RPGNow

2
© 2003 Minion Development
Downloader|Monthly Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS Another month, another Nuts and Bolts article. This time, we focus on Politically Incorrect Games
Nuts & Bolts of 3 EABA, that’s BTRC’s rich and cinematic, open supplement system. Lots of [www.pigames.net]
EABA cool stuff there! Our feature review is ‘Invasion of Monster Island’, a
Robert D. Taylor supplement for the monster-bashing ‘Monster Island’. Review Central is a Politically Incorrect Games
Feature Review: 8 bit sparse this month, but just wait until you see the vendor submissions.
Invasion of Monster Island publishes affordable and
Speaking of features, this month we interviewed Michael Hopcroft of
A Interview with… 10 entertaining roleplaying games
Seraphim Games. Let’s see what he’s up to these days and what he’s got
Michael Hopcroft including Shady Gulch,
planned.
Review Central 14 Unbidden, Two-Fisted Tales, and
James Kosub Chris Johanson talks about all the changes going on in the world of d20 the free Active Exploits Diceless
d20 Multiverse 18 in his latest d20 Mulitverse article. Following that, Phil Reed has provided a Roleplaying system and Impresa
Changes free look at what Burning Spellbooks are and how they work. Don’t miss Express.
Chris Johanson
that—one of the coolest ideas I’ve ever seen! Next, we find a full write-up
Preview 21 for an antique pistol with stats for d20, Actionthriller, Fudge, and Action!
Burning Spellbooks
System—brought to you by Alternate Realities Publications, the publisher
Philip J. Reed
behind the Big Bang Guide to Firearms series.
Repetierpistole 23 Cover Image
Big Bang series
Finally, we get some interesting reading in an excerpt from Sweet by Chris Martinez
Alternate Realities Publications
Chariot, a spin-off, self-contained roleplaying game based on Flying Mice’s [www.artwanted.com/art/arashi]
Preview 27
original Star Cluster RPG. I think I saw Star Cluster go Print-on-Demand just
Sweet Chariot
Flying Mice LLC the other day too. Check it out! RPGNow Heavy Metal logo
RPGNow Top10 Charts 32 by V. Shane
And here’s a programming note: Game Universe (located in Greenfield,
near Milwaukee, WI) is having a grand opening party on November 15- [www.vshane.com]
16th with FREE door prizes ever 30 minutes; FREE dice with every purchase;
and a FREE raffle! Guests include Gary Gygax, Jim Ward, and Clyde ADVERTISEMENT
Caldwell, with demos from Fast Forward Entertainment, Black Orc Games,
Coming Soon!
and RPG Objects. For more info, visit www.Game-Universe.com or call 414-
CREDITS
427-8800.
Editor in Chief Editing
Brett Bernstein
Design/Layout
Anna Dobritt
Joe Mucchiello
Brett M. Bernste in
Editor in Chief
Brett Bernstein Cover Artist
editor@rpgnow.com Simplified and Expanded
Chris Martinez
RPGNow
3
© 2003 Minion Development
Downloader|Monthly Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com

Nuts & Bolts of

EABA
This column examines the various OGLs and Non-open gaming licenses that are available in the RPG
Written by Robert D. Taylor
market. With publishers creating trademark licenses, open gaming licenses and non-open gaming
[www.celestius-ex.com/]
licenses, it will become confusing for the players to grasp what the publishers and third party publishers
are doing with all of the systems. This column will focus each month on a different game license. While the products will be given a
brief overview and description, the primary focus of each product will be how it utilized the system’s mechanics and if they added any
new rules. This will tell gamers what type of mechanics the ebook offers so that they can use them in their own games. Also, the
games will be judged on how well the game uses the mechanics as well as how the mechanics work for the game.

EABA is a universal system that can handle
almost any genre. There are vehicle rules for the
modern and science fiction setting. There are
power rules for the fantasy and superhero genres.
Also, the skills and traits can accommodate almost
any type of game as well as plenty of examples of
gear. A gaming group should have no problem in
finding a game to use with the main rule book.
In itself, the main book is almost entirely
character creation, rules and game mastering
advice. In character creation, a character is
composed of the common groups, which are
attributes, skills and traits. With a certain number
of points, the character can be designed to match
almost any idea. Once the characters are made,
the rules for playing the game are simple until you
reach combat. To attempt an action, the player
needs to add their skill and attribute that gives
them a total number of levels. The number of d6s
use a curved probability model, because the
character does not roll a number of d6 equal to
the total levels. Instead, the dice progression goes
as follows:
(continued..)
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
1 level 1d6
2 levels 1d6+1
3 levels 1d6+2
4 levels 2d6
5 levels 2d6+1
6 levels 2d6+2
7 levels 3d6
Once the total number of levels are
known, the player rolls this many dice to
beat a difficulty number. This system is
used all the way through the game. While
combat uses the same dice system, it relies
on a hex grid and miniatures. Also, there
are two combat systems provided. One is
general while the other is much more
detailed. Either one should fit a gaming
group’s style of play. Finally, the game
master section gives general advice and
methods that a game master might find
useful. Also, there is a section on the
various sections of human evolution that
may be useful for game design. While all of
this provides for a great game and many
possibilities, there is one section that is
done in a rather creative way.
The powers section is done quite
different than many other rpgs on the
market. Most rpgs that have powers list
them using generic, common or unusual
names. Instead, the system uses a much
different naming convention. For example,
the powers are named as “Non-Lethal
Damage”, “Area is a Cone”, “Creates Living
Items”, “Works on Self Only”, and many
more to choose from. With each power
costing a certain amount of points, the
player needs to come up with an idea and
then assemble the various powers to
create the desired effect. This gives a great
amount of versatility especially with each
power having options to alter it and its
point cost.
Overall, the game has a lot of versatility
with a great amount of detail. Most
players should find EABA very useful for
almost anything they do. Also, the game
has good support in most genres that the
players could adapt to any game.
One of the
many cool
optional covers
for EABA.
4
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
The Colonies
by BTRC & Politically
Incorrect Games
The Colonies is a science fiction game
based in Earth’s Solar System. During the
early 21st century, humanity began to
colonize the moons and planets within the
system. Besides Earth, there were five
colonies established. During this time,
aliens contacted humanity on Earth and
tricked them. By the mid 21st century, the
aliens controlled Earth and its populace.
Now in the later 21st century, it’s up to the
colonies to wage war against these aliens
and try to free Earth. To aid the cause, this
setting supplement has added several new
items to the EABA system.
To achieve the execution of the setting,
new detail was added to character creation
as well as new technology. The character
creation is the same except for one part.
The player must choose which colony they
come from. Each colony has a several
charts that the player must roll on to
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
determine the character’s background and
experience while in that particular colony.
This helps players understand the effect
that the colony would have on their
characters. Next, the supplement adds new
technology to EABA. This includes
Nanotech, Biotech, Genetech, and several
others. There are rules for using this kind
of technology as well as their associated
effects. For example, Genetech can give
muscle enhancement and Biotech gives
optical implants. These are just two
examples of the many enhancements and
add-ons the characters can equip. Finally,
new weapons, armor and vehicles are
given for the setting.
NeoTerra
by BTRC
This setting is very different than what is
out there on the market today. It could be
classified as a cyberpunk setting. The
setting takes place in the far future of
humanity. The machine known as “The
Net” has taken over. However, it believes in
serving humanity. It gives humanity almost
5
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
everything they could want. A person no
matter what they do is given a spacious
apartment, all the food they could eat, all
types of electronic entertainment, and
many more possibilities. The Net has
created a utopia for human kind. Now,
humans must make something of
themselves in this utopia so that their
genes and menes may be sent as baby
embryos aboard colony ships that travel to
distant worlds. By the way, menes are
ideas and principles of humanity. For
instance, the Catholic Church spreads
menes throughout humanity. For the most
part, there are no laws in place and
vengeance can be had on anyone. The Net
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
does not allow people to disrupt its
services, and the masses don’t want the
services disrupted. The players must work
various jobs to improve themselves and
maybe reach this pinnacle of their ideas
and genes being spread across the galaxy.
However, not everything is as it seems, and
players may find the truth and hopefully
live.
The supplement provides a couple new
things to the EABA rules set. First, the
technology level is quite a bit more
advanced. So, there are several new
futuristic items that the characters can
select. The lists include a bunch of new
weapons and cool gadgets. Another
interesting item is the addition of
Archetypes. During character creation, the
players should follow the EABA rules for
making characters, but they have to
choose an archetype. This helps the players
define the character’s place within the
setting. Finally, they have added new
organizations. While this may not be too
remarkable from a mechanics point of
view, the game master could pull some of
these into their own games. However,
most of the mechanics and ideas could be
pulled out of the setting just as easily as
other parts of other games could be added
to NeoTerra.
Road to
Armageddon
by Phalanx Games
Design
This is a supplement set in the near
future when the world goes to war. Huge
alliances are forming as nations try to
survive. It becomes much worse when the
various nations began to use nuclear
weapons. The game should start after the
nuclear weapons had been fired. With
equipment running low, the war becomes
much more difficult for all sides. However,
this is not the end of the story. The setting
moves forward where the characters are
mysteriously transported to the 27th
century where they face the ultimate evil.
The setting has added something to
character creation, but its biggest
contribution is its equipment list. First, the
setting adds backgrounds to the character
creation part. Once the player has used up
all his points of character creation, he or
she should choose a background. These
backgrounds add skills and attribute
adjustments to the characters. Then, the
6
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
character should be able to play in this
setting. The next and most amazing part is
the list of equipment. There are stats for
almost every type of military weapon used
in the last hundred years as well as
information on various vehicles. The list
has so much, almost overwhelming, detail
about military information that players and
game masters should have a
comprehensive list for any modern,
military game. Finally, several major
characters are listed for the setting. This
game should have plenty of information to
use with the setting as well as porting it to
any modern militaristic game using the
EABA rules.
Editor’s Notes:
• Road to Armageddon was written by
veteran game designer, Phillip McGregor.
His writing credits include Rigger Black
Book 1 for Shadowrun and the original
Space Opera roleplaying game.
• There are three products—one for players,
one for gamemasters, and a combo pack.
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
Timelords
by BTRC
Timelords is about time traveling. The
background is that an ancient alien
civilization discovered a way to manipulate
time with devices known as Matrices. The
matrices rely on the discontinuities in the
time-space continuum. For those players
that want a more detailed explanation
with physics, there’s an entire chapter
dedicated to it with some plausible ideas.
As for the rest of the story, the aliens give
part of this technology to a human named
Lucifer. During this time, the aliens also
make a new life form. However, their
Frankenstein turned on them, destroying
their civilization. It calls itself the Great
Destroyer. This creature destroys Lucifer’s
family and he seeks revenge on the
creature. They partially succeed, but they
now face each other. Most of the time, the
players accidentally end up with a matrix
by accident. Then, they must run from
other timelords who are hunting them.
The biggest contribution this book has is
the mechanics of time travel. The setting
details them well with plenty of
information. Also, the game master is
given quite a bit of advice on managing
time travel games. This includes types of
games the game master could use. Finally,
the only other thing the game has is the a
little different character creation. Instead
of using points, there are tests that the
players must choose to determine their
character’s attributes and skills. While this
is not a long overview, the game has plenty
of information and meat for anyone
wanting to play through time. This kind of
game uses EABA’s flexibility very well.
Ythrek
by BTRC
In a great cataclysm, the seas rose to
cover the world of Ythrek. After they
returned to normal, the few survivors built
new cultures and cities. Ythrek is a fantasy
7
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
setting with a lot of magic. While just one
part of the world is detailed, there are
plenty of opportunities for players to
explore new areas and discover new
creatures and treasures. As it is packed
with a lot of information, it has one major
addition to the mechanics.
Ythrek is a fantasy world with magic.
While the players can only choose the
various types of humans, anyone can learn
magic. The magic system is merely an
extension of the powers system in EABA.
However, there is a huge list of spells that
will provide a lot of quick information for
the game master and player. Also, it will
help them to design new spells. Besides
that, there is not a lot of mechanics
addition to the setting. EABA seems to
have most of the equipment already listed
in it. On the other hand, it provides a good
fantasy setting where legends have yet to
walk.
RPGNow
8
© 2003 Minion Development
Downloader|Monthly Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com

Feature Review: Contributed by GameWyrd

[www.gamewyrd.com]

