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We're kicking off the New Year atRPGNMHQ by bringing back some oldcolumns and introducing some newones.This, the GAMMA WORLD issue, beg-ins with two expanded regular columns,Letters, and Dispel Confusion. We'rereceiving a greater volume of muchappreciated mail - thanks!In those letters, many of you haveasked for information concerning TSRmodules. For those of you who like toknow what you're buying, we've com-piled a list of every TSR module pres-ently available or expected on the marketwithin the next six months.We've also had many requests for amodule in POLYHEDRONTMNewszine,which planted the seedthat grew into thenew regular feature, Under Construc-tion. This column provides a descriptionof one room (or its equivalent) in one of'the TSR Role Playing Games. Theserooms will connect with other rooms infuture issues. We hadn't the space todevote to a module in one issue, so wedecided to give you bits and pieces toadd or adapt to your own campaigns.

Similarly, Mike Carr has written Flightsof Fancy, a semi-regular DAWNPATROL game secenario, based onhistorical fact. And Basically Speaking isback with four of the most often askedD&D game questions.How many role playing games haveyou part icipated in where the mappinggot confusing, complicated, or just downright bothersome? Frank Mentzer hassome very clear and helpful suggestionsfor mappers and OM's that can helpmake mapping an interesting challengein the three part series, Mapping fromSquare One.Two years incoming, the official RPGANetwork Tournament Scoring System ishere. Those RPGA Members who play intournaments will now be awarded offi-cially recorded points.In Encounters, Jim Ward thinks thatthe Flynns and the PSH's should befriends. But, can true love be found in aninstallation in the peaks of the Rockies?Stay tuned! l Y j a A f

Features ContentsDeveloping a GAMMA WORLD game campaign - Tips for the beginning GM,

by Mike Price 5Mapping from Square One - Tried and true mapping techniques,by Frank Mentzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9Encounters - Will Merculies be able to save Desaibnu? by James M. Ward ... 10Under Construction - Don't let Ned's fate be yours in POLYHEDRON'MNewszine's newest regular feature, by Mary Kirchoff 14Getting Started in GANGBUSTERS Game - Rules of Thumb for Referees,by Mark Acres 15Tournament Scoring System 16Flights of Fancy - A DAWN PATROL'M Game Scenario, by Mike Carr 18Modules - Want to know how much it costs, how many can play, or whetherit's Dungeon, Wilderness or Town? Here's the place to find out! 21Tournament Tips Too - Another approach to organizing a tournament,by Clyde Scott 22

RegularsLetters 3The Knight-Error - A cartoon, by Ron Shirtz 4Dispel Confusion - By Frank Mentzer, Allen Hammack, Mike Carr,Jim Ward, Mark Acres, Merle Rasmussen, and Dave Cook 6Reiga Nerd - A Mad-Djinn-Airy Tale, by Kim Eastland 8Notes for the Dungeon Master - by Frank Mentzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 11Basically Speaking - Answers to some of the more common D&Dgame questions, by Jon Pickens 12Spelling Bee - Spell Coordination, by Frank Mentzer , 19White Rabbits 20Rune Scry 20Notes from HQ - The illustrious Eastland Papers 23Treasure Chest 24RPGA Network Official Club Memberships ............................. 312 Issue #9

POL YHEDRONNewszine

Volume 3, Number 1Issue #10Publisher: E.Gary GygaxManaging Editor: Kimber EastlandEditor: Mary KirchoffContributing Editor: Bill HoyerCover Artist: Jeff EasleyContributing Artists: Tim Truman(pg.8)Jeff Easley(pg.10)Tim Truman(pg.13)Larry Elmore(pg.14)Jeff Easley(pg.15)

Other Credits: Photo on pg. 18courtesy ofSteve st. Martin.

The POLYHEDRON' Newszine (the officialnewsletter of TSR's ROLE PLAYING GAMEASSOCIATION' Network) is published bi-monthly by TSR Hobbies, Inc. The mail ing ad-dress is POB 509, Lake Geneva, WI 53147,tele-phone number (414) 248-3625.The POLYHEDRON Newszine welcomes unsol-icited submissions of written material and art-work. However, no responsibil ity for such sub-missions can beassumed by the publisher inanyevent. No submissions wil l be returned unlessaccompanied by a self-addressed stamped en-velope of sufficient size.The POLYHEDRON Newszine is mailed free toall RPGA'" Members. Membership rates: 1 year$10:2 years $18;5 years $40.All prices are sub-ject to change without notice. Changes of ad-dress for the delivery of subscript ions must bereceived at least 30 days prior to the ef fect ivedate of the change in order to insure uninter-rupted delivery.All material published in The POLYHEDRONNewszine becomes the exclusive property of thepublisher upon publication, unless special writ-ten arrangements to the contrary are made priorto publication.DUNGEONS &DRAGONS, D&D,ADVANCEDDUNGEONS &DRAGONSandTOP SECRETare registered trademarks owned by TSRHobbies, Inc. "TM" designates other trademarksowned by TSR Hobbies, Inc. ROLE PLAYINGGAME ASSOCIATION', RPGA', and GENCON are service marks owned by TSR Hob-bies, Inc. @ 1983 TSR Hobbies, Inc. All RightsReserved.


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"All I find in POLYHEDRONT. News-zine isAD&DTMgame information. Maybeyou could have some fiction or gamerules updates or something. Your giftsection could also use some improve-ment. A T-shirt would be nice."- Jeff Jacobson, Cornell, INPage for page, there are more articlesconcerning D&D and AD&D games inPOL YHEDRON Newszine than other TSRgames. The reason is simple: we receivemore questions and comments con-cerning these games. However, fairnessto other TSR game systems has been aprimary concern of mine as Editor ofPOL YHEDRON Newszine. I see theNewszine as a way to increase knowledgeof and interest in other games. As such,I've tried to include at least one article oneach of the games in each issue, but it isvery difficult with a 32 page format.POL YHEDRON Newszine's primaryfunction is to inform the members ofwhat's happening in their club. Thus, acertain amount of room must be slottedeach issue for this purpose. However, ifyou'll glance through the last three issues,you'll notice a marked difference fromthe first seven issues. We've had intro-ductory articles on the GAMMAWORLDT ., STAR FRONTIERST " andGANGBUSTERST games, as well asEncounters articles on each of thesegames. I think that you'll find the additionof Reiga Nerd and articles like it enter-taining as well as informative.Issues #9 and #10 (this one) have con-tained a greatly improved and updatedgift catalog section, too. If any of you

have suggestions as to how to furtherimprove ourTreasure Chest, please writeto RPGA T. HQ and tell us! - Mary"Are you planning on publishing anydungeon modules in POLYHEDRON

Newszine? How about GAMMA WORLDor TOP SECRET game scenarios? Also,could you possibly run acolumn on newitems and accessories coming onto themarket, or perhaps explain your ownaccessories? Iwould love to know some-thing about the R series. Is it campaignor competition, dungeon or wilderness?"- David Kalisak, Sarasota, FLWe've had many requests to publish amodule in POL YHEDRON Newszine.Quite simply, we haven't the room in a 32page Newszine. As an alternative, we'vebegun a new regular feature in this issue,Under Construction. Under Construction

is a description of one room or area in adungeon, lab, speakeasy, etc., completewith background and picture. Over thecourse of many issues, these rooms willconnect and eventually form entire areasof dungeons, cities etc. (depending onthe game system used for the description).Referees may add them to their ongoingcampaigns, or simply use the ideas tocreate their own rooms or dungeons.As you can see, this issue features theGAMMA WORLD game, and as suchcontains an introduction to the gameand the Encounters scenar io. We str iveto give coverage to all of the TSR gamesystems. Look for a TOP SECRET gameEncounters scenario in a future issue ofPOL YHEDRON Newszine.Concerning the R modules, you're inluck! In this issue, we've listed every TSRModule currently available or expected

out within the next six months. I hope ithelps you make your choices! - Mary"Dear TSR,I have been a member of the RPGN"Network for some months now. I thinkit's great! The idea is great because it fillsus in on information we can't hearanywhere else."I would like to say that your statementabout AD&D games being for adults isuntrue. I don't know one individual over30 who enjoys AD&D or D&D games. Iwish there would be more Dungeon lov-ing Dads and Monster loving Moms.How could I get more adults to likeAD&D games?"One more question: how does my31st level human M-U achieve Demi-god, then possibly god status?"- Brian O'Brien, Woodland Hills,CAYour letter appears in this issue, Brian,because it asks two very common ques-tions. The subject of getting adultsinvolved is a complicated one. I know ofinnumerable gamers over 30 years ofage (myself included), but most startedwhen they were a bit younger. The realdifficulty arises due to an adult's timelimitations. Between work and otherresponsibilities they seldom have theextensive gaming time that their youngercounterparts have.The other problem, as I see it, is thatyounger gamers usually rush over thebasics when explaining the game anddwell on their characters. Try goingslowly over the step by step proceduresof how to play. Your characters are almost

meaningless to those who don't knowthe game system.Have you ever asked your parents to

play? Often times parents feel that theymay be "butting in" so it's up to you toapproach them. Remember that everyonedoes not share your enthusiasm for gamesor highly imaginative fiction. The out-pouring of truly imaginative games,movies, etc. is a relatively recent occu-renee that you have grown up with, butothers haven't. If your parentsdon't wish to game, don't push them.However, they are still the best sourcesfor advice on more human matters (suchas how to deal with other players who areunpleasant) and, as such, can help youto become a better gamer. Ask theiradvice when you feel stumped by non-game system problems. You may besurpr ised by how much their exper iencesin life can help you.As for characters becoming demigodsplease read the DEITIES & DEMIGODST Cyclopedia from the ADVANCEDDUNGEONS & DRAGONS game(particularly pg. 11). Lines of specialimportance are: "it is remotely possiblefor mortals (meaning characters, ofcourse) to ascend into the ranks of thedivine ... Characters thus taken into therealms of the gods will serve their patronas minor functionar ies and messengers.After several centuries of superior ser-vice exceptional servants may be awardedthe status of demigod. . . Naturally,ascension into divinity effectively removesthe character from the general campaign,as the person will become a non-playermember of the OM's pantheon. "Key terms here are: "remotely possible, ""minor functionaries," "several centuries, "and "removes the character."In addition to these are a number ofprerequisites, including A) your level befar and away superior to most player andnon-player characters, B) your abilityscores have been raised by some rare,earth shaking magic, and C) the wholeprocess of serving your diety and havingworshippers of your own must be follow-ed. This only gets you in the gate! Afterall of this, and if you can serve forhundreds of years, you may become ademigod and be taken out of play.My question is, why would you evenbother? I would rather spend my timeand efforts improving the "world" mycharacter lives in (for instance, Kereo,my cleric in an AD&DT game world, is

