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warm fingers of the delicately perfumedlady on his other side. All the sitters werecloaked and cowled to hide their identitiesfrom each other, although all were known inadvance to Misteera and her servant. Sev-eral of the women, like the unknown beautynext to Boinger, were veiled as well.

A bell rang. There had been a bellplaced on the table before the medium wentinto her trance: a bell, a slate, a piece of

chalk and a candle. The spirits might bemoving the bell, Boinger thought, but morelikely the lizard man, who was not part of thecircle, had another bell. How could anybodybelieve this fraud, he wondered?

The medium ceased moaning and re-peated Boingers thought in a deep, spec-tral voice. How could anyone believe? Thespirits will speak. All will be revealed. Thereare those here who doubt. . . The lady onBoingers left went Oh, no! under herbreath. They will be convinced. The bellrang again, and the halfling felt just a tinytingle of alarm run up his spine.

The spirits will answer a question fromeach of those whose soul is pure, the voicewent on. Let the seeker on my right ask

first.Bombay, my son, sobbed the plump

lady, Are you all right over there? Its yourbirthday, poor boy, Momma wants to knowif you are all right.

Yes, Mom, were all well over here,the voice answered.

Are you warm enough? I wanted to knityou some warm socks.

Here in the spirit world, the voice inthe dark replied, we have no socks norgiving of socks.

Oh, dear, I hope hes all right. Hes onlythirty-six . . . the lady wept. Boinger nowreaized why her hands were so wet, for shehad been crying continuously since thelights went out.

The medium then addressed him, soBoinger asked for a message from his AuntTisane on the other side and was assuredthat his dear old aunt was happy and senther love.

And what of the . . . uh, lady, next?said the deep voice. The lovely-smellingperson on Boingers right tensed and invol-untarily squeezed his hand.

My friend goes on a dangerous jour-ney. Her voice was soft and husky,Boinger thought, just the kind of voice onewould like to hear at ones pillow . . . . Willthe spirits tell me if this be a wise decision?Will he return to me well and healthy?

There was a long pause. Boingerlistened to the sniffling of BombaysMomma and the soft breathing of the rest ofthe members of the circle. The veiled ladykept a tight grip on his fingers.

Yes, said the spirit voice, finally. Youwould do well not to obstruct him in hissearch, for the truth will out!

Oh! The lady jumped and Boinger,eager to be of help, squeezed her handreassuringly.

The medium worked her way aroundthe table answering questions: Yes, sellboth the cows, and giving reassurance:Your sister says keep the necklace andwear it in good health, until she came atlast to Zereth.

All the time this was going on, Boingercould hear the scratching of chalk on theslate somewhere before him in the middleof the table.

The one who gazes into darkness, thevoice demanded. Oh, spirits of the departed ones, said

Zereth seriously, is there one among you,Yartoosh, the long dead sorcerer and seer,and if so may I speak with him?

The spirit voice mumbled rapidly toitself for a moment and then Misteera theMedium gave an ear-splitting scream. Allpresent jumped to their feet with additionalcries of alarm. The lizard man struck flintand steel and ignited a twist of tinder whichhe held to the lamp. As the light came up,Boinger saw Zereth bending over themedium. Her face was as pale as chalk, herred lips were parted, a thin trickle of frothran from her mouth and down her chin.

The lizard man grabbed her away fromthe dark elf with a snarl. Too many ques-tionssss! he cried. Misstresss faintssseverybody go. As they paused, some stillfoolishly holding hands (including Boingerand his lovely unknown), the reptile lashedhis tail and shouted, Go! Go! Mistresssneedss rest! Rest!

As the group scurried out of the roominto the darkened alley which frontedMadame Misteeras establishment,Boinger remembered to pick up the slateand look at it.

Halfling thief, caught his eye as didSinister elf, for they were obviously two-or three-word descriptions of Zereth andhimself. There were six pairs of words listeddown the slate. Grieving mother andHenpecked husband were easy to iden-tify. He was startled, however, to see thelast set of words on the list. They were: Evilold bitch. The epithet did not fit any of thesitters at the seance, at least not toBoingers mind. Outside, the halfiing has-tened to speak to the veiled lady.

The night be dark, my lady, he said,hitching up his sword belt so that the ac-coutrements jingled. Mayhap we can es-cort you to a safer part of town?

We?My elven companion and myself.Why thank ye, kind sir, she said in that

inviting voice. My chair is down the alleythis way, but if you would see me safely to it,would be a most chivalrous act on thy part.

The ladys bearers had a small firegoing in the gutter, and the wooden palan-quin near it was one Boinger had seenbefore.

Dost come here often, my lady? heasked.

She laughed and undid the veil that cov-ered her fair face. No, sir halfling, she

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Vol. V, No

said, Nor do you, I wager. Her servscrambled sleepily to their feet and traveling chair upright for her. Did fair message from your aunt? she ask

Boinger and Zereth smiled. AunTisane cant speak a word of commlast I heard, she was very much alive,the halfling.

A fictitious message, as was mine,lady admitted. Your friend, howev

seemed to ask a more difficult query.Zereth nodded. Aye, he said, andI fear the poor medium wishes had nbeen asked. Still, it will be our businesee the quest through.

The lady entered her chair and heldher hand, once again, to the enraptuhalfling. He kissed it gently, she callcommand, and the half-orcs picked heand trotted off into the darkness.

A charming creature, Boinger siDo you think she knows who we are?

Of course she does, said Zereth.What I fear is that now Yartoosh mayknow who we are.

A grim thought, said Boinger. Hlated to the elf what he had seen on slate, then added, I wonder who the old bitch might be.

I thought that was obvious, said

* * * *

Zereths next move was to seek anterview with the medium alone. Whereturned, however, Boinger did not neeask if the mission had gone well. The elf stalked into their room, slammingdoor behind him, threw his cloak on theand sprawled beside it on his back, glaat the ceiling with its old carved oak

The halfling waited what he consida decent interval, and then spoke.

No information?Oh, some, I suppose, growled the

sitting up. Trouble is, I am sure shebut I dont know which are the lies andwhich is the truth.

How about the map?Oh, she claims the map is genu

and somehow I think it is, although I for a moment believe that the ghost of toosh ever drew it.

You mean she drew it herself? Butwhy? the halfling asked.

She means for us to go after Tarktreasure. What she didnt realize, or realized when your veiled charmer let iat last nights seance, is that Tarkan meto go himself.

Ah, said the little thief, both display some anxiety over our young frisking this expedition, even in our expecare.

What did you find out? asked thsitting up. He watched as his diminufriend took a dagger from the belt hanover the back of his chair and tossed it the air. It landed point first in the centthe scarred wooden table.

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The young lord is well known to severalof the ladies of the town, Boinger began.

Youre going to have trouble ex-plaining to our host the stab wounds in histable, said the elf, irritated.

Hah, said the halfling. Ill convincehim its a new trick Ive learned to entertainhis patrons at the bar.

If we dont come up with some gold forthe greedy wretch we will be thrown out ofhis inn and his bar.

Aye, sighed the smaller one. Andwith winter coming on. Shall we quit quar-reling and get on with it?

Whos quarreling? But yes, tell mewhat you learned. The town ladies all havetheir eye on this man? Im sure you talked tothem at some length.

Ah, yes, said Boinger, but MistressVerbeena, the veiled charmer, as youcalled her, seems to have won his heart, ifnot other portions of his anatomy.

Humans are fools, said Zereth. Theelder folk handle these things with del-icacy.

Ive always wondered about that. said

Boinger, folding his arms on the table andleaning forward, interested. Perhaps youwouldnt mind telling me . . .

Nothing, small and foolish one! Zerethstruck the table with a dark fist. His eyesflashed, and it seemed the scar on his leftcheek whitened against his skin.

All right, said His friend, leaning backin his chair, I did not mean to upset you.Hands off the table. Anyway, I find that thelady most bereft of Lordling Tarkans affec-

tions is the spiritualistic Madame Misteera.He flipped the dagger into the air by itspoint.

Zereth snatched his fist back before theblade struck with a thunk into the woodwhere it had just been. That may earn afew coppers after all, he said thoughtfully,if you dont cut off too many drunken fin-gers. The black elf considered a moment,regarding the upright dagger. PerhapsMisteera sends her ex-lover on a fatalquest, but I do not think this was her intent.She asked me not to take him, volunteeringto help pay for the hire of more bravados todo the dirty work for him.

9

Zereth plucked the dagger from twood. Yet, I would swear she did not tain that treasure map from the old socerers shade. You saw what happened her when I asked for himshe was nfaking her collapse at the seance. Sheasked me not to do that to her again. Htossed the knife. It fell to the table poibut toppled over with a clatter.

All right, said the halfling, she vides us with a map, which she picked

somewhere, claiming to have obtained it means of her mediumistic powers . . .Which are mostly fakery," said ZereFake mediumistic powers, Boin

continued, but however the map was tained she believes in it enough not to wTarkan to follow it. Meanwhile, MistVerbeena also tries to dissuade her impetuous lover from this. mad quest . . . .

Really, where did you glean that?From the man himself. He convin

her that it was just a boyish lark, but sseemed to see some dire significance whole thing.

