Issue # 162Vol. XV, No. 5October 1990

PublisherJames M. Ward

EditorRoger E. Moore

Fiction editorBarbara G. Young

Assistant editorDale A. Donovan

Editorial assistantJoseph M. Nowak

Art directorLarry Smith

Production staffGaye O�Keefe Angelika Lokotz

Tracey Zamagne

SubscriptionsJanet L. Winters

U.S. advertisingRoseann Schnering

U. K. correspondentand U.K. advertising

Sue Lilley

91 01 5

2 12 7

4 14 75 25 86 5

7 17 98 9

1 0 3

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS

Halloween:A time to summon friends.

Bazaar of the Bizarre � Christian BökA magical tome with deadly spells: The Book of Horrors

The Mind of the Vampire � Nigel D. FindleyThe lords of the undead never wait around to kill heroes. They stayactive!

Hammer and Stake � Kevin A. RossHunting Cthulhu isn�t enough? Try a foe with fangs and brains!

Out of the Shadows. . . � Tom MoldvayThree shadowy monsters, and what they want to do to your playercharacter.

OTHER FEATURES

The Voyage of the Princess Ark � Bruce A. HeardIf your flying ship crashed, would you let gnomes fix it?

The Role of Computers � Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk LesserYou�re back in Britannia to face your ultimate challenge in Ultima VI.

The Dragon�s Bestiary � Spike Y. JonesUndead with a twist: the spiritus anime and the ankou.

A Prayer for the Dead � fiction by Deborah MillitelloThe dead have their own good reasons for hanging around.

Novel Ideas � Theresa HickeyReach the outermost limits of science fiction and fantasy in three newnovels from TSR.

The MARVEL® - Phile � Dale A. DonovanOnly one person could be as dangerous as Dracula: his daughter.

The Game Wizards � Bruce NesmithTry this RAVENLOFT� game advice and really scare your players!

Role-playing Reviews � Allen VarneyA super game for super characters: Hero Games/ICE�s CHAMPIONS®system.

Through the Looking Glass � Robert Bigelow, Jay Clenndenny,and Ralph CooperThe war continues! More campaign rules for FASA�s BATTLETECH®game.

DEPARTMENTS

5 Letters 36 Forum 86 TSR Previews6 Editorial 68 Gamers Guide 94 Dragonmirth

32 Sage Advice 83 Convention Calendar 96 Twilight Empire

COVER

Michael Weaver feels that undead are overdone as the subjects of fantasy andhorror paintings, most of them being killers and objects of fear. Preferring to evokeother emotions with his work, he offers his cover painting, �Lost Soul,� which depictsa knight destroyed by a guest that was too great for him. For information on prints,write to: Michael Weaver, P.O. Box 2428, Athens GA 30605.

4 OCTOBER 1990

What did you think of this issue? Do you havea question about an article or have an idea for anew feature you�d like to see? In the UnitedStates and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON®Magazine, PO. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147,U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGONMagazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, CherryHinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, United Kingdom.

PLASTIC!?!?Dear Dragon:

I just received the latest copy of DRAGONMagazine today, and I was shocked. It waswrapped in PLASTIC! I�m not sure where yougot this environment-destroying idea, but I�mtotally against it. Please return to the brownwrapping that I�m used to seeing. If this is notpossible, then at least tell me that you are usingrecycled plastic or make an effort to start usingrecycled plastic. I hope lots of other concernedreaders have asked you the same thing.

Harry MorenPlano TX

The brown paper wrapper that we formerlyused to ship both DRAGON Magazine andDUNGEON® Adventures has indeed been re-placed by plastic wrap, as our North Americansubscribers are aware. The plastic is better ableto protect your magazine during shipment, andit also allows us to place loose inserts in themagazine without fear of losing them. We havealso received numerous reports over the yearsof lost and damaged magazine issues resultingfrom the use of paper wrapping, and we feelthat the change will benefit all of our readers.

The plastic wrap itself is not recycled plastic,but you might he able to find a local recyclingcenter that will accept that type of plastic (if youare already used to separating your trash forrecycling or pick-up). Check your Yellow Pagesunder “Recycling Centers.”

Deux faux-pasDear Dragon:

I am writing this letter to show my annoyanceat some comments made in the �Novel Ideas�column in issue #158. In it, Will Larson statedthat Douglas Niles will be releasing two gamesto commemorate the 50th anniversary of WorldWar II in 1991. We in England were alwaysunder the impression that it started in 1939.How silly we are, for it evidently started onDecember 7th, 1941. This news comes as ashock to me, especially as we are presentlycommemorating the 50th anniversary of theBattle of Britain.

While I am in a moaning mood, I would also liketo complain about the DRAGON Magazinesubscription-card insert designed to be used byBritish and European readers. It has three UnionJacks on it. But some fools have managed to placeall three upside down. I hope to see that in future

issues this mistake will be corrected.Apart from these gripes, I would like to con-

gratulate you on producing such a fine issue.Christian McCarthy

King�s Lynn, Norfolk, England

We are mortally embarrassed that we did notcatch the reference to the 50th anniversary ofAmerica�s entry into World War II. We werebeing a little too self-centered there, and weoffer you (and everyone else who rolled his eyesat the reference) our apologies.

Your second complaint caught us off guard,and we spent many minutes flipping the UnionJack card from issue #159 over and over, tryingto figure out which end was “up” (neither endwas, as they are identical). Then we found anillustration of the Union Jack in an almanac, andwe discovered that the flags on the subscriptioncard had been reversed left-to-right, so we wereactually running mirror images of the threeU.K. flags. We are now twice as mortally embar-rassed as we were formerly, especially since wehave repeated this error on subsequent cards.But one could say that it’s the little surprises likethis that make life interesting, eh?

Vampire bluesDear Dragon:

While gaming, one of the characters in mycampaign has become a vampire. His assailantwas killed, though, and the character is nowfree willed. The party is evil and accepts hispresence. His current state has quickly unbal-anced my campaign.

I�ve already consulted the Monster Manualand the AD&D® 1st Edition Dungeon MastersGuide, but still have no clue as to how to handlefree-willed undead in my campaign. If this topichas been covered, could you please tell mewhere? (If not, would you please cover it soonin �The Ecology of . . .� or similar column?)

James MassaroElizaville NY

A vampire PC in an AD&D game is a seriousproblem. The vampire is probably creating ahorde of charmed slaves and half-strengthvampire servants, has coffins in hundreds ofplaces, can kill anyone he wishes with a touchor two, can escape pursuit with impunity byassuming gaseous or animal form, and so on.Even vampire NPCs operate under seriousrestrictions given their fantastic powers; Iwould rather have a lich PC in a game campaignany day

My best advice for handling the situation—assuming that you wish the campaign to con-tinue as it is — is to have every NPC in the areatake at least minimal precautions against thevampire, and have large numbers of NPCs setup antivampire patrols (not to mention creating

Continued on page 7

DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is publishedmonthly by TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756 (201 SheridanSprings Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States ofAmerica. The postal address for all materials from theUnited States and Canada except subscription orders is:DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 111 (201 Sheridan SpringsRoad), Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.; telephone: (414)248-3625. The postal address for all materials fromEurope is: DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd, 120 ChurchEnd, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, UnitedKingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), 44-223-212517 (international); telex: 818761; fax: (0223) 248066(U.K.), 44-223-248066 (international).

Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available fromgame and hobby shops throughout the United States,Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limitednumber of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the booktrade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., andin Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Sendorders to: Random House, Inc., Order Entry Department,Westminster MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 638-6460 toll-free except Alaska (call (800) 492-0782 toll-freein Maryland). Newsstand distribution throughout theUnited Kingdom is by Seymour Press Ltd., 334 BrixtonRoad, London SW9 7AG, United Kingdom; telephone:01-733-4444.

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Submissions: All material published in DRAGONMagazine becomes the exclusive property of the pub-lisher unless special arrangements to the contrary aremade prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomesunsolicited submissions of written material and artwork;however, no responsibility for such submissions can beassumed by the publisher in any event. Any submissionaccompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope ofsufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published.We strongly recommend that prospective authors writefor our writers’ guidelines before sending an article to us.In the United States and Canada, send a self-addressed,stamped envelope (9½” long preferred) to: Writers’Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as per the aboveaddress; include sufficient American postage or Interna-tional Reply Coupons with the return envelope. InEurope, write to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGONMagazine, TSR Ltd; include sufficient return postage orIRCs with your SASE.

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DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc.Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. All rightsto the contents of this publication are resewed, andnothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in partwithout first obtaining permission in writing from thepublisher.

® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR,Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Mostother product names are trademarks owned by thecompanies publishing those products. Use of the name ofany product without mention of trademark status shouldnot be construed as a challenge to such status.

©1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis.,

U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Sendaddress changes to DRAGON Magazine, TSR, Inc., P.O.Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. USPS 318-790,ISSN 0279-6848.

D R A G O N 5

Number 23:The untold story

The 1990 GEN CON® game fair, whichended on August 12th, was TSR�s 23rd andmy eighth such convention in a row. Byearly estimates, it was the greatest of themall. It broke all previous records for at-tendance (estimated at over 12,000), num-ber of events (over 1,200), and amount ofcake displayed, of both the cheese andbeef varieties (I guess that�s why the Mil-waukee MECCA Center is called an �exhi-bition hall�). I also broke all my previousrecords for amounts and varieties of Chi-nese food consumed, thanks to Toy�s res-taurant, across the street from the Hyatt.My thanks to MECCA for the forklift usedto get me back to my room.

Our TSR Periodicals booth was at theeast end of the TSR Parthenon (the greenmarbeloid thing up front; you couldn�tmiss it). We had lots of space to show offback issues of DRAGON® Magazine andDUNGEON® Adventures, along with our(surprise! surprise!) brand-new T-shirtsand drinking mugs! The T-shirts were soldout by Saturday; a few mugs survived fornext year. Our thanks to Ray, Barbara, andDerek Van Tilburg, who created and air-brushed the T-shirts designs.

There was a lot to see and do, and I metstaggering numbers of old friends, newfriends, friends of friends, vaguely famil-iar people whose names I could not re-member, and total strangers who seemedto know me like a brother. I was alsopleased to see that many gamers and staffmembers decided to break tradition andcatch their post-convention flus and coldsright at the convention�s start. The follow-ing things stood out as those most worthyof mention of this incredible event:l Good behavior from nearly everyone.

There were lots of comments on this. Thiswas a genuinely fun convention.l The much-appreciated magazine feed-

back we began to receive from those whoread the editorial in DRAGON issue #160. Ifeel a lot better now; your comments werevery helpful. Thank you!l My favorite bad pun of all time. You�ve

gotta hear this. I was at the TSR Booksbooth when Mary Kirchoff asked me tocheck the front of the glass case for a copyof The Legend of Huma. I looked, thensaid, �I�m sorry, but I fail to see the Humain it.� Ha, ha! Get it? Wasn�t that . . . um . . .Next, we have:l The discovery of spontaneously gener-

ated twin editorials, first noticed by Dale

6 OCTOBER 1990

Donovan. He picked up a copy of GDW�sChallenge magazine, issue #45, and readassociate editor Julia Martin�s discussion ofromance in role-playing games, which wasthe topic of my editorial in DRAGON issue#161, which was at the printer during theconvention. Maybe cosmic backgroundradiation is responsible.l The glass elevators and open balconies

in the Hyatt, which terrorized all theagoraphobics and acrophobics. The heightdidn�t bother me at all, though my feetstarted to sweat when I got within a yardof the railing on the 14th floor. And no, Ididn�t throw any airplanes off the balco-nies. That�s a big no-no, and those who tryit will be taken away and gently chastisedby the Hyatt staff, who are ex-bikers withnames like Napalm, Crowbar, and DeadZone. Just a word to the wise.l The great response to the Wheeler &

Rice seminars on game and campaignphilosophy, which saw their third success-ful year, and the great response to theseminars run by your Periodicals staff,which were also lots of fun, particularlywhen Barbara Young tried to address anaudience while she had laryngitis. Shewould poke Dale and whisper �Tell themabout . . .� and Dale would turn to theaudience and say, �Barbara says to tellyou . . .�

l Comics artist and writer Steve (Twi-light Empire) Sullivan, who signed auto-graphs and gave informal talks next to ourbooth, without once telling people he wasmy evil twin, Skippy.l West End Games� PARANOIA* brand

drinking cups (�Bouncy Bubble Beverage:It�s the MANDATORY thing!�). I forgot toget one.l The truly original TSR Model Shop,

run by Dave Sutherland and DennisKauth, at which you assembled your own3-D grav tanks and SF exploration roversfrom the materials they provided. The 15-mm and 25-mm vehicles you could makefrom paper and plastic parts were betterthan those from store-bought kits.l The huge 25-mm cityscape set-up for

FASA�s SHADOWRUN* game, includinggraffiti, burned-out cars, internally litexecutive offices, and elevated highways.Everyone wanted to take it home and putit in the basement.l The partial suits of chain mail armor

sold by one booth, which we nicknamedFrederick�s of Byzantium, which includedchain mail bras and halter tops. Really. (Anaside to those courageous enough to wearthem: Like, didn�t they pinch?)l The complete suit of chain mail armor

manufactured by Brian (�Bud Knight�)Smith of Springfield, Ohio, composed of

4,000 pop-tops from aluminum cans (thearmor, not Brian or Springfield, Ohio).l My first viewing of the Australian

Design Group�s hilarious HUNTERPLANET* role-playing game, in which youplay aliens who come to Earth to bag thefearsome Homo sapiens, who can (unfortu-nately) fight back. I also saw copies of theNIGHTLIFE* game (vampire and werewolfPCs in New York City), West End Games�TORG* game (Earth conquered by transdi-mensional villains), StarChilde�s JUSTIFI-ERS* game (SF humanoid animals go towar), ADG�s ALBEDO* game (SF cartoonanimals go to war), Crunchy Frog�s CRITTER COMMANDOS* game (regular car-toon animals go to war), and the PUPPYPOUNDERS* game (stuffed plush animalsgo to war). May Jim Ward strike me downif I am lying.l The Chaosium booth, which offered

each visitor a chance to stick his hand intoa vat containing a (real) proto-shoggoth inorder to grab his very own prize: an eye-ball. As you can imagine, it was gross andyukky and horrible and everyone did it.I�m glad I didn�t have to clean it up.l The demo copy of the soon-to-be-

released Jorune computer game, whichhas beautiful graphics (my favorite wasthe breathing, blinking corastin, a dra-gonlike humanoid).l Friday morning�s excellent RPGA�

Network breakfast, at which the Gamers�Choice awards were presented. My thanksonce again to MECCA for the forklift.l Friday night�s awesome TSR party for

the game-company industry, funded by thein-house production of the MonstrousCompendium SPELLJAMMER� Appendix(hi to everyone there, glad to have metyou, sorry I had to turn in so early andmiss the rumors and the 2 A.M. cut-off, mythanks to MECCA for the forklift, etc.).

l Saturday�s Miskatonic University�s1990 Class Reunion, featuring the Laugh-ter of Insanity and Scream of Terror con-tests, the Piñiata of Doom, and the DreadParade through the dealers� area to cele-brate H. P. Lovecraft�s 100th birthday. TheDread Parade�s unscheduled stop by thePeriodicals booth was especially touching;our thanks to all who made faces at us.l And last but hardly least, a visit from

Santa Claus (courtesy of Iron Crown), whojoyfully presented your editors with alump of coal and an offer for us to do hislaundry.

Then it was over. We packed up ourmagazines and went home to take baths,relax, and discover how much weight we�dgained (M&MS: They�re not just for break-fast anymore). The coal looks very nice onmy office bookshelf, and we�ve mostlyrecovered from our colds. And if you missnext year�s GEN CON games fair, it will beall your fault. It�s gonna be better still.

* indicates a product produced by a company otherthan TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarksowned by the companies publishing those products.The use of the name of any product without mentionof its trademark status should not be construed as achallenge to such status. Also, I want to say “Hi!” toeveryone who came up from Iowa City, and thanksespecially to Spike Jones for the much-needed help,even if we can’t publish all of your monsters.

LettersContinued from page 5assault teams of adventurers bent on destroyingthe menace). Spread garlic, holy symbols, holywater, and the like all over; also make sure noone ever allows anyone but trusted friends toenter a home. If the situation is truly desperate(roaming teams of vampires are slaying every-one outdoors at night, whole villages are beingdepopulated, etc.), then have a group of NPCclerics summon one or more powerful entitiesto deal with the situation: a squad of movanicdevas, backed up by a few paladins and a bunchof clerics and mages, for instance. Attacks onthe vampire and his allies and minions shouldgrow more frequent and powerful as word ofhis threat spreads among adventurers.

If the vampire’s player complains that you aretrying to “kill” his character, you should cheer-fully nod and say, “You bet!” If he thinks about itand gives up his character, all the better; itshows that he is mature and intelligent enoughto know that the campaign is flying out of

balance, and he is willing to work to bring thefun in the game back again.

You could just ban that character from play,too, without bothering to go through all of thestress of trying to kill the character off. A neu-tral deity might “cure” his vampiric powers topreserve the “balance,” leaving the characteralive but less powerful. Or you could start anew campaign from scratch and ban all undeadand lycanthropic PCs, making such charactersinto NPCs once they “cross the line.” It is con-ceivable that you can find a way to balance yourcampaign again with a vampire PC in it, but itwould be challenging only if most of the NPCopponents were at least as tough as thevampire—not a likely situation!

DRAGON 7

The Book of Horrors:a compendium of terrifying spells

by Christian Bök

Ancient legends relate that an evil sor-cerer named Azirian once summoned ablack ship from a distant land far acrossthe ocean, a ship loaded with a cargo ofterrifying artifacts, among them theCryptichronos (also known as The HiddenTime, in reference to its ancient origins,and as The Book of Horrors, for moreobvious reasons). Scholars agree thatAzirian must have gone insane when heread the grimoire, for he tried to use itspowers to summon a beast he claimedcould destroy the world, then fled withthe book into the earths catacombs,where he surrendered his will (and hisbody) to the hunger of the illithids.

No more is known of the Cryptichronosuntil it is mentioned 500 years later in thejournals of the wandering mage Adjazzet,who discovered the book in a rusted,subterranean vault and managed to recordsome of the books contents before alsogoing mad, committing suicide by ingest-ing green slime. His apprentice Olmorothinherited the work and used it to becomethe tyrannical ruler of a dying city; how-ever, he eventually lost the book (and hislife) in a necromantic duel with a vastlysuperior opponent, possibly a beast fromthe lower planes.

The present whereabouts of theCryptichronos remain unknown, and wisemen fear that the book may have falleninto wicked hands. Anyone finding thegrimoire is encouraged to destroy it forfear of someone unleashing an unspeak-able horror upon the world. Indeed, thislatter possibility may have already hap-pened in the campaign world.

Description: The book consists of 19pages of vellum bound with silver wire totwo thin plates of obsidian that bear noidentifying marks or inscriptions. Theplates measure two spans by three spansin size and are especially resistant to chip-ping and grazing (treat as hard metal foritem saving throws). The obsidian surface

is darkly reflective, and Adjazzet writesthat eerie, phantom �images� sometimesappear in the plates and then immediatelyvanish. No one can decide for certain whatthese swirling, shadowy images are, butglimpsing them is extremely disconcertingto the viewer. Those who gaze for over aturn at the covers suffer the effects of ascare spell at the 16th level of ability.

The first page of the book depicts anillustration of a laughing skull burning upin violet flames. A magic mouth is acti-vated whenever the book is first opened tothis page, causing the skull to speak in aheretofore unknown language, perhapsthe one indigenous to the land of thebooks origin. (A spell such as comprehendlanguages provides the following roughtranslation: �Curse the thief of secrets! Lethim know his heart�s corruption! What hereads here is the writing on the walls ofhis own tomb!�) When the magic mouthintones this weird message, the opener ofthe book must make a saving throw vs.death magic or become afflicted with arotting disease similar to the leprous touchof a mummy. This disease is fatal within 1-8 months, and for each month that itprogresses the victim permanently losestwo points of charisma (possibly acquiringa negative ability score). The course of thedisease can be halted only by administer-ing a cure disease spell (from a priest of atleast 9th level) or a heal spell (the latteroffering the added benefit of restoring lostcharisma points). While so afflicted, aperson cannot respond to any other curewounds magic, and all nonmagical healingoccurs at 10% of the normal rate. Oncethe magic mouth has been activated, itnever speaks to the same individual again,although another person opening the bookmay hear the message and possibly sufferits ill effects.

The next 16 pages of the Cryptichronoscontain various spells, one spell to a page.The exact content of these pages remains

unknown (so that each DM may design thebook to his liking). The tome is rumored toinclude not only such familiar magic asanimate dead and Evard�s black tentacles,but also such exotic magic as the wu jenspells creeping darkness and wall ofbones. At least five of the spells in thissection are known to be completelyunique, never before seen in any othervolume of magic.

The last two pages of the Cryptichronosdescribe the drawing of a special pentacleused in the summoning and binding ofextraplanar creatures. The textual descrip-tion, written in the language spokenthe magic mouth, is accompanied byactual rendering of the pentacle�a rendering that acts assymbol of insanity toall who look upon itwithout the benefit ofan anti-magic shellspell. The victim be-comes subject to everymanner of madness,becoming a (short-liveNPC.

The unique spellsfollow:

Undead Control (Necromancy)Level: 3 Components: V,S,MRange: 20 yards CT: 1Duration: Special Save: SpecialArea of Effect: Special

With this spell, the caster may controlany undead creatures within range as ifan evil priest four levels lower in experi-ence (thus, a 5th-level wizard may affectundead as though he were a 1st-level evilcleric). While casting the spell, the wizardrolls 1d20 and consults Table 47 on page67 of the 2nd Edition DMG in order to

DRAGON 11

determine whether or not the monsters damage with their fangs, and there is a 3%are commanded (a �D� result is treated as chance per level of the spell-caster that thea �T�). The wizard can make only one serpents are poisonous to humanoid crea-attempt to control the undead; whether or tures. Anyone bitten by a venomous snakenot the attempt succeeds, the spell is used must make a saving throw vs. poison atup and lost from memory. Any encoun- - 2 or go into violent convulsions for atered group (not type) of undead that number of rounds equal to the caster�sresists the control of the wizard can never level. A convulsing creature suffers 1 hpbe commanded by his use of this spell. damage per round and is incapable of any

When confronting a variety of undead, action (treat as a stunned opponent).the wizard affects the weakest type of The wizard cannot cast this spell whilecreatures first. Multiple castings of the holding any object or while wearing any-spell are required in order to exert control thing upon the hands (e.g., rings andover the more powerful members of an gloves). Similarly, the wizard cannot graspundead horde. The spell permits the wiz- anything while under the influence of thisard to wrest control of the monsters from transformation, nor can he cast spells withanother evil priest or from another wizard somatic components. A snake charm canemploying this magic. Note that anyone of pacify the tentacles for 5-8 rounds if thegood alignment must, of course, use the wizard fails a saving throw vs. spells. Notespell only after careful consideration. (See that the sinuous horrors can never bethe 2nd Edition DMG, page 68, for more compelled to attack their host, and thatinformation regarding the influence of evil they remain in effect until the expirationpriests over undead creatures.) of the spell, regardless of the wizards

The material component is an evil desire.priest�s unholy symbol or some otherproperly cursed talisman forcefully pre- Vampire Mist (Evocation)sented to the affected monsters. The com- Level: 4 Components: V, Sponent is not lost in the casting and may Range: Special CT: 5be subsequently reused. Duration: 1 rnd./lvl. Save: Special

Area of Effect: 6� diameter cloudSinuous Horrors (Alteration) With this spell, the wizard causes a paleLevel: 4 Components: S cloud of chilling vapor to form at anyRange: 0 CT: 1 desired spot within a 30� radius. The va-Duration: 5-10 rnds. Save: Special por billows, shifts, and appears almostArea of Effect: Caster sentient even though it is not truly alive. It

This spell transforms each of the wiz- moves at a rate of 30� per round, seekingard�s arms into a writhing, hissing serpent out and enveloping the nearest life-form

that can strike at any opponent within within reach of its gaseous tendrils (possi-arm�s reach. Each snakelike tentacle can bly attacking the spell-caster if he does not

attack once per round as a monster with take precautions). Once the spell is cast,as many hit dice as the wizard the wizard does not need to concentrate

has levels of experience. upon the magic in order for its effects toThe snakes each do 1-3 hp persist.

The vapor can flow over 10�high walls and can seep

through even the smallestopenings and cracks. It cannot

pass through airtight barriers(such as a wall of force or a

hermetically sealed door), norcan the mist move across

an area of fire. The gas avoidsopen flames, so a character

could conceivably keep the vapor at baywith a torch.

The mist drains blood from any creaturecaught within its area of effect, doing 1-8hp damage per round. The envelopedcreature must make a saving throw vs.death magic during the first round ofdamage or else fall down incapacitated,unable to leave the gaseous cloud withouthelp. As the vampire mist �feeds,� it turnsdull red and can drain up to 48 hp damagebefore being completely �satiated� (i.e.,inactive) for the remainder of the spellduration. A creature does not need tobreathe the vapors in order for theireffects to work.

The mist cannot harm an individualprotected by an anti-magic shell, and agust of wind repels the vapor withoutdispersing it. Violent winds (such as thosecreated by an air elemental) completelyobliterate this gaseous horror, as do ex-tremely hot fires (such as those created bya fireball or flame strike). Vampire mistdoes not harm fire-based creatures, un-dead, or monsters from a plane other thanthe Prime Material. When the duration ofthe spell expires, the cloud simply thinsout into nothingness.

Crimson Scourge (Necromancy)Level: 5 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch CT: 5Duration: Special Save: Neg.Area of Effect: Special

This terrible spell can affect one humanbeing whose number of levels (or hit dice)do not exceed the level of the spell- caster(dwarves, elves, and other humanoidcreatures are immune to this magic). Uponpronouncing the curse, the wizardtouches the victim, who is entitled to asaving throw vs. spells at -2, with failureindicating that the target person begins tobleed profusely through the pores of theskin, taking 1-2 hp damage per round untildead. Regular first aid cannot prevent thisdamage, and most magical curatives haveno effect upon the affliction. Such spells asremove curse, cure serious wounds, andcure critical wounds can staunch thehemorrhaging, but hit points may be re- gained fully only through time and rest. Aheal spell, on the other hand, can dispelthe results of this evil magic entirely.

The most horrible property of the crim-son scourge, however, lies in the �conta-giousness� of its effects, for whenever anafflicted victim comes into physical contactwith someone else, the touched personmay have to make a saving throw vs.spells at -2 or become likewise afflicted.Fortunately, a character is immune to thecurse so long as he has more levels or hitdice than the person bleeding; moreover,the spell-caster can never suffer the ef-fects of his own crimson scourge. Certainplagues throughout history have, in fact,been attributed to this spell (that oftengoes by the name of �the red death�).However, the spell does not really cause abiological illness and is, therefore, unaf-

fected by any spells that cure disease.The working of this curse requires that

the wizard wear a scarlet robe and afaceless red mask, both made from thefinest silk, worth at least a 1,000 gp each.These components are not lost in thecasting and may be used as many times asdesired.

Amorphous Blob (Alteration,Necromancy)Level: 7 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch CT: 1Duration: Special Save: NoneArea of Effect: Glass orb filled with fluid

The casting of this spell requires that thewizard first construct a crystal orb filledwith a swirling, gelatinous fluid. The orband its contents take 1-4 weeks to manu-facture. In order for the spell componentto be made properly, the wizard mustenlist the aid of an experienced alchemistand must build a special laboratoryequipped with its own strange, custom-made apparatus, the total cost of whichcan be no less than 5,000 gp. The wizardalso needs to procure the following ingre-dients used to formulate the weird fluid:one pint of the spell-caster�s blood, threepints of ochre jelly, and one dram of acidfrom a black pudding. With these ingredi-ents, the alchemist prepares a viscoussolution and encapsulates it in a finelyblown glass ball, 1� in diameter. The wiz-

ard then holds the sphere in a shockinggrasp so that he can magically activate theliquid contents. Once these procedures arecompleted, the wizard may use the orb atany time thereafter to cast an amorphousblob. Should the glass container breakbefore the spell is actually employed, thefluid is lost and the wizard must start theprocess over again from scratch.

Casting an amorphous blob causes thefluid inside the sphere to congeal into adangerous, amoeboid life-form that isreleased whenever the glass is shattered.The wizard can smash the ball by hurlingit at an opponent (treat as a grenadelikemissile), but great care must be takensince the caster has no control over hiscreation once it is released. The blob re-sembles an ochre jelly and has the follow-ing statistics: AC 6, MV 6, HD 3, hp 24,#AT 1, Dmg 3-12, AL N. The monster feedsin order to grow, and it grows extremelyfast. The blob has a volume of four cubicfeet upon its release, but on a killing at-tack, the amoeboid creature engulfs itsprey and gains 1 hp for each hit die of thedead victim. Every 8 hp gained by the blobendows it with an additional hit die (interms of fighting ability) and results in notonly an increase in volume of four cubicfeet, but also a cumulative bonus of + 1 ondamage rolls (modified results cannotexceed 12 hp damage per round).

Example: A blob freed from a sphere

kills four 2-hp opponents. The blob, there-fore, grows four cubic feet larger andattacks as a 4-HD monster, doing 4-13 hpdamage per round.

Note that the blob needs only one roundto grow to its new volume, and during thistime the creature can perform no otheraction. All increases in hit dice, size, anddamage are permanent and do not de-crease with the loss of hit points. Noknown limit exists to the blob�s total vol-ume, and if not soon killed, the creaturecan become extremely powerful.

The blob can regenerate 1 hp per round,but this ability cannot bring a dead blobback to life. The creature can flowthrough narrow openings and can oozealong walls and ceilings. The blob alsosecretes a digestive acid that dissolveswood (at a rate of 2�/round) and metal (ata rate of ½�/round); stone and glass re-main unaffected. Magical cold does nodamage to the blob, but slows the monster(as the spell) for 2-8 rounds. Fire harmsthe creature normally, but lightning actu-ally imbues the blob with an extra hitpoint for every hit die of damage thatmight have been inflicted; thus, a 6d6lightning bolt endows the creature with 6hp, possibly increasing the blob�s size andattack potential. Mind-influencing spells, ofcourse, have no effect upon this unintelli-gent creation, and all forms of magicalcontrol are useless against it.

14 OCTOBER 1990

by Nigel D. Findley

The lightless crypt is silent, as only agrave can be. No movement stirs the duston the floor, no stray currents of air dis-turb the delicate drapery of cobwebs thatembellishes the ceilings and walls. Eventhe tiny but venomous spiders that dwellin the webs are motionless. The crypt iswaiting, endlessly waiting.

Then in the blackness something moves:a figure lying on a bier of black stone.Eyelids spring open to expose a sullen redglow burning in the sockets. The figuresits up and pulls its moldering garmentscloser about its gaunt frame. It knows thatintruders are in the chapel above. Itsarcane senses can detect them; it can smelltheir blood. The figure�s thin pale lipsdraw back from its fangs. The waiting isover, Now it is time to feed.

This is the way vampires (and undead ingeneral) are usually played in AD&D®games: as lurking creatures of the dark-ness whose one goal in (un)life is to killheroes. When they�re not draining bloodor life levels, the undead are usually hang-ing around in dusty crypts, doing nothingexcept waiting for a hapless intruder towander by so they can drain blood or lifelevels. It�s a rather empty existence, and itmakes you wonder if vampires and theirundead kin haven�t been shortchanged.

The undead aren�t the only ones who�vebeen shortchanged, of course. DMs whoplay powerful but one-dimensional undeadare cheating themselves and their playersof some great role-playing. Remember,high-powered undead are free-willed andare often as intelligent, if not more so,than many of the PCs who hunt them.Liches and vampires have supra-geniusand exceptional intelligences, respectively,and even spectres have high intelligence.Here we have creatures who were oncehumans or demihumans, but have under-gone a change and now must come toterms with new powers, new limitations,and immortality. What must their world-views be like? What goals and aspirationsdo they have? What motivates a vampire?

This article points out some of the op-tions that DMs have when handling

ghosts, liches, and vampires. Many ofthese options are based on representationsof undead in fiction and cinema; othersare logical outgrowths of the creatures�characteristics as described in the Mon-strous Compendium. Scattered throughoutthis text are concrete examples of atypicalundead. DMS should feel free to mix andmatch options or replace them with ideasof their own.

GhostsAccording to the Monstrous Compen-

dium, ghosts are the souls of creatureswho were either so evil or so emotionalduring life that, upon death, they werecursed with undead status. Their centralmotivations are usually revenge (a desireto �get even� with people who wrongedthem during life) or the discharge of obli-gations or obsessions that drove themwhile alive. These obsessions might havedriven these beings to their deaths.

Revenge is an easy motivation to role-play, but only when the DM knows exactlywhat happened to generate such hatred inthe ghost, Obvious examples involve aperson who was murdered by another orwas put into a situation in which deathwas inevitable. Thus a ghost might bemotivated by a desire to kill its murdereror the superior officer who sent it on asuicide mission.

Other situations are a little more tricky.It�s been said that love and hatred areclosely allied emotions, very similar intheir depth and power. This offers a con-venient �character tag� for ghosts in theAD&D world. For example, take the caseof a person hopelessly in love with an-other (in literature, this is often a younggirl who�s fallen for a heartless cad). Whenthe girl realizes that her love is unre-quited, she falls into despair and killsherself. Her passion is so strong, even indeath, that her soul remains bound to thePrime Material and Ethereal planes as aghost. The ghost might respond to thissituation in one of two distinct ways; how-ever, each is based on the desire to kill

Undying love: In the first scenario, theghost doesn�t hate the love interest at all.If only she can be reunited with her be-loved (so she believes), she can persuadehim to love her. Unfortunately, since the

ghost is dead and her beloved isn�t, theonly way this reunion can come about is ifher love interest dies as well. Think itthrough: The poor, despairing girl findsexistence without her beloved intolerable.She responds by killing herself, terminat-ing her existence and her despair. But thenshe finds that death doesn�t bring oblivionafter all; consciousness and despair re-main. This realization might be enough tounhinge even the most stable of psyches�and a mind that would choose suicide asan escape from pain probably isn�t particu-larly stable. Thus the trauma of death, andthe realization that the end of life isn�t theend of pain could easily unhinge theghost�s reason.

In this case, the ghost could be role-played as a tragic, pathetic figure, adding anew twist to the phrase �undying love.�Her undead status is such that anyonewho sees her is subject to fear, and anyoneshe touches is aged by 10-40 years, but shehas no desire to inflict these horrific ef-fects on anyone. She won�t actively attackanyone other than her beloved, eitherphysically or through her magic jar power,unless attacked first. She would probablytry to communicate with anyone whocame near, asking pathetically for informa-tion on her beloved and asking that theintruders take a message to him, begginghim to dwell with her forever.

If she encounters her beloved, she�llprobably beg him to come with her, aninvitation he would certainly refuse. Herresponse would depend on his reactions. Ifhe insulted the girl or demeaned her�love� for him, she could easily fly into arage and attack him or anyone nearby. Ifhe didn�t, she might concentrate her atten-tions on trying to kill him alone.

An attack on the lover brings about aninteresting role-playing opportunity: Howwould the ghost respond when she sawthe aging effect her touch had on herbeloved? A sensitive ghost might be horri-fied at seeing her beloved aging before hereyes, and might stop the attack. She mightsimply withdraw to the Ethereal plane andspend the rest of eternity wallowing in herown despair. A more selfish personalitywouldn�t care what ravages her attentionswere having on her beloved and continueto attack him until he died.

Undying vengeance: William Con-greve said it best: �Heaven has no rage,like love to hatred turned, nor Hell a fury,like a woman scorned.� What�s true for awoman is true for a man. The ghost�ssuicide might not be an attempt to escapefrom pain, but rather an act of anger, aspiteful �grand gesture.� In this case, an-ger, quickly turning to hatred, will be theghost�s primary motivation. His hatred

DRAGON 15

might easily extend to everyone (after all,they�re alive and he�s not), driving him toattack anyone who comes near. The ghostwould, of course, show the greatest feroc-ity in attacking his one-time beloved, butothers might attract more than their fairshare of his wrath. Any other man whoshows even the slightest attraction towardhis beloved would be hated above all, asmight others who have found the love thatthe ghost was denied. Thus, obvious loversor man-and-wife couples would be amongthe ghost�s preferred targets, In this sce-nario, the ghost wouldn�t be a patheticcharacter, but a ravening killer.

In either scenario, the ghost�s goal wouldbe achieved with the death of the loveobject. What follows depends on the align-ments involved and on the DM�s prefer-ences as a storyteller. Ghost and belovedmight end up on the same Outer Plane,where either true love might blossom ortheir enmity might continue. Alternatively,their spirits might go to totally differentplanes where they�d be separated foreternity. In both cases, once the ghost�sgoal is achieved, the spirit would fadeaway and never return.

Obsession: A ghost�s obsession mightrun in a direction totally different fromthe pursuit of love (or revenge springingfrom unrequited love). As with haunts(Monster Manual II, page 74), people whodie leaving a vital task unfinished mightremain bound to the world by their ownindomitable will or sense of duty.

Since a ghost is noncorporeal, the crea-ture might be unable to discharge its obli-gation and might need the help of theliving to complete the task. Such a ghostwould probably try to communicate withliving characters, trying to persuade orthreaten them (depending on the crea-ture�s alignment when alive) into discharg-ing the duty. The use of magic jar here isalmost guaranteed in order to gain a phys-ical body as a last resort.

Imagine the frustration of such a ghost.Most attempts to communicate wouldcause the potential helpers to flee in fearor to instantly attack. Since the ghost isduty-bound to complete its task, it wouldbe forced to fight back, no matter howmuch it regrets the necessity.

Possible focuses for such an obsessionmight be a binding oath or other duty.Such a ghost could be role-played as astrong, almost noble (but obsessive) per-sonality, like the spirit of Hamlet�s father,Such a ghost can be found in Tanith Lee�snovel, Kill the Dead (required reading forany DM who wants to add new depths toundead). The ghost would fade awayforever as soon as its task was complete.

Spiritual anchors: A ghost might bebound to the world not by its own will,but by the existence of a particular object.In literature, this �spiritual anchor� issometimes an item that was of great emo-tional importance to the ghost while alive,hut more often it is a piece of the ghost�smortal body. In either case, the ghost�s

16 OCTOBER 1990

psyche is somehow linked with this an-chor. Destroying the anchor permanentlydestroys the ghost. While the anchor stillexists, however, the ghost�even if appar-ently destroyed�will return and manifestitself again weeks or months later. A ghostis usually but not always aware of theimportance of this anchor, though it oftenprotects it to the best of its abilities.

