Hints for D&D Judges

"Hints for D&D Judges" was a series of articles published in The Strategic Review and The Dragon, contributed by Joe Fischer, a player in the original Greyhawk campaign, and the creator of the ranger class (from The Strategic Review #2).

Update (Sept 23, 2020) - Joe Fischer was also president of the gaming club at Badger High School in Lake Geneva, as recounted by Skip Williams, in an interview by Dan and James on Grogtalk, episode 63.  Skip was also a classmate of Ernie Gygax.


Part 1: Towns (published in The Strategic Review #7)

In the first instalment, Fischer describes the necessity for a base of operations, where equipment can be bought, and players can stay, in between dungeon expeditions.  These functions were met by The City of Greyhawk, in the original Greyhawk campaign.

For town adventures, basic details are needed (population, location, government) as well as a few prominent NPCs.

A map is also required, divided into quarters, using standard graph paper (a scale of 1 square = 20 feet is suggested), and possibly color-coded (as both The Town of Blackmoor and City of Greyhawk were).  EPT's "Jakala" is given as a notable example.

Much else mentioned in this article is drawn from OD&D vol. 3 "The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures".


Part 2:  Wilderness (published in The Dragon #1)

The second instalment provides a step-by-step guide on how to draw a wilderness map, what colors and symbols to use, etc.


Part 3: The Dungeons (published in the Dragon #2)

The third instalment is the most interesting, partly because of a glimpse into the original Greyhawk campaign:

True, the famous game of Gary Gygax and Rob Kuntz is built around and under Greyhawk Castle, but this is far from being the only entrance. Besides the castle, I have discovered an entrance through an old dry cistern and another entrance that is under a pool of quicksand, and even an entrance in a simple hole in the ground.

There is a table for randomly determined traps (some fairly nasty) and suggestions for inspiration from fiction (such as "The Weird of Avoosl Wuthoqquan" by Clark Ashton Smith).

Concerning Pipe-Weed.  Illustration by Jim Holloway.

A list of new magic items is given, including Hobbits' Pipe, Pipeweed of Tranquility, Pipeweed of Stoning, Pipeweed of Illusion, and the (tongue-in-cheek) Pipeweed of Acapulco; Ring of Magic Missiles; Bag of Infinite Wealth; Helm of Forgetfulness; Ring of Infravision.

Fischer goes on to describe a few genre-mixing ideas for special adventures:

One of the most interesting adventures I’ve ever had dealt mainly with the idea of what would happen if a knight in shining was suddenly transported aboard the “Santa Maria” on its way to discover America.  To carry this idea further, you can create all sorts of strange areas; have a wizard suddenly find himself on the Normandy Beaches on D-Day, a Patriarch who finds himself as a stowaway on the nuclear powered U.S.S. Nautilus on its shakedown cruise, or even a Lord who finds himself on the banks of the Little Big Horn and sees a column of blueclad cavalry figures riding towards him.

There is mention of additional works of fiction as inspiration:

The favourite books of the judge can be turned into parts of the castle, or worlds that adventurers can be transported to, like Larry Niven’s Ringworld, Tolkien’s Moria, Clark Aston Smith’s Hyperborea, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Lost World, or Fritz Leiber’s Newhon.

As well as for creating special monsters:

When it comes to ordinary monsters for guarding normal treasures, D & D, Greyhawk, Blackmoor, and the Creature Features in The Dragon have everything you need.  But when it comes to those special treasures, then look to the fantasy writers like H.P. Lovecraft and his gods and demi-gods to help you.  Or the terrible sand worms of Frank Herbert’s Dune.  And if you can’t find enough in the field of fantasy, then check out the science-fiction writers of today.  Like Larry Niven’s “Puppeteers,” Dickson’s “Dorsai,” H.G. Wells’ Martians, or the creatures and peoples of the Star Trek Series.  (How would you like to be walking down a corridor in the dungeons and be transported to another strange looking corridor, on the “Starship Enterprise”?  With a tall humanoid with pointed ears saying “Highly illogical”?)  Or even worse is not using fiction at all, but fact.  In other words your players could find the Bermuda Triangle and what causes it!

Part 4: The Campaign

A fourth instalment, with ideas for developing a campaign, was mentioned in Part 2, but never published.  I suspect that much of part 4 was incorporated into part 3.

The Strategic Review #7

"The Strategic Review" served as "the newsletter of Tactical Studies Rules" and covered topics in military miniatures, games, and swords & sorcery.  Vol 2, No 2 (April, 1976) was released in March, 1976 (24 pages).

The Strategic Review #7 (April, 1976).  Cover illustration by David Sutherland, from the back cover to "Classic Warfare".

In The Cauldron:

We learn of the formation of TSR Periodicals, and the splitting of "The Strategic Review" into "The Dragon" devoted to S&S, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and RPG, and "Little Wars" (which only lasted 12 issues) devoted to the established types and periods of wargaming.

There are also announcements regarding the hiring of David Megarry, designer of Dungeon!, Mike Carr, designer of Fight in the Skies (FITS), and David Sutherland, whose black and white illustrations helped to define the look of early D&D.

Some recommendations are given for music to play by:

Music is capable of setting the mood for any endeavor, and playing D&D is no exception.  If the music is good enough, it can add immeasurably to the expedition/adventure, and sometimes helps keep rowdy parties quieter and more manageable.  Rick Wakeman has two albums that are particularly noteworthy in that respect; they also treat the listener to some good fantasy in their own right.  The two I refer to are "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "Myths and Legends Surrounding King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table."  Another of his that is suitable is "The Six Wives of Henry VIII."  Another artist is also worth mention, in that his music is very apropos to dungeoneering.  I refer to Bo Hansson, and his two works: "Music Inspired by the Lord of the Rings" and "Magicians Hat".

We also have the endorsement of a new comic book:

There is an excellent "underground" comic that has made a significant contribution to S&S out now.  It purports to be 24 issues in length, in its entirety, and may set a new trend in story telling.  I refer to FIRST KINGDOM, by Jack Katz.  The first three volumes are now available, and well worth looking for on your stands.

I remember seeing advertisements for "The First Kingdom" in Bud Plant's comics catalogue.  The post-apocalyptic fantasy setting might have influenced the conception of Greyhawk.  Katz is credited with promoting the early "graphic novel" format.

