Dragon Magazine #67

DRAGON
Dragon Publishing has a new boss, and

DRAGON Magazine has a new publisher.
The man at the top is Mike Cook, formerly
the head of the Education Department at TSR
Hobbies, Inc. Now, as Executive Vice President in charge of the Dragon Publishing division of TSR, Mike is responsible for making
big business decisions (the kind editors are
scared of) and overseeing the activities of the
division as a whole.
He also assumes the title of publisher of the
magazine, which has traditionally been held
by the person in charge of the division. Mike
wont be taking a major role in the production
of DRAGON Magazine, and there are no plans
to change whats printed between these covers just because the publishers name has
changed.
Mike moved into the job previously held by

Jake Jaquet, who has been hired by Crystal
Publications Incorporated of Crystal Lake,
Ill., to serve as the companys president and
the publisher of its forthcoming periodical,
GAMEPLAY Magazine.
I worked with Jake for three years; as of this
writing, Ive worked with Mike for three weeks.
I consider both of them friends, and I wish
both of them good luck in what theyre doing
because I think they already have all the
skill and talent they need.
SPECIAL ATTRACTION
FEDIFENSOR A scenario for AD&D adventuring
on the Astral Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
OTHER FEATURES
Spys Advice Answers to TOP SECRET questions . . . . 12
Souping up the spider Eleven new arachnids . . . . . . . . . . 15
Deities & Demigods of the WORLD OF GREYHAWK
Heironeous, Hextor, Iuz, and St. Cuthbert . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
THE ASTRAL PLANE: A special section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Astral encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Astral traveling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Encounter checks and the Psychic Wind . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Movement & combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Magical alterations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Cleric spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Druid spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Magic-user spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Illusionist spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Magical items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
King of the Cats Fiction by Gillian FitzGerald . . . . . . . . . . 50
Loyal Readers: A letter from EGG to you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Poker, chess, and the AD&D system Official words . . . 63
REGULAR OFFERINGS
Out on a Limb Letters from readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
From the Sorcerors Scroll Scads of new M-U spells . . . . 4
Featured Creatures Elves and their canine comrades . . . 10
Module design contest rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Dragons Augury reviews
The Role of Books Beginning a new series . . . . . . . . 67
Trollpak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Convention schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Dragon Mirth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
W o r m y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Whats New. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
ust in case anyone was thinking that there are no

more frontiers to be crossed, we offer this issue of
DRAGON Magazine as proof that the state of the
art in fantasy role-playing (AD&D gaming, in particular) is still advancing, and has yet to tax the
limits of our writers imaginations.
As voluminous as the AD&D rules already are, there are
plenty of ways they can be expanded and embellished. E. Gary
Gygax, the creator of the AD&D game, makes that point more
strongly than ever by revealing dozens of all-new spells for the
magic-user class in From the Sorcerors Scroll. The roster of
new spells is so long that we had to break the presentation into
two parts, saving the 5th-9th level spells for next time.
And to expand your gaming consciousness in another direction, theres a looong treatise by contributing editor Roger
Moore on what its like to adventure on the Astral Plane. The
article, annotated by EGG himself, is wrapped around an AD&D
scenario called Fedifensor an idea of what an adventure on
the Astral Plane. might be like. Its not a full-fledged astral
module (the state of the art isnt quite that advanced yet), but a
DM who supplies a hefty dose of imagination, and applies the
principles in Roger Moores article, can make Fedifensor an
adventure that will test the mettle of even high-level characters.
The prolific Mr. Gygax is also responsible for four other
features that help to fill out this issues 80 pages: the first
installment of his descriptions of the deities and demigods of
the WORLD OF GREYHAWK Fantasy Setting: another of his
regular Featured Creatures columns; an essay primarily dealing with whats official and whats not; and a last-minute
addendum to his regular column material, in the form of a
return letter to all the readers whove sent in their reactions to
the new character-class proposals published in issue #65.
After all of the aforementioned articles were shoehorned into
place, there wasnt space for too much else but we did
manage to slip in a set of Spys Advice questions and answers
by TOP SECRET game author Merle Rasmussen; a brief look
at some unusual kinds of spiders, adapted for AD&D use by
Gregg Chamberlain; the first installment of a new review feature, The Role of Books, by Lew Pulsipher; and a piece of fiction
by Gillian FitzGerald that offers the best reason we know of for
not letting a black cat cross your path because that animal
might not be just a cat. . . . KM
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, ADVANCED D&D, and TOP SECRET are registered trademarks owned by TSR Hobbies, Inc.
designates other trademarks owned by TSR Hobbies, Inc., unless otherwise indicated.
N OVEMBER 1982
Vol. VII, No. 6
November 1982
Publisher: Mike Cook

Editor-in-Chief: Kim Mohan
Editorial staff: Marilyn Favaro
Gali Sanchez
Roger Raupp
Business manager: Debbie Chiusano
Circulation: Cherie Knull
Office staff: Sharon Walton
Contributing editors: Roger Moore
Ed Greenwood
This issues contributing artists:
Bruce Whitefield
Jack Crane
Jim Roslof
Marc Hershon
Phil Foglio
Jim Holloway
Dave Trampier
Roger Raupp
Jerry Eaton
DRAGON Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly for a subscription price of $24
per year by Dragon Publishing, a division of TSR
Hobbies, Inc., P.O. Box 110, Lake Geneva WI
53147.
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DRAGON is a trademark for Dragon Publishings monthly adventure playing aid. All rights
on the contents of this publication are reserved,
and nothing may be reproduced from it in whole
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from the publisher. Copyright 1982 by TSR
Hobbies, Inc.
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
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Not a hammer
To the editor:
Christopher Townsends new proficiency
system (DRAGON #65) looks like a well
thought out replacement for the official one.
Although the system in the Players Handbook
is not really in need of replacement, it is an
interesting alternative.
However, I did find an error in Mr. Townsends categorizing of weapons. As anyone
who owns the AD&D Dungeon Masters Adventure Log should know, since it illustrates
many lesser-known weapons, a lucern hammer is not an un-edged bludgeon weapon, but
rather is a spiked, 5+ long pole arm, and
would therefore belong in Mr. Townsends
Short Pole Arms category. I can understand
the mistake, though; I once played in a campaign in which the DM allowed clerics to use
them, not realizing what they were!
David MacKenzie
Bethesda, Md.
Were human, just like Mr. Townsend, and

we make human-type mistakes. (And we seem
to keep finding new ways to illustrate that
point all the time.) Needless to say, we failed
to spot the error and, also needless to say,
that wont be our last mistake. . . . KM
Further, the attacks of the Yellow, Orange,

and Purple Dragons breath weapons provide
hit location specifics that are not part of general AD&D rules.
Even though these monsters are not official, many readers take DRAGON Magazine
articles as gospel. Inclusion of vague histories, suppositions, and hit location attack
forms makes the game more difficult to play
and in fact breaks some of the general rules
that created the game.
Lenard Lakofka
Chicago, III.
In retrospect, I can appreciate Lens criticisms and most of his points of view. In defense of what we do (and in defense of the
author of the maligned article), I must point
out that it is neither possible nor desirable for
all the material in DRAGON Magazine to be
of official quality. And weve made the point
often enough that the words we print are not
to be taken as gospel. In one way or another, every issue of this magazine is an experiment, and a lot of the articles are experimental
and speculative in nature. If you like an idea,
use it and enjoy it. If you dont, therell be
more ideas to choose from next month. KM
Common errors
Translation and
design opportunity
Dear Editor:
DRAGON #65 contained an article on The
Missing Dragons. I would like to point out a
few common errors in this type of article
which, if they were cleared up, would improve
the game and the monster in question. Writers
tend to make the monster shrouded in myth.
They do this by ascribing information to
sages, bards, long-dead wizards, etc. Frankly,
this is just trite. The monsters in the Bestiary,
et al, are meant as part of text on the subject of
monsters. Thus, the monsterss stats and history should not be vague. [Just say that] The
monster came from some locale, has such
and such attacks, etc., and leave out the
mystery.
These dragons have very powerful attack
forms when one looks at the consequences of
their breath weapons. Imagine, however, how
it would be to have a red or a black dragon
breathe in your face. This would be like being
directly exposed to a flame thrower or a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids. However, the
red and black dragons simply do damage and
do not blind or melt the face of the target.
The point is that the AD&D system is not a
simulation, it is a game. Certainly we can look
at our current knowledge of chemistry and
biology and know the consequences of sodium chloride fired into someones face. We
would also know how to give artificial respiration, as is suggested in the article. But alas,
medieval man did not know these things.
Is Japanese your first language? Are

you fluent in English as well? Is Japanese history well known to you? Are you
a student of mythology of the Far East?
Do you play D&D and AD&D games
regularly?
If you can answer each of the above
questions in the affirmative, then you
have an unparalleled opportunity with
TSR Hobbies, Inc.! We are now seeking
a full-time translator and designer to
work with our line of fantasy role playing games. The position has excellent
pay and benefits plus opportunity for
advancement based on performance.
Employment location is at the main
Corporate offices in Lake Geneva, Wis.
Applicants must send a complete resume with salary history. Be sure to
state how many years you have played
both the D&D game system and the
AD&D game system. Indicate familiarity with other FRP games, please. Submit information to:
Personnel Dept.
TSR Hobbies, Inc.
P.O. Box 756
Lake Geneva WI 53147
D
R A G O N
by Gary Gygax
1982 E. Gary Gygax. All rights reserved.
As with illusionists (see last issue), magic-users also have a

fair number of new spells which will be delineated in the upcoming ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Expansion volume. There are currently 62 of these new magicks, divided so as
to allow random discovery/determination. These spells are given hereafter, and they are substantially in the same form as they
will appear when the book is published.
MAGIC-USERS
Number
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
1st Level
Alarm
Armor
Firewater
Grease
Melt
Mount
Precipitation
Run
Taunt
Wizard Mark
Number 2nd Level

Bind
25
Deeppockets
26
3rd Level
Cloudburst
Detect Illusion
27
Flaming Sphere Item
28
29
Irritation
Melfs Acid
Arrow
Preserve
Tashas Uncontrollable
Hideous
Laughter
Whip
30
31
32
Material
Melfs Minute
Meteor
Secret Page
Sepia Snake
Sigil
Wind Wall
4th Level
Dispel Illusion
Evards Black
Tentacles
Leomunds Secure Shelter
Magic Mirror
Otilukes Resilient Sphere
Shout
Stoneskin
Ultravision
(Editors note: The listings and descriptions for new magicuser spells of levels 5-9 will be published next month, in issue
#68 of DRAGON Magazine.)
SPELL EXPLANATIONS
Alarm (Evocation)
Components: V, S, M
Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 1
Duration: 2-8 turns +1 t./level Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: Up to 20 sq. ft./level
Explanation/Description: When an alarm spell is cast, the
magic-user causes a selected area to react to the presence of

any living creature larger than a normal rat, i.e. anything larger
than about one-half cubic foot in volume and/or over about 3
pounds in weight. The area of effect can be a portal, a section of
floor, stairs, etc. As soon as any living creature sets foot upon
the area, touches it, or otherwise contacts it, the alarm spell will
evoke a loud ringing which will be clearly heard within a 60
radius. (Reduce the radius by 10 for interposing doors, by 20
for substantial interposing walls.) The sound will last for 1
4
NOVEMBER 1982
segment and then cease. While undead creatures will not cause
the spell to function, invisible creatures, as well as those from
other planes who are otherwise alive, will do so. Ethereal or
astrally projected creatures will not trigger an alarm. The material components of this spell are a tiny bell and a piece of very
fine silver wire.
Armor (Conjuration)
Level: 1
Range: Touch
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Components: V, S, M
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, the magicuser creates a magical field of force which serves as if it were
leather armor (AC 8). If the spell is cast upon a person already
armored, it has no effect. However, if it is cast upon a creature
with an armor class normally higher than 9 (due to its size,
speed, skin, etc.) it will benefit the normal armor class by +1, i.e.
AC 8 becomes 7,7 becomes 6, and so on. The magic armor spell
does not slow or hinder movement, adds no weight or encumbrance, nor does it prevent spell casting. It lasts until dispelled
or until the wearer sustains cumulative damage totaling greater
than 8 points +1 point per level of the caster. Thus, the wearer
might take 8 points from an attack, then several turns later
sustain an additional 1 point of damage. Unless the spell were
cast by a magic-user of 2nd level or higher, it would be dispelled. Until it is dispelled, the armor spell allows the wearer full
benefits of the armor class gained due to the dweomer.
Note: This spell will not function in conjunction with protective magic devices other than a ring of protection. The material
component is a piece of finely cured leather which has been
blessed by a cleric.
Firewater (Alteration)
Level: 1
Components: V, S, M
Range: 1
Casting Time: 1 segment
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: 1 pint of water/level
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, the magicuser changes a volume of water to a volatile, inflammable substance similar to alcohol. If this substance is exposed to flame,
fire, or even a spark, it will burst into flames and burn with a hot
fire. Creatures subject to firewater flame will suffer 2-12 hit
points damage. Firewater will evaporate and be useless within 1
round, even if it is securely contained and sealed, so it must be
utilized within 10 segments of its creation. The material components of this spell are a few grains of sugar and a raisin.
Grease (Evocation)
Level: 1
Range: 1
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: 1 sq. ft./level
Components: V, S, M
Saving Throw: Special
Explanation/Description: A grease spell creates an area covered by a slippery substance of a fatty, greasy nature. Any
creature stepping upon it will have to save versus petrification
or slip, skid, and fall. Of course, if a creature is aware of the area,
it can possibly be avoided. The spell can also be used to cause a
greasy coating on some surface other than that underfoota
course, a caster of sufficiently high level to qualify for a camel

(for instance) can choose a lower level mount if he or she so
desires. Available mounts are these:
1st 3rd level: mule or light horse
4th 7th level: draft horse or warhorse
8th 12th level: camel
13th level & up: elephant (and houda at 18th level)
The mount will not come with any riding gear, unless it is of a
class lower than the caster would normally be entitled to gain,
i.e. a 4th level magic-user can gain a warhorse without saddle
and harness or a light horse with saddle and harness. The
statistics of the animal gained are typical of all creatures of the
same class. The material component of the spell is a bit of hair
or dung from the type of animal to be conjured.
Precipitation (Alteration)
Level: 1
Range: 1/level
Duration: 1 segment/level
Components: V, S, M
Saving Throw: None
(& special)
Area of Effect: 3 diam. cylinder up to 72 high
rope, ladder rungs, weapon handle, etc. Lone material objects

will always be subject to such a spell use, but if the magic is cast
upon an object being wielded or employed by a creature, a
saving throw versus magic must fail for the grease spell to be
effective. The material component of the spell is a bit of pork
rind, butter, or other greasy material.
Melt (Alteration)
Components: V, S, M
Level: 1
Range: 3
Duration: 1 round/level
Area of Effect: 1 cubic yard/level double if snow
Explanation/Description: When a melt spell is cast, the
magic-user effectively raises the temperature in the area of
effect. This sudden increase in warmth will melt ice in 1 round,
so that a 1st level magic-user can melt a cube of solid ice, 1 yard
on a side, in 1 round after the spell is cast, so that the ice
becomes water. The melt spell is not generally effective against
creatures which are not composed of para-elemental cold or
which employ extreme cold. However, against such monsters
as white dragons, winter wolves, yeti and the like, a melt spell
will inflict 2 points of damage per level of the spell caster, or 1
point per level if the subject creature makes its saving throw
versus magic. The material components for a melt spell are a
few crystals of rock salt and a pinch of soot.
Mount (Conjuration/Summoning)
Level: 1
Components: V, S, M
Range: 1
Duration: 12 turns + 6 turns/level
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, the caster
calls a normal animal to serve him or her as a mount. The animal

will serve willingly and well, but at the expiration of the spell
duration it will disappear, returning to its own place. The type of
mount gained by this spell depends on the level of the caster; of
Explanation/Description: When this spell is cast, all water

vapor in the atmosphere in the area of effect is precipitated in
the form of a light rain. (Note that low-level spell casters will
certainly be within the area of effect of the spell.) The rain will
continue only for as many segments of time as the spell caster
has levels of experience. As only some 1/100th of an inch of
precipitation falls during the course of a segment, the spell will
have only the following general effects:
Thin, light material will become damp in 1 segment and
thoroughly wet thereafter.
Twigs and heavy material such as canvas will be damp in
2 segments and wet thereafter.
Flat, relatively non-porous surfaces, such as stone floors,
rock, painted wood, etc., will be damp in 1 segment
and filmed with water thereafter.
Semi-porous surfaces and materials will become damp
on the surface in 2 segments, and thereafter the
damp area will progress downward/inward; after 5
segments the surface will also be wet.
Porous surfaces and materials will simply absorb the, rain
to their entire capacity.
Small flames, such as those of candles, will be extinguished
by 1 segment of precipitation. Small fires will slow and become
smoky for 1 round after precipitation has ceased. Large fires
will not be materially affected by the spell.
Note that if the temperature is above 90 F., the duration of the
spell will be extended to double normal except in arid regions.
Also, where the temperature ranges between 31 and 33F., the
precipitation will fall in the form of sleet. At 30 F. and below, the
precipitation will fall as rather thick snow, and most of the
dampness/wetness effect will be negated until the snow melts.
If magical heat of a large area is applied to precipitation, i.e. a
wall of fire, fireball, flame strike, etc., a cloud of warm fog of
double the area of effect of the precipitation will be formed. If
magical cold is applied to the spell or the water which remains
thereafter, normal ice will be formed. Very hot creatures such
as salamanders will suffer 1 point of damage in every segment
during which they are within the area of effect of the spell. Such
creatures are entitled to a save versus magic. The material
component of the spell is a pinch of silver dust.
Run (Enchantment)
Level: 1
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch
Saving Throw: None
Duration: 5-8 hours
Area of Effect: Special (humans, demi-humans only)
Explanation/Description: The run spell enables the recipient
DRAGON
to run at full speed for from 5-8 hours without tiring. However,
after so running the individual must spend a like number of
hours resting, as well as drinking plenty of liquids and eating
heartily. For every 2 levels of experience of the spell caster,
another individual can be affected, i.e. at 4th level, 2 individuals
can be touched and empowered to run; at 6th, three; etc. The
material component of this spell is an elixir made from the juice
of dried plums boiled in spring water and the oil of 5-8 beans of
a spurge (castor) plant.
creases, and increase length by 50% when diameter is halved.

The commands possible to give under a bind spell are: Coil;
Coil & Knot; Loop; Loop & Knot; Tie & Knot; and the reverses of
all of the above. The rope or other rope-like object must be
within about 1 foot of any object in order for it to respond
properly, so it must usually be thrown or hurled nearby. Any
creature affected by the rope-like object can, of course, interact
with it as if it were a normal object; the dweomer does not cause
the rope to have magical properties beyond its ability to obey
commands. (Cf. Rope of climbing, rope of entanglement.)
Taunt (Enchantment)
Deeppockets (Alteration/Enchantment)
Components: V,S
Level: 1
Range: 3
Saving Throw: Neg.
Duration: instantaneous
Area of Effect: 2 levels or hit dice/level
Explanation/Description: A taunt spell enables the caster to
jape and jeer effectively with respect to any creature with an
intelligence of 2 or greater. The spells dweomer gives the
magic-users words and sounds real meaning to the subject
creature or creatures. These words and sounds will challenge
the subject(s), be insulting, and in general cause irritation and
anger. If the subject creature or creatures fail to save versus
magic, the taunt spell will cause them to rush forth in fury to do
battle with the spell caster, and each and every affected creature so coming will certainly attack the spell caster if physically
capable of doing so, i.e. they will seek to use body weapons and
hand-held weapons rather than attacking from a distance. Only
one sort of creature can be affected by a taunt spell. It affects
creatures closest to the spell caster first, regardless of maximum range. Thus, if a group of gnolls were being taunted by a
10th level magic-user, the foremost 10 would be subject to the
spell first, even though the spell caster might prefer to affect the
gnollish shaman at the rear of the group.
Wizard Mark (Alteration)

Level: 1
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: 1 square foot
Components: V, S, M
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: When this spell is cast the magicuser is able to inscribe, visibly or invisibly, his or her personal
rune or mark, as well as up to six additional characters of
smaller size. A wizard mark spell allows the caster to etch the
rune upon stone, metal, or any softer substance without harm
to the material upon which the mark is placed. If an invisible
mark is made, detect magic will cause it to glow and be readable
(which does not necessarily imply understandability). Detect
invisibility, true seeing, true sight, a gem of seeing, or a robe of
eyes will likewise note an invisible wizard mark. The material
components for the casting of this spell are a pinch of diamond
dust (about 50 gold pieces worth) and a pigment or pigments
for the coloration of the mark. If the mark is to be invisible, the
pigments are still used, but the caster uses a stylus of some sort
rather than his or her digit.
Bind (Alteration/Enchantment)
Level: 2
Range: 3
Area of Effect: Special
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 2 segments
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: When this spell is employed, the

magic-user causes any rope-like object of non-living material
to behave as he or she orders. The subject can be string, yarn,
cord, line, rope, or even a cable. About 50 of normal rope (1
inch diameter), plus 5 per level of the spell caster, can be
affected. Reduce length proportionately when diameter in-
Level: 2
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch
Casting Time: 1 turn
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: 1 garment
Explanation/Description: This spell allows the magic-user to
specially prepare a garment so as to hold far more than it
normally could. A finely sewn gown or robe of high-quality
material (at least 300 gold pieces value) is fashioned so as to
contain numerous pockets. One dozen is the minimum number.
The deeppockets spell then makes 1 of these pockets able to
hold 1,000 gold pieces weight (5 cubic feet volume) as if it were
only 100 gold pieces weight. Furthermore, there will be no
discernible bulge where the special pocket is. The spell can be
changed to allow 10 pockets each of 100 gold piece weight
capability (1/2 cubic foot volume each). If a robe or like garment
is sewn with 100 or more pockets (1,000 gold piece minimum
cost), 100 pockets can be dweomered to contain 10 gold pieces
weight each, and hold 1/6 cubic foot volume each. If the spell
duration expires while there is material within enchanted
pockets, the material vanishes lost forever. In addition to the
garment, the material components of this spell are a tiny golden
needle and a strip of fine cloth given a half-twist and fastened at
the ends.
Flaming Sphere (Alteration-Evocation)

Components: V, S, M
Level: 2
Range: 1
Saving Throw: Neg.
Area of Effect: 6 diameter sphere
Explanation/Description: A flaming sphere spell causes a
burning globe of normal-type fire to come into being up to 1
distant from the spell caster. This sphere will then begin rolling
in the direction in which the magic-user points, even though it
might be uphill. It will roll over low barriers such as walls,
furniture, etc., as long as these barriers are not over 4 tall.
Flammable substances will be set afire by contact with the
sphere. Creatures struck will suffer 2-8 points of damage. All
creatures within a 5 radius of the spheres center must save
versus magic or else take the indicated damage. The flaming
sphere moves at a rate of 1/round as long as the spell caster
points in the direction it is to move, for it otherwise merely stays
at rest and flames. It can be extinguished by the same means as
any normal fire of its size. The material components are a bit of
tallow, a pinch of sulphur, and a dusting of powdered iron.
Irritation (Alteration)
Level: 2
Range: 1/level
Duration: Special
Components: V, S, M
Saving Throw: Neg.
Explanation/Description: An irritation spell affects the epidermis of the subject creature. Creatures with very thick or
insensitive skins are basically unaffected by the dweomer. (Examples are buffalo, elephants, scaled creatures, etc.) There are
DRAGON
two versions of the spell, either of which can be cast from the
standard preparation:
Itching When cast, this causes the subject to feel an
instant itching sensation on some portion of its body. If
5-8 segments are not immediately spent scratching this
irritated area, the subject creature will be so affected that
the next 3 rounds will be spent squirming and twisting,
effectively lowering the subjects armor class by 4 and its
to hit probability by 2.
Rash When a rash is cast, the subject creature will
notice nothing for 1-4 rounds, but thereafter its entire skin
will begin to break out in red welts which faintly itch. The
rash will persist until either a cure disease or dispel magic
is cast upon it. It lowers charisma by 1 point per day until
four days have passed, i.e. maximum loss of charisma is 4
points. After one week, the subjects dexterity is lowered
by 1 point also: Symptoms vanish immediately upon the
removal of the rash, all statistics returning to normal.
The material component for this spell is powdered leaf from
poison ivy, oak, or sumac.
Preserve (Abjuration)
Level: 2
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch
Casting Time: 2 rounds
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: One-half cu. ft./level of the spell caster
Explanation/Description: A preserve spell enables the caster
to retain some item fresh and whole until some later time when
it is needed in a spell. Of course, the dweomer is ineffective in
retaining the potency of material such as mistletoe, holly berries, and similar stuffs which must be gathered periodically. It is
otherwise effectual. The sort of material which can be treated
by a preserve spell depends upon the level of the caster:
Hard, relatively dry material: 2nd-4th level
Soft, relatively wet material: 5th-7th level
Semi-liquid and liquid materials: 8th level & up
A container is necessary only in cases where a relatively high
degree of moisture is concerned. The material components of
the spell are a pinch of dust, a bit of resin (or amber), and a drop
of brandy.
Tashas Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter (Evocation)

Whip (Evocation)
Level: 2
Range: 5
Duration: 1 round
Components: V, S, M
Explanation/Description: This spell enables the caster to

cause the subject to perceive everything as hilariously funny.
The effect is not immediate, and the subject creature will feel
only a slight tingling on the round the dweomer is placed, but
on the round immediately following, it will begin smiling, then
giggling, chuckling, tittering, snickering, guffawing, and finally
collapsing into gales of uncontrollable hideous laughter. Although this magic mirth lasts only a single round, the affected
creature must spend the next round regaining its feet, and it will
be at -2 from its strength on the 3rd and 4th rounds following
the spell casting. The saving throw depends on the intelligence
of the creature. Creatures with intelligence of 3 or less are
totally unaffected. Those with intelligence of 4-8 have no saving
throw; those with intelligence of 9-12 save at -4; those with
intelligence of 13-15 save at -2; and those with intelligence of 16
or greater gain normal saving throw probability. The material
components of the spell are a small feather, a tiny wooden
paddle, and a minute tort. The tort is hurled at the subject, while
the feather is waved in one hand and the paddle is tapped
against the posterior of the spell caster.
Melfs Acid Arrow (Evocation)

Level: 2
Range: 3
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: One target
Components: V, S, M
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, the magicuser creates a magic arrow which speeds itself to its target as
if fired from the bow of a fighter of the same level as the
magic-user casting the spell. The arrow is equal to a +1 weapon
for hit determination purposes. The effect of a hit might inflict
damage on the target even if it would not normally be harmed
by an arrow or magic weapon of only +1 value. This is due to the
acid. The arrow itself does 2-5 points of damage. The acid
which gushes forth when it hits is equal to an acid missile of
8-ounce volume (1 diam. area of effect, 2-8 hit points damage,
plus item saving throw). The acids strength increases by one
round of damage for every 3 levels of magic use above 3rd, so
that double damage will occur over two rounds if the spell cast
is from a 4th-6th level magic-user, unless the target can have
the acid neutralized. The material components of the spell are a
dart and powdered rhubarb leaf and adder stomach.
Level: 2
Range: 1
Components: V, S, M
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, the magicuser creates a material, whip-like substance up to 1 distant
from his or her person. The spell caster can then wield this whip
by moving his or her hand as if it held an actual one, for the
magical one will respond to the movements made by its evoker.
The lash can be used so as to make both a whistling crack and
an actual strike each turn. The sound alone is sufficient to keep
normal animals at bay unless they save versus magic. Any
animal actually struck (as indicated by a normal to hit die roll)
must save versus magic at -1 to -4 or else slink away and not
return for at least an hour. Note that the whip does not do actual
damage to the creature struck. Creatures with intelligence
above 3 are not affected, nor are giant-sized animals above
about bear-size, nor are monsters. The whip can also be used in
melee combat, a successful to hit roll indicating that the lash
has struck and wrapped around an opponents weapon. If the
whip saves versus crushing blow (13 or better), if the weapon is
edged, or versus normal blow (6 or better), if the weapon is
non-edged, the whip will tear it from the opponents hand unless a saving throw versus magic succeeds. Magic bonuses of
affected weapons reduce dice score to save versus blows (Magic resistance must fail to make a to hit possible). The material
component of the spell is a small bit of silk braided so as to form
a miniature whip.
Cloudburst (Alteration)
Level: 3
Range: 1/leve/
Duration: 1 round
Components: V, S, M
Saving Throw: None
(& special)
Area of Effect: 3 diam. cylinder up to 6 high

Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, the caster
causes the atmosphere to instantly precipitate all of its water
vapor into huge drops of rain, the resulting condensation not
only causing a true downburst of rain but also sucking more
vapor into the area to likewise be precipitated as rain. The
cloudburst will effectively drench everything within its area of
effect within 1 segment, for its rain will fall at the rate of 1/10th
inch per segment, or one inch of rainfall in 1 round. (Cf. precipitation spell.) All normal fires within the area of effect will be
(Turn to page 54)
DRAGON
FEATURED
CREATURES
OFFICIAL AD&D MONSTERS FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN

by Gary Gygax
Once upon a time elves were more

often encountered in outdoor adventures
as groups, rather than running into them
just about everywhere as adventurers
and NPCs. Well, that is again possible:
1982 E. Gary Gygax. All rights reserved.
Two new non-good elf types, Valley

Elves and Grugach, are now members of
the roster of AD&D game creatures.
Offered along with these two new
types of elves, appropriately enough, is
Grugach
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 20-80
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 15
HIT DICE: 1 + 1
% IN LAIR: 50%
TREASURE TYPE: Individuals N, Q;
B in lair
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type
SPECIAL ATTACKS: +1 with bow or
spear
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Traps

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 90%, vs. charm
and sleep only
INTELLIGENCE: Average and up

ALIGNMENT: Neutral (chaotic)
SIZE: S (4 tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil*
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil*
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: II and up / variable
* possible to exist in unusual characters
The grugach are wild elves akin to
sylvan elves, but smaller, thinner, and
very fair. They are completely xenophobic, distrusting even other types of elves.
Thus they are seldom, if ever, encountered outside their tribal lands.
Except as noted, grugach conform to
the specifics of wood elves and elfkind in
general. Despite their small stature,
grugach have broad shoulders and great
strength (add +2 on strength dice roll,
treating 19 or 20 as 18).
All adult grugach are able to set traps.
These consist principally of pits and
snares in and around their home territory (lair). As such traps are well concealed, there is a 90% chance that creatures passing near one will be caught in
it. This chance drops to 30% if careful
examination is done by characters passing through a trapped area. Pits are normally 10 feet deep and spiked, so damage is 1-4 (fall onto earth-floored pit)
plus 1-6 per spike, plus poison (50%
chance). Snares are usually set to encircle and jerk victims off their feet and
suspend them 5 or more above the
ground. Some snares are deadfalls a
heavy log crashes down for 5-8 d6 of
damage and pins the victim fast as well.
10
NOVEMBER 1982
Grugach are not magic-users, but dualclassed ones will be fighter/druids. They
are on good terms with all animals of the
forest, save those of evil nature. They will
often (70%) have stags four mounts.
About 20% of contacts with wood elves
will actually be with grugach.
the Cooshee, or elven dog. Some of our

Perceptive Readers will recognize the
latter from a recent module, The Lost
Caverns of Tsojcanth. The rest of you
will just have to get bitten. . . .
Valley Elf
Cooshee
FREQUENCY: Very rare

NO. APPEARING: 10-40 (20-240)
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 12
HIT DICE: 1 + 2
% IN LAIR: 10%
TREASURE TYPE: Individuals M, N;
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-8
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 15 (21)
HIT DICE: 3 + 3
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 7-10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Overbearing
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Camouflage
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: SemiALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: 111 / 110 + 4/hp
G, S, T, in lair
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
or 1-10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: +1 with bow or

sword
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 90%, vs. charm
and sleep only
INTELLIGENCE: High and up

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral
SIZE: M (5 + tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil*
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil*
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III / 65 + 2/h.p.
(average individuals only)
*possible to exist in unusual characters
Whether they are a separate race of

elvenkind, or simply an offshoot of gray
elves, the elves of the Valley of the Mage
(valley elves) have distinctive features
and characteristics. As tall as most humans, they are thin and have sharp,
pointed features. They are reclusive and
resent intrusion. If anything, valley elves
are neutral in alignment, with respect to
good and evil. Otherwise, they tend to
have the same characteristics as gray
elves, although they do not use steeds
other than horses as far as is known. All
other sorts of elves, including the dark
elves (drow), shun valley elves. The latter, in turn, dislike association with any
races, save perhaps for gnomes, whom
they tolerate.
With respect to type of habitat, composition of a group, weaponing, and
special abilities, valley elves follow the
statistics found in the Monster Manual
under Elf.
Valley elves use cooshee as guard
animals, and 75% of the time there will be
1-4 elven dogs with a wandering band of
these elves, while in the elves lair there is
a 90% probability that there will be 2-8
cooshee.
In the WORLD OF GREYHAWK Fantasy World Setting, valley elves are found
only in the immediate vicinity of the Valley of the Mage. Bands of these elves
have raided into Bissel, Gran March, Ket,
and the Grand Duchy of Geoff probably at the behest of their liege. Their tolerance of gnomes probably stems from
the fact that these latter demi-humans
also serve the Mage of the Valley.
A cooshee, or elven dog, is found only

in woodlands or meadows frequented by
elves. Most commonly, these beasts are
found in company with sylvan elves. A
cooshee moves quickly, and in straightline chases speed is far greater (21").
When fighting it will strike with its huge
forepaws, attempting to knock man-sized
bipedal creatures off their feet. This attack is determined normally before biting. Prone opponents are, of course,
then more easily bitten (+4 to hit). Elven dogs avoid others of the canine species. Their bark can be heard for a mile or
more, but they do so only to warn their
masters.
Description: A cooshee is the size of
the largest dog. It has a greenish coat
with brown spots. This coloration, coupdied with its ability to move silently, gives
it the ability to conceal itself easily in
brush, woodlands, etc. (75% chance of
hiding). The typical elven dog weighs
over 12 stone, often attaining 15 stone.
Paws are huge and heavily nailed. The
tail is curled and held above the back.
DRAGON 11
SPYS
ADVICE
by Merle M. Rasmussen
In Operation: Rapidstrlke (TS003), Doctor Yes (DRAGON

Issue #48), and Chlnatown: The Jaded Temple (DRAGON issue
#62), characters have a tertiary personal trait called Wrestling
Value. What is this?
Wrestling Value is an obsolete trait that was cut from the TOP
SECRET rules in the second edition. Its function has been
taken over by the Hand-to-Hand Combat Value. All references
to Wrestling Value should be ignored.
* * *
Isnt the 9mm Uzi submachine gun concealable?
Yes. If the stock is removed and the firearm is concealed
beneath the agents suit jacket or a long coat, reduce the
agents Deception by 6. If the Uzi is fired one-handed without
the stock, decrease the PWV by 10.
experience points say the Bureau Bonus is awarded "if the

agent is entitled to it. Id say the assassin is entitled to a
50-point bonus over the Base Experience Points. The confiscator would not get a bonus.
* * *
Are experience points for an adventure already worked out
by the Admin before the mission actually starts?
In most cases, no. According to the rules, Experience points
are awarded . . . for the mission(s) completed. . . .
* * *
What are the unofficial Levels, Designations, and Experience

Points needed for agents working under the Technical Bureau?
Will the Technical Bureau ever appear in future modules?
For those agents who missed the chart printed in DRAGON
issue #45, it is presented here again:
Section 4 Technical
Level Designation
Exp. pts. needed
1
Trainee
0
2
Clerk
79
3
Tinker
157
4
Hobbyist
313
5
Apprentice
625
6
Journeyman
1,250
7
Master
2,500
8
Academician
5,000
9
Consultant
10,000
10
Technician
20,000
10,000 experience points must be earned for every level
above 10th.
The Technical Bureau will probably not appear in a module
until an official rules expansion is released by TSR.
How does an agent pick pockets, and what are his chances of
being noticed?
In a public setting with several people milling about, and/or
when the pickpocket can get within reach of the victim, pickpocketing can occur. Compare the pickpockets Surprise Value
to the victims Surprise Value. If the victims Value is higher than
or the same as the pickpockets value, the victim cannot be
pickpocketed without his knowing it. If the pickpockets Value
is 1-25 points higher than the victims, he can only pick the
victims pocket by bumping or noticeably touching the victim.
(The victim will know he has been touched, but may not know
hes been robbed until he checks later.) If the pickpockets
Surprise Value is more than 25 points higher than the victims,
there is a 95% chance of success without the victims notice.
(On a percentile roll of 96-00, the victim is aware of the filch but
may not choose to immediately respond.) Only one pocket
location may be attempted per meeting. A pocket may not be
present at that location, it may be empty, or it may contain
useless items. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, watches, purses,
and other hand-carried bags may have a clasp, lock, or buckle
that must first be deactivated. The security rating on such
devices ranges from 1-10. Money belts have a security rating of
at least 20. Stealing from a hand-carried purse or bag allows
one take per successful pickpocket attempt. Stealing a purse, a
handbag, something from a persons hand, or an article of
clothing is not considered pickpocketing.
* * *
* * *
Why isnt the British Secret Service listed in Appendix Four of

the rule book?
Thats what foreigners call it. Look under DI-6.
Who is James Pong and what are his Personal Trait Values?
James Pong is the character name of an ex-roommate of
mine who has played the TOP SECRET game since its inception. Pong is a 6th Level Killer used by the Administrator as his
personal bodyguard and strong-arm assistant. Pong is also a
sociopathic assassin with sadistic tendencies. He carries a selfdesigned, .60 caliber gyrojet launcher and a non-metallic poison ring. He owns an elaborate yacht with space for a helicopter, a sports car, and a motorcycle with sidecar. Usually a solo
operator, he was last seen working with a group known as, The
* * *
* * *
If an assassin and a confiscator perform an assassination
together, does the assassin receive all of the 100-point Bureau
Bonus?
This is an administrative decision. The rules for calculating
12
NOVEMBER 1982
Exterminators. His last known Personal Trait Values were:

PS-100; Ch-40; W-94; Cr-130; K-30; Co-160.
* * *
matic fire quickly disintegrates the baffles of most silencers.

