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|| DRAGONQUEST Newsletter August 1994 ||
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|| Volume 1 / Number 7 ||
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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)
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 maintains an ftp archive site:
[ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/drache]
which includes back issues of the newsletter 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
Letters -- Bruce Lee-Shanok
Column: The BEASTIARY
Magical Plants, Part I -- Philip Proefrock
Warrior Skill -- Mike Shepperd
Column: DQ ARCHIVE
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EDITORIAL:
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Those of you who follow the rec.games.frp.misc newsgroup have seen a recent
series of postings about DragonQuest in the past couple of weeks. It is
great to see that discussion of DragonQuest still takes place, and the
curiosity of other people reading the newsgroup is piqued as well. (For
those of you who don't have access, or who haven't seen all of the DQ
postings, a compiled file of the recent discussion is being posted to the
ftp site.) And, at the same time, we have seen an upswing in subscription
requests for the Newsletter.
For those of you who are keeping score, we are now up to somewhere over 60
subscribers.
The interest of the subscribers is certainly there, but we are not getting a
lot of new material for the newsletter. So I continue to ask you to send us
your letters, house rules, adventure ideas, new material, character ideas,
magical items, additional creatures, and other DragonQuest related things
for the Newsletter. There are no formatting or content requirements for
submissions. We will take care of getting it to fit. Share your ideas with
the rest of us!
------------------------_L_E_T_T_E_R_S_--------------------------
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[I wrote to the editors of a proposed RPG electronic magazine to inquire
about their project and to see if they were interested in cross-posting some
of our material. Here is the reply I got, along with my inquiry note.
--Ed.]
> I am interested in your proposal for a Role-Playing Games
>electronic magazine. Currently, I am the editor of a 'Net
>Newsletter for the DragonQuest game. We might be interested in
>cross-posting some of our articles to your magazine.
>
> Please send me any information you currently have, and keep us
>posted as this develops. I will post a notice in a forthcoming
>newsletter and we'll see if our contributors are interested in
>sending their articles to you as well.
>
Yes, I am interested in cross posting. I've received numerous similar
offers, I assume you are also interested in articles from our potential
authors? :). If so, I was wondering if I could get some more information on
your newsletter?
If you need to know about REM, it's run by myself and an Adam Nevraumont
of the local area, we're compiling our first issue, and it will definetly be
coming out, but due to the nature of the project (or some other big fancy
phrase to that extent) we want to make sure this issue is great. Therefore,
we'll probably be releasing it around the end of august at the very
earliest.
If you decide to reply to this, keep in mind that Adam hasn't got his
internet account yet, and I will be unable to reply for the next two weeks,
but I will reply. :)
-- Bruce Lee-Shanok (aw001@freenet.carleton.ca)
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-------------------_The_ _B_E_A_S_T_I_A_R_Y_---------------------
Spider Monkey
-- by Philip Proefrock(psproefr@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu)
Spider monkeys are 6-limbed monkeys with large fangs. They are extremely
clever and able. Even locked food containers may not stop them (treat as
Rank 3 Thief against locks up to Rank 5 construction). Their coloration is
usually brown or black, although there are also reds, greys, and rarely,
albinos.
Running: 300-400 Climbing: 200-300
PS: 9-12 MD: 20-25 AG: 18-22 MA: None
EN: 8-15 FT: 15-18 WP: 8-10 PC: 16-21
PB: 8-15 TMR: 6-8/4-6 NA: Fur absorbs 2 DP
Weapons: Bite has BC 40% and -4 damage. Claws are BC 25% and -6 damage.
Both may be ranked up to Rank 6. They can also use small, undersized
daggers which are BC 35% and -1 damage, and they may be up to Rank 7 with
these.
GM's Notes: Spider monkeys and panther monkeys (see July 94 issue) may
sometimes be found working together. Especially clever packs may distract a
group of travellers with a feint attack, while sending a couple of spiders
in to steal food and trinkets from packs, bags and tents.
Spider monkeys and panther monkeys are both warm climate creatures, and
are primarially found in jungle environments.