The Dungeons & Dragons Magic System:

Article by Gary Gygax, establishing the Vancian underpinnings to D&D magic.

Four basic parts to spell casting are described: verbal/uttered, somatic/physical, psychic/mental, and material adjuncts.  These would be codified as the verbal, somatic, and material components necessary for spell casting in AD&D.

Six types of spells are defined: the alteration of existing substance; the creation of new substance; the changing of normal functions of mind and/or body; the addition of new functions to mind and/or body; summoning and/or commanding existing entities; and creating new entities.

These categories informed the development of the types of spells in AD&D, namely alteration (the alteration of existing substance), evocation (the creation of new substance), enchantment/charm, necromantic (the changing of normal functions of mind and/or body), divination, abjuration (the addition of new functions to mind and/or body) conjuration/summoning (summoning and/or commanding existing entities), and illusion/phantasm (creating new entities).

For a comprehensive discussion on the types of spells in AD&D (there are several different combinations of the above categories, with two additional "unique" categories), see this thread on "Magic Taxonomic System Analysis" on Dragonsfoot.

Mapping the Dungeons:

A description of "The Character Archaic", by Wee Warriors:

There is a new playing aid available that has to be one of the finest accessories on the market.  The craftsmanship, design, printing and graphics are superior to a lot of GAMES on the market.  It was designed by Pete and Judy Kerestan, and illustrated by Brad Schenck.  We are now the exclusive dealers for it, and find it hard to convey objectively, that it’s darn good, and we’d say the same if we didn’t carry it!  We’re referring to the CHARACTER ARCHAIC.  It contains character sheets for six mages, three clerics and sixteen fighter-types.  While the first sample didn’t have any, we have been assured that there will be character sheets for ladies in each.  In the fighter-types, there are specimens of all the races.  It also contains the WIZARD’S TOMB, a map for solitaire exploitation, a combat reference sheet, for transcribing all the data pertinent to fighting, a sheet for noting creature encounters, and a non-player character roll call.  In short, this nicely packaged bit of goods is the answer to the hassles of correlating all your data, characters, etc.  The best thing is that it is equally useful for BOTH EPT and D & D!!  For the paltry price, it is a steal . . .

What Price Gold & Glory?

A well-written piece of D&D-inspired short fiction, by Jim Hayes.  There is a good description of the workings of a reincarnation spell.  A party of adventurers are attacked by giant scorpions, in an attempt to retrieve a cache of treasure, including an enchanted sword.

Mighty Magic Miscellany:

Three new magic items, contributed by Neal Healey.  The Cup and Talisman of Akbar (a potion-generating chalice), the Staff of the Priest Kings (the clerical equivalent of a Staff of Wizardry), and the Brazen Bottle (a flask to imprison enchanted creatures).

Creature Features:

A tongue-in-cheek write up for "The Denebian Slime Devil", no doubt inspired by this toss-away reference from an old Star Trek episode.

An adventuring party is put to flight by a catoblepas.  Illustration by Dave Trampier, from the AD&D 1e Players Handbook.

The "Catoblepas" is described, attributed to Steve Marsh in this interview (confirmed, here).  The creature was renamed the "Nekrozon" in the BECMI Master Rules (1985).

The Missile Weapon in Classic Warfare:

Article by Gary Gygax, written for "Classic Warfare" although interesting from a D&D point of view.  The various types of bows are described, as well as the utility of the sling, which only makes its first appearance as a weapon in the AD&D 1e Players Handbook (1978).

Thief Bonuses For Dexterity:

A table submitted by David Klempa which ascribes bonuses to thieves' skills, based on their dexterity score, with increased chances for extraordinary dexterity (subdivided into additional categories, as determined by an percentile roll).

I've never seen this used, but it would certainly make a low-level thief more useful.  I've similarly toyed with giving a bonus to a thief's chances, based on their experience points bonus for high dexterity (5-10%) but never actually tried it.

D&D Is Only As Good As The DM:

An article by Gygax, presented as advice to early DMs.  This would not have been out of place in one of the early modules or rulebooks.

Mention is made of "Dungeons & Beavers" at CalTech, in reference to the Warlock system "where the rules have been expanded and changed to reflect incredibly high levels, comic book characters and spells, and so on."  (The beaver is the CalTech school mascot).

Gygax provides a guide, namely 50-75 games (in the course of a year!) to obtain 9th to 11th level, and states that "no player in either BLACKMOOR or GREYHAWK has risen above 14th level."

The Strategic Review #6

"The Strategic Review" served as "the newsletter of Tactical Studies Rules" and covered topics in military miniatures, games, and swords & sorcery.  Vol 2, No 1 (February, 1976) was released in January, 1976 (16 pages).

The editor is listed as Timothy J. Kask, the AFV editor as Mike Reese, the contributing EPT editor as M.A.R. Barker, and the contributing S&S editor as Steve Marsh.


In The Cauldron:

Three announcements in Tim Kask's column caught my interest, starting with "Classic Warfare" (my son was signed up to play a game, "Fury of the Celts", run by Kevin Maurice, at Gary Con this year, before it got canceled):

CLASSIC WARFARE is now a reality. It has been a project of Gary’s for over seven years, and the finished product shows it.  It is by far the most playable set of rules covering the period available.  It should hold a great deal of interest to those who are not into ancient miniatures, but do have an interest in ancient military history.  The second half of the book “Historical Characteristics” is chock-full of fascinating data and minutiae that is in itself enough to get you bitten by the ancients bug...

There is also an oblique reference to the development of the "Swords & Spells" supplement:

We are pleased to announce that we have reached agreement with MINI-FIGS, LTD., on a brand new line of D&D figures.  The line is being designed by both MINI-FIG and TSR, so finally you will have access to castings that look like the monsters we describe.  In conjunction with that, we are also working on a set of D&D tabletop rules for figures.  They will enable you to do on table top outdoor adventures, as well as army battles, and plan campaigns accordingly.

Finally, there are announcements regarding Dave Arneson and Mike Carr:

TSR continues to expand. Dave Arneson has joined us in Lake Geneva, full time, and has assumed the mantle of Research Director.  Mike Carr, of FIGHT IN THE SKIES fame, will be joining us not long from now.  He will become our controller, and hopefully help us get our act together better.  We are looking forward to the addition of both these talented people to our "family", and it augurs very well, for you, our supporters... 