Possession of an unregistered silencer in most countries is a
very serious offense.
* * *
Which issues of DRAGON Magazine contain The Rasmussen Files and TOP SECRET modules?
As of this writing, the article issues are #38, #40, #45, #47, #49,
#51, #53 and #57. TOP SECRET modules appeared in issues
#39, #48, #56, and #62. (Editors note: Some of the issues listed
are out of print and no longer available from Dragon Publishing. See the order blank elsewhere in this issue for an up-todate list of back issues for sale.)
*
In reference to the Projectile Stopping Power chart in

DRAGON issue #49, why does .501-.600 cal. ammo have less
stopping power than .401-.500 cal. ammo?
Large-caliber ammo is more likely to be travelling so fast it
punches all the way THROUGH the target without transferring
much of its lethal kinetic energy TO the target.
* * *
How do you find an agents proficiency at snow skiing, and

how fast can an agent ski?
As for many individual sports, basic proficiency in skiing is
given as the Area of Knowledge (AOK) Value under Physical
Education. Check against this value by rolling percentile dice
to determine consequences when something unusual is tried
(such as changing speed, jumping, firing a weapon, dodging
bullets or traveling backward). If the dice roll is equal to or less
than the AOK Value, the stunt is successful. If it is higher, the
stunt fails and the character falls. On a roll of 01-05, the character completes the stunt safely and then falls. Skiing proficiency
can be increased through training or practice, but those rules
have not yet been presented in the TOP SECRET system.
Cross-country skiing is done at the same speed as walking, but
is at least three times more exhausting. Downhill skiing has a
normal maximum speed (like running) of up to 30 mph, perhaps
higher if the agent is specially trained.
* * *
Is J.B. in the module Doctor Yes (DRAGON #48) actually

James Bond?
Only his tobacconist knows for sure.
* * *
Can I have an atomic bomb inside my body, and can you have
a time machine in a TOP SECRET game?
Much of this is left up to your local Administrator. You are
playing on the fringe of science fiction, which IS allowed in a
TOP SECRET game. If the flavor of your local campaign allows
for such eccentricities and all those playing with you enjoy
them, by all means play the game the way you like it.
* * *
How can you justify a silencer subtracting 10 from the Projectile Weapon Value (PWV) of a gun?
A firearm can be partially silenced if the rapid escape of gases
from the explosion of the powder behind the bullet is slowed
down. The silencer is even more effective if the bullet is travelling at less than the speed of sound. Slowing the bullet down
makes the weapon less accurate and hence, in game terms, the
PWV is reduced by 10. Silencers dont work well on revolvers
because they dont prevent the escape of gases from around
the revolving chambered cylinder which holds the ammo.
Smaller powder charges in standard cartridges will produce
low-velocity ammunition. Vibration and heat caused by auto-
What is the difference between a fragmentation grenade

(listed under Explosives) and a grenade (listed under Grenades)? One could literally explode a grenade in ones mouth
and live to tell about it. Grenades arent lethal enough, are they?
Because the TOP SECRET game is about espionage and is
not a military role-playing game, many kinds of explosive canisters were excluded from the original rules. For game balance,
grenades were purposely weakened for the sake of playability.
The listed fragmentation grenade is based on the M26A1
used by the United States military forces. Exploding such a
device can cause up to 400 separate fragments to be dispersed
over a 40-foot-radius. The blast grenade is based on the
Mk3A2 and is a pre-packaged demolition charge in a fibreboard
casing. The casing does not cause fragmentation damage.
Holding a live grenade or putting one in your mouth causes the
grenade to explode over a smaller area than the normal blast
area, and damage values are doubled: 24 points for a fragmentation grenade and 2-20 (2 x 1-10) points for a blast grenade.
Some individuals have been known to jump on live grenades to
save their comrades and survive the explosion. If such an act is
tried, all damage should be taken by the shielding person.
* * *
What does the X under Weapon Speed for the bow mean?
Instead of X it should be VS for Very Slow (-10) if the
arrow is on the string ready to be pulled and fired.
DRAGON
13
by Gregg Chamberlain
An encounter with spiders is an almost
universal quality in fantasy tales and
dungeon adventures usually with the
spiders getting the worst of it. In the eyes
of many FRP gamers, spiders are among
the weakest of monsters, best relegated
to early-encounter challenges for a
group of new dungeon-delvers.
But nature has endowed spiders with
many distinctive attributes, and the skillful use of some of the more obscure
types of spiders as monsters can provide
challenging and entertaining encounters
for expert as well as novice characters.
Spider biology
First, a little background information:
Spiders belong to the phylum Arthropoda, class Arachnida, order Araneae. They
differ from insects in having eight legs
and a body composed of two parts, the
cephalothorax and the abdomen. To the
cephalothorax are joined the legs; the
pedipalps, which cut and crush the spiders food, making it easier to digest; and
the chelicerae, or fangs, which the spider uses to seize her prey and inject venom into it. The abdomen contains the
heart and lungs of the spider as well as
the silk glands and spinnerets the spider
uses to spin her webbing.
Most spiders encountered by players
will be female, unless otherwise stated
by the Dungeon Master, since male spiders do not, with only a few exceptions,
live past the mating period.
Spiders depend primarily on their highly developed sense of touch for information about prey, mates, and possible
enemies. The legs and the pedipalps detect vibrations in the web (in the case of
weaver spiders), to indicate something
has blundered into the web.
Also, tiny hairs all over the body of a
spider contain nerves that are sensitive

to changes in air pressure as well as certain chemical odors. It is not very easy
for adventurers to sneak up on a spider.
Just as a fly can sense disturbances in
the air when a person tries to swat it, so a
spider in a dungeon can tell when a door
has opened and/or closed, and when
someone has entered a room, by airpressure changes and the persons body
odors.
Hunting spiders also can detect vibrations, changes in air pressure, and chemical odors. But they rely more on sight
for finding and catching prey, as well as
for fighting or avoiding enemies. Nearly
all spiders have six eyes, two large and
four small, spaced along the front and
sides of the cephalothorax. Hunting spiders, such as the tarantula and the wolf
spider, have very good eyesight. (The
wolf spider may even possess a rudimentary sense of smell.) One exception to
the above statement is the jumping spider, which has four large eyes that give
her the keen eyesight she needs to accurately judge the distance to her prey.
The what and why of webs
Spiders use webbing for building
nests, capturing prey, and making cocoons for the young to hatch in. The
major drawback of webbing in the dungeon is that it burns too easily, becoming
a death trap for the spider.
Webbing, or web silk, comes from web
glands located in the spiders abdomen.
It is similar in composition to the silk
produced by silkworms and used to
make fabric. Weaver spiders have from
four to five different web glands to produce the silk they need. Hunters, who
chase their prey, have two or three different glands.
The liquid silk is excreted through the
spinnerets located just under the rear of
the abdomen. Usually the silk hardens
almost as soon as the air hits it, and is
then stretched, pulled, and combed to

form it for a particular use.
The web glands make several types of
silk, depending on what the web is to be
used for. Webbing can be sticky, smooth,
and even multi-colored. It can be used
for trapping victims, as cable (the dragline spiders hang from), for making cocoons and theres even a light webbing that spiderlings use for ballooning.
Weaver spiders use a combination of
sticky and non-sticky silk when constructing their webs. Non-sticky silk is
used for the basic framework of the web,
while the sticky variety is used in the
spiral pattern that traps prey.
Web silk is, in proportion to its size,
one of the lightest, strongest fabrics
known. Arachnologists (those who study
spiders) estimate that a cord of spider
silk half an inch thick, or perhaps thinner,
could hold a strong man prisoner easily.
A rope made of spider silk would be invaluable on a dungeon expedition where
keeping weight and bulk to a minimum
are essential. And adventurers could
profit from selling spider silk to weavers.
Spiders can also shoot webbing at
enemies behind them. According to one
source, Silk may be squirted as far as an
inch from the spinnerets (normal garden
spider), a distance sufficient to make
combat safe. (Spider, Encyclopedia
Britannica, Vol. 21, 1971, page 20.) For a
spider the size of the large spider as described in the AD&D rules, this would
translate to a distance of about 5-6 feet,
increasing to 10-12 feet for a huge spider
and 20-25 feet for a giant spider.
Targeting for such a shot would be
accomplished through a combination of
the two small eyes furthest along the cephalothorax and the abdominal hairs
that sense pressure changes and the
body odors of the person or creature approaching from the spiders rear. Since
the web glands control the consistency
of the web fluid, the silk squirted may
D RAGON 15
come out as a sticky blob from 6-12

inches in diameter (depending on the
size of the spider), or possibly as a sticky
cable. The blob would either blind the
opponent temporarily (3-5 rounds to
wipe the eyes clear) or gum up the
opponents hands and arms (penalty of
from -1 to -3 on attack and defense, depending on the size of the spider, for the
same 3-5 rounds). A special oil secreted
by glands in the spiders body keeps her
from sticking to her own webbing.
Weavers
Barrel spiders
This spiders pedipalps are greatly extended so they sometimes act as an extra
pair of legs. The body is covered with a
pale yellow film of hairs, making the
spider especially sensitive to changes in
air pressure and thus very difficult to
surprise (roll of 1 on d8). The chelicerae
are very strong; the garden variety (normal spider-sized) can crack a beetles
armor. The giant version of this spider
can crack open non-magical plate armor, or pierce non-magical leather or
chainmail, on a roll of 1 or 2 on d6, while
cracking or piercing magical armor requires a roll of 1 on d6; cracking or piercing armor in this manner lowers its effective armor class to 10. A ring of protection, cloak of displacement, or other similar protection will function normally.
When cornered, this spider hisses,
though she does not spit poison. Treat
this attack as for a bombardier beetle,
with a 20% chance of stunning anyone
within a 16 radius and deafening those
not stunned. Stunning lasts for 2-8
rounds, followed by 2-8 rounds of deafness. Those only deafened remain so for
2-12 rounds,
Boleadore spider
Truly an unusual creature, the boleadore spider hangs from a dragline and
fashions a bola out of a blob of viscid silk
attached to the end of a line of web silk.
The spider then swings the bola at her
victim and entangles it.
FREQUENCY:
NO. APPEARING:
ARMOR CLASS:
MOVE:
HIT DICE:
% IN LAIR:
TREASURE TYPE:
NO. OF ATTACKS:
DMG/ATTACK:
SPECIAL ATT.:
SPECIAL DEF.:
MAGIC RES.:
INTELLIGENCE:
ALIGNMENT:
SIZE:
PSIONIC ABILITY:
16
N OVEMBER 1982
Net-throwing spider and Fishing spider

These two types have distinctive,
though similar, ways of capturing their
prey. The net-throwing spider hunts by
night with a rectangular web of looped
silk which she throws over her prey, entangling it. Another species of net-throwing spider uses a 10x10-foot web which
she lays on the ground and camouflages.
She then attaches draglines to each
corner and conceals herself above the
net, holding the ends of the draglines
with her legs. Anything that walks over
the net is caught up in the web and hoisted aloft to the spider.
Fishing spiders run numerous lines up
and down from the ground to their web
in a spreading fan shape. The lines break
when anything runs into them and thus
entangle the creature, allowing the spider to draw it up to her web.
Hunters
Crab spider
These spiders are so named because
in shape they resemble a crab and because, unlike other spiders, they are able
to walk backwards and sideways. They
have chameleon-like abilities and can
change color and skin texture to match
almost any background (glass, crystal,
and murals excepted). They surprise on
a roll of 1 on d4 because of their camouflage ability.
Daddy Longlegs
This creature is an oddity, even among
spiders, and can provide dungeon adventurers with unexpected difficulty. The
Daddy Longlegs, also known as the
harvester or mower spider because
of the scythe-like action of her legs, is
especially numerous in the late fall of the
year during harvest.
The cephalothorax and abdomen are
fused into one unit which is supported
by eight extremely long, thin legs. The
legs effectively and speedily lift and carry the body beyond the reach of raiding
giant ants and any thrusting sword, javelin, or standard spear (about 20 to 25 feet
up). A pike might reach, but this would

require at least two strong men to wield it
in that awkward position. Arrows have
the standard effect.
The Daddy Longlegs is also equipped
with a pair of glands, one on each side of
her body, that emit a reddish, acrid vapor
similar to that of the bombardier beetle.
Like the bombardier beetle? if continually disturbed or attacked, there is a 50%
chance each round that the spider will
lift her body to the full extension of her
legs and fire an 8x8x8 cloud of gas that
will cause 3-12 points of damage. The
gas can be fired every third round, but no
more than twice in an eight-hour span.
The Daddy Longlegs will attempt to flee
just after using her gas attack.
In nature, the Daddy Longlegs has one
other way to escape detection. She can
hang from a web strand and rotate, or
stand and vibrate, at so fast a rate that
she becomes a near-invisible blur. In an
AD&D adventure, characters seeking the
Daddy Longlegs need to be very sharpsighted, or of the elven race, to detect a
spinning spider, and then only if they
are looking for it.
Jumping spider
The jumping spider has very keen eyesight thanks to her four large eyes. She
stalks her prey by creeping slowly upon
it, freezing whenever it looks her way.
When frozen, the spider looks very
much like a large rock. When she has
come within range, she leaps upon her
prey. The jumping spider is capable of
leaps of at least 40 feet. The spider always has a safety dragline attached to
herself, in case the leap does not produce the intended result.
The Dungeon Master should determine
whether any damage results from the
impact of the spider landing on her victim. If the target is within the bare limits
of the spiders maximum jumping range
of 40 feet, a roll of 1 on d6 indicates a
successful impact; within 30 feet, the
leap will be a hit on a roll of 1 or 2 on d6;
within 20 feet, a roll of 3 or less is needed;
Barrel
spider
Boleadore
spider
Net-throwing/
fishing spider
Crab
spider
Daddy
Longlegs
Uncommon
1-8
4
3*12
4+4
70%
C
1/1
2-8
See text
Nil
Standard
Animal
Neutral
L
Nil
Rare
1-4
4
3*12
4+4
70%
C
1/1
2-8
See text
Nil
Standard
Animal
Neutral
L
Nil
Common
1-10
4
3*12
4+4
70%
C
1/1
2-8
See text
Nil
Standard
Animal
Neutral
L
Nil
Uncommon
1-6
6
18
2+2
50%
J-N, Q
Common
2-15/15-25
6
18
2+2
50%
J-N, Q
1-6
See text
See text
Standard
Animal
Neutral
M
Nil
1-6/3-12
See text
See text
Standard
Animal
Neutral
M
Nil
within 10 feet, a roll of 5 or less; and for

any distance less than 10 feet, there is an
automatic hit on the jump. The damage from this blow will be 1-10 points,
perhaps modified upward depending on
circumstances.
This spider may be found around cliffs,
scurrying across open ground, or in rain
forests.
Raft or Swamp spider
The raft or swamp spider is found
along lake shores and in marsh areas.
She makes her den by the waters shore
and waits for prey to appear on or beneath the surface of the water. She then
scurries across the surface of the water,
skimming over it with the aid of the liquids surface tension. Trailing behind
her is a safety cable anchored to shore
so she can pull herself back in should
that prove necessary.
When threatened, the swamp spider
can hide underwater by walking down
along the side of the marsh or on the lake
bottom. The many hairs on her body and
legs capture and hold air bubbles sufficient for from 10 to 12 hours or more of
breathing. Also, the air bubbles provide
buoyancy sufficient to bring her back to
the surface when she wishes.
Spitting spider
This yellow-and-black-striped hunter
spits a blob of sticky silk at her prey to
pin it down. The silk blob is approximately one foot in diameter and can be shot
15 to 20 feet. Whore other spiders spit
silk purely as a defensive measure, this
species has adapted it for hunting and
thus is able to shoot a large amount of
silk for a greater distance. Four melee
rounds are required to recharge the spitting mechanism, up to a maximum usage
of five shots every eight hours.
Trap-door or Purse spider
This nocturnal hunter uses her fangs
to dig a tunnel in soft or sandy soil. The
burrow runs down for nearly 50 feet with
an emergency side tunnel hidden by a
camouflaged door about halfway down.
The burrows diameter is just a little bit
larger than that of the spiders body. The

walls of the burrow are lined with a cement mixed from dirt, silk, and spider
saliva, then coated with silk.
There are two types of trap-door spiders. The first. constructs an actual trap
door, about an inch or two thick, of alternating layers of silk and earth, hinged
with silk and camouflaged with earth,
moss, leaves, branches, and so forth attached to a layer of sticky silk.
Some trap-door spiders leave the burrow at night to lay snares of sticky silk on
the ground. During the night, chances
are that something will walk onto the
snare and get stuck. Come the dawn, the
spider re-emerges from her burrow,
picks up the traps and goes home. Other
spiders may remain in the burrow and lift
the trap-door lid a crack to watch what
goes by. When the spider sees something worth grabbing, she rushes out
and pounces on it, bites it to paralyze it,
then drags it home.
The door to the burrow is camouflaged so well that only very close observation will detect the vague horseshoeshaped outline of the tunnel door, and
then only if the character knows what he
or she is looking for. When the spider
retreats to hide in the burrow, she holds
the door shut with, her feet and fangs,
and only an individual with strength of 18
or better (normal or magically enhanced)
will be able to open the door which, of
course, leaves him or her immediately
vulnerable to the attack of the spider
waiting just inside the door.
DMs should also note that gauntlets of
ogre power impart a strength of 18 only
to the hands, arms, and shoulders of the
user, not to the back and remainder of
the body, so that the use of this magical
item alone is not sufficient to lift the trapdoor lid. It must be supplemented by, for
instance, a girdle or potion of giant
strength.
The second type of trap-door spider

does not make an actual trap door. Instead, she leaves three feet or more of
hollow silk tubing, camouflaged, lying

above the ground. The tubing is sealed,
and the spider crouches below it, waiting
for something to land on or run across
the tubing. The spider then strikes with
her fangs through the web and paralyzes
the creature. She cuts a hole in the webbing to drag her prey through, repairs
the hole, and goes below to eat.
Whip spider
The whip spider, in nature, has a flattened body with the first pair of legs
developed beyond their normal length
so that they resemble whips, though
they are used only as feelers, like an insects antennae.
The whip spider, in AD&D terms, has
10-foot-long front legs that can be used
like whips to either attack, or catch and
hold, prey. The whips cause 1-4 points
of damage each on an attack; if both
whips score hits, the spider has made a
grab and will draw the attacker toward
her chelicerae and fangs. Occasionally,
the whips will ensnare one or both of the
victims arms, making self-defense difficult if not impossible; roll d6 for each
arm after a grab is made, with a roll of 1
indicating that the arm has been caught.
Wolf spider
The wolf spider, like the trap-door
spider, lives in a silk-lined burrow, but
without the door. She tracks prey by
sight and by special scent-detecting organs located in the pedipalps. When she
sees prey, she sprints after it, captures it,
and paralyzes it before returning to her
den.
She is very protective of her young,
carrying the cocoon under her belly
wherever she goes and fighting fiercely
for her young. When hatched, wolf spiderlings number from 100-200, and will
ride on the mothers back until they are
full grown. If the mother encounters another female wolf spider, she will stop
and let her young get off, and then she
will fight the other spider to the death.
The survivor will adopt the spiderlings of
the dead mother.
Jumping
spider
Raft/Swamp
spider
Spitting
spider
Trap-door/
Purse spider
Whip
spider
Wolf
spider
Common
1-12
6
18/40
2+2
50%
J-N, Q
1/2
1-6/1-10
See text
See text
Standard
Animal
Neutral
M
Nil
Uncommon
1-6
6
18
2+2
50%
J-N, Q
1
1-6
See text
See text
Standard
Animal
Neutral
M
Nil
Rare
1-4
6
18
2+2
50%
J-N, Q
1
1-6
See text
See text
Standard
Animal
Neutral
M
Nil
Common
1-12
6
18
2+2
80%
J-N, Q
1
1-6
See text
See text
Standard
Animal
Neutral
M
Nil
Rare
1-4
6
18
2+2
50%
J-N, Q
2/1
1-3/1-3/1-6
See text
See text
Standard
Animal
Neutral
M
Nil
Common
1-12
6
18
2+2
50%
J-N, Q
1
1-6
See text
See text
Standard
Animal
Neutral
M
Nil
D RAGON
17
18
NOVEMBER 1982
DRAGON 19
20
NOVEMBER 1982
DRAGON
21
The sketches accompanying this introduction detail some of

the reputed attributes and powers of a small number of the
deities commonly active and/or known to adventurers and
those who travel the reaches of the Flanaess. In general, all
deities have certain spell-like powers in common. Those familiar with the DEITIES & DEMIGODS Cyclopedia will note that
these abilities are far more extensive than those listed for the
deities treated by Messrs. Ward and Kuntz. At the risk of speaking for these esteemed authors, I venture to suggest that the
powers and abilities of the deities of the Flanaess are, in fact,
common to most other deities as well.
The Standard Divine Abilities of deities, given below, are
divided into three groups according to the general power of the
deity concerned; i.e., Demigod, Lesser God, and Greater God.
The listing begins with those abilities and powers that all three
types of deities have in common. Differences between the
groups are described in the latter part of the listing; these
differences can be actual spells usable by one group but not
another, or merely a distinction in the number of times per day a
given spell can be used by a member of a certain group.
STANDARD DIVINE ABILITIES
All deities have the following powers and abilities in
common, each usable at will:
Astral & ethereal travel
Comprehend languages
Continual darkness
Continual light
Cure (blindness, deafness,
disease, feeblemind,
insanity)
Detect (charm, evil/good,
illusion, invisibility,
lie, magic, traps)
Geas
Infravision & ultravision
Know alignment
Levitate
Mirror image
Polymorph self
Read languages & magic
Teleport (no error)
Tongues
In addition, each group of deities has other particular powers and abilities, as described below. A number
in parentheses after a listing indicates the times per
day the power can be used; lack of a number means the
power is usable as often as the deity desires.
Greater Gads:
Anti-magic shell (2)
Command, 4 rd. effect (2)
Control environment1
Cure critical wounds (3)
Death spell (2)
Dispel (evil/good,
illusion, magic) (8 each)
Fly
Gate (3)
Globe of invulnerability (1)
Heal (3)
Holy/unholy word (3)
Improved invisibility
Improved phantasmal force
Polymorph any object (1)
Polymorph others (3)
Protection from evil/good,

+3, 30 radius
Quest (2)
Remove curse
Remove fear
Regenerate
Restoration (3)
Resurrection
Shape change (3)
Summon2
Symbol (3)
Time stop (1)
Trap the soul (2)
True seeing (5)
Vision (1)
Wish (2)
Lesser Gods:
Control temperature, 10 r.
Cure serious wounds (3)
Death spell (1)
Dispel (evil/good,
Gate (2)
Heal (2)
Improved invisibility
Improved phantasmal force
Minor globe of
invulnerability (1)
Polymorph others (2)

+2, 20 radius
Quest (1)
Remove curse
Remove fear
Restoration (1)
Resurrection (3)
Summon 3
Symbol (2)
Trap the soul (1)
True seeing (3)
Wish (1)
Demigods:
Cure light wounds (3)
Dispel (evil/good,
Finger of death
Gate (1)
Heal (1)
Invisibility
Limited wish (1)
Phantasmal force
10 radius
Raise dead (3)
Remove curse (3)
Remove fear
Summon 4
Symbol (1)
True seeing (2)
Wall of force
Notes:
1
Control environment subsumes both control temperature

and control weather. It actually allows the greater god to
adjust the surroundings of his or her immediate environment

to suit his or her desire, even if the change is radical. The
area of control extends from a 12 radius to a 72 radius
depending on how radical the change required is.
2
A greater god can summon from one to six creatures of the
same alignment as the god, and all of the same type, with the
total hit dice of the creatures so summoned not to exceed 40.
3
The summon power of a lesser god can bring from one to
three creatures of the same alignment as the lesser deity.
Each must be of the same sort as the others summoned. No
more than 25 total hit dice of creatures can be so called.
4
For demigods, the summon power is limited to one or two
creatures of not more than 20 total hit dice. Again, creatures
must be of the same alignment and (if more than one is
summoned) of the same type.
Note that the psionic disciplines possessed by deities are not
given. Each DM will decide personally what these are to be,
keeping in mind the other powers and general bent of the deity
in question.
Finally, brief information regarding the worshippers and clerics of each deity is given in each individual treatment. The data
is general and should be expanded upon. This does include
spell powers or other special abilities of clerics of deities where
no special power or ability is given.
DRAGON
23
HEIRONEOUS
(The Invincible)
Lesser God
Chivalry, Honor, Justice, Valor, Daring

ARMOR CLASS: -4 (plus armor bonus,
typically +5 for a -9 AC)
MOVE: 21
HIT POINTS: 217
NO. OF ATTACKS: 4
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-8 +4 (magic
weapon bonus) +8 (strength bonus)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 80%
SIZE: M (6% tall)
ALIGNMENT: Lawful good
WORSHIPPERS ALIGNMENT: Lawful
neutral, lawful good, or neutral good
SYMBOL: Silver lightning bolt
PLANE: Seven Heavens
CLERIC/DRUID: Nil
FIGHTER: 17th level paladin/
12th level ranger
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
Attack/Defense Modes: All/all
S:20 I:18 W:19 D:20

C:20 CH:19
Heironeous is the champion of rightful

combat and chivalrous deeds. Likewise,
he is the deity of those who fight for
honor and strive for order and justice?
Heironeous often leaves the Seven Heavens in order to move around the Prime
Material Plane, aiding heroic causes and
championing Lawful Good.
Heironeous is tall, with coppery skin,
auburn hair, and amber eyes. However,
24
NOVEMBER 1982
he has the power to create an illusion

which makes him appear as a young boy,
a mercenary soldier, or an old man. In
the latter guises he will be garbed appropriately, but he always wears a suit of
fine, magical chainmail with a bonus of
+5. At his birth, Heironeous had his skin
imbued with a secret solution. Weapons
under +2 value cause him no harm, shattering upon contact (scoring a hit).
Weapons of +2 quality score only 25% of
their normal damage, while +3 weapons
score 50%. Only +4 or greater weapons
cause full damage. Note that weapons
whose magic power would normally
sever body parts will not do so to Heironeous, although they will inflict full
damage.
His personal weapon is a great magical battle axe (+4) which shrinks to onetwentieth of its normal five-foot length,
or back to full size, upon Heironeous
willing such. Thus, in another guise, his
weapon is not noticeable.
In addition to his normal attacks, Heironeous can loose a bolt of energy drawn
from the Positive Material Plane. He can
draw and loose these lightning-like
strokes as frequently as once every 7
rounds, but he can cast no more than
seven such bolts in any given week.
Creatures of the Prime Material Plane
suffer 5-30 points of damage from a
stroke, those of the Elemental Planes
suffer only 5-20 points of damage, as do
those of the lateral neutral planes (Lawful Neutral-Chaotic Neutral). The energy bolt does no harm to inhabitants of
the Positive Material Plane or those of
the Upper Planes. It causes 10-60 points
of damage upon those native to the Lower Planes (Lawful Evil-Chaotic Evil),
and to all undead creatures as well. Denizens of the Negative Material Plane
suffer 15-90 (15d6) points of damage
from a stroke. (A wand of negation or a
sphere of annihilation can effectively
discharge the stroke without harm.)
The bolt strikes but a single target. It is
not magical in nature. It always hits its
target. Range is 70. Casting time is 1
segment. Duration is instantaneous.
Heironeous has all of the powers typical of a lesser deity.
There is great enmity between Heironeous and his brother, Hextor (q.v.),
who chose a different course. Each seeks
to destroy or thwart the other.
Worshippers of Heironeous are found
everywhere, but are particularly likely to
be found among those who follow military professions or do heroic deeds.
Clerics of Heironeous are especially
warlike, always wearing chainmail. Their
robes are dark blue with silver trim indicating their station. At 11th level, clerics
of Heironeous can, in addition to their
normal spells, use a bolt of energy once
per week. Places of worship of Heironeous are usually adorned with blue trappings, silver, and occasionally windows
of colored glass depicting scenes of Hei-
roneous triumphant. A copper statue of

the deity, armed with a silver battle axe
and covered in silver mail, with seven
silver bolts radiating from behind his
head, typically stands behind the altar.
HEXTOR
Lesser god
War, Discord, Conflict, Fitness
ARMOR CLASS: -5 (plus armor bonus,

typically +3 for a -8 AC)
MOVE: 24
HIT POINTS: 200
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2, 4, or 6 (see below)
+6 (strength bonus)
(see below)

SPECIAL DEFENSES: +3 or better
weapon to hit

SIZE: M (6 tall)
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil
neutral, lawful evil, or neutral evil
SYMBOL: Six red arrows fanned

to point outwards
PLANE: Acheron
CLERIC/DRUID: Nil
FIGHTER: 16th level fighter
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 12th level assassin
MONK/BARD: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
Attack/Defense Modes: All/a//
S:18/00 I:18 W:16 D:19
C:20 CH:18 (-2)
Hextor, Champion of Evil, Herald of

Hell, Scourge of Battle, is the deity of
many soldiers and fighters who deem
lawful evil most fit to rule, admiring war
and discord. Of course, others besides
those of military calling follow him. Hextor dwells on the Planes of Acheron, but
can wander to those of Hell or even Nirvana. Most frequently, though, Hextor
treads the Prime Material Plane in search
of warfare, aiding lawful evil, opposing
good. Especially does Hextor seek to
overthrow those serving Heironeous
(q.v,). The latter is his half-brother and
chief enemy. When Heironeous chose
lawful good, Hextor opted to serve lawful
evil. Since Hextor was always inferior to
his half-brother, the Lords of Evil granted Hextor six arms, instead of only a pair,
so as to be able to best Heironeous and
all other opponents.
Hextor appears as a normal, handsome man when in disguise, for he can
cause four of his arms to meld with his
torso whenever he so desires. His complexion is fair and his hair jet black, as
are his eyes. He is well spoken and
charming, a hale fellow and a mans man,
yet irresistible to women. He can converse with sages, reason with philosophers, argue with clergy, discuss arcane
secrets with dweomercraefters. When in
his true form, however, Hextor is gray of
skin, lank-haired, with red-rimmed eyes
bulging from a visage horrible to look
upon. Then he cares only to fight and
slay.
In battle, Hextor draws two great bows
(24 range) which fire iron-barbed shafts
of +3 quality and inflict 10-15 points of
damage (d6+9) per hit. At close range he
employs two spiked bucklers and four
weapons. The bucklers can be employed
as weapons if his opponents have eight
or fewer levels or hit dice; otherwise,
Hextor attacks four times per round. His
typical weapons are:
Two bucklers, 7-10 (d4+6) each
One +2 fork, 9-16 (d8+8)
One +3 scimitar, 10-17 (d8+9)
One +2 flail, 10-15 (d6+9)
One +3 morning star, 11-17 (2d4+9)
Hextor wears armor consisting of iron
scales with strips of metal at shoulder
and cuff. A corselet of iron guards his
waist and groin. His legs are greaved.
This armor is +3 and everywhere decorated with skulls. Around his neck is the
Symbol of Hate and Discord, the six red
arrows of Hextor, hanging from a chain
of crudely wrought iron links.
In addition to the powers normal to his
station, his fighting ability, and his assassins skill, Hextor is able to arouse
discord in a radius of 60. Friends will
argue with friends, irksome things will
become hatreds, and petty jealousy will
grow to seething rage. Victims with 7 or
more levels or hit dice are given a saving
throw versus magic. The effect lasts six
rounds. Without his Symbol of Hate and
Discord, Hextor does not have such
power, although he is also able to use a

symbol spell {discord) as if he were a
magic-user, but only once per day. He

lays the dweomer by merely tracing the
symbol with his finger.
Hextor also is prone to carry a magic
device, the Trumpet of Acheron, with
him. This instrument can be winded
once every six days. When sounded, it
calls forth from 6-60 skeletons which
obey Hextors command. Once every six
years, the Trumpet of Acheron can
summon a horde of 60-600 skeletons
and 30-300 zombies.
Hextor otherwise has the powers typical of a lesser god.
Places of worship of Hextor are grim,
dark, and bloody. Major shrines and
temples are usually built on some field of
slaughter. His clerics wear black robes,
adorned with white skulls or gray visages embroidered thereon. Only the
higher-level clerics have arrows of hate
and discord in red, lower-level clerics
being permitted gray ones. Much chanting accompanies all ceremonies honoring Hextor. Wind instruments sound discordant tones, shouts and screams are
voiced, and iron weapons are struck during such an offery. Priests of Hextor are
trained in assassination, so that at the
gaining of sixth level of clerical ability,
one level of assassin ability is also
gained. Thereafter, every two levels of
advancement in clerical skill means one
level of gain in assassin ability. The maximum. level attainable in assassin ability
is sixth, which is reached by a cleric
upon attaining 16th level in that class.
Hextor is much honored in the Great
Kingdom.
IUZ
(the Old)
Demigod
Oppression, Deceit, Wickedness, Pain
ARMOR CLASS: -4 (-8 with cape)

