TEXT: Issue No.1
  June/July 1977
  60p ($2.00)
  2nd Reprint August 1979
  The Science Fiction and
  Fantasy Games Magazine
  THE MONSTERMARK
  METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA
  COMPETITIVE D&D
  Issue * Monster Mali nit
  in D&D * Review and suc
  actions
  * An Introduction
  g
  Y
  Jg
  
  EVIL, MEAN, AND ROTTEN .
  A fantasy game for the bad guys? Yea, verily. Monsters! Monsters! is the new fantasy
  role-playing game from Metagaming Concepts . No more good-guy heroes
  . In Monsters!
  Monsters!, you become a monster character - come up from the dungeons - stalk into
  town - and wreak havoc . The eviller you are, the more experience points you'll earn
  .
  .
  .
  52-page rules book
  Written by Ken St .Andre
  Illustrated by Liz Danforth
  4 Maps for initial adventure
  Clear,
  complete rule system
  f4 .95
  (post free)
  from
  GAMES
  CENTRE
  16 Hanway Street
  London W .1 .
  01-636-8278
  Trade Enquiries Welcome
  J
  Thane Tostl'g
  The Ultimate fighting man
  A new fantasy game from the Company that brought you
  Olympians, Heroes and Horrors.
  Send 15p for lists .
  Tostig fantasy rules available in June -
  Minot's Miniature Armoury
  P.O . Box 25
  Borehamwood
  Herts WD6 3BP.
  (Tel : 01-953 4107)
  U .S.A . & Canada :
  Barry Minot Miniatures Corp .
  P.O . Box 124
  Garden City
  New York 11530
  U .S.A .
  70p inc. p&p.
  CHRIS HARtEY
  would like to wish WHITE DWARF a happy first issue and a
  prosperous future
  .
  .
  .
  .
  but since we have a little space left (sorry 'bout the pun)
  FOR ONLY
  You can get
  £2.25
  1) Five issues of OVERKILL
  2) A free mailing service giving immediate news
  of new SF and fantasy games on the market probably before
  anyone else gets them .
  (e .g . we were selling GODSFIRE in Feb.)
  3) A 5%t, discount on any order off the
  manufacturers retail price for GDW, FACT And FANTASY,
  METAGAMING, TSR, FANTASY GAMES UNLIMITED
  and lots of others .
  THIS MONTH for example we've got:-
  OGRE a micro game by Metagaming selling for £1 .85
  STARSH I P by Fantasy Games a new game of space
  contact for £3.75
  Not to mention a whole heap of other stuff. Why not send
  a SSAE to 11 WOODSIDE WAY, ALDRIDGE, WALSALL,
  WEST MIDLANDS .
  
  010
  CONTENTS
  page
  0
  ver the past two years the state of the art of wargaming
  has seen dramatic change . Until then only tanks, French
  Hussars and Ancient Britons were to be seen roaming the
  wargaming tables . But in 1974 two Americans by the names of
  Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson had just finished putting together
  a set of rules that were to revolutionise the hobby . They had
  invented DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (D&D) .
  D&D
  was
  the
  first
  (and
  still
  is the
  best)
  commercially
  produced game based on a Fantasy/Sword & Sorcery theme .
  This,
  together with
  the
  ingenious concept of 'role-playing',
  opened up new horizons in games playing . Firstly, the use of
  monsters and magic would introduce completely new combat
  systems . Secondly, players would
  begin to identify with the
  characters they role-played to protect them at all costs . Being
  so
  original
  it
  was
  obvious
  that D&D was going
  to have
  tremendous impact on the games world . And so it did .
  Today, there are over 50 games available based on Science
  Fiction and Fantasy (SF/F) . There are also 10 companies making
  SF/F ranges of minature figurines . There are literally thousands
  of SF/F novels which offer a wealth of background information .
  It
  is a combination of these which has made SF/F gaming a
  hobby in its own right and it is in support of these games, with
  particular
  reference
  to D&D,
  that
  this magazine
  has been
  published .
  It is hoped that WHITE DWARF will serve as a vehicle for
  articles and comment on SF/F games . This is issue 1, we hope
  you like it .
  METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA
  5
  Suggestions for the new SF role-playing
  ga me .
  D&D SOCIETY
  7
  News and enrolling procedure
  THE MONSTERMARK SYSTEM
  9
  A method for assessing monster
  malignity by Don Turnbull
  OPEN BOX
  12
  SF/F games reviewed
  COMPETITIVE D&D
  14
  An introduction by Fred Hemmings
  NO WAY OUT?
  15
  D&D puzzles set by David Wells
  D&D CAMPAIGNS
  16
  Part I - Philosophy by Lewis Pulsipher
  THE WARLORD
  18
  Analysis of an undiscovered nuclear
  wargame.
  TREASURE CHEST
  20
  A miscelleny of D&D additions
  Printed by : The Pentagon Printing Group, London
  All subject matter in WHITE DWARF is copyright of the publishers Games Workshop . All rights on the entire contents of this publication are
  reserved and nothing may be reproduced in whole or part without prior consent of the publisher. Qc
  Games Workshop 1977 .
  Display advertising rates and trade enquiries available on request.
  Contributions
  :
  The Editor will be pleased to consider any previously unpublished articles or artwork for inclusion in WHITE DWARF.
  Subscriptions:
  Remittances should be sent and made payable to WHITE DWARF, Games Workshop, 97 Uxbridge Road, London W12
  (Tel : 01-749 7049) . WHITE DWARF is published bi-monthly and subscription rates are as follows:
  UK
  EUROPE
  U.SJOTHER
  Surface
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  Airmail
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  1
  Any enquiries regarding subscriptions or any other matters should be accompanied by a Stamped Addressed Envelope .
  Editor:
  Ian Livingstone
  Artwork by :
  Christopher Baker, Chris Beaumont,
  Associate Editor :
  Steve Jackson
  Simon Rae, Glenn Walbridge
  Cover Illustration
  Published by :
  Games Workshop
  by :
  Chris Beaumont
  
  5
  
  Life aboard a lost starship inhabited by mutated animals and plants awaits allplayers of the new Science Fiction role-playinggame.
  . . . .
  by Ian Livingstone
  H
  ave you ever met a 3 foot long electronically charged
  worm or a two-headed human mutant called Joe-Jim?
  No? Well they and lots of others, are all to be found
  in Metamorphosis Alpha, the latest role-playing game rulebook
  to come out of the TSR melting pot. It is very much related
  to its precessor, Dungeons & Dragons, in that the game
  necessitates one player becoming a referee and creating a
  game world whilst the other players role-play their own
  personal characters in that world.
  Whereas D&D is based on a fantasy world of heroes,
  magicians and monsters, Metamorphosis Alpha (MA) is set in
  the 23rd Century and is a game of science-fiction adventures on
  board a lost starship . Before explaining how the game is actually
  played I feel a little historical background information is
  required to set the scene.
  Starship Warden was one of the hundreds of colonisation
  ships of the 23rd Century built to help relieve the terrible
  overpopulation problem existing on Old Terra (Earth) .
  These ships were of a tremendous size built to carry some
  1'/2 million colonists, livestock and flora and fauna of Earth
  to the hundreds of inhabitable worlds in far off galaxies .
  Starship Warden was elliptical in shape and an incredible
  50 miles in length, with a width of 25 miles and a height of
  8'h miles . It was divided into 17 decks of varying heights
  related to function . For example, there were city, farming, raw
  material, administration decks and many more . The ship took
  11 years to complete and finally left the Sol System in 2290 .
  Unfortunately, for all on board, disaster hit the ship .
  Approximately one-third of the way to its destination, Warden
  passed through the fringe of a cloud of space radiation . It was
  an unknown type of radiation and passed through all the
  ship's defence mechanisms and screens. Every living thing on
  board suffered as a result . Most of the colonists and much
  of the livestock perished instantly. The few humans who
  remained alive became solely concerned with day-to-day
  survival matters. The flora and fauna too were affected .
  Strange mutations appeared that were to become a threat to
  those on board. Life regressed to a state of savagery, and
  concern for the ship and its original mission was soon lost .
  The Warden's systems were maintained in a minimum
  operative state by its main computer together with a few
  operational robots. Time went by and later generations
  were found to suffer physical and mental mutations. The
  livestock also suffered mutations with some animals gaining
  the intelligence to communicate, walk and hunt like man; thus
  also posing a threat to the humans on board. The ship
  travelled on past its destination and it is at this stage that the
  scenario for the game is set.
  Before play can actually commence it is necessary for one
  player to volunteer to act as Starship Master (SM) . He has
  the long and daunting task of creating, i .e . drawing up on
  sheets of hex paper, an entire Starship and its contents - all
  17 levels of it! The example deck below is one which is
  shown in MA as a guide for SMs.
  From the letter key shown, hex H, for example, is the
  location of a human settlement of 36 females and ten males,
  plus 16 children . The females are amazon types who do all the
  fighting and hunting for the tribe. A poison is used (intensity
  level 18) for the tips of hunting arrows. The tribe may at first
  befriend strangers, but at an opportune time will subdue them
  if possible and enslave them . One of the existing slaves is a
  male who knows where a command colour band is buried
  close to the village, and he knows how to operate any type of
  robot.
  However, as one hex = two miles, each hex will require a
  detailed breakdown and it is, therefore, unlikely that more
  than one deck will be needed until after a number of
  campaign games have been played .
  The rules go a long way to alleviate the task of the SM .
  Ship's devices, units and equipment are listed and explained
  at length as are the non-player mutated animals, insects and
  plants which lie in wait for any unprepared wanderers.
  Player characters can be one of three types: human,
  mutated humanoid or mutated creature. All three types have
  the following abilities : radiation resistance, mental resistance,
  dexterity, constitution and strength . Humans also have a
  leadership potential ability whilst the other two types have
  physical and mental mutations of beneficial use, e.g . wings or
  radiated eyes . However, they will also suffer at least one
  defect in either/or both mutational categories, e.g. haemophilia
  or fear of humans . Each type is assumed to possess the normal
  materials common to his tribe (clothes, weapons, armour, etc.)
  plus any other items the SM sees fit to donate at the start .
  Once the starship has been mapped out and the players
  have selected their respective characters, the game may begin .
  It is assumed that because of the radiation and subsequent
  disorder and degeneration all knowledge of the Starship and
  its contents has been lost . The object of the game is for players
  to explore the Starship in search of food and technological
  devices whilst there is an overall goal to gain complete
  knowledge and control of the Starship
  . There are hundreds
  of items on board of differing complexity which can be found
  by players - from disruptor pistols and portable energy lamps
  to security robots. Intelligence of the finder cross-indexed
  with the nature of the item determines whether or not the
  EXAMPLE OF SHIP'S LEVEL II
  1 HEX = 2 MILES
  ALL LETTERS MARK
  ENCOUNTER
  SITUATIONS
  SWAMP AREAS
  TREES
  RIVER
  RADIATED AREAS
  LARGE LAKES
  MAIN SHIPS ELEVATOR
  INCLINED PLANE
  MOUNTAINS
  HILL
  continued on page 6
  5
  
