Polyhedron 001 - GenCon Special
Polyhedron 001 - GenCon Special
RPGA
ISTHIS
SOWHAT grams.and charactercreationinstructionsfor our main
Lwruccampaigns.
ANYWAY? . Morestuff that we did not haveroomfor on this pagel
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We'rehappyyou'reinterestedin the RPGA@ Network,the
largestandbestrole-playingorganizationin the worid.The RPGA
Networkpromotesrole-playingin alLits formsandprovides
PLAYWITH
CAMPAIGN
F
activity centersfor membersto engagein this terrific
NETWORK
RPGA presentsadventures in two qpes, thosefor which
z
hobby.Members playthe best gameswith the bestplayers
charactersareprovidedandthosefor whichyou canbring
all aroundthe world. Throughthis organization,you can
your owncharacter.Adventureswhichallowyou to bring a
get in touch with others who shareyour interests in
characterarepart of a Lrvrwccampaignwhich allowmem-
z' ptaying,designing,and collectinggamesand adventures.
bers to develop charactersas in home roleplaying
Network membersadvocatethe spreadof role-playing,
FO campaigns.We have a variety of Lrvltlc campaignsto
renderserviceto the community,and teach role-piaying
of the hobby. choosefrorn,with morecomingalLthe time. GUILD-LEvEL
games to others,sharingtheir enjoyment in thesecampaigns; in
members havernoreopportunities
RPGAoffers two leveLsof membership,so you can
additionto adventures, there areLive-actiongamesT orga-
choose the onethat bestfits whatyouwantout ofthe roLe-
nizationsfor charactersto join, andother speciaL
activities
playingexperience.
that canhelp developyour character.
RPGAoffersLIVINGCITYTM, the world'slargestongoing
FEllowsutp-LEVEL" IP
MEMBERSH roleplayingcampaign.EnterRavensBluff, a hugefantasy
This level of membershipis FREEto any interested
city in the FoncorrswRrlrus campaign,whereyour AD&D
person.It is a greatwayto try out whatthe Networkhasto
charactercancut deals.fight evil-doers,find fameandfor-
offer and seeif you want to upgradeto the next level.
tune, and perhapslive to a ripe old age.Networkmembers
FELLowsHIP-LEVTL members can:
. Playor judge any sanctionedNetworkadventure.This playtheir owncharactersin LIvINGCItv eventsat conven-
tions aroundthe world. Morethan 3,000activeplayers
includesadventuresat conventions,retail store loca-
nffiEsft?,mnn FORTH€FUTURT
ADV€NTURINq
sayingthat y.e meanthis in a positiveway. The RPGAs the Magesof the Red Cabalhas resultedin the ioss of
themefor this yearis "TheInferno" by Dante,and we are tuchael,chiefwizardamongthe Celestial0rder.TheOrder a=
gearingup to showyou one hellaciousgoodtime. fu you wantsyou to recoverhis lost wandftom the RedMages,or u2
may lcrow, the theme of "The Inferno" is the journey the 0rdercouldbe doomed.Thisadventureis a previewof z
through heLtthat Danteundertookwith his guide,Virgit. the RPGAs 1999 annual adventure. Double RPGA 'z
.o
experience points.RPGAClubDecathlonevent.
Justlike Virgit,wewill guideyou throughlayerafter layer ::
AD&D Feature, three-round elimlnation. A Pirate's
of our program,eachbuilding on the previousones.In a ::
sensewe are actuallyworking our way upward,but "fhe lzle by Tim White, Daniel Lleweilyn,and Jeff Butl. The o
Paradiso"just doesnot grab the attention the way hell kingdomof Barengsuffersundera hideouslyevil rule. The
does.So thint hett ir reverse(getting better with each meansto put it to an endmaybe closeby, but to find them
you must seekout piratesand a missingprincess.Wiltyou
layerratherthan worse),andyouwill be onthe right track.
Wealwaysty to bring you new and exciting everyyear, be readyto facethe evil of Bareng?Thefate of the whoie
Realmsmaybe at stake.StandardRPGA experience points.
andtlLisyearis no different.With over50tournaments,Live-
actionroiepiaying,andseveralchampionships, wearesureto AD&D lilasters, two-round elimination. Giftsof the
have somethingexciting for you. Plus we have partnered Heartby RembertParker.You'vearrivedafter the dragon
with other programsthroughout the GameFair's busy has been slain, but there's still a damselin extreme
scheduleto bringyou high quality eventswhereyou maynot distresslThisis the introductoryadventureto lhe Human
expectto seeRPGA active.Sowatchyour step,andfollowas Equation, a series of adventuresthat mark Rembert's
we guide you through the many layersof the Networks return to RPGAevents.A two-roundAD&Dadventurefor
offering this year.Thereis not roomhereto Listall the tour- six totally humancharactersof level 3-4. RPGAmembers
3rdlevelandaboveonly.triple RPGAexperiencepoints.
gc[rwnnnfrAaitiufites
AD&DGrandMasters, one-round adventure. A Fine
namentdescriptions,so you will haveto get the Grtl Cott
Specimenby GregDreherandSteveHardinger."Nowtake a
pre-regbookfromAndonUntimitedat 800-529-HPO.
look at theseanimals.They'refine specimens, aren'tthey?
