Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
by Tom Armstrong and Roger E. Moore From issue #63, July 1982
The bandit is a non-player character class containing aspects of BANDIT EXPERIENCE LEVEL TABLE
both the lighter and the thief classes. Bandits practice their profes- Hit
sion of thievery by force, rather than by stealth as do normal thieves. Experience dice Cover
Bandits operate in the open countryside, making them similar in points level (dS) Level title tracks
some ways to rangers. Bandits develop wilderness survival skills and 01,800 I 1 +1 Looter 50%
certain thief-like abilities to enable them to further their ends. Ban- 1,8013,600 2 2 + 2 Raider 53%
dits art typically involved in highway robbery, raids on small villages 3,601 7,500 3 3 + 3 Marauder 56%
or isolated habitations, kidnapping for ransom, and similar sorts of 7,501 15,000 4 + 4 Highwayman
activities. 15,00130,000 *
5 5 + 5 Outlaw 62%
Humans, half-ores, and half-elves may become bandits. Humans 30,00160,000 6 6 + 6 Desperado 65%
are unlimited in level advancement. Half-ores may advance to 10th 60,001110,000 7 7 + 7 Reaver 68%
level. Half-elves may achieve 8th level if they have a strength of 18, no, ooi 200,000 8 8 + 8 Brigand 71%
7th level with a strength of 17 or less, and 6th level with any lesser 200,001300,000 9 9 + 9 Robber 74%
strength. 300,001450,000 10 9+ U Bandit 77%
A bandit must have m i n i m u m ability scores in four areas: 450,001650,000 11 9+13 Bandit Lord
strength 12, intelligence 10, dexterity 12, and constitution 12. Ban- 650,001-900,000 12 9+15 Bandit Lord (12th)
dits with scores of 16 or higher in strength, intelligence, and dexter-
250,000 experience points per level for each additional level
ity gain a 10% bonus to all experience points earned. above the 12th.
Bandits may be of any neutral or evil alignment. On rare occa-
Bandits gain 2 hit points per level after the 9th.
sions and in special circumstances, neutral good bandits may be
found {in the tradition of Robin Hood), either as individuals or in Cover tracks percentage increases 3% per level to a maximum
of 98% at 17th level.
small groups.
Alignment is a major factor in determining how a particular ban-
dit or group of bandits operates. Those of neutral alignment (with
respect to good and evil) are most likely to allow their robbery or 2. They can hide in natural terrain using camouflage techniques
kidnap victims to live, preferring to collect their possessions (or a and concealment as well as a thief of the same level can hide in
ransom) and then release the victims, avoiding a possible death shadows. Bonuses for high dexterity and race also apply here. (For
penalty for murder and, at the same time, leaving open the possibil- instance, a half-elf bandit with dexterity of 17 has a 20% chance of
ity of victimizing the same people all over again. hiding in natural terrain at 1st level.) This ability is not usable
Evil bandits have no such reservations ahoul killing. Generally, indoors or in subterranean environments,
they will take fewer captives than neutral bandits, unless they are 3. Pits, snares, and other traps set outdoors may be detected and
sure that a victim is worth enough (in ransom) to make the trouble removed by bandits with the same chance for success as a thief of
and risk oi'kidnapping worthwhile. In such cases, they w i l l usually equal level has to find and remove traps. Again, racial and dexterity
wait until after the ransom has been paid before killing their victim. bonuses apply to this ability. A bandit may only attempt to find and
When neutral good bandits are found, this is frequently in the remove any given trap once. This ability cannot be used indoors or
territories of evil kings or dictators, where the bandits attack evil underground, and does not apply to traps on chests, doors, etc.
persons and donate the "earnings" to the poor and needy of the 4. Bandits are adept at covering their tracks when passing through
area, or to charity (but never to a player character). the countryside. In some ways, this ability is similiar to the druid
Lawful bandits lend to operate in large groups; chaotic ones will spell pass without trace, however, the source of the bandit's ability is
either form small bands or operate singly. No matter what size a not magical.
group of bandits is, the rule is "leadership by the strongest," When this ability is used successfully, the bandit can pass through
Bandits roll different hit dice than do lighters or thieves, reflecting any sort of terrain (grass, snow, ash, dust, sand) without leaving any
the fact that, while not as good in close combat as regular fighters, footprints or other visible evidence of the passage. To make the
they are better than thieves in such respects. They use an eight-sided ability work, the bandit must first reduce his movement rate to one-
die plus one point per level up to the 9th level. The hit-point average half of his current normal rate. (He is presumed to be taking the
for a bandit is very close to that of a fighter of equal level, but a ban- time to conceal or obscure his tracks as he goes.) Then a successful
dit's maximum number of hil points is lower than a fighter's. dice roll (equal to or less than the required percentage) enables the
bandit to keep covering his tracks in this manner for a maximum
Special abilities duration of 1 turn per level of experience per day. As many attempts
Bandits have no spell abilities or spell-like powers, but they do as desired can be made each day, as long as the total elapsed time of
have a combination of seven other sorts of special abilities: all the successful attempts does not exceed the daily maximum. To
1. Bandits can climb walls as a thief of equal level. Bonuses for discontinue the covering of his tracks, all a bandit needs to do is
high dexterity apply. resume his full normal movement rate.
4 BEST OF DRAGON
Each individual bandit can only employ this ability on his own Bandits will use all sorts of missile weapons (like bows, slings, and
behalf; in other words, one cannot cover the tracks of many, and one crossbows), but will only use hand-held weapons under 5' in length
bandit may be betrayed by another one's failure to cover his own that will not encumber them or be awkward to use in combat. This
tracks if the two are traveling close together. excludes all polearms, as well as such weapons as two-handed swords
Although most or all of the visible evidence of his passage can be and halberds. Permissible hand-to-hand weapons include hand and
covered, the bandit will leave a scent that can be followed by such battle axes, clubs, daggers, hammers, maces, morning stars, mili-
creatures as bloodhounds or minotaurs. Rangers, bounty hunters, or tary picks, scimitars, and long, short, and broad swords. Bandits
other bandits tracking a bandit who has successfully covered his trail will use magical forms of the weapons permitted to them. They can
must take a -50% penalty when rolling to see if they can accurately employ oil as a weapon, but their use of poison is up to the Dungeon
follow a covered trail, Master and the character's alignment.
A character or creature with no particular skill at tracking or with Because bandits must be able to move quickly, they will avoid
no acute olfactory sense has a 10% chance of correctly following a wearing any armor heavier than chain mail. Acceptable armor types
covered trail (thanks to blind luck) in the first round. If that attempt are: padded, leather, studded leather, ring, and chain mail. Magical
succeeds, the same 10% chance must be rolled in each and every armors of these sorts may be used as well, but bandits will no! wear
round during which the tracker is attempting to follow the trail. other types of magical armor. The minimum movement rate a ban-
Otherwise, the trail is lost and can only be relocated by remaining in dit will accept is 9, and his armor should weigh 30 pounds or less.
the same spot (searching) for one round and then rolling the 10% Bandits will not wear great helms or use large shields, preferring
chance all over again, skullcaps (or no helm) and small shields. Some have been known to
5. Bandits surprise others on a roll of 1-4 on a six-sided die, and use medium-sized shields.
are themselves surprised only on a roll oi 1. Any magic item not prohibited to fighters may be used by ban-
6. Bandits can track persons or creatures in the outdoors as a dits, within the restrictions on armor and weapons noted above.
ranger can, but they have a base 75% chance to succeed. This per- However, much as a ranger limits his personal belongings to those
centage increases by 2% per creature in the group being followed, his steed can carry, so will a bandit limit his goods to those he and
decreases by 10% for every 24-hour period since the trail was made, his horse can carry with them. Excess treasure and goods must be
and decreases by 25% for each hour that precipitation (rain, snow, gotten rid of as soon as possible so as not to slow him down. Bandits
etc.) has fallen on the trail. Bandits cannot track characters or crea- will never load their mounts over the unencumbered load limit
tures indoors or underground. (3,000 gp weight for a light warhorse, which is the favorite mount of
7. When a bandit is evading pursuit in an outdoor environment bandits).
(see the Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 69), 10% is added to the ban- A bandit will not build a castle, but may establish a stronghold in
dit's chance of escape. This docs not apply to any non-bandits in the an isolated area. In such a case, the bandit may retain sufficient
evading party, so it is possible for the Dungeon Master to determine treasure to finance construction and upkeep. He will still restrict the
that, while the party the bandit is with cannot avoid the posse, the number of personal items retained.
bandit (who is assumed to have dodged into the underbrush at the A bandit may gain hirelings and henchmen at any level. These
last moment) has escaped. This ability is usable only when the ban- will never be of good alignment, except for an occasional neutral
dit is not already covering his trail. good NPC found in the camp of a non-evil leader. Bandits who
establish a stronghold will not automatically attract a body of men-
Combat and other characteristics at-arms as do normal fighters, but they are free to hire men-at-arms
A bandit attacks and saves as a fighter of equal level. Bandits get on their own as desired. Bandits do not receive a revenue from the
one attack per round until attaining 8th level, when they can attack inhabitants surrounding their stronghold, either, though this does
three times in two rounds. They gain two attacks per round at 15th not preclude the possibility of raiding or extorting from local people.
level and higher. When in combat with 0-level humans or halflings, Henchmen and hirelings of a bandit who are also bandits add + 5%
or with creatures of less than one hit die, a bandit can attack once to all morale checks. Bandits tend to worship deities who are
per round for each level of experience he has attained. involved with the outdoors, thieves, luck, death, war, or weather.
'O\
IN
The bounty hunter
Not a very nice guy
BEST OF DRAGON
The cloistered cleric
An NPC who'd rather pray than prey
VOL. IV
intelligence scores. Experience-point ranges are not given for them, 3rd level 4th level
since they are always non-player characters. Ceremony (special vows)' Ceremony (consecrate' or
Create food & water desecrate1 ground)
Cure blindness* Continual light
CLOISTERED CLERICS TABLE Cure disease* Detect lit?
4-sided dice Detect curse" Exorcise
for Dispel magic Neutralize poison 3
Experience Min. Min. accumulated Enthrall 1 Protection from evil W r.
level Int. Wis. hit points Level title Glyph of warding (paralysis) Speak with plants
1 6 9 1 Novice Hold person Scroll 1
2 8 9 2 Ostiary Locate object Tongues
3 8 9 3 Brother Prayer Ward, minor3
4 8 11 4 Father Remove curse
5 8 11 5 Padre Remove paralysis
6 10 13 6 Chaplain Speak with dead
7 11 14 7 Subdean Dismiss undead"
8 12 15 8 Dean
9 12 15 8+1 Prior or Abbot 5th level 6th level
10 13 16 8+ 2 Father Superior Atonement Communicate5
11 14 17 8+3 Archimandrite Commune Heal *
Cure critical wounds Stone tell
Dispel evil Word of recall
Spells usable by class and level cloistered clerics Quest
Cleric Spell level Raise dead '
level True seeing
3
1 Ward, major
2 1
3 2 1
4 3 2 NEW SPELL EXPLANATIONS
5 4 3
6 4 3
7 4 4 Ceremony (Conjuration/Summoning)
8 4 4
9 4 4 Level: 1, 2, 3, or 4 Components: V, S, M
10 4 4 Range: Touch Casting Time: 1 hour
11 4 4 Duration: See below Saving Throw: See below
Area of Effect: One creature, one item, or area (see below)
Note: Cloistered clerics do not gain bonus spells for high wisdom.
Explanation/Description: The ceremony spell has a number of
applications in the cleric's organization, depending on the level of
Spell list for cloistered clerics the cleric. Each ceremony is used as a particular blessing/curse of
Note: Spells printed in italic type are from the AD&.D Players the organization. The spell is used to put the holy/unholy seal on the
Handbook. Those marked " 1" were originally described in the event and does not produce an aura of magic, though in some cases
Leomund 's Tiny Hut column of DRAGON issue #58; those an aura of good or evil might be present. The types of ceremony
descriptions are repeated here. (Editor's note: Some of the suggested spells available to cloistered clerics can vary from organization to
new cleric spells from issue #58 are included, in slightly different organization, but usually encompass these:
form, as official rule additions in the Unearthed Arcana book.) 2nd-level cloistered cleric: burial, coming of age.
Those marked "2" are new spells devised especially for cloistered 3rd-level cloistered cleric: dedication, investiture, consecrate item,
clerics, and are also described in the following text. bless newborn.
Those marked "3" are reversible spells, but the reverse of the 4th-level cloistered cleric: special vows.
given spell is not allowed to lawful good clerics; likewise, it is 70% 6th-level cloistered cleric: consecrate or desecrate ground.
unlikely that a chaotic good cleric will have the reverse. Those spells Each of these blessings requires a cloistered cleric of the indicated
containing the word "evil" can be reversed to either form by lawful level or higher. The duration of any ceremony spell is permanent,
neutral or chaotic neutral clerics. except for bless newborn, which has a duration of six months. A
saving throw vs. spell is allowed to any unwilling recipient of a
ceremony spell, which usually only applies when the effect of the
1st level 2nd level spell is baneful (such as for desecrate ground). Briefly, the ceremony
Bless' Augury spells listed do these things:
Ceremony (burial)' Ceremony (dedication)1 Burial \n no way protects the corpse, but gives the blessing of the
Ceremony {coming of age)' Ceremony (investiture)' organization, and is said to have a 50% chance to invoke retribution
Create water Ceremony (consecrate item)' of some type if the body's grave is dug up within one week of burial
Combine' Ceremony (bless newborn)5 (i.e., an agent of the deity will come to protect the grave).
Cure light wounds' Chant Coming of age blesses a young man (and in some cultures a
Detect evil Death prayer1 young woman) at some point in time, often the age of 32. Coming of
Detect magic Detect charm age may or may not allow the person who has come of age any par-
1
Hand fire 1 Detect life ticular rights.
Magical vestment' Holy symbol 1 Dedication is necessary to perform specific acts, such as becoming
Protection from evil Know alignment a member of an organization.
Purify food & drink Light Investiture is required for an aspiring cleric (of either the clois-
Remove fear1 Slow poison tered or the adventuring type) to become 1st level.
Sanctuary Speak with animals Consecrate item is required for every item placed on an altar and
Scribe' Translate' at other places in a religious edifice, as required by the particular
8 BEST OF DRAGON
organization. Holy symbols and vestments are handJed separately clerics cannot use shields or dexterity bonuses in the calculation of
(see magical vestment and holy symbol spells hereafter). Holy or their armor classes. Thus, if the combination of clerics is physically
unholy water or oil must be kept in consecrated containers. attacked, only the center cleric can muster any defense on the first
Bless newborn is used to protect a newborn (up to 14 days old) round. If he selects an attack spell of any type to serve as a counter
infant from possession and other ill effects that might befall him or for the enemy's attack, the combination is broken and the center
her. Such a protected infant gains a saving throw of + 2 from any cleric reverts to his or her original level at once.
type of possession. Further, he or she is under the effect of a half- The combination can otherwise remain together for the casting of
strength resist fire and resist cold spell for the full six-month spell one spell or one attempt at turning undead. Then the spell breaks,
duration. The effect of blessing the newborn has no effect upon and the four clerics comprising the circle must recover for a full
infants older than two weeks of age. round before they can do anything else. If a cleric dies the combina-
Special vows pertain to paladins, knighthood, and solemn oaths. tion is broken, but not if one is only hit for damage once the com-
Consecrate ground should be cast when any holy/unholy structure bine spell has been cast and the combination is in effect.
is built. A church, abbey, sanctuary, monastery, temple, etc., built The center cleric will be raised in effectiveness by 1, 2, 3, or 4
on unconsecrated ground has a 1 % chance per year (cumulative) of levels, depending on how many of the combined clerics are four or
actually collapsing from lack of such protection! Once a structure is fewer levels below the actual level of the center cleric. Only those
built, consecration cannot be an afterthought; thus, a cloistered clerics within four levels of the highest-level cleric can contribute to
cleric of 6th or higher level must be sought when a clerical structure this benefit. Examples: Five 2nd-level cloistered clerics want to
is to be built, or else! Consecrate ground can also be used upon a combine so as to better cope with some menace. They take a round
graveyard, in which case the ground itself gains the ability to turn to combine, and then for the purpose of casting another spell, the
undead as if it were a 3rd-level cleric. center cleric acts as a 6th-level cloistered cleric, gaining one "bonus"
Desecrate ground, the reverse of consecrate ground, may be used level for each of the other four participants. Note that the center
by a cleric of any alignment versus a building or area of ground cleric could not cast a spell of second level or higher in any event,
representing an opposing alignment. For a building {generally a since the character is actually only a 2nd-level cloistered cleric and
church or other cleric-oriented edifice) to be desecrated, the altar cannot know any spell higher than the 1st level of power. If a 7th-
inside must be covered with holy or unholy water, manure, etc., level, a 5th-level, and three 2nd-level clerics combine, the center
while the casting of the ceremony (desecrate ground) is in progress. cleric could operate as an Bth-level character. The 2nd-level clerics
A desecrated building is 1 % likely per year to collapse; this chance is are five levels lower than the 7th-level cleric and so cannot contrib-
not cumulative. Roll at the end of each year of desecration to see if ute to boosting his effective level, but are still valuable as partici-
the structure collapses. A desecrated building can be consecrated at pants to complete the necessary circle of clerics.
a later time by application of the unreversed form of this spell. If an
area of ground (such as a graveyard) is the object of the spell, it is
necessary to know if the ground was consecrated in the first place. Hand Fire (Alteration)
Desecrate ground will only remove the consecration if one is in
effect. A second, subsequent desecration has no effect. The area can Level: 1 Components: V] S
be reconsecrated. A graveyard that has never been consecrated is Range: 0 Casting Time: 1 segment
more likely to have its graves yield lesser undead. If the spell ani- Duration: Special Saving Throw: None
mate dead is cast in such a graveyard, one extra skeleton or zombie Area of Effect: Cleric's hand
will rise from the graveyard. Further, any attempt to turn undead in
an unconsecrated graveyard (if and only if the undead come from Explanation/Description: This spell allows the cleric, by turning
these graves) will be as if the cleric were two levels lower than he or his cupped hand upward and saying a command word, to produce a
she actually is. cold flame that casts the equivalent of torch light. The hand fire will
remain lighted until the cleric casts any other spell or until he or she
uses his or her hand to perform some other function. The fire is non-
Combine (Alteration) 1 harmful and will not ignite any combustible materials, even oil. It
cannot be blown out, but magicai darkness will dispel it instantly.
Level: 1 Components: V, S
Range: Touch Casting Time: / round
Duration: See below Saving Throw: None Magical Vestment (Conjuration/Alteration)
Area of Effect: Circle of clerics
Level: / Components: V, S, M
Explanation/Description: Via this spell, five clerics of the same Range: Touch Casting time: / round
alignment can add their powers to perform a specific function. The Duration: 6 rounds/level Saving throw: None
cleric of highest level, or one selected by the group if all are of equal Area of Effect: Spell caster
level, stands in the center of a circle formed by the other four, who
hold hands and kneel around the central figure. This process takes Explanation/Description: With this spell, the cleric can turn his
one full round, and all clerics must be chanting the words to the vestments into magical armor equal to chain mail {AC 5). The vest-
combine spell at the same time. If one of them stops for any reason, ment cannot be worn with any other armor, bracers of defense, or
the spell is wasted for all five clerics. any type of protection item or spell. Thus, if the cleric is under a
The cleric in the center can then, on the round after the casting of bless spell, wearing (not just possessing) a ring of protection, under a
the combine spell, attempt to cast a spell or turn undead as if he or scroll of protection from lycanthropes, etc., he or she cannot use a
she were higher than actual level, for the determination of range, magical vestment spell; nothing will happen when the spell is cast.
duration, and area of effect as applicable. The spell (or effect) gener- However, if the vestment is being worn alone, it will become + 1 for
ated in this way will function as if the center cleric is as much as 4 all purposes (armor class, saving-throw bonus, etc.) for every four
levels higher than he or she actually is, as outlined below. levels of the cleric, up to a maximum of + 4, and it also allows
Only the cleric in the center need know and have prayed for the immunity to magic missile spells for the duration of the spell effect.
spell to be cast by the combination. Only informational, protection This spell can only be cast in the cleric's own temple or in the
(including dispel magic), and curative spells can be combined in this cleric's private quarters within a temple, church, abbey, etc., pro-
way. The clerics may also create food & water or turn undead. The vided that he or she has a small, appropriately consecrated altar in
four clerics comprising the circle are in a deep trance that will those quarters. The cleric must be conscious for the vestment to
require one full round to recover from. During the trance, surprise retain its magical properties. If the cleric is blessed or cursetl \r\ any
is automatic and all "to hit" rolls for hand-to-hand combat against way or puts on any other sort of magical protection, the dweomer of
the entranced clerics are made at + 4, Naturally, the entranced the magical vestment is lost immediately. The vestment will also lose
VOL. IV 9
its magical protection if the cleric sets foot outside the temple or area a state of suspended animation. It will show that a figure engaged in
in which the spell was cast. Note: When in a temple or church, it is astral travel is actually alive, and it will work on plants or animals.
uncommon for a cleric to be wearing armor or shield of any kind Note, however, that it will not identify the specific effect that a living
and this stricture especially applies to cloistered (non-adventuring) subject is under, only the fact that the subject is alive. Likewise, the
clerics. spell cannot determine cause of death.
The range figure given above is a maximum which applies under
ideal circumstances, i.e. when no substance is intervening between
Scribe (Alteration) caster and subject. The spell range will be reduced if as little as a
one-inch thickness of wood or stone comes between the cleric and the
Level: / Components: V, S, M subject. In such cases, range is only 1 foot per level of the caster for
Range: Touch Casting time: / round each inch or fraction of an inch thickness of the wood or stone bar-
Duration: Permanent Saving throw: None rier. (See example below for clarification.) A metal barrier of any
Area of Effect: Variable type or any thickness will totally block the spell, as will any form of
mental protection, either psionic or magical in nature.
Explanation/Description: Via this spell, the cleric's handwriting, Example: a 5th-level cloistered cleric is 20 feet away from a two-
if it happens to be poor, is greatly enhanced. Furthermore, he or she inch-thick wooden door. He wants to know if there is life behind the
can write twice as rapidly as normal and still produce high-quality door. His maximum range for casting detect life is 50 feet, but the
copying of a text or map. The scribe spell can be used when writing door reduces the range to 32 feet: the 20 feet to the door, 2 feet
down the text of magical scrolls. It further decreases the chance of beyond it (using 1 foot/level for each of the two inches of thickness),
error by 25% in the copying of any and all text. The scribe spell will and 10 more feet beyond that. A figure must then be within 12 feet
stay in effect as long as the cleric continues to copy or compose a of the other side of the door and in a straight "line of sight" from the
text, with a limit of eight hours of such writing in any case. Any cleric (as if the door were open and the cleric could actually see the
interruption of the copying will ruin the spell from that point for- subject). A figure located off to the side of the door, and thus pro-
ward. The material components are ink, quill, and parchment {book tected by the adjacent stone wall, would not be detectable by the
or scroll) and perhaps that which is being copied. Note: Magical spell. The cleric must chant the spell aloud while holding his body
scrolls cannot be copied or composed by any cleric below the 7th and his holy symbol so as to face toward the exact direction of detec-
level of experience. tion, and may not turn during the five-round duration to face any
other direction.
Level: 3 Components: V^ S
Range: 3" Casting time: Special Ward, Minor (Abjuration)
Duration: Special Saving Throw: Neg,
Area of Effect: 90-foot radius around caster Level: 4 Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch Casting time: 3 rounds
Explanation/Description: A cleric using this spell can grab and Duration: Until broken Saving Throw: Special
hold the attention of an audience that can fully understand his or her Area of Effect: Hemisphere of 15' radius
language. Those of the cleric's race save at -4 against the power of
the spell, those races that have bad relations with the cleric's race Explanation/Description: Via this spell, the cleric brings into
save at + 2, and members of all other races receive no saving-throw being a special barrier of force. It cannot be physically broken
adjustment. The enthrall spell will not work on figures who are 4th through by a physical attack of any sort, including the use of power-
level or higher, who have more than 4 hit dice, or those with wisdom ful weapons like a vorpal blade. The minor ward, however, can be
of 16 or greater; thus, most clerics and shamans are immune to brought down by several spelts: disintegrate, limited wish, phase
another cleric's enthral! spell. The casting time and duration are door, shadow door, plane shift, or wish; or by any one of the follow-
variable; the spell lasts for as long as the cleric can keep speaking, ing spells that does at least 20 points of damage: fireball, lightning
plus 1-4 rounds thereafter. However, no effect from the spell will be bolt, cone of cold, flame strike, Otiluke's freezing sphere (second or
realized until the cleric has spoken without interruption for one full third application), or meteor swarm. Anything within the hemi-
round. {Thus, it could be dangerous to try to employ this spell when spherical area of effect is not damaged when the minor ward is
the cleric is among a group of creatures who are already hostile and brought down (but might be put in jeopardy). The minor ward
won't sit still for the first round of speaking.) cannot be entered or exited by travelling astrally, or via dimension
Members of the audience who fail their saving throws (vs. spell) door, passwall, or teleport. Characters and creatures in the hemi-
will treat the cleric as if he or she had a charisma of 21 (just as a sphere cannot cast spells out, though spells can be cast so as to affect
minor deity). They will remain stationary and listen to the cleric's those inside the minor ward, such as cures, neutralize poison, com-
words, but they will not act on them as if a suggestion spell were mune, etc.
being cast. At the end of 1-4 rounds after the cleric stops talking (roll The minor ward will remain in effect as long as the cleric is con-
this separately for each casting of the spell), the spell is broken and scious; in the round after he or she falls asleep or is knocked uncon-
the members of the audience again are in control of their own scious (or worse), the ward will collapse. The caster can will it to
minds. Any form of attack on the cleric will instantly negate the come down at any time, but this act takes 1 full round. To effect the
spell, as will any attempt by the cleric to cast another spell while the spell, the cleric must space seven small pearls (each of at least 100 gp
enthrall is in effect. value) evenly on the ground in a 30'-diameter circle. Smaller circles
Those who make their saving throws will not be affected by the can be made, if desired, but never larger ones. The pearls are con-
cleric's words, and will view the caster as having a charisma of 3. sumed in the casting.
They may hoot and jeer, or pick up small objects and throw them at
the caster which might (50% chance) cause the spell to be bro-
ken. Any negative action of this sort against the cleric will cause Ward, Major (Abjuration)
those who failed their first saving throw to earn another chance to
Level: 5 Components; V, S, M
Range: Touch Casting time: 3 rounds
Duration: Until broken Saving Throw: Special
Dismiss Undead (Abjuration) Area of Effect: Hemisphere of 10' radius
VOL, IV 11
no effect whatsoever on it. The major ward will remain up until the level may have from 1-6 sergeants or even 1 lieutenant to aid him or
cleric casting it becomes unconscious. The material components for her.) Cloistered clerics do not hire a thief or assassin, unless to
the spell are seven gems (they can be of different types) valued at no recover some item stolen from them. A magic-user or sage occasion-
less than 250 gp each. They are consumed in the casting. ally may be in temporary residence in an abbey or monastery, doing
It should be noted that the minor ward and the major ward afford research (15% and 3% likely, respectively).
no protection from underneath, so tunneling into one is possible if
the proper equipment or magic is available. The person(s) inside a Learning and recovery of spells
ward cannot teleport, dimension door, travel astrally, use a word of Cloistered clerics have one important difference in the way they
recall, etc., unless the ward is brought down first. gain and use their spells. They must rest for the appropriate time, as
any other spell taster. Then they must pray for a period of not less
than one hour per level of the highest level spell that they will memo-
Communicate (Divination) rize; for example, an Archimandrite would have to pray to his deity
for six hours to replace his 6th-level spell, but could also replace any
Level: 6 Components: V, S, M 1st- to 5th-level spells as well after this period. Once the cloistered
Range: Unlimited Casting time: 3 rounds cleric has prayed, he then reads the desired spell from a spell text,
Duration: J (urn * / rd/Ievel Saving Throw: None just as a magic-user does, taking 15 minutes per spell level per spell.
Area of Effect: Caster and one other person He does not have to roll a percent chance to "know" a spell in any
case, but he must have the minimum intelligence and wisdom out-
Explanation/Description: Via this spell, a cleric can communicate lined earlier. All cloistered cleric spells are written in tomes as large
with another person anywhere on the Prime Material Plane. He or as magic-user spell books. They are written in a language which,
she casts the spell using a mirror as a material component. The while it can be learned by another cleric, will never give spell power
person to be contacted must be known to the cleric, and the subject to any other type of spell caster, including a druic!.
cannot be within any type of force field like a cube of force, minor An adventuring cleric who knows the language of cloistered clerics
ward, major ward, major or minor globe of invulnerability, etc., nor can read from their texts to learn a spell. This process will take the
may the contacted person be under the protection of a mind blank adventuring cleric 30 minutes per spell level per spell and in no way
spell or a psionic defense like tower of iron will. The subject, if counts as a spell known to that adventuring class cleric. Further, if a
asleep, will awaken if that person makes a saving throw vs. spell (a given spell is not available until a higher level to a cloistered cleric, it
new saving throw is allowed every other melee round). Once contact must be memorized, by an adventuring class cleric at that (higher)
is established the cleric can see, if the subject is willing, whatever level. The ad venturing-class cleric must also pray to his deity, just as
that person can see, and vice versa. Hearing is also allowed, so the cloistered cleric must, before the book or text will release its
someone speaking to the cleric or person can be overheard but power from the written word. A cleric who does not pray prior to
the words must, of course, be repeated for others to have knowledge reading will gain nothing from the text. F,xample: A Sth-level adven-
of them. turing cleric (a Prefect) wants to read hold person from a cloistered
The communication link is so strong that a cleric can cast a curing cleric's book of spells. For the cloistered cleric this is a 3rd-level
spell of any type through the link to the person being contacted. spell, so the adventuring cleric must pray for three hours and then
Once the cure is so cast, the link breaks immediately. The cleric who read the spell text, memorizing it as a third level spell, in the next
casts the cure spell can do no further spell casting for one full day one and a half hours. (The cloistered cleric would only take 45 min-
plus one additional day for each level of the cure spell cast through utes to read the same spell.) If the adventuring cleric has not learned
the communication. The receiver, who may be of any character the prayer for hold person before, the character may not now pray to
class, has no way to contact the cleric, although prearranged signals his deity for it, even though he has just memorized it. Cloistered
are certainly possible. clerics usually only have one or two spell books in their abbey or
Contact established by means of this spell while the subject is monastery, and thus they will not willingly part with a book, even a
occupied (casting a spell or involved in melee, for instance) will duplicate.
require that the receiver stop pursuing the current activity in order Cloistered clerics are very poor, using any wealth they may gain
to accept the communication. The cleric can only communicate only to pay for food, clothing, and items used in the abbey, monas-
with, or look in on, someone who is willing and doing nothing else tery or school. Even their altar wear is usually plain, as are the altar
at the time. If this is not the case, the cleric wilt know the commu- pieces and church/school decorations. What monies they do collect
nication has been rejected, for a reason which may not be known to from donations and spell casting they always charge for spell
him or her, and the contact will break. The cleric casting the spell casting may be divided up and sent to other temples, churches,
will see or hear nothing through the subject's senses if that person abbeys, etc.
rejects the communication.
Brothers
The life of the cloistered cleric Brothers are clerics who are not ordained. They have functions
The cloistered cleric is literate (if his or her intelligence is 8 or around and about the church/temple, but often have a second occu-
above). The character spends most of his or her time studying or pation unrelated to the church {shopkeeper, blacksmith, housewife,
copying texts and scrolls. He or she may also have mundane duties etc.). A brother or sister (not the same as a nun) might also be a
to perform, and some groups of cloistered clerics do not exempt even teacher, scholar, money-handler, assistant in the service, and so
a Dean from some duties. forth. His or her secondary profession might allow the character to
The abbey or monastery where the cloistered cleric resides is be trained with a weapon; in fact, the brother or sister might be an
almost always (90%) made of stone and is usually (80%) surrounded adventuring-class character of some type.
by a wall of stone as well. Farm lands tended by the cloistered clerics Fully 60% of all brothers and sisters have no education in fight-
surround the abbey or monastery. Most abbeys or monasteries exist ing. They would be unarmored and 50% likely to be unarmed as
outside of towns, and many are well away from main roads. Only well. Those who do bear arms might carry a dagger (unless their
cloistered clerics involved in teaching will have residence in a town organization forbids it), short sword (again, some organizations
or city. These teachers will run schools and colleges, and such an might not allow edged weapons carried by any clerical figure), club,
individual's library will have a minimum of 2,500 scrolls or books. mace, quarterstaff or hammer. They would fight as 0-hit-dice figures
The abbey or monastery never has fighting clerics or monks in it, but would obtain the saving throws of a Ist-level cleric in all catego-
nor are fighting monks or clerics ever employed on a permanent ries, because of their religious training.
basis by cloistered clerics. For their own protection, in hostile terri- The balance of brothers and sisters (the other 40%) will have
tories, abbeys or monasteries may have in their employ men-at-arms some weapon skills. Those weapon skills are apart from any second-
(if evil, humanoids of one hit die or less) headed by a fighter (but not ary profession. These brothers and sisters can don armor in times of
a ranger or paladin) of 1st to 7th level. (A fighter of 3rd or higher strife, wearing leather or studded leather most often and occasionally
12 BEST OF DRAGON
bearing a shield as well. They fight as 1 st-level clerics and obtain the drink cannot be reversed to putrefy food and drink. Some organiza-
same saving throws. They will have one eight-sided die for their hit tions might allow the reverse of cure minor wounds to cause minor
points (the non-fighting brother and sister will uf _ a six-sided die, as wounds if the organization is evil or chaotic neutral, or if there is
all zero-level figures do). The weapons allowed li/ them are as a great need and the temple or church might fall if the spell is not
cleric, but some might bear daggers, short swords, or broad swords made available to its deacons and archdeacons.
as well. None of these brothers and sisters, in either category, ever Brothers and sisters otherwise will be found in most temples and
obtain more hit points, nor do they ever become better at melee. occasionally in abbeys, monasteries, and schools. They will likely
Brothers and sisters may also be deacons in the organization. One not reside on the organization's property. They will perform mun-
in four brothers will be a deacon, and a congregation with more dane duties in most cases (washing floors, cooking, cleaning the
than four deacons will have an archdeacon as well. Archdeacons and temple or church though rarely the altar and other services). But
deacons are allowed two and one 1 st-level cloistered cleric spells, in some instances, as mentioned earlier, some of them will be
respectively, per day. (They cannot re-pray for their spell after four scholars and teachers. A deacon is of equal rank to an Acolyte or
hours of rest like a Ist-level adventuring cleric can.) Furthermore, Novice, but an archdeacon is superior to an Acolyte or Novice.
the list of spells available to archdeacons and deacons is limited to Brothers and sisters do not go into battle unless the church or temple
these only: bless, cure minor wounds (works as cure light wounds or town in which it is located is threatened with destruction. They
but does only Id4 of healing), delect evil (which might be used in surely do not adventure and do not go into dungeons. If a deacon or
reversed form in some organizations), purify food and drink, remove archdeacon administers a cure minor wounds spell, he can expect 40
fear, and sanctuary. gp from a stranger for the spell. He might cast this spell for free on
Remove fear cannot be reversed to cause fear, and purify food and the members of the church's congregation.
