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|| DRAGONQUEST Newsletter April 1994 ||
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|| Volume 1 / Number 2 ||
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Produced: Wed 27 Apr 1994
The DQ Newsletter is for discussions of the DragonQuest role playing game.
The key addresses you need to know are:
psproefr@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu (Article Submissions, Editor, etc. )
dnadler@wtcpost.daytonoh.ncr.com ( Mailing List Maintenance, Back
Issues )
All articles are copyrighted property of their respective authors.
Reproducing or republishing an article, in whole or in part, in any other
forum requires permission of the author or the moderator.
C O N T E N T S
Administrivia --- Dave Nadler
Letter FROM the Editor --- Phil Proefrock
Letters
-- Kelly Grant "Re: Weapons Rule Variant"
-- Joe Gregg "More about republishing DragonQuest"
-- Daniel Allbutt and
Andrew Carter "A DragonQuest Magazine"
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"Administrivia" --- Dave Nadler
Phil (a.k.a. "Ed") has outdone himself this time. In an effort to make up
for the "Missing March Edition", Phil has produced an April edition of
considerable size. I'm breaking up the April edition into a couple of
"printings" so no one's e-mail capabilities are overloaded. You should be
receiving over the next week issues v1n2 (this one), v1n3, and v1n4 which
will make up the entirety of the April publication. Confusing? Yes. So
why am I doing this? Other mailing list administrators have advised keeping
a mailing to around 15K in size.
Dave Nadler (a.k.a "Ad" the Administrator)
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"Letter FROM the Editor" --- Phil Proefrock
We are continuing to get subscription requests, so the momentum is
building. Hopefully those of you who have been in touch with this since it
first was begun haven't completely burned out on the idea since it has been
coming a little slowly, so far. That was, hopefully, just a one time thing.
For those of you who don't know, I am a graduate student in architecture
(my secret identity) and I had the opportunity to go to Luxembourg over my
spring break to participate in a project being sponsored by the government
of a community in Luxembourg as part of my studio. Preparations for this,
plus being out of the country for more than two weeks, all helped to keep
the March issue from happening in a timely manner, so it has become the
April issue. My apologies to those of you who eagerly check your email to
see if any new DQ material has arrived. I know I said I'd try to do this
monthly, but circumstances will sometimes interfere.
I've also had some inquiries about using the material we are distributing
in this Newsletter in other publications (club news-letters, etc.).
Although the copyright of the individual authors should be respected, I
would imagine most of the authors will gladly welcome a chance to have their
work distributed to a wider audience. If you want to reprint an article, I
recommend that you contact the author through the 'Net. I will start
including the author's email address at the end of their articles for easier
reference, although they are also included in the header. David Nadler is
our resident expert on Internet protocols and precedents, so I'll ask him to
add any other points he feels may be relevant. We also would not mind
having a reference to the DQ Newsletter made in your reprint of any article
distributed here. The more people who know about what we're up to here, the
better.
[I'm in strong agreement with Phil's recommendation to get permission from
an author BEFORE publishing any submission or letter or anything from this
newsletter. Commercial or potentially commercial ideas are being discussed
here, and we need to respect the rights of the authors - Ad]
Likewise, if there are non-'Net-connected DQ players who want to
participate by sending hardcopy of their material, I will gladly consider it
for the newsletter (and I'll type it in myself to get it in to the
newsletter, if need be). I am also willing to receive DQ related material
for review in future issues. My s-mail address is:
Philip Proefrock
625 McGuffey #291
Oxford
OH 45056 USA
(I will also add as a parenthetical note that anyone who playtests any of
my rules or variants and sends me some useful feedback, I will add you to
the playtesters acknowledgements, should that supplement ever get
published.)
--------------------------_L_E_T_T_E_R_S_----------------------------
>From Kelly Grant: "Re: Weapons Rule Variant"
[Some other material edited]
Secondly, I'd like to reply to an article. Can there be a letters page
included in the newsletter? I don't mind if people want to respond to my
letter via email.
[And here it is. I think that feedback and discussion are going to be the
lifeblood of this newsletter, so please, do write. I certainly welcome the
feedback, and I'm sure the other authors are also interested in how their
ideas are received as well. --Ed.]
Thirdly, Weapons Rule Variant. Does the Modifier apply to the percentile
chance to hit with the weapon or the damage the weapon does? +3 to the
damage seems an enormous bonus, if it is the case, given that weaponsmiths
take years of time to make weapons that give an equivalent bonus. More
details please. I quite like the idea of wearing in a favourite weapon, or
pickin up a complete dud.
Kelly
[That's exactly what I had in mind with this variant. I've had a lot of
success with this in my campaigns, and some characters who have developed a
real affinity for certain 'favorite' weapons.
But I obviously goofed in not making it completely clear that these are
modifiers to Strike Chance. (Not to damage or IV or anything else). Sorry
it was unclear. -- Ed.]
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>From Joe Gregg: "More about republishing DragonQuest"
WotC is a startup company that hit it big with one product, the "Magic"
card game that's just come out in the last year or so. Each player has a
deck that they have thrown together from card sets they purchased or won
from other players. Cards are for mana sources, spells, or monsters that
can be summoned.
Play consists of draws from your shuffled deck, and plays from your
hand. Careful attention must be paid to having mana sources available to
power your spells (you can even tap the other player's sources). There's
quite a bit of thinking that can go into it. But a lot isn't required.
That's probably more than you wanted to know. Let's just say that WotC
cleared over a million bucks with this product expects to do a lot better
this year.
We do have "The Shattered Statue" module. We found it somewhat
distasteful that third edition DQ bowdlerized the original, and likewise
that the Rune and Shaping magics were less than wonderful. We set about
correcting what we didn't like, as everyone wants to do.
We came up with four branches of four colleges each. That way there
was a branch in opposition to some other branch. It also made sense to set
some colleges in minor opposition to each other. Finally, we put shaping
and summoning into "greater knowledge" available to every college. Hmm,
sounds weird. Here are the details.
EE
|
Illusions--- THAUMATURGIES ---Mind
|
Naming
Earth . Starlight
| . |
Fire-- ELEMENTAL --Water . . . . . . Lunar-- CELESTIAL --Sun
| . |
Air . Stardark
Necromancy
|
Shadow--- ENTITIES ---Rune
|
Black
Once a mage has mastered his/her college, then one of the two paths of
Greater Knowledge are open to him/her. Mastery occurs at some reasonable
level - we have selected Rank 10 in all General Knowledge and Rank 6 in all
Special Knowledge. As an aside, we allow research at a slightly lesser
level of mastery. Greater Knowledge is exclusively either Shaping or
Summoning. We allow the given spells and rituals for Shaping and either the
old Greater or the new Lesser Summoning, given in the various TSR materials.
Our reasons for doing this are from our analysis of what a viable
society would have produced. If only Shapers can make investment
receptacles, then they are either enormously in demand or are hunted and
enslaved. Given the time requirements listed in "The Shattered Statue", a
human Shaper would learn the college by age 16, gain Ranks and new magic
over a decade, and die of old age and Endurance loss by the time one major
artifact could be produced!
Similar reasoning applied to Summoners. We found limits that were
logical in allowing summoning based upon one's original college (animals
associated with your bent, etc.), up to the demon-summoning of self-deluding
fools. To be more specific would be to use up a lot of net bandwidth.
Okay, I hope that has whetted your appetite as well as satisfied some
of your curiosity.
Joe
(gregg@espresso.rt.cs.boeing.com)
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>From Andrew Carter: "A DragonQuest Magazine"
Greetings from Australia!
Enclosed are contributions that the GM's of our group wish to make to this
newsletter. [Those will be appearing in a forthcoming issue. --Ed.] I
only just recently joined, with my character "Wittya" - an Illusionist mage.
Luckily I have access to Internet from Uni so I was able to find out about
this newsletter.
I had been putting up notices about DQ on Role Playing BBS's in Sydney but
with no result. Anyway, as you will read below, the players in our group are
happy about this newsletter (GM's especially!). I hope it continues.