Invasion of Monster Island Gamewyrd is a roleplaying site

with reviews, interactive fiction,
by Firefly Games
forums, and much more. The
A Review by GameWyrd SCORE: 8 site is a fantastic resource for
adventure gamers.
paged PDF is currently only US$5 and well-worth
Be enraged. the price, especially if you’ve enjoyed messing
around on the floor or kitchen table with “looks
Be very engaged.
like Godzilla but due to international copyright
Invasion of Monster laws isn’t” figures before. It’s a good looking
Island is a supplement PDF too, the contents page makes good use of
for the smash hit internal hyperlinks to let you jump straight to
Monster Island. By the section you’re interested in, there aren’t any Scores range from 1 to 10, 1
“smash hit” I mean bookmarks but this is the sort of document being the worst and 10 the
Godzilla’s foot through you’ll print out. best.
your ceiling smash hit.
If you succumb to the lure of Invasion of
The series, also supported by Escape from
Monster Island then you could well be using
Monster Island, is one that turns your household
your household crockery to simulate flying
toys or paper figures into infamous kaiju
saucers or perhaps cutting out circles of
creations. Giant monsters, giant robots and
cardboard if you want to get a better scale to ADVERTISEMENT
hopelessly persistent human armies have all the plastic dinosaur toy you’re using for your
previously featured in the series and now we can kaiju. If you consider the amount of quotes from
enjoy messing around with the mind- “Plan 9 from Outer Space” which pepper the
controlling, teleporting, shape-shifting Delok PDF, the crockery approach shouldn’t be
aliens! unexpected. The special effects in the giant
Invasion of Monster Island is refreshing light- monster (kaiju) movies are notorious for being,
hearted and yet it’s safely professional. The 30- well, dreadful. This just makes game play easier.
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
Invasion of Monster Island introduces
Space as an environment to fight in. We
don’t need to worry about complex three-
dimensional movement, knockback or
inertia. Why? The giant monster movies
didn’t bother with them either. We don’t
have to worry whether monsters that
could breathe cones of fire on land can do
so in space because, that’s right, the
monster movies didn’t stress those details
either. It just takes a few observations-
cum-rules to get the action going and
we’ve a nice new environment to mess
about in. Bonus.
The bulk of Invasion of Monster Island
provides rules and stats for the Delok fleet.
The large mother ships and dangerous
attack craft are more than a match for the
puny but stalwart Earth forces. The Deloks
are just as likely to be eaten (literally) by
giant monsters though. Since the Delok
army units are more powerful they tend to
cost more points and so building a large
and impossible invasion fleet would be
impossible. There’s a simple solution to
this problem. If you’re not just having a
straight out Monster Island slugging
match then it’s possible to play the game
with objectives in mind. The bigger and
more important the objective, the more
points you get for it. The game is over
when one side has achieved a suitable
percentage of their objectives. Give the
Delok fleet more objectives, make it harder
for them to win, and you can then allow
them to spend more points. The rules offer
the game balance required.
The brave defenders of Earth aren’t
neglected by this supplement. It’s made
clear which of the established units can
enter space - like the flying tank. There are
brand new units - like the assault shuttle
and zero-g troopers too.
Right! If you’re anything like me you’ll be
pushing the humans and shape-changing
aliens to the side and making a beeline (a
giant bee from space!) for the monsters.
And relax. There’s plenty of monster
goodness here. New powers. Expanded
powers. Did I mention new powers?
The new power which binds all three
sides together; mankind, Delok and Kaiju is
“Allied”. An alliance doesn’t increase the
number of monsters in play, it simply
allows controlling players to consult and
plot together. It also reduces the chances
of mind controlling aliens getting your
own giant monster to attack something
you’d rather leave alone. Ah. Strategy!
9
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
There’s a lot squeezed into these 30
pages. Invasion of Monster Island includes
numerous ready to play scenarios with pre-
planned objectives. I’m not a fan of pre-
written scenarios in traditional roleplaying
games but these ready to rumble scenarios
in a game like Monster Island just increase
the pick up and play ability of the game.
The supplement comes to a close with a
few more sample monsters and an
extended filmography. Oh, there are blank
record sheets too.
Invasion of Monster Island represents
excellent fun and an inexpensive
investment. It’s just the sort of thing you
can play if friends visit, the Xbox explodes
and someone demands you entertain
them. Monster Island is also the sort of
game you can play more seriously and run
an on-going campaign; perhaps a battle
for the solar system.
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
An Interview with…
Michael Hopcrof t
by GameWyrd
HeartQuest is a Shoujo Manga RPG. In other
words, it’s an RPG influenced by and
designed to run in the Manga comic style
especially targeted at young teenage girls.
What inspired you to write and
publish HeartQuest? You could
write the game as a labour of love
but does that include seeing it
published too?
It actually began as a labor of love—I
and other people writing a Shoujo game.
Eventually we decided our efforts should
be published and I started my company to
do it. It was a long process and there were
a lot of growing pains. Then the reviews of
the first edition came out and I questioned
the wisdom of my decision. But people are
still buying it, and the line is expanding, so
it turned out OK.
The game’s been converted into
Politically Incorrect Games’ Active
Exploits system and d20. The
original game used the Fuzion
RPG system. Why the
conversions?
That’s not quite correct. There has never
been a Fuzion HeartQuest. The original
design used FUDGE, a completely different
system that was chosen because of its
extreme flexibility and the ease with which
it could be licensed. I don’t think Fuzion
would be a good fit for HeartQuest. The
conversion of AE Diceless was done
because it occurred to me that this would
be an ideal way to manage online play. You
see, many people have told me that they
would find it embarrassing to play certain
types of roles live but have no trouble in an
internet setting. Diceless saves them the
10
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
www.gamewyrd.com
trouble of rolling dice to resolve actions
and then proving they really made the die
rolls they claimed they did. Doing an OGL
version started as a purely business
decision—a lot of people were playing d20
and we wanted to see if we could tap into
that market. That game proved so much
trouble to design, however, that I ended
up licensing it out to Battlefield Press.
What percentage of HeartQuest’s
players do you think are likely to
be teenage girls? Does it even
matter to you?
It does matter, as I want to bring these
people into the hobby. A lot of teenage
girls play online Shoujo RPGs that don’t
use actual rules to resolve actions. My
hope was that HeartQuest could help fill
that void. I don’t hear back from enough
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
people to tell me if it worked. I hope there
are girls and women playing the game.
But, as they say, "on the Internet nobody
knows you’re a dog".
What do you think the anti-RPG
lobby would make of HeartQuest?
Is a game that addresses issues
like teenage sex comparable to
one of the typical fantasy games
that sees alignment as a black
and white issue?
I’ve never encountered the anti-RPG
lobby—I guess I’ve slipped under their
radar. The discussion of things like sex is
rooted more in the Japanese culture and
the culture of the source material than
anything else. I suppose those who think
an anime series like Card Captor Sakura
would be inappropriate for American
audiences would find causes for objection
in HeartQuest. But then again I have causes
of objection with their arguments. By no
means do I feel I am encouraging
teenagers to be sexually active, though.
Actions have consequences, especially in
this game and in this genre.
For many people roleplaying is
about escapism. Do you think
HeartQuest provides the same
sort of escapism as other RPGs
do?
I think of it not so much as escapism as
exploration, as "What would I do in this
situation?" it’s a sort of escapism, I guess,
because most Americans would never find
themselves in some of the situations
HeartQuest characters confront. On the
other hand, many of the themes in
HeartQuest are universal and have indeed
happened to many of the players. For
them, it might be a chance to see what
they could have done differently. It is
escapism, but not as pure a form of
escapism as, say, a standard superhero
game where you can bench-press
battleships and morality is pretty close to
black-and-white.
Let’s imagine a scenario where a
middle-aged man enjoyed playing
HeartQuest, playing a teenage girl
with teenage girlfriends, so much
that he wouldn’t play any other
RPG. Do you see a problem there?
Only if he were misusing the
opportunity. By that I mean using the
opportunity to roleplay a teenage girl as a
11
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
pretext to do things like lure real teenage
girls to him. That would, if it actually
happened, case me a lot of problems. As
long as he makes it clear to his fellow
players that "My PC is a teenage girl, but
I’m really a middle-aged man—I have a
wife and teenage daughter of my own and
I protect them and as long as nobody tries
anything on all sides everything will be
fine", then there’s no problem. I’m a
middle-aged man myself, although I
usually GM.
In HeartQuest you point out that
the game is about friendship and
loyalty. Do you think other RPGs
could do with similarly wholesome
morals?
Most definitely. I had a very interesting
experience along those lines. I converted to
the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day
Saints during the design process for
HeartQuest—two completely independent
events. I enjoy the company of
missionaries—the young men who leave
their homes for two years to work to bring
people into the Church in places far distant
from their homes. Once a team of
missionaries that was visiting me got a
look at two RPGs; mine and WotC’s D20
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
modern rules. They were much happier
with mine, because the heavy emphasis in
D20 modern is on the sort of bloody
violence that Mormons avoid. In most
roleplaying games, player characters can
slaughter the innocent and guilty alike
without fear of moral consequences. Some
would call this escapism, but it indicates to
me that perhaps the player himself has
been desensitized to violence and to the
value of human life. That thug your PC just
wasted for no reason may have had a wife
and kids back home, who are now without
a husband and father. Too few RPGs place
an emphasis on the values that make us
whole human beings, and it’s sad, much
like it’s sad to see so many movies and TV
shows indulge in pointless violence and sex
for the purpose of titillation rather than
driving the story.
What sort of support from the
industry have you had? Do you get
offers from authors willing and
wanting to write supplements?
I get a surprising number of authors
approaching me even though I can only
pay very small amounts. I don’t know what
it is about the game that appeals to
them—maybe it’s the manga/anime
underpinnings, the opportunities for
storytelling and characterization, or simply
the fact that I’m open to new writers and
new ideas. That said, many of these writers
have a difficult time making their
deadlines, which truly frustrates me.
Do you think gamers are unwilling
to move away from dungeons and
dwarfs? Why’s that?
The same inertia that makes people
unwilling to switch away from their
favorite TV show to watch the potential
new classic that’s playing opposite it. The
same inertia that makes people want to go
to see sequels rather than innovative new
films. The same inertia that causes most
people to continue to view animation as
kid stuff, and gets upset when an
animated film deals with serious or adult
issues and themes. People develop
prejudices over years in the hobby that
they don’t want to break. These prejudices
make some companies a lot of money, so
they don’t want to challenge them. D&D
3.5 was, in a sense, a lost opportunity to
ease people away from the paradigm of
"open the door, kill the monster, get the
treasure, move on to the next door" and
into real roleplaying and storytelling.
12
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
Do you think gamers are unwilling
to try niche games like
HeartQuest? Why’s that?
I think a lot of gamers are afraid to buy a
game only to find they can’t convince
anyone to play it with them. I think a lot of
people are afraid to explore certain things
that a game like HeartQuest forces them to
confront. I think a lot of gamers don’t
want to be challenged anymore and want
the familiar. But for those who do try the
niche games, the rewards are enormous.
That’s the thought that keeps me going.
After three rule editions and
publication in both PDF and paper
aren’t you tired of HeartQuest yet?
Tempted to write another RPG?
No, I’m not tired of HeartQuest. I read
the book cover to cover about four to five
times a month, for pleasure. It’s something
I’ve done, and I’ll always be proud of it.
But of course I write other games—or
rather, get ideas for new games and help
other people bring them to fruition.
Seraphim Guard has four or five new
games already on our schedule for 2004,
which I could go on at great length about
if you had the patience. Most of them are
anime/manga based, but I will
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
contemplate many ideas. So while I’m
always finding something new and
intriguing in HeartQuest, I also have all
these other ideas I’m brimming with that I
am continually asking people to help me
with—and to my astonishment they’re
doing just that. Your question is like asking
an author whether he writes a new novel
because he is tired of his old ones. New
games are the lifeblood of a company—
they’re what bring in both the creative
energy and the money to operate and
publish. The businessman in me knows
that I need new product as often as I can
get it.
Is there anything in the RPG
industry that you find especially
interesting or exciting at the
minute?
There are some of my competitors who
are always doing things that get me
excited. I wouldn’t call myself good friends
with Mark MacKinnon of Guardians of
ADVERTISEMENTS
13
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
Order, but I am fascinated by his product
line and we are often able to talk frankly
on many issues related to business. The
resurgence of the Hero System has excited
me. I’m glad there are finally major game
conventions on the West Coast. The
independent publishing movement and
the growing PDF market are very exciting
developments and open up for publication
innumerable new and exciting ideas. If you
have an open mind, these are great times
to be a gamer.
RPGNow
14
© 2003 Minion Development
Downloader|Monthly Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com

Review Central Reviews by James Kosub

Visit James’ roleplaying web-log at:

You’ll find some new releases, recent hot picks, and venerable gems here. There’s no http://www.thecreativeguy.com
rhyme or reason—just a wide array of reviews which we think will entice you or help
you make up your mind about those products of which you have been unsure. You can If you would like your [RPGNow carried]
click on each product’s title to take you directly to its RPGNow page so you can get product to be reviewed by James in future
more information and make the purchase. Let’s get started… issues, please contact editor@rpgnow.com.