  continued from page 5
  item can be properley employed .
  It is obviously in the interests of both theSM and the
  players that the decks are full of interesting objects and
  situations . The rules themselves offer a great deal of information
  but it is always preferable to be as original as possible . To this
  end,
  I suggest that the following SF novels should be read :
  Orphans of the Sky by Robert Heinlein (Panther, 40p)
  Non-Stop by Brian Aldiss (Pan, 60p)
  Captive Universe by Harry Harrison (Berkley, $1 .25)
  Orphans of the Sky and Non-Stop are somewhat more
  relevant than Captive Universe but all three are worth a read .
  It is probable that after having read the first two, James
  Ward, the inventor of MA, got the idea for the game although
  no credit is given as such . Briefly, without spoiling the
  reading of the books,
  I'll summarise them and suggest ideas
  that can be incorporated into the game .
  Orphans of the Sky centres around the struggle between two
  opposing factions aboard a 22nd Century colonisation
  Starship bound for Proxima Centauri . En route disaster struck
  in the form of a mutiny and destruction of parts of the
  Starship . Defective screens allowed radiation to penetrate and
  left subsequent generations without knowledge of the mission
  and, even worse, left some with gross physical mutations.
  These people were known as the 'Muties' and they lived in the
  upper deck sections of the starship where gravity was almost
  zero . However, the Muties had certain knowledge of the
  starship including the fact there had once been a mission and
  'Ship' was not the whole universe . They were led by a
  formidable two-headed character called Joe-Jim who always
  had long arguments with himself before making a decision!
  He led the raids on the physically normal people of the
  lower levels who were a highly superstitious and religious lot,
  believing 'Ship' to be immobile and nothing to exist outside it .
  The hero of the story is a young man called Hugh Hoyland and
  it is his desire for knowledge that leads him to the upper levels
  to encounter Joe-Jim and his Muties . A friendship is formed
  and from that the secrets of 'Ship' are slowly unveiled and the
  sad truth learned. Useful adaptations that can be incorporated
  into MA are:
  (i)
  The use of varying degrees of gravitation and its effect
  on movement and combat . For example, during combat, a
  Gravitational Effects Chart related to the number of levels
  above or below 'home' deck (deck of origin) should be
  consulted to add a factor to the number required on the
  Hit or Miss Chart in MA to register a hit .
  GRAVITATIONAL EFFECTS CHART
  COMBAT DECK
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
  1
  0
  0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8
  2
  0
  0
  0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7
  3 +1
  0
  0
  0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7
  4+1 +1
  0
  0
  0+1 +1 +2+2+3+3+4+4+5+5+6+6
  5 +2 +1 +1
  0
  0
  0 +1 +1 +2 +2+3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6
  6 +2 +2 +1 +1
  0
  0
  0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4+4 +5 +5
  0
  7 +3 +2 +2 +1 +1
  0
  0
  0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4+5
  F
  8 +3 +3 +2 +2 +1 +1
  0
  0
  0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4
  9 +4 +3 +3 +2 +2 +1 +1
  0
  0
  0+1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3+4
  10 +4+4 +3 +3 +2 +2 +1 +1
  0
  0
  0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3
  R
  11 +5+4+4+3+3+2+2+1 +1
  0
  0
  0+1 +1 +2+2+3
  1
  12 +5 +5 +4 +4+3 +3 +2 +2 +2 +1
  0
  0
  0 +1 +1 +2 +2
  G
  13 +5+5 +5 +4 +4 +3 +3 +2 +2 +1 +1
  0
  0
  0 +1 +1 +2
  14 +6 +6 +5 +5 +5 +4 +3 +3 +2 +2 +1 +1
  0
  0
  0 +1 +1
  N 15 +7 +6 +6 +5 +5 +4+4 +3 +3 +2 +2+1 +1
  0
  0
  0 +1
  16 +7 +7 +6 +6 +5 +5 +4 +4 +3 +3 +2 +2 +1 +1
  0
  0 0
  17 +8+7 +7 +6 +6 +5 +5 +4 +4 +3 +3 +2 +2 +1 +1
  0
  0
  D
  E
  C
  K
  To use the chart, cross-index the attacker's deck of origin
  with the level of deck on which combat is taking place,
  assuming the defender's 'home' to be that combat deck . If,
  however, the defender is also from another level, the following
  adjustment must be made :
  First locate the deck on which combat is taking place . Cross-
  index both the attacker's and the defender's deck of origin
  and whoever has the higher factor must add on the difference
  between the two. Thus, if a man whose place of origin is
  deck 14 is fighting a man of deck 4 on deck 11, the man from
  deck 4 would have to add +2 to his Hit orMiss roll .
  (ii)
  The introduction of strange superstitions and religions
  on various levels could add an interesting aspect to the
  game . For example, people on a certain level might take all
  written words as gospel and not be able to differentiate
  between fact and fiction . One tribe on that level might
  regard, taking matters to extremes, an old sports journal as
  their 'Bible' and might worship Manchester City (or their
  23rd Century equivalent) imitating the soccer fans of Earth,
  believing it to be an important religious festival . Intruders
  from other levels might be punished if they tried to
  interfere etc.
  (iii)
  The introduction of class structures and, perhaps, an
  agricultural barter economy.
  (iv)
  The introduction of Law and Order, varying vastly
  between decks with a death penalty for murder by a raider
  from another level of "making the Trip". In other words,
  being place in the "Converter", the starship's main fuel and
  power source which has the function of transforming any
  object into energy .
  Non-Stop is also concerned with the struggle of a mutant
  people, on board a colonisation starship, whose forefathers
  were struck by disaster . This time it was in the form of a
  disease, The-Nine Day Ague, which affected not only humans
  but livestock and plant life too. The hero's name is Roy
  Complain and it is he who, together with some strange allies,
  unravels the mysteries of the starship.
  Useful adaptations for MA are:
  (i)
  A race of intelligent and highly organised rats which
  inhabits the ventilation shafts and air ducts of the starship,
  thus making them very difficult to reach and exterminate .
  They are fierce fighters and can drop from the many grills
  along the passageways and in rooms onto their unsuspecting
  prey . They also have the ability to communicate and enslave
  other more docile animals . For example, in Non-Stop, they
  held captive a telepathic rabbit which they forced to drain
  the mind of human captives in order to gain information.
  The rats' characteristics are as follows :
  Mutation name :
  Raggot
  Number appearing :
  10-20
  Armour class :
  8
  Movement :
  10 yards per melee turn
  Hit die :
  1
  (ii)
  The prolific growth of a multi-purpose plant, the Ponic
  for use by those on board. Edible sap; constructional
  material and weapons from the stalks ; medicine from the
  leaves ; food, buttons and counters from the seeds etc. They
  are attracted by light and will quickly grow over little-used
  pathways .
  (iii)
  Diseases could be incorporated into the game with only
  certain types affecting humans or specific mutants. For
  example the Ague, if survived, would cause physiological
  modification ; new proteins in the Survivor's body would
  increase his metabolic rate to such an extent that he
  would move four times as fast as normal but his life
  expectancy would be brought down to 20 years .
  Captive Universe is, as you might now have guessed, concerned
  with the exploits of two very different peoples aboard a
  colonisation starship . There are the Aztecs, a highly religious
  and superstitious agricultural society living in an enclosed
  valley who believe themselves to be suffering for the evil deeds
  of their forefathers . There are also the Watchers who are
  effectively the crew members . Both the Aztecs and the
  Watchers have lost their powers of reasoning and it is upon
  the hero . Chimal, to unite the two peoples and put the
  6
  
  starship on course .
  Although not as relevant or as useful as the other two
  books, the following points could be incorporated into the
  game :
  (i)
  Priests could be the masters of a certain deck holding
  their tribes in permanent religious fear . Ritual human
  sacrifices to various gods should be carried out quite
  frequently .
  (ii)
  Mechanical gods in the form of grotesque robots
  programmed to be attracted by body heat and to
  decapitate anybody in range could be used on superstitious
  tribes to keep them off the streets at night to enable others
  to carry out safe raids.
  (iii)
  A ship's security system that will automatically flash a
  warning light if any vital equipment or life support system
  is incorrectly used and will trigger a laser gun to kill the
  tamperer if he persists .
  There are obviously a lot more points to be extracted from
  the books but not shown in this article . This is for two reasons. .
  Firstly, to leave sufficient information which will not be
  generally known and secondly, this article would have filled
  the entire magazine!
  Back to the rules themselves and criticisms . There are not
  many but just enough to irritate . The initial task of designing
  the starship and its contents is lengthy - unless your players
  want to play for the next four years solid,
  I suggest a smaller
  starship (same number of decks) . Unlike D&D where there is a
  definite objective to acquire experience points and thus rise
  in personal status, the objective in MA is mere survival and
  I
  assume status is correlated to type of weapon possessed, the
  initial allocation thereof which is also a bit vague in the rules .
  Some of the human mutants are not feasible . To have a 4"
  high human mutant of equal intelligence to a 6' high human is
  just not possible and should not, therefore, be allowed .
  Personally,
  I do not like the names given to,the animal
  mutations - bearoid, grabber, stabber etc. all sound a bit
  unimaginative.
  Nevertheless, MA has the makings of,an excellent game
  despite my minor gripes . It has a lot of original ideas and will,
  no doubt become popular in its own right - even for the
  people who purchase it initially with the intention of using it
  as another D&D scenario .
  As a final postscript, if anybody has already created
  additional tables, rules, equipment, mutated animals or
  plants that they feel might be of use to other players,
  please send them to the Editor .
  D& D SOCIETY
  NEWS
  On 12th February 1977 at Games Day //, a formal D&D
  Society was formed with the intention of bringing together
  players who were without co-players (the only opponent
  in D&D is the GM!) . The inaugural meeting of the Society
  took place at D&D-Day on 12th March and members
  elected to the Committee were :
  Hartley Patterson
  -
  Chairman
  Nick Slope
  -
  Secretary
  Clive Wardley
  -
  Treasurer
  It was decided that the Society's basic aim would be to
  offer low-cost services in order to :
  (i)
  bring players in contact with one another
  (ii)
  clarify basic D&D rulebook problem areas
  (iii)
  co-ordinate weekend D&D conventions
  Whether or not your name and address appeared on the
  D&D Society mailing list published in Owl & Weasel, please
  send 25p (stamps, POs or cheques) to Clive Wardley, 93
  Mortlake Road, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4AA to
  officially join the D&D Society .
  For this enrolment fee, you receive:
  (i)
  official membership
  (ii)
  current list of names and addresses of members
  NO
  D&D clarification sheet
  (iv)
  product guide
  (v)
  details of the Society newsletter (published quarterly)
  (vi)
  inclusion on the D&D Society mailing list
  THE UL TIMATECHALLENGE. . .
  . . .Stellar Conquest is a game of exploration,
  production and combat for two to four players .
  Emphasis is on planning and imagination.
  As
  the players fight for control of a globular
  cluster. victory will go to the one who makes
  best use of his resources to outbuild and
  outguess his opponents.
  Components include
  E5 .95
  (post free)
  from
  * 17"
  by 22" six-colour map
  * 400 ship counters
  * Twenty-page rule booklet
  * Data sheet for each player
  * 78
  'star cards'
  to provide
  different planetary systems
  * 8 record sheets .
  LAMES
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  LATEST RELEASES . .
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  The Monstermark System
  n Owl& Weasel 22
  I introduced a monster rating system,
  and this article develops on that introduction, so those
  'veterans of the O&W article can probably skip the first bit .
  I will tell you where to come back . Those sluggards who did not
  subscribe to O&W, however (why not??) will need a brief
  review .
  I was trying to provide a systematic method of assessing a
  monster's relative malignity, so that new monsters (from
  Strategic Review, Dungeoneer etc. - and I wonder how many
  of you use EPT monsters in non-EPT dungeons?) could be
  assigned with reasonable accuracy to levels . As it happens,
  revised monster level tables are not the only product of the
  system, particularly in its newer refined form . Many have
  criticised the Greyhawk experience points table, for instance,
  and this method provides a basis for quite accurate reappraisal .
  The method gives dungeonmasters better guidance than
  previously available on the thorny question of how many
  wandering monsters should appear against a party of a
  particular size and strength . Also - is a 4 dice +2 Su Monster
  about as nasty as a 4-dice Giant Snake? This method clothes
  the bare bones of intuition.
  The 'D' Factor
  In the previous O&W article
  I defined two factors for each
  monster. The first, which I now call D (Defence), is a measure
  of a monster's vulnerability :-
  D = The average number of melee rounds it takes a first
  level fighter to kill the monster with a 1-8 sword,
  allowing no bonuses
  Out of the confusion of varying monster statistics comes a new system for assessing a monster's relative nastiness
  The Monster's average hits
  Probable hits received per round
  Monster's average hits
  4% x probability of hitting
  by Don Turnbull
  Monster's average hits x 40
  9 (AC+2)
  where AC is the monster's
  armour class .
  In case you didn't read (in OW the bit about the average roll
  from a particular die, the average roll of an 8-sided die is (8+11/
  2 = 4'/2 ; that of a 6-sided die is (6+1)/2 = 3'/2 etc. So a beast
  with 4 8-sided dice has an average of 4x4'/2 = 18 hits .
  Similarly a beast delivering a 1-10 bite will inflict (10+1)/
  2= 5'/2 hits per bite on average, and a character with 4 4-sided
  dice will have an average of 10 hits. (Incidentally, do you
  know the probability of rolling that all-characteristics-above-15
  character you have hidden away?) .
  The 'A' Factor
  The other factor which
  I call A (Aggressiveness) enumerates
  the risk you take in attacking a particular monster,
  i .e . the
  number of hits it hands out during the time it takes you to kill it :-
  A = the average number of hits a monster would hand out
  to a character of AC2 during the number of melee
  rounds denoted by D.
  D times the probability of the monster hitting an
  AC2 defender each round times the average number
  of hits it delivers if successful .
  I will come back to the methods of calculation, in illustrative
  form, later, but first must note that there are, of course,
  problems with both factors. A first level fighter, used as the
  criterion for D, can't hit some monsters at all without magic
  weapons; in this case Dx is calculated and displayed, where
  x is the lowest level of fighter capable of delivering damage . A
  normal sword cannot damage certain monsters no matter how
  strong or high level the fighter, so (D) - or even (Dx) -
  indicates what the value of D would be were normal weapons
  effective against the monster (and the final assessment of the
  monster's malignity would have to incorporate some sort of
  bonus) .
  Equally, A can't be calculated for certain monsters such as
  Wights which don't hand out hits but instead drain levels
  (which could be fatal or merely serious, depending on the
  initial level of the victim) . In my view there is no way of
  assessing a realistic comparative value of A in these
  circumstances .
  Another unrealistic element which creeps into both factors
  is their assumption of one-on-one combat - the possibility of
  many-to-many melee has to be ignored since the computations
  soon get far too complex and long-winded . I had to picture a
  line of first level fighters attacking a monster successively - in
  other words each would wait for his predecessor to keel over
  before going into action ; this is possible in games involving
  Andy Davidson, but is far from normal practice .
  The Monstermark
  Bearing these restrictions in mind, however, it seems that the
  method is not without value and in this article (Come back, the
  rest of you!) it is developed further to introduce the
  Monstermark which
  I will call M (for obvious reasons) . For
  quite a lot of monsters M is the same as A, but for those with
  poison, paralising powers, magical defence and attack
  mechanisms etc . M attempts to support A as a modified value .
  For those monsters without an A factor, M has to be assessed
  (and these values are open to considerable challenge and debate)
  One thing which must be tackled early is the monster
  attack modes I have devised .
  I have no doubt other DMs use
  other modes, and
  I claim no original thinking in developing
  the modes; it struck me quite early, however, that a beast
  would have one helluva job attacking an opponent with the
  horn on top of its head at the same time as biting him (or
  someone else) as Greyhawk has it in some cases, so
  I thought
  a monster's melee mode had better be regularised. For brevity
  here
  I will adopt a standard notation for each monster:
  N :
  p 1 n 1
  : p2 n2
  : p 3 n 3 .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  :
  S
  N refers to the number of attacks the monster makes per
  melee round (usually one) .
  I have ignored for simplicity the
  possibility of attacks on two different victims in the same
  round, of which some monsters are capable .
  p1p2 etc. refer to the probability of a particular mode of
  attack (biting, clawing etc. - the actual mode isn't specified
  but you can find it in the rules) ;
  while
  n l n2 etc. represent the average number of hits handed out
  by that mode of attack if it is successful .
  S refers to special powers and may be one or more of a
  number of things - Po for poison, Pa for paralisation, Ma for
  magical defence and/or attack methods, Pe for petrifaction,
  L for level drain, S for strength point drain, and if anything else
  crops up
  I will define it then .
  A few examples might help to clear up a lot of things at this
  stage. Let us calculate D, Aand the melee notation for three
  different beasts .
  continued on page 10
  9
  
