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The Black Sword (Turin
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om the edges of the Anfaugli, Turin was snatchedfrom Morgoth's grasp by the Elf Gwindor, who took him back to Nargothrondon the Narog. Here he dwelt at the court of Orodreth the King, and was held in honour by him and his people. Thus it was that the Evilfate which enmeshed Turin, was to spread out and weave the destruction of Nargothronditself. Turin became mighty in Nargothrondand was called Adanedhel, the Man- Elf by the people. He rose in power and esteem and calling himself 'Morrnegil', The Black Sword, was to lead the war-hosts of Orodreth against the armies of Morgoth.
The host of the Noldor was destroyed on the field of Tumhalad, and the fair C i of Nargothrondsacked and laid waste by the DragonGlaUNng. Turin had played his unwittingpart as the agent of Morgoth's curse, and had brought destruction ever in his wake. But Morgothwas not yet finished with the son of Hurin. Still he hounded him as he fled North to Brethiland joined with the Haladin in that place. HereTurin called himself 'Turambar' or Fatemaster, a title of miserableirony, in view of his final acts; for Glaurung, although slain by Turin, had bewitched Nienor his sister, and she, ignorant under the Dragon spell, of who she was, had wedded Turin and conceived his child.
It had long been the practice of the Noldor of Nargothrond,to husbandtheir resourcesfor war with great care and to fight the Enemy by means of stealth and the setting of ambushes. This was not to The Black Sword's liking who, ignorant of the Doom that he was fulfilling, bridged the Narog and led out the War host of the King in noise and splendour.
Glaurung, in a last fulfilmentof Morgoth's curse, had lied the spell upon his own expiry, whereupon Nienor becameaware of who she truly was and slew herself. Turin, upon learningthis and unableto bear the weight of Doom longer, took his own lie with the evil blade Gurthang.
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M239 Orodreth of
I' lirp(il Nargothrond. He is armoured in plate and chainmail. Originally an insignia used by captains to distinguish themselves to their hosts in the field, the wings gradually became a symbol of Kingship amongst many of the Elven kindreds, worn by some upon a silver circlet, but by most of the Noldor, on an ornate war- helm. He carries a long sword, jewelled at the hilt. Orodreth's cloak is decorated with his own insiania. the waterlily and the diamond. The traditional emblem of his house was an eight spoked wheel surrounded by a golden disc, but when his brother Finrod relinquished the crown in his favour, Orodreth instead used his own emblem of the water Lily, rather than adopt that of his brother who yet lived.
Findzz and Gwindor
[
When Turin came to Nargothrond, the heart of Finduilas, Orodreth's daughter was turned from Gwindor, her previous suitor, to Turin who for his part, did not return her love. Finduilas' costume is embroidered with the waterlily emblem, albeit much slenderer than previously and with no central diamond. The sleeves of her gown likewise have a 13e lily flower rnoti as part ofthe paltern. She wears an ornate circlet of I silver about her head. Gwindor wears a tunic which comes to a which is decorated with the motifs of his own point at the front in traditional Elven ;tyb, house. His cloak-clasps are decorats I with spoked wheel patterns, showing him to have been of Finrod's household before hi capture at the Nimaeth Amoediad. His sword has a handgrip decorated as an unfu ing bud, a popular moti among the Noldor of Nargothrond.
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M238 Turin 'Black Sword" mounted Turin was shown great favour by Orodreth of Nargothrond,and was the only Man ever to lead an Elven host. He is arrayed in Elvisharrnour, a mixture of plate and chain-mail. His helmet is also distinctively Ehren, with characteristic wings at the sides. He wears a Dwarf-mademask on the front of the helmet. The foreplate of his armour carries the insigniaof Orodreth, in the form of a stylised water-lily inset with a diamond, a motif common amongst all the Noldor. He carries the great sword Gurthang, Beleg's weapon of old and now re-forged by the smith's of Nargothrond,and whence he derives his name 'Mormegil', the Black Sword.
M242 Hithlum Easterling warrior
M246 Angband Orc Captain
This warrior wears his hair long and swept back, and with long moustaches His sword, whosescabbard attaches to his bet by means of a heart-shaped piece of thick leather, is long and of the cavalry sort His mail is formed of squares of metal sewn onto an undertunicof leather. He wears greaves made of thin iron strips and has a small, semi-circular shield with a spiral motif, characteristic of the Moon worshipping Easterlings. Bright primary colours are favoured among the Easterling bibes, principiy reds, yellows
M245 Niniel the
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Bride Niniel was, through Glaurungthe dragon, Morgoths utimate tool for the destruction of Turin Deprived by Glaurung of all memory of her previous lie she fled naked to Brethil and was tended and cared for by the Haladin of that place. Her costume is simple and she wears double skirt, a common custom amongstthe women of the Edain Each is decorated with embroidered flower patterns around the rim. Her hair is adornedwlth flowers, acommon practice for weddings amongst the Haladin in their poverty, lacking as ihey do, the refinements of jewellry and rich cloth.
M243 Brandir the lame Brandir was the leader of his people, the Haladin, in Brethil, during the years following the Battle of the Un-numbered tears. Brandir's costume is simple and coarse made, reflecting the harsh times that had befallen his folk. His cloak and tunic will be brown, green or the parchment colour of unbleached cloth. He wearsashirtofsoftleatherashisonly armour and carries a Northman (Edain) sword, an heirloom of the second house of the Edain from a time before the fortunes of his people fell at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Brandirwasfalselythought by Turin to have caused Niniel's death and was slain by him.
Like all the Orcs of this age this figure is garbed in primitive dress and crudely beweaponed. (see fig M222 Morgoth Orcs). His clothing consists largely of pets and fur-scraps, but with some .I leather armour on his upper torso. The features that most clearly distinguish him from his underlings are his helmet, whip and iron-headed axe. The helmet, of a dull iron colour, and axe have been forged in the smithies of Angband and the whip, even at this early period was used by the Orc leaders to instill discipline and obedience on their less intelligent followers. It is unlikely that at this stage, the Orcs would have been sufficiently skilled in metallurgy to produce their own weapons.
M244 Turin Turambar When Turin came to Brethil after the wreck of Nargothrond, and joined the people of Brandir, he set aside his fine Elven mail and the evil sword Gurthang, and took for his weapon, the spear. The Haladin of Brethilwere cowed and small in number, and their ways of fighting were by ambush and trap. The only items of Elvish origin that remain to Turin are the short sword at his side which is decoratedwith the lily emblem of Orodreth, and a part of his Elven chainmail, which is worn underneath a leather jerkin. His clothes would be green and brown in colour, suitable to the secret warfare of the forest.
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b
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M241 Brodda the Easterling
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M247 Elven warrior (Noldo) This figure represents one of the retainers of Orodreth, who fought under Turin at the battle of Tumhalad. Heis clad mostlyinfine Elven mail, but with some plate armour on his arms and legs. Like Turin and Orodreth his helmet is winged. His gauntlets are decorated with the 'unfurling-bud' design and his longsword has a diamond emblem on the pommel, both characteristic Noldo symbols. His cloak is decorated with the waterjily motif of Orodreth, the leaves of which would be red and the surrounding semi-circle coloured gold.
The chieftain of an Easterling tribe who were allied to Morgoth during the Baffle of the un-numbered tears, Brodda was rewarded with lands in Dor-Lomin after the conflict. His rank is denoted by the many golden chains of office which hang about his neck, each depicting suzerainty over a sub-chief who would present him with the chain as a sign of his own feaHy. He wears an embroidered belt, the ancestor of the long decorated belts of the Third age Sagath, and greaves of bronze. The patterning on his clothes and cloak is angular, another characteristic of Easterling design. Easteriings fight predominantly from horseback and he wears a long cavalry sword which has no cross-piece below the grip. His long swept back hair and moustachesare also characteristic of the Easterlings
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This text is sup ort material for Middleearth figurines rnanukctured by Mithril Miniatures Ltd., Macroom, Co. Cork, Ireland, under licence from Tolkien Enterprises Inc. These figures are available from good hobby and games stores. Trademarks and mpynghts 1991 Tdken Enterprises lllc MERP 1s mpynght 01 iron Crown Enterprises Inc 1991
Editorial RUNES.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
f
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Stewart gives a mission statement and talks about direction.
ITEMSFOR
Features ANYREALM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Spike Y. Jones gives us some magic items modelled in our own image.
THESILICON DUNGEON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Jim Trunzo lets us in on what's hot and what's not in computer games, including a peek at the new Wizardy.
INFILTRATION OF THE MINDMAGGOTFROM PLANET V . . .16 A new live action roleplaying scenario by Roger Spendlove of the Dream Park Corporation.
NATIVESOF
THE
BIG EASY . . . . . . . 25
C.R. Shaver &Jason Rush bring us seven new Archetypes in the second of their five-part Shadowrun series detailing New Orleans.
THEDARKTOWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 A Crossover Story for Vampire:The Masquerade and Werewo1f:The Apocalypse by Chris Hind.
FEATURE REVIEW: DREAMPARK. . . . . . . 50 Stewart Wieck gives us the highs and lows of R. Talsorian's new Dream Park Game.
ARTISTSPOTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 David Martin, our cover artist, shows us an overview of his work
FEATURE REVIEW:DANGEROUS JOURNEYS . . . 56 Rob Hatch lets us in the newest release from E. Gary Gygax and Game Designers Workshop.
. . . . . . . . . . . . 59
LICENSEDTO THRILL A look at the plusses and pitfalls of licensed game products.
CAPSULE REVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Staff reviewers take a look at hordes of new products.
Credits JulylAugust 1992 Publisher: White Wolf Editor-in-Chief: Stewart Wieck Layout and Design: Chris McDonough Assistant Editors: Ken Cliffe and Robert Hatch Art Director: Richard Thomas Production: Sam Chupp Advertising Director: Wes Harris Cover Artist: Dave Martin Poster Artist: Tony Harris Cartographer: Chris McDonough Staff Writer: Jim Trunzo Line Reviewers: Gene Alloway, Donnie Collette, Steve Crow, Christopher Earley, Keith Eisenbies, Jim 2
JULY/AUGUST
1992
Foster, Matthew Gabbert, Phillip Hess Hind, Sean Holland, Daniel Huber, Allen Mixson, Charles Peirce, Herb Petro, Thomas Riccardi, David L. Pulver, Anthony Ragan, S. J o h n Ross and J o h n Setzer. Art Credits: Josh Timbrook, Tony Santo and Richard Thomas Editor-in-Spirit: Stephan Wie Deutsch Sprecher: Mark Rein Printed in the United States of America. Special thanks this issue to: R. Talsorian Games for providing a prepublication copy of Dream Park for the Feature Review.
Garou and Kindred mix it up in The Dark Tower by Chris Hind P. 34 WHITE WOLF Magazine (ISSN 0897-9391) is published bi-
their name on the address label.
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WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE
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I feel that there is definitely a place for an independent game magazine in this hobby. It’s simply a matter of the function best served by such a magazine. WHITE WOLF Magazine has experimented with several different approaches and formats, but I think it’s time to work on a long-term perspective. Although it’s too soon to say for certain, it looks like WHITE WOLF Magazine is finally receiving the attention we’d always hoped it would, and it may truly fill the void that has existed since the passing of magazines like Different Worlds. The feedback on WW31 has been tremendous so far. The favorite article seems to have been “United States v. The Lizard Thing,” but many others commented on the Feature Review with the Other Opinions, the Live-Action scenario, and the beautiful Shadowrun article. With the beginning of the new format and the new era of WHITE WOLF Magazine behind us, it’s time to prepare for the future. Toward that end, I would like to prepare a Mission Statement for the magazine. A Mission Statement is a simple but powerful device used by individuals, groups, and companies to provide a focus for the future. These statements indicate why an individual or group does what it’s doing. It’s not an inane statement of expectation or desire, like “In three years WHITE WOLF Magazine will be the most,widely read roleplaying game magazine.” Such sales or monetary goals are outside the tenets of a Mission Statement, though one can hope that by achieving or upholding the Mission Statement such rewards will also be earned. I hope to create a statement that will serve the life of the magazine, perhaps even beyond my issue-to-issue involvement with it (which will probably only end when the magazine goes to a monthly publication schedule). The future will undoubtedly force changes in the magazine, but hopefully a Mission Statement created now will serve to impose my personal vision on the magazine for its entire existence. O n the way to the future, I should begin with the past. WHITE WOLF Magazine was originally conceived as a forum for the writing of both myself and Steve Wieck. It quickly became more (and consequently less) than that as we began to view the magazine as an actual periodical. Searching only for artists soon became a search for writers as well. With more writers came less writing by the Wieck brothers, and I have at times mourned the burden the magazine has become. Today the magazine is a duty, as the majority of my writing in the magazine is in the form of reviews, but with the new format and expanding audience I think there is a chance to create a new vision. The changes in the format of the magazine have always been incremental. The first big change came with WW8, and this was also when Steve and I decided on a basic format of one fantasy adventure per issue supported by whatever assortment of articles for other games that we could put together. Out of this gradually
came a dedication to cover the smaller game companies, probably because we were one ourselves and I saw a chance to help others get some attention. The next format involved dedicating each issue to a certain theme, like the Horror Issue or Fantasy Issue. We followed this format from WW18 through WW30, but I feel that it has been worn out. The format made the magazine too predictable and, I think, scared off potential readers because they didn’t enjoy whatever genre was being targeted. There are a few unifying elements of the new format. Now, we feature one popular game with regular articles for an entire year (like the Shadowrun pieces this year, though the idea grew out of the Torg adventures printed last year) and supplement it with articles that have a more universal appeal, like last issue’s “United States v. The Lizard Thing”; while this article certainly would most interest those who play superhero games, it is also fun reading for other garners or those who just enjoy comic books. “Licensed to Thrill” in this issue is another example. Other elements include at least one Feature Review that is supported by Other Opinions, an article or adventure for a game published by a small game company, a dedication to printing our columns like “People of the Land” and “Items for Any Realm” on a more regular basis, and a Live-Action scenario. So what does all this history and format change mean for a Mission Statement?Any Mission Statement for this magazine will have to include a number of elements, including: 1) a dedication to supporting lesser-known games that are worthy of attention, 2) bringing an awareness of other forms of roleplaying like Live-Action games, and 3) providing information about new developments from all game companies. There are some angles that the magazine probably won’t pursue. For example, there has been an on-again off-again desire to make WHITE WOLF Magazine more “newsy” by including details about events within the industry, but I think the focus is more appropriately directed at the games and the creators than the political duels between companies except where the latter interferes with the former. There are many more desires and possibilities to consider beyond this bare list, but I suppose that’s partially how a Mission Statement succeeds. A Mission Statement provides criteria by which to judge any proposals concerning the magazine. The Mission Statement that follows will be reprinted in every issue of the magazine, and while we may not live up to it in every regard right now, it is something to work toward. I hope you’ll let us know how we’re doing. WHITE WOLF Magazine’s Mission Statement: “WHITE WOLF Magazine is dedicated to the purpose of making garners aware of new advances in roleplaying games and game techniques. While pursuing this goal, roleplaying will be always be considered as art, as well as simply entertainment.”
by Stewart Wieck
4
JULY/AUGUST, 1992
MECHFORCE NORTH
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available anywhere, Writer/Artist guidelines and complimentary battlesheets .MechforceO Membership Certificate *Membership Card FASA poster (subject to availability) You'll also receive four 32-Page Issues of MECW delivered quarterly .Each issue is poly-baggedand mailed first class *Discover the current scoop on the political intrigue of the Inner Sphere Check out the Mech Lab for the newest mechs and equipment all approved by FASA .Each issue gives you great new fiction Coverage of all aspects of the Battietech Universe ~MechwarrioP M e Ranking: Where you can compete against warriors from around the world! .The ability to purchase exclusive MNA products like T-shirts, Mastersheets, special issues and more!
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JULY/AUGUST,1992
candle continues to burn (a maximum of one turn per inch of the candle’s height). This magic candle can be extinguished and relit like a normal candle, but the wax melted from it cannot be reformed into candle-form to extend the maximum “lifespan” of its smokespirit. While it’s possible that almost any creature could be represented by a candle of smoke-spmts, it is unlikely that any wizard would expend the effort to carve and dip an eight-foot long red dragon candle; mansized creatures are the usual limit, with the occasional “L”-sized monster being the exception.
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icon; poking it with a pin or dipping it into boiling water will have no effect on the individual the icon is linked to. Finally, harming the individual magically is not as easy as simply destroying the icon with a fireball or disintegration spell; if the spell cast at the icon destroys the icon, its ability to transfer magical effects to a distant person is destroyed as well. Even a relatively weak damaging spell such as shocking grasp or heat metal is likely to affect the icon enough to render it an inert piece of wood, metal or bone. Instead, it gives a mage greater range and control for his spells; spells with a range of “touch” like protection from evil can be cast at a distant person through the near-to-hand icon, while “area” effect spells such as haste or slow will only affect the subject of the icon. The casting of clazraudzence and clairvoyance spells on the icon allows a stay-at home mage to follow the progress of a friend, enemy, henchman or hireling as if
Icon of Identity (Wizard) This magic item takes the form of a small, man-shaped statuette crafted from any common sculpting material. While highly decorated examples are often found, the decorations serve no intrinsic purpose; the magic of the icon of identity can as easily be imparted to a plain, almost crude statuette as to a beautiful work of art. In order to function, the icon must be magically linked to a person by attaching a personal effect of that individual (such as a nail-clipping or strand of hair) to it. Once that is preformed, certain spells cast o n the icon will affect the person it is now linked to. While this effect is similar to that attributed to voodoo dolls, there are some important differences between the two. The first is the fact that the icon is completely reusable, and the subject of the icon’s effects can be changed in a moment’s time by merely removing the personal effect tying the icon to one individual and replacing it with one attuned to another. Second, only magical effects can be transferred through the WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE
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h e were using a crystal ball, and he could aid or hinder the individual spied upon at will.
Paca’s Pilfering Puppets This item takes the form of a carved wooden m ~ i O n e t t e(almost always in hUmanold shape) from one to two feet in height. While it can be used as a normal Puppet in a show, when the Proper Command word IS spoken it becomes animated and, trailing its now useless strings behind it, will perform thefts at the direction of its owner. The puppet can only stay animated for a period of half an hour per day, after which time it becomes once again an unmoving construct of wood, paint and strings. The creator of the original band of pilfering puppets is unknown, but it is known criminal puppeteer named Paca the Showman who commissioned a
After Paca’s death his collection of puppets was split up, and as few more have been created over the years, the chance of finding more than a single puppet in any one person’s possession is slim. The thieving abilities of pilfering puppets vary; each has 70 points to spend on any of the following thieving skills: Pick Pockets, Open Locks, Find/Remove Traps, Move Silently, Hide In Shadows and Climb Walls, and the nonweapon proficiency Appraising (each 5% spent on this proficiency gives the puppet a 1 in 20 chance of performing this skill). As 70 points is not a lot to spread out over seven skills, most puppets have only a few skills at a relatively high chance of success (such as having 35% each in Climb Walls and Open Lo&, producing a puppet proficient at “second story work”). The original collection of pilfering puppets had the full range of abilities distributed between them in a number
s no innate intelli-
master has described facsimiles and wellprepared in advance by the puppeteer and mated puppet are all Appraise items o n its own can be given ore general commands such as: “enter hat store and take the three most valuable items you find”. They see by way of a special magical sight that works as well in darkness as in light but have n o sense of
travel from town
each town when
capture or destroy if one knows about their presence.
AC 7 and can take 10 hit points of discovered rose.
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JULY/AUGUST,1992
They take normal damage from weapons and spells, except that
they are immune to chrm, illusions and other spells affecting the mind of the victim, or any spell only affecting living creatures, such as stinking cloud. Pilfering puppets resist dispel magic spells as 12th level, but if they fail their saving throw they return to their inert form and cannot be reanimated for two days.
XP Value: 500
Otto‘s Obedient Armv
(Wizard)
#
While the commanders in most small-scale battles take the field along with their men, in large-scale engagements it isn’t for a general to stand outside of the battle and command from a position where he can see more clearly the overall situation, as opposed to having his vision restricted to the enemy within sword’s reach. But one of the greatest difficulties of this command style is that it can take time and effort for the commander’s orders to be relayed to his troops, and often the situation on the field will change too fast for his couriers to cope with. In order to overcome this difficulty, Otto, one o the famous wizards of Greyhawk, was commissioned by a warring king to produce an army of miniature soldiers whose movements on a tabletop would duplicate those of the ruler’s real troops on the battlefield, and which could themselves be manipulated in order to change the position of the real troops on the field. In short order the wizard produced his Obedient Army, a collection of inch-tall sculpted soldiers that could be magically linked to the king’s troops a short time before a battle and then released from their linkage after the fighting was done. Each “toy soldier” was sculpted from precious metals and stones to represent an average soldier in the army, with a number (some 5%) On horseback* Each miniature had to be linked to its real-life counterPa‘‘ individuallY, a Process Performed having the soldiers (and horses, in the case of cavalry) march in single file through an arch Otto had constructed which link them to an figure. Aftenvards,
the troops would take up battle formations (eerily mimicked by the miniatures on their table), and then they could either be commanded conventionally or by orders made to a mage manipulating the statuettes. In order to guard against the possibility of the troops on the field being disrupted by an accidental disruption of the table holding their linked miniatures, the miniatures were so constructed that the only movements they would pass on to their linked soldiers were those imparted by the force of a telekinesis spell. Inhibitions on the movement of the miniatures are magically built into them so that the telekinesing mage cannot force the figures to move across the tabletop at a speed faster than the linked soldiers can -Cmoveon the real field. Thus, while the Z mage could pick up a linked miniature with his hand and hold it over the table without imparting the power of flight to the soldier represented, he would not be able to d Itelekinetically lift it unless the soldier had the power of flight y. (An example of this magic item in use is shown on page 113 of The Complete Fighter’s Handbook, with one of the two depicted commanders presumably a fighter/mage of some sort.) Although Otto only produced one Obedient Army (a collection totalling some 500 miniatures; his commissioner Id hardly afford to pay for a larger army (at about 100 gp per statuette), and used his magically-controlled soldiers as shock troops, in difficult terrain or conditions, or interspersed with his normal troops in large battles), his methods have since been duplicated by other mages, so that a collection of 50 or more figures in a wide array of can be by any serious commander with a minimal effort (but possibly with considerable expense), or a new set offigures could be commissionedfrom a mage by a wealthyState or ruler. Methods of linking soldiers to figures besides WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE
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developed since Otto's time, and will normally either be included in the price of fabrication of a new Amy or can be easily discovered through research. X P Value: 400 per figure
Shadow AssasSin (Alteration, Necromancy) Wizard, 5th level Range: Touch Components: V, S, M Duration: 1 turn/level or until completion of missiorl Casting Time: 1 turn Area of Effect: Bone touched Saving Throw: None The casting of this spell creates a one-time phantom assassin which immediately sets out to kill a person designated in advance by the casting wizard, relentlessly seeking out its victim at its maximum move of 9. The material component for the spell is a single bone taken from the body of an executed murderer of the same species as the assassin's intended victim and carved into a likeness of that victim; the bone turns into dust after the shadow assassin completes its
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JULY/AUGUST, 1992
mission or at the end of the spell's duration. The shadow assassin takes the form of a shadowy outline of the executed murderer (which isn't detailed enough to show a recognizable face) that contains only one bit of solidity - the carved bone hovering eerily within the outline in the same position it occupied in the murderer's body. This solid bone is the only vulnerable portion of a shadow assassin's body as all weapons pass through the other parts of its body as just so much air. In addition, its mostly insubstantial form means that it can squeeze itself through openings only large enough to admit the bone, so that the tiniest of bones (those small enough to fit under a closed door) can follow a victim almost anywhere. As there are over 200 bones in the human body, it would appear that components are common; however, there are three mitigating factors. T h e first is the fact that most jurisdictions have laws against grave-robbing and some will actively work to prevent the trade in murderer's bones by cremating or breaking the bones of these criminals. The second is the fact that each bone must be individually and expertly carved into shape before it can be used in the casting of the spell, a process taking anywhere from two to 24 days, assuming that the caster has the Artistic Ability: Sculpting nonweapon proficiency and succeeds at a proficiency check. A failed proficiency check means that the sculptor has destroyed the bone he was working o n and will have to start again with another bone. The final limit on the use of this spell is that the abilities of the resulting shadow assassin are determined by the size of the bone used in its creation. Large bones, such as the long bones of the arms and legs, make the strongest shadow assassins, while small bones, such as those making up the fingers or even those in the inner ear, are much weaker; however, these assassins have higher armor classes, as it is harder to hit these bones in midair than it is to hit large bones. T h e armor class of a shadow assassin is the same as its Hit Dice, with the total range of hit dice and armor classes for bones in a body going from 1 Hit Die and AC 1 to 10 Hit Dice and AC 10. A shadow assassin fights by attempting to strangle its victim, doing one point of damage per hit die o n a successful hit (minimum of one point). Because of its highly specific purpose, a shadow assassin can do no harm to anyone other than its intended victim (although anyone can attack a shadow assassin at will), nor will it attempt to attack others, even those that 11 interfere with its mission. 'tmd 6
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The software industry, like television, runs in cycles, and what gamers have experienced during the past few months is akin to summer reruns. After the glut of programs debuting in December and January, a software lull set in, aided and abetted by big-name titles that simply failed to come anywhere close to anticipated release dates. Now a tidal wave of products has flooded the market and consumers have a plethora of riches from which to choose.