Anger of
Angels
by Malhavoc
Press
For reasons that pass understanding, the
inclusion of angels and demons in D&D has
been something of a controversy for quite
a while. Apparently concerned that
someone somewhere might be offended
by the inclusion of “real” entities of this
sort, demons vanished from the hoariest of
all roleplaying systems, only to return in
the latest iteration. Angels also appear in
the MONSTER MANUAL, though they are
given the euphemistic name “celestials.”
Whatever the reasons for all this, Malhavoc
Press has decided to cut the BS and give us
angels called angels in their latest release,
ANGER OF ANGELS.
After the inappropriately humorous IN
NOMINE from Steve Jackson games and
the unidentifiable Goth-lite mush of
DEMON: THE FALLEN from White Wolf,
Sean K. Reynolds’s work on ANGER OF
ANGELS is refreshingly straightforward.
Though the 130-page PDF provides for
various campaign approaches, its primary
thrust is a divine war between the loyal
angels and their fallen brethren. From
angels of fire to the classic humanoid with
feathery wings, all the various aspects of
angels are addressed, given a quasi-Biblical
back story and allowed to get on with it.
Because this is a Malhavoc Press release,
ANGER OF ANGELS does not skimp on the
rules. Malhavoc founder Monte Cook is
among the handful of true rules
aficionados the d20 world has, and Sean K.
Reynolds is part of Cook’s circle. As a
result, though ANGER OF ANGELS has its
share of “fluff,” it’s all rock-hard crunch
underneath. Eleven basic angelic races are
detailed, and rules provided for variants on
these. Stats are provided for noteworthy
angels like Gabriel and Michael, and there
are a slew of new feats, angel-specific
prestige classes and the proverbial much,
much more. While some PDF publishers
teeter on the edge between value for
money and a waste of cash, Malhavoc
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
products are clearly a worthwhile
investment from any standpoint.
Like pretty much all of Malhavoc’s PDF
releases, ANGER OF ANGELS is only the
electronic version of a print product due
for publication down the line.
Consequently it looks great, but isn’t really
designed for most efficient display on a
computer screen. As the included read-me
file states, ANGER OF ANGELS takes a lot of
printer oomph to turn out, thanks to
frequent illustrations and various sidebar
and header graphics. One does wish
Malhavoc would take the time to make
available truly screen- and printer-friendly
versions of their products.
Reservations about the format aside,
ANGER OF ANGELS is a fantastic
sourcebook by any standard. There’s
enough material in this PDF’s pages to
keep a campaign going for months, if not
years. PCs can range from angels to
nephilim to humans caught in the divine
crossfire, even to souls reforming in
Heaven or suffering torment in Hell. DMs
and players alike will find themselves
spoiled for choice once they dive into
ANGER OF ANGELS’ rich content. Some will
doubtless wonder, once they see how
many new and intriguing roleplaying
possibilities open up with the book, what
the big deal is about gaming with angels
and demons as PCs or NPCs; no one likes to
be offended, and there’s a chance to
address powerful issues that might
otherwise have been left untouched.
Campaign
Planner
by Ronin Arts
Any experienced GM will tell you that the
task of orchestrating a single session, let
alone a campaign, is hard work. Just
handling the number crunching for NPCs,
particularly at high levels, in a d20 game
can bring on an aneurysm, and that’s
before any creative or other rulesí issues
are brought into play. That expressed,
Philip Reed and Mystic Eye Games want to
make game management just a little bit
easier and have given us CAMPAIGN
PLANNER.
15
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
CAMPAIGN PLANNER is a 35-page PDF of
forms useful for organizing a d20
campaign from top to bottom. While it’s
not a necessary product by any means, it
could be invaluable to the GM in desperate
need of a little structure when bring his or
her game together.
For one, CAMPAIGN PLANNER asks
questions that many GMs never think to
ask before embarking on campaign design.
CAMPAIGN PLANNER’s forms inquire
whether a game utilizing a published
campaign setting intends to use the
established metaplot, for example, and
provides space for the GM to make notes
on specific adjustments to the setting in
general. Space is given over for house
rules, these broken down into particular
areas of effect, and for alteration (or
exclusion) of D&D’s basic races and classes.
There’s even more to that aspect of
CAMPAIGN PLANNER, and by the time a
GM works his or her way through
approximately the first ten pages, a very
clear picture of the rules side of a
campaign will have been constructed, at
which point the PDF moves into the story
and setting portions of the game.
Philip Reed’s forms ask questions many
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
GMs never think to answer in their games:
What is a silver piece called? What are the
campaign world’s major holidays? What
are the names of the major shops and
marketplaces the PCs are likely to
encounter? The list goes on. So great is the
amount of detail beggared by CAMPAIGN
PLANNER that there are even sections for
the major geography of the setting to be
mapped out, and population centers
detailed, whether major or minor.
GMs are given sections to make a record
of adventures undertaken, treasures won,
and NPCs that are met. There’s a sheet for
marking down adventure ideas, and even a
place where rumors may be set down and
conveniently check-marked as true or false.
If there’s a piece of campaign information
a GM would want at his or her immediate
disposal, there’s a part of CAMPAIGN
PLANNER that makes room for it.
Granted, there’s nothing that CAMPAIGN
PLANNER can do that an enterprising GM
couldn’t replicate with a pack of loose-leaf
notebook paper. On the other hand,
there’s nothing quite like having a ready-
made framework within which to operate.
And when that framework demands
attention to details that might otherwise
be overlooked, as CAMPAIGN PLANNER
does, it’s valuable in its own right. This is
something organizationally-impaired GMs
will grasp immediately, and of which
they’ll make immediate use.
Hollow World
by WIzards of
the Coast (TSR)
TSR was always a target for industry
criticism. The industry juggernaut that
turned DUNGEONS & DRAGONS into a
synonym for roleplaying was rightly
criticized for its boneheaded business
decisions, and its treatment of the rest of
the roleplaying community as the enemy in
some kind of twisted, scorched-earth
warfare. On the other hand - and this can’t
be denied, even by TSR’s staunchest critics
- the company came out with some really
cool stuff. Case in point: HOLLOW WORLD.
16
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
was the magnet for many roleplayers, but
there was once a sizeable audience for
TSR’s descriptor-less DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS line. This game was really more
of a linked series of boxed games that
began with the “basic” set, moved on to
the “expert” set, and so on. These versions
of D&D shared more in common than they
had differences, but there are still those
who swear that the boxed D&D was better
than its hardbound counterpart. They may
have been right.
DUNGEONS & DUNGEONS (not
ADVANCED) had a setting all its own:
Mystara, AKA The Known World. It was an
extraordinarily detailed world for the
period, with enough information
published in gazetteers and adventures to
keep games going for years, if not
decades. But TSR took the Known World
just a bit farther by delving...inside. The
Known World was hollow, and the first of
several outstanding products was the
appropriately-titled HOLLOW WORLD, a
boxed set now re-released in PDF format.
HOLLOW WORLD is a setting that will
drive players and DMs alike wild with
possibilities. Part LAND OF THE LOST, part
Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Pellucidar, HOLLOW
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
WORLD is crammed with opportunities for
high adventure. The PDF is 264 pages long,
and includes detailed setting information,
dozens of NPCs, full-color maps, and more
downright cool elements than in any three
other campaign settings. HOLLOW WORLD
has it all: yellow-skinned, horsemen orcs,
pirates, tribal lizard men, Roman- and
Egyptian-imperial analogs, dragon-riding
elves...the list goes on and on. And what’s
more is that it all works together.
HOLLOW WORLD is a treasure trove for
d20 gamers willing to put the minimal
amount of work into converting old D&D
stat blocks to Third Edition. Designer
Aaron Allston has pretty much moved on
to the better-paying world of original
fiction, but wrote some terrific roleplaying
material in his day. HOLLOW WORLD is his
masterpiece. The setting takes all the best
elements of the fantastic adventure fiction
of the ‘30s and ‘40s (dinosaurs, savage
men, lost empires) and marries them to the
tropes of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (elves,
dwarves, Vance-style magic). It doesn’t
seem like it ought to make any sense, but
it does.
ADVERTISEMENTS
17
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
Even divorced from the Known World
and run on its own, HOLLOW WORLD is
well worth the investment. Almost any
kind of adventure can be laid in this
setting, and the peculiar, inside-out nature
of the world gives fantasy gaming a
fantastic feel once again. HOLLOW WORLD
is a must-buy.
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
d20 Multiverse
Changes
This month brings winds of change, and
reminds me that it’s been nearly a year
since I first began writing this article for
Downloader Monthly. The actual article
was written about this same time, though
it didn’t see publication in the eZine until
December, so that’s why I’m going to look
back on this past year now. In my first
article, I talked about the vast plethora of
d20 and the safe-harbor atmosphere, and
feeling of community that the d20 license
provided for many of us as publishers. This
came through in a wide variety of products
for customers at RPGNow to really find
something in each and every visit that fit
their needs.
Of course, at the time, I focused on the
most popular kinds of products that were
out at the time. Prestige class books and I
think elf books. It wasn’t long after that
people started saying, “Gee, elves have
been done to death.” or “Gee, prestige
classes have been done to death.” In some
ways, I agree with many people and this is
true. On the other hand, RPGNow receives
new users all the time; users new to
purchasing PDFs, users new to the internet,
users new to 3e and d20. I wonder, are
some of these old products such as Librum
Equitis Compiled, “tired out” now? Is any
prestige class book “done to death”? If,
when those who came to RPGNow last
year found them invaluable, then why
wouldn’t new blood coming to the site
now agree with our early assessments?
Often, sadly, the most “done to death”
product is adventure modules. They were
among the very first products I ever
bought outside of core rulebooks; and
some of the most likely to be remembered
18
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
in my games now. Honestly, though, it’s
been a long time since I saw a “classic”
adventure—a huge dungeon crawl filled
with monsters and traps, a small but
important plot, and plenty of unique and
interesting treasure to go around. Perhaps
this type of gaming has passed, but again
we see new blood coming in and maybe
it’s time to remember what started us
down the trek of gaming. As a DM, I’m
sure many of us feel we’ve progressed
beyond the need for a dungeon crawl
module, such as a classic like “The Keep on
by Chris Johanson
Twin Rose Software
[www.twinrose.net]
Twin Rose Software is a small software and
graphics company.
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
the Borderlands.” But isn’t that exactly the
kind of thing that got us hooked, and
worth running with new players, should
we have them in our game?
d20 itself has changed so much in this
past year since what it was. We have clear
and concise rules for modern play,
including firearms, which have lead to a
new breed of second-generation
campaigns. Great products that were out
under the original d20 SRD, set in post-
medieval times such as Darwin’s World,
Vigilance, and Sidewinder are coming back
revised and revisited using these new rules;
and, I believe, made better. The 3.5 edition
of the core rulebooks is out, giving us
broader scope and better, cleaner rules, in
my opinion. There is more content, less
guesswork, and older products are being
revamped and renewed to be compatible;
in many cases, free for the purchaser.
The license for d20 has changed, too.
There has been a lot of talk of the revision,
and I’ll visit it a little bit here. Before, the
stated aims were to create a compatibility
logo outside of branding that would let
many people say, “This product works with
this core rulebook.” Now, arguably, that
has changed and d20 has become a
“brand” and not just a mark. Some might
say it was always a brand, but these are
the times we live in. Content, not just
presentation can get someone in trouble;
and can have entire product lines
destroyed. A reason, I think, we’ll see more
products that were designed for print
coming to RPGNow, and furthering our
community. Though, hopefully, this is done
responsibly.
All moral issues aside, I hope we don’t
see any more sudden and sweeping
changes to the d20 license. As anyone who
has followed this article this past year can
tell, I’m a strong supporter of d20 and
what it means and what it stands for. My
devotion came under fire recently with
these changes, I’m sad to say. I realized my
favorite safe-harbor might not be so safe
anymore, and it’s troubling to me to think
that some very fine products won’t be
seeing shelves or download at RPGNow.
Whether it’s because of sexual content,
real life religions, or something else, they
may become something other than d20
and that hurts the community I love.
There is another change coming, and this
one is positive. Products that have been on
store shelves for the past couple of years,
since the invention of d20, are starting to
see the end of a long and illustrious run.
19
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
Recently, RPGNow was graced with the
entirety of Bluffside: City on the Edge from
Thunderhead Games (and later, Mystic Eye
Games). I can’t say enough good things
about this product; truly, it’s one of my
favorites, and this city found its way
straight into my campaign world with very
little modification.
I’m happy to see products like this. They
get harder and harder to find in retail
stores as they reach the end of their ‘cycle’,
which I guess is a bit of an oxymoron. If
you can’t find it, how can you buy it? If
you can’t buy it, of course it doesn’t sell!
But I digress. It is important to me to know
that when someone asks me about
Bluffside because I am discussing it in a
chatroom, or in this article, or among
those who play in my games, I can give
them a link to the Bluffside Collection on
RPGNow, and know that the person I have
turned onto this product can go and get it.
Not only did they put out this great city
book, but included some adventures right
along with it; I feel like I should have
waited until it came to RPGNow before
buying it, in all honesty.
Now, since I’ve started, I’m going to do
what this article is about; using PDF
products in your game. Bluffside is a city
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
independent of any campaign world that
you can ‘drop in’ anywhere. There are
suggestions and guidelines within the
book on ways you can do it, suggested
histories, and ways to work them into your
own world. Essentially, it was a ruined city
that was ‘refounded’, and since many of us
run campaigns with ancient cultures that
have vanished, whether purchased or
designed, this is usually an easy step to do.
There are many sub-quarters to Bluffside,
each of which could be placed in another
city in a world if you wished, or left
standalone. This is the strength of the
product, and a strength of d20. Countless
inns, shops, beggar’s dens and more are all
lined out - even a single inn could be used
in your world. With this product being in
PDF now, it’s even easier; If I want to use
the eccentric weapon shopkeeper in my
current campaign set in Waterdeep, I can
with very little difficulty. Of course, for me,
the Bluffside experience is best taken as a
whole. The city fits into my world easily,
and since I have other supporting products
I can be sure my players will have a blast. I
haven’t seen it yet, but I understand that
“The Deep”, the new underwater
campaign from Mystic Eye Games, takes
20
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
place in Crater Bay near Bluffside. I love it readers, experience in gaming but I may
when cross-designed products add value draw on my own experiences these past
to each other. couple of years as well.
Feel free to email me if you have any
Finishing Thoughts…
thoughts on this monthís article, and
Well, some may see me as rambling
would like to hear more about any of the
today, but in a way this was by design. I
subjects I touched on this month. I can be
felt while writing a bit like the old man
reached at: twinrose@twinrose.net
sitting in front of the inn telling stories
about the good ol’ days. I wanted to look Enjoy your gaming!
back over this past year, and think about
the things that I felt were strong, and the
things I felt weren’t. And then I wanted to
finish out by discussing a product dear to
my heart, one I’m so glad has found its
way to the ‘shelves’ at RPGNow - I hope
those of you reading this will agree.
Next month will be another special
anniversary for me. Campaign Suite, the
first product I ever released, was released
at RPGNow for its first release in December
of 2001. Since then, I’ve made
appearances at GenCon, met countless
publishers, and was nominated for an
ENnie award. And, I was asked to write this
article, which is something I’m very proud
of. I will try to avoid looking back on
myself, and focus on gaming and how d20
and RPGNow can enhance you, the
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
Forbidden Arcana:
Burning Spellbooks
Preview
What is Forbidden Arcana?
Forbidden Arcana is the name of a new
series of PDFs. The first release in the
series, Eaters of the Arcane, is a free PDF
available now. Each Forbidden Arcana PDF
presents a new arcane secret that is
designed to add some wonder back into
your campaign. Other Forbidden Arcana
PDFs in the works include Deformimancy
and rules for abandoned magic items.
Open Content
All of the text in this preview is
designated as open game content. The
graphics, artwork, and layout of the
preview are not open and this preview may
not be distributed in its current form.
Sequence and Timing of Burning
Spellbooks
Setting a book on fire requires a full-
round action. At this time the GM checks
for a special effect and, if necessary, rolls
1d4 to determine how many rounds it will
be before the effect takes place. Players
should never roll to determine whether or
not a book emits a special effect, when
that effect will occur, or what the effect is.
If multiple books are set ablaze at once
the GM will need to determine the effects,
if any, of each one separately.
Necromancy
Necromancy spells manipulate the power
of death. Spells involving undead creatures
make up a large part of this school.
21
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
by Philip J. Reed
[www.philipjreed.com]
There is a 10% chance that any spellbook
will release special effects when burned. If
the fire used is magical in nature the
chance jumps to 20%.
A spellbook is considered to be
necromantic in nature if 50% or more of
the spells (by spell levels) in the book are
necromancy spells.
Find the highest level of necromantic
spell in the spellbook. If the spell is levels
one through three the book is considered a
low level spellbook. If the spell is levels
four through six the book is considered a
mid level spellbook. If the spell is level
seven through nine the book is considered
to be a high level spellbook. Follow the
below effects for the appropriate level of
the spellbook.
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly
Low Level Spells (1-3)
Roll 1d6 and consult the following list.
1 All characters and creatures within 10
ft. of the book are hit by a negative
energy ray. The ray inflicts 1d4 points
of damage.
2 The burning book sinks into the
ground, forming an empty grave.
Anyone who climbs into the grave is
instantly killed (power word: kill).
3 One random target within 10 ft. of the
burning book is forever unable to
touch water with his bare skin without
that water turning black and
poisonous (ingested poison, 2d6
damage/1 Con).
4 One random target within 10 ft. of the
book becomes a magnet for undead
activity. All undead within 5 miles of
his position, for the next week, are
instantly drawn toward him (and
attack him) If the character continues
moving new undead enter this
affected area.
5 One random target within 30 ft. of the
book gains a hunger for flesh of his
own race. For every day that he does
not consume such flesh his
Constitution is temporarily reduced by
3 points. This hunger for flesh remains
for 2d6 days.
6 A 20 ft. area surrounding the book is
permanently charged with negative
energy. The effects of any necromancy
spells cast in this area are treated as if
the caster were two levels higher than
he actually is.
Mid Level Spells (4-6)
Roll 1d6 and consult the following list.
1 Any undead creatures within 20 ft. of
the book are immediately destroyed.
2 The book explodes, inflicting all within
20 ft. of it with 3d6 points of damage.
A Reflex save (DC 15) negates the
damage completely.
3 All characters and creatures within 50
ft. suffer the effects of enervation as if
cast by a 20th level spellcaster.
4 One random target within 10 ft. of the
book is inflicted with eyebite as if cast
by a 20th level spellcaster.
5 Roll twice on the high level universal
table (see p. 00).
6 One random target within 10 ft. of the
burning book gains the ability to cast
touch of fatigue once per day, as a full-
round action, as if he were a 10th level
spellcaster.
22
© 2003 Minion Development
Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com
High Level Spells (7-9)
Roll 1d6 and consult the following list.
1 One random target within 10 ft. of the
burning book gains the ability to cast
animate dead once per day, as a full-
round action, as if he was a 20th level
spellcaster.
2 Roll twice on the low level necromancy
table.
3 For the next six hours, all spells cast
within 30 ft. of the burned book are
charged with negative energy,
inflicting 1d4 points of negative
energy damage to any targets affected
by the cast spells.
4 One random target within 10 ft. of the
burning book gains a permanent +2
enhancement bonus when resisting
the effect of any necromancy spell.
5 All dead bodies within 200 ft. of the
book are immediately animated as if
affected by the animate dead spell.
They are uncontrolled and will attack
the nearest living character or creature.
6 One random target within 50 ft. of the
burning book gains the ability to cast
finger of death, as a 20th level
spellcaster, once per day as a free
action.
 C"K2C%2[%%2