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only 12thlevel but I retired him for awhileto build a great cathedral/hospital com-plex for the lawful good. This also givesthose who have to donate gold to aworthy cause some return on their invest-ments.) The "fun" of having your charac-ter be so far above everyone else that it'sno longer playable escapes me. - Kim"Does the $2 price on the cover ofPOLYHEDRONT Newszine mean thatyou sell it to the general public? Can Ibuy back issues?"Also, I see that you use material fromtheGRENADIER BULLETINT.Whateverhappened to that publication? I used toget it." - Dan Murphy, St. Louis, MOPOLYHEDRON Newszine is mailed tomembers only. We do, however, sellthem at conventions to the general publicat the higher $2 price you see on thecover. Members may indeed buy backissues ($1.25 each), but be forwarned-we're running very low on issues 1-8 , soyou'd better hurry!Concerning the GRENADIERBULLETIN, Kim East/and, RPGANetwork Coordinator was the Editor ofthe Bulletin before coming to TSR. W ehave reprinted some articles written byKim while at Grenadier Models with thepermission of Grenadier Models, Inc. Ibelieve that there was a bit of a lull inpublication between the time that Kimcame to TSR and a replacement wassecured for him at Grenadier. However,the BULLETIN is once again in print. Ifyou are still not receiving it, write to:Grenadier Models, Inc., Price & PineStreets, Holmes, PA 19043. - Mary"In the town I live in I know exactly sixpeople who have ever heard of D&DFantasy Adventure Games. How can Imake D&D games more popular in mytown? Another thing is that no matterhow many times I explain the AD&Dgame rules they still do not seem tounderstand and make foolish moves.What should I do besides let them killthemselves?"- Robert Messina, Lod, NJAgain, two commonly asked questions,Robert. Theonly way I know of topromote

a game is by playing it and showing oth-ershow much fun it can be.Somepeopleacross the country are going to libraries,schools, etc. and arranging demonstra-tions and mini-cons through those insti-tutions. It must be free and the library orschool board usually announces it inadvance. Whenit comes time to run suchanevent,besure that the scenario offeredis basic and will not put folks off. Manypeople don't care to discuss demonsmuch less "play" with them. A party thatis wiped out on their first adventuredoesn't exactly promote the game.If the party you are running does nothave much experience in role playinggames then their chance of survival is4 Issue #9

greatly reduced, especially if the ref isused to "vets" of that gamesystem. Thisisapplicable to all RPG's. First, I suggestthat the referee be sure to not run overhis/her players' heads. In other wordsask yourself the question, "Am I beingbasic enough for them tolearn the gameor am I confusing them?"Second, provide them with a "rolemodel, nperhaps in the form of a friendlyNPC who might bail them out once ortwice or provide them with useful sug-gestions, ("Hey,you guys goin' out withoutrope again? How're you goin' to getdown that pit you told me about?")Evenbetter, how about if each charac-ter has a patron, master, teacher, or guildthat they work for during their non-adventuring hours? The rule inmyScilFiworld is that the players call me duringthe week if they have questions for their"patrons" or they want to buy availableitems. This is usually done on an individ-ual basis. When it comes time to play,they pool their information and progressfrom there. If the adventure is one wherea patron might be interested in partici-pating, I roll to see if the patron will goalong. A referee may then give "common-sense" suggestions that the party mightnot have picked up on.

Third, make certain that as a refereeyou are not confusing the players.Variants, personal prejudices againstclasses, races, or spells and disiointedrulings work against a smooth campaignbecause the players don't have set "rules"to play by. If you don't want Bards, las-ers, or i llusionary spells inyour world letthe players know right away.Also, in your letter you speak of twodifferent games - ADVANCEDDUNGEONS & DRAGONS game andDUNGEONS & DRAGONS game - asif they were one. They aren't, and thiscan really confuse and frustrate players.Fourth, make sure all the players haveaccess to the rules and information aboutyour campaign. The vast majority ofquestions we receive need not be askedif the players would only read the books.If you are planning on running in a cam-paign as a player buy or borrow thebooks and read them. If a particularworld has a lot of intervention by dietiesbuy the DIETIES & DEMIGODSTCyclopedia and read it. Remember thatthe referee's word isfinal concerning rul-ings. It's his/her world and no playershould try to force the ref into anunpopular decision that could changethe balance of the game. - Kim

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'H~F[lr

A GAMMA WORLD Game FeatureInitially, it is vital that the GM spend agreat deal of time creating a GAMMAWORLD game setting where the charac-ters can adventure. This is no easy task,but a well thought out setting is worththe hard work for both the GM and the

players.For a source of ideas, TSR's GAMMAWORLD game modules are a goodinvestment in time and money. Legion ofGold and Famine in Far-Go were bothdesigned with the idea of giving playersa setting from which to basea campaign.If you wish to locate your campaign in anentirely different region than those pro-vided in the TSR modules, the easiestway is to choose some area of the coun-try you are familiar with (like your home-town). Make a photocopy of a presentday road at las and think of how that areawould change from the affects of anuclearwar. Remember, the rules give you theelements, but it is the GM who has to putthese elements together into a coherententity (a believable world for the adven-turing characters).The characters in your world have tocome from somewhere - it's the GM'sresponsibil ity to create an atmosphereof belonging for the characters, andultimately the players. Most GAMMAWORLD game inhabitants live in veryprimitive villages or small towns. Theprimary purpose for the existence of thevillage or town is to provide a back-ground for the characters - a sense ofidentity and origin from which toadventure.The characters should start out withlitt le or no technological items. This willenhance the feeling of having to existand survive in a truly dangerous envir-onment. Beginning players will learnmore about their characters, and conse-quently more effectively role play theircharacters if they must rely on theircharacters' abilities and special powers.Jim Ward (co-creater of the game) likesto make the analogy of the cultural andtechnological similarit ies between thebeginning GAMMA WORLD game char-acter and the American Indian of the last

century. There is nothing wrong withbeginning a new campaign with a high-tech setting if the GM and the players areexperienced, but it is much moredemanding on a GM - there are somany more considerations to take intoaccount (placing all those neat itemsaround, making sure the game play willbe balanced, etc ... )A strong point of the game is that eachplayer has the chance to develop a trulyindividual character, especially if thatcharacter isa mutant of some kind. IntheD&D and AD&D games, an elf ispretty much an elf, but in the GAMMAWORLD game, two players could havemutant bears and each one could becompletely different in size, color, andmutational abilities from the other. Whenplayers are creating their beginning char-acters besure that rolled up characteris-tics and mutations are consistent withGAMMA WORLD game ideology. Ini-tially, the players should be encouragedto role play their characters ,accordingto their stats and characteristics; withmore play they will develop personalitiesbased upon their characters experien-ces. Warning: do not let the players turntheir characters into game stats andnumbers - encourage them to role playand really get into the feel of the GAMMAWORLD game, for role playing is trulythe fun of it.When creating a setting, the GM mustdevelop some important NPC's and char-acters that are part of the world. Thesecharacters can range in scope from theleader of the PC's village to a mutantguide of some unruly wilderness out-post. Don't reduce NPC's to stats andnumbers either. They should be roleplayed, and can greatly contribute to therole playing aspect of the game.Placement of technological items ofthe Ancients is crucial. The GM shouldreview the list of items available (bothweapon and non-weapon) and selectonly those which make sense within thesetting of the region developed. Sometechnological items are extremely lethal(like powered assault armor or neutron

by Mike Pricebombs), and should be avoided until thecampaign has progressed for awhile.GM's should experiment a bit to get agood feeling for what will work and whatwon't, but use some common sense andrestraint. Don't give the players a truckload of fusion rifles on their fi rst day out!Creating newmutations, creatures, andartifacts isan excellent way to makeyourcampaign unique from all others, andgives every GM anextra avenue for crea-tivity. New GM's should be cautionedwith new creations not covered in therules; experiment on occasion with newthings, but test them out to see if theywork. Use the established rules asguide-lines and fit your new creations into thescheme of things, not against the flow ofthe game. Upsetting the entire campaignwith a new deadly creature or super-weapon can frustrate players and causeunneeded problems for the GM.Imagination is always a key factor inmaking or breaking a campaign for boththe players and the GM. It helps to takesome time and think about what thefuture may hold, and make some predic-t ions of your own as to the developmentof present day technology and sociallife. There are a number of monthlymagazines available at most librariesdealing with technology, science, andfuture speculations which would makefor good resource material in designinginteresting encounters. Reading sciencefiction short stories and novels is anexcellent way to pick up ideas for back-ground material and story lines.The GAMMA WORLD game isa strangeand deadly world in which the bizarreseems to be the rule instead of theexception, but that doesn't mean alladventures should bemerely excursionsfor killing mutants. A typical mistakebeginning GM's make is to line up crea-tures for the party to encounter just tosee how effectively they can mow theopposit ion down. Add variety, intrigue,mystery, wonder, and other aspects thatmake life (real or imagined) interesting,challenging, and worth experiencing.~

