================================================================ || || || DRAGONQUEST Newsletter November 1995 || || || || Volume 2 / Number 10 || ================================================================ 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@daytonoh.ATTGIS.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 [v2/n10] {part 2 of Nov issue} ================================================================= {part 1 contents} ***** Editorial -- Philip Proefrock ***** ***** Letters -- Anthony T. Stanford ***** -- Andrew South ***** -- Brent Jackson ***** -- John Kahane ***** ***** Mages and Iron Projectiles -- Anthony T. Stanford Rituals of Binding Elements -- Brent Jackson Composite/Compound Bows -- Anthony T. Stanford Column: DQ ARCHIVE Advertisements ----------------------------------------------------------------- RITUALS OF BINDING ELEMENTS -- Brent Jackson (brent@hypercom.co.nz) ================================================================= The DQ rituals for binding elements do not give many guidelines as to what is possible and not possible once the element is bound. For this reason GMs are usually hard on what they allow players to do, and as a result characters seldom use them. Here is a suggested rewrite of those Rituals. Mind and Rune mages are not elementalists so should not be able to manipulate elements. People are allowed to use any part of these for personal use providing that all uses are marked "(Copyright Brent Jackson 1994)". RITUALS OF ELEMENTAL BINDING Version 0.4 (c) Brent Jackson 1994 Ritual of Binding Elements (Mind R-1) This ritual no longer exists. Ritual of Binding Air (Air Q-1) Duration : 1 hour ( + 1 / Rank ) Experience Multiple : 150 Base Chance : MA ( + 4 / Rank ) Resist : None Target : Air Cast Time : 1 hour Actions : Concentration The Adept may bind any air that is not within, nor part of, an entity, that is within 1 foot (+ 1 / Rank) of any part of the Adept. The maximum amount of air that may be bound is (Rank squared + 1) x 10 cubic feet. When the duration expires, the Adept's passive concentration is broken, or the bound air moves further than 50 feet (+ 25 / Rank) from the Adept, the binding will cease with the air reverting to being normal air. The air may be shaped by the Adept as desired by active concentration. The adept may move the bound air about at will, at a speed of up to 10 mph (+ 2 / Rank), provided that the bound air remains in contact with an air mass. The bound air will remain at the same pressure as the air mass to which it is attached. The adept may raise the temperature of the bound air by up to Rank degrees C, or decrease it by up to twice that amount. The rate of temperature change is 2 degrees / minute. Bound air may not be extended underwater. Vapours, smoke and other airborne particles will not enter into bound air. Bound air may be breathed normally, but the air that actually enters the entity will become unbound. (Note that an average human breathes about half a cubic foot of air per minute. Attempting to preserve air will probably half this rate, and being unconscious will half it again. Similarly, exercise will double the rate of consumption, and strenuous exercise will double it again). If the ritual backfires (greater than 40 above the base chance), a localised rainstorm results in addition to any other possible backfire effect. Ritual of Windspeak (Air Q-2) This ritual is now Q-2. Ritual of Binding Water (Water Q-1) Duration : 1 hour ( + 1 / Rank ) Experience Multiple : 125 Base Chance : MA ( + 4 / Rank ) Resist : None Target : Water Cast Time : 1 hour Actions : Concentration The Adept may bind a volume of liquid water that is not within, nor part of, an entity, that is within 1 foot (+ 1 / Rank) of any part of the Adept. The maximum amount of water that may be bound is (Rank squared + 1) x 10 cubic feet. The water to be bound must be in contact with the adept and be all one volume. When the duration expires, the Adept's passive concentration is broken, or the bound water moves further than 30 feet (+ 15 / Rank) from the Adept, the binding will cease with the water reverting to being normal water. The water may be shaped by the Adept as desired by active concentration. The adept may move the bound water about at will, at a speed of up to 5 mph (+ 1 / Rank) over the surface of a liquid, or at half that speed through a liquid or over a solid. The bound water will not mix with any other liquids nor dissolve or suspend any solids that it comes in contact with. It can be treated as though it has an infinitely elastic skin. The adept may alter the temperature of the bound water by up to 2 x Rank degrees C from that of its surroundings. The