VOL. IV 13
The death master
A mighty nasty magic-using NPC
14 BEST OF DRAGON
which are constant: ter can speak with dead as a cleric of the salve, potion, cream, fluid, paste, etc.) are
1. ] st-level death masters obtain one same level without use of a spell. This marked with a pound sign ("#"). Those
experience point for each grave they dig, power is usable once per day and only once that are new or have a different description
and two experience points for each stolen on any single body, from that found in the official rules are
body. 8. The death master has a cumulative 5% marked with an asterisk ("*"),
2. 2nd-level death masters obtain two resistance to sleep and charm spells per level All spells of a death master are defined,
experience points for every body laid to of experience. If a saving throw is allowed, for the purpose of range, duration, and area
rest. the death master is entitled to it if his magic of effect, as if the character were three levels
3. 3rd-level death masters obtain three resistance does not overcome the sleep or lower than his actual level. Thus, a 4th-level
experience points for every properly charm power/spell. death master casts spells as a Ist-level
embalmed body. 9. At 9th level and above, the death magic-user or cleric.
4. All death masters can identify a potion master is immune to paralysis and hold Unless otherwise noted, a death master
of undead control by tasting just a drop. spells, including the effects of the touch of spell takes 1 segment per spell level to cast,
Such a potion has a double effect and dou- an undead creature. regardless of what is given in the Players
ble duration when imbibed by a death 10. At l l t h level and above, the death Handbook for a cleric's or magic-user's
master. master is immune to level draining and casting time for the same spell.
5. An undead creature must fail a saving strength draining by undead, though nor-
throw of 8 to successfully attack a death mal damage from such an attack would stiil Spells usable by level
master. If the death master attacks the Exp. Level of spell
undead, of course, this "partial immunity" level 2 3 4 5
is overturned. Thus, undead may attack a Death master spells 4
group of characters, and a death master will All spells of the death master must be 5
be allowed to walk away unharmed even if a learned just as a magic-user learns spells, 6 1
lich or a vampire is the attacker or among but some spells given in the list that follows 7 1
them. are the heart of his profession. These spells 8 2
6. Beginning at 4th level, the death mas- will be marked with + 1, + 2, or + 3 to 9 2
ter can speak with undead at will. This does signify the effective bonus in intelligence 10 3
not create a compulsion to obey and cannot points the death master gains when trying 11 3
operate on mindless undead. to learn that particular spell. Those spells 12 4
7. Beginning at 7th level, the death mas- that require some manufactured material (a 13 4
S pell n ote s/descript io ns: feet per effective level of the death master. made on a victim's bare skin. The death
First level Animate zombies is simply an animate master must use a paste rubbed on his
Animate skeletons is simply an animate dead that produces one zombie for every hands to activate the magic. A word of
dead spell that produces one skeleton For effective level of the death master. The command then makes his hands into weap-
every level of the death master. The death corpse must be immersed in a bath of spe- ons for three rounds or until a touch has
master must prepare a special salve to rub cial salts for I full turn prior to spell casting. occurred. The cost of the paste is 75 gp for
on the bones to make the skeleton receptive. Such a bath can soak ten corpses for a cost enough to make three applications. Smear-
This takes one round per skeleton. The of 200 gp. The corpses can then be ani- ing the paste, assuming it is available, takes
magic to animate them then takes only a mated in two segments at a range of 50 feet only a segment.
segment to cast. The rubbed skeletons can plus 10 feet per effective level of the death Plant death requires a fine mist spray be
be so animated anytime within 24 hours master. applied to the plant(s) to be killed. A
after their rubdown. The salve costs 10 gp Cause Ught wounds will inflict 2-8 hit potion-sized bottle would cost 200 gp and
per skeleton. Spell range is 30 feet plus 10 points of damage if a successful touch is could cover 2,000 square feet. Then, upon
VOL, IV 15
the utterance of a word of command, the Someone killed by one of these ghasts has a wight produced by the spell is "friendly" to
plants within 100 feet of the death master -1 % to the chance to be resurrected for each the death master. Lesser wights will attack
will die. Trees are allowed a saving throw of hour the figure is dead. Thus, after 70 the death master if they fail the aforemen-
11. Living mobile plants (such as treants) hours a victim with a constitution of 13 tioned saving throw (recall that an undead
are allowed that saving throw plus another would have only a 20% chance to be suc- will not attack a death master unless it fails
as a monster of the appropriate number of cessfully resurrected. If this is done, how- a saving throw of 8),
hit dice. Once killed, the plants wither and ever, subsequent resurrections of the same One in five wights produced by the spell
rot rapidly, and no new plants wilt grow in character would be allowed at the figure's is atypical. It cannot drain energy levels.
the area for a year. full current constitution score. Note: Instead, it drains hit points permanently
Magics like remove curse, limited wish, with its touch. This type of wight will cause
Second level etc., can remove the onus on such a corpse the living victim to fight at -1 per touch for
Attract ghoul is similar to a find familiar so that the chance for its resurrection is 1 full hour after each touch. For example,
spell, using the same ingredients, but the normal. consider a victim of 4th level with 30 hit
ghoul that comes is not willing to serve Ray of paralysis takes only one segment points. On the first touch, the victim takes 5
unless it is fed regularly. "Loyalty" and to activate and is a chief attack/defense spell points of damage. His new hit-point level is
obedience is gained at 1 % per day of feed- for a death master. The ray is pencil-thin 25, and he will fight as 3rd level for 1 hour.
ing and attention. A safe lair must always and has a length of 60 feet plus 10 feet per If a second touch occurs (for, say, 2 points of
be provided. level of the death master. When it is fired at damage), his permanent hit-point total will
Death armor is produced by pouring a a living figure, that figure is allowed a be 23, and he will fight as 2nd level for 1
cream on the body and rubbing it in. This double saving throw. The first is vs. spell to hour, then 3rd level the next hour, and then
rubbing takes two full rounds. Then, any- see if the ray hits at all. If the saving throw is back to being 4th level. The lost hit points
time within the next hour per effective level is made, the ray misses but those in direct can be gained back by restoration at the
of the death master, the speaking of a com- line behind or near the victim (especially rate of 3-12 points per application of the
mand sentence will activate the armor coat- those in nearby melee) might then be spell, but if the victim gains a level (or
ing. Anyone touching the death master with struck. If the ray does hit, the victim saves levels) of experience prior to such restora-
exposed flesh (perhaps to cast a spell or as a vs. paralysis at -2. If this throw fails, the tion, then the hit points are forever lost,
monk with an open hand attack) must save victim is paralyzed for 3dl2 rounds, even if the power of a wish is used. A lim-
vs. spell or take 2-12 hit points of damage. ited wish will restore 2-12 hit points and a
The armor is effective for 1 round per Fourth level full wish will restore 3-18 hit points if the
actual level of the death master. Multiple Charm undead will work only on those casting is done before the victim gains a
touches will still harm the attacker. Note: undead having intelligence of 9 or higher. level. No other magic will restore lost hit
The spell is defensive only, and the death The undead (only one target) must make a points. This sort of atypical wight can "pro-
master gains nothing by trying to touch saving throw vs. spell at -3 or obey the create" to produce lesser undead with the
someone, though he can position himself so death master and perform some mission for same power.
that he must be touched for someone to get him. The undead will not openly expose Wraith production is identical to wight
past him. Naturally, if a weapon hit occurs itself to destruction (a vampire would not go production in all respects. An atypical
the death master will take normal damage into open sunlight), and such an obvious wraith is produced one time in seven as
with no damage to the attacker. Death order will instantly cancel the charm. Once above.
armor will harm undead. Any damage from a specific order is fulfilled the charm breaks,
a monk's open-hand attack or a monster's though some orders might take years to Fifth level
claw or bite attack will still be scored, of fulfill. An order is a simple sentence of 12 Cause serious wounds requires that a
course. words or less that is adjudicated as "reason- liquid be produced from boiling the remains
Find familial- uses the same ingredients as able" by the Dungeon Master. of a ghoul or ghast for 24 hours. The
for a magic-user, but the cost is doubled. Mummy production requires an embalm- remaining liquid is enough to fill 1 small
The death master uses the following table ing fluid that costs 1,400 gp. The body must vial (like those used to carry holy/unholy
(roll d20) for find familiar: 1-4, black cat; 5- be wrapped and prepared, which will water) per effective level of the death mas-
8, weasel; 9, imp; 10, ghast; 11, mephit; require six full hours. The spell then takes ter. The infusion's added components cost
12, ghoul; 13-20, no reply but try again in but 4 segments to complete by a simple 2,000 gp. The vial is then thrown (see sec-
one month. If an imp, ghast, ghoul, or command word issued within 24 hours of tion of DMG on grenade-like missiles) like a
mephit appears, it does not add any hit the embalming. One mummy is thus pro- vial of holy water. A direct hit will inflict 5-
points to the death master. If it is elimi- duced. It will obey the death master and do 19 (2d8 + 3)hit points of damage, with a
nated, however, the death master will lose his bidding, but is allowed a saving throw of splash hit doing 2-5 (d4 + 1) points of dam-
2-7 hit points permanently. 17 (attempted daily) to become independent age. The viaJs of liquid will remain viable
of the death master's control, for 1 full day per level of the death master,
Third level Shadow summoning will produce 2-7 plus a variable of 1-20 days. Exposing the
Monster summoning I will attract nearby shadows which will arrive in 1-8 rounds. liquid to testing (putting it in contact with
skeletons and zombies not already animated The summoning takes 4 segments of casting the air) destroys it at once. The vial will not
or controlled by the death master. From 2-7 time. They will stay and obey the death radiate evil.
will arrive, even if they must abandon a master for 1-20 rounds. Ghost production is unlike other death
place they were ordered to guard. They will Wight production requires a corpse and a master spells in that the death master will
arrive via teleportation in 1-4 rounds and bone from a wight. If a cubic gate or amulet have no control over the ghost once it fully
will fight till destroyed. If not destroyed, of the planes (or a similar device) is availa- forms 48 hours after the spell is cast. The
they will tcleport back when the spell dura- ble, the wight bone is not required, since ghost so produced will not know how it was
tion of 5-20 rounds runs out. the death master can then actually touch the created and will be fully free-willed. It
Ghast production requires a ghoul to be Negative Material Plane to gain the neces- would attack the death master if it met him
at hand. The death master may animate sary power. For every wight so produced, again (if it failed the saving throw of 8
only one ghast per spell. The body must be the death master will lose one hit point allowed to the death master). The victim
infused with a special liquid that costs 400 permanentlv unless he saves vs. death must have had an intelligence of 14 or more
gp to produce. The process takes 1 hour to magic. The wight so produced will always and have been at least 9th level (in any
prepare the body and 1 turn to cast the have maximum hit points, and it can "pro- class) prior to death. Hit points for such a
spell. Such ghasts cannot "procreate" them- create" itself and command those wights to ghost are the maximum.
selves but are like ghasts in every other way. its service. Note that only the common Hold undead literally stops a target
16 BEST OF DRAGON
undead in its tracks. It is allowed a saving weapons and items that are usable to their 1-8 hit points of damage (no saving throw),
throw vs. spell. The undead cannot be full potency only by a death master, and that many points are drained perma-
harmed while in this state, nor can it be Withering Scythe: This weapon is + 2 to rtentlyfrom the figure's hit-point total. The
bypassed; attempting to do either of these hit and does normal damage with no bonus. wand takes 1 segment to fire, can have from
things will release it instantly. However, the However, the victim must save vs. poison or 1 to 50 charges when found, and cannot be
death master and others in the party are also suffer tin: loss of I hit point per round recharged. The victim can only regain lost
safe to flee via another route. The hold thereafter from a slow but powerful poison hit points in only one of three ways: limited
undead spell takes 2 segments to cast. The effect. The only antidotes for this poison are wish (2-8 points), restoration (2-12 points),
duration of the spell when used against a cure disease cast by a cleric or druid of at or a wish (3-18 points). Once the victim
particular type of undead is expressed in least the 9th level, heal, regenerate, restora- gains a new level of experience, lost hit
minutes and is determined by dividing 120 tion, limited wish, or wish. A good-aligned points that have not yet been regained are
by the undead's hit dice. (Eliminate any figure who simply picks up the scythe is forever lost.
bonus hit points; 3 + 2 HD would be read as subject to the same poison effect. Gauntlets of the Ghoul: If a good figure
3. All fractions are dropped.) Thus, a ghoul Eyes of the Undead: These cups that fit puts these on, he must save vs. paralysis
of 2 HD is held in place for 60 minutes, over the eyes look like any of the other each round until they are removed or until
while a vampire of 8 HD can be held for 15 magical "eyes." However, they allow a he is paralyzed. They can only be removed
minutes. This formula also applies to the figure to see living things at a range of 90 by dispel magic or remove curse, and even
undead from the FIEND FOLIO Tome. feet even in total darkness, even if the figure then removal must be done within 2 rounds
is invisible or is somehow cloaked or pro- of the spell being cast or they will again lock
Sixth level tected from normal sight. The eyes of the on the victim's hands. The figure will
Harm or heal is identical to the 6th-level undead will see an aura of life, but are not remain paralyzed until the gauntlets are
cleric spell, except that casting time is only able to see details of the figure's face, etc. then removed. If a neutral figure puts them
6 segments. Wearing the eyes cancels normal or magical on, his touch will be as that of a ghoul,
Lichdom can be cast upon a willing high infravision. The eyes of the undead prevent inflicting 1-4 hit points of damage per touch
priest or magic-user of at least 18th level, or a vampire from charming their wearer. If (hand), and a victim must save vs. paralysis
upon a death master of 13th level. The worn for one full day, the eyes will mold or be paralyzed for 5-20 rounds.
death master must make a potion {at a cost themselves to the wearer's eyes and cannot
of 6,000 gp) for the spell recipient to con- be removed until that figure is dead. To Potions, salves, and pastes
sume. The spell recipient is allowed his others, the victim's eyes look totally white. Correct concoction of necessary potions,
normal unadjusted saving throw vs. death In all cases, the wearer's natural charisma salves, and pastes is a function of the death
magic. If he makes the saving throw, he will drop by two points while the eyes are master's level as well as that of chance. If he
becomes a lich in 24 hours. If he fails the worn, if they can be seen by others. fails in an attempt to concoct a mixture, this
saving throw, then he is merely dead in Cloak of Night: This magical cloak will will not be apparent until the spell casting
which case the recipient can be raised in the operate only on a non-good figure. If a good attempt is carried out. Given in the chart is
usual manner and the process tried again. figure wears it, he will automatically be the percent chance that the substance will,
However, the figure will have lost a level of attacked first by any undead encountered, in fact, be correctly made (00 is a 100%
experience and may have to gain it back to even if those undead must push past other chance; is no chance). It is up to the
requalify for becoming a lich. The death party members to get at the wearer. The Dungeon Master to determine the major
master can cast this spell upon himself. cloak, when worn by a non-good figure, ingrediem(s) in each substance and allowa-
Undead production is designed to pro- confers the following powers at night only: ble substitutes, if any. The DM may, of
duce the vast number of evil (but not neu- polymorph with all possessions into a bat, course, rule that some substitutes will
tral) undead listed in the FIEND FOLIO stirge, crow, or ow! at will in 1 segment (the increase or decrease the chance of successful
Tome. This spectrum is very diversified. figure must return to normal shape before concoction.
Only one undead, regardless of hit dice, can changing into a different form); gain 90-foot
be so manufactured. That undead cannot infravision (whether underground or not); Henchmen, hirelings, and Orcus
procreate itself but will conform to the and act as a cloak ofclvcnkind. The death master may only have hire-
statistics and abilities given in the FIEND Spectre Wand: This wand only operates lings and henchmen who are evil. Such
FOLIO book in all other ways. Its hit in the hands of a death master. It fires a jet- henchmen are the outcasts of their own
points will always be maximum. The black ray to a range of 180 feet, A hit by the races (human, half-ores, and dwarves only,
undead, to rise up from being a corpse, ray is determined as if the intended victim as well as any neutral evil or chaotic evil
must make its "in-life" saving throw vs. had been attacked by a 6 HD monster vs. humanoids), often fleeing for their lives
poison or the spell will fail. the target's frontal armor class (assuming because of some atrocity they have per-
Vampire production will also produce a the target is facing the weilder of the wand). formed. Rangers, paladins, clerics, druids,
spectre if the death master so chooses. The If this roll "to hit" is not made, there is no monks, bards, and illusionists will never be
corpse must have been killed by a vampire effect. If the ray does hit, the target takes hirelings or henchmen for a death master.
or spectre, but in a way that would not
allow the corpse to rise as one of those Particular substance Chance of correct concoction Cost to Time to
undead (i.e., killed from damage, not from required by spell per level of death master produce produce
levels being drained). The corpse is allowed 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
a saving throw vs. spell, and if it fails, it Animate skeleton rub 80 85 90 94 97 99 00
10 gp/skcl. 00 00 00 2-7 hours
becomes a vampire or spectre. The undead Animate zombie bath 76 80 84 88 92 96 99
200 gp/10 00 00 00 2-7 hours
so produced is answerable to the death Cause It, w, potion 90 93 95 97 99 00
75 gp/3 00 00 00 00 1-4 hours
master for one year, but thereafter is free- Plant death spray 75 79 83 87 91 94
200 gp 97 00 00 00 1-6 hours
willed, bearing no animosity toward the Death armor cream 93 95 97 98
JOOgp 99 00 00 00 J-4 hours
death master. The potions required cost Find familiar soup 88 91 94 97
250 gp 98 99 00 00 4-16 hours
6,000 gp for a vampire and 4,500 gp for a Ghast infusion 77 82 87
400 gp 92 96 99 00 6-36 hours
spectre. This undead will have maximum Mummy embalm fluid 87 91
l,400gp 95 97 98 99 3-12 hours
hit points but cannot procreate until it is Cause s. w. potion
2,000 gp 95 98 00 5-20 hours
free-willed. Lichdom potion
6,000 gp 93 5-20 hours
Undead goop 4UO
Af1f\
gp/hd
/LJ
7 -Do hours
C L
VOL. IV
Some chaotic evil tribes of humanoids undead. Any undead commanded in this even commit suicide on that date when they
revere the death master, since he can pro- manner can be taken over again by the are 13th level so as to better serve the
duce armies ofundead types to aid them in death master any time he desire to do so. demon prince. Orcus is 45% likely to notice
their missions. The death master tan thus Eventually a death master becomes a this action and to animate the death master
give the tribal witch doctor (and in some demon-worshiper who ultimately worships with all of the character's powers intact.
few cases, the shaman) control of some Orcus. Such a death master is also allowed Death masters, once they become chaotic
animated undead. Such undead must be a saving throw of 8 before a lesser demon evil, seek seclusion virtually always near an
basically mindless, must be all of the same will attack him physically if a protection old graveyard or abandoned dungeon.
type, and have fewer than 4 hit dice. The from evil spell is not in force. There they will seek to produce undead
undead controlled by the witch doctor or A death master of 13th level who is killed armies to wreak destruction upon living
shaman may be up to ten times his level in on the feast day of Orcus (sometimes called beings around them. Only chaotic evils and
hit dice; for instance, a gnoll witch doctor of Halloween) will become an undead under some neutral evils will try to hire or ally
5th level can command 50 hit dice of Orcus's direction. Some death masters will with a death master.
The duelist
An NPC who likes to make people pay
18 BEST OF DRAGON
And so evolved a distinct kind of profession. In Roman times, No. of attacks per round:
there were the gladiators, who made their way up from ignominy to Duelist level 1-4: 1/1
international honor through their individual skill alone. In Renais- Duelist level 5-9: 3/2
sance times, there were the fencing instructors, who taught young Duelist level 10-14: 2/1
rakes how to duel (and live to brag about it) the way that other Duelist level 15: 5/2
specialists taught them how to dance or take snuff. And, in all times, Weapon proficiency:
there have been the hired swords ("hired guns" in the Old West), Initial no. of weapons: 3
who have wandered about, fighting for glory, or money, or for lack N on-proficiency penalty: -2
of a better calling in life. The duelist non-player character class for Added proficiency/level: 1 per 3 levels
the AD&D system represents this type of expert one who makes Alignment: neutral good, neutral evil, chaotic good, chaotic evil,
his living by selling his skill in individual combat. chaotic neutral, or true neutral
Typically, the duelist is of common birth. Serfs are given no
opportunity to learn to bear arms, and nobles who take up arms as a And so the world fears, admires, shuns, and brags of acquain-
profession tend to become fighters or paladins. Sometimes, as with tance with the duelist, all at the same time. He is both hero and
the Roman gladiators, duelists are of the lower class, though they villain. And he does have his place not only as a hired sword (or, in
might have wound up that way not by accident of birth but by run- some cultures, as a professional athlete). Running a fencing school,
ning afoul of the law. Sometimes, they are of the lesser nobility as many duelists do, is a very respectable occupation. It should be
younger sons of younger sons, with no inheritance to give them noted that what a Fencingmaster turns out of a fencing school is not
status and no mind to be soldiers. Sometimes they arc merely disaf- necessarily more duelists it takes more than just fighting ability to
fected types, loners or even outcasts, whose only claim to fame is fit that mold, it takes a certain kind of person. The Fencingmaster's
their reputation with their blade. customers are young men who desire to be accomplished at the skills
This way of describing a duelist goes far to explain the alignment of dueling but who may be incapable of actually becoming mem-
preferences of the class. The duelist has little use for law as an ethi- bers of the duelist class.
cal principle, whether the law involved is good, bad, or neutral. In a society or culture in which a gentleman is expected to be
Besides the fact that their profession is often illegal (though they are skillful at arms (even if the gentleman is obviously unfit for it), the
sometimes used by the protectors of the law), duelists also shy away Fencingmaster's school becomes a combination hangout, gymna-
from lawfulness because of their general outlook on life. They see sium, betting parlor, and gossip-shop all rolled into one. The master
things in individual terms (me against you), not in group terms (us himself is a person of reputation who not only is dangerous to cross
against them). To be sure, most duelists are scrupulous about fulfill- but who can also expel pupils from much of society by simply bar-
ing contracts, but this is not a lawful-minded tendency so much as a ring them from his hall. A paradox: the Fencingmaster has no place
matter of professional (by definition, individual) honor. Besides, an in society (being base-born and having to work for his living), but he
unreliable duelist gets no contracts. is in many ways one of the keepers of the keys to society's door, like
Duelists have something of a code to live by, a parody of the the innkeeper of the most fashionable watering hole. And, like inns,
knightly code of arms. The knightly code is born of law; arms are to there is no better place to hear certain kinds of news than a fencing
be used to execute justice; fair play (not taking undue advantage of academy.
an opponent) should influence behavior; the warrior is part of an Athlete, hired killer, or patron of youthful nobility the duelist
arms-bearing brotherhood pledged to defend the community. plays many roles, but he is always what he is. Grim or merry, devi-
By contrast, the duelist lives by a highly individualistic (i.e., ous or straightforward, famous or infamous, he stands on his own
chaotic) code. Professional skill is exalted rather than the obligation merits.
to do justice: if conscience sometimes accuses him of being a mere
assassin, he tells himself he is just doing his job (and doing it well, DUELIST EXPERIENCE LEVEL TABLE
by thunder!). Professional pride is a more important consideration 12-sided
than "fair play" a duelist, like a knight, does not take undue Expe- dice for
advantage of an opponent, but a knight does this to be fair, while a rience accumulated
duelist does it lest his reputation be besmirched. (This explains why Experience points level hit points Level title
a duelist will not use poison or flaming oil in personal combat; these 02,500 1 1 Beginner
are tools good enough for a cheap assassin or a stupid tavern 2,5015,000 2 2 Brawler
brawler, but it would be seen as a failure in the area of his profes- 5,001 10,000 3 3 Fencer
sional skill and bravery for a duelist to do the same.) The duelist is a 10,001 20,000 4 4 Challenger
loner, which means his worth is not measured by his attainments as 20,00140,000 5 5 Gladiator
a member of a warrior class, but by his individual achievements. 40,00180,000 6 6 Bladcsman
80,001 160,000 7 7 Master Bladcsman
160,001320,000 8 8 Superior Duelist
THE DUELIST 320,001640,000 9 9 Expert Duelist 1
Minimum ability scores: 640,001960,000 10 10 Fencingmaster'
Strength: 9 960,001 1,290,000 11 10 2 Fencingmaster, l l t h
Intelligence: 10 1,290,001 1,600,000 12 10- 4 Fencingmaster, 12th
Wisdom: 6 1,600,0011,920,000 13 10 6 Fencingmaster, 13th
Dexterity: 15(17+ = 10% bonus to earned experience) 1,920,0012,220,000 14 10 8 Fencingmaster, 14th
Constitution: 9 (hit-point bonuses as for fighters) 2,220,001 + 15 10 10 Grand Fencingmaster
Charisma: 6
Racial stock: human or half elf 1: Only duelists with 17 + dexterity can attain this level or higher.
Hit die type: d!2 2: Only duelists with 18 dexterity can attain this level or higher.
Spell ability: none
Class level limit: lD(Grand Fencingm aster) Grand Fencingmasters are not limited in number, as are holders
Armor & weapons permitted: of lop levels in the assassin, druid, and monk classes.
Armor: leather A duelist may have no henchmen until he or she attains at least
Shield: none 7th level.
Weapons: dagger, scimitar (cutlass, sabre), quarterstaff, bastard Of all fighter encounters in a city or town, 5% (roll of I on d20)
sword, broad sword, long sword, short sword will be with a duelist.
Oil: no Duelist are regularly engaged to slay people for hire (often by
Poison: no "calling out" their opponents), and the fees for assassins' work are
VOL. IV
typical of duelist fees, for which the duelist gains experience. him alive). A third such saving throw in the same ongoing melee is
Likewise, the duelist gains experience points from the Assassina- not allowed unless the duelist has first had some hit points restored.
tion Experience Points Table for every foe he overcomes in single, Thus, the duelist gets a save vs. a minotaur's axe or a hill giant's
open combat. Opponents so sought must be armed with a weapon, club, but not vs. a dragon's bite, a pseudodragon's sting, or a
as opposed to being armed solely with natural weaponry (such as scythe-blade trap.
many monsters have). This special ability comes Into play when the duelist is down to
Giving the duelist 12-sided hit dice is not intended to convey the few enough hit points so that his opponent's potential maximum
impression that duelists are monstrous hulks, like sumo wrestlers. As damage could kill the duelist with a single blow. The opponent's
the DMG points out (p. 82), hit points "reflect both the actual abil- potential maximum damage, for purposes of this determination, is
ity ... to withstand damage . , . and a commensurate increase in the maximum damage of the opponent's weapon, plus any bonuses
such areas as skill in combat and similar life-or-death situations, the that apply to the opponent's damage figure. If the opponent scores a
'sixth sense' which warns the individual." And again, "the balance hit, the duelist may attempt to parry the blow before dice are rolled
of accrued hit points are those which fall into the non-physical to determine the actual damage.
areas. . . ," In other words, a character taking damage in long fight Example: An opponent with a strength of 18/03 using a + 1 long
is not necessarily getting cut up so much as he is getting worn out; sword could potentially do 12 points of damage 8 with the sword,
his concentration lags, his arms get tired, his feet begin to drag, + I for the magic, and + 3 for his damage adjustment due to
until he is down to his last few hit points. That's when one simple strength. The duelist then has the option to attempt his parry when
thrust might kill him, as it would anyone when he is open to the he is reduced to 12 hit points or less vs. this opponent, after the
blow. By definition, a duelist is an expert at hand-to-hand combat: opponent has rolied a "to hit" die successfully, and before damage is
his inventory of tricks, professional skill, and stamina arc superior to actually assessed. Should the duelist be down to 5 hit points or less,
those of other fighter types. By giving the duelist 12-sided hit he must attempt to parry automatically, since the minimum damage
dice, these superior abilities are expressed in game terms. A 10th- his opponent can inflict with a successful hit is 5 points 1 with the
level duelist will average more hit points than a lOth-level fighter, sword, + 1 for the magic, + 3 for his damage adjustment.
thus giving the former an appropriate edge in one-on-one combat. As long as an opponent's minimum potential damage is less than
The duelist can outlast and wear out a less skillful opponent. the duelist's remaining hit points, the duelist does have a choice in
A duelist is surprised only on a roll of 1 on d6, and his code of whether or not to attempt to parry the death blow. After all, this is a
"honor" makes him dislike attacking by surprise in a one-on-one last-gasp trick, and he might want to keep it as an "ace in the hole"
fight. (But he is no fool; survival is ultimately more important than for one more round. Should the duelist be fighting more than one
"honor," and surprising an opponent is certainly not prohibited.) opponent, he may be forced to choose which of two or more equally
However, he only gains experience points on the Assassination Table deadly blows he will attempt to parry; he cannot try this trick twice
if the fight is entirely conducted in the open unless his intended in a single round. Life is full of hard choices, isn't it?
victim surprised him. Note that "open" merely means man-to-man, Two-weaponed combat: Duelists take 1 less point off in penalties
without surprise being used by the duelist. It does not imply a public for off-hand weapon swings in two-weaponed combat, but they will
fight, nor does it entail a challenge conveyed through seconds. The only fight in such a fashion against other two-weaponed hurnanoids
DM will have to abjudicate al! situations that require a ruling on or plain old monsters. The duelists' code forbids them to seek a two-
whether or not the duelist will get experience points for a one-on-one weapon advantage over a one-weaponed opponent, except in life-or-
fight. dcath situations.
When fighting opponents armed with weapons (other than mis- Resistance to fear: Duelists make all saving throws vs. fear-based
siles), the duelist gains bonuses to his armor class, simulating his attacks at + 2.
superior skill in parrying blows. He also gains bonuses "to hit" and Identify magical properties: At 10th level and above, a duelist has
damage (referred to in the table below as the "combat bonus") when a 5% chance per level of identifying the magical properties of weap-
fighting an opponent who is using a hand-held weapon. This bonus ons usable by his class. (One attempt per weapon per level.)
increases when the duelist is fighting an opponent using the same
weapon the duelist is using: The Fencingmaster and his school
At 10th level (Fencingmaster) and above, the duelist has the
Level of Combat Combat bonus option of establishing a fencing school. Such an establishment must
duelist AC bonus bonus vs. same weapon be located in a large town or city, and must have adequate supplies
1-3 +I +1 +1 and sufficient space for the exercises and activities that will go on
4-6 +2 +1 +2 there. Employment of a swordsmith is mandatory for such an estab-
7-9 -*-3 +2 +3 lishment. The Fencingmaster will then attract students to his school.
10-12 +4 +2 +4 Hiring a Fencingmaster as a teacher will cost 200 gp a month, and
13-15 +5 +3 +5 one can only be hired for a month at a time. Each month of work
with a Fencingmaster gains a student a 10% cumulative chance of
Duelists use the combat tables and saving-throw tables for the gaining a + J "to hit" with a particular weapon the Fencingmaster
fighter class, and conform to the specifications of that class, with employs. Dice are rolled once, at the end of the training, to see if the
regard to psionics and the use of magic items. In addition, they are student gets the + ]. This training must be uninterrupted by adven-
considered as fighters for any other determinations not specifically turing, and there is a maximum 60% chance of gaining the bonus.
mentioned herein. If the roll fails, the training must begin all over again. A student
When fighting hurnanoids of size S or M in hand-to-hand situa- earning a + 1 with a particular weapon cannot earn a further bonus
tions, the duelist (and his associates) gain a + 10% bonus to morale. with that weapon by continuing to study with a Fencingmaster, no
The associates get this morale bonus only if they know the duelist for matter how long he or she trains but the * 1 "to hit" could be
what he is that is, a member of the duelist class. gained in this way for more than one weapon, if the student engages
in additional instruction.