The Meaning of Law and Chaos in Dungeons and Dragons and Their Relationships to Good and Evil:

A seminal article by Gary Gygax, splintering the three-alignment system of original D&D into five alignments, while simultaneously establishing the framework for the nine-alignment system of AD&D, still a couple years away.

Alignment chart from The Strategic Review #6.

Gygax states "had I the opportunity to do D&D over I would have made the whole business very much clearer by differentiating the four categories, and many chaotic creatures would be good, while many lawful creatures would be evil."

In fact, the AD&D Monster Manual (1977) enabled him to do this.  Creatures were assigned one of the five different alignments from this article, in keeping with the rules presented in the Holmes Basic Rulebook (1977) published earlier that year.

The Lawful/Chaotic axis was originally modeled after Poul Anderson's "Three Hearts and Three Lions" (1961) in which Neutrals were "unaligned" (the model used in Chainmail).  Michael Moorcock's idea of Neutrality as seeking balance represents a slight but important nuance.

The Good/Evil axis was apparently suggested to Gygax by Steve Marsh,* according to this article.  This better captured the spirit of heroic fantasy, as represented by J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", and is fittingly perpendicular to Moorcock's cosmology.

*update (May 17, 2020): an excerpt from Marsh's correspondence with Gygax:

Having finished the Hawkmoon/Corum/Erikose/Elric cycle in the old editions, I'm considering reading the new ones (especially the new Elric stories).  A quote from the last of the last books:

... It has sometimes worked for good."

"Chaos is not wholly evil, surely?" said the child. "And neither is Law wholly good. They are primitive divisions, at best - they represent only temperamental differences in individual men and women. There are other elements..."

... "All are primitive," said the child.

And thus we have the last, definitive word on alignments from Michael Moorcock who is responsible for the original set up (tho' not what TSR did with it).  I thought you might like the quote.

Steve Marsh, 1975/76

I find it interesting that "The player-character who continually follows any alignment (save neutrality) to the absolute letter of its definition must eventually move off the chart (Illustration I) and into another plane of existence as indicated."  A paladin could ascend to heaven, in this manner!


The Quest for the Vermillion Volume:

Short fiction in a humorous vein, by Rob Kuntz.  Significant in that it makes references to D&D game mechanics.  I suspect, as with other pieces of short fiction, that its characters and events may have been based on an actual game session.

I found this cartoon interesting, for possibly representing the earliest known depiction of a DM's screen.  A similar cartoon appears in The Strategic Review #7.

War of Wizards:

An update by John W. Berry, with refinements to M.A.R. Barker's "War of Wizards" game, "an extract from...a much longer and more complete compilation of play aids, interpretations, changes and additions to War of Wizards, produced as a result of lengthy conference with Prof. Barker".

There is another article, "War of Wizards Solitaire" by Richard L. Mataka, which provides a system for playing solo games.


Bards:

The original bard class, by Doug Schwegman, was a combination of the Norse "skald", the Celtic "bard", and the Southern European "minstrel".  A fighter with thief skills (level/2), the ability to cast magic-user spells (level/2), and hit dice, attacks, and saving throws as per clerics.

Special abilities include charm with a chance of mesmerizing any creature that can hear his song (including undead, at a penalty of 10% per hit dice!), and lore (reflecting knowledge of legends, magic, etc.) useful for identifying the properties of magic items and intelligent swords.

Interestingly, Schwegman states "Bards and Druids are closely connected and since they both belong to the same sect each must aid the other if they are in need."


Mighty Magic Miscellany:

A description of barding harps, by Doug Schwegman.  These are named after the various bardic colleges, and include the Fochlucan Harp, Mac-Fuirmidh Harp, Doss Lyre, Canaith Lyre, and Cli Mandolin.


New Game, New Strategy:

Ancient Conquest, Excalibre Games, 1975

A description of the "Ancient Conquest" board game, set from 1500 B.C. to the fall of Assyrian power in 612 B.C., involving the Hittites, Assyrians, Egyptians, and Babylonians, among others.  An in-depth review is posted, here.


Sage Advice:

Theronius (Terry Kuntz) provides corrections for the Greyhawk Supplement, with entries for the Homunculus, Golems (Flesh Golem), Rod of Resurrection, Gem of Seeing, and Gauntlets of Dexterity.

The Strategic Review #5

"The Strategic Review" served as "the newsletter of Tactical Studies Rules" and covered topics in military miniatures, games, and swords & sorcery.  Vol. 1, No. 5 (December, 1975) was released in November, 1975 (16 pages).

The editor is listed as Timothy J. Kask, the AFV editor as Mike Reese, and the contributing S&S editor as Steve Marsh.

The Strategic Review #5 (December, 1975).  Cover illustration by Greg Bell.

In The Cauldron:

A column by Tim Kask, formerly "TSR News".  Among the various updates:

Also a little in the future is an EPT-based game on the order of DUNGEON!.  However, the similarity is merely superficial.  It is a really promising game in its own right, played on a beautiful board.

This board game, named "Quest!", was developed, but never published.  I got a chance to play it at Gary Con XI in 2019.  The session was hosted by the game's designer, Bill Hoyt.

Quest!  The Underworld of Tekumel, at Gary Con XI in Lake Geneva, March 2019.  Photograph from the Legends of Wargaming Facebook page. 

I found the game really enjoyable, in the spirit of David Megarry's "Dungeon!", but with creatures from the underworld of Tekumel.

Cover art for the Quest board game, courtesy of Paul Stormberg, with thanks to Bill Hoyt.

Also included in this issue were short biographies of E. Gary Gygax, Brian J. Blume, Robert J. Kuntz, Theron O. Kuntz, and Timothy J. Kask.


Sturmgeshutz and Sorcery:

The orders of battle, situation analysis, and objectives for a confrontation between a German SS Patrol and The Servants of The Gatherer, along with a detailed summary and game analysis, from a mixed Tractics/D&D session, originally mentioned in The Strategic Review #3.

Sturmgeshutz and Sorcery, from The Strategic Review #5.  Illustration by Greg Bell.

The Gatherer, an Evil High Priest (12th level, with +2 armor & shield, snake staff), could easily be repurposed to serve as an OD&D castle wilderness encounter.  His lieutenants are Grustiven the Warlock (8th level magic-user) and the Lama Goocz (7th level cleric).

