Issue 3 October 2006 Features

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Matty Rhea Science

Science--ology 4
Wyn returns to present mega-constructions
ASSISTANT EDITOR: David Sharrock
and how you can use them in your game
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Steve Dean,
Suzanna Hope, Wyn F Dawkins, Nick Davis. Broken Chest 11
Big and small press pdf publication reviews
PRODUCTION ARTISTS: Matty Rhea, Wyn F
from our independent panel of readers
Dawkins, David Sharrock.
ILLUSTRATIONS: David Sharrock, Wyn F Beastly Behaviour 16
More silliness from the people who
Dawkins, Suzanna Hope
brought you syphalis and ecoli
COVER: Peter Szabo Gabor
d20 ADVISOR: Nick Davis Midwar 17
Kynswerd, mighty blade of the ancients
PUBLISHER: Forever People Games & RPG
PUBLICATIONS MANAGEMENT: DLS Fortress of Arcatroo 24
Steve Dean presents a one-off fantasy
Enterprises
adventure set in and around the
abandoned fort of Arcatroo

is nearly, but not quite, the season

T
to be jolly. Ahwel l,let’sbej ol
ly Departments
anyway.Ther e’
scertainly plenty to
smile about in your latest edition of Graven Grimoire 18
Wyvern! This longer than usual A quintessential guide to the magical phil-
issue features the penultimate Location,
osophies of ArthurPendr agon’ sl
oyalmage
Location, Location (we ran out of room on
the contents). Black Squid interviews White
Wol f
’sSteve Wieck on the exciting merger Daemon Dissenter 22
between RPG pdf giants RPG Now and Drive Dissenter is reported to the great evil one
Thru RPG. Steve Dean simultaneously slates himself, and now Dante is on the case!
a White Wolf title in Broken Chest, and
probably gets us all banned for life from
One Book Shelf :) and then redeems himself Hooked 28
by giving us another of his classic fantasy Matty & Su look at modern era plot hooks
adventures (did I mention our reviewers
opinions are not representative? lick, lick, Small World 30
grovel, grovel). The jungle temple - Small World extended!

Next issue we have an even cooler eZine Black Squid 35

planned with a special Christmas atmos Sharing an ale with Steve Wieck of White
featuring a fun festive adventure to tickle Wolf and disussing the latest RPG merger
your players’funny bones, festive versions
of Graven Grimoire and Small World and an
extended holiday edition of Bazaar to keep Bazaar 37
your brain active after all those mince pies Prizes, competitions and games!
and sherry. Enjoy! - ed

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WYN F DAWKINS
wyntersong@foreverpeoplerpg.com
Using modern science fiction and science
reality trends to create believable settings
for your eBook or sci-fi RPG campaign.
After last issue's sojourn into
the thoughts and concepts of
the real science-ology
professionals, your host Wyn
is back in the pilot seat and
resuming our original series.
This issue I take a look at the
fantastical ideas of mega-
construction, what they are,
what they mean and how you
can integrate these incredible
ideas with your own science
fiction campaign.
Mega construction requires an
advanced level of
technological development
and some pretty serious
political stability, without
which the resources necessary
just wouldn't be available.
Your campaign setting should
also, ideally, have nanobot
capabilities which is also likely
to be a crucial factor in mega-
construction.
So how mega do I mean when I say
'mega-construction'? Am I talking
about sky-scraper size? Something
the size of an island? Something
bigger even than that?
In short, yes. Mega-construction is an
exciting prospect both for scientists
and gamers because mega means
exactly that. HUGE. Some mega-
constructions may be so large their
base materials will require the
disassembly of an entire planet! The
moons of Jupiter, for example, might
be destructured into their component
minerals and used to build a man-
made mega-construction.
Almost all mega-constructions will be
constructed and used in space where
the stresses and strains of gravity are
negligible and truly massive
constructs can be designed without
worrying about corrosion, weight or
the constraints of land-space.
Perhaps the most well known mega-
construction is the Dyson Sphere.
Originally proposed in 1959 by
emminent astronomer Freeman
Dyson, the Dyson Sphere was put
forward as one possible reason why
the search for extra-terrestrial life, or
more specifically the search for
artificial infrared radiation suggesting
the presence of extra-terrestrial life,
had failed to reveal signs of advanced
civilisations in the universe at large.
A Dyson Sphere, Freeman proposed,
might be constructed around the
fringe of a solar system, absorbing
the vital resources of solar output
and converting them into power for a
massive multi-planetary civilisation.
The sphere would be a vast shell
composed of uncountable orbitting
spheres, each one a probable habitat
for members of the civilisation itself.
The sphere need not contain the
entire system, but merely be large
enough and extensive enough to
absorb as much solar radiation as
possible.
Over the years many science fiction
writers have misinterpreted this
original vision as some form of
enormous shell-like sphere encasing a
solar system. Such a construct is
plausible, and could be constructed
from the raw materials of a single,
large plantary body. The last world of
a system, for example, or the many
component parts of an asteroid belt,
smeared to a (relatively speaking)
wafer thin depth and forced into the
shape of a hollow globe.
This sphere, referred to more often as
a Dyson Bubble or Dyson Shell, would
reflect not only the light of the sun,
but the artificial radioactive jetsam
excreted by the enormous civilisation.
Both would be deflected back onto
solar panels and converted into
energy to feed artifical mega-habitats.
The force of the sun's own radiation
pressure would maintain the integrity
of the sphere, while the entire
structure would probably rotate at a
relative speed to a planet in the same
orbital location.
Dyson theorised, if we searched the
stars for this type of evidence, might
we be missing vital signs hidden
behind the wall of a Dyson Sphere? He
further extrapolated that such a
mega-construction might be an
unavoidable catalyst in the future
development of all intelligent and
evolving civilisations. For surely no
mega-culture could exist without
some means of capturing the wattage
output of their system's own power
station- the sun.
So how might one set about building
a Dyson Sphere? More importantly
perhaps, why do it in the first place?
Nano technology and advanced
robotics would neatly answer the first
conundrum. Nanobots with self
replicating technology could be
injected into the outermost world of
the solar system, programmed with the complex
series of commands required to complete the
project. Their first task would be to use the raw
materials of the planet to duplicate themselves and
create the many different types of nanobot and
mega-bot required by the project. During this early
stage most bots would be disassemblers, breaking
down the world and organising it into pockets of
orbitting matter, each pocket labelled according to
elemental content, size and probably allocation.
With disassembly complete, the nanos would break
themselves down and create new versions of
themselves to undertake the next section of the
project. Reflector sails would be created using the
mineral pockets, each one no more than a few
hundred yards thick and tethered to its neighbour
by some kind of incredibly strong but tensile
material, most likely carbon nanotube or similar.

Sails would probably be hexagonal in shape,

allowing for the formation of a manageable matrix.
To begin with this matrix would be stabilised using
rockets and fusion power. As the first rings linked,
however, a natural rotation would begin and no
further expulsion of valuable energy would be
required. Indeed, the rotation of the ring would
provide enough kinnetic power to fuel the rest of
the construction phase.
With the 'horizontal' ring fixed on its rotational axis,
the 'vertical' ring would now be constructed in the
same way, the two extended arms joined to the
upper and lower facets of a single sail then powered
into the shape of a ring using rocket technology and
linked together on the far side of the sun to a
second sail. The radiation pressure of the sun would
force the rings into a spherical shape, though at this
stage the risk of whipping and undulations in the
massively long rings would be a serious risk.
Intermittent bursts from rockets affixed to key sails
might solve the problem, but would require an
insanely complicated sequencing system and could
only be undertaken by the most powerful computer.
The slightest error or miscalculation could lead to
the entire construct tearing itself apart and
whipping wildly across the orbital paths of planets.
Again, at this stage, the expenditure of energy
would be vast, though the rotating nature of the
'horizontal' ring would provide plenty of alternate
power for worlds stripped of their usual source.
With the two crucial planes in place, the four other
rings could now be affixed in the same way, creating
a hollow ball composed of four equally spaced
bands intersecting at the upper, lower and side
poles. The triangular gaps between these bands
could now be filled in with much less emphasis on
energy expenditure. The more gaps filled in with
sails, the stronger and more stable the structure
would become.
The Bishop Ring is a form of vast space habitat and
ties in with an earlier article about the construction
and use of generation starships. The Bishop Ring
depends on the crucial power of the sun, however,
and can therefore never leave the solar system, nor
indeed travel beyond a certain orbital field without
losing power.
The outer surface of the ring is furnished with
trillions upon trillions of solar panels, each one
absorbing and converting the light from the sun
into energy which in turn is converted by stations
within the ring and used to generate power for the
civilisation living therin.
The continents and seas of the Bishop Ring are on
the inner surface and as such face permanently
away from the sun. An artificial sun sits at the hub
of the spinning wheel and provides daylight to half
the inner world at any one time. This light, or
luminaire, is stationary where the ring rotates and
provides the illusion of day and night to those living
on the world surface. The miniature sun is little
more than a defracting scope to the actual sun, the
light of which is reflected by myriad mirrors before
being beamed into and intensified by the inner
lenses of the luminaire. Thus no power is needed to
energise the light and illuminate the world.
An initial burst from nuclear fuelled rockets starts
the rotation of the ring which, thereafter, turns at a
steady rate with no requirement for further energy
expenditure. This ongoing rotation provides Earth-
like gravity to the inner surface of the ring and
ensures full use of the surrounding solar panels. It
also ensures the oxygenated atmosphere clings to
the inner surface of the ring, though the edges of
the inner surface would probably be built up with
retaining walls of up to a kilometre in height to
prevent any seepage of atmosphere into the
vacuum of space.