(Turn to page 60

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Vol. V,

Crane is what you make of itby Richard A. Lloyd tribes than I do, and also moving more

often? I feel that my own efforts have com-pensated for a smaller position and a slow-er rate. I receive, and answer, anywherefrom ten to fifteen letters a week, and on anirregular basis send out a limited-circulationnewsletter to my close allies. This letter-writing amounts to between one and twohours a night. Through such efforts, my ownalliance has grown, and I have made con-tacts (and treaties) with other alliances. Iknow about events happening across theplanet of Crane, and can sometimes influ-ence them. Through the distribution of thenewsletter I can pass along crucial newsand updated plans to many players within afew days. All of this is outside the scope ofthe typical game-turn. For the extra moneythat another player spends on that secondmove a month, or that extra tribe, one canwrite a lot of letters and still come outahead, money-wise.

build alliances and plan for a coopeventure, like the conquest and lootingneutral world. There is a tremendouamount that can be done inStarMaster

just the basic game alone (little expand some personal effort. I know of special actions written by players thattaken me by surprise, and have certimpressed me with their depth and no

What prompted this article to be writtenwas the article by Mark Cummings, TheFatal Flaws of Crane, which appeared inDragon magazine #40. As a longtime play-er in The Tribes of Crane, and as the gamedesigner of StarMaster, Schubel & Sonsother large correspondence game, I wouldlike to comment on Mr. Cummings essay inorder to present a more balanced view ofboth games. As the majority of that piecedealt with Crane, so shall the majority ofmine.

I have been playingThe Tribes of Crane for about twenty months, approximately thesame length of time as Mr. Cummings be-fore he left. Far from feeling about the gameas he does, my own thoughts are quite theopposite. Let me examine each of his pointsfor leaving the game:

CostMr. Cummings points out that the game

player who can spend the money for twoturns a month (or, one turn for each of twotribes) has a tremendous advantage overthe player who can only afford to spendmoney to move one tribe once a month.This is true only if all other things are equal,if the players are of the same skill and putthe same amount of effort into the game.Obviously, not all players are equal, and notall are willing to put into the game the timeand thought needed to wring from each turnevery possible advantage. Many playersare content to move, explore, and let theirtribes grow steadily, without entering intoalliances or intrigues. I fault no one for this;a game such asThe Tribes of Crane can bemany things to many people, and not every-one is of a political frame of mind.

For myself, I have averaged betweenthree weeks and a month for each move,simply due to the amount of time for mail totravel from New York to California, and thenCalifornia to New York again. Do I have achance playing against someone with more

A player gets out of a correspondencegame whatever he or she is willing to putinto it. One of the critical aspects ofCrane tobear in mind is that the phrase corre-spondence game doesnt mean corre-spondence only between the player and thegamesmaster. The correspondence be-tween players is of greater importance tothe game than any single turn. Skillfulrumor-planting, information-brokering, ortreaty-signing can affect the game for manymonths further down the road.

While Mark Cummings made only abrief mention ofStarMaster, it was in thecontext of the expense required to play thegame to its utmost. Yet, expense alone isno reason to shy away from the game. As isstated clearly in the rules booklet, which allplayers receive upon entering the game,StarMaster has many levels of activity, de-pending on what a player can invest in thegame.

I would be interested to know if Mr.Cummings tried some of the extras of thegame, or played only the basic game, andto what extent he wrote letters to enter or

Combat In eighteen months, no one atta

Mr. Cummings tribe. But, neither attack anyone else. That the state of edeveloped was as much his fault aselses. His rationale for this was that unlike Dungeons & Dragons@, no exence is gained in combat, there is ntive to fightand much incentive fight, since your tribe would lose war

I would ask Mr. Cummings if hconsidered joining with other tribes toa city. Or moved to organize such an himself? Sacking a city has traditiyielded great amounts of wealth (espeif you dont intend to hold on to it, fore write your orders to specify maxlooting and pillaging). Special armotrained predatory animals, gold, jeartifacts, warrior mounts and livestoc

just some of the booty to be had. Withwealth a tribe can hire mercenaries, tby increasing the number of warriotribe can buy catapults, again increasistrength, as they are expressed as evalent warrior strength in combat aTo say nothing of having the means tfor special training, special organizspecial armor, weapons, and poisons.

Obviously, sacking a city and caroff a nice share of loot can, indeed, lean increase in the combat ability of more than making up for warriors lbattle. You are stronger for your fighas in D&D, although you have paid afor it-as you would in any good D&venture, where a party may have hadmembers and/or henchmen die, perha

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great struggle to recover some powerfulrtifact from the forces of Evil.

Whether you can tap this source ofwealth and power depends on the effort youre willing to put into organizing such a task,etting all the participating tribes together,nd devising a sound attack plan. Work?

Yes, indeed it is, but so is outfitting a begin-ing first-level party inDungeons & Dra- ons to make the best use of their initialold, rolling for spells known, deciding on a

marching order for various wildernessreas and corridor/room sizes, etc. Theotential to profit from combat is there inither situation.

oredomMark Cummings dropped out because

he gamesmasters were no longer able tomake the game sustain his interest. Therere, however, many aspects of The Tribes f Crane he did not mention in his article.

What about construction- building a road,anal, or bridge, and then a fort to collectolls from other tribes using the new, fasterath? Even complete new cities can beuilt, and in factare being built in the gameight now. Fortresses on islands make goodases for players thinking of turning pirate.layers with a mercantile urge can open ausiness in a city, and have a wide range ofommodity, service, and special busi-esses to choose from, ranging from amall rope-weaving shop to a large,ustling shipyard.

For the politically inclined, there arepolitical positions of Councilman, Shaman(of each of the four different tribe types), oreven Kinglord. All these positions are locat-ed in a city, and can be applied for by a wellwritten petition to the High Kinglord ofCrane, together with proof that you havepolitical influence. Certain positions willalso result in your being city leader, withcontrol over the budget, trade, defense anddiplomacy of your city.

There is a lot more to the game than justmoving a tribe around, as can be seen. IfMr. Cummings felt bored, is it the fault of thegame, or is it his own fault, for, at least as faras one could ascertain from his article, notpursuing these activities? There is an oldsaying about leading a horse to water, and itis true in this case, too.

While I have been inThe Tribes of Crane about as long as he was, I feel my ownfascination with the game growing, notfading. With each passing turn the rewardsfrom previous turns mount higher, and thenew options open to me are even morethought-provoking. And to add to all this,Schubel & Son has recently introduced intothe game special encounters, such as achallenge from the champion of a circus totest the mettle of your tribal warriors, or thesupplications of a servant girl to rescue hermistress, held prisoner by a cruel merchantfor sale to the next slave caravan.

Surely, with all this, one cannot growbored from not having enough to think

about! The trick inCrane, as is also true wStarMaster, is to plan well in advance. Segoals for yourself and for your allies, andecide where you want to be in threemonths, six months, or even in a year. Makeach move count toward achieving thosegoals, and enjoy the special encountersand discovered oddities of Crane as extrasas you move.

The alliance that plans ahead is not onlythe one that does well, but is also the onewhose members, feeling a sense of pur-pose, are more likely to stay in the gameBoredom comes only from not being able tsee each move as a step towards a greaterlong-range goal, be it the taking of a citycrossing a polar ice cap, or exploring thedense jungles for ruins.

In a total view of either game, a playewith absolutelyunlimited money to spendwill probably do better than another playon a smaller budget. The same is true fortennis, golf, bowling, racquetball, and ahost of other activities where practicemakes a lot of difference in the quality oyour game, as well as for stamp collectingcoin collecting, and a plethora of other hobbies, where money can buy research textsand extensive collections. In the long runhowever, I believe that player effort is jusas important, and often more importantthan how much money the player canspend. There is power and enjoyment therefor the taking, for the player ready and wiing to reach out and grab it!

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by Kyle Gray

One of the major desires of every Fight-er is to come into possession of a magicsword. Powerful swords not only increase acharacters fighting ability, but can also pro-vide protection from certain spells, give in-formation on the whereabouts of treasure,illuminate dark dungeon corridors, and per-form other such useful services. Enchantedblades play an important part in fantasyrole-playing and are also commonplace inmodern heroic fantasy literature.

However, most players do not realizethat magic swords trace their sources backto many bygone eras and civilizationswhich had heroic literary traditions. In an-

cient times, arms and armor were prizedpossessions; they were revered, givennames and special characteristics. FromAchilles god-made armor and the arrows ofHerakles, to Thors Uru hammer, both godsand heroes had special weapons. Mostpeople are acquainted with the classicalheroic epics like The Iliad and The Aeneid,but many are less familiar with the laterEuropean epics, such as Beowulf and Das Nibelungenlied, in which swords such asthose found in fantasy gaming are best re-presented.

Beowulf is the earliest extant poem in amodern European language. It recountsthe adventures of the Geatish heroBeowulf, from his young warrior days, until

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Vol. V, No

his death at the fangs of a dragon. Thare many fantasy-gaming motifs in theAnglo-Saxon epic, including monsters, gon hoards, and magic. Beowulf is ahero; when not yet age 20, he managesoutwrestle the monster Grendel, and roff the monsters arm in the process. Mas he is, though, Beowulf cannot perfmany of his great deeds without the hethree swords, Naegling, Hrunting, andunnamed magic blade. Because Unfertgreat warrior, doubts that Beowulfs sword, Naegling, will be enough to kilGrendels mother, Unferth lends Beohis own renowned blade, Hrunting.

As good as these two swords are,Grendels mother, like Grendel himskin impervious to normal steel, andthe help of still another sword, Beowulwould have died. This unnamed weawas a sword made by giants, and bleswith giants magic, with runes and cadecorations on its hilt. It was so masthat no normal man could lift it. Beowuonly lifted the sword and killed Grenmother, but cut off Grendels head as wbefore the blade melted from exposurthe acid blood of these monsters. Witthe help of this magic giants sword, othe greatest heroes of epic literature whave died an untimely death.