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DispelConfusionAdvanced Dungeon ragons

Fantasy Role Playing Gamea:Will water-affecting spells (e.g. LowerWater) affect water in other than liquidform - like fog or ice?A: No. Only the liquid form is implied bythe word "water"; the other forms are notaffected.a: Some classes have minimum AbilityScores; for a Paladin, for example, theseare given for five out of six scores! Whathappens when a score drops below thatminimum, as often happens to Con-stitution after a few deaths?A: Nothing changes. The minima applyonly to the creation of the character.a: In module S2, there are two intelligentweapons that aren't swords. Could (orshould) every magic weapon have achance at intelligence?A: Not necessarily; it's up to the DM.Intell igent weapons can be fun, but theycan also be a hassle. If intelligence ispermitted, the frequency should be lessthan for swords. On the chart (DMG p.166), a sword is intelligent 25% of thetime; the DM might decide, for example,that intelligence is partially a function ofsize, and apply that 25% to all magicweapons of 3 1 1 2 ' length or greater, withless chances for shorter weapons. Orperhaps thedegreeof enchantment (more"plusses") has some effect. There are nospecific rules, so feel free to improvise.a: When is the D&DCompanion setcoming out?A: Probably in 1984. I'm rewriting theBasic and Expert sets now, andCompanion will be next. Hey! Stopgroaning about "another D&D gamerevision"; this one should last a goodwhile. The new Basic set is designed forsolo play while you get the hang of the6 Issue #9

game, shifting to group play thereafter. Itwill be out sometime in 1984.a: Do creatures with "spell-like powers"need to cast the "powers" like spells?Can you interrupt them, like with spell-casters, and ruin the effects?A: Spell-like powers are not spells, anddo not need to be "cast." They can beproduced in total silence, for example,and in 1segment of concentration. Thus,they can only be interrupted if a blowconnects during that same segment -and if the creature sees a swing coming,it can easily delay a bit to avoid in-terruption.a: If a party sees a monster with a gazeattack (catoblepas, medusa, umber hulk)all at once, how many must save vs. theeffects?A:Only one, determined by posit ion or atrandom. A gaze weapon can only affectone creature per round. Note that withsurprise, each surprise segment istreatedas a round for certain attacks - and gazeshould be included as one of them.This is why a Gorgon is so nasty; itspetrifying breath is an area effect, andcan wipe out whole part ies in one blow..'ild West Adventure GameBHa: Is a character dead when hisStrength drops to zero?BHA: A character whose Strength hasbeen dropped to zero or less by wounds(notbrawling) haslapsedintounconscious-ness or coma and is on the brink ofdeath. If a doctor with proper medicalfacilities (bed, table, surgical equipment,etc.) cannot attend to the character withinone hour of when hedropped to zero, thecharacter wil l die. Most of the time, then,dropping to zero or below is fatal. If the

character is an outlaw wounded in abank robbery, medical attention wasnotoriously slow in coming; why wastetime on someone that was going to behung anyway? A marshal or sheriff, how-ever, could expect prompt attention; thereferee should then decide upon apercentage chance that the characterwill be completely healed based onseverity of the wound, the time delayuntil treatment, skill of the doctor, etc.An unsuccessful die roll could mean aparalyzed hand, a permanent limp, ordeath (at the referee's discretion).DAWN PATBOLTM

WW I Aerial Combat GameDPa: Ccn a pilot or observer fire a longburst ifthere are lessthan 4 ammo pointsleft in the gun?DPA: Yes.This isoften done to prevent ajam from reducing the effect of f iring thelast few bullets from a gun. It should benoted that the hits scored are stilldetermined normally on the proper tableforeitheran interruptedorshort burst.How-ever, if a jam occurs, none of the hits arelost (as they would be normally for aninterrupted or short burst), but the jam isa long jam. The gun also will heat up as ifa long burst were fired. In essence, along burst is being fired but with fewerbullets (hence the effect of using thenormal tables corresponding to thenumber of ammo points expended).DPa: The rules state that only 3/4 of thenormal hits are scored when one of twoguns jams on an interrupted burst. Howdo you round off fractions?DPA: Round off in favor of the attacker.Here is a listing of the reduced effects: 10t08, 9 t o 7, 8 t06, 7 t 05, 6t05, 5 t 04, 4 t o3, 3 to 2, 2 to 2, 1 to 1.


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Science Fantasy GameGWQ: Is there a quick way to determinethe Character Abil it ies of NPC's?GWA:Thegame rewrite, which iscomingout around June, will list each creature'sabilities. I always give NPC's 12 in all oftheir abilit ies if these are not given in thecreature lists.GWQ:How doyou destroy vehicles whenthey do not have armor class or hit pointslisted?GWA: This is an obvious oversight thathas beencorrected in the revised edition.For now, arbitrarily assign hit pointsand armor classes to each vehicle. If avehicle loses 50% of its hit points, itceases to function and must be repaired.GWQ: What do Serfs look like?GWA:Grenadier Models, Inc. makesmostof the creatures found in the GW rulesbooklet. The Serf figure is especiallynice because it uses a huge ax - perfectfor a creatu re with great strength. Ialways use them when I am runningGAMMA WORLD game adventures.GWQ: Does a force shield which takesover its hit point limit collapse and, if so,is it broken for good?GWA: Technologically generated forcefields regenerate themselves every meleeturn. The force field will be maintainedas long as the suit which generates theforce field holds up. Further, the rulesstate that only one mutational force fieldcan be created in a 24 hour period.GWQ: If players can be mutated plantsor animals can they beYexils or Podogs?GWA: A very good way for players tolearn the game is for them to be crea-tures from the rules book. Players canhave a lot of fun trying to cope with therestrictions that an Obb or an Arkcharacter wil l place on them.

GBQ: How does a player characteracquire cronies?GBA: Cronies are covered on page49ofthe GANGBUSTERSgame rulebook. Therules leave the question of how croniescome into play up to the game judge. Inmy own campaigns, I always tell theplayers how many cronies they mayhaveas soon asthey roll up theircharac-ters. I recommend, however, that actualcreation of cronies be postponed untilthey are needed in the course of play.This does two things: it gives low levelplayers a little extra help when they mostneed it, and it helps me build the NPC'sneeded for the campaign.Whena player decides to build a croniefor a character, I quickly roll one up andlet the player decide (with my guidance)

the background of the cronie. It isimportant to remember that cronies cannever begin the game at a higher levelthan the player character! Thus, a firstlevel reporter who would like to have agood friend inthe police department canroll up a police cronie, but that croniewill be a Rookie beat cop.Notice that the cronie system takes alot of work off of the game judge'sshoulders. Ina campaign with only eightplayers, with an average Presence scoreof 6, there will eventually be 48 cronies.That's 48 NPC's that the player will bekeeping track of, not the judge!GBQ: What happens when two criminalsyndicates are running a numbers racketin the same block?GBA: Probably a gang war! If twosyndicates are trying to run numbers inthe same territory, neither will make anyprofits at all. The two syndicate bosseswill have to decide which of them willcontrol the territory.

5-A~ Science Fiction Role1.#11 ~ Playing GameFi=\.ONTIEi=\.S'SFQ:I read through the rulebook andwas surprised to see that there wasnothing said about spaceships. Why werethey left out? Can characters travel inspace? Can they own spaceships? Willyou begiving rules for spaceships soon?SFA: When we started to write the rulesfor the STAR FRONTIERS game, weknew that there was a limited amount ofroom in the book. We felt it was better tofocus on characters, combat, and adven-tures that take place on a planet in therulebook instead of trying to cram every-thing in.Characters cantravel inspace,althoughthey are limited to commercial spacelinesin the STAR FRONTIERS rulebook now.Eventually, they will be able to designand have their own spaceships. Workhas just been finished on a completeboxed set that will be a game in itself.This set will cover spaceship combatdesign, and role playing inspace. Part ofif is a game that can be played withoutthe STAR FRONTIERS game rules andthe other part shows how STARFRONTIERS game characters can usethesame rules for role playing adventures.This set will be available in 1983.SFQ: Can a Dralasite move if it is only abig, round ball with no arms or legs?SFA: Yes, but it could go no faster thanits walking speed. Also, it would be introuble in combat since it would not beable to hold or fire any weapons.'r())S1~(;lllrr Espionage RolePlaying GameTSQ: In the TOP SECRET Rulebook 2ndEdit ion, are the correct prices for manyof the Other Weapon Types on the

WEAPONS CHART or on the pricelistunder EQUIPPING THE CHARACTER?TSA:Thecorrect prices for Other WeaponTypes are listed on the WEAPONSCHART. A manual speargun costs $50.AC02 speargun costs $100and pressurizedC02 capsules cost $1 each. A sword($30) and a swordcane ($50) act muchthe same but are concealed differently.Dart guns can cost $250. A boomerangthat returns is only $5. If it hits anythinggreater than its weight (V2pound) it willnot return. Boxing gloves cost $25 a pairand karate padding for both hands andfeet costs $50 a set.TSQ: When a character's Life Level isreduced to 0 by drinking alcohol, is thecharacter dead or unconscious?TSA: Since alcohol is a depressantpoison, the character has literally drankhimself or herself to death.TSQ: How can I run a campaign withmultiple groups of investigators, confis-cators, and assassins without the playersfinding out about each other's majorobjectives?TSA: Haveyou considered hand ingevery-one a note telling them their agent's truemajor object ive? They could each alsohave a cover objective which they tell tothe other players. Request that theirBureau sect ion under Classified Infor-mation on their Agent's Dossier be leftblank and only known by the Admin-istrator. No one will be sure of anyone'strue major objective since some willreveal it and others may lie.TSQ: If four PC's set out on a missionand the Administrator's character was tobesecretly blended in with the others byhaving a player run this character, canthis character be a double agent?TSA: Yes,this isa nice idea. Bydefinition,an agent who is loyal to the oppositionwhile pretending loyalty to those thatemploy him or her is an enemy agent.For example, agent Z is working for theKGB but is employed by the CIA. TheAdm inistrator can beaware of the enemyagent's purposes and can use the enemyagent against the other player characters.The enemy agent looks for any actionwhich would weaken the team, protecthis or her agency, and that doesn'tjeapordize his or her cover. Discoveredenemy agentsareusually given thechoiceof becoming double agents or beingprosecuted. An agent who is loyal tothose that currently employ him/her whilepretending loyalty to the opposition is adouble agent. For example, enemy agentZ worked for the KGB, is loyal to the CIA,and pretends loyalty to the KGB.TSQ: In DRAGONT. Magazine #49, thetracer bullet adds 10and 5 to second andthird following bullets, respectively. Doesthis bonus apply only to the agent thatfired the tracer?TSA: Yes. Agents not firing tracers donot get this advantage to hit.i~'

