No 24 M a r c h 1 9 8 5

Adventure Games Magazine E l .00

For players of the

DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS game
 low.."—•,1 " 1 / 1 : - —emiame

1 Aoltivrago#A5 1
it /0/157or IND-AvAioNtsy
The hottest film of 1984 is now the hottest adventure game of 1984.
Nowyoucan be part of the action, tool Search lost ruins for fabuloustreasures! Recover stolen artifacts from foul Nags!
Orracethrough the jungle to escape hostile natives!Youmake the choices. Can INDIANA JONES,. survive? It's up to you!
THEADVENTURESOF INDIANA JONES" RoleArying Gamefeatures stanckip
figures,arules booklet, adventure , Referee's Screen-
everythingyou need to enjoy your o 9 a l TSR, Inc.
Available now at all fine toy, hobby, and , • p o c o u c r s OFYOURIMAGINATION'
theworld-famousDUNGEONS&

-...1.111111,11.11
THEADVENTURESOF INDIANAJONES, game elements and character names and likenessen are trademarks of Lucasfarn Ltd used under authoriaation. ,1984 Lucasfilm Ltd. Of Rights Reserved,
DUNGEONS& DRAGONSandPRODUCTSOFYOURIMAGINATION are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.019134TSR, Mc. All Rights Reserved.
 TM

Contents
Criminal Negligence, by Kerry Bateman
Thieves — a sneaky look at a disadvantaged character class 2
Thieves' Den, by Venetia Lee
Guilded refuge in the city
4

P E L I N O R E - the I M A G I N E " magazine C a m p a i g n Wo r l d

THIS M O N T H : The Bastion, by Paul Emsley
plus - Thieves, locks and doors in the City League 1 3

All That Glistens, by Chris Felton

Confidence tricks to pull on the unsuspecting 1 7
How to Sell the Ponti Bridge, by Neil Gaiman
The easiest scam? Fiction to w h e t your taste for adventure 2 0
Guilty if Caught, by Flashman
A thief adventure for the I : M D * game 2 5
An Open and Shut Case, by Chris Barlow
To pick a lock successfully, you need to k n o w h o w to make one 3 4
I l l u m i n a t i o n s — n e w s from the world of gaming 3 8
Micro game reviews 3 9
Editorial N o t i c e s — recent game releases examined by independent reviewers 4 2
Chain Mail, by Brian Creese
The fleeting years are slipping by, t o quote PBM games examined — waving the Chequered Flag 4 4
Horace.
Game Company, Clubs 4 4
It seems hardly possible, b u t I M A G I N E TM Dispel Confusion 4 5
magazine is t w o years o l d w i t h t h i s issue. Fantasy Media, by Colin Greenland
L o o k i n g back over the past 23 I can see that The latest on books, films and videos 4 7
there have been q u i t e a few changes a n d L e t t e r s , t h i s month extracts from your survey forms 4 8
developments. We have learned a number of
lessons, thanks to your letters and comments, VOP, by Ian Gibbs 4 9
and we will continue to produce new ideas to Rubic of Moggedon 5 0
try out. I t has been o u r a i m t o make each Stirge Corner, by Roger Musson 5 1
issue o f the magazine better t h a n t h e one
before. T h i s aim continues, and our efforts S o a p b o x t h e hobby forum 5 2
to m e e t y o u r e x a c t i n g standards w i l l b e Press Cuttings, edited by Mike Lewis
zealously pursued. Full fanzine review coverage 5 2
Phalanx, by Robin Grenville-Evans 5 5
I hope you w i l l enjoy all the thievery in this
issue. Maybe it w i l l steal a few new readers.
I'm sure w e can a l l l o o k forward t o a I M A G I N E magazine,N o 2 4 , M a r c h 1 9 8 5
continued growth i n numbers, quality and P u b l i s h e d b y TSRU K L t d P u b l i s h e r D o n Tu r n b u l l
E d i t o r K e i t h T h o m s o n A s s i s t a n t EditorPaulC o c k b u r n
content in the years ahead.
E d i t o r i a l AssistantK i m DanielF e a t u r e s AssistantM i k e B r u n t o n
A r t PhilK a y e A d v e r t i s i n g LesleyHudson-Jessop
ISO Keith Thomson News D o u g C o w i e
T h i s m o n t h ' s contributingartists:R o b i n G r e n v i l l e Evans,P a u l R u i z , I a n G i b b s ,
PS. D o n ' t share this magazine w i t h a friend Keith C o o p e r, Sarah H o c o m b e , Lee S u l l i v a n , M a r k O ' D e l l , C h r i s t i a n H o n
— tell h i m to buy his own! C o v e r byKenKelly

Payment must accompany all orders I f one or more IMAGINE magazine welcomes unsolicited sub- Copyright 1 9 8 5 by TSR UK Ltd
IMAGINEiu magazine is published monthly by TSR
UK Ltd, The Mill, Rathmore Road, CAMBRIDGE CB1 issues in an order are Out of print, a credit note will missions of written material and artwork at all times.
be substituted which may be exchanged for cash or However, n o submissions w i l l be returned unless Opinions expressed i n t h i s m a g a z i n e a r e n o t
4A0. Telephone, (0223) 212517. Telex 8 1 8 7 6 1
merchandise from the publisher. accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope necessarily those held by the publisher
IMAGINE m a g a z i n e i s available f r o m a l l good
The issue of expiration for each subscription will of s u ff i c i e n t size a n d postage U n d e r n o circum- Names printed in bold represent titles that may be
hobby s h o p s a n d n e w s a g e n t s I t i s distributed
be p r i n t e d o n t h e s u b s c r i b e r ' s m a i l i n g l a b e l stances will t h e publisher accept responsibility for protected by copyright legislation.
through the newstrade by Seymour Press Ltd, 334
Brixton Road, LONDON SW97AG. It is also available Changes of address must be notified to the publisher any s u c h submissions, Published material w i l l be
at l e a s t 3 0 days before t h e effective c h a n g e t o paid for. IMAGINE m a g a z i n e g r a t e f u l l y acknowledges t h e
direct from the publisher by individual subscription.
ensure uninterrupted delivery IMAGINE is a trade mark owned by TSR UK Ltd A l l support offered by its sister publication. DRAGON.
The subscription rate is f 12 for twelve issues.
All m a t e r i a l p u b l i s h e d i n I M A G I N E m a g a z i n e rights o n t h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f t h i s m a g a z i n e a r e magazine, published by TSR Inc, PO Box 756, Lake
Back issues o f IMAGINE magazine, w h e r e still
reserved, and nothing may be reproduced in whole Geneva, Wisconsin 53147, USA A r t i c l e s appearing
available, c a n b e b o u g h t directly f r o m t h e above becomes t h e exclusive property o f t h e publisher
prior t o publication, u n l e s s special arrangements or i n p a r t w i t h o u t t h e w r i t t e n c o n s e n t o f t h e in IMAGINE magazine may have appeared previous-
address for the price of L 1 0 0 0 50p p&p per order —
are made to the contrary in writing publisher ly in that publication
in the UK only Overseas please enquire separately.
1
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985

I w o u l d like to discuss a much-maligned
class; a class which, although still a major
force in the Basic WED® game, is seen in
A d v a n c e d to be hovering on the brink of
extinction, a m e r e s h a d o w of its f o r m e r
self.
refer, of course, to the Thief.
It i s t h e l a m e n t a b l e t r u t h t h a t i n m a n y
campaigns the pure thief (as opposed to
multi-class thieves o r t h i e f sub-classes)
is becoming something o f an anachron-
ism. T h i s trend seems very strange; t h e
thief h a s m a n y i n t e r e s t i n g a n d u s e f u l
functions, requires a minimal a m o u n t of
experience to advance in level and would
appear t o be t h e ideal class f o r players
w h o prefer the use of cunning to that of
muscle.
But a l a r g e n u m b e r o f t h e s e potential
thief-players e n d u p p r e f e r r i n g o t h e r
classes. O u t l i n e d below are some of the
major r e a s o n s f o r t h i s t e r r i b l e s t a t e o f
affairs. O n c e these t h r e a t s t o t h e class
are recognised f o r w h a t t h e y a r e , t h e
process of restoring the thief to a rightful
place can be commenced.
It is obvious that thieves are most at home
in a t o w n environment. But the game, as
2 I M A G I N E nea9azine, M o r a l 1985
played b y t h e m a j o r i t y o f people today,
includes only a s m a l l proportion o f t i m e
spent in the t o w n or city; it is a base for
characters between adventures, a source
of rest and additional equipment. When a
thief adventures o n l y in dungeons, t h a t
character i s r e d u c e d t o b e i n g a l o c k -
picker, w i t h n o - o n e t o steal f r o m o t h e r
than t h e r e s t o f t h e p a r t y ( t h e c o n s e -
quences of which are never beneficial t o
the character's c h a n c e s o f m a k i n g t h e
next level). In a wilderness campaign, the
thief is even w o r s e off; w i t h n o locks to
pick o r t r a p s t o disarm, n o s h a d o w s t o
hide in, no need to move silently and no
walls to climb, our hero is suddenly just a
very weak fighter.
Another major difficulty affecting thieves
is t h a t f a r too m a n y classes share t h e i r
functions. J u s t considering t h e Official
classes from the Players Handbook, you
have A s s a s s i n s , M o n k s a n d Bards, a l l
with thieves' abilities in addition to their
own m o r e p o w e r f u l f u n c t i o n s . I f y o u
allow the numerous official and unofficial
classes i n addition t o t h e original ones,
you w i l l notice that very few of these do
not possess one or more of the thieves'
abilities.
rior. Ak'et
The situation is made all the worse since
if non-human characters want the oppor-
tunity f o r u n l i m i t e d a d v a n c e m e n t i n a
profession, t h e y r e a l l y m u s t b e c o m e
thieves. This leads to players w h o prefer
to play demi-humans insisting on becom-
ing multi-classed, and doubling thief with
their first choice of class. This might not
affect m a n y c a m p a i g n s , b u t t h e r e a r e
some p e o p l e w h o h a v e a p r o n o u n c e d
preference for the non-human races, and
w h e r e t h e r e i s a s u ff i c i e n t n u m b e r o f
these in one campaign, thief skills tend to
be a s s u m e d b y m a n y o f t h e m a s o f
secondary class.
These t w o f a c t o r s m e a n t h a t w h e n
someone in a group w a n t s to play a pure
thief (surely not an unreasonable request)
he is put off the idea on the grounds that
at least half the party can perform all the
activities of that class already.
Another f a v o u r i t e c o m p l a i n t o f t h e s e
much-maligned individuals is " W h y is it
that u s thieves, t h e most dextrous class
there is, find that having just fiddled w i t h
the intricate mechanism of a needle trap,
we get all ham-fisted using a b o w ? " This
absolute restriction h a s n o basis i n t h e
folklore t h a t t h e g a m e d e v o l v e s f r o m .
Where w o u l d Robin Hood h a v e b e e n i f
he'd had to chuck darts at the Sheriff of
Nottingham? Y o u s e e t h e p o i n t ; t h e
romantic f a n t a s y o f t h e d y i n g R o b i n
exclaiming " B u r y m e w h e r e this l a n d s "
and heaving a dart out of the w i n d o w into
the moat is hardly poignant....
As t h e y s t a n d , t h i e v e s a r e e x t r e m e l y
weak in combat, and limited in weaponry.
The b e s t r e a s o n I c a n t h i n k o f f o r t h i s
prohibition i s t o e n c o u r a g e t h e u s e o f
stealth rather than force, or perhaps, like

the ' e d g e d w e a p o n s ' r u l e f o r c l e r i c s ,
there w a s a n e l e m e n t o f protecting t h e
fighter class from encroachment. A s the
game s t a n d s , t h e t h i e f a n d t h e c l e r i c
compare v e r y w e l l i n c o m b a t , a n d t h e
cleric h a s t h e advantages o f s p e l l r e -
sources and better hit points. There must
be a c a s e f o r d r o p p i n g t h i s r u l e , a n d
letting Robin find a m o r e dignified place
to be buried, particularly i f your playing
group is going to take the advice from P20
and allow clerics to use swords where it is
not contrary to the religious beliefs they
follow.
Another prohibition, perhaps more justi-
fied, concerns armour. The restriction to
leather a r m o u r w o u l d b e fair enough i f
there w e r e m o r e magical l e a t h e r t o be
found, b u t the chances seem t o be very
low, a n d i t c a n b e n o b e t t e r t h a n +1
anyway. E q u a l l y u n f a i r i s t h e f a c t t h a t
whereas a F i g h t e r / M a g i c User can wear
plate, t h e F i g h t e r / T h i e f is still restricted
to leather. A n d it seems that in general,
even compared to the fighter, the number
of magical items available to the thief is
very limited indeed.
The f i n a l i n s u l t , t r i v i a l t h o u g h i t m i g h t
seem to many people, is to deny the thief
the alignment of Chaotic Good, especially
when N e u t r a l G o o d i s a l l o w e d . T h e
'likeable r o g u e ' h a s b e e n p o p u l a r f o r
centuries, from Shakespeare's Autolycus
and Dickens' Artful Dodger right through
to such modern heroes as Zaphod Beeble-
brox, Han Solo and Aiken Drum. History
has given u s f a m o u s thieves like Robin
Hood, t h e S c a r l e t P i m p e r n e l a n d D i c k
Turpin. A l l o f t h e s e c h a r a c t e r s w o u l d
surely, i n A D & D g a m e t e r m s , b e C G
thieves.
Some people might argue that you can be
likeable and Chaotic Neutral, but for such
characters, t h e good deeds w h i c h make
them likeable w o u l d h a v e t o b e greatly
outweighed b y a c t s o f a m o r e n e u t r a l
nature if they are to avoid the change to
CG and the loss of thieving status. Such a
character i s e s s e n t i a l l y schizophrenic,
and a s s u c h , c a n n e v e r b e t r u s t e d b y
friends a n d partners. T h i s sort o f char-
acter may as well be deemed insane and
never have to worry about alignment!
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
Thieving i s q u i t e d e f i n i t e l y a n t i - s o c i a l
and although many people regard this as
'not good', it is surely a superb definition
of Chaotic behaviour, ie, acting a g a i n s t
the principles of an orderly society. The
only Thieves' ability w h i c h i s genuinely
'not good' is back-stabbing, which cannot
be considered as an honourable course of
action. But surely, in a world where killing
is a way of life for other classes, stabbing
an ogre in the back isn't so very different
to a N e u t r a l f i g h t e r c u t t i n g i t s h e a d o ff
from behind, or an MU fireballing the poor
thing. I f t h e a c t o f killing evil creatures
can be seen as good if the motive is pure,
then a t h i e f d o i n g t h e s a m e t h i n g c a n
surely not count as an opposingly-aligned
action.
H a v i n g now identified most of the prob-
lems f a c i n g t h e t h i e f , w h a t c a n t h e
concerned DM do?
First, it is worth considering the possibility
of m o r e t o w n - b a s e d s c e n a r i o s , o r a
greater e m p h a s i s o n t h e t i m e s p e n t i n
towns b e t w e e n visits t o t h e dungeons.
To w n adventures require more w o r k on
the part of the DM, but they can be more
rewarding and enjoyable to referee, and
they a r e e x t r e m e l y p o p u l a r w i t h m o s t
players.
The problem of other classes sharing the
thieves' functions is extremely difficult to
resolve. T h e t h i e f subclasses, a s s u c h ,
seem to be entitled to use these abilities,
yet e a c h i s m o r e p o w e r f u l t h a n t h e
original class. I t ' s n o good setting h i g h
ability score requirements to keep players
out of a profession; if the desire to play the
class is there, the DM is always going to
find i t d i ff i c u l t t o a d h e r e t o t h e ' y o u -
rolled-it-you-play-it' principle. The m o n k
is the w o r s t offender; i t is an incredibly
powerful class, and in addition, has all the
thief a b i l i t i e s e x c e p t P i c k Pockets a n d
Read Languages. The class could easily
support t h e l o s s of, f o r instance, O p e n
Locks and F i n d / R e m o v e Traps, and i t is
well worth considering this sort of reduc-
tion i n t h e p o w e r o f a l l t h i e f - r e l a t e d
professions.
The number of multi-classed, non-human
thieves i s easily dealt w i t h i f t h e D M i s
prepared t o g o a g a i n s t t h e s y s t e m ' s
seemingly pointless 'humancentricity'
and raise t h e l i m i t on, say, Elven magic
users, G n o m e illusionists a n d D w a r ve n
fighters. T h e s e changes w i l l h a v e v e r y
little actual effect on most campaigns, but
the psychological effect on t h e player of
knowing t h a t h i s c h a r a c t e r h a s t h e
chance t o g o a l o t f u r t h e r i s w h a t i s
important. I f you a r e not prepared to do
this, you could go the other way and place
level r e s t r i c t i o n s o n a l l t h i e v e s except
humans and halflings. Thieves' abilities
are n o t e a s y t o learn, a n d t h e r e i s n o
reason why, for example, a D w a r f should
not find fighting as easy as thieving.
Where weapons are concerned, I tend to
allow Thieves to take either type of short
bow a s a w e a p o n proficiency. A l i t t l e
rewriting of the combat tables brings the
thief c l o s e r t o t h e c l e r i c i n p h y s i c a l
combat, a n d t h e inclusion o f m o r e a n d
better magical leather armour in a cam-
paign containing several thieves is also a
good idea. It should also be a firm 'house
rule' to say that multi-classed characters
must abide by the least favourable armour
restrictions for the chosen classes.
Try t o t h i n k u p a f e w m a g i c a l i t e m s
especially for thieves; gloves that improve
Pick Pockets chances, or enchanted lock
picks. A n d r e m e m b e r t h a t amulets t h a t
detect traps or find treasure are going to
be v e r y u s e f u l d u r i n g a c a m p a i g n o f
housebreaking.
The issue o f alignments m u s t surely be
the m o s t controversial a s p e c t s o f t h e
D&D games, if only judging by the sheer
weight o f c o v e r a g e r e c e i v e d i n t h i s
magazine recently. Most arguments stem
from t h e w i d e l y differing d e f i n i t i o n s o f
Law, Chaos, G o o d a n d Evil. I f you t a k e
Lawful b e h a v i o u r a s b e i n g u n s e l f i s h
actions t h a t u p h o l d t h e v a l u e s o f a n
ordered society, and Chaos as belief in an
unordered society and actions n o r m a l l y
directed t o w a r d s selfish e n d s , t h e n t h e
career o f t h e T h i e f m i g h t b e s e e n a s
leaning m o r e t o w a r d s Chaos t h a n Evil,
w h i c h has more to do with slaughter and
cruelty. I t ' s a m a t t e r o f taste, b u t y o u
should not accept the alignment restrict-
ions i n t h e P l a y e r s H a n d b o o k w i t h o u t
considering just what a Thief is to be seen
as in your campaign.
Certainly, it is always going to be difficult
to justify a Lawful alignment, but I would
tend to allow thieves to be Good, providing
that they do not go around back-stabbing,
or causing the suffering of others through
the thievery they indulge in.
These a l t e r a t i o n s a r e , n a t u r a l l y, o n l y
suggestions. M a n y p l a y e r s m a y h a v e
evolved o t h e r m e t h o d s f o r m a k i n g t h e
thief an attractive proposition, i n w h i c h
case I ' m s u r e IMAGINETH m a g a z i n e
would like to hear from them. But let's not
let t h e p u r e t h i e f j u s t disappear amidst
the multi-classed elves and assassins —
it really w o u l d be criminal negligence if
we did.
Kerry Bateman
3

The City is the natural environment of the
thief. O u t l a w s a n d r o b b e r s m a y h a v e
their l o n e l y strongholds, b u t i t ' s a h a r d
life and in isolation they are vulnerable to
attack. In the city there is a wide choice of
victims, and if a mistake is made, the thief
is sheltered by the crowds and dark alleys
— t o say n o t h i n g o f family, n e i g h b o u r s
and partners in crime. Thief player char-
acters i n t h e A I M E D ° a n d o t h e r r o l e -
playing games can feel under-used in the
wilderness — although they are welcome
in the odd dungeon bristling with traps —
but e x p e c t t o c o m e i n t o t h e i r o w n i n
conurbations.
consequently, on arriving a t a city, t h i e f
players may w a n t the chance to shine as
pickpockets or burglars — or, at least, to
have some e m p l o y m e n t so t h e i r m o n e y
doesn't run out. Whether a GM decides to
run o f f - t h e - c u f f e n c o u n t e r s o r d e s i g n
elaborate adventures for thieves, the task
is m a d e e a s i e r i f t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n o f
thieves in that city is understood.
Before t h e D M c a n s t a r t preparing t h i s
structure, h o w e v e r, a n i m p o r t a n t a n d
pretty f u n d a m e n t a l decision i s going t o
have to be made. Just w h a t is a thief?
Other articles in this issue of the maga-
zine w i l l p o i n t to t h e fact t h a t there are
many varieties of thief, and many ways in
which the profession itself can be accom-
modated into different societies. For the
4 I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
V . : W
most part, this article is going to concen-
trate on the narrow, b u t not uncommon,
view of the thief as a criminal; or at least
as t h e character w h o is mostly likely t o
come i n t o c o n f l i c t w i t h t h o s e w i t h a
vested interest in keeping w h a t belongs
to them. Some allowance will have to be
made f o r t h o s e c a m p a i g n s w h e r e t h e
class operates in a different way.
THIEVES' GUILD -
WHERE IS IT?
Players of A D & D and the readers of Fritz
Leiber's Lankhmar series will be familiar
w i t h t h e idea o f the Thieves' Guild as a
building. H o w e v e r, m o s t Guilds a r e n o t
places b u t n e t w o r k s o f m u t u a l a i d a n d
exploitation. The Lankhmar Guild Hall is a
fortress (disguised a s a n o l d m a n s i o n )
with underground access all over the city.
A l a r g e n u m b e r o f thieves i s usually
g a t h e r e d t h e r e . N o t u n n a t u r a l l y, t h e
thieves in Lankhmar are a very powerful,
organised force — but then they need to
be. In rpgs where game balance ensures
that other character classes are as strong
as t h i e v e s ( a n d , s o m e w o u l d g r o u s e ,
stronger) such a fortress w o u l d be very
vulnerable t o discovery a n d disastrous
attack. A m u l t i - f o c u s o r g a n i s a t i o n i s
much s a f e r w h e r e t h e o p p o s i t i o n i s
strong. Cities offer great opportunities to
adopt a dispersed, cell-like organisation
so that eradication of one branch leaves
others untouched. I n this case the guild
will n o t be encountered e n masse. T h e
contacts for the thief PC may be city-wide
and c o n s t a n t l y c h a n g i n g . R e t u r n i n g t o
the city a f t e r an adventure, i t m a y take
some time to find the new location where
the t h i e f m a y t r a i n a n d e v e n l o n g e r t o
track down a buyer for certain valuables.
WHO IS IN
THE THIEVES' GUILD?
Any Thieves' Guild w o r t h its salt tries to
ensure t h a t all thieves operating w i t h i n
its e n v i r o n s a r e m e m b e r s . H o w e v e r,
membership could be extended to include
anyone concerned w i t h things that don't
belong t o them — from fences of stolen
THIEVES'
DEN
* 4 2 f IA 4
goods t o f i g h t e r / m u g g e r s . I n m o s t c i r -
cumstances, these 'associate' m e m b e r s
would not be privy to the inner workings
of the guild.
Child Thieves
As o u r o w n h i s t o r y s h o w s u s , c h i l d r e n
make excellent thieves and should com-
prise a large part of the lower echelons of
the guild. M a n y of them w i l l be exploited
by adults, o f t e n treated cruelly, g a i n i n g
little benefit b e y o n d inadequate s h e l t e r
and food. Their masters alone profit from
the sale o f stolen goods (most c h i l d r e n
could n o t spend a l o t o f m o n e y n o r sell
many things without arousing suspicion).
A f e w could become successful and keep
their ill-gotten wealth out of the hands of
adults — at least for a while. In Regency
London such w e r e k n o w n disparagingly
as 'flash kiddies' — swaggering in stolen
finery. Robbing t h e m w a s considered a
great sport. T h e mortality rate o f young
thieves w i l l b e h i g h — especially as so
many s t a r t o u t d e p r i v e d — a s t h e y
succumb to starvation, disease, incarcer-
ation, p u n i s h m e n t and murder. I n some
societies destitute children may be saved
by p h i l a n t h r o p i s t s ; a f e w g u i l d s m a y
endeavour t o c a r e f o r t h e w e l f a r e o f
young recruits - - i n general o n l y those
w h o a r e c l e v e r, l u c k y o r p r o t e c t e d b y
adults survive.
Young thieves usually w o r k at t h e insti-
gation o f a f e n c e w h o may supply t h e m
with l o d g i n g s . C o n s e q u e n t l y t h e y w i l l
tend to specialize according to the needs
of their employer — stealing o n l y hand-
kerchiefs o r b r a s s d o o r - k n o c k e r s , f o r
example. Since exploitation of the young
will always tend to be the province of the
criminal elements of a society, i t w i l l be
rare for young thieves to be engaged i n
more lawful pursuits. If they look promis-
ing, they could be trained by experienced
criminals, learning a wider range of skills.
It could be amusing to encumber a player-
character w i t h a f o u r t e e n y e a r o l d t o
instruct. In A D & D g a m e terms, a young
purse-snatcher m a y h a v e l e a r n e d t h e
skills o f a 0-level t h i e f (see ; : 17 article,
What To Do With A Dragon's Treasure)
in p i c k i n g pockets a n d m o v i n g s i l e n t l y.
 by
Venetia Lee
Recruited into housebreaking, she learns
full 0-level rates in all the other thieving
skills. S h e m a y t h e n g a i n m o r e exper-
ience and training to 1st level. It may be
argued t h a t , d u e t o i n t r i n s i c p h y s i c a l
advantages o f s m a l l s i z e a n d n a t u r a l
deftness ( w h i c h a r e n o t skills), c h i l d r e n
are better adapted to thieving than adults.
Therefore t h e y should have additions to
some basic skills u n t i l adolescence, f o r
example +10% on picking pockets, moving
silently, h i d i n g i n s h a d o w s a n d h e a r
noise. T h i s c o u l d c a u s e p r o b l e m s i n
AD&D as a 0-level child could be better
than a 1 s t l e v e l a d u l t — b u t s o c a n a
0-level h a Ifling. T h e d i ff e r e n c e i s t h a t
until t h e age o f n i n e t e e n - - w h e n t h e y
have settled down mentally and physical-
ly — they cannot gain experience points
or p r o g r e s s b e y o n d 1 s t level. A l s o , o n
reaching adolescence, t h e s e ' y o u t h '
bonuses will have to be removed. In role-
playing s y s t e m s w h e r e s k i l l s a r e n o t
learned a s a ' p a c k a g e ' i t i s e a s i e r t o
imagine them acquired at different times
and rates.
Non-Thieves
Some child thieves may g r o w up to have
more t a l e n t a s f i g h t e r s o r spelicasters.
Such m a y r e t a i n t h e i r i n t e r e s t i n t h e i r
profession, but refuse to behave in an evil
or selfish w a y, w h i l e others, maybe n o t
through c h o i c e , c o u l d r e m a i n u s e f u l
members of the guild. Of course, anyone
developing a t a s t e f o r o t h e r p e o p l e s '
property at any time of their lives is liable
to be recruited by the guild. A nasty thing
to do to players is to blackmail them w i t h
the i n f o r m a t i o n that they were forced to
thieve in youth.
The relationship between clerical assoc-
iations and the Thieves' Guild is liable to
be a t h o r n y o n e . T h e d e t a i l s o f t h e
arrangement vary depending on the deity
worshipped, a n d s p l i t l o y a l t i e s a r e a
considerable problem. In the AD&D game,
at least, t h e relative p o w e r o f t h e gods
and their followers makes it essential for
the guild to be in close association with at
least o n e t e m p l e . O n e m i g h t expect t o
find clerical members of Thieves' Guilds
with a good deal o f personal a u t o n o m y
and control over Guild activities.
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
Hidden Thieves
A t h i e f m a y adopt a profession o r a
business as a cover, but the advantage of
this goes beyond concealment of identity.
The w r i t e r S a m u e l R D e l a n y p u t s t h i s
most succinctly in Time Considered As A
Helix Of Semi-Precious Stones when he
has one thief advise another:
" I f you're going to move into the big
time you have to have at least one
foot firmly planted on the right side
of t h e l a w. T h e w h o l e i d e a i s t o
make yourself indispensible to the
good people; o n c e t h a t ' s done, a
good crook has t h e keys to a l l the
treasure houses in the system."
Where a c a m p a i g n f o l l o w s t h e m a x i m
from t h e P l a y e r s H a n d b o o k t h a t " t h e
profession of thief is not dishonourable",
it might be felt that thieves could operate
openly, w i t h o u t needing a 'cover'. H o w -
ever, e v e n i n s u c h c a s e s t h e r e i s a n
advantage f o r t h e t h i e f w i t h t h e r i g h t
contacts. Two examples to illustrate this:
Alfie the half-orc is as little known for his
hard work as his charm. When the militia
pick him up out of the gutter with silver in
his pockets, t h e i r response i s a r a t h e r
thorough investigation. T h i s quickly
reveals the source of his wealth and Alfie
is i n t r o u b l e again. O n t h e o t h e r hand,
Imelda t h e Cloth M e r c h a n t is a pillar of
respectability (albeit from humble begin-
nings), w e l l - e n t r e n c h e d i n m e r c a n t i l e
social and commercial life. She is also the
head of an extensive smuggling operation.
Through u n d e r l i n g s , s h e h a s i n v o l v e d
many o u t w a r d l y respectable p e o p l e i n
buying stolen goods. She has, of course,
dispensed bribes i n a l l t h e appropriate
places. If all else fails the officials of law
and order are kept at bay by her various
influential acquaintances. There w i l l be
genuinely good people who believe Imelda
to be l i k e themselves, a s w e l l a s those
w h o are afraid of w h a t any investigation
into smuggling m a y reveal o f t h e i r o w n
involvement. It would be very frustrating
for a player w i t h strong suspicions t h a t
such a p e r s o n h a s d e f r a u d e d t h e m t o
meet w i t h complete lack of interest from
the authorities.
Open Thieves
In s o m e d i s t r i c t s — a n d s o m e t i m e s i n
entire cities — thieves may have success-
fully broken the forces of law and order, or
perhaps even replaced it with an 'order' of
their o w n devising. I n t h i s case, secure
from retribution and protected by bribery,
fear or comradeship, they can o u t w a r d l y
flaunt t h e i r p r o f e s s i o n . U s u a l l y, s u c h
thieves w o u l d b e w e l l - a r m e d , o s t e n t a -
tiously wealthy and all this on no visible
means of income at all (do some magic-
user-thieves live off their invisible earn-
ings?). W h e r e the laws of the land a l l o w
the r i c h t o e x p l o i t t h e p o o r u n f a i r l y,
thieves can easily become popular heroes,
and where they do not steal f r o m neigh-
bours but help them, t h e y m a y be w e l l -
loved. Revolutionary o u t l a w s l i k e Robin
Hood are of this type. They may be intent
on imposing themselves as the strongest
force in a r u n - d o w n area. A f e w may aim
a little higher and move in h i g h society;
well-dressed a n d w e l l connected, t h e y
amuse their aristocratic friends so long as
they are not caught red-handed.
Some c o m m u n i t i e s t a k e a n i n d u l g e n t
view of thievery t h e y admonish rather
than a d m i r e o r denigrate t h e m . H e n c e ,
after B u n g l e H a irfoot h a s b e e n t o s t a y
with his cousin, Longnose, he receives a
polite little note asking him to come again
— and please bring back t h e spoons h e
borrowed. I n s u c h p l a c e s f e w t h i e v e s
trouble t o m a k e a b i g s e c r e t o f t h e i r
profession. O t h e r o p e n t h i e v e s a r e
actually respectable. They are k n o w n t o
use their talents only in good causes.
Finally, the most visible guild members of
all a r e t h e street gangs. A typical g a n g
will consist of fighters as well as thieves,
ranging b e t w e e n mid-adolescence a n d
the mid-twenties in age. They will have a
conspicuous, f r i g h t e n i n g prescence o n
the streets and never be out of trouble —
with t h e l a w, o r t h e i r fellows. Fi r m l y in
the l o w e r e c h e l o n s o f t h e g u i l d , t h e y
make their money through pickpocketing,
mugging and collecting information. The
latter function will be important to players
as they are relatively easy to find and hire
— provided it is possible to gain and keep
their respect.
5

WHY IS THERE
A THIEVES' GUILD?
When A l f i e t h e half-orc hands over 10%
to M a t t t h e 'tithe collector', he w o n d e r s
w h a t ' s i n i t f o r h i m . " J u s t a protection
racket, t h i s , " he m u t t e r s and cops a 5%
surcharge for insolence. The benefits o f
the guild are very obvious to the leaders,
but just what are they?
First and foremost, a guild is all about the
passing o n o f skills a n d traditions f r o m
one generation to the next. The Thieves'
Guild is in a slightly ambiguous position,
in that officers of that guild are not going
to pass on skills w h i c h m i g h t be used to
rob t h e m later! B u t then, one w o u l d n o t
expect a successful baker to pass on all
his s u p e r i o r k n o w l e d g e t o a p o t e n t i a l
competitor. F a r beyond t h e question o f
training t h i e v e s t o enhance t h e i r skills,
the G u i l d w i l l b e r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e
organisation o f tradition. Certain actions
will b e forbidden, c e r t a i n h o u s e s o r
individuals w i l l be deemed inviolate; the
guild w i l l s h o w h o w t h e profession o f
thief is to be conducted in a moral as well
as a physical sense.
The second function of a guild — equally
important in those places where crime is
an o r g a n i s e d i n s t i t u t i o n — w i l l b e t h e
acquisition o f t h e profits o f crime. T h i s
can b e translated as t h e rakeoff f o r t h e
leaders. Most of this will disappear into a
few selected pockets, b u t t h e G u i l d
Masters may have to spend some on the
guild's third function t h e frustration of
law and order. This may be bribing a jailor
to let someone escape or a magistrate to
be lenient, but control can be established
more subtly by discrediting an over-eager
judge, e n s u r i n g t h a t maintenance w o r k
on the prison isn't carried out properly or
encouraging t h e w a t c h t o s p e n d c o l d
nights i n t h e alehouse. I n g e n e r a l t h e
tithes w i l l b e spread a m o n g t h e g u i l d ' s
hierarchy and will not be available for the
individual needs of lesser thieves (unless
they are close to the leadership), who will
have to take w h a t benefit t h e y can from
the guild's activities. It may be possible in
some guilds to lodge funds with a trustee
(probably a fence) to be used for briber,
etc, in need; but normally a thief must rely
on friends and co-conspirators to organise
aid. Of course, obligations can be reneged,
on but this will earn a bad reputation. You
can only fool people in this way once.
6
As an information network, a guild should
efficiently d i s s e m i n a t e n e w s o f u s e t o
everyone. However, some knowledge will
travel i n v e r y restricted circles indeed.
Never underestimate the earning p o w e r
of the right piece of information.
Guild leaders u s e l o w e r level a n d s u b -
ordinate thieves to bring in cash and as a
pool o f workers and informants for t h e i r
private schemes. The head of a n e t w o r k
of organised crime is entitled to very high
ambitions a n d h a s t h e p o w e r t o c a r r y
them out.
DESIGNING
A THIEVES' GUILD
The conditions of life in the city need to be
taken i n t o a c c o u n t w h e n d e s i g n i n g a
thieves' guild. T h e following factors are
relevant:
1. T h e relative p o w e r o f l a w enforce-
ment organizations and the guild. This
has m a n y ramifications. N o t only does it
have an effect on the way the Guild as an
institution c o n d u c t s i t s affairs, b u t t h e
DM w i l l also have to be aware of it when
designing Guildhouses. The architecture
of the buildings might be designed to keep
people out, but is it also good for allowing
people to escape w h e n the defences are
overcome?
2. T h e prevailing religious o r ethical
attitude toward crime and punishment.
Thieves m a y b e v i l i f i e d o r a d m i r e d b y
people at all levels of society. Theft m a y
not be taken very seriously in c o m m u n -
ities w h i c h w o r s h i p gods w h o h a v e n o
interest in property. Thieves may even be
heroes t o t h e o p p r e s s e d w h e n t h e y
concentrate on robbing the oppressors.
3. T h e level o f corruption in t h e city.
How far are thieves involved in business
or social life and h o w much control have
they over law enforcers?
4. T h e relationship o f thieves t o t h e
e c o n o m y. Thieving may be necessary to
the survival of individuals or even w h o l e
communities a n d s o m e g r e a t business
fortunes may be founded on illegality.
5. T h e alignment of the leading thieves.
This needs to integrate with point '2'.
Having t a k e n a c c o u n t o f t h e s e f a c t o r s
(and a n y more you m a y t h i n k relevant),
plan t h e hierarchy and i n f o r m a t i o n net-
work of the guild. Bear in mind that, if the
organization must be secretive, a cell-like
structure may be adopted. The traditional
cell structure is illustrated in the following
diagram:
In a t r u l y secret organisation, m e m b e r s
only k n o w others in their cells as fellow
conspirators. I n a t h i e v e s ' g u i l d m a n y
thieves can be m o r e o r less open about
their p r o f e s s i o n a n d m a y associate i n
large g r o u p s . T h e r e f o r e t h i s k i n d o f
secrecy w i l l be m o s t common at the top
and o f t e n c o n c e r n d e e d s r a t h e r t h a n
identities e v e r y o n e will k n o w who is a
thief a n d w h o isn't, b u t there w o u l d be
f e w w h o k n e w a n y t h i n g specific a b o u t
the activities o f t h e thieving class. A n y
secret i n f o r m a t i o n c o u l d b e p r o f i t a b l y
disseminated t h r o u g h t h e cell n e t w o r k
The apparent ranking o f the system w i l l
not m i r r o r t h e a c t u a l h i e r a r c h y o f t h e
guild. For example, assuming that Guild-
leader C a s s a n d r a i s ' A l ' i n t h e c e l l
diagram, she would not want her lines of
communication to go through her second
and t h i r d i n c o m m a n d — l e a v i n g h e r
vulnerable for censorship and conspiracy.
It may be possible for her to conceal her
rank a n d appear i n a n additional, l o w e r
cell t o m i n i m i z e isolation. A t l o w levels
the c e l l s y s t e m i s l i a b l e t o b e c o m e
informal — f o r e x a m p l e s t r e e t g a n g s
would form very large cells.
As a rough guide to the number of people
involved i n a t h i e v e s ' g u i l d a n d i t s
peripheries, consider 5 - 1 5 % of the pop-
ulation o f a n y c i t y t o b e i n s o m e w a y
connected t o t h e t h i e v i n g classes. T h i s
figure w a s derived f r o m t h a t g i v e n f o r
19th c e n t u r y London — a l a w l e s s place
w i t h n o effective police force — w h e r e
the figure was 10% in a population of one
million. Of these the majority were small
fry c h i l d pickpockets or adults receiving
stolen goods — only about one in t w e n t y
were of the burgling 'elite'. 15% is more
likely in a place such as Lankhmar, which
is more depraved than any actual place.
It should not be necessary, w h e n design-
ing, t o m a p o u t every detail o f the guild
network. O n l y one branch is needed for
interaction w i t h p l a y e r c h a r a c t e r s —
indeed i n i t s o w n interests o f secrecy i t
would ensure that this was so.
A variety o f meeting places a r e needed
and some o f these m u s t be exclusive to
thieves. T h e s e w i l l i n c l u d e c e r t a i n
taverns, more classy private clubs, secret,
underground complexes, and residences
IMAGINE ma9azine, March 1985
run by fences and gang leaders for lower
level thieves. Of the places open to non-
thieves, s o m e w i l l b e d a n g e r o u s —
patronized only by people w h o can take
care of themselves. Others will be sac•3 for
anyone — although they may be socially
exclusive. A g a i n t h e s e include n o t o n l y
inns b u t a l s o t h e a t r e s , g y m n a s i a a n d
even temples. At such places thieves pick
up gossip, employment, valuable contacts
(even friends) and, of course, victims. The
non-thieves may be looking for employ-
ees, a source o f cheap goods o r t h i n g s
they h a v e ' l o s t ' . A f e w m a y e n j o y t h e
vicarious g l a m o u r o f associating w i t h
criminals.
MAGIC
The existence of magic in a role-playing
game b r i n g s a n e w a s p e c t t o t h i e v e s '
activities. The potential o f various spells
to disrupt security systems w i l l provoke
counter measures by society and the indi-
vidual. In most cities the authorities w i l l
seek to control the use of magic with laws
and licensing; although just how they will
enforce t h e l a w s t h e y m a k e i s a n o t h e r
matter. Magic users will resist this but, as
a body, they will have to curb illegal and
immoral use of spells to safeguard their
own reputations (after all, s o m e places
have had cause to ban magic altogether).
Some of the spells available in the A D & D
game may be considered as illustration:
1. M e n t a l A s s a u l t : I n t h i s category are
charm person, suggestion and friends—
where magic is used to influence behav-
iour — a n d E S P, c l a i r v o y a n c e a n d
clairaudience — w h i c h i n v a d e privacy.
All of these will probably be illegal, except
by t h e a u t h o r i t i e s ' o w n p r a c t i t i o n e r s ,
even w h e n casting d o e s n ' t lead t o a n y
more l a w s being broken. Use in serious
crime, s u c h as seduction by charm, w i l l
carry a severe penalty. To counteract the
effectiveness o f c h a r m , a m e r c h a n t ' s
association may employ a cleric to make
spot checks on guards and other workers
with a d e t e c t c h a r m spell — a n d
thorough checks when a serious crime is
commited (any thieves apprehended may
also be examined).
Spells such as k n o w a l i g n m e n t may be
very u s e f u l t o t h o s e i n authority. H o w -
ever, in many places they may be illegal,
except w h e n a p e r s o n consents o r h a s
been convicted of a serious crime, as they
can be considered a violation o f privacy.
As a l w a y s , t h e h o n e s t c i t i z e n s w h o
refuse s u c h t e s t s a r e j o i n e d i n t h e i r
indignation by powerful persons w h o do
not w a n t their intentions known to some
meddlesome priests.
2. Going Equipped for Robbery: Some
spells h a v e s u c h a clear application f o r
crime — invisibility, p o l y m o r p h s e l f ,
perhaps fly — that they may only be used
under s t r i c t license. Va r i o u s m e a s u r e s
may be adopted to discover infringements
— substances which s h o w up footprints,
bead c u r t a i n s i n d o o r w a y s o r g u a r d
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
animals with a keen sense of smell — but
none of these are very useful against the
flying, invisible criminal. The most effect-
ive m e a n s o f detection i s m a g i c itself.
Spot c h e c k s w i t h d e t e c t m a g i c a n d
detect i n v i s i b l e spells, m a g i c i t e m s o r
magical creatures w i l l b e a widespread
part o f e f f o r t s t o d e f e a t t h e c r i m i n a l
element.
3. Rendering Unconscious: S l e e p and
c o l o u r spray are favoured in burglary as
they give the victim no chance to raise an
alarm, if used properly. One solution is to
hire high level guards who are not easily
affected, b u t this is costly. A n o t h e r is to
use dogs, as they are cheaper to run and
'use u p ' s u c h spells. T h e b e s t i n v o l v e
devices o n t h e ' d e a d m a n ' s h a n d l e '
principle — which ensure that the alarm
is g i v e n b e c a u s e s o m e o n e h a s f a l l e n
unconscious. The simplest of these is an
inflated bladder fitted w i t h valves w h i c h
must be held firmly or it emits a piercing
shriek (it should be possible to shift grip).
A m o r e elaborate version consists o f a
handle h e l d d o w n b y a h a n d o r f o o t
which, w h e n released, causes an alarm
bell to ring. The bladders will be relatively
cheap, at about 5gp each, the bell system
will cost around 100gp to install.
4. A c c e s s Spells: There are a n u m b e r of
magical ways to gain entrance. Of these
passwall, d i s i n t e g r a t e , e t c a r e u n -
common a n d o n l y need t o be defended
against when a great treasure is at stake.
Knock i s p r o b a b l y t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t
spell for thieves. It may be of use after the
event, w h e n l o c k e d b o x e s h a v e b e e n
brought out; before, as when a little used
w i n d o w is rendered unbolted f o r f u t u r e
access; or, of course, during. The defence
against t h i s i s t o u s e m u l t i p l e b o l t
systems — b u t o n l y w h e r e t h e value o f
the goods makes it likely that the spell will
be used. Spider climb can provide means
of access b u t is easily circumvented b y
cementing jagged glass onto walls to cut
those naked hands and feet needed by the
spell.
5. M a g i c a l Defences: There is a w i d e
variety o f these. I n general, particularly
where the death penalty is not mandatory
for t h e f t , a u t o m a t i c m a g i c a l d e f e n c e s
w h i c h cause death or serious injury will
be illegal (especially as accidents could
happen t o t h e i n n o c e n t ) . T h e r e f o r e ,
passive spells — m a g i c m o u t h s to give
alarms, o r p e r m a n e n t i l l u s i o n t o cover
doors — would be most used.
The importance of magic in the defences
of the thieves' guild needs special atten-
tion. A thief in respectable cover should
be protected f r o m s p e l l s w h i c h i n v a d e
privacy a s w e l l a s a n y o n e e l s e , b u t
nonetheless will prefer to conduct secret
business u n d e r g r o u n d — w h e r e r o c k
provides shielding. Individuals w i l l prize
amulets o f protection f r o m detection
and l o c a t i o n a n d t h i s i d e a m a y b e
extended i n t o a n e n c h a n t m e n t t o cover
an e n t i r e r o o m , s u c h a s h i d i n g p l a c e ,
detailed below. Against spies who may be
disguised by magic they must use detect-
ion spells themselves but, as always, the
best defence is reliance upon t h e i r o w n
ability to tell w h e n someone is not w h a t
they seem. Finally the n e w spell detailed
below, protection f r o m notice, may be
used to hide buildings.
6. C o s t s : I t i s l i k e l y t h a t m a g i c u s e r
associations w o u l d expel members con-
victed o f s e r i o u s offences a n d t h a t t h e
penalties o f a c o u r t w o u l d b e severe.
Therefore m a g i c u s e r s r e q u i r e d t o b e
present d u r i n g a b u r g l a r y w i l l n o r m a l l y
negotiate a significant percentage or high
fees. Dual-class magic-user/thieves may
find it convenient to adopt dual personae,
to avoid getting into trouble with the MU
guild. L a s t l y, w h e n d e s i g n i n g b u r g l a r y
adventures, t h e D M m u s t balance t h e
defences and any magic used, against the
value of the goods being defended.
NEW SPELLS
The f o l l o w i n g n e w spells are likely to be
very u s e f u l t o t h e t h i e f class. C l e a r l y
though, they are going to be quite rare, in
that they are not going to be of immediate
use to most magic users. Therefore, they
should n o t be added t o the repertoire of
spells a v a i l a b l e t o p l a y e r - c h a r a c t e r s
except when a request is made to a large
guild. The spell w i l l normally be found in
scroll form.
The s p e l l s p r e s e n t e d b e l o w s h o u l d b e
applicable t o e i t h e r t h e D&D® o r A D & D
games. The D&D game stats are present-
ed in italics.
Protection from Notice
(Enchantment/Charm)
Level: M a g i c user 5 L e v e l : M a g i c user 5
Illusionist 3
Range: Object Touched
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: Special E f f e c t : Hides 1 object
Components: V S M
Casting Time S p e c i a l
Saving Throw: Special
This spell may be cast on any inanimate
object f r o m a b u i l d i n g t o a s w o r d . T h e
effect i s t o r e n d e r i t n o n d e s c r i p t a n d
w i t h o u t interest to the casual observer —
it is perceived in the same way as a magic
user sees an armourer's or a dwarf sees
trees; they might recall that they had seen
the p l a c e o r t h e object, b u t w o u l d n o t
remember w h e r e o r t h e details o f w h a t
they saw. A person may pass a building
under this enchantment every day but be
unable t o d e s c r i b e i t n o r r e c o g n i s e i t
when i t i s described. O n l y s o m e o n e
concentrating — f o r e x a m p l e c o u n t i n g
doors — may notice the subject (a saving
throw is required). Even persons detecting
magic may be deceived into thinking it is a
magical e f f e c t o f n o i m p o r t a n c e . O n
portable o r previously enchanted i t e m s
the effect is not permanent unless perm-
anency is cast. The material component
is 1 gp of saffron per square foot of outer
surface to be protected (roughly 5000gp
for a medium sized building). The casting
time is 1 s e g m e n t per square foot as the
saffron is dusted over it.
7