Cuchulain of Muirthemne is the grehero of Ireland, and his many legendsheroic masterpieces. Called the Irish Ales, Cuchulain, the Hound of Ireland,the nephew of King Conor of Ulster,was said to be the son of the great goof the Long Hand. By the time he waCuchulain was without peer amongchampions of Ulster. Like Beowulf, Ctain also had personal arms: his shiDubhan, and his great bronze sword,Cruaidin Calcidheann, the hard-heaone. Cuchulain used this sword to gavail until the day of his death at the hof his bitter enemies, who finally manto kill this great hero through the treaous use of an enchanted spear.

The Germanic Nibelungenlied acontains many typical fantasy motifs, as dwarves, dragons, and magic cloaBased on an earlier oral legend, this epperhaps the best example of heroic litture from the Christian era. The 12thtury Scandinavian Edda, Brot, tellSiguros gold-bedizened sword Gram,which had fire-tempered edges, and wbated inside with venom. From this soand many others, an unknown, early 1century Austrian poet created Das Nibegenlied, which tells of the death of S(Siguro), and his wife Kriemhilds rev

In this epic, Siegfrieds sword Balhas interesting characteristics wshould be familiar to fantasy-gamingthusiasts. Although Balmung is an blade which strikes fear into the heawho face it, from the context of the obvious that Balmung is cursed.

At the beginning ofDas Nibelungen

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Balmung is in the possession of PrinceNibelung, whom Siegfried kills, afterwardstealing his weapon. Then Hagen murdersSiegfried and takes Balmung for himself.After wreaking havoc on her brothers andsecond husbands warriors, Kriemhild,Siegfrieds widow, finally reclaims her latehusbands sword and uses it to kill Hagen,Siegrieds murderer. Finally, Kriemhild isthen murdered by Hildebrand. So everyowner of Balmung inDas Nibelunglied iskilled, and two, Prince Nibelung and Hagen,are killed by Balmung itself. Woe be it to theunfortunate player who comes into posses-sion of a sword with such a dangerous curse.

Other fine examples of fantasy-gamingmotifs in ancient literature can be found inthe legends of Charlemagne. The FrenchChanson de Roland and the ItalianOrlando Furioso tell of Charlemagnes 12 Paladins,the most famous of whom are Orlando(Roland), Rinaldo, and Ogier the Dane.Readers of Tolkien would recognize manyfamiliar elements in these ancient stories,among them dwarves, orcs, dragons,magic potions, sorcerers, and magic ringswhich turn their wearers invisible. Magicswords play an important role in these stor-ies, and the most famous of these is Orlan-dos sword, Durindana (Durendal), which issaid to be the blade used by Hector of Troy.Orlando won Durindana in a battle with aSaracen warrior, and discovered this bladeto be so powerful that no armor could standagainst it. Durindana had so much magical

power that it was said it could cleave thePyrenees with one blow. When he was dying, Orlando tried to break Durindana toprevent it from falling into enemy hands, buthe merely succeeded in splitting a boulder,leaving the magic sword unmarred.

Orlando had another magical sword,called Balisarda, which was fashioned bythe enchantress Falerina so that no spellscould avail against it. Balisarda could cutthrough even enchanted substances, andhad such magical power that it could clear apath through a body of water. The otherheroes of these legends also had greatswords, including Rinaldos Fusberta,Rogeros Belisarda (which was enchantedto cleave through armor) and Charle-magnes own Joyeuse.

Ogier the Dane also had an enchantedblade which rivaled Durindana for power.Blessed by faeries at birth, Ogier became agreat warrior, and when he achievedknighthood, the faerie Morgana, ruler of theIsle of Avalon, gave Ogier a sword whichhad written on it that it was called Cortana,and was of the same temper and steel asJoyeuse and Durindana. In the hands ofOgier, Cortana fell on no one without inflict-ing a mortal wound. Ogier and Cortanawere taken by Morgana to Avalon, where, inthe company of another great hero, theyawait the day they are again needed.

This other hero is of course Arthur, Kingof Britain and rightful master of perhaps themost famous of all swords, Excalibur. In his

Historia Regum Britanniae, GeoffreyMonmouth tells of Arthur and his greatsword Caliburn, which, through the ceies (and the tellings of many writers) fibecame, in the writing of Sir ThomasMalory, the great sword Excalibur, the sbol of Arthurs divine right to kingship.

Excalibur first came into Arthurs gwhen he pulled it from the stone andhimself to be the son of Uther PendragLater, after a fierce battle, Arthur onceagain comes into possession of Excalibthis time from the Lady of the Lake. Akilling Modred and receiving his own dwound, Arthur, like Orlando, is more cerned about his sword than anything elHe commands that it be thrown into lake-and when his orders are finallyobeyed, a hand rises out of the lake tothe great sword. The legends say that bArthur and Excalibur repose on the IslAvalon, awaiting the day when Englneeds them once more.

The ancient heroic epics contain exclent source material for literary-mindedplayers and DMs. Although Excalibur Cortana are unavailable, who knows whappened to Hrunting, Cruaidin Calcheann, Balisarda, or Fusberta? Some leends say that Durindana was used by aother great French hero, Joan of Arc, bwho knows where it went from there? Phaps some lucky character will wielding anewor if unlucky, be cursed by Bmung, and not live to see another battle.

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Vol. V, No. 8

Minarian variants

Six suggestions fromDivine Right" designer

G.Arthur Rahman

I: Settling special siegeUnderstandably, certain situations

failed to come up in the process of playtest-ing Divine Right. As a result, they are notdirectly dealt with in the standard rules. Onequestion in particular deserves specialcommentary. Namely, what happens toones regulars and/or mercenaries if theyare inside a castle of a kingdom that sud-denly leaves their alliance?

Under most circumstances, units insidea defecting castle should immediately bedisplaced one hex outside the castle. How-ever, should the castle be surrounded bybesieging units and/or impassable hexes,

the matter becomes more complex.If the defecting castle containing foreignunits should leave their alliance when asiege is going on, the besieger must im-mediately state whether he is continuingthe siege or abandoning it. If he is continu-ing the siege, the kingdom containing thebesieged castle immediately rejoins itsformer alliance. Now no conflict exists andthe siege goes on as before.

If the defecting castle is not besiegedand the foreign units inside it could not bedisplaced from its hex, no doubt it is sur-rounded by enemy combat units and/or im-passable terrain. If the problem is impas-

sable terrain, there is little hope for the hap-less units and they are eliminated at the endof the owning players combat phase. As-sume the non-allied power has internedthem for the duration of the campaigningseason. If the problem is enemy units, theplayer surrounded inside the castle hexmay attempt to fight a hex of enemy unitsand advance out of the castle. Should thismaneuver fail, any units left inside a castlehex where they dont belong are interned(eliminated).

Leaders are not automatically eliminat-ed. They may remain in a non-allied castleshould they wish to risk the diplomatic pen-alty. If the optional rule of Free Passage/

Sanctuary is employed, even the diplomaticpenalty may be avoided.

Seizing a castle from withinThrough deactivation, forced peace and

the treachery of Personality Card #12, acastle may leave the alliance to which unitsoccupying it belong. When this happens,whether the castle is besieged or not, theplayer owning the foreign units must decidewhether he will passively be displaced fromthe defecting castle (if this is possible), orcommit himself to an attempt to seize thecastle from within during his own siege

phase.To seize a castle from within, thosecombat units foreign to the defecting castleattack the intrinsic defense strength of thecastle (foreign units fighting inside a defect-ed castle may not be aided in any way byfriendly units outside the castle hex). Thecombat is conducted as if the intrinsic de-fense strength represented a stack of ene-my units; figure the odds normally. For ex-ample, if three Immerite combat units stoodinside the Muetarian castle of Pennol (in-trinsic defense strength of 4) when it de-fected, they might assault it in their siegephase at odds of 1 to 2 (3 against 4 rounded

in favor of the defender). Declaring an as-sault on a non-allied castle immediatelycauses the kingdom containing it to join thealliance of some other player (determinedrandomly). It is this player who rolls the dicein defense of the castle.

To successfully seize a castle from with-in, the attacker must eliminate all the intrin-sic defense strength points in one attack.That is, if the lmmerites in the above exam-ple should roll a 5 and the castle of Pennolshould roll a 1 (modified to 2 by the odds),the castle would not fall because 5-2 = 3, notsufficient to eliminate the four intrinsic de-fense strength points of the castle. In thiscase the defense strength of the castle re-

situationsmains 4 and all the lmmerite units are nated.

Had the lmmerites instead rolled a 6then they would have eliminated the intrsic defense strength and turned Pennol inta zero-defense-strength castle, receivingno points for seizing it. However, a zerrated castle is not identical to a plunderecastle. Its walls are not breached; its miliis simply destroyed. A zero-rated castle stmust be besieged if combat units defeninside it. In the example, the three lmmerunits might be besieged in zero-rated Pennol, defending against siege with a streng

of 3. No victory points are awarded fodering a castle that has been reduced to azero rating earlier in the game. Any unenter a zero-rated castle if it is not occby a combat unit. Any enemy unit begia siege phase inside a zero-rated castlemay plunder it simply by declaring it so. Bremember, no victory points are awardefor zero-rated castles.Leaders in non-allied and hostile castles

With respect to non-allied castles, leaer units are allowed considerable freedomEntering a non-allied kingdom will bringdiplomatic penalty down on the leader

ance (unless he has been granted FreePassage/Sanctuary), but otherwise hemay enter the castle without difficulty aenjoy the protection of its intrinsic defenstrength.

A leader unit may also enter and lehostile castle, but in this case the castle treated as if it were a stack of enemy combat units, and the leader requires a leaderfate die roll for both entrance and exittionally, if the leader is standing in a hostcastle hex during the player turn of the aance that controls the castle, he must takanother fate rollsince the local constbles are always on the lookout for undsirables.

