Issue #140Vol. XIII, No. 7

December 1988

PublisherMike Cook

EditorRoger E. Moore

Assistant editor Fiction editorRobin Jenkins Patrick L. Price

Editorial assistantsKim Walter Barbara G. Young

Art directorLori Svikel

Production staffPaul Hanchette Betty Elmore

Kim Janke Carolyn Vanderbilt

Subscriptions U.S. AdvertisingPat Schulz Sheila Gailloreto

U.K. correspondentGraeme Morris

U.K. advertisingDawn Carter Kris Starr

2 DECEMBER 1988

SPECIAL A TTRACTION

15 Keepers of the Faith:Justifying the ways of gods and men.

16 The Savant Vince GarciaHis weapon of choice is the wisdom of the ages.

24 So Many Gods, So Little Time Andrew C. GronoskyMix-and-match gods do not a pantheon make.

30 Fantasy Clerics and Clerical Fallacies Gregory DetwilerFinding a cure for clerical shortcomings.

34 As the Cleric Turns Robert StockdaleTurning the tables on turning undead.

OTHER FEATURES

38 Specialization (Cut Down to Size) Len CarpenterStrategic arms limitations for the AD&D® game.

40 The Beastie Awards Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserFour out of five DRAGON Magazine readers prefer. . . .

44 Roll On! Len CarpenterA better way of rolling the bones.

46 Flesh and Blood fiction by Mary Frances Zambreno.What is the price of a fathers love?

52 The Game Wizards Jim WardAn insiders look at the 1989 TSR product schedule.

54 An Assortment of Knives Edwin C. MasonHandheld weapons that get to the point.

56 The Dragons Bestiary Ed GreenwoodCreatures of light and darkness: new monsters from the FORGOTTENREALMS setting.

66 Through the Looking Glass Robert BigelowMiniature strongholds, fantasy forests, and children of the gods.

74 The Role of Computers Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserEarning your wings: PC adventures for frequent fliers.

82 Role-playing Reviews Jim BambraFoundations and empires: assessing the FORGOTTEN REALMSsupplements.

DE P A R T M E N T S3 Letters 12 Sage Advice 90 Convention Calendar6 Forum 28 Index to Advertisers 94 Dragonmirth

10 TSR Previews 64 Gamers Guide 98 SnarfQuest

CO V E RFans should have no trouble recognizing the cover artist for this issue Larry

Elmore, who reported that the giant's footprints were the most difficult part to paint. Indeed, the level of detail is extraordinary. Notice the pigs?

What did you think of this issue? Do you havea question about an article or have an idea for anew feature youd like to see? In the UnitedStates and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON®Magazine, P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147,U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGONMagazine, TSR UK Limited, The Mill, RathmoreRoad, Cambridge CB1 4AD, United Kingdom.

Errers R UsDear Dragon:

In issue #136, on page 19, the 13th line reads:Manacles are medieval versions of manacles,made out of iron. Shouldnt the second mana-cles read handcuffs?

Aaron GoldblattFort Worth TX

Yes, the second manacles should have been“handcuffs” — but this was the 13th line onpage 18 of that issue.

Gone, but not...Dear Dragon:

I am not certain whether or not Little Warsmagazine is still being published; however, as aformer avid reader of it, I would like to inquireabout a couple of things.

First, do you still publish Little Wars or anyother magazine for military/fantasy miniaturesin which I could place a classified ad to pur-chase a hard-to-find line of fantasy figures?

Second, do you know if Heritage Models(based in Dallas, Tex.) exists in any form? If not,do you know the whereabouts of their minia-tures ranges if they have been bought out byanother company? I am very interested inacquiring Der Kriegspierers Fantastiques, whichI am afraid are no longer on the market. Anyhelp in this area would be most appreciated.

Jonathan R. CaseyVienna VA

Little Wars ceased publication in the spring of1979 and was merged with DRAGON Magazineat that time. For several years after the acquisi-tion of the assets of SPI, Inc., TSR, Inc. pub-lished STRATEGY & TACTICS® Magazine, butthat periodical was sold to World Wide War-games (3W), Inc. in 1987. S&T® Magazine cur-rently runs classified advertising; write to:STRATEGY & TACTICS Magazine, P.O. Box FCambria CA 93428, U.S.A.

Our best information on Heritage Models isthat it no longer exists, and we have no informa-tion on what became of the molds used for itsminiature figures.

Things to comeDear Dragon:

How about adding a small section in each

issue which states what will be in the next issue,or at least a few highlights?

Matt AmundsenMarietta GA

We dont do this because there is always thechance we will have to change the magazine’scontents at the last minute. Changes in adver-tisement layouts, placement of articles usingcolor, and other glitches have unexpectedlyrearranged the contents more than once,though we do schedule themes for issues andexpect to regularly use certain features such asreviews. So, no “next issue” announcements.

Microzines?Dear Dragon:

I could easily spend $150-$200 in an attemptto gain all of the information printed in yourmagazine that would be useful to my gameplaying. Why dont you edit out all of the adver-tising, reviews of books and games, etc., and art,then put the first 100 issues of your magazineon microfilm (or on a hard disk) and sell it tolibraries? You could include the fiction sepa-rately. This would more than compensate forwhat is missing from the Best of DRAGONMagazine anthologies.

David RomneyYakima WA

We’ll make a note of this idea, but we cannotpromise that you will actually see it in practice.

On a related topic, we have no further anthol-ogies of DRAGON Magazine material plannedfor the foreseeable future. In a reply to a letterin issue #133 (“Four questions”), we mentionedthat module anthologies taken from DRAGONMagazine and DUNGEON® Adventures weretentatively planned for release in 1989; unfortu-nately, these products were removed from theschedule. They might appear at a later time.

Okay to copyDear Dragon:

Often, I find myself in a situation in whichthere is a great article in DRAGON Magazinethat I want to put into my role-playing binderwithout butchering my magazine. Is it okay tophotocopy material for private use?

Damian BrunianyPittsburgh PA

Yes, you can photocopy anything you like (foryour personal use only) out of DRAGON Maga-zine. We onIy object if such copying is done forprofit — say, if you ran an advertisement sayingyou would sell photocopies of the DRAGONissue #1 you have in your gaming library for $5apiece. If you made a copy of an article to give afriend but made no profit from it, that’s fine,too.

A failure toimaginate

Not everyone likes everything thatappears in DRAGON® Magazine, asyou might well guess. Among thecritical letters we receive are thosethat protest material that doesntexactly fit what you might think ofas a typical FRPG campaign, withelves, dwarves, unicorns, and apseudo-medieval human culturecrossed with The Lord of the Rings.For example, the special section onAfrican monsters that appeared inissue #122 produced several lettersasking why we bothered to run it. Asimilar reaction came from onewriter when we ran the newundead in issue #138 and fromanother writer when we ran theprehistoric mammals in #137. Wewere taken aback by the number ofletters from readers who didnt likedruids, after we ran the section onthem in issue #119; one writer saiddruids simply didnt fit within amedieval-style campaign.

Now, dont get me wrong, becauseI rather like medieval-style cam-paigns, too. But variety is the spiceof life even life in fantasy games and without it, a long-runningcampaign can be described using thewords of a character from one ofMargaret Weiss little-known fantasyclassics: How borrrring.

What we have here, to paraphrasefrom Cool Hand Luke, is a failure toimaginate. Given a little time and aperverse imagination, it is possibleto make up an entertaining shortadventure involving almost anymonster, magical item, or charactertype that falls out of the ordinary.Some AD&D® game players dontuse Oriental Adventures, but what ifa group of shipwrecked Orientalmonsters or evil NPCs met yourcharacters face-to-face? A gamedesigner once mentioned his desireto write a humorous module inwhich the PCs find an island popu-lated only by monsters that no onelikes, such as the flumph from theFIEND FOLIO® tome. One of theAfrican monsters from issue #122could appear in a zoo, on an island,in a wizards laboratory, as a foreignNPC wizards pet, or as a specialwandering monster on a quest of itsown in any campaign. And the Man-ual of the Planes is rich with uniquesettings, each worth a visit.

More daring Dungeon Mastersmay wish to make broader changes

Continued on page 79

DRAGON 3

“Forum” welcomes your comments andopinions on role-playing games. In the Unit-ed States and Canada, write to: Forum,DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box 111, LakeGeneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, writeto: Forum, DRAGON Magazine, TSR UKLimited, The Mill, Rathmore Road, Cam-bridge CB1 4AD, United Kingdom. We askthat material submitted to “Forum” be eitherneatly written by hand or typed with a freshribbon and clean keys so we can read andunderstand your comments.