POL YHEDRON 7


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"Set it down there, Lad."The boy lowered the huge brass bottle with a clang,"What's this for?"The old mage paused for a moment then whispered, "It'sfor a Djinnil"Lad's eyes grew until it seemed as though they'd pop, "I ...I thought Djinn were kept safe in small bottles ... hiddenaway forever.""Not if a stupid halfling thief attempts to steal it," Nerd mut-tered and began setting his conjuring materials about, "andonce obtaining it, stupidly uncorks the thing, thus releasingApeni, the last of the Mega-Djinns.""What happened to the thief, Riega?""Apparently died of shock when the Djinn poured out.Thus, no one was there to immediately seal him up again.Now he's wandering about and starting to rebuild his empire.Halfling thieves, hhmmph!""So what do you have planned?"The hunched librarian shrugged, "I 'll play it by ear mostly. Iknow he's in this area, and I know if we don't stop him nowwe may never have a second chance. His is a cunning raceand can only be re-jarred in an unorthodox manner. I havewith8 Issue #9

QI(ja

byKim EastlandReprinted from GRENADIER BULLETlNT" #3 with permission.

me most of the incantations to perform the feat, but quitefrankly, I'm worried. With no time to completely research thesubject, I expect a trick of some type. Have your bow pre-pared just in case."Before long, a wisp of smoke drifted along the cavern f loor.Nerd immediately began chanting. Slowly, the Djinni formeduntil i t stood three stories tall. Suddenly, a spirit-l ike formshrieked past them and attacked the Djinn."What the ... ?" Nerd shouted."Keep chanting, keep chanting," Lad screamed. He beganto ease the lid off the massive urn. But Nerd, looking haggardand pained, formed his words slower and slower. Lad turnedand looked at the dusty old codex-keeper. Seeing Riega'sglazed eyes, Lad quickly snatched up his bow and aimed."Die, Aerial Dog!" he screamed in what he felt was approp-riate heroic fashion. And with that, his arrow whizzed throughthe air right into the Djinni's opponent.The air was filled with a bellowing rage as the Mega-Djinnwhirled into the jar, the lid sucking t ight after him. RiegaNerd shook his head, "What happened?"The boy sat down beside him. When he was assured thatthe ancient archivist was himself again, the youth explainedhow the old sage seemed to be drawn into the incantat ionwhile the Djinn fought the "evil" spirit ."And you deduced that it was the trick of Apeni to charmthe enchanter with his own enchantment. Very bright, buthow did you know to fire at the undead spirit?""Well, uh ... ""Have you been in my tomes again?" Riega eyed him with aferocity that rivaled the Djinn."Yes," Lad said after a moment."And how did that clue you to the trap?""Well, Riega, the last libram I read was a very old onecalled 'Almaric' or 'Elmanic' or something like that. Anyway, itwas filled with wise sayings but one I didn't understand until

today - Apeni saved is Apeni urned."They sat there a very long t ime looking at each other.Finally Nerd spoke, "And you fired that ever-fast bow ofyours at a ghoul, huh, even knowing it WOUldn'thurt it. Verygood, Watt's son, very good."They gathered their materials up and left , talking all thewhile."Ghastly, just ghastly," Nerd chuckled."We didn't have a ghost of a chance," Lad smiled."To face that much wraith, er, wrath could make one ashadow of his former self , eh boy?""Oh, I ex-spectred it. It sure was u-ghoul-y though.""Un-lich some of our other opponents, wight Lad?"The youth laughed, "I give up, I give up.""Smart boy!'~GRENADIER is a trademark of Grenadier Models,


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by Frank Mentzer

Mapping from Square OneMapping from Square One is a three part series.Some D&D and AD&D game players like to map. Somehate it . Admittedly, the fun in role playing games comes more

from the action than the mechanics. But there isentertainmentineach aspect, and some map-haters got that way through badexperiences, whether amateur dungeon designs or poordescriptions.One major problem in role playing games is the need tovisualize what the character sees, and to make the appropriatenotes. If this visualization is incomplete, the player may over-look options, choose unwise courses of action, or evenmisun-derstand the situation so completely asto cause the character'sswift demise.Accurate mapping can be a key element in avoiding many ofthese situations. It can also offer clues, especially in compactdungeons. A good DM can easily create "top secret" areas,nearly undiscoverable until their locations are found after care-ful mapping, measuring, and digging (or requiring entry bymagical means).Many "systems" of mapping are in use around the world, butfew havebeenactually written down and organized. The follow-ing is a system which began in Philadelphia and developedfurther in Lake Geneva campaign play. It is an eclectic work,partially based on auto rally techniques and refined by gameuse.As the tit le implies, this article starts with the simplest basicsand proceeds from there. Experienced gamers may wish to skipthe following sect ion and begin with "Terms and Usage."Mapping a dungeon can be done quickly and easily if tworules are followed:1. One player at each game should be the Mapper, andshould know the mapping terms and methods used bythe Dungeon Master.2.The Dungeon Master should always use the samemethodsand terms when describing areas.

A Dungeon Master can use any system, as long as the sameterms are used throughout. Problems and delays in mappingmost often occur when players don't know just what the DMmeans - this can be avoided if the DM is consistent. Whenplaying a role playing game, the fun comes more from roleplaying than through minor details such asthis- though goodmapping can be a puzzle and a challenge in itself.AbbreviationsThe standard abbreviation for "Feet" is one slash ('). Thestandard for" inches" is two slashes ("). This is used inDUNGEONS & DRAGONS games to mean tens of feet, but israrely used in mapping.Map PaperThe standard paper used for DUNGEONS & DRAGONSgamemaps isblue-lined grid paper. It isavailable inmany sizes,from 1 1 2 " squares to %". The most common is 1 1 4 " squares.ScaleEachsquare formed by the blue lines can represent a 10' x 10'area, or a 5' x 5' area if more detail is desired. Standard is 1 1 4 "squares, each representing a 10' x 10' area. This fact - theamount of "real" space represented by a map square - isknown as the "Scale" of the map.The Scale of any map should be noted on it. EXAMPLE: Scale%" = 10'.

CompassMost directions are given in compass terms (north, south,east, west, or in between). A symbol should be drawn near theedgeof eachmap, indicating the compass directions. EXAMPLE

ErrorsWhen players make mistakes in mapping due to inexperienceor misunderstanding, the DM should correct them. However,errors may appear due to magic effects (t ile characters don'tseewhat's actually there), special traps, moving walls, etc. Mapwith a sharp pencil and keep an eraser handy.VisibilityThe Dungeon Master must be careful not to describe areasthat the characters cannot see. For example, if asquare room is100' across, even characters with magical light and lanternscould not see the whole room. Only the part within rangeshould be described. At intersections, do not describe sidecorridors until characters haveapproached and described theirmethod of examination. If characters pass through a four-wayintersection quickly and do not stop to examine the side corri-dors they will not be able to map more than a small fragment ofthe side passages.Most dungeon areas are not lit, unless used by humans orother creatures unable to see in the dark. Lit areas can usuallybe mapped immediately, even if dim and unclear.Purists may insist that accurate measurement is not possibleuntil an area is "paced off." DM's discretion is thereforerequired; if a party normally paces off an encountered area,there is no harm in giving exact f igures, even if they must firsthandle a creature therein. If there is reasonable doubt, themeasurements should be approximate at best. For example, ithe DM expects a party to run away or avoid an area, no exactdescription need be given.TERMS and USAGEMap SquaresDistances and measurements may usually be described infeet or "squares," referring to the map paper squares. Diagonaldistance measurements should begiven in "diagonals," - onediagonal on Standard paper and scale equals about 14' 2".Standard or NormalWhenever possible, the DM should give a "standard" descrip-for "normal" areas and items. For example, "10 foot high corri-dors, 15 foot high rooms" could be announced as Standard.The height of corridors and rooms needn't be mentioned fromthen on unless they dif fer from the Standard.A Standard material is common. The usual standard is"stonewalls, floor, and ceiling," or wooden materials. In most of theadventure, the DM need only say "normal room, 10' square"instead of "room 10' square, height 15', walls, f loor, and ceilingof stone." A Standard door can also be described. It may be "4'wide, 8' high, wood with metal bands." It may have some otherdescription, simpler, bigger, or heavier.Standards set for one dungeon do not apply to any other andmay vary by materials, type of building, type of civil ization, etc

POL YHEDRON 9


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E n l : O U r l T e r S

e Setting:The battle had beenone sided until thelynn decided to lend a hand, knowingull well how the Arks would react to herpproach. Her Mental Blast took out theunded Ark she attacked from behind.he rest turned to view her, and insteadf running in fear as Arks had alwaysone before, they moved to attacker with their weapons. This wasn't sup-sed to happen!Then she spotted their collars. Theyere being controlled by some outside

e Characters:ce: FLYNN - '(Individual: Mericulies)cial Number: 1d6rale": 2d4+4t Dice: 10d6 (58 hit points)rmor: 4 on the ground/2 in the airr Speed: 24/1800/36Items in parentheses reflect the indi-dual dealt with in the scenario.Morale is more extensively dealt withn the revised edition. It is used to checkhe mood of the NPC in highly danger-situations.0 Issue #9

MS: 3d4+6 (18)OX: 2d6+6 (17)CN: 2d8+2 (18)IN: 3d6 (17)CH: 3d6+2 (18)PS: 1d12+6 (18)

Attacks: By Weapon TypeRacial Mutations: HeightenedVision, Light Generation, Regeneration,Wings, Intuition, Mental Defense Shield,Thought ImitationIndividual Mutations: Heat GenerationPhysical Reflection 'radiation', MentaiBlast, Telekinetic FlightDescription: Flynns can only befound inwhat used to be the northern RockyMountains. Flight is their passion. Theyhave discovered many of the Ancientsscientific principals and have even sur-passed them in some areas - they useonly aerodynamically perfect missileweapons. Flynns spend a great deal oftime trying to tame all types of flyingcreatures, and as a result, are friendswith all intelligent flyers who have cometo know the Flynn race.The race is genetically incapable ofmutating into anything but perfectlyformed winged humanoids. NPC Flynnsare dead if mutational defects are rolled.