�Anchored� ghosts have no great goal,whether revenge or the completion of atask, toward which they strive. Instead,they�re simply here. Just as mortals feardeath, either because it�s the great un-known or because they hate the idea ofnonexistence, anchored ghosts fear theirown destruction. Although they knowthey�re not really alive, they sometimescling to the fiction that they live and thatthe memories of their death are actuallynightmares. Such ghosts go through themotions of mortal life, trying to convincethemselves that they never really died.They often frequent areas where peoplerarely come, since the reactions of in-truders force them to recognize theirundead status. Anchored ghosts will oftenattack intruders on sight as a way to re-move these unpleasant reminders of theirtrue nature.

Sometimes, other mortals will play alongwith this self-deception. A living personwho was very close to the ghost whilealive, particularly a parent or twin sibling,might be immune to the ghost�s fear effectand might delude himself that the ghostnever actually died (see the film comedyHigh Spirits for examples). Thus, adventur-ers might meet twin sisters, living far fromany town where one sister is actuallyundead. Or they might find a widowedmother caring for and protecting herghostly son. (Such mortals will try to driveaway or kill anyone who tries to take theirethereal companion away from them, oreven anyone who poses a threat to theirfragile self-deception.) Again, such ghostsmight be more pathetic than horrific.

Alignment: The Monstrous Compen-dium classes ghosts as lawful evil in align-ment, but this reflects our prejudicesmore than it does the nature of ghoststhemselves. The lawful component isappropriate for ghosts bound to this planeby an undischarged obligation, but ghostswith other motivations could easily haveother alignments.

The evil component is more obviously ahuman perception. The merest touch froma ghost can kill an older individual, It�seasy to see how this can be interpreted asan active antipathy to life. The ghost itselfmight have a totally different view of itsown alignment; take, for example, the caseof the jilted lover or the soldier whoseduty was interrupted. In many cases,however, the definition of evil as given inthe AD&D 2nd Edition Player�s Handbookwill apply: lack of recognition that whatthe creature does is destructive or disrup-tive, and the belief that people and thingsobstructing the creature�s plans are mere

hindrances that must be overcome.Many of these considerations could also

be applied to the other noncorporealundead, such as spectres or wraiths.

Liches

Liches are arguably the most powerfuland most intelligent of all undead. Allliches are mages or priests of great skilland power, and all are highly formidableopponents.

But must all liches be opponents? Fromthe description in the Monstrous Compen-dium, it seems so. But a creative DM canring in some interesting variations on thelich�s personality.

Unperceived change: Horror litera-ture contains many tales of people whowere too involved in their pursuits, oftenmagical research, to even notice their owndeaths. Their concentration is intenseenough to bind their spirits to theirbodies, and to the Prime Material plane.Characters like this present fascinatingpossibilities for role-playing, and lichesrepresent the best such candidates.

The Monstrous Compendium explainsthe process by which prospective lichesachieve their undead status, and certainlythis is the way most liches come into exist-ence. The world is wide, however, wideenough to contain atypical liches as well.These atypical creatures are unaware oftheir true state or, like some ghosts, areunwilling to admit it. Perhaps at the timeof their physical death, their concentrationand willpower was intense enough to bindthem to the material world, or perhaps thetransition was the whim of a deity. In anycase, NPCs like this might guess that�something has changed� only when theyrealize that they haven�t eaten or slept formonths or years, or when their familiarsstart hiding from them.

Initially, these �accidental liches� wouldhave no reason to change their alignmentor world-view. Thus PCs might encountera kindly, reclusive mage still completelyimmersed in her research-but one whosebody has taken on a withered, decayedappearance. Perhaps the researcher isn�t

so kindly; her reaction to the interruptionof her work might be a blinding rage thatshe is now uniquely able to vent on any-one unfortunate enough to be nearby.These accidental liches may be of anyalignment and may vary in personalityalmost as much as living NPCs. DMsshould remember, however, that onlyreclusive and obsessive personalitieswould ever get into this situation in thefirst place. (For an example, see the lichAzimer in the adventure �Lashan�s Fall�from the DM�s Sourcebook of the Realms,in the FORGOTTEN REALMS� boxed set.)

Facing the change: Eternity is a longtime, and even the most single-mindedresearcher would eventually realize histrue nature. The lich�s reaction would varyfrom individual to individual. Some wouldbe horrified and might go so far as to endtheir own existence. If they cannot faceself-destruction so directly, perhaps theycould enlist the help�voluntary orotherwise�of a band of doughty adven-turers. One means to gain such unknow-ing �helpers� might be to spread rumorsthat a wealthy lich abides in a certainplace (the lich�s actual home), then wait forthe �lichbusters� to come and finish thelich itself off. Other liches might sendcharmed intermediaries to actually hireadventurers capable of destroying them.

Other NPCs would see lichdom as a boonrather than a curse, focusing on theirimmortality and the whole of eternity inwhich to continue their work. Liches likethese would be protective of this �gift�that fate has given them. Whatever theiralignment, they would probably use theirconsiderable powers to ward their homesand would fight furiously to ensure theircontinued existence.

Whatever their outlook, liches will findthat eternity is a long time. Liches whodon�t destroy themselves or have them-selves destroyed would eventually changetheir outlook. As they forget the day-to-day details of their mortal lives, they�d losetheir sense of kinship with the living.More and more, the concerns of mortalswould seem petty things, and the licheswouldn�t concern themselves with mortalaffairs. Such liches would eventually con-sider the death of a mortal as nothingimportant. What does a human lose whenhe�s killed before his time, after all? Thirtyor forty years, perhaps as many as fifty.How can that seem important to a crea-ture who�s existed for a thousand yearsand might continue for eternity? For thisreason, most accidental liches will eventu-ally swing further and further toward evil.

The key word in the previous sentenceis �most.� Some few liches might see theboon of immortality and their continuallyexpanding power in a different light. Theymight decide that with privilege comesresponsibility. From their reclusive retreat,they might use their great powers to fur-ther the cause of good or perhaps neutral-ity. Their actions would almost certainlybe indirect, but even the indirect actions

of a creature as powerful as a lich wouldbe significant.

Another consequence of accidentallichdom is that these creatures won�tcreate a phylactery in which to store theirlife�force-at least, not until they�ve real-ized (or admitted) their true nature. Eventhen, certain liches won�t bother.

Free will: The majority of liches havechosen and actively sought their currentstate. These are the individuals that usethe process described in the MonstrousCompendium to achieve lichdom.

Why would a powerful mage or priestseek this rather horrific form of immortal-ity? (Remember, the outcome isn�t guaran-teed, and the price of failure is instantdeath.) The motivation to take this gamblewill certainly vary.

As an aging mage feels the chill winds ofapproaching death, he might decide to riskthe chance of instant death, and the avoid-ance of perhaps a decade of diminishingfacilities, senility, and pain, against thechance of gaining an eternity in which tocontinue his work. There are interestingnuances here. Does the prospective lichfear the waning of his abilities and even-tual death? Or is what he fears the factthat his work might remain unfinished?Both motivations reflect different worldviews and different personalities for thelich. Dedicated researchers who choose togamble death against the freedom to con-tinue their work will probably share manycharacteristics with the accidental lichesdiscussed earlier. Those who fear personaldeath will probably tend more toward evilin alignment; at least, the alignment shiftwill probably take place earlier.

The most common motivation for choos-ing lichdom is probably power. Again,however, there are various nuances thatcan be interesting to explore. What kind ofpower is the prospective lich seeking, andwhy is he willing to risk instant annihila-tion for that goal?

One candidate for voluntary lichdom isthe despot of a country or region, a �ma-gocrat� or autocrat who rules mainly byvirtue of his magical prowess. The deci-sion might be made when the despot startsto feel the ravages of age and realizes thathis position as �President For Life� mightbe coming to an end. For an individual likethis, there might not be too much of achoice. Age brings with it diminishingcapacities, that in turn brings with it thepossibility, developing into a certainty, thatsomeone will eventually stage a coup. Thedespot might quickly decide that the possi-bility of becoming �President For Eternity�is worth any risk. If the process is success-ful, the lich-king can continue his rule, hisauthority backed up by his new power.

Despots rarely show concern for thelives and well-being of their subjects tobegin with. How much worse this wouldbe when the ruler is undead. A lich-kingwould be pragmatic in all its decisions,quite willing to �spend� an entire army ifthat�s what it takes to achieve his goals.

DRAGON 17

(After all, the dead could conceivably beanimated and would thus be less likely toquestion orders than they were in life.)

There are other kinds of power thanrulership, of course, such as the power tochange the course of history. Powerfulspell-casters might take the lichdom gam-ble in order to acquire power that they�dnever have while alive. (For example, amagic-using ruler has been deposed byoverwhelming outside forces. Althoughthe desire for vengeance still burns in herheart, she recognizes that she�s not power-ful enough to ever turn the tables�atleast, not while she�s still alive. The magemight decide that risking death to gain thepower to finally wreak her vengeance is agood gamble. After she�s completed herrevenge, the mage might try to take backthe reigns of government or might becompletely satisfied and go about otherconcerns.)

There�s another kind of lich that activelysought its undead status but for verydifferent reasons. This is the good-alignedarchlich, from the SPELLJAMMER� acces-sory, SJR1 Lost Ships. Archliches are car-ing individuals who�ve deliberately becomeundead so they can better serve a cause orprotect a beloved being or place. While

Liches in society: Liches are almostexclusively played as reclusive monsters oras the rulers of evil empires. There�s an-other possibility, of course: partial assimi-lation into society. Because of theirincredible �life� spans, liches have theopportunity to develop unique spells.Some liches might develop dweomers thatdisguise their true nature: spells that maskthe power to detect or affect undead, forexample, or that temporarily counteractthe liches� fear aura. Using these spells,coupled with disguise spells like changeself liches could conceivably dwell in theclose company of mortals.

Why would theychoose to do this,though? Perhaps someliches are simply lonely;they don�t feel thedistancing effect frommortals that immortalityusually brings with it,and they ache for thecompany of others.These liches might be

the archlich is classed as a unique type ofmonster, there�s no reason why somegood-aligned characters might not engi-neer their transformation into �normal�liches.

18 OCTOBER 1990

helpful, if sometimes irascible, purveyorsof magical wisdom. Or maybe a lich�sintricate plans require the unwitting aid ofmany people. (Remember, with the wholeof eternity to play with, liches can affordto be eminently patient. Their plans mighttake centuries to complete, and their day-to-day actions, when viewed without thelong view of immortality, might not makemuch sense.)

Liches who dabble in society are takingserious risks. While the population of anentire town might be unable to physicallyharm a lich, it can certainly slow or de-stroy any plans that the creature might bebrewing. Only the most confident orheart-sick lich would take the chance.

Ars longa: When dealing with liches,the old Latin aphorism vita brevis, arslonga could have a second translation:�Life is short, but the Art is longlasting.�Although the concept is already discussedin the Monstrous Compendium, it�s worthstressing again that a lich has literallyunlimited time in which to research anddevelop new or �customized� versions offamiliar dweomers. The nature of theseidiosyncratic abilities depend on the lich�spersonality.

A power-driven lich, for example, wouldobviously concentrate on spells that in-creased its influence on those creaturesaround it. This kind of lich might wieldenhanced versions of mass charm or domi-nation, and combat spells of hideous le-thality. A lich whose dominant emotion isscientific curiosity might have developedextended versions of scrying or divinationspells such as speak with dead or contactother plane. Finally, a lich fascinated withthe aesthetics and nuances of magic,rather than its eventual outcome, mighthave eccentric versions of familiar spells:magic missiles that look like multicoloredsparks, or fireballs that explode accompa-nied by a musical tone, for example.

Like any other high-powered spell-casters, liches can be great sources of newmagical powers. A PC mage who acquireda lich�s spellbook is in a marvelous posi-tion. Of course, getting the spellbook is no,easy task. Even a lich of the most benignpersonality will defend its spellbook withwards and traps, some of which mightnever have been seen before.

A �living� lich can also be a source fornew spells, if the PCs are lucky enough tolocate one with the right alignment, out-look, and personality. No matter howfriendly the lich may be, the principlescommon to mortal spell-casters will holdtrue. Liches won�t freely reveal the detailsof spells that they know, particularly any�customized� dweomers they�ve devel-oped. Everything will be quid pro quo; thelich might exchange a spell for anotherspell of equal level (and good luck findinga spell that the lich doesn�t already know!)plus an interesting magical item. Acquiringsomething that a lich might accept asbarter could develop into a series ofadventures.

Vampires

Although not as powerful as liches,vampires can be even more interestingNPCs than their magically inclined kin.The recent overwhelming popularity ofvampire-related books and movies showhow compelling these creatures are. DMswho prefer the dark and labyrinthinetrappings of psychological horror tosimple-minded slash-�em-up combat couldfind few monsters better suited to thatplaying style than vampires. (DMs will alsofind the new AD&D RAVENLOFT� supple-ment fits this style perfectly.)

�The Dark Trick�: In her cycle ofvampire novels, Anne Rice uses the phrase�the Dark �Trick� to describe the transitionfrom life to vampirism. The circumstancesof the Dark Trick, when and how it hap-pens, as well as the nature of the victimcan have a great effect on the personalityof a vampire. Take a young, naive man,raised in a sheltered household, who fellprey to a vampire that was stalking theregion. The man knew nothing about thevampire until it attacked and killed him.Compare this case with a determinedvampire-hunter who was cut down by herquarry in the heat of battle. When thenew vampires arise from their graves,their views of the world will be totallydifferent.

The naive man might at first be totallyunaware of his true nature. He mightcome to the (seemingly reasonable) conclu-sion that he actually never died but merelywas badly wounded and then buried pre-maturely by his overzealous family. Atfirst, he wouldn�t understand why peoplerun when he tries to explain to them theirmistake, or he might decide that thetownsfolk have wrongly assumed that he�s�risen from the dead� (how ludicrous!).Evidence of his true nature would quicklybuild up, however: the fact that he doesn�tcast a shadow or appear in a mirror, thefact that he feels an uncontrollable urge toreturn to his coffin when sunrise is immi-nent, and the steadily growing urge tofeed. When he finally realizes his fate, the

shock might drive him mad, turning himinto the ravening monster that is thestereotypical vampire. Alternatively, hemight hang onto his sanity but believe thatsince fate has decreed that he become amonster, he has no option but to act theway he thinks such a monster should act.A third possibility�and maybe the mostinteresting of the three�is that the poorwretch is unable to fully renounce the lifehe once had. A pathetic figure, the vam-pire �haunts� his old home, watching fromthe darkness and trying to pretend thathe�s still part of mortal life, if only as aspectator. Such a vampire would feedrarely and would never deliberately kill,stopping before he�d drained all his vic-tim�s life levels. Using his charm abilities,the vampire could easily make sure thathis victims don�t remember what hap- pened to them, thus sparing them theemotional trauma they�d otherwise suffer(and, incidentally, protecting the vampirefrom detection). Pathetic or not, such acreature would be likely to viciously attackany vampire-hunters who came after him.After all, the adventurers are taking awayeven the semblance of his old life.

The intrepid vampire-hunter who risesas an undead would certainly have a dif-ferent view of the world. Since she�s veryfamiliar with her one-time quarry, she�dimmediately realize what happened. Herreaction would probably depend on hermotivation for becoming a vampire-hunterin the first place. If she took up the careeras a moral duty, to rid the world of viciousmonsters, then the shock to her sanitywould be profound: suddenly she�s be-come exactly what she�d once dedicatedherself to fight. She might easily go mad.Alternatively, the new vampire mightmake best efforts to destroy herself imme-diately. Since only the strongest-willed ofvampires could overcome their �instinc-tive� revulsion to sunlight or runningwater, the creature might take the easierway out and enlist the (voluntary or invol-untary) aid of adventurers, as was previ-ously mentioned for liches. Or the vampiremight continue to dedicate herself to herformer life�s work. She might use herpowers as an undead to help her trackdown and destroy others of her kind. (SeeTanith Lee�s Kill the Dead for a portrait ofsuch an undead ghost-hunter.)

But what if the one-time adventureroriginally got into the vampire-bashingbusiness for other reasons: the money, forexample, or the adventure? The undeadcharacter might decide that being a vam-pire isn�t that bad after all, since she�s gota much better chance now of reaching hergoals than she did when she was alive.

As with ghosts, the fact that vampiresare described as chaotic evil says moreabout human perceptions than it doesabout the creature�s true personality.�Chaotic� simply means that these crea-tures put their personal interests overthose of the masses�understandable,considering that they�re immortal. And

since �evil� is defined as �holding life inlow regard,� a creature who must drainlife force to survive could be classed asevil, despite its other behavior.

Vampirism is fun: In most role-playing games, the main motivation forcreatures such as vampires is to simply killthe living. Why is this the be-all and end-all of a vampire�s existence? Vampires areexceptionally intelligent, which meansthey�re capable of abstract thought.They�re also immortal. When you�ve gotthe whole of eternity spread out beforeyou, the simple pursuits of draining inno-cent maidens and trashing adventuringparties would eventually grow stale. Im-mortality must be a pretty bleak picture ifall you�ve got to look forward to is yournext kill.

Assume that a character can make thetransition to vampirism without beingdriven insane by moralistic shock andwithout otherwise becoming the stereo-typical �exists to kill� vampire. What, then,would be the character�s motivation? Itcan be almost anything.

Vampires have powers far beyond thecapabilities of most mortals: exceptionalstrength, the ability to charm with aglance, superhuman combat abilities, thepower to change to gaseous form or poly-morph into a giant bat, etc. To the rightkind of personality, these powers wouldbe boons beyond price. The person wouldrelish his new-found powers, constantlypushing their limits and �living� an exist-ence of otherwise unattainable fun. (�Can Ispy on Lady Maretha�s mansion? Sure. CanI move the ceremonial cannon from thetown square into the mayor�s office? Whynot?�) Feeding is still a necessity, but hewould probably do it in the most humaneway possible, never killing his victim andonly rarely leaving any evidence behind.Fun-loving DMs could easily develop avampire who�d fit well into the movieAnimal House.

On a more serious note, a thief turnedinto a vampire would find her supernatu-ral abilities tailor-made for her career.Who needs grappling hooks when you canspider climb, or needs lockpicks when youcan assume gaseous form? A thief-vampiremight cut a swath through the rich inhab-itants of a city, cleaning out their valuablesin daring raids that leave the constabularyscratching their heads. The vampire�s denwould be full of opulent furniture andfittings. (If the character couldn�t enjoyluxury while alive, why not take advan-tage of the opportunity afterward?)

A compelling figure from many histori-cal novels is the gentleman adventurer, theperson who�s as much at home in politesociety as he is outside it (often way out-side it). A vampire would make a perfectgentleman adventurer. A somewhat aloofmanner and a very daunting reputationwould keep others distant enough thatthey�d never learn the vampire�s truenature, while the character�s habit ofdropping out of sight to go on adventures

DRAGON 19

would be a perfect cover for the vampire�s�hunting trips.� (Presumably, such a vam-pire would fast while within civilization,and then gorge himself once away frompolite company.) Some of the vampire�sacquaintances within the social milieumight suspect or know the creature�s truenature, but not take any action becausethe vampire is such a �jolly good chap.�

The gentleman adventurer vampire isquite a different creature from the typicalmonster described in the Monstrous Com-pendium. That rampaging killer �lives inareas of death and desolation where theywill not be reminded of the lives they haveleft behind.� The social vampire has cometo the conclusion that he doesn�t have toforego all the pleasures of his life after all.Social vampires soon learn ways to dis-guise their true nature. They�ll avoid mir-rors and brightly lit areas (where theirlack of shadows might be noticed), and

they�ll devise plausible justifications fortheir �allergy� to garlic and their �moraloffense� when they see openly displayedholy symbols. As with liches, magicallycapable vampires have eternity in whichto develop new spells. Thus a social vam-pire might be warded with dweomers thatblock powers that detect undead, andperhaps even calm the fears of dogs andother creatures.

Social vampires are well documented inliterature. One of Anne Rice�s vampirecharacters was a participant in Parisianaristocracy�s social whirl, while anotherpursued a career as a rock star. Even thearchetypal vampire, Count Dracula,proved himself a charming and debonairhost when it suited his purposes. Whilemultidimensional characters like thesemight exist in any given campaign world,the majority of vampires will be the super-ficial killers described in the MonstrousCompendium. DMs should use just enough�complex� vampires to make the PCs won-der what they�re going to meet next.

Gifts of un-life: Why do vampires�work the Dark Trick� and create othervampires? The accepted theory, as statedin the Monstrous Compendium, is thatvampires use chattel creatures as slavesand, if necessary, cannon fodder. Thereare other, more interesting possibilities,however.

How about a vampire who used to be avery social personality while alive and isnow suffering from his enforced with-drawal from society? (In short, he�s devas-tatingly lonely.) The idea of creatinganother vampire�a creature like him,someone he can share his thoughts andfears with�might become too attractive toresist. Unfortunately, since �secondary�vampires aren�t truly free-willed, thelonely vampire wouldn�t find the compan-ionship he was seeking. In fact, he mightstart to see the secondary vampire as ahorrible parody of the friend he sought:nothing more than a mirror or echo cham-ber, feeding back to him his own beliefsand thoughts.

Another possible reason for creating a

20 OCTOBER 1990

vampire is to �save� a loved one fromdeath. Imagine the feelings of a sensitivevampire knowing that a relative or closefriend is dying. The vampire is immortaland knows that he has the power to makethe dying person immortal as well. Thetemptation to work the Dark Trick mightbecome almost irresistible. Of course, oncethe deed was done, the master vampirewould find the same horrible situation: theloved one, remembered as an independentpersonality, would have lost all free willand become a mindless slave of the mastervampire. (Both these motivations for creat-ing new vampires are worked through inAnn Rice�s vampire cycle.)

The descriptions above assume thatsecondary vampires aren�t free-willedentities. This is implied in the MonstrousCompendium entry, in the corrected ver-sion published in DRAGON® issue #150,but isn�t stated explicitly. The entry merelysays that �the new undead is under thecomplete control of its killer.� The questionremains: What form does this controltake? Is the new vampire merely a mind-less puppet? Is it controlled by some varia-tion of the master�s charm spell? Or doesthe new vampire follow the master�s com-mands simply because it believes, rightlyor wrongly, that the master is more pow-erful than itself? The latter two theoriesare the more interesting from a role-playing perspective, since they imply thatthe secondary vampire might somehow beable to escape the control of its creator.The possibilities are interesting. For exam-ple, a �social� vampire has created a sec-ondary vampire. This secondary vampireis slowly resisting the control of the mas-ter and reverting to its true personality: aravening, heartless monster�the completeopposite, philosophically speaking, of theprimary creature. (Again, Ann Rice ex-plores this concept in her novels.) Alterna-tively, cunning PCs might be able to turn asecondary vampire against its evil master.

Good vampires: Can a vampire begood? Not according to the MonstrousCompendium, which states that a vampireis �a thing of darkness that exists only tobring about evil and chaos.� But if weassume that these are �typical� vampires,and that atypical individuals exist, then theanswer might well be �yes.� Theoretically,a vampire isn�t restricted to feeding on thelife force of sentient creatures; it couldfeed on unintelligent creatures as well.Thus a vampire could �live� without everhaving to kill a human or demihuman.

Imagine the case of a good-aligned hu-man who fell prey to a vampire. While thefirst vampire existed, the new undead wasunder its sway, forced to commit horrify-ing and sickening acts. When the mastervampire was destroyed, however, thesecondary vampire became free-willed.How would it react? The Monstrous Com-pendium states that �In most cases, vam-pires do not lose the abilities andknowledge which they had in life whenthey become undead.� Thus the secondaryvampire might still remember his one-time

moral and ethical stance. Now that he�sable to act freely, he might decide to usehis powers to set right, at least partially,the damage that he and his master did.This creature could become a secret bene-factor to a community: performing gooddeeds late at night (e.g., using his greatstrength to repair walls) and defending thevillage from marauding monsters. Thetownsfolk may never suspect the truenature of their benefactor. Those few whomight have some suspicions would becareful to keep them silent, in case some-one tries to destroy their benefactor. Sincevampires�particularly magic-capableindividuals�can often successfully �pass�for human, the vampire might even beknown to some of the townsfolk, perhapsas �that strange hermit who lives in thecave.�

Eternity is a long time, however, andvampires� attitudes would probably shift.Eventually, they�d lose their kinship withthe living and consider the fates of mortalsas petty things, unworthy of their atten-tion. Thus, vampires too would eventuallyswing toward a passively evil alignment.

ConclusionIt�s not necessary that every powerful

undead in your campaign world havecomplex motivations. Sometimes motiva-tion should take a back seat to conven-ience. Take Bram Stoker�s Dracula, forexample. What was Count Dracula�s moti-vation? Nothing consistent, that�s for sure.The sole purpose of his actions seemed tobe to drive a good story. (Take, for exam-ple, when he crawled like a lizard downthe outside of his castle, apparently justfor the fun of it, since he could turn into awolf, a bat, or a cloud of fog at will.) If thestory you�re telling as DM requires astraightforward, kill-crazy ghost or vam-pire, use one. What I�ve provided here arejust suggestions, ways to throw a littlefurther complexity at your players.

Many DMs won�t feel the urge to useany of these suggestions. After all, undeadare conveniently simple villains. Playersand their PCs don�t have to feel any moralqualms about destroying creatures thatare played as thoroughly, unquestionably,*and unrepentently evil. Lots of DMs andplayers like to have at least some monsterswhere the instant response to sightingthem is�and should be � �Kill it!� It�s goodto have something with which you can getinto a knock-down, drag-out fight, and yetnot feel guilty afterward. For these rea-sons, many players and DMs will alwaysenjoy beating on undead guys.

For those DMs and players who enjoy alittle more complexity�both moral andtactical�in their role-playing, atypicalundead can be interesting and exciting.They add a few more decisions to theplayer characters� already confusing lives.When PCs meet a ghost, should they at-tack it or commiserate with it? When theyencounter a lich, should they destroy it orexchange magical trivia?

It�s your choice. Happy role-playing!

©1990 by Kevin A. RossArtwork by Thomas Baxa

Chaosium�s CALL OF CTHULHU® gameis sometimes referred to as a gothic horrorrole-playing game. However, in recreatingthe cosmic horrors of Lovecraft and hisdisciples, little space was devoted to thepetty terrestrial horrors of man�simagination, the true gothic menaces. Thescenario �The Rescue� in the first CthulhuCompanion (and the fourth-edition gamerulebook) described one of the more tradi-tional horrors, the werewolf, in greatdetail. This article expands the existingvampire rules so that an entire campaigncan be based on the hunting and slaying ofthese legendary creatures. These rules canbe used with RUNEQUEST® and othergames based on Chaosium�s BASIC ROLE-PLAYING system. The fourth-edition CALL

Let vampires put the bite on your Cthulhu investigators!OF CTHULHU rulebook describes vam-pires briefly on page 131. Informationfrom this source will be referenced hereinbut will not be repeated.

years, these lesser creatures strengthenand become greater vampires. But quite

The vampires described here aren�ttaken verbatim from any single piece ofliterature. Instead, these rules reflect theaspects of vampirism most suitable for usein a role-playing game. In particular, thisarticle attempts to recreate the flavor ofthe numerous vampire movies made byHammer Films in the 1950s, �60s, and �70s,as many gamers are familiar with thesecelluloid undead.

often their lack of subtlety arouses suspi-cion, and they are hunted down and de-stroyed before they make the transition togreater vampires.

Becoming a vampire

Two types of vampires are discussed inthis article: the fledgling lesser vampiresand their more experienced and muchmore powerful counterparts, the greatervampires. Lesser vampires are relativelyweak, and their tactics reflect their inex-perience and lack of finesse. After a few

The most obvious way of becoming avampire is to be bitten by one. In somelegends, the mere bite of a vampire is notenough to infect the victim with the curseof blood-thirst, although some Game Mas-ters (GMs might not let their playersknow that. The vampire must have killedthe victim by completely draining all of hisblood. If the proper steps are not taken,the corpse will rise within a week or two(for game purposes, 2d6 days) as a lesservampire, which is described later.

Another way of becoming a vampire is

to be excommunicated by one�s church.According to this belief, the body of theexcommunicated person will never restuntil it is accepted back into the church. Inthis case as well, the corpse arises as alesser vampire within a few days of itsburial.

The last method of becoming a vampireis one that should set any good CALL OFCTHULHU Keeper�s creative gears in mo-tion. The bodies of men and women whowere purported to be sorcerers were saidby legend to rise again to continue theirevil doings. Needless to say, these crea-tures also need the blood of the living tocontinue this nefarious �afterlife.� They,too, start off as lesser vampires.

Vampiric disabilitiesThe two types of vampires have a num-

ber of things in common, one of which istheir aversion to garlic. This aversionprevents them from approaching anycloser than 6� from a person wearing orbrandishing garlic. The vampires take nodamage from this substance; it merelyirritates them in a manner similar to asevere allergic reaction. Vampires can (andprobably will) use their hypnotic gaze toforce offenders to drop the garlic.

Both types are also damaged by contactwith holy items, in particular the Christiancross, the Star of David, and holy water.The cross or the star does 1d6 points ofdamage to a vampire per touch, and thevampire will try to avoid contact at allcosts, usually keeping about 10� betweenitself and the offending object. As with thegarlic, a vampire will probably use itshypnotic gaze to make the holder drop theitem. A splash with holy water also does1d6 damage per hit to the undead. Theseweapons should be in the arsenal of everycompetent vampire-hunter.

Two of Nature�s most common phenom-ena spell doom for the vampire: sunlightand running water. Immersion in runningwater (and this means immersion, notthrowing a bucket of water over it) anddirect sunlight each causes a vampire onepoint of damage per round of contact. Avampire reduced to zero hit points as aresult is permanently destroyed. Neithervampire type is able to cross runningwater or open sunlight for this reason.

Obviously, vampire hunters can use theabove vulnerabilities to limit the move-ments of vampires. Blocking their routeswith crosses, smeared garlic, or watercourses suggest themselves.

Lesser and greater vampires cast noreflections, whether in mirrors or otherglass surfaces or on the surface of water.Neither variety casts a shadow. Extrapolat-ing from these properties, it can be as-sumed that their images cannot becaptured using normal photographic tech-niques. (Characters with the Photographyskill should be allowed a roll to see if theycan come up with a way of catching thesecreatures on film. Before allowing this roll,

22 OCTOBER 1990

the character should have made at leastone previously unsuccessful attempt tophotograph a vampire.) On a similar note,the voices of vampires cannot be recordedby normal means. These problems limit avampire�s ability to move among humansand appear to be human itself.

A vampire needs to rest during daylighthours in a coffin or crypt that contains soilfrom the country of its birth. If this is notdone, it loses 1d6 hit points each day untilit either perishes or has rested on its homesoil. These losses are regained only afterthe creature has slept on home soil andhas then fed on blood. Its hit points arethen restored by an amount equal to thenumber of CON it drains during a feeding(see �The lesser vampire: Feeding�); thiscontinues until the vampire�s hit points arerestored to their original level. This samedeterioration occurs if the vampire isunable to get its quota of blood (see �Feed-ing� under �The lesser vampire� and �Thegreater vampire�). Failure to obtain bloodresults in a loss of 1-6 hit points per day,and this loss can be halted and reversed asnoted previously. The POW that the vam-pire drains from its victim by touch isadded to its own POW total (though avampire still has a SAN of zero, like allmonstrous creatures).

A wounded vampire regains all hitpoints lost from combat within 24 hours,provided it rests on home soil as detailedabove. If damaged but not brought to zerohit points, it is quite able to defend itselfduring the daylight hours. Its only daytimesupernatural powers, however, are itsgaze attack and the related �blood slavery�telepathy, both of which are discussedlater (the latter in the section �Victims ofvampirism�). The vampire can still attackphysically, of course. If brought to zero hitpoints, the vampire is completely helplessand must revert to a smoky, foggy, ormisty incorporeal form, returning to itscoffin until fully regenerated. Once insidethe coffin, the vampire can only call its�blood slaves� or use its gaze to fend offvampire-hunters; otherwise, it is quitevulnerable to destruction.

One of the most dreadful abilities ofboth types of vampires is the power tohypnotize anyone catching their gaze. Thevampire can use this ability on any onetarget of its choice that is able to see itseyes, and the undead must be successfulin a POW vs. POW struggle against thetarget. Gaze attacks are resolved at thebeginning of the round and if the vampirefails, it is still allowed another action be-sides a gaze (attack, short movement, etc.)at the very end of the round. The targetcan try to avert his eyes from the vam-pire�s gaze by rolling his POW × 5 or lesson 1d100 each time the vampire makessuch an attempt. However, this allows anyphysical attacks made by the vampire onthat character to be at + 10% to the attackroll. If the victim is unable to avert hiseyes in time and the vampire makes the

POW vs. POW roll, this victim has beenhypnotized. This hypnotizing effect lastsfor a number of rounds equal to the vam-pire�s POW, or until the victim is physicallydisturbed in some way (such as being hitby a successful attack or being vigorouslyslapped, etc., but not by being bitten bythe vampire). The effect allows the vam-pire to give the victim unspoken com-mands that he will then carry out. Acommand for overtly suicidal behaviorbreaks the spell, but a command for at-tacking one�s colleagues does not. Only onevictim at a time can be so held by thevampire; an attempt against someone elseautomatically frees the first. Most vam-pires use this ability to force their oppo-nents to drop their guard (especially if thatguard includes garlic or holy items).

The lesser vampireMeans of destruction: The lesser vam-

pire, in addition to the vulnerabilitiesdiscussed above, takes minimum damagefrom and cannot be impaled by normalweapons of any kind. However, if struckwith an impaling roll in the chest by awooden weapon such as a stake, sharp-ened staff, or the like, they are immedi-ately destroyed. Also, if struck by animpaling roll to the head with a long-bladed weapon such as a sword, battle-axe, or similar weapon, they areimmediately decapitated and destroyed. Ifyou are not using the hit-location tablesfrom the Cthulhu Now supplement, allowa 25% chance of striking the chest and a5% chance for the head; you may doublethese percentages if the Investigators statethey are aiming for these specific loca-tions. Lesser vampires take normal dam-age from but are not impaled by silver ormagic weapons. Fire affects them nor-mally, but it does not destroy them.

To summarize methods for destruction:decapitation; wooden stake through theheart; exposure to sunlight; immersion inrunning water; prolonged failure to reston home soil; prolonged failure to feed.

Shapechanging: Lesser vampires haveonly one form of this power, and it isassumed only involuntarily, when thecreature is brought to zero hit points bynonfatal means. This is its smoky incorpor-eal form. The vampire is able to passthrough very small cracks or openings toget to its coffin to rest and regeneratewhen in this form.

Feeding: A lesser vampire must feast onblood three times per week, or aboutevery other day. A successful attack drains1d4 each of CON and POW from its victimper round of feeding. This blood can betaken from the bodies of animals as wellas humans, but this is only done in ex-treme emergencies as the vampire prefershumans. The lesser vampire will usuallytry to hypnotize its victims first; if thisfails, it will batter them into unconscious-ness or submission.

Behavior and tactics: Lesser vampires

might resort to drinking nonhuman blood,which would sicken greater vampires. Forthe most part, the lesser variety is drivenby animal desires and is likely to makefoolish mistakes in its lust for blood. Theresults of the lesser vampire�s loss of hu-manity is its loss of APP, as illustrated inthe Lesser and Greater Vampires� Statisticstable. They are not totally stupid, how-ever; lesser vampires often choose weakvictims such as women and children toassure their own relative safety. The lesservampire is more likely to create othervampires because of inexperience, eager-ness, blood lust, etc., than the more re-served greater vampire, though they haveless of a chance to control their victims (asnoted later). They usually don�t createother vampires willingly, of course, forthis draws too much attention and�crowds the marketplace.� If another vam-pire is inadvertently created, the originalone may try to destroy it to keep the com-petition down.

Skills: For the most part, the lesser vam-pire�s skills are the same as they wereduring the creature�s life. As time passes,increases occur in the subject�s Agility(Climb, Dodge, Jump), Stealth (Hide,Sneak), and Perception (Listen, Psychology,Spot Hidden, Track) skill areas. During itsstint as a lesser vampire, Manipulation,Communication, and (to a lesser extent)Knowledge skills remain relatively con-stant. Some penalization in the Communi-cation skills might not be a bad idea, dueto the loss of APP (�Isn�t that Yorga fellakinda creepy? I mean, he�s so pale.�). Incombat, lesser vampires attack as per thedetails in the CALL OF CTHULHU game�sfourth-edition rulebook, on page 131.

The transition: Add together the STR,CON, INT, POW, and DEX scores the vam-pire had when it was alive, then subtractthe total from 100. This gives you thenumber of months the vampire mustremain a lesser creature before becominga greater vampire.

The greater vampireMeans of destruction: In addition to the

vulnerabilities discussed in the text onlesser vampires, greater vampires take nodamage whatsoever from normal weapons(with the exception of impaling strikes tothe chest with wooden weapons, as perlesser vampires above). They do takeminimum damage and no impaling strikesfrom silver or magic weapons.

To summarize the ways of killing greatervampires: exposure to sunlight; immersionin running water; prolonged failure to reston home soil; prolonged failure to feed; ora wooden stake through the heart pluseither burning, decapitation, or exposureto sunlight or running water (the stakealone merely keeps it immobile, decom-poses it to the bare bones, and holds itcompletely powerless until the stake isremoved).

Shapechanging and summoning: The

gaseous incorporeal form discussed forlesser vampires must be assumed by agreater vampire when it is brought to zerohit points by nonfatal means; this formcan also be taken at will by the greatervampire. This monster can also assumethe form of a wolf or large bat at will. Thisprocess takes a round to complete. Whilein these forms, the vampire cannot use itsgaze but retains its other immunities andvulnerabilities. While in mist form, thevampire is immune to all forms of damageexcept magical weapons and attacks untilit changes form again. When in human oranimal form, it can summon each of thefollowing creature types once per 24-hourperiod: 2d6 large bats, 2d6 rat packs, or1d3 wolves. These creatures are subject toavailability in the area, rats or bats beingusually much more accessible in mostplaces than wolves. These animals usuallyarrive within 3d6 rounds and flee whenthey have lost more than 50% of theirnumbers.

Feeding: The greater vampire is able tocontrol its urges for blood to some degree.It needs to feed only once per week, butthe greater vampire absolutely will notdrink the blood of anything less than ahuman. As it drains 1d6 + 1 POW and1d6 + 1 CON from its victim, it must berelatively careful and in control of itsurges or it will create new vampires everytime it feeds. This draining effect makesthe greater vampire more likely to be ableto control its victims (see later), making formore frequent visits to these unfortunates.The vampire�s feeding is often facilitatedby hypnotizing or charming its victims or,failing that, by pummeling them into sub-mission.