Finally, youve done something to beef updragons! [Special attraction on dragons inDRAGON issue #134.] I dont know how manypeople have laughed at the game because theytried the AD&D® game, went out and killed adragon, and it was boring." So few DungeonMasters have the skills necessary to make evena demon lord a challenge! In the group I DM,the players have told me that they would ratherface a dragon than a group of eight orcs justbecause the dragon is quicker about wipingthem out! The editorial about Tuckers kobolds[DRAGON issue #127] really hit home as itreminded many of the players about my orcs.Im not a killer DM, but I dont believe orcs havesurvived this long because they are stupid, and Ialways give the monsters even breaks! Whatthose articles did was explain to everyone howto make dragons a bit more like their legendarycousins. The only problem is that merging thosechanges with those presented in the FORGOT-TEN REALMS setting boxed set makes for amean dragon!

In Sage Advice in issue #134, the question ofhouse rules was brought up. If there is onething I hate, its a player who challenges a houserule. The DM had a reason for making the rule,

and if players dont like it, they can find anothergame. In my own world, elves cannot be clerics.The reason for this is that an elf can be almostany class, and it is usually advantageous to bean elf. Aside from the bow and short-swordadjustments, elves each have infravision and theability to find secret doors. Combined with anyclass, an elven character will dominate a game ifthe PC is played correctly. My house rules alsomake dwarves most powerful as clerics (I lovedthe dwarven cleric in issue #129) and humansmost powerful as fighters. I have corrected amajor imbalance in the game regarding elves,and I have given other races, notably humansand dwarves, a chance. If I had to make onerecommendation for the revised AD&D gamebooks, it would be to make the elves less power-ful and other races more powerful.

Dean WrightSecurity CO

Lets settle once and for all the matter ofUnearthed Arcanas weapon-specialization rules.Recent letters in Forum have claimed that thisis a good thing and that (heaven help us) itshould be extended to clerics as well.

Weapon specialization is grotesque and unbal-ancing. Lets quote some figures here, a ratherelementary thing to do which no previouswriter has bothered to pester readers with.Consider our standard 1st-level fighter. He has17 strength (a fair average for a fighter) anduses a long sword. Now, how much damagedoes he do? That depends on the armor class ofan enemy, so what we do is calculate the aver-age damage per round against all enemies fromAC 9 to AC -2. This average comes out as 1.54hp/round in the old combat system. With weap-on specialization, it becomes 3.66 hp/round,fully 238% of the old figure. With double spe-cialization (perfectly reasonable for 1st-levelfighters; how many of them ever use more than

one sword and a bow anyway?), we get 5.43 hp/rd, a staggering 353% increase over the oldaverage. It is obvious from these figures andthe numbers dont change radically if one con-siders other weapon types and strength values that the effect of specialization is absurdlyunbalancing to the game. Did anyone ever claimin the past that fighters should be able to dofour times the damage they were doing? If nosuch claim was made, why do we need a systemin which damage by fighters is virtually quadru-pled by double specialization?

Actually, the laughable rules on firing a cross-bow at point-blank range give new averagedamage figures which exceed by 600% the olddamage in certain cases, but these are so outra-geous that I cannot bring myself to detail them.

Weapon specialization must be written out ofthe AD&D® Second Edition game, together withother unbalancing elements which have pro-duced overpowered characters: Method Vcharacter generation (if you want this type ofcharacter, why dont you save yourself the timeand just write down six straight 18s?);svirfneblin and their elemental conjurations;barbarians; and drow with their spell bonuses.All these are equivalents of the treasure-packedMonty Haul in the area of character abilities.

Finally, to deal with the people who havewritten in about the pitiful mages who at 1stlevel have but one spell (another variant on thechildish gimme a real powerful character andgimme it now mentality). Stop snivelling, useyour brains, and you might even try doingsomething really radical when that spell hasbeen used like role-playing. A magic-user ishighly intelligent, and he should have plenty ofinput into tactical discussions, interpretingobservations, and anything else which calls forsome smarts.

Steve AllenLondon, U.K.

I am writing after reading Mr. Oppens excel-lent article detailing the Roman religions in issue#133. The piece was relevant and coherent, andI am well aware of the difficulty in representingan entire culture through a handful of figure-heads. I must, however, take exception to theentry under Saturns name, as I feel that hischaracter has been drastically misrepresented.

Saturn was primarily a Roman god, havinglittle or no following among the Greeks. How-ever, like all Roman gods, his origins came fromthe Greek myths, and in this respect he is identi-

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318-790. ISSN 0279-6848.

6 DECEMBER 1988

he had demanded human sacrifices from among

fied with the titan Cronus (the father of Zeus).

his subjects; when these ceased to come, he

Cronus himself was the son of Uranus and Gaea,

cursed his land with drought, poverty, hatred,

Space and the Earth, and was throughly evil. He

and all other evils. The god inherited this legacy

was responsible for the birth of the Furies and

of kindness and absolute evil, and Saturn was

for castrating his own father; later, when

named the Lord of Misrule. The golden reign of

warned that he would be similarly overthrown

King Saturn was mentioned in the same manner

by his own children, he swallowed each one as

as we might today say, Germany was united

it was born. Zeus death was avoided by his

under Hitler." His wrathful punishment and self-

mothers interference, and he went on to battle

obsession became trademarks of the otherwisepeaceful soul whose name the god inherited,

and defeat Cronus, releasing the swallowedOlympians and starting a new dynasty. Cronus(Saturn), therefore, had already been estab-lished as chaos incarnate.

Zeus was known as Jupiter in Roman mythol-ogy, and his father, Cronus, was translated intoSaturn, named after a human king whose rulewas known to have been fair and just. Saturnwas depicted as being a frail old man whoalways carried a sickle and who had connec-tions with the harvest, not with the sowing.(The plow has never been associated closelywith Saturn, but see below.) The sickle shouldbe his symbol, as it is today used by astrono-mers and astrologers in speaking about theplanet Saturn. Further, the ideas represented bySaturn are those of destruction, death, and (atleast) inertia and helplessness. The evil nature ofhis Greek cousin was carried through, and thechaos which was the base of his characterbecame even more fundamental, despite the[reputation of the] good king who only managedto slightly lessen Saturns reputation.

It is, therefore, understandable that somesources describe the god Saturn as being benignbecause of this king whose name was borrowed.In this context alone, Saturn was recognized asa god of sowing and of husbandry, and theearth was said to have produced abundantlyunder his control. Eventually, as Greek influ-ence became less important, Saturn took on thefull aspect of this king and was consideredbenevolent and wise, as the article depictedhim. The king had also been responsible for theabolishment of slavery in his kingdom and hadtaught agriculture to the Italians, but a darkshadow had loomed over his rule. Periodically,

and Saturn, both as god and mortal, implied afickle character rooted in chaos. As Cronus hadrepresented these traits to the Greeks, Saturndid to the Romans, ruling kindly and supportive-ly until he felt his personal importance wasdiminishing, then destroying everything aroundhim with all his power.

twice in a row at the most). As for a DM making

a predetermined number of days, he was

a bad judgment call, two DMs can have a little

expected (and forced) to cut his throat, commit-

conference if the dormant DM thinks preju-

ting public suicide as a fee for impersonating

dices are getting in the way of playing a fair

the god. Saturns worship, although tied to

game. A couple of bad things about this whole

gentler pastoral days through the legendary

idea is that one DM cannot have complete

king, was a decadent, cosmopolitan display of

control over the game; but sometimes it isbetter to have two different viewpoints as it

self-fulfillment, the pleasures of inflicting pain,and the making of noise and disruption.

gives more flavor to the world (watch out for

It is true that later cultures have carried

arguments they ruin the flavor of the world).Another minus is that weaselly characters can

Saturns bad side to extremes compared to theRoman view. The Grim Reaper was derivedfrom the image of the man with the sickle. Inastrology, Saturn is known as a malefic influ-ence. But even in ancient times, there were [inSaturn] overtones of immortality, cruelty, anddebased chaos. Saturn was seen by the law-and-order society of the Romans as being unrestrict-ed by any laws or rules, living to the hilt his lifeof pleasure at others expense.

In game terms, Saturns movement rateshould be changed to 12, his hit points to 250,his symbol to the sickle, and most importantly,his alignment to chaotic neutral. It is even moreessential, however, that the DM develop a senseof what Saturn represented. Although Oppensarticle does an excellent job in describing oneside of Saturns personality, albeit from animmature development of his mythology, Saturnmust be visualized as a self-centered, ambiguousbeing who serves his followers happily butalso a being who, if shown anything less thanobsession from his followers, lashes back in ire.