Duelists' special abilities The Fencingmaster can handle up to 30 students at a time, but if
Parrying the death blow: If the duelist receives a hit from a he goes out adventuring for more than 3 days in any month, his
weapon which would finally take him to 0 hit points or lower in that students will suffer from his absence, because their training will have
blow, he gets a saving throw (vs. death magic). A successful save been interrupted for too long and the Fencingmaster will accord-
indicates no damage. On a second such death-blow attempt made ingly be deprived of the income those students would have provided.
during the same melee (but not during the same round; see below), The number of students a Fencingmaster has at a given time can
before the duelist has regained some hit points through healing or be determined randomly by rolling 5d6, and by adding one student
other means, a successful save indicates half damage from the blow to the result for every 3 points of charisma the Fencingmaster has,
(or the duelist is reduced to 1 hit point, if that is necessary to keep up to a maximum enrollment of 30.
20 BESTOF DRAGON
Fencingmasters, unlike fighters, acquire no followers upon reach- skill in the vicinity. Sometimes a duelist will "call out" another
ing name level (10th), even if they establish a school. duelist on his own initiative, just to prove himself. Grand Fen-
Duelists' reputations have a tendency to get around, and they are cingmasters are more often revered than challenged, however, and
known, or known about, to a greater extent as they become more this is also the case with many other duelists of great reputation and
accomplished. Most duelists will be aware of other duelists of equal high charisma.
The jester
A comical, clever, charismatic NPC
Jesters are adventurous non-player char- The jester class cannot be combined with 6. Being the masters of wil and insult that
acters with an overwhelming sense of the any other class at any time by the same they are, jesters may raise the morale of
absurd. They roam from place to place, character. Any change from the jester's friends and lower the morale of enemies
telling tales, pulling practical jokes, insult- alignment immediately makes the jester a within a 60-foot radius of the jester. The
ing the most fearsome of monsters and thief with only climbing and pickpocket ing morale score alteration is either + 10% or
characters, and generally making nuisances skills and no others, not even the normal -10%, depending on whether the listener is
of themselves. Because of their outlook on thieving skills. If he or she changes or is an ally or an enemy. There is no saving
the world and their special powers, they changed back to the former alignment or throw against this ability. A jester who is
may prove potentially useful (or annoying) another acceptable one, the character may engaged in altering the local morale condi-
to adventuring parties. resume play as a jester after a rest of one tions can perform other actions at the same
Only humans, half-elves, and gnomes month of game time. time, like fighting, climbing, running, etc.
have unlimited advancement in this class, Jesters' hit dice are six-sided, and they Morale is altered through the skillful use of
Halflings, dwarves, and elves may become may have as many as 10 hit dice. Beyond loud vocal commentary and hand gestures;
jesters, but can only progress to 3rd level 10th level, the jester gets two additional hit thus, silence, paralysis, hold, and other
(Clown), Halflings and dwarves have great points per level. related spells can prevent morale alteration
difficulty in casting the magical spells that if used successfully against the offending
jesters thrive upon, and dwarves tend to be Jesters' special abilities jester. The morale effects begin immediately
too serious to make a living at acting silly 1. One new language, over and above after one round of verbal and somatic com-
(which is a pity). Elves find it hard to poke those already allowed to the jester NPC munication by the jester, and continue for
fun at people on a lifelong basis. Since half- because of intelligence, may be learned at as long as the jester cares to keep it up (to a
ores and their kin all think things like each odd-numbered level of experience, maximum of 6 turns, when he or she gets
thumb screws and iron maidens are marvel- including first level. To reflect the jester's hoarse) plus 2-8 turns thereafter.
ously comic (feelings not shared by many naturally strange mind, the new language Only those creatures able to understand
other people), they may not become jesters. may (if the DM desires) be rolled randomly what the jester is saying will be affected. A
Half-elves can advance without limit from the table on p. 102 of the Dungeon jester who insults ores in the hill giant
because they are able to draw from human Masters Guide, re-rolling if the resulting tongue will have no effect on their morale,
and elven comedy and thus have a richer language is already known. but a hill giant behind the ores, if within
sense of humor. Gnomes are more adven- 2. Due to outrageous mannerisms and 60', will certainly be affected. In the same
turous on the whole than halflings are, can peculiar dress, jesters gain a + 1 on initia- situation, if another NPC was within 60' of
cast magical spells, and are more mischie- tive die rolls in combat situations with al! the jester, was allied with the jester, and
vous as well; thus, they can progress much types of opponents (who are assumed to be understood the hill giant language, he
further than the latter race. too stunned or surprised to react quickly). would have an improved morale score at the
A jester must be either neutral good, 3. Jesters save on the thief table, with a same time the hill giant's morale is lowered.
chaotic good, true neutral, or chaotic neu- + 1 on all saving throws to account for their If the hill giant fails a morale check, he will
tral. The intelligence and wisdom scores of extremely good luck, leave (ears burning) and not return for at
a jester must each be at least 12, charisma 4. Jesters can climb walls and other rough least 20 minutes.
must be at least 13, and dexterity must be 9 vertical surfaces with a base of 75 % chance 7. Jesters of any level are immune to
or better. Jesters with intelligence, wisdom, of success. This chance improves 2% for insanity of any sort (no matter what anyone
and dexterity scores all of 16 or higher gain each level thereafter to a maximum chance else thinks). This does not include confusion
a 10% bonus to earned experience points. of 99%. Racial and dexterity bonuses for spells and the like.
Charisma, in the case of a jester, refers climbing, from p. 16 of the Players Hand- 8. Jesters are accustomed by trade to
primarily to his or her skill in drawing book, are applicable to jester NPCs. juggling small objects and doing tricks with
attention and not to physical appearance, 5. From the third level onward, jesters them. This experience has an important
which may vary widely. Jesters tend to be may pick pockets as well as does a thief of side effect. Any time a jester is aware that a
smaller than the average height of their two levels lower. Racial and dexterity small grenade-like object, dagger, or dart
race. bonuses apply to this ability as well. has been tossed within 10' of him or her,
VOL. IV 21
there is a base 80% chance, + 1 % per ieve! 9. At the 16th level of experience and This chance may be rolled once per round
of the jester to a maximum of 99%, that the above, a High Jester is also known as a when the ventriloquism ability is used.
jester can successfully catch the item in Prince of Fools, He or she then gains the 11. Acrobatics and tumbling are com-
question and immediately (in the same power to read and utilize scrolls of a magic- monly used by jesters in their shows. These
segment) toss it back in the direction it iisrr or illusionist nature, with the same skills come in handy in combat situations. A
came from. The jester cannot do anything degree of skill as a lOth-level thief. The jester may opt to evade a blow from a hand-
else in that round, but may do this up to same chances for causing the spell to be held weapon in combat by twisting out of
three times in a round if necessary. Only misunderstood or backfire are present; the weapon's way. If the jester elects to do
objects up to 10 gp (one pound) in weight however, if the spell backfires, there is only this, his usual dexterity bonus for armor
may be caught in this manner. The category chance that it will adversely affect class is doubled for that round. Thus, a
of grenade-like objects could include vials of the jester casting it. (Other people nearby jester with a 17 dexterity who normally
poison, flaming bottles of oil, acid grenades, may not be so fortunate.) gains a -3 AC bonus would gain a -6 AC
or the third form of the Ottlukt; 's freezing 10, Jesters are so skilled at casting their bonus during the round he was evading
sphere spell. Even a poisoned dagger may voices (most commonly when using manne- attacks. Any number of attacks made in
be safely grasped if the jester catches it, quins) that they function as if they had a that round may be so evaded. However, this
provided the hilt itself is not poisoned. The permanent ventriloquism spell, though this special bonus does not apply against any
jester will not be struck by the item if he or ability is not magical. The range of this thrown or hurled missiles, and the jester
she misses, unless the caster had made a ability is a 1 " radius around the jester (10' cannot attack, climb, or perform other
successful "to hit" score in the first place. If indoors and 30' outdoors). As with the actions in the same round. The jester may
the jester catches a dagger or dart but has spell, the jester may change his or her voice, elect to evade attack if he loses initiative in a
no expertise with the weapon, it can be make different sorts of noises, and so on, so round, but must make this declaration
thrown back but w i l l carry a non- long as the noises are something that could immediately after the initiative roll.
proficiency penalty on its chance lo score a conceivably be made vocally. There is a
hit. To perform this action, the jester must 10% chance per point of intelligence that Weapons and armor
have at least one hand free and cannot be each listener has above the intelligence of Jesters may only wear leather armor, but
wearing any sort of glove or hand covering. the jester that the ruse will be discovered. they may employ small shields of any sort in
combat. They tend to dress in bright colors.
The only weapons permitted to jesters are
JESTER TABLE I clubs, daggers, scimitars, slings, staves, and
6-sided dice for swords (either short, long, or broad
Experience Experience accumulated swords). Oil may be used as a weapon, but
points level hit points Level title jesters will almost never use poison under
01,100 1 1 Wit any circumstances but the most extreme.
1,1012,200 2 2 Comic Too frequent use of poison changes a jester's
2,2014,500 3 3 Clown alignment to evil irrevocably. Jesters attack
4,5019,000 4 4 Buffoon on the thief s combat table, but have none
9,001 18,000 5 5 Joker of the thief s benefits on backstabbing oppo-
18,00136,000 6 6 Trickster nents. Two weapons may initially be chosen
36,00166,000 7 7 Harlequin by a jester character at first level. The non-
66,001 106,000 8 8 Merryandrew proficiency penalty is -3, and a new weapon
106,001 160,000 9 9 Jester is gained for every four levels of experience
160,001-250,000 in 10 High Jester beyond the first (5th, 9th, etc.).
250,001450,000 tl 10 + 2 Highjester{llth)
450,001650,000 12 10 + 4 High Jester (12th) Magic items
650,001850,000 13 10 + 6 Highjester{13th) Magic leather armor, magic small shields,
850,001-1,050,000 14 10 + 8 Highjester(14th) and magic weapons of the permitted types
may be employed by jester characters. Only
200,000 experience points per level for each additional level beyond the 14th. those magic items usable by all character
Jesters gain 2 hit points per level after the i O t h . classes and restricted to none may also be
used by a jester.
JESTER TABLE II At the Dungeon Master's option, jesters
Jester New Climb Pick Catch Jester spell level may have several special magical items that
level languages walls pockets object 1 2 3 4 5 (> 7 8 can be used only by the jester class. Other
1 1 75% 81% character classes attempting to make use of
2 0 77% 82% 1 these items may suffer minor damage, a
3 1 79% 30% 83% 2 mild form of insanity or confusion, or some
4 0 81% 35% 84% 2 1 effect of a comic nature. The Dungeon
5 1 83% 40% 83 % 3 2 Master is left to his or her own best judge-
0 85% 45% 86% 3 2 1 ment and creativity in coming up with such
f.
7 I 87% 50% 87% 4 3 2 items and their potentially useful or debili-
8 0 89% 55% 88% 1 ?, 2 1 tating effects. Imagine the uses of the Nose
9 I 91% 60% 89% 4 4 3 2 of Bozo, the Arrow of Steve Martin, or the
10 0 92% 65% 90% 4 4 3 2 ! dreaded Tome of Henny Youngman.
11 1 93$ 70% 91% ! } 4 3 2 A wand of wonder, by the way, is often a
12 0 94% 80% 92% 4 t 4 3 2 1 jester's most prized possession. For some
13 1 95% 90% 93% 4 4 4 4 3 2 strange reason, such wands do not use up
14 0 96% 100% 94% 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 charges when used by jesters, so they have
15 1 97% 105% 95% 1 4 4 4 4 3 2 an effectively infinite lifespan in ajester's
KJ 0 98% 110% 96% 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 hands. A jester also has a 5% chance per
17 1 99% 115% 97% 1 i 4 4 4 4 3 2 level of controlling the wand's output not
IH I) 99% 125% 98% -I 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 that t h i s makes the wand any safer or more
19 1 99% 125% 99 % 4 1 4 4 4 4 4 4 useful to anyone but the jester.
22 BEST OF DRAGON
Henchman and hirelings ing each new spell, a jester is able to record Fifth level
Jesters may take into service any sort of it in a special spell book that cannot be used Feeblemind (M)
standard hireling as listed in the Dungeon by anyone but another jester, so he or she Hold monster (M)
Masters Guide, with the exception of any can relearn the spell after it is cast. This is
lawful or evil characters. Henchmen may be very much like the way in which rangers Sixth level
taken at any level and may be any character learn and use their magic-user spells. Jesters Mass suggestion (I)
except paladins, assassins, monks, and any can cast their spells while wearing leather
other lawful or evil characters. Jesters do armor. A complete list of spells follows, Seventh level
not normally establish castles or citadels, though the DM may include other Mass cnarm (M)
and won't attract any followers even if they enchantment/charm spells as well.
do. They can give performances at arenas Eighth level
in any city, as well as spontaneous shows at First level Otto's irresistible dance (M)
any street corner; payment by local crowds Animal friendship (D)
should be determined by the DM. A jester Charm person (M)
of ninth level or more may establish a "fun Friends (M) Jester Table II shows the levels at which a
house" or carnival to attract bigger crowds Hypnotism (I) jester may gain new spells and how many
and make more money; details, again, Sleep (M) spells the jester may cast per day. Jester
should be worked out by the DM. NPCs will use these spelts to best possible
Second level advantage in causing the most amusing
Magic spells Forget (M) situations that can be imagined by the DM.
By dint of studious application, their Kay ofenfeeblement (M) Only in times of great danger or duress will
warped personalities, their exceptional Scare (M) the jester use these spells with an intent to
verbal skills, and lots of luck, jesters may Tr/p(D) cause real harm.
commit to memory a small number of If cantrips (0-levcl magic-user and illu-
magic spells normally usable by magic- Third level sionist spells) are used in a campaign, a
users, druids, or illusionists. All the jester's Hold animal (D) jester may learn to use them. A Ist-tevel
spells are of the enchantment/charm variety, Hold person (M) jester can use two cantrips per day, and may
and there is a 1 % chance per level of a spell Suggestion (M) gain the ability to cast an extra cantrip with
that it will misfire each time it is used and every new level gained thereafter. A jester
have no effect, since jesters' minds weren't Fourth Level often uses these minor spells as part of his
well made for storing spells. Jesters must Charm monster (M) sideshow, though they may also have some
research spells they wish to know (and may Confusion (M) very important and surprising uses during
invent new ones if they desire). Upon learn- Fumble (M) an adventure.
The scribe
An NPC with the write touch
24 BEST OF DRAGON
attempt per specimen may be made by a scribe. If unsuccessful, the ment of innovations in the format and content, or accomplishment
scribe may not try again on a particular inscription until he attains a ofa task.
new level. An unsuccessful attempt may also (at the DM's option) Determination of an innovation or an exceptional or "perfect"
unleash any magic contained in protective or "trap" spells upon the execution is governed by the DM, and may be found by rolling
unfortunate scribe. percentile dice every time a scribe applies his skills to a task of mod-
erate (or greater) complexity. A modified score of 96 or higher
Atlars and Higher Atlars can make scrolls of spells whose formu- denotes such an occurrence.
lae they possess, and can inscribe protective pentagrams, circles, and The dice roll is modified by +01 if the scribe has intelligence of
signs, whether of not they know or comprehend the spell in ques- 18 or higher, and by + 01 for each week spent on the project (such
tion. There is a 10% chance of error in such activities, with a modi- time being considered as more or less continuous work on the pro-
fier of -5% if the scribe is familiar with the spell and has performed ject, the scribe's attention being divided only between this work and
the action (making the scroll or rune) successfully before, and his minimum physical needs),
(cumulative with the first modifier) -5% if supervised by a spell- For each previous innovation or exceptional execution a scribe has
caster of sufficient level and proper class to cast the spell in question, made in work directly related to the task at hand, he gets another die
and who has prior experience with the spell. roll, choosing the better (or best, if more than one extra roll is
This chance for error is to be combined with that detailed under deserved) result as the measure of his performance of the task.
"Failure," DMG pp. 117-118, when the manufacture ofa scroll is Each such successful innovation or exceptional execution is worth
being attempted. Refer to the DMG, p. i 2 1 , for fees charged by a base value of 500 experience points, modified by plus or minus 200
scribes for manufactured scrolls. The cost to a customer for the points at the DM's discretion (taking into account the circumstances
creation ofa scroll by a scribe will always be at least equal to the and nature of the task, prior experience of the scribe in the particu-
prescribed gold piece sale value for that scroll, unless special circum- lar field, and other variables).
stances prevail. If the roll fails and if no innovation or outstanding work is per-
Much ofa scribe's time is spent executing letters and documents, formed, a scribe still gains at least one point of experience for suc-
for the scribe is a master of the etiquette of both local society and cessful completion (to the satisfaction of the scribe's client or patron;
international politics and trade communications. Such mundane or, if for the scribe's own benefit, to a practical, usabte form) of all
work earns most scribes their bread and butter. Most scribes seek tasks of moderate or greater complexity.
employment with a sage or spell-caster, preferring that over working A scribe can also gain experience by the study of maps or records
for a court or a wealthy patron, and in turn preferring that second new to the character, at the rate of 10-60 (d6xlO) experience points
alternative over free-lance work, which tends to bring assignments for each such source consulted, as long as the DM judges the
either too tedious or too difficult to undertake at the payment source(s) to contain appreciable information new to the scribe.
offered. A scribe gains no direct experience awards for success in combat
or in the winning of treasure.
SCRIBES TABLE III To advance to a new experience level, a scribe who has accumu-
Percentage chances for success of special abilities lated the necessary experience points must study under another
Special Experience level of scribe scribe or a sage, or must receive training from a bard or spell-caster
ability 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 plus an artist, a cartographer, or an engineer. If a scribe's tutor is of
A 25 33 42 52 63 75 88 99 100 100 100 100 a classed profession, then that tutor must be ofa level higher than
B 15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95 99 99 99 the scribe's own present level. Tutors of non-classed professions roust
C 5 12 19 26 33 40 52 64 76 88 90 96 be considered by the DM to have relevant knowledge or skills that
D 7 13 20 28 37 47 58 70 83 97 99 99 will appreciably further the abilities of the scribe. A scribe of 10th or
higher level will almost certainly require the services of a tutor from
Note: All abilities reach their greatest chance of success at 12th
one of the spell-casting classes to advance to a new level.
level, and do not increase thereafter.
Obviously, the level-by-level progress of a scribe tends to take
much time and most scribes will consent to provide maps, letters,
Advancement and on-the-spot dungeon surveys for adventurers only in return for
A scribe gains experience points through the practice of his craft: large amounts of money. Time spent away from books, writing
the perfect execution of a difficult portrait or design, or the develop- table, and easel is time wasted, you see. . , ,
VOL. IV 25
The smith
Test the metal of this NPC
VOL. IV 27
most intimate familiarity with all weapons, and is then ready to Master Armorer: A smith of 12th level can identify raw ores,
learn the techniques of repairing even the finest weapons to "good as smelt and process these single-handedly (or oversee the process, with
new" condition, and of replacing and matching ornamentation maximum efficiency and quality of output) from the ore to finished
exactly. A Master Smith also learns and practices the art of creating product, can judge the suitability of any ore for a particular use, and
and repairing magical weapons in such a way as to infuse a dweomer oversee the making of suits of armor by other smiths (even if they
or retain an existing dweomer. (Note that very few smiths, if any, are of low level and could not, unaided, construct such items). The
can enchant an item. Smiths merely work with a magic-user patron Master need never touch such suits, but if he oversees their produc-
to create a weapon that will be magical, or repair magical weapons tion closely, their workmanship will be of Armorer-lev el quality. A
in such a way that their magic is not lost.) Master Armorer can himself construct armor with unusual features:
Armorer: A crude suit of armor (that is, coat of plate or any armor with decorative fluting to lighten overall weight, armor stud-
armor that includes some moving or shaped plates, rather than a ded with spikes, or armor designed to protect and yet not hamper
simple mail-shirt) can be fashioned by any smith of the 6th level or the movements of a prehensile tail.
higher. However, the plates will not stand up to heavy blows unless As a rough rule of thumb, a Truesmith can work (that is, complete
their maker has the skills of a Shieldsmith or of a smith of higher a project from the initial order or idea to the finished product) twice
level, and the armor will not fit the wearer as armor should (provid- as fast as a Prentice; a Master Smith, twice as fast as a Smith; and a
ing optimum mobility, visibility, and protection) unless the smith is Master Armorer, twice as fast again. In practice, of course, factors
of Armorer level. (However, adequate horse barding can be made such as strength, dexterity, advancing age, availability of materials,
tan be made by a Shieldsmith, as long as they do not require joints and freedom from distractions all affect the time needed to complete
of flexible armored areas.) An armorer can design and fashion all a project. Master Armorers (all smiths of higher than 11th level)
pieces of a suit of armor so that the suit will fit a particular physique have mastered their craft so completely that any experimentation
perfectly (including bodies that are deformed or have tails, horns, and innovation they attempt has a reasonable chance of success. A
and the like, not normally found in a human form), and can oversee Dungeon Master should keep careful track of advances (or losses,
the rapid production of helms, shields, and breastplates by smiths of should high-level smiths die without training others in their and
lower level. skills) in technology due to the work of a Master Armorer.
28 BEST OF DRAGON
Part II. Players' perspectives
VOL. IV
area to help maintain contact. Signals with may waste a shot or two if the target is hit wouldn't hurt much at the start of round
light and sound can be arranged, but gener- several times simultaneously. But by con- one could knock out the tired, hurt boxer in
ally the separation need not be so great that centrating attacks, you assure yourself of the thirteenth round. Your "boxer" should
the two groups can't see and hear one eliminating one enemy as soon as possible, end the adventure before late-round vulner-
another. The length of the separation and that means one less adversary shooting ability sets in.
depends entirely on the propensities of the at you. The sooner you shoot down an Never flee into unknown areas. In my
referee. Some referees would never fireball enemy, the sooner the enemy group as a campaign, the only time an ochre jelly
a party, but love to divide it. Others never whole may be subject to morale failure. (which I rarely use) ever killed anyone was
try to split up a party, but have no qualms The same principle of concentration of when a party fleeing from undead ran down
about tossing fireballs and lightning bolts. attacks applies in melee combat. For exam- an unexplored corridor, rather than back
The party should stay much closer together ple, if you're fighting two giants, and if you the way they'd come. Before they could
in the first case than in the second. can send three characters against each or stop, two magicians ran into the jelly and
Don't take separate routes. There's often four against one and two against the other, died. When you're exploring, your escape
a temptation to go separate ways; don't do the four-and-two tactic is likely to finish off route should be straight back the way you
it unless you have planned it from the start one giant sooner than otherwise. In either came. If you have good reason to believe
in order to defeat a known enemy, and only case, each giant is more likely to take dam- that there's a shortcut available to your
if you haven't suffered damage. The sum of age than any one of the four characters pursuer, you could try to take it yourself,
the parts of a party is greater than the fighting the other giant; and, after several but in most cases the only safe retreat is the
whole, because of "combined arms" coop- rounds of battle, one of the pair of charac- route you already know about. Also, when
eration. An 8-man party can be ready for ters may have to drop out of the fight, you plan an attack make sure that each
anything, while two 4-man parties will leaving just one character to face that giant. attacker has at least one escape route, and
suffer from severe weaknesses of position if You can't beat everything. This is axio- preferably two, in case something goes
nothing else. For example, if the only spell matic, regardless of the style of your ref- wrong. If you're in tunnels and need to flee
caster in your t-man party is held, what can eree, because there's always somebody into unknown territory, follow a definite
you do? If he's in an 8-man party with at stronger, if only the gods, and sooner or pattern of travel so that you can find your
least one other spell-user, the other one can later you'll run into this somebody. When way back. Alternately turning left and right
use a dispel to free him. And how can you you do, recognize that you're licked, cut is better than always turning in the same
protect the "soft-skinned" members of a 4- your losses, and run. But this needs to be a direction, which is liable to take you in
man party? There's no way to block both group decision. The worst thing that can circles.
rear and front if the enemy wants to get at happen to a party is that half stays to fight Don't back yourself into A corner. In
your middle. In an 8-man party you have while half runs away. Both groups are much virtually every case, it is better to have too
enough armored characters to completely weaker, confusion reigns, and death will many options than too few. This is related
block both ends. (Inside a building or probably follow. The single quality that on one hand to the military principle of
dungeon, anyway; the problem is more most separates good tactical play from bad alternate lines of approach and action, of
difficult outdoors.) In order to provide is the ability to recognize when the odds are contingency plans. On the other hand, it is
reserve capacity in case some party mem- too much against you, when it is time to related to the fundamental idea behind good
bers are killed or unconscious, an adventur- avoid a fight. play in any game that a player should
ing party ought to include at least eight Sometimes a situation which is too diffi- control the course of the game, not let the
characters, unless the prescribed mission cult for a partially depleted or unprepared game control his actions. As long as you
specifically dictates a diferent party size. party can be adequately dealt with by the have alternative courses of action, you can
Concentration of attacks. How should same party after the members have rested hope to control your fate. When you are
individual attacks be directed in a large and prepared. You might not have memo- reduced to only one choice, you are proba-
skirmish? Ordinarily, each character has rized the right spells to use against a partic- bly in big trouble.
little choice but to attack whatever is in ular menace. If you go away, to return later Guard your speil casters. This seems
front of him. But let's say that there's more with different spells, you're much more elementary enough, but some parties don't
freedom of movement perhaps an arch- likely to win. Or, perhaps the menace seem to practice it. It won't help to have
ery duel out in the open with little cover. requires lots of hand-to-hand fighting, and spells left if your spell casters can't use
Typically, a player will have his character you have a party with lots of magicians. Go them. The magicians, in particular, should
shoot at "whichever one shot at me" or away, come back with a fighter-heavy party, not be in the front or back line indoors, or
"whoever plugged me last round." The and s!ay the enemy. Furthermore, if you in the outer line outdoors. Magicians are
effect is that each character fires at a differ- leave the first time without alerting the your last resort, your "out pitch" when the
ent target in most cases. Now this would be enemy, you can gather information (from bases are loaded against you. If you let the
fine if the targets were battleships, insofar storytellers, commune spells, etc.) that may enemy get to them, you've taken the first
as accurate fire would force the enemy out make a difference between victory and step into the underworld (that is, death).
of the battle line and throw off its aim. But defeat when you try again. And it's not enough to guard the front and
if the target is a human or monster, the Get out while you have some "bottom." rear. Intelligent enemies know who in a
incoming missile is unlikely to affect his In most fantasy games, the ultimate power party is most dangerous and where they're
shooting unless the referee is one of a small is the magic spell. Don't continue your likely to be. If possible, they'll drop some-
minority who takes such things into adventure after you've begun to run out of one into the middle of your party to kill
account. useful spells, and be sure to take a spell magicians, or at least stop spells from being
If it will take two or more successful shots inventory frequently. The temptation to try cast. Keep a decent melee-capable character
to kill one opponent, spreading the party's just one more room or to go over just one in the center of the party to fight off such
fire among many targets means that it will more hill kills as many adventurers as intrusions. In an AD&D adventure, for
be a while before any target is incapaci- anything else does. Ifou must always assume example, a cleric or brave thief will do.
tated. A better method is to concentrate that you'll have to fight at least one battle Make lists. The more things you think
attacks on one target at a time, or two if after you leave the place of adventure but about and write down ahead of time, the
there are many attackers, until that target is before you reach a place of safety or replen- fewer problems you'll have during a game.
taken out. Then all adventurers should shift ishment. When you're down to a one-battle I have a list of special and not-so-special
to the next target down the line- (In an capability in spells, it's time to head for equipment to give to the referee before the
archery duel, for example, everyone shoots shelter. If your fighters are heavily adventure; a list of reminders for question-
at the nearest enemy, or the leftmost enemy wounded, get out. ing prisoners or talking to charmed mon-
if all are equidistant.) Granted, this method A party is like a boxer. A punch which sters or characters so that I don't, for
32 BEST OF DRAGON
example, forget to ask him who his boss is move into some terrain that will force the later. For example, in a variant of the D&D
or if he knows where any treasure is; a list enemy closer. In some situations a detect game that I recently played, magic-users
of creatures I might polymorph into, with magic might reveal something. were allowed to choose spells at the time
the advantages of each form; and, a list of Now try to get back "home" (if you're they cast them, rather than memorize them
precautions I customarily take when staying not there already) by a devious route which before the adventure. During the adven-
in a city, town, or a place where I can't will help you lose any pursuer. At some ture, a magic-user was told to open a stub-
expect to be protected by other adventurers point, stop and set up an ambush for the born secret door with a knock spell. He
keeping watch. (This last I put together hypothetical pursuer. A dusty area that will refused; soon afterward, the door was
after a friend who had taken no unusual reveal the passage of a slithering tracker or forced. Later, the magician used the spell
precautions while staying alone in an inn an invisible monster is ideal. Depending on capability he had retained to cast a web
was assassinated.) Also, I have a checklist of how your referee interprets an invisible which saved the party from an ore horde
pre-adventure and post-ad venture safety stalker's prowess, a trip on a river or across and this was his last spell. If he had wasted
checks, used much as an airline pilot uses a lake might help throw such a monster off it by casting the knock spell, at least some
his checklist. Finally, in games using wish your trail, but generally this is too bother- adventurers would have died,
spells, you should write down a wish ahead some unless you have reason to feel that one Deception in place of magic. Whatever
of time, in case you're suddenly given the is after you, game you play, you should be able to devise
chance to make a wish provided you do it Search for hidden treasure. This will take ways to duplicate the effects of magic by
quickly. several days, but who's in a hurry? Ideally, using weaker magic, or no magic at all. My
Other precautions. There are some seem- you should check all the coins you've favorite ploy of this kind is a fake truth
ingly minor precautions you can take dur- obtained for numismatic value. A "mere" potion. Carry with you a liquid mixture of
ing an adventure, rather tedious but copper coin might be worth 50 gold pieces oddities in a standard potion container (if
occasionally lifesaving. For example, always to a collector, if your referee has been dia- there is such a thing). Use a bit of blood,
look for evidence of regeneration, even if bolical enough to create such "treasures." rust, or whatever to make it look, feel, and
the creature you've just killed doesn't nor- Check random coins for counterfeiting or smell like a real magic potion. If possible,
mally regenerate. As a general practice, it gold plating over copper. Cast detect magic add a mild drug so that the "potion" actu-
doesn't hurt to cast remove curse on the (and possibly detect illusion) on the entire ally makes the imbiber feel abnormal.
body of an irrevocably dead comrade, lest monetary treasure. Some referees create Now, when you take a prisoner, try to get
he return as an undead. Caution now can magical coins or gems which are mixed with him to say something, even if you think he's
prevent catastrophe later. ordinary treasure. Look for secret compart- lying; at least, loosen his tongue. You may
ments in what appear to be standard magi- want to give him quite a grilling iftfere's
Staying alive after the adventure cal items. (I once found a magic ring in the time. Then feed him the potion. (Hold his
One of the more dangerous times for the handle of an otherwise ordinary war ham- nose so that he can't breathe and he'll have
adventurer is the period directly following mer. If I had tried to use the "magic" ham- a hard time not drinking, if he wants to
the "end" of an adventure. The character mer against a monster, it would have been a live.) Now tell him, in the most positive
has relaxed and is looking forward to rest, waste of time.) Detect magic may help you manner you can muster, that he has just
recuperation, and remuneration (for trea- discover dangerous treasure, ingested a truth potion. As long as what he
sure items found). He is off guard, and his Examination of items. Cast detect evil on says is true, he'll live, but if he lies, the
friends have spread throughout the village, swords and other items which may be intel- potion will kill him inside of 24 hours.
town, or castle to attend to their private ligent. Cast neutralize poison on items you The prisoner now faces a horrible
concerns. This is the time when secret foes haven't touched yet, as an antidote to eon- dilemma, especially if members of your
and hidden dangers encountered during the tact poison. Cast remove curse on scrolls party have made the whole thing more
adventure may manifest themselves. One of and other items, for that matter and believable by remarking about how much
the party may be possessed or charmed; an don't forget to look for explosive runes. fun it is to watch the potion kill a liar, or
enemy who escaped may send an invisible When someone must pick up an item to test perhaps by talking about how they'd rather
stalker or an assassin after the party; or, a it, you have two choices: strip him of his torture the prisoner. (Good-aligned charac-
slithering tracker might be following the equipment and tie him up so that he can't ters might argue about how un-good it is to
party. Now, the enemy strikes one adven- do anything to harm the rest of you, or load condemn the prisoner to a slow death.) The
turer at a time. him up with gear so that he'll have a chance prisoner can either tell the truth, take his
There are ways to avoid some of these to take care of himself if he is suddenly life in his hands and lie, or say nothing at
dangers, and other problems which may transported elsewhere or must fight a mon- all. The latter will be harder to do if he's
occur after the adventure, A cautious party ster single-handedly. If there's a ring of already been talking. If too many prisoners
should go through a routine to try to root regeneration around, the magic-tester take the last option, then tell the next pris-
out these problems before the members split should be wearing it. Always ESP the tester oner who drinks your "potion" that he
up. This routine can be divided into three to ascertain whether he retains possession of must tell the truth: if he keeps silent, the
sections: the search for enemies, the search his own mind. potion will kill him anyway.
