withswiftly. Severe disobedience results inthe offending party being relieved ofduty and court martialed (the results ofwhich are decided by the referee).

The Star Law Academy, located onMorgaine’s World, offers one of the besteducational programs in the FrontierSector. In order to apply for admission, abeing must complete a series of forms ata local Administrative-branch office andpass a personality check. The applicantmust also have four ability traits higherthan his or her racial average, and mustnever have been convicted of a criminalact. The applicant will be notified withintwo months of acceptance or rejectionby the Academy, and must provide hisown transportation there if accepted.

Once at the Academy, the being mustselect a PSA, if he hasn’t already doneso, and make a Logic check. Failure tomake the check indicates that the beinghas washed out of the Academy. Afterfour years of study, the cadet gains one1st-level spaceship-related skill, one 2nd-level skill within his PSA, and one other1st-level skill. All skills required in orderto possess the spaceship-related skillchosen are also granted. After gradua-tion, the being emerges at the lowestrank of his chosen branch, and is thenposted on a planet of the referee’schoice.

lawbreaker threatens to turn into a gunbattle in a densely populated area, StarLawmen are trained not to fire upon thesuspect if there are innocent beingsabout. Agents must follow the suspect toa deserted area or arrange for gettinginnocents out of the line of fire. Threatsagainst fugitives (in hopes of makingthem surrender) are generally useless,as most lawbreakers are aware of thelimitations placed upon Star Lawpersonnel by the regulations of theirorganization.

Freelance law enforcement (bounty

72 DECEMBER 1985

Organization

Star Law is split into four branches:Administrative, Penal Intelligence, andSpecial Forces. Each has its own respon-sibilities integral to the workings of theagency.

Administration coordinates theother branches of Star Law, organizesthe information given over by them andby other law enforcement agencies, andrecruits and trains agents in the Acad-emy. Most Star Law offices which areopen to the public are Administrative innature; the whereabouts of other basesare generally kept out of public view.

The rank structure within the Admin-istrative division is fairly simple. TheCoordinator is in charge of the workingsof the branch. It is not necessary to gointo depth about the ranks within thisbranch, as PCs will not become heavilyinvolved with it on most occasions. Someof the more important and most oftenencountered ranks are given below.

rank xp needed pay (Cr/day)Coordinator 300 350Department

head 150 150Data

processor 0 100Computer

operator 0 80Radio

operator 0 60Secretary 0 40

The Coordinator, as the head of theStar Law organization, answers to no

one but the UPF Security Council. Thereare three department heads within theAdministrative branch, one for each ofthe other three Star Law branches. Eachperson reviews all ingoing and outgoinginformation of major importance, andpersonally handles all internal directivesfor his branch.

Data processors sort relevant informa-tion from irrelevant material. Any datadeemed to be of importance is enteredinto the Administrative informationpool. Computer operators are responsi-ble for entering this data into computersystems and later retrieving it for per-sons who request it and possess theproper security clearance. Radio opera-tors communicate with personnel on aparticular planet or planets, takinginformation from them and givingorders to them; as no interstellar radioexists, radio operators (using the term“radio” loosely, to include other forms ofelectromagnetic communication as well)are grouped by planet, as are manycomputer operators. Secretaries, ofcourse, are responsible for compilingappropriate reports, maintaining corre-spondence, filling out purchase ordersand requisition sheets, and runningaccounting and payroll.

The Penal branch oversees the pun-ishment of beings convicted of majorfelonies by UPF-member planets,through their judiciary systems. Onlycertain major felonies, such as massmurder, major arson, interstellar piracy,mass counterfeiting, espionage forunfriendly powers (such as the Satharor Mechanons), nuclear or biochemical

Each penal colony has a reserve staffof 10-20 guards to replace those on leaveor who are injured. Unit guards per-form administrative duties when notserving directly as guards. The guardsthemselves are rotated from active(tower) duty to reserve (desk) duty onceevery 30-60 days.

In order to become a guard, one mustgraduate from the Academy with onetechnical skill and one ranged-weaponsskill. To attain the status of a JuniorWarden, a guard must acquire a 4th-level skill as a technician, for a JuniorWarden pilots the air car assigned to hisguard tower.

The Intelligence branch of Star Lawis concerned with the gathering of infor-mation for the purpose of sniffing outSathar agents (and other unfriendlyspies). On occasions, the information isuseful in preventing unwanted occur-rences like a corporate war or smug-gling operation. The ranks in theIntelligence branch of Star Law are asfollows:

rank xp needed pay (Cr/day)Coordinator 300 300Deep-cover

agents 150 200Agents 0 150

The Coordinator runs the Intelligencebranch of Star Law and answers only tothe Administrative Coordinator and theUPF Security Council. Deep-cover agentsare those who have been hypno-trainedto know all there is to know about theorganization that they are infiltrating, sothey quickly arise to positions of author-ity. They may spend years developingtheir cover and will be reluctant tojeopardize their missions.

An agent is a generic operative of theIntelligence branch and must have a2nd-level skill as a computer operator. Inthe course of normal duties, an agentmay be called upon to perform a break-ing-and-entering mission or interrogateprisoners.

Star Law is believed to have severaldeep-cover agents in every major organi-zation in the Frontier, though it has beenestimated that only 200 such agents existin all. Typically, the number of agents isrelated to the population level of aworld, though in systems such as OuterReach, the number is proportionatelyhigher.

The Special Forces is the largestbranch of Star Law, and is responsiblefor nullifying the activities of piratebands in the Frontier Sector. Ranks forSpecial Forces are as follows:

rank xp needed pay (Cr/day)Coordinator 400 300Marshall 300 260Captain 200 220Lieutenant 150 180Sergeant 75 140Trooper 0 100

The Coordinator is the SupremeCommander of the Special Forcesbranch. Thirteen marshalls are in exist-ence, each commanding two captains. Acaptain is in charge of two lieutenants;each lieutenants are in charge of twosergeants, and each sergeant is incharge of five Troopers (fresh from theAcademy). The term �Ranger� is ageneric designation for all Star Lawpersonnel in Special Forces.

Special Forces uniforms are grayskeinsuits with blue marking to denoterank and deployment; dress uniformsare dark blue with red markings. Typi-cal armament for a Ranger includes alaser pistol, a stunstick, and a belt packwith two power clips each. Extra weap-onry is assigned to the Rangers as befitsindividual missions. Rangers are orga-nized into strike forces, battalions,squads, and units, as follows:

force commander assignedspacecraft

Strike Force Marshall 2 frigatesBattalion Captain 1 frigateSquad Lieutenant 2 assault

scoutsUnit Sergeant 1 assault

scout

Planets are assigned different organi-zational groups depending upon theirneeds and populations. An outpostworld might receive only one unit, whilea moderately populated world mighthost a battalion. About 50 personnel areassigned to Morgaine�s World as staffand security elements for Star LawAcademy.

A unit must include at least oneRanger with each of the spaceship skills.All Special Forces personnel must beaccomplished in at least one technicaland one military skill area.

Equipment assigned to planetary sta-tions includes one vehicle, usually anaircar fitted with a heavy weapon, asmall arsenal, and a spacecraft. Otherequipment, such as toolkits, are suppliedto each individual Ranger.

These variations on the Star Laworganization are offered as an aid togame play, and may be altered asdesired. Hopefully, they will serve as analternative or supplement to the pre-vious articles on the subject.