B00TH They were just brought in from the mountainsby an
WIZARDS'EXHIBIT
1STLAYER: associateof mine." "The mountains?With all those
Crossingthe RiverAcheron,we find ourselvesat the
maraudingorctribes?Wasn'tthat dangerous?" "0h, not at
lVrzARDs oFrHECoAsrexhibit booth. There,the friendly
all, not for my associate.""But aren'tyou worried about
RPGAstaff andvolunteerswill be running demonstrations
the druids?Theymight confrontyou." "0h, I'm SURE they
of the Arrrnttrv' Science-fictionRoteplayingGame,and level and
won't be doing anything...."RPGA members 5th
the MARvEL SuPER HERoEsTM Game.Thisis a chanceto learn
aboveonly.quadrupleRPGAexperience points.
ArrsnNrrvbeforeplayingin our Lryrro VrRGEru events,or
AD&D Paragon, one-round adventure. Aw Dad by
playing for a little while in the Dungeonof Doom.All
Jason0lsen.Thewrath of Zeuscanbe terrible to behold'
GuILD-LEvELru RPGAmemb'ers will receivea special25th
for everyonebut his sonsthat is. But the irrationalityof
anniversaryprinting of 16: Ravenloftjustfor being mem-
Zeusis famous,andthat is what getsyou into troublethis
bers.in additionto all the othergreatbenefitsyou receive.
time. Howto overcome Zeus'angerandyetstayaiive?From
Visit the booth andpick up yours.
1993.RPGA members7th level and aboveonly, quintuple
PLAY RPGAexperiencepoints.
TOURNAMENT
2NDLAYER: AD&DReplay,one-round adventure. Parlynne's Lost
Themainstayof the RPGAprogramis alwaysthe many
Gemby RembertParker.The bard Par\mnehas a simple
tournamentswerun. Wechoosethe besteventsby ourbest
questleft undone:find the last gemthat fits in hermagical
writers,and find the bestjudgeswe can.RPGAeventsare
harp.Shebelievesthat shecanrecoversomeelusivemagic
the bestroleptayingeventsat the show bar none.A com-
ofmusicfor the woridifthe harpcanbemadewholeagain.
plete listing follows, and we are sure that you wilt find
Themissinggemleadsyou throughforestand into places
enoughto giveyou pieasurefor the wholeweekend.For
you did not expectto go. This eventlast playedin 1991.
RPGAtournaments,the Network will be awarding $5
StandardRPGAexperiencePoints.
couponprizesfor the winnersof all events.
AD&DSpeclal,one-lound advenfrte.The Rescue ofMaid
AD&D@ Benefit, one-round adventure. Wandof
byRatty.Become
lvlan'an RobinHood oroneofhismerrymenin
Archaelby MikeSelinkerand PennyWilliams,basedon an
this dashingadvenhue.Maid Marianis endangeredby the
original tournamentby RobertKindel. Greyisleis a land
Sheriffof Nottingham,and Robinand crewmust cometo her
rescue!StandardRPGA experience points.
IA
qP
u
o ta
AD&D LilIllG JUNGLE Feature, one-round swordintroducesyou to the societyof the yakuza,the not-
; adventure. Necromancer's Stone by Tom Prusa' The so-secretsecretsocietyof criminalsftom Japan.IAIhyyou
u earthshakesget worse,and now the greatestheroesof werecalledin couldbeoneofthe mostinterestingmysteries
z points.
Malatracall you in to find the long lost Necromancer's ofyour career.StandardRPGA experience
z Stone to stop them. This is an adventurefor builing Shadowrun Virtual Seattle Special, one-round
: courage,to bq sure. Everyoneis relying on you. An adventure. BodyFcrm.Bodysnatchingdoesnot normally
z adventurefor low-level and mid-level heroes.Standard comeinto your line asa shadowrunner. Makingbodiesout
I RPGAexperience points. of living beings,yes,but usua\ oncedeadyou canleave
AD&D LIvIilG JUI{GLE Extreme, one-rould them. Not this time. Ajourney into the dark undersideof
: adventure. iYonkeyCifl by RobertWiese.A packof garuda Seattle.StandardRPGAexperiencepoints.