Behavior and tactics: Because it has agreater degree of control over its blood-lust, the greater vampire is a far moresubtle opponent than its lesser counter-part. With a few exceptions, the greatervampire is infinitely more refined andgraceful in its appearance, and definitelymore attractive and charismatic; this be-havioral refinement is illustrated by thegreater vampire�s increase in APP. Like thelesser creatures, the greater vampireusually refuses to make its victims intonew vampires. If the vampire does, it willprobably be for some perverse form ofvengeance against said victim, and eventu-ally the vampire will have one of its non-vampiric servants or victims destroy thisunfortunate one. Those whom the greatervampire unwittingly infects with vampir-ism will also be dispatched by his servants.

Few opponents are more dangerous ormore alluring than the greater vampire. Ifit feels that it is soon to be discovered, itwill create several new vampires beforemaking its escape to safer environs. Thisway it not only creates further menacesfor its pursuers to deal with, it also leavesbehind seeds that may grow into a power-ful alliance as well as a bitter form ofrevenge.

Skills: As a rule, most of the Agility skillsof a greater vampire should be at leastdoubled from its �living� scores to reflectits ability to scale steep inclines, makefantastic leaps, and perform other suchfeats. This does not extend to such skills asSwimming and Boating, for obvious rea-sons. Stealth and Perception skill areasshould probably be doubled from previous�living� scores. Knowledge skills will prob-ably increase considerably as well due tothe additional EDU point (and the accom-panying 15 skill points) it receives forevery additional 10 years of its �life.� Agreater vampire may still be weak in Ma-nipulation and Communication skills, andonly one or two attack forms other thanpunching or grappling should have in-creased very much. Greater vampiresattack as do lesser vampires but with a15% bonus to all of their physical attackforms.

Victims of vampirismAs we saw earlier, a vampire can create

a new vampire by completely draining avictim of blood. But if the vampire is verycareful or very lucky, it can make one ofits victims a slave to its will, as if the crea-ture�s gaze attack were permanently ineffect on that person.

For this reason, the losses of CON andPOW must be carefully tracked for each ofa vampire�s victims. When a vampire suc-cessfully subdues a victim by gaze or byfist, it then bites that victim. The GMshould roll one dice of the appropriatetype (1d4 for lesser, 1d6 + 1 for greater)each round and subtract the result fromboth the CON and POW of the victim. Asstated earlier, most vampires will notintentionally try to drain their victimscompletely. For a lesser vampire, theblood-draining process takes1-3 rounds, dependingon the victim�s size. Thegreater vampire mustbe more careful tokeep from killing toomany of its victims andmaking them intovampires. For them,about 1-2 rounds shouldsuffice. If a victim�sPOW or CON is everbrought to zero by avampire�s drainingattack, that persondies and becomes alesser vampire. If avampire of either typedrains a victim of more than halfof that victim�s original POW, thenthat person has become a bloodslave to that vampire.

The characteristics losses of a victimare regenerated at a rate of one pointto POW and CON per day, or 1d3 + 1

Luck rolls and (more importantly) hit points.

DRAGON 23

A blood slave is kept in mental contactwith its vampiric master at all times. Thismental contact merely allows the sendingof messages between the two minds, notvisual or audial sensations. The victim willfollow any command the vampire givesprovided the order doesn’t involve suicidalbehavior as per a gaze attack. However,the blood-slave effect is permanent and isusable by the vampire during the day,usually to aid the vampire if its restingplace has been found. This contact can bebroken only by the destruction of thecontrolling vampire and is effective at anydistance.

A victim slain by a vampire’s blooddraining (i.e., brought to zero POW orCON) arises within 2d6 game days as alesser vampire, independent of the greatervampire’s control. There are ways to avoidthis, most notably the grisly method ofstaking the defenseless creature before itarises. Another successful method wouldbe cremation, provided the undead victimhas not yet initially risen from its grave.More subtle methods such as prayer vigilsor the use of holy items or garlic might besuccessful, according to the GM’s wishes,but this is not recommended. Vampireexterminating should be a dirty, gruesomebusiness.

Sanity and vampiresThe various aspects of vampirism can

affect the SAN of the viewer. Seeing alesser vampire and knowing it to be suchcosts 1d6 SAN unless a SAN roll is made, inwhich case there is no loss; a greatervampire requires a roll for a possible lossof 1d8 SAN (or 1 SAN if the roll is made). Ifthe vampire was known in life to thewitness, an additional loss of 1d4 (or 1)SAN is taken. Being bitten by a vampire (ofeither type) requires a SAN roll; 1d4 is lost,or 1 point is lost if the SAN roll is made.Seeing a vampire feed on another humanbeing costs 1d3 SAN unless a SAN roll ismade, in which case no SAN is lost.

Participating in the staking of a newvampire that has not yet risen also re-quires a SAN roll. If the roll is successful,the character loses only 1 SAN and cancontinue the procedure; if the roll fails,that character loses 1d4 SAN and cannottake part in the staking at that time. Atleast 1d10 x 5 minutes must pass beforethat character can get up the nerve to tryagain, at which time another SAN rollmust be attempted; there is no loss for the

second and subsequent SAN rolls, but ifthey, too, fail, this weak-willed individualmust wait another 1d10 × 5 minutes andthen attempt yet another SAN roll, contin-uing this process until the SAN roll ismade, someone else stakes the vampire-to-be, or the vampire-to-be wakes up!

Staking any already risen vampire (ofeither type) costs 1 SAN if the roll fails, butthe character is still able to participate; ifthe roll is successful, there is no loss.Staking a vampire, risen or not, who wasknown in life to the one doing the stakingrequires a roll for a SAN loss of 1d6 (or 1),and if the roll fails the character cannotimmediately take part in the act. A charac-ter with a failed roil must make SAN rollsevery 1d10 × 5 minutes as before, but eachfailed roll still causes a loss of 1 SAN.Viewing the disintegration of a vampiredue to most usual methods of vampire-killing costs 1d3 or zero SAN, dependingon the success or failure of the SAN roll.

On the other hand, destroying a lesservampire restores 2d4 SAN to those whotook part in its execution, while the de-mise of a greater vampire gains 2d6 SANfor each of his killers. The Keeper mayalso wish to give an additional point ofSAN for each nonplayer character bloodslave freed by a vampire’s death.

Vampires in campaignsWhen using vampires in CALL OF

CTHULHU adventures, note that theserules are by no means carved in stone.The Keeper can and should tinker withthese ideas to create a few unique vam-pires to be encountered in addition tothose described herein. Imagine, for in-stance, a vampire who is unaffected by theusual banes detailed above (sunlight, holyitems, running water, etc.) until the nighton which it must feed, at which time itbecomes a sort of bestial “were-vampire.”Or picture an atheistic vampire immune toreligious trappings such as holy water andholy symbols, but otherwise like the un-dead described in this article. Or perhapsa vampire unaffected by sunlight and withno special powers during the day, but inall other respects like the vampires de-scribed above. Using this article as a guide-line, the possibilities are virtually endless.

One of the most important jobs of theprospective vampire-hunter is cuttingthrough all the myth and legendry sur-rounding these creatures and finding theirtrue banes. Most methods for destroying

Lesser and Greater Vampires’ CALL OF CTHULHU® Game Statistics

CharacteristicSTRCONSIZINTPOWDEXAPPHP (average)

While As Lesser’sliving lesser average

3d6 3d6 + d6 143d6 3d6 + d6 14

2 d 6 + 6 2 d 6 + 6 132 d 6 + 6 2 d 6 + 6 13

3d6 3d6 10-113d6 3d6 10-113d6 3d6 — d3 8-912 - 14

Asgreater

(3d6 + d6) x 2(3d6 + d6) x 2

2 d 6 + 62 d 6 + 63d6 x 2

3d6 x 1.53d6—d3+d6

-

Greater’saverage

282813132116

12-1321

vampires are known to anyone with anOccult skill of 15% or more, while themore obscure means (such as the fact thatgreater vampires are not slain by stakingalone) are known to those with an Occultskill of 30% or more. The methods forfending off vampires (garlic, cross, etc.)are known to anyone with a skill levelbetter than 5%. (These figures may seemrather low to some, but remember that wein the 1990s have had 60 years of vampirefilms to “teach” us about the ecology of thevampire. Folk in the 1920s were limited towritten sources of vampire lore. Keepersrunning campaigns set in the 1990s maywish to lower these minimum skill levelsby 5% or so to reflect the Investigators’“education” via the cinematic vampire.)Most of this information can be found at anearby library with a couple hours re-search and a few successful Library Userolls.

It should be apparent that vampiresneed to change their feeding groundsevery so often to avoid suspicion. Some-times they may be forced to move becausesuspicion has already been aroused. Vam-pires almost always have some sort ofhuman slave or contact to take care ofmajor travel arrangements; this is espe-cially true of movements across bodies ofwater. These slaves are usually victims ofthe vampire’s POW-draining that havebeen promised eventual full vampirehoodfor their aid. These slaves often transportseveral coffins for their vampiric masters,as these monsters tend to have severalspread about their hunting and hauntinggrounds.

A final note: When a vampire gets in afree-for-all with the PCs, if at all possiblejust knock them around until they’re un-conscious. Then have the vampire bite‘em. If it suits your needs, you should tryto make one of your PCs (or at the veryleast an important or powerful NPC) into aslave of a vampire. This may involve fudg-ing the die rolls during the vampire’sblood-draining (it wouldn’t do to kill theInvestigator too quickly; just make himand his companions squirm). The charac-ters will then have an even better reasonto hunt down the nefarious bloodsucker,to free both their friend and the world ofthis menace. Then again, if the vampiredoes happen to kill one of the Investiga-tors, the remainder of the party will haveto deal with the victim in addition to theoriginal horror. Imagine the horrible scenewhen the Investigators set out to staketheir former colleague!

[Other recent articles on vampires thathave appeared in DRAGON® Magazineinclude: “Hearts of Darkness” and “ATouch of Evil,” in issue #126 (on AD&D®game vampires); “The MARVEL®-Phile,” inissue #126 and in this issue (on MARVELSUPER HEROES™ game vampires); and“Fangs Alot!“ in issue #150 (on AD&D 2ndEdition game vampires).]

24 OCTOBER 1990

DRAGON 25

by Tom Moldvay

shadow: something without reality orsubstance; imaginary vision . . . a ghost;apparition.

New World Dictionary ofthe American Language

The shadow is an invented monster, onecreated specially for the AD&D® game andnot directly based on traditional sources ofmythology and legends (though its inspira-tion is there). The word �shadow� is some-times used as a synonym for a ghostlyapparition, so it is an appropriate namefor a monster type. The gaming logic iselemental. In underground dungeons lit bytorchlight, there will always be shadows. Why not have some of the shadows attackthe characters every once in a while? Amonster could thus be hidden in a room,in plain sight, to give characters an occa-sional nasty surprise.

In the history of the game, shadowswere not always a sort-of undead. Themonster was introduced in Greyhawk,Supplement I of the original, pamphlet-sized D&D® rules (now usually referred toas the �classic� edition of the game), byGary Gygax and Rob Kuntz. In Greyhawk,shadows were described as �non-corporealintelligent creatures . . . [that] hunger afterthe life energy of living things.� Theywere, however, �not �Undead� per se�(pages 34-35).

When Gary Gygax wrote the first Mon-ster Manual, he decided it was more logi-cal to make shadows a type of undead.Shadows became �horrible undead crea-tures . . . [who] . . . exist primarily on thenegative material plane� (page 86). Thechange helped the cleric class by giving itanother kind of undead that it could turn.The function of intelligent, malign, non-undead shadows was taken over by theshade in the Monster Manual II.

In the Monstrous Compendium, shadows

. . . and into your campaign come three shady creatures

are still the undead of the original MonsterManual. They are merely described inmore detail, in keeping with the AD&D2nd Edition game format. For example, theusual details of shadow habitat, society,and ecology are included. According to theMonstrous Compendium, shadows �appearto have been magically created, perhaps aspart of some ancient curse.� The listingalso gives a theoretical means for restoringPCs changed into shadows.

The dichotomy of shadows continues.The D&D® game is strictly based on theoriginal (�classic�) rules. When I edited thesecond edition of the Basic D&D rules, andFrank Mentzer edited the third edition ofthe same rules, we both kept shadows asnon-undead monsters. Thus, in the AD&Dgame, shadows are undead; in the D&Dgame, they are not. The final decisionwhether or not to class the monster withthe undead depends on the DM�s needs.For some campaigns, having more sorts ofundead is useful; for other campaigns, it isa hindrance.

The inspiration for shadows as undeadmonsters comes from Greek mythology. AsEdith Hamilton, in Mythology (pages 42-43), notes: �In Homer the underworld isvague, a shadowy place inhabited byshadows. Nothing is real there. The ghosts�existence, if it can be called that, is like amiserable dream.� This Homeric concep-tion better fits the horrid existence of theundead than it does a true afterlife, as wethink of it.

The realm of Hades in Homer�s Iliad andOdyssey is not a pleasant place. The dead,mere shadows of their former selves,wander aimlessly through gloomy caverns,across cold wastes, and over meadowsfilled with pallid, ghostly flowers. Thedead are forever alone, doomed to a phan-tom existence and trapped with theirfaded memories. Precise details of thisnetherworld are scarce, forwriters cared to dwell on it.

few ancient

One thing we do know is that all ghostshad an irresistible craving to drink blood.In the Odyssey, Homer described howOdysseus consulted the dead prophetTeiresias, once a holy man of Thebes.Following Circe�s instructions, Odysseussailed across the river Ocean, which encir-cled the world. On the far side he beachedhis ship on Persephone�s shore, wherestood the entrance to the dark realm ofHades.

Journeying deep into Tartarus, Odysseusand his crew took living sheep as sacrificesto entice the ghost of Teiresias to appear.Odysseus first dug a grave-size pit. Hethen killed the sheep and filled the pitwith their blood. The ghosts of the nether-world rushed to the pit, thirsty for adrink. Odysseus and his men drew theirswords and held off the massed ghostsuntil Teiresias finally arrived.

The dead prophet drank his fill and, ashe did so, became more substantial andlooked more like a living man. His fullmemories returned, and he was able toanswer all of Odysseus�s questions. Teire-sias prophesied Odysseus�s further wan-derings, gave him sage advice (that wasoften ignored), and held out a ray of hopethat, eventually, Odysseus would returnhome and be reunited with his belovedPenelope.

Later classical writers modified thisprimitive gloomy afterlife. They definedthe world of the dead more clearly as theplace where the evil are punished and thegood receive their just rewards.

The allusion in classical mythology toghosts as �shadows� is reflected in mostdictionary definitions of �shade.� The usualdefinitions of �the shades� in this sense is:�the world of the dead; nether world;Hades� or �the disembodied spirits of thedead, collectively� (New World Dictionaryof the American Language). The Homericvision of the dead also inspired the follow-ing undead monster for the AD&D game:

DRAGON 27

the skotos (skotos is Greek for darkness orshadow). The monster format used throughoutthis article, while essentially the same asthat of the AD&D 2nd Edition rules, doesdiffer slightly. These changes are used:

1. �TREASURE� lists both a percentage(the old �% IN LAIR� value) and a treasure-type letter. For example, �30% B� meansthere is a 30% chance the monster (ifrandomly selected) will be in its lair, and ithas treasure-type B.

2. The subcategory of �Ecology� hasbeen left out since such a category is es-sentially meaningless when applied to theundead, who contribute nothing to livingecologies.

Skotos

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any usuallys u b t e r r a n e a n

FREQUENCY: Very rareORGANIZATION: Roving bands

ACTIVITY CYCLE: Night ordarknessDIET: Living beingsINTELLIGENCE:

Average (8-10)TREASURE: 5% E

ALIGNMENT: Any evilNO. APPEARING:

3-30 in wilderness;1-10 in dungeons

ARMOR CLASS: 4MOVEMENT: 12HIT DICE: 5THAC0: 15

NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10

SPECIAL ATTACKS: NoneSPECIAL DEFENSES: Hit points

increaseMAGIC RESISTANCE: Special

SIZE: M (5-6� tall)MORALE: Fearless (20)

XP VALUE: 420

Skotos are spirits that have broken freeof the netherworld and now roam theworld of the living as undead. They formhunting packs to better swarm over their

prey. Skotos look like pale, shadowy ver-sions of normal beings. They can be of anyintelligent race and any evil alignment, foronly evil creatures would voluntarily leavethe afterlife to prey upon the living.

Combat: A skotos is drawn by freshblood, which it consumes. As it absorbsthe blood, it grows stronger (it absorbsblood even from the wounds it inflicts incombat against living creatures). Theskotos gains a number of hit points equalto the damage it inflicts in combat; thus, askotos that hits for 8 hp damage gains 8hp, up to its maximum hit-point total (40).Note that the hit points are not perma-nently lost by the victim, who still healsnormally.

In a normal encounter, skotos as a grouphave a 75% chance to hide in shadowssuccessfully and thus surprise their prey.Skotos encountered during or immediatelyafter a bloody conflict will be so frenziedby the sight of blood that they will makeno attempt at concealment, immediatelyattacking any living creature in sight.Intelligent prey is, however, preferred.

As with many types of undead, skotosare not affected by sleep, charm, hold, orcold-based spells, nor by poison or paraly-zation. Holy water causes 2-8 hp damageto them per vial, and a raise dead or resur-rection spell will destroy a skotos. Anyskotos reduced to zero hit points or less isforced back into the netherworld. A cler-ic�s chance to turn a skotos is the same asfor a ghast. Normal weapons will harm askotos.

Habitat/Society: Skotos usually roamin bands composed of similar races andalignments, though different beings mayband together in their common goal offeeding upon the living. Though they haveescaped the netherworld, skotos generallyinhabit places that remind them of it.Subterranean caverns and tunnels arepreferred, although skotos bands willsometimes roam wilderness wastelands atnight. While skotos are not harmed bysunlight, they dislike it intensely and willflee sunlight if at all possible.

Greek mythology is not the only tradi-tional source for a horde of ghosts cursed

to eternal wandering. Gaelic (ScottishHighlands) mythology has tales of thesluagh (pronounced �slooa�), who areknown as �the host of the unforgivendead� or, more simply �the host.� Descrip-tions of the sluagh vary, but most corres-pond closely to that given by AlexanderCarmichael in the Carmina Gadelica (vol-ume II, page 357). He noted that the�hosts� are the spirits of dead mortals. Oneinformant told Carmichal that these spiritsfly about in great clouds like starlings andreturn to the scenes of their earthly trans-gressions. On bad nights, say others, thehosts shelter themselves under russetdocken stems and yellow ragwort stalks(two types of plants found in the High-lands). They fight aerial battles as men doon the earth, and may be heard and seenon clear frosty nights, advancing andretreating. After a battle, their crimsonblood may be seen upon the rocks andstones. These spirits use poisonous dartsto kill cats, dogs, sheep, and cattle. Theycan command men to follow them, andmen obey, having no alternative. Suchhuman victims slay and maim at the bid-ding of their spirit-masters, who in returntreat them badly and without pity.

The picture of the sluagh that emerges iscertainly full of horror. On a chill frostynight, one might see the host advance inthe bright moonlight. Like fast-moving,low-lying storm clouds, boiling with irides-cent blues and greens and reds as if theaurora borealis was trapped within, thehost would wash across the night sky.Sometimes the rolling clouds would clashtogether and, when they did, bloody crim-son rain would fall to stain the earth.

As the sluagh got closer, it could be seenthat the �clouds� were actually masses ofmalignant bird-sized spirits. Each creaturewould look much like the negative photo-graphic image of a sprite, with a darkshadowy body and iridescent wings. Eachwould be armed with a tiny bow with anequally tiny broad sword strapped to itswaist. Trapped deep within the cloudlikehost would be numerous zombies, magi-cally born aloft and forced to obey everywhim of the sluagh host.

Sluagh

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Cold or temperate/mountainous

FREQUENCY: Very rareORGANIZATION: Large roving bandsACTIVITY CYCLE: NocturnalDIET: Living beingsINTELLIGENCE: AverageTREASURE: NilALIGNMENT: Neutral evilNO. APPEARING: 10-100 in

wildernessARMOR CLASS: 5MOVEMENT: 3, F1 24 (B)HIT DICE: 2THAC0: 19NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4

28 OCTOBER 1990

DRAGON 29

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Spell-casting, poisonedmissiles

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Control ofzombies

MAGIC RESISTANCE: SpecialSIZE: S (2� tall)MORALE: Fearless (20)XP VALUE: 975

The sluagh (also known as �the host�)are undead spirits who roam the night inpacks, warring with each other and prey-ing on the living. A member of the sluaghlooks much like a black sprite, with a darkshadowy body and gauzy iridescent wings.Seen at a distance at twilight, a group ofsluagh looks like a roiling thundercloud.

Combat: The sluagh fire tiny bows withpoisonous arrows, having a maximumrange of 75 yards. A victim hit by an ar-row must save vs. poison or die in 2-5rounds (unless the poison is slowed orneutralized). The save need be made butonce only; any character who survivessuch a poison attack is thereafter immuneto sluagh poison. The sluagh can also fightwith tiny swords that do damage equal todaggers.

The sluagh can cast the spells animatedead and fly, one spell per round, as oftenas they wish. Any character slain by thesluagh is turned into a zombie and is thentaken along when the sluagh fly away. Thesluagh are usually accompanied by 3-24zombies already under their control.

The sluagh need not make normal mo-rale checks. At the DM�s discretion, anytime the sluagh turn a victim into a zombiethey may choose to fly away. The sluaghexist in a state of barely controlled rage.When not tormenting the living, they arelikely to fight among themselves. Tales aretold of great aerial battles fought betweendivisions of the sluagh host. Characterscan often turn this animosity to theiradvantage, as large numbers of the sluaghare easily tricked into fighting each otherand leaving the characters alone.

The sluagh are not affected by sleep,charm, hold; or cold-based spells, nor bypoison or paralyzation. They take 2-8 hpeach per vial of holy water and are de-stroyed by raise dead or resurrectionspells.

A cleric has the same chance to turn thesluagh as he has to turn ghouls. In thesame round, allow the cleric a chance toturn the zombie accompanying the sluagh.

Habitat/Society: Sluagh always travelin large war bands, being the undeadforms of warlike elves who turned ontheir fellow elves and were slain in battle.They appear only in the wilderness, neverin dungeon settings. The sluagh neverappear during the day and always fleesunlight. Their preferred habitat is anyterrain similar to the Scottish Highlands.

The sluagh are sometimes led by othertypes of undead. For every 20 sluagh thereis one wraith lieutenant. For every 40sluagh there is an additional vampirecaptain. If 80 or more sluagh are encoun-

30 OCTOBER 1990

tered, their commander will be a lich.Note that special undead leaders make anencounter with the sluagh more deadlyand should be used only if the charactersare of an appropriately high level (with atleast some chance of a cleric of their levelturning the leader).

In many cultures, a person�s shadow islinked to that person with strong magicalbonds. In The Golden Bough, a classiccollection of folklore written in 1922, SirJames Frazer discussed shadows on pages220-222. He wrote that �the savage re-gards his shadow as his soul, or at least avital part of himself. As such it can be-come a source of danger to him.� If a prim-itive man�s shadow was trampled, struck,or stabbed, he felt the injury as if it weredone to himself; if the shadow was pulledaway from him entirely, the man believedhe would die. Magicians on the island ofWetar, said Frazer, could make a man ill bystabbing his shadow.

In the Banks Islands in the CanadianArctic are remarkably long stones called�eating ghosts.� because dangerous ghostswere believed to live in them. If a man�sshadow touched one of these stones, theghost drew his soul out so that the mandied. Such stones were therefore set inhouses to guard them. A messenger sentto a house by an absent owner had to callout the name of the sender to keep thewatchful ghost from attacking.

When the lid was about to be placed onthe coffin at a funeral in China, the by-standers stepped back or even moved toanother room, to avoid endangering theirhealth by allowing their shadows to beenclosed in the coffin. When the coffinwas about to be lowered into the grave,bystanders stepped away so their shadowsdid not fall into the pit. Grave-diggers andcoffin-bearers avoided these dangers bytying strips of cloth tightly around theirwaists to keep their shadows attached.

Animals, too, were believed to beharmed or to bring harm by means oftheir shadows. A snail from the hills ofMalaya was believed to suck the blood ofcattle through their shadows; the cattlegrew lean and sometimes died from bloodloss. It was once believed in Arabia that ifa hyena trod on a man�s shadow, it de-prived him of both speech and movement.

If a shadow is seen as so closely tied tothe life of a man that its loss means injuryor death, the shrinking of the shadow islogically regarded with fear. In Amboynaand Uliase, two islands pear the equator(where little or no shadow is cast at noon),local people did not to go out of theirhouses at midday to avoid risking the lossof their souls� shadows.

The Mangaians told of a mighty warriorwhose strength waxed and waned withthe length of his shadow. In the morning,when his shadow was longest, his strengthwas greatest; as his shadow shortenedtoward noon, his strength ebbed, till itreached its lowest point at noon. As his

shadow lengthened in the afternoon, hisstrength came back. An enemy discoveredthe secret of this man�s strength and killedhim at noon.

Sir James Frazer also discussed customspracticed in his day (1922) in southeasternEurope. When the foundation of a newbuilding was being laid in Greece, a cock,ram, or lamb was slain; its blood flowedon the foundation stone, under which theanimal was then buried. The sacrifice wasthought to give strength and stability tothe building. Sometimes, instead of killingan animal, the builder led a man to thefoundation stone, secretly measured hisshadow, and buried the measure underthe stone. The builder sometimes laid thefoundation stone upon the man�s shadowinstead, which it was thought would causethe man to die within a year. Romanians inTransylvania thought that a man whoseshadow was so entombed would diewithin 40 days; persons passing by a build-ing under construction often hear a warn-ing cry: �Beware lest they take thyshadow!� There were even shadow trad-ers whose business was to give architectsthe shadows necessary for securing walls.The measure of a shadow was seen asequivalent to the shadow itself; to bury ashadow�s measure was to bury the soul ofthe man whose shadow was measured(thus dooming him). The custom was asubstitute for an older practice of sealing aliving person in the walls, or crushing himunder the foundation stone of a newbuilding; this caused his ghost to haunt theplace and guard it against enemies.

This collection of shadow-lore from TheGolden Bough inspired the following mon-ster: the ghost stone.

Ghost-Stone

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any, oftensubterranean

FREQUENCY: Very rareORGANIZATION: NoneACTIVITY CYCLE: Shadow activatedDIET: Living beingsINTELLIGENCE: AverageTREASURE: 50% EALIGNMENT: (Any) evilNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 3MOVEMENT: NoneHIT DICE: 20 (stone only)THAC0: Not applicableNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-20SPECIAL ATTACKS: Blood drainSPECIAL DEFENSES: NoneMAGIC RESISTANCE: See belowSIZE: L (10� tall)MORALE: FearlessXP VALUE: 4,000

Ghost-stones are just that: stones inhab-ited by ghosts. A powerful, evil individualmay choose to send his malicious spiritinto a specially prepared stone upon his

death. The person prefers an undeadexistence to risking the punishments ofthe netherworld. The ghost-stone is oftenplaced so that it guards the treasure theevil person hoarded in life; the treasuremay actually be concealed within thestone itself.

Combat: If the shadow of a characterfalls upon a ghost-stone, that person istrapped. The individual can still fight andcast spells, but is unable to move morethan 10� away from the stone. The ghost-stone uses the shadowy connection todrain the victim�s blood, doing 1-20 hpdamage per round automatically.

There are two ways to destroy a ghost-stone. If the stone holding the evil ghost iscompletely hacked apart, the spirit isforced to depart and undertake its longdelayed journey to the netherworld. Anexorcism spell has the same effect.

The ghost in the stone can be pacified ifits name is known. A simple command of:�[Ghost�s true name] be still, and at peace�calms the angry spirit even if its treasureis taken. In a campaign, the DM has theoption of revealing the ghost�s name to thePCs, perhaps making the answer a puzzleor riddle.

Since ghost-stones look like any otherstones, they normally attack with surprise.The first indication of trouble is when acharacter�s shadow gets automaticallytrapped. If the characters have some rea-

son to be suspicious of that particularstone, the DM should allow a saving throwvs. wands to the PC.

Any character who strikes the ghost-stone physically, without first choosing anattack angle that guarantees that hisshadow will not fall upon the stone, couldend up trapped also. Each person in addi-tion to the first gains a saving throw vs.wands to avoid entrapment. Only oneperson at a time will be drained of blood,however. Other trapped individuals aresimply unable to move away. If the ghost-stone survives attacks against it, it eventu-ally drains all of its victims of blood.

A cleric has the same chance to turnaway the spirit in a ghost-stone as he hasto turn a ghost. If turning is successful,the ghost-stone releases all victims cur-rently being held. It will not attack unlessit is itself attacked, or if a character triesto steal the treasure the ghost-stone isguarding.

(Note that the �Habitat/Society� categoryis meaningless for the ghost-stone.)

BibliographyCarmichael, Alexander. Carmina Gadelica,

4 vols. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1928-1941.

Frazer, Sir James G. The Golden Bough,one volume, abridged edition. NewYork: The Macmillian Company, 1922,reset and reprinted 1951.

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. Boston: Little,Brown and Company, 1942.Homer. The Odyssey of Homer, trans-lated by S. H. Butcher and AndrewLang. New York: Airmont PublishingCompany, Inc., 1965.

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 Ltd., 120Church End, Cherry Hinton, CambridgeCB1 3LD, United Kingdom. We are nolonger able to make personal replies;please send no SASEs with your questions(old SASEs are being returned with writ-ers� guidelines for the magazine).

Once again, the sage looks back to re-consider some old advice. Page numbersrefer to rulebooks for the AD&D® 2ndEdition game.

I could not believe my eyes when Iread your answer to the questionabout the cost of chain mail in issue#158. I, too, thought the prices hadbeen misprinted. Your response thatscale mail costs more to make thanchain mail is idiotic and grosslyunhistorical. Chain mail is made ofwire (itself difficult and expensiveto make) that is formed into linksthat are interlocked, then solderedor welded together. In the fourthand fifth centuries A.D., a Romanarmorer, using techniques that re-mained essentially unchangedthroughout the Middle Ages, couldmake four or five suits of chain maila year. By contrast, scale mail usesmetal plates�not wire�that aresimply sewn onto a leather shirt.

To reiterate, the base cost of chain mailin the AD&D 2nd Edition game is 75 gp,and the base cost of scale mail is 120 gp.Itemized breakdowns of the costs of man-ufacture for each type of armor are givenon page 6 of the Complete Fighter�s Hand-book. Your estimate of the constructiontime for chain mail agrees with the tablein the Complete Fighter�s Handbook,where an unsupervised apprentice work-ing in a properly equipped shop can makea suit of chain mail in 10 weeks (5.2 suits ayear). However, two apprentices workingunder the same conditions take eightweeks to make a suit of scale mail (16man-weeks in all). Scale mail requiresmore raw materials (60 gp worth) thandoes chain mail (38 gp worth); chain mail�srings require less labor and metal thanscale mail�s plates.

Note, however, that chain mail and scalemail come from two different historicalperiods. (See the Dungeon Master�s Guide,

32 OCTOBER 1990

by Skip Williams

page 35, for a discussion of time periods inthe AD&D game and their associatedtechnology.) Scale mail, an ancient armortype, had all but disappeared by the timechain mail came into common use duringthe Middle Ages. Obviously, if you have acampaign set right on the borderline be-tween the end of the Ancient period(when the DMG says chain mail doesn�texist at all) and the beginnings of the DarkAges, about 1100 A.D. or so, chain mail isgoing to be very expensive. There areseveral reasons for this. First, chain mailwould represent the newest and bestconcept in body armor�keeping up withthe latest developments is always costly.Second, the manufacturing techniques andadvanced metallurgy that made chain maileconomical to manufacture during theMiddle Ages would not yet have beeninvented. Third, from a campaign stand-point, chain mail should be more expen-sive that scale mail; you can kiss your playbalance goodbye if the best armor availa-ble isn�t also the most costly. You are freeto set your own cost for chain mail in sucha setting, but I recommend at least double(150 gp) and triple (225 gp) normal priceswould not be unreasonable. Furthermore,chain mail in this setting probably wouldbe made of iron, not steel, as the equip-ment list in the Player�s Handbook as-sumes. Such chain mail would weigh 50lbs. instead of the listed 40 lbs., or 25%more (see DMG, page 38).

Speaking of the �unhistorical�: One doesnot have to have wire to make chain mail.The Romans used rings cut, punched, ordrilled from sheets of metal. The Romansand ancient Chinese probably also hadaccess to cast rings. Wire was pretty rarein medieval Europe, and most wire wasgold, silver, or copper for use in jewelryand adornments. Medieval armorers al-most certainly made their chain mail fromrods that they forged themselves fromingots or bars; this is not as difficult as itsounds, especially when the armorerknew what he was doing and had hiswhole life to practice the skill. (Note thatmaking a rod from a chunk of raw metaltakes a lot less hammering than whatwould be required to make a flat plate outof the same piece of metal.) Furthermore,the chain mail currently preserved inmuseums and private collections is notsoldered or welded, but riveted; in mostcases, however, the rivets were hammeredso carefully that the links appear to bewelded. Finally, not all chain mail had itslinks fastened. Ancient armorers often

simply linked the rings, as did their suc-cessors when they were in a hurry orwanted to cut costs. This generally madeinferior armor, but Oriental armorersoften made very good unriveted chainmail (as good as riveted mail) by using asuperior alloy and by making each ringfrom two or three coils of rod.

For readers who are interested in learn-ing more about the manufacture of chainmail and other types of armor, I recom-mend A Glossary of the Construction,Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor,by George Cameron Stone. The book isuncommon but is available at better usedbook stores and at large libraries.

I really enjoyed your �April Fools�column back in issue # 156. Did any-body help you think up thequestions?

The questions in #156 were real; readersreally sent them in. I am not cleverenough to think up questions like that. Isuppose I could get together with a fewcolleagues and think up a few questionsthat would be pretty wild, but that wouldbe a waste considering what the mailbagholds every month.

To answer your question in issue#156 (page 55, third column): Yes,those questions do arise duringplay. Now that you know this, per-haps you�d reconsider your answerto the �watery ranger� question.Where I�m from, characters getwished into glasses of water all thetime (the idea originated in a fan-zine), and your suggestion that suchcharacters can be killed simply bydrinking them is tough on PCs.

First, if wishes are so common in yourcampaigns that they are used for anything�all the time,� you�ve got too many wishesfloating around; cut back. Note that a wishis the only magic in the core AD&D rulesthat can turn a character into a glass ofwater. Polymorph any object can turnorganic matter into inorganic matter, butinto only one kind of matter at a time; asuccessful spell could turn a character intoa glass, or into water, but not both.

Second, wishes are not intended to beused as direct attacks on creatures. Suchwishes fall into the grossly unfair category(see PHB, page 197), and the DM shouldactively subvert the intent of such spellswhenever they are used, even when theyare used by NPCs. Thus, if an evil wizardwishes a PC �into a glass of water.� a huge

glass containing the PC and many gallonsof water should appear; rest assured thatat least one novel twist exists for eachpossible wording of this wish.

Third, this wish should allow a savingthrow, since it is being used as a high-powered polymorph any object spell.

Fourth, any polymorphed characterretains his hit points. Drinking the charac-ter will cause harm just as surely as eatingthe character would, but if the characterhas 100 hp, drinking the character is goingto be a long and difficult process. Water ina glass has no armor class (it just sitsthere), but the most damage a human cando by drinking is 1-2 hp per round. Notethat big, nasty teeth have no real effect onwater, but a large tongue does, so adragon or cow might be able to �drink�1-12 hp each round. Also, as TSR editorJon Pickens points out, if a character isturned into a glass of water, a few of hishit points will be held in the glass (say 10-20% of the total), and the glass must besmashed before the character can bekilled; this, too, is easier said than done ifthe victim has a lot of hit points.

Finally, although evaporation or spillagecan �kill� the character, death won�t beinstantaneous. An evaporated character iseffectively in gaseous form until his mole-cules are thoroughly dispersed in theatmosphere; a kind DM might rule that thegaseous state lasts indefinitely. Similarly, awatery character poured into the dirt andallowed to soak in can be consideredmelded into stone and not truly dead.

Back in issue #121, you said thatnon-yakuza ninja do not have theability to pick pockets. However, thesame issue of DRAGON® Magazinecontained a new Oriental characterclass, the geisya. This class is sup-posed to have a pick pockets abilitythat is the same as a ninja of thesame level. Furthermore, OrientalAdventures itself says that a yakuzahas a chance to pick pockets equalto that of a ninja of the same level.What gives?

This column was right; ninja do not have apick pockets ability unless they are ninja-yakuza. Until an official correction comesalong, assume a 1st-level yakuza has a 30%chance to pick pockets. This ability increasesby 5% per level to a maximum of 99% atlevel 15. Allow the geisya to pick pockets asa yakuza (not a ninja) of equal level.

A couple of issues ago, you saidthat the new dragons can breatheonly three times a day. What�swrong with allowing them tobreathe once every three roundswith no limit on the number oftimes per day?

Nothing�s wrong with that. In fact, that�sthe way dragon breath is supposed towork with the new dragons (my error).

�Forum� welcomes your comments and opinionson role-playing games. In the United States andCanada, write to: Forum, DRAGON® Magazine,P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. InEurope, write to: Forum, DRAGON Magazine,TSR Ltd, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton,Cambridge CB1 3LB, 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.

For some time, we have been collecting lettersfrom gamers concerning the a attacks being madeupon role-playing in general (and the D&D® andAD&D® games in particular) that charge suchgames with being harmful to gamers. Thesefetters address the specific prejudices thatgamers encounter and suggest ways to over-come that prejudice. We welcome furtherletters from our readers on this topic. Pleasenote that the opinions expressed in this column(as in all previous �Forum� columns) do notnecessarily reflect the views of TSR, Inc.).

