The RPG Times Nov. 1, 1996. Vol 1 Issue #11 Table of Contents: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRPS President's Note - Michael Popovich Editor's Note - Karen Mizeri IRPS Monthly Status Report - David Knisley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monthly Columns: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rambling Thoughts - Kosala Ubayasekara Top Ten List - John "BJ" Tomkins -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Role Playing Aides -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Demons - Type Y - Yuppies - Meera Barry Insanity Tables - Karen Mizeri -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fiction: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Assassins - Tim Elford AND Goran Zidar Fireside Chat - John "BJ" Tomkins Freedom: Part 1 - Kosala Ubayasekara -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monthly Classified Ads: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: IRPS Link Button Subject: Convention: Knight March '97 Subject: Final Fantasy Subject: Calling All Authors! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- President's Note Michael Popovich -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well met everyone! As usual, I must commend the IRPS newsletter staff, they have been holding regular meetings at 9:30 PM EST on Mondays. You're all welcome to join them on undernet IRC to offer suggestions or help out. :) Also, membership seems to be stabilizing out right now. Our membership looks as if it will hold at around 2000 members by the end of the year. I'm thinking about redoing the entire web page, and if anyone would like to help out in the design, feel free to email me (mlp26745@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu) for more information. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Editor's Note Karen Mizeri -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greetings all! The hard working staff of The RPG Times is proud to present to you the first issue of the E-Zine. This can be accessed by a link from the IRPS homepage, or at . It is our sincere hope it is enjoyed by all. If you have any suggestions or would like to assist please feel free to email me or the appropriate department head. As always I thank all who have submitted and helped to make this endeavor a success. Please also note that we will be accepting submissions of original work of graphics, the guidelines are listed below. Karen Mizeri -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Guidelines for submission of original artwork- Hi all! My name is Kosala and I am in charge of the graphics department for The RPG Times. When submitting original artwork for the mag I would like you all to keep the following guidelines in mind. 1) Maximum file size for each artwork submitted is 50K 2) The artwork should be preferable already in .gif or .jpeg format. You can send them to me in other formats also, if you have trouble converting them. However all artwork included in the mag will be converted to .gif or .jpeg format, if not already in that state. 3) Send copies of your work, not originals. 4) Include a name for the artwork. Include also the artists name, and email address if applicable. Looking forward to seeing all your work! Regards, Kosala -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRPS Monthly Status Report David Knisley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have finished the rough draft of the Ability table and what the numbers mean. Now I am using the information provided by everyone so some fine tuning may be needed. I want to preface the table with this statement, I have set this up so that the computer can do all the rolling and work when it has been given the numbers. This will allow the PC's and GM's to concentrate on role-playing while still being able to hack and slash. To start off with all PC's should decide on a race. This will allow people to play whatever type of character they want, knowing the adjustment before going in. I have used three default races and I added one of my own. I would like each of the Star Council of Jehlan to send me a race complete with a description and possible +'s and -'s to be added to the list. Of note this list is by no means complete and new races will be added as the game progresses. Please look at the to added races and their more complete descriptions in the attachments. Here is the Abilities +'s and -'s chart: ABILITY ADJUSTMENTS FOR RACE: HUMANS: Strength: 0 Fitness: 0 Knowledge: 0 Wit: 0 Coordination: 0 Influence: 0 Appeal: 0 Speed: +1 ELF: Strength: -1 Fitness: 0 Knowledge: 0 Wit: -1 Coordination: +1 Influence: 0 Appeal: +2 Speed: 0 DWARF: Strength: +2 Fitness: +3 Knowledge: -1 Wit: -1 Coordination: -1 Influence: -1 Appeal: 0 Speed: -1 GELVIN: Strength: -4 Fitness: -3 Knowledge: +4 Wit: +1 Coordination: +3 Influence: 0 Appeal: -3 Speed: -1 NAR: Strength: +3 Fitness: +2 Knowledge: 0 Wit: -2 Coordination: +1 Influence: -2 Appeal: -1 Speed: -1 WYRAIN: Strength: 0 Fitness: +1 Knowledge: +1 Wit: -2 Coordination: +1 Influence: -3 Appeal: -3 Speed: +1 Now for what the numbers mean. Remember we are using a scale from -10 to +10 as range and using the Percent die to hit. (1-100%) I am assuming we will start with the base of 50% as was mentioned previously I propose that every PC start with zero's across the board, except for the racial adjustments, and instead of rolling a number to assign to each Ability allow the PC's to place 8 points in whichever Abilities they choose. Then for every level they go up they gain 3 points to place in whichever Ability/Abilities they see fit. They may place all of the points in one or split them up. The only exception to this rule is the Ability of Appeal, as I feel you get what you are born with and making yourself more attractive is very difficult. As such in order to raise Appeal after the first 8 points are used, 2 points must be expended for every 1 point of Appeal gained. Here are the descriptions for the abilities: STRENGTH: Every number above zero gives you +2% to hit and every 2 numbers above zero add +1 to damage, using hand held weapons. Thus a Strength of +6 would yield +12% bonus to hit and +3 to damage. On the other hand a Strength of -4 would give a -8% to hit and a -2 to damage. FITNESS: Every 3 numbers above zero adds 1 HP (Health point) per level. Thus a Fitness of +3 at 5th level would add 5 HP's. Or a Fitness of +6 at 7th level would add 14 HP's. Conversely a Fitness of -3 at 7th level would SUBTRACT 7 HP's. KNOWLEDGE: Every number above zero adds 5% to damage (cumulative) to spell effects. Thus a Wizard with a Knowledge of +7 would do 135% normal damage. As such a spell with the HP's damage of 1d10 could do as much as 10 X 1.35 = 13.5 or 14 HP's when rounded up. (Obviously having a negative Knowledge for a spell caster is not recommended.) WIT: Decreases all spell damage by 4% per number above zero. Thus a Fighter with a Wit of +4 would take only 84% damage from a spell. As such the above mentioned spell that would do 1d10 damage could only do a maximum of: 10 X .84 = 8.4 or 8 HP's when rounded down. (I don't think I have to explain rounding do I?) The opposite would also be true as in the case of the Wizard with a -2 Wit. All damage would be increased by 8%, so that the same 1d10 damage could be at a maximum: 10 X 1.08 = 10.8 or 11 HP's when rounded up. COORDINATION: Reduces damage from PHYSICAL ATTACKS by 2% per number above zero. Thus a Thief with a Coordination value of +8 would receive only 84% of the damage from a sword blow. Whereas a Priest with a Coordination of -5 would receive 110% damage from a dagger. INFLUENCE: Each number above zero represents the ability to maintain 2 followers. (We can expand this as we go.) APPEAL: For each number above zero the individual receives a +10% bonus on likability and reaction rolls. But, as mentioned before, the only way to raise Appeal after using the first 8 discretionary points is by "paying" 2 for 1. Obviously Appeal can have the negative affects for numbers less than zero, down to zero for Elephant Man. SPEED: For every 5 numbers above zero an extra attack per attack sequence is gained. Maximum of 3 attacks per sequence, no matter how many wishes are used to get above +10. And if the Speed is -5 the individual gets only one attack every 2 attack sequences, and for a -10 (God help this poor slep!) the individual only gets on attack for every 3 attack periods. Now I do have one idea that I would like some input on. I think we should allow players to trade 2 points for raising another ability 1 point. An example of this would be a Fighter that wants to be the race Gelvin. (Taking advantage of that races special abilities while loosing much Strength.) In order to even meet the basic