The Bishop Ring would make an ideal mega-

construction project for an advanced civilisation
intent on exploring space. Not only could this
miniature world be used as a base for deep space
exploration and the construction of ships, but as a
minus-g environment from which to launch ships.
The outer centrifugal force of the spinning ring
would provide an ideal basis for a powerless launch
into space, a vessel attached to the ring catapulting
away from the outer surface merely by
disconnecting its tether.

Of the many different variations on the space

habitat, the Bishop Ring is my personal favourite
and for this reason I've included it here. There are,
however, many other possibilities, most of which
have been proposed and investigated by NASA at
some point. You can find further information on the
following types of habitat by following the links
below (links are external and not related to Wyvern
or Forever People in any instance, so please direct
any comments you may have to the respective site
owners):
Open Air Space Habitats
http://www.iase.cc/openair.htm
McKendree Cylinders
http://www.orionsarm.com/civ/Mckendree_cylinders.html
O'Neil Cylinders
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%27Neill_cylinder
Stanford Torus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_torus
The Alderson Disc is essentially another type of
space habitat, but I mention it because its potentials
as the setting for a sci-fi, or even a fantasy world
are quite interesting.
The Alderson megastructure (named after Dan
Alderson, its originator) is a vast but relatively thin
disc, something like a CD to look at, with the sun
situated in the central hole. The radius is something
like that of a large planet with a thickness of several
thousand kilometres.
Theoretically, a disc of sufficient mass would have
greater gravity than its sun. Thus civilisations could
potentially live comfortably on either side of the
disc.
The problems are probably obvious to the seasoned
science-ologist! For one thing the sun would never
rise or set. The world would exist in a state of
perpetual dawn/dusk, with a half sun blazing away
on the horizon. This could be solved by forcing the
sun to bob up and down in the centre of the disc,
providing a pseudo day and night for each side.
Writers who have already toyed with the Alderson
Disc have utilised this solution in the past, but a
more realistic answer might be to rotate and gyrate
the disc like a spun penny using some kind of
mega-gyroscope to force a wobble in the cyclical
rotation, thus the sun would seem to rise and fall.
Another problem is that of edge effects which would
make life on either the inner or outer sections of
the disc impossible. If a 'Discer' were to travel too
near the outer edge, not only would the
temperature plummet to fatal levels, but the Discer
would feel themselves sliding inexorably across the
ground, gaining speed and eventually flying off the
edge of the disc. Conversely, a Discer approaching
the inner edge would be char-grilled. So life would
favour the centre, or 'equatorial' regions of the disc.
The greatest problem associated with the Anderson
Disc is the need for a super-element stronger than
anything we currently have or can conceivably
create. Even the incredible strengths of proposed
fabrics like carbon bucky or nanotube would buckle
under the immense gravitational strains of the
average Alderson Disc.
Nevertheless, provided you have no qualms in
'inventing' such a fabric to suit your campaign, an
Alderson Disc provides ample opportunities for
intriguing gameplay.
The two sided nature of the disc, for example,
allows for the popular double-world model. In Larry
Niven's Godwheel, an Alderson Disc housed two
civilisations, one on each side of the disc. The first
used technologies, the second magic. Such a setting
provides obvious entertainments for those of us
who enjoy juxtaposing modern or sci-fi with fantasy
elements, or good with evil, light with dark.
Furthermore, an Alderson disc could comprise many
layers, each sandwiched one on top of the other.
Additional civilisations could inhabit these
layers, though you should remember,
gravitational pressure will be more dense
the deeper one travels toward the heart of
the disc until at the centre of the world
the pressures would be so crushing as to
make the presence of life, or indeed the
open chambers necessary for life,
impossible. Most 'layer worlds' then would
be in the upper (lower?) few hundred
kilometres of strata.
So, are all mega-construction projects
likely to be of the space habitat variety?
Not necessarily. Nor do they necessarily
need to be off-world.
The Superconducting Super Collider, or
SSC, is effectively a massive particle
accelerator which applies electromagnetic
forces to particles (usually protons or
electrons) to give them a high velocity and
a very large kinetic energy. Physicist
Enrico Fermi proposed the ultimate
particle accelerator in 1954 - yes, you read
that right, 1954. This mega-construction
would have been a huge electromagnetic
tunnel in the shape of a ring encircling our
planet. Interestingly enough, the Tevatron
accelerator at Fermilab in Chicago has
already produced effects equal to Fermi's
vision in a machine of much smaller size.
With this machine, and possible
accelerators still under consideration -
despite the cancellation of the Texan
Super Collider in 1993 due to exorbitant
production costs - physicists could not
only gain a better understanding of
quantum chromodynamics but actually
create certain elusive particles. For further
reading on the future of this mega-project
and the latest forerunner, check out this
link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERN
A Superconducting Super Collider of truly
massive proportions could conceivably be
used to create large quantities of
antimatter particles, just as the CERN
accelerator has been used to create
antihydrogen particles (a creation process
based on theoretics devised at Fermilab
itself!). So what, I hear you cry? And what
does antimatter have to do with mega
constructions while we're at it?
Gravity waves, that's what.
The gravity in a star is balanced by heat energy from fusion
reactions at the star's core. Eventually, the elements fueling
these reactions are exhausted, gravity takes over, and the
star collapses. The result is a supernova explosion, which
converts a sizable fraction of the star's mass-energy to
light, neutrinos, and gravity waves.
So what are gravity waves? Effectively, they are a
gravitational field which can be viewed as a distortion of
local space. The surface of space, you may have heard, is
curved. Actually, it's elasticated. The Earth sits upon this
elasti-surface like a heavy bowling ball on a trampoline. The
fabric of space bends into a 'gravity well' creating curvature
around which the moon rolls endlessly, around which
geosynchronous satellites orbit and into which various
Earth-bound rocks and space debris inevitably fall. That's
gravity. A space warp of this kind surrounds every massive
object in the universe and, if observable, would appear as
spreading ripples in space, a distortion arising from the
massive object in question moving across the elastic
surface of space and disturbing its local gravitational field -
as per the aforementioned supernova.
Bear with me, I'm getting to a point.
Like light, gravity waves travel at the speed of light and
create a kind of kneading distortion of that elasti-space
fabric, rendering local distances alternately larger and
smaller. In one direction, perpendicular to the wave's
direction of travel, space is stretched, while in the other,
space is compressed.
But we don't need a supernova to create gravity waves. Any
massive explosive event, such as those associated with
gamma ray bursts, will suffice. We are, of course, still
talking about a planet atomising maelstrom of serious
proportions; something capable of making gaseous smudge
of Earth and a snooker trick shot of the other planets.
Such an explosion, or gamma ray burst, is beyond our
means (thankfully). But let's consider Enrico Fermi's original
dream of a super huge Superconducting Super Collider but
this time look at the idea from the perspective of a future
civilisation, advanced conquerers of local space and
probably in possession of nanotechnologies capable of
forging truly massive space-bound structures. A civilisation
with a Bishop Ring, a Dyson Sphere or a Ring World to their
name would have no trouble building a Superconducter not
just the size of Earth, but of the entire solar system. A
particle accelerator of this magnitude, probably made up of
many sequential accelerators, could create huge quantities
of antihydrogen and deliver those particles to a 'safe space'
beyond the boundaries of Pluto's orbit.
There the antimatter particles would collide with matter and
an epic explosion would ensue. The gamma ray burst would
illuminate the skies of Earth like a second sun while gravity
field detectors would witness the first artificially induced
gravity wave rippling off across the depths of space, the
first deep-space exploration ship surfing the crest of that
wave like California's finest. Hey presto - fuel-free,
relatavistic space flight. Gnarly!

Use of a gravity wave in this way makes a mockery

of Einstein's theory of relativity, which almost
certainly means the whole idea is impossible. Space
in front of the wave, for example, is compressed.
Thus travelling through the wave from back to front,
much like a surfer diving through the wall of a wave
to avoid the froth of a breaker, only backward in
this case, and with the help of a wormhole, would
result in travelling at speeds in excess of light (since
the gravity wave is already moving at light velocity).

Actually, this really is nothing new. Ever heard of a

'warp drive'? Gravity Wave, aka gravity warp, aka
warp drive is pretty much the same thing. In science
fiction the warp drive is popularised as a mechanism
capable of warping space and in so doing,
propelling a ship forwards along the leading edge of
the warp in much the same way as our surfing ship
rides the crest of the gravity wave. And by space of
course, we mean the elasticity of space or the Available now at Drive Thru RPG
'fabric' of space. The methods employed are Buy now! Click the link below
generally sketchy, but rarely involve super-massive http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=602&sort=xa&page=3
gamma ray events of the kind I've described above.

Miguel Alcubierre, the Mexican physicist responsible

for solving Einstein's gravitational equations, has
proposed a gravity wave drive, or 'warp drive' which
does allow for faster than light space flight and this
could also, conceivably, be produced using the
space warping effects of a gamma ray burst event of
the kind I've described above. In this instance the
explosion would be managed in much the same way
as a TNT shape charge, detonating a 'designer'
gravity wave with all the parameters of the
Alcubierre warp.

