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The following is from Dragon Magazine #97 May 1985





//begin
Arcana update: Looking good

You’re going to like  Unearthed Arcana.

How can I be so sure? Gosh, I hoped you’d ask, because that gives me something to fill this month’s column with.

You’re going to like it because, finally, all of the official new material for the AD&D® game will be between one pair of covers. You won’t have to subject your old issues of DRAGON® Magazine to any more wear and tear every time you want to roll up a barbarian or a cavalier or have your character use a new weapon or cast a new spell.

You’re going to like it because even if you have all the old issues of the magazine and even if you enjoy searching through them, you’ll find a lot of stuff in  Unearthed Arcana that has never been published before. And everything that has already appeared in print is being reworked and revised; none of the “reprints” are identical to how they appeared as articles, and some of them have been added to and altered extensively. (At last, we’re going to be able to show everyone the difference between "official" and "final".)

The book will be the same size and length as the Players Handbook  128 pages. If all goes well, it’ll be released in June. The text is being put together by four people, at least three of whom know their stuff pretty well. (If you can’t figure out who the fourth one is, then you haven’t read the first section of this month’s letters column yet.) Gary Gygax and his right-hand man, Frank Mentzer, are looking over every sentence of the new rules to be sure they’re as comprehensive and complete as we can make them. Design consultant Jeff Grubb has worn out several fine-toothed combs grooming the text, adding a line here and a few paragraphs there. The final editing is being done by this Gentle Grammarian, who will take personal responsibility for any undotted i’s or uncrossed t’s.

So what’s in it? Well, here’s a brief rundown of some of the subjects the new rules will cover. Among the new or greatly changed sections are: another method of character genera- tion; cleric spells; more miscellaneous magic items; more magic armor and weapons; the barbarian character class (wait ‘til you see him now); and an expansion of the rules for weapon specialization.

In addition to that, you’ll get all the other game-related material that has been published in this magazine under Gary Gygax’s name for the last three years or so  the cavalier and thief-acrobat character classes; cantrips; new spells for magic-users, druids, and illusionists; revised rules for rangers, druids, and demi-humans; comeliness, a new character ability; and lots of new weapon types, providing monster-smashers with more different ways to do what they do best.

All of this, and more, will be protected from the elements by a cover that would be suitable for framing if it wasn’t already serving a good purpose. Jeff Easley, whose work adorns the newest editions of the other AD&D game rule books, really outdid himself this time. I’m proud to play a part in the project. I think all of us on this end are going to be pleased with the result and, casting modesty aside for just one more moment, I think . . . You’re going to like  Unearthed Arcana
//end 

 

This Saturday Jack & I went to ORCCON.

We ran out of gas on the way up & stopped at a fantastic station that had this very weird coconut juice with floating chunks.



We did not buy that--we did get skittles, honey & Mustard pretzels, chipotle & Cheddar snacks, and soda.

After registering we headed to the dealer room for a tube of dice. 



We had to move quickly through the board game area to meet our friends who were playing Microsism in the Bar Area.



We headed to this Con with nothing--no character sheets, no dice, Jack did not even have a pencil. A new approach for us to see if we could still have fun. This meant we could not play any LFR 4E which we have been really enjoying--we had not signed up for any games, so after getting dice we headed to the RPG sign in sheets to find Sock Puppet D&D. 

There was no Sock Puppet D&D this year, but we did find a fun looking AD&D 2nd Edition campaign.

We had 30 minutes to kill so we headed to the mini painting area.



Jack & I did a great job this year I though--and I was able to use my Thor mini as my dwarf fighter in the AD&D game.





You can also see my Tube of Dice at the table--Jack & I also have a tradition of buying these luck stones from the Hotel Gift Shop--this year I got a silver rock with Imagine on it--Jack got a Silver Key that said Power, I think.



DM Brett Miller plays old school D&D in a world that he has been building since the dawn of time--several of his players were at the table which made it fun.



Getting disintigrated during round one did not make it fun--I spent most of the game snacking and wishing the other players would free me!



The old school drawings and maps were very fun.



And the final combat was very fun--half the players had left after being disintigrated, Jack had his character flee the tower fairly early--but the battle was good for 30 minutes.



After AD&D we headed to Nerd Trivia which was a blast--lots of fun with categories like Nick Cage Movies, stuff on D&D cartoons, etc. 