14

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II: An occasional ambushadds flavor to CombatThe standard combat system of Divine

Right postulates a straightforward meleeon level ground and provides for sundrysurprises and turnabouts. But war is an oc-cupation in Minaria, and its mighty warlordshave mastered many tricks and strata-gems. One tactic, the ambush, readilylends itself to variant rules.

History remembers many victorieswhere smaller forceswell directed orknowing the ground of the battlefield-en-trapped their opponents and routed them.In large part, Hannibals victories were bril-liant ambushes; the Roman renegade Ser-torius combined his own ability with the ter-rain knowledge of his native troops to bafflethe first-rate legions sent against him; dur-ing the Crusades, many European knightsperished in Saracen traps.

Essentially, an ambush is a combat sit-uation where an aggressor is intercepted ata location where the defender can placehim at a disadvantage. The monarchs andthe mercenary leaders of the Minarian king-doms are no less ingenious than the men ofEarth; their ambuscades can be simulatedby the following rules.

THE AMBUSHThe defender in a land battle may at-

tempt an ambush. However, an ambush isnot possible if the defender has retreated orattempted to retreat.

After the phasing player has indicated aproposed attack, but before the combatdice are rolled, the defender may announcehis desire to attempt one or more am-bushes. For each combat situation in whichhe has not retreated his units, the defendermay make a test die roll to determinewhether his ambush is successful. If themodified roll of a single die equals 7 ormore, the ambush succeeds. The die roll ismodified according to the following specifi-cations:

Ambushers advantagesAdd +1 if any of the defending stacks in

a combat situation contains at least onequalified leader (one who can lead the units

he is stacked with), also called an ambushorganizer. Obviously, leaders have morebattle savvy than the simple sergeants andcaptains that (in theory) lead the combatunits on the map. However, this advantagedoes not apply to certain monarchs- thosewith personalities #4 (the lazy wastrel), #6(the unmilitary monarch) and #10 (the in-

competent). If more than one leader in the

attacked stack(s) qualify, only one of themmay be selected as an ambush organizer.

Add +1 if the leader has a combatbonus. Since all such leaders also meet thequalifications of ambush organizer, theyautomatically add +2 to the ambush-at-tempt die roll.

Add +1 if the ambush organizer hasterrain advantages to match the type of ter-rain in his hex. Some leaders have bothforest and mountain advantages. If theambush organizer is a leader of this typeand stands in a hex containing forest andmountains (or forest and hills), he modifiesthe die by +1 for each type of terrain; that is,by +2. Schardenzar has an unusual terrainadvantage for rivers. If he is defending in ariver hex, he receives an ambush-attemptmodifier of +1 for the terrain.

Add +1 if the ambushing stack(s) con-tain at least one regular native to the coun-try in which the regular is defending. Troopsin their homeland benefit from knowing theground. Additionally, many spies are avail-able to mislead and misadvise an alien in-vader. For instance, if a Muetarian regularis attacked in Muetar, the defender may add+1 to his ambush-attempt die.

Add +1 if any of the attacking units areadjacent to combat units which are friendlyto the ambusher, but which are not involvedin any battle that player turn. This rule ack-nowledges that it is a foolish commanderwho exposes his flank to roving enemyforces.

All the modifiers above are cumulative.It is possible for a defender to have so manyadvantages in a given hex that ambush iscertain. It is up to the attacker to not declarean attack when so much is against him.Ambush victims advantages

The defender/ambusher must also beaware of the attackers advantages. If any

of the conditions listed below are present,the chance to conduct a successful ambushis diminished. The defender subtracts fromhis ambush-attempt die roll according to thefollowing specifications:

Subtract 1 if the victims stack(s) have atleast one qualified leader (excepting per-sonalities #4, 6, and 10). An experiencedleader is not easily taken unawares.

Subtract 1 if the victims qualifying lead-er has a combat bonus The more skillful aleader, the more able he is to detect theruses of the enemy.

Subtract 1 if the attack is being made intoa hex with terrain for which the attackers

(victims) qualifying leader has a terrain ad-15

vantage. If the leader has two types of avantages, both of which match the terratypes in the attacked hex, the ambushesubtracts 2 from his ambush-attempt droll. The rule above includes Schardenzattacking a river hex.

Subtract 1 if the attacker is attackinghex with regulars belonging to the sam

country as the hex does. It is hard to ambush soldiers on their home ground.Subtract 1 if the defender(s) are entirsurrounded by the attackers combat un(all of which must actually be attacking)surrounded defender has less chance fomaneuver and secret deployment.

Sometimes an attackers advantagewill cancel out a defenders, making an abush impossible.

The successful ambushIf the ambush-attempt die roll dete

mines that the ambush is successful, thattack is carried out as per the standarrules, with this exception: The defend(ambusher) alone rolls a combat die; thattackers combat die roll is automaticaassumed to be 1. This automatic 1 cbe modified by the odds, as per the standard rules. For example, an ambushed attacker who outnumbers the defender by to 1 will add +2 to his automatic 1, rending a combat roll of 3. An ambusattacker still also receives any special leaer and personality bonuses to which he entitled as modifiers to his roll.

OTHER RULES FOR LEADERSThe ambush rules above accent the

of the leader. This is intentional, since players, in spite of incentives to the contrabuilt into the rules, are too timid or cautioto permit their monarchs to venture outsiof strong castles. Using the ambush rulewill make Minaria safer for campaignimonarchs, and will increase the losses otimid players who do not use leaders iopen-field combat. The monarchs of Maria are first and foremost warrior-kings; treat them otherwise is a disservice to tOther rules-which need not be appendeto the ambush rules abovecan be adopted to further encourage players to movtheir leaders boldly upon the campaign

Do not award victory points for killand captured monarchs. Let victory poincome only from the other sources. The feathat one will benefit his opponent by expoing his monarchs to danger is the primarreason cautious players keep their mon-archs ensconced in strong castles.

Assume that all kings benefit troop ale by virtue of their presence among themercenaries and regulars, and add +1 tothe owners combat die roll in such casesLeaders who already have a leader combonus may add +2 to the combat die rol(This special advantage should be ignoredwhen calculating the modifiers for the am

bush-attempt die roll).

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Vol. V, N

III: ForThe use of treasure in Divine Right dip-

lomacy and military affairs can be incorpor-ated into the game by the use of treasurepoints. Consider this treasure to be coin,

jewels, plate and other typical articles.Treasure points should be represented bychits displayed on the map; there is no limiton the amount of treasure which may be inplay at any one time. The sources and usesfor treasure in Divine Rightare many. Play-ers are urged to accept any or all suggestedsources and uses that will enhance theiro w n b r a n d o f p l a y .

Sources of treasure1) The player receives 1 t.p. (treasure

point), placed under one of the ownersunits anywhere on the map, if he rolls 7 onthe random events die roll.

your playing pleasure...2) He receives another 1 t.p. under any

one of his units on the map if he has thewealthy Dwarves in his alliance, on thesame random events die roll of 7.

3) He receives, in the ruins of any cas-tle he plunders, 1 t.p. for each intrinsic de-fense strength point of the castle immedi-ately upon plundering it.

4) He may, if using the Spinning Wheel,take a mercenary unit, as per the standardrules, or instead take 1 t.p., placed underthe monarch using the Spinning Wheel.

5) He may receive t.p.'s from anyhexes adjacent to the Isle of Fright (a grave-yard of many ships) which are occupied byat least one friendly fleet. He rolls a die ineach stacks combat phase to test a hex fortreasure discovery; upon the roll of 6, 1t.p. is deployed under the fleet(s) in the hex.A fleet cannot search for treasure if it hasengaged in combat in the same game turn.

6) He may receive 2 t.p. for maintaininga blockade (i.e., keeping at least one fleetwithin a two-hex range) of certain special,unplundered ports, namely Colist, Zefnar,Parros and Castle Lapspell. Besieging

ships may serve as blockaders at the stime. In each combat phase the blockplayer rolls a die to test for treasureinterception. On a roll of 6, the blochave captured treasure from enemy chant ships and 2 t.p. are placed in hex. There is no additional treasure afor occupying more than one hex wrange of the same port. A fleet thatin combat may not intercept merchin the same turn.

7) He may receive 2 t.p. at a timexcavating the ancient Tombs of Oldat least one land combat unit. In each bat phase, upon the roll of 6, 2 t.deployed under the excavating unit. ever, as the Tombs hold many terriblecurses, the roll of 1 in the die test wcause the elimination of one excavunit, and generate such fear that no reof the same kingdom will ever darethe Tombs again. Units that engagebat cannot search for treasure in the game turn.

8) He may receive 1 t.p. for excathe buried city of Letho in the Mires

IV: The men are awaiting your command, sirThis Divine Right variant attempts to

simulate tactical leadership in a gamewhere all leaders do not have equal ability.It should motivate good commanders to

come out of their castleswhile the badones have a compelling reason for stayinginside.

When a leader is given an Expertise,the normal combat bonus for leaders is not awarded. Units without a leader are auto-matically rated Class E. If a monarch dies,

his successor is randomly assigned a newExpertise.

Each leader is assigned a Tactical Ex-pertise for land combat. Once an Expertiseis known for a certain leader, it remainsunchanged for the remainder of the gameand should be recorded in a side note. Ex-pertise varies from Class A (the best) toClass E (the worst). To determine the Tacti-cal Expertise of a leader including a playermonarchroll a die and add or subtractany modifications which are called for. Amodified roll of 0 or 1 yields Class E exper-tise; a roll of 2, Class D; a roll of 3 or 4, Class

C; a roll of 5, Class B; and a roll of 6 or more,C l a s s A .