m
attacking the Huroolalead the heroesof Malatraon a Star WarsFeature,one-round adventure.TheWayoJ
strangejourney of discoveryinto their past.lllhat secrets the Forceby Robertl/[iese.A strangeobeliskleadsyou to
wilt they find, and howwill thesesecretsaffectthe future Calamari,the homeworld of the Mon Cals.Deepbeneath
of Malatra? An adventure for mid-level and high{evel the seasof that planet is a devicewhich is linked to the
heroes.StandardRPGAexperiencepoints. Force,and which attractedthe attention of the ancient
Dark Conspiracy Feature, one-round adventure. Sith lords. With it. the Emperorcould crushyou with a
ThoughERunilrildby GeoffSkellams'In the not too distant thought.Youmustfind it first. But the pastcatchesuptoo,
future, socieSs valueshave collapsed.ltre rich live in and you are not alone in your searchfor this strange
glittering towers while the poor live in the slums of the artifactfromthe past.Partsix in the SayubLegend,a Star
decayingsuburbs.It's sobadthat eventhe paramedics need Wars "lAlarriors of the Republic" bring-a-character
weaponsto protectthemselveswhen they go out on the adventures.StandardRPGAexperiencepoints.
streets.Sometimes,people'sminds don't copewith the
stressofmodernlife. Theyneedto getsomeserioushelpand 3RBLAYER: INTEREST
SPECIAL
sometimes, you'rethe onewhohasto go out into the urban TOURNAMENTS
wilderness to find them.StandardRPGA points.
experience Someof our eventsfell into groupingsthis year.and so
Earthdawn Threadsof Legend Feature, one-round if you havea specialgaminginterestyou might want to
adventure. I\uisiting Througha Eountain'sScreamsby checktheseout. Thatis, ifwe cangetpastCerberus...
SteveBach and Mary Zalapi.Join this latest episodein
Threadsof Legend,andbuildyour hero'sfameandgloryin LIVINGCITY*EXTRAVAGANZA
the realmof Barsaive.StandardRPGAexperience points. Ihis year's LIVINGCirY programis better than ever.
ICE Run Out the Guns, two-round eliminatlon. Tournaments andotherspeciaieventscombineto makethe
Brethrenof the CoastRaid-a-thonby ICEStaff. Comeand GameFairthe hightight of the yearfor Lnnuc Crrr players.
join the Brethrenof the Coastfor anotheryear of raiding
and pittaging.Bring your existing Brethrencharacteror AD&D Llvlilc CIw Beneflt, one-round adventure.
createone on the spot (takesonly 15 minutes!).And the The Witchof the Mistsby Ed Gibson,One of the more
best p.art,matey,is that you can play in as many first unusualcallsfor assistance you haveencounteredduring
rounds as you wish with the samecharacterlStandard your careerasan adventurerin RavensBluffleadsyou to a
RPGAexperiencepoints. meeting of The Fellowshipof ExaltedAdventurers.The
RolemasterFeature,three-round team elimination. Fellowshiphasfallenon toughtimesandyour assistance is
Shadowin HopebyJohnCurtisIII. In secret,you havebeen required to halt the declining membership,This is an
approached by two Councilmembers fromthe Cityof Hope. adventurefor heroes:mercenaries and other greed-driven
It seemsthat the dwarvencouncilman's son (andheir) was charactersare unlikely to enjoythe event. DoubleRPGA
found dead.Yourdiscreetteamof dwarves,goblins,and a experience points.
humanmust discoverwhat happenedbeforeit is too late! AD&DLwlllc CITYExclusive,one-round adventure.
StandardRPGA experience points. Heir Un-apparentby Jefftey Scott Meyers.Chief Prelate
SAGA@DRAGoilLAI{CE@t FIFTHAGEoFeature, one- Relarn Dayspringsearchesfor heirs of the blood of a
round adventure. Hammer's.Fallby Nicky Rea. Carla famousLathandrianpaladin,andevil ftomthe paststirsits
Hollar& JackieCassada. TheHeroesof Destinymusttravel headagain.Thiseventis a sequelto "DarkLord,Morning
fromthe forestsof Qualinestito the minesof Garnet,where Gtory''whichran at last year'sGameFair.StandardRPGA
they unlockthe riddlebehindthe MoonsteelSwordandits experiencepoints.
companionpieces. One man can stop them: Angar AD&D LwIl{G CITYFeature, one-round adventure.
Moonsteel.Fifth in the Visionsof Destinycampaignfor TheLacqueredChestbyLawrenceRamirez.Youhavebeen
Dragonlance 5th Age.StandardRPGAexperiencepoints. summoned to the Celestial Gateway Emporeum to
SAGADnAGoxLANcE! FIFTHAGESpeclal, one-round investigate a strange antiquity, a lacquered chest of
adventure. Sirine'sSong and Dragon'sBreath by Gteg ancieritKara-furandesign.l/tlillyour actionslead you to
Detwiler.A groupof heroesis luredby the wilesof a group honor or will you becomean affront to the ancestors?
of sirinesand must help them defendtheir homeagainst StandardRPGAexperiencepoints.