MOVE: 18
HIT POINTS: 165
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 or 2
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: By weapon type
or 2-5/2-5 (+9 strength bonus)
Whether Iuz is a human who has become demon-like through the centuries,
or whether he is a semi-demon (as some
suggest, a by-blow of Orcus), no mortal
knows. He is, however, the first known
godling of Chaotic Evil; his wickedness
and treachery are infamous throughout
the Flanaess. (See the WORLD OF
GREYHAWK Gazetteer, under the political heading Iuz.)
This cruel being can appear as either a
massive (7 tall), fat man with demoniac
features, reddish skin, pointed ears, and
long, steely fingers, or as an old and
wrinkled mannikin of scarcely 5 height.
Either or both might be Iuz true form.
Iuz rules a portion of Oerth, a horrid
territory which bears its masters name,
from the cursed city of Molag. Few creatures beyond the boundaries of this domain will speak his name, let alone adore
him.
In his demoniac form, Iuz prefers to
wield a great, magical +3 two-handed
sword, although he can use other weapons. In any guise, Iuz can use his exceptionally long and sinewy digits to
claw and strike and strangle. If he strikes
thus twice, a strangling grasp is indicated, and the victim will die in 2-5 rounds
unless freed. In his mannikin-like form,
Iuz has the ability to generate a disgusting spittle which he can expectorate
once per round. This substance ages the
victim struck by 1-6 years (no saving
throw) and withers the area struck,
numbing a member and making it useless for 2-5 rounds. His wrinkled visage
has a negative charisma of -4. This
causes awe (revulsion) of -55% and affects creatures with up to 6 hit dice.
Iuz is rumored to have a soul object
secreted on the Abyssal Plane dominated by the demoness Zuggtnoy, with
whom he is known to consort. He is thus
free to roam outside his domain without
fear of permanent harm. He is also said
to wear an old, short cape. This covering
conveys an additional 20% magic resistance and serves as +4 protection as well.
In addition to his various abilities listed
here, Iuz also has all powers typical of a
demigod.

weapon to hit

(65% with cape)
SIZE: M
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
WORSHIPPERS ALIGNMENT: Evil (any)
SYMBOL: Grinning human skull
PLANE: Prime Material (Oerth)
CLERIC/DRUID: 16th level cleric
FIGHTER: Nil
MAGIC-USER ILLUSIONIST: Nil/Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 16th level assassin
MONK/BARD: Nil/Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: III
S:21 I:18 W:20 D:18
C: 18 CH:18 (-4)
DRAGON
25
There is great enmity between Iuz and

St. Cuthbert (q.v.). This is carried on by
the servants of Iuz and St. Cuthberts
followers as well.
Clerics of Iuz dress in rusty black
(their masters favorite color) or white
streaked with rust-red blood stains. At
third level they gain the ability to change
self once per day. Their ceremonies include the burning of foul-smelling substances, the beating of great drums and
the clangor of bronze bells, and blood
sacrifice whenever possible. Places of
service to Iuz must be old, filthy, and
dark. Altar services are typically of bone
and include many skulls.
ST. CUTHBERT
(. . . of the Cudgel)
Lesser god
Wisdom, Common Sense, Truth,

Forthrightness, Dedication, Zeal
ARMOR CLASS: -3 (-8 if in
his plate mail)
MOVE: 21
HIT POINTS: 224
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type,
+8 (strength bonus)
weapon to hit
SIZE: M
ALIGNMENT: Lawful good (neutral)
good lawful neutral
SYMBOL: Wooden billet, starburst,
crumpled hat
PLANE: Arcadia
CLERIC/DRUID: 22nd level cleric/
8th level druid
FIGHTER: Nil
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil/Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil/Nil
MONK/BARD: 7th level monk

PSIONIC ABlLITY: VI
S:20 I:10 W:23 D:19
C:25 CH:19
St. Cuthbert appears as a stout, redfaced man, with a drooping white moustache and flowing white hair. He wears
simple plate mail of +5 magic value. Atop
his helmet is a crumpled hat, and a starburst of rubies set in platinum hangs on
his chest.
In his left hand he carries a billet of
wood. This bronzewood cudgel is actually a +3 weapon equal to a morningstar
in St. Cuthberts grasp. Any human
touched by this weapon must save versus magic or be beguiled for 5-20 turns.
In his right hand is the fabled Mace of St.
Cuthbert. This weapon is +5, disrupting
(as a mace of disruption), and any to
hit score of a natural 20 permanently
reduces by 1 point the intelligence of the
creature struck (magic resistance check
withstanding). This mace also has the
following powers: bless (by tapping
26
NOVEMBER 1982
touch); know alignment (once/day);

tongues; exorcise (once/month); and
remove curse (7 times/week).
St. Cuthbert hates evil, but his major
interest is in law and order and the dual
work of conversion and prevention of
back-sliding by true believers. He seldom leaves his plane, unless some great
duty brings him forth. When on the
Prime Material Plane he will sometimes
appear as a manure-covered yokel, a
brown-and-green-robed wanderer, or a
slight and elderly tinker. In these guises
he tests the doctrine of the faithful or
seeks new converts. He can gate to or
from Arcadia or the Prime Material Plane
at will. He otherwise has the powers of a
lesser god.
There are three orders of the priesthood of St. Cuthbert:
Members of the order of the Chapeaux
dress in varying garb, but all wear
crumpled hats. They seek to convert
people to the faith. When they attain
third level, clerics of the Chapeaux order
gain the ability to cast one shillelagh
spell per day.
Members of the order of the Stars wear
dark green robes with a starburst holy
symbol of copper, gold, or platinum (depending on their status). They seek to
retain doctrinal purity amongst the faithful. Clerics of the order of the Stars gain
the ability to cast one ESP spell per day
upon attaining fourth level.
Members of the order of the Billets are
the most numerous, serving as ministers
and protectors of the faithful. Clerics of
this order, upon attaining second level,
gain the ability to cast one friends spell
per day. They dress in simple brown and
russet garments, and wear a holy symbol
of an oaken or bronzewood billet.
While St. Cuthbert has many large
places of worship, wayside shrines and

small, crude chapels are usual. His followers are found mainly in the Central
Flanaess, around Greyhawk, the Wild
Coast, Urnst, and Verbobonc. (See The
Village of Hommlet, Dungeon Module
T1.) A great rivalry exists between those
who follow St. Cuthbert and the followers of Pholtus (of the Blinding Light).
The Kindly Editor of this publication

allowed me to read the following article
prior to its printing. I have taken the liberty of making one or two minor insertions
and adding several notes where necessary. Without these, the Learned Author
had compiled a work of notable clarity
and excellent definition for the AD&D
game system. (Kindly Editors note: Sig-
nificant insertions and alterations from

Mr. Gygax are printed in [italic type inside brackets]. Both yours truly and Mr.
Gygax have also made minor changes in
The Astral Plane is a superdimensional space that permeates every point of

the three-dimensional Prime Material
Plane, which inhabitants of AD&D
worlds know as the physical universe
(containing planets, worlds, stars, galaxies, etc.) From the Prime Material, the
Astral Plane extends out to each of the
first (or upper) layers of the various
Outer Planes, but does not touch any
other layers besides these. [The Astral
Plane also touches (or contains) certain
Partial Planes, Demi- Planes, and SemiPlanes.] Astral space is filled with great
currents of energy and matter that flow

between the various Prime Material and
Outer Planes; aside from these currents,
or vortices, the Astral Plane is literally
filled with nothing. The contents of a vortex may travel to and from an Outer
Planes first layer and one or more Prime
Material universes; nothing may enter
the nothingness outside the vortex.
At various times for unknown reasons,
the energy flow within a vortex may
change its direction or its rate of flow;
such an event is called the Psychic Wind,
the authors prose changes which do

not alter the meaning of what was written
and are, for that reason, not indicated
within the text.)
Although Mr. Moore calls the attention
of the Gentle Reader to the unofficial
nature of his offering, I must add that it is
about as official as is possible at this
time. A considerable amount of material
is currently in development. Steve Marsh,
Eric Shook, Skip Williams, and this
Humble Writer are developing modules
and/or rule materials pertaining to the
various planes. Similarly, the sub-classes

of mystic and savant, inveterate planar
travelers all, have not been fully developed as of this writing. Only these circumstances prevent me from being able
to place the official aegis over Mr.
Moores superb effort. This in no way
diminishes it, for the Worthy Author has
devised much from little. Better still, he
has done so in a manner befitting the
game and the spirit of the rules. What
more needs be said? Read, enjoy, and
then employ!
and is much feared by travelers in the

Astral Plane unless they are of godlike
level and talent. The Psychic Wind may
cause a vortex to disconnect from one
plane and reconnect with another, stirring up the contents of the vortex so that
they are randomly distributed or lost.
Severe manifestations of the Psychic
Wind may even cause silver cords (see
below) to break, unless the traveler to
whom the cord is attached can resist the
magical stresses.
It becomes obvious that beings may
use the Astral Plane for moving about
within their own universe or to parallel
Prime Material Planes, as well as visiting
the homes of the gods on the Outer
Planes. The most commonly used
methods of traveling the Astral Plane include the use of spells (Astral Spell,
Plane Shift, or a spell like Gate or Wish),
psionic disciplines (astral projection or
probability travel), and magical devices
or artifacts. Some beings and monsters
are innately capable of astral travel, such
as certain demons, shedu, etc. The method of travel being used by an encountered being or beings may well determine the groups size, composition, possessions, and so on as detailed in the
section on encounters below.
The Astral Plane has no alignment as
such. Creatures of any alignment may be

met traveling along the plane going to or
from the Prime Material. If there could be
said to be a particular philosophy or
ethic associated with the Astral Plane, it
might be the spirit of travel, the seeking
of knowledge, and the use of gateways
to new worlds. Several deities concerned
with travel, knowledge, and gates are
known to live on the Astral Plane.
There is no solid material in the Astral
Plane aside from the wayfarers within it,
some random bits of debris, and [a few
small islands, some with] built structures. To those passing through it, the
Astral Plane appears to be a blurred
silvery color all around, as if the travelers
were suspended weightless within a great
silver atmosphere. Mists may be seen at
times, and sometimes star-like objects
are seen in the distance. Other strange
phenomena have been reported as well.
Objects in astral space are weightless
but still have mass and can cause damage. It is conceivable that there may be
dwellings on the Astral Plane built by
great wizards, clerics, or godlings; in a
weightless environment these buildings
could be of any shape, and might wander
randomly from Outer Plane to Outer
Plane, or across the various Prime Material universes.
DRAGON
27
Very few creatures are known to be

native to the Astral Plane; as stated before, nearly everyone there is just passing through. Because of the great number of creatures that could be encountered there, and because some DMs
might like to create and use their own
monsters from the Outer Planes, an alternative to the Astral Encounter Table
in the Dungeon Masters Guide is suggested below. Each encounter type
should have its own subtable of specific
creatures, set up by each DM.
Table One: Astral Encounters
d% roll Encounter type
01-60 Outer Planes creature
(in transit)
61-75 Miscellaneous creature
(in transit)
76-90 Prime Material creature
(on Prime Material Plane)
91-95 Character encounter
96-99 Deity encounter
00 Non-living relic
Explanation of results:
Outer Planes creature This category includes all beings originating on an
Outer Plane, who happen to be in astral
space going to or from the Prime Material Plane. Common examples of such
beings include demons, devils, daemons,
ki-rin, lammasu, titans, and shedu. Dungeon Masters could include other creatures, such as those which have been
featured in various issues of DRAGON
Magazine, as well as a smattering of randomly generated beasts from the lower
planes using tables in the later editions
of the DMG, and some creatures developed by the DM personally, to fill out an
encounter subtable for this category.
Any beings from an Outer Plane are likely to be on a mission for their deity, or on
personal missions as determined by the
DM, related to the alignment(s) of the
being(s). Deities (including the two singular dragon types, demon princes, archdevils, and so forth) should not be on this
subtable.
Miscellaneous creature This category is for assorted astral wanderers like
intellect devourers, rakshasa, aerial servants, invisible stalkers, liches using
psionics or spells to go astral, and all
those other creatures not easily characterized. Berbalangs and astral searchers
(from the FIEND FOLIO Tome), for example, could be listed in this subtable.
Other races besides those used as player
characters in the AD&D game could be
included, if some individuals of those races had magical or psionic abilities permitting astral journeying mind flayers,
for instance. Reasons that miscellaneous beings have for astral travel would
28
NOVEMBER 1982
vary widely from race to race or individual to individual.

Prime Material creature Some Prime
Material Plane creatures have a sensory
awareness of beings passing close by
in the Astral Plane, and have the power
to harm such beings as well. Common
examples of such creatures include the
basilisk, catoblepas, cockatrice, gorgon,
and medusa; enterprising DMs could
undoubtedly create more monsters of
this sort. Creatures like these that can
project their influence into the Astral
Plane can likewise be attacked by beings
on the Astral Plane, though no other
Prime Material creatures or objects could
be affected by anything in astral space.
Only astral travelers who are adjacent
to another plane (a term to be explained
more fully later in this article) will have a
chance of meeting these creatures. All
other times, the encounter must be rerolled for astral travelers if this particular
category is indicated.
Character encounter The vast majority of characters met on the Astral
Plane are likely to be human, but some
demi-humans or part-humans may be
encountered as well. A special encounter subtable (Table Two) is needed to
determine the method of astral traveling
employed by a character group, which
may determine the groups size and some
other characteristics.
Table Two: Method of astral travel
d% roll Character group traveled via:
01-70 Spell (cleric, [mystic,] magicuser, [savant,] or illusionist)
71-95 Device (miscellaneous magic
item or artifact)
96-99 Psionics
00
Special
Spell Encounters with beings traveling by magical spells are 85% likely to be
with persons who directly cast such a
spell and 15% likely to be with those who
used a scroll to cast the spell. The distinction is important because scroll-users
will probably be less powerful than casters. If a spell-user is indicated, determine the class and level of the caster
according to these guidelines:
Half (50%) of all encounters with
astral spell-users will be with clerics
[mystics], of a level determined randomly: 11-20 for actual spell casters
or 9-12 for scroll-users. Of the actual
spell casters, clerics of levels 11-15
will have used a Plane Shift spell and
those of higher level will be using an
Astral Spell. Of the clerical scroll users, 75% will have used a scroll of
Plane Shift, and the other 25% will
have employed an Astral Spell scroll.
Slightly less than half (45%) of all
encounters with astral spell-users will
be with magic-users. Those directly

casting an Astral Spell will be of levels
18-23; those using an Astral Spell
scroll will be of levels 11-18.
Once in 20 times (5%), the encountered spell-user will be an illusionist
[savant]. The illusionist will be of level
14-19 if directly casting an Astral
Spell, and of level 10-15 if using an
Astral Spell scroll.
Spellcasters are not likely to go into
any plane without assistance. Clerics using Plane Shift to reach the Astral Plane
are 95% likely to have 2-7 companions
with them, two of which will be henchmen and the rest being allied characters.
Henchmen will be of a level determined
as per the DMG; allied characters will be
of a level equal to the clerics level minus
three, plus 1d4 (thus, a 15th-level cleric
would have allies of levels 13-16). All
other particulars of the spell casters,
henchmen, and allies should be determined from the Character Subtable, Appendix C (Random Monster Encounters)
of the DMG. All spell casters using Astral
Spell will be 90% likely to have 2-5 companions, 2 of which will be henchmen of
the spell caster; all particulars of the
group are determined as above.
Device Any class, race, or level of
character could be encountered while
using a magical device that permits travel to or through the Astral Plane; it is very
unlikely, though, that lower-level characters will be met because of the dangers
of astral travel. Some typical devices that
could be used to reach the Astral Plane
are the Amulet of the Planes, the Cubic
Gate, the Well of Many Worlds, or some
like device invented by the game referee.
DMs should develop subtables listing
the different sorts of devices being employed, since there is such a wide variety
of them available. Device-using characters encountered will be between 7th
and 18th level (d12 + 6) with classes determined as per the Character Subtable
in the DMG. Note that some devices
permit use by one person only; these
brave souls would be of a generally
higher level than usual (15th-18th) and
could, at the DMs option, have more
magical items or special characteristics
than normal.
The category of devices also includes
the use of artifacts; DMs may set a 1%
chance of any device-using group actually possessing and using a plane-shifting artifact. An item of this sort could be
the Codex of The Infinite Planes, or a
wandering ship or tower as described in
the Elric sagas by Michael Moorcock.
Party size in an artifact-using group
could vary widely, and these groups
should be made up prior to play as special encounters.
Psionics Of all psionics-users encountered astrally, [90%] will be human,
with [elves having a 5% chance of being
met,] dwarves and halflings each having
a 2% chance of being encountered, and
the remaining 1% being random other

races. Class and level should be determined as per the guidelines for deviceusing travelers. Some 50% of all psionics-users in the Astral Plane will be using
astral projection and be traveling alone.
The rest will have probability travel; the
level of the psionics-user will determine
how many persons can be brought into
the Astral Plane with this power. One or
two persons with the psionics-user will
be henchmen, the rest will be allies; details are worked out as per the section on
spell casters. The psionics-user should
have at least 40 psionic strength points
in order to permit astral travel as well as
psionic attack and defense, and will also
have other major and minor disciplines.
Special This is a catch-all category
for those living persons who have become lost or trapped in the Astral Plane
by any one of a number of means. They
may have been caught in a Portable
Hole-Bag of Holding explosion, cursed
by a deity or magic-user, hit with an
enemys Plane Shift, attacked while
under a Duo-Dimension spell, caught in
a Sphere of Annihilation-Gate cataclysm,
cast out of the Ethereal Plane by an Ether
Cyclone, stoned while astral by a medusa or similar beast, flung there by a malfunctioning artifact, inside a Portable
Hole that failed a saving throw and was
destroyed, and so forth. Each case is
special and may be created and arbitrated by the referee as desired. Because
people do not age or starve in astral
space, such lost souls could have been
lost for a very long time before they are
rescued. They might express their gratitude for being helped by rewarding the
player characters, working for them, or
putting knives in their backs (depending
on alignment and other considerations).
[Insanity could come into play.] All
special encounters will not be able to
leave the Astral Plane without help from
outsiders.
It becomes obvious that all charactertype encounters should be carefully
Astral space is strange and dreamlike.

Adventurers from other planes find that
they do not get tired, sleepy, or hungry,
and everyone is generally alert. There
are no day/night cycles astrally, so times
passage is difficult to measure. A character or creature can feel a sense of
movement whenever he/she/it concentrates on moving (travel through astral
space is a function of thought), but one
usually has little idea of how far one is
going. No one ages [except at the
1:365,000 rate, as noted] in astral space
for any reason, even by magical means.
The various means of astral travel are:
Referees should use common sense and caution

in having the group meet a deity; some deities
would have no business on the Astral Plane
and should be excluded from encounter lists.
worked out ahead of time by the DM because of their complexity. Character
roles (as always) should be played forcefully by the DM, as if the NPCs were the
DMs own characters.
such associates is left up to the imagination and discretion of the referee.

Relic Finally, various items may be
found while traveling the Astral Plane.
This category of random relics could include lost treasures, bodies [The time-
Back to the Table One explanations:
lessness/all-time nature of the Astral

Plane allows revivification at a ratio of
1,000 years to 1 day, assuming no extenuating circumstances.] of monsters or
Deity encounter A deity of any sort
is probably the worst (as in most dangerous) thing one could hope to meet
anywhere. Referees should make up their
own lists of possible encounters of this
sort, including the various arch-devils,
demon princes, and unique dragon-types
from the Monster Manual. On the Astral
Plane it may be possible to meet almost
any deity, though lesser deities may be
more common than greater ones and
demigods more common than either of
the others. Referees should use common sense and caution in having the
group meet a deity; some deities would
have no possible business being on the
Astral Plane, and should be excluded
from encounter lists.
As with character encounters, the reactions of deities should not be checked
randomly, and should be role-played
fully. Gods will not often go out of their
way to do anything when encountering a
group of adventurers, unless provoked,
bored, or of a similar or opposite alignment. Demogorgon might try to kill everyone he meets; Asmodeus might try
enslaving everyone; Bahamut might assist (if good-aligned characters are present), and so forth.
Deities should, whenever possible,
have a retinue of lesser creatures with
them who will follow their rulers every
whim; these followers may be sent ahead
to check out any groups they meet, to do
the fighting or talking. The nature of
Astral projection (psionic)

or Astral Spell
Characters using either of these means
to go astral should find secure places on
the Prime Material Plane to house their
bodies and their possessions that will be
left behind when their spirits make the
voyage. The physical bodies on their
home plane will go into suspended animation and require little care while the
spirits are gone. Travelers using Astral
Spell should hold hands in a circle with
their spellcaster, who then goes through
all the rituals and causes the groups
members to enter astral space in spirit
characters slain astrally, constructed

dwellings for wizards, priests, or godlings, and so forth. Referees may make
up lists of things like these to confuse,
amuse, or abuse player characters finding them. Any treasures found should be
of generally low worth, with occasional
high-value or cursed/trapped items appearing. [Matter islands range from a
few cubic rods to several miles in extent.] Constructed dwellings [whether
on islands or alone] should be ex-
tremely rare at best!

The reactions of any living creatures
on the Astral Plane will always be tainted
with caution and watchfulness. Referees
may want to compile notes on each encounter, describing the reasons for such
beings to be in the Astral Plane in the
first place (traveling on a quest, going to
visit associates or friends, planning to
rob or kill other astral travelers, searching for something or someone, etc.) and
use this material when role-playing the
NPC encounters.
Obviously, much of this material has
been very general; however, it is the intention of this article to give referees a
chance to work out their own ideas of
what Astral Plane encounters should be
like. Every campaign will have different
deities, monsters, and other particulars.
form together. The bodies are all linked
through a single silvery cord to their
material bodies; the cord is capable of
stretching infinitely from the Prime Material to an Outer Plane. Once in the Astral Plane, the group members may pull
apart, move around, engage in combat,
and so forth as they please. However, no
one may enter another plane from the
Astral Plane unless he/she is touching
the spellcaster or touching someone
else touching the spell caster (the group
should join hands before entering another plane). Anyone not so linked to the
spellcaster when he or she enters a new
plane will be stranded astrally; the stranded character can return to the home
plane only if slain, in which case the
material body reawakens (see the section on Movement and Combat). Astral
DRAGON
29
Few spells may be cast across plane boundaries,

either to or from the Astral Plane or any other,
and only certain rare magical devices can affect
creatures on other planes.
projection is similar to Astral Spell in all
respects, except that only one person at

a time may travel by means of this power.
When using either of these forms of
astral projection, characters will find
that all non-magical items on their persons will be left behind on the home
plane; only magical items may be brought
along, and many of these will have altered capabilities as decribed in the last
section of this article. Because this may
mean that spell components, armor, and
weapons, not to mention mundane things
like decent clothing, will not be had,
spellcasters may use or develop a simple
spell like Nystuls Magic Aura, which
makes an item magical without giving it
any special powers. Such a dweomer will
allow items to pass through astral space
to an Outer Plane so long as the spells
duration is not exceeded [prior to going
to the plane]. Things that become nonmagical in astral space or on an Outer
Plane, should this spell wear off, will not
be carried into another plane until the
spell is renewed.
The spellcaster will receive an instinctual warning when he or she has arrived
at the point where astral space connects
with the Outer Plane or Prime Material
Plane desired. At this point, when all travelers are joined together again, the
spellcaster can will the group to move
adjacent to the new plane; at this point
When using either form of astral projection (astral projection or Astral Spell),
three encounter checks are rolled during
the journey. One is made immediately at
the start of the voyage, to see if any beings are adjacent to the Prime Material
Plane at this locale; it may be possible to
encounter certain Prime Material monsters (like catoblepas) which can project
magical attacks into the Astral Plane, if
any are nearby. Another encounter check
is made near the midpoint of the voyage,
deep into the Astral Plane (no Prime
Material monsters like the medusa or catoblepas will be encountered around
here), and the last check is made when
the group comes adjacent to another
plane. If this plane happens to be another Prime Material Plane, then obviously
medusae and the like may be met, if any
exist on that plane.
Characters using any other form of
30
NOVEMBER 1982
the group will still be in astral space, but

will now be able to view clearly the environment of the new plane. If it is another
Prime Material Plane, this point is as far
as the group can go; they can look about,
but not enter the plane. If an Outer Plane
has been reached, the group may then
(while still linked together) cause their
spirits to form material bodies on the
new plane, and will bring all magical
items with them. Note that those items
which (for some reason, as detailed in a
later section) became fully non-magical
when entering the Astral Plane will not
go into an Outer Plane, but may be taken
back to the Prime Material. When a
group is adjacent to another plane,
their presence may only be detected by
highly intelligent or powerful creatures
(as per the DMG), or by the use of such
things as a Detect Invisibility spell or
Dust of Appearance. Few spells may be
cast across plane boundaries, either to
or from the Astral Plane or any other, and
only certain rare magical devices can affect creatures on other planes. It is conceivable that a deity may cause certain
sections of an Outer Plane to be opaque
so that no one may spy on that area from
the Astral Plane, and no one (except the
deity and minions) may enter that area
from astral space.
Astrally projecting characters will travel for some 7-12 hours before reaching
planar travel will undergo one encounter

check upon arriving at the Astral Plane,
and another check every four hours or so
thereafter until they leave the plane.
An encounter check is made using a
20-sided die. A roll of 1 on the die indicates that an encounter will occur, and
the specific type of encounter should
then be rolled.
If a spellcaster or psionic using astral
projection wills the voyage to be slowed
down, an additional encounter check is
made for every four hours the journey is
lengthened (see the section on astral
projection/Astral Spell, above, for normal and modified travel times).
another plane, either an Outer or a Prime

Material one. The spellcaster or psionic
character may purposely try to lengthen
the voyage before reaching the other
plane; each such attempt lengthens the
trip by 3-6 hours, and may result in
another encounter check being made
(see below). The return trip from another
plane will take another 7-12 hours.
Probability travel (psionic),
Plane Shift (spell), or device
These methods of travel are similar in

several ways. If a group of persons is
able to travel together using one of these
modes, they must join hands before the
power, spell, or device goes into effect.
Group members will be transferred at
once, along with all of their equipment
(magical or non-magical), to another
plane; if going to an Outer Plane, the
group will not pass through astral space.
However, these travel modes may simply
take a group to astral space if this is
desired. Once the desired plane has
been reached, the power, spell, or device
transporting the group ceases to work,
and the group may split up and move
about as desired. Leaving the plane is
done in the same manner used to arrive
at the plane.
It is obviously possible for someone to
strand characters on other planes using
any of these travel modes. Stranded
characters will not be able to leave the
plane they are left on unless given assistance, or unless they possess spells,
powers, or devices to help them leave.
No silver cords are formed using any of
these travel modes; instead, the characters bodies have been brought along.
The Psychic Wind may lengthen an
astral voyage and produce more encounters. There is a 5% chance (non-cumulative) of encountering the Psychic Wind
per plane crossed, including alternate
Prime Material Planes, or solar system
traveled to. To determine the effect of a
Psychic Wind, roll a 20-sided die and
apply the appropriate result from the following list:
1-12: Travel slowed by 3-6 hours;
one additional encounter check rolled.
13-16: Blown off course; party lost
for 2-20 days (one encounter check
every 4 hours, but no Prime Material
creatures can be met) and then must
return to their physical bodies and try
again.
17-19: Blown off course, but with no
extension of travel time; a random
plane bordering the Astral Plane is
arrived at.
20: Psychic Wind storm; travelers
The Psychic Wind is not a wind as such: when it

occurs; the . . . characters will be in virtual darkness
all around, but will feel no actual wind blowing.
who are using astral projection or Astral Spell must make a saving throw
vs. magic (for the spell caster or psionit), or the silver cord snaps and all
are slain irrevocably. If the save is
made, the group or person will be lost
for 4-40 days (make one encounter
check every 4 hours during this time)
Movement through the Astral Plane is

accomplished by concentrated thought.
For every point of intelligence a being
has, a maximum of 10 (yards) per minute (melee round) may be moved; thus, a
character with a 12 intelligence can move
as fast as 360 feet per minute, or 6 feet
per second. It does not make sense to try
to measure the distance from one place
to another, as the plane itself is moving
(the way wind blows around a flying
bird) and such distances cannot be expressed in conventional terms. Movement rates are useful in working out melees or explorations in astral space.
Sighting distances are much greater
than normal in this plane. Surprise rolls
are made as usual; unsurprised characters may see larger-than-man-sized beings at a range of 50-500 yards, and mansized or smaller beings at 30-300 yards.
A surprised party has only one-tenth the
normal sighting range to their opponents.
Evasion may be attempted after sighting
an opponent, and is automatically successful if the least intelligent member of
the evading party is smarter (more intelligent) than the most intelligent member
of the pursuing party. It is possible, of
course, for a party to split up so that only
its slower members will be caught by
pursuers; however, if some beings are
joined together by holding hands or other means, their speed will not exceed
that of the least intelligent being. Sudden stops and turns are possible astrally,
and travelers will not be subject to any
form of motion sickness no matter what
they do.
Encumbrance affects a characters
movement rate: for every 100 g.p. (10
lbs.) weight a character is carrying, the
movement rate for that character is
slowed by 10 feet per round. Strength (or
lack thereof) does not affect astral encumbrance at all; intelligence is the limiting factor. An unconscious person or
one who is not concentrating on movement may be carried by another person if
so desired, at the carrying persons
movement rate (with a deduction for the
encumbrance of the burden being carried). Magical items have no effective
weight for astral encumbrance purposes,
but only if they are still magical in astral
space.
Combat in the Astral Plane is peculiar,
and must return to the starting point

where their physical bodies are. Those
who are not astrally projecting will be
lost for 4-40 days and will only thereafter be able to use a spell, power, or
device to leave the plane; before then,
the turbulence in the plane prevents
such travel.
The Psychic Wind is not a wind as

such; when it occurs, the silvery atmosphere of astral space darkens considerably. During a Psychic Wind storm, the
characters will be in virtual darkness all
around, but will feel no actual wind blowing. Light spells will function normally
during this time, however.
since it takes place in a weightless,

three-dimensional space. A detailed
simulation of this would probably best
use a hexagonal or square-gridded playing surface (without terrain features).
Paper counters could be used to show
how far above or below the playing surface someone or something is located,
to simulate a third dimension. Counters
could also be used for each character
involved in the melee. This system is similar to the one used in many outer-space
combat games; the difficulty comes in
having to calculate trigonometric distances between two points in threedimensional space. The scale that might
work best for such games might be to
have hexes or squares 30 feet across (in
game scale) with each move taking one
minute. If this proves too complex, then
a simpler two-dimensional system may
be used, ignoring the height/depth factor on the playing surface.
Though the Astral Plane has no sources of gravity, combatants are not thrown
off balance by swinging swords, casting
spells, and so forth, because all movement and orientation are governed by
mental effort; characters fight, move,
and act as if each were moving along a
stable surface. Obviously, no two characters need appear to be moving along
the same surface, and one could move
along just as well upside-down relative
to everyone else in the party.
The only problem that will occur in
combat is in using missile weapons or
thrown items. Because everyone is used
to adjusting missiles or thrown weapons
to take into account the effects of gravity, persons who fire or throw missiles will
find their aim poorer at first. Missile fire
will initially be made at a -6 penalty to
hit; each subsequent missile fired by
the same character will gain a +1 modifier to hit, cumulatively, until this penalty is removed. However, once a person
leaves the Astral Plane, this adjustment
is forgotten and must be re-learned
upon re-entering the plane at any future
date. Long ranges are extended on the