For more information on this particular type of

gravity wave, take a look at this link:

http://www.npl.washington.edu/AV/altvw81.html

Next issue I'll be taking a sidelong look at aliens,

including likely physiologies and body chemistry,
society types, appearances and habitats.

www.hadesgate.co.uk
Tales From The Wood
Beyond Belief Games $3.25 pdf
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/catalog/product_in
fo.php?products_id=19942
Take the Animals of Farthing Wood,
Watership Down and virtually any book by
William Horwood of Duncton Wood fame,
squish them all into a highly unethical food
processer, blend 'em about a bit then spill
the contents into an RPG pie and you have
something closely resembling, but possibly
not exactly like, Tales From The Wood.
Before you meta-
guess my thoughts,
this is not going to be
one of those cynical,
21st century, hard-ass
type reviews. In fact,
though TFTW may be
cuter than a care-bear
and you're more likely
to want to snuggle up
with it in front of a
nice weepy movie
than go roleplaying
with it, I got a real
kick out of this title
and I think maybe you
will too. No, really.
Alongside so many
dark and solemn rpgs; Vampire, Werewolf,
WoD, d20 Modern, the dreary, blood
spattered list goes on, a title like Tales
From the Wood with its cheery smile and
cotton wool edges cuts a conspicuous
figure on the eBook shelf, but don't let that
put you off. Whether you're a newcomer to
roleplaying games, a seasoned veteran with
a sarcastic streak sharp enough to slice
atoms, a tree-hugging commie, or a
youngster interested in having some
thoughtful fun with a group of like minded
friends: TFTW embraces you all!
So what does a typical game of TFTW entail?
Players are encouraged to play the 'goodly'
creatures of the wood: mouse, rabbit, vole,
squirrel and hedgehog, known collectively
as the Creatures of the Way. That's ok if you
like your game squeeky clean but if not, you
could reverse the unwritten rule and play a
Creature of the Bane. Together with your
animal chums (other players) and a
gamesmaster (inexplicably referred to as
the gamekeeper) you create 'Tales',
essentially adventures in which you get to
explore the various locations in the wood,
rub up against the predatory nastiness of
the Bane and generally have a jolly good
romp in mother nature's leafy loveliness.
And when was the last time you got to do
that?
The character generation and gameplay
rules are spartan but solid. Players who like
their rules sophisticated and mind-
buggeringly complicated will certainly be
found wanting. Nevertheless, what there is
suffices and for newcomers to roleplay, or
for younger players, this is an ideal rather
than a fault. I also imagine this title will
appeal to those players who like their rules
thin on the ground and their dice rolls rarer
still, so a good move on the part of the
author, even if it was incidental to their own
preference. The six traits, which are
effectively attributes trying to look like
traits and failing dismally, cover toughness,
sturdiness, nimbleness, craftiness,
fierceness and alertness. The trait 'value' is
added to dice rolls and governs the
outcome of actions. Advancement in
modifiers.. urm.. I mean traits, comes from
spending exp which are earned during
adventur... Tales. Yes. You're right. I'm
getting cynical and I said I wouldn't. Must be
looking at all those smudgy little pencil
sketches of voles and rabbits. I'll try harder!
Abilities are also very limited, but again, this
serves well to cater to the title's target
audience and is a nice way to introduce
younger players to the more complicated
rules systems of grown up RPG. A selection
of lores, wood lore, marsh lore, tunnel lore
etc. act to bolster the slim character sheet.
Then there are the interesting lores you'll
look forward to exploring, like 'Contact Pan'
(god of the forest, in case you didn't already
know), and, wait for it, 'Gnome Lore'.
Here we cross a threshold of sorts. Believing
animals can have little personalities is one
thing. Believing animals can speak to one
another and have adventures, well, that's
another. Believing in gnomes- well now
that's probably one too many... ah, what the
hey. Ok. So the wood has gnomes too, and
you can play them or utilise their 'gnome
skills' which, if you don't mind me saying,
are particularly groovy (what other rpg do
you know that allows brewing as a skill?)
Action outcomes are decided using
'contested' or 'uncontested' rolls very much
along the d20 line - d6 for actions using a
lore you don't have, d10 for actions using a
lore you do. A neat idea sidestepping the -4
penalty of d20. A 'Task Difficulty' level (for
Task Difficulty read DC methinks) is set by
the Gamekeeper for uncontested rolls. The
die is rolled and a trait score added.
Predictably, contested rolls are those where
an opponent provides a resistance factor. I'll
let you see if you can guess how these
actions are decided.
An interesting facet is the use of tooth and
claw, or combat. Fighting is to be avoided, if
you choose to obey the author and play
only Creatures of the Way, because the
player animals are small, fragile and cute,
while their enemies, almost always
predatory, are large, ferocious and hungry.
Battle is described as a "mad blur of activity,
where the creatures are in a tangle of fur,
teeth and claws." Damage is regulated using
a severity chart, producing a type of
successful attack rather than a hit-dice of
lost points. Each type comes with a penalty
modifier which is subsequently applied to
all ability rolls- so -1 for a scratch, -3 for a
lost limb and so on. A fresh approach and a
welcome diversion from the previous rules
which are so obviously based on d20.
So what's this Way and Bane you've been
hearing so much about? More than religion
and something far more intriguing than
alignment. I'll leave it to you to discover
more when you go down to the woods and
take a look for yourself.
Further to the content, some thought has
been given to layout. Landscape and
portrait pdfs are provided, allowing the
buyer to print whichever type they prefer.
Half the pdf is dedicated to the gamekeeper
and provides plenty of charts, information,
tables and creature descriptions. Plus a
creature creation system, one or two
adventures and a rather splendid map of
the wood itself have been included. The
map is also supplied as a seperate pdf.
Not everything is sunshine and buttercups,
however. Graphically TFTW is uninspiring.
The line of trees motif at the top and
bottom of every page will start to get on
your nerves after a while, as will the
inadequate spacing around pictures and
within text boxes. Some readers might also
find the black text on dark green text boxes
something of an eye-strain. Some of the
sketches are better than others, some are
worse than they should be, particularly as
their only function seems to be to let down
the writing and create awkward line breaks.
That said, ignore the above paragraph if
you can. There's so much going for Tales
From the Wood that to judge it on the merit
of a few sketches and some fumbled
graphic design would be tantamount to
criminal. So if you're bored with the
traditional output of small press publishers
and looking for something a little different,
take a nibble and see what you think.
Art: 4/10 - nice sketches, irritating graphic
design.
Resolution: 8/10 - Text lovely and crisp but
some of the imagery is a trifle smudgy.
Writing: 7/10 - Juddery in a few places, very
decent overall.
Content: 8/10 - One of the most original
RPGs you'll ever play.
System Relevance - 8/10 - an in-house
system lacking in depth but sufficient
enough for this style of game.
Value For Money - 8/10 - Reduced from its
original price, which was too high. $3.25 is
perfect for a small press item of this calibre.
Overall: 8/10 - As unique as they come,
well thought out, possibly too cute for some
and certainly lacking in the eye-candy
department, but highly recommended
nonetheless!
[Su Hope]
Scarred lands
Gazetteer: Ghelspad
Sword & Sorcery Studios (White Wolf)
Stephan Wieck & Stewart Wieck
$4.95 pdf
http://www.drivethrustuff.com/catalog/product_i
nfo.php?products_id=3293
The first thing I noticed, apart from the
garish colours on the cover, was the fact
that this is obviously a scanned version of
the book, complete with reflections and
pieces of dust! This is also the pre-d20
version, so no d20 logo or open game
licence content. Instead it claims 100%
compatibility with 3rd edition rules.
dangerous beast; perhaps the network of
cave is a route into the interior of the
Titanshome Mountains? ”
This complete entry also illustrates some of
the clumsy prose. (And spot the typo!)