David CohenSt. Catharines, Ontario

I am writing about the article in issue #135,When Game Masters Go Bad." Our group,which numbers nine, has found the perfectsolution to this problem: co-DMing. Not onlydoes this solve the problems of the party split-ting up, it also lets either DM run an adventureif the other is sick, so the group can still go onwith the campaign. It also solves the problem ofplayers not showing up for a game, as thesecondary DM can handle all the missing char-acters (this is not to be used often once or

con one DM into something that the other DMdoesnt like (thus causing a civil war). This styleof play is not for every group, and is not recom-mended for small groups.

Delmar WatkinsMuncie IN

Saturns position as a god was important to In issue #133s editorial, comment is called forthe Romans as Jupiters father, and a festival on the future of role-playing games. In my(Saturnalia) was celebrated every year in opinion, role-playing games will probably moveDecember (winter showed the Lord of Misrules toward placing more emphasis on coherentconnections with destructive elemental forces). campaigns rather than anything else. This trendThese were seven days when all law was is already visible in TSRs own decision to set upignored. Homicide, sexual indiscretions, bur- a campaign world for all AD&D game adven-glary, and assault ran rampant in the name of tures. The FORGOTTEN REALMS setting isSaturn as psychological release. This proved commendable, and Im certainly looking for-effective, as the crimes committed were never ward to seeing modules that have a consistentas bad as one would expect, and the people felt campaign atmosphere.as though their anxieties had been truly I havent seen GURPS by Steve Jackson Games,released. A young man was named Saturn for but I think this trend will also be a feature ofthe festival, and he paraded around dressed in this role-playing game. I hope (rather thanroyal robes, and was encouraged to partake in believe) that role-playing games will lose theirimmoral festivities, especially orgies. Then, after poor images in the minds of much of the public.

Even a sustained public relations campaignwould be hard-pressed to convince those whonow think of us as demon worshipers, but thenevery population has its lunatic fringe.

I would now like to try to convince you thatspell points are not unbalancing if used in a welldeveloped campaign. It was said in The GameWizards column not too long ago that givingclerics a spell-point system would be unbalanc-ing because of limitless healing spells beingavailable at no reduction in the clerics capacityto cast other spells if necessary. This would betrue of a campaign where clerics had automaticaccess to all of the spells listed in the PlayersHandbook and Unearthed Arcana. In my belief,clerics should not be run that way.

First, a campaigns gods should be well devel-oped with well-defined, it not distinct, spheresof influence. Based on these spheres, spells castby clerics of each god would be listed, andcasting spells outside of ones sphere would beforbidden or incur point-cost penalties. Thesespell lists would include spells unique to the godand appropriate spells from other sources.

As an example, here are suggested first-levelspells available to clerics of Tempus (a war godfrom the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting):

Ceremony: witness Ceremony: rest eternalPurify food and drink ShieldCause wounds CommandSanctuary Cure light wounds

The two ceremonies have previously beendetailed, (Ceremony: witness as a new druidicspell in DRAGON Magazine #122), and they arereally the only apt ones for a cleric that I envi-sion as being a wandering warrior priest.

Shield is the first-level magic-user spell. Cause wounds would cause a light wound ona victim within a short range (10-20). Damage isslight however so its really only an in extremisspell used when the cleric has lost his sword.(Weapon and armor restrictions should be basedon the god, not the class).

Cure light wounds is a feeble spell comparedto the first-level spells used by clerics of healergods, but it is better than nothing. It is the onlyhealing spell that any cleric of Tempus can use.

The others are all as the Players Handbookwould have them. This only gives a 1st-levelcleric of Tempus eight spells from which tochoose, but he would also be a good and capa-ble warrior ( +1 to hit, maybe) capable of usingany weapon without restriction and wearing thebest armor he could afford.

Magic-users are pitifully weak at 1st level, andspell points arent such a terrible imbalance ifthey are game mastered properly. Read therelevant section of the DMG and youll see whatI mean; magic-users virtually have to rob fellowmagicians in order to get more than the fourspells they start with in their spell books.

For magic-users especially, I suggest that spellpoints be gained in an arithmetical progression,maybe +3 per level gained. A 10th-level magic-user would have 30 spell points, less than thecurrent AD&D game equivalent, but he wouldhave spontaneous choice of spells.

If a magic-user were to use 75% of his spellpoints, he would become fatigued, if he usedevery mental resource, (100% expenditure),exhaustion would set in, (as per theDungeoneers Survival Guide). This rule wouldreflect the problems of Raistlin and other magic-users portrayed in the excellentDRAGONLANCE® books.

Michael NorrishWellington, New Zealand

8 DECEMBER 1988

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

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

Harold JohnsonThis wide-reaching supermodule takes you

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

TSAC6 Covert Operations Source Book,Volume 2

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

SECRET/S.I. game detailing real-life espionagecases from the years 1945 on, including thePollard and Rainbow Warrior affairs. It alsoincludes profiles of the espionage agencies of 11

nations, including Israel, Britain, France, andSoviet bloc military intelligence organizations.Whether you like espionage role-playing gamesor just like espionage stories, this remarkablevolume will provide many hours of enjoyment.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£TBAProduct No.: 7632

MU3 Gamers Handbook of the MarvelUniverse #4

MARVEL SUPER HEROES®1 gameaccessory

by David Martin, Chris Mortika, andScott Bennie

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

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

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

by Skip Williams

If you have any questions on the gamesproduced by TSR, Inc., Sage Advice willanswer them. In the United States andCanada, write to: Sage Advice, DRAGON®Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: SageAdvice, DRAGON Magazine, TSR UK Lim-ited, The Mill, Rathmore Road, CambridgeCB1 4AD, United Kingdom.

This month, Sage Advice looks at theoriginal (second-edition) TOP SECRET®game and the TOP SECRET Companion.These questions do not cover the new TOPSECRET/S.I. game. Page numbers in thisarticle refer to the 64-page TOP SECRETgame rule book, unless otherwise noted.

Original set rules

One of my players insists thatTemporary Losses are expressed aspercent reductions instead of sub-tractions, so a -20% penalty meansthe loss of 20% of the trait, not a 20-point reduction of the trait.

Your player is right. This rule applies toall personal trait reductions (see page 5).

How about some guidelines onhandling wounds in the field? Itsfine to assume that characters gethealed when on R&R, but what hap-pens when they have to fight theirway free before they can get to ahospital? What happens when acharacter receives first aid? Dowounds ever get infected?

How you handle this depends entirely onwhich rules you are using. In the second-edition game, the Administrator need notworry about what happens before thecharacter gets to a hospital, even whenusing the Optional Specific Injury Determi-nation rules on page 41. The woundedcharacter has to live with his injuries untilthey are treated. As one reader pointedout, however, its hard for wounded char-acters to remain inconspicuous. Note thatR&R and healing are possible even with-out hospital care; see page 17.

The TOP SECRET Companion introducesfirst aid on pages 71-72 of that book. TheAdministrator might wish to use infectedwounds as a complication (see the rulebook, page 44). The Administrator is onhis own when determining the effects ofinfections.

12 DECEMBER 1988

Is there a Willpower check madewhen poison is used, or does poisonautomatically take effect?

In general, Willpower does not alter theeffects of poisons; however, see thesleeping-gas rules on page 39.

If the rules on page 46 are used,how can a character ever be killedby poison?

Since Life Level is a secondary traitderived from Physical Strength and Will-power, any poison that reduces one orboth of these primary traits is potentiallylethal. While unwounded characters areunlikely to succumb to poisons, woundedcharacters are quite vulnerable (a charac-ter might not be able to handle his currentwounds at the lowered Life Level). When

a characters Life Level is reduced to zeroby poison, the character is dead. TheAdministrator might assign particularlydeadly poisons (such as cyanide) a severemodifier to the trait-reduction roll.

When ether or sleep gas is used,what is the onset time and what ischecked to see if the character isaffected?

The onset time is immediate for gamepurposes. Ether is considered an anesthet-ic; treat this as sleeping gas, using therules on page 39.

What are the effects of variousgases, such as chlorine and nervegases (including onset times)?

This question is too broad to be fullyanswered here; Administrators will haveto decide the effects on a case-by-casebasis. In general, onset time is immediate,unless the gas is so dilute that charactersmust be exposed for several turns in orderto get one dose (see page 46). Once a dosehas accumulated, the effects are immedi-ate. Chlorine is an irritant poison thataffects Physical Strength, Willpower, andCoordination. Most nerve gases can beconsidered deliriants.