Hiding Place
(Abjuration)
Level: 4 Level: 5
Range: 1 r o o m
Duration: 1 d a y / l e v e l of caster
Area of Effect: 1 r o o m E f f e c t : Hides 1 r o o m
(2 cubic yards/level)
Components: V M
Casting Time: 1 h o u r
Saving Throw: None
The room on which this spell is to be cast
must f i r s t b e c o m p l e t e l y sealed; d o o r s
locked a n d w i n d o w s b o a r d e d o v e r, a l l
cracks f i l l e d w i t h rags, e t c . P r e v i o u s l y
prepared magical scrolls ( w o r t h a m i n i -
mum of 1 000gp) with pictograms of eyes,
ears and brains are then burned, and the
command w o r d s spoken. F o r o n e d a y
thereafter, t h e r o o m w i l l b e completely
undetectable b y a n y m e a n s , a n d t h o s e
within w i l l a l l h a v e protection against
detection and location just as if they wore
the a m u l e t o f t h a t p o w e r. A d d i t i o n a l l y,
anyone physically seeking the room, w h o
previously knew its location, will forget it
for one day (no save).
Distraction
(Enchantment/Charm)
Level: M a g i c User 3 L e v e l : Magic User 2
illusionist 1
Range: 1/2" per level
Duration: 1 r o u n d
Area of Effect: 4 " x 4 " E f f e c t : Distracts 1 o r
square m o r e persons
Components: S M
Casting Time: 1 s e g m e n t
Saving Throw: Negates
This spell may be cast on one person per
odd level of the spell caster. It causes the
victim t o b e c o m e preoccupied a n d n o t
notice a n y m o v e m e n t , s o u n d o r s m e l l
around t h e m . S h o u l d a n a c t i o n b e a t -
tempted, in plain sight, which is expressly
prohibited (such as entering a door which
is guarded, b u t n o t approaching i t ) t h e
saving t h r o w w i l l b e a t + 2 . S h o u l d
violence be involved the spell is negated
but surprise is automatic. The material
component is a piece of black gauze.
8
Random's Commodious Pocket
(Alteration)
Level: M a g i c User 3 Level: Magic User 2
Range: To u c h
Duration: 6 turns + 1 t u r n / l e v e l
Area of Effect: One g a r m e n t
Effect: Pocket in garment acts as
temporary bag of holding
Components: V S M
Casting Time: 1 r o u n d
Saving T h r o w N o n e
This spell may be cast on the pocket of a
garment rendering it a temporary bag o f
holding, It will hold 50Ib weight or 4 cubic
feet in volume. If it is overloaded, if sharp
objects are placed w i t h i n , o r i f the spell
expires, the bag ruptures and the contents
vanish. W i l y t h i e v e s u s e t h i s s p e l l o n
concealed pockets as, otherwise, they are
still visible and a search w i l l reveal t h e
amazing contents. The effective e n c u m -
brance of the pocket is Bibs and the same
garment m a y n o t h o l d m o r e t h a n t w o
articles at a time, or there is a 50% chance
per pocket t h a t items placed w i t h i n can
not be retrieved. The material component
is a g o l d piece, p l a c e d i n t h e p o c k e t ,
which vanishes as the spell is cast.
CITY ENCOUNTERS
FOR A D V E N T U R E R S
Both the thieves' guild and the activities
of individual thieves provide a rich field of
encounters i n t h e c i t y. Players m a y b e
involved as victims, friends or criminals
themselves. I i n t e n d to give some ideas
for plotlines as w e l l a s tables for spon-
taneous encounters.
The Player-Character as Criminal
Whether the campaign is set in the city or
the t h i e f ' s residence i s temporary, PCs
will wish to occupy themselves with their
profession. T h e f o l l o w i n g details oppor-
tunities for employment or casual thievery
in the city.
The p r e s t i g i o u s , h i g h - r e t u r n , j o b s f o r
thieves carry the highest risk, usually the
longest preparation and therefore cannot
be carried out too frequently. In between
they still have to live, b u t there is l o w e r
risk employment available (also suitable
for p l a y e r c h a r a c t e r s b e t w e e n a d v e n -
tures). A high level thief will keep a large
'staff' b o t h p e r m a n e n t a n d t e m p o r a r y,
covert a n d overt, i n c l u d i n g bodyguards,
thugs to 'warn' people, spies, spies on the
spies spying on him, 'labourers' shifting
illicit c a r g o e s a n d s t o l e n g o o d s , b o o k
keepers to make plausible records, cour-
iers o f m e s s a g e s a n d s m a l l o b j e c t s ,
buyers a n d sellers o f various products,
receivers a n d concealers o f goods a n d
people and collectors of protection money
— s o r r y, t i t h e s — f r o m l o w e r s t a t u s
thieves. Freelance thieves may take what-
ever o p p o r t u n i t y b r i n g s t h e m : h o n e s t
work (if they can stomach it), honest work
with a little extra on the side (more like it),
picking up information to sell from gossip
and the odd bit of sneaking, opportunistic
petty t h e f t o f u n a t t e n d e d p r o p e r t y ( " I
thought i t w a s t h r o w n a w a y, h o n e s t " ) ,
cheating at cards and in business.
Picking Pockets
The casual t h i e f m a y, o n occasion, f i n d
easy o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r p i c k i n g pockets,
but for regular money, pickpockets w o r k
best i n teams. I n a g r o u p o f three, o n e
distracts t h e victim, o n e i s t h e d i p w h o
acquires t h e v a l u a b l e s a n d t h e t h i r d
receives t h e goods. T h e m o s t e ff i c i e n t
method i s t o d r a w a c r o w d i n w h i c h a
whole h o s t o f pickpockets mingle. Half-
way t h r o u g h t h e entertainment, b e f o r e
any crime has taken place, it is announced
that there are pickpockets in the crowds
— " l o o k a f t e r y o u r m o n e y, L a d i e s a n d
Gentlemen". H o n e s t citizens a n x i o u s l y
check their purses then, reassured, turn
back t o t h e spectacle. O n c e t h e p i c k -
pockets k n o w t h e location o f valuables,
they get to work.
The tables opposite are suitable for use in
any r o l e - p l a y i n g s y s t e m w h i c h u s e s
percentages for the relevant skills. They
enable pickpocketing attempts to be run
spontaneously.
To use them, first establish w h i c h tech-
nique t h e player i s employing t o f i n d a
victim, then consult Table I t o determine
success. Ta b l e s II, I l a and I l b detail t h e
victim a n d t h e ease o r d i ff i c u l t y o f t h e
theft. T h e w e a l t h u n i t i s m u l t i p l i e d b y
3d6. Inform the player in general terms of
the p a r a m e t e r s o f t h e e n c o u n t e r. F o r
example, 9 (Goodwife) is rolled, followed
by 17 (-15% to Pick Pockets die roll) and 8
(+5% on escape roll): you tell t h e player
they see a w o m a n bargaining a t a stall
w h o has put down her basket and purse
behind her, but if they are noticed taking it
there is open space to cross before they
reach a n a l l e y w a y. To a cco m p l i sh t h e
theft, a Pick Pockets m u s t be rolled and
the modifier from Ila added. If unsuccess-
ful, r e f e r t o Ta b l e I I I . S h o u l d i t b e
desirable to attempt an escape, roll a Hide
in S h a d o w s o r s i m i l a r p e r c e n t a g e .
Success i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e t h i e f h a s
mingled with the crowd or vanished into a
dark alley before t h e victim can initiate
pursuit. I f f a i l e d , c o n s u l t Ta b l e I V t o
determine w h e t h e r a chase gets under-
way, adding the modifiers from Table I t o
the die roll. If it does, repeat the Hide in
Shadows, w i t h the n e w modifiers. If this
fails g o t o Ta b l e V f o r t h e r e s u l t a n d
continue until the thief is caught, reaches
safety — after 4 - 2 4 rounds — or evades
pursuit. F i n a l l y, t h e a t t e n t i o n o f t h e
militia may be attracted at any point in the
procedure. In addition to the percentages
given i n Ta b l e I, t h e r e is a 2 0 % chance
that they will notice any disturbance.
Use o f t h e s e tables i n a c a m p a i g n w i l l
show that pickpocketing can give a high
return w h e n organised, o r a w e l c o m e
addition to funds when casual, but cannot
be relied o n f o r steady i n c o m e w i t h o u t
incurring a high risk of being caught. This
risk may be reduced by moderating their
ambitions i f the thief attempts to steal
a small item, a scarf or a t r i n k e t f r o m a
stall whose wealth u n i t is one quarter of
the usual, t h e Pick Pockets roll m a y be
modified by -20% and the Pursuit roll by
+20.
I M A G I N E ma9azine, M u t h 1985
TABLE I crooked gambling o r business deals; i n
both cases it may be difficult for the player
Frequency o f o p p o r t u n i t i e s for t h e f t
Chance o f I n t e r e s t to prove o r e v e n k n o w t h e y h a v e b e e n
tricked.
Situation 1 encounter o f watch
No active interest in thieving 2 % per day 0 %
Casual interest in thieving 5 a / o per day 2 % per day
Some t h i e v e s m a y s e e k f r i e n d s h i p o f
players without intention of robbing them
Active, opportunist interest 1 0 c / 0 per hour 1 0 ' % per day
— although t h e y m a y have ulterior
Making opportunities, lone thief 3 0 % per hour 1 0 % per hour
motives. A d v e n t u r e r s c a n b e u s e f u l f o r
Making opportunities, pair of thieves 1 0 % per turn 1 5 % per hour
their skills o r t h e i r social influence. F o r
Making opportunities, trio of thieves 3 0 % per turn 5 % per turn
either o f these reasons, n o n - t h i e f char-
Organised crowd 6 0 % per turn 2 0 % per turn
acters may associate w i t h a higher class
of crook t h a n d o a p a r t y ' s thieves. L i k e
TABLE II TA B L E h a TA B L E l i b
other adventurers, t h i e v e s h a v e g a i n e d
Parameters o f the e n c o u n t e r 2nd roll 3rd roll
their w e a l t h n e i t h e r t h r o u g h b i r t h n o r
Roll Hue & Cry Wealth Pickpocket Escape trade but through w i t s and toughness —
d8 d 1 2 Vi c t i m Modifier Unit Modifier Modifier they have a lot in common and are likely
2 Noble +30% 3gp +30% +35% to e n j o y t h e i r m o n e y i n s i m i l a r w a y s .
3 Adventurer or other Hence, i n a p a r t y o f adventurers, H a r r y
Special* 5gp +25% +30% Hardnose, a fighter, roisters with as nasty
swaggering bullies
4 Spell Caster +25% lOsp +20% +25% a gang of street-thieves as you w o u l d n ' t
5 Gentleman +10% 5sp +15% +20% like to meet i n t i m i d a t i n g honest citizens
6 Minor Official 2sp +10% +15'/0 and periodically destroying the dives they
+5'/0 2sp +5% +10% drink i n — w h e r e a s S t o w d a n , t h e w e l l
7 Soldier
8 5sp +5% bred magic user, is welcome at many an
Shopkeeper
9 Goodwife 2sp exclusive g a t h e r i n g o f m e r c h a n t s a n d
10 Labourer/Servant 2sp lesser nobles a n d , i n d e e d , a t a p r i v a t e
11 1sp (unlicensed) g a m b l i n g c l u b w h e r e h e
Apprentice
12 Artisan 4sp enjoys a little flutter and the odd case of
— — duty free brandy in the company of some
13 Pedlar/Trader 3sp
-1 0% — -5% of the city's most sophisticated criminals.
14 Beggar lsp
15 0TO lsp -5% -10% Association w i t h thieves brings, a m o n g
Layabout
16 5sp -10% -15% other certain benefits, a degree of protect-
Goodlady
-25% lcp -15% -20% ion and a source of information. However,
17 Pariah (slave, half orc)
18 Official +5'/0 6sp -20% -25% thieves are frequently in trouble — w i t h
+20% 2sp -25% -30% the L a w o r w i t h t h e i r o w n k i n d — a n d
19 Militia M a n
20 Merchant +25% 1gp -30'/0 -35% players m a y f i n d t h i s l e s s t h a n c o n -
venient; Harry finds himself in a fight out
The dice to be used are a d 8 plus a d l 2. M a k e 3 rolls, once for Victim, H u e & Cry M o d i f i e r a n d of his depth and Stowdan does not enjoy
Wealth Unit; the second time for the pick pockets modifier, and a third time for the Escape Modifier escaping a raid by employing his r e d u c e
* Note: A d v e n t u r e r s and their friends will make up a hue and cry all by themselves and pursue the spell to negotiate the privy w i n d o w.
thief come hell or high water.
TABLE III TA B L E I V Players w i s h i n g t o u s e t h e services o f
Pickpocket failure Hue and C r y thieves may find themselves in dangerous
situations w h e r e , u n l e s s t h e y p r o v e
Roll percentile 01-10 no pursuit
11 - 5 0 victim +0-3 others
worthy o f r e s p e c t , t h e y m a y e n d u p
01-30 unsuccessful, m a y try again
51-75 victim +2-12 others paying more for less than they intended.
31-50 unsuccessful, try again at +10%
76-99 victim +4-40 others Street gangs, in particular, may react this
51-59 victim suspicious, try again at +20%
60-68 victim v e r y suspicious, t r y again a t 100 spell caster with useful spells and roll way, demanding tests of nerve such as a
+30% or make escape at -20% again for additional pursuit. fight o r a difficult climb. I f t h i s i s failed
69-85 v i c t i m suspects you, 50% chance that they will be lucky to escape w i t h o u t their
item w a s stolen, escape possible money, o t h e r w i s e t h e g a n g w i l l p r o v e
TA B L E V
86-95 v i c t i m s a w attempt, escape at -15% useful and even loyal.
Failure t o escape
9 6 - 1 0 0 c a u g h t red-handed, 500/0 chance that
item was stolen, escape only possible 01 o r less automatic escape The criminal underworld is an aspect of
with violence. 0 2 - 1 0 thief has gained ground, roll again city l i f e players cannot i g n o r e a n d p r o -
at -10%
When a t h i e f steals an i t e m b u t is spotted or vides a varied source of plots and intrigue
11-50 still pursued, roll again
suspected, t h e i t e m m a y be passed t o a col- for the DM. Thieves may be found at all
5 1 - 6 0 lose ground, next roll at +10%
league if neither is surprised in the next round. 6 1 - 7 0 lose ground, next roll at +20%
levels w i t h respectable cover identities
71-82 pursuit divides, r o l l t w i c e o n s u b - and vast empires of crime and business
Escape M o d i f i e r s t o hide in shadows:
1. A r e a modifier f r o m Table Ila sequent rounds to evade each set with sinister or glamorous reputations
2. + / - up to 20c/0 for local knowledge or lack of it 8 3 - 8 4 thief has fallen, pursuit at heels, roil — in secret cabals or overt gangs — rich
3. +5% for each 5 pursuers over 5 again at +30 and p o w e r f u l o r s t r u g g l i n g t o survive.
4• +10% if militia involved in pursuit 8 5 - 9 9 t h i e f cut off by pursuers, no escape They are an integral part of business and
5. - 1 5 % for aid of colleague e g , misleading w i t h o u t violence social life at all levels in any city.
pursuers. 100+ r u n into worse trouble....

All modifiers should be added or subtracted from die rolls

The Player as Victim
As victims, players will m o s t c o m m o n l y
suffer the depredations of pickpockets or
muggers. The frequency of such encount-
ers w i l l v a r y w i d e l y b u t t h e D M s h o u l d
recognise t h a t m o s t encounters w i l l b e
with low-level thieves, those scratching
for a living on the streets.
I M A G I N E ma9az1ne, March 1985
REFERENCES
The Medieval Underworld Andrew McCall,
Experienced thieves will tend to use more Hamilton 1 9 7 9
sophisticated w a y s t o relieve players o f
their m o n e y F o r example, g a i n i n g t h e Thieves' Kitchen: the Regency Underworld
D A Low, Dent 1 9 8 2
friendship o f a c h a r a c t e r o v e r a l o n g
period, learning w h o , in t h e i r party, t h a t Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious
person d i s t r u s t s a n d t h e n r o b b i n g t h e S t o n e s i n D r i f t g l a s s , S a m u e l R D e l a n e y,
character in such a w a y as t o implicate Signet 1971.
that person. O t h e r f r a u d s m a y i n v o l v e SA Venetia Lee
9
 LET'S KEEP THE

THINGS IN GAMES SHOP

ORDER We now stock

IRREGULAR
MINIATURES
Damme. If it's not some blatherin' idiot goin' on about SIEGE
skins of animals I've never heard of, it's women - EQUIPMENT
women I ask you! — twittering on about good value
and quality and whatnot. Look here, all that matters is * INTEGRAL
TERRAIN
discipline. Twelve months in a year, twelve IMAGINE
magazines in a binder. Simple. So, you've got 24 now * PLATOON 2 0
— or at least you ought to have — and you need FIGURES
another one. Then get one laddie, get one. Pens out, • GALLIA 25mm
writin' be- Wait for w r i t i n ' begin!' BUILDINGS

1985 w i l l not have begun for me w i t h o u t a n e w binder. Please send me as well as

b i n d e r s a t £3.25each(+I p&p).
I enclose payment of E Dungeons & Dragons *Traveller and most
RPGs a n d supplements. W a r G a m e s *
Science Fiction Games • Citadel Figures *
Name Torchlight Fantasy Products* Rule Books*
Davco Microtanks
Address
818 LONDON ROAD,
LEIGH-ON-SEA
Send to: I M A G I N E magazine (binders), The Mill, Rathmore Rd, CAMBRIDGE CBI 4AD Tel. SOUTHEND 73308
Open 9 , 3 0 - 1 , 3 0 and 2 . 3 0 - 5 , 3 0 Closed Mondays

f you've ever been killedby

he evil goblin, flamed
b d r a g o n or turnedto stone
b y awizard• ••
then you need Micro Adventurer-the new monthly
magazine devoted to all microcomputer
adventures, war games and simulations.
Each issue offers a wide range of stimulating features, including:
• Helpline and Contact columns • Reviews of the latest adventures
• Competitions with exciting prizes • War gaming advice
• Adventures to type in and play • Profiles of famous adventurers
• Advice on how to write your own adventures

If all this sounds too good to be true then fill in the form below to make sure
you receive your copy of Micro Adventurer.
M I M N MEE M M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MEE
SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM
Please sendwith
beginning methe
12 issuesi (a year's
s ssubscription)
u e of Micro Adventurer T h i s order should be accompanied by a cheque made
payable to Micro Adventurer
UK subscribers
Name
A year's subscription is i l l ) 00 — please send this form with
Address payment to Micro Adventurer, Subscriptions Department,
Oakfield House, Perrymount Rd, Haywards Heath, Sussex
US/Canadian subscribers
A year s subscription at air-speeded rates is USS33 95 — please
Signature D a t e send this form with payment to Micro Adventurer, c/a Business
Press International, 205 East 42nd St , New York, NY 10017
10
Please mention IMAGINE Magazine when replying to advertisements
 THE CITY LEAGUE
'Deep in the heart of Pelinore has groom the City League; a mighty hive of humanity a n d more than
humanity — (*ring everything that an adventurer could desires Each month IMAGINE magazine presents
afro' buildings or institutions from within the City; describes the inhabitants and offers one or two 0'4..5 for
adventures. This provides an ideal campan base fin the Ggil who can collect these articles and soaddy build
them up into the most comprehensive campan setting available. Copy them, or cut them out and store them in
a ring file —and you need never be short of an idea for a city encounter again.

FIRST FLOOR

:1101611.1111—•—•
1-koL1t2DFLOOR_
mo SDen'T
Sewer channel 0 2 0 4 0 6 0 BO
-, 1 1 j o c e t A T H

KEY
LII [-T-] trapdoor In floor/in ceiling
rtklIPITSpm•--, h a i l 1 3 '
types o f 1 c a s 0 0 1 o 6 k f t 1 tocice
bcAgccessOte frun toth5065coax 01 1•
&lc acre55ebiefromooesrdeon,9L a
LIUDERGRoLinD PLA17 Et]
t6r or t,o11-

clinkti c p e t i r g h46 faitsi f,cwj 1 10 9

infollnah6n about cicoz

plain door I I tiapp6:1 doct
a'ttrzhon
dOOt cpere, rnagia
cr 1 L
htppedocr ]

retr(orced dcor
(See Ncand hp5) I clocc cunt.
5eael- 51dc C 2 1 (
UIEW c BA5TIot2
Jon
a rcne
lain5 m o b * I f t i cicooellic"Otfitte(751e F L - 1

11
I M A G I N E ntagazine, March 1985
 34 The OLD BASTION (aka the SCORPION'S NEST)
A Thieves' Safe House

by Paul Emsley 34f Orr Noglinsdottir; F; T5; N/NE;

dagger +2 (+4 vs giants), poison dagger A C 9 / 8 ; hp 1 6 / 2 5

T h r o u g h o u t t h e C i t y League, l o c a l t h i e v e s g u i l d s h a v e s e t u p S a f e S 8 0 III-fitting clothes over corpulent body

Houses. These are places where a thief on the run can hole up for a few I 1 5 0 Safe House storekeeper and cook, C u t p u r s e / B u r g l a r
days or evade i m m i n e n t capture. The Safe Houses can be identified by W 13 0 Jovial, w i t t y, poorly organised, s p i t e f u l
the thieves who use them by some identifying mark or symbol. This mark D 16 0 W o u l d be r e c o g n i s e d in the local markets, r e g u l a r at the
is u s u a l l y k n o w n o n l y to local g u i l d members. S o m e Safe Houses are C 9 C o c k (14)
simply shops with secret rear entrances, others are elaborate hide-outs Ch 8
w i t h p e r m a n e n t staff. One such is the Old Bastion, so called because it
occupies o n e o f t h e a n c i e n t keeps o f t h e o l d c i t y w a l l w h i c h i s n o w Padhraig the Dip; M; T3; N/CN;
largely in ruins. To passers-by it looks like a rough ale-house, w h i c h it is 34g shortsword and sling; A C 7 / 8 ; hp 1 0 / 1 4
— superficially. R e g u l a r s k n o w it as the Scorpion's Nest; a reflection
more of themselves than its secret. S 12 O Very tall and stooping; sharp dresser
9 E Safe House g u a r d
The Safe House is beneath the i n n and has only one entrance — from W 12 0 Arrogant, sly, grovels to superiors
the i n n ' s cellar t h r o u g h a secret door — w h i c h i s constantly watched D 16 O We l l known in local dives
through a peep-hole. A l t h o u g h t h e r e i s o n l y o n e e n t r a n c e t h e r e a r e C 9
several emergency exits. These range from the private one used by the Ch 7
Safe House Master, to the trap doors up into the stables to the last resort
route up through the midden. There are only four regulars w h o run the
Safe H o u s e . T h e M a s t e r , E r a - l a n ( 3 4 e ) , t h e S t o r e K e e p e r, O r f
34h Said'h'rm'ra, F; T3, N/CN;
longsword, club; AC4; hp 1 1 / 1 5
Noglinsdottir (34f); and t w o guard/helpers. W h e n thieves are hiding in
the house they largely look after themselves and take turns on look-out S• 1 4 0 S w a r t h y ; hooded robes; leather armour; scarf over mouth
and guard duty; w h e n no-one is staying there the guard work is done by I 1 7 E Safe House g u a r d
Padhraig (34g) and Said (34h). W 9 0 Clever, quiet, remorseless
D 1 8 E l N e w c o m e r from S a r p a t h i a n Mountains, S a i d works here
Sited right in the middle of the inn's main room is a long wooden table. C 11 a s h e r i n c o m p r e h e n s i b l e a c c e n t m a k e s i t impossible to
Places at it are reserved for the most infamous of the regulars at the inn. Ch 1 6 w o r k elsewhere; brilliant young thief; has earned the envy
Such a reserved place is regarded as a g r e a t status symbol and m u c h and hatred o f the DIP ( 3 4 g ) - k n o w s this a n d w o n ' t leave
blood is spilt over the right to sit there and the position taken — those before giving h i m reason to r e m e m b e r her
sitting n e a r e s t t h e c h a i r m a n b e i n g t h e m o s t admired. T h e c h a i r m a n
holds h i s (and c u r r e n t l y, her) position b y m a i n d r o i t and occasionally
leads the 21 m e m b e r s of the Table on lunatic adventures (raids on guard 33• 1 - n T h e Safe House typically has 6 fugitives at any one time,
posts a n d t h e like). N o n e o f t h e m e m b e r s o f t h e t a b l e k n o w o f t h e each fugitive staying a couple of nights at most. A t busy times up to 3 0
function of the inn as a Safe House.
thieves can be accommodated. Currently, the occupants are the Vigas
brothers: A r g e n , M o r r, Cap, ' L e g s ' , T h o r p a n d Kensal; A C 7, h p 1 0 ,
armed with longswords. They do their own cooking and cleaning and act
WORKERS IN THE I N N as guards and look-outs during their stay.

34a S q u i n t y P a t c h , M , T1(Fr3)/T1(F4), C/CE,

Dagger, A C 6 / 7 , h p 1 5 / 3 7 REGULARS AT THE I N N
S• 1 5 E l Scruffy, pasty, one-eyed; filthy l e a t h e r apron over grubby
I 8 j e r k i n a n d trews 3 4 , A n b u r y , M ; F l / A l ; C/CE;
V j e s t e r ' s stick w i t h hidden, poisoned, blade A C 5 h p 6 / 4
W 5 0 Innkeeper, l o o k - o u t
D 1 7 0 Suspicious, quiet, jumpy, mean, w r e t c h e d S 13 0 Bland, easily forgotten face; leather armour dressed up to
C 1 0 0 Knows a l l the thieves a n d regulars w e l l but is almost 1 1 2 l o o k like a Jester's costume
Ch 6 u n k n o w n o u t s i d e t h e inn, w h i c h i s t h e w a y h e l i k e s it; W 8 0 Ve t e r a n / B r a v o ; double agent for the Knights Ocular
refuses to w e a r a patch over the unpleasant wreck o f his D 1 7 0 A c t s mute, f o o l i s h a n d amusing; observant, c a r e f u l
eye w h i c h he s w e a r s was lost in a battle w i t h a Unicorn; C 9 0 K n o w n by f e w outside the inn; sleeps rough and seems to
began life as a f r e e m a n / f i g h t e r b u t has s w i t c h e d to t h i e f Ch 1 3 s p e n d all day here; in Advanced: member of the assassins
guild; i n b o t h s y s t e m s h e g e t s i n f o r m a t i o n t o t h e K O
through an impenetrable system o f contacts and drops
3 4 b - d P a t c h ' s staff are three stupid scullions: Beizchkwang
(M; F 2 ; A C 9 / 1 0 ; h p 1 4 / 1 6 ) , l d i m i n i (F; E2; A C 8 / 9 ; h p 1 3 / 1 5 ) a n d
Brown M i m (F; El; AC 8; hp 6 / 7 ) . Beizchkwang lusts after the gorgeous 34p C l u z o h ; M; F3/P2; L/LG;
two-handed s w o r d and dagger; A C 2 / 3 h p 2 0 / 1 6
Angovidintrix B l i s t e r (51) a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y h a t e s B e r u t h ( 4 d ) ; i t ' s
difficult to get these three to remember your order, never mind getting 12 0 Dishevelled, unkempt, h u n g o v e r ; filthy plate m a i l
them to pass on any useful information about anything 9 0 Swordmaster/Keeper
13 El Depressed, alcoholic, desperate
7 0 In t h i s state Cluzoh w o u l d n ' t recognise his mother; came
SAFE HOUSE STAFF 9 to c l e a n u p t h i s ' d e n o f vice', b u t ' t h e y ' got to h i m f i r s t -
Ch 17 through the bottle
34e F r a - l a n ; M ; T 9 / T 1 0 ; C/LE;
l o n g s w o r d +3 (detect traps and invisible; k n o w alignment) Tolin Swallow; F, F6, C/CE,
AC - 1 / - 2 ; hp 3 5 / 4 9 34q l o n g s w o r d +3, dagger, mace, longbow, AC 8 / 9 , hp 4 0 / 5 0
1/40gre
S 13 0 Short; pleasant face; beautifully decorated leather armour S 1825 0 Ugly; dark jacket and bright red (stained) hose
I 1 5 +2 o v e r f i n e silks, b r a c e r s o f d e f e n c e A C 6 ( w o r n a s a I 8
W 10 0 Myrmidon, C h a i r m a n o f the Long Table, M e r c e n a r y
head-band), ring o f protection +2 W 7 0 Loud, violent, sadistic
D 18 0 M a s t e r Thief, S a f e H o u s e M a s t e r, r e t i r e d G u i l d Master, D 15 0 Friend o f Patch ( 3 4 a ) - w h i c h m a k e s t h e f a c t t h a t s h e
C 1 5 o w n e r of the O l d Bastion (34) C 1 7
Ch 1 6 k n o w s n o t h i n g o f t h e S a f e H o u s e e v e n m o r e amazing;
El Superficially g e n t l e m a r ' - , devious, sharp, unscrupulous, Ch 6 k n o w n by Long Table members a n d feared locally
very worldly-wise
El K n o w n a n d revered amongst the b r o t h e r h o o d of thieves, There are 20 other members of the Table; they are a mixture of classes of
his n a m e has even been h e a r d in polite society levels 2-4 a n d are ruthless, i g n o r a n t bullies to the last.
12
I M A G I N E ma9adne, March 1985
 A N e w Magical Item For The D8tDk Game
These items are special bands that can be worn around any part of the
body, and that provide magical protection. When the Bracer is donned,
the wearer is treated for all purposes except encumberance to have an
A r m o u r Class equivalent to that of the item.

Bracers can w o r k i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h o t h e r magical protection and

dexterity, so that a character w i t h bracers of defence A C 4 , dexterity
17, and a ring o f p r o t e c t i o n +1 w o u l d have an armour class of 1 .They
will not w o r k in conjunction w i t h any kind of armour.

„pie -AnV, V 41)2

) d i d 011
-41P
0-4
fiTM- e r 4.14°

THIEVES, LOCKS and DOORS

One of the gaps in t h e DfILD,, a n d A D & D R g a m e s is the lack of detail
offered in the rules with regard to types of locks and how to pick them. In
this i s s u e o f I M A G I N E m magazine, C h r i s B a r l o w w r i t e s a b o u t l o c k
complexity and h o w that affects the ability of a thief to open them. The
detail that can be included about locks and doors goes much further than
that, however. There are five (at least) different ways of locking a door:
(1) a t u m b l e lock accessible from both sides (like modern mortice locks)
(2) a t u m b l e lock similar to type 1 b u t only accessible from one side
(3) padlocks
(4) bolts
(5) bars.
The rules seem to assume that only locks of type 1 are ever encountered,
as there is no advice to tell DMs how to cope with thieves faced with any
of the other varieties. This has led to material presented in modules and
magazines ignoring these variations and possibilities. As of this issue of
IMAGINE, details about locks and the doors they are on will be included
on P E L I N O R E maps. A s can be seen f r o m t h e key b e l o w (and on t h e
map of the Safe House) a great deal of information can be included with
a f e w symbols. W i t h t h i s n e w knowledge t h e D M c a n m a k e t h e
adventure m o r e o r l e s s d i ff i c u l t f o r t h e players d e p e n d i n g o n t h e i r
inventiveness and the DM's attitudes to how a thief could deal w i t h the
various options. For example it may be considered that only type 1 locks
can b e p i c k e d f r o m b o t h s i d e s o f a d o o r w h e r e a s t y p e s 2 t o 5 a r e
unpickable f r o m t h e ' w r o n g ' s i d e ; o r t h e y m a y r e q u i r e s p e c i a l ,
expensive, tools to do the job; or they may make no difference at all; or
some, l i k e b o l t s , m a y b e u n p i c k a b l e u n d e r a n y c i r c u m s t a n c e s .
Whichever way, as DM, you choose, you w i l l have m o r e options w i t h
these n e w symbols.

INFORMATIONABOUT DOOR5 TYPE5 OF LOCKS

PLAIN T R A P P E D LOCKED U N L O C K E D
DOOR D O O R
• o LOCKACCESSIBLEFROM

Ii DIRECT10N REINFORCEDOR
130TH5IDESOFDOOR

LOOSPCCE5SIBLE ffiOM

Et
DOOROPEI15 METALDOOR
ONESIDE ONLY

Efi DOORWITH
5ECRETSIDE
MAOICALLYLOUSED
ORTRAPPEDDOOR
1 1 BAROR BOLT

EXAMPLE
DOORWITH DOORWITHPEEPHOLE
OPEN END Of •V' i s THE
CONCEALED5IDE olkEcrosi OFVIEW
SECRETDOOR,TRAPPEDAND
LOCKED,OPENING INWAnSi
COMPLEXDOOR.ET„, CONCEALED ON INSIDE

I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985 13

 Bran OF THilEVES9 MELDS
The organisation of the Thieves' Organisations of Pelinore

by Tom Kirby Example:

In I M A G I N E m a g a z i n e , #22, m a n y o f t h e g u i l d s t h a t c o n t r o l t r a d e 3 5 T h e Thieves Guild around the Walk
w i t h i n t h e City League and its environs w e r e listed or discussed. O n e
category w a s t h a t of the thieves' guilds. A s w a s suggested t h e r e are
The t h i e v e s g u i l d t h a t o p e r a t e s i n t h e e n v i r o n s o f t h e W a l k (see
dozens w i t h i n T'League. A l l t h e s e guilds, a n d m o s t t h i e v e s ' g u i l d s
I M A G I N E m a g a z i n e i s s u e s 20, 2 2 & 2 3 ) is a l a w f u l guild. I t h a s 2 5
t h r o u g h o u t Pelinore, fall into one of two types: basically lawful (L/LN) or
members, a n d a b o u t t w o s c o r e a s s o c i a t e d f r e e l a n c e t h i e v e s . B y
basically chaotic (C/CN). Thieves can be of any alignment otherwise in
unfortunate circumstances (an inter-Guild war), the Walk Thieves Guild
use i n t h e c a m p a i g n , a n d e a c h w o u l d j o i n t h e m o s t s u i t a b l e g u i l d ,
finds itself w i t h o n l y three Pips, an u n u s u a l l y small complement.
although i t is possible that in smaller t o w n s only one of the t w o types
would exist. I n s u c h cases, t h e t h i e f character m i g h t f e e l q u i t e
uncomfortable having to join an unsuitable group.
3 5 a S h e e r Dreeve; M ; T 9 / T 1 0 ; L / L N ; A C -2; hp 4 2 / 6 3
Guild Master; H; q u i e t & undemonstrative but efficient and thorough
LAWFUL-TYPE GUILDS
3 5 b B i j - b i j t h e Knife; F; T7; N / L N ; A C 0; hp 3 4 / 4 4
Lawful g u i l d s a r e h i e r a r c h i c a l o r g a n i s a t i o n s t h a t o w n t h e i r h e a d -
Lieutenant H ; aggressive, reliable and faithful
quarters. The officers of the guild have fixed duties and responsibilities;
they seek authority for matters outside their control from their superiors
and they delegate authority to their juniors. These officers decide which
3 5 c G r e e s l i m e t h e Wise; F; T7; N; A C 4; hp 2 6 / 3 3
jobs should be done when, and control their guildsmembers' activity to
Staff; G; smelly and unpleasant but brilliant record keeper most of which
ensure no 'over-fishing' i n the locality; they also deal w i t h handing Out she memorises
p u n i s h m e n t s to transgressors. Successors to these posts are selected in
advance and trained up appropriately. Everything is done in a business-
like m a n n e r . B e i n g t h i e v e s , h o w e v e r , m e a n s t h a t m e t h o d s o f
advancement d i f f e r s l i g h t l y f r o m t h o s e a c c e p t e d i n t h e t r a d i t i o n a l
35d Sharpy; M; T5; L / N G ; A C 3; hp 2 0 / 2 5
First Pip; H ambitious and sneaky, in charge of the streets
business world. Thieves are expected to w a t c h t h e i r o w n backs and if
they fail in that duty then they fail as thieves and deserve their fate. It is
quite usual t h a t an a m b i t i o u s young thief will find h i s route to the top
3 5 e K h a n Ai; M; T5; L/LE; AC 2; hp 1 9 / 2 4
aided by a series o f u n f o r t u n a t e accidents to h i s superiors; s i m i l a r l y,
Second Pip; 1/2E; i n c h a r g e of burglary and break-outs a t w h i c h h e is
ambitious young thieves often don't come back from tricky jobs. No one
brilliant, after Sharpy's job and trying to kill h i m
in t h e g u i l d w i l l d o a n y t h i n g a b o u t t h e s e a c c i d e n t s u n l e s s t h e
perpetrators m a k e t h e m s e l v e s obvious — t h e w o r s t s i n t h a t c a n b e
committed by a t h i e f is being obvious
3 5 f Q u e l l i a ; F; T4; N / L N ; AC 5; hp 1 5 / 1 8 ; Third Pip; H; brilliantly
inventive, will go far if someone doesn't stop her, in charge of scams and
protection
Master
1
1 I 3 5 g " R i p p e r " O r c c r y ; M; T5; L / L E ; A C 6; hp 2 2 / 2 7
Lieutenant S t a f f The Landlord; H; n a m e d after his hook (left arm) w h i c h prevents active
1 l thieving, desperate to get 'back into the m a i n s t r e a m ' and w i l l remove
1 I I I 1 obstacles ruthlessly
Pipl P i p 2 P i p 3 e t c T h e Landlord Records
I
3 5 h A n a h Dzhohans; T 5 ; N/NG, AC 9 h p 1 9 / 2 4
The Nags Records; H; quiet, mousey, dull, k n o w n as " I n k y ' i n the guild

The Lads
(split into rough teams) 35•1 L l a r l i a r n a of Catrellis; F; T3; L/LE; AC 8; hp 8/12
(many independants) Nag . 1 ; E; vicious, vindictive, spiteful n a t u r e hidden behind fluttering
eyelids and blushes, very pretentious

Key:
M a s t e r — Master thief w h o runs the guild
L i e u t e n a n t — Thief in charge of all active operations
S t a f f — T h i e f in charge of bureaucratic matters like maintenance of the
guild house, safe houses and records of local activities
Pip — S p e c i a l i s t in one or more areas of operations, must be consulted
before a specific job or scam is undertaken
The L a n d l o r d — Thief w i t h specific responsibility for the guild house
and the safe houses
Records—Thief that controls the record keeping functions n a m e s of
guild members, amounts collected from various organised events, dates
of jobs, dates of big valuable shipments, etc
The Lads - - the mass of members
The N a g s — the clerks working in records
Larger g u i l d s w o u l d have m o r e t h a n o n e Lieutenant, m a n y Pips, a n d
several Nags, while smaller guilds would probably have only one man on
the Staff side to control that whole area. Most well organised Guilds will
also operate some kind of cell structure to minimise the possibility of
discovery, w i t h a l l t h e officers o f t h e G u i l d operating through
intermediaries (even with each other!) who know very little of what is
going on. In some guilds, this structure may be so sophisticated that the
Master, Lieutenant and Staff never meet, with even appointments to
office being done by proxy, and being judged on reputation alone. This
means that names are very rarely used, and identification is often only
possible through a complicated system of code-words and ciphers, to
prevent penetration by 'undesirable' elements.
14
3 5 jH P
Nag ; i epleasant,
r r i o ; M , unambitious,
T3; N; A C 7; hp 1 0 / 1 3w i t h numbers, fine athlete
brilliant
There are 15 T1-2 and apprentices working within the guild, each can be
considered as AC 7; hp 6
CHAOTIC-TYPE GUILDS
The organisation of chaotic guilds is fairly unpredictable. Most are small
groups of thieves ruled by the might of the leader or a faction w i t h i n the
guild. The m e m b e r s h i p is mutually suspicious and changes frequently;
each constantly looking for the opportunity to overthrow the leader and
take control. In large towns such small groups would soon be swamped
by the efficiency of lawful-type guilds, so there soon arise confederations
of chaotic-type guilds, w h e r e i n local guild-leaders agree to cooperate
over s h a r i n g s a f e h o u s e s , p a s s w o r d s a n d a r e a s o f o p e r a t i o n s .
Periodically, a charismatic leader will emerge from one of the guilds and
exert a u t h o r i t y over all o f t h e m , g i v i n g r i s e t o a t e m p o r a r y period o f
success and wealth. Inevitably, the leader will wane and the cooperative
will either be led by another charismatic leader or w i l l dissolve. These
cooperatives are marked by occasional bloodbaths as certain groups try
to seize control.
Chaotic guilds do not hold property for meeting places or safe-houses
but arrange such matters on an ad hoc basis as need arises.
I M A G I N E ma9azine, March 1585
 TAKE NO CHANCES!
Would you send your friends out into the unknown,
with nothing to guide them?
1
Would you want to miss out on that vital piece
of information that might lead you to hidden treasure?
If you want to be sure of getting all the latest
information about the best in role-playing
subscribe to
A
The
, ,
M A
Adventure Games Magazine
ea-w-all

11 ChasmofDoom
Amissing convoy and a lost patrol__
Complete role-playing game adventures in every issue the start of a terrifying battle
12 m o n t h s s u b s c r i p t i o n rates for control of the Lastlands.
UK & Ireland — E I 2 ( p o s t free delivery)
USA — $ 4 2 E u r o p e — E21 Enter a Dangerous World
The Lone Wolf books are action-packed solo
Elsewhere — E25 adventures set in the fantastic world of Magnamund.
As Lone Wolf you possess 'Kai Disciplines': warrior
Please make your cheque or postal order (no cash or skills that will help you survive in the hostile LaStlandS.
international money orders accepted) payable to TSR UK As the adventures unfold from page to page
Ltd and send it to: and from book to book, you will gain new
skills to help you in the fight against
IMAGINE magazine (subscriptions), The Mill, Rathmore your bitter enemies—the Darklords
Road, CAMBRIDGE CBI 4AD. of Helgedad.
The Chasm of Doom
To the south of your homeland of
NAME Sommerlund lie the rich mines of
ituanon. A convoy of gold, on its
ADDRESS way to the capital, suddenly
vanishes. Your King sends a patrol
to investigate.., they never return.
For you, Lone Wolf, it is the start
of a mission that will take you
to the brink of the abyss; to
Maakengorge— the Chasm
of Doom.
• Over fifty superb line drawings
plus a full-colour game map and

CLASSIFIED ADS action chart.

• No dice needed. The unique combat
system allowsyou to become Lone Wolf
wherever and whenever you like! ••••1
• Software, metal miniatures, T-shirts
IMAGINErm magazine offers special rates to those interested in and Lone Wolf Club membership
taking o u t classified advertisements. These cost just 10p per now available.
void or [3.00 per column centimetre (pre-payment requited). Other Lone Wolf Adventures
The first three adventures in the
If you want to advertise in I M A G I N E magazine write to: Lone Wolf series are: 1. Flight from
the Dark, 2. Fire on the Water,
I M A G I N E magazine (classified) T h e M i l l , R a t h m o r e R d , 3. The Caverns of Kalte— all
C A M B R I D G E CBI ,1AD. available in Sparrow Paperbacks.

G E N U I N E C H A I N M A I L Vests, Hoods, Coifs, Hauberks, Gauntlets,

etc, m a d e t o measure. F u r t h e r details telephone 0 2 2 7 2 6 3 4 6 9 o r
write 27 Ivy House Road, Whitstable CT5 1PL

SPECTRAL V I S I O N issue no. 1 , 4 0 side A 4 A D & D fanzine a s

reviewed in IMAGINE a21, sure to become a collectors item, for you
copy s e n d 7 5 p ( i n c l u d i n g P & P ) t o M a r k M c L e a n , 9 H i l l W a l k ,
Fareham, Hants P 0 1 5 6NF. Thank you.

