"Go to the sign of Marvel's Axe, a dubious inn on the edge of the Thieves Quarter, in the City of Greyhawk, and look to your own wrist. If you perceive a bracelet and dangling dice, watch for the next throw in the war between Law and Chaos and be prepared to follow the compelling geas." -Signal
Showing posts with label AH. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AH. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2012
Heroes Magazine #8, Honor Amongst Thieves
When last I wrote about issue #7 I suggested that the issues began falling apart after that one. I had forgotten about this issue. It is very much the calm before the storm of decline. This issue comes close to the very early issues in the level of content. It is not as good but it is better than the the previous and even issue #5 if you take out the city insert.
The issue has a number of articles that are Powers & Perils related which is a nice after a long run of RuneQuest heavy issues. Not that there is anything wrong with RuneQuest it is just that mixing it up is nice. The articles on the Sea of Tears and Shadow Magic are particularly interesting and would be things that could be incorporated easily into other systems by a GM if desired.
The issue also features an article for Lords of Creation. The article deals with Dragonslayers and provides statistics for them. It also provides information on the various dragons that they slew to earn the moniker of Dragonslayer. There are also some RuneQuest specific portions which include a new and expanded character sheet. I can't recall what the previous one looked like so I can't speak to how "expanded" it was.
The Powers & Perils articles make the issue but the articles for other game system are worth reading as well. The magazines can be found cheap so I would pick them up just for reference material if nothing else.There aren't too many more after this one.
Published: 1986
Pages: 48
Contents:
- "Expanded RuneQuest Character Sheet" by John T. Sapienza, Jr.
- "Fatigue and Damage Changes for RuneQuest" by Jonathan Tweet
- "A New Look at Sorcery" (RuneQuest) by B. L. Humphreys
- "Dragonslayers" (Lords of Creation) by William Wilson Goodson Jr.
- "The Sea of Tears" (Powers & Perils) by Richard Snider
- "The Priesthood" (Powers & Perils) by Richard Snider
- "New Skills for Powers & Perils) by Richard Snider
- "Shadow Magic" (Powers & Perils) by Richard Snider
- "Talents for RuneQuest" by Andrew Scott MacKenzie
- "Is Your Character Normal? (Conforming P&P Characters to Their Land)" by Mike Olson
- "Tips for Tyrants: Imperial Tactics for Freedom in the Galaxy" by Trevor L. Bynum
- "GM Friends" (RuneQuest) by Jonathan Tweet
- "Shield Law" (RuneQuest) by Morgan Woodward
- "Details, Details" by Craig Barrett
Spell:
Honor Amongst Thieves
Level: Fourth
Range: 9"
Duration: None
Area of Effect: 6" Radius
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: Halves
When this spell is cast the magic user causes all in the area of effect to suffer damage. The amount of damage suffered will be determined by each victims lack of dexterity.
When the spell is cast DM will need to determine the Dexterity score of all in the area of effect. Each affected individual will then suffer damage based on their Dexterity score subtracted from 18. The damage will be equal to that number plus a d6 for each point of difference as well. The victim is entitled to a saving throw versus the d6 damage and if successful suffers half damage.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Heroes Magazine #7, Stomach Through It
Heroes #7 begins the second volume of the magazine. For those not familiar with the magazine I will spoil this for you. The magazine will not finish this volume. This issue of the magazine is the last one before you really start to see that things were going south fast.
This issue is not one that has a lot of value unless you are a fan of RuneQuest. This does not mean that it does not have value for those not playing RuneQuest but most of the issue is dedicated to the flagship of Avalon Hill games. This issue seemed like the magazine transitioned from a Dragon type of magazine to a Dungeon type of magazine. There was also a problem with the issue and it not having everything that it said it would in the table of contents.
The adventures are all good and these can always be converted. There are two larger adventures designed for RuneQuest and then a shorter one designed for Powers & Perils. The other item of note was a good article for RuneQuest on a a new clan called the Ostrich Clan. This may not be to everyone liking but I found it had a few points that I could borrow for use elsewhere.
This may have been the weakest of the issues so far as there was not much here other than the items I noted. Even the items that had become standard fare such as the discussion on James Bond were not present in this issue. There also appears to have been a missed year in publication as the others were 1984 and this jumps to 1986. It is still worth buying as you should be able to pick it up cheap.