"Spys advice in DRAGON® issue#91 said that certain military weap-ons are not available to agents anddo not fit into the TOP SECRETgame. I disagree; depending on thenature of the mission, agents mightvery well need military weapons.Please publish statistics for lightmachine guns, heavy mortars, andbazookas.

It has been said before, but Ill say itagain: Military weapons have no place inthe TOP SECRET game. Any missionrequiring heavy weaponry will be assignedto regular or special army units, not toespionage agents. It is possible, however,that characters might come across some ofthese weapons in the hands of NPCs. Sev-eral types of machine guns and personalmissile launchers were described in Nowthats firepower! in DRAGON issue #102.A 40mm generic grenade launcher(which could substitute for a light mortar)appears in the Companion on pages 61-62.The 80mm missile launcher (Companion,pages 61-62) is similar to bazookas of theera after World War II, except that abazooka produces a backblast that inflicts10 points of damage on anyone standingimmediately behind the weapon when it isfired. The backblast will also set fire toflammable objects (paper, household fur-nishings, dry brush, etc.). If there is alarge, solid object 5 or less from the weap-ons rear, the character firing the weaponwill also be caught in the backblast.

In hand-to-hand combat, the rulessay that the defender must use adefense from the attackers table.What happens when the attackeruses a table that the defender cantuse due to insufficient knowledge?

The defender is free to use any defensefrom the attackers table, but the attackergets a +3 Injury Modifier (see page 28).

When using hand-to-hand combat,can the participants look at thecharts, or do they have to rememberthe available attacks and defenses?If they can look at the charts, whatsto keep the attacker from alwayschoosing the most potent attack andthe defender from choosing the bestdefense against that attack?

Yes, the players can look at the rule-bookcharts when their characters are in hand-to-hand combat. The rules assume, how-

ever, that each characters actions will bewritten down secretly, then revealedsimultaneously.

How is combat conducted if onecharacter is using projectile combatand another is using hand-to-handcombat?

The character firing the weapon has agreat advantage, as projectile combat ismuch faster than hand-to-hand combat.The exact sequence of actions is given inthe Companion on page 47.

How long does it take for a heli-copter to get airborne?

This depends on how heavily loaded thehelicopter is. If its load is light enough sothat it can hover, it can be airborne on thesecond turn after its engines are started. Ifit is heavily loaded, it can still take off, butit must taxi (to get extra or transitional liftfrom its rotors) just as a fixed-wing air-craft does; see page 11.

What would the effect be if softlead bullets were dipped in teflonand fired from a gun?

Probably none, for two reasons. One,coating something with teflon requiressome sophisticated industrial processes;one doesnt simply dip an object into liquidteflon; Also, a teflon coating has to becured in an oven at about 700°F which isabout the melting point of pure lead, socoating "soft lead" with teflon is an unpre-dictable business at best. Two, teflon actsas a superlubricant when applied to bul-lets. This effectively reduces or eliminatesthe resistance offered by armor particu-larly lightweight body armors makingthem penetrable. Pure lead, however, willdistort on impact, due to its softness. Thisnegates any advantage the teflon mightprovide.

When using the forced entry rules(pages 34-35), would you roll a newdifficulty rating each time a charac-ter tries to force a door or window?

Generally, yes. The Administrator, how-ever, might assign a particularly stubbornor weak aperture a fixed rating.

When an agent is disguised, whatis the chance that another agent orNPC will notice the disguise?

Check the agents modified Deceptionscore (see page 38) whenever the agentmeets a new person or group of people. Ifthe check fails, the disguise is discovered.The Administrator might require a newDeception check (possibly at a penalty) ifthe agent is observed continuously say,every six hours.

What is the chance of an NPC run-ning away when involved in a fight?

When in doubt, the Administratorshould check the NPCs Courage trait,rolling that number or less on 1d100 tosee if his bravery holds out. If not, hepanics and may flee.

What superior AOK should a char-acter have to be good at forgingdocuments, passports, IDs, licenses,and similar paperwork?

The items you listed would requireknowledge in all of the following areas:Literature, Photography, Metallurgy, Arts& Crafts, Law, and Linguistics.

How much do false IDS, passports,or credentials cost?

Generally, the agency will provide theseitems if they are necessary for a mission.If not required for a mission, they are notavailable. On the black market, prices willvary depending on the document and itsDeception value. Cheap imitations withlow Deception values (10-20%) can bebought for $30 or less, sometimes legally(toy badges, for example). Well-executedfalse passports cost around $200. Medicaldegrees cost around $5,000. Black marketdocuments never have Deception valueshigher than 80%.

When using the Swordplay Table(page 29), does the defender have touse a sword?

No. Common sense, however, makes itclear that the defender must have somesturdy object with which to block andparry the attackers sword (martial artistsmight get by with pieces of cloth or theirlimbs). The Administrator might choose tomake unequipped characters use the no-defense column.

What is the chance for a trainderailment?

Under normal circumstances, none.Derailments occur when trains take sharpcurves at excessive speeds, strike solidobjects (other trains, semi-trucks, debris,or other obstacles on the tracks), crossdamaged tracks or track beds, applybrakes improperly, or travel on damagedwheels. The Administrator will have torule on derailments on a case-by-casebasis. Module TS005 Orient Express has anote on derailments in Table 3 on page 9.

The flamethrower described inDRAGON® issue #91 is missing somegame statistics. How about giving acomplete description?

Flamethrowers are covered in the Com-panion on pages 61-62.

Is there any way that a charactercan increase his AOKs or languageskill levels?

Yes; see Improvement of Character Abili-ties, page 18. Treat languages as specificAreas Of Knowledge (see page 19).

What is stopping power?A weapons stopping power is its ability

to incapacitate a living target withoutkilling it. Rules covering stopping powerare included in the Companion on pages41-42.

DRAGON 13

TOP SECRET® Companion

The Military Record rules on page5 of the Companion are confusing.In the example, a character rolls therank of major, gets four promotions,and winds up as a sergeant. Howcan a character he promoted downto a lower rank? Also, the examplemakes use of two terms, rankrolled and rank attained. Arentthese the same?

Rank rolled and rank attained are notthe same. Rank rolled is the highest rankthe character could have earned givensufficient service time. Rank attained isthe characters rank when leaving theservice. All uneducated characters start atthe lowest rank rank rolled not with-standing. Characters are promoted onceevery two years, so the character in theexample (who spent nine years in theservice) got four promotions and attainedthe rank of sergeant. Since the rankattained was eight ranks below the rankrolled, the character also received fourdecorations. Educated characters enterthe service as officers (see the Companion,page 6) and do not roll for rank.

What traits should be checkedwhen an agent attempts to create adiversion during a getaway?

The chance for a successful diversion isequal to the sum of the characters Physi-cal Strength, Knowledge, Charm, Coordi-nation, Courage, and Evasion, divided bysix and rolled on 1d100.

Please make sense of the Depar-ture Times subsection on page 29of the Companion.

There is dropped copy in two places.The third sentence of the first paragraphshould read: If the result is equal to orgreater than the time between trips, theagent has just missed the flight and mustwait the full time between trips as shownon the chart; then the roll represents thenumber of hours until the next tripdeparts." That is, add the interval betweentrips to the die roll in order to determinehow long it takes to get a flight. The firsttwo sentences of the second paragraphshould read: The number of trips availa-ble in a single day can be calculated byadding the time until departure to the timebetween trips, up to a total of 24 hours. Ifthe time between trips exceeds 12 hours,there is only one trip available each day."That is, see how many times you can addthe time until departure to the die rollwithout exceeding 24; this is the number

14 DECEMBER 1988

of trips available per day.

What is the chance for a getaway ifan agent is detained at an airport?What is the result if the getaway issuccessful?

The chance for a getaway is equal to thecharacters Evasion trait. If the Evasion rollis successful, the character escapes thedetention, but the local police begin pursu-ing the character after 1-20 minutes (seethe rule book, page 16).

What are the ranges of airlinersused on medium- and short-haulnon-overseas flights?

These airliners usually have ranges of3,500 (medium range) or 1,500 (shortrange) miles.

What does water travel cost fortrips of over 250 miles? What is awater mile?

On trips of 251-750 miles, the cost is $.10per water mile. On trips 751-1,500 miles,the cost is $.08 per water mile. On tripsover 1,500 miles, the cost is $.05 per watermile. A water mile is the same as a regularmile but measured over water routes, notover land or through the air. The straight-line distance between two points is almostalways shorter than the water distance, asboats have to navigate along coastlines,around reefs, etc.

When using the Involuntary HitResponse rules, when do you checkTables 65 and 66 (Companion, page45)?