  The Monstermark System
  continued from page 9
  2 .
  3.
  10
  A Bugbear has 3 dice +1, AC5, one attack per round, 2-8
  damage if successful .
  It has no special powers .
  A Manticore has 6 dice +1, AC4 and attacks once per round ;
  60% of the time it attacks with two 1-3 claws (average 2
  each) and a 1-8 bite (average 4 1/2), the other 40% it uses six
  1-6 iron spikes . It does nothing special (isn't that lot
  enough?) .
  D= 29 X 460
  = about 21 .5
  A=Dx
  8
  1±3 [6
  1±8J
  14
  1+6
  (
  x�x2
  +
  x
  +�x-1+6
  l
  20
  10
  2
  1o
  2
  10
  2
  = about 145
  Melee notation is :
  1
  : 60% 81/2 ; 40% 21
  : -
  A Giant Snake has 4 dice and AC4 ; it attacks twice per
  round - one bite (1-6 plus poison) and one constriction
  (2-8), we will assume on the same victim . The poison
  apart, it has no special powers .
  D= 1 9 X 46 =13.3
  A=Dx
  2
  (
  12
  6
  +
  2281=51
  Melee notation is :
  2
  : 100% 3 1/2 : 100% 5
  : Po
  I hope this helps illustrate the method of calculation as well as
  the notation . Applying these methods to some simple
  human-type monsters :
  Hit
  Monster
  AC
  Dim
  Meleenotation
  Level
  D�A=M
  Kobold
  7
  1
  1 : 100% 2 1/2 : -
  Greyhawk
  2.2
  1.1
  It is immediately obvious, even considering only these simple
  cases, that there is more to this business than hit dice, and
  anyone who uses that criterion alone to assess the risks of
  attacking deserves to die a cruel and hard death . Rightly an
  experience point system based only on hit dice should be
  questioned (though in fairness to Greyhawk that system does
  not rely on hit dice alone) . An 8-dice Giant is child's play
  compared with an 8-dice Ent - I'd be more careful which trees
  you rest under (or whatever it is you do under trees) in future
  -a 6-dice Minotaur is in reality quite docile, while Su Monsters
  and Manticore are far more fearsome than one might have
  thought . Greyhawk's monster level table is, to say the least of
  it, questionable even on this limited evidence .
  Special Powers
  Moving on to more complex matters, it will sooner or later
  (so it might as well be now) be necessary to enumerate the
  'bonus' to be assigned to the 'special power' section of the
  melee notation - in other words to define the relationship
  between A and M when they are not equal . All this is very
  subjective and
  I would be surprised not to meet with different
  views, but the following bonus relationships seem to give
  results which instinctively 'feel' right :
  Pa = paralisation
  M = 2A
  Pe =
  petrifaction
  M = 21/2A
  Po= poison
  M = 2A
  Ma= magic attack/
  defence methods
  M = 1 1/2A - 3A depending on
  S
  = Strength point drain M = 1 1/2A
  extent
  L
  = Level drain
  M = 21/2A
  R
  = regeneration potentialM = 11/2A
  H
  = strong hug(Owl Bear) M = 11/2A
  In Ma
  I have included those cases in which normal weapons are
  not effective ;
  I think this, on its own, only warrants a 50%
  bonus since it is rare to have a character without at least a +1
  sword, and many DMs will let you purchase them at the local
  market before the trip .
  Using these relationships, we can now look at some monsters
  with simple special powers, leaving the tough and unusual
  customers until later . In the odd case of a monster with two
  or more special powers, the A-M bonus is increased
  accordingly .
  Note : Sm for the Lurker is 'smother' which in the circumstances
  warrants a M = 21%A relationship,
  I think .
  Again, clear evidence to show that all in the Greyhawk
  garden is not lovely . What on earth is the Shadow doing in the
  fourth monster level? And witness the wide variation in the
  others - even if my A - M relationships are at times suspect
  (and they are at least arguable) the wide variation exists in A
  alone . Confirmation
  I think that this method puts us on the
  right track (although there is the possibility that it puts us
  consistently on the wrong track
  .
  .
  .
  . I'm not sure how to
  prove which is which!)
  The Undead and other 'Specials'
  At any rate, let us confidently advance to complete the
  set . So far we have missed the Undead, the Giant Insects, the
  Lycanthropes, the 'wanderers' and the Fire-Breathers, plus
  a few very tricky customers, plus any others
  I have missed,
  plus EPT monsters and new monsters from any other source .
  In the Undead category we meet for the first time monsters
  who have no A factor, and the values of M are, therefore, the
  product of D and instinct . The precise value of M is not of
  course as important as its order of magnitude .
  For a Mummy we will need Di = Disease which qualifies for
  M =
  1 %A . In the case of the Mummy, we must also bear in
  mind that the monster is very vulnerable to fire so the
  calculation below applies to a fire-proof Mummy (there are
  other examples of this elsewhere but none perhaps so obvious as
  as this one) . A normal Mummy would have a much smaller M ;
  how much smaller is a subjective matter. But let me not stress
  to much the inadequacies of the system
  .
  . .
  .
  Orc
  Goblin
  Gnoll/Hobgoblin
  Ogre
  Hill Giant
  StoneGiant
  6
  6
  5
  5
  4
  4
  1
  1%
  1%
  4+1
  8
  9
  1 : 100% 3 1/2 : -
  1 : 100% 2% : -
  1 :100%4% :-
  1
  : 100% 5 1/2.-
  1
  : 100% 9
  : -
  1
  : 100% 10% : -
  2 .5
  3.75
  4 .3
  12.1
  26.7
  30
  2 .2
  2 .3
  4 .8
  29 .9
  120
  189
  For comparison, some simple non-humanoids:
  stirge
  7
  1
  1
  : 100% 2 : -
  1
  2 .2
  2
  Wildcat
  8
  2
  1
  : 100% 10% : -
  -
  4
  6 .3
  Lizard Man
  unarmed
  5
  2+1
  1
  : 40%4 : 60% 4% : -
  -
  6.3
  8 .2
  armed
  5
  2+1
  1 :100%4% :-
  -
  6.3
  8 .6
  Bugbear
  5
  3+1
  1
  : 100%5 : -
  2
  9.2
  18 .4
  Centaur
  5
  4
  1
  : 50% 3 1/2: 50% 415: -
  -
  11 .4
  29 .6
  Su Monster
  6
  4+2
  1
  : 100% 12 1/2: -
  -
  11 .1
  62 .5
  Minotaur
  6
  6
  1
  : 50% 5 : 20% 2
  : 30% 4% : -
  5
  15
  57 .4
  Manticore
  4
  6+1
  1
  : 60% 8% : 40% 21 : -
  5
  21 .5
  145
  Griffon
  3
  7
  1 : 40% 5 : 60% 9
  : -
  -
  28
  103 .6
  Ent
  2
  8
  2 : 100% 10% : 100% 10 1/2: -
  -
  40
  420
  Invisible Stalker
  3
  8
  1 : 100% 10 : -
  5
  32
  160
  Monster
  AC
  -
  Hit
  Dim
  Melee notation
  Greyhawk
  Level
  D
  A
  M
  Shadow
  - 7
  2+2
  1 : 100% 2 1/2 : SMe
  4
  5.4
  4.1
  8.2
  Harpy
  7
  3
  1 : 40% 4
  : 60% 3 1/2: Me
  3
  6.7
  14.8
  22.2
  Blink Dog
  .
  5
  4
  1 : 100% 3% : Me
  4
  15.6
  24.5
  36.8
  Gargoyle
  5
  4
  1 : 40% 6%
  : 60% 7% : Me
  4
  (11 .4)
  (26.2)
  39.3
  Medusa
  8
  4
  2 : 100% 4% : 100%2%
  : Pe
  -
  8
  22.4
  56
  Cockatrice
  6
  5
  1 : 100% 3% : Pe
  5
  12.5
  19.7
  49 .2
  0w1 Bear
  5
  5
  1 : 40% 11 1/2 : 60% 7 : H
  4
  28.6
  113.1
  169 .7
  Phase Spider
  6
  5
  1 : 100% 3% : PoMa
  4
  12.5
  19.7
  59 .1
  Ogre Magi
  4
  5+2
  1 : 100% 6'h : RMa
  5
  18.1
  53.1
  106.2
  .placer Beast
  4
  6
  2 : 100% 5 : 100% 5 : Me
  4
  30
  135
  202 .5
  Intellect Devourer
  4
  6
  1
  : 100% 10 : Me
  -
  (90)
  (405)
  1215
  Basilisk
  4
  6+1
  1
  : 100% 5% : Pe
  6
  20.7
  51 .3
  128.4
  Lammasu
  6
  6+2
  1
  : 100% 7 : Me
  5
  16.1
  56.4
  84.6
  Troll
  4
  6+3
  1 : 100%9 1/2: R
  5
  22.2
  105.6
  158.4
  Wyvern
  3
  7
  1
  : 67% 3% : 33% 9 : Po
  5
  28
  74.7
  149.4
  Gorgon
  2
  8
  1
  : 100% 7 : Pe
  -
  40
  140
  350
  Umber Hulk
  2
  B
  1
  : 100% 19 : Me
  5
  40
  360
  540
  Couatl
  5
  9
  2
  : 100% 2 : 100% 5
  : MaPo
  -
  25.7
  108
  216
  Lurker
  6
  10
  1
  : 100% 3% : Sm
  -
  25
  52.5
  131 .3
  D
  40
  =
  141/2 X
  = about 9.2
  A =Dx 2+8
  x0.4=about 18.4
  Melee notation is :
  1 :100% 5 :
  