I am one of a seemingly small minority, theChristian gamer. As such, I have to applaud andcomment on your �Letters� column and editorialin issue #125. It was an even-handed treatmentof parental concerns, while at the same time avalid scratching of the head at the kind of

people who would condemn the entire game I�m a Christian and an adult. The AD&D game,because there have been a few goofy players. as a game for adults, is terrific. Adults alreadyBut still, let me say a few things about the light have decided what is good and bad, and howand dark sides of AD&D games: they will live their lives. But when TSR watered

I learned to play the AD&D game in college, down the AD&D game to the paperback bookeight years ago. At once the game struck me as level and started selling it to preteens is where Ibeing an amazing adventure, a storybook of think the trouble began. Kids do role-model; it�svaliant deeds that could last a thousand life- proven. And in �Monty Haul� dungeons wheretimes, a chance to do in a passing evening epic the DM is an adolescent who hates the world,quests that spanned the planes. I was fortunate evil wins. That is why parents, right or wrong,in that my fellow players were all neutral good. fear D&D games. It�s because when it is runLater, when I began to DM and teach the game badly, it can feed hate rather than drain it away.to others, I made sure that evil characters met It�s rather like being a Jedi Knight; as a DM, Ian untimely death, and that whatever the ad- feel that if I introduce the AD&D game toventure, great deeds would be done. I had anyone under the age of 18, I should show thequickly found that evil characters bug down the glory of the game, the valiant hero we all shouldgame with petty greed at the party�s expense. be, not the cowardly assassin who slinks in theWe hung together. In my world, Good always night. (The assassin is an NPC and lives a verywins. short time in my world.)

We ask why people fear fantasy role-playing The other bad side of the AD&D game stemsgames. It�s partly because the average guy in the from the few actual magic flaws engineered instreet�s had his imagination stomped out of him by its designers. I�m not the narrow-mindedat an early age, and so thinks a �game without a fellow who thinks that a cleric character prayboard� is really weird. Unfortunately, it is more ing to his deity is the same as a player �worship-than that. It�s the few actual oddballs that have ing idols,� as some nongaming people wouldgone off gaming�s deep end and met with trou- believe (although all PC clerics in my world areble (including a few suicides). As gamers, we neutral-good Jehovahans). But there is elementalknow role-playing is like any tool: It does what evil in the real world. It�s a joke to most gamers.you do with it, and a few people have indeed But it�s a short step from a pentagram inscribedgiven the whole field a bad name. But I�d like to in the Dungeon Masters Guide to messingsay this about responsible DMing: around with tarot cards, Ouija boards, and

36 OCTOBER 1990

Darkness. �My magic-user casts a sleep spell,�works just fine. When you get into specifics likesymbology and actual arcane markings, you areplaying with fire, as the barriers between our-selves and Satan are there for a reason.

The AD&D game is just a game. It�s fun, likeall FRPGs. But when it glorifies darkness, greed,or hate, or when it is used as a tool to escapeour troubles rather than just to let off steam, itruns the risk of harming people. I wouldn�t givea loaded gun or a bottle of scotch to a child andtell him to �go have fun.� Likewise, if I pass theAD&D game on to another person, it should beas a glorious adventure, a chance to be a hero.In the Bible, good triumphs over evil; in a goodgame, the same thing happens. If you want toplay in a campaign with backstabbing andsecrecy are viewed as useful skills, play WestEnd Games� PARANOIA game, where everyoneknows that the mayhem is a joke, not somethingon which to build young lives.

Andrew BartmessCincinnati OH

This letter is in response to your editorialfeatured in the June 1988 issue of DRAGONMagazine. The underlying theme of your edito-rial (in my opinion) was that of personal choice.There is another issue that I believe you need tostress when you deal with the issue of role-playing versus no role-playing. The issue is onlegal rights.

Everyone has the right to his own opinion.Almost all role-players who hear people talknegatively about role-playing get heated up andtry to convince these people that role-playing isnot evil and that it can be beneficial. Role-players are doing the same thing that the oppo-

sition is doing. They begin to preach about thegood aspects of role-playing just as the opposi-tion [preaches about the bad aspects]. Yet bothsides seem to forget that it is our legal righteither to play the game (it has not been out-lawed) or to preach against it. This right isguaranteed by the Constitution in the Bill ofRights. The opposition has every right to try toget the different role-playing games banned, justas role-players and advocates of this hobby havethe right to try and make sure the oppositiondoes not get what it wants. Most people, espe-cially those of the opposition, believe that theirside is correct and that no one is going tochange their minds, and it bothers me that a lotof role-players get this same attitude.

This letter is a reminder to the role-players ofthe world that those people have a right to tryand keep us from playing, just like we have aright to stop them, but it is also to remind thoseof the role-playing establishment not to get pigheaded and see only one way, that makes us asbad as them.

I would like to mention the fact that thepeople that are trying to stop role-playing havea philosophy similar to that of those that havetried (and are still trying) to stop rock and roll.

Robert B. LuhrmanGriffin GA

The greatest threat facing the DUNGEONS &DRAGONS® game today comes from certainorganizations that claim that D&D games have aharmful effect on their pIayers. These organiza-tions (typically parents� associations, schoolboards, and religious groups) make numerousallegations against the D&D game, ranging fromaccusing it of glorifying violence to blaming it

for the suicides of several teenage players.These organizations feel that the only solution isto ban or outlaw the game.

TSR has responded to these allegations througha number of means. The means most familiar toreaders of DRAGON Magazine is a series of editori-als, the first one appearing some months ago. Butthis is not sufficient. It is time that someone take along and organized look at the charges against theDUNGEONS & DRAGONS game in order to refutethem and prove the innocence of this game.

By far the most serious accusation against theDUNGEONS & DRAGONS game is the chargethat the D&D game has caused the suicides ofseveral teenage players across the United States.To disprove this claim requires a brief examina-tion of the phenomenon of teenage suicide.

Statistically, suicide is the number-two killer ofthose 15 to 24, second only to vehicular acci-dents. It is thought that half of all teenagershave contemplated, planned, or attemptedsuicide.

Suicide is the result of extreme amounts ofstress. This stress can be caused by a number ofsources: pressure to perform in school, peerpressure to conform or to use alcohol anddrugs, pressure in the home due to parentaldivorce or unemployment, etc. Stress manifestsitself in feelings of confusion, frustration, andhelplessness. People undergoing such stress seethemselves as sliding into a hopeless pit ofdepression. A lucky few reach out to friends orfamily for help, but most cannot stop the inexo-rable slide and turn to escapes like alcohol anddrugs. These escapes, while providing no realsolution, at least allow them to temporarilyforget their problems.

Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol are very

DRAGON 37

popular�but better escapes exist. Consider forexample a role-playing game like theDUNGEONS & DRAGONS game. It allows aplayer to take on a new persona, to control acharacter with mighty abilities and without theplayer�s own worries and limitations. It allows aplayer to adventure in a fantastical world wheregold, magic, dragons, and fair maidens arecommonplace. In short, role-playing gamesprovide a temporary escape from the realitiesand frustrations of everyday life.

Unfortunately, retreating to such an escapeonly postpones a player�s problems and doesnothing to alleviate them. Victims of stress whotry to escape their problems rather than solvethem soon discover that such escapes are artifi-cial and temporary. This realization sends themspiraling further down into their pits of depres-sion until they finally seek the One PermanentEscape that will irrevocably solve all theirproblems.

Thus, the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game isbeing made into a convenient scapegoat. It isparticularly ridiculous to claim that a game couldcause the suicides of its players. Suicide is theresult of stress, and, if anything, the D&D gamehelps reduce stress by providing a temporaryescape from the frustrations of everyday life.

Another popular allegation is that the D&Dgame glorifies violence. Critics claim that D&Dgames, like many television shows, teach thatviolence is an acceptable way to solve problems.The critics contend that a typical adventureconsists simply of the characters slaughteringeverything they meet. The players never see theconsequences of their actions, and if a characteris killed, his player just rolls up a new one anddives back into the fight.

It must be admitted that some campaigns arelike this. But this is the fault of the DM and theplayers, not the game. Good DMs and playersnever make these kinds of mistakes. Firstly,most DMs realize the importance of interactivecharacter generation. The more detail theplayer gets to input, the more he sees the char-acter as his own and so the more he cherishesthat character. Few players are willing to riskfavorite characters in combat if they can thinktheir way out of a problem. Secondly, good DMstry to create adventures that emphasize think-ing and problem-solving rather than allowingcharacters to simply fight their ways past every

game, saying that it is sacrilegious and it pro-motes devil-worshiping. Of course, this is silly.Their arguments are based on the fact thatamong the thousands of pages of gaming mate-rial can be found such things as maps of theplanes of Hell and lists of the powers of demonsand devils. But just because players use suchmaterial during an adventure doesn�t mean theybelieve it is true. The D&D game is a fantasygame, and most players have no trouble differ-entiating between it and reality.

Clearly, it can be concluded that, when prop-erly run, the D&D game is an innocent gamethat has no harmful influence on its players.Any apparent ill effects are the result of someother factor such as stress. In fact, the D&Dgame can have a beneficial effect on its playersbecause it provides not only a temporary escapefrom the stress and frustration of life, but alsoan outlet for pent-up anger and tension.

As a final note, it must be realized that mostof the people who criticize the D&D game havenever actually played the game. It is a sad factin this age of education and enlightenment thatignorant beliefs and hearsay can cause so muchdamage. Rather than naively banning D&Dgames, why don�t the critics try playing it first?Most gaming clubs would be happy to put ondemonstrations, and some of these critics justmight realize what they�ve been missing.

Gord ColemanNepean, Ontario

I am writing in regard to Alex Martin�s letterin issue #152 and Wesley Crowell�s letter inissue #155. I understand and agree fully withboth of these letters. Parents seem to think thatthe D&D game is a horrible game. I have talkedwith my parents several times on this matter.They think that the D&D game has no morals.Well, it does: It teaches that Good forever rulesover Evil. I�m an experienced DM, and I knowabout this kind of stuff.

I have read the book Mazes and Monsters, andI say that the author had no idea what she wastalking about. I also read a nonfiction bookentitled Dungeon Master. The same thing hap-pened to the kid in this story as Mazes andMonsters, there was one difference: The kid inDungeon Master was on drugs before he everheard of the D&D game.

I can understand Michael Natale�s position in

38 OCTOBER 1990

obstacle.

However, another group (including a numberof psychologists) has recently come out in favor

Currently a popular topic in �Forum� iswhether playing evil characters is justifiable.

of evil campaigns. Their reasoning relates backto the problem of stress and the pent-up feel-

Many players feel it is not. They argue thatplaying evil characters is wrong because such

ings of frustration and anger that stress creates.It is important that such pent-up emotions find

characters habitually perform such acts as

some outlet, and one of the easiest ways to

assassination and torture.

alleviate them is through physical violence. Theanger is transferred to the target, and theperson feels relieved. Unfortunately, hittingthings tends to be very destructive, so psycholo-gists are seeking more constructive ways ofrelieving stress and tension. Fantasy games area perfect constructive outlet. With every imagi-nary blow, players drain very real anger andtension into imaginary foes. This is particularlytrue of evil campaigns in which characters cancarry out violent acts on hapless orcs, which ismuch better than having the players carry outthose acts on teachers, bosses, parents, etc.

his letter in issue #152. A friend of mine

us D&D game players.

thought she knew everything about the D&D

This is what I did to make my parents see

game and said it was devil worship. This same

what the D&D game really is. I am running a

person and her mother also believed a story in

DRAGONLANCE® saga campaign right now, so Iread stories from DRAGONLANCE Tales (Heart

The National Enquirer that said a six-year-old

of Goldmoon, Silver and Steel, From the Yearn-

gave birth to a two-headed baby! That just

ing for War; and War’s Ending) to them. They

shows that parents shouldn�t be worried about

trusted me and my judgment after that.Thanks to Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, and

all of the people who made the DRAGONLANCEsaga. Even 50-year-old parents love it! And bythe way, I�m only 13 years old, but that doesn�tmean that parents shouldn�t listen to us kids. Ifthey would listen and believe us every once in awhile, I think some things (such as the D&Dgame) could be explained more easily:

Marian Lynn LucasAngleton TX

Religious groups frequently criticize the D&D

by Bruce A. Heard

This series chronicles the adventures ofan Alphatian explorer and his crew asthey journey across the D&D® KnownWorld in their skyship. The informationherein may be used to expand D&D cam-paigns using the Gazetteer series.

to some unknown destination. I am disap-pointed to notice that several spells nolonger function in this new world. More

Nyxmir 26, 1965: Further repairswere completed aboard the Princess sincethe return of magical power. Our longjourney being dragged across the roughice of the Hollow Worlds Antarctic Gatehad caused much damage to the ship.Talasar has spent hours restoring orderand healing the sick among the crew.

I studied in great detail the topographyof the lands below, seeking the where-abouts of Herr Rolf, our Heldannic fugi-tive. He successfully evaded our vigilanceand rode away on a stolen Myoshiman cat

importantly, some magical items are pow-erless as well, although they still radiatemagic. Alas, I can no longer rely on mycrystal ball to seek Herr Rolf, that fiend.

I could only conclude that we traveledmostly north through the icy mountainrange past Southern Vulcania and the icepack. Within recent days we navigatedover a long, narrow stretch of steep moun-tains that I named the White Peninsula.Herr Rolf could be in any of this range�snarrow, frozen canyons. I hope to catchhim later on a vast frozen bay that offerslittle shelter. At least we have the advan-tage of speed and absolute mobility overhis land-striding cat.

Nyxmir 28, 1965: Myojo spent longhours observing the ground with myspyglass, hoping to see the Heldannicknight. Earlier on this day, he spottedwhat could be a small campsite. After ashort visit, Xerdon and Myojo determinedHerr Rolf had been there recently. Theyfound the dead remains of Kenju�s cat,reduced to a mere carcass. Footprintsrevealed that a fight took place, possiblybetween Herr Rolf and a giant lizard.Myojo pointed out he did not smell theodor of human blood. Xerdon ended thereport by adding that no footprints left thescene, which leads me to suspect the beastflew away with Herr Rolf. The question is:Was he prey or master?

Amphimir 3, 1965: An unforeseenevent has led me to believe that we arebeing observed. I was awakened this nightby a strange crying. It was reminiscent of1st Class Boltman Ramissur�s cry of agonywhen he was abandoned to the shadowdragon on Oceania, months ago. At first Ithought I had been dreaming, but thenoise persisted.

I arose and found the small bat I hadrecovered over Cestia, lying over my crys-tal ball and staring at the swirling mistsinside the crystal. Although nothing else

could be seen inside the sphere, the lumi-nescent stone had dominated the littleanimals mind and was draining it of its lifeforce. Somehow, the bat had unlocked itscage and pulled the velvet shroud off thecrystal. The stone�s powerful hypnoticeffect had seized the bat�s gaze and pre-vented it from pulling free. I lifted thepoor thing off the glowing ball and put itback in its cage.

I suspected foul play. The lock on thecage was not one that a mere bat couldundo. It was also quite improbable that ananimal would accidentally pull the thickveil from the crystal ball; it could haveflittered across the cabin to seek a wayout, or landed on my dinner�s leftovers.

Amphimir 5, 1965: We pursued ourcourse toward the northeast above a ridgeof high mountains. I have decided to ariseabove the skyshield; it is much quicker totravel through the void. I am gambling onthe chance that Herr Rolf needs to cover along distance and therefore has done thesame. Somehow, I simply cannot believethat someone like Herr Rolf could be takenaway by a mere monster. By now he musthave found a way to gain the upper hand.I would not be surprised if he had stagedthe whole event, both to cover up histracks and to travel faster.

On an unrelated note, it occurs to methat the east and west directions are in-verted in this world, compared to theSurface World. If travelers�such asourselves�followed the Meridian ofSundsvall toward the north on the SurfaceWorld, West would be on the left, and Easton the right. When continuing along thislongitude we would enter the HollowWorld through the Arctic Gate, then pro-ceed southward along the Central Merid-ian. Assuming that West remains on theleft and East on the right, the two direc-tions then appear to be �reversed.� Ineffect, 10o East on the Surface Worldwould be exactly above 10o East in theHollow World. Although confusing at first,this is a convenience when reportingrelative positions on a map.

Amphimir 06, 1965: By luck and with myspyglass, I have spotted our fugitive ridinga white dragon. The Heldannic Knightmust have been nearing his destination,for he reentered the skyshield and doveinto the clouds beneath, remaining withinthe thick cloud cover. The cloud bank hadbeen slowly moving to the Hollow Worldswest and stretched several hundred milesacross. I ordered the Princess to fly underthe clouds in the event Herr Rolf wouldreappear.

Amphimir 7, 1965: An interestingday, indeed. I had been avidly observingthe land below the skyshield with myspyglass, spending long hours mapping outthese new lands. We were far from thesurface, but some detail was visible still.Near the eastern edge of the clouds lies avery large valley. A ridge of mountainsforms its eastern boundary, with a large

Artwork by Jim Holloway

desert on its western reaches. A long riverflows along the entire valley, ending at alarge lake in the north. The valley seemsto be fertile and probably harbors life�perhaps a great civilization.

While I was deeply involved in mythoughts about the world below, someonecoughed softly behind my back. For aninstant I believed Talasar had entered mycabin, but I turned to find instead a ladycasually sitting on my bunk. A pantherwas lying at her feet, and a small goblinslowly waving a large feather fan. She hadbronze skin and long, black hair. But whatimpressed me most was her eyes�immense and black as the night, yet in-tense like the sun. A long, white robe,Thothian in style, draped her body downto her feet. A beautiful lady indeed.

�The land you gaze upon is calledNithia,� she said. �And, yes, as youthought, it indeed is the center of a greatcivilization. Perhaps the greatest ever.�

�I suppose Nithians have no doors,� Ianswered. �Else they should know it iscustomary to knock at one�s portal beforeentering, dear . . . who, may I inquire?�

�Khufiri is my name.� She smiled andadded, �Of course, you do realize it is youwho are prying into our ancestral lands. Idon�t believe you have been invited toenter the Sky of Nithia. Our priests have ahabit of observing the sky, for it is sacred.New objects such as your wondrous vesselare a source of great interest.�

�Then perhaps we might find a way tosatisfy each other�s curiosity. You mayremain aboard, in exchange for which Irequest your guidance in these lands.�

Khufiri accepted. She was friendly, butdistant and a bit disdainful, definitely asophisticated lady. She entered my cabinby secret magical means, I would guess,and was reading my thoughts. Althoughcordial, she could be quite dangerous.

We spoke at length about her lands andits people�s common life and customs. Hertemple had sent her through spiritualways up to the Princess, essentially as anobserver and escort through Nithia. Untilsuch time our intentions are made clear tothe temple, the Princess was not to land inNithia�a directive that I intended to fol-low. Obviously, her temple had the meansto observe their skies very well, for I hadbelieved the Myoshiman monolith was stillcloaking the Princess from normal sight.

The trio was sent to a separate cabin,with a special escort of boltmen to keep aneye on them. All this has been very dis-turbing and demands further observation.I then ordered the Princess to descendbelow the level of the cloud cover.

Amphimir 8, 1965: Khufiri hasproven very useful in identifying andnaming regions we flew over. We reachedan expanse of water called Lake Thufuand followed a large river to the north�the River Hapta. The region is quite fertileand villages dot the river banks. Afterflying over the large City of Hapta, the

lowering clouds were forcing the Princesscloser to the city. Concerned, Khufiriasked that we regain altitude until theclouds cleared up again. Satisfied when Igave the order to climb, Khufiri retreatedto her cabin, along with her purring pan-ther and feather-fanning goblin.

At that point I decided to put that timeto good use. I could not take the chance ofmissing Herr Rolf, should he unexpectedlydecide to come down. I ordered the crewto prepare for a blind sail. First ClassNavigator Ashari took her post at theprow and sounded the horn at regularintervals. A returning sound would indi-cate the presence of a very largeobstacle�if any were possible at thataltitude. Ashari was well trained in thistechnique and navigation went smoothlyfor several hours.

We got close to Herr Rolf. He appearedno more than 100 yards ahead, and Icaught him glancing back over his shoul-der several times when Ashari�s hornechoed through the clouds. He pressed hisdragon forward and dove back into dark,stormy clouds.

The cracking sound of bolts and thegrowing rumble of the storm greatly al-tered the effectiveness of Ashari�s horn.Threatening flashes illuminated the cloudsso often that I commanded the Princess toreturn to safety above the clouds.

And a good thing the Princess began herascension! Just as her prow rose, theclouds cleared up ahead, suddenly reveal-ing a huge cliff. Instantly I thought thiscould not possibly be, at such an altitude!But yet a cliff was approaching, and so at afrightening speed. I commenced an evasivemaneuver, but alas, too late. The stern ofthe Princess was still low and hit the edgeof the plateau. Within seconds, the entirehull had scraped the rough, jagged rock,and the ship dragged to a halt. Painfullyevident were those planks that flew offthe wounded flanks of the Princess. Wewere stranded. Rain then began to fall,and a raging tempest ensued. More later.

Amphimir 9, 1965: The gale haspassed on. The clouds cleared up so thatwe could see for a few hundred yards. Itappears we are perched precariously on ahigh, narrow mesa. The hull is so damagedthat the Princess can no longer lift herself.Everyone aboard shares her silent pain.

Worse, we aren�t alone. Several hundredfeet below is a town, a large, populoustown. All around our promontory aretowers, mansions, and other buildingsstretched as far as we can see under thegloomy clouds. No one in the streets seemsto have noticed our unfortunate posture.

Much worse yet, an ominous whitebanner with the black lion emblem fluttersin the breeze over a large fortification. Onthe ramparts pace the unmistakable ar-mored guards of the Heldannic Order.Again we might meet Herr Rolf, but thistime in the Black Lion�s den.

Amphimir 10, 1965: Still no one

DRAGON 43

seems to have noticed our presence. Isuspect the storm muffled the sound ofour crash, and since the Myoshiman mon-olith is intact, it cloaks the Princess fromprying eyes. But we are dangerously closeto a potentially hostile people, with theprow unnervingly jutting out over theedge of a cliff. Slowly, quietly, the crewhas begun to repair damage.

It appears we are on a flying island orcontinent. The clouds do not allow betterobservation. Unlike the tall men-at-armson nearby battlements, the people in thestreet seem much smaller. I will have toget a closer look later on. The clouds seemto get thicker and darker at regular inter-vals, pouring rain over the flying land.Amazingly, the storm acts to create �night,�a period of sleep for the town people,while heavily armed squads of men-at-arms patrol the street. I notice Myojo is spending much of his

time with Khufiri. He enjoys the presenceof her panther, which has adopted him.Khufiri shows much admiration and affec-tion toward the Myoshiman warrior. Thisis useful for the moment, for Myojo is aloyal follower and I can thus obtain infor-mation on Khufiri. I must, however, re-main cautious, for this relationship mustnot get out of hand. All this reminds me ofmy dear Lady Abovombe. Now that she isfar away, I do realize how much I becameaccustomed to her presence. I long for thiswretched mission to come to an end. Imust return Herr Rolf to Myoshima andrecover Lady Abovombe unharmed, andthe sooner the better.

Amphimir 11, 1965: I was quietly but

In pain, the townsperson whined loudly,

firmly awakened this morning by Talasar.The watch had spotted movement near

holding his rather protuberant and now

my cabin. Indeed, observing through the

bloody nose. The whine stopped abruptly

stern�s window, I could see a townsperson.He was casually walking about, holding a

when two muscular boltmen hastily

small umbrella in one hand and a pointycane in the other. Humming and whistling,he was picking snails with his cane and

grabbed him, dropped a bag over his head,

dropping them into a pouch at his waist. Ihoped he�d walk past the Princess.

tied him up from toe to nose, and uncere-moniously lifted him aboard. Nobody else

We had no such luck. The townspersoncame closer and attempted to hop onto arock�under the invisible Princess�s hull.He bumped flat into the hull, dropping his

seemed to have witnessed these events.

belongings and sliding down several feet,then landing heavily on his posterior.

Amphimir 12, 1965: Talasar and Iremained alone with our captive. Heturned out to be a gnome, judging fromhis size, more-than-generous nasal append-age, and somewhat pointy ears.

�I say, once!� he spoke in his curiousaccent. �What�s come into you heer? TheerI go, once, hunting snails, and Boum! I hitsomething, I thought, but no, theer�s noth-

44 OCTOBER 1990

ing heer, you know, but yet I say my nosebleeds and I sit on my reer, once, and I say

Leopold was very interested in the fact

but theer�s really nothing heer, nothing Ican see, so, I think I must be dreaming

we weren�t Heldanners. He was all the

once, and then, Boum! The sky falls on myhead, and it�s all dark, you know. Is this

more interested to learn that we in fact

the end of the world, I say. . . .� The gnomedid go on for some time in this way.

were opposed to the Heldannic tyranny

Eventually I was able to slip in a word ortwo. It appears we landed on the floating

and that we would be able to cause some

Island of Oostdok. Our captive, now ap-parently a willing guest, goes by the nameof Leopold of Le Nerviens Corporation (as

trouble to the knights provided our ship

Leopold said: a Duly Accredited And Con-

could be repaired and returned beyond

solidated Enterprise, Wholly Owned AndGuildmarked By Le Nerviens Family Trust

the polar gate.

Incorporated�in other words, a respect-able family of professional inventors).

Oostdok is an island, roughly 50 mileslong by 30 miles wide, with a series ofsmall mountains and plateaus such as theone on which we have crash-landed. It hasa capital city, the one sprawling from ourvantage point, called Schaerbeek. Oostdo- kers are essentially gnomes.

It seems the Oostdokers are divided intotwo main ethnic blocks, the Flamaekersand the Valoins. The problem is very old.It seems Oostdok was originally two sepa-rate islands, Oostmaeker and Waldok. Thetwo islands collided and remained stucktogether. Since then, both peoples haveaccused each other of causing the catas-trophe. They�ve never really got along,

Both peoples excel in the art of creatingmachinery, a science purely gnomish innature that I will not attempt to explorefurther. Apparently, when a ship full ofHeldannic Knights became stranded (likethe Princess Ark), the knights offeredgreat rewards to those able to repair theirvessel. A large number of Flamaek andValoin family corporations competed forthe contract. One of them apparently builta device that would return the Heldannicship back to its intended course.

This event was soon followed a massiveinvasion by Heldannic Knights. They occu-pied all of Oostdok and forced both theFlamaekers and the Valoins to build won-drous contraptions for the benefit of theHeldannic Order. The Oostdokers� submis-sion to the Heldannic Order is reluctant,and both Valoins and Flamaekers are wait-ing for an opportunity to throw them out.

Leopold�s eyes had a sudden flicker ofconniving joy. We could already see ideasand schemes crossing his mind. Leopoldbecame very agitated and began pouringan endless stream of nonsensical sentencespunctuated by sporadic giggles, whilepointing in every direction at once. Thegnome went literally all over the Princess,observing her structure, mechanism, and

damage. He jabbered something like �Beright back!� and unexpectedly jumped offthe railing, hopping away so fast that noone had time to intervene.

I was willing to take the chance. Repairingthe Princess could take months. Perhaps thisgnome will indeed find a way to help with-out alerting the knights. I only hope thesegnomes would not damage the Princessfurther. This might be the ship�s death.

Amphimir 16, 1965: Nothing hashappened since Leopold�s hasty departure.I am confident that he has remained onour side, since no Heldannic Knight hasbeen seen anywhere close. Repairs areproceeding but slowly.

I had several conversations with Khufiriabout Nithia and our current fate. She wasof course quite worried. Khufiri said sheknew about these gnomes and warnedthat they could bring only woe and chaoswith their inventions. The rare timesNithians encountered Oostdokers havelead to untold disasters.

Amphimir 17, 1965: Repairs weretemporarily halted as a violent thunder-storm struck Schaerbeek. Soon afterward,our friend Leopold returned. He ap-proached the Princess, casually hoppingabout, hunting for snails after the rain.

Twenty yards from the ship, he stopped,looked over his shoulder, then leapedforward, thinking the Princess was near.He was wrong; he flailed his arms, thenfell heavily into a mud puddle. After anumber of similar attempts, he eventuallybumped into the Princess�s hull and wasyanked aboard.

Leopold brought great news. The Van-dermersh Corporation was sponsoring theannual Schaerbeek Regatta, when themost powerful family trusts would race inthe skies above Schaerbeek with theirflying contraptions. It so happens that theregatta�s trajectory includes a tight turnright over the Tanneken-Pes, the steepmesa on which the Princess is stranded.

Leopold�s commercial kin at Le Nerviens�Corporation had a plan. Their ship,L�Epaulard, would come very low over theplateau�s edge and attempt to lift the Prin-cess off the rock. Despite my absoluteinability to grasp the technical details ofLeopold�s plan, I found the scheme none-theless frightening. I am afraid my argu-ments didn�t deter Leopold a bit, either.The plan was already in motion.

Amphimir 18, 1965: The regattastarted shortly after another heavy rain-fall. Over the edge of Schaerbeek, alreadydozens of gigantic, multicolored dirigibleswere gathering for departure. Theylooked like incredibly huge, bloatedwhales, with plump fins at their rears.Each of these grotesque airships had acabin underneath its chubby belly, withpipes, fans, and tubes sticking out in alldirections. A crowd gathered in thestreets, at balconies, and at windows eve-rywhere. Great horns echoed through thecity, and the crowd cheered, waving theflags and banners of their family trusts.

A deafening roar began as the airshipsbegan the race. Billowing clouds of smokeand steam poured out of the airships�cabins, as strange devices caused bladesand other parts to propel the ungainlyblimps. The Demeulemeister III lurchedahead, while the VandenKoop spun offcourse, bumping into Le Gros Belouga.The latter landed flat on a large cohort ofHeldannic Knights underneath�causinggreat panic in their ranks�then promptlyrebounded back into the race. The crowdwent wild! Meanwhile, rattling and shud-dering, L�Epaulard roared after Demeule-meister III along with a horde of otheroutrageous blimps.

Demeulemeister III came first above themesa. It launched a grapple that caught ona ridge, using it to spin around the edge ofthe plateau. The pilot promptly severedthe cable and raced back toward the cen-ter of Schaerbeek. L�Epaulard followed,very low on the ridge. I could see thepilot�s head sticking out of a porthole; hewas squinting and looking for something.With horror I realized that Leopold hadprobably failed to tell his kin that thePrincess was not visible.

That�s when I noticed Leopold was miss-ing. He was spotted a moment later, perchedon the highest point of the ship, cheeringand waving Le Nerviens� colors. He hadattached a flag to a pole and had propped itup in the air in order to exceed the area ofeffect of the Myoshiman monolith.

The pilot waved back and veered towardthe Princess, cutting across the path of thewild, tubby pack racing after him. TheMontjoie Rouge made a loop to avoid L�E-paulard, while the Hembeek, Johanneke,and Broqueville bumped into each other.L�Epaulard got through, scraping the edgeof the plateau. It made a pass over ourship and decided to go after Demeulemeis-ter III. The Hembeek and Broquevillefollowed, some of their riggings fouledtogether. Both pilots exchanged colorfulvociferations on their way. Meanwhile, theMontjoie Rouge ended its loop andbumped into the rear of the Johanneke,pushing the blimp ahead of the pack. Notfar behind, Le Gros Belouga and the Van-denKoop were rushing back into the race.

Soon L�Epaulard caught up with De-meulemeister III and began the second lap.The crowd was hooting and cheering. Thetwo airships prepared their approach ofour mesa. Demeulemeister III launched itssecond grapnel but missed, spinningwildly out of control. L�Epaulard reversedits propellers to slow down, causing itswhalelike balloon to bulge forward. At thisvery moment, a dozen cables shot down atus, out of the cabin. Some had hooks,others suction cups; I even saw a few withbola-type endings. Everyone on the deckof the Princess ran for cover. Amazingly,no one was hurt, but L�Epaulards machin-ery started roaring madly as the blimpmade its turn and attempted to lift thePrincess.

Lift her it did�but sideways. The cables

did not hook up to the Princess�s mastsand hull in a even manner, causing theship to hang starboard down. Everyoneaboard grabbed at anything within reachto avoid failing off. Most of the scene wasobscured by the billowing smoke andsteam pouring out of the blimp.

L�Epaulard�s speed was greatly reduced,but its pilot decided to continue the race.Demeulemeister III was regaining control,while the rest of the pack was catching up.By then, the pilots on the Hembeek andBroqueville � still tangled up�had resortedto fist fighting, while the Johanneke tookthe lead, harried by Le Gros Belouga.

The end of the second lap came veryfast. L�Epaulard was desperately trying togain altitude while the Princess swungwildly underneath, threatening to hit someof the Heldannic Knight�s upper towers.Sparks shot out of the blimp�s portholes.Several cables were being cranked back,slowly bringing the Princess to a moreconvenient posture, just in time forL�Epaulard to veer back into the third andfinal lap.

By then, L�Epaulard was in the middle ofthe main pack of airships. The Vanden-Koop was coming fast behind, and low,thinking it could pass L�Epaulard under-neath! Its pilot, of course, could not seethe invisible Princess dangling in its way!At the last moment, L�Epaulard swervedaside, but the VandenKoop�s ballooncaught the Princess�s wing, which scrapedalong the length of the balloon and finallypierced its thick fabric. The VandenKoopsuddenly lurched forward as gas violentlyblew out of the gap at the rear�and ittook the lead in front of the Johanneke,flying forth to victory!

Meanwhile, L�Epaulard dipped behindthe mesa, abandoning the race. It flew at avery low altitude over a small river andleft Schaerbeek. Everyone aboard wasexhausted, panting, and sweating�exceptfor one. Leopold was on the mast, stillwaving his flag and crying for an encore!But that was enough for the day.

Amphimir 22, 1965: The trip took afew days. We flew over a series of smallfarming communities and rolling hills.Storms and rainfalls continued at regularintervals on this gloomy land. At last, thepilot waved at Leopold; we were nearingour destination. Leopold pointed at a smallrocky hill ahead of us. A large tower stoodon the top, bearing Le Nerviens� colors. Atlast, the Princess stood a chance of restand repair.

To be continued. . . .

If you have any comments regarding thiscolumn or the D&D game�s Known Worldas designed in the Gazetteers, please sendyour inquiries to: Bruce A. Heard, D&DColumn, TSR, Inc. P.O. Box 756, Lake Ge-neva WI 53147, U.S.A. We cannot guaran-tee that all letters will get answers, butthey always have our attention.

Oostdok trade housesOostdok is a small floating continent

made of two celestial islands, each inhab-ited by gnomes, that collided several cen-turies past. The two gnomish peoples sojoined, the Valoins and the Flamaekers,have different cultures and get along withsome difficulty. Both the Valoins and Fla-maekers originally had the power to con-trol the flight of their islands through theuse of gigantic machinery buried in therock of each continent. That ability waslost when the two islands collided.

The two gnomish cultures have sincethen evolved into a society based on pow-erful trade houses. These are essentiallyvery large families dedicated to commerceor manufacturing as a means of achievingpolitical supremacy on Oostdok. So far,seven trade houses dominate the politicaland economic environment. Scores ofminor trade houses struggle for survival,all of them aiming to one day become oneof the major powers. However, all tradehouses are in league against a commonoppressor, the Heldannic Knights whoinvaded them a decade earlier.

All members of a trade house are fanati-cally devoted to their kin, hard-working,and very rarely, if ever, betray their cause.Trade-house members bear the naturalbirthmark of the family, so both of themember�s parents must be natural kin ofthe trade house. Each trade house comeswith its own police force.

Failing to live up to the expectations ofone�s trade-house supervisor may causethe culprit to be shunned by the entireOostdok establishment. None of the tradehouses will ever �hire� or deal with anindividual who wasn�t born in the family.One who has been rejected by his kin hashis birthmark burned off or branded in away sufficient to deface it. Those born ofillegitimate parents (parents of differenttrade houses) are treated in similar fashionand abandoned. All those rejected by theirkin form a caste of �untouchables�: poor,hopeless wretches shunned by all othergnomes.

Broqueville, Sa. (Inc.): This Valointrade house specializes in the manufactureof military hardware. They are one of themost powerful and disliked trade houseson Oostdok since they do business withthe Heldannic Knights�though not bychoice. The Knights outlawed all armsownership by and all arms sales to Oostdo-kers, but Broqueville is secretly stockpilingcommon weaponry and has built a dooms-day machine, speculating on the day whenOostdokers will revolt and overthrowtheir oppressors. They are actively manip-ulating other trade houses to committhemselves to the revolt.

Broqueville�s dirigibles use magical cam-ouflage patterns that change color tomatch their background, much like achameleon. The natural colors are often

Continued on page 76

D R A G O N 4 5

46 OCTOBER 1990

Ultima VI (Origin)

The ultimate Ultima

This column marks the debut of regularvideo-game coverage as well as computer-game coverage. The video-game market ispredicted to reach nearly five billion dol-lars in sales by 1991. Due to the numberof system units sold, it is not an entertain-ment medium we can ignore.

We hope that this coverage will allowour readers to broaden their knowledge ofboth game systems. If this is a good idea,let us know. If not, tell us that also.

Reviews

OriginP.O. Box 161750Austin TX 78716(512) 328-0282

Ultima VI: The False Prophet * * * * *PC/MS-DOS 80286 version with EGA boardand EGA monitor $69.95

This is a jam-packed adventure. It�ll bemonths before we are close to succeedingin the quest! The thrill is in trying. Theexcitement of the Ultima series comes intoplay as you try to overcome not only dan-gerous physical adversaries, but your ownweaknesses as well.

The adventure starts with you watchingtelevision. Lord British summons you toaid Britain, and a moongate appears. Youenter Britain and encounter a gypsy cara-van. A gypsy confronts you and states,�Behold the Virtues of the Avatar. Let usbegin the casting.� You must then answerseven questions. We restarted Ultima VIseveral times and learned that the ques-tions are repetitive. You must consider

well your answers to the situations thegypsy presents. Remember the Codex!

As you answer each question, the gypsypours a small amount of colored liquidfrom one of several flasks into a glassbeaker. You�ll note that if you answer thesituation by indicating a specific virtue,the gypsy pours from the same-coloredflask time and gain. Balance your answers!

When the situations have all been an-swered, she asks you to drink the liquid.You do . . . and you awake upon an altar,about to be sacrificed by hideous gar-goyles! But your associates from previousUltima adventures rescue you; Iolo theBard, Shamino, and Dupre drag youthrough another gate into Lord British�scastle throne room.

Guess what? You have company comingthrough the portal. Gargoyles are allaround you, and they are pressing theirattack. Before continuing, we�d betterexplain that you should have read theCompendium and the Reference Guidebefore you arrived at this stage of the

Computer games� ratings

X Not recommended* Poor** Fair* * * Good**** Excellent* * * * * Superb

DRAGON 47

adventure. If you haven�t, you won�t knowhow to equip yourself to enter the battleagainst these evil beasts.

The gargoyles that now threaten Britainwere discovered after the first expeditioninto the underworld, and they are nowseizing the holy shrines. They seem to beseeking something of immense value, andthey also want you, the Avatar, dead.

