Drmg091, Dragon
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D
RAGON
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SPECIAL ATTRACTION
Treasure Trove
various authors
A storehouse of new magic items for the AD&D® game.
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OTHER FEATURES
The goristro revealed
E. Gary Gygax
In this installment of From the Sorcerors Scroll, the author of the AD&D game
makes up for a big omission in Monster Manual II.
Realistic vital statistics
Stephen Inniss
Using the science of geometry and the art of intuition, the author puts forth a
new system for determining the height and weight of player characters.
The ecology of the leucrotta
Ed Greenwood
Spotlighting the ugly killer an animal with a familiar-sounding voice but a
body that not even a mother could love.
Nine Hells revisited
Ed Greenwood
As a followup to his earlier essay on devils and where they live, Ed describes more
outcasts, the treasures to be found in the hells, and other details that
devil-fighters will find helpful to know.
Eight devilish questions
Ed Greenwood
Our resident diabolician fields queries from readers about The Nine Hells.
Chronicles: a novel idea
A preview of the first DRAGONLANCE book, coming soon.
Spies advice
Penny Petticord
Answers for agents and Admins on the TOP SECRET® game.
The Rune and the Dragon
Lawrence Evans
This months fiction: What it feels like to be followed by something thats really
breathing down your neck.
The SHOGUN game: Such a deal!
Paul Smith
Reviewing a new card game with an Oriental flair.
The butler didnt do it
Ken Rolston
An overview of the genre of mystery role-playing adventures, with reviews of three
products designed with intrigue in mind.
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44
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Publisher
Mike Cook
Editor-in-Chief
Kim Mohan
Editorial staff
Patrick Lucien Price
Mary Kirchoff
Roger Moore
Graphics and production
Roger Raupp
Subscriptions
Melody Knull
Advertising
Lee Hein
Contributing editors
Ed Greenwood
Ken Rolston
Katharine Kerr
This issues contributing artists
Roger Raupp
Bob Maurus
Jeff Butler
Marvel Bullpen
Phyllis Andersen
Dave Trampier
Richard Tomasic
Joseph Pillsbury
David Hutton
Larry Elmore
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DEPARTMENTS
Letters
69 The ARES section
109 Dragon Mirth
The forum
102 Gamers Guide
110 Snarfquest
Convention calendar
107 Wormy
COVER
Our latest-offering from Dean Morrissey depicts the artists interpretation of
fantastic naval technology a ship that looks like it could fly even better
than it floats.
It looks good, and its good for you
Every issue of DRAGON® Magazine is new, but this one is newer than most. We came up
with a different design for our contents page one that we like for a lot of reasons. Even if
you find the new look a little tough to get used to, we hope youll appreciate the ways in
which it makes the magazine better.
We enlarged and expanded the format for the table of contents to make it easier for you to
see at a glance whats inside and where its at. We moved the list of staff people and contribu-
tors lower on the page, on the theory that the people who make the magazine arent as
(Turn to page 66)
2 N
OVEMBER
1984
chance of something really weird happening. For
times like this, percentile dice are obviously
necessary; at other times, a d20 would probably
do. But don’t switch back and forth between two
types of dice for ability-score checks, or the
players might figure out when you've got some-
thing really devious on your mind. — KM
Rustbusters
Further beyond
the system that Jonathan’s reasoning suggests. A
character with a dexterity of 5 wouldn't live long
in an adventure with a lot of “dexterity checks” if
the player had to roll 5 or less on 3d6 every time
a check was taken. The chance of doing so is a
shade over 3%. It doesn't seem overly generous
to give the character a base figure of 25% in-
stead; he’s still going to fail his share of dexterity
checks and pay the price for being clumsy, but at
least he’s got a fighting chance — or a chance to
fight, if you prefer. No one in the playing group
will like the 3d6 rule very much, especially if the
clumsiest character also happens to be the party’s
only cleric.
Katharine’s system is more difficult to justify
toward the higher end of the dexterity scale. If
jumping across a small pit is no big thing, and
even the clumsiest of characters can do it with a
reasonable chance of success, then why should
anyone with above-average dexterity or better
have any trouble at all? For those of you who
agree with Jonathan, try tinkering with the
system: Award 5% per point up to 10, and 10%
per point after that, up to a maximum of 99% at
15 and above. This puts all characters with
dexterity of 15-18 on equal footing, so to speak,
which addresses Jonathan's complaint. It also
attaches some significance to the range of dexter-
ity scores from 11 through 15; if the players in
your campaign know that you use a system like
this, it might give them some more to think about
during the character-generation process.
Or, you can keep Katharine’s system intact,
reasoning that the “5% per point” system al-
ready does make each point of dexterity (or
whatever) significant — and it already has the
potential to make players think harder during
character generation; even if you're not planning
to run a thief, you might want to assign a high
score for your character’s dexterity to increase his
chances of making a five-foot leap across a six-
foot-wide pit. Dexterity is a good example to
illustrate this way of thinking, because a lot of
dexterity checks will probably involve the threat
of damage, and may even be life-or-death situa-
tions. In contrast, I can't imagine a character’s
survival resting on a “charisma check,” except in
an unusual and probably unique situation (“The
god of vanity is repulsed by your countenance,
and you vanish in a puff of smoke.”).
Using the 3d6 system for ability-score checks
seems to run contrary to the rule structure for
bonuses and penalties for a high or low score.