I ran into Ryan who I had not seen in a while and he was signed up for a game of GURPS at 8, so Jack and I signed up for that.



The Gurps game turned out to be an historically accurate modern adventure that was a total blast. One of the best games Jack and I have played together.



This was a fun CON for me--I spent more time playing older game systems and stuff I never play--I hung out with friends more since I did not feel as tied to tables as I have historically. And, most imporantly, I made some new friends. 
 

Kate & I sat down to paint some Mini's this presidents day.



We are getting a lot better at setting up our paint stations--we actually have two rules so far:

1. Remember the Rules
2. Sit on Wood

The second rule came up because Kate spilled blue paint on the chair's upholstry.



Our paint collection continues to grow--we still need some basic stuff--like flesh and more gold, silver, armor colors.



We could also use some more brushes.



I am really disliking the paint I have on my mini thus far--I may scrub it completely and start over.



I want him to look much more like:

 

This week Brian drove in his fantastic new car. He says that I said I do not like his new car. This is a lie. I love his new car.





Brian recently built his own bow from PVC pipe--it is some kind of Hunger Games thing or something. But he needed string and arrows so we went to this Archery store before the game. It was great! we laughed with the counter guy & some very flirty women who came in that assured us size does matter when it comes to bows, Arrow's abs are more important then his sensitive side, and Hunger Games is great.

Here are Jack & Brian in the back of the Range



This season we have moved to Dice House which gives us a lot more food options. This week we went Pieology.



Jack and I had been here before & we love it--they have these great Hipster couches.



I am not sure how Vegan Brian feels about it, but he did have a massive Pizza with tons of vegetables.



While the pizza was cooking, I was able to run across the street to get Coffee from Starbucks.

I am DM this season, but I have not had much time to prepare--I need to schedule like two hours each week to get ready.

I used the original 4E DM screen and had created a few bonus handouts, but not much--I plan to do a lot more later in the season--I seem to always start strong and end rather week & I am hoping to change that around this year.



I had seven players at my table--including Thomas & Brian



Chase was sitting next to Brian & Kevin [this was the first time I had played with Kevin] since Kevin and Chase have a Fiasco Based Adventuring Party relationship.



Kevin had another friend Tyler who sat next to Jack--Tyler was playing an Avenger.

Jack is playing a Pacifist Healer and is actually happy with his character for the first time in a long time.



Jack's setup has not changed in a while--printout, dice, etc. Both Thomas & Brian are using laptop devices this season...



The combat was fun & non eventful--I did not increase the challange level since the players were using their characters for the first time & wanted an easy adventure to let them get comfortable with their powers. 





No 20's this week.

I am still working on this--consider this a working draft...Also, I have taken almost all of these idea from other play sets--which I am not sure is cool in the Fiasco community [I am checking]--I plan to refine this once I have a copy of the module.



Against the Cult of Chaos: A Fiasco Playset based on
London 1593 Written by Will Hindmarch and Kenneth Hite
Salem 1692 Written by Logan Bonner in collaboration with Lillian Cohen-Moore.
Dysfunctions And Dragons Written by Chris Goodwin

Relationship
1. Family
  1. Siblings
  2. Lovers
  3. Linked by Blood Ritual
  4. Orphans
  5. Bastards
  6. Oblivious parent and child

2. Party
  1. Treasure Hunters
  2. Explorers
  3. Henchmen
  4. Bounty Hunters
  5. Patrons
  6. Assasins

3. Fellowship
  1. Longtime Adventuring companions
  2. Drinking buddies
  3. Reluctant allies
  4. New Blood / Veteran Adventurer
  5. Leader / wannabe leader
  6. Vicious scoundrel / pacifist healer

4. Guild
  1. Only in it for the Women
  2. Only in it for the money
  3. Wannabe and the has-been
  4. Slackers
  5. Natural talent vs Hard work
  6. Rivals

5. Culture
  1.  Same Non-human race
  2.  Tribemates
  3.  Outcasts
  4.  Courtesans
  5.  Oppressed minorities
  6.  Gypsies

6. Faith
  1.  Fanatic Lawbringers
  2.  Pompus Old Faithers
  3.  Fallen Lawbringer
  4.  Disillusioned Old Faith
  5.  Humble path
  6.  Chaotic Neutral

Needs
1. To Get Out
  1. of debt
  2. of the intelligence service
  3. from the shadow of the gallows
  4. from under your lord’s thumb
  5. of this arranged marriage
  6. of the blame, for what you did