  A remarkably self-consistent set of results for the Undead
  which may help us later in drawing up new monster level
  tables. These calculations also show how important it is to
  recruit a high-level Cleric to the party - anything worse than a
  Ghoul is rather too tough for a small cleric-less party.
  Nowadays some nasty-minded DMs (this one included) are apt
  to put high-level anti-Clerics with their Undead to challenge
  and oppose any turning away ; this is a dirty trick, of course,
  but the resulting anti-cleric-v-cleric mental combat may make
  the psionic rules worth while (I have found no other reason) .
  So onto the Giant Insects, some of which are simple, others
  less so .
  I had better explain that my melee notation for the
  Giant Scorpion, which looks a bit odd, is the result of my
  ruling that this beauty attacks with two pincers (1-10) each
  on the same opponent and if either or both pincers hit, the
  victim also suffers a sting attack (1-4 plus poison) which
  automatically hits if both pincers have hit but which has the
  normal probability of hitting if only one pincer has hit . Since
  it is a 3-dice beast, it requires a roll of 13 or more to hit which
  means a hit probability of 8/20 . Therefore the probability of
  both pincers missing is (12/20) 2 which is 36%, and this is the
  only time the sting attack is not attempted . So the sting will
  attack 64% of the time, 16% automatic hit, 48% normal
  probability of a hit . This makes the calculation for that beast
  rather complex and it may be worth displaying as an example:
  D
  Average hits x 40
  =
  13'/2 x 40 = 7,1/2
  9 (AC+2)
  9
  x 8
  A=71/2 X
  4
  1
  1+10
  l
  1+4
  12
  1+10
  2
  1+4
  25
  2
  2
  25
  2
  5
  2
  =7 1/2 25
  = 39
  (Incidentally, this prompts me to ask anyone who disagrees
  with my arithmetic to let me know in what respect we differ .
  I can't hope to have carried out all these calculations without
  error) .
  We need to intorduce De = Deafness and Ad = Acid for the
  Bombardier Beetle, together warranting M = 3A . Also note the
  Giant Wasp's virulent poison requires M = 3A at least and the
  Giant Tick as disease-bearer needs M = 21/2A.
  The Lycanthropes are, for a change, relatively easy . None
  can be hit by normal weapons but that apart there is no
  complication . Di in this case is lycanthropy which alone
  would require M = 1 1/2A, so M is at least 2A in all cases to
  reflect lycanthropy and invulnerability to normal weapons.
  Again a useful and consistent set of results which belies the
  Greyhawk tables . Lycanthropes seem to me a much-ignored
  feature of dungeons - I am sure more could be made of their
  peculiarities and the behaviour their 'mission' would lead them
  to exhibit. Methinks the Editor would welcome an article on
  this subject from someone who has done some in-depth study.
  Only a few of the 'wandering' monsters lend themselves
  to the analysis . Some (Yellow Mould, Green Slime, Grey Ooze
  for instance) are really traps rather than true monsters and there
  is no difficulty in killing or avoiding them once their presence
  has been detected The Rust Moster is a damned nuisance but
  can't harm a person at all unless there is something very
  peculiar about his insides . Generally, these types of
  'wanderer' can be spread throughout all levels of a dungeon .
  This leaves us with a few 'true' wanderers, none of which
  present any calculation difficulty .
  One obvious question arises here - why is the Ochre Jelly
  ranked on Greyhawk level 3? Its only special property is that
  weapon hits cause it to multiply - and who, moderately
  familiar with dungeon lore, is daft enough to go hitting Ochre
  Jellies with swords?
  Next time we will tackle the fire
  - breathers and round up
  the remaining nasties plus any others which have so far
  escaped the net. In the meantime, if you want to practice the
  method of analysis, work out M for (a) a 5-headed Hydra and
  (b) a 9+2 dice Shedu. The answers will be given next
  week (but no prizes!) .
  Monster
  AC
  Hit
  Dice
  Melee notation
  Greyhawk
  Level
  D
  A
  M
  Giant Fire Beetle
  4
  1-1
  1 : 100% 13 1/2: -
  4
  2.6
  7
  7
  Giant Bombardier
  Beetle
  4
  1
  1 : 100% 61% : DeAd
  4
  3.3
  5.4
  16 .2
  Giant Spider
  7
  2
  1 : 100% 2 : Po
  3
  4.4
  2.7
  5.4
  GiantToad
  6
  2
  1 : 100% 5 1/2 : Po
  2
  5
  8.25
  16 .5
  Giant Leech
  8
  2
  1 : 100% 7 : LPo
  -
  4
  8.4
  25 .2
  GiantTick
  4
  3
  1 : 100% 2 1/2 : Di
  -
  10
  10
  25
  GiantWasp
  5
  3
  1
  : 100% 4 1/2 : Po
  -
  8.6
  15.4
  46.2
  GiantScorpion
  6
  3
  2
  : 2 x 100% 51/2
  : 64%2% : Po
  4
  7.5
  39
  78
  Giant Snake
  4
  4
  2
  : 100% 3% : 100% 5 : Po
  3
  13.3
  51
  102
  Giant Boring Beetle 3
  5
  1
  : 100% 10 1/2 : -
  4
  20
  94.5
  94.5
  Giant Slug
  8
  12
  1
  : 100% 6% : Ad
  5
  24
  109.2
  218.4
  Monster
  AC
  Hit
  Dice
  Melee notation
  Greyhawk
  Level
  D
  A
  M
  Skeleton
  7
  1
  1 : 100% 3% : -
  1
  2.2
  .9
  .9
  Zombie
  7
  1
  1 :100% 4 1/2: -
  2
  2.2
  2
  2
  Ghoul
  6
  2
  1
  : 60% 4 : 40%2%
  : Pa
  2
  5
  3.3
  6.6
  Wight
  5
  3
  1 :- :LMa
  3
  (8 .6)
  -
  70
  Wraith
  3
  4
  1 : 100% 3% : LMa
  4
  (16)
  (25.2)
  75.6
  Mummy
  3
  5+1
  1 : 100% 6Y. : DiMa
  5
  (41 .8)
  022.2)
  244.4
  Spectre
  2
  6
  1 : 100%4'% : LLMa
  5
  (30)
  160.75)
  243
  Vampire
  2
  8
  1 : 100% 5% : LLMa
  6
  (40)
  (110)
  440
  Monster
  AC
  Hit
  Dice
  Melee notation
  Greyhawk
  Level
  D
  A
  M
  Wererat
  (rat form)
  7
  3
  1
  : 100% 2 : MaDi
  3
  (6.7)
  (5.3)
  10.6
  (human form)
  7
  3
  1 : 100% 4 1/2:MaDi
  3
  (6.7)
  (12)
  24
  Werewolf
  5
  4
  1 :100%5 :MaDi
  4
  (11.4)
  (22.9)
  45.8
  Wereboar
  4
  4+1
  1 : 100% 7 : MaDi
  4
  (14.1)
  (44.3)
  88.6
  Wer
  3
  5
  1 : 100% 10% : MaDi
  4
  (20)
  (94.5)
  189
  Were
  :tiger
  boar
  2
  6
  1 : 100% 9 : MaDi H
  4
  (30)
  (162)
  405
  Monster
  AC
  Hit
  Dice
  Melee notation
  Greyhawk
  Level
  D
  M
  Carrion Crawler
  3
  3+1
  1 : -
  : 8xPa
  2
  12 .9
  -
  120
  Gelatinous Cube
  8
  4
  1 : 100% 5
  : Pa
  1
  8
  18
  36
  Ochre Jelly
  8
  5
  1 : 100% 7
  : -
  3
  10
  31 .5
  31 .5
  Black Pudding
  6
  10
  1
  : 100% 13% : -
  -
  25
  202.5
  202.5
  
  OPEN 80X
  OPEN BOX examines Science Fiction and Fantasy games and
  rulebooks currently in the shops. The reviews have been written by
  either independent authorities or members of the White Dwarf Test
  Panel.
  Ratings on a 1-10 scale are given by the Test Panel and those
  immediately below are shown for comparison purposes :
  Complexity, skill and originality are self-explanatory. Atmosphere
  means the feel of realism combined with excitement level. Presentation
  considers production quality, design and clarity of rules. Overall is a
  total analysis of the game itself, regardless of its presentation .
  SORCERER
  SPI - £6.25
  Sorcerer is SPI's first Fantastic simulation game . In this
  game of magical conflict you get 400 counters printed on both
  sides, a 22" by 34" mapsheet, a 16 page booklet with the rules
  of play, player notes and nine scenarios which cover situations
  for 1 - 6 players.
  The mapsheet depicts part of an imaginary world in a
  weakly magical universe, which is at the intersection of six
  strongly magical universes . Each type of magic is represented
  by a colour and each colour is more powerful than the next in
  a circular, non-transitive, order. That is to try to say that red
  is more powerful than purple which is more powerful than
  blue etc. to orange which is more powerful than red. There
  are some non-magical areas in this world and it is there that
  the human cities are sited .
  The mapsheet is gridded with large 1" hexes which are
  either one of the six colours of magic, white (a combination
  of all six colours) or grey (non-magical). The counters come
  in the same six colours, although the shades are brighter than
  those on the map which was printed in pastel shades to
  prevent players becoming 'dazzle happy' . Also on the mapsheet
  are 2 copies of the Combat Results Table, and the Colour (or
  rather Color) Value Chart which gives the value of each colour
  of magic in each hex colour . Combat occurs between units
  in the same hex and the combat differential of two magical
  units depends upon the colour of the hex they are in and the
  colours of the units. Ability to handle these relationships is
  essential for success in Sorcerer .
  Sorcerer was designed by Redmond Simonsen, responsible
  for the physical systems design of most SPI games, whose
  12
  previous game design was Starforce - SPI's game of
  interstellar conflict . Both games posit, as they say, an imaginary
  situation with play that doesn't feature the fronts of
  conventional warfare, but rather centres around various focal
  points - the Stargates in Starforce and the cities and fortresses
  in Sorcerer . Redmond has since designed Dixie, the game in
  Strategy and Tactics 54, another hypothetical situation but
  this time an earthbound one .
  The sequence of play in Sorcerer is first player moves,
  all players attack, second player moves, all players attack,
  and so on . Players should always attack if it is possible to do
  so because the attacker never suffers any losses . Defenders'
  combat losses are expressed as a certain number of steps lost .
  If a unit looses one step it is inverted to display the depleted
  value printed on the back . Another step lost and the unit is
  destroyed. Forces can also be pinned as a result of combat .
  Sorcerer is a 'combined arms' game - the various unit
  types have different capabilities and it is important to combine
  them correctly. The main unit types are :-
  Sorcerers which serve as 'leaders, organizers and recruiters' .
  Sorcerers can conjure (create) magical units, undeplete and
  unpin units (including themselves), create the all-devouring
  vortexes (vortices? SPI say vortexes), fling magic bolts,
  teleport themselves and human infantry across the board,
  change the colour of hexes and, in the optional rules, clone
  themselves and create cloaks of invisibility . Sorcerers have the
  power in one, two or three colours of magic. They are vital to
  success in the game . They are strong in power but weak in
  defence . A lone Sorcerer carelessly left in the wrong colour
  hex will be depleted by a magic bolt and destroyed in the next
  combat phase.
  Human Infantry are also often vital for success as they give
  control of the human cities. Their strength is constant, i.e .
  unaffected by the colour of their hex. When lost they cannot
  be replaced .
  Magical Units are trolls, demonic infantry, air dragons and
  enchanted fortresses . Fortresses are allocated and positioned
  at the start of a scenario . Sorcerers can conjure up as many of
  the other units as they can afford . The trolls are strong in
  attack but weak in movement - sometimes they cannot
  leave a hex without the help of a Sorcerer . Air dragons are
  the opposite, large movement factor, weak combat factor, with
  demonic infantry a balance of the two.
  SPI rate the game with a complexity level of 6 .5 (on their
  1 to 9 scale) . However, Sorcerer will be more complicated
  initially to the average gamer than, say, a Napoleonic game
  with the same complexity level, because he would already be
  familiar with the logic of the conflict and half the rules before
  he stared . However, again, there is a rationale to Sorcerer . Once
  this is understood, and familiarity with the Colour Value
  Chart gained, the mechanics of the game are easily handled and
  play flows freely . There are two solitaire scenarios in Sorcerer
  which serve to help the new player become familiar with these
  things .
  Also in the game are four 2 player and three 3 player
  scenarios. One of the latter can expanded to 4, 5 or 6 players
  although
  I suspect it may be unbalanced with 4 or 5 players.
  The number of players in any scenario can be increased by
  having an additional player control Shir, the Black Sorcerer,
  who seeks to create confusion and disunity among the
  colour Sorcerers . Shir wins by stopping the others winning
  or by destroying the winner just after he's won. In which case
  he hasn't won .
  .
  . if you see what
  I mean . Shir's most
  powerful feature is his ability to act as an intelligent vortex .
  SPI recommend The Rivalry of Balt and Dnai as the first
  2 player scenario but I prefer the Uprising of the City States
  with its more "visual" victory conditions . Like most of the
  Sorcerer scenarios it presents the players with a fine decision
  as to what to do for the best . The Sorcerers' ability to teleport
  across the board to and from hexes of their colour(s) means
  that the foci of action can change suddenly . Players must
  always be wary of the bolt from the blue (sometimes literally) .
  Asolid "front line" does not protect your "rear" in Sorcerer,
  so when you go on the offensive don't neglect your home
  base(s).
  Diplomacy
  D&D
  Complexity
  5
  Player 3 Referee 10
  Skill
  10
  10
  Atmosphere
  7
  10
  Originality
  10
  10
  Presentation
  7
  5
  OVERALL
  10
  10
  
  Like most tactical games, Sorcerer can be expanded by the
  players. Brief notes on discovering new spells and creating new
  scenarios are given in the rules booklet. The scope is there, it's
  up to you.
  Sorcerer is an enjoyable game. A fun game without being
  a facile game . Colourful in looks and language . Sorcerer will
  be more attractive to gamers who are more interested in
  wargames as games rather than as historical simulations . After
  all, as SPI say, "Any resemblance of characters in this
  simulation to persons living or unliving is purely magical' .
  RATINGS
  Complexity :
  8
  Skill:
  7
  Atmosphere :
  6
  Originality:
  7
  Presentation :
  5
  OVERALL:
  7
  STARSHIP TROOPERS
  Avalon Hill - £7.95
  Rob Thomasson
  The appearance of Starship Troopers has been rather
  obscured by the number of Fantasy and SF games now
  available on the market . However, as the first foray into this
  field by Avalon Hill it deserves attention.
  The game is based on the book of the same name by
  Robert Heinlein which won the Hugo award for best SF novel
  in 1959 . I must admit that in my eyes Heinlein can do very
  little wrong but having seen good SF stories butchered by the
  film industry
  I approached this game with great suspicion .
  I
  was very pleasantly surprised to find that the game is an
  extremely accurate representation of situations contained in
  the book .
  The game deals with various battles fought by the 'Mobile
  Infantry' during the course of an interstellar war. These
  infantry troopers are dropped onto planetary surfaces by
  orbiting starships to attack specific targets. Their 'drop
  capsules' are designed to fragment into many radar reflecting
  pieces so that together with radar jamming they may land on
  a planetary surface without being picked off by missiles . Each
  trooper is equiped with a suit of 'powered armor' including
  a jet pack . These suits give each man high_ protection,
  mobility and the firepower of a present day platoon.
  The game contains seven scenarios depicting the troopers in
  action against two opposing races ; the Skinnies and the Bugs .
  The battles are set in the correct 'historical' order from the
  book but also form a programmed learning sequence so that
  you can play the first game scenario, a commando raid on a
  Skinny city, as soon as you can set the board up and read the
  first two pages of the rule book . Each subsequent game
  introduces a few extra rules and pieces of equipment but
  always in a manageable quantity so that you are not deluged
  with pages of facts, figures and combat tables as with many
  current SF games.
  Most of the more advanced games are concerned with raids
  or invasions of the 'Bug' planets. The Bugs live in tunnel
  complexes under the surface of the planet forming a sort of
  hive community. At the centre of each hive is the community
  Queen as well as the intelligent 'Brain' cast which telepathically
  controls the mindless warrior and worker bugs . The Terran
  player usually has few problems landing and setting up his
  troops but then his troubles really start . Although he is
  generally superior in firepower and mobility he does not know
  the layout of the Bug tunnel complexes, so that the Bugs
  may break through to the surface and mount an attack on any
  part of the board. Furthermore, the Terran player cannot tell
  the difference between the harmless workers and the warriors
  without landing a trooper on the same hex, thus making him
  more vulnerable to attack . To find the ideal Bug player I
  suggest you select the most bloodthirsty wargamer you know
  as the Bug Brains have no compunction about firing on their
  own units or exploding nuclear mines under them in order to
  kill the enemy!
  As the scenarios progress, following the course of the
  book, the Terran player developes equipment to enable him to
  'sense' the layout of the Bug tunnels and to attack them with
  nerve gas or with engineer units armed with nuclear demolitions .
  To balance this, his victory conditions are made more difficult,
  requiring him to send troopers down into the tunnel network,
  where the Bugs have the advantage in combat, to capture
  Brains and Queens or to release prisoners .
  There is plenty of action in all the scenarios since it is almost
  impossible to evolve a static defensive strategy . Avalon Hill
  deserve the highest praise for their very imaginative use of
  victory points . For instance, these are used to penalise the
  elite Terran forces if they allow troops to be captured or if
  they kill innocent civilians during battles on the Skinny
  planets. In many scenarios the raiding force must board
  a 'retrieval boat' and return to their orbiting spacecraft before
  the end of the game . This means that they must hit the enemy
  hard before this and they must keep their units moving so that
  the enemy cannot guess where they will rendezvous to be
  picked up and mount a strong counter attack . One scenario
  even begins after a force has suffered a devestating defeat and
  the Terran player must evacuate his troops from the surface
  as best he can. Asituation which is perhaps more realistic
  than any in the more conventional wargames .
  One major feature of the appeal of Starship Troopers is that
  each Trooper marker represents one man, giving much more
  involvement with the fate of your units. Someone described
  one of their games to me as follows - "He stepped out of the
  aircar, a hole opened up in front of him and dozens of bugs
  poured out" - this shows a degree of 'identification' more
  normally associated with role-playing games. Unexpected
  situations can arise at any time - for example, in the
  evacuation scenario you manage to get almost all your men
  aboard the first of the two rescue boats when one of the
  stragglers is hit by a beam and is unable to make it to the boat
  before blast off. Do you abandon him or do you detach a
  rescue force to carry him to the second boat? Perhaps in
  another scenario the Bug player destroys you retrieval boat
  with a nuclear mine . Your troops are doomed but they are the
  elite of Earth's fighting forces ; can they also destroy the Bugs
  in a suicide assault?
  The amount of work that has gone into this game is
  impressive . Several times as
  I was reading through the
  'programmed learning' style instructions I thought" Ah but
  they haven't allowed for .
  .
  . ." only to turn the page to the
  next scenario and finding that there were indeed rules dealing
  with whatever I'd thought of .
  All in all this is probably the best SF game currently on the
  market because it has the well worked out background of
  Heinlein's novel and because it is an extrapolation of current
  military technology, allowing Avalon Hill to use their
  experience in game design .
  I hope this is not the last SF game
  that we shall see from them . The novel Starship Troopers is
  currently out of print but does give hints on the best tactics
  for each scenario . A related book is Joe Haldeman's Forever
  War which shares much of the technological background.
  My only complaint is why, after producing such a good game,
  did AH put such a hideous illustration on the box lid?
  Something seemingly from a failed attempt to make Flash
  Gordon in colour - surely a guarantee to put most prospective
  players off the game .
  RATI NGS
  Complexity :
  9
  Skill :
  8
  Atmosphere :
  9
  Originality:
  9
  Presentation :
  7
  OVERALL:
  9
  Martin Easterbrook
  13
  