After the front and back covers, some Chapter Five: Organisations, is better,
monochrome illustrations of national giving more details on the major groups
heraldry and the credits page, we finally oper ati
ngi nGhel spad.Thegr oup’ shi st
ory,
come to Chapter One: History of the Scarred main players, and a few relevant pieces of
Lands. Calling it a chapter is perhaps a little information are given. Enough, on balance,
ambitious. A few paragraphs outline the to give the GMs a start without overloading
Titans, the ascendancy of the gods and the them with facts.
following battle. Not exactly in depth.
Chapter six: Cosmos and
Chapt erTwo:Hi storyoft heGhel spadi sn’ta Cosmology. The gods and
lot longer at two pages, and is printed to Titans are described here,
look like parchment. Black text on a grey each entry giving the
backgr oundi sn’texact l
yeasyont heeye.I t name, titles, a few words
cover saper iodof150year s,whichi sn’ t of history etc, their
really a lot, only seven major events in fact. domains and holy symbol.
The chapter also includes a two page map, Could have been longer,
again in monochrome and mostly redundant but all the main points are
as a bigger map is included at the end. covered. Next, a short
section on the Planes of
The next chapter; Nations and City States, is Existence, should and
a bit meatier, listing the major players in could have been removed,
the politics of Ghelspad. Each section covers or at least expanded.
the main details of these areas; the gods Enough is already written
worshipped, the capital and other major about the Planes else-
cities, the present ruler and form of where.
government, population composition
percentages, and allies and enemies, Lastly, 15 brightly coloured pages join
followed by a brief paragraph containing together to form a map of Ghelspad. Here,
further information, history, famous figures the origins of the file are most evident.
etc. This chapter needed to be longer. They really should have cleaned the glass
There's no information about the daily lives before scanning the book!
of the people for instance, something most
GMs would find useful. Overall then, not a bad book but not great
either. The presentation is poor, the price
Chapter Four: Topography of Ghelspad. This too high, and the title is not sufficiently
chapter lists all the major geographical original nor detailed enough to cater to
locations in Ghelspad. These are grouped most GMs.
together in categories; forests, hills, islands
etc, which is a strange way of doing it. Each Art: 6/10. Ok, but the presentation lets it
location is briefly described with a few down.
pieces of relevant information. Again this Resolution: 4/10. It is readable, but only
section is far too short, most descriptions just in places.
only one paragraph long. Here if nowhere Writing: 7/10. Sometimes a little clumsy.
else, GMs need more details, this is the Not the most original stuff.
world the players are going to inhabit after System Relevance: 6/10. The lack of
all. specific detail at least makes it flexible, but
itdoesn’ taddt oorexpandt her ul
esi nany
Lookatt hi
sexampl e.“Gluttonous Caves: way.
Virtually nothing can be said of these caves. Value for money: 4/10. The PDF is more
There is no record of recent, known instance than half the price of the actual book.
of anyone penetratingmor et hanas hout’
s Overall: 5/10
length into the caverns and successfully [Steve Dean]
returning. Perhaps the caves house a
 Dungeon Tactics: shadow stalker whose favoured weapon of
The Fighter choice is the cut-throat dagger). Where the
whirling dervish (enters a fight and leaves as
Fat Dragon Games
quickly as possible), the honourbound
Kevin Stephens $2 pdf
(restricted by codes of ethics and tradition),
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/catalog/product_in
the tavern-brawler, the soldier, the dungeon
fo.php?products_id=23325
specialist for goodness sake!
I'm a huge fan of Fat Dragon Games' EZ
In short, it's too short. Huge potential hides
Dungeons which are among the best 3D
beneath the lavish surface of this OGC
dungeons in the cardstock biz. Ok, WWG
supplement which, for once, provides d20
probably steal the crown 9 times out of 10,
fans with something genuinely useful. Fat
but for purist design and user-friendability, EZ
Dragon have squandered an opportunity to
takes gold for me every time. Unfortunately,
create something really rather groovy.
this isn't a review for EZ Dungeons, but a look
Whether they ran out of time, interest,
at FD’ slatest release in a non-tile category:
patience or all of the above remains unclear,
Dungeon Tactics, The Fighter - so I'd best get
but 21 pages (3 of which contain copyright
to the point.
and license information) was a bus stop shy of
the final destination if you ask this reviewer.
Graphically, Dungeon Tactics
is like a particularly ripe
Most disappointing of all is the glaring lack of
apple: crisp and delicious! A
any dungeon tactics! Where is this chapter?
clean cut, full colour layout
Did it drop off the end of the PDF? Did I only
gives the eye something to
download half the file? The title promises so
look at while the brain
much, yet delivers only half the promise.
devours the content, black
There's the fighter, yes, I read that bit. Now
text on a parchment
how does he relate to the dungeon? How does
background plus a
a fighter approach a closed door (behind
sumptuous border of regal
which traps are sure to lie), how does he deal
blue makes for an easy read.
with close combat in cramped tunnels. How
On to the content...
does he prefer his marching order in single
file corridors. How would a group of fighters
We start with instant
use army-style formations to beat large foes.
disappointment. A simple
What about Instincts and feats a
misplaced word, which is the
dungeoneering fighter should consider crucial
sort of thing many small
if he wants to reach the age of consent before
press developers overlook, thinking readers
some dungeon dwelling bastard lops his head
won't mind. The thing is guys, we do mind.
off. Where is all this stuff? As a keen
This may be a low priced title. It may be the
dungeoneer myself, and a player of more than
work of non-professionals (notice I didn't say
the odd fighter I was really rather looking
amateurs!) but that's no excuse. Two words:
forward to snagging a few insider tips,
spell check. Two more words: copy proof. Nuff
learning a new trick or two, and generally
said.
mopping up the gravy of dungeon tactics with
a nice floppy piece of fighter bread. And to
Despite the odd glitch, the layout in bullet
this end, I am afraid my overall opinion of
format is user-friendly and there's plenty here
Dungeon Tactics: The Fighter, is, possibly
for the player to use. Think of a fighter-only
unfairly, soured, despite the decent overall
d20 chapter, with helpful guides on choosing
score below.
the right weapons, the right feats and the
right race to suit your intended character's
Art: 8/10 - glorious use of colour, crisp and
needs and you have Dungeon Tactics: The
clear. Not quite sure why the front cover is
Fighter pretty much wrapped up in a nutshell.
seperate, but it is a nice front cover.
(I thought it was a ripe apple - ed)
Resolution: 10/10 - perfect
Writing: 4/10 - knowledgeable stuff, let down
Some suggested career paths for fighters are
by the syntax and much much too short.
concisely covered in three categories: the
System Relevance: 9/10 - at last, a useful d20
Shredder (high Dex, prefers close melee and
supplement!
blades, blades, blades), the Swiss Army Knife
Value For Money: 7/10 - well, it’ scheapi f
(decent STR and DEX. High armour class and
that ’
swhatyoumean.
focus on proficiency in a specific weapon) and
the Skull Splitter (BIG strength, BIG weapon). Overall: 7/10 - An extremely promising idea,
Each category has some great recommend- with some high end visuals and some on-the-
ations on feats, development, weapons use ball d20 advice, but waaaaay too short and
and abilities. But three just doesn't seem apparently missing the chapter I was most
enough. Where is the charismatic fighter looking forward to reading.
(handsome devil whose charm is his greatest [Nick Davis]
offensive?) Where the back-stabber (sneaky