Astral Plane for missiles of any sort, because of the lack of gravity; short and
medium ranges remain the same. The
maximum range of any missile weapon
is doubled, so a longbow (for instance)
would have a long range of 14-42.
Smart players may find it interesting
and helpful to develop special tactics for
astral combat, such as surrounding slower opponents and setting up defensive
shields against the faster ones. Grappling and pummeling are possible astrally, but not overbearing.
Astral characters take damage as usual in AD&D melee combat. Those who
entered the plane by Gate, Plane Shift,
device, or any other method in which the
physical bodies of the characters are
brought along can be wounded and slain
in combat; their bodies and equipment
can be recovered afterward, and attempts
may be made to raise them from the dead
as usual [See previous note on the 1,000year-to-1-day ratio.]. Any character who
enters the Astral Plane by a form of astral
projection, psionic or magical, and takes
sufficient damage in combat to be slain,
will be immediately returned in spirit
form to his or her home plane. The earthly bodies of these slain characters will
not be immediately awakened, however;
the psychic trauma of being slain sends
the body into a coma lasting 2-5 days,
from which the character cannot be reawakened without use of a wish. A system shock roll must be made during this
time, and if the roll fails, the character
dies when the coma ends, The character
cannot then be revived by any means
short of a wish. If the system shock roll
succeeds, the character will regain consciousness, possessing but 1 hit point
upon awakening, and healing progresses
normally. Until such time as the character regains more than half of his or her
lost hit points (by normal healing, potions, ointments, etc.), no spell casting is
possible, movement is reduced by half,
and attacks are made at, a -4 penalty to
hit because of weakness.
The magical items possessed by an
astrally projecting character who is slain
on the Astral Plane will be returned to the
Prime Material with the characters spirit
Though the Astral Plane has no sources of gravity,

combatants are not thrown off balance by swinging
swords, casting spells, and so forth, because movement
and orientation are governed by mental effort.
DRAGON
31
if they: 1) still retain some magical properties on the Astral Plane; 2) were physically worn or carried by the character at
the time of death; and 3) make a saving
throw vs. magic. All other items of a nonmagical nature will be left behind on the
Astral Plane, but may be recovered by
other characters.
If the earthly body of an astrally projecting character is slain while the character is in astral space, [the silver cord is
sundered and] the characters spirit vanishes at once, leaving all material possessions behind. The character is irrevocably dead. If the material body is
slain after the character has formed a
new body on an Outer Plane, the character (with whatever possessions he or she
has at that time with the new body) will
live on in the new form but will, of course,
be unable to leave the plane without

help. It is impossible, by the way, for a
character to assume a physical shape
different from his or her normal, earthly
body when entering an Outer Plane.
There are very few creatures able to
cut a silver cord. As mentioned in the
DEITIES & DEMIGODS Cyclopedia and
the Dungeon Masters Guide, the Psychic Wind may tear the cord loose, but
this is a rare happening. The most dangerous opponents astrally are deities; a
demigod or god may elect to cut the
silver cord of a group, and can do so by
moving adjacent to the cord trailing behind the group, making a to hit roll
against AC 0, and successfully rolling
the deitys magic-resistance rating. This
will automatically sever the cord and
permanently slay the group members,
As has already been mentioned, many

spells will not have their normal effects
when cast upon the Astral Plane. Some
of these spells for various reasons will
have no effect at all, while others will
work only partially or in an unexpected
manner. A few spells will not work astrally but will not be forgotten when cast;
these spells may be re-cast at a later time
(after the caster returns to the Prime
Material Plane, or perhaps travels to a
different plane) when they will take normal effect. Spells cannot be cast in any
case from the Astral Plane to any other
plane, and vice versa; they cannot be
cast through Gates and similar devices
or spells (as noted in TSR module Q1),
since the true distance between the
planes exceeds the spells range.
Unless a spell caster has taken special
precautions, any traveling done by Astral Spell will result in leaving behind all
material components for spells, reducing the spell caster to using only those
spells with verbal and/or somatic components alone.
Once a character enters the Astral
Plane, spell recovery (regardless of the
amount of time spent astrally) becomes
more difficult. Clerics and druids may
not recover any spells except first and
second level ones unless the deity
they worship normally resides on the Astral Plane, in which case they may recover any spell levels. Any spell casters will
find they have but one opportunity to

pray or study for new spells after casting
spells on the Astral Plane, and that subsequent attempts to recover spells will
fail because of the magical properties of
the plane. Clerics will find that certain
spells Commune, Divination and Spiritual Hammer will not work on the
Astral Plane unless the clerics deity lives
on that plane.
Unless otherwise stated, a spell caster
must remain stationary on the Astral
Plane when casting a spell; he or she
cannot think about moving around and
perform magic at the same time. Spell
casting, as in all other cases, cannot be
hurried up in any manner, and if a spell is
interrupted, it is lost. Spells may be cast
from devices and scrolls in a normal
manner, as detailed later in this article.
Those spells that normally affect a flat,
planar area (such as Bless and Haste)
will, when cast astrally, affect a spherical
area with a diameter equal to the normal
spells smallest dimension in area of effect. Thus, Bless affects all within a 5
diameter sphere, Haste and Slow affect
all within a 4 diameter sphere, Tongues
affects all within a 6 diameter sphere,
and so forth. This does not apply to
spells such as Hold Portal, Knock, and
Wizard Lock, which were designed to affect flat surfaces.
The Astral Plane is a poor conductor
of heat or cold, making some spells like
Aerial Servant: No effect; normally opens gate to elemental plane (Air),

Animate Object: Any object animated
will have no ability to travel on its own
unless it is thrown or pushed, since all
animated objects have an effective intelligence of 0; it could, however, wrap

around or strike beings it was next to.
Astral Spell: No effect; must be cast on
Prime Material Plane.
Commune: No effect; requires contact
with deity.
Conjure Animals: No effect; no natural
32
NOVEMBER 1982
unless the spell caster or psionic initiating the travel can make a saving throw
vs. magic. If the deitys magic-resistance
roll fails on the first severing attempt,
subsequent rolls may be made without
requiring another successful to hit roll
against the silver cord.
Any character wounded while on the
Astral Plane will not normally recover
any lost hit points, no matter how long a
time is spent there. [Obviously, however,
after 365,000 days of relative rest a normal character would regain 1 hit point.]
Only the use of magical devices or spells,

or the psionic discipline of cell adjustment, will allow the recovery of lost hit
points astrally. Once a wounded character leaves the Astral Plane, wounds may
be naturally recovered from at the normal day-to-day rates.
Infravision, which relies upon detection
of heat sources, useless. A Fireball could
go off next to a character, and if the
character was just outside the area of
effect he or she would not feel the heat
from the attack.
Fire-based spells that are cast at bodies of water on the Astral Plane will have
no effect; they will be smothered immediately. Any fire spell that strikes a body
of ice will usually have no other effect
than to melt the ice down into water, immediately extinguishing the spell. Because all objects on the plane are effectively weightless, flame sources will
appear circular; even though one would
expect an open flame to be extinguished
by its own waste gases if held immobile,
this does not occur in astral space.
Astral travelers, though they will soon
discover that they apparently do not
need to breathe in astral space, are still
susceptible to attacks of poisonous gas,
drowning, and so forth; the poisonous or
foreign material will find its way into the
respiratory tract and do physical damage. These attacks will affect even astrally projecting characters, though as noted before this will not actually kill the
affected characters, but will cause their
spirits to return to their home plane.
Following are listed those spells that
yield unusual results when cast on the
Astral Plane. When possible, reasons are
given for why a spell malfunctions. If
new spells are encountered or created
by characters, the DM should arbitrate
the effects on the Astral Plane, noting
whenever possible the effects of any similar spells listed here.
environment exists astrally.

Control Weather: see Conjure Animals.
Create Water: Unless the spell is cast
into a container, a large sphere of water

will be formed (hovering in the virtual
weightlessness of the plane). To calculate the size of such a sphere, note that
the volume of a sphere is 4/3
r, that one
gallon of water is about .1337 ft3, and

have a calculator handy. Pi ( ) is about
3.1416. A sphere of water will do nothing
else in astral space except float. If struck
by a sharp-edged weapon, it will be undamaged (the blade passes through it)
for the most part; strikes, with broad,
blunt weapons will split the sphere into
2-5 smaller spheres of roughly equal
size. Though water spheres are interesting to look at, they are hazardous as well;
anything touching a water sphere for
longer than one second will find the water adhering to it and flowing over its
surface until the water completely covers the touching object. Living beings must
make a saving throw vs. breath weapon
or choke on water in their respiratory
systems; failure to save means unconsciousness one round later and death in
2-5 more rounds thereafter unless the
water is removed somehow (such as by
Destroy Water). Those who make their
saving throws may leave the water sphere
on the following round by moving out of
it at full (mental) speed. The possibilities
of using water spheres as weapons are
obvious (with Telekinesis, especially; the
Telekinesis-user would have to roll to
hit with the water sphere as if using a
missile weapon, with medium and long
ranges determined by dividing the maximum range of the Telekinesis spell into
thirds), as are the disadvantages.
Detect Evil/Good: Functions normally, though the plane itself radiates no
alignment.
Detect Magic: The entire plane radiates
magic, making this spell useless to all
except those who know the proper
changes to exclude the background radiation from detection. Such changes
may be discovered on a 5% cumulative
chance after each unsuccessful casting
of this spell.
Dispel Evil/Good: This spell will affect
any creatures encountered on the Astral
Plane of the appropriate alignments, including those from other planes. However, when used against aerial servants
and invisible stalkers (and neutrally
aligned creatures summoned from other
planes) there is a chance (1 or 2 on d6)
that this spell will not work, because the
neutral creatures were not in the act of
performing a good or evil deed. Though
all good or evil creatures and characters
from other planes will be affected by this
spell (no matter the method used to
bring them to the Astral Plane), no neutrally aligned (lawful neutral, true neutral, or chaotic neutral) characters will
be affected unless they are on a mission
that would directly benefit the forces of
good or evil. (Assume that this spell will
affect neutral characters only if the majority of their associated party is good or
evil in alignment.)
Dispel Magic: This spell will not affect
the inherent magical nature of the Astral
Plane, but will affect spells cast by characters. If this spell is cast at a spell caster
Astral travelers, though they. . . do not need to breathe

in astral space, are still susceptible to poisonous gas,
drowning, and so forth; the foreign material will find its
way into the respiratory tract and do physical damage.
or associated person traveling via an Astral Spell, it will (if successful) hurl the
affected persons to their own plane. It
will not do this to persons who arrived on
the Astral Plane by any other means,
psionic or magical. Casting Dispel Magic on a silver cord (of an astrally projecting traveler) has no effect.
Divination: see Commune.
Earthquake: No effect unless cast upon
a solid, non-living object of earth, clay,

or stone.
find The Path: If cast immediately after an entrance into the Astral Plane, this
spell will enable astrally projecting characters to go quickly to their desired
plane. There is a 50% chance that only
one encounter check (the usual initial
one) will be required before reaching the
other plane; in any event, only one extra check will be required at the worst,
and the entire voyage is shortened by
four hours as well. This spell, of course,
would have to be cast upon the leading
spell caster of an Astral Spell- using
group to be effective for them.
Flame Strike: This spell will create a 1
diameter sphere of flames, much like a
Fireball, centered on the desired location within the spell range; it will do normal damage.
Gate: No deities will appear through
the Gate unless the Astral Plane is their
home. Any other creatures gated in will
know immediately where they are, and
will leave if required to fight a creature or
party whose experience-point total is
two or more times greater than the gated
creatures own value. No gated creature
will hang around to fight a deity of any
sort. Theoretically, one or more persons
could pass hurriedly through a gate
created by a spell and go directly to any
other plane of existence, but the person(s) would also be directly in the presence of a deity-class being, and this
could prove not to be advantageous.
Holy/Unholy Word: This spell will affect all creatures within its area of effect,
including the spell casters party. Since
nearly all beings except some deities are
not normally from the Astral Plane, this
should work against virtually any being
encountered, and will cast its victims
back to their home plane without further
injury (regardless of how the creature
got to the plane).
Insect Plague: see Conjure Animals.
Locate/Obscure Object: This spell will
not help or hinder characters in hurrying

or delaying their journey to other planes
through astral space, since the distance
to other planes is beyond the spells
range.
Lose The Path: This spell will work to
slow an astrally projecting partys progress through the Astral Plane by four
hours, resulting in one extra encounter
check while in astral space, but not necessarily during the spells duration.
Lower Water: This spell will cause all
free-floating water within its area of effect to move away from the spell caster at
a rate of speed equal to the casters normal astral movement allowance. The reverse of this spell, Raise Water, has the
opposite effect in drawing water directly
toward the caster at the above speed.
These spells could be used to save a
drowning character (see Create Water).
Part Water: This spell will cause a water sphere (see Create Water) to separate into two equal-sized spheres (smaller
than the original) separated by 1/level
of the caster. This spell may be used to
save a drowning character (see Create
Water).
Raise Dead: If used astrally, there is a
15% chance that an astral searcher (see

the FIEND FOLIO Tome) will possess
the raised body. Alignment and personality of the character are randomly
changed; the referee may elect to have
the player use the character as effectively a new character, or may run the
character as an NPC. If the creature is
exorcised, then another attempt may be
made to raise the body and true spirit.
Resurrection: There is a 5% chance
that an astral searcher will possess the
body of the raised character. See Raise
Dead for further details.
Speak With Animals: This spell will
work only with normal, non-fantastic
animals brought with a person or party
into astral space. No animals naturally
occur on the Astral Plane.
Spiritual Hammer: see Commune.
True Seeing: There is a base 100%
chance, less 10% per level of the viewer,

that the awesome reality of astral space
as seen via this spell will overwhelm the
viewer and cause him or her to remain
inactive for the duration of the spell.
Otherwise it will function normally.
Wind Walk: Aside from causing the
spell caster and associated persons to
become misty and transparent, this spell
will not affect a characters normal
movement rate in astral space as determined by intelligence. However, persons
carried with the spell caster will move at
the casters astral movement rate, not at
their normal speed. This spell makes it
difficult to see the affected persons
against the background of astral space,
and sighting distances to such characters are reduced to 10% of normal.
Word of Recall: No effect; cannot teleport across planes.
DRAGON
33
A great many druid spells will not work

in astral space because the items that
they function with and affect (plants and
animals) do not naturally exist on the
Astral Plane. There is no such thing as
weather (as we know it) either, making
spells related to that realm also unusable. If a plant or animal is brought with a
creature or character into astral, space,
then spells may be cast upon the plant(s)
or animal(s) and will function normally.
For example, if a group in astral space
has a dog along, for whatever reason, a
druid could cast Invisibility To Animals,
Speak With Animals, etc., successfully.
For the most part, however, such spells
will be wasted. Spells summoning animals will not work, since no creatures
able to be affected by the spell occur
naturally on the Astral Plane. Spells
which fall into one of these categories,
and are useless for that reason, are the
following:
Animal Friendship, Animal Growth*,
Animal Summoning (I,II,III), Anti-Animal
Shell*, Anti-Plant Shell*, Call Lightning,
Call Woodland Beings, Commune With
Nature, Control Temperature, Control
Weather, Control Winds;
Creeping Doom, Entangle, Hold Animal*, Hold Plant*, Insect Plague, Invisibility To Animals*, Locate Animals*,
Locate Plants*, Pass Plant, Plant Door,
Plant Growth*, Predict Weather, Repel
lnsects, Speak With Animals*, Speak
With Plants*, Summon lnsects, Transport Via Plants, Wall of Thorns, Weather
Summoning.
* These spells will work only on

plants or animals that have somehow
been transported into astral space.
Otherwise they are useless.
It might be supposed that a
druid who was determined (or crazy)
enough could make effective use of
these spells if he/she brought several
beehives into astral space, but this is
extremely unlikely.
Animal Friendship will not work, even
on animals in astral space, because the
success of the spell depends in part
upon the affected animal having an appetite which does not occur on the
Astral Plane. Call Woodland Beings
would conceivably work if there were
such beings in the spells area of effect,
but this is so remote a possibility as to
make the spell useless. Other alterations
to the effects of druid spells are as
follows:
Animate Rock: No effect; the rock has
no intelligence and thus cannot move in
astral space (see Animate Object above).
Animate Rock does not make rocks wrap
around creatures, change shapes, etc.
Chariot of Sustarre: The chariot will
appear, and will carry the druid and up to
eight others, but will move only as fast
34
NOVEMBER 1982
astrally as the druid normally could (according to his or her intelligence).

Conjure Earth Elemental and Conjure
Fire Elemental: No effect; normally opens gate to elemental plane (Earth/Fire).
Create Water: See cleric spell Create
Water for relevant comments.
Detect Magic: See cleric spell Detect
Magic for relevant comments.
Dispel Magic: See cleric spell Dispel
Magic for relevant comments.
Feeblemind: A feebleminded victim
has an effective intelligence of 1, and
that characters movement through the
Astral Plane will be likewise reduced seriously (30/round).
Fire Storm: In astral space, this spell
creates a sphere of flame similar to a
Fireball of the appropriate volume. All
other details are as per normal.
Fire Seeds: See commentary on throwing missiles in astral space, in the section on Movement and Combat.
Hallucinatory Terrain: This spell will
work as far as creating the illusion of a
large forest, but who will believe it? Only
those creatures of low intelligence or
less (7 or below) will even, consider this
as possibly real; all others will know
better.
Obscurement: This spell will form a
sphere, not a cube, with a diameter equal
to the length of a side of the cube normally formed. Other effects are as normal,
except that (as with Wind Walk), the
sighting distance to the druid using this
spell is cut to 10% of normal when
viewed against the astral background.
Pass Without Trace: There is nothing
to pass over, no tracks to cover, so this
spell is useless in astral space.
Produce Fire: This spell works only if
cast upon a solid, non-living object in
astral space; the resulting flames will affect anything within 5 feet outside the
area of effect, even if the surface of the
solid object used is curved or irregular.
For example, Produce Fire couId be cast
upon a large rock accidentally discovered in astral space; if the rock had a
surface area of 144 sq. ft. (equal to the
spells usual area of effect), then everything within a 5-foot radius of that rock
would be affected by the flames it would
give off. The formula for calculating the
surface area of a sphere is 4 r2.
Produce Flame: See Fire Seeds, if the

druid attempts to cast a produced flame
at an opponent.
Transmute Rock To Mud: No effect unless cast upon a solid mass of rock; when
it turns to mud, the rocky object will assume an almost perfect spherical shape
in one turn if entirely transmuted by this
spell. Anything coming in contact with
such a mudball for one turn or longer
will find themselves facing a problem
similar to that caused when one touches
a water sphere (see the cleric spell
Create Water). Obviously, conscious
persons will be able to easily avoid
drowning or suffocating in a mudball,
unless they are unconscious or otherwise incapacitated. Mudballs will not dry
out in astral space. This brings to mind
some interesting uses of a mudball as a
weapon or a form of execution; perhaps
some adventurers, encountering a wandering mudball on the Astral Plane, may
find something at its center. . . .
Tree: This spell will successfully turn
the druid into a tree, but anyone who
sees it will undoubtedly think it odd that
a tree should be floating around in astral
space, and will automatically be very
suspicious of it unless the creature
seeing it has an intelligence of 7 or lower,
in which case the viewing creature might
possibly be fooled.
Trip: Since there is no gravity to make
this spell work, and since movement
doesnt depend upon feet, this spell will
not work on the Astral Plane.
Wall of Fire: In astral space, this spell
creates a hollow sphere of flames around
the druid with a radius equal to per
level of the spell-caster. The hollow
sphere moves with the druid. Damage is
as per the normal use of the spell, as are
all other aspects.
Water Breathing: One might believe
this spell useless, but imagine a druid
who creates a huge globe of water, casts
Water Breathing on himself/herself, and
then enters the water sphere when confronted by astral opponents. The druid is
now virtually immune to all fire-related
spells, and any creatures who grapple
the druid (or try to) will find themselves
covered in water (see Create Water in the
cleric spell section) and possibly drowning. . . . Interesting, no?
Astral Spell: See the comments for the

cleric spell of the same name.
Airy Water: A magic-user with this
spell will be immune to having water
spheres adhere to him or her, and will be
able to pass in and out of one with ease.
See the druid spell Water Breathing for
further comments.
Animal Growth: Not generally usable;
see the commentary at the start of the
section on druid spells.
Anti-Magic Shell: No effect, since the

spell caste? himself or herself is not from
astral space technically making the
magic-user a summoned monster?
Audible Glamer: Magic-users should
carefully consider their environment in
order to make the best use of this spell
astrally; illusions should be as believable
as possible to be effective (see the comments regarding visual illusions under
the druid spell Hallucinatory Terrain).
Bigbys Hand spells: The Interposing

Hand will stop all opponents who have
an intelligence equal to or less than the

spell caster, and slow the forward movement of all others by 50%.
The Forceful Hand will either push
away, stall, or slow opponents, depending on the difference between the casters intelligence and that of the opponent. If the opponent is less intelligent
than the magic-user, the Forceful Hand
pushes the opponent away at a rate of
speed equal to the difference in their intelligence scores. Opponents equally as
intelligent as the magic-user cannot get
closer but wont be pushed away. Those
smarter than the magic-user may advance at a rate equal to the difference
between the opponents and the M-Us
intelligence. For example, a magic-user
with 16 intelligence casts a Forceful
Hand at a berserk aerial servant (intelligence 4); the servant is repelled at a rate
of 12 (120 yards, or 360 feet) per round.
The Grasping Hand can hold motionless any creature with intelligence equal
to or lower than the magic-users. It will
repel creatures (if desired) at twice the
rate of speed of a Forceful Hand, and
slows the more intelligent opponents by
50% of the rate allowed by the forceful
Hand; thus, the aerial servant mentioned
above could be held motionless, or
pushed away at 24 per round.
Opponents stunned by a Clenched
Fist cannot move astrally during that
time; this spell will not necessarily slow
or stop opponents otherwise. A Clenched
Fist will hold, repel, or slow opponents at
the same time as it crushes them, as the
magic-user desires.
The Crushing Hand acts just as a
Grasping Hand, except that it is designed
to grasp any opponent, regardless of intelligence, and will crush an opponent
for the stated amounts of damage. No
Hand spell will leave its maximum range,
but it will hover at the boundary of that
range if being employed to repel an opponent. As mentioned in the spell descriptions in the AD&D books, any Hand
spell is dispelled once it takes damage
equal to the hit points of the magic-user
who conjured it; a Hand has the same
armor class as the magic-user casting it
had on the round the spell was begun.
Cacodemon: Because of the problems
involved in casting this spell on an effectively weightless plane, it is useless in
summoning a captive demon. Rather, it
will attract the attention of one or more
powerful demons in the Abyss, who will
doubtless find it amusing to seek out the
summoner and eat him or her as soon as
possible. Referees should send 1-4 demons of either Type IV, V, or VI, each
with 8 hp/die, arriving within 1-4 rounds
after the spell is cast.
Charm Plants: This spell will work only
if a plant or plant-related creature is encountered in astral space; this is unlikely
in the extreme.
If Dig is cast on an object, the object will slowly

disintegrate into a huge cloud of dust particles. . . .
Needless to say, anyone within the radius of the cloud
is going to be in dire need of a bath.
Clone: Clones will not grow in astral
space; this spell is useless.
Cloudkill: This spell will form a 2 diameter sphere of poisonous gases that
will move in a straight line away from the
spell caster at a rate of speed equal to the
casters intelligence times ten, in feet per
round. Since there are no natural winds
in astral space, the cloud will remain unbroken unless it strikes a very large object (Wall of Force, for example) that has
a diameter of 1 or more, in which case it
will break up on the following round. In
three-dimensional space, the cloud is
not too difficult to evade.
Cone of Cold: If this spell strikes a
water sphere (see cleric spell Create Water), it will freeze the outer surface into
solid ice, to a depth of one inch per level
of the magic-user casting the spell. A
water sphere frozen solid will not melt on
the Astral Plane; if any unfrozen water
remains at the center of the sphere, the
ice sphere will melt from the inside out at
a rate of one inch of thickness per turn. A
Cone of Cold striking a mudball (see
druid spell Transmute Rock To Mud) will
cause the outer surface to harden to
rock-like consistency; as with an ice
sphere, a frozen mudball could either
stay frozen or return to a muddy state,
depending on whether any unfrozen mud
remains at the center. A crust of only
one-quarter inch thickness per level of
the magic-user casting the Cone of Cold
will form on a mudball, making it very
likely that large mudballs will always defrost themselves eventually.
Conjure Elemental: No effect; normally opens gate to elemental planes.
Contact Other Plane: No powers on
the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, the
Positive and Negative Material Planes, or
any Elemental Plane can be reached.
Powers on the Prime Material count as
one plane removed.
Control Weather: See comments under
the druid spell of the same name.
Death Spell: This spell is ineffective
against undead and beings from the Astral or Outer Planes. Travelers from Prime
Material Planes may be affected.
Detect Evil/Good: See the comments
for the cleric spell of the same name.
Detect Invisibility: No ethereal or outof-phase things will be seen, but the
spell functions otherwise as written.
Once a new plane has been reached, before astrally projecting characters have
formed new bodies and are just looking
around, this spell may be used to see
any nearby invisible, hidden, ethereal, or
out-of-phase beings or objects.
Detect Magic: See the comments for
the cleric spell of the same name.
Dig: This spell will be effective only

against solid, large objects of earth, clay,
or mud; the only such objects likely to be
astrally encountered are [rare islands
and] mudballs (see druidic spell Transmute Rock to Mud). If Dig is cast on an
object, the object will slowly disintegrate
into a huge cloud of dust particles that
spread out in a hemispherical shape
from the digging point. Every cubic foot
of dug material will expand to fill a volume of 1,000 cubic feet around the digging point. Within this area, all living
creatures must make a saving throw vs.
wands every round or be blinded for the
entire round; victims must also save vs.
breath weapon or choke on the small
particles for the full round, and be unable to move, attack, defend, or take any
other action. Both saving throws are
rolled at the start of each round following the round in which the Dig spell was
cast, continuing through the round after
the spell duration expires. Visibility within the dust cloud is reduced to 30.
Beyond the cloud radius, the dust is thin
enough so as not to affect anyone. The
cloud dissipates on the round following
expiration of the spell duration. Needless to say, anyone within the radius of
the cloud is going to be in dire need of a
bath. Note that the spells range (3, or
90 feet) puts most magic-users who
might cast the spell well within its area of
effect; this would probably lead to abrupt
termination of the spell unless the magicuser is otherwise protected. The volume
of a hemisphere is 2/3
r3 the clouds
radius can be calculated from this formula, since the volume of the hemisphere is
already known.
Dispel Magic: See the comments for
Distance Distortion: No effect; not only
is there no terrain to be affected, one
cannot get an earth elemental, either.
Drawmijs Instant Summons: Note the
changes that must be made with regard
to the distances between other planes
and the Astral Plane. Items can be summoned from the Elemental, Positive Material, and Negative Material Planes, but
would have to go through the Ethereal
and Prime Material Planes to reach the
Astral Plane.
Duo-Dimension: No effect; must be
cast on an Outer or Prime Material Plane.
Enchant An Item and Enchanted Weapon: No effect; the magical properties of
the Astral Plane effectively rub out all
spell effects.
Feather Fall: If cast upon a missile in
astral space, the missile will not slow
down but will do no damage if it strikes,
and will bounce off targets as if made of
D
RAGON
35
paper. If cast upon other non-living objects, it will reduce their total mass (as
per the spell description) and make them
easier to push or carry astrally (see the
previous section on encumbrance). If
cast upon a living being in the astral
realm, that person will be able to carry
(without penalty) an additional mass of
material equal to the persons normal
body weight, for the duration of the spell.
Feeblemind: See the comments for the
druid spell of the same name.
Find Familiar: The creature summoned
by this spell will be a minor Outer Planes
creature similar in power to an imp or a
quasit. The creature will be of the same
alignment as the spell caster. Because of
the variety of creatures that could be encountered, the specific effects of this
spell will vary from case to case and
plane to plane.
Fly: No effect; the movement system of
the Astral Plane makes it useless. If cast,
the spell will not be forgotten and may be
re-cast later.
Fumble: If the victim of this spell makes
a saving throw, he or she is slowed in all
respects except movement (which depends upon intelligence, which is not
slowed). Those who fail to save will be
unable to make any attacks (because
they are dropping weapons, missing
grappling attempts, etc.) but can defend
themselves. Further, any actions undertaken that involve manual coordination
will be completely muffed for the spells
duration.
Gate: See comments for the cleric
spell of the same name.
Gust Of Wind: This spell will not affect
the movement of any intelligent, living
creatures on the Astral Plane, but may
push [relatively] small, non-living objects [such as spheres of fire, ice, mud,
dust, or water]. Since objects are weightless in astral space, things pushed away
by this spell will continue to move away
from the caster even after the spells duration ends. They will move at a speed of
1 (10 yards) per round per level of the
caster who used the spell.
Hallucinatory Terrain: No effect; no
terrain in astral space exists that could
be so affected. This spell is not like the
druid version.
Haste: This spell will not increase a
characters movement through the Astral Plane, since movement depends on
intelligence, which the spell cannot
hasten. It will affect other abilities and
actions as usual, most notably the number of attacks per round in a combat situation. (See the comments below for the
Slow spell.) Interestingly, when Haste is
cast upon the Astral Plane, the recipient
of the spell will not age one year as a

result due to the planes neutralizing
effect on metabolism.
Hold Portal: Generally a useless spell;
there are few portals in astral space.
Ice Storm: If cast in the first form (hailstorm), this spell will cause a large number of hailstones (some 60-600) to appear within a 4 diameter sphere. The
hailstones will average about one pound
apiece in weight (mass), and will not be
moving when they appear. Any character or creature caught within the area of
effect will be unharmed by the appearance of the hailstones, but will not be
able to move faster than 2 (60 feet) per
round within the area of effect because
of the effort involved in trying to avoid
colliding with the hailstones as they appear throughout the spell duration in various places. Spell casting within the area
of effect is possible, since no hailstones
will strike a stationary person. The hailstones will not disappear after the spell
duration expires, and may be used as
missiles hurled by physical force or by a
spell (see the section on astral combat
with regard to hurled or launched missiles). A physically hurled hailstone will
do 1-4 points damage to anyone it strikes,
plus the casters strength bonus to damage (to hit bonuses for strength and
dexterity are also factored in). Note that
very weak persons might possibly do no
damage when hurling a hailstone, even if
it strikes a target. If a spell like Telekinesis is used to move the hailstones about
as missiles, the hailstones will do 1 point
of damage for every 1/second (10
yards/second) of velocity they have;
thus, a hailstone moving at the maximum
velocity of 1024/round (30720 ft./round,
or about 170 yards/second) will do 17
points of damage to an opponent it
strikes. As mentioned elsewhere, ice
does not melt in astral space (unless exposed to a heat source, of course).
If cast in its second form (sleet), an Ice
Storm spell will cause an 8 diameter
sphere of slushy droplets to form. [This
could conceivably be compacted into a
slush/waterglobe.] Any creatures caught
inside the area of effect will be effectively

blinded for the entire round, and all attacks by them will be made at -4 to hit.
Movement through or out of the sleet
sphere is possible as usual. Any firetype spell cast within the area of effect of
a sleet sphere will do only one point of
damage per for each die of damage the
spell normally causes, and will create a
heavy mist (zero sighting distance) of a
diameter equal to 10 feet for each die of
damage the spell normally causes. This
misty cloud will dissipate in 2-5 rounds.
Because the Astral Plane does not transmit heat

or cold, an Infravision spell will be useless. The
Astral Plane is well lit by a diffuse light anyway,
so the spell would not be needed at any rate.
36
NOVEMBER 1982
Imprisonment: Any creature struck

with this spell is immediately teleported
to a random location within the endless
reaches of the Astral Plane, and rendered unable to move of its own volition.
Thus, the creature is effectively lost
forever upon the plane, but a Freedom
spell will return the creature to the spot
where that spell is cast (when performed
upon the Astral Plane). Any being struck
by Imprisonment will not die during the
time spent lost upon the plane, and will
not have aged no matter how long he,
she, or it is lost. There is a chance, however, that a Freedom spell will fail to
work. [Why? This seems too final a penalty overall] This chance starts at 1%
and increases at a cumulative rate of 1%
per year until a maximum failure rate of
99% is reached after 98 years of Imprisonment. A wish used in conjunction with
a Freedom spell increases the chances
of a successful casting by 20%, though
there will always be a 1% chance of failure no matter what.
Incendiary Cloud: This spell will form
a spherical cloud of 100 times the volume of the available flame source, with a
minimum size of 20 feet in diameter. All
other spell effects are as per normal.
Infravision: Because the Astral Plane
does not transmit heat or cold, this spell
will be useless. The Astral Plane is well lit
by a diffuse light anyway, so the spell
would not be needed at any rate.
Invisible Stalker: No effect; normally
opens gate to elemental plane (Air).
Jump: This spell will not work astrally,
for the same reason the Fly spell wont
work, but it will not be lost and may be
re-cast at a later time.
Knock: See the notes on the magicuser spell Hold Portal for relevant comment. This spell could prove useful for
opening locks, untying knots, and similar tasks, however.
Leomunds Secret Chest: No effect;
must be used on Prime Material Plane,
and contact with Ethereal Plane required.
Leomunds Tiny Hut: Useless; there is
no need to regulate temperature or gain
protection from weather astrally, and the
opaque field is highly visible against the
astral background (possibly attracting
wandering monsters).
Levitate: Though this spell will not affect movement through astral space, it
will allow the user to carry an additional
amount of mass without being encumbered, up to 1,000 g.p. (100 pounds) per
level of the spell caster.
Locate Object: See the comments for
Lower Water: See the comments for
Magic Jar: There is a 10% chance per
turn that an astral searcher will possess
the spell casters body while it is vacant.
The magic-user cannot force the creature from the body alone, and exorcism
is required.
(Continued on page 43)
night Astramal was awakened by a terrible dream a nightmare that he took to be a vision of the future. In his dream, he
saw the temple and all its grounds desecrated and destroyed,
and superimposed on the scene of carnage was the gloating face
of a powerful demon. Astramal saw the dream as a message
from his deity, the gods way of warning the temple that its fate
or one of its possible fates was to be overrun by the forces
of evil and chaos.
The high priest meditated and prayed for guidance all the next
day, but received no inspiration. Then he slept, and he had a
second vision. In this dream Astramal saw himself but as an
elderly person, a man years older than the priest was at present.
Astramal was in conference with a tall, strong warrior dressed
in silver and white a paladin. Cradled in the arms of the high
priest was a large, finely crafted sword which Astramal presented to the warrior. That scene faded, to be replaced by the
sight of a battle between the paladin and a demon. Because of
the power in the special sword, the paladin was an easy victor;
the demon was destroyed, and the good warrior stood alone, his
sword raised high and his head down in prayer.
Now, thought Astramal, he knew enough to embark upon a
course of action. The first thing he needed to do was acquire a
great sword like the one he had envisioned, and for this he went
to enlist the aid of a secluded band of gray elves who lived to the
east. The elves respected the temple of Amphabese, and they
appreciated the temples location, between their enclave and
the nations of evil which lay to the west, across the sea. Astramal conferred with the leaders of the faerie tribe and convinced them that his dreams were indeed visions of a foreboding
future. The elves, impressed with the seriousness of this apparent threat not only to the temple, but to the elves continued
existence agreed that they would craft a sword of highest
quality and enchant it with the most powerful abilities their
wizards could conjure up.
Astramal returned to the temple and told his anxious brothers
to go about their usual tasks. The elves work would take weeks,
perhaps months, to complete, and the priests second vision had
suggested to him that it would be years before he would encounter the paladin who would later vanquish the demon.
As it turned out, more than three years came and went before
Astramal heard from the elves again. Many times he was on the
verge of setting out for the elves enclave again, to see what had
happened, even at the risk of annoying the faerie folk. He worried
more and more; his hair became more silvery, his brow more
furrowed, and he began to look like the old man in his second
vision. He prayed for enlightenment, and was rewarded with the
wisdom and willpower to wait faithfully. Then, one day the sentries at the temple gate were accosted by an entourage of gray
elves seeking an audience with Astramal. The high priest received them at once, and was promptly presented with the
awesome result of the elves efforts: a mighty, magical sword
the elves called Fedifensor, or Defender of the Faith.
The master smith who forged the blade was in the traveling
party to make the presentation himself. This is my greatest
creation, he told Astramal. It is a weapon so endowed with
goodness that even the greatest of demons must flinch at its
gleam. And it can only be wielded by a truly righteous hand.
Astramal accepted the sword and its scabbard with gratitude
and humility. I will treasure this gift for as long as I am alive and
as long as the temple of Amphabese stands, Its use will only be
entrusted to the most worthy warrior in the land and I will
place the welfare of the sword above my own safety if that
choice ever needs be made.
The services of thanksgiving went on at the temple for several
days after the elves had departed. Then Astramal and the elders
set about deciding who should be entrusted with the sword.
38
NOVEMBER 1982
They tested a list of candidates, made up of all the paladins who

regularly visited the temple to renew their vows, and settled on
one Boyd De Thalion, generally acknowledged as the most righteous and most powerful warrior in the land. Astramal presented
the sword to Boyd, in a ceremony that looked very much like
what he remembered from his dream, and the paladin took up
residence at the temple to await the time when he and Fedifensor would be called upon.
For months thereafter, no one visited the temple whose virtue
and skill could compare with Boyd De Thalions. Then a warrior
appeared who seemed Boyds equal in many ways, He called
himself Karl, and he might have done very well in the tests
except that the first test was to meet Boyd himself.
As soon as Karl entered the chamber where the champion
waited, Boyd drew Fedifensor from its sheath. The swords blade
turned fiery red, and Karls true nature was revealed: The challenger for Boyds position was a demon one that looked like
the very demon Astramal had seen in his first dream. Its ruse
destroyed, the demon dropped all pretense and attacked the
paladin. After a vicious battle, Boyd slew the demon with his
sword and cast its material body back from whence it came.
Thus, the second part of Astramals dream-prophecy had
come true. But what of the first dream? Was the temple still
vulnerable to a threat that would breach its walls and tumble its
towers? Astramal and the clerics could not be sure the threat
was over, and they and their champion remained vigilant.
The answer to their questions finally came, in the form of an
invasion of evil hordes from across the sea. Where a single
powerful demon had failed, thousands of lesser creatures
seemed more likely to succeed. The invading force overran everything in its way and advanced inland, cutting a swath of terror
with the temple directly in its path.
The assault on the temple, when it came, was not a surprise.
But that fact did not lessen its severity: hundreds of fighters on
both sides perished in the courtyard within the first minutes of
battle and one of the fallen was Boyd De Thalion. The champion waded into the thick of the fight, wielding Fedifensor with
dedication and confidence. But as powerful as it was, the sword
could not stem the tide of onrushing bodies that descended on
the champion. The foes who delivered Boyds death blows were
filled with bloodlust, not greed, and so they ignored the gleaming
sword that fell by his side. Astramal, however, did not.
In the confusion of battle, while the defenders of the temple
were slowly beating back the invaders, the high priest scurried
from his hiding place into the courtyard and managed to retrieve
Fedifensor and its scabbard. He slipped the sheath around the
blade and carried the weapon into the temple through a secret
entrance. Huddled in a secluded tunnel, with the sounds of battle
still somewhat distant, Astramal began to chant a spell which
would carry his spirit, and the sword, far from the carnage. The
magic worked; Astramals essence passed into the Astral Plane,
carrying the blade along. If the temple fell, thought Astramal in
his last moment of physical existence, at least Fedifensor would
not be a looters prize, to spend the rest of its existence locked
away in some evil creatures treasure hoard.
Thus did Astramal keep his promise to the elves at the cost
of his own life. The priests material body perished soon thereafter, in a fire that gutted part of the temple and Astramals
essence in the Astral Plane died at the same time, leaving
Fedifensor floating in the void.
The temple did not fall, although the ranks of the forces of good
were severely decimated before all the evil creatures were
fought off. The clerics and warriors who survived the fight
including some who had seen Astramal enter the secret passage with the sword realized what the priest had done, and
what had happened to Fedifensor, when they discovered Astramals body without the sword nearby.
Now the clerics of Amphabese are searching far and wide for a
band of adventurers dedicated to the cause of good who will risk
a journey into the Astral Plane to recover Fedifensor and they
seem to have found a group of likely heroes in the player characters who have just accepted the task.
Note: All of the following is for the DMs use only and should not be known by players before the adventure begins.
FEDIFENSOR
The magic sword which is the object of this adventure has the
following powers:
In the hands of a non-paladin of lawful good alignment, Fedifensor is a +2 bastard sword. It has an intelligence of 17, an ego of
18, and (of course) is aligned lawful good. It cannot be touched or
carried by anyone of another alignment unless the blade is
sheathed in its special scabbard.
In the hands of a paladin, Fedifensor is a +5 weapon and also
exhibits these other abilities: 1) Magic resistance of 50% in a
radius of 5 feet; 2) Dispel magic can be cast upon any spell cast
on the sword or its wielder whenever the paladin desires, at a
level of spell use equal to the experience level of the wielder; 3) At
a range of 1/level of the paladin, the sword can detect the
presence of major evil entities [demons, devils, undead, or any
evil creature that can only be hit by a magic weapon). If the blade
is unsheathed, it will immediately begin to glow bright red, as if
just drawn from a forge furnace; and 4) it inflicts an additional
point of damage (beyond the usual +5) for each experience level
of the wielder when used against a demon.
When Astramals essence on the Astral Plane ceased to
exist, Fedifensor was cast loose into the void. During the time it
took the clerics of Amphabese to gain the aid of a rescue party, a
small group of githyanki warriors (see the FIEND FOLIO Tome)
came upon the sword in its scabbard. They perceived the blade
to be magical, although they dont realize the full extent of its
powers, and traveled with it back to their outpost, where they
deposited it for safekeeping.
GETTING TO AND FROM THE ASTRAL PLANE