We first played Ultima VI in EGA modeand wished we had VGA graphics. EGA isstunning, but occasionally a small charac-ter on-screen becomes lost in the back-ground or foreground color. (And youshould definitely pay attention to smallcharacters. Make certain that rat you�reabout to slay is really a rat. Something thatlooks like a rat but is far more friendlymay be needed to help your quest!)

Also, during some combat sequenceswith a gargoyle, the creature folded orunfolded its wings, which caused slowscreen refresh. This became a little con-fusing when moving our characters be-cause we couldn�t tell where theopposition was situated.

We would like to see a better method ofdistributing items to fellow adventurers.Currently you have to drop an item fromyour inventory to a specified location on-screen. The character for whom the itemis intended must then Get the item. Thereis also no good way to distribute wealthother than the aforementioned method.This gets a little tiring when in a shoptrying to buy goods for all, and only oneadventurer has sufficient funds to com-plete the purchase.

Other than these minor drawbacks, theconsistency of graphic excellence is afeature of which Origin should be ex-tremely proud. Add an easy user inter-face, and you�ve got the best Ultimaadventure yet produced.

You move your character by either click-ing the mouse in the direction you wishyour character to move, or through use ofthe keyboards keypad (we found key-board play to be the most efficientmethod). You control the party throughyour Avatar character. However, eachcharacter can also operate independentlyin solo mode. Make certain you don�tforget where your characters are if yousuddenly decide to return to party mode.

You can save your game at any time withthe CTRL-S double key press, and you cantoggle the music on or off. As you canhave as many as eight characters in yourparty, the numeric keys 1 through 8 en-able you to quickly enter solo mode foreach numbered character.

Spell casting is unique. In order to cast aspell you must possess the reagents as wellas know the magic syllables. For example,to cast the Unlock Magic spell (a secondCircle spell), you must have sulfurous ashand blood moss in your inventory. Youthen utter the words �Ex Por,� and thespell is cast. Other spells can be gainedthrough possession of scrolls. The higherthe Circle, the greater the power of the

48 OCTOBER 1990

Ultima VI (Origin)

spell and the more magical power re-quired from the caster (all magic power isregenerated over time).

Once you learn the mantra necessary tomeditate at a specific shrine, you will learnif you have enough experience to advancein level. But be careful; the shrines arenow the targets of gargoyles. Should youtravel to a shrine to meditate and be un-prepared to rid it of the violent influencethat attracts the gargoyles, you may be infor the fight of your life.

Ultima VI is peopled by more than 188nonplayer characters (NPCs), each with awealth of information to help you succeed.Some NPCs will try to mislead you, so takeplenty of notes. Perhaps a good way toinitiate a conversation is to ask an NPC hisname and his job in Britannia. Then followup with an appropriate question basedupon what you�ve been told.

You�ll learn where the runes for eachshrine have been hidden for safety, and

which individual in each town knows themantra for a shrine. With the rune andthe mantra, you have the power to eradi-cate the gargoyles from a particularshrine. Each town in Britain is assigned toa shrine. For example, north of the Capeof Heroes is Trinsic. Trinsic was foundedon Honor, so it makes sense that the man-tra and rune of Honor will be found here.(Clue: The mantra is �summ,� learned fromthe mayor, and you�ll want to walk aroundthe town to see what�s out in plain view.)

One action important to the quest is inlearning the gargoyles� Gargish language.An individual named Captain John hasapparently written a dictionary that wouldbe useful if used for learning purposes.

Above all, we recommend you learn touse the Orb of the Moon that you possesswhen you arrive in Britannia. Ask LordBritish about it. If you learn to use thistool, your frustration will decrease, asyou�ll be able to move from one area to

lactic rivals. You race on five different planets and must make strategically neces-sary decisions. You choose the appropriate

Ultima VI (Origin)

fuel, fuel filter, and aerodynamic structureof your racer to keep pace with the com-petition. The price is $39.95.

Origin (512-328-0282) is releasing a new

another with ease. It then becomes a sim-ple matter of tracking your movement inrelation to the position of your Orb.

Britain has taverns, shops that stockmagical supplies (reagents and spells),provisioners for that desperately neededlockpick and other assorted items, healers(don�t forget that Lord British heals you atno charge), weapons shops, inns, andhorse merchants. Everything you couldpossibly require is available to you�if youhave the gold to buy the items.

battleground. With three skill levels tochoose from, you select one of 14 shipsdisplayed for its handling characteristics,special powers, and secret weapon, eachwith its own distinctive sound effects.There are melee and full combat modes,with the latter encompassing nine differ-ent strategic scenarios. The game is forPC/MS-DOS machines for $49.95.

Save your game as often as possible. Andnever forget the virtues you learned as anAvatar. They will hold you and your com-panions in good stead.

Also from Accolade is Stratego, thecomputer version of the Milton Bradleyboard game for PC/MS-DOS and Macintoshcomputers. One player competes with thecomputer.

line of PC/MS-DOS role-playing productsentitled Worlds of Ultima. Forthcomingepisodes will take players on adventures toall-new story settings. The first installmentin this series is entitled The Savage Em-pire, set in the steamy jungles of a hiddenland, Eodon, where time has been frozenfor millennia. The landscape is punctuatedby mysterious pyramids and lost citieswhere dinosaurs, stone-age tribes, madscientists, and a jungle princess roam.These all combine to create a world ofsavage beauty and compelling intrigue.The price is $59.95; expect this adven-ture�s release this fall.

Origin has not only maintained the Ul-tima tradition but has improved it. UltimaVI is an awe-inspiring accomplishment.Movement through a city or the wilder-ness is finely detailed. You can use somany items that you may wish to maintaina list so you�ll never forget what each itemcan do for your characters (we�ve alreadylogged 285 items!).

This game requires 640K of computermemory, with a video board (either CGA,EGA, VGA/MCGA, Tandy 1000, or Hercu-les), color monitor, and a sound board(either Roland, AdLib, Game Blaster, Inno-vation, or Covox). The game set containsseven 5.25� disks, a full-color 18� × 18�tapestry map of Britannia, an Orb of theMoon gemstone, a stand-up referencecard, and a Compendium playbook. This isthe first Ultima to have been developed ona PC/MS-DOS system. We certainly hopeOrigin sees fit to consider releasing thisterrific fantasy role-playing adventure forother 16- and 32-bit systems as well.

News�computer gamesAccolade (408-985-1700) is releasing Star

Control, which combines elements ofstrategic challenge with arcade action. Athree-dimensional star cluster is your

Bethesda Softworks (301-926-8300) isdistributing Damocles. This is a real-timearcade adventure played within an accu-rate and detailed model of a moving solarsystem. The comet Damocles is hoursaway from colliding with the planet Eris.As interplanetary destruction nears, theplayers, with the helpful robot guide Ben-son, are challenged to save Eris. The ad-venture takes place while exploring adetailed world created using solid-fillvector graphics and realistic sound effects.There are nine planets, 19 moons, 37cities, and over 3,000 multiroom buildingsto create this game experience. The gameis available for the Atari ST for $44.95,with an Amiga version expected soon.

Also from Bethesda comes The Termina-tor, based on the hit movie. Set in LosAngeles, this is the story of a superhumancyborg sent back through time from ahellish future where man�s existencehangs in the balance and machines rulethe earth. The Terminator is to destroy themother of the one man who is destined tosave mankind. The game will be releasedfor PC/MS-DOS, Commodore 64/128, andAmiga computers as well as a coin-opversion.

From Data East (408-286-7080) comesFull Metal Planet, a science-fiction adven-ture. You are whisked away on a secret

space mission as you take on the role ofone of the best pilots in the galaxy. Hiredby the Cobra Steel Company to work onthe dangerous world called Full MetalPlanet, you are challenged to collect asmuch ore as possible. Fighting for yourlife, you must capture all of the ore takenby rival companies on the planet andreturn safely home. The game is for Amigaand PC/MS-DOS computers for $49.95.

Electronic Arts (415-571-7171) is intro-ducing Powerdrome for PC/MS-DOS com-puters. This is a futuristic airborne racingsimulation that has players racingTyphoon-class jet hovercraft throughtwisting, tunnel-filled courses, competingagainst the clock or battling four interga-

Also coming from Origin is Wingleader.Mankind is locked in a deadly war withthe Kilrathi in the 27th century. Battlingthese vicious militarists are the daringpilots of the Terran Confederation. Withhis faithful wingman flying at his side, thefearless Wingleader battles with Kilrathiaces in heated deep-space dogfights. Thegame features Panaview, 3-D technologythat employs highly detailed, ray-traced,bit-mapped images modelled in 256 VGAcolors. You select from four different starfighters and use such weapons as heat-seeking missiles, neutron cannon, and thedeadly Friend-or-Foe missile. The price forPC/MS-DOS machines is $59.95.

Another game for PC/MS-DOS com-puters is Flight of the Intruder. The gameportrays the harrowing missions flownover North Vietnam by Navy A-6 Intruderand F-4 Phantom pilots. Missions are of-fered in which you are usually part of alarger operation undertaken by one ofseveral sections of aircraft. For example, asection of A-6 Intruders going on a bomb-ing mission would be joined by a section ofF-4 Phantoms to help keep enemy MiGs offthe bombers� backs. You can also choose tobe the Mission Commander, selectingprimary and secondary targets, weaponsand external stores, and waypoints settingup the desired route. The price is $59.95,with versions for the Amiga and Atari ST

DRAGON 49

expected later this year.Strategic Simulations, Inc. (408-737-6800)

has released its latest offering in its line ofTSR-licensed AD&D® computer products,Secret of the Silver Blades. New adven-tures may be started by using charactersgenerated in the Curse of the Azure Bondsgame, or an all-new party can be created.Here, you�ll explore the largest 3-D adven-turing expanses ever created in a fantasyrole-playing game. New monsters andhigher character levels are offered, as wellas new spells such as barkskin, charmperson, and delayed blast fireball. A cluebook will be available late this summer for$12.95. The game itself is being releasedfor PC/MS-DOS computers at $49.95 andfor the Commodore 64/128 computer at$39.95. All SSI games are distributed byElectronic Arts.

Walt Disney Computer Software (212/475-8030) has Arachnophobia for PC/MS-DOS and Amiga computers at $44.95 andCommodore 64/128 systems at $29.95.This pits one or two players against aspecies of spider that is lethally poisonous,extremely aggressive, and strangely intelli-gent. You must destroy the deadly queenspiders and their lethal offspring beforethey take over the country.

News�video gamesAccolade (408-985-1700) is introducing

four products for the video-game market.The company has signed a licensing agree-

Ultima VI (Origin)

ment with Nintendo to develop and mar-ket products for the Nintendo Enter-tainment System (NES).

Data East USA, Inc. (408-286-7080) isreleasing a new cartoon-style entertain-ment for NES entitled Caveman Games.Players go back in time when competitionbegan to become one of six cavemen ath-letes. Each has his own special set of skillsand battles against other cavemen in aseries of six events that will keep playersrolling with laughter. Players compete toearn medals and the ultimate honor, in-duction into the Caves of Fame. The priceis $49.95.

Also for NES from Data East is BattleChess. This game combines the strategicchallenges of traditional chess with thehigh-tech excitement of 3-D graphics andsound to create a unique game environ-ment. There are six levels of strategic play.Players watch battles unfold as pieces aremoved and formulated moves are exe-cuted. The price is $44.95.

Heavy Barrel is also coming from DataEast for NES. This is a strategic combatgame where players must recapture anunderground control complex of a nuclearmissile site that has been seized by terror-ists. The player�s mission is to infiltrate theinstallation and eliminate the terroristforce before it�s too late and the world isdestroyed. The price is $44.95.

Data East also has a Game Boy gameready � Lock n� Chase. You assume the roleof a clever international diamond thief onthe run. You must find your way througha series of twisted mazes, each litteredwith cash and gems. Players score pointsby outsmarting their pursuers, picking upcoins, sacks of cash and other valuableitems with every new turn of the maze.

Electronic Arts (415-571-7171) has signeda licensing agreement with Sega to developand market games for the Sega Genesisvideo-game system. Titles to be released

The Savage Empire (Origin)

this year for Genesis include Populous,Budokan, and Zany Golf. Sega will alsolicense 20 games from Electronic Arts tomarket in Japan. Sega has also licensedAbrams Battle Tank and 688 Attack Subfor Genesis worldwide marketing. Thecompany has also signed a distributionagreement with Ocean Software of Man-chester, England. Electronic Arts willintroduce six Ocean Titles in the U.S.

NEC Technologies (708-860-9500) willsoon release the long-awaited DoubleDungeon. We viewed a prerelease copyand this could be a hot item. Players enterone of 20 different dungeons and explorethe underground maze from a first-personperspective. You�ll find monsters that mustbe destroyed and treasure to be gained.The unique feature of this game is thattwo players can simultaneously delve intoa dungeon as a team. Double Dungeonlooks like a good role-playing game andshould be out in stores soon.

Also enroute from NEC is a hand-heldcolor unit to take on the likes of Atari�sLynx portable video-game system. Calledthe TurboExpress, this new unit usesactive matrix, backlit, liquid-crystal tech-nology that can display 512 colors on-screen simultaneously. All Turbographxand TurboChip games (expect about 50 ofthem before Christmas) will run on the

50 OCTOBER 1990

TurboExpress. The unit operates on six AAbatteries and has an optional snap-ontuner that allows the unit to operate as aportable TV The tuner also features avideo-in port that allows the system to actas a monitor for a camcorder or VCR. TheTurboExpress weighs about 1 lb. WhatNEC has basically done is take its Turbo-grafx-16 home system, add a TurboPadcontroller and a TV monitor, then reducethe entire unit to a portable whose size is4 1/3� × 7 1/3� × 1 1/8�. The display boasts238 x 312 pixels, while the Atari Lynxoffers 160 × 102 pixels. Expect to see sev-eral accessories for this system, includinga communication link, an AC adapter,battery pack, and a car cigarette-lighteradapter. The stereo sound uses your ownearphones,

For the NES come the following newgames. The first is Lolo 2, a game thatteaches patience, strategy, and logicalthinking without sacrificing fun. This is afavorite of the Nintendo game counselorsand is a refreshing break from the alarm-ing rise in senseless violence in videogames. The price is $38.95.

Daydreamin’ Davey, $49.95, is a time-travel adventure. Davey daydreams excit-ing adventures from the relative safety ofhis school desk. This is a huge role-playinggame that uses a character players of allages can identify with. Take on the Clan-ton Gang at the OK Corral, search forExcalibur, journey through Greek mythol-ogy, then outwit the biggest boss of all, theprincipal.

Hudson Soft USA Inc. (415-871-8895) hasreleased four new NES titles. StarshipHector is a futuristic space adventure withmany challenging options. Princess Tomatoin the Salad Kingdom is a role-playinggame that features an exciting plot and ahost of intriguing characters far beyondthe usual garden variety. Mendel Placeoffers 200 different game screens. Thefourth release is Adventure Island Part II,with enhanced graphics.

Clue corner

Curse of the Azure Bonds (SSI)1. In the pit of Moander, at Mogion�s

shrine, it is very important to fight con-servatively. Move your characters towardthe right of the screen, and you will findan enclosed area where four can fightabreast and can be attacked only from thefront. Warriors (and priests, if you don�thave four fighters) should make up thefront line. Position any mages and at leastone cleric behind this line so they canthrow spells at the enemy without beingphysically attacked. While setting up thisformation, let Alias and Dragonbait buyyou the necessary time. They fight sopitifully that this is about the only thingyou might find them capable of handling.

2. Knock off enemy clerics first so youdon�t have to worry about their HoldPerson spells. The shambling mounds fall

quickly after their human helpers havebeen eliminated.

After you have defeated the first wave,parts of Moander that are trapped on thePrime Material plane when you close thegate will form monsters that possess theabilities of shambling mounds but withenormous numbers of hit points. Youshould hold formation even though thesenew beasties are so enormous only two orthree of your characters can attack atonce. Your best bet against these creaturesis a Hold Monster spell. Even if only one isparalyzed, it can then be killed with asingle blow.

After the battles, your characters willprobably be in pretty poor shape. The firstroom you found when you entered thesecond level seems to be safer for restingthan other areas. You will still be attacked,but not as often as elsewhere. Make cer-tain everyone is in top condition, becauseyou will have to engage in yet anothermassive melee in the room that containsthe only exit route on the first level.

Aaron RichardsSan Lorenzo CA

Draconian: Drakkhen (Data East USA)1. Yes, that shark at Prince Hordtkhen�s

palace is nasty. It seems like every timesomeone tries to cross the moat, it�s aquick dive, a snap, and it�s goodbye char-acter. Why not have one of your partybecome invisible, wait until the sharks taildisappears beneath the drawbridge, thencommand your invisible adventurer tocross immediately to the door?

2. Inside Hordtkhen�s palace, try activat-ing the second symbol from the left. Youwon�t be sorry.

3. Healing graces can be found north ofthe north road. Look for a split in the roaditself, and head north toward a jaggedmountain. Walk carefully and avoid thosewet spots! The temple may not be easy tofind, but it certainly can aid beginningadventurers in reacquiring hit points.

4. The best way to prevent body com-pression is to Lock a drawbridge.

5. You won�t be able to enter the Princeof Water�s castle until the Princess of Earthgives you something very important.

6. The Prince of Water is there, thesecond time around.

7. Try to avoid travel at midnight; that�swhen the constellations attack!

8. Teleporters operate only in similargeographical terrain.

The Lessers

Once again, it is time for each of ourreaders to pick up a pen and postcard andwrite down the name of the best softwareadventure of the year. Be sure to specifythe system version of the software forwhich you are voting (PC/MS-DOS, Macin-tosh, Apple II, Commodore 64/128, AtariST, Amiga, etc.). The results will be pub-lished in our December column.

Keep in mind that your game hints helpeveryone. Mail them to: The Lessers, 179Pebble Place, San Ramon CA 94583, U.S.A.Until next month, game on!

DRAGON 51

by Spike Y. JonesArtwork by Thomas Baxa

Spiritus Anime

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Anywhere deadbodies can be found

FREQUENCY: Very rareORGANIZATION: SolitaryACTIVITY CYCLE: AnyDIET: NilINTELLIGENCE: Semi- (2-4)TREASURE TYPE: See belowALIGNMENT: Neutral evilNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 7 (skeleton)/8 (zombie)/6

(spiritus anime)MOVEMENT: 12 (skeleton)/6 (zombie)/24

(spiritus anime)HIT DICE: 3THAC0: 17 (in all forms)NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (as skeleton or

zombie)/Nil (as spiritus anime)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 (skeleton)/1-8

(zombie)SPECIAL ATTACKS: Animate deadSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGIC RESISTANCE: NilSIZE: M (as skeleton or zombie), or T

(1� diameter cloud as spiritus anime)MORALE: Elite (13)XP VALUE: 650 + 65 per animated body

52 OCTOBER 1990

The spiritus anime is an undead crea-ture, in the shape of a formless vapor,capable of animating the bodies of deadcreatures in its vicinity. Its appearance isthat of a glimmering cloud of dust with atenuous thread of dust motes attaching itto the body the spiritus wore in life (its�home body,� which is almost invariablyburied). This cloud is normally invisiblebut a detect invisibility or true seeing spellreveals it as a glowing nimbus around thebodies it animates, or as a cloud if foundwithout bodies. In addition, if someoneactively tries to see this monster withoutmagical aid, the attempt will succeed if asave vs. spells is successfully made. Theviewer must be within 10� of the spiritusanime in order to have any chance ofseeing it.

Combat: In its natural, cloudlike form,the spiritus anime makes no attacks; tofight, it possesses and animates a corpse orskeleton within 100 yards of its originalhome body. When in one of these bodies,it fights as if it were a normal animatedundead, either a skeleton or a zombie,with the animated body having all appro-priate statistics (the body�s hit dice and hitpoints are separate from the spiritus ani-me�s own). Damage done to the animatedbody is not taken by the spiritus anime;when a body that the spiritus anime in-habits is �slain,� the monster merely ani-mates another corpse on the followinground and once more rises to the attack(having a +4 penalty added to its initiativeroll on the first round of a new body�suse). �Slain� undead cannot be animatedagain by the same spiritus anime, thoughzombies that are �slain� can be reused asskeletons months later, once the flesh hasrotted from their bones. Only the remainsof human, demihuman, or humanoidbeings can be so animated.

There are four ways to halt a spiritusanime�s attack. The easiest is to retreatmore than 100 yards from the spiritus�home body, the distance beyond which itcannot move an animated host body. (The-oretically, a spiritus anime could use ananimated body to carry its home body to adistant site, in order to find a larger supply of corpses to animate or to follow aparticular enemy to which it has devel-oped some special attachment, but such anintelligent plan would surely be beyond it.)

The second method is to destroy thesupply of dead bodies that it can animateas weapons, a time-consuming processthat can be counterproductive if some ofthe attacking party dies in the melee,allowing their bodies to be animated aszombies by the spiritus anime (in prefer-ence to the weaker skeletons).

The third way is to destroy the spiritus

anime�s home body, instead of merelydispatching its host bodies. If attackersmanage to identify and dig up its homebody, they can �slay� this body and, in sodoing, kill its spiritus anime. The homebody has the statistics of either a skeletonor zombie, though if not animated it willnot attack. When an attack on the homebody is begun, the spiritus will concen-trate its efforts on protecting its homebody either by using animated bodies orby animating its home body and attempt-ing to flee with it. Normal weapons areeffective against a spiritus anime�s homebody, and holy water does 1-4 hp damageper vial both to the body and to the spiri-tus anime itself.

The final method of killing a spiritusanime is through magic. If any curewounds spell is used on a body the spiritusanime is animating, the spiritus animepermanently loses a number of hit pointsfrom its own hit-point total (not from thehit-point total of the animated body) equal-ling the number of hit points that the spellwould have cured. Bless causes 1-4 hpdamage to the spiritus anime if it fails asaving throw vs. spells, and exorcise,dispel evil, spiritwrack, raise dead, and

resurrection will all kill it without a savingthrow.

A spiritus anime can be turned by acleric as if it were a ghoul. A �D� resultdestroys the body the spiritus anime isanimating but does not harm the spiritusanime itself. If a spiritus anime is turned,it can leave the body it is animating andresume its attacks in the next round byentering a new body, just as if the firstbody had been destroyed. A bless spellcast upon a body that has not been ani-mated will permanently protect that bodyfrom animation by a spiritus anime. If thespell is cast on the spiritus anime�s home-body, the spiritus anime takes the usual1-4 hp damage, no matter where it is orwhat it is doing.

Once in a while (10%), a particular spiri-tus anime will have developed a specialand deceptive battle tactic. It will abandona wounded host body before the body iscompletely destroyed, only to return to itlater. As those fighting against the undeadwill have assumed that they slew the firstbody, having it rise a second time willmake them believe that the undead bodiesare impossible to slay�a frightening pros-pect indeed.

DRAGON 53

Habitat/Society: A spiritus anime is atype of undead created only when a hu-man, demi-human or humanoid creature isburied alive, either intentionally (as atorture or sacrifice) or by accident (suchas a landslide or the result of a tragedyinvolving a disease, a feign death spell,etc.). Many (40%) of those so buried be-come spiritus animes, desperate to escapeburial and return to the surface.

Because such circumstances are usuallyuncommon, only solitary spiritus animesare typically encountered. If more thanone of them haunts a single site, the onlysign that they acknowledge each other�sexistence is that they usually refrain fromanimating each other�s home bodies unlessthere are no other bodies available tothem. If this does occur, and one of thesehome bodies is slain, this automaticallyslays the spiritus anime to which the bodybelongs, without materially affecting thespiritus that had been animating the body.Thus, �killing� a zombie on one side of agraveyard could actually slay a spiritusanime on the other side of the field, caus-ing two undead bodies to fall, in differentlocations, when only one was struck(though a third body might soon arise!).

Although both skeletons and zombiescan be created from the bodies of anydead monster, a spiritus anime animatesonly bodies that are similar to the one itwore in life, for it feels comfortable in thatshape alone. If the body animated is of thesame species as the spiritus once was, thenthe animation is handled with ease. Ifthere is a minor difference in size (such asthat caused by a once-human spiritusanime using a dwarven skeleton), theanimated body fights at - 1 to hit; if thereis a major difference between the bodies(such as the size difference between ahalfling and an ogre, or the presence ofextra body parts such as the tail of a trog-lodyte or the four arms of some sahuagin),the body fights at -4 to hit.

Ecology: Spiritus animes are not natu-ral creatures and do not participate in anyway in the food chain, except to createcarrion in their immediate vicinities thatattracts scavengers, insects, etc. As thesecreatures are usually found in areasshunned by civilization, they are set verymuch apart from the worlds everydayfunctioning. They exist only to procureadditional host bodies to preserve their�lives� aboveground until they are finallylaid to rest.

Spiritus animes do not collect treasure,but sometimes they will have incidentaltreasure. If in a proper graveyard, each ofthe bodies they animate, plus their homebodies, will have only the normal burialgoods of that region, ranging from a burialshroud to the riches of a major tomb. Ifthe bodies used are the result of an acci-dental burial, then the treasure will con-sist of the normal goods carried by thecreatures when alive.

54 OCTOBER 1990

Ankou

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any inhabited areaFREQUENCY: Very rare (Rare)ORGANIZATION: SolitaryACTIVITY CYCLE: NightDIET: NilINTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)TREASURE TYPE: NilALIGNMENT: Neutral evilNO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVE: 6HIT DICE: 8THAC0: 13NO. OF ATTACKS: 2DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type

(doubled)SPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: Never surprised;

detects hidden or invisible beingswithin 60�

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil SIZE: MMORALE: Champion (15-16)XP VALUE: 975

The ankou is an undead creature whowas a miserly farmer or peasant in life, aperson so debased as to have murdered

his own family out of greed or to haveallowed his family to perish rather thanshare his hoard of food with them. Whendeath claims such a person, his soul some-times returns as an ankou, roaming thecountryside in search of other victims tocollect.

An ankou appears quite ordinary at adistance, seeming to be a poor farmer onthe road late at night, perhaps returningfrom a market town. It wears typical ruralclothing: ragged shoes or boots; worn,patched and dusty work clothes; andsometimes a broad-brimmed work hat setto cover its eyes. Closer inspection revealsit as an emaciated old man, with parchedlips and with skin pulled tightly across theface and body.

Three things upset this picture. First, anankou is usually armed with a farmer�sscythe (50%), a long sword that it carrieswithout a scabbard (20%), or a large club(20%); it is unarmed 10% of the time.Second, as an ankou takes its slow; stiff,and deliberate steps forward, its headnever ceases to turn from side to side, itsglowing, flame-red eyes scanning the landto either side looking for prey. Third, theankou is always followed by an apparentlysourceless, wooden creaking sound. This

is a product of an invisible cart pulled byan equally invisible ox or horse that iseven more emaciated than the ankou. Thepurpose of the cart (a gift of some nether-world god of evil) is to carry away thebodies of the ankou�s victims, leavingbehind nothing to mark its victims� laststruggles. Sometimes the sound of the cartcan be heard minutes before the ankouappears, apparently stepping out of thelengthening shadows of dusk or merelyapproaching along a darkened road.

Combat: The ankou is not particularabout whom it kills, but it is more likely tobe encountered by solitary travelers thanby groups (treat the ankou as if it wereonly �rare� on such occasions). It has ex-cellent senses of hearing and sight, so itcan detect anyone in hiding and cannot besurprised. Even with this ability, it will stillattack only those who are accessible. Theankou cannot cross open water or flame,though rough ground slows neither itselfnor its beast-drawn cart.

In combat the ankou usually fights witha weapon, doing double damage on all hits(2-16 hp damage with a sword, club, orscythe) because of its great strength andcarefully aimed attacks. As it is as slow asa zombie, it gets only one attack per roundand always strikes last.

If unarmed, an ankou attacks by grab-bing at its opponent and attempting towrap its thin arms around the victim�s

chest to crush him. The ankou needs tomake a single to-hit roll; if it succeeds, theankou has caught the victim in a bear hugof fantastic strength, its fingers lockingtogether with startling power. Everyround thereafter, the ankou does damageequal to the victim�s armor class (armortype and magical bonuses apply, but shieldand dexterity bonuses do not, for thepurposes of this calculation). Victims witharmor classes of 1 or less take no damage.The hugged victim may attack the ankouwith a one-handed melee weapon at - 2 tohit; he may instead elect to attempt tobreak the ankou�s hold, which can be doneif he makes a successful bend bars/liftgates strength roll (one attempt per roundallowed with no limit to the number ofattempts).

Being undead, the ankou is unaffectedby spells involving sleep, hold, charm, orcold of any sort, and its excellent sensesnegate the effects of many illusions (givingit a bonus of + 3 on saving throws vs.illusions). It can be turned by good clerics(or caused to ignore evil ones) as if it werea spectre. The touch of holy water in-stantly causes it and its cart to return tothe nether realms of Tartarus without thepossibility of a saving throw.

The invisible cart and beast of burdencan be directly attacked only by casting adispel evil or exorcise spell upon them,which will instantly destroy them (though

they will re-form on the following night ifthe ankou still exists). Weapon blows andmagical effects are ineffective againstthem.

Habitat/Society: The ankou is a veryslow and patient creature with the cease-less endurance of the undead. If an ank-ou�s victim escapes alive, it will follow himat its slow, plodding pace for the rest ofthe night, until it either catches and dis-passionately kills him, or until the firstlight of dawn intrudes, banishing theankou back to Tartarus until the nextdusk. It has no memory to speak of and sowill not resume its pursuit the next nightout of any spite. But if the ankou encoun-ters the same traveler on some subsequentnight, it will attack him normally, as if thefirst encounter had never occurred.

Ecology: The ankou is probably theundead that contributes the least to theecology of a world. As with others of itsilk, it neither eats nor can be safely eatenby Prime Material plane dwellers. Butunlike other undead, it does not leaveeven the lifeless bodies of its victims be-hind to be eaten or picked through fortreasures. All that remains after an ank-ou�s attack are a line of the victim�s foot-prints that end at the point where thevictim was waylaid by the driver of an ox-or horse-pulled cart, and the wheel rutsthat continue down the road, fading tonothingness.

DRAGON 55

he dead stayed dead. That was a fact oflife. They were buried with solemnrituals and rivers of tears. Friends andneighbors sympathized with the be-reaved family, bringing food and drinkand comfort. But nothing changed thefact that the dead stayed dead.

�Except in Aldagar,� Livvona sighed as she answeredthe knock at her door. Perhaps because the land had ahistory of wizard wars or because the lines of magic forcesmet there�whatever the reason, the dead often left theirintended final rest and roamed the desolate hills and scrubgrass plains, seeking . . . what?

It was Livvona�s vocation to discover what the deadwere seeking, then lay them to rest�permanently. Atleast, that was how people viewed her work, like the fourmen standing before her, all from the village of EldonGreen.

Livvona sighed again, glancing at the half-finished clothon her loom. She�d started weaving four months ago, justafter High Summer�s Day. Every time she�d added a fewinches, another group of petitioners had appeared at herdoor. This time she�d been home for a full day before themen of Eldon Green had knocked at her door.

�You�ve got to rid us of a Cold One,� insisted Taygus,the leader, a nut-brown man who stank of smoke andiron. �He�s killing our children!�

�Killing children!� she said, astonished.Taygus nodded.�Just children ?� Livvona asked, puzzled.Taygus nodded again. �Cold Fever�s already taken

three.��Oh, he�s not killing them himself.��Same as if he did! You�ve got to stop him!�Livvona finger-combed a strand of graying hair from

her face. Being a priestess of Sorwe the Gentle, she wascompelled to help anyone who asked. �I�ll come.�

�If we leave now, we can reach our village by noontomorrow,� Taygus said. A double arch of black browsfrowned together above his sharp nose. Sighing, Livvona shuffled to the shelves lining one endof her hut. Wooden boxes and ceramic bottles and crockssat in neat rows, color bands indicating what each con-tained. Potions for milk fever. Potions to keep locusts fromcrops. Potions for luck.

She put several containers carefully into her bag, alongwith food and a reed pipe.

�We�ve no time for music,� Taygus growled. �Then I pity you,� she said as she slid the strap over

her shoulder.King�s Road, running north toward Aldagar�s capital,

was deserted except for a man leaning heavily on a staff.The ragged sling on his left arm almost hid the merce-nary�s tattoo on his hand. Livvona stopped to check hisinjury, but Taygus tried to drag her away.

�Forget him! We found you before he did!�Jerking from his grip with a strength that left Taygus

looking shocked, Livvona glared at him. �Everyone whoneeds my help gets it. He�s hurt. I have to help.�

�But the Cold One! Our children are dying!��The time I give this man won�t make any difference,�

A Prayerfor theDead

by Deborah Millitello

Illustrations by Timothy Standish

DRAGON 59

she said quietly, but her tone was hard as stone.Taygus started to say something but closed his mouth in

a tight frown.She cleansed and rebandaged the soldier�s wound, and

gave him the blessing of Sorwe. He gave her thanks and acopper coin in return, then trudged southward.

Her companions said little the rest of the way, exceptMorthat, the youngest of them. He walked beside herwith a loose, easy gait. His eyes were like clouds heavywith life-giving rain.

�Tell me about the Cold One,� Livvona asked.�He came��Taygus interrupted Morthat. �I�ll tell her what she

needs to know.�Morthat lowered his gaze instantly and moved out of

Taygus�s way.Taygus looked down at her with eyes of iron. �I�ll an-

swer your questions.�Giving him a smile meant to put him at ease, she said,

�Then tell me about the Cold One.�Taygus kept his expression blank, staring straight up the

road as they walked. �What d�you want to know?��When did the Cold One appear?�Taygus blew out a slow breath. �Ten days ago. A boy

named Micah came running from the goat pasture andsaid a man had crept up from behind and hit him. All themen grabbed their weapons and went after the man.�Taygus shivered, although the air was warm. �We foundhim�it �a Cold One. Skin blotched red from BloodPlague, eyes like the fires of Keddor�s hell. We threatenedit, but we knew we couldn�t harm it. It said it�d kill all ourchildren.�

Morthat broke in then. �Our healer died several weeksago. We�d heard about your power over Cold Ones.That�s why we came to you.�

For a moment, Taygus looked as if he might strike Mor-that. Slowly, anger drained from Taygus�s leathery face tobe replaced by pain. �Yes, that�s why we came to you.You have to send the Cold One to Keddor�s endless fires�before it kills anyone else!�

Livvona shuddered. Taygus�s anguish was like a blast ofwinter.

�Why does he only touch your children?� she asked.�How should I know?� Taygus snapped at her. �It�s a

Cold One! Who knows why it does what it does? Thatkind hates life, all life!� His voice softened, and a tearwavered at the corner of his eye. �Any life.� He stared atthe road for a few moments, then looked up at her sharply.�What difference does it make, anyway? It�s a Cold One.You�re a priestess. You�re supposed to banish it.�

�Yes,� Livvona said softly as she stared at him, �but Ihave to know why he�s plaguing you before I can put hissoul to rest.�

Taygus mumbled something she couldn�t make out,then picked up his pace. Even Morthat had difficultykeeping up, with him. Livvona was grateful when Morthatoffered to carry her sack and gave her his walking stick tolean on. By the time they made camp at sunset, she wasexhausted.

No one talked much that evening, except when Livvonaprayed after the meal. The men chorused the proper re-

sponse, but without sincerity. She watched them, with-drawn, their eyes avoiding hers. They hid behind invisiblewalls of fear and distrust . . . or was it something else?She didn�t know. What she did know was that pain wasTaygus�s shield, a pain so sharp it had carved deepwounds in his soul. What could hurt a man like him downto the core of his being?

Livvona fell asleep, watching Taygus and wondering.

Taygus had been right. After turning off King�s Roadand walking for several hours, they arrived midday atEldon Green�a dozen stone huts clustered betweenmeadows and woods. All the inhabitants poured frombehind locked doors to greet the men.

Livvona could almost taste fear in the air. Handsclutched children close. Eyes, red from lack of sleep,glanced everywhere. But hope flickered in faces as thevillagers looked at Livvona.

�Taygus!� a woman�s voice cried. From one of thebuildings ran a middle-aged woman, her ash-gray eyeswild, her chestnut hair loose and tangled. She plowedthrough the crowd and tumbled into Taygus�s arms,sobbing.

�Ada! Ada, what�s wrong?��She�s dead! Raelyn�s dead!�Anguish filled Taygus�s dark eyes and cut deep lines in

his forehead. �Raelyn?� he whispered. �Goddess, no.Not her, too.� He buried his face against Ada�s thick hairand wept. �What about the boys?�

�Alive, barely,� she said.Livvona touched Ada�s shoulder. �Show me where they

are. I can still save them . . . I hope.�Wiping tears on her gray sleeve, Ada ran to her house,

a neat stone building with a forge to the left. Inside, neara blazing hearth, were four cots. A blanket covered a tinyform on one. In the other cots were three young boys,pale as moonlight.

Livvona touched the smallest boy�s cheek. Sweaty butcold as frost. Breathing so shallow, she could barely detectit. Body rigid and deathly pale. Just as she feared. ColdFever in its last stage. Even with the potions she�dbrought, she couldn�t be certain the children would live.

�Get tubs, troughs, anything large enough to hold thechildren. You have to bathe them in hot water, hot as they can stand, to stop the Cold. I�ll make a potion that willhelp. Force them to drink it. It should keep them aliveuntil I can banish the Cold One.�

Ten other children were also ill, she was told, but noneas seriously as Ada�s children. Taygus refused to leaveRaelyn�s body. He sat in a chair beside the hearth androcked her, singing a lullaby. He stared at the fire, with-drawn, not answering when Ada pleaded with him to helpwith his sons.

�Raelyn was our only daughter,� Ada said as she sankto a stool beside Livvona, who stirred a kettle of potion forthe children. �Taygus adored her.� Looking toward herhusband, she blinked back tears. �One day, some of thechildren slipped away to play at the edge of the woods. Weshould�ve watched them closer. That�s when the Cold Onefound them. Imsen�our oldest son�he tried to protecthis sister and the others. Imsen and another boy died right

60 OCTOBER 1990

after Micah. That�s when Taygus went to find you. Toolate . . . too late for Raelyn.� She hid her face in herhands and cried.

Livvona felt cold and sick, remembering how forcefulTaygus had been when she�d stopped to help the merce-nary. Had that delay caused Raelyn�s death? No, surelynot. It had taken only a little while to clean and dress thewound. It couldn�t have made the difference. Still, doubtbothered her conscience.