  14
  Pre-rolled characters, objectives, time limits and a points scoring system are all required for . . . .
  Compet 'it 'ive D&D
  by Fred Hemmings
  T
  he title, Competitive D&D, is really a contradiction in
  itself, since it implies the existence of a non-competitive
  version - a strange game indeed! However, there is a
  great difference between a normal dungeon or wilderness
  expedition and one run as a competition, providing the latter is
  done properly . A true competition cannot be run in an
  everyday dungeon since the variables between parties would
  make the result more to do with luck than skill . The
  immediate solution would seem to be a small dungeon which
  newly rolled characters could explore . But then another
  problem presents itself - one of the players could roll an
  18+3+4 strong fighter thus giving his party an immediate
  advantage over all others .
  That happened when a small competition was being held in
  a dungeon known as 'The Fabled Garden of Merlin' and
  created by Merle Davenport . No competition dungeon can be
  regarded as being typical (that after all is the whole point),
  but this particular one can be used to draw a few guidelines .
  Eight people were involved in the competition, split into
  two groups of four. Each threw a new character and, with the
  aid of a Dungeonmaster (DM), the two parties entered its
  mazy depths, or at least tried.
  I say tried because the main
  problem with this dungeon was that apart from the garden
  itself (and its surrounding woods), nothing appeared to exist
  except for a door that could not be opened - but I am
  getting ahead of myself .
  The DM told the parties that points would be awarded for
  the levels reached by the survivors (an encouraging opening
  line), lesser ones for treasure gained and monsters killed, one
  for each magic item found and more should such an item
  be identified . Top points award would go to a party who
  discovered something belonging to Merlin and succeeded in
  bringing it out, whilst no points at all would be gained unless
  the dungeon was left before the end of one hour . The latter
  rule was not included in the rules of the dungeon but seems a
  reasonable one and now is always used as the basic method of
  judging success when
  I run a competition .
  Returning to the dungeon itself, both parties had to walk
  along a narrow path through woods until they came to a door
  with a gem embedded on both sides of it and flanked on
  either side by a chest and a large urn. Deciding to deal with
  these on the way out, our party tried to open the door and
  eventually succeeded in pressing the gems in the correct way
  to do this . Fortunately we did not attempt to do it in one
  of two other possible ways, either of which would almost
  certainly killed whoever was involved . The door opened .
  Beyond was the Garden of Merlin .
  Entering, we found oursleves in an octagonal area
  containing a roughly diamond-shaped pool of water at each
  point over which, set on ten foot high platforms, were small
  braziers . The eight platforms all intersected in the middle of
  the lake at which point there was a twenty foot tall statue of
  Merlin, wearing a scarab necklace and a gold belt (both
  turned out to be potentially deadly since only one character
  class could use them safely) . To the left and right side of the
  water there were arcs of three trees, whilst at the far side
  stood a small building which had a door around most of which
  was an arch of twelve gems and some unreadable writing (it
  turned out to be written in Lammasu!). The door would
  neither open nor break. After a while we discovered that
  things happened when the lowest tree branches were pulled,
  but only at the cost of my fighter being temporarily put to
  sleep by one tree and another character being killed by a
  constricting net. Finally, the door was removed. The difficulty
  of this operation can best be illustrated
  simply by saying that at tile end of
  their hour the other party had not
  succeeded in finding the combination,
  despite the fact that the party were
  mostly experienced dungeoneers. The
  three remaining members of the party
  I was with pressed forward, negotiated
  a vertical shaft (avoiding two rather
  obvious traps), discovered, with the
  aid of a bag of flour, an invisible,
  talking, cowardly Mummy (yes, the
  genuine leprous touch version),
  skulking at the bottom, avoiding
  him and finally reached the first level!
  Having taken more time than we
  would have wished with the preceeding actions the party
  hurried on into the next room, which appeared to be empty,
  only for the two in front to fall through the floor which was
  made of starched paper. Both landed in a cauldron of cool
  bubbling water and one, who's head went beneath the
  surface, was made dumb for the rest of the expedition . The
  third member carefully made his way down . Another few
  minutes had been wasted, but at least the second level had
  been reached .
  Onward! Onward! The party hurried to the door at the
  other end of the room and, scarcely pausing to listen, flung it
  open . The three Ogres in the room were surprised ; our party
  horrified! We couldn't afford to retreat, time was against us .
  "Sleep," snarled the fortunately still vocal magician, whilst
  the fighter and thief prepared to rush forward and melee the
  remaining two. However, all three were amazed to hear the
  triple crash of the monsters collapsing to the ground . Low
  dice Ogres? The party looked at one another; this was certainly
  a strange place, they thought, before rushing in and slitting
  their throats.
  Opening the next door, each 300GPs richer, the party was
  confronted by steps going down, so roping themselves
  together they hurried, as fast as they dared, towards the third
  level .
  Another door at the bottom and the party found themselves
  in a room . The side walls were lined with glass cases containing
  relics, some of which might be magical and all of which looked
  to be valuable . There appeared to be no other way out. Could
  this be the dungeon's nadir? Surely not. There appeared to be
  nothing here representing either Merlin or his works. The three
  searched for secret passages and found the back wall to be
  hollow but apparently without entrance . Fifteen minutes
  remained . Realising this the fighter drew forth a mace and,
  telling the others to stand back, began a series of smashing
  blows under which the false wall rapidly crumbled to reveal
  another vertical shaft.
  "Let's do this room on the way back," he said, preparing
  to descend, only to find a peculiar gravity condition which
  permitted one to walk down the wall .
  At the bottom of the shaft was the fourth level, a room, a
  chest and a plaque on the floor . Since there was no immediate
  danger apparent the others joined him. The chest was
  carefully ransacked, its traps being avoided, and next came the
  plaque . By an amazing stroke of good fortune, this was
  written in Shedu, a language our magician understood . It read
  'in front of you lies the wisdom of the ages .' It was quickly
  discovered that the plaque could be pushed into the floor and
  the party was confronted by 18 black, wand-like sticks, equally
  divided between three cubby holes with a notice in lawful
  
  reading'Up and down, in and out' . The party was puzzled
  but unwilling at this stage to take many risks . This must
  surely be something to do with Merlin - they would take it
  with them . With eight minutes remaining the fighter and
  thief began wrapping the sticks up in separate bundles, being
  careful not to touch any of them, whilst the magician ran off
  down a corridor opening at the other end of the room to see
  where it led. After a moment he came hurring back and
  reported that, after a short distance it became slime coated
  and began to slope upward . Clearly this problem could not be
  tackled in the time remaining so the party began its retreat .
  Up the shaft and into the museum room . The door was
  opened for a quick retreat . Aiming at the most valuable
  looking case the fighter's mace swung .
  .
  .
  . and bounced,
  swung .
  .
  .
  . and bounced again. The thief came up to attempt
  his skill on the locks whilst the fighter moved to the door .
  This was a wise precaution as it turned out, for, as the thief
  inserted his lock pick, the room's guardian (a little
  prematurely according to the specification), that terrible and
  deady monster, a Ghost, began to materialise. The thief fled, the
  door was slammed and the party rushed headlong up the
  stairs . Fortunately there was no pursuit.
  The trip back to the garden was uneventful except for the
  dungeon once more proving its deadliness . A second member
  of the party was lost when, on placing the statue's necklace
  around his own throat, he too became stone. Carefully
  removing this from our dead colleage we wrapped it up, did
  the same with the gold belt and moved on.
  The clock said four minutes to go as we left the garden to
  tackle the urns and chests . Employing extreme precautions
  we succeeded in obtaining most of the valuables they
  contained without further damage or loss, and, with a minute
  to spare left the grove with our loot.
  There were both good things and bad about dungeon and
  expedition . At the time I enjoyed the dungeon, which was
  certainly a mental challenge, but looking back on it, having
  read the full specification
  I was less happy, It was too small,
  this being proved by the fact that four first level characters
  could reach the bottom (yes, we had got there), and return
  within an hour - a total of only 12 rooms, 14 if you include
  the garden and the surrounding woods. Also the number of
  traps was totally disproportionate, there being 23 of them,
  most of which must be regarded as being deadly
  (I am amazed
  that we survived) . Many of the useful messages were written in
  obscure languages and the treasure to be obtained very
  limited (though this tends to be necessary in a competition-
  type environment) .
  One thing I would like to credit our DM with was the
  provision of 'magic knapsacks' . These wonderous items, both
  useful and standardized without being overpowerful, contain
  one of each item appearing on the D&D equipment list
  although their weight is negligible . However, once an item has
  been taken out it can never be put back nor can any new item
  be put into one. On the other hand he required that each
  character be a newly rolled one although various details
  within the specification made it absolutely clear that it was
  designed for a much more powerful party. However, as it
  was the same for both parties as a contest it remained
  legitimate . Very restrictive was our lack of numbers ; with only
  four first level characters it was impossible, until right at the
  end, to take any but the most vital of risks . Also, although
  the ability to sleep three Ogres may well have saved our lives,
  this, after an invisible, cowardly, talking Mummy, made us
  wonder what other twisted monsters might exist . Fortunately
  we did not attempt to experiment with the Ghost, it was
  exactly as in the D&D rules!
  There were far more lessons to be drawn from this
  expedition than the simple one of not leaving the abilities of
  the characters entering to chance . Thus when, with the aid of
  Chris Bursey,
  I came to build my own competition dungeon
  for use at D&D-Day on 12th March 1977, Merlin's Garden
  and more recent experiences were strong influence on the
  design, objectives and points allocation .
  Points allocation and the use of pre-rolled characters
  be described in White Dwarf 2.
  NO WAY OUT?
  Solutions on page 22
  Puzzles expert, DAVID WELLS, turns his talents to D&D with a
  regular column of puzzles, riddles and cryptograms based on D&D
  adventures
  '
  Tweedledum and Tweedledee
  One of the perils of the Looking Glass Forest is the presence
  of Tweedledum and Tweedledee . They are totally unreliable,
  apart from the well-known fact that Tweedledee always and
  only lies immediately after Tweedledum has lied . It is after
  acting on their information that many dungeon expeditions
  have met with doom .
  This time Tweedledum and Tweedledee were sitting at a
  fork in the road, arguing as usual, when a party arrived and
  asked them which road they should take to reach the bridge
  over the Singing Waters .
  The conversation went like this :
  Tweedledum :
  If some of the statements we make are true,
  you should turn RIGHT.
  Tweedledee :
  I say you should turn LEFT .
  Tweedledum :
  However, if and only if we always tell the
  truth, you should go back the way you came .
  Tweedledee :
  No, they shouldn't! They should turn LEFT!
  Tweedledum :
  Nonsense! They should only go left if there
  is a Z in the month .
  Tweedledee :
  Two plus two equals four, so there, bonehead!
  At this remark, Tweedledum started to punch Tweedledee,
  who smashed him back, and it was obvious that the dungeoneers
  would get no more sense, or nonsense, out of them . In which
  direction should they have gone?
  The Hireling
  Hirelings can be very unhelpful at the best of times.
  Despite the gift of 10 GPs, a dungeon party had only managed
  to extract some unitelligible sounds from a Little Old Man
  they had encountered outside a room they wished to enter .
  Nevertheless, it appeared that the elf hireling seemed to
  understand what was being said . However, he was only willing
  to translate three of the four statements the Little Old Man
  made as the party had been previously foolhardy which
  resulted in the death of his friend, Fifo .
  The party, therefore, had to fall back on their own wits to
  translate the remaining statement.
  Can you identify the translations of each statement, and
  translate the fourth?
  The Statements :
  serut araton
  tima nem sene tekalo "
  sen rato kor
  nem rato serut
  The translations, not in any particular order:
  dangerous animal will attack you
  take yourselves away
  r
  the treasure cannot be taken
  The Orcs' Den
  "So there
  I was", continued Mordus the Magician, "stranded
  in the Orcs' den with only three hits left and Orcs on either side
  of me . I knew where the rest of the party were, but l had to
  pass at least three Orcs to reach them, and although
  I could
  do so in three different ways, each seemed as risky as the
  other. See, here is the lay-out of their den, the Orcs are
  marked by dots . Unfortunately, I'd used up my sleep spell
  and . . .
  .
  . ."
  While Mordus talked on, his listeners were working out
  exactly whereabouts in the den he had been trapped.
  What was his exact
  location, and
  where were the
  rest of the
  party?
  15
  