uinm UNDERWORD THE SNGlAN ABYSS
Origin, p.0. gox 161750, Austin, TX 78716; IBM & Compatibles, 3 8 6 s or ~ 386/486 machines; Requires 2 meg of RAM and Expanded Memory Manager; 256 color VGA; Suggested Retail: $69.95
“through the eyes” fantasy game
1 will wipe away any preconceived
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notions of what computer fantasy gaming is all about. It’s that innovative. Unlike other excellent firstperson perspective games, The Stygian Abyss assigns you a single persona instead of placing you in charge of an entire party. With only one character to worry about, emphasis switches strongly from party maintenance to
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exploring every nook and cranny of your surroundings. The time normally spent managing the inventory of six characters, tracking six sets of skills, and SO on shifts to checking what your Single character IS doing at the moment. This switch in emphasis is also aided by the graphic scheme employed by The Stygian Abyss. The graphic
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i look takes some getting used to because although the graphics are rendered in 256-color VGA mode, the style is different from the highly polished art of Eye of the Beholder and the upcoming Wizardry game or even from the slick animated cartoon look of Sierra On-line games. A t first glance, the graphics may seem a bit crude. This is due for the most part to the fact that the main View Window in Ultima Underworld takes in only what could logically be seen at one time by the human eye in a dimly lit area. This limited immediate view allows the window to portray even small objects in perspective relative to your proximity to them. For example, a piece of cheese may be an indiscernible shape from a distance, but as you move close enough to it to pick it up, the graphic image of the cheese will be bigger than an entire character in most games. This enlarging/shrinking perspective is done so smoothly that you really feel like you’re moving, turning, walking running, even swimming. Again, the constantly shifting size of every object in your viewing window (walls, floors, monsters, missiles, swung weapons, magic spells, allies and so on) necessitate a different graphic style that takes time to appreciate but eventually thrills the viewer. Incidentally, all you ever see of yourself in the View Window is your hand and whatever is in it at the time. If you have a sword in it, for example, you will view the tapered blade increase in size as you bring it near you in preparation for a strike and decrease as it speeds toward its target. Although the graphics play a large role in the overall effect of this drama, the “game” part should be given equal billing. The interface is completely mousedriven (keyboard equivalents are available but not recommended) and not a single word needs to be typed. Command Icons, dialogue selection boxes and individual weapon, food, clothing, and spell icons relegate all other tasks to the click of a mouse. The plot of T h e Stygian Abyss appears to be straightforward; however, this time it appears that you have been brought back as an Avatar by a malevolent force and framed for the kidnaping of the beautiful young Baroness Arial. Your only chance to prove your innocence is to brave the dangers of Ultima’s Under-
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world - the Stygian Abyss - survive its perils, rescue Arial and return. T h e Stygian Abyss requires diplomacy, bartering, intellect to piece together puzzles, and of course, fighting. Combat, like all actions in the game, takes some getting used to. A “Power Gem” measures the
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strength being put into each of the three types of strikes that can be delivered. If the target cursor is high in the View Window, an overhand blow will result; if it is in the middle of the window, a sideways slash will occur; and if it is low in the window, a lunging thrust will take place. You can opt for a quick but weak attack or a slower more powerful one. Knowing your opponent will often be the determining factor here. All actions in the game need to be “learned.” For example, it took me a while to learn to jump. Yes, jump. Jump over boulders, jump onto ledges, jump over chasms, jump down shafts, jump up to reach levers. And swim. And run. Origin prides itself on the fact that Ultima Underworld is a true vicarious experience, as close to virtual reality as you can get with a home computer and a ten-inch screen. The game isn’t cheap but you’ll be at this one for hours and hours and hours. The Stygian Abyss consists of 25 actual miles of dungeon passages, chasms and rivers and you need to explore almost every inch of it. The game also contains (heavy sigh of relief) automapping and a really neat feature that allows you to take a quill and write your own comments on the map itself. Ultima Underworld is simply the kind of product that you need to experience to fully understand where Origin has taken fantasy gaming. Complexity (moderatehigh); Graphics (4); Roleplaying (5); Strategy (4); Playability (5); Sum (5)
sort of mastery in a chaotic environment. T h e computerized version of Twilight 2000 places the gamer in Poland in the year 2000 A.D., as the leader of a twentyman platoon whose goal is to free Poland from the grip of a dictatorial madman, Baron Czarny. The game begins, like all roleplaying games, in the character creation mode, allowing You to either Play
TWILIGHT 2000 Paragon Software, Berkshire Center, Suite 402,Greensburg, PA 15601 ; IBM & Amiga (IBM Reviewed); Retail $59.95 Twilight 2000 is a product that has been long overdue: overdue in the Sense that the game’s release came approximately eight months after it was expected, and overdue in the sense that Twilight 2000 has
established itself as one of the premier posteWW 111 roleplaying games on the market. Numerous reasons were given for the delay of the computer version of Twilight, the most frequent being that Paragon wanted to make sure that it was ready for the market when it made its debut. Unfortunately, the initial copies of the game were, ironically, full of bugs, making the game virtually unplayable. The people at Paragon quickly fixed the problems, however, and the game now runs as it was intended (and if you happened to have purchased a bad copy, Paragon will courteously make things right free of charge). What’s the game like once it’s up and running? It is safe to say that fans of the pencil and paper version won’t be the least bit disappointed, nor will those who want to climb into real armor (as in tanks) and play with real missiles (as in grenade launchers). Twilight 2000 is as accurate a military simulation as its progenitor. For those of you unfamiliar with the theme of Twilight 2000, the game is based upon survival in a hostile, postnuclear world where formal governments no longer exist and various military and/cr mercenary groups struggle to achieve som
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withaPreedes1gnedPlatoQn Or create your
Own
groUPl
kby man. For the inexperienced, the strong recommendation is to go with the existing group; if you are an ardent Twilight 2000 player and familiar with the nuances of the system, you might wish to create your own team. Once you’ve decided upon the composition of your platoon, you’re ready to embark upon the first of over 50 missions. Each mission allows you to designate which four members of your platoon will comprise the squad for that mission. Other members may be called up via hand-held radio if needed during a mission; however, if a new member is recruited, an original member of the squad must be dismissed to maintain the maximum squad size of four. Graphics vary in both type and quality, though all of them are very good. Full-screen shots, 2-D overheads, 3-D through-the-scope views, and close-ups are used to maximum advantage throughout the game. Game play is a two-sided coin. Heads: the action is fast, furious, realistic and guaranteed to give garners sweaty palms. Tails: different aspects of the game can be quite cumbersome. For example, traveling long distances can be handled with ease; yet moving around within cities can be awkward due to the small area depicted because the detail is so great and the images are so large. Other parts of the game run into the same
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INTRODUCING THE FIRST GAMES ONLY NETWORK ~~
Where can you flnd TSR,Inc., Origirpwtems, Jnc.,West E n d Games,Sierra On-LheInc., White WOE New World Computing, R T a l s o ~Chaosium, , Flyhg Buffalo, Inc., Darkflower Enterprises, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE?
THF SUMMIT GAlMES NETWORK ~
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This multi-tasking menu-driven network allows you to UPLOAD a n d DOWNLOAD fdes simultaneously, while stdl having complete control of up to FOUR LIVE WINDOWS plus GLOBAL FUNCTIONS. IBM compatible only. Modem must be Hayes compatible. Whether you’re a computer games fan, role-playing devotee, or war game enthusiast, we have what you want.
For more information: Call 1-800-955-9957(VoiceLine) Write SUMMIT GAMES NETWORK,3130 AntUley Road, AMlene, Texas 79606 To order by modem - (915) 672-2810 (7, Even, 1Stop) inconsistencies. Please note, however, that even the down sides of Twilight 2000 don’t seriously impair this (,vera11 strong product. To call Twilight 2000 a roleplaying game is a bit of a stretch in either of its versions. Yes, you do have nice individualism in each of the recruits and they do advance from stage to stage throughout the game, and yes, you do encounter NPCs who are helpful and with whom you establish a surface-level relationship. However, the nuts and bolts of Twilight 2000 is combat and the essence of the game is using the men at your command, utilizing your tanks and weaponry to their best advantage and implementing solid strategy and tactics. Wargamers will he pleased to learn that a battle can often last an hour or longer due to the attention Paragon has paid to details and realistic action. Twilight 2000 will challenge both novice and experienced gainers. Those tired of standard science fiction and/or high fantasy should investigate Paragon’s latest offering because it has a uniqueness not found in many games. Don’t he surprised to see a sequel in the near future; like its pencil ani1 paper predecessor, their are many avenues open for computer Twilight 2000. Complexity (moderate); Graphics (4);Roleplaying ( 2 ) ; Strategy (5); Playability (3); Sum ( 3 )
MAGIC CANIJLE II: THE FOUR AND FORN Mindcraft Software, Inc., 2291 205th St., Suite 201, Torrance, CA 90501; IBM & Compatibles; Amiga (available soon); Retail: $49.95 When T h e Magic Candle came out several years ago, it broke new ground (not an easy task in computer fantasy games) and went on to garner numerous awards. Now, Mindcraft has refined the hallmark of their game line, and Magic Candle 11: T h e Four and Forty returns us to the fascinating and dangerous land of Gurtex on an even more ambitious adventure than before. The Guardians of the land have been iinprisoned in 44 black candles as the forces of evil try once again to overcome King Rehnard of Deruvia. A band of heroes must discover the multi-layered plot, find the guardians and set the ~ r l right. d Dungeons, catacombs, mines, dark towers, dozens of t ~ w n and s villages - the entire continent of Gurtex is yours to explore during the course of your quest. If the abo\re sounds somewhat mundane, be assured that the game play isn’t. Magic Candle I1 (MCII) is, like its prequel, innovative, departing in a number of ways from other games of its ilk. For example, characters, including the hero/heroine who you choose to lead
your party of six, are pre-set. There is n o character generation segment to the game. Thirty-plus potential party members await your invitation to join you on your quest, all with different qualities and skills that can be enhanced through training and experience. In MCII you can assign your adventurers different tasks, and even separate them from the main group. A mage might be told to stay at a Mage Guild to learn new spells, another character might be told to take a job and earn money for the group, and the rest of the party may continue o n in the adventure. This volatile party system allows for tremendous variation in party composition, and begs the gamer to use character management wisely to be sure he has the best people for the specific tasks that need to be accomplished. Some garners, though, might see a down side because you do need to keep track of who’s doing what and where, but the program contains features to aid you in this endeavor. 1
In MCII you can assign your adventurers different tasks, and even separate them from the main group. A mage might be told to stay at a Mage Guild to learn new spells, another character might be told to take a job and earn money for the group, and the rest of the party may continue on in the adventure.
Another feature unique to MCII is the Notepad. This feature, when activated, will retain every bit of conversation, text and action as they occur. T h e Notepad can be saved to disk, viewed via a text editor or word processor or printed immediately. The gamer never has to worry about wading through mounds of scrap paper containing key information. Mindcraft continues to pay attention to even the smallest detail in order to closely approximate live roleplaying. The clothing and supplies used by the characters must “match” the weather conditions or there are consequences. On the same order, friendly non+playercharacters may not respond if approached by characters with weapons drawn, which makes sense, but which also necessitates close watch by the gamer as to each character’s present state. Details like the above make the game extremely “accurate” and believable and provide a real sense of reality in a fantasy setting. However, there are so many details to which one must attend that some garners may feel put upon, wanting the computer to handle the 16
JULY/AUGUST, 1992
intricate nuances of the game rather than be encumbered with these things themselves. It really comes down to a matter of taste. It becomes obvious early in the game that Mindcraft has opted for a deep, involved plot set in as real a world as possible in lieu of graphics, animation and special effects. That’s not to say that these features are lacking: the graphics are nicely done in VGA mode and depicted in a 2-D top-down view, and animation is present as is sound board support. Nothing about any of these elements are going to make you gather people around your computer to look at the pretty pictures! However, you might well discuss the intricacies of plot, note that nothing is generic about the game (each village is laid out differently on the screen, for example) or mention the artificial intelligence that makes the game so real. Overall, Magic Candle I1 is a product that will run the gamut with game players. Most people will rank MCII among the best fantasy games they’ve ever played due to its realism, others will be nonplused, and a few may even find it not to their taste due to the attention that must be paid to minute details. If you are looking for a game that has a somewhat unique approach to fantasy role-playing and don’t mind less than state-of-the art visuals, Magic Candle I1 is just the game for you. (Like Twilight 2000, Magic Candle I1 contains %ugs”; some are simply quirks that don’t affect game play; others are serious. Only early copies of the game are plagued by these gremlins and Mindcraft has a free disk available that corrects the errors. The disk also has utility files that enhance the game and provide full mouse control. Contact Mindcraft for details.) Complexity (moderate); Graphics (2); Roleplaying (5); Strategy (3);Playability (4); Sum (3)
Silicon Dungeon Exclusive A Sneak Peek at Sir-Tech’s
Cru (This “sneak peek” is based on an incomplete version of the product being reviewed. Its intent is to alert garners to a special product about to be released and should not be considered the final word on the product.) After the resounding success of Sir-Tech‘s Bane of the Cosmic Forge, a “through the eyes” rendition of Sir-Tech‘s acclaimed Wizardry series, garners have waited with anticipation for the much-publicized sequel. And waited. And waited. They have been teased by advertisements, small blurbs in magazines, and 256 color VGA screen shots. Well, the wait is almost over, and one look at an alpha copy makes it clear that to say that it will have been worth
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I the wait is a gross understatement. Crusaders is determined to be “all that it can be” and to outshine the considerable competition that has recently redefined the fantasy adventure genre and set much higher standards in all areas. To that end, Sir-Tech has continued to delay release of Crusaders until it is as bug-free and full, featured as possible. Considering the scope of Crusaders, that is a tremendous undertaking. Crusaders of the Dark Savant is a delightful mixture of new and old. The game retains the strengths of Bane of the Cosmic Forge while adding considerable depth. If Bane
The non-player characters interact more frequently, more logically, and more functionally with the gamer’s group. The artificial intelligence appears to be state-of-the-art and tracks all interactions between your party and each group type with which you come into contact. was a complete overhaul of the old Wizardry series, Crusaders refines and augments its predecessor. The first change is strikingly obvious: a full 256 color palette and VGA graphics replace the dithered EGA presentation of Bane. The new look equals and in some ways surpasses most of the games on the market and exceeds all others in variety. The game offers multiple beginnings, including one for those gamers who did not play or did not complete Bane. Regardless of which opening sequence plays, the actual game will place your party of six (created from a combination of 11 races and 14 character classes) in a wilderness outside of New City on the planet of Guardia. Here your party will encounter other races so unique that they must be seen to be believed. However, all of you have one thing in common: finding the legendary Astral Dominae, a device with the power to create a universe or to destroy one. This short synopsis of the key plot element brings several other improvements of Crusaders to the fore. The non-player characters interact more frequently, more logically, and more functionally with the gamer’s group. The artificial intelligence appears to be state-of-the-artand tracks all interactions between your party and each group type with which you come into contact. For example, the Umpani don’t seem to care for the T’Rang; if you become friendly with one group, the other may not be willing to deal with you, making it necessary for you to use force rather than diplomacy when dealing with one or the other. Word of your actions spreads among the inhabitants of Guardia.
Because this is a preview, this review is not going to go into detail about all the features of Crusaders, nor will ratings appear at the end of the article. Suffice to say that all aspects of Bane of the Cosmic Forge have been supplemented, which means more monsters, more spells, and more weapons. Significant changes besides those already mentioned include outstanding realism in sound and animation. Birds chirp, swords whoosh, spells snap and crackle and pop! Swords diminish in size as they draw away from you and grow as the thrust nears you, missile weapons do likewise. Between the graphics, sound effects and animation, Crusaders produces an excellent visceral and vicarious experience. Probably the last thing needed to be mentioned in this “first look” is the depth of the story. While there is plenty of combat, Crusaders is much more than just a hack-andslay adventure. The puzzles, character interaction and noncombat encounters make the game play like a good mystery book reads. Crusaders unfolds a little at a time, providing numerous mini-successes to encourage the player to continue on for the more than 200 hours this game will take to complete in the same fashion as a good book builds the needed interest to sustain a reader over the course of 200 pages. Crusaders of the Dark Savant has certainly passed its initial test as far as the Silicon Dungeon is concerned. We can only imagine the other delightful surprises that await us in the final version of the game. ’#J
Magic Tricks on your PC!! Here’s a chance to become a wizard in real life!!! Your PC will perform effects that will amaze everyone!!!
For the first time ever, your PC will be able to perform mindreading, ESP, predictions, X-ray vision, and more. Easy to learn. Comes with instruction manual and props.
10-trick Professional version
$48 +$5 shippinghandling 5-trick Basic version
$22 +$3 shippinghandling Send check or money order to: MicroMagic Productions 175 5th Avenue Suite 2625 New York, NY 10010 (212) 969-0220
Requires PC or compatible with VGA, EGA or CGA Also available I-trick demo version $3 + $2 s/h
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a Live Action Role-Playing game scenario by Roger Spendlove of the Dream Park Corporation Design Group Something in this town is not right. Lately, people have been acting strangely. Not bizarre or outrageously, just -well, the truth is, everyone’s too normal. Nothing unusual or interesting has occurred in weeks, and the citizens seem to be acting out their lives without any emotion. There’s no passion in their actions, no volition except to preserve the status quo. Everyone, that is, except yourself. You can’t figure out what’s happening, but you know for a fact that you are not a part of it. You’re not just paranoid! People really are conducting duy-to-day tasks with glazed eyes as if they’re programmed robots. Or zombies? Maybe they’ve been possessed by an alien or demonic intelligence?! But not everyone! There must be others who, like yourself, are unaffected by this mysterious force. Thus begins the adventure of the lnfilcration of the Mind Maggot from Planet V , a Live Action Role-Playing (LARP) scenario, in which mundane yet heroic gamers play themselves as they attempt to outwit and thwart the invasion of an insidious menace from outer space! If you intend to play in this adventure, READ NO FURTHER! If you intend to Game Master this event, you’ll need the following: (a) a group of six to 20 friends, two of whom agree to play predetermined roles, and one who will serve as a co-game master; (b) two players’ homes (preferably the two playing the Professor and Simon); (c) two locations in the wilderness such as a little-used public park; and (d) a few easyto-make props detailed later. Oh, and of course lots of imagination and creativity, but gamers usually have no problem supplying these!
lNVlTlNG THE PLAYERS After assembling your guest list, ask one of the guests to act as your co-game-master. One GM is needed for each of the two “teams.” Next, get two players who’ll agree to play the predetermined roles of “the Professor,” and “Simon Larvaplixos” (or Simone, if female). All others will be portraying themselves. For two of the encounter sites, you’ll need to use players’ homes (be they houses, apartments, mansions, yachts, etc.). The Professor and Simon are the best choices since the encounters deeply involve their characters, but any home will do. The two GMs’ dwellings would be good alternatives. Assign two-thirds of the remaining players to the Professor’s team, and one-third to Simon’s team. Send each player an invitation which consists of the first three paragraphs of this article, and one piece of background information listed WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE
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later. Feel free to make up your own additional bits of lore, to customize the game to your locations. For the Professor and Simon, send their character’s description as well. You will probably want to include an “out-of-character” note explaining that you’re inviting them to participate in an unusual Live-Action Roleplaying Game. The only skills they’ll be allowed or able to perform will be real-world, true-to-life skills they are personally capable of; furthermore, they must perform their skill with a prop of some sort. Thus, if they anticipate doing some rock climbing, they should bring rope, spikes, pitons, etc. If they want to use computer programming skills, they must bring a computer; music skill requires an
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amaze you. However, you’ve begun to suspect that a threat from outside Earth has landed and begun to infiltrate the town you’ve called home for several years. The local citizenry has been acting strangely complacent, as if their actions were controlled by an outside force. Recalling the telepathic technique you learned on Golga-Trameehs-8,you broadcast a message which should have been received by any and all humans in your vicinity who still retain their own personalities. All hope for your adopted home lies upon whether any unaffected humans remain, and whether they answer your summons...!
PLAYERS ON THE PROFESSOR’S TEAM: Each should receive the following paragraph as part of their invitation: This morning, as you were in the shadow-world betwee
less against your plan to infiltrate and consume the entire population. Well, maybe not every one of them. Besides, they might make a nice, easily controlled legion for the invasion of other, more powerful worlds! However, you realize that some few individuals may be immune (for some inexplicable reason) to your psionic control. Such individuals could organize a resistance effort - as happened during your last invasion attempt at the planet If there are indeed Earthlings who are immune to your hey work with you, not against
ERS ON SIMON’S TEAM:each ive the followingparagraph as part of their invita-
agree to it. This means no wrestling, boxing, fencing, water guns, and so forth. (2) Whenever players wish to leave a home base and seek out an encounter site or perform some other major action, M to inform him or her of their plans. report the outcome of each ossible. ( 3 ) At most encounters, there the exact function of the device(s) card, then read the appropriate passages s containing sections for the eyes only, due to their extraterrestrial should sign all cards before placing them,
at actions are
It did not take you long to notice that, although the mind controt failed on you, it succeeded upon every other human
you’ve met since then. The mind-touch left a tenuous link with Simon, and you’ve used it to that he is hiding in his spaceshy, (cleverly disguised as a typical Eanhling home) at of pcSs honle], You’ve decided to him a \visit [hn at [insea date time game is to h i n ] to see what is going on.Perhaps you will make him an offer: you won’t expose or thwart his plot in exchange for your being left alive dnd unposesed...
THE TWO GAM€ MASTERS: ~ecauseseveral e d i t i o n s and encounters could take place simultaneously, in very different locations, a single GM could not possibly be present at them all; nor is it possible to second-guesswhen some ofthe encounters will actually take place. Therefore, two GMs are needed, one for each team. However, since the players may decide to divide their forces and seek out multiple encounters at once, the two GMs may still be unable to go to every place they’re needed, so they mqht have to stay in a central, easily contacted location ?he homesserving as Simon’s w s i e d Spaceshipand the Professor’s house would be the best choices, because several imponant encounters might take place there. If one GM does decide to ;Iccompany his or her team on a major expedition, then the other GM must remain at a home base. Before the playefs get too far into the game, GMs mist convey the fundamentat N~es:(1 here is to be b l u t e i y 110 phpapicol contact ot &G da all participantf hvdvd
figure out on their own! If the players seem confused about the object ot the game, inform them that the object is, in part, to figure ()Ut what the object of the game is, and then to do it! This is the essence of Live-Action Role playins - you make your OW game by the actions you choose. They W i l l eventually gather enough informationto determine that the Primary gOa1 ofthe Protessor’s team is to eliminate the devices and allies by which the Mind Maggot plans to infiltrate Earth. Simon’s tcam will endeavor to eliminate Earth’s last resistance by possessing the “free minds” and bringing them under Simon’s control. For the players on Simon’s team, make certain they understand they are not and cannot be mind-controlled by Simon. They retain control of their actions at all times, and may even, it they choose, join the team.
PREGAME LORE & CURRENT EVENTS: Aneuspaperarticle,~oneweekugo(eitherorboth~~: U p 0 Sitings Appear Hoax by Richard Lovejoy
S p e d to dte Post~Bsacon. Two nights ago, wimesses from [name of players’ town] reported an unidentified flying object However, after initial claims, none of the witnews have corroborated their Stories. Althou;9hseveral known and public People, such as
sqmt Anthony of the r t e p m a t of Pubtic S~QJ and Lgnn Chandler of Maloppar observatory, initially and indepenWHITE WOLF MAGAZINE
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dently reported the UFO, not one of the witnesses will further confirm their claims. Sgt. Anthony now claims that “It llective of individuals as a humorous incident. This person denies all claims he made the previous evening.” Sgt. Anthony refuses to elaborate. He will not or cannot supply the names of his collaborators in the prank. Initial reports claimed it came from south to north, meandering over the city as if looking for something. “It were movin’ too dang slow for any kind of airplane I ever seen,” Sergeant Dean Anthony said at 12:32 a.m. “It were flyin’ just the way a brick don’t,”he said. Other witnesses reported sighting a “big but not humongous, you know, like the size of a house” flying sphere come out of the south and settle into the forest east of [town]. Ms. Lynn Chandler of the Maloppar Observatory telephoned the offices of this newspaper to inform the inhabitants of [town] that she had tracked an object descending from due north of the solar ecliptic plane. “It entered our atmosphere, I would estimate, somewhere near the equator of the far side of the Earth. It must have decelerated around the south pole ler could not elaborate, as he observatory failed. N g eventful occurred tha
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still remember pretty well where it fell [GM insert vague directions to the location of the Meteor encounter.].