7KH5RWK6WH\U5HSHWLHUSLVWROH 0RGHOO LVD

:HDSRQ 5HSHWLHUSLVWROH0
JXQZLWKDELW RIP\VWHULRXVKLVWRU\ DQRGGVLWXDWLRQIRUD
0DQXIDFWXUHU :DIIHQIDEULN6WH\U <HDU 
WXUQRIWKHFHQWXU\(XURSHDQKDQGJXQ,QLWLDOO\WKHZHDSRQ
EHJDQ DV WKH 7KHRGRURYLF 5HSHWLHUSLVWROH D KDQGJXQ 1DWLRQ $XVWULD+XQJDU\
GHVLJQ LQLWLDOO\ DFFUHGLWHG WR :DVD 7KHRGRURYLF WKRXJK &DOLEHU [PP5LPOHVV 0DJV 
PRUH UHFHQWO\ UHFRYHUHG UHFRUGV LQGLFDWH KH PD\ KDYH $FFXUDF\ *URXS 02$
VLPSO\EHHQDIDFWRU\SDWHQWVDJHQWUDWKHUWKDQDILUHDUPV .LOO 3HQ
GHVLJQ HQJLQHHU  7KH RULJLQDO ZHDSRQ DFWXDOO\ GDWHV WR 9HORFLW\ PV (QHUJ\
EHIRUH :HLJKW (PSW\ NJ 52) 66 
7KLV RULJLQDO VHPLDXWRPDWLF SLVWRO ZDV D VLPSOH /RDGHG NJ 0% 
EORZEDFN PHFKDQLVP XVLQJ D URWDWLQJ EROW V\VWHP RI WKH /HQJWK PP %XUVW 
VRUWFRPPRQLQVRPDQ\VHPLDXWRPDWLFZHDSRQVHYHQWR 5DQJH (IIHFWLYH P $XWR 
WKLV GD\ 7KH ZHDSRQ XVHG D IL[HG LQWHUQDO PDJD]LQH WKDW 0D[ &\FOLF 
ZDVORDGHGIURPDFKDUJHU7KHFKDUJHUZDVQRWDFOLSWKDW 1RWHV
VOLG LQWR WKH PDJD]LQH EXW UDWKHU WKH URXQGV KDG WR EH
SXVKHGGRZQRXWRIWKHFKDUJHUDQGLQWRWKHPDJD]LQH2YHUDOOWKH
JXQZDVSULPLWLYHDQGTXLWHFOXPV\FRPSDUHGWRWKHKDQGJXQVRIWKH 7KUHHPRUH\HDUVRI LPSURYHPHQWV IROORZHGDQGLQ
WLPHDQGLPSUHVVHGQRPLOLWDU\EX\HUV WKH $XVWUR+XQJDULDQ PLOLWDU\ ZDV DFWLYHO\ WHVWLQJ WKH ZHDSRQ
%\  WKH ZHDSRQ ZDV UHGHVLJQHG E\ *HRUJ 5RWK DJDLQVW D QHZ PP 0DQQOLFKHU SLVWRO 7KH WKUHH .UQND5RWK
XVLQJ D QHZ EDUUHOORFNLQJ V\VWHP GHYHORSHG E\ .DUHO .UQND DQG SLVWROVILUHGURXQGVRIDPPXQLWLRQZLWKIHZSUREOHPVWKRXJKLW
WKH QHZ SLVWRO ZDV PDNLQJ LPSUHVVLYH VKRZLQJ WR ERWK %ULWDLQ DQG ZDV OHVV DFFXUDWH WKDQ WKH 0DQQOLFKHUV EXW PRUH GXUDEOH $IWHU
$XVWULD+XQJDU\ 7KLV QHZ GHVLJQ ZHQW IURP D EORFN\ VKDSH WR VRPH ILQDO DGMXVWPHQWV WKH 6WH\U5RWK ZDV DGRSWHG DV D
UHO\LQJRQD EDUUHOORFNHGZLWKLQDVOLGHZKLFKWKHQUHFLSURFDWHGLQD UHSODFHPHQWIRUUHYROYHUV WKHQ LQ VHUYLFH ZLWKFDYDOU\ DQG PRXQWHG
FORVHGWXEXODUIUDPHZKLFKJDYHWKHJXQDµZDWHUSLVWRO¶DSSHDUDQFH DUWLOOHU\XQLWV
,WDOVRDGGHGGRXEOHDFWLRQDVDVDIHW\IHDWXUHWRSUHYHQWWKHMDUULQJ 7KH 0 ILUHG DQ PP  JUDP VWHHOMDFNHWHG OHDG FRUH
ULGH RI D FDYDOU\PDQ IURP MROWLQJ WKH JXQ RII LWV VHDU UHVXOWLQJ LQ EXOOHW SURSHOOHG RXW RI WKH PP ULPOHVV VWUDLJKWZDOO FDVH E\
DFFLGHQWDOGLVFKDUJH7KHJXQ¶VYHU\SURPLQHQWFKDUJHUJXLGHVDOVR J RI 0& IODNH QLWURFHOOXORVH SURSHOODQW 7KH ILQLVKHG URXQG
IXQFWLRQ DV WKH ZHDSRQ¶V EDFNVLJKW 7KH JXQ LV ILWWHG ZLWK ZDOQXW ZDVPPORQJDQGZHLJKHGJUDPVZRXOGEHORDGHGLQWRD
JULSV ZLWK D GLDJRQDO JURRYLQJ DQG D ODQ\DUG ORRS ILQLVKHV WKH VKHHW PHWDO FKDUJHUV DQG SDFNHG RQ D VPDOO FDUGERDUG ER[ WRWDO
ERWWRPRIWKHJULS7KHKROGRSHQFDWFKDQGFDUWULGJHUHWDLQLQJODWFK ZHLJKW J DQG WKHVH SDFNDJHG FKDUJHUV ZHUH WKHQ SDFNHG LQ D
DUHVHWRQ WKHOHIWVLGHRIWKHIUDPH 7KHFDUWULGJH UHWDLQLQJ ODWFKLV FDUWULGJHER[KROGLQJDWRWDORIURXQGV
VRPHZKDWV\QRQ\PRXVLQIXQFWLRQWRDPDJD]LQHUHOHDVHUHWUDFWWKH 7KH ZHDSRQV ZHUH PDQXIDFWXUHG E\ gVWHUUHLFKLVFKH
FRFNLQJ PHFKDQLVP DQG SUHVV GRZQ WKH ODWFK DQG DQ\ URXQGV :DIIHQIDEULNV*HVHOOVFKDIW LQ 6WH\U DQG )HJ\YHU pV *HSJ\iU LQ
UHPDLQLQJLQWKHIL[HGLQWHUQDOPDJD]LQHZLOOVLPSO\VSLOORXWWKHWRSRI %XGDSHVW $PPXQLWLRQ ZDV PDQXIDFWXUHG E\ FRXQWOHVV VXSSOLHUV
WKHJXQ7KHXVHRIDIL[HGLQWHUQDOPDJD]LQHLQWKHJULSZDVXQXVXDO 7KH ILUVW  ZHDSRQV GHOLYHUHG E\ 6WH\U KDG D SUREOHPDWLF IODZ
IRUWKHWLPHVLQFHLWVHHPVWKDWWKH$XVWUR+XQJDULDQPLOLWDU\QHYHU WKDW UHVXOWHG LQ WKH GHVLJQ EHLQJ PRGLILHG RQH ILQDO WLPH 7KH
FRQVLGHUHG WKH SRVVLELOLW\ RI LVVXLQJ SUHORDGHG VSDUH PDJD]LQHV LQ PRGLILFDWLRQZDVDGLVFRQQHFWRULQWKHVHDUWRSUHYHQWµGRXEOLQJ¶RU
WKH VDPHIDVKLRQ DVFKDUJHU FOLSV,QVWHDGWKH\ IHOWWKDWGHWDFKDEOH WKH ILULQJ RI PRUH WKDQ RQH VKRW IRU HDFK SXOO RI WKH WULJJHU 7KLV
PDJD]LQHV VKRXOG EH LVVXHG RQH SHU ZHDSRQ DQG WKH\ WKHQ KDG PRGLILFDWLRQ LV YLVLEOH H[WHUQDOO\ DV DQ D[LV SLQ YLVLEOH RQ WKH ULJKW
ZRUULHVWKDW LQ WKH KHDW RI EDWWOHLW ZRXOG EH WRR OLNHO\ WKDW VROGLHUV VLGH RI WKH IUDPH MXVW DERYH WKH JULS 6RPH  JXQV ZHUH
ZRXOGVRPHKRZPDQDJHWRORVHWKHPDJD]LQHDWVRPHSRLQWGXULQJ SURGXFHG LQ 6WH\U EHWZHHQ  DQG  ZKLOH  ZHUH
WKHSURFHVVRIUHORDGLQJLW SURGXFHGLQ%XGDSHVWEHWZHHQDQG'XHWRWKHFRPSOH[
PDQXIDFWXULQJSURFHVVWKHVH
SLVWROVZHUHQRWGXSOLFDWHGE\
DQ\RWKHUFRPSDQ\DQGRQFH
WKH IDFWRULHV VWRSSHG
PDQXIDFWXULQJ WKHP
UHWRROLQJ WR EXLOG WKHVH
ZHDSRQV DJDLQ ZRXOG KDYH
EHHQ WRR H[SHQVLYH 7KHVH
JXQV GLG QRW VHUYH WKH
$XVWUR+XQJDULDQ (PSLUH IRU
YHU\ORQJ6KRUWO\DIWHU:RUOG
:DU2QH EHJDQWKH 0ZDV
UHSODFHG E\ WKH 5HSHWLHU
SLVWROH 0 $IWHU:RUOG :DU
, HQGHG WKH 5HSXEOLF RI
$XVWULD ZDV IRUPHG DQG 0
UHWXUQHG WR VHUYLFH LQ WKH
$XVWULDQ IHGHUDO DUP\ ZKHUH
LW UHPDLQHG LQ RIILFLDO
LQYHQWRU\ XQWLO  7KH
ZHDSRQVXUYLYHGWRHYHQVHH
FRPEDW LQ :RUOG :DU ,, DV D
VLGHDUP XVHG E\ VHFRQGDU\
*HUPDQXQLWV
7KLV KDQGJXQ LV
DOVRNQRZQDVWKH5RWK6WH\U
0 WKH 5HSHWLHUSLVWROH
0 DQG WKH NXN
5HSHWLHUSLVWROH0
C"K2C%2[%%2