There are many ways of reaching the Astral Plane and returning to the Prime Material. The method the party uses will have a
great effect on the adventure as events move along, and the DM
must moderate the adventurers actions accordingly. If the party does not possess an appropriate magic item or the necessary
spell-casting ability to enter the plane, it could be arranged for
one of the clerics of Amphabese to cast a spell on behalf of the
group, and (depending on the method used) the cleric may or may
not accompany the party into the plane. If the DM needs or
wants to employ such a cleric as an NPC, the characters ability
scores and spell capabilities should be predetermined.
ENCOUNTERS
Because this adventure is a search-and-recovery mission
rather than a simple journey through the Astral Plane, encounters will occur relatively often. Check for a random encounter
once every 4 hours by rolling d4, with a result of 1 indicating an
encounter. The following table is suggested as a list of possible
encounters and their frequencies; the DM can easily alter most
sections of it to suit his or her preference.
The passage of time between encounters, when search
movement is being conducted, has little meaning to player characters while they are on the Astral Plane. However, the DM
must keep a careful record of elapsed time so that activities
going on in the Prime Material Plane at the same time can be
properly moderated.
Encounter Table
d& roll Encounter type
01-20
21-23
24
25-26
27
28
29
30-32
33-52
53-55
56-60
Githyanki Outpost
Aerial servant
Demon, major
Demon, minor
Demon, prince
Devil, archDevil, greater
Devil, lesser
Githyanki
Intellect devourer
Invisible stalker
Number (notes)
1 (see following)
1
1
1-3
1
1
1
1-3
1-4
1-2
1-3
61-65
66-70
71-74
75-79
80-83
84
85-87
88-90
91-00
Ki-rin
Night hag
Nightmare
Rakshasa
Shedu
Titan, elder
Titan, major
Titan, lesser
Void Cruiser
1-4
1-4
1-3
2-5
1
1
1
1 (2-7 githyanki
on board)
Special rules: The party will have no more than 6 encounters
or 20 encounter checks (whichever comes first) before running
across the Githyanki Outpost. If the outpost has not been encountered by the time the sixth encounter is determined, or the
20th encounter check is made, the party will automatically locate it at the end of the next four-hour interval. The party will
always have at least two encounters (or reach the maximum of
20 encounter checks) before finding the outpost; if the Githyanki
Outpost is indicated by a roll on the table for the first or second
actual encounter, roll again until a different result is obtained.
THE VOID CRUISER

This small ship, designed by the githyanki to speed group travel
through the Astral Plane, has the hull/fuselage shape of a large
sailing ship but does not have masts. Along either side of the hull
are batwing-shaped sails for decoration and stabilization only;
they have no effect on the ships speed.
A Void Cruiser can carry up to 12 man-sized passengers. It
travels at a movement rate equal to that of the most intelligent
passenger, and in the direction desired by that pilot. If two or
more individuals in the traveling group have the same high intelligence, the pilot for the voyage being undertaken is determined
at random, and will serve in that role until one or more of the
eligible individuals disembarks, at which time another random
selection is made for the subsequent voyage. (For purposes of
this adventure, ignore the 96 astral movement rate given for
the githyanki in the FIEND FOLIO Tome. All characters and
creatures, moving as individuals, can travel in the Astral Plane at
a rate of 10 per point of intelligence, as specified in the article
accompanying this adventure. Githyanki intelligence ranges
from 15-18 and can be determined randomly by a roll of d4 + 14,
or a score can be assigned to each githyanki by the DM.)
Those traveling in a Void Cruiser will never be lost, thrown off
course, or otherwise harmed by the Psychic Wind. The ship can
carry a cargo of up to 100 cubic feet in volume in a small hold
accessed through a hatch in the floor of the passenger compartment. A Void Cruiser cannot travel anywhere except on the
Astral Plane, but can be employed by creatures and characters
of any type.
THE GITHYANKI OUTPOST

When adventurers encounter the outpost, they will have no
way of automatically knowing that Fedifensor lies inside. If they
pass up the opportunity to approach the outpost and avoid or
evade any pursuit from residents of the outpost that might have
sighted them, the quest for the sword is effectively over at that
point. They may have many more encounters, but will eventually
choose to (or be forced to) abandon the search and re-enter the
Prime Material Plane unless the DM chooses to allow for the
possibility of encountering the outpost a second time. The player
characters sense of adventure, not to mention their common
sense, should dictate that they give the outpost more than a
cursory examination.
The outpost is built in, and projecting out from, a roughly
spherical piece of astral debris 200 feet in diameter. Four towers jut out from the central section at roughly symmetrical
angles. A fifth projection, longer and thicker than the towers, is
topped by a bulbous and with four smaller towers jutting out
near the edges of a large set of double doors the only apparent
route by which to enter the complex. Without the
D
RAGON
39
largest of the projections, the outpost would closely resemble a

jack, of the sort used in the bail and jacks game played by
children on the Prime Material Plane.
GITHYANKI ENCOUNTER TABLE

Once adventurers enter the githyanki outpost, encounter
checks must be made every turn. The base chance for an encounter is a roll of 1 on d6. After the first random encounter, the
rest of the complex will be on alert, and the chance for additional
encounters rises to a roll of 1 or 2 on d6. If an encounter is
indicated, roll on this table to determine the type:
d& roll Encounter type

01-50
51-53
54-58
59-61
62-74
75
76-77
78-79
80-81
82
83-84
85-86
87-88
89-90
91-00
2-12 githyanki warriors of levels 1-3

Commander Okemocik (8th/8thFtr/M-U)
Captain Mimhanok (8th Ftr)
Captain Perragourp (6th/6thFtr/M-U)
2-8 githyanki knights, all 8th level fighters
Warlock Symafya (7th M-U)
Warlock Morikemoe (5th M-U)
Sergeant Yebabidek (6th Ftr)
Sergeant Salizechnag (5th Ftr)
Sergeant Liknullerkl (7th Ftr)
Gish Kadzar (4th/4th Ftr/M-U)
Gish Tomorcus (4th/4th Ftr/M-U)
Gish Zigrack (4th/4th Ftr/M-U)
Gish Quazmo (4th/4th Ftr/M-U)
Roll twice, ignoring results of 91-00
There will never be any more or any fewer githyanki at the

outpost than the roster of name characters given above, plus
8 knights (all 8th level fighters with 60 hit points each) and a
total of 60 warriors, evenly divided between 1st level (7 hit
points each), 2nd level (15 hp each), and 3rd level (26 hp each)
fighters. The knights are all chaotic evil, the warriors neutral evil.
The knights carry +3 silver swords, while the warriors and all the
gish use non-magical long swords. (Hit points for each creature can be determined randomly if the DM so desires.) All
githyanki at the outpost are wearing their war expedition armor (AC 0) unless otherwise noted.
Commander Okemocik is lawful evil and has 64 hit points.
He is carrying the following spells: burning hands, magic missile,
read magic, shocking grasp, detect good, knock, wizard lock,
dispel magic, fireball, hold person, extension I, polymorph self. He
wields a +5 silver sword (no vorpal abilities).
Captain Mimhanok is lawful evil and has 59 hit points. He
wields a +3 long sword.
Captain Perragourp is lawful evil and has 48 hit points.
Spells: burning hands, charm person, read magic, shocking
grasp, pyrotechnics, ray of enfeeblement, fireball (x2). Weapon:
+2 long sword.
Symafya the Warlock is neutral evil and has 21 hit points.
Spells: detect magic, hold portal, read magic, shocking grasp,
detect good, knock, wizard lock, fireball, dispel magic, extension I.
She is unarmored (AC 9) and does not carry a weapon, although
she can use a long sword.
Morikemoe the Warlock is lawful evil and has 14 hit points.
Spells: burning hands, magic missile (x2), read magic, detect
good, darkness 15 radius, mirror image, hold person. He is AC 9
and unarmed, but can use a sword if he obtains one.
Sergeant Yebabidek is neutral evil and has 48 hit points
and a +1 two-handed sword. Sergeant Salizechnag is neutral
evil, has 34 hit points, and carries a +1 two-handed sword.
Sergeant Liknullerkl is lawful evil, has 54 hit points, and
carries a +3 long sword.
Kadtar is lawful evil and has 30 hp. Spells: burning hands, read
magic, shocking grasp, detect good, mirror image. Tomorcus is
neutral evil, 28 hp. Spells: magic missile, read magic, shocking
grasp, forget, knock. Zigrack is lawful evil, 29 hp. Spells: hold
portal, magic missile, read magic, darkness 15 radius, pyrotechnics. Quazmo is lawful evil, 31 hp. Spells: burning hands,
read magic, shocking grasp, knock, wizard lock.
40
NOVEMBER 1982
AREA DESCRIPTIONS
All walls and floors in the outpost are made of opaque stone.
Windows, and the tops of each of the towers, are made from
bricks of a clear crystalline substance that has the strength of
rock: it will crumble and break, but will not shatter like glass.
Note: Directions like up and down, locations like floor and
ceiling, have no universal meaning in this weightless environment. However, terms like these are used in the area descriptions for simplicity and clarity; when interpreting such terms,
consider the surface depicted on the map as the floor, as
though you are looking down on the outpost from overhead.
1) Void Cruiser Port: This chamber is roughly spherical,
about 100 feet in diameter. It has a large set of double doors,
closed but unlocked, on the outside wall. A smaller set of double
doors, wizard locked and barred on the inside, are on the opposite wall. One void cruiser is docked inside the chamber, and
there is room for three more. Four 10-foot-wide passages (A, B,
C, D) lead away from the sphere, each of them a 30-foot-long
corridor capped by a small, transparent tower that can hold one
githyanki guard. Inside tower A is a level 3 fighter.
2) Corridor: Inside the wizard-locked door is a hallway 20
feet wide and 40 feet high. Double doors lead into areas 4 and 5.
3) Entry Hall: This is an open area with an alcove on the far
side. Two rows of pillars dominate the side areas, reaching the
full 40-foot span from floor to ceiling and providing strength for
the wing that protrudes from the core of the complex. The
double doors in the alcove are locked from the inside, and stationed in the corners of the alcove are a pair of guards (level 2
and level 3). The adventurers will sight the guards at a range of
60-90 feet, while the inattentive guards will not spot the intruders until they are within 40-70 feet. The guards will instantly be
aware of a foreign presence if the adventurers try to pass
through the doors leading to area 4 or 5. If the guards sight the
intruders first, they will pound on the alcove doors to alert
another pair of guards (also level 2 and level 3) stationed inside
the alcove doors. These guards will either go to warn their
comrades, putting the outpost on alert, or unlock the doors and
join the fight (50% chance of each).
4) Captains Quarters: This is the residence of Captain
Perragourp. Like the other living quarters in the outpost, it
contains some basic furnishings and a few personal items. Furniture and other large items are attached to the flat surfaces of
the chamber; odds and ends are simply left to float in the weightlessness of astral space. If Captain Perragourp has not yet been
encountered, he will be discovered here on a roll of 1-2 on d6.
4A) Captains Quarters: This is Captain Mimhanoks room,
essentially identical to the other captains chamber. Among the
odds and ends floating in this room is a +3 long sword in its
scabbard. As above, there is a 2 in 6 chance that Captain
Mimhanok will be here if he has not already been encountered.
5) Knights Quarters: This room is bare of furnishings except for a large table and eight chairs bolted to the floor, eight
living compartments on the ceiling, and eight chests along the
walls holding personal items. There will be 0-5 (d6-1) knights in
the room when it is entered.
6) Main Hall: This roughly spherical chamber is unfurnished.
Doors lead away from it in five directions. A 10-foot-square
passage leads down from the center of the room into area 21.
The door to area 8 is wizard locked, the one to area 11 is locked
normally, and those to areas 7 and 9 are closed but unlocked.
7) Throne Room: An open area here surrounds a raised
platform which houses an ornate throne, studded with jewels,
set between two huge pillars. The door to area 10 is locked.
6) Worship Room: The main feature of this chamber is a
15-foot-tall statue of the githyanki lich-queen, fastened to the
midpoint of the wall opposite the double doors. An altar is on the
floor in front of the statue, and pairs of pillars flank the area of
the altar and the statue. Two rows of braziers spew forth clouds
of thick smoke that obscure side-to-side vision within the room.
The statue and the altar are lavishly decorated with jewels and
precious metals. The empty chamber connecting area 8 with
area 13 has closed but unlocked doors on both sides.
The Githyanki Outpost

Passage leads up
Passage leads down
Passage leads both ways
Scale:
1 inch =
50 feet
DRAGON
41
9) Upper Level Access: This small room contains a passage

which leads up to area 15.
10) Commanders Quarters: Miscellaneous furnishings

are fastened to all six flat surfaces in this chamber. Running
from floor to ceiling is a 2-foot-diameter stone pillar with an
8-foot-diameter cylindrical table protruding from the center of
the pillar. Six drawers are cut into the sides of the table. Five of
them contain items of no special worth, and the sixth holds a set
of four scroll/map cases. Inside one of the four cases is a scroll
of dispel magic; the other three cases contain maps of portions
of the Astral Plane and will be unusable by player characters.
Fastened to the far wall (partially separating area 10 from
area 10B is a 10-foot-diameter net of coarse mesh, the sort
that looks suitable for trapping monsters or characters. This is
actually a net of matter transmission: If it is cast over a victim so
as to ensnare him or her (by a normal to hit roll), the target
character or creature will disappear, having been instantly
teleported to one of the empty suspension cells (see area 10A).
There is a 50% chance that Commander Okemocik will be in this
chamber if he has not already been encountered. He will prefer
to use the net ahead of any other attack form if such an option is
available to him.
10A) Suspension Cells: The barrier between area 10 and
this chamber looks like a thick piece of frosted glass, shaped in a
hexagon 10 feet in diameter. It cannot be opened, cracked, or
smashed by anything less than a +2 weapon, a knock spell, or a
dispel magic spell. If a living being stands in front of the frosted
portal for 1 round without striking or touching the glass, the
center section (1 foot in diameter) will begin to glow red. If any
object is brought into contact with this red area right away, it will
be seen that the object can be passed into or through what is
now an opening. The rest of the portal will still be impervious to
normal passage, however. If the red area is left untouched for
another round after it first appears, it will expand to envelop the
entire portal, allowing passage through the 10-foot-diameter
hole into the small chamber beyond. The full-sized opening will
close within 1 round after it has been activated.
The chamber contains four more frosted portals, each a
5-foot-diameter hexagon, which are identical in nature to the
larger portal and can be opened in the same way. These are seals
for 5-foot-square cells in which prisoners (taken by the commanders net or otherwise captured) can be placed. The cells on
the extreme left and right (as viewed from just inside the large
portal) contain a mind flayer and a night hag, respectively. If
either or both of these cells is partially or fully opened, the
resident creature will do everything in its power to escape and
overcome those who released it.
10B) Commanders Annex: The second room of Commander Okemociks suite contains several wall decorations and
two false front sets of empty shelving. They are locked and
hinged. If unlocked, they can be swung outward to reveal a locked
treasure chest behind each. The second chest discovered will be
the one that contains Fedifensor, still in its sheath. The first
chest which is opened by adventurers (or a creature they are
forcing to do their bidding) will contain pieces of armor that,
when assembled, will form a suit of +4 splint mail. Each chest
also contains 1,000-6,000 g.p. worth of gems and jewelry.
11) Dungeon: This chamber has 10 cages, made of thick
metal bars, arranged in two tiers along the walls on either side of
the door. The center of the chamber has two stone pillars that
run from floor to ceiling (30 feet). Four pairs of chains with
manacles attached to the ends are fastened into each pillar at
wide intervals. The room contains no prisoners (unless one or
more members of the adventuring party have been captured).
12) Secret Passage: The existence of this corridor is known
only to the commander and the two captains. It connects via
secret doors with areas 8, 10B, and 13.
13) Coin Chamber: Githyanki appreciate all sorts of treasure, but they do not value coin of the realm as highly as gems
and jewelry because they see little use for it. Currency of all
shapes, sizes, and denominations (appropriated from previous
guests) is stored here, left floating inside the 40-foot sphere.
42
NOVEMBER 1982
14) Communications Room: Only the commander and the

two captains know of this room and know how to operate the
mechanisms within it. The main feature of the room is a 10-footdiameter hexagonal mirror on one wall. The device is a sort of
view-screen/telephone that enables the outpost to communicate with the githyanki castle that supervises this complex. If a
living being stands within 5 feet of the mirror and remains stationary for 1 round, the image of a githyanki captain on the other
end will come into view. After one more round, the image seen by
the captain on his view-screen will become clear. If what the
captain sees is not another githyanki, he will move away from the
screen immediately to sound an alert. This will bring 11-20
githyanki warriors and 2-4 sergeants, in a pair of void cruisers,
to the outpost in 10 turns, to join the force already present. If
adventurers strike the mirror with any weapon larger than a
dagger, it will explode for 6d6 damage to anyone in the chamber.
15) Corridor: This area is reached by going up through the
passage in area 9. It leads to another up passageway that
opens into area 18.
16) Warlocks Quarters: Each of the 2-foot-diameter pillars in this room has an 8-foot-diameter cylindrical table with 6
drawers set into the sides. Most of the drawers contain ordinary and valueless items. Two of the drawers in the table closest
to the door contain metal scroll cases, one holding a cacodemon
spell scroll and the other a death spell scroll. One of the drawers
in the table farthest from the door contains an iron flask with an
ice devil inside. The devil will attack anyone who opens the flask
and releases the creature. Attached to one wall, along with
several other less conspicuous garments, is a colorful cape that
is actually a cloak of poisonousness. Any warlock(s) not encountered before this room is entered will be found here.
17) Guest Quarters: This room contains several pieces of
furniture and other accessories, but nothing valuable or noteworthy. It is used by githyanki who come from the castle or
another outpost to visit; there are no such visitors at present.
16) Upper Tower Chamber: This area is reached by traveling 50 feet up through the passage located at the bend in
corridor 15. The chamber is 30x30 with a 20-foot ceiling. It is
the living quarters of the gish Kadzar, who will probably be here
(1 -4 on d6) if he has not been encountered. The room has a small
window (2 feet by 5 feet) in each wall and a 10-foot-square
passage in the ceiling that leads up to area 19.
19) Upper Observation Post: This room is in the shape of a
pyramid with a 30-foot-square base. The tapered ceiling is made
entirely of transparent rock, through which a clear view of the
surrounding astral space can be seen. Two warriors (level 1 and
level 2) are on guard duty here. In the corner of the room is a
10-foot-square passage, 30 feet long, that leads up to area 20.
20) Pinnacle Post: From this location, at the farthest distance from the main part of the outpost, the best view of the
area immediately around the outpost can be had. The 30-foot
tower leading to this post is capped by a small pyramid of transparent stone. The pinnacle post is normally unoccupied and will
not be manned unless an obvious threat to the security of the
outpost is detected outside the structure.
21) Commons: Within the maze-like interior of this chamber
are living quarters for the githyanki warriors and the sergeants.
There are 4-16 warriors and 1-2 sergeants in this chamber,
chosen from those warriors and sergeants not already encountered. Three passages lead downward from this area to the
other tower chambers: passage A to area 22, passage B to area
23, and passage C to area 24.
22,23,24) Lower Tower Chambers: These are the living
quarters of the other gish (Zigrack, Tomorcus, and Quazmo,
respectively). They will likely (1-4 on d6) be in their quarters
unless previously encountered. In all other respects, these
areas are identical to area 18.
25,26,27) Lower Observation Posts: These areas are
identical to area 19; each contains a pair of warriors (one level 1
and one level 2).
26,29,30) Pinnacle Posts: These areas are identical to
area 20.
(From page 36)

Magic Missile: Ignore the penalties
applied to hurling or launching missiles

astrally; magic missiles do not miss.
Massmorph: This spell will work, but
see the druid spells Hallucinatory Terrain and Tree for relevant comments,
Maze: This spell will entrap the victim
inside a 5-foot-diameter cube of force
walls, appearing around the character
where he or she is on the Astral Plane
when the spell is uttered. The spells duration depends on the characters intelligence, as per the spell description. The
character cannot move about astrally
until he or she is free of the miniature
maze; the character is also incidentally
protected for the duration of the spell
from all attack forms that a Wall of Force
will resist. A Disintegrate spell will immediately remove the maze without
harming the victim inside.
Monster Summoning: Unless the DM
has created or discovered a monster that
fits within the parameters of each Monster Summoning spell (I-VII), only those
summoning spells that have a chance of
bringing a creature from an Outer Plane
will work. Examples of this include Monster Summoning I (which will bring only
manes), Monster Summoning I (bringing lemures), and Monster Summoning
VI (bringing erinyes). Regardless of who
casts the spell, only creatures from the
lower (evil) Outer Planes will be summoned by this spell on the Astral Plane.,
Mordenkainens Faithful Hound: The
hound will circle within a 3 radius about
the magic-user who cast the spell, looking for anyone who enters the area of
effect (anyone larger than a house cat).
The hound will attack anyone who comes
in range (except the caster) from behind
or from one side; it will warn away intruders beforehand with loud barking
when they get within 30 feet of the boundary of the area of effect. All other characteristics of the hound are as per the
normal spell.
Mordenkainens Sword: This weapon
can be used to attack opponents on other planes when wielded upon the Astral
Plane; it can reach into either a Prime
Material Plane or to the first layer of any
Outer Plane only. The sword-user is not
made subject to attacks in return, unless
the opponent is capable of bringing this
about.
Move Earth: This spell will affect masses of soil, dirt, clay, or mud (see the
druid spell Transmute Rock To Mud) in
the same manner that the cleric spells
Lower Water and Raise Water affect
masses of water astrally; all soil, dirt, and
mud within a 4 diameter sphere will
either be drawn toward or pushed away
from the magic-user at the same rate of
speed as the magic-user normally moves
in astral space. Small rocks (under 1 lb.
in mass) can be moved with this spell,
If Trap the Soul is used against an astrally projecting

person, the material body will die on the Prime
Material Plane, but the characters soul will still
live within its prison.
but larger ones will resist it. The magicuser can move the material in other directions (left, right, up, down) as desired.
Otilukes Freezing Sphere: In a manner
similar to that described under Cone of
Cold, this spell can freeze water spheres
or mudballs in astral space. Any form of
the spell striking water will freeze a total
mass of 50 cubic feet per level of the spell
caster; this ice will not necessarily melt
unless in contact with a heat source or
unfrozen water.
Part Water: See the comments for the
cleric spell of the same name.
Passwall: Useful only on a large solid
object, generally useless astrally.
Phantasmal Force: See relevant commentary under Audible Glamer.
Phase Door: See commentary for Passwall. Both spells might be helpful in getting someone or something out of a
mudball (see the druid spell Transmute
Rock To Mud).
Plant Growth: Generally useless; see
the text at the start of the section on

druid spells.
Power Word Blind: Affects a 3 diameter sphere.
Power Word Kill: Affects a 2 diameter
sphere.
Power Word Stun: Any creature so
stunned will be unable to move until recovered, and cannot attack or defend.
Repulsion: This spell will function
much like Bigbys Forceful Hand, in that
it will repel opponents depending on the
difference between the opponents and
magic-users intelligence scores. The
area of effect is a 1 wide cylinder as long
as the spell range; obviously, opponents
could concentrate on moving sideways
out of the spells area of effect, making it
of limited use in a three-dimensional
fight. Creatures of low intelligence (7 or
less) will not immediately think of using
such a tactic to counter this spell, and so
may be pushed away easily on the first
try; they will learn to go sideways after
the next 1-7 tries. [Based on intelligence,
i.e., 7=1, 6=2, etc.]
Rope Trick: No effect; the extradimen-
sional space is outside the Astral Plane.

Sleep: Sleeping beings will cease
movement for the duration of the spell.
Slow: This spell will not slow down a
victims movement, since that depends
on intelligence (which isnt affected by
this spell). Other manual activities will be
affected, including attacks.
Spider Climb: Useless, since objects
on the plane are weightless to begin
with.
Spiritwrack: While this spell would be
effective against a named demon encountered at random astrally (though
the chance of meeting any particular

demon named in such a spell by accident is extremely low), there is a good
chance the demon might be on an outing
with some friends they will not be affected by the spell, and might express
their displeasure with the spell caster in
various ways.
Stinking Cloud: This forms a 2 diameter cloud, which cannot be moved [by
the spell caster]. Creatures may move
out of the cloud, but if they fail the saving
throw cannot do anything else but move
while in the cloud or on the round after
leaving the cloud.
Symbol: Unlike the cleric spell of the
same name, this spell must be cast upon
a solid surface. Clerical symbols can be
inscribed in the air of astral space.
Telekinesis: See the comments for the
cleric spell Create Water and the magicuser spell Ice Storm for some interesting
possible uses of this spell. One gallon of
water weighs 3.45 lbs. This spell works in
all ways as described; if employed against
a living, conscious opponent, the opponent will be slowed until the movement
rate of the spell exceeds the opponents
movement rate, at which time the opponent is at the casters mercy. As the opponent can continue to resist (mentally)
the spells effects, subtract the foes
normal movement rate from the spells
movement rate to get the effective speed.
Teleport: No effect; a solid surface to
land on is required. This spell will not be
forgotten, and may be re-cast later.
Tensers Floating Disk: The disk will
follow the caster about, regardless of the
casters rate of movement, within a 2
radius sphere. When the spell duration
ends, anything the disk was carrying will
be left behind, suspended and motionless. Inanimate or non-intelligent cargo cannot move independently.
Transmute Rock To Mud: See the
druid spell of the same name.
Trap The Soul: Note some of the conditions applicable to persons captured
by this spell when not on the Prime Material Plane. If used against an astrally projecting person, the material body will die
on the Prime Material Plane, but the
characters soul will still live within its
prison. Imprisoned characters cannot
cause their gem-prison to move, or otherwise affect their environment. If released upon any plane other than the
Astral Plane, the soul will form a new
body (having no possessions) with all of
the former bodys characteristics; if released upon the Astral Plane, the soul
will perish at once.
Vanish: No effect; contact with the
Ethereal Plane is required.
DRAGON
43
Ventriloquism: See the comments for

the magic-user spell Audible Glamer.
Wall of Fire: This works very much like
the druid spell Wall of Fire, except that
the hollow sphere of flames has a radius
of 1 + per level of the spell caster.
Wall of Force: The surface area of a
sphere (the best defensive shape in threer 2.
dimensional space) is 4
A Rod of Absorption could easily absorb (and cancel

out) an Astral Spell; if used against the magic-user
who cast the spell, all persons in the astral party
are hurled back to their home plane.
pear in astral space and be immobile,

doing no harm to anyone. A Wall of Ice
will not melt in astral space unless put in
contact with a fire spell or other heat
source, at which time it will form a water
sphere (see the cleric spell Create Water). A Wall of Stone may be struck with
Transmute Rock To Mud, at which time it
will form a large mudball (see the druid
spell Transmute Rock to Mud), though it
may be that part of the wall will not be

affected and will drift to the center of the
mud ball.
Web: This spell requires anchoring
points in order to form a true web-like
structure; at best in astral space, it may
be directed at a single opponent, who
will become entangled in the mess of
webbing and be unable to attack or pull
free. If a saving throw is made, the opponent has escaped all contact with the
webs. Suffocation is possible, as per the
regular spell.
Wish: No Wish spell will ever affect the
general are sure tickets to disaster if the

intent of the wish is hostile. Referees
should arbitrate this spell very carefully
in any event.
Wizard Lock: This spell is more useful
than Hold Portal, as it may be cast upon
chests or containers.
Write: No effect; ink will not flow
through a pen in a weightless environment. [If a special, forced-ink pen is de-
Any illusions and phantasms cast upon

the Astral Plane should be carefully considered in order to be effective. If an illusion depicts something that a viewer or
opponent would not normally expect to
see upon the plane, then the saving
throws for opponents will be considered
automatically made, and a bonus of up
to +4 may be given to any other (nonhostile) viewers.
Some illusionist spells are essentially
the same in intent and effect as other
spells previously described. These spells

(and the section in which each is elaborated on) are:
Astral Spell (cleric); Conjure Animals
(cleric); Detect Magic (cleric); First-level
magic-user spells (magic-user); Maze
(magic-user); Rope Trick (magic-user);
Hallucinatory Terrain (druid).
Other illusionist spells with altered effects on the Astral Plane are:
Alter Reality: See comments for the
magic-user spell Wish.
Color Spray: Stunned or unconscious
characters cannot move until recovered.
Paralyzation: Because the intelligence
of the victim of the spell is unaffected,

the character can still physically move
through astral space. However, the arms,
hands, feet, mouth, etc., cannot be
moved, and attacking or defending by
physical means is not possible.
Summon Shadow: No effect; normally
opens a gateway to Negative Material
Plane.
True Sight: See comments for the cleric spell True Seeing.
Vision: No contact may be made with
deities or powers on the Elemental
Planes, Positive or Negative Material
Planes, or the Ethereal Plane.
Wall of Ice / Wall of Iron / Wall of

Stone: Any such walls created will ap-
Potions: Those potions that duplicate

spell effects (such as Climbing, Flying,
or Speed) will have the same result when
used in astral space as the spell itself.
Some potions will obviously become
useless until taken to another plane
where their powers may take effect (e.g.,
Oil of Etherealness). Gaseous Form will
make the imbiber hard to see, as per the
cleric spell Wind Walk. Potions of Longevity and Speed will not affect the age
of the imbiber, due to the neutralizing
effect the Astral Plane has on living
metabolisms.
Scrolls: Scroll spells work the same as
normally cast spells on the Astral Plane.
If someone using an Astral Spell contacts or is caught within the area of effect
of a Protection from Magic scroll, the
person (including the scroll reader, if he
or she is also using Astral Spell) is immediately cast back to the home plane
and the protection spell is cancelled.
Rings: As for potions, those rings that
duplicate spell effects will have the same
effect astrally as the spell does. Djinni
Summoning rings do not work, being
unable to open the gate to the Elemental
Plane of Air. Shooting Stars rings do not
44
NOVEMBER 1982
work at all, being dependent upon a dark

environment (night) on the Prime Material Plane. If a resonating field is created
between two Rings of Spell Turning,
read all rolls of 98-00 for subsequent effects as rolls of 81-97. Protection rings
are modified in effect as described in the
following section on Weapons, Armor,
and Protective Devices.
Rods, Staves, and Wands: Any such
devices duplicating spell effects have
the same effect astrally as the spell does.
A Rod of Rulership has no effect on any
deities or minions who normally reside
on the Astral Plane, just as it cannot affect any deities or their minions when
used on their home Outer Plane. A Rod
of Absorption could easily absorb (and
cancel out) an Astral Spell; if it is used
against the magic-user who cast the
spell, all persons in the astral party are
hurled back to their home plane. Rods of
Lordly Might lose their third (directionfinding) mundane ability on the Astral
Plane; this rod, along with the Rod of
Smiting, has altered abilities when used
as a weapon, as further detailed in the
following subsection on Weapons, Armor, and Protective Devices. A Staff of
ruler of the plane that the caster is on;

wishes directed against any deity in
vised by the experienced planar traveler,

the spell can be used.]
Withering will not age astral beings who

are struck with it.
Miscellaneous Magic Items: Some
general statements may be made on the
effects of using miscellaneous magic
items on the Astral Plane. First (and most
obviously), if such a device duplicates
the effect of a spell mentioned in this
article, then refer to the text for appropriate comments. Any device that summons creatures from the Elemental, Positive or Negative Material, or Ethereal
Planes will not work at all. Artifacts and
relics are completely unaffected in any
operation by being in astral space. Certain devices will obviously be useless
(e.g., Apparatus of Kwalish).

