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|| DRAGONQUEST Newsletter January 1995 ||
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|| Volume 2 / Number 1 ||
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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.muohio.edu
David Nadler (Distribution Coordinator)
nadled@uh2297p01.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/dr/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 -- Philip Proefrock
Letters -- Craig Cowie
-- Philip Proefrock
-- "Amy"
-- Elliot Wilen
Column: The BEASTIARY
Adepts & Investment -- from the rec.games.frp.misc Newsgroup
Column: DQ ARCHIVE
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EDITORIAL:
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This issue of the Newsletter begins our second year, and we seem to be doing
alright with it. January begins Volume 2 of the Newsletter, and so this
seems to be a good time to consider new things. Feedback has generally been
favorable, and we are starting to get more submissions (though I will
continue to ask all of you to keep sending material to keep the Newsletter
going) so the question is less one of correcting what's wrong with the
Newsletter than it is of improving it.
I have worked on getting this Newsletter going, and I am glad to see it
going as well as it is. But I don't think I should be the only one writing
editorials, so I want to open up the opportunity for "Guest Editorials." I
will continue to edit the Newsletter; I'm not going away. But I think that
mine should not be the only voice talking about DragonQuest. I'm sure there
are other issues to discuss and to be presented, and I'd like to get your
contributions in this part of the Newsletter, too.
------------------------_L_E_T_T_E_R_S_--------------------------
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In response to the latest editorial: Who was being outraged? Writers to
the newsletter or people being charged for the copies?
I think that you should include a line saying the newsletter may be
hardcopied and distributed as long as no one makes a profit (including for
time - only the real cost of the photocopy should be reimbursed - we don't
want to create any jobs for anyone here).
Also there should be some provision for anon submissions - although these
would clearly be left to the editor's discretion as to whether they are
included. Maybe a line saying anon submissions will only be included at the
editor's discretion.
-- Craig Cowie (ccowie@umich.edu)
{I'm sorry if the December editorial was unclear. It was the contributors
to the newsletter (those writing the material that was being distributed)
who were getting enraged about someone else "selling" their "work."
Your suggested disclaimer is a good one. We will be discussing this and
may have a new disclaimer for the Newsletter soon. Hopefully this will
allay anyone's concerns, and at the same time allow people who have the
opportunity to try to spread the word about DQ by using the Newsletter.
We haven't run into any questions about submitting material to the
Newsletter anonymously. If anyone wants to have something included in the
Newsletter without having their name attached to it, we can certainly
accomodate that. Since it is still a moderated Newsletter, obviously
anything would be included at the editor's discretion. -- ED}
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Here's a short note to update you on the progress of the Canonical DQ
Index. I believe I now have a complete list of DragonQuest-related articles
from "Ares" and "Dragon" magazines. (I don't have copies of all these
articles myself, however.) Articles from other publications are less
certain, though. I also believe I have all of the major commercial products
all accounted for. However, if you know of a commercial product for
DragonQuest that was put out by someone other than SPI or Judges Guild, let
me know about that, too.
Also, does anyone have a copy of "Thieves World"? I am curious to find
out if there is anything of any consequence for DQ in it?
-- Philip Proefrock (psproefr@miamiu.muohio.edu)
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Our GM and I are looking for players and others interested in DQ anywhere;
is there a list?
I would like to become involved in creating artwork and editing/writing for
a DQ related publication, as well as pursuing publishing and promoting one.
(re: Joe Gregg's letter of Oct. 1994). Please point me in the right
direction.
{There is not currently a list of DQ players that we are aware of. This
Newsletter is probably the best place for one to be, though. If there is
more interest in this, we can see about adding it to our list of projects.
As for a DQ related publication, we aren't aware of anything else, which is
why we started the Newsletter. Anything you have to contribute will be
welcome here. -- ED}
--Amy (PAPE@GSE.UCLA.EDU)
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Hi. Although I haven't actually played DQ in more than a decade (my friends
and I had a lot of fun with Arena of Death in Ares), I am interested in
hearing what people are doing with it. I'd also like to know if *anyone* has
seen the Frontiers of Alusia module.
--Elliot Wilen (mpr@netcom.com)
-------------------_The_ _B_E_A_S_T_I_A_R_Y_---------------------
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The Druas [from the Races of Oaerth]
-- Charles Summerhill (charles.summerhill@grapevine.lrk.ar.us)
XX.XX Druas
The most mysterious and least understood of the humanoid races are the
Druas. At best, the origins of the Druas are uncertain; scholars have
written that they are descended from the Korupira, or that they are a
cross-breed of Elf and Demon; still others claim that they are the remnants
of the fabled first race of humans which once inhabited the dark continent
of Mu.
In stature, Druas resemble Elves or Nymphs, and exhibit the same grace and
ease of movement as most of the Sidhe. All have coal-black skin and white
hair with no facial hair of any kind. Their eyes are steel-gray with the
irises typically being flecked with traces of silver. A Druas' stare can be
quite disconcerting, and has led to the claim that they possess the Evil
Eye.