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MAGICAL PLANTS, Part I
-- Philip Proefrock (psproefr@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu)
The following are a couple of magical plants which I have used in my
camaign. The frequency with which they can be found will vary depending on
the amount of magic present in your campaign world, but in any case they
should be extremely rare. High mana locations will be more favorable places
for magical plants, but if the high mana location is known, it is likely
that magical plants will have already been harvested.
Bloodberries -- Bloodberries are the fruit of a small flowering plant
which have useful healing properties. The bloodberry plant looks like a
small (up to 12") single stalk with many tiny white flowers (something like
a snapdragon) which have blood red veins. The root of this plant is a soft,
mushy mass with the appearance of coagulated blood. This is the bloodberry.
Bloodberries ripen throughout the summer and can be found in all moderate
climate zones. They will last for up to 30 days after they are harvested,
unless they are specially prepared (see below).
One bloodberry will cure either D10 fatigue, D5 endurance, or all damage
due to blood loss (this makes them especially valuable to vampire hunters
and victims of "bleeder" grievous injuries). An alchemist or herbalist can
render two doses of bloodberry elixir from one bloodberry. The cost for
this is (600 - 40/Rank) silver pennies, and the elixir will last for (20 +
Rank) months. Each dose of elixir will heal D10 + (2 x Rank) fatigue, or D5
+ Rank endurance damage, or all blood loss damage (similar to the unprepared
bloodberry).
Iron Mushrooms -- Iron mushrooms are hefty 6" diameter rust colored
mushrooms. They tend to grow in caves near streams or ponds with a high
iron content. Once picked, they can last up to a year if kept dry, but if
they get wet they will begin to rust and loose their effectiveness within
just a couple of weeks.
These objects provide a skin hardening effect causing a Natural Armor of 2
points, but causes a slowing of -1 TMR and a loss of 5 points from Manual
Dexterity and/or Agility (the player may allocate how the 5 points effect
the character). The effects of iron mushrooms last for 5 minutes.
-- Philip Proefrock (psproefr@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu)
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WARRIOR SKILL
-- Mike Shepperd c/o (dallbutt@st.nepean.uws.edu.au)
The Warrior skill is designed for the specialised fighter character. A
Warrior character is trained to be a successful fighter in ALL situations
(hence the various weapons the warrior is required to be skilled in),
knowing the subtleties of combat that a non-fighter will be unaware of.
A Warrior must have a Physical Strength and Manual Dexterity at least equal
to the average physical strength and manual dexterity for that character's
race (eg. for a human - 15).
In order to advance past rank 2, a Warrior must have rank in the following:
- Unarmed combat
- a sword or hafted weapon, other than a quarterstaff, that does at least
D+2 damage.
- A shield (other than a Main Gauche)
- A close combat weapon
- A missile weapon
The warrior must keep all of these weapons at a rank equal to or greater
than half his rank with the warrior skill. (This applies only when the
warrior advances past rank 2 in the Warrior skill.) In order to speacialise
in a weapon (qv), the warrior must be at least rank 0 in all of these
compulsory weapons.
The warrior may choose a weapon (which does not have to be one of the
compulsory weapons listed above) in which to specialise. He receives certain
bonuses when using his specialised weapon (qv). He may choose one weapon at
rank 0, another at rank 5, and another at rank 10. After rank 10, he may NOT
specialise in any more weapons. He may change a specialised weapon at the
cost of 750 experience points for each rank he has with the NEW weapon, and
1 week of practise for each rank he has with the NEW weapon (he then loses
all bonuses for specialisation with the OLD weapon). Instead of a weapon,
the warrior may choose to specialise in mounted combat, in which case he
adds [1.5 x Rank]% (round up) to any horsemanship roll whilst in combat,
and, for those actions which require a certain rank in horsemanship to be
able to perform (see rule 87.2), the warrior acts as if he has Rank/5 (round
UP) ranks more to his current horsemanship ability.