I3 Yu a m e s M. warllRace: Arks (Hound Folk)Number: 1d4Morale: 1d8+2Hit Dice: 8d6Armor Class: 5Attacks: 1 Bite, 0: 1d6Club WC:1, D:1d6 (+3, +3d6 being Arks)Mutations: Telekinesis, Weather Manip-ulation, Life LeechDescription: As in the rules booklet.Race: PureStrain Human - '(Individual:Desaibnu)MS: 16 IN: 17OX: 18 CH: 15CN: 18 PS: 17Hit Points: 100Attacks: Laser rifle WC:13, D:6d6, Heavyaxe WC:2, D:1d8Desaibnu is a scout for his small tribe

of PSH's hidden in a valley in the north-ern foothills of the Rockies. Although herealizes that the odds are against hiswinning this confrontation (theArks havealready killed his Brutorz), he is madenough at the loss of his prized mount towant to take care of these monsters ordie trying.Referee's Section:Intelligence and Intuition have toldMericulies that the Arks are being con-trolled. Itwould be logical for Mericuliesto either carry Desaibnu away and followthe Arks or fight them to the death andexamine their collars. The PSH can be aplayer character or an NPC, but in eitherevent hewill be interested in discoveringwhat controlled the Arks.The referee should hint, subtly or oth-erwise, that if Arks can be controlled,more intelligent creatures are undoubt-edly being taken over - time is of theessence if they want to stop this. Thisvein could lead to a scouting scenarioset in the hills of the Rockies. Create aninstallation for them to discover. Thisjoint venture could lay a foundation formutual cooperation between the PureStrain Humans and the highly charis-matic Flynn ..i\~


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NOTES FOR THEDIINGf:Ollh\i\srrf:l~

by Frank Mentzer

Gods are not characters or monsters.When the DEITIES & DEMIGODST"Cyclopedia came out, everyone expectedaneasysolution to the "god problem," asI call it. The rules of the game imply thathigh level characters can aspire to

demigodhood or better, so the solutionwas expected in this work. And, uponopening it, one finds the first 7 pagesdescribing these superbeings ina formatsimilar to monsters and characters. Andlook! On page 11, it explains Ascension!And so the poor beleaguered DM, not-ing those detailed explanations of AbilityScores in the 19-25 range, and the classand level notations in the descriptions,tries to apply them. And the gods die inmortal combat with arrogant high-levelcharacters who own artifacts and Gir-dles and so forth.This is absurd! Worse - it's stupid,and can wreck an otherwise good high-level campaign. First of all, as soon asany mortal being seriously considers theidea of tackling a member of the DivineHierarchy, he should be instantly vapo-rized by the multiversal equivalent of aneraser. Even thinking about it is heresy,by any definition, against which themythological gods are notoriously tough.(But be nice, DM; don't take such radicalsteps unless the characters are serious.)And to make matters worse, the verymemory of the character's existence willprobably be vanished along with him,leaving those who would Wish him backwith an interesting dilemma-"Let's see,

I was about to Wish something, butwhat?"Secondly, when the nitpicker says "butthey can't do that!" the DM may easilyrespond "Who says they can't?" DDGCyclopedia doesn't say they can't . TSRdoesn't say they can't. And the decisionis up to the DM in the first place! Andthird, the astute debater then responds,"But the rules don't deal with 'can'ts:they deal with 'cans', and it doesn't saythey can, and you play this game by therules, don't you?" And the astute DM rep-lies, "Sure, but the gods are not charac-ters or monsters, and you're thinking ofthem as such."The exceptional nitpicker has thoughtabout this unexpected turn of events,and now tries to tackle the DM with hisown tools: "Doesn't my character's godhave anything to say about this?" Theastute DM replies, "Of course. The godthat erased you confers with your god,and they hang you up in limbo while theproblem is resolved - neither existingnor eradicated, but in between; certainlynot in the campaign world."How does the DM resolve this prob-lem, then? Well, the characters don'thavethe divine perspective; the gods of apantheon form a stable, working Admin-istration for the business of reality. Theydon't fight with each other if they canhelp it; the battle might upset the multi-verse.Somost problems must be resolvedthrough peaceful means. Note that anymere mortal attempting to upset thisbalance risks not only the wrath of the

god being attacked, but the entire pan-theon! Of course, most pantheons includeboth sides, good and bad, and the divineenemies of the divine beings will try totwist negotiations around for results mostbeneficial for themselves. But the gods,in their (inf inite?) wisdom, don't want tosee their marvelous setup disrupted.Yes, this argument is incomplete andnot entirely satisfactory. But whenever Iget a letter mentioning that someone'scharacter has slain a god, my immediateresponse is twofold: either you just thinkyou've slain a god, and haven't, or yourDM hasn't read the sect ion in DDG Cyc-lopedia titled "Dungeon Mastering DivineBeings."Some DM's use all the mythoi in thebook, jumbled up like a tossed salad ofdivine lettuce. This is incorrect. You canuse all of them by adding a multi-realityaspect to the already multi-universalsetup of AD&DTMgame reality. But thepantheons do not combine well, andshould remain separate. (I can't evenaccurately imagine amultiverse, let alonecomplicating matters with transproba-bility details.) The one except ion to thisis the "Non-Humans' Deities" sect ion,which can be added to any of the othersto help out the monsters.Now you know how to avoid the prob-lem. But what do you do with existing"god problems," and how are you sup-posed to use the DDG Cyclopedia. Andwhat if you want to roleplay the god bus-iness? I'm out of space - tune in nextissue! ~

POL YHEDRON 11


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Bostccl lqSpeuktngThis month we're going through the mailbag and taking a

look at some of the more common quest ions about the D&D game system.

I What is the difference between the D&D rules and theAD&Dgame rules?The D&D game rulesand AD&D game rules are very differentin many ways, but the greatest difference is in the intendedaudience. The D&D game rules are an "open system," keptdeliberately simplif ied for those who haven't had much exper-ience with role playing games, for those who don't have thetime or desire to master the complexities of the AD&D gamerules, and for those who like to tinker with variant systems.The AD&D game rules, on the other hand, are a "closedsystem," intended for tournaments and those who like to play

the game "by the book." The idea is that people from differentareas can all get together and play by a common set of rules.Hence, many things that the D&D game leaves to the DM, theAD&D game system covers in great detail.Specific differences are many - the magic items are verydifferent; the AD&D game system has different spells (andalmost all vary range, duration, and area of effect by casterlevel); t ime scales, movement scales, and ground scales aredifferent; hit die ranges are different; character classes arehandled differently in the AD&D game, and there are specialistsub-classes; AD&D game training rules and gp value for magi-cal items require a different approach to game balance; the listgoes on and on.The recommended approach is to get one set and stay with it- adapting material from other sources as desired, butconverting it to the base system selected, rather than dumpingrules into a campaign willy-nilly.This column deals with D&D game rules: Basic, Expert, theup-coming Companion, and the current module series "8" and"X." The hardbound books, other modules, and the WORLD OFGREYHAWKFantasyGame Setting areanother matter enti rely.I What are hit points and hit dice?Hit points are the total amount of damage a character orcreature can take before being killed. Hit dice are the number ofdice rolled and added to get hit points.For characters, the type of die depends on class (Fighters getd8, Clerics get d6, Magic-users get d4, and so on). Charactersalso get bonus hit points for each hit die if they nave highConstitution (and a penalty for low Constitution). Further,

characters get one hit die per level up to Level 9,at which pointboth hit dice and Const itut ion bonuses drop out and the char-acter gets a set number of additional hit points for each level.Maximum hit points for Level 9-12 Fighters with 15Constitution:

Level Total HD Maximum Total CON Total Level Total Hprolled hp Bonus Bonus

9 9 9x8 = 72 9x1 = 9 0 8110 9+2 9x8 = 72 9x1 = 9 2 8311 9+4 9x8 = 72 9x1 = 9 4 8512 9+6 9x8 = 72 9x1 = 9 6 87

12 Issue #9

by Jon PickensNote that the average will beabout 35-36 points lower. Mons-

ters, on the other hand, always get d8 for hit points, unless aspecial range (1-4 hpj is specified. Also, monster hit dicedetermine what row of the combat tables to use when makingmonster "to hit" rolls.Monster hit dice: Carrion Crawler = HD 3+1This means that the Carrion Crawler gets the total on 3d8 plus 1hp as a hp total. Assuming rolls of 3,8, and 2 the Crawler has:

hp = (3+8+2) +1 = 14 hpA Gnoll (2 HD) attacks a fighter in chainmail and shield (AC 4).To find the "to hit" number, match the monster HD against theopponent's AC on the combat table:

Fighter's AC

Gnoll's HD

The DM must roll a "14" or better on 1d20 to score a damag-ing hit on the fighter.What are the details of the Detect Invisibili ty spell?