requirements of being a Fighter (which you can see latter in this message) the player would have to take points from elsewhere to make the necessary +1 for Strength and +2 for Fitness. This would let us have a much wider range of characters and classes. RACE DESCRIPTIONS HUMANS: Humans are the most versatile of the races. They are allowed to be of any class and may advance to the limit of each class. Although they do not receive some of the special abilities, Humans are the most abundant and flourish in every corner of the globe. ELVES: A generally kind and attractive folk, Elves tend to live a more carefree lifestyle and prefer to live for the pleasure of life. They are generally shorter and lighter than most Humans, but have developed along the same evolutionary pattern. Elves are a long lived race, and their lifespans are only matched by that of the Gelvin. Elves and Gelvin do not general get along and they tend to mistrust one another. Besides the added Abilities scores Elves are very adept at hearing noises, 1-3 on 1d8 die. They are also able to see into part of the infrared spectrum allowing them to see in complete darkness. Lastly Elves are able to communicate with most woodland animals that occur naturally. DWARVES: Dwarves tend to be short and robust. They have a love of drink and good times. They are also lovers of fine gems and jewelry. They usually live in caverns or mines they have dug in search of such high quality stones. Dwarves are distrustful of all magic, except that which is preformed by the Shamans (Priests) of their clans. Dwarves tend to live about twice as long as Humans. They are also able to see into the infrared area of the light spectrum as Elves do, allowing them to see in total darkness. Dwarves can detect traps in caverns, shifting walls, and new construction when concentrating on a roll of 1-4 on 1d10 die. GELVIN: Gelvin are a troll-like race that is naturally very intelligent and reclusive. (They look similar to Yoda from Star Wars.) Gelvin are also very agile having extraordinary coordination. Gelvin do not normally marry and only meet to mate and then separate. Gelvin feel misunderstood most of the time, hence their wish to be alone. Gelvin have several very interesting advantages. The first of which is their ability to see into the ultra-violet end of the light spectrum. The depth of this ability is not fully understood but it allows them to see in virtually every situation. Gelvin possess, to a limited degree, the ability to read other creatures thoughts and emotions. They are able to discern between truth and lies most of the time. Gelvin are also able breath under water as well as on land, this is the least understood aspect of the race and they can be found at times living with schools of fish underwater. Gelvin like Elves are able to communicate with most naturally occurring life, including aquatic species. NAR The Nar are a hardy race of peoples who have spent their years in the mountains, but not in caves like the dwarves. They tend to be a little shorter than humans, but are built larger. They are sometimes confused with humans at a distance, and the smallest of the Nar have been mistaken for elves. The Nar generally live from 150 to 200 years. Nar are a hard working bunch, and look it. They are strongly built and have a deeply ingrained work ethic from surviving many centuries in the rough land of mountains. They work hard, but play hard as well. When the work is done, they are the first ones to the inn. Nar have infravision to 30', and have a superior ability to recognize and work with rock. They cannot determine slope underground as dwarves, but surface rock work is their forte. They are also superior farmers. They can assist in growing crops or other plant material in poor or rocky soil. WYRIAN The Wyrians are scaly desert-dwellers that have harnessed the natural powers and mystical influences of the deserts. Their scaly skin suggests a draconian influence, although it is a brown color with varying patterns symmetrically organized down their backs. The more distinctive the patterns, the more opportunities for positions in the higher echelons in society. That is also a gauge of attractiveness to that people. The faces of the people are relatively humanoid in appearance, but with wider and slightly extended jaws, and most distinct, the vertical cat-eyes with varying iris colors. The color of the iris never varies from generation to generation, and does not fade by cross-breeding. Whichever partner is dominant, his/her eye color will show in all children. There is no dominant color, per se, but each couple has a child to find out. The dominant individual determines the color of the children's eyes. This encourages joining within the "family" so to speak, as extreme political and social problems erupt when a blue joins a female brown, and the children turn out brown. Not only is the male subject to humiliation, but he is cast from the blue family, and, while the child is joyously accepted by the brown family, the blue eye is relegated to second society. Presently, the royal family is the yellow-eye, the rarest of eye colors. The center of the mystical and religious training is based in the white-eyes clan. This clan is unique due to the master mystic, who as a part of the induction as the master, always turns albino. The master mystic appears on an annual basis and selects inductees into the clan. All inductees are from any of the clans, but upon selection, their eyes turn white permanently. Those that are banished or cast out, have eyes that turn black permanently. This led to the creation of the Pretans. This is a renegade group of cast-off mystics and thieves that do not exclude based on eye color, but are a secret society similar to a thieves' guild and magic society combined. Chaos is their guiding nature, but they are not necessarily always of evil intent, jut intent on turning a profit. The only hierarchy here is money, prowess, and magical might. All of the clans gather for a yearly council (along with the master mystic selection) called the Council of the Eyes. There, representatives of all of the eyeclans meet to discuss treaties, water-rights, common enemies, etc. Although the Pretans never participate, they are always present in the town at that time, and fully aware of the proceedings somehow. The Wyrians are a wind-people. Their religion's principal deity is the WindRider, who they credit with powering the strong waves of wind and tempest that blow across the desert. The WindRider is often seen in the shape of a dust pillar that weaves and winds its way through the desert, wreaking judgment on the unfaithful. This is also the foundation of mystical activities, so the Wyrians have mastered wind spells, and have created magical methods of harnessing the wind's power in sand-ships, even great galleons of desert travel. Even the peasantry has received the blessing of WindRider to power small skiffs and other general means of travel. The Wyrians are the primary harvesters of the volcanic FireStone. This spurs a massive trade between oases, the sand caves, and the volcanic sinkholes and fissures. Water is in short supply and is treated as currency along with the firestone. Barter is common (even preferred) here. The Wyrians are rarely tolerant of other races (due to their lack of acceptance among other races) but may allow trade along the borders only. There has never been an occurrence of any non-Wyrian in the Capital of Wyria. Due to this, there are all sorts of tales of the "magical" desert city where gold dust storms ride the winds and mosques of solid silverstone dot the city. While the truth is a little more garish, the Capital city is still a marvel. The border towns are no-less awe-inspiring. Huge plazas where all races gather to trade, barter, steal, and otherwise entertain themselves are the lifeblood of the Wyrian economy. Mundane items like fruits and wood are extremely precious in the interior, so high profits (and extreme risk) are available to the savvy tradesman. These are the strongholds of the Pretans. There are oases scattered throughout the Wyrian desert, each cluster of water is claimed by a particular eyeclan and is virulently protected. Most trade is done at bordertowns, while the central cities are exclusive to eyeclans and invited guests. CHARACTER CLASSES FIGHTER: Any Race Armor: Any Weapon: Any Starting Health Points: 8 + 1d8+4 per level Restrictions: Strength: +1, Fitness: +2 or greater Spells: None PRIEST/PRIESTESS: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Nar, Wyrian Armor: up to chainmail Weapons: No edged weapons or missile fire weapons. Starting Health Points: 6 + 1d6+2 per level Restrictions: Knowledge: +1, Wit: +3, Influence: +2 or greater Spells: 1 Priest spells per