An Amulet of the Planes will transport
the user to any of the first layers of the

Outer Planes or back to the Prime Material Plane, but not to the Ethereal, Positive or Negative Material, or Elemental
Planes from the Astral Plane. A Book of
Infinite Spells wont work if the user left it
on another plane.
Cubic Gates may open gates to any
plane from astral space, even those not
normally (by other means) reachable.
Devices requiring contact with or assistance from deities (Candle of Invocation,
Incense of Meditation, Necklace of Prayer Beads) will not work unless the users
deity normally resides on the Astral

Plane. Iron Flasks will capture player
characters or other creatures not originally from the Astral Plane, but will not
affect beings native to the Astral Plane.
When in astral space, certain devices
that use extra-dimensional spaces to
store items in will either expand abruptly
so that the exterior of the container conforms to match its interior capacity (Bag
of Holding, Portable Hole), or will cease
functioning (Mirror of Life Trapping). A
Phylactery of Long Years cannot slow
aging, since [normal] aging doesnt take
place. A Well of Many Worlds will open a
passageway to any plane, just as a Cubic
Gate does.
A Talisman of Pure Good (or Talisman
of Ultimate Evil) will cause its victims to
be lost permanently (Wishes notwithstanding) in astral space. A Chime of
Hunger will stun all nearby for 1 round
only, with no other effects.
If an item has only a +1 bonus, it becomes non-magical and loses all its special powers on the Astral Plane (so luck
blades have no usable wishes). Items
with multiple enchantments lose one
plus from each type of enchantment; a
flame tongue sword would be non-magical for most purposes, with a +1 vs. regenerating creatures, a +2 vs. cold-using
creatures, etc.
Obviously, any items that normally allow the user to go ethereal or use any
other similar powers will still have their
protective enchantments (reduced one
step), but those powers will not be usable. Cursed items with negative enchantments (-1 shield, missile attractor) also
have their enchantments moved one step

toward zero (making the -1 shield nonmagical in all respects); if a cursed item
is made non-magical, the curse is lifted
so long as the item is not brought back
into the Prime Material Plane. Protective
rings, cloaks, and so forth have their
powers reduced by one plus, but Bracers of Defense and similar items will remain unaffected. All other spell-like
powers of such items will be affected as
described in the section of this article on
alterations of magical spells. [Savants
have ways and means to overcome or
alter such magical losses, but that will
have to await publication of the AD&D
game expansion. . . .]
Weapons, Armor, and Protective Devices: When such items are brought into
the Astral Plane, the enchantments upon
them are lessened, since their enchantments are so closely connected to the
Prime Material Plane. One plus is subtracted from such items bonuses, on to
hit, damage, or protection scores. Thus,
for example, a +2 sword becomes a +1
sword, a +3 ring of protection becomes
+2, etc.
DRAGON
45
46
NOVEMBER 1982
The Dragon Publishing 1982
Module Design Competition

Dragon Publishing is looking for a few good modules. If you are the
proud creator of an adventure or scenario for any of TSR Hobbies
role-playing game systems, and you think your work compares favorably with modules previously published in DRAGON Magazine, we
invite you to enter your manuscript and maps in the Dragon Publishing
1982 Module Design Competition.
This contest is much larger in scope than the design contests weve
held in the past. Many of the rules are different, and some of them are
more strict, than for previous contests. If you intend to enter, be sure
your entry is composed and submitted in accordance with all the
regulations spelled out in the following text. An authors failure to
comply with all the rules will almost certainly result in the automatic
disqualification of that entry.
Contest entries will be accepted for any of the categories listed
below. Each contestant may enter different modules in two categories,
but not in three or more.
The categories
adventure or scenario can be of any general type indoor, outdoor,

urban, rural, or a combination of environments.
A-1: A dungeon adventure designed for from 4 (minimum) to 8

(maximum) ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS characters of
levels 1-3. The dungeon should be a self-contained adventuring environment consisting of a number of interconnected encounter areas.
The total area (in scale) of the rooms, chambers, corridors, and other
features of the dungeon, plus the spaces separating those elements,
cannot exceed 60,000 square feet on anyone level of the dungeon, and
there can be no more than 120,000 sq. ft. in the entire adventuring area.
The design can include as many levels or sub-sections as desired, as
long as the overall space limitation is met. The dungeon can be
subterranean (as with an actual dungeon), above ground (a castle or
fort), or a combination of both environments. Dungeon modules in
other categories must also meet these requirements.
A-2: A dungeon for 4-8 AD&D characters of levels 4-7.
A-3: A dungeon for 4-8 AD&D characters of levels 8-11.
A-4: A wilderness adventure for 4-8 AD&D characters of levels 1-3.
This is an adventure in which all, or virtually all, of the activity takes
place outdoors. The environment may include some artificial (nonnatural) structures or enclosures, or natural phenomena such as caves,
which have to be entered to be investigated, but the total area of all such
enclosures cannot exceed 5,000 square feet (in scale). There is no limit
on how much space the outdoor environment can occupy, but it should
be apparent that a wilderness area measuring hundreds of miles on a
side would be impossible to describe fully within the maximum allowable page count of an entry (see general rules). Wilderness modules in
other categories must also meet these requirements.
A-7: An aquatic or underwater adventure for 4-8 AD&D characters of
either levels 1-3, levels 4-7, or levels 8-11. The adventure can begin on
dry land (presuming that characters will need to equip themselves and
prepare for a shipboard or underwater journey), but all of the adventuring activity thereafter should take place on or in the water, or on a piece
of land (such as an island or peninsula) that can only be reached by
traveling on or through an aquatic environment.
A-6: An urban (town, village, or city) adventure for 4-8 AD&D characters of levels 1-5. An urban adventure is one that takes place inside, or
(partially) in the immediate vicinity of the borders of a town, village, or
city.
A-9: An urban adventure for 4-8 AD&D characters of levels 6-10.
D-1: The same as category A-1, except the dungeon adventure

should be designed for 4-8 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS characters of
levels 1-3, and should be constructed in accordance with the D&D
Basic Rulebook.
D-2: The same as category A-2, except the dungeon should be for 4-8
D&D characters of levels 4-14, and should be designed in accordance
with the D&D Basic and Expert Rulebooks.
D-3: The same as category A-4, except the wilderness module should
be for 4-8 D&D characters of levels 4-14, and should be designed in
accordance with the D&D Basic and Expert rules.
D-4: An all others category for D&D modules that do not belong in
one of the other three categories. Included in this category, for instance, would be wilderness adventures for characters of levels 1-3,
and aquatic or underwater adventures for either levels 1-3 or 4-14. Any
D&D module using a set of D&D rules published previous to the Basic
and Expert sets automatically falls into this category. In any case, the
module must be playable by a party of 4-8 characters.
B-1: An adventure or scenario for the BOOT HILL game. This
General rules
Be sure the module you intend to enter fits the qualifications for one
of the 20 categories. You must fill in your name and address, the title of
your work, and the category you are entering on the entry blank (see
the other side of this page), and also include that information on the
first page of the manuscript. As specified on the entry blank, all entries
become the property of Dragon Publishing and cannot be returned.
Every module consists of at least two elements: the text (manuscript),
and any maps or schematic diagrams that are needed to play the
adventure. A contest entry should include any diagrams or illustrations
that are essential to the understanding of the text. Optionally, a contest
entry can also include accessory illustrations (artwork). The presence
or absence of accessory illustrations will not affect the judging of an
G-1: An adventure for 4-8 characters using the GAMMA WORLD

rules that takes place in a dungeon environment; that is, an enclosed
or self-contained structure.
G-2: An all others category for GAMMA WORLD modules for 4-8
characters that do not belong in category G-1.
T-1: A mission for 4-8 TOP SECRET characters, designed so that
the primary objective of the mission is one that can be best carried out
by a member or members of the Assassination Bureau.
T-2: The same as category T-1, except that the primary objective of
the mission is related to the activities best performed by a member or
members of the Confiscation Bureau.
T-3: The same as category T-1, but designed to use the skills of one or
more members of the Investigation Bureau in fulfilling the primary
objective of the mission.
T-4: A mission for 4-8 TOP SECRET characters that does not qualify
for one of the other three categories. The primary objective of the
mission cannot be directly related to any of the objectives listed on the
Table of Missions in the TOP SECRET rule book. For instance, agents
could be imprisoned at the start of an adventure, and their mission
could be to break out of prison without outside assistance. Since the
objective of escaping imprisonment does not directly relate to any
function listed on the Table of Missions, this module would be an
acceptable entry for category T-4.
entry, but may serve as helpful information for an artist illustrating a
prize-winning module which is to be published. Accessory illustrations
provided by a contestant will not be published unless they are of
professional quality.
Manuscripts must be typewritten on good-quality, 8 x 11-inch white
paper. Computer printouts are acceptable if the characters are clean
and dark; if youre not sure, get a new ribbon. Typewriting must be
double-spaced or triple-spaced; a manuscript with no space between
the lines cannot be edited and will not be judged. Photocopied manuscript pages are acceptable if the copies are, in the opinion of the
judges, legible and easy to read.
A manuscript must contain at least 5,000 words and no more than
12,500 words. Pages should have a margin of at least one inch on all
sides, and each page should contain no more than 250 words. At the
(Continued on next page)
DRAGON 47
rate of 250 words per double-spaced page, a manuscript should have

from 20 to 50 pages. (If your word count per page is slightly less than
250, the manuscript may contain slightly more than 50 pages and still fit
the maximum-length requirement.)
A contest entry can contain as many maps, diagrams, and illustrations as you feel are necessary, within the surface-area limitations (for
maps) given under category A-1. Inaccurate or incomplete maps will
disqualify an entry. Maps need not be of reproducible quality (published maps will be redrawn by our staff), but should be original works
(not duplicates or photocopies). Black drawing ink, black felt-tip
markers, and black or blue ball-point ink are acceptable mediums;
pencil, colored pencil or markers, and/or crayons are not.
An entry must be derived directly and entirely from the official published rules for the game for which it is designed. For the AD&D game,
this includes the Dungeon Masters Guide, Players Handbook, Monster
Manual, and FIEND FOLIO Tome. For the D&D game, this includes
the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game Basic rulebook and/or the D&D
game Expert rulebook, or (for an entry in category D-4) an older edition
of the D&D rules, such as the Collectors Edition. For the BOOT HILL,
GAMMA WORLD, and TOP SECRET games, any rulebook from any
edition of the boxed game is acceptable. Monsters, character types,
magic items, spells, technological items, weapons, and other beings or
things not mentioned in the rulebooks are prohibited. This prohibition
includes material from DRAGON magazine and any TSR module or

game accessory, material from any other companys product(s), and
new items and creatures devised by the author.
Exceptions to this official rule will be granted for minor additions
(not alterations) to a game system, to cover an aspect or function not
addressed in the rules which is essential to the playability of the module. Minor additions to the rule system must be identified as such at the
places where they appear in the text, and must be mentioned (with
page-number references) in a cover letter accompanying the entry.
A manuscript will be judged, first and foremost, on originality, playability, and adherence to the rules for which it was designed. The technical quality of a manuscript is also important almost as much as the
main criteria of originality, playability, and legality. Manuscripts
which contain several examples of misspelling, improper word usage
and sentence structure, and inaccuracy or incompleteness in descriptive passages will not be judged as favorably as entries that do not
exhibit those qualities.
Contest entries must be postmarked or otherwise registered for sending by Dec. 30, 1982. Well notify you of our receipt of an entry if a
self-addressed card with return postage is included in the parcel with
the entry. Contest entries or questions about these rules should be
addressed to the Dragon Publishing Module Design Competition, P.O.
Box 110, Lake Geneva WI 53147.
Prizes
third-place entries in any category for which cash prizes are not given,
and also to third-place entries in categories for which first-place and
second-place cash prizes are given. The first-place merchandise prize
is a two-year (24 issues) subscription to DRAGON magazine, plus a
complimentary copy of every non-periodical publication (such as future BEST OF DRAGON collections and the annual Dragon Publishing fantasy art calendar) released during the one-year period following
the declaration of winning entries. The second-place merchandise
prize is a one-year (12 issues) subscription to DRAGON magazine, plus
a free copy of other products as for the first-place prize. The third-place
merchandise prize is a one-year subscription to DRAGON magazine.
All prize-winning contestants will receive a certificate of achievement
to commemorate the occasion.
Cash prizes will be awarded in every category for which at least five
entries are received, as long as the first-place module is judged to be of
publishable quality. The first-place cash prize in each eligible category
will be at least $200 and no more than $400, and will vary according to
the number and overall quality of entries received for that category. A
second-place cash prize amounting to one-half of the first-place cash
prize will be awarded to the runnerup in any category in which the
first-place entry qualifies for a cash prize, whether or not the secondplace entry is judged to be of publishable quality.
Merchandise prizes will be awarded to first-place, second-place, and
48
NOVEMBER 1982
DRAGON
49
King
of
the
Cats
Fiction by Gillian FitzGerald

When Caitlin ni Hugh OLeary was sixteen, the harpers and the bards mourned that
the age of the heroes was over, for if ever a
woman was worthy of Cuchulain or Fionn
Mac Cumhaill, it was she. Like Cuchulains
lady Emer, she was the best in Ireland for the
six gifts: the gift of beauty, the gift of voice,
the gift of sweet speech, the gift of needlework, the gift of wisdom, and the gift of
chastity. Such a woman, they sang, had not
been seen in Ireland since the Tuatha de
Danann had left the world of mortal men to
fend for itself except perhaps for her own
great-great-great-grandmother Aine, whose
beauty was still sung of by the harpers, and
who was said to have been one of the Tuatha
herself. For didnt she have the Sight, and the
gift of healing by her touch, and wasnt it the
truth that she did not lie decently buried in
the churchyard as one would expect of the
mother of three fine sons, but had vanished
on the day of her husbands death, and she as
fair and radiant at forty as the day hed
brought her home a bride of fifteen?
But whether Caitlin was one of the Good
People, or only a mortal woman, of one
thing all were certain, and that was that she
was the loveliest woman whod ever been
seen in her part of Ireland, and the suitors
came from miles about to woo her with gifts
and soft words. Her father was rich, it is true,
and she would bring her husband a fine dowry, for she was the heiress of all her father
owned, but if shed lived in a cottage with
nothing but the gown on her back to call her
own, they would still have flocked to her
door for the love of her own sweet self. She
was small, and slim as a blade, with skin
white as the apple blossoms and hair bright
as the red-gold torque she wore about her
slender throat. Her eyes were green as the
sea, and shed a smile that would make a
priest forget his prayers. When she laughed,
it was sweeter music than a minstrels song,
and when she sang to the strumming of her
harpstrings, her voice was like the song of the
kerlew or the warm notes of the thrush at
evening. Her small white hands could spin
and weave, and the work of her needle was
highly prized. She knew much of herbs and
healing, and she had Aines own way with the
sick, as well as her gift of the Sight, for no
man or woman could look Caitlin in the eyes
and not speak the truth.
For all her beauty and her talents, she was
a kind and merry maid, not a fine, proud
lady like some that could be mentioned.
Sure, she was proud of her state, and carried
50
NOVEMBER 1982
herself as a chiefs daughter should, but there

was no arrogance or selfishness in her manner. Toward her suitors she behaved with
kindness and politeness, speaking to them all
with equal friendliness and showing no more
warmth to one than another. Still, it was
expected that when the time came she would
wed her cousin Fineen Ban (or Finn the Yellow, as the Sassenags would say) OLeary, so
called because his hair was the color of ripe
corn, and he favored silk shirts dyed bright
saffron. Now Fineen was a nice enough fellow in his way, handsome and rich, though a
bit high-handed at times, and a little too
proud of his fine house and his yellow gold,
but still a nice enough fellow and better than
most. So though all expected her to give in to
her fathers urging, and wed Fineen Ban,
more than one person had been heard to
mutter that she was wasted on such a man; a
hero from the days of the Tuatha was what
she deserved, and Fineen Ban was no Fionn
Mac Cumhaill.
The betrothal was expected to be announced at the midsummer gathering of the
clan, and perhaps it might have been, if it had
not been for one icy night in February when
the wind howled down the chimneys like a
wolf at bay. There came a knock at the door;
a servant opened it to let in a bedraggled
stranger, his hooded cloak of rich green
velvet dripping snow. He flung off the cloak,
which was lined with a silver grey wolf pelt,
and stood looking about the hall for a moment. Lord Hughs hound, who roamed
about the hall, let out a low growl, and began
to bark at the stranger or it might have
been at the kitchen cat and her kittens, who
had come running into the hall and were
rubbing themselves against the strangers
legs and purring.
Down, Warrior, ordered Lord Hugh,
snapping his fingers. Show a stranger proper welcome. The hound moved away from
the man and went to a corner, but his bright,
dark eyes stayed fixed on the man, and he
kept up a low, steady whine of disapproval.
The stranger reached down to pet the little
calico queen and her family, as he warmed
himself for a moment before the fire. Then he
made his way to the high table, sauntering
with a bold, swift grace. He was a young
man, and one to make a ladys heart beat a
little faster. His mane of soft, thick hair was
black as night, and so was the luxuriant
beard and mustache that framed his laughing mouth. His eyes, slanted under arching
brows, glittered like emeralds in a boldly
handsome face, broad at the brows and with

high cheekbones, and tapering to a strong,
narrow chin, framed by the square-cut fall of
ebony hair. He wore a doublet of black
velvet, a silk shirt and hose of leaf green, and
high black boots of some soft leather that
clung to his lean, muscular calves. At his
throat gleamed a silver brooch in the shape
of a cats head, and the twin to the brooch
clasped his silver sword-belt; each had small
emeralds for the cats eyes. So the stranger
was not poor, however he had come to be
lost in the storm.
He gave a low, graceful bow in Hughs
direction. My lord, I thank you for giving a
poor traveller shelter from the cold and
damp. I confess I prefer a warm fireside to a
chill wind, especially when the hearth warms
a lady as lovely as this one. His green eyes lit
up when they rested on Caitlins face, and she
had the grace to blush at his admiring gaze.
Whats your name and family, young
man? asked Hugh shortly, wanting to know
a bit more about this bold young man who
was staring at his daughter with far too much
warmth for such a short acquaintance.
The young man smiled and made another
graceful bow. Id not meant to forget the
courtesies, my lord, but the sight of such a
fair one drove all else from my head. Tis
Tam Chattan I am, called Black Tam by my
friends, and Ive come across the sea from
Scotland to seek a wife. Id heard it said that
the lasses in Ireland were the bonniest in the
world, and now I know whats said is only
the simple truth. And may I know in whose
hall I am sheltering?
I am Hugh MacNaill OLeary, and this
my daughter Caitlin.
It was obvious to all who watched that
something strange and wondrous was happening between Tam Chattan and Caitlin.
They could not take their eyes off each other,
and it was next to her that Hugh bade Tam
sit, for he had given the place of honor to
Fineen Ban, who sat between Caitlin and
himself. Fineen Ban did what he could to
regain Caitlins attention, but it was no use.
She had eyes and ears for no one but Tam
Chattan, as she sat stroking the little grey
kitten who had crawled into her lap, and who
now curled there, purring. When Tam
reached out to pet the little creature, the
kitten licked him delightedly and mewed its
bliss. His hand brushed Caitlins, and their
eyes locked. It was like the time Oisin, son of
Fionn Mac Cumhaill, first saw Niamh, and
fled with her to Tir Nan Og, for he could not
be happy on earth without her. So it was with

Tam and Caitlin.
Tam stayed through the storm, and when
the snow melted so that the roads were once
again fit for traveling, he asked leave of
Hugh to court his only daughter. No one was
surprised, but Fineen Ban was furious. He
tried all he could think of to tempt Tam to
challenge him, for that would be a breach of
courtesy, and Hugh would be forced to cast
him out for breaking the peace of the hall.
Once this brash newcomer was gone, thought
Fineen, all would be well, and Caitlin would
turn to him again. But Tam saw through
Fineens sneers and slurs, and answered each
boast or insult with a silky smile, as if Fineen
were not worthy of his anger, which naturally angered Fineen all the more.
With spring came fine weather, and the
men of the hall rode out daily with their
hounds to hunt the red deer for fresh meat
for the lords table. Tam was asked to join
the party, but always declined with one mild
excuse or another. One afternoon in May the
hunters, led by Fineen Ban, came upon him
in the meadow, his head in Caitlins lap,
staring drowsily up at the blue spring sky.
So this is how you spend your days, Tam
Dubh, dallying with the lords daughter
while honest men hunt for your meals. Are
you so afraid of sitting on a horse?
Not at all, Fineen, said Tam, getting to
his feet with a lazy grace. Nor am I afraid of
the stags horns, but someone must keep the
Lady Caitlin safe from harm, and I am the
one she asked to accompany her this day.
Surely a ladys wishes count for something?
Surely youll see that I cannot go out
without some safeguard, Fineen, said Caitlin with a sweet smile. Youve told me so
often enough in the past.
And so he had, but the guard hed had in
mind was himself not this silken-voiced
stranger. He wheeled about, and at that
moment one of the hounds broke free from
the pack and, howling, launched itself at
Tam, who stood stock still. Just when it
seemed as if the huge hound would sink its
sharp teeth into Tams throat, he reached up
one hand in a movement as swift as lightning
and, as a low growl came from his throat,
snapped the hounds neck.
Caitlin ran to him, flinging her arms about
him. Tam, youre not hurt, are you?
Not a bit, lass, he whispered, as he
looked over her slim shoulders, his green
eyes meeting Fineens blue ones. Not a bit.
It haunted Fineen. What kind of man was
Tam Chattan who could break the neck of a
wolfhound almost as big as himself, and with
one hand at that? Such tales had been told of
Cuchulain, but this man was not one of the
old heroes come to earth again. But . . . he
was no ordinary man. The more Fineen
thought on it, the more it worried him. It was
not the first time the dogs from the hall had
tried to attack Tam. Nor were dogs the only
creatures that seemed ill at ease with him.
Once, when one of the young falconers had
brought a newly trained hawk to Hugh for
his approval, the hawk had nearly snapped
its jesses, trying to fly at Tam, though it was
52
NOVEMBER 1982
hooded and could only scent him. It had

feared no one else, only Tam. Hawks and
hounds feared him, but not horses or cats.
Tam rode like a gypsy, and he seemed ever to
be followed by a parade of cats of all sizes
and colors. Perhaps he was a devil in disguise. No, that could not be: He was just as
lucky as the devil, that was all. There had to
be a way to win back Caitlins favors.
As spring became summer, Fineen grew
more concerned. It was scarcely two weeks
before the midsummer gathering, and Hugh
intended to announce Caitlins betrothal at
that time. Once the contracts were signed,
thered be no hope. Hugh was an honorable
man, and nothing would induce him to break
his word, once it was given. It was time for a
desperate plan. Fineen Ban OLeary comforted himself that he was saving his sweet
cousin from marriage to a man who would
only make her unhappy, and it salved his
conscience, for what he had in mind could
not be called honorable by any man.
One morning, a week before the betrothal
feast was to be held, Caitlin and Tam rode
out together through the woods. From the
depths of the cool, dark forest came the crash
of horses hooves, and suddenly they were
surrounded by a dozen large, well armed
outlaws. Their leader took hold of Caitlins
reins, and when Tam drew his sword, he
found six men coming at him at once. Tam
offered no resistance as they yanked him off
his horse and tied him up.
When Fineen Ban returned in triumph to
the hall with a rescued Caitlin, he found Tam
waiting for him, arms folded, leaning against
the door. This was not what he had expected.
Tis amazing to me, Fineen Ban, how
quickly you saved our lady from the outlaws,
when no one even knew shed been taken. I
just returned myself within the hour, and
Lord Hughs men have just ridden out. You
must have passed them on the way, drawled
Tam with insolent politeness.
It was too much for Fineen. He leaped
down from his horse and strode over to Tam,
who still leaned in the doorway.
And what do you mean by that, Chattan?
What do you think I mean, my friend?
Do you dare accuse me of risking my
ladys life to win favor with her father?
If thats how you choose to take my
words . . . Tam shrugged. What do you
mean to do about it?
Caitlin had dismounted and come toward
them. Fineen, you will not break the peace
of my fathers hall . . . I forbid it. Nor will you
lay hands on my betrothed.
He is not yet your betrothed. And I will
let no man call me a traitor to my lord without challenging him. Surely you see Fineen was in an agony of indecision. If he did
not challenge Tam Chattan, he would be
branded a coward and a traitor. If he did
fight him, he would incur Hughs wrath and
Caitlins displeasure. Whichever path he
chose, he would lose her but at least if he
fought Tam, hed have the satisfaction of
wiping up the floor with him.
What weapons and time do you wish? he
demanded.
Swords, answered Tam, and right now

if you dont mind, Caitlin.
She threw up her hands. Must men always be little boys, playing at soldiers? Fineen Ban, youre banished from my fathers
hall as soon as he hears, and that will be in a
moment, for I go now to tell him. And I
promise you that if you draw one drop of
Tam Chattans blood, I will curse you with
all my heart. So saying, she ran into the hall.
Tam drew his blade. Are you ready,
Fineen?
Without answer, Fineen lunged at him. He
fought with spirit and flair, for hed had the
best of teachers, but Tam was quicker and
better. He parried all of Fineens lunges easily, as if he were dealing with an untrained
boy, scarcely moving at all. Fineen grew angrier with every moment, cursing under his
breath at this smiling, unhurried devil. With
unthinking fury, he launched a series of attacks. Tam parried the first one to the side,
deflected the second above his head, then
parried the third and moved swiftly so that
his sword was all too close to Fineens throat.
Infuriated, feeling cornered, Fineen rushed
forward in desperation to knock Tams sword
from his hand, but only succeeded in nearly
tripping himself, for Tams blade was not
where it should have been.
Thats not how its done at all, said Tam
lazily. Here, let me show you. And with
one swift movement, he sent Fineens blade
spinning from his hand, to land halfway
across the courtyard.
Tam sheathed his sword. I believe the
matters settled. Best leave before Lord Hugh
tosses you out, as I tossed your sword.
Tam stood there, smiling, with a dozen
cats around his feet, all purring and regarding Fineen with contemptuous golden eyes,
eyes that were much like Tams own green
ones. Your swords over there, said Tam,
gesturing to where the weapon was lodged in
a pile of dung up to its jeweled hilt. I believe
youll need this he tossed Fineen a handkerchief to clean it before you sheathe it.
It breaks my heart to see a good blade
mistreated.
Something in Fineen snapped at that silky
insult. As he bent down to retrieve his sword,
he suddenly pulled a dagger from his boot,
whirled, and sent it flying toward Tams
heart. But it never reached Tam, for in his
place stood a huge black cat, with a tail like a
plume, and Tams own green eyes staring at
him from the cats triangular face. Spitting
and howling, the cat leaped for him, and this
was the signal for the other cats to do likewise, like any army following its leader into
battle. Fineen put up his hands to ward them
off, and fled. When he got a safe distance
away, he looked back over his shoulder, and
there in the courtyard stood Tam Chattan,
hands on his slim hips, laughing uproariously, surrounded by his cats. The giant black
tom was nowhere to be seen.
Now Fineen had reached the end of his
wits. It was plain that it was no human man
who had bested him, but a devil. He could
not fight such a one alone, so he sought help
from one who knew the ways of magic.
When it was dark and he would not be seen,

he dressed in poor clothes, his cloak hiding a
well-filled purse and a ready blade, and went
to the house of Old Bridget, the wise woman.
Old Bridget looked at him with bright,
dark eyes that were strangely young in her
wrinkled face. What do you want of me,
Fineen Ban OLeary?
How do you know me, old woman?
Who does not know Fineen Ban, who
once hoped to marry the OLearys daughter? But another has won her, it seems. How
can I help you?
You can help me to get rid of that grinning devil who plans to marry Caitlin.
Why do you call him a devil? From all
Ive heard hes a well spoken, fair young lord
from over the sea.
So he told her it all, about Tam and how
neither hawk nor hound would willingly approach him, how he broke the neck of the
wolfhound with one hand, how he always
went surrounded by an adoring bodyguard
of cats and how he, himself, turned into a
cat when the knife was thrown at him. So
what could he be but a devil? finished Fineen. Old woman, give me a charm to break
the spell hes cast on Caitlin, for surely she
could not love him of her own free will.
Hold now, Fineen. Tis no devil youre
dealing with, but one of the Good Folk.
The Sidhe?
Aye, lad, the Tuatha themselves. And not
one of the ordinary ones, but a lord among
them. Theres only one who could do such
things as youve told me. But fear not, for I

know how you can force him to show himself
as he really is. And she told him a plan
On the night of Caitlins betrothal, the hall
was filled to bursting. All the leaders of the
family had gathered there to witness the contract, and to partake of the great and lavish
meal Hugh had planned. For two days, the
cooks had been preparing the stews and fine
meats and the grand cakes and pastries to be
set before the guests. Caitlin sat beside Tam,
who occupied the place of honor at Hughs
right. She smiled at him warmly, and his
hand kept straying over to touch hers. This
was the sight that greeted Fineen as he crept
into the hall in the guise of a servant.
At last Hugh rose, and lifted a toast. To
my daughter Caitlin, and the man she will
wed. It was a happy night when he came in
from the snow to my fireside.
The guests roared in approval, and several
more toasts of a like nature were made. Then
Fineen Ban threw off his disguise and strode
forward.
Instantly Hugh was on his feet, shouting.
Fineen Ban, I ordered you from my hall!
How dare you break the peace of Caitlins
betrothal?
I had not such thought, my lord. I am
here only to make a toast.
He reached over and took Tams silver
goblet and raised it high. To the King of the
Cats! They say the new King will be crowned
this night on Tara Hill! As he drank, he
watched Tam leap up, his green eyes glowing.
Then they crown an impostor, for I am

the King of the Cats. He bowed to Hugh. I
must leave, my lord. My kingdom calls me
home.
Not without me, Tam Dubh, said Caitlin softly, reaching out a small white hand to
touch his sleeve. I follow you wherever your
path takes you.
Would you go with me, knowing what I
am?
Ive known what you were since the first
moment I set eyes upon you, Tam. Ive the
Sight, as you should know. Why should it
bother me that youre not mortal? The blood
of the Tuatha runs in my veins, too. Were
two of a kind, my love, and so well suited for
each other. Youll not be rid of me so easily.
Be rid of you? Never in my life, Caitlin.
And he bent his head to kiss her lips, and
suddenly in their places were a black tom,
twice the size of any ordinary cat, with fur
like midnight silk, and a tail like a plume,
and eyes like twin emeralds, and at his side a
small, dainty, fluffy cat with soft red-gold fur
and merry, sea-green eyes and an enchanting
purr. They ran off toward the door, but before they vanished into the sweet summer
evening, Fineen heard the black tom hiss: If
this is a lie, beware the cats claws, Fineen
Ban, for they are sharp.
And they say Fineen Ban never again saw
a cat, black or otherwise, cross his path
without crying in fear, for he knew that
someday Black Tam Chattan would return
to keep his promise.
DRAGON
53
(Continued from page 9)

extinguished by a cloudburst, small ones instantly, medium
ones in 3-5 segments, large ones in 8-10 segments. Magical

fires will also be extinguished by a cloudburst, with the following general rules applying: Permanent magical fires will relight
in 1-2 rounds. Small, rekindlable magic fires such as that of a
flame tongue sword will be affected only during the actual
cloudburst. Spells such as produce fire and burning hands will
be negated. Large-area spells such as fireball, flame strike, wall
of fire, etc. will, in the course of being extinguished, vaporize
the rain; a cloud of steam of quadruple area of effect volume will
be created. This steam will inflict 1-3 points of damage on
normal creatures within its area, double damage on colddwelling or cold-using creatures. It will persist for 2-5 rounds,
half that if a breeze is blowing, 1 round if a strong wind is
blowing.
In arid regions, the cloudburst will act only as a doublestrength precipitation spell. In hot and humid areas, the duration of the spell will be extended to 2 rounds. In areas with a
temperature between 31 and 33 F., sleet rather than rain will
fall, with ice and slush being formed when it accumulates. In
temperatures of 30 F. and lower, the cloudburst becomes a
snowburst, with one inch of snow falling per segment. Whether
the cloudburst falls as rain, sleet, or snow, very hot creatures
not saving versus magic within the area of the spell will suffer 10
points of damage, plus 1 point of additional damage for every
segment they remain within the cloudburst area. The material
components for the spell are powdered silver and powdered
iodine crystals.
Detect Illusion (Divination)
Level: 3
Range: Touch
Duration: 2 rounds + 1/level
Area of Effect: Line of sight 1
Components: V, S, M
Saving Throw: #one
wide, 1/level long
Explanation/Description: This spell is exactly the same as the