The Servants of The Gatherer include:

1 Hero (4th level, with +1 armor & shield, +3 sword)
1 Hero (4th level, with +1 armor & shield, +1 spear)
1 Magician (6th level magic-user)
2 mummies
3 ogres
3 ghouls
4 trolls
19 orcs:

4 with axes
6 with swords
6 with spears
3 with bows (51 normal arrows & 9 magic arrows)

1 insectoid pet (equal to Giant Scorpion)

The EHP also commands a force of 200 orcs, led by his "strongest fighters", who are elsewhere at the time of this encounter, warring against a Neutral Lord who insulted him.


Mapping the Dungeons:

More information about a proposed fan-based supplement, originally mentioned in The Strategic Review #4:

We have been kicking around the idea of a readers/players supplement, composed of material submitted to us.  We get stacks of stuff every week from players, and a good deal of it is quite good.  Well, it is impossible to print every bit of it in SR.  We just don't have the space.  And we certainly don't want to discourage future submissions.  So we thought we would select the best material received and print it along with the items printed in SR in a supplement.  Everyone that has a piece printed will have it credited to them, and receive two copies of the supplement as payment.  (The reason for including stuff from SR is that it wouldn't be fair to the already printed authors, because their stuff is definitely good material, and no one gets paid anything more than an extra copy for items used in SR, excepting the pride of seeing their name in print.)  How about a supplement of nothing but magic?  (Spells-only, or items only, or somewhere between?)  Or how about a book of Artifacts and Relics?

Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry, included a new character class (the druid) contributed by Dennis Sustare, but no material previously appearing in The Strategic Review.  There was, however, a section on Artifacts and Relics.

Another idea in the pot is geomorphic dungeon maps.  Let us know what you think of these, and feel free to make additional suggestions.  We want to publish what you want most.

Dungeon Geomorphs Set One: Basic Dungeons, designed by Gary Gygax, was released the following year.  It was followed by Set Two: Caves & Caverns, and Set Three: Lower Dungeons, both published in 1977.  All were in the style of his maps for Greyhawk Castle.


Mighty Magic Miscellany:

Robe of Scintillating Color:

I looked then and saw that his robes, which had seemed white, were not so, but were woven of all colours, and if he moved they shimmered and changed hue so that the eye was bewildered.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

This magic item, with its ability to bedazzle and hypnotize, was presumably inspired by the robes of Saruman of Many Colours.

Prayer Beads:

Several types are described, including Beads of Atonement, Beads of Response, Beads of Damnation, Beads of Karma, Beads of Succor, and Beads of Hindrance.


Wargaming World:

We've heard about a D&D Con on the West coast, but we're a little upset at the advertising he sponsors used.  They claimed that Fritz Leiber was going to be there with "his" dungeon, but when we asked him, he said it was untrue.  Hope none of our loyal D&D fans are duped, so verify before you go, and spare yourself some disappointment.

A brief history of DunDraCon* by Steven Perrin, sets the story straight, here.

*DunDraCon I (Mar, 1976) is where the Bay Area "Perrin Conventions" were introduced.

Creature Features:

Rakshasa:

Based on the rakshasa of Hindu mythology.  Gygax was inspired to create statistics for this creature after watching Horror in the Heights, an episode of "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" (1974-75), according to this En World Thread in July, 2005.

The Slithering Tracker:

Slithering tracker.  Illustration by Bill Willingham.

A nasty creature, able to kill adventurers in their sleep, unless a save vs. paralysis is made.  With only a 5% chance of spotting its transparent body, this can even happen with somebody on watch.  The illustration above was originally posted on Zenopus Archives in March, 2012

The Trapper:

Gygax confirmed that both the Trapper and the Lurker Above were inspired by the Ngóro (“the Whelk”) and the Biridlú (“the Mantle”) respectively, creatures from M.A.R. Barker's "Empire of the Petal Throne", in this En World Thread in October, 2007.

The Strategic Review #4

"The Strategic Review" served as "the newsletter of Tactical Studies Rules" and covered topics in military miniatures, games, and swords & sorcery.  Vol. 1, No. 4 (Winter, 1975) was released in October, 1975 (12 pages).

The editor is listed as E. Gary Gygax, the associate editor as Brian Blume, and the AFV editor as Mike Reese.


TSR News:

Mention is made of new TSR staff members Tim Kask (joining as periodicals editor, starting with the next issue of The Strategic Review), Terry Kuntz (joining as service manager, at work on a "Robin Hood" game, and responsible for rules queries), and Dave Arneson.


Mapping the Dungeons:

The Hyborian Age equivalents of the MiniFigs "Swords & Sorcery" range are listed ("Nordscand" = Vanaheim, Asgard, Hyperborea; "Southland Grasslands Kingdom" = Shem (and possibly Koth); "Bleaklands" = Cimmeria; etc.)

Regarding D&D fan material:

We are also seriously considering the production of a D&D supplement authored by "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ENTHUSIASTS EVERYWHERE", edited by Gygax, Arneson, and possible Kuntz also, for that will be a big job.  Each contribution would be credited to the appropriate author, and contributors would receive several free copies of the booklet.

It's interesting to speculate what such a supplement might have contained.  New character classes (such as the ranger, the illusionist, and the bard) were originally contributed by fans.  Future material would appear as "D&D variants" in The Dragon.

Finally, there is an announcement regarding DunDraCon I (Feb 27-29, 1976) and a listing of several D&D oriented fanzines, including Alarums & Excursions and Great Plains Game Players Newsletter, as well as a Dungeonmaster Listing with early notable game designers.


Castle & Crusade:

A brief article by Gygax, titled "A few more words on medieval pole arms" is included, adding to the previous article on pole arms, published in The Strategic Review #2.  Examples of military forks and holy water sprinklers are given.

*see also "The Nomenclature of Pole Arms" by Gygax in The Dragon #22 (Feb, 1979).

There is also a brief section on Chainmail Weapons Additions, based on material submitted by Steve Marsh concerning Japanese Jo sticks and Bo sticks.  Gygax provides Chainmail statistics for these in comparison to the quarterstaff.


Illusionists:

The illusionist was introduced as a character class in SR#4, in an article contributed by Peter Aronson.  For a fascinating look at the evolution of this sub-class, see "The Complete OD&D Illusionist" on Jon Peterson's blog "Playing at the World" in March, 2019.