Whenever a character is hit, just repeatthe steps on page 44 of the Companionwith these two tables.

When taking an espionage course,what is the adjustment to the coursetime when the agents Knowledgescore is greater than 16 but lessthan 85?

There is no adjustment for a Knowledgescore of 17-84.

What are the AOK increases for theAssassination Bureaus Silent Kill-ing course?

Medicine/Physiology, Military Science/Weaponry, and Psychology all gain 1-10points.

Isnt a +10 range modifier a bitmuch for a sawed-off shotgun atshort range? These weapons arentthat accurate. Shouldnt there be amodifier for point blank range?

A sawed-off shotguns RM at point-blankrange is +5. At short range, the modifieris -10 .

by Vince Garcia

The SavantA Q&A character for the AD&D® game

Background and purposeThe savant is either a cleric or magic-

user with a special dedication to scholarlypursuits. While not specifically a separatecharacter class, the savant may be takenas a special split-class available to magic-user or clerical classes and subclasses.

Clerical savants: Within the structure ofa large religious order are a unique few ofthe priesthood whose duty is to assist thechurch hierarchy in matters of decision-making through the knowledge possessedin their fields of expertise. On other occa-sions, these savants may function aschurch representatives, journeying todistant affiliated churches to deliver hier-archical pronouncements, perform exor-cisms, or stand at the forefront of conflictsaffecting others worshipping his deity.

A PC savant is likely to be been assignedto strive against some sort of threat to thewell-being of fellow worshipers, or forsome other DM-determined purpose (con-version potential, extra tithes, informationon a lost clerical artifact, etc.). This savantis thus most often introduced into a partyof adventurers through a cleric or paladinalready ingratiated with the group, whoserves the same deity or temple. It is possi-ble that the entire fellowship may in factbe sponsored by the savants parent order.

Magic-user savants: The magic-usersavant is not as restricted as his clericalcounterpart. In his case also, the key func-tion is to specialize in certain fields ofknowledge ranging from a practical expe-rience in fashioning potions or scrolls tothose of an encyclopedic nature. While hemay exist as part of a wizards guild, ful-filling much the same function as a clericalsavant, the magic-user savant may alsobegin his career by serving an apprentice-ship under a guild sage or savant, andlater separate to undertake his own magi-cal studies while retaining an active inter-est in broadening his knowledge of theworld and its many arcane mysteries.

PrerequisitesSavants may be human, elven, or half-

elven, and may be of any alignment. They

16 DECEMBER 1988

may not be multiclassed (in effect, theyare). Minimum ability requirements arelisted as follows: dexterity 16, intelligence15, and wisdom 14. Savants receive a 10%bonus to experience if all three scoresexceed 15.

Armor and armsSavants are limited to the armor and

weaponry allowed to their primary class.They do not receive extra weapon/non-weapon proficiencies or penalties for theadded savant class. They also attack andmake saving throws as applicable to theprimary class.

Magical items allowedSavants may use those magical items

allowed to their primary class. They alsomay attempt the reading of all scroll types,based on their talent to read languages. Inaddition, they may read all books andlibrams, receiving experience point bene-fits as listed in Table 1 (in addition to thosenormally granted the primary class, ifapplicable). Note that a savant, by virtue ofhis class, avoids any detrimental effectsfrom the reading of these works normallyapplicable to a nonsavant.

Table 2 lists experience point totals,levels, and titles for the savant class. Whilecharacters gain no extra hit points fromthe savant class, they do not suffer hit-point penalties. Experience points, how-ever, must be divided equally between theclasses. Savants of both sorts are limited toa maximum experience level equal to thatpossible for the primary class.

Savants need not be trained by a higher-level savant to advance in level. The fundsand time used in level advancement, how-ever, are assumed to be spent on theacquisition of reference tomes and on spellresearch.

Savant skills and spells are listed in Table3. Additional spells not listed in any of theAD&D® game books are given in Table 4and explained in the text. All spells areprovided in addition to the spells acquiredfrom the savants primary class. Savantskills are also listed, along with areas of

Explanation of skillsRead languages: This skill allows the

savant to grasp a basic understanding of a text written in an unfamiliar language. Itshould be noted, however, that successful-ly rolling the skill does not confer a dis-cernment of the text equal to that oflinguistic fluency; rather, the savant com-prehends the overall meaning of the pas-sages main verbs and nouns, forinstance. If the savant also possesses aspecialty category in linguistics, he is thenable to correctly decipher the manuscriptfollowing a period of reference work (1-4days, as a general rule). Note that this istrue only if the initial read languages rollwas successful and if the savant has accessto his (or someone elses) library.

It is also through this skill that thesavant is able to decipher and read magi-cal scrolls from classes other than hisprimary one (akin to the thiefs skill). Hisbase chance of success is modified down-ward by 5% for each level of the spellinscribed on the scroll. If the roll is failed,normal repercussions result.

Legend lore: In no way is this skill asubstitute for detect magic or identify.This skill is limited to recognizable objectswith notable histories, or to legendarypeople or places. It indicates that thesavant is aware of the general history ofthe object. For example, a savant makeshis roll when examining a magical swordand realizes this sword belonged to Goththe Paladin, who disappeared 10 yearsearlier on a quest to recover the Mace ofCuthbert. According to legend (which isntalways accurate), the sword was a holyblade of great power, and had specialpotency against dragons. In another exam-ple, the savants party has discovered anancient temple in a swamp. Examiningsome of the inscriptions and paraphernaliafound, the savant concludes that this wasonce an important temple abandonedwhen a ceremonial conjuration spell wentawry, releasing a great evil.

the savants specialized knowledge andexpertise.

Table 1Experience Gained from Magical Books

Magical bookBook of exalted deedsBook of vile darknessLibram of gainful conjurationLibram of ineffable damnationLibram of silver magic

Experience points gained:Proper Improper

alignment alignment4,000-16,000 1,000-4,0003,000-12,000 2,000-5,0004,000-24,000 2,000-12,0005,000-20,000 2,000-8,0006,000-36,000 4,000-16,000

Table 2Savant Experience

Experience Experience Level title:points level Cleric Magic-user0-2,500 1 Novice Student2,501-5,000 2 Delver Reader5,001-10,000 3 Seeker Searcher10,001-25,000 4 Expositor Tutor25,001-50,000 5 Minister Instructor50,001-80,000 6 Inquisitor Researcher80,001-115,000 7 Adviser Examiner115,001-155,000 8 Theologian Scholar155,001-205,000 9 Oracle Philosopher205,001-280,000 10 Savant Savant280,001-380,000 11 Savant Savant380,001-500,000 12 Savant Savant500,001-650,000 13 Master Savant Master Savant

200,000 experience points per level above 13th

Explanation of special abilitiesThe following special abilities are listed

by level in Table 3. These abilities areavailable to both types of savant and arelimited as described in each entry.

A. Beginning at 1st level, and every fourlevels thereafter, the savant gains fluencyin a language of his choice. Any human ordemihuman tongue is included in this(Egyptian, Dwarvish, etc.). If the savantseeks to learn a monster language, twolanguage proficiency slots must be used.

B. At 1st level, the savant possesses aspecialty category within his requiredmajor: theology and myth for clericalsavants, or legends and folklore for magic-user savants. The initial knowledge levelof these specialty categories is fixed at20%. Beginning at 2nd level, and everyother level thereafter, the savant mayincrease his knowledge level in this oranother specialty category by 10% (to99%, rather than 100%). At his option, thesavant may otherwise acquire anothersuch category within one of his majors.

C. At 1st level, the savant begins cam-paign play with a knowledge level of 30%in a single sage major (see Dungeon Mas-ters Guide, pages 31-33 for more details).For either type of savant, this sage majormust be humankind for humans, or demi-humankind for elves; half-elves may

18 DECEMBER 1988

choose either. Starting at 3rd level, andevery three levels thereafter, the savantmay increase his knowledge in this oranother sage major by 10% (to 99%).

D. Beginning at 6th level, and every sixlevels thereafter, the savant may choose anew sage major with a base knowledgelevel of 20%, or he may add 10% to hisknowledge of another major or specialtycategory of his choice (to 99%).