level per day THIEF: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Wyrian Armor: leather and boelite only Weapons: Any Starting Health Points: 6 + 1d6+3 per level Restrictions: +2 Coordination, +1 Wit, Speed -1 or greater Spells: See subclasses to come WIZARD: Human, Elf, Gelvin, Nar, Wyrian Armor: none Weapons: Only small hand help weapons Starting Health Points: 5 + 1d6 per level Restrictions: Knowledge +5, Coordination +1, Speed -2 or greater Spells: 2 Wizards spells per level per day ARCHER: Subclass of Fighter. Only Humans. (Gelvin may if they adjust accordingly.) Armor: up to layered Weapons: All missile type weapons, only small hand held weapons. Starting Health Points: 6 + 1d6+1 per level Restrictions: Strength +1, Fitness +2, Coordination +3, Speed 0 or greater Spells: None Special Abilities: The archer starts with a +5% bonus to hit and +2 to damage with any bow or bow-type weapon. (Excluding crossbows) For every three levels he advances he gains an additional +3% to hit and +1 to damage up to a maximum of +20% to hit and +7 to damage. He also gains an extra attack per attack sequence for every 5 levels gained up to level 16. Archers are dedicated woodsman and have tracking and hunting skills. As well as a special animal kinship with the forest and its "normal" inhabitants. I expect to add classes, but this should give us some starting points. We also need to decide on the spells and types. I have an idea that we should have spells up to about 20th level, so that as Wizards and Priests advance they can get new spells for a long period of time. This will also let us avoid describing # of spells for each level, we can just allow them to cast the limit of each level each day. Hence a second level Wizard could cast two 1st level spells per day, and two 2nd level spells per day. ARMOR TYPES AND RATINGS ARMOR Protection/Damage Absorption Boelite 1 Health Point Leather 2 Health Points Layered 4 Health Points Chainmail 6 Health Points Molded Metal 8 Health Points Platemail 10 Health Points SHIELDS Small 1 Health Points Medium 2 Health Points Large 3 Health Points Two-handed 4 Health Points Alright guys that is what I have so far. It should give us some stuff to talk about for a while. Get back to me and tell me what you think. And send me you race ideas. bean6@ix.netcom.com The game grows David Knisley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monthly Columns: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rambling Thoughts Kosala Ubayasekara -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Low-Level Magedom and its Many Perils- The mage has traditionally been one of the most popular of AD&D character classes. The mysticism and thrills surrounding the mage's powers of magic and incantation have enticed many players to adopt them as personas. I am no exception to this rule and I have throughout the years played a number of magic- using characters. In this article I'll share some of my experiences playing a low-level mage. A classic error in building mage characters is to try and give the character abilities that favor a mage, and no others. The greatest asset of the novice mage is not his spells -- for a novice mage has next to no spells at first. On the contrary, a beginning mage must rely on other talents, as the famed magi Earl Munster tells us: "'Tis a mage's cunning and abundance of secondary talents that keep him alive throughout his years of striving towards higher ability and greater magical strength. Doomed to a short life is the mage who can do nothing but cast a spell. " In addition to the usual spells, a mage should be cunning and a quick thinker. Consider, what other talents might mages have picked up during childhood or adolescence? Did the mage grow up on a farm or in a city, perhaps? Either way, he or she surely learned a thing or two in the years of their former life. Non- weapon proficiencies such as cooking, fire-building, singing and dancing skills, and language proficiencies are sorely neglected in the creation of the typical mage. And don't overlook other skills that fit well with a mage's craft. Sleight-of-hand and skill at a game or two never goes remiss, and the mage that can cast a simple illusion and sing a tale to accompany it, need never fear that he will go hungry. Novice mages can rely on their cunning and knowledge to stay alive, for example when encountering a clearly superior foe. Sometimes the obvious combat spells aren't the most useful, particularly to a novice mage. A young mage being attacked by a snarling ogre does not stand his ground casting the only magic missile he has memorized, in the faint hope that it might suddenly do awesome amounts of damage. Once again, choice words by the famed magi Earl Munster serve to clarify the situation: "When I was but a wee mage (burp). Eh...sorry. As I was saying, when I was but a wee mage, it came to pass that I was waylaid by a pack of Orcs. Having already eaten their fill at a nearby village, they were in the mood for sport and toyed with me by jabbing at various parts of my anatomy with their vile weapons. Finding myself in a bit of a dilemma, and knowing that my spell repertoire for the day consisted of a useless acid arrow by some fool named Melf, I resorted to a childhood trick of mine: namely, ventriloquism. By throwing my voice to various parts of the woods and making like a posse of fearless orc-hunters, saying things like 'There they are!', 'Orc meat!', 'Catch them! Kill them! EAT THEM!'. Being Orcs they fell for my clever ploy, as it were book, rhyme, and tinker... or was that soup, brine, and whimper. Ahem, anyway I sent my sole magical arrow speeding into the posterior of one of the retreating Orcs and made haste to get myself as far away from the spot as possible. Thus did I survive to tell this tale today." But aside from depth of talents, and the importance of cunning and quick thinking, there is another arcane blunder many would-be mage builders tend to make: predictability. Many a mage goes through their entire career without once digressing from traditional uses for spells. A mage is more than artillery -- spells like magic missile and fireball are fine and good, but they are not always more effective. Consider, while a magic missile might wound a single foe, a clever application of the grease spell could have an entire platoon of Orcs slipping and falling about themselves. If every time you cross paths with a foe he buries himself in the dust screaming FIREBALL! You know you need to do something about your modus operandi ages tend to overlook the incredibly useful spell 'mending'. Contrary to popular belief, this spell does not only mend cloth: it mends just about every naturally occurring material in need of repair. Yes, this includes the usual leather pouches and water casks, but it also works in other ways: imagine how useful mending would be to a mage in a leaking boat in the middle of a lake. Another underestimated spell is unseen servant. Apart from carrying things and opening doors, it can also serve as a guard. An unseen servant will never be any help in a fight, but it can warn a sleeping mage if a threat enters the vicinity. The reader will no doubt by now be able to think of a multitude of things that can be done with various spells, which may not have occurred to him before. Earl Munster shares some of his inestimable wisdom on the subject: "Once in the adventuring days of my youth -- through no fault of my own, I assure you -- I chanced to greatly angered a dwarf. I will refrain from telling you how that happened, suffice it to say that it had to with his beard, an overzealous flaming sphere, and certain inescapable laws of thermodynamics. But I digress. The dwarf, being of no small strength, picked up a large rock and threatened to crush the life out of me with it. Once again resorting to my wits and cunning, I speedily cast an enlarge spell on the rock. The dwarf, suddenly finding himself with a weight problem and perhaps grasping the gravity of the situation, was forced to drop the rock on his toe. Needless to say, his pain allowed me to make good my escape." The young novice should take note that spells such as enlarge and especially its reverse, reduce, are spells of incredible value even when the novice has risen to great power. These spells in particular have been proven to wonderfully applicable in the opening of regular locked doors. The number of practical applications for those novice spells are innumerable and not to be under- estimated. The simple cantrip has such a miscellany of practical and even potentially life-saving uses that it would take a whole volume to cover them all. Disturbing a mage's concentration during casting being merely one of them. Another great spell that is sorely underused is 'grease'. Have