Somehow the details of this second level magic-user's spelldisappeared during production, so here goes:Detect Invisibility allows the caster to detect invisible crea-tures and objects. Range: 10'/level, Duration: 6 turns.I How do I run time and movement?

Movement. The distance a character can move in one gameturn depends on how much he or she is carrying -encumbrance. One trick in dealing with encumbrance is tofigure out how much a character usually carries, then recordencumbrance in capacity left before a character moves at thenext slower rate. This usually means the party moves at 60' perturn because the fighters are wearing heavy armor.For example, if Morgan Ironwolf carries 670 cn weight andmoves 60', I know that if she picks up 131more she wi II move at30' per and that the maximum load she can pick up overall is930cn total, unless she starts dumping equipment.(Digression: Enforcing encumbrance is recommended - thisis a control on treasure. Treasure the characters don't carry offwith them is likely to be stolen by scavengers before they getback ... )Time. Within the adventure, time isdivided into game turns androunds. The DMshould havea larger time frame that continuingadventures fit into, but more on this later. First, the adventureitself:The game turn time scale is used when the party is movingthrough the dungeon and mapping as they go. If the DM isusing the recommended map scale of 1 square = 10', a partymoving 60' per turn will move 6 squares on the DM's map(check for wandering monsters every second turn).In addition, the DM must allow penalties to the distancecovered if the characters do other things besides moving and


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mapping: searching for secret doors or traps, resting, pickinglocks, listening at doors, stopping to peer down dark halls,loading treasure, and so forth all take time. Some of these arecovered in the booklets, but sometimes the OM will have todecide how long it takes (that is, how much it reduces partymovement that turn). A personal l ist of such time-consumingactivities will help keep the OM's rulings consistent.The OMshould keep track of game turnsduring the adventure.This will help in keeping track of spell and light source dura-tions, rest periods, and other events that take place over severalgame turns.

1 2 3 4 5 61 hour

2 hours3 hours4 hours5 hours

Rounds are used in encounter situations - the OM shouldshift into this faster time automatically in situations where fastreact ions are needed. Note that the movement drops to one-third the rate of movement in a game turn. Actually, this move-ment ismuch faster because there are60 rounds in a game turn(about twenty times mapping speed). It is not possible to main-tain this pace very long, which is why the game turn endsimmediately after combat is finished (most combats go fiverounds or less).

In short, the OM should freely switch time scales as thesituation requires - the most important goal is to maintain theflow of play.Larger time frames. Time within the campaign should remainfairly f lexible- its main purpose being to coordinate activitiesof different groups of characters in the same world. Again, theOMshould selectively speed up and slow down time asneededto concentrate on active adventures. For example, if the dun-geon is a two-day walk through known and fairly safe territory,the OM can pass over the journey to the dungeon with a fewwords about the land, the weather, and how much time haspassed. Wilderness adventures (covered in the Expert rule-book) take place mainly in unexplored outdoor areas. The OMglosses over much uneventful time in these situations. Playshould concentrate on the t imes when player characters areactive and making choices that affect their futures.There isone important exception to this: when characters areout of the campaign doing magical research or production. It is

important that other adventuring continue during this time.Power increases on the part of other characters is part of theprice the researcher must pay when doing research. The playershould beencouraged to run analternate character in this case.The recommended scale for the overall campaign is oneweek of real time to one week of campaign time (this makeslong range record-keeping easier), but the OMcan alter this asneeded to fit the schedules of his players. If the f irst dungeon isput 2-3 days away from the base town and the players meetabout once a week, it works out rather well.I What is the crayon in the boxed set for?The crayon in the boxed set is to use on the dice. Thenumbers become much more readable if you rub the crayoninto the numbers and wipe off the excess wax. r~1 j

POL YHEDRON 13


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CON s'rnuc ,\1iobYMAHYknzcuorr

Under Construction, a new additionto the list of POLYHEDRONT. Newszineregular features, is a description of aroom, lab, speakeasy, etc. that couldexist in one of the manyTSR role playinggames. DM's may add them to their cam-paigns, or use the ideas to design theirown rooms. Under Construction roomsare written solely by RPGN" NetworkMembers, and should not be consi-dered official TSR module sections.The following room is suitable for usein either D&D or AD&DT games.Player InformationYou stand before agreen marble door.The following verse is magnificentlyscrolled on the door in gold.

neonacesoc's ~IRst m r s t a k e ,his coooess not a Rose to take.

l et . \llwho enten heoeev Bewanneo .elements 3 shall no t B e sconneo:The door opens; four torches light upthe interior, revealing a square roomwhich seems to be made entirely of gilt-trimmed forest green, ruby and cream-colored swirly marble. The marble is inthe form of mosaics of rose vines thatspan all the walls of the room. There is adoor in the center of each of the fourwalls, and a torch to the right of everydoor. Inthe very center of the chamber isa 3' x 3' mosaic of a large white andruby-colored rose. Above, there seemsto be no ceiling - darkness stretchesupward and joins with the howling of thewind. A sourceless, endless, cold draftcirculates throughout the room andwhistles through the doorway.

Referee's SectionThe key to this room is the power ofthree of the four natural elements: earth,fire and water. Spells, physical force,etc., are of no use in counteracting theconditions of the room. Earth (soil), f ire(non-magical) and ordinary water inten-tionally thrown on the mosaic rose in thecenter of the room will free a trappedcharacter, and ultimately, any partymembers who are trapped in the room(for details, see below). Holy watersplashed on the center rose will activatea secret door also detailed later.The room is a 30' x 30' chamber.If the party throws anything into theroom (with the exception of one of thecharacters), a few rose petals will fall14 Issue #9

from the darkness above. The first char-acter to set foot in the room will bemagi-cally sucked into the corner to his/herimmediate left. The marble vines that arepart of the wall pattern will magicallytransform into real vines and hold thecharacter to the wall. All efforts on thepart of the trapped character to free him/-herself will be futile. He/she may speak,but will be unable to move. (DM's discre-tion as to whether the vines preventother characters from removing his/hergear.)If the rest of the party rushes in andattempts to part or harm the vines in anyway, the door entered through wil l slamshut and all doors will lock and remainshut for at most 24 hours. At the sametime, the room wil l be filled with an over-powering scent of rose, and real rosepetals wil l begin to drop enmasse from agrillwork of rosevines now magically vis-ible 20' above. If any party member triesto pull the trapped character out, thatperson will suffer (as with the Wall ofThorns spell) 8 points of damage plus anaddit ional amount of hit points equal tothe character's armor class from therose thorns. The rose thorns will pene-trate all types of protective hand gear.Characters on the outside of the doorwill be unable to gain access, but maycommunicate with those inside. If theparty cuts at the vines, two more vineswill grow back for everyone cut off,further wrapping the victim. Each vinewill take up to 2 point of damage.Petals will pile at the rate of 3" permelee round, covering all areas exceptfor the mosaic rose in the very center ofthe room. After two feet of petals havefallen, movement will be halved. Also,each character (unless they indicate thatthey are standing completely still) willslip and fall once on the rose petals for1d4 points of damage. The petals willcease falling only if the characters stop

cutting or trying to remove the trappedvictim by force. If the party doesn't dis-cover the power of earth, fire or waterand they continue tampering with thevines until the room fil ls with petals up tothe 20' lattice, the party may crowd ontothe uncovered rose (depending on thesize of the party) until the doors open 24hours later. The party may also crushpaths through the petals, but partymembers will sti ll be trapped.If earth, fire or ordinary water aredeliberately placed onto the mosaic rosein the center of the chamber, the victimin the vines will be released and thedoors wil l unlock, freeing the party.However, if holy water is poured ontothe mosaic rose in the center of theroom, the petals of the mosaic rose willpart, revealing a secret trap door, and thereal petals on the floor will fall down it.The secret trap door leads to the nextlevel of the dungeon. Ifany party memberlooks down it, the hazy outline of a figureof stone can be seen. Again, the mosaicrose of the center floor will open only ifthey splash it with holy water. It will notyield to any spells or physical blows.Lore of the ChamberThe chamber was once the belovedrose garden of a very powerful cleric,Nedragesor. Ned bragged high and lowthat even the gods had nothing to com-pare with his rose garden. His patrongoddess overheard this and demandedthat he give her several of his rosebushes for her own gardens. He wouldnot relent to her demands, and she, notto be bested by a mortal, placed a curseupon him and the thing he valued most:his rose garden. She turned them intomarble. The marble statue of Nedragesorstands directly below the mosaic rose inthe center of the chamber, one might say"buried" beneath his beloved garden ..~


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~ 1 3 1 ~r lr I I ~ ( 1 3~lrA\Il2lrl~l() I I ~(I3A\~ ( 1 3(jU ~ lr I~11.2T~(I3A\~'I~

IE""~\A\ I V 1 1 \ A\ICI V I E SIf you are judging your first GANG BUSTERS game campaign, here aresome tips to help you get started.

Be sure you are familiar with the rules for1 movement, shooting and fistfights. Thesewon't be happening all the t ime, but if they do itis very important that you run them properly. Playseveral short scenarios unt il you are comfortablewith handling fights involving several characters,including NPC's. Your players won't mind; they'll behaving fun while you sharpen your skills.2 Have some of your campaign setting popu-lated with NPC's before beginning play.Try to give these NPC's as much realpersonality as possible; this helps players learnabout the neighborhood, and it helps them givemore personality to their own characters. If you arepressed for time (as are many good referees) or needexamples, an excellent source is TSR's module GB1: Trouble Brewing, which provides details on morethan 150 NPC's for Lakefront City.3 Don't be afraid of having several differentthings happening at once. If your playersare very immature, it will probably be best ifthey are all working together. Mature players,however, can easily deal with the fact that you arerunning a reporter doing an interview, a private eyeshadowing a suspect, a beat cop chasing athief, anda criminal gang attempting to stick up a store all atthe same time. The action of the game is interestingenough that they will be glad to wait a few minutesuntil you can get around to their activit ies.

