16 June, 2009

Today’s Tabbloid
PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected]

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Colonial Gothic Revised —

Sources
JUN 15, 2009 05:36P.M.

A lot of research has gone into Colonial Gothic Revised. In the new
Rulebook the following PDF is found, and lists all the sources that were
consulted during the writing. Use this as a springboard for your own
reading, as well as a good place to start when running your games.

You do not need to read them, and Colonial Gothic is designed to give
you what you need, but if you want deeper understanding or further
discussion, these sources are a good place to begin.

I am hoping to have a unified list put up in a week or so, which combines

the sources used in all of the Colonial Gothic releases.

View this document on Scribd

In the late 70s and early 80s, the success of D&D enabled TSR to expand
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rapidly, in the process acquiring a large number of new employees, many
Interview: Paul Reiche III of whom left their marks on the company. One such person was Paul
Reiche III, who worked as a developer, designer, and editor at the
JUN 15, 2009 01:30P.M.
company on several products published in 1980 and 1981.

He left TSR for a successful career in the then-new computer games

industry, eventually founding his own company, Toys for Bob, in 1989,
where he works with his highschool classmate Erol Otus. Mr Reiche was
kind enough to answer several questions I put to him, promising that
“less than half of them are pure lies.”

1. How did you become involved the roleplaying games hobby?

In 1976 I was in the 10th grade at Berkeley High School. During the first
couple of weeks of school in AP Chemistry, I noticed this tall skinny dude
who studied these strange pamphlets every day before class. Looking at
the crudely illustrated covers, I though he was either a Hare Krishna (it
was Berkeley, after all) or was up to some form of “no good,” which has
always had a great appeal for me. When I asked him, “What are those?”

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected] 16 June, 2009

he invited me over to his place to play “in his dungeon” and it was there I crazy), but bits and pieces did come out in the Master and Companion
met Erol Otus, famed D&D artist (he was great, even at 16) and Mat rules sets.
Genser. That game was very ruthless and Erol proceeded to kill all my
characters, once with some kind of skeleton pistol that shot phalanges 4. Perhaps your most lasting contribution to D&D was the thri-
bones. Of course, I was hooked and we played almost every day until kreen race, which first appeared in the AD&D Monster Cards.
graduation. Is there any truth to the long-held suspicion that they were
inspired by the phraints from Dave Hargrave’s Arduin
2. One of the earliest RPG products to which I recall seeing Grimoires?
your name attached was Booty and the Beasts, to which Erol
Otus contributed both text and illustrations. Can you tell us a At the time, I thought TSR needed a good insectoid enemy which was
little about the origins of this product? intelligent and weapon-using. I was aware of phraints and I certainly
can’t say I came up with the idea of bug-men entirely on my own — I was
Our D&D group was heavy into creating new monsters, new magic spells mostly driven by images of mantis creatures and the warlike cultures of
and new character classes. Several of our players were also excellent Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Barsoom” series. The spinning crystal disc
artists, some were pretty good writers and we all wanted to earn our own weapon hearkened to Star Trek‘s kligat thrown blade (“as dangerous as
money! Erol had illustrated David Hargrave’s ground-breaking Arduin a hand phaser at close range”). So I guess instead of being a simple
Grimoire and Erol, Mat and I were certain that we could publish our “phraint thief,” I am a super “steals-good-ideas-from-all-over-the-place”
D&D ideas in some form. A friend of ours, Cliff Perotti, had been kind of thief.
collecting all the magic spells he could find into an informal
“Spellcaster’s Bible.” Erol, Mat and I decided that we would create our 5. A lot of your TSR work was for the Gamma World game.
own spell book, stripping out any system-specific rules so that it could be How did you become involved with it? Was the game a
used in Dungeons & Dragons, Tunnels & Trolls, The Fantasy Trip or any particular favorite of yours?
other RPG. The book was called The Necromican (whose name was
indeed a simplified riff off of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred’s evil book of I love Gamma World because it didn’t take itself too seriously, which has
magical secrets) and had some pretty dang cool stuff in there (there are always been important to me. In fact, in many ways Gamma World was
still some copies on Ebay, I think.) Erol, Mat and I wrote the text, Erol more like our D&D campaigns that the official rules, because we were
penned all the illustrations and my mom Georgiann (the world’s first always mixing robots, laser guns, and mutants into the traditional
Star Control II fan), typed the whole thing on her Selectric II. We had fantasy ingredients. Also, as the most junior designer at TSR, I jumped at
500 copies made at the local Kinko’s and sold out most of the run at the the opportunity to edit and “fill out” a Gamma World module written by
local D&D convention, Dundracon. We then negotiated (and I use the Gary Gygax and his son Luke. As a reader and day dreamer, I probably
term loosely) a “jobbing deal” with Lou Zocchi (about whom an entire spend equal time in science-fiction, fantasy and post-holocaust, so
book could/should be written) and sold several thousand copies around Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World were right up my alley.
the world. Blackmoor too, I guess.