S O U T H A M P T O N ' S C e n t r e f o r G a m e s . A l l t h e latest g a m e s AN IMPRINT OF ARROW PUBLICATIONS

stocked from ISR, Games Workshop, Avalon Hill and many others.
Also Citadel and M i n if igs stocked.
TO: Arrow Publications, Dept, MA, 17-21 Conway Street, London W1
PA S T I M E S II, East Street Centre, Southampton. Tel: 0 7 0 3 - 2 1 7 8 9 . Please send me further information On:

[—I Lone Wolf Merchandise

FREE P E R S O N A L I T Y A N A L Y S I S f r o m H e a l t h a n d A b i l i t y Centre, D Lone
I Please Wolf Spectmm 48K Software L I and free club membership
tick box(es) I
PO Box 297, Hove, E Sussex. Send SAE or Tel. 0 9 0 3 7 5 0 7 7 0
I Name I

CLASSIFIED ADS IAddress

Please mention IMAGINE magazine when replying to advertisements 15

 The Fantasies
Have Just Began NOW FROM T H E
G A L A X Y OF FANT-
ASY, A N E W GAMES
SHOP IS BORN. I T B R -
INGS A WORLD OF
CHOICE r_IX) YOU. EN
TER OUR WORLD AND
SEARCH THROUGH CH-
ESTS FULL OF FANTASY
GAMES AND FIGURES DI
SWVElli A ENTOWLEDGEABLE
STA Ulf TO HELP AND ADVISE
YOU. COME TINTO A NEW
AND EXCITING REALM OF
FANTASY. COME TO VISIT
GAMES PEOPLE PLAY...
GAMES PEOPLE M AY
ROLE PLAYING, SCIFI, FANTASY, WARGAMES,
MAGAZINES & LITERATURE AND COMPUTERS

MAILORDERS 5 Wellington Terrace, Notting Hill Gate

WELCOMED L o n d o n W2 Te l . 727-9275 MiMin
VISA
,wwwwww.vvvvvvvvvvvyvet O P E N FROM 10a.rn to 6orn MON— SAT EMMEN

11 Tube 5 Wellington Terrace Now open is a complete games shop... Games People Play.
ottin Come in and you'll find a great selection of games.
• A vast range of board conflict and computer games.
*Stocks of figures by Chronicle, Essex, Jacobite,
Kensington Palace Gardens Tabletop, Oracle, Citadel, Skytrex,Heroics and others.
• A large selection of rules, reference books, magaz ines
TUBE: Notting_ Hill Gate (200yrds) and accesories.
Circle. -Central &District lines. •All major and most minor role playing systems.
MAIN LINE: PaddingtonTerminus
BUSES: A2,I2, 2831.2752.52A, gi At Games People Play_ you'll meet a knowledgeable staff to
help and advise you. c o m e to see us. We're the
(Wellington Terrace is a parade of shops.) gainers games shop.

16 Please mention I M A G I N E magazine w h e n replying to advertisements

 ALL THAT GLISTENS....
by Chris Felton
IMAGINE Milgazing
Refiders' Slimy
attegotY.
Artictes, a t R U I S I C " I
86% ,
Distifte
8% 't
7),
'I'm sorry, lad. It's worthless.'
'What?'
'It's a f a k e A c o l o u r e d - g l a s s
imitation.'
'It can't be. It's worth thousands.'
A s l o w shake o f the head.
'But I p a i d a f o r t u n e f o r i t . I t ' s
columnar-cut: w o r t h m y w e i g h t
in gold.'
'Sorry, son Yo u ' v e been done.'
Everybody l o v e s a c o n - m a n : everyone,
that is, except the victims. Top confidence
tricksters h a v e elevated t h e f t t o a n a r t
form: t a k i n g o n l y f r o m t h o s e w h o c a n
afford it, using the greed of others to line
their pockets. T h e r e a r e l o w e r f o r m s o f
confidence t r i c k , w h i c h b e l o n g i n t h e
sewers, and people keep getting h u r t by
them, but to make a living of it a trickster
I M A G I N E magadne, March 1985
must rise above the lower forms of crime.
To run a big scam (also known as a s n o w
job, fleecing, o r shell game) takes m o r e
planning, co-ordination, and investment
than most other forms of crime, and these
make a good con great entertainment, as
proved b y t h e success o f such f i l m s a s
Only When I Larf and The Sting.
Few c o n f i d e n c e t r i c k s a p p e a r i n f r p s ,
probably because m o s t G M s l a c k ideas
for a s t o r y l i n e c o n v i n c i n g e n o u g h t o
persuade c h a r a c t e r s t o p u t u p t h e i r
money; player-characters are more sus-
picious t h a n t h e r u n - o f - t h e - m i l l ' m a r k ' .
This a r t i c l e s h o u l d s u p p l y t h o s e ideas.
There are other reasons for the paucity of
tricks i n g a m e s . O n e s e l f - a p p o i n t e d
'expert' w r o t e a n a r t i c l e f o r b e g i n n i n g
GMs advising them to avoid trying to con
players as " i t feels too much like G M vs
player". T h i s i s rubbish; a w e l l - r u n c o n
feels m o r e l i k e NPC v s PCs t h a n m o s t
scenarios, a s G M s t e n d t o a i m m o s t
adventures d i r e c t l y a t t h e a b i l i t i e s o f
characters, w h i l e a good scam can w o r k
on anybody. I t also makes the campaign
feel more realistic: the NPCs are starting
to relate to the characters as something
other t h a n faceless sources o f r u m o u r
and training.
Most of the time, though, the players will
be more suspicious than their characters
would be. M o s t con tricks will take place
during ' d o w n t i m e ' , w h i c h i n m a n y
campaigns is a featureless gap for rest,
recuperation, a n d t r a i n i n g b e t w e e n
adventures, a n d the attempt to t h r o w in
new activities will stand out like a dragon
in a chariot race.
The first priority, then, before the NPC can
con t h e characters, is for the G M to con
the players. F e w G M s a r e totally tight-
lipped a b o u t t h e i r f o r t h c o m i n g a d v e n -
tures, so let as many open details of the
scenario slip out as you usually do. One
week the GM may casually ask the group
during a tea-break if anyone has a good
aerial combat system, and the next week
he passes one round for comments. The
same week, one of the notes he passes to
a player is written on the back of a sheet
on which he's been working out the costs
of t r a i n i n g f l e d g e l i n g s , a n d s o m e o n e
visiting h i m at home may notice that his
M o n s t e r Manual is open at the 'Hippogriff
to H y d r a ' p a g e . P l a y e r s t a l k a m o n g s t
themselves, so no-one w i l l be surprised
(or, more significantly, suspicious) when
someone o f f e r s t h e i r c h a r a c t e r s t h r e e
hippogriff eggs. A s they haggle over the
17

price, o n e o f t h e e g g s i s ' s o l d ' t o a n
anonymous bidder in town, so the number
of eggs available goes down to two, and
the characters leap to outbid each other.
Second, set up the cons as you would any
other scenario. I f t h e p l a y e r s n o r m a l l y
follow u p tavern rumours, h a v e t h e m
overhear t w o seasoned m e r c e n a r i e s i n
the next booth discussing t h e old King's
son's chances of overcoming the usurper.
If t h e y n o r m a l l y f o l l o w u p i n f o r m a t i o n
collected f r o m t h e i r l a s t a d v e n t u r e ,
include in the hill giant's treasure a letter
offering t h e o l d K i n g ' s s o n t h e s e c r e t
allegiance o f a m i n o r n o b l e i n t o w n ,
whose messenger failed to return from a
mission a week or so ago. If they work on
a roving commission from a King, temple
or m i n o r lord, l e t t h e m receive a q u i e t
offer o f b e t t e r t e r m s o f e m p l o y m e n t i f
they change their allegiance, or be asked
to investigate the rumour that the former
King's son is still alive after all (and while
they are investigating it they receive the
offer of better terms).
Third, assume that the conman will have
researched his subject well, and w i t h o u t
hard work the players should not be able
to s p o t a n y f a u l t s i n t h e s t o r y — t h i s
means t h a t you, as G M , m u s t k n o w the
story i n s i d e o u t , w i t h a l l t h e d e t a i l s
prgpared. T h e s e details w i l l , o f course,
include p r o v i s i o n f o r t i m e f o r a c l e a n
getaway a f t e r t h e p a y o f f , s o a c o n
involving the sale of fake hippogriff eggs
will e n d w i t h t h e p a s s i n g o v e r o f t h e
18
'eggs', and the players will gleefully keep
them w a r m for six to eight weeks before
realising t h a t t h e y ' r e taking a n a w f u l l y
long time to hatch....
The o n l y exception t o t h e i n - d e p t h r e -
search rule is w h e n an NPC tries a spur-
of-the-moment con. T h e stableboy's
brother has heard from the stableboy that
the travellers are foreigners, just passing
through. N e x t d a y, h e d o n s h i s f o r e s t
gear, b o w and s w o r d (he's a poacher as
well a s a m i l i t i a volunteer), a n d a w a i t s
them a m i l e or t w o d o w n t h e road f r o m
the inn. When they arrive, he asks for the
toll o f h a l f a gold piece per rider for t h e
group w h i c h 'keeps the orcs, ogres, and
such vermin off the road'.
Finally, remember that the con must fit in
with t h e game. I f t h e player characters
have little interaction w i t h NPCs d u r i n g
'down time' apart from buying spells and
training, don't suddenly try to throw them
into a p o l i t i c a l c o n i n v o l v i n g l o t s o f
interaction, a n d d o n ' t suddenly c h a n g e
your a p p a r e n t s t a n c e o n t h e s a l e o f
magical items. A l l t h e s e w i l l c a u s e t h e
players to smell a rat.
There a r e f o u r t r a i t s w h i c h c o n f i d e n c e
tricksters c a n p l a y o n : g u l l i b i l i t y, f e a r,
greed, a n d dishonesty. H e r e a r e s o m e
examples of scams w h i c h use each trait
in the victims.
GULLIBILITY
Flippogriff's Eggs: A group of adventur-
ers have acquired a clutch of eggs from a
hippogriff's nest. Unfortunately, they have
urgent business m a n y miles f r o m here,
and will not be able to look after the eggs
on t h e journey, so t h e y m u s t sell them.
This can be varied by using dragon's eggs,
pegasus' eggs, owlbears' eggs, and so on.
Treasure Map: A m o n g the documents in
the estate of a recently dead merchant is
a m a p s h o w i n g t h e w a y t o an o l d t o m b
complex. T h e m e r c h a n t ' s executors a r e
selling i t t o the highest bidder to t u r n i t
into cash f o r t h e estate. Va r i a t i o n s c a n
include a stolen map of the same type, or
a m a p made by a lower-level group o f
adventurers w h o c l a i m t h e y w e n t t o a
location but were beaten off by giants (or
a monster type suitable for t h e party's
level).
Land S p e c u l a t i o n : A m i n o r t h e f t o f a
merchant's papers has turned up a v e r y
interesting fact, which the thief will sell to
the group for a modest sum. A p o w e r f u l
shipping line has had a group of adven-
turers trail blazing in the hills, and they've
found a previously u n k n o w n gap i n t h e
hills, w h i c h w i l l c u t t e n d a y s o f f t h e
caravan route. O n t h e n e w route, a t the
foot of the hills, is a small inn, at present
the o w n e r is barely scraping a living but
the b u s i n e s s w i l l b o o m w h e n t h e n e w
route is open. Since the local Baron w i l l
not sell any land to the adventurers, the
existing i n n is the only practical method
to cash in on the boom, b u t since it has
been i n h i s f a m i l y f o r m a n y years, t h e
innkeeper i s r e l u c t a n t t o s e l l , a n d i s
demanding 7500gp, well over the 6000gp
the i n n is really worth, b u t a good price
considering i t s potential. T h e s t o l e n
document is a letter asking the shipping
line to send 7500gp to the adventurers to
seal the bargain. Of course, the letter is a
forgery, the thief is a paid hireling of the
owner of the inn, the pass does not exist,
the Baron has been bribed not to sell any
land for building, the inn is losing money
and h a s a m a r k e t value o f 4500gp, a n d
the i n n k e e p e r w a n t s to sell t h e inn and
retire, w h i c h i s w h y h e d e v i s e d t h i s
scheme.
P r o p e r t y Sales: A t o w n house comes on
the market: " v e r y cheap for quick sale, I
need capital i m m e d i a t e l y " . The seller is
not in fact the owner, merely the manager
with no authority to sell, but with 'I 500gp
in h i s pocket he'll be o u t of t o w n by the
time the players find that out. Variations:
the h o u s e i s a f a r m , business, etc. T h e
seller could be the real owner, selling to a
half-dozen buyers before absconding, o r
selling a property about t o be seized by
the courts for non-payment of debts. A n
estate a g e n t m a y t a k e t h e c h a r a c t e r s
deposit, t h e n c l a i m t h a t t h e p r e v i o u s
owner o f t h e property h a s s o l d i t t o
someone else a n d keep t h e character's
deposit to cover his expenses.
Cargo S w i t c h : A m e r c h a n t h i r e s t h e
player characters t o guard h i s valuable
cargo. When the cargo arrives in town the
valuables have been replaced by bales of
straw ( o r rocks, o r w h a t e v e r gives t h e
right weight to the tied-down cargo). The
player characters a r e accused o f theft,
their reputation f o r arriving i n t h e t o w n
w i t h untraceable valuables cited as evi-
dence o f t h e i r p r e v i o u s c r i m i n a l w a y s ,
and the merchant claims the insurance.
FEAR
P r o t e c t i o u Racket I: A figure steps out of
the bushes as the adventurers are head-
ing into the wilderness and requests a toll
for t h e group w h o keep the road safe. I f
they refuse, he hints darkly about the fact
that t h e g r o u p k n o w s every i n c h o f t h e
road, including all the suitable campsites,
and they are used to sneakily tracking and
ambushing game as well as monsters....
Protection Racket II: A character runs a
Mafia-style 'protection racket': pay up or
you get hurt. He may or may not have the
muscle to back up his threats.
GREED
Expedition Financing: A group of adven-
turers (merchants, mercenaries) wants to
follow u p a r u m o u r o f a n e w source o f
wealth in the mountains (forest, swamp,
tundra, d e s e r t ) , b u t c a n n – t a f f o r d t h e
equipment and supplies necessary. They
w a n t the characters to make them d loan
to fund the expedition. In return, they get
a healthy share of any profits, so they are
getting a large r e t u r n o n a risky invest-
ment. After getting the financing, they set
off into the m o u n t a i n s (etc), then double
back i n t o a n o t h e r area w h e r e t h e y sell
everything, a n d l i v e o f f t h e proceeds.
W h e n the money runs out they ride back
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
to t o w n via a t w o - w e e k journey through
the m o u n t a i n s t o g i v e t h e m s e l v e s t h e
proper h a g g a r d , h u n g r y l o o k b e f o r e
coming back to report that they had failed,
but h a d p i c k e d u p s o m e p r o m i s i n g
leads....
Magic I t e m s : I n exchange f o r a raise
dead, s t o n e t o f l e s h , o r w h a t e v e r,
adventurers are willing to give the player
characters a magic ring (sword, robe, etc)
of u n k n o w n p o w e r w h i c h t h e y ' v e j u s t
acquired off some powerful opponent. It
may b e c u r s e d , i t m a y b e t h e G M ' s
method o f g e t t i n g t h e m i n t o t h e n e x t
scenario, it may just be useful.... In fact, it
is n o t r e a l l y magical, b u t h a s a m a g i c
m o u t h set to go off when within 10' of an
orc i n golden a r m o u r r i d i n g a K i - r i n o r
some e q u a l l y i m p r o b a b l e t r i g g e r c o n -
dition, or continual light, or both.
Pretender to the throne: The son of the
last King, whose line was usurped by the
present King, is alive despite r u m o u r s to
the contrary, a n d i s o f age t o c l a i m h i s
birthright, so he is raising support, both
physical and financial. Those who support
him now will rank highly when he regains
his birthright. It w i l l take a long t i m e for
anyone to realise that the King's son is a
fake; a n a d v e n t u r e r u s i n g h i s resembl-
ance to the old King's dead son to try to
usurp power for himself. His chances are
poor, a n d h e w i l l c h a n n e l m u c h o f t h e
financial help he receives into the 'raising
of an a r m y ' a n d 'ensuring support after
the coup': actually he's salting it away for
w h e n he sees his supporters losing and
runs away.
Gladiator's Fall: A top gladiator (chariot
driver, athlete, etc) builds up a reputation
as unbeatable. The characters hear word
that a n o u t - o f - t o w n c h a l l e n g e r h a s
brought his own backers, who are putting
up a l o t o f cash against t h e champion.
They h a v e t h e c h a n c e t o place a ' s u r e
thing' b e t o n t h e c h a m p i o n . T h e c h a l -
lenger w i n s the long, difficult fight, a n d
the champion gets a cut of the fortune the
For Dungeons & Dragons* Just venture
through our portals into our mystical halls,
here you'll find thetreasure you seek.
H O I B O R N 2021696 Holton toodoniA010001405628510592
L E W I S H A M 210LewishamHighStreetUMWSEI361PIN8520449
* S O U T R I G A T E 10TheBroadway,SouthgateEmdenNI46PN019864258 I I M G 5 T 0 1 1 30132EdenStreet,KIIIEP01549 M64 •
Please mention I M A G I N E magazie when replying t o advertisements
challenger's backers w o n b y h i s losing
the f i g h t a g a i n s t h i s a l m o s t e q u a l l y
talented accomplice.
DISHONESTY
Always t h e best t r a i t f o r a con a r t i s t t o
exploit, a s t h e m a r k ( v i c t i m ) i s d o i n g
something illegal as well and can't go to
the Guard.
Weapon R u n n i n g : A representative of a
group o f orcs (bandits, etc) i n f o r m s t h e
player characters of an opportunity to run
weapons to the group. There is no group,
as the contact man was an accomplice of
the weapon dealer who had four hundred
unwanted s w o r d s o n h i s h a n d s a n d
wanted t o get rid o f t h e m a t t h e h i g h e r
price h e k n o w s h e c a n g e t f o r a d e a l
which guarantees h i s silence about t h e
destination o f t h e weapons. W h e n t h e
characters have bought the weapons, the
dealer will either tip off the border guard,
so that the players get caught, or he will
send out the contact man to explain that,
unfortunately, the group has been wiped
out by a marauding band of adventurers,
and there is n o longer a m a r k e t f o r t h e
weapons, n o r t h e m o n e y f o r paying f o r
them. In the latter case, the dealer will be
happy t o b u y t h e w e a p o n s back a t t h e
standard price (or a slight mark down, as
other d e a l e r s w i l l a s k e m b a r r a s s i n g
questions a b o u t t h e o r i g i n o f t h e
weapons).
' S t o l e n ' Gems: A member of the Thieves
Guild contacts a player-character thief,
offering gems at 60% of their value. They
were stolen in the area, so they cannot be
resold within fifty miles without recutting,
but he has heard that the party are head-
ing o u t on a long expedition, t o an area
where the gems can be sold for their full
value as 'adventuring plunder'. The gems
may or may not be stolen, b u t since the
player character cannot have them valued
except by t h e Thieves Guild h e w i l l n o t
know t h a t t h e price being demanded i s
200% o f t h e g e m s ' v a l u e u n t i l h e g e t s
well away from the town, by w h i c h time
0216438604
m m n i n i s f i s i m 2 6 SouthMaillThamShoppingCommB2440 M A N C H E S T E R 416BrownStreet.oilMarketStM2IEE0618341180
M 1 1 0 4 P O O L 19Hoods1511CentrellsionaStreet,FYI4H11025326461 I I E W C A S T L E 43141 Nom Street.NEI60E0632324161
B R I G H T O N 418DykeMad,114131f0213176626 N O
B R I S T O L 17119PennStreet.8S1341027220259 R O
C A R D I F F NorthgateHouse.Kingsway.CF10110222391645
C R O W 1 0 1 1 1356NorthEnd.CROITN016881585 S O
the NPC w i l l have discarded his disguise
and be untraceable.
Palming G e m s : A d i s h o n e s t j e w e l l e r
may swop a real gem for a similar-looking
fake while he's evaluating the gems. The
gem w i l l be in the middle range of those
he's valuing, and match closely one of the
stock of fakes that all such jewellers keep.
At t h i s p o i n t h e w i l l e i t h e r r e f u s e t o
purchase the gems, or w i l l point out the
fake — 'generously' paying full price for
the others.
Distracting Robbery: A n N P C t h i e f
arranges for the PCs to raid a jeweller's
(goldsmith's, furrier's, etc) at a particular
time when he can guarantee that the City
Guard will be looking the other way (and
the N P C h a s a n a l i b i ) . T h e N P C w i l l
provide t h e d i s t r a c t i o n a n d b r i b e t h e
guards to look the other way through his
contacts, in return for a share of the loot.
In fact, he tips the Guard off about the raid
by using an agent as a 'man in the street'
who sees something suspicious a t t h e
jeweller's. He also arranges and fouls up
six o t h e r r a i d s a t t h e s a m e t i m e , a n d
while the Guard are running around like
headless c h i c k e n s a r r e s t i n g b u r g l a r s ,
preventing r i o t s , g u a r d i n g s h o p s a n d
investigating f a k e sightings, h e c a l m l y
assembles his own team for a raid on the
Tax Office vaults.
Remember, t o w o r k w e l l a c o n f i d e n c e
trick s h o u l d b e believeable, s o a l l t h e
above i d e a s c a n b e u s e d a s o r d i n a r y
scenarios, w i t h o u t t h e t r i c k e l e m e n t s .
The rules to work by are simple; research
your plot well, aim your plot at somebody
w h o will be interested, keep it consistent
and believeable, a n d d o n ' t b e g r e e d y.
Never use a trick after it's been 'blown'.
And finally, let your motto be that there is
always a n o t h e r w a y t o separate a f o o l
from his money. . 1 4 1 1 0 Chris Felton
See H o w t o S e l l t h e P o n t i B r i d g e
overleaf for an example of another scam...
*41111
INSTANT
CREDIT
Sublectto status Please
ask or wole for deta,is
Typcal APR 34.4%
vaoable Fnance prowded
• b y We/beck Cardholder
•Serwces Lid We/beck
, House. Bond Street.
',Vol Avon BSI 3LB
L E E D S 16118KmgDiariesStreet,LSIRT0532456611
L I I I E R P O O L 36131DawsonWay.StJohn'sElmre.1.111.10511090199
T T I N G H A M 3 MountStreet.NGIELM0602411693
M F O R D 1111HOSheet.RM1iJU010824283
S H E I R E W 38 %toneStreet.Si2HN014211864
U T H A M P T O N 114EastStreet.SOI1HO010324843
W A T F O R D 10ThePandoHighStreet.5111312AW092321563
.MAILORDERS it SOLIINGAII
19
 H O W T O SELL T H E
PONT'
'BRIDGE
by Neil Gaiman
I n a l l the Seven Worlds, m y favourite Rogues'
C l u b is s t i l l the oldest and the most exclusive.
T h e Lost Carnadine Rogues' C l u b was formed
by a b u n d l e o f rogues, cheats, scoundrels and
con-men almost seventy thousand years ago. I t
has been copied m a n y times, i n m a n y places
(there was even one formed recently — less than
five hundred years ago, at any rate — i n the City
of London) but none of the other Clubs matches
the Lost Carnadine for l u x u r y, f o r atmosphere,
for the select membership. T o j o i n , one must
have pulled a great con, swindle, or similar work
of roguery; y o u w i l l understand the magnific-
ence of the membership when I tell you than I
myself h a v e seen, i n i t s m a n y r o o m s , s u c h
notables as Daraxius L o ( w h o sold the Kzem a
frogbat o n a h o l y day), P r o t t l e ( w h o sold the
Palace o f the K i n g of Va n d a r i a to the K i n g o f
Vandaria), a n d so-called L o r d N i f f (who, i t is
rumoured, invented the fox twist; the cheat that
broke the bank of the Casino Grande).
A h i g h b u n c h : I a m sure y o u have heard of
some of them, of their actions. N o t under those
names, of course, but the touch is distinctive, no?
I m y s e l f g a i n e d m e at ;,-n-ship b y means o f a
20
b r i l l i a n t piece of creative scientific research, that
amazed a n d revolutionised t h e t h i n k i n g o f a
whole generation. I t was my disdain for regular
methodology, and, as I said, creative research
that gained me membership, and when I am i n
that p a r t o f t h e Cosmos I m a k e a p o i n t o f
stopping o f f f o r a n e v e n i n g , t a k i n g i n t h e
conversation, d r i n k i n g d r i n k s a n d basking i n
the presence of my moral equals.
It was late in the evening, and the log fire was
b u r n i n g l o w i n the hearth as we sat and drank
fine blue wine in the great hall. O f course,' one
of my friends was saying, 'there are some scams
that no self-respecting rogue w o u l d ever touch,
they a r e so o l d , classless a n d tired. S e l l i n g a
tourist the Ponti Bridge, for example.'
'It's the same w i t h Nelson's C o l u m n , o r the
Eiffel To w e r, f r o m my horneworld,' I told him.
'However, o n e c o u l d rest assured t h a t no-one
who ever i n d u l g e d i n scams l i k e s e l l i n g t h e
Ponti Bridge w o u l d ever be able to j o i n a c l u b
like this.'
'No?' s a i d a q u i e t voice b e h i n d me. ' H o w
strange. I d o believe i t was the time I sold the
Ponti Bridge that gained me membership of this
club.'
We turned to see a tall gentleman, quite bald
and most exquisitely dressed; he leaned against a
nearby wall and sipped an imported rhum-fruit.
He s m i l e d a t t h e effect h e h a d created, a n d
walked over to us, p u l l e d u p a cushion and sat
down.
'I don't believe we've met.'
My friends introduced themselves (the grey-
haired d e f t - m a n , G l o a t his; t h e s h o r t q u i e t
dodger, Redcap) as did
He smiled. ' I have heard of you. Yo u may call
me Stoat.'
'Stoat?' said Gloathis. ' T h e only Stoat I ever
heard of was the one who pulled the Derana kite
job, b u t that was.... over a h u n d r e d years ago.
What am I t h i n k i n g of? You adopted the name as
a tribute, I presume.'
'As y o u say,' said Stoat. ' I t w o u l d be Unposs-
ible for me to be the same man.' He smiled. ' Yo u
were t a l k i n g about the sale of the Ponti Bridge.'
'We were.'
' Yo u feel t h a t s e l l i n g the P o n t i Bridge i s a
measly scam, n o t w o r t h y o f a member o f this
club? Very well, let us examine the ingredients of
a good scam.' H e ticked the p o i n t s o f f o n h i s
fingers as he spoke. 'Firstly: the scant m u s t be
credible. Secondly: it must be simple — the more
complex, t h e m o r e chance o f error. T h i r d l y :
when t h e sucker is s t u n g he must be stung i n
such a way as to prevent hint from ever t u r n i n g
to t h e l a w . F o u r t h l y : t h e m a i n s p r i n g o f a
w o r t h w h i l e c o n i s h u m a n greed, a n d h u m a n
vanity. Lastly: i t must i n v o l v e trust — confid-
ence, i f you
'Surely,' said Gloathis.
'So what you are saying is that the sale o f the
Ponti B r i d g e — o r any other m a j o r l a n d m a r k
not y o u r s t o s e l l — w i l l n o t h a v e t h e s e
characteristics. Gentlemen, gentlemen._ let me
tell you m y story.
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
' I had arrived in Ponti almost penniless, some
years ago. I had but thirty gold crowns and I
needed a million. Why? That is another story. I
took stock of myself — I had those gold crowns,
some smart robes, I was fluent in the aristocratic
Pon ti dialect, and I ant In il limn. However, I
could think of no Games that would give me the
kind of money that I had to have in the ti tue I had
to have it by. Unable to think of anything, and
trusting to my gods to bt ing me inspiration, I
went on a guided tout of the city...
Ponti lies to the South and the East, a free city
and pot t at t he foot of the Mountains of Dawn,
built on both sides o f the impressive Bay o f
Dawn. Spanning the Bay is the Bridge, which
was built of jewels, mot tat and magic, neat ly
two thousand years ago. There were jeers when it
was first planned and begun, for none credited
that a structure almost half a mile across could
ever be successf tilly completed or would ever
stand for long once erected. But the Bridge was
completed, and the jeers tot ned to cries of awe; it
strut( bed across the Bay o f Dawn, a flashing,
shining stimuli e, that glinted myriad rainbow
colours in the noon sun.
The tour guide paused at the foot of it. As you
can see, ladies and gentlemen, u p o n close
examination, the Bt idge is built entirely o f
precious stones — i tibies, diamonds, sapphires,
emeralds, chryolan tits; car bum les and such —
and they are bound togethet by a transparent
mortar, w h i d t was crafted by the twin sages
flrolfgar and I Iry Ithlgur out of a primal magic.
The jewels are all teal — make no mistake about
that — and were gathtet cdli Om ill over the world
by Emmidus, King of Pon ti at that time.'
A small boy neat t h e hont turned t o his
mottle' and annoum id loudly •We did him in
school. He's called Enunidus the Last, because
there weren't any more after him! And they told
The tour guide added quit kly, 'The young
man is quite correct. I n obtaining the jewels
King Ernmidus bankrupted the City-state, and
set the scene for our (intent beneficent Ruling
Enclave to appear.'
The small boy's mot bet was twisting the small
boy's ear, which cheered the tour guide u p
immensely. O f course, I'm sure you all know
t hat con-men and smart boys are always trying to
play tout ists (not mally rich tout ists) for nmgs,
by telling them that they are tepiesenting the
Ruling En( lave, is I t owns the city-state, and
thus the Bridge as well, and they are entitled to
sell the bridge. They get a hefty deposit then
scat per. To clarify matters,' he said, and he and
the tourists chuckled together, 'the bridge is, uh,
not for sale. I t was a good line, and it never
failed to get a laugh.
His party stat ted to make its way across the
Bridge. Only the small boy noticed that one of
their number had stayed behind — a tall,
aristoct atic man. Quite bald. He stood at the foot
of the Bridge, lost in contemplation.
'Not f o r sale, eh?' he said t o himself. l a
turned, abruptly, and walked back to the city.
T h e y were playing a game not unlike tennis,
with large, heavy strung racquets, and jewelled
skulls for balls. The skulls were so satisfying in
the way they thunked when hit cleanly, in the
way they curved i n great looping parabolas
across the marble court. The skulls had never
grown o n human shoulders; they had been
obtained, at great loss of life, from a demon-race
in t h e highlands, a n d afterwards jewelled
(emeralds and sweet rubies, set in a lacy silver
filigree in the eyesockets and about the jawbone)
in Car thus' own workshops.
It was Carthus' serve.
He reached for the next skull in the pile and
held i t u p t o the light, marvelling a t t h e
craftsmanship, in the way that the jewels, when
struck by the light at a certain angle, seemed to
glow with an inner luminescence. He could have
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
told you the value and probable provenance of
each jewel — perhaps the very mine from which
it had been dug. The skulls were also beautiful;
the bone was a milky mother-of-pearl, trans-
lucent and fine; each had cost him more than the
value of the jewels set in its fine-boned face. The
demon-race had now all but died out, and the
skulls were well-nigh irreplaceable.
He lobbed the skull over the net. Aathia struck
it neatly back at hint, forcing him to run (his
footsteps echoing on the cold marble floor) to
meet it and — thunk — hit it back to her.
She almost made it. Almost, but not quite.
The skull eluded her racquet and fell towards the
stone floor, and then, only half an inch above the
ground, i t stopped, bobbing slightly, as i f
immet sed in liquid or a magnetic field.
It was magic, of course, and Carthus had paid
most highly for it. He could afford it.
'My point, lady,' he said, bowing low.
Aathia — his partner in all but bed — said
nothing; her eyes glinted like chips of ice, or the
jewels that were the only things site loved. They
made a strange pair, Carthus and Aathia. There
was a discreet cough from behind them. Car thus
turned, to behold a white-tunicked slave holding
outstretched a parchment scroll. 'Yes?' sighed
Carthus, wiping the sweat from his face with the
back of his hand.
'A message, lord. The man who left it said it
was urgent.'
Carthus grunted. 'Who is it from?'
'I have not inspected it, lord. It is for your eyes,
and the eyes of the Lady Aathia, and none other.'
Cat thus stared at the parchment scroll, but
made no move to take it. He was a big man, with
a fleshy face, sandy receding hair, and a worried
expression. His business rivals a n d there were
many, for Ponti had become, over the years, the
centre o f the wholesale jewel business — had
leat tied that his expression held no clue to his
inner feelings. In many cases it had cost them
money to learn tins.
'Take the message, Carthus,' sighed Aathia,
and when he did not site walked around the net
herself and plucked the scroll from the slave's
fingers. 'Leave us,' she instructed,
The slave's bare feet were soundless on the
chill marble floor.
Site bloke the seal herself with her sleeve-
knife, and unrolled the parchment. Her eyes
flicked over it once, fairly fast, then again at a
slower pace. She whistled. 'Here...' Carthus took
it and read it through.
'I — I don't really know what to make of it,' he
said in a high, petulant voice. With his racquet
he rubbed, absent-mindedly, at the small criss-
The skull seem to hang in the air forever, and then,
with almost painful slowness, i t hit the pillar and
smashed into a thousand fragments
cross scar on his right cheek. The pendant that
hung at his neck (proclaiming him one of the
High Council of the Point Jewel Merchants'
Guild) stuck, briefly, to his sweaty skin, and then
swung free. 'What do you think, my dear?'
'I am not your "dear":
'Of course not, ah, lady.'
'Better, Carthus. We'll make a true citizen of
you yet. Well, for a start, the name is obviously
false. "Glew Croll" indeed! There are more men
named Glew Croll i n Ponti than there are
diamonds in your safes. The address is obviously
rented accommodation. There was also no ring-
mark on the wax seal; it's as if he's gone out of
his way to maintain anonymity.'
'Yes, I could see all that. But what about this
"business opportunity" he talks about, And if it
is — as he says — Ruling Enclave business, then
would i t be carried o n w i t h the secrecy he
requests...?
She shrugged. 'Reading between the lines, it
would seem that there is a great deal of wealth
involved.'
Carthus was silent, he reached down to the
skull-pile, leaned his racquet and the scroll
against it, then picked u p a large skull. H e
caressed it gently with his blunt, stubby fingers.
'You know,' he said, as if speaking to the skull,
'this could be my chance to get the rest of the
bastards on the High Council of the Guild. Dead
blood aristocrat half-wits!'
'There speaks the son of a slave,' said Aathia,
drily. 'If it wasn't for my name you would never
have made Council membership.'
'Shut up.' His expression was vaguely wor-
ried, which meant nothing at all. ' I can show
them. I'm going to show them. You'll see.'
He hefted the skull lightly in his right hand, as
if testing the weight o f it, basking i n (and
computing) the value of the bone, the jewels, the
fine-worked silver. Then he spun around (sur-
prisingly fast for one so big) and threw the skull
with all his might at a far pillar, well beyond the
field of play. It seemed to hang in the air for ever,
and then, with almost painful slowness, it hit
the pillar and smashed into a thousand frag-
ments. The almost-musical tinkling sounds it
made as it did so were very beautiful.
'I'll go and change to meet the Glew Croll,
then,' muttered Carthus. He walked off, carrying
the scroll with him. Aathia stared after him, and
then she clapped her hands, summoning a slave
to clear up the mess.
Two hours later Carthus arrived in a fairly
anonymous area of the Undercliffs — the caves
that honeycomb the rock under and in the Bay of
Dawn, far below the Bridge itself. He took his
clothes off at the door, handing them to his slave,
and walked down the narrow stone steps. His
flesh gave an involuntary shiver as he entered the
water (kept j u s t below blood-heat, i n t h e
aristocratic manner, but still chill after the heat
of the day) and swam down the corridor into an
anteroom. Reflected light glimmered across the
walls; on the water floated four other men and
two women. They lounged on large wooden
floats, elegantly carved.
Carthus swam over to an empty float and
hauled his bulk onto it. Like the other six he
wore nothing b u t a Jewellers' G u i l d H i g h
Council pendant. A l l the High Council mem-
bers, bar one, were there.
'Where's the President?' he asked, of no-one in
particular.
A skeletal woman with flawless white skin
pointed t o one of the inner rooms. Then she
yawned and twisted her body; a rippling twist, at
the end of which she was off the float — hers was
carved into the shape of a giant swan — and deep
in the water. Carthus envied her and hated her:
that twist had been one of the twelve so-called
"noble" dives; he knew that, despite having
practised for years, he could not hope to emulate
it.
'Effete bitch,' he muttered under his breath.
Still, it was reassuring to see the other Council
members here. He wondered if any of them knew
anything he didn't.
There was a splashing behind him, and he
turned. Wommet, t h e G u i l d President was
clutching Carthus' float. They bowed to each
21
 other, then Wommet (a small hunchback, whose
everso m a n y times great-grandfather had made
his fortune b r i n g i n g K i n g Emmidus the jewels
that b a n k r u p t e d P o n t i , a n d t h u s l a i d t h e
foundations for the R u l i n g Enclave's 2,000 year
rule) said Yo u next, messire Carthus. D o w n the
first corridor: it's the first room you come to.'
Carthus suppressed an urge to ask the Hunch-
back what it was all about, and clambered off his
float. T h e water stung his eyes.
To his surprise he found himself climbing up
steps t o t h e r o o m : i t w a s d r y, a n d d a r k a n d
smoky. One lamp shone fitfully on the desk. The
man b e h i n d t h e d e s k w a s s t a n d i n g i n t h e
shadows, b u t even i n t h e h a l f - l i g h t , C a r t h u s
could see that he was tall and totally bald.
'I bid you good day,' said a cultured voice.
'And on your house and k i n also,' responded
Carthus.
'Sit d o w n , s i t d o w n . Y o u a r e here o n t h e
business of the R u l i n g Enclave, as you may have
inferred from the message I sent you. I must ask
you, before we go any further, to read and sign
this oath of secrecy. Ta k e all the time you need.'
He pushed a scroll across the table. It was a fairly
comprehensive oath, pledging Carthus to secrecy
about all matters discussed with the meeting on
pain o f t h e R u l i n g Enclave's " e x t r e m e d i s -
pleasure" — a p o l i t e e u p h e m i s m f o r death.
Carthus read it through a couple of times. i t
isn't a n y t h i n g illegal, is it?'
'Sir!' T h e c u l t u r e d v o i c e w a s offended.
Carthus s h r u g g e d h i s g r e a t s h o u l d e r s a n d
signed. T h e scroll was removed from his fingers
and placed i n a t r u n k i n the far corner o f the
room. 'Very good. We can get down to business,
then. Something to drink? Smoke? Inhale? No?
Very well.'
There was a pause.
'As you w i l l have guessed, G l e w C r o l l is not
my name. J a m a j u n i o r administrative member
of the R u l i n g Enclave.' (Carthus grunted and
scratched h i s ear.) 'Messire Carthus, w h a t d o
you k n o w o f the Bridge of Ponti?'
'Same a s e v e r y o n e . N a t i o n a l l a n d m a r k .
To u r i s t attraction. Ve r y impressive i f y o u l i k e
that k i n d o f t h i n g . B u i l t o f jewels and magic.
Jewels aren't all of the highest quality, although
there's a rose-diamond a t t h e centre b i g as a
baby's fist, flawless...'
'Very good. Have y o u ever heard of "magical
half-life"?'
'Well... I've heard the term.'
'A m a g i c a l h a l f - l i f e , messire, i s t h e n i g r o -
mantic term f o r the length of time a magician,
wizard, w i t c h or whatever's magic lasts after his
or her death. A h u m b l e hedge-wizard's magic,
conjurations and so on w i l l often disappear on
the moment of his death. A t the other end of the
scale y o u h a v e s u c h p h e n o m e n a as t h e Sea-
Serpent Sea, i n w h i c h the purely magical sea-
serpents s t i l l f r o l i c a n d b a s k a l m o s t n i n e
thousand years after the death of Cilitnwah L i h ,
their creator.'
'Right, that, yes. I knew that.'
'Good. T h e n you w i l l understand the i m p o r t
when I t e l l y o u t h a t the h a l f - l i f e o f the P o n t i
Bridge — according t o o u r chiefest sages — is
little m o r e t h a n t w o t h o u s a n d years. S o o n ,
messire, i t w i l l begin to crumble and collapse.'
T h e fat jeweller gasped. ' B u t that's terrible. I f
the news got around...' H e trailed off, mentally
weighing up the implications.
'Precisely. T h e r e w o u l d be panic. Tr o u b l e .
T h e news cannot be allowed to leak out before
we are ready, hence this secrecy.'
'I t h i n k I w i l l have a drink, please,' muttered
Carthus.
'Very wise.' T h e b a l d n o b l e unstoppered a
crystal flagon and poured clear blue wine into a
goblet. H e passed i t across t h e t a b l e , a n d
continued, ' A n y jeweller — and there are o n l y
seven in Ponti, and perhaps two elsewhere who
could cope w i t h the volume — w h o gained the
Pond Bridge w o u l d gain back whatever he paid
22
for i t i n p u b l i c i t y alone, even f o r g e t t i n g t h e
value of the jewels. It is my task to see the world's
eight largest wholesale jewellers about this. A s
you can imagine, if the jewels were all released at
once in Pond they would be almost worthless. In
exchange for entire ownership of the Bridge, the
jeweller w o u l d have t o undertake t o b u i l d a
structure beneath it, and as it crumbles he or she
w o u l d collect the jewels and undertake to sell no
more than h a l f a percent w i t h i n the city walls.
You, as a partner of Carthus and Aathia, are one
of the eight people I have been appointed to see.'
T h e jeweller shook his head. I t just seemed too
good to be true — i f he could get i t ! ' Te l l me
more,' he said, betraying no interest in his voice.
'I a m b u t a h u m b l e servant o f the Enclave,
who, after all, want to make a profit on the deal.
Each of you w i l l submit a tender for the Bridge,
via myself, t o t h e Enclave. T h e r e i s t o be n o
conferring b e t w e e n y o u . T h e E n c l a v e w i l l
choose t h e best offer, a n d then, i n o p e n a n d
formal E n c l a v e Session t h e w i n n e r w i l l b e
announced, and then — and only then — w i l l he
pay his money into the City treasury. Most of it,
as I understand t h i n g s , w i l l g o towards t h e
b u i l d i n g o f another bridge (out o f more m u n -
dane materials, I suspect) and towat d paying for
a boat-ferry f o r the citizenry w h i l e there is n o
bridge.'
'I see.'
T h e t a l l m a n stared at Carthus; the jeweller
felt as if hard eyes were boring into his soul. ' Yo u
have five days t o submit y o u r tender, Carthus.
Let me warn you of two things. Firstly if there is
any collaboration between any of you jewellers
you will incur the Enclave's extreme displeasure.
Secondly i f anybody f i n d s o u t about the spell
fatigue, then we w i l l not waste time in f i n d i n g
out which of you jewellers opened his mom h too
widely and not too well. The Guild Council w i l l
be replaced w i t h a n o t h e r Cow-161, a n d y o u i
business w i l l b e annexed b y • the E n c l a v e —
perhaps t o b e offered a s prizes i n t h e n e x t
A u t u m n Games. Is my meaning plain?'
Carthus' voice was gravel i n his throat. 'Yes..
'Go then. Yo u r tender in five days, remember.
Send another in.'
Carthus left the room as if in a dream, croaked
'He wants you now' to the nearest H i g h Council
member i n the anteroom and soon f o u n d h i m -
self outside its t h e s u n l i g h t a n d fresh a l t . F a r
above h i m t h e jewelled heights o f the- P c m t i
Bridge stood, as they had stood g l i m n w r i n g and
t w i n k l i n g d o w n o n t h e t o w n f o r the last t w o
thousand years.
He squinted: was it his imagination, o r were
the jewels less bright, the whole structure subtly
less magnificent than before? Was the air of per-
manence t h a t h a d h u n g a b o u t t h e B r i d g e
beginning to fade away? It was as if he had never
seen it before. Mentally he began to calculate the
value of the Bridge i n terms of probable jewel-
weight and volume, and wondering how Aathia
w o u l d treat h i m i f h e presented het w i t h t h e
rose-diamond a t t h e s u m m i t . A n d t h e H i g h
Council w o u l d no longer be able to view h i m as
a nouveau riche upstart, i f he was the man w h o
bought the Ponti Bridge.
They w o u l d treat h i m better; there was n o
doubt of that.
One by one, the man who called himself 'Glew
Croll' saw the jewel merchants. Each reacted in
his or her o w n way — shock, laughter, sorrow,
gloom — at the news of the spell-fatigue in the
binding of the Ponti Bridge. Each of them began
to calculate p r o f i t s a n d fame, m e n t a l l y j u d g e
and rejudge possible tenders, activate spies i n
rival jewellers' houses.
Carthus h i m s e l f t o l d no-one a n y t h i n g , n o t
even his beloved, unattainable Aathia; he locked
himself u p i n his study and wrote tenders, tore
them u p , w r o t e tenders again. T h e rest o f the
jewellers were similarly occupied.
T h e fire h a d b u t nt o u t i n the Rogues' C l u b ,
leaving but a few g l o w i n g embers in a bed of grey
ash, and dawn was p l a y i n g silver fingers across
the sky. Gloathi,s, Redcap and myself stared at
the man who called himself Stoat as he paused in
his n a r r a t i v e . T h e n h e l e a n e d b a c k o n I n s
cushion and grinned.
'So there you have it, gentleman,' he said. ' A
perfect scam, eh?'
I g l a n c e d a t G l o a t h i s a n d Redcap: I w a s
relieved to see they looked as blank as I felt.
' I ' m sorry,' said Redcap, ' I just don't see...'
Yo u don't see, eh? And you, Gloathis? Do you
see, or are your eyes covered by thick mud?'
Gloathis half-smiled. 'Well.., y o u obviously
convinced them all you were a representative of
the Enclave. H a v i n g t h e m a l l m e e t i n t h e
anteroom was an inspired idea. But what I fail to
see is the' profit i n it for you. From what you've
told them none of them w o u l d pay the money to
you — they are w a i t i n g for an open announce-
ment, a n d t h e n t o p a y t h e i r m o n e y i n t o t h e
public treasury....
Stoat raised a n eyebrow. ' Yo u t h i n k l i k e a
mug,' h e said f l a t l y. H e looked at nse, a n d I
shook m y head. ' A n d you call yourself rogues!'
Redcap looked exasperated. ' I j u s t d o n ' t see
t he profit i n it F a i r enough... you tell them the
money is going- t o the Enclave.., you've spent
your 30 g o l d coins o n r e n t i n g the offices a n d
sending the' messages. Where the' he'll does this
m i l l i o n come from?'
It was then that I realised, and stilt t eel to laugh.
m i l d feel my face going red w i t h the effort of
Living to keep it in, and I began to splutter. I was
h o l d i n g m y side's a n d r o l l i n g o n t h e f l o o r ; I
almost choked I laughed so hat d, I reached out
for Stoat, a n d t h e n beg-an t o l a u g h a g a i n . I
laughed so hard I couldn't breathe and t he whet
two (Stoat just stared on impassively) patted me
on the' back and poured water d o w n m y neck.
'Oh, priceless, priceless!' I spluttered. ' I see it all
now!' Eventually I calmed closets, a n d (feeling
weak as a newborn shrew) I crawled on my hands
and knees t o Stoat; I whispered i n his ear. He'
nodded, and I began to giggle again.
'I a m g l a d t h a t o n e ' o f y o u h a s s o m e
perception,* said Stoat. T h e n he drew his silken
robes around it s t o o d up and swept off down
the torch-lined con idors of the Lost Carnadine
Rogue's' C l u b , s , i n i s l i i t i g i n t o t h e shadows. I
stared after h i m as he left; the other t w o were
staring at me.
'What d i d h e do?' begged Redcap. ' I d o n ' t
understand!'
'Call y o u r s e l f rogues?' I asked rhetorically.
'Oh, very we'll. After the jewellers left his office
he l e t t h e m stew f o r a f e w days, l e t t i n g the'
tension b u i l d a n d b u i l d . T h e n , secretly, h e
at ranged to see each of the jewellers at different
times and in different places — probably low-life
taverns.
'And i n the tavern he w o u l d see the jeweller,
and p o i n t out the one t h i n g you — and they —
had overlooked. T h e tenders w o u l d g o t o the
Enclave via our friend; and he could arrange for
the jeweller he was t a l k i n g to — say Carthus —
to put i n the w i n n i n g tender.
For, of course, he was open to bribery!'
Gloathis slapped h i s forehead. .I'ns such an
oaf! I should have seen it! H e could easily have
collected a m i l l i o n g o l d coins' w o r t h o f bribes
from those jewellers, and then he'd vanish. T h e
jewellers c o u l d n ' t c o m p l a i n — i f the Enclave
knew they'd tried bribing someone they thought
to be an Enclave official, they'd be lucky to keep
their r i g h t a r m s , l e t a l o n e t h e i r l i v e s a n d
businesses. W h a t a perfect con.'
And t h e r e w a s silence i n t h e H a l l o f t h e
Rogues' Club: we were lost in contemplation of
the b r i l l i a n c e o f the M a n w h o Sold the Penni
Bridge.
lib Neil Gelman, co-author, w i t h K i m
Newman, o f Ghastly Beyond Belief, a
collection of the worst-ever SF quotes.
I M A G I N E ma9adne, March 1985
Another time. ..another place...
Out of the heavens a new kingdom is born
ThclAllcikk or