  Part 1
  : Philosophy
  Is D&Da talking-book or a serious wargame? Both schools of thought are analysed to discover which is best suited for . .
  . .
  D&D Campaigns
  by Lewis Pulsipher
  D
  ungeons and Dragons is probably the most popular
  game in the USA produced in the past five years . As
  more sets reach Britain it is approaching a similar level
  of popularity . D&D campaigns are very rare here, however,
  because most referees are insufficiently experienced to set one
  up . This series ought to help those who have some refereeing
  experience but are unfamiliar with campaigns, but is aimed
  at players who want to start refereeing on the right footing .
  It is based on wide reading and experience with D&D
  campaigns in the United States . Of course, there are many
  ways to play D&D.
  I must of necessity concentrate on my
  way . Readers who are entirely unfamiliar with D&D are
  strongly advised to first read Games Workshop's D&D
  introductory pamphlet . That introduction will help
  immensely, but the following is written for someone who has
  at least played the game or read the rules .
  Some abbreviations are commonly used when discussing
  Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) . Rather than say 'six-sided
  die', 'D6' can be used, and so on for each type . Character
  class and level may be abbreviated as 4F (fourth level fighter),
  6MU (sixth level magic-user), and so on . 'Monsters' means all
  non-players, including men . 'Creatures' usually means any
  living thing . In the following I will often refer to character
  levels by 'low', 'middle', and 'high' . These terms mean
  respectively about first to third level, fourth to sixth, and
  seventh to ninth . In a long campaign characters higher than
  ninth may be developed, but this should not be common .
  This series is divided into three sections, Philosophy,
  Mechanics, and Rules Recommendations . The first concerns
  how the referee wants to characterise his game, what style
  he intends to adopt ; something referees seldom think about
  but ought to . The second concerns the actual mechanics of
  setting up a campaign and running a game, going beyond the
  vague brief suggestions in the rules. The third section
  concerns rule clarifications and some recommended
  interpretations of ambiguous rules, with explanations of their
  impact on a campaign . For reasons of space
  I have omitted
  a multitude of minor subjects .
  D&D Styles
  D&D players can be divided into two groups, those who
  want to play the game as a game and those who want to
  play it as a fantasy novel,
  i .e . direct escapism through
  abandonment of oneself to the flow of play as opposed to
  the gamer's indirect escapism - the clearcut competition
  and mental exercise any good game offers . There are two
  subdivisions in each division . The game-players may emphasise
  player skill in players-vs-monsters (and sometimes vs other
  players) or they may prefer players-vs-puzzles (riddles, traps,
  mazes, etc.) to monster slaying . Of course no D&D campaign
  is purely one or the other. The escapists can be divided
  into those who prefer to be told a story by the referee, in
  effect, with themselves as protagonist, and those who like
  a silly, totally unbelievable game . In either case, there are
  two ways this can be accomplished . One is by innumerable
  dice rolls and situations which call for chance, especially
  magical decks of cards, buttons, levers, and so on - lottery
  16
  D&D. The other is by manipulation of the situation by the
  referee, however he sees fit .
  In California, for example, this
  leads to referees who make up more than half of what
  happens, what is encountered and so on, as the game
  progresses rather than doing it beforehand . In either case the
  player is a passive receptor, with little control over what
  happens.
  There is nothing inherently wrong with the silly/escapist
  method, but it is a strange way for game players to act,
  and many White Dwarf readers are presumably game players
  as well as SF fans . Gary Gygax has made it clear that D&D
  is a wargame, though the majority of players do not use it
  as such .
  I personally consider the silly/escapist style to be
  both boring and inferior for any campaign, though all right
  occasionally for a weird evening .
  I hope to expalin my
  reasons in this series .
  I also prefer monster fighting to
  puzzle solving, and won't say much about the latter . The
  principles are the same, just the opponents are changed.
  I prefer to use the printed game rules whenever possible .
  The fewer changes made in the rules directly affecting
  players, the less the referee needs to explain to new players.
  In the innumerable ambiguous cases,
  I interpret rules so as
  to promote player skill and restrain high-level MUs, even
  though
  I prefer to be a magic-user .
  Although enough D&D material has been published in
  magazines and supplements to fill several books,'a referee
  should try to be self-consistent in what rules and monsters
  he uses . In other words, just because TSR has published
  reams of rules for gods in their last supplement doesn't mean
  you must or should use any of them
  . In most cases it will
  be more consistent to use one's own ideas of what the
  gods are like . Again, just because the psionics rules are there
  doesn't mean one must use them . They are confusing and
  require a complete overhaul of a world in order to add the
  psionic monsters which make the psionic character's
  life dangerous, compensating for its advantages .
  If you
  cannot or will not make the necessary changes, you shouldn't
  use the psionic rules . Or, if you think psionics smell of
  science fiction rather than fantasy, you are under no
  obligation to use them . Think about what you want, don't
  simply throw into the game any new D&D rules or monsters
  you can lay hands on . There is also no reason to retain old
  rules, such as monster tables, which can be improved without
  putting players new to your campaign at much disadvantage .
  This idea of self-consistency or integration must be
  pursued further. One of the most destructive notions I've
  encountered in D&D is the belief that 'anything goes' . This
  is fine for a pick-up or silly-fun game, but contributes an
  air of unreality and recklessness which can be fatal to a
  campaign, and which in any case is offensive to many players.
  Inevitably, an 'anything goes' campaign tends to be one in
  which player skill counts for little, for two reasons . First,
  players have no foundation to base decsions on ; never
  knowing what to expect, they cannot plan a rational response .
  Second, the 'anything goes' game tends to be dominated
  by dice rolls or referee manipulation . A great deal usually
  depends on the saving throws of characters . For example, one
  of the favourite ploys of the 'anything goes' referee is to
  devise panels of buttons or decks of cards similar to a Deck
  of Many Things, often involving more far-reaching changes.
  Players push buttons or pick cards and great things occur.
  Players seldom do much to earn the rewards or penalties -
  the cards are easy to find, and the dice determine results .
  
  One may protest that the skillful player can avoid picking
  from the card deck, or fooling with the lever or button, and
  so on . Unfortunately, the structure of this kind of game
  is
  such that, if a player (not a character) wants to get ahead,
  he must take his chances. The reasoning is simple . A player
  can always roll new characters . In a luck-dominated game,
  even if half the time a player's character is seriously
  harmed, the rest of the time he benefits to the same degree
  or more . Consequently, the player who chooses not to take
  the ridiculous risks may die less of ten, but his characters will
  often be mediocre compared to those who dared and were lucky.
  The player who trusts to fate will lose many characters, but
  his other characters will prosper. In other words, the 'law
  of averages' works against the cautious player . The key is
  that the character run by the player does not have to act
  rationally because it has no separate existence . In many
  cases, only an insane person would accept the risks involved
  in cards, buttons, and levers. It's too much like Russian
  Roulette . But the player isn't the one who may die or be
  maimed ; in fact, if his character is crippled, he can easily get
  him killed and start a new one. Thus this form of the game
  forces players to depend on luck and at the same time
  contributes an air of unreality to the entire proceeding .
  Even fantastic fiction, despite the name, possesses an internal
  self-consistency, and the characters in fantasy fiction usually
  act as rational, though brave, people . In Dungeons and
  Dragons, if the campaign is not designed correctly it becomes
  unbelievable, for a D&D player may, along with the fiction
  reader, say 'I don't believe men would do this' . Each referee
  must ask himself as he sets up his campaign what rules and
  items would seem believable if he read about them in a
  fantasy novel .
  Even in a fantasy game, moderation and self-discipline are
  virtues necessary to top refereeing . While campaigns may be
  run on other bases,
  I believe that a skill-game campaign is
  likely to satisfy people more in the long run. Some people
  prefer luck and passivity, but they are seldom game players.
  If you feel a need to get drunk and/or stoned, however, try
  lottery D&D the similarities are surprising .
  Referees must not forget that the fun a person has is
  relative to what he expects . One group of science fiction
  fans
  I know of is accustomed to beginning characters at
  third or fourth level, parties of eighth to twelfth level and
  higher, innumerable magic items, and super-monsters which
  make dragons look like child's play . In a less powerful game
  these people will often be bored, for obvious reasons . On the
  other hand, players accustomed to a more subdued campaign
  might be delighted or terrified by the rewards and dangers of
  the situation which would bore the supergamers. A person
  accustomed to painstakingly working his way up from first
  level over a long period will feel great power when he can
  finally cast a fireball ; one who begins at third or fourth
  level and works up rapidly will need to reach ninth or tenth
  level to get the same thrill, if he ever can. From the referee's
  standpoint the subdued group is much more manageable .
  Players stay at lower levels longer, giving the referee more
  time to become accustomed to rules and typical spells . For
  the same reason the referee will not need to devise situations
  which will give superparties difficulty, a very tryirig job
  at best .
  I must point out before
  I continue that skill and
  experience are not synonymous .
  I have known people who
  played D&D for months but could never do well on their
  own . Others have shown remarkable aptitude in their first
  game, within the limitations of their knowledge of the rules.
  D&D is a simulation of life, a life we believe could exist
  though it does not. This real-life element permits even the
  inexperienced to play the game well through application
  of intelligence and alertness.
  THE KEEPER OF THE FLAME
  by Taupi
  Godsfire is two games in one . In the Basic version, it's a
  battle game, as space fleets and ground forces fight for
  control of fifteen planets . A totally new system of move-
  ment makes true three-dimensionalmaneuvereasy .
  The Advanced game adds diplomacy, subversion, and
  politics - and the chance of Armageddon . Before you can
  fight a war, you'll have to gain the support of internal
  political and economic groups (by fair treatment, negotia-
  tion, bribery, or force). . .or face revolution.
  METAGAMING CONCEPTS
  A three-dimensional war game . . .
  Apolitical/economic simulation . . .
  Apossible future . . .
  Componentsfor two to six players:
  Two giant (22" x 34") strategic maps
  Fifteen System Sheets
  Six National Government Sheets
  1,008 unit counters
  616 Gigabuck counters
  Detailed rule booklet (cover by Elrohir)
  Extra Data Sheets
  £9
  .85
  (post
  free)
  from
  GAMES CENTRE
  16 Hanway Street
  London W .1 .
  Britain's Widest Range of Indoor Games
  Trade Enquiries Welcome.
  17
  