Based on the success of The Necromican, we started on a similar work of 6. The willingness to mix fantasy and science fiction ideas
monsters and treasure called Booty and the Beasts. This time we actually seems to have been much greater in the early days of the
used a word processor at my mom’s law office in downtown San hobby. Is that willingness something you’ve brought to your
Francisco! Booty and the Beasts was our last big project, because Erol own work, both in tabletop RPGs and in computer games?
moved off to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to work for TSR Hobbies, though
we did put out two little products, a nicely illustrated magical artifact I love imagining fantastic adventures in all kinds of settings and time
generation system and a set of geomorphic mini-dungeon modules. periods, but my brain is not divided into neat genres. Perhaps I
integrated Arthur C. Clarke’s comparison between magic and science at
3. How did you come to be hired by TSR? Did your such a deep level that I have a hard time with such categorizations. Think
independent design work catch the eye of someone in Lake about the magic in Jack Vance’s D&D-inspiring The Dying Earth stories:
Geneva? were they powered by supernatural forces, ancient super-science, or
aliens from other dimensions? And aren’t his stories more interesting
Erol had been hired as an artist a year earlier and I when I went out to because he never entirely answers that question?
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for a visit, I looked at the work being done by
TSR’s designers and thought “I can do that!” I wrote a quick module, The Many of the books I have enjoyed in the 60’s and 70’s would be called
Temple of Poseidon, and sent it back to TSR along with my CV and “cross-overs” today, including stories like Zelazney’s Nine Princes in
copies of Booty and the Beasts and The Necromican. I was initially hired Amber, Saberhagen’s Empire of the East trilogy, and even Heinlein’s
as a “game developer,” editing and fleshing out the work of other Glory Road. While genres are convenient for business purposes, I think
designers. About 4 months later, I became a game designer and was they sever the corpus calosum of imaginative literature. I think I have
assigned defining rules for high-level D&D games whose characters were always struggled to bridge these artificially created divisions, both in
15-30th level. My work was never published intact (in truth, it was a little theme and in structure, as with the strategy/action hybrid video games,