for hidden treasure, and the examination of The foregoing discussion assumes that The potion trick will be more likely to
magic items. The examples below use spells you're not crazy enough to try to test, or succeed if you can confront the prisoner
from the AD&D rales, but other games also even touch fiesh to magic items during the with the appearance that another prisoner
have spells that are useful after the adven- adventure (if it's a one-day trip), and that has lied and died. For example, before the
ture. your referee hasn't been soft-hearted intended victim returns to consciousness or
Search for enemies. Gather in a large enough to provide you with cheap, reliable, enters the room, render another prisoner
clearing. First, use know alignment and and wholly trustworthy analysis by a local dead or unconscious without leaving evi-
detect charm on all party members to ascer- magician or alchemist. If you do use an dence of how this was done. Strangling
tain that they are not dopplegangers, poly- analyst, remember that a powerful magic might do in some cases; poison is best. {Of
morphed demons, or possessed or charmed item may tempt him to try to switch it with course, many characters will be unable to
friends. ESP might help. Be ready for a a look-alike. go to these lengths, owing to alignment or
fight if the enemy realizes that he's been personality.) Use a potion bottle that is half
discovered. Next, use detect invisibility and Using magic wisely and well empty. Then bring in the prisoner, give him
detect evil to search for nearby hidden Never employ magic to accomplish some- the remaining potion, and show him what
enemies. If you're in a clearing during this thing that can be done safely by non- the potion did to someone who lied. Imag-
action, the enemy might watch you from magical means, unless time is short. The ine yourself in such a scene, and think
out of spell range, so you might want to spell you use now may be greatly missed about whether you'd tell the truth,
VOL. IV 33
The success of this pioy depends on how and polymorph into a flying creature to skull is a "demigod" or some such.
the referee plays his part (usually, that of the scout the enemy lair or to get into position Dimension door or te/eport capability is
prisoner). But it helps if you can be sure for more violent business. great for getting behind an enemy, not just
that no one who is questioned in this man- If you don't know one spell, you may be for getting away, I have a magic-user char-
ner lives to tell of it, because once someone able to duplicate its effects with another. For acter who levitates with magic boots, puts a
lies and gets away with it, the story could example, if you don't have Nystul's magic magic broom between his legs, casts invisi-
get around. For this reason, you should use aura, which creates a bogus dweomcr on an bility and other protections, and finally
the trick sparingly if your characters cannot object, you can do the same thing if you dimension doors into the air well behind the
allow prisoners to be killed in cold blood. turn it invisible, then paint it. Or, put a enemy, while the main party comes at them
The more realistically your referee plays magic mouth on it with orders never to through a tunnel or other narrow access.
the monsters and non-player characters, the speak some referees rule that a magic The magic-user can look around for enemy
more effective "deception magic" is likely mouth does register when detect magic is reinforcements hiding out of sight of the
to be. For example, if your party lights cast. tunnel, then either cast spells or move
some colored candles, the more thoughtful Use magic to save effort. For example, around with the broom. It's not the safest of
n on-players are going to wonder whether charm an ore, then polymorph it into a maneuvers, but it seems to work well.
these are magical, and perhaps hesitate or more powerful monster. If it retains the I've heard of a group of characters who
waste time dousing them. The unthinking ore's mentality, won't it still be charmed? like to put explosive runes on paper, fold the
NPCs will just dash ahead. Why, you might You can also try tricks like charming paper into an airplane, and throw it at the
even be able to block or delay pursuit rodents or dogs in order to polymorph them enemy. If an opponent looks at the runes,
merely by lighting some funny-smelling into big monsters. A friendly cleric or monk boom. I would rule that nobody in the
candles, or by throwing colored flour ("dust can speak with the "dog" using speak with world knows how to make paper airplanes,
of sneezing and choking") on the floor. On animals. If you have a pet dragon or griffon nor would they even think of the idea, but
the other hand, sometimes the best tactic in to feed, polymorph an insect into an ele- others might be less strict.
a sword-and-sorcery fight is to dash in phant or a horse. Why spend a lot of Some readers may feel that treating an
before the enemy has a chance to prepare money? adventure as a tactical exercise is somehow
his magic; so who knows when these tricks If you have powerful magic, you can use wrong. We don't ordinarily see the hero of a
will work? it for protection in the wilderness. Spells of novel planning ahead in this way, calculat-
Phantasmal forces and illusions work best hallucinatory terrain, plant growth, or ing every move, so why should our charac-
when they reinforce expectations of the semi-permanent walls of stone or the like ters do it? Well, the literary heroes are
observer. For example, if you use a knock (arranged in a circle) will protect against heroes partly because they take these pre-
spell to blow open a door from a distance, most unintelligent menaces. cautions naturally, not even having to think
then follow it directly with an illusion of In some worlds adventurers never have about them. And, let's face it, literary
someone pushing the door, the image will trouble getting through doors or gates, but heroes are incredibly lucky much luckier
be more believable and may draw enemy in others some guile and magic are required than our characters can expect to be. The
fire. Once, one of my characters put a skull when strength is unavailing. For example, average soldier of fortune must look for
in a sack at his belt; when he met a chi- passwall your way through, or use a knock every trick to keep himself alive, must strive
mera, he cast phantasmal force and pulled spell, Polymorph into an ant, black pud- for every advantage (however small), and
the skull, now looking like a medusa-head, ding, or other creature that can go under must always be thinking. To the average
from the bag, averting his eyes at the same the door. Dimension door will get one or player, it's just a fun game; to the character,
time. What happens then depends on the two party members through. Presumably, it's his life. In short, the suggestions made
referee, but it can be interesting. once someone is through, he can open the here are a summary of how a smart, wary
Given the variety of spells available in door from the other side by pulling the character would approach an adventure,
most games, it should be possible to misin- lever, unbarring the door, or whatever. A not merely a litany of good moves in a
form potential but unknown enemies, such gaseous form potion or something produc- game. This may be too realistic to fit some
as assassins hired by those you've despoiled, ing cthcrcalness will also get someone ideas of heroic fantasy, but that doesn't
"gunslingers" looking to make a reputa- through. Lacking these means, something make it wrong.
tion, and ordinary thieves. This will help more destructive might serve. For example,
protect you when you're not adventuring. turn an area of stone beside or below the Adventuring and referees
For example, you might want a false rumor door to mud (transmute rock to mud) and The advice given here cannot possibly
to be spread. You could simply ask friends quickly dig around the door or gate. A take into account the preferences perhaps
or acquaintances to spread the word conjured earth elemental is a last resort. demands of individual referees. One
around, but in some cases the rumor will be Some spells can help troops of slaves referee may expect or require player charac-
so unbelievable that your enemies might use build fortifications faster, such as wall of ters to act in order to succeed in a manner
magic or other means to check its accuracy. stone and conjure elemental. For a hiding which would be suicidal if performed with
Why not, then, hypnotize your agents so place, use a passwall and dig out a small another referee. One referee may set up his
that they truly believe what you've told room at the end. It is sealed when the adventures with the preconception that the
them? When the enemy checks, they'll find passwall expires, and can only be reached players will always go forward, regardless of
that your agents are telling the truth as by use of that spell or by dimension door. how difficult the opposition seems to be.
they know it. (I've heard of referees who allow characters This referee will, in all likelihood, take good
Imaginative use of spells. Read through to create a passwall in the floor under an care of the player characters by fudging
the spell descriptions of your game's rules to enemy, then use dispel magic to get rid of it, things so that they will survive. A different
look for new ways to use magic. For exam- leaving the enemy entombed in solid rock. referee may expect his players to withdraw,
ple, take the minor globe of invulnerability In my opinion, this goes too far to be regroup, and return with a more suitable
in the AD&D rules. If you have a wand of allowed.) force if and when the opposition looks too
fireballs or lightning bolts, you can become Use spells in new ways to affect the tough. In such conditions, if players con-
a one-man wrecking crew by casting the morale of opponents. For example, cast tinue forward despite evidence that their
minor globe on yourself. Enter an enemy invisibility on a person, but not on his characters are in above their heads, those
lair, accompanied by a couple of fighters to armor. The "ghostly" apparition of an characters will probably die or be captured.
keep the opposition from h i t t i n g you, and animated suit of armor may frighten sav- In either case, players should always take
dump fireballs all about. It'll be messy, but ages and others ignorant of magic. A skull the course more likely to result in survival:
the enemy won't last long, and you and in conjunction with a ventriloquism spell pull out. Unfortunately, a referee of the first
vour Friends will be safe. Or, cast the globe can accomplish the same purpose the type may be so annoyed by this reaction
BEST OF DRAGON
that hell double the enemy's strength in the seem to be going well, try to think of events not when the referee is a fudger. And hardly
interval before the characters return. He which might occur that would help your any referee never fudges. . . .
may even ambush them on the way back, as side. Talk about them try not to be too Another example: A character was cap-
"punishment." In many other ways, some obvious in suggesting them to the referee tured, partly his own fault. The enemy,
as fundamental as this, referees differ in and perhaps he'll adopt one as a "piece of which is to say the referee, asked the char-
what they consider to be good play. Conse- fudge" to be used in your favor. Keep talk- acter if there was anyone who might pay a
quently, the first rule of good tactics in role- ing; do your best to convince the fudger ransom for him. Obviously, the referee was
playing may be to "Know thy referee." that your side needs help, that the adven- looking for a way to keep this experienced
In connection with this problem of differ- turers are in bad shape, so that he won't character alive. The player controlling this
ences between referees, you may come help the monsters. When something occurs character should have lied, hemmed and
across a referee who is an habitual "fudger." which might be a fudge for the enemy hawed, thought of other reasons why he
He tends to set up a vague adventure, then the fortuitous appearance of additional should be kept alive, anything to give the
alters and adds to it as the game progresses monsters or of a secret door the monsters referee a chance to fudge anything but
in order to make the adventure easier or use then work on the referee by hinting his actual answer, which was "No." The
more difficult. Frequently, he fudges in that he's being unfair. And, when you're enemy executed the character, of course.
favor of, rather than against, the player really in dire straits, think of anything that Any role-playing game is a verbal contest
characters in order to enable them to sur- might help, even if it sounds a little silly; as well as a game. You'll find that you can
vive an adventure in which an objective meanwhile, complain about how impossible help your character by purely verbal means,
observer would say they should have died. the adventure has been. by subtly influencing the referee. This
This kind of referee discourages good tac- The most blatant "fudge" I've experi- works with any referee, not just a fudger,
tics, because regardless of how well or how enced was when a referee allowed a few war insofar as virtually any referee doubts that
badly you play, the outcome is roughly the horses to start a fight with a group of su- he's always fair to the players. You work on
same you survive. monsters after all the adventurers had been those doubts. For example, in a situation
How can a player accustomed to pursu- knocked out. The horses managed to drive not defined by the rules, the referee must
ing good tactics cope with this kind of ref- away the surviving su-monsters and save decide what is likely to be the result of a
eree? First, continue to try to use good the party. In this case the referee knew he'd given action. If he's unsure of the matter, or
tactics. Complain when the referee may be been too tough, and was looking for a way if he's groping for a word, and you can
fudging against you, trying to help the out. When a player happened to ask if the supply something that sounds reasonable,
monsters when your tactics are too good for war horses were going to attack on their he may accept your suggestion. If you wait
them. And most of all, "play the referee." own, that was all the referee needed. for him to come up with something, chances
Whether you'll want to say flat out that he You should never give up until you're are it's likely to be worse than what you
fudges is up to you. But when things don't dead snd gone in any game, but especially would have suggested.
36 BEST OF DRAGON
Gathering components Gems used in spells: is 100%, adjusted by the item's level of
A number of material spell components Agate Ornamental/ rarity and the size of the city/town.
can most easily be obtained just by going Common
out and gathering them. Anything not Amber Fancy/Scarce Table V
fabricated and not refined can be gathered. Amethyst (crushed) Fancy/Scarce Material spell components
To determine the chance of gathering a Citrine Semi-Precious/ Acid, strong (uncommon; 1 gp/oz.):
particular material spell component, use the Uncommon alchemist, brickmaker, engraver, stonecutter
following equation: a base chance of 100%, Corundum Gem/Rare Acorns (common; 5 cp/lb.): gathering
adjusted by the item's level of rarity times Diamond Gem/Very Rare Adder stomach scarce; 5 gp/ea.): magic
two, plus 1 % for each day spent searching, Moonstone Semi-Precious/ shop
plus 2 % per day for each additional Uncommon Alcohol, grain (common; lgp/qt.): alche-
searcher beyond the first. Roll the adjusted Opal, Black Gem/Rare mist, barber, dyer, jeweler, painter, paper/
chance once per day unti! the desired item Pearl Fancy/Scarce ink maker, perfumer, physician, tanner
is found or the search is given up. If the Pearl, Black (crushed) Fancy/Rare Alkaline salts' (scarce; 5 gp/oz.): alche-
chance to find the item is exactly 100%, it Ruby (powdered) Gem/Very Rare mist, gathering, physician
can be found after one full day's search Sapphire, White Gem/Rare Alum (uncommon; 1 gp/oz.): alchemist,
(approximately 12 hours). For every 10% Topaz Fancy/Scarce barber, dyer, paper/ink maker, perfumer,
over 100%, the searching time drops by two physician
hours but if the chance to find the item is Several spells call for a "large gem" or "a Amaryllis (Hypoxis) stalks' (rare; 24 gp/
160% or higher, then the item is found right gem worth at least 5,000 gp." These should doz.): botanist, druid, flower shop
away (in a matter of minutes). always be treated as Rare and Very Rare Animal hoof, powdered (uncommon; 1
The Dungeon Master should use discre- stones, respectively. gp/oz,): alchemist, physician, stable, veteri-
tion in determining whether a certain item narian
can be gathered or not, based on his knowl- Going shopping Bag, n'y(common; 15 sp/ea.); leather-
edge of the campaign area. If the spell Of course, not all communities have a worker, moneylender, tailor, tanner
caster insists on looking, roll the dice every magic store, or an alchemist, or even an Bark (from tree) or bark chips (common;
day, but if the item is simply not to be expedition outfitter. Not all stores which do 1 cp/lb,): carpenter, druid, gathering, lum-
found, the outcome is always failure regard- carry material spell components as such will ber mill
less of what the dice suggest. have all the items in stock that a spell caster Bat fur, bat guano, bat hairs (scarce; 10
may desire. In addition, as noted, the prices gp/oz.): gathering, magic shop
Gems that magic dealers charge is well in excess of Bead, crystal or glass (common; 5 sp/
A large number of spells require gems, the going prices on the open market. ea.): glassblower, jeweler
jewelry, or precious metals as part of the Table V, following hereafter, is a roster of Beeswax (everyday; 1 cp/oz.): beekeeper,
material component. In the case of many of material spell components, their level of bowyer/fletcher, food store
the spells, the cost in gold pieces of the gems rarity, their "normal" cost (perhaps subject Bell, smaJI (uncommon; 20 gp/ea.): bell-
required is defined; otherwise the tables in to change based on demand or availability), maker, clockmaker, jeweler, musical instru-
the Dungeon Masters Guide, pp. 25-27, and a list of shops or other sources where ment maker, smith
should be consulted for representative they might be obtained. Not all communi- Berries, edible fresh (common in season,
prices. ties will have all the various types of stores 1 sp/lb.; rare out of season, 15 gp/lb.}:
The chance of a particular dealer having listed; some will have stores not listed. If a druid, food store, gathering
the required gems is determined by the character attempts to buy material spell Bitumen' (uncommon; 5 gp/oz,): alche-
following formula: a base chance of 100%, components in a shop not described in the mist, barrelmaker, carpenter, shipmaker
adjusted by the rarity of the gem (see Table following table, the DM should allow it if, Blood, black dragon (very rare; 500 gp/
IV) and the size of the city/town, plus 20% in his opinion, there is a reasonable chance oz.): alchemist, magic shop
if the shop is large, no adjustment if the that the shop might carry the desired item. Blood, human" (rare, 100 gp/oz.): alche-
shop is medium-sized, and minus 10% if Omitted from this list are gem stones, holy mist, druid, magic shop, physician
the shop is small. symbols, and fabricated items, all of which Blood, mammal (uncommon; 1 gp/oz.):
Powdered gems may be prepared by any are discussed in other sections of this text. alchemist, butcher
gem dealer. If the spell caster wishes to have The rarity of each item was determined Bone, powder or shard (common; 1 gp/
his own gems powdered by a jeweler, the assuming a temperate (European) climate lb.}: alchemist, butcher, physician
cost is 10% of the value of the gem(s). and the proper season, especially for botani- Bone from tindead (rare; 50 gp/ea.):
Gold and silver items can be made by cal products. If this docs not describe your alchemist, magic shop
goldsmiths and silversmiths; this is de- campaign situation, the DM should adjust Brandy, drop (common; 1 gp/pt,): tav-
scribed in more detail in the section on the rarity level and cost accordingly. ern, winemaker
fabricated items. Jewelers and moneylend- It will be necessary for the spell caster to Brass dust (common; 5 sp/oz.): armorer,
ers can provide certain gold items, includ- purchase or obtain appropriate containers smith, weapon maker
ing gold dust, gold coins, and some fab- for the components, and to spend time Brazie/-(uncommon; 25 gp/ea.): candle-
ricated items. Silversmiths can make the full preparing the mixtures for rapid casting. maker, smith, temple
range of silver items; so can many jewelers. This should be a part of preparing and Bromine salts' (scarce; 5 gp/oz.): alche-
memorizing spells prior to an adventure. mist, saltmaker
Table IV Failure to do this will substantially extend Bronze disc (common; 15 sp/ea.): ar-
Level of rarity of gems: the spell casting times listed in the Players morer, engraver, smith
Ornamental stones Common Handbook, which assume that the material Bull's horn, carved(uncommon; 1 gp/
Semi-precious stones Uncommon spell components are ready and available. ea.): carver, stable
Fancy stones Scarce/Rare* Sources already described magic Burrs (everyday; 1 cp/oz.): gathering,
Gem stones Rare/Very Rare* shops, expedition outfitters, alchemist stable
* Within the categories of gems, shops, druid orders, cleric temples, and Butter(everyday; 5 cp/lb,): dairy, farm,
some are noted as having a base price jewelers are not listed except when those food store, tavern
five times higher than average. These stores are the optimum (or only) place to get Candles, various types (everyday, 1 cp/
should be treated as being one rarity a certain item. ea., for tallow; common, 1 sp/ea. for wax;
level higher than others in the same The base chance for one of the listed uncommon, 1-6 gp/ea., for special candles):
category. stores to have the given component candlemaker
VOL. IV 37
Carbon (common; I cp/oz.): candle- clothing store, tailor Iron pyrite (uncommon; 5 gp/lb.): alche-
maker, paper/ink maker, smith Feather, wing/white/owl {common/ mist, magic shop
Carp, live miniature (scarce; 1 sp/ea,): uncommon; 1-6 gp/ea,): farm, gathering, Jade circlet (rare; 5000 gp): jeweler
bait shop, fishmonger tailor Lampblack (common; 3 cp/oz.): candle-
Carrot, dried or powdered (scarce; 1 sp/ Firefly, live (uncommon; 1 sp/ea.): gath- maker, illuminator/scribe, painter, paper/
oz.}: alchemist, food store, herbalist ering ink maker
Castor beans6 (rare; 10 gp/oz.): alche- Firefly, tail (uncommon; 5 sp/ea.): magic Lard (common; 2 cp/lb-): farm, food
mist, dyer, perfumer, physician shop store, tavern
Caterpillar cocoon (uncommon; 5 sp/ Fleece (common; 1 gp/lb.): farm, fuller, Leaf (every day; free): gathering
ea.): druid, gathering, silkmaker tailor, weaver Leaf from poison ivy, oak, or sumac
Chalk (common; 1 sp/stick): quarry Flesh, human* (rare; 50 gp/bit): alche- (common; 1 sp/ea.): druid, gathering
Charcoal: see Carbon mist, magic shop, physician Leather loop {common; 1-6 sp/ea.):
Citric acid (lemon or lime juice) (uncom- Flint (common; 10 sp/ea.): armorer, leatherworker, tailor
mon; ]gp/pt.): food store candlemaker, smith, tobacconist, weapon Leek, crushed (common; 5 cp/ea.): Food
C/ay(common; lgp/lb.): artist/sculptor, maker store, tavern
brick maker, potter Flour, white {common; 1 sp/lb.): food Licorice root, shaving (scarce; 15 sp/oz,):
Cloth (everyday; 1-10 gp/yd.): ciothma- store, miller alchemist, food store, herbalist, physician,
ker, sailmaker, spinner, tailor, weaver Flower petal (everyday; free): gathering tavern
Club, oaken (common', 1 gp/ea.): weapon Fool's gold: see Iron Pyrite Lime, powdered or crushed {uncommon;
shop, woodcarver Fu/-(common; 1-20 gp/skin): farm, fuller, 1 gp/lb.): alchemist, quarry, stonemason
Coal (common; 1 gp/lb,): brickmaker, furrier, tailor Loam (common; 1 gp/lb.): brickmaker,
quarry, smith Garlic (common; 5 cp/bud): food store, farm, foundry, quarry, smith
Cone, crystal or glass (scarce; 10 gp/ea.): herbalist, tavern Lodesfone{rare; 25 gp/ea.): astronomer/
glass blower, jeweler Gauze{common; 1 sp/yd.): physician, navigator, chandler, magic shop
Copperpj'ece (everyday; 1 cp/ea,): mon- weaver Magnets; see Lodestone
eylender Glass (uncommon; 10 gp/sq. ft.): glass- Mandrake root (scarce; 15 sp/ea.): alche-
Copper wire, fine (common; 1 gp/ft.): blower mist, herbalist, physician
smith Glove (common; l-6gp/pr.): leather- Marble, polished (uncommon; 1 gp/cu.
Corn extract (common; 2 sp/lb.): alche- worker, tailor in.): mason, quarry
mist, food dealer, herbalist Glove, snakeskin {scarce; 25 gp/pr.): Marigold (common; 1 cp/ea.): druid,
Cricket, live (uncommon; 1 gp/ea.): bait tailor flower shop, gathering
shop, gathering Gold {uncommon; price varies by weight Mercuric-nitrite crystals (rare; 50 gp/
Crystal (uncommon; 1-10 gp/ea.): glass- and workmanship, base value 1 gp/1 gp oz,): alchemist, physician
blower, jeweler wt.): goldsmith, jeweler, moneylender Mercury" {scarce; 25 gp/oz.): alchemist,
Dart (common; 5 sp/ea.): weapon shop Grain (everyday; 1 sp/lb.): bakery, brew- physician
Demon ichor(Type I, very rare, 500 gp/ ery, farm, food store, miller, stable, tavern Metal bar, rod, nail (common; l-6cp/
oz.; Type II, very rare, 750 gp/oz.; Type Granite, dust or block (common; 1 sp/ ea.): barrelmaker, carpenter, smith, weapon
III, very rare, 1000 gp/oz.): alchemist, oz.): mason, quarry maker
magic shop Grasshopper hind/egs(uneornmon; 5 sp/ Mica (uncommon; 1 gp/cu. in.): mason,
Dirt {everyday; free): gathering ea.): gathering, magic shop quarry
Dirt, graveyard (common; I gp/oz.): Gum arabic" (uncommon; 2 gp/oz.): Milkfat, solidified (common; 5 sp/pt.):
graveyard, temple alchemist, bakery, candy maker, physician dairy, food store
Down (common; 1 sp/lb,): bowyer/ Gut (uncommon; 1 gp/yd,) butcher, Mirror, siJver(uncommon, 20 gp/ea.):
fletcher, farm musical instrument shop jeweler, silversmith
Dragon bones (rare; 500 gp/set):'magic Hairs from a strong animal (common; 1 Mistletoe, borrowed (uncommon; lOsp/
shop cp/bunch): gathering, stable sprig): gathering
Drum, small (uncommon; 10 gp/ea.): Hammer, war(common; 1 gp/ea.): Mistletoe, greater (scarce; as per Players
musical instrument shop weapon maker Handbook)
Dung (everyday; 1 gp/lb., packaged): Hawk eye (scarce; 15 gp/ea.): alchemist, Mithral plate {rare; 50 gp/1 gp wt.):
stable hawker, magic shop armorer, jeweler, smith, weapon maker
Dust (everyday; free): gathering Heart of a hen (uncommon; I sp/ea.): Moonseedplant" (scarce; 5 gp/ea.):
Eagle eye (rare; 20 gp/ea.): alchemist, butcher, farm druid, flower shop, herbalist
magic shop Herbs, various (uncommon/rare; 2-40 Mud (everyday; free): gathering
Egg, rotten (uncommon; 1 cp/ea.): farm, gp/oz.): alchemist, herbalist Mushroom spores (rare; 50 gp/oz.):
food dealer Herring scales, powdered (uncommon; 2 alchemist, herbalist, physician
Eggshell (common, 1 cp/ea.}: farm, food gp/oz.): alchemist, fishmonger, herbalist Nettle leaves, crushed (uncommon; 10
dealer Holly (common; 5 sp/oz.): druid, gather- gp/oz.): alchemist, druid, herbalist,
Elixir made from the juice of dried plums ing physician
and the oil of 5-8 beans of a castor plant Honey/honeycomb (everyday; 1 sp/pt,): Nitre: see Saltpeter
(rare; 50 gp/oz,): alchemist alchemist, beekeeper, farm, food store Nut shells (common; 1 sp/lb.): food store,
Evergreen (common; 1 sp/lb,): druid, Horn, carved (uncommon; 1 gp/ea.): gathering
lumber mill carver, stable Oak bark/leaf (common 1 sp/lb.): druid,
Eyelash, normal (everyday; free): gather- Humus* (common; 1 cp/lb.): farm gathering
ing Ice'6: (varies) Octopus (giant) tentacle (rare, 50 gp/ea.):
Eyelash of basilisk, ki-rin, ogre mage, or Incense (common; 1 gp/stick): candle- fishmonger
other spell-using creature (very rare; 100 maker, perfumer, temple CW(common; 1 gp/flask): alchemist,
gp/ea.): alchemist, magic shop Inks, special (scarce, 100-500 gp/oz,; candlemaker
Fan (common; 1-6 gp/ea.): clothing rare, 600-1000 gp/oz.): alchemist Oil, sweet/oil refined from hickory and
store, tailor Ink, normal or lead-based (uncommon; walnuts (uncommon; 5 gp/flask): alchemist,
Fat (everyday; 1 cp/lb.): farm, food store, 10 gp/oz.): alchemist, paper/ink maker bakery
tavern Iron, various shapes and sizes (common; Ointment of very rare mushroom pow-
Feather, exotic (scarce; 10-20 gp/ea,): 1-6 gp/ea,): smith, weapon maker der, saffron, and fat (very rare; 500 gp/oz.):
38 BEST OF DRAGON
alchemist, herbalist Shamrocktea/"(uncommon; 5 sp/ea,): alchemist, dyer, paper/ink maker
Ointment of oil, poppy dust, and pink druid, gathering Vestments, clerical (uncommon; 100-600
orchid essence (rare; 150 gp/oz.): alchemist, Silk, Carious (scarce; 50-300 gp/yd.): gp/set): tailor, temple
herbalist clothier, tailor, trader/importer, weaver Vial (common; 1 gp/ea.): alchemist,
Paddle, wooden (common; 1 sp/ea.): Silver (common; price varies by weight glassblower
carpenter, woodcarver and workmanship): jeweler, silversmith Vinegar (common; 5 cp/qt.): food store,
Parchment (common; 10 sp/sheet): illu- Sinew from strong animal (uncommon; 1 tavern, wine shop
minator, paper/ink maker, scribe gp/ea.): alchemist, butcher Water (everyday; free): gathering
Peas, split dry (common; 3 cp/lb.): food Skunk cabbage leaves (uncommon; 1 gp/ Wax (common; 1 sp/lb.): candlemaker
store cabbage): druid, gathering IV/iitewasn (common; 1 gp/gal.); painter
Phosphorus (uncommon; 5 gp/oz.): al- Slug (giant) digestive juice (rare; 50 gp/ Willow or other flexible wood (common;
chemist, glassblower, physician flask): alchemist 1 cp/yd.): carpenter, druid, gathering,
Pigments (uncommon; 5 gp/oz.): alche- Smoke (everyday; free): any fire source lumber yard
mist, painter Snake scales/skin/tongue (scarce; 6-12 gp/ Wood, small piece (everyday; free): gath-
Pine/pine cone (common; 1 cp/ea.): ea,): alchemist, magic shop ering
10
druid, gathering Snow : (varies) Woo/(common; 1 cp/oz. unwoven, 1- 20
Pine fa/-(common; 5 sp/pt.): alchemist, Soot: see Lampblack sp/yd. woven): farm, fuller, tailor, weaver
carpenter, painter, physician Spectre, essence of (very rare; 750 gp/ Wyrcnwooo" (uncommon; 5 gp/piece):
Pineal gland, from human or humanoid oz.): alchemist, magic shop druid
creature" (rare, 250 gp/ea.): alchemist, Spell books" (rare; 1000 gp + 100 gp/ YeWow-tinted glass, crystal, or mica (un-
magic shop, physician. spell level): magic shop common; 1-6 gp/ea.): glassblower, jeweler
1
Pins, siJver(uncommon; 1 sp/ea.): jew- Spell books, traveling ' (rare; 500
eler, silversmith gp+ 100 gp/spell level): magic shop Notes:
Pitch (common; 5 sp/pt.): carpenter, Spheres of crystal, glass, or mineral (un- 1 Alkaline salts are found in natural
painter, physician common; 5 gp/ea.): glassblower, jeweler water and arid soils.
Plant, green (everyday; free): gathering Spider, live (uncommon; 1 gp/ea,): gath- 2 Amaryllis (Hypoxis) stalks are native
Plums, dried (common; 1 cp/doz.): food ering, magic shop to southern Africa and would be uncommon
store Spider web (everyday; 1 gp/web): alche- in that climate. They are also known as
Port rind (common; 5 cp/lb.): butcher, mist, gathering, magic shop "Belladonna lilies."
food store, tavern Squid (giant) tentacle (rare; 50 gp/ 3 Bitumen is obtained by distillation
Potion of heroism or superheroism (rare; tentacle): fishmonger from coal or petroleum, and is occasionally
500/700 gp/ea.): alchemist Squid secretion (rare; 50 gp/flask): alche- found naturally.
Prayer beads/prayer wheel/prayer book mist 4 Human blood is actually not rare,
(common; 1-100 gp/ea.): temple Stalactites (scarce; 5 gp/ea.): gathering but because its indiscriminate gathering is
Prism, mj'nera/(uncommon; 5 gp/ea.): Steri (uncommon; 10-60 gp/sq, yd,): likely to cause trouble with the local author-
glassblower, jeweler smith ities, it is a troublesome substance to ob-
Quicksilver; see Mercury Sfone, small (everyday; free): gathering tain.
Quartz, rock crystal, smoky quartz (un- Stone, square chip (common; t cp/ea.): 5 Bromine salts are obtained from sea
common; 1-6 gp/ea.): glassblower, jeweler mason, quarry water and are only uncommon in the vicin-
Raisin (common; 3 cp/lb.}: food store Straw (common; 5 sp/bale): farm, stable ity of the ocean.
Rarn'shom (uncommon; 15 sp/ea.): String, piece (everyday; 1 cp/yd.}: cloth- 6 Castor beans are native to tropical
farm ing store, any craft shop, tailor, weaver Africa and Asia, and are common in similar
Reed (common; 1 cp/lb.): gathering, Stylus (uncommon; 1 gp/ea.): engraver, climates.
mill, weaver paper/ink maker, scribe/illuminator 7 Human flesh poses the same prob-
Resin (common, 1 gp/oz, for ordinary Su^ar(common; i gp/lb.): food store, lem as human blood; see Note 4 above.
sort; uncommon, 5 gp/oz. for resin from herbalist, tavern Both can be "gathered" by the spell caster,
camphor tree); alchemist, musical instru- Sulphur (uncommon; 1 gp/oz.): alche- of course, but watch out for alignment
ment shop, painter, paper/ink maker, mist, physician problems.
physician Sumac (uncommon; 1 gp/oz,): druid, 8 Gum arabic is a gum resin exuded
Rhubarb leaf, powdered (uncommon; 5 gathering by various African trees of the genus Aca-
sp/oz,): alchemist, herbalist Talc (uncommon; 1 gp/oz.): alchemist, cia. Because it travels well, and has many
Roceye(very rare; 500 gp/ea.): alche- beauty shop uses, it is only uncommon.
mist, magic shop 7aWow(common; 1 cp/lb.): candlemaker 9 Humus is found in compost heaps.
Rock (everyday; free): gathering Tea, herb (uncommon; 1-6 gp/lb.): herb- It is not made from chick peas.
Rod of amber, crystal, or glass (uncom- alist 10 Ice or snow is common or everyday
mon; 15 gp/ea.): glassblower, jeweler Thread (common; 1 sp/spool): clothing in appropriate climates, and unavailable
Rope (common; 50' for 4 sp): expedition store, tailor without magic in other climates.
outfitter, rope maker 77>orns (common; 1 sp/lb.): druid, gath- 11 Mercury has been known since
Rose petals (common; 1 sp/ea, rose): ering ancient times, but was thought to have uses
flower shop Tort, minute (common; 3 sp/ea.): bakery only in alchemy and medicine. It is also
Salt/rock salt (common; 1 gp/lb.): food Tortoise/turtle shell (common; 3 sp/ea.): known as quicksilver (q.v.).
store, herbalist fishmonger, jeweler 12 Moonseed plants are found in
Saltpeter (uncommon; 1 gp/oz.): stable, Treacle (common; 5 sp/qt.): alchemist, moderate, temperate, European climates.
quarry food store, physician, tavern 13 For a pineal gland from human or
Sand, fine/colored (uncommon; 1 gp/ Twigs (everyday; free): gathering humanoid creature, see Notes 4 and 7,
oz.): clockmaker, gathering Umber hulk blood (very rare; 750 gp/ above.