you ever witness the surprise of a fighter, whom during his attack finds his weapon slipping out of his suddenly greased grasp? Lastly, the novice mage as well as the more experienced magi should take time to develop a personal style and trademark to their spell casting. Be unique: do different things with known spells. Keep your foes guessing: it is not so much what spells you cast, but how you cast them that decides whether or not you are a skilled magus. I was intending to have Earl Munster say something in closing, but upon my request he got so engaged in the correct phrasing of a quote by some famous Bard , he began to tear out what was left of his hair in frustration. The resulting string of words was sadly, unprintable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jenn Millington Underhill the Hidden World -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Underhill is the land of the Faeries hidden from mortal man's eyes. On Halloween the veil between mortal and Faerie world grows thin and it is rumored that sometimes a mortal can pass through to the world of Faerie. The world of Faerie is a wondrous place. You will find trees ripe with fruit even in autumn or winter as there is no change of season there. The temperature is always warm. Also, things do not age in the world of Faerie. Unfortunately the world of Faerie has its flaws. The rate of time in Faerie differs from the mortal world. If you were to stay in Faerie for one day you might find 14 days or more to have passed. Also, if you eat the food of the faeries you will be trapped in the Faerie world. Another favorite of the Faeries is the faerie ring. If a mortal joins a dance in the faerie ring he will be trapped in the dance for at least seven mortal years. The only way to rescue a captive is to stand on the outside of the ring and pull them out as they dance by. However, make sure you have protection from the faeries as you are sure to feel their wrath for this action. How does one protect themselves from the faeries. The following are rumored to be effective remedies: turning one's clothes inside out, bells, cold iron, running water, holy prayers, holy symbols, salt, rowan and red thread, daisy chains, horseshoes, St. John's wort and a staff made of ash. If you wish to find the Faeries and suspect a hill of containing faeries you can reveal it by walking nine times counterclockwise on the night of a full moon. However, caution must be used here as the faeries dislike being idly disturbed by mortals. Changelings are often put in the place of your newborn baby by faeries. There are a few ways to protect against changelings. You can place cold iron above the cradle. However, the best remedy is to have your baby blessed by a priest. In the case of abusive parents faeries will always try to steal away a child and leave behind a changeling as faeries are very protective of children. Changelings will normally sicken and die within two weeks. There are many different types of faeries but here are a few to be cautious of: Will o' the wisp looks like a flame or a lantern and will normally lead travelers to their doom. Bogies are shape changing faeries that can prove quite dangerous as they will lead men to their doom or can just play mischievous pranks on people. Phooka is a shape changing faerie which will normally take the form of a friendly pony. However, beware climbing on his back as he will take you for a wild ride before dumping you in a ditch. Redcaps are very dangerous. These evil faeries dye their caps red with the blood of their human victims. Leanan-Sidhe are very dangerous faeries. They seem to be beautiful women who will approach handsome young men. They will feed on his life-force and in return give him the most wondrous artistic ability. The young men fed upon by these creatures are the most renowned poets, artists and musicians but live very short lives. The Kelpie is a water faerie which will pull its victims into the water and drown them. There are many water faeries some of which will drown their victims like the kelpie and others which will steal a man away to live with them underwater and can bestow the gift of breathing water on their victims. The brownie is a very helpful faerie. He will keep your house clean and tidy and repair it for you. In exchange all he expects is a bowl of milk each night. Remember, there are a few faeries that will help you out, but generally it is best to avoid the faerie realms as there can be real dangers in associating with the faeries. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top Ten List John A. Tomkins (gr8dm@acronet.net) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cyrus Lenn's Top Ten Famous Mage's Not So Famous Spells 10. Tenser's Floating Cup and Saucer. 9. Leomund's Comfy Outhouse. 8. Mordenkainen's Playful Puppy. 7. Otiluke's Round and Shiny Sphere. 6. Melf's Ass Arrow. 5. Evard's Black Testicles. 4. Rary's Cheat Sheet. 3. Drawmij's Somewhat Less than Instant Summons. 2. Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Accent. And the number one Not So Famous Spell, 1. Bigby's Insulting Gesture. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Role Playing Aides -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Demons - Type Y - Yuppies Meera Barry (mabarry@abwam.com) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YUPPIE MANAGEMENT CHART I TYPES OF YUPPIES 00 Demonic Yuppie 01--04 Spawn of Yuppie 05--09 True Yuppie 10--14 WereYuppie 15--29 Slumming Yuppie 30--44 Jogging Yuppie 45--61 Dieting Yuppie 62--70 Faux Yuppie 71--76 Ex-Hippie 77--83 RebelYuppie without a Cause 84--90 Yuppie in Denial 91--98 New YorkYuppie 99 Yup-Yup-Yuppie DEMONIC YUPPIES: You say, "What a redundancy!" No, no, no...these are true demons. They manipulate stock markets, cast sulfuric curses, and bargain BMW's for souls. Their blood is thick and blue, and they're always wearing suits and ties. SPAWN OF YUPPIE: Small child-yuppies, literally spawned from their larger counterparts. Native to malls, especially stores that sell faux gold, white imitation leather purses, and the most sticky and stainable flavours of ice-cream. Can steal money if they get too close. TRUE YUPPIE: This is the yuppie who knows he/she is a yuppie. They live in the suburbs, with a house painted in pastels...and, well, they kind of like it. This type is dangerous because they make yuppiedom sound so...reasonable. WEREYUPPIE: A WereYuppie is not a true Yuppie...except that their tastes are expensive, their sense of style lacking, and they tend to change into Yuppies near malls and sports car accessory shops. SLUMMING YUPPIES: This is an encounter of from 2 to 6 yuppies, male if it's outdoors, female if indoors. They're on their way to a cocktail party, and think they can rough it up and pretend to be an adventurer. The males will insist on a ritual bout of wrestling, but they are poor losers. The females will insist on a ritual bout of nose-powdering, but they are poor losers. JOGGING YUPPIES: The true warriors of the Yuppie race, they can bowl over most anything in their path. A jogging yuppie encounter goes two ways; either they bowl the group over, or they challenge the group to a run with them. Think of the second like being made to be a hound in the Wild Hunt. Players who survive will be disoriented, lost, and exhausted, unlike the jogging yuppies who will continue. DIETING YUPPIES: Perhaps not the strongest Yuppies, these are the meanest. These believe they must lose weight (current weight not withstanding) and their personalities have suffered for it. Obsessed about food; sometimes they will lash out at plump PC's. FAUX YUPPIE: The poseurs of Yuppiedom, these are yuppies who are trying too hard to be something else, from psuedopunks, psuedogeeks, and psuedogoths...but their true Yuppie nature eventually leaks out...usually near alcohol. EX-HIPPIE: The saddest of the Yuppie types, these were once believers in free love, peace, drugs, and now...they vote Republican. Should be shot on sight to put them out of their misery. REBEL YUPPIE WITHOUT A CAUSE: These psuedo-do-gooders embrace popular 'save the world' fads, with a vengeance. They're environmentalists, new agers, and their cars are painted that 'environmental evergreen' color. They chastise you for eating meat, cut down redwoods for magic chopsticks, cut open 10,000 year old geodes for crystals, and don't think anything of their excess. YUPPIE IN DENIAL: These are the Yuppies you feel most for, as much as they deny their yuppie nature, the cravings continue. They have a higher style/taste rating than their peers. NEW YORK YUPPIE: What the jogging yuppies are for strength, these yuppies are for speed...of words. New York Yuppies are naturally rude, naturally fast, and naturally...they expect to get their way. YUP-YUP-YUPPIE: These are simply the scariest of the Yuppies; they really go along with what you say, are what you say they are...and nod a lot. They can doppleganger real people, except that they're so cheery and positive you begin to wonder. And then...they offer you Prozac. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Insanity Tables Karen Mizeri -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roll percentile to determine what type of insanity the character has developed. 01-10 DRUG ADDICTION 11-16 SCHIZOPHRENIA Roll Percentile Disorganized 01-30 Paranoid 31-70 Undifferentiated 71-85 Residual 86-99 Catatonic 00 17-20 DELIRIUM 21-23 DEMENTIA 24-26 DEPRESSION 27-30 MANIC 31-35 MANIC DEPRESSION 36-40 DELUSIONAL DISORDERS Roll Percentile Paranoid 01-40 Grandiose 41-50 Jealous 51-55 Persecutory 56-75 Somatic 76-90 Unspecified 91-00 41-43 PANIC DISORDER 44-60 PHOBIA Roll Percentile Animals - Zoophobia 01-03 Beards - Pogonphobia 04-05 Bees - Apiphobia 05-06 Being alone - Autophobia 06-08 Birds - Ornithiphobia 09-10 Blood - Hematophobia 11-13 Books - Bibliophobia 14-15 Cats - Ailurophobia 16 Children - Pediophobia 17 Corpses - Necrophobia 18-19 Darkness - Nyctophobia 20-21 Dawn - Eosophobia 22 Daylight - Phengophobia 23 Death - Thanatophobia 24-27 Demons - Demonophobia 28-30 Depth - Bathophobia 31 Dirt - Mysophobia 32-33 Dogs - Cynophobia 34 Dust - Amathophobia 35-36 Enclosed space - claustrophobia 37-40 Feathers - Pteronophobia 41 Fire - Pyrophobia 42-43 Fish - Ichthyophobia 44 Flowers - Anthophobia 45 Fog - Homichlophobia 46 Ghosts - Phasmophobia 47-50 Glass - Crystallphobia 51 Hair - Chaetophobia 52 Heights - Acrophobia 53-55 Horses - Hippophobia 56 Ice - Cryophobia 57 Insects - Entomophobia 58-59 Lakes - Limnophobia 60 Light - Photophobia 61 Lightning - Astrapophobia 62-63 Men - Androphobia 64 Mirrors - Eisoptrophobia 65 Open spaces - Agoraphobia 66-68 Poison - Toxiphobia 69 Rain - Ombrophobia 70 Reptiles - Batrachophobia 71-73 Rivers - Potamophobia 74 Rust - Iophobia 75 Sea - Thalassophobia 76-78 Sex - Coitophobia 79 Shadows - Sciophobia 80 Sleep - Hypnophobia 81 Snakes - Ophidiophobia 82 Snow - Chionophobia 83 Spiders - Arachnophobia 84-86 Stars - Siderophobia 87 Sun - Heliophobia 88 Thunder - Keraunophobia 89-91 Trees - Dendrophobia 92 Wasps - Spheksophobia 93 Water - Hydrophobia 94-96 Wind - Anemophobia 97 Women - Gynophobia 98 Worms - Helminthophobia 99 Wounds - Traumatophobia 00 61-63 POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER 64-65 MULTIPLE PERSONALITY - Roll D4 to determine how many personalities. 66-70 EXHIBITIONISM 71-73 FETISHISM 74-76 SEXUAL MASOCHISM 77-80 KLEPTOMANIA 81-84 PYROMANIA 85-86 TRICHOTILLOMANIA (character repeatedly tries to pull out their own hair.) 87-93 PERSONALITY DISORDERS Roll Percentile Paranoid 01-10 Schizoid 11-20 Antisocial 21-30 (psychotic - no conscience) Borderline 31-40 Histrionic 41-50 (character tends to be histerical for no reason) Narcissistic 51-60 Avoidant 61-70 Dependant 71-80 Obsessive Compulsive 81-90 Passive Aggressive 91-00 94-95 NECROPHILIA 95-100 SLEEPING DISORDER Roll Percentile Insomnia 01-40 Sleepwalking 41-60 Nightmares 61-95 Narcolepsy 96-00 (character randomly falls asleep for no apparent reason) I have not included full details of these disorders because the text would be too lengthy. Please feel free to email me for a full list of any of the symptoms of any of these disorders, and I can provide them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fiction: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Assassins - Episode Three The Authors: Tim Elford AND Goran Zidar Homepage: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~goran/Roleplay.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Assassins: Azareth - Mage 1st level LE (PC) Creighton - Fighter 1st Level LE (PC) Locale: An antechamber somewhere in the Olman Islands, the secret home of The Family; a worldwide network of assassins. Date: 19th Sunsebb 581 CY (Common Year) Time: Mid-Afternoon --------------------------------- The air was hot and humid as it often was in the Olman Islands, and the massive warrior wiped his sweaty brow with his tunic sleeve. He was unaccustomed to the restrictive, formal clothes that he had been forced to wear, preferring a functional jerkin or suit of mail. Creighton looked at the robed man, Azareth, who sat silently across the table reading from a large tome. Creighton: Hey buddy, you hot in that robe? Azareth: (shakes his head almost imperceptibly, licks his finger and flips another page) Creighton initially never liked mages, they weren't to be trusted. As part of his training he had been taught how to foil a mage's spell weaving; get in close and hit them hard. But he had also been taught how dangerous they could be if allowed time and space to work their magic. Swordmaster Heal had spent several weeks instructing Creighton's class on methods to disrupt a mage or a priest when casting their spells. The Swordmaster then spent the next weeks teaching Creighton how to complement a mage in combat. Not for the first time this morning Creighton wondered why the mage was here with him. Creighton's swordmaster had told him that the Marque de'Ahb required an audience and the warrior had assumed he'd be alone. In time the two graduates were presented to the Marque de'Ahb by Montelbahn Criss. Marque de'Ahb: (coughs weakly and speaks, his voice but a whisper) You have caught me on a bad day, My children. The gods have been fickle of late and are calling in some of my debts. (looks to Azareth) You come before me with an exceptional academic record. Ghaas counts you as his finest student and is sorry to see you go. But you are being called to fulfill a greater purpose. I will speak with you later on this matter. (looks to Creighton and coughs) Know that you have been chosen above your peers by me. I have seen your skills in the fighting halls and your brutality and raw physical power is unparalleled for a man of your age. But know that have not selected you on these facts alone; you have shown remarkable progress in both stealth and concealment. You are ready for the world. Creighton: {But is the world ready for me?}(smiles) Marque de'Ahb: I hope the world is not ready for you; I want you to make an impression. I'm sure you will. Creighton: (freaks out) Marque de'Ahb: (addressing both graduates) You are being sent to Northern Almor to join two other recent graduates. There is much work to be done and your skills in both sword and sorcery will be invaluable. (looks to Creighton) You may leave, my son. You have my blessing. Welcome to My Family. Creighton: (bows then leaves) Marque de'Ahb: (beckons Azareth closer) My voice is failing, approach me. Azareth: (approaches the dais, unsure as to whether he should climb the stairs) Marque de'Ahb: What I tell you now has been told only to one person outside the Inner Circle. That person leads a group of brothers in the City of Greyhawk. This man, Xavier, shows the potential for greatness that usually comes but once in a lifetime. We have been blessed with two such individuals. You, Azareth, are the second! You see, My child, you will lead one group and Xavier another. Your groups compete for the honor to serve The Family in a role beyond even your wildest imaginings. So important is this role that I have to ensure it is performed by only the most competent and cohesive group. Creighton and the two you will join in Del Mord are amongst our elite Graduates in recent years. I would hope that you assume control of this group and lead them to realize their full potential. Disorder is your greatest enemy and comes in many guises. You must be ever vigilant if you are to defeat this enemy. As I see it your greatest test will be to maintain group harmony and understand that other members of your group each have their own egos and personal quirks. Do not let these distract you from your goal. The others in your group have not been told of this arrangement, as I do not want to distract them from their duty. As I have told Xavier, I grant you permission to disclose what I have told you if you deem it necessary. Your Vesper will be instructed to report to the Inner Circle on your group's progress. When the time is right one group will be chosen above the other and will be summoned before me. To fail in this is not to fail me - for already you are beloved. To not live up to your potential will be the real tragedy for both yourselves and My Family. You have my blessing and my love. Go now and make me proud. Azareth left the audience chamber with his heart in his mouth. He had always expected such an honor would be bestowed upon him, but never had he thought it would be by the Marque de'Ahb himself. He met with Montelbahn Criss who led him to his