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected] 16 June, 2009

Archon and Star Control. 9. Do you still play tabletop RPGs nowadays and, if so, which
ones do you play?
7. I very fondly remember the game Archon from the mid-80s.
I’m a bit embarrassed to mention that, until recently, I had no Yes, recently Erol, Fred Ford, and a few of our friends have been trying
idea that you’d worked on it. What inspired that game and do out 4.0 in a fun island adventure of Erol’s creation. Jeez! — first level
you have any particular memories of its development? characters are like gods compared to the last time I played, which was 1st
Edition. A magic missle every round — forever? Give me a month and my
Wow, that is opening up a whole other can of memory worms! For today, Mujongie War Wizard will turn a castle to dust!
let’s just say that Archon was a perfect transition from the world of
Dungeons & Dragons into the then-emerging field of computer games
and that I was extremely fortunate to work on it with Jon Freeman, Anne
Westfall, and Robert Leyland — three of the best and most experienced
computer game developers of that time.
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8. You’re probably one of the first pen and paper RPG
designers I recall having “jumped ship” to the computer games Growing Skepticism
industry. What sparked that decision and how would you JUN 15, 2009 12:31P.M.
characterize the differences between the two industries?
Back at the end of April, I made a post where I took pleasure in the Erol
I met Jon Freeman in 1980 at D&D convention where he was showing off Otus cover to Kenzer & Company’s upcoming HackMaster Basic. Nearly
one of the very first fantasy computer games, The Datestones of Ryn. two months later, I still think the cover is awesome, but I’m cooling on
Having learned to program in BASIC at Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of my interest in the game itself. Kenzer has released several PDFs intended
Science, I could see how it was put together and I was pretty sure I could to give potential customers a sneak peek at what’s in store, one of which
make it better. Jon’s initial interest in me was learning how to publish is a full table of contents of the 192-page book. Left unanswered is the
his own FRP system in the paper world, but eventually we settled on question of how any book that calls itself “basic” can be almost 200
working together on a computer game. I must admit, when TSR shortly pages long, especially when one considers that the AD&D Players
thereafter offered me a job, I bailed on Jon and flew off to Wisconsin. Handbook was 128 pages long and the Rules Cyclopedia just a little over
300 and it covers levels 1-36.
He continued on to create other seminal fantasy and science-fiction
games at his company, Automated Simulations. TSR was an amazing, Also found on the Kenzer website is a “walkthrough preview” of the
wonderful and fun-filled experience for me, but I was 18 and fairly new game. It was reading this, though, that really made me reconsider my
to the whole being an adult thing, so when I bought some company stock initially hopeful feelings about the game. Leaving aside its smug tone,
(5 $100 shares), I thought it gave me a right to speak up when I saw which I found grating but realize is as much a part of the charm of the
something funky happening at the company. I protested about the crazy game to some people as AD&D‘s High Gygaxian is to me, HackMaster
expense of buying a Porsche as a company car for one of the executives Basic simply looks much to rules-heavy for my tastes these days. In
and got myself unemployed pretty dang fast, along with Evan Robinson addition to ability scores, races, and classes, there are priors and
and Kevin Hendryx. particulars, quirks and flaws, skills, talents, and proficiencies, not to
mention the honor system I found faintly ridiculous in the previous
By that time, less than a year after buying the stock, it had risen to over edition. Combat has been expanded to include knock-back rules, in
$1000 per share, so Evan and I cashed in and headed back to California addition to special moves, trauma, and other similar complications. I
via Canada and a minor disagreement with their government about the found myself once again wondering what Kenzer thinks “basic” means,
definition of “assault weapon.” Long story. When I got back to California only to realize that, compared to the “advanced” release later this year,
I studied field geology at UC Berkeley and rekindled my friendship with this book may very well qualify as basic.
Jon Freeman and his new partner, Anne Westfall. Together with Robert
Leyland, we formed Free Fall Associates and created two of Electronic None of this is to say HackMaster Basic will be a bad game or that it
Arts’ first seven games, Archon and Murder on the Zinderneuf. doesn’t scratch a particular old school itch that some people have. But
it’s definitely not my itch and hasn’t been for many, many years. I
The difference between the two industries back then? Well, there was certainly wish Kenzer & Company all the best with this game and hope it
about 10 times as much money in computer games and 1/10th the proves very successful for them. I wish I could come along for the ride,
number of people, plus my hybrid of skills was pretty rare so it was a but, honestly, I can’t see abandoning any of my current games for
natural fit for me. In terms of people, there were lots of engineers and HackMaster. If I can snag myself a review copy somehow or other, I’ll
other super-smartypants (who make the best friends, because they are definitely give it a fair shake. I’d love to be convinced that the impression
witty and interesting and make me look handsome and manly by I got from the preview material is mistaken, even though I don’t imagine
comparison.) I will be.

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected] 16 June, 2009

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The Origin of the Thief

JUN 15, 2009 11:43A.M.