1st level illusionist spell detect illusion (q.v.) except with regard
to duration, as shown above.
Item (Alteration)
Level: 3
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch
Duration: 6 turns/level*
Area of Effect: 2 cu. ft./level of the spell caster
* Non-living material allow quadruple duration.
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, the magicuser is able to touch any normal, non-magical item of a size
appropriate to his or her area of effect and cause it to shrink to
one-twelfth its normal size. Optionally, the caster can also
change its now-shrunken composition to a cloth-like one. Only
living things are entitled to a saving throw versus magic, but
each such save is at +4 Objects changed by an item spell can be
returned to normal composition and size merely by tossing
them onto any solid surface or by word of command from the
original spell caster. Note: It is possible to affect a fire and its
fuel with this spell.
is no great difficulty in causing common basic materials such

as stone, earth (soil), or wood to appear. These sorts of materials in raw, unworked form are easily gained by means of this
spell. Similarly, other inorganic or non-living materials such as
water, air, dung, straw, etc., can be conjured. When simple
plants are concerned, such as when the caster attempts to
bring into being an area of grass, there is a base 100% chance of
total failure. The base chance is modified downward by 1% per
level of the spell caster. Animal life can never be affected by this
spell. In no event can worked, refined, or fabricated items be
brought into being by a material spell. The spell essentially
enables the magic-user to create common things of a basic
nature.
Melfs Minute Meteors (Evocation/Alteration)
Components: V, S, M
Level: 3
Range: 1/level
Duration: Special
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: 1 target per missile
Explanation/Description: This spell is unusual in two respects. First, the dweomer enables the caster to cast small
globes of fire which burst into a 1 ft. diameter sphere upon
impact, inflicting 1-4 points of damage upon the target creature
or otherwise igniting combustible materials (even solid
planks); and this ability continues from round to round until the
caster has fired off as many of these meteors as he or she has
levels of experience, until he or she decides to forego casting
any additional still remaining, or until a dispel magic spell is
successfully cast upon the magic-user. Second, once Melfs
Minute Meteors is cast, the magic-user has the option to discharge the available missiles at the rate of 1 every 2 segments,
as desired, or 1 every round (beginning with the initial round of
casting).
In the first option, the caster must point at the desired target
on the 2nd segment of the round the spell was cast, and a
missile will be discharged. This process is repeated every 2
segments thereafter until all of the missiles are so released.
Naturally, this usually will mean that the spell actually carries
over into at least the following round.
Similarly, if the second option is chosen, the magic-user can
withhold or discharge missiles as he or she sees fit. This option
also has the benefit of enabling the spell caster to actually
discharge one of the meteors and conjure some other spell as
well. The additional spell must be of such a nature as to not
require the continuing concentration of the spell caster, or else
he or she will involuntarily forego the casting of any further
missiles from the original spell. However, considering that the
magic-user will have had the opportunity to have discharged a
missile and cast a spell in the same round is of such benefit that
the potential loss is not of concern. (Note that if the magic-user
fails to maintain an exact mental count of the number of missiles he or she has remaining, this is an unfailing indication that
he or she has involuntarily foregone the remaining portion of
the spell.)
The components necessary for the casting of this dweomer
are nitre and sulphur formed into a bead by the admixture of
pine tar, and a small hollow tube of minute proportion, fashioned from gold. The tube costs no less than 1,000 gold pieces
to construct, so fine is its workmanship and magical engraving,
but it remains potent throughout numerous castings of the
spell unless damaged by accident or abuse.
Material (Evocation-Conjuration)
Secret Page (Alteration)
Level: 3
Range: 1
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: 1 cu. ft./level
Components: V, S
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: A material spell allows the magicuser to actually bring into being certain common things. There
54
NOVEMBER 1982
Level: 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 turn
Range: Touch
Duration: Until dispelled
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: 1 page of any size up to 2 ft. square
Explanation/Description: When cast, a secret page spell al-
ters the actual contents of a page to appear to be something

entirely different. Thus, a map can be changed to become a
treatise on burnishing ebony walking sticks; the text of a spell
can be altered to show a ledger page or even another form of
spell, etc. The caster is able to reverse the effect of the spell by
the mere utterance of a command word, then peruse the actual
page, and return it to its secret page form thereafter. The caster
can also remove the spell by double repetition of the command
word. Others noting the dim magic of a page with this spell
cloaking its true contents can attempt a dispel magic, but if it
fails, the page will be destroyed. Short of an alter reality or wish
spell, only will-o-wisp essence will reveal the true nature of the
subject of a secret page spell, if that page is not subjected to
dispel magic. The material component of the spell is powdered
herring scales.
Sepia Snake Sigil (Conjuration/Summoning)
Level: 3
Range:
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: 1 sigil
Components: V, S, M
Saving Throw: None
and a puff of dun-colored smoke which is 1 in diameter and

lasts for 1 round. The three applications are: 1) as a glowing
sigil in the air drawn by the spell caster and pointed at the
intended target; 2) as a glyph of umber marked on some surface; and 3) as a small character written into some magic work
to protect it. The components for the spell are 100 gold pieces
worth of powdered amber, a scale from any snake, and a pinch
of mushroom spores.
Dispel Illusion (Abjuration)
Level: 4
Range: /level
Duration: Permanent.
Components: V, S
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: This spell is the same as the 3rdlevel illusionist spell of the same name. However, the magic,
user attempting to dispel the illusion is considered at two levels
below his actual level with respect to illusion-phantasm types
of spells cast by an illusionist.
Wind Wall
Explanation/Description: There are three forms of this spell,
but each eventually causes the conjuration of a deep brown

snake-like force. This so-called sepia snake springs into being
and strikes at the nearest living creature. Its attack is made as if
it were a monster with hit dice equal to the level of the magicuser who cast the dweomer. If it is successful in striking, the
victim is engulfed in a shimmering amber field of force, frozen
and immobilized until the caster releases the dweomer or until a
dispel magic spell does so. Until then, nothing can get at the
victim, move the shimmering force surrounding him or her, or
otherwise affect the field or the victim. If the sepia snake misses
its target, it dissipates in a flash of brown light, with a loud noise
Level: 3
Components: V, S, M
Range: 1/level
Area of Effect: An area 1 wide and high per level of caster
Explanation/Description: This spell brings forth an invisible
curtain of wind of considerable strength sufficient to blow
birds as large as crows upward, or to tear papers and like
materials from unsuspecting hands. (If in doubt, a saving throw
versus magic determines grasp.) Normal insects. cant pass
such a barrier. Loose material, even cloth garments, caught in a
DRAGON
55
wind wall will fly upward. The material components are a tiny
fan and a feather of exotic origin.
of tentacle from a giant octopus or giant squid. (The casting of

the spell requires considerable time, but it is unlikely that this is
linked to the meager components.)
Evards Black Tentacles (Conjuration/Summoning)

Leomunds Secure Shelter (Alteration-Enchantment)
Level: 4
Range: 3
Components: V, S, M
Saving Throw: Neg.
(see below)
Area of Effect: 1 tentacle/level of the caster in a 10 r.
Level: 4
Range: 2
Duration: 6 turns/level
Area of Effect: 30 sq. ft./level
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell the caster

creates many rubbery, black tentacles in the area of effect of
the dweomer. These waving members seem to spring forth
from the earth, floor, or whatever surface is underfoot including water. Each tentacle is 10 long, AC 4, and takes as many
points of damage to destroy as the magic-user who cast the
spell has levels of experience. Furthermore, there will be one
such tentacle for each of the levels of experience of the spell
caster. Any creature within range of the writhing tentacles is
subject to attack. If more than one target is within range of a
tentacle, the probability of attack on each is determined and the
result found by die roll. A victim of a tentacle attack must make
a saving throw versus magic. If this succeeds, the victim takes
1-4 hit points of damage from initial contact with the tentacle,
and it then is destroyed. Failure to save indicates that the
damage inflicted will be 2-8 points, the ebon member is
wrapped around its victim, and damage will be 3-12 points on
the second and succeeding rounds. As these tentacles have no
intelligence to guide them, there is the possibility that they will
entwine any object a tree, post, pillar or continue to
squeeze a dead opponent. Once grasped, a tentacle remains
wrapped around its chosen target until the thing is destroyed
by some form of attack or it disappears due to the expiration of
the dweomers duration. The component for this spell is apiece
Explanation/Description: This spell enables the magic-user

to magically call into being a sturdy cottage or lodge, made of
material which is common in the area where the spell is cast
stone, timber, or (at worst) sod. The floor area of the lodging
will be 30 square feet per level of the spell caster, and the
surface will be level, clean, and dry. In all respects the lodging
will resemble a normal cottage, with a sturdy door, two or more
shuttered windows, and a small chimney and fireplace.
While the lodging will be secure against winds of up to 70
miles per hour, it has no heating or cooling source (other than
natural insulation qualities). Therefore, it must be heated as a
normal dwelling, and extreme heat will certainly affect it, and its
occupants, adversely. The dwelling does, however, provide
considerable security otherwise, as it will actually be as strong
as a normal stone building regardless of its material composition, resist flames and fire as if it were stone, and be generally
impervious to normal missiles not of the sort cast by siege
machinery or giants. The door, shutters, and even chimney are
secure against intrusion, the two former being wizard locked
and the latter being secured by a top grate of iron and a narrow
flue. In addition, these three areas are protected by an alarm
spell (q.v.). Lastly, an unseen servant (q.v.) is called up to
provide service to the spell caster.
The inside of Leomunds Secure Shelter will contain rude
66
NOVEMBER 1982
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 4 turns
Saving Throw: None
furnishings as desired by the spell caster up to 8 bunks, a

trestle table and benches, as many as 4 chairs or 8 stools, and a
writing desk. The material components of this spell are a square
chip of stone, crushed lime, a few grains of sand, a sprinkling of
water, and several splinters of wood. These must be augmented
by the components of the alarm and unseen servant spell if
these are to be included in the spell; i.e., string and silver wire
and a small bell.
Magic Mirror (Enchantment-Divination)
Level: 4
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 hour
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, the magicuser changes a normal mirror into a scrying device similar to a
crystal ball. The details of the use of such a scrying device are
found in the Dungeon Masters Guide, Miscellaneous Magic
Treasure section, under Crystal Ball. The mirror used must be
of finely wrought and highly polished silver of a minimum cost
not less than 1,000 gold pieces. This mirror is not harmed by
casting of the spell as are the other material components the
eye of a hawk, an eagle, or even a roc, and nitric acid, copper
and zinc. (Cf. fifth level cleric spell, magic font, and second
level druid spell, reflection pool.) (Editors note: Descriptions of
these two new spells will be published in upcoming issues of
DRAGON Magazine.)
Otilukes Resilient Sphere (Alteration-Evocation)

Level: 4
Components: V, S, M
Range: 2
Saving Throw: Neg.
Area of Effect: 1 ft. diameter per level of the caster
Explanation/Description: When this spell is cast, the result is
a globe of shimmering force which encapsulates the subject
creature if it is small enough to fit within the diameter of the
sphere and it fails to successfully save versus magic.
The resilient sphere will contain its subject for as long as its
dweomer persists, and it is not subject to damage of any sort
except from a rod of cancellation, a wand of negation, or a
disintegrate or dispel magic spell. These will cause it to be
destroyed without harm to the subject. The subject may struggle, but all that will occur is a movement of the sphere.
The material components of the spell are a hemispherical
piece of diamond (or similar hard, clear gem material) and a
matching hemisphere of gum arabic.
Shout (Evocation)
Level: 4
Range: Self
Duration: Instantaneous
Area of Effect: 1 x3 cone
Components: V, M
Saving Throw: Neg.
Explanation/Description: When a shout spell is cast, the
DRAGON
57
magic-user empowers himself or herself with tremendous vocal powers. With the dweomer of the spell the caster releases an
ear-splitting noise which has a principal effect in a cone shape
radiating from the mouth of the caster to a 3 terminus. Any
creature within this area will be deafened for 2-12 rounds and
take a like amount (2-12 points) of damage. Any brittle or
similar substance subject to sonic vibrations will be shattered
by a shout, e.g. a wall of ice. A spell of this nature can be
employed but once per day, for otherwise the caster might
permanently deafen himself or herself. The material components for casting the shout spell are a drop of honey, a drop of
citric acid, and a small cone made from a bulls or rams horn.
Stoneskin (Alteration)
Level: 4
Range: Touch
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: One creature
Components: V, S, M
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: When this spell is cast, the affected

creature gains a virtual immunity to any attack by cut, blow,
projectile or the like. Thus, even a sword of sharpness would
not affect a creature protected by stoneskin, nor would a rock
hurled by a giant, a snakes strike, etc. However, magic attacks
from such spells as fireball, magic missile, lightning bolt, and so
forth would have normal effect. Any attack or attack sequence
from a single opponent dispels the dweomer, although it makes
the creature proof against that single attack or attack sequence. Attacks with relatively soft weapons, such as a monks
hands, an ogrillons fist, etc. will inflict 1-2 points of damage on
the attacker for each such attack while the attacked creature is
protected by the stoneskin spell. The material components of
the spell are granite and diamond dust sprinkled on the recipients skin.
58
NOVEMBER 1982
Ultravision (Alteration)
Level: 4
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch
Saving Throw: None
Area of Effect: One creature
Explanation/Description: By means of this spell the magicuser empowers the recipient to see radiation in the ultraviolet
spectrum. In night conditions this means that vision will be
clear, as if it were daylight, to a range of 100 yards, and shadowy
and indistinct from beyond 100 yards to about 300 yards distance. If the night is very dark, with thick clouds overhead,
reduction of ultravisual sight is 50%. Where more than about 6
feet of earth or 3 feet of stone interpose between the sky and the
individual, such as in virtually any underground area, ultravision allows only vision of the dimmest sort in about a 3-foot
radius, since the ultraviolet rays are screened out. (Of course, if
an emission source is nearby, the visual capabilities improve
accordingly.) Nearby light, including the radiance shed by
magic items, tends to spoil ultravision, the brightness of the
rays blinding the eyes to dimmer areas more distant. The
material component for this spell is a crushed amethyst of at
least 500 gold pieces value.
MELEE: THE INTELLIGENT DM

On occasion the question of the length of a melee round
comes up in relation to the number of attacks delivered. Of
necessity, a game of role playing adventure which has elements
of magic included in combat is going to be abstract, shall we
say. For the sake of the pace of the game, the longevity of player
characters, and the inclusion of magic, weapon combat must
be kept to a fast tempo while at the same time allowing combatants leeway to break off, change tactics, or whatever else is
called for. Thus, a one-minute round with a single effective
weapon blow is the norm. Likewise, damage is kept minimal, so

that a carefully advanced character will not generally be slain
by a single stroke of some kobolds axe. Weapon blows, just as
hit points, are scaled to a real individual.
For example, a single swing of a broadsword will slay a
normal person. Armor helps only in determination of a hit, not
in damage, although armor could actually reduce damage as it
took damage itself, eventually being totally ruined. That latter
method adds unneeded complication to the combat system, so
forget it! Hit points and their accumulation make up for much.
As I have often stated, no human can actually withstand damage which would fell a rhino. Damage above 12 points or so is
not actually withstood the points inflicted are mere scratches,
bruises, misses which remove a few hairs, etc. Similarly, armor
class assumes the defender is active and doing his or her best to
stay out of the way. So to handle melee intelligently, the DM
must know the reasoning behind it all and keep it in mind when
adjudicating situations.
One evidently thick-headed writer once wondered about the
difficulty of killing an unarmored character with some powerful
weapon. After all, this marvel of intellect stated, a medium-level
character would have to be struck many times in order to
reduce his hit points to zero. Any DM could give such a person
the lie easily, once the concepts of melee are understood. Can
magically sleeping creatures be slain at a stroke? You know it,
even if they have several hit dice. Likewise, the helpless character is subject to easy execution provided the character is
truly helpless, of course! Can he or she break free and escape?
Grab a nearby weapon and attack? Whatever, we have all read
about or seen heroic characters who manage to escape from
certain doom. If your players are really into role playing, they
should bombard you with a host of ways and means by which
they can escape impending death. As a good DM, you should
consider each such suggestion on the merits of the situation
and adjudicate accordingly. Intelligent melee combat, certain
death, and miraculous escape are part of the adventure in the

AD&D game system. While some prate about realism in
fantasy, it is a DMs duty to provide fun!
THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT
There are many active rumor-mongers in the hobby, and
some attempt to parley scraps of inside information into a few
dollars for themselves. Actually, if you ever wish to know about
something that TSR is doing or planning, it is about 90% likely
that you can find out by asking personally or in writing.
(Those readers who have attended one of my seminars will
understand what I mean). There have been some rumors about
TSR acquiring Grenadier. Well, TSR has been talking to
miniature-figure manufacturers now for about five or six years,
off and on. We are interested in doing metal miniatures. Grenadier and TSR have been in discussion regarding some form of
close affiliation for about two years. These talks have now
reached a serious negotiation stage. Nothing is yet certain, but
I am hopeful that agreement can be reached before the end of
the year. If Grenadier becomes a part of TSR, it will mean even
closer co-operation, better figures, and figures released concurrently with games and modules.
Anyone familiar with high-impact dice knows that TSRs
DRAGON DICE random number generators are about the
best that can be found but only for long wear and true shape.
We were well aware that the material, color, and overall appeal
of the dice we offered was not high, despite their features of
durability and exactness of casting/molding. For the last year
we have been busy making dice as fast as we could, for we were
short hundreds of thousands of sets for games and orders.
Well, we caught up a while ago, and then our people went to
work on the development of high quality dice with more attractive features color, transparency, translucency, and size
variation. Expect to see some fine offerings soon.
We were disappointed to lose the design staff of SPI, but it
DRAGON
59
was by no stretch of the imagination a serious blow to TSRs

plans for production of the general game line offered by SPI in
the past. We have designers of high caliber on our staff in Lake
Geneva, and they are itching to do simulation games. We also
get many applications for design staff positions, because we
offer our personnel excellent benefits and high salaries. However, we have a New York office, and I personally desire to
maintain an SPI presence there. Not only is the Big Apple the
original home of SPI, but there are many highly talented designers and writers there. With a liaison in New York, I believe
that we will be better able to employ that talent pool. That is still
in the works, by the way.
Speaking of free-lance designers, all of you Good Readers
should keep in mind that TSR is looking for excellent module
submissions for any of our RPG systems. Be sure and get a
release, sign it, and mail it in with any submission. Material
submitted must be typewritten, complete, and in manuscript
form. The format for any module should strictly adhere to that
used in the latest TSR module for the same game system. Maps
need only be rough. Artwork will be added by TSR. Artists
should also remember TSR as a market for their work. For
details of current needs contact Kim Mohan (DRAGON Magazine) or Dave Sutherland (TSR). Rates of pay for modules run
from about $2,000 up. Artwork is by type and size, of course, but
pay is highly competitive. Check all this out!
And speaking of New York City, we also have our Entertainment Media Office there. James Goldman is coming along very
well with the script for the film to be based on the AD&D game,
and all concerned are pleased with events so far. I have been a
fan of the film medium for well over 30 years, but I didnt know a
thing about the business until three years ago when we first
began to negotiate with producers and agents for some TV or
feature film use of our property. After many trips to Los Angeles
and New York City, and after even more meetings, phone calls,
letters, and rough-deal memos, I am beginning to get some idea
60
NOVEMBER 1982
of just how it all works. I still feel good about our movie!
I still feel bad about the film, CONAN THE BARBARIAN. My
review of the film brought letters in response. One suggested
that had I not read the REH books, and were I about 14 years of
age, I would have liked the film. He is probably right. Another
letter suggested that I did not actually review the film properly
because I was judging it from the bias of being a fan of Howards work, and I failed to treat its components, such as the
music and cinematography of De Laurentiis. Had the movie
been titled IRVING THE BARBARIAN I would not have been
quite so rash in my comparisons to what Howard wrote and
what De Laurentiis produced. As it is, however, my opinion is
unchanged. It was a terrible film which did nothing more than
rape the Howard works for a few names. Acting was bad, and so
was characterization. The film dragged even the orgy scene
was boring. The plot was thin at the beginning and never got
better. I regret to say that with all of that working against it, I can
not even recall a bar of the music. Also, with regret, I can only
say that in my opinion the cinematography matched the overall
quality of the balance of the film. Aristotle says in POETICS that
the least important aspect of a tragedy is its spectacle. Special
effects were not bad! Frankly, chaps, I did expect a film of
top quality. Instead, I saw a typical De Laurentiis production.
Regarding my review of Games Day 82, one letter writer
suggested that both the exhibit-oriented conventions and the
player-oriented ones have their place. I totally concur, for hobbyists need to meet the manufacturers and view their latest
wares, just as enthusiasts need to get together for tournaments
and fun gaming. TSR does run three small conventions in
Lake Geneva each year (Autumn Revel, Winter Fantasy, Spring
Revel). This list should expand to four soon, and all are game
events with no exhibitors at all. However, the reader proposed
that the RPGA network might be the logical sponsor for a big,
player-oriented gathering. I think the idea is worth considering
. . . what say the powers at that association? Stay tuned, folks.
EGG answers letters on new classes

and takes a long look at comeliness
Lest I be forced to an existence of doing nothing save answering your flood of
missives, please be forgiving if I am unable to answer each of you personally
though I shall, indeed, attempt to do
so. At times all writers feel as if they are
addressing a void, for seldom does an
article bring any response. An occasional letter of praise or of critical (even insulting) nature is often a treasure, for
such tokens indicate that someone is actually reading what is written at great
effort. Allow me now to add a new identity to readers of this column: Hyperactive
Enthusiasts! I am inundated with responses, and I am pleased, for I do indeed
need the benefits of your thinking!
When I attended the World Science
Fiction Convention in early September, I
began to get an inkling of the interest
players have respecting the expansion
of the AD&D game system. After interview questions, the audience was (as is
usual) given a chance to ask what they
would of me. Many questions pertaining
to new character classes were posed
then, and afterward in casual chats. When
I returned to the office after Labor Day, a
stack of letters on the subject awaited
my attention. The correspondence continues to come in, and I am doing my
best to keep up. For the benefit of all, I
will sum up several important things I
have gained from perusing the mail:
Learned Players, I assure you that I am
not overly sensitive to critical opinions.
Not only do I speak freely when I think it
is necessary, I consider intelligent comments of all sorts, whether they agree
with my own opinions or not. Several
letter writers apologized for not liking
one class or another, and were hesitant
to express their thoughts for fear I might
be offended. Far from it, I find such
comments very useful in development of
material. After all, while it is impossible
to please everyone, critical opinion is of
great benefit in improving approaches,
or in the decision-making process which
could lead to discarding an idea. If anyone has hesitated to write because of not
wanting to offend me with a contrary
opinion, I trust the foregoing will reassure that the forum is an open one where
blame as well as praise can be aired.
The range of comments was astounding. There is absolutely no consensus of
opinion as to which class is most desirable. For every letter which listed Savant
on the top and Jester on the bottom, I
seemed to find another which reversed
the ratings. I have gone ahead with the
Thief-Acrobat split (Editors note: The
description will appear in issue #69), and
I sincerely hope all of you will favor me
with your immediate impressions and
considered opinions garnered from actual play. Input from you is helping me in
finalizing the Barbarian sub-class of

Fighters, just as actual play-testing here
is. Cavaliers were usually rated in the
upper middle range, and that average
was carried through for Mountebanks as
well. Mystic rated the lowest, since no
individuals rating had it as number one.
However, from the general comments, I
fear that much of that is due to my own
inadequate description of the class.
Several Good Readers suggested that
I seek ideas from character classes published elsewhere. I regret that I cannot
do so, of course, copyright laws being
what they are. In fact, I make it a point to
not read other systems and articles,
since I do not wish to plagiarize. However, details of the classes which have
developed since I wrote about them, or
were not gone into in the brief treatments, will please many who viewed one
or another proposed class as too limited.
What will not be covered in the expansion are the anti-paladin (perish the
thought!) and the samurai. An assassin
is about as close to an anti-paladin as is
needed. Evil is strong and well represented. I by no means champion it. As I
have said before, an anti-paladin is a
third leg, and I have never yet seen any
reasoned proposal which justifies the
inclusion of such a sub-class. I believe
that attempts to include the character
type come from players who wish to
have an unbeatable character for themselves. Furthermore, there is little mention of such a type in mythology or fantasy literature, so we do not have a solid
role-model.
Samurai are a different story entirely.
Granted the Monk is not part of Medieval
tradition or the usual European-based
fantasy. It belongs in an Oriental-based
game. Why then not include samurai?
Why compound error! I intend to move
the Monk to the appendices where Bards
now reside. It is hoped that sometime
soon we can begin on another version of
the AD&D game system which is based
on Sino-Japanese culture. While such a
work will be aimed principally for sale in
the Far East, you may rest assured that
an English-language version will be available to all interested players, so that a
complete and meaningful campaign
based on Oriental tradition and myth can
be run. That means Ninja, Samurai, Ronin, Yakusa, Monks, and possibly Taoist
clerics. Naturally, they will be in a setting
which is relative to their powers and interrelationships, with appropriate monsters and deities, arms and armor. The
possible meeting between these two separate cultures will be difficult to handle,
and so some special rules will probably
be required. That remains to be seen, so
lets leave it at that for now.
E. Gary Gygax
A BEAUTIFUL IDEA
Frank Mentzer and Francois MarcelaFroideval are already hard at work, and I
am being flooded with suggestions and
ideas from these Good Gentlemen. Francois uses a Beauty attribute for his
characters, and I have come to the conclusion that you might also like to use
such a rating. Here are my thoughts:
Comeliness is my word for the attribute. Beauty is too specific, as it calls to
mind a positive state of good looks.
Comeliness has a more neutral connotation; i.e., a character with a 3 attribute
score for Beauty would be a non-beauty,
but a 3 in Comeliness implies ugliness.
Comeliness is not charisma. Charisma, however, can affect comeliness. After the six attributes of a character are
determined, his or her looks must be determined. Is the character ugly, homely,
plain, or pretty? This characteristic is determined by the comeliness roll. 3d6 are
rolled and totalled. The resulting number,
between 3 and 18 inclusive, is modified:
Characters with a charisma of less
than 3 will have an adjustment of -8 on
comeliness, so that it will fall in the
range of -5 to +10. For charisma of 3,
the adjustment is -5; charisma of 4-5,
-3; for 6-8, -1; for 9-12, no adjustment;
for 13-15, +1; for 16-17, +2; for 18, +3;
and for charisma of more than 18, +5.
Racial note: Charisma adjustment to
comeliness applies only to the race of
the character; i.e., dwarves to dwarves,
elves to elves, etc. Comeliness adjustment by racial type applies to other races
only and is:
Half-orcs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -3
Dwarves, gnomes . . . . . . . . . . . . -1
Halflings, humans* . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Half-elves*, sylvan elves* . . . . +1
Gray elves*, high elves*. . . . . . +2
* Treat as same race.
The possible range of comeliness now
reaches from a low of -8 (a 2 charisma
half-orc) to +25 (a 19 charisma gray elf).
Considering that many other creatures
will eventually be given a comeliness rating for better or worse the possible
spread will be broadened to range from
-20 to +30. This reflects well from a mythological base and provides a solid working spread.
Comeliness will have the following effects on creatures of human sort. (This
category includes, but is not necessarily
limited to, humans, demi-humans, humanoids, giant-class, and bipedal creatures of human-like form and motivation.)
-16 or lower: Those viewing a character with comeliness this low are repulsed
and horrified, so as to turn away or attempt to destroy the creature so offensive to the sight. If the individual with low
comeliness is powerful, the reaction will
tend toward escape, or reinforcement of
DRAGON
67
previously determined awe (horror) reaction. With creatures of like and Evil
alignment, the effect is that of a positive
comeliness of the same total.
-15 to -9: Disgust, evidenced by a tendency to look away, revile the individual,
and act hostile in general. Under no circumstances will this character be accepted by the viewers unless all are of
Evil alignment, so that the negative
comeliness can be regarded as positive.
-8 to 0: Aversion and a desire to be
away from so ugly a creature will be evidenced by all viewers. If given an excuse,
those near the individual will be hostile
and openly aggressive; otherwise they
will merely tend toward rejection.
+1 to +6: As such an individual is simply ugly, the reaction evidenced will tend
toward unease and a desire to get away
from such brutishness as quickly as possible. If given the opportunity, the characters charisma can offset ugliness, but
this requires a fair amount of conversation and interaction to take place.
+7 to +9: The homeliness of the individual will be such that initial contact will
be of a negative sort. This negative feeling will not be strongly evidenced. High
charisma will quickly overcome it if any
conversation and interpersonal interaction transpires. (Consider a dwarf with
16 charisma and a base comeliness roll
of 9; he or she will be at 8 when viewed by
all creatures save other dwarves who
62
NOVEMBER 1982
will see him or her with comeliness adjusted by +2 for charisma.)

+10 to +13: Plain to average comeliness; no effect on the viewer.
+14 to +17: Interest in viewing the individual is evidenced by those in contact,
as he or she is good-looking. The reaction adjustment is increased by a percentage equal to the comeliness score of
the character. Individuals of the opposite sex will seek out such characters,
and they will be affected as if under a
charm spell unless wisdom of such individuals exceeds 50% of the characters
comeliness total.
+18 to +21: The beauty of the character
will cause heads to turn and hearts to
race. Reaction for initial contact is at a
percent equal to 150% of comeliness
score. Individuals of any sex will be affected as if under a charm spell unless
their wisdom exceeds 50% of the characters comeliness total. Individuals of the
same sex will do likewise unless wisdom
totals at least two-thirds of the other
characters comeliness score. Rejection
of harsh nature can cause the individual
rejected to have a reaction as if the character had a negative comeliness of half
the actual (positive) score.
+22 to +25: The stunning beauty and
gorgeous looks of a character with so
high a comeliness will be similar to that
of those of lesser beauty (17-21), but individuals will actually flock around the
character, follow him or her, and generally behave foolishly or in some manner
so as to attract the attention of the character. The reaction adjustment is double
the score of comeliness; i.e., 22 equals
+44%. Charm- like power will affect all
those with wisdom of less than twothirds the comeliness score of the character. If an individual of the opposite sex
is actually consciously sought by a character with comeliness of 22-25, that individual will be effectively charmed unless
his or her wisdom is 18 or higher. Rejection is as above.
+26 to +30: Unearthly beauty of this
sort can be possessed only by creatures
from other planes demi-gods and
demi-goddesses and deities of unusual
sort. Reaction adjustment is double
comeliness score. Charm- like power is
effective on all save those with wisdom
equal to 75% of comeliness, save that 19
or higher wisdom always allows saving
versus the power. An individual of the
opposite sex who is consciously sought
by the possessor of such unearthly
beauty and comeliness will always be
under the spell of the individual with
such beauty unless he or she has wisdom of 20 or more.
N.B.: Charm from attraction due to
comeliness does not affect the abilities
of the individual with respect to fighting,
spell casting, etc. It could, however, affect alignment.
POKER, CHESS, AND