Tsolyani Names Without Tears:

Empire of the Petal Throne debuted at Gen Con VIII, in August, 1975.  Professor M.A.R. Barker's article in SR#4 examining names in the Tsolyani language reflects the incredible depth of Barker's imaginative world of Tekumel.


Creature Feature: Clay Golem

Clay Golem, from the AD&D 1e Monster Manual (1977).  Illustration by David Sutherland.

Whereas golems (flesh, stone, iron) in the Greyhawk supplement are created by ultra-powerful (or ultra-knowledgeable) magic-users, clay golems are instead created by lawful clerics (15th level or above), and possess the abilities of a 12 HD earth elemental.

Kask discussed the horror film "It!" (1967) as the source of inspiration for the clay golem, in a post on Dragonsfoot in May, 2010.  The creature in the movie was revealed to be the legendary Golem of Prague, from Jewish folklore.

A similar creature named The Golem, which drew supernatural power from the earth, was published by Marvel Comics, in "The Golem: The Thing That Walks Like a Man", a story arc starting in Strange Tales #174 (June, 1974).


Mighty Magic Miscellany: IOUN Stones

Based on the enigmatic, swirling IOUN stones from the short story "Morreion" by Jack Vance, published in Flashing Swords #1 (Dell, 1973).  Permission was granted by Vance to include the stones as magic items in the D&D game.

The Strategic Review #3

"The Strategic Review" served as "the newsletter of Tactical Studies Rules" and covered topics in military miniatures, games, and swords & sorcery. Vol. 1, No. 3 (Autumn, 1975) was released in July, 1975 (8 pages).


TSR News:

Announcements regarding "TSR Hobbies" a division for marketing miniatures, under Brian Blume's supervision, and "TSR Games" to publish Mike Carr's "Fight in the Skies" (5th ed.) "as well as a super-fun fantasy boardgame in the near future" (in reference to David Megarry's "Dungeon!")

There is mention of M.A.R. Barker’s "Empire of the Petal Throne" to be released around mid-July, "and it will be the ultimate in fantasy gaming", following a teaser for "the upcoming fantasy game "Petal Throne" in the advertisement for "War of Wizards" in SR #2

Finally, there is an early reference to the infamous "Tomb of Horrors":

Meanwhile, we are getting ready to run some D&D tournament games at Origins I, and from what AH says the games will be filled to capacity (but wait until the players find out just how horrible a place they will be “dungeoneering” in!).

Creature Features:

The Strategic Review #3 was described as the upcoming monster "monster" issue in SR #2, as well as in a boxed advertisement on the last page of the 1st printing of the Greyhawk supplement (where "over a dozen new monsters" are promised).

Nine new monsters are described in the "Creature Feature" section, in addition to eight tongue-in-cheek creatures as part of a humorous article by Wesley D. Ives (not covered, below).  Many became instant classics, while others remain obscure:


The Yeti (Abominable Snowman):  These tribal creatures appear in module G2 "The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl", acting as scouts for the frost giants.  They use snow leopards (from the AD&D 1e Monster Manual) as their "hunting dogs" and pets.

The Shambling Mound (or the "Shambler"): Inspired by the comic book creature "The Heap", according to Gygax.  I've always thought that a Shambling Mound would make a good wandering monster for "The Fens" on the wilderness map in module B2 "The Keep on the Borderlands".

The Leprechaun: Included in the Wandering Monster Table in the 1st printing of the Holmes Basic rulebook (July, 1977), but removed in the 2nd printing.  These appear in an illustration by David Sutherland in module B1 "In Search of the Unknown" but don't appear in the adventure.

The Shrieker: Included in the Wandering Monster Table in the 1st printing of the Holmes Basic rulebook (July, 1977).  Removed in the 2nd printing, despite an entry for "Shrieker" being added to the monster section.  These also appear in module B1 "In Search of the Unknown".

The Ghost: Although not "true Undead", these creatures (like phase spiders) are described as ethereal.  I've included the Ghost from SR #3 when running "The Creature of Rhyl", an adventure written for use with the Holmes Basic rules.

Naga: Drawn from East Asian folklore, three types are described, the Guardian Naga (Lawful, "found in sacred places"), the Water Naga (Neutral, living in palaces "deep beneath the surface of large ponds and lakes), and the Spirit Naga (Chaotic, and "totally evil").

The Wind Walker: Described as airy, telepathic, ethereal creatures, living in high mountains, or in deep caverns.  They are sometimes forced into servitude by storm giants.  The only early illustration depicting them is from the AD&D Monster Cards (Set 4) in 1982:

Wind Walker, color illustration by Erol Otus, from the AD&D Monster Cards (Set 4).

Little is known about these creatures, or was even remembered by the man who invented them.  In a post on the Q&A Thread with Gary Gygax on EN World, back in 2004, Gygax stated:

About three years back I was playing in an OAD&D game and a wind walker was encountered.  Damned if I could remember just how to attack the critter effectively, so my PC ran away, managed to escape while it was busy attacking others.

The Piercer: Included in the Wandering Monster Table in the 1st printing of the Holmes Basic rulebook (July, 1977), but removed in the 2nd printing.  These appear, along with a Roper, a Shambling Mound, Shriekers, and a Lurker Above in "The Lost Caverns of Tsojconth".

The Lurker Above: In addition to its use in the Metro Detroit Gamers "The Lost Caverns of Tsojconth" tournament adventure, by Gary Gygax (WinterCon V, 1976), one of these creatures also appears in module G3 "Hall of the Fire Giant King".


Wargaming World:

Cimmerian swordsman, one of the Conan series-inspired "Swords & Sorcery" line from MiniFigs.

We are given an update on the "Conan" line of miniatures by MiniFigs:

In #1 we mentioned a "Conan" line to be released by Miniature Figurines, Ltd, but it is not yet available — quite.  The new range will actually be called "Swords & Sorcery", with over 125 figures initially and they look good.  Although they are not "officially" to be for games based on the Conan series, many of these figures will be ideal for such usage (TSR helped MiniFigs in laying out which figures would be adaptable to such usage, so we know of what we speak).

There is mention of the "Battle Report" newsletter, a fanzine published by the American Wargaming Association.  Issue #4 includes "Dirty Tricks for the Dungeons" a D&D article by Bill Hoyer, a member of the LGTSA.