&\EHUWKULOOHU
(IIHFW :HLJKW :HLJKW
5DWHRI 5DQJH (PSW\ /RDGHG
:HDSRQ 7\SH $&& &RQ $Y &DOLEHU '0 $PPR )LUH 5HO PHWHUV NJ NJ &RVW
5HSHWLHUSLVWROH0 +1'  - 02 56PP   >66@ 5(    
,I\RXUVLVRQHRIWKHILUVWPDGHLWVXIIHUVIURPGRXEOLQJ:KHQILUHGDOVRUROO'2QDUHVXOWRIWKHJXQGILUHVPRUH'
URXQGVDWWKHWDUJHW7UHDWDVDEXUVW)URPWRWKHJXQFRVWDERXWWRWKHFRVWURVHWRDERXW)RUVHYHUDO
6SHFLDO5XOHV GHFDGHVVWDUWLQJZLWK:RUOG:DU,,WKHJXQ¶VYDOXHGURSSHGDVWKHFROOHFWLEOHILUHDUPVPDUNHWZDVUHSODFHGE\ZDUIDUHDQGPRVWRIWKH
ZHDSRQVZHUHSURFXUHGE\WKH*HUPDQVGULYLQJWKHSULFHGRZQWRDERXW2QO\DIWHUDERXWGLGWKHFROOHFWLELOLW\RIWKLVZHDSRQ
UHWXUQWKHSULFHIRUDXVHGZHDSRQULVLQJWRDQGPRUH

'6\VWHP
'DPDJH 5DQJH 5DWHRI 3XUFKDVH
:HDSRQ 'DPDJH &ULWLFDO 7\SH ,QFUHPHQW )LUH 0DJ 6L]H :HLJKW '& 5HVWULFWLRQ
5HSHWLHUSLVWROH0 G  EDOOLVWLF  6$  0HG  OE RU /LF 
,I\RXUVLVVHULDOQXPEHUWRWKHQWKHZHDSRQZDVQHYHUPRGLILHGWRFRPSHQVDWHIRUWKHSUREOHPRI³GRXEOLQJ´(YHU\
WLPHWKHZHDSRQLVILUHGWKHUHLVDLQFKDQFHWKDWWKHZHDSRQZLOOILUHWZRRUPRUHURXQGV6RZKHQWKHVHHDUO\JXQVDUH
6SHFLDO5XOHV
ILUHGUROOG2QDUHVXOWRIWKHJXQILUHVGRUGURXQGHGXSURXQGVDWWKHWDUJHW3XUFKDVH'&EHWZHHQ
DQG LV%HWZHHQ DQGLWLV)URPWRLWLVDQGIURPRQLWLVRUKLJKHU

)8'*(
:HDSRQ 6KRWV 5DWHRI)LUH 5DQJH $FF\ 'PJ &RVW 1RWHV
5HSHWLHUSLVWROH0  6$ 3RRU 0HGLRFUH  
6SHFLDO5XOHV 3ULFH UHIOHFWV  ,I \RX¶UH EX\LQJ LW DIWHU  WU\ SD\LQJ DERXW  7KH ILUVW  FRSLHV
VXIIHUIURP³GRXEOLQJ´:KHQWKHJXQLVILUHGUROO'I ,IDOOWKUHHGLFHFRPHXSZLWKWKHVDPHUHVXOWWKH
JXQILUHVWZLFHDQGWKHWDUJHWZLOOVXIIHUSRLQWVRIGDPDJHLQVWHDG

$FWLRQ
675 0D[
:HDSRQ 'PJ 7\SH $FF 5PRG 5R) $PP :W &RVW 1RWHV
0LQ 5QJ
5HSHWLHUSLVWROH0 G 3/        
6SHFLDO5XOHV 3ULFH UHIOHFWV  ,I \RX¶UH EX\LQJ DIWHU  WU\ SD\LQJ DERXW  7KH ILUVW  XQLWV PDGH LQ  VXIIHU IURP
³GRXEOLQJ´:KHQILUHGWKH\RFFDVLRQDOO\ILUHPRUHWKDQRQHURXQGZKHQWKHWULJJHULVSXOOHG :KHQILUHGUROOG,IWKHUHVXOWLV
WKHJXQILUHVGEXOOHWV7UHDWDVLIILULQJDEXUVW
 2KMGR3[SHU0[SHU 

,<9$9;5@%IA6C"IA6C
5B8CH<9F:=B9DF=BH
%LJ%DQJ0LQL%DQJ&\EHU7KULOOHU‹DQGŒ'DQD-RUJHQVHQ$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG
$OOZHDSRQLPDJHVWDNHQIURPIRU GLVWULEXWLRQSUHVVUHYLHZDQGSURPRWLRQDOPDWHULDOVSXEOLVKHGE\ZHDSRQVPDQXIDFWXUHUV,PDJHVDUHFRS\ ULJKWWKHLUUHVSHFWLYH
PDQXIDFWXUHUV$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG
2SHQ*DPH/LFHQVHY&RS\ULJKW:L]DUGVRIWKH&RDVW,QF
6\VWHP5HIHUHQFH'RFXPHQW&RS\ULJKW:L]DUGVRIWKH&RDVW,QF$XWKRUV-RQDWKDQ7ZHHW0RQWH&RRN6NLS:LOOLDPVEDVHGRQ RULJLQDOPDWHULDOVE\(*DU\
*\JD[DQG'DYH$UQHVRQ

G6\VWHP
DQGWKH
G6\VWHP
ORJRDUHWUDGHPDUNVRI:L]DUGVRIWKH&RDVW,QFDVXEVLGLDU\RI+DVEUR,QFDQGDUHXVHGDFFRUGLQJWRWKHWHUPVRIWKHG
6\VWHP/LFHQVHYHUVLRQ$FRS\RI WKLV/LFHQVHFDQEHIRXQGDW ZZZZL]DUGVFRPG
G0RGHUQŒLVDWUDGHPDUNRI:L]DUGVRIWKH&RDVW,QFDVXEVLGLDU\RI+DVEUR,QFDQGLVXVHGZLWKSHUPLVVLRQ
:L]DUGVRIWKH&RDVWŠLVDUHJLVWHUHGWUDGHPDU NRI:L]DUGVRIWKH&RDVW,QFDVXEVLGLDU\RI+DVEUR,QFDQGLVXVHGZLWKSHUPLVVLRQ

$FWLRQ6\VWHP
DQGWKH$FWLRQ6\VWHPORJRDUHWUDGHPDUNVRI*ROG5XVK*DPHVDQGDUHXVHGZLWKSHUPLVVLRQ
7KHIROORZLQJPDWHULDOVEDVHGRQ)XGJHHQWLWOHG %LJ%DQJWKH0RVWO\,OOXVWUDWHG53**XLGHWR0RGHUQ:HDSRQV DUHFUHDWHGE\PDGHDYDLODEOHE\DQG&RS\ULJKW‹
E\$OWHUQDWH5HDOLWLHV3XEOLFDWLRQVDQGDUHQRWQHFHVVDULO\HQGRUVHGLQDQ\ZD\E\6WHIIDQ2
6XOOLYDQRUDQ\SXEOLVKHURIRWKHU)XGJHPDWHULDOV 1HLWKHU6WHIIDQ
2
6XOOLYDQQRUDQ\SXEOLVKHURIRWKHU)XGJHPDWHULDOVLVLQDQ\ZD\UHVSRQVLEOHIRUWKHFRQWHQWRIWKHVHPDWHULDOVXQOHVVVSHFLILFDOO\FUHGLWHG2ULJLQDO)XGJHPDWHULDOV
&RS\ULJKW‹E\6WHIIDQ2
6XOOLYDQ$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG

%LJ%DQJWKH0RVWO\,OOXVWUDWHG53**XLGHWR0RGHUQ:HDSRQVLVSURGXFHGDWOHDVWVL[WLPHVSHU\HDUSOXVDQDQQXDOFRPSLODWLRQ,WLVSURGXFHGE\$OWHUQDWH5HDOLWLHV
3XEOLFDWLRQVZLWKRIILFHVORFDWHGDW
$OWHUQDWH5HDOLWLHV3XEOLFDWLRQV
'DUWPRXWK'U

