Old School: Mining White Dwarf 2

Things are starting to get moving! Still not lots, but definitely a few items of interest to an old school fan in this issue.

First up is the second part of Fred Hemmings' Competitive D&D essay. In this he describes an excellent set-up for an old school competitive dungeon.  The PCs (pre-rolled characters, two per player) are all members of the same family, brought together for the reading of the will of a deceased patriarch, an adventurer of renown.  Each gets two basic magic treasures but are told that the real inheritance is hidden in a dungeon.  Nothing wrong with that!  Interestingly, the players were (it seems) given a list of tasks that would gain them points in the competition, but this was done in the form of cryptic clues.  Thus, visiting Mars (and living!) would gain them a measly 5 points.  This refers to standing on a painting of Mars in a room the floor of which was decorated with a depiction of the solar system.  The list of objectives is itself very evocative of old school tomfoolery.

Next up is a taste of things to come - a one page review of Asgard miniatures.  One of them, the Old Wizard, who looks more like an orthodox priest, still makes regular appearances in my campaigns as a Grey Sage.  To think he cost but 12p (around 20c) in 1977!  I'm also reminded of Asgard's giant dwarves, which were seemingly 3" shorter than humans on average...

Lengthy Lew Puslipher review of The Green Planet series or games (sigh), so let's move on, past the almost useless description of the famous Midgard play-by mail campaign, pausing only to observe Pulsipher's review of first edition Tunnels & Trolls, which he decries as silly (and therefore possibly appealing to the British!), and part 2 of the Monstermark system, until we get to Treasure Chest.  Now this is something.

There's a new magic item, the Needle of Incalculable Power, which essentially does whatever its user thinks it might do, but at a high cost - 5 prime requisite characteristic points, for a month. Heavy, but lovable. There's the Scientist character class, which contains some good jokes, but is notable mainly for being the creation of SF writer/reviewer Dave Langford.  Then comes the meat - five excellent new monsters, the Spinescale, the Dune Stalker, the Ning, the Giant Caterpillar and the Blood Hawk, all of which saw some use in my dungeons.  I love this, for instance, in the description of the least interesting monster, the Giant Caterpillar:

They are often hunted as their skins are highly sought-after, especially by Hill People, for manufacture of ceremonial dancing costumes.  Prices of up to 200GPs per skin are often paid.

Then we finish off with part 2 of the ridicualously complicated "what's wrong with D&D and what I'm doing about it," notable only for "grudge points," seemingly an early version of Hero Points.

Someone has archived White Dwarf 2 as a PDF here.

The World's First One-Page Dungeon?

I love the one-page dungeon concept.  Some of the entries in this year's competition were nothing less than inspired, and a few of them show up, suitably converted, in my Gloranthan sandbox, although none of them have yet been discovered, sadly.  Even the new megadungeon Stonehell was developed using them (note to self: buy Stonehell in book form!).

It was only after the contest, however, that I realized I'd seen it before, after a fashion.  Back when you used to send off a few pennies to Games Workshop for their latest price list or a sample copy of Owl & Weasel, you used also to get a two-page flyer that briefly described the new wonder that was Dungeons & Dragons, taken from the venerable Games & Puzzles magazine.  This flyer also contained a one-page dungeon, the Dungeon of the Ground Goblins, a remarkably simple yet evocative first dungeon level.  Elements of its architecture showed up in my own dungeons for years afterwards.

The page is probably unreadable in the jpeg on this post, so here it is in legible form for download.

Old School: Mining White Dwarf I

Those who only know White Dwarf magazine as a glorified miniatures catalog may be surprised to know that for its first 100 issues (or so) it was probably the best general RPG magazine anywhere, ever.  It never failed to be filled with useful, well-written material about virtually every popular (and quite a few unpopular) RPGs during the late 70s and early 80s.  The first issue I ever saw was Issue 4, but I didn't get round to buying the postal order I needed for a sample copy until Issue 6.  This was lucky, as if my parents had seen the cover to Issue 5 my fledgling hobby would probably have been strangled in the, err, nest.  In any event, I soon got all the back issues and subscribed.

Given that WD's glory years were the glory years of old school roleplaying, I thought it might be interesting to go through the early magazines' contents and see what there is useful to highlight and/or resurrect for the old school movement.  And there'll be Runequest material in here too!

