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 The Black Sword (Turin

F om the edges of the Anfaugli, Turin was snatchedfrom Morgoth's

grasp by the Elf Gwindor, who took him back to Nargothrondon the
Narog. Here he dwelt at the court of Orodreth the King, and was held in
honour by him and his people. Thus it was that the Evilfate which enmeshed
Turin, was to spread out and weave the destruction of Nargothronditself.
Turin became mighty in Nargothrondand was called Adanedhel, the Man- Elf
by the people. He rose in power and esteem and calling himself 'Morrnegil',
The Black Sword, was to lead the war-hosts of Orodreth against the armies
of Morgoth.
It had long been the practice of the Noldor of Nargothrond,to husbandtheir
resourcesfor war with great care and to fight the Enemy by means of stealth
and the setting of ambushes. This was not to The Black Sword's liking who,
ignorant of the Doom that he was fulfilling, bridged the Narog and led out the
War host of the King in noise and splendour.
The host of the Noldor was destroyed on the field of Tumhalad, and the fair
C i of Nargothrondsacked and laid waste by the DragonGlaUNng. Turin
had played his unwittingpart as the agent of Morgoth's curse, and had
brought destruction ever in his wake. But Morgothwas not yet finished with
the son of Hurin. Still he hounded him as he fled North to Brethiland joined
with the Haladin in that place. HereTurin called himself 'Turambar' or
Fatemaster, a title of miserableirony, in view of his final acts; for Glaurung,
although slain by Turin, had bewitched Nienor his sister, and she, ignorant
under the Dragon spell, of who she was, had wedded Turin and conceived
his child.
Glaurung, in a last fulfilmentof Morgoth's curse, had lied the spell upon his
own expiry, whereupon Nienor becameaware of who she truly was and slew
herself. Turin, upon learningthis and unableto bear the weight of Doom
longer, took his own lie with the evil blade Gurthang.

1- M239

I' lirp(il
Orodreth of
Nargothrond. He is armoured in
plate and chainmail. Originally an
insignia used by captains to
distinguish themselves to their
hosts in the field, the wings gradually
became a symbol of Kingship
amongst many of the Elven kindreds,
worn by some upon a silver circlet,
but by most of the Noldor, on an
ornate war- helm.
Findzz
and Gwindor
When Turin came to
Nargothrond, the heart of
[
Finduilas, Orodreth's daughter
was turned from Gwindor, her
previous suitor, to Turin who for
his part, did not return her love.
Finduilas' costume is
embroidered with the waterlily
emblem, albeit much slenderer
than previously and with no
central diamond. The sleeves of

He carries a long sword, jewelled at

the hilt. Orodreth's cloak is decorated
her gown likewise have a 13e lily
flower rnoti as part ofthe paltern.
She wears an ornate circlet of
silver about her head. Gwindor
wears a tunic which comes to a
-I I

with his own insiania. the waterlily which is decorated with the motifs of his own
point at the front in traditional Elven ;tyb,
and the diamond. The traditional emblem of his house was an eight spoked wheel house. His cloak-clasps are decorats I with spoked wheel patterns, showing him to have
surrounded by a golden disc, but when his brother Finrod relinquished the crown in his been of Finrod's household before hi capture at the Nimaeth Amoediad. His sword has
favour, Orodreth instead used his own emblem of the water Lily, rather than adopt that of a handgrip decorated as an unfu ing bud, a popular moti among the Noldor of
his brother who yet lived. Nargothrond.

M238 Turin 'Black

Sword" mounted
Turin was shown great favour by Orodreth of
Nargothrond,and was the only Man ever to lead an
Elven host. He is arrayed in Elvisharrnour, a mixture
of plate and chain-mail. His helmet is also
distinctively Ehren, with characteristic wings at the
sides. He wears a Dwarf-mademask on the front of
the helmet. The foreplate of his armour carries the
insigniaof Orodreth, in the form of a stylised
water-lily inset with a diamond, a motif common
amongst all the Noldor. He carries the great sword
Gurthang, Beleg's weapon of old and now re-forged
by the smith's of Nargothrond,and whence he
derives his name 'Mormegil', the Black Sword.
 M242 Hithlum
Easterling
warrior
This warrior wears his hair long and swept
back, and with long moustaches His
sword, whosescabbard attaches to his bet
by means of a heart-shaped piece of thick
leather, is long and of the cavalry sort His
mail is formed of squares of metal sewn
onto an undertunicof leather. He wears
greaves made of thin iron strips and
has a small, semi-circular shield with a
spiral motif, characteristic of the Moon
worshipping Easterlings. Bright primary
colours are favoured among the
Easterling bibes, principiy reds, yellows
M245 Niniel the
Bride
Niniel was, through Glaurungthe dragon, Morgoths
utimate tool for the destruction of Turin Deprived
by Glaurung of all memory of her previous lie she
fled naked to Brethil and was tended and cared for
by the Haladin of that place. Her costume is simple
and she wears double skirt, a common custom
amongstthe women of the Edain Each is decorated
with embroidered flower patterns around the rim.
Her hair is adornedwlth flowers, acommon practice
for weddings amongst the Haladin in their poverty,
lacking as ihey do, the refinements of jewellry and
rich cloth. b number, and their ways of fighting were by
M243 Brandir
the lame
Brandir was the leader of his people, the
Haladin, in Brethil, during the years
following the Battle of the Un-numbered
tears. Brandir's costume is simple and
coarse made, reflecting the harsh times
that had befallen his folk. His cloak and
tunic will be brown, green or the
parchment colour of unbleached cloth.
He wearsashirtofsoftleatherashisonly
armour and carries a Northman (Edain)
sword, an heirloom of the second house
of the Edain from a time before the
fortunes of his people fell at the Nirnaeth
Arnoediad. Brandirwasfalselythought by
Turin to have caused Niniel's death and L!
was slain by him.
M247 Elven
warrior
(Noldo)
This figure represents one of the
retainers of Orodreth, who fought
under Turin at the battle of Tumhalad.
Heis clad mostlyinfine Elven mail,
but with some plate armour on
his arms and legs. Like Turin
and Orodreth his helmet is
r winged. His gauntlets are
decorated with the
'unfurling-bud' design and his
longsword has a diamond emblem on
the pommel, both characteristic Noldo
symbols. His cloak is decorated with
the waterjily motif of Orodreth, the
leaves of which would be red and the
surrounding semi-circle coloured gold.
M246
Angband Orc
Captain
Like all the Orcs of this age this
figure is garbed in primitive dress
and crudely beweaponed. (see
fig M222 Morgoth Orcs). His
clothing consists largely of pets
and fur-scraps, but with some .I
leather armour on his upper
torso. The features that most
clearly distinguish him from his
underlings are his helmet, whip and
iron-headed axe. The helmet, of a
dull iron colour, and axe have been
forged in the smithies of Angband
and the whip, even at this early
II period was used by the Orc leaders
to instill discipline and obedience on their less intelligent followers. It is unlikely that at this
stage, the Orcs would have been sufficiently skilled in metallurgy to produce their own
weapons.
M244 Turin
Turambar
When Turin came to Brethil after the
I
wreck of Nargothrond, and joined the
people of Brandir, he set aside his fine
Elven mail and the evil sword Gurthang,
and took for his weapon, the spear. The
Haladin of Brethilwere cowed and small in
ambush and trap. The only items of Elvish
origin that remain to Turin are the short
sword at his side which is decoratedwith the
lily emblem of Orodreth, and a part of his
Elven chainmail, which is worn underneath
I
a leather jerkin. His clothes would be green
and brown in colour, suitable to the secret
warfare of the forest.
M241 Brodda the Easterling
The chieftain of an Easterling tribe who
were allied to Morgoth during the Baffle
of the un-numbered tears, Brodda was
rewarded with lands in Dor-Lomin after
the conflict. His rank is denoted by the
II many golden chains of office which hang
about his neck, each depicting
suzerainty over a sub-chief who would
present him with the chain as a sign of
his own feaHy. He wears an embroidered
belt, the ancestor of the long decorated
belts of the Third age Sagath, and
greaves of bronze. The patterning on his
clothes and cloak is angular, another
characteristic of Easterling design.
Easteriings fight predominantly from
horseback and he wears a long cavalry
sword which has no cross-piece below
the grip. His long swept back hair and A
moustachesare also characteristic of the
Easterlings
This text is sup ort material for Middleearth
figurines rnanukctured by Mithril Miniatures
Ltd., Macroom, Co. Cork, Ireland, under
licence from Tolkien Enterprises Inc.
These figures are available from good hobby
and games stores.
Trademarks and mpynghts 1991 Tdken Enterprises lllc MERP 1s mpynght 01 iron Crown
Enterprises Inc 1991
 Editorial
RUNES.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . f .4
Stewart gives a mission statement and talks about direction.

Features
ITEMSFOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
ANYREALM
Spike Y. Jones gives us some magic items modelled in our own image.
THESILICON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
DUNGEON
Jim Trunzo lets us in on what's hot and what's not in computer
games, including a peek at the new Wizardy.
V . . .16
OF THE MINDMAGGOTFROM PLANET
INFILTRATION
A new live action roleplaying scenario by Roger Spendlove
of the Dream Park Corporation.
NATIVESOF THE BIG EASY . . . . . . . 25
C.R. Shaver &Jason Rush bring us seven new Archetypes in the
second of their five-part Shadowrun series detailing New Orleans.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
THEDARKTOWER
A Crossover Story for Vampire:The Masquerade and
Werewo1f:The Apocalypse by Chris Hind.
FEATURE DREAMPARK. . . . . . . 50
REVIEW:
Stewart Wieck gives us the highs and lows of R. Talsorian's new
Dream Park Game.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
ARTISTSPOTLIGHT
David Martin, our cover artist, shows us an overview of his work
JOURNEYS . . . 56
REVIEW:DANGEROUS
FEATURE
Rob Hatch lets us in the newest release from E. Gary Gygax
and Game Designers Workshop.
LICENSEDTO THRILL . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
A look at the plusses and pitfalls of licensed game products.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
REVIEWS
CAPSULE
Staff reviewers take a look at hordes of new products.

Credits
JulylAugust 1992
Publisher: White Wolf
Editor-in-Chief: Stewart Wieck
Layout and Design: Chris McDonough
Assistant Editors: Ken Cliffe and Robert Hatch
Art Director: Richard Thomas
Production: Sam Chupp
Advertising Director: Wes Harris
Cover Artist: Dave Martin
Poster Artist: Tony Harris
Cartographer: Chris McDonough
Staff Writer: Jim Trunzo
Line Reviewers: Gene Alloway, Donnie Collette,
Steve Crow, Christopher Earley, Keith Eisenbies, Jim
Foster, Matthew Gabbert, Phillip Hess
Hind, Sean Holland, Daniel Huber,
Allen Mixson, Charles Peirce, Herb Petro, Thomas
Riccardi, David L. Pulver, Anthony Ragan, S. J o h n
Ross and J o h n Setzer.
Art Credits: Josh Timbrook, Tony Santo and
Richard Thomas
Editor-in-Spirit: Stephan Wie
Deutsch Sprecher: Mark Rein
Printed in the United States of America.
Special thanks this issue to:
R. Talsorian Games for providing a prepublication
copy of Dream Park for the Feature Review.

2 JULY/AUGUST 1992
Garou and Kindred mix it up in The Dark Tower by Chris Hind P. 34
WHITE WOLF Magazine (ISSN 0897-9391) is published bi-
monthly by White Wolf. The mailing address for all items is: White
Wolf, 4598-B Stonegate Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, GA
30083. The phone number is (404) 292-1819. WHITE WOLF is
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WHITE WOLF Magazine and White Wolf are both copyright White
Wolf. All material printed in these pages is the exclusive property
of White Wolf unless prior arrangements have been made with the
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Third Class postage is paid at Stone Mountain, GA. Postmaster:
Please send address changes to White Wolf, 4598-B Stonegate
Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, GA 30083.
The mention of or reference to any companies or products in
these pages is not a challenge to the trademarks or copyrights
concerned.
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 3
 I feel that there is definitely a place for an independent
game magazine in this hobby. It’s simply a matter of the function
best served by such a magazine. WHITE WOLF Magazine has
experimented with several different approaches and formats, but I
think it’s time to work on a long-term perspective.
Although it’s too soon to say for certain, it looks like
WHITE WOLF Magazine is finally receiving the attention we’d
always hoped it would, and it may truly fill the void that has
existed since the passing of magazines like Different Worlds. The
feedback on WW31 has been tremendous so far. The favorite
article seems to have been “United States v. The Lizard Thing,”
but many others
commented on the Feature
Review with the Other
Opinions, the Live-Action
scenario, and the beautiful
Shadowrun article.
With the beginning of
the new format and the
new era of WHITE
WOLF Magazine behind
us, it’s time to prepare for by Stewart Wieck
the future. Toward that
end, I would like to prepare a Mission Statement for the
magazine. A Mission Statement is a simple but powerful device
used by individuals, groups, and companies to provide a focus for
the future. These statements indicate why an individual or group
does what it’s doing. It’s not an inane statement of expectation or
desire, like “In three years WHITE WOLF Magazine will be the
most,widely read roleplaying game magazine.” Such sales or
monetary goals are outside the tenets of a Mission Statement,
though one can hope that by achieving or upholding the Mission
Statement such rewards will also be earned.
I hope to create a statement that will serve the life of the
magazine, perhaps even beyond my issue-to-issue involvement
with it (which will probably only end when the magazine goes to
a monthly publication schedule). The future will undoubtedly
force changes in the magazine, but hopefully a Mission Statement
created now will serve to impose my personal vision on the
magazine for its entire existence.
O n the way to the future, I should begin with the past.
WHITE WOLF Magazine was originally conceived as a forum
for the writing of both myself and Steve Wieck. It quickly
became more (and consequently less) than that as we began to
view the magazine as an actual periodical. Searching only for
artists soon became a search for writers as well. With more writers
came less writing by the Wieck brothers, and I have at times
mourned the burden the magazine has become. Today the
magazine is a duty, as the majority of my writing in the magazine
is in the form of reviews, but with the new format and expanding
audience I think there is a chance to create a new vision.
The changes in the format of the magazine have always been
incremental. The first big change came with WW8, and this was
also when Steve and I decided on a basic format of one fantasy
adventure per issue supported by whatever assortment of articles
for other games that we could put together. Out of this gradually
4 JULY/AUGUST, 1992
came a dedication to cover the smaller game companies, probably
because we were one ourselves and I saw a chance to help others
get some attention.
The next format involved dedicating each issue to a certain
theme, like the Horror Issue or Fantasy Issue. We followed this
format from WW18 through WW30, but I feel that it has been
worn out. The format made the magazine too predictable and, I
think, scared off potential readers because they didn’t enjoy
whatever genre was being targeted.
There are a few unifying elements of the new format. Now,
we feature one popular game with regular articles for an entire
year (like the Shadowrun pieces
this year, though the idea grew
out of the Torg adventures
printed last year) and supplement
it with articles that have a more
universal appeal, like last issue’s
“United States v. The Lizard
Thing”; while this article
certainly would most interest
those who play superhero games,
it is also fun reading for other
garners or those who just enjoy
comic books. “Licensed to Thrill” in this issue is another
example. Other elements include at least one Feature Review
that is supported by Other Opinions, an article or adventure for a
game published by a small game company, a dedication to
printing our columns like “People of the Land” and “Items for
Any Realm” on a more regular basis, and a Live-Action scenario.
So what does all this history and format change mean for a
Mission Statement?Any Mission Statement for this magazine
will have to include a number of elements, including: 1) a
dedication to supporting lesser-known games that are worthy of
attention, 2) bringing an awareness of other forms of roleplaying
like Live-Action games, and 3) providing information about new
developments from all game companies. There are some angles
that the magazine probably won’t pursue. For example, there has
been an on-again off-again desire to make WHITE WOLF
Magazine more “newsy” by including details about events within
the industry, but I think the focus is more appropriately directed
at the games and the creators than the political duels between
companies except where the latter interferes with the former.
There are many more desires and possibilities to consider
beyond this bare list, but I suppose that’s partially how a Mission
Statement succeeds. A Mission Statement provides criteria by
which to judge any proposals concerning the magazine. The
Mission Statement that follows will be reprinted in every issue of
the magazine, and while we may not live up to it in every regard
right now, it is something to work toward. I hope you’ll let us
know how we’re doing.
WHITE WOLF Magazine’s Mission Statement: “WHITE
WOLF Magazine is dedicated to the purpose of making garners
aware of new advances in roleplaying games and game tech-
niques. While pursuing this goal, roleplaying will be always be
considered as art, as well as simply entertainment.”
 I
MECHFORCE NORTH A M E R I C A o
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6 JULY/AUGUST,1992
 candle continues to burn (a maxi- icon; poking it
mum of one turn per inch of the with a pin or
candle’s height). This magic candle dipping it into
can be extinguished and relit like a boiling water
normal candle, but the wax will have no
melted from it cannot be effect on the
- reformed into candle-form to individual the
extend the maximum icon is linked to. Finally, harming the individual
“lifespan” of its smoke- magically is not as easy as simply destroying the icon

\ spirit.
While it’s possible
that almost any creature
with a fireball or disintegration spell; if the spell cast at
the icon destroys the icon, its ability to transfer magical
effects to a distant person is destroyed as well. Even a
relatively weak damaging spell such as shocking grasp or
could be represented by a
candle of smoke-spmts, it is heat metal is likely to affect the icon enough to render it
unlikely that any wizard an inert piece of wood, metal or bone.
would expend the Instead, it gives a mage greater range and control
effort to carve and dip for his spells; spells with a range of “touch” like protec-
an eight-foot long red tion from evil can be cast at a distant person through the
dragon candle; man- near-to-hand icon, while “area” effect spells such as
sized creatures are the haste or slow will only affect the subject of the icon.
usual limit, with the The casting of clazraudzence and clairvoyance spells on
occasional “L”-sized the icon allows a stay-at home mage to follow the
monster being the progress of a friend, enemy, henchman or hireling as if
exception.
Icon of Identity
(Wizard)
This magic item takes the form of a
small, man-shaped statuette crafted from
any common sculpting material. While
highly decorated examples are often
found, the decorations serve no intrinsic
purpose; the magic of the icon of identity
can as easily be imparted to a plain,
almost crude statuette as to a beautiful
work of art. In order to function, the icon
must be magically linked to a person by
attaching a personal effect of that
individual (such as a nail-clipping or
strand of hair) to it. Once that is pre-
formed, certain spells cast o n the icon
will affect the person it is now linked to.
While this effect is similar to that
attributed to voodoo dolls, there are some
important differences between the two.
The first is the fact that the icon is
completely reusable, and the subject of
the icon’s effects can be changed in a
moment’s time by merely removing the
personal effect tying the icon to one
individual and replacing it with one
attuned to another. Second, only magical
effects can be transferred through the

WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 7

 h e were using a After Paca’s death his collection of puppets was split
crystal ball, and up, and as few more have been created over the years,
he could aid or the chance of finding more than a single puppet in any
hinder the one person’s possession is slim.
individual spied The thieving abilities of pilfering puppets vary; each
upon at will. has 70 points to spend on any of the following thieving
skills: Pick Pockets, Open Locks, Find/Remove Traps,
Move Silently, Hide In Shadows and Climb Walls, and
Paca’s Pilfering Puppets the nonweapon proficiency Appraising (each 5% spent
This item takes the form of a carved wooden on this proficiency gives the puppet a 1 in 20 chance of
m ~ i O n e t t e(almost always in hUmanold shape) from performing this skill). As 70 points is not a lot to spread
one to two feet in height. While it can be used as a out over seven skills, most puppets have only a few
normal Puppet in a show, when the Proper Command skills at a relatively high chance of success (such as
word IS spoken it becomes animated and, trailing having 35% each in Climb Walls and Open Lo&,
its now useless strings behind it, will per- producing a puppet proficient at “second story work”).
form thefts at the direction of its owner. The original collection of pilfering puppets had the full
The puppet can only stay animated for range of abilities distributed between them in a number
a period of half an hour per day, after
which time it becomes once again
an unmoving construct of wood, s no innate intelli-
paint and strings.
The creator of the original
band of pilfering puppets is
unknown, but it is known master has described

criminal puppeteer facsimiles and well-

named Paca the
Showman who prepared in advance
commissioned a by the puppeteer and

mated puppet are all

Appraise items o n its own can be given

ore general commands such as: “enter
hat store and take the three most
valuable items you find”. They see by
way of a special magical sight that
works as well in darkness as in light
but have n o sense of
travel from town

each town when capture or destroy if one

knows about their presence.

AC 7 and can take 10 hit points of

They take normal damage from

discovered rose. weapons and spells, except that

8 JULY/AUGUST,1992
they are immune to chrm, illusions and other spells the troops
affecting the mind of the victim, or any spell only would take up
affecting living creatures, such as stinking cloud. Pilfering battle forma-
puppets resist dispel magic spells as 12th level, but if they tions (eerily
fail their saving throw they return to their inert form mimicked by
and cannot be reanimated for two days. the miniatures
XP Value: 500 on their table),
and then they
Otto‘s Obedient Armv #
could either be commanded conventionally or by orders
(Wizard) made to a mage manipulating the statuettes.
In order to guard against the possibility of the
While the commanders in most small-scale battles
troops on the field being disrupted by an accidental
take the field along with their men, in large-scale
disruption of the table holding their linked miniatures,
engagements it isn’t for a general the miniatures were so constructed that the only
to stand outside of the
movements they would pass on to their linked
battle and command from
soldiers were those imparted by the force of a
a position where he can
telekinesis spell. Inhibitions on the movement of
see more clearly the
the miniatures are magically built into them so
overall situation, as
that the telekinesing mage cannot force the
opposed to having his
figures to move across the tabletop at a
vision restricted to the enemy
speed faster than the linked soldiers can
within sword’s reach. But one of the
-Cmoveon the real field. Thus, while the
greatest difficulties of this command
Z mage could pick up a linked minia-
style is that it can take time and effort
ture with his hand and hold it over
for the commander’s orders to be
the table without imparting the
relayed to his troops, and often
power of flight to the soldier repre-
the situation on the field will
sented, he would not be able to
change too fast for his d
Itelekinetically lift it unless the soldier
couriers to cope with. had the power of flight
In order to overcome
y. (An example of this
this difficulty, Otto, one o
magic item in use is shown on
the famous wizards of
page 113 of The Complete
Greyhawk, was commissioned by a warring
Fighter’s Handbook, with one
king to produce an army of miniature soldiers
of the two depicted com-
whose movements on a tabletop would
manders presumably a
duplicate those of the ruler’s real troops on fighter/mage of some sort.)
the battlefield, and which could themselves Although Otto only
be manipulated in order to change the produced one Obedient Army
position of the real troops on the field. In
(a collection totalling some 500
short order the wizard produced his Obedient
miniatures; his commissioner
Army, a collection of inch-tall sculpted Id hardly afford to pay for
soldiers that could be magically linked to
a larger army (at about
the king’s troops a short time before a
100 gp per statuette), and
battle and then released from their
used his magically-controlled
linkage after the fighting was done.
soldiers as shock troops, in difficult terrain or condi-
Each “toy soldier” was sculpted from precious tions, or interspersed with his normal troops in large
metals and stones to represent an average soldier in the
battles), his methods have since been duplicated by
army, with a number (some 5%) On horseback* other mages, so that a collection of 50 or more figures
Each miniature had to be linked to its real-life counter-
in a wide array of can be by any
Pa‘‘ individuallY, a Process Performed having the serious commander with a minimal effort (but possibly
soldiers (and horses, in the case of cavalry) march in
with considerable expense), or a new set offigures
single file through an arch Otto had constructed which
could be commissionedfrom a mage by a wealthyState
link them to an figure. Aftenvards, or ruler. Methods of linking soldiers to figures besides

WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 9

 mission or at the end of the spell's duration. The
shadow assassin takes the form of a shadowy outline of
the executed murderer (which isn't detailed enough to
developed since show a recognizable face) that contains only one bit of
Otto's time, and solidity - the carved bone hovering eerily within the
will normally outline in the same position it occupied in the
either be included in the price of fabrication of a new murderer's body.
Amy or can be easily discovered through research. This solid bone is the only vulnerable portion of a
X P Value: 400 per figure shadow assassin's body as all weapons pass through the
other parts of its body as just so much air. In addition,
Shadow AssasSin its mostly insubstantial form means that it can squeeze
itself through openings only large enough to admit the
(Alteration, Necromancy) bone, so that the tiniest of bones (those small enough
Wizard, 5th level to fit under a closed door) can follow a victim almost
anywhere.
Range: Touch
As there are over 200 bones in the human body, it
Components: V, S, M
would appear that components are common; however,
Duration: 1 turn/level or until completion of missiorl
there are three mitigating factors. T h e first is the fact
Casting Time: 1 turn
that most jurisdictions have laws against grave-robbing
Area of Effect: Bone touched
and some will actively work to prevent the trade in
Saving Throw: None
murderer's bones by cremating or breaking the bones of
The casting of this spell creates a one-time phan-
these criminals. The second is the fact that each bone
tom assassin which immediately sets out to kill a person
must be individually and expertly carved into shape
designated in advance by the casting wizard, relent-
before it can be used in the casting of the spell, a
lessly seeking out its victim at its maximum move of 9.
The material component for the spell is a single bone process taking anywhere from two to 24 days, assuming
that the caster has the Artistic Ability: Sculpting
taken from the body of an executed murderer of the
nonweapon proficiency and succeeds at a proficiency
same species as the assassin's intended victim and
check. A failed proficiency check means that the
carved into a likeness of that victim; the bone turns
sculptor has destroyed the bone he was working o n and
into dust after the shadow assassin completes its
will have to start again with another bone.
The final limit on the use of this spell is that the
dmntuahcim Qamcs Company abilities of the resulting shadow assassin are determined
Proudly Prsrmh: by the size of the bone used in its creation. Large bones,
such as the long bones of the arms and legs, make the
strongest shadow assassins, while small bones, such as
those making up the fingers or even those in the inner
ear, are much weaker; however, these assassins have
higher armor classes, as it is harder to hit these bones in
midair than it is to hit large bones. T h e armor class of a
shadow assassin is the same as its Hit Dice, with the
total range of hit dice and armor classes for bones in a
body going from 1 Hit Die and AC 1 to 10 Hit Dice
and AC 10.
A shadow assassin fights by attempting to strangle
its victim, doing one point of damage per hit die o n a
successful hit (minimum of one point). Because of its
highly specific purpose, a shadow assassin can do no
harm to anyone other than its intended victim (al-
though anyone can attack a shadow assassin at will),
nor will it attempt to attack others, even those that
11
interfere with its mission. 'tmd
6