"the biggestdragoneverto live." Thiswill take morethan AD&D lulilc CITYilasters, one-round adventure.
just the six heroes,and soa questacrossK4mnbegins. Challengeof the Childrenby StephanieZuiderweg.Ihe
SAGA ilAnvEt SUPERHERoESFeature, one-round Children'sVocationalSchoolis havingproblems,andoneof
adventure. Pagesof Doomby RobertWiese,Dr. Doomhas the children does not think that the investigation is
unleashedyet anotherplot againstthe FantasticFour.0r proceedingquicklyenough.Wittyoujoin her andseekout
hashe?Thistime, it seemsthat the archenemyof all that thosewhoarekidnappingchiidrenfromthe school?Lotsof
is decentis workingonthe siddofthe angels.Butthen who roleplayirg.RPGA members3rdlevelandaboveonly.triple
is behindthe kidnappingof Dr.StephenStrange? Standard RPGAexperience points.
RPGAexperience points. AD&D UVII{GCrrv High-level Underdark Adyentute,
Shadowrun Vlrtual Seattle Feature, one-round one-round adventure. The IsIe of the End by Dave
adventure. Stolenhoperty by StephenGabriel.A stolen Sreniawski.Howthe mightyhavefatten.Youhavebeenput in
t2.a
chargeof the RaveruDeepbeautificationdetachment.Our trying to play these eventsin order,this one is the first
h,
-V
|l(.r\ l. @
newwirfrreblin ally, King DurgtewrathindaMurgieishenblin, after the preview.StandardRPGAexperience points.
hasexpressed a desireto visit RavensDeepandhewili behere Alternity Llvll{c VERGE Llghthouse, one-round
E69
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in lesstlnn a week! He is bringing with him severalof his adventure. TheLighthouseis in Argosthis year! Doyou E
ministersto negotiatea Tradeand Mutual DefenselYeaty. wantthe goodnewsfirst, or the badnews?TheLighthouse uzo
FO
Fietdl'{ars}ul Blackbeewants everythingshipshapeby the is a spaceconstructdescribedin the ALTERNITY accessory oo
z.
tjme the King gets here. Howevet an unlikely messenger of the samename,andpassesthroughthe Vergeoncein a 'z
.U
arriveswith a toubting dispatch.Somuchof clean-updetail; lifetime. Don't miss this opportunity.This event is the :::
time to go back to work. This LrvrNGCrry adventureis for secondin order for the LIVING VERGE eventsat GenCon.
charactersat least 7th level, and we recommend9th level. StandardRPGAexperience points. Nmo
StandardRPGAexperiencepoints. Alternity LIvII{c VERGESpeclal, one-round
AD&D Uytx€ Crw High-level Planar Adventure, adventure. Salvageby ThomasReid. A simple salvage
one-nound adyentrre. ThreeCoinsin a Wellby Erich operation leads to complications.Standard RPGA
Schmidt.This is the secondadventurein the high tevel experiencepoints.
planarcampaignfor Lrwno Crr-y,and the campaignis so
new that at presstime we did not know completelywhat CALLOFCTHULHU MEGA.FEST
this modulewouldbe about.Theplanarexpansionoffers This year, the RPGANetwork and Chaosium,Inc. have
an alternativefor those charaderswho would not like to cometogetherto presentyou with a programof Call of
adventurein the Underdark,and is for charactersat least Cthulhueventsunlike anything we've ever donebefore.In
9th level.StandardRPGAexperiencepoints. additionto the eventsbelow,wewill beawardingRPGA e;pe-
riencefor eve4rCallofCthulhueventsponsored by Chaosium,
LIVING DEATH*EXTRAVAGANZA Inc.All ofthem.Sogetyourfill ofCthulhuthis year,andstop
The Lrnrc Dnaru campaign coordinator, Claire by an asylumonyourwayhometo getsomesanityback.
Hofftnan,has put together an exciting seriesof Lwtttc
Drarg tournamentsard an interactive. Lrwxc Dr-ErHfans Call of Cthulhu Feature, two-round elimination.
wili wantto playali eventsfor the completeexperience. GrayHouseon the H1IIby RobertHobart.Beinghardened
Mythosinvestigators,youyearnfor a restfromthe insanity
AD&DUVfilc DEATH Enigma,one-round adventure. that you normally face every day. So when your friend
0n the TrailbyKeith Hoffman.Youheadto HongKongin Vincent'sfather died, and he went hometo sort out the
Augustof 1892,fotlowinga stolenartifact!A LrtnlloDreru fami$ affairs,you attdecidedtojoin him for somerest.But
adventuefor heroesof any level.Third in the JadeLotus the Mythosis everywhere, andrestis hardto find for those
Series.StandardRPGAexperience points. whoknowthingsmanwasnot meantto know'
AD&DUYIllc DEATH Feature,one-round adventure. Call of Cthuthu Special, one-round adventure.