23(1*$0(/,&(16(9HUVLRQD *UDQW DQG &RQVLGHUDWLRQ,QFRQVLGHUDWLRQIRUDJUHHLQJWRXVHWKLV/LFHQVH WKH

&RQWULEXWRUV JUDQW <RX D SHUSHWXDO ZRUOGZLGH UR\DOW\ IUHH QRQH[FOXVLYH OLFHQVH
7KHIROORZLQJWH[WLVWKHSURSHUW\RI:L]DUGVRIWKH&RDVW,QFDQGLV&RS\ULJKW ZLWKWKHH[DFWWHUPVRIWKLV/LFHQVHWR8VHWKH2SHQ*DPH&RQWHQW
:L]DUGVRIWKH&RDVW,QF:L]DUGV$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG 5HSUHVHQWDWLRQRI$XWKRULW\W R&RQWULEXWH,I<RXDUHFRQWULEXWLQJRULJLQDOPDWHULDO
'HILQLWLRQVD&RQWULEXWRU VPHDQVWKHFRS\ULJKWDQGRUWUDGHPDUNRZQHUVZKR DV 2SHQ *DPH &RQWHQW <RX UHSUHVHQW WKDW <RXU &RQWULEXWLRQV DUH <RXU RULJLQDO
KDYHFRQWULEXWHG2SHQ*DPH&RQWHQWE'HULYDWLYH0DWHULDOPHDQVFRS\ULJKWHG FUHDWLRQ DQGRU <RX KDYH VXIILFLHQW ULJKWV WR JUDQW WKH ULJKWV FRQYH\HG E\ WKLV
PDWHULDO LQFOXGLQJ GHULYDWLYH ZRUNV DQG WUDQVODWLRQV LQFOXGLQJ LQWR RWKHU FRPSXWHU /LFHQVH
ODQJXDJHV SRWDWLRQ PRGLILFDWLRQ FRUUHF WLRQ DGGLWLRQ H[WHQVLRQ XSJUDGH 1RWLFHRI/LFHQVH&RS\ULJKW<R XPXVWXSGDWHWKH&23<5,*+7127,&(SRUWLRQ
LPSURYHPHQWFRPSLODWLRQDEULGJPHQWRURWKHUIRUPLQZKLFKDQH[LVWLQJZRUNPD\ RIWKLV/LFHQVHWRLQFOXGHWKHH[DFWWH[WRIWKH&23<5,*+7127,&(RIDQ\2SHQ
EH UHFDVW WUDQVIRUPHG RU DGDSWHG F 'LVWULEXWH PHDQV WR UHSURGXFH OLFHQVH *DPH &RQWHQW <RX DUH FRS\LQJ PRGLI\LQJ RU GLVWULEXWLQJ DQG <RX PXVW DGG WKH
UHQW OHDVH VHOO EURDGFDVW SXEOLFO\ GLVSOD\ WUDQVPLW R U RWKHUZLVH GLVWULEXWH WLWOH WKH FRS\ULJKW GDWH DQG WKH FRS\ULJKW KROGHU
V QDP H WR WKH &23<5,*+7
G2SHQ *DPH &RQWHQW PHDQV WKH JDPH PHFKDQLF DQG LQFOXGHV WKH PHWKRGV
SURFHGXUHVSURFHVVHVDQGURXWLQHVWRWKHH[WHQWVXFKFRQWHQWGRHVQRWHPERG\WKH
3URGXFW,GHQWLW\DQGLVDQHQKDQFHPHQWRYHUWKHSULRUDUWDQGDQ\DGGLWLRQDO FRQWHQW
FOHDUO\LGHQWLILHGDV2SHQ*DPH&RQWHQWE\WKH&RQWULEXWRUDQGPHDQVDQ\ZRUN
FRYHUHGE\WKLV/LFHQVHLQFOXGLQJWUDQVODWLRQVDQGGHULYDWLYHZRUNVXQGHUFRS\ULJKW
127,&(RIDQ\RULJLQDO2SHQ*DPH&RQWHQW\RX'LVWULEXWH
8VHRI3URGXFW,GHQWLW\<RXDJUHHQRWWR8VHDQ\3URGXFW,GHQWLW\LQFOXGLQJDV
DQ LQGLFDWLRQ DV WR FRPSDWLELOLW\ H[FHSW DV H[SUHVVO\ OLFHQVHG LQ DQRWKHU
LQGHSHQGHQW $JUHHPHQ W ZLWK WKH RZQHU RI HDFK HOHPHQW RI WKDW 3URGXFW ,GHQWLW\
<RX DJUHH QRW WR LQGLFDWH FRPSDWLELOLW\ RU FR DGDSWDELOLW\ ZLWK DQ\ 7UDGHPDUN RU
ODZEXWVSHFLILFDOO\H[FOXGHV3URGXFW,GHQWLW\H3URGXFW,GHQWLW\PHDQVSURGXF W
DQGSURGXFWOLQHQDPHVORJRVDQGLGHQWLI\LQJPDUNVLQFOXGLQJWUDGHGUHVVDUWLIDFWV
FUHDWXUHV FKDUDFWHUV VWRULHV VWRU\OLQHV SORWV WKHPDWLF HOHPHQWV GLDORJXH
LQFLGHQWV ODQJXDJH DUWZRUN V\PEROV GHVLJQV GHSLFWLRQV OLNHQHVVHV IRUPDWV
SRVHV FRQFHSWV WKHPHV DQG JUDSKLF SKRWRJUDSKLF DQG RWKHU YLVXDO RU DXGLR
UHSUHVHQWDWLRQV QDPHV DQG GHVFULSWLRQV RI FKDUDFWHUV VSHOOV HQFKDQWPHQWV
SHUVRQDOLWLHV WHDPV SHUVRQDV OLNHQHVVHV DQG VSHFLDO DELOLWLHV SODFHV ORFDWLRQV
HQYLURQPHQWV FUHDWXUHV H TXLSPHQW PDJLFDO RU VXSHUQDWXUDO DELOLWLHV RU HIIHFWV
ORJRV V\PEROV RU JUDSKLF GHVLJQV DQG DQ\ RWKHU WUDGHPDUN RU UHJLVWHUHG
WUDGHPDUNFOHDUO\LGHQWLILHGDV3URGXFWLGHQWLW\E\WKHRZQHURIWKH3URGXFW,GHQWLW\
5HJLVWHUHG 7UDGHPDUN LQFRQMXQFWLRQ ZLWKD ZRUN FRQWDLQLQJ 2SHQ *DPH &RQWHQW
H[FHSWDVH[SUHVVO\OLFHQVHGLQDQRWKHU LQGHSHQGHQW$JUHHPHQWZLWKWKHRZQHURI
VXFK7UDGHPDUNRU5HJLVWHUHG7UDGHPDUN7KHXVHRIDQ\3URGXFW,GHQWLW\LQ2SHQ
*DPH &RQWHQW GRHV QRW FRQVWLWXWH D FKDOOHQJH WR WKH RZQHUVKLS RI WKDW 3URGXFW
,GHQWLW\7KHRZQHURIDQ\3URGXFW,GHQWLW\XVHGLQ2SHQ *DPH&RQWHQWVKDOOUHWDLQ
DOOULJKWVWLWOHDQGLQWHUHVWLQDQGWRWKDW3URGXFW,GHQWLW\
 ,GHQWLILFDWLRQ ,I \RX GLVWULEXWH 2SHQ *DPH &RQWHQW <RX PXVW FOHDUO\ LQGLFDWH
ZKLFKSRUWLRQVRIWKHZRUNWKDW\RXDUHGLVWULEXWLQJDUH2SHQ*DPH&RQWHQW
 8SGDWLQJ WKH /LFHQVH :L]DUGV RU LWV GHVLJQDWHG $JHQWV PD\ SXEOLVK XSGDWHG
YHUVLRQV RI WKLV /LFHQVH <RX PD\ XVH DQ\ DXWKRUL]HG YHUVLRQ RI WKLV /LFHQVH WR
DQGZKLFKVSHFLILFDOO\H[FOXGHVWKH2SH Q*DPH&RQWHQWI7UDGHPDUNPHDQVWKH FRS\PRGLI\DQGGLVWULEXWHDQ\2SHQ*DPH&RQWHQWRULJLQDOO\GLVWULEXWHGXQGHUDQ\
ORJRVQDPHVPDUNVLJQPRWWRGHVLJQVWKDWDUHXVHGE\D&RQWULEXWRUWRLGHQWLI\ YHUVLRQRIWKLV/LFHQVH 
LWVHOI RU LWV SURGXFWV RU WKH DVVRFLDWHG SURGXFWV FRQWULEXWHG WR WKH 2SHQ *DPH &RS\RIWKLV/LFHQVH<RX0867LQFOXGHDFRS\RIWKLV/LFHQVHZLWKHYHU\FRS\
/LFHQVH E\ WKH &RQWULEXWRU J8VH8VHG RU 8V LQJ PHDQV WRXVH 'LVWULEXWH RIWKH2SHQ*DPH&RQWHQW<RX'LVWULEXWH
FRS\ HGLW IRUPDW PRGLI\ WUDQVODWH DQG RWKHUZLVH FUHDWH 'HULYDWLYH 0DWHULDO RI 8VHRI&RQWULEXWRU &UHGLWV <RXPD\ QRWPDUNHW RUDGYHUWLVH WKH 2SHQ*DPH
2SHQ *DPH &RQWHQW K <RX RU <RXU PHDQV WKH OLFHQVHH LQ WHUPV RI WKLV
DJUHHPHQW
 7KH /LFHQVH 7KLV /LFHQVH DSSOLHV WRDQ\ 2SHQ *DPH &RQ WHQW WKDW FRQWDLQVD
QRWLFHLQGLFDWLQJWKDWWKH2SHQ*DPH&RQWHQWPD\RQO\EH8VHGXQGHUDQGLQWHUPV
RIWKLV/LFHQVH<RXPXVWDIIL[VXFKDQRWLFHWRDQ\2SHQ*DPH&RQWHQWWKDW\RX
8VH1RWHUPVPD\EHDGGHGWRRUVXEWUDFWHGIURPWKLV/LFHQVHH[FHSWDVGH VFULEHG
E\ WKH /LFHQVH LWVHOI 1R RWKHU WHUPV RU FRQGLWLRQV PD\ EH DSSOLHG WR DQ\ 2SHQ
*DPH&RQWHQWGLVWULEXWHGXVLQJWKLV/LFHQVH
2IIHU DQG $FFHSWDQFH %\ 8VLQJ WKH 2SHQ *DPH &RQWHQW <RX LQGLFDWH <RXU
DFFHSWDQFHRIWKHWHUPVRIWKLV/LFHQVH
&RQWHQWXVLQJWKHQDPHRIDQ\&RQWULEXWRUXQOHVV<RXK DYHZULWWHQSHUPLVVLRQIURP
WKH&RQWULEXWRUWRGRVR
,QDELOLW\WR&RPSO\,ILWLVLPSRVVLEOHIRU<RXWRFRPSO\ZLWKDQ\RIWKHWHUPVRI
WKLV/LFHQVHZLWKUHVSHFWWRVRPHRUDOORIWKH2SHQ*DPH&RQWHQWGXHWRVWDWXWH
MXGLFLDORUGHURUJRYHUQPHQWDOU HJXODWLRQWKHQ<RXPD\ QRW 8VHDQ\2SHQ*DPH
0DWHULDOVRDIIHFWHG
7HUPLQDWLRQ7KLV/LFHQVHZLOOWHUPLQDWHDXWRPDWLFDOO\LI<RXIDLOWRFRPSO\ZLWK
DOOWHUPVKHUHLQDQGIDLOWRFXUHVXFKEUHDFKZLWKLQGD\VRIEHFRPLQJDZDUHRI
WKHEUHDFK$OOVXEOLF HQVHVVKDOOVXUYLYHWKHWHUPLQDWLRQRIWKLV/LFHQVH
 2KMGR3[SHU0[SHU
 5HIRUPDWLRQ,I DQ\SURYLVLRQ RI WKLV/LFHQVH LVKHOG WREHXQHQIRUFHDEOHVXFK
SURYLVLRQVKDOOEHUHIRUPHGRQO\WRWKHH[WHQWQHFHVVDU\WRPDNHLWHQIRUFHDEOH
&23<5,*+7127,&(
2SHQ*DPH/LFHQVH Y&RS\ULJKW:L]DUGVRIWKH&RDVW,QF
6\VWHP5HIHUHQFH'RFXPHQW&RS\ULJKW:L]DUGVRIWKH&RDVW,QF$XWKRUV
-RQDWKDQ 7ZHHW 0RQWH &RRN  6NLS :LOOLDPV EDVHG RQ RULJLQDO PDWHULDOV E\ (
6XOOLYDQZLWKH[WHQVLYHLQSXWIURP
*DU\*\JD[DQG'DYH$UQHVRQ
$FWLRQ6\VWHP2SHQ&RQWHQWSDUDOOHOVWKH'2SHQ&RQWHQWVHFWLRQIRUVHFWLRQ
7KLVFRQVLVWVRI WKH JDPHVWDWLVWLFVVSHFLILF WR XVH LQ WKH$FWLRQ7KHVHVWDWLVWLFV
DSSHDULQVPDOOWDEOHVZLWKWKHKHDGLQ JRI³$FWLRQ´
)8'*(1RWLFHV
$%287)8'*(
)XGJHLVDUROHSOD\LQJJDPHZULWWHQE\6WHIIDQ2
WKH8VHQHWFRPPXQLW\RIUHFJDPHVGHVLJQ7KHEDVLFUXOHVRI)XGJHDUHDYDLODEOH

G6\VWHP DQG WKH

G  6\VWHP ORJR
 DUH WUDGHPDUNV RZQHGE\ :L]DUGV RI WKH RQ WKH LQWHUQHW DW KWWSZZZIXGJHUSJFRP DQG LQ ERRN IRUP IURP *UH\ *KRVW
&RDVWDQGDUHXVHGDFFRUGLQJWRWKHWHUPVRIWKHG6\VWHP/LFHQVHYHUVLRQ *DPHV32%R[5DQGROSK0$7KH\PD\EHXVHGZLWKDQ\JDPLQJ
$FRS\RIWKLVOLFHQVHFDQEHIRXQGDW ZZZZL]DUGVFRP JHQUH:KLOHDQLQGLYLGXDOZRUNGHULYHGIURP)XGJHPD\VSHFLI\FHUWDLQDWWULEXWHV