10 JULY/AUGUST, 1992
 A First in Fantasy
-. .
I his +piece
RoleBPlaying
sourcepack from

the editors of Role

Aids'" includes:

the most

powerful spells in

fantasy role-

playing, never-

before-seen

creatures, new

magic items, new

character classes Mayfair

Games
and more!
I
I

FR
 A
rn . I

I
/

ray JimTrunzo
The software industry, like television, runs in cycles, and what gamers have experi-

I
enced during the past few months is akin to summer reruns. After the glut of programs
debuting in December and January, a software lull set in, aided and abetted by big-name
titles that simply failed to come anywhere close to anticipated release dates. Now a tidal
wave of products has flooded the market and consumers have a plethora of riches from
which to choose.
I
uinm UNDERWORD exploring every nook and cranny of your surroundings.
THE SNGlAN ABYSS The time normally spent managing the inventory of six
Origin, p.0. gox 161750, Austin, TX 78716; characters, tracking six sets of skills, and SO on shifts to
IBM & Compatibles, 3 8 6 s or
~ 386/486 machines; checking what your Single character IS doing at the
Requires 2 meg of RAM and Expanded Memory moment.
Manager; 256 color VGA; Suggested Retail: This switch in emphasis is also aided by the graphic
$69.95 scheme employed by The Stygian Abyss. The graphic

“through the eyes” fantasy game

1 will wipe away any preconceived
notions of what computer fantasy
gaming is all about. It’s that
innovative.
Unlike other excellent first-
person perspective games, The

~
Stygian Abyss assigns you a
single persona instead of placing
you in charge of an entire party.
With only one character to worry
I‘
about, emphasis switches strongly
from party maintenance to
I
i
look takes some getting used to because although the
graphics are rendered in 256-color VGA mode, the
style is different from the highly polished art of Eye of
the Beholder and the upcoming Wizardry game or
even from the slick animated cartoon look of Sierra
On-line games.
A t first glance, the graphics
may seem a bit crude. This is due
for the most part to the fact that
the main View Window in Ultima
Underworld takes in only what
could logically be seen at one time
by the human eye in a dimly lit
area. This limited immediate view
allows the window to portray even
small objects in perspective
relative to your proximity to them.
For example, a piece of cheese may
be an indiscernible shape from a
distance, but as you move close
enough to it to pick it up, the
graphic image of the cheese will be L
bigger than an entire character in
most games.
This enlarging/shrinking perspective is done so
smoothly that you really feel like you’re moving,
turning, walking running, even swimming. Again, the
constantly shifting size of every object in your viewing
window (walls, floors, monsters, missiles, swung
weapons, magic spells, allies and so on) necessitate a
different graphic style that takes time to appreciate but
eventually thrills the viewer.
Incidentally, all you ever see of yourself in the
View Window is your hand and whatever is in it at the
time. If you have a sword in it, for example, you will
view the tapered blade increase in size as you bring it
near you in preparation for a strike and decrease as it
speeds toward its target.
Although the graphics play a large role in the
overall effect of this drama, the “game” part should be
given equal billing. The interface is completely mouse-
driven (keyboard equivalents are available but not
recommended) and not a single word needs to be typed.
Command Icons, dialogue selection boxes and indi-
vidual weapon, food, clothing, and spell icons relegate
all other tasks to the click of a mouse.
The plot of T h e Stygian Abyss appears to be
straightforward; however, this time it appears that you
have been brought back as an Avatar by a malevolent
force and framed for the kidnaping of the beautiful
young Baroness Arial. Your only chance to prove your
innocence is to brave the dangers of Ultima’s Under-
-1
world - the Stygian Abyss - survive its perils, rescue
Arial and return.
T h e Stygian Abyss requires diplomacy, bartering,
intellect to piece together puzzles, and of course,
fighting. Combat, like all actions in the game, takes
some getting used to. A “Power Gem” measures the
strength being put into each of the three types of strikes
that can be delivered. If the target cursor is high in the
View Window, an overhand blow will result; if it is in
the middle of the window, a sideways slash will occur;
and if it is low in the window, a lunging thrust will take
place. You can opt for a quick but weak attack or a
slower more powerful one. Knowing your opponent will
often be the determining factor here.
All actions in the game need to be “learned.” For
example, it took me a while to learn to jump. Yes,
jump. Jump over boulders, jump onto ledges, jump over
chasms, jump down shafts, jump up to reach levers.
And swim. And run. Origin prides itself on the fact
that Ultima Underworld is a true vicarious experience,
as close to virtual reality as you can get with a home
computer and a ten-inch screen.
The game isn’t cheap but you’ll be at this one for
hours and hours and hours. The Stygian Abyss consists
of 25 actual miles of dungeon passages, chasms and
rivers and you need to explore almost every inch of it.
The game also contains (heavy sigh of relief) auto-
mapping and a really neat feature that allows you to
take a quill and write your own comments on the map
itself.
Ultima Underworld is simply the kind of product
that you need to experience to fully understand where
Origin has taken fantasy gaming.
Complexity (moderatehigh); Graphics (4);
Roleplaying (5); Strategy (4); Playability (5); Sum (5)

TWILIGHT 2000
Paragon Software, Berkshire Center, Suite
402,Greensburg, PA 15601 ; IBM & Amiga (IBM
Reviewed); Retail $59.95
Twilight 2000 is a product that has been long
overdue: overdue in the Sense that the game’s release
came approximately eight months after it was expected,
and overdue in the sense that Twilight 2000 has
established itself as one of the premier posteWW 111
roleplaying games on the market. Numerous reasons
were given for the delay of the computer version of
Twilight, the most frequent being that Paragon wanted
to make sure that it was ready for the market when it
made its debut.
Unfortunately, the initial copies of the game were,
ironically, full of bugs, making the game virtually
unplayable. The people at Paragon quickly fixed the
problems, however, and the game now runs as it was
intended (and if you happened to have purchased a bad
copy, Paragon will courteously make things right free of
charge).
What’s the game like once it’s up and
running? It is safe to say that fans of the
pencil and paper version won’t be the
least bit disappointed, nor will those who
want to climb into real armor (as in tanks)
and play with real missiles (as in grenade
launchers). Twilight 2000 is as accurate a
military simulation as its progenitor.
For those of you unfamiliar with the
theme of Twilight 2000, the game is
based upon survival in a hostile, post-
nuclear world where formal governments
no longer exist and various military and/cr
mercenary groups struggle to achieve som
I-
sort of mastery in a chaotic environment. T h e comput-
erized version of Twilight 2000 places the gamer in
Poland in the year 2000 A.D., as the leader of a twenty-
man platoon whose goal is to free Poland from the grip
of a dictatorial madman, Baron Czarny.
The game begins, like all roleplaying games, in the
character creation mode, allowing You to either Play
* withaPreedes1gnedPlatoQn Or create your Own groUPl
kby man. For the inexperienced, the strong recom-
mendation is to go with the existing
group; if you are an ardent Twilight 2000
player and familiar with the nuances of
the system, you might wish to create your
own team.
Once you’ve decided upon the
composition of your platoon, you’re ready
to embark upon the first of over 50
missions. Each mission allows you to
designate which four members of your
platoon will comprise the squad for that
mission. Other members may be called up
via hand-held radio if needed during a
mission; however, if a new member is
recruited, an original member of the squad
must be dismissed to maintain the maxi-
mum squad size of four.
Graphics vary in both type and quality, though all
of them are very good. Full-screen shots, 2-D
overheads, 3-D through-the-scope views, and close-ups
are used to maximum advantage throughout the game.
Game play is a two-sided coin. Heads: the action is
fast, furious, realistic and guaranteed to give garners
sweaty palms. Tails: different aspects of the game can
be quite cumbersome. For example, traveling long
distances can be handled with ease; yet moving around
within cities can be awkward due to the small area
depicted because the detail is so great and the images
are so large. Other parts of the game run into the same
d
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inconsistencies. Please note, however, that even the MAGIC CANIJLE II:
down sides of Twilight 2000 don’t seriously impair this
THE FOUR AND FORN
(,vera11 strong product.
Mindcraft Software, Inc., 2291 205th St., Suite
To call Twilight 2000 a roleplaying game is a bit
201, Torrance, CA 90501; IBM & Compatibles;
of a stretch in either of its versions. Yes, you do have
Amiga (available soon); Retail: $49.95
nice individualism in each of the recruits and they do
When T h e Magic Candle came out several years
advance from stage to stage throughout the game, and
ago, it broke new ground (not an easy task in computer
yes, you do encounter NPCs who are helpful and with
fantasy games) and went on to garner numerous awards.
whom you establish a surface-level relationship.
Now, Mindcraft has refined the hallmark of their game
However, the nuts and bolts of Twilight 2000 is
line, and Magic Candle 11: T h e Four and Forty
combat and the essence of the game is using the men at
returns us to the fascinating and dangerous land of
your command, utilizing your tanks and weaponry to
Gurtex on an even more ambitious adventure than
their best advantage and implementing solid strategy
before.
and tactics. Wargamers will he pleased to learn that a
The Guardians of the land have been iinprisoned
battle can often last an hour or longer due to the
in 44 black candles as the forces of evil try once again
attention Paragon has paid to details and realistic
to overcome King Rehnard of Deruvia. A band of
action.
heroes must discover the multi-layered plot, find the
Twilight 2000 will challenge both novice and
guardians and set the ~ r l right.
d Dungeons, cata-
experienced gainers. Those tired of standard science
combs, mines, dark towers, dozens of t ~ w n and
s villages
fiction and/or high fantasy should investigate Paragon’s
- the entire continent of Gurtex is yours to explore
latest offering because it has a uniqueness not found in
during the course of your quest.
many games. Don’t he surprised to see a sequel in the
If the abo\re sounds somewhat mundane, be assured
near future; like its pencil ani1 paper predecessor, their
that the game play isn’t. Magic Candle I1 (MCII) is,
are many avenues open for computer Twilight 2000.
like its prequel, innovative, departing in a number of
Complexity (moderate); Graphics (4);Roleplaying
ways from other games of its ilk. For example, charac-
( 2 ) ; Strategy (5); Playability (3); Sum ( 3 )
ters, including the hero/heroine who you choose to lead
your party of six, are pre-set. There is n o character
generation segment to the game. Thirty-plus potential
party members await your invitation to join you on
your quest, all with different qualities and skills that
can be enhanced through training and experience.
In MCII you can assign your adventurers different
tasks, and even separate them from the main group. A
mage might be told to stay at a Mage Guild to learn
new spells, another character might be told to take a
job and earn money for the group, and the rest of the
party may continue o n in the adventure.
This volatile party system allows for tremendous
variation in party composition, and begs the gamer to
use character management wisely to be sure he has the
best people for the specific tasks that need to be
accomplished. Some garners, though, might see a down
side because you do need to keep track of who’s doing
what and where, but the program contains features to
aid you in this endeavor.
1 In MCII you can assign your ad-
venturers different tasks, and even
separate them from the main group.
A mage might be told to stay at a
Mage Guild to learn new spells,
another character might be told to
take a job and earn money for the
group, and the rest of the party may
continue on in the adventure.
Another feature unique to MCII is the Notepad.
This feature, when activated, will retain every bit of
conversation, text and action as they occur. T h e
Notepad can be saved to disk, viewed via a text editor
or word processor or printed immediately. The gamer
never has to worry about wading through mounds of
scrap paper containing key information.
Mindcraft continues to pay attention to even the
smallest detail in order to closely approximate live
roleplaying. The clothing and supplies used by the
characters must “match” the weather conditions or
there are consequences. On the same order, friendly
non+playercharacters may not respond if approached
by characters with weapons drawn, which makes sense,
but which also necessitates close watch by the gamer as
to each character’s present state.
Details like the above make the game extremely
“accurate” and believable and provide a real sense of
reality in a fantasy setting. However, there are so many
details to which one must attend that some garners may
feel put upon, wanting the computer to handle the
16 JULY/AUGUST, 1992
intricate nuances of the game rather than be encum-
bered with these things themselves. It really comes
down to a matter of taste.
It becomes obvious early in the game that
Mindcraft has opted for a deep, involved plot set in as
real a world as possible in lieu of graphics, animation
and special effects. That’s not to say that these features
are lacking: the graphics are nicely done in VGA mode
and depicted in a 2-D top-down view, and animation is
present as is sound board support. Nothing about any of
these elements are going to make you gather people
around your computer to look at the pretty pictures!
However, you might well discuss the intricacies of plot,
note that nothing is generic about the game (each
village is laid out differently on the screen, for ex-
ample) or mention the artificial intelligence that makes
the game so real.
Overall, Magic Candle I1 is a product that will run
the gamut with game players. Most people will rank
MCII among the best fantasy games they’ve ever
played due to its realism, others will be nonplused, and
a few may even find it not to their taste due to the
attention that must be paid to minute details. If you are
looking for a game that has a somewhat unique ap-
proach to fantasy role-playing and don’t mind less than
state-of-the art visuals, Magic Candle I1 is just the
game for you.
(Like Twilight 2000, Magic Candle I1 contains
%ugs”; some are simply quirks that don’t affect game
play; others are serious. Only early copies of the game
are plagued by these gremlins and Mindcraft has a free
disk available that corrects the errors. The disk also has
utility files that enhance the game and provide full
mouse control. Contact Mindcraft for details.)
Complexity (moderate); Graphics (2); Roleplaying
(5); Strategy (3);Playability (4); Sum (3)
Silicon Dungeon Exclusive
A Sneak Peek at Sir-Tech’s
Cru
(This “sneak peek” is based on an incomplete version
of the product being reviewed. Its intent is to alert garners
to a special product about to be released and should not be
considered the final word on the product.)
After the resounding success of Sir-Tech‘s Bane of the
Cosmic Forge, a “through the eyes” rendition of Sir-Tech‘s
acclaimed Wizardry series, garners have waited with
anticipation for the much-publicized sequel. And waited.
And waited. They have been teased by advertisements,
small blurbs in magazines, and 256 color VGA screen shots.
Well, the wait is almost over, and one look at an alpha
copy makes it clear that to say that it will have been worth
I
I
the wait is a gross understatement.
Crusaders is determined to be “all that it can be” and
to outshine the considerable competition that has recently
redefined the fantasy adventure genre and set much higher
standards in all areas. To that end, Sir-Tech has continued
to delay release of Crusaders until it is as bug-free and full,
featured as possible. Considering the scope of Crusaders,
that is a tremendous undertaking.
Crusaders of the Dark Savant is a delightful mixture
of new and old. The game retains the strengths of Bane of
the Cosmic Forge while adding considerable depth. If Bane
The non-player characters interact
more frequently, more logically, and
more functionally with the gamer’s
group. The artificial intelligence
appears to be state-of-the-art and
tracks all interactions between your
party and each group type with
which you come into contact.
was a complete overhaul of the old Wizardry series,
Crusaders refines and augments its predecessor. The first
change is strikingly obvious: a full 256 color palette and
VGA graphics replace the dithered EGA presentation of
Bane. The new look equals and in some ways surpasses
most of the games on the market and exceeds all others in
variety.
The game offers multiple beginnings, including one for
those gamers who did not play or did not complete Bane.
Regardless of which opening sequence plays, the actual
game will place your party of six (created from a
combination of 11 races and 14 character classes) in a
wilderness outside of New City on the planet of Guardia.
Here your party will encounter other races so unique that
they must be seen to be believed. However, all of you have
one thing in common: finding the legendary Astral
Dominae, a device with the power to create a universe -
or to destroy one.
This short synopsis of the key plot element brings
several other improvements of Crusaders to the fore. The
non-player characters interact more frequently, more
logically, and more functionally with the gamer’s group.
The artificial intelligence appears to be state-of-the-artand
tracks all interactions between your party and each group
type with which you come into contact. For example, the
Umpani don’t seem to care for the T’Rang; if you become
friendly with one group, the other may not be willing to
deal with you, making it necessary for you to use force
rather than diplomacy when dealing with one or the other.
Word of your actions spreads among the inhabitants of
Guardia.
Because this is a preview, this review is not going to go
into detail about all the features of Crusaders, nor will
ratings appear at the end of the article. Suffice to say that
all aspects of Bane of the Cosmic Forge have been
supplemented, which means more monsters, more spells,
and more weapons. Significant changes besides those
already mentioned include outstanding realism in sound
and animation. Birds chirp, swords whoosh, spells snap and
crackle and pop! Swords diminish in size as they draw away
from you and grow as the thrust nears you, missile weapons
do likewise. Between the graphics, sound effects and
animation, Crusaders produces an excellent visceral and
vicarious experience.
Probably the last thing needed to be mentioned in this
“first look” is the depth of the story. While there is plenty
of combat, Crusaders is much more than just a hack-and-
slay adventure. The puzzles, character interaction and non-
combat encounters make the game play like a good mystery
book reads. Crusaders unfolds a little at a time, providing
numerous mini-successes to encourage the player to
continue on for the more than 200 hours this game will
take to complete in the same fashion as a good book builds
the needed interest to sustain a reader over the course of
200 pages.
Crusaders of the Dark Savant has certainly passed its
initial test as far as the Silicon Dungeon is concerned. We
can only imagine the other delightful surprises that await us
in the final version of the game. ’#J
Magic Tricks
on your PC!!
Here’s a chance to
become a wizard in
real life!!!
Your PC will perform effects that will
amaze everyone!!!
For the first time ever, your PC will be
able to perform mindreading, ESP, pre-
dictions, X-ray vision, and more. Easy to
learn. Comes with instruction manual and
props.
10-trick Professional version
$48 +$5 shippinghandling
5-trick Basic version
$22 +$3 shippinghandling
Send check or money order to:
MicroMagic Productions
175 5th Avenue Suite 2625
New York, NY 10010
(212) 969-0220
Requires PC or compatible with VGA, EGA or CGA
Also available I-trick demo version $3 + $2 s/h
I
 A

a Live Action Role-Playing game scenario

by Roger Spendlove of the Dream Park Corporation Design Group
Something in this town is not right.
Lately, people have been acting strangely. Not bizarre or outrageously, just -well, the truth is,
everyone’s too normal. Nothing unusual or interesting has occurred in weeks, and the citizens seem to be
acting out their lives without any emotion. There’s no passion in their actions, no volition except to preserve
the status quo. Everyone, that is, except yourself. You can’t figure out what’s happening, but you know for a
fact that you are not a part of it.
You’re not just paranoid! People really are conducting duy-to-day tasks with glazed eyes as if they’re
programmed robots. Or zombies? Maybe they’ve been possessed by an alien or demonic intelligence?!
But not everyone! There must be others who, like yourself, are unaffected by this mysterious force.
Thus begins the adventure of the lnfilcration of the Mind
Maggot from Planet V , a Live Action Role-Playing (LARP)
lNVlTlNG THE PLAYERS
After assembling your guest list, ask one of the guests to act
scenario, in which mundane yet heroic gamers play themselves as
as your co-game-master. One GM is needed for each of the two
they attempt to outwit and thwart the invasion of an insidious
“teams.” Next, get two players who’ll agree to play the pre-
menace from outer space!
determined roles of “the Professor,” and “Simon Larvaplixos”
If you intend to play in this adventure, READ NO
(or Simone, if female). All others will be portraying themselves.
FURTHER! If you intend to Game Master this event, you’ll
For two of the encounter sites, you’ll need to use players’
need the following: (a) a group of six to 20 friends, two of whom
homes (be they houses, apartments, mansions, yachts, etc.). The
agree to play predetermined roles, and one who will serve as a
Professor and Simon are the best choices since the encounters
co-game master; (b) two players’ homes (preferably the two
deeply involve their characters, but any home will do. The two
playing the Professor and Simon); (c) two locations in the
GMs’ dwellings would be good alternatives.
wilderness such as a little-used public park; and (d) a few easy-
Assign two-thirds of the remaining players to the
to-make props detailed later. Oh, and of course lots of imagina-
Professor’s team, and one-third to Simon’s team. Send each
tion and creativity, but gamers usually have no problem
player an invitation which consists of the first three paragraphs
supplying these!
of this article, and one piece of background information listed

WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 19

 later. Feel free to
make up your own
additional bits of
lore, to customize
the game to your
locations. For the
Professor and
Simon, send their character’s description as well.
You will probably want to include an “out-of-character”
note explaining that you’re inviting them to participate in an
unusual Live-Action Roleplaying Game. The only skills they’ll
be allowed or able to perform will be real-world, true-to-life
skills they are personally capable of; furthermore, they must
perform their skill with a prop of some sort. Thus, if they
anticipate doing some rock climbing, they should bring rope,
spikes, pitons, etc. If they want to use computer programming
skills, they must bring a computer; music skill requires an
20 J U L Y / A U G U S T ,19 9 2
amaze you.
However, you’ve begun to suspect that a threat from
outside Earth has landed and begun to infiltrate the town you’ve
called home for several years. The local citizenry has been
acting strangely complacent, as if their actions were controlled
by an outside force. Recalling the telepathic technique you
learned on Golga-Trameehs-8,you broadcast a message which
should have been received by any and all humans in your
vicinity who still retain their own personalities. All hope for
your adopted home lies upon whether any unaffected humans
remain, and whether they answer your summons...!
PLAYERS ON THE
PROFESSOR’S TEAM: Each should receive
the following paragraph as part of their invitation:
This morning, as you were in the shadow-world betwee
 less against your plan to infiltrate and consume the entire
population. Well, maybe not every one of them. Besides, they
might make a nice, easily controlled legion for the invasion of
other, more powerful worlds!
However, you realize that some few individuals may be
immune (for some inexplicable reason) to your psionic control.
Such individuals could organize a resistance effort - as
happened during your last invasion attempt at the planet
If there are indeed Earthlings who are immune to your
hey work with you, not against
ERS ON SIMON’S TEAM:each
ive the followingparagraph as part of their invita-
It did not take you long to notice that, although the mind
controt failed on you, it succeeded upon every other human
you’ve met since then. The mind-touch left a tenuous link with
Simon, and you’ve used it to that he is hiding in his
spaceshy, (cleverly disguised as a typical Eanhling home) at
[hn of pcSs honle], You’ve decided to him a \visit
at [insea date time game is to h i n ] to see what is going
on.Perhaps you will make him an offer: you won’t expose or
thwart his plot in exchange for your being left alive dnd un-
posesed...
THE TWO GAM€
MASTERS: ~ecauseseveral e d i t i o n s and
encounters could take place simultaneously, in very different
locations, a single GM could not possibly be present at them all;
nor is it possible to second-guesswhen some ofthe encounters
will actually take place. Therefore, two GMs are needed, one for
each team. However, since the players may decide to divide
their forces and seek out multiple encounters at once, the two
GMs may still be unable to go to every place they’re needed, so
they mqht have to stay in a central, easily contacted location
?he homesserving as Simon’s w s
ied Spaceshipand the
Professor’s house would be the best choices, because several
imponant encounters might take place there. If one GM does
decide to ;Iccompany his or her team on a major expedition,
then the other GM must remain at a home base.
Before the playefs get too far into the game, GMs mist
convey the fundamentat N~es:(1 here is to be b l u t e i y 110
phpapicol contact ot &G da all participantf hvdvd
agree to it. This
means no wrestling,
boxing, fencing,
water guns, and so
forth. (2) Whenever
players wish to leave
a home base and
seek out an encounter site or perform some other major action,
M to inform him or her of their plans.
report the outcome of each
ossible. ( 3 ) At most encounters, there
the exact function of the device(s)
card, then read the appropriate passages
s containing sections for the
eyes only, due to their extraterrestrial
should sign all cards before placing them,
at actions are
figure out on their own!
If the players seem confused about the object ot the game,
inform them that the object is, in part, to figure ()Ut what the
object of the game is, and then to do it! This is the essence of
Live-Action Role playins - you make your OW game by the
actions you choose. They W i l l eventually gather enough
informationto determine that the Primary gOa1 ofthe
Protessor’s team is to eliminate the devices and allies by which
the Mind Maggot plans to infiltrate Earth. Simon’s tcam will
endeavor to eliminate Earth’s last resistance by possessing the
“free minds” and bringing them under Simon’s control. For the
players on Simon’s team, make certain they understand they are
not and cannot be mind-controlled by Simon. They retain
control of their actions at all times, and may even, it they
choose, join the team.
PREGAME LORE
& CURRENT EVENTS:
Aneuspaperarticle,~oneweekugo(eitherorboth~~:
U p 0 Sitings Appear Hoax
by Richard Lovejoy
S p e d to dte Post~Bsacon.
Two nights ago, wimesses from [name of players’ town]
reported an unidentified flying object However, after
initial claims, none of the witnews have corroborated their
Stories. Althou;9hseveral known and public People, such as
sqmt Anthony of the r t e p m a t of Pubtic S~QJ and
Lgnn Chandler of Maloppar observatory, initially and indepen-
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 21
 dently reported the still remember pretty well where it fell [GM insert vague
UFO, not one of the directions to the location of the Meteor encounter.].
witnesses will
further confirm their OVERHEARD RADIO NEWS
claims.
Sgt. Anthony
REPORT (either team) : ‘‘Say Bo, speaking of Weird
now claims that “It Wednesdays, have you noticed that weird sculpture on display
in the park at [GM insert address of Transmitter encounter].
llective of individuals
Don’t know why the artist didn’t sign his name, cause it’s kinda
as a humorous incident. This person denies all claims he made
the previous evening.” Sgt. Anthony refuses to elaborate. He pretty.”
“Yeah Jo, weird but beautiful. Its graceful yet angular
will not or cannot supply the names of his collaborators in the
contours give it an air of alien beauty and aloofness.”
prank.
Initial reports claimed it came from south to north, “Ever’oneought to go take a look at it. Maybe then the
artist will show himself. So Bo, what other weirdness have you
meandering over the city as if looking for something. “It were
noticed on Wednesdays.”
movin’ too dang slow for any kind of airplane I ever seen,”
Mysterious postal package (Professor’s team only) : Yesterd
Sergeant Dean Anthony said at 12:32 a.m. “It were flyin’ just
the way a brick don’t,”he said.
Other witnesses reported sighting a “big but not ton deGuerrio” but sent to your own address. I
humongous, you know, like the size of a house” flying sphere ing note, hastily scribbled on a yellow legal p
come out of the south and settle into the forest east of [town]. “Marton - must get this to you before they get m
se my memory! The UFO I tracked entering Earth‘s
Ms. Lynn Chandler of the Maloppar Observatory tele-
landed in your city! These are my notes on its fl
phoned the offices of this newspaper to inform the inhabitants
e you can decipher handwriting and locate land
of [town] that she had tracked an object descending from due
north of the solar ecliptic plane. “It entered our atmosphere, I
would estimate, somewhere near the equator of the far side of
the Earth. It must have decelerated around the south pole

ler could not elaborate, as

he observatory failed. N

g eventful occurred tha

22 J U L Y / A U G U S T ,19 9 2
roleplay constantly - in other words, treat the circumstances of
the game as real for its duration.
computers (make
any sort of prop/box
r.-!!!!!A!!!
As everyone discusses the situation, they’ll quickly realize with a panel that
they possess little bits of information, but no real concept of opens). If Simon
what’s truly going on. It would behoove them to compile notes places a Transmitter
and experiences, then decide the best course of action. They Crystal within the
will no doubt wish to discover more and better information as computer’s orifice
they continue to play the game. and works at reprogra
possible courses of action: (a) seek the meteor; (b) ) into a Psycho-Dominatus Amulet.
re in the park; (c) locate the player may engage another player
landing site (which will then lead to the location of ssor) in a test of wills. Any wielder of an
p disguised as a’home). The Professor may accom- n a card printed with the following rules
oup of players on an expedition, or remain at his to prove authenticity. Simon has this

ation Power -The challenger states a

COUNTER: SIMON’S ..” which the victim must

GUISED SPACESHIP

of an SDIsatellite s

WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 23

 details on how the material may be vaporized).