The Tactical Decision Selection ChartOnce a leaders Expertise for land com-

bat has been determined, one assesses thegeneral situation of the battle in which he isinvolved, on the attack or defense. Theneach player rolls a die on the Tactical Deci-sion Selection Chart and consults the col-umn under the letter representing his lead-ers Expertise (or column E, if units have noleader). The die roll is not modified for anyreason. The abbreviation to the left of theslash represents the leaders choice for thiscombat sequence if he is attacking; the ab-breviation to the right of the slash repre-sents the leaders choice if he is on thedefense.

Definitions:FC: Fall into confusion DF: Disorganized flRA: Reckless assault RD: Rigid defenseSK: Skirmish OR: Orderly retreatF: Frontal assault CC: Counter-chargeFA: Flanking attack CA: Coordinated counE: Envelopment attack

A: Ambush

The Tactical Selection Resolution MCross-index the tactical decisions

attacker and defender. The numberrepresents the modification on the the attacker. The combat may also bified by the effect of combat odds, devices, terrain, etc. The attackers tion is read horizontally. The defenselection is read from the vertical. Nmeans No combat possible.

Certain leaders have a fixed expertiseof Class A. These include Juulute Wolf-heart, the Black Knight, Schardenzar, themonarch with Personality #16, and anymonarch with the Helm of Wisdom.

By their nature, several other Personali-ties yield a greater or lesser chance of hav-ing a high Expertise. Add +1 to the Exper-tise die roll for monarchs with Personalities#1 and 19. Subtract 1 from the Expertisedie roll for monarchs with Personalities #2,4 and 14. Subtract 2 from the Expertise dierolls for monarchs with Personalities #6and 10.

Tactical Decision Selection Chart

DieRoll E D C B A

1 FC/DF FC/DF RA/RD RA/RD SK/OR2 FC/DF RA/RD RA/RD SK/OR F/CC3 RA/RD RA/RD SK/OR F/CC FA/CA4 RA/RD SK/OR F/CC FA/CA E/A5 S K/ OR F/ CC FA /C A E /A E/A6 F / C C F A / CA E /A E/A E/A

16

FC RA SK F FA EDF NC +2 +1 +2 +3 +4RD -1 +0 +0 +0 +2 +3OR NC +0 +0 +1 +1 +2CC - 2 - 1 - 1 +0 +2 +CA - 3 - 2 - 2 - 1 +0A - 4 - 3 - 3 - 2 - 1

In order to encourage more leadlead attacks themselves, players maytionally eliminate victory point awarresult from the slaying or capture ofarchs.

If units have the same Expertise,ers may conduct combat in the stanmanner instead of using the tactica

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...some rules about treasureSinking Kind with at least one combat unit.This is done in the same manner as exca-vating the Tombs of Olde, but there is no

curse in Letho to drive the excavators off.9) Every player king starts the gamewith some treasure, determined randomlyby a die roll: 1-3: 1 t.p.; 4-5: 2 t.p.; 6: 3.p. Deposit this treasure in the royal castle.

Restrictions on treasureTo transport treasure, a player must

move it in the company of a combat unit.Treasure may not be used for any purposeuntil it has been deposited in a friendly cas-le. Afterwards it may be moved again, butmay not be used (spent) while in transit.

Mercenaries and barbarians are too un-rustworthy to haul treasure. Any treasure in

a non-plundered castle hex stacked onlywith unled mercenaries or barbarians is sto-en (eliminated). However, a leader, if one is

present who is capable of leading the mer-cenaries or barbarians, can prevent theft.

Additionally, if barbarians are presentamong the besieging units when a castlefalls, the player receives only half the pos-

sible treasure (rounded up). He receivesnone if all the siegers are barbarians.

If any treasure is stored in a castle that

falls to siege, all of it is captured by thebesieger. Treasure in a besieged castlecannot be destroyed by the besieger. Atother times (such as when a siege seemsimminent) it may be eliminated by the own-er by simply removing the t.p. counter(s)from the map.

Treasure may not retreat, on land or atsea. It remains behind if the owning unitretreats and is automatically captured byany attacking unit advancing into the hexafter combat. If treasure is left alone on landor sea at other times, it is assumed to be lostor sunken. An appropriate search test ismade by a combat unit which later occupies

the hex; the treasure is found on a roll of 6in the combat phase, similar to the proce-dure described under sources #5,6,7 and 8.

Uses of treasure1) To augment diplomacy; treasure

may be expended in conjunction with a dip-lomacy card. To modify the die roll by +1,

expend (eliminate) 2 t.p. To modify the dby +2, expend 4 t.p. Treasure may notmodify the die roll by more than +2.

2) To insure that barbarians do not slayyour ambassador; expend 2 t.p. prior tomaking a recruitment die roll. This expendture has no other effect than to prevent theexecution of the ambassador.

3) To recruit mercenary units directlyexpend 1 t.p. in the random events phase torecruit one land army; expend 2 t.p. to recruit a fleet. Only one unit may be recruitewith treasure per player turn.

4) To bribe captured mercenary lead-ers into defection; expend 1 t.p. and roll thforced peace die roll, modifying it by +The die is not modified by more than +1 nmatter how much treasure is used.

5) To stiffen an allied monarchs resistance to deactivation; deploy 3 t.p. into ancastle(s) of his kingdom to subtract 1 froall enemy ambassadors die rolls attempting deactivation. To subtract 2, deploy t.p. Once given to a monarch, the treasuremay not be expended again for other pur

(Continued on next page)

V: But, sir ...they just cant march any furtherThe movement allowances in Divine

Right do not represent what an army couldaccomplish if it did nothing but march sunupo sundown. It takes into account delaysalled for by foraging, inefficiency, confu-ion of orders, bad weather, etc. Manyimes the need to join a siege or make a

crucial attack is of such urgency that anarmy can manage to squeeze out a littlemore marching time, albeit at the risk ofosing combat efficiency and stragglers. Toake into account this reality, the following

variant rules are offered.

case, the stack still suffers the "*, A, B, Cresults called for.

"*" Moving stack loses 1 combat unitA Troops fatigued; any attacks in

which they take part this player-turn require a subtract of 1 on thcombat die roll.B Troops exhausted; they may nottake part in any attacks this turn.

C Troops in disarray; for the re-mainder of the game turn, 1 issubtracted from all defensiveand retreat dice rolls involvingthese units. They, of course,ma y not launch an offensive

During the phasing players turn, anynumber of his stacks and/or leader unitsmay attempt a forced march. However,units that did not move as a stack in thenormal movement phase cannot engage inorced march as a single stack. Any number

of different stacks may attempt to addorced-march movement points to theirnormal movement allowances. However,ach stack requires a separate forced-

march-attempt die test.All normal movement must be conclud-

d before the phasing player attemptsorced march for any of his stacks. The

player begins his forced-march subphaseby pointing out the first stack that he willattempt to march, and how many move-ment points he wants to try to gain. He thenolls 1d6 and consults the Forced March

Attempt Table. If a stack is unable to use allof the forced-march movement points it has

gained, the unused points are lost. In any

The forced march die roll can be modi-fied by several factors:

Add +1 to the die roll if the stack isunder command of the same leader unit forthe entire movement and forced marchphase.

Add +1 if the stack will forced marchthrough friendly allied hexes only.

Add +1 if the marching units are eitherTrolls or Dwarves. These are particularlyhearty races, suited for long-distance trav-el. If any units of different races (mercen-aries included) are stacked with the Trollsor Dwarves, a forced-march attempt isrolled for them as a separate stack (shouldthey wish to also attempt forced march).

Subtract 1 if the stack will marchthrough any wasteland hexes (coloredbrown on the map) or through the particu-larly hostile or barren countries: Shucas-sam, Pon, Zorn or the Shards of Lor.

FORCED MARCH ATTEMPT TABLENumber of forced march movement points desired

Die +1 +2 +3 +4 +50 0 0 0 0 01 0 0 1 1 22 1-A 1-A 1 2* 3-A*3 1 1 2* 2 3-A4 1 2* 2 3-B* 4-C*5 1 2-A 3-B* 3-A 4-B6 1 2 3-A 4-C* 5-C*7+ 1 2 3 4-A 5-A

17

If a *result is scored by a leader uniton forced march unaccompanied by com-bat units, he rolls another test die and per-ishes on a roll of 1. A leader traveling withfriendly combat units is not affected by any way.

With the above rules in effect, that all-important stack of relieving units only needa bit of luck to arrive in the nick of time. Nocan your opponent now carry out his das-tardly schemes with the certain knowledgethat you can never get there in time to stop

him.

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poses. It may be moved around within thekingdom, but if the treasure is eliminated,lost or captured, its benefits are lost. TheUsurper is not influenced in any way bytreasure.

6) To instantly replace an eliminatedregular; expend 2 t.p. in the random eventsphase to replace a land army; expend 3 t.p.to replace a fleet. Replacements are pur-

chased after the random events die roll.7) To increase your ambassadorschance to assassinate; expend 3 t.p. beforemaking the assassination die roll, repre-senting bribery of guards and intimates ofthe monarch, to add +1 to the roll.

8) To help an imprisoned monarch es-cape; expend any number of t.p.s, then rolla die. If the result is equal to or less than the

number of t.p. expended, you have bribedthe prison guards. To complete the escape,make a leader fate die roll. On a roll of 2-5,the monarch may exit the castle to the fullextent of his movement allowance. On a rollof 6 he is instantly recaptured (no victorypoints awarded); on a roll of 1 he is killedtrying to escape (victory points are awarded).