Scroll (uncommon-scarce; 10-60 gp/ea.): flask): alchemist 14 Spell books and traveling spell
illuminator, paper/ink maker, scribe Vampire dust (very rare; 1000 gp/oz.): books are treated in detail in {he Best of
Seashell (common; 1 sp/ea.): fishmonger, alchemist, magic shop DRAGON* Vol. Ill anthology. If the spell
gathering, jeweler Vellum (rare; 50 gp/sheet): paper/ink caster desires to make his own, the cosl will
Sesame seeds (uncommon; 2 maker, scribe/illuminator be the same.
herbalist Vermillion (uncommon; 10 gp/oz.): 15 Wytchwood is also known as Wytch
VOL. IV
Elm or Witch Elm, and is found in temper- ivory plaque of at least 100 gp value. This whole fashioned of an alloyed metal of
ate climates. can be carved by a jeweler, sculptor, or copper and zinc. A smith can make a set of
carver for 100 gp in 7-12 days. brass knuckles in 1-6 days for 100 gp. '
Fabricated items Magic mirror (M): A silver mirror of Hypnotic pattern (I): A crystal rod filled
Certain material spell components must 1000 gp cost. This can be manufactured by with phosphorescent material; can be made
be specially made, either by skilled crafts- a silversmith for 1000 gp in 14-21 days. by a glassblower in 7-14 days for 300 gp.
men or by the spell caster personally. The Leomund's secret chest (M): An excep-
following table provides information on tionally well crafted and expensive chest Variable spells
those components which must be fabricated, costing at least 5000 gp, and a tiny replica, Some speils have material components
costs, and how long it will take. Spells are perfect in every detail. The chance of find- which vary with each casting. The spell
identified by class: (C) = cleric, (D) = druid, ing a master craftsman capable of this work caster should write down the material com-
(M) magic-user, (I) = illusionist. is 50 % adjusted by the size of the city. The ponents to be used, and where he intends to
cost of doing the work is 5000 gp + (50- get them, prior to casting. The DM, using
Table VI 5000) gp. The replica costs 25000 gp + (25- the guidelines in the Players Handbook and
Fabricated material spell components 2500) gp. The work will take 7-12 months. this article, can then determine availability
Augury (C): A set of gem-inlaid sticks. Mordcnkainen 's faithful hound (M): A and costs, as well as the effectiveness of the
These sticks can be manufactured by a tiny silver whistle. A silversmith can manu- proposed spell components. Expensive,
jeweler in 1-4 weeks at a cost of 500 gp per facture such a whistle in 7-12 days for 50 rare, or particularly well chosen materials
set. gP- should result in full (or even slightly im-
Plane shift (C): A small, forked metal Sending (Mi): Two tiny cylinders, each proved) spell effectiveness; a half-hearted
rod. Tuning forks can be made and tuned with one open end, connected by a short attempt to satisfy the material requirements
by a smith or musical instrument maker in piece of copper wire. A smith can manufac- should be penalized.
1-6 days for 25 gp. ture this device in 1-8 days for 50 gp.
Change$taff(D): A staff of ash, oak, or Legend lore (M): Strips of ivory formed Table VII
yew wood made from the limb of a tree in a rectangle. This can be made by a jew- Variable spells
which had been struck by lightning within eler or sculptor in 1-3 days for 100 gp.
the past 24 hours. Obtaining the tree limb Project image (M): A small replica (doll) Druid spells:
requires one full day of searching following of the magic-user. For 100% spell effective- Animal friendship
a lightning storm. If your campaign has no ness, this doll should be prepared by a witch Slow poison
system to determine the occurrence of such or magic-user, at a cost of 300 gp in 1-4 Trip
a storm, assume a 10% chance plus 1% per weeks. A sculptor or tailor could produce
day, cumulative. There is a base 50% such a doll for 100 gp, but the spell would Magic-user spells:
chance of finding such a tree. Searchers only have 50% effectiveness in terms of Mount
may be hired to help in this search. Normal range and duration. Dismissal/Beckon
searchers add 10% to the chance for each Repulsion (M): A pair of small magnet- Fabricate
additional person; their cost is determined ized iron bars attached to two small canine Enchant an item
as per the DMG, p. 29. Druids or rangers statuettes, one ivory and one ebony. A Legend lore
add 25% per person, and cost 150 gp per skilled carver or craftsman could make this Banishment
day to hire. Curing the staff by sun drying device in 7-14 days for 200 gp. Clone
and special smoke requires 28 days. Shap- Spiritwrack (M): An illuminated sheet of Binding
ing, carving, smoothing, and polishing vellum. Although the final product of this
requires another 28 days. The finished staff, spell must be personally produced by the Illusionist spells:
showing scenes of woodland life, is then magic-user, the vellum can be illuminated Minor creation
rubbed with the juice of holly berries. This by a trained scribe in 7-14 days for 200 gp. Vision
work must be done by a druid of at least 3rd Contingency (M): An elephant-ivory Mirage arcane
level, and will cost 5,000 gp. statuette of the magic-user. This can be
Levitate (M): A piece of golden wire bent carved by a good sculptor in 1-4 weeks for Reusable items
into a cup shape with a long shank on one ISOOgp. Most material spell components vanish
end. A goldsmith can manufacture this in Duo-dimension (M): A thin, flat ivory upon use. A few, however, survive. Such
one day for a cost of 100 gp, likeness of the spell caster, gold filigreed, reusable items are particularly desirable for
Deeppockets (M): A tiny golden needle enameled, and gem-studded at a cost of spell casters.
and a strip of fine cloth given a half-twist 5000-10000 gp. This can be manufactured The following table lists all such material
and fastened at the ends. A tailor can man- by a trained sculptor in 2-8 weeks at a cost spell components. In some cases, it is not
ufacture this in one day at a cost of 100 gp. of 5000 gp + (d6 x 1000) gp. clear from the spell descriptions whether the
VWijp(M): A small bit of silk braided Mordenkainen 's sword (M): A miniature item is meant to be reusable or not; in those
into a miniature whip. A tailor can manu- platinum sword with grip and pommel of cases, a "(?)" follows the item. In the ab-
facture this in J-3 days for a cost of 15 gp, copper and zinc at a cost of 500 gp. A good sence of official rulings on these items, the
Clairaudiencc (M): A smail silver horn of smith could manufacture this in 1-4 weeks DM should use discretion in making the
100 gp value. This can be manufactured by at the listed cost. items either reusable or expended.
a silversmith in 7 - 1 2 days for 100 gp. Mordcnkainen's magnificent mansion
Tongues (M): A small clay model of a (M): A miniature portal carved from ivory. Table VIII
ziggurat. This can be manufactured by a This can be carved by a jeweler, sculptor, or Reusable material spell components
potter, sculptor, or mason for 100 gp in 7-12 trained carver in 7-14 days for 250 gp. Cleric spells, various: holy symboi
days. Volley (M): A bit of bent willow or other Sanctuary: a small silver mirror
Mcirs minute meteors (M): A small flexible wood, crisscrossed with specially Augury: A set of gem-inlaid sticks or
golden tube, 1000 gp cost. This can be prepared strands of gut. A carpenter or dragon bones
manufactured by a goldsmith or jeweler in musical instrument maker can build this in Locate object: a piece of lodestone (?)
14-21 days for 1000 gp. ]-6 days for 100 gp. Atonement: pray,er beads, prayer wheel,
Dig-(M): Miniature shovel and tiny Bigby's clenched fist (M): A small device or prayer book
bucket. A smith, jeweler, or other craftsman consisting of four rings joined so as to form Find the path: divination counters fa-
can make these items in 1-3 days for 50 gp. a slightly curved line, with an "I" upon vored by the cleric (as for augury)
Rary's mnemonic enhancer (M): An which the bottoms of the rings rest, the Control weather: prayer beads
40 BEST OF DRAGON
Druid spells, various: mistletoe or holly the Law of Contagion. leaves (uncommon: 1 gp/cabbage),
Shillelagh: an oaken club Higher-level spells generally have more Phantasmal force: a bit of fleece (com-
Changestaff; a. staff of ash, oak, or yew expensive material spell components than mon; 1 gp/lb.)
wood made from the limb of a tree which lower-level spells. The addition of high-cost Greycloak has paid 500 gp to the local
had been struck by lightning within the past components may increase spell effective- magician's guild in dues to use the guild's
24 hours. ness, at the discretion of the DM. This private magic shop. In order to make sure
should not exceed the addition of one level he has ample supplies for the upcoming
Magic-user spells to the spell caster's level for casting effec- adventure, he wants to buy ten sets of in-
Read magic: a clear crystal or mineral tiveness for each doubling of the cost of gredients for each spell.
prism (?) material spell components. The magic shop is located in a medium-
Bind: rope or ropelike object (?) Of course, poorly chosen or cheap mate- sized town (-10%), and is run by a 3rd-level
Clairaudience: a small silver horn of 100 rial spell components will substantially magic-user (no adjustment). SJeep is a 1st-
gp value (?) reduce spell effectiveness, or possibly not level spell, so the base chance to have the
Lightning bolt: a bit of fur and an amber, work at all ... but the spell caster may not most scarce of the possible components
crystal, or glass rod (?) know this in advance. (uncommon, -10%) is 80%. Greycloak rolls
Detect illusion: a piece of yellow-tinted less than 80% ten times, and receives ten
glass, crystal, or mica (?) Selling material components packets of fine sand and/or rose petals in a
Melfs minute meteors: a small golden A party of adventurers that kills a black waterproof box, for which he pays 100 gp.
tube of 1000 gp cost dragon, an umber hulk, a spectre, etc., The next item on Grey cloak's shopping
Magic mirror: a silver mirror of 1000 gp might elect to take the blood, ichor, or list is the ingredients for stinking cloud, a
cost essence back to civilization to sell to the second-level spell with uncommon compo-
Leomund's secret chest: two custom- local alchemist or magic shop. This is a nents. Again, there is an 80% chance that
fabricated chests good way for a resourceful party to make the components will be in stock, but this
Magic jar: a targe gem or crystal (?) some extra money. time Greycloak rolls an 85% on his fifth
Mordenkainen 's faithful hound: a tiny The price an alchemist or magic shop will roll, meaning that he can only buy four sets
silver whistle (?) offer will only be half the sale price as listed of components here, for a price of 20 gp
Project image: a small replica (doll) of the in Table V if very large quantities are each, or 80 gp. "Make sure they're pack-
magic-user (?) offered for sale, the offering price will plum- aged tightly." Greycloak growls. "Last time
Contingency: an elephant-ivory statuette met to as low as one-tenth. Of course, if the the party made me stay twenty feet down-
of the magic-user (?) party has sold several gallons of black wind!"
C&codemon: a brazier dragon's blood to an alchemist, the level of Because he still needs six more rotten
Trap the soul: a very large and expensive rarity in that area of the world should drop eggs (or skunk cabbage leaves) to get his
gem(?) considerably. desired amount, he decides to visit the local
Magic shops and some expedition outfit- alchemist. He could, of course, visit a farm
Illusionist spell ters might want to buy magic items, po- or a food dealer, but he wants to make sure
Hypnotic pattern: a crystal rod filled with tions, and scrolls found by the party which that the ingredients are pre-packaged.
phosphorescent mate rial are surplus to their needs. The price offered There is a base 40% chance that the local
will run about one-half the sale price in the alchemist will sell material spell compo-
Spell substitutions Dungeon Masters Guide. If a party mem- nents: the roll is successful. The chance of
Sometimes, material spell components ber wants to buy an item back, he will, of the items being in stock is 100% (base),
can't be found. The Players Handbook, p. course, be charged full price. -20% (alchemist), -10% (medium town),
64, notes that "Substitute materials might At the Dungeon Master's discretion, -10% {uncommon component) = 60%.
be allowed. This is up to your Dungeon magic shops may have a few select en- This time, Greycloak succeeds in making
Master. It should be noted that such substi- chanted items, scrolls, etc., for sale. These six rolls, and finishes his purchase for a
tutions could affect spell range, duration, can either be generated randomly, using the price of 15 gp/level x 2 levels x 6 sets = 180
area of effect, etc." If you decide to allow tables on pp. 121-125 of the DMG, or gp. He grumbles at paying the higher price,
substitutions, their effectiveness should be selected by the DM. As always, the DM but likes the odor-proof containers.
judged on (a) appropriateness and (b) ex- should not allow a randomly generated The third item on his list, fleece for the
pense. result to place an item of extreme power phantasmal force spell, would cost 30 gp for
In the AD&D game's magic system, into the party's hands. each casting if purchased in the local magic
material spell components tend to either shop. "Outgrageous, what these magic
follow the Laws of Magic or are puns on Using the system dealers get away with," Greycloak mutters.
modern-day references. Good material spell Greycloak, a 5th-level magic-user, is He visits the local fuller's shop, which is
component substitutions should have the preparing for a several-week expedition to 90% likely to sell fleece, a common item.
same characteristics. defeat the evil wizard Ashlock, who inhabits He buys a pound of fleece for 1 gp, and
The Laws of Magic require that the an old dungeon in the mountains. Because spends another gold piece to have his pur-
method of the spell be an analog to reality he must travel light, he has obtained and chase wrapped.
in some way. The Law of Similarity, for prepared a traveling spell book (500 gp) Finally, all the preparation is complete.
example, states that events resemble causes, with the spells charm person, magic missile, His horse has been groomed and fed by
which is the principle behind pouring water sleep, stinking cloud, forget, and phantas- stableboys, his dagger sharpened, all his
on the ground as part of a rain dance. The mal force (IQQQ gp to inscribe). Fortunately, magic items carefully checked and ready for
Law of Contagion, which states that things charm person, magic missile, and forget use. "Now for a good night's sleep," Grey-
once in contact continue to interact From a have no material components. cloak says to himself, and yawns. "And on
distance after separation, is the principle Using the spell descriptions in the Players the morrow, the adventure begins!"
behind a voodoo doll. Handbook and the tables in this article,
Examples of modern-day references and Greycloak makes the following list: Conclusion
puns in the AD&D magic system include Sleep: A pinch of fine sand (uncom- I hope this information will allow the
the brass knuckles used in Bigby's clenched mon; 1 gp/oz,), rose petals (common; 2 more active use of material spell component
fist (the glove itself being an example of the sp/ea,), or a live cricket (uncommon; 1 rules in your campaign. Properly used,
Law of Similarity), the copper piece used in gp/ea.) material spell components add to the ro-
ESP ("penny for your thoughts"), or the Stinking cloud: a rotten egg (uncom- mance and realism of magic use, and some-
tin-can telephone in sending, which implies mon; 1 cp/ea.) or several skunk cabbage what restrict the power of spell casters.
VOL. IV 41
Finish fights faster
A simpler system for unarmed combat
VOL. IV 43
hit" for attack form A in a subsequent weapon (if possible) at -4 "to hit," The round, but any or weapon being held may
round; however, the hold is broken entirely attacker can maintain his superior position have been dropped (50% chance) in the fall.
if the second attack fails. and keep dealing damage to the opponent, If so, the opponent automatically loses
B: Pin both arms and hold (-4) causes 1 -2 as long as desired or until the opponent initiative for the next round if he wants to
points of damage initially and another 1-2 causes 3 points of damage or more in a retrieve the object immediately.
points for each round in which the hold is single counterattack, or until the attacker is
maintained. As above for attack form A, the reduced to half of the hit points he had An unarmed attacker may use only one
opponent must make an "open doors" roll when the overbearing attack was made. grappling attack form per round, but may
to free one arm from the pin. He is entitled E: Choke hold (-4) does 1 -6 points of switch attack modes from round to round.
to two separate rolls in the same round to damage, plus strength bonus or penalty, per All damage suffered from grappling attacks
try to break the hold entirely; if the oppo- round. The opponent makes aJI strikes is treated the same as damage from pum-
nent succeeds in freeing only one arm, the against the attacker at -2 "to hit," including meling attacks. Opponents taken to zero hit
attack is then treated as a one-arm pin unarmed attacks except for an attempt to points or less will fall unconscious with zero
(attack form A), for as long as the one-arm throw the attacker (attack form F), which is hit points and will remain in that condition
hold is maintained. An opponent with both still done at the normal chance, using only (unless slain) for 1-4 turns, after which time
arms pinned may try to kick, throw (attack the standard -6 penalty "to hit." they will regain consciousness with 1 hit
form F), or knock flat (attack form D) his F: Throw/flip (-6) does 1-lOpointsof point. The remainder of damage is recov-
attacker, but cannot effectively use any damage, plus strength bonus or penalty, ered by normal means (rest or magic).
other attack method. The attacker may turn only in the round the throw is accomplished
this hold into a bear hug (attack form C) in (also see Rule 3 below). In addition, the 3. An attacker receives + 2 "to hit" when
a subsequent round by simply doing so; no opponent is automatically stunned as per attempting to grapple an opponent less than
roll "to hit" is required in this case. the pummeling rules (exceptions allowed), one-half of the attacker's height, and a + 2
C: Bear hug/crush (-2) does 1-4 points of and automatically loses his next initiative to damage on any hit with attack form F
damage, plus the attacker's strength bonus roll. (throw/flip).
or penalty, for each round the hold is main- G: Trip (-2) does 1-2 points of damage in An attacker suffers a -2 penalty "to hit"
tained. Since this hold is applied only to the the round it is accomplished, if the oppo- when attempting to grapple an opponent
torso, the opponent has his arms and hands nent fails to roll his dexterity score or less who is more than 1 'h times the attacker's
free; he may strike back with a weapon (at - on 3d6. The opponent is able to get back to height, and against such opponents attack
2 "to hit") or by pummeling or kicking, or bis feet, if desired, for the start of the next form F (throw/flip) cannot be used.
by trying to throw his attacker or knock him
flat. If either of the latter two attacks suc-
ceeds, the attacker's hold is broken. Other- Appendix: Armor class adjustments "to hit" for pummeling and kicking
wise, the hold may be maintained until the
defender does 3 points of damage or more Armor class
in a single counterattack, or until the 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
attacker loses half of the hit points he had
when the hold was begun. Fist o r open hand - 7 - 5 - 3 - 1 0 0+2 0 +4
D: Knock f]at and hold down/overbear
does 1-6 points of damage, plus strength Bare foot (as club) -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 -] 0 0 +1
bonus or penalty, per round. The opponent
can try to "shake off" the attacker and get Armor classes better than 2 are treated as AC 2.
back to his feet, at a chance equal to twice Opponents having AC 8 or AC 10 are assumed to not be using shields;
the character's percentage roll for bending opponents with AC 9 are assumed to have shields.
bars/lifting gates. Or, the opponent can try
to pummel or kick, or may attack with a A Hvn? STA O
Two-fisted fighting
Wielding more than one weapon
VOL. IV 45
ondary hand use are given. Those printed a shield) besides those mentioned above uses two weapons, is a 15th-level ranger
in italic type may be used in the primary would be the horseman's flail, footman's who attacks only twice per round; it is not
hand by dwarves only, since only they are mace, and broadsword. All other weapons mentioned whether he receives a penalty
massive and strong enough to manipulate (including the ever-popular battle axe) must "to hit" with his left hand's weapon.
the indicated weapons. Halflings, gnomes, be used two-handed because of their size Though I would probably let these charac-
and other small races of 3' to 5' average and weight. ters stand as written, it would be a good
height may make use of the other weapons. The Legends & Lore book offers a couple idea to establish some internal consistency
Weapons usable in the primary hand of examples of characters who commonly to an AD&D campaign and to adopt rules
by (hose under 5' tali: hand axe, dub, use two weapons: Fafhrd and the Gray that apply to all characters.
dagger, hammer, horseman's rnace, Mouser from the Nehwon mythos. Interest- Until such time as official rulings are
horseman's pick, scimitar, long sword, ingly, the material in that book seems to outlined on the above, this article is offered
short sword. contradict the rulings in the DMG, The to cover these situations. Next time you
Weapons usable in the secondary hand Gray Mouser fits in with the above tables as want to scythe a pathway through an ore
by those under 5' tail: hand axe, dagger. far as attacks per round with two weapons, army, use two weapons instead of one, and
As a side note, the only other weapons a but receives no penalties "to hit" because double your fun. But doesn't that half-ore
dwarf could logically use one-handed (with he has a 19 dexterity. Fafhrd, who likewise chieftain have two weapons, too?
VOL. IV
Riding high
Aerial mounts add a new dimension
I: Chimerae have different armor classes on different parts of their bodies, and thus only partially qualify for this advantage,
2: 60% of all silver dragons are motivated by greed or desire for wealth.
3: 20% of all gold dragons are primarily motivated by greed,
n/a: not applicable
48 BEST OF DRAGON
Good creatures respond to kindness, care, and favorable atten- Of the creatures discussed in this article, only the pegasus, hippo-
tion; they see themselves as worthy of such attention and will griff, griffon, and pteranodon will cost less than 600 gp per month to
respond with reciprocal care and friendliness if well treated. Evil feed and care for. Only the owner of large baronies (at the least) can
creatures respond better to harsh, strong-fisted managers; this may afford the proper care and feeding of dragons, unless one doesn't
be perceived by the creature as an indicator that its master thinks of mind travel and plans to let the steed "eat off the hoof." This latter
it as a tough customer, but at the same time that its master will not method is very time-consuming, and you may have to wander for a
be pushed around. Unnecessarily cruel treatment will anger evil long time and a long distance before a brass dragon finds a masto-
creatures just as it will good ones, but such action may draw a more don just the right size.
respectful response from the evil ones, nevertheless. Evil monsters Rocs may be trained (in 1-2 years) to feed themselves by leaving
respect power more than they do gentleness. Neutral monsters the barony or lair for a week at a time, serving as a steed for one
would respond well to an approach that appeals to their basically week (with several smaller feedings at the castle) and then going off
selfish natures. for the next week on its own. Otherwise, just as with dragons, a roc
Only a wish may alter a creature's alignment to any lasting will have to be ridden out when it searches for food, and the player
degree, and the complications that could arise from such an align- characters on it should not be too particular about where they end
ment change should be seriously considered before it is attempted. up. Rocs often make long ocean voyages and may attack ships in the
An evil creature suddenly made good may become withdrawn from belief that the ships are whales. Some baronies have taken to raising
guilt over its past misdeeds. It may not be recognized as a good herds of elephants, cattle, and other livestock as food for roc mounts.
creature by those who lay eyes on it (do you usually think of a chi- Storm giants who have cloud castles and use roc mounts have
mera as good?), and as a result may undergo another alignment been known to "park" their abodes over areas frequented by large
change if it is treated as if it were still evil. herds of animals, and may make crude traps, stockades, and corrals
Conversely, a good creature made to turn evil may become on the ground at such a location to capture and contain beasts for
extremely evil indeed, intending to make up for all the good deeds it their mounts' food supply.
remembers having done in the past. It may mask its true nature and
pervert its relationships with other good creatures, and might con- Advantages
ceal its intentions from its master as well. 1. Creature will be faithful to its owner-trainer unto death.
A neutral creature which shifts to either good or evil behavior 2. The intelligence of the creature is average (8) or above.
might likewise go to the extreme in either case, to "make up for lost 3. The upkeep of the creature, due to nature and diet, is gener-
time." ally less expensive and troublesome than that of a griffon.
4. The creature can be subdued (applies to dragons only).
Diet and feeding habits 5. The creature has five or more hit dice.
Monsters identified by a "C" under the "Diet" column on the 6. The creature has an armor class of 4 or better.
table are carnivorous. They subsist on meat, usually freshly killed 7. Spell attacks may be cast by this creature (includes dragons'
and uncooked. Quantities vary from the 10-40 Ibs. of fish a pterano- fear aura, but note that not all dragons will automatically have
don may eat per week to the incredible 10 tons of elephant or mam- magical abilities),
moth meat a roc wilt dispose of in the same period, 8. The creature may use a breath weapon.
Creatures labeled "O" are omnivorous. They will consume a 9. The creature has feathered wings (see Dungeon Masters
variety of both vegetables and meats. Sphinxes may prefer meat Guide, p. 53).
over occasional berries, leaves, and roots, while hippogriffs will eat 10. The creature has no wings, but uses an internal, natural flight
meat and grasses with equal pleasure. capability.
Creatures labeled "H" are herbivorous, and must consume large 11. The creature may attain speeds of 30 * or more.
quantities of vegetable matter to have the energy for flight. 12. The creature has exceptional senses.
Creatures labeled "S" have special diets, and they include the 13. The creature may use ethereal and astral travel, and can carry
following: the rider along on such journeys.
Gold dragons get their energy from eating jewels, gems, and 14. The creature speaks its own language. (Only dragons and
precious metals. A typical adult gold dragon may eat between 2,000 sphinxes speak anything other than their own languages; chimerae
and 8,000 gp worth of such material in a month, depending on its speak the red dragon's tongue.)
level of activity. This is a prohibitively high price to "pay" for a 15. The creature is capable of carrying unusually massive weights.
mount, for all but the most affluent characters. It has been specu-
lated that gold dragons get their nourishment by having Bahamut Disadvantages
gate it to them from the Upper Planes, since their own treasure 1. The creature may not be ridden (and can rarely be
hoards would sustain them for only a short time. approached) by anyone other than its owner-trainer, or perhaps
The manticore is a natural man-eater, and requires human or unless accompanied by its owner-trainer. This disadvantage does not
humanoid meat in order to survive and stay healthy. A manticore pertain to dragons which have been subdued.
must eat at least one adult-sized human, demi-human, or humanoid 2. The creature is difficult to control. Due to high intelligence, a
a week to maintain its health, or it may lose strength, be unable to strong ego, or being accustomed to independence, the creature may
fly, go insane, or suffer other adverse effects. Note that while other resist its master's control or may attempt to dominate the master
creatures (e.g., gynosphinx) may eat humans on occasion, human (even if it is wished or charmed into being "friendly"). The creature
meat is not a requirement for their health. may try to manipulate its master for favors, treasure, attention, etc.,
A nightmare, originating from the Lower Planes and being very unless the hit dice or level of the master is greater than the hit dice of
intelligent, may demand that human or demi-human sacrifices be the creature.
offered to it on a regular basis. The nature of such sacrifices may 3. The creature has unusual eating habits or an extremely large
vary widely. Otherwise, a nightmare is carnivorous and seems to appetite (or both), which will greatly increase upkeep costs.
prefer the meat of some of the lesser demons and devils (particularly 4. The creature cannot be subdued. This disadvantage applies to
manes and lemures). The failure of its master to provide such nour- gold and silver dragons only; other monsters (non-dragon types)
ishment may (40% chance) result in the creature becoming hostile cannot be subdued, either, at least not in the same sense that a
unless the nightmare gets this particular type of meat at least once dragon can be.
per month. 5. The creature is a particularly clumsy flyer. Characters using
The hieracosphinx, much as the manticore, requires human flesh aerial archery from the back of this creature in flight must take an
as food, but at a less frequent interval; one human every two weeks additional -1 penalty to hit a target. Chimera riders must take a -2
is sufficient, and at other times the creature is satisfied with any sort penalty because of the multiple heads on the creature, blocking one's
of meat. The creatures will actively pursue humans regardless, since aim from the front.
they prefer the taste. 6. The creature has poor maneuverability and must make very
VOL iv
shallow turns, A sphinx is not normally thought of in this way, but 13. The training period for this creature will be unusually pro-
should be treated this way if used as a mount. longed, due either to its aggressive nature (e.g., griffon) or the need
7. The creature is generally not compatible with other flying to establish trust between the owner-trainer and the creature (e.g.,
species due to its aggressive nature. As with disadvantage (]) above, pegasus). More intelligent creatures may have considerably reduced
subdued dragons are excluded from this category. training times, but still need to be trained,
8. The creature may not be used by living, material beings. Only 14. Forcing a creature of good alignment into a role as a mount, if
undead creatures (spectres, vampires, liches, etc.) may use it. this is done against that creature's will and nature, may be construed
9. Use of this creature as a mount may be limited by the owner- as an evil act for the owner-trainer, and an alignment shift for that
trainer's alignment. Again, subdued dragons are excluded from this character may result. Other good creatures, noting this "imgood"
category. relationship, may react more negatively toward the owner-trainer.
10. The creature possesses a tail weapon (missile launcher on the 15. In the Monster Manual, the pteranodon is listed as being
rnanticore, poison sting on the wyvern). Unless the mount is altered "non-intelligent," which should mean the creature would be difficult
physically or trained not to use its tail in aerial combat, any rider or impossible to train. Recent evidence, however (Desmond, Adrian
has a 25% chance of being attacked by accident if the tail weapon is J,, The Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs, Warner Books, N.Y.; 3977) indi-
used while the rider is mounted. The creature might be trained to cates that pteranodons may have been more intelligent than previ-
use its tail weapon without whipping it over its back, but this is very ously thought. Treat them as having a "semi-intelligent" rating of 2.
difficult to do and is time-consuming. It is also thought that pteranodons were white-furred, used their
11. The creature is a natural rnan-eater, and the owner-trainer (if wings for gliding rather than "flapping" flight, and could lift off by
human or in a party with humans) must use a wish to alter this simply facing into a wind of 15 mph or more. Their bone structure
inclination. The creature may actually need human meat to stay was exceptionally delicate, and the creature will not willingly use
healthy, and it may become weaker without it. ramming as a tactic. If a pteranodon being used as a mount takes
12. The creature is primarily motivated by greed. It may desire a 50% of its hit points in damage during melee, it will crash. Some
treasure hoard of its own and a cut of the take from an adventure. reptilian tribes (e.g., lizard men) may use this creature as a flying
mount in locations near large, shallow seas, Pteranodons eat fish.
16. This creature's maximum speed in normal flight is 18" or less,
making it a particularly slow flyer.
Carrying capability
The table is largely self-explanatory in these categories. The chi-
mera, pteranodon, and rnanticore are not able to carry loads heavier
than those shown as the maximums for them at full speed. Weight-
ing them down with more than that amount will result in the crea-
ture refusing to fly, though it may still walk. Otherwise, it would
become too clumsy and unmanageable in flight.
The carrying capacity figures for the roc are derived from estimat-
ing the weight of a storm giant and accompanying equipment. No
other fly ing creature can approach the load capacity of this beast,
A nightmare, being only semi-material, can carry any number of
undead chat would fit in the available space on its back, and up to
6,000 gp of additional weight can be taken into the Ethereal Plane
by a nightmare with riders.
Female pegasi (figures in the chart are for males) can carry up to
3,000 gp weight at full speed (48") and 5,000 gp at half that speed.
All of the creatures in the chart are used to best advantage on
long-distance trips by flying them for half a day, resting them for an
hour or so, and then flying on until nightfall. The mounts will need
immediate and large amounts of food at each rest stop in order to
have the energy to continue flight. Exceptions to this general rule
are these: Nightmares will travel tirelessly and will also need no food
when traveling in the Ethereal or Astral Planes. Rocs, wyverns, and
dragons can be flown for a full day nonstop, but then will sleep all
the next day, awakening and moving only to defend themselves.
Thereafter, such mounts may be flown again as usual.
Forcing any creature to fly without the specified rest periods will
result in a 20% chance per hour of flight (cumulative) past the nor-
mal resting time that the creature will land, regardless of terrain or
other conditions, in an exhausted state. It will not fly thereafter until
it has rested for 24- hours.