NATratt
MONSTERSOFTHEMARSH
David Tant E1.75
-nwl,cficlui or

THEBLACKPYRAMID
David 'rant E 1 . 7 5
* Coin-tossing game system
* Logic and intelligence rewarded
* Thousands of options but only
one sure path to success
Advanced Fantasy Gamebooks from Armada

UNICORN G A M E S
6 WOODHAM R O A D . BELLINGHAM, SE6 2SD
MAIL ORDER ONLY
CHEQUES/ PO s PAYABLE TO UNICORN GAMES
RETURNED TO YOU B Y FIRST CLASS POST "FREE
EUROPE A D D 33%CARRIAGE
OTHER OVERSEAS ADD 55./0 CARRIAGE
interzone
SEND FOR A FREE' GAMES LEAFLET

THE MAGAZINE OF
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS CALL OF GTHULHU
IMAGINATIVE FICTION
BASIC SET 5 0 9 C A L L OF CTHULHU BOXED SET 9 95
EXPERT S E T 5 0 9 S H A D O W S O F YOG-SOTHOTH 8 95
IOMPANION SET 5 0 9 G L O Z A L EST AUTHENTIQUE 6 95
DID CHARACTER SHEETS 9 5 2 F U N G I FROM YUGGOTH 8 95
54 THE LOST C I T Y 5 0 4 C T H U L H U ADVENTURES . . 2 5 t N 8 50
B5 HORROR ON T H E H I L L 5 0 4 C T H U L H U MONSTERS 2 5 M M 8 50 Quarterly E 1 . 2 5
56 THE V E I L E D SOCIETY 5 0 4
07 RAKASHIA 5 0 4 O T H E R ROLE PLAYING GAMES
BE GHOST O F L I O N CASTLE S O L 0 . 4 . 5 0 • i n t e r z o n e i s t h e o n l y British magazine specializing i n s c i e n c e
02 CASTLE AMBER 4 50 INDIANA JONES 9 50 fiction and new fantastic writing. Interzone has published:
X5 HORROR ON THE H I L L 4 50 CHILL 1 1 . 9 5
56 QUAGMIRE 4 50 STAR TREK 9 95
US LANTHANS GOLD ' 0 E 0 . 4 . 5 0 TRAVELLER STARTER EDITION 7 95
XL1 QUEST FOR THh HEARTSTONE 4 50 MIDDLE EARTH ROLE PLAYING 1 1 . 9 5
CM! T E S T OF THE WARLORDS 4 50 RUNEQUEST I I I : D E L U X E SET 3 9 . 9 5
CM2 DEATHS R I D E 4 50 RUNEQUEST III:GAMEIUSTERS S E T 2 4 . 9 5
CM3 SABRE R I V E R 4 50 RUNEQUEST I I I : P L AY E R S S E T 1 9 . 9 5
BRIAN A L D I S S M. J O H N H A R R I S O N
MI BLIZZARD PASS S O L 0 . 4 . 5 0 TERN 7 95
812 MAZE OF THE RIDDLING M I N O TA U R S O L 0 . 4 . 5 0 JAMES BOND:BASIC RULEBOOK 8 95 J.G. BALLARD GARRY K I LW O R T H
GOLDEN HERON 8 95
ADVANCED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS MARVEL SUPERHEROS 1 0 . 5 0
ANGELA CARTER MICHAEL MOORCOCK
RICHARD COWPER KEITH ROBERTS
DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE 1 0 . 9 5 PAINT SETS
PLAYERS HANDBOOK 9 95 JOHN CROWLEY JOHN SLADEK
MONSTER MANUAL 9 95 CITADEL COLOUR:PAINT S E T 1 . . ( 9 c o l o u r s ) . . . 4 . 9 5 PHILIP K. DICK BRUCE STERLING
MONSTER MANUAL I I 9 95 CITADEL COLOUR:PAINT S E T 2 . . ( 9 c o l o u r s ) . . . 4 . 9 5
FIEND F O L I O 9 95 T H O M A S M . DISCH CHERRY WILDER
DUNGEON MASTERS SCREEN 4 95 BOXED 25011 MINIATURES FROM C I TA D E L
WORD CHARACTER SHEETS 3 95
WORLD O f GREYHAWK 9 50 REGIMENTS O F RENOWN E A C H BOX.4.50
I I DWELLERS O F THE FORBIDDEN C I T Y 4 50 STARTER SET:ADVENTURERS 3 95
13 PHAROAH 4 50 STARTER SET MONSTERS 3 95
14 OASIS O F THE WHITE PALM 4 50 WHITE DWARF CHARACTERS 3 95 • " T h e most exciting development in this area of British publishing for
01(2 THE SENTINEL 5 0 4 WARRIORS O F CHAOS 3 95 over a decade." C O Limits
UK3 THE GAUNTLET 5 0 4 ATTACK OF THE M O O 3 95
UK4 WHEN A STAR FALLS 5 0 4 REDO I I 3 95
UK5 EYE OF SERIENT 5 0 4 TROGLODYTES 3 95
URN A L L THAT GLITTERS 5 0 4 LIZARD WARRIORS 3 95
WG5 MORDENKANEN'S ADVENTURE 5 0 4 ORIENTAL HERON 4 95
DL1 DRAGONS O f D E S PA I R 5 0 4
• " I n t e r z o n e is breaking new ground." Computer Talk
OL2 DRAGONS O F H.M.S. 4 50 BLKED 251,24 MINIATURES FROM GRENADIER
DL3 DRAGONS O F HOPE 5 0 4
CBI CONAN UNCHAINED 5 0 4 SKELETONS RAIDERS O F THE UNDEAD 8 50
CB2 CONAN AGAINST DARKNESS 5 0 4 MONSTERS O F MYTHOLOGY 8 50
DWARVES TROOP 5 95
WAREAMMER ORCS OF THE SEVERED HAND 5 95
DRAGON KILLERS 5 95 • I n t e r z o n e is available from specialist sf shops only, or by subscrip-
WARHAMMER BATTLE. r e v i s e d r u l e s 9 95 KNIGHTS FIGHTERS AND MEN-AT-ARMS 8 50 tion. For 4 issues, send ES (outside UK, E61 to:124 Osborne Road,
FORCES O F FANTASY 6 95 TRAVELLER:ADVENTURERS 8 50
CITADEL D I C E S E T 1 25 IMPERIAL MARINES 8 5 00 Brighton BN1 6 I U . UK. Single copies: E1.50 inc. p&p.

Please mention I M A G I N E magazine when replying t o advertisements 23

 ,) , * .
IttII
',..-.,_-_-------/ •,4#••
... -am'r11-1?;)11•9wv.-...iciositTr:f1PlOtiTillymitlamt

7.1•(Ek P\RE INA1 PEOPLE

oNit...1_SOur/a)

: fp:tovitAtc,) /-ci*o.SS Av,IIK.DS\NrEPT Li14\(»

.7Au c.AN(kri\--co* T[kE %lc) 1,PEt\r;rkiCI ScysIS

gR,E-EP OVEF: eVET:Q: z u d E ,

d\Rout\I

IQ_ - 1 * E : L I T 5 0 0 J F i q E S / 0 , Y,

F k i l E f \ l ' r q f-0;:yr\r-O71-(EI:(3/kr
compapxAczko-
••,r _ _ --- "bg
_ft V t i r P l i ' l f . ' d h o i Z41nso...
111111 / 11 - U M I C ' 1 1 4 1 1 . 1 1 9 0 1 " 1 " i i : C _ 111 " 11111 . 1 • , , - „ S i l t
-
k.N1;„,00 . •

DRAGONROAR®
T H E COMPLETE FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAME

E9.95 — E 9 . 9 5

STANTDARD MINIATURESMEDE
I VAL(25mm
Ideal for use with Cry Havoc and Siege. Scenario Book 1 with six extra
exciting scenarios for Cry Havoc, which includes invaluable conversions
chart, which enables the use of Standard Miniatures for Cry Havoc and
Siege. Send s.a.e. for catalogue of miniatures and full colour brochure
illustrating the fantastic range of wargaming accessories and unglue
strategy games.
STANDAR") GAMES USA Wargames, 1410
& PUBLICATIONS LIMITED Promenade Bank Centre,
Richardson, Texas 75080.
For FREE BROCHURE on all our products, send s.a.e. to Tel: 214 241 3425
Standard Games, Arlon House, Station Road, Kings
Langley, Herts. Tel: 09277 68328 02.95 Cassette tape (60 min). Side A, introduction to
rule book and components. Side B, solo
adventure "A Matter of Honour". Full colour
counters, wizards, warriors and monsters. Four
play sheets, 24 Character/Monster sheets, floor
plan for party adventure Kalonth Dive, set of 6
polyhedral dice and 1 mapping sheet.

24 Please mention IMAGINE magazine when replying to advertisements


GUILTY IF CAUGHT
by Flashman
, ,
•--
-
A D&D® mini-module for sheepbiters, picaroons and other sticky-fingered types.
General Introduction
Guilty If Caught is a collection of three 'jobs' suitable for one or two
thieves. The separate sections are not directly-linked parts of the same
adventure, but each is an outline of a target worthy of a skilful thief.
However, the 'mini-mini-adventures' are connected in the sense that
they are all the sort of escapades that a typical Thieves' Guild would
undertake and assign to its members for completion.
The DM will need access to copies of the DBLIXi. Basic and Expert sets,
and will find access to the Companion rules useful — in particular the
unarmed combat rules. Use of these combat rules is recommended with
Thief characters.
Where monster and NPC statistics are presented in the text they appear
in the following order:
Name: AC A r m o u r Class; HD — Hit Dice or Class & Level; hp — Hit
Points; MV — Movement Rate; # AT — Number of Attacks per round;
D — Damage caused per attack; Save as — Saving Throw equivalent;
ML — Morale Level; AL — Alignment; XP E x p e r i e n c e Point value;
WR — Wrestling Rating (see Players Companion, p7); THACO —To Hit
Armour Class Zero. This is the roll on '1 d20 to hit an opponent with AC O.
In most cases, the roll needed to hit a target can be calculated as THACO
minus target's AC.
I M A G I N E nta9atittc March 1985
_
/ 't
\
The Thieves' Guild
All three sections of this module are designed to fit into any campaign
background and provide interesting diversions for Thieves when they
are n o t opening chests f o r parties o f avaricious a n d ungrateful
adventurers. I t is assumed that the characters taking part i n t h e
adventure belong to a Thieves' Guild of some sort, comparable to other
types of organised crime cabals — something more than a simple street
gang, perhaps a formalised group such as a 'Tong' or a Mafia 'family'.
The Thieves' Guild is a base of activity for the characters, a place where
they can live, find security from the arms of the Law, hear about
potential targets and learn new skills. The most influential member of
the Guild — though not necessarily the most expert at the art of Thievery
— is the Guildmaster.
The characters involved in this series of adventures are under the
authority of the Guildmaster. He or she runs the business of the Guild,
deciding who works and where — which group of pickpockets work in
what streets a n d markets o r w h o takes part i n burglaries. T h e
Guildmaster disposes of stolen property and sees that members get a
'fair share' o f the rewards. The Guildmaster may also deal w i t h
outsiders — as in the missions detailed below. These tasks give the
Guildmaster a great deal of influence, as the only one who knows the
full details of the Guild's business.
25
 GUILTY IF CAUGHT
Experience Points
Experience p o i n t s i n t h e D8LID4 g a m e a r e u s u a l l y a w a r d e d f o r over-
coming m o n s t e r s and finding treasure. In these adventures, however,
the D M s h o u l d a l s o a w a r d X P s t o t h e character(s) i n v o l v e d i n t h e
following manner:

1. A v o i d i n g a creature should be treated in the same m a n n e r as if it

had been overcome — t h e characters should get the full XP value of
the creature involved.
2. Tr e a s u r e s with a monetary value do not give an a u t o m a t i c l gp=1XP
to the character(s). All treasure should be turned over to the Guild-
master, a n d t h e character awarded 2 5 - 5 0 % o f the value in cash
and XP (to reflect t h e problems of fencing stolen property and the
Guild's ' c u t ' ) . T h e p l a y e r s m a y t r y t o w i t h h o l d i t e m s f r o m t h e
Guildmaster (with the same chance of success as Picking Pockets),
in w h i c h case they will receive 50-75% of the value of the items. If,
however, they are caught engaging in this underhand activity, the
characters will forfeit all the money and 90% of the XP value of the
goods.
3. A t l e a s t 1 0 % o f all s t o l e n coinage s h o u l d be t u r n e d over t o t h e
Guildmaster. T h e c h a r a c t e r s r e c e i v e f u l l X P v a l u e f o r s t o l e n
money.
4. I f a crime is commissioned by the Guild or an outside contractor (as
below), t h e Thieves assigned t o t h e job w i l l receive a fee w h i c h
does conform to the 1 gp=1XP formula.

The Jobs
The three 'jobs' outlined b e l o w are suitable for one or t w o Thieves a t
most, and reflect the type of activities that Thieves are best at when not
acting as scouts and chest-openers in the w e t and cold of some dank
dungeon. The relevant special abilities that characters must use to carry
out a t a s k — and a n y modifications t o these chances — are given i n
brackets at relevant points in the text. The Guildmaster has accepted the contract, and has, in turn, chosen the
player character(s) for the job. They must break into the Margolis town
Other than vague notes, no background details are given for each of the house and administer a dose of the half-potion to Vira. If possible, t h e
targets, s o t h a t t h e y c a n b e ' d r o p p e d i n ' t o a D M ' s c a m p a i g n a s a fact t h a t s h e — a n d o n l y s h e — h a s d r u n k t h e c o m p o u n d m u s t b e
diversion f o r a n y suitable Thieves. A s far as locations are concerned, confirmed. N o evidence of the ' c r i m e ' m u s t be left, a n d n o valuables
any suitably sized t o w n or city will do, w i t h one or more (possibly rival) should be taken from the house (the DM should mention this in passing,
Thieves' G u i l d s i n existence — the City League on Pelinore w o u l d do rather than labouring the point — the Guildmaster will accept items that
nicely, although this is not specifically Pelinore material. happen to stick to any fingers).

If, o f course, a n y o f t h e c h a r a c t e r s a r e c a p t u r e d a s a r e s u l t o f t h e i r
actions i n t h e s e a d v e n t u r e s , i t i s u p t o t h e D M t o d e t e r m i n e t h e i r
chances o f escape, t h e d e t a i l s o f a n y t r i a l s a n d t h e p u n i s h m e n t s
(summary o r o t h e r w i s e ) v i s i t e d u p o n t h e m . S e e L a w a n d O r d e r,
IMAGINE magazine #19 for further ideas.
1. Love, Love, Love — and Money
This adventure outline is for low-level Thieves, certainly no more than 3
levels in total, and no individual character of greater than 2 n d level.
Introduction
Vira M a r g o l i s is seventeen years old and an o r p h a n — a sad state of
affairs, made even sadder by the fact that it is her responsibility to look
after her younger relatives. W h a t makes her burden easier to bear is the
fact that s h e i s h e i r to t h e not-inconsiderable fortune that h e r father,
Hericuis, accumulated during his years as Chief Magistrate.
Naturally, Vi r a i s a h i g h l y desirable young lady, although t h i s is m o r e
because o f h e r f i n a n c i a l a s s e t s t h a n f o r h e r o w n i n n a t e c h a r m a n d
beauty. H o w e v e r, Vira is at least intelligent enough to realise this, and
treats all h e r suitors to the same degree of studied indifference.
One o f t h e s e , P i l o r G r e w n , i s i n s o m e t h i n g o f a q u a n d a r y. H e h a s
nothing to recommend him as a husband to Vira, except for an ability to
spend money — to date nearly all the fortune his father gave him to stay
away from the G r e w n estates. He has, however, invested in a two-part
potion w h i c h , so the travelling apothecary claimed, w i l l cause anyone
w h o i m b i b e s b o t h p a r t s t o b e s m i t t e n w i t h love. P i l o r G r e w n ' s o n l y
problem is the method of administering the potion to Vira, the owner of
the money of he desires, w i t h o u t anyone knowing.
Pilor G r e w n h a s h i t upon w h a t he believes to be a clever and original
scheme. By paying the Thieves' Guild to ensure that the first half of the
potion is given only to Vira, he can then invite the girl to a banquet and
safely add the second element to everybody's food. Only Vira w i l l feel
the effects, and her hand — and money — w i l l be his!
26
The Guildmaster will supply the character(s) w i t h the half-potion (in a
small glass vial) and a n y thieves' tools they require, i n c l u d i n g t i g e r ' s
claws (see A p p e n d i x ) . The characters have one week to complete the
job, and will be paid 200gp each.
On the Night In Question....
This a d v e n t u r e u s e s t h e m a p m a r k e d T h e T o w n H o u s e , w h i c h
represents the home of the Margolis family and their servants. The exact
location of this building is left to the DM, but it should be in a reasonably
prosperous M e r c h a n t s ' Quarter, o r n e a r the legal a n d administrative
centre of the town. It is also assumed that the characters will attempt to
break into the house sometime during t h e night. The D M s h o u l d feel
quite j u s t i f i e d i n s t a c k i n g t h e o d d s a g a i n s t a n y c h a r a c t e r s f o o l i s h
enough to try a raid in broad daylight, particularly after it has been made
clear to them just h o w busy the streets of this area are.
The house itself is built o f good quality stone, a n d is set slightly back
from the street. A large, florid description above the front door declares
the o w n e r s h i p o f t h e h o u s e , a n d i n c l u d e s t h e f a m i l y m o t t o : Tr u t h ,
Justice, Revenge!.
The g r o u n d floor w i n d o w s are barred, a n d have iron s h u t t e r s on t h e
inside — H e r i c u i s w a s n e v e r a M a g i s t r a t e t o be s w a y e d b y p o p u l a r
opinion. All the w i n d o w s have simple locks (+5% Open Locks). The bars
are set so closely that only a character whose average of Strength and
Constitution are less his or her Dexterity can slip between them.
The walls of the yards and garden are 10' high. The doors in those walls
have strong bolts (Remove Traps to shoot the bolts), but no locks.
The external doors o f the h o u s e (marked w i t h a 1 o n t h e m a p ) h a v e
strong locks (-10% Open Locks) a n d i r o n bolts, t o p a n d b o t t o m (-5%
Remove Traps t o s h o c t these bolts f r o m outside). T h e o t h e r external
doors into the stables and washhouse do not have locks. The DM should
note that the streets around the house are never really empty, even in
the dead of night, and any attempt to break into the house from the street
will be spotted unless t h e character(s) Hide i n S h a d o w s at t h e s a m e
time. If the characters are spotted, the Watch will be called (see below).
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985

Upstairs windows which Hericuis judged to be vulnerable to the mob are
defended i n a s i m i l a r m a n n e r t o t h J s e d o w n s t a i r s . H o w e v e r, t h e
w i n d o w s w h i c h overlook the garden and yards do not have locks and
have only wooden shutters. It w o u l d be a comparatively simple matter to
climb onto one of the lower roof sections and, from there, into the house.
The internal doors of the house have very simple identical locks o n e
design of key opens them all, but only Vira's door (Vira occupies the front
bedroom overlooking t h e garden) and those downstairs are locked at
night. Once a character has successfully used his Open Lock ability (at
+15%) on one of the door locks all subsequent attempts are at +50%.
The house is richly furnished (on average there are 1 - 4 small items —
candlesticks, statuettes, mirrors, treen and the like — w o r t h 1 0 - 6 0 g p
each in every room), although with little evidence of good taste. Hericuis
did h a v e a f a n c y f o r barbarian w o r k m a n s h i p , especially s w o r d s a n d
armour. Vi r t u a l l y every room (except Vira's bedroom and the nursery)
has examples h a n g i n g o n the walls: daggers, swords, axes, helmets.
These are w o r t h t w i c e the list prices given in the rule books.
In t h e s t u d y i s a l a r g e c o ff e r (-5% O p e n Locks), c o n t a i n i n g Hericuis'
magisterial papers and documents, and a purse of 200gp. Hidden in a
c o m p a r t m e n t in the left side of the coffer is a small book which contains
a coded list. The c o m p a r t m e n t has a poison needle i n t h e lid (save vs
poison or be paralysed for 1-6 turns). The list gives the names of all those
w h o bribed Hericuis for favourable decisions while he was a Magistrate.
The characters will be unable to read this w i t h o u t magical assistance.
Corjise keeps a s m a l l bag of mixed coins (10-20gp w o r t h ) in his room
(the butler's room) as the staff wages. He also has a set of Thieves' Tools
— a m e m e n t o of his younger days.
Vira has a small jewellery case in her bedroom, w h i c h contains several
fine pieces: a pearl necklace (worth 700gp), an inlaid brooch of silver and
jet (worth 200gp), a ceremonial dagger (worth 150gp) and a gold torc of
dwarven make (worth 300gp). The lock on the case is broken.
In all, there are 1 8 m e m b e r s of the Margolis household, including the
servants. During daylight hours most rooms of the house are occupied,
either by a member of the family or by w o r k i n g servants. Vira generally
'entertains' her suitors and other callers during the afternoon and early
evening in the great hall, dining room and drawing room. The children
(Vira's younger brothers) are usually kept in the nursery with one of the
female s t a ff , o r a l l o w e d t o p l a y i n t h e kitchen. Stabbis, Vi r a ' s h a l f -
brother, spends much of his time in the study and library.
If the house is entered during the day, the following encounter table to
reflect the difficulties o f the Thieves remaining undetected:
Daytime encounters
1 in 6* chance of encounter per round (roll every round):
Die Roll E n c o u n t e r (see below for details of characters)
1-7 1 - 2 Female servants
8 M a l e Servant
9 C o r p s e the butler
10 M e e r c i and Norres (70°/0), Stabbis (20%) or Vira plus 1-3
suitors (10%)
*If the Thieves do not Move Silently increase this chance to 2 in 6 while they
remain within the house. If they are discovered the alarm will be raised one
round later, and the Watch will be called unless the involved NPCs are subdued
in some manner.
After m i d n i g h t the house is m u c h quieter, Only the servant's hall and
dormitory, the butler's room, nursery, the bedroom next to the nursery
(by Stabbis) and Vira's bedroom are occupied. All but one of the female
servants occupy the dormitory, the other sleeps w i t h Corjise. The male
servants sleep in the servants' hall — a security measure from Hericuis'
days. Downstairs doors are always locked by Corpse and he locks many
(50% chance for any particular door) of those upstairs as well.
Vira tends to retire early, and she is a heavy sleeper (+30% Move Silently
in or near her bedroom). Her door is always locked. She does, however,
always wake around dawn, so a light breakfast of cheese, bread, honey,
a smoked sausage or two, fruit, oatcakes and a flagon o f small beer is
laid out in her room. If the Thieves can reach her bedroom it is a simple
matter to add the half-potion they have been given to the flagon.
Quietly m o v i n g a b o u t t h e h o u s e w i l l n o t arouse anyone, u n l e s s t h e
wrong bedroom is entered. The sound of fighting will, of course, attract
attention. The characters should still have to Move Silently, but only a
roll o f 9 0 % + i n d i c a t e s a n y u n t o w a r d noise. I n t h e s e c i r c u m s t a n c e s
Stabbis or Corjise w i l l investigate t h e noise. A g a i n , t h e alarm w i l l be
raise 1 r o u n d after any intruders are discovered.
I M A G I N E ma9aziste, March 1585
GUILTY IF CAUGHT
Vira; AC 9; HD 1; hp 5; M V 120' (40'); PAT 1; D by weapon; Save as NM;
ML 7; A L N; XP 10; W R 1 0 ; THACO 20; n o r m a l l y u n a r m e d , b u t 3 0 %
carries a ceremonial dagger (D1-4).
M e e r c i , Norres: AC 9; HD 1; hp 2; M V 120' (40'); PAT nil; D nil, Save as
NM; ML 6; A L N; XP 10; WR n / a ; THACO n / a ; the children will only raise
the a l a r m 2 5 % o f t h e time, a s t h e y w i l l regard t h e i n t r u s i o n b y t h e
characters as a tremendous game.
Stabbis: A C 8; Fighter 3; h p 14; M V 1 2 0 ' (40'); PAT 1, D by weapon;
Save as F3; M L 9; A L L , XP 35; WR 13; THACO 19, S 16 (+2), 113, W 12,
C 10, D 1 3 (+1), Ch 14; normally carries b o d k i n (dagger) +2, also has a
l o n g s w o r d +1 in his bedroom, or uses random weapon and shield taken
from w a l l displays.
Corjise t h e b u t l e r : A C 6; Thief 4; h p 15; M V 1 2 0 ' (40'); P A T 1; D by
weapon; Save as T4; M L 9; A L N; XP 75; WR 13, THACO 19; S 1 6 (+2),
113, W 10, C 10, D 1 8 (+3), Ch 12; normally unarmed, but will carry a
longsword w h e n investigating any noises.
7 female servants: AC 9; HD 1; hp 3; M V 120' (40'); PAT 1; D by weapon,
Save as NM; M L 5; A L L ; XP 10; WR 10; THACO 20; normally unarmed,
but will use whatever weapons come to hand at a pinch.
5 male servants: AC 9; HD 1; hp 6; M V 120' (40'); A T 1; D by weapon;
Save as NM; M L 7; A L L ; XP 10; WR 10; THACO 20; normally unarmed,
but have access to shortswords and daggers.
A Wa t c h patrol, 5 constables: AC 5; Fighter 2; hp 10 each; M V 90' (30'),
PAT 1; D by weapon; Save as F2; M L 9; A L L ; XP 20 each; WR 6; THACO
19; t h e c o n s t a b l e s a r e a r m e d w i t h w o o d e n b a t o n s ( D 1 - 3 ) a n d
longswords (D1-8). They will arrive 1d8+3 rounds after the alarm h a s
been raised by any members of the household, but will not give chase —
their duties are to protect property rather than apprehend criminals,
It is left to the DM to determine the final outcome of this adventure. Does
the potion work? Is i t actually a fraud? Does Pilor G r e w n m a n a g e t o
administer the second half? Does Vira become enamoured of him? And,
if a l l h i s p l o t t i n g s a r e successful, d o e s P i l o r G r e w n t a k e s s t e p s t o
eliminate those w h o k n o w of his machinations?
2. The Merest Scrap of Paper
This section o f the module is for one or t w o 4 t h - 6 t h level characters.
Other characters may be used, but the DM should adjust the severity of
encounters a n d t h e d i ff i c u l t y o f u s i n g special a b i l i t i e s t o r e f l e c t t h e
varying skills of the character(s) involved.
Introduction
Two years ago Cleren Gyris issued a guaranteed note of credit against
the loss of the Pelican, a small river and coastal trader. Cleren was paid
6,000gp, and in r e t u r n he promised to pay 4 0 , 0 0 0 g p of the 4 5 , 0 0 0 g p
value of the ship should it be lost. Foolishly, Cleren did not re-insure the
risk, preferring to keep all the money for himself.
Word has reached Cleren that the Pelican sank a m o n t h ago. This is not
yet public knowledge — if it were, Cleren w o u l d have to pay up, w h i c h
poses s o m e t h i n g o f a problem a t t h e m o m e n t . C l e r e n h a s l e s s t h a n
3,000gp to his name, the rest of his fortune being invested in a variety of
risky business ventures. If he n o w has to pay off the note on the Pelican,
he will be ruined.
Cleren has decided to seek professional help. The note w i l l have to be
'borrowed' from its current owner, Ven Jharbulus, at least until Cleren
has enough money to pay it off properly....
Under the guise of an ordinary burglary, the character(s) must break into
Ven Jharbulus' riverside residence and warehouse and remove the note
from t h e office strongbox. They m u s t also take a r a n d o m selection o f
other papers, and any valuables they feel it would be p r u d e n t to take.
The Guildmaster has arranged fees of 500gp, but any stolen items must
be surrendered at the end of the job for proper disposal.
Breaking & Entering
Ven J h a r b u l u s ' house (see The Wa r e h o u s e map) should be placed i n
either a Merchants' Quarter or a prosperous docklands area. The house
is extremely grand with an imposing frontage that is, in itself, a discrete
advertisement f o r J h a r b u l u s ' success a s a t r a d e r, especially a s t h e
surrounding b u i l d i n g s a r e p u r e l y commercial — w e l l c a r e d f o r, b u t
uninspiring. The crest of a Master of the Merchant Adventurers Guild is
prominently carved above every gateway and door.
The b u i l d i n g h a s t w o d i s t i n c t halves. T h e r i v e r s i d e e n d i s p u r e l y
commercial, with a quay, a small dock, storerooms for a variety of goods
(chiefly r a r e h e r b s and spices at the moment) and offices. T h e s e a r e
functional a n d disorganised, b u t s c r u p u l o u s l y t i d y. T h e f r o n t , b u i l t
27
 CAUGHT

KEY THEWAREFOLI3E
M(,1cH
—
=
7=-1-
• • • • E:=3 M E N D O O R ••=7;

OM 5 ma 5ECRET DOOR
void over
non o n o MAGICALLY pool
LOCKEDDOOR
1
1=) D O O R WITB
LOCKRATING
—
1111 • • • was G A T E W A Y

Is'11'1
,i01
,1 5tore

t)11?1F Iht15
111=11•=1111111 I N I N D O W 5

• • •
PILLARS
TRAPDOORS
FT-1)Fs-5I 5ECRETTRAPDOOR5
room/
1 sifting ho I
T R A P D C U V I O 5EWER
[]c v l g 1 I tt2lny

TETFP 5TAt R5 • v o i d over

pool
valummininisGARDEN/YARDWALL 02 2 a b a l c o n y
office
void over
bo kOny
0 2 0 1 - 0 GO 8 0 1 FS-01 Co uri-50
FEET upid
upper over
shore upper L ' P P e r 5tabie5
$tore s t o r e
5 *L3 O . )3t, h a y l o f t -

61•0')•qcerif bolldiny5
Littifi/i/tc,
•
alleyway - •

28
198$
 GUILTY IF CAUGHT

IRETOWN Hal3E
baled coot'5

„esh
qcvoie 11 C
15etuantb'
bal's dorm,
room cfress-
09
r0om
- tfdroom
0 dre59-
01gm
r
11$ sesirt :oher:;)

down
Void above
great haft
bcdcany

nur.5ely

GRoLINDFLODR FIR5TFLOOR

TTIETOWER 9c BAK1115

29
I M A G I N E magazine, Ntazdt 1985

a r o u n d a s m a l l courtyard, could be any small m a n o r house. The rooms
here are outfitted i n a rich, but subdued, m a n n e r. There are almost no
valuable items on display: the wealth of y e n J h a r b u l u s is expressed in
the quality of the furnishings, wall panelling, tapestries and the like; all
of magnificent workmanship. His valuables are kept in two strong boxes
in t h e offices on the first and second floors of the warehouse. There is,
however, n o indication of the real source of y e n Jharbulus' fortune —
he is a fence for the Guild of River Thieves, a completely autonomous
Thieves' Guild. Cleren Gyris, the Guildmaster and the player character(s)
should be u n a w a r e of Jharbulus' dual role.
The house is w e l l protected against thieves a s might be expected of
one so intimately connected w i t h them. The ground floor w i n d o w s are
barred and locked (-10% Open Locks), w i t h gaps of less than 4 inches
between each bar. External and internal doors marked (1) have strong,
complex locks (-25% Open Locks), w h i l e t h o s e marked w i t h a (2) are
even b e t t e r protected ( - 3 0 % O p e n Locks). T h e o r d i n a r y doors i n t h e
house are only shut and locked 50% of the time, and have compartively
simple m e c h a n i s m s (-5% Open Locks). First and second floor w i n d o w s
are not barred, but do have locks (-10% Open Locks).
The g a t e s h a v e f a i r l y simple, b u t v e r y heavy, p a d l o c k s ( - 1 0 % O p e n
Locks). The only exception to this is the watergate, w h i c h can o n l y be
raised a n d l o w e r e d f r o m a b o v e t h e p o o l c l e r k ' s c h a m b e r — a s t h e
mechanism is never greased and makes a terrible noise when in use this
is not regarded as m u c h of a risk.
The secret doors do not have locks, their secrecy being judged sufficient
security. The secret door that opens onto the roof is the method by which
the R i v e r T h i e v e s e n t e r t h e h o u s e , a f t e r c l i m b i n g a c r o s s f r o m t h e
adjacent b u i l d i n g s . T h e d o o r b e t w e e n t h e s t o r e a n d t h e r e s t o f t h e
second floor i s always kept locked. Ve n J h a r b u l us stores some stolen
property i n t h i s room, b u t u s u a l l y moves a s m a n y goods as possible
down to the secret upper store (a) — a room w h i c h he believes the River
Thieves do not k n o w about.
A section o f the t o w n ' s old s e w e r s r u n s beneath t h e house. These 4 '
diameter pipes are in a poor state of repair and the DM should assume
they have collapsed at points just beyond the edge of the map, making
them impassable. H o w e v e r, t h i s section o f the system can be entered
just above river water level, say from a small boat. The stone flags which
form m a n h o l e covers down into the system may be lifted from beneath
by a Strength ability check — but unless a Move Silently roll is also made
the noise w i l l attract a m e m b e r of the household.
30
Entering d u r i n g t h e day is u n w i s e , even f o r invisible characters. T h e
w a r e h o u s e is busy from dawn to dusk, and the office is never left empty
until it is locked at the end of the day's business. At the front of the house
the domestic s t a ff spend m o s t o f the d a y cleaning a n d tidying. I f an
attempt i s m a d e t o e n t e r t h e h o u s e d u r i n g t h e day, t h e character(s)
involved m u s t M o v e S i l e n t l y (+5%) e v e r y r o u n d t o b l e n d i n t o t h e
background and avoid notice. Failure will result in a s w i f t beating (1-10
points of damage, Charisma reduced by 1-3 points until wounds healed)
from the warehouse guards if the character is caught, but little else.
It is, of course, possible for disguised characters to enter the house on
the pretext o f being traders, w h i c h w i l l g i v e t h e m a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o
discover t h e b a s i c l a y o u t o f t h e c o m m e r c i a l p a r t o f t h e b u i l d i n g .
Naturally, this does not include the presence of the upper store (a) or any
of t h e s e c r e t d o o r s . A n I n t e l l i g e n c e a b i l i t y c h e c k i s r e q u i r e d t o
successfully manage this deception.
Entering at n i g h t is a safer proposition, and the character(s) w i l l have
little trouble in climbing to the roof of one of the adjacent buildings and
from t h e r e o n t o t h e h o u s e proper. O n c e o n t h e r o o f t h e character(s)
should make M o v e Silently and Hide in S h a d o w s rolls every round to
avoid d e t e c t i o n , a l t h o u g h o n l y a s i m u l t a n e o u s f a i l u r e o f b o t h w i l l
indicate that they have been spotted.
At night only the front half of the house and the guardroom are normally
occupied. T h e domestic servants sleep i n t h e servants' h a l l a n d t h e
kitchen (Birtle only), w h i l e the dockhands and waggon drivers occupy
the non-domestic servants' hall next to the stables. M o s t nights (4 in 6
chance) Ven J h a r b u l u s sleeps in the back bedroom, w h i l e his c u r r e n t
mistress occupies t h e l a r g e bedroom. T h e offices a n d s t o r e s o f t h e
building are normally empty and locked.
6 s e r v i n g g i r l s : A C 9; H D 1; h p 2 each; M V 1 2 0 ' (40'); # A T 1; D b y
weapon; Save as N M ; M L 5; A L N X P 1 0 each; WR 10; THACO 20; the
girls will avoid any intruders and attempt to raise the alarm. If cornered,
they w i l l f i g h t w i t h w h a t e v e r kitchen knives (D1-4) a n d t h e like t h a t
come to hand.
Birtle, t h e c o o k : AC 7 or 6; Fighter 5; hp 45; M V 60' (20'); # AT 1; D b y
weapon; Save as F5; ML 12; AL N ; XP 175; WR 14; THACO 16; S 16 (+2),
114, W 13, C 18 (+3), D 16 (+2), Ch 10; Jharbulus' ex-enforcer, w h o was
given her current position after losing a leg in a sailing accident. Birtle is
still a capable fighter, and keeps her l o n g s w o r d +2 and shield +1 i n the
kitchen and w e l l oiled. Birtle w i l l arm herself before investigating any
noise, and is surprised only on a roll of 1 ( w i t h a d8).
6 d o c k h a n d s / w a g g o n drivers: A C 7; Fighter 2; hp 1 0 each; M V 1 2 0 '
(40'); # AT 1; D 1 - 6 (shortswords); Save as F2; M L 7; A L N; XP 20 each;
WR 8; THACO 19; these men have learned that it is better to k n o w little
of w h a t i s going on, b u t t h e y w i l l f i g h t i f t h e i r sleeping q u a r t e r s a r e
disturbed.
3 w a r e h o u s e guards: AC 5; Fighter 3; h p 13 each; M V 90' (30'); # AT 1;
D by weapon; Save as F3; M L 9; A L C; XP 35; WR 7; THACO 19; armed
w i t h shortswords (D1-6) and blackjacks (D1-2, see Players C o m p a n i o n ,
p5 for extra effects). They are responsible for the security of the stores
and the quay and will investigate any strange noises. There is also a 1 i n
12 chance per turn that one of the guards will decide to wander around
the pool, checking the locks on the stores and the office as he does so.
M i s t r e s s Ash: AC 5; Thief 5; hp 18; M V 120' (40'); # AT 1; D by weapon;
Save as T5; M L 8; A L C; XP 175; WR 9; T H A C 0 1 7 ; S 1 2 , 11 3 , W 13, C 14
(+1), D 17 (+2), Ch 1 8; ring of protection +2, ring of human control,
dagger +2; A s h h a s been placed i n t h e J h a r b u l u s h o u s e h o l d b y t h e
Guild of River Thieves to keep an eye on him. I f encountered, she will
pretend to be no more than a r a t h e r vacant (but very attractive) young
woman, and w i l l not reveal her talents as a thief unless she has to.
Few people in the house stir after midnight, save for J h a r b u l u s w h e n
there a r e n o c t u r n a l v i s i t s f r o m t h e R i v e r T h i e v e s ' G u i l d . O n a n y
particular night there is a 15% chance that a group of River Thieves will
be in the house, dealing w i t h Jharbulus. They will have entered across
the roof w i t h t h e i r ill-gotten gains and the second floor office a n d the
stores next to it will be in use by Jharbulus and his partners in crime.
Otherwise, J h a r b u l u s w i l l be asleep in his room. He is a v e r y nervous
sleeper, thanks to his association w i t h cut-throats. A n y noise in either
office will wake him, and he will take 1 r o u n d to select a weapon before
investigating. Given the chance he will alert the entire household.
Ven J h a r b u l u s : AC 8; Elf 4; hp 16; M V 1 2 0 ' (40'); # AT 1; D by weapon;
Save as E4; ML 4; AL N; XP 125; WR 12; THACO 16; S 14 (+1), I 15, W 14,
C 12, D 14 (+1), Ch 16; spells — c h a r m person, shield, ESP, web; armed
with longsword +2, dagger +1 (+2 vs Thieves). Ven Jha rbu I us is some-
thing o f a c o w a r d , a n d e s p e c i a l l y a f r a i d o f a s s a s s i n a t i o n b y h i s
'colleagues'. He will use his spells in preference to involving h i m s e l f in
physical combat.
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
 GUILTY IF CAUGHT
2 - 4 River Thieves: AC 5; Thief 4; hp 14 each M V 120' (40'); (,(AT 1; D by The To w e r
weapon; Save as T4; MI_ 9; AL C; XP 75 each, WA 9; THACO 19; S Ave; D
16 (+2); a r m e d w i t h s h o r t s w o r d s (D1-6) and d a g g e r s +1. O n e o f t h e The Tower should be located in a ruined section of a t o w n or city, or in a
thieves h a s a p a i r o f t i g e r ' s c l a w s i n h i s pouch, a n d a n o t h e r h a s a marshy area beyond a t o w n . The area chosen should be o n e w i t h an
helping h a n d (see Appendix). uneasy reputation.

Cleren Gyris' promissory note is held in the strongbox in the first floor
office. T h i s strongbox has a simple lock (+5% Open Locks), and along
with C l e r e n ' s p a p e r a r e d o c u m e n t s r e l a t i n g t o J h a r b u l u s ' n o r m a l
business — w a r e h o u s e lists, ships' manifests, letters and the like. O n
top of the papers is a bag containing the wages for the next month, some
400gp in mixed coins.
All the papers relating to his other business are in the office above, in a
much more formidable iron box (-2.(r/0 Open Locks) which is also trapped
(-5% Find Traps, - 1 0 % Remove Traps) to release a cloud of poisonous
fungal spores into the air — save vs poison or suffer the equivalent of a
cause disease spell, success indicates t h a t the victim i s blinded u n t i l
cure blindness is cast upon him or her. These papers are a full record of
all J h a r b u l u s ' criminal activities — names, dates, times, items and their
sources, cash paid and received. T h e box also contains the valuables
that Ven J h a r b u l u s has received and not yet sold or broken up for their
material value. These are four gold candlesticks (worth 2 5 0 g p each), a
silver inlaid goblet (100gp), a necklace of garnets (300gp), sixteen gold
and silver forks (25gp each), a n e n a m e l clasp (150gp), a silver inlaid
ha ndmirror ( w o r t h 5 0 g p ) a n d a c a s e o f collapsible s i l v e r f i e l d c u p s
(worth 200gp). All these are traceable since they contain family crests or
personal symbols worked into the designs.
Larger stolen items f u r n i t u r e , paintings, weaponry, a r m o u r and the
like — are stored in upper store (a). y e n Jharbulus does not know of its
true p o w e r s , b u t o n e o f t h e s w o r d s t h a t h e c u r r e n t l y h o l d s i s a n
intelligent neutral l o n g s w o r d +3 (Int 17, Ego 10, d e t e c t magic, d e t e c t
g o o d / e v i l , flying, speaks griffon, faerie and local Thieves' Cant) which
has remained silent for fear of its fate.
Extending the Adventure
What i s t h e attitude o f the River Thieves to m e m b e r s o f a rival G u i l d
entering a major centre of their operations? Do they take steps to recover
their s p o i l s o r r e v e n g e J h a r b u l u s ' loss? W h a t i s t h e a t t i t u d e o f t h e
Guildmaster to this rival Guild? Does he send the player characters Out
to start a gangland war?
The To w e r itself is a m y s t e r i o u s structure, constructed o f a d a r k red
stone, w h i c h has been vitrified, smoothed and polished to a glass-like
sheen. A l w a y s cold to the touch, and greasy w i t h moisture, t h e stone
presents a v e r y slippery surface, w h i c h w o u l d t e s t e v e n t h e f i n e s t
climber (-40% Climb Walls). The w i n d o w s of the Tower are, for the most
part, n a r r o w, s i m p l e openings in t h e wall, a n d have n e i t h e r glass o r
bars. The libraries, great hall and the third level have stained glass to
provide s o m e m e a s u r e o f protection a g a i n s t t h e elements, b u t n o n e
have locks or other means of protection.
The doors of the To w e r are constructed of thinner panels of the same
stone of the building. These doors are thick enough to muffle all sounds,
but they can just be seen through if the light source is on the other side
of the door — moving patches of f a i n t s h a d o w and reddish light. T h e
doors do not possess locks, and swing easily on their hinges, unless they
are m a g i c a l l y protected. D o o r s m a r k e d w i t h a l i g h t n i n g f l a s h h a v e a
w i z a r d lock cast upon them. Doors marked with a lightning flash a n d a
(2) have a m a g e l o c k (see A p p e n d i x ) cast upon t h e m . T h i s spell w i l l
allow only a person w e a r i n g a deep red robe to pass through. Bak'leis
and all his students (see below) have such robes, inscribed with Bak'leis'
monogram. Thief skills are useless against such magical protections.
The f u r n i s h i n g s of the building are spartan — wooden benches, trestle
tables, s t r a w - s t u ff e d mattresses i n t h e s t u d e n t s ' cells, h a r d w o o d e n
stools. There are no decorations of any kind. The only rooms on w h i c h
care and attention have been lavished are the libraries, the workroom,
the study, and the conjuration chamber. W h i l e not comfortable, these
rooms are packed w i t h tomes, books, grimoires, magical impedimentia,
worktables a n d spell materials, i n c l u d i n g parts o f one o r t w o bodies,
carefully p r e s e r v e d i n l a r g e g l a s s j a r s . T h e v e s t i b u l e i s a n o t h e r
exception. It is piled high w i t h mouldering goods — gifts from ordinary
folk attempting to placate or bribe Bak'leis and his followers.

3. Professional Rivalry
This section is designed for a mid-level t h i e f character c e r t a i n l y no
higher than 9th level. As well as being the type of spying mission that a
Thieves' Guild would undertake, this job is also suitable as the object of
a geas bespelled Thief. The DM will find a copy of the Companion Set is a
considerable aid in r u n n i n g this section.