9) To ransom a captured leader; nego-tiate a desirable ransom with the captor-player and pay him the t.p.'s. He must de-ploy the t.p.'s in the castle where the king isimprisoned, then return the prisoner, who isplaced by his owner in any friendly stack orcastle.

10) To influence other player kings;treasure may be transported across the

Vol. V, No

map to the troops or castle of anotherking as a gift or bribe for any agreed ppose. Brought adjacent to the troops/ castle, the treasure is transferred direcwith the receivers permission. No probought with treasure need be kept.

If a kingdom deactivates, all treaswithin its unbesieged castles is lost. T

treasure in besieged castles within a deavated kingdom vanishes when the siegelifted, or is captured by the besieger ifcastle falls.

Treasure inside a besieged castle mnot be expended for any purpose; sutreasure may continue to stiffen an aresistance to deactivation, if it was so ized before the siege.

VI: All Barbarians arent played the same wayThe standard rules of Divine Right rec-

ognize no difference between the Barba-rians of the north of the map and those ofthe south. Northern and southern Barba-rians may stack together and be led by thesame leader, Juulute Wolfheart. Barbarianterritory at both sides of the map may betrespassed upon without regard to thefierce nomads which inhabit it. While theserules are justifiable in the interest of simplic-ity, it is possible to look at the Barbariansituation in another way.Barbarian incompatibility

The Barbarians of the Wild Reachesand Blown Over are a people very differentfrom those who dwell south of the Witheringand Blasted Heath (a region we shall referto as the Barbarian Frontier). These twogroups of Barbarians probably have less

contact with one another than each has withthe civilized Minarian nations lying betweenthem. Therefore, players must make a defi-nite choice of the Barbarian type they wishto recruit. An alliance, at any one moment ofthe game, may control either Northern Bar-barians or Frontier Barbarians, not bothtypes at the same time. If a player is incontrol of some Northern Barbarians, hemust remove these from the map before heattempts to recruit any Frontier Barbarians,and vice versa.Barbarian leadership

Juulute Wolfheart is a Northern Barba-rian, born and bred. The peoples and waysof the southern Frontier are not his own.Consequently, Juulute Wolfheart shall notlead nor stack with Frontier Barbarians inthis variant. Instead, the Barbarians of thesouth have their own leader, MacombiSpearslayer.

Macombi Spearslayer is the kagan ofthe loose confederacy of tribes that inhabitsthe Barbarian Frontier. Only Macombi maylead Barbarians recruited in the south hex-row of the map. As long as Macombi is

stacked with no more than ten Barbarian

units, no player can recruit Barbarians outof Macombis stack. If Macombi stacks witheleven or more Barbarian units at one time,any number of them may be recruited away.No enemy-controlled stack of Frontier Bar-barians will attack a stack led by Macombi.Friendly leaders may stack with FrontierBarbarians if (and only if) Macombi leadsthe stack.

Players should make Macombi both acounter and a special mercenary diplomacycard. Macombi enters play in any brown-colored hex on the south edge of the map.He cannot lead either regulars or merce-nary combat units.

Barbarian territoryAll brown hexes in the last two hexrowson either side of the map represent territor-ies inhabited by Barbarians. They resentthe intrusion of alien people into their range.Therefore, non-Barbarian units (and Bar-barian units from the other side of the map)are subject to possible non-player attackwhen crossing into Barbarian territory.

For each hex entered by the alien units,a die is rolled. If the result of the roll equalsor exceeds the number of combat units en-tering the hex, that number of Barbarians(from the unused units in the Barbarianpool) is deployed adjacent to the alien units.

The units must stop and attack the newlydeployed non-player Barbarians.If the alien stacks attack is successful

(that is, if it loses no units), the non-playerBarbarians are returned to the pool and thealien stack may continue movement up tothe remainder of its movement allowance.For the rest of the turn this stack is notsubject to another non-player Barbarian at-tack.

If the alien stacks attack is unfavorable(if it loses units in the combat exchange), ittakes losses normally and must ceasemovement for the remainder of the turn.The non-player Barbarians are again re-

turned to the pool.18

If an alien stack remains in Barbaterritory through its friendly movemenphase without moving, one test die is rofor a possible non-player Barbarian atand three is added to the resulting numb

If there are insufficient unused Baian units in the pool to equal the numbalien units due for a non-player attacknon-player attack can be mounted agathem.

If a combat result leads to the capa leader by Barbarians, that leader isplaced at the Sacred Stones (by NorthBarbarian captors) or in the extreme soueastern hex of the map (by Frontier Barbian captors). A captured leader cannot

leave the imprisoning hex until alienunits enter it (either friendly or enemy).Leaders (other than Juulute Wolfh

in the northern territory, Macombi Spslayer on the Frontier, and the monarholding the Mask of Influence in either tory) traveling through the Barbarian tories are subject to possible capture. each two hexes (round up) that a leadenters in a turn, a leader fate die is rollOn a 1-5 there is no effect; on a 6 leader is captured.

If the imprisonment hex is already cupied by alien combat units, the captivnot imprisoned there. Instead, the nplayer Barbarians slay him immediatelyBy these rules, stacks of seven combunits or more (if traveling) and stacks ofor more units (if standing still in Barbaterritory throughout the movement phare immune to non-player Barbarian tacks. Stacks and leaders traveling in copany with Juulute Wolfheart (in the nand Macombi Spearslayer (in the souare also safeguarded against non-playattack. Note: The Dwarves of Aws Nhave a treaty of safe passage in the WReaches. As a result, leaders and unitraveling with Aws Noir regulars cannoattacked by non-player Barbarians in

area.

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by Glenn Rahman

The Tower of Zards has borne an evilreputation since pre-Cataclysmic times.When he rose against Lloroi rule, the Scar-let Witch King raised the mighty Tower withdemonic aid and braced its stones with po-tent magicks. Its ruins stood tall despite thedevastating upheavals of the Cataclysm.The barbarous survivors of the deceasedcivilization shunned the witch-built citadel.None cared to dwell in the shadow of itscliff-founded walls, lit from within by a luridglare whose source was neither the sun normoon nor stars. The nomads called the tow-er Zards, a word of their tongue that trans-lates as Evil.

For twelve hundred years the castlestood; those few who trespassed upon itfigure in the most terrifying legends ofdoom. Located far from any civilized state,the Tower was known to the outside worldonly through the tales of an occasional trav-eler or trader from the barbarian territories.Doubtless it would have long remainedthus, had not a strange intruder appeared inthe Shards of Lor.

Early in the twelfth century, a remnant ofa Goblin raiding party came straggling backto the Nithmere Mountains. They told aghastly tale of howling specters amuck inthe Shards of Lor.

Shortly afterwards the rumor was con-firmed by Dwarven prospectors in the daysof their sagely monarch Alcuin. TheDwarves had spied upon a wraithlike beingat the ancient battlefield of the WastedDead, where long ago the Witch KingsScarlet Army had gone down to defeat. Thewizard-for such he, she or it waswalked a circled path in the dust where themagic-slain dead uneasily lay. Hissing aninvocation, the mage struck a bone againstthe ground. The earth commenced to crum-

ble and a thousand soiled skeletons grew

from it like proliferating weeds. The wraith-being gave a curt command and the skele-ton army fell in ranks around him, like theflesh-and-blood soldiers they once hadbeen.

A new tenant inhabited the ancient Tow-er of Zardsa shadowy wonder-workerwho possessed the glamour to commandthe dead. The wraith-being had no name togive out and an appearance so strange thateven his gender could not be guessedwith certainty. The barbarians called himthe Black Hand, and so he came to beknown throughout Minaria. Physical des-criptions of the Black Hand are rare: thediarist Codew, a courtier in the palace ofPennol, calls him: a black, gaunt lich incrumbling mummy wrappings, whose de-tails of visage were obscured by a dark mistthat clung to his angular frame.

Opinion holds that the magicianemerged from the east. No document orauthoritative legend supports this guess; inMinaria most things unknown and unex-plainable are attributed to the east. The an-cient records are barren in regard to thatregion, other than to recount the legend thatthe Lloroi fled from the east during a war ofgods and demons. Nor has modern explor-ation dispelled the myth of the hauntedeast. A forbidding mountain range calledthe Wall of Aermac turns back all but themost intrepid traveler. Dwarven prospect-ing expeditions dispatched east failed dis-mally and the survivors brought back talesof twisted and deformed folk, giant beastsand lethal curses. Neither does easternknowledge come to Minaria via the tradingvoyages of Mivior and Rombune. Thesouthern subcontinent of Girion is vast andthe sealanes are dominated by the hostileScarlet Empire. The Muetarian scholar Asi-

ongabur, who compiled a collection of19

Black Hand legends entitled Lord of tDead, rejects the eastern-origin theory. Hbelieves instead that the Black Hand rofrom the Tower of Zards itself, an undydemon or mummy imprisoned since the of the Scarlet Witch King.

For the first few decades after his apearance, the Black Hand remained secluded in the Shards of Lor. The sight of undead servants shuffling stiffly over tfrosted rocks taught the races of Minariashun the necromancers domain like acurse.

The Black Hand stepped into the outworld with devastating impact in 1248. TGoblin Gronek became warchief of theMangubat tribe upon the sudden death his brother Whynaucht. The ambitious Gnek aspired to extend the range of his people into the uninhabited Shards of Lor, frowhere raids might be mounted against thDwarven principalities. He had heard of tBlack Hand, but either dismissed the magas a charlatan or esteemed his own con-

juring powers overmuch. Leading his wriors through the Shards of Lor, Gronebeat upon the lofty barbican of Zards andemanded the magicians homage.

For reasons known only to himself; thBlack Hand deigned not to hurl his undeaservitors against the invaders, but insteadappeared on a high balcony. The Goblilord shouted up at him impudently, de-manding submission and tribute.