OVERHEARD RADIO NEWS REPORT (either team) : ‘‘Say Bo, speaking of Weird Wednesdays, have you noticed that weird sculpture on display in the park at [GM insert address of Transmitter encounter]. Don’t know why the artist didn’t sign his name, cause it’s kinda pretty.” “Yeah Jo, weird but beautiful. Its graceful yet angular contours give it an air of alien beauty and aloofness.” “Ever’oneought to go take a look at it. Maybe then the artist will show himself. So Bo, what other weirdness have you noticed on Wednesdays.” Mysterious postal package (Professor’s team only) : Yesterd ton deGuerrio” but sent to your own address. I ing note, hastily scribbled on a yellow legal p “Marton - must get this to you before they get m se my memory! The UFO I tracked entering Earth‘s landed in your city! These are my notes on its fl e you can decipher handwriting and locate land
roleplay constantly - in other words, treat the circumstances of the game as real for its duration. As everyone discusses the situation, they’ll quickly realize they possess little bits of information, but no real concept of what’s truly going on. It would behoove them to compile notes and experiences, then decide the best course of action. They will no doubt wish to discover more and better information as they continue to play the game. possible courses of action: (a) seek the meteor; (b) re in the park; (c) locate the landing site (which will then lead to the location of p disguised as a’home). The Professor may accomoup of players on an expedition, or remain at his
COUNTER: SIMON’S GUISED SPACESHIP
computers (make any sort of prop/box with a panel that opens). If Simon places a Transmitter Crystal within the computer’s orifice and works at reprogra
r.-!!!!!A!!!
) into a Psycho-Dominatus Amulet. player may engage another player ssor) in a test of wills. Any wielder of an n a card printed with the following rules to prove authenticity. Simon has this ation Power -The challenger states a ..” which the victim must
of an SDIsatellite s
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details on how the material may be vaporized).
ENCOUNTER: THE MIND CONTROL TRANSMITTER
container) containing a marble. These are the power crystals, which the Galactic Police affixed to the spaceship of condemned criminal Simon Larvaplixos. If it were connected to the engines of Simon’sship, it would prevent the spaceship from functioning in any way and nullify all Simon’spowers, but somehow it was disconnected and left here, at the ship’s origin landing site.” Tape to the bottom of the prop another card which reads: “This is a digital readout on a computer-likescreen: Criminal Simon Larvaplixos of the planet Vee’lshinkl-Pyrth,condemne for enslaving and exterminating the species of planet Palinkee. Said criminal occupant has managed to free itself from this deactivation buoy. The Buoy will track the current whereabout of the ship to a maximum range of 200 light years. Current
meteor radiates intense
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and crystals must be equal to the number of players in the ga not including Or the professor. Inside the light-proof containers, alongside the mar
sinon
itter’s beacon; however, since you just exposed
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rhe Second in a series of five articles & adventun f detailing the New Orleans Area
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Seven New Archetypes for Shadowrun by C.R. Shaver & Jason Rush
BAYOU DWARF
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Hey, cher. You won’t see too much of me in dat city, ‘cause it ain’t my home. No, no. I been living on da bayou all my life. Back dere on da real land, where none of dis cyber drek matters. It’s just you, your boat, and da swamp. I may not be much in da city, but you need help in da bayou, who you gonna go to? Who tell you where da gator are, where your boat can go? Me, dat’s who. On da streets I don’t amount to much, but on da bayou . . . cher, dere I’m king. Commentary: The Bayou Dwarf is an odd case among his kind. Spurning the bright lights and high tech of the city, he has retreated to the bayous, living a quiet, bucolic life. He lives off the land, and enters the city only when circumstances force him to do so. But in his own environment, the Bayou Dwarf is unparalleled as a guide, tracker, and hunter. Skills: Attributes: Body: 5 Armed Combat: 3 Quickness: 3 Bayou Stealth: 5 Strength: 4 Etiquette (Street):2 Charisma: 2 Firearms: 4 Intelligence: 3 Motorboat: 5 Willpower: 3 Motorboat (B/R):5 Essence: 6 Pirogue: 3 Reaction: 3 Swimming: 3 Cyberware: Unarmed Combat: 3 None Contacts: Bartender Dwarven Technician Houngan Tribesman Gear: Ammunition: 100 Rounds Regular (HP) 100 Rounds Regular (SG) 100 Rounds Regular (SMG) Survival Kit Survival Knife Ares Predator Defiance T-250 Middle Lifestyle (3 months prepaid) Ruger 100 Sport Rifle with Magnification 3 Imaging Scope Samuvani-Chriscraft Otter The Bayou Dwarf has thermographic eyes and a bonus of +2 to his Body against diseases only. Check for allergic
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JULY/AUGU ST,1992 I
CHROMED ZULU
i
Welcome to the jungle, chummer. I used to buy into all that Zulu Nation garbage, but I wised up. Seeing the streets up close was what did it. Out here, there ain’t no room for belief or pride in the past. A good gun in your hand beats either of ‘em cold. So, what’cha say? Don’t let my looks fool you. Underneath this hot body I’m all twisted steel. More than enough to pull off any run you want. Forget the samurai: they all run when they see a Zulu walking the streets. Commentary: The Chromed Zulu once lived in the Zulu Nation, but exposure to the streets has changed his ways. Forsaking the culture of the Zulus if not their name, he is another element of the urban sprawl, trying to earn a nuyen as best he can. I Attributes: Skills: Body: 6 Armed combat: 5 Quickness: 6 Athletics: 4 Strength: 5 Bike: 2 Charisma 4 Etiquette (Street):4 Intelligence: 4 Unarmed Combat: 4 Willpower: 5 Firearms: 5 Essence: 1.OS Reaction: 5 (9) Cyberware: Cyberears with Hearing Amplification, Damper Cybereyes with Low-Light, Organic Magnification ( 3 ) t Retractable Spur Skull Hardwire-Urban Stealth: 4 Smartgun Link Wired Reflexes (2) Contacts: Fixer Gang Member Houngan Street Samurai
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Ammunition: 100 Rounds FirepowerTM (HP) 100 Rounds Regular (SMG) Ares Predator II DocwagonTMContract (Platinum) 5 Smoke Grenades Harley Scorpion lngram Smartgun with Recoil Reduction Ivl 2 Lined Coat Middle Lifestyle (1 2 months prepaid) Survival Kit
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WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE I
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ELVEN JAZZER You seem surprised that one of the Awakened should )e interested in jazz. You expect me to be limited to the nusic and instruments of my own kind, eschewing the arts i f humanity. Well, you are wrong. To me, jazz is the only nusic worth listening to or performing. It rises far above the imits of rock or Euroslag electro-pop. The low moan of the )ass, the high scream of the sax, all are almost ethereal. 9lmost magical, you might say. Unfortunately, club owners do not agree with this ?nlightened point of view. Few will listen to me, and even 'ewer will book me. So, on occasion, I am forced to look ?lsewhere for income. Then, I turn to the shadows. Commentary: The Elven Jazzer is a rare sight on a jhadowrun. Usually she will only participate if she cannot ind a club date. But on a run her undeniable charisma is Dften valuable, as is her knowledge of the streets. Whether 3n a run for cash or just the thrill, the Elven Jazzercan hold her own. Attributes: Skills: Body: 3 Armed Combat: 3 Quickness: 4 Bike: 2 Strength: 2 Etiquette (Media):4 Charisma: 4 Etiquette (Street):5 Intelligence: 4 Firearms: 4 Willpower: 3 Special Sltills: Essence: 5.6 Instrumental Music: 6 Reaction: 4 Musical Composition: 6 Cyberware:
Datajaclc Synthesizer Link Contacts:
Bartender Fixer Media Producer Rocker Gear:
Ammunition: 50 Rounds Regular (HP) Ares Predator Instrument and Amps Knife Lined Coat Middle Lifestyle ( 1 month prepaid) Tres Chic Clothing
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JULY/AUGUST.1992
The Elven Jazzer has natural low-light eyes.
HOUNGAN I follow de old way, dat existed before you or I were even born. Forget dis Awakenin’ drek. De real power’s in de Loa, mon, and de Loa speak tru me. You go to de shamans and de mages, see what dey do. It’s all one an’ the same, dey just don’t give de real powers no credit. But when it comes down, and dey be needin’ someone to talk wit’ de Loa, call down der Spirits, who do dey come cryin’ to? Me, 1 mon. Like I always say, when dey need de real power, dey know who to deal wit’. And dey’ll always need me. My ju-ju take care 0’de demons. And you never see de demons ‘til they come callin’. Commentary: The houngan is usually a dark, mysterious person. The voudoun tradition teaches her that the Awakening has nothing to do with her powers; the houngan believes she has been touched by the gods and she acts accordingly. Houngans tend to be aloof, shadowy figures, satisfied with inspiring fear instead of goodwill and respect instead of camaraderie. This does not mean that the houngan needs to be evil; she just prefers to be at a distance, more attuned to the Loa than to the mortals around her. Attributes: Skills: I Body: 3 Biotech: 2 Quickness: 2 Conjuring: 6 Strength: 2 Enchantment: 5 Charisma: 5 Etiquette (Street):4 Intelligence: 4 Firearms: 2 Willpower: 4 Magical Theory: 5 Essence: 6 Sorcery: 6 Magic: 6 Reaction: 3 Cyberware: None Contacts: Any Street Type Shaman Street Shaman Talismonger I--Gear: Gris-Gris Medkit Ruger Super Warhawk Temple Materials (4) Spells: Spend 10 total points of force among the spells below: Analyze Device Entertainment Mana Bolt Chaos Heal Deadly Wounds Mask Clairvoyance Heal Moderate Wounds Powerball Detect Enemies Hibernate
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE
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NATIVES OF THE BIG EASY
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NIGHT STALKER Frag, hasn’t been enough ghoul activity lately to feed a Touse. Guess I‘ve been doing too good a job. Ain’t seen a ;hod or a bloodsucker to geek now since I nailed that vamp wo weeks back. Yeah, that’s right , I’m a member of the Stalkers, hummer. You see some ghoul scarfing an arm, I’m the one he city sends to deal with it. But there just ain’t enough ash in it, so I’m looking for a little overtime. You got any deas? Commentary: The Night Stalker is a member of an elite quad of police officersthat is specifically trained to deal with creatures of the night: ghouls, vampires, and their kind. n cities where these beings thrive, the Night Stalker acts as iunter and tracker, each member of the division working done in fightingthe undead. However, when business is ;low, the Night Stalker will not hesitate to turn to shadowruns to maintain his income. Attributes: Skills: Body: 4 Armed Combat: 5 Quickness: 4 ( 5 ) Athletics: 4 Strength: 4 ( 5 ) Bike: 2 Charisma: 1 Biotech: 3 Intelligence: 4 Electronics: 3 Willpower: 3 Etiquette (Street): Essence: .75 Firearms: 6 Throwing Weapons: 4 Reaction: 4 (8) Stealth: 6 Unarmed Combat: 4 Cyberware: Cyberears with Damper, Hearing Amplification,andSound Filter ( 5 ) Cybereyes with Electronic Magnification (31, Low-Light, and Thermographic Imaging Improved Retractable Hand Razors Muscle Replacement (1) Smartgun Link Wired Reflexes (2) Contacts: City Official Merc Street Cop Street Samurai Gear: Ammunition:lngram Smartgun with recoil reduction Lvl 2 100 Rounds Fire PowerTM (HP) 10 IPE Offensive Grenades 100 Rounds Regular (SMG) Medkit 50 Rounds Explosive (SMG) Middle Lifestyle (9months prepaid) 100 Rounds Regular (56) Mossberg CMDT/SM Ares Predator I1 Survival Kit Armor Jacket Survival Knife Harley Scorpion
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JULY/AUGUST, 1992
!I
NATIVES OF THE BIG EASY
VAMPIRE HUNTER (MAGICAL ADEPT) 1 am a hunter, but my prey is neither animal nor human. My hunt is an age-old quest against evil, against the children of the darkness. I seek the nosferatu - the vampire. The vampire existed before the Awakening, before history had ever begun. That age is their strength, for only cunning born of millennia allows the foul creatures to survive. But they have lost their greatest strength: everyone now knows they exist, and it is my duty to see they exist no more. Commentary: The Vampire Hunter is the survivor of a bygone age. With the Awakening and the realization that vampires are real, the Vampire Hunter's services are in demand once more. Although he is no physical match for his prey, the Vampire Hunter is a cool, clever person capable of dealing with his unique foe. Attributes: Skills: Body: 2 Armed Combat: 2 Quickness: 3 Biology: 6 Strength: 2 Biotech: 5 Charisma: 1 Crossbow: 4 Intelligence: 5 Etiquette (Street):4 Willpower: 4 Magical Theory: 6 Essence: 6 Physical Sciences: 6 Magic: 6 Sorcery: 6 Reaction: 4 Cyberware: None Contacts Detective Street Cop or Night Stalker Street Mage Talismonger Gar: Ammunition: 20 Bolts 30 Rounds Regular (HO) 5 Antidote Patches (6) Armor Vest Low-Light Binoculars Medium Crossbow t2 Healing Fetish Focuses Low-Light Goggles Medkit Streetline Special 2 Tranq Patches (6) 2 Trauma Patches (6) Spells: Spend 20 total points of force among the spells below: Anti-Spell Barrier Personal Analyze Truth Physical Barrier Heal Deadly Wounds Personal Clairvoyance Slay Vampire Heal Serious Wounds Personal Detect Enemies (Extended)
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NATIVES OF THE BIG EASY
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ZULU WARRIOR (PHYSICAL ADEPT) In the Zulu Nation, 1 am the peace-keeper and defender. No me may walk its streets and break its laws, or threaten the safety of :he Nation without answering to me. Do not let my name deceive you. Yes, I follow the ways of my Zulu ancestors, fighting the yoke of oppression that others would ay on my neck. But I do not dwell in the past: I use the technology >f today, as well as my warrior training, in defending my home. On these streets, you answer to me. I suggest you remember that. Commentaty: The Zulu Warrior is a product of the fierce national pride all members of the Zulu Nation feel. They see themselves as separate, both physically and spiritually, from the rest of humanity. The Zulu Warrior patrols the streets of the Nation, anxious to defend it against all attackers and any threat to its wellbeing. They often participate in shadowruns against corporations they think have treated the Zulu Nation unfairly. All Zulu Warriors are members of the Defenders of the Zulu Nation (q.v.), a magical group. Attributes:
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Body: 6 Quickness: o Strength: 5 Charisma: 3 Intelligence: 5 Willpower: 5 Essence: 6 Magic: 6 Reaction: 7
Cyberware:
None Contacts:
Gang Member Houngan Street Samurai Street Shaman
Skills:
Athletics: 3 Edged Weapons: 5 Etiquette (Street): 2 Firearms: 4 Unarmed Combat: 3 Stealth: 4 Adept Abilities:
Automatic Successes (Stealth): 4 Increased Reaction Lvl 2 Pain Resistance: 2 Physical Sensory Improvement: Low-Light, Flare Compensation, Hearing Amplification, Damper
Ammunition: 100 Rounds Regular (HP) Lined Coat 2 Antidote Patches (5) 100 Rounds Regular (SMG) 2 Tranq Patches Binoculars Trauma Patch (5) Colt Manhunter with Survival Kit Laser Sight Survival Knife 5 AFR-7 Flash Grenades 5 Smoke Grenades Heckler &. Koch MP-5 TX with Laser Sight, Recoil Reduction Ivl2
Gear:
Notes:
The Zulu Warrior may call on 2D6 other Warriors for help. Defenders of the Zulu Nation The Defenders of the Zulu Nation are all Zulu Warriors, sworn to defend their Nation at any cost. The group is overseen by the ruling council of the Zulu Nation, who also acts as its patron. The group's goals are simple: to defend the Zulu Nation and ensure that 'Gs placein the world is secure. Name: The Defenders of the Zulu Nation Type: Dedicated Members: 50 Limitations: Zulu Warriors only. Strictures: Belief, Fraternity, Obedience. Resources/Dues: Middle. No Dues. Patron: Ruling Council of the Zulu Nation. Customs: The Defenders are totally devoted to the Zulu Nation, and will take any steps necessary to protect it. In urban areas given
over to the Zulu Nation, the Defenders are both the military and the law. The group may initiate shadowruns against corporations they think have given the Zulu Nation a raw deal, often hiring shadowrunners to act as extra muscle or to provide diversions.
1
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RK
TOWER
a
by Chris Hind A story for
VAMPIRE r
Ifat his council I should turn aside Into that ominous tract which, all agree, Hides the Dark Tower. -Robert Browning,
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“Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came” c ,
This is a crossover story for players of both Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse. The plot remains essentially the same for both games. However, each scene provides separate guidelines for the actions of Kindred and Garou to take into consideration their differing motives and abilities. The Werewolf material is set off in sidebars. There are also two introductions: “Mortal’s Masque” for Vampires, and “Gaia’s Fold” for Werewolves. A third section, “Crossover,” provides some suggestions for those wishing to guide the story for a mixed group of Kindred and Garou. This story is fairly linear, as must always be the case when space is limited. The story has been created along a fairly static pattern, with scene progressing to scene in a straight line. However, this does not mean that you must play it as a linear story; the following events are merely one way the story can unfold, and Storyteller improvisation is encouraged. The story takes place in late autumn, early spring, or during a mild winter. It might make an excellent follow-up to Ashes to Ashes if you are playing Vampire, or a follow-up to Rite of Passage if you are playing Werewolf.
The Theme This story’s theme explores the danger of embracing one’s dark half, whether one is Kindred, Kine, or Lupine. This spark of evil - call it Rage, the Beast, the Shadow, or Thanatos (the death instinct) - resides within us all. For I
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JULY/AUGUST,1992
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the most part, it is imprisoned within the Dark Tower of our souls, distant and untouchable. But it can corrupt the very walls of its prison, and occasionally it escapes. Those who wish to can usually recapture it.. . Not everyone is successful. The dark half is very persuasive, offering great rewards in return for its freedom. When seducing Vampires, the Beast promises to fulfill all inner urges, to mold its host into the ultimate predator. Some individuals even seek out the Dark Tower with the intention of releasing its captive permanently. Herein lies the greatest threat that evil can pose. During this story, characters witness three examples of the dangers inherent in embracing one’s destructive impulses: A mortal whose primordial, bestial instincts lie hidden under a civilized veneer. A Lupine family -human by day, but who undergo a terrible transformation when they give in to the Beast in their hearts. Beowulf, the Vampire who sought to protect civilization from the monster he had become, but whose retreat into the wilderness only furthered his degeneration. This story is not meant to be a morality play. It is simply an illustration of the dangers of total release. Those who choose to ignore the facts presented in this story can freely “turn down the dark path.” But they have been warned....
Background Events Successive generations of harp-playing and tale-telling scops have exaggerated and elaborated upon the legend of Beowulf. Yet that epic poem is based on a kernel of truth. Beowulf the Geat did indeed sail from the south of Sweden to aid King Hrothgar of Denmark. He did wrestle with the monstrous Grendel, finally ripping off its arm. The account of him entering the underground lair and returning with Grendel’s head is also true. But the tales do not explain that Beowulf was a Kindred, and Grendel was his Sire. Beowulf clung to his Humanity like a drowning sailor to a spar. He possessed great hatred’for Vampires who embraced the Beast, as Grendel had. He continued to lead his people as a mortal warrior would and soon became king of the Geats. During his lengthy rule, he fed off animals and bestial Kindred. But eventually, the thirst for human vitae became difficult to resist. Beowulf feared that the Beast which stalked his soul would eventually pounce. Then came the Wyrm. Was it really a dragon?Or the burning sun attempting to crush his immortality in its fiery coils? He no longer recalls. Nor can he remember how he survived the inferno. The event - whatever it was -could not have come at a more opportune time. Thought to be dead and lain to rest,
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of North America, but has remained Beowulf left his people before the near present-day Tierburg for the past Hunger could hurt them. 300 years: a “place of power” drew For the next 200 years, Beowulf him, and there he makes his haven. roamed northern Europe, always He has been in a self-induced distancing himself from the human torpor for the last fifty years. Upon population. But Europe seemed much recently waking, Beowulf realized his too crowded. Aided by Ghoul retainers (the most loyal being Erik the Red great folly: by shunning civilization, he became increasingly bestial and and Leif Erikson), he retreated to less able to resist the Hunger, which in Iceland in 874, to Greenland in 982, turn led to increased solitude. He has and eventually to Vinland by the year come to understand that this 1000. Beowulf found this New World -vicious cycle will perfect. Mortals did live here, but i n A missed his Viking retainers orders to discourage further colonization. He has wandered over much
He has chosen to Sire a replacement, a
important lesson which has taken Beowulf over a millennium to learn. But his Beast has
able to successmortal. Each
Beowulf has finally been able to create a Childe. It is at this point that the story begins.. .
Mortal’s Masque For Kindred, the story begins in Chicago (though it can be adapted to any city). One night, the characters hear through a number of different contacts and sources that they are to meet someone very important at O’Leary ’s Rehabilitation Institute. In fact, they are likely to hear this message more than once -most of the city’s Kindred, Anarch and Elder, seem to know about it. Malkavians in particular seem to delight in passing along the full weight of the message, especially the “or else” part. However, nobody knows who started this ubiquitous message. This will not stop the messenger from trying to frighten the characters and sound in-the-know at the same time: “Oooo, you in BIG trouble now ....” The players could try to track the message back to its source, but this would be time-consuming and difficult. Their best bet is to visit the O’Leary Institute and hope for the best.
Gaia’s Fold
discovered two deer hunters in his forest domain, body of one of his Herd
hunters, who immedi-
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JULY/AUGUST, 1992
Garou characters begin in Tierburg, Indiana (for more information on this small town, refer to “Scene Two: Wolf in Man’s Clothing”). It is assumed that they belong to a tribe in this area or are just passing through. Somehow the characters get hold of a tabloid newspaper with a very interesting cover story (see Handout #l). An elder in the tribe might ask them to investigate, or they may decide to do so on their own. The man in the article might be a Garou who has lost the ability to shapechange (by losing his Rage), or possibly even a Lunatic - one of the few adult humans with Werewolf potential. He should be brought into Gaia’s fold. On their own accord or at
. the urging of tribal elders, the characters travel to Chicago to rescue him. Chicago lies 50 miles to the north. In such a large city, you should make the Garou feel very uneasy here the Wyrm has its greatest influence. You may improvise some urban encounters if you wish, but be careful not to end the story before it has even started (the Vampires are surely watching, but they take no action). By asking for directions (Charisma t Etiquette, difficulty 4) or referring to a map of the city, characters should have little trouble finding the famous O’Leary House.
wrought iron fence and half-dead bushes. The fence keeps in the patients; the bushes keep out prying eyes. At night, light shines from a single window on the asylum’s second floor. A Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 6) allows that character to notice a shadowy figure silhouetted against the light before it disappears from the window. How the characters get inside is up to them. They can Dominate the guard at the gate, or sneak in by climbing the walls
woman in an old-fashioned wicker wheelchair at the end of a hall. She stares at the characters for a moment, and then slowly rolls around a corner. They reach the comer just in time to see her roll down another hallway. When, and if, they chase her down that hallway, she appears once again at the end of yet another hallway. The characters should have a chance to catch up with the woman, but it shouldn’t be easy.
Crossover For a crossover story, simply use both introductions and have the characters run into each other at the O’Leary’s house (see “Scene One: Wight in White”). The Garou may quickly realize that Edward Bemil’s problem has nothing to do with lycanthropy. However, his state is highly unnatural and unbalanced, and needs to be corrected. After all, balance is the most important thing for Garou, even among themselves. For the rest of the story, combine the Vampire and Werewolf material where appropriate. Change scenes if necessary. For instance, in “Scene Three: Unsafe Haven”, Selene may offer false clues to draw Garou away from the slumbering Kindred, and then double back to set the cottage ablaze. A crossover story is more challenging to guide but can ultimately be more fulfilling and eventful, since it uses all of the material,
Scene One: Wight in White O’Leary ’s Rehabilitation Institute is located in an older section of a northern Chicago suburb. It is held in high regard for its treatment of patients with substance abuse disorders. Tendrils of ancient ivy cling to the dark old building. The house and large yard are surrounded by a
rooms they will see people in hospital gowns with their arms and legs spread-eagled and strapped to their beds; their mouths are gagged. After a time the characters will notice a
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Handout #I
Man Possessed by Wendigo, Cannibalizes Hunting Buddy By Scottie Cartwright TIERBURG-Five days ago, state police arrested a blood-drenched man on Highway 41 near Tierburg, Indiana. One officer suffered minor abrasions and a broken wrist during the arrest. Declared this officer: “He was a madm an... a wild animal. He tried to rip out my throat with his bare teeth.” The man was identified by his driver’s license as 42-year-old Edward Bemil of Chicago. Later that night, a local resident discovered the remains of a body in the woods nearby. “Blood was everywhere,” this source exclaimed. “His face was gnawed off like chipboard by a porcupine.” The deceased has yet to be identified.