All opinions expressed are those of individual reviewers and not necessarily those of Wyvern. All files for review should be sent to
balrogsbane@foreverpeoplerpg.com Be warned- reviews are honest and frank. We do not promise glowing reviews in return for the file
you send us. All reviews are accompanied by a clickable link to a pdf, hard-print or POD URL where the reader can buy your product.
Order your copy of 2006's must-have RPG accessory,
Monstrous Manuorl - The Cursed Rune Toilet of
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Midwar is our regular column for players
and GMs using the Middlemist fantasy
campaign setting from Forever People.
The Sacred Swords
'Kynswerd'
By David Sharrock
Kynswerd is the second of the Middlemist
blades sacred to the forces of good and
sought after by the forces of evil. The blade
of Caspian Azakdum, leader of the famous
Black Hand army, is one of the artefacts
craved by cultists of the Bleak Revival. When
Kynswerd and the other two blades
symbolising Nirgal's defeat at Thurm are
smelted down it is said the seven component
parts of Nirgal, adrift and powerless on the
continent of Middlemist, will converge and
bring about the resurection of the evil
demon lord himself.
The history of Kynswerd is sketchy, but most
scholars, particularly those who have studied
the histories of Svarnaard, believe the sword
is actually Dermethor, a sword fashioned
from a shed scale of the giant dragon Neotip
by the fashion smiths of Minaqua around
4000pn. In his crusade against the Abysmal
denizens of the north in 3999pn, King
Epilogue of Svarnaard is said to have seized
this powerful sword from the hands of an
evil Minaquan warlord and used in in
subsequent campaigns.
Epilogue and his blade 'Ghronmake' (the
same sword by a different name) is widely
credited with wiping out the medusa race at
around this time, a feat many believe would
have been impossible without the divine
power of the dragon-scale blade.
Ghronmake was passed down through the
generations of Epilogue's family until 2740pn
when the indomitable armies of the Salom
empire swept across Svarnaard and
destroyed feudal law. The Epilogues were
slaughtered, their palaces and castles looted.
Ghronmake was returned to Urmshiem as a
soldier's spoil of war then sold to a merchant
for a princely sum. The sword was
subsequently bought by the rich minister of
Moslam where the sword was kept until the
fall of the empire in 2240pn and the
conquering elves of Elvritshella transformed
the city into a new elven enclave of the land
known as Misty Burg. The sword was taken
by the elves who recognised the divinity of
the blade, and gifted the sword to the newly
Middlemist is now available as a one-off Big Meg file or as a series of smaller filesize eBooks. Get the core book free
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=361&products_id=12294
appointed human king of Azellindor in the
country soon to become Mistleburg. The
sword, known as Mythaeloress (commonly
but mistakenly translated as Myth Sword by
humans) by the elves and the humans of
south Mistleburg, was gifted to the majister
of the newly founded city of Kynshire and
renamed Kynswerd (blade of friends),
symbolising the unity of men within
Mistleburg and in particular, the uniting of
human strength across the band of the
Cragfires; at this time, a region still nervous
of festering imperial powers in the west.
When the Black Hand army of Kynshire were
founded to defend the city from such powers
in the full season 2200pn, Kynswerd was
given to Captain Carrolla Fordstem and
subsequently passed on to every succeeding
captain.
Without a doubt, the sword's most famous
owner has been Captain Caspian Ourke
Azakdum, more commonly known as Caspian
Azakdum of the Black Hand. During the
Nirgal wars, Caspain Azakdum led his men
against the goblin hordes encroaching upon
Elvritshella. He and his men marched out of
Kynshire and across the Cragfires to meet
the goblins in battle at Travelmeet Hill. Here
the bloodiest conflict of the war took place,
with vast losses on both sides and the virtual
destruction of the Travelmeet town at the
mouth of Trollstone Pass. The battle marked
a pivotal moment in the war against the evil
demon lord Nirgal, without which the goblin
invaders marching south along the river of
Mist might have overwhelmed the elven
domain of Elvritshella and possibly even
captured the Heart Stone itself.
For his courage, Azakdum was awarded
permanent ownership of Kynswerd. He
returned home to Kynshire a hero, but
vowed to return to Trollstone one day to
honour the memory of the fallen heroes of
Travelmeet Hill. He did so in 30an, settling
permanently on the site of the old
Travelmeet town where now stands the
tavern of Azakdum's Drift, run by Therogar
Azakdum, direct descendant of the famous
warrior of Kynshire.
The sword hangs on the wall behind the bar
of this tavern, though few who see the sword
know they are gazing upon the fabled
Kynswerd, a blade once weilded by a king
and used to slay the last of the foul
medusae.
David Sharrock presents the spells of
Merlin, court wizard of Uther Pendragon
and advisor to King Arthur Pendragon of
Camelot.
Celtic Fog
Behold, as the fires of the enemy blaze, so
billows forth the smoke of flame and tinder.
Cast forth the words of command and watch
as the smoke becomes a great wraith of
smog, broiling across the enemy ranks and
chalking their foreground from view.
Under such eery cover can the knights of
righteous justice ride forth unseen, closing
the field of battle before the morn of war to
meet the enemy within their tents.
Beware the words of command and know
this: the element of surprise belongs only to
the bold of heart and wise of mind. Give
advantage to callous buffoons at your peril,
for the celtic warlords of old command the
nature of the smog and may turn to embroil
you in their wrath should your deeds smite
the bloodline of a future lord of the realm.
The Changeling Mask
To change the face of a man to that of
another is to change the nature of the world.
Lest we forget- the world was forged by the
mighty mind of god, and though we
magicians may toy with the melodrama of
creation, to change nature itself is to become
a god, and gods are rare in the hallowed
halls of the world beyond. Most will burn for
their thoughtless acts as mortal men, for
who are we to out-think that greatest
intellect of universal lore.
The face of a man is the mask he must wear
during his time in the nether world of Earth.
The flare of his nostrils, the rake of his
beard, the furrow of his brow and the line of
his hair; all are unique and may we know him
by these things. Witness the elderly hag
scurrying from the path of a burly man with
anger raging upon his face. Witness the
doting wife, smiling as she gazes upon the
handsome visage of her beau. A face doth
maketh the man in the eyes of men, and
when the face changes, the way of the world
changes alongside.
Further: the changeling mask will drain the
magician of his powers, leaving him unfit and
exposed to the perils of his enemies. Use the
mask only in times of direst need, or not at
all if you fear your god.
The Heart of Men
Who shall be a king among men? Who shall
be a squire among knights or a thief among
serfs. To know the heart of a man is to know
the man, more thoroughly than any woman
may know her lover, or any mother may
know her son.
Use with wise rarity this glimmering spell
into the secrets of humanity, for what you
see may leave you scarred and frightened by
the true ways of the world. The hearts of
many men are dark indeed, though the
deeds of the man may suggest otherwise.
Beware to glimpse the truth of a friend upon
whose familiar visage you may never glance
again without fear or trepidation. Beware
further to glimpse the true nature of your
king. For a dark truth in his heart may mean
the suffering of an age, and who but you can
strive to fix what is not known. Many lives of
many magicians have been lost combating
the hidden evils of 'great men'.
The Code of Wisdom
Not a spell, but a way. In the progress of a
magician's life, many great men will come to
him and request the secrets of the art.
Others will request favours great and small.
These are yours to give, for why else would a
man choose to unleash the fire of the dragon
within his own belly? Why else would a man
choose the scrutiny of the lizardine eye over
a bland life of oats and farms, squires and
taxation? We magicians stand tall above
lesser humanity, for we are evolved. But our
gifts should never be rendered freely. For
those organs beating in our taloned grasp;
the small feeble hearts of learning men,
should be taught and taught well, lest they
make a hideous mess of the world they rule.
All favours must carry a price. And the
greater the favour, the greater the price! Do
not shy from pain, for pain is the greatest
learning device a man may suffer. Inflict such
demands with a sound conscience. One day
your client will thank you for the lesson you
have taught.
Mould the world with the prices you charge.
Do not fail to petty economies or the favour
of sword-arms. We magicians have no need
of stamped coin, or jagged knife. We possess
the strength of the dragon, and live upon a
higher plain. Instead, forge ahead the will of
your own vision. We have all seen our own
destiny, or we would not be wizards. We
have all uttered the command words and
seen the green eye of the lizard staring into
the abyss of our souls. We know what must
one day come, and we know our own part in
the execution of fate. Cast favour, but
charge pain and use the results to sculpt the
world you know must one day be.
Light of the Celt
Not all spells pre-ordain the future of
humanity. Not all magics thread through the
destiny of this green and pleasant land. The
light of the Celt is a simple use of the words
of command and will grant you radiance
beyond the light of the sun.
As students of alchemy will know, all light
cast is cast by the sun; be that daylight or
moon-light, whose oft gibous glow is merely
the reflection of the sun's hidden glory. Fire
light is an energy provided by the beating
rays of the sun, without which this world
would be a cold, unfluttering heart adrift in a
black cast of unknown sea.
The light of the Celt would illuminate such a
sea, for this light comes not from the sun
but the essence of the magician's soul. It is
the light of righteousness, deflected from a
world we all must some day know, for now
rendered atop wooden staff, or glowing orb,
with the banal intent of lighting a darkened
path or nightly passage.
Be humbled by this light, every time you cast,
for it represents the face of god himself. But
do not show your fear to those who bow
before the sudden blaze. You are their
shepherd and they are your charge. They
look to you for courage and you must show
them you are unimpressed by such an
unearthly glow.
Longevity
The righteous magician shall live for a
thousand years or more. I myself am ten
thousand years old, though my life on far
shores before these days in which we live is
forgotten to me now.
Be a strong and righteous guidance to the
learning vassals of man and longevity will be
yours without hindrance. But embrace
cruelty and shun altruism in all its many
forms and you will shrivel faster than a
corpse. In your wizened form, with broken
back, ragged legs and skin as thin as rankled
parchment will you prevail. At the end you
shall turn to dust, but your mind will go on.
Thus is the curse of the immortal magician
who uses the words of command without
wisdom.
Yes, pitiful one, there are
magics to combat the
deteriorating state of a
withering wizard. But
have you not listened to
a word I've said? You
may youthifiy yourself,
you may make of your-
self a vision of beauty,
to beguil prince and
princess and send
mortal men and women
shuffling on their knees
with lust. But what of
the day when your well
of cruelty is spent and
your enemies confront
you at the gate of justice. When your magic
is focused on survival alone, you will turn
once more to the true semblance of your
inner voice! Men and women alike will flee in
horror as the years tumble down and turn an
image of beauty into a monstrous tableux.
Scrabbling back the years will tax you
beyond your means and your ears will ring
with the laughter of the dragon. For
ultimately, he claims the souls of the wicked,
and yours is his for the keeping. All you have
now is dust and a loosened mind, floating
and impotent on the winds of the world.
David Sharrock is the founding member of
Forever People. He is currently earning a meagre
living as a freelance writer and storyboard artist.
His latest published work is the Fellowship of the
Witching Hour monograph, a Call of Cthulhu
adventure available from the Chaosium website at:
http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?pr
oducts_id=869
 Available now at Drive Thru RPG
Buy now! Click the link below
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/catalog/index.php?manufacturers_id=361