A Changeof Eeart by John Richardson.0nce again the MythosFeastsof AncientRomeby GregDetwiler.Ancient
\4lhiteRosecallson you. Thistime you areto investigate Rome is the setting for this expedition into Mythos
the disappearance of a womanin India. Is it an easily madness.Senator Lucien CeleresSextus has been
explainedmisunderstanding or a moresinisterpiot? 0nly stunning the tolvn with the magnificenceof his parties
you candeterminethis. A LIVING DrerHadventurefor mid- andlavishfeasts.Sostunnedis the uppercrustof Roman
to high-level heroes.Secondin the Jade Lotus Series. society that they are not questioning certain
StandardRPGAexperiencepoints. irregularitiesassociatedwith Sextus.
AD&DLryIxc DEATH Special, one-round adventure.
Missionto Chrnaby Keith Hoffman.It is late in the summer NASCRAG
of 7892,whenyou are sent on a secretmissioninto the NASCRAG and the RPGAtogether are proud to present
mysteriousFarEastlA LIvINGDretu adventurefor heroes NASCRAGs rurmingAD&DtournamentsatGEN
2Ctthyearof CoN.
of any level. Fourth in the Jade Lotus Series.Standard NASCMGAD&DFeature,three-round team elimina-
RPGAexperience points. tiont Conspiracy111:Theoryand Practice. A secret
organizationsummonssix adventurers from differenttime
ALTERNITY LIVINGVERGELAUNCH periodsto investigateoneof its agents.fum yourselfwith
GrNCor'rmarksthe launchofthe LTVTNGVERGE campaign your wit andyour humor!After all, it's a NASCMGeventl
for the AlrsntvlTy Science-fiction Roleplaying Game. Sostoppeeringoveryourshoulderandrememberthepass-
LrvntcVrnct is set in the Marybellesystemin the Verge. word,'Alsentme."
part ofthe STAR*DRIVEru Campaignsetting.Members have
beenworkinghard on this campaign,and we think you'll TOURNAMENT
4THLAYER:
enjoythe differentexperienceof adventuringin this sci- CHAMPIONSHIPS
ence-fictionsetting. we enter Pluto's
Leavingbehindthe landsof Cerberus,
Alternity LIvII{c VERGEPreview, one-round realmanddiscoverchampionship tournamentsto testyour
adventure. Whirlwind Tour by Ramsey Lundock. roleplayingmettle.Competebyyourselfor as a team,and
Weicometo Marybelle, arrivers. This introductory strivefor the fameandprizes.
adventureis the bestplaceto get startedin the Living
Verge.the Network'svery own Star*Drivecampaign! NATIONAL ROLEPLAYING CHAMPIONSHIP
This event premieredat Winter Fantasy,and has run at This year marks the first running of the National
conventionsthroughoutthe summer.If you missedit, Roteplaying Championship. Playersqualifiedfor this event
this is your chance to play the first LIVINGVERGE through excellencein Classictournamentplay, and it's
adventure.StandardRPGAexperience points. invitation only. It will all come down to one winner,
Alternity LIUII{G VERGEFeature, one-round though, and the NationalRoleplayingChampionfor 1999
adventure. An out of the way surveytrip turns up more will receivea free trip to GENCoN2000,includingtrans-
than heavymetals.This adventuretakes charactersinto portation. admission,and a hotel room at the Hyatt
the industrialspheresof the Marybellesystem.If you are Regenry (or simiLiaraccomdations).In addition, we'li
td
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throw in a greattrophy to rememberthe experience,and AB&D FORGOTTEN REALMSLARP
brandnewTSRproductto allowthe Champto stayin prac- A StrangeDdtenteby MelissaMaurer.Lord Thelmaran
thoughtthat his daysof excitementanddangerhad ended
€a F
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in
tice. Thisyear'stournamentis And PearlsDo NotDissolve
d-
munity-based Umied Way organizations. Each is what it is all about. Ourfriendly staff witt answerques- o5
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independent.separatelyincorporated,and governedby tions and help you get ready for Lrvruc Campaign u zo .=
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localvolun:ees. UnitedWayvolunteersensurethat every games.Advancingyour characterthrough convention oa
z.
groupreceivhgftnds is a non-profit,tax-exemptcharity. playis a big attractionfor our Ltvtltc Campaign games, "z
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Nmo
TASTING THEWINE
ANDJUDGING
WINEISMADE
HOW The first attribute of a wine is color. Wine should be
Wineis usuallydefinedasthe fermentedjuiceof grapes' bright, ftee of any cloudiness.Winethat appearsduli,
which simplymeansthat the juice sugaris metabolized especiallyif it is young, should be treated with suspi-
into alcoholand carbondioxide gas by somebiological cion.Cloudiness shouldnot be confusedwith sediment,
agentsuchasyeast.Theprocessbeginsbytightly crushing which witt naturally falt to the bottom of the glass.