Gaming historian extraordinaire, Allan Grohe, has once again done us a

great service by obtaining a copy of issue 9 “The Great Plains Game
Newsletter” from 1974, in which Gary Gygax first presents the Thief class
for inclusion in OD&D. Allan’s transcription is invaluable for having not
only preserved a pre-Supplement I version of the class (which differs
slightly in certain of its abilities), but also in having attached a name —
Gary Schweitzer — to the original inspiration for the class. Schweitzer
apparently told Gygax about the class in a phone conversation, resulting
in the class Allan has now made available to us through his transcription.

I may have more detailed comments about this remarkable find later.
For now, I’m just amazed that we’ve got hold such an important piece of
gaming history. My hats off to Allan. Bravo!

And once again I stretch the term “pulp fantasy” to the breaking point. I
am nothing if not painfully consistent in my eccentricities. Perhaps I
should simply rename this feature “Appendix N” or something similar
and be done with it, since it’s (generally) about the books and other
media that influenced the creation of Dungeons & Dragons.
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Pulp Fantasy Library: Walt That’s why I bring up the 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty. I recall
Gary Gygax’s having said that he watched and enjoyed Walt Disney’s
Disney’s Sleeping Beauty fairytale films, particularly Snow White. Indeed, I have a recollection
that he credited several Disney films with having exercised a powerful
JUN 15, 2009 08:25A.M.
effect on his imagination. One of Gary’s oft-repeated contentions was
that many of D&D‘s iconic elements derived from so many sources, often
going back to his childhood, that it was difficult to disentangle them and
claim that this or that was its “true” inspiration. I find that contention
very plausible, as I know very well from my own experiences.

Consequently, it’s hard for me to watch Sleeping Beauty and not see in it
images and ideas that may well have made their way into D&D, if only
sub-consciously. Sleeping Beauty was and is my favorite of Disney’s
fairytale films. There are many reasons for this, including Eyvind Earle’s
sumptuous art direction, which makes the movie look like a medieval
illuminated manuscript come to life. When I am not in a deep swords-
and-sorcery mode, my vision of the “D&D world” shares a lot with this
film. It’s a rare example of my having a model that’s rooted not in the
written word but in a visual medium, which speaks to just how much I
like Sleeping Beauty and its look.

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected] 16 June, 2009

So what does Chapter 6 cover? Magic.

The changes to magic is not great, but are important. The big change is
that Alchemy is in the book. From day one Alchemy was always suppose
to be in the Rulebook, but was cut during the later stages of
editing/layout. This never sat right with me, and though I put the rules
in Secrets, for me, the Rulebook is where they should have been. They
are now there. Other than bringing the rules into compliance to the
game, there is little changes made to them.

The area that sees the most changes is Spells, or as they were once
known, Rituals. Rituals are no longer associated with magic, in their
place is Spells. This change will make sense when you see a future
product, but the magic in the Rulebook was always intended to be
known as Spells. Hence, Common Rituals are now Common Spells,
and Arcane Rituals are now Arcane Spells. Here is an excerpt from the
The character of the evil fairy Maleficent is certainly the most explicitly Rulebook:
diabolical of all Disney’s villains — she calls upon “all the powers of Hell”
in the film — with all the trappings one now associates with the Dark Spells
Lord archetype, including hordes of bestial, orc-like minions. She wields
remarkably D&D-like magic, being able to teleport, throw lightning Spells are the magical feats that some Heroes, Villains, and
bolts, and polymorph herself. It’s this last ability where another possible even Supporting Characters are able to perform. Spells are
D&D connection appears. The black dragon into which Maleficent divided into two groups, and though they have the same rules
transforms herself spits a fiery liquid that I feel might have been the covering their use, these groups differ in the power they call
inspiration for the acid breath of the game’s black dragon. Maleficent upon.The first group is Common spells. These are the spells
also sports two horns on her draconic head, just as does D&D‘s black that most spellcasters learn.Though powerful, Common
dragon, the only evil dragon species to have such an arrangement. spells’ effects are not long lasting and do not have the
potential to cause much harm.
Disney films have a much-deserved reputation for being light and airy,
but Sleeping Beauty, though far from being “dark,” nevertheless includes The second group is Arcane spells, which are more powerful,
moments of surprising gravity. Prince Philip’s battle with the dragon is and when successfully cast, have the potential to cause a lot of
rather intense for a children’s film and most of the scenes in which harm. In addition, to cast an Arcane spell, a price must be
Maleficent appears are cast in ominous shadows. Her defeat is inevitable paid; casting Arcane spells slowly eats away at the sanity of
according to the demands of the fairytale format, but I feel the movie the caster. Every time an arcane spell is cast, the caster
somehow manages to make one believe, if only for an instant, that evil sacrifices a little bit of their Sanity.
might well prevail — quite an achievement in my opinion and one I think
many referees would do well to emulate. Notice something about Arcane spells?

