In this issue, Ian Livingstone discusses a new Dungeons and Dragons computer game (cartridge) released for the Atari 2600, the elite gaming console of the early 80s. There is also a mention of a new AD&D colouring book. These days we have an array of plush beholders, Lego mimics and D&D accessories and oddities. In 1982, Ian wonders if asking for some D&D in the future will present you with a confusing set of options instead of a tabletop RPG. However, I’d suggest the TTRPG still remains the central part of the brand, even for people that don’t play it.
On the Cover
A very strange dragonlike creature feasts on floating land jellyfish on a barren alien landscape. This is possible the weirdest creature for a cover, having four dragonlike wings, an almost insectoid body and the head of a cat. There may also be a tentacle in there somewhere too. The artist is Nicolas Bibby, and it is his first White Dwarf cover but he will do another two before issue 40. Nick is still working today but has shifted styles and is now a world renowned sculptor. He won several figure painting awards in his youth and moved into sculpture soon afterwards as a career. He is now most well-known for a wide variety of animal and bird sculptures which are renowned for their fine detail.Features
- Androids in Traveller (Roger E. Moore): This article offers background and character creation options for android characters in Traveller. Here they are specifically organic constructs made for hardiness but not intelligence, rather than human appearing robots. So there may be arguments on the letters page over definitions. But it’s a very solid Traveller addition, if one lacking a real reason to choose an android character beyond their skill selection.
- The Apocrypha according to St Andre (Ken St Andre): Ken St Andre, creator of Stormbringer and Tunnels & Trolls shares his design story creating T&T, how it’s developed, and how surprised he was at its success.
- The Curse of the Wildland (Phil Masters): This is a really good adventure and one of my favourites so far. Bad and unseasonal weather has hurt the harvest a village relies on. The village elders ask the PCs to find out of there is a curse plaguing their crops and find a way to end it. The background is solid, the clues make sense and the players have a lot of options for where to go.
- Designing a Quasi-Medieval Society Part 2 (Paul Vernon): This second part, of a two part series, goes into the higher level economy that the merchants are part of; as opposed to the honest working peasants. It’s a lot of detail and tables the GM might usually just pick from rather than roll up and track. But like its predecessor it’s a solid and useful detail on building a more believable background for your fantasy societies.
- Griselda gets her man (Oliver Dickinson): Another piece of short Runequest fiction, a follow up on the previous “Lucky Eddie” where Griselda takes on a few Trollkin.
Regulars
- Character Conjuring: No character conjuring this issue. We might be seeing the quiet demise of this column given the new ones and that we’ve not seen too many new classes recently as opposed to new species.
- Letters: A mixed post bag this issue, mostly D&D-related. One reader points out the gap between rules and reality in terms of experience and progression. A much longer lesson talks about alignment (again) although I’m not sure it adds much to the debate apart from “you’re doing it wrong”. Finally there is a vote against a computer column, saying not enough people have one to make it worth taking space from gaming material. The editor replies that a poll will settle the matter and asks people to write in and vote.
- News: The reports from the Midguardian are many and varied this issue. GDW has more Traveller adventures on the way. An exploration of a plague-ridden new world in the Double Adventure The Chamex Plague/Horde, and Adventure 7 Broadsword. TSR is releasing GM screens for both Boot Hill and Gamma World. Chaosium is offering three games in one with Worlds of Wonder, a boxed set with three settings for the BRP system (Futureworld, Superworld and Magicworld). Of these, Superworld will see a fuller release later on. Yaquinto moves into RPGs with two games: Men, Myth and Magic and Pirates and Plunder. The pirate game is what you’d expect, and while M,M&M is a swords and sorcery game is it one based in a more historical instead of fantasy background (although C&S might claim the first semi-historical RPG title). There are more figures coming out of course, and a note Dragonmeet will extend its hours into the evening this year (July). Finally, Treasure Trap, a “live roleplaying experience” has opened its doors. Possibly the first of its type, there will be a report next issue when Ian Livingstone goes to try it out.
- Runerites: This issue we gain a new column for Runequest fans (serving them in the same way Starbase looks after the Traveller folk). This opening article looks at unarmed combat in Runequest, which is easier in this system than many others! Essentially it introduces new weapon skills (punch, kick and throw). But it also adds a few tweaks and changes for unarmed attacks against armour etc.
- Starbase: Bob McWilliams answers that age old question “where do you get your ideas from?” with a look at good sources for adventure ideas for Traveller.
- Treasure Chest: It’s a quick selection of spell this issue (6 in total) with a mixture covering most classes. We have: Resist Electricity (Cleric), Know Duration (Cleric), Hide Portal (MU), Chameleon (MU), Leafskin (Druid), Huorn (Druid). Of these I think Know Duration is the most interesting, even though the level is far too high (3).
Fiend Factory
No mini-adventure this week, but the theme is “monsters that pair with other monsters” which is a very interesting idea:- Minidrag (D Parrington): A less attractive pseudo dragon type of creature who can be gained as a pet under the right circumstances. Their main use being that with a highly evolved empathy they are excellent at warning of ambushes or surprise attacks
- Muryan (Roger E. Moore): This species of intelligent ants are very interesting, but don’t really fit the theme. So it’s a little odd they are one of the better ones in this selection!
- Sprite Knight (Phil Masters): One of those “how have we not had stats for this before” creatures. A rather heavily built (but still tiny) Sprite, who has decided to become a knight, donned armour made of bark and taken on a dog or boar or the like as their trusty steed.
- Stirge Demon (Ivo Smith): A demonic creature with a magical necklace that summons and control’s Stirges. More a magic item than a monster but an interesting idea.
- Vampire Wolf (Coacula) A second “how have we not seen stats for this?” creature, a vampire/ghoul wolf that serves a vampire master with growling loyalty.
- Weresnake (Cas Liber) As you’d imagine, a person that can turn into a snake, but a nice surprise as part of a lair of giant snakes.
Open Box
This month’s reviews are:- Adventurer, Bar brawl/Duelling wargame (Yaquinto Publications): This wargame is a little different from Yaquinto’s usual fare being a personal combat skirmish game instead of a full wargame.
- Champions Superhero RPG Core Box (Hero Games) and The Island of Doctor Destroyer, Champions Adventure (Hero Games): One of the more popular and long lasting Superhero games (especially noteworthy as it doesn’t have a licence for DC or Marvel characters). It comes as a core book and has already got an adventure release. The points based character creation may be long winded for a newbie, but veterans enjoy the fine control over powers and abilities it grants. This might also be one of the first points spend character creations, a step away from the rolling attributes standard that D&D has set.
- Invasion Earth, Board/Wargame (GDW): Yet another wargame from GDW based in the Traveller universe. This time the Solomani invasion of Earth (or attempt thereof). I’d be curious to know if anyone who has played a few of these games, how compatible they are. Be nice to be able to run a whole wargame campaign through all these big events in the setting (although many change their scale from small ship to ship battles to capital ship armadas).
- Thieves World, RPG Supplement (Chaosium): This excellent supplement is also an interesting industry marker as it was designed to support nine of the most popular games systems of the time. To be fair, it is surprising how many are still around. Dungeons and Dragons, Runequest, Tunnels & Trolls, Rolemaster (in a later supplement), and Traveller are still going strong. Chivalry & Sorcery and The Fantasy Trip have gone but returned over their time. Only Dragonquest and Adventures in Fantasy seem to have faded away. Given the Thieves’ World novels (12 in total with some spin offs) have remained popular as far as I can tell it would be nice to see a new edition of this boxed set. What nine systems would you pick?