Detectives have pieced together the murderous events: Apparently, Bemil and a friend were hunting in the woods near the small town of Tierburg. For reasons unknown, Bemil killed his buddy -- not with a rifle shot, but by strangulation. Even more horribly, the killer feasted on the dead man’s flesh. Bemil has been admitted to O’Leary Rehabilitation Institute for acute psychoses induced by LSD or another hallucinogen. Family and friends deny that Bemil was a drug user of any sort. One of the country’s leading experts on paranormal studies offers an alternate explanation, one that this reporter finds much more believable: “Bemil is possessed by Wendigo, the Amerindian spirit of cannibalism.”
out of reach (she has an Obfuscate Discipline of 3). As the strange chase continues, characters should realize that she is leading them somewhere. Eventually they turn yet another corner and run up against a large metal door. Woman and wheelchair are nowhere in sight. The door is unlocked and slightly ajar.
characters (equivalent to kick attacks). During this frenzied attack, the patient roars (in your best Exorcist voice): “Whelp!...Thou hast come for the vitae of thine Elder...But Amaranth will be mine!” The characters should have little trouble restraining the madman. After a few minutes of observation - and
padded walls, bare except for a cot. A man in a straitjacket raises a slack face to his visitors. He shuffles forward, mumbling “...free ...let me free...can’t breathe ....” Once freed - or when it becomes apparent that the characters have no intention of removing the straitjacket - the patient snaps, begins to scream insanely, and then attacks. Only three successes on a Wits t Alertness roll (difficulty 6) provide any warning. The surprise factor allows one bite attack (lacking fangs, he does only two dice of damage); afterwards, the patient bounces himself off the walls and the
culty 6) or Medicine (difficulty 8) ’ roll - a character can diagnose the patient as not suffering from any known mental disorder; the combination of symptoms fail to make any sense. The patient is possessed by some Vampire’s
4 3
inner Beast, but the characters will have to observe the madman closely (or use powers like Aura Perception and score four successes) to learn this. A Vampire (or perhaps even a Werewolf) may attempt to persuade the Beast to transfer itself into her body. Roll Manipulation t Animal Ken against a difficulty equal to the character’s Humanity (the Beast is attracted to bestial people). This extended action requires 10 successes. A botch alienates the Beast, making it hostile toward that character. If successful, the Vampire now possesses two Beasts and is twice as wired as usual. Double all difficulties (maximum 10) to resist Frenzy. This Vampire had better be on her best behavior .... (If the patient is killed, the Beast automatically merges with the Vampire with the lowest Humanity.) When the characters leave the cell, they meet the woman in the wheelchair, who heard the whole thing from the hallway. This old lady is Maureen O’Leary, a Kindred as crazy as any inmate in the place (see Chicago by Night for more information). She throws a newspaper at them
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Werewolues in the Asylum In rescuing the Lunatic, Garou face similar problems. If they sneak in at night, use the above guidelines with the exception of meeting Maureen O’Leary. They may also approach O’Leary’s house during the day. Posing as a doctor, one character might trick the Institute’s head into transferring the patient into his custody; roll Manipulation + Medicine (difficulty 9, or 6 with official-looking documents). The characters could also pretend to be relatives and plead for the patient’s release; roll Charisma t Empathy (again, difficulty 9, or 6 with a fake I.D.). Finally, Gifts -particularly Glib Tongue or Ultimate Argument of Logic - may be useful. b
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mortal threatens the Masquerade, killing him would be an incomplete solution. The Beast must be returned to its rightful owner, and that Kindred punished “by authorization of the Prince of Chicago” (this claim may or may not be true). If questioned further she will indicate that the search for a Beastless Vampire should probably begin in Tierburg. If one of the characters has absorbed the Beast, O’Leary cackles and adds: “Then you’ve got your own reasons for going there, hmmm?” The characters may drag Edward Bemil with them, or absorb the Beast (as discussed earlier). Maureen will cover for the madman’s escape or death.
Scene Two: Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing The small (and fictional) town of Tierburg, Indiana, lies fifty miles south of Chicago, just off Highway
41. A sign at the town limits reads: WELCOME TO TIERBURG A Town With Heart Someone has driven a railroad tie though the heart symbol. Tierburg’s population has always hovered around 1,000. A considerable portion of the townsfolk descend from German immigrants who settled in Indiana between 1830 and 1850. Visitors also notice a good number of Amerindians. These people do not fit the “wary-ofstrangers” stereotype; they are quite friendly with outsiders, since summer brings many tourists and cottagers. They operate a bingo parlor on their reservation outside of town, and have been doing quite well financially for the last few years. They are very ready to give directions on how to get to the reservation since they all share in the profits from the bingo. Geographically, this hick town is little more than “Vollmond’s” gas station/general store, Faith Lutheran
Church, a Town Hall (bridge every Saturday night!), about 30 or 40 homes, and a number of adjacent farms. An obvious source of information concerning the recent murder is Vollmond’s. Kindred who leave Chicago shortly after dusk should arrive before the 9:OO closing. It is a weathered gray building “decorated” with rusting license plates and an ancient Coca-Cola advertisement. The gas pump looks like a survivor from the 1940s. When the creaky screen door opens, a bell jingles. Vollmond’s sells everything from fishing tackle to chocolate bars, foodstuffs to ammunition. Also for sale are “genuine” Indian crafts, such as moccasins, bead necklaces, and soapstone carvings. All prices are 150%normal. The store is owned and run by one large family, almost a clan Wolfgang and Barbara Vollmo
The Vollmonbs
I
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The Vollmonds belong to the Fianna Tribe. Wolfgang and Ursula are likely the elders who sent them to rescue Edward Bemil. With the aid of the Vollmonds, the characters study Bemil’s problem and attempt to unlock his Werewolf potential. As mentioned earlier, medical knowledge fails to offer any mundane psychological explanation. However, Garou have more tools than the average doctor.... Garou who use Gifts to speak to the Beast, a malevolent spirit, receive some very rude replies. Questions concerning its nature are answered with enigmatic answers. For example: “Monsters we are lest monsters we become,” “This flawed Vessel is both virtue and curse,” or “May the Wassail-cup be everfull.” An Intelligence + Occult roll (difficulty 8) indicates that many of these terms are derived from Vampire lore. The Beast has a Willpower of 9 for resisting exorcism. If this is successful, the spirit leaves Bemil and enters the character with the highest Rage. That person immediately gains 4 Rage points. All frenzies favor the instinct of “fight” over “flight.” Further exorcisms will simply bump the Beast back and forth between vessels.
0 JULY/AUGUST, 1992
A successful probe into Bemil’s brain reveals a foreign spirit running rampant. The mind reader also hears a tiny voice begging for release. This is Bemil’s psyche, locked away in a dark recess of the subconscious. After a little experimentation - and perhaps an Intelligence + Enigmas roll (difficulty 6) - characters can define Bemil’s madness. He goes berserk in the presence of three stimuli: bloodshed or death; fire or sunlight; and Werewolves or Vampires. During this story, he is almost always in a frenzy or an exhausted rage. All in all, players are likely to be more confused than before. Wolfgang suggests that they take Bemil to Beowulf, a powerful Garou shaman (thought to be an Uktena) who lives in the area. Unfortunately, nobody knows where to find him. Just last week, though, a mortal named Roland claimed that Bigfoot had been tramping though his backyard nightly. This was probably Beowulf, who prefers his Crinos form. Roland’s property might be a good place to visit (as would the murder site, if for some reason players decide to go there).
their “children”: Klaus, Ursula, Dolf, Bern, Bruno, Selene, and little Colin. The store is effectively managed by 19-year-old Selene, who is attractive despite her bleached-blond hair and overuse of makeup. She is working behind the counter when the characters arrive. Depending on the characters, friendly conversation is likely to ensue. Selene is always curious about strangers. She asks about what brings the strangers to town, where they are staying, and so on (but be careful not to make the players edgy - Selene is being friendly, not suspicious). If the characters are Vampires, after a few minutes of flirting with the best-looking male Selene suddenly stiffens. If the character in question makes a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 9), he notices a slight flaring of Selene’s nostrils and a dilation of her pupils - as if she suddenly smelled and saw something of which she was previously unaware. Characters who use Auspex on her will notice a cold black aura rising up from the base of her head, covering over the mixed green and white aura she possessed before. Under not circumstances will she explain her change in feeling, and will resist any attempts to pry such information from her via Disciplines (the characters may think her to be a neutral). For the rest of the conversation, Selene is polite but distant. She will reluctantly give directions to the murder site, mostly out of desire to get the characters out of the store (see “Scene Four: Rustic Waste”). She will also, with slightly less reluctance, identify Roland as the “local resident” from the newspaper account and supply his address (as can everyone in Tierburg) - see “Scene Five: Childe Roland. The Vollmond family is actually a pack of Lupines, and otherwise unrelated. Their influence over the inhabitants of Tierburg is tremendous yet subtle. With her Gift of Sense
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Wyrm, Selene realizes that Vampires are in their midst; when the characters leave, she alerts her family. “Scene Three: Unsafe Haven” deals with further relations between the characters and the Vollmonds.
Scene Three: Unsafe Haven The investigation will likely take more than one night. Rather than commute between their havens and Tierburg each night, players may wish to establish a temporary camp nearby. (Of course, those with Earth Meld can simply sink below the permafrost.) Fortunately, the area is a summer retreat for city slickers. Characters can reside in one of the many cottages that are vacant in winter. Some have cement basements; virtually all have some dark, cramped, and miceinfested spaces beneath the rafters. Allow players to take all the preparation and precaution they wish. During their first day in this haven, a visitor comes calling. Selene Vollmond has become impatient with her Lupine kin for their delay in dealing with the Vampires. That morning, she packs two gallons of gasoline into her battered blue Volkswagen and drives out to the cottage retreat (using Heightened
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Senses and Beast Speech to discover the characters’ location). Sleeping Kindred are allowed multiple rolls to awaken, upon: 1) hearing Selene pull up, poke around the outside of the cottage, and attack any ghoul they might have left on guard; 2) smelling gasoline; 3) becoming aware of the smoke and flames as the cottage kindles; and 4) each round they burn (the damage is equivalent to a bonfire). For further guidelines, refer to “Awakenings” on p. 143 of the main rules. Once awake, players must deal with the fire, sunlight, and a Lupine. The day is heavily overcast, so the difficulty for resisting damage from sunlight is only a 5 (see “Sources of Injury” on pp. 120-121);the characters thus have a small amount of time to either fight or get away. Selene transforms to Crinos form and attacks any Vampires who survive the flames. If Selene is killed, the rest of her pack will be strongly motivated to avenge her, but they may not know about it for some time if the characters hide the evidence (such as her car). Such an event should be orchestrated to occur during the climax of the story. Preferably, the players know of - or are close to discovering - Beowulf‘s haven.
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Remember, this encounter is meant to seriously threaten the characters, but is not meant to be a death trap. If the Kindred play it smart, they should be able to escape with their unlives. Though they are facing a Lupine, they are up against only one of the forest breed, and through sheer numbers they should be able to overwhelm her - despite the increasingly deleterious effects of the sun. That night, as the characters continue their investigation by the light of a gibbous moon, a howl echoes though the woods. It is soon joined by others. Intermittent howling continues all night. Allow Perception + Alertness rolls (difficulty 3) to count a dozen howlers and realize that they are getting closer by the hour. When the players’ nerves are completely frayed (and their investigations are nearing an end), the hunt begins. An uncomfortable silence descends. Characters feel they are being watched and soon notice movement in the shadows. The previous encounter with Selene showed the danger posed by one Lupine. Now, faced with several, they had better run. Characters must make a Courage roll (difficulty 4) to resist terror, frenzy, and the urge to flee. Those who pass the test or Ride the Wave may choose a destination; those who fail run blindly. Follow the “Pursuit” guidelines on p. 152 of Vampire: The Masquerade. The characters begin with a 15success head start. Roll once for the Lupines -they are sticking together. Players each roll separately, but they will probably move no faster than the slowest character. They need 20 successes to lose their pursuers (this is unlikely, since the Lupines’ Dexterity t Celerity t Athletics add up to 11 Dice). Should the Lupines lose the quarry, they begin to track with Heightened Senses. They will eventually catch up - it is only a matter of time.
42
friend in a sand pit a few miles from town. A dirt road (partially washed out and poorly maintained at this time of year) winds from Highway 41 to the pit (roughly an hour’s walk or a fifteen-minute drive in off-road vehicles). The sand pit is quite large - about 500 feet across and half as deep. A pool of water lies beneath a thin layer of ice at the lowest point. Nearby, a patch of red dyes the frozen sand. Police have cleaned up the mess so few physical clues remain. However, for someone with Level 3 Auspex, four or more successes on a Perception t Empathy roll (difficulty 5) triggers the following psychic flash: “A photo negative. White sky, black stars. Dusk. Two men struggle in a ditch. Frothy breath and steam. A spray of blood frozen in the air. Rifles in the sand. A startled deer in midbound. The bear crouched on the lip of the pit.” The tramping of too many police, In Vampire, the urban environreporters, and “concerned residents” ment is referred to as Gothic-Punk, (i.e. rubbernecks) have obliterated any but North America’s wilderness is tracks which might have existed in the best described as Rustic Waste pit itself. However, a careful search combining rural life from the turn of along the lip of the pit - and a the century with an environmentalist’s Perception t Survival roll (difficulty nightmare of open-pit mining and 8, or 4 with Heightened Senses) clear-cut logging. The wilderness will reveal some broken twigs and around Tierburg is a notable example. disturbed ground. Use the tracking Logging has reduced much of the rules on p. 157. By following the forest to “lumber stubble.” Black oil tracks for about 10 turns, the characor rainbow-reflecting gasoline coats ters arrive at Roland’s home (“Scene numerous ponds and marshes. Beer Five: Childe Roland”); tracking about bottles and oil barrels line the ditches the same distance in the other direcon either side of the dirt road. The tion leads to Beowulf’s haven (“Scene bears and wildcats which once roamed Six: Reunion”). this area have disappeared; deer, raccoon, rabbit, and flus tic Waste squirrel populations Garou may use Gifts in place of Auspex to shrink yearly due to receive the psychic hint. Seeing the mysterious the deteriorating “bear” may hint at a deeper mystery than they environment and first supposed. Garou who use conventional hunting. tracking skills (i.e. Perception t Survival) have a Through difficulty of 8 to follow the trail; Perception t inquiry, the Primal-Urge lowers the difficulty to 4. characters learn
At one point, a pile of deadwood blocks the path. A Dexterity t Athletics roll (difficulty 6) is required to climb the treacherous tangle. Optionally, Strength t Athletics (difficulty 3, five successes) enables the character to jump over the pile. A fall reduces the character’s Health by one level; a botch on the Soak roll means the character is impaled on a branch and unable to move without assistance. Also, half the Lupines carry shotguns and hunting rifles, so a running gun battle may ensue. The characters should reach Beowulf’s haven - assuming they were running in this direction -just before the Lupines catch up. Garou characters are likely have their own havens, or they can stay with the Vollmonds. Unless you wish otherwise, no significant events occur.
Scene Four: Rustic Waste
Bemil murdered his
JULY/AUGUST,1992
4
Scene Five: Childe Roland in Tierburg can Roland as the “local resident” from the newspaper account. He lives a few miles from Tierburg, just off Highway 41. His rustic home sits on a four-acre lot, along with a crud
the option of returning to society. Now he feels completely alienated, not realizing that others like him and his Sire exist. Characters approaching as fellow Kindred have the best chance of gaining his trust.
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and take them into his confidence (his Sire resembles
lylsIll
faithful German
barks at the slightest noise or strange scent, and growls at anyone who sets foot in the yard. Durendal attacks the strangers if they do not back off quickly. Characters can make a Charisma + Animal Ken roll (difficulty 6) or use Animalism to gain the dog’s trust. If Durendal has made any noise, Roland soon pushes open the screen door with the muzzle of his shotgun and calls out in a grumpy voice: “Who’s here?” If asked about the murder or his Bigfoot sightings, Roland assumes the characters are reporters and tells them to get off his property (he didn’t like the way he was made to look by the last reporter he talked too). A more neighborly approach will simply receive a more polite invitation to leave. A Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty 6) hints that Roland’s gruff exterior conceals a very lonely man. If the players discover (e.g. through Auspex) or somehow guess that Roland is a Kindred, they may appeal to these emotions. He has grown increasingly lonely since his Becoming. With his self-imposed isolation, he always had
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i.
Survival roll (difficulty 4) allows characters to realize that an artificial dirt mound - like those common in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys - covers the ridgetop. Kindred characters probably scramble up Pine Rock Ridge just ahead of a pack of rabid Lupines. Satisfied that their prey is trapped, the Werewolves surround the ridge and creep up the slopes. Just then, a furry arm sprouts from the ground and begins clawing at the permafrost. By the time Beowulf has pulled himself from the grasping earth, the Lupines have topped the ridge. The bestial Vampire shakily stands and addresses the hesitant half-wolves: “Leave the intruders to me. I shall deal with them. Alone.” One frustrated Lupine lunges at the characters...Beowulf blurs...and a pine tree rocks with the impact of a crumpled and bleeding Wolfman. The Lupines - disappointed and not a little frightened - back down the ridge, dragging their wounded comrade. The Lupines gone, Beowulf crouches, exhausted. His silence is clearly an invitation to speak. He himself has nothing to say. As an elder, he owes no explanation, especially to neonates (although he might talk at the behest of Roland). But you - as Storyteller - finally deserve some background information.
the Beast does not hesitate to enter a Beowulf chose to Embrace less human and more powerful host. Roland, but each time he approached Characters with Auspex detect an the mortal, hunger threatened to insubstantial form leave Bemil’s (or overpower his mind and cloud his the current host’s) body and funnel purpose. Then one night, he chanced upon two hunters who were preparing into Beowulf‘s forehead. The shaggy to slay a defenseless deer - one of his Cainite arches his back and roars, Herd and a subject within his Domain. immediately entering Frenzy. As his energy returns, he appears to grow in Just as the fury was about to wash stature, his fur becoming thick and over him, Beowulf shunted his Beast matted. Silver hackles rise. Claws into one of the mortals ...and slipped away as Edward Bemi hunting buddy. Like h encounter with the Wyrm so long ago, th The events occur much as above (although chance event became blessing in disguise. Free from the Beast and much of his + Primal-Urge roll (Difficulty 6). Beowulf explains urge for mortal vitae, Beowulf was able to Sire Roland without fear of accidentally killing him. Growing increasingly lethargic by the night, Beowulf knew he had a limited time to educate his mouth like those of a saber-toothed his replacement. Now satisfied that he tiger. With blinding speed - moving has done all he can for his Childe, he agrees to take back the Beast: “I broke so fast he is almost invisible - the creature which was once Beowulf the Fifth Tradition and must do what tears into the forest, spraying pine little I can to undo this wrong. But I needles and dirt into the air. He has warn you, only a drop of Humanity not left, as a Perception + Alertness remains in my body, like mead in a roll (difficulty 4) reveals, but is goblet after a long night of revelry.” stalking the characters from a disBeowulf uses a point of Willtance. Unexpectedly, he launches power to reunite with his Beast - and
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himself at his prey, making a Dexterity t Stealth roll (the difficulty being the highest Perception t Alertness total in the group). He adds his successes to (or subtracts his botches from) the next initiative roll to simulate the effect of his sudden pounce. On a simple failure, roll initiative normally. Typically, he rends his opponents for one turn and then disengages, continuing this hitand-run, hamstring tactic until they weaken. He may also jump onto a character’s back, bearing down with his weight and sinking in his huge fangs. He drains the victim’s vitae (three Blood Points per turn) until beaten off. The players must destroy this abomination. Look over Beowulf’s profile. If you think your players’ characters would not survive a battle with him because they are few in number or noncombatants - allow Beowulf to request that the characters bind him to the cliff face before being reunited with his Beast. This would prevent him from unintentionally hurting anyone and ensure his destruction by morning.
Conclusion
Conclusion The Vollmonds may not like Cadavers, but how do the characters feel? They may find themselves protecting a Vampire from fellow Garou. Garou also gain a point of Willpower, but Diablerie obviously doesn’t apply. Instead, they may discover that the mound on Pine Rock Ridge is a caern waiting to be recovered, or that an ancient fetish lies buried in the earth. You should define this mystic power to suit your Chronicle.
reward themselves with Diablerie Beowulf‘s blood is volatile but potent.
Cast of Characters [statistics in the new Werewolf The Apocalypse are listed in brackets]
Edward Bemil His colleagues see him as a dedicated lawyer and supporter of justice. Deep down, however, he simply enjoys intimidating witnesses, watching the
Only a few loose ends need binding. One is the existence of Roland. If the other Vollmonds are anything like Selene, Roland may not be safe in Tierburg. Should the characters introduce him to the Prince of Chicago (and how will he react)? Will they help him adjust to the difficult years of Childehood? And, if the characters slew Beowulf, did they really have Princely support (as Maureen O’Leary suggested)? Your group may answer these questions in future stories. Characters should leave this story more aware of the danger of the Beast and thus more confident in controlling their own inner urges. For this reason, they gain one point of Willpower permanently. Rogue Kindred may also
46
JULY/AUGUST,1992
accused squirm, and prosecuting guilty and innocent alike. Hunting is his favorite hobby: nothing can match the God-like power found behind the trigger. Nature: Bravo Demeanor: Director Born: 1948 Apparent Age: 40s Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2 Social: Charisma 1, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Dodge 1, Intimidation 5 Skills: Drive 1, Firearms 3, Stealth 3, Survival 1 Knowledges: Law 3 Backgrounds: Resources 3 Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-control 3, Courage 3 Humanity: 6 Willpower: 5 Image: Bemil appears to be the archetypal Joe Average. He has dark hair, brown eyes, and is of average height and build (although getting a bit flabby due to age and lifestyle). He is equally comfortable in a suit or hunting jacket. While possessed, he is constantly wide-eyed and flushed from exertion. Roleplaying Hints: Smile evilly. Gnash your teeth and try to bite anyone who gets close. To simulate the Beast within, lower your voice until it hurts to speak. When “cured”, take control of the confusing- situation and demand an explanation.
The Vollmonds To save space, the nine members of the Vollmond family share the same profile. You may improvise their personalities (and customize the profile, if you wish) on a caseby-case basis. Breed: varies Auspice: varies Tribe: Fianna Rank: 1 for “children”,3 for Elders Caern: Tierburg, Indiana Physical: Strength 3,
American. His parents did not believe in formal education. ’ They taught him to read and write English but encouraged him to learn through practical experience. Indeed, over the years Roland has worked as carpenter, construction worker, farmhand. and lumberjack. He has seen much of Indiana and Illinois. and experienced a good part of the 20th century. But he has always returned to familiar Tierburg. In his retirement. he bought a small home near town and began I
’
Dexterity 3, Stamina 3 Social: Charisma 2. Manipulation 2, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Dodge 3, Intimidation 2, Primal-Urge 2, Search 5 Skills: Animal Ken 1, Drive 2, Repair 2, Stealth 2, Survival 2 Knowledge: Enigmas 2, Occult 3. Rituals 2 Disciplines: Animalism 1, Auspex 2. Celerity 2, Presence 1 [Gifts: variable; all “children” have starting Gifts, while the two Elders each have two Level 2 Gifts and one Level 3 Gift in addition.] Backgrounds: Kinfolk 2, Resources 2, Rites 2 Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-control 2, Courage 5 Renown: Glory varies, Honor varies, Wisdom varies Humanity: 5 Willpower: 8
[Rage: 5 , Gnosis: 51 For more information on Lupines. see page 192 of Vampire: The Masquerade or refer to Werewolf: The Apocalypse.