Finally, Europa 6-8 (April, 1975) is described as being "so thick it took me hours to read through!"  A triple issue, it contains the article "How to Set Up Your Dungeons & Dragons Campaign (Part II of a Series) by Gary Gygax.


Mapping the Dungeons:

A contemporary glimpse into Dave Arneson's "Blackmoor" campaign is given:

Dave (The Fiend) Arneson relates the following: “We had an interesting game this weekend in preparation for the great SUPER-NAZI confrontation. A band of heroes went through the ol’ teleporter, and after mucking around awhile (robbery, kidnapping, murder, rape, etc.) the locals sent the police and army after them. (The Germans thought it was guerrilla activity.) The army finally found the farm they were using as a camp and moved in to search it. While thus busily employed the heroes returned from a foray and ambushed them. It was The Great Svenny, Marty the Elf, Richard the Hairy, and 5 berserkers against 26 soldiers with 2 cars, 2 trucks, 4 light mg’s, 2 motars (60 mm), and the usual bevy of small arms. Marty the Elf and 2 berserkers were killed, while the troops lost 7 KIA and 1 wounded before fleeing — good thing too, for shortly thereafter the remainder of the heroes’ force arrived, 3 magical types and another 12 berserkers! The Nazis will certainly be back in strength, and this will result in a big battle..." The LGTSA fought a somewhat similar action in May, and the German patrol managed to save about one-third of its force. However, a panzerfaust certainly takes a troll out in a hurry, and had the Krauts been alert they might have done pretty well.*  The surviving veterans of such a fantastic confrontation would prove to be stout competition for dungeon adventurers and friends.

*this became the basis of the article "Sturmgeschutz and Sorcery, or How Effective is a Panzerfaust Against a Troll, Heinz?" by Gary Gygax, published in The Strategic Review #5


Deserted Cities of Mars:

Sepia plate by John Allen St. John, frontispiece for Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1920)

The final article in SR #3 is "Deserted Cities of Mars" by Jim Ward, which succeeds in distilling the atmosphere of the abandoned cities described by Burroughs, scattered across the dead sea bottoms of the red planet, and occupied by warlike Tharks and Warhoons.

As written, the piece was no doubt intended for the short lived "Warriors of Mars" game, but could easily be used to help construct a deserted city in a D&D game, for characters transported to the red planet (whether by cursed scroll, or by other means).

Combat Example: The Lone Hero

The "Combat Example" from The Strategic Review #2, written by Gary Gygax, raises more questions about combat mechanics in OD&D than it resolves.  One is also left wondering about the fate of our lone hero.  Let's examine, further.

10 ORCS surprise a lone Hero wandering lost in the dungeons, but the die check reveals they are 30' distant at the time of surprise, so they use their initiative to close to melee distance.  Initiative is now checked.  The Hero scores a 3, plus 1 for his high dexterity, so it is counted 4.  The Orcs score 6, and even a minus 1 for their lack of dexterity (optional) still allows them first attack.  As they outnumber their opponent so heavily it is likely that they will try to over-power him rather than kill, so each hit they score will be counted as attempts to grapple the Hero:

Gygax doesn't specify what constitutes a high dexterity for the purposes of a bonus to initiative, although it might apply to dexterity scores of 15 or greater, when fighters get their dodge/parry bonus to AC (as introduced in the Greyhawk supplement).

The Judges Guild "Ready Ref Sheets" included initiative modifiers for dexterity in their "Weapon Priority" table (reproduced at Zenopus Archives, here).  The D&D Basic Rulebook edited by Tom Moldvay tweaks this, with dexterity scores of 13-17 getting +1, and scores of 18 getting +2.

- Assumed armor of the Hero: Chainmail & Shield -- AC 4.
- Score required to hit AC 4 -- 15 (by monsters with 1 hit die).
- Only 5 Orcs can attack, as they haven't had time to surround.

Assume the following dice scores for the Orcs attacks:
Orc #1 - 06; #2 - 10; #3 - 18; #4 - 20; #5 - 03.

So, why "only 5" Orcs? I think Gygax might have had this table in mind, from the soon to be published Greyhawk supplement, pg 13:

In other words, no orcs are able to attack from behind (although, that implies that up to 8 assailants can attack a single character).

Two of the Orcs have grappled the Hero, and if his score with 4 dice is less than their score with 2 dice he has been pinned helplessly.  If it is a tie they are struggling, with the Hero still on his feet, but he will be unable to defend himself with his weapon.  If the Hero scores higher than the Orcs use the positive difference to throw off his attackers, i.e. the Hero scores 15 and the Orcs scored but 8, so the Hero has tossed both aside, stunning them for 7 turns between them.

This is such a simple, elegant way to resolve unarmed combat, something necessary in running any D&D session.  Having a swarm of humanoids attempt to overwhelm a character or party adds a touch of pulpy "realism" to play.

- Round 2: Initiative goes to the Hero.
- Score required to hit Orcs -- 11 (4th level fighter vs. AC 6).

Assume the following dice score by the Hero.  Note that he is allowed one attack for each of his combat levels as the ratio of one Orc vs. the Hero is 1:4, so this is treated as normal (non-fantastic) melee, as is any combat where the score of one side is a base 1 hit die or less.

Hero: 19; 01; 16; 09. Two out of four blows struck.  There are 8 orcs which can be possibly hit.  An 8-sided die is rolled to determine which have been struck.  Assume a 3 and an 8 are rolled.  Orcs #3 and #8 are diced for to determine their hit points, and they have 3 and 4 points respectively.  Orc #3 takes 6 damage points and is killed.  Orc #8 takes damage point and is able to fight.

- All 7 surviving/non-stunned Orcs are now able to attack.

This illustrates the OD&D approach to multiple attacks.  4th level fighters get 4 attacks/round against creatures of 1 hit die or less, while 8th level fighters get 8 attacks/round against creatures of 1 hit die or less.

Continued attempts to over-power the Hero are assumed, and no less than 4 Orcs are able to attack the Hero from positions where his shield cannot be brought into play, so his AC is there considered 5, and those Orcs which attack from behind add +2 to their hit dice.  In the case it is quite likely that the Orcs will capture the Hero.