D R A G O N 7 3

extortion, kidnapping which involvesmurder, major industrial espionage(classed as a felony due to the wide-spread influence of corporations in theFrontier), treason, spacecraft or metro-politan sabotage with loss of life, assassi-nation of law enforcement orgovernment officials, and the like, areconsidered here. Sentences are rarelycommuted after conviction, except inextraordinary circumstances, and paroleis virtually unknown. It must be demon-strated that rehabilitation is not possiblefor the criminal in question. If death isthe penalty for a crime, the prisoner isexecuted on the world where he wastried and convicted, and is not shippedto a penal colony. Sentences for penalcolony inmates range from aminimum of 5 years to life.

Penal colonies are established by StarLaw on uninhabited or sparsely popu-lated worlds. The perimeter of a penalcolony is lined with guard towers whichproject an energized field betweenthem. This barrier is powerful enoughto stun anyone touching it into uncon-sciousness, and it will disrupt the electri-cal field of any vehicle passing throughit, causing the vehicle to stop (or crash,if it was in flight). Each tower (standingabout 100-200 meters apart) is heavilyequipped with laser weapons to discour-age attempts by pirates and criminalgangs with starships or air cars to freeprisoners. The guards themselves areheavily armed, and the entire compoundis kept lit by ground and air light sys-tems. It isn�t uncommon to have a smalltown spring up a few kilometers fromthe prison, housing the prison officersand their families as well as all supportpersonnel. A small military base, fundedby a local government, may also bepresent.

The ranks and pay scales of penalofficers follows.

rank xp needed pay (Cr/day)Coordinator 350 300Senior

WardenJunior

250 250

Warden 150 150Guard 0 150

The Coordinator is the top authorityin the Penal branch of Star Law. A Sen-ior Warden directs the activities at eachof the penal colonies. Each Senior War-den is assisted by a number of JuniorWardens, each of whom supervises thestaff and operations at a guard tower.Each tower has 2-4 guards. Academygraduates in the Penal branch of StarLaw begin their tours of duty as guards.

Hexes andHigh Guard

Organizing space wars for TRAVELLER® gaming©1985 by Jefferson P. Swycaffer

The combat system presented in Range: All ranges are counted in Movement: There are two kinds ofTRAVELLER® Book 5, High Guard, is hexes. From zero to two hexes is equiva- movement in this system: tactical andnaturalistic, if abstract, and carries a lent to High Guard�s �short range,� while running. Each turn, every ship usinggood battle feel. Nevertheless, the from three to four hexes is equivalent to tactical movement may move in anymechanics of lining up the two fleets �long range.� direction or combination of directionsagainst one another for a slugfest is Sequence of play: Play proceeds as for a distance in hexes less than or equalreminiscent of a pistol duel, or the in High Guard, with the following differ- to its tactical movement allowance. Thisinfamous game of Irish Knockdown. The ences. The Initiative Step is performed allowance is derived as follows: First,following is an experimental High Guard only once every two turns, on odd-num- find the pilot�s contribution to thehex system that translates the battle to a bered turns. The player who gains the maneuverability of the ship, which ishex-grid for a more visual depiction. It initiative has it for that turn and the equal to the Pilot-skill rating of the ship�shas been playtested by my gaming following one. All movement of ships pilot, minus one, and then divided bygroup. takes place during the Range Determina- two, rounded down to the nearest

Needed is a hex-sheet at least 40 × 40 tion Step. On the first, or odd-num- whole number. To this number, add thehexes across, or larger for more massive bered, turn, the player with the ship�s maneuver rating in Gs, and itsfleet actions. An �astromorphic� hex- initiative chooses whether he wishes to Agility rating, also in Gs. Divide the summap with movable sections is not neces- move, in which case he moves his ships by three, and round up or down to thesary, and has almost as many immediately, or whether he wishes to nearest whole number. Thus a ship withdisadvantages as advantages. Also move in the second or even-numbered maneuver drive 6, Agility 4, and Pilot-4needed will be counters or markers for turn. The player without the initiative would be able to maneuver up to foureach ship or squadron of fighters. A moves in whichever turn the other hexes each turn using Tactical move-marker for the planet that usually player does not. Further, the player with ment [(4-1)/2] = 1; (6 + 4 + l)/3 = 3.67,serves as the object of contention is also the initiative may add one to all of his which rounds to 4. Emergency Agilityuseful. As in High Guard, the word ships that are using tactical movement may be used to increase this number, as�ship� can mean an individual ship or a that turn (see below). All fire is simulta- in High Guard.squadron of fighters. The optional rules neous, as in High Guard, although it is Running movement requires a bit ofin the JOURNAL OF THE TRAVELLERS� first executed by the player with the record keeping. Running movement isAID SOCIETY® issue #14 are also highly Initiative. used to escape combat by outrunningrecommended. The Battle Formation Step has new the enemy, or for moving rapidly across

Scale: Each hex is 25,000 kilometers limits on which ships may be considered the battlespace to arrive at a criticalacross. Safe jump distance from a planet in the Reserve. In the Pre-Combat Deci- sector.is 6.4 times the planet�s size code in its sion Step, breaking off by acceleration is In the first turn of running movement,UPP. Safe jump distance from a size 8 a function of running away from the the ship moves in roughly a straight line,world, for instance, is 51 hexes. enemy, using the movement rules. Also, a number of hexes equal to or less than

Time: As in High Guard, each turn is contrary to the High Guard rules, its Agility rating. (Emergency Agility20 minutes long. pursued and pursuing ships may return may be used.) In the second and subse-

to the main battle. quent turns of running movement, thedecision must be made whether to con-tinue to accelerate or to decelerate. Ifthe ship continues to accelerate, then inthe second turn of running, it moves anumber of hexes equal to the number ofhexes it moved in its first turn of run-ning, plus up to its Agility rating more inhexes. Thus, the fastest a ship may bemoving in its second turn of running istwice its Agility rating in hexes. The shipmust end this move as far away as possi-ble (by hex count) from the point at

74 DECEMBER 1985

which it began its run. In the third turn, Recovery is more straightforward. For one enemy, and long range of another.its speed may again be incremented by carried ships to be recovered, they must There is no reason not to fire beams atup to its Agility rating, subject to the begin and end the turn in the same hex the nearer one and missiles at the other,same restriction. A running ship thus as the recovering ship. Ships on runs to maximize the efficiency of fire.has roughly sixty degrees of overall may recover and be recovered normally Planets: A planet is too small in thisturning ability. by this procedure. system to have any significant gravita-

A running ship decelerates by the The line of battle and reserve: tional effect, or even positional effect. Itsame technique, decreasing its running These distinctions become slightly more serves only as a marker and as the cen-speed by a number of hexes equal to or naturalistic. For a ship to be considered ter of the radius from which a jump isless than its Agility rating each turn, in the reserve, it must have a ship cover- unsafe.always maximizing the distance from ing it. One ship covers another by being Suns: At this scale, most suns arethe spot, however many turns ago, in the same hex at the time of the Battle from twenty to ninety hexes in diameter.where it started its run. This distance Formation Step, and staying with that (Our own sun is fifty-six hexes acrossmay never be less than what it could ship during the rest of the turn. The here.) The gravitational effects are enor-maximally be, so a running ship may not rules from this point are the same as in mous and beyond the competence ofreturn along its path in one run. When High Guard; for the ships that are in this article. If your fleet must go near aits running speed has decreased to zero covered reserve to be fired upon, the star, assess each ship within 100 hexesor to one, the run is over; tactical move- covering ship must first be broken of a sun one Radiation Damage roll perment may be resumed or another run through. Any number of ships may turn, and double the number of rolls formay be begun. cover any number of ships in that par- every successive halving of the distance.