$FWLRQ6\VWHP
DQGWKH $FWLRQ6\VWHPORJRDUHWUDGHPDUNVRI*ROG5XVK*DPHV DQGVNLOOVPDQ\PRUHDUHS RVVLEOHZLWK)XGJH(YHU\*DPH0DVWHUXVLQJ)XGJHLV
DQGDUHXVHGZLWKSHUPLVVLRQ HQFRXUDJHGWRDGGRULJQRUHDQ\FKDUDFWHUWUDLWV$Q\RQHZKRZLVKHVWRGLVWULEXWH
2ULJLQDO )XGJH PDWHULDOV &RS\ULJKW ‹  E\ 6WHIIDQ 2
6XOOLYDQ $OO 5LJKWV VXFK PDWHULDO IRU IUHH PD\ GRVR PHUHO\ LQFOXGH WKLV $%287 )8'*( QRWLFH DQG
5HVHUYHG
7KH )8'*( 6\VWHP ORJR LV D WUDGHPDUN RI 6WHIIDQ 2¶6XOOLYDQ DQG XVHG XQGHU
OLFHQVH
6XOOLYDQ32
%LJ%DQJ7KH0RVWO\,OOXVWUDWHG53**XLGHWKH0RGHUQ:HDSRQV&\EHU7KULOOHU‹
DQGŒ'DQD-RUJHQVHQ$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG
$OO ZHDSRQ LPDJHV WDNHQ IURP IRU GLVWULEXWLRQ SUHVV UHYLHZ DQG SURPRWLRQDO
PDWHULDOV SXEOLVKHG E\ ZHDSRQV PDQXIDFWXUHUV ,PDJHV DUH FRS\U LJKW WKHLU
UHVSHFWLYHPDQXIDFWXUHUV$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG
8OWUDPRGHUQ)LUHDUPV'‹&KDUOHV0F0DQXV5\DQ
6XOOLYDQRUDQ\SXEOLVKHURIRWKHU)XGJHPDWHULDOV1HLWKHU6WHIIDQ
6XOOLYDQQRUDQ\SXEOLVKHURIRWKHU)XGJHPDWHULDOVLVLQDQ\ZD\UHVSRQVLEOHIRU
'HVLJQDWLRQRI2SHQ&RQWHQW
7KH ' 2SHQ &RQWHQW FRQVLVWVRI WKH JDPHVWDWLVWLFV VSHFLILF WR XVH LQ WKH '
6XOOLYDQ$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG
6\VWHP7KHVWDWLVWLFVDSSHDULQ VPDOOWDEOHVZLWKWKHKHDGLQJRI³'6\VWHP´
GLVFODLPHUFRPSOHWHZLWK)XGJHFRS\ULJKW QRWLFH,I\RXZLVKWRFKDUJHDIHHIRU
VXFKPDWHULDORWKHUWKDQDVDQDUWLFOHLQDPDJD]LQHRURWKHUSHULRGLFDO\RXPXVW
ILUVWREWDLQDUR\DOW\ IUHHOLFHQVHIURPWKHDXWKRURI)XGJH6WHIIDQ2
%R[3O\PRXWK1+
',6&/$,0(5
7KH IROORZLQJ PDWHULDOV EDVHG RQ )XGJH HQWLWOHG %LJ %DQJ WKH 0RVWO\ ,OOXVWUDWHG
53**XLGHWR0RGHUQ:HDSRQV DUHFUHDWHGE\PDGHDYDLODEOHE\DQG&RS\ULJKW
‹E\$OWHUQDWH5HDOLWLHV3XEOLFDWLRQVDQGDUHQRWQHFHVVDULO\HQGRUVHGLQDQ\
ZD\E\6WHIIDQ 2
2
WKHFRQWHQWRIWKHVHPDWHULDOVXQOHVVVSHFLILFDOO\FUHGLWHG2ULJLQDO)XGJHPDWHULDOV
&RS\ULJKW‹E\6WHIIDQ2
RPGNow
26
© 2003 Minion Development
Downloader|Monthly Corp. All rights reserved.
www.RPGNow.com

Sweet Chariot RPG Sample

The following page is an excerpt from the Sweet Chariot RPG
from Flying Mice LLC. Sweet Chariot is a stand-alone game set
within the larger StarCluster game universe. The game contains all
the rules necessary to play on the world of Chariot. Chariot has
been settled for half a millennium. The settlers came here in
desperation because a foiled hijacking attempt en-route
destroyed most of the technology base designed for their new
colony, including their landers. Using cobbled together gliders,
the bulk of the people were dumped onto the planet before the
colony ship crashed. The Chariot nations have pulled themselves
up to a steam-based technology.
Chariot has an extremely thick atmosphere consisting mostly of
argon, which is narcotic at the pressures typical below two
kilometers altitude—thus all Chariot nations are built on
mountainous areas, and hydrogen and helium filled airships are
used to traverse over the poisonous Deathlands between. Chariot
also abounds in poisonous heavy metals such as Uranium, and is
exceedingly active volcanically. It also is extremely hot, so that the
tropical areas are uninhabitable, except in one place. Chariot's
massive moon, Fiske, is tidally locked to Chariot, and constantly
hovers over the same place. The shadow of Fiske blocks direct
sunlight during the hottest part of the day, and it is in this area
that the descendants of the hated Hijackers—including the nation
of Washington—live.

ADVERTISEMENTS

Cartogaphy Unlimited
for RPGs
The company that brings
you the RPG Freelancers
Guide, SRD 3.5 and
SRD 3.5 Monsters
PDFs, and future
mapping products.

WWW.CARTOGUNLIMITED.COM
 Excerpt from Sweet Chariot - The Nations of Chariot
Washington
Washington was founded by descendants of the second Watch
Hijackers, who had modelled their society after that of the
United States of America of the 18th century, in the time of the
founding of that country. The USA of that period was charac-
terized by a certain naive but sincere idealism, which only
later - after wealth and power came its way - turned to cyni-
cism and boredom.
The first settlement was Madison, near the largest flat area
they could find on the Washington highland. That area was
turned into farmland and quickly settled, and Madison became
the original capital. As in the USA, the new Republic of Wash-
ington was pulled into two competing political camps - the
Agrarians and the Urbanists. The Agrarians spent quite a bit of
time in power at the beginning, but eventually, the Urbanists
came to control the legislature and thus the nation.
Washington had the worst, rockiest, most infertile Bestlands of
the four Hijacker lands. Like all the Hijacker lands, Washing-
ton is the gift of Fiske. Without the cooling effect of the great
tidally locked moon, only the tiny Bestlands would be inhabit-
able, as was intended when the Hijackers were given these
1
four lands. Instead, the Mainlands are also habitable, due to
the daily solar eclipe Fiske provides, blocking out the rays of
Gloria in the hottest hours surrounding noon.
Rather than being stunted amidst the rocky spires of an infer-
tile Bestlands, Washington, due to the skill and perseverance
of its people, adapted plants and animals to cultivation in the
strange conditions, and began to grow with vigor, spreading
into the surrounding, comparatively lush, Mainlands.
By the third century, Washington was a republic in name only.
In actuality the nation had become an oligarchy, where the rich
called all the shots by owning Senators and Congressmen. It
suited the interests of the controlling powers to maintain the
facade of a republic, and elections were duly held, with the
proper candidates elected on schedule.
The nation advanced steadily, but like its fellow Hijacker
nations, activity was limited to the night and the eclipse, and
progress came more slowly than with other nations. By 452,
the Washingtonians were in contact with several other sur-
rounding cultures via steam airships. At this point, they were
contacted by the government of Fiske, who, like Washington,
had chosen the USA as a cultural model, and felt more com-
fortable working with the Washingtonians.
The Fiske-Washington Axis became the strongest of the three
Chariot-Offworld trading partnerships, as the two nations had
much in common, and the nation of Washington was invigo-
rated by the offworld trade. Soon Washington came to domi-
nate the other Hijacker lands by judicious use of its wealth and
 Excerpt from Sweet Chariot - The Nations of Chariot

military power. Cities & Landmarks

The leadership of Washington decided to prove the manifest
The capital of Washington, Roosevelt, was chosen because of
greatness of their nation with an unheard of feat. They would
its location - alone on it's own tiny Bestlands rise, with no
colonize the smaller land to the south which they called Cali-
peaks around with their freak winds, yet still fairly central - for
fornia, and which was inhabited only by a few degraded rem-
the Fiske-Washington spaceport, and it was also ideal for the
nants of refugees sent over by balloon when the winds were
massive Aerodrome the Washingtonians were planning. The
right.
city lies perched on the top of a small Bestlands dome isolated
This colonization was first affected by sending over and sup-
from the main highland complex which Jefferson is on by a
plying colonists via airship. This was a necessary prelude to
steep sided river valley.
the real feat, which was the building of a railroad through the
Roosevelt is the commercial as well as political capital of
Deathlands across the narrow strait between Washington and
Washington, because the location of both the spaceport and
California. For decades volcanologists on both sides of the
Aerodrome there necessitate most trading firms locating their
strait directed streams of ash and lava down into the Death-
headquarters here. The city is lovely in the center, where
lands. Cities were built on either side, Fillmore in Washington
majestic tree-lined boulevards sweep in ray patterns from cen-
and Kennedy in California. Hundreds of thousands of Urchins
tral loci, while cross streets and connecting streets run in grid
were rounded up and sent on Work Labor details in awkward
patterns. The electric streetcar system has lately been replaced
diving suits, and thousands never returned. The last little bit
downtown with an extensive subway system built at vast
was crossed by a stone causeway and an iron bridge, built by
expense, although the streetcars still run in the periphery.
Deathlands Divers from both sides, just high enough at the
Roosevelt is powered by uranium fission steam generators,
railbed (at 2000 meters elevation) to equal the lowest Fringe-
and the city is lit up magnificently, the massive granite public
lands elevation, and the divide was conquered. Washington
buildings being spotlit all night and throughout the eclipse. All
had built a wonder, and all Chariot was agog.
of the main thoroughfares are well lit also, as light seems to
Pressurized passenger trains can now move between Fillmore
drive away crime. The periphery of the city is far less lovely,
and Kennedy, and the colonization of California has picked up
the further out one travels from the center, the darker and seed-
pace. The degenerate natives - locally called Yahoos - are
ier the buildings, until at the edges one is travelling in a open
scorned as mere horse thieves and cattle rustlers, and the
mud-lined sewer lined with weatherbeaten, dilapidated hovels.
Washingtonian settlers shoot them on sight. California, lower
Here the bulk of the Urchins and the working poor live in hid-
and somewhat drier than Washington, is for now home to vast
eous conditions. Periodically, these peripheral slums are swept
herds of cattle and their herdsmen, the so-called Hornsmen.
by press gangs, and the Urchins collected are put to work on
The only two cities on California, Kennedy at the rail head and
public projects, like the Trans-Deathlands Railway, or the
Singh up in the tiny Californian Bestlands and possessing the
Roosevelt subway system. If a few working poor get swept up
best Aerodrome, are brawling, bustling towns, full of swagger-
along with the Urchins, no-one worries about it much. There
ing hornsmen and cattle bound for the meat packing plants.
are 700,000 people in Roosevelt.
Already, however, this lifestyle is beginning to fade as thou-
The city of Madison was the original settlement and capital
sands of poor, eager farmers rush to take the empty new lands
until the treaty with Fiske moved the capital off to the new city
and put them under the plow.
of Roosevelt. Madison is quieter than Roosevelt, less hurly-
The official Church of Washington is the Baptist Christian
burly than Jefferson, and is the cultural center of the nation.
protestant church. This is a highly centralized church, but sep-
The Opera in Madison is famous throughout Chariot for the
arate from the Roman Catholic majority on Chariot as well as
superb quality of its home-grown Urchin castrati singers, and
from the powerful Anglican Church centered in Spenceria.
the school attached to the opera has quite a commercial ven-
They have a number of doctrinal differences with both major
ture going, supplying trained castrati to foreign operas. Those
Christian churches, considering them as worse than heathen.
castrati who are not good enough for the opera are in demand
There are other, smaller protestant sects in Washington, chief
as mild-mannered servants to the wealthy, and there are
of these being the Methodists - a splinter group of the Angli-
always more little Urchins running around on the street.
cans, and a tiny minority of Roman Catholics.
The University of Madison is also here, the largest institution
The unit of currency is the Almighty Dollar, available both in
of higher learning in Washington, as well as the Washington
bill and in coin. The bills are known as greenbacks from the
Military Academy and several smaller schools. Catering to the
green ink used on their reverse. The obverses of both coins and
students, most of whom are wealthy, is a big business in Madi-
bills depict dead presidents, while the reverses typically depict
son. The poor do not live in Madison, except as servants. They
stirring symbolic figures usually in the form of lovely women
live in Roosevelt and in Jefferson, but they are kept out of
in clinging clothes, or large national monuments. The pres-
Madison. The working people in Madison generally are of the
ently printed bills feature the recent completion of the Trans-
higher end of that class - well kept, clean, industrious clerks
Deathlands Railroad.
and seamstresses. Some 500,000 people live and work in Mad-
ison.
Washington natives gain a Mother’s Milk skill of planetol-
Jefferson is Washington’s Big City. Jefferson is where things
ogy+1, due to their knowledge of their environment, and the
are made, as well as bought and sold. Huge factories and ware-
skill with which they manipulate it.
houses crowd the three main railroads feeding this giant. The
city fills a big, bowl shaped valley in the main Bestlands, at the