Introduction
The To w e r of Bak'leis has been a centre of magic since before anyone
can r e m e m b e r. Bak'leis is a wizard of considerable power, a fact that
allows him to distance himself from f e l l o w magicians. Bak'leis ignores
them, teaching his sorcery only to those he considers w o r t h y enough.
Other m a g e s , f o r t h e i r part, d i s m i s s h i m a s a charlatan, o n e barely
entitled to use the word 'wizardry' — and certainly not proficient enough
to be considered for membership of the Brotherhood of Prestidigitators.

The exception to t h i s is S ' J M e e the Hungry, First of the Brotherhood.

She knows Bak'leis may one day be powerful enough to challenge her,
so he must be monitored (spying is beneath the dignity of a true Mage),
and, if necessary, stopped before he goes too far. The first requirement
is to w a t c h Bak'leis, and for that the services of a Thief are required.

Whether t h e p l a y e r c h a r a c t e r b e c o m e s i n v o l v e d t h r o u g h t h e G u i l d
accepting a contract or as a result of a geas, the task is q u i t e simple (in
principle). T h e To w e r o f B a k ' l e i s m u s t b e e n t e r e d a n d a n u m b e r o f
w a t c h e r ' s eyes (see A p p e n d i x ) positioned at strategic points so that the
wizard can be properly monitored. Ideally, one Eye should be positioned
in each of the following, although any three eyes in place will suffice: the
Libraries (2nd and 4 t h levels), Bak'leis' workroom (4th level), Bak'leis'
study (4th level) and the Conjuration Chamber (5th level).

If the Thief has been assigned this task by the Guild, his or her fee should
be t h a t t h e Brotherhood w i l l cast any one spell o f b e l o w 6th level on
request. If this task is as the result of a geas, the Thief should be made to
realise that he or she is lucky to have escaped so lightly a l t h o u g h the
DM can increase the r e w a r d to a small magic item or a treasure map.
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985 31
GUILTY IF CAUGHT
To enter, the Thief must climb up the outside and in through one of the
w i n d o w s (attempting to get in through the vestibule is pointless t h e
inner door is m a g e locked). O n c e inside, t h e only w a y to move about
freely is t o obtain a r o b e — m a n y doorways cannot be passed by any
other method. O f course, t h e Thief can a l w a y s take the riskier path of
climbing r o u n d the outside of the Tower.
Bak'leis and his students take little notice of the world outside. Between
midday and dusk the work of the tower is unceasing B a k ' l e i s labours
in his study and workroom, w h i l e l o w e r magicians carry out mundane
tasks in the kitchen, storerooms and halls c o o k i n g , sorting, cleaning
and endlessly polishing. A t night, until midnight, everyone sleeps, and
then for t h r e e or four hours Bak'leis teaches, casts spells and imparts
knowledge in the conjuration chamber. Before dawn, usually exhausted
by their magical labours, all return to their cells and sleep. A t midday the
strange routine starts once more.
Because of this routine, the DM should roll for encounters every round
that the Thief is within the Tower during a period of wakefulness, a 1 (on
1d6) indicating that an encounter has taken place. During a sleep period
only a failed M o v e Silently roll w i l l cause one of the following to wake,
and o n l y t h e n i f the the character is in one of the cells or the kitchen
(where the pupils sleep).
Die Roll
(1d12) Encounter
1-3 Student (see below)
4-10 Apprentice (see below)
11-12 Pupil (see below)
Appendix
NEW EQUIPMENT N E W EQUIPMENT N E W EQUIPMENT N E W EQUIPMENT
Tiger's Claws
These specially modified gauntlets are designed as an aid to climbing
sheer surfaces. The palm of each glove has several short steel barbs,
w h i l e longer steel claws extend between the fingers. W h e n wearing
a pair of these gloves a Thief gains +10% to his chance of Climbing
Walls, but suffers a -5% penalty if trying to Move Silently at the same
time. W h i l e w e a r i n g t i g e r ' s c l a w s a T h i e f c a n n o t m a n i p u l a t e a n y
other objects, but the claws can be used as a melee weapon w h i c h
causes 1 d 4 points of damage. Tiger's claws cost 45gp.
NEW SPELL N E W SPELL N E W SPELL N E W SPELL N E W SPELL N E W SPELL
Mage Lock
Third Level Magic User Spell
Range: 1 0 '
Duration: Permanent
Effect: O n e portal or lock
This spell is a more powerful and flexible version of wizard lock (2nd
level M U spell). The effects of the spell last forever unless dispelled.
A lock or portal held by a m a g e lock will only be opened by a k n o c k
spell 2 5 % of the time, a l t h o u g h it can be opened by a m a g i c - u s i n g
creature of 3 or more Levels (Or Hit Dice) greater than the caster. In
this case it w i l l relock w h e n allowed to close.
The conditions u n d e r w h i c h a m a g e locked d o o r w i l l open can be
varied to include other situations than the caster of the spell opening
the d o o r. F o r e x a m p l e , i t c a n b e c a s t i n s u c h a m a n n e r t h a t a
particular key w h i c h m u s t be positioned in the lock at the time of
casting i s required to open the lock, but it need not be turned by the
caster. Even an apparently identical copy will not work. Alternatively,
the spell can be cast to include m u c h m o r e general parameters, so
that a door w i l l o n l y open t o s o m e o n e (not necessarily the caster)
w h o is w e a r i n g a p a r t i c u l a r colour of robe, type of amulet, or is of a
particular race or sex.
The p a r a m e t e r s m u s t n o t b e c o m p l e x , a n d c a n n o t i n c l u d e t w o
conditions — 'open for f e m a l e green robe wearers' is not allowed,
but ' o p e n f o r f e m a l e s ' o r ' o p e n f o r g r e e n r o b e w e a r e r s ' a r e
permissible.
32
Bak'leis: A C 2 ; M a g i c U s e r 1 4 ; h p 3 0 ; M V 1 2 0 ' (40'); # A T 1; D b y
weapon; Save as M U 1 4 ; M L 8; A L N; XP 2300; WR 11; THACO 11; S 12,
118, W 16, C 1 2 , D 1 6 (+2), Ch 10; d a g g e r +2, r i n g o f p r o t e c t i o n +3,
displacer cloak, wand of illusion (5 charges), ring of spell storing
(animate dead, speak with the dead, raise dead — all clerical spells);
Spells normally memorised — charm person, shield, sleep, protection
from evil, continual darkness, detect invisible, levitate, phantasmal
force, dispel magic (x3), lightning bolt, charm monster, polymorph
others, polymorph self, wizard eye, cloudkill, conjure elemental, hold
m o n s t e r, a n t i - m a g i c shell, geas. His spell books contain all spells of 5th
level and below, including m a g e lock (see A p p e n d i x ) , and all 6th level
spells except disintegrate, lower water and projected image.
Bak'leis w i l l n e v e r b e e n c o u n t e r e d a s a ' w a n d e r e r ' , o n l y w i t h i n h i s
chambers on the third level and in the conjuration chamber, w h e r e he
keeps a little money, some 125gp in mixed coinage.
3 S t u d e n t s : AC 9; Magic User 7; hp 16 each; M V 1 2 0 ' ( 4 0 ' ) ; CAT 1; D by
weapon; Save as MU7; M L 8; A L N; XP 500; WR 12; THACO 15; armed
w i t h daggers; spells memorised — read m a g i c (x2) s h i e l d , d e t e c t evil,
detect invisible, dispel magic, hold person, polymorph others.
7 A p p r e n t i c e s : A C 9; M a g i c User 3; hp 8; M V 1 2 0 ' (40'); PAT 1; D by
weapon; Save as MU3; M L 7; A L N; XP 25; WA 1 0 ; THACO 17; a r m e d
w i t h daggers; spells memorised r e a d m a g i c (x2), d e t e c t invisible or
web.
2 Pupils: AC 9; HD 1; hp 2; M V 120' (40'); -4 AT 1; D by weapon; Save as
NM; M L 10; A L N; XP 10; WR 10; THACO 20; armed with kitchen knives
(daggers). These children have yet to start learning true wizardry — they
are t h e To w e r servants — but they do attend all m i d n i g h t sessions.
NEW MAGICAL ITEMS N E W MAGICAL ITEMS N E W MAGICAL ITEMS
The Helping Hand
The h e l p i n g h a n d appears t o be an i r o n glove w i t h u n u s a l l y long
fingers, a n d an iron ring (to tie it to a rope) at the wrist. W h e n given
the c o m m a n d word, i t w i l l g r a b whatever next comes i n t o contact
w i t h its palm and hold on until told to release its grip. If attached to a
rope, it can be used as a grappling iron that will, 85% of the time, land
silently.
If thrown at an opponent (and a successful 'to hit' roll is made) it will
grab its victim's throat, automatically causing 1 p o i n t of damage in
the first round, 2 points of damage in the second round, 4 points in
the t h i r d r o u n d a n d s o o n . A h e l p i n g h a n d w h i c h i s s t r a n g l i n g
somebody c a n o n l y b e r e m o v e d b y a s u c c e s s f u l S t r e n g t h a b i l i t y
check (a roll under a characters strength on 1d20) at a penalty of -2.
Watcher's Eyes
These s p y i n g d e v i c e s a r e a l w a y s
found a s t h e e y e s o f a s t a t u e t t e .
When one of the eyeballs is removed
from i t s socket w h a t i t sees m a y be
seen b y anyone w h o gazes i n t o t h e
other eye (cf clairvoyance spell). The
statues a r e o f t e n f i n e l y w r o u g h t
representations o f h y d r a s , t h u s
allowing s e v e r a l l o c a t i o n s t o b e
viewed v i a t h e o n e s t a t u e a n d i t s
associated eyes. Wa t c h e r ' s eyes will
not function at a range of more than 1
league, a n d o n l y visual i m a g e s a r e
transmitted, never sounds.
Crreditz
Criminal! Mastermind: Mikc Brunton
Aided wad abetted by
gll:i©t M a r k O'Dea'
The Szente of the Crrimeez Paul-Ruiz
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
 Games FOR WAR, FANTASY
AND
SCIENCE-FICTION GAMING
MAIL ORDER TRADE
50-54 Manchester St Unit 20, Merrion Centre, 25-27 Grange Road West, 85-87 Victoria St., 89 Victoria St.,
Liverpool Li 6ER. Leeds 2. Birkenhead, Liverpool Li 60G. Liverpool Li 6DG
Tel: 051 236 2605 Tel: 0532 456376 Tel: (051) 6 4 7 4 6 7 6 Tel: 051 227 1505 Tel: 051 236 2605
26

CHIVALRY & SORCERY Second Edition

ROLE-PLAYING GAMES by FGU
VILLAINS & VIGILANTES 2nd Edition - Boxed set f 1 0 75
BUSHIDO
Chivalry & Sorcery 3 volume boxed set
The Dragonlords C&S scenario book
( 1 7 75
f 4 45
2nd Edition rulebook only
Crisis at Crusader Citadel - intro adventure
£5 45
£4 45
THE GOOD NEWS
C&S Sourcebook revised edition ES 95 Death Duel with the Destroyers - V & V Adventure f 4 45
C&S Sourcebook 2 supplementary material ( 5 75 Island of Dr Apocalypse - V & V adventure £ 4 45
f 5 45 Force - V & V adventure NEW SCENARIO -
Swords & Sorcerers revised edition
AFTERMATH- post holocaust rpg boxed . . f 20 75 Opponents Unlimited V & V NPC's and organisations
f 4 45
f 4 45 BOXED SET TAKISHIDO'S DEBT
f 5 45
Into the Ruins Aftermath scenario book
Operation Morpheus Aftermath scenario book ( 6 95
From The Deeps of Space V & V adventure
Counter Set 1 c h a r a c t e r and vehicle counters for V&V
f 4 45
3 95 NOW ONLY A UK written and
f 5 95 MERC modern mercenary nog. skirmish wargame produced mini-
E7.95
Sydney The Wilderness Campaign ditto ( 1 0 75
DAREDEVILS r p g set in the 1930s E l 345 Merc supplement, more rules & skills • • ........ • L 4 45
Daredevils Adventures 1. 2 & 3 each E 4 5 SPACE OPERA complete. compelling SF ( 1 7 75
adventure, stuffed
f 7 95 - Star Atlas's 1, 2. 3, 11 & 12 f 5 95 full of the Bushido
BUSHIDO Detailed rpg set in the Land of Nippon
Valley of the Mists (Bushidol
f 4 45
( 1 3 95
- Vault of the Nier Oueyon £4 45 Yes, it's a charm and
- Casino Galactica £4 45
OTHER SUNS excellent SE rpg
LANDS OF ADVENTURE rpg with cutlure packs
E10 75
- Agents of Rebellion f 4 95 fantastic price atmosphere - and
PRIVATEERS & GENTLEMEN naval 1755-1820 E l 4 95
5 45
- Operation Peregrine
- Rowsion 2, Incedus 3
L 5 45
each f 4 45
reduction but only
King Over the Water P & G scenario pack ( 4 45 - Probe NCG 8436 • LA 45 don't just sit
Decision at Djerba P&G scenario pack
BUNNIES & BURROWS - rabbit role playing
/ 5 45
PSI WORLD: mg of psychics f 107 5
round marvelling 95p
NEW FROM FGU at it. Get out and
GRENADIER MODELS Empire Karo, An Aftermath scenario set some years buy a copy!
now that's what I call
a sensible scenario
MASTERPIECE EDITIONS Two beautiful skeleton models A War Mammoth after a d i s a s t e r ° . World Wa r T h e city of Cairo in price
Illinois (known as Karo to its inhabitants) provides the
complete with crew and howdah and a Death D r a g o n with rider Sculpting and
focus of this absorbing adventure £ 4 . 4 5
detail are superb E8 50 each, boxed
CHAMPIONS Bring alive y o u r S u p e r H e r o gaming w i t h these t w o boxes o f Battle A b o v e The Earth is another larger-than-just - SUPERBGAMESSYSTEM - SENSIBLEPRICES
miniature marvels There is a box of Villains and one of Heroes. Also suitable for about•anything V&V adventure E 4 . 4 5
Songsmith A n e w C&S scenario £ 4 . 4 5
SE games E 8 50
DRAGONLORDS Vampires, mummies, ghouls, TSR UK Ltd.
werewolves a n d other traditional creeples lurk
within the box of Folklore Creatures o f the DRAGONLORDS 2 6 D Basic Set rules. dice
D& D Expert Set rules dice. adv
E 9 , 5
E 9 . 5 0
0
AVALON HILL lantasyistirpg
Dragonhunt
Dragon Pass
E14.95
E14•95
Night. Not only suitable for fantasy games but Two new additions to the dragons in D & D COMPANION SET - Extend the range ol your D & D Dune E14.95
also Cthulhu. Daredevils and Superhero games games Companion Set permits the use of high level Eric E14•95
25 95 this range: characters mass armies alternative planes of existence and
E18•45
Green Silver E5.95 each lots more to challenge players and DM s alike E 9 • 5 0 Freedom in the Galaxy
CALL OF CIHULHLI The official range of 25mm Lords of Creation E11.45
Du o Cnaracter Records sheets £295
figures for this popular game S e t 1: Adventurers Also a v a i l a b l e : B l a c k W h i t e E10,95 Horn of Roland (LOCI •.• E7•95
AD SD Dungeon Masters Guide
Set 2 Creatures E7 95 per set (boxed) E9 95 2915
FANTASY LORDS Here's a Set to weed out the Red Brass AD & D Players Handbook
AD & D Monster Manual E9.95
Yeti Sanction (LOC)
E9•95
Omegakron (LOC)
weeds in any party D e m o n s has a selection of 10 also E5.95 each. AD & D Monster Manual 2 E9 95 Machiavelli E13•45
Such terrors from Hell Boxed E8 50 AD & 0 Deities * Demigods E9.95 E14•95
AD S D Fiend Folio £995 Magic Realm
TRAVELLER T h e r e a r e s o m e o d d l o o k i n g E4 95 Powers & Perils E21.95
sentients i n A l i e n M e r c e n a r i e s b u t l e t u s AD & D Dungeon Masters Screen Tower of Dead (P&P) E8•45
STANDARD GAMES & PUBLICATIONS A D & D Character Record sheets £395
entertain n r, racial prejudice J u s t because a AD S D Player Character Folder E3.95 Runequest 3 - De Luxe edition C39•95
DRAGONROAR E3 95 £19.95
chap s got legs all over the place and a head like a AD S D NPC Character Record sheets - Players Pack
starfish, that's no reason to mock him B o x of extra The new rpg from Standard Games A boxed system AD & D DM s Adventure Log E3.95 - Gamemasters Pack E24,95
terrestials E8 50 complete with those accessories that you usually have to Rogues Gallery NPC stats E3 95 Starship Troopers C14•95
pay extra for A l l this plus Killer Penguins AND Giant World of Greyhawk - revised boxed edition E9.50 Titan E14.95
ADVENTURE M O D U L E S - A n e w enterprise E3.95
Hedgehogs AC1 - Shady Dragon Inn 1050I Wizards E18.45
from Grenadier To p class adventures for popular Dragonroar £ 1 2 . 9 5 E4.50
games T h e Horrible Secret o f Monhegan Combat Shield) Wizard's OueSt E14.95
Samurai Blades -Japanese skirmish game E9.95 AAcC23DIDr&goD, Tiles E3 95
Island i s a C t h u l h u s c e n a r i o p a c k e d w i t h Cry Havoc - medieval skirmish game E 9 • 9 5 MODULES- BASIC D & D
atmosphere and menace C l o u d l a n d is suitable Cry Havoc scenarios . . •• E 2 , 9 5 Ell • B2. B3 BA Oh. E36 each E4•50
for fantasy systems like AD&D. whilst R a i d o n Siege - compatible with Cry Havoc E 9 • 9 5 MI. (solo module) each E4 50
THE HALLS OF THE
Rajallapor JS a hairy chested, modern mercenary City of Sorceerrs fantasy boardgame E 9 • 9 5 MODULES- EXPERT 0 A D DWARVEN KINGS
caper F i n a l l y, t h e r e i s D i s a p p e a r e n c e o n Starship Captain - SE boardgame E 1 2 • 9 5 XI, 02 03,04 05 01 M2 XE I , XSOLO. 06 each £4.50 A beautiful, boxed, role-playing accessory
Aramat, a compelling Traveller adventure A l l at The Village - extra map for Cry Havoc E 2 • 4 5 MODULES - COMPANION 08 D which c o m b i n e s a t o p c l a s s To r t u r e d
E5 50 each The Crossroads - as above E 2 • 4 5 CM, E 4 • 5 0
The Forest - new map for Cry Havoc E 2 • 4 5 MODULES - A D & D Souls o r i g i n a l s c e n a r i o w i t h t h e
Dungeon Accessories box I £ 2 . 9 5 S2 0 . 5 0 sophisticated f l o o r p l a n s o f E n d l e s s
NICE DICE PRICE! Dungeon Accessories box 2 £ 2 . 9 5 At , A2, A l AA Ci. C2. DI -2. D3
EX t . E02, G1-3, 1.12.13,14,031
each E4.50
each E4.50
Plans. Also Included are a DM's screen,
Standard pOlySet 6 dice £ 1 . 7 5 Felt hex - cloth playing surface, blue sand black or
LI. L2. Ni • 01. SI •T1 UX1, UX2• 1,163 U m e a c h E4.50
scrolls, m a p s a n d N P C stats. Original,
Or with inked numerals . . . .. E 1 . 9 5 green All with printed hex grid E 1 2 . 9 5 IJI.U2:113.WO4.DLI•MVI.WG5:11x5,UX60l2 each E4,50 innovative and great value E 7 . 9 5
Deluxe polyset with inked numerals 9 5 p Clear plastic Hex Sheet - overlay 15mm • • E I • 8 0 each E5.50
Fireball polyset E 1 . 5 0 •. 2 5 m m •• E 1 • 1 3 0 IS
S IA each E4•95
Or with inked numerals E 1 • 7 5 ThUnde-rin Guns - Old West excitement E 6 • 9 9 E2 50
Speed & Steel - Biltzkreig boardgame E 9 • 0 0
Dragon Magazine
Gamma World NEW edition E9 50 * * * * * * * * * * * *
Transparent•Gem polyset E 2 • 9 5
Or with inked numerals E 3 . 2 5 G W Moduies GWI GW2 GW3 GW4 each E3 95
30 sided dice 9 0 p OW Mini Module & Releree s Screen E3,95 MAIL ORDER SERVICE
Boot Ho E9,50 HERE'S WHAT WE OFFER
30 sided dice inked E 1 . 0 0 LOST WORLDS - game books B H Modules BH1 BH2 8H3 BHA BH5 each E3.95
Nickel Copper Plated 030 £ 1 . 4 5 The .ngenou, 11,ostro'eC one•on•one combat game B H Mini Module & Referees Screen • A VERY FAST TURN ROUND
Nickel Copper Plated other sizes 7 0 p Pick any two tales and let battle commence Top Secret (Including Module 1) E9.50 • P O S T PAID ON ORDERS OVER E6 00
Average Dice (pair) 3 5 p • SKELETON • DWARF • GOBLIN • HUMAN • HILL T S Modules I 5 2 TS3 TS4 T55 each E3 95
E3,95 • INFORMATIVE FREE NEWSLETTER
TROLL' WOMAN • BARBARIAN • e a c h £1.99 TS Mini Module & Referee s Screen • SPECIAL OFFERS
ARMORY ACRYLIC PAINTS Agent Dossiers ITS Character Sheets) E3,95
• TELEPHONE ORDERS
Gangbusters E9.50
A fine selection of over 60 different colours including each E3 95 BY CREDIT CARD
G B Modules G e l , 052. 083 GB4 O W
Such e s o t e n a a s POMEGRANATE: B U B O N I C ARMADA ORIGINALS Starfrontiers lino Module Si E9 50
BLUE PALOMINO & NIPPLE PINK, More normal In stock the lust two titles in the GRAILOUEST series of E9SO
colours also available. Knight Hawks for Startrontiers Details of how to order are given elsewhere on
Solo Fantasy Gamebooks Excellent adventures that can SF Modules
£1.25 per .75 oz jar. this page W h y not grve us a try - you probably
be played again and again SF1. SF2. SF3, SEKHt SCKH2. SF4 each E4,50 deserve a pleasant surprise
Send SAE for full lists Castle of Darkness E 1 . 5 0 £395
SF Mini Module & Referees Screen
BARCLAYCARD
The Den of Dragons
Gateway of Doom E
E
1 .
l
5 0
•50
Starfrontiers Character Record Sheets
E3.95
ESAU
PLEASE MAKE
Indiana Jones rpg
each E4,50 CHEQUES PAYABLE
is.vb
VISA DEMONSPAWN
FirdniatansayJi.00,,n,eesModuies IJ1
Endless Quest Books each Et 25 TO "GAMES".
1F i r e • Wolf E1•50 Quest For The Dungeonmaster E5 95
2 The Crypts of Terror EI•50 Imagine Magazine (including back isSueS/ El 00
El 95
* * * * * * * * * * * *
AMERICAN EXPRESS LONE WOLF Best of imagine iscenanosi
E1.50 Marvel Super Heroes tog • ......... ••• • E10•50 TRADE ENQUIRIES
1 R i g h t from the Dark
WHY NOT ORDER BY TELEPHONE USING 2 Fire on the Water E1.50 Marvel game modules ALL ITEMS ON THIS PAGE ARE
MH I • Mha MHACI. MHAC2 • • •• •• eachE2•95
ACCESS, BARCLAYCARD, OR AMERICAN 3 The Caverns of Kaltie E1.50 AVAILABLE TO THE TRADE
EXPRESS ENDLESS GAMES Floor plans for 15 or 25mm fioures SEND FOR FULL DETAILS
save the trouble of sending a letter and Dungeon Plans - Labyrinthine E 3 . 9 9
cheque. JAMES BOND ROLE PLAYING SYSTEM Dungeon Plans - Spacious £ 3 . 9 9 TITAN BOOKS
WE P R E F E R T H I S METHOD. W e c a n t r y t o Complete Basic Game E 1 2 • 9 5 Cave Plans - Tortuous E 3 . 9 9 Judge Dredd 1 • Judge Dredd 2 • Block Mania
Basic Rulebook E13•95 Cave Plans -Cavernous E 3 . 9 5 Cursed Earth 1 • Cursed Earth 2
answer any queries and you will also be sure you ' 0 Manual E8•95
are getting exactly what you w a n t a n d sooner Judge Caligula 1 • Judge Caligula 2
normally by return of post
Gamesmasters Pack
Gamesmasters Pack 2
E8•95
E13.95
TUNNELS & TROLLS Judge Child 1 • Judge Child 2 • Judge Child 3
P&P: UK & BFPO: Order value over E6•00 - free E5•95
FANTASY GAMES SYSTEM Judge Death • Ro-busters 1
- Octopussy Rulebook 15th edition) f 5.95 ABC Warriors 1 • ABC Warriors 2
Up to Eb 00 add 50p E5.95
- Goldfinger Robo-Hunters 1 • Robo-Hunters 2
OVERSEAS: Charged at Lost. Please allow for - Or No C6•96 Captif d ' Yv o i r e adventure f 1.95
Oils in your order. If in doubt write or phone. - Live and Let Die E7•95 Don't forget, w e still have the full range of T & T all the above £3.50 each
Usually 75p per boxed game - You Only Live Twice C6•95 Solo Dungeons & Adventures; Referee's Adven Nemesis • Ro-busters 2 • Nemesis the Warlock
OVERSEAS TRADE ORDERS WELCOME turns; Accessories, etc L i s t s available Judge Dredd 3 these A 23.95 each

Please mention IMAGINE magazine when replying to advertisements 33

 AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE
by Chris Barlow
'Thescene: a bleak and wintry n O t
bOre the door of aforbocang mansion.
Three adventurers twitch and- look nervously
about as a fourth, a smaafigure, huddles over
the door's mighty lock One ofthe three, a burly
character, speaks.:
'What's taking you so tong, Garim?
thought you said you would beable to open it.'
'Hush.... I can't hear mysephink...'
'You are a master thief, aren't you?' the
burly man enquires, menacingly.
The smaller figure looks back over his
shoufrkr. h e hisses, 'but sois Redneck the
man we are trying to rob.'
Ever since he first embarked upon his
career as a thief, Garim Kalis has devoted
a good proportion o f his t i m e trying t o
open locks w i t h o u t the proper key. His
skill h a s improved t h r o u g h practice a n d
experience; he has encountered different
locks i n t h e f i e l d , p u r c h a s e d d i f f e r e n t
varieties to take apart on his workbench,
trained at the Guildhouse under the most
skilled teachers. G a r i m t h o u g h t h e w a s
ready f o r t h i s o n e . H e h a d b o u g h t a n
identical lock from the same shop where
Redneck p u r c h a s e d h i s . I t s e e m e d s o
easy to open at home.
In the AD&D® g a m e , such tensions do
not occur. A thief has the same chance of
opening a l o c k n o m a t t e r h o w complex
— o r h o w simple — i t is to open. So, t o
rectify t h i s , c o n s i d e r a n e w s k i l l f o r
thieves; lockmaking.
WHY THIEVES?
As w e l l a s practice, perseverence a n d
patience, i f Garim is to be successful a t
picking l o c k s , h e n e e d s a n e x p e r t ' s
knowledge o f h o w t o m a k e t h e m . O n l y
hours o f t e s t i n g t h e i r w e a k a n d s t r o n g
points w i l l enable h i m t o be make more
efficient picking tools, and to improve his
chances of opening a lock in the difficult
environments h e w i l l m e e t t h e m in. A l l
this effort will make him an expert on h o w
locks are actually made.
34
Similarly, locksmiths will find that they
need to know a greater deal about thiefly
skills i n order t o build unpickable locks.
They too will be burning candles well into
the n i g h t , picking t h e i r o w n locks! T h e
two professions are very closely linked.
To an extent, it might be most convenient
to think of locksmiths as 'Lawful' thieves,
building t h e l o c k s t h a t t h e i r ' C h a o t i c '
cousins seek to pick for personal gain. If
this c o n v e n t i o n i s a d o p t e d , t h e n t h e
contest between the t w o can be made a
personal and bitter struggle.
FIRST PRINCIPLES
As a basic principle, the better the thief-
locksmith, the higher the level of lock the
thief-locksmith can make. Following t h e
logic o f this, w e c a n t h e n s a y t h a t t h e
higher the level of lock, the more difficult
it is going to be for a more standard thief
to open.
It is very simple to incorporate this idea
into into a campaign. Consider the follow-
ing table:
Level o f lock: 1 2 3 4
Added d i ff i c u l t y : 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
The a d d e d d e g r e e o f d i f f i c u l t y i s t h e
measure of h o w much harder the lock is
to open t h a n a basic, Level 1, lock. This
percentage c a n b e s u b t r a c t e d f r o m a
thief's normal percentage chance to open
the lock. A thief-locksmith can design and
build locks to a level up to and equalling
his o w n , a n d a l l l o c k s b u i l t b y l e s s
competent craftsmen will be Level 0, and
all thieves will be on a +5% bonus against
them. The kinds of crude locking devices
invented b y h u m a n o i d races w o u l d f a l l
into this latter category, whilst most locks
on chests, doors i n cities, a n d s o f o r t h
would be Level 1.
This simple system could be adopted on
its o w n . A l l D M s need to do w i t h scen-
arios o f their o w n design, o r purchased
modules, is to assign levels to all the locks
that m i g h t be encountered. T h i s should
be d o n e logically, b e a r i n g i n m i n d t h e
circumstances of the story and the cam-
paign, a n d i n a l l b u t t h e m o s t unusual,
locks w i l l be of Level 0 or 1. B u t for that
little bit of extra protection for the King's
treasury o r t h e W i z a r d ' s spellbooks, a
more s o p h i s t i c a t e d l o c k i s a l o g i c a l
answer, and it is fair to assume that the
richer e c h e l o n s o f society w o u l d h a v e
thief-locksmiths in their employ.
However, f o r t h e braver souls among
you, this basic system can be adapted to
create s o m e t h i n g t h a t i s b o t h r e a l i s t i c
and playable, inheriting the simplicity of
this basic table, but adding so much more.
THROUGH THE AGES
If it were true that the ancient civilisations
of o u r w o r l d h a d e a c h developed t h e i r
own p a r t i c u l a r locks and keys, o r i f t h e
lockmaking styles of Europe had changed
radically a t t h e t i m e o f t h e Vi k i n g s o r
during the Middle Ages, a realistic adapt-
ation of lockmaking w o u l d only be poss-
5 6 7 8 9
ible o n a campaign-by-campaign basis.
Instead, all t h e basic designs o f lock w e
know of — discount electronic methods
— were known and used by all the
civilisations of the ancient and medieval
world. The skills of the locksmith of Greek
and R o m a n t i m e s w e r e n o t s o v e r y
different f r o m those o f the latter half of
the eighteenth century. Consequently, it
is possible to envisage a single realistic
system to cover all campaigns.
BASIC D E S I G N S
Historically, there were three basic types
of lock. W i t h i n these, there were various
ways for the locksmith to make his design
more difficult to open w i t h o u t the proper
key, le, locks of Levels 2 or above.
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
The following section describes the three
basic designs. T h e improvements m a d e
to e a c h a r e o u t l i n e d , a n d s o m e i n d i c -
ations are given as to their use. Finally,
the section i s completed by considering
keyless combination locks. The operation
of e a c h l o c k i s k e p t s i m p l e , a l t h o u g h
enough detail o f the mechanics is given
for the DM to have an idea of what it is a
thief h a s t o d o t o s u c c e s s f u l l y O p e n
Locks.
Cylinder L o c k s : W i d e l y u s e d i n Egypt,
cylinder locks w e r e sometimes o f great
size, w i t h keys over t h r e e feet long n o t
unknown, c a r r i e d a r o u n d b y slaves o r
servants. Often the size of the key was a
mark of prestige and wealth.
At first, t h e lock w a s fitted t o the out-
side o f t h e door. A n early improvement,
however, w a s to fit the lock to the inside
of the door, w i t h an opening for hand or
key t o p a s s t h r o u g h . T h e l o c k i t s e l f
consisted of a case, securely mounted to
the door; a bolt, t h a t slid horizontally in
and out; a n d several pegs. The bolt w a s
fashioned w i t h a n u m b e r o f holes, a n d
when closed, the pegs fell into the holes
under t h e i r o w n w e i g h t , preventing t h e
bolt from being withdrawn.
The lock w a s opened using a key that
had a n u m b e r o f pegs corresponding t o
those on the lock. The key was offered to
the bolt, and as it was raised the pegs on
the key pushed upwards the pegs holding
the bolt in place. Only the right key would
raise the pegs the right distance, forming
a s t r a i g h t l i n e so t h a t t h e bolt could be
withdrawn. If just one of the pegs on the
key w a s t o o s h o r t , a p e g o n t h e d o o r
would r e m a i n t o h o l d t h e bolt i n place,
and i f the pegs on the key were too long,
they themselves w o u l d keep t h e bolt i n
place.
A f u r t h e r improvement came w i t h t h e
production of 'sickle-shaped keys, which
had to be inserted into a hole in the bolt
itself, and then raised.
Cylinder l o c k s w e r e u s u a l l y m a d e o f
wood, a l t h o u g h i v o r y w a s s o m e t i m e s
I M A Q I N E ma9atine, March 1985
used f o r t h e keys, a n d t h e s e c o u l d b e
further decorated w i t h b r o n z e o r gold.
They w e r e used all over t h e world, a n d
the fact that they were made of wood, and
therefore d i d n o t f r e e z e , m a d e t h e m
particularly suitable for colder countries,
including B r i t a i n . T h e s e d a y s , w e a r e
more f a m i l i a r w i t h c y l i n d e r l o c k s o f a
more sophisticated nature, a l m o s t u n i -
versally known as Yales.
Sliding Locks: A sliding lock consists of
two sections. A ' b o x ' c o n t a i n s t h e
mechanism, a n d a s e p a r a t e ' s h a c k l e '
contains a t u b u l a r p i n a n d a s e t o f
In his hey-day, Sarkeonnel had been a master
thief. Now he will show her how to uncover the
secrets of a rival's locks.
"No-one knows more about opening a lock than
a locksmith," he says.
springs. The lock is opened by sliding the
key i n t o t h e keyhole; a s i t g o e s i n , i t
compresses t h e s p r i n g s t o a level p o s -
ition, a l l o w i n g t h e shackle t o b e w i t h -
drawn. The lock is closed simply by sliding
the shackle back into the box so that the
springs a r e c o m p r e s s e d a s t h e y p a s s
through t h e keyhole, t h e n expand once
inside the box.
This basic design could be improved by
adding flanges t o t h e inside o f t h e box,
located s o t h a t t h e y c a t c h t h e s p r i n g s
when t h e y expand, making i t more diffi-
cult to open the lock without the key. The
security of such locks depended primarily
on the length and shape of the key.
Sliding locks were used on padlocks in
both m e d i e v a l E u r o p e a n d t h e a n c i e n t
world. They were most common in Arabic,
Persian, and Oriental countries, although
the Vikings and Romans also had them.
Those used as padlocks acquired secret
flaps to hide the keyhole.
Tu r n i n g Locks: A t its simplest, a turning
lock c o n s i s t s o f a b o x a n d a b o l t , t h e
former merely holding the latter in place.
A key turned in the lock catches a part of
the bolt and pushes it in the direction the
key is turned. Tu r n e d enough times, t h e
key causes the bolt to be w i t h d r a w n from
a recess in the door or frame, and the door
could be opened. Turning t h e key in t h e
opposite d i r e c t i o n d r a w s t h e b o l t b a c k
into the recess. The oldest forms o f this
type of lock always required t w o or more
turns of the key a n d where the quality
of w o o d w a s poor, t h e local c r a f t s m e n
had to use longer bolts, and consequently
the key had to be turned more times.
The disadvantage o f so simple a l o c k
was t h a t anyone w h o had access to the
right k i n d o f t o o l c o u l d n e g o t i a t e t h e
keyhole and engage the notch on the bolt.
Therefore, obstructions in and around the
keyhole were introduced, called 'wards'.
The aim was to prevent keys of the wrong
shape being inserted; only the key whose
35
 end corresponded w i t h t h e 'talons' a n d
'notches' of the lock was supposed to be
able to gain entry. The advent of 'master'
or ' s k e l e t o n ' keys, h o w e v e r, m e a n t t h a t
wards on their own were inadequate.
As a n e x t step, lockmakers proceeded
to ' b u s h ' t h e centres o f t h e i r keyholes.
This involved placing a metal spike t h e
'bush' — inside t h e keyhole w h i c h pre-
vented t h e k e y being i n s e r t e d u n l e s s i t
had a matching hole in the centre.
Turning locks were widely used both as
padlocks a n d doorlocks, p a r t i c u l a r l y b y
the G r e e k s a n d Romans. T h e R o m a n s
were so advanced as to be able to create
tiny locks, the keys for which went on the
end of a ring a 'keyring'. Such an item
represented a badge of office. The Egypt-
ians h a d t u r n i n g l o c k s also, o n l y t h e y
tended t o u s e t h e m f o r padlocks o n l y.
Although the two developments describ-
ed w a r d s and
bushes — are
attributed to medieval
times, simpler wards
were used by the
Romans and others.
The Keyless
Combination Lock:
Although not a basic
lock type, but a rarity
confined almost
exclusively to China,
the combination lock
was a design that
Europe gradually
became aware of. A
DM can ignore it if the
campaign is not
'medieval', or if it has
no contact w i t h
'oriental' influences.
The lock's design and
operation resembles
similar locks used
today to secure
bicycles, w h e r e b y a
number of letters or
numerals have to be
aligned. The more
there are to align, the
harder the locks are to
open, although given
unlimited time, this
lock can be breached
by even the most unskilled thief.
The underlying principles on which the
lock operates a r e t h e s a m e a s f o r t h e
cylinder locks described above.
The THIEF-LOCKSMITH
Having c o n s i d e r e d l o c k s historically, i t
becomes o b v i o u s t h a t i t w o u l d b e u n -
realistic to let the maximum level of lock
that a thief can make be equivalent to his
level. If this w e r e so, it would mean that
thieves l e a r n e d t h e principles o f e v e r y
kind o f lock before first level. The thief-
locksmith, by the same criteria, would be
able to apply levels of complication to all
locks at just second level, and so on.
It would be more realistic for thieves to
be t r a i n e d g r a d u a l l y i n t h e b a s i c p r i n -
ciples of different types of locks. Thus, at
first level, t h e y w o u l d have o n l y a basic
36
knowledge of the three (or four) different
types. I n o t h e r words, f i r s t level thieves
would u s e t h e e x i s t i n g O p e n L o c k s
percentages on all Level 1 locks. There-
after, t h e p r o c e s s o f e d u c a t i o n m i g h t
become m o r e specialised. Possibly, o n e
type of lock might be more common than
others in the thieves' place of training. It
would be entirely natural, for example, for
a particular Locksmiths' Guild t o have a
tradition of building cylinder locks, since
the f o u n d e r s o f t h e g u i l d w e r e m o s t
highly trained in this area, and succeed-
ing generations of locksmiths would have
inherited t h i s t e n d e n c y t h r o u g h t h e i r
training. It follows, then, that the Thieves'
Guild would have mirrored this specializ-
ation, t r a i n i n g i t s m e m b e r s primarily i n
the a r t s o f o p e n i n g c y l i n d e r locks. F o r
both thief and thief-locksmith, training in
the arts of m a k i n g / b r e a k i n g other types
would be available (although not to such
high levels as the premier type, perhaps),
but this w o u l d have to come in later life.
Thus, to add a little additional colour to
the role of the thief, the DM might wish to
introduce t h e f o l l o w i n g notion. A t each
level rise, a thief (or thief-locksmith) may
learn one level of complexity in one type
of lock. This then offers thief characters
two possibilities; e i t h e r to specialise, so
that in later life the best locks of that type
will be within their grasp; or to spread the
skills across all types, s o t h a t t h e char-
acters n e e d n e v e r b e frustrated b y t h e
simplest lock o f an u n f a m i l i a r type. The
DM, l i k e w i s e , w i l l f i n d a n u m b e r o f
interesting possibilities opening up if this
system is adopted. O f this, more anon.
To a c c o u n t f o r t h i s , a t h i e f ' s s k i l l
(proficiency) w i t h a p a r t i c u l a r l o c k i s
added t o t h e b a s i c percentage c h a n c e
that t h e t h i e f has to open any lock. This
can b e calculated as being equal t o t h e
added degree of difficulty for the highest
level of that lock type with which the thief
is familiar. A d d i t i o n a l l y, due to the sim-
ilarity of keyless combination and cylinder
locks, l e a r n i n g t h e principles o f a n a d -
vanced l e v e l c y l i n d e r l o c k , i m p a r t s a
rudimentary knowledge of the workings
of combination locks, a n d vice versa. I n
game terms, this can be expressed as an
ability to m a k e / b r e a k locks of the second
type 2 levels below the level of the first.
In case t h i s is all getting a little deep,
let's consider the career of oneJaina. She
starts her career, not in the Thieves' Guild
(unlike some others o f her more n i m b l e
friends) b u t a s t h e apprentice t o
Sarkeonnel, a m a s t e r locksmith. A t first
she learns about metals, h o w to file and
work t h e m . G r a d u a l l y s h e b e g i n s t o
understand h o w
mechanical locks
work, and h o w simple
traps function. She
finishes her
apprenticeship, able to
deal w i t h crude traps
and locks w i t h a little
more skill than the
average man-about-
town, and with a
working knowledge of
the four types of
craftsmen's locks. She
is a first-level
thief-locksmith.
On that day,
Sarkeonnel confides in
her. In his hey-day he
had been a master
thief, a notorious
house-breaker. N o w
reformed, he still
knows a thing or two
about overcoming the
obstacles of an
unfamiliar ward. He
will s h o w these to her,
if she will stay on as
his assistant. It will be
useful extra training
for her, she can learn
how to uncover the
secrets of a rival's
locks. He produces one
of h e r o w n locks, a sliding lock she had
completed just the day before.
'I've lost the key,' he says, 'Open it for
me.'
Jaina p i c k s t h e l o c k , a f t e r a f e w
moments o f inexperienced fumbling.
Sarkeonnel grins.
'No-one k n o w s m o r e about opening a
lock than a locksmith,' he says.
At t h i s s t a g e , a s a f i r s t l e v e l t h i e f ,
Jaina's c h a n c e t o O p e n L o c k s i s 2 5 %
(AIDBLIDk Players Handbook, p 2 8 — n o
Dex adjustment) or 15% ( D & D P l a y e r s
Handbook, p 4 4 ) . S h e n o w c h o o s e s t o
study sliding locks m o r e vigorously, and
by t h e t i m e s h e r e a c h e s 2 n d l e v e l
(adventuring a little on the side, perhaps),
she has mastered this variety to level 2.
Her test at the end of this period is to open
one o f h e r master's creations, a Level 3
sliding lock.
I M A G I N E ma9azine, March 1985

Table 1: Locks, Material Costs
Level of lock 0 1 2 3
Ty p e o f L o c k
Cylinder 10 25 30 50
Sliding 15 30 70 150
Turning 10 30 70 150
Combination 40 50 65 80
Table 2: Locks, Suggested Purchase Prices
Level of lock 0 1 2 3
Type o f L o c k
Cylinder 15 4 5 80 130
Sliding 20 4 0 100 225
Turning 15 6 0 140 300
Combination 80 120 200 300
You w i l l note that in the mid-range of levels,
the materlals cost o f different types o f locks
rise dramatically - this reflects t h e fact that
the thief-locksmith w i l l be better able to use
superior materials as a result of greater exper-
ience a n d training, b u t t h a t a f t e r t h e p o i n t
Adopting the system just described, her
chance of opening the lock is n o w a basic
29% (or 20% in Basic), +5% for her level of
skill w i t h sliding locks, -10% for the level
of t h e l o c k itself. I f s h e t r i e s t o open a
crude kobold turning padlock (level 0), her
chance is 29% (or 20%), no bonus for her
skill w i t h sliding locks, but 5% bonus for
the level 0 lock. If Sarkeonnel produces a
level 7 turning lock, she just won't be able
to cope w i t h it.
She reaches 3 r d level, and acquires a
3rd l e v e l o f m a s t e r y a t s l i d i n g l o c k s ,
before S a r k e o n n e l i s arrested; h e j u s t
couldn't r e s i s t d a b b l i n g a t h i s f o r m e r
profession. J a i n a leaves t h e c i t y o f h e r
training, a n d m o v e s t o a n o t h e r, w h e r e
hardship forces her to be more of a thief
than a locksmith. But she finds that most
of t h e d o o r s t h e r e a r e b a r r e d n o t w i t h
sliding locks, but with cylinder ones. She
tries t o o p e n o n e d u r i n g a b u r g l a r y
attempt, i n a h o u s e w h e r e s h e w o u l d
normally have expected to find locks of no
worse than level 3. A n d so it proves, but
her chance is reduced with this unfamiliar
type; instead of being 3 3 % (25%), +10%
for her skill, -10% for the lock, she finds in
this case that her skill counts for nothing.
Naturally s h e c a n n o t g o o n l i k e this.
She starts training in cylinder locks, and
as t i m e goes by, n o w an 8 t h level thief,
she m a n a g e s t o b e c o m e a L e v e l 6
cylinder lock expert. In addition, she has
Level 4 a b i l i t y w i t h c o m b i n a t i o n locks.
This means that her abilities with different
types o f l o c k s i s n o w q u i t e varied: i n
Advanced s h e h a s a 8 2 % c h a n c e w i t h
cylinder l o c k s , 7 2 % w i t h c o m b i n a t i o n
locks, 6 2 % w i t h s l i d i n g l o c k s a n d t h e
standard 5 7 % w i t h t u r n i n g l o c k s — a l l
these at Level 1. A t this point she retires;
she has earned e n o u g h t o live comfort-
ably on, and besides, in a city where every
thief is trained to deal w i t h the cylinder,
her ability to turn out reasonably difficult
sliding l o c k s i s g o i n g t o b e q u i t e a n
asset...
I M A G I N E magazine, M a r d i 19.55
chests a n d b o x e s h e s e l l s e v e n m o r e
attractive to those who want to keep their
valuables safe. A simple system would be
4 5 6 7 8 9 to treat traps as a fifth category of locks,
so that a thief-locksmith might chooses to
learn one level of traps skill instead of a
80 125 150 1 7 5 2 0 0 2 2 5
cylinder or sliding level, at the next rise in
225 250 275 3 0 0 3 2 5 3 5 0 experience level. Or, traps might require
225 275 350 4 5 0 9 0 0 1500 t w o categories, one representing the skill
150 300 325 3 5 0 3 7 5 4 0 0 of detection, t h e o t h e r f o r disarming. A
thief need n o t have equivalent levels in
each. One does need to be careful in this,
however, or low level thieves will have so
few s k i l l s t h a t t h e y w i l l b e v i r t u a l l y
4 5 6 7 8 9 useless, and the DM will have to increase
the preponderance of 0 and 1st level traps
200 400 800 2 0 00 5000 10000 and locks in order for thieves to have any
chance at all.
400 650 1500 3 0 00 6500 15000
600 1000 1500 2 4 00 4500 8000
Good Thieves: A l l the w a y through this
500 900 1750 3 5 00 8000 20000
article, I h a v e tried t o paint a picture o f
where the best materials possible are used, thieves and locksmiths being t w o halves
most o f t h e i n c r e a s e i n c o s t s w i l l c o m e of t h e o n e w h o l e . I f t h e thief-locksmith
through paying for the craftsman's time and pairing i s accepted, t h e restrictions o n
skills. Each level of lock takes twice as long to alignment given in the Players Handbook
make as the level below - a level 0 lock takes can b e forgotten. O n e m i g h t t h e n f i n d
30 minutes. adventuring locksmiths, skilled men and
w o m e n who join adventurers' parties, not
for personal gain, but in order to aid them
LOW-LEVEL THIEVES in t h e i r tasks. Obviously, the 'good' thief
It should be recognised by t h e D M t h a t would not have some of the normal thief's
introducing a system of this sort will pose skills, l i k e P i c k P o c k e t s o r H i d e I n
a f e w additional difficulties t o low-level Shadows, nor could they be allowed the
thieves. The first time they run up against Backstab skill, but the DM might balance
a lock of level 2 or above they are going to this r e s t r i c t i o n b y a l l o w i n g a d d i t i o n a l
be a t a disadvantage. T h i s i s p a r t i a l l y 'good' skills. These might include Valuing,
offset by the extra consideration given to the ability to offer an increasingly accur-
the defeating o f the kinds o f crude bars ate p r e d i c t i o n o f j u s t w h a t a n i t e m i s
that the humanoid races are going to be worth, or Contact skills, whereby the thief
able to discover. Clearly though, the D M has an increasing ability to find the right
is going t o have t o act i n a responsible person t o contact f o r information, o r t o
manner when placing more difficult locks influence the local legal system.
into t h e campaign. I t ' s n o good p u t t i n g One m i g h t even i m a g i n e t h a t neutral
level 7 locks on everything! thieves would skate a precarious balance
Actually, w h i l e w e ' r e looking a t l o c k between t h e t w o e x t r e m e s , u n a b l e t o
difficulties, there is one last complication resist the occasional gem for themselves.
to the whole process that you might wish If this system is accepted, thieves will be
to bring in. The simplest cylinder locks are able to hide themselves more completely
more complicated t h a n t h e s i m p l e s t o f in society, and will no longer be the guys
turning locks, while at the top of the scale in leather that the paladins chase!
turning locks can be harder to open than Adding t h e s k i l l s o f l o c k m a k i n g o r
even the most fiendish cylinder. Clearly, trapmaking t o t h e o t h e r abilities o f t h e
the creation o f t h e s e d i ff e r e n t types o f thief class m a k e s i t a m u c h f u l l e r a n d
locks, at their different levels of difficulty, exciting c h a r a c t e r c l a s s . T h i s s y s t e m
is going to be governed by cost. places additional stress on that particular
speciality of the thief that marks the class
out from t h e others. Evil thieves can fill
C A M PA I G N POSSIBILITIES
out t h e i r o ff - d u t y h o u r s devising traps,
Adopting this system for your campaign safe in t h e knowledge t h a t they are not
will a l l o w thieves to enjoy a m u c h more going to be seen as the automatic enemy
varied role. A number of possibilities have of e v e r y L G f i g h t e r i n t o w n ; n e u t r a l
been m e n t i o n e d a l r e a d y, b u t i n t h i s thieves can exploit the ambiguity of the
section I s h a l l c o n c l u d e b y d r a w i n g 'new' class, profiteering from the disguise
attention to a f e w more. of locksmith; a n d t h e n e w goodguy can
bring n e w s k i l l s t o t h e p a r t y, w i t h o u t
Traps: All the arguments that apply to the having t o be watched all t h e time! A n d
creating/overcoming o f l o c k s c a n b e they w i l l a l l f i n d themselves u p against
applied just as easily to traps. Obviously, the patient creators of the locks and traps
some traps are going to be easier to find they seek to disarm; an invisible enemy
and d i s a r m t h a n others. F o l l o w i n g t h e w h o m i g h t j u s t produce a ' w e a p o n ' s o
logic of this article, there would also be a new, t h a t the party's lockbreaker has to
scale o f d i ff i c u l t y w i t h r e g a r d t o t h e i r admit defeat!
design and manufacture. In fact, the skills 110 Chris Barlow
of locksmith/lockbreaker and trapster are Further Reading
very c l o s e l y e n t w i n e d , a n d o n e c o u l d For those who would like to do more research
imagine that a locksmith might choose to into locks might find Locks and Keys by J Eras
research trap design in order to make the a most useful source of material.
37
 ilctr(r--1'111111111,114M
i 111111111111"1111111111111111111111N11111111111111011111111c11
)111$11111111111111119-111111131111111111111111411111i111111111111i,111111111111111111•111011111001

Home Taping Is Killing Gaming....