4 Use common acquaintances or common in-terests to tie the characters in your cam-paign together naturally. For example, the prl-vate eye might have a crony at a newspaper. Thiscrony would know the PC reporter who works there,aswell asthe crony of the beatcop who also works atthe newspaper.

A GANGBUSTERS Game Feature

5 Let your players develop their cronies duringthe course of play. The rules state thateach character has a number of cronies equato his or her Presence score. Don't make the playerscreate these cronies all at once; let them be developed as they are needed in play. This will make for amuch better integrated campaign.6 Role play your NPC's to the hilt. You will findthat in time your players will have asmuch fun investigating, questioning, bar-gaining, and dealing with the NPC's as they doshooting and punching.7 If you find your inspiration for new cases forreporters and private eyes running a lit-t le dry, read, read, read! There are countlessmystery stories from the period; Dashiell Hammett'sare a good place to start.

Relax. After a few sessions of play, you wil8 find that your campaign will practically berunning itself, as NPC'srespond naturally tothe actions of the player characters, in turn creatingnew actions. Remember, the game should befun fothe judge as well as the players!

9 Don't be upset when characters get killed.The role playing in the GANGBUSTERSgame is somewhat different from role playingin other games. If you aren't disappointed when aparticularly interesting character gets killed, theplayer will accept it and be ready to roll up another.1 0 Be ready to improvise. Your players will,without doubt, come up with things whichCOUldn't be covered in 64 pages of rules.Use your best judgement and plunge ahead. Afterall, fun is the name of the game!(\~

POLYHEDRON 15


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The Official RPGA NetworkTournament Scoring SystemFor quite awhile now you have heardRPGAHQ talk about ranking its memberswhen they play in off icial tournaments,

but no one has ever explained exactlywhat that means or who is presentlyranked - this is the article that explainsall that.Purpose: The purpose of a TournamentScoring System (hereafter referred to asTSS) is not to lay down a point systemfor determining the winners within atournament, but rather to assign pointvalues to RPGA Network recognizedcontest winners. The process of de-termining the winners of a round is stillleft up to the individual tournamentdirector (the suggested method forscoring players within a tournamentround may be the subject of a futurePOLYHEDRON Newszine article). Thepoints shall be awarded asa recognitionof those individuals who have had theopportunity to play in convention tourna-ments and have f inished among the topplayers. This is not to say that the playerswith the most points are the best roleplaying gamers in the land but that theyare acknowledged by the RPGA Net-work as being some of the best and mostexperienced tournament players weknow.Tournaments: All tournaments must beof a non-variant nature and use a TSRHobbies, Inc. Role Playing Game. Tour-naments recognized must be in con-junction with a convention (even a "mini-con) and not be held just for their ownsake. This con can be a small, one-dayaffair held at a local school, church,library, etc., but it must be open to thepublic to attend (admission fees are upto you). All tournaments must have oneDirector who is responsible for over-seeing the tournament play, scoring, etc.The Director is also responsible forinforming ROLE PLAYING GAMEASSOCIATION'" Headquarters of thetournament at least two months inadvance and also of the results afterward.There are three different types of re-cognized tournaments. They are:A) Official: These tournaments are thosethat are created and coordinated bythe RPGA HQ. This means that RPGAHQ is in attendance at that conven-tion and is completely handling thetou rnament. These are the raresttourneys andwill always beannouncedinadvance (for instance there will def-initely be tournaments at all GENCONGame Fairs). These are also thehighest scoring tourneys (per person).16 Issue #9

B) Sponsored: These are tournamentsthat are created and coordinated bytrusted associates of the RPGA HQ.RPGA HQ attendance is still requiredat the convention, but we give priorattention to the scenarios to be run,give our approval, but do not coordi-nate the event ourselves. The bestexample of this is the AD&DT" GameOpen run by Bob Blake every year atthe GEN CON Game Fair.C) Approved: These tournaments arecreated and coordinated by officialRPGA Network Clubs. Like the othertwo types of tournaments, they can-not be a variant on our game systems.Although RPGA HQ won't be at theconvention there will be a system ofprotest (see PLAYER/DM PROTEST)to cover any questions concerningthe tournament's integrity. No Clubmay offer more than two tournamentsper year. The scores for an ApprovedTournament wil l be noticeably lowerdue to the lack of direct RPGA HQcontrol.

TSS Points: The various tournamentsare scored as follows:Official- All part ici pants receive 50 pts.for playing.Teams:Team #1: All players whose characterssurvive receive an additional 100 pts.Team #2: All players whose characterssurvive receive an additional 75 pts.Team #3: All players whose characterssurvive receive an additional 50 pts.Individuals:Winner: Receives 1000 pts.1st Runner-Up: Receives 750 pts.2nd Runner-Up: Receives 500 pts.3rd Runner-Up: Receives 250 pts.4th Runner-Up: Receives 125 pts.Sponsored - All participants receive 20pts. for playing.Teams:Team #1: All players whose characterssurvive receive an additional 50 pts.Team #2: All players whose characterssurvive receive an additional 35 pts.Team #3: All players whose characterssurvive receive an additional 20 pts.Individuals:Winner: Receives 500 pts.1st Runner-Up: Receives 400 pts.2nd Runner-Up: Receives 300 pts.3rd Runner-Up: Receives 200 pts.4th Runner-Up: Receives 100 pts.Approved - All participants receive 5pts. for playing.

Teams:Team #1: All players whose characterssurvive receive an additional 20 pts.Team #2: All players whose characterssurvive receive an additional 10 pts.Team #3: All players whose characterssurvive receive an additional 5 pts.Individuals:Winner: Receives 100 pts.1st Runner-Up: Receives 75 pts.2nd Runner-Up: Receives 50 pts.3rd Runner-Up: Receives 25 pts.4th Runner-Up: Receives 15 pts.The Player/DM Protest System: ThePlayer/DM Protest System isasafeguardmeasure provided by the RPGA HQ tomaintain the integrity of the tournaments.If a Referee or player in one of thesetournaments has strong doubts con-cerning the validity or honesty of thescenario or those advancing or winningin the tournament, he/she has the optionof presenting their caseto the RPGAHQ.If the problem arises while you are at theconvention you may bring the subject upto the RPGA person in charge. However,if RPGA HQ is not in attendance, thegrievance may be written and sent to:Kim Eastland, RPGA'" HQ, POB 509,Lake Geneva, WI 53147. The grievancemust becomplete in its coverage and theletter must besigned. Persons who sharethe same grievance should all sign thesame letter rather than send in separatelet ters. Items to be included in the com-plaint are:A) Person filing the complaint plus his/hermembership number, address, andphone number.B) Convention Director's Name, address,and phone number.Tournament Director's Name,address, and phone number.Convention name, date, and location.C)Specific subject and nature of thecomplaint.D)Any verification of complaint by either

other players or physical evidence(players sheet, handouts, etc.)Specific areas covered by thePlayer/DM Protest system are:

a) Variants used in the game which alterits playability (such as an Earth Ele-mental throwing Fireballs and othersuch nonsense).b) New monsters or magic items. If theitem is of a minor type and necessaryto the scenario, permission for its usemight be allowed for the tournamentifthemagic item issentto usat leasttwo


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months in advance. Under no othercircumstancecananewmonster, spell,class, or item be introduced into thetou rnament.c) Suspected collusion between a refand playersforthe purpose of winningor preventing others from having anequal chance at winning a tour-nament.d) Suspected cheating by a player or ref.Wewish to express the seriousness ofthis accusation and urge anyone whohas a grievance to discuss it with thetournament or convention director assoon aspossible. Send it to theRPGA,mHQ if you have no local recourse inthe matter. The RPGANetwork Coor-dinator will investigate any such grie-vances. If the tournament is found tobe either too variable in its natu re ortoo subjective in determining thewinners, the Coordinator may declareall or part of the tournament invalidand no tournament scores will begiven. In the case of cheating, "throw-ing " the tourney, etc., the individualor individuals found to be at fault mayhave their membership cancelled.Equally, any members who makeunfounded protests for the expresspurpose of embarassment or someform of "revenge" are also subject tomembership cancelation. In otherwords - be sure that your complaintis a valid one.

Directing a tournament: To qualify withRPGA HQ for directing a tournament,you must:A) Write to us in advance for a question-naire. Include your full name, age,address, phone number, game sys-tem the tournament is for, and atwhatconvention you wish to run the tour-nament. Return the questionnaire assoon as possible. (As a reminder,RPGA HQ does not endorse "roving"or non-regional conventions - onlyfixed convent ions that exist to servethe gamer.)B) Be an RPGA Network Member ingood standing and have the eventsponsored by an RPGANetwork Clubin good standing.C) List any problems or variants in thescenario that you foresee. We may beable to help. Do not send us the sce-nario itself . If you do, it will have to gothrough the normal submission pro-cess which is time consuming andunnecessary here.D) Include an estimate of the size of thetournament (l.e., number of rounds,number of players on a team, howmany total players will be allowed inthe tournament.)E) We will contact you concerning yourrequest after reviewing all the infor-mation given us. We may be able tooffer more assistance in some specialcases (as in certain locations, size,etc.).