2
 Excerpt from Sweet Chariot - The Nations of Chariot
junction of the highland passes to the north, southeast (to Cali-
fornia,) and west. The bottom of the bowl is filled with manu-
facturing and storage facilities, while the people live in
progressively higher bands of buildings, with the slums and
tenements at the lowest level, and the mansions of the aristoc-
racy at the highest, in a bizarre reverse of the pattern of settle-
ment at Roosevelt.
There are several different city centers. In general, the city is
divided into three by the railroads. In the northeast are the
financial centers - banks, insurers, stock and bond trading
houses. To the south lies the entertainment district, where
nightclubs, theatres, and restaurants abound. To the northwest,
the city’s government and related buildings dominate.
Jefferson never sleeps. The city continues to move 30 hours a
day. Most larger businesses are open at any time of the day or
night, and the ceaseless bustle tends to tire travelers out. It is
said that if you can’t get something in Jefferson, you can’t get
it anywhere. Jefferson holds about 2,500,000 inhabitants.
Business & Trade
The Roosevelt and Kennedy Railroad (also known as the
Trans-Deathlands Railroad) is a joint venture among the three
largest railroads in Washington, the Madison North, the Clin-
ton and Harris, and the Great Southern. It was built with vast
amounts of labor from the Bureau of Full Employment, and
funding from the railroads, the government, and private inves-
tors. The R&K line is usable by trains from any of the three
partner railroads, each of which pays a fee to use the road. The
fee is, of course, recovered from the passengers in the form of
a ticket surcharge for travel to California. Trains using the
R&K line need to be reverse pressurized if carrying passengers
or livestock, as the cars go down to the very limits of toleration
to cross the Deathlands.
The giant meat packing company known as Shield Products
dominates the city of Kennedy. Since it is cheaper to ship
cargo than livestock across the Deathlands, Shield Products
now packs most of it's livestock in California and ships it back
to Washington in cans. The Shield Products slaughterhouses
are brutal places. Several unruly employees have 'disappeared'
in the plants, never to be seen again. The well known muck-
raking reporter Edison Downes was never seen again after set-
ting off to visit the Kennedy plants in disguise last year, and
reports of strange tasting canned meat appearing soon after-
ward were quickly hushed up. Shield Products exports canned
beef and pork, as well as "Canned Meat," all over the Hijacker
and Passenger states, competing sharply on price.
Bantam Iron Works of Bush is the nation's largest pig iron
producer, supplying almost a quarter of the market. The iron
mines near Bush produce large quantities of high grade ore,
which Bantam refines and sells to manufacturers throughout
Washington. The massive Bush plant is considered a model of
efficiency and design, and it is said even representatives of
companies from Crew states have toured the plant incognito.
The plant is extensively automated, with pneumatic lines pow-
ering air logic controlled robots. Out of work former employ-
ees staged a fierce battle here when the new plant opened two
years ago, but they were defeated by a smaller force of plain-
clothesmen from Aegis Security armed with gatling guns.
3
Powerful Organizations
The Bureau of Full Employment is a government program
deigned to keep unsightly and dangerous Urchins off the
streets, and supply cheap labor to businesses. The Bureau has a
mandate to supply federal contractors with employees, and is
empowered to take unemployed people off the streets and
hand them over to businesses. The businesses pay the Dole sti-
pend, while the Urchin gets to work for it. Out of the Urchin's
Dole is deducted cost of supplies, including food, clothing,
and shelter. It is - in effect, though not legally - slavery. The
services are supposed to be temporary, but many of the compa-
nies utilizing the Bureau's services will overcharge for
required supplies to the point where the Urchin is running a
negative balance, which puts him under control of the com-
pany until the debt is worked off - in effect never. The Bureau
gets large payments for it's services, which it uses to lower the
tax burden on gainfully employed people, making it popular
for three reasons. It keeps the Urchins employed and out of
mischief, it keeps them off the Dole, and it is a net income pro-
ducer, lowering taxes. A not inconsiderable percentage of the
income generated stays in the pockets of the Bureau chiefs, but
that is totally understandable under the circumstances.
The Hellfire Club is a fashionable if eccentric association of
Gentlemen and Aristocrats who enjoy unconventional activi-
ties which the narrow-minded could construe as illegal and
immoral, but which to the broad-minded are liberating and
frankly intoxicating. The activities sponsored by the Club run
the gamut from titillating orgies with willing and unwilling
participants of varied age and gender to thrilling ritual sacri-
fices with attendant cannibalism. The Club pays a hefty sti-
pend to the Bureau of Licenses to prevent any
misunderstandings concerning a too literal interpretation of the
law, and confines it's non-consensual activities to undesirables
and ne'er-do-wells. The Club members are always looking for
a good time, and it does not often pay to be noticed by them.
The Club is modest to a fault, and dislikes intrusive publicity
to such an extent that they will suppress it by any means, the
faster and more final, the better.
The Patriotic League consists of a secret group of volunteers
who think the social and political status quo in Washington
requires constant vigilance and defense. These men and
women, most of them Working class, dislike intrusive foreign-
ers and socially mobile Urchins. The League is technically
illegal, but many covert members are involved with law
enforcement, and the group is seen by many in a positive light.
When engaged in defending their liberties, the League mem-
bers wear a domino mask to give themselves plausible deni-
ability if required. If the police, say, are forced to interrupt the
League's activities, the policemen can say that "They were all
wearing masks, we have no idea who they are." There are
Patriotic League groups in almost every sizeable town in
Washington.
Powerful Personalities
The spiritual leader of the Patriotic League is Adrian Divine,
a passionate orator and a man of great anger. Mr. Divine is not
a politician in the usual sense of the word, but it is his speeches
 Excerpt from Sweet Chariot - The Nations of Chariot

which inform and motivate the League. Divine practices what for a woman, with a matronly figure and steel grey hair swept
he preaches. His belief in his own words is almost palpable, up into a bun. She continues to wear widows weeds long after
and his own inner conviction sways and convinces others her husband’s death, and is never without her umbrella.
when they hear him speak. Devine is a gentleman of indepen- Lawrence Uther Williams is the current president of the
dent but limited means, and he has currently far overextended Republic, though it would be hard to find someone who could
himself financially. He is a small, dapper man, of pale, bland recognize him. He is one of those quiet, unassuming fellows -
features, dirty blond hair, moustache, and goatee, and heavy- slicked down hair parted in the middle, wire framed specta-
lidded, slanted blue eyes, and generally wears a homburg and a cles, and clean shaven - who turn out to be mass murderers or
pince nez on a long black ribbon. religious fanatics. In President Williams’ case, he is a master
Dr. Austin Card is the Director of the Bureau of Full Employ- at political intrigue, although even his closest associates
ment, and well on his way to being a very rich man. Dr. Card believe him to be a biddable sheep in political matters, not
personally approves all work orders from private industry, and realizing that he is the one leading them. It is President Will-
is by law responsible for the contracts, although he does not iams’ particular genius to be able to get others to tell him to do
expect any problem on this account. It is not widely known what he wants to do, and make it all look like their idea. Why
that the Bureau is engaged in what amounts to slavery, as all of he wants the dull ceremonial position of President has so far
the transactions are within the letter of the law. The kickbacks remained his secret.
Dr. Card is receiving are not legal, but they are customary, and
people generally turn a blind eye to that sort of behavior. It is
Dr. Card’s gut feeling that people just do not want to know that
his Bureau is a slave supplier, and ignore all references to this
to avoid the subject. Dr. Card is a short, rotund man of middle
Glossary
years and jovial disposition, with a full, flowing black beard
Hijacker A descendant of the outlaws who tried to
and no moustache. He generally dresses in an elegant dove
steal the original colony ship in a desperate attempt to survive
gray suit, pin-striped trousers, and a top hat.
the immolation of the Earth. Hijackers are hated by Crew
The president of Bantam Iron Works, J. Harriman Danville,
Passenger A descendant of the passengers who spent
is widely believed to be the inventor of the elegant air-actuated
the entire journey from Earth in cold sleep.
robotics in the Bush plant, but it is actually his spinster daugh-
Crew A descendant of the colony ship’s crew,
ter, Agnes Harte Danville, who created the robots. She asked
who fought and defeated the Hijackers at the cost of many
her father to perpetuate this hoax in order not to scare away her
lives and much of the technology intended for the colony
scarce marriage prospects. Agnes is almost thirty, and while
Deathlands Lands under 2000 meters in altitude,
she is a lovely woman, her keen penetrating intellect and
impassible due to the toxic pressure of the argon-rich atmo-
mechanical genius are seen as detracting from her appeal, and
sphere, but the best farmland.
she isn’t getting any younger. Despite her accomplishments,
Fringelands Lands between 2000 and 2500 meters in
she feels lonely, and is desperate for love and approval, but
altitude, habitable by those with a high argon tolerance
like many brilliant people, is honest to a fault, and cannot
Mainlands Lands between 2500 and 3500 meters in
avoid telling people what she really thinks of them, though she
altitude, where the bulk of the population lives
tries mightily.
Bestlands Lands above 3500 meters in altitude,
The Director of the Madison Opera Company School, Dr.
where the rich and powerful live, free from toxic argon and
Peter W. Faucett, has recently ordered an increase in the pro-
radiation, but very poor farmland
duction of castrati - eunuch singers - for his school. The yield
of fine castrati voices - the range of a boy soprano with the
power of an adult tenor - has been disappointing of late,
though the doctor can sell all the failed castrati as normal
eunuchs to be harem guards in Yemen and Singapur, and he
has standing orders for all he can produce. Dr. Faucett’s gangs
are roaming the slums and shanty towns, searching for boys of
the proper age, especially those unencumbered by family. The
Urchins are beginning to suspect the disappearances of the
usual crop of male street orphans is more than a strange coinci-
dence.
Wilma P. Dobson is the head of Shield Products, and it would
be difficult to conceive of a more forbidding personage. Mrs.
Dobson is the widow of Hector Dobson, the late director of the
company, who left all of his stock to his wife of 52 years. Mrs.
Dobson is called the Iron Lady by her subordinates, and far
less flattering names by her rank and file employees. She per-
sonally gives the orders for making mystery meat out of
unwanted guests, and insists on watching the process, never
displaying any emotion. Mrs. Dobson is 70 years old, very tall

4
RPGNow
Downloader|Monthly Top10

RPGNow
Downloader|Top10 Charts
Additional charts can be found at www.rpgnow.com/toplists.php

Top Sellers: d20 Top Sellers: non-d20 Top Sellers: non-RPG

1 Campaign Planner
Ronin Arts
 1 Last Rites: Savage Worlds edition
12 to Midnight
 1 WorldWorks / DungeonWorks
WorldWorks

2 Polyhedron e-publishing pack
E.N. Publishing
 2 Savage Tales #1: Privateer's Bounty!
Pinnacle Entertain.Group
 2 WorldWorks / DungeonWorks: Gothic Realms
WorldWorks

3 Anger of Angels
Malhavoc Press
 3 A Wushu Guide to Gun-Fu
Bayn.org
 3 WorldWorks / CastleWorks
WorldWorks

4 The Taverner’s Trusty Tome
E.N. Publishing
 4 Wushu: Ancient Art of Action Role-Playing
Bayn.org
 4 WorldWorks / InteriorWorks: Pubs & Inns
WorldWorks

5 Book of Templates - Deluxe Edition
Silverthorne Games
 5 A Wushu Guide to Cut-Fu
Bayn.org
 5 e-Adventure Tiles: Wilderness Ruins
SkeletonKey Games

6 Above and Beyond
Valent Games
 6 Deadlands Player’s Guide
Pinnacle Entertain.Group
 6 WorldWorks / VillageWorks
WorldWorks

7 Mecha SRD Extreme
Ronin Arts
 7 Two-Fisted Tales
Politically Incorrect Games
 7 Fractal Mapper 7.0
nbos Software

8 Modern Backdrops
RPGObjects
 8 Sengoku: Revised Edition
Gold Rush Games
 8 WorldWorks / InteriorWorks: Castles & Keeps
WorldWorks

9 Martial Arts Mayhem, Volume One
The Game Mechanics, Inc.
 9 A Wushu Guide to Car-Fu
Bayn.org
 9 WorldWorks / CaveWorks
WorldWorks

10 Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe
Expeditious Retreat Press
 10 Unbidden: Horrors, Secrets, & Legends
Politically Incorrect Games
 10 Character Portraits: Fantasy Heroines
Mongoose Publishing


© 2003 Minion Development Corp. All rights reserved.

www.RPGNow.com

OPEN GAMING LICENSE
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is
Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark
owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material”
means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations
(including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction,
addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other
form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c)
“Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly
display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the
game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines
to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an
enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as
Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this
License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but
specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product
and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress;
artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements,
dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions,
likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and
other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters,
spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special
abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or
supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any
other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity
by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the
Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign,
motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products
or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the
Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit,
format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open
Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this
agreement.
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains
a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and
in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game
Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this
License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions
may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.
3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your
acceptance of the terms of this License.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License,
the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-
exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game
Content.
5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original
material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are
Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights
conveyed by this License.
6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE
portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE
of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and
You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to
the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you
Distribute.
7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity,
including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in
another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that
Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability
with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work
containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another,
independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered
Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not
constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of
any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title
and interest in and to that Product Identity.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly
indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game
Content.
9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish
updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this
License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally
distributed under any version of this License.
10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with
every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open
Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written
permission from the Contributor to do so.
12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the
terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content
due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not
Use any Open Game Material so affected.
13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to
comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of
becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of
this License.
14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable,
such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it
enforceable.
15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors
Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E.
Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
Forbidden Arcana: Burning Spellbooks Preview Copyright 2003 Philip J. Reed
OPEN GAMING CONTENT
Designation of Product Identity: No content in this magazine is designated
product identity.
Designation of Open Gaming Content: Forbidden Arcana: Burning Spellbooks
Preview is designated Open Gaming Content.