Even t h o u g h r o l e - p l a y i n g g a m e s h a v e Dragonroar w i l l a l m o s t certainly be t h e (or 'toy soldier sized' as Citadel describe
been w i t h u s f o r o v e r 1 0 years, m o s t game t h a t i s r e c o m m e n d e d w h e n a them), and are intended for use w i t h the
members of the public are still u n a w a r e prospective customer asks h o w they can Fighting F a n t a s y books. B y C h r i s t m a s
of t h e m , o r, a t best, h a v e o n l y a vague get i n t o r o l e - p l a y i n g . T h e r e s t o f t h e 1986, Citadel w i l l have plastic figures in
understanding o f t h e g e n r e . S t a f f i n package is impressive as well; A 4 boxed, the smaller size, w h i c h most people still
gameshops a r e f a c e d d a i l y w i t h t h e with character sheets, a party adventure call 2 5 m m , d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t m a n y
difficult t a s k o f t r y i n g t o e x p l a i n t h i s (Kalanth's Dive), r e f e r e n c e sheets, f u l l manufacturers' p r o d u c t s a r e o b v i o u s l y
curious pastime to bold enquirers. It is not dice set, mapping sheets, floor plans and considerably bigger than this. Citadel are
an e a s y c o n c e p t t o o u t l i n e i n t h e t i m e colour counters. The box is full colour, for calling t h e i r p l a s t i c f i g u r e s 3 0 m m i n
normally available to either the assistant that all-important shelf appeal. It ought to recognition of this fact.
or the customer. be a winner, but only time will tell if it will
appeal to experienced players. Back t o t h e E a r l s C o u r t b i n g e . C h r i s
But perhaps all t h i s is about to change. Harvey G a m e s h a d a n e w scenario f o r
Standard Games have revealed the nature Coinciding w i t h t h e g a m e ' s r e l e a s e , J u s t i c e Inc (Hero Games) on show, called
of t h e much-heralded Secret Ingredient Standard h a v e 3 7 D r a g o n r o a r 2 5 m m Trail o f the Golden Spike. Chris also
in t h e i r n e w D r a g o n r o a r game. I t t u r n s figures available. These include the Killer pointed o u t t h a t h e h a s b e e n a b l e t o
out t o b e ( t a - r a ) a n a u d i o c a s s e t t e , Penguin a n d G i a n t Warhedgehogs f e a - reduce the price of the colour-cover T & T
recorded by professional actors! I t takes tured in the game. Eventually, there w i l l adventures m e n t i o n e d i n I l l u m i n a t i o n s
the purchaser on a page-by-page guided be o v e r 1 0 0 m o n s t e r s i n t h i s r a n g e , 22. These are n o w just £1.95. The TatT
tour of the rulebook; explaining, introduc- which leaves plenty of scope for another rule set is also down in price at E5.95. The
ing a n d a n s w e r i n g q u e s t i o n s . S i d e 2 three or four loonie ones. colour covers are going so well that CHG
provides a c o m p l e t e s o l o adventure, A are going ahead with a full colour box for
M a t t e r o f H o n o u r. T h e d i ff i c u l t t a s k o f Linking slickly, Dragonroar was launched the b a s i c set. T h i s w i l l b e available i n
creating a t m o s p h e r e i s well-handled b y at the British Toy and Hobby Fair, held at March.
the actors, along with explanations of the Earls Court back in January. This is the
rule mechanics involved. The player will premiere t o y t r a d e f a i r i n B r i t a i n , a n d The progress o f Flagship is a source o f
have already created a character, follow- gaming o r g a n i s a t i o n s a r e i n c r e a s i n g l y quiet satisfaction f o r CHG, f o r w i t h t h e
ing instructions given at the end of Side 1 taking a d v a n t a g e o f t h e o p p o r t u n i t i e s fold of their only rival (a US publication),
and w i l l b e f u l l y c o n v e r s a n t w i t h t h e offered b y exhibiting t h e r e t o g e t t h e i r they are n o w the only prozine devoted to
tricky polyhedral dice. These are identified goods before a broader market. As well as pbm. T h e m a j o r i t y o f t h e i r c o v e r a g e
by c o l o u r i n i t i a l l y ( t h e t a p e d i r e c t s t h e Standard, Games Workshop, TSR, Citadel, relates t o t h e big, computer-moderated
player t o ' p i c k u p t h e g r e e n d i c e ' f o r Games of Liverpool, Chris Harvey Games games such as Tribes of Crane, Starweb
example), f o l l o w e d by an explanation o f and G r e n a d i e r M o d e l s U K w e r e a l l i n and C r a s i m o ff ' s World, but such favour-
the capabilities of each die. evidence. ed postal t i t l e s a s D i p l o m a c y a r e a l s o
included. Flagship is published quarterly,
So t h e r e i t is, t h e great secret i s finally Citadel a r e n o w m o v i n g i n t o p l a s t i c and costs El .50 a copy, or E5 for a year's
out. I t h i n k i t w a s w o r t h w a i t i n g f o r. figures. Initially these will be large-sized subscription.

Transatlantic Tales
Seeing as Doug Cowie seems to have left Paw (which will feature Alpha Flight, ), IJACC2 The World o f Indiana Jones,
us a little more room than usual, we'll use Thunder o v e r J o t u n h e i m ( M i g h t y which look like worthwhile developments
this space f o r a n in-depth l o o k at those Thorm?), The Last Resort, Faultline and of the original rules.
new products for various TSR rpg systems Deadly Dimensions o f D r Strange'
we g l o s s e d o v e r l a s t t i m e . B e f o r e w e (MH5-9). MHACC5 Project Wideawake With n e w items being produce for these
start, I ' d b e t t e r i s s u e a l l t h e s t a t u t o r y will feature the X - M e n * , M H A C C 6 is to games at a rate of nearly one a month, is
w a r n i n g s that go with an announcement be a boxed game, provisionally entitled there a n y room f o r t h e o t h e r systems, I
of this kind. All titles, dates and prices are New York, New York. The contents of hear you ask? Well, t h e S TA R F R o N T-
provisional; a s t h e y u s e d t o s a y a t t h e MHACC7 C o n c r e t e J u n g l e w e can b u t IERS® game has a f e w goodies on t h e i r
start of Stingray, 'anything can happen in guess at, but MHACC8 Weapons Locker way, i n a d d i t i o n t o t h o s e m e n t i o n e d
the n e x t h a l f h o u r ' . D o n ' t g o pestering seems self-explanatory. briefly l a s t t i m e . S FA D 5 B u g s I n T h e
your local shopkeeper u n t i l w e ' v e s a i d S y s t e m is one from the Product Develop-
that's i t ' s c o m i n g o v e r f o r sure.... a n d Also g r o w i n g , t h e I N D I A N A J O N E S ® ment team here in Britain. There's SFAD6
even t h e n b e u n d e r s t a n d i n g w h e n h e rpg. T h e n e x t scenarios a r e t o b e I J 4 Dark Side of the Moon. For you KNIGHT
says that it hasn't arrived yet.... Indiana Jones and the Golden Goddess, HAWKS® comes SFKH3 Face o f the
IJ5 Nepal Nightmare, IJ6 The 4th Nail Enemy, and SFKH4 War Machine, and
We m e n t i o n e d t h a t t h e r e w e r e t o b e and I J 7 Case o f the Arnhem Ring. there a r e t w o accessory p a c k s f o r t h e
several titles for the t w o latest rpgs. The Presumably, n o t a l l o f t h e s e a r e r p g system, n a m e l y S FA C C 3 t h e S T A R
MARVEL SUPER HEROES° game will adaptations o f f i l m s c r i p t s , o r H a r r i s o n FRONTIERS B AT T L E S Y S T E W and
receive five m o d u l e s and f o u r accessory Ford is going to w e a r out his whip. A l s o SFACC4 Zebulon's Guide To Frontier
packs. T h e m o d u l e s a r e e n t i t l e d C a t s due, IJACC1 Judge's Survival Pack, and Space.
38 I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985

Cast y o u r m i n d b a c k t o t h e d i m a n d d i s t a n t
past, w h e n a n e w c o m p a n y b r o u g h t y o u
Oracle's Cave, a m e n u - d r i v e n graphic adven-
ture, i n w h i c h you h a d 5 days (game time) to
defeat the Oracle and escape the caves. A t the
time of release the game was very highly rated,
and t i m e h a s d o n e l i t t l e t o d i m i n i s h t h i s
feeling.
Runes o f Zendos is Dorcas' first adventure
since O r a c l e ' s C a v e a n d a g a i n i s a g r a p h i c
adventure, though this time w i t h no time-limit
or m e n u . T h i s i s a r e a l a d v e n t u r e w i t h f u l l
sentence i n p u t , c h a r a c t e r s t o d e a l w i t h ( a s
opposed to the fight o r r u n a w a y option of the
earlier game), and many objects to manipulate.
The s c e n a r i o i s t h a t m a n y y e a r s a g o t h e
principality of Dorcasia was a happy, jolly place
until the wicked wizard of Zendos overran the
place, a n d t o k e e p t h e p o p u l a t i o n u n d e r
control, h e i m p r i s o n e d e a c h o f t h e t w e l v e
months i n a n h o u r - g l a s s w h i c h h a s b e e n
hidden i n t h e w i z a r d ' s c a s t l e . Yo u , a s t h e
intrepid a d v e n t u r e r, m u s t f i n d t h e h o u r -
glasses, r e l e a s e t h e m o n t h s , a n d r e s t o r e
normality t o D o r c a s i a . A l l s o u n d s p r e t t y
standard? You couldn't be more wrong.
T H E W R AT H OF M A G R A
Wr a t h o f M a g r a w a s t h e g a m e t h a t Carnell
Software w e r e w o r k i n g o n w h e n t h e y w e n t
bust. H a p p i l y, t h o u g h , t h e g a m e h a s b e e n
bought b y M a s t e r Vi s i o n s , a n d r e l e a s e d b y
them. The game itself is billed as a follow-up to
The Black Crystal and Volcanic Dungeon,
though a n a d v e n t u r e g a m e m o r e d i f f e r e n t
from Black Crystal is hard to imagine.
The g a m e c o m e s i n a v i d e o - s t y l e b o x ,
containing t w o tapes, an instruction book, and
a guide entitled The B o o k o f Shadows. I
suggest you read this before loading the game,
as i t c o n t a i n s t h e h i s t o r y o f the earth, a very
interesting a c c o u n t t h a t e v e n t u a l l y t e l l s y o u
w h y you have to find and kill the witch Magra; a
list of beings you will meet, h o w they affect you
and how to deal with them; and lastly, the most
important part, a list of spells you can attempt
to cast, the ingredients you need for each, and
at w h a t t i m e s o f t h e m o n t h e a c h s p e l l c a n
work. T h i s i n f o r m a t i o n w i l l a ff e c t the actions
you take w h i l e playing, and the book is a good
read a n y w a y.
The game is in three parts contained on t w o
tapes, e a c h r e c o r d e d t w i c e . T h e t a p e s l o a d
easily, w i t h a t i t l e page s h o w i n g a p i c t u r e o f
I M A G I N E ma9adne, March 1985
RUNES OF ZENDOS
Dorcas Software
48K Spectrum, Commodore 64
The j o y o f this g a m e i s t h a t instead of one
adventure you have twelve separate ones (one
adventure for each month). Each adventure is
set up in a d i ff e r e n t way, though to be fair the
characters w h o i n h a b i t t h e c a s t l e c a n b e
dealt with the same way in all twelve adventures,
either by killing them, being friendly to them, or
by presenting them w i t h an object. The objects
are a l s o t h e s a m e i n t h e various adventures
but the spells you pick up on your way are put
to different uses in each game.
The real t e s t o f t h e adventure c o m e s w i t h
the freeing of the months from the hour-glass.
For t h i s y o u h a v e t o t r a n s l a t e s e t s o f r u n e s
(hence the title) into English. To help you, there
are v a r i o u s c l u e s s p r e a d a r o u n d t h e g a m e
(there is even one on the cassette inlay, though
I couldn't find it). A little tip in the playing of the
game: I k n o w I'm preaching to the converted,
but always examine objects before using them.
'Nuff said?'
The c o m b a t i n t h e g a m e i s h a n d l e d i n t h e
following m a n n e r. W h e n e v e r y o u m e e t a
character, t h e c o m p u t e r displays h o w m a n y
strength p o i n t s e a c h o f y o u i s w o r t h . Yo u r
strength can be increased by various weapons.
Master Visions
48K Spectrum
Magra. P a r t 1 o f t h e a d v e n t u r e h a s y o u
exploring a s m a l l t o w n ; b u y i n g , s e l l i n g a n d
finding objects that should help you later in the
game. Parts 2 and 3 are the m o r e traditional
explore-and-kill variety.
Keeping i n l i n e w i t h t h e c u r r e n t t r e n d f o r
graphic adventures, each location not only has
a text description, it is also accompanied by a
picture. T h e s e t a k e a b o u t t h r e e s e c o n d s t o
appear, a n d are very w e l l drawn. I f you d o n ' t
like pretty pictures there is the facility to turn
them off. Unfortunately, this does not clear the
screen o f t h e o ff e n d i n g graphics; r a t h e r, t h e
last location d r a w n i s l e f t u p o n t h e screen.
This c a n b e a b i t c o n f u s i n g w h e n t h e t e x t
informs you that 'you are in a dark cave' while
the picture shows a green field on a sunny day.
I did find, though, that after a f e w minutes I
managed to get used to it.
One o f t h e m o s t interesting aspects of the
game is time. While you are exploring, fighting,
etc, the h o u r s pass by, day turns to n i g h t and
night t o day. A s you h a v e to sleep a t r e g u l a r
intervals to stop yourself from losing strength
points, i t is useful to k n o w h o w long it's been
since your last steer). Equally important, as the
Micro
Reviews
After each individual r o u n d of combat, points
are deducted f r o m y o u a n d t h e e n e m y c h a r -
acter t o s i g n i f y w o u n d s , t h o u g h y o u c a n
replenish your strength by eating, and as you
start the game w i t h a good supply of food, and
find plenty on the way, this does not present a
problem.
The status display is one of the most useful
I've ever seen. Not only does it give you current
strength, score, food left, objects carried etc,
but also the current spells you know, and runic
clues you have found. Ve r y helpful to say the
least.
The graphics are very good.The castle is well
drawn; all movement is very smooth, although
the combat section seems to be you and your
opponent taking turns to head-butt each other
to t h e s o u n d s o f c o m p u t e r i z e d t h u d s . T h e
characters l o o k a s t h e y a r e m e a n t t o b e ,
especially w h e n they attack you.
In conclusion, Runes of Zendos is one step
beyond Dorcas' last release. By incorporating
traditional adventure features w i t h t h e i r o w n
unique ideas, they have managed to produce a
very good game.
iflos D J Robinson
days pass by, t h e p h a s e s o f t h e m o o n a l t e r.
This affects t h e g a m e i n s o m u c h a s c e r t a i n
spells can only be cast at certain t i m e s of the
month, although another function of the game
allows you to store successfully-cast spells in a
spiritual cloth for later use.
Inputting commands is done using either the
normal v e r b a n d n o u n m e t h o d , o r b y m o r e
complex sentences. A glossary o f w o r d s t h e
computer u n d e r s t a n d s i s i n t h e i n s t r u c t i o n
book; it also understands m o s t w o r d s used in
the text.
Combat is handled in a novel way. W h e n you
meet a m o n s t e r, the display panel s h o w s you
w h a t percentage chance you have of killing the
beast. If you w o u n d the monster, the percent-
age i s i n c r e a s e d b y 1 0 , w h i l e i f y o u a r e
wounded i t i s decreased b y 1 0 . A l s o , e a c h
w o u n d y o u receive causes y o u r s t r e n g t h t o
decrease until it reaches zero, w h e n you die.
In c o n c l u s i o n , T h e W r a t h o f M a g r a i s a n
exceptionally good adventure, well written and
presented, w i t h a vast amount of atmosphere
and the best background material I have ever
seen.
D J Robinson
39
 tireTWOW00101010•1110-00-0-o-o-o-oo,
0 1 5 • • • • • • • • .4
• • r•m•• r m
• m
mb i
e
bde
0Sal. eaitathatelkoloikeamoteall•
iREPIS
. I. . NoTrFs...
• GRIIE
•
REPRIS.. NOM •• I
P g . RWIPPAIMEMIZEPAME-W2WWSIIPAIIP.WIRIPIMP.MOPAMPLqi0momgrapPwgestilmamlftw.Awrip-,0.•,,,,w.
e l OW POWERS 8c PERILS: Tower of the Dead,P.,1 DRAGONLANCETm• !
I I K I R E E N E n i m m u m n i o n t i M m E N I I M M E I N E l l i o n i o n i m m i o n m s • d . E I M I I I I I I I I M M E I M E H E I M M I E E M I I I M M E M E N 11

be p r o d u c e d specifically f o r t h e P o w e r s 8 t T for h ei n d e p e n d e nist such

plotline t h o u gthat
h t bthere
y t h eisplayers
little room as 0 4 D modules
r a g o n s started
of Flame byisthetheexcellent
second inDar aseries
g o n s ofof
S I 0 4 To w e r o f t h e D e a d is the first a d v e n t u r e to
I 1 0 1 1 D e s p a i r. Wr i t t e n by Douglas Niles, w h o was
O S S p P e r i l s game. It comes boxed, t h o u g h for the t h e y are led from one part of the scenario to
only the 56-page module booklet and a three- t h i s adventure that I w o u l d recommend that 0 4 ,design many of DL1 's strengths of detail, clarity and
staff' on the f irst module, D L 2 retains
1 0 0 0 4 l i f e of m e I c a n n o t t h i n k w h y, a s it contains a n o t h e r . However, there is so much detail in
screen first, t h i s is t h open e Gto M them: if theyplayers
do not,tolarge
take sections of 0 1 1
H layout,
s considerably
although less.
the sheer
The plot volume
followsof material
straight
0 1 • f o l Turning
d refereet ocontrol t h e control
screen. encourage all options
1011 o n from the end of DL1 .
e l O a nando t simply
i n f o r maa tPi o&nP specifically
GM's screen, forbut To has tables
t D and an t h e m o d u l e are skipped and it is a s h a m e to The e a r l y e n c o u n t e r s a r e q u i c k - f i r e s t u f f
index t o t h e m o d u l e b o o k l e t , a s w e l l a s T h e plot concerns the Lich Nilgeranthrib (a I and w o r k well except w h e n t h e D M i s re-
O S • s e e such material going to waste.
/ 1 4 q u i r e d to arrest the party — always good for
. 0 P
h Ag g e n e r a l i n f o r m a t i o n f o r P & P. I t w i l l b e r a t h e r contrived name if ever there was one)
11 0 i, at rno uabr lgeu mkeeping
e n t ! S ot m
h ee nouf mmeyr oplaytesters
u s NPC n a m h ae ds
O S Oi n t ecroen tsati n
i nagsimilar
t o s e econtrol
w h e t hscreen.
e r f u t u r e m4o d u l e-s a 6n d e x pwish
his e r i e nto
c erule
d ( aover
n d tThaliba.
h a t i s The
i m p oparty
r t a n of
t)
artwork is of a reasonable standard. Detailed, c h a r aAll c tine rall
s this
m u sscenario
t endeavour is very
to destroy
detailed,him. well 0 III , sfault.
t r a i g h t , but that's probably not the module's
P I 0 1 A s t o t h e booklet, i t i s w e l l l a i d o u t a n d
1 T h e final section of the module features a
O l
M I S I I I u n a m b i g u o u s m a p s are provided w i t h i n t h e t h o u g h t out, and runs smoothly from section
ly there is not an enlarged version of the map t o section. M y only worry is at the n u m b e r of b i l l l i(t' tYo
times a party of adventurers could easily be l eutraditional
e n t e r a cave-work
c o r r i d o r oand
v e r a1huge
0 0 ' wcastle
ide,
0 1 1 o i l m a i n text w h e r e necessary, but unfortunate-
0 0 11 0 w h The
i c h detail
appearsin the scenario
on the booklet
rear of is extens-
the box. w i fp a eu l dt oout,
f the i rd oi nw n
an s o. mHeo w e v e r t hwr o
cases i tuhg hs olittle
me
0 0 0 0 4 0 0 . . r. . !
O I
o d i a
o 4 ive a n d r e q u i r e s c a r e f u l r e a d i n g a n d r e - s e c t i o n s a l t e r e d t o a v o i d t h i s , a n d t h e
Wi l rOe na e
din g by the GM
annoying before
feature any thought
of such detail is of play.
that in aDuet h
a od r ' i ss oaw n
f o caution
r m i d a b l heeded,
e c h a l l e To
n gw
e etr oofathe
ny
•000000100101010041
M 0 1 1 1 . 1 P g 1 M P I N P A P I O L O M E N

O N
) 1 2
t h e he
• m
t history there i s mention o f places not
frustrating
a r k e d o n t ht ha n
recommended in spite of w h a t may seem to
e amnaypt h; i nI g f, oausn tdh et hl iosc amt ioo rnes ebx pee rai eh ingch eprice.
•040,AP Offilkeit 04
d g r o u p o f P & P p l a y e r s a n d i s gold v a n c e d Dtmgeonsepragons- 0
Iare not necessary for playing the scenario. " 5 Mike Dean 1 4

LI,110,401.0rOwl WOW WO.SSTO-V010101r0 • g

wg P t L O I D S of CREATION: ;I%e Yeti Sanction 1 Dragons of Flame
by Dcwhys M k s

0701rera0001
III 0 S I M M I I I M E I N I M M I I M M I L I N E M E I M M E I M M I N E E M I N I M I N I I I
The Ye t i S a n c t i o n does not have any direct
plot l i n k s w i t h i t s p r e d e c e s s o r, H o r n o f
o f the US secretary of state. If so, the party is
t o destroy the YETI organisation and rescue
Oe 01 Roland, a n d m a y t h e r e f o r e b e u s e d i n - t h e secretary of state. Needless to say, with a

PO d e p ethat
n d The
e n tYeti
l y Sanction
of it. H o wise vintended
e r, i t w o to
u l dbeappear
one of say ss t ethey at first
LoCseem.
00 tit
0 0 m like things do not turn out quite
a continuing line of boxed Lords of Creation W e l l , i f I said a n y m o r e I w o u l d spoil t h e

01041 scenarios specifically designed to lead char-

acters t h r o u g h f r o m n e o p h y t e t o l o r d s o f
a d v e n t u r e for potential players, so instead I
w i l l voice m y only niggle w i t h t h e plot. T h i s
00 creation: at the end of YS, characters can be c o n c e r n s t h e hijack sequence w h e r e t h e

OS led t o t h e n e x t i n l i n e , O m e g a k r o n . T h e
intention t h a t e a c h s c e n a r i o b e b o u g h t i n
t e r r o r i s t s announce t h a r T h i s p i a n e h a s b e e n
c o m m a n d e e r e d b y t h e People's Liberated

OStv turn is also seen in the fact that YS includes

some n e w , a d d i t i o n a l r u l e s f o r c a r s a n d
S o v i e t o f Grenada!' — h o w such n o n s e n s e
c a n find its way into what is otherwise a very
000111 special e q u i p m e n t , a n d a LoC gamesmaster g o o d module is beyond me!

P O A b e Ie nc am
0 4 screen. nan rokt eht e
edl p separately
eb u t feel
s t h et os eg isvheovtuhl d
e l i n e a r ,w ai ta
lhl oHoR,
w i n g tl iht tel eapproach
freeh
d o m toof tchoice
h e p l o tf oi sr

1 0 $ 1 0 4 1 LoC G M m o r e. freedom
e ts aof choice
h ch onr wu h apteto the players,
m a t e r i a l bi u
s t wata sleast
t e d , this
— a means
n d players
nonea rof
e I

t l e 0 1 T h e s c e n a r i o i t s e l f b e g i n s a s a s t r a i g h t - u n l i k e l y t o notice. A l l i n a l l , Y S i s a w e l l e d M r s

s o f oP rw wh ea t rh d
e r eYsEpTi oI n( aYo
g eu nmgi sEsvi e
o rne st ot Te
d i sr rcoorvi es rt p
s cr ee sneanr ti eo d. ,Itsenjoyable
only failing
andis eminently
its somewhat high 0
playable 0 0 0 0 0

O S I I I I n t e r n a t i o n a l ) are responsible for the kidnap p r i c e ! # i Mike Dean 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

O 0010/1001000
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 111 0 0 111
R10100•1111011,101100000040ogooloo01000•0000010
Oil
P O
101 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 LANDS OF0ADVENTURE)
0 • 0 1111 0 1
O C )

0
I t Written b y Lee Gold, a u t h o r o f Land o f t h e c a t i o n , k n o w l e d g e , m a g i c , m a n i p u l a t i o n , E n h a n c e m e n t anTlIlusion.—An individual s p e l l -

0 0 1 1 I I Rising S u n a n d t h e p e r s o n b e h i n d t h e m i r a c l e , m o v e m e n t , observation, persuasion,

Excursions, L a n d s o f A d v e n t u r e i s F G U ' s s a r y t o d e c i d e o n t h e l i m i t e d n u m b e r o f
O S m/ amateur i p r ess s association

s0 u pI p consists
l e m e of
n ta 32-page
s A
i l a r u ml s St•

c o n t a i n irulebook
n g ' m o dand
e

u l a ra 28-page,
and melee weapons. It is then neces-

1 0 1 1 hPIi latest r o l e - p l a y i n g o ff e r i n g . T h e b o x e d s e t s p e c i a l i s t skills t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t o h a v e a n d

c u l t u r e cwl ihmi bc ihn cg a tweaglol sr y- movement;

t h e s k i l l s f aand
l l i nstorytelling
i s one of the character's specialised skills and
w h o chooses t h e spell type, e g c o m p u l s i o n ,
i s c o n s t r u c t e d cookbook style b y t h e p l a y e r,

a n d the power of the spell type, le from merely

t o s u c h a s- ci no hn it br o
i tl il ni ng g t h
it.eThe
v i c trange,
i m ' s bvolume
e h a v i o uintensity
r t o t o t aand
lly
1
O I h pi i packs'
England.
f o r M y t h i c t G r e e c e ahn d M e d i e vea l c o m m ubasic
n i c acategory
t i o n . Fscores
o r t h e scan then be improved
e specialised s k i l l s dt uh r ea t spell
i o n skill
of theand canallbe
spell altered
add to theatcomplexity
a small loss
of
0 1110 I 11
F i characteristics,
r s t the rules; a each
character
in theisrange
described by u
of 1-20. a pn ot ntoby experience
note and learning.
that although a paragraph It is or
import-
so is si an m sep efamily
l l s k i l l but
s u cof
c eas sdifferent
c h a n c e .power
S p e l l scan
i n also
the
given o n e a c h s k i l l c a t e g o r y t h e r e i s n o b e cast but at half the base chance of success.
0 4 0 1 T h e s e are not completely random, for while
0 0 ' S t+r e1 dn 1g0t h
. A=l t1d20,
e r n a t iConstitution
v e l y a c h a r=
a cStrength / e2, dme ef i an int si v seo listing
ter can b m e e x t rof
a specialised
w o r k . H o w eskills
v e r i tsod othis
e s dSe o
s cmr i eb i guidance
n g t h e s p ei s
l l fgiven
a m i l i e si na nt h
d ei nr ual ec so mi n
-

0 4 l i g e n e r a t e d by distributing 110 + 2d10 points I m e a n you are free to create the character you p r e h e n s i v e listing of spell 'recipes'.
acteristics
o n g the determine a character's
These basic'
char-' w aAn t . T h i s s o r t o f freedom o f choice i s character's vitality i s measured b y
041 ,
0 0 /am 11 characteristics.
_rating in the 10 skill categories of c o m m u n i - S p e l l s are of four types: Compulsion, Energy, c h a r a c t e r i s d e a d ; B o d y P o i n t s , l o w e r e d b y
i h d l i b ^ 4 1 6 1 . - d i l i b l r a t r a t N i r a l i n e r i d i N i e r i i i i t t d d h i l d b i t a I i i i i t u a r i l i b i t i n k i a b o d i n i d E b M b A M M I M M l i d l E b a l l h d l a M b I M M I M 111 0 111

•kstsloWelfirooloWtroWOMINICIWOWsweA
lawasA010A010,41,0A0111.11000000Aolloattal
roweareworarowerowsworarorcro wowswo
AssigoalteghotatactemoltemicokwatetooffiAtoo•••
...REPIELb..IYOTICES..51911EREPIELIS...IYOTIrlai.. p
• •
._-,_.w..e.a.-smor,tb.-.Asgrditwgot.,.dn.,-T--,•.,-.aw-,d§ratz-Aacr.mr-,t*---.*R-4ardtgusrAdizw-dwdcrlob„--rak—dbk—dobyderidb.-r•r-Alb--mb,--ral

'
.11.1gglrg.of Flame
2 0 0 ' h i g h a n d Stretching as
4zLnfo
WhenaStarFalsbv-w
ll A D & BO: 1 % S A M U R A I B L A D E S M N
a s you c b a r a g o k n r ,
dw
-. w.-4is-wwm
i. 1LwPaopo 1 S a m u r a i Blades, f r o m t h e s a m e stable as

sseeeeLTdhteo acotuark tuatcsiratil-sler teearLsytir;c?r m y * Abe..W-6L1141-'12b1P.111417-411121"iwg

lA reviewer should not only be but seem to t h 1eS im e g eor
a nby
d itself.
C r y HThe
a v o cgame
! c a nisb eset
u sin
e dJapan
with ) I I I s o
players.
My r e s e r v a t i o n s a b o u t t h i s m o d u l e a l l 0 1 4 1 I be unbiased, so when it comes to reviewing o Ii l during t h e S h oog u n a t e civil w a rrs a n d t h e o p o
relate to its role as a l i n k section in a m u c h * llof a problem. The modules are produced b W bush, and putting down brigands, while th
t
larger waidt h
along v ethe
n t u plot
r e . Ttoh emake
p l a yany
e r s sense
h a v e of
t o it at
g l l " the UK
samseries
magazinee acnodm
ofpt modules
ha en yp rt oh balItehave
p
br oi dssomething
m u tcheast t thhi es H
nh iai n provided
character
j a s andscenarios
t ytheir
p le s retainers.
i n c l cover
u d e s arebellion,
murai, mon a kms -, b i l 10 0 01
all. A D M can always force a reluctant p a r t y * modules are very good! The storylines are I T h e contents comprise playing pieces, 0 4 V
real
backfreedom,
into t h e plot,
keeping
b u t up
in vinterest
i e w of the
might
lack
be oa f i tl lwo li s otu sn d toa nkeep
d i nteresti
the players
ng, won
i t htheir
e n o toes;
u g h pthe
lot 0 4 thwi sot omaps, 0a c k g r o uofn rules,
booklets
rical b d1 r e f e r e nand
d , c a rscenarios ce O S

problem. T h e m o d u l e a l s o s e e m e d f a i r l y * DM i s presented w i t h all t h e information t a b . sheets a n d a n icosahedral d i e ( d i 0). T h e 0 4 0 4

the coa
short, nn
t edx tw o
ouf ltdh e
m aDkrea gl iot tnl eL asense
n c e s eor iuetss. i Id e l p
. i l minor
neededorclearly
non-existent,
a n d concisely, w i t h e r r o r s O g,g bplaying pieces
o t h sides are coloured
so that card, printed
they are reversible; t h uon
s e l N O

place to
can't
start
yrecommend
the lDragonlance
l it ona its
series.
own,
e As
or
r as
onea • U K 4 , a one-off module for 6-10 3rd to 5th l e l 1t w o cards can s h o w a character fit, w o u n d - 0 / 0 4

of the series, however, it has 'Dallas appeal'. p o i alevel

shooting star and
characters, a place
is no of renown
exception. are stunned
called N o ed,
It involves o t h e r c aor
r d dead.
s show i n g horsemen,
With t h e m m o u nthere
ted. O H 0 0 1

I rp , p o l l 11 i s w e i r e v e s piw0 i t oI a
glimpses into the future. To tell more would
occupied b y sages w h o a r e able t o give
1
villageb
rricadaensd
a Oa
IPA5 Steve H a m s h i l i i i i i the T o w e r o f t h e H e a v e n s , w h i c h i s I l l I Still m o r e c a r d s s h o w w a g o n s , h o r s e s , 0 1
aantdemlapnitee,rannsd.Tahsewmitahptshsehootwhear O N
0 4

O H O
1 I
O .
$ 1 1 0 . 0 0 • 0 0 0 0 e l beAs to spoil things for
i n previous the players.
modules a n outline 0i s o t hStandard
e r h e xgamessheetsofathis r e atype, a hex cloth
necessity i f t hor
e

restriction theon the players as the encounters 0 4 y eThe

SI
• i l a b e l l g a b b e A 9 4 1 given
this isoffar

O i l areLooking
not required
expected
more a n aid events

to occurI would
for criticisms
butD
to the once

in any strict
again
M than a p 0l a on

order.
say that
r s rules
the everare thorough
want
missile . beyond
to get
tables and0 seem 1to range
short
! all necessary points— including seppuku, a
the ' 0g 4l o r i o u s suicide' by which defeated players
cover
1

P I
O " S :

Official Game Adventure t o map of the region lacks labels for the rivers l e l may remove their last samurai piece, pro-
L i
W H E N A srAR. FALLS P I M e x c e s s i v e use of 'non-standard monsters' s u i t a b l e 'death poem' first! Special rules for r i l P I . P 1
by ° m o m Morris
k i d and mountains, a n d there is perhaps a n 1 v i d e d , of course, that they have written a
s i I from the Fiend Folio and the unnecessary , b i a mon ksa,niinncjaaendcL re l u d the u s e o f lanterns a t P I 0 4
041 a Monster
copy of Manual
MMII this II. does
If like mean
me you don'textra
some own P n R i g Thht e mechanics of the game are straight- S i 0 0 1

WI
e l w o r k either expanding t h e brief descript- f o r w a r d , a n d o n c e t h e players b e c o m e 0 1

for those from M M I L 1 0progresses at 1a reasonable pace 1 as all the1

1
0 4

ions given or substituting other monsters 11 f a mnecessary

i l i a r w i movement a nrules,
d combat
t h e tables
able It h t h e basic
0
game -
0 4
several medium sized encounters with no
le provided. E a c h t u r n i s divided i n t o t w o

Li 0 4 / 1111 pitched
many battle.
products
l e play It
but
sessions,may
as no as
far longer beitseries
the as
consisting UK

11 4 A D M ) modules goes, British is best!

true
doesfor
of 1 1

M
are reprinted
player's phase oi sn subdivided,
t h e t w o p lclearly,

six actions which must, or may, be taken.

a y e r c ai rndt o
s

f , ‘ Chris H u n t e r 1411k A l l movement depends upon terrain and all

Rp
i osagtoomimbse6404 phases, o n e f o r e a c h player, a n d e a c h t h s ,

II
L71

***oases.***
sosessessosso
S
I O
1 W Product
1 . g o l w NInformation

(1,9.95) are limn Avalon h i l l , 650 High Road,

Noi ili Fin( bley, London N I 2
modifying w h e r e necessary f o r cover a n d
I P R i p 1 1 . R e p w w i i l combat is decided using the dl 0 and cross-
0 s p e c i a l abilities.
Tower of the Dead (.0.45) and The Yeti Sanction
The o n l y criticisms I h a v e are a b o u t t h e I A
h a r e f poor
e r e nquality
c i n g of
o nthe
t h box
e a pinp rwhich the
opriate t a game
bles, i
1)12 and U K 4 1L4.50 ea( 10 an T S R U K Lid, LII a r r i v e s ( h o w a b o u t a w a l l e t ? ) a n d t h e
•I'he N1111, Rathinme Rd, Camblidge limited size of the maps. At least Standard
oP
P110 1 0 4

ligoloo
0 0

110001001,000010 Samurai Blades (1,9.95) is limn Standaul Gaines & do make hex mats as well! Overall, this is a
good game, w e l l produced a n d straight- Kii * I
SO010000.10111004
PiiI,liiat ions, Arlon lloose, Station Rd, Kings
Langley, tlei is W a l 81,F

0011 Lands of Adventure (1,9.95) is disil

Goine, I A N ei pool, 89 Vi, toil,' si. 1.i% et pool 1.1
so easy! to play. Winning, however, is not I
forward
lksion Conner'

a t i n abeA
t rAlli
Injury — at OBB a character is comatose; and
Energy Points, lowered by spell casting, mov-
ing q u i e t l y e t c — a t D E P a c h a r a c t e r i s
exhausted. T h i s system r e q u i r e s m o r e book-
keeping t h a n simple h i t points but is w o r t h i t
for t h e a d d e d c o n t r o l i t gives y o u o v e r y o u r
character's actions.
Weapon skill is modified by ease of use of the
weapon and h o w heavy it is for the character;
weapon d a m a g e i s fixed, d e t e r m i n e d b y
weapon w e i g h t . The player can 'control' h o w
the character fights, reducing damage taken by
dodging (expending EP instead of BP)and parry-
mg or striking more quickly by expending EP.
The ' m o d u l a r c u l t u r e p a c k s ' o f f e r s o m e
interesting i n f o r m a t i o n b u t t h e y a r e n o t m y
style o f f r p . I p r e f e r loosely-based historical
rpgs s u c h a s TOP SECRETTh o r B O O T HILL
OWSWOVINWOVIWINICTOWO OWO PlrO'
M A W "eat" l e M e a l d f l
games, set in Hollywood-style versions of the h - - a - t aid both game mechanics and roleplay.
real world. The culture packs present more of Lands of Adventure is definitely not for the
an historical reconstruction, w i t h t r u e m y t h s
and w o r k i n g m a g i c p r o v i d i n g t h e f a n t a s y
beginner, however, as the amount of 'free-
dom' w o u l d a l m o s t certainly l e a v e t h e m
M
elements, w h i c h f o r m e j u s t d o n ' t fit. H a v i n g floundering. If on the other hand you a r e a 10KO
said that, the packs are well detailed, if only 14
or so pages each, and are presented using the
veteran g a m e r w h o enjoys perusing n e w
games systems a n d h a s a f e w pounds t o I
same section numbering as the rulebook, w i t h spare then this is a must. la1
a c o m b i n e d i n d e x a t t h e back o f each. T h e y As for its chances as an individual rules
1St
l 00
both c o n t a i n several m o n s t e r s , r u l e s expan- system, I h a v e g r a v e reservations. T h e
sions, s c e n a r i o s , a n d a s y o u w o u l d e x p e c t intention s e e m s t o b e t o publish several laa 001
details of the culture.
It is obvious that a l o t o f t h o u g h t has gone
modular culture packs w h i c h m e a n s i t ' s
going t o b e very difficult t o publish other 80
into n o t o n l y t h e r u l e s t h e m s e l v e s b u t a l s o 'support' s u c h a s modules. Consequently
toOS
their layout. Although at 32 pages the rulebook
may seem short compared to others, the small
Lands of Adventure's chances of gaining a
foothold with so many other systems on the 1•
print is packed w i t h detail. Al! the major rules
sections are there, as are m a n y nice touches
market must be slim.
10 Chris Hunter 00
".•

tie Iloilo I W O O M 0/0.01119101A0••••t

rOgidaelbill000014111011010•01oSIOMMOSOMMMISAAS
e f Wall r e e W S W SWOWWWW01 WO10-011-0-0-0VOI I
00
s C/ U 1 r•NOTICES..GRITIE
e l r N WO