  Ten years is a long time for a classicgame to go unnoticed. It happend though to . . . .
  THE WARLORD
  by Steve Jackson
  ' n 1969, I'd just discovered Diplomacy .
  I was a man possessed . Everyone of my friends and
  acquaintances had to put up with my incessant pestering :
  "You must come round and play this new game from the
  States . It takes 8 hours! You pass little notes around and have
  conferences in different rooms! You fall out with your
  friends!" Most of my friends became instant converts, but
  one remained unimpressed . "Not bad," he commented, "but
  you ought to try The Warlord ."
  The Warlord, as
  I was soon to discover, was another war
  game and, on first impressions, appeared simply to be "Risk"
  in a plain box . Picking up a bag of Lego bits, my friend
  explained : "Now these are the nuclear missiles
  .
  . ." and went
  on through the rules as we set up the board and started a game.
  Three hours later
  I was spellbound .
  I controlled 3 expanding
  empires in Spain, Northwest Russia and the Balkans and had
  2 long-range nuclear missiles aimed at the foot of Italy . I was
  being sorely beaten in the north, but stood a good chance of
  joining forces around the Mediterranean, which would allow
  me to overrun North Africa .
  With five of us playing, the game lasted 4'/2 hours . As it
  happened,
  I was crushed miserably towards the end . But
  what a game! By 9.30 the next morning,
  I had already posted
  off a cheque for my own copy . Diplomacy, admittedly, was
  still my No . 1, but The Warlord had leaped straight into my
  charts at second place .
  Empires
  The Warlord is a game of empires . Each player starts with
  a small number of expanding empires which spread and
  dissolve about the board as play progresses . Battles are resolved
  using a die, but in a totally original and highly entertaining
  way . Nuclear missiles are built and fired, leaving radioactive
  wastelands dotted around the board . The rules are clear and
  simple, yet there is great scope for strategic planning and
  quick-talking diplomacy .
  The board comes in four sections, each printed on heavy
  card . They depict an area including Europe, Central Russia,
  North Africa and half - or even quarter-board games are
  possible if a shorter game is preferred . The board is broken up
  into 320 regions of various types : Cities (yellow), Urban Areas
  (red), Rural Areas (green), Mountains (brown) and Wastelands
  (white) . All 25 Cities are represented on cards, which are dealt
  out evenly at the start of the game and a player's empires
  originate from these Cities .
  Players each have a large stack of plastic counters (which
  represent their armies), and start by placing one on each of the
  cities they have been dealt . As in Risk, players are due a
  certain number of extra armies every turn, which they place on
  the board in and around already-established empires . This
  results in empires expanding rather like the wave ripples around
  a stick in water . Expansion inevitably results in border clashes,
  and that's where we get into the game's most original aspect
  - combat resolution .
  Battles - A Guessing Game
  Player A is due 5 extra armies in his French empire .
  He would like to seal off the gateway through from Britain by
  ousting player B's army in Brittany . He places one counter in
  Belgium, to continue his previous expansion programme, and
  places the other 4 in Normandy in preparation for his attack .
  He takes the die and hides it behind his hand, secretly choosing
  18
  a number between "one" and the number of armies he is
  attacking with
  (i.e ., "four") . His choice is placed face up on
  the die . Player B then has to try to guess the number chosen .
  Neat, eh? And to help each player make his choice :
  If the defender guesses wrong, the chosen number of armies
  are moved into the captured province, while the defender's
  piece is taken hostage (removed from the board and held by
  the attacker) .
  If the defender guesses right, the attacker loses the chosen
  number of armies.
  Thus the whole business of die-choosing is not simply a
  matter of selecting a number at random . If the attacker wants
  a fair number of armies to end up in the conquered region, he
  will choose a higher number -and the defender will realise
  that. If not, he is more likely to choose a low number, so as
  not to risk heavy losses . Again, the defender will realise.
  This procedure of making war really is a fine touch ; simple,
  yet effective, and perfectly balanced .
  Converting Hostages to Missiles
  But remember those captured hostages? In his turn, a
  player continues attacking and expanding his empires until
  he cannot, or has no desire to, do anything else . At his turn's
  end,, with suitable gloating chuckles, he returns his captives to
  their owners, at the same time taking from the missile pool
  stages of nuclear missile, in equal numbers, in exchange . These
  stages snap together and up to a four-stage rocket may be
  built . This is then placed on the board, in its owner's territory,
  and may be fired anytime during his next turn (thus giving all
  other players the chance to raid his missile site).
  //i'~^unuuu_WV~mn
  - I"
  Now
  Now missiles are nasty things . If a missile explodes within
  one of your empires, you could quite easily be blown out of
  existence . When a Warlord gets to explode a missile, he
  becomes a very powerful man and everyone seems suddenly
  to come over with a very cocktail party-type politeness when
  speaking to him . A missile can be exploded anywhere within
  its range, and its range (measured in regions) is the same as
  the number of stages it has been built to . Thus, a three-stager
  can be aimed up to three regions away from its base .
  These missiles are nuclear and therefore explode with
  devastating effects . The region which a missile lands on
  becomes radioactive and a black radioactive marker is placed
  on that area . The regions surrounding the radioactive area are
  devastated and all armies therein are removed . A missile blows
  a great big hole in the board, for example, a missile exploded in
  the Appenines is capable of wiping out the whole of Italy .
  The resultant radioactive areas, which begin to appear
  around the board like an outbreak of skin blemishes, remain
  
  impassable for the rest of the game (unless a player reconstructs,
  which
  I won't go into here), but devastated areas may be
  re-colonised straight away, usually by the missile-firer . In
  addition, if another missile happens to lie in a devastated area,
  it chain-reacts and blows up on its spot . This may, in turn,
  chain-react another missile . There is no limit to the carnage
  possible!
  Strategy
  There is plenty of scope for strategy in the game . Certain
  areas, for example, are more easily defensible than others . To
  attack a City, you cannot choose a "one" on the die . When
  attacking Mountains, a number higher than "three" may not be
  chosen, no matter how many armies are attacking . When
  attacking across sea, the defender is allowed two guesses at
  the number chosen . Mountains and seas therefore form
  natural defensive boundaries for empires . Also, it is important
  to establish links, if possible, between two or more of a
  player's separate empires, as one large empire has many
  advantages over two smaller ones .
  Diplomacy also forms an important part of the game . It is
  possible, for example, to 'rig' battles : the defender purposfully
  chooses the wrong number so as to allow the attacker (his
  ally) to gain hostages and build missiles, to be used against a
  mutual enemy . However, when this happens, the whole
  rigmarole of selecting on the die must be followed through
  just in case the defender decides to double-cross at the last
  minute!
  History
  The Warlord was invented by a University lecturer, Mike
  Hayes, who has so far produced the game privately, on very
  short print runs (hence the high price) . Since its original
  conception, the rules have been changed very little, although
  the board had a face-lift a couple of years ago to include 7
  extra Cities . There are only two major rule changes,
  concerning the allocation of extra armies and captured missiles .
  Mike obviously had, his reasons for changing these rules but
  personally,
  I prefer the originals . Extra armies may now be
  claimed for every 4 Mountain areas and every 5 Wastelands
  within an empire (this will mean little to those who have not
  actually played the game), whereas the original rules allowed
  claims only for City, Urban and Rural areas . To my mind,
  Mountains have their own defensive advantages and need not
  be doubly-bonused by generating extra armies . Wastelands, as
  their name suggests, ought to be generally useless.
  All captured missiles used to be reduced to one-stagers on
  capture in the first edition, while they are now reduced to
  zero-stagers . Point taken about wanting to reduce the
  effectiveness of captured missiles, but perhaps this is overdoing
  it a bit?
  Although short, the rules are very clear indeed . The only
  point we have ever argued about (and here again, this will mean
  little to non-players), concerns the placing of missiles in
  empires linked within a particular turn . As the hostages were
  taken before the empires were linked, must the missiles thus
  gained be placed within the original boundaries of the two
  empires, or can they be added together to form a larger
  missile which can then be placed anywhere within the new
  empire? We favour the latter in this case .
  No game is properly reviewed without a mention of its
  bad points, and The Warlord has two : Firstly it is expensive,
  although there are over 1200 plastic counters, missiles,
  markers etc ., and secondly it takes a long time to play a full-
  board game .
  I once played a game which lasted a whole
  weekend, from 10pm on Friday until 11 :30pm on Sunday,
  with only about 8 hours off for sleep and half-hour delays as
  our host made us all sandwiches and coffee! A shorter game is
  easily playable if only a quarter or half of the board is used
  (a quarter-board game can usually be finished comfortably
  within 2-21/2 hours), but the full-board game with more than
  3 players can take anything from 4 hours upwards.
  But all-in-all, The Warlord is one of the few great
  undiscovered games in the country, and it is
  still well up in my top ten of favourite games .
  Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes
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  TREASURE CHEST is open for contributions relating to D&D
  additional rules, character classes, magic systems, objects, tricks and
  traps etc.
  Helm of Vision
  by Steven Littlechild
  This helm, which can be worn
  by fighters or clerics, resembles an
  ordinary fighter's helm . However,
  it is gold plated, which alone gives
  it a value of 750 GPs and in combat
  it has an additional protection
  bonus of 10%. The two eye slits are
  fitted with clear, diamond-like gems
  and have the following properties :
  (i) They act independantly as
  Gems of Seeing .
  (ii)
  They act together as double-
  range Gems of Seeing.
  (iii) They give an infravision ability, range 60 feet .
  (iv) In direct sunlight they have the following additional
  properties :
  (a)
  Monsters of 4th level or below are confused as per
  a Confusion spell
  (b)
  All monsters combat at -15%
  (c)
  Morale has a penalty of -10%
  (v)
  If removed from the helm they become merely low
  value gems worth 10GPs each .
  NO They have the following effects, depending on the
  alignment of the wearer :
  (a) Lawful - The wearer sees with 'time sight' . That is,
  the wearer sees any polymorphed,
  invisible etc. man/monster in its true
  shape and will not be aware of the
  polymorphed shape.
  The wearer sees all illusions as illusions.
  The wearer sees through a disguise 90%
  of the time.
  (b) Neutral-
  The wearer sees illusions as illusions 50%
  of the time . The wearer sees through a
  disguise 50% of the time . The wearer will
  see an evil intention towards him 'written
  all over the face' of the potential evil
  doer .
  (c) Chaos-
  The wearer sees illusions as realities .
  The wearer will never see through a
  disguise .
  The wearer will see a non-human
  monster 50% of the time as follows :
  (i)
  A weaker monster will appear to be
  stronger than himself.
  (ii)
  A stronger monster will appear to
  be weaker .
  NR(e (00(e T What's wrong with D&D
  . . . . and what I'm doing about it!
  by Andrew D. Holt
  When D&D first became available in this country we tried
  it at City Games Club, and rapidly became addicted . At this
  time the whole concept was so novel that we tended to ignore
  the less satisfactory aspects of the game .
  After some time, however, disenchantment with certain
  aspects set in - these being, in particular, the combat and
  magic systems, and the "party" effect .
  Then
  I heard some details about a role-playing game, run
  by Ed Smith, in which one of my friends was participating,
  and decided to use this information as the basis for a major
  redesign of several aspects of D&D to increase its "realism"
  (plausibility) .
  I am very grateful to Ed for all his help both
  directly and indirectly in my design .
  The Combat System
  The first problem about the D&D combat system is
  which system? There are at least three different systems given
  in D&D and its supplements but not one of them is explained
  in a clear and unambiguous form.
  Common to all these systems are certain failings : there is no
  opportunity for the exercise of player skill, and hit
  probabilities depend only on the 'skill' of the attacker and the
  armour of the defender - not on the defender's skill . Also
  armour has the effect of reducing chances of being hit rather
  than reducing the effect of a hit (but increasing the likelihood
  of being hit) .
  The basic systems have the advantage of simplicity, but, if
  this is desired, a system of attack and defence factors with a
  combat results table (like most board wargames) would give
  as good results with less complication . The main difficulty
  with making the system "more realistic" is the time a fight
  may then take . In the case of my system, however, this is a
  positive advantage for it enables a more "individual" approach
  to the game as
  I mention below.
  1 use a character's skill and effective speed - together with
  a couple of other factors - as parameters to a sort of card
  game where the attacker plays cards representing blows which
  the defender has to parry (with cards) before he, in his turn,
  attacks . If a blow is unparried then the strength of the blow
  is computed and considered versus the defence layers (armour,
  skin, flesh, bone, etc.) in the area hit - damage is taken on
  these layers and the effect noted . Damage in special areas,
  (e.g . broken arm) has an appropriate effect, and if total
  accumulated damage exceeds a certain limit a monster will
  surrender, run away, or even fall unconscious.
  The Magic System
  The standard D&D magic system is clearly patterned after
  that in "The Dying Earth" stories by Jack Vance, where a
  spell takes careful study to impress on the mind, and then
  after use needs re-impressing before it can be used again. In
  standard D&D this sort of system is essential to maintain
  play-balance when high-level magic-users are around, but it
  has problems of its own: players find it most "unrealistic" ;
  "detect" spells are rarely used (no sane MU would take
  "detect magic" rather than "sleep" or "charm person"
  without a very important reason!), and sensible low-level
  MUs have very boring expeditions .
  As
  I wanted to put some degree of player skill into the
  magic (as in the combat), my players must remember their
  spells - to cast a spell they start by building up power, then
  they say the spell (usually putting down cards with the
  appropriate symbols on) . If they get the spell correct it
  works (no saving throws!), if they make a mistake it fails, or
  backfires . A simple spell would be, e.g . "Sun in Gemini, Darb"
  which is the light spell, a more complex one is "Not Libra of
  Taurus over Cancer with Mars, Geronimo" a stun spell that
  most players have written on the back of their shields!
  Characters usually carry their magic book around with
  them, and refer to it before casting a difficult spell- if they
  have time!
  