Launching and recovery: A ship ticular reserve. (Notice that if the entire Optional rule: Incentive is givenmay launch its carried squadrons or fleet stays in one hex, the game devolves here for spreading out. For every shipships normally during a turn. The into standard High Guard combat.) over one in a given hex (not countingreleased ships end their turn in the Combat: Combat is as per normal covered ships in that hex�s reserve), addsame hex as the launching ship. If the High Guard rules. A ship within range of one to the die roll when rolling to hitlaunching ship was on a run, the an enemy may fire, offensively and any ship in that hex using missiles,launched ships share the launching defensively, without restriction upon either nuclear or non-nuclear. Shipsship�s run speed and run starting hex, that enemy. Notice that although only clustered that tightly � in a 25,000-but are free from that point to continue one player moves during each turn, kilometer hex � are natural targets forthe run or to decelerate as if on their both sides may fire freely. Also note that missiles. (Obviously, this rule is forown individual run. a ship might be within short range of incentive rather than realism.)

D R A G O N 7 5

For over a century, the duralloy vault reactions began to increase. When and examined the surrounding terrain.had remained undisturbed. Buried deep sufficient energy reserves had been It detected nothing in the area, leaving itwithin the Earth�s crust, it silently reached, the sonic bore engaged and free to concentrate on itself. Analysiswaited for a single atomic pulse to count ripped into the surrounding earth, For revealed minor damage to its organicdown the years, days, hours, and sec- miles around, the ground shook. Trac- layer, due to the prolonged suspension.onds until the vault would re-emerge to tor/pressor beams of immense power Self-repair was calculated at twenty-fiveperform its function. kicked in. The ascent had begun. minutes.

The count reached zero. A circuit Hours later, the sonic bore cut That night, the Exterminator headedclosed, and the vault awoke. The time of through the last layers of earth. Mutants west. It did not know where it waswaiting had come to an end. Ancient and humans alike fled in terror as the going. It did not care. It had only onemachinery, dormant for over a century, ominous shape emerged from the function, one purpose � to exterminate.slowly came to life. Power modules ground. Moments later, the vaultglowed with renewed energy as nuclear opened. The Exterminator stepped out

The ExterminatorTYPE: ExterminatorSTATUS: 3500NUMBER: 1 ARMOR: 3/l*HD: 8d8/15d10* CONTROL: --SENSORS: A/B POWER: B

SPEED: 12/900/36 (feet)

MS: 1d4 + 17 IN: 1d4 + 17Dx: 1d6 + 15 PS: 1d4 +21

* -- See note on armor classes below.

DESCRIPTION: An Exterminator is anupright-walking, 2-meter-tall robot. Animproved structural design and syn-thetic-skin covering makes it completelyidentical to a Pure Strain Human. Itsinternal skeleton is made entirely ofstrengthened duralloy, and all vitalmechanisms are encased in strength-ened duralloy shells, making the Exter-minator impregnable to all non-energyattacks. (See note on armor classes.) Dueto structural limitations, it is slightlyvulnerable to high explosives.

Although the Exterminator�s sensorsare limited for tracking, its high intelli-

76 DECEMBER 1985

gence � allowing complex deductivereasoning and social insight for quickadaptability in an environment -- easilycompensates for any such limitation.The Exterminator�s high intelligencemust be stressed. It was one of the mostadvanced robots ever created.

The Exterminator can communicatewith CIs and Think Tanks, but only tofurther its own purposes. It will takeorders from no one, except possibly itscreators (see below). The Exterminatorwill communicate with beings onlywhen necessary. Any attempt at unde-sired communication will prompt asudden, but concise, response, ending allconversation. The Exterminator neverasks for help and always works alone.

Due to the lack of records, little isknown of the Exterminators� originalfunction. No one has yet discovered whocreated them or why. Some believe theywere created by the Apocalypse toinsure the complete destruction of man-kind. Others believe they were placedby pre-holocaust military and scientificleaders to help establish a new order.Still others feel they were created solely

to eradicate mutational strains, sincemost of their targets are mutants.

Their function appears to be the elimi-nation of selected targets. This targetselection is apparently at random,although the majority of targets is com-prised of mutants. It should be notedthat anyone or anything obstructing anExterminator from completion of itsfunctions will be eliminated.

An Exterminator will attack only atthe most advantageous time, and willnever attack when the opposing force istoo powerful. If necessary, it will makeuse of any weapons available to it. TheExterminator will never stop pursuingits target until it has eliminated it. Ifdamaged, the Exterminator is capable oflimited self-repair. No Exterminator hasbeen destroyed so far.

An Exterminator has dual armor classand hit dice. The first set (AC 3, HD 8d8)represents the synthetic-skin and cloth-ing covering the Exterminator. Thisouter covering is vulnerable to all formsof physical attack. The second set (AC 1,HD 15d10) represents the internal dural-loy structure. This is impervious to anynon-energy/non-explosive attack

(swords, bullets, etc.), and can only bedamaged after the outer layer isdestroyed. An Exterminator will func-tion normally if its outer covering isdestroyed.

Exterminators each initially carry aspecial weapon when they leave theirvaults. This weapon is described below.

Plasma rifle

Weapon Class: 15Range: 300 metersDamage: 10d10 (20d10 vs. force fields)Weight: 7.5 kilograms

The plasma rifle is a hand-heldweapon carried only by Exterminators.It is powered from an Exterminator�sinternal power supply. When fullycharged, the plasma rifle is good for 8shots. It is recharged by attaching therifle�s power converter to a hiddenaccess plate (located on the right side ofthe Exterminator�s waist). Rechargingtakes 40 minutes, at 5 minutes per bolt.The plasma rifle releases one bolt ofplasma energy per round.

Due to the nature of the plasma, theweapon does double damage to all forcefields (does not apply to mutations) and

penetrates many types of armor moreeffectively. The plasma rifle makes theelimination of protected targets morefeasible.

The Vaults

These self-contained duralloy structuresare equipped with a sonic bore as wellas tractor/pressor beams, powered froman internal nuclear power supply. Avault seems to have only one function,that being to hold an Exterminator forapproximately one century, at whichtime it releases it. The complete purposeof the vaults (if any) is not known. It isspeculated that the vaults may be stor-age facilities and/or emergency retreatscontaining a supply of both weaponsand repair materials (and possibly repairfacilities). It has also been suggested thatthe vaults may be communication cen-ters to coordinate Exterminator action.

Whatever the purpose of the vaults,the Exterminators have not been knownto return to them. The vaults close upwithin ten minutes after opening andhave so far withstood all attempts at re-opening them. It is believed that thevaults have been scattered throughoutthe continent and possibly the world.

D R A G O N 7 7

TheKzintihave

landed!©1985 by Jon Slobins

A new race forSTAR TREK®:The Role-Playing Game

When FASA�s STAR TREK®: The Role-Playing Game wascreated, the game�s designers decided not to include theKzinti because (as fans of Larry Niven�s Known Space series)they did not feel that the Kzin belonged in the Star Trekuniverse. This was decided despite the appearance of Kzintiin one of the animated Star Trek episodes, �The SlaverWeapon� (adapted for the show by Niven himself) and theirmention in another, �The Infinite Vulcan,� by Walter Koenig.

I take the opposite view, considering that both Niven, theKzinti�s creator, and Gene Roddenberry, who created StarTrek and had script approval of the acclaimed NBC animatedversion, believed that the Kzin did fit into the Star Trek uni-verse. Thus, for players of the STAR TREK game, this articlepresents information for generating Kzinti characters, basedon official Star Trek lore.

Overview of the Kzinti

The Kzinti are a race of vicious but intelligent carnivores.They are bipedal felinoids (�cat-men�) related to the Caitians,but stand about 8� tall compared to the generally petite,human-sized Caitians. Like the Caitians, Kzinti are orange-furred, but have a distinctly tigerish aspect as compared tothe leonine Caitians. Unlike a Caitian, a Kzinti�s ears and tailare hairless.