From the shrouded wraith theretumbled down a hoarse, hollow voice likereverberance from the tomb: I will briyou your tribute in the dark of the moon!

Pleased with himself and relieved than assault on the tower was unnecessary,Gronek withdrew to the forest of Leeks await the arrival of his newest subject.

In the starless dark of the next newmoon, the scouts rushed into Groneks encampment and beat a frightened alarm othe bronze warning gong. The arousedGoblins scrambled out of their sleepingand rushed armed to the perimeter of thvillage.

An awed hush fell over the Goblins. Nattackers were descending on the encamp-ment, but tribute-bearing servants in-stead-servants like the Goblins had neveseen before.

At the head of the procession shuffled troop of hawk-beaked creatures withstringy simian hairghouls from thedreaded Poison Desert of Yyng-go. In theshaggy arms they bore open casks of sar-donyx, jacinth and lapis lazuli that glinted the torchlight like a million devilish eyes.

As the ghouls proceeded by, a fiendishscreech descended from the air above.Small, dark bodies on leathery wings plummeted out of the black sky, driving the lins back by their terrifying demeanor. Athey alighted, the air filled with the odor the sepulcher, for held in their clawed feewere cannisters of rare funerary incenses

and embalmers spices: myrrh, cassia and

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every type of aromatic. These grotesque seemed newly dead; others were far gonewinged creatures were the half-legendary into corruption. In their rotting fingers theygargoyles, denizens of the distant Wastes clutched baskets of blood-red rubies andof Folmar. They scanned the trembling carbuncles. The host of Goblins released acrowd balefully, then carried their burdens few sporadic screams but a numbed si-into the heart of the village. lence dominated the village.

After the gargoyles came other beings,these with a dull, uneven step. They repre-sented many races and both sexes, all ofwhose faces were frozen in slack-mouthedstares. They were zombies all, nobles andrich merchants mixed with mutilated sol-diers and beggars in filthy rags. Some

Scarcely had the undead staggered bythan there sounded the clatter of bones.Uncloaked by the night, earth-darkenedskeletons approached with an insectliketread. The skeletons were swathed in kiltsof gold brocade with buckles of topaz. Ontheir grinning skulls they wore turbans of

black silk, starred with emeralds. Lightsflickering marsh fires burned within thelow bones, while black tongues like long-dead men dangled over their jagteeth. They carried jeweled scimitars shields, looking like a demonic guarhonor.

All eyes turned to the covered paquin they escorted. Framed of gilted wit was carried by a dozen soiled mummTiaras circling their grey, withered hesuggested a bygone rank, belied by crumbling wrappings they wore andteeming parasites that feasted on theirdried flesh. From the shroud-coveredpalanquin issued a voice that Gronek heard but once before: This is the firstportion of what is owed you. Is Gronethe Mangubats pleased?

Is more to follow? replied the wabewilderedly.

Draw back the curtains of my paquin, said the concealed speaker.

Gronek ordered his varlets to the lbut they stood paralyzed in awe. Invokall the power of his gods, Gronek desced from his chair and himself tore awayfluttering shroud cloth. The sight he re-vealed struck Gronek like a blow to thechest. Within sat not the Black Hand,one whom the warchief knew well.

The dark and corrupted features neks dead brother Whynaucht regarhim hatefully. Brother, rasped Whynaucht, you are my murderer and a tupon my chair. May your name be cufor an eternity before your people andgods you misserve!

Gronek howled and plunged intowoods, never to return. The Goblins salived out his days in madness, runningnaked along the forest paths and eatmoss like a beast.

Afterwards, the Black Hand resuhis seclusion in the Shards of Lor. But had hoped that his punishment of Grwould force outsiders to respect his the necromancer miscalculated. Men heard the Goblins story denigratedpower of the Black Hand while exagating his wealth in gems and gold. Adturers lusting for his horde trespassedpeatedly upon the Shards of Lor, eialone, in small bands or in strong brigangs. Few of such types returned aer still brought back any material rewar

An often-repeated legend from Basrecounts the adventure of the warrior-mAshera and her band of bravos. They vtured into the Shards of Lor seekingwizards gold, undaunted by the zomsentinels they encountered and dispatcwith enchanted blades. In the brown twthey sighted the ruinous stronghold ofZards on the grim, piled scraps. Wifires flickered weirdly behind its longbrasure.

Ashera led her band up an avalanfallen blocks and peered into the tothrough an unpatched gap in the anci

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ves with vengeance, but a thunderous se-ies of crashes among the trees interruptedheir executions.

There loomed in the starlit sky the rudeutlines of a giant. Its flared nose was like aill planted in the center of a broad field; itsyes were overhung by lids the size of cur-ains. Its flesh was as blue as a long-deadadaver and the stench of it sickened thenlookers below. The Goblins broke anded, but the monster paid them no heed;

with a ponderous turn, it stumbled off inursuit of the main body of barbarians. Everfterwards the Goblins considered the

woods where the Colussus first made itsppearance bad luck; general usagehanged the areas name to the Cursedorest.

Since the Great Barbarian War theBlack Hand has intermittently interruptedis experiments with periods of military acti-ity. Cynics say that the necromancer isess interested in the goings-on of Minarianolitics than in the opportunity to practiceis death magic upon thousands of corpseswithout too much offending his mundaneeighbors.Today we know little more about thelack Hand than did the Dwarves when

hey first saw him, more than two centuriesgo. By his silence he announces he hasothing to teach the mundane world; by hisctions he proves he is interested in noving thing of it.

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masonry. The spectacle they beheld re-mained beyond their comprehension forlong minutes: The whole ground floor of thetower had been hollowed out to make achamber of awesome vastness. The demo-lition had been a superhuman task forwhich the necromancer must have enlistedthe aid of legions of demons and familiars.Thick black vapors wormed their way out ofa cauldron that was nothing less than thewhole of the subterranean dungeon of thestronghold, filled with a noxious recipe thevolume of which would have overflowed alake bed. All about the rim of the cauldronwrithed the necromancers nightmare crea-tions, while the hollow of the vault swamwith flapping creatures, resembling batsand birds of prey, but being in fact sorcer-ous creations not of the natural world.

As they watched, the adventurerslearned the incredible, soul-searing secretof the unimaginably monstrous and blas-phemous project of the Black Hand. As theywatched, the dark mists above the lake ofbrew twisted together like hibernating ser-pents and took on a kind of quasi-solidity.Before their stupefied gaze, a demon ofhorrifying size and features took shape.One of the intruders shook off his stupor towail in terror and throw himself to his deathon the mountainside below. The creaturesbelow turned laboriously toward the direc-tion of the shout, and Ashera knew they hadbeen discovered. She shouted for her com-panions to follow as she clambered downthe mound of rubble. As the yells of thehindmost echoed in her ears, Ashera sawthe flash of wings and toppled into uncon-sciousness as a cudgel clanked upon herhelm.At length Ashera awoke. She found her-self in a luxurious room and wearing notarmor, but gorgeous silken raiments. Theair tingled with the scent of flowers andaromatic food; upon a table a sumptuousmeal and bouquet waited for her. Risingwith alarm from her couch, Asherasearched the room for an exit but foundnone. Suddenly she sensed herself beingwatched and turned to face a mirror builtinto the tapestried wall.

The glass cast back not her own reflec-tion, but that of a young gentleman in acloak and jaunty hat. Who are you? shedemanded.I am the lord of this castle, the imagereplied. He explained that his servants hadfound her unconscious in the forest andbrought her hither. She was welcome tostay as long as she desired.

I do not desire to stay anywhere whereI am a prisoner! she answered irascibly.

Nonetheless, you must remain, theyoung man said plaintively, and faded fromthe glass. Angered by being abandonedbefore she had had all of her say, Asheragrasped a chair and shattered the mirrorinto a thousand pieces.

Instantly the room changed. The tapes-

tries and furnishing vanished, leaving

rough, algae-caked stone and a fewbenches of unfinished wood. The daintymeal upon the silver trays became cuttingsof fungus and roots on wooden platters.Ashekas gown faded away to be replacedby a tattered shroud. The sweet air fled,replaced by the heavy stench of mildew anddecay.

Behind the shattered mirror was re-vealed a corridor, down which Asheraraced. Somehow she managed to descendan outer wall and escape into the forest. Fordays she fled across wet and cold woodsand hills, meeting an occasional woods-

An artifact alleged to befrom the Tower of Zards

mans family or adventurer to whom shetold her story. But always, upon stopping torest, she would hear the shout of her name,Ashera!", by a hoarse voice that vaguelyresembled that of the man in the mirror.

Then, as Ashera fled along the pathlessdepths of Shadow Wood, wolves attackedand devoured her. The Black Hand arrivedat the site of her death too late to save her;in grief, he placed a dreadful curse on thewolves of Shadow Wood. He laid the baneof intelligence upon them. Robbed of theirinnocence, the wolves henceforth knew

good from evil and anguished over evils22

Vol. V, No

continual triumphs. They understoodlogic of gain and fought fierce wars foterial possessions. Worse, they realithey were mortal and the awareness of and death drained their days of their fopeace and beauty. Of the truth of this end we can offer no documentary proothe wolves of Shadow Wood do not estwriting. One must either accept theirtradition or call it mythology.The Black Hands behavior chanmarkedly after Asheras death. He enan occasional mortal into his domain tas his liaison with the outside world. Blong, most of the kings of Minaria renized the advantages of maintaining relations with a necromancer so powe

Afterwards, on irregular occasionsBlack Hand would accept alliance witor another of the Minarian monarchssewed them well with his hosts of zomand skeletons and flying carrion famwhich could appear in numbers so vasttheir approach could block out the sunfill enemy hearts with terror.In the last decade of the thirteenth tury the Great Chief Sagaradu Black mer led the northern barbarians in a wconquest against Goblin Land. Minobands swept the flanks and entered Shards of Lor. They approached the tobut were routed by the mere appearanthe gigantic Guardian demon that Ashad seen being conjured decades befWhen it suited his purpose, the Black sent his hordes against their encampmThe necromancer tested his newest by opening the portal to the ghost wand let the yowling souls of the damcareen through the undisciplined mThe panicked warriors fled north annot trouble the residents of the ShardLor for many years to come.