Visit our forum and get the Middlemist Core Book plus all back issues of Wyvern absolutely FREE
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 A one-off adventure by Steve Dean. The Fortress of Arcatroo is a generic fantasy scenario for
four to eight characters of levels 3 to 5. It requires little background other than a belief in holy relics
and the existence of Goblins and Ogres, (or similar) in the game world.
Story
A group of adventurers are travelling through the
badlands when they hear the sound of sobbing
from somewhere off the path. Following a shallow
ravine, they come across the prone form of a small
figure, dressed in flowing robes. He looks only
slightly injured, but is gripping a boulder and
crying into his sleeve.
Upon greeting him, the figure startles and looks
up, studying the group with little interest beyond
checking for obvious threats.
If talked to calmly he will sit up and tell his story,
hesitantly at first.
His name is Ganmisc, and he is a cleric. He was
travelling to a distant shrine to deliver a holy relic,
when he and his party were attacked by Goblins.
His compatriots fought with honour but were cut
down by the Goblins. To his shame, Ganmisc ran,
and kept on running until he fell here. As far as he
knows, the Goblins have taken everything,
includi ng the r elic.He’ sf airl
y sur et hey won’ t thef or t
know what it is.
With guilt lying heavy on his shoulders, the cleric
begs the party to find and retrieve the missing
relic, then to help him deliver it to the shrine. He
promises the party they can have everything else
recovered from the Goblins, he only wants the
relic.
Eagerly, Ganmisc will lead the party back to the
wagon on which they were travelling. Although he
ran for some miles, the trail across the badlands is
fairly easy to follow as he moved in a relatively
straight line, and without much care for covering
his tracks.
Optionally the GM can insert an encounter here. A
small band of Goblin hunters have followed the
trail looking for the runaway.
The PCs soon find the wagon, battered and
surrounded by dead clerics. Their bodies have
been hacked about pretty badly, after death in
some cases. Anything useful has been taken. The
rest is covered in blood and gore. Each wagon
wheel has had a few spokes ruined, rendering it
useless. There is no sign of the two draught
horses used to pull the wagon.
If the group have a search round they find the
Goblins have made a mistake in taking the horses,
the heavy beasts have left a clear trail across the
scrubby moorland.
After a few days of travel, the party see a large
building in the distance. As they near they realise
i
t’saf ortress.Thet rai
lleads straight to it. Some
of the party members may know a little of this
place.
Arcatroo is a small fortress built by a forgotten
military leader as a base from which to strike out
against the evil Goblins that infest the badlands. It
is said that during the early years the army based
there was very successful, wiping out a large
proportion of Goblins, Ogres, bandits and other
low life within fifty miles of the fort. And then the
creatures changed tactics and began ambushing
ress’ssuppl ylines.Ast heywer esodi stant
from the nearest major settlement, these raids
were quickly effective, and the army were forced
to abandon the place when the food and arrows
ran out.
Ironically, the fort is now inhabited by the very
creatures it was built to help destroy.
The fortress has an outer wall with four towers, all
stone built. There is a wooden gate tightly closed
and a stone keep standing centrally within. The
inner walls and floors and ceilings are all made of
wood. The walls are three floors high and the
towers four.
There is smoke rising from the courtyard but no
other sign of life. If the PCs watch long enough,
they will see a group of around a dozen Goblins
emerge from the gate and run off in a seemingly
random direction.
When the group approach to within a few hundred
yards, Ganmisc will get very excited and say he
can “ feel
” the pr esence of t he r elic, it is
somewhere within.
GM’
s Not
es
If the PCs scout out the area, dragging Ganmisc
with them, they will discover that the relic is
somewhere at the top of the tower on the right
above the gate. They will also find that the
fortress has been mistreated and neglected by its
new owners. A crack has appeared in the tower
wall to the left of the gate, causing many stone
blocks to tumble to the ground, leaving a gap that
has been only partially covered. It is an easy climb
to the first floor, more difficult to the second, and
tricky but possible to ascend to the third. The
ground floor cannot be accessed here.
The first floor is barricaded with a table and a
large barrel, which could be moved but which
would make a noise. Beyond is a small landing
with cracked stone steps leading up and down.
The second floor has a broken loophole through
which the characters could squeeze. A set of stairs
spiral up and down from a small landing here.
The third floor has a window that was once
barred, but is now gaping. Within is a circular
room with a set of spiral stairs going down and
iron rungs set in the far wall that lead to a hatch in
the roof.
A crenellated wall surrounds the tower roof, there
is a hatch in the wooden floor and not much else.
If the players take the first floor entrance, there is
a good chance they will make a noise whilst
moving the barricade. If they do it will attract the
attention of the four Goblin guards in the room
beyond, and the four others in the room beyond
the next floor. They will investigate, but not too
cautiously as they feel secure within the fortress.
If the second floor is taken, they can enter
relatively silently. If they go down further than the
first floor they will emerge at ground level within
the fortress, where several dozen goblins are
gathered around a crude fire pit roasting a
draught horse. This should stop them going any
further, if not they will probably all die!
The third floor can also be entered quietly, but the
ascent may be a bit noisier. If they make enough
sound it will attract the two Goblins on the wall
and the four in the room on the floor below.
A room lies beyond a door on the first floor,
running to a loop-holed wall that looks out onto
the gateway. Four goblins sit here around a table,
playing a game of Bones, for bones. They ar en’t
particularly observant but have good ears and
aren’t stupi d.They,as ar e al
lthe guards,ar e
armed with stabbing spears, daggers and darts.
Their armour is patched leather studded with
various metal plates, coins and rivets. They each
carry a pouch containing mixed coins to 20gp
value and a vial of poison. Below this room is a
storage area of little interest.
The second floor runs across the length of the fort
to the other tower. Several murder holes are
positioned in the floor above the gate. This room
contains eight goblins, four of which are asleep by
the murder holes, two are arm-wrestling on a
small table with nails in it. The other two are
wandering up and down, occasionally eyeing up
the roasting horse. Both of these floors have
planked roofs and ceilings through which any
noise louder than speech can be heard.
The third floor is an open walkway on the top of
the wall. The stone side is crenellated and is four
feet high to the lowest part. There is a wooden
floor and handrail on the other side. Two Goblins
stand guard here, both staring at the charring
horse flesh and salivating.
The PCs can shoot or cast at the Goblin guards
from the roof of the tower, but will only get one
chance. If the characters are discovered, the
guar dswon’ tbehear dabovet hesoundsf r
om t
he
feast, but their running steps along the boards
may get the attention of the guards below, which
in turn may get that of those further down!
If the group come this way, the characters can
crawl alongside the stone wall and avoid being
seen by the feasting Goblins in the courtyard.
The group may decide to cross to
the right hand tower by going
through the second floor room.
The sound of battle will certainly
bring all the guards running, from
above and below, but none of the
feasting Goblins will notice. Unless
the players do something really
stupid!
If the group make it across to the
other tower, via the stairs in the
right hand tower or the walkway,
they will enter a circular room
identical to the one on the other
side. Within is a stone plinth
on which rests a wicker basket.
Ganmisc will rush towards it at
this point if not restrained.
A chain hangs from the ceiling,
the other end of which is
attached to an ancient and battle
scarred Ogre via an iron collar.
The chain allows him to reach
every part of the room but not
to leave it. He is armed with two heavy punch
daggers and is wearing chain mail over leather,
both patchy but serviceable. He carries nothing of
value.
If the group attack him he will bellow an alarm and
rush to do the same. Any surviving Goblins will
immediately run to join the combat.
If the group hold back, the Ogre will study them
for a while, then point to the chain and make
breaking signs. The PCs will soon catch on, if they
release him he will stay quiet.
Meanwhile, Ganmisc has removed the basket and
set it on the floor, he is now talking to what the
group assume is the relic. Incredibly,i t’
s
answering back!

The relic is the magically preserved head of the

myst i
cY’ klaf,andisst illverymuch “ al
ive.”

Although a holy relic, the head has a lot to say on

the subject of his rescue, and will demand to be
left alone. He will say he doesn’ twantt obe
rescued by a bunch of skinny youths and an ugly
cleric, he will criticise their actions, methods, dress
sense and weapons skills. He brags about how
only he can do anything right and demands to be
puti nchar ge.I fhi sdemandsar en’tmet, he says,
he’ llscream.Thegr oupnow know whyt her eli
c
was put up here out of the way!

Ganmi scwon’ tallow t her el

ict obegagged,and
magi cwon’ twor kont hehead.Reasoni ngwi t
h
Y’klafwi llquiethi mf orawhi le,especially if
anyone agrees with him. The only way to keep him
silent is to cast a silence spell on the basket or
other container, then put him in it. Of course the
spell will then move with the object.

The journey out, if they go the same way as they

came in, will be uneventful, unless they make a
noise moving the table on the first floor. The Ogre
will fight any Goblins encountered, and can only
escape via the first floor.

It is possible, therefore, to enter the fortress and

reclaim the relic without bloodshed, if brains,
tactics and a little magic are used.

Now all the group have to do is deal with a rude

talking head, a nervous cleric and an ancient but
grateful Ogre!

Steve Dean is the author of Wayland Snowball and the Soul Keepers novel.
Buy both books right now from www.amazon.co.uk orv isi
tthepubl i
sher’
swebsi te:www.hadesgate.co.uk