Published: 1986
Pages: 48
Contents:
- "The Ostrich Clan: Animal Nomad Tribe of Prax" (RuneQuest) by Mike Dawson
- "Journey to Falderbash: A RuneQuest Adventure" by Bill Williamson
- "Gruug's Cave: A RuneQuest Adventure" by Alan LaVergne
- "Three Quests for Curses: A Powers & Perils Adventure" by Mike Olson
- "RuneQuest Hit Points" by John T. Sapienza, Jr.
Listed in the Table of Contents but not appearing were
Heroes Etcetera by Morgan Woodward & Jonathan Tweet
Expanded RuneQuest Character Sheet by John T. Sapienza, Jr.
Spell:
Stomach Through It
Level: Fourth
Range: 9"
Duration: None
Area of Effect: 6" Radius
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: Halves
When this spell is cast the magic user causes all in the area of effect to suffer damage. The amount of damage suffered will be determined by each victims lack of constitution.
When the spell is cast DM will need to determine the Constitution score of all in the area of effect. Each affected individual will then suffer damage based on their Constitution score subtracted from 18. The damage will be equal to that number plus a d6 for each point of difference as well. The victim is entitled to a saving throw versus the d6 damage and if successful suffers half damage.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Heroes Magazine #6, Discretion Is Valor
Having written about issue #5 earlier my attention today will be on issue #6. This is the final issue of the first volume of the magazine. The overall value of the magazine seems to fluctuate up and down more so than perhaps Dragon magazine did at that time. This is very subjective though and to the gamers that played the Avalon Hill games specifically RuneQuest this may not be the case.
The major reason to pick up this issue will again be RuneQuest related. There is an adventure that is included in the magazine that can be used for RuneQuest or with a little work could be adapted to another game. The real gem of the magazine is the setting of Fonrit. The setting is where the included adventure takes place but oddly enough is not located on the Fonrit map.
The issue continues the History of the Lunar Empire series which is a good read and will provide the DM with some ideas to incorporate into their campaign if desired. The other RuneQuest item of note should have been the Gods of Glorantha preview except is was just a calendar and the calendar in RuneQuest is pretty simple. The art included between the seasons were nice though. I did not recall them from Gods of Glorantha and will have to find my copy of that to make sure they were included.
There are a few other articles of interest including a very lengthy write up on Dragon Pass and then a shorter offering for Dune. The issue is worth picking up just on the strength of the Fonrit offering in my opinion though.
Published: 1984
Pages: 48
Contents:
- "History of the Lunar Empire: The Fifth (or Hone-eel's) Wane" by Greg Stafford
- "Advancing the Game: Commentary of Expanding the James Bond Rules" by Robert Kern
- "Dragon Pass: Mastering the Unique and the Strange" (RuneQuest) by Brett Murrell
- "New Skills for RuneQuest" by Greg Stafford and Sandy Petersen
- "The Big Hit: A RuneQuest Scenario" by Sandy Petersen
- "Preview of Gods of Glorantha: Gloranthan Calendar" (uncredited)
- "The Land of Fonrit" (RuneQuest) by Greg Stafford and Sandy Petersen
- "RuneQuestions" by the Chaosium staff
- "Nordic Magic and Madness" (RuneQuest Vikings) (uncredited)
- "The Winds of War Coriolis Style" (Dune boardgame) by Tom Snider
- "From Magic Markers to Mystic Tape" by Nick Smith
- "The Care and Feeding of Hungry Villains" by Criag Barrett
- "Simple Combat for RuneQuest" by Steve Marsh
- "A Matter of Gravity" (Lords of Creation) by William Goodson
- "Gaming My Way: Instant Cures for Campaign Crashes" by Quentin Long
Spell:
Discretion Is Valor
Level: Fourth
Range: 9"
Duration: None
Area of Effect: 6" Radius
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: Halves
When this spell is cast the magic user causes all in the area of effect to suffer damage. The amount of damage suffered will be determined by each victims lack of wisdom.
When the spell is cast DM will need to determine the Wisdom score of all in the area of effect. Each affected individual will then suffer damage based on their Wisdom score subtracted from 18. The damage will be equal to that number plus a d6 for each point of difference as well. The victim is entitled to a saving throw versus the d6 damage and if successful suffers half damage.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Heroes Magazine #4, Twas Beauty
Next in the ongoing look at Heroes magazine is issue #4. This issue stepped the game up again from the dip I suggested that occurred in the third issue. This issue is still not up to the same level as the first two issues but it does have good material in it. The material is still all Avalon Hill specific but it can be used as is for those games, converted or used as inspirational material.