office where Creighton sat awkwardly on a small chair, sipping wine from a delicate crystal glass. Montelbahn: Help yourself to some wine. It is a lovely Tokay from the vinyards of Celene, matured in oak and fortified by the finest dwarven spirits - very expensive. I trust you find it to your liking, Creighton. Creighton: It's a little sweet for me - got any ale? Azareth: (looks to Montelbahn, smiling) Montelbahn: Unfortunately my tastes have evolved... Barley and hops may be sufficient to whet your appetite, but my palette craves more complex flavours. Creighton: Yeah, whatever... Azareth: (pours himself a glass and savours the flavour) Montelbahn: (sighs) You will be leaving for the Prelacy of Almor tomorrow morning. The boat has already docked and is taking on supplies. After the voyage you will land outside Chathold and will make your way to a man called Don Lombard. He will give you further instructions. The address is on this parchment (hands parchment to Azareth) and some starting money is in this pouch (passes a black velvet bag to Creighton). You should be ready before first light, until then you may do as you please. Any questions? Azareth: I am satisfied that everything has been taken care of. (looks to Creighton) Creighton: I'm fine... Creighton and Azareth leave the office of the Chamberlain and exit the main council chambers. They begin the short walk to the village. Creighton: I'm going for a beer to whet my simple palette - wanna come? Azareth: Sure. We will be spending the next several months together, why not get to know each other? They entered the village and made their way to Mother's Kitchen, the only tavern on the island. The place was run by an extraordinarily tall male dwarf known to everyone as Mother. Nobody knows exactly where Mother came from but the popular myth was that his mother had a dalliance with a hill giant. Mother was ostracized from birth, but the real reason he left his clan was because he kept knocking himself out on the low tunnel ceilings. For this reason Mother's Kitchen has sixteen foot ceilings in case, as the story goes, his father ever shows up. Creighton: (takes a chair next to Azareth) Two ales, Mother! Azareth: (looking around) Is it always this full? Creighton: Yeah, pretty much. Haven't you been here before? Azareth: My studies have kept me fairly isolated... I didn't get much exposure to everyday life. What is that smell? Creighton: (points at Azareth) Pull my finger. Azareth: (looks bemused and pulls his finger) Creighton: (lifts one leg and farts - loudly) Just me. That complex elven swill has gone straight through me. (laughs) Azareth: {what have I got myself into?} Time passed and the two new companions drank heartily until well past sundown. Food arrived and Creighton demolished his meal so quickly that it would have appeared to an observer that he had inhaled it. Azareth, looking decidedly ill, offered his food to Creighton who happily wolfed it down with similar gusto. Creighton: (burps - loudly) Azareth: I think I've drunk too much... I'm not feeling well. Man: (stands and approaches their table, placing a hand on Creighton's shoulder) I've been watching you eat like a pig, burp and fart like a mule and I have had to put up with your stench and ugly face all night - and frankly I'm sick to death of it. You either get the hell outside on your own or I'll kick yours, and your stupid lookin' mate's arse out there me'self! Azareth: (stares blankly at the man's face) {how does he manage to get his face that red?} Creighton: (points at Man) Pull my finger. Man: (draws back his fist and launches into attack striking Creighton a vicious blow to the cheek) Creighton: (falls from his chair but rolls easily to his feet shaking his head) You're gonna have to do better than that, pretty boy. (dives at the man knocking him to the ground) The two grappled for several minutes before Creighton managed to get his knee onto the man's chest pinning him to the floor. After slapping him tauntingly across the face he drew back his fist and splayed the man's nose all over his face. Blood flowed instantly, rivers of crimson cascading from the man's ruined face as Creighton dragged him by the hair out the door. Creighton: (looks to Mother who is bringing out a mop) Some people should really learn to hold their liquor. Azareth: (collapses head first onto the table and vomits) The next morning Creighton and a haggard Azareth were rowed to the boat which would take them to Chathold. Azareth felt like the gentle waves were rolling thunder and the squeaking of the oars were legions of Dwarves hammering in his skull. Azareth: errrrrgggghhhhh! Creighton: (looks confused) You don't look so good. What's the matter - sea sick? Azareth: (too hung-over to reply) errrrrgggghhhh! They boarded the boat and were introduced to the Captain, a man with a decidedly evil grin. Captain: Welcome aboard gentlemen, I am Captain Morely. (steps aside to reveal a man with a bandage wrapped over his nose) I believe you have already met my first mate. Creighton: This is going to be a long trip... Azareth: errrrrgggghhhhh! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fireside Chat John "BJ" Tomkins - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gather round oxygen air-breathers... I, Isgrimnur Nascadau - Eradani Swordsaint, have a tale to tell that you would only enjoy if you had been there. My group and I were on a mission to get into the enemies camp and find out their tactics. We had come up over the ridge and spotted the enemy encampment not far off. Smoke was rising from fires built in the old used-up fuel drums. Guards were on duty watching for anything that moved. My group and I were skilled enough to stay hidden. I signalled my group to split up and take the camp from three different directions. John, the gen-human and Bert the Orion rogue take off to the right while the kitty heads take off to the left. Skull-face stands back with the gurney carrying our other Orion-rogue and waits. I start moving down the slope, headed for the camp when a jeep roars from behind cover and pops off a couple of shots. Bert drops to one knee and fires a volley down the hill, hopefully trying to take out one of the people in the jeep. The person in the jeep, sitting behind the hard-point laser gun, opens up at Bert. He takes it hard and there is no way that I can cover him. The kitty takes off straight down the slope. I mumbled to myself that he was a goner and sure enough, the gun opened fire again and the cat was gone before I could crouch. I couldn't see John. I could only hope that he heard the shots and would come running. Seeing the jeep move up the slope, I ran out to meet it. I figured the others were just stupid and that I would take this one out and show the them that messing with a sword saint was not a wise decision. Besides, my methane was not regulated correctly. I dashed out and open fired with my assault rifle and managed to make the driver steer around me. He's eyes were about as wide as the end of my old Omega cannon, back home. Running around the jeep, I was able to fire a couple of rounds and hit a few people -- but nothing more than that. The jeep open fire and I took some nasty hits. I decided I should get some cover, and quick. I jumped over a log and ducked down. Momentarily safe, I punched a BRI into my arm and grabbed my rifle. I heard the sound of the jump as it roared over the hill and tried to take aim at my position. I rushed the jeep and fired my rifle -- the hard point was my target. I knew if I could take that out, the rest of the battle would be on my terms. I dropped the gunner with the first burst. The driver watched as I methodically approached, rifle lowered. Then, he looked back. It was the last move he would make. His chest erupted as the bullets tore into his body, and he slumped over. The passenger was in shock and watched as I climbed over the hood and pulled my sword. He stumbled out of the jeep and slipped and fell on his back. I jumped down and plunged my sword through his chest. Tossing the bodies out of the jeep, I checked the power packs and the hard point to make sure they were intact. They were. I was in the driver's seat ready to go when John -- skull-face with gurney ran up with weapon drawn -- ready to fight. He asked and I smiled. No one messes with a sword saint. I adjusted my methane tubes and drove down the hill, looking for more.... --------------------------------- As always, submissions for the 'Fireside Chat' column can be directed to John "BJ" Tomkins at -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Freedom - Part One Kosala Ubayasekara -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Kosala Ubayasekara Freedom - Part One - Fighting for Freedom -A tale from the land of the Dark