ENCOUNTER: THE MIND

CONTROL TRANSMITTER

container) containing a marble. These are the power crystals,

which the Galactic Police affixed to the spaceship of con- and crystals must be equal to the number of players in the ga
demned criminal Simon Larvaplixos. If it were connected to the not including sinon Or the professor.
engines of Simon’sship, it would prevent the spaceship from Inside the light-proof containers, alongside the mar
functioning in any way and nullify all Simon’spowers, but
somehow it was disconnected and left here, at the ship’s origin itter’s beacon; however, since you just exposed
landing site.”
Tape to the bottom of the prop another card which reads:
“This is a digital readout on a computer-likescreen: Criminal
Simon Larvaplixos of the planet Vee’lshinkl-Pyrth,condemne
for enslaving and exterminating the species of planet Palinkee.
Said criminal occupant has managed to free itself from this
deactivation buoy. The Buoy will track the current whereabout
of the ship to a maximum range of 200 light years. Current

meteor radiates intense

24 JULY/AUGUST, 1992
 I
t

1
I
3 J

f
rhe Second in a series of five articles & adventun
I detailing the New Orleans Area I

I
I

'I)
- 1

Seven New Archetypes for Shadowrun

by C.R. Shaver & Jason Rush
 BAYOU DWARF

Hey, cher. You won’t see too much of me in dat city,

‘cause it ain’t my home. No, no. I been living on da bayou
all my life. Back dere on da real land, where none of dis
cyber drek matters. It’s just you, your boat, and da swamp.
I may not be much in da city, but you need help in da
bayou, who you gonna go to? Who tell you where da
gator are, where your boat can go? Me, dat’s who. On da
streets I don’t amount to much, but on da bayou . . . cher,
dere I’m king.
Commentary: The Bayou Dwarf is an odd case among
/---
his kind. Spurning the bright lights and high tech of the
city, he has retreated to the bayous, living a quiet, bucolic
life. He lives off the land, and enters the city only when
circumstances force him to do so. But in his own environ-
ment, the Bayou Dwarf is unparalleled as a guide, tracker,
and hunter.
Attributes: Skills:
Body: 5 Armed Combat: 3
Quickness: 3 Bayou Stealth: 5
Strength: 4 Etiquette (Street):2
Charisma: 2 Firearms: 4
Intelligence: 3 Motorboat: 5
Willpower: 3 Motorboat (B/R):5
Essence: 6 Pirogue: 3
Reaction: 3 Swimming: 3
Cyberware: Unarmed Combat: 3
None
Contacts:
Bartender
Dwarven Technician
Houngan
Tribesman
Gear:
Ammunition: 100 Rounds Regular (HP)
100 Rounds Regular (SG)
100 Rounds Regular (SMG)
t Survival Kit
Survival Knife
Ares Predator

Defiance T-250

Middle Lifestyle (3 months prepaid)

Ruger 100 Sport Rifle with
Magnification 3 Imaging Scope
Samuvani-Chriscraft Otter

The Bayou Dwarf has thermographic eyes and a bonus of

+2 to his Body against diseases only. Check for allergic

26 JULY/AUGU ST,1992
I
 CHROMED ZULU

Welcome to the jungle, chummer. I used to buy into all

that Zulu Nation garbage, but I wised up. Seeing the streets 1

up close was what did it. Out here, there ain’t no room for
belief or pride in the past. A good gun in your hand beats
either of ‘em cold.
So, what’cha say? Don’t let my looks fool you. Under-
neath this hot body I’m all twisted steel. More than enough
to pull off any run you want. Forget the samurai: they all
run when they see a Zulu walking the streets.
Commentary: The Chromed Zulu once lived in the
Zulu Nation, but exposure to the streets has changed his
i ways. Forsaking the culture of the Zulus if not their
name, he is another element of the urban sprawl, trying
to earn a nuyen as best he can. I
Attributes: Skills:
Body: 6 Armed combat: 5
Quickness: 6 Athletics: 4
Strength: 5 Bike: 2
Charisma 4 Etiquette (Street):4
Intelligence: 4 Unarmed Combat: 4 L

Willpower: 5 Firearms: 5
Essence: 1.OS F
Reaction: 5 (9)
Cyberware:
Cyberears with Hearing Amplification, Damper
Cybereyes with Low-Light, Organic Magnification ( 3 ) t
Retractable Spur
Skull Hardwire-Urban Stealth: 4
Smartgun Link
Wired Reflexes (2)
Contacts:
Fixer
Gang Member
Houngan
Street Samurai
Gw:
Ammunition:
100 Rounds FirepowerTM (HP)
100 Rounds Regular (SMG) 1
Ares Predator II
DocwagonTMContract (Platinum)
5 Smoke Grenades a
Harley Scorpion
lngram Smartgun with Recoil Reduction Ivl 2
Lined Coat L
Middle Lifestyle (1 2 months prepaid)
Survival Kit k

WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 27

I
 ELVEN JAZZER

You seem surprised that one of the Awakened should

)e interested in jazz. You expect me to be limited to the
nusic and instruments of my own kind, eschewing the arts
i f humanity. Well, you are wrong. To me, jazz is the only
nusic worth listening to or performing. It rises far above the
imits of rock or Euroslag electro-pop. The low moan of the
)ass, the high scream of the sax, all are almost ethereal.
9lmost magical, you might say.
Unfortunately, club owners do not agree with this
?nlightened point of view. Few will listen to me, and even
'ewer will book me. So, on occasion, I am forced to look
?lsewhere for income. Then, I turn to the shadows.
Commentary: The Elven Jazzer is a rare sight on a
jhadowrun. Usually she will only participate if she cannot
ind a club date. But on a run her undeniable charisma is
Dften valuable, as is her knowledge of the streets. Whether
3n a run for cash or just the thrill, the Elven Jazzercan hold
her own.
Attributes: Skills:
Body: 3 Armed Combat: 3
Quickness: 4 Bike: 2
Strength: 2 Etiquette (Media):4
Charisma: 4 Etiquette (Street):5
Intelligence: 4 Firearms: 4
Willpower: 3 Special Sltills:
Essence: 5.6 Instrumental Music: 6
Reaction: 4 Musical Composition: 6
Cyberware:
Datajaclc
Synthesizer Link
Contacts:
Bartender
Fixer
Media Producer
Rocker
Gear:
Ammunition:
50 Rounds Regular (HP)
Ares Predator
Instrument and Amps
Knife
Lined Coat
Middle Lifestyle ( 1 month prepaid)
Tres Chic Clothing

la The Elven Jazzer has natural low-light eyes.

28 JULY/AUGUST.1992
 HOUNGAN

I follow de old way, dat existed before you or I were

even born. Forget dis Awakenin’ drek. De real power’s in de
Loa, mon, and de Loa speak tru me. You go to de shamans
and de mages, see what dey do. It’s all one an’ the same,
dey just don’t give de real powers no credit. But when it
comes down, and dey be needin’ someone to talk wit’ de
Loa, call down der Spirits, who do dey come cryin’ to? Me,
mon. Like I always say, when dey need de real power, 1
dey know who to deal wit’. And dey’ll always need
me. My ju-ju take care 0’de demons. And you never
see de demons ‘til they come callin’.
Commentary: The houngan is usually a dark,
mysterious person. The voudoun tradition teaches
her that the Awakening has nothing to do with
her powers; the houngan believes she has been
touched by the gods and she acts accordingly.
Houngans tend to be aloof, shadowy figures, satisfied
with inspiring fear instead of goodwill and respect
instead of camaraderie. This does not mean that the
houngan needs to be evil; she just prefers to be at a
distance, more attuned to the Loa than to the mortals
around her.
Attributes: Skills: I
Body: 3 Biotech: 2
Quickness: 2 Conjuring: 6
Strength: 2 Enchantment: 5
Charisma: 5 Etiquette (Street):4
Intelligence: 4 Firearms: 2
Willpower: 4 Magical Theory: 5
Essence: 6 Sorcery: 6
Magic: 6
Reaction: 3
Cyberware:
None
Contacts:
Any Street Type
Shaman
Street Shaman
Talismonger I---

Gear:
Gris-Gris
Medkit
Ruger Super Warhawk
Temple Materials (4)
Spells:
Spend 10 total points of force among the spells below:
Analyze Device Entertainment
Mana Bolt Chaos
Heal Deadly Wounds Mask
Clairvoyance Heal Moderate Wounds
Powerball Detect Enemies
Hibernate

WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 29

 NATIVES OF THE BIG EASY I!
NIGHT STALKER

Frag, hasn’t been enough ghoul activity lately to feed a

Touse. Guess I‘ve been doing too good a job. Ain’t seen a
;hod or a bloodsucker to geek now since I nailed that vamp
wo weeks back.
Yeah, that’s right , I’m a member of the Stalkers,
hummer. You see some ghoul scarfing an arm, I’m the one
he city sends to deal with it. But there just ain’t enough
ash in it, so I’m looking for a little overtime. You got any
deas?
Commentary: The Night Stalker is a member of an elite
quad of police officersthat is specifically trained to deal
with creatures of the night: ghouls, vampires, and their kind.
n cities where these beings thrive, the Night Stalker acts as
iunter and tracker, each member of the division working
done in fightingthe undead. However, when business is
;low, the Night Stalker will not hesitate to turn to
shadowruns to maintain his income.
Attributes: Skills:
Body: 4 Armed Combat: 5
Quickness: 4 ( 5 ) Athletics: 4
Strength: 4 ( 5 ) Bike: 2
Charisma: 1 Biotech: 3
Intelligence: 4 Electronics: 3
Willpower: 3 Etiquette (Street):
Essence: .75 Firearms: 6
Reaction: 4 (8) Throwing Weapons: 4
Stealth: 6
Unarmed Combat: 4
Cyberware:
Cyberears with Damper,
Hearing Amplification,andSound Filter ( 5 )
Cybereyes with Electronic Magnification (31,
Low-Light, and Thermographic Imaging
Improved Retractable Hand Razors
Muscle Replacement (1)
Smartgun Link
Wired Reflexes (2)
Contacts:
City Official
Merc
Street Cop
Street Samurai
Gear:
Ammunition:lngram Smartgun with recoil reduction Lvl 2
100 Rounds Fire PowerTM (HP)
10 IPE Offensive Grenades
100 Rounds Regular (SMG)
Medkit
50 Rounds Explosive (SMG)
Middle Lifestyle (9months prepaid)
100 Rounds Regular (56)
Mossberg CMDT/SM Ares Predator I1
Survival Kit Armor Jacket
Survival Knife Harley Scorpion

30 JULY/AUGUST, 1992
 !I NATIVES OF THE BIG EASY

VAMPIRE HUNTER (MAGICAL ADEPT)

1 am a hunter, but my prey is neither animal nor human.
My hunt is an age-old quest against evil, against the children
of the darkness. I seek the nosferatu - the vampire.
The vampire existed before the Awakening, before
history had ever begun. That age is their strength, for only
cunning born of millennia allows the foul creatures to
survive. But they have lost their greatest strength: everyone
now knows they exist, and it is my duty to see they exist no
more.
Commentary: The Vampire Hunter is the survivor of a
bygone age. With the Awakening and the realization that
vampires are real, the Vampire Hunter's services are in
demand once more. Although he is no physical match for his
prey, the Vampire Hunter is a cool, clever person capable of
dealing with his unique foe.
Attributes: Skills:
Body: 2 Armed Combat: 2
Quickness: 3 Biology: 6
Strength: 2 Biotech: 5
Charisma: 1 Crossbow: 4
Intelligence: 5 Etiquette (Street):4
Willpower: 4 Magical Theory: 6
Essence: 6 Physical Sciences: 6
Magic: 6 Sorcery: 6
Reaction: 4 \
Cyberware:
None
Contacts
Detective
Street Cop or Night Stalker
Street Mage
Talismonger
Gar:
Ammunition:
20 Bolts
30 Rounds Regular (HO)
5 Antidote Patches (6)
Armor Vest
Low-Light Binoculars
Medium Crossbow
t2 Healing Fetish Focuses
Low-Light Goggles
Medkit
Streetline Special
2 Tranq Patches (6)
2 Trauma Patches (6)
Spells:
Spend 20 total points of force among the spells below:
Anti-Spell Barrier Personal Analyze Truth
Physical Barrier Heal Deadly Wounds
Personal Clairvoyance Slay Vampire
Heal Serious Wounds Personal Detect Enemies
(Extended)

WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 31

 I
- :
NATIVES OF THE BIG EASY

ZULU WARRIOR (PHYSICAL ADEPT)

In the Zulu Nation, 1 am the peace-keeper and defender. No
me may walk its streets and break its laws, or threaten the safety of
:he Nation without answering to me.
Do not let my name deceive you. Yes, I follow the ways of my
Zulu ancestors, fighting the yoke of oppression that others would
ay on my neck. But I do not dwell in the past: I use the technology
>f today, as well as my warrior training, in defending my home.
On these streets, you answer to me. I suggest you remember
that.
Commentaty: The Zulu Warrior is a product of the fierce
national pride all members of the Zulu Nation feel. They see
themselves as separate, both physically and spiritually, from the
rest of humanity. The Zulu Warrior patrols the streets of the Nation,
anxious to defend it against all attackers and any threat to its well-
being. They often participate in shadowruns against corporations
they think have treated the Zulu Nation unfairly. All Zulu Warriors
are members of the Defenders of the Zulu Nation (q.v.), a magical
group.
Attributes: Skills:
Body: 6 Athletics: 3
Quickness: o Edged Weapons: 5
Strength: 5 Etiquette (Street): 2
Charisma: 3 Firearms: 4
Intelligence: 5 Unarmed Combat: 3
Willpower: 5 Stealth: 4
Essence: 6 Adept Abilities:
Magic: 6 Automatic Successes (Stealth): 4
L Reaction: 7 Increased Reaction Lvl 2
Cyberware: Pain Resistance: 2
None Physical Sensory Improvement:
Contacts: Low-Light, Flare Compensation,
Gang Member Hearing Amplification, Damper
Houngan
Street Samurai
Street Shaman
Gear: Ammunition:
Lined Coat 100 Rounds Regular (HP)
2 Antidote Patches (5) 100 Rounds Regular (SMG)
2 Tranq Patches
Binoculars Trauma Patch (5)
Colt Manhunter with Survival Kit
Laser Sight Survival Knife
5 AFR-7 Flash Grenades 5 Smoke Grenades
Heckler &. Koch MP-5 TX
with Laser Sight, Recoil Reduction Ivl2
Notes:
The Zulu Warrior may call on 2D6 other Warriors for help.
Defenders of the Zulu Nation
The Defenders of the Zulu Nation are all Zulu Warriors, sworn
to defend their Nation at any cost. The group is overseen by the
ruling council of the Zulu Nation, who also acts as its patron. The
group's goals are simple: to defend the Zulu Nation and ensure that
'Gs placein the world is secure.
Name: The Defenders of the Zulu Nation
Type: Dedicated
Members: 50
Limitations: Zulu Warriors only.
Strictures: Belief, Fraternity, Obedience.
Resources/Dues: Middle. No Dues.
Patron: Ruling Council of the Zulu Nation.
Customs: The Defenders are totally devoted to the Zulu Nation,
and will take any steps necessary to protect it. In urban areas given
over to the Zulu Nation, the Defenders are both the military and the
law. The group may initiate shadowruns against corporations they
think have given the Zulu Nation a raw deal, often hiring
shadowrunners to act as extra muscle or to provide diversions.
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 RK
TOWER
by Chris Hind
a

This is a crossover story for players of both Vampire:

The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse. The
plot remains essentially the same for both games. However,
each scene provides separate guidelines for the actions of
A story for Kindred and Garou to take into consideration their differing
motives and abilities. The Werewolf material is set off in

VAMPIRE sidebars. There are also two introductions: “Mortal’s

r
Ifat his council I should turn aside
Into that ominous tract which, all agree,
Hides the Dark Tower.
-Robert Browning,
“Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”
Masque” for Vampires, and “Gaia’s Fold” for Werewolves.
A third section, “Crossover,” provides some suggestions
for those wishing to guide the story for a mixed group of
Kindred and Garou.
This story is fairly linear, as must always be the case
when space is limited. The story has been created along a
fairly static pattern, with scene progressing to scene in a
straight line. However, this does not mean that you must
play it as a linear story; the following events are merely
one way the story can unfold, and Storyteller improvisation
is encouraged.
The story takes place in late autumn, early spring, or
during a mild winter. It might make an excellent follow-up
to Ashes to Ashes if you are playing Vampire, or a
follow-up to Rite of Passage if you are playing Werewolf.

c-,
J The Theme
This story’s theme explores the danger of embracing
one’s dark half, whether one is Kindred, Kine, or Lupine.
This spark of evil - call it Rage, the Beast, the Shadow, or
Thanatos (the death instinct) - resides within us all. For
I

34 JULY/AUGUST,1992
I
the most part, it is imprisoned within the Dark Tower of our
souls, distant and untouchable. But it can corrupt the very
walls of its prison, and occasionally it escapes. Those who
wish to can usually recapture it.. .
Not everyone is successful.
The dark half is very persuasive, offering great rewards in
return for its freedom. When seducing Vampires, the Beast
promises to fulfill all inner urges, to mold its host into the
ultimate predator. Some individuals even seek out the Dark
Tower with the intention of releasing its captive perma-
nently. Herein lies the greatest threat that evil can pose.
During this story, characters witness three examples of
the dangers inherent in embracing one’s destructive impulses:
A mortal whose primordial, bestial instincts lie hidden
under a civilized veneer.
A Lupine family -human by day, but who undergo a
terrible transformation when they give in to the Beast in
their hearts.
Beowulf, the Vampire who sought to protect civiliza-
tion from the monster he had become, but whose retreat into
the wilderness only furthered his degeneration.
This story is not meant to be a morality play. It is simply
an illustration of the dangers of total release. Those who
choose to ignore the facts presented in this story can freely
“turn down the dark path.” But they have been warned....
L
Background Events
Successive generations of harp-playing and tale-telling scops
have exaggerated and elaborated upon the legend of Beowulf.
Yet that epic poem is based on a kernel of truth. Beowulf the
Geat did indeed sail from the south of Sweden to aid King
Hrothgar of Denmark. He did wrestle with the monstrous
Grendel, finally ripping off its arm. The account of him
entering the underground lair and returning with Grendel’s
head is also true. But the tales do not explain that Beowulf
was a Kindred, and Grendel was his Sire.
Beowulf clung to his Humanity like a drowning sailor to
a spar. He possessed great hatred’for Vampires who embraced
the Beast, as Grendel had. He continued to lead his people as
a mortal warrior would and soon became king of the Geats.
During his lengthy rule, he fed off animals and bestial
Kindred. But eventually, the thirst for human vitae became
difficult to resist. Beowulf feared that the Beast which stalked
his soul would eventually pounce.
Then came the Wyrm.
Was it really a dragon?Or the burning sun attempting to
crush his immortality in its fiery coils? He no longer recalls.
Nor can he remember how he survived the inferno. The
event - whatever it was -could not have come at a more
opportune time. Thought to be dead and lain to rest,
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 35
 Beowulf left his people before the
Hunger could hurt them.
For the next 200 years, Beowulf
roamed northern Europe, always
distancing himself from the human
population. But Europe seemed much
too crowded. Aided by Ghoul retain-
ers (the most loyal being Erik the Red great folly: by shunning civilization,
and Leif Erikson), he retreated to
Iceland in 874, to Greenland in 982,
and eventually to Vinland by the year
1000. Beowulf found this New World
perfect. Mortals did live here, but i n A --
missed his Viking retainers
orders to discourage further
colonization. He has wan-
dered over much
/ Garou who has lost the ability to
- - I
36 JULY/AUGUST, 1992
of North America, but has remained Beowulf has finally been able to
near present-day Tierburg for the past create a Childe.
300 years: a “place of power” drew It is at this point that the story
him, and there he makes his haven. begins.. .
He has been in a self-induced
torpor for the last fifty years. Upon
Mortal’s Masque
For Kindred, the story begins in
recently waking, Beowulf realized his
Chicago (though it can be adapted to
any city). One night, the characters
he became increasingly bestial and
hear through a number of different
less able to resist the Hunger, which in
contacts and sources that they are to
turn led to increased solitude. He has
meet someone very important at
come to understand that this
vicious cycle will
O’Leary ’s Rehabilitation Institute. In
fact, they are likely to hear this
message more than once -most of
the city’s Kindred, Anarch and Elder,
He has chosen to
seem to know about it. Malkavians in
Sire a replacement, a
particular seem to delight in passing
along the full weight of the message,
especially the “or else” part.
important lesson which
However, nobody knows who
has taken Beowulf over
started this ubiquitous message. This
a millennium to learn.
will not stop the messenger from
But his Beast has
trying to frighten the characters and
sound in-the-know at the same time:
“Oooo, you in BIG trouble now ....”
able to success- The players could try to track the
message back to its source, but this
mortal. Each would be time-consuming and
difficult. Their best bet is to visit the
O’Leary Institute and hope for the
best.
Gaia’s Fold
Garou characters begin in
Tierburg, Indiana (for more infor-
mation on this small town, refer to
“Scene Two: Wolf in Man’s Cloth-
discovered two ing”). It is assumed that they belong to
deer hunters in a tribe in this area or are just passing
his forest domain, through. Somehow the characters get
hold of a tabloid newspaper with a
body of one of his Herd very interesting cover story (see
Handout #l). An elder in the tribe
might ask them to investigate, or they
may decide to do so on their own.
hunters, who immedi- The man in the article might be a
shapechange (by losing his Rage), or
possibly even a Lunatic - one of the
few adult humans with Werewolf
potential. He should be brought into
Gaia’s fold. On their own accord or at
 .
the urging of tribal elders, the charac- wrought iron fence and half-dead woman in an old-fashioned wicker
ters travel to Chicago to rescue him. bushes. The fence keeps in the wheelchair at the end of a hall. She
Chicago lies 50 miles to the patients; the bushes keep out prying stares at the characters for a moment,
north. In such a large city, you should eyes. At night, light shines from a and then slowly rolls around a corner.
make the Garou feel very uneasy - single window on the asylum’s second They reach the comer just in time to
here the Wyrm has its greatest floor. A Perception + Alertness roll see her roll down another hallway.
influence. You may improvise some (difficulty 6) allows that character to When, and if, they chase her down
urban encounters if you wish, but be notice a shadowy figure silhouetted that hallway, she appears once again
careful not to end the story before it against the light before it disappears at the end of yet another hallway.
has even started (the Vampires are from the window. The characters should have a
surely watching, but they take no How the characters get inside is chance to catch up with the woman,
action). By asking for directions up to them. They can Dominate the but it shouldn’t be easy.
(Charisma t Etiquette, difficulty 4) or guard at the gate, or sneak in
referring to a map of the city, charac- by climbing the walls
ters should have little trouble finding
the famous O’Leary House.
Crossover
For a crossover story, simply use
both introductions and have the
characters run into each other at the
O’Leary’s house (see “Scene One:
Wight in White”). The Garou may
quickly realize that Edward Bemil’s
problem has nothing to do with
lycanthropy. However, his state is
highly unnatural and unbalanced, and
needs to be corrected. After all,
balance is the most important thing for
Garou, even among themselves.
For the rest of the story, combine
the Vampire and Werewolf material
where appropriate. Change scenes if
necessary. For instance, in “Scene
Three: Unsafe Haven”, Selene may
offer false clues to draw Garou away
from the slumbering Kindred, and
then double back to set the cottage
ablaze. A crossover story is more
challenging to guide but can ulti-
mately be more fulfilling and eventful,
since it uses all of the material,

Scene One: Wight in White

O’Leary ’s Rehabilitation Institute is
located in an older section of a
northern Chicago suburb. It is held in
high regard for its treatment of
patients with substance abuse disor-
ders. Tendrils of ancient ivy cling to
the dark old building. The house and
large yard are surrounded by a
rooms they will see people in I d’\
hospital gowns with their
arms and legs spread-eagled
and strapped to their beds;
their mouths are gagged.
After a time the
characters will notice a

c1
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 37
t

Handout #I inner Beast, but the characters

will have to observe the
Man Possessed by Wendigo, madman closely (or use
powers like Aura Perception
Cannibalizes Hunting Buddy and score four successes) to
learn this.