Savants, sages, and sage skillsAs mentioned earlier, one of the primary

functions of the savant is to act as a refer-ence specialist, offering the benefit of hisknowledge to his superiors as it relates inmatters of decision-making. This positiondiffers somewhat from that of a sage, whomay frequently work with the savant, forwhile the savant is a walking encyclope-dia, the sage often forsakes learning thearcane processes of magic to perfect hisknowledge in a few select areas. Thesavant therefore occupies a middle groundbetween spell-caster and sage, offering uphis acumen in relation to his particularspell-casting class. Thus, regardless oflevel, the savant rarely occupies a positionof ultimate control over any collectivebody apart from the savants or possiblythe sages. Diagrams 1 and 2 represent twopossible heirarchical positions held by the

savant within a church or wizards order.It will be noted that sages are absent

from the clerical structure. In the majorityof cases, they are found only operating forand within a wizards guild, with clericalsavants alone filling the roles of bothsavant and scribe. An example of this typeof situation takes place in the FORGOTTENREALMS setting, wherein an organizedgroup of savants operates out of the cityof Ravens Bluff, hiring themselves out forthose in need of their talents.

The major fields of savant knowledgeand the specialty categories within themcan be quite varied. A listing and briefdescription of these follows. This list maybe added to or have entries deleted by theDM at his discretion.

HumankindThis subject includes general knowledge

of human culture and behavior.Art and music: This topic comprises a

general knowledge of human artwork andmusic. At the players discretion, thisspecialty field may be narrowed to knowl-edge of one particular groups art andmusic (such as a certain nation, tribe, etc.).The narrowed skill would also include arudimentary ability to perform withinstruments common to the specific cul-ture (though certainly not even approach-ing the talent of a bard).

Biology: This includes a working knowl-edge of the human body. The savant pos-sesses the equivalent healing talents ofsomeone with a nonweapon proficiency inthat skill excluding reversing the effectsof poison. A roll against the savantsknowledge level in this field, of course, isnecessary to effect any healing on wound-ed characters.

Demography: This field provides a gen-eral knowledge of where assorted humanraces may be found.

History: This field provides a generalknowledge of human history.

Languages: This skill is indicative of atalent to reference and decipher writtenhuman languages. It is not a substitute forlanguage fluency.

Law and customs: This skill represents ageneral familiarity with human legal sys-tems and customs. As an option, this skillcould be narrowed to include detailedknowledge of this sort of information forone particular area or people.

Linguistics: This skill includes the talentto grasp the basics of the human spokenword. Once again, it does not substitutefor true linguistic fluency, but it doesallow the character to grasp a rudimenta-ry understanding of certain key wordsand phrases after two to eight hours ofcontact with a willing subject.

Legends and folklore: A character withthis skill has made a study of humankindsvarious myths and legends.

Theology and myth: This skill indicates ageneral study of humankinds religionsand well-known myths surrounding majordeities. This skill further imparts a basic

understanding of various religious taboos.

Humanoids and giantkindThis field includes a general knowledge

of humanoid monsters (orcs, trolls, etc.)and true giants. For more information onthese subjects, see the skill listed underHumankind.

Biology: In addition to Humankind skillknowledge, this skill imparts a rangerlikeunderstanding of the vulnerable areas ofgiant-class humanoids, giving a damagebonus of +1 per savant level when mak-ing either physical or magical attacks (if aroll against the skill is successful).

DemographyHistoryLanguagesLaw and customsLegends and folklore

FaunaThis topic includes a general knowledge

of animals and some monsters. Thesecategories are listed below. Knowledge ofthese creatures includes details of relativestrengths and abilities, weaknesses, habi-tats, mating habits, gestation periods, andother related information similar to thegeneral, nonmechanical (i.e., hit points,armor classes, etc.) game data provided inthe Ecology of. . . articles.

Amphibians: This field includes amphibi-ous animals and monsters.

Arachnids: This topic covers all varietiesof spiders.

Avians: This category covers flying ani-mals and monsters, including naturallyairborne humanoids and demihumans.

Cephalopods and echinoderms: Cephalo-pods includes squid, octopi, and so forth;echinoderms includes starfish, seaurchins, etc.

Crustaceans and mollusks: Crustaceansincludes crabs, lobsters, and so forth;mollusks includes all varieties of shellfish.

Icthyoids: This category includes water-borne humanoids such as sahuagin, mer-men, and so forth.

Insects: This category includes allinsects, insectoids, and related creatures.

Mammals: This category includes allmammalian animals and monsters, but nothumanoids or demihumans.

Marsupials: This topic includes kanga-roos, wombats, and other pouchedcreatures.

Reptiles: In addition to nonmonster andmonster reptiles, this category includesreptilian humanoids, such as lizard men.

Supernatural and unusualThis field includes a general knowledge

of supernatural and occult phenomena.Astrology and numerology: This field

allows the savant to perform the equiva-lent of an augury spell. Note that the basesuccess figure is equal to the savants skill(unlike the spell).

Calligraphy: With this skill, the savant isgranted the abilities of a scribe, includingthe talent to fashion scrolls of any sort

including those that cannot normally becast through either of his classes. To do so,research must first be made as if thesavant were a character of the properclass (equal in level to the savant) attempt-ing to independently create the particularspell. Note that the savants ability to laterread these scrolls is tied to his read lan-guages skill as outlined earlier. In no waydoes this successful research allow thesavant to actually cast the spell it onlyallows him to write a scroll of it.

Cryptography: This skill allows thesavant to decipher runes and symbolssuch as those found upon a treasure ormerchants map.

Dweomercraft: With this skill, the savantmay note the magical properties of anitem. This discovery requires a period ofstudy and analysis of approximately one tofour weeks. If the roll is failed, the studytime is still spent. In this instance, thesavant may not attempt a second researchof the item.

Medicine: This skill includes the abilitiesof the biology skill but further allows thesavant the knowledge of how to curenonmagical diseases and poisons (DMsdiscretion on whether the character mayhave access to the required materials).

Planes (Astral, Elemental, and Ethereal):This field of study grants the savant a

DRAGON 19

Table 3Savant Skills and Spells *

Level123456789

1011121314151617181920212223242526272829

Read Legendlanguages lore

30% 20%35% 20%35% 25%40% 25%40% 30%45% 30%45% 35%50% 35%50% 40%55% 40%55% 45%60% 45%60% 50%65% 50%65% 55%70% 55%70% 60%75% 60%75% 65%80% 65%80% 70%85% 70%85% 75%90% 75%90% 80%95% 80%95% 85%99% 85%99% 90%

Specialabilities * * 1

A 1B 1C 2B 2A 2

B, C, D 2 2B 2

A, C 3B 3 3

B, C, D 4A 4B 4C 4B 4A 4

B, C, D 44

B 4A, C 4

B 44

B, C, D 4A 5B 5C 5

B, D 5A, 5

Spells gained(level and number)2 3 4 5 6 7 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 1 3 2 2 1 3 2 2 1 3 2 2 2 1 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 14 3 3 3 2 24 4 3 3 3 24 4 4 3 3 34 4 4 4 3 34 4 4 4 4 34 4 4 4 4 45 4 4 4 4 45 5 5 4 4 45 5 5 5 4 45 5 5 5 5 45 5 5 5 5 5

* For spells in addition to those of primary class.* * See Explanation of special abilities section for descriptions of these specialabilities.

general knowledge of the conditions andinhabitants of the Outer planes.

Planes (Outer): This field of study grantsthe savant a general knowledge of theconditions and inhabitants of the outerplanes.

DemihumankindThis field includes a general knowledge

of demihumans (elves, dwarves, etc.). Formore information on these subjects, seethe skill listed under Humankind.

Art and musicBiologyDemographyHistoryLanguagesLaw and customsLegends and folkloreTheology and myth

Physical universeThis field of knowledge includes a gen-

eral understanding of the physical laws ofthe universe (magnetism, gravity, thermo-dynamics, etc.).

Alchemy: This skill represents the char-acters training in the secrets of alchemy

20 DECEMBER 1988

and the transmutation of materials. In apractical sense, the character may attemptto change materials from one form toanother in accordance with the followingguidelines:

1. Elements can be transmuted onefactor higher or lower on the PeriodicTable of Elements (see your handy dictio-nary). Thus, platinum or mercury could betransmuted to gold, but neither could beconverted to copper. At the DMs option,the factors can be increased beyond one.

2. The amount of transmutable materialis equal to 1 lb./level.

3. The cost is 1 gp/lb.4. The time necessary equals 1 day/lb.Other transmutations may be possible

based on the DMs discretion. Also includ-ed is the ability to fashion all sorts ofpotions, including those normally deniedthe primary class (healing for an illusion-ist, polymorph self for a cleric, and so on).

Astronomy: This skill includes a knowl-edge of the stars, allowing the savant toboth navigate and note the passage of timeif conditions allow a clear view of the sunor night sky.

Chemistry: The savant with this skill can

identify and create chemical materialssuch as acids, metallic poisons, smoke-puffgrenades, incendiary fluids, etc.