In temperament, Druas are like no other humanoids. Most seem preoccupied
or lost in thought, as if dreaming, even when engaged in conversations.
Druas also posses a natural affinity for magic, and all have limited innate
psychic abilities.
Special Abilities:
1. When a Druas character is also a member of a Magical College, the
experience multiple for all Talents, Spells, and Rituals is 0.85 rather than
1.3.
2. If a Druas character takes the Dreamer skill, he/she only pays one-half
the Experience Points to progress in Ranks.
3. Also, should a Druas character take the Spy skill, he/she only pays
three-quarters the Experience Points to progress Ranks.
4. A Druas character adds 10% to his/her chance to perform any action
involving stealth.
5. If a Druas character takes the Healer skill, he will not be able to
resurrect the dead (as is true with Elves).
6. Also like Elves, a Druas character is immune to the effects of the lesser
Undead.
7. A Druas character receives the talent Detect Aura which functions just
like the Magic Talent of the same name in the College of Naming
Incantations.
8. The Druas all have the ability to cloak their minds, making them harder
to read. This operates similarly to the spell, Mind Cloak in the College of
Sorceries of the Mind.
Characteristic Modifiers:
Physical Strength -2
Agility +1
Endurance -2
Magical Aptitude +1
Willpower +2
Fatigue +1
Perception +2
TMR +1
Magic Resistance -5%
Average Life Span: 200 to 5000+ Oaerth years (most tend towards the shorter
life span).
Experience Multiplier: 1.3 (except magic, which is 0.85)
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ADEPTS & INVESTMENT
-- from the rec.games.frp.misc Newsgroup
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Subject: DQ_ADEPTS_&_INVESTMENT
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From: c_king@cc.colorado.edu
david_novak@cv.hp.com writes:
>If you are not using T$R's 3rd edition, invested items will lead
>to an escallation in the arms race. 1st and 2nd editions allow
>for easy creation of investments, 3rd edition makes investments a
>little harder to do.
>
>The problem with this is that you will end up with mages who
>don't cast spells in combat. They also end up firing off spells
>every pulse which can really...
You seem to be under the impression that invested spells need not be
Prepared. At least under 2nd edition rules, this is not so. They must be
Prepared and then Loosed, just as any other spell.
>wreak havoc. Nothing will escalate the arms race more than a
>Firemage standing there with his invested rings throwing Hellfire
>at your poor little PC's.
I'll take that chance anytime. Let's look at it:
(S-9) Spell of Hellfire has an Experience Multiple of 675. 675! That means
that it's unlikely an Adept will ever go past Rank 1 or 2 with it...but for
purposes of argument, let's say an Adept achieves Rank 5. Given an average
MA (15) and no special circumstances (no standing in fires and so on), the
Cast Chance for an invested Hellfire will be 20%. So, every five times the
user attempts to invoke a Hellfire, one will work. Far more importantly,
though, HALF the times he tries, it'll backfire! Given the penalties of
backfire, and the odds in this case, I'd welcome a Fire Adept to throw
Hellfire at me (especially since I can probably survive two castings before
running out of Fatigue, not to mention Endurance)!
>Besides, with investments, the cast chance will be increased to
>the optimum.
Huh? The Cast Chance will be whatever it would have been had the mage been
casting it anyway. The only real advantage gained is no Fatigue cost.
In conclusion, I disagree that there would be an arms race. Adepts would
tend to be stingy about distributing invested items. Even more important,
they'd be relatively stingy about making them, since it's possible to suffer
backfire from the Ritual of Investment itself, as well as when invoking said
item.
In my campaign, few PCs ever bothered to create invested items. Those who
did, I applauded for their foresight.
The 3rd edition rules for investment are, to my mind, poorly-considered and
badly-written...but then, so is just about everything added to it from the
2nd edition. Hail T$R!!
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From: david_novak@cv.hp.com
c_king@cc.colorado.edu says:
>You seem to be under the impression that invested spells need not
>be Prepared. At least under 2nd edition rules, this is not so.
>They must be Prepared and then Loosed, just as any other spell.
It is possible that we have been overlooking the prepare and then loose of
invested, but I don't recall that you needed to do this. I'll look it up
when I get home.
>Huh? The Cast Chance will be whatever it would have been had the
>mage been casting it anyway. The only real advantage gained is
>no Fatigue cost.
You get the bonuses at the time the spell was invested, thus the firemage
would be a fool not to stand in the fire with another fire nearby to pick up
his +15%.
One other advantage to using invested items (at least as we have been
interpretting the rules) is that when you are loosing an invested spell, you
backfire at +40% since when you invested you took your own sweet time,
versus the +30% to backfire in the heat of combat.
>The 3rd edition rules for investment are...badly-written...
Actually in 3rd edition, Hellfire doesn't even exist since T$R removed those
nasty demonic references. Very polite of them.
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From: c_king@cc.colorado.edu
david_novak@cv.hp.com writes:
>It is possible that we have been overlooking...
"[32.3]..An object which has a spell stored in it in this manner may be used
to cast the spell by any character who knows how to activate the
object...the spell is treated as if it was being cast by the character who
originally stored it in the object."
i.e., it must be Prepared and Loosed, just as any other spell is cast.