50 BEST OF DRAGON
Part III. Creative campaigns
Dungeon Mastering, if you're good, is This is all easier said than done. The activity. It is very important to keep up a
not a hobby. It's a career. The creation and most important thing to do is to plan in sets thick veil of mystery about the hub. The
execution of a campaign that will com- of actions rather than dungeon-by-dungcon. interconnections between various adven-
pletely engross players and keep them Have your dungeons linked together, either tures should be vague at best, and the play-
happy and eager to play more is a task on directly or indirectly. An excellent example ers may not realize each piece of the puzzle
par with finding the Holy Grail. It's too of this are the Against the Giants and is related to the whole until several adven-
much work. Besides, it's not exceedingly Descent into the Depths series of AD&D* tures later. Be careful that the hub doesn't
profitable. game modules from TSR, Inc. Each suc- escape your control, because once you start
So what can we do about it? Quit our ceeding adventure in each of those series it, it will quickly develop a life of its own.
jobs, leave school, and make the players logically follows its predecessor; the transi- The party must be spiraled toward the hub
support us? Unfortunately, no. What we do tions are smooth and the challenges widely gradually, over a period of years, and you
is find a way to skimp on the labor without varied. Some of TSR's modules have been should let it be known (if necessary) in no
cutting down on the excitement and sus- published as sets or episodes in a series, and uncertain terms that a more direct path to
pense we work so hard to build up. Every this is not a bad example to follow. the answer is one that will lead to sure
good campaign has five basic elements: Serially ordered dungeons are not always destruction.
continuity, character, competence, creafjv- feasible, however, so there remains the All three of these devices will spark conti-
ity, and cooperation. If you're able to main- problem of overall continuity. There are nuity in the campaign; they let the charac-
tain all five in your campaign, then you're three tricks you can use here. The first is to ters know that their past really affects them
way ahead of most of us and you're throw in some mundane personality, event, as ours does us, and gives the impression of
probably spending a lot of time dun- or item that keeps cropping up when the a whole to a life consisting only of frag-
geoneering (or wishing you were). There character makes it back home, such as a ments. Without that, players find it very
are shortcuts to achieving all five of the wife, an ill mother, robberies in the charac- difficult to relate to and maintain their
basic campaign elements that take some of ter's home, etc. Make the player realize that characters, and the whole campaign falls
the wear and tear off your overworked his character has to live in a world where apart.
graymatter. They are necessarily of a gen- life goes on even when he isn't around;
eral nature specific suggest ions'are obvi- even a hero who may consider himself II. Character
ously impossible but astute application of above the little things in life will still have Everybody has to be somebody. Good
these principles can save loads of time and these little things to deal with, like it or not. players will usually freely develop and faith-
lots of browbeating. There is also the "old enemy," that scoun- fully play a character's personality in a role-
drel who pops in occasionally between playing game, complete with idiotic
I. Continuity adventurers to make life difficult for charac- idiosyncracies and inexplicable persona]
Continuity in a campaign is a very com- ters. Players love old grudges. One party preferences. Even so, a good DM will give
plex thing. It is that in a campaign which met up with a nasty fellow called Ollog every character a focal point for his life, or
makes it more than just a series of when everyone was at first level and they something that will make him feel impor-
dungeons, and that which ties all of the were seventh level before Ollog finally tant or special.
dungeons together into a cohesive whole. ceased to be a nuisance. Unlike the anti- There are several ways of doing this, but
Many DMs have trouble with continuity. It Aero, which we'll discuss a bit later, the old in whichever method you choose, be exte-
requires more than a little preparation, enemy is not part of actual adventuring. He mely careful not to force the player into
often mundane, that is not directly linked to is, rather, a by-product of it who always anything. If he feels you're trying to script
adventuring, A campaign consists of much manages to escape at the last minute. the character's life, the player will lose
more than a group of bloodthirsty adventur- The third technique is especially tricky. I interest in the game almost immediately.
ers going out and killing things, stealing call it "the hub of all activity." You come up This is a major cause of character demise or
their victims' money and magic, then drop- with something, be it a magic item, proph- "player dropout" in AD&D gaming. Many
ping by the local village only to be off again ecy, or personage, that is the center and players are perfectly content to role-play a
in a few days. There have to be solid rea- cause of a party's activity throughout most hero's companion, and when you try to
sons for adventuring above and beyond the of its adventures. The "hub" of one cam- make them become heroes, those players get
joys of fighting and goldmongering. What paign is a mage called Amathar. The poor upset. Players have been known to build
about revenge? Fear? Altruism? The trick adventurers keep running into magic items their characters' personae around the fact
here is to make the characters' lives much of his creation, agents in his pay, old aco- that the characters always tried to be heroes
more than an episodic smattering of unre- lytes of his and even the Archmage him- but failed, and then the heroes came gal-
lated activities, like some TV series. You self on occasion. They all hate him, but lantly to their rescue. That's okay; it's the
need to give them the continuity and uni- their most powerful magic was created by players' game. Let them play it as they will.
formity of a good novel's protagonists, Amathar for Amathar: he is the hub of all For those fledgling heroes, though, it is a
52 BEST OF DRAGON
great help to have something to grasp and Allow the character some retribution occa- into the key. If, as play continues, you find
mold their personalities around. Four sionally to keep him going. an "official" rule inconvenient or awkward,
options are immediately apparent: the The destiny is the hardest of all to DM, then by all means develop your own way of
quest, the magic item, the anti-hero, and the most complex to prepare for, and the handling the situation. Remember that "the
the destiny hardest to justify, but players love it. Basi- play's the thing." No one grades your
The quest is by far the least desirable of cally, the DM creates a set of prophecies adherence to the rule books in fact, I
these options. There are several reasons for surrounding a character or an item that know of one group that plays AD&D adven-
this, not the least of which is a quest's tem- character possesses, and then administrates tures without dice.
poral nature. Quests should be accom- its fulfillment. The prophecies must be If anything at all helps to keep the game
plished fairly quickly; if not, they become vague and leave plenty of room for error moving and saves work, it is the efficient
tedious and boring. There is also the ques- because I guarantee it someone will and frequent use of playing aids. You'd be
tion of free will. If a character is quested, he do something that threatens to invalidate surprised (or would you?) how many people
loses much of his free will. His destiny is the entire thing. Once upon a time a PC in spend money on aids and then don't use
dictated by the quest, and he is powerless to my campaign was prophesied to slay a pit them. If you've got it, use it.. A DM design-
change it, which irritates the player to no fiend in an epic battle. He had to be a pala- ing a campaign needs all the help he can
end. din, right? Wrong: He was a magic-user get. Published modules are invaluable as
The other options are much more attrac- with a measly 28 hit points who, suddenly both time-savers and gap-fillers, but never
tive. The magic item is the best. It offers and with much bravado, leapt upon the run a module straight off the shelf. Adapt it
the greatest variety of adventures that can devil and magic jarred it, magic resistance to fit your party's personality. Most
be built around it and at the same time and saving throw notwithstanding. A good modules can stand (and some need) great
increases rather than restricts a player char- variation on the destiny theme is the "eter- amounts of revision. For example, TSR's
acter's freedom. One of Amathar's creations nal champion" concept in which a great module LI, The Secret of Bone Hill, has as
in the previously described campaign served hero is continually reborn in new bodies its primary mission the cleaning out of a
quite handily in this regard. An elven one of them a PC. What player wouldn't mansion infested with humanoids and
magic-user character was in a party with love being compared with Elric, undead. The party I ran it on spent scant
three paladins and was getting something of Hawkmoon, Corum, and their ilk? You minutes in the mansion: their primary
an inferiority complex. He didn't fight well, need to be very careful with this kind of mission was to assassinate the Duke of
and by the time he got his spells off, the character-history manipulation. One slip Restenford. Although the module was excel-
paladins had either destroyed or subdued can take all the mystery out of the cam- lently written, it didn't fit the personality of
whatever it was he was magicking. Well, he paign, and players love finding that one the party. Never be afraid to alter anything
came into the possession of an item called tiny hole in your plans. if you think it'll work better than the origi-
the Strange ofAmathar, which changed all nal presentation.
that. He is now the most powerful member III. Competence For those gamers just getting started,
of the party (and, accordingly, the most If you feel inclined to be a Dungeon some playing aids are indispensable. Noth-
beset with problems) and has saved the Master, there are only two things you really ing will speed up a game more than a set of
entire group on numerous occasions. need to be a pretty good one, aside from an DM screens, be they homemade or store-
It is necessary that the item be an original active imagination. The first, of infinite bought. If you need a world or a city to
creation, with a background and potential import, is a working knowledge of the rules. build your campaign around, many such
befitting an artifact, so be very wary of its You don't have to be a "textpert" capable supplemental products are available at
potential for upsetting the game balance. of rattling off the stats of every single mon- gaming shops. Without these kinds of
The item might increase or decrease in ster in the rule books; you just need to know products, or comparable works of your own
power as the character rises in level, or enough so that you know what you're design, your campaign will be a pale
make its usage nigh as costly to the wielder doing, A player at a convention I attended shadow of what it could be.
as the victim. Charged items usually won't once boasted of his character killing six
work for this purpose; they're too tempo- Tiamats and three Bahamuts, Anyone who IV. Creativity
rary, making them very ineffective unless has read the books knows this is impossible Creativity is the cornerstone of AD&D
they have absorption capabilities (e.g. staff within the rules of the game. game adventuring. If a campaign is to
of the magi) that enable them to be The second requirement of a competent survive, it can't be a repetitive series of
recharged. DM is a sense of the dramatic. A Dungeon hack-and-slay forays into the underworld.
The anti-hero is especially effective Master has to know, often instinctively, how There must be a wide variety of settings,
against fighters, although in my campaign to build suspense and when to bring things goals, and obstacles to maintain player
two rival magic-users once destroyed half a to a climax for maximum effect. He has to interest. A good hack-and-slay dungeon is
city. You can create an incredibly nasty lend variety and substance to as many as a by far the most popular type I know a
NPC that, without apparent provocation, hundred NPCs, perhaps more, in every 9th-level paladin who endures his expedi-
devotes his life to making a player character session. A DM is basically a playwright for tions into the Nine Hells only if he can go
miserable. The anti-hero torments, chides, characters in need of a play. If the play is off fighting ores back home but these
and humiliates the character with a constant found lacking, the players will take their dungeons can get very dull very fast.
stream of affronts that may include assault- characters elsewhere. This is not to say that How can you make it caster to be crea-
ing and kidnapping family members and only good actors and good writers can be tive? That's simple: plagiarize. Plagiarism
retainers, laying traps for the PC, spreading good DMs. We've all read enough books is perhaps the Dungeon Master's most
rumors about the PC, and so on. Unlike the and seen enough movies to have developed valuable tool next to his own imagination. I
"old enemy" described above, the offenses some sense of drama, but it takes time and do not mean you should take your favorite
of this nemesis are constant and precede practice to develop that son of talent. Sim- fantasy book and convert it into a dungeon,
any actual adventuring to the land in which ply put, keep the game moving at all times which is very easy and appallingly common.
the anti-hero resides. It should be several while you're at the playing table; don't let Ail that will result is a lifeless rerun or an
game years before the character can effec- frequent digressions or breaks to look up the unmitigated disaster. Players never have
tively challenge his adversary, to keep the rules bore your players. If you're desper- their characters do what you expect them to
rivalry going strong. Remember, though, ately unsure of something, then look it up, do, and if you try to force them into a plot
not to get carried away, which is very easy but don't be afraid to make some snap of your own devising, they'll do everything
to do. Make the character's pride the pri- rulings. If you're wrong, there's usually no they can to make life miserable for you.
mary target, but don't humilitate the PC to harm done, "Vbu should always have vital They won't do it on purpose, of course, but
the point where the player simply quits. statistics (i.e. HP, AC, #At, etc.) written they'll do it nonetheless.
VOL, IV 53
When you feel the need to plagiarize, chance to play, and you do need to play to then go ahead and use them. Don't make
only glean a few of the best ideas from the evolve properly as a DM. When one of two any major changes in procedure without
book or movie, and work them into an or more participants serve as Dungeon consulting your comrades. If you keep a
original or modified setting or plot. This Master for a certain session, it'll give the consistent approach, you'll find the transi-
can be called "creative plagiarism," Your othcr(s) a little time to relax and prepare tions between DMs perfectly natural.
job is to set up the general setting and plot, what comes next. Since cooperation is such a vital part of
not dictate all the action. A series of cam- There are two ways to accomplish this. any successful campaign, here's a word of
paign adventures can be a plagiarist's para- You and the other DMs can each run cam- advice. Only play in campaigns with people
dise one I know of took its basic plot and paigns independent of one another that you like. This does not mean people you
setting from Stephen Donaldson's first occur in different time-space universes, or can tolerate because mere tolerance
Covenant series with a few items from the you can share the job of running a single wears thin in the heat of the game. If you
movie The Vikings and Roger Zelazny's campaign. The first option allows unlimited genuinely like the people you play with,
Dilvish the Damned to confuse things. freedom for all DMs. They can alter the everything will be that much easier. Of
Players love to have their characters romp- laws and features of their respective uni- course, playing with new people is a great
ing in places and with people the players verses at will without endangering the oth- way to make friends (especially at tourna-
have read about, but you have to maintain er's work. The problem is in the human ments and conventions), but for day-to-day
enough mystery and suspense to keep them element. The players will undoubtedly campaign play, keep it close.
guessing about what is going to happen prefer one campaign to the other and want Cutting down on your work load does not
next. Even though several players in the to play it more and more frequently. This compromise your ability or your effective-
above campaign were familiar with the may lead to a group split, which is some- ness as a Dungeon Master. The purpose of
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, they thing no one wants. AD&D gaming is enjoyment and escapist
never found an easy solution to their prob- The other option allows more interaction entertainment. Let it stay that way, DMing
lems. Keeping the challenge alive is the key and idea-swapping between the Dungeon can easily slip from the realm of gaming to
to good plagiarism. Your own original crea- Masters, but it has problems of its own that the all-too-real world of work, and when
tion will often be your best, and you should fit neatly under the heading of consistency. that happens it's easier than not to forget
never be content to let others do most of the It is imperative that consistency in the the whole thing. You obviously take pride in
work. Keep the juices flowing, but when obstacle/reward ratio be kept. If one of you what you do, or you wouldn't do it. The
you do run into dry spells, don't worry has a penchant for giving away megamagic feeling you get when characters barely make
about tapping someone else's imagination. and if other DMs prefer the judicious and it out of your labyrinth alive, struggling to
considered use of magic, then there will be a haul up their just rewards, is unequalcd in
V. Cooperation few problems, to put it mildly. The two (or all of gaming, and that feeling can only be
This is it, folks: the ultimate work-saver. more) of you should work to become accli- achieved if you practice these five principles
Share the chores with somebody else. You mated to each others' gaming styles and in your campaign. That is never easy to do.
can't do it all alone, believe me. If your preferences so that problems will eventually The tricks of the trade offered here do not
players tall every day to ask, "Can we play work themselves out. free you from the responsibilities of crea-
today?" and if you have as much trouble Another thing to watch for is rule uni- tion. Used properly, they will make creation
saying "No" as I do, then you'll soon be formity. The most logical thing to do is stick much easier and emancipate you from
DMing completely off the top of your head, to the books: no new character classes, no much of the tedium and needless drudgery
trying to referee half-formed adventures, newly revised combat procedures, no new that accompany creation. The success of
and eventually spoiling the hard-won conti- weapon proficiency rules, however "offi- your campaign rests entirely on your shoul-
nuity of your campaign. Sharing the work cial" they may be, without the consent of ders; it just shouldn't take so much work.
will take a lot of pressure off you, both as the other DM or DMs and your players. If After all, playing games is supposed to be
creator and administrator It'll give you a all of them fully understand the changes, fun, right?
54 BEST OF DRAGON
A PC and his money
. . . can be parted in many ways
56 BEST OF DRAGON
chance that his weapon breaks; and, when reference librarian or a university instruc- learn about additional powers of an item
an attacker rolls a 20 {or 100), there is a tor. And although there were no detectives long after all of its powers and levels of
chance that the target's armor is damaged in medieval times, it is possible that some- ability have actually been revealed.
and his armor class is lessened by one. The one would set himself up in the "informa- For example, one researcher may be able
size of this "chance to be damaged" will tion gathering" business not quite a to determine one of the powers of a wand.
vary with the quality of the equipment. The detective, but not a spy either. Such persons Another research expert may know a com-
characters can either periodically buy or would charge high fees because their service mand word, not necessarily relating to the
repair cheap stuff, or they can buy high- is nearly unique. known power. Further research may reveal
quality products and rest more easily. another command word and a second
Of course, a referee could have someone Politics: It is almost impossible to power, perhaps a variation of the first one.
sell magical equipment to characters, but in become a wealthy, successful adventurer And, the wand may be found to occasion-
most worlds the price should be so prohibi- without getting involved in politics: wealth ally weaken the user; finding out how to
tive that no adventurer could afford any- and prestige bring enemies and hangers-on. avoid that effect or even if there is a way
thing but a trade of magic items, rather The more a character participates in poli- to avoid it would cost even more than
than a purchase. Who would be crazy tics, the more it will cost to acquire and finding out about one of the wand's benefi-
enough to sell a permanently endowed retain supporters, to obtain information, to cial aspects.
magic item, such as a sword or shield? bribe.
Well-known adventurers may be expected Investments: Bad investments will cost
One-use magic: While permanent items to spend a season at the court of the ruler of characters large sums. There ought to be a
such as armor will not be available for the region. The travel, retinue, finery, and few good investments available, but most
purchase in most campaigns, except gifts this entails will not be balanced by any should be bad just as in the modern
between players, one-use magic will be monetary gain, although the increase in world. Ways to spend invested money may
more plentiful. Alchemists manufacture prestige and favor may help the character include schemes to manufacture new inven-
potions to sell them, since they can't use later. tions, property deals, money lending, and
most potions themselves. Retired magicians Tournaments (jousts and duels) can be most likely, mercantile ventures. While a
may make a living creating and selling expensive for adventurers who are expected smart mercantile deal may net a character a
scrolls and recharging some magic items. to participate in such events, although in return of more than 100% or 200%, most
Allowing for the purchase of "one-use some areas the prizes offered may more will result in a poor return or a loss. Char-
magic" can be a wonderful way to drain than offset the cost. acters may attempt to literally "protect their
money from adventurers without unbalanc- And if a character is rea/Jy serious about investments" by accompanying a vehicle or
ing the game; in fact, it offers players one politics, he may have to bankroll a private caravan picking up or delivering goods,
more way to make a "good move" in the army! thereby giving the referee opportunities to
game by purchasing the most important create mini-adventures connected with the
types of one-use items, such as scrolls for Bribes: This is a way to soak up money trade routes and destinations.
healing or neutralizing poisons. in an accumulation of small amounts. Most
If a character finds a fairly good magic readers will have heard of countries in Gambling; This is a good way to sepa-
item, such as a wand of magic missiles or a which every official, minor or otherwise, rate incautious characters from their for-
wand of weak fireballs, he can hardly afford expects a bribe in return for accomplishing tunes, in the long run. Just make sure the
to allow the thing to run out of charges, yet what is nominally his everyday job. Why odds favor the house if the game isn't
he'll probably use it frequently. Conse- can't a fantasy society be afflicted with the actually fixed and remember that a really
quendy, he'll be willing to pay out large same phenomenon? It's a matter of the size big winner may make enemies of the own-
sums to a magician to restore some charges of the bureaucracy, the way it's recruited, ers of the gambling establishment, or of the
to the item. It's not unknown for several and the expectations of the society. losers in a private game.
members of a group of adventurers to con- A referee can encourage gambling by
tribute money toward recharging a wand Research: Magical research, whether to making participation a matter of prestige in
owned by one of them, because the wand discover new spells or to determine the the locale, and by providing means of
helped all of them survive. nature of found magic items, takes money, obtaining information rumors, at the "
Don't let characters pay a meager sum in least unique to the gambling establish-
Information: The "facts of the matter" order to find out everything there is to know ment(s). If you challenge the "manhood"
should be a valuable commodity in the about a newly obtained item. Bleed their (or "womanhood") of the player characters
campaign, something characters will buy at money away, giving a little more informa- in connection with gambling, some of them
a high price. This information can come in tion for each input of funds. After all, magi- will respond unwisely that is, they will
many forms, from stories toid in taverns cians are rare and should be paid gamble 10 "prove" themselves.
("Have another drink and tell me more") to appropriately for their valuable research
accounts told by rumor-mongers and oral time. Small treasures, big spenders
historians, to the purchase of ancient books Of course, player characters may decide The more opportunities player characters
and the expertise of sages. Education and not to pay, but that's their choice. It may be have to spend money, in small amounts or
training for the adventurers themselves is a possible to discover the relevant information large, the more they'll spend. Some combi-
form of information which will cost signifi- through rumors, libraries, and knowledge- nation of the methods described above
cant sums early in a campaign; later, adven- able non- magicians. should allow the referee to reduce the for-
turers will teach one another their skills and The more complex a magic item is, the tunes of all but the most miserly adventur-
will learn few new ones. more characters will have to pay to deter- ers. But the most important single method
The more accurate a piece of information mine exactly what it does. More than one of doing this is to make treasures small so
is, the more it should cost. Experts, espe- level of performance, or more than one that characters can't accumulate large for-
cially, are always expensive think of a power, is desirable in an item even items tunes. Whether this stringency fits the
sage as the fantasy equivalent of a "consul- with (unbeknownst to the player characters) "heroic" mold is a matter that only each
tant," with the high fees that occupation only one power so that players may referee and the players in his or her cam-
demands, rather than the equivalent of a continue to pay money in an attempt to paign can decide.
VOL. IV 57
The care of castles
Making one, and then making it run
58 BEST of DRAGON
proper. Although the smalt castle may have important officials report directly to her, porting many waiting women for his wife,
a separate dwelling house beside the don- and she is responsible for all the daily the usual lady has a retinue of many girls
jon, most lords prefer to put the extra accounts and doings of the servants. She is around her at all times. Most of these will
money into its defenses, adding ramparting also her lord's hostess, which is a very eventually marry, but some waiting-women
and a barbican tower. It will take at least important job in a world where a lord's prefer to remain with their lady to avoid an
200 hectares of land to maintain a small reputation depends on the generosity and unwelcome marriage. Such a woman will be
castle. courtesy of himself and his household. the lady's chief confidante and thus a person
The true castle, with its rings of walls, Furthermore, the noble lady is also of power within the castle.
multiple towers, and stone dwelling-houses, trained to hold her castle against siege while Other noble-born retainers act as offi-
requires a manor of at least 500 hectares her husband is gone on campaign. During cials, corning between the lord and the
and is thus usually the property of a lord of such crises, the men-at-arms and household actual servants. The exact number and
the baronial class. It may also belong to a knights obey her without question. Some positions of these officials will of course
king, who can support more castles than he ladies have even been known to take the vary, depending on the wealth and size of
can live in by taxes from the royal demesne field of battle, armed like men, to rescue the castle. A poor knight will only have one
as well as from the manor attached to each their husbands from imprisonment. Thus, man to scurry around and do whatever he
castle. Such royal castles have a military rather than the fragile flower depicted on has time to do, while a rich baron will have
purpose, like guarding an important bridge, modern romances, the feudal lady is a the full staff listed below.
and will house a castellan and his family - person with an air of command. Ifher The chief officer in a large castle is the
a nobleman sworn personally to the king husband is the commander of their domain, seneschal, who has many varied duties. He
but holding his position by hereditary right. then she is his most trusted genera], with is the lord's right-hand man, the overseer of
true power over the household. the fief as a whole, the lord's companion in
The noble inhabitants battle, and his trusted political councilor.
Castellans, however, are the rarest sort of Retainers and officials He disburses monies or food to the other
castle inhabitants. Most will be lords from Any good-sized castle shelters a surpris- officials, keeps an eye on their accounts,
the baronial class, which includes any noble ingly large number of servants of varying and solves whatever disputes are beneath
above the simple status of knight barons, degrees of rank. Since generosity is one of the notice of the lord. In wartime, he is the
counts, dukes, margraves, and so on. Dur- the marks of true nobility, supporting a second-in-command of the men-at-arms and
ing the actual Middle Ages, these various large household brings status to the lord of vassals in the lord's army. If only one offi-
noble titles were considered equal in rank, the household. The lord will maintain as cial in a household is noble-born, that one
rather than being graded into the strict many people as he can feed, far more than will be the seneschal.
hierarchy of later times. What truly deter- necessary to do the actual work. A wealthy The steward, overseeing the butler, cel-
mined a noble's status was the size of his baron, for example, might have three hun- larer, and cooks, is responsible for feeding
manor and the strength of his holdings. dred people living behind his walls. the castle household no easy job with
The lord and his immediate family live The most important members of this three hundred people at table! He oversees
inside the donjon in a small castle, or in a crowd are the retainers and officials of noble the provision and storage of food from the
palais {a separate dwelling-house) in a rich rank. In medieval society, there was abso- actual farmland, sets the menus with the
one. Besides his wife and children, the lutely no shame attached to performing the lady of the castle, gives orders to the cooks,
lord's family includes any younger brothers most menial services for a person of higher and organizes any feasts or festivities. He
or sisters still dependent on him, and proba- rank on the contrary, it was an honor to becomes a head waiter at mealtimes, coordi-
bly his widowed mother, the dowager. Since be chosen for the task. Likewise, having nating the servants who are bringing in the
noblemen lived short lives, on the whole, retainers of noble blood increases the status food.
usually the eldest son inherited the manor of the castle's lord. It is the goal of powerful The chamberlain is repsonsible for the
before his siblings were grown. He was then lords to have as many noble retainers as household work exclusive of food prepara-
responsible for raising them and either possible, even for such mundane jobs as tion. He supervises what little cleaning gets
making good marriages for the sisters or falconmaster. Exactly how many castle done, the hiring of common-born servants,
finding land and a position for the brothers. officials will be noble-born depends, of the purchase and care of furniture and
(How well selfish lords fulfilled these duties course, on the castle-holder's wealth and hangings, and the dispensing of any gifts
is another question.) reputation. the lord and lady care to make. He also has
Although the lord's primary duty in life is Even the poorest lord has at least one the important task of tending to the comfort
war, in peacetime few lords live idle lives. noble retainer, his squire. (Wealthy lords of any guests. Both the steward and the
They are, after all, the administrators for have three or four squires, for status.) The chamberlain report directly to the lady.
vast estates with power over many lives, squire is a boy of noble blood who at age The marshal, or equerry, is in charge of
and the typical lord actively takes a hand in twelve or thirteen comes to live in another the stables, which are the core of the lord's
running his land. On any given day, he is lord's family to receive his final training in military power in a cavalry-dominated
just as likely to be found discussing business arms and courtesy. Common opinion holds world. The marshal supervises the stable
with his bailiff and provosts as he is training that no man can train his own son properly, boys and the groom, buys or trades horses
with arms or hunting. Since the lord of the because he would go easy on the boy, rather as necessary, and assigns the horses owned
baronial class usually has the right of high than being as harsh as a warrior's training by the lord to whomever needs to use them.
justice over his tenants and dependents, he demands. While living with his lord, the Since most noble lords spend a lot of time
also spends much time acting as judge and squire acts as both valet and companion. discussing their beloved horses, the marshal
jury for every legal dispute, crime, or petty He helps his lord dress in the morning, usually has personal influence over the lord
squabble on his land, right down to argu- waits on him at table, tends his personal and thus great personal power.
ments among peasants over a chicken or horses, and runs whatever errands the lord Another person of great influence is the
hog. needs to have run. lord's chaplain, the priest who lives in the
A word must be said about the typical Just as the lord has his squires, the lady castle and performs religious services for all
noble lady of a castle. Although under has her waiting women, girls of good family its inhabitants, noble or common. Beyond
medieval law a woman had few rights and who are usually friends more than maids. his religious duties, the priest knows the
was barred from most activities she could The waiting women dress their lady, take common law and is expected to advise the
neither own property nor bear arms, for care of her clothes, help with the children, lord when he is dispensing justice. He also
instance in practice such legal cavils were and join her in the endless sewing of clothes acts as the castle's almoner, dispensing
ignored. Usually the lady also takes an that's such a large part of life for medieval charity to the poor who show up at the
active part in running the estate; many women. Since a lord gains status by sup- gates. In a fantasy world with pagan soci-
VOL, IV
eties, this priest will not be a Christian works more than three or four hours a day sary luxury," because they are a bright spot
father, of course, but most lords will keep a a much better lot than breaking one's of color in an otherwise drab life. Even the
priest of their favorite god close at hand. back on the farm. Servants are also assured most bat tie-hardened lord will wear flowers
A wealthy lord also maintains as many of getting enough to eat, which is not the in his hair for special events like weddings.
men-at-arms as he can afford to keep in his case for cither peasants. Even if a castle is near a town, the lord
barracks. Particularly if this force contains A great castle will have close to a hun- prefers to keep his own craftsmen within his
archers and pikemen, the men-at-arms are dred servitors, counting their wives, and walls. After all, one can't send to town for
likely to be from the yeoman (free middle) another hundred or so servants. Following supplies during a siege! Every castle will
class, but at their head will be at least one are descriptions of some of the most impor- have a carpenter, a tinker, a potter, and a
household knight of noble birth. In areas tant servitors, who will be found in any stonemason, but the most important of
where there is constant warfare or danger castle of decent size. these servitors is the blacksmith. In fact, a
from bandits and suchlike, the lord will Working under the seneschal are those large castle is likely to have two smiths who,
maintain as many household knights as he responsible for the security of the casde, the besides shoeing the small herd of horses
can afford, but in peaceful regions, he will chief porter and the watchmen. Although within the castle, also produce nails, bolts,
enfeoff his knights on part of his manor. the watchmen are recruited nightly from the arrowheads, lance heads, shield bosses, and
The average household knight is a poor men-at-arms, the chief porter has a heredi- even chain mail. The smiths also repair
noble, usually a younger son with no chance tary job. Usually he and his family live in a broken weapons and horse-gear.
at an inheritance, who spends his whole life gate-house, which is either just inside the Working cloth is another important castle
in the lord's castle for what amounts to gates or built into the wall over them. He is industry, because every piece of clothing or
room and board and the all-important responsible for greeting and scrutinizing blanket used by those who live there is
chance to prove himself in battle. Some every person who conies to the gates and produced by the household. The castle's
knights, however, are vagrant adventurers for deciding whether or not to admit them. lady supervises a large staff of women who
noble-born, of course, but kicked out by If the visitor is noble, the porter must greet spin wool from the lord's sheep, weave it
their families for one shameful reason or him with the ritual courtesy due his rank. If into cloth, dye it with herbal dyes, and then
another. These lesser knights own their own the visitor is judged undesirable, the porter sew it into clothes to be dispensed as wages
horses and equipment, rather than receiving must turn htm out by force if necessary. or gifts. The lady herself will sew her lord's
them from the lord, and thus are paid a Thus, porters are trained in the use of clothing, perhaps adding a touch of fancy
small fee in addition to their maintenance. weapons. needlework if she has the lime.
In the castle hierarchy, these knights-errant, A lord who dispenses justice has an Head cook, baker, head groom, dairy-
as they are called, come near the bottom as important servitor in the person of the man, poultry man all are important
necessary evils, not to be trusted unless sworn executioner. Although not the most servitors, and all will have lesser servants to
under the firm control of the seneschal. popular man in the castle, the executioner is help them at their work. The bailey and
In fantasy-world castles, great lords also treated with respect. He's responsible for ward of a large castle are actually a village,
have a personal wizard or sorcerer living hanging or otherwise dispatching criminals, filled with wooden shacks and workshops,
with them. Such a magician is expected to "persuading" suspected criminals to reveal housing the people who turn the produce
use his skills in his lord's defense during war evidence, and putting minor infractors in from the land into the necessities and some-
and to influence political events during the stocks or flogging them. Oddly enough, times the luxuries of life.
peace. He also gives the lord counsel from the executioner also serves as a doctor for
his arcane lore and interprets omens that broken bones and wounds. Since he's Who pays for all of this?
are beyond the range of the priest. Kings trained to break bodies, he knows a good bit Whether bushels of wheat or silver coins,
and particularly powerful nobles may have about repairing them as well. disposable wealth has to come from some-
a personal alchemist in their castle as well. Another person who serves as a doctor where, and the "somewhere" of the mano-
from time to time is the barber, sometimes rial economy is the labor of the tenant
Servitors and servants j known as a barber-surgeon. Although he peasants, or serfs, as they are commonly
Among the ranks of common-born ser- shaves the noblemen of the household and known. Although many lords have subsidi-
vants in the castle there is a further distinc- cuts their hair like a modern barber, he also ary incomes from bridge tolls, river rights,
tion between servitors, who have a knows much primitive medicine and can or town taxes, the bulk of their wealth
certain amount of respect and position, and dispense herbal potions for various ail- comes from the land.
the crowd of peasant servants who do the ments. His most common treatment, how- As mentioned above, about one-third of a
actual daily labor. The servitors have a craft ever, is bleeding the sick, either by opening manor is the lord's own land, the demesne.
to offer, such as blacksmithing, cookery, or a small vein or by applying river leeches to All produce from the demesne belongs
hunting technique. These skilled laborers suck out the "bad blood." directly to the lord. The tenants holding the
hold their positions by hereditary right, Since the hunt is a very important part of rest of the manor also work on the lord's
passing the job down to their sons or daugh- castle life, providing not only amusement demesne, usually for three days a week.
ters as long as they have heirs. Servitors are but much-needed meat, every castle has a This service, called the corvee, is paid only
generally proud of their position and very staff of servitors devoted to hunting. The by the head of each tenant family, but it is
loyal to their lord if he's any kind of a kennelman cares for and trains the lord's strictly enforced.
decent man at all. hounds; during the hunt, he supervises the The other members of the family are then
The servants, recruited from the peas- pack. The falconer tends the falcons and technically free to work their own land for
antry on the manor, are treated like valu- hawks. He also has the unenviable job of their own profit, but in practice, the lord
able farm animals. Kicks and curses are raiding nests to steal young birds; the aver- skims off a large share of their labor. For
their daily lot from those above them in the age falconer will have many scars on his starters, each peasant has to pay an annual
hierarchy. They sleep wherever they can face as a result. The master huntsman tends head tax, the chevage. If the lord has justice
find a spot, usually on the floor or on a and repairs the special hunting weapons, rights over the peasants (and most do), each
table in the lord's hall, or out in the stables. trains the beaters and netmen, and tracks family pays a further annual tax, the (a/We.