By Scottie Cartwright
TIERBURG-Five days ago,
state police arrested a the woods near the small town of
blood-drenched man on Highway
41 near Tierburg, Indiana.
One officer suffered minor
abrasions and a broken wrist during
the arrest. Declared this officer:
“He was a madm an... a wild animal.
He tried to rip out my throat with
his bare teeth.”
The man was identified by his
t
Detectives have pieced together
the murderous events: Apparently,
Bemil and a friend were hunting in
Tierburg. For reasons unknown,
Bemil killed his buddy -- not with a
rifle shot, but by strangulation.
Even more horribly, the killer
feasted on the dead man’s flesh.
Bemil has been admitted to
O’Leary Rehabilitation Institute for
acute psychoses induced by LSD or
another hallucinogen. Family and
A Vampire (or perhaps even
a Werewolf) may attempt to
persuade the Beast to transfer
itself into her body. Roll
Manipulation t Animal Ken
against a difficulty equal to
the character’s Humanity (the
Beast is attracted to bestial
people). This extended action
requires 10 successes. A botch

driver’s license as 42-year-old
Edward Bemil of Chicago. Later
that night, a local resident
discovered the remains of a body in
the woods nearby.
“Blood was everywhere,” this
source exclaimed. “His face was
gnawed off like chipboard by a
porcupine.” The deceased has yet to
be identified.
out of reach (she has an Obfuscate
Discipline of 3). As the strange chase
continues, characters should realize
that she is leading them somewhere.
Eventually they turn yet another
corner and run up against a large
metal door. Woman and wheelchair
are nowhere in sight. The door is
unlocked and slightly ajar.
friends deny that Bemil was a drug
user of any sort.
One of the country’s leading
experts on paranormal studies offers
an alternate explanation, one that
this reporter finds much more
believable: “Bemil is possessed by
Wendigo, the Amerindian spirit of
cannibalism.”
characters (equivalent to kick attacks).
During this frenzied attack, the
patient roars (in your best Exorcist
voice): “Whelp!...Thou hast come for
the vitae of thine Elder...But Ama-
ranth will be mine!”
The characters should have little
trouble restraining the madman. After
a few minutes of observation - and
i
alienates the Beast, making it
hostile toward that character.
If successful, the Vampire
now possesses two Beasts and
is twice as wired as usual.
Double all difficulties (maxi-
mum 10) to resist Frenzy. This
Vampire had better be on her
best behavior .... (If the patient is
killed, the Beast automatically
merges with the Vampire with the
lowest Humanity.)
When the characters leave the
cell, they meet the woman in the
wheelchair, who heard the whole thing
from the hallway. This old lady is
Maureen O’Leary, a Kindred as crazy
as any inmate in the place (see
Chicago by Night for more informa-
tion). She throws a newspaper at them

padded walls, bare except for a cot. A culty 6) or

man in a straitjacket raises a slack face Medicine
to his visitors. He shuffles forward, (difficulty 8) ’
Werewolues in the Asylum
mumbling “...free ...let me free...can’t roll - a charac- In rescuing the Lunatic, Garou face similar problems. If
breathe ....” Once freed - or when it ter can diagnose they sneak in at night, use the above guidelines with the
becomes apparent that the characters the patient as not exception of meeting Maureen O’Leary. They may also I

have no intention of removing the suffering from approach O’Leary’s house during the day. Posing as a
straitjacket - the patient snaps, any known 4 doctor, one character might trick the Institute’s head into
begins to scream insanely, and then mental disor- 3 transferring the patient into his custody; roll Manipula-
tion + Medicine (difficulty 9, or 6 with official-looking
attacks. Only three successes on a der; the
Wits t Alertness roll (difficulty 6) combination of documents). The characters could also pretend to be
relatives and plead for the patient’s release; roll Cha- 6
provide any warning. The surprise symptoms fail to
factor allows one bite attack (lacking make any sense. risma t Empathy (again, difficulty 9, or 6 with a fake
fangs, he does only two dice of The patient is I.D.). Finally, Gifts -particularly Glib Tongue or
damage); afterwards, the patient possessed by Ultimate Argument of Logic - may be useful. b
bounces himself off the walls and the some Vampire’s b
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mortal threatens the Masquerade,
killing him would be an incomplete
solution. The Beast must be returned
to its rightful owner, and that Kindred
punished “by authorization of the
Prince of Chicago” (this claim may or
may not be true).
If questioned further she will
indicate that the search for a Beast-
less Vampire should probably begin in
Tierburg. If one of the characters has
absorbed the Beast, O’Leary cackles
and adds: “Then you’ve got your own
reasons for going there, hmmm?” The
characters may drag Edward Bemil
with them, or absorb the Beast (as
discussed earlier). Maureen will cover
for the madman’s escape or death.
Scene Two: Wolf in Sheep’s
Clothing
The small (and fictional) town of
Tierburg, Indiana, lies fifty miles
south of Chicago, just off Highway
41. A sign at the town limits reads:
WELCOME TO TIERBURG
A Town With Heart
Someone has driven a railroad tie
though the heart symbol. Tierburg’s
population has always hovered around
1,000. A considerable portion of the
townsfolk descend from German
immigrants who settled in Indiana
between 1830 and 1850. Visitors also
notice a good number of Amerindians.
These people do not fit the “wary-of-
strangers” stereotype; they are quite
friendly with outsiders, since summer
brings many tourists and cottagers.
They operate a bingo parlor on their
reservation outside of town, and have
been doing quite well financially for
the last few years. They are very
ready to give directions on how to get
to the reservation since they all share
in the profits from the bingo.
Geographically, this hick town is
little more than “Vollmond’s” gas
station/general store, Faith Lutheran
Church, a Town Hall (bridge every
Saturday night!), about 30 or 40
homes, and a number of adjacent
farms.
An obvious source of information
concerning the recent murder is
Vollmond’s. Kindred who leave
Chicago shortly after dusk should
arrive before the 9:OO closing. It is a
weathered gray building “decorated”
with rusting license plates and an
ancient Coca-Cola advertisement. The
gas pump looks like a survivor from
the 1940s. When the creaky screen
door opens, a bell jingles.
Vollmond’s sells everything from
fishing tackle to chocolate bars,
foodstuffs to ammunition. Also for
sale are “genuine” Indian crafts, such
as moccasins, bead necklaces, and
soapstone carvings. All prices are
150%normal.
The store is owned and run by
one large family, almost a clan -
Wolfgang and Barbara Vollmo

The Vollmonbs
The Vollmonds belong to the Fianna Tribe.
Wolfgang and Ursula are likely the elders who sent
them to rescue Edward Bemil. With the aid of the
Vollmonds, the characters study Bemil’s problem and
attempt to unlock his Werewolf potential. As mentioned
earlier, medical knowledge fails to offer any mundane
psychological explanation. However, Garou have more
tools than the average doctor....
Garou who use Gifts to speak to the Beast, a
malevolent spirit, receive some very rude replies.
Questions concerning its nature are answered with
I
enigmatic answers. For example: “Monsters we are lest
k monsters we become,” “This flawed Vessel is both
virtue and curse,” or “May the Wassail-cup be ever-
full.” An Intelligence + Occult roll (difficulty 8)
indicates that many of these terms are derived from
Vampire lore.
The Beast has a Willpower of 9 for resisting
exorcism. If this is successful, the spirit leaves Bemil
and enters the character with the highest Rage. That
person immediately gains 4 Rage points. All frenzies
favor the instinct of “fight” over “flight.” Further
exorcisms will simply bump the Beast back and forth
between vessels.
A successful probe into Bemil’s brain reveals a
foreign spirit running rampant. The mind reader also
hears a tiny voice begging for release. This is
Bemil’s psyche, locked away in a dark recess of the
subconscious.
After a little experimentation - and perhaps an
Intelligence + Enigmas roll (difficulty 6) - charac-
ters can define Bemil’s madness. He goes berserk in
the presence of three stimuli: bloodshed or death;
fire or sunlight; and Werewolves or Vampires.
During this story, he is almost always in a frenzy or
an exhausted rage.
All in all, players are likely to be more confused
than before. Wolfgang suggests that they take Bemil
to Beowulf, a powerful Garou shaman (thought to be
an Uktena) who lives in the area. Unfortunately,
nobody knows where to find him. Just last week,
though, a mortal named Roland claimed that Bigfoot
had been tramping though his backyard nightly. This
was probably Beowulf, who prefers his Crinos form.
Roland’s property might be a good place to visit (as
would the murder site, if for some reason players
decide to go there).

0
JULY/AUGUST, 1992
 their “children”: Klaus, Ursula, Dolf,
Bern, Bruno, Selene, and little Colin.
The store is effectively managed by
19-year-old Selene, who is attractive
despite her bleached-blond hair and
overuse of makeup. She is working
behind the counter when the charac-
ters arrive.
Depending on the characters,
friendly conversation is likely to
ensue. Selene is always curious about
strangers. She asks about what brings
the strangers to town, where they are
staying, and so on (but be careful not
to make the players edgy - Selene is
being friendly, not suspicious).
If the characters are Vampires,
after a few minutes of flirting with the
best-looking male Selene suddenly
stiffens. If the character in question
makes a Perception + Alertness roll
(difficulty 9), he notices a slight
flaring of Selene’s nostrils and a
dilation of her pupils - as if she
suddenly smelled and saw something
of which she was previously unaware.
Characters who use Auspex on her
will notice a cold black aura rising up
from the base of her head, covering
over the mixed green and white aura
she possessed before. Under not
circumstances will she explain her
change in feeling, and will resist any
attempts to pry such information from
her via Disciplines (the characters
may think her to be a neutral).
For the rest of the conversation,
Selene is polite but distant. She will
reluctantly give directions to the
murder site, mostly out of desire to get
the characters out of the store (see
“Scene Four: Rustic Waste”). She will
also, with slightly less reluctance,
identify Roland as the “local resident”
from the newspaper account and
supply his address (as can everyone in
Tierburg) - see “Scene Five: Childe
Roland.
The Vollmond family is actually
a pack of Lupines, and otherwise
unrelated. Their influence over the
inhabitants of Tierburg is tremendous
yet subtle. With her Gift of Sense
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Wyrm, Selene realizes that Vampires
are in their midst; when the characters
leave, she alerts her family. “Scene
Three: Unsafe Haven” deals with
further relations between the charac-
ters and the Vollmonds.
Scene Three: Unsafe Haven
The investigation will likely take
more than one night. Rather than
commute between their havens and
Tierburg each night, players may wish
to establish a temporary camp nearby.
(Of course, those with Earth Meld can
simply sink below the permafrost.)
Fortunately, the area is a summer
retreat for city slickers. Characters can
reside in one of the many cottages that
are vacant in winter. Some have
cement basements; virtually all have
some dark, cramped, and mice-
infested spaces beneath the rafters.
Allow players to take all the prepara-
tion and precaution they wish. During
their first day in this haven, a visitor
comes calling.
Selene Vollmond has become
impatient with her Lupine kin for their
delay in dealing with the Vampires.
That morning, she packs two gallons
of gasoline into her battered blue
Volkswagen and drives out to the
cottage retreat (using Heightened
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Senses and Beast Speech to discover
the characters’ location). Sleeping
Kindred are allowed multiple rolls to
awaken, upon: 1) hearing Selene pull
up, poke around the outside of the
cottage, and attack any ghoul they
might have left on guard; 2) smelling
gasoline; 3) becoming aware of the
smoke and flames as the cottage
kindles; and 4) each round they burn
(the damage is equivalent to a
bonfire). For further guidelines, refer
to “Awakenings” on p. 143 of the
main rules.
Once awake, players must deal
with the fire, sunlight, and a Lupine.
The day is heavily overcast, so the
difficulty for resisting damage from
sunlight is only a 5 (see “Sources of
Injury” on pp. 120-121);the charac-
ters thus have a small amount of time
to either fight or get away. Selene
transforms to Crinos form and attacks
any Vampires who survive the flames.
If Selene is killed, the rest of her pack
will be strongly motivated to avenge
her, but they may not know about it
for some time if the characters hide
the evidence (such as her car). Such an
event should be orchestrated to occur
during the climax of the story.
Preferably, the players know of - or
are close to discovering - Beowulf‘s
haven.
4
41
 Remember, this encounter is
meant to seriously threaten the
characters, but is not meant to be a
death trap. If the Kindred play it
smart, they should be able to escape
with their unlives. Though they are
facing a Lupine, they are up against
only one of the forest breed, and
through sheer numbers they should be
able to overwhelm her - despite the
increasingly deleterious effects of the
sun.
That night, as the characters
continue their investigation by the
light of a gibbous moon, a howl
echoes though the woods. It is soon
joined by others. Intermittent howling
continues all night. Allow Perception
+ Alertness rolls (difficulty 3) to count
a dozen howlers and realize that they
are getting closer by the hour. When
the players’ nerves are completely
frayed (and their investigations are
nearing an end), the hunt begins. An
uncomfortable silence descends.
Characters feel they are being watched
and soon notice movement in the
shadows. The previous encounter with
Selene showed the danger posed by
one Lupine. Now, faced with several,
they had better run. Characters must
make a Courage roll (difficulty 4) to
resist terror, frenzy, and the urge to
flee. Those who pass the test or Ride
the Wave may choose a destination;
those who fail run blindly.
Follow the “Pursuit” guidelines
on p. 152 of Vampire: The Masquer-
ade. The characters begin with a 15-
success head start. Roll once for the
Lupines -they are sticking together.
Players each roll separately, but they
will probably move no faster than the
slowest character. They need 20
successes to lose their pursuers (this is
unlikely, since the Lupines’ Dexterity
t Celerity t Athletics add up to 11
Dice). Should the Lupines lose the
quarry, they begin to track with
Heightened Senses. They will
eventually catch up - it is only a
matter of time.
42 JULY/AUGUST,1992
At one point, a pile of deadwood friend in a sand pit a few miles from
blocks the path. A Dexterity t town. A dirt road (partially washed
Athletics roll (difficulty 6) is required out and poorly maintained at this time
to climb the treacherous tangle. of year) winds from Highway 41 to
Optionally, Strength t Athletics the pit (roughly an hour’s walk or a
(difficulty 3, five successes) enables fifteen-minute drive in off-road
the character to jump over the pile. A vehicles). The sand pit is quite large
fall reduces the character’s Health by - about 500 feet across and half as
one level; a botch on the Soak roll deep. A pool of water lies beneath a
means the character is impaled on a thin layer of ice at the lowest point.
branch and unable to move without Nearby, a patch of red dyes the frozen
assistance. Also, half the Lupines sand. Police have cleaned up the mess
carry shotguns and hunting rifles, so a so few physical clues remain.
running gun battle may ensue. However, for someone with Level 3
The characters should reach Auspex, four or more successes on a
Beowulf’s haven - assuming they Perception t Empathy roll (difficulty
were running in this direction -just 5) triggers the following psychic flash:
before the Lupines catch up. “A photo negative. White sky,
Garou characters are likely have black stars. Dusk. Two men struggle
their own havens, or they can stay in a ditch. Frothy breath and steam. A
with the Vollmonds. Unless you wish spray of blood frozen in the air. Rifles
otherwise, no significant events occur. in the sand. A startled deer in mid-
bound. The bear crouched on the lip of
the pit.”
Scene Four: Rustic Waste The tramping of too many police,
In Vampire, the urban environ- reporters, and “concerned residents”
ment is referred to as Gothic-Punk, (i.e. rubbernecks) have obliterated any
but North America’s wilderness is tracks which might have existed in the
best described as Rustic Waste - pit itself. However, a careful search
combining rural life from the turn of along the lip of the pit - and a
the century with an environmentalist’s Perception t Survival roll (difficulty
nightmare of open-pit mining and 8, or 4 with Heightened Senses) -
clear-cut logging. The wilderness will reveal some broken twigs and
around Tierburg is a notable example. disturbed ground. Use the tracking
Logging has reduced much of the rules on p. 157. By following the
forest to “lumber stubble.” Black oil tracks for about 10 turns, the charac-
or rainbow-reflecting gasoline coats ters arrive at Roland’s home (“Scene
numerous ponds and marshes. Beer Five: Childe Roland”); tracking about
bottles and oil barrels line the ditches the same distance in the other direc-
on either side of the dirt road. The tion leads to Beowulf’s haven (“Scene
bears and wildcats which once roamed Six: Reunion”).
this area have
disappeared; deer,
raccoon, rabbit, and
squirrel populations
flus tic Waste
Garou may use Gifts in place of Auspex to
shrink yearly due to
receive the psychic hint. Seeing the mysterious
the deteriorating
“bear” may hint at a deeper mystery than they
environment and
first supposed. Garou who use conventional
hunting.
tracking skills (i.e. Perception t Survival) have a
Through
difficulty of 8 to follow the trail; Perception t
inquiry, the
Primal-Urge lowers the difficulty to 4.
characters learn
Bemil murdered his

Scene Five: Childe Roland
in Tierburg can
Roland as the “local resident” from
the newspaper account. He lives a few
miles from Tierburg, just off Highway
41. His rustic home sits on a four-acre
lot, along with a crud
wake, so characters may have free run of his house.
and take them into his confidence (his Sire resembles
faithful German
barks at the slightest
noise or strange
scent, and growls at anyone who sets
foot in the yard. Durendal attacks the
strangers if they do not back off
quickly. Characters can make a
Charisma + Animal Ken roll (diffi-
culty 6) or use Animalism to gain the
dog’s trust.
If Durendal has made any noise,
Roland soon pushes open the screen
door with the muzzle of his shotgun
and calls out in a grumpy voice:
“Who’s here?” If asked about the
murder or his Bigfoot sightings,
Roland assumes the characters are
reporters and tells them to get off his
property (he didn’t like the way he
was made to look by the last reporter
he talked too). A more neighborly
approach will simply receive a more
polite invitation to leave. A Perception
+ Empathy roll (difficulty 6) hints that
Roland’s gruff exterior conceals a
very lonely man. If the players
discover (e.g. through Auspex) or
somehow guess that Roland is a
Kindred, they may appeal to these
emotions. He has grown increasingly
lonely since his Becoming. With his
self-imposed isolation, he always had
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Now he feels completely alienated,
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tells them his story (see Roland’s
description in “Cast of Characters”
below). Integrate this information into
a roleplaying session. If the characters
explain that they have come to return
Beowulf‘s Beast, Roland agrees to
lead them to his Sire’s haven.
Roland has turned his basement
into a haven of sorts. He has painted
the windows black and now sleeps in
an otherwise-empty freezer (un-
plugged, of course).
Scene Six: Reunion
Pine Rock Ridge - is a tower of
red-brown sandstone jutting from the
black earth. The slopes are treacherous
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WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 43
Survival roll (difficulty 4) allows
characters to realize that an artificial
dirt mound - like those common in
the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys
- covers the ridgetop.
Kindred characters probably
scramble up Pine Rock Ridge just
ahead of a pack of rabid Lupines.
Satisfied that their prey is trapped, the
Werewolves surround the ridge and
creep up the slopes. Just then, a furry
arm sprouts from the ground and
begins clawing at the permafrost. By
the time Beowulf has pulled himself
from the grasping earth, the Lupines
have topped the ridge. The bestial
Vampire shakily stands and addresses
the hesitant half-wolves:
“Leave the intruders to me. I shall
deal with them. Alone.”
One frustrated Lupine lunges at
the characters...Beowulf blurs...and a
pine tree rocks with the impact of a
crumpled and bleeding Wolfman. The
Lupines - disappointed and not a
little frightened - back down the
ridge, dragging their wounded
comrade.
The Lupines gone, Beowulf
crouches, exhausted. His silence is
clearly an invitation to speak. He
himself has nothing to say. As an
elder, he owes no explanation,
especially to neonates (although he
might talk at the behest of Roland).
But you - as Storyteller - finally
deserve some background information.
44 JULY/AUGUST,1992
Beowulf chose to Embrace the Beast does not hesitate to enter a
Roland, but each time he approached less human and more powerful host.
the mortal, hunger threatened to Characters with Auspex detect an
overpower his mind and cloud his insubstantial form leave Bemil’s (or
purpose. Then one night, he chanced the current host’s) body and funnel
upon two hunters who were preparing into Beowulf‘s forehead. The shaggy
to slay a defenseless deer - one of his Cainite arches his back and roars,
Herd and a subject within his Domain. immediately entering Frenzy. As his
Just as the fury was about to wash energy returns, he appears to grow in
over him, Beowulf shunted his Beast stature, his fur becoming thick and
into one of the mortals ...and slipped matted. Silver hackles rise. Claws
away as Edward Bemi
hunting buddy. Like h
encounter with the
Wyrm so long ago, th The events occur much as above (although
chance event became
blessing in disguise.
Free from the Beast
and much of his + Primal-Urge roll (Difficulty 6). Beowulf explains
urge for mortal vitae,
Beowulf was able to
Sire Roland without
fear of accidentally
killing him. Growing
increasingly lethargic
by the night, Beowulf
knew he had a limited time to educate his mouth like those of a saber-toothed
his replacement. Now satisfied that he tiger.
has done all he can for his Childe, he With blinding speed - moving
agrees to take back the Beast: “I broke so fast he is almost invisible - the
the Fifth Tradition and must do what creature which was once Beowulf
little I can to undo this wrong. But I tears into the forest, spraying pine
warn you, only a drop of Humanity needles and dirt into the air. He has
remains in my body, like mead in a not left, as a Perception + Alertness
goblet after a long night of revelry.” roll (difficulty 4) reveals, but is
Beowulf uses a point of Will- stalking the characters from a dis-
power to reunite with his Beast - and tance. Unexpectedly, he launches
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WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 45

himself at his prey, making a Dexter-
ity t Stealth roll (the difficulty being
the highest Perception t Alertness
total in the group). He adds his
successes to (or subtracts his botches
from) the next initiative roll to
simulate the effect of his sudden
pounce. On a simple failure, roll
initiative normally. Typically, he
rends his opponents for one turn and
then disengages, continuing this hit-
and-run, hamstring tactic until they
weaken. He may also jump onto a
character’s back, bearing down with
his weight and sinking in his huge
fangs. He drains the victim’s vitae
(three Blood Points per turn) until
beaten off. The players must destroy
this abomination.
Look over Beowulf’s profile. If
you think your players’ characters
would not survive a battle with him -
because they are few in number or
noncombatants - allow Beowulf to
request that the characters bind him to
the cliff face before being reunited
with his Beast. This would prevent
him from unintentionally hurting
anyone and ensure his destruction by
morning.
Conclusion
Only a few loose ends need
binding. One is the existence of
Roland. If the other Vollmonds are
anything like Selene, Roland may not
be safe in Tierburg. Should the
characters introduce him to the Prince
of Chicago (and how will he react)?
Will they help him adjust to the
difficult years of Childehood? And, if
the characters slew Beowulf, did they
really have Princely support (as
Maureen O’Leary suggested)? Your
group may answer these questions in
future stories.
Characters should leave this story
more aware of the danger of the Beast
and thus more confident in controlling
their own inner urges. For this reason,
they gain one point of Willpower
permanently. Rogue Kindred may also
46 JULY/AUGUST,1992
accused squirm, and prosecuting guilty and
innocent alike. Hunting is his favorite
Conclusion hobby: nothing can match the God-like
The Vollmonds may not power found behind the trigger.
like Cadavers, but how do the Nature: Bravo Demeanor: Director
characters feel? They may find Born: 1948 Apparent Age: 40s
themselves protecting a Vampire Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 3,
from fellow Garou. Stamina 2
Garou also gain a point of Social: Charisma 1, Manipulation 3,
Appearance 2
Willpower, but Diablerie
Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4
obviously doesn’t apply.
Instead, they may discover that Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 1, Brawl 1,
Dodge 1, Intimidation 5
the mound on Pine Rock Ridge
Skills: Drive 1, Firearms 3, Stealth 3,
is a caern waiting to be recov-
Survival 1
ered, or that an ancient fetish
Knowledges: Law 3
lies buried in the earth. You
Backgrounds: Resources 3
should define this mystic power
Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-control 3,
to suit your Chronicle. Courage 3
Humanity: 6 Willpower: 5
Image: Bemil appears to be the
reward themselves with Diablerie - archetypal Joe Average. He has dark hair,
Beowulf‘s blood is volatile but potent. brown eyes, and is of average height and
build (although getting a bit flabby due to
age and lifestyle). He is equally comfort-
Cast of Characters able in a suit or hunting jacket. While
[statistics in the new Werewolf The possessed, he is constantly wide-eyed and
flushed from exertion.
Apocalypse are listed in brackets]
Roleplaying Hints: Smile evilly.
Edward Bemil
Gnash your teeth and try to bite anyone
His colleagues see him as a dedicated
who gets close. To simulate the Beast
lawyer and supporter of justice. Deep
within, lower your voice until it hurts to
down, however, he simply enjoys
speak. When “cured”, take control of the
intimidating witnesses, watching the
confusing- situation
and demand an
explanation.
The Vollmonds
To save space, the
nine members of the
Vollmond family
share the same profile.
You may improvise
their personalities (and
customize the profile,
if you wish) on a case-
by-case basis.
Breed: varies
Auspice: varies
Tribe: Fianna
Rank: 1 for
“children”,3 for
Elders
Caern: Tierburg,
Indiana
Physical: Strength 3,
 I American. His parents He was reluctant to let Durendal - his

’ did not believe in

formal education.
’ They taught him to
only friend -outside, in case the skulking
creature was a wolf or bear. Then one night
the creature looked in his kitchen window.
read and write English It scared the hell out of him. He saw it for
but encouraged him to but a second. but the furry man-like
learn through practical creature could only be a Sasquatch!
experience. Indeed, Five nights ago, after about a week of
over the years Roland nightly visits from Bigfoot, Roland decided
has worked as to introduce the creature to his shotgun. He
carpenter, construction h e w the creature was nearby when
worker, farmhand. and Durendal hid under the kitchen table and
lumberjack. He has started to whine. Stepping outside with
seen much of Indiana flashlight and shotgun. Roland though he
and Illinois. and saw something up by the barn, but it
experienced a good moved so quickly - could it have been his
part of the 20th imagination‘?Suddenly he was grabbed
century. But he has from behind and felt a pain in his neck. The
always returned to shotgun went off. The flashlight rolled
familiar Tierburg. In around on the ground. stabbing the
his retirement. he darkness like a miniature lighthouse. As he
bought a small home lay on his driveway, watching the stars
near town and began wink out as the life drained from his body,
Dexterity 3, Stamina 3 hobby farming. he thought: “Now they’ll believe in
Social: Charisma 2. Manipulation 2, All his family and friends are dead. Bigfoot.”
Appearance 2 He has never been very social and is now Roland woke with a stiff neck. But he
Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 2 afraid to invest his feelings in others. A felt infinitely more alive and full ofenergy.
Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 3, Brawl 3, reputation for being a loner saves him the Even his eyesight seemed better than
Dodge 3, Intimidation 2, Primal-Urge 2, trouble of’dealing with people. Roland is before -he could almost see in the dark!
Search 5 actually very emotional but feels trapped Forgetting the strange events of earlier that
Skills: Animal Ken 1, Drive 2, Repair 2, by the traditional idea of masculinity. He night, Roland had a sudden urge to go
Stealth 2, Survival 2 refuses to admit that he loves children, and hiking. During this aimless walk he arrived
Knowledge: Enigmas 2, Occult 3. will not permit himself to cry. He bought a at an unused sand pit and discovered a
Rituals 2 dog to keep him
Disciplines: Animalism 1, Auspex 2. company, and
Celerity 2, Presence 1 Durendal has since
[Gifts: variable; all “children” have been a faithful friend.
starting Gifts, while the two Elders each During his long
have two Level 2 Gifts and one Level 3 life. he has witnessed
Gift in addition.] some strange events,
Backgrounds: Kinfolk 2, Resources 2, most of which occurred
Rites 2 near Tierburg at night.
Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-control 2, As a result, he readily
Courage 5 accepts the
Renown: Glory varies, Honor varies, “unnatural”. from
Wisdom varies ghosts to the Loch
Humanity: 5 Willpower: 8 Ness monster. These
[Rage: 5 , Gnosis: 51 beliefs were reinforced
For more information on Lupines. see page when, two weeks ago,
192 of Vampire: The Masquerade or Bigfoot started to come
refer to Werewolf: The Apocalypse. around his house at
Childe Roland night. At first,
Durendal would bark \\\\-
Roland was born in a farmhouse near
Tierburg. Although his father was of and Roland would
German descent and his mother had French hear noises coming Childe Roland
blood in her ancestry, they were both from the woodshed.

WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 47

horribly mangled corpse. He immediately
returned home and phoned the police. The
rest of the night passed while he answered
their questions. When his roosters
announced the coming dawn, Roland
realized he was exhausted and that the light
gave him a headache. Almost uncon-
sciously, he ended up sleeping in a
basement closet.
When "Bigfoot" returned the
following night, Roland was not afraid but
drawn to it. Since then, this creature and
Roland have spent every night together in
the wilderness, speaking of things which
no mortal should ever hear. When his Sire
became too tired to visit the house, Roland
would walk out to Pine Rock Ridge for the
night.
Roland is much more than he first
appears: he is an old man, and at the same
time still a Childe; yet he is stronger and
more knowledgeable than either. He claims
that good eating habits. regular exercise,
and the clean country air keep him healthy.
That may have been true when he was
mortal, but now it has more to do with the
potent vitae coursing though his veins. His
gruff exterior serves him well in this new
existence by keeping humans away. He
does not have to deal with certain urges,
but can survive as a farmer (in more ways
than one).
Clan: Gangrel Sire: Beowulf
Nature: Caregiver Demeanor:Loner
Generation: 8th
Embrace: Five days ago (born 1914)
Apparent Age: 60s
Physical: Strength 4, Dexterity 2.
Stamina 4
Social:Charisma 3, Manipulation 1,
Appearance 2
Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 2
Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 2. Brawl 2,
Dodge 1, Empathy 2, Intimidation 1
Skills: Animal Ken 4, Drive 2, Firearms 2,
Repair 3, Stealth 2, Survival 4
Knowledge: Medicine 2, Occult 3
Disciplines: Animalism 1, Fortitude 1,
Protean 1 [In Werewolf terms, Roland has
the ability to speak to animals, a t1 bonus
to Soak rolls, and night-sight.]
Background: Resources 1
Virtues: Conscience 5 , Self-Control 4,
Courage 3
Humanity: 10 Willpower: 7
48 JULY/AUGUST,1992
Blood Pool: 15
Max per Turn: 3
Image: An old,
wrinkled man with a
tanned and wiry body.
He has a full head of
white hair, a white-
stubbled chin, and
deep-set gray eyes. He
always wears green
coveralls, a red and
black checkered
jacket, and work
boots.
Roleplaying
Hints: Always appear
grumpy. Speak
bluntly, convey your
meaning in as few
words as possible, and
let others do most of
the talking. Tell
people to go away but at the same time Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 1,
detain them for as long as possible - even Courage 5
if it means complaining to them for not Humanity: 3 Willpower: 9
leaving! Blood Pool: 20 Max per Turn: 5
Haven: Farm house located a few Image: Difficult to describe but easy
miles outside Tierburg. to remember. Little is left of his mortal
Influence: None form except bipedal movement. His
Beowulf appearance combines the size of a grizzly,
the grace of a cougar, and the intelligent
Clan: Gangrel Sire: Grendel
eyes of a wolf. His fur moves from golden
Nature:Traditionalist Demeanor:Survivor
on the face and chest towards dark brown
Generation: 7th
on the back, with a silver mane behind the
Embrace: 561 (born 534)
shoulders. He has a small tail and
Apparent Age: can't tell
prominent fangs. At 7' tall and 300 pounds,
Physical: Strength 6, Dexterity 4,
he is both beautiful and frightening.
Stamina 5
Awesome is probably the best adjective.
Social: Charisma 1, Manipulation 2,
Roleplaying Hints: Appear sad and
Appearance 5
weary. Take slow, deep breaths. Every
Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 2, Wits 2
gesture is a visible effort. At the same time,
Talents: Alertness 5 , Athletics 5 , Brawl 5 ,
retain some nobility -remember, you
Dodge 5 , Empathy 3 , Intimidation 3,
were once a hero from legend! Attempt to
Primal-Urge 4
keep your head up and look directly at
Skills: Animal Ken 5. Stealth 2, Survival 2,
those you are talking with.
Melee 4
Haven: Pine Rock Ridge
Knowledge:Geography 1, History 2,
Occult 2, Linguistics 2
Influence: The Lupines in the area
think he is a powerful shaman, and are
Disciplines: Animalism 5 , Celerity 2,
loosely allied to him. His Herd consists of
Protean 3, Fortitude 4 [Translated, Beowulf
the forest animals. While Beowulf is an
possesses: all Gifts of the Lupus, Ahroun
Autarkis, the Elders of Chicago recognize
and Get of Fenris you deem appropriate,
his power and respect his solitude. Prior to
two additional actions per turn, night-sight,
the events in this story, Beowulf revealed
claws which do Strength t 2 damage, and
himself to every Kindred traveling though
the ability to Earth Meld.]
his Domain (much of the wilderness south
Background:Herd 5, Status 5, Allies 2
of Chicago).
 FEATURE REVIEW
I must admit right away that I have not read any of the novels
about Dream Park. Perhaps this puts me at a disadvantage when
examining the game, but I doubt it. R. Talsorian has done a very
good of presenting this product in terms even the uninformed such
as myself can digest. The small size of the book (it’s only 128 pages)
certainly doesn’t leave room for too many complications. And
Dream Park certainly doesn’t have many complications.
Also, this review 1
is based on a pre,
participate in live-action games. With the help of the sophisticated
computers and sensors, these live-action gamers can experience a
variety of adventures. They can become superheroes, wizards,
spacefarers, or, in fact, anything they can dream up. Once they have
a role, they participate in a Game devised by a Gamemaster of the
park (1.e. the Gamemaster of Dream Park). In essence, when
playing Dream Park, you play a character who is in turn playing a
character at the “real”
Dream~Park.~ . . ~ ~

release copy of the While R.

game, but R. Talsorian Talsorian claims that
assures me that I’m this is an innovative
getting a good look at concept in roleplaying
what will eventually be games, it has in fact
in the store (and been done before by
should be by the time Stellar Games in It
you read this). Bound Came to the Late,
into the back of the
perfect,bound book
I Late, Late Show,
wherein a player
will be a number of portrays an actor with
color characters cards. a role in a film. I
These are extremely personally don’t find
attractive, and the this to be a very
information is very appealing feature of
convenient and helpful either of these games.
for use in the “Quik In the case of Dream
Start Game.” The Park it allows you to
layout of the game use the game with
itself is a bit disturbing. other roleplaying
The format varies from games - e.g. your
three columns to two Cyberpunk characters
columns to one could visit Dream
column plus sidebal. 1 Park for a vacation -
The text is not uniform in size, and there seems to be a proliferation but in general I feel it detracts from the dramatic elements of
of graphics that disrupt the flow of the text. This is all to say that roleplaying.
despite being a relatively short book, it‘s not a painless read. The rulebook opens with an interesting “tour” overview of the
For those unfamiliar with the concepts involved in Dream park. Here we learn the basic layout of the park, cursory
Park, the premise is a recreation park of the future where visitors information about the technology used, and information about

50 JULY/AUGUST,1992
 some of the personalities involved
in the game as if they really
worked in the “reaFDream Park. L.
For instance, game designer Mike
Pondsmith is introduced as a Systems
Designer at the park.
Then the rules introduce the Quik
Start system of the game. Only 14 pages are
spent in this section, but the material does
serve to introduce Dream Park players to
the basic rules concepts of the game. What
this section fails to do is introduce players
to roleplaying games. Perhaps this game is
an attempt by R. Talsorian Games to reach
a broader market of players, but the Quik ’
Start system is a woeful attempt to explain
to newcomers what these games are all
about.
The characters cards mentioned above
are integral to the Quik Start, though they
also serve the convenient function of play
aids for the Gamemaster. (The front and
back of one of these cards is reproduced
nearby to give you an idea of the art and the around the maze picking up magic items Character Sheet the players is directed to
game content on the back.) The game that may each be used once; certainly the answer questions pertaining to the character
system the Quik Start introduces is way in which you use the devices will concerning motivation, personal problems
exceedingly simple. For combat, the partially determine your success), all of the and other background establishing traits.
attacker rolls one six-sided die and adds his games On beating the bad guys* The meat of a character is then
skill in the attack form used. This is These mini-games can admittedly be established with Basic Skills. These are the
compared to the defender’s roll of one die fun, but there are better board games skills you find listed on the back of the

- -- -
plus dodge. The higher total wins. Damage Without a rolePhing aspect character cards - things like Athletics,
is then calculated by simply the involved in the scenarios, this is the only Knowledge and Willpower. While you can
strength of the attack to the quality of the create a character and his Basic Skills from
defense. Both of these range from None . scratch, the easiest method is
(or Very Light Attack) to A to choose a character’s
Cosmic. Cosmic Weapons profession (essentially one
include things like 4 of the cards). Each
professions has four Basic
nuclear weapons, II Skills with value 1, three
while Cosmic

-
defenses are with value 2, two with
possessed only by 4 value 3, and one with
such things as 4 1 value 4. Each profession
MegaHeavy 1 also has a formula for
Vehicles (Star determining Base Wounds.
Destroyers and the A r From this base, a player
like). may customize his character
Following this brief
I A
I
with three additional points that
rules primer are three short may be used to add to the Basic Skills.
scenarios, like The Crystal Maze. That seems like too little flexibility,
Unfortunately, these scenarios consist possible way this scenarios can be judged. especially in a game system that uses these
entirely of small-scale battles on a playing I looked for the game to redeem itself Basic Skills in place of typical attributes like
field provided in the form of a square-grid in the sections which form the bulk of the Strength instead of in addition to such
map printed in the rulebook, While book, starting with Advanced Character. attributes, but you do have the option to
small strategies are involved in these mini- Here we do find some aspects of the game create a new profession.
games (e.g. in The Crystal Maze you run that encourage roleplaying. On the The heart of the character generation

WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 51

 system, the game, and therefore
the rulebook is the Options
section. It commands a full quarter
of the hook. Options are purchased with
Game Points, which are also the experience
point system of the game, and each
character begins with 20 Game Points.
These points are used to purchase Optional
Skills, like Hunch and Streetwise; Clerical I
Spells, like Invoke Gods and Purify;
Magical Spells, like Shapechange and
Thunderbolt; Psionic Powers, like Empathy
and PsiBolt; Superhero Powers, like Fast
Ground Speed and Invisibility; and finally
Gadgets and Gear, which includes
everything from handguns to Space
Cruisers.
Gadgets and Gear have specific Game
Point costs, but all of the other skills and
powers have variable costs depending on
how good you want to he. This is a nice .

system that works based on the premise that
harder skills are more difficult to learn. The
example given in the hook compares
driving a car to piloting a helicopter; while
a character can learn either of these skills,
because learning to pilot the copter is more
difficult, it will take more Game Points to
earn an equal level of proficiency in
piloting as in driving. Skills are rated on a
i Send $1.00 for a year’s subscription to our catalog.
i REFUNDABLEon your first order.
\ Museum Replicas Limited
i P.O. Box 840 A
Conyers, GA 30207
m
! Name
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iciiy
j State Zip
52 JULY/AUGUST,1992
scale of one to five, from Easy to Extremely
Hard, and while one Game Point buys one
point of Skill in an Easy ability, it takes five
Game Points to earn that one point of skill
in an Extremely Hard ability.
Every single skill and power is rated on
this scale, so the system is a snap to use.
Thus, while the Conjuration Magic Spell
Move Earth is considered Simple (rating 2),
the Clerical Spell Resurrection is Extremely
Hard.
In general, this is a very nice system
that is used effectively. In my mind, it‘s a
saving grace for the game, for each game a
player gets to spend his 20 Game Points on
totally new powers and skills. So if the
player wants to play a superhero during a
given game, then he can buy super powers.
Next time his character may wish to be a
holy man, so he can focus on Clerical
Spells. The system doesn’t solve the basic
problems of the strange manner of play
where you play a character playing someone
else, hut it does at least make good use of
that concept.
Next is a section called Advanced
Rules. This section introduces a number of
nice modifications to a simple but otherwise
relatively dull system. Of special note is the
Special Effects Attack rules. By using this
system, a skilled characters can make use of
excess skill points not needed to win a roll-
off with his opponent to achieve “special
effects” like disarming or pulling a punch.
A sample Game (“adventure” in
Dream Park lingo) called The Big Zombie
Pirate Game follows the Advanced Rules.
Here we see roleplaying introduced on yet
another level - one where characters are
actually interacting with NPCs. However,
the Game is essentially an action story, and
it seems as if Dream Park encourages little
more than creating an interesting
environment and background in which a
great action adventure can take place.
That’s fine, but it seems that the best
aspects of roleplaying games are lost in this
story format; namely, the roleplaying is lost.
There can be little extended campaign play
and no character continuity; characters
merely move from one short term goal to
another.
The bulk of the remaining 20-plus
pages of the book forms a section entitled
Writing Dream Park Games. This section
surprised me by presenting the game in a
way that actually made me feel the format
of the game was indeed a blessing because it
offered the opportunity to play so many
different kinds of games. I believe that
playing Dream Park could be interesting,
but I feel that the format itself is too
limiting.
In essence, Dream Park is a solid game
that does an admirable job of presenting a
concept flawed for roleplaying use. This
game is best left to a live-action format. ‘#d
r
 I

t
I"
 Feature Review
With the emphasis of progressive game systems Psychogenics, Heka, STEEPS,PMSpd, Material
(such as GURPS, Call of Cthulhu, and Vampire) Subjects from Other Spheres (demons, for the
o n relatively clear, straightforward prose, DJ reads uninitiated), MPGs, Critical, Effect and Recovery
like a throwback to the days of Aftermath and other Levels, AP/Gs, SF points, FAC and Vril, I am forced
wargame-style systems. For one thing, the book is to conclude that it is not.
enormous (408+ pages) and correspondingly priced T h e sheer amount of rules in this book is stagger-
ing. T h e type is
tiny, and at
times there is n o
art for 15 pages
at a time; the
overall effect of
opening the
book and
flipping through
Heralded by an aclverti page after page
4 hlitz of astronoinical of rules, cases,
subcases, charts,
tables, subtables,
almost comical.
system from Dungeons & and sub-
subtables is that
of a muted
groan. T h e
highly-touted release of ers’ Workshop, P.O. Box index to the
1646, Bloomington, IL charts alone
through the basic rcilebook 61 702-1646 takes up a full
page of minute
least most of th type. T h e best
terms such as example of the
“armor class” priorities of this
and “cure light
wounds” made an\/iewed by Robert Hatc I game system is
the fact that the
sense once one chapter o n
read through them. Gygax has ignored the standard combat takes up nearly ‘ / O pages, while the chapter
terminology of the roleplaying community to create o n campaigns and successful gamemastering takes up
a parlance unique to DJ, which would be all right if only seven.
it were at all user-friendly. Unfortunately, after Character generation (characters, by the way,
losing myself in a labyrinth of Heroic Personas, are not called characters in this system; they are,

56 JULY/AUGUST, 1992
 rather, Heroic Personas, or HPs for short) is rela-
tively straightforward in the basic game (known as
Mythus Prime), being handled by the simple divisio1
of 120 points among three attributes (Mental,
Physical, Spiritual); it is, however, an exercise in
number-crunching in the advanced system, where nc
fewer than 18 basic traits (with such evocative and
elegant names as physical neural capacity, spiritual
metaphysical power and mental mnemonic speed)
must be generated by individual dice rolls. Then, a
vocation (character class) must be chosen, based on
the Heroic Persona’s SEC (social class, which is
randomly rolled), and the STEEP levels for the
vocation’s K/S bundle must be calculated (in En-
glish, that means figuring out how good the HP is
with her skills). Again, the terminology hurts this
section - while it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to
figure out what “physical neural power” means, isn’t
it easier to say “dexterity”?O r “agility”?Or “re-
flexes”? O r something? Furthermore, the idea that
every HP of the same vocation has a huge bundle of
the exact same skills rubs me the wrong way.
Granted, players may choose a few extra skills to
customize their HPs, but the overall effect is still
somewhat “cookie-cutter.”

P
ALSO FROM
FLYING BUFFALO:
L

I
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 57
 Although most Heroic Personas are human, this Hero, each new genre will also have the basic rules
is by no means the only option. Dwarfs, elves, reprinted in yet another $26.00 tome. Caveat
gnomes, alfen (“near-human personas of short emptor.
stature” - and hairy feet, perhaps?), and alfar Dangerous Journeys isn’t a terrible game, if
(Viking elves with attitudes) are other options. Very one can wade through the verbal swamp. But quite
little social or cultural information is given about frankly, it isn’t a good game either, particularly in
how to play these races, but I suppose that is unim- comparison t o other multigenre systems such as
portant, as they have been around since Basic D&D GURPS and the Hero System. There is nothing
anyway. The whole idea of “standard” races and new, innovative or exciting in this volume, and it
vocations in a supposedly multigenre system strikes certainly doesn’t live up to the hype. W h a t
me as behind the times. Dangerous Journeys has essentially done is to take
T h e magic system is based around spell points a lot of standard FRPG fare, increase it t o the N t h
known as Heka (which can be conveited into “vril” degree in complexity, and market the resulting
at a 5: 1 ratio, and which is subdivided into Preter- mass at a n inflated price. This is not a system for
natural, Supernatural and Entital Heka, each of beginning garners, and advanced players will most
which is 10 times more powerful than the one before likely find one of the aforementioned systems more
it. Confused? I was.). Each spell costs a certain to their taste.‘&
amount of Heka to cast, and spells are divided into 1
“Casting Grades” according to power and difficulty.
T h e spell list is skimpy and generic, but (of course)
the Mythus Magick complementary book will be o
soon with many more spells. Speaking of spells -
maybe I’m missing something, but two of the skills
(Sorceror and Witch), while listed as spellcasting
abilities, have no spells given for them in the basic
book.
All of this is set o n the world of E r t h , which is
roughly analogous to our own world (except with
magic and monsters thrown in). Heroic Personas
can adventure in such realms as E g y p t , Francia,
Nippon and Scand; if they tire of the surface world,
there are also the subterranean realms of (I kid you
not) Shallowshadow, Midgloom and Deepdark.
Intrepid HPs may also travel to the “counter-realm”
of Phaeree, where the nonhuman population is much
stronger and more numerous. T h e setting is de-
scribed in only a cursory fashion, but the Epic of
B r t h book, soon to be released, will fill in the rest of
the details.
The list of Monstrous Personages (bad guys) is
adequate but unexceptional; the standard sword
fodder such as dragons, vampires and demons is here,
but little else. This is not necessarily a bad thing
(monsters should be few and far between in most
cases), but with all the hype about this game, DJ
could have at least included a few cool monsters to
fight.
The DJ rules, despite being touted as a
“multigenre system,” seem tied to the fantasy setting;
there are no rules for guns, space travel et al. Pre-
sumably these features will appear in later books, but
also presumably, instead of having one big basic
rulebook and supplement materials a la GURPS or

58 JULY/AUGUST,1992
 by Mark Jason Dural1
How many times have you put down a comic or a book, or walked out of a movie theater,
and thought: “Why isn’t there a game about this?” For hard-core roleplayers, this happens regularly.
Some of those garners are game designers, which explains why the field of roleplaying games has
recently become saturated with licensed products from almost all fields of interest - novels,
comics, cinema and others.

These games range from Chaosium’s excellent Call of Cthulhu, mu J J l t M Z ?

based on the moody and evocative stories of H. P. Lovecraft, through
Palladium’s runaway hit game based on the Teenage Ninja Mutant
Turtles comic series, to more recent entries such as the Amber Diceless
Role-Playing game, which is based on the works of Roger Zelazny, and
the Aliens RPG, which enables characters to fight the nasty film
creatures with characters of their own. Through the phenomenon of
licensing, you can fight supervillains and defend the Earth alongside the
Justice League International, cross swords with Fafnrd and the Grey
Mouser, smuggle vital microfilm through the crumbling Union of
Sovereign States to London where it can be processed by M.I.5 and
passed along to a certain Mister Bond, or even manipulate the Force to
aid the Rebel Alliance in their battle against the dreaded Empire.
While this vast array of licensed products is stimulating and useful
for the gamer, it should in no way deter gamemasters from creating their
own worlds. Trying to exalt licensed products over one’s own imagina,
tion is not the purpose of this article. The processes of world-building
and game creation have been covered extensively elsewhere, and this
article is intended to examine the role that licensing plays in the RPG
industry, and quite possibly in your gaming group. The focus of this
article is on licensing, and does not deal with gameaeated worlds such
as TSRs Krynn or Dark Sun, Chaosium and Avalon Hill’s Glorantha, or
Bard Games’ Talislanta. However, TSRs Dragonlance campaign world is
notable as the forerunner of games which have gone the other way -
licensed into other materials such as novels, comic books, computer
games, etc.
s m s 7YmmIS F@t?3dtC233
From the largest companies in the industry to the smallest, great
amounts of effort, time, and money are spent producing products based
on film, comic, and literary sources. There are many reasons that these
games have been and will continue to be successful,and while this list is
not complete, it touches on many of the malor points.
J Licensed game worlds are often of higher quality and greater
imagrnatlve scope than settings wntten by game designers If you had a
choice, would you rather play in a world written by a nameless (which is
not to say untalented) game designer, or would you rather romp and
adventure through worlds you know, meeting characters who have
proven their entertainment value through their success in print or film!
In the context of TSRs Dragonlance games and novels, Raatlm is
considered to be a powerful and tragic figure But can his plight compare
with the truly epic passions and tragedies of Elric ofMelnibon6 (featured
in Chaosium’s Stormbringer and based on Michael Moorcock’s Eternal
Champion novels)’
2 Many of these works are familiar to a wide range of people, and are
easier for new garners to understand and visualize Almost every gamer has
had the experience of feeling “lost”in a game world, due to either a lack
of familiarity with the setting or incompleteness on the GM’s part.
While this can sometimes be effective for games like Call of Cthulhu,
where ignorance and fear are part and parcel of a campaign, it can be
frustrating for a new player in the Traveller or Cyberpunk universes

WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 59

 While a player can
become fully
integrated into these
worlds with
experience, it is far
easier to visualize the
cinematic universe
brought to life through George Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy. The primary
motivation for game publishers to develop licensed materials is often the
fact that there is an established audience. Many authors or creators of
works will license their works for similar reasons, in hopes that they will
develop a crossover audience of gaming enthusiasts, which will have a
reciprocal effect on their original works if the game proves to be
successful.
3. It’s easier to create characters and settings, and to wite adventures,
based on what ha already been witten. Recent trends in licensed games
take this to the extreme, such as Palladium’s Teenage Ninja Mutant
Turtles, which, despite having extensive character creation rules, is at its
best when the players take on the roles of the four heroes themselves.
Gamemasters using the DC Heroes or Marvel Super Heroes rule
systems have a cornucopia of established villians, with their own motives
and methods; this allows the gamemaster to concentrate on the
adventure itself.
4.Established settings save the gamemaster time which can be better
spent playing. If one agrees with this statement, then it can be logically
assumed that even more time will be saved though the use of characters
and settings already familiar to the group through novels, films, or
comics. I am fairly certain that most people are familiar with the world of
Star Trek and therefore would not need extensive background material or
elaborate explanations as to why several different characters of vastly
different races and backgrounds are united in a single purpose.
Gamemasterswho have had especially difficult times uniting groups of
characters who normally would have little to do with each other can
sympathise. While disparate backgrounds and goals can occasionally
create elements of enjoyable tension and conflict, many players feel let
down by campaigns which begin with all of the characters just happening
to be in a bar at the time that a wizard is in need of some assistants...
Unimaginative beginnings like that will often elicit groans, while the
opening “You are all on the bridge of the U.S.S. Reliant when sensors
pick up...” is expected while playing the Star Trek RPG.
5 . These settings and characters are often those which influenced other
game designers and other games. Why settle fm the imitation? It would be
ludicrous for the designersof games such as Top Secret and Mercenaries,
Spies, & Private Eyes to say that they weren’t influenced by the world,
spanning adventures of Ian Fleming‘s debonaire master spy, and in the
first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, TSR admits that the
game was influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien’s works, as well as those of
Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber. Thanks to such efforts as Victory
Games’ (now defunct) James Bond 007, Iron Crown Enterprises’Middle
Earth Role Playing (and now The Lord of the Rings), Steve Jackson
Games’GURPS Conan, and TSRs Nehwon campaign world, garners can
adventure in the lands of their favorite heroes from books or films.
(GURPS, incidentally, should get a special notice in this article for
being the undisputed mogul of licensed products, with sourcebooksfor
Robert Adams’ Horseclans novels, Alan Dean Foster‘s interstellar
60 JULY/AUGUST,1992
Commonwealth series of books, David Brin’s Uplift novels, Philip Jose
Farmer‘s Riverworld books, The Prisoner television series, and Andre
Norton’s Witch World series, as well as the current comic-inspired Wild
Cards anthologies and collaborative novels.)
6. You can experience the thrill of playing a favorite character or
someone very similar, or meeting that character in a gaming context.
Palladium’sTNMT game provides proof of the first part of this
statement, as do most games which feature statistics for literary
characters. Many of them are intimately connected to the NPCs
presented in the source material, and are almost unplayable without
them. Most licensed games offer this as an option, and while it isn’t the
same as playing a character you’ve created, it makes for excellent one,
shot or limited campaigns, as well as exciting tournament or convention
play. Most of the superhero scenarios for DC Heroes or Marvel Super
Heroes are designed specifically for a particular hero or group of heroes.
The second part of the above statement is true for some of the same
reasons, as well as others - in a Stormbringer campaign, for example,
the characters have only to hear a rumor that Elric is coming to town
before they’ll try to get out as quickly as possible. Phage Press’ Amber
Diceless Role-Playing, while not completely dependent upon the
characters created by Roger Zelazny, really shines when they are used as
incredibly powerful NPCs who occasionally interact with the fledgling
characters. It is the thrill of meeting fictional characters in the gaming
environment which perhaps makes the field of licensed products the
most popular in the genre.
T@P @‘Frlh3 N2AP
Despite all these benefits, there are many licensed products that are
considerably less successful than game designeraeated worlds. Many
projects are too obscure to warrant full roleplaying systems, such as
Chaosium’s Ringworld, an out,of,print science fiction system based
mainly upon two hooks by Larry Niven, or British television seriesebased
Doctor Who (from FASA).Has anyone heard of Jack Chalker‘s novel
Midnight at the Well of Souls?Well, there’s an RPG based on it.
Sometimes games are based on source material that isn’t interesting to
roleplayers, such as Delta Force from Task Force Games. Perhaps the
scope of the source material is too limiting, such as Chaosium’sElfquest,
which nearly forces characters to take on the roles of Wolfriders in the
world created by Richard and Wendy Pini in their comic series, or Game
Workshops’Judge Dredd, in which all players are assumed to be law
officers in MegaCity One. Perhaps one of the worst of this last type of
RPG was TSRs Indiana Jones, a game in which players merely follow
Indiana Jones’footsteps, taking the roles of his followers from the films.
Other failures in licensing are harder to explain, such as the fact
that TSR marketed a poorlysselling roleplaying game based on Robert E.
Howard’s Conan series long before Steve Jackson Games took over the
license (though this might have had more to do with the rules system,
which lacked the grittiness one expects from a game based on the violent
barbarian hero). TSRs original release of Lankhmar (based on Fritz
Leiber‘s Fafnrd and the Grey Mouser series of stories ) was in 1985, and
only in the last few years has TSR given serious attention to the
property, which the company now supports with an excellent range of
modules, sourcebooks,and other materials.
All this considered, it is with some caution that a game publisher
will commit the money to purchase a license these days. Knowing which
 literary or film settings warrant a unique and specific game system and
which can be turned into a sourcebook for existing rules is a tricky
decision to make, and can turn into a windfall or a loss. The safest course
today seems to be the latter option; as a result, universal systems like
GURPS, Hero, and Rolemaster lead the field in licensed products.
Chaosium attempted this generic systemspecific world idea earlier than
most with their Basic Role Playing system (derived from Runequest), but universal systems, however, you can publish the rulebook and have
took a loss with poorly selling games like Ringworld, Elfquest, and access to a wider array of moreor-less compatible supplements, with the
Hawkmoon (also based on Michael Moorcock‘s Eternal Champion option of creating your own world in the future using the system.
novels). GURPS fans can play Conan one week, Riverworld the next, then go
straight into Camelot, Wild Cards, and Japan, while only having to
CJJ@OSOhYGV$m%JW@LY58T@ !@.z familiarize themselves with one set of rules.
Looking at the vast number of licensed products on the market
3. Is the world completely covered in his volume, or will you be
committed to buying a lot of sourcebooks and companion volumes to play?
today, a prospective gamemaster or player has a pretty big choice to make
Some campaign worlds are too big for one book. Garners love lots of
if he or she wishes to forego creating an entire world, and would rather
volumes, and will generally buy anything available for favored systems,
adventure in an pregenerated, familiar world from another medium.
but beginners might be reluctant to lay down so much cash just to try a
Some simple guidelines:
game out. Unfortunately, most game stores or libraries are a long way
1. Is this publisher one you can trust? Ask other customers or clerks at
away from lending roleplaying games out. While it has gotten a lot of
the game store where you shop. Look at other products put out by that
critical attention and praise from gamers and designers alike, I have seen
company. Is the company involved devoted to producing a quality piece
more than a few gamers put off by the number of books which West End
of work, or is it just trying to make a buck off a current fad? Be sure to
puts out for Star Wars. True, you don’t need all the books to play;
look for Mayfair‘s Batman in bargain bins everywhere.
indeed, you only need a couple, but that’s rarely obvious to novice
2. Is is a compkte game in itself, or a licensed supplementfor an existing
garners or people who haven’t bought the basic rulebook.
game system? Most companies are careful about labeling their games as
4. How much control do you want over this world? How faithful an
supplements, but be careful and check anyway. There are good and bad
adaptation are you looking for! Are you fond of crossing genres, or are
points to this. You can feel ripped off if you get home and find out that