rate of temperature change is 1 degree C / minute. The Adept may allow a portion of the bound water to become unbound, up to Rank times. Any water separated from the bound water (eg. drunk, closed in a container) immediately becomes unbound. If it backfires (greater than 40 above the base chance), the water vaporises in addition to any other possible backfire effect. Ritual of Binding Fire (Fire Q-1) Duration : 1 hour ( + 1 / Rank ) Experience Multiple : 175 Base Chance : MA ( + 4 / Rank ) Resist : None Target : Fire Cast Time : 1 hour Actions : Concentration The adept may bind a single fire that may be contained within a sphere of 1 foot diameter ( + 1 / Rank), that is not more than 10 feet ( + 10 / Rank) from the Adept. When the duration expires, the Adept's passive concentration is broken, or the bound fire moves further than 20 feet (+ 10 / Rank) from the Adept, the binding will cease with the fire reverting to being normal fire. The bound fire will continue to burn with the same intensity, noise and size but without consuming any fuel. The fire may be shaped by the Adept as desired by active concentration. The adept may move the bound fire about at will, at a speed of up to 10 mph (+ 2 / Rank) provided that it remains in contact with a burnable substance and air. Bound fire will heat substances that it is contact with, but only to the extent of slightly charring the object's surface. If the bound fire comes in contact with an entity, a portion of the bound fire will become unbound. The Adept may also, by actively concentrating, cause a portion of the bound fire to become unbound. A portion of the bound fire may become unbound up to Rank times, but only once per pulse. Any part of the fire becoming unbound will immediately begin to burn normally. If in contact with an entity, it will do Rank / 2 damage (round down) before expiring. Although the bound fire itself cannot be doused, it can be smothered (separated from air), or its "fuelling" substance could be saturated so as to become incapable of burning. If it backfires (greater than 40 above the base chance), the fire is extinguished in addition to any other possible backfire effect. Ritual of Binding Earth (Earth Q-1) Duration : 1 hour ( + 1 / Rank ) Experience Multiple : 200 Base Chance : MA ( + 4 / Rank ) Resist : None Target : Earth Cast Time : 1 hour Actions : Concentration The Adept may bind a volume of non-magical soil, clay, stone or sand, that is not part of an entity, that is within 1 foot (+ 1 / Rank) of any part of the Adept. The earth to be bound must be in contact with the adept and be all one volume. The maximum amount of earth that may be bound is (Rank squared + 1) x 5 cubic feet. When the duration expires, the Adept's passive concentration is broken, or the bound earth moves further than 10 feet (+ 5 / Rank) from the Adept, the binding will cease with the earth reverting to its normal state. Bound soil, clay or sand may be shaped by the Adept as desired by active concentration. The shape of bound stone may not be altered. The adept may move the bound earth about at will, at a speed of up to 2 mph (+ 1 / Rank) over the earth's surface. The bound earth has an effective Physical Strength of 10 (+ 2 / Rank). It may attack in close combat with a Base Chance equal to 2 x its PS, doing damage as per unarmed combat. A successful attack requires the target to roll under 4 x ((2 x AG) + (PS - PS of Bound Earth)) or be knocked prone. Each 2 points of damage (round down) done to the earth by magic, or by B or C class weapons, reduces its PS by 1. This represents the hacking or bashing of pieces off the bound earth. Any earth separated from the bound earth immediately becomes unbound. If its PS is reduced to zero then no earth remains bound. If it backfires (greater than 40 above the base chance), the earth turns to mud in addition to any other possible backfire effect. Ritual of Summon Animals (Earth Q-2) This ritual is now Q-2. Ritual of Shaping Stone (Earth R-1) Duration : 1 hour ( + 1 / Rank ) (& special) Experience Multiple : 500 Base Chance : MA ( + 3 / Rank ) (& special) Resist : None Target : Stone Cast Time : 1 hour Actions : Concentration The Adept may bind a volume of stone, that is not part of an entity, that is within 10 feet (+ 1 / Rank) of any part of the Adept. The maximum amount of stone to be bound is 100 cubic feet (+ 100 / Rank). When the duration expires, the Adept's passive concentration is broken, the bound stone is separated from the earth, or the bound stone moves further than 50 feet (+ 25 / Rank) from the Adept, the binding will cease. The bound stone may be slowly shaped by the Adept as desired by active concentration, and has the consistency