Childe Roland Roland was born in a farmhouse near Tierburg. Although his father was of German descent and his mother had French blood in her ancestry, they were both
He was reluctant to let Durendal - his only friend -outside, in case the skulking creature was a wolf or bear. Then one night the creature looked in his kitchen window. It scared the hell out of him. He saw it for but a second. but the furry man-like creature could only be a Sasquatch! Five nights ago, after about a week of nightly visits from Bigfoot, Roland decided to introduce the creature to his shotgun. He h e w the creature was nearby when Durendal hid under the kitchen table and started to whine. Stepping outside with flashlight and shotgun. Roland though he saw something up by the barn, but it moved so quickly - could it have been his imagination‘?Suddenly he was grabbed from behind and felt a pain in his neck. The shotgun went off. The flashlight rolled around on the ground. stabbing the darkness like a miniature lighthouse. As he lay on his driveway, watching the stars wink out as the life drained from his body, he thought: “Now they’ll believe in Bigfoot.” Roland woke with a stiff neck. But he felt infinitely more alive and full ofenergy. Even his eyesight seemed better than before -he could almost see in the dark! Forgetting the strange events of earlier that night, Roland had a sudden urge to go hiking. During this aimless walk he arrived at an unused sand pit and discovered a
hobby farming. All his family and friends are dead. He has never been very social and is now afraid to invest his feelings in others. A reputation for being a loner saves him the trouble of’dealing with people. Roland is actually very emotional but feels trapped by the traditional idea of masculinity. He refuses to admit that he loves children, and will not permit himself to cry. He bought a dog to keep him company, and Durendal has since been a faithful friend. During his long life. he has witnessed some strange events, most of which occurred near Tierburg at night. As a result, he readily accepts the “unnatural”. from ghosts to the Loch Ness monster. These beliefs were reinforced when, two weeks ago, Bigfoot started to come around his house at night. At first, \\\\Durendal would bark and Roland would hear noises coming from the woodshed.
Childe Roland
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horribly mangled corpse. He immediately returned home and phoned the police. The rest of the night passed while he answered their questions. When his roosters announced the coming dawn, Roland realized he was exhausted and that the light gave him a headache. Almost unconsciously, he ended up sleeping in a basement closet. When "Bigfoot" returned the following night, Roland was not afraid but drawn to it. Since then, this creature and Roland have spent every night together in the wilderness, speaking of things which no mortal should ever hear. When his Sire became too tired to visit the house, Roland would walk out to Pine Rock Ridge for the night. Roland is much more than he first appears: he is an old man, and at the same time still a Childe; yet he is stronger and more knowledgeable than either. He claims that good eating habits. regular exercise, and the clean country air keep him healthy. That may have been true when he was mortal, but now it has more to do with the potent vitae coursing though his veins. His gruff exterior serves him well in this new existence by keeping humans away. He does not have to deal with certain urges, but can survive as a farmer (in more ways than one). Clan: Gangrel Sire: Beowulf Nature: Caregiver Demeanor:Loner Generation: 8th Embrace: Five days ago (born 1914) Apparent Age: 60s Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 2. Stamina 4 Social:Charisma 3, Manipulation 1, Appearance 2 Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 2 Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 2. Brawl 2, Dodge 1, Empathy 2, Intimidation 1 Skills: Animal Ken 4, Drive 2, Firearms 2, Repair 3, Stealth 2, Survival 4 Knowledge: Medicine 2, Occult 3 Disciplines: Animalism 1, Fortitude 1, Protean 1 [In Werewolf terms, Roland has the ability to speak to animals, a t1 bonus to Soak rolls, and night-sight.] Background: Resources 1 Virtues: Conscience 5 , Self-Control 4, Courage 3
Humanity: 10
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Willpower: 7
Blood Pool: 15 Max per Turn: 3 Image: An old, wrinkled man with a tanned and wiry body. He has a full head of white hair, a whitestubbled chin, and deep-set gray eyes. He always wears green coveralls, a red and black checkered jacket, and work boots.
Roleplaying Hints: Always appear grumpy. Speak bluntly, convey your meaning in as few words as possible, and let others do most of the talking. Tell people to go away but at the same time detain them for as long as possible - even if it means complaining to them for not leaving! Haven: Farm house located a few miles outside Tierburg. Influence: None
Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 1, Courage 5 Humanity: 3 Willpower: 9 Blood Pool: 20 Max per Turn: 5 Image: Difficult to describe but easy to remember. Little is left of his mortal
form except bipedal movement. His appearance combines the size of a grizzly, Beowulf the grace of a cougar, and the intelligent Clan: Gangrel Sire: Grendel eyes of a wolf. His fur moves from golden Nature:Traditionalist Demeanor:Survivor on the face and chest towards dark brown Generation: 7th on the back, with a silver mane behind the Embrace: 561 (born 534) shoulders. He has a small tail and Apparent Age: can't tell prominent fangs. At 7' tall and 300 pounds, Physical: Strength 6, Dexterity 4, he is both beautiful and frightening. Stamina 5 Awesome is probably the best adjective. Social: Charisma 1, Manipulation 2, Roleplaying Hints: Appear sad and Appearance 5 weary. Take slow, deep breaths. Every Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 2, Wits 2 gesture is a visible effort. At the same time, Talents: Alertness 5 , Athletics 5 , Brawl 5 , retain some nobility -remember, you Dodge 5 , Empathy 3 , Intimidation 3, were once a hero from legend! Attempt to Primal-Urge 4 keep your head up and look directly at Skills: Animal Ken 5. Stealth 2, Survival 2, those you are talking with. Melee 4 Haven: Pine Rock Ridge Knowledge:Geography 1, History 2, Influence: The Lupines in the area Occult 2, Linguistics 2 think he is a powerful shaman, and are Disciplines: Animalism 5 , Celerity 2, loosely allied to him. His Herd consists of Protean 3, Fortitude 4 [Translated, Beowulf the forest animals. While Beowulf is an possesses: all Gifts of the Lupus, Ahroun Autarkis, the Elders of Chicago recognize and Get of Fenris you deem appropriate, his power and respect his solitude. Prior to two additional actions per turn, night-sight, the events in this story, Beowulf revealed claws which do Strength t 2 damage, and himself to every Kindred traveling though the ability to Earth Meld.] his Domain (much of the wilderness south Background:Herd 5, Status 5, Allies 2 of Chicago).
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FEATURE REVIEW I must admit right away that I have not read any of the novels about Dream Park. Perhaps this puts me at a disadvantage when examining the game, but I doubt it. R. Talsorian has done a very good of presenting this product in terms even the uninformed such as myself can digest. The small size of the book (it’s only 128 pages) certainly doesn’t leave room for too many complications. And Dream Park certainly doesn’t have many complications. Also, this review 1 is based on a pre, release copy of the game, but R. Talsorian assures me that I’m getting a good look at what will eventually be in the store (and should be by the time you read this). Bound into the back of the perfect,bound book will be a number of color characters cards. These are extremely attractive, and the information is very convenient and helpful for use in the “Quik Start Game.” The layout of the game itself is a bit disturbing. The format varies from three columns to two columns to one column plus sidebal. The text is not uniform in size, and there seems to be a proliferation of graphics that disrupt the flow of the text. This is all to say that despite being a relatively short book, it‘s not a painless read. For those unfamiliar with the concepts involved in Dream Park, the premise is a recreation park of the future where visitors
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participate in live-action games. With the help of the sophisticated computers and sensors, these live-action gamers can experience a variety of adventures. They can become superheroes, wizards, spacefarers, or, in fact, anything they can dream up. Once they have a role, they participate in a Game devised by a Gamemaster of the park (1.e. the Gamemaster of Dream Park). In essence, when playing Dream Park, you play a character who is in turn playing a character at the “real” Dream~Park.~ . . While R. Talsorian claims that this is an innovative concept in roleplaying games, it has in fact been done before by Stellar Games in It Came to the Late, Late, Late Show, wherein a player portrays an actor with a role in a film. I personally don’t find this to be a very appealing feature of either of these games. In the case of Dream Park it allows you to use the game with other roleplaying games - e.g. your Cyberpunk characters could visit Dream Park for a vacation but in general I feel it detracts from the dramatic elements of roleplaying. The rulebook opens with an interesting “tour” overview of the park. Here we learn the basic layout of the park, cursory information about the technology used, and information about
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some of the personalities involved in the game as if they really worked in the “reaFDream Park. L. For instance, game designer Mike Pondsmith is introduced as a Systems Designer at the park. Then the rules introduce the Quik Start system of the game. Only 14 pages are spent in this section, but the material does serve to introduce Dream Park players to the basic rules concepts of the game. What this section fails to do is introduce players to roleplaying games. Perhaps this game is an attempt by R. Talsorian Games to reach ’ a broader market of players, but the Quik Start system is a woeful attempt to explain to newcomers what these games are all about. The characters cards mentioned above are integral to the Quik Start, though they also serve the convenient function of play aids for the Gamemaster. (The front and back of one of these cards is reproduced nearby to give you an idea of the art and the game content on the back.) The game system the Quik Start introduces is exceedingly simple. For combat, the attacker rolls one six-sided die and adds his skill in the attack form used. This is compared to the defender’s roll of one die plus dodge. The higher total wins. Damage is then calculated by simply the strength of the attack to the quality of the . defense. Both of these range from None (or Very Light Attack) to A Cosmic. Cosmic Weapons include things like 4 nuclear weapons, II while Cosmic defenses are possessed only by 4 such things as MegaHeavy 1 Vehicles (Star Destroyers and the A like). Following this brief rules primer are three short scenarios, like The Crystal Maze. Unfortunately, these scenarios consist entirely of small-scale battles on a playing field provided in the form of a square-grid map printed in the rulebook, While small strategies are involved in these minigames (e.g. in The Crystal Maze you run
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around the maze picking up magic items that may each be used once; certainly the way in which you use the devices will partially determine your success), all of the games On beating the bad guys* These mini-games can admittedly be fun, but there are better board games Without a rolePhing aspect involved in the scenarios, this is the only
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possible way this scenarios can be judged. I looked for the game to redeem itself in the sections which form the bulk of the book, starting with Advanced Character. Here we do find some aspects of the game that encourage roleplaying. On the
Character Sheet the players is directed to answer questions pertaining to the character concerning motivation, personal problems and other background establishing traits. The meat of a character is then established with Basic Skills. These are the skills you find listed on the back of the character cards - things like Athletics, Knowledge and Willpower. While you can create a character and his Basic Skills from scratch, the easiest method is to choose a character’s profession (essentially one of the cards). Each professions has four Basic Skills with value 1, three with value 2, two with value 3, and one with value 4. Each profession also has a formula for determining Base Wounds. From this base, a player may customize his character I A with three additional points that may be used to add to the Basic Skills. That seems like too little flexibility, especially in a game system that uses these Basic Skills in place of typical attributes like Strength instead of in addition to such attributes, but you do have the option to create a new profession. The heart of the character generation
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system, the game, and therefore the rulebook is the Options section. It commands a full quarter of the hook. Options are purchased with Game Points, which are also the experience point system of the game, and each character begins with 20 Game Points. These points are used to purchase Optional Skills, like Hunch and Streetwise; Clerical Spells, like Invoke Gods and Purify; Magical Spells, like Shapechange and Thunderbolt; Psionic Powers, like Empathy and PsiBolt; Superhero Powers, like Fast Ground Speed and Invisibility; and finally Gadgets and Gear, which includes everything from handguns to Space Cruisers. Gadgets and Gear have specific Game Point costs, but all of the other skills and powers have variable costs depending on how good you want to he. This is a nice system that works based on the premise that harder skills are more difficult to learn. The example given in the hook compares driving a car to piloting a helicopter; while a character can learn either of these skills, because learning to pilot the copter is more difficult, it will take more Game Points to earn an equal level of proficiency in piloting as in driving. Skills are rated on a
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scale of one to five, from Easy to Extremely Hard, and while one Game Point buys one point of Skill in an Easy ability, it takes five Game Points to earn that one point of skill in an Extremely Hard ability. Every single skill and power is rated on this scale, so the system is a snap to use. Thus, while the Conjuration Magic Spell Move Earth is considered Simple (rating 2), the Clerical Spell Resurrection is Extremely Hard. In general, this is a very nice system that is used effectively. In my mind, it‘s a saving grace for the game, for each game a player gets to spend his 20 Game Points on totally new powers and skills. So if the player wants to play a superhero during a given game, then he can buy super powers. Next time his character may wish to be a holy man, so he can focus on Clerical Spells. The system doesn’t solve the basic problems of the strange manner of play where you play a character playing someone else, hut it does at least make good use of that concept. Next is a section called Advanced Rules. This section introduces a number of nice modifications to a simple but otherwise relatively dull system. Of special note is the Special Effects Attack rules. By using this system, a skilled characters can make use of excess skill points not needed to win a rolloff with his opponent to achieve “special effects” like disarming or pulling a punch.
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A sample Game (“adventure” in Dream Park lingo) called The Big Zombie Pirate Game follows the Advanced Rules. Here we see roleplaying introduced on yet another level - one where characters are actually interacting with NPCs. However, the Game is essentially an action story, and it seems as if Dream Park encourages little more than creating an interesting environment and background in which a great action adventure can take place. That’s fine, but it seems that the best aspects of roleplaying games are lost in this story format; namely, the roleplaying is lost. There can be little extended campaign play and no character continuity; characters merely move from one short term goal to another. The bulk of the remaining 20-plus pages of the book forms a section entitled Writing Dream Park Games. This section surprised me by presenting the game in a way that actually made me feel the format of the game was indeed a blessing because it offered the opportunity to play so many different kinds of games. I believe that playing Dream Park could be interesting, but I feel that the format itself is too limiting. In essence, Dream Park is a solid game that does an admirable job of presenting a concept flawed for roleplaying use. This game is best left to a live-action format. ‘#d
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Feature Review With the emphasis of progressive game systems (such as GURPS, Call of Cthulhu, and Vampire) o n relatively clear, straightforward prose, DJ reads like a throwback to the days of Aftermath and other wargame-style systems. For one thing, the book is enormous (408+ pages) and correspondingly priced
Heralded by an aclverti 4 hlitz of astronoinical almost comical.
system from Dungeons &
highly-touted release of through the basic rcilebook least most of th terms such as “armor class” and “cure light wounds” made sense once one read through them. Gygax has ignored the standard terminology of the roleplaying community to create a parlance unique to DJ, which would be all right if it were at all user-friendly. Unfortunately, after losing myself in a labyrinth of Heroic Personas, 56
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Psychogenics, Heka, STEEPS,PMSpd, Material Subjects from Other Spheres (demons, for the uninitiated), MPGs, Critical, Effect and Recovery Levels, AP/Gs, SF points, FAC and Vril, I am forced to conclude that it is not. T h e sheer amount of rules in this book is staggering. T h e type is tiny, and at times there is n o art for 15 pages at a time; the overall effect of opening the book and flipping through page after page of rules, cases, subcases, charts, tables, subtables, and subsubtables is that of a muted groan. T h e ers’ Workshop, P.O. Box index to the charts alone 1646, Bloomington, IL takes up a full 61 702-1646 page of minute type. T h e best example of the priorities of this system is an\/iewed by Robert Hatc I game the fact that the chapter o n combat takes up nearly ‘ / O pages, while the chapter o n campaigns and successful gamemastering takes up only seven. Character generation (characters, by the way, are not called characters in this system; they are,
rather, Heroic Personas, or HPs for short) is relatively straightforward in the basic game (known as Mythus Prime), being handled by the simple divisio1 of 120 points among three attributes (Mental, Physical, Spiritual); it is, however, an exercise in number-crunching in the advanced system, where nc fewer than 18 basic traits (with such evocative and elegant names as physical neural capacity, spiritual metaphysical power and mental mnemonic speed) must be generated by individual dice rolls. Then, a vocation (character class) must be chosen, based on the Heroic Persona’s SEC (social class, which is randomly rolled), and the STEEP levels for the vocation’s K/S bundle must be calculated (in English, that means figuring out how good the HP is with her skills). Again, the terminology hurts this section - while it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what “physical neural power” means, isn’t it easier to say “dexterity”?O r “agility”?Or “reflexes”? O r something? Furthermore, the idea that every HP of the same vocation has a huge bundle of the exact same skills rubs me the wrong way. Granted, players may choose a few extra skills to customize their HPs, but the overall effect is still somewhat “cookie-cutter.”
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Hero, each new genre will also have the basic rules Although most Heroic Personas are human, this reprinted in yet another $26.00 tome. Caveat is by no means the only option. Dwarfs, elves, emptor. gnomes, alfen (“near-human personas of short Dangerous Journeys isn’t a terrible game, if stature” - and hairy feet, perhaps?), and alfar (Viking elves with attitudes) are other options. Very one can wade through the verbal swamp. But quite frankly, it isn’t a good game either, particularly in little social or cultural information is given about comparison t o other multigenre systems such as how to play these races, but I suppose that is unimportant, as they have been around since Basic D&D GURPS and the Hero System. There is nothing new, innovative or exciting in this volume, and it anyway. The whole idea of “standard” races and certainly doesn’t live up to the hype. W h a t vocations in a supposedly multigenre system strikes Dangerous Journeys has essentially done is to take me as behind the times. a lot of standard FRPG fare, increase it t o the N t h T h e magic system is based around spell points degree in complexity, and market the resulting known as Heka (which can be conveited into “vril” mass at a n inflated price. This is not a system for at a 5: 1 ratio, and which is subdivided into Preterbeginning garners, and advanced players will most natural, Supernatural and Entital Heka, each of which is 10 times more powerful than the one before likely find one of the aforementioned systems more to their taste.‘& it. Confused? I was.). Each spell costs a certain amount of Heka to cast, and spells are divided into 1 “Casting Grades” according to power and difficulty. T h e spell list is skimpy and generic, but (of course) the Mythus Magick complementary book will be o soon with many more spells. Speaking of spells maybe I’m missing something, but two of the skills (Sorceror and Witch), while listed as spellcasting abilities, have no spells given for them in the basic book. All of this is set o n the world of E r t h , which is roughly analogous to our own world (except with magic and monsters thrown in). Heroic Personas can adventure in such realms as E g y p t , Francia, Nippon and Scand; if they tire of the surface world, there are also the subterranean realms of (I kid you not) Shallowshadow, Midgloom and Deepdark. Intrepid HPs may also travel to the “counter-realm” of Phaeree, where the nonhuman population is much stronger and more numerous. T h e setting is described in only a cursory fashion, but the Epic of B r t h book, soon to be released, will fill in the rest of the details. The list of Monstrous Personages (bad guys) is adequate but unexceptional; the standard sword fodder such as dragons, vampires and demons is here, but little else. This is not necessarily a bad thing (monsters should be few and far between in most cases), but with all the hype about this game, DJ could have at least included a few cool monsters to fight. The DJ rules, despite being touted as a “multigenre system,” seem tied to the fantasy setting; there are no rules for guns, space travel et al. Presumably these features will appear in later books, but also presumably, instead of having one big basic rulebook and supplement materials a la GURPS or
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by Mark Jason Dural1 How many times have you put down a comic or a book, or walked out of a movie theater, and thought: “Why isn’t there a game about this?” For hard-core roleplayers, this happens regularly. Some of those garners are game designers, which explains why the field of roleplaying games has recently become saturated with licensed products from almost all fields of interest - novels, comics, cinema and others. These games range from Chaosium’s excellent Call of Cthulhu, based on the moody and evocative stories of H. P. Lovecraft, through Palladium’s runaway hit game based on the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles comic series, to more recent entries such as the Amber Diceless Role-Playing game, which is based on the works of Roger Zelazny, and the Aliens RPG, which enables characters to fight the nasty film creatures with characters of their own. Through the phenomenon of licensing, you can fight supervillains and defend the Earth alongside the Justice League International, cross swords with Fafnrd and the Grey Mouser, smuggle vital microfilm through the crumbling Union of Sovereign States to London where it can be processed by M.I.5 and passed along to a certain Mister Bond, or even manipulate the Force to aid the Rebel Alliance in their battle against the dreaded Empire. While this vast array of licensed products is stimulating and useful for the gamer, it should in no way deter gamemasters from creating their own worlds. Trying to exalt licensed products over one’s own imagina, tion is not the purpose of this article. The processes of world-building and game creation have been covered extensively elsewhere, and this article is intended to examine the role that licensing plays in the RPG industry, and quite possibly in your gaming group. The focus of this article is on licensing, and does not deal with gameaeated worlds such as TSRs Krynn or Dark Sun, Chaosium and Avalon Hill’s Glorantha, or Bard Games’ Talislanta. However, TSRs Dragonlance campaign world is notable as the forerunner of games which have gone the other way licensed into other materials such as novels, comic books, computer games, etc.
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s m s 7YmmIS F@t?3dtC233 From the largest companies in the industry to the smallest, great amounts of effort, time, and money are spent producing products based on film, comic, and literary sources. There are many reasons that these games have been and will continue to be successful,and while this list is not complete, it touches on many of the malor points. J Licensed game worlds are often of higher quality and greater imagrnatlve scope than settings wntten by game designers If you had a choice, would you rather play in a world written by a nameless (which is not to say untalented) game designer, or would you rather romp and adventure through worlds you know, meeting characters who have proven their entertainment value through their success in print or film! In the context of TSRs Dragonlance games and novels, Raatlm is considered to be a powerful and tragic figure But can his plight compare with the truly epic passions and tragedies of Elric ofMelnibon6 (featured in Chaosium’s Stormbringer and based on Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion novels)’ 2 Many of these works are familiar to a wide range of people, and are easier for new garners to understand and visualize Almost every gamer has had the experience of feeling “lost”in a game world, due to either a lack of familiarity with the setting or incompleteness on the GM’s part. While this can sometimes be effective for games like Call of Cthulhu, where ignorance and fear are part and parcel of a campaign, it can be frustrating for a new player in the Traveller or Cyberpunk universes
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While a player can become fully integrated into these worlds with experience, it is far easier to visualize the cinematic universe brought to life through George Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy. The primary motivation for game publishers to develop licensed materials is often the fact that there is an established audience. Many authors or creators of works will license their works for similar reasons, in hopes that they will develop a crossover audience of gaming enthusiasts, which will have a reciprocal effect on their original works if the game proves to be successful. 3. It’s easier to create characters and settings, and to wite adventures, based on what ha already been witten. Recent trends in licensed games take this to the extreme, such as Palladium’s Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles, which, despite having extensive character creation rules, is at its best when the players take on the roles of the four heroes themselves. Gamemasters using the DC Heroes or Marvel Super Heroes rule systems have a cornucopia of established villians, with their own motives and methods; this allows the gamemaster to concentrate on the adventure itself. 4.Established settings save the gamemaster time which can be better spent playing. If one agrees with this statement, then it can be logically assumed that even more time will be saved though the use of characters and settings already familiar to the group through novels, films, or comics. I am fairly certain that most people are familiar with the world of Star Trek and therefore would not need extensive background material or elaborate explanations as to why several different characters of vastly different races and backgrounds are united in a single purpose. Gamemasterswho have had especially difficult times uniting groups of characters who normally would have little to do with each other can sympathise. While disparate backgrounds and goals can occasionally create elements of enjoyable tension and conflict, many players feel let down by campaigns which begin with all of the characters just happening to be in a bar at the time that a wizard is in need of some assistants... Unimaginative beginnings like that will often elicit groans, while the opening “You are all on the bridge of the U.S.S. Reliant when sensors pick up...” is expected while playing the Star Trek RPG. 5 . These settings and characters are often those which influenced other game designers and other games. Why settle fm the imitation? It would be ludicrous for the designersof games such as Top Secret and Mercenaries, Spies, & Private Eyes to say that they weren’t influenced by the world, spanning adventures of Ian Fleming‘s debonaire master spy, and in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, TSR admits that the game was influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien’s works, as well as those of Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber. Thanks to such efforts as Victory Games’ (now defunct) James Bond 007, Iron Crown Enterprises’Middle Earth Role Playing (and now The Lord of the Rings), Steve Jackson Games’GURPS Conan, and TSRs Nehwon campaign world, garners can adventure in the lands of their favorite heroes from books or films. (GURPS, incidentally, should get a special notice in this article for being the undisputed mogul of licensed products, with sourcebooksfor Robert Adams’ Horseclans novels, Alan Dean Foster‘s interstellar
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Commonwealth series of books, David Brin’s Uplift novels, Philip Jose Farmer‘s Riverworld books, The Prisoner television series, and Andre Norton’s Witch World series, as well as the current comic-inspired Wild Cards anthologies and collaborative novels.) 6. You can experience the thrill of playing a favorite character or someone very similar, or meeting that character in a gaming context. Palladium’sTNMT game provides proof of the first part of this statement, as do most games which feature statistics for literary characters. Many of them are intimately connected to the NPCs presented in the source material, and are almost unplayable without them. Most licensed games offer this as an option, and while it isn’t the same as playing a character you’ve created, it makes for excellent one, shot or limited campaigns, as well as exciting tournament or convention play. Most of the superhero scenarios for DC Heroes or Marvel Super Heroes are designed specifically for a particular hero or group of heroes. The second part of the above statement is true for some of the same reasons, as well as others - in a Stormbringer campaign, for example, the characters have only to hear a rumor that Elric is coming to town before they’ll try to get out as quickly as possible. Phage Press’ Amber Diceless Role-Playing, while not completely dependent upon the characters created by Roger Zelazny, really shines when they are used as incredibly powerful NPCs who occasionally interact with the fledgling characters. It is the thrill of meeting fictional characters in the gaming environment which perhaps makes the field of licensed products the most popular in the genre.