Kzinti only eat flesh, and refuse to speak to herbivorousbeings, save when absolutely necessary. They also revilepacifists, so Vulcans are doubly contemptible to them. Theywill reluctantly converse with omnivores like humans,although they will use other peoples for food if possible.

Kzinti females are unintelligent, and Kzin frequently forgetthat females of other species are usually sentient beings. Thisleads many of them to underestimate female opponents,because they instinctively consider females to be inferiors.

Immensely powerful, Kzinti have more than one heart andvertical bracing of their ribs. Their warrior code of singlecombat commits them to fight to the death any foe whoengages in hand-to-hand combat with one of them. If a Kzincommander is physically attacked, combat reinforcementsmay not be requested until honor is settled.

The Kzin produce telepaths with great ability to readminds, but these individuals tend to be unhappy neurotics.Although they do not need to touch a subject to read itsmind, they are reluctant to read omnivore minds, and willonly read herbivore or female minds if disciplined by theircommander.

Reading minds induces great psychological stress in Kzintitelepaths. The gamemaster must keep track of the numberof facts read by a Kzin telepath from the mind of a subject,for each statement of knowledge induces temporary damageof -5 Endurance to the telepath. If the subject is a herbivoreor female, the temporary damage is -10 Endurance. Recoveryis at the same rate for other temporary damage (such as aphaser stun), and a Kzinti telepath can fall unconscious if hisEndurance drops below his unconsciousness threshold.Thus, Kzinti commanders do not use their telepathic subor-

78 DECEMBER 1985

dinates casually. There will always be one telepath aboard aKzinti police ship, and a 15% chance exists of encounteringone aboard any other type of Kzinti spaceship.

Among the Kzin, names are given only to individuals whohave been awarded that honor by the Patriarch, the ruler ofall the Kzin. This practice is similar to the British monarchawarding knighthood to worthy individuals. Unnamed Kzinare referred to only by their rank or specialty � i.e., Cap-tain, Flyer (starship pilot), Telepath, and so forth. Distin-guished individuals gain a partial name; in �The SlaverWeapon,� a Kzinti captain was encountered by Speck, Uhura,and Sulu who was referred to as �Chuft Captain,� a typicalpartial name. Only the greatest of Kzinti warriors gain a fullname, which is unrelated to their partial or rank/specialtynames.

The Kzinti have fought four wars against humanity, losingall of them. This has been due in large part to inferior tech-nology and a tendency to attack before they are ready. Kzintitechnology development has been slowed by their distrust ofpseudo-intelligent computers; the Kzin have ancient legendsof weapons haunted by their dead owners, and thus arereluctant to deal with machinery that talks. The Treaty ofSirius limits Kzinti weaponry to police functions: ships andpolice stunners (akin to phasers, but only capable of stunfunctions). The dozen worlds of the Kzin Patriarchy cur-rently have the status of a United Federation of Planetsprotectorate.

The Kzinti government seeks to defeat the Federation, butits agents work undercover, claiming to be pirates usingstolen police vessels, in order to avoid UFP retaliation againstthe Patriarchy. For example, the �pirate� Chuft Captain calledhis allegedly stolen police ship The Traitor�s Claw.

Despite the Treaty of Sirius prohibition on Kzinti posses-sion of phasers, Kzinti pirates almost always have hand phas-ers. In addition, all Kzinti police ships carry police webs. Apolice web is a wire mesh which is spread on a flat surface,and looks much like a spider�s web. With the power turnedon, a tractor field is activated which prevents any prisonerstanding on the web from moving his or her feet (or anyother part of the body which is touching the web). Policewebs are fully portable, and are also used by United Federa-tion of Planets police.

Kzinti player characters

Statistics for Kzinti characters are given in the accompany-ing group of tables.

Male Kzin NPC adjustments:STR +25 END +15 INT -20DEX +40 CHA -20 LUC -80PSI +30Personal combat damage +5 (claws and teeth)

Typical Kzin captain:STR 75 + 2D10 END 65 + 2D10 TNT 30 + 2D10DEX 90 + 2D10 CHA 30 + 2D10 LUC 2D10PSI 50 + 2D10Significant skills: Negotiation/Diplomacy 10 + 2D10

Personal combat (unarmed) 80 + 2D10Marksmanship (modern) 10 + 2D10

Typical Kzin warrior:STR 60 + 2D10 END 60 + 2D10 INT 25 + 2D10DEX 75 + 2D10 CHA 10 + 2D10 LUC 1D10PSI 35 + 2D10Significant skills: Personal combat (unarmed) 60 + 2D10

Marksmanship (modern) 10 + 2D10

Typical Kzin telepath:STR 55 + 2D10 END 55 + 2D10 INT 30 + 2D10DEX 65 + 2D10 CHA 10 + 2D10 LUC 1D10PSI 110 + 2D10Significant skills: Personal combat (unarmed) 70 + 2D10

Telepathy (mind touch).

Typical Kzin female:STR 50 2D10+ END 55 + 2D10 INT 0DEX 100 + 2D10 CHA 0 LUC 1D10PSI 0Significant skills: Personal combat (unarmed) 60 + 2D10

Kzinti starships

The Kzinti ships most often encountered by player charac-ters are police ships crewed by �pirates� or Kzin police.Other Kzin ships will be cargo ships made by the Federationor an allied race. The following information about Kzintipolice ships follows the first-edition rules of the STAR TREKgame.

Kzinti police ships have 2 forward disruptors of very lowpower (a maximum of 2 power points to each, and no dam-age bonus for range). The deflector shields are also weak,accepting a maximum of 4 power points each. One impulseengine (generating 2 power points) and 2 warp engines(each generating 6 power points) are mounted. This gives apolice ship a total power output of 14 points. A Kzinti policeship is shaped like a flying saucer, with spherical warp

engines mounted on opposite sides of the ship on nacellesupports. The impulse engine is located at the back of thesaucer. The design is similar to the Romulan �Bird of Prey�cruiser, with spheres instead of long engine tubes at thesides.

The maximum safe cruising speed of a police ship is WarpFactor 4. The maximum emergency speed is Warp Factor 6.Police ships have landing gear in order to touch down onterrestrial planets. There are no transporters; the Kzin donot have the sophisticated control computers needed forsuch devices. A police ship weighs 12,000 metric tons whenempty, and has a standard range of 2 years at LYV.

Police ship dimensions: length overall � 30 m; breadthoverall � 60 m; height overall � 20 m.

Police ship crew: 4 officers, 0 enlisted (4 Kzinti total).Starship combat numbers and results for Kzinti police

ships are on the following page.