When the potion was finished, she sent for the womenwhose children were ill, giving a cupful for each child.�This should be enough for now. I must talk to the rest ofthe villagers before I meet the Cold One, but first I needsome sleep.�

�Please, stay at my house,� Morthat said. Livvonahadn�t noticed him hovering at the doorway. When shehesitated, he continued, �I live alone, so you�ll beundisturbed.�

She smiled. �I�ll check the other children, then come.�Morthat smiled back, smoothed back his golden-brown

hair, then left.Livvona checked all the children, making certain the

potion was being used properly, and gave them Sorwe�sblessing. As she trudged to Morthat�s house, she leanedheavily on the walking stick he had lent her. She felt oldsuddenly, tired, and she wondered if she were strongenough to deal with the Cold One. Too late to send foranother priestess. She had to face him now, whether shewas ready or not.

Morthat had moved his bed before the hearth and pro-vided a thick fur to spread over the blankets. �I�ll guardthe door while you sleep.�

She smiled at him. �Thank you. Wake me well beforesunset.�

He nodded and left.Huddling under the covers, Livvona breathed the slow,

calming prayers she�d learned so many years ago, then fellasleep.

She moaned as Morthat woke her, not wanting to leavethe warmth of the bed. �So soon?� she whispered.

�Yes. The men are waiting outside, as you asked.�Joints creaked as she pushed back the blankets and sat

up. This would be the last time she gave a Cold Onepeace. Somehow, she knew it. She tugged her sack overher shoulder, the weight like lead. �May I use your walk-ing stick a while longer?�

�Of course,� he said, offering his arm for support.She smiled, shook her head, and preceded him from the

house.All the men were there, all but Taygus. Livvona heard

his voice singing softly to his dead child. She would haveto heal him later.

�Stay inside tonight, all of you,� Livvona said. �Bardoors and windows, and don�t step outside until dawn.�She started to leave.

�I�ll come with you,� Morthat said.She didn�t stop or even look back at him. �No. I need

to be alone and undistracted tonight. Sorwe will protectme. Stay inside.�

There was a momentary silence, then hurried footsteps

and closing doors.Walking west across the wide meadow, Livvona looked

for a place for the confrontation. The setting sun dyedeverything blood red and rust orange as it crept towardthe mountains. At last, she chose a slight rise with a clearview on all sides. Shadows spread across the meadow asshe searched for a flower, finding a tiny but fragrant but-terdrop. From her sack she removed a square of fabricand spread it on the ground. Sorwe�s symbol, an out-stretched hand, glittered golden on the silver cloth. Sheplaced the flower and a small dish of honeycomb on it,then sat crosslegged on the. ground, shivering as, the chillair seeped through her clothes and into her joints. Takingthe reed pipe from her sack, she prayed a protective circlearound her as she watched the final sliver of sun sink be-hind the mountains.

The moon rose milk-white and full over the trees. Liv-vona began to play her pipe softly, a tune filled with sum-mer skies and bubbling streams, warm days and pleasantnights, woman�s love and child�s laughter. The musicglided on the night wind, growing stronger as she played.

Suddenly, she felt a draft of cold that even Keddor�sfires couldn�t warm. A graveyard stench made her stom-ach lurch. The Cold One was near. Her hands shook, butshe kept playing.

Soon, a shadowy form covered with rotting clothesstood before her. Even in the moonlight she could see darkstains on his skin, signs of the Blood Plague that had killedhim, but lesions of decay marked him as well. He staredat her, eyes glowing like a forge, burning with hate.

�Who ar-re you?� he asked, his voice like dry leaves.�Livvona, priestess of Sorwe the Gentle, healer, peace

giver.� She held the pipe between her palms and bowed.�And who were you?�

�Wer-re?� His laugh was cold as ice, sharp as steel.�No one.�

�But you had a name.��Yes-s,� he answered slowly. �Sethim. My name was-s

Sethim.�She bowed again. �One who was Sethim, I offer you

gifts. Breathe the scent of this flower, and remember theperfume of spring meadows. Taste the sweetness of honey,and remember the satisfaction of good food and mead.Hear the music of my pipe, and remember the songs ofbirds and the laughter of children. All these are the joys ofliving.�

He looked down at the butterdrop, then knelt andtouched it. A tear oozed from his eyes and fell on theflower, coating it with frost. Jerking his hand away andstanding quickly, he glared at her.

�The joys-s of life have no m-meaning to m-me,� hehissed. �Only sor-r-row and r-reveng-ge.�

�Revenge? You seek revenge against children?��No!� The force of his voice was a gale against her

shields. �Not against-st children! Against-st theirparents-s!�

�Why? What did they do to you?��They know.� The hellish light in his eyes burned

brighter. �They know well. J-justice for their crim-me!�One seeking vengeance�a true revenant, she thought, shiver-

ing. The power of his hate, his rage, pounded against her

DRAGON 61

circle of protection. This was going to be harder thanshe�d imagined. Revenants didn�t reveal their purposesreadily, and they weren�t banished to the grave by prayersalone.

Fever. Her voice became soft, gentle, as a mother whis-pering to her child. �Will stealing their lives give life toChellaine?�

She pushed against his hate, gently, without threat, thenspoke again. �But you�re killing children! Four are al-ready dead, and more will die.�

He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his face from her.A sob heaved his hollow chest. �No . . . I . . . No.�

As his hate wavered, Livvona pressed him. �Today alittle girl died, one who�d never harmed you. She diedslowly, painfully, Cold Fever stealing the warmth of herlife away. You killed her! Why?� She thought she�dtouched his compassion, stirred his pity. His reactionwasn�t what she expected.

�No,� he said, leaf-tangled hair falling over his face ashe hung his head. �But what justice is-s there for herdeath-th?�

�They killed m-my daughter-r!� he shouted at her.�Death-th for death-th!�

Livvona considered his question. What would be justicefor the villagers� actions �I don�t know. But I will. By?Sorwe I swear, I will. Rest tonight. Tomorrow, come tothe edge of the village at sunset. Justice will be done.�

He looked at her, eyes narrowed, brow creased withdoubt. At last, he spoke. �I�ll wait one more day.�

She nodded. �That�s all I ask.�He turned and started toward the woods, but over his

shoulder he said, �One day only. And I swear that if yourjudgment isn�t true justice, you�ll be the first-st to join mein Keddor�s hell.�

The fury of his hatred slammed her back against thecold ground. Gasping for breath, she rolled slowly to herside, pushed up on her elbow, and met his gaze. �Thevillagers . . . murdered . . . your daughter?�

�Yes-s!��How?� she whispered. �Tell me the truth, Sethim,

and by Sorwe I swear justice will be given to them.�Sethim hesitated, anger and pain flitting across his ul-

cered face.

Sethim merged into the night shadows, taking his kill-ing cold with him. The fiery gleam from his eyes re-mained with Livvona for hours.

The last stars were fading when Morthat met her half-way to the village.

�Did the villagers of Eldon Green murder yourdaughter?�

compassion? �Are we safe?�She swallowed hard before she spoke again. �You know �Will the children live?�

what it is to watch your child die, helpless to stop it. You Livvona stared at each of them, her mouth tight, herknow how she suffered. Do you want other children to eyes narrowed. Not one could meet her gaze for long.suffer as she did? To feel the burning fever, the freezing �Sorwe forgive you all,� she said, her voice soft butchills? To be too weak to breathe, too tired to live?� She piercing. �I know.�summoned the images of the sick children of Eldon Green, The villagers shrank from her, shame coloring paleshowing him their pain, forcing him to feel their suffering, cheeks.hear their sobs, see life drained from them by the Cold �But they had the plague. . .�

�Yes-s! No. But they killed her-r!� His shoulderssagged, and he closed his eyes. �We fled our-r village inthe west because of the Blood Plague, but I didn�t knowwe alr-ready had the sickness. I was trying to r-reach theTemple of Sorwe when I found the village. Chellaine was-sunconscious-s by then. I shouted for a healer. They toldme to go away. I begged, I pleaded for-r help, but theythrew stones at us-s and drove us-s into the woods.� Hesank to the ground as if weak. �Chellaine died a shorttime later. I dug her grave with my lingers-s and buriedher. Not long after that, I died too.�

�I couldn�t stay in the village while you were out herealone. I watched from here, to make sure you weren�thurt. Are you all right?� he asked. �Let me help you.�

Even though she was drained and barely able to stand,Livvona pulled back from his offered hand, leaning heav-ily on the walking stick to keep from shaking. �No.�

�Is he . . . gone? Forever?��No.� Her voice was sharper than she�d intended.

�Why didn�t you tell me the truth?�He flinched, then stared at his feet, his shoulders droop-

ing. When he met her gaze finally, his face was pale, hischeeks sunken. �I wanted to. Sorwe knows, I tried, butTaygus said you wouldn�t help us if you knew. I . . . Icouldn�t let the children die.�

Livvona�s thin brows pulled together as she closed hereyes in shock. Only one other village in Aldagar had everacted as Eldon Green had. A barren desert covered theremains of that cursed place. �Sorwe forgive them.�

�No!� Sethim pounded his rotting fist against theground. �They deserve no forgiveness-s-s! When theycame for me, I swore they�d pay for Chellaine�s death-th,that none of their children would live!�

Putting an arm around her waist for support, Morthattold her the truth while the two of them walked. The vil-lage healer had just died when Sethim had stumbled intoEldon Green, marks of Blood Plague covering his body.�There was nothing we could do to cure him or his littlegirl. I wanted to give him water and food, but Taygus saidno, and the others agreed with him.� He hung his head.�I should�ve anyway.�

Horror clutched her heart and forced tears from hereyes. Her stomach felt as if she�d eaten a half-cookedlump of dough, and her throat was as raw and burning asif she�d vomited. Why did children often pay for theirparents� sins? And what sin was worse than lack of

Livvona gave his arm a light squeeze. She understoodthe villagers� fear. Blood Plague spread quickly and wasalways fatal unless treated by a healer. But to do nothing,to drive the sick away with stones. . . .

When she and Morthat arrived at Eldon Green, theywere surrounded by the villagers.

�Is he gone?�

62 OCTOBER 1990

�We had no healer . . .��We would�ve died . . .��There was nothing we could do . . .�She raised the walking stick with both hands, then

pounded it against the ground like a forester splitting logs.�You could�ve built a shelter of sticks and hides outsidethe village! You could�ve given them food and water andfirewood, and sent for a healer! You could�ve cared! Seewhat your fear and lack of compassion has cost you!�

Heads turned away. Hands muffled sobs. Eyes fixed ongrass, sky, woods, anywhere but on her.

Morthat bowed his head, lines cutting across his highforehead. �Priestesss, I knew it was wrong, but I didn�tstop them. I did nothing. What punishment do I deserve?What will give the Cold One�and us�peace?�

Livvona shook her head. �I don�t know. I must prayand ask Sorwe�s guidance. The Cold One will come atsunset. Then, I�ll give you my judgment.�

The strength her anger had given her disappeared. Shewalked toward Morthat�s house, stumbled, and felt hisarms catch her.

�Please. Let me help you,� he said.Too tired to argue or answer, Livvona leaned on him.

He guided her to his house, helped her into bed, and builta new fire in the hearth.

Shivering beneath the blankets, she prayed. Lady Sorwe,goddess of healing, show me what is justice for Sethim and EldonGreen.

She waited for an answer to come, as it always hadbefore. This time there was silence within. All she heardwas Morthat adding wood to the fire, and the echo of hiswords: �Let me help you.� The words became visible,letters written in light and blood that changed into handsreaching out.

Livvona smiled as she drifted to sleep. She had heranswer.

Morthat stood beside Livvona as the sunset turned theworld to flame. Behind her, the villagers shuffled uncom-fortably. She shielded her eyes against the red glow,watching, searching.

Out of the sunlight came a shadow, a darkness withoutwarmth of life. Preceded by a blast of soul-chilling cold,Sethim approached, his eyes glowing brighter than thesun. �It is-s time, priestess of Sorwe. Show me justice.�

She nodded slightly and turned to the villagers. �Heasked for your help; you refused him. He asked for shel-ter; you drove him away. He asked for pity; you showedhim fear. You caused the death of this man and his child.You murdered them as surely as if you had driven swordsthrough them. Their blood has stained your fields andpastures, and Sorwe�s face is turned from you.�

Terror paled faces as villagers gasped or sobbed. Hercurse meant no blessing at birth, no prayer at death, andno healer between.

Shaken, dark eyes haunted, Morthat sank to one kneeand reached out to her. �Priestess, please, show mercy!�

�Mercy!� Sethim said, eyes like bonfires. �What mercydid you show Chellaine or m-me?�

�Peace!� Livvona said, glaring at Sethim. �Death fordeath. That�s what you said. They caused two deaths, youand Chellaine. Count the deaths here, Sethim. You�ve

caused four deaths, taken four innocent lives. You�ll haveto answer to Sorwe for them!�

Sethim winced under her gaze but didn�t answer.Livvona looked back at Morthat. �Mercy? Can you

give life to the dead?��I would if I could,� he said. �I�d trade my life for

theirs, if it were possible.� His eyes widened. �Is it?�She shook her head. �Only the goddess can give life.

But you can give what she demands as just payment.��Anything.��She asks your life.�Morthat�s thin brows arched and met above his sloping

nose. �But you said . . . but they can�t . . . I don�tunderstand.�

��Let me help you.� Twice you�ve said that to me. Thatis what you must do, what all of you must do.� She swepther hand toward the villagers. �Offer your help to every-one who needs it. Eldon Green will be a haven for thesick, the homeless, the hopeless. No one will be turnedaway, ever. Life for death.�

The villagers glanced at each other, then nodded atMorthat.

�Thank you,� he said, a smile almost bowing his lips.Turning to Sethim, Livvona said, �Life for death. Is

this justice?�He was silent for a moment, then he said, �Justice. . .

and mercy.��Then be at peace, Sethim. Rest in the gentle arms of

Sorwe.�The fire in his eyes mellowed to the soft glow of dying

embers. �Peace be yours, priestess-s-s. May we meetagain beyond this world.� He bowed, turned, and walkedwith stiff, halting steps toward the woods.

Livvona started to follow, but Morthat stopped her.�How can we care for the sick? We have no healer.�The corners of her mouth twitched as she held back a

smile. �You do now.�She hobbled after Sethim, reciting prayers for the living

and prayers for the dead.

DRAGON 63

64 OCTOBER 1990

TSR� Books is wrapping up its 1990schedule, and the last three novels you�llsee this year prove to be thrilling. Thesebooks mark the appearance of three newauthors to the publishing world, and TSRis confident their stories will grab youfrom the start. The pace is quick, theenemies many, and the outcomes�well,they�re for us to know and you to find out,if you dare.

OutbankerIf you are a science-fiction fanatic, look

for Outbanker. First-time author TimothyMadden creates a scenario that will haveyou dancing along the gravitational edgeof a star system with Ian S. MacKenzie,Outbanker, and his loquacious computer,Sheila. Sent to patrol the boundaries oftheir star system, they are to the futurewhat knights and cowboys were to ourpast. MacKenzie battles robots whosetouch turns flesh to jelly, and Sheila floodsthe air with revelations as she �maturesout� and develops a human personality.Their mission, through it all, is to protecttheir home colonies from the villainousCorporate Hegemony.

Madden conceived the idea while drivinghome from Springfield, Ill. �It had been abad week. Murphy�s Law had workedeverywhere,� he says. �I was out in themiddle of Route 55, rolling along, therewasn�t much traffic, and suddenly the firstlines of the narrative popped into myhead.�

Madden was not always a writer bytrade. He has a master�s degree in publicadministration and was an intelligenceanalyst, a rehabilitation center director, a

A trio that�ll take you to the limitsby Theresa Hickey

national sales manager, and a vice presi-dent of manufacturing. He also hasworked as a professional lobbyist andcurrently is the managing editor of Scor-pio Press.

�I�ve had a lot of career changes and jobsin my life, and I think the reason for it isthat I�ve always been a writer and wasn�twriting,� Madden says. �I have a lot oftalents, but I never knew what I wanted todo�I was a creative artist and wasn�tdoing creative arts of any kind.�

These experiences, though, did notconstitute lost time. �I was always �psycho-logically� or �spiritually� destined to write,so until I did it I was just going along gain-ing experiences for my writing,� Maddenexplains.

Currently he has four other completednovels and plans to begin a fifth; all of hisbooks include the theme of political powerand its intrigues. In addition, his charac-ters never seem to have all the informa-tion necessary to make importantdecisions, and yet, at some point in hisstories, they are forced to decide. Maddenconsiders this type of decision making anessential part of life.

When he�s not writing, Madden readsscience and technology books, and philoso-phy books covering science and technol-ogy. He watches movies and lists amonghis favorites Predator, Conan the Barbar-ian, and The Terminator.

Outbanker is already on your bookstoreshelves.

The Road WestGary Wright is no stranger to the feel of

mountains underfoot. �I�m very much amountain man,� he says. �I grew up in thehills of New England, and I have to havemountains around me.� His love of theoutdoors may be one reason Wright set hisfirst novel, The Road West, in the troubledmountains above a city named Midvale.

The Road West follows the life of Kevenof Kingsend, a young man orphaned at anearly age who, by his own talents, man-ages to join the prestigious King�s ArmsAcademy. After graduating with highesthonors, Keven goes west on the questingroad and discovers adventures in themountains above Midvale. The story ad-dresses internal as well as external tur-moil, and the enemies are not alwaysclearly evident.

�Keven carries a lot of his own problemsalong with him, and most of his enemiesare within himself,� Wright explains. �Butthe problems he meets on the road are ameans of solving his own troubles.� Onenotable characteristic of The Road West isthe author�s use of dialogue and colloquial-isms. Wright borrowed heavily from localconversation, recording the voices of thosearound him. �A lot of those [colloquialisms]are New England Yankee sayings, andsometimes I even used the accents,�Wright says. �And some are expressions Iheard when I was a little boy, though I�vechanged them around to fit the story.�

The main character and portions of the

DRAGON 65

plot were, at one time, part of a DUNGEONS& DRAGONS® game scenario. �Keven was acharacter that was rolled up at one time,and he graduated from there,� Wright says.But it took many hours of developing totransform Keven from a game name to acharacter who was able to sustain a novel.Then it took many more hours of writing toexpress these ideas clearly.

�I�d get at it early in the morning andwork until my back started telling me toquit. That could be anywhere from four toeight hours,� Wright says. He worked dailyand occasionally on weekends. Wheneverhe ran into a snag, he�d go hiking to let hissubconscious work things out. �Writingallows you to be independent, but it canbecome very strenuous. You have to bevery strict with yourself.�

Although The Road West is Wright�s firstnovel, he is no stranger to writing. He hassold stories to periodicals such as Galaxyand The Magazine of Fantasy and ScienceFiction, and his story �Mirror of Ice� wasincluded in Nebula 3 and in a volume ofHarry Harrison�s Best Science Fiction ofthe Year

The Road West will hit bookstores inOctober.

The Alien DarkDiana Gallagher, a 1989 Hugo award-

winning artist, makes a strong showingwith her first novel, The Alien Dark. The

main characters are aliens that the authordescribes as �a combination of cats andbears, but as removed from cats and bearsas we are from apes.� This alien specieshas reached an evolutionary dead endand, faced with a slowly dying homeplanet, decides to launch six vessels intodeep space. They hope to find an uninhab-ited world suitable for colonization. Aftera decades-long mission, the search partyfinds a system that seems ideal for thespecies�until some startling discoveriesthrow everything into question.

Gallagher admits that using alien crea-tures as main characters was not theeasiest way to begin her novel-writingcareer, but she believes readers will beable to empathize with her characters.�The trick is to have them be alien enoughwithout having them be something that ahuman reader can�t identify with. Mycharacters grew by small increments untilthey became real personalities and veryreal to me, so consequently I�m sure they�llbe real to the reader,� she says.

The themes covered in The Alien Darkare not easily summarized, according toGallagher, but they center around a typeof societal myopia. �I guess you could saythe book is about not looking ahead to seethe results of your actions,� she says. �Andyet, when faced with the ultimate disas-ters, there will always be hope.�

�I�m a very positive person,� she explains.

�No matter what the adversity, there is avery positive side to it. It doesn�t matterhow bad it is, it could be worse,�

Gallagher spent 10 years, off and on,writing The Alien Dark, and unlike manywriters, she does not have a regimenwhen writing�she writes whenever shecan find the time. �I�m working in negativehours at the moment,� she says with alaugh. She isn�t certain if training andtaking care of her daughter�s show horsesconstitutes a true hobby, though it�s theonly type of leisure she can afford atpresent.

Before she embraced novel writing as atype of second career, Gallagher experi-mented with poetry and dabbled in songwriting and in the entertainment profes-sion. �Then I went through a hiatus forabout four years when I didn�t do any-thing,� she says. But one night her activi-ties began again as suddenly as they hadstopped. �I went to see Star Wars and wastotally blown away,� she explains. �It wasthe visual scope, to know that someone,somewhere, envisioned this in his mindand then made it happen. At that point, Istarted writing immediately.�

The Alien Dark will be in bookstores inDecember, 1990.

Keep your eyes on the table of contentsfor our next �Novel Ideas� column in issue#164, when we will tell you what�s new withthe barbarians in the Empires Trilogy.

66 OCTOBER 1990

DRAGON 67

LILITH�Daughter of Dracula

�Hi. My dad�s Vlad.�

by Dale A. Donovan

F EX (20) Health: 186A IN (40)S RM (26) Karma: 96E UN (100)R GD (10) Resources: GD (10)I IN (40)P AM (46) Popularity: - 20

If you haven�t been following the lateststory line in Marvels Doctor Strange comic,you might not know that the spell DocStrange cast awhile back that wiped outvampires on Earth (the Montesi Formula)has been invalidated, and vampires areback in the MARVEL UNIVERSE®. In brief,here�s how it happened:

Many years ago, when Stephen Strangewas a mere apprentice to his mentor, theAncient One, Strange cast a spell he wasnot familiar with (the Vampiric Verses) inorder to save his dying brother, Victor.Victor�s life was saved, but he was trans-formed into a vampire. Using his medicalexpertise, Strange had Victor put intosuspended animation for safekeeping andstored him in an empty warehouse thatStrange owned.

It was after this point that Doc Strangecast the Montesi Formula from theDarkhold (a book of �black magic�), ban-ishing all vampires from Earth. This spelldid not affect Victor Strange, however, asbeing in suspended animation apparentlyprotected him.

More recently, after Doc Strange�s appar-ent death, his associate Sara Wolfe sold theland on which the warehouse was built.When the empty warehouse was torndown, the suspended animation equip-ment was damaged, and Victor revived.This event, and those that followed, haveseemingly �broken� the Montesi Formula,opening the door for vampires to againplague the mortals of Earth.

This month, I�ll give the statistics for myfavorite MARVEL UNIVERSE vamp, Lilith,and discuss using vampires in your Marvelcampaign. For more information onMARVEL UNIVERSE vampires, see Dracu-la�s statistics in either DRAGON® issue#126 or the Gamer�s Handbook of theMARVEL UNIVERSE®, Vol. I, and seeDRAGON issue #104 for the MARVELSUPER HEROES� module, Sudden Dawn,which details the Nazi vampire, BaronBlood.

POWERS: All of Lilith�s vampiric powersstemmed from a spell cast on her by agypsy when Lilith was a normal child (see�History�). Lilith possessed all of the stand-ard abilities of a vampire, almost none ofthe limitations, and one extra power. Dueto the spell, Lilith�s vampiric powers ex-ceeded the levels of all other vampires,with the possible exception of her father,

Resistances: Lilith could not be perma-nently harmed by most physical or energyattacks. She could be poisoned but couldnot die from poison. (Ignore Kill resultsagainst her, but Lilith can be Slammed andStunned. For specific weaknesses, see�Limitations� below.)

Transformation: Lilith could change hershape to any of the following forms in oneround, with Amazing ability:

�A visible cloud of mist that could passthrough very small cracks and openings.Lilith could fly at Feeble airspeed in thisform and was immune to physical attacks.She could transform discrete portions ofher body into mist as well.

�A normal-size bat that retained Lilith�sintellect. In this form, she could fly at Poorairspeed and attacked on the Edged At-tacks column, doing Poor damage (butcouldn�t score any Kill results). See page 58of the MARVEL SUPER HEROES AdvancedSet Judge�s Book for more on bats.

Vampire�s Bite: Although Lilith did notneed to ingest blood to survive (see �Limi-tations�), she did savor the taste and wouldoften bite the neck of a victim to obtain it.Her bite did Typical (6) damage per round.As she fed, Lilith also injected an enzymeinto her victim�s body that would add tohis weakness (due to blood loss) and makehim susceptible to Lilith�s hypnotic com-mands, even over long distances (see�Summoning and Controlling� and �Lim-ited Telepathy� below). If the victim diedfrom blood loss, the enzyme would causehim to arise three nights later as a normalvampire. This vampire would have all thetraditional weaknesses of vampires (sun-light, garlic, holy symbols, etc.) even

The MARVEL-Phile’s Marvel characters and the distinctive names and likenesses thereof are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment Gr oup, Inc. and are used with permission. Copyright ©1990Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DRAGON 71

MARVELMARVELthough Lilith did not.

Summoning and Controlling: Lilith hadseveral powers in these areas:

�Lilith could summon and control up toher Psyche number in rats, mice, bats,dogs, or wolves with a successful PsycheFEAT roll. The type of animals summoneddepended upon the environment in whichLilith was encountered.

�She also had the ability to hypnotizean ordinary mortal when she caught thevictim�s eye, even for a few seconds (oneround). Lilith could then command suc-cessfully hypnotized victims into perform-ing virtually any act short of outrightmurder or suicide. Lilith could perform noother actions in the round she attemptedto hypnotize.

�Lilith could control the weather with ared Psyche FEAT roll. The effects variedfrom thick fog to powerful rain, snow,wind, or electrical storms, all equal toLilith�s Psyche in strength. This actdrained Lilith, however, and left her un-able to use any other vampiric abilities for1-10 hours.

Immortality: Even if Lilith�s body wasdestroyed, her spirit would escape andeventually enter the body of an innocentwoman who wished her own father dead.Lilith could then, using certain mysticrituals, transform her �new� body into aduplicate of her own. Lilith could not bepermanently destroyed as long as herfather, Dracula, existed. Lilith also pos-sessed Excellent (20) regenerative abilitiesin any body she inhabited.

Limited Telepathy: Lilith could telepathi-cally command any person anywhere onEarth from whom she had drained blood,whether that victim was still alive or haddied and arisen as a vampire himself.LIMITATIONS: Because Lilith�s vampir-ism was due to the spell cast upon her, shewas immune to most of the traditionalbanes of vampires. Lilith did not need torest during the daylight hours, had nodependence on her native soil, and couldwithstand direct sunlight. She also did notneed blood to sustain herself (but she didenjoy the taste). She was not repulsed orharmed by religious objects, and she coulduse them against other vampires. She wasalso immune to the effects of garlic.

Lilith was not totally invulnerable, how-ever. Her body could be killed by driving awooden stake through her heart. Thiswould require restraining Lilith (getting atleast a Partial Hold), and getting a Redresult for the staking attack. Also, success-fully attacking Lilith with silver weaponsdid normal damage to her.TALENTS: Lilith had considerable knowl-edge about the occult, mystic lore, vam-pires in general, and her father inparticular. Treat her Reason as Excellent(20) in these areas.

CONTACTS: Lilith had few contacts inthe world of mortals, although she could

have contacts with Dracula (as a nemesis,not an ally) and Doctor Strange, as shewas present when he cast the MontesiFormula.

NOTE: It is important to remember thatLilith is a member of the undead, andthere is no Karma loss for destroying her.If Lilith is inhabiting a �captured� body,however, the PCs should be awarded extraKarma if they attempt to remove Lilithfrom the body she�s inhabiting, ratherthan just killing Lilith outright.

HISTORY: Lilith was the daughter of VladDracula and his first wife, a Hungariannoblewoman, Zofia. After Lilith was born,Dracula drove her and her mother away;Lilith was given to an old gypsy womannamed Gretchin, and her mother commit-ted suicide. A few years later, Draculahimself was mortally wounded in battleand was taken to a gypsy healer who wasactually a vampire. The healer killed Vladand transformed him into a vampire. As aresult of this treachery, the now-undeadVlad Dracula went on a rampage, killingall the gypsies he could find.

The vengeful mother of one of the gyp-sies Dracula killed, Gretchin, cast a spellon Dracula�s daughter, Lilith. This spelltransformed the child into an adult vam-pire. Certain properties of this spell gaveLilith both the vampiric and unique abili-ties she possessed and granted her thestatus of Dracula�s eternal foe. Lilith wouldexist, moving from body to body as eachdied, as long as Dracula roamed the Earth.

At first, Lilith attacked humans indis-criminately to feed her vampiric tastes.She eventually learned to control herbloodlust, only attacking those whom sheconsidered evil. She also came to the real-ization that she didn�t need blood to sur-vive, thanks to Gretchin�s spell.

Lilith wanted to punish Dracula for allthe evil and suffering he had created inthe world. After battling her father forcenturies, the two eventually came to atruce, vowing never to meet again. Theydid not see each other until about 30 yearsago. On the estate of Quincy Harker�Dracula�s longtime nemesis�Harker�s wifedied from fear of Dracula. Harker took hisrevenge by killing Lilith.

Lilith�s spirit wandered the British Islesfor three decades searching for an inno-cent woman who wished her father dead.She finally found such a woman in North-ern Ireland. A girl named Angel O�Brien, aCatholic, had married and become preg-nant by a Protestant man named Ted Han-nigan. Upon hearing this, Angel�s fatherattacked both Angel and Ted. Ted wasfelled by the blow, struck his head, anddied. At that moment Angel felt a murder-ous hatred for her father, and Lilith en-tered her body.

Angel/Lilith killed Angel�s father (he didnot become a vampire) and began a dualexistence. Lilith often took over Angel�s

body completely, even to the point ofmaking it look like Lilith�s original body.Angel had no memories of these episodes,although she realized she was experienc-ing �blackouts.�

Bored with the British Isles, Lilith co-erced Angel into moving to New York City,where Angel met, fell in love with, andlived with a man called Martin Gold. Lilithsoon wearied of having to share a body, soshe sought out Victor Benzel, a descendentof the gypsy, Gretchin. Benzel, who hadinherited much of Gretchin�s mystic lore,performed mystical ceremonies that re-moved Lilith from Angel�s body and pro-vided a duplicate of Lilith�s own for her.Angel returned to her life under a spell sothat she would never remember any partof her life and dealings with Lilith.

Lilith now sought out her father for afinal confrontation. She found him atCastle Dracula, where they battled. Drac-ula finally bared his chest to Lilith anddared her to drive a stake into his heart.Lilith found that she could not do it. Drac-ula taunted her, saying that as a part ofthe spell that changed Lilith, Gretchin hadmade Lilith incapable of killing Dracula,which would then end Lilith�s own exist-ence. Lilith doubted this reasoning, butthey parted soon after. It remains unclearwhether Dracula�s reasoning was true orwhether he was exerting some kind ofcontrol over his daughter.

Lilith lost track of Dracula after this.Although she still longed to destroy Drac-ula should she ever find him, Lilith beganto live an independent lifestyle. She even-tually came to live in a villa in southernFrance, after adopting the surname Drake(the form the family name Dracula evolvedinto). She was present when DoctorStrange and his allies cast the MontesiFormula that ended her existence and herfather�s.

ROLE-PLAYING NOTES: Since vampirescan again exist on Earth, it is possible forLilith (and other vampires, including herfather) to appear in your campaign. Shecould be searching for her father, perhapsaware of his (recent or impending) arrivalin your campaign city. If so, she mighteven be inclined to work with the heroesto help eliminate her father�s threat. Shewould, of course, do her best to keep heridentity and powers secret�at least untilthe right moment.

Lilith need not be linked to her father,however. She could also come back as aravening monster, worse than her father,if her �death� by the Montesi Formuladrove her mad. Lilith would be an ex-tremely dangerous foe, given that she hasso few weaknesses common to other vam-pires and is immortal.

OTHER VAMPIRES: Vast possibilitiesexist for encounters and even full cam-paigns featuring vampires. If vampiresinfest your city, your heroes could become

modern-day vampire-hunters, carryingaround hammers and wooden stakes alongwith their splurge-guns and wakka-wakkadevices. Imagine your players� faces thefirst time their characters encounter avampire attacking some poor soul. They�llcharge to the rescue, only to discover thisbeing is no ordinary mugger!

For those Judges devilish enough toincorporate vampires into their cam-paigns, a brief conversion system is of-fered to transform characters into the vile,blood-sucking fiends we all love so much.Remember that very few vampires wouldhave abilities at Lilith�s level. She wasdefinitely an exception to the rule.(Thanks to Jeff Grubb for the originalconversion guidelines in DRAGON #126.)

Agility: +1CS (maximum Remarkable);Strength: +1CS (maximum Remarkable);Endurance: +2CS (maximum Amazing);Health: modified accordingly.A �normal� vampire can: transform into

mist and at least one animal form; climbsheer surfaces (wall-crawling); use Typical(6) or better Regeneration; commandcertain animals; and control any vampireit creates if the target vampire fails aPsyche FEAT roll. It also has all weak-nesses normally associated with vampires.

Feel free to adapt these conversions tofit the power level of your campaign andheroes. Just remember that vampires aresome of the most dangerous beings in theMARVEL UNIVERSE, and any encounterwith one should be extremely challengingfor your heroes.

One more thing to remember aboutLilith in particular, and MARVEL UNI-VERSE vampires in general, is thatthrough biting (but not killing) a victim, avampire can control the victim�s actions.This includes most PC heroes. AlthoughLilith certainly could attack and controlone of your PCs, I personally don�t recom-mend it. The heroes are really the �stars�of the campaign, and taking the control ofa character from the player is a verytricky situation at best. To me, taking acharacter away from the player, especiallyin a super-hero game where the PCs havepowers �beyond the ken of mortal men,�just isn�t right. If you decide to do this, doit very carefully. NPCs are another matterentirely. If a vampire attacks and controlsan important NPC, maybe even a lovedone of the hero(es), many interesting role-playing situations can develop.

That�s it for now. Next month, look for�Leftovers II: The Villains,� and I�ll be backin issue #165. Send any comments orquestions to: The MARVEL-Phile, DRAGONMagazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI53147, U.S.A.

DRAGON 73

VoyageContinued from page 45

patches of green and beige. These dirigi-bles are often (illegally) armed.

Demeulemeister, Ltd.: This Fla-maeker trade house is specialized in theconstruction of vehicles that fly and in thebusiness of transportation. Its specialty isthe dirigible. Part of Oostdok�s economyrelies on doing business with people livingon the mainland, and good dirigibles aredifficult to build and fly. Transport dirigi-bles are often purchased or rented fromDemeulemeister�s Rent-a-Blimp service,under the condition that a properly ac-credited and trained Demeulemeister crewcontrols all piloting procedures. Demeule-meister is having difficulties with theHeldannic Knights, who want the com-pany to train Heldannic crewmen. Hem-beek, Hembeek & Huysevant (see later)has been administrating the case . . . forthe last 10 years. Demeulemeister officialsare in contact with Broqueville representa-tives to purchase armament in the eventthe case is lost. Demeulemeister intends todefend its policies against the Heldannicintrusion to the bitter end.

Demeulemeister�s dirigibles bear red andwhite stripes. The company owns a dozen,each with a large number painted at therear, on the fins.

Hembeek, Hembeek & Huysevant,Ltd.: Created by the amalgamation of twoFlamaeker cousin clans with a third alliedfamily, this trade house deals with allaspects of the law. The majority of its kinform a powerful corps of attorneys, law-yers, magistrates, and legal scribes havinga monopoly on all judiciary proceedings onOostdok. Professional advocates and pros-ecutors working for HH&H have beenmentally conditioned to be absolutelyimpartial to their clients; the best of themwork only for HH&H proper. This house�sgreatest power resides in its legal right tocause other trade houses to sue eachother, whether they want to or not; this isa major source of revenue for HH&H

when business is poor.HH&H dirigibles come in light- and dark-

blue wave patterns.Johanneke Gnomes Worldwide,

Ltd.: These Flamaeker gnomes establishedthe bulk of their business in banking. Notonly are most major projects financeddirectly by Johanneke, but the trade housealso owns and operates countless goldmines on Oostdok and in the mountains atthe Hollow World�s equator. The gold iswhat attracted the Heldannic Knights inthe first place, but in the long run the goldmay in fact turn against them. This gold isharming the Heldannic economy by caus-ing inflation in the various Heldanniccolonies; prices are rising without limit.Johanneke is aware of the effect, and ittends to be overgenerous to the Knightswhen paying the annual gold tribute inhopes this will accelerate the inflationprocess (the plan does seem to be work-ing). Johanneke Gnomes Worldwide alsoact as traveling gold and gem traders withother mainland cultures, from whom theyextort high change fees.

The Johanneke dirigibles have a purple-and-yellow checker pattern.

Le Nerviens Family Trust, Inc.: Arespectable trade house of Valoin origins,this group specializes in pure inventions.Although its members are often referredto as �The Mad Scientists,� many of theircreations have been legally guildmarked�a patenting process that has produced theever-so-ominous �GM� sigil�and arewidely used by the Oostdok public. LeNerviens scientists have discovered andnow control some of the most sensitiveinformation about the cosmology of theHollow World and its relationship with theKnown World on the surface. They areattempting to reactivate a giant mecha-nism that will allow the company to regaincontrol over the flight of Oostdok. Thescientists� plan is to change the naturalflight path of the island and relocate it tohide from the Heldannic Knights.

Le Nerviens generally color its dirigiblesto resemble large fishes, like L�Epaulard (akiller whale), and Le Gros Belouga (a stur-

Montjoie Rouge, Sa. (Inc.): A familygeon), both of which they own.

clan of Valoins formed this trade house,which specializes in the business of enter-tainment. It handles theaters of mechani-cal puppets, the organization of theAnnual Schaerbeek Regatta, the publishingof gnomish joke books, and the manage-ment of a fleet of circuses on Oostdok andon the Hollow World�s mainland. Lessreputable is this house�s activities amongthe shadier circles of the population, forwhom nocturnal recreational services areperformed behind closed doors. Thisallows the trade house to quietly spy onand extort information from other tradehouses, and especially from the HeldannicKnights. Subtle messages about secretHeldannic plots or patriotic satires of theoppressors are then passed on to cus-tomers through the dialogues of Montjoie�smechanical puppets.

Montjoie Rouge�s dirigibles are easilyrecognizable by their all-scarlet colorscheme.