OSWo1WWWW:PWPWWWWW/PyPP w w w w w w q r w m p o r w r w ger 141pw‘w-Nw

btj LIMARVEL SUPERHEROESTm: Lone Wolves i n h i f t i l l & a d b i l h d l i g e l l
PRI WIMPISIESEMWAKILMEMIMMIZEMCWOraWMP'ANP'1111PMPPI.P41AW-46.1"&1111M1raMTPALTMFAME!
One of the problems that TSR and Marvel
were bound to experience with the MARVEL
SUPER HEROESTM game is that so many of
the Marvel characters are loners. This makes
it rather difficult to design playable scenarios
for them a s most o f the players will, o f
course, want to be heroes rather than mere
sidekicks. But the scenarios must be written;
characters such a s Spiderman, Hulk and
Daredevil are too popular to be ignored. The
only possible solution is a 'team up' style
adventure in which a bunch of heroes who
live in the same area bump into each other
during a case and decide to work together.
Hence Lone Wolves, which brings together a
collection of very different characters.
Having said that, Lone Wolves has been
very well put together. Daredevil is obviously
the showpiece character of the scenario, and
as he lives in New York, a city which seems to
house around 90% of all known Superheroes
in the Marvel Universe, finding partners is no
!problem. Those chosen are Black Widow
(who was at one time DD's partner/girlfriend
1but has since moved on in the comics) plus
Power Man (token negro) and Iron Fist (sop to
Kung RI fanatics), two fairly minor characters
whose careers were saved when some bright
! snark a t Marvel asked w h y Suoerheroes
AnsumpAtagium&vgionammisemmemarknumnimateo,
10IS • MARVEL SUPER HEROESTM: Secret Wars_hl
0 1 4 o c K c o m i c s fans, you can stop groaning now. M a g n e t o (yes, Magneto!) and the v i l l a i n A P I I I
N O 0 You are quite right, but) have got something D o o m t h g g o d - l i k e Galactus
p a interesting
1 n d read on.to sayc so skip
a the
m nextp paragraph
a i g n .
This game has been a long time in coming,
Thus w e h a v e Daredevil, w h o s e secret 1 0 1 but it is worth the wait. Some 3-4 years ago,
identity is that of a leading lawyer; a forme two British roleplayers and comics fans,
Russian spy; a n d t h e 'Heroes f o r H i r e Simon Burley and Pete Haines, produced
r: M I P01
detective agency on the case. Not, you might A l l their own set of rpg rules for a Superhero
boring slugfests. You bet.
think, t h elike
I really sort
thiso fscenario.
people w It h o indulge
has in !
a lovely air
04
RIP game and, thinking them rather good, had
them properly printed and tried to sell them.
d i Quite a few copies got sold through fanzines
of reality about it. Unlike the other scenarios lelp and at conventions, but by no means as many
as the game deserved. However, the good
so f a r produced,
Superhero w h i c h a r e essentially
versus Supervillain, this one is 4 fairy, in the person of Games Workshop, took
about Superheroes fighting time. OK, so the 0 s pity on these struggling game designers and
master criminals are Supervillains but there agreed to produce the game professionally.
are lots o f ordinary people involved and M I The translation from amateur to professional
plenty o f opportunity i s provided f o r t h e product took many months and was not en-
players to indulge in detective work and to
infiltrate the villains' organisation. They even
have to do deals with other members of the
0
04tirely trouble free, but the finished product is
now on the shelves and looking very stylish.
The character generation system is much
l e
criminal fraternity in order to get the men
they want. Add t o this a fairly intelligent
bunch of baddies several of whom actually
01as you would expect; a matter of rolling prime
requisites and powers. What is interesting,
however, is that having rolled his/her char
try to outwit the heroes instead of out-punch I I I I acter the player is -expected to 'rationalise'
them and you have a highly entertaining the resulting statistics. This involves produc-
adventure. I only hope that the rather lack- ing an origin for the character explaining how
lustre nature of some of the heroes involved V the powers were gained and how they work.
doesn't adversely affect the sales o f this
module and thereby discourage TSR from
producing anything similar. M O 0 4 W I P A I l l I P M /11I P A P I P P V W e l
00 Pete Tantivn
1
d u rgi nand g Doc
Mega-death i s n ' t i n i t , w h o l e o o

r o t W h a t was that all about? Well, Secret u n i v e r s e s can be destroyed. And there are no 1 1 0
Wars
! O i l 1111 of is a Marvel
comic •mini-series',
books telling a singlea 12-issue set oar ds i nbad
story. This a r yanpeople
rpg asinvolved
it made aatcomic.
all. It makes just l o o

t o 0 0 pmaarjtoicruhlearr0seesrinesthienvmoalvryeas1Universen
ea r lneaylra! lanodf hases S e c r e otLkingarsodoes
et0sheprobyri th tth esides,
mHhGomwewveitrh,1 0
1 0 1 1 t i l a significant effect on many of their lives. In a n interesting array of villains, including the P O
0 0 t e rrunaway
ms yaofcomics
success
s solbut,
oddthe
l eatseries
e a1s t hassbfeaernaas c h a r mrm
i nipg
a
nug
l In
yychbloofc slugfestk
headed f 0dWreckingyoucouldn't
t a 111

1 0 0 4 fanzineo
cd ctiacssi rgroa,detheemasbclryipati ngu1has been w anever
onodemnedi
d
e
rn used
n t ttohfeinmdotheir l epowers
adnuyw htoerret.hAeIsbto
ohaXmake a living.
r-aMoteenrfsat
an IiO l

W O 0 0 W i t h 12 comic books to cover there is far C y c l o p s .

too much scenario
standard in Secretand
Wars to compress
so the series hasinto
beena bFei gn i an lnli yn ,g however,
t o notice aan word of caution:
annoying facetI'mof 0 0
these M S H products. F o r example, t h e I
LO p r e s e n t e d a s a campaign background.
play, butset
random eventsmust
are also used and powers listed
scenario for the FFtointhose
are different the Mgiven
u rd e rwo rId pb eP a r r od dl ua cr at ni ntf or r m
in the i e
a t iro e
n a r d b .
•
011 Certain encounters occur
GMs are encouraged to add material of their
own a s well. This i n itself is a welcome
during
basic game.
changed fromEqually
those in Iron Man's
Avengers stats are 0 M H 4 - Lone Wolves,0MH Special - Secret Wars
Assembled.
1 1 0 4 1111 innovation from TSR and something I have Most significantly o f all, Prof X ' s Prime 011(E2.95 each) are T Sand CBI - Conan
R products, address theon
Barbarian
page ,41 ( L - 1 . 5 0 .
been trying to persuade games companies to
R e q u i s i t e s i n S e c r e t W a r s h a v e b e e n I G o l d e n Heroes (L8.95) is a Games Wo r k s h o p I M O
publish for sometime. I only wish TSR could
have found something better to try it on. changed from those in the X-Men scenario A p r o d t . 27 2 9 Sunbeam Road, L o n d o n N W I O
To start w i t h , Secret Wa r s involves a a b i l i t i e s i n t h e c o m i c b o o k s s i n c e t h e n . ! L e t Die (L7.95) are f r o m Victory Games, available
possible 21 player characters which will be from Av a l o n H i l l , address p41
horribly unmanageable however you try to this
b
sort of thing
Prospective
e c a u s e t h eGMs
lest
c h a should
confusion
r a c t e r keep
h a s an
set
i m eye
in eduring
p r o vopen
d h for
i s lo
Addresses are given for i n f o r m a t i o n only; all
0 0 7 - Yo u
run it. Then again, those characters include
playsamebe games shop
S i the incredibly powerful Thor, Prof X and s ascoauurosee the0oseyplayers are not allm using the o ,,,i
SI 1 s t o0 m m oPete iTamlyn
m p r b.._ d u c t s shouldb e obtainablef r o m y o u r local

l a i l i r e T i n t l i e t a
Conan the Barbarian is such a widely known
archetype for frp heroes that translating his
world and character into an frp system seems
a brave step and yet one that was bound to
happen. David Cook has attempted to do this
in a new TSR ADM) mocluie. T h
A number of minor che,iges for standard
M A D rules are needed to cope with Conan
and Hyboria. Clerics are banished, healing
I N .1 'r4a111
t e swincreased,
• g r " I I P and a 'fear check' introduced b r i n g i n g in existing characters.
2 1 _ 2_ 1 . 1 2 Z . M 1 = I k t
t o cope with superstitious fear of magic. More
i n t e r e s t i n g l y, every player g e t s a certain
n u m b e r of luck points to spend in attempting
f e a t s outside the A D M ) rules. These were
g o o d fun in the Conan context.
e material includes four pregenerated
c h a r a c t e r sheets for Conan and friends. These
a r e outside the normal run o f A D M ) char-
a c t e r s , and the module rightly urges against
,
t r 4 1 3 . j r l i a t a l r i
The module itself also has some uniquely
'Conan' features. Normal ADM) monsters are
almost totally replaced b y various h u m a n
opponents and potential opponents. Surpris-
ingly, some o f these a r e good enough t o
challenge Conan! The plot is simple and rather
derivative, b u t takes i n s o m e interesting
settings and encounters. For the most part it
plays well, despite niggles like a ship that
keeps changing its name, and monsters using

ItO g r o m
0 0 —
I I 0 001110 0 0 • 0 COwelSIOITOITORT071ToT tOreTO70greT4
4 t g . 11 A : 6 4 1 . : l b ; W i r n . . M . W ' m i l y " O w ' o i r. -

bit A l t e l a i l l I AO IA.OAS,0.,.._.1tettoittaittlit0itt0AN11.Aito LIM

I

*NW.
00 This s c e n a r i o i s i n t e n d e d f o r f o u r ' R o o k i e '

ISO
PO
I

Sol4 0 4
o f r

LELAmleIuptompA"AO
their useless w i n g s to fly into the attack.
The mood of this module is different from
the n o r m a l r u n o f A D & D material, a n d t h e
players and referee really need to get into the
swing of the thing. It helps if one is familiar
w i t h the Conan books or films. This scenario
is good f o r i n t r o d u c i n g t h e characters, b u t
stronger plotlines will be needed if there is to
be a series.
I V Steve Hampshire
rawdwasorithwiticargassharlsrararardrarallarieraTrallirghlrerefroTtio
PINEWA%119AllitiniiISSWati I
 Our bi-nwntldy feature about the postal gaming hobby
CHAIN
MAIL
by Brian Creese
CHEQUERED FLAG
Who can resist it? Tension mounts as
the engines race, t h e i r noise reach-
ing s c r e a m i n g p i t c h , t h e s m e l l o f
exhaust, the heat of the most power-
ful engines. T h e y start, a l m o s t t o o
slowly, before the entire pack hurtles
towards the first corner w h e r e any-
thing c a n happen. Ye s , G r a n d P r i x
racing i s , a s a l l g o o d FRPers w i l l
appreciate, predominantly about ex-
citement and atmosphere — indeed,
the travelling circus of motor racing
could y e t m a k e a f i n e r o l e - p l a y i n g
world.
A good boardgame based on the Grand
Prix circuit must have several features; it
should a l l o w c l o s e - f o u g h t r a c e s w i t h
plenty of scope for both luck and skill, and
it should keep the players concerned with
the safety of their cars.
By f a r t h e m o s t popular g a m e o f this
type m u s t b e Wa d d i n g t o n ' s F o r m u l a
One. I t s c o r e s v e r y w e l l o n t h e f i r s t
criterion, producing a very playable game
from a s i m p l e c o n c e p t . T h e t r a c k i s
divided i n t o spaces, e a c h r e p r e s e n t i n g
20mph; t h e f a s t e r y o u g o , t h e m o r e
spaces y o u c o v e r i n a t u r n . T h e r e a r e
safety speeds at each corner, and i f you
go above these speeds you m u s t t h r o w
two d i c e t o see w h e t h e r y o u g e t a w a y
GAME COMPANY
If you wish to find more members for your club,
just w r i t e t o t h i s page f o r free publicity.
Individuals seeking clubs i n their area can
advertise free too. First this month, some
updates on recent advertisements.
The Ringwraiths of Chichester now meet in
the Chichester Yo u t h W i n g , b u t other details
remain the same —they meet on Fridays, 7.00 -
10.30pm. Contact Paul Barnetson, Chichester
527898, if you w o u l d like to join.
Northumbrian Adventurers Guild was formed
after an advertisement in #20. Some meetings
will b e h e l d i n l o c a l p u b s , o t h e r s a t B l y t h
Sports Centre, so m e m b e r s should be over 16
years o l d , t h o u g h a ' j u n i o r s e c t i o n ' w i l l b e
formed i f t h e r e i s e n o u g h i n t e r e s t . C o n t a c t
Mick M c G o v e r n o n B l y t h 3 6 0 5 7 7 o r A l i s d a i r
Barton, 3 6 6 8 8 1 .
44
rr a t
1/7 l e 1 „ _goo'
• i \ 4
with i t . U s u a l l y you c a u s e ' w e a r ' t o b e
done t o your car, t h o u g h you m a y 'spin
off' w h i c h s l o w s y o u d o w n w i t h o u t
damaging t h e car. S e r i o u s garners m a y
quibble with the invulnerability of a driver
w h o can deliberately drive off the track at
160mph and suffer no apparent damage,
but as a gaming device it works well.
One of the problems with racing games,
(in fact a problem of the races themselves)
is t h e t e n d e n c y f o r o n e p l a y e r t o g e t
ahead and stay there, simply because no-
one c a n actually get past. Formula O n e
solves t h i s problem w i t h 'Tactic Cards',
which you h a v e a t t h e start o f t h e race
and which allow drivers certain bonuses,
such a s g o i n g t h r o u g h b e n d s f a s t e r o r
simply gaining several spaces. In this way
the l e a d e r c a n s u d d e n l y f i n d t h e c a r
behind leaping a h e a d a n d blocking t h e
route t o a corner, j u s t w h e n victory had
seemed certain.
So, a g o o d g a m e , a n d y o u a r e q u i t e
rightly e x p e c t i n g m e t o t e l l y o u t h a t
Formula One is a game played extensively
by post. I a m . I n fact, i t has a v e r y long
history of postal play and once even had a
zine dedicated entirely to it. There are a
f e w c h a n g e s f r o m n o r m a l p l a y, b u t
overall i t does a d a p t v e r y successfully.
The major problem w i t h playing Formula
One by post is the time i t takes to r u n a
race. An average game of Diplomacy may
Freedom Warriors of Woodford Green i n
Essex h a v e raised t h e i r m i n i m u m a g e t o 1 8 ,
and a s k f o r e x p e r i e n c e d p l a y e r s o n l y —
although a g a i n t h e y a r e w i l l i n g t o s t a r t a
subsidiary b e g i n n e r s g r o u p i f r e q u i r e d . A t
present t h e y p l a y o n We d n e s d a y s a n d
Thursdays ( d i ff e r e n t campaigns). C o n t a c t
Angela Timms, 0 1 - 5 2 7 7176, evenings.
And n o w a n e w c l u b t o t h i s pages -
Cumbernauld Barbarians Wargames Club
meets M a r c h 3 r d t h e n a l t e r n a t e S u n d a y s a t
Westray C o m m u n i t y Centre, R a v e n s w o o d i n
Strathclyde, t o p l a y h i s t o r i c a l f i g u r e w a r -
games, D & D , Traveller, M E R P and anything
new C o n t a c t J i m A s h m a n , 1 7 6 B e e c h w o o d
Road, Cumbernauld; (02367) 33843.
Finally, a plea from a Yorkshire gamer: Dale
Ashman, age 14, has been role-playing for four
take 16 turns or so, less than a quarter the
length of a full Formula One race. Hence
it i s c o m m o n f o r such games to include
extra t u r n s b e t w e e n issues, t h e r e s u l t
forwarded t o players by photocopy, a n d
for players to submit two moves per turn.
Even s o , a g a m e o f F o r m u l a O n e w i l l
probably t a k e a t l e a s t t w o y e a r s t o
complete, w h i c h can be a bit of a drag if
you s p u n o ff at t h e f i r s t f o u r bends you
came to, and have seen nothing b u t the
opposition's exhaust ever since! But in a
hard, close-fought race, postal Formula
One really can be an excellent game, with
much scope for creative use of those all-
important Tactic Cards.
As y o u m a y h a v e guessed, I f e e l t h a t
Formula One fails down somewhat on the
'realism' f a c t o r. M u c h a s I e n j o y t h e
game, both postally and face-to-face, this
hurtling into corners at great speed does
bother me. T h i s i s w h y I p r e f e r Av a l o n
Hill's S p e e d C i r c u i t , w h i c h u s e s t h e
same basic idea as Formula O n e w i t h a
track m a r k e d o u t i n t o s p a c e s w h i c h
represent 2 0 m p h e a c h , b u t g o e s f a r
further towards being a simulation.
Firstly, e a c h player h a s several o p t i o n s
for designing the car; i t can have a h i g h
top speed, but little acceleration, or it may
be c a p a b l e o f g o i n g q u i c k e r t h r o u g h
corners at the expense of the decelerat-
years, i s capable of D M - i n g , plays t h e D & D ®
game and W a r h a m m e r but w i l l t r y anything,
and i s looking f o r a c l u b i n t h e A c k w o r t h o r
P o n t e f r a c t a r e a o f W e s t Yo r k s h i r e . P h o n e
Hemsworth 6 1 2 8 4 6 any evening.
Forthcoming Events
GamesFair ' 8 5 w i l l be a t Reading U n i v e r s i t y
Friday to Sunday 2 9 - 3 1 M a r c h . Special guest
Gary Gygax, A D & D Open C h a m p i o n s h i p and
Team C o m p e t i t i o n , a n d a l l t h e g a m e s y o u
could wish for N o n - r e s i d e n t i a l tickets sold out
at t i m e of going to press, o t h e r s going fast. If
you already have your ticket, see you there!
Yo r c o n : 5 - 8 A p r i l a t Dragonara a n d Q u e e n s
hotels, Leeds. G o H a u t h o r G r e g o r y Benford.
Enquiries to Christine Donaldson, 4 6 C o l w y n
Road, Beeston, Leeds LS11 6 P Y.
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985

ion. O n c e o n t h e track, a l l speeds a r e
shown s i m u l t a n e o u s l y, a n d i f y o u p l a y
with a s t o p w a t c h , t h i s c a n m e a n r e a l
pressure as you desperately try to guess
w h a t everyone else is going to do. Finally,
you c a n g o faster t h r o u g h c o r n e r s a n d
t h r o w some dice, j u s t like Formula One,
but n o w t h e chances a r e deadly, s i n c e
there w i l l a l w a y s b e t h e possibility o f
being o u t o f t h e race. D i c e - t h r o w i n g i n
Speed Circu it can d a m a g e y o u r health,
and should definitely be reserved for the
final bend. Races tend to be much closer
and h a r d e r fought, b u t are a l s o h a r d e r
work, e s p e c i a l l y i f p l a y e d w i t h a t i m e
limit. Indeed, it seems to me that this is a
more natural postal game than Formula
One, and it is surprisingly rarely offered.
However, I am currently playing in such a
game, a n d I a m a l r e a d y convinced t h a t
the n e x t f e w years w i l l see m a n y m o r e
postal SC games on offer.
I enjoy racing games greatly, particular-
ly w i t h s k i l l e d opponents, a s t h e y c a n
require skill, luck and nerve to win. Both
Formula O n e and Speed Circuit provide
such conditions, and while they are better
games played face-to-face where a tenser
atmosphere c a n b e created, t h e y e a c h
make f o r a n e n t e r t a i n i n g a n d l i g h t -
hearted postal game. Oh, and don't forget
the champagne on ice next time we play._
l k Brian Creese
Eurocon: i n Eindhoven, 1 2 - 1 4 A p r i l , w i l l
feature frp and wargames, Diplomacy champion-
ship, e t c . F o r d e t a i l s w r i t e t o J a n F e r i n g a ,
Radijsstraat 11 B , 9 3 4 1 B J B r o n i n g e n ,
Netherlands.
Leicester Polytechnic ( Wa r ) g a m e s S o c i e t y
has fixed provisional convention dates at 2 0 -
21 A p r i l . F o r t a b l e t o p w a r g a m e r s a n d r o l e -
players: i f y o u a r e interested please w r i t e t o
The T r e a s u r e r , L e i c e s t e r P o l y t e c h n i c
(War)games S o c i e t y, S t u d e n t s U n i o n ,
Leicester.
Sol 11185 will be at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool
3 - 6 M a y. Guests M a r k Lenard (Sarek) and SF
authors James White and Lisa Tuttle. Fee 1'15
for w e e k e n d . Registration f o r m s a n d d e t a i l s
available from 39 Dersingham Avenue, M a n o r
Park, London E l 2. Please enclose a SSAE.
I M A G I N E ma9arine, March 1985
DISPEL CONFUSION
Role-playing games have rules which are
open t o interpretation, a n d t h i s s o m e -
times causes problems when two garners
i n t e r p r e t t h i n g s d i f f e r e n t l y. D i s p e l
C o n f u s i o n is a c o l u m n intended to help
by providing answers to rules questions.
A t present we mainly answer questions
about TSR games; while the answers we
give a r e n o t f u l l y o ff i c i a l w e d o h a v e
contact w i t h t h e designers a n d a g o o d
deal of playing and refereeing experience.
A n answer column needs questions, so
send yours to: Dispel Confusion, TSR UK
Ltd, The Mill, Rathmore Rd, CAMBRIDGE
CBI 4 A D . I f you d o n ' t w a n t t o w a i t f o r
your question to appear in the magazine,
please enclose a 9 " x 4 " SSAE.
ADVANCED DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS® and DUNGEONS
& DRAGONS® games
Q. Can rocket packs and spacesuits be
Q. I f a m o d u l e o r adventure u s e s t h e
phrase ' s a v e v s m a g i c ' d o e s t h e
designer mean 'save vs death magic'
or 'save vs spells'?(Basic/Advanced)
A. Yes, rocket packs and spacesuits can
A. S o m e o f the early TSR modules did
contain this kind of ambiguity a n d
some other people's adventures still
do. S a v i n g t h r o w s a g a i n s t ' m a g i c '
should be read as saving t h r o w s vs
spells, unless the context makes this
unreasonable — a save to avoid the
effects of a trap might be noted as a
'save v s m a g i c ' , w h e n i t s h o u l d
obviously be a 'save vs death magic'.
STAR FRONTIERS® game
Q. W h a t h a p p e n s w h e n a c h a r a c t e r
with M e d i c a l skill f a i l s a Diagnosis
sub-skill roll?
A. The doctor simply trusts to luck and
the s t a m i n a o f t h e p a t i e n t , a n d
pumps in whatever drug he thinks is
right! Oddly enough, t h e fact that a
medic m a y n o t be able t o m a k e a n
exact d i a g n o s i s m a y a c t u a l l y h e l p
under c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s . I f , f o r
example, a c h a r a c t e r w i t h Level 1
Medical s k i l l i s t r e a t i n g s o m e b o d y
with a h i g h S t a m i n a s c o r e i t c a n
prove much quicker and safer to treat
someone i n t h i s g e n e r a l m a n n e r,
rather t h a n b o t h e r w i t h a p r o p e r
diagnosis ( w h i c h m a y f a i l ) a n d a
proper use of a subskill (which again
may fail).
Whether a character knows that
he has failed a diagnosis is largely a
matter o f playing style a n d c i r c u m -
stances — e v e n t h o u g h t h e player
may be well a w a r e that things have
gone wrong.
One s o l u t i o n t o t h i s p r o b l e m i s
quite straightforward t h e player is
told t h a t h i s c h a r a c t e r j u s t d o e s n ' t
know w h a t i s t h e m a t t e r. A n o t h e r
solution involves the thorny problem
of character knowledge as opposed
to p l a y e r k n o w l e d g e — a r e t h e
players m a t u r e enough t o separate
character k n o w l e d g e a n d p l a y e r
knowledge? T h e player k n o w s t h a t
the dice roll w a s a total flop, b u t the
character may believe that his diag-
nosis i s c o m p l e t e l y a c c u r a t e a n d
ought t o a c t on h i s beliefs, n o t t h e
player's k n o w l e d g e o f t r u e events,
even i f t h i s d o e s h a v e d e t r i m e n t a l
effects overall.
This difference between character
and player knowledge in all RPGs is
one of the hardest points to convince
players about. A l l o f us are guilty of
using information that l o g i c a l l y —
should n o t be available to the char-
acter a t s o m e p o i n t , w h e t h e r i t i s
information f r o m a s n e a k y dip i n a
M o n s t e r M a n u a l o r s i m i l a r, o r t h e
result of a dice throw, as above.
worn o n p l a n e t a r y s u r f a c e s , a n d
what effects does using a rocket pack
on a planet have?
be worn on planetary surfaces — on
planets with poisonous or otherwise
malign a t m o s p h e r e s f o r i n s t a n c e .
The major drawback of wearing suits
is that they are not designed for use
in gravity fields, o n l y i n w e i g h t l e s s
conditions. Unfortunately, t h e r u l e s
make no mention of the mass of such
equipment, so the standard e n c u m -
brance rules cannot be applied.
We suggest that a character w h o
chooses t o w e a r a s p a c e s u i t c o m -
plete w i t h l i f e support pack, r o c k e t
pack and (possibly) spacesuit armour
suffers t h e p e n a l t i e s o f b e i n g e n -
cumbered ( A l p h a D a w n , Expanded
Rules p19), regardless of his or h e r
Strength s c o r e . T h i s s h o u l d a l s o
apply to engineer's inssuits that are
worn in a gravity field.
The effect of using a rocket pack on
a planetary surface is much harder to
judge, but as the acceleration due to
using o n e i n z e r o - g i s g i v e n i t i s
possible to work out w h a t the rough
effects s h o u l d b e . I g n o r i n g a l l t h e
tedious m u c k i n g a b o u t w i t h a c a l -
culator, ( a n d keeping t h e n u m b e r s
neat and simple) the overall effect of
having a s p a c e s u i t r o c k e t p a c k
actually switched on is to reduce the
effective gravity o f a p l a n e t by .2g.
This w o u l d m e a n t h a t a c h a r a c t e r
using a rocket pack on a .6g planet
would be treated as though on a .4g
planet — h e c a n l e a p f u r t h e r a n d
jump higher and takes less damage
from falling. This does not mean that
the c h a r a c t e r c a n f l y ! H o w e v e r, a
rocket pack only contains 2 0 bursts
of fuel, sufficient for 20 turns o r 2
minutes!
gLi$ Jim Bambra, Mike Brunton,
Phil Gallagher & Graeme Morris
45
 w'''rssisTORIELb •xeS•
LARGEST PLAY-BY-MAIL GAME IN THE UK

A Play-By-Mail game with a D & D flavour'

OF ROLE PLAYING GAMES ' U n d o u b t e d l y, C R A S I M O F F ' S W O R L D i s a h i g h l y
YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR

IONS
w o r t h y game. It has been running for several years n o w
and has a large n u m b e r of players. Compared to others
' of its kind it is not expensive and it goes out of its way to
encourage c o m m u n i c a t i o n b e t w e e n players. I f o u n d
the initial scenario interesting, and the world lived up to
this promise. The fact that they are hand-written merely
testifies t o the i m m e n s e a m o u n t of e ff o r t put in by the
G M . So, w i t h its regular newsletter, C r a s i m o ff ' s World
is a friendly, efficient and relatively cheap game to play,
and i f you w i s h t o t r y a c o m m e r c i a l P B M g a m e w i t h a
THE SUPER HERO distinctly D & D game-ish flavour, I w o u l d unhesitating-
ROLE PLAYING GAME ly r e c o m m e n d i t . '

Like a breath o f fresh air, As reviewed in I M A G I N E 1 8

the CHAMPIONS game system
is bright and heroic in style, yet

EarthWood
simple and complete in design.
And a full list of adventures and
supplements are already available,
with more on the way.
• Rules you'll learn faster than a speeding
bullet
• Adventures that smash through the
imagination barrier
THE M A J O R US PLAY-BY-MAIL GAME
• Super Heroes dealing out death-defying
justice E A R T H W O O D has been running f o r over 3 years in A m e r i c a
• Super villains to send tremors of fear and c u r r e n t l y has over 2 , 0 0 0 players. K J C games has been
through ordinary mortals granted t h e exclusive r i g h t t o moderate t h i s u n i q u e
PRODUCTS I N THE C H A M P I O N S RANGE c o m p u t e r - m o d e r a t e d Play-By-Mail game in the UK. Tw e n t y -
INCLUDE: five players c o m p e t e all t h e cities o f E a r t h w o o d and b e t h e
u l t i m a t e player. A t y p i c a l g a m e w i l l l a s t a b o u t 1 8 m o n t h s
* CHAMPIONS E12.95
w i t h the first k n o c k o u t s after six months.
*C H A M P I O N S II £6.95
* E N E M I E S I & II E4.50 each Each player is either a king or a fantasy race or a p o w e r f u l
*C H A M P I O N S GM SCREEN 0 . 9 5 c h a r i s m a t i c character in this w o r l d of conquest and sorcery.
* I S L A N D OF DR. DESTROYER 0 . 9 5 Yo u r character or king controls several groups, each of which
* ESCAPE FROM STRONGHOLD E4.50 is t o t a l l y i n d e p e n d e n t o f t h e others. Yo u c a n r e c r u i t N PC
* D E AT H STROKE E4.50 trolls, w i l d m e n and others into your service, o r even c o n t r o l
* A D V E N T U R E R S CLUB BOOK f 1 . 9 5 such p o w e r f u l creatures as dragons o r g i a n t spiders. Yo u r
characters may also control or capture cities, upon w h i c h you
can spend gold to improve security, increase your w o r k s h o p ' s
p r o d u c t i o n , build defences and maintain or enlarge you army.
BETTER WATCH O U T — W i t h g o l d y o u r w i z a r d s can undertake magical research t o
YOU CAN'T BEAT increase their power and knowledge and thus aid your armies
CHAMPIONS in battle. Spies can search out enemy strongholds, a t t e m p t to
do acts of sabotage, t h e f t and assassination. These are just a
f e w o f the options available to a player in E A RT H W O O D .
E A R T H W O O D is completely computer-moderated, but the
t u r n sheet and replies are w r i t t e n in plain English so that you
Prices quoted are the R.R.P. can e a s i l y u n d e r s t a n d t h e m . N o n e e d t o l o o k t h r o u g h
c o m p l e x charts and code books to understand this game.
AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL
GAMES SHOP, OR DIRECT FROM If y o u w i s h t o e n r o l i n C R A S I M O F F ' S W O R L D o r
EARTHWOOD, send a / 5 . 0 0 cheque/PO payable to KJC
Games. For this you will receive a rulebook, set-up material,
the latest newsletter and the first three turns. Future turns are
/ 1 . 5 0 each. Europeans may join only Crasimoff's World;
CHRIS rates as UK.

HARVEY Return-to:
KJC Games,
GAMES 5 Vicarage Avenue,
P.O. Box 100, Bath Street, Cleveleys, Blackpool,
Walsall, W. Midlands. LANCASHIRE FY5 2BD.
46 Please mention IMAGINE magazine when replying to advertisements
 Colin Greenland, author of

Fantasy Media Daybreak on a Different

M o u n t a i n and co-editor of SF
magazine Interzone, reviews
the latest additions to the
fantasy/SF media

G e n e r a l l y speaking, Hollywood
versions are brighter and simpler
than t h e b o o k s t h e y ' r e t a k e n
from. N o t so D U N E (Universal,
PG). D a v i d Ly n c h ' s fascinating
film p r e s e n t s F r a n k H e r b e r t ' s
epic a s a d i s t u r b i n g , f a s c i s t i c
delirium, a v a s t m e l o d r a m a o f
oppressive d e s t i n i e s i n w h i c h
there's n o t r o o m f o r a s i n g l e
attractive character. The breathy,
stilted dialogue only adds to the
decadent atmosphere. The vi )1-
ence i s macabre a n d shocking;
and s o i t s h o u l d b e . A n t h o n y
MLsters' m a g n i f i c e n t d e s i g n
features n o n e o f t h e g l e a m i n g
chrome a n d s t e r i l e p l a s t i c w e
expect o f space opera: instead,
sinister p a r a p h e r n a l i a o f c a s t
iron a n d coiled brass, corridors
of d a r k w o o d a n d m a r b l e , a n d
the sand, the endless sand...

C A R AVA N O F C O U R A G E
(Fox, U) is a tale of the Ewoks, the
valiant teddy bears from R e t u r n
of t h e Jedi. This time they help
two spacewrecked kiddies — a
poppet c a l l e d C i n d o a n d h e r
obnoxious b r o t h e r M a c e — t o
rescue t h e i r p a r e n t s f r o m a h a i r y b a t -
eared ogre called Gorax. The ogre's okay.
The rest is a casual catalogue of magical
folderol a b o u t v a r i o u s a n c e s t r a l t a l i s -
mans carried b y t h e questing koalas. I t
certainly did t h e trick for the eight- a n d
nine-year-olds i n t h e f r o n t r o w , b u t
seemed t o m a k e l i t t l e s e n s e t o t h e i r
mums and dads, or to me.
More f u r r y f r i e n d s i n J o e D a n t e ' s
G R E M L I N S (Warner, 15). The w i n s o m e
little M o g w a i m u l t i p l y a n d m u t a t e i n t o
vicious reptilian goblins if you don't treat
them r i g h t , w h i c h B i l l y P e l t z e r ( Z a c h
Galligan) promptly doesn't, or else there
w o u l d n ' t be a story. A c t u a l l y there i s n ' t
much of a story anyway, merely spiralling
mayhem a s t h e creatures trash h o m e l y
Kingston Falls. Tw o or three good jokes,
three or f o u r neat scenes, lots of detail,
but overall a manic melee of pyrotechnics
that made random grabs for my sympathy
and failed to hold my attention. A bit more
coherent t h o u g h t , a n d w h o k n o w s , i t
might have been something good.
Question: W h a t makes a B L A C K HOLE
yawn? A n s w e r : W a l t D i s n e y ' s s p a c e -
buster of that title, distributed on video by
Rank. With Maximilian Schell as Dr Hans
Reinhart, the perverted genius who keeps
I M A G I N E ma9adneo March 1985
his s h i p hovering o n t h e event horizon,
it's more like 20,000 Leagues Under the
Sea in Space, if you follow me. Reinhart's
self-imposed mission: ' To go t o a n o t h e r
place a n d another t i m e where, i f w e ' r e
lucky, w e have the possibility to find what
we c a l l t h e u l t i m a t e k n o w l e d g e . ' Even
more awesome than the special effects is
the stupidity o f t h e script; a n d t h e c u t e
robots w i l l have you reaching f o r a t i n -
opener:
FEVERHOUSE i s a n u n c o n v e n t i o n a l
video from Ikon FCL, a grim story filtered
and f r a g m e n t e d t h r o u g h t h e preoccup-
ations of its characters: a gloating thief, a
dissident n u r s e a n d a b l i n d a r c h i v i s t .
Stark i m a g e s o f b o n e s , o l d m e d i c a l
apparatus a n d d o g s r u n n i n g i n t h e
corridors repeat while, among w i n d and
skeletal m u s i c , v o i c e s speak o f b r o k e n
things. I s t h e F e v e r h o u s e a p r i s o n , a
lunatic a s y l u m , o r a s t a t e o f m i n d ?
Enigmatic, abstract and intense.
THE W A R O F POWERS a n d I S T U
A W A K E N E D ( N e w E n g l i s h L i b r a r y,
£2.95 each) add up to nearly a thousand
pages o f h e r o i c p u l p f r o m R o b e r t E
Vardeman a n d V i c t o r M i l a n . A v i r i l e
adventurer aids a voluptuous princess to
save the Sundered Realm from the Dark
do
Ones, p u r s u e d by h e r evil relatives a n d
alternately helped and hindered by mis-
cellaneous amulets, e l e m e n t a l s a n d
bottled genies. 'Realistic, adult and funny'
said Science Fiction Review, but three
different adjectives s p r i n g t o m y m i n d :
crude, sleazy and crass.
Virtually all fantasy adventures take place
in an imaginary world. M A G I C I A N , first
volume o f R a y m o n d E F e i s t ' s R i f t w a r
Saga, i n t r o d u c e s t w o : t h e To l k i e n i s h
Midkemia w i t h i t s k i n g d o m s a n d f r e e
cities, dwarves in the mines and elves in
the wood, and the rigid, feudal Kelewan,
which invades Midkamia through a space
warp, t o plunder its metal. D r a g o n , t h e
US D&DO magazine, reckoned t h i s ' t h e
best new fantasy concept in years,' which
shows h o w convention-bound the genre
has b e c o m e , I s u p p o s e . P e r h a p s t h e
reviewer w a s biased because Feist
spends t h e r e s t o f h i s t i m e d e s i g n i n g
fantasy role-playing game supplements.
There isn't really anything original about
Magician. It relies heavily on generalized
characters a n d landscapes; b u t a f t e r a
slow s t a r t Feist gets everything i n per-
spective, emphasizing the distances and
difficulties o f stopping t h i s w a r nobody
really wanted to start.
A3 Colin Greenland
47
 The
READERS SURVEY
Apologies t o all y o u f a n s o f t h e letters page;
normal service w i l l b e r e s u m e d n e x t m o n t h .
This m o n t h , a s you can see, w e have quite a
f e w c o m m e n t s o f a d i ff e r e n t nature; n a m e l y,
the results of the Poll, published in issue 21.
236 r e a d e r s r e t u r n e d t h e i r P o l l f o r m s , a n
excellent return. The results of their votes, as
published b e l o w, are printed according to the
following f o r m a t : category; %votes i n 'like'
c o l u m n / % v o t e s i n ' d i s l i k e ' c o l u m n ; selected
comments.
IMAGINE Readers Roll More 20s badges are
on the way to all voters, and three in particular
w i l l b e receiving b u m p e r parcels, c o n t a i n i n g
the MARVEL SUPER HEROESN game boxed
set a n d a m o d u l e o r t w o . Congratulations t o
Andrew Lorenz, Easton-in-Gordano, A v o n ;
Oliver G u n a s k a r i , S e v e n o a k s , K e n t ; a n d A
Davey, St Clement, Jersey.
On w i t h the results!
Scenarios, OSLO; 5 8 / 8
Scenarios, AD&D; 7 4 / 4
Scenarios, SF; 3 3 / 2 3
Scenarios, other systems; 3 8 / 1 8
Scenarios, multi-system; 5 8 / 1 4
Nothing s u r p r i s i n g t h e r e , w i t h t h e A D i k a .
game t h e c l e a r favourite, a n d m u c h s m a l l e r
support for SF and other rpgs. F e w votes were
cast against any of these categories, with most
of those w h o commented that they only played
one of the 138413' g a m e s not actually giving a
'dislike' vote to SF and other games.
The r e l a t i o n s h i p o f the t w o varieties o f the
D&D g a m e p r o d u c e d s o m e i n t e r e s t i n g c o m -
ments. D & D s c e n a r i o s 'give ideas for A D & D '
(lain Mathieson), and are 'good if they can also
be used for A D & D ' ( M a r k Lewis) according to
one school of thought. On the other hand 'Let's
have m o r e l ' ( A n t h o n y Sweeney), 'Have a f e w
more f o r a l l D & D p l a y e r s ' ( D a v i d Radford),
Back Issues
Back copies of IMAGINETm magazine are still available direct from the publisher. Is your collection complete?
* Stocks running low, please order now to avoid disappointment
48
G T M
•D&D i s n o t v e r y w e l l c a t e r e d f o r ' ( P a u l
Emsley), w e r e t y p i c a l p r o - D & D c o m m e n t s .
We'll b e m a k i n g m o r e o f an e ff o r t t o e n s u r e
that scenarios are playable for both systems. A
few m a d e t h e c o m m e n t too t h a t scenarios
should be o f a l o w e r level generally, a n d w e
appreciate this point too.
SF s c e n a r i o s d i d n o t e x c i t e a v e r y h i g h
proportion o f v o t e r s o n e w a y o r t h e o t h e r.
'Generally of high quality, but not much use if
you d o n ' t p l a y S F g a m e s ' ( J e r e m y Barnes).
There was a greater request for more material
for the STARFRONTIERScR g a m e as opposed
to Tr a v e l l e r. A g a i n , d u a l s t a t s m i g h t b e t h e
answer. A f e w felt 'they waste space in a D & D
magazine' ( A n d r e w Baverstock), but generally
people were tolerant of SF material; 'I suppose
SFrpgers are people too' (Dave Haldenby).
Looking a t s c e n a r i o s f o r o t h e r s y s t e m s ,
there were those w h o felt 'as a player and GM
in m a n y games it is nice to see a variation in
scenarios' ( M a l c o l m Parkin), a n d t h a t ' o t h e r
systems a d d a w i d e r r a n g e o f r e a d e r ' ( l a i n
May), a n d e v e n t h o s e w h o ' d o n ' t p l a y t h e s e
systems myself, b u t like t o see t h e m catered
for' (Captain Deno!). R Q was the most request-
ed system, b u t only one i n t w e n t y requested
that. O u r m o s t s u c c e s s f u l f o r a y i n t o o t h e r
systems s e e m s t o h a v e b e e n w i t h i s s u e 1 3 ;
'although I don't play Call o f C t h u l h u , I found
this very interesting' (Simon Curtis).
Many voters wanted to see some of the other
systems covered b y t h e u s e o f m u l t i - s y s t e m
scenarios. ' W h y d o n ' t y o u g o systemless?'
(Peter Blanchard) asked, others ' w o u l d prefer
systemless s c e n a r i o s ' ( K e i t h W h i t e ) . S o m e
argued that they w e r e 'too long for their o w n
good' (J Wallis), or that they were OK 'so long
as you convert odd h a p p e n i n g s / n e w monsters'
(G Roberts). F a v o u r i t e s c e n a r i o s a m o n g t h e
voters w e r e S i n v e l ' s Peril, R o u n d t h e Bend,
Jack o f A l l Trades, D a r k l a w, F o r W h o m T h e
Bell Jingles, Fire Opal of Set, Necklace of Lilith,
Guardian o f the Key To Time and Black Roses.
I I n t r o d u c t o r y scenario; figure p a i n t i n g *
3 A D & D scenario; Dave L a n g f o r d fiction
4 S T A R F R O N T I E R S ® game scenario; A n n e
McCaffrey fi c ti on
5 C E L T I C S P E C I A L : new d r u i d spells, Celtic
mythology.
6 A c r o b a t class; multi-system scenario; I a n
Watson fi c ti on
7 T h e D R A G O N Q U E S T ® game: i n t r o d u c t i o n
and scenario
8 C a n t r i p s ; Sorceror's Apprentice
9 0-level M U scenario; Cantrips, boardgame
10 Phantasmal Forces; AD8cD scenario
11 C a v a l i e r ; Horse Combat; Private Lives of
NPCs
12 S o l o adventure; Te r r a i n / C l i m a t e ; Brief
Encounter; Enchantment
£1.00 each, plus 50p P&P per order (UK price only).
magazine
Brief Encounters (new gaming 'hardware');
64/8
An attractive idea to many garners. 'Easy to fit
into a c a m p a i g n ' ( R Va l l a t ) , ' u s e f u l f i l l - i n s
during l o n g j o u r n e y s ' ( D a v i d S t o n e ) , a n d
individual items like the M a r s h Dragon scored
highly. 'I enjoyed this one especially — fits i n
perfectly' ( N i c h o l a s M i r ) . P e o p l e a r e s t i l l
looking f o r m o r e s p e l l s , m a g i c i t e m s a n d
monsters it seems, but we should 'avoid Fiend
Factory-type m i s t a k e s , i t g o e s o n f o r e v e r '
(Danny Child).
Articles, rules expansion; 6 6 / 8
Articles, discursive gaming; 7 8 / 6
Articles, historic/background; 5 0 / 1 4
Articles, general; 3 0 / 1 5
Most people want their reading firmly rooted in
gaming, i t s e e m s , a l t h o u g h n o t n e c e s s a r i l y
just e n d l e s s d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e r u l e s . T h e
expansion o f t h e c l e r i c ' s r o l e w a s g r e a t l y
enjoyed; 'the best yet' (Haydn Burgess), 'do one
on thieves and M U s ' (C-S Mangat). S o m e are
'using e x i s t i n g r u l e s ' ( D a v e H e t h e r i n g t o n ) ,
others f e e l ' t o o m a n y r e a d e r s w o n ' t a c c e p t
them a s t h e m a s " t h i n k " p i e c e s a n d w o u l d
w i s h t o argue'. C l e r i c s A r e People To o , T h e
Private Lives O f NPCs, L o o k i n g For A n Edge,
What To Do With A D r a g o n ' s Treasure and the
articles on Celts and Druids all scored highly.
Whilst ' s o m e t h i n g s y o u j u s t c a n ' t c h a n g e '
(Ben Campton), most readers do seem to want
more o v e r h a u l i n g o f r p g s i n I M A G I N E N
magazine.
The ' r e a l w o r l d ' s e t t i n g s a n d b a c k g r o u n d
articles were not so popular. 'History intrudes
on f a n t a s y ' (T Knott); ' s o m e people m a y f i n d
this i n t e r e s t i n g , b u t I f i n d i t b o r i n g ' ( D a n i e l
Sumption). The middle ground 'only like them
w i t h c o n c r e t e r p g adaptation t i p s ' (Benedict
Wolf), o r f e l t t h e y ' n e e d i m p r o v e m e n t i n t h e
way they are written and presented' (Jonathan
Roper). B u t there are those w h o t h o u g h t they
were 'excellent' (CJ Fardon), and that 'this sort
15 GamesFair '84 Special; Marsh Dragon *
16 E G Y P T S P E C I A L : m y t h o l o g y, magic, scenario;
PELINORE
17 C E L T I C S P E C I A L I I : m y t h o l o g y, scenario;
Drow •
18 S E features; Creating Monsters; Games W i t h o u t
Frontiers •
19 C o m p a n i o n Set scenario; Golems; Private Lives
of N P C s I I
20 C L E R I C S Special: N e w spells, new weapons,
alignment.
21 M A R V E L SUPERHEROESn, game; grow-your-
own monsters.
22 M I C H A E L M O O R C O C K special: fiction,
scenario, interview; Vampires; Solo Gamebooks
23 Ghosts; Languages; Multi-character game;
Board wargaming; Pelinore overview
I M A G I N E magazine, march 1985
 of t h i n g s h o u l d d e f i n i t e l y a p p e a r i n t h e
magazine' (Rachel Shaw).
Apart f r o m a d v e r t i s i n g , g e n e r a l a r t i c l e s
attracted fewer votes, positive or negative than
any other category. Not many felt thay wanted
'some more like this' (Edward Seward), or that
we should 'keep the intellectuals in your pay'
(Jenn). Generally, i t w a s felt t h a t these w e r e
not ' u s e f u l f o r e x p e r i e n c e d D M s ' ( P a u l
Bratcher), and that 'they have no actual use in
gaming' (Cohn Lusk).
Pelinore; 7 7 / 7
The second m o s t popular category, and m a n y
said i t w a s t h e i r f a v o u r i t e feature. T h e m o s t
frequent c o m p l a i n t w a s t h a t i t j u s t w a s n ' t
happening fast enough. •How many millions of
issues w i l l pass before it's finished?' ( J e r e m y
Barnes); 'it should be printed in longer chunks'
(Paul Baker); ' p u t more in less issues' (Simon
Donald). W e ' l l c e r t a i n l y h a v e t o p i c k u p o n
production, even if it upsets those few who find
in 'stultifying' (Lloyd Lewis). A n o t h e r suggest-
ion w a s t h a t w e ' p u t t o o m u c h d e t a i l i n t h e
characters — t h e m a p s a r e b e t t e r ' ( D o m i n i c
Reynolds), t h a t i t n e e d s ' m o r e description o f
locations' (Nick Grande). M u c h of the rest was
just v a r i a t i o n s o f great, fantastic, m e g a - b r i l l
and excellent — w i t h The A r e n a and L a w A n d
Order as particular favourites.
Stirge Corner; 7 2 / 7
Roger M u s s o n ' s series 'gives useful hints and
tips' ( A n d r e w Baverstock) and is a 'great help'
(Simon G i l b e r t s o n ) . T h e g e n e r a l c o n s e n s u s
VOP
0 D E C g > e t t . Tb tItiE UtoEt. To OE
1
( W U . A C x A m P L E c) A
mok3Tt2o05 *SAWS #404t GA" DEPREseov5 6411 ost4t) ck)T c o l T og rrs tAlsonv
t-r• 1.4425 AtIoar Au_ DAY PoolCA11 t•Jr11.1M V c.Arrcs-r bQvCk./rio#,) --THC
rrs sk),J c • c • : Y 4
Next Issue
including a scenario for the BUSHIDO and AD&D games:
#25: El
I M A G I N E ma9az1ne, March 1985
eWords ofGomoguji
was t h a t i t i s ' t h e b e s t discussion p a g e ' ( M
Crouch). N a t u r a l l y, R o g e r w i l l c o n t i n u e h i s
series for the forseeable future.
Chain Mail; 2 3 / 3 1
Not a winner. M o s t negative voters just had no
interest in postal play. 'I don't like play-by-mail'
(Michael G a l e r ) ; ' n o t a p b m f a n ' ( N i c h o l a s
Munn). Those w h o are involved in this part of
the hobby felt it to be 'quite useful' (Paul Evans)
and one at least was trying out pbm 'because of
Chain MaiF(Duncan Harris). But, we can take a
hint, a n d w e ' l l explore n e w w ays o f covering
postal gaming as the year progresses.
Illuminations; 3 6 / 3 0
This w a s mildly surprising to us, although w e
were a w a r e t h a t t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s w e h a v e
experienced i n o b t a i n i n g i n t e r e s t i n g n e w s
items i n a l a r g e l y A m e r i c a n - d o m i n a t e d i n -
dustry h a v e d e v a l u e d t h i s s p a c e . ' S l i g h t l y
biased to TSR' (Paul Evans), said some. Others
'prefer f u l l r e v i e w s ' ( J Wa l l i s ) . T h o s e w h o
found i t ' w i t t y, i n t e r e s t i n g a n d i n f o r m a t i v e '
(Tim Ellis) or t h o u g h t it 'nice to see a g a m e r ' s
news service' (Gordon Allan) w e r e in a slight
majority.
Notices (reviews); 7 1 / 6
'Takes u p too m u c h r o o m ' (David Stone), b u t
o t h e r w i s e pretty popular. 'Doug Cowie should
do all o f t h e m ' (Lee Peleteiro) — w h i c h offers
some consolation for the n e w s about Illumin-
ations. O n e idea, expressed a f e w times, w a s
that w e s h o u l d ' g i v e t h e a r t i c l e s a r a t i n g '
ZAPPECZ g v h ) !
THE FAR EAST
Ideas for frp play
based on the cultures of the Orient
(Nicholas Mir). Most comments agreed that the
reviews ' m a k e you t h i n k t w i c e before buying
things', which can't be bad, and some preferred
this space for learning about w h a t is going on
— perhaps a pointer to the future,
Press Cuttings; 31/31
A similar response t o t h a t f o r Chain Mail,
depending h e a v i l y on t h e individual r e a d e r ' s
familiarity w i t h the genre. M a n y people d o n ' t
read this section, or find it boring because they
'never r e a d t h e m ' ( B e n Campion). ' T h e o n e
about d e s i g n i n g a f a n z i n e w a s g o o d ' ( M a r k
Lewis), b u t n o t e n o u g h r e a d e r s h a v e b e e n
tempted to try fanzines out. We'll be looking at
how w e c a n r e v a m p t h i s c o v e r a g e i n t h e
course of the next f e w months.
Media Reviews; 3 3 / 2 2
Not exciting too m a n y people one w a y o r the
other. M o s t negative votes fell into the 'not for
a D&D mag' (A Hunt) category, or felt that there
were s p e c i a l i s t m a g s a l r e a d y • S t a r b o r s t i s
much better' (Simon Johnson). On the positive
side, Fantasy Media 'adds another dimension
to the magazine' (Nick Grande). Lots of specific
criticisms a n d suggestions f o r i m p r o v e m e n t
w e r e made. ' I t s h o u l d b e m o r e i n f o r m a l ' ( M
Woods); ' I t ' s m u c h too late in p r i n t ' (Dominic
Reynolds); 'I don't see w h y film reviews should
come into it' (Rachel Shaw); 'Books interesting,
others not' (Jonathan Roper); ' A m o n t h l y book
review and t h e occasional f i l m r e v i e w w o u l d
be a n i m p r o v e m e n t ' (Paul Emsley); ' L o n g e r
reviews o f i n d i v i d u a l b o o k s / f i l m s ' ( A n t h o n y
c o n t i n u e d overleaf,.
by Ian Gibbs
49
Sweeney). One extremely deserved vote o f
confidence: 'Colin Greenland i s superb' (D
Mortimer).
Fiction; 5 9 / 1 3
Votes right across the board for individual
stories, with The Case Of The Purple Potion out
in front. ' T h e humorous stories a r e best'
(Richard Sutherland). A f e w s a w them a s
giving ' g o o d i d e a s f o r s c e n a r i o s ' (Paul
Edwards), ' v e r y good f o r adventure ideas'
(G Silsbury). 'How about a longer piece, serial-
ised', (Andrew Doyle) was one suggestion.
Competitions; 5 6 / 7
Point taken. We'll be running more of these in
the future, even some 'with fantastic prizes!!'
(Tessa d u Croz). Lots o f people liked The
Philosopher's Stone, and we'll have t o try
something like t h a t again, 'made easy f o r
wallies like me' (Barry Seymour).
Cartoons; 7 1 / 11
Very popular, though not everyone's cup of tea.
'Fun, but too many' (J Wallis); 'They're worse
than Thrud & Co' (G Roberts). The big favourite,
even though not currently in the magazine,
was T h e S w o r d O f Alabron. ' B r i n g back
Auchter' (Gordon Allan), 'Bring back Auchter'
(Andrew Horton), 'Bring back Auchter' (Scott
McNair), 'Bring back Auchter' (Robert Tindale),
etc. I n t e r m s o f expressed loves/hates,
Alabron won 64-1, VOP won 28-6, Phalanx
won 22-6 and Rubic lost 7-19.
Dialog; 3 3 / 2 8
The least popular 'personality' column. Not a
lot was said in praise of it, and I can't repeat
some of what was said o f a less flattering
nature. A l o t o f anti-American feeling o u t
there, isn't there?
Sot E YEARS PRQvtoUSI-Y—
NIOUPUT 'iouR LEFT LE ITN, AN 9
NItouR LEFT LEG- o u t
50
- Forthcoming Events/Clubs; 3 7 / 2 1
readers
roll more
20s
Turnbull Talking; 3 9 / 2 2
'Thoughtful St a l m o s t a l w a y s i n t e r e s t i n g ' ( P
Jeffrey) sums up the response, although a f e w
did go to extremes. 'I like the quiz things' (Jacky
Britton), said a few who weren't so keen on the
rest o f it, b u t others w o u l d ' f o r g e t t h e a w f u l
puzzles' (Simon Johnson).
Dispel Confusion; 7 1 / 8
We humbly apologise for those issues in which
we missed D C ' S t o p s arguments' (Dominic
Reynolds), ' a u s e f u l s e r v i c e ' (Rachel S h a w ) ,
'don't drop it or else!' (Anthony Sweeney). DC
will be expanded in some issues, so keep those
questions coming in!
Letters; 6 8 / 4
Very, very few people actually dislike seeing
letters i n p r i n t . ' A m u s t — f e e d b a c k i s
essential' (Dave Haldenby); ' u s e f u l f o r mixed
points o f v i e w ' ( G S i l s b u r y ) ; ' a m u s i n g ' ( I
McGrady). Some of you were biased of course:
'Thank you for printing mine' (Valentin Barrios)
and s o m e o f y o u t h o u g h t w e w e r e biased;
'Never anyone from my area!' (Cathal Woods).
'I'm gonna w r i t e one!' (C Lam) t u n e in next
month to see if he does.
I N , G O T, t N , O U T,
.Sk-tA t - r - Po-L. Ala0001- • • •
-5=4,
'Nice t o be a b l e t o keep i n t o u c h w i t h o t h e r
rpgers' ( M a l c o l m P a r k i n ) , a n d a g e n e r a l l y
appreciated service.
Advertising; 3 1 / 11
Not as u n p o p u l a r as some think, a l t h o u g h —
unsurprisingly — t h e s u b j e c t d r a w i n g l e a s t
comment. ' G o o d i f i t k e e p s d o w n t h e c o v e r
price' (S Goodwin) and 'I t h i n k ads should be
left out' (Michael Galer) covers the spectrum.
Tavern Talk; 4 2 / 2 2
Not a favourite at the time — ' w h y not just visit
a pub?' ( J a m e s Fellowes) — n o w t h e r e i s a
'bring i t b a c k ' (Neil M a r s d e n ) vote. H o w d o
people feel about Soapbox, now?
Beginners' Guide; 2 6 / 3 4
Not the most unpopular thing we've ever done.
'Awful, b u t necessary' (Duncan Harris) some
said. ' L e t it never darken o u r hovels again' (C
Wagstaffe) said others.
Imagination Machine; 1 3 / 5 8
Ouch! Looks like w e ' r e well o ff w i t h o u t micro
coverage. 'A complete waste of space' (Gordon
Allan); 'it has nothing to do with rpgs' (R Va Hat);
'better t o b u y a c o m p u t e r m a g a z i n e ' (David
Stone). A f e w v o i c e s c r i e d f o r D M A i d
programmes, but it looks as if the 'nays' have it.
So, t h e r e it is O u r thanks to all w h o took part,
now t o b e seen e v e r y w h e r e w i t h s h i n y b l u e
and w h i t e badges. W e h o p e w e ' v e l e a r n e d
something from t h i s exercise, and you should
notice a f e w changes as the m o n t h s go by, to
keep I M A G I N E m a g a z i n e a s f r e s h a n d r e s -
ponsive to your needs as ever.
AU Results processed by Kim Daniel
Comments compiled by Paul Cockburn
UL-1 you AREIHE SEST ITNIGHT
OF LoG-g ES, Arst2 ThE QUEST IS
yo0 RS !
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985