A Warrior cannot be a Mage or a Healer. The GM may wish to rule that a
Warrior may not be any of the following either: Courtier, Troubador,
Merchant, Mechanician, Astrologer, Alchemist. The reasoning behind this is
that these skills require a certain delicacy or intellectual skills that a
rough soldier is unlikely to have (but the decision is ultimately up to the
GM).
A Warrior adds [Rank]% to any strike chance ([2 x Rank]% for a specialised
weapon).
A Warrior adds +[Rank/4] (round down) to damage (+[Rank/3] (round down) for
a specialised weapon).
A Warrior adds [Rank]% to the chance of scoring an endurance hit ([1.5 x
Rank]% (round up) for a specialised weapon).
A Warrior adds [1/2 Rank]% to the chance of scoring a grievous injury
([Rank]% for a specialised weapon).
A Warrior adds [Rank]% to his defence, and [2 x Rank]% when evading.
A Warrior adds his Rank to his Endurance when calculating the amount of
damage needed to stun him, and he adds [1.5 x Rank]% (round up) to his
chance of recovering from stun.
A Warrior adds [Rank]% to his chance of succeeding in the Willpower roll of
rule 68.1 (when encountering creatures with a physical beauty less than 6).
If he fails the Willpower roll, the GM subtracts the Warrior's Rank from the
dice roll he makes for the Fright Table.
For any grievous injury caused by a Warrior, the Warrior's Rank is added to
the dice roll for the Grievous Injury table.
A Warrior always adds his Manual Dexterity to the Strike Chance of using any
weapon listed in the weapons chart, ie. he effectively can use all the
weapons at rank 0 (but if he wishes to learn a weapon, he must still first
learn it at rank 0). This does not apply to any new weapons introduced by
the GM. (ie. it applies only to weapons listed in the weapons chart: not
new, unknown, exotic weapons.)
When a Warrior takes the Military Scientist skill, he spends three-quarters
of the required experience points cost to advance in the Military Scientist
skill while his rank with the Warrior skill is greater than his rank as a
Military Scientist. The reverse is NOT true.
EXPERIENCE POINTS:
Rank/Exp:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
800 350 1200 2650 4350 6500 8650 11100 12750 14500 17000
In addition to the 'Warrior Alternative' (see 'Dragon' Magazine June, 1984,
page 24), a similar alternative should be introduced called the
'Professional Alternative'. This is in all ways similar to the 'Warrior
ALternative', but, instead of learning 3 weapons and 2 skills, the character
may choose to learn 2 weapons 3 skills. The character choosing this
alternative may learn one weapon at rank 2 and one at rank 1, and 1 skill at
rank 2 and 2 skills at rank 1. The experience points restrictions are
unchanged, except that no experience points need to be spent increasing a
characteristic - all experience points may be spent on skills and weapons.
Also, instead of 'saving' only 500 unused experience points, 1000 may be
saved.
Making these changes opens the way for a new 'class' of character. In the
past, all characters are basically mages or fighters, and skills have been
learnt as extras. The 'Professional Alternative' encourages some characters
to be second rate fighters and to specialise in skills.
NB: If a warrior is also an Assassin, any increases to damage or the chance
of a grievous injury is NOT cumulative. That is, the player must choose to
use the bonuses from either the Warrior skill or the Assassin skill
(whichever is greatest, obviously) but not both.
-- Mike Shepperd c/o (dallbutt@st.nepean.uws.edu.au)
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---------------------_D_Q_ _A_R_C_H_I_V_E_-----------------------
[Archive ftp site is at: ftp.netcom.com in the pub/drache directory.
Archivist and ftp Guru: Drake Stanton (drache@netcom.com)]
DragonQuest Discussion from rec.games.frp.misc
ARCHIVE NAME: rgfm.notes1 [Name not verified at time of publishing -
DavAD]
This is a collection of some of the recent postings about DragonQuest
which have appeared recently in the rec.games.frp.misc discussion group on
the 'Net. They are compiled here for your reference if you didn't see all
of them, or if you want to go back through them.
There's not a lot to say about it other than that.
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### End of DragonQuest Newsletter v1/n7 -- August 1994
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