2. To Get Even
  1. with the spy you took the fall for
  2. with the one who wrongly (or rightly) accused you
  3. with the one who gained preferment that should be yours
  4. with the duplicitous Earl
  5. with the one who stole your work
  6. with Greyhawk

3. To Get In
  1. from the proverbial cold
  2. with her parents
  3. with a Earl
  4. with the Lawbringer's Followers
  5. to the employ of the spymaster
  6. to that locked box

4. To Get The Truth
  1. about a secret plot
  2. about why she lied
  3. about the murder
  4. about the spy from Paris
  5. about where the contraband is hidden
  6. about the locked box beneath the stage

5. To be a hero
  1. by defending the little guy
  2. to that one special person
  3. in a mentor’s eyes
  4. so you can lord over everybody else
  5. who nobody will mess with
  6. in the public’s eyes, even if you really aren’t

6. To adventure
  1. because they ruined your life
  2. and enslave them
  3. by killing every monster you see
  4. and use them for necromantic experiments
  5. so you never have to adventure again
  6. for forbidden lore

Locations
1. Hommel
  1. Inn
  2.  Keep
  3.  Temple
  4.  Thieves Guild
  5.  Market Square
  6.  Sewers

2. Near the Cave of Chaos
  1. Witch's Hut
  2. Faerie Circle
  3. Wood elf party
  4. Ogre's Den
  5. Cave of Vision
  6. Mad Druid Grove

3. From the past
  1. Small Village [now a burnt ruin]
  2. Military Academy [massacred in a major war]
  3. Wizard Mentor's cottage [looted after his death]
  4. Maze
  5. descecrated graveyard
  6. Secret room

4. Work Places
  1.  Slave pit
  2.  Blacksmith
  3.  Field
  4.  Well
  5.  Mine
  6.  Money counting room

5. Holy Places
  1. Abbey
  2. Sacred Grove
  3. Massive Central Church
  4. Sacred Memorial
  5. Historical Pilgrimage
  6. Modern Pilgrimage

6. Historical Places
  1. Castle
  2. Dungeon
  3. Ruins
  4. Prophetic Fog Bank
  5. Swamp
  6. Sea Shore

Objects
1. Weapons
  1. Bloody dirk
  2. Bow string
  3. Catapult
  4. Scroll
  5. rock struck by lightening
  6. Orc blade

2. Animals
  1. Raven
  2. Ox
  3. Racoon
  4. box of worms
  5. Ally polymorphed into a toad
  6. poisonous spider

3. Art
  1. Painting
  2. Book of prayers
  3. Plate
  4. Royal lady's garter
  5. Musical score
  6. Juggling sticks

4. Secret
  1. Signed confession
  2. Key cipher
  3. Real birth certificate
  4. Invitation to a prestigious order
  5. Statue of a diety
  6. Cure

5. The Lawbringer
  1. Justice
  2. Law
  3. Battle
  4. Commerce
  5. Strength
  6. Civilization

6. The Old Faith
  1. Nature
  2. Balance
  3. Magic
  4. Primal Energies
  5. Luck
  6. Fate

Through the RPGA, the Open Gaming movement, the pages of Dragon Magazine, and all other venues available, we want to empower our customers to do what >they< want, to force us and our competitors to bend to >their< will, to make the products >they< want made.

A great Lair Assault was played at the Dice House.

Our team theme was NFL, but it did not have much impact on the game--we have funny football team names or players, but the beat down was so fast and furious on this one that there was not much time for roll play.



DM Coop was once again behind the screen for this Lair Assault. He had played it before and was fairly comfident the entire time--he knew we had no chance...



Chase and Thomas were both there--and they even dressed the same! CUTE!




Kevin joined us at the table--he had run this before and was likely the only reason we survived the second round. It was fun having a new player at the table.



Brian was also in this week--playing a charging Goliath he brought a lot of damage to the table--and a ton of wildly innapropriate mom jokes.











Jacks dice were hot.



We all had plenty of room to spread out and play--there was also an obscene amount of candy this week.



I am just about ready for a new set of dice.



The map was once again AMAZING--WotC has been doing a fantastic job on these maps since the very first week.














Not a lot of crits--the table high was 48 I think.





But this Crit snuck in at the end exactly when we needed it!

A very fun night.