Geology and mineralogy: This skillgrants the savant the talent of identifyingand refining precious metals from crudeores. Further, the savant may be consid-ered familiar with underground condi-tions, and can note such things as gaspockets, unstable rock areas, etc.

Meteorology and climatology: This skillallows the savant to determine weatherconditions with full accuracy for the next24 hours, with partial accuracy for thenext 72 hours. A savant in possession ofthis skill who conjures forth an air elemen-tal by use of a spell may roll against hisknowledge level to bring the elementalinto willing submission without the needfor a periodic check for control loss.

Oceanography: A savant with this skillmay be familiar with the sea, as well aswith the general handling of ships andboats upon its surface (although not to theextent of a sailor). Also included in theskill is a working knowledge of shallow-water creatures and monsters. As with themeteorology and climatology skill, thesavant may check to bring a conjuredwater elemental under willing submission.

Topography and cartography: This skillallows the savant to read and create maps.Further, the savant may direct a party to aparticular point if he possesses an accu-rate map of the area.

FloraThis field includes a general knowledge

of plants and plantlike creatures.Flowers: This skill grants a general

knowledge of flowers, both normal andfantastic.

Fungi: The savant with this skill may beconsidered familiar with poisonous andnonpoisonous mushrooms and mushroomcreatures (myconids, shriekers, etc.).

Herbs: A character with this skill has apractical knowledge of various herbs andvegetables. In addition, the characterpossesses the equivalent of the healingnonweapon proficiency.

Note that only very general interroga-tives may be posed to a sage major. Moredetailed queries must be referred to anapplicable specialty field. As an example, asavant with a major in demihumans mightbe aware of the fact that halflings live inground burrows, but would not know theexact location of any without checking thespecial category of demography. As ageneral rule, then, if a query falls withinthe realm of a specialty category, a rollmust be made against that category for aprecise answer.

As has been mentioned, the specialcategories themselves tend to provide onlygeneral information on all subjects fallingwithin them. As an allowed option, thecategories may be narrowed to providespecific and detailed information on acertain group falling within the particular

category. Referring back to the example ofhalflings, a savant making a successfulcheck against his demography skill notesthat halflings may be found in the north ofthe province of Greenshire.

Assuming the skill has been narrowed tohalflings alone, the information notedwould be correspondingly more detailed,to the extent that the savant would knowthat halflings dwell just outside the townsof Webley and Greenville in the northernreaches of the province of Greenshire.

In the case of a true sage, the knowledgepossessed would from the start be farmore detailed. The sage would be consid-ered to have precise and exacting knowl-edge on all creatures or groups fallingwithin a known specialty category. Thus,to keep the skills of the two groups inbalance, the savants level of knowledge isgenerally less than that possessed by asage counterpart.

Savants and spellsAs relentless researchers of knowledge

and arcane mysteries, savants achieve anability to successfully research and castspells from classes other than their pri-mary one. The majority of these spells areinformational in nature, and each time thesavant gains an additional spell from thesavant spell table, the DM may consultwith the player and ascribe one from thefollowing lists. Other normal AD&D gamespells corresponding to those spells thatmay be cast by a savant may be obtainedthrough normal adventuring; these maybe written into the characters spell bookand memorized at his leisure without theneed to roll for learning the spell. Natu-rally, the savant may research normal orspecial savant spells on his own time withadditional funding, in the same way amagic-user or cleric does.

All spells from the general list are identi-cal to the listed AD&D game spells withrespect to casting times, material compo-nents, spell functions, etc., with the excep-tion of detect evil or its reverse, whichsuccessfully functions against even low-level or level/hit dice creatures, and thelegend lore spell, which explains fully thedetails of a noteworthy object or place,including magical powers for items and ageneral history for people and places inclear language.

Special savant spells

Detect Untruth (Divination, Reversible)Level: 1 Components: MRange: 3 CT: 1 segmentDuration: 3 rounds ST: None AE: 1 creatureExplanation/Description: When thesavant employs this spell, he is able to notean untruth spoken by a creature, includ-ing even a minor evasion of the truth. Thereverse of the spell allows the savant to lieor evade the truth without being discov-ered by any means. The material compo-nent is the forked tongue of a snake.

Table 4General Savant Spell List

Level Magic-user1 Comprehend languages

EraseIdentifyRead magicWrite

2 ESPKnow alignment

3 ClairaudienceClairvoyanceMaterialSecret pageTongues

4 Wizard eye5 Contact other plane

6 Legend lore

Cleric IllusionistDetect evil Detect illusionPenetrate disguise Detect invisibilityPortent Read illusionist magic

AuguryDetect charmDetect lifeFind trapsLocate object

Misdirection

Nondetection

DivinationTrue seeingFind the pathStone tell

True sight

7 Drawmij's instant summons VisionDuo-dimensionSymbolMordenkainens disjunction

Protection from Energy Drain(Abjuration)Level: 1 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch CT: 1 roundDuration: 1 turn ST: SpecialAE: 1 creatureExplanation/Description: This spellprotects the recipient from the effects ofundead energy drain, allowing a savingthrow vs. death magic to avoid losingexperience points through this means. Thematerial component is a vial of holy waterrubbed over the body.

Exorcism (Abjuration)Level: 2 Components: V,S,MRange: Special CT: SpecialDuration: Perm. ST: SpecialAE: 1 affected object or creatureExplanation/Description: A clericalsavant casts this spell to rid one object orarea of an evil spirits inhabitation. Thecasting time is equal to one turn per hitdie of the spirit, during which the caster isshielded by protection from evil 10' radi-us. The material components of the spellare a small silver bell, a book of prayers,and a blessed candle which must remainlit throughout the ceremony. Each turn ofcasting, the savant must roll 4d6 for a totalbelow his constitution, subtracting onefrom the roll for each three levels of hisexperience. Failure ends the spell, subject-ing the savant to possible attack from theenraged spirit. Another attempt may bemade 24 hours later.

At the spells completion, the targetcreature must save vs. spells or be forcedback to the realm of the dead. If the savingthrow is successful, the creature remainsin the general area but loses one-fourth of

Table 5Special Savant Spell List

Level Spell1 Detect untruth

Protection fromenergy drain

2 Exorcism*Know intent

3 Call spirit*See hidden. doorsHold undead*

4 Greater vision*Phase shift**Psychic impressionsTurn undead **

5 Bestow hit pointsLife steal

6 Recall spellTrue name

7 Spell drain

* Clerical savants only.* * Magic-user savants only.

its hit points. If subsequent exorcismsreduce the creature to zero hit points, it ispermanently driven from the area. Thosesubject to the spell include any singularundead possessing or haunting an individ-ual, object, hallway, room, etc. Note thatthis does not include intelligent undead inthe area of a specific lair (vampires, liches,death knights, etc). Upon completion ofthe spell, the savant snuffs out the candleand destroys it.

DRAGON 21

Know Intent (Divination)Level: 2 Components: V, SRange: 5 CT: 1 segmentDuration: 1 round ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: When thisspell is cast, the savant becomes aware ofthe intent of an encountered individual orgroup. Information revealed is along thelines of the following one-word descrip-tions: friendly, neutral, hostile, etc.

Call Spirit (Conjuration/Summoning)Level: 3 Components: V,MRange: 1 CT: 2 turnDuration: 1 rnd./lvl. ST: NoneAE: 1 dead human or demihumanExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to summon forth thespirit of a dead human or demihuman,which is bound to answer all questionsfully and truthfully. While the spell is ineffect, anyone who speaks (other than thesavant or the spirit) breaks the spell andcauses the spirit to return from whence itcame. The material components for thisspell includes an iron censer filled with 50gp of burning incense, as well as the skullof the deceased, which shatters at thecompletion of the spell (successful or not)and cannot be mended in any way.

See Hidden Doors (Divination)Level: 3 Components: V,MRange: 4 CT: 1 roundDuration: 1 round ST: NoneAE: 1 wall less than 50 longExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to note secret or con-cealed doors within the area of effect. Thematerial component is a polished glass lensthrough which the caster peers.

Hold Undead (Abjuration)Level: 3 Components: V,S,MRange: 1 /level CT: 2 segmentsDuration: 1 rnd./lvl. ST: Neg.AE: Up to 4 undead creaturesExplanation/Description: With thisspell, the clerical savant is able to holdcorporeal undead creatures even thosenot normally affected by hold spells. If thecreature is attacked while under the influ-ence of the spell, the hold is broken (usethe Assassins Table for Assassination onpage 75 of the DMG to determine if thecreature is slain outright). The materialcomponent is the clerics holy symbol.

