================================================================ || || || DRAGONQUEST Newsletter January 1995 || || || || Volume 2 / Number 1 || ================================================================ 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- C O N T E N T S ================================================================= 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: ================================================================= 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_-------------------------- ================================================================= 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} ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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_--------------------- ================================================================= 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) ----------------------------------------------------------------- ADEPTS & INVESTMENT -- from the rec.games.frp.misc Newsgroup ================================================================= Subject: DQ_ADEPTS_&_INVESTMENT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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!! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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%. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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_----------------------- ================================================================= [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. ################################################################ ### End of DragonQuest Newsletter v2/n1 -- January 1995 ### ################################################################