Daniel Allbutt.
Here is Andrew Carter's contribution:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hi Phil, Dave and fellow DQ Players.
I received your February Newsletter last night from one of our group who
has access to the internet. I couldn't disbeleive it! (I checked as Wittya
is an Illusionist). Nope! It's still here. I am still recovering from
reading it! There ARE more of us around. I knew there was, I just didn't
know how to contact others. What a brilliant idea this newsletter is. Let me
support you all the way.
Our group has played DQ ever since we obtained First Edition in, I think,
late 1980. Most of our group has been together some 15 years. The majority
of time was spent playing DQ. We played ADD for about a year or so until
this new game called DragonQuest came along. That ended our ADD days. After
playing DQ for so many years, through three editions, we decided to switch
to Rolemaster. Having no new feedback and always having to convert modules,
source material, etc, took its toll on our GM's - including me. We always
played weekly, so there was a lot of work for our GM's. We still play
Rolemaster weekly, however a few of us couldn't give DQ up! We actually went
for nine months without playing it! Some of us in the group (including
myself) now play DQ every second week along with the weekly now-Rolemaster
original group. We also quite often have the ex-DQ players of our group
"drop in". With input from your newsletter we could start weekly gaming
again with DQ. 2 NIGHTS A WEEK! My wife will kill me! AAH! But it will be
worth it. Our new group is "DQ - The next generation" as new players have
now joined! I will certainly spread the word of your newsletter here in
Australia.
I would also like to get your thoughts on production of a DQ Module
Magazine similar in setup to TSR's Dungeon Magazine but only catering for DQ
modules. This has been a personal frustration to me - always having to
convert modules. I don't always have the time or the imagination to
constantly create my own. This Magazine of mine would cater only for
modules and closely related material. I would in no way want to compete with
this newsletter. I'm behind it 200%!! As I said before it would be similar
in concept to TSR's Dungeon Magazine, but exclusively DQ. Phil, Dave, Joe
Gregg and anybody else - What are your thoughts? Would any of you buy it if
it were cheap enough and good enough? Would any of you send me original DQ
dungeons? If so, SEND THEM NOW. Is this type of magazine any use? Could it
compliment this newsletter? If arrangements could by made would anybody
sell, on a commission basis, copies at Conventions, especially GEN CON?
These are just some of the thoughts going around in
my head at the moment. The concept has been in my mind for the last two
years. The first issue could be ready as easily as late June. Maybe even
earlier.
My final consideration of course is copyright. I want to produce the first
edition stating clearly this is _not_approved_ by TSR and TSR owns
"DragonQuest DQ" and TSR is in no way linked to me. I will also send TSR a
copy of all the published issue. I hope by doing this they will not 'close
me down' if the concept works.
I am also a bit concerned about my idea's impact on Joe Gregg's
discussions with TSR regarding the purchase of the DQ Rules. I want in no
way to jeapordize this. Joe, I have written you a message on here. If you
have any concerns please contact me and let me know. I would love to see any
revival if DQ this newsletter and my mag could be part of it. Would
anybody please send any thoughts or comments. I don't care if they are
positive or negative - I'm open to both. Above all, if you like the concept,
send me original DQ modules or concepts. Please include an international
postage coupon if you want a reply. I hope to receive maximum submissions
and to constantly pay postage would be a burden. I'm sorry to ask this but I
only have one wage to split between a Wife and five children (YES five - got
to do something other than work DQ! :) I will try to pay as much as I can
for published modules if the mag gets off the ground. So send ideas to me!
Now!
Long live DragonQuest and this Newsletter!
signed ANDON THE GREAT (Arch Ensorcelor and Enchanter)
BTW: I sometime live in a fantasy world called Earth under a character
name of ANDREW D. CARTER.
POSTAL ADDRESS: Andrew D. Carter
27 Fuller Street
Mount Druitt
New South Wales 2770
Australia
write c/o: dallbutt@st.nepean.uws.edu.au
(please mention at start of letter that the message is for Andrew)
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### End of DragonQuest Newsletter -- April 1994 (part 1 of 3)
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