  The "Party" Effect
  A major cause of boredom amongst D&D players is the
  practice of going round in parties of 6 or more . Generally one
  or two players make all the decisions while the rest get bored
  and often disrupt the game with side conversations and so on .
  Unfortunately the party system is necessary for two main
  reasons: the DMs difficulty of coping with several separate
  groups, and the improbability of a group of less than 6
  characters surviving a normal dungeon expedition .
  The DM finds it difficult to handle several groups because
  most of the players, except those in the group to which he is
  currently talking, are idle, causing the same boredom/
  disruption effect as in large parties . If the waiting groups can
  be given something to do this system works fairly well as the
  players can be more "individual" . Further, the DM does
  not have to adjust the guardians of each room to the numbers
  entering, as there will only be two to four in a group.
  In my system when a group gets into a fight,
  I use some of
  the waiting players to play the monsters, and start working with
  with another group. The nature of the combat system keeps
  the fight going long enough for this approach to work, and the
  players enjoy being the monsters!
  Final Remarks
  The above sections consider the three main problems with
  D&D - there are many other problems : the experience system
  gives greater benefit for finding treasure than for winning
  fights, some monsters' properties differ widely from those in
  folklore and fiction, there is too much variability in the
  characteristics of a character, and soon .
  There is also much to commend in D&D, the general
  concept is an inspiration; and it has made the "role-playing"
  game, and the free Kriegspiel in general, respectable and
  popular.
  When originally designing the D&D rules, it is unlikely that
  Messrs. Gygax and Arneson imagined then the multitude of
  character classes that are now to be found in their game. It is
  also extremely unlikely that the class described below will
  ever gain "official" status. However, White Dwarf is always
  willing to give space to the lighter side of D&D and hence the
  introduction of a new character class:
  The Pervert
  by Ian Waugh
  The prime requisite for the Pervert is Charisma, which must
  be below 9. However, both Strength and Constitution must
  exceed 12 . Alignment can be heterosexual, bisexual or
  homosexual. Perverts are armour class 7 when wearing black
  leather armour and using an unsheathed weapon, but suffer a
  50% chance of loss of sight per melee turn if weapon is
  hand held .
  Suggested Artifact : Elven dirty mac.
  Whatever turns you on
  .
  .
  .
  . Ed.
  Poison
  by Alan Youde
  One of the least well defined aspects of D&D is, in my
  opinion, the effects of poison .
  I think most players and DMs
  would agree that it is unreasonable that a high level, high
  constitution character who fails to make his saving throw can
  be killed by the bite of a
  1/2 Hit Die Spider! Poison can be
  nasty, of course, but in real life
  I think its effects are far less
  vicious than in the basic D&D rules.
  Don Turnbull has for some time used a system which
  I like
  - if you do not make your saving throw you take damage
  based on the monster's ordinary damage possibilities, and
  carry on taking the same damage each melee round until
  either your character dies or makes his saving throw.
  I have recently seen Metamorphosis Alpha and think that
  the poison table in those rules, with a few adaptations, could
  be an improvement on Don's system .
  I therefore suggest
  the following rules for poisons :
  When a character is poisoned, he must try to make his
  saving throw
  . If he succeeds all is well ; if he fails he takes the
  damage indicated by the table below during the melee round
  in which the poisoning took place. If he survives he can try
  to save in the next melee round, taking the same damage if he
  fails again, and so on until he makes his saving throw or dies .
  STRENGTH OF POISON
  '/z 1, 2 and 3 are the dice of damage taken. As the chart
  relates poison strength to constitution, the die to be used
  for hits,
  i .e. 8-sided for fighters, 6-sided for clerics and 4-sided
  for magic users.
  D = automatic death
  * = no effect
  E5 .75
  (post free)
  Avalon didn't want to fight .
  But that didn't mean it
  couldn't . As the Terran
  Empire found out - the
  hard way - when it tried
  to invade . . .
  Y T H R I
  They had underestimated
  i N E
  THE YTHRI
  is based on
  Poul Anderson's Hugo Award-
  nominated novel, The People of the Wind.
  THE YTHRI is a game of invasion from space and planetary
  combat for two to four players . It can turn any science fiction fan
  into a wargamer - and vice versa .
  Includes : Rule booklet / 14 x 17" space map / 17 x IS" Avalon
  map / 242 perforated counters / combat results tables
  GAMES CENTRE
  16 Hanway Street
  London W.I .
  01-636-8278
  21
  (=LEVEL OF MONSTER)
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  91011 12131415+
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  D D D D
  Level
  Title
  Experience Points
  Hit Dice(6-
  1
  Peeping Top
  0
  1
  sided)
  2
  Voyeur
  1200
  2
  3
  Graffiti Artist
  2400
  3
  4
  Obscene Caller
  4800
  4
  5
  Flasher
  9600
  5
  6
  Streaker
  20000
  6
  7
  Groper
  40000
  7
  8
  Pornographer
  60000
  8
  9
  Rapist
  90000
  9
  10
  Pervert
  125000
  10
  
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  commencing at 11 .00 a.m .
  Contact : Michael Wasilewski (secretary)
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  (Tel : 01-778 9558)
  The Monsterbank
  The Monsterbank is a free service run by Dave Giffin and
  Jamie Burgess which exchanges information between D&D
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  Our address is :
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  LETTERS
  II Ilul 1111 I IIIIIIIIIIII
  I :II
  I IIII I li-
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  nlu
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  1lu
  Readers' thoughts, suggestions, ideas, views, comments and
  criticisms. Letters should be sent to the Editor, WHITE DWARF,
  Games Workshop, 97 Uxbridge Road, London W12 .
  22
  NO WAY OUT?
  SOLUTIONS :
  Tweedledum and Tweedledee
  Clearly, they do not both always tell the truth, but they do
  sometimes tell the truth, (last statement) . Therefore, using the
  knowledge that Tweedledee lies if and only
  if Tweedledum
  has just lied, both the first two instructions, to turn RIGHT
  and LEFT, are wrong . So, the party should return the way it
  came .
  The Hireling
  The translations given are of the 2nd, 3rd, and 1st statements
  respectively . The remaining statement translates as 'animal
  take treasure' .
  The Orcs' Den
  CAPTION
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  . £3 .95
  ,.
  DUNGEON FLOOR PLANS
  1 '.12 thick card A4 sheets of passageways, rooms,
  stairs,
  doors and wood
  flooring specially
  designed
  for the
  10
  D&D Dungeonmaster using 25mm figures . Designed to
  1
  scale, Dungeon Floor Plans can be easily cut out and
  laid out in any configuration before the players as they
  ,. explore the dungeons (endorsdd by TSR)
  . . . . . . . . E2 .95
  CHARACTER SHEETS (Games Workshop)
  50 D&D Character Sheets in a hardbacked pad with illustrated
  cover . Sheets contain spaces for all character details and
  `,, bonusses according to Advanced or Basic .rules with a fold-
  : over corner flap for concealing alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . £1 .50
  HEX SHEETS (Games Workshop)
  " 50 A4 sheets of small hexes, especially suitable for mapping
  4J and charting D&D wilderness adventures, bound in a pad
  1 with stiff card back and cover sheet. . . . . .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . £1 .50
  1 d
  .
  ALL THEWORLD'S MONSTERS
  1 Vol . 1 and Vol
  . 2 . . . .
  . .
  . .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . .
  . .ea. E4 .96
  WHITE BEAR & RED MOON Chaosium)
  Role-playing rulebook for the world of White Bear & Red
  Moon
  . 120 pages, illustrated
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . E4.95
  "
  BALLASTOR'S BARRACKS (Ch aosi
  1
  um
  r
  The first
  complete adventure scenario for use
  withl*
  )
  Runeuestrules
  E195
  q
  . .
  . .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . .
  .
  ~
  TROLLS& TROLLKIN (Chaosium)
  168 Prerolled Dark Trolls & friends for Runequest
  E1 .95
  MERCENARY - Rules for recruiting, training, outfitting
  and
  use
  of
  individuals,
  combat
  units and weapons
  systems within the Traveller framework, complete with
  illustrations and charts (UK printing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £2.95
  MAYDAY is a supplement to Traveller covering starship
  to starship combat as a hexgrid boardgeme. Hex map 120
  die-cut counters for a variety of ships and four astro-
  morphic map sheets,
  rules book -
  all
  in
  a zip lock
  plastic bag .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E3.95
  TRAVELLER
  SHIELD
  (Judges
  Guild)
  Gamemasters
  screen for Traveller along the lines of the already familiar
  judges shield . Packed with relevant tables and data for
  easy reference
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£1 .50
  HINGI08S& 8811&013
  THE original fantasy role-playing game . 'Nuff said' .
  Basic Rulebook
  . . . .
  . .
  . .
  . .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . E2.95
  Boxed Set comprising rulebook, playing aids and multi-
  sides dice . . . . . . . . . . .
  . _
  . .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . .E7.50
  Advanced D&D Players' Handbook
  (TSR) - Hardback
  . . . . . .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . .E6.95
  -
  Softback
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  . .
  . .
  . £4.50
  Advanced D&D Monster Manual
  ITSR) - Hardback
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E6.95
  _-Softback
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E4.50
  DUNGEON MODULES: Complete dungeons
  in package
  form which can be used individually but also to form
  a
  complete campaign
  :
  Module Gt Steading of the Hill Giant Chief
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . fl .95
  Module G2 The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl
  . . . E1 .95
  Module G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . E2 .25
  Module D1
  Descent into the Depths of the Earth
  . . . . E2.25
  Module D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E2 .25
  Module D3 Vault of the Drow
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E2.75
  Module B1
  In Searcn Or the Unknown
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . E2 .50
  Dungeon Module S1 : Tomb of Horrors, the official D&D
  Tournament dungeon used at Origins 1 . Complete with
  over 30 illustrations for the D .M . to show players as
  they encounter the various situations
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . E4.25
  'D&D MISCELLANY
  Greyhawk (prig
  . D&D Supplement I)
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E3.40
  Blackmoor (D&D Supplement II) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £3:40
  Eldritch Wizardry (D&D Supplement III) . . . . . . . . . . . . . £3.40
  Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes (Supplement IV)
  . . . . . . . . E3.40
  Swords & Spells
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £3.40
  Dungeon Geomorphs (Sets 1, 2, 3)
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . ea. E1 .50
  .
  Outdoor Geomorphs (Walled City)
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £2.35
  Monster & Treasure Asst . (Sets 1, 2, 3)
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . ea. £7 .50
  Polyhedral Dice Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £7 .50
  Percentage Dice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  . .
  . .
  . .
  . .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . .50P
  8-sided Dice iPair) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  . .
  . .
  . .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . SOP
  First Fantasy Campaign (D&D Scenario)
  . . . . . . . . . . . . f5.95
  Gencon XI Dungeons (2 complete Dungeon
  Scenarios) . . .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £2.35
  Wilderlands of High Fantasy (Scenario)
  . . . . . . . . . . .
  . . E6.25
  Wilderlands Blank Hex Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £7 .95
  Fantastic Wilderlands Beyonde . Wilderlands of
  High Fantasy extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£5.95
  Citadel of Fire (dungeon scenario) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £1 .95
  The Thieves of Badabaskor (Scenario)
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £7 .95
  City State of the Invincible Overlord (Scenario) . . . . . . . £5.95
  Campaign Hexagon System (Wilderness Mapping)
  . . . £7 .85
  Judges Guild Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . . .
  .£7 .25
  Tegel Manor (Scenario) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E3.50
  Dungeon Tac Cards (Weapons& Move cards)
  . . . . . . . E2.75
  Character Chronicle Cards (Index cards) . . . . . . . . . . . . . £7 .56
  Judges Shield (Handy D&D Ref Tables) . . . . . . . . . . . . . £7 .50
  ALSO IN STOCK
  King Arthur's Knights (Quest Game) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E6.95
  Lords of the Middle Seas (America vs . Atlantis)
  . . . . . . £6.95
  Space Marines (SF miniatures rules) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £2.99
  Lords & Wizards (Epic Fantasy Boardgame)
  . . . . . . . . . £7.95
  Middle Earth Rules (Miniatures Rules) . .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . . . f1 .05
  Sorcerer's Cave (Fantasy boardgame for all the family
  . E5 .00
  The Warlord Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . £8.95
  Cosmic Encounter (Unique, easy-to-play SF board
  game for 2-4 players. . . . . . . . . .
  . .
  . .
  . .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . .£7 .25
  -
  Metropolis (2 player SF board game) .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . £12.95
  Direct Conflict in Dimension Six 12 player SF wargame)
  . . E6.95
  Second Empire (2-4 player SF wargame)
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . £9.95
  Source of the Nile (19th century exploration game) .
  .
  . . E7.95
  Elementary Watson (Role-playing detective board game) E6.95
  Spacefarer s Guide to the Planets, Sector One (100
  planets from SF novels& tables)
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . E3.95
  Book of Shamans (New magic system) .
  .
  .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . E3 .
  Superhero 44 (Role-playing)
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . .
  .
  . . . . . . . . . . E3.
  Please mention WHITE DWARF when replying to advertisements
  31
  ALSO IN STOCK
  "One
  of the best non-roleplaying fantasy games now
  available" - Games & Puzzles. Men, magic and monsters
  Metamorphosis Alpha (SF Role-playing)
  .
  . .
  . .
  . . . . . .
  . E3.40
  battle in Greg Stafford's world of Dragon Pass
  . . . . . E6.95
  Lankhmar (Fafhrd& Grey Mouser)
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E6.95
  Star Probe (SF Exploration Game) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E4.25
  DUNGEON (TSR)
  Star Empires (Star Probe Sequel)
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E4.95
  board
  in which
  adventure as
  1
  Fantasy, family
  game
  players
  Eric (Game of Moorcock's Hero) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £7.95
  .,
  Elves, Wizards and Warriors.
  . .
  . .
  . .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  .
  . . f6.95
  Nomad Gods (WBRM Sequel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £6 .95
  1
  Archworld (Fantasy Miniatures Rules)
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E3 .75
  RUNEQUEST (Chaosium)
  Citadel (Quest within Wizard's Tower)
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £2 .50
  
  Illusion generation? Another unknown mutation? It is your "welcome" to GAMMA WORLD, science
  fantasy role playing in the grand tradition of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®
  . GAMMA WORLD places you
  on a post-atomic earth . Can you survive in a world of radiation deserts? Berserk
  robo',-s and weird
  mutants? As a human or human mutant or even intelligent animal you have a Strange inheritance and
  terrifying adventures ahead
  . . . GAMMA WORLD is a complete game for three or more adult players .
  The colorful game bore contains rules, a playing map of the devastated continent, and a set of fiva
  polyhedra dice .
  TSR IS PROUD TO PRESENT THE ULTIMATE GAME OF SCIENCE FANTASY ROLE PLAYING AT
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Metamorphosis Alpha (osr)/Magazine Articles/White Dwarf #1 (MA Content).pdf