>>Huh? The Cast Chance will be whatever it would have been...
>You get the bonuses at the time the spell was invested...
>...advantage to using invested items (at least as we have been
>interpretting the rules) is that when you are loosing an invested >spell,
you backfire at +40%...
Ah, now I understand... You've _grievously_ misinterpreted the rules,
friend.
"[32.3]...but is treated in all other ways as if cast by that character as
he was when he originally invested the object with the spell power (i.e.,
the spell would be ranked as it was when originally stored in the object)."
This applies to how the _caster_ was when investing (that is, what Rank he
was with the spell, what his MA was at that time, etc.), NOT what his
_environment_ was (standing in a bonfire, at high noon, holding a magic
wand, etc.). Environmental bonuses would apply only to the Ritual of
Investment itself, and not the casting of the invested spell from the object
in a different environment. (However, if the invested ring-wearer is
standing in a bonfire, it _does_.)
The same applies with regards to backfire. If the invested item is used in
combat, the +30% backfire applies; if out of combat, it will be +40%.
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From: charles.summerhill@grapevine.lrk.ar.us (Charles Summerhill)
quoted from David Novak:
>You get the bonuses at the time the spell was invested, thus the
>firemage would be a fool not to stand in the fire with another
>fire nearby to pick up his +15%.
Actually the Investment Ritual is a very good for Adepts in DragonQuest.
The rules do suggest that "you get the bonuses at the time the spell was
invested". Any Adepts who doesn't take advantage of this is a fool. I
played an Assassin/Shadow Weaver that took a deck of cards and invested each
individual card with a different spell. With the benefit of slight-of-hand
and some minor magic, he was quite well prepared for just about anything.
I have currently [yes, I still run DragonQuest] have made the Investment
Ritual a Special Knowledge Ritual, rather than one everybody knows and
limited the access to the Ritual by beginning characters. I don't think it
necessarily overpowers an Adept, but it can be abused.
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From: c_king@cc.colorado.edu
charles.summerhill@grapevine.lrk.ar.us writes:
>Actually the Investment Ritual is a very good for Adepts in
>DragonQuest, the rules do suggest that "you get the bonuses at
>the time the spell was invested". Any Adepts who doesn't take
>advantage of this is a fool.
The misunderstanding comes from confusing the "caster as he was when he
originally invested the object" with the ~environment as it was when the
caster originally invested the object~; thus the "(i.e.)" explanation.
>played an Assassin/Shadow Weaver that took a deck of cards ...
I like it...
What do you mean, "I have...made the Investment Ritual a Special Knowledge
Ritual"? Read the last paragraph of rule [32.3]: "The Investment Ritual is
a Special Knowledge Ritual. The Experience Multiple for this Ritual is
300."
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From: psproefr@miamiu.muohio.edu
The designer's notes about magic in 'Arcane Wisdom' clearly state that it
should only take ONE Pulse to activate an invested item. To quote from the
"Magic System Designer's Notes:"
"Investment Ritual
" For an invested object to be activated, it must normally be
held in one hand. It takes only one Pulse for the spell stored
in the object to be activated and released. When being used, a
Cast Chance is again made, and a backfire may result, affecting
the entity using the item."
On the other topic, I have generally been in the camp of those who allow all
of the casting bonuses to apply to the spell which is invested in an object
(ie. +10 to the Base Chance of an invested Fire spell that was invested when
the Fire Mage was standing within a medium fire). This could also help to
make Midnights and High Holidays times of even greater importance to Mages.
I think you might reasonably remove the "caster's environment" bonuses from
the BC of the invested spell. After all, you are getting an advantage in
the increased chance of success for the Investment Ritual (which gives an
increased chance of double or triple effect, reduced chance of backfire,
etc.). But, I think that other bonuses such as those due to the character's
aspect, (as well as charms and luck) could increase the final BC of the
spell as well as the success chance of the Investment Ritual itself. (Any
kind of luck charm which reduces the die roll rather than increasing the
success chance should only affect the Investment Ritual, however.) Or, a GM
might allow the caster to decide, BEFORE INVESTING, whether to apply those
bonuses to the investment ritual or to the Invested spell.
And then, in the case of a character who was using a Fire Mage's invested
Hellfire spell where the character was standing (presumably protected) in a
medium fire, the +10 bonus should then apply to the chance of successfully
using the invested spell.
---------------------_D_Q_ _A_R_C_H_I_V_E_-----------------------
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[Archive ftp site is at: ftp.netcom.com in the pub/dr/drache directory.
[ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/dr/drache]
Archivist and ftp Guru: Drake Stanton (drache@netcom.com)]
DragonQuest Newsletter, Volume 1
ARCHIVE NAME: dqnvol1
This file contains _all_ of the first (1994) Volume issues of the
DragonQuest Newsletter (Number 1-10). Individual issues have been removed
from the archive now that this is available. A few of the repetitive things
in the headers were removed to make it a bit smaller, but all of the
contents are there.
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### End of DragonQuest Newsletter v2/n1 -- January 1995 ###
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