The reaction/attacking bonus for dexterity begins
at +1 for a score of 16 and goes up by 1 for each
increase in score thereafter. The defensive adjust-
ment bonus to armor class starts at 15 and im-
proves by 1 for each point of dexterity higher
than that. Each of these points of improvement
represents a 5% increment; similarly, penalties
and bonuses on thieving abilities are also
awarded in 5% increments. Katharine’s system
seems to be a logical outgrowth of this reasoning.
Is it simpler to not convert the ability score into
a percentage and use a d20 instead? Sure, in most
cases. But the percentage method does allow the
DM more flexibility. He might want to modify
the base chance by some strange number like 8%
or l3%, or he might want to allow a 1% or 3%
Dear editor:
In The ecology of the rust monster (issue
#88) there are a few errors. The Monster Manual
states that they inhabit and roam only dark
subterranean places. The article states that
Gulgathas issued orders that all smithies in his
major encampments are to be encircled with
sloped stakes or spears to discourage the attacks
of such creatures. But such monsters are not
supposed to be there in the first place.
Since the article states (or suggests) that they
do, it would be a safe assumption to say that rust
monsters might roam open areas at night when
there is not much going on and no light. Or, that
they might come out in search for more or better
metals. This point might help to clarify the
article.
To the editor:
Katharine Kerrs Beyond the Dungeon (Part
2) in issue #88 is one of the most intelligent and
clearly written pieces Ive ever seen in your
pages. Ms. Kerrs work is a wealth of ideas and
speculation to even a veteran DM. In the spirit of
her article, I want to pass on a few thoughts
based on my experience. There are two points I
will address: using the six ability scores to roll
success in a variety of situations, and the reaction
of city dwellers to player characters.
In an example, Ms. Kerr suggests judging a
PCs ability to leap across a five-foot-wide pit by
multiplying the characters dexterity of 15 by a
factor of 5. The result (75% in this case) repre-
sents the chance of success. My complaint is that
this approach is too generous to low ability scores
and too stringent on high ones.
The six basic characteristics are rolled on 3d6,
so each point represents a different amount rather
than a constant 5%, as Ms. Kerr suggests. It is,
for example, 7% easier to roll a 7 or less than it is
for a 6 or less, and 9% easier for an 8 than a 7.
Someone with a 3 dexterity should have a 0.5%
chance of accomplishing a dexterity-based feat,
not a 15% chance. A 15 dexterity should give a
95% chance: the odds of rolling 15 or less on 3d6.
Allowing only a 75% chance devalues a score of
15.
Aside from being more realistic, this approach
does not require figuring the odds as a percent-
age. The DM simply hands the player 3d6, with
instructions to roll the characters dexterity (or
strength, intelligence, etc.) or under.
Note that you can also avoid calculating per-
centages with Ms. Kerrs method. Simply check
the ability score by rolling a d20. The effect is the
same as multiplying by 5 and rolling percentile
dice.
On to the second point. The material on city
adventures is superb, but I disagree in one area.
Assuming that the overwhelming percentage of
city folks are zero-level, they will be fearfully
respectful of adventurers. In light of the attack-
rate note on p. 25 of the Players Handbook, a
5th-level fighter can conceivably slay 5 members
of a lynch mob per round. A 5th-level magic-user
is somewhat more effective in the same situation.
City residents know this is the state of affairs and
will behave accordingly.
John H. Cantrell II
Jeffersonville, Ga.
Dear Dragon:
In issue #88 I found what appears to be an
error in the text. This error is evident on the
article describing the rust monster. In the
Notes section of this article, under captions
two and five, there were two statements in which
the ",
or inches, sign was used. I feel that the
author meant to use the ', or feet, sign instead. Is
my assumption correct?
William Blandford
Wallingford, Pa.
Dear editor:
There are a few questions raised by The
ecology of the rust monster and a few old un-
asked questions concerning the rust monster and
its attacks. They are: Do any metal objects get a
saving throw against the rust monsters effects?
Does a magic bonus add to this save? If a rust
monsters blood is collected and bottled, will the
bacteria still be active? (If so, adventurers will try
this to make good missile weapons to easily
destroy enemy armor and weapons.) Finally, can
a magic-user isolate the bacteria to make a rust-
ing potion?
Robert J. Watson
Rhinelander, Wis.
The rust monster article didn’t make the
specific point that the creatures might be encoun-
tered outside a dungeon, but the example of
Gulgathas does imply that such things happen.
John is correct in pointing out something that
might have confused readers, and the idea of rust
monsters roaming open ground could have been
explored in the article. The MM cites a “% in
lair” figure of 10% for the rust monster, implying
that it doesn’t stay home much, and that makes
sense considering its dietary habits. Carry that
reasoning a little further, and it’s not hard to
imagine a rust monster foraging outdoors at night
— especially if no decent meals have wandered
down into the dungeon lately. We can assume
that the monster has some kind of a homing
instinct that enables it to find the dungeon en-
trance (and its lair) again after an excursion into
the outside world. Or, it might stray too far in
pursuit of a tasty suit of armor and go beyond the
Jonathan Heiles
Pleasant Valley, N.Y.
The mathematical logic of Jonathan’s argu-
ment cannot be refuted; however, there’s a reason
why his approach might not be appropriate for
this purpose.
What we’re talking about here is using ability
scores to determine the chance for success when a
character tries to perform a basically simple
action. Anyone should be able to accomplish
some things, like jumping across a chasm as wide
as he is tall, with at least a reasonable chance of
success no matter how low the character’s dexter-
ity is. At the low end of the dexterity scale, the
system in the article is certainly more fair than
D
RAGON
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