D R A G O N 7 9

Kzinti Police Ship Combat TablesACTION OPTIONS

Move 4, 5, 6 hexes2 Def 0 Disr

Move 3, 4, 5, 6 hexes1 Def 2 Disr

Move 0, 1, 2 hexes2 Def 2 Disr

Move 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 hexes2 Def 1 Disr

Move 0 hexes3 Def 1 Disr

Move 0, 1, 2 hexes3 Def 0 Disr

DEFLECTORS DMGD

F W D S T B D P O R TF W D F W D

AFTSTBD PORTAFT AFT

Turn Chart

Spd Eng

sub -W1 -W2 -W3 -W4 -W5 1W6 2

Sup

---1234

DMG Chart

Die roll Damage

1 IMP2 Disr3 Super4 Super5 Defl6 Defl7 Defl8 W Eng9 W Eng10 W Eng

Disr Table

Rng To Hit Dmg1 1-10 32 1-9 33 1-7 24 1-5 25 1-3 26 1-3 17 1-2 18 1 1

ENGINE STRESS/DMG

CAPTAIN�S STRAT/TAC. SKILL:

CREW EFFICIENCY RATING=

DEFLECTORS UP

DISR DAMAGED

1 2

SUPERSTRUCTURE STRESS/DAMAGE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

IMPULSE ENGINE = 2 BOXES

14MAX SPD 6

MAX SPD 5 13

-1 DEFL 12

MAX SPD 4 11

-2 DEFL 10

MAX SPD 3 9

-3 DEFL 8

MAX SPD 2 7

-1 DISR 6

-4 DEFL 5

MAX SPD 1 4

-5 DEFL 3

-2 DISR 2

MAX SPD 0 1

80 DECEMBER 1985

The MARVEL ®-PhileAll this and World War II!

by Jeff Grubb

Elsewhere in this fine magazine, you�llfind the MARVEL SUPER HEROES�adventure Sudden Dawn, starring theLiberty Legion�, designed by TrustyContributor William Tracy. Since we arestanding (or sitting, or whatever) at thetail end of 40 years of history since thebattles recorded there, the questionarises: How have the members of theLiberty Legion fared since the end ofthe war?

Not well, I�m afraid. Not well at all.While the three main Invaders� havesurvived (Captain America�, Sub-Mariner�, and the android HumanTorch�, whose body became that of theVision�), and Nick Fury� and some ofhis Howling Commandos� are inS.H.I.E.L.D.�, most of the Liberty Legionmembers have gone to their justrewards.

Robert Frank and Madeline Joyce,better known as Whizzer� and MissAmerica�, joined the All-WinnersSquad� after the war, then retired theirsuper-hero identities. They wereinvolved in a nuclear accident whileworking as security guards at a nuclearfacility. Their first child was the radio-active mutant known as Nuklo�, whowas until recent years kept in sus-pended animation by the US. govern-ment. Madeline later died giving birth toa stillborn child, in the scientific citadelof Wundagore of Transia, Europe.

The midwife, a mutated cow namedBova�, offered two abandoned infantsto Robert. However, shattered by thedeath of his wife, he fled the country.Robert believed the children, whobecame known as Quicksilver� andScarlet Witch�, were his own. Herecently died in battle with an old foenamed Isbisa� (who was responsible forthe nuclear accident), though in theprocess of the conflict, Nuklo was cured.

William Nasland, the Spirit of �76�,took up the name of Captain Americawhen Steve Rogers, the original Cap,disappeared and was presumed dead atthe war�s end. Nasland served as a mem-ber of the All-Winners Squad as Cap,only to fall in battle with the evilandroid Adam II�, who was attempting

to kill freshman senator John F.Kennedy.

Jeffrey Mace, the Patriot�, wasinspired by Nasland�s heroism to becomethe third Captain America, followingNasland�s death. Alongside Fred Davis(the second Bucky�, and later withGwenny Lou Sabuki (Golden Girl�), Capfought crime in America until he retiredin 1950. Mace returned to reporting,and recently died of cancer. SteveRogers, who had since returned to hisrole as Captain America, was at Mace�sbedside when he died.

Of Thin Man� and Jack Frost�, noth-ing is known of their present activitiesor final fates. Red Raven� returned tothe Bird-People� after the war, only todiscover them preparing to launch anattack on the weakened human world.Unable to convince them otherwise, Red

Raven placed the island of the Bird-People, himself included, in suspendedanimation. Red Raven woke from thatsuspension twice; on the first occasion,he battled Angel� of the X-Men�, andthe second time he awoke, Red Ravenproved to have gone insane. He nowintended to raise the Bird-People andattack humanity. Attempting to revivehis adopted people, Red Raven foundthey had died from a malfunction of thesuspended animation equipment. RedRaven then destroyed himself and theisland.

Blue Diamond� is the only member ofthe Liberty Legion known to be stillalive. Elton Morrow retired to his stud-ies following the war, but was recentlytransformed by Stardancer� into abeing of living crystal. He has sinceaccompanied Stardancer into thereaches of deep space.

But what of Bucky, who brought themembers of the Liberty Legion together,led them against the Red Skull� to res-cue the Invaders, and convinced them tostay together as a super-powered teamof homefront heroes? What happened toCaptain America�s sidekick?

Glad you asked. Presenting Mr. JamesB. Barnes, along with two nefarious,nasty Nazis who have since passed on �Baron Zemo� and Baron Strucker�.

[Arnim Zola, Baron Zemo II, Nomad,and Red Skull may be found in MH AC 7,Concrete Jungle, by Jumpin’ Jeff Grubb.— Editor]

BUCKY�James Buchanan BarnesAdventurer

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)Agility: GOOD (10)Strength: GOOD (10)Endurance: GOOD (10)Reason: TYPICAL (6)Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: GOOD (10)

Health: 50Karma: 26Resources: TYPICALPopularity: 45

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

82 DECEMBER 1985

Known powers:

MARTIAL ARTS. Bucky was trained bythe Super Soldier himself, CaptainAmerica, in hand-to-hand combat. Buckycan Stun and Slam opponents of greaterEndurance than his Strength.

Bucky�s story: James �Bucky� Barnes�smother died while he was a child, andhis father was the victim of an accidentin basic training at Camp Lehigh, Vir-ginia. A ward of the state, Bucky becamethe camp mascot. During this time, hefirst met Steve Rogers. Discovering thatmild-mannered Mr. Rogers was in realityCaptain America, young Barnes pleadedwith the Sentinel of Liberty� to let himhelp in his campaign against statesidesaboteurs. Cap agreed and, following aperiod of intense training, made Buckyhis sidekick.

Cap and Bucky fought the Nazi men-ace both at home and in Europe. Theywere founding members of theInvaders, and Bucky left that team onlybriefly to form the Kid Commandos�with Golden Girl, Toro�, and the HumanTop�. Bucky was also responsible forforming the Liberty Legion when theInvaders had their minds controlled bythe Red Skull.

On their final mission together, Buckyand Cap were to prevent Baron Zemo Ifrom stealing an experimental droneplane from Britain. When they weredefeated by Zemo�s android, the pairwere bound to the plane, but escapedand pursued the plane, which was tak-ing off over the cliffs of Dover. Bothheroes lept for the plane, but onlyBucky found a secure hold. Cap shoutedfor his partner to let go, fearing thedrone was booby-trapped. This warningcame too late, for the plane exploded,killing Bucky. Cap fell into the ocean,where the combination of the Super-Soldier Serum and the icy waters placedhim in suspended animation for thefollowing few decades.

Neither Bucky nor Cap�s bodies werefound, so the government decided not toadmit their deaths, but rather allowedWilliam Nasland and Fred Davis to serveas Cap and Bucky following the war.Davis served both Nasland and JeffMace until he was forced to retire fromcrime-fighting as a result of a bulletwound. A third Bucky, Jack Munroe,served alongside the anti-communistCaptain America IV of the 1950s. ThisBucky is now the hero Nomad�.

BARON ZEMO IBaron Heinrich ZemoScientist, would-be conqueror

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)Agility: GOOD (10)Strength: TYPICAL (6)Endurance: GOOD (10)Reason: INCREDIBLE (40)Intuition: POOR (4)Psyche: GOOD (10)

Health: 46Karma: 54Resources: REMARKABLEPopularity: -20

Known powers:

MARTIAL ARTS. Baron Zemo became amaster of karate, following his escape toSouth America, and could Stun and Slamopponents of greater Endurance thanhis Strength.

