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|| DRAGONQUEST Newsletter July 1994 ||
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|| Volume 1 / Number 6 ||
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The DQ Newsletter is for discussions of the DragonQuest role playing game.
The key addresses you need to know are:
Philip Proefrock (Editor, Article Submissions, Etc.)
psproefr@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu
David Nadler (Distribution Coordinator, Archivist)
dnadler@wtcpost.daytonoh.ncr.com
Drake Stanton (FTP site coordinator)
drache@netcom.com
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. The DragonQuest
Newsletter also includes an ftp archive site:
[ftp.netcom.com in the directory pub/drache]
which includes back issues and other articles of interest to DragonQuest
players and GMs.
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C O N T E N T S
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Editorial -- Phil Proefrock
Letters -- Joe Gregg
Column: The BEASTIARY
New Spells -- David Novak
SPI's DragonQuest Feedback Questionnaire
Column: DQ ARCHIVE
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EDITORIAL:
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The DragonQuest Newsletter just keeps growing! This issue of the DQ
Newsletter includes *two* new columns which will appear regularly in the
newsletter. The _Archive_ column will announce new arrivals in the DQ
Archive, our ftp site. Each announcement will include a capsule description
of the contents of the item by the item's author, or a review of the item
(or maybe both).
The other column, _The Beastiary_, will present new creatures for you to
use in your DQ campaigns. I'd *really* like to get some new submissions
from some of the rest of you who haven't yet submitted anything to the
newsletter, yet. Here's a chance to send in a small item and share it with
the rest of the DQ community.
------------------------_L_E_T_T_E_R_S_--------------------------
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I wanted to relay some disappointing news to the readers of the
DRAGONQUEST Newsletter, and follow it up later with more details. We were
notified by Wizards of the Coast that DQ is not considered a project they
want to pursue. Their Head Honcho of Development would like to go after NEW
game systems. After all, that's what led to their current commercial
success.
Additional reports that TSR has no intention of letting go of the system
trademark have surfaced. WotC recommended that we choose a new name for
whatever we come up with in a "fourth edition" & try to buy the right to put
"Formerly known as the DragonQuest system" on the box or rules cover.
Our group is pushing ahead with the fourth edition project. However,
things are going a lot more slowly. Money as a driving force is a powerful
incentive to action. Hmm, sounds like something I learned while
adventuring. We are looking at the variants put in the Newsletter; we may
choose to have a section of optional rules that would include them all in
some form.
As we complete the various sections, we may send them out for review to
the subscribers of the Newsletter. As long as contributions keep rolling
in, there will be things we can add. I'm sorry that we will be without
commercial backing for our efforts.
-- Joe Gregg (gregg@espresso.rt.cs.boeing.com)
-------------------_The_ _B_E_A_S_T_I_A_R_Y_---------------------
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Panther Monkey
-- by Philip Proefrock(psproefr@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu)
The panther monkey is a very fast monkey whose preferred mode of walking is
on all fours. They tend to be carnivorous hunters, but like other monkeys,
they are also fond of fruit. They are black or grey colored, with very
thick fur. Packs of panther monkeys can (and do) take on much larger prey,
even other predators such as lions. Panther monkeys average 4-5 feet in
length.
Running: 500
PS: 15-22 MD: 20-24 AG: 28-32 MA: None
EN: 15-20 FT: 25-32 WP: 8-10 PC: 12-18
PB: 5-12 TMR: 10 NA: Thick fur absorbs 4 DP
Weapons: Bite has BC 35% and does D10 damage. Claws have BC 45% and do +2
damage. Both bite and claw may be ranked up to Rank 6. They may use either
a bite or both claws in Melee. In Close Combat, they may use both attacks
at the same time.
GM's Notes: I used a small band of "attack" monkeys in an adventure a few
years ago, when the party traveled to the Southern Continent (clever name,
eh?). Even though there were several members in the party, and they were
Adventurer and Hero level characters, the monkeys gave them a great deal of
trouble, and afterwards the players told me they thought that the panther
monkeys were some of the most difficult opponents they had had to deal with
in combat.