Matty Rhea and Suzanna Hope present
Hooked for players of modern era /
supernatural thriller style RPG
7-11
Late one night, the group stop by a 7/11 to
stock up on supplies. A large car screeches to
a stop next to the store and five masked
robbers jump out. They brandish shotguns
and hold up the store. They shoot the shop
owner dead when he pulls a gun from behind
the counter. On the way out the robbers pull
off their hoods. The player characters are
stunned to see versions of themselves
jumping into the getaway car and driving off.
When the store is checked, it seems the
doppleganger robbers took nothing from the
shop. Instead they took a medallion from a
chain around the shop-owners neck. The shop-
owner ’swi feinsiststhatthemedal li
onwasa
trinket, not worth a dime. One of the NPC
characters adventuring with the player party
has a sudden thought. He pulls out a small
talisman from his pocket. He was given the
talisman many years ago by his grandfather. It
resembles a strange symbol contained in a
half circle. The shop-owner’swi f
esaysthe
talisman matches her dead husband’ s
medal li
onper fectl
y,exceptherhusband’ swas
the opposite way around.
When quizzed, the NPC admits that the
talisman comes with a peculiar story, which he
never gave much thought until now. It is
apparently one half of a whole and when his
grandfather handed down the heirloom he
laughed and told the NPC never to let the
talisman come into contact with its missing
other-half. This, he chuckled, was a message
passed on from his own father, and his father
before him. It was something of a family joke.
“What ”theyoungNPChadasked,“ willhappen
if the two pieces of the talisman ever come
toget her ?
”
“Oh,”hisgr andfatherhadl aughed,“ I’
m not
sure. But you can be certain it will be Earth-
shattering!”
Rendezvou
Rendezvouss With Ro
Romma
Out of the shadows creeps a strange looking
man with pale skin. He gives the adventurers
as many plane tickets as they need, not
uttering a word, then turns and is gone into
the night. If the PCs try to follow him, he has
apparently vanished without trace.
The plane tickets, dated for departure from
the nearest airport the very next day, are for
a one way flight to Romania.
If the PCs take the risk and catch the flight,
they are treated to a first class trip with
champagne, strawberries and cream, a foot
massage and any other optional extras
provided by the airline.
They are met in Romania by a limosene
which takes them high into the Carpathian
mountains. They arrive at a huge castle
where they are met by the strange pale man.
He apologises for the mysterious manner in
which he lured them to his homeland, but he
wanted to make sure the group were risk-
takers. You see, he has heard of the PCs and
hel ikeswhathe’ shear d.But the job he has
in mind for them will require extraordinary
risks. Only the most courageous should
agree to enter the castle and hear what the
strange man has to say.
Gone Fishing
One morning one of the PCs wakes to find an
envelope has been posted through his/her
letterbox. Nothing unusual about that.
Except that inside this envelope is a one
dollar bill and a small scrap of paper which
says. Library: Catcher In The Rye: Page 2.
If the PC visits the local library and locates
Catcher in the Rye then opens the book to
page 2, a five dollar bill falls out, along with
another scrap of paper. This one reads: park
bench, brown box, hurry.
If the PC goes to the nearest park and
searches under all the benches, he/she finds
a brown box containing a twenty dollar bill
and another scrap of paper! The riddle this
time gives a street name and a list of letters
andnumber st hent hesinglewor d’exhaust ’ .
If the PC goes to the street in question and
locates the car with a license plate matching
the list of letters and numbers then looks in
the car ’st ailpipet heywi l
lfindaone
hundred dollar bill and another scrap of
paper. This one reads: town hall, five o-clock,
on the steps.
The PC will no doubt expect an even greater
reward this time. But when they arrive at the
town hall and start to scour the steps, the
front doors open and the mayor comes out,
accompanied by an entourage of
bodyguards. Suddenly a shot rings out and
the mayor falls to the ground, a single bullet
hole in his head. The shocked PC may
continue their search for the money and the
next note, but they will find nothing.
The next day a shaken PC awakes to find
another envelope has been posted through
their door. This one contains no money, only
a note which reads: orphanage on main
street, 5 o clock, kaboom!
Seri al Waste
Serial
The PCs are called in by local law
enforcement who have heard of their knack
for dealing with the supernatural. They have
a problem.
The town has been plagued lately by a spate
of bizarre serial killings in which the corpse
is beheaded and drained of blood. All the
victims have one thing in common. They all
live within spitting distance of the local trash
recycling centre.
The PCs investigate the centre which is a
huge area of wasteland covered in endless
mounds of trash and waste, compacted down
by great big trucks with massive wheels. The
trash hills are then landscaped over.
The group interview workers at the centre
and find them all to be strangely nervous.
One eventually approaches the group, out of
work hours. He tells them he has something
to say, but that he could not say it at work
for fear of losing his job. Nobody will speak
of this matter in front of the bosses who
would fire them in a second.
Most of the workers at the centre have their
suspicions about the killer. For a while he
wassi mpl yknownas‘ RaggedJ ack’, a funny
looking homeless guy who was often seen
rummaging around the waste. But Ragged
Jack has since made himself something of a
home in the recyc. centre. If the PCs persist
with their questioning, the worker will direct
them to a spot where the piled trash is at its
thickest. Here the group will discover some
kind of cave entrance to tunnels burrowed
deep into the trash. Down there, in a
stinking lair of rats, foul waste and flies, lives
Ragged Jack - or at least, and as the worker
puts it, ‘
thet hingt hatRaggedJ ackhas
become’ .
Logor
Logorythms
ythms
The PCs are called to invesitage bizarre
goings on at a wood mill. Local land is being
steadily deforested, the huge tree trunks
felled then floated in their thousands down
river to be processed at a new wood mill.
The owners of the mill are beside themselves
when the PCs finally arrive. They called the
PCst hemsel vesduet ot he’ incompet ence’of
the local sheriff. The local sheriff is in the
office when the PCs arrive. He is of native
American Indian descent and seems to stand
aloof of all proceedings.I tseemst her e’s
been something of a log jamb further up
river, the tree trunks piling up behind the
jamb.
Why not just remove the cause of the jamb?
Because theredoesn’ tseem tobeone.
Indeed, when the PCs are taken to look at
the jamb they see nothing, only a huge
mound of piled up logs, one atop the other.
Meanwhile the river flows onward.
Close inspection reveals an even greater
mystery. If the PCs climb onto the top of the
log jamb and look around there, they
accidentally nudge up against some kind of
invisible wall. And this, apparently, is what
prevents the logs moving freely. The sheriff
refuses to comment. He just nods sagely and
gestures to the forest, as if this were some
kind of answer.
Lost in Translation
The party are approached by a man who
cannot talk. He scrawls down in a notepad
that he wants to hire the group to find his
voice. He lost it as a soldier in Vietnam. He
played a game of Russian Roulette in a
Saigon betting hall and lost. Before pulling
the trigger he prayed out loud ’ ifthisisa
bullet, take anything but my life! ’According
to the man, a voice from behind answered,
‘sobei t.”The gun sounded a report but no
bullet came out and the man lived, though
he hasn’ tspokensi nce.He insists that when
he turned around afterward, he saw a
Vietnamese gentleman smiling at him,
placing something in his wallet and walking
away.
 Steve Dean continues our guide to alternative starting points for new games
Beneath the City
An alternative starting point for zero or low
level characters.
PLAYER INTRODUCTION
To be read aloud by the GM:
Your ears are ringing and thick dust has
almost blinded you. Experimentally you
move, and find yourself lying on your back,
whole but unable to move. Carefully you rub
your eyes, blinking furiously to restore at
least some of your vision. Sitting up, you
look around. The heavy weight across your
lower body turns out to be an armoured
man, his head twisted unnaturally and his
blood soaking your clothes. With some effort
you manage to roll the body off and stand,
using the fallen man’ sHal ber dasal ever .
The cloud of dust is dispersing on the wind
now, revealing a scene of utter carnage.
Around you figures are moving, their moans
and cries getting louder as the buzzing in
your ears begins to lessen. A gaping hole
has opened up in what was the street in
front of you. You move among the bodies,
but most are beyond help.
The buildings either side are smoking ruins,
those further away windowless, one or two
are on fire. People of all kinds stand around
the periphery of the damage, staring,
stunned, crying.
Then you remember the procession. The
armoured figures gleaming in the afternoon
sun, pennants flapping in the light breeze.
The royal bodyguard in their polished leather
cuirasses, the royal symbol embossed deeply
on each proud chest.
And the happy crowds standing shoulder to
shoulder, craning to get a better view.
Then she appeared, the queen, regal and
resplendent in fine silks and priceless jewels.
Atop her horse she rode so that all could
see, the purest, largest white destrier in the
whole kingdom. Everyone cheered, everyone.
The queen, saviour of the city, wise ruler and
gentle healer.
And then this, a noise so loud it went beyond
hearing, the street erupted from below as if
some foul demon had escaped from the
gates of Hades.
You panic, the queen! Where is the queen?
Frantically you search, and realise others are
doing the same. People of all shapes and
sizes, some of them little more than walking
dead, stumble around calling for the queen.
A patch of white catches your eye. Within the
hole lies the horse, no longer white but
brown and black and bloody. And sprawled
across it, thrown there by some quirk of fate,
is the body of her majesty.
Without thought for your own safety, you
jump down into the hole, leaping across
debris and smashed corpses, fire and smoke
all around.
“Her e!”youshout ,“hereshei s,pleasehel p!
”
The queen looks up at you, her eyes clouded.
She’ sal i
ve!Shet ri
est ospeak,but only
manages a barely heard whisper. You lean
closer ,shespeaksagai n.“Fi
ndt hem,don’ t
lett hem dest roymypeopl e.
”Thel astfew
seconds of her life tick away. She sighs, a
trickle of rich red blood runs from her
mouth. She is dead.
Other people are gathering around now, but
you scarcely notice. A deep anger is building
up within. Although you are young and
untrained you make a vow on the honour of
the queen and the city. You will find those
responsible or die trying.
Many others are milling around now,
uninjured folk who were too far from the
blast to be hurt.
The halberd is still in your hand. It feels
good there. Tears run down your face,
leaving cleaner tracks in your grimy skin and
clearing you vision.
You look around wondering what to do next.
Other people are gathering around now, but
you scarcely notice. A deep anger is building
up within. Although you are young and
untrained you make a vow on the honour of
the queen and the city. You will find those
responsible or die trying.

Many others are milling around now,

uninjured folk who were too far from the
blast to be hurt.

The halberd is still in your hand. It feels

good there. Tears run down your face,
leaving cleaner tracks in your grimy skin and
clearing you vision.

You look around wondering what to do next.