For wages, they receive food, one suit of game when the hunt is up. Whenever the head of a family dies, his son
clothes a year, and a few small coins at Another crucial part of the castle's food must pay the lord a further tax to inherit
Christmas. Yet, odd though it seems to supply is the garden, tended by the chief the land.
modern minds, being a servant in a castle is gardener and a crew of peasant servants. Most onerous of all, however, are the
a sought-after job. Since status demands This garden supplies vegetables, pot herbs, banaiites duties and fees that must be
that the lord have more servants than are and medicinal herbs as well as flowers. The paid constantly in order to live daily life.
necessary for the work, no single servant flowers, however, are considered a "neces- Peasants must grind their grain in the lord's
60 BEST OF DRAGON
mill, bake their bread in his ovens, use only will be role-playing the entire medieval possible to get out of this service by paying
his bull and st ail ion to stud their cows and environment and property system. scutage, a money payment sufficient to hire
mares, cross the stream only at his bridge The first problem is acquiring enough and supply as many men as the vassal is
on and on, and all for a fee. These land not merely for the actual castle itself failing to provide. The GM should decide
charges are enforced by physical violence, but also for the manor to support it. Most whether the overlord in question will accept
such as floggings or even maiming. players will protest that their characters scutage. In a real emergency, the overlord
The French historian George Duby has don't need a manor, because they plan to will not.
estimated that the total charges upon a support their castle with the coin from If the PC has received a grant of mano-
peasant amounted to 50% of his family's adventuring. Unfortunately, all the coin in rial land that's already being farmed, he can
total output, and this is over and above the the world can't buy food that isn't there to proceed to building the castle. In the case of
corvee. (And you think the IRS is bad?) buy. Medieval agriculture is so inefficient virgin territory, however, the PC will have
The average peasant family, therefore, lives that it's highly unlikely that the neighbor- to find farmers to work on the new manor.
close to starvation. Their clothes are torn hood peasants will have any food to sell Peasants on an existing manor are usually
and filthy; their hut is tumbledown and after fulfilling their obligations to their lord. willing to become colonists if they receive a
drafty; their children die with heart- Besides, their lord will probably outright better deal than they're already getting
breaking regularity from malnutrition and forbid any sale of food to the adventurer in an easy enough matter, considering their
small fevers. Most peasants also live in a the neighborhood because any new castle is lot. It was common for colonizing lords to
state of sullen resentment that at times a rival for power. Even free farmers will sell allow reluctantly, of course their
breaks out into open rebellion, but the only what food they can spare, leaving the colonists to lease the new land with rents
lord's armed justice is swift to torture, character's castle vulnerable to bad har- due instead of full feudal service.
maim, or kill any protestor. At its most vests. Thus, the PC's castle requires a Since serfs are legally free men, not
basic level, the manorial system resembles manor to feed it. slaves, buying them out of serfdom is a
nothing so much as that well-known gang- Buying land outright for coin is unheard ticklish business. While trying to keep up
ster ploy, the protection racket. of in a medieval-style world. At the most, a appearances, their former lord will try to
To keep the peasants in line and to extort PC could obtain a small amount of land on get as much coin as possible per head.
all these fees, the lord requires a number of a perpetual lease by paying a money rent, Lords will never risk underpopulaling their
manorial officials, sometimes noble-born but it is far more likely that any manorial own lands, of course, and thus will probably
but more usually middle-class servitors, estate will come enfeoffed or entailed in one only allow 10-15% of their serfs to leave at
again holding their positions by hereditary way or another. There are two kinds of land any given time.
right. At the top of the hierarchy is the available for new manors: virgin territory, Once the farmlands are settled, the PC
bailiff, who might live in the castle, but who or farmland from a great lord's already will also have to acquire servitors from the
more likely lives in a farmhouse on the existing manor. middle classes and whatever noble officials
estate. The bailiff is the working overseer of Any virgin territory within a kingdom is or henchmen he can attract. To build the
the estate, making his daily rounds on considered the property of the king; squat- actual castle requires skilled, well-paid
horseback to collect work-gangs for the ters will have a war on their hands. Legally craftsmen brought out from towns. Most
corvee, make decisions about plowing and settling virgin territory requires a royal fantasy-game systems have prices in their
planting, and supervise the collection of charter granting and establishing the new rules for the actual cost of building. Crafts-
taxes and fees. Since they must make manor. In the case of manorial land, the men will demand to be paid in coin, not
detailed annual reports to the lord and the lord who has rights to it must be persuaded produce, but they will take part of the
seneschal, most bailiffs can read and write. to subenfeoff it to the PC. In both cases, the wages in living expenses while actually
To help him, the bailiff has a varying granter of the manor will wangle as many working.
number of assistants, the provosts. (Some obligations as he can from the PC. The process of settling a manor and
lords dispense with a bailiff and have the To obtain a manor from an overlord, building a castle should take game-years,
provosts report directly to them,) Tt\e pro- whether king or baron, the PC has to not months. The PC isn't slapping up a
vosts directly supervise the corvee, and acquire the lord's favor and convince him modern condominium o f l a t h and sheet-
some do actual physical work as well, such that he will be a loyal vassal in the future. rock, but building in stone for the ages. The
as loading the taxes onto carts or tending Here's where all those coins and jewels can GM will probably have to rule that the PC
the lord's horses when they are brought come in handy. Besides giving lavish doesn't have the resources to build his
outside to graze. presents to the overlord, the PC will have to dream castle all at once, but must either
Two other important estate officials are bribe his important officials to get them on adventure again or wait until the land
the forester and the game warden. The his side and perhaps even to get an audi- begins producing enough revenue to finish
forester keeps track of all firewood cut from ence with the overlord. Once the grant of the work.
the lord's forest and of course imposes a fee land is offered, the PC has to swear homage Most PCs, in fact, will have to start a
upon the peasant for cutting it. The game to his new overlord, or suzerain, as it was stronghold as a fortified manor or fortalice.
warden's primary duty is to make sure that often called. Although players will gripe about this, the
no one poaches any wild game from the In homage, the PC promises to become GM should hold firm. After all, a recurring
estate. All deer, rabbits, and boars are the the overlord's vassal for the rest of his life problem in long-running campaigns is the
lord's property; any peasant who kills so (the PC's life, that is) and to perform cer- rich and incredibly powerful PC who unbal-
much as a rabbit, even to protect his crops, tain services in return for the land. The ances the game by his very presence. First
will be summarily hanged. minor ones can be widely varied, but the building, then maintaining a castle is an
most common small obligations are to visit excellent way to drain off not only wealth
The player character's castle the overlord's court once a year, to entertain but playing time from such a PC.
Now that the GM understands the him sumptuously whenever he appears at First of all, the PC will have to spend
requirements of a working castle, he is in a the vassal's castle, and to help him with the playing time fulfilling his obligations to his
better position to supervise any players who expense of wedding or knightings of the overlord. The military service will always
wish to have their characters build strong- lord's children when they come of age. come due in summer prime adventuring
holds, a process far more complex than the The major obligation, of course, is mili- weather. An overlord's visit will cost a great
modern procedure of buying a piece of real tary service. The vassal must provide a deal of money for the lavish feasts and
estate and hiring a contractor. At all stages, specified number of soldiers and their provi- entertainments that are necessary to keep
the GM should retain firm control of the sions for forty to sixty days a year. When- the overlord's good favor.
process and put plenty of realistic obstacles ever summoned, the vassal must personally Second, running a large manor takes
in the character's way. In a sense, the GM fight at his lord's side. In some cases, it's time. If the PC is away from home too
VOL. IV 61
often, the officials are likely to turn dishon- As a starting point, the GM should write of every hut and field. The map can indi-
est and begin stealing revenues, or turn so a descriptive paragraph for each truly cate the lord's forest, major streams, and
ruthless that they cause a peasant revolt. important inhabitant in the castle, such as other such natural features on a simple hex-
The PC must also maintain a court of jus- the lord and his family, the noble officials, by-hex basis. If the player-character party is
tice and be at home to receive taxes and the chief household knight, and such servi- the sort that's likely to get into trouble, by
homage from those below him. tors as the player party is likely to meet, poaching on the lord's forest preserve or
Finally, a powerful PC on a rich manor is such as the chief porter. Here's an example robbing someone, then the GM can set up
going to cause envy, and thus enmity, of such a sketch: "Sir Gervase, the sene- the daily route of the bailiff, provosts, and
among his neighbors. Petty feuds and envi- schal, is a strong, middle-aged man having gamekeeper and give them some combat
ous disputes are common in a medieval- great skill with weapons. He uses his quick stats.
style society, and they're always settled by wits and considerable worldly wisdom loy- The time spent working up a realistically
the sword. Fighting a local war is a much ally in the service of his lord." Then, if stats populated castle will pay off in the fun of
better use of a powerful PC's talents than is are necessary at some later time, the GM running it. All these assorted NPCs provide
stripping hapless dragons of their wealth. can either roll them up or simply decide opportunities for encounters and character
them within the parameters of the sketch. interaction beyond the usual combats
The castle in the campaign Lesser servitors and servants can be love affairs, resentments, friendships, diplo-
Since building and maintaining a castle is merely listed and noted, for instance: matic squabbles all in a fantasy setting
such a difficult proposition, castles aren't "twelve serving wenches, two very pretty," that will still seem "real" to the players. A
going to exist in every hex of the campaign or "Hubert the blacksmith; lives in the truly well-realized setting adds enormously
map. The common pattern, in fact, will be bailey; strong arm with war hammer." to everyone's enjoyment and that's what
one powerful castle for every two or three When it comes to running the castle, fantasy role-playing is all about!
hundred square miles, surrounded at inter- impressionistic story-telling will fill a lot of
vals by the fortalices of the rich lord's vas- gaps. For example, let's suppose a player A note on further reading
sals. Royal castles will be even rarer. In a party is entering a castle for the first time. GMs and players who are interested in
kingdom with a weak central government, After an actual encounter with the chief more detail about castle life can find many
there may be no roya! castles at all except porter, they go through the gates. The GM books available these days, some in paper-
for the king's persona) dwelling. can say something like this: "Out in the back. One of the best is Life on a Medieval
Because of the large number of servants, bailey, you see a large number of wooden Barony by William Stearns Davis (Harper
servitors, and retainers who live in a castle, sheds and huts. Servants hurry around and Row, 2nd ed. 1953). Serious role-
drawing up a castle in minute detail for an carrying food and firewood; a couple of players, especially fans of the Chivalry and
NPC is as much work as creating a small grooms are currying horses by the main Sorcery game, will find that reading this or
town. Fortunately, unless the NPC has a well; you hear the clang of a blacksmith's some similar book adds enormously to their
crucial central role in the campaign, or the hammer over the general din." Such a fun. Hard-working GMs who want more
GM wishes to run a series of scenarios in a scene-setting gives the feel of castle life information about the manorial system and
particular castle, there is no need to create without stats and continual dice rolls. the sizes and population of average holdings
every single inhabitant and give them full When mapping out the manor for an should gird their loins and attack The Cam-
statistics. After all, unless the player party is important castle, likewise, the GM should bridge Economic History of Europe, Vol-
a bunch of murderous brigands, they are indicate where the peasant villages are and ume I: The Agrarian Life of the Middle
unlikely to engage in combat with the black- how many families live in them, but it's Ages, edited by M. M, Postan (Cambridge
smith's wife or the pig-boys. unnecessary to make a detailed placement University Press, 1966).
62 BEST OF DRAGON
Saintly standards
Friends of the gods with special powers
64 BEST OF DRAGON
ST. ELEADOR the Survivor prevent the unleashing of a monstrous evil. able to gaze into the past and the future in
ARMOR CLASS: -4 Overcoming unbelievable odds, he man- his dreams. The source of this power is not
MOVE: 12" aged to thwart the evil, and several deities psionic; it has been speculated by some
HIT POINTS: 88 gratefully rewarded him with sainthood. sages that a link exists between St. Eleador
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 Eleador doesn't enjoy combat, preferring and the Plane of Time. It is possible that
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon peaceful resolution of conflicts to bloody because of this link the gods have taken a
type(+l) violence. This makes him all the more great interest in his affairs, which resulted
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Sec below dangerous when aroused, and he will not in his elevation to the sainthood at a com-
SPECIAL DEFENSES; See below hesitate to attack the most evil of foes. paratively low level of experience and with a
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard Under no circumstances will Eleador sur- relatively weak reputation.
SIZE: M(6' tall) render or submit to blackmail; he is willing Eleador often wanders from plane to
ALIGNMENT: Neutral good to see those he loves die before he compro- plane, but rarely uses disguises. He appears
SYMBOL: Golden chimera mises his principles. In a battle, Eleador to be a man of about 30 years of age, with
CLERIC/DRUID: 17th-level cleric wields the Mace ofAuru, a + 3 mace of blond hair and blue eyes; he wears deep
PSIONIC ABILITY: VI disruption which dispels evi/on a natural blue robes over his chain mail with the
S 16 ( + 0, + 1) I 18 W20 "to hit" roll of 18 or better; he also owns a insignia of a golden chimera on his chest.
D 16 C 16 Ch 16 talisman of pure good with double the usual He has been known to ride an extremely
number of charges. Like St. Bane, Eleador powerful pegasus (AC 3, MV 32"/48", HD
Eleador was a young priest who was is a powerful foe of the undead, gaining a 6-1-6, HP 54, #AT3, D 2-12/2-12/1-4, SD
thrust into circumstances far beyond his + 3 to his die roll to turn undead creatures. 10% magic resistance, immune to petrifica-
control, in which he and a small band of Eleador's greatest power, however, is his tion) which he befriended on a particularly
adventurers were the only ones who could gift of timesight. When Eleador sleeps, he is harrowing adventure.
VOL. IV 65
examination (which obviously cannot be carried out in the middle of 46-47 Tail of weapon broken off and smashed.
a melee) by a qualified character will reveal that the weapon is dam- 48-50 Tail of weapon broken off and damaged.
aged and will soon break. A qualified person is one who deals closely 51-55 Tail of weapon broken off and partly damaged.
with the material involved. For example, a swordsmith would be 56-65 Tail of weapon damaged; -2 to hit.
qualified to inspect all types of metal swords and daggers, because he 66-80 Tail of weapon partly damaged; -1 to hit.
would have a basic understanding of the metallurgy involved. A 81-00 Weapon undamaged.
player character who has had previous experience as a smith, for
instance, could be a qualified judge if he had followed this trade for Notes on Table 2
a few years and not just a short period of time. 2.1 If weapon has been damaged, roll on table 3 (if it is being
used) to establish when the damage occurs.
TABLE 1: Damage inflicted 2.2 The "head" of a weapon is that part which inflicts the dam-
01 Damage to party member; weapon damaged and age: sword blade, arrowhead, tip of lance, head of mace, and so on.
dropped out of reach. 2.3 The "tail" of a weapon is that part which is used to control
02 Damage to party member; weapon damaged and the aim: hilt of sword, longbow, crossbow, rear portion of lance,
dropped within reach. handle of mace, and so on.
03-04 Damage to party member; weapon undamaged but 2.4 Any part of a weapon receiving a "smashed" result cannot be
dropped out of reach. repaired or used further. Any remaining undamaged part of the
05-06 Damage to party member; weapon undamaged but weapon might be usable at reduced effect, depending on the weapon
dropped within reach. and which part of it remains intact (see note 2.6).
07-12 Damage to party member; weapon stil! held. 2.5 Penalties given by the table for "damaged" and "partly dam-
13-20 Damage to party member; no effect on weapon. aged" weaponry are cumulative. They take effect in the round after
21 Damage to self; weapon damaged and dropped out the weapon was found to be damaged, and continue until the
of reach. weapon is either repaired or destroyed.
22-23 Damage to self; weapon damaged and dropped 2.6 Many weapons are unusable when a part has been damaged
within reach. or broken off, but the wide range of possible weapons and possible
24-26 Damage to self; weapon dropped out of reach. circumstances will make it necessary for the DM to rule on whether
27-29 Damage to self; weapon dropped within reach. certain damaged weapons can still be effectively employed. Two
30-38 Damage to self; weapon damaged but still held. clear-cut examples: The front half of a spear is just a smaller spear,
39-50 Damage to self; no effect on weapon. but the front half of a sword blade is virtually useless as a weapon.
51-52 Weapon damaged and dropped out of reach. Weapons were designed to be well balanced for maximum striking
53-55 Weapon damaged and dropped within reach. effect, and this balance would be affected if part of the weapon were
56-60 Weapon dropped out of reach. broken off. For any parts of the weapon that the Dungeon Master
61-65 Weapon dropped within reach. agrees can be usable in combat, "to hit" and damage penalties must
66-80 Weapon damaged but still held. be worked out. Penalties will depend on the circumstances and the
81-00 Nothing unusual happens. actual part of the weapon being used.
2.7 If the weapon has not been dropped (as given by table 1) but a
Notes on Table 1 result on Table 2 indicates "Head of weapon broken off' or "Tail of
1.1 "Damage to party member" indicates a member of the party weapon broken off," then the head of the weapon will fall to the
of the character, or of the monster, who rolled the 1. If the character ground within reach, and the tail will still be held. A "weapon
or monster is alone or if no other members of the party are within dropped" result on Table 1 refers to the entire weapon, whether or
striking distance, then treat this result as "Damage to self." Weapon not it was broken or damaged.
damage will still apply, as appropriate. If more than one party mem-
ber is within striking range, determine the member hit by random TABLE 3: Time of damage to weapon
selection, remembering to include,non-player characters. 01-10 Weapon damaged and/or dropped this round.
1.2 "Damage to self is halved if the character makes a save vs. 11-16 Weapon damaged and/or dropped next round.
rod, staff or wand. 17-19 Weapon damaged and/or dropped in 2 rounds.
1.3 If a weapon is damaged, roll on Table 2 to determine specifics. 20 Weapon damaged and/or dropped in 3 rounds.
If Table 2 is not being used, the weapon must save vs. disintegration
or be damaged beyond repair. Magic weapons receive their usual Note on Table 3
saving throw bonuses, 3.1 Damage to player characters, non-player characters, and
1.4 A "weapon within reach" can be recovered in the round after monsters always occurs in the melee round in which the 1 was
it was dropped, but no blow against an attacker is possible in that rolled. Table 3 is only to be used for weapons which are not a natu-
round. ral pan of a character or creature.
1.5 A "weapon dropped out of reach" can be recovered in the
second round after it is dropped. No blow against an attacker is These tables are not intended for the Dungeon Master who gives
possible for these two rounds (unless another weapon is obtained, of his players an impossible job of surviving. They are intended to
course). complement play by creating more situations for interesting player
1.6 If a player character, non-player character, or monster is only interaction will your friend lend you his extra sword after you've
using fists, fangs, teeth, claws, and other such body weaponry, they just broken your own blade on a wild swing that connected with him
take 1-4 points of damage in place of a "weapon damaged" result. instead of the enemy? which is the whole purpose of a good-
Damage taken is halved if a save vs. rod, staff or wand is made. playing game.
This may be in addition to any other damage taken in that round. With these tables in operation, weapons makers and weapon
shops in the cities and towns of a campaign world will now on occa-
TABLE 2: Damage to weapon sion have customers in dire need of their wares, rather than simply
01-02 Weapon completely broken, smashed or shattered. acting as the dumping ground for used arms and armor being traded
03-05 Weapon damaged; -2 to hit, -50% to damage. in by victorious characters.
06-10 Weapon partly damaged; -1 to hit, -25% to damage. There are advantages in this system for characters, too, if they are
11-12 Head of weapon broken off and smashed. ingenious enough to find good uses for the remains of damaged
13-15 Head of weapon broken off and damaged. weapons. A thief in one party once secretly swapped swords with an
16-20 Head of weapon broken off, partly damaged. enemy fighter who had challenged the best swordsman in the thief's
21-30 Head of weapon damaged; -50% to damage, party to a death duel. Even a 16th-level Lord is not much of an
31-45 Head of weapon partly damaged; -25% to damage. opponent when wielding a * 1 sword without a blade!
66 BEST OF DRAGON
Repair or beware
Equipment damage and its effects
Why don't heroes ever seem to spend Magic armor adds absorption ability wet string need only roll a natural 2 or less
time sharpening their swords? Everybody according to its magical bonuses. For for the string to snap.
else has to. How come Theobald the Mag- instance, chain mail + 2 will absorb seven A pole arm or staff will crack on a roll
nificent never gets his shield banged up, or blows before it becomes useless. of 1, A saving throw must be rolled each
his sword notched, or his helm cloven? Each time a piece of armor absorbs a round thereafter vs. crushing blow. Failure
Wear and damage to equipment are con- blow, by failing to make the save, its AC to save at any time means the haft snaps,
cerns of every fighter making his way in a protection drops by one factor. Chain mail A hurled weapon is not damaged the way
mutable world, but not, it seems, of charac- (AC5) becomes chain mail -1 (AC 6), then other types might be, but rolling a natural 1
ters in the AD&D game world. -2, and so on, A shield + I does not cease to means that the wielder (thrower) of the
The simple fact is, though, that nothing be magical, but it drops to a shield + 0 after weapon may be temporarily off balance.
lasts forever. And without special care, taking such a wallop, and then is a ruined, Unless the wielder (thrower) rolis his dex-
nothing lasts as long as it should. Arms and unmagical shield after one more damaging terity or less on d20, he is off balance, loses
armor are not exceptions. Sharp edges, to blow. Damaged armor will stay so until all dexterity and shield AC for bonuses that
stay that way, must be honed occasionally. repaired by someone skilled in the craft. round, and is -(3-4) in rolling for initiative.
Nicks and dents have to be fixed. Rust will The costs, in gold pieces and time, of such (That is to say, he loses 1-4 segments from
get you sooner or later, even if you sent all repair is a minimum of 3 days and 25 gp for whatever his party rolls for initiative.)
your equipment to Z-Bart. Following are each damaging blow the armor has A fighter engaged in combat without
some suggestions for easily implemented absorbed. Magic armor cannot be repaired weapons occasionally might not use the
rules to add this dimension to your game. by an ordinary armorer or smith without its weaponless combat table. In this case (when
losing its dweomer. the fighter's fist is treated as a weapon), a
Damage to armor roll of natural 1 is considered the same as
When a combatant rolls a natural 20 in Damage to weapons for a hurled missile (see above). That is, the
melee, his opponent (if armored) must roll a When a combatant rolls a natural 1 in fighter is off balance, and must roll d20 vs.
saving throw for his armor vs. crushing combat, his weapon is adversely affected. his dexterity or suffer the same penalties as
blow. The armor gets magical plusses (if An edged weapon becomes notched each for a hurled weapon that goes awry.
any) as bonuses that might apply. A shield, time a 1 is rolled, and it takes a -1 penalty
if one is being used by the character or "to hit" and to damage. A normal sword The ravages of rust and time
creature that is h i t , will take damage until it becomes a sword -1, A magical sword + 1 If a character neglects to have his swords
is rendered useless; after that, the armor becomes a magical sword + 0, Magical and such attended to, or his armor gone
itself will absorb the blows. Failure to make edged weapons get a saving throw vs. over by an armorer at least four times a
this saving throw means one's shield is crushing blow (but n on-magical edged year, then the DM can assess the user of
broken (or at least severely damaged), or weapons do not). No edged weapon can be that equipment a penalty of-1 on every
one's armor is rent. reduced to the point where one cannot saving throw rolled for the equipment, due
Armor and shields can absorb as many possibly hit with it, nor to the point where it to neglected rust and wear and tear. This
dents and rents as the number of AC factors can do no damage. Thus, it cannot take any deficiency can be remedied by simply hav-
the item provides. Thus, a shield will take more "hits" beyond the point where it takes ing the equipment seen to (cleaned, pol-
one good blow before it is broken (same for a roll of 20 to hit with it, or below the point ished, etc.). At the DM's option, the same
a helm), whereas leather or padded armor where it does at least 1 point of damage. penalty may be applied for every week
will absorb two such blows before it is use- A character who rolls a natural 1 while spent in a tropical or marsh environment
less for protective purposes. Ring mail or attacking with a blunt weapon will find that (or the like) without the character cleaning
studded leather can take three blows; scale the weapon has slipped from his hand. his equipment. It takes a full day to go over
mail, four; chain mail, five; splint mail or A strung weapon will snap a string, and an entire suit of armor and all of one's
banded mail, six; and plate mail, seven. thus misfire, on a roll of I. A weapon with a weapons but it's a day well spent.
VOL. IV 67
Wounds and weeds
Plants can save characters' lives
63 BEST OF DRAGON
ing that mighty sword of yours. appearance but which may have vastly This helps reduce inflammation associated
"Pick leaves from plants that have not yet different properties (as in the case of herb with wounds, and restores strength. Also,
gone to seed, or even begun to flower, if true-love). However, most "herb-imitators" an ointment can be made by boiling the
possible. If you want to keep them with you are harmless, and recipients of "healing" cut-up leaves in hog's fat and then by
for when you aren't in a forest I know will not usually be harmed if a character straining out the sediment. This ointment is
you fighter types like to creep about in administers the wrong plant but, obvi- soothing and promotes rapid healing, so
dungeons and caves and the like then ously, neither will the injured or wounded much so that it has been called the "green
you must dry the leaves in the sunlight, not person receive any of the sought-after heal- oil of charity."
in the shade. When they are dried, do not ing properties. Members of some races will Game effect: A character recuperating
let them get wet again, and keep them out react differently to certain herbs; the DM, from injuries normally receives one hit
of the sunlight after that. Now, did you and any characters with extensive training point per day of rest. However, convalesc-
understand all that, so 1 don't have to in healing, should note the precautions ing with the aid of adder's-tongue will
repeat myself any more?" mentioned in some of the particular plant allow a wounded character to regain 1-3 hit
Delrael nodded. descriptions. points per day (roll separately each day).
"Now, sometimes you will want to use Using the ointment made from adder's-
the flowers of a plant. Gather them in their AARON'S ROD tongue will restore 1-2 hit points immedi-
prime, and during full sunlight, for then Scientific name: Verbascum thapsiforme ately per application, but it can only be
they'll be all the way opened and not Other names: Great Mullein, King's administerdd to the same character once a
tainted with dew. Dry these, too, in the Candle, Candlestick Plant day.
sun, and they will hold their healing power Appearance: Aaron's rod has many large,
as long as they keep their smell and color. pale silvery green leaves that feel like soft BIRTHWORT
"And last of all, you will want to use felt. These leaves surround a thick, tapered Scientific name: Aristolochia chmatitis
roots. Clean them before you use them I stalk of large (lowers and smaller leaves, Appearance: Birthwort is a bushy climb-
know that's only common sense, which is which grows to four or five feet in height. ing vine that can grow to about three feet in
why 1 feel you need to be told. Don't use According to tradition, this prominent spike height. The leaves are rounded and heart-
rotten or worm-eaten ones, either, and of flowers was dipped in suet and then shaped with a deep cleft at the top; the
gather them during a dry spell if possible. burned as a ceremonial candle. The flowers leaves are set on long stems. The flowers
Dry out the soft roots in the sun, and the are bright yellow, bearing five petals each. are thin and yellow, and tubular in shape.
hard ones anywhere. Can you remember all Aaron's rod has a long, white, woodlike Location: Birthwort grows wild along
of that?" root. hedges and fences, and in thickets exposed
Delrael nodded again, anxiously this time Location: Aaron's rod grows in rocky or to the sun. It flowers in mid-summer.
because he felt the lessons were coming to clay soil, most often on sunny slopes, cliff Uses: This herb has been used frequently
an end. faces, and terrain such as that found around all over the world. The Greeks and Romans
"Fine. Now you only have one little task rock quarries; sometimes it is found along valued it highly, using the leaves and roots
left to memorize the ways that all these roads. The flowers appear in mid-summer. boiled briefly to make a poultice which they
herbs and plants can be used. If we're both Uses: Aaron's rod is useful as a pain- placed on wounds that were healing poorly.
lucky, you'll be ready to leave here in just a killer. At least five flowers should be The snake charmers of India and North
couple weeks more." crushed and mixed with water or, better Africa claim that the juice of the birthwort
Delrael groaned. . . . still, wine. This mixture is applied directly will instantly kill a snake, and if the juice is
to fresh wounds and will deaden the pain rubbed into a snake bite, it will help neu-
from an injury. tralize the venom.
The twelve plants described in the follow- Game effect: Since pain itself can weaken Game effect: If the leaves and stems of
ing text are the most common and the most an injury victim, this herb will restore 1-4 this herb are crushed to make a juice, and if
potent of all the herbs the old woman taught hit points immediately. These hit points will this juice is promptly (within I round)
Delrael about during his convalescence in be lost again, however, within two hours, applied to a poisonous bite or sting, the
her hut. If characters are actively searching when the pain-killer has worn off. Aaron's character receives an additional + 2 on his
for healing herbs, the DM should assign a rod can only restore hit points once every saving throw against the poison. This effect
50% chance of locating any given plant (roll two hours; multiple applications before the only works once on any particular poison
once per hour of searching for each charac- first application has worn off are not cumu- attack. Using a poultice made from birth-
ter involved), provided the search is being lative in effect. wort will insure that wounds will heal prop-
conducted in the proper terrain for the plant Precautions: If a character uses this pain- erly, without complications; the wounded
being sought. killer to help him get back on his feet and character will regain one extra hit point per
Even if this "chance to locate" roll is fight again while still wounded, he will lose day for the first two days after application,
successful, there is a possibility that an an additional 1-4 hit points when the solu- and then will heal normally thereafter.
improperly identified plant has been found tion wears off because he has aggravated his Precautions: All non-human characters
instead. The chance of proper identification injuries in the meantime. have a 20% chance of suffering an adverse
of a certain plant is 80% for a character reaction to this herb. If a wounded charac-
who has been specially instructed about the ADDER'S-TONGUE ter reacts badly to birthwort, he will become
appearance of that plant, and only 20% for Scientific name: Ophioglossum wlgatum temporarily paralyzed. This paralysis is so
a character who has not had such instruc- Appearance: Adder's-tongue has one severe that it is indistinguishable (by sight)
tion. This identification roll is not necessary large leaf, at the base of which rises a thin from death, and it will last for 1-8 rounds
for garlic and juniper, both of which are so stalk covered with tiny bumps or knobs; on beginning 2 rounds after application of the
abundant (in the proper terrain) and so closer inspection, this stalk is seen to be a herb. This effect of birthwort is not com-
distinctive that they cannot be misidenti- spike of tiny, yellowish green flowers. mon knowledge; even characters who are
fied. At the DM's option, the identification Location: Adder's-tongue grows in moist familiar with birthwort have only a 50%
roll may be waived for druids, bards, and meadows and shady clearings. It is most chance of knowing about this side effect
rangers, who would always recognize these easily found in late spring. before they experience or witness it.
plants without fail, thanks to their training Uses: This herb is used as a secondary
in their professions or their adventuring treatment, to help wounded characters COMFREY
experience. regain strength. Use four fresh leaves Scientific name: Symphytum officinale
If a character fails to properly identify an steeped in boiling water to make a potent Other name: Healing Herb
herb, he has found something similar in tea which can be drunk three times a day. Appearance: Comfrey has large, hairy
VOL. IV
green leaves and hairy stalks which can attacking insects, giant or otherwise. If used refuses to respond to any stimulus; 5-6, he
grow to 2-3 feet in height. The stalks are to ease bites and stings, garlic juice can be sees other party members as enemies and
hollow, and the leaves have a gummy resin used one time per injury to restore 1 hit attacks them immediately. The hallucino-
which is apparent if the leaves are chewed point that was lost from either the bite/sting genic effect wiil last for 1-6 rounds.
gently. At the tops of the stalks are small, or the poisonous effect of that attack.
bell-shaped flowers of a violet, or occasion- Precautions: Garlic has a bad reputation HERB TRUE-LOVE
ally white, color that bear tiny black seeds, among herbal healers. Some claim it is a Scientific name: Pan's quadrifolia
Comfrey has a large root system; its roots dangerous plant with many supernatural Other names: Herb Paris, One-Berry
are black on the outside and white on the properties. However, in AD&D lore it is Appearance: Herb true-love has a small
inside. The roots are brittle and are filled really only directly harmful to vampires. creeping root just below the surface of the
with a clear, nearly tasteless sap. But if garlic is used For any remedy, espe- ground, from which spring clusters of
Location: Comfrey grows by ditches, cially as an insect repellent, the strong odor leaves, some of which have one starlike
watersheds, and moist fields. The plant may give away the presence of the character white flower or one blackish-purple berry. A
flowers in mid-summer and goes to seed in using it and increase the chance of attract- leaf has four leaflets set at right angles to
late summer. ing wandering monsters, each other, in a cross pattern.
Uses: This herb can be employed as both Location: Herb true-love grows in woods
an immediate first aid and a secondary HENBANE and copses, sometimes on the borders of
treatment. Almost all of the parts of this Scientific name: Hyoscyamus niger fields. Clusters of leaves appear in mid-
"wonder weed" can be used. The root is Appearance: Henbane has large, thick, spring; berries are ripe in late spring.
most effective on fresh wounds clean one soft leaves covered with hair and deeply cut. Uses: This herb is useful as an antidote
root, bruise it so that the clear sap flows These leaves lie near the ground. Henbane for poisons and as an antiseptic. If poison is
oat, then bind it up against the fresh injury. also has many short and thick stalks, spread suspected in a wound, the victim should eat
This will bring about rapid healing. Simi- with branches bearing smaller leaves. These at least three berries of herb true-love, or
larly, the root dried and powdered can be stalks have hollow yellow flowers with large somehow ingest several leaves, either by
sprinkled on a fresh wound. To use the herb sepals covering much of the petals; the eating them raw or (more effective) mixed
as a strength-restorer, boil a dozen flowers petals are laced with purple veins. The with wine or as a tea. To speed healing and
(either fresh or dried) along with the leaves flowers bear tiny gray seeds. The root is prevent infection in a wound, crush the
to form a tea, or mix the flowers and several thick and branched, much like a parsnip leaves and use them to clean wounds, or
leaves with wine, and drink the liquid twice root. The plant has a heavy, offensive smell. boil four leaves in a small amount of water
a day. Location: Henbane grows in clearings and use the broth so obtained as an antisep-
Game effect: If comfrey root is applied and along paths. It flowers throughout most tic wash to rinse or soak wounds.
immediately to a wound, roll Id4 to see how of the summer. Game effect: The use of herb true-love
many hit points the wounded character Uses: This herb is a potent pain-killer, will add + 2 to saving throws vs. poison,
"never lost in the first place," and subtract deadening virtually all discomfort from a + 3 for halflings and dwarves, if it is
this number from the damage done. If wound. Boil the leaves, seeds, or roots ingested or applied to the affected area
comfrey is used as a tea or mixed with wine together in a small amount of water, and (depending on the type of poison) within 2
during recuperation, it has the same quali- apply as a poultice. rounds of when the poisoning took place. As
ties as adder's-tongue (see above). Game effect: Henbane applied to an an antiseptic wash, herb true-love can be
injured character will immediately restore used once per injury to restore one hit point
GARLIC 1-6 hit points, similar to the effect of to a wounded character.