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NEW SPELLS -- David Novak (trumpet@csos.orst.edu)
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**Charm Ritual (R-1) E&E
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 week + 1/Rank
Experience Multiple: 750
Base Chance: 5%
Resistance: Active and Passive
Effects: The effects of this ritual are identical to S-1 (p 44) in the
college of Naming Incantations. The target of this ritual must remain in
the center of the pentagram for the entire 3 hours the ritual takes to
perform. Besides drawing the pentagram, the adept expends 3000 sp on
materials. If the Generic True Name of the target is known, the base chance
of the ritual is increased by 15%. Knowledge of the entities Individual
True Name adds 25%
**Fire Walking (S-17) Fire Magics
Range: Caster only
Duration: instantaneous
Experience Multiple: 550
Base Chance: 1%
Resistance: None
Effects: The adept may cause himself to be instantly transported from one
spot which is engulfed in a medium or larger source of flame to another spot
which is similarly engulfed in flames. The destination may be in sight or
it may have been carefully observed before hand. The destination may be up
to 5 miles (+1 additional mile per rank) from the spot the adept currently
occupies. If the destination source of the fire has gone out, the spell
will automatically fail.
**Flames of Vision (S-18) Fire Magics
Range: 1 foot
Duration: 1 minute + 1/Rank
Experience Multiple: 300
Base Chance: 10%
Resistance: May not be resisted.
Effects: After casting the spell over a small or larger source of fire, the
adept will cause visions to appear (usually precognitive in nature) in the
flames. At Rank 5 and above, he may use this technique to spy into an area
to see what is going on there. The distance from the character to the area
being spied into is 5 miles (+15 additional per Rank).
**Drowning (S-13) Water Magics
Range: 5 feet + 5 additional/Rank
Duration: Immediate
Experience Multiple: 350
Base Chance: 5%
Resist: Active and Passive
Effects: The Adept is able to cause the water in the air within the lungs of
one target to solidify causing D+Rank/2 damage. The target must also roll
under 3 x WP else fall unconscious for Rank pulses. Resistance negates all
effects.
-- David Novak (trumpet@csos.orst.edu)
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SPI's DRAGONQUEST FEEDBACK QUESTIONNAIRE
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I was a subscriber to SPI's 'Ares' magazine a number of years ago, when
SPI was still around. One thing some of you may recall is that they were
always very interested in customer feedback. Every game they sold, as well
as every issue of 'Ares' and their other magazines, had a number of
questions and a feedback card.
I still have a rather lengthy feedback form that came with my copy of the
First Edition of DragonQuest which I have kept, and which I periodically
refer to for inspiration. This is, more than anything else out there, a
peek into the developers' plans for the development of DragonQuest.
I am including this now to solicit your reactions, since you are the
hardcore DQ players, as well as because I think it is of interest to
DragonQuest players. What do you think of these ideas?
Which do you think you would find most useful in your campaign(s)? Which
ones do you find the most intriguing? As someone who still produces
material for DragonQuest, I would find your responses most interesting. And
I am sure I am not alone in wondering what other DQ players would find most
useful. Perhaps, the responses will be of interest to other authors of DQ
material from the Newsletter.
I will summarize the responses in a forthcoming Newsletter (probably in
the next one) for everyone's information.
"The following are proposals for DragonQuest supplements, accessories and
adventures.
DragonQuest Supplement #1: Magical Research and Spell Construction
The supplement would include 3 new Colleges of Magic (The College of Lesser
Summonings, The College of Rune Magics, and The College of Transformations),
material on Magical Items, Grimoires, etc., and a system for constructing
spells to supplement those already provided.
[This sounds like a description of "Arcane Wisdom," the unpublished
"Fourth Book of DragonQuest." I am not sure if the College of
Transformations is the College of Shaping Magic, or if it was going to be
another College altogether. --Ed.]
DragonQuest Supplement #2: Advanced Monsters
The supplement would include additional monsters not listed in basic
DragonQuest, additional rules for multi-hex monsters, etc. The monsters
would be taken from literature or mythology.
DragonQuest Supplement #3: World Generation
A handbook on the creation of detailed social systems, economic and
political structures, religious and racial interrelationships, etc.
DragonQuest Supplement #4: Castle Building and Estate Management
The supplement would include all of the details necessary to build, staff
and manage a medieval estate.
DragonQuest Supplement #5: Handbook of Advanced Skills
Would include 12-15 new skills and detailed equipment lists and expanded
capabilities for existing skills. (Plans for workshops suitable for use in
the pursuit of all skills would also be
included.)