* WHO 1s THlS WOMAN, AND WHY DOES HER *

r

CORASTINBODYGUARDLOOKS0NERVOUS? 1
The answers await you on

Originally published in 1985, this science-fantasy RPG set

standardsin character developmentand world background,
as well as featuring some of the finest artwork to ever grace
a RPG. Back due to popular demand, SkyrealmsPublishing
and CHESSEX have re-issued this game as an updated, 200-
page book. More info, more artworlc, and more adventure
than ever before! Ask for it at your local retailer. Retailers,
call your local supplier! Stock # SR 2000.
Get Ready To Leave Your World Behind...Agdn.
Dealer Inquiries Welcome. Send SASE to: Chessex. 2990 San Pablo Ave.. Berkeley CA 94702
In Australia. contact. Ventura Games. Sydney. In Canada, contact: T.D. Imports. Calgary AB.
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WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 61

 you strict about
sticking to the
guidelines set forth in
the game world?Both
of the major
superhero games
(Marvel Super
Heroes and DC Heroes) are wide open for whatever the gamemaster
wantS to throw in: time travel, aliens, natural disasters, comedy, horror,
etc...,but can you get away with a pulp superhero flying through Call of
Cthulhu! A vampire in James Bond 007! Conan as a would-beJedi
Knight! You get the picture...
5. If you’re a big fan of that world and feel that your players will enjoy
playing in it as much 11s you enjoyed reading or seeing it, then go for it. Ignore
the rest of the rules if this is the case, and have a great time.
A U l M l3osu: NZW P@sso~o&Ouo~s
P@@
PUB&RSRZRS @R~ A ~ J ~ J ~ ~ S F Z ~ S
While you might say that there’s already a glut of licensed material
on the market, be certain that there will be a lot more. In an effort to
broaden the field, and save game designers some time when looking for
ideas, here are suggestions for eight world or campaign settings from film,
comics, or books which are just aching to be developed into games or
sourcebooks.
Since companies generally have a certain “feel”to their work, this
listing is given in alphabetical order, based on the game companies
which would be appropriate publishers of the suggested licenses. If the
suggestions make sense, and make you want to spend your hardeeamed
money on them, then write to the companies and ask them ‘(Why don’t
you publish , . . ?” If you’re a would-be bigtime game writer and designer,
send them a letter beginning “I’d like to . . .” If you’re a do-it-yourselfer
and aren’t after fame and fortune (or what substitutes for them in RPG
design), you should pay a lot of attention to the last section of this
article.
As of this writing, these worlds have not appeared as either
roleplayinggames or supplementary materials (as far as I know...). Some
might be completely unsuitable for development, due to expensive or
unavailable licenses, a limited appeal, or similar products already on the
market. It is left to the would-be game designer, adaptor or publisher to
determine the status of these licenses if professionalpublication is
desired; of course, for people who just want these settings for their own
gaming use, no permission is required. Just don’t sell it or call it your
own.
And so, without further ado, here are eight settings or suggestions
which I feel would make excellent roleplaying game products and the
companies which might develop them.
3834YAMh18Ild5 @AJNd t@JXPAhW
@a85T@ T&d@AMX%
8JlTtJ!~~lR~@S
by Douglas Adams.
This British radio showdtumed-bookset BBC television series
standards in humorous science fiction and fantasy, motivating dozens of
writers to create books “in the Hitchhiker‘sGuide to the Galaxy vein’’
62 JULY/AUGUST,1992
and possibly inspiring roleplaying games like West End Games’ Paranoia
and Avalon Hill’s Tales of the Floating Vagabond. The setting: the
wide and wooly Universe after the destruction of Earth for a hyperspatial
express route. The cast: a bunch of no-accounts, leftover Earthlings, a
terminally depressive robot, and a perky, talking spaceship with the
personality of an Avon Lady. The four-part “trilogy”takes the main
characters (and other innocent hangerpod throughout the galaxy,
thumbing rides on assorted spaceshipsand dodging through random time
streams, to encounter the Big Bang, the end of the Universe, and a lot of
funny stuff in between.
Tying the whole series together is the humorous and often
exasperating Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy, a computerized
encyclopedia of misleading and often highly subjective entries aimed
towards the less-discrimating(i.e. cheap) starfarer. Sample entry: Earth:
Mostly hartnkss. The HGTTG offices employ thousands of reporters who
roam the millions of known worlds in search of action, adventure, and
free drinks in galactic press boxes.
Characters in a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy RPG could be
roving reporters or others caught up in their travels, general riff,raff, or
even the very hitchhikers the book is aimed at. The game system would
have to be very free-form- fast and loose, aimed at maximum hilarity
and minimum ruleplaying. Players of Toon, Ghostbusters, Paranoia, and
Tales from the Floating Vagabond might enjoy this game, which would
have to be set up with dozens of parenthetical entries in the Guide
designed to be read at appropriate (or just plain funny) moments.
Perhaps game modules would even be marketed with recorded versions of
Guide entries for those who would enjoy hearing the matter,of,fact voice
reciting sheer lunacy. The game has already been adapted into a
computer game, which shows that author Adam is receptive to further
interpretations of his work.
Avalon Hill has produced the hilarious Tales from the Floating
Vagabond, and puts out a quality piece of merchandise. The other home
for this game is West End Games, creator of Paranoia and Ghostbusters.
The main reason that Avalon Hill was chosen is because West End
should be busy with their Dune project (see below).
Source Material -The Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy, &
Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, The Universe and
Everything, and So Lone and Thanks For All the Fish, by Douglas
Adams, as well asThe Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy, a television series
by the BBC sometimes shown on public television. Records of the first
two books are available from Hannibal Records.
4HA@Sl@JXu iM*
Tfid n@RB@ @ 8 @ 8 @ S u
by E. R. Eddison.
Possibly the finest fantasy novel ever written, The Worm
Ouroboros surpasses even J. R. R. Tolkien’sLord of the Rines in scope,
heroism, style, and wonder. The Worm Ourorobos is a towering
achievement in the field of fantasy literature. It is the tale of a mighty
war between the forces of several great nations on a world called
Mercury, and each page breathes with vigor and wonder in an fabulously
ornate, often difficult-to-read language that has no equivalent in 20th
century literature. Reading O u r o b G is a supremely consuming task,
sometimes taking several tries, but is worth every iota of effort. Eddison’s
name belongs in the ranks of fantasy grand-masters,along with those of
C. S.Lewis, Tolkien, Lord Dunsany, and James Branch Cabell (another
great but sadly neglected fantasy author).
The warring nations of the book are named for creatures of Earth’s
mythology and folklore. Heroic Demons (blessed with milk,white skin
and small, oftendecorated or jeweled horns) ride into battle against the
degenerate and sneering Witches, their former allies in a great war
against the Ghouls. Other races include Goblins, Pixies, Imps; indeed,
most of the great fantasy monsters are present here, and the epic world,
spanning quest is nom de rigeur for this setting. What must be done to set
Mercury apart from standard fantasy settings is to increase the richness of
the background and emphasize the heroic and fantastic elements of
roleplaying. If a character wants to spend five minutes describing what
he is wearing, down to the last buckle on his boot, then let him as long
as it is interesting. The gamemaster should detail non,player characters
with equal care, creating foes and allies worthy of strong, broadly-painted
emotions. Heroism is to be respected and striven for, and treachery ranks
beside black magick as an action unworthy of noble men. It is not a
world for meaningless abstractions like Law and Chaos. However, Good
and Bad are as easily recognized as white and black hats in old Westerns.
What The Worm Ouroboros needs to be translated successfully
into roleplaying terms is a game system that emphasizes heroism,
storytelling, passions, glory, honor, and the entire epic feel, without
getting bogged down into the gritty mechanics of armor class, saving
throws, encumbrance, weapons range, or other mainstays of most fantasy
systems. A basic,but,elegant system like Chaosium’sArthurian
roleplaying game Pendragon is the perfect example of these principles,
with emphasis on character passions, glory, and the lonpterm campaign.
Chaosium is perhaps the most literary publisher of licensed products,
with Call of Cthulhu, Pendragon, Ringworld, Stormbringer, and
Hawkmoon all based on novels, and Prince Valiant and Elfquest from
comics. This game would provide American gamers an invaluable
chance to really use simply awful pseudwKingJames Bible/
Shakespearean English, full of thees, thous, doths, and hasts, because in
an Ouroboros game, it would be mandatory to speak like that. Dost thou
agreeth?
Source Material - The Worm Ouroboros, by E. R. Eddison, recently
reprinted in an annotated version.
JMIY?&M? 3%11WS* Ma
a 2 m ! d G J&l$PJlJ*
by Jack Vance.
Set in Earth’s 21st Aeon, a world where the sun is at its zenith,
hanging red and bloated in the sky, this series of stories chronicles the
adventures (and misadvantures) of a cast of characters such as Cugel the
Clever (a rogue entirely too smart for his own good), Iucounu the
Laughing Magician, and Rhialto the Marvelous,conjurer extraordinaire.
It is a world of baroque majesty, strange and magnificent enchantments,
fabulouscreatures, and unlikely coincidences
The books’ greatest interest to roleplayinggamers (aside from being
simply marvellously written and inventive), however, is the magic system
Vance posits, with bizarre and imaginative enchantments such as The
Spell of Forlorn Encystment, The Green and Purple PostponementofJoy, The
Excellent Pnsmatlc Spray (sound familiar, AD&D fans’), The Spell of
Internal Effervescence,
Arnboult ‘s
Sequesmous Digrtalia,
and many others,
equally original and
bizarre. Vance’s
magical system is the root of the AD&D system’s spell memorization,
though the spells are far more powerful (magicianstherefore,are limited
to fewer, more potent spells which always work) and there is no
equivalent to the level learning system. There are several species of
magical beings such as the sandestins and daihaks, extraplanar creatures
used by sorcerers to perform simple tasks or to power their spells. These
beings must Se bargained with, making for excellent roleplaying
possibilities.
The focus of this world is on the magicians, who are as diverse,
extravagant, and obnoxious a lot as can be expected. Using their magic
for cosmetic effects and cultivating their own idiosyncratic styles, they
are as much showmen as sorcerers. An excellent campaign could involve
a group of these magicians, who are so common in the Dying Earth
(though not nearly so powerful as they were in past millenia).
Mayfair Games publishes an excellent series of generic game supplements
called Role A d , which has focused on specific fantasy races, presented
multiqstem game modules, and detailed characters and monsters from
myth and fiction. The setting would be ideal as a multl-systemproduct
with stats for using it in a few appropriate game systems. The b i n 2
could also make an excellent alternative Ars Magica setting, but
would be difficult to adapt into other games’ rigid magic systems which
do not allow for the creation of new spells. Still, one pities the poor game
designer having to allocate spell cost points and determine effects for The
Inside Out and O w , a spell which inverts the building or landscape
around the caster.
Source Materials -The b i n g Earth, The Eyes of the Ovenvorld,
Cupel’s Saga, and Rhialto the Marvellous, by Jack Vance. The Duest for
Simbilis, by Michael Shea. “Vance’s Evocation of Arcane Delight,”an
article by Simon Nicholson in White Dwarf (issue 93, September 1987).
&Jg6@)@@@ gj&/jy&4yP
written by Earl Mac Rauch and directed by W.D. Richter.
The ultimate collision of particle physics, rock and roll, Zen
mysticism, and ’50s sci-fi movies, “BuckarooBanzai” is the tale of a group
of highly talented and diverse adventurers and musicians bound together
by one man (a postmodern Renaissance man named Buckaroo Banzai, a
sort of Doc Savage for the %Os), as they battle an alien menace that
threatens the Earth with nuclear destruction. Besides being a repository
for a surprisingnumber of fine actors, the film (and novelization) set up a
world of hip, competent heroes prepared for everything, with special
vehicles and a helpful network of backup assistants.
Players in a “BuckarooBanzai” roleplaying game would be able to
take on the roles of characters from the films or create their own Hong
Kong Cavaliers (Banzai’smusical band). The latter would be far more
enjoyable,letting the players create diverse and interesting dream
characters with few limitations, the only requirement being an ability to
play a musical instrument. This setting would lend itself well to most
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 63
 types of adventure,
allowing the
gamemeaster to cross
and combine genres
with impunity.
W h y Palladium?
The Palladium rules
system is compatible with almost all of their games, allowing Buckaroo
Banzai gamemasters access to mutant animals from Teenage Ninja
Mutant Turtles, superheroes and gadgets from Heroes Unlimited,
martial arts from Ninjas and Superspies, and even giant robots and
mega.technology with Robotech and Rifts. This game setting would
appeal primarily to players of Tors or Dark Conspiracy, and maybe even
some Top Secret S.I. or Mercenaries, Spies, & Private Eyes fans, with
some possible converts from Call of Cthulhu and pulpadventure games
like HERO’SJustice, Inc.
Source Material -Buckaroo Banzai, screenplay by Earl Mac Rauch
and directed by W. D. Richter. Buckaroo Banzai, film novelization by
Earl Mac Rauch.
T4&S@RlAN64rnBp lNC
B@R@gRr@UNp
edited and created by
Terry Windling and Mark Alan Arnold.
In these collaborative anthologies, the premise is an intriguing one
similar to the concepts explored in FASA’s Shadowrun. Something
undefined has caused the return of the forces of Faerie to Earth,
manifesting itself in one or more major cities which have become mixing
places between the two planes. Elves walk the streets in gang colors and
mohawks, and the cities have become meccas for disenfranchised or
aliennated youth. Magic rules in the Bordertown, and the law is as
powerless and randomly effective as the technology it depends upon. The
punk scene reigns in Bordertown, mixing the haunting melodies of the
Elfin kindred with the earthly chords of rock and roll. It can be a violent
or beautiful place, depending on who you run with, and the streets are
filled with a mix of runaway kids, street gangs, old residents, Elves and
other Faerie folk, private eyes searching for lost kids, and musicians of all
styles.
The roleplaying game would have to take into account the sporadic
effectivenessof technology and the magic utilized to take its place -
enchanted spellboxes to run motorcycles,arcane amplifiers,and gremlin-
run computers. The setting is one of a city in waste, with treasures to be
had for lucky scavengers,and magical curses or death for those who steal
from the wrong gang‘s turf. The tension of the gangs infiltrates all levels
of life, making this fantasy milieu one which has a real-world counterpart
in New York or Los Angeles, possible sites for the unnamed Bordertown.
Worthy of a system in its own right, Bordertown would work for R.
Talsorian, who have shown that they have the edge needed to pull off
this game. Wild enough to publish Teenagers from Outer Space, they
are also the creators of the grim and sleek Cyberpunk. Bordertown might
lure players away from Shadowrun, offering a less science-fictionbased
version of the same premise. It would bridge the gap between those who
like high fantasy and those who enjoy films like “Escape from New
York.”
64 JULY/AUGUST, 1992
Source Material - Borderland, Bordertown, and Life on the Border,
anthologies edited by Terry Windling and featuring Bellamy Bach, Ellen
Kushner, Craig Shaw Gardner, and many of the w a u t h o r s .
l3l4Vaffl
edited by Will Shetterly and Emma Bull.
Actually based on a roleplaying campaign, this series of anthologies
is similar to Robert Asprin’s Thieves‘ World (which has been adapted
into a multi-system game supplement by Chaosium) though more
imaginative,far more stylish, and more internally consistent. Stories are
set mostly in the city of Liavek, “city of luck and mystery,”an Arabian
Nights-influencedcity on the the edge of a great desert.
Players can become one of the Scarlet Guard, fledgling artists,
Bedouins, or members of the Green Church, an order of suicides.
Characters may steal, lead caravans across the wasteland or merchant
ships across the Sea of Luck, or engage in high society pistol and sword
duels. Useful appendices in the first book in the series of five detail the
city, the monetary system, races, culture, religions, weapons, history, and
a unique and interesting magic system which is free and powerful, yet
with some significant and logical limitations. All of the books are shot
through with elements of poetry and legends or folktales from the land,
suitable for inclusion as atmosphere and possible scenario ideas, and the
surrounding lands are often the settings for stories, making it less
claustrophobic than the Thieves’ World collections.w s cast is
wonderfully drawn, and the world is open for intrigue and adventure.
GURPS is flexible enough to cover this world, which might not work for
a full system, but which deserves a place alongside their Witch World,
Wild Cards, and Horseclans supplements.
Source Material - m, Liavek: The Players of Luck, Liavek: Wizards
Row, Liavek: %ells of Binding, and Liavek: Festival Week, anthologies
edited by Will Shetterly and Emma Bull, featuring stories by noted
authors like Gene Wolfe, Jane Yolen, Steven Brust, Alan Moore,
Charles de Lint, and Walter Jon Williams, in addition to the editors and
a host of other authors.
@%srPJv@ 6&m!S
@u@g
by Frank Herbert
A science fiction epic based on themes of ecology,genetics,
religion, and Machaivellian plotting, Duns follows the story of a religious
leader in the far future who unites a galaxy under his name. The fact that
the only attempt to translate the immensely popular Dune into a game
was Avalon Hill’s strategy and card game is stunning. Six novels, a film,
a comic adaptation, toys, and a Dune Encyclopedia have left the setting
well documented, with alien and future human languages and cultures
well developed.
The series spans thousands of years, encompassesdozens of worlds,
and features alien races as diverse as Tleilaxu Face Dancers, technologi.
cally advanced Ixians, and once-human Guild Navigators capable of
folding space. This vast sweep of setting gives roleplayersa rich
environment for plotting with the great Houses of the Lansraad and
shaking the control of the Bene Gesserit, a religious order of women
possessing superhuman powers of body and mind. Technology is Heroic Worlds
reasonably devoped and even provides for the possibility of resurrecting (Prometheus Books,
dead characters (who become Tleilaxu gholas, apparently limitless clones 1991), an invaluable
of a deceased individual). Character classes like Mentat, Suk Doctor, and guide to roleplaying
Swordmaster add flair to the campaign setting. games. It charts their
The late Frank Herbert seemed to be laying the ground for such an history, catalogues
adaptation, with a dictionary of terms, history, and essays on the them by genre, and reviews thousands of RPG products. It is a reference
environment and technology in the appendices of the first book of the tool no serious roleplayingenthusiast should be without, and was
series. West End Games, with their proven winner Star Wars, would be indespensable in preparing this article.
a natural to release such a game, though GURPS or Rolemaster would If any of the ideas here appeal to you (or you can think of
also be appropriate using the sourcebook format. West End Games is able something else that I didn't mention) and you don't feel like waiting for
to put out a product that looks incredible -hardcover, fullTcolor someone else to do it for you, then do it yourself. Go through the source
photographs, etc... and would make a Dune RPG which would be well material with a fine-toothed comb, listing every detail that might have
worth the cost and a fitting tribute to Frank Herbert. some gaming application. Decide how the game might be played. What
Source material- Dune,Dune Messiah Children of Dune, God Emperor are the strong points of the world you want to game in! Choose a game
of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert. system that will help you bring out the features which make the world
The Dune Encyclopedia.Dune, a motion picture directed by David worth the effort -don't subjugate them to the rules. If the game system
Lynch. can't be "bent" enough to fit into your idea of what it should be, then
make up your own rules. They don't have to be official; hundreds of
gaming groups have been using their own house rules for campaignsfor
years.
In the end, the choice to play within a licensed game world or a
a film written and directed by Clive Barker. world created specifically for a roleplaying game is yours to make. This
This is a film about Boone, a man framed for murder and chased by article contends that the originals are probably more satisfying than the
both the law and his own dreams into Midian, a strange city inhabited by diluted creations within the industry, but licensed games are risky
halfahuman creatures of the night. There he becomes Cabal, their savior, propositions, so don't expect worlds unique to the roleplaying industry to
leading the armies of the night into the world, where they must hide suddenly disappear.
from the sight of man and the light of the sun. Though hardly a classic of
modem cinema, the film is original and imaginative,and would make an
excellent setting for a horror,based RPG. I
The original novella, a beautifully assembled photobook, and an PARANOI,
ongoing comic book series from Epic Comics all complement the world MINIFIGS
set forth in the film. Players would relish the opportunity to play these RAFM
strange, frightening,yet sympathetic creatures of the night, lending PRINCEAUGUST
CITADEL
mood and tragedy to gaming sessions. While the rules would almost
VAMPIRE
certainly emphasize roleplaying and storytellingover dice rolling and GURPS
game mechanics, the character creation system would have to be GDW
designed to handle almost anything! While the Nightbreed in the film 10% Off All Items!
AND
end with a mission, this does not limit the gaming possibilities to merely CHESSEX
DICE
fulfilling that goal. The film is ripe for a sequel, which makes it quite
suitable for a roleplaying campaign. While not listed as an influence for
AND ACCESSORIES
1 TORG
White Wolfs Vampire: The Masquerade, its portrayal of monsters as WE EVEN HAVE
heroes is very similar, and would make an excellent supplement or game COMPUTERGAMES! f
using the same rules. White Wolf, with Vampire: The Masquerade,
defines modem horror in roleplaying, and would be the proper home for
this product. I 11ALL THREE FOR ONLY

(This choice was a bit of a toss,up, as The b i n e Earth seemed

more appropriate for the publishers of Ars Magica, the definitive magic-
based RPG, and "Nightbreed" might breathe some life into the lackluster
Chill game from Mayfair.)
> 1 I $10
Source Material -Nightbreed, written and directed by Clive Barker.
Cabal, written by Clive Barker. Clive Barker's "The Nightbreed" i 09b College Avenue
Chronicles, written by Clive Barker and photographed by Murray Close. I;)lacksburg, Virginia 24060
Nightbreed, published by Epic Comics; various writers and artists. Bi 1-800-747-8607
This primary source of reference for this article, besides the listed
source material and the games themselves, was Lawrence Schick's
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 65
 The 3rd in The Storyteller System-