the grapes to releasetheir juices. The stereotypeof Sedimentis a naturalby-productof olderredwines,and
treadingon the grapeswas meantnot to pressthe juice can be decanted to remove it from the wine before
ftom the grapesbut to crushthem so that fermentation serving.Thehue, or intensity,ofthe colorimpliessome
could begin. The crushedred grapesare initialty kept in of the wine's character.Wateryor pale{ooking wine
hugevatsmadeof cement.wood,or stainlesssteel' probabtymeansa wine that won't stand up to age or
Ihe juice at this point is calledmust. Theyeast cells food.muchaswaterycoffeewon't standup to that first
requiredfor fermentationarealreadypresenton the grape taste in the morning. To judge the hue of the wine,
skins.Asthe sugaris convertedto alcohol,coloranda sub- don't look into the glass,asthe depth of the glasswill
stancecalledtannin arepulled from the skins. Tanninis a affect its color. Tip the glass away from you and look
natural preservativethat gives red wine the longevity it againstthe edgeof the wine againsta light sourceor
needsto ageand develop.the amountof colorandtannin white backdrop.
desireddeterminehow long the skinsarekept in contact The second attribute of wine is aroma. Aroma
with the must. A few daysresultsin a light rose' (blush) givesyou a strong first impressionof its flavor. If a
with manyof the fruit flavorsremaining.Severalweeksin wine has any serious faults. you can often tell
contactwith the must can resultin a deepred wine with without evertasting it. Smellsof mold, sulphur,acid
lots oftannin andfar lessftuit. or vinegar are strong warning signs that something
Fermentationcontinuesuntil all the sugaris metabo- has gonewrong.
lized or until the alcoholcontentreaches15 or 16percent, Finally,it is time to taste the wine. All wines have
at whichpoint the alcoholkills the yeastcells.Winesgen- varying degreesof sweetness,and everyone'sper-
erally have between7 and 16 percentalcohol,with the ception of sweetnessvaries. Someoneused to very
normbeing10to 14percent. sweet drinks may find a particular wine to be dry,
After fermentationis completethe winesaretransferred while someoneelse may describethe samewine as
to barrels.casks,or evenlargertanksto age.Redwinethat sweet.Also, cold tends to reducethe sensationof
drains fteely from the tanks is called ftee-run. The sweetness in wine.
remaindermust be pressedfrom the remainingorganic Acidity (tartness) is essential in wine, especially
matterand is calledpresswine. Presswine tendsto have white wine. It aliowsthe wineto age.But there is a bal-
more body and color, but is usually harsherand more ance to acidity, just as there is a balancebetween a
tannic aswell. acidityand sugarin lemonade.
I
Redwine maybe agedbeforebottling from a few weeks Bitternessor an astringent,puckerishtastecommon
to three years.Longeragingis almostalwaysdonein oak in young reds comesfrom an overabundance of tannins.
casks,as the oak tendsto mellowthe harshtannins and Sometimes this just means the red wine needs to age,
makethe wine more drinkable.Oak caskscan also add but a strong tannic taste could mean that the wine will
hints of spice,vanilla, and toast. Newoak barrelstend to neverdevelopot mature.
givethe redwine a morepronouncedtaste.
l/llhitewine is madesomewhatdifferently. Becauseit Many of the sameconsiderationsgo with serving
does not pick up color ftom the skins, it has less wine to guestsas go with the servingof bread,so you
tannin. Thisabsenceof tannin is the primarytaste dif- might apply someof the logic in the "MedievalFood
ference between red and white wines. Slow. cool Fights" article when adding wine to your roleplaying
fermentation of white wine imparts a fruity, fresh gamesituations.EnjoylI
Thenn slippedpart its zenith as we madethe summitof BOOTS OFTRACKING
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Storml,Iountain.Wesetup campon a grassyknolloverlooking By placinga foot on a footprint (or hoofprint, etc), the
the ruinsof SplitRocf anancientdwarven
ourfinal destination: wearercan track the creaturethat left the print for the oL!46
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hold.Thebettetpart of thedayhadpassed whileweclimbedand next fult hour as if possessingthe tracking non-weapon 6a
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azo.z
noweyerpne uound megroanedand wincedas theypulled proficiencyat a rating of 19.Thetrack is lost if the quarry FO
oog
tight booafrom swoAen feet and tendedto the blistersand raw leavesthe planeof existencethat the boot weareris on,
spotsthusrevealedEveryone,that is,exceptthegnomeBelger. althoughthe wearerwill havea feelingof the planetrav- :::::
Thechubbylifre thief skippedaround,cheeily humming- eledto or magicused.Thisrestrictionincludesextraplanar
HUMMNG!- ashe unpackedcoolauare and ratiors,prepaing transportationspells such as teleport, dimensiondoor,
N M O$
hisownlidJefeasLAnnoyed,I commented 'Toumwt think it a phaseshift,andothers.XPvalue:1,000.GPvalue:5,000. OB
foodftglrE! R€LAT€D
FOOD- APPARTUNITI
ROI.E-PLAYNG R
D€TWII.E
€S BYGREGORY
whichcanput PCsin situationswherethe strokeof a sword doughwhile awaitingtheir turn with his oven.\{hile sit-
or the casting of a fireball would be an inappropriate ting, their breaddough was placedon a molding-board,
response. Thisarticle seeksto detail someof thosepoten- whoselid lookedlike a solid pieceof wood (whichit was
which canliven up a campaignthat places
tial adventures, supposedto be). However,in Brid's case-and we don't
at leastsomeemphasison roleplayingandlocalintrigue. knowhowmanyothers-a circularpieceof woodhad been
cut out of the board,to be replacedby a woodenlid. John
THEBAKER!"