If one refers to the table from Greyhawk, below, then 3 of the remaining 7 orcs are attacking the L. Flank, L. Front, and Front positions,* while the other 4 are attacking the R. Front, R. Flank, and 2 Rear positions (the latter 2 adding +2 to their hit rolls, rather than their hit "dice", I gather).

*Incidentally, that means that 2 of the orcs involved in the initial attack should have also been rolling to hit AC 5, rather than AC 4, although this wasn't mentioned.

I've traditionally permitted up to 3 opponents to engage a defender in combat, but should remember to account for a shieldless AC for 2 of the attackers, and a bonus of +2 to hit for 1 of the attackers, attempting to circle behind the defender.

Returning to our lone hero, it's possible to attempt to determine his fate, based upon what we've learned.  Orcs #1-3 need a 15 to hit, orcs #4-5 need a 14 to hit, and orcs #6-7 need a 12 to hit.  Breaking out a couple of dice, this is what I got:

Orc #1 - 06; #2 - 09; #3 - 07; #4 - 04; #5 - 10; #6 - 19; #7 - 07.

Orc #6 was the only one to successfully grapple our hero.  Rolling 4d6, the hero scores 19, and rolling 1d6, the orc scores but 1, so the Hero has tossed orc #6 aside, stunning him for 18 rounds..

Rolling initiative for round #3, the hero gets a 3 (+1=4) and the orcs get a 3, so initiative goes to the hero, on account of his dexterity bonus (that was close).

Hero: 16; 14; 17; 03.  Three out of four blows struck.  There are 6 orcs in the fight.  A 6-sided die is rolled to determine which have been struck.  A 4, a 2, a 5, and a 6 are rolled.  Orcs #4, #2, #5 and #6 are diced for to determine their hit points (rolling 1d6), and they have 2, 6, 4, and 4 points respectively.  Orc #4 takes 5 points and is killed, orc #2 takes 6 points and is killed, orc # 5 takes 6 points and is killed.  Things are looking better for our hero.

All 3 surviving/non-stunned orcs are now able to attack.  They attempt to circle our hero, so that orc #1 will need a 15 to hit, orc #2 will need a 14 to hit (attacking from the right side), and orc #3 will need a 12 to hit (attacking from behind).

Orc #1 - 17; #2 - 5; #3 - 17.

Two of the remaining orcs have grappled the hero.  Rolling 4d6, the hero scores 20, and rolling 2d6, the orcs score 6, so the hero has tossed both aside, stunning them for 14 rounds between them,  There is only 1 orc left standing.

At this point I turned to the morale rules from Chainmail.  1 hit die creatures need to check morale after losing 25% of their numbers.  After 3 rounds of combat, 4 of the orcs lie slain, 5 are stunned.  The remaining orc needs to roll greater than 8 on 2d6.

One might argue that the orc would simply flee, but let's assume a deep hatred for this interloper from the upper world, so he hesitates.  I roll 2d6 - it's a 5.  The orc books it, and our hero lives to continue searching for an exit from the dungeons.

The Strategic Review #2

"The Strategic Review" served as "the newsletter of Tactical Studies Rules" and covered topics in military miniatures, games, and swords & sorcery.  Vol. 1, No. 2 (Summer, 1975) was released in April, 1975 (8 pages).

The editor is listed as E. Gary Gygax, the associate editor (promoted from assistant editor, the previous issue) as Brian Blume.


Donald R. Kaye:

SR #2 was dedicated to the memory of Don Kaye, the co-founder of TSR, with Gary Gygax.  Kaye was only 36 years old when he suffered a heart attack on January 31, 1975.  His untimely death led to the Blume family gaining a two-thirds controlling interest in the company.


Wargaming World:

Upcoming conventions are mentioned, including Avalon Hill's ORIGINS I (Johns Hopkins University, MD; July 25-27, 1975) and TSR's GENCON VIII (Lake Geneva, WI; August 22-24, 1975). Both with quarter-page ads.


Questions Most Frequently Asked About Dungeons & Dragons Rules:

These were the first published clarifications of the D&D rules, dealing with multiple attacks, initiative, unarmed combat, experience points, and spell-casting.

Combat:

"When fantastic combat is taking place there is normally only one exchange of attacks per round, and unless the rules state otherwise, a six-sided die is used to determine how many hit points damage is sustained when an attack succeeds."

"A super hero, for example, would attack eight times only if he were fighting normal men (or creatures basically that strength, i.e., kobolds, goblins, gnomes, dwarves, and so on)."

"Initiative is always checked.  Surprise naturally allows first attack in many cases.  Initiative thereafter is simply a matter of rolling two dice (assuming that is the number of combatants) with the higher score gaining first attack that round.  Dice scores are adjusted for dexterity* and so on."

*the example which follows uses +1 for high dexterity (presumably for characters with dexterity scores of 15 or greater)

Combat Example:  A Hero (4th level fighting man) vs. 10 Orcs

Rules for grappling are explained.  Successful "hits" necessitate a check to determine whether the defender has been pinned.  The hero rolls 4d6 (1 die/level) and compares his total to the 2 orcs who successfully grappled him (2d6, 1 die/orc).  The hero wins and the difference represents the number of combat rounds his opponents are "stunned" (divided among the attackers).

The Hero (4th level fighting man) is permitted 4 attacks per round "one attack for each of his combat levels as the ratio of one Orc* vs. the Hero is 1:4, so this is treated as normal (non-fantastic) melee, as is any combat where the score of one side is a base 1 hit die or less."

*the orcs get a bonus of +2 to hit, when attacking from behind

Experience:

Values for some magic items are given, a 1gp to 1xp ratio is mentioned, and a ratio for monsters based on their hit dice is described.

Spells:

Explicit reference to Vancian spell mechanics "the magic-user gains spells by preparations such as memorizing incantations, and once the spell is spoken that particular memory pattern is gone completely."

"In a similar manner spells are inscribed on a scroll, and as the words are uttered they vanish from the scroll."

Creature Feature: The Roper

The Roper, as portrayed in the Blackmoor supplement (1975).  Illustration by Tracy Lesch.

The roper is described as a yellowish-gray "mass of foul, festering corruption".  Although depicted upright in the above illustration, ropers can stretch out upon the floor "so as to look like nothing more than a hump."

Ropers possess a half-dozen strands of sticky, rope-like excretions, able to strike from 20-50 feet away, causing weakness (50% decrease in strength) in 1-3 rounds (save vs. poison) and slowly dragging victims to their maw, at a rate of 10 feet/round.