WEAPONS: Zemo developed a numberof weapons for the Third Reich, includ-ing the following:* a �death ray� disintegrator � A largeversion of this machine, actually thefirst functional laser, inflicted Amazingdamage at a range of ½ mile. A smaller,hand-held version inflicted Excellentdamage at a range of 5 areas.* Adhesive X � The ultimate adhesive,this paste hardened in one round toform a bond of Unearthly strength. Thesolvent to this glue was developed yearslater by Peter Petruski (Trapster�).* androids � Combining talents withArnim Zola, Zemo produced androidsthat could shift in height from 10� to10�. These androids had Excellent bodyarmor and the following stats:

F A S E HealthEXCE GOOD EXCE GOOD 60

Zemo I�s story: The brilliant physicistHeinrich Zemo joined the National

Socialist Party early in its history, andbecame one of Hitler�s top scientists. Hedeveloped the first functional laser yearsahead of his compatriots, intending touse it as a weapon against the Allies. Araid by Nick Fury and his HowlingCommandos ruined this plot, but Zemolater created a hand-held laser for hisown use.

Zemo also developed Adhesive X, anunbreakable glue for use against Alliedground troops. This plot was foiled byCaptain America, with the result thatZemo�s hood was permanently bonded

D R A G O N 8 3

to his face. This tragedy twisted Zemo�smind, and he developed an intensehatred of the Allies and of CaptainAmerica. Following this encounter,Baron Zemo ceased to work exclusivelyin research, and led many sabotagemissions against the Allies as Hitler�sagent. This was the province of the RedSkull, and an uneasy rivalry existedbetween the two.

Towards the end of the war, Skullordered Zemo to London to steal anexperimental drone plane. Zemo fol-lowed the order, to get out of Germanybefore the end and in hopes of battlingCaptain America. Aided by one of hisandroids, Zemo defeated Cap and Bucky,and tied them to the plane, hoping theflight to Berlin would slay them. CaptainAmerica and Bucky escaped, but Buckywas subsequently killed and Cap wasplaced in suspended animation.

Confident that Captain America wasdead, Zemo retired to South America,where he continued his experimentsand worked towards global domination.The three Captain Americas that fol-lowed did not disturb Zemo, but withthe reappearance of the original Cap,Zemo once more set out to destroy hisfoe. Recruiting Melter�, the criminalBlack Knight�, the Enchantress�, andthe Executioner�, Zemo�s Masters ofEvil� battled Captain America and theAvengers� on several occasions. One ofZemo�s last scientific breakthroughs wasthe creation of Wonder Man�, who wasfirst used as a pawn against theAvengers.

In his final battle with CaptainAmerica, Zemo�s laser started a landsidewhich killed him. Captain Americaburied the mad scientist�s body himself.Zemo has been succeeded in his workby his son Helmut, who has taken up thename of Baron Zemo.

BARON STRUCKER�Baron Wolfgang von StruckerNazi spy, military commander,

leader of HYDRA�, andwould-be conqueror

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20)Agility: EXCELLENT (20)Strength: GOOD (10)Endurance: EXCELLENT (20)Reason: EXCELLENT (20)Intuition: EXCELLENT (20)Psyche: GOOD (10)

Health: 70Karma: 50Resources: INCREDIBLEPopularity: -20

Known powers:

MARTIAL ARTS. Baron Strucker mayStun and Slam opponents of greaterEndurance than his strength.

WEAPONS MASTER. Baron Struckerreceives a one-column shift to the rightwhen fighting with swords, sabres, orfirearms.

Strucker�s story: Baron Wolfgang vonStrucker was a member of a long line ofPrussian military leaders. He wasrecruited by the Nazis in the 1930s as asecret agent; with the outbreak of war,Strucker distinguished himself as a wingcommander of the infamous Death�sHead Squadron�. His personal foe in thewar was Sgt. Nick Fury, and the twosoldiers battled often during that con-flict. At one point, Strucker disobeyed adirect order from Hitler in order toattempt to defeat his foe. Hitler orderedStrucker assassinated, but the Baronfled to the Far East with the help of theRed Skull.

It was the Skull�s intention to useStrucker to form a power base in theOrient from which to challenge Hitler,but Strucker soon cut all ties with RedSkull and set off on his own. Contactinga group of Japanese subversives,Strucker formed HYDRA�, and, uponslaying the subversive�s leader, becamethe Supreme Hydra. HYDRA was on theverge of developing nuclear weaponrywhen it was overun by Captain SimonSavage�, his Leatherneck Raiders�, andJapanese commandos. Though his mainbase of Hydra Island was destroyed,Strucker survived and quietly rebuiltHYDRA after the war.

HYDRA was for a brief time controlledby another front, called THEM�, whichwas run by Strucker, but the Baronreturned to control HYDRA directlywith HYDRA�s initial defeat. HYDRA wasalso responsible for the creation ofA.I.M.� (Advanced Idea Mechanics), atechnological division that later becamean independent force.

Once HYDRA had fully resurfaced, itcame into direct conflict withS.H.I.E.L.D., under the command of Col.Nick Fury, Strucker�s old foe. Struckertried to blow up the Heli-Carrier� with aDeath-Spore bomb, which would spreada deadly virus around the globe. Furyfound the bomb and took it to the newHydra Island, where it exploded andsank the island to the bottom of the sea.The spores were contained within theisland�s adamantium dome. Before theexplosion came, Strucker died in anuclear reactor chamber while fleeinghis own men. Fury escaped.

Strucker has apparently been survivedby twin children, a girl and a boy namedAndrea and Andreas. The two have themercilessness of their father, and inaddition are mutants with great energypowers when in contact with eachother. They are collectively known asFenris�.

84 DECEMBER 1985

D R A G O N 8 5

86 DECEMBER 1985

Name of firm or product Page(s)Adventure Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13American Games, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Armory, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27Bard Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Britton Designs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Chaosium, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Columbia Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Companions, The. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Compleat Strategist, The. . . . . . . . . . . . 14DB Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Diverse Talents Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75DRAGON® Magazine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Index to advertisersDunken Co., The. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Fantasy Games Unlimited . . . . . . . .12, 25,

39, 40Fantasy-Wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Game Designers� Workshop . . . . . . . . . .37Game Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Game Towne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83Gameline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Gamers� Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86-87Games Workshop U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85,

inside front coverIron Crown Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .1,

back cover

M. S. Kinney Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Magicware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Milton Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Nichols Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Nova Game Designs, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . .77Palladium Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57, 67RAFM Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .59Reality Simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Steve Jackson Games. . . . . . . . . . . . .66, 77TSR, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . .29, 31, 32, 65, 81West End Games. . . . . . .Inside back coverWinter Fantasy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

D R A G O N 8 7

STAGE 9 WINTER FANTASY, Dec. 20-22This gaming convention will be staged at

the University of Arkansas in Little Rock,Ark. The convention will feature RPGA�Network tournaments, a video room, boardgames, an auction, and much more. RPGAmember discount will be given on admis-sion. For further information, contact:Sonny Scott, Route 3, Box 238, Little RockAR 72211, or telephone (501)821-2088.

EVECON 3, Dec. 27-29EveCon will be staged at the Holiday Inn

in Gaithersburg, Md. Featured events in-clude science-fiction and fantasy gaming ac-tivities, videos, movies, music, singing, dan-cing, and an art show. Also planned are aFriday Night pool party (with waterfall) anda Saturday masquerade. Registration feesare $15. For more details, contact: EveCon3, P.O. Box 128, Aberdeen MD 21001.