Glorantha is a setting that I have always held in high regard and it may be, my conjecture only, the longest running continuous retail setting out there. That is just my supposition though and if anyone knows for sure it would be great to hear about the validity of that statement.
I mention Glorantha because the two best portions of this article are RuneQuest related. The first is a write up on three deities from Glorantha. This is apparently the first time these have appeared as official material but may not be the only place they appear. The other item for RuneQuest is "The Wolfrunners" a scenario written by none other than Sandy Peterson.
The third item that I think is of overall use is the additional material for the dueling rules for use in Lords of Creation. The previous issue had introduced the rules and now we are presented with write ups and statistics on some of the great swordsmen from history and literature for use with those rules. This very much put me in mind of the Boot Hill article in Dragon that gave numbers for the great gunfighters. Even without the numbers or use in the dueling rules some of the information was new to me and was a fun read.
There was another part of the magazine that would be of interest to those that play Freedom In the Galaxy. This is a board game that I own but it was purchased in the shrink-wrap so I can't bring myself to open it. This provides a good overview of the game and some additional material. The other articles in the magazine are still all good but the highlights are the ones above.
Published: 1984
Pages: 48
Contents:
- "The Coming of the Vikings: A Preview of the Next RuneQuest Product" by Greg Stafford
- "More Accessories for Agents: The Newest Devices from Q Division" by Greg Gordon
- "Pirates, Buccaneers & Highwaymen for Lords of Creation Dueling Rules" by Tom Modvay
- "The Design of Octopussy" by Neil Randall
- "Gods of Glorantha: Orlanth, Hykim & Mikyh" (uncredited)
- "The Wolfrunners: A RuneQuest Scenario" by Sandy Petersen
- "Galactic Freedom: It's What the Emperor Wants, Doesn't He?" (Freedom in the Galaxy boardgame) by Charles E. Duke
- "Science Fiction for the Wargamer" AH's Freedom in the Galaxy" by Nicky Palmer
- "A Primer for Combat" (James Bond 007) by Gerry Klug
- "Equal Time for Lycanthropes" by Quentin Long
- "To Challenge the WIzard's Quest" (Wizard's Quest boardgame) by Thomas Boeche
- "Gloranthan Pottery: First Wane" (uncredited)
Spell:
Twas Beauty
Level: Fourth
Range: 9"
Duration: None
Area of Effect: 6" Radius
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: Halves
When this spell is cast the magic user causes all in the area of effect to suffer damage. The amount of damage suffered will be determined by each victims lack of comeliness.
When the spell is cast DM will need to determine the Charisma score of all in the area of effect. Each affected individual will then suffer damage based on their Charisma subtracted from 18. The damage will be equal to that number plus a d6 for each point of difference as well. The victim is entitled to a saving throw versus the d6 damage and if successful suffers half damage.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Heroes Magazine #3, The Pen Is Mightier
The third issue of Heroes is was a little bit of a let down for me from the previous two issues. There was a continuation of the ongoing article series on alien races for Lords of Creation. This has been in all three issues and looking back this might be something worth review by DMs if they want to expand their games with different races.
The only real gem in this issue was the Dueling rules for Lords of Creation by Tom Moldvay. It was presented as a pull out game but I think it could be adapted for other games. The rules are fairly detailed and since I have not had a chance to use them I am not sure how much they might slow a game down. They are still nice to have and it might even be something that could be played as a stand alone venture as more of a beer and pretzel type of game.
The magazine features a few other articles and though there is nothing that is terrible there is also nothing that stands out to make me say this is as good an issue as the other two I have reviewed previously. This is not to say that another reader may not find a hidden gem for their own uses.