4598B Stonegate Ind. Blvd. Stone Mtn. GA 30083


Ars Magica
Black Death
Rating = 4
Publisher. White
Wolf, 4598-B
Stonegate Industrial
Blvd., Stone
Mountain, GA 30083
Author Thomas M.
Kane
Price: $12.95
Reviewed by Matthew
Gabbert
o n e of my favorite aspects of White wolfs
Ars Magica fantasy RPG is its authentic medieval
flavor. Now one of the biggest influences on the
Middle Ages, the Black Death, is the subject of a
new story supplement
The story begins when word reaches the
players’ Covenant that a plague has struck the not-
too-distant town of Montrouge Even worse news
arrives: a Covenant near the town has fallen,
apparently as a result of the same plague The player
characters receive a plea for help from the survivors
of the devastated Covenant and must decide
whether to send help to their brethren or to descend
like vultures on the us-rich remains.
Once they arrive at the stricken area, the
playersdiscover that there are
powers, both
magical and mundane, battling for control of the
region. Between terrorized peasants, scheming magi,
ambitious bandit leaders, the
Isolated
Inquisition and shadowy demonic influences, the
player characters will definitely have their hands
full, no matter what course they choose.
‘‘BlackDeath“ IS almost a mlnl-saga. Even if
the players do manage to put things right in
Montrouge, they will he embroiled in the area’s
reconStructlon and redevelopment for many years to
come. The supplement is jam-packed, cover-to,
1
LL
cover, with richly detailed information. However, Special notes on mechanics for the regio,
this points out one serious flaw: there is no index as well as placement suggestions and
and only a very simple table of contents That’s a story ideas for incorporating it into
shame because there’s so much useful material here, your Saga, conclude each chapter.
if only the Storyguide can find it. And since Black As an example, the Battlefield is an
Death uses a very free-form plot structure, you will Infernal regio - a playground for demons who
probably find yourself constantly flipping through torment the lost souls of the warriors who fought in
the book looking up stuff. a long-forgotten battle and who occasionallyseek
However, the wealth of Storyguide characters out living recruits for their evil sport.
(NPCs), locales, and subplots makes up for any I enjoyed “Mythic Places” and look forward to
organizational weakness. Quite simply, the theme is seeing more supplements like it. Each regio could be
thought-provoking, the plot is original, and the easily dropped into an ongoing Story or just as easily
roleplaying is challenging. All in all, “Black Death expanded to be the focus of a new Story. No matter
is one supplement you should tty to catch how they get there, your players will find that being
in a mythic place is more than half the fun.
Mythic places DC Heroes
Rating = 3
Publisher: White Wolf,
4598-8 Stonegate
Industrial Blvd , Stone
Mountain, GA 30083
Games, lnc , P.O. Box
Author CarlSchnurr
Price: $9.95
Reviewed by Matthew
Gabbert
“Mythic Places”
is the first in a new -
Series of supplements for White Wolfs Ars Magics
fantasy RPG that develops the “regio”concept first
introduced in “Faeries” A regio is a multi-layered
one of those
area that extends from the mundane world into a
place dominated by one of the four supernatural
characterswho seems to be conslstent~ypopular,but
in a low-key kind of way. has produced a
powers. Provided in this first installment are two
sourcebook and adventure for those loyal
Faerie regio and one for each of the other realms:
fanswho have kept the Swamp nlng
and
Magical, Divine, and Infernal,
comic on the shelf and the series on the air.
After a brief introduction and a review of the
Author Ray Winninger guides the reader and
regio rules for those new to the concept, the
player through the history of the Swamp Thing from
supplement gets to work and presents the mythic his throughhis later convoluted
places from whence It derives Its title. Each area
adventures through time. Following the history,
description chapter a standard, Wlnnlnger sectlons on how to roleplay the
format, starting with an overview, then progressing
Swamp Thing, his friends and lovers, enemies/
a SecrionOn each succeeding level Of the regio
opponents,and a brief data sheeton the swamp
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 67
 itself. Following the sourcebook is a very playable
solitaire adventure, something Mayfair does so well.
As usual, Winninger follows the comics well,
and provides the reader with information on various
creatures, NPCs, gadgets, and powers in their
appropriate sections. For example, the very first
group of characters we are introduced to are Alec
Holland and both the Len Wein/Berni Wrightson
and Alan Moore incarnations of the Swamp Thing.
The history is not exhaustive, but it is
interesting and well-written. It flows well into the
second section on roleplaying the Swamp Thing.
This section is perhaps the best in the book. Major
questions about Swamp Thing‘s attitudes and
descriptionsof his abilities are presented and dealt
with in-depth.
The following sections on friends and enemies
is also well-done.The last section on the area itself
includes information about the swamp and a map of
the town of Houma, the home of Alec Holland.
The title of the solitaire adventure is “Racing
With the Rats”, and Swamp Thing, infected with
toxic waste and trapped in a delusion, must keep
from going crazy and bring himself or itself back to
conditions are removed.
Overall, 1 found the writing to be up to the
usual high Winninger standards, and I enjoyed
reading it. The texts on friends and enemies do not,
however, provide descriptions of the NPCs, and
there are only a few illustrations of them, so the GM
is on hisher own for a description. I have mentioned
this before in earlier reviews, but 1feel illustrations,
especially in games like DC Heroes and its Marvel
equivalent, are essential. The games are, after all,
based on a graphic medium, and description of
individuals or creatures is every bit as important as
the description of places.
I do recommend this as an important work for
any individual or group using the Swamp Thing
character, or even interested in doing so. They will
learn a lot, and have fun as well.
Herr rlames
Fantasy Hero
Companion I1
Rating = 3
Publisher: Hero
Games/Iron Crown
The “Fantasy Hero Companion II” is a 160-
page sourcehook for Fantasy Hero.
The first section, “Playing Fantasy Hero,”
starts with a new race called the Winged People, 11
new character archetypes, rules for ships and naval
combat, and rules for barding and jousting.
The second section is “Locations,”with four
new mapped locations: a dwarven mine, a mosque, a
jail, and a stable. None of these are exceptional hut
they could be quite useful for certain adventures.
The Magic section opens with a fairly useful
one-and-one-half page discussion of the different
types of magic and is followed by optional magic
rules with some interesting ideas, tables for the quick
construction of magic items, and almost 40 ready-
made magic items.
Following the Magic section is the Spell Book
with 19 new magic colleges including Kleptomancy,
the magic of stealing magic; Chaos Magic; Dragon
Magic; and two new sets of priestly magic spells for
the Church of Order and the Sun Priests, for a total
of more than 300 new spells.
Closing the book are the Guilds of the
Western Shores, ten organizations to add to your

I
reality. One of the differences between this campaign such as the Ashirashin (drug-using
Enterprises, P.O.
Box
adventure and earlier solitaires is that when certain assassins, based on the historical Middle Eastern
1605,Charlottesville,
choices are made, “conditions” are put into effect Assassins),the Brotherhood of the Holy Inquisitors,
VA 22902
which will also influence the results of your actions. and the Wolf Cult.
Authors: Mark
There are 15 different conditions, but how they Overall, the second Fantasy Hero Companion
Bennett, et al.
influence the game is never made clear, which is useful for both players and GMs, but most helpful
Price: $16.00
actually helps the user feel a sense of wonder or
curiosity about what will happen later. A number of
Reviewed by Sean
Holland
I for the GM; if you play or GM Fantasy Hero, then
it is worth a look.
conditions can be active at once, and at times

T W I N ENGINE GAMING PRESENTS:

~

I‘ Out Time Days

a game of Time Tmvel in an alternate dimension
THE EXPERIENCE: OTD is a game of life on a
strange world. Although populated by a variety of
Space Combat
a game of pure tactical combat...
in a rather uniclue environment
oull br fighting in an cdgelcss contest zonc aboard liv-
semi-humanoid races, it is nothing like the Earth g crcaturcs. Spacc Combat is almost all combat, with
that your character left behind. Gone is the industri- ,meroom for diplomacy. OKcnsivc actions includc
al might of large nations. The multi-talented worker e creature’s Psychic Screams to mentally disrupt
is a thing of the past. Even your famed Time Jump hers. launching Inverse Mincs that will implode
’
ing skills have been cnecked to a certain degree. tar your enemy. freeing Spores to destroy inter-
1 ,
However, you do happen to be one of the few Tim ds, using Nerve Pulscs to prurrlyzc pesky scouts.
Jumpers on this world, and that in itself is a major strength. id Virally Infecting your opponcnt in the h o p s of
You’ll choose one of several sects to work with, or attempt to king over their alien. Each turn comes with a special full-page graphic
create your own from scratch, which will help set your general meth- printout of your cnding position to aid
od of operation. As each new time opens,there are new discoveries to you in planning.
1 make, new lands to chart, and new pzople to meet. The world awaits
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s y to learn, but difficult to master.
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68 J U L Y / A U G U S T ,19 9 2
 Heroes Unlimited
Villains Unlimited
Rating = 3
Publisher: Palladium Books, 5926 Lonyo Ave,
Detroit, MI 48210
Author: Kevin Long 6.Kevin Siembieda (6.several
others)
Price: $19.95
Reviewed by Charles Peirce
“Villains Unlimited is the first product
released for the revised Heroes Unlimited. Though
earlier supplements are easily adaptable to the game,
none were created with Heroes Unlimited
specifically in mind.
“Villains Unlimited” presents new powers,
technology, rules, adventures and villains (and a few
heroes, too). Also scattered throughout are clues to
the origin of certain organizations in Rifts.
With eight writers sharing the credits, the
characters range from the traditional to the silly to
the horrific. Some are very interesting, while some
are utterly forgetable.There ate approximately 100
characters in the book; these characters are roughly
divided into three categories: organizations, groups
and individuals. Some of the more memorable and/
or interesting characters and groups are:
9 The Masters of Speed - a group of villains
who all have some degree of control over the power
of superspeed. From Hellbent (the parasitic leader)
to Whiplash (who can run at superspeed and stop on
a dime (with deadly effects)) to Slo-Mo (who slows
down others), this is one of the most interesting
groups in the hook.
The Mighty Static Man - a comical villain
who has complete mastery over the frightening
ability of static electricity.
a Triple Threat - three diabolical villains (a
psionicist, a wizard and a hunter) all trapped in and
vying for control over one body.
“Villains Unlimited is a hook which should
expand existing campaigns. It is a fair product, with
some interesting ideas.
Paranoia
The Paranoia
Sourcebook
Rating = 2
Publisher: West End
Games, RD 3 box
2345, Honesdale PA,
18431
Author: Ed Bolme
Price: $18.00
Reviewed by S.john
Ross
This is a 128-page “Alpha Update,” the
official word on what’s transpired in Alpha Complex
since the Big Crash a couple of years ago. The
Computer is back (not really), order is restored
(nope), and the intelligent, sharp, dark “Brave New
World” humor is rolling strong once again (not even
vaguely).
To be perfectly honest, the creators at West
End have created a new roleplaying game out of the
ashes of Paranoia. It has the same name, but fans of
the old Alpha should heware. This is not Paranoia as
we know it. The Computer is back, but broken down
into weak, easy-to-dupe“simplexes.”Much of Alpha
is in anarchy, without clearance levels, and playing
out like yet another cyberpunk game (and not even
a comedy cyberpunk game, it seems). The Paranoia
writers have instructions to “give the players the
spiky, almost-punk trappings they seem to crave, a la
X-Men, Cyberpunk 2020,40K, etc.”
Like 1 said. A new game.
But is it a good game?To be certain, it is less
intelligent than the old Paranoia. West End is
clearly aiming for a much younger and more general
market. They seem willing to sacrifice a lot of smart
comedy to acquire that market. Their justifications
fell on deaf ears with me - I’ve always used
Paranoia as a campaign game. Personally, 1was
insulted. I found the style to be condescending
(another first for Paranoia).Those less enamored of
the old game may like it. Cyberpunk 2020 fans
might get a big kick out of it. I strongly recommend
that any Paranoia fan or interested party browse
through it. Get a friend to buy it so you may do so.
Do not, however, buy it yourself until you’ve read it.

Afer years of design eflort and playtesting, Maelstrom Games presents n I

LORDS OF DESTINY U
a game where individual characters control the fate of the galaxy!
Lords of Destiny is a 100 96 computer-moderated play-by-mail game
where many players compete in a galaxy packed with features such as:
-planetary defense shields composed of individual ground units
- many different ship types; economic and military technology levels I
- ancient alien artifacts with special powers known only to the owner
- neutral empires ranging from primitive cave men to extremely advanced
elder races; possessing their own military forces, characters, and artifacts
- special galactic locations to utilize such as black holes, secret societies,
training academies, worm holes, and the fabled seven wonders of the universe
- hundreds of named characters with abilities such as exploring, leading troops,
spying, researching, assassination, governing, diplomacy, using psionics, . ..

FREE RULES FREE SETUP GREAT VALUE

Turn fees are only $3.75 per turn; no “double” turns, no extra or hidden fees ever
m
Games last about 27 turns with 14 days per turn - 7 and 21 day options available
A basic version is available which provides an easy to learn introductory game.
I A A - a detailed combat system with free. battle reports for every conflict
L - population, factories, industrial complexes, crew types, plundering, alliances, power plays
- complete galactic map included with every turn showing every sector that you have knowledge of
- customized fill-in-the-blank turn sheets save time and guarantee. you don’t overlook something
- long range scanners, random galactic events, multi-class characters, and much more!
f A Y E
’ Maelstrom Games; P. 0. Box 5461; Oxnard, CA 93031 Ask for free rules and setup

70 JULY/AUGUST,1992
I I

..I-

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ADVENTURES ON Return to the World of the

An entirely new Character Generation System

$10.95 (V.S.1
Available in better Game and Hobby stores
or write to:
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TEK-1001

Realms of the Unknown
Realm Controller’s Manual
Player’s Manual
Rating = 4
Publisher. The
Walnut Group, PO
Box 631, Itasca, IL
60143
Authors: Timothv A.
Dohrer and Gerry
Evenwell III
Price (Realm
Controller’s $15),
(Player’s $8)
Reviewed bk Stewart W ieck
Just as there are a variety of roleplaying game
genres, so are there many different roleplaying
formats There’s traditional roleplaying, storytelling,
live-action and now a new one as well The Walnut
Group presents a format of roleplaying that a few ot
you may have developed on your own during some
time in your gaming evolution when it began to be
difficult to get everyone together on a Friddy night
Those of you not yet of this age are lucky, for
authors Dohrer and Evenwell hdve presented in
Realms of the Unknown (ROTU) an exciting
alternative way to roleplay
Instead of controlling a single character in
ROTU, a player actually directs the activities and
plans of an entire civilization This could be a feudal
kingdom, a horde of barbarians, a fleet of seafaring
merchants, or whatever fits into the scheme the
Realm Controller (RC),or Gamemaster, has
devised. A player still has one main character, the
leader of the culture he has created, but by extension
the player is responsible for the welfare and actions
of the entire populace.
Each player population is rated in a number of
different ways. These are the strengths and
weaknesses a player must consider when determining
the best course of action for his people. If your food
stores are low, for example, it’s probably time to
direct more of your people to hunting and/or
farming. These ratings include an inventory of the
goods possessed by the people, like warships and
weapons, but they also rate natural resources and
other raw materials.
The game doesn’t require all the players to be
present around a table in order for the action of the
game to progress, so ROTU puts an interesting
social spin on “normal” roleplaying games. The game
progresses by means of sheets of orders a player
submits to the RC. Each “turn” of the game, every
player submits orders for his people. Unlike other
roleplaying games where the input of the GM drives
the game forward, ROTU requires the input of the
players through these orders to advance the game.
While the concept of such orders may seem to
reduce the game to a strategy or hoardgame, the
rules of the game are too loose to warrant this
interpretation. In fact, rules don’t have much a place
at all in this game beyond the inclusion of various
formulas and methods to resolve military conflict.
Also, the interactive aspects of rhe game are both
undirected and strong. These elements combine to
leave the game largely in the hands of the players,
but as the person who controls the world with even
more intimacy than in a standard roleplaying game,
the RC has the ability to introduce story elements to
spark the life of the game.
Some aspects of the game are perhaps a hit
unrealistic when considering that the mishmash of
player cultures are supposed to have developed on
the same world in about the same region, hut this
can be rationalized. After all, this forces the players
to discover the world just as a “normal”roleplying
character must. Also, the inclusion of Gateways,
portals that move people from Realm to Realm and
region to region, is completely out place.
My personal experience with games of this
format has been very positive. Because it does not
require a relaxed environment in order to play (you
can hand your orders to the RC between classes at
school and maybe have something back from him
the next day) and because the format of the game
often puts players at odds with one another, ROTU
has the potential to be thoroughly engaging.
On the other hand, not all players will
respond to such a format despite its advantages. And
even if they do become comfortable with the format,
there’s no guarantee that players will he able to
create situations in the game that will not only
entertain themselves but others as well.
The RC’s Manual is pricey at $15 for 84 pages,
but your group only requires one copy of it. The
publisher obviously priced the Player’s Manual at $8
to encourage every player to purchase it. There’s not
a lot in the book‘s 24 pages, hut at that price why
not take the advice of the publisher!

72 JULY/AUGUST,1992
 Shadowrun
1
Elven Fire
Rating = 4
Publisher: FASA
Corporation, P.O. Box
6930, Chicago, IL,
60680
Authors: Tom Dowd
and James Reichstadt
Price: $8.00
Reviewed by Matthew
Gabbert
Like the
multinational megacorps and crime syndicates that
constantly vie for control over the world of the
2050s, their smaller cousins, the street gangs, are an
integral part of the cyberpunk genre. “Elven Fire,”
the latest adventure for Shadowrun, goes beyond
the typical table-generated gang encounter and
allows the player characters to delve a little deeper
into the violent life of one of Seattle’smost
dangerous gangs: the infamous Ancients.
As the story opens, gang violence is increasing
dramatically, causing even once safe areas to
resemble war zones. Lone Star forces are being
stretched to the limit and the city government is
preparing to mobilize the Metroplex Guard. They
hope that the imposition of martial law will be
enough to restore order, but some fear that such
action will only fan the flames of unrest and incite
another “Night of Rage.”
Caught in the center of this maelstrom of
madness is the powerful elven street gang, the
P.O. Box 9897 Spokane, WA 99209-9897 (509) 325-6941
Ancients. The evidence seems to indicate that they The first (and best) 20 pages of this 80-page
are instigating the current troubles, but there are product present a system for planet generation.
those who believe them to be, if not innocent, at Basically, you roll on (or choose from) a series of
least the victims of an outside conspiracy. Somehow, tables to define the planet-to-be. A table exists for
the runners must uncover proof of this conspiracy practically every aspect: planet function (is it an
before the tanks start to roll and the city starts to abandoned colony or a trade world?);government;
bum. planet type, such as terrestrial, satellite (e.g. the
“Elven Fire” is an excellent scenario. The moon of Endor), asteroid belt, or artificial (e.g. a
characters are well-developed and intelligent, with space station); terrain; temperature; gravity;
clear motivations and objectives. The plot, while atmosphere; hydrosphere; length of day and year;
refreshingly intricate, isn’t so convoluted as to be starports; population; tech level; and more! The
absurd. It uses a freeform structure that allows tables themselves are extensive but still have space
players freedom of action, but keeps them moving by for your own ideas.
imposing a time limit. The artwork and player The system describes the effects of things like
handouts are up to FASA’s usual good standards, non-standard gravity and poor atmosphere in rule
while most of the maps are atypically free of errors. terms. Sidebars discuss regulated environments,
This one’s definitely worth the price of seasonal changes, tide locks, and elliptical orbits.
admission. The back of the book contains a wellcorganized and
Star Wars attractive planet log on which to record planetary
data.
The Planet Generation System is excellent.
Planets of the Galaxy
Just by looking over the tables I came up with ideas
Volume One
Rating = 3 for dozens of interesting planets. The rest of the
Publisher: West End book presents ten new worlds. Each follows roughly
Games, RD 3 Box the same format, describing the planet’s geography,
notable locations, flora, fauna, and sentient race(s).
2345, Honesdale, PA
Each also provides a planet log and some adventure
18431
Authors: Grant S. ideas.
The most interesting planets are the trade-
Boucher, Julie Bouchr
and agriculture-based Celanon, Gamib and its
and Bill Smith
strange crystal sculptures, and the Void Demon
Price: $13.00
pirate base of Isen IV. I liked that sidebars discussing
Reviewed by Chris
undersea action, hostile atmosphere, and navigating
Hind
WRTlNlUM combine. hiatoricd. conventional and futuristic techdogie3 to create an
unparalleled fsntaay world where time-travel ia commonplsce. To aasiat you in
achieving your wdr. you will bedn with a character. city. espionage e m ! t a d t w o
diviaiom in esoh of the four a m on the planet Uacleria. Aayera may compete in all
time periods aimultaneomly. Technology from esch age ia readily available and can
be implementedin other age. through scientific reaearch. The struggle to become a
dominant player and Participate in the ‘Gathering of the Four’ createa an unpre-
cedented chdlenge.
* 100% computer moderated play-bymdl game
* Average of 40 doubledded pagea of quality laser graphica per turn
* Time-travel avdlsble at w e atart
* Over 24,000 aectora to explore in four ager
Scientiau provide reaearch and development capabilities
Over 300 attack and defenae weapon. avdlsbla
More than 160 life forms create over 4000 indigenous banda
No wizard.. maglc, apells. sorcerer. or demons
No hidden coau
WRTlNlUM is alm avdlsMe In two amdler version.; WRTlNlUM Lo-Tech and Hi-
Tech. Srndl games employ only one ape using 1 character, 1 city and 4 diviaiom.
(Espionage unit% mini-game. and time-travel not available1 Average of 12 double-
aided pages of output per turn.
Gome turns: WRTINIUM; $20.00 per turn (4-week turnaround)
Lo-Tech and Cli-Tech; $8.00 per turn (2-week and 4-week turnarounda available1
Initial Start-up kit: $26.00. Id-. High-glma Player’a Guide, start-up packet for
player poaitiona. free atart-up turn, plua one free turn, and subacription to game
newsletter.
Write or call for free brochure
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE 73