That’s right, it costs you Sanity to cast those type of spells. Arcane spells
are taxing to the caster’s sanity which is why all arcane spells have a
Sanity Cost associated with them. When casting the spell, regardless if
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the caster’s Sanity total. This change was done for two reason. The first
13 Chapters in 13 Weeks — was to make Sanity more important (a topic I have talked about before).
The second reason the change has taken place is so Arcane spells have a
Chapter 6 cost to them. These are powerful spells, because of this a risk must be
JUN 15, 2009 06:22A.M. present for the casting of them.

At first my group hated the change, but once they thought about the tone
of the game, the change made sense. Reading through the playtest notes,
Six weeks in, and I am still plugging away at telling you what is new in the change was liked by the groups as well.
Colonial Gothic Revised. This week we turn our attention to one of
the big chapters of the game, and one of the examples of how I weaved So how do the spells look? Take a look:
background and rules together.
Awake

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected] 16 June, 2009

Action: 1
Range: Touch
Duration: Days equal to caster’s Resolution
Performed On: Self, Others
Sanity Cost: 0

This spell was first reported in 1564 by French agents on a

member of the Queen’s Privy Council in hopes that they
would drive him mad. Discovery of this spell by an English
mage led to the knowledge of it being published in the small
folio titled Wakeful Mind, written by Wallis Scott in 1578.
Rumors persist that dark practitioners have found a way to
use a variant of Awake on multiple enemies at a time,
clouding their judgment and making them easy prey.

By performing this clever spell, the intended person is unable

to fall asleep for a number of days equal to the caster’s
Resolution. A person who cannot fall asleep is unable to
replenish their Vitality without the use of magic; in addition,
they lose 2 Sanity every day they are unable to sleep. For each
additional Rank in this spell the number of targets a caster is
able to affect increases by 1. Thus, having 4 Ranks in this
spell, the caster is able to affect 3 people.

Dramatic Success in casting this spell doubles the duration of

the spell. Failing to cast the spell has the intended target
unaffected by the spell. A Dramatic Failure, on the other
hand, has repercussions on the caster. Instead of causing the
target to be unable to sleep, the caster suffers the effect of the
spell.

So a few changes to how spells are presented have taken place as well. So
why these changes? I have gotten a lot of email from players and GMs
wanting to know how long it would take a Hero to cast Align in combat,
and what I wanted to do was address this. That is why I added Time. In
the spell above, it takes 1 Action to cast the spell. However, if you must
have ingredients and perform certain tasks, these still must be done. The
Time only comes into play with actual casting of the spell.

Another change is one that I really like, and that is giving the history
behind the spell in the description. This is one of the things many loved
about Poor Wizard’s Grimoire, and this is something I really wanted
to add to the Rulebook. The reason is that it adds to the flavor and
color of the game, and helps set the game into context. Also, all of these
little bits of history are hooks ready for you to use for adventures and
plot ideas.

So there you go, another chapter done. This is the last “rules” chapter for
awhile. The next few (Chapter 7 to 11) are background heavy. These
chapters are filled with things to help you run and play the game.

Anyway, more to come. As always questions, comments and the like,

please speak up, I want to hear them!