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From obscurity to major players

Cthulhudrew said:
One reader sent a letter imploring Dragon to create some more challenges for him, as his uber-level wizard named Waldorf had destroyed all the villains Dungeons & Dragons (I seem to recall him being tied specifically to Greyhawk- either having destroyed it or taking it over).
The letter writer said that Waldorf had invented a 9th-level spell, or something, I think called "thermonuclear explosion". He had flown above the surface of the planet and nuked the entire planet except for a 1x1 mile island, where he had his castle. Beneath which were salt mines where he had imprisoned all the gods of Greyhawk. He sent the letter to the staff of TSR asking them to send him the xp values of everything on the planet, and the treasure values of all that was left.

Some letter writers wrote back saying things like their 300+ level character (I think a rogue) made the save and needed to know how much damage he took from the thermonuclear spell. I most remember the one letter writer saying his 1st-level assassin successfully made his death attack against Waldorf and needed Waldorf's player to send him Waldorf's xp value and treasure total. :) Fun times.
 

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How abouot the Githyanki Lich Queen? She went from a passing reference in the 1st edition Fiend Folio to the focus of big adventure in Dungeon Magazine. She even has her own miniature in the latest D&D mini's set. I believe she was also mentioned in Planescape but I don't own the book so I can't say for sure.
 

Flexor the Mighty! said:
PC from the 1e Rogues Gallery

8th level Assassin, Human, LE
32 HP
Vampire sword

Oh come on! :lol: There was more to him than that! (Never mind the cool pic Jeff Dee drew of him below with Luther the monk and Phoebus the Lizard Man fighter!)

I'm wondering why Numion didn't like the name though ... what does Lassiviren mean in Finnish?
 

Mycanid said:
Oh come on! :lol: There was more to him than that! (Never mind the cool pic Jeff Dee drew of him below with Luther the monk and Phoebus the Lizard Man fighter!)

I'm wondering why Numion didn't like the name though ... what does Lassiviren mean in Finnish?

Lasse Viren is a famous Finnish athlete (a runner who won a lot of gold medals throughout the 70s) and MP.
 

Shroomy said:
Lasse Viren is a famous Finnish athlete (a runner who won a lot of gold medals throughout the 70s) and MP.

Hmm ... I wonder if Al Hammack deliberately chose the name based on this?
 

Mycanid said:
Hmm ... I wonder if Al Hammack deliberately chose the name based on this?

Sounds improbable to end up with name that long fitting a famous (back in the 70s) finlander.

BTW Tolkien took words straight from finnish to his 'invented' languages. cough*RIPOFF*cough :p
 

Numion said:
Sounds improbable to end up with name that long fitting a famous (back in the 70s) finlander.

BTW Tolkien took words straight from finnish to his 'invented' languages. cough*RIPOFF*cough :p

Yes ... Tolkien did borrow from Finnish for the elvish language. But not solely - he also borrowed from other places as well. Still Finnish IS a beautiful language IMO. I was in Finland for 3 days back in September of 1991 in Helsinki (long story) and I found the country BEAUTIFUL. As beautiful as it was I found I enjoyed just listening to people speak Finnish to each other sometimes. Yes, yes - I know. Strange. But so it was.

As for Lassiviren. Well ... I'm sure there are plenty of worse "names" and "borrowings" out there. Still think it is a cool name AND a pretty dangerous NPC I might add. It's a pity (IMO) that TSR or Wotc never featured him in a module....
 

johnnype said:
How abouot the Githyanki Lich Queen? She went from a passing reference in the 1st edition Fiend Folio to the focus of big adventure in Dungeon Magazine. She even has her own miniature in the latest D&D mini's set. I believe she was also mentioned in Planescape but I don't own the book so I can't say for sure.

yeah, that's a character i wouldn't mind seeing more on, as well. :)
 

Since it's come up, I don't suppose anyone knows if there is anywhere that those old TSR D&D ads have been scanned and put up? Some quick searches didn't turn anything up, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.
 


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