Published: 1984
Pages: 48
Contents:
- "Accessories for Agents: The Newest Devices from Q Division" by Greg Gordon
- "Alienating Yourself--Seven Science Fiction Races for Lords of Creation: Part Two" by Tom Moldvay
- "Creepy Critters: Insects for RuneQuest" by Sandy Petersen
- "James Bond 007: The History of the Game" by Gerry Klug
- "Careful Character Generation in Powers & Perils" by Richard L. Snider
- "Musketeers, Swashbucklers & Crimson Pirates: Dueling Rules for Lords of Creation" by Tom Moldvay
- "Adventures in the Forest Primeval: Exploring the Mystic Wood" by Matthew Pirrone
- "Weapon Masters of the Western Lands" by Richard L. Snider and David Kuijt
- "A Ship for RuneQuest: Waertagi Fastship" by Greg Stafford
- "Too Many Monsters" by Craig Barrett
- "How to S.C.I.M Successfully" (Review of S.C.I.M.M.A.R.S. computer game) by David Kuijt
- "Gaming My Way" by Quentin Long
- "What's What & Where's Where in Glorantha" by Steve List
- "Worldview: Republican Fallacies" by Hal Heydt
Spell:
The Pen Is Mightier
Level: Fourth
Range: 9"
Duration: None
Area of Effect: 6" Radius
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: Halves
When this spell is cast the magic user causes all in the area of effect to suffer damage. The amount of damage suffered will be determined by each victims lack of mental aptitude.
When the spell is cast DM will need to determine the Intelligence score of all in the area of effect. Each affected individual will then suffer damage based on their intelligence subtracted from 18. The damage will be equal to that number plus a d6 for each point of difference as well. The victim is entitled to a saving throw versus the d6 damage and if successful suffers half damage.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Heroes Magazine #2, Might Makes Right
Issue #2 of Heroes magazine picks up right where issue one left off. This issue features a pair of items that really make it stand out for me though. The first is the articles on the personalities from Elric. I strongly advise anyone who has not read the books and will eventually to avoid this. If you do not plan on picking them up then this will provide you will an understanding of the characters and for the DM ideas for some great NPCs. This I am also connecting with the different Elric scenarios which are designed for the Elric game which I have always felt was an underrated gem.
The largest article in the magazine is the Doom Manor adventure that was written for Powers & Perils. It consumes almost half of the magazine and is worthy of that much space. The only problem with the adventure is that it is written for Powers & Perils which means that most people will never have had the chance to play it. I think that this adventure is very deserving of a conversion to either a universal format or better yet some version of D&D prior to 3e. This adventure alone makes the issue worth picking up.
Published: 1984
Pages: 48
Contents:
- "The Making of Goldfinger, the Roleplaying Adventure" by Robert Kern
- "Alienating Yourself: Science Fiction Races for Lords of Creation: Part One" by Tom Moldvay
- "History of the Lunar Empire, Part Two: Skyburn and the Coming of the Conquering Daughter" by Greg Stafford
- "Of Hordes and Heroes: The Personalities of Elric" by Glenn Rahman
- "The White Wolf's Revenge: More Elric Scenarios" by Jeffrey K. Seiken
- "Doom Manor" by Richard L. Snider
- "What Does a Hero Want: A Selection of Artile Topics for Heroes Magazine" by Heroes staff
- "War Fleets of Glorantha: Or, Cement Ships and Leafy Sails" by Greg Stafford
- "Hero at Work: James Bond 007" by Neil Randall
- "Once More Against the Hun" by David Kuijt
Spell:
Might Makes Right
Level: Fourth
Range: 9"
Duration: None
Area of Effect: 6" Radius
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: Halves
When this spell is cast the magic user causes all in the area of effect to suffer damage. The amount of damage suffered will be determined by each victims lack of physical prowess.
When the spell is cast DM will need to determine the Strength score of all in the area of effect. Each affected individual will then suffer damage based on their strength subtracted from 18. The damage will be equal to that number plus a d6 for each point of difference as well. The victim is entitled to a saving throw versus the d6 damage and if successful suffers half damage.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Heroes Magazine #1, Command Appearance
I have written about an issue of Heroes magazine before. It was issue #5 and I am not sure why I picked that one over this one. As I have talked about in the past old magazines are like miniature time capsules for me. I love reading one and seeing what was new and hot at the time the magazine was printed. I have a great Science Digest magazine from 1965 with an article by Asimov on life in 1990.
Heroes was the house magazine for Avalon Hill and as a result talks about Avalon Hill products. There are quite a few great Avalon Hill products so this is not a bad thing though it is limiting. Being the first issue there are also some housekeeping issues such as telling potential contributors what to submit.
The magazine starts strong with a pair of articles on the History of the Lunar Empire and A Traveler's Guide to Donara. I have always been more than a little intrigued with the Powers & Perils game. I purchased it when it first came out and could never get a group interested in playing it. The setting for the game seems to be a rich one based on the article on Donara.