Scientific name: Alliam sativum Aaron's rod; however, only 1-4 of these hit Precautions: If a character searches for
Appearance: Garlic has long, hollow points will "wear off" two hours later (along herb true-love and fails to identify it prop-
leaves, dark green in color, on top of which with the pain-killing effects), so the charac- erly, he has found another plant that looks
appear large, spherical clusters of tiny white ter has a chance of regaining more than just very similar but is deadly: nightshade. If a
flowers. The entire plant has a very strong temporary hit points. If a character poisoned character ingests nightshade as a
smell, which becomes doubly apparent if attempts to fight or engage in other strenu- remedy, he must make another saving throw
the leaves are crushed. Garlic is so well ous activity while being affected by hen- vs. poison (in addition to the saving throw
known and so easily identified by its distinc- bane, he will do so as if he were moderately that was already required). Failure to make
tive smell that characters wilt always locate intoxicated (as defined on page 82 of the the save vs. nightshade means death; mak-
and identify it correctly if they search for it Dungeon Masters Guide) because of the ing the save means no damage. Nightshade
in an area containing suitable terrain. numbing effects of the drug. When used will be harmless and ineffective if applied
Location: Other than in its garden habi- against fever, henbane will restore 1 point of externally.
tat, garlic often grows on damp grounds, in lost strength and constitution per day; this
meadows, and in sparse forests. The cluster treatment can be used daily until the victim JUNIPER BERRY
of flowers appears in early to mid-summer. has fully recovered. Scientific name: Juniperis communis
Uses: Crushed garlic cloves, or diluted Precautions: Henbane is very poisonous Appearance: Juniper is a bush with thick
garlic juice, makes a strong antiseptic so if taken internally: if ingested in any form branches bearing short, scalelike needles
potent that garlic was used, along with and any amount, the herb will cause 2-12 similar to pine needles. The bark is rough
sphagnum moss (see below), in field hospi- points of poison damage (save for half dam- and has a shredded appearance, and the
tals during World War I when other sup- age) in the round following ingestion, and entire bush is very fragrant. Clusters of
plies ran short. Garlic also eases bites and the affected character will be unconscious berries are green in the first year of their
stings from venomous creatures, and it can for 3-6 turns thereafter. This herb also has growth, and turn dark purple when they
act as an insect repellent. hallucinogenic properties that may affect the ripen the following year. Each berry has a
Game effect: The antiseptic properties of character who prepares a poultice. While strong, distinctive taste. Like garlic, juniper
garlic are such that a wound will heal more boiling the henbane plant, the character has is so well known that characters will auto-
rapidly, and without chance of infection. a 40 % chance of inhaling fumes that will matically be able to locate it and identify it
Wounded characters will recover 2 hit act as a hallucinogen. If this happens, the properly if they are searching for it in
points per day for the first three days after DM may moderate the effects or, optionally, appropriate terrain.
application. If garlic is used as an insect roll d6 to determine what happens: 1-2, the Location: Juniper grows upon heaths and
repellent, the juice must be rubbed gener- character sees imaginary enemies in the in sparse forests. It is an evergreen,
ously over exposed body parts. This repel- distance and runs off to fight them; 3-4, he Uses; Juniper berries help to counteract
lent has a 50% chance of working against becomes unaware of his surroundings and all forms of poison, but not so effectively as
70 BEST OF DRAGON
herb true-love (see above). Most impor- burns, marsh-mallow speeds healing to such with clean sphagnum moss, the victim will
tantly, juniper is a powerful stimulant for an extent that a character will receive 2 hit heal 25% more quickly; that is, lost hit
those who are severly wounded and near points per day for each of the first three points will be regained at the rate of four
death. If a character is able to, or can be days of rest following application, and will every three days, with that "extra" point
forced to, eat two juniper berries, he may recuperate normally thereafter. When the regained on the first day of the three-day
gain the strength to fight off some of the decoction is used to help counter the effects period. The dressing must be changed after
effects of shock. of blood loss, the victim will regain 1-3 hit three days and replaced with fresh moss in
Game effect: If a character is brought to points per day (as with adder's-tongue and order to keep receiving this quick-healing
zero or fewer hit points, and is unconscious, comfrey) instead of the usual one hit point. benefit.
the stimulant effect of juniper berries will
add 1-4 hit points to the character's total, ST.-JOHN'S-WORT WOUNDWORT
possibly bringing him back to conscious- Scientific name: Hypericum perforatu/n Scientific name: Stachys palustris
ness, or at least out of a coma. A character Other name: All Saints' Wort Other names: Clown's woundwort,
revived in this manner cannot fight or Appearance: St.-John's-won grows about downy woundwort, marsh woundwort
engage in any other strenuous activity until knee-high, on hard, woodlike stalks. The Appearance: Woundwort has rough,
he has rested long enough to regain as leaves are smooth and oval, appearing in slender green stalks, up to two feet high,
many more hit points as he "artifically" got pairs from opposite sides of the stems so bearing long and narrow dark green leaves
back from the juniper, (Note, however, that that they form a shape similar to a figure- covered with fine hairs. The leaves are
hit points restored by juniper berries do not eight. The leaves have very tiny holes, like pointed, with jagged edges. The flowers of
"fade," as with Aaron's rod.) If used as an pinpricks, in them, which are visible only woundwort are large and purplish red, with
antidote to poison, juniper berries wiil add when the leaf is held up to the light. St.- white spots. The roots are long and stringy,
+ 1 to a victim's saving throw if they are John's-wort bears large yellow flowers with with small tubers growing among them.
eaten within 2 rounds of the poisoning. five petals; the petals, when bruised, yield a The plant has a strong, acrid smell.
Precautions: Juniper berries may have a reddish, resinous juice. The (lowers bear Location: Woundwort grows in or near
strange effect on elves and half-elves. If a small blackish seeds. The root is hard and ditches, or by the sides of paths and in
member of either of those races eats even woodlike and brownish in color. fields. The marsh woundwort, identical in
one juniper berry, that character must make Location: St.-John's-wort is found in healing properties, grows in marshy areas.
a saving throw vs. poison or be affected by shady woods and copses, and also at the The plant flowers in mid-summer.
an uncontrollable attraction to the first edges of forests. It flowers in mid-summer Uses: This herb is very effective as an
member of the opposite sex that the charac- and bears seeds by the end of the season. immediate treatment for all wounds, espe-
ter sees. The object of the character's attrac- Uses: The oil from fresh flowers is espe- cially deep cuts such as those produced from
tion may be of any race as long as the elfs cially good for healing wounds. Boil a dozen sword thrusts. Woundwort is a remarkable
or half-elf s normal preference for that race flowers in wine to make a tincture to be styptic, staunching bleeding almost immedi-
is not hostile to begin with. This effect will applied to injuries. This will help heal ately and quickening the coagulation of
wear off in 2-8 rounds, and does not negate bruises. A teaspoon of powdered seeds blood to form scabs. To use it, bind enough
the other, beneficial effects that the juniper drunk in a broth helps to combat the effects fresh leaves up against the wound to form a
berries will bring. An infatuated character of venom. dressing, or steep the leaves in hot water
may be too weak to do anything about the Game effect: If a tincture of St.-John's- and apply them as a poultice.
feeling, but will feel it nonetheless, wort is applied immediately (within 2 Game effect: If applied immediately
rounds) to a wound, roll Id4 to see how (within 2 rounds) to an injury, woundwort
MARSH-MALLOW many hit points the victim "never lost in will stop bleeding and prevent further weak-
Scientific name: Althaea officinaJis the first place," and subtract this number ness from blood loss. The wounded charac-
Other names: Mortification Root, Sweet from the damage suffered. When the broth ter will immediately regain 20% (round
Weed is drunk as an antidote to venom within 2 down) of the hit points he would have lost
Appearance: The marsh-mallow has soft, rounds of the time of poisoning, the pow- from the damage of the injury, reflecting the
hairy white stalks that can grow up to 3-4 dered seeds will add + 1 to the victim's blood loss that "never took place."
feet in height and have many branches. The saving throw against the poison. Precautions: While woundwort will
wide leaves are soft and hairy, with serrated always stop bleeding and benefit its user as
edges. The plant has many large pink SPHAGNUM MOSS described above, dwarves will sometimes
flowers with purple centers, and it has an Scientific name: Sphagnum cymbifolium suffer an adverse reaction to it. If it is used
extensive system oflong roots that are Other names: Bog moss, peat moss on a dwarven character, he has a 25%
pliant and tough, whitish yellow in color. Appearance: Sphagnum moss is a pale chance of being blinded for 1-6 rounds.
The roots are filled with a clear, slimy juice green in color, although it may turn yellow-
that thickens like jelly when mixed with ish or reddish. It consists of many tiny
water. branches of leaves tangled into a clump of Despite her words to the contrary, the old
Location: Marsh-mallow grows abun- moss which grows into large cushions. It woman seemed rather downcast when
(tandy in salt marshes and in damp mead- has no roots, but absorbs water directly Delrael made ready to leave her hut,
ows near the seashore. It flowers during all through its leaves; this absorbent quality "Now, my young fighter," she said, "you
the summer months. makes it almost as effective as a sponge. know how to care for yourself without the
Uses: This herb is effective both as an Location: Sphagnum moss is found in aid of a cleric." She wagged a finger at him.
immediate treatment for burns, and also as wet, boggy spots. Sometimes the moss is so "Just think of those who struggle to survive
a secondary cure for those severely weak- thick that it may appear to be solid until in worlds where no magic exists."
ened from loss of blood. The root is used for someone steps on it and gets wet feet. "I have heard stories of such worlds,"
both applications. Smash it, then dip the Uses: When sterilized, this moss is an Delrael answered, "but I always thought
pulp into boiling water and use it as a poul- ideal dressing for wounds. Two ounces of it them to be no more than fantasies."
tice, binding it up against fresh burns. Or, can absorb up to two pounds of liquid. The old woman began puttering with her
crush the root and boil it in a pot of water Sphagnum moss must be collected before- herbs, looking away so he did not see the
until one third of the original water in the hand to be used, then cleaned and dried, sadness in her eyes. "Ah, but one man's
pot has boiled away, then drink this decoc- and stored loosely in cloth bags. fantasy is another man's reality. Don't
tion once a day to help recovery from severe Game effect: Getting a proper dressing doubt it."
blood loss. on a wound is one of the most important Delrael thought about that as he went off
Game effect: Used as a poultice for steps in healing. If an injury is bound up into the forest.
VOL. IV 71
Runes
Strange marks with a message
by Phil Taterczynski and Roger Raupp From issue #69, January 1983
A band of adventurers is tramping I gazed down, then grasped the runes, Germans got the idea first
through what seems like miles of endless, Crying aloud, finally I fell. Though these tales from folklore are
featureless corridors, devoid of any traces of You shall find runes and read the staves interesting, they do not tell the entire truth
the enemy, when all of a sudden a fighter Great strong staves, great mighty letters, of the matter. Actually, it is among the early
notices a set of symbols carved in the wail. The mighty sage wrote them, Germanic people not the Norsemen
"What do they say?" he mutters. Given by the gods, made by their chief. that the history of the rune begins. The
The thief moves forward to apply his Do you know how to write? Germanic people lived in northern Europe
skill. "These are runes," he says, "fortu- Do you know how to read? from the time of the earliest surviving
nately of the common sort. I think I can descriptions of the lands north of the Alps,
read them. . . ." He concentrates for a Another Norse myth relates how a Val- A Roman historian named Posidonius, who
moment, then adds, "They warn of deadly kyrie (one of the female warrior-servants of died in 50 B.C., mentioned the Germans in
peril ahead for any who are brave enough to the Norse gods who carried away men slain his books of histories. In A.D. 98, Cornelius
pass." in battle) gave the mighty hero Sigurd the Tacitus wrote detailed accounts of the Ger-
knowledge of how to use magic runes and manic tribes in a book called Germania.
Runes are one of the oldest forms of also obtain the favor of Tyr, the god of war: These tribes appear in later historical refer-
writing known to exist in western Europe "For victory one should carve Runes in thy ences as the barbarian Vandals, Goths,
and Scandinavia. They were used exten- sword-hilt and twice name Tyr," Lombards, Franks, Teutons, Angles, and
sively by the cultures of those areas in pre-
medieva) and medieval times. Since this era
roughly parallels the time frame of most DANISH RUNES
adventure gaming campaigns, referees
might find it useful to incorporate runes
into their fantasy settings.
A modem dictionary defines a rune as a
letter in one of several old Germanic alpha- F U T H A R K H N I A S T B M L R
bets, or simply as an occult symbol. The
word "rune" translates from Old Germanic
as "secret lore"; in Anglo-Saxon, the same
word means "secret." A simitar Anglo-
Saxon word, "runa," translates to "magi-
GERMANIC RUNES
cian"; another similar word, "runar,"
which is Norse, means "friend." All of these
descriptive words relate to the history of the
rune a past often blurred by superstition, F U T H A R K G W H N I J E
myth, and misinterpretation.
Scandinavian legends offer varying
accounts of how runes were discovered;
even today it is a popular misconception EARLY ANGLO-SAXON RUNES
that runes were developed in those lands.
The following is an excerpt from the poem
HavamaJ (Sayings of the High One), words
of wisdom as spoken by Odin, the chief god
of Norse mythology. F U T H O R K G W H N I J C H P
In this account, Odin finds a runic alpha-
bet at the price of many torments:
/ know that I hung from the windy tree, LATER ANGLO-SAXON RUNES
For sit of nine nights, stuck by a spear,
Given to Odin, myself to myself;
Of that tree, no one knows whence run
its roots.
I was brought no bread, no horn to F U T H O R K GWH N I J E O P ZS
drink from.
72 BEST OF DRAGON
others who kept the Romans busy in the "danger" to someone viewing it, but is not the writing systems of the Greeks and other
final days of their empire. actually a word, or a part of our alphabet, more remote cultures. When the merce-
The Germans, according to Tacitus, had in itself. naries came home, they most likely brought
a high regard for omens, and used sticks, with them a variety of influences from all
each marked with a different sign, to cast Theories of the origin of runes these encounters.
fortunes. The signs used on the sticks may Inscriptions using letters resembling
not literally have been runes, but this is runes appear in rock carvings found near Why runes look the way they do
where the history of runes starts. the Alps dating from about A.D. 235. They The origin of runes may be disputed, but
In earlier times, the Germanic tribes and are clearly related to later runes, and many why they are formed as they are is not.
their forerunners used written or carved letters also look similar to their Latin coun- Whether runes are Germanic, Scandina-
symbols as representations of events, ideas, terparts. These symbols are thought by vian, or another of many types, one thing is
and objects. These were not runes, in the some to have belonged to the Etruscans, a consistent: The letters are stiff and angular,
sense that the term is defined here, but they tribe from northern Italy. usually composed of vertical or diagonal
could be considered ancestors of runes. But authorities don't all agree on the staves, only rarely (if ever) horizontal ones.
Carvings from the later Bronze Age and exact time and place of the origin of runes. The early Germanic tribes were barbaric in
early Iron Age, some made as long ago as The aJphabets of the Etruscans, Romans, comparison to the cultures of the Mediterra-
1600 B.C., are found on the rocks through- Greeks, Illyrians, and Phoenicians, as well nean whose alphabets descended from
out Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden. as the Hallristniagar, have all been pro- scripts painted or inked on various surfaces
These prehistoric symbols, known as posed as the particular or primary source. or incised in soft materials like plaster or
Hallristningar, represent man and nature: The most popular theory on the orgin of clay. In contrast, wood and stone were the
tools, body parts, animals, and sun sym- runes incorporates several of the possible materials most readily available for scribing
bols. (The era during which these marks answers: The Germanic tribes, coming into in the north, Germanic symbols had to be
were originally scribed can be considered close and frequent contact with literate simple in form so that they were easy to
prehistoric, since the people of these lands cultures, could well have taken the idea of carve into those difficult surfaces. When the
were at the time far more primitive than the an alphabet and used it. If such was the Germans used wood (as was most com-
Greeks or Egyptians to the south.) case, they could have easily borrowed sym- mon), they carved runes along the length of
It is believed that these symbols carried bols from the alphabet of their neighboring a tree limb or slab of wood with one side
deep religious and mystic significance, tribe, the Etruscans. shaved fiat, Horizontal staves are less fre-
showing in pictures the power of the things In about A.D. 350, the Romans began to quent in the characters, since carving a
they represented. These symbols were hire German mercenaries to fight beside horizontal stave could split the grain and
apparently not used as a form of writing, their own legions. This would have given mar the work. For more permanent inscrip-
although it is reasonable to assume that the the Germans very close contact with the tions, the Germans used stone. Later, as
people who used them gave names to each Roman culture and also its alphabet, as well metalworking developed, they inscribed
one. A modern example of the same princi- as the opportunity to travel throughout the various sorts of finished metal items.
ple is the skull-and-crossbones symbol, Mediterranean, In such travels the Ger- After their creation, runes were quickly
which conveys a meaning of "poison" or mans could also have come in contact with adopted by all the Germanic peoples. For a
period of time, Hallristningar symbols and
runes appeared in the same carvings. A
SWEDISH-NORWEGIAN RUNES spearhead dating from the third century
A.D., found near Kovel, in the western
Ukraine, is engraved with both kinds of
markings. At that time and until around
A.D. 500, the German tribes were invading
F U T H A R K H N I A S T B M L R and warring with the Roman Empire, and
were constantly on the move. Migrations
and wars brought many different tribes into
contact, and this undoubtedly helped spread
runes through the entire Germanic world.
In the early days of their existence, runes
were used almost exclusively for one of two
purposes: for inscriptions and (in the minds
of the superstitious, at least) for magic.
E M L N G O Many of the inscriptions were memorials
to dead friends or kinsmen, a memento of a
visit, or something referring to the crafts-
man or builder of the inscribed item. Norse
mercenaries in the employ of the Byzantine
Emperor carved runes on a statue of a lion
in Piraeus, Greece. A runic inscription
found at Kingitorissoak, Greenland, reads:
"Erling Sighvatsson and Bjarni Thordarson
S T B E M L NG D OE A OE EA Y and Endridi Jonsson on the Saturday before
the minor Rogation Day built these cairns."
Such rune-stones can be found in any of
the lands where the Scandinavians lived.
Today, there are some 2,500 known to exist
in Sweden alone, with another 1,500 scat-
tered all over Norway, Denmark, Iceland,
Greenland, Finland, the USSR, and even
North America,
T B E M L NG D A AE Y IO EA KE ST Other inscriptions can be found on weap-
ons, jewelry, and coins. Runes were
VOL. iv 73
scratched on weapons to label them with the named Wulfilas, who was working to bring to the temptation many clerical copyists felt
names of the owner, the maker, the owner's Christianity to his people. He translated the to Christianize their cultures' tales. Thus,
patron deity, or the weapon itself. The Bible into the Gothic language and invented the Viking sagas present a reasonably
Kovel spearhead, mentioned above, carries a script which used many runelike letters. dependable portrait of pagan Nordic society.
the name "Attacker." The Chessel Down Though the church didn't always actively But, since Iceland was and remains the
sword, found in a Jutish grave on the Isle of try to suppress the use of runes, no doubt home of the sagas, it is no surprise that the
Wight, has on it the words "increase to some parishes did. Even after the Roman central figures in most of these tales are
pain." The runes ort this sword show Anglo- alphabet had become widely used, some Icelanders.
Saxon influences, which indicates that it parts of the population held on to the use of One such figure, Egil Skallagrimsson, a
was forged by Danes or their descendants runes. They were mostly loremasters and warrior and rune-master, is told about in a
living in England. poets, those who maintained the legends tale called simply Egii's Saga. The story
On the rim of a gold drinking horn recov- and knowledge of their societies' pre- contains several passages and parts that
ered in Germany, there was found the Christian cultures. Much of this knowledge describe Egi! using runes for various pur-
inscription: "I, Hlewegast, Holt's son, was frowned upon by advocates of the poses, including healing, the placing of
made this horn." The horn itself was deco- church as being paganism, black magic, curses, and detection. These accounts were
rated with hunting and battle scenes resem- and contrary and offensive to the ways of written sometime around the year 1230,
bling those found on rune-stones. the church. Runic writing was looked on telling of events that took place from the
The use of runes on coins had begun by with equal disfavor, considered to have years 858 to 990, beginning with the story
the time of the Anglo-Saxon kings Pada, mystic properties because it was the means of Egii's death. Two of the tales are summa-
who ruled from 655 to 657, and Ethelred by which these "pagans" recorded their rized below.
(675-704). They have their names on coins thoughts and recollections.
minted in the kingdom of Mercia. A coin Runes have resurfaced in history since Egil, his comrade Olvir, and their crew
from East Anglia contains a runic inscrip- their decline, but only in isolated cases. Two were traveling by ship and landed on Atley
tion commemorating King Ethelbert, who Swedish military leaders used runes: Admi- Island, one of the estates of King Eirik
died in 794. ral Mogens Gyldenstjerne, in the year 1543, Bloodaxe. The caretaker of the King's land,
Over the years, runic alphabets devel- kept a private journal written in runes. a man named Bard, offered to let Egil,
oped into many different forms. Often General Jacob de la Cardie used a runic Olvir, and the men stay in a barn, gave
runes themselves looked the same, but what military code system during the Thirty them straw for bedding, and only bread,
they represented differed from kingdom to Years' War in the early 17th century. The sour curds, and skyr (a sour, partially fer-
kingdom. Today, all the different runic use of runes as a crafsman's mark survived mented whey drink), to eat, claiming he
alphabets are generally categorized into among guilds and other artisans' groups. had nothing better. Meanwhile, King Eirik
three types: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Adolf Hitler, in his efforts to incorporate and his wife Gunnhild were in the main
Anglo-Saxon. Teutonic mythology into Nazi ideology, hall, presiding over a feast. The king asked
used runic and Hallristningar symbols. Two where his caretaker was, and a man replied
The "futhark" system outstanding examples are the swastika, a that "Bard is out looking after his guests."
Though the values, form, and the total mystic sign which was originally a sun "What sort of guests are these," said the
number of characters in each runic alphabet symbol, and the double sig (victory) king, "that he'd rather be with them than
often was different, during and after the emblem worn by SS troops. here with us?" The man replied that they
height of their use, they were nearly always Recently, the popularity of fantasy litera- were some of the Chieftain Thorir's men,
organized in a system called the "futhark," ture spearheaded by the publication of which indeed Egil and the others were.
which was an arrangement of the runes in the work of J . R . R . Tolkien has brought "Go out and inform them," said the king,
an alphabet into five divisions, the first of about a renewed interest in runes. Different "that I want them to come inside."
which spelled the word "futhark" (or a authors have devised different runic alpha- Egil, Olvir, and their men were welcomed
similar word, depending on the country). bets for use in their works, prompting more warmly by the king. Olvir sat at the king's
It is possible the "futhark" arrangement people than ever before to wonder where side, with Egil next to them, and they all
was adopted from a Celtic writing system the whole idea came from. drank toasts (refusing would have been a
called Ogham, which was distinctly differ- All of the foregoing offers an overview of slight to the king) until Olvir's men became
ent from runes; this writing consisted of how runes came about and where they quite intoxicated. Bard, displeased with
slashes cut into the corner of a beam or went, and a bit about how they were used how things had turned out, pressed one ale-
stone, but they were arranged into divisions along the way. Unfortunately, few accounts filled horn after another on Olvir, hoping to
in a like manner. have survived about the actual use of runes embarrass him. Egil, however, began to
by, and their effect upon, historical person- drink Olvir's share. Bard remarked how
The decline of runes ages; little is known about the "inside great Egii's thirst was and passed him
In the year 1000, Iceland became a story" of runes during the Dark Ages. another full horn. Egil took the horn and
Christian nation by vote in the Althing, the However, one such legendary tale involving spoke this verse:
national assembly. Greenland was converted an actual person does exist, though the "You spoke to this ogre-slayer of a
within a few more years; this turn of events story may have been exaggerated over the scanty /east
led to the adoption of the Roman alphabet years. While there was a. sacrifice a woman's
in those areas, and so to the passing of the cunning.
last of the runic scripts. Egil Skallagrimsson and his saga It was a badly kept secret, your unseen
The church was indirectly responsible for The tale of Egil Skallagrimsson survives guests,
the decline in the use of runes in most cases. as one of the legends of the Vikings This meanness lasted too Jong, small-
Along with fostering the spread of Chris- stories which are well known, and rightly hearted Bard."
tianity, it also encouraged literacy and so, for they offer an inside view of a Bard told him to drink and stop being
education. Latin was the alphabet, and the dynamic young society. Although these abusive, whereupon Egil drank all that was
language, that churchmen taught to con- stories were finally written down during the proffered to himself and Olvir
verts. Since the runic alphabets had never Christian period, many of them were main- Then Bard turned to the queen and
been widely developed into a manuscript tained through generations of oral storytell- complained that this man was insulting his
form, the Roman letters became more ing going back to pagan times. Iceland hosts by claiming to be thirsty no matter
popular; thus, the full development of runes became the home of the majority of the how much he was given. The queen and
into a manuscript language never took surviving manuscripts, and the Icelandic Bard conspired to put poison in a drink,
place. An exception to the norm was a Goth scribes for the most part failed to succumb and the queen gave it to Egil, ordering him
74 BEST OF DRAGON
HERE I SET UP A STAFF OF SCORN, AND
PLACE THIS SCORN ON THE HAND OF
KING EIRIK AND QUEEN GUNNHILD."
to quaff it, to sail, Egil climbed onto a rock outcrop- can be designed as a form of code; cryptic
Egil brought out his knife and stabbed his ping on the island that faced the mainland messages could be found carved into walls,
palm, then took the horn, carved runes into of Norway, He took a horse's head and set it doors, monuments or whatever, as memori-
it, and smeared them with his blood while on a hasielwood staff, saying, "Here I set up als, or warnings. A character's weapons and
saying: a staff of scorn, and place this scorn on the armor might carry runic inscriptions of the
"Cut nines in the horn. Redden them hand of King Eirik and Queen Gunnhild." equipment's name or the name of its (past
with blood. He then pointed the horse's head toward or present) owner.
Then speak the words of the rite, a poem the mainland and continued, "And I place In an AD&D game campaign, the DM
over the horn. this also on the spirits of the land, that they might allow magic-users to carve runes for
Drink this draught who will, the glad all should be lost and unsettled, until they the casting of some spells instead of using
maid's gift, drive King K i n k and Queen Gunnhild from material components. If a referee allows
But note which mouth it's meant for, this this land." Egil stuck the staff between the characters to learn a runic alphabet, the
ale Bard has signed." rocks and left it there with the head facing character may use it to mark maps, write
With that the horn burst asunder, splash- the mainland, cut runes in the staff to pro- spells into spell books, or send messages.
ing the poisoned ale to the floor. claim his speech, and returned to his men to The possibilities for using runes in gam-
This legendary incident indicates die set sail. ing seem great, but there are some limiting
potency of the magic attributed to runes. Egil's curse was fulfilled, or so it would factors to keep in mind. If only one culture
Egil killed Bard that same night, and in so seem: King Eirik's brother, Haakon, uses runes, fine. But if several do, then
doing earned the lasting enmity of Eirik and returned from a stay in England soon after- similarities and differences between the
Gunnhild. ward. The brothers shared the kingship for various systems should be accounted for.
a while, but Haakon eventually drove Eirik Are these cultures living in close proximity
The second tale ta' s place sometime from the throne. to one another? If so, is there then a reason
later, when Egil retutned to Norway to for their runes to illustrate influences gained
pursue a lawsuit concerning his wife's Using runes in role-pi ay ing from one another? For instance, if a fairly
inheritance. King Eirik declared him an After learning the legendary and histori- civilized group of elves, who had long been
outlaw; in retaliation, Egil attacked the cal facts about runes, many referees and developing their linguistic and writing
king's hall on the Isle of Herle and killed the players in fantasy role-playing games can skills, lived next to a society of humans that
king's son Rognvald. easily imagine how runes can be used in an had only recently (in elvish terms) devel-
After the battle, when his crew was ready adventure or a campaign. Runic alphabets oped, and if they both have runic alphabets,
VOL IV 75
chances are great that the humans' alphabet evolution of such a language in a fantasy possibility in a fantasy milieu), choices for a
demonstrates a lot of elvish influence. When campaign. A writing system that developed carving medium would be restricted to
considering the runic system of a particular without the influences that affected the other suitable materials that are available.
culture in a world where runes are in wide- English language quite possibly might have Runes can be carved on manufactured
spread use, a DM should be able to answer individual symbols for sounds which can items rings, weapons, gauntlets, and so
these questions: Did this culture develop only be obtained in English by a forth. Even a world that doesn't contain an
their runes or borrow them from someone compound-letter form (such as "ch" or abundance of suitable raw materials will
else? If the latter, then from whom? When? "th"). Also, to speed the carving of runes, have weapons, magic items, and other
How? And why? symbols would likely be created for com- things that can be inscribed.
If a society or culture in a campaign monly used words, so a thing or a concept Runes can be written (applied upon a
develops runes independently, then the could be expressed with one character surface instead of being etched into it) on
materials they use for carving must be instead of a series of characters. almost any material that will accept ink,
considered when determining how the rune Another aspect of English that might be pigment, charcoal, or other writing medi-
characters are designed. Earlier it was awkward for someone trying to learn the ums. Parchment, animai hide, or for the
explained how the Germans had very sim- language is that words are not always pro- very lavish vellum (calf's hide finely
ple runes that had either vertical or diago- nounced the way they seem to sound. In a tanned and scraped) will hold ink from a
nal staves, because such a formation was fantasy world where a truly universal Com- quill or pigment from a brush.
easiest to carve into wood, their most abun- mon Tongue would have developed, the Historically, certain techniques were used
dant material. In a fantasy campaign, language would probably not exhibit such in the configuration of rune characters in or
dwarves who created their runes For carving tendencies, or the inaccuracies, if they did on a surface. On free-standing stones (rune-
into stone or metaJ wouldn't be restricted exist, might have been eradicated over stones), the characters were often carved
by such a form, since most metal and stone time. between parallel borders in the form of a
doesn't have a "grain," However, they To translate scribed runes into English winding "snake" design which served to
would still probably use straight staves, to words, consider how a letter sounds instead embellish the work and make the stone
keep carving fairly efficient. A culture of just how it looks, because some letter- more attractive. A less artistic method of
which used runes in a script form, instead symbols in English represent the same carving was to simply put down the charac-
of in carvings, would most likely form the sounds. To translate the other way (from ters in "rune-rows," set off from one
characters for ease of writing with a pen or English into runes to be carved), break the another by straight horizontal lines, often
brush. English words down phonetically, then spell spaced so that the tops and bottoms of the
Once the genera] method of employment them as they sound. rune characters touched the lines.
of runes in a campaign has been laid out, it In the Common Tongue runes, there are Words were not usually set off by spaces
then becomes necessary to develop a system more vowel sounds given than there are between them; rather, one would be sepa-
for creating runic alphabets, matching vowel characters in English. This is done so rated from the next by a dot or a small "x."
symbols to sounds, and scribing the runes. that the sound a vowel (or vowel combina- Words were also distinguished by painting
A "Common Tongue" runic alphabet is tion) makes can be accurately depicted. them in different colors, but if the coloring
offered with this article. This alphabet, or a Using similar reasoning, consonant charac- washed away or was worn away, the mes-
form of it, may be usable as a starting ters that represent sounds similar or identi- sage could become rather cryptic. Accord-
point, since the common tongue is generally cal to other consonants have been ing to many legends (including Egil's Saga),
known by most AD&D game characters. eliminated: for instance, the letter "c" does the magic of runes would not work unless
Much of the following system can be incor- not exist in this alphabet, since the sound it the writing was smeared with blood.
porated into other alphabets. makes in a word can be expressed by an As with any other subject that has a
The Common Tongue runes were "s" or "k" character. foundation in history, the concept of runes
designed under the assumption that the Players and DMs have to consider what can be adapted by players and DMs for use
common tongue is equivalent to Ehglish, sorts of materials and techniques are availa- in a fantasy role-playing game, without
since that is in fact the "common tongue" ble for scribing or writing the runes onto a necessarily remaining totally faithful to the
most of us know in real life, and since surface. Geography will have an effect on way runes were used in history. Perhaps a
English and the AD&D game's common available materials, just as it did with the runic alphabet will be developed into the
tongue both are combinations of many Germanic tribes. Tree limbs and large most widely used form of communication in
different languages. rocks, for instance, were in abundance a fantasy world. Or, perhaps the "art" of
The Common Tongue runic alphabet where the Germanic tribes lived. In a fan- scribing runes will be only partially devel-
{pictured in the accompanying illustration) tasy environment that contains large trees oped and known only to a select few. Any
has a few more symbols than the twenty-six and rocks, these would be obvious and system is appropriate, as long as it's logical
letters of the English alphabet of today. This often-used surfaces for carving. But in a and as long as it "fits" in the world for
is justified ny the likelihood of the different world devoid of trees or rocks (a distinct which it was designed.
A A L J B C H D E F G H I I J K L M N N D N G O O
P Q U R S S H S T T T H U U W AND OF (SEPARATORS)
76 BEST OF DRAGON
Runestones
Dwarven script with staying power
A B C D E F G H I J K L . M N O P Q R S T U V Y W.X.Z
innrinnnr nnnntNi
316 1OOO 1O56 2OOO 4444
\\D1IZWI
5 \in>T LlTirhlYfW WILL
'I FALL FOREVER AND NOT AT ALL
I SLAY FIRE
I GUARD, BENEATH, HATHO'S SKULL
IT HOLDS THE KEY
TO RUBIES THREE
SAPPHIRES THREE
AND CROWN OF FIRE.
BUT REMEMBER HATHO'S CURSE.'
VOL. IV
Editing: Kim Mohan
Roger Moore
Printed in U.S.A.