VandenKoop Brothers, Ltd.: ThisFlamaeker trade house specializes in theproduction of all types of poultry andeggs. It owns huge, mechanical farms invarious regions of Oostdok, as well as animportant network of quick-service tav-erns (a large share of Oostdok�s populationeats at these bustling eateries). In additionto the common ethnic fare on Oostdok(beer-that-you-eat-with-a-fork, potato-fries-in-a-horn, and �Azcan� steak, the Vanden-Koop Taverns also offer such delicacies asEgg-on-a-Stick(GM), Wing Dings(GM), andTurkey Necks(GM). Many areas of agricul-ture also are under Vandenkoop�s control.

The VandenKoop dirigibles have a brightyellow overall color scheme.

The �fifth column�: There is a terror-ist revolutionary group on Oostdok, mostof its followers being those who wererejected by their trade houses. This groupis the equivalent of the humans� thieves�and assassins� guilds, being utterly secretand ruthless but working for no one butitself. Most of its members use fake birth- marks and have sworn to destroy Oostdokand its society. Their main goals, amongothers, are to forever ground Oostdok anddismantle the trade-house structure. Thefifth column has infiltrated Broquevillecircles, where it has learned about thedoomsday machine; these terrorists intendto activate it if they can reach it. For themoment, the fifth column sides with theHeldannic Knights to achieve its ends.

The fifth column owns no dirigibles.

76 OCTOBER 1990

DRAGON 77

78 OCTOBER 1990

What you don�t know will scare you in RAVENLOFT� campaignsby Bruce Nesmith

Dungeon Master: �You are walkingthrough the tunnel of bones when thespot beneath you erupts and [checking adie roll] knocks you off your feet. Over adozen large, undulating, insectlike crea-tures pour out, snapping and crushing thedry bones like twigs. Each monster is aslong as your arm, with a sickly yellowfluid dripping from its mandibles. As youlay there, one slithers over your leg andgoes for your face.�

Player: �Quick! Let�s get out of here! Iattempt to fling the thing off of me andrun back down the tunnel. We need a planand some heavy firepower to deal withthese things.�

This is a short rendition, loosely trans-lated, from a RAVENLOFT� game demon-stration run at the 1990 GEN CON® gamefair this year. The players were scared outof their minds by � yes, folks � giant centi-pedes. Each was a double-sized (2� long)giant centipede, with 4 hp, doing 1 hpdamage per bite (plus a weak acid). Therewere 10 of them. A single blow from mostweapons could kill one of these raveningterrors of the tunnel of bones.

How could the players have been fooledby such an encounter? Actually, it waseasy. The GM lied. Yes, he intentionallydeceived the party. He described the centi-pedes as being as long as the player�s arm,about 3� long, instead of giving their reallength of 2�. And he said that there wereover a dozen of them, when in fact therewere just under a dozen.

Deception is just one of several methodsthat can be used to frighten the players inyour RAVENLOFT campaign. Chapter XVof the RAVENLOFT rules set describesseveral techniques of terror. Most of thoseare on the grand scale, useful when de-signing an adventure or campaign. Thisarticle will address the specific elements ofhow to run a single encounter to scare theplayers.

Please notice that I am not concernedwith scaring the characters, but rather theplayers. Characters are easy to scare. TheDM merely rolls some dice and announces�the characters are terrified,� and theplayers have to role-play being scared.Keep in mind that the players are theimportant element in the game. If theplayers are frightened, they will automati-

cally role-play their characters as beingfrightened.

The specific elements you need are asfollows:

Description: This is the most impor-tant element to horror role-playing of anyvariety. Never tell the players the name ofthe monster they are facing or the techni-cal definitions of scenes or items. Don�t beafraid to use lots of colorful descriptionslike �horrid� or �bloodcurdling.� I evenkeep a short list of such words handy as areference tool.

For example: �The huge dog slowlywarps and shifts until it is a horrid man-beast towering over the tallest of you.�Now that is scary! It is much better than:�The werewolf shapechanges into its half-man, half-wolf form.� By using the terms�werewolf� and �shapechange,� the mon-ster is now comfortably pigeon-holed andis not the least bit frightening. They play-ers know right off if they can beat it or ifthey should retreat.

Whenever possible, compare the en-countered monster to the players. Role-playing is a very personal experience, andhorror role-playing is even more so. Tell-

DRAGON 79

ing the player that the monster is �tower-ing over the tallest of you� is much morepersonal and frightening than saying thatthe werewolf �is six and a half feet tall�Your adventures will take longer whenyou have to describe every encounter andscene in this detailed fashion, but it is wellworth it.

Deception: In the heat of the moment,most of us tend to exaggerate what wesee. In the centipede example above, theDM was merely making that a part of thegame. Like all good DMs, he did notoverdo it. He did not say that the centi-pedes were 20� long or that there werehundreds of them. Nobody would be thatfar off in his judgment. A good rule ofthumb is to exaggerate by no more thandouble (or devalue by one-half). Tell themthat what they face is one-half the size ofX or is twice as large as X. Tell them itsbite hurts twice as bad as it really does.

If the players declare that they are tak-ing a quick head count or that they wantto look closely at the scene, then the DMshould give them more accurate descrip-tions. The kind of exaggeration describedabove only applies to first impressions intense situations. If the players remain calmenough to ask the questions, reward themby giving them accurate information.

Play upon similarities to safe and ordi-nary things. For example, describe wolvesas dogs. To the undiscerning eye, onecould easily be mistaken for the other. Formost people, a dog is a friendly creature,and that makes it all the more horrifyingwhen it suddenly becomes a ravenousman-beast. It can be quite a shock!

Suspense: Keep your players waiting.Build the scene a little at a time. Give theplayers time to worry about what mighthappen. Their fertile imaginations willprobably scare them more than the actualencounter. In a recent playtest of theRAVENLOFT adventure, RA1 Feast ofGoblyns, one party was sleeping on thesecond story of an inn. The thief awoke inthe middle of the night to the soft soundsof something trying to slowly open thedoor. As he woke the others and armedhimself, he saw the handle stop as it hit

the sturdy bolt. From the other side heheard faint shuffling noises and some sortof animal sniffing at the base of the door.

By this time, each of the players has hadfar too much time to think about whatmight be on the other side of the door.When the werewolves crashed throughthe walls, ignoring the door, the PCsleaped out of the windows, crashedthrough the outer walls themselves, andbasically did everything in their power toescape from a menace they could haveeasily defeated. They were more thanwilling to take the falling damage ratherthan face the monsters!

The unexpected: Your players knowall of the standard monsters and plots. Ifyou give them an encounter that followsthis well-trod path, they can hardly beexpected to be frightened by it. In theexample above, with the werewolves inthe inn, the routine outcome would havebeen for the werewolves to break downthe door. In fact, I dare say that a PC ortwo was standing to either side of thedoor, waiting to sword-stick whateverpoked its snout through. Instead, thewerewolves burst through the very wallsof the characters� rooms. Great hairy armsshot through the thin plaster and grabbedthe helpless characters pressed against thewall.

In order to make the unexpected work,sometimes you must cheat. I don�t carewhat anybody says; all great DMs cheat.Since the DM is not truly all-seeing or all-powerful, he needs something on his side,so he cheats. Wait to see what the party isdoing to prepare for an encounter. Thenhave the encounter act in such a way as tomaximize the unexpected, as if the beastshad been planning it that way all along.However, always allow the characters away out. It�s much more fun to watchthem run away in terror than it is to killthem.

This technique should be applied spar-ingly. Your run-of-the-mill encountersshould act in predictable ways, allowingthe players the satisfaction of defeatingthem with a well-executed plan. Only thespecial encounters should have the advan-tage of the unexpected.

Hidden information: The DM shouldkeep as much game information hiddenfrom the players as possible. When I run aRAVENLOFT adventure, the players rolltheir own attack dice and damage dice,and that�s it. I roll all the saving throws, allthe undead-turning attempts, etc. Some-times I even keep track of the PCs� hitpoints and wounds. Under no circum-stances will I reveal the rolls or numbersinvolved in my end of the game. If theplayers ask, they get a narrative descrip-tion of what happened. A player is moretimid if he is told that his character issorely wounded than he is if told his char-acter has 15 hp left.

When the player rolls a die, he canblame his failures on the die roll. If a rollthat should have succeeded fails, he learnsthat there is something at work here thatis out of the ordinary. These kinds ofthings conflict with a good horror adven-ture. This is not to say that the playershouldn�t get any feedback on his actionsor die rolls. As the DM, when you takeaway a die-rolling mechanic from theplayers, you must replace it with a verbaldescription of the action.

For example, a priest attempts to turn anundead legion of skeletons, and you rollthat he fails. The player gets to hear some-thing like this: �As you hold forth thesymbol of your faith, demanding that theundead creatures turn back, your voicebreaks. Your convictions seem to weakenas the horror of the situation mounts. Theskeletal legion marches toward you with-out breaking stride.� Now the playerknows he failed his turning attempt, buthe does not know exactly why. Was it hisown lack of faith, or was it the powerfuland dark forces that animated the skele-tons? Is it worth trying again or not? Thisunknown element is quite frightening.

Final notes: It is hard to scare playerswho are role-playing fantasy heroes. Theircharacters come well equipped and armedwith powers beyond the scope of normalmen. They are used to being in control.You will have to work hard to frightenthem, but the techniques from theRAVENLOFT boxed set and from thisarticle should do the trick for most play-ers. Once you have scared them, alwaysreward them. That may sound funny, butremember that your players are just peo-ple out to have an evening�s fun with role-playing. If they spend the whole gamesession being scared and unable to suc-ceed at any task or defeat a single mon-ster, they will become frustrated. Theircharacters may be stuck in theRAVENLOFT universe, but the players canwalk away from the gaming table at anytime. Give them an encounter they candefeat. Let them find or decipher a clue tothe solution of the adventure. As the DM,you must lead them from suspense, toterror, to release, and � yes � to success.

Then you get to start the whole processover again . . .

80 OCTOBER 1990

82 OCTOBER 1990

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* indicates a product produced by a company other than TSR,Inc. Most product names are trademarks owned by thecompanies publishing those products. The use of the name ofany product without mention of its trademark status should notbe construed as a challenge to such status.

ENBICON �90, October 12-14This gaming convention will be held in the

Student Union Building of the University of NewBrunswick, Fredericton, N.B., Canada. Eventsinclude BATTLETECH*, WARHAMMER*,AD&D®, SHADOWRUN*, CALL OF CTHULHU*,TORG*, and SPACE HULK* games, with a minia-tures painting contest and war games. Registra-tion: $8 (Canadian)/weekend. Write to: ENBICON�90, c/o UNB Student Union, P.O. Box 4400,Fredericton NB, CANADA E3B 5A3.

QUAD CON �90, October 12-14Sponsored by the Riverbend Gamers Club and

the Game Emporium staff, this fifth-annualconvention will be held once again at the PalmerAuditorium in Davenport, Iowa. Events includeAD&D®, CALL OF CTHULHU*, BATTLETECH*,CHAMPIONS*, MARVEL SUPER HEROES�, andSHADOWRUN* games. Other activities includehistorical and computer games, a silent auction,

a dealers� room, a miniatures-painting contest,and on-site food. Registration: $4/day and $7 forthe weekend until Sept. 30; $5/day and $10 forthe weekend at the door. Send an SASE to: TheGame Emporium, 3213 23rd Ave., Moline IL61265; or call: (309) 762-5577 (no collect calls).

U-CON �90, October 12-14This gaming convention will be held in the

Michigan Union in Ann Arbor, Mich. Featuredactivities include over 120 events, an auction,and a special AD&D® serial dungeon. Specialguests include Robert Lynn Asprin, Lynn Abbey,and Darwin Bromley. Write to: U-CON, c/oMichigan Wargaming Club, P.O. Box 4491, AnnArbor MI 48106; or call: Eve or Larry at (313)971-8459.

RUDICON VI, October 19-21Held on the campus of the Rochester Institute of

Technology, this convention is sponsored by theRochester Wargamers Assoc. and the RIT StudentDirectorate. Events include RPG and war-gamingtournaments, miniatures-painting and art contests,SCA demos, a large dealers� room, historical minia-tures, an auction, and a con party complete withcostume contest. Registration: $5 for the weekend.Dealers are welcome. Write to: RUDICON VI, c/oStudent Directorate, 1 Lomb Memorial Dr., Roches-ter NY 14623.

GAMEMASTER �90, October 20This gaming convention will again be held in

the Student Union Building of Boise State Uni-versity in Boise, Idaho. The guest of honor isGary Thomas. Events include AD&D®, MEGA-TRAVELLER*, CAR WARS*, WARHAMMER*,BATTLETECH*, GURPS*, STAR TREK*, STAR

DRAGON 83

G A M E S C O N � 9 0

Laindon Community Centre , Basildon, Essex.S a t u r d a y 2 7 t h O c t o b e r 1 9 9 0

Trade Stands. Demonstration and Participation Games.Painting Competition and much more.

Players required for the AD&D® Tournament.For details contact:

Chris Bayl is , 67 Mynchens , Lee Chapel North

B a s i l d o n , E s s e x S S 1 5 5 E G .

T e l : ( 0 2 6 8 ) 4 1 9 9 3 3AD&D is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc.

FLEET BATTLES*, MARVEL SUPER HEROES�,CHAMPIONS*, and STAR WARS* games. Otherfeatures are an original tournament adventurebased on the film Total Recall, strategy gaming,open gaming, miniatures contests, and an auc-tion. Registration: $3 preregistered before Oct.10, and $4.50 at the door. Write to: Gamemas-ters� Guild, 1511 Bergeson, Boise ID 83706.

NECRONOMICON �90, October 26-28This convention will be held at the Holiday

Inn-Ashley Plaza in Tampa, Fla. The guests ofhonor are Jack C. Haldeman II and LawrenceWatt-Evans. Other guests include Timothy Zahn,Richard Lee Byers, Richard Louis Newman, andPrudy Taylor Board. Activities include artist andauthor panels, a masquerade, a trivia contest, afan cabaret, gaming, an art show and auction,the Creatures of Night Pageant, and a charityauction to benefit Wildlife Rescue, Inc. There�llalso be a dealers� room, a Friday night banquet,a 24-hour hospitality suite, and an Ygor party.Registration: $20 for the weekend or $8/day.Write to: NECRONOMICON �90, P.O. Box 2076,Riverview FL 33569; or call: (813) 677-6347.

STAR CON �90, October 26-28This convention is sponsored by Star Base

Alpha and will be held in Menasha, Wis. Eventsinclude a wide variety of games and tourna-ments, as well as other activities. Write to: StarBase Alpha, 1112 R. Lake St., Neenah WI 54956,

COMMAND.CON TOO, October 27The convention will be held at the St. Louis

Community College in the Forest Park Cafeteria.Events include RPGA� AD&,D® games, a pleni-tude of miniatures, board, and role-playinggames, plus the SAGA game auction. Registra-tion: $5. Write to: COMMAND.CON TOO, P.O.Box 9107, St. Louis MO 63117; or call: (314) 727-1508 or (314) 721-1155 before 10 p.m. No collectcalls, please.

ELLIS CON II, October 27This simulation-game conference will take

place at Harvard H. Ellis Technical School inDanielson, Conn., sponsored by the Ellis TechSimulation Club. Two tournaments with prizeswill be featured, as well as introductory andcomplex simulations including GUNS OF AU-GUST*, AFRIKA KORPS*, NAPOLEON AT WA-TERLOO*, ARAB/ISRAELI WARS*, AXIS &ALLIES*, and BLUE MAX* games. Registration:$5 at the door. Write to: John Haskell, c/o H. H.Ellis RVTS, 613 Upper Maple St., Danielson CT;or call John at: (203) 774-8511.

84 OCTOBER 1990

GAMESCON �90, October 27This convention will be held at the Laindon

Community Centre on High Road in Basildon,Essex. Activities include a RPGA� AD&D®tournament, a painting competition, demonstra-tion and participation games, and traders.Clubs, DMs, and players are all welcome! Writeto: Chris Baylis, 67 Mynchens, Lee ChapelNorth, Basildon, Essex, England, SS15 5EG; orcall: 0268-419933.

HALLOWEEN TOURNAMENT XIOctober 27

This convention will be held at St. Paul�sUnited Methodist Church in Tucson, Ariz.Events include an AD&D® tournament, a raffle,and a costume contest. Prizes will be awarded.Food and accommodations will be available onor near the site. Registration: $5 at Things forThinkers; call: (602) 326-7679. For hotel infor-mation, call: David Orahood at: (602) 887-3983.

CONTRARY �90, November 2-4This gaming convention will be held at the

Quality Inn & Conference Center in Chicopee,Mass. An honored guest is Michael Gray. Eventsinclude six RPGA� tournaments, plus other RPGs,board games, miniatures, and painting and cos-tume contests. Registration: $15 preregistered.Write to: CONTRARY �90, 933 Belmont Ave.,Springfield MA 01108; or call: (413) 731-7237.

GENERICON �90, November 2-4This gaming convention will be held in the

Coffman Memorial Union of the University ofMinnesota-Minneapolis campus. Role-playing,board and war gaming will be featured, plusmovies, an art show, costume contests, tourna-ments, and much more. Registration: $10 prere-gistered before Oct. 1; $15 at the door. $2discount from at the door admission with thedonation of nonperishable food items for Minne-sota Food Shelves. Write to: GENERICON �90,2835 Rice St., #817, St. Paul MN 55113.

HEXACON �90, November 2-4The Science Fiction Fantasy Federation�s fifth

annual gaming convention will be held in theBryan School of Business on the University ofNorth Carolina�Greensboro campus. Eventsinclude two RPGA� AD&D® tournaments, withSTAR FLEET BATTLES*, TOON*, AD&D® 1stand 2nd Editions, CHAMPIONS*, and GURPSHORROR* games. Registration: $5/day or $12/weekend preregistered by Oct. 20; $7/day and$15/weekend thereafter. Student Specials applywith a valid I.D. Write to: HEXACON �90, ScienceFiction Fantasy Federation, P.O. Box 4, ElliotUniversity Center, UNCG, Greensboro NC 27412.

SCI CON XII, November 2-4This convention will be held at the Holiday

Executive Center in Virginia Beach, Va. The guestof honor is Kim Stanley Robinson, and the artistguest of honor is Bob Eggleton. This SF conventionfeatures panels, readings, videos, a costume con-test, an art show, a hospitality suite, and gaming.Registration: $25. Write to: SCI CON XII, Dept. DR,P.O. Box 9434, Hampton VA 23670.

SOONERCON 6, November 2-4This convention will be held at the Central

Plaza Hotel in Oklahoma City, Okla. Guests ofhonor include Lois McMaster Bujold, Dr. WilliamF. Wu, Alicia Austin, and Susan Satterfield.Events include open gaming, an art show, avideo room, British TV, a masque and a masquedance, an art auction, and a contest for the�Worst-Dressed Sentient Being.� Registration:$10 until October 10. Write to: P.O. Box 4229,Tulsa OK 74159.

GAME-FEST �90, November 3This convention will be held at Kaspar�s Ark,

north of Lebanon, Pa. Events include AD&D®,CHAMPIONS*, TORG*, ASL*, AXIS & ALLIES*,and BATTLETECH* games. Registration: $5preregistered; $7.50 at the door. Write to: Leba-non Area Gamers, 806 Cumberland St., LebanonPA 17042; or call: (717) 274-8706.

ROCK-CON XVII, November 3-4This convention will be held at Rockford

Lutheran High School in Rockford, Ill. Guests ofhonor are Jim Ward, Tom Wham, and LouZocchi. Activities include over 100 gamingevents including RPGA� tournaments, theannual auction, a dealers� room, and the DonSnow Memorial AD&D® tournament, sponsoredby the RPGA� and Black Hawk Distributors.Judges are needed! Registration: $5 for one orboth days. Write to: ROCK-CON XVII Game Fair,14225 Hansberry Rd., Rockton IL 61072.

UMF-CON �90, November 3-4Beat the snow to the University of Maine-

Farmington Student Center for this convention.Events include AD&D®, GAMMA WORLD®, TOPSECRET/S.I.�, miniatures, war, and boardgames. Registration: $3/day or $5 for the week-end preregistered; $4/day or $8 for the week-end at the door. All games have an additional $2table fee. Write to: Table Gaming Club, StudentCenter, 5 South St., Farmington ME 04938.

AUG-CON II, November 9-11AU Gamers are proud to announce that this

convention will take place at the Sheraton TaraHotel in Parsippany, N.J. Featured events in-clude RPGA� tournaments, a game for charity,costume and miniatures contests, an auction,and a dealers� room. Registration: $8/day and$20/weekend before Oct. 20, $10/day at thedoor. Call the hotel for special room rates: (201)515-2000, ext. 5800, and be sure to mention theconvention. Write to: AU Gamers, c/o OakwoodVillage Apts., Bldg. #26, Apt. #9, Flanders NJ07836; or call: (201) 927-8097.

NEBULOUS CON II, November 9-11The Penn State University�New Kensington

campus will be the site of this gaming conven-tion. Various role-playing and strategic gameswill be featured along with a video room and acostume contest. Sleeping space in the gym willbe available. Registration: $13/weekend prere-gistered; or $4 for Friday, $7 for Saturday orSunday, and $15/weekend at the door. Send anSASE to: NEBULOUS CON II, c/o Penn State NewKensington, 3550 Seventh Street Rd., NewKensington PA 15068.

KETTERING GAME CONVENTIONNovember 10-11

This gaming convention will be held in theCharles I. Lathrem Senior Center in Kettering,Ohio. Events include FRP games, with DUNGEON®,POOL OF GOLD*, CIVILIZATION*, CIRCUS MAXI-MUS*, DIPLOMACY*, ACQUIRE*, RAIL BARON*,STOCKS & BONDS*, RAILWAY RIVALS*, NAVALWAR*, RISK*, MONOPOLY*, and TALISMAN*games. Dealers will be present and there will bealso be an auction. Registration: $2/day or $3/weekend for those age 13 and over; $.50/day forthose 12 and under. Write to: Bob Van Gruenigen,2013 Gay Dr., Kettering OH 45420.

PROVOCATION, November 10-11 Organized by the Quebec Gamers� Assoc. (AQJS),

this convention will be held at Pierre-Dupuy HighSchool in Montreal, Quebec. Activities include 33hours of nonstop gaming, plus an auction, opengaming, an art show, and a figurine contest.Registration: $21 U.S./weekend and $13 U.S./day.Write to; PROVOCATION, Box 63, Station M,Montreal, Canada H1V 3L6; or call Christine: (514)596-0115; or Daniel: (514) 252-3032.

TURP-CON, November 17-19This gaming convention will be held at the

Torquay Boys� Grammar School in Torquay,Devon, England. Events include AD&D®, PARA-NOIA*, MERP*, ROLEMASTER*, WARHAMMER40,000*, BLOOD BOWL*, and D&D® games,with miniatures demos and painting contests,videos, and gaming tournaments. Registration:£0.50 plus £1.50 fee to play (all fees are one-halfprice to students). Send an SASE to: RichardBarrow, 169 Windsor Rd., Ellacombe, Torquay,Devon, GREAT BRITAIN, TQ1 1SR; or call: (0803)297314 evenings.

CONTEX 8, November 23-25This convention will be held at the Hilton

Southwest in Houston, Tex. Guests includeRobert E. Vardeman, Sherlock, and Willie Siros.Activities include gaming, merchants, an artshow, costuming, writers� workshops. filking,films and videos, plus the Contex Cross-TavernCosmic Tour. Dealers are welcome! Write to:FRIENDS OF FANDOM, P.O. Box 266996, Hous-ton TX 77207-6996; or call: (713) 729-6733.

EUROPEAN GEN CON® GAMES FAIR 1990November 30-December 2

Europe�s largest residential gaming conventionwill be held in Camber Sands, Rye, Sussex.Guests of honor include TSR�s Blake Mobley, JimWard, Jeff Easley, Harold Johnson, Jean Rabe,and free-lancers Larry Elmore and Tom Wham.Tournaments include AD&D® European Open,BUCK ROGERS�, STAR WARS*, 2300 AD*,SPELLJAMMER�, CALL OF CTHULHU*,BATTLESYSTEM�, and BATTLETECH*, amongothers. Registration: £39.95 including accommo-dation. Write to: EUROPEAN GEN CON, 120Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, CB13LB ENGLAND.

TROPICON 9, November 30-December 2This convention will be held at the Ft. Lauder-

dale Airport Hilton hotel. Guests include HalClement and Bruce Pelz. Events include pro-gramming, filking, an art show, a video room, adealers� room, a banquet, a trivia contest, amasquerade, and gaming. Registration: $20 untilNov. 1; fees will be higher at the door. Write to;TROPICON 9; c/o South Florida Science FictionSociety, P.O. Box 70143, Ft. Lauderdale FL33307; or call: Tony Parker at: (407) 391-4380.

SYNDICON III, December 8This convention will be held at the Interna-

tional Inn in Orlando, Florida. The guest ofhonor is Rembert N. Parker, RPGA� RegionalDirector. Events include one- and two-roundRPGA� AD&D® tournaments, with BATTLE-TECH*, ILLUMINATI*, CAR WARS*, CALL OFCTHULHU*, SHADOWRUN*, SPELLJAMMER�,DIPLOMACY*, DRAGONQUEST� games. Regis-tration: $8; $6 for RPGA� Network members;$10 at the door. All of these include four freeevents. Write to: SYNDICON III, 11324 PortoCourt, Orlando FL 32821; or call: (407) 857-1896or (407) 788-3014.

How effective was your convention listing?If you are a convention organizer, pleasewrite to the editors and let us know if our“Convention Calendar” served your needs.Your comments are always welcome.

Out of Supplies?

Write for a free catalog from theMail Order Hobby Shop, c/o TSR,Inc., P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI53147 U.S.A. If you need specialsupplies for your role-playing ad-ventures, the Mail Order HobbyShop has them � from all parts ofthe gaming universe!

DRAGON 85

NEW PRODUCTS FOROCTOBER

RA1 Feast of GoblynsAD&D® RAVENLOFT� moduleby Blake MobleyA dose of horror arrives just in time for

Halloween! Will your PCs survive in the do-mains of Ravenloft? Find out in Feast ofGoblyns, the first AD&D® game adventurebased on the RAVENLOFT� boxed set! TheRAVENLOFT� DM�s screen and a full-colorposter of the cover art are included.Suggested Retail Price: $10.95/£6.95Product No.: 9298

DRAGONLANCE® saga Classics, Vol 1.AD&D® DRAGONLANCE® module

reprintsby TSR staffThe first four classic DRAGONLANCE® mod-

ules (DL1-4) originally introduced three yearsago have been updated for use with the AD&D®2nd Edition game. All of the maps, characters,and information from the four modules havebeen brought together into one package.Suggested Retail Price: $15.00/£9.95Product No.: 9291

FOR1 DraconomiconAD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS�

accessoryby Lots O�PeopleEverything you ever wanted to know about

the great Wyrms of the FORGOTTEN REALMS�setting is here. This is a back-to-the-basics lookat dragons: their homes, their magic, theirtreasures, and lots more! This material caneasily be used in any fantasy campaign.Suggested Retail Price: $15.00/£9.95Product No.: 9297

SJA3 Crystal SpheresAD&D® SPELLJAMMER� moduleby J. Paul LaFountainThis adventure takes your SPELLJAMMER

campaign PCs to four new crystal spheres in aneffort to save a prince and his entire spherefrom the dark influence of an evil being. Ex-plore new worlds and make your mark in thisinterplanetary adventure!Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 9299

25CA2 N.E.O. in the 25th CenturyXXVc� moduleby Troy DenningThere�s something rotten in Coprates. A

professor from Mars University hires your bandof shady vagabonds to explore Jupiter�s moonsfor legendary alien artifacts. There�s more tothis adventure than meets the eye though,including a sultry someone called Matahari!Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£6.50Product No.: 3566

BUCK ROGERS and XXVc are trademarks used underlicense from The Dille Family Trust. ©1990 The Dille FamilyTrust. All Rights Reserved.

X-Men Box SetMARVEL SUPER HEROES� boxed setby Jeff Grubb and Rick SwanMany marvelous mutants make their mark in

this boxed set. This set covers the powers andabilities of the X-Men and the other majormutants while presenting several adventuresfor the X-Men or your own PCs to X-perience� the ultimate mutant experience!Suggested Retail Price: $18.00/£11.95Product No.: 6896

ViperhandThe Maztica Trilogy, Book Twoby Doug NilesThe Maztica Trilogy takes its theme from the

historical conquering of the Aztecs by Cortez.When fantasy and magic are thrown into theplot, it makes for an thrilling new twist on analready interesting story.Suggested Retail Price: $4.95Product No.: 8476

NEW PRODUCTS FORNOVEMBER

Castles Box SetAD&D® boxed setby Jeff Grubb, David �Zeb� Cook, Bruce

Nesmith, and Andria HaydayCastles are a powerful symbol in the world of

the AD&D® role-playing game, and castles forall three established TSR campaign worlds(Krynn, Oerth, and Toril) are included in thisset. Each has a 48-page booklet containing fullcolor 3-D accessories, BATTLESYSTEM� rulesinformation, full-color posters, and sections foradventures. If you use castles in your campaign,don�t miss this one!Suggested Retail Price: $24.95/£15.95Product No.: 1056

FR11 Dwarves DeepFORGOTTEN REALMS� accessoryby Ed GreenwoodEverything you need to know about dwarves

in the AD&D® game system is in this accessory,which outlines many new projects and abilitiesthat PC dwarves can learn. This material can beused in any TSR fantasy game setting.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 9300

FA1 Halls of the High KingAD&D® FORGOTTEN REALMS� moduleby Ed GreenwoodEvil lurks in the hearts of the marauders of

Moonshae! Viking lords are laying waste to whatwas once a peaceful island of magic. The en-chantments now wane, and water monsters

MARVEL SUPER HEROES is a trademark of the MarvelEntertainment Group, Inc. All Marvel characters, names, andthe distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of theMarvel Entertainment Group, Inc. ©1990 MarvelEntertainment Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

lurk within this 64-page module.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 9301

WGA3 Flames of the FalconAD&D® GREYHAWK® moduleby Richard and Anne BrownAssaults on the City of Greyhawk by a venge-

ful cleric have terrified the citizens and causeda panicked exodus. If the cleric continues herplans, the city will become a ghost town, ripefor the picking by the cleric�s followers. Yourmission: Stop her! A 25-mm fold-up mansion isincluded, compatible with the Cities of Mysteryaccessory.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 9302

HWA1 NightwailD&D® HOLLOW WORLD� moduleby Allen VarneyThis is the first module based on the new

HOLLOW WORLD� boxed set! This adventureshows player characters how to discover thefirst kingdom in the Hollow World. Details onthe infamous Azcan Empire are revealed withinthis three-part quest. This module is also com-patible with the AD&D® 2nd Edition gamesystem.Suggested Retail Price: $8.95/£5.95Product No.: 9303

25CR2 Earth in the 25th CenturyXXVc� game accessoryby Dale �Slade� HensonThe Earth is in ruins. The other planets in the

solar system have far surpassed it in power andtechnology. Planet Earth is continually beingexploited, but those, that live there are stillfighting to survive.Suggested Retail Price: $9.95/£6.50Product No.: 3567

Tanis, The Shadow YearsDRAGONLANCE® Preludes II Trilogy,

Volume Threeby Barbara & Scott SiegelTanis Half-Elven once disappeared in the

mountains near Solace, so it is told. He returnedchanged, ennobled � and with a secret. Theadventure begins with a dying wizard whoneeds Tanis� help.Suggested Retail Price: $4.95Product No.: 8333

BOOT HILL® Wild West GameThird edition RPGby Steve WinterThe Old West comes alive in this revision of a

TSR classic role-playing game! Range wars,Indians, sheepherders, and cowboys all come tolife again. Take part in showdowns at high noonas you role-play a character in the classic Ameri-can adventure setting: the Wild West!Suggested Retail Price: $20.00/£12.50Product No.: 7005

Unless otherwise noted:® and ™ denote trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.©1990 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

86 OCTOBER 1990

88 OCTOBER 1990

The state of the art in superheroics

Scene: The 1989 GEN CON® game fair,on Friday, 11:55 A.M. In the Great ExhibitHall of the MECCA Convention Center, ahundred exhibitors sensed, the way roost-ing crows sense an oncoming earthquake,that something momentous approached.

At the Iron Crown Enterprises booth,sealed cardboard boxes stood in tallstacks. Six dozen gamers waited tensely inthe aisle as the time crept toward noon.Behind the counter, nervous attendantsasked one another at 30-second intervals:Where is he? With the moment so nearand with the culmination of his year oflabor so close, could the man himself belate? The crowd was growing by the mo-ment, anticipation charging the air, yet theattendants couldn�t imagine opening thoseboxes and pulling forth their contents�not without him, the man of the hour.Thousands of dollars at stake, and thedisappointment of a hundred fans, andy e t . . . .

©1990 by Al len Varney

But at 15 seconds before 12 noon, hestrode casually up that carpeted aisle. Tall,blond, lean as a varsity swimmer, andwearing an immaculate night-black tux-edo, Rob Bell, HERO SYSTEM� game lineeditor at Iron Crown, had not planned thedrama of his arrival. His wristwatch wasset wrong, almost the only detail he hadoverlooked in a year-long preparation forthe great event.

Those last 15 seconds passed, then thepacking boxes and the gamers� walletsopened, and across the table passed thefirst of over 400 copies of the longawaited fourth edition of Hero Games�CHAMPIONS? The Super Role-PlayingGame. It was big, shiny, and beautiful, thehit of the convention. And when anyonesaw Rob Bell, he was grinning like a fatherhas given away his daughter at awedding.

CHAMPIONS®: The Super Role-Playing Game

352-page hardcover bookHero Games/ICE $32Design: George MacDonald,Steve Peterson, and Rob BellFourth edition editing: Rob BellCover: George PerezIllustrations: Rob Davis,Glen Johnson,Denis Loubet, Sean Sharp, JasonWaltrip, Mark Williams,Barry Winston,Mike Witherby, Pat Zircher

What makes an established game�sfourth edition such an event? The answerlies in the checkered history of the CHAM-PIONS game.

In 1981, two gamers in San Mateo, Calif.,designed a superhero game, printed themanuscript on a daisy-wheel printer, gotone of their players to draw some illustra-tions, and found the money to print 1,000copies of the 64-page rulebook. GeorgeMacDonald and Steve Peterson took thefirst edition of their CHAMPIONS game toa Bay Area gaming convention with hopesthat appear, in retrospect, overly realistic.

�We knew just how much we couldafford to lose, what we would do withunsold stock�we had it all figured out,�says Peterson. �The one outcome we neverconsidered for a moment was: What if thething sold a zillion copies?�

Their little rulebook did sell, if not azillion copies, at least very strongly. Thesuccess led Peterson and MacDonald torecruit another player, Ray Greer, as mar-keting maven and sales rep, and formHero Games. During the next five years,they produced two more editions of theCHAMPIONS game and two dozen adven-tures and supplements. They also trans-lated their comic-book superhero rulesinto other adventure genres: superspy-espionage, pulp-era crimefighting, fantasy,and Japanese robots. Nimbly crossinggenres, the CHAMPIONS game spawnedthe all-encompassing HERO SYSTEM game.

But as the little company�s audiencegrew, so did its troubles. Fundamentallythe three partners were gamers, not busi-nessmen. Schedules fell apart, support fellto almost invisible levels, and cash-flowproblems sent Hero Games into virtualhibernation. Loyal players in isolatedregions of the country sustained theircampaigns purely by their own efforts.

In January 1986, the three Hero part-ners, fed up with business worries, madean arrangement with ICE, the publisher ofthe ROLEMASTER� game and a popularline of supplements set in J. R. R. Tolkien�sMiddle-earth. The Hero partners wouldacquire and develop HERO SYSTEM prop-erties, and Iron Crown would produce anddistribute them. To the core Hero audiencethat still hung on, the arrangementseemed dubious, but the gamers were

DRAGON 89

ready for any change.Product flow improved for a time, but

soon dropped as the Heroes found newpursuits. MacDonald became Senior GameDeveloper at the software company Strate-gic Simulations, Inc., where he supervisesmany of SSI�s licensed TSR AD&D® com-puter games. Peterson also went into gamesoftware and technical writing. Greerworked for Steve Jackson Games, thenlater joined a Los Angeles special-effectscompany, working on such films as TheAbyss, Tremors, and Darkman.

Meanwhile, the Hero support line con-tinued to dwindle. Each release seemedmore slender and decrepit. Finally, in1987, Iron Crown took over editorial du-ties as well as production. To that end, ICE(after an abortive liaison with a group offans called �the Hero Auxiliary Corps�)hired one part-time intern to take chargeof the entire Hero line.

The intern was still at the University ofVirginia when ICE hired him, just finishinga degree in History and EnvironmentalScience with a thesis on two invasionscares in Britain during World War I. Yetwithin weeks of his arrival, despite hisacademic duties, Rob Bell had jump-startedproduction of new HERO SYSTEM supple-ments. And he had begun work on theCHAMPIONS game revision.

The reasons for doing the revisionclosely resemble those behind the AD&D2nd Edition game. With the HERO SYS-TEM rules spread across five separategames, its mechanics were diffuse andinconsistent. Also, 10 years of play byfervent devotees had revealed many rulesglitches. To fix the glitches and to pull allthe Hero rules into one comprehensiveand consistent whole, Bell (who soon wentfull-time at ICE) and the original Heropartners enlisted over 100 gamers acrossthe country, some of the core audiencethat had sustained the game during thelong drought.

For more than a year this team scruti-nized every rule, proposed new ones, toreaway at the proposals, and polished what-ever withstood playtesting. It was �easilythe single largest undertaking of my life,�says Bell.

As politicians at budget summits like tosay, everything was on the table. A CHAM-PIONS game player would blanch to seesome of the suggested changes: the Egocharacteristic changed in name and cost,mental attacks hitting automatically, Dam-age Resistance and Mind Scan gone, andfour, count �em, four successive sets ofGrowth rules. One radical suggested strip-.ping the list of 60 + superpowers down tojust four (Attack, Defend, Move, andSense) and simulating all effects withadvantages and limitations.

Yes, that latter suggestion died on deliv-ery. Many others were weeded out inintense playtesting, and the fifth cycle ofrevisions produced a clean and integratedthree-part manuscript. The Rulesbookproper includes the complete HERO SYS-TEM rules, applicable to any genre. TheSourcebook section details the four-color

superhero comics genre, its conventionsand requirements, and the issues thatarise in a superheroic campaign. Finally,the Campaign Book offers pregeneratedheroes, villains, bases, and scenarios.

Iron Crown packaged this magnum opususing strong production values and a first-class cover by comics star George Perez.In the year and more since its 1989 re-lease, the fourth edition CHAMPIONShardcover has seen three or four print-ings, and even the most particular Herosavants have pronounced it a worthyaccomplishment.