The two other highlights for me were the Lords of Creation adventure by Tom Moldvay. I am not sure that I would ever have call to use it. I own Lords of Creation but it is not something that I have ever felt the urge to run. I would love to play it sometime but it is not a game I want to GM. The concept is good but there are others in the genre I would pick first. That being said the adventure reads well and has so many tables to use in other ways. The review of Telengard also intrigued me. Back in 1984 here is a 50 level megadungeon. The review suggests that each level has over 10,000 rooms and hallways. That may be a slight exaggeration but even if it is a tenth of that number I want a map of the beast. The ad for Telengard got me as well. There is something about the map. It is on page 42 if you can find a copy of the magazine.
Overall I have found the Heroes magazine to have well written articles and material I can use even if I don't play the game it is written for. You can find them periodically on eBay and sometimes even in runs which makes it nice. I would suggest picky them up but then I am a magazine freak apparently.
Published: 1894
Pages: 48
Contents:
- "History of the Lunar Empire: Zero Wane" by Greg Stafford
- "A Traveller's Guide to Donara" by Drachir Redins
- "So What's So Great About Powers & Perils" by Richard Snider
- "Amoeba Wars: An Analysis" by Mike Bennighof
- "Survival Run of the Starnomads (A Lords of Creation Adventure)" by Tom Moldvay
- "What Does a Hero Want?: A Selection of Article Topics for Heroes Magazine" by Heroes staff
- "RuneQuest: New Face for an Old Friend" by Greg stafford
- "Down in a Darkling Dungeon (A Review of Telengard)" by Mike O'Brien
- "Dune Scenario: The Ixian Jihad" by Kenneth W. Burke
Spell:
Command Appearance
Level: Third
Range: 9"
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: One Creature
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 3 Segments
Saving Throw: Negates
When this spell is cast the magic user compels the target creature to assist them. The sole function of this assistance will be to get them to the base of operations for the highest "boss" they know of.
The DM will need to determine who the highest ranking official the target of the spell might know. The spell is also limited in scope to the immediate location the target is in. The smallest scale would be a dungeon level or perhaps an entire dungeon. Even if the guard in the town knows the location of the king 200 miles away he will not take the party there but he might take one to the mayor or at least the commander of the garrison.
While under the spell the victim can not combat the party. It will take them to their leader but they do not have to do it in the safest manner though the route must be basically direct. When the location is reached the target will then turn around and proceed at the fastest pace possible to the location the spell was cast at. Once there they are free to act as deemed appropriate.
The spell does not grant any special communication ability with the target of the spell. The victim will know what they are expected to do though and act accordingly.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Heroes Magazine #5 - Avalon Hill, Dodge
I think I have said before how much I love magazines. Not just gaming magazines but magazines in general. Still gaming magazines have an exalted place in the realm of magazines. I have tried to get an example of all the different magazines I run across. I in many cases have tried to complete runs and in the case of Heroes this was something that could be done.
Heroes was the house magazine for Avalon Hill. It ran articles on the four role playing games they had at the time. These were James Bond, Lords of Creation, Powers & Perils and lastly RuneQuest. I know there is a reason to have a magazine dedicated to your games specifically but this limits your audience. I still prefer the older Dragons & White Dwarf magazines that ran articles on everything under the sun.
The articles in Heroes are great for the games that they support though. Since the print run on the magazine was only ten issues i have been able to go through all of them. Issue number fives stands out in my mind as being my favorite. I would have used the word best in place of my favorite but other issues are just as good. It is just that the content in issue five seems to be more portable than others.
Issue #5 had a total of ten articles and a special pull out section in it. It is the pull out section that sold me on the issue. The pull out portion is the Royal City of Donara. Donara is set in the Powers & Perils game but as in any city except for stat blocks they can be easily ported. I won't say this is a fully detailed city as the section is only nine pages in length. It would better be described a well sketched out city. It has twenty six neighborhoods and twenty two places of note described along with some history, policies, laws and statistics as well as important people described. It will not beat the Irilian offering from White Dwarf but it comes in second from what I have found.
The issue also has some other articles that make it worthwhile. There is an article on Powers & Perils magic items and then a larger companion piece on magic item creation in the game. There is also a piece on gambling for RuneQuest that could be ported. There is also an interesting piece on swordsmen from history and cinema. Finally there is the entry on the History of the Lunar Empire which I have a soft spot for fantasy history pieces.
