White Dwarf Reflections #30 | EN World D&D & Tabletop RPG Information & Critiques

A really unusual dragonlike creature feasts on floating land jellyfish on a barren alien panorama. That is doable the weirdest creature for a canopy, having 4 dragonlike wings, an virtually insectoid physique and the pinnacle of a cat. There may additionally be a tentacle in there someplace too. The artist is Nicolas Bibby, and it’s his first White Dwarf cowl however he’ll do one other two earlier than concern 40. Nick continues to be working at present however has shifted types and is now a world famend sculptor. He received a number of determine portray awards in his youth and moved into sculpture quickly afterwards as a profession. He’s now most well-known for all kinds of animal and hen sculptures that are famend for his or her advantageous element.

• Androids in Traveller (Roger E. Moore): This text provides background and character creation choices for android characters in Traveller. Right here they’re particularly natural constructs made for hardiness however not intelligence, reasonably than human showing robots. So there could also be arguments on the letters web page over definitions. However it’s a really stable Traveller addition, if one missing an actual motive to decide on an android character past their talent choice.
• The Apocrypha in response to St Andre (Ken St Andre): Ken St Andre, creator of Stormbringer and Tunnels & Trolls shares his design story creating T&T, the way it’s developed, and the way stunned he was at its success.
• The Curse of the Wildland (Phil Masters): It is a actually good journey and certainly one of my favourites to date. Dangerous and unseasonal climate has harm the harvest a village depends on. The village elders ask the PCs to seek out out of there’s a curse plaguing their crops and discover a solution to finish it. The background is stable, the clues make sense and the gamers have plenty of choices for the place to go.
• Designing a Quasi-Medieval Society Half 2 (Paul Vernon): This second half, of a two half collection, goes into the upper degree economic system that the retailers are a part of; versus the sincere working peasants. It’s plenty of element and tables the GM would possibly often simply decide from reasonably than roll up and monitor. However like its predecessor it’s a stable and helpful element on constructing a extra plausible background on your fantasy societies.
• Griselda will get her man (Oliver Dickinson): One other piece of quick Runequest fiction, a comply with up on the earlier “Fortunate Eddie” the place Griselda takes on just a few Trollkin.

• Character Conjuring: No character conjuring this concern. We could be seeing the quiet demise of this column given the brand new ones and that we’ve not seen too many new lessons just lately versus new species.
• Letters: A combined put up bag this concern, largely D&D-related. One reader factors out the hole between guidelines and actuality by way of expertise and development. A for much longer lesson talks about alignment (once more) though I’m unsure it provides a lot to the controversy other than “you’re doing it unsuitable”. Lastly there’s a vote towards a pc column, saying not sufficient individuals have one to make it price taking area from gaming materials. The editor replies {that a} ballot will settle the matter and asks individuals to write down in and vote.
• Information: The stories from the Midguardian are many and diversified this concern. GDW has extra Traveller adventures on the best way. An exploration of a plague-ridden new world within the Double Journey The Chamex Plague/Horde, and Journey 7 Broadsword. TSR is releasing GM screens for each Boot Hill and Gamma World. Chaosium is providing three video games in a single with Worlds of Marvel, a boxed set with three settings for the BRP system (Futureworld, Superworld and Magicworld). Of those, Superworld will see a fuller launch afterward. Yaquinto strikes into RPGs with two video games: Males, Fantasy and Magic and Pirates and Plunder. The pirate recreation is what you’d count on, and whereas M,M&M is a swords and sorcery recreation is it one primarily based in a extra historic as a substitute of fantasy background (though C&S would possibly declare the primary semi-historical RPG title). There are extra figures popping out in fact, and a be aware Dragonmeet will lengthen its hours into the night this yr (July). Lastly, Treasure Entice, a “dwell roleplaying expertise” has opened its doorways. Probably the primary of its kind, there can be a report subsequent concern when Ian Livingstone goes to attempt it out.
• Runerites: This concern we achieve a brand new column for Runequest followers (serving them in the identical approach Starbase takes care of the Traveller folks). This opening article seems to be at unarmed fight in Runequest, which is less complicated on this system than many others! Primarily it introduces new weapon expertise (punch, kick and throw). However it additionally provides just a few tweaks and adjustments for unarmed assaults towards armour and many others.
• Starbase: Bob McWilliams solutions that age outdated query “the place do you get your concepts from?” with a take a look at good sources for journey concepts for Traveller.
• Treasure Chest: It’s a fast collection of spell this concern (6 in whole) with a combination protecting most lessons. We’ve: Resist Electrical energy (Cleric), Know Period (Cleric), Disguise Portal (MU), Chameleon (MU), Leafskin (Druid), Huorn (Druid). Of those I feel Know Period is probably the most attention-grabbing, although the extent is way too excessive (3).

No mini-adventure this week, however the theme is “monsters that pair with different monsters” which is a really attention-grabbing thought:

• Minidrag (D Parrington): A much less engaging pseudo dragon kind of creature who might be gained as a pet underneath the appropriate circumstances. Their major use being that with a extremely developed empathy they’re glorious at warning of ambushes or shock assaults
• Muryan (Roger E. Moore): This species of clever ants are very attention-grabbing, however don’t actually match the theme. So it’s a bit odd they’re one of many higher ones on this choice!
• Sprite Knight (Phil Masters): A kind of “how have we not had stats for this earlier than” creatures. A reasonably closely constructed (however nonetheless tiny) Sprite, who has determined to turn out to be a knight, donned armour product of bark and brought on a canine or boar or the like as their trusty steed.
• Stirge Demon (Ivo Smith): A demonic creature with a magical necklace that summons and management’s Stirges. Extra a magic merchandise than a monster however an attention-grabbing thought.
• Vampire Wolf (Coacula) A second “how have we not seen stats for this?” creature, a vampire/ghoul wolf that serves a vampire grasp with growling loyalty.
• Weresnake (Cas Liber) As you’d think about, an individual that may flip right into a snake, however a pleasant shock as a part of a lair of big snakes.

This month’s critiques are: