/\ ----- --- /__\ | | ssue (1) / \ nsalon | imes --- the monthly issue published by Soth's Domain! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Contents -------- 1 ...... Overall Introduction to Ax 1.1 .... Introduction to Issue (1) 1.2 .... Credits to Articles/Exerts 2 ...... The Canticle Of The Dragon 3 ...... AD&D Proficiencies Listing 4 ...... The Knight Of The Black Rose 5 ...... AD&D Character Sheet Info. 5.1 .... AD&D Character Sheet 6 ...... AD&D In-Depth Spells Listing 7 ...... A D&D Realms Listing 8 ...... AD&D Terms(Etc) Glossary 9 ...... The FinalŠ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1.) Overall (Ax) Ansalon Times Introduction Ansalon Times is the latest project of Soth's Domain. Dedicated to that of RPG and DragonLance (And all other TSR projects, like AD&D) fame, this newsletter will provide you with some very interesting information regarding those topics. Articles submitted for entry via Soth's Domain are subject to slight editing once on the board. If you plan on submitting and article, all you need do is upload the file/article to the second file base, Ansalon Times (Ax), where entire issues will be stored and all articles to be submitted can be stores as well. 'ave fun and enjoy the issue! 1.1) Introduction to Issue (1) This issue will be an outline of what is to come, with a mix of many different things, from character sheets to exerts taken from the legendary saga of DragonLance. Any comments/suggestions are thoroughly welcomed, and this is the time to start sending them. 1.2) Credits to Articles/Exerts All articles in -this- issue were brought about by Lord Soth, either from 'AD&DSTUF.ARJ' or his own personal system and typing. Future articles will be much more personal to others, but this issue was designed to get the entire series on the move. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 2.) The Canticle of the Dragon Hear the sage as his song descends, like heaven's rain or tears, and washes the years, the dust of many stories from the High Tale of the DragonLance. For ages in deep, past memory and word, in the first blush of the world when the moons rose from the lap of the forest dragons, terrible and great, made war on this world of Krynn. Yet out of the darkness of dragons, out of our cries for light in the blank face of the black moon soaring, a banked light flared in Solamnia, a knight of truth and power, who called down the gods themselves and forged the mighty DragonLance, piercing the soul of dragonkind, driving the shade of their wings from the brightening shores of Krynn. Thus Huma, Knight of Solamnia, LightBringer, First Lancer, followed his light to the foot of the Khalkist Mountains, to the stone feet of the gods, to the crouched silence of their temple. He called down the LanceMakers, he took on their unspeakable power to crush the unspeakable evil, to thrust the coiling darkness back down the tunnel of the dragon's throat. Paladine, the Great God of Good, shone at the side of Huma, strengthening the lance of his strong right arm, and Huma, ablaze in a thousand moons, banished the Queen of Darkness, banished the swarm of her shrieking hosts back to the senseless kingdom of death, where their curses swooped upon nothing and nothing deep below the brightening land. Thus ended in Thunder the Age of Dreams and began the Age of Might, When Istar, kingdom of light and truth, arose in the east, where minarets of white and gold spired to the sun and to the sun's glory, announcing the passing of evil, and Istar, who mothered and cradled the long summers of good, shone like a meteor in the white skies of the just. Yet in the fullness of sunlight the KingPriest of Istar saw shadows; At night he saw the trees as things with daggers, the streams blackened and thickened under the silent moon. He searched books for the paths of Huma, for scrolls, signs, and spells so that he, too, might summon the gods, might find their aid in his holy aims, might purge the world of sin. Then came the time of dark and death as the gods turned from the world. A mountain of fire crashed like a comet through Istar, the city split like a skull in the flames, mountains burst from once-fertile valleys, seas poured into the graves of mountains, the deserts sighed on abandoned floors of the seas, the highways of Krynn erupted and became the paths of the dead. Thus began the Age of Despair. The roads were tangled. The winds and the sandstorms dwelt in the husks of cities, The plains and mountains became our home. As the gods lost their power, we called to the blank sky into the cold, dividing gray to the ears of new gods. The sky is calm, silent, unmoving. We have yet to hear their answer. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3.) AD&D Proficiencies Listing Animal Handling: Proficiency in this area enables to exercise a greater than normal degree of control over beasts of burden and pack animals, such as calming and excited or agitated animal. Animal Lore: This proficiency enables a character to observe the actions or habitat of an animal and interpret what is going on. Actions can show how dangerous the creature is, whether it is hungry, protecting its young, or defending it's young. Futhermore, careful observation of signs and behaviors can even indicate the location of a water hole, animal herd, predator, or impending danger, such as a forest fire. A character may also imitate the calls and cries of animals that he is resonably familiar with, based on his background. This ability is limited by volume, for example, it is impossible to exactly duplicate the sound of a tyrannosaurus rex. Finally, animal lore increses the chance of successfully setting snares and traps (for hunting) since the character knows the general habits of the creature hunted. Blind-Fighting: A character with blind-fighting is skilled at fighting in conditions of poor or no light (but this proficiency does not allow spell use). In total darkness, the character suffers only a -2 to his attack roll (as compared to -4 without this proficiency). Under starlight or moonlight, the character incurs only a -1 penalty. The character suffers no penalties to his AC because of darkness. Furthermore, this skill aids the character when dealing with invisible creatures, reducing the attack penalty to -2. However, it does not enable the character to discover invisible creatures; he only has a general idea of their location and cannot target them exactly. Dancing: The character knows many styles and varieties of dance, from folk dances to formal court balls. Etiquette: This proficiency gives the character a basic understanding of the proper forms of behavior and address required in many different situations, especially those involving nobility and persons of rank. But, knowledge of etiquette does not give the character protection from a gaffe or faux pas; many people who know the correct thing still manage to do the exact opposite. Healing: A character proficient in healing knows how to use natural medicines and basic principles of first aid and doctoring. If the character tends another within one round of wounding (and makes a successful proficiency check), his ministrations restore 1d3 hit points (but no more hit points can be restored than were lost in the previous round). Only one healing attempt can be made on a character per day. A character with healing proficiency can also attempt to aid a poisoned individual, provided that the poison entered through a wound. If the poisoned character can be tended immediately (the round after posioning) and the care continues for the next five rounds, the victim gains a +2 to his saving throw (the save is delayed till the last round of tending) If the care and rest are interupted, the character's saving throw is made immediately, without the bonus. Only a character with both the healing and herbalism proficiency can attempt treat poisons that entered the victim through touch or swallowing. Herbalism: Those with herbalist knowledge can identify plants and fungus and prepare nonmagical potions, poultices, powders, balms, salves, ointments, infusions, and plasters for medical and pseudomedical purposes. They can also prepare natural poisons and purgatives. Reading/Writing: The character can read and write a modern language that he can speak, provided that there is someone available to teach the character. Religion: Characters with religion proficiency know the common beliefs and cults of their homeland and major faiths of neighboring regions. Rope Use: This proficiency enables a character to accomplish amazing feats with rope. The character is familiar with all sorts of knots and can tie knots to slip, hold tightly, slide slowly, or loosen with a quick tug. He also has a better chance at escaping if he is bound by ropes. The character also gains a +2 to all attacks made with a lasso, and +10 to all climbing checks while using a rope. Spellcraft: Although this proficiency does not grant the character any spellcasting powers, it does give him familiarity with the different forms and rites of spellcasting. If he observes and overhears someone who is casting a spell, or if he examines the material components used, he can attempt to identify the spell being cast. Swimming: A character with swimming proficiency knows how to swim and can move according to the rules given in the Swimming section (p. 120 PM2). Tightrope Walking: The character can attempt to walk narrow ropes or beams with greater than normal chances of success. He can negotiate any narrow surface not angles up or down more than 45 degrees. Tracking: Characters with tracking proficiency are able to follow the trail of creatures and characters across most types of terrain. The tracker can also attempt to identify the type of creatures being followed and the approximate number. Tumbling: The character is practiced in all manners of acrobatics- dives, rolls, somersaults, handstands, flips, etc. Tumbling can only be performed while burdened with light encumberance or less. Aside from entertaining, the character with tumbling proficiency can improve his Armor Class by 4 against attacks directed solely at him in any round of combat, provided he has initiative and foregoes all attacks that round. When in unarmed combat he can improve his attack roll by 2. On a successful proficiency check, he suffers only one-half the normal damage from falls of 60 feet or less and none from falls of 10 feet or less. Falls from greater heights result in normal damage. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.) The Knight of the Black Rose (Lord Soth) 'The Knight Of The Black Rose', as told by Kitiara to Ariakas... Taken From 'Dragons of Spring Dawning', DL Chr #3, Pp 147-149... "As you know," began Kitiara, "Lord Soth was a true and noble knight of Solamnia. But he was an intensely passionate man, lacking in self- discipline, and this was his downfall. "Soth fell in love with a beautiful elfmaid, a disciple of the Kingpriest of Istar. He was married at the time, but thought of his wife vanished at the sight of the elfmaid's beauty. Forsaking both his sacred marriage vows and his knightly vows, Soth gave in to his passion. Lying to the girl, he seduced her and brought her to live at Dargaard Keep, promising to marry her. His wife disappeared under sinister circumstances." Kitiara shrugged, then continued: "According to what I've heard of the song, the elfmaid remained true to the knight, even after she discovered his terrible misdeeds. She prayed to the Goddess Mishakal that the knight be allowed to redeem himself and, apparently, her prayers were answered. Lord Soth was given the power to prevent the Catacylsm, though it would mean sacrificing his own life. "Strengthened by the love of the girl he had wronged, Lord Soth left for Istar, fully intending to stop the Kingpriest and restore his shattered honor. "But the knight was halted in his journey by elven women, disciples of the Kingpriest, who knew of Lord Soth's crime and threatened to ruin him. To weaken the effects of the elfmaid's love, they intimated that she had been unfaithful to him in his absence. "Soth's passions took hold of him, destroying his reason. In a jealous rage he rode back to Dargaard Keep. Entering his door, he accused the innocent girl of betraying him. Then the Catacylsm fell. The great chandelier in the entryway fell to the floor, consuming the elfmaid and her child in flames. As she died, she called down a curse upon the knight, condeming him to eternal, dreadful life. Soth and his followers perished in the fire, only to be reborn in hideous form." "So this is what he hears," Ariakas murmured, listening. And in the climate of dreams When you recall her, when the world of the dream expands, wavers in light, when you stand at the edge of blessedness and sun, Then we shall make you remember, shall make you live again through the long denial of body For you were first dark in the light's hollow, expanding like a stain, a cancer For you were the shark in the slowed water beginning to move For you were the notched head of a snake, sensing forever warmth and form For you were inexplicable death in the crib, the long house in betrayal And you were more terrible than this in a loud alley of visions, for you passed through unharmed, unchanging As the women screamed, unraveling silence, halving the door of the world, bringing forth monsters As a child opening in parabolas of fire There at the borders of two lands burning As the world split, wanting to swallow you back willing to give up everything to lose you in darkness. You passed through these unharmed, unchanging, but now you see them strung on your wordsÄÄon your own conceiving as you pass from nightÄÄto awareness of night to know that hatred is the calm of philosophers that its price is forever that it draws you through meteors through winter's transfixion through the blasted rose through the sharks' water through the black compression of oceans through rockÄÄthrough magma to yourselfÄÄto an abscess of nothing that you will recognize as nothing that you will know is coming again and again under the same rules. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.) AD&D Character Sheets Info. These sheets were designed, generally, as helpers for DM's and such. Feel free to pluck these out of the newsletter and print them out. ;) 5.1) AD&D Character Sheet ((I))1((C))6((S))1Advanced Dundeons & Dragons 2nd Edition((S))0((C))0((I))0 Character__________________________________ Align_________________ Race____________ Class_____________ Level_____________ Player Name_________________________Family______________Race/Clan_____________ Homeland_______________________Liege/Patron________________Religion___________ Sex____________ Age__________ Social Class_________________Status_____________ Ht.________ Wt._______ Birth Rank__________________________#Siblings__________ Hair________________ Eyes_____________ Appereance_____________________________ Honor_______________ (Base Honor_____________________) Reaction Adj.__________ ((I))1((C))2((S))1Abilities((S))0((C))0((I))0 ((C))2STR [_____] Hit Prob [_____] Wgt [_____] Max Press [_____] Dmg Adj. [_____] Op Drs [_____] BB/LB [_____] DEX [_____] Rctn Adj. [_____] Mssl Att Adj. [_____] Def Adj. [_____] CON [_____] HP Adj [_____] Sys Shk [_____] Res Sur [_____] Pois Save [_____] Regen [_____] INT [_____] #Lang [_____] Spell Lvl [_____] Lrn Sp [_____] Spl/Lvl [_____] Spell Imm. [_____] WIS [_____] Mag Def Adj. [_____] Bonus Spl [_____] Spell Fail[_____] Spell Imm. [_____] CHR [_____] Max Hench [_____] Loy Base [_____] Rctn Adj [_____] COM [_____]((C))0 ((I))1((C))6 ((S))1Movement Saving Throws((S))0((C))0((I))0 | Base Rate [_______] | Modifier Save | Paralyze/ Light ( ) _______ | ________ Poison ________ | Mod ( ) _______ | Rod, Staff, | ________ or Wand ________ Hvy ( ) _______ | | Petrify/ Svr ( ) _______ | ________ Polymorph ________ | Jog ( x 2 ) _______ | Breath | ________ Weapon ________ Run ( x 3 ) _______ | | Run ( x 4 ) _______ | ________ Spells ________ | Run ( x 5 ) _______ ((C))1Hit Points((C))0 [____/____] ((C))1Wounds((C))0 ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ((C))2Armor Class((C))0 [____/____] ((C))6Armor Type (Pieces) ((C))2Surprised((C))0 [_____] _______________________________________________ ((C))2Shieldless((C))0 [_____] _______________________________________________ ((C))2Rear((C))0 [_____] _______________________________________________ Defenses ____________________________________________________________________ ((I))1((C))1((S))1------------ Weapon Combat -----------((C))0((I))0((S))0 Weapon ___________________ #AT ______ ATT/DMG Adj. _______________ THAC0 ________ Damage [_____/_____] Range ________________ Weight _________ Size _____ Type ___ Speed _________ ___________________ #AT ______ ATT/DMG Adj. _______________ THAC0 ________ Damage [_____/_____] Range ________________ Weight _________ Size _____ Type ___ Speed _________ ___________________ #AT ______ ATT/DMG Adj. _______________ THAC0 ________ Damage [_____/_____] Range ________________ Weight _________ Size _____ Type ___ Speed _________ ___________________ #AT ______ ATT/DMG Adj. _______________ THAC0 ________ Damage [_____/_____] Range ________________ Weight _________ Size _____ Type ___ Speed _________ ___________________ #AT ______ ATT/DMG Adj. _______________ THAC0 ________ Damage [_____/_____] Range ________________ Weight _________ Size _____ Type ___ Speed _________ ___________________ #AT ______ ATT/DMG Adj. _______________ THAC0 ________ Damage [_____/_____] Range ________________ Weight _________ Size _____ Type ___ Speed _________ ((B))1Special Attacks((B))0 ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ((B))1Ammunition:((B))0 _____________________ [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] _____________________ [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] _____________________ [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] ((B))1Special Abbilities:((B))0 _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ((C))3((B))1Proficiencies/Skill/Languages:((B))0 _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) _________________________ (____/____) ((B))1Gear:((B))0 Item Location Wt. Item Location Wt. __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ __________________ __________ _____ ((B))1Supplies:((B))0 Water/Wine: [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Rations : [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Feed : [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] ((B))1Treasure :((B))0 Coins : PP [_____] = 5GP [_____] = 2EP [_____] = 5SP[_____] = 10CP [_____] Gems : ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ((B))1Other Valubles :((B))0 __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ((B))1Miscelaneous Information (Magic Items, Command Words, Small Maps, etc.)((B))0 ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ((B))1Henchmen/Animal Companions((B))0 ((B))1Name((B))0 ________________________________ AC _______ Race/Class _______________ HD/Lvl _________ #AT ______ THAC0 ______ Dmg/Efcts __________ HP_____ Skills/Abilities _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ ((B))1Name((B))0 ________________________________ AC _______ Race/Class _______________ HD/Lvl _________ #AT ______ THAC0 ______ Dmg/Efcts __________ HP_____ Skills/Abilities _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ ((B))1Name((B))0 ________________________________ AC _______ Race/Class _______________ HD/Lvl _________ #AT ______ THAC0 ______ Dmg/Efcts __________ HP_____ Skills/Abilities _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ ((B))1Name((B))0 ________________________________ AC _______ Race/Class _______________ HD/Lvl _________ #AT ______ THAC0 ______ Dmg/Efcts __________ HP_____ Skills/Abilities _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ ((B))1Name((B))0 ________________________________ AC _______ Race/Class _______________ HD/Lvl _________ #AT ______ THAC0 ______ Dmg/Efcts __________ HP_____ Skills/Abilities _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6.) AD&D In-Depth Spells Listing These are ancient magical spells used about the beginning of the Christian era (circa 100 BC to AD 100) by Egyptian "goetes", i.e. street magicians, who dispensed advice and cast spells - for a fee of course. These "goetes" are not to be confused with "magoi", the serious magician who could conjure up the dead for advice or summon the help of a divine entity (demons to the Christians but "daimones" to the greek speaking Mediterranean world. Socrates the philosopher attributed some of his ideas as coming from a "daimon" that spoke to him in his head). I have extracted a few of the spells translated into english from the original greek and demotic (common) egyptian languages in K. Preisendanz's book "Papyri Graecae Magicae". This work does also contain some more elaborate spells that these "goetes" believed derived from the invocations of the "magoi", but which modern academicians suspect were really imitations of the "real thing" intended to impress the customer. Here goes: PGM I:222-231 (Translation by E. N. O'Neil) Indispensable invisibility spell: Take fat or an eye of a nightowl and dung rolled by a [scarab] beetle and oil of an unripe olive and grind them all together until smooth, and smear your whole body with it and say to [the god] Helios: "I adjure you by your great name, BORKE PHOIOUR IO ZIZIA APARXEOUCH THYTHE LAILAM AAAAAA IIIII OOOO IEO IEO IEO IEO IEO IEO NAUNAX AI AI AEO AEO EAO," and moisten it and say in addition: "Make me invisible, lord Helios, AEO OAE EIE EAO, in the presence of any man until sunset, IO IO O PHRIXRIZO EOA." PGM I:232-247 (Translation by E. N. O'Neil) Memory spell: Take heiratic [unused] papyrus and write the prescribed names with Hermaic myrrh ink. And once you have written them as prescribed [see next paragraph], wash them off into spring water from 7 springs and drink the water on an empty stomach for seven days while the moon is in the east. But drink a sufficient amount. This is the writing on the strip of papyrus: "KAMBRE CHAMBRE SIXIOPHI HARPON CHNOUPHI BRINTATENOPHRIBRISKYLMA ARAOUAZAR BAMESEN KRIPHI NIPTOUMI CHMOUMAOPH AKTIOPHI ARTOSE BIBIOU BIBIOU SPHE SPHE NOUSI NOUSI SIEGO SIEGO NOUCHA NOUCHA LINOUCHA LINOUCHA CHYCHBA CHYCHBA KAXIO CHYCHBA DETOPHOTH II AA OO YY EE EE OO." After doing these things wash the writing off and drink as is prescribed. This is also the composition of the ink: myrrh troglitis, 4 drams; 3 karian figs, 7 pits of Nikolaus dates, 7 dried pinecones, 7 piths of the single stemmed wormwood, 7 wings of the Hermaic ibis [bird], spring water. when you have burned the ingredients, prepare them and write. PGM I:247-262 (Translation by E. N. O'Neil) Tested spell for invisibility: A great work. Take an eye of an ape or of a corpse that has died a violent death and a plant of peony (he means the rose). Rub these with an oil of lily, and as you are rubbing them from the right to the left, say the spell as follows: "I am ANUBIS, I am OSIR-PHRE, I am OSOT SORONOUIER, I am OSIRIS whom SETH destroyed. Rise up, infernal daimon, IO ERBETH IO PHOBETH IO PAKERBETH IO APOMPS; Whatever I, NN [i. e. the name of the person invoking the spell], order you to do, be obedient to me." And if you wish to become invisible, rub just your face with the concoction, and you will be invisible for as long as you wish. And if you wish to be visible again, move from west to east and say this name [see the next paragraph], and you will be obvious and visible to all men. The name is: "MARMARIAOTH MARMARIPHEGGE, make me, NN [i. e. the name if the person invoking the spell], visible to all men on this day, immediately, immediately, quickly, quickly!" This works very well. So there you have it. I have enclosed my own comments with square brackets "[ ]" but preserved original insertions of comments by the ancient transcriber with parentheses "( )". The source of these quotations is "The Greek Magical Papyri In Translation: Including The Demotic Spells", Volume One: Texts, Edited by Hans Dieter Betz, c. 1986, and have been cited for instructional purposes only. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 7.) A D&D Realms Listing WORTUN: This island-kingdom is nation of sailors. All the major trade routes end up here because this is where they can BUY sailors (sailors are sold and bought legally). Some strangers to this area are taken into sailing and bought and sold by the government. The current ruler is King Uest. The military of this nation is average. Even though the Royal Navy is the most powerful known navy, the ground troops are not so good. The military consists of 350 warships (with captain and crew), 150 frigates (for scouting and piracy suppression), and 250,000 ground troops (all are trained as marines). The very few poor people there are usually can be found in the 4 cities made especially for the poor (the cities are known as City-1, City-2, etc.). The government is not especially powerful or weak, it is just accepted. This area is also the main Spelljamming port... DRAWMI: This nation is one of the strongest exporters of goods. Their military is also quite powerful, made up of only 250,000 people, this army is still feared. Their navy is below average. The reason for little religion in this area is because most citizens believe religion is a waste of time. Though there are still some who believe. The current ruler is King Gextor. He is highly liked and respected in the community. In fact, anyone heard saying something evil about him is usually killed by the people who here that, and if the person who heard it can prove the dead person did say it, the murderer is rewarded. Every year, the King holds a tournament and fair on the shores of the Lake of Drawmi, anything bought here is bought at 50% of the normal cost (military gear and weapons may NOT be bought). All Spelljamming ships are confiscated and used by the military (though very few ships are ever captured)... RESLOC: This area has even export and import. The main export is religious items (holy symbols, prayer books, etc.), though there are other things. The military is not very big (only around 120,000 people), but they are powerful for their size. This is so because the women and men in the army feel they are fighting under the protection of their god. This area, as you can see, is highly religious. About 99% of the citizens are religious. This area is the where the mainstream of worshippers of Chryton come to worship. There is no middle class in this nation. The current ruler is High Priest Cronos. There is quite a bit of Spelljamming here because of the large number of priests... YELNEM: This area has suffered through many wars, almost all of the wars were won by their side. Though they won a lot, their army has been depleted to normal size. The army on land used to rival to the power of Wortun's Royal Navy on the water, but the casualties were overwhelming on their side during the last war (about 5 years ago). The numbers of the Yelnemian Royal Army fell from almost 1,000,000 to about 273,000. It seems that the last war only brought strength to the government (one of their tactics was to force all the rebels into the army). As the population lessened the quality of life grew. The current ruler is Duke Stephon (The King and Prince were killed in battle). The Spelljamming is low, but growing fast because the Duke is an ex-Spelljammer... VORTEX: This nation has no trade at all because it's a nation of self-supplying Mages. There is no military because no country is foolish enough to attack the Mages. The population is only about 2,000 mages, so the quality of life is high. All non-believers of Arnetism are immediately killed (if found). The "major cities" markings on the map are not cities, but the towers of the most powerful Mages. There is no government, so there are no laws. This is a popular place for robbing and the like, so it is unwise to travel through this area. The only reason borders exist is because the two most powerful mages want them to so no one will invade their privacy (which doesn't work to well, sometimes...). This area has no Spelljamming ports, but many ships land here looking for more powerful Spelljammers... PARDEQUE: This area's army is only rivaled by the Sherquon Elven Army. This nation of dwarves is highly based on military operations. The government is LOVED! All the citizens would die for their Emporer. The current ruler is Emporer Denizer. This nation is an empire because it recently conquered Deloster (they did this 2 months ago and because it has many mines to supply jobs for the dwarves). The trade, quality of life, and religious beliefs are average. This area has little to no Spelljamming because Stargate's dwarves all get Spelljamming sick quite fast... DELOSTER: This recently conquered nation is Pardeque's money and job source. This nation is allowed to keep it's government and rulers, but the rulers have to answer to Emporer Denizer. This area's main export is mined minerals. The military is fairly weak in this Dwarven province. The current ruler is Governer Steelarm. Religion and government status is average. The Spelljamming is the same as Pardeque... PENTOQUE: The quality of life of this evil nation is low. The only people with high style lives are the friends of evil High Priest Dorak. All citizens are forced to follow the religion of Kolene. Some people resist because this religion involves the sacrifice of 8 year-old human females, but those who do are killed by the High Army. The High Army is a known threat to all nations (not just on Stargate...). This small area once belonged to Horus, but as soon as High Priest Dorak created the High Army, he put up the walls around his kingdom and declared it his. Horus was wise enough not to attack. There are few Spelljamming ships allowed in this area though there is a port. To be allowed to land you must have proof that the High Priest wants you to... HORUS: The trade of this area used to be high, but with the loss of Pentoque, trade has lessened. Government and Religion are stressed as job openings to the young (that is why there are such few adventurers from this nation). The military is feared by the weaker nations, but not the powerful ones. The quality of life could be considered decent for most people there. The current ruler is King Kerxn. This is area has many Spelljamming ports... SHERQUON: This area is the perfect nation for all people. This Elven ruled nation is sometimes called "Paradise On Sarlos" because it really is. Everything is almost perfect. To even be allowed to enter this area you have to be one of the best in your field. To be a citizen (to live there) you must be the closest thing your race can come to perfection. The population is mostly elves (because the king is elven). The Sherquon Elven Army is a major army used only for protection, not attacks. The current ruler is King Tury the Nimble, a great elven warrior. This area's Spelljamming might is amazing, but not as amazing as Wortun's... things. The military is not very big (only around 120,000 people) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 8.) AD&D Terms(Etc) Glossary This is a list of the common abbreviations and phrases used in AD&D. AC - Armor Class AL - Alignment Cha - Charisma Con - Constitution d - dice or die, a roll that calls for 2d6, for example, means that the player rolls two six-sided dice. DM - Dungeon Master, the person who runs the module DMG - refers to the Dungeon Master's Guide DAM - Damage, or how much damage something does Dex - Dexterity EXP or XP - Experience Points HTD - Hit Dice, the dice rolled to determine a character's/creature's Hit Points. HTP - Hit points INIT - Initiative, the order of players and creatures in combat Int - Intelligence LVL - Level, the level of skill/ability of a character/creature Melee - combat NPC - NonPlayer Character, a character run by the DM PC - Player Character, characters under the control of the player(you) Prime Requisite - the ability score that is most important to a specific Class (STR for a fighter, for example) Prof - Proficiency, includes Weapon and NonWeapon Proficiencies. ROF - Rate of fire, how fast you can fire/throw a missile weapon (ex. bow) Round - in combat, a segment of time approx. 1 minute long, during which a character can accomplish one action. Ten combat rounds equal 1 turn. Save or Saving Throw - a measure of a character's ability to resist special types of attacks, especially poison, paralyzation, magic, and breath weapons. STR - Strength THAC0 - To Hit Armor Class Zero(0), the number that a character needs to hit a target with AC0 THT - To Hit, the number a character needs to hit a specific target. WIS - Wisdom =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 9.) The FinalŠ Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. As stated before, all suggestions / articles are warmly welcomed on the system. That's all she wrote, see you next issue... 'ave fun! - Lord Soth, SysOp of Soth's Domain (401\785.0347) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=