And there on the side wall of the collapsed
street is a hole, lower than the sewers, but
definitely not natural. It seems a good place
to start. Stumbling, but more determined
every second, you set off to avenge your
queen and city. As you look behind, you are ONLINE DOG FIGHTS AND WAR
surprised to see several other people have BE THE BEST AND WIN UP TO $600!
had the same idea. A motley assortment of Play by clicking below and help keep Wyvern free!
characters, all with tears in their eyes, gather
http://www.foreverpeoplerpg.com/affiliateaceshigh.htm
up what weapons and items they can find
andf oll
ow yourl ead…

GAMESMASTER INFORMATION

This is obviously where the party step in,

meeting for the first time. Several NPCs are
present at this point, a mix of city militia and
normal citizens.

The GM should thin these out a few at a

time, through injury and lack of stamina.
Some of the better equipped NPCs will give
the party their armour and weapons, if
necessary, and maybe even a word or two of
advise.

Within the hole, the PCs find evidence that

some kind of creature has created a tunnel,
almost certainly bursting forth from this hole
to assassinate the queen. There is a strange
chemical smell here, suggestive of burning
oil. The tunnel leads downwards and joins
another tunnel, which winds under the city
wall.

Next issue: Steve Dean presents The Lonely

Tower, the final part of the Location,
Location, Location series.

Order by clicking below and help keep Wyvern free!

http://www.foreverpeoplerpg.com/affiliatepokeorder.htm

An ale and a chat at the cut-throat
Black Squid Inn. This month we lurk
in a side booth with a fine view of
the nefarious docklands and share
an ale with Steve Wieck of White
Wolf. Steve opens up on the subject
ofDr iveThr uRPG andRPG Now’ s union of both existing sites. Currently, RPGNow has features
controversial merger and tells us
what he thinks the merger will
mean for fans of RPG pdfs.
Wyvern: Most fans of the two websites in
question know by now that Drive Thru and
RPG Now have joined forces, but what
prompted the decision to merge the two
sites? Was it a single phone-call deal or
has this plan been in the pipeline for a
while now?
SW: The merger was all about offering the
widest possible selection of RPG
titles to the widest possible audience.
James at RPGNow and I have been
talking about the possibility of a business
combination since before we
even started DriveThruRPG, but it wasn't
until this year that we felt
like it was the right time to move ahead.
Wyvern: Establishing first the well known
premise that most people dislike change,
how have buyers and publishers reacted
so far? Honestly :)
SW: RPG fans seem to appreciate the
greater selection now available to them on their preferred
site. Purchases so far certainly reflect that.
Also, fans can now support community sites like RPGnet and
EN World by making their purchases at the stores we operate
in partnership with those great sites.
Most publishers are happy with the merger. PDF or eBook
sales are growing rapidly but they are still a small percentage
of many print publishers' sales. The merger lets our publisher
partners keep the convenience of working with one partner
while knowing that we will help them reach the broadest
possible market and continue to aggressively market to new
fans.
In merging the businesses, we had to compare the policies
at RPGNow to the policies at DriveThruRPG and where there
were differences, determine which policy we wanted to keep.
A few publishers are unhappy about some of our decisions
and our plans, and we are listening to their feedback and still
making changes.
Certainly the biggest concern from publishers is that the
combined reach of RPGNow, DriveThruRPG, EN World, RPGnet,
and other partners we will announce soon makes it seem like
we are becoming a dominant force in the niche submarket of
RPG downloads. Before the merger we were dedicated to
growing the market and I think we have succeeded in doing
that. After the merger, we will continue to be dedicated to
that goal to the ultimate benefit of RPG fans and RPG
publishers, but some publishers are concerned that we will
screw up or try to screw them over or any number of other
things.
Wyvern: Is it true that RPG Now and Drive Thru will be
combined into one 'super' PDF download site? If so, what
qualities (design, mechanics, member options etc.) of the two
current sites do you hope to transfer into the new entity?
SW: The answer is both yes and no. For the next 6 months or
so, our coding team will be working on a new site platform
which we have simply codenamed "Sex", because it's the
that DriveThruRPG does not, and vice versa. In order to have
the best Sex possible, Sex will not only combine the best
features of both sites but also offer several new features.
For example, we will be adding a whole array of international
options to Sex. We really have not done a great job yet of
making it easy for fans outside North America to use the
sites. Sex will be available to fans in several languages and
will allow fans to pay for (rpg downloads at) Sex with lots of
options like Solo, Carte Bleu, and direct debit options that are
a lot easier for fans in Europe.
Upon the initial climatic release of Sex, we will run both
DriveThruRPG and RPGNow on the Sex platform, but the sites
will still retain their own identities. Sex will allow us to
customize sales and promotions at each site to better
showcase fans of each site the RPG titles we think they want
to find. Similarly, Sex will also power the stores we operate
for EN World, RPGNet and other partners, and will allow us to
customize the store with each partner. Not every partner will
want the same Sex... (tell me about it- ed)
Wyvern: Anything new we can look forward to in “
Sex”that
we don't have already?
SW: For starters the rest of the Wizards of the Coast titles
should be up over the next few months. Together with
Wizards we had planned to have these up months ago, but we
hit some road bumps extracting a lot of titles from Wizard's
archives. We will reach the goal though of having all but the
core rulebooks available for D&D 3.0 and 3.5 available for
download.
 We continue to play around
with Sex right now, both in
terms of site designs and
feature sets for initial
release, so I can't comment
on those things right now
because they are still in flux
for at least the next month.

Wyvern: RPG Edge is no

longer available. Does this mean the amateur
end of the self-publishing spectrum will be
rubbing shoulders with the daunting likes
of Wizards, Chaosium and ICE? If so how do
you see this panning out in the long term,
both from a buyer and publisher point of
view?

SW: A big buzzword in business right now is

"Long Tail" which was popularized by the
book of the same name from a Wired
magazine editor.
The concept basically speaks to businesses
like OneBookShelf or i-Tunes, where the crux
of the business is helping thousands of fans
select from thousands of offerings to find the
ones they will enjoy the most.
A large appeal of a site like RPGNow is that
you can find thousands of RPG titles that you
cannot find in print, mostly from indie press,
so those offerings will always be an import-
ant part of what we focus our energy upon.
At the same time, as the RPG download
market grows, it is only natural that the
larger publishers offer their titles to fans via
download. That helps expand the download
market but also gives indie publishers more
competition for the RPG fan's dollar.

Wyvern: Sounds admirable. And what about

POD? If, as is being proposed, print on
demand services become cheaper and more
widely available to the self publishing
creative in the next few years, how do you
see this affecting the PDF market and One
Book Shelf particularly? Any plans to embrace
POD options as a part of the new site?

SW: Currently POD is all bark but no bite,

well, ok it's like a Chihuahua-sized nibble.
Few things offer such promise as POD, yet it
has delivered so little so far. RPGNow has had
a cutting edge POD service available for
some time, but few publishers choose to take
part and few fans choose to buy those titles.
As we get into Sex, POD won't see much
emphasis. RPGNow has helped some
publishers use POD to get into traditional
hobby distribution and retail and that
program has shown some promise and will
continue.

Wyvern: In the hope of providing our small

press readers with an inside scoop, what
seems to be popular these days in RPG
downloads, and what seems to be falling flat?

Continued on page 38...

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9. Str. importantly, how you can giveaway poser.
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12. Elf Bolt into your future RPG. abstract this issue, but more than one at
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15. Span
17. Howl
All New Adventure Good luck! 6. Ate mustard at
ten and changed
Riddle A special, one off festive I was born in 1906, a into something
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We had a
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can end your gaming season
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previous ragged weapon I
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To remind you, magazine called Wierd m/affiliatepokeorder.htm) 15. At last,
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Reveal and this is certainly true of correctly and win.
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remove the PLUS MORE FROM: turned out to be quite 18. Short for the
not a Pokemon
central disc to popular. road and short for
HOOKED character: Pikachu,
discover the the gut, but
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Take reveal and GRAVEN
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 SW: The best publishers stay
pretty in tune with the
trends and watch the
hot-sellers and best-sellers
lists on sites. So let me just
speak to a couple areas that
I don't see getting enough
attention.
One area that I think could be better
explored are timely tie-in titles to
entertainment areas that get hot due to
other mediums. For example, the movie 300
is looking to be gooberifically awesome. As
an RPG fan, I'd love to come out of the movie
all jazzed up and then a day later see a one-
shot adventure offering on DriveThruRPG
that lets me play through some sort of
Spartan adventure where I kick some serious
Persian ass.

Looking at what Hollywood and video game

blockbusters are coming in the next year
could give publishers several ideas of good
titles to release contemporaneously with
those releases.

I also believe that publishers have not yet

explored all of the technological options that
PDFs have available. MWP recently released
adventure path books where the PDF is
completely HTML linked to jump to your next
reading section to continue the adventure
once you make your path decision. We have
in the past seen releases with dynamically
changing adventure stats to easily customize
the adventure for different character levels.
We should be seeing publishers ally with
mood music companies to let GMs running
an adventure off their laptops play some
mood music appropriate for different
sections of the adventure. These sorts of
projects can create buzz among RPG
download fans simply because they are
evolving the medium, and are the types of
titles we would like to throw support behind.

Wyvern: Finally, which would you say has a

more defining effect on the development of
the RPG market and in particular the future
of that market? Publishers or buyers?

SW: Ultimately, it will be the buyers who

decide, and that mostly by how they spend
their entertainment time and dollars. There
are nine thousand titles now available from
OneBookShelf sites to RPG fans, so there's no
shortage of choice. The question is how will
fans continue to embrace this hobby in
addition to other things like MMO's and
raising kids.

http://www.rpgnow.com
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