Shortly afterwards, an ambassadorived from Goblin Land. The Goblin stood on the brink of being overwheThey had finally ended their intertribalrels and elected a single warchief foZorn, Ockwig, who called himself thdar. But his embassies had been rebuthroughout the Goblin-hating northZorns last hope was to beg the allianthe mysterious Black Hand.

As the weeks passed and the Goambassadors brought back no good neOckwig drew up his last credible armmeet the barbarians in Stone Toad Foand exhorted his troops to begin the DSong. It was better, Ockwig thought, toseek death against an enemys speato take flight and live in disgraceful exithe Goblins were sharpening their bagainst their oil stones, a clamor arosehind the barbarian watchfires. Suddenlbarbarian invaders began to shout warcry, but a wild chorus of fear. Fromof the night forest the barbarians ccharging, throwing aside their weaponsfrenzy while trying to escape some un-

known terror. The Goblins fell upon

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Gaund are reptilian creatures thatscramble about on all fours, rising totheir hind legs only in mating, combat,and to survey their surroundings. Whenso erect, they use their tails for balance.Their skin is scaled and leathery, grey-green in color. Being omnivorous, Gaundhusband food carefully, often maintain-ing breeding colonies of lesser animalsto ensure themselves of a plentiful sup-ply. Communicating in a language ofsinging clicks and hollow whistlingsounds, Gaund lair in groups of up totwenty in dry, fiery caverns. They arerarely found in cool climates, or aboveground.

In combat, Gaund leap about con-stantly, hurling themselves at and upontargets and using their tails as rams orwhips (for 1-8 points of damage). Theyare fearless, and the death of a fellow willoften drive them to fight with greaterferocity. Unless pinned down or caughtfrom behind, Gaund do not use their rearclaws in battle. (The powerful kicks theywill employ in such special situations do3-12 points of damage.)

The most feared attack of the Gaund isthe ray or gaze effect of its central eye.This orb, protected by a bony hood(which narrows the field of vision so thatthe Gaund must aim its head to employthe gaze), produces a magical Heat Metal effect within a range of 3.

Gaund suffer no damage from heat,steam (even that of a Dragon Turtle) ornormal fire. Magical fire attacks do lessdamage to them (-2 on all dice) than is

FREQUENCY: Rare NO. APPEARING: 1-20 ARMOR CLASS: 6 MOVE: 15 HIT DICE: 4+4 % IN LAIR: 30% TREASURE TYPE: Q (x4)NO. OF ATTACKS: 4

Created by Ed Greenwood

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4/1-4/1-6/1-8 SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard INTELLIGENCE: Average ALIGNMENT: Neutral SIZE: M PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

the norm. Gaund avoid water although itdoes them no harm, and are markedlysusceptible to cold-based attacks (+2 onall dice).

The excellent 7 infravision, hearing,and sensitivity to vibrations of Gaundpreclude their being effectively blindedby smoke or vapors (even that producedby spells such as Pyrotechnics and Cloud- kill, and by creatures such as the Night-mare). They are also rarely (1 on a d6)surprised.

Gaund are hermaphroditic. Mating rit-uals have been observed to include anupright, shuffling head-to-head dance.The skin of the pregnant specimensturns fiery orange. After a gestationperiod of 4 months, an egg is produced.Gaund eggs have leathery shells and arecovered in a clear, spicy-odored, jelly-like slime that is a fire retardant. Theslime is contained in an organ located inthe underbelly, and will not corrode orotherwise damage other materials whichmay be used to contain it. It and all acids

will neutralize each other, and it wilspoil potions and perfumes it is mixedwith. It is poisonous (Type A) if ingested,but harmless upon skin contact. Smearedon a cloak or other flammable item, it willgive upon first exposure only a +4 bonusto saving throws vs. fire, +3 vs. magicalfire and fireball. Gaund eggs are guardedferociously, and will hatch in 3-12 days.Immature Gaund are small in size, hav-ing 2+4 hit dice, and lack the power toHeat Metal with their gaze. They maturein 3-6 months.

Gaund teeth are both hard and dur-able. They are often fashioned into dag-gers which dull easily but (unlike ivorydo not readily split or shatter. The tails ofGaund are highly valued for the rich,succulent meat found therein, whichdoes not readily spoil.

Gaund hoard gems and pretty stonesof all sorts, and have been known totrade these for food to parties too strongfor them to overcome.

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by Roger E. Moore

Some years ago a movie was madeentitled The Valley of Gwangi, in which agroup of cowboys stumble across a lostvalley in the American Southwest popu-lated by prehistoric dinosaurs and mam-mals. In the course of an imprompturodeo, the cowboys encounter the un-crowned king of the valley: a great Tyran-nosaurus Rex known as Gwangi. Therest of the film is reminiscent of King Kong, with the capture of Gwangi, theattempt to exhibit him commercially, hisescape and final destruction. Did themovie have to end this way? Maybe not.

The following scenario is freely adap-ted from the movie, and was designed tofit in with an ongoing Boot Hill cam-paign if desired, or as a one-eveningadventure unconnected with the regulargoings-on. It should provide some livelyentertainment for the players (and forthe BH gamemaster as well; the look onthe players faces when he describes thefigure towering over their characters willbe something to treasure until the refe-ree is old and grey.) Rather than creatinga Lost Valley and the characteristics ofthe hordes of other beasts therein, analternative method of getting Gwangiinto play is given.

The ScenarioIt is spring in El Dorado County. For

two weeks thunderstorms have lashed atthe countryside; flash floods and land-slides are reported in the hills and moun-tains around Promise City. As the weath-er subsides (the worst gully-washer inforty-odd years, say the old-timers)rumors of a great devil-beast are heardby traders doing business with someIndians in the mountains. The monsterwas supposedly released by the powersbeyond during the height of the stormsfury, and now roams the hills at will.

Some of the Indians believe that thebeast, which they call The Avenger, wassent to destroy the white man and returnthe land to its original occupants. OtherIndians, including most of the ones claim-ing to have seen the beast, regard thecreature as evil and potentially hostile toall men.

These rumors are heard in the barsand taverns of Promise City, but areusually told with great derision and ob-vious amusement or contempt. Soldiersfrom Fort Griffin regard the rumors as apossible prelude to a general Indianuprising, believing the story to be the

vision of a medicine man.

As time progresses, ranchers near themountains discover the tracks of someunknown creature, unlike any tracksever seen before. Many people regardthem as a hoax, though the ranchersfinding the tracks swear they arent.Some reports of missing cattle are madeknown in the same area. Finally, a lonerider enters town, obviously panickedand having ridden hard for most of theday, and tells a tale of having met a hugereptilian beast in the mountains thatattacked his party. He doesnt knowwhat has happened to his friends, whorode off into a canyon to escape thecreature.

When a posse is organized and goesinto the area, the men discover thebodies of two of the missing men, par-tially devoured, and their mounts. Giant,three-toed tracks cover the area andlead away from the site, but the trail islost as it enters rockier ground. Thebodies of the men and animals show themarks of teeth larger than anythingknown, and the members of the possebelieve it is impossible for this to havebeen the work of Indians or any otherhumans. The town marshal posts a re-ward of $50,000 for the killing or captureof the monstrous predator.

Referees InformationThe thunderstorms caused a land-

slide, opening a natural cavern in themountains. Through an unusual combi-nation of geological circumstances, aTyrannosaur was trapped in that cavernmillions of years ago and preserved alivebut in hibernation; the rain waters washedaway the surrounding rock cover andawakened the slumbering giant. It isnow roaming about the country in searchof food, and relishes the new diet ofhorses, cows, and humans it finds in therough terrain. It has no established lair,but wanders freely in a fifty-mile radius

around the place it emerged from. Itfears nothing. Unless cut short by act ofman or God, it has a life expectancy ofanother 50 years.

Some basic information on the Tyran-nosaurus Rex will be helpful in runningthe adventure. The creature, by the bestpaleontological figuring available today,weighed eight tons in life, stood twentyfeet high and had an overall length offorty to fifty feet. It moved with a wad-dling gait, using its tail to counterbal-ance its head and chest as it moved. Itwas fairly fast-moving, despite the ap-parent clumsiness of its motion.

While Tyrannosaurs existed, some six-28

ty million years ago and more, they wereat the top of the ecological food chain

and preyed on any and all creaturesacross the American West and Asia.Their jaws were four feet long and jam-med with four- to six-inch-long teeth.Tyrannosaurs had thick hides and wereprobably dark in color (black, grey, orreddish). Their forelimbs were uselessas weapons and served only to helpthem get up from the ground after resting.

One of the books listed in this articlesbibliography (The Day of the Dinosaur)discusses some of the finer aspects ofdinosaur hunting, supposing that suchwas possible to the modern sportsman,and tells about shooting Tyrannosaurs

in particular. It aint easy, pard. First ofall, it is difficult to say what the bestplace is to shoot at. A Tyrannosaur has avery tiny brain (though with highly deve-loped reflexes and senses), and headshots are not necessarily fatal. The hea