Every game has its adherents, but fans ofthe HERO SYSTEM game have shown devo-tion above and beyond the call. Why? Theanswer usually boils down to flexibility.

Character creation: The HERO SYS-TEM rules vastly improved on existingpoint-allocation systems of character build-ing, and they pioneered the much-imitatedconcept of disadvantages, by which char-acters take drawbacks in order to buymore abilities. And what a candy-store ofabilities the player can choose from! TheCHAMPIONS fourth-edition game offerscomprehensive lists of skills from Acrobat-ics to Weaponsmith, perquisites like Fol-lowers and Bases, talents ranging fromAbsolute Time Sense to Simulate Deathand Universal Translator, and a long list ofsuperheroic powers.

The game�s elegant approach to super-powers relies on the player�s creativity.The powers list includes several dozengeneric effects, like Energy Blast, KillingAttack, Teleport, and Transform. Threedozen advantages improve the basic ef-fects, like Area Effect and No Range Pen-alty, but also increase the power�s pointcost. To bring the cost back down, take alimitation or two, such as Charges, SideEffects, or Focus (that is, making thepower work through a device of somekind). Power frameworks like Multipowerand Elemental Control also give costbreaks for creative ideas.

Just as important as these game terms,though, is the power�s �special effect,�what it looks like and how it works. Thetext sums it up nicely (p. 52): �For in-stance, when a character buys an EnergyBlast, the attack might come from thecharacter�s fingertips, eyes, or forehead.The energy may be lightning, fire, cold,sonics, radiation, rubber bullets, or what-ever. Rather than trying to list each type ofEnergy Blast we could think of, we let theplayer choose what type of energy toproject.�

With these abilities, and with disadvan-tages like Secret Identity, Rivalry, andvarious psychological and physical limita-tions, the HERO SYSTEM rules let playerscreate any character, in any genre or timeperiod, with any abilities and power levels.

Granted, the player needs an hour ortwo, plus a pocket calculator, to make acharacter. It�s an arduous process, boltingall those abilities onto the character-conception lathe and grinding them intoshape with appropriate advantages, limita-tions, and frameworks. But the final char-

acter starts play as a capable individual,customized to the player�s wishes. Thegame imposes no arbitrary restrictions ofclass, weaponry, armor, behavior, lan-guages, or power level; if you can think ofit, and can get your game master (GM) toapprove it, you can play it.

Combat: The combat rules, like charac-ter creation, offer endless, not to sayoverwhelming, options.

On the face of it, the basic hit rulessound simple: Each character has a Com-bat Value (CV) based on the Dexteritycharacteristic. The base roll to hit a targetis 11 or less on three six-sided dice. Theattacker adds his CV to 11, but the targetgets to subtract its own CV. If the attackercan roll the resulting number or less on3d6, the attack hits.

So far, so good. Then the attacker rollshuge numbers of six-sided damage diceand counts them up in two different ways,while the victim applies the damageagainst his resistant and nonresistantdefenses, subtracts the remainder fromhis STUN and BODY characteristics, com-pares the damage to his Constitution char-acteristic to check for a Stunned result,checks for Knockback . . . are you lost yet?

This intricacy has always been the stand-ard rap against the HERO SYSTEM rules.For the devotee, though, nothing lesscaptures the variety of attack outcomesseen in comics, movies, and adventurestories.

For example, the HERO SYSTEM rulesgain much by separating Stun damage(grogginess or unconsciousness) fromBody damage (wounds, or �hit points,� ifyou will). In most RPGs characters whotake damage get knocked out, then (andonly then) die. But think of all those mov-ies in which Edward G. Robinson or JamesCagney, riddled with bullets and bleedingto death, staggers on through the finalscene, blasting G-Men and calling for hisIrish mother. Mortally wounded CHAMPI-ONS game characters can perform theheroic equivalent and eventually staggerto the nearest first-aid kit. Not that thesituation arises often, mind you; this isonly one example of the system�s widerange.

Action proceeds by 12-second turns,divided into one-second segments. Charac-ters act in phases within the turn accord-ing to their Speed and Dexteritycharacteristics. With various options todelay attacks or abort to defenses (that is,give up a later phase in order to defendagainst a surprise attack), even the se-quence of play can approach the complex-ity of war games.

When added to the long lists of maneu-vers and combat options, this complexitycan turn a single battle between super-teams into an evening marathon. This isthe price of tactical richness, and fewgames can match the HERO SYSTEM rulesfor that.

HERO SYSTEM game combat, in short, isfor experienced players who prize versatil-ity over simplicity. Note that I don�t say�realism over playability�; despite its slow

pace, CHAMPIONS game combat remainsquite playable, with well-integrated rulesand a clear play sequence. As for realism,that leads smoothly to the HERO SYSTEMrules� greatest virtue.

Campaigning: �Realism� varies fromgenre to genre, according to the storybeing told. The .44 magnum load thatsplatters a post-holocaust starveling willonly put a superheroine�s boyfriend in thehospital; the same shot just makes JamesBond grit his teeth. They�re all ostensiblythe same weapon and the same humanbeings, but in each case the genre�s con-ventions set weapon deadliness at a differ-ent level.

A system that purports to be universalcan adjust the genre to match �reality,� butin my experience that simply makes thegame�s adventures as routine as everydaylife or as deadly as a real-life battlefield.These cases seldom recapture the genre�snative appeal. Far better to take the HEROSYSTEM game�s approach: Adjust reality tomatch the genre.

The CHAMPIONS rules distinguish be-tween heroic and superheroic campaigns.The first type involves putative normals,the characters of spy stories, pulp, andheroic fantasy, whereas the second as-cends to the fun-filled and garish realm ofcomic books. The rules separate heroicand superheroic campaigns by theirpower levels, restrictions on charactercreation, the availability and cost of

normal-level technology, hit locations, and�pushing� �that is, how easily a charactercan increase his abilities in emergencies.The dichotomy gives a GM maximumflexibility (there�s that word again) in es-tablishing his or her own unique world.

The GM�s duties include passing judg-ment on what abilities are allowed in thegame. The text encourages every GM toset up house rules forbidding certainpowers, requiring others, and altering thewritten rules. A GM can change anythingin the game, so long as the players arealerted before play. The GM also arbitratesnumerous case-dependent rules questions(�Does my Continuous Uncontrolled flameattack go away when I shift the points outof its Multipower slot?�) and interprets theconsequences of a power�s special effects.The GM�s total control of the game hasgiven rise to the CHAMPIONS Light-BulbJoke:

Q: How many CHAMPIONS charactersdoes it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: That�s a GM call.I hear that this open-ended approach

brought a sneer from an editor at a rivalgame company that publishes anotheruniversal system. �Look at this!� he said ofthe CHAMPIONS game�s powers list. �Theyput pictures of magnifying glasses andstop-signs next to some of the powers towarn you that the powers are unbalanced!If they can�t balance them, they shouldleave them out.�

A reasonable point. But like the issue ofreality vs. genre, it admits of two ap-proaches. In the Balance-or-Die version,the game�s designers try to imagine everycombination of powers and situations, ruleon them at length, and autocratically vetoany they�ve overlooked. They treat ruleslike the Food and Drug Administrationtreats medicines, requiring exhaustivetesting to prevent consumer toxicity. Oncebalanced, the rules become Holy Writ,from which thou shalt not depart.

I know players who prefer this ap-proach, perhaps for the sense of controland stability it produces. Again, theCHAMPIONS rules take a different tack byshifting the responsibility for game bal-ance from the publisher to the GM. Therationale is that in a system that allowsdesolidification, time travel, clairsentience,and a dozen other story-altering devices,it�s up to each individual GM to choose notonly the story but the ways in which theplayers can alter it. This is one more rea-son that a GM or player should have expe-rience, and a certain amount of courage,before coming to the CHAMPIONS game.

pessimistic, how important the player

Storytelling: Fortunately, new arrivalsget plenty of coaching from the hardcov-er�s Sourcebook. This friendly text tutorsthe GM in the selection of campaignparameters�for instance, whether theworlds morality is fuzzy or clearly drawn,whether the campaign is optimistic or

DRAGON 91

characters are in the world, and so on.Story values also dominate the discus-

sion of adventure design. Supervillainmotivations, the creation of subplots, thenarrative use of deathtraps, the role ofHunteds and Dependent Non-Player Char-acters (DNPCs, another much-imitatedCHAMPIONS game tradition)-none ofthese elements involve hitting the bad guy,but they make the difference between aroutine slugfest and a lively plot as en-grossing as any in the comics.

Is it paradoxical that a game with 200pages of rules argues strongly for storyvalues over game mechanics? Only at firstglance. In fact, given such a flexible sys-tem, story logic becomes a necessarycheck on �power gamers� who simplywant to pile up points and buy their NovaBlasts to planet-roasting levels.

The parallels with the HERO SYSTEM

I recall a story about the Computer

game�s power gamers are not exact, butthe point is clear. Given a charitable GM,

Science department at MIT university,

abusing a system this flexible is not onlyeasy, it�s positively degrading. Eventually

which had problems in the 1960s with

the power gamer, bored with Novablastthe Planet-Roaster, grows up and begins to

ambitious hackers who tried to crash the

role-play characters with personalities, notjust scads of points.

mainframe system. The operators finally

Evaluation: One cannot lightly recom-mend a game that costs $32. Sure, it�s a

foiled the hackers by creating a �CRASH�

352-page hardcover. But $32 is almost theprice of two 128-page Chaosium supple-

command � type it, and the system would

ments, almost twice as much as the 192-page AD&D 2nd Edition Dungeon Master�s

crash, as easy as that. Bored by the lack of

Guide, and over half as much as a big

challenge, the hackers abandoned their

imported box from Games Workshop . . .so maybe $32 isn�t so far out of line. Boy,

vandalism.

this industry sure has gotten pricey.In any case, certain readers need the

CHAMPIONS fourth edition game at almostany cost. Fans of previous editions will de-light in the new consistency and versatility.Experienced players of other games, discon-tent with the arbitrary restrictions of theircurrent system, should also find the HEROSYSTEM rules a superb investment.

Lastly, for comic-book fans who want tosimulate every maneuver they see in theirfavorite stories, the CHAMPIONS gameremains, after almost 10 years, the systemto beat. Though I dislike its slow pace, it�sstill the one I play. Rob Bell has left IronCrown for greener pastures, but we long-suffering devotees owe him gratitude forresurrecting this landmark system.

Perhaps the prime virtue of Rob Bell�stenure at Iron Crown has been, not theCHAMPIONS fourth edition rules, but thetsunami of support products that followedit. Unlike the 32-pagers that. once slouchedforth semi-annually from Hero Games,

92 OCTOBER 1990

these are solid and sometimes very sub-stantial works, appearing monthly andfilled with long-term usefulness and cam-paign possibilities. Whether measuring bypage count, number of products, or salesvolume, Bell brought out more and biggerHero material in his three years at ICEthan Hero Games did in the six years be-fore his arrival.

The HERO SYSTEM� Rulesbook220-page softcover rulebook

Hero Games/ICE $20

What if you�re curious about the HEROSYSTEM game, but you have no interest insuperheroes? Or you�ve sprung for onecopy of the hardcover but can�t affordadditional copies for the players who wantto borrow it?

With this rulebook, a GM can createeverything needed for a campaign in any

The HERO SYSTEM Rulesbook exactly

genre. All it requires is a few months ofintense effort! How good, then, that ICE

reproduces the rules section of the fourth-

has obliged the overworked GM withcampaign supplements that detail specific

edition hardcover. It omits the hardcover�s

genres (see the review of Ninja Hero thatfollows), with more on the way for horror,

Sourcebook and Campaign Book, the

cyberpunk, and even the Old West.

genre-specific material covering superhe-

This book provides an economical intro-duction to the HERO SYSTEM rules and isa handy reference for those times (such as

roes. Significantly, this softcover edition

the last hours of gaming conventions)when the hardcover is just too heavy to

incorporates errata from the hardcover, a

carry.

couple of advantages introduced in a post-hardcover supplement, and that mostneglected of rulebook virtues: an index.

Classic Enemies112-page softcover bookHero Games/ICE $13Editing and development: Scott BennieCover: George PerezIIIustrations: Pat Zircher, Mark Williams

This book should be every CHAMPIONSgame GM�s first supplement. Scott Bennieis the author of TSR�s FORGOTTENREALMS� accessory, FR10 Old Empires,and co-author of the MU series, Gamer�sHandbook of the Marvel Universe forTSR�s MARVEL SUPER HEROES� game.Bennie is also a longtime Hero player, andhe has poured his heart into this massiveroster of 80 supervillains from HeroGames� first three Enemies collections,originally published in 1982 and 1984.Hopelessly obsolete in game mechanicsand poorly illustrated, these sturdy oppo-nents still excited interest, lo, unto thethird edition and beyond. Bennie revisedtheir statistics, updated and expandedtheir character backgrounds, and gener-ally gave them more pizazz. (He also took

the opportunity, with some glee, to omitthe less well-conceived villains from thosethree early books. No sign here of theAmazing Darkon, Sledge, or Frizbe thediscus thrower.)

Classic Enemies also incorporates anupdated description of Stronghold, thevenerable supervillain prison that firstappeared in 1981 and has since dutifullyserved as a revolving door for villains incampaigns nationwide. Pat Zircher, cur-rently the best superhero illustrator in thegaming field, presents these fiends withclarity and style.

If you run a four-color CHAMPIONScampaign, you want this book.

Mind Games48-page bookletHero Games/ICE $8.00Design and illustrations: Cover: Neal �Spyder� Hanson

Mentalists of the villainous Parapsycho-logical Studies Institute (PSI) dominate thefirst supplement for the fourth edition. PSIcomprises 13 villains, mostly mutants withpsionic powers, with goals as varied astheir personalities. A crazier bunch youwouldn�t want to meet. There�s a megalo-maniac, a split personality, a glutton, ob-sessives, amoralists, and miscellaneouspsychotics, all prone to infighting andconspiracy. PSI even trains a cadre ofsuperpowered students, and they�re justas maladaptive. The author draws all thesepersonality types from his own experi-ences in counseling.

Though the text lacks flash and there�slittle insight into mentalists as such, thissupplement offers a scary and ruthlessvillain group and some nice scenarios. It�sworth a good look.

Ninja Hero176-page softcover bookHero Games/ICE $17.00Design: Aaron AllstonEditing and Development: Cover: Jackson GuiceIllustrations:

Aaron Allston wrote TSR�s new D&D®HOLLOW WORLD� Campaign Set, as wellas the and

for the AD&D 2ndEdition game. He has also been �theCHAMPIONS guru� almost since the game�sinception, and he wrote many of its bestsupplements. Ninja Hero is Allston�s latestand best, an exhaustive treatise on martialarts as they exist both in reality and infreewheeling kung-fu movies. Technicallythis book supplements The HERO SYSTEMRulebook, not the CHAMPIONS game; thatmeans it works with both heroic andsuperheroic campaigns.

One of the great ornaments of thefourth-edition line, Ninja Hero describestwo dozen martial arts (everything fromaikido &wrestling, plus 15 sub-styles ofkung fu, not to mention football). It offers

guidelines for developing ninja, samurai,Chinese knights (shih), Buddhist warrior-monks, and so on, including classic stereo-types like the Irritable Student and theUnwilling Fighter. A highlight of the bookis its rules for designing new martial artsand maneuvers.

Learn how characters fight in enclosedspaces, while bound, or in zero gravity.Check the Sourcebook for huge lists ofweapons and gadgets appropriate to dif-ferent campaign styles. The Campaigningchapter details those styles, from theheroic level of real-world martial arts tothe wild martial-arts campaigns of HongKong chop-socky films, where franticavengers leap over buildings, exhale nox-ious winds, and wield the dreaded DimMak touch (that�s the one where a masterhits you with six precisely timed touches,and a week later you die, explode, orwhatever). The scenarios are among thebest Hero Games has published.

I�m convinced that Aaron Allston is thebest in the business at writing campaignmaterial, so I am biased in evaluating NinjaHero. If the topic interests you, see thisone for yourself. Its quality shines forth.

Miscellaneous supportThe Hero fan community owes a vote of

thanks to the official HERO SYSTEM maga-zine, Adventurers Club. Its constant tardi-

ness has provided fans with an unflaggingsource of sarcastic humor. The AC, alleg-edly a quarterly magazine, appeared moreor less annually for years. Now in a newcomic-book size, it shows signs of lurchingback toward regular publication. The ACdeserves attention for its scenarios, NPCs,gadgets, and campaigning tips, but it�s thinand badly printed. At $3 an issue, it�s stillin a wait-and-see stage. Subscription que-ries can be sent to: AC Subscriptions, Box1605, Charlottesville VA 22902, U.S.A.

Far more vigorous is the semi-officialHERO SYSTEM computer bulletin boardsystem (BBS), Red October. Based in Aus-tin, Tex. (a hotbed of Hero Games activity),this free BBS features active discussionsand playtests of works in progress. (NinjaHero and the new edition of Fantasy Heroboth received active playtest through RedOctober.) Forthcoming projects and cam-paign chronicles are available for down-load. Set your modem to dial: (512) 834-2548 (300/1200/2400 baud, N-8-1).

Short and sweetRED EMPIRE game, by Frank Chadwick.

Game Designers� Workshop, $12.00. GDWwon the topicality award at GAMA�s 1990ORIGINS� gaming convention with �TheCard Game of Soviet Power Politics.� Threeto six players (more is better) get a Polit-buro faction of Party, Military, and KGB

leaders, with a hand of cards used toattack rival leaders, expose scandals, andtake foreign junkets. Players try to purgeopponents and make one of their leadersPresident. Meanwhile, crises keep turningup in the deck, and everybody has to helpsolve them�or the Soviet Union fallsapart! Despite some rules inconsistenciesand gaps, this two-decker game evokes therequired ambience of internecine backbit-ing. Play it before its real-life model van-ishes from the Earth.

Challenge magazine, edited by MichelleSturgeon. Game Designers� Workshop,$3.50/issue ($15/six issues from GDW, Box1646, Bloomington IL 61702-1646, U.S.A.).There�s been a dearth of good general-interest gaming magazines, but now anambitious new editor is expanding thisone-time house organ to cover science-fiction games of all companies. The bulk ofeach bimonthly issue of Challenge (it�s upto issue 46 as I write) still covers GDW�sMEGATRAVELLER� game and other GDWreleases, but there�s plenty of notice givento FASA�s SHADOWRUN� system andother SF games, and even West EndsPARANOIA® game. You also get reviews,news briefs, a miniatures showcase, and�Players Wanted� classifieds. There�s nochallenge in learning to like this solidperiodical.

DRAGON 93

96 OCTOBER 1990

DRAGON 97

98 OCTOBER 1990

DRAGON 99

Photography by Mike Bethke

©1990 by Robert Bigelow, Jay Clenndenny, and Ralph Cooper

Setting fire to the galaxy: BATTLETECH® campaign rules, part 2For those of you just joining us this

month, we present the second half of ourminiatures campaign rules for FASA�sBATTLETECH® game, as used by theGamemaster�s Guild of Waukegan. Thesecampaign rules were put together fromclub input, the sacrifice of time and effortby Ralph Cooper, and the knowledge andskill of Jay Clenndenny.

An alternative campaignA short, bloody BATTLETECH campaign

may be created by using The Mercenary�sHandbook and restricting constructionprojects to a total of 1,000 points per turn.No Houses are involved, as this is strictly acampaign between mercenaries. In addi-tion to 1,600 points for initial construction,each player gains JumpShips as needed,but starts with only two Leopard Drop-Ships and a converted Leopard oreship(having open compartments that cannottransport �Mechs).

The players� planets should form a dou-ble ring around a central star (ignoringorbital effects), with a ring of resourceplanets between the other rings to make

one resource planet per two players (seeMercenary Campaign Set-Up diagram).Each player�s home planet contains 300resource points, plus one each of six facili-ties (DropShip, assault, heavy, medium,light, and vehicle) and two spaceports,each with cities. Each resource planetcontains one resource facility, one space-port, and 700 tons of resources. Playersmay raid each other�s planets for re-sources or production facilities. All othercontrol rules apply to the use of resourcepoints, and all other campaign rules apply.

BATTLETECH®Campaign (con�t.)

Sequence of Play1. Industries consume resources and

produce new units. Check your account-ing figures carefully and have someonedouble check them.

2. Any mercenary unit not under con-tract may come up for bid, and offers maybe made to mercenary units under con-tracts to encourage them to break their

contracts. Mercenary units must have anewly written deal at the end of this phasein order to break a contract with aHouse�and gain the resultant problems.(Mercenary units simply don�t break con-tracts for the heck of it.) Record keeping isvery important here!

3. Each House plots its own movementson paper. This also includes orders formercenary units on contract. If the merce-nary unit has secretly broken a contract,then the mercenary unit must plot whereit plans to go independently of Houseorders.

4. Each House and mercenary forcemoves its units.

5. Combat is resolved by miniaturesbattles.

6. Repairs, battlefield salvage, and am-munition replacement are conducted. Youmay not use battlefield salvage collectedthis turn to repair units, unless the sal-vaged material is used to repair a unitinvolved in the same battle. Only repairparts designated at the beginning of theturn are available for use. Repair parts aregeneric except for limbs and drive compo-

DRAGON 103

nents, which must be designated as sepa-rate parts. (You can generate spares on thefollowing turn.)

7. Resources are shipped to productionplanets.

Note: If a production facility is cap-tured, resources may be shipped to thatfacility starting on the following turn, andactual manufacturing may begin for thecapturing force on the turn after that.

VariantsSome of the variants given in official

sources and articles are not possible dueto weight or rules restrictions. Below areour official campaign versions of whichunit variants are used. Other �Mechs andvariants are from Battletechnology maga-zine, produced by Pacific Rim Publishing(3833 Lake Shore Avenue, Oakland CA94610, U.S.A.). The use of variants must beagreed upon by all of the players takingpart in a campaign game. �Mech body-partabbreviations used include: H = head,RA = right arm, LA = left arm, RL = rightleg, LL = left leg, RT = right torso, CT= center torso, LT = left torso. Systemsabbreviations used include: AC = autocan-non; HS = heat sink; JJ = jump jets;LL = light laser; LRM = long-range missile;MG = machine gun; ML = medium laser;PPC = particle projection cannon; SL =small laser; SRM = short-range missile.

Alliance: No variants allowed.Archer: No variants allowed.Assassin: Remove 2 JJ (RT/LT); add 2 SL

(RL/LL); armor: H 8, RT/LT 8/4, RL/LL 6,CT 10/4, RA/LA 6.

Atlas: Remove 1 ML (RA) and 1 SRM; add 1LL (RA).

Awesome: No variants allowed.Battleaxe: No variants allowed.Battlemaster: Remove 2 ML and 1 SRM

104 OCTOBER 1990

(rear); add 7 HS; no other variantsallowed.

Blackjack: Remove 2 ML (RA/LA); add 2 LL(RA/LA) and 6 HS; armor: H 5, RT/LT13/5, RL/LL 16, CT 16/7, RA/LA 12.

Catapult-LRM20: Remove 4 ML and 4 HS;add 1 ton ammunition (CT) and 2 SL(RT/LT).

Catapult-PPC: Remove all JJ and LRM; add2 PPC (RA/LA) and 6 HS.

Centurian-L: Remove AC10; add 1 LL and1 ML (RA), and 2 HS; armor: H 9, RT/LT18/6, RL/LL 24, CT 24/7, RA/LA 16.

Centurian-20: Add AC20 (RA).Charger: No variants allowed, except for

the Challenger.Cicada-F: Remove 1 ML (RT) and SL; add 2

flamers (RT/CT); armor: H 6, CT 8/4 (allelse is same).

Cicada-PPC: Not allowed.Clint-AC10: Remove all JJ and ML (CT);

replace AC5 with AC10.Clint-D AC5: Remove all JJ and ML; add

AC5 (RA); armor: H 5, RT/LT 2/1, RL/LL2, CT 4/1, RA/LA 2.

Commando-AC: Remove 1 SRM; add AC2(RA) and 1 ton ammunition (RT).

Commando-L: Remove 1 ML; add 1flamer (RA).

Commando-LL: Remove 1 ML and 6 SRM;add 1 LL (LA).

Crusader-D: Add 4 HS.Crusader-K: Add 4 HS.Crusader-L: Add 2 JJ each in RT/LT, and

add 2 HS.Cyclops: Remove AC20 and ammunition;

add 2 LRM-15 and 4 tons ammunitionin place of AC20; armor: RA/LA 25/25(all else is same).

Firestarter: Add 2 SL (CT) and 3 SL (RT);armor: H 9, RT/LT 12/6, RL/LL 12, CT16/6, RA/LA 12.

Gladiator: Remove all JJ; add 2 ML (RT/LT).Goshawk VTOL: Remove 1 HS; add 1 ML

(front).

Griffin-S: Add 3 HS.Hunchback: No variants allowed.JagerMech: Add 2 LRM (RA/LA) and 2 tons

ammunition each to RT/LT.Javelin-F: Add 4 ML (RA/LA/RT/LT), 1 SL

(H), and 1 HS; armor: H 8, RT/LT 10/4,RL/LL 14, CT 16/4, RA/LA 10.

Jenner: Armor: H 8, RT/LT 12/4, RL/LL 13,CT 18/4, RA/LA 12.

Kirin VTOL: Remove 2 ML; add 1 HS and 1SRM-2 (front).

LRM/SRM carrier: You may design thisunit as you wish, though the unit musthave an I.C.E. engine and must weigh60 tons.

Locust 1E: Remove 2 MG and ammunition;add 1 ML (CT) and 2 SL (RA/LA); keepother ML; armor as Wasp.

Locust 1M: Remove 2 MG and ammuni-tion; add 2 LRM (RT/LT); armor: H 1,RT/LT 2/1, RL/LL 2, CT 2/1, RA/LA 1.

Locust 1S: Remove 2 MG and ammunition;add 2 SRM (RA/LA); armor: H 6, RT/LT5/2, RL/LL 6, CT 8/2, RA/LA 3.

Marauder-D: Add 1 LL (RT) and 4 HS.Marauder-M: Add 4 HS.Marauder-L: Add 2 HS, 1 PPC (RA),

1 LL (LA).Mercury: Add 1 extra ML (LT).Orion: Add 3 SRM-4 and 2 tons ammuni-

tion (LT), and add 1 HS.Ostroc: 1 LRM replaces 1 SRM; no other

variants allowed.Ostsol: Remove all ML; add 2 PPC (RT/LT).Phoenix Hawk-K: Add 3 HS and 1 SL (CT);

armor: H 9, RT/LT 18/4, RL/LL 22, CT23/5, RA/LA 14.

Quickdraw: Add 4 HS and 2 ML (LT).Rifle AC: Remove all LL and AC; add 2

AC10, 2 ML, 2 tons ammunition (one ofeach to each arm); armor: H 6, RT/LT12/2, RL/LL 10, CT 20/4, RA/LA 13.

Rifle PPC: Remove all AC5 and LL; add 2 PPCand 2 ML (one to each arm) and 11 HS.

Shadow Hawk-2D: Remove 2 HS; addSRM-2 (RT) and ML (RT).

Shadow Hawk-2K: Model has only 14 HS.Spider (both): Remove 2 JJ (one each side).Stinger-V: Add ML (LA); armor as Wasp-K.Super Griffin: Not possible.Thunderbolt-E: Add 2 JJ each to RT/LT, 1

LRM-10 in RT, and 2 HS.Thunderbolt-S: Add 2 flamers (RT) and 5 HS.Titan-J: Remove 1 SRM-4 from each side;

move SRM-6 to LT; add 3 JJ (RT/CT/LT).Titan-2: Ignore comment on extra 5 tons of

ammunition; add SRM-2 (LT).Trebuchet-5J: Add 5 JJ (2 RL, 2 LL, 1 CT),

4 HS, and 1 ton LRM ammunition (RT);armor: H 9, RT/LT 13/5, RL/LL 16, CT22/7, RA/LA 11.

Trebuchet-5S: Add 2 SRM-6 (RT), 1 tonammo (RT), and 8 HS.

Urbanmech: Add AC20 (RA); remove 1 HS;armor: H 5, RT/LT 7/3, RL/LL 10, CT10/7, RA/LA 9.

Vindicator: Not possible.Victor-S: Remove 1 HS; replace SRM-4 with

SRM-6.Vulcan: Add 1 MG (LA) and 3 ML (RT);

armor: H 8, RT/LT 16/4, RL/LL 20, CT16/6, RA/LA 12.

Warhammer-D: Add 3 HS; armor: H 9, RT/LT 21/8, RL/LL 30, CT 30/9, RA/LA 21.

Warhammer-L: Add 1 flamer in RT/LT.Wasp-D: Remove SRM-2; add 2 SL (LT) and

1 flamer (LL).Wasp-K: Remove ML; armor: H 6, RT/LT

8/2, RL/LL 8, CT 8/4, RA/LA 6.Wasp-L: Remove all weapons; add

1 SRM-4 (LL).Wasp-WD: Remove all weapons; add 2 SL

(RA), 2 SL (LT), and 2 SL (LL).Whirlwind Hover: Change fusion to 135

I.C.E; remove 2 ML; add 1 MG (turret)and ½ ton ammunition; allow 3 tonsfor infantry transport.

Whitworth: Remove LRM; add 3 SRM-6(RT/CT/LT) and 2 tons ammunition(RT/LT)

Wolfman: Not allowed in play.Wolverine-K: Add 1 LL (RA), 1 ML (CT), 1

SL (CT), 3 HS; armor: H 8, RT/LT 20/6,RL/LL 26, CT 28/8, RA/LA 18.

Wolverine-M: Add 1 LL (RA), 1 ML (RA),and 4 HS.

Wyvern VTOL: Replace 1 SL with 1 HS;armor: F 26, L/R 22, B 20, R 2 15.

Prohibited ItemsNo Star League materials or units are

used in the campaign. Additionally, mines,vibra-bombs, Land Air �Mechs, and pop-uppill boxes or other fancy fixed defensesare not used. All fixed weapons in a cityare placed in buildings. If these units areused, prepare to limit them to avoid pro-longed trench, siege, or fortress warfare.

Terrain GenerationTerrain for miniatures battles is gener-

ated whenever there is combat in nonur-ban areas across open ground, at resourcecenters, or at spaceports. One representa-tive from each side involved in the fightingchooses a number between one and six.Add one to each number selected. Eachresult represents the number of times thatthe player may roll on the Terrain Genera-tion Table to create the battlefield environ-ment. (If generating terrain for urbanbattlefields, see �City Layout.�)

Both players reveal their chosen num-bers at the same time. The person whoselected the lowest number (or the defend-ing player, if the numbers selected were atie) rolls 2d6 on the Terrain GenerationTable and places the result on the board;this is his first turn. Players alternaterolling dice and choosing terrain until oneplayer has made as many rolls as he isallowed. The other player then finishesout his rolls. Terrain is placed as it isrolled, before the next roll on the TerrainGeneration Table is made.

First and foremost, the layout of thebattlefield board must make sense. Youcan�t run a river over the mountains, butyou can start one there. You may placetrees on mountains if you wish, but theymay not be placed on buildings. Buildingsmay be placed on hills only if they fit.Buildings may not be placed on water. Youmust use the terrain as rolled, and it must

all fit on the map.If a resource center or a spaceport is on

the board, the defender places that facilityafter all terrain features have been laidout, and he can automatically place a two-hex-wide road from that center leading offthe board. The defender will also be ableto place two small maintenance OF defensebuildings (one-level, one-hex, 75 CFs) forevery 25 tons of fixed defenses. Thesemust be placed within six hexes of thefacility in question and must also be placedwithin six hexes of each other, so long asthey can each trace a line of sight back tothe facility.

A spaceport building is two hexes wide,one hex deep, and three levels tall. Next toit is a concrete launching and landing padthat covers a square four hexes across.

Resource centers cover four hexes andhave two levels. A concrete lot one hex insize lies immediately next to the facility;this lot is where resources awaiting ship-ment are found (and from where they getstolen on raids).

Production facilities cover six hexes andhave three levels. A concrete lot onesquare wide encircles the facility. No otherterrain features may be placed next to thisfacility.

No military units may enter or stand ontop of a spaceport, a resource center, or aproduction facility. Concrete pads and lotsmay be entered like any other area ofclear terrain.

Wind: After terrain is laid out, winddirection is determined by rolling 1d6. Ona roll of 1-2, wind is present; numbers areassigned to the cardinal directions(1 = north, 2 = northeast, 3 = east, etc.),then 1d8 is rolled for the direction itself. Ifthe initial 1d6 roll is 3-6, no wind ispresent. Wind direction remains constantthroughout the course of a battle.

City LayoutTo create natural terrain on a board

showing a city layout, each player selects anumber between 1 and 3 and uses theTerrain Generation Table. This terrain isplaced first. Any reference to possibleextra buildings is automatically treated asopen terrain.

The defender of an urban area involvedin �Mech combat is allowed to use 2,000CFs of buildings to form his city. This summust be distributed in lots of 25 CFs size.The Building CF Costs Table is used todetermine building costs. The selected CFis multiplied by the given multiplier, andthe product is then multiplied by thebuilding�s level (e.g., a two-hex, level-2structure of 50 CFs would be 100 CFstotal). After the defender decides upon hisbuildings, they are placed on the board.The player must place paved streets usingcommon sense.

Infantry CostsThe Infantry Costs Tables show the

production costs (in tons) for infantryunits in a BATTLETECH campaign. Notethat anti-�Mech infantry costs double thevalues given.

Home GuardEach of the five Houses has a Home

Guard to protect its capital. Because oftheir special status, Home Guard units aretreated as exceptions to several rulespresented in this column.

Home Guard units for all Houses arecreated during the initial (pre-game) con-struction period. Each such unit consistsof 12 �Mechs totalling 400 tons (only�Mechs may be purchased for HomeGuards). Home Guard �Mechs may be ofany size but must be regular �Mechs orapproved variants without modifications.

DRAGON 105

Mountains Subtable

1d6 Mountain result1 One five-level mountain2 One four-level mountain3-4 One three-level mountain5-6 Two two-level hills

Pilots for such units are received free andinclude a 2-2 commander, with all otherHome Guard pilots being 3-3.

Home Guard units and pilots may not betransferred or moved off the capital cityboard during a battle. These units do notcount for stacking purposes in combat (see�Battles: Stacking� in last months column).

Finally, Home Guards may replace losses,ammunition, and make repairs at the rateof 40 tons per turn, over and above allother production considerations.

Rules ClarificationsIn any campaign, rules disputes may

appear and rules lawyers might try tochange the intent of the game. TheBATTLETECH Manual: The Rules of War-fare governs the conduct of combat in thiscampaign. All rules disputes must be set-tled by the representatives of each House,the mercenary representative, and thejudge. Possible areas of rules conflicts areaddressed as follows:

Punching rules in the game are not veryclear. You may punch only if your �Mechhas a lower arm actuator (a fist) on thelimb in question. It does not matter whatweapons the unit has in the arm itpunches with. Each official �Mech�s actua-tors are given on its sheet from theBATTLETECH Reinforcements pack. Thereferee is the final authority on what�Mechs have in any event. Do not forgetthe - 1 penalty to hit if no hand actuatoris present.

A charge attack requires that the charg-ing unit has a chance to survive the attackat the time the charge is declared. VTOLSmay never declare a charge. The damagepoints caused by a charge attack are fig-ured by multiplying the charging unit�stonnage by the distance to the target inhexes, then dividing the result by 10 androunding up to the nearest whole number.

106 OCTOBER 1990

In engine weight calculations of modi-fied vehicles, the engine must have at leasttwice the rating of the weight of the vehi-cle before suspension becomes a factor.

Torso critical hits are not automatic. Youmust roll on the �Mech Hit Location Tableand Critical Hit Effects Table, pages 22 and23, in The BATTLETECH Manual: TheRules of Warfare.

An ammunition explosion destroys a�Mech�s limb when that limb is blown off,but the blast does not hurt the rest of the�Mech.

Damages for purposes of a piloting skillroll are cumulative (e.g., if your unit takes40 points of damage, it gains a +2 PSRmodifier; 45 points of damage would stillbe + 21. A piloting roll for leg damage needbe made only after a successful physicalattack against a �Mech�s leg.

QuestionsAll questions and comments on these

campaign rules may be directed to: RobertBigelow, c/o Friends� Hobby, 1411 Wash-ington Street, Waukegan IL 60085, U.S.A.

Terrain Generation Table

2d6 Terrain result2 Roll on Mountains Subtable3 Roll on Hills Subtable4 One one-level hill5 One lightly wooded area6 Open terrain (roll on Roads

Subtable)7 Open terrain8 Open terrain (roll on Buildings

Subtable9 Roll on Water Subtable10 One one-level hill11 One lightly wooded area12 Roll on Woods Subtable

Hills Subtable

1d6 Hill result1-2 One three-level hill3-4 One two-level hill5-6 Two one-level hills

Roads Subtable

1d6 Road result1 One two-hex-wide road across the

board2 One one-hex-wide road across the

board3-6 No roads

Buildings Subtable

2d6 Building result2 One large two-level, three-hex build-

ing (50 CF)3 One large one-level, two-hex build-

ing (50 CF)4 One small two-level, one-hex build-

ing (50 CF)5 No buildings6 No buildings7 No buildings8 No buildings9 One medium, one-level, two-hex

building (50 CF)10 One large, three-level, two-hex

building (50 CF)11 One medium one-level, two-hex

building (50 CF)12 One huge two-level, four-hex build-

ing (25 CF)

Water Subtable

1d6 Water result1-2 One two-level-deep river (two hexes

wide) crossing the board3-4 One one-level-deep river (one hex

wide) crossing the board5-6 One small lake with a one-level-deep

river (one hex wide) leading awayfrom it to the edge of the board

Woods Subtable

1d6 Woods result1-2 Two heavily wooded areas3-4 One heavily wooded area5-6 Two lightly wooded areas

Building CF Costs Table

Level Level LevelBuilding 1 2 3hex Min/ Min/ Min/s ize Mul t ip l i e r Max Max Max1 hex 1 25/100 25/75 25/502 hex 2 25/75 25/50 253 hex 3 25/50 25 n/a4 hex 4 25 n/a n/a

Infantry Costs Tables

Foot infantry CostRifles 7Machine guns 10Flamers 10Portable lasers 14SRM 14

�Mech infantry costRifles 21Machine guns 30Flamers 30Portable lasers 28SRM 28

Jump infantry CostRifles 30Machine guns 28Flamers 28Portable lasers 33SRM 33

DRAGON 107