QWESTFIELD 1, Jan. 4This one-day gaming event will take place

at Eason Hall in Westfield, New York.Featured events will include AD&D®,GAMMA WORLD®, STAR FRON-TIERS®, and TRAVELER® tournaments.A dealers� table will also be available. Formore information about this event, send aself-addressed, stamped envelope to:Gamer�s Connection, P.O. Box 822,Jamestown NY 14702-0822.

WINTER FANTASY, Jan. 4-5To be held at the Americana Resort in

Lake Geneva, Wis., this convention will of-fer a variety of role-playing tournaments,miniatures events, board games, an auction,and demonstrations. Guests of honor will in-clude game designers Jim Ward, ThomWham, Frank Mentzer, and Carl Smith,and RPGA� Network coordinator PennyPetticord. Registration fees are $7 for theweekend, or $4 per day. For more details,send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:Winter Fantasy, P.O. Box 721, LakeGeneva WI 53147.

DRAMACON, Jan. 10-12This convention is sponsored by the Fort

Worth Country Day school branch of the In-ternational Thespian Society, and proceedswill benefit said organization. A variety oftournament events will be offered, and therewill be a team quiz of which the questionswill based upon the literary words of J.R.R.Tolkien. For more information, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: DramaconGaming Convention, 3836 Glenmont Drive,Fort Worth TX 76133, or telephone(817)292-8745.

88 DECEMBER 1985

RUSTYCON III, Jan. 17-19To be staged at the Executive Inn in Seat-

tle,. Wash., this science-fiction conventionwill feature a number of activities. Guests ofhonor include author Vonda N. McIntyreand artist Ilene Meyer. Registration fees are$16 until December 31, and $20 thereafter.For more information, contact: RustyconIII, P.O. Box 47132, Seattle WA 98146.

BRIDE OF PANDEMONIUM, Jan. 18This event will be staged at the Ryerson

Poytechnical Institute in Toronto, Ontario.This third annual convention will include 17games, a figure and diorama contest, an auc-tion, and open gaming. Gifts certificates willbe awarded. For more details, contact:Dungeon Parties, Inc., P.O. Box 67, Stn. F,Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4Y 1N1, ortelephone (416)924-1989.

CHIMERACON III, Jan. 25-26This convention will be held at the

Carolina Union at the University of NorthCarolina in Chapel Hill, NC. Guests ofhonor include Orson Scott Card, ManlyWade Wellman, Allen Wold, M. A. Foster,and C. Bruce Hunter. Special events includean �Outer Limits� cantina, a writingworkshop, a trivia bowl, an art show, panels,and readings. Registration fees are $3 perday. For more information, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:ChimeraCon III, 12-A University Gardens,Chapel Hill NC 27514, or telephone(919)967-5347.

1986 FANTSY WORLD�S FESTIVAL,Feb. 7-9

This convention will be staged at theHyatt Regency Hotel at Oakland�s Interna-tional Airport. Guests of honor will includeDiane Duane, Marion Zimmer Bradley, andDiana L. Paxson. Registration fees are $2until January 1, $25 until February 1, and$30 thereafter. For more details, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Friends ofDarkover, P.O. Box 72, Berkeley CA 94701.

DUN DRA CON, Feb. 14-17This gaming convention will take place at

the Airport Hyatt in Oakland, Cal.Seminars, a painting contest, and a fleamarket are among the scheduled events.Fore more information, contact: Dun DraCon, c/o T. O. Green, 386 Alcatraz Ave.,Oakland CA 94618

ORCCON, Feb. 15-17This gaming convention will take place at

the Los Angeles Airport Hyatt Hotel. Ac-tivities will include role-playing tour-

naments, war games, seminars, and an auc-tion. For more information, contact: Orc-con, P.O. Box 8399, Long Beach CA 90808,or telephone (213)420-3675.

WISCON 10, Feb. 21-23This science-fiction convention will be

staged at the Concourse Hotel in Madison,Wis. Guests of honor include Chelsea QuinnYarbro amd Suzette Haden Elgin. Activitiesinclude films, a masquerade, and an artshow and auction. For more details, contact:WisCon 10, P.O. Box 1624, Madison WI53701, or telephone (608)251-6226 (days) or(608)233-0326 (evenings).

WAMCON �86, Feb 28 - Mar. 2This event will be held at the Sheraton Inn

Coliseum in Hampton, Va. Guests of honorwill include Judson Scott, A. C. Crispin,and Tracy Hickman. Two- and three-dayregistrations are available. For more details,send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:WamCon, P.O. Box 2223, Poquoson VA23662.

BASHCON �86, Mar. 1-2This gaming convention will be held at the

University of Toledo�s main campus inToledo, Ohio. More than 60 role-playingand board games and minaitures events willbe offered. Also, an RPGA� AD&D® tour-nament will be scheduled. For more details,send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:UT-BASH, BashCon �86, 2801 W. Ban-croft, Toledo OH 43606.

LUNACON �86, Mar. 7-9This science-fiction convention will be

held at the Westchester Marriot Hotel inTarrytown, New York. Guests of honor willinclude Marta Randall and MadeleineL�Engle. Multi-track programming ofpanels, workshops, and readings will beavailable. Also featured are an art show, adealers� room, films, a masquearde, and avariety of role-playing and computer games.Registration fees are $16 until February 26,and $20 thereafter. For details, contact:LunaCon, P.O. Box 6742, FDR Station,New York NY 10150.

TRI-CON IV, Mar. 14-16This gaming convention will be staged at

Poe Hall at the NC State University Cam-pus in Raleigh, N.C. Tournaments, films,and miniatures events will be scheduled.Registration fees are $5 for the weekend, or$3 per day. For more information, send aself-addressed, stamped envelope to: NC.State Gaming Society, P.O. Box 50201,Raleigh NC 27650.

NEOCON V, Mar. 21-23To be staged at the Gardner Student

Center of the University of Akron in Akron,Ohio, this convention will offer a variety ofrole-playing, board, and miniatures games.For more information about this gamingconvention, send a self-addressed, stampedenvelope to: Neocon V, P.O. Box 7411,Akron OH 44306.

D R A G O N 8 9

90 DECEMBER 1985

D R A G O N 9 1

92 DECEMBER 1985

D R A G O N 9 3

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D R A G O N 9 5

”96 DECEMBER 1985

MISS AMERICA�Madeline Joyce, adventuress(identity known to U.S. government)

Fighting: GOOD (10) Health: 56Agility: EXCELLENT (20) Karma: 22Strength: TYPICAL (6) Resources: EXCELLENTEndurance: EXCELLENT (20) (supported by U.S. government)Reason: TYPICAL (6) Popularity: 40Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Powers

LEVITATION: Miss America has the power to levitate by hermental powers, allowing her to rise into the air as high asnormal breathing would allow (20,000 feet) and to hover inplace, staying aloft up to 2 hours. By careful jumps, she canfly at 4 areas per round with Excellent control, though shehas to land and kick off again to keep going.

Talents: None.

Background: Madeline Joyce was visiting a lighthouse usedfor electrical experiments when a lightning bolt from theequipment and an electrical storm struck her. When sherecovered from her coma, she found her latent mutantpowers had surfaced. She became a costumed crimefighter,and while fighting a Nazi spy ring in New York, she met theWhizzer�. They joined forces to crush the spies and free theInvaders� from the Red Skull�.

MISS AMERICA and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright ©1985Marvel Comics Group. All Rights Reserved.

WHIZZERTM

Robert L. Frank, adventurer(identity known to U.S. government)

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20) Health: 86Agility: INCREDIBLE (40) Karma: 26Strength: TYPICAL (6) Resources: EXCELLENTEndurance: EXCELLENT (20) (supported by U.S. government)Reason: GOOD (10) Popularity: 40Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Powers

LIGHTNING SPEED: The Whizzer can move up to 10 areasper round because of his superhuman metabolism. He hasalso developed his fighting skills to compliment his speed,and his Fighting rises to Incredible when he is in motion.