T@P @‘Frlh3 N2AP Despite all these benefits, there are many licensed products that are considerably less successful than game designeraeated worlds. Many projects are too obscure to warrant full roleplaying systems, such as Chaosium’s Ringworld, an out,of,print science fiction system based mainly upon two hooks by Larry Niven, or British television seriesebased Doctor Who (from FASA).Has anyone heard of Jack Chalker‘s novel Midnight at the Well of Souls?Well, there’s an RPG based on it. Sometimes games are based on source material that isn’t interesting to roleplayers, such as Delta Force from Task Force Games. Perhaps the scope of the source material is too limiting, such as Chaosium’sElfquest, which nearly forces characters to take on the roles of Wolfriders in the world created by Richard and Wendy Pini in their comic series, or Game Workshops’Judge Dredd, in which all players are assumed to be law officers in MegaCity One. Perhaps one of the worst of this last type of RPG was TSRs Indiana Jones, a game in which players merely follow Indiana Jones’footsteps, taking the roles of his followers from the films. Other failures in licensing are harder to explain, such as the fact that TSR marketed a poorlysselling roleplaying game based on Robert E. Howard’s Conan series long before Steve Jackson Games took over the license (though this might have had more to do with the rules system, which lacked the grittiness one expects from a game based on the violent barbarian hero). TSRs original release of Lankhmar (based on Fritz Leiber‘s Fafnrd and the Grey Mouser series of stories ) was in 1985, and only in the last few years has TSR given serious attention to the property, which the company now supports with an excellent range of modules, sourcebooks,and other materials. All this considered, it is with some caution that a game publisher will commit the money to purchase a license these days. Knowing which
literary or film settings warrant a unique and specific game system and which can be turned into a sourcebook for existing rules is a tricky decision to make, and can turn into a windfall or a loss. The safest course today seems to be the latter option; as a result, universal systems like GURPS, Hero, and Rolemaster lead the field in licensed products. Chaosium attempted this generic systemspecific world idea earlier than most with their Basic Role Playing system (derived from Runequest), but took a loss with poorly selling games like Ringworld, Elfquest, and Hawkmoon (also based on Michael Moorcock‘s Eternal Champion novels).
CJJ@OSOhYGV$m%JW@LY58T@
[email protected] Looking at the vast number of licensed products on the market today, a prospective gamemaster or player has a pretty big choice to make if he or she wishes to forego creating an entire world, and would rather adventure in an pregenerated, familiar world from another medium. Some simple guidelines: 1. Is this publisher one you can trust? Ask other customers or clerks at the game store where you shop. Look at other products put out by that company. Is the company involved devoted to producing a quality piece of work, or is it just trying to make a buck off a current fad? Be sure to look for Mayfair‘s Batman in bargain bins everywhere. 2. Is is a compkte game in itself, or a licensed supplementfor an existing game system? Most companies are careful about labeling their games as supplements, but be careful and check anyway. There are good and bad points to this. You can feel ripped off if you get home and find out that r
universal systems, however, you can publish the rulebook and have access to a wider array of moreor-less compatible supplements, with the option of creating your own world in the future using the system. GURPS fans can play Conan one week, Riverworld the next, then go straight into Camelot, Wild Cards, and Japan, while only having to familiarize themselves with one set of rules. 3. Is the world completely covered in his volume, or will you be committed to buying a lot of sourcebooks and companion volumes to play? Some campaign worlds are too big for one book. Garners love lots of volumes, and will generally buy anything available for favored systems, but beginners might be reluctant to lay down so much cash just to try a game out. Unfortunately, most game stores or libraries are a long way away from lending roleplaying games out. While it has gotten a lot of critical attention and praise from gamers and designers alike, I have seen more than a few gamers put off by the number of books which West End puts out for Star Wars. True, you don’t need all the books to play; indeed, you only need a couple, but that’s rarely obvious to novice garners or people who haven’t bought the basic rulebook. 4. How much control do you want over this world? How faithful an adaptation are you looking for! Are you fond of crossing genres, or are
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The answers await you on
Originally published in 1985, this science-fantasy RPG set standardsin character developmentand world background, as well as featuring some of the finest artwork to ever grace a RPG. Back due to popular demand, SkyrealmsPublishing and CHESSEX have re-issued this game as an updated, 200page book. More info, more artworlc, and more adventure than ever before! Ask for it at your local retailer. Retailers, Stock # SR 2000. call your local supplier!
Get Ready To Leave Your World Behind...Agdn. Dealer Inquiries Welcome. Send SASE to: Chessex. 2990 San Pablo Ave.. Berkeley CA 94702 In Australia. contact. Ventura Games. Sydney. In Canada, contact: T.D. Imports. Calgary AB. , CHESSEX Berkelev CA. Fort Wavne IN. Phoenixville PA. Lanamont CO.
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you strict about sticking to the guidelines set forth in the game world?Both of the major superhero games (Marvel Super Heroes and DC Heroes) are wide open for whatever the gamemaster wantS to throw in: time travel, aliens, natural disasters, comedy, horror, etc...,but can you get away with a pulp superhero flying through Call of Cthulhu! A vampire in James Bond 007! Conan as a would-beJedi Knight! You get the picture... 5. If you’re a big fan of that world and feel that your players will enjoy playing in it as much 11s you enjoyed reading or seeing it, then go for it. Ignore the rest of the rules if this is the case, and have a great time.
and possibly inspiring roleplaying games like West End Games’ Paranoia and Avalon Hill’s Tales of the Floating Vagabond. The setting: the wide and wooly Universe after the destruction of Earth for a hyperspatial express route. The cast: a bunch of no-accounts, leftover Earthlings, a terminally depressive robot, and a perky, talking spaceship with the personality of an Avon Lady. The four-part “trilogy”takes the main characters (and other innocent hangerpod throughout the galaxy, thumbing rides on assorted spaceshipsand dodging through random time streams, to encounter the Big Bang, the end of the Universe, and a lot of funny stuff in between. Tying the whole series together is the humorous and often exasperating Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy, a computerized encyclopedia of misleading and often highly subjective entries aimed towards the less-discrimating(i.e. cheap) starfarer. Sample entry: Earth: Mostly hartnkss. The HGTTG offices employ thousands of reporters who roam the millions of known worlds in search of action, adventure, and free drinks in galactic press boxes. Characters in a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy RPG could be roving reporters or others caught up in their travels, general riff,raff, or even the very hitchhikers the book is aimed at. The game system would have to be very free-form- fast and loose, aimed at maximum hilarity and minimum ruleplaying. Players of Toon, Ghostbusters, Paranoia, and Tales from the Floating Vagabond might enjoy this game, which would have to be set up with dozens of parenthetical entries in the Guide designed to be read at appropriate (or just plain funny) moments. Perhaps game modules would even be marketed with recorded versions of Guide entries for those who would enjoy hearing the matter,of,fact voice reciting sheer lunacy. The game has already been adapted into a computer game, which shows that author Adam is receptive to further interpretations of his work. Avalon Hill has produced the hilarious Tales from the Floating Vagabond, and puts out a quality piece of merchandise. The other home for this game is West End Games, creator of Paranoia and Ghostbusters. The main reason that Avalon Hill was chosen is because West End should be busy with their Dune project (see below). Source Material -The Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy, & Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, The Universe and Everything, and So Lone and Thanks For All the Fish, by Douglas Adams, as well asThe Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy, a television series by the BBC sometimes shown on public television. Records of the first two books are available from Hannibal Records.
A U l M l3osu: NZW P@sso~o&Ouo~s P@@ PUB&RSRZRS @R~ A ~ J ~ J ~ ~ S F Z ~ S While you might say that there’s already a glut of licensed material on the market, be certain that there will be a lot more. In an effort to broaden the field, and save game designers some time when looking for ideas, here are suggestions for eight world or campaign settings from film, comics, or books which are just aching to be developed into games or sourcebooks. Since companies generally have a certain “feel”to their work, this listing is given in alphabetical order, based on the game companies which would be appropriate publishers of the suggested licenses. If the suggestions make sense, and make you want to spend your hardeeamed money on them, then write to the companies and ask them ‘(Why don’t you publish , . . ?” If you’re a would-be bigtime game writer and designer, send them a letter beginning “I’d like to . . .” If you’re a do-it-yourselfer and aren’t after fame and fortune (or what substitutes for them in RPG design), you should pay a lot of attention to the last section of this article. As of this writing, these worlds have not appeared as either roleplayinggames or supplementary materials (as far as I know...). Some might be completely unsuitable for development, due to expensive or unavailable licenses, a limited appeal, or similar products already on the market. It is left to the would-be game designer, adaptor or publisher to determine the status of these licenses if professionalpublication is desired; of course, for people who just want these settings for their own gaming use, no permission is required. Just don’t sell it or call it your own. And so, without further ado, here are eight settings or suggestions which I feel would make excellent roleplaying game products and the companies which might develop them.
3834YAMh18Ild5 @AJNd t@JXPAhW 8JlTtJ!~~lR~@S @a85T@ T&d@AMX% by Douglas Adams. This British radio showdtumed-bookset BBC television series standards in humorous science fiction and fantasy, motivating dozens of writers to create books “in the Hitchhiker‘sGuide to the Galaxy vein’’
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4HA@Sl@JXu iM* Tfid n@RB@ @ 8 @ 8 @ S u by E. R. Eddison. Possibly the finest fantasy novel ever written, The Worm Ouroboros surpasses even J. R. R. Tolkien’sLord of the Rines in scope, heroism, style, and wonder. The Worm Ourorobos is a towering achievement in the field of fantasy literature. It is the tale of a mighty war between the forces of several great nations on a world called Mercury, and each page breathes with vigor and wonder in an fabulously ornate, often difficult-to-read language that has no equivalent in 20th century literature. Reading O u r o b G is a supremely consuming task, sometimes taking several tries, but is worth every iota of effort. Eddison’s
name belongs in the ranks of fantasy grand-masters,along with those of C. S.Lewis, Tolkien, Lord Dunsany, and James Branch Cabell (another great but sadly neglected fantasy author). The warring nations of the book are named for creatures of Earth’s mythology and folklore. Heroic Demons (blessed with milk,white skin and small, oftendecorated or jeweled horns) ride into battle against the degenerate and sneering Witches, their former allies in a great war against the Ghouls. Other races include Goblins, Pixies, Imps; indeed, most of the great fantasy monsters are present here, and the epic world, spanning quest is nom de rigeur for this setting. What must be done to set Mercury apart from standard fantasy settings is to increase the richness of the background and emphasize the heroic and fantastic elements of roleplaying. If a character wants to spend five minutes describing what he is wearing, down to the last buckle on his boot, then let him as long as it is interesting. The gamemaster should detail non,player characters with equal care, creating foes and allies worthy of strong, broadly-painted emotions. Heroism is to be respected and striven for, and treachery ranks beside black magick as an action unworthy of noble men. It is not a world for meaningless abstractions like Law and Chaos. However, Good and Bad are as easily recognized as white and black hats in old Westerns. What The Worm Ouroboros needs to be translated successfully into roleplaying terms is a game system that emphasizes heroism, storytelling, passions, glory, honor, and the entire epic feel, without getting bogged down into the gritty mechanics of armor class, saving throws, encumbrance, weapons range, or other mainstays of most fantasy systems. A basic,but,elegant system like Chaosium’sArthurian roleplaying game Pendragon is the perfect example of these principles, with emphasis on character passions, glory, and the lonpterm campaign. Chaosium is perhaps the most literary publisher of licensed products, with Call of Cthulhu, Pendragon, Ringworld, Stormbringer, and Hawkmoon all based on novels, and Prince Valiant and Elfquest from comics. This game would provide American gamers an invaluable chance to really use simply awful pseudwKingJames Bible/ Shakespearean English, full of thees, thous, doths, and hasts, because in an Ouroboros game, it would be mandatory to speak like that. Dost thou agreeth? Source Material - The Worm Ouroboros, by E. R. Eddison, recently reprinted in an annotated version.
JMIY?&M? 3%11WS* Ma a 2 m ! d G J&l$PJlJ* by Jack Vance. Set in Earth’s 21st Aeon, a world where the sun is at its zenith, hanging red and bloated in the sky, this series of stories chronicles the adventures (and misadvantures) of a cast of characters such as Cugel the Clever (a rogue entirely too smart for his own good), Iucounu the Laughing Magician, and Rhialto the Marvelous,conjurer extraordinaire. It is a world of baroque majesty, strange and magnificent enchantments, fabulouscreatures, and unlikely coincidences The books’ greatest interest to roleplayinggamers (aside from being simply marvellously written and inventive), however, is the magic system Vance posits, with bizarre and imaginative enchantments such as The Spell of Forlorn Encystment, The Green and Purple PostponementofJoy, The Excellent Pnsmatlc Spray (sound familiar, AD&D fans’), The Spell of
Internal Effervescence, Arnboult ‘s Sequesmous Digrtalia, and many others, equally original and bizarre. Vance’s magical system is the root of the AD&D system’s spell memorization, though the spells are far more powerful (magicianstherefore,are limited to fewer, more potent spells which always work) and there is no equivalent to the level learning system. There are several species of magical beings such as the sandestins and daihaks, extraplanar creatures used by sorcerers to perform simple tasks or to power their spells. These beings must Se bargained with, making for excellent roleplaying possibilities. The focus of this world is on the magicians, who are as diverse, extravagant, and obnoxious a lot as can be expected. Using their magic for cosmetic effects and cultivating their own idiosyncratic styles, they are as much showmen as sorcerers. An excellent campaign could involve a group of these magicians, who are so common in the Dying Earth (though not nearly so powerful as they were in past millenia). Mayfair Games publishes an excellent series of generic game supplements called Role A d , which has focused on specific fantasy races, presented multiqstem game modules, and detailed characters and monsters from myth and fiction. The setting would be ideal as a multl-systemproduct with stats for using it in a few appropriate game systems. The b i n 2 could also make an excellent alternative Ars Magica setting, but would be difficult to adapt into other games’ rigid magic systems which do not allow for the creation of new spells. Still, one pities the poor game designer having to allocate spell cost points and determine effects for The Inside Out and O w , a spell which inverts the building or landscape around the caster. Source Materials -The b i n g Earth, The Eyes of the Ovenvorld, Cupel’s Saga, and Rhialto the Marvellous, by Jack Vance. The Duest for Simbilis, by Michael Shea. “Vance’s Evocation of Arcane Delight,”an article by Simon Nicholson in White Dwarf (issue 93, September 1987).
&Jg6@)@@@ gj&/jy&4yP written by Earl Mac Rauch and directed by W.D. Richter. The ultimate collision of particle physics, rock and roll, Zen mysticism, and ’50s sci-fi movies, “BuckarooBanzai” is the tale of a group of highly talented and diverse adventurers and musicians bound together by one man (a postmodern Renaissance man named Buckaroo Banzai, a sort of Doc Savage for the %Os), as they battle an alien menace that threatens the Earth with nuclear destruction. Besides being a repository for a surprisingnumber of fine actors, the film (and novelization) set up a world of hip, competent heroes prepared for everything, with special vehicles and a helpful network of backup assistants. Players in a “BuckarooBanzai” roleplaying game would be able to take on the roles of characters from the films or create their own Hong Kong Cavaliers (Banzai’smusical band). The latter would be far more enjoyable,letting the players create diverse and interesting dream characters with few limitations, the only requirement being an ability to play a musical instrument. This setting would lend itself well to most
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types of adventure, allowing the gamemeaster to cross and combine genres with impunity. W h y Palladium? The Palladium rules system is compatible with almost all of their games, allowing Buckaroo Banzai gamemasters access to mutant animals from Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles, superheroes and gadgets from Heroes Unlimited, martial arts from Ninjas and Superspies, and even giant robots and mega.technology with Robotech and Rifts. This game setting would appeal primarily to players of Tors or Dark Conspiracy, and maybe even some Top Secret S.I. or Mercenaries, Spies, & Private Eyes fans, with some possible converts from Call of Cthulhu and pulpadventure games like HERO’SJustice, Inc. Source Material -Buckaroo Banzai, screenplay by Earl Mac Rauch and directed by W. D. Richter. Buckaroo Banzai, film novelization by Earl Mac Rauch.
T4&S@RlAN64rnBp lNC B@R@gRr@UNp edited and created by Terry Windling and Mark Alan Arnold. In these collaborative anthologies, the premise is an intriguing one similar to the concepts explored in FASA’s Shadowrun. Something undefined has caused the return of the forces of Faerie to Earth, manifesting itself in one or more major cities which have become mixing places between the two planes. Elves walk the streets in gang colors and mohawks, and the cities have become meccas for disenfranchised or aliennated youth. Magic rules in the Bordertown, and the law is as powerless and randomly effective as the technology it depends upon. The punk scene reigns in Bordertown, mixing the haunting melodies of the Elfin kindred with the earthly chords of rock and roll. It can be a violent or beautiful place, depending on who you run with, and the streets are filled with a mix of runaway kids, street gangs, old residents, Elves and other Faerie folk, private eyes searching for lost kids, and musicians of all styles. The roleplaying game would have to take into account the sporadic effectivenessof technology and the magic utilized to take its place enchanted spellboxes to run motorcycles,arcane amplifiers,and gremlinrun computers. The setting is one of a city in waste, with treasures to be had for lucky scavengers,and magical curses or death for those who steal from the wrong gang‘s turf. The tension of the gangs infiltrates all levels of life, making this fantasy milieu one which has a real-world counterpart in New York or Los Angeles, possible sites for the unnamed Bordertown. Worthy of a system in its own right, Bordertown would work for R. Talsorian, who have shown that they have the edge needed to pull off this game. Wild enough to publish Teenagers from Outer Space, they are also the creators of the grim and sleek Cyberpunk. Bordertown might lure players away from Shadowrun, offering a less science-fictionbased version of the same premise. It would bridge the gap between those who like high fantasy and those who enjoy films like “Escape from New York.”
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JULY/AUGUST, 1992
Source Material - Borderland, Bordertown, and Life on the Border, anthologies edited by Terry Windling and featuring Bellamy Bach, Ellen Kushner, Craig Shaw Gardner, and many of the w a u t h o r s .
l3l4Vaffl edited by Will Shetterly and Emma Bull. Actually based on a roleplaying campaign, this series of anthologies is similar to Robert Asprin’s Thieves‘ World (which has been adapted into a multi-system game supplement by Chaosium) though more imaginative,far more stylish, and more internally consistent. Stories are set mostly in the city of Liavek, “city of luck and mystery,”an Arabian Nights-influencedcity on the the edge of a great desert. Players can become one of the Scarlet Guard, fledgling artists, Bedouins, or members of the Green Church, an order of suicides. Characters may steal, lead caravans across the wasteland or merchant ships across the Sea of Luck, or engage in high society pistol and sword duels. Useful appendices in the first book in the series of five detail the city, the monetary system, races, culture, religions, weapons, history, and a unique and interesting magic system which is free and powerful, yet with some significant and logical limitations. All of the books are shot through with elements of poetry and legends or folktales from the land, suitable for inclusion as atmosphere and possible scenario ideas, and the surrounding lands are often the settings for stories, making it less claustrophobic than the Thieves’ World collections.w s cast is wonderfully drawn, and the world is open for intrigue and adventure. GURPS is flexible enough to cover this world, which might not work for a full system, but which deserves a place alongside their Witch World, Wild Cards, and Horseclans supplements. Source Material Liavek: The Players of Luck, Liavek: Wizards Row, Liavek: %ells of Binding, and Liavek: Festival Week, anthologies edited by Will Shetterly and Emma Bull, featuring stories by noted authors like Gene Wolfe, Jane Yolen, Steven Brust, Alan Moore, Charles de Lint, and Walter Jon Williams, in addition to the editors and a host of other authors.
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by Frank Herbert A science fiction epic based on themes of ecology,genetics, religion, and Machaivellian plotting, Duns follows the story of a religious leader in the far future who unites a galaxy under his name. The fact that the only attempt to translate the immensely popular Dune into a game was Avalon Hill’s strategy and card game is stunning. Six novels, a film, a comic adaptation, toys, and a Dune Encyclopedia have left the setting well documented, with alien and future human languages and cultures well developed. The series spans thousands of years, encompassesdozens of worlds, and features alien races as diverse as Tleilaxu Face Dancers, technologi. cally advanced Ixians, and once-human Guild Navigators capable of folding space. This vast sweep of setting gives roleplayersa rich environment for plotting with the great Houses of the Lansraad and shaking the control of the Bene Gesserit, a religious order of women
possessing superhuman powers of body and mind. Technology is reasonably devoped and even provides for the possibility of resurrecting dead characters (who become Tleilaxu gholas, apparently limitless clones of a deceased individual). Character classes like Mentat, Suk Doctor, and Swordmaster add flair to the campaign setting. The late Frank Herbert seemed to be laying the ground for such an adaptation, with a dictionary of terms, history, and essays on the environment and technology in the appendices of the first book of the series. West End Games, with their proven winner Star Wars, would be a natural to release such a game, though GURPS or Rolemaster would also be appropriate using the sourcebook format. West End Games is able to put out a product that looks incredible -hardcover, fullTcolor photographs, etc... and would make a Dune RPG which would be well worth the cost and a fitting tribute to Frank Herbert. Source material- Dune,Dune Messiah Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert. The Dune Encyclopedia.Dune, a motion picture directed by David Lynch.
a film written and directed by Clive Barker. This is a film about Boone, a man framed for murder and chased by both the law and his own dreams into Midian, a strange city inhabited by halfahuman creatures of the night. There he becomes Cabal, their savior, leading the armies of the night into the world, where they must hide from the sight of man and the light of the sun. Though hardly a classic of modem cinema, the film is original and imaginative,and would make an excellent setting for a horror,based RPG. The original novella, a beautifully assembled photobook, and an ongoing comic book series from Epic Comics all complement the world set forth in the film. Players would relish the opportunity to play these strange, frightening,yet sympathetic creatures of the night, lending mood and tragedy to gaming sessions. While the rules would almost certainly emphasize roleplaying and storytellingover dice rolling and game mechanics, the character creation system would have to be designed to handle almost anything! While the Nightbreed in the film end with a mission, this does not limit the gaming possibilities to merely fulfilling that goal. The film is ripe for a sequel, which makes it quite suitable for a roleplaying campaign. While not listed as an influence for White Wolfs Vampire: The Masquerade, its portrayal of monsters as heroes is very similar, and would make an excellent supplement or game using the same rules. White Wolf, with Vampire: The Masquerade, defines modem horror in roleplaying, and would be the proper home for this product. (This choice was a bit of a toss,up, as The b i n e Earth seemed more appropriate for the publishers of Ars Magica, the definitive magicbased RPG, and "Nightbreed" might breathe some life into the lackluster Chill game from Mayfair.) Source Material -Nightbreed, written and directed by Clive Barker. Cabal, written by Clive Barker. Clive Barker's "The Nightbreed" Chronicles, written by Clive Barker and photographed by Murray Close. Nightbreed, published by Epic Comics; various writers and artists. This primary source of reference for this article, besides the listed source material and the games themselves, was Lawrence Schick's
Heroic Worlds (Prometheus Books, 1991), an invaluable guide to roleplaying games. It charts their history, catalogues them by genre, and reviews thousands of RPG products. It is a reference tool no serious roleplayingenthusiast should be without, and was indespensable in preparing this article. If any of the ideas here appeal to you (or you can think of something else that I didn't mention) and you don't feel like waiting for someone else to do it for you, then do it yourself. Go through the source material with a fine-toothed comb, listing every detail that might have some gaming application. Decide how the game might be played. What are the strong points of the world you want to game in! Choose a game system that will help you bring out the features which make the world worth the effort -don't subjugate them to the rules. If the game system can't be "bent" enough to fit into your idea of what it should be, then make up your own rules. They don't have to be official; hundreds of gaming groups have been using their own house rules for campaignsfor years. In the end, the choice to play within a licensed game world or a world created specifically for a roleplaying game is yours to make. This article contends that the originals are probably more satisfying than the diluted creations within the industry, but licensed games are risky propositions, so don't expect worlds unique to the roleplaying industry to suddenly disappear.