It will not be for everyone and there are other issues that may be just as good but this one has stayed in my mind throughout the years. If you have not had a chance to check out Heroes magazine you might want to give at least one issue a try. You can usually find it fairly prices on eBay and I have even seen them in places like Half Price Books on occasion.
Spell:
Dodge
Level: Fifth
Range: Touch
Duration: Special
Ares of Effect: Creature Touched
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: None
With the casting of this spell the magic user causes the recipient to become impossible to hit for a period of time. The spell will grant the recipient a level of agility that will allow them to dodge any attack unerringly.
The recipient will be able to dodge any number of attacks per round. They will still be able to attack the standard number of times in the round as well. The ability to dodge is not due to a speed increase though that will appear to be the case as a result of the ability to dodge so many attacks. There is no speed increase and the movement rate and attack speed stay the same.
The dodge ability will extend to both missile and melee combat. The recipient is even able to dodge attacks that normally can not be dodges such as missiles from the Magic Missile spell. The recipient will even dodge attacks they cna not see such as surprise attacks from behind.
The spell will remain in effect for a different period of time depending who it is cast on. If it is cast on the magic user then it will last one round for every two levels. If it is cast on anyone else it drops to one round for every three levels.
The material component of this spell will be a mixture of dragonfly wings and essence from a will-o-the wisp. The mixture will cost no less than 200 gp to make. The mixture is not used up in the casting buy will ony remain fresh for a period time. It will remain viable for 3-6 months before it must be refreshed.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
Heroes was the house magazine for Avalon Hill. It ran articles on the four role playing games they had at the time. These were James Bond, Lords of Creation, Powers & Perils and lastly RuneQuest. I know there is a reason to have a magazine dedicated to your games specifically but this limits your audience. I still prefer the older Dragons & White Dwarf magazines that ran articles on everything under the sun.
The articles in Heroes are great for the games that they support though. Since the print run on the magazine was only ten issues i have been able to go through all of them. Issue number fives stands out in my mind as being my favorite. I would have used the word best in place of my favorite but other issues are just as good. It is just that the content in issue five seems to be more portable than others.
Issue #5 had a total of ten articles and a special pull out section in it. It is the pull out section that sold me on the issue. The pull out portion is the Royal City of Donara. Donara is set in the Powers & Perils game but as in any city except for stat blocks they can be easily ported. I won't say this is a fully detailed city as the section is only nine pages in length. It would better be described a well sketched out city. It has twenty six neighborhoods and twenty two places of note described along with some history, policies, laws and statistics as well as important people described. It will not beat the Irilian offering from White Dwarf but it comes in second from what I have found.
The issue also has some other articles that make it worthwhile. There is an article on Powers & Perils magic items and then a larger companion piece on magic item creation in the game. There is also a piece on gambling for RuneQuest that could be ported. There is also an interesting piece on swordsmen from history and cinema. Finally there is the entry on the History of the Lunar Empire which I have a soft spot for fantasy history pieces.
It will not be for everyone and there are other issues that may be just as good but this one has stayed in my mind throughout the years. If you have not had a chance to check out Heroes magazine you might want to give at least one issue a try. You can usually find it fairly prices on eBay and I have even seen them in places like Half Price Books on occasion.
Spell:
Dodge
Level: Fifth
Range: Touch
Duration: Special
Ares of Effect: Creature Touched
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 2 Segments
Saving Throw: None
With the casting of this spell the magic user causes the recipient to become impossible to hit for a period of time. The spell will grant the recipient a level of agility that will allow them to dodge any attack unerringly.
The recipient will be able to dodge any number of attacks per round. They will still be able to attack the standard number of times in the round as well. The ability to dodge is not due to a speed increase though that will appear to be the case as a result of the ability to dodge so many attacks. There is no speed increase and the movement rate and attack speed stay the same.
The dodge ability will extend to both missile and melee combat. The recipient is even able to dodge attacks that normally can not be dodges such as missiles from the Magic Missile spell. The recipient will even dodge attacks they cna not see such as surprise attacks from behind.
The spell will remain in effect for a different period of time depending who it is cast on. If it is cast on the magic user then it will last one round for every two levels. If it is cast on anyone else it drops to one round for every three levels.
The material component of this spell will be a mixture of dragonfly wings and essence from a will-o-the wisp. The mixture will cost no less than 200 gp to make. The mixture is not used up in the casting buy will ony remain fresh for a period time. It will remain viable for 3-6 months before it must be refreshed.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
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