Sun-* -Part 1- Freedom The four prisoners sat together by the fire and ate the scraps of food they were given without comment. The keepers called them gladiators, but they chose to see themselves as prisoners. The low sounds of talk came drifting on the wind down from similar campfires scattered about within their stony prison. They were new these four - new and until a couple of ten-days ago, total strangers. Each with a different tale that none were willing to share. They had fought a few times together now, and each was secretly relieved to find that the others could hold their own in a fight. They had even managed to save each other a few times, and mutual respect, if not friendship, had begun to form. Tiara looked up from the snippets of food and looked long at the others. "I will stay here no longer. No longer will I serve that loathsome templar who calls himself my master, or obey the commands of that half-ogre fool of an arena master. If ye are with me, I say we break at our next battle. If not I go alone." Tiara flipped her dagger in the air and caught it in her sheath. Her red eyes flashed fiercely in the firelight and the shadows played crazily across her beautiful face. Cordaza, the rogue member of the group, lounging lazily on the other side of the fire, noticed these things. He ran his eyes up Tiara's well muscled, beautiful frame and a slow grin formed across his face. She was beautiful. Some among the gladiators had tried to grab some of that beauty - they had been taught the error of their ways. His eyes met hers as she finished her statement. His long hair flopped down over his thin face as he nodded his reply. "I was getting tired of the service anyway," he replied sarcastically. "Fool rogue!" hissed the stocky figure next to him. "Always taking everything so lightly! Did you imagine they would simply fling the gates open and ask us to leave? Pah!" "And you take life too seriously Dugeur. Where is your taste for adventure?" Again the lopsided grin formed along his jaw. "You take the burdens of priest- hood too seriously. Especially considering the fact that with your exaggerated muscle build you would have been rich, had you but chosen the right profession." That remark brought a little smile to Tiara's lips too, but Dugeur who took his priesthood seriously sunk back into a frown. "Not during the next battle." The rest turned to face their most reclusive companion. The robed figure of Tiveran Morgenscar never said much. He spent most of his time buried in his books and meditations. The rest didn't complain though. His talents had come in more than useful a few times. "It is better to attract as less attention as possible. That way it will take longer for them to realize that we are gone. We will go between the change of the watch tomorrow, at high night." "The change of the watch? You have been thinking about this before?" Tiara's question brought a nod from the robed elf. "And you were going to let us in on this when?" asked the rogue with his casual sarcasm. Tiveran only smiled. "Get some rest. We have a fight tomorrow." They doused the fire and with more enthusiasm than they had felt in days, lay down to sleep. They were awakened by the sound of the bell summoning them to collect their morning meal and then their ritual of training and preparation began. Just before sundown they were called into the arena. The four walked in amongst the shouts and cheers of the crowd. The foursome had become popular after their exploits since their arrival, and the crowd cheered wildly now as they stepped into the dusty floor of the arena. The night was still warm, it would not get really cold till after dusk. "Curse the Athasian weather," mumbled Tiara to herself as she walked onto the combat circle, "we will be leaving just when it gets cold." Cordaza burst into laughter behind her and even the elf grinned beneath his hood. They formed themselves into a circle standing back to back as they had grown accustomed to fighting. Tiara twirled two bone knives in her hand and behind her Cordaza stood calmly with his metal sabre in his hand, reflecting the last rays of the sinking red sun upwards to the crowds. The elf with his staff in both hands and the heavily muscled priest armed with his huge club, occupied the remaining two flanks. The crowds were cheering wildly now and the four gladiators waited expectantly for the arena gates to open. They rose slowly and agonizingly, giving time for the crowd to hush in expectation of what was to come. Tiara felt Cordaza tense behind her and the priest gripped his wooden club more tightly. The first words of a spell came whispered out of the robed elf's mouth as the first monster rushed onto the scene. A huge giant came crashing into the arena its beast head bellowing in anger. Seeing the group in the middle, it screamed in rage and charged. The crowd leapt to their feet screaming encouragement to the beast and yelling as if a madness had taken them. Two more giants came through the remaining doors, and also charged. The elf's hands rose and a great bolt of lightning rushed at the first giant taking it clean off its feet and throwing it back a few yards. A barrage of mental assaults hit the next giant's mind, as both Tiara and Cordaza followed the mage's lead. The third beast was coming straight at Dugeur, who held his ground until the last minute and then dropping to his knees levelled his club across the shins of the charging adversary, with as much power as his considerable biceps could deliver. There was a loud crack and the foursome scattered to give the giant room to fall. Not giving the dumb beasts time to recover they leapt back into the attack. Tiara went for the first one, diving as she approached and coming up with both daggers leading. The giant surprised at her speed was caught completely off guard and found himself bleeding from several deep cuts across his chest. A second bolt of lightning from the mage finished it. Cordaza was performing his own magic with his adversary, much to the delight of the crowd. His sabre swinging speedily in and out he danced around the giant, narrowly escaping attacks and always inflicting a quick cut when he saw an opening. The great strength of the short priest soon laid waste to the skull of third beast and he ran to help Cordaza. Suddenly the elf lurched forward as if some- thing hit him from behind and lay sprawled on the ground. A shimmer in the air warned of an unseen fourth attacker and Dugeur leapt to the mage's defence. Cordaza made short work of his adversary and they quickly formed themselves again into a circle. Tiveran managed to stand slowly in the middle of the group but was in no shape to continue this fight. The three stood and waited. The crowd hushed expectantly, and waited. This was new. The gladiators had never been tested with an unseen opponent. The sand in the great hourglass on the side of the arena fell on, and still nothing. Suddenly Cordaza caught sight of a shimmer right in front of him. Dropping to his knees he yelled at Tiara, who swung both her daggers at a spot in front of where the rogue had stood and dived for the ground herself. An invisible blade swished over her and her daggers buried themselves in the air in front of Cordaza. An ear piercing scream shattered the silence and the invisible form of their assailant hit the ground forming a deep depression in the mud. Tiara's daggers still sticking vertically, seemingly, in thin air. Tiveran collapsed in pain and blacked out. When the mage awoke it was dark and a little breeze had begun to blow. He touched his back and was surprised to find his wound mostly healed. He nodded his thanks to the stocky priest. Outside their confinement, the change of guard began. The four leapt to their feet. Tiveran still a little groggy outlined the lock to their gate with a quick spell, and Cordaza went to work. Pulling out a couple of iron hooks from his boots he knelt down by the lock and inserted them with an expert twist. "Those weren't confiscated?" asked Tiara surprised. "Give me some credit, won't you my lady," came the rogue's caustic reply, "they never knew they were there." Tiara adopted a slight frown at being referred to as 'my lady' but said nothing. Cordaza had the gate unlocked in no time and the mage quickly extinguished the spell. They waited for the patrolling guard to pass by before letting themselves out. "Now," said the rogue, "I hope you have a plan from here my thin elven friend, because the only exits that I know off are teeming with guards." "Now it is you who underestimate me, friend rogue. There are a couple of things that our captors have not discovered about me," came the reply. Beckoning, Tiveran led the others towards the south gate of the stone building. The corridors were empty