Like mind flayers, ropers possess "magical resistance" (at 80%).  The only prior creatures with magical resistance were balrogs, (as discussed here), removed from later printings of the OD&D rules.


Rangers:

The ranger was introduced as a character class in SR #2, modeled after the character of Strider/Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, in an article contributed by Joe Fischer (see also Grognardia in 2009, and Blog of Holding in 2013).


Medieval Pole Arms:

Pole arms from The Strategic Review, Vol. 1, No. 2

Various pole arms were described in the AD&D 1e Players Handbook, as well as Unearthed Arcana.  They were discussed in terms of the "weapon mastery" rules in the D&D Master's Set, edited by Frank Mentzer.

See also "Pole Arms Through the Ages" on Delta's blog in 2015.


TSR News:

Miniature rules for Classic Warfare are announced, to be comprised of 4 booklets (the Era of Chariots (1500 BC - 500 BC), the Era of Phalanxes (500 BC - 150 BC), the Era of Legions (150 BC - 400 AD), and the Era of Iron Riders (400 AD - 900 AD)

Classic Warfare by Gary Gygax (1975)

The rules were ultimately published as a 68-page booklet, covering battles from Dynastic Egypt to the time of Charlemagne, preceding the medieval period covered in the Chainmail rules.  It would be interesting to see what ideas could be mined for a pre-medieval D&D campaign.


War of Wizards:

"WAR OF WIZARDS portrays the final showdown between two powerful magic-users; two men face each other across a space some thirty paces long and ten wide, attacking and defending with their awesome abilities until one lies in the dust, defeated."

War of Wizards by M. A. R. Barker (1975)

A game designed by M.A.R. Barker, the creator of Tekumel.  For more information, see this review on the Tekumel Collecting website.

Update (July 1, 2020): Bill Hoyt describes Katherine Kurtz's novel "Deryni Rising" (1970) as the source of inspiration for "War of Wizards" in a recent interview on "The Hall of Blue Illumination" a podcast dedicated to M.A.R. Barker's world of Tekumel.

The Strategic Review #1

"The Strategic Review" served as "the newsletter of Tactical Studies Rules" and covered topics in military miniatures, games, and swords & sorcery.  Vol. 1, No. 1 (Spring, 1975) was released in January, 1975 (6 pages).

The editor is listed as E. Gary Gygax, the assistant editor as Brian Blume, co-authors of "Warriors of Mars" (released the prior year, for which an advertisement is included).


TSR News:

We learn that TSR has acquired the rights from Guidon Games to publish Chainmail, and that a 3rd edition is to be published (the additional spells in Chainmail 3e were therefore likely drawn from OD&D, not vice versa).

Two companion booklets to Chainmail were mentioned as forthcoming, one dealing with the Crusades, and the other with mythical English Medieval times.  Neither were ultimately released, although would have been interesting to see.


Creature Feature: The Mind Flayer

The dreaded Mind Flayer, as portrayed in the Blackmoor supplement (1975).  Illustration by Tracy Lesch.

The mind flayer was introduced, a creature inspired by the cover illustration for "The Burrowers Beneath" by Brian Lumley according to Gary Gygax, in response to a Q & A thread in 2005.  These brain-devouring creatures quickly became classic D&D villains.

A hit by one of their tentacles penetrates the skull within 1-4 combat "turns" (rounds) at which time their victim is killed (no saving throw) although I've adjudicated that a tentacle can be severed, if sufficient damage is inflicted (see entry for octopi, in the AD&D 1e Monster Manual).

Mind flayers as introduced in SR #1 also possess a raw form of psionics, the "mind blast", a 60' x 50' radius cone of "psi force" with effects determined by the intelligence score of the victim(s) ranging from death to permanent insanity.

Finally, the entry for mind flayers also lists an early example of "magical resistance" (at 90%).  The only prior creatures with magical resistance were balrogs, (as discussed here), removed from later printings of the OD&D rules.


Wargaming World:

Old school dwarf with sword, one of the "Fantastiques" line of Der Kriegspielers miniatures.

We learn that the Hinchliffe line of Martian figures was released in the summer of 1974, the Tolkien-inspired "Fantastiques" line of Der Kriegspielers was being produced, and about a "Conan" series being prepared by MiniFigs.

Fanzines Europa, Great Plains Game Players Newsletter, and Wargamer's Digest, are mentioned, each of which published articles by Gygax (Europa #6-8 (Apr 1975), Great Plains Game Players Newsletter #7 (Apr 1975), Wargamer's Digest vol. 1 no. 7 (May 1974), vol. 2 no. 8, (Jun 1975).

Postal D&D Variant:

A postal D&Ds variant is advertised, combining D&D and Midgard, through the magazine Fantasia, as discussed in this post on the Blog of Holding in 2010.

Update (June 17, 2020): Jon Peterson discusses "Dungeons & Dragons at a Distance: Early Play-By-Mail D&D" on his blog, in May, 2020

Castle & Crusade:

A column for discussing the Chainmail rules, the first installment concerns "The Spear in Man-to-Man Combat" differentiating between the javelin, spear, lance, and pike.


Solo Dungeon Adventures:

The feature article for The Strategic Review #1 involves rules for solo dungeoneering, by Gary Gygax, with a special thanks to George A. Lord.*  Preliminary testing was attributed to Robert Kuntz and Ernest Gygax.

*Jon Peterson discusses "The Invention of Randomly Generated Dungeons" on his blog, in November, 2017

The general architectural features, along with some of the tricks/traps, the gas subtable, and the properties of magic pools, are contemporaneous with the original Greyhawk Castle and El Raja Key dungeons.

A few omissions are noted:

Table I. is missing a line for "11-13" although should presumably read "Turn (see Table IV.)"
Table VI. is missing a line for "12" although should presumably read "Chimney down 1 level, passage continues, check again in 30'
Table VII. is missing a line for "19" but, as with "17-18", could also indicate a gas trap.

This article was later revised and expanded as the basis for Appendix A: Random Dungeon Generation in the AD&D 1e Dungeon Masters Guide.

Solo gaming by means of "Wilderness Adventures" is also mentioned, in apparent reference to general adventures using the "Outdoor Survival" playing board, as described in OD&D vol. 3: The Underworld and Wilderness Adventures.