Talents: He can use a special martial arts talent whilein motion, slamming and stunning larger opponents.

he is

Background: While in Africa with his scientist father,young Robert was bitten by a cobra. A mongoose killed thecobra, and Dr. Frank injected some of the mongoose�s bloodinto Robert. Dr. Frank died of a heart attack, but Robertsurvived and developed superhuman speed. When he grewup, Robert returned to the U.S. as a costumed crimefighter.He was fighting a Nazi spy ring in upstate New York whencontacted by Bucky Barnes� to help free the Invaders� fromthe Red Skull�. On this mission, he met Miss America�, andthey were engaged to be married in later years.

PATRIOT�Jeffrey Mace, reporter and adventurer(secret identity)

Fighting: REMARKABLE (30) Health: 66Agility: GOOD (10) Karma: 26Strength: TYPICAL (6) Resources: EXCELLENTEndurance: EXCELLENT (20) (supported by U.S. government)Reason: GOOD (10) Popularity: 40Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Powers

Patriot has no super powers.

Talents: Patriot is skilled in journalism and martial arts.

Background: Jeffrey Mace left his career as a reporter forthe New York Daily Bugle at the start of World War II to fightcrime and Nazi espionage in America as a costumed hero. Hestill makes regular patriotic radio broadcasts from New YorkCity. When the Invaders� were captured by the Red Skull�,Patriot joined Bucky Barnes and other heroes to free them,becoming a founding member of the Liberty Legion.

PATRIOT and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright ©1985 MarvelComics Group. All Rights Reserved.

SPIRIT OF '76�William Nasland, adventurer(secret identity)

Fighting: EXCELLENT (20) Health: 70Agility: EXCELLENT (20) Karma: 22Strength: GOOD (10) Resources: GoodEndurance: EXCELLENT (20) Popularity: 25Reason: TYPICAL (6)Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Powers

CAPE: Spirit of '76 has no superhuman powers. His cape ismade of a bullet-proof material that provides Typical protec-tion against physical attacks made against him from behind.He may draw the cape around to protect his front as well.

Talents: None

Background: Spirit of '76 first appeared at the beginningof World War II as a costumed agent of the U.S. government,fighting Nazi espionage at home. In 1942 he moved to GreatBritain and joined a group of British super heroes called theCrusaders� . This group discovered that they had been orga-nized as part of a Nazi plot, but they conquered their back-ers. Spirit of '76 returned to America on occasions to workwith the Liberty Legion during the war.

WHIZZER and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Comb Group. Copyright ©1985 MarvelComics Group. All Rights Reserved.

SPIRIT OF '76 and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright ©1985Marvel Comics Group. All Rights Reserved.

RED RAVEN�Real name unknown, adventurer

Fighting: GOOD (10) Health: 56Agility: EXCELLENT (20) Karma: 22Strength: TYPICAL (6) Resources: EXCELLENTEndurance: EXCELLENT (20) (supported by U.S. government)Reason: GOOD (10) Popularity: 40Intuition: TYPICAL (6)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Powers

WINGS: Red Raven wears an anti-gravity suit fitted with alarge pair of birdlike wings. This suit allows him to fly atTypical speed (up to 140 mph) with Excellent control. If hemakes a successful Agility FEAT, Red Raven can use his wingsas a shield to provide Excellent protection from physicalattacks and Incredible protection from heat-based attacks. Ifhe makes a successful flight-control FEAT roll, he is also ableto swing his wings with enough force to cause Excellentdamage. The wings also contain a built-in blaster which doesRemarkable damage at a range of 6 areas.

Talents: Red Raven has some knowledge of electronics andengineering, and his Reason is Excellent in those areas.

Background: Red Raven�s parents were killed when theirplane crashed into a floating city which belonged to awinged race of Inhumans�. The child was raised by theInhumans (the Bird-People) and was given his winged cos-tume. Red Raven later went to America to join the LibertyLegion�, to fight Nazi aggression in World War II.RED RAVEN and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright ©1985Marvel Comics Group. All Rights Reserved.

BLUE DIAMOND�Elton T. Morrow, scientist and adventurer(secret identity)

Fighting: GOOD (10) Health: 70Agility: GOOD (10) Karma: 26Strength: INCREDIBLE (40) Resources: EXCELLENTEndurance: GOOD (10) (supported by U.S. government)Reason: GOOD (10) Popularity: 40Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)

Powers

BODY ARMOR: Blue Diamond�s skin is hard enough to pro-vide him with Amazing protection against physical attacksand Remarkable protection from energy attacks.

Talents: He has Excellent Reason in Anthropology.

Background: Elton Morrow was standing near a largediamond when it exploded, imbedding millions of diamondparticles in his skin. This granted him superhuman strengthand invulnerability.

BLUE DIAMOND and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Red Skull, BuckyBarnes, the Inhumans, the Invaders, and the Crusaders are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright ©1985 Marvel Comics Group. All Rights Reserved.

THIN MAN�Bruce Dickson, scientist and adventurer(public identity)

Fighting: GOOD (10) Health: 42Agility: TYPICAL (6) Karma: 26Strength: TYPICAL (6) Resources: EXCELLENTEndurance: EXCELLENT (20) (supported by U.S. government)Reason: GOOD (10) Popularity: 40Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: TYPICAL (6)Powers

BODY PLASTICITY: Thin Man is able to alter and stretch hisbody to become paper thin or to reach long distances. Thispower is Feeble and can only be used defensively. Anyonetrying to hit Thin Man with a fist or weapon must make atwo-column shift to the left as Thin Man�s body will absorbmost of the blow. Thin Man can attack while thinned.Talents: Thin Man has an Excellent Reason in chemistry,electronics, aeronautics, piloting, and engineering.Background: Bruce Dickson discovered Kalahia, a lost city(in the Himalayas), populated by beings who could flattenthemselves as thin as paper. The people of Kalahia injectedhim with a chemical that gave him his powers. The ThinMan has a special aircraft that can only be safely piloted byhim. (All others must make a Reason FEAT to do so, as wellas Agility FEATS to avoid crashing.) The plane is a modifiedfighter with Good Control, Excellent Speed, and a TypicalBody. The two wing-mounted machine guns will do Remark-able Damage to a range of 40 areas.THIN MAN and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright ©1985 MarvelComics Group. All Rights Reserved.

JACK FROST�Real name unknown, adventurer

Fighting: GOOD (10) Health: 76Agility: EXCELLENT (20) Karma: 26Strength: TYPICAL (6) Resources: EXCELLENTEndurance: INCREDIBLE (40) (supported by U.S. government)Reason: TYPICAL (6) Popularity: 20Intuition: GOOD (10)Psyche: GOOD (10)

Powers

COLD POWER: Jack Frost is able to project rays of intensecold; anyone struck by such a ray must make an EnduranceFEAT roll and check the stun column of the Battle EffectsTable. The victim will be frozen in a sheath of ice (Goodmaterial) if the FEAT roll fails. One such ray may be fired perround to a maximum range of 6 areas. This power is consid-ered Amazing.

Jack Frost is also able to manipulate ice and shape it intocrude shields, which will provide Excellent protection. JackFrost has Unearthly resistance to cold attacks, but heat-basedattacks gain an UP TWO shift in damage against him.

Talents: None

Background: Jack Frost�s personal history is unknown atthis time to anyone.

JACK FROST and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Comics Group. Copyright ©1985Marvel Comics Group. All Right Reserved.