of gladiators and the guards that patrolled were easily avoided. Suddenly the mage crouched down by the end of a corridor. Pointing towards the gateway, he signalled the others to look. The front gate was closed and bolted shut from the outside. No visible bolt could be seen from this end by the dull illumination of the torch lights, and in front were gathered almost a dozen half-giant guards. "Too many of them," whispered Cordaza, "even with your spells mage, they are too many." Tiveran nodded in agreement. "We need a diversion. The mage gestured to a walkway some 40 yards away, and a figure of a human in gladiatorial attire formed there. Tiara sucked in her breath. "You can cast illusions? " she asked incredulous. "They should have found that out in the psychic probe." "Not if it is an item that is used to cast it." The mage pointed at his finger and whispered a word. A pale gold ring now adorned his finger. Another word, and it vanished again. Dugeur let out a low whistle. "A valuable item mage. Heirloom?" Tiveran heard the suspicion in the voice. "Just so," he replied with equal venom. Cordaza interrupted, "we can fight among ourselves later. First let's get out of here." The mage nodded and continued his illusion. The foursome saw the phantom gladiator charge out of the walkway and into the main corridor. Catching sight of the guards he seemed to turn and dash off. Tiveran made sure the display did not go unnoticed. The alarm was sounded and the gate guards dashed off into the walkway, leaving two as sentries. "Now!" whispered Tiveran and the foursome dashed down the corridor towards the gate, at the backs of the sentries. Tiveran and priest stopped a few yards away from them, and let the other two who were ahead, take care of the guards. Tiara was already in a low somersault and landed with both her heels planting themselves viciously in the neck of one of the half-giants. Cordaza came in low with his sabre taking away some of the tendons in the lower part of the other guard's legs. Shifting his sabre quickly and twisting on his heel, he was in front of the half-giant and a quick pass across its neck with the thin sabre ended that threat. Tiara's initial attack had been ferocious enough to render the giant senseless, but she could do nothing against the loud thud it gave out hitting the ground. The mage had already gone to work on the door and between his and the priest's psionic talents a small hole had formed in the metal door. Cordaza managed to slide his hand into the opening and with some trouble managed to slide the bolt aside. The door creaked open and after making sure there were no guards on the other side they foursome stepped outside, into the dusty pathways of the city of Tyr. "Quickly before they discover we are gone," said the stocky priest and led the way towards the city gates. "We must leave this city before sunrise." The small group of escaped gladiators sprinted through the streets of Tyr, ducking into alleyways and avoiding patrols of templars and guards. A turn of the hourglass later, they found themselves within sight of the city gates. Running westwards until they were out of sight of the gate guards, the foursome quickly scaled the walls with the help of some rope and a nearby building. Tiara dropped onto the sand on the other side and the cold night air hit her lungs bringing in dust and the pleasant smell of the desert cactus. The smell of freedom. Meanwhile back in the center of the city high up in the castle towers, a lone templar panted his way up a long, stone stairway. Nodding to the huge guards who stood standing at the door to his destination, he slowly entered. The room was furnished expensively and even plants adorned the mantelpiece. Catching sight of the one occupant in the room, he bowed low. "Master, they are gone as you foretold." The other man nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent." A dark, human figure swathed in cloth from head to toe, scaled the west wall of Tyr silently. Checking to confirm that none had seen him, he dropped lithely to the ground and quickly followed the path that the four before him had taken. * Dark Sun is a trademark owned by TSR Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Classified Ads -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Final Fantasy Tips Author: Benjamin D. Kohler-Crowe -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Final Fantasy 3 Tips: 1) Keep your four favorite characters reasonably low-level. 2) Get cure ring from Imperial base after talking to Gestahl. 3) Get Zoneseek from Auction House when the Floating Continent Rises. (Can be done, I discovered by accident) 4) Put only one person with cure ring and Zoneseek on, and raft the Lete river, doing the endless "up" loop with a turbo controller... 5) In the morning, they'll have mag power of 99!!! 6) Repeat with each other character for AWESOME party. Benjamin D. Kohler-Crowe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Knight March '97 Author: Jason Lennan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knight March '97 c/o Jason Lennan 544 Ewing St. Cobourg, ON K9A 4Y6 phone: (905) 372-1428 fax: (905) 372-1428 please call before faxing Convention Name: Knight March '97 Place of Convention: Northumberland Mall, Lower Level, Cobourg, Ontario Date of Convention: March 14, 15, & 16 of 1997 Times of Convention: Friday March 14, 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM Saturday March 15, 8:00 am to 11:00 PM Sunday March 16, 8:00 am to 5:00 Subject of Convention: Role-playing, Fantasy Card Games, Board Games Guest of Honor: Ed Greenwood, creator and author of Forgotten Realms. Special Events: Saturday Night Banquet Miniatures Contest Art Contest Battletech Tournament Magic the Gathering Tournament Coordinators: Jason Lennan 544 Ewing St. Cobourg, ON K9A 4Y6 phone: (905) 372-8174 fax: (905) 372-1428 please phone before faxing Dave Stokes 199-A Sutherland Cres. Unit 27 Cobourg, ON K9A 5L9 (905) 373-4871 Any help getting the word out would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Yours in gaming, Jason Lennan Convention Co-Coordinator --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Planescape Page Author:vacca@velizy.inst.slb.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello I have a PlaneScape page, called "Scripta Planorum". Please feel free to browse it. The page may be found at www.geocities;com/paris/5539/ps.html It features loads of PS material, both original from myself, and from the members of the PlaneScape mailing list. The most useful material may be: *languages of the planes *all about Modrons *scores of NPC's but there's plenty of other material too. Bye MC Gianni vacca@velizy.inst.slb.com or giannieanna@infonie.fr ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Calling all Authors! Author kmizeri@pris.bc.ca -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now that we have expanded to an E-Zine, we are looking for several new writers. Anyone who would be interested please email me. Particularly we are looking for someone to write a monthly column on issues effecting the Role-playing world. As well we would like to have someone who could provide a monthly column on new systems, gaming accessories, or novels. You do not need to have any special qualifications, just a genuine desire to write and an ability to meet the deadlines. Thank-you, Karen Mizeri -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: IRPS LINK Button -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IRPS would like to invite members to submit their ideas for a link button which will be made available to anyone who would like to have a link to IRPS on their homepage. These suggestions can be submitted to Kosala Ubayasekara at and should adhere to the following guidelines: 1) All graphics have to be in by the 25th of November. 2) The graphics should be small - 100x70 pixels at most, and in maximum 256 colors. 3) They should have a transparent background. If anyone cannot do transparent backgrounds they can send me the icon with a black background and I will handle the transparency. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- General Inquiries and all submissions can be sent to Karen Mizeri at Editing: Karen Mizeri - John "BJ" Tomkins - Anthony Scalzitti - Jason Stover - David M Girardot Layout/Design: Jenn Millington - Thomas Forlenza - Lawrence Marz - Steve Edwards - Meera Barry HTML: Pete Calvert - Matthew White - Mikko Eley - Brian Carey Graphics: Kosala Ubayasekara - Woodelf - Aries J. Galindo Research: Andrew Henry Writer's Assistant : Eugene Tillery -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extra special thanks to Jeremy Sadler for all the valuable insights. :) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------