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The 3rd in The Storyteller System-
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Ars Magica Black Death Rating = 4 Publisher. White Wolf, 4598-B Stonegate Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, GA 30083 Author Thomas M. Kane Price: $12.95 Reviewed by Matthew Gabbert o n e of my favorite aspects of White wolfs Ars Magica fantasy RPG is its authentic medieval flavor. Now one of the biggest influences on the Middle Ages, the Black Death, is the subject of a new story supplement The story begins when word reaches the players’ Covenant that a plague has struck the nottoo-distant town of Montrouge Even worse news arrives: a Covenant near the town has fallen, apparently as a result of the same plague The player characters receive a plea for help from the survivors of the devastated Covenant and must decide whether to send help to their brethren or to descend like vultures on the us-rich remains. Once they arrive at the stricken area, the playersdiscover that there are powers, both magical and mundane, battling for control of the region. Between terrorized peasants, scheming magi, Isolated ambitious bandit leaders, the Inquisition and shadowy demonic influences, the player characters will definitely have their hands full, no matter what course they choose. ‘‘BlackDeath“ IS almost a mlnl-saga. Even if the players do manage to put things right in Montrouge, they will he embroiled in the area’s reconStructlon and redevelopment for many years to come. The supplement is jam-packed, cover-to,
cover, with richly detailed information. However, this points out one serious flaw: there is no index and only a very simple table of contents That’s a shame because there’s so much useful material here, if only the Storyguide can find it. And since Black Death uses a very free-form plot structure, you will probably find yourself constantly flipping through the book looking up stuff. However, the wealth of Storyguide characters (NPCs), locales, and subplots makes up for any organizational weakness. Quite simply, the theme is thought-provoking, the plot is original, and the roleplaying is challenging. All in all, “Black Death is one supplement you should tty to catch
Special notes on mechanics for the regio, as well as placement suggestions and story ideas for incorporating it into your Saga, conclude each chapter. As an example, the Battlefield is an Infernal regio - a playground for demons who torment the lost souls of the warriors who fought in a long-forgotten battle and who occasionallyseek out living recruits for their evil sport. I enjoyed “Mythic Places” and look forward to seeing more supplements like it. Each regio could be easily dropped into an ongoing Story or just as easily expanded to be the focus of a new Story. No matter how they get there, your players will find that being in a mythic place is more than half the fun.
Mythic places
DC Heroes
Rating = 3 Publisher: White Wolf, 4598-8 Stonegate Industrial Blvd , Stone Mountain, GA 30083 Author CarlSchnurr Price: $9.95 Reviewed by Matthew Gabbert “Mythic Places” is the first in a new Series of supplements for White Wolfs Ars Magics fantasy RPG that develops the “regio”concept first introduced in “Faeries” A regio is a multi-layered area that extends from the mundane world into a place dominated by one of the four supernatural powers. Provided in this first installment are two Faerie regio and one for each of the other realms: Magical, Divine, and Infernal, After a brief introduction and a review of the regio rules for those new to the concept, the supplement gets to work and presents the mythic places from whence It derives Its title. Each area description chapter a standard, format, starting with an overview, then progressing a SecrionOn each succeeding level Of the regio
Games, lnc , P.O. Box
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one of those
characterswho seems to be conslstent~ypopular,but has produced a in a low-key kind of way. adventure for those loyal sourcebook and fanswho have kept the Swamp nlng and comic on the shelf and the series on the air. Author Ray Winninger guides the reader and player through the history of the Swamp Thing from
his
throughhis later convoluted
adventures through time. Following the history, Wlnnlnger sectlons on how to roleplay the Swamp Thing, his friends and lovers, enemies/ opponents,and a brief data sheeton the swamp
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itself. Following the sourcebook is a very playable solitaire adventure, something Mayfair does so well. As usual, Winninger follows the comics well, and provides the reader with information on various creatures, NPCs, gadgets, and powers in their appropriate sections. For example, the very first group of characters we are introduced to are Alec Holland and both the Len Wein/Berni Wrightson and Alan Moore incarnations of the Swamp Thing. The history is not exhaustive, but it is interesting and well-written. It flows well into the second section on roleplaying the Swamp Thing. This section is perhaps the best in the book. Major questions about Swamp Thing‘s attitudes and descriptionsof his abilities are presented and dealt with in-depth. The following sections on friends and enemies is also well-done.The last section on the area itself includes information about the swamp and a map of the town of Houma, the home of Alec Holland. The title of the solitaire adventure is “Racing With the Rats”, and Swamp Thing, infected with toxic waste and trapped in a delusion, must keep from going crazy and bring himself or itself back to reality. One of the differences between this adventure and earlier solitaires is that when certain choices are made, “conditions” are put into effect which will also influence the results of your actions. There are 15 different conditions, but how they influence the game is never made clear, which actually helps the user feel a sense of wonder or curiosity about what will happen later. A number of conditions can be active at once, and at times
conditions are removed. Overall, 1 found the writing to be up to the usual high Winninger standards, and I enjoyed reading it. The texts on friends and enemies do not, however, provide descriptions of the NPCs, and there are only a few illustrations of them, so the GM is on hisher own for a description. I have mentioned this before in earlier reviews, but 1feel illustrations, especially in games like DC Heroes and its Marvel equivalent, are essential. The games are, after all, based on a graphic medium, and description of individuals or creatures is every bit as important as the description of places. I do recommend this as an important work for any individual or group using the Swamp Thing character, or even interested in doing so. They will learn a lot, and have fun as well.
Herr rlames Fantasy Hero Companion I1 Rating = 3 Publisher: Hero Games/Iron Crown Box Enterprises, P.O. 1605,Charlottesville, VA 22902 Authors: Mark Bennett, et al. Price: $16.00 Reviewed by Sean Holland
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The “Fantasy Hero Companion II” is a 160page sourcehook for Fantasy Hero. The first section, “Playing Fantasy Hero,” starts with a new race called the Winged People, 11 new character archetypes, rules for ships and naval combat, and rules for barding and jousting. The second section is “Locations,”with four new mapped locations: a dwarven mine, a mosque, a jail, and a stable. None of these are exceptional hut they could be quite useful for certain adventures. The Magic section opens with a fairly useful one-and-one-half page discussion of the different types of magic and is followed by optional magic rules with some interesting ideas, tables for the quick construction of magic items, and almost 40 readymade magic items. Following the Magic section is the Spell Book with 19 new magic colleges including Kleptomancy, the magic of stealing magic; Chaos Magic; Dragon Magic; and two new sets of priestly magic spells for the Church of Order and the Sun Priests, for a total of more than 300 new spells. Closing the book are the Guilds of the Western Shores, ten organizations to add to your campaign such as the Ashirashin (drug-using assassins, based on the historical Middle Eastern Assassins),the Brotherhood of the Holy Inquisitors, and the Wolf Cult. Overall, the second Fantasy Hero Companion is useful for both players and GMs, but most helpful for the GM; if you play or GM Fantasy Hero, then it is worth a look.
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Space Combat
a game of pure tactical combat... in a rather uniclue environment oull br fighting in an cdgelcss contest zonc aboard livg crcaturcs. Spacc Combat is almost all combat, with ,meroom for diplomacy. OKcnsivc actions includc e creature’s Psychic Screams to mentally disrupt hers. launching Inverse Mincs that will implode ’ tar your enemy. freeing Spores to destroy inter, ds, using Nerve Pulscs to prurrlyzc pesky scouts. id Virally Infecting your opponcnt in the h o p s of king over their alien. Each turn comes with a special full-page graphic printout of your cnding position to aid you in planning. :pa= Combat was dcsigned to be s y to learn, but difficult to master. very game starts with ten playen, nd as each is climinatcd, thc chanccs f the gamc cnding will incrcasc. ‘urnsheetsare custom made on a lmcr rinter to aid you in tilling out your cxt turn. The gamcs run about 12-18 ~ mCost . is $3.20 per turn. A ruleook (rcquircd before you can join) is 1.OO (frcc if you mention this ad!).
Twin Engine Gaming; Dept 145; 3254 M a p l e Leaf Ct.; San Jose, CR 95121 68
J U L Y / A U G U S T ,19 9 2
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Heroes Unlimited Villains Unlimited Rating = 3 Publisher: Palladium Books, 5926 Lonyo Ave, Detroit, MI 48210 Author: Kevin Long 6.Kevin Siembieda (6.several others) Price: $19.95 Reviewed by Charles Peirce “Villains Unlimited is the first product released for the revised Heroes Unlimited. Though earlier supplements are easily adaptable to the game, none were created with Heroes Unlimited specifically in mind. “Villains Unlimited” presents new powers, technology, rules, adventures and villains (and a few heroes, too). Also scattered throughout are clues to the origin of certain organizations in Rifts. With eight writers sharing the credits, the characters range from the traditional to the silly to the horrific. Some are very interesting, while some are utterly forgetable.There ate approximately 100 characters in the book; these characters are roughly divided into three categories: organizations, groups and individuals. Some of the more memorable and/ or interesting characters and groups are: 9 The Masters of Speed - a group of villains who all have some degree of control over the power of superspeed. From Hellbent (the parasitic leader) to Whiplash (who can run at superspeed and stop on
a dime (with deadly effects)) to Slo-Mo (who slows down others), this is one of the most interesting groups in the hook. The Mighty Static Man - a comical villain who has complete mastery over the frightening ability of static electricity. a Triple Threat - three diabolical villains (a psionicist, a wizard and a hunter) all trapped in and vying for control over one body. “Villains Unlimited is a hook which should expand existing campaigns. It is a fair product, with some interesting ideas.
World” humor is rolling strong once again (not even vaguely). To be perfectly honest, the creators at West End have created a new roleplaying game out of the ashes of Paranoia. It has the same name, but fans of the old Alpha should heware. This is not Paranoia as we know it. The Computer is back, but broken down into weak, easy-to-dupe“simplexes.”Much of Alpha is in anarchy, without clearance levels, and playing out like yet another cyberpunk game (and not even a comedy cyberpunk game, it seems). The Paranoia writers have instructions to “give the players the spiky, almost-punk trappings they seem to crave, a la X-Men, Cyberpunk 2020,40K, etc.” Like 1 said. A new game. But is it a good game?To be certain, it is less intelligent than the old Paranoia. West End is clearly aiming for a much younger and more general market. They seem willing to sacrifice a lot of smart comedy to acquire that market. Their justifications fell on deaf ears with me - I’ve always used Paranoia as a campaign game. Personally, 1was insulted. I found the style to be condescending (another first for Paranoia).Those less enamored of the old game may like it. Cyberpunk 2020 fans might get a big kick out of it. I strongly recommend that any Paranoia fan or interested party browse through it. Get a friend to buy it so you may do so. Do not, however, buy it yourself until you’ve read it.
Paranoia The Paranoia Sourcebook Rating = 2 Publisher: West End Games, RD 3 box 2345, Honesdale PA, 18431 Author: Ed Bolme Price: $18.00 Reviewed by S.john Ross This is a 128-page “Alpha Update,” the official word on what’s transpired in Alpha Complex since the Big Crash a couple of years ago. The Computer is back (not really), order is restored (nope), and the intelligent, sharp, dark “Brave New
Afer years of design eflort and playtesting, Maelstrom Games presents
LORDS OF DESTINY
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a game where individual characters control the fate of the galaxy! Lords of Destiny is a 100 96 computer-moderated play-by-mail game where many players compete in a galaxy packed with features such as: planetary defense shields composed of individual ground units
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- many different ship types; economic and military technology levels - ancient alien artifacts with special powers known only to the owner
- neutral empires ranging from primitive cave men to extremely advanced elder races; possessing their own military forces, characters, and artifacts
- special galactic locations to utilize such as black holes, secret societies,
training academies, worm holes, and the fabled seven wonders of the universe such as exploring, leading troops, spying, researching, assassination, governing, diplomacy, using psionics, . ..
- hundreds of named characters with abilities
FREE RULES
FREE SETUP
GREAT VALUE
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Turn fees are only $3.75 per turn; no “double” turns, no extra or hidden fees ever Games last about 27 turns with 14 days per turn - 7 and 21 day options available A basic version is available which provides an easy to learn introductory game. I
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- a detailed combat system with free. battle reports for every conflict - population, factories, industrial complexes, crew types, plundering, alliances, power plays - complete galactic map included with every turn showing every sector that you have knowledge of - customized fill-in-the-blank turn sheets save time and guarantee. you don’t overlook something - long range scanners, random galactic events, multi-class characters, and much more!
’ Maelstrom
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Realms of the Unknown Realm Controller’s Manual Player’s Manual Rating = 4 Publisher. The Walnut Group, PO Box 631, Itasca, IL 60143 Authors: Timothv A. Dohrer and Gerry Evenwell III Price (Realm Controller’s $15), (Player’s $8) Reviewed bk Stewart W ieck Just as there are a variety of roleplaying game genres, so are there many different roleplaying formats There’s traditional roleplaying, storytelling, live-action and now a new one as well The Walnut Group presents a format of roleplaying that a few ot you may have developed on your own during some time in your gaming evolution when it began to be difficult to get everyone together on a Friddy night Those of you not yet of this age are lucky, for authors Dohrer and Evenwell hdve presented in Realms of the Unknown (ROTU) an exciting alternative way to roleplay Instead of controlling a single character in ROTU, a player actually directs the activities and plans of an entire civilization This could be a feudal kingdom, a horde of barbarians, a fleet of seafaring merchants, or whatever fits into the scheme the
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Realm Controller (RC),or Gamemaster, has devised. A player still has one main character, the leader of the culture he has created, but by extension the player is responsible for the welfare and actions of the entire populace. Each player population is rated in a number of different ways. These are the strengths and weaknesses a player must consider when determining the best course of action for his people. If your food stores are low, for example, it’s probably time to direct more of your people to hunting and/or farming. These ratings include an inventory of the goods possessed by the people, like warships and weapons, but they also rate natural resources and other raw materials. The game doesn’t require all the players to be present around a table in order for the action of the game to progress, so ROTU puts an interesting social spin on “normal” roleplaying games. The game progresses by means of sheets of orders a player submits to the RC. Each “turn” of the game, every player submits orders for his people. Unlike other roleplaying games where the input of the GM drives the game forward, ROTU requires the input of the players through these orders to advance the game. While the concept of such orders may seem to reduce the game to a strategy or hoardgame, the rules of the game are too loose to warrant this interpretation. In fact, rules don’t have much a place at all in this game beyond the inclusion of various formulas and methods to resolve military conflict. Also, the interactive aspects of rhe game are both undirected and strong. These elements combine to
JULY/AUGUST,1992
Spain CENTRAL DE JOCS C/Numancia 112-116 08029-Barcelona Germany BAUERHEIDE 5 Postfach 2143 4670 Liinen
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leave the game largely in the hands of the players, but as the person who controls the world with even more intimacy than in a standard roleplaying game, the RC has the ability to introduce story elements to spark the life of the game. Some aspects of the game are perhaps a hit unrealistic when considering that the mishmash of player cultures are supposed to have developed on the same world in about the same region, hut this can be rationalized. After all, this forces the players to discover the world just as a “normal”roleplying character must. Also, the inclusion of Gateways, portals that move people from Realm to Realm and region to region, is completely out place. My personal experience with games of this format has been very positive. Because it does not require a relaxed environment in order to play (you can hand your orders to the RC between classes at school and maybe have something back from him the next day) and because the format of the game often puts players at odds with one another, ROTU has the potential to be thoroughly engaging. On the other hand, not all players will respond to such a format despite its advantages. And even if they do become comfortable with the format, there’s no guarantee that players will he able to create situations in the game that will not only entertain themselves but others as well. The RC’s Manual is pricey at $15 for 84 pages, but your group only requires one copy of it. The publisher obviously priced the Player’s Manual at $8 to encourage every player to purchase it. There’s not a lot in the book‘s 24 pages, hut at that price why not take the advice of the publisher!
Shadowrun
Ancients. The evidence seems to indicate that they are instigating the current troubles, but there are those who believe them to be, if not innocent, at least the victims of an outside conspiracy. Somehow, the runners must uncover proof of this conspiracy before the tanks start to roll and the city starts to bum. “Elven Fire” is an excellent scenario. The characters are well-developed and intelligent, with clear motivations and objectives. The plot, while refreshingly intricate, isn’t so convoluted as to be absurd. It uses a freeform structure that allows players freedom of action, but keeps them moving by imposing a time limit. The artwork and player handouts are up to FASA’s usual good standards, while most of the maps are atypically free of errors. This one’s definitely worth the price of admission.
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Elven Fire Rating = 4 Publisher: FASA Corporation, P.O. Box 6930, Chicago, IL, 60680 Authors: Tom Dowd and James Reichstadt Price: $8.00 Reviewed by Matthew Gabbert Like the multinational megacorps and crime syndicates that constantly vie for control over the world of the 2050s, their smaller cousins, the street gangs, are an integral part of the cyberpunk genre. “Elven Fire,” the latest adventure for Shadowrun, goes beyond the typical table-generated gang encounter and allows the player characters to delve a little deeper into the violent life of one of Seattle’smost dangerous gangs: the infamous Ancients. As the story opens, gang violence is increasing dramatically, causing even once safe areas to resemble war zones. Lone Star forces are being stretched to the limit and the city government is preparing to mobilize the Metroplex Guard. They hope that the imposition of martial law will be enough to restore order, but some fear that such action will only fan the flames of unrest and incite another “Night of Rage.” Caught in the center of this maelstrom of madness is the powerful elven street gang, the
Star Wars Planets of the Galaxy Volume One Rating = 3 Publisher: West End Games, RD 3 Box 2345, Honesdale, PA 18431 Authors: Grant S. Boucher, Julie Bouchr and Bill Smith Price: $13.00 Reviewed by Chris Hind
The first (and best) 20 pages of this 80-page product present a system for planet generation. Basically, you roll on (or choose from) a series of tables to define the planet-to-be. A table exists for practically every aspect: planet function (is it an abandoned colony or a trade world?);government; planet type, such as terrestrial, satellite (e.g. the moon of Endor), asteroid belt, or artificial (e.g. a space station); terrain; temperature; gravity; atmosphere; hydrosphere; length of day and year; starports; population; tech level; and more! The tables themselves are extensive but still have space for your own ideas. The system describes the effects of things like non-standard gravity and poor atmosphere in rule terms. Sidebars discuss regulated environments, seasonal changes, tide locks, and elliptical orbits. The back of the book contains a wellcorganized and attractive planet log on which to record planetary data. The Planet Generation System is excellent. Just by looking over the tables I came up with ideas for dozens of interesting planets. The rest of the book presents ten new worlds. Each follows roughly the same format, describing the planet’s geography, notable locations, flora, fauna, and sentient race(s). Each also provides a planet log and some adventure ideas. The most interesting planets are the tradeand agriculture-based Celanon, Gamib and its strange crystal sculptures, and the Void Demon pirate base of Isen IV. I liked that sidebars discussing undersea action, hostile atmosphere, and navigating
WRTlNlUM combine. hiatoricd. conventional and futuristic techdogie3 to create an unparalleled fsntaay world where time-travel ia commonplsce. To aasiat you in achieving your wdr. you will bedn with a character. city. espionage e m ! t a d t w o diviaiom in esoh of the four a m on the planet Uacleria. Aayera may compete in all time periods aimultaneomly. Technology from esch age ia readily available and can be implementedin other age. through scientific reaearch. The struggle to become a dominant player and Participate in the ‘Gathering of the Four’ createa an unprecedented chdlenge.
* 100% computer moderated play-bymdl game * Average of 40 doubledded pagea of quality laser graphica per turn * Time-travel avdlsble at w e atart * Over 24,000 aectora to explore in four ager Scientiau provide reaearch and development capabilities Over 300 attack and defenae weapon. avdlsbla More than 160 life forms create over 4000 indigenous banda No wizard.. maglc, apells. sorcerer. or demons No hidden coau
WRTlNlUM is alm avdlsMe In two amdler version.; WRTlNlUM Lo-Tech and HiTech. Srndl games employ only one ape using 1 character, 1 city and 4 diviaiom. (Espionage unit% mini-game. and time-travel not available1 Average of 12 doubleaided pages of output per turn.
Gome turns: WRTINIUM; $20.00 per turn (4-week turnaround) Lo-Tech and Cli-Tech; $8.00 per turn (2-week and 4-week turnarounda available1 Initial Start-up kit: $26.00. Id-. High-glma Player’a Guide, start-up packet for player poaitiona. free atart-up turn, plua one free turn, and subacription to game newsletter.
Write or call for free brochure
P.O. Box 9897 Spokane, WA 99209-9897 (509) 325-6941
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE
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asteroids supplemented some of the strange, new worlds. While each planet is different and in some way interesting, for the most part they are good-butnot-great. Where are all the neat ideas from the Planet Generation System?How about a space station?A planet covered with city-sprawls?Or a death-world like our Venus! These planet types may be covered in a future volume, but that is for another review. If you like the idea of a Planet Generation System, you might consider buying this first volume of Planets of the Galaxy just for that - and the rest of the material is not bad either.
Tales of the Floating Vagabond Adventure With No Name Rating = 5 Publisher: The Avalon Hill Game Company, 4517 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD 21214 Author: Craig Sheelv Price 13 95 Reviewed by Steve Crow “Adventure With No Name” is a 92-page adventure for Avalon Hill’s comedy roleplaying game Tales of the Floating Vagabond “No Name” has a particularly funny Jim Halloway cover, and such goodies as handouts, a four-pagecast of characters, and a registration card In “No Name,” the Patrons ( I e , players) must travel through time Their goal to prevent the widespread use of light beer and pretzels at the Floating Vagabond bar Of course, only the Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow could be behind this plot The Patrons must travel through the Game Zone, Atlantis, Newfoundland, 1870s London, 1970s Washington, and into the very heart of the Evil Geniuses’ stronghold to defeat this evil scheme “Adventure With No Name” is one of the funniest RPG adventures I have ever read Author Craig Sheely has put his finger on how to write funny adventures First, relate it to Earth Originally, Floating Vagabond relied on funny aliens and funny skill names Humor works best when your audience can relate to it The idea of Floating Vagabond adventures taking place on Earth may seem trite, but it works After all, which would you rather make fun of’ Aliens, or Earth‘s homegrown collection of Victorians, spies, California governors, rules lawyers, and game convention attendees?And the author is dead on target with his estimation of the average intelligence and gaming strategy of players and gamemasters alike The layout is a hit tedious, and the artwork a little sparse by the standards of previous releases The columns tend to blend a bit, with only the occasional blue subheading to find your place However, this is good in a way If you lose your place, you have to go back and reread In the process you usually uncover yet another in-joke Overall, “No Name” is an excellent comedy adventure and the complaints are minor I really can’t find anything negative to say about
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life in a dramatically different diceless role-playing system! -256 Pages, beautifully illustrated! *Stephen Hickman cover! - A Complete System, with every rule and power needed for creating the next generation of Amber. Plus, three versions of each “elder” character, and three scenarios! =The Attribute Auction lets you create characters in a totally new way! * A m b e n i n e covers the Amber roleplaying world with 160 pages, in a 6 by 9” paperback book. Limited to 1,000 copies per issue, and available only by mail. $10 for issue #1or #2, or send $40 for a five-issue subscription. *Free Information and a sample character sheet, just mail a stamp to:
Phage Press P.O. Box 519 Detroit*MI.48231-051! 74
JULY/AUGUST,1992
“Adventure With No Name.” For the first time since I’ve read Tales of the Floating Vagabond, I am looking forward to future Floating Vagabond releases.
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The Reich Stuff Rating = 1 Publisher: The Avalon Hill Game Company (Address - 45 17 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD 21214) Author: Lee Garvin Price: 13.95 Reviewed by Steve Crow “The Reich Stuff’ is an 80-page adventure for Avalon Hill’s comedy role-playing game, Tales of the Floating Vagabond. “Reich also has a wraparound cover/map, handouts, a page-page cast of characters, and a registration card. The map has such locations as “You Are Here,” “OK, You’re Here,” and finally ‘‘I Guess You Were Here the Whole Time.” A bizarre Jim Halloway drawing adorns the cover. The plot, such as it is, has the players travelling through time to defeat a Nazi plan to set up a floating space platform and rule the world in 1936. Upon reading “Adventure With No Name,” 1 had high hopes for this game. Finally, Avalon Hill had published a high-quality, high-humor adventure for Floating Vagabond. Would “Reich Stuff prove that “No Name” was the pattern for the future, or merely a quirk! No such luck. You know you’re in trouble when the registration card is the funniest part of the adventure. That’s not to say that “Reich Stuff isn’t funny. Character quotes are funny. The airplane flight with Rick N. Backer is funny. The dreaded “chicken curse” is funny. Hitler’s shtick is funny. Oppenheimer, Einstein, and von Braun are funny. Why isn’t Reich Stuff funny! l’m not sure. The adventure takes place primarily on Earth, which negates my argument about why Avalon Hill should stick to humor its audience can relate to. I thought about it, and came up with five items: 1) A lot of the funny bits are aimed at the reader, not the players. This is a problem with Paranoia, and it is repeated here. This is not the case with “Adventure With No Name.” 2) One can almost imagine the author gritting his teeth and pleading, “This is funny. Really. Really, really, funny. Honest.” Somehow the comedy just doesn’t flow naturally. Often we’re left waiting for the rim-shot. 3) Too many game mechanics. There’s a couple of paragraphs of humorous stuff, then a paragraph of stuff like “The door is detectable by a Very Hard Notice Detail test, or a Hard Track With Unnerving Accuracy test.” Yawn. 4) The NPCs (particularly the Nazis) are aware they’re supposed to be funny. 5) The “Hogan’sHero” Syndrome. Humor about Nazis just isn’t that funny. See Charles Duming in Me1 Brooks’ movie To Be or Not To Be for another good example. Buy “Adventure With No Name” and then wait for other supplements for this game.