of soft clay. The bound stone may be moved about at a speed of up to 1 mph (+ 1 / 4 full Ranks). It may not be moved through the earth or other stone. Any stone separated from the bound stone immediately becomes unbound. If a ritual sacrifice of a sentient entity is performed during the course of the ritual, the MA of the sacrificed entity is added to the base chance of the ritual. Moreover, when the duration of the ritual expires the stone retains some magic. This magic means that the stone may not be affected by any magic (other than this ritual performed with a sacrifice), nor may any magic, object or entity pass through it. If it backfires (greater than 40 above the base chance), the stone turns to mud in addition to any other possible backfire effect. Spell of Binding Elements (Rune G-8) This spell no longer exists. -- Brent Jackson (brent@hypercom.co.nz) ----------------------------------------------------------------- COMPOSITE/COMPOUND BOWS -- Anthony T. Stanford (legion@netins.net) ================================================================= I've never heard of anyone making this mistake, but some of the artwork in one of the modules actually showed an elf with a COMPOUND bow, which caused some giggling. Those are completely modern weapons, having appeared sometime in the 1970's, I would guess. It wasn't even a very good drawing of a compound bow, which has one cammed pulley on each end, not two. However, the weapon listed in the rules is a COMPOSITE bow, not a COMPOUND bow. It really should have been purged with all the other exotic weapons. It too was a Mongol device, made of a composite of horn and wood (thus it's name). It looked just like a normal bow except that it was shorter (it was made for use from horseback), usually recurved, and it wasn't made entirely of wood. It involved NO pulleys. Trust me on this. -- Anthony T. Stanford (legion@netins.net) ---------------------_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)] College of White Magics ARCHIVE NAME: White.magics [Note: Name of archive unconfirmed at the time this issue was sent out.] This college is very much a parallel to the College of Black Magics, perhaps a bit too much so. The College of White Magics is one of the most popular colleges for DQ players to create, since its presence is obviously lacking among the original set of 12 (or 15 if you also have 'Arcane Wisdom'). According to some SPI materials of the time, 'Arcane' was, at one point, going to contain six new colleges (rather than just three), and a College of White Magics was among those, so it was something that was at least in development. There are several versions I am familiar with, and I am sure there are more I haven't seen, too. This is a stronger entry than a commercially published version I have seen (a variant called "The College of White Magicke" (sic) from an article in a magazine whose title I have never been able to find), but I don't know that this is yet the definitive version, either. If you haven't yet created your own version for your campaign, this is worth downloading. Some notes from the description and introduction: "Another one... this one was also written by Martin Dick, so I can't claim credit. I believe a few people have had a stab at writing a College of White Magics already, but this is the one we use, so if it's of any interest or use, its yours. -------------------------------------------------------------- "THE COLLEGE OF WHITE MAGICS "The College of White Magics is the magical opponent of the College of Black Magics. It uses the powers of magic to counter the Powers of Darkness and to spread the power of Light. They are a very old group who have been diminished in power and influence since the rise of the Church, which is in many ways a similar power for the Light. Their magic is primarily aimed towards defensive and healing powers, although it does have some offensive magic. The College is divided into three differing levels of commitment." ------------------------ADVERTISEMENTS--------------------------- ================================================================= NEW AND slightly IMPROVED DQ WEB SITE! URL --- http://www.st.nepean.uws.edu.au/~dallbutt/dq/index.html The web page is looking a little better now for those of you who use Netscape. The Page's offerings include: * Past and Current Newsletters. * New Colleges and Skills. * Canonical DragonQuest Index. * Art. * DragonQuest FAQ - nothing much there yet. Waiting for submissions (hint hint :) ################################################################ ### End of DragonQuest Newsletter v2/n10 -- November 1995 ### ################################################################