Who can play and who will be rated: Thetournament director should determinewhether the tournament should beopento RPGA Network Members only. I'd liketo mention that we firmly believe the bestway to recruit new members for yourclub is to show them the advantages ofbeing an RPGANetwork Member. Allow-ing them to enter your tournament willgo a long way towards this. However, itmust be clearly understood by one andall that only RPGA Network Members ingood standing receive points. Non-members may win, but we will only pub-lish the names of scoring members.Former members not in good standing(those who have not renewed) will notreceive recognition in print from RPGAHQeven if they join again after the eventis finished. The player must be a paid-member at the time of the event toreceive TSS Points.Who can judge a tournament: The availa-bility of judges is one of the "stickypoints" of most tourneys. It is up to theindividual tournament director to recruitand select his judges. We usually usesome form of test/questionnaire to estab-lish the validity of a judge. It is highlydesirous that atou rnament director makessure his/her judges are not refereeingfriends, relatives, etc. Even if all partiesare honest, it is difficult for the otherplayers to see it that way. In 1983, RPGAHQ will be establishing a standard scor-ing system for players and judges.Current Ratings: We run into a bit of adifficulty here because we don't haverecords to tell us what members haveentered every event covered since theRPGA Network began. However, we doknow the individual winners. Therefore,the RPGA Network Coordinator hasdecided that the ratings will begin forteams and all participants in the tour-naments in 1983. Meanwhile, only theindividual winning points will beassigned.We apologize to those of you who mayhave lost a point or two, but this averagesout to be the fairest way to award pointsat this time.Top Ranked RPGA Network MembersDave AxlerMatt RuppMarnie BoschDave KellyKen KingBrad MarkoRandall LemonTodd McintyreJim QuinnJames ThorpeChris Weiser,Noel BergmenMark BlumbersDoug SmestadMike SuttonRoger WerderSteve Berger

15001125100010001000100010001000100010001000750750750750750500

Francis FlemingAndy GavinBob JeffriesSteve LierlyScott MiusterSonny ScottBob StiegelMel VilesDavid WaksmanJeff WeissPatrick DesmondTaurus OslapasMichael EtheridgeSteve GroverAI HattlestadTerril RogersGary ZealJeff TomesJoseph AdlesickBob AtchisonEric ForsmanVal GroverDavid JohnstonRich Pichnarczyk

505050505050505050504030252525252520121212121212

What's Ahead: In '83,RPGA HQwill offemore tournament opportunities thanever before. We will attend GEN CONSouth Game Convention and havecouple of tourneys available there. Ware looking at other large regional conventions, so stay tuned for more information on Con updates as the year progresses. The really excit ing news is thaRPGANetwork tournaments atGENCONXVI GameConvention will be better thaever before (more than our entire lasyear). We're having eight tournaments athe largest gaming convention in thcountry (GEN CON Game Convention)in addition to backing numerous other(the AD&DGame Open among them)Most of these games will be open to thpublic, but we are working on ways tgive all attending RPGA NetworkMembers first crack at them. We'll of feadditional "special awards" to the highest scoring members as well as the normal plaques and awards that winnersreceive in GEN CON Game Fair eventsMore on this as the year progresses.RPGA HQ will be working with BrianBlume on the upcoming InvitationalTournament, and the result will betotally different tournament than evebefore (look for details in future issues oPOLYHEDRONT" Newszine). Other"special" events may also harvest honor- events that, although not technicallytournaments, will still beof the qualitytomerit specially designated points to reflectheir value.Finally, during '83,we will begin crossindexing individual scores with the RPGNetwork Club f iles so we can have ClubTournament Ranking aswell as Individual Tournament Ranking. Members wiknow what official RPGA Clubs acrosthe country are the most experienced itournament play. It's all just part of thexpanding services offered to you byour gaming Network.~,

POL YHEDRON 1


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The following scenario is based on historical fact.by Mike Carr

It is March 20th - the eve of the firstgreat German offensive of 1918. All acrossthe front the German troops are ready-ing for their massive assault against theBritish lines. But before the troops goover the top, the generals need as muchinformation as possible on British troopstrengths and the location of their strong-points, thus the German balloon corpsmust go aloft for the final observationmissions before the offensive.The German balloon at La Bassee is acrucial link in the observation network.Because of its importance, the job ofprotecting this drachen has been givento Jagdstaffel 57, based at the nearbyairfield at Wasquehal. At dawn, the bal-loon is taken out for its first ascension ofthe day just as the first group of Albatrosfighters arrives for their protectivemission.On the other side of the lines, the pres-ence of this drachen has been well-known by the British high command forseveral days. The order has come to thecommander of 40 Squadron of the RoyalFlying Corps: destroy the balloon atLa Bassee. The commander has askedfor several volunteers - a handful of thesquadron's most daring pilots havevolunteered to make the attack in theirSE 5a's. As dawn breaks on the morning18 Issue #9

of March 20th, the group of pilots takesoff eastward from their aerodrome atBruay. Can they succeed in downing th isgiant sausage? And how many of themwill return from this dangerous mission?After a half hour of work, the drachenis aloft and floating at an altitude of 450feet. The protective cover of Albatrosescircles overhead at an altitude of 2000',and the flak and machine gun crews arewaiting at their posts. All German eyesscan the skies for the everpresent th reatof British aircraft. Dawn and dusk are themost likely times for an attack.To the west, the SE pilots approachfrom a low altitude, trying to remain hid-den from sight as long as possible. Theysee their target floating lazily in the sky,and prepare to make their attack. Upabove, they see the protective cover ofGerman fighters. It's a grim task aheadfor the pilots of 40 Squadron, but theyknow the work must be done. The flightleader signals the attack just as the Alba-troses dive to intercept the SE's beforethey can reach the balloon. The flakgunners start training their pieces at theincoming British planes, and in a momentthe battle is joined!To play this scenario, set up the dra-chen near the middle of the board at

A DA WN PA T R O L T M Game Scenario450', with a protective group of four AA,five machine guns and one flaming onion.Set up the Albatroses at 1500' in a Vformation about 10 squares east of theballoon. Place the SE's alongside eachother about 15 squares west of thedrachen at 1800' altitude.This scenario can be played with fourto nine players. Equip the players withthe following aircraft, depending uponthe number playing: #1 & #2 SE 5a, #3 Albatros D Va,#5 SE5a,#6Albatros DIII, #7 SE 5a, #8 Albatros D V and #9 SE5a. Note that if there are an odd numberof pilots, the extra pilot will be British.Look for other DAWN PATROL game

missions in upcoming issues of ThePOL YHEDRON Newszine. See if yourpilots can meet the challenge! I~~GEN CON South Game Convention

March 11 -13,1983The Thunderbird Resort HotelJacksonville, FLOfficial RPGA'M Network TournamentRPGA Network Members' MeetingRPGA Network Merchandise Booth


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spellloGBee

I This month's topic: spell coordination.I have heard that, in many campaigns,adventuring spellcasters select theirspells in secrecy, without consulting,advising, or otherwise checking withanyone. This is not only unrealistic, it 'sstupid.We have a fantasy world, here, wheremagic is part of life, where professionals,Chaot ic and Lawful alike, respect eachother's powers. It's simply intelligent andwise to coordinate one's spells with otherspellcasters in the party for best effectsaswell asimproving thechances forevery-one's survival. True, spell coordination isa Lawful or Neutral action, and die-hardselfish Chaotlcs may refuse. But even

moderate Chaotics will recognize thebenefits.This is where a multi-class charactercan be very valuable. A back-up spell-caster can carry things the "big guy"doesn't, and with a bit of careful consid-eration, the best durations and effectscan be obtained easily.Consider the situation with two cler-ics, one High Priest and one Fighter/Cleric, Level 5/5. On the whole, the BigG.uydoesn't want to waste his spells onthose with set durations; a Bless onlylasts 6 rounds, whoever casts it. LikewiseDetect Magic (1 turn), Find Traps (3turns), and all the cures (instantaneous),plus many others. The Big Guy shouldspecialize in the duration-type spells, toget the most out of them. Note, however,that if one of the clerics gets knocked out(or off), the other one's got to carry theday for a while, and a couple of spellsshould be duplicated for this sort ofemergency situation (especially cures).On the other hand, several durationalspells are not usually needed for theirwhole duration. A common example isSpeak With Animals; a Prefect has it up

for 10 minutes, and there's not a wholelot that a dumb animal can say, unlessyou want to talk philosophy of nut-gathering with a squirrel or something.Some characters and items can dupli-cate the effects of spells, too. A lowly 3rdlevel monk does a better job than a 30thlevel cleric's Speak With Animals spell,as the spell allows conversation withonly one animal, while the monk can gabat will, as long as he likes. (Of course, itbalances out; a 3rd level monk probablywon't survive a 12d6 fireball .. . )A half-elf Druid of any respectablelevel is an incredible linguist , startingwith 9 languages (counting the align-ment tongue) and adding another foreach level above 2nd. They can oftenbypass the need for aSpeak With Mons-ters spell.Note that a Druid's Neutralize Poisonis a third level spell, as compared to acleric's fourth level. And the Druid's Dis-pel Magic is a4" cube, not the usual3 ", Itprobably won't matter, but ...For Dispel Magic, the cleric hasto castfor six segments, but the magic-useronly needs three. Contrariwise, some ofthe best evocations are at 3rd level(Lightning Bolt, andFireball), while thecleric's "thirds" are of limited usage.Generally it's best to carry two DispelMagics in a party if possible; you neverknow what you'll run into. Since itseffects are based on level, your highestlevel caster should be carrying one.In comparing magic-user and clericalspells, there are several which can beexamined for duration, level, and range.Detect Magic, for example, is based onlevel for magic-users, but a flat 1turn forclerics. The mage is understandablyreluctant to spend a valuable first levelspell on it, often preferring an extraMagic Missile or Charm Person spell, butthe cleric's Cure Light Wounds is at the

This column serves as aforum for discussion ofmisunderstood or misusedAD&D game spells.Please send questions orsuggestions to "SpellingBee," Editor,POL YHEDRON Newszine.

by FrankMentzer

samelevel... This choice usually dependon the situation.Dig into the comparisons betweesimilar spells, and watch duration, rangspell level, cast ing time, and any othefactors. You'll probably discover thayou've been missing some opportunitiesMy sincere apologies for the confusion generated by the "Clerical Spellsarticle in #7, specifically mycomment othe Light spell. My hasti ly written notstated that it does not blind a victimWell, it do

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