THE AD&D SYSTEM
T HE
OFFICIAL
by E. Gary Gygax
A few individuals consistently voice
misconceptions about the DUNGEONS
& DRAGONS and the ADVANCED
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS games with
respect to the whole of the genre of fantasy role playing in general and TSR in
particular. This matter would be of small
import indeed, were it not that some of
these few are also connected with commercial ventures in the Adventure Gaming industry in general and fantasy in
particular. Because of this basic misconception and lack of knowledge, it is
sometimes difficult to communicate effectively. In order to cast light on the
situation, please follow along as I draw a
couple of analogies. Although the parallels arent exact, they do demonstrate
quite amply the points to be made.
In the wide range of card games there
is poker. It is a separate and distinct
game from all others played with cards.
There is a single recognized authority on
poker Hoyle. Now the Hoyle rules relate two distinct types of poker played.
One sort is pretty well free and includes
lots of house rules and hands such as the
skip-straight, straight round the corner,
blaze, and so on. The other form of the

game is that which is played according
to the rules set forth by Hoyle. If one
were to liken the D&D game system to
the former sort of poker, and the AD&D
game system to the latter, one wouldnt
miss the mark by much as far as general
concept is concerned.
Now consider chess. The game name
actually is a generic for many national
and variant boardgames involving pieces and pawns which probably evolved
from the Indian game, Chaturanga. Be
that as it may, consider the chess enthusiast who discovers the fact that there
are, indeed, hundreds of different versions of the game in addition to that
which the Western world calls chess.
Imagine this delighted fellow then busily
taking what he considers to be the best
features of Shogi (Japanese chess),
Timors Chess (a variant game), and a
few of his own ideas. These he uses to
create a new game chess, of course.
Envision the reception he would receive
WORD
ON
WHAT S
when presenting this new game at a

chess tournament sponsored by the US.
Chess Federation! (But all six of the guys
who played it with me loved it!)
If one thinks of the D&D game structure as a book which covers most of the
forms of chess, including variants, and
tells prospective players how to put together a board and select which pieces
and pawns will be used in the creation,
the parallel is not far from the mark. This
is especially true if one then likens AD&D
gaming to Western chess. In the former,
the interested party constructs the design by steps, beginning with a small
board and simple pieces and adding
space and more complex movement as
skill and desire dictate. The latter case
dictates the size and power of all pieces
and pawns immediately, but the enthusiast must then concentrate on the skill
required to play the game well.
One letter from a reader of DRAGON
Magazine commenting on the barbarian
sub-class (issue #63) was critical because the approach differed from the
other established classes. Using the
analogy to chess, I suggest that the objection is similar to criticism of the move
of the knight because it can leap over
other men while none of the other pieces
or pawns can do so. That is an aside.
Allow me to return to the major point
which must predicate what follows.
Using the relationship of games, think
about this: Would any intelligent person
purchase a copy of the MONOPOLY
game, add in some parts of THE MAD
MAGAZINE game, imagine it to be
somehow better than either one alone,
and then announce to everyone far and
wide that the end product was not only
superior, but it was still a MONOPOLY
game? As ludicrous as that sounds, that
is pretty much what happens when even
well-meaning players of TSR games try
to mix and match different systems. Now
consider the result when some overzealous MONOPOLY game fan blends in
what he considers improvements from
the LIFE game and the CAREERS game,
claiming that the result is a MONOPOLY
game an improved version, of course
and playable by all other MONOPOLY
game enthusiasts everywhere. (After all,
OFFICIAL
he and his group of half a dozen friends

really like the design!) Sounds silly,
but that happens frequently to TSRs
AD&D game.
Notice that TSR owns the ADVANCED
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game system. Well, they own the DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS game, too just as Parker
Brothers owns MONOPOLY and THE
MAD MAGAZINE game. TSR holds the
copyrights to the D&D and AD&D games.
They own the Trade Marks. Use of either
must be by TSR or with its permission.
Neither game is public domain. No other
firm can make any commercial use
whatsoever of either game without permission from TSR. Furthermore, house
rules are as different from place to place
as can be imagined, so that of the several
million D&D game players, the only recognized basis for intra-group play are
the rules furnished by TSR. It is far more
tight a basis when AD&D gaming is considered. Of the two or so million players
of that game system, only about 5% even
get DRAGON Magazine and read the official rules additions. Just as TSR sells
far more D&D games than are sold of all
other competing fantasy role-playing
products combined, DRAGON Magazine
has a circulation which is over twice that
of all of its competitors. To claim that any
other FRP game system has the acceptance of D&D gaming is absolutely contraverted by hard facts. When AD&D
gaming is included in the totals, there is
no contest it is a laugher. Similarly,
DRAGON Magazine dominates the field,
but even with its relatively large circulation, it reaches less than 25% of the total
D&D/AD&D game audience. Now we
have some perspective.
If one plays the D&D game system, it is
possible that material from outside that
offered by TSR to be included in the
game. Such a game becomes house
rules poker, so to speak. One then either announces the special rules, or drops
them, when players from outside the
core group participate in the game.
Hoyle has even begun to standardize
house rules, and this is similar to what
TSR will be doing in the next few years as
a special team of designers and editors
work on the D&D game system both to
D
RAGON
63
finish it and to make a few needed

revisions.
The AD&D game system does not allow the injection of extraneous material.
That is clearly stated in the rule books. It
is thus a simple matter: Either one plays
the AD&D game, or one plays something
else, just as one either plays poker according to Hoyle, or one plays (Western)
chess by tournament rules, or one does
not. Since the game is the sole property
of TSR and its designer, what is official
and what is not has meaning if one plays
the game. Serious players will only accept official material, for they play the
game rather than playing at it, as do
those who enjoy house rules poker, or
who push pawns around the chess
board. No power on earth can dictate
that gamers not add spurious rules and
material to either the D&D or AD&D
game systems, but likewise no claim to
playing either game can then be made.
Such games are not D&D or AD&D
games they are something else, classifiable only under the generic FRPG
catch-all. To be succinct, whether you
play either game or not is your business,
but in order to state that you play either,
it is obviously necessary to play them
with the official rules, as written. Thus,
when you get information in these pages
which bears the official stamp, that
means it can immediately be used in
game play.
Certainly, even those groups who adhere strictly to the rules may develop
certain rule extensions or cases which
differ from what is written. These individuals are notable, for in a tournament
they are heard inquiring about how certain rules or situations will be handled.
They play D&D or AD&D games and fully
understand what that means. I do hope
that all Good Readers are now as well
grounded in the facts of the matter.
Either you play TSRs D&D and AD&D
games, or you play variants of them, or
you use a hodge-podge system, or else
you play one of the systems which have
grown up after TSRs. Unless you play
the AD&D game system, you probably
wont have much purpose in reading
what is official and what isnt. In any
event, bear in mind that the mainstream
play both game systems as they appear.
Next time someone touts some magazine or game as being useful for inclusion in your campaign, consider the
foregoing. Adding non-official material
puts your game outside the D&D or
AD&D game system. It becomes something else at best.
Far too often, extraneous material tinkered onto the existing D&D or AD&D
campaign will quickly bring it down to a
lower level at best, ruin it at worst. Fads
and new, state-of-the-art games come
and go, but the D&D and AD&D games
keep on growing and improving. The
choice is yours.
64
NOVEMBER 1982
The barbarian
This brings us nicely round to whether
or not the barbarian sub-class of fighters
unbalances the AD&D game or is too
weak and useless for consideration.
Opinions were about evenly divided between those two positions. Is the barbarian a true class? Perhaps the character
could better be described as an individual from a certain type of society or cultural group. Certainly, one could not call
the barbarian group a race. In any case,
the designation profession isnt bad,
for barbarians work at being what they
are and derive their livelihood from the
pursuit of such activity. Of course, barbarians must come from a particular society, but then it is only logical to assume
that magic-users come from that strata
of developed society which enjoys money, education, and position. How else
could such a class of characters be
trained so long and expensively? Whatever justifies the barbarian, or the magicuser, is not actually germane. Does the
sub-class work? That is the question.
TSR has sufficient faith in the creator of
the system to say yes by allowing me to
produce official material on a carte
blanche basis. Be that as it may, there
were too many questions about the subclass to simply pass over them all by
offering a take it or leave it position.
It is obvious to anyone who has the
opportunity to read the letters regarding
the barbarian that the objections to the
class are both contradictory and reactionary. As I mentioned before, of those
comments which questioned the barbarian, it was nearly a standoff between
those protesting it as too strong and
those asserting it was too weak. A few
wondered why a decision to be a barbarian character had to be made prior to
rolling dice for attribute scores. The
answer is simple: The game is based on
role-playing principles, and it is easier to
do so with a course determined in the
first place. Method I of Generation of
Ability Scores encourages the player to
arrange scores so as to be able to choose
a character profession from predisposition rather than dice-determined statistics. It is but a step removed from there to
deciding on play as a barbarian subclass fighter and rolling dice accordingly. Frank Mentzer suggests that the 4d6
system could be employed, with minimum score requirements of 16 strength
and constitution, 15 dexterity, and a
maximum wisdom of 15. That will work,
but it seems to beg the question. Playing
as a barbarian is offered to players as a
determined choice, not as one of several
possibilities or a mere afterthought.
This is a part of the whole concept. Thus,
the level title for a barbarian never varies.
Such a character, properly role-played,
is bred, raised, grows, and dies a barbarian. Barbarians do not need training to
go up levels, because they gain no so-
phistication. They get tougher and more

wily. This also should be clear to those
who wonder about the amount of experience points required to gain a level it
is hard-earned, school of hard knocks
learning which enables them to get better, not any form of schooled training,
exercise, and like instruction.
Similarly, barbarians have lots of weapons to be proficient in those typically
used by a barbarian culture, you will
note, and not necessarily those which
are most likely to give the character an
edge in combat. Barbarians do not have
the opportunity of weapon specialization as regular fighters now do (see issue
#66 of DRAGON Magazine). Because of
their power and innate abilities, they
need no magic weapons to hit magicladen monsters such as gargoyles, demons, or golems. No one ever asked, but
barbarians cannot ever be anything else.
One cannot start as some other profession and become a barbarian at a later
stage. Likewise, once a character is a
barbarian, he or she can never opt to
change to some other profession and
have dual classes.
How about lack of magic? Is AD&D
play half magic? Does the whole campaign require that magic permeate each
and every characters existence? Yes. . .
and no. The game itself subsumes a
magical multiverse. Action generally
takes place in some setting filled with
manifold dweomers. All character classes use it to some extent, even the barbarian. How is it that the sub-class has the
powers it does? They are magical, but in
a non-standard way, of course. Let us
say that their very non-magical nature
gives them a sort of paramagical aura.
Thus they have superior characteristics
and powerful capacities to detect magic,
avoid ambush and surprise, and so on.
The barbarians armor class bonus for
high dexterity, +2 per point above 14,
means that a barbarians dexterity bonus
in combat can be as high as 8. Combined
with chain mail and shield (AC 4), the
adjusted rating is AC -4. Anyone who
claims that is insufficient, especially
considering the mass of hit points a barbarian will have, just doesnt know the
first thing about AD&D game play. Those
who believe it to be excessive, particularly at low levels of play, have more of a
point. However, when relative hit points
are considered, as well as the fact that
the armor class is relative to the situation
and many instances will disallow dexterity bonus that argument also loses
most, if not all, of its force. Is a 1st-level
magic-user with a sleep spell too strong?
After all, that character. can absolutely
demolish a 4th-level character, a pair of
wererats, possibly, or all sorts of other
monsters more powerful than himself. It
is touch and go. . . even assuming you
are lucky enough to start play with so
powerful a spell as sleep. Is a maximum
of 20 hit points too much for a 1st level

character? Someone said that about a
barbarian. A ranger with 18 constitution
has a hit point spread of a minimum of
10, medial 17, maximum 24. Is anyone
upset about that? All that is really being
questioned is change, because this subclass is different from others. Well, Gentle Players, that is what youve been asking for, and that is what I am here to do.
Believe it or not, I actually know my
game system and what or what will not
work within its parameters! That is why
the barbarian is cut off at 8 hit dice, by
the way. The points to be had from 8d12,
with the constitution bonus awarded, are
surely enough of a basis for a STRONG
character. Now lets go back to magic
and saving throws.
Reasoned study of the barbarian subclass proves that they need no magic
armor or weapons. However, along with
benefit of armor or protective devices, it
is certain that the barbarians need some
boost in saving throws. This is doubly
true when the fact that they shun spells is
considered. Thus, they have a stronger
basic resistance to poison and magical
forces. Note one very important change:
In order to remain consistent with existing variances to saving throws, barbarians save versus polymorph at +3 (rat her
than +2, as shown in the original article).
Thanks to Frank Mentzer for noting this
anomaly. In any event, the barbarian
sees magic of two sorts wizard magic
and god magic. The former is cast by
magic-users and their ilk puling creatures all. The latter sort of dweomer must
be tolerated, for who can argue with deities? A brooch of shielding (hopefully a
rare find in any campaign) is so much
dross to a hard-nosed barbarian. Hell
take the niggling damage from the
magic-user (thats what his high hit
points are for) and then hew the cowardly craven to pieces. Those magics which
allow saving throws are so much the better, for the barbarian does have a better
chance to save against them. Those that
happen, happen. With everything that
the sub-class has, what real need is there
for magic items? Scarce and rare finds in
any well-run campaign, such wretched
stuff is not for true humans (barbarians)
in any event.
Magic performed by clerics, particularly clerics who serve the deities of the
barbarian and his or her tribe, is another
matter. That sort of thing must be abided.
Who in a barbarian tribe would stoop to
using even the dweomer of deities? Why,
thats simple: Men and women too old to
fight, weaklings, and those odd individuals touched by some super-being. In
a life-and-death situation, any self-respecting barbarian would allow a proper
servant of a known deity to do whatever
the deity directs through that servant. If
it goes against the barbarian grain, then
the offending cleric can be thereafter
shunned whether out of embarrassment, dislike, or fear is entirely open to

question. If absolutely necessary, such
spells can be tolerated for short periods
of time, but by choice any barbarian
must seek more direct solutions with
arms. Obviously, faced with a situation
which required the barbarian to perform
a given plan, and that action was impossible without magic possibly even wizard magic the intelligent barbarian
would be forced to stoop to such low
means to reach the end. Shunning
doesnt mean the same as never associating with: Look the word up. Again, it
doesnt assert that barbarians will slay all
magic-users just because they reek of
noisome magic, nor does it state that
clerics casting spells above 2nd or 3rd
level will be done to death by the outraged barbarian. Low-level spells are
merely the power of a shaman/cleric
given by some deity not even god
magic. Higher-level spells of a clerical
nature are disliked by barbarians, and
they will not voluntarily be around those
who make a practice of employing magic. Circumstances, as usual, alter cases.
Remember the spirit of the rules, instead
of trying to find the letter by reading between the lines.
Who can be right all of the time? Not I! I
admit with a slightly red face that I left
out yet another important point regarding the class. Hit points are recovered at
twice the normal rate, and barbarians
can even get them back at the normal
rate while active. Thus, rest allows regaining of lost hit points at +2 points per
day, and while moving and/or adventuring points are regained at +1 per day.
This is part and parcel of first aid ability.
The binding and care of damage is required for barbarians to regain lost hit
points, helpful to characters and creatures in serious state of damage. Curing
natural illnesses (diseases or magical illnesses) is done the same as determining
the success of poison antidotes.
Whether or not a barbarian has henchmen is a matter for the player, and the
barbarians charisma and actions, to decide. Will the barbarian build or capture
a stronghold of some type? Considering
the characteristics of the sub-class, roleplaying a barbarian properly would indicate that the character wouldnt do well
in such civilized surroundings at least
for an extended period of time. Will a
barbarian attract followers? That is again
a matter for the individual. It is worth
pointing out that a barbarian with a reasonably high charisma and a high experience level is a very influential type when
dealing with other barbarians.
Anyone with a relative charisma of 20 or
more is certainly going to attract followers if they so desire and work at it a bit!
In all truth, the sub-class is not too
powerful. It is, in fact, under-powered
unless some very good rolls are gained
in the areas of strength, dexterity, and

constitution. To have real prospects for
long-range play, the character must have
18, 16, and 17 respectively. That, Gentle
Readers, is why they are given 9d6,7d6,
and 8d6 for those categories. A low-level
barbarian has a better than average
chance of survival without such high
rolls, but at higher level, he or she is not
going to do well unless strength, dexterity, and constitution combine to give high
hit points, low armor class, and superior
punishment potential.
The deva
So how about the official new creature, the deva? (It is pronounced with a
long e deevah, with the accent on
the first syllable.) Some oddly oriented
chap accused me of plagiarism because
the religion and myth of India mentions
devas. (Good gracious! I do hope that
when this fellow checks out the Monster
Manual he will forgive me. . . . And what
will he think of Tolkien, I wonder, who
took virtually everything he wrote about
from a background of Norse mythology
and English folklore? And R. E. Howard!
Why, almost all of his names are taken
directly from actual history! Mercy! Such
high-handed theft!) Those Enlightened
Readers familiar with theosophy will
immediately be able to recognize from
whence I got inspiration for the three
races of devas, and their more powerful
associates the planetars and solars. Because the races of devas are native to the
Upper Outer Planes, their frequency is
given for such areas. As is stated, they
travel about in service to the deities of
these planes and do not generally ramble about on persona! pleasure jaunts. If
fans of demons and devils find them too
strong, I can hardly wait until they get a
look at what planetars and solars are
able to do! (Editors note: This essay was
composed before the issue of DRAGON
Magazine containing the planetar and
solar had been released.) Although there
are fewer of these servants of Good, they

are far and away stronger than the minions of Evil. A strong character can handle the typical demon or devil. With aid
from a deva or two, any party of Good
alignment can hope to survive the dire
machinations of morally and ethically
aligned foes with the forces of Darkness
to call upon. While they should be seldom met, the potential is always there.
Although illustrated as male, the races
of devas are similar to humans in that
they have male and female sexes. They
are bipedal and somewhat resemble
humans, but they are in no sense human.
In fact, they are nothing like the angels of
Judeo-Christian teaching, or Moslem,
for that matter, as they are a race, have
no direct descent due to creation by a
supreme being, and have corporal forms
everywhere, save the Prime Material
Plane where they have material forms
D
RAGON
65
but immortality. Devas have wings in

order to fly just as giant eagles and
rocs do. For much the same reason,
quite a number of the monstrous inhabitants of the Lower Outer Planes have
wings. After all, AD&D gaming is postulated on medieval fantasy and mythology. Because there are hordes of nasty
critters at work to promote Evil (and provide fodder for swordplay), it is necessary to have some reasonable minions
serving the opposing planes in the mythical multiverse of the game. To state that
devas are patterned after angels is preposterous. They are patterned after
mythological and fabled concepts of
what sort of creatures serve the forces of
Good. They are written so as to make
their alignment absolutely clear. To think
otherwise is to fly in the face of reason
and against the entire gamut of creatures patterned in the AD&D game system. Much of the inspiration for it all is
borrowed from folklore, myth, and legend. To claim that some demon names
match those found in the Bible makes as
much sense as asserting that devas are
from Indian myth or that they are angels.
Devils and demons were either taken
from common lists of secular writings on
the topic, or made up on the spot as the
need arose. Some are obviously based
on the gods of ancient cultures Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, etc. Some are of
medieval origin. Who borrows from
whom becomes quite muddled in the
span of history. Frankly, what difference
does it make when we are talking about a
time separation of centuries?!
There was a typographical error in the
stats for one of the devas. This is important! The astral deva has a mace-like
weapon which strikes as if it were a mace
of disruption wielded by an 8th level cleric, not a 9th level cleric, as shown. My
thanks to Chuck Conerity for spotting
the glitch!
Other topics
As an aside, one letter-writer asked if
magic-users were ever going to benefit
from intelligence at lower levels, suggesting that they needed spell help in the
form of bonuses such as clerics gain.
Not so. Magic-users are strong enough
as they are. The benefit they gain from
intelligence is the capacity to know additional spells and the more immediately
important chance of being able to comprehend any given spell when first presented with it. Adding to magic-user
strength is certainly a case of gilding
gold and painting lilies. It wont be done
here! Adding some new, useful spells at
all levels is something else again. . . .
This same writer also asks: Are the
characteristics for halflings still going to
be generated by the roll of 3d6 in all
cases? As Method I for such generation
suggests that 4d6 be used, the question
seems rather pointless, shall we say?
66
NOVEMBER 1982
The game rules hold as written, except in

the case of the barbarian sub-class.
However, because it is not a critical rule
in the game, and character ability generation rolls are so frequently a matter for
lying and cheating (where players really
cheat themselves, much as if they cheated at solitaire), methods of generation
which develop a reasonable spread and
do not exceed the 18 maximum dice total
are acceptable house rules. The credence of a campaign using such variant
systems might be suspect, even with so
small a matter.
Simply put, variants of this nature too
often give undue advantage or penalty
with regard to the probability spread as
presented in the rules. Thus, how well
will a player used to such undue advantage, or suffering from lack of experience in some class or race because of
unfair restrictions, do in a tournament
where the correct systems are used? It
should not take a mathematical wizard to
determine that there is a radical difference in the probability curves of the totals of the highest 3 of 4d6 -1 compared
to the total of 4d4! Curves which improve
the characters chances for high ability
scores are more acceptable cheating
always takes place in beginners campaigns anyway. They do penalize participants, however, as they do not prepare
them for the facts of life in a real cam-
paign, let alone a tournament situation.

Overall, the probability curves given
should be respected. They work exactly
as they should in relationship to the
whole game system.
Another aside pertained to height and
weight. The letter-writer held that height
should determine weight. Perhaps that
chap has never seen a short, fat person
or a tall, thin one. Somatyping could be
interesting, but why put it into a game
already fraught with many tables and
charts?
Speaking of tables and charts, I do
have one severe problem with my own
game system. I got talked into doing the
complicated and time-consuming series
for grappling, pummeling, and overbearing in a weak moment. I have regretted
them ever since. I tend to use a very simple system which we initially developed
for such close-quarters combat in about
1974. Being a glutton for punishment, I
am now asking all of you Gentle Players
to give me your comments on the matter.
Am I alone in disliking the rules and systems for weaponless combat as presented? Do you wish something different?
Should the whole matter be more precise? Would you enjoy such combat
more if it was accomplished with greater
alacrity and simpler rules? Here is your
chance to influence the course of the
matter.
The Role of Books, Part One
Myth, legend, and folklore

by Lewis Pulsipher
Every fantasy role-playing game derives its substance from ancient and medieval myths, legends, and folklore. Depending on the length of a games rules
and the number and type of supplements, modules, and articles associated
with the game that have been published,
some of the traditional sources have
been converted directly into rules for
monsters or encounters. But no game
has yet more than covered the tip of the
great iceberg of our mythic foundations.
No single person can read a substantial fraction of the original tales passed
to us by hundreds of poets, saga-writers,
and priests. But books which summarize
aspects of this traditional fiction can be
great sources of ideas for game referees
and players. Some of the more useful
and well known references on myth, legend and folklore are these:
Bulfinchs Mythology
This is the most well known summary

of myths and legends. It can be found in
most libraries, and is in print in a variety
of forms. Thomas Bulfinch retells the
stories which are, after all, the heart of

myth nothing could have survived unless the story was good enough to be
told and retold verbally for centuries.
Bulfinch deliberately avoids the dictionary form of presentation, which can be
rather dry, and also stays away from direct translation, which can also be dry
and which would fill vast numbers of
pages. For gamers, the form of presentation used in Mythology is enjoyable while
retaining enough detail to allow the
translation of a story or an aspect of a
story into an encounter, a monster, or a
non-player character.
The three books (originally published
in the 1860s) which make up the Mythology trio are Age of Fable, primarily dealing with Greek, Roman and Norse myth
and legend; Age of Chivalry, which covers Arthur, the Mabinogeon (Welsh) legends, Robin Hood, and other stories of
English knighthood; and Legends of
Charlemagne. The Fable section is half
again as long as Chivalry, which is slightly longer than Charlemagne; in the Random House edition I read, the combined
book amounts to almost 700 pages.
The combined work is available in an
abridged version for $2.75, or as three

books for about $2 each. Ive also seen a
Random House hardcover edition for
$6.95 in the local university bookstore,
but Im not sure this can still be ordered
from the publisher.
Larousse World Mythology
While Bulfinch is the standard for the

story version of myths and legends,
this book compiled for a famous French
publishing house is the standard for the
scientific version, we might say. Each
section is written by an expert, and while
the stories themselves are mentioned
and described, and the format is quite
readable, there is more emphasis on
analysis and comprehensive coverage. It
is categorized by nation or area, and it
covers every part of the world. The bibliography will be useful to those wishing
to go further into a particular mythos.
Because of its value as a reference work
it is virtually an encyclopedia I
would be surprised to find any substantial non-specialist library which did not
have some edition of this work, though it
is presently out of print.
(Continued on following page)
How to use these books and not spend a fortune

Many of the books examined in this
column (and future columns in this series) will be available only in fairly expensive editions, or will be out of print.
Since most of the books will only be indirectly valuable to gamers, as opposed to
actual game aids which are directly applicable to a game, few readers will want
to lay out large sums to purchase the
books even if theyre available. So how
can you avoid spending the money and
still use and enjoy the books?
First, you can borrow them from your
local public library, or read them in a
library. College and university libraries
are probably more likely to have a given
book, but even if you cant borrow books
from such libraries, many will allow you
to use their books in the building. It
doesnt hurt to phone or visit to ask
about the librarys policy.
If libraries you can use dont have a
book you want, you can ask them to buy
it if its still in print. Perhaps the library
will be inclined to take the requests of
adults more seriously than those of
younger persons, but in any case most
librarians want to know what their patrons are interested in. Once again, it
doesnt hurt to ask, and if you and several friends all request the same book (at
different times), the library is more likely

to buy it. In some cases showing the librarian a copy of the column from this
magazine may help.
If your local library wont purchase the
book, or cant because its out of print,
ask about an inter-library loan policy.
Any library can borrow books from another library, even one in another state.
There will be very few books a library
cant borrow from somewhere, but the
question is how much it might cost you.
Some libraries charge patrons nothing,
others sometimes charge and sometimes
dont, depending on whether the lending
library charges the borrowing library,
and some libraries routinely charge the
patron for their trouble. A typical charge
can vary from a few dollars to as much as
ten dollars a book. But it wont cost you
anything to ask what they charge. Generally youll be able to keep the book a
week or two, usually no more.
If none of these avenues bears fruit, try
looking for the book in second-hand
bookstores. Prices are, naturally, much
lower than list, yet a used book is just as
readable as a new book. Ask around.
If there arent many second-hand
bookstores in your area, you can consider mail-order booksellers. A few of
them sell used books, but most specialize in publishers overstocks and remainders. Overstocks are sold because the
publisher feels it has more copies on
hand than it can sell normally through
bookstores. By selling its extra books
cheaply, the publisher reduces inventory and consequently reduces taxes and
storage costs. Remainders are books for
which there is no further demand from
bookstores. The publisher sells them at a
large discount to a mail-order firm, since
some revenue is better than none. In
either case, the books cost around half
of list price, plus postage (which is less
per book the more books you order at
one time). The mail-order catalogs describe each book in one sentence or one
paragraph (with some exaggeration, I
might add), and books are categorized
by subject. For a free catalog, write to
one or both of these mail-order houses:
Barnes & Noble, 126 Fifth Ave.,
New York NY 10011
Publishers Central Bureau,
1 Champion Ave., Avenel NJ 07001
If you decide to buy a book new, remember most books that are in print are
not on the shelves of the average bookshop. Most shops will order a book for
you at no extra cost if it isnt in stock.
DRAGON 67
A Dictionary of World Mythology

by Arthur Cotterell (G. P. Putnam)
Unlike the Larousse, which dates from

1963, this is a recently compiled work. It
may be called a dictionary rather than
an encyclopedia, but the entries are
much longer than those in a typical
Websters. And, unlike a dictionary, Cotterells work is first subdivided into seven
subject areas (by geography). Within
each area, following a substantial introduction, are alphabetical listings.
This book may be even less storyoriented than Larousse, but it is sensibly
written and thorough. Moreover, if you
want a copy of a comprehensive reference work, you may be able to afford this
at $12.95, whereas Larousse is out of
print and would cost $30 or more if it was
available. (Ive seen a $5.95 Dictionary in
the aforementioned university bookstore,
but that particular edition isnt listed in
Books in Print.)
To give you an idea of the depth and

detail of the coverage, the sections are
West Asia (including Egypt, Sumer, Babylon, Canaan, Asia Minor, Persia, and
Arabia); South and Central Asia (India,
Sri Lanka, Tibet); East Asia (Siberia,
Mongolia, China, Japan, Southeast Asia);
Europe (Greece, Rome, Celtic lands,
Northern and Eastern Europe); America
(North, Central, and South); Africa (the
Sahara, West Coast, East and South

Africa, and Madagascar); and Oceania.
Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
This has been a standard reference

work for over 100 years, and it has been
frequently revised. But the emphasis is
definitely on phrase, not fable; while
one can find meanings and derivation of
many interesting expressions, there is
not enough here to make the book worth
a gamers time. The entries for such
standard fantasy terms and names as
dragon and Hercules arent long
enough to tell you anything you didnt
already know.
Motif-index of Folk Literature
by Stith Thompson; 6 vols. (revised
edition), 1955-58, Indiana U. Press
This work was a landmark among folklore specialists when it first appeared,
but because of its limited appeal to the
non-specialist youll be lucky to find it in
any but large university libraries. However, it may be worth some effort to find,
because no other work can provide the
sheer volume of ideas for fantasy roleplaying that this one does. No one would
want to read these books the way youd
read a novel or a volume of history, or
even the aforementioned Cotterells Dictionary; but it can be dipped into, pencil
at hand, and if nothing else it will exercise and lubricate your imagination.
The subtitle describes the contents: a
classification of narrative elements in
folk tales, ballads, myths, fables, mediaeval [sic] romances, exempla, fabliaux, jest books and local legends. In
other words, every motif or simple plot
element in a vast array of literature is
categorized and listed more than 3,000
pages of information and inspiration.
For example, a part of one page lists the
motif Magic object protects followed
by a sub-motif of magic object protects
a city and the sub-sub-motif city impregnable while statue remains; then
back to another sub-motif with magic
fire surrounds and protects and so on.
In many cases, at least one tale using the
motif is referred to, but I doubt that any
of us would bother to look one up. These
motif lists are obviously sources of ideas
for adventures or magic items. (A section on Magic fills most of volume 2.)
The work as a whole is so exhaustive
(and exhausting, if you read for too long)
that youre bound to encounter some notions youve not run across before. I garnered several hundred ideas from the
work when I read it five years ago.
Probably only a dedicated referee will go
to the trouble to use it, but hell find that
the books repay a few hours study.
TROLLPAK leaves little to be filled in

Reviewed by Ken Rolston
An imaginative and alien culture is
created and detailed in TROLLPAK. Before this gaming product appeared, nonhuman races had been primarily conceived of a one-dimensional, stereotyped
villains with fangs, sketchily described
mostly in terms of their combat abilities,
since it is presumed that most of the social intercourse between humans and
non-humans would be at the point of a
sword. Trollpak, however, is a clever and
entertaining look at the nature and culture of trolls. This RuneQuest supplement, produced by Chaosium Inc. and
available for $18, contains three books,
two separate scenario descriptions, player handouts containing common knowledge and rumors about trolls, and a large
map of a section of Glorantha where
trolls abound. The materials can easily
be used as either the core of a complete
campaign, supplemental encounters for
an already existing campaign, or as a
supplement to the lore concerning Glorantha, the fantasy world setting for
RuneQuest games.
The first book, Uz Lore, sets forth the

mythological, historical, biological, and
sociological background of troll culture.
The 64 pages of this book are liberally
illustrated with drawings, charts, and
68
NOVEMBER 1982
maps; the text covers a span from the

trolls creation myths (critical to understanding their non-human psychology
and motivations) up through contemporary histories of the part trolls have
played in the affairs of Glorantha.
These trolls, by the way, are not based
on the trolls of Scandinavian legend, nor
on childhood fairy tales, nor on the colorless trolls of the AD&D system: they
are a unique and imaginatively conceived
race. Their biology and culture is distinctly alien. For example, they can literally eat anything; their digestive systems
are designed to wrench nutrients from
dirt and stones and even, as legend
would have it, from thin air. Their senses
are unlike human senses; their primary
sense organ is a kind of sonar.
Throughout the text may be found little marginal notes on such details as
posture and body-language, eating habits, philosophy, life span, and funeral
rites. The overall effect of this volume is a
sympathetic portrait of a creature very
different from man, yet characterized by
a sense of dignity and honor that must be
recognized with respect, even in the face
of behavior that humans may find repulsive, brutal, or simply incomprehensible.
Book II, Book of Uz, explains how
trolls may be used as player characters,
and provides descriptions of the major
cults and religious practices of the trolls.

Also contained is a bestiary of the common species domesticated by trolls
giant insects. These insects are used as
riding mounts, herd beasts, and hunting
beasts. Given mans innate repugnance
for insects, this detail further emphasizes the alien nature of troll lifestyles.
Book III, Into Uzdom, contains five major scenarios highlighting various facets
of troll culture, as well as several smaller
encounters a troll trade caravan
(complete with the troll equivalent of
trucks giant praying mantises), mothborne troll assassins, and a locust-riding
tribe of nomads. One of the major scenarios is a trade mission to a larger troll
village, where player characters are encouraged to meet trolls on friendly, or at
least not hostile, terms. The central dramatic confrontation in this scenario is
man vs. drink: the players are challenged to a drinking contest in which the
beverages are of troll manufacture. Considering the literally omnivorous digestive abilities of the trolls, it is possible to
appreciate the perils of their equivalent
of moonshine.
Also included in this book is the marvelous mini-game Trollball, the non-human equivalent of football. Much may be
understood about mans basic nature by
looking at the games he plays, and the
same is true of trolls. Trollball is violent

and brutal, full of heroic struggles and
sly cheating; the ball is a degenerate
form of troll, called a trollkin, which is
dragged, tossed about, and kicked like a
football (though there is a penalty for
intentionally maiming the trollkin). The
ball squirms about and occasionally
escapes, and must be pursued before it
reaches the safety of the sidelines. This
scenario includes statistics for the premier trollball team, the Sazdorf Wackers
and Tacklers, so the gamemaster may pit
player characters against a top troll team
in a special challenge match. Smart
money should probably end up betting
on the Sazdorf trolls.
The general virtues of Trollpak are
numerous. The package is written in a
very readable style; it mixes detailed narratives and essays with marginal notes,
charts, and diagrams in a multi-media
approach that is perfect for browsing or
careful reading. The style is both dramatic and humorous by turns. There are
moving reflections on the cruel and tragic nature of existence from the perspective of the troll; there are also some delightfully amusing incongruities of troll
behavior and physiology.
Most particularly, I like to quote from a
scholarly treatment of an experiment to
determine the eating preferences of
trolls, The scholars method was to imprison a troll in a room with a wide assortment of objects and foodstuffs, noting the order in which the troll consumed
the items. This is what the troll ate on the
first day: a vellum scroll, two sealskin
boots, a leather vest, a beaded Praxian
headband, 50 grams of red sealing wax,
a tomato, a potato, two liters of seawater,
and an oaken staff.
The background material and scenarios are full of dramatic situations, and
they provide for many different styles of
play. There are opportunities for inspired
role-playing and for aggressive strategic
and tactical exercises.
There is little fault to be found with
Trollpak. My only caution to the gamesmaster using these materials is to be
careful about using the numerous NPCs
described for most encounters. It is difficult for a referee to handle so many creatures in a melee, and with the additional
complication of insects usable as aerial
mounts, combat can get very involved
and time-consuming. This package is
better suited to role-playing adventures
than to full-scale assaults, though the
trolls are certainly imposing warriors.
Simply said, Trollpak is awfully good.
The perspective is imaginative, the style
entertaining and readable, and the materials intelligently designed and replete
with dramatic and challenging adventures. For RuneQuest gamers, it is required equipment; for gamers using other systems, it is a model for detailed development of a non-human race stimulating and amusing.
DRAGON
69
Convention
schedule
AUTUMN REVEL, Nov. 6-7 The staff of
TSR Hobbies, Inc., presents another miniconvention at the American Legion Hall,
735 Henry St., Lake Geneva, Wis. Doors
open at 9 a.m., closing at midnight Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5
for the weekend or $3 for one day, and all
game events are free of charge.
MDG WINTER GAMEFEST, Nov. 12-14
This convention staged by the Metro Detroit Gamers will be held in Cobo Hall in
Detroits downtown convention center.
For information, write: MDG, W-11 Info,
Box 656, Wyandotte Ml 48192.
WESTERN RECON, Nov. 12-14 Fritz
Leiber and Richard & Wendy Pini are
among the guests of honor for this fantasy/sf/game convention, to be held at the
Tri-Arc Travelodge, Salt Lake City. For
more information, contact Karl Miller, 837
N. University Village, Salt Lake City UT
84108, phone (801)-582-6076.
CONTRADICTION 2, Nov. 19-21 This
science-fiction gathering will be held at
Johns Niagara Hotel in Niagara Falls,
N.Y. For details, write to Contradiction,
234 Crescent Ave. #8, Buffalo NY 14214.
70
NOVEMBER 1982
DRAGON 71
72
N OVEMBER 1982
74
NOVEMBER 1982
76
NOVEMBER 1982
DRAGON
77
78
NOVEMBER 1982
DRAGON 79
80
NOVEMBER 1982
Printed in the U.S.A.

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What changes have occurred in the leadership of Dragon Publishing and Dragon Magazine?

What changes have occurred in the leadership of Dragon Publishing and Dragon Magazine?

What is the new publisher's role and plans for the magazine?

What is the new publisher's role and plans for the magazine?

DRAGON

Dragon Publishing has a new boss, and

Mike moved into the job previously held by

ust in case anyone was thinking that there are no

Vol. VII, No. 6

Publisher: Mike Cook

Were human, just like Mr. Townsend, and

Further, the attacks of the Yellow, Orange,

Is Japanese your first language? Are

As with illusionists (see last issue), magic-users also have a

Number 2nd Level

Flaming Sphere Item

magic-user causes a selected area to react to the presence of

course, a caster of sufficiently high level to qualify for a camel

Area of Effect: 3 diam. cylinder up to 72 high

rope, ladder rungs, weapon handle, etc. Lone material objects

calls a normal animal to serve him or her as a mount. The animal

Explanation/Description: When this spell is cast, all water

creases, and increase length by 50% when diameter is halved.

Wizard Mark (Alteration)

Explanation/Description: When this spell is employed, the

Flaming Sphere (Alteration-Evocation)

Tashas Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter (Evocation)

Explanation/Description: This spell enables the caster to

Melfs Acid Arrow (Evocation)

Area of Effect: 3 diam. cylinder up to 6 high

OFFICIAL AD&D MONSTERS FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN

Once upon a time elves were more

1982 E. Gary Gygax. All rights reserved.

Two new non-good elf types, Valley

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Traps

INTELLIGENCE: Average and up

the Cooshee, or elven dog. Some of our

FREQUENCY: Very rare

SPECIAL ATTACKS: +1 with bow or

SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below

INTELLIGENCE: High and up

Whether they are a separate race of

A cooshee, or elven dog, is found only

In Operation: Rapidstrlke (TS003), Doctor Yes (DRAGON

experience points say the Bureau Bonus is awarded "if the

What are the unofficial Levels, Designations, and Experience

Why isnt the British Secret Service listed in Appendix Four of

Exterminators. His last known Personal Trait Values were:

matic fire quickly disintegrates the baffles of most silencers.

In reference to the Projectile Stopping Power chart in

How do you find an agents proficiency at snow skiing, and

Is J.B. in the module Doctor Yes (DRAGON #48) actually

What is the difference between a fragmentation grenade

spider contain nerves that are sensitive

then stretched, pulled, and combed to

come out as a sticky blob from 6-12

Net-throwing spider and Fishing spider

up). A pike might reach, but this would

within 10 feet, a roll of 5 or less; and for

larger than that of the spiders body. The