BUTCHER
"LET'S Brid hada servanthiddenbeneaththe motding-board, and
The simpleact of preparinga meai, in particularthe while the haplesscustomerwaited, this servantwould
bakingofbread,takeson an entirelynew degreeof diffi removethe lid ftombelow stick his handthroughthe hole,
culty in medievaltimes,both in rural and urbansettings. andtwist off a pieceof soft, freshdough.Thepile of bread
We'Ilhandlethe rural settingfirst because it's quickest.In doughthus obtainedcouldbe bakedup and soldasBrid's
its simplestform, the problem is this: in a feudalsociety, own bread,without his having goneto the trouble and
the peasantsnot only haveno ovens, but are absolutely expenseof payingfor the ingredients.
forbiddento bakebreadat home. even improvising with 0nce caseslike this were uncovered,the medieval
suchinventionsasa coveredhole in the ground. The lord authoritiesdid what they couldto crackdownon ftauds,
had the only ovenin his teritory, and all peasants had to but their abilitieswerelimited. For instance,somelocal
take their flour (whichcouldonly be milled from grain at officialstried to uncoverthe would-beJohn Bridsof their
the lord's ownmitt) to his castleto be baked.Needless to neighborhoodsby weighing eachloaf of breadthat was
say,they had to pay for this privitege,either in money or baked.0n at leastone occasion,a quick-thinkingappren-
simplya percentageof the ioavesthey baked. Thevittage tice savedthe dayfor his masterby slippinga hunk of iron
policeman,or reeve,wasconstantiyon patrol,and anyone into a sampleloafthat wasto betested;unfortunately,the
caughtbaking at home would be fined. ThosePCswho recordsdo not state whether it was slipped out again
manageto becomefeudallords or other rural landowners beforethe loaf wasput on sale.
will haveto spenda surprisingamountoftheir non-adven-
turing time strictly enforcingthe "no ovensfor peasants"
rule, andifthis soundstoo silly for you to wasteyour time
on, rememberthat you get paid for the use of your own
oven!Extortingmoneyftom the peasantryin this manner
maynot be asglamorousaslooting a dragon'slair, but it is
considerably safer.
In urban areas,peoplewould often go to the baker
either to buy somethingto eat or simplybring their own
foodin to bebakedin his oven.Thus,the bakerwasa pillar
All this mayseemlike smallstuff to playerswhosechar- mixedinto his food;say.a dessertwhere,for someinexplic-
r+r
t.!t
A
,1! o @
acterstake on everythingfrom wild animalsand enemy ablereason,largequantitiesof saltwereaddedin insteadof a
;
0 l: ..
soldiersto giaris and dragons,and it is, but by its very sugar.Thiscouldbe accomplished by a reasonably nimble- z
nature,it is alsothe sort ofthing they arelikelyto run into fingeredrogue,or by a wizardwith accessto a spellsuchas o
everydayof their lives.Alsoremember that little stuff like telekinesisor teleport,or perhapsjust a simplecanfrip.
z
this is not tiketyto lend itselfto the kind of gory punish- Priests,of course,cansimplycastthe reversibleversionof 1z
SERVING
"YOU'RE OF
TYPE
WHAT breadthere is, but it is not the only type that can be
BREAD?" baked-far from it. In fact, there is an entirespectrumof
breadwili bethe
In ali but the mostunusualcampaigns, breadsthat can be baked,ftom pure wheatenloavesto
N n €
breadsthat havethe wheatmixedwith cheapersubstitutes
such as barley.rye, and oats,to breadsmadeentirelyof
those lessergrains,to the very bottom of the rung with
grittybreadsmadeofbeans,peas,or bran'Ambitiousgame
mastersmaywantto comeup with a newpricescalefor the
entire group of breads,for this sort of thing is useful.