Greater Vision (Divination)Level: 4 Components: V Range: 0 CT: 2 turn Duration: 1 round ST: Neg.AE: Savant onlyExplanation/Description: If the savantis presently striving against a threat to hischurch, he may attempt the casting of thisspell once. If the target fails a savingthrow vs. spells, the savant glimpses amomentary vision of his enemy lich,demon, necromancer, paladin, etc. If the

22 DECEMBER 1988

target saves, it glimpses a vision of thesavant.

Phase Shift (Alteration)Level: 4 Components: V,S,MRange: 0 CT: 1 segmentST: None AE: Savant onlyDuration: Once to and from per 3 levels;max. 1 turnExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to instantaneously tele-port to and return from the Ethereal planewhen attacking (an action similar to thatemployed by the phase spider). The mate-rial component is a bit of phase spiderwebbing.

Psychic Impressions (Divination)Level: 4 Components: MRange: Touch CT: 1 roundDuration: 1 round ST: NoneAE: 1 objectExplanation/Description: If the savanthandles an object while using this spell, heis allowed to glimpse important happen-ings which befell its previous possessors.Thus, a savant examining a sword next toa skeleton may receive a vision of thefighter in his former life, and possiblywhat killed him.

Turn & dead (Abjuration)Level: 4 Components: V,S,MRange: 4 CT: 3 segmentsDuration: 1 rnd./lvl. ST: Neg.AE: 1 undead creature/levelExplanation/Description: This spellallows a magic-user savant to approximatea clerical turning by means of a spell. If anundead fails its saving throw, it departsfrom the area as though it has actuallybeen turned. This does not bring anundead into the service of an evil savant.The material component is a clerics holysymbol. (DMs may disregard this spell ifthey wish to maintain a separationbetween spell-casting classes.)

Bestow Hit Points (Alteration)Level: 5Range: Touch

Components: V,SCT: 1 round

Duration: Special ST: NoneAE: 1 creature Explanation/Description: With thisspell, the clerical savant may bestow up toone of his hit points per level on an intelli-gent creature. This has the effect ofrestoring lost damage or even increasingthe targets hit points above his normalmaximum. The magically bestowed hitpoints last until they are removed bydamage or until the savant dispels theenchantment. For the spells duration, thesavant is without these hit points. In theevent the target is slain, the savant perma-nently loses the hit points bestowed even if the target is subsequently raised orresurrected. Only one spell at a time maybe enacted upon a creature.

Life Steal (Necromantic)Level: 5 Components: V

Range: Touch CT: 1 segmentDuration: Special ST: Neg.AE: 1 creatureExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to leech up to 1 hit pointper level from a living (i.e., not undead)human or humanoid and bestow it uponhimself or another within a time limit ofthree rounds. The leeched hit points canincrease the recipients hit points beyondhis normal maximum, and last up to onehour. Any damage suffered is first sub-tracted from these additional hit points.

Recall Spell (Alteration)Level: 6 Components: VRange: 0 CT: SpecialDuration: Special ST: NoneAE: SpecialExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to recast any previouslycast savant spell. (Material componentsmust still be obtained if the spell requiresthem.) The casting time is equal to that ofthe spell in question plus one segment.

True Name (Divination)Level: 6 Components: V,S,MRange: 3 CT: 1 roundDuration: Perm. ST: SpecialAE: 1 creature or objectExplanation/Description: This spellallows the savant to discover the truename of a creature if it fails a savingthrow. It may also be used to discover thecommand word of a device (no savingthrow allowed). The material componentis a potion of ESP, which must be con-sumed by the caster.

Spell Drain (Alteration)Level: 7 Components: V,SRange: Touch CT: 1 segmentDuration: 1 hr./lvl.. ST: NoneAE: 1 spell-casting creatureExplanation/Description: Through theuse of this spell, the savant is able to drainand utilize the memory of a spell pos-sessed by a spell-using creature. Thesavant, if aware of the spells known by thetarget, may declare the spell which isdrained; otherwise, the most recentlymemorized of the targets highest-levelspells is drained. The savant may notregain the seventh-level spell slot until thestolen spell is cast or the memory is lost.Material components are also necessary ifthe spell normally requires them.

As a final note, all savant spells, includ-ing those of a clerical nature, are stored ina spell book. This spell book may be con-sidered equal to that of a magic-user interms of weight and in terms of the num-ber of spells it may hold.

by Andrew C. Gronosky

So Many GodsSo Little Time

Designing unique clerics and pantheons

Most players of the D&D® or AD&D®games have had to address the question ofreligion in the game, whether they liked toor not. Few DMs relish the thought ofdealing with a complicated religious sys-tem, and players rarely want to botherwith living up to a gods demands, particu-larly if they arent playing clerics or pala-dins. Consequently, most PCs either avoidgods altogether by professing to atheismor fail to take the gods they worship seri-ously. This is too bad, because religion cangreatly enrich the game by providingdepth of character for PCs and NPCs alike.

As a rule, the religious system presentedin the AD&D game is oversimplified. Allclerics, whether they worship Bast orOdin, use the same spells, armor, andweapons. The personalities, motives, andrelationships of the gods are almostignored in the official rule books. In fact,the only difference between clerics ofdifferent gods is their alignments. Noprovision is made for organized priest-hoods, and if the gods are offended by theactions of a mortal, punishment is invari-ably the same (religion takes such a smallrole in many campaigns).

This weakness of the official rules isntdue to any fault of the games designers.When the AD&D game rules were writ-ten, most people played games consistingof a group of stereotypical charactersventuring into the depths of no-man's-landin search of ready cash. In this type ofcampaign, all the religious guidelines need-ed were a few practical rules about the PCand NPC clerics. Since the early gameformat emphasized action over role-playing, gamers didnt really need detailedinformation about role-playing the wor-shiper of a certain god. In recent years,the AD&D game has taken on a broader24 DECEMBER 1988

scope, and many players want theirworlds to be as detailed and realistic aspossible. For these gamers, the officialreligious system has a number of faults.

Selecting a pantheonTo cultivate a workable, fairly complex,

and interesting religious system, the DMshould first select which gods are to beworshiped in the campaign area. Theculture of the people should be workedout in advance, because the gods need tofit in with the society that worships them.Also, the DM should be sure that the play-ers will be able to relate to the gods hechooses. There may be some difficulty inusing real mythological gods (particularlythe Greek and Roman ones) because ofthis. Most of our information about thesegods comes from plays written by Greekscholars, many of whom didnt take theirgods too seriously. Furthermore, many ofthese plays are comedies, attributinghuman vices to the gods. Accordingly, wesnicker when our characters are expectedto pay homage to Aphrddite, and we seeZeus as a skinnier version of Archie Bun-ker. But religion should be a real force in acampaign. As a result, if players havetrouble taking the Olympians seriously,dont use them.

When using another pantheon, like theFinnish or Egyptian, one encountersanother problem. Since these gods wereproduced by real people, they reflect thevalues of their respective societies. If theDM doesnt know a whole lot about medi-eval Finland or ancient Egypt, he may beuncomfortable role-playing the gods ofthese pantheons. Players, too, will havedifficulty relating to a god whose namethey cant even pronounce. If a DM reallywants to use a pantheon from history, he

should get his hands on a good handbookof mythology. From the myths, the person-alities of the gods may be extrapolated.The Legends & Lore book is more con-cerned with the physical capabilities of thegods, and neglects to cite examples frommythology. It is useful in comparing thepowers of the gods, and lists holy days,sacrifices, and the like, but it isnt veryhelpful in selecting a pantheon or gettingfamiliar with the deities.

As an alternative to hunting throughlibraries in search of gods that dont fit thecampaign world, the DM can create hisown pantheon. He can then be sure ofeffectively role-playing the gods, and caninform the players of the deities powersand reputations. He can tell the playersexactly what he wants them to knowabout the deities. Each player may be tolda great deal of information about his owngod and some details concerning others,while other deities could remain a mys-tery. This allows the DM to introducesome mystery into the game, as playerscould be unsure of the motivations ofother gods (even those of their compan-ions). Actual alignments will almost cer-tainly remain unknown; even that of aplayers own god could remain a mystery!

PolytheismIn historical polytheistic societies, people

didnt choose one god and worship him tothe exclusion of all others. Instead, theysimply prayed to one god more often thanany of the others. In Ancient Rome, forexample, soldiers spent a lot of time praying to war gods, farmers to gods of fertili-ty, and so on. People prayed to whateverdeities had influence over them at thetime. Thus, within the AD&D game cam-paign, a fisherman who prays to Poseidon

on a regular basis wouldnt hesitate to askHermes for a hand while gambling.

Even clerics should pray to