Wildernesses conceal ferocious monsters
of all levels, and can frighten parties with
enough fighting power to knock most
fantasy heroes out cold!
O n e thing that players soon discover
w h e n D a k i n g a wilderness adventure
rfor the first time is that wildernesses
can be very dangerous. The average
dungeon a l w a y s h a s \i,trik\ relatively
harmless R g e r levels — its nursery
slopes, a s AV v e r e : t u t once you go
forth into th' U n c h a r t e d countryside,
you find you p i t c h i n g in w i t h all
sorts of nast n g s — dragons and
other monste . k h in any respect7''
able d u n g e o n s b e consigned to
the deeps; h u g e hordes of or„cs that
outnumber the party t w o n e ,
and much more lqqAdes:
The effect o f t h i s discovery can often
put players off wildernesses for good, or
until t h e y reach v e r y h i g h levels a t any
rate. I have heard players with characters
of quite high rank complaining 'We're not
strong e n o u g h f o r a w i l d e r n e s s t r i p , '
when the amount of fighting p o w e r they
actually possessed w o u l d have knocked
most fantasy heroes of literature out cold.
This does not seem a t all desirable to
me. First, i f a campaign is going to be a
credible reflection of conventional fantasy
literature, then it ought to be reasonably
possible f o r w e a k p a r t i e s t o v e n t u r e
safely across country, given careful play
and n o particularly bad luck. Second, i t
seems d i s t i n c t l y o d d t o m e t h a t t h e
dungeon/labyrinth, the lair of evil beasts,
the mysterious underground etc, should
actually b e s a f e r t o e x p l o r e t h a n t h e
average stretch o f uninhabited country-
side. Third, from the point of view of the
quality of gaming, if players are afraid to
venture away from a single spot because
of the dangers of the wilderness, a lot of
variety is lost.
The problem is twofold: (a) wilderness
encounters a r e n o t graded b y m o n s t e r
level i n t h e s a m e w a y as u n d e r g r o u n d
encounters, so a low-level party can meet
monsters just as ferocious as those faced
by a b u n c h o f l o r d s a n d w i z a r d s ; a n d
(b) numbers appearing in the wilderness
are g e n e r a l l y l a r g e r t h a n t h o s e u n d e r -
ground. W h e n r u n n i n g a w i l d e r n e s s
adventure, i t i s t h e r e f o r e advisable t o
keep t h e s e t h i n g s i n m i n d u n l e s s y o u
really w a n t t o d i s s u a d e p l a y e r s f r o m
making wilderness expeditions.
There are a number of possible remed-
ies. The first is to provide characters with
the means to get themselves through the
hazards of the wilderness — more or less.
Since the wilderness is a very dangerous
place, the ordinary inhabitants who wish
to travel anywhere can do so by organis-
ing a large caravan, there being safety in
numbers, a n d t h i s caravan w i l l u s u a l l y
include f e w high-level NPCs f o r good
I M A G I N E magazine, March 1985
STIRGE
measure. Thus if player characters w i s h might be a s o r t of 'first level' wilderness
to g e t f r o m A t o B, t h e y have t o j o i n a with relatively harmless monsters, w h i l e
caravan. The sequence of any particular other a r e a s progressively m o r e r e m o t e
gaming session seems to be: (1) char- from t h e player characters' h o m e s w i l l
acters j o i n caravan; (2) caravan travels have m o r e aggressive m o n s t e r populat-
one day's journey and then camps for the ions. This does, of course, mean drawing
up a separate encounter table for each
night; (3) d u r i n g t h e night, t h e c a m p i s
assailed by huge numbers of arcs, leading tea. You then have to worry about how
to an enormous melee taking hours to , l h p l a y e r s a0e going to tell which area is
resolve; (4) the party than stops at tha;_, whicq, Basically, there are three ways.
next village t o recover from wounds; First, trial and error. I f the characters
which takes several ,lnonths; (5) repeat ' blunder into a dangerous area, they'll
sections 1-4 ad libitum. Personally, I find know about it when fifteen weretigers
this an unsatisfactory approach. Most of leap o u t a t them. T h e players' n e x t
A page for the
not-so-experienceg
adventurer
by Roger Musson
's playi e isspentfighting these characters will know to avoid the place!
uge encoUnters, and one very rarely' ,6econote-ysu can make4t, r a t t e r of lore.
actually getslo one's destination. l ' ' If the dhitiCters make e n q u f a e s ,
The second approach is to temper the they w i l l learn t h a t e m a , i 4 : ' do
w i n d t o t h e s h o r n l a m b , a s t h e saying venture into • .1. Jim
goes. T h i s i s t o b u i l d i n t o w i l d e r n e s s lad...'. Third, you i n
encounters the same sort of safeguards 'level' e c * f a l e n t to changes in terrain.
that restrict underground encounters, as Thus, i f the characters travel through
the encounters happen. Suppose a weak scrub and find a marsh ahead, Alay'ta
party i s travelling, a n d y o u r o l l u p a n bank on the marsh being a more danger/
encounter with orcs. Instead of throwing ous place. And if they find a will forest
in 3 0 - 3 0 0 of the things, restrict yourself beyond the marsh, that too will be more
to 1 - 1 0 , o r w h a t e v e r n u m b e r t h e y c a n dangerous. I have experimented with this
reasonably handle. On the other hand, if idea in a campaign set in a forest, where
you roll up a dragon, instead of checking the oifferent 'levels' a r e reflected i n
for range o f encounter, surprise, e t c as changes in tree type.
normal, make quite sure that either the Much t h e same caution applies t o
characters s e e t h e d r a g o n f i r s t o r t h e waterborne adventuring. I would suggest
dragon doesn't see the characters at all. It that you refrain from throwing plesio-
will s e r v e t o g i v e t h e players a scare, saurs at any boat the party takes, unless
which ;s all that's needed. the characters are powerful enough to
Alternatively, i t ' s n o t a b a d i d e a t o deal w i t h such things. Otherwise, t h e
dream up all your encounters in advance, party will be so afraid to travel anywhere
suitable i n s t r e n g t h t o t h e p a r t y i n that y o u w i l l b e stuck w i t h r o u t i n e
question, a n d w r i t e t h e m o n pieces o f dungeon-bashing adventures in the same
card. T h u s y o u m i g h t h a v e t h i n g s l i k e place for longer than you like.
i) three bugbears; ii) a small party of lost 1160 Roger Musson
pilgrims looking for a shrine; iii) a wyvern
flies overhead without noticing the party; Previous Stirge Corner themes are detail-
and so on. Each o f these can be worked ed below. To obtain back issues see 1348.
out i n some detail, i n c l u d i n g h i t points, 01 & 3: Introduction to rpgs; .4-5: Beginner DMs";
weapons c a r r i e d , n a m e s i f applicable, 06-7; Staying 'olive; . 8 : Treasure"; . 9 : Monsters";
treasure carried, a n d a n y t h i n g e l s e 010: Treasure & monsters"; .11: Time & motion";
appropriate. Then, w h e n i t ' s time for an 012; Role-playing; . 1 5 : Mapping"; . 1 6 : Scale;
miniature figures; .17: DM-ing equipment"; #18-21:
encounter — pick a card, any card...
Alignments; #22: Languages; .23; Wildernesses
The last alternative to bear in mind is to
"mainly for DMs.
design your wilderness in levels analag-
ous to those of a dungeon. Thus one area Please note that #2, 13 & 14 are out of print.
51
p R I N
It is heartening to see that there are still new
zines appearing on the scene each month, and
that they aren't sticking t o the older, more
established games for their material. In fact, all
the f r p zines seem t o b e branching o u t
nowadays, in an effort to cover more than just
the AD&D®, RuneQuest and Traveller games,
which have been the steady zine diet.
With the massive price-rise in RQ, and the
subsequent loss o f players t h i s w i l l bring
about, Call of Cthulhu looks set to become the
favourite game (after AD&D, of course). This is
borne o u t b y z i n e s s u c h a s M A N I C
DEPRESSIVE, which has just produced its
first issue. Nick says he wants to cover any, or
all, rpgs; and provides articles on AD&D, a
large scenario and a useful checklist of ancient
tomes for CoC. Manic Depressive also exhibits
one of the other trends to appear in frp zines
recently a fascination with Dr Who fandom.
There is a thriving community of Dr Who fan-
zines and fans, and more and more games fans
seem to be involved in this area. Perhaps it is
because of the new, proposed Dr Who role-
playing game? MD also carries a very compre-
hensive section of 'zine reviews, which covers
each magazine in more depth than I can here.
PROTOPLASM i s another n e w fanzine,
though n o t u p t o t h e standard o f M a n i c
Depressive. There is a very short Cthulhu page,
a multi-system scenario and a few reviews.
Those are the better aspects of the contents; I,
for one, would question the taste of a scenario
based on the SAS raid of the Iranian Embassy.
The humorous content i s pretty poor: a n
'interview' w i t h Gary Gygax and a terrible
cartoon strip.
DEAD ELF 2 is also very recent, and again
carries a fairly large and well-written Call of
Cthulhu scenario, as well as an RQ scenario
and various reviews and letters. Andrew is
obviously still feeling his way around publish-
ing a zine and is still having some problems
with the layout and content. But DE2 is very
readable, even contentious i n places! a n d
there's no reason w h y it shouldn't improve
rapidly.
The fanzine for Call of Cthulhu is DAGON,
of course, as it is devoted to just this one rpg.
Issue 5 is now available, and Carl hopes to
make the magazine bi-monthly from now on.
52
f a n z i n e reviews... Press Cuttings... fanzine reviews... Press Cuttings... fanzWe reviews...
There is 'The Disappearance of Dr Benwell', a
full-length scenario, with player hand-out and
comprehensive maps; Marcus L Rowland on
psychiatric treatment in CoC (always useful!)
and other background material. As always, a
must if you play Call of Cthulhu.
It isn't just CoC which is getting coverage
nowadays; anyone remember that game Man,
Myth and Magic? Well, THE FIERY CROSS 2
actually h a s a full-length scenario f o r t h e
game, just about the first I've seen i n any
magazine. There i s also t h e usual A D & D
scenario (well, two of them actually), and a
Warhammer scenario. Plus, they now have
photo-reduced text, so you get twice as much
content for only fivepence more, which can't
be bad. MYSTIC CRYSTAL have had prob-
lems getting their second issue Out, with their
printer going bust and keeping the originals!
Still, i t is finally here, and apart from AD&D
and Champions, it has the first articles I've
seen on Ringworld, with a design for a Gyro-
cycle. DEMONS DRAWL 9 continues to offer
good support f o r the traditional rpgs, plus
plenty of chat, and even manages to squeeze in
a mini-scenario for that rarely mentioned rpg
Chivalry & Sorcery. People will be producing
articles on Bunnies & Burrows next!
IMAZINE 8, still with the same title, doesn't
cover any more obscure rpgs, although Paul
has probably written more reviews of Chivalry
& Sorcery than anyone else alive, but it does
have a very odd AD&D scenario, 'The Purple
Poignard' (da da da dahl) which is more a joke
than a serious scenario to be run, but makes
extremely funny reading anyway! Imazine is
also very involved w i t h D r W h o fandom,
perhaps more t h a n most, w i t h a regular
column on the subject, as well as a letters
column devoted to discussing how to design a
Dr Who game. It all makes fascinating reading.
THE GUILDER 4 is the last issue of that
fanzine, and is replaced by NOW EAT THE
RABBIT from William Whyte, a bit scruffy, but
plenty on Dr Who, and a new game in each
issue. OBSCURITY INC 3 has mainly humor-
ous pieces, such as Star Trudge III script, and a
joke cult. It might appeal to some people, but
didn't really to me.
CER EBRO, the X-Men Fanclub Newsletter,
has a n e w issue out, which celebrates 100
issues o f t h e X - M e n w r i t t e n b y C h r i s
Claremont, and features lots o f information
and discussion about the X-Men comic and
related characters. There is even a discussion
of the MARVEL SUPER HEROES* role-playing
game by Pete Tamlyn, and how the X-Men
match up in it. If you are interested in comics,
but cannot stand all the characters who walk
/ around i n multi-coloured longjohns, t h e n
you'll probably find INFINITY worth a look.
This i s a comics fanzine which refuses t o
devote any space to Superheroes in any form,
and t h u s concentrates o n everything from
Raymond Briggs t o Posy Simmonds t o the
more experimental end of the medium. The
magazine sometimes comes across as a little
pretentious, carried away with the ideal o f
comics as the n e w art form, but it does have a
lot o f very interesting material. W o r t h looking
at t o s e e w h a t y o u ' v e b e e n m i s s i n g w h i l e
reading Spidey and his Super-Friends all these
years.
LANKHMAR STAR DAILY 12 is a special
Saturnalia issue, and Rob goes totally over the
top by producing a 72-page issue! The first half
is t h e s t a n d a r d m a g a z i n e , w h i c h i n c l u d e s
plenty of letters, film r e v i e w s and music, and a
long (12 page) systemless scenario for all rpgs,
which looks v e r y w e l l w o r k e d o u t , a n d i s
e m i n e n t l y readable a s w e l l a s playable. T h e
second h a l f o f t h e z i n e c o n t a i n s t h e g a m e
reports, w r i t e - u p s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n o n R o b ' s
postal 2 11 2 frp campaign. The amount o f
effort R o b p u t s i n t o t h e t h i n g m u s t b e
immense! There is also a series on designing
and r u n n i n g postal games, v e r y useful i f you
are t h i n k i n g o f t r y i n g y o u r o w n , o n e o n
psychology o f r p g s , a n d s e v e r a l g a m e s o f
D i p l o m a c y. Phew! Fairly expensive, but worth
every penny!
P R I S O N E R S OF WA R is the n e w name for
Psychopath, n o w t h a t W a l l a c e N i c o l l a n d
Doug R o w l i n g h a v e taken t h e zine over f r o m
Mike Dean. The first, trial, issue is really just
intended as an introduction to the n e w editors'
plans for the magazine, and as an introduction
to t h e m . H o w e v e r, i t d o e s c o n t a i n a l l t h e
games Psychopath u s e d t o r u n , a s w e l l a s a
n e w s u b z i n e a n d m o r e . C e r t a i n l y, t h e n e w
editors look very capable of continuing with the
same high standard Mike had set for the zine.
I M A G I N E magarine, March 1985
Press Cuttings... fanzine reviews... Press Cuttings... fanzine
V I E N N A is a n e w zine to me, and already up
to issue 5. Richard describes it as a gameszine,
w h i c h a t t e m p t s t o r u n a l o t o f D i p l o m a c y,
Railway Rivals, C l u e d ° , etc. This the maga-
zine seems to do very efficiently, and they try to
include a new variant with rules and map each
issue. T h i s t i m e i t i s t h e t u r n o f W o r l d
D o m i n a t i o n , a D i p l o m a c y v a r i a n t created b y
Richard, w h i c h c o m e s c o m p l e t e w i t h a n A 3
copy of the map. The zine also contains some
reviews, letters and strategy articles.
G R E AT E S T HITS is, of course, very old, and
the l a t e s t i s s u e a c t u a l l y m a r k s 1 0 y e a r s o f
publishing! W h i l e Pete has always run games
of Diplomacy etc, he has always tried to make
the zine enjoyable to read, and has succeeded
admirably. T W I C I U i s a n o t h e r v e r y readable
zine, p r o d u c e d b y G r a h a m S t a p l e h u r s t , a n d
rather elitist in that it appears to be distributed
as a trade only, or on Graham's whim. It always
has plenty on games and general chat though,
and is well w o r t h getting if you can trade.
And f i n a l l y a q u i c k r u n t h r o u g h t h e o t h e r
zines received, w h i c h include: the T&T loving
TTYF with E n Garde and Crimson and Gold
Arena games still on offer; S W A N S E A W I T H
ME, hiding behind a M a l Dean cover, and still
writing a b o u t Postal S p a n i s h M a i n e ; C U T &
T H R U S T 31, w h i c h looks back over t h e year
and offers a m a r v e l l o u s l y efficient game of En
Garde! B A R B A R O U S L E A G U E 8 o f f e r s
United a n d a n e w B o x i n g g a m e ; J A W Z 3
which has Rather Silly Seismic Railway Rivals
and I l l u m i n a t i starting; H O P S C O T C H 47 with
plenty o f g a m e s r u n n i n g ; S C H O O L F O R
S C A N D A L , the essential news sheet; a rather
s l i m m e d - d o w n N M R ! 56; and M A D P O L I C Y
103. The latest B S FA mailing brings us a wide
variety o f S F magazines, a n d n e w s o f s o m e
very exciting plans for 1 9 8 5 for the expansion
of the BSFA. W A R G A M E N E W S covers Woad
to Wuin (honest!), plus Trial of the Fox, Stars &
Bars a n d P o w e r & Resolution. Ve r y u s e f u l i f
you are a boardgaming freak.
Finally, i f y o u d o w r i t e t o o n e o f t h e zines
mentioned h e r e f o r m o r e d e t a i l s , p l e a s e
enclose a SSAE for their reply. Most zines lose
enough m o n e y w i t h o u t a n y e x t r a b u r d e n !
Thanks. 1 0 1 . 5 Mike Lewis
Contact Addresses
BARBAROUS LEAGUE, Paul de la Pena. 7 Hulton Close,
Brunton Park, Harton, Cleveland TS7 8PG I?), BSFA, Sandy
Brown, 18 Gordon Terrace, Blantyre, Lanarkshire G72 9NA
(E7 per year), CEREBRO, G F Wilmetts, 74 Gloucester Rd.
Bridgwater, Somerset TA66EA(E4 50 for 6), CUT &THRUST.
Derek Wilson, 321 Headley Road East. Woodley, Reading,
Berks RG5 45E (55p), DAGON, Carl Ford, 11 Warwick Road,
Twickenham, Middlesex TW26SW (85p), DEAD ELF, Andrew
Fisher, 2 The Limes, Hitchin, Herts SG52Ase (45p), DEMON'S
DRAWL, J e r e m y Nuttall, 4 9 Longdown Rd, Congleton,
Cheshire (55p); FIERY CROSS, Tom Stacey, The Mill House,
Rays Hill, Hawridge, N r Chesham, Bucks HP5 2UJ (60p),
GREATEST HITS, Pete Birks, 65 Turney Road, London SE21
7JB ( 5 0 p ) , T H E G U I L D E R , W i l l i a m W h y t e , 1 0
Salamanca, Roebuck Rd, Dublin 14(45p), HOPSCOTCH, Alan
Parr, 6 Longfield Gardens, Tring, Herts (50p), IMAZINE, Paul
Mason, 16 Corncrake Close, Sutton Coldfield. W Midlands 872
1HY (50p), INFINITY, Russell Willis, 6 Shutler Rd, Broadstairs,
Kent CT10 1HD (50p); JAWZ, Alex Zbyslaw, 197 Herbert Ave,
Parkstone, Poole, Dorset BH12 4HR (35p), L A N K H M A R
STAR D A I LY, Robert Nott, 1 5 8 Pendeen Park, Helston,
Cornwall (85p); M A D POLICY, Richard Walkerdine, 1 4 4
Stoughton Road, Guildford, Surrey GU2 6PG (45p), M A N I C
DEPRESSIVE, Nick Edwards, Cherry Lea, Wells Rd, Dundry,
Bristol, Avon BS18 8NE (55p); MYSTIC CRYSTAL, Jason
Kingsley, 7 2 Main St, Osgathorpe, Leics LE12 9TA (75p).
NMRI, Brian Creese, 2 5 6 Canbury Park Road, Kingston on
Thames, Surrey KT2 6LG (45p); OBSCURITY INC, A Keen,
Kitchener House, 6 Gordon Terrace, Edinburgh EH16 50H
(60p); PRISONERS OF WAR, Wallace Nicoll, 228 Kmell Ave.
Cardonald, Glasgow G52 3RU (60p), PROTOPLASM, 2 0
Victoria Rd. Rathgar, Dublin 6 (?); SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL,
Trevor Mendham, 53 Townccurt Crescent, Pelts Wood. Kent
BR5 1PH (5 for El), SWANSEA WITH ME, Matt Williams, 24
Moor St, Coventry CV6 6EQ (40p), TAKE THAT YOU FIEND,
Kevin Warne, 4 8 Boscombe Avenue, Hornchurch, Essex
RM11 1 J G (35p), VIENNA, Richard Egan, 6 4 Rookery Rd,
Knowle, Bristol BS4 2DT (40p); WARGAME NEWS, Emiay,
17 Langbank Ave, Rise Park, Nottingham (E4.50 for 6)
IMAGINE magazine, March 1985
The Space Where The Amateur Press Te l l The
Professionals Where They're Going Wrong
F E
This month's contributor: PAUL MASON, editor of IMAZINE
FUN A N D G A M E S
Picture t h e s c e n e : t w o garners, C h r i s a n d
Dave, are arguing in the bar at GamesFair.
Dave: '....but A D & D is completely muddled up.
The rules are sprawling, inconsistent — a
complete mess. There's not a scrap of
realism or logic in the whole lot!"
Chris: 'Rubbish! It works well in practice, which is
what counts. Anyway, who need realism?
This is a fantasy game we're playing,
remember? If you had your way we'd all be
playing peasants in the Dol-de-Bretagne, a
small town in northern France, on Novem-
ber 17th 1342. What fun that would be to
roleplay! Get up in the morning, eat some
gruel, dig in the fields, eat some more gruel,
go to bed, get up next morning, etc...!
Dave: 'You're just exaggerating. A D & D is
Tolkien meets Dallas....'
Chris: 'The rules don't matter i t ' s the DM's
imagination that makes the game.'
Dave: 'Then why is it that all AD&D worlds are
completely interchangeable — no flavour,
no character? It's just like Mills & Boon.
believe rolegaming should aspire to better
things — the level of Dickens or Graham
Greene.'
Chris: 'Pretentious, vous? It's only a game, mate,
it's only a bit of escapist fun...!
This i s n ' t a n u n u s u a l c o n v e r s a t i o n b y a n y
means. I t typifies m a n y that I've heard, even
participated in. The t w o sides in the argument
can be crudely characterised as the 'fun' lobby,
and t h e 'serious' garners. T h e a r g u m e n t h a s
been raging for many, many years, and always
seems to come d o w n to the same f e w points.
The 'fun' gamer points out that " w h e n it comes
down to it, everyone plays the game for f u n " ,
and c a n n o t c o m p r e h e n d w h y t h e ' s e r i o u s '
gamer insists on c h u r n i n g out all this rubbish
about " f l a w s i n t h e A D & D s y s t e m " . T h e
'serious' despairs of the 'fun' gamer, dismiss-
ing him or her as the kind of person who thinks
Beethoven is boring, and watches Crossroads
sedulously.
Where d o e s t h i s r i f t c o m e f r o m , a n d c a n
anything be done to heal it M y own opinion is
that t h e a r g u m e n t i s caused b y 'projection',
that is, assuming that other people believe and
do t h i n g s f o r t h e s a m e r e a s o n s a s y o u d o .
Hence the glib assertions that "everyone plays
for f u n " , o r " a l l A D & D p l a y e r s h a v e n o
imagination".
Have a look around you at the mass of people
w h o p l a y roleplaying g a m e s . S o m e s c h e m e
ingeniously t o a m a s s a s m u c h p o w e r a n d
wealth for their characters as they can, others
behave unpredictably s e e m i n g l y purely on
whim. Still others methodically attack anything
they c a n . H e r e a p l a y e r t r i e s t o b r i n g o n e
character to life with skilful use of mannerisms
and language, t h e r e a p l a y e r tries to unravel
the secrets of the G M ' s world. To put all that
down t o a desire f o r ' f u n ' i s s u r e l y t h e m o s t
narrow-minded view!
People p l a y r o l e - p l a y i n g g a m e s f o r m a n y
different reasons. Try to think of exactly w h a t
you g e t o u t o f rolegarnes. I f y o u r e f l e c t o n
sessions you've enjoyed, you'll realise that the
answer is far more than simple 'fun'. And if you
consider that nobody else plays the game for
exactly the same m i x of reasons that you do,
you'll realise w h y I say that claiming that the
whole p h e n o m e n o n o f rolegames satisfies a
need f o r a m u s e m e n t a n d j o l l i t y a l o n e i s
stupidly simplistic. O f course, t h e r e is a l o t of
h u m o u r to be found in roleplaying games, but
equally there is mystery, excitement, sadness
— indeed a w h o l e panoply o f emotional
experience.
A t h e o r y t h a t occurred to m e recently w a s
that it is the difference in motives for gaming
which g i v e g o o d roleplaying g a m e s t h e i r
dramatic tension or 'edge'. If everyone is after
the same thing, then the game is more likely to
become p r e d i c t a b l e — r e s e m b l i n g a b o a r d -
game i n w h i c h , a l t h o u g h y o u d o n ' t k n o w
exactly h o w someone w i l l w i n , y o u d o k n o w
the m e c h a n i c s t h e y w i l l e m p l o y. T h i s i s
probably a l i t t l e t o o contentious, s o I'll l e a v e
the idea and return to my main argument.
It seems sensible, having come out w i t h all
this theoretical stuff, t o dirty my hands w i t h a
little practical experience. W h a t do I m e a n by
my a s s e r t i o n s , a n d h o w d o I t h i n k p e o p l e
should respond to them?
As a n example, I p r e s e n t myself. A t m a n y
conventions, and in m a n y fanzines, I've taken
the position of 'Dave' in the imaginary conver-
sation w h i c h opened t h i s article. A n d yet, i n
most games I strive f o r as m u c h h u m o u r as I
can possibly achieve, often m a k i n g m y c h a r -
acters objects of ridicule in one way or another.
So, a m I a 'serious' gamer, o r a ' f u n ' gamer?
The answer is, of course, neither. So w h y do I
argue, a s D a v e , a g a i n s t g a m e s l i k e A D & D ?
Simply, A D & D fails to meet m y r e q u i r e m e n t s
for w h a t a roleplaying game should be. I could
hardly fail to notice, though, that it does meet
the requirements of a large n u m b e r of players.
Roleplaying games have t h e potential to be
an important recreation, even art artform, w e l l
into the future. I d o n ' t consider this s t a t e m e n t
unduly p r e t e n t i o u s , t h o u g h n o d o u b t m a n y
will R o l e g a m e s a r e a p a r t i c i p a t i v e , a c t i v e
recreation ( a s a g a i n s t t h e p a s s i v i t y o f T V
viewing), a c r e a t i v e r e c r e a t i o n , a c e r e b r a l
recreation, and (potentially at least) an indivi-
dualistic recreation. W h a t c o u l d be b e t t e r f o r
an age in w h i c h conformity and the suppress-
ion o f i n d i v i d u a l e x p r e s s i o n a r e b e c o m i n g
increasingly common. Big Brother (or Sister for
that matter) w o u l d not approve of roleplaying
games, u n l e s s t h e y w e r e u n d e r h i s c o n t r o l .
And h o w could Big Brother control s o m e t h i n g
that has no recognisable raison d'etre, t h a t is
as individual as its players?
Before I get carried away (and s o m e of you
w i l l feel that I should have been, long ago) I'd
better return to the relatively simple manifesto
from which the above ruminations developed. I
believe that roleplayers should recognise that
other players m a y n o t play t h e g a m e f o r t h e
same r e a s o n s t h a t t h e y themselves do, a n d
should a l l o w for this. A s a c o r o l l a r y to this, I
should point out the dangers of allowing game
companies to flood t h e market w i t h products
that emphasise only one of the many styles of
rolegaming. A s Mike Lewis noted in t h e g 2 1
S o a p b o x , this can only lead to stagnation, and
the loss of rolegaming's greatest asset — its
individualism.
Sgb Paul Mason
53
 Don't wait any longer— getmore FLAGSHIP foriess money..
JOIN THE
FLAGSHIPBREAKTHROUGH!
HAVE you thought about taking the PBM challenge? PBM (Play by
Mail) fantasy and science fiction games are booming as never before.
PBM games pit you against the top British and international role-
'DUE
players. In KEYS OF BLED, you lead your people through the carnage
of civil war and the threat of alien hazards on an unknown world. In SPOKESMEN
TRIBES OF CRANE you bind the success of your tribe to the fortunes SPEAK
of the myriad secret factions struggling for power. In CRASIMOFFS
GHOST
WORLD you make your bid for fame as the gods themselves vie for
dominance. With full-time gamemasters backed by computers, the IN T H E
postal role-playing adventures are an experience you shouldn't miss. MACHINE
FLAGSHIP is the magazine of PBM adventure gaming. When we
started in 1983, we had just 28 pages. Since then, we've matched the
explosive growth of the hobby and issue 4 broke through our 40-page
target, with 44 pages of reviews, illustrations, strategic advice, game-
master commentaries, humour, fiction a n d stop-press news o f
Britain's latest fantasy role-playing game. And we now have discounts
for nearly every British postal game, including Crasimoff's World,
Feudal Lords, Galactic Conquest, Keys of Bled, Starg lobe, Starmaster,
Starweb, Tribes of Crane, Universe II and Vorcon Wars.
And there are more changes to come. From issue 5 we're changing
our full-colour cover, and we're planning a new cover every issue from
then on. We're commissioning extensive, deep analysis of play in the r LUC
established British games to give our readers a decisive edge in their
Mt If 1 1 '
battles. Our free small-ad section is booming, with reader alliances
forming in many of the major campaigns. AblE21
Is all this leading up to a change in price? Well, yes— but we're doing TRAVELLERS' — 7 : T-
so well that we can afford to bring the price down!— to encourage new T/ILES
readers and work towards the day when every active player takes a
FLAGSHIP subscription as a matter of course. From issue 5, four
issues will only cost E5, making each issue cheaper than most turn
fees! If you start 3-4 games a year with our discount coupons, the
magazine will actually work out entirely free!
And our guarantee to subscribers is still in force: i f you're dis-
appointed, we'll refund the whole unused sub to you (minus the cost
of the issues already sent). Perhaps it says something about FLAGSHIP
that nobody has ever taken us up on this!
If you've yet to try the challenge of PBM gaming, don't wait any PROFESSIONAL\
longer. Join the FLAGSHIP breakthrough, and let us add a whole new SEciturs
dimension to your adventures.

Send me 4 issues of FLAGSHIP from issue 4. I understand that, if I'm

disappointed, I can write to cancel my subscription and get the
unused money back. I enclose E5.
Name
Address (please print)

P o s t code
Send this form to FLAGSHIP, P.O. Box 12, Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands WS9 OTJ
54 Please m e n t i o n I M A G I N E m a g a z i n e w h e n r e p l y i n g t o a d v e r t i s e m e n t s
 -ct; ie,r , grenEAra11S
7 ; 1 ' )
We t 4 7 1 0 h i t " ,

1
N 4I ?1 / I V A t h i t l e a t t

4 %era A t I , A l f ;
ej
I a
Of " V
I tA
l i C
\ '4 1 ; 1 1 : 4 • 8 1 1• 1 1 1 : C H U N K ' - - D- - G
44ne , H T H
lt,4 446-41 I : 7 : oh. d i t l t
bt. 1e k. ,1 47 k "4,1
t tl-H
i 1\1
P,6L E S S _
etAttat
tster—po wilt?4.; •
•-• •• ,
A , - t ? •o • • %JO •
11.R.
• • • • l b . .

, A 1t)P.FAACvoN BI-DATZLED
R , PURI I N A IG
NIG -TILEi R. STAY N I11-1E.
R L CALLED
\MU_ W El'40L)RLA
A s E L . ,W-mE
S T IFAIRLy
E I E D BY A m uAND
CLEVER s n cOGRs-eN
CALLED OTIARIAL)
11-C N\ID
PAO. HAVE - B aMl l tt cr-rls,cKED
T O F E E L13Y
UNIEAS'< IN A
ot•-• LAR-G-t.
"1-10IX IvtAN-CALLED BANSVNURGA, 17ANIASVM1 g O t K I MAE DI2A&:;t\I VIA,S R-TURI\IE.1) 8 U 1 m o o R L A vIlks 171s4wEAREID IHTO TVIIM A I R " ,

\\N,
,1
L
ittaitUig
utOlEt/ i-lgg AND SIIE
VANIGHE17 I N A SgIMMECI,
13RiLLIANT-
wc've KEN AAI7!-111EaE15
NO 5WoRD, 01)5r A l E r G R E AT
1:/14A&oN! WHEIZE A1ZE Vou
IAIEASEL
MougLA!!

. . . l u s r As THE 7HAC7014
ApPEAREvT Y o U
DON' r

YES! M o u R L A j S O M E S
OF EVIL W I T C H - S H E I S
' T H AT T H / O U T THERE!

IA, CASE 51-IE WAS

LY I N G , A N D TMAT'S
H E R UP - M E R E - l a
1ft •1,1 i3NtIsAuszGA viINS r z ' O N C' SAY &00Day6--O W
W A R N U S ! C o m E OT4, s l E r A t i s T A S - i 1-1AINIK PA L - ANI,
ENI A cuPs-x-E -11-1 E k m u t , , &E• • -1-1-k AT M o K I S TEl I S HOPE- Yo u EAIP
&E-tl-trk& R E A D ' ? UP tts1 A SEITEAZ
FR-N' k1S, WoHLPI
SoPPERI 47/

m o u g L A S A I D ( r w o u w PROTECT
-St1E N A V 1-1AVE BEEN 0 ' 0 1 6 ,
RUT t r ' S dt/R H o P E !
&R-AL3 I T

NOR) &kINO uP me- t i l a z ' s poo4 &o4E5

14M-L4/MERE- PIP IVE FOR. A I_DAP-- r t s WoiGEt- 1115 Smelt,
Go To .1UST T H E O , AAIP 06P-YN rAE 6/1F!
•

OGRVN-- D o A r T- LET- GO r leANAJ- a v r

WE SEEM lb HAVE
--OF - THE--61A101:4-0--
COME I 3 A c k - l b .P.PDAD
, VANLACAI r!

Ti

I M A G I N E ma,yuing, M a r t h 1985 55
 1 'AOPE 1 : 0 ‘ , V - T M E E T 11•kE lkit>
G a v o t : 4 WIT! o&Rytv,
LtsIEN, 501\84%,/,1-kOW s - ( 0 L ) IAlt40 O W N S T H O S E P O P P E Ts !
DoN'T G i v E CREDENCE
KNOW O U R tilAMES? WIA/NsT %S To ANYTIVNG, — IT'S
-1-41G PLACE— M D INHo PNIZEYbt; ALL A, -MICK! •SuST <E•EV, y\omiNG
VAIEN , O U R E A T Olome, AND t)OKV-V STARE
ANN(wiNs?? AT AsN,-0•14kNIcil.
FIZom , t o u R o w l I40ME
YE RE LESS -MAN AN W a i f
As FOR A15-- A •.•••-
vioNt2EKUL_ FELIA CALLED'
sTY/4c,14/ ,4
,t•
I'LL E Y E R G U I D E " N
s o L O A l & A S YE LiN&Etz_
ANP FORGIVE M E i r
000(4/OU' k.

YOU Alofr PAT'

/ r Y E w o o L p tvkaA/6/'
M 5 E OLP k'EEPEI2,
oF ThE
Cc,R•Aw. )

pliumituniraMIL".
p o e J r W o k A T r f 14,11•IO -
•• OE VII-IATEVE'R_ l c A A A - I N &
1//•;//, T4I5 GAME1\1057- N o r Foot_
OS , or.• wE'VE"1-4A917!

-1VE & A P VsnAERE

DAD'S MIDDLE 1'0E. WA S !
EN r i t E R R A M ! A R E p L. or\E!!

0 6 g YA / , C O M E - A W A Y. ,
HE '5 A N it_ix510A./ • f r t s
Ta . I C K E R Y, I T E L L Yo u !

m4eN 15
AN I L L U S I O N ?

VA40 Ao,c2,E y o o l P L E A s e ,
,e00 M u s t P R E M E . . . , A N D
-1-AwE rAE PA C X s o -11-NAcT
1c A N I G , i T TFE \IILE
BEAST T O -TViE E N D ,

'1(4.--;1116•A V w E A s E L p , K p OC.,Z<N DESTINED

To D I E E N E N M o q E • P,V3OU9D•Lx
u \IE.?. M u _ 11,ka'< N E (ER
.••••k K 1 O W M k ( ) P o L L I t , i G "T\ke sTetNGS2

ISSN 0 2 6 4 - 1 3 9 9
5 6 P r i n t e d b y T A V I S T O C K P R E S S ( B E D F O R D ) L T D . , M a n t o n L a n e , B e d f o r d M K 4 1 7 P G . Te l e p h o n e : ( 0 2 3 4 ) 5 8 5 1 7 .
 EXPERIENCE
A LEGEND
TSR'S FIRST ADStir
FANTASYA
NOVEL!

HRONICLES
VOLUME I
DRAGONS OF
AUTUMN TWILIGHT

Dragons creatures of legend. K

world oifantasy. DRAGONLA, CE"'
CHRONICLES, the epic ques of a small
band of heroes comes alive ink R ' s first
full-length AD&D' fantasy tuty.,
You've played the game. Now,kdad t
novel. Finally, available.
Ask for DRAGONS OF AUTUNINIA
TWILIGHT, the first volume in he ervic,c
trilogy, at your favorite hobby, bo k or
toy store.

*IN P a g t " I 1 1 1 1 1 1 c Jul

($tlk L2.251.
zefL_Amm-.1trN4EA•17,E.s•