believeit or not, in rolePlaYing'
During the MiddteAges,all guestswere not created
equal,or treatedequallyby their hosts. Oneof the most
commonmeansof determininga guest'sstatuswith his
host was the q/pe of bread he received.White wheaten
breadwas given to the most favoredguests,and bean
breadorthe like wasservedto thosethe hostwouldjust as
soon seefatl off the edgeof the world. Thus.without a
wordbeingspokenor a singlegesturebeingmade.guests
at the banquettable could quickly and easilydetermine
their relativesocialstatus by comparingthe breadthey
wereservedwith that of their fellows.Quantitycountsas
well as quality. A favored servant who gets all the bean
breadhe caneatmaythusstandhigherin his lord'sesteem
than an unpleasantfeliow noblemanwho gets wheaten
breadbecausehe is a noble.but only a crust or so. Even
quality dependsnot merelyon the contentsof the bread,
but also its age.A piping hot, fresh-bakedloaf of white
wheatenbreaddeliveredto your plateis the ultimatecom-
pliment.By contrast,if you decideto crashthe party and
get a tiny crust of beanbreadwhoseodor rather shongly
announces its age.run, don't walk, for the exit.
Thissort of thing has potential.particularlyfor a live-
actiongamingsessionwhereroteptaying is atlthe rageand
combatseverelydiscouraged. Ifthe eventincludesa feast,
the organizersmerelyhaveto drop in at the local super-
market and gather bread ftom both the reguiar bakery
sectionand the racks of old stuff set out separatelyfor
quicksale.Makesurethe playersarebriefedonthe "bread-
as-status-symbol"aspectsof medievallife before play
commences, includingthe socialdesirabilityofthe various
types of bread,and set them down at the dinner table.
Serveout the breadas the first course,and without any
wordsor gestures.eachplayerwilt knowthe precisesocial
standingof his characterwith a singleglanceat his plate,
aswell as how helpedor handicapped he witl be whenhe
tries to wheeland deatwith his host--and everyoneelse,
for that matter.It is simple.cheapto prepareaspropsgo.
andoh, sosubtle!
Subttetygoesout the window,of course,if someloud-
mouth starts complainingaboutwhat he received,and if
your players(or their characters)want to makefools of
themselvesin public in this manner,then let them. If
nothing else,it could help let everyoneelseknow why
typeof breadbeingserved,but alsoits quantityandage.If lr,
ar
*A
Ut\ o @
you makea mistake,or the servantsservingthe foodmake = ;
=6 0 F
uz o z
ownmaking.PCsin all campaigns tend to acquireenemies, i
z
ail of whomwouldlike nothing betterthan to seethe PC ,z
fall flat on his or her face due to some social gaffe. '9
REFERENCE
Fastand Feast:Eood in MedievalSociety;Henisch,
Bridget Ann; 1976;PennsylvaniaState UniversityPress;
[IniversityParkandLonilon.Henisch'sbook couldwell
NN
be titted "Everything You Wanted to Know About
MedievalMeals,and a WholeLot Morel" It has chap-
ters coveringeverythingfrom the numberof mealsto
the probiemsof Lenten fasting, bakeries,table set-
tings, and of coursethe food. I
2,
til
au
Ltu\
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RUSALKA
E69
ou
F
ANDCARLAHOLLAROFARCFELLOWSHIP
EYBARBIRAR.TYSINGER
z z
= CLIMATEIERRAIN: Riverbanks/Shorelines
uzo z Uncommon
FO FREOUENCY:
ORGANIZATION: Sotitary
ACEVIY CYCLE: Any(Usuatty at dawnor dusk.or
in foggyor ctoudYconditions)
DIET: None
INTELLIGENCE: Hish(13-14)
TREASURE: W(x Rusatka's agein Years)
ALIGNMENT: ChaoticNeutral- ChaoticEvit
NO.APPEARING: I
ARMOR CLASS: 0 (8)
MOVEMENT: 9
HITDICE: 7
THACO: 15
NO.OFAITACKS: 0
DAMAGE/AITACK: n
SPECIALAITACKS: controIwater
Embrace,
SPECIALDEFENSES: Seebelow
MAGICRESISTANCE: 5lYo
SIZE: M
MOMLE: Champion(15-16)
LEVEL/XPVALUE: 1,000
RUSALKA= a
J ;
f U
BYMARKTEMPLETON
OFOSOUIP I z
Lesser
Rusalka Greater Rusalka =
CUMAIEfERRAIN:Temperateshores Temperateshores z
N0.APPEARING:1-8 L
ARl.l0URCLASS: 8 6
MOVEltf
El{T: 9, Sw72 9, Sw12
HTTDICE: 3
THACO: 77 75
N0.0FATTACKS:3 (ctaw/cLaw/bite) 3 (cLaw/cLaw/bite)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 7d3/ td3/ 1d4+1. 7d4/7d4/7d6+7
SPEGATAITACKS: Seebetow 5eebelow
SPEGAI-DEFENSES:
+2 savevsfire +2 savevsfire
MAGICR6ISTANCE:Nit Nit
SIZE: M M
M0M[E: Fanatic(17-18) Fanatic (17-18)
XPVALUE: 250 500