i
\
life in a dramatically different diceless
role-playing system!
-256 Pages, beautifully illustrated!
*Stephen Hickman cover!
- A Complete System, with every
rule and power needed for creating the
next generation of Amber. Plus, three
versions of each “elder” character, and
three scenarios!
=The Attribute Auction lets you
create characters in a totally new way!
* A m b e n i n e covers the Amber role-
playing world with 160 pages, in a 6 by
9” paperback book. Limited to 1,000
copies per issue, and available only by
mail. $10 for issue #1or #2, or send $40
for a five-issue subscription.
*Free Information and a sample
character sheet, just mail a stamp to:
Phage Press
P.O. Box 519
Detroit*MI.48231-051!
74 JULY/AUGUST,1992
asteroids supplemented some of the strange, new
worlds.
While each planet is different and in some
way interesting, for the most part they are good-but-
not-great. Where are all the neat ideas from the
Planet Generation System?How about a space
station?A planet covered with city-sprawls?Or a
death-world like our Venus! These planet types may
be covered in a future volume, but that is for
another review.
If you like the idea of a Planet Generation
System, you might consider buying this first volume
of Planets of the Galaxy just for that - and the rest
of the material is not bad either.
Tales of the Floating
Vagabond
Adventure With No
Name
Rating = 5
Publisher: The Avalon
Hill Game Company,
4517 Harford Rd.,
Baltimore, MD 21214 - Whole Time.” A bizarre Jim Halloway drawing
Author: Craig Sheelv
Price 13 95
Reviewed by Steve
I;
Crow
“Adventure With No Name” is a 92-page
adventure for Avalon Hill’s comedy roleplaying
game Tales of the Floating Vagabond “No Name”
has a particularly funny Jim Halloway cover, and
such goodies as handouts, a four-pagecast of
characters, and a registration card
In “No Name,” the Patrons ( I e , players) must
travel through time Their goal to prevent the
widespread use of light beer and pretzels at the
Floating Vagabond bar Of course, only the Evil
Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow could be behind
this plot The Patrons must travel through the Game
Zone, Atlantis, Newfoundland, 1870s London,
1970s Washington, and into the very heart of the
Evil Geniuses’ stronghold to defeat this evil scheme
“Adventure With No Name” is one of the
funniest RPG adventures I have ever read Author
Craig Sheely has put his finger on how to write
funny adventures First, relate it to Earth
Originally, Floating Vagabond relied on funny
aliens and funny skill names Humor works best
when your audience can relate to it The idea of
Floating Vagabond adventures taking place on
Earth may seem trite, but it works
After all, which would you rather make fun of’
Aliens, or Earth‘s homegrown collection of
Victorians, spies, California governors, rules lawyers,
and game convention attendees?And the author is
dead on target with his estimation of the average
intelligence and gaming strategy of players and
gamemasters alike
The layout is a hit tedious, and the artwork a
little sparse by the standards of previous releases
The columns tend to blend a bit, with only the
occasional blue subheading to find your place
However, this is good in a way If you lose your
place, you have to go back and reread In the process
you usually uncover yet another in-joke
Overall, “No Name” is an excellent comedy
adventure and the complaints are minor I really
can’t find anything negative to say about
“Adventure With No Name.” For the first time
-
since I’ve read Tales of the Floating Vagabond, I
am looking forward to future Floating Vagabond
releases.
The Reich Stuff - 1
Rating = 1
Publisher: The Avalon
Hill Game Company
(Address - 45 17
Harford Rd.,
Baltimore, MD
21214)
Author: Lee Garvin
Price: 13.95
Reviewed by Steve
Crow
“The Reich Stuff’ is an 80-page adventure for
Avalon Hill’s comedy role-playing game, Tales of
the Floating Vagabond. “Reich also has a wrap-
around cover/map, handouts, a page-page cast of
characters, and a registration card. The map has
such locations as “You Are Here,” “OK, You’re
Here,” and finally ‘‘I Guess You Were Here the
adorns the cover.
The plot, such as it is, has the players
travelling through time to defeat a Nazi plan to set
up a floating space platform and rule the world in
1936.
Upon reading “Adventure With No Name,” 1
had high hopes for this game. Finally, Avalon Hill
had published a high-quality, high-humor adventure
for Floating Vagabond. Would “Reich Stuff prove
that “No Name” was the pattern for the future, or
merely a quirk! No such luck. You know you’re in
trouble when the registration card is the funniest
part of the adventure.
That’s not to say that “Reich Stuff isn’t
funny. Character quotes are funny. The airplane
flight with Rick N. Backer is funny. The dreaded
“chicken curse” is funny. Hitler’s shtick is funny.
Oppenheimer, Einstein, and von Braun are funny.
Why isn’t Reich Stuff funny!
l’m not sure. The adventure takes place
primarily on Earth, which negates my argument
about why Avalon Hill should stick to humor its
audience can relate to. I thought about it, and came
up with five items:
1) A lot of the funny bits are aimed at the
reader, not the players. This is a problem with
Paranoia, and it is repeated here. This is not the
case with “Adventure With No Name.”
2) One can almost imagine the author gritting
his teeth and pleading, “This is funny. Really.
Really, really, funny. Honest.” Somehow the
comedy just doesn’t flow naturally. Often we’re left
waiting for the rim-shot.
3) Too many game mechanics. There’s a
couple of paragraphs of humorous stuff, then a
paragraph of stuff like “The door is detectable by a
Very Hard Notice Detail test, or a Hard Track With
Unnerving Accuracy test.” Yawn.
4) The NPCs (particularly the Nazis) are
aware they’re supposed to be funny.
5) The “Hogan’sHero” Syndrome. Humor
about Nazis just isn’t that funny. See Charles
Duming in Me1 Brooks’ movie To Be or Not To Be
for another good example.
Buy “Adventure With No Name” and then
wait for other supplements for this game.
 Torg
City of Demons
Rating = 3
Publisher: West End
Games, RD 3 Box
2345, Honesdale PA,
18431
Author: Christopher
Kubasik
Price: $12
Reviewed by S.John
Ross
A 64-page adventure supplement set in
Tharkold-occupied Los Angeles, “City of Demons” IS
an action-packed and vaguely exprimental adventure
designed to put a party of Storm Knights into
temporary allegiance with Thratchen himself!
Thratchen, still “Regent” of Orrorsh, fears the
eventual return of the Gaunt Man, and so seeks to
join the newly-established Tharkoldu presence in
L.A.. He has been secretly and carefully observing
Jezrael, the current Tharkold High Lord, and has
decided to win a place in her power structure. The
plan: the delivery of a rebellious demon lord to Jezrael
as a “peace offering,” and the accquisition of the lord‘s
pride of demons in the bargain. The method: hire
some Storm Knights to help.
The logic of Thratchen’s plans are detailed and,
as far as I can tell, sound. This is a mark above
previous Torg adventures, which have often relied on
players and GM alike turning a blind eye to weak
scenario justification. His deal with the Storm
Knights is a fair one, and the resulting adventure
looks exciting - he proposes a race.
The “get-Storm-Knightsdied,with-a.High-
Lord” approach is not the “experiment” I have
referred to, as West End has released two adventures
in a row with this theme. “The Temple of Rec Stalek”
likewise puts the Knights in a “lesser of High Lords”
position. In fact, some similarities in theme are
embarassing - it isn’t recommended that you run
both adventures with the same group.
The adventure is a series of interesting fight
scenes and genuinely dramatic roleplaying encounters
that build toward a fantastic climax. However, just at
the climactic scene, the adventure switches from a
dramatic narrative and becomes almost a simplistic
boardgame as the actual “race”commences. This is
achieved through a series of “Battle Computer
Screens” and a grid map of the area of the city the
race takes place in. Frankly, 1think the approach mars
an otherwise gripping adventure, and wastes a great
buildup. However, play styles may vary, and I have
not yet had the opportunity to playtest the adventure.
1 suspect that anyone running it would rate it at “2” or
“4,” depending on the success of the “race” sequence.
You may want to give it a try.
Space Gods
Rating = 4
Publisher: West End
Games, RD 3 Box
2345, Honesdale PA,
18431
Authors: Greg Farshtey
Greg Gorden, Ed Stark
and Jim Bambra
Price: $18
Reviewed by S.John
Ross
I must admit a weakness for the “ancient
astronauts” concept. It’s a cliche of adventure fiction
that has been largely ignored in games. Did
advanced cultures from outer space visit the Mayans
and Aztecs? Sure they did! It says so right here in
the Space Gods sourcebook.
This is the sourcebook for the Akashans, an
advanced, ancient race of aliens returning to earth
after centuries of absence. In their earlier visits, they
assisted the Mayans, Aztecs, etc. in building up their
cultures. When they left, they left a beacon that the
humans could use once they had reached a preset
level of development. This beacon was the signal
fire lit by the Possibility Chalice.
“...the intensity of the Amber game
indicates Wujcik is on to something.
Unfortunately for all concerned, the
Akashans’ existence has been anything but idyllic in When success in every action depends on
the passing centuries. The horror of the Comaghaz, a the role and not the roll, players develop
powerful psionic hive-mind virus, threatens their a sense of both control and urgency,
very existence. When they saw the signal flare lit,
they hoped that we might have reached a stage
along with creativity that borders on
mania.”
where we could help them - they never counted on
the Possibility Wars. Allen Varney, Dragon Magazine #Z8;
This is the setting as the Akashans return.
They like humanity, and may be willing to help us, “While I would not recommend Amber
but they want OUT help to fight the Comaghaz (and to novices, it is a must buy for
yes, they’ve brought the plague-mind with them).
They are a “non-invasive” reality, and without the experienced gamemasters and players
deadly plague would certainly peacefully end the looking for new challenges.”
Wars. They carry with them powerful biotechnol.
ogy, psionic powers, and reality-shaping technolo-
gies (the strange Reality Trees) that can end the
.
Steve Crow, White WolfMagazine#31
“If you want to see what roleplaying
Wars with minimal loss of life. Whether they are
willing to share the technology with us under
might someday become, read Amber.”
present circumstances remains to he seen.
Space Gods includes all the standard Torg
features (new character templates, axioms and world
.
Mark Rein-Hagen, VampireTMdesigne~
‘As a sourcebook, Amber is bnlliant.
laws, etc.), in addition to the very interesting Everything you could ever want to know
Psionics and biotechnology rules. The culture of the
Akashans is outlined, as are the Comaghaz (and its
ibout Amber and its inhabitants is in
.here. I would recommend Amber to
creator), the Star Sphere, and various alien
creatures. The nominvasive theme is refreshing, and Zelazny fans on that merit alone...”
would offer a lot of depth to any active Torg Robert Hatch, White Wolf Magazine
campaign. I recommended this book to any Torg
GM, and 1 recommend it without reservation to
Torg GMs fond of science fiction and/or horror.
‘...the game would be less with dice.
The open format of the game would be
T h e Temple of Rec uined with complicated calculations and
Stalek ables of numbers.”
rating = 3
Publisher: West End
Games, RD 3 box
. . . .- . , --
.
Steward Wieck, White Wolfpublisher
2345, Honesdale PA, ’The Amber game is absorbing. The
r
18431 rery first time I ran it was magical...”
Author: Shane
Hensley
Price: $12
.
Lester V. Smith (Dark Conspiraciesm,
Reviewed by S.John
lend us a stamp, and we’ll send you
nore information. Or plunk down
Ross
A 64-page adventure supplement which 22.95 at your favorite store. By mail
takes place in the Living Land, “The Temple of imber is $25. Amberzine is $10 an
Rec Stalek” is a n adventure in four acts. The ssue, or $40 for a 5-issue subscription.
Storm Knights must confront a growing cult of
death-worshipping Edeinos in their temple in
northern Illinois. Failure will bring dire
consequences, as the Living Land would gain a Phage Press
new, darker, more battle-competent High Lord.
Stalek is a n all-but-forgotten god in the P.O. Box 519
pantheons of the Edeinos, a remnant of the days
before their present sensation-worshipping faith
~etroit*MI~48231-0519
(the worship of Lanala). Stalek translates as
WHITE’WOLF MAGAZINE 75
 “death,” and this adventure centers o n Stalek‘s
attempt, through a devoted servant’s cult, to
eliminate Baruk Kaah and the (more or less)
benevolent faith of the Edeinos. In other words,
the Storm Knights suceed in the adventure if they
help the Saar. It’s a question of “the lesser of
evils.”
The Storm Knights enter the scene in the
small “resistance community” of Cicero, Illinois.
Stalek warriors - violent Edienos garbed in bone
armor - attack the town, and the PCs are drawn
into the plot. Thrakmoss (the leader of the Stalek
cult) has crossed over to Earth and built a temple
in an abandoned shopping mall.
The adventure takes the Storm Knights
through the wilderness of Illinois, to the burned
town of Great Neck, through a hellish swamp,
into the templelshopping mall complex, and
finally across a dimthread to Stalek‘s own
domain, where they must face the dark god
himself. The adventure is a tough one, and I
wouldn’t recommend it for novice play groups.
“The Temple of Rec Stalek,” for those GMs
who keep track of such things, is part of the major
“campaign game.” The last page of the book
includes a Response Form.
Overall, this is a well-paced and exciting
adventure supplement. It has a nice mix of
combat, roleplaying opportunities, and
investigation. It also has the distinction of being a
major challenge for your group of Storm Knights.
Tharkold
rating = 4
Publisher: West End
Games, RD 3 box
2345, Honesdale PA,
18431
Author: Paul Hume
and Greg Gorden
Price: $18
Reviewed by S.John
Ross
Tharkold is “The Sourcebook of I echno-
Horror Reality.” The Tharkoldu, among the original
invading realities (they were defeated in Russia),
have turned the Los Angeles area into a small realm
of living hell. This 144-pagerealm sourcebook
details the Cosm and Realm of the Tharkoldu, as
well as the techno-demons’ magic, Tharkold
cyberware rules, and more. The authors are Paul
Hume, co.designer of games such as Shadowrun and
Bushido, and Greg Gorden, the primary Torg
designer. As might be expected, Tharkold does not
disappoint.
The format is nothing new. The history and
people of the invading cosm are described in detail,
along with axioms, world laws, spells, character
templates, and so on - the usual mix. The
Tharkold Cosm is a world where an ancient war is
waged between demons (the Tharkoldu) and
humankind (“The Race”).The descriptions of the
Tharkoldu culture, motivation and religion (and
such arcana as demonic sexual practices) give the
home cosm more life and atmosphere than most
previous sourcebookscan claim. The politics of the
demonic High Lord and his deal with The Gaunt
Man are described, and the week-by-week history of
Los Angeles’ invasion is superbly detailed. Each
section includes many interesting adventure hooks.
The “Techno-Horror” angle is derived from
the Cosm history, where a decline in the magical
axiom threatened to destroy the demons. LifeCyber,
demonic cyber-implants, were developed to allow
demons to survive in an atmosphere of declining
magic. As technology increased, the demons became
techno-demons, defined as much by their
technology as their magical natures.
My favorite section is the material on the Los
Angeles area. Reasonably detailed maps, and lots of
local color (local names for highways, brief histories
of some of the suburbs, etc), will allow any GM to
recreate a believable Los Angeles without much
extra research.
The sections on cyberware and the computer
grid are essentially the same as those in The
Cyberpapacy sourcebook. The spells described are
specifically demonic magic. One of the largest
sections of the book is the creatures section, which
is, according to the ad copy, the largest creature
section yet. Included are the fearsome Tharkoldu
Ghuls, Jackwraiths (ghosts in the Grid), and the
demons themselves, up to and including the terrible
Techno-Demon Lords.
While not (strictly speaking) essential, this
book is bound to satisfy any gamer who enjoys Torg.
Playing a member of the militaristic Race or even
one of the milder Techno-Demons promises to offer

SCI-FI ROLE-PLAYING IN A TERRIFYING

FUTURE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

1943: German V-4Atomic Missles devestate

London and New York ending the War of
Unijlcation.
2134: The Revolution begins. . .

In the dark, repressed future of an alternate reality,

the victorious Axis Powers have spread their evil
to the stars. Only a brave handful of outlaw idealists
stand in their way. The revolution needs You!

CREATIVE ENCOUNTERS
P.O.Box 12401 15 Uxbridge Rd.
Reich Star RPG ......Plus
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(246 Pages, Softbound) Voice: (704) 866-7833
Available at your local game supplier, or order direct from
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Service: (704) 853-1809
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76 JULY/AUGUST,1992
 Darzk magus
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new roleplaying challenges. The book, while very “Alien Hunger“ is also a mini-sourcebookof has lots of suggestions to the Storyteller on how to
long, is a good read nonetheless. The writing is a Denver. it does not deal with the city’sgeography or set the mood and get novice players into the
step above previous Torg sourcebooks, and both the history in any great detail (except a few specific “personal horror” aspects of Vampire. “Alien
atmosphere and humor have a mark of intelligence locations), but it does detail most of Denver’s Hunger” is mostly investigation and negotiation,
that other Torg products have sometimes lacked. Kindred characters. Most of the characters, although some combat can arise. The denouement,
Vampire: particularly Prince Edward, are much more with its explanation for the player character’s
sympathetic and easygoing than those who appear in vampiric origins, is a good semi-sciencefiction
The Masquerade “Chicago by Night.” However, this may be because touch, and much more believable than the “vampire
of the Kindred politics of the Windy City. plague” in the “SuccubusClub” adventure Death’s
Alien Hunger “Alien Hunger” LSan excellent adventure. It Sweet S W .
rating = 4
Publisher: White
Wolf, 4598-B
E4 b
Stonegate Industrial
Blvd., Stone
Mountain, GA 30083
Author: Jeff Berry
Price: $10
Reviewed by Steve
Crow . _.
“Alien Hunger” is a 64-page mix of essentially
two different products. it is primarily a jump-start
adventure for Vampire. However, it also is a mini-
sourcebook for the city of Denver. “TROLL” FREE ORDER LINE
“Alien Hunger” allows characters with little or

118001112818628
no experience playing Vampire to immediately start
a Chronicle. Most novice players will probably find
it hard to grasp all of Vampire’s game mechanics.
However, the adventure jump-starts them into a
Chronicle set in Denver. The situation is such that
they have just become vampires, and have little idea
of what is going on. They do not even remember
their change to a vampiric state.
Six fairly interesting pregenerated starting
characters come in this package. Alternately, the
players can create their own. Of course, if players are
going to create their own characters, the gamemaster
probably will not be using this adventure as a jump
start anyway.
Storytellers can use this adventure as the
beginning of a new Chronicle. The characters have 1699 HAMLIN HENR I E T A
to explore Denver to discover the reasons behind
their transformation. They get to meet most of
PARMA TL RD. TOWNUNE PLAZA
Denver’s important Kindred characters and HILTON NY 14468-9715 3047 W. HENRIETTA RD.
eventually discover the cause of their new status. 716-427-2190 THRUWAY EXIT 46
FAX 716-427-8182 ROCHESTER NY
 Overall, “Alien Hunger” is a well-detailed
adventure that does an excellent job of setting up
the personal horror aspects of Vampire. Denver
makes a better starting locale than Chicago for
beginning characters, although a little more
information on Denver would be useful. Because of
the unique means of vampire creation used here, it
would be difficult to use “Alien Hunger” with more
established characters, although an enterprising
Storyteller could use bits and pieces of this
adventure in other stories. “Alien Hunger” works
best as exactly what it says it is: a jump-start
adventure that gets new Storytellers and players into
the spirit of the game.
Awakening:
Diablerie Mexico
rating = 3
Publisher: White
I work for me.
Wolf, 4598-B
“encounters” are psychological rather than physical.
Once the characters have penetrated to the
lower levels, they must fight the Elder Kindred and
his attendants. If they can somehow succeed at this,
Mictantecle’s blood is theirs. A final chapter deals
with the consequences of the players’ actions.
After reading this scenario, my primary
question was “why bother!” The basic effects of
Diablerie are such that it doesn’t really matter what
generation the victim is, as long as it is of an earlier
generation. Mictantecle is a powerful Vampire.
However, the benefits of feeding on his blood aren’t
great enough for the risks the characters undertake
in this adventure. Mictantecle would be much more
interesting alive than killed for his blood. Also,
modern-day “punk vampires in the Yucatan didn’t
Overall, I recommend “Awakening,” but more
for the Diablerie information and NPC background
Prince’s wife. As with most Vampire adventures,
very little is what it appears. The player characters
must investigate the bizarre killings. Eventually the
characters become involved with a determined
Witch Hunter and the Lupine tribes that roam the
outskirts of Milwaukee. They also get to interact
with Milwaukee’s major NPCs. In the last Chapter,
the player characters have to cope with a bizarre mix
of drug-induced dreams and reality, and have a final
battle with the “Vampire Killer.”
Milwaukee by Night is an excellent
sourcebook and an above-average adventure. The
only reason I give it a 3 is because, despite the heavy
promotion of werewolves and their role in the city,
the Lupines are poorly detailed, and their role varies
wildly. Often, the werewolves are relatively
insignificant to the events in Milwaukee. On the
other hand, they seem to violate the Masquerade
which both vampires and werewolves supposedly
undertake to conceal their existence. It is also

I
Stonegate Industrial
Blvd., Stone
Mountain, GA
30083
Author: Nigel
Findley
Price: $10
Reviewed by Steve Crow
“Awakening”is a 56-page adventure for
Vampire. It is primarily an adventure dealing with
the characters’quest for the blood of an Elder
Vampire. The Introduction tells how to use this
book, and suggests how to tie it in. One mistake: it
states the Vampire “has lain in torpor since before
the time of Christ.” We later find out this figure is
off by about 600 years.
Chapter Two deals with the practice of
Diablerie: the feeding on the blood of a Vampire of
earlier generation. This section expands on the brief
description in the basic rules. It also provides a ritual
to allow more than one character to feed on the
Vampire’s blood. Finally, it provides rules for
detecting Diablerie and the punishments that
Vampires inflict on those who practice it.
Chapter Three details the background of
Mictantecle, the Vampire whose blood the player
characters are seeking. The information is extensive
and welLdeveloped. However, it does not have any
real impact on the adventure.
Chapter Four provides ways for the player
characters to become drawn into the quest for
Mictantecle’s blood. “Awakening” assumes that the
players’ base of operation is Vampire’s campaign
setting of Chicago. This chapter is adequate.
However, it rather optimistically assumes that the
characters receive a necessary map based on trust
they may or may not have earned.
Chapter Five involves a trip to the Yucatan,
where Mictantecle’s pyramid tomb is located. 1 find
this the weakest part of “Awakening.”The
adventure assumes the Vampires are travelling about
during daytime(!),thanks to a convenient Ritual.
Many rules are given for daytime travel, but
absolutely nothing is said about what to do if the
characters travel by night.
The trip through the pyramid is essentially a
dungeon crawl. The pyramid has traps, although
many can be avoided if the characters simply avoid
going along side branches of their main route. As
with many Vampire adventures, some of these
than for the adventure itself.
unclear how the werewolves have so effectively
Milwaukee by Night trapped the vampires in Milwaukee.
rating = 3 In short, werewolves are treated more as a p~
Publisher: White device then as an active enemy. “Milwaukee by
Wolf, 4598.8 Night“ would have benefited by being released after
Stonegate Industrial White Wolfs upcoming Werewolf: The
Blvd., Stone Apocalypse. Potential buyers who hope to obtain
Mountain, GA 30083 information on werewolves should beware.
Author: Dustin
Browder
Price: $12
Reviewed by Steve
Crow
Milwaukee by Night is a 128-pagecity
sourcebook and story set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Milwaukee is a city under siege, beleaguered by
Werewolves from without and a dangerously erratic
Prince within.
The sourcebook section takes up the first 73
pages of Milwaukee by Night. Like Chicago by
Night, it has three basic sections: a Historical
Overview, a Geography piece, and a description of
the major Kindred of the city. The first two sections
are adequate, and the third section is up to the high
standards of Chicago by Night. The NPCs are an
interesting, individualizedbatch, each with their
own history (some spanning millennia), skills and
disciplines. A new addition is that the character’s
history is told in the first person by the character
herself. Another handy item that was used in
Chicago by Night is here as well: flowcharts
detailing the relationship between the NPCs.
Finally, a chapter on Politics details the various
goals and schemes of the city’s Kindred and Lupine
factions.
The sourcebook material is interesting. The
information about Werewolves is limited, but the
Kindred background is intriguing. The Brothers’
War is particularly fascinating.
The second part of the book is a five-Chapter,
twenty-five Scene adventure, Psychomachia, that
takes place in Milwaukee. While this adventure
doesn’t have to be for beginning characters, it is
intended to introduce characters who have recently
come to Milwaukee to the local political situation.
Prince Merik, the Kindred ruler of the
metropolis, needs them to hunt down someone
committing a bizarre series of highly publicized
“Vampire Murders.” The person responsible may
also have been behind the disappearance of the

78 JULY/AUGUST,1992

From the Pack
Letters From Ou Readers
Please send all letters to:
White Wolf, 4598.B Stonegate Industrial Blvd.
bII Stone Mountain, GA 30083
We received a number of letters of Dear White Wolf,
praise for the previous issue of WHITE I have
WOLF Magazine and while we would like just received
to print them all (just one sample is issue 3 1, and I
printed below), we doubt that you readers must say
are as interested in the compliments WOW! This
extended by others as we are. This has issue is not
always presented a small quandary where just an
the letters page is concerned. We incredible
definitely want to run such a page, but to Improvement,
your eyes one compliment is probably the it is a near
same as another (it’s a whole different impossible
story for us; each one’s a gem, so please one to
keep them coming). However, unless we actually believe. I thumbed through the
print letters, few people will write as they magazine more times than I care to count,
believe their letters receive no attention. and read many of the articles three or four
The best catalyst for a letters column, times. Your use of color, especially in the
of course, is controversy, and past “From Shadowrun supplement, was gifted. You
the Pack” columns have benefited from held true to the feel of Shadowrun
things like people taking exception to my products, and I felt as if I could pull this
advice for beginning games, attacks from thing out and use it as a normal purchased
Kevin Siembieda, and my “warning” to product, and all that was missing a
publishers of new games. Alternately, we laminated cover. Your use of graphics,
can simply provide this column as a especially in the Amber review, your
platform for discussing roleplaying in RUNES column and the Capsule Reviews
general or this magazine specifically. For (Star Wars and Stormbringer in
example, we would love continuous particular) was a far cry from the previous
feedback on what you think of our issue, and from the earlier issues (like #9-
Mission Statement, as well as what kind 12 especially). The table of contents
of job we are doing moving toward it. Do pages were similarly stunning, and though
you agree or disagree with our Feature it seemed a bit sparse as to what was
Reviews? Did an interesting event occur where, it was still graphically pleasing.
while playing a LivedAction scenario The segment on live roleplaying [was]
printed in the magazine? Let us hear well written, though it went more along
about how and why you roleplay and the lines of a Murder Mystery Party than
you’ll help us fulfill our Mission State- common Live Action fare (which is great
ment. ‘cause it will introduce the former types of
WHITE WOLF MAGAZINE
players to the latter). The Top Twenty on
the last page is something I hope will stay,
as will the Artist’s Spotlight (however, I
think that might be a little too expen-
sive). Yet another amazing idea you guys
came up with is no advertisements
cluttering up the main articles, and that
was a great refresher to see. You guys have
really done the best I think a magazine
can do, much better than Dragon or such
magazines have done in the past. I am
curious to see if issue 32 will be as colorful
and well thought-out as this issue, and I
hope you guys do your best to make every
issue just as good as this one.
However (this is where I take out the
pin and deflate those inflated heads of
yours), there are a few things that are
missing and one unforgivable typo in your
editorial. I am sad to see that the list of
advertisers is missing (I couldn’t find it
anywhere), and that is something I look
forward to seeing in case I missed a
favorite advertiser or new company. I
hope it returns in issue 32 and on. I also
enjoy hearing about 35 Pack and wish
they have a bigger installment whenever
you get information on them. While you
guys have done wonders with your colors,
I hope to see more color artwork, such as
the type that graced the Shadowrun
installment. Your graphic layout in the
Silicon Dungeon left something to be
desired also, for you placed one of the
Pools of Darkness screens right next to
the great red print of “Eye of the Beholder
11.” This caused a small amount of
confusion on my part, as well as most of
my friends that perused the issue. It would
be helpful if you put the screen next to
the reviewed game or somewhere off to
the side instead of deep in the heart of
another review. As to the unforgivable
misspelling of a very favored author’s
name, I fervently hope that such
oversights never happen again.
All in all, your magazine has vastly
improved over your previous issues, and
over other gaming magazines I collect. I
will continue to subscribe to White Wolf
as long as it shows such remarkable
improvement and depth. You are
definitely the leader of the pack (to coin a
cliche).
Ian Boyd
Albuquerque, NM
79
 TOp2OSellingGaanes
1. TSR: Aurora’s Realms Catalog 12. TSR: Magic EncyclopediaVol. 1
2. TSR: Greyhawk Treasures 13. Atlas Games: Chasing the Dragon
3. GDW: Mythus 14. White Wolf: Ars Magica
4. FASA: Never Trust an Elf 15. Task Force Games: Module R3
5. R. Talsorian Games: Dream Park 16. TSR: Dungeon Master’s Guide
6. TSR: Tales of the Lance 17. (tie) Flying Buffalo: Grimtooth’sTraps Lite
7. TSR: Player’s Handbook 17. (tie) Milton Bradley: Battle Masters
8. Task Force Games: Module R2 18. TSR: Goblin’s Lair
9. White Wolf: Storytellers Handbook 19. West End Games: Heir to the Empire
10. FASA: Battletech Readout 3055 Sourcebook
11. TSR: Character Record Sheets 20. White Wolf: Vampire: The Masquerade
Commentary: We have decided to list only actual game products on this list, so game,related items like TSRs Collector Cards will not be
included on future lists TSRs stranglehold on the top of the list isn’t as strong this month Two new games, Mythus and Dream Park (both
reviewed in this issue), push their way into the top five In total, the products of 10 companies are listed this month, as opposed to only s1x in
’ May
* This list is based on numbers of units sold in the month ofJuly Thanks to Hobby Game Dismbutors (3710 W Touhy Ave , Skokie, IL 60076) fm
~ provding this list

As practically unknown victim.

promised in this Stewart Wieck
section last issue, we will catch a game
did change our minds designer who’s had
on several of the one drink too
features. Many of the many at a Gen
articles slated for this i Con party and pry
issue will actually until h e knows
appear in WW33 every secret
(maybe. . .). Here’s a thought.
look at what we have 5. “The
coming. Scope of Magic”
1. “The Legend features Space Age
of Liosalfar” is a magic for
fantasy adventure for GURPS. Cross-
characters ready to genre games are
undertake their first adventure. For use with any fantasy hot right now, and Since GURPS 1s the Premelre univer-
game system, but with statistics provided for GURPS, sal game system, magic and space are a n easy mix.
MERP and Ars Magica, the story sets the characters 6. Our Feature Review will spotlight Werewo1f:The
searching for a lost miller. They’d best be careful, though, Apocalypsel the second game in the Storyteller (hme
for he’s wandered into a faerie forest. System, which began with Vampire:The Masquerade last
2. The third installment of five for ‘‘Shadows Across year. “Capsule Reviews” will include more supplements for
the Big Easy” is an adventure set in New Orleans. T h e Your favorite games, including a look at the new 2nd
characters are hired by a certain Mr. Johnson to extract a edition Shadowrun.
corp exec, but they have to get her off a party boat in the 7. A bunch of other great features, possibly including
Mississippi River. some of the following: a n article about historical magic in
3. “Creature Feature” will be our first Battletech Ars Magica, an encounter for Star Wars, new careers for
article for some time. T h e giant movie monsters (Godzilla Dark Conspiracy, and a “PeoPle of the Land” Cohmn
and the other poor imitations!) spawned giant robots that PresentW a non*?-olklen view ofdwarves. Otherwise,
have become even more popular. Well, it’s time to go these will appear in other future issues.
back to the roots, and this article will help you stage
battles between ‘Mechs and rampaging creatures. -
4. “Out of Character” will feature . . . some as yet

80 JULY/AUGUST, 1992
 It’s simply a degree to many. A
digital degree that numbs your
brain and toes in the dead of
winter, somehow making you
colder than normal.
To others it’s an entirely
different degree . . . a degree
of terror that grips your heart
you’ll quake deciding the
degree of excitement needed
to overcome such terrifying
individuals and concepts.
Experienced game masters
and players alike will be
challenged by the realism
inherent in this award-winning

e
I
I game tl
-iorroi
’inger

.- . Ir??any others. You’ii

fl

sh&e when--yauekpldre the

origins of voodoo, cannibalism
and other phenomena. And

Mayfair
5@
Emes
In June, Woodoo comes to Chill. A 128-page
sourcebookkenario detailing the little
understood practice of voodoo. Dolls and
needles not included.
 c
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