Torg City of Demons Rating = 3 Publisher: West End Games, RD 3 Box 2345, Honesdale PA,
18431 Author: Christopher Kubasik Price: $12 Reviewed by S.John Ross A 64-page adventure supplement set in Tharkold-occupied Los Angeles, “City of Demons” IS an action-packed and vaguely exprimental adventure designed to put a party of Storm Knights into temporary allegiance with Thratchen himself! Thratchen, still “Regent” of Orrorsh, fears the eventual return of the Gaunt Man, and so seeks to join the newly-established Tharkoldu presence in L.A.. He has been secretly and carefully observing Jezrael, the current Tharkold High Lord, and has decided to win a place in her power structure. The plan: the delivery of a rebellious demon lord to Jezrael as a “peace offering,” and the accquisition of the lord‘s pride of demons in the bargain. The method: hire some Storm Knights to help. The logic of Thratchen’s plans are detailed and, as far as I can tell, sound. This is a mark above previous Torg adventures, which have often relied on players and GM alike turning a blind eye to weak scenario justification. His deal with the Storm Knights is a fair one, and the resulting adventure looks exciting - he proposes a race. The “get-Storm-Knightsdied,with-a.HighLord” approach is not the “experiment” I have referred to, as West End has released two adventures in a row with this theme. “The Temple of Rec Stalek” likewise puts the Knights in a “lesser of High Lords” position. In fact, some similarities in theme are embarassing - it isn’t recommended that you run both adventures with the same group. The adventure is a series of interesting fight scenes and genuinely dramatic roleplaying encounters that build toward a fantastic climax. However, just at the climactic scene, the adventure switches from a dramatic narrative and becomes almost a simplistic boardgame as the actual “race”commences. This is achieved through a series of “Battle Computer Screens” and a grid map of the area of the city the race takes place in. Frankly, 1think the approach mars an otherwise gripping adventure, and wastes a great buildup. However, play styles may vary, and I have not yet had the opportunity to playtest the adventure. 1 suspect that anyone running it would rate it at “2” or “4,” depending on the success of the “race” sequence. You may want to give it a try. Space Gods Rating = 4 Publisher: West End Games, RD 3 Box 2345, Honesdale PA, 18431 Authors: Greg Farshtey Greg Gorden, Ed Stark and Jim Bambra Price: $18 Reviewed by S.John Ross
I must admit a weakness for the “ancient astronauts” concept. It’s a cliche of adventure fiction that has been largely ignored in games. Did advanced cultures from outer space visit the Mayans and Aztecs? Sure they did! It says so right here in the Space Gods sourcebook. This is the sourcebook for the Akashans, an advanced, ancient race of aliens returning to earth after centuries of absence. In their earlier visits, they assisted the Mayans, Aztecs, etc. in building up their cultures. When they left, they left a beacon that the humans could use once they had reached a preset level of development. This beacon was the signal fire lit by the Possibility Chalice. Unfortunately for all concerned, the Akashans’ existence has been anything but idyllic in the passing centuries. The horror of the Comaghaz, a powerful psionic hive-mind virus, threatens their very existence. When they saw the signal flare lit, they hoped that we might have reached a stage where we could help them - they never counted on the Possibility Wars. This is the setting as the Akashans return. They like humanity, and may be willing to help us, but they want OUT help to fight the Comaghaz (and yes, they’ve brought the plague-mind with them). They are a “non-invasive” reality, and without the deadly plague would certainly peacefully end the Wars. They carry with them powerful biotechnol. ogy, psionic powers, and reality-shaping technologies (the strange Reality Trees) that can end the Wars with minimal loss of life. Whether they are willing to share the technology with us under present circumstances remains to he seen. Space Gods includes all the standard Torg features (new character templates, axioms and world laws, etc.), in addition to the very interesting Psionics and biotechnology rules. The culture of the Akashans is outlined, as are the Comaghaz (and its creator), the Star Sphere, and various alien creatures. The nominvasive theme is refreshing, and would offer a lot of depth to any active Torg campaign. I recommended this book to any Torg GM, and 1 recommend it without reservation to Torg GMs fond of science fiction and/or horror. T h e Temple of Rec Stalek rating = 3 Publisher: West End Games, RD 3 box 2345, Honesdale PA, 18431 Author: Shane Hensley Price: $12 Reviewed by S.John Ross
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“...the intensity of the Amber game indicates Wujcik is on to something. When success in every action depends on the role and not the roll, players develop a sense of both control and urgency, along with creativity that borders on mania.” Allen Varney, Dragon Magazine #Z8; “While I would not recommend Amber to novices, it is a must buy for experienced gamemasters and players looking for new challenges.” Steve Crow, White WolfMagazine#31
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“If you want to see what roleplaying might someday become, read Amber.” Mark Rein-Hagen, VampireTMdesigne~
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‘As a sourcebook, Amber is bnlliant. Everything you could ever want to know ibout Amber and its inhabitants is in .here. I would recommend Amber to Zelazny fans on that merit alone...” Robert Hatch, White Wolf Magazine ‘...the game would be less with dice. The open format of the game would be uined with complicated calculations and ables of numbers.” Steward Wieck, White Wolfpublisher
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’The Amber game is absorbing. The rery first time I ran it was magical...” Lester V. Smith (Dark Conspiraciesm,
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A 64-page adventure supplement which takes place in the Living Land, “The Temple of Rec Stalek” is a n adventure in four acts. The Storm Knights must confront a growing cult of death-worshipping Edeinos in their temple in northern Illinois. Failure will bring dire consequences, as the Living Land would gain a new, darker, more battle-competent High Lord. Stalek is a n all-but-forgotten god in the pantheons of the Edeinos, a remnant of the days before their present sensation-worshipping faith (the worship of Lanala). Stalek translates as
lend us a stamp, and we’ll send you nore information. Or plunk down 22.95 at your favorite store. By mail imber is $25. Amberzine is $10 an ssue, or $40 for a 5-issue subscription.
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“death,” and this adventure centers o n Stalek‘s attempt, through a devoted servant’s cult, to eliminate Baruk Kaah and the (more or less) benevolent faith of the Edeinos. In other words, the Storm Knights suceed in the adventure if they help the Saar. It’s a question of “the lesser of evils.” The Storm Knights enter the scene in the small “resistance community” of Cicero, Illinois. Stalek warriors - violent Edienos garbed in bone armor - attack the town, and the PCs are drawn into the plot. Thrakmoss (the leader of the Stalek cult) has crossed over to Earth and built a temple in an abandoned shopping mall. The adventure takes the Storm Knights through the wilderness of Illinois, to the burned town of Great Neck, through a hellish swamp, into the templelshopping mall complex, and finally across a dimthread to Stalek‘s own domain, where they must face the dark god himself. The adventure is a tough one, and I wouldn’t recommend it for novice play groups. “The Temple of Rec Stalek,” for those GMs who keep track of such things, is part of the major “campaign game.” The last page of the book includes a Response Form. Overall, this is a well-paced and exciting adventure supplement. It has a nice mix of combat, roleplaying opportunities, and investigation. It also has the distinction of being a major challenge for your group of Storm Knights.
Tharkold rating = 4 Publisher: West End Games, RD 3 box 2345, Honesdale PA,
18431 Author: Paul Hume and Greg Gorden Price: $18 Reviewed by S.John Ross Tharkold is “The Sourcebook of I echnoHorror Reality.” The Tharkoldu, among the original invading realities (they were defeated in Russia), have turned the Los Angeles area into a small realm of living hell. This 144-pagerealm sourcebook details the Cosm and Realm of the Tharkoldu, as well as the techno-demons’ magic, Tharkold cyberware rules, and more. The authors are Paul Hume, co.designer of games such as Shadowrun and Bushido, and Greg Gorden, the primary Torg designer. As might be expected, Tharkold does not disappoint. The format is nothing new. The history and people of the invading cosm are described in detail, along with axioms, world laws, spells, character templates, and so on - the usual mix. The Tharkold Cosm is a world where an ancient war is waged between demons (the Tharkoldu) and humankind (“The Race”).The descriptions of the Tharkoldu culture, motivation and religion (and such arcana as demonic sexual practices) give the home cosm more life and atmosphere than most
previous sourcebookscan claim. The politics of the demonic High Lord and his deal with The Gaunt Man are described, and the week-by-week history of Los Angeles’ invasion is superbly detailed. Each section includes many interesting adventure hooks. The “Techno-Horror” angle is derived from the Cosm history, where a decline in the magical axiom threatened to destroy the demons. LifeCyber, demonic cyber-implants, were developed to allow demons to survive in an atmosphere of declining magic. As technology increased, the demons became techno-demons, defined as much by their technology as their magical natures. My favorite section is the material on the Los Angeles area. Reasonably detailed maps, and lots of local color (local names for highways, brief histories of some of the suburbs, etc), will allow any GM to recreate a believable Los Angeles without much extra research. The sections on cyberware and the computer grid are essentially the same as those in The Cyberpapacy sourcebook. The spells described are specifically demonic magic. One of the largest sections of the book is the creatures section, which is, according to the ad copy, the largest creature section yet. Included are the fearsome Tharkoldu Ghuls, Jackwraiths (ghosts in the Grid), and the demons themselves, up to and including the terrible Techno-Demon Lords. While not (strictly speaking) essential, this book is bound to satisfy any gamer who enjoys Torg. Playing a member of the militaristic Race or even one of the milder Techno-Demons promises to offer
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JULY/AUGUST,1992
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new roleplaying challenges. The book, while very long, is a good read nonetheless. The writing is a step above previous Torg sourcebooks, and both the atmosphere and humor have a mark of intelligence that other Torg products have sometimes lacked.
Vampire: The Masquerade Alien Hunger rating = 4 Publisher: White Wolf, 4598-B Stonegate Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, GA 30083 Author: Jeff Berry Price: $10 Reviewed by Steve Crow . _. “Alien Hunger” is a 64-page mix of essentially two different products. it is primarily a jump-start adventure for Vampire. However, it also is a minisourcebook for the city of Denver. “Alien Hunger” allows characters with little or no experience playing Vampire to immediately start a Chronicle. Most novice players will probably find it hard to grasp all of Vampire’s game mechanics. However, the adventure jump-starts them into a Chronicle set in Denver. The situation is such that they have just become vampires, and have little idea of what is going on. They do not even remember their change to a vampiric state. Six fairly interesting pregenerated starting characters come in this package. Alternately, the players can create their own. Of course, if players are going to create their own characters, the gamemaster probably will not be using this adventure as a jump start anyway. Storytellers can use this adventure as the beginning of a new Chronicle. The characters have to explore Denver to discover the reasons behind their transformation. They get to meet most of Denver’s important Kindred characters and eventually discover the cause of their new status.
“Alien Hunger“ is also a mini-sourcebookof Denver. it does not deal with the city’sgeography or history in any great detail (except a few specific locations), but it does detail most of Denver’s Kindred characters. Most of the characters, particularly Prince Edward, are much more sympathetic and easygoing than those who appear in “Chicago by Night.” However, this may be because of the Kindred politics of the Windy City. “Alien Hunger” LSan excellent adventure. It
has lots of suggestions to the Storyteller on how to set the mood and get novice players into the “personal horror” aspects of Vampire. “Alien Hunger” is mostly investigation and negotiation, although some combat can arise. The denouement, with its explanation for the player character’s vampiric origins, is a good semi-sciencefiction touch, and much more believable than the “vampire plague” in the “SuccubusClub” adventure Death’s Sweet S W .
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Overall, “Alien Hunger” is a well-detailed adventure that does an excellent job of setting up the personal horror aspects of Vampire. Denver makes a better starting locale than Chicago for beginning characters, although a little more information on Denver would be useful. Because of the unique means of vampire creation used here, it would be difficult to use “Alien Hunger” with more established characters, although an enterprising Storyteller could use bits and pieces of this adventure in other stories. “Alien Hunger” works best as exactly what it says it is: a jump-start adventure that gets new Storytellers and players into the spirit of the game. Awakening: Diablerie Mexico rating = 3 Publisher: White Wolf, 4598-B Stonegate Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, GA
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30083 Author: Nigel Findley Price: $10 Reviewed by Steve Crow “Awakening”is a 56-page adventure for Vampire. It is primarily an adventure dealing with the characters’quest for the blood of an Elder Vampire. The Introduction tells how to use this book, and suggests how to tie it in. One mistake: it states the Vampire “has lain in torpor since before the time of Christ.” We later find out this figure is off by about 600 years. Chapter Two deals with the practice of Diablerie: the feeding on the blood of a Vampire of earlier generation. This section expands on the brief description in the basic rules. It also provides a ritual to allow more than one character to feed on the Vampire’s blood. Finally, it provides rules for detecting Diablerie and the punishments that Vampires inflict on those who practice it. Chapter Three details the background of Mictantecle, the Vampire whose blood the player characters are seeking. The information is extensive and welLdeveloped. However, it does not have any real impact on the adventure. Chapter Four provides ways for the player characters to become drawn into the quest for Mictantecle’s blood. “Awakening” assumes that the players’ base of operation is Vampire’s campaign setting of Chicago. This chapter is adequate. However, it rather optimistically assumes that the characters receive a necessary map based on trust they may or may not have earned. Chapter Five involves a trip to the Yucatan, where Mictantecle’s pyramid tomb is located. 1 find this the weakest part of “Awakening.”The adventure assumes the Vampires are travelling about during daytime(!),thanks to a convenient Ritual. Many rules are given for daytime travel, but absolutely nothing is said about what to do if the characters travel by night. The trip through the pyramid is essentially a dungeon crawl. The pyramid has traps, although many can be avoided if the characters simply avoid going along side branches of their main route. As with many Vampire adventures, some of these
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“encounters” are psychological rather than physical. Once the characters have penetrated to the lower levels, they must fight the Elder Kindred and his attendants. If they can somehow succeed at this, Mictantecle’s blood is theirs. A final chapter deals with the consequences of the players’ actions. After reading this scenario, my primary question was “why bother!” The basic effects of Diablerie are such that it doesn’t really matter what generation the victim is, as long as it is of an earlier generation. Mictantecle is a powerful Vampire. However, the benefits of feeding on his blood aren’t great enough for the risks the characters undertake in this adventure. Mictantecle would be much more interesting alive than killed for his blood. Also, modern-day “punk vampires in the Yucatan didn’t work for me. Overall, I recommend “Awakening,” but more for the Diablerie information and NPC background than for the adventure itself. Milwaukee by Night rating = 3 Publisher: White Wolf, 4598.8 Stonegate Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, GA 30083 Author: Dustin Browder Price: $12 Reviewed by Steve Crow Milwaukee by Night is a 128-pagecity sourcebook and story set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee is a city under siege, beleaguered by Werewolves from without and a dangerously erratic Prince within. The sourcebook section takes up the first 73 pages of Milwaukee by Night. Like Chicago by Night, it has three basic sections: a Historical Overview, a Geography piece, and a description of the major Kindred of the city. The first two sections are adequate, and the third section is up to the high standards of Chicago by Night. The NPCs are an interesting, individualizedbatch, each with their own history (some spanning millennia), skills and disciplines. A new addition is that the character’s history is told in the first person by the character herself. Another handy item that was used in Chicago by Night is here as well: flowcharts detailing the relationship between the NPCs. Finally, a chapter on Politics details the various goals and schemes of the city’s Kindred and Lupine factions. The sourcebook material is interesting. The information about Werewolves is limited, but the Kindred background is intriguing. The Brothers’ War is particularly fascinating. The second part of the book is a five-Chapter, twenty-five Scene adventure, Psychomachia, that takes place in Milwaukee. While this adventure doesn’t have to be for beginning characters, it is intended to introduce characters who have recently come to Milwaukee to the local political situation. Prince Merik, the Kindred ruler of the metropolis, needs them to hunt down someone committing a bizarre series of highly publicized “Vampire Murders.” The person responsible may also have been behind the disappearance of the
JULY/AUGUST,1992
Prince’s wife. As with most Vampire adventures, very little is what it appears. The player characters must investigate the bizarre killings. Eventually the characters become involved with a determined Witch Hunter and the Lupine tribes that roam the outskirts of Milwaukee. They also get to interact with Milwaukee’s major NPCs. In the last Chapter, the player characters have to cope with a bizarre mix of drug-induced dreams and reality, and have a final battle with the “Vampire Killer.” Milwaukee by Night is an excellent sourcebook and an above-average adventure. The only reason I give it a 3 is because, despite the heavy promotion of werewolves and their role in the city, the Lupines are poorly detailed, and their role varies wildly. Often, the werewolves are relatively insignificant to the events in Milwaukee. On the other hand, they seem to violate the Masquerade which both vampires and werewolves supposedly undertake to conceal their existence. It is also unclear how the werewolves have so effectively trapped the vampires in Milwaukee. In short, werewolves are treated more as a p~ device then as an active enemy. “Milwaukee by Night“ would have benefited by being released after White Wolfs upcoming Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Potential buyers who hope to obtain information on werewolves should beware.
From the Pack
Letters From Ou Readers bII
Please send all letters to: White Wolf, 4598.B Stonegate Industrial Blvd. Stone Mountain, GA 30083
We received a number of letters of praise for the previous issue of WHITE WOLF Magazine and while we would like to print them all (just one sample is printed below), we doubt that you readers are as interested in the compliments extended by others as we are. This has always presented a small quandary where the letters page is concerned. We definitely want to run such a page, but to your eyes one compliment is probably the same as another (it’s a whole different story for us; each one’s a gem, so please keep them coming). However, unless we print letters, few people will write as they believe their letters receive no attention. The best catalyst for a letters column, of course, is controversy, and past “From the Pack” columns have benefited from things like people taking exception to my advice for beginning games, attacks from Kevin Siembieda, and my “warning” to publishers of new games. Alternately, we can simply provide this column as a platform for discussing roleplaying in general or this magazine specifically. For example, we would love continuous feedback on what you think of our Mission Statement, as well as what kind of job we are doing moving toward it. Do you agree or disagree with our Feature Reviews? Did an interesting event occur while playing a LivedAction scenario printed in the magazine? Let us hear about how and why you roleplay and you’ll help us fulfill our Mission Statement.
Dear White Wolf,
I have just received issue 3 1, and I must say WOW! This issue is not just an incredible Improvement, it is a near impossible one to actually believe. I thumbed through the magazine more times than I care to count, and read many of the articles three or four times. Your use of color, especially in the Shadowrun supplement, was gifted. You held true to the feel of Shadowrun products, and I felt as if I could pull this thing out and use it as a normal purchased product, and all that was missing a laminated cover. Your use of graphics, especially in the Amber review, your RUNES column and the Capsule Reviews (Star Wars and Stormbringer in particular) was a far cry from the previous issue, and from the earlier issues (like #912 especially). The table of contents pages were similarly stunning, and though it seemed a bit sparse as to what was where, it was still graphically pleasing. The segment on live roleplaying [was] well written, though it went more along the lines of a Murder Mystery Party than common Live Action fare (which is great ‘cause it will introduce the former types of
players to the latter). The Top Twenty on the last page is something I hope will stay, as will the Artist’s Spotlight (however, I think that might be a little too expensive). Yet another amazing idea you guys came up with is no advertisements cluttering up the main articles, and that was a great refresher to see. You guys have really done the best I think a magazine can do, much better than Dragon or such magazines have done in the past. I am curious to see if issue 32 will be as colorful and well thought-out as this issue, and I hope you guys do your best to make every issue just as good as this one. However (this is where I take out the pin and deflate those inflated heads of yours), there are a few things that are missing and one unforgivable typo in your editorial. I am sad to see that the list of advertisers is missing (I couldn’t find it anywhere), and that is something I look forward to seeing in case I missed a favorite advertiser or new company. I hope it returns in issue 32 and on. I also enjoy hearing about 35 Pack and wish they have a bigger installment whenever you get information on them. While you guys have done wonders with your colors, I hope to see more color artwork, such as the type that graced the Shadowrun installment. Your graphic layout in the Silicon Dungeon left something to be desired also, for you placed one of the Pools of Darkness screens right next to the great red print of “Eye of the Beholder 11.” This caused a small amount of confusion on my part, as well as most of my friends that perused the issue. It would be helpful if you put the screen next to the reviewed game or somewhere off to the side instead of deep in the heart of another review. As to the unforgivable misspelling of a very favored author’s name, I fervently hope that such oversights never happen again. All in all, your magazine has vastly improved over your previous issues, and over other gaming magazines I collect. I will continue to subscribe to White Wolf as long as it shows such remarkable improvement and depth. You are definitely the leader of the pack (to coin a cliche). Ian Boyd Albuquerque, NM
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE
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TOp2OSellingGaanes 1. TSR: Aurora’s Realms Catalog 2. TSR: Greyhawk Treasures 3. GDW: Mythus 4. FASA: Never Trust an Elf 5. R. Talsorian Games: Dream Park 6. TSR: Tales of the Lance 7. TSR: Player’s Handbook 8. Task Force Games: Module R2
9. White Wolf: Storytellers Handbook 10. FASA: Battletech Readout 3055 11. TSR: Character Record Sheets
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15. Task Force Games: Module R3 16. TSR: Dungeon Master’s Guide 17. (tie) Flying Buffalo: Grimtooth’sTraps Lite 17. (tie) Milton Bradley: Battle Masters 18. TSR: Goblin’s Lair 19. West End Games: Heir to the Empire Sourcebook 20. White Wolf: Vampire: The Masquerade
Commentary: We have decided to list only actual game products on this list, so game,related items like TSRs Collector Cards will not be included on future lists TSRs stranglehold on the top of the list isn’t as strong this month Two new games, Mythus and Dream Park (both reviewed in this issue), push their way into the top five In total, the products of 10 companies are listed this month, as opposed to only s1x in May * This list is based on numbers of units sold in the month ofJuly Thanks to Hobby Game Dismbutors (3710 W Touhy Ave , Skokie, IL 60076) fm
provding this list
As practically promised in this section last issue, we did change our minds on several of the features. Many of the articles slated for this i issue will actually appear in WW33 (maybe. . .). Here’s a look at what we have coming. 1. “The Legend of Liosalfar” is a fantasy adventure for characters ready to undertake their first adventure. For use with any fantasy game system, but with statistics provided for GURPS, MERP and Ars Magica, the story sets the characters searching for a lost miller. They’d best be careful, though, for he’s wandered into a faerie forest. 2. The third installment of five for ‘‘Shadows Across the Big Easy” is an adventure set in New Orleans. T h e characters are hired by a certain Mr. Johnson to extract a corp exec, but they have to get her off a party boat in the Mississippi River. 3. “Creature Feature” will be our first Battletech article for some time. T h e giant movie monsters (Godzilla and the other poor imitations!) spawned giant robots that have become even more popular. Well, it’s time to go back to the roots, and this article will help you stage battles between ‘Mechs and rampaging creatures. 4. “Out of Character” will feature . . . some as yet 80
12. TSR: Magic EncyclopediaVol. 1 13. Atlas Games: Chasing the Dragon 14. White Wolf: Ars Magica
JULY/AUGUST, 1992
unknown victim. Stewart Wieck will catch a game designer who’s had one drink too many at a Gen Con party and pry until h e knows every secret thought. 5. “The Scope of Magic” features Space Age magic for GURPS. Crossgenre games are hot right now, and Since GURPS 1s the Premelre universal game system, magic and space are a n easy mix. 6. Our Feature Review will spotlight Werewo1f:The Apocalypsel the second game in the Storyteller (hme System, which began with Vampire:The Masquerade last year. “Capsule Reviews” will include more supplements for Your favorite games, including a look at the new 2nd edition Shadowrun. 7. A bunch of other great features, possibly including some of the following: a n article about historical magic in Ars Magica, an encounter for Star Wars, new careers for Dark Conspiracy, and a “PeoPle of the Land” Cohmn PresentW a non*?-olklen view ofdwarves. Otherwise, these will appear in other future issues.
It’s simply a degree to many. A digital degree that numbs your brain and toes in the dead of winter, somehow making you colder than normal.
To others it’s an entirely different degree . . . a degree of terror that grips your heart
you’ll quake deciding the degree of excitement needed to overcome such terrifying individuals and concepts. Experienced game masters and players alike will be challenged by the realism inherent in this award-winning
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sh&e when--yauekpldre the origins of voodoo, cannibalism and other phenomena. And
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In June, Woodoo comes to Chill. A 128-page sourcebookkenario detailing the little understood practice of voodoo. Dolls and needles not included.
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