DragonQuest Supplement #6: Heroic Combat and Martial Arts
Would include a section on supernormal combat abilities along with a
detailed system for incorporating Martial Arts into combat.
DragonQuest Supplement #7:
Would deal with the creation of supernormal beings, discovery of legendary
places and entities and the generation of detailed prophecies around such
figures and legends in a manner which would expand play value. Would also
include ratings and descriptions for historical and literary heroes not
under copyright.
DragonQuest Supplement #8: Randomized Dungeon Generation Kit
Would include a brief set of rules covering an expanded version of the
DeathMaze game system of generating a dungeon. The various types of rooms,
encounters, etc. would be keyed to the original DragonQuest rules.
DragonQuest Supplement #9: Handbook of the Dimensions
Would include details on some of the near dimensions that impinge on the
DragonQuest universe and how to travel back and forth between them as well
as rules for moving back and forth between fantasy worlds (and games)
without having to create a new character.
DragonQuest Supplement #10: Creating Urban Adventures
This supplement would feature detailed rules for creating and stocking
realistic cities and running adventures in them. (Also included would be a
sample city with key.)
DragonQuest Supplement #11: Creating Wilderness Adventures
Extensive rules for exploring terra incognito and meeting cannibals,
headhunters, slaves, lost kingdoms of amazons, and various other savage
societies. Would include a section on Voodoo and Shamanistic magic and a
pantheon of primitive gods, heroes and devils taken from South American,
Caribbean, African, Polynesian and Melanesian mythologies.
DragonQuest Supplement #12: Creating Wasteland Adventures
Rules for such primitive environments as the sub-arctic tundra and the
Sahara. Would include extensive survival rules, lists of flora and fauna,
gods, legends and social customs of the wasteland peoples.
DragonQuest Supplement #13: Conducting Undersea Adventures
Special rules for functioning in an undersea environment with flora, fauna
and treasure lists and descriptions included. (Also included would be a map
of a sunken treasure ship and the surrounding area.)
[DragonQuest Accessory #1 was the GM's screen, which was produced.]
DragonQuest Accessory #2: Pregenerated Character Cards
A series of cards containing a single pregenerated character or monster on
one side and a drawing of the monster or character's species on the other.
(Each deck would include 500 cards. Possible decks would cover Monsters,
NPC's and Summonables.)
Other accessories ideas were for DQ miniatures, a DQ dice set, a DQ
T-shirt, DragonQuest adventures and a DragonQuest magazine.
---------------------_D_Q_ _A_R_C_H_I_V_E_-----------------------
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[Archive ftp site is at: ftp.netcom.com in the pub/drache directory.
Archivist and ftp Guru: Drake Stanton (drache@netcom.com)]
College of Time Magics by Mike Shepperd (review by Philip Proefrock)
ARCHIVE NAME: time.magic
This file contains a new college of magic. Time Magics seems to be a very
popular college of magic for DQ players to develop, and I am almost
surprised that the designers didn't include a College of Time Magics in the
original system. In addition to this version of a college of Time Magics, I
am familiar with at least three other versions (including my own).
This version takes the interesting approach of placing Time Magics into
the Entities branch of the Colleges of Magic. As such, the college focuses
on the effects of time on sentients, and on
controlling those forces. Most of the spells have effects on individuals,
with such spells as Slowness, Lightning Reflexes, Remember, Age, Youth,
Hyperquickness, and so forth.
While the college allows travel only into the past (R-6), the notes state
that the past cannot be changed, and thus the GM will have to prevent the
characters from doing anything that might disrupt events from their
preordained course. Most GMs will probably want to keep this ritual from
the players, especially since there are other spells and rituals which allow
examination of the past. On the other hand, since the future is
indeterminate, this college does not allow travel into the future, although
there are also spells and rituals which allow the examination of the future.
(It is an odd imposition on the GM to have to manage the past, without
allowing changes to the time line, while allowing no travel into the
future.)
Mike notes that this is a first draft of the college. I think that, while
it may be a little out of balance yet, it is an interesting and useful
approach to Time Magics. Hopefully Mike will continue to work on this
college, and we will see a revised version at some point in the future.
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### End of DragonQuest Newsletter v1/n6 -- July 1994
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