Glorantha Background: The Ibex People

Note: I needed a "dead" people for a character background, preferably one that had the Lunars to blame for its extinction.  I thought to myself: who lives in the Eiritha Hills of Prax?  Not finding an answer immediately available in my Gloranthan sources, here was the result.

The Ibex People are named for the beasts they ride, giant Ibexes, or mountain goats.  Because of the nature of the beasts, the Ibex people range around hills or mountains far more than other beast nomads.  The Giant Ibexes are not quite as big as a Sable or High Llama but are formidable mounts, given their massive horns.  It is common, as with other nomads, for particularly impressive horns to be preserved as helmet ornaments or used as the basis for magical enchantments.

The Ibex People are (or were) divided into two clans: the Great Ibex and the Lesser Ibex.  The Great Ibex live in the Great Wastes, primarily around the Tunneled Hills and Plateau of Statues, although occasionally they range as far as the Iron Forts.  Because of the nature of their range, the males of the Ibex People venerate Storm Bull especially.  The Lesser Ibex inhabited the Eiritha Hills, and the Ginmuz Mountains especially.  It is not clear from the myths whether the Lesser Ibex were an offshoot of the Great Ibex or vice versa.  Each chieftain possesses a “Godhorn” that summons the Founder, who is reticent on the issue (it rarely comes up in conversation).

A Tip of the Hat to Popehat

Thanks to Patrick and the guys at Popehat for recommending my new venture!  As for Traveller, yes, I'm sure there'll be the odd reference here and there.

Runequest Campaign: The Borderlands

When we left our heroes, they were arranging for an auction of the priceless Bonesung Armor they had retrieved from the Big Rubble.  Let's just say the auction didn't go as planned.  Rather than selling it to a friendly cult, the players found themselves caught in a bidding war between Sor-Eel the Short, Count of Prax, Lunar Governor of New Pavis, and Duke Raus of Rone, Lunar Governor of the god-forsaken Grantlands in the Zola Fel valley to the south of Pavis.  Eventually, Duke Raus won out and the PCs found themselves the target of Sor-Eel's redirected anger.  The PCs were also somewhat miffed to discover that Duke Raus' winning bid was guaranteed but not yet actually manifest in cash.  The Issaries priesthood said they would hold on to the armor pending delivery of the cash.  Also part of the deal was a grant of land, the settlement known as Rabbit Hat.

The Governor's mood was not improved when a Moon Boat hove in to view on the horizon soon afterwards.  Rumors spread throughout the city that Sor-Eel had been replaced as Governor and the boat contained his replacement.  That night, the PCs dined at Gimpy's, where Krogar introduced them to Griselda and Wolfhead, and after a few tense moments between Xaraya and Griselda, the latter pronounced the party as worthy.  As the PCs left the tavern, however, they were set upon by three savage Sable Rider nomads, seemingly directed by a fourth, unseen assailant.  Unarmored, the party took some severe wounds while dispatching their attackers, and they stumbled back in to Gimpy's for healing.  Krogar and his friends provided it, while Wolfhead went out to examine the bodies.  They discovered notes implicating Lunar intelligence and GimGim the Grim.

The Barrow: A Runequest Cameo

Note: I ran this encounter under RQIII rules.  Obviously the changes to spirit combat under MRQ rules will make it a little different, but it should still work.

While walking through farmland, the players are approached by a young girl, around 11 years old.  She is looking for a Humakti warrior.  Sample dialog, “Sir, are you a Humakti warrior?  We need one.  There is an Undead menace causing my family woe.  An evil ghost is haunting my grandfather’s barrow.  My father says if a Humakti warrior defeats the ghost, it will leave us.”

As the girl leads them towards the barrow she will explain that her grandfather was a Sword of Humakt and that her grandmother was very beautiful.  However, an evil companion of her grandfather’s desired her.  Spurned, he left the cult and joined the cult of Zorak Zoran, the troll god of hate and war.  He killed the grandfather and accidentally killed the grandmother while beserk.  After their burial he killed himself outside the barrow, but his hate kept his ghost in the area.  He continues to haunt the area, and has been getting worse and worse, now making the fields barren and drying up the cows’ milk.