13 July 2010

Today’s Tabbloid
PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net

ROGUE FEED
Blue Book, Cover to Cover (Part
IV)
JUL 12, 2010 11:01P.M.
“Time and Movement in the Dungeons” contains some interesting
deviations from OD&D. In both the LBBs and Holmes, a turn is 10
minutes long. In both games, all armored characters, regardless of
whether they wear leather armor or plate, move at the same rate, which
is 120 feet per turn (though, to be fair, the LBBs are clearer on this point,
because they provide encumbrance values for each armor type).
However, Holmes states that, in combat, “there are ten melee rounds per
turn, each round lasting ten seconds.” In OD&D, a round is 1 minute
long. Holmes has muddied the waters somewhat but making the term
“turn” equivocal, sometimes referring to what I guess we can call a
“movement turn” and sometimes referring to what we might call a
“combat turn,” each having a different temporal value. It’s a bit
frustrating and its presence probably explains why, to this day, I
instinctively think of a “round” as being 10 seconds long, which it is not
in AD&D (though it is in Moldvay, interestingly). Holmes follows OD&D
in assuming that one (move) turn each hour must be spent in rest.
Holmes notes that “DUNGEONS & DRAGONS was originally written for
wargamers” in order to explain why distances are frequently written in
inches. However, nearly every (all?) examples where distances are noted,
such as in spell descriptions or monster movement rates, he uses
standard measurements rather than inches, a practice continued in
Moldvay but not in AD&D.
also follow OD&D, being usually closed and forced open on a roll of 1-2
on 1D6, though Holmes includes no suggestion that “lighter characters”
open doors only on a roll of 1. Doors automatically close unless
spiked/wedged, but always open for monsters unless specifically
prevented from doing so. Holmes does not include rules for spikes
slipping free, as OD&D does. Listening at doors follows the LBBs (roll of
1 on 1D6 for humans and 1-2 for demihumans), with undead making no
sound.
Surprise is handled identically in both (1-2 on 1D6), although Holmes
lessens the possibility that a surprised character may drop whatever he is
holding.
Wandering monsters are rarer in Holmes, as the referee only checks for
them once every three turns as opposed to once every turn. Again, this is
a Holmes-ism that I instinctively follow and have had to work hard to
correct in my mind. Holmes also provides a clearer, almost formulaic
approach to determining how many wandering monsters are
“appropriate” for a given dungeon and party level than is found in
OD&D, although he’s not really deviating from the LBBs. However, his
wandering monsters can appear farther away (20-120 feet) than in
OD&D (20-80 feet).
Fascinatingly, Holmes includes an expanded “Hostile/Friendly Reaction
Table” for dealing with monsters compared to OD&D. It’s still a 2D6 roll
but it offers finer grained results than that in Volume 3 of OD&D (and
Moldvay’s own table is almost wholly identically with that in Holmes).
There’s, again, a suggestion that the table results can be modified at the
referee’s discretion, taking into account Charisma, bribes, etc. There are
also simple rules for evading pursuit by monsters that are similar to
those in the LBBs but somewhat simplified mechanically.

Encumbrance rules are present, but they are extremely vague. No weight
values are assigned to equipment, so each referee would need to decide
for himself the weight of each item. The LBBs include such information,
however. Despite this omission, Holmes nevertheless suggests that
players keep a careful record of all the equipment their characters are
carrying, including where on their person they’re keeping it. A sample
character, Malchor the Magic-User, is used as an example of how to do
this and I find it noteworthy that the text says he wears “boots, loin cloth,
robe, girdle, and pointy hat.”

I’ve already covered most of what needs to be said about light in the
dungeon here. I’ll add only that Holmes explains that dwarves and elves
“lose their ability to see 60 feet [in the dark] if there is light within 30
feet of them.”

Traps function identically to OD&D (triggering on a 1-2 on 1D6). Doors

1
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net
ROGUE FEED
My Friends are Awesome
JUL 12, 2010 04:08P.M.
Thanks to a player in my Dwimmermount campaign and to my partner
at Rogue Games, I’ve got a goodly supply of Kamandi comics to keep me
busy, with more on the way. You guys work fast!
If I suddenly start to post a lot about Mutant Future, you’ll know why.
ROGUE FEED
Blue Book, Cover to Cover (Part
III)
JUL 12, 2010 02:47P.M.
Dr. Holmes has a short section discussing “hopeless characters,” in
which he suggests that, at the DM’s discretion, a character who is “below
average” might be “declared unsuitable for dangerous adventures and
left at home.” I find the section interesting, because I don’t recall
anything similar to it being included in the LBBs or Supplements.
Perhaps I am reading too much into it, but this suggests to me that, by
the time the Blue Book appeared, there was already a strong sense in
some quarters of the hobby that PCs should be “above average,” an
opinion echoed in Gygax’s PHB. Intriguingly, Holmes concludes this
section with what I consider sage advice on the subject:
There is enough chance in the dungeon encounters, however,
that sometimes a character like this will survive and advance
to a position of power and importance.
That single sentence encapsulate a lot of what I consider to be the
essence of old school gaming. Ability scores are not destiny, especially in
the LBBs and Holmes, where their mechanical effect is negligible.
Moreover, D&D is a game of chance, which means that, even an above
average character might well suffer a bad roll that brings him to a bad
end, while a supposedly “hopeless” character not only survives but
prospers. Some of my fondest early gaming memories are of characters
with thoroughly mediocre ability scores who outlived their better
endowed peers to become pillars of the campaign.
Holmes suggests that players be allowed no more than two characters at
a time in the campaign and notes that most DMs allow only one per
player. OD&D’s inheritance rules, complete with the 10% tax, are
mentioned, along with the possibility that a player might simply choose
to retire “wealthy and covered in glory” before his luck runs out and he is
slain in the dungeon. In discussing character death, removing the
miniature figure that represents him from the table is explicitly
mentioned, suggesting again that miniatures, while not necessary, were
treated as a commonplace aspect of the game. Attention is drawn to
raising the dead through magic, in which it’s stated that “A seventh level
2
13 July 2010
cleric can raise the dead, if you can find one!” This implies that 7th level
is a noteworthy and rare achievement and that the campaign should not
include many such characters.
The Blue Book assumes that the player characters will hire NPCs to join
them in their dungeon delving, although, as with most things in Holmes,
the decision to allow or disallow this possibility rests with the referee.
That said, there are rules for recruiting hirelings, albeit of a very loose
sort. Unlike OD&D, where there are explicit game mechanics associated
with Charisma, Holmes is more “free form” and relying on the good
judgment and creativity of the Dungeon Master.
Holmes differs from OD&D in adopting a fivefold alignment system
(Lawful Good, Lawful Evil, Neutral, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Evil), which
first appeared in Strategic Review #6 (February 1976). Neutrality is
equated not with balance here but with self-interest, with thieves being
offered as prime examples of the alignment. Alignment change is noted
as a possibility, but one that brings with it the loss of experience points
as a penalty. Alignment languages are present in Holmes, as they are in
OD&D. Learning other languages is a function of Intelligence and the
formula for determining the exact number of languages a character can
learn is identical to that in the LBBs.
ROGUE FEED
Richard Iorio
JUL 12, 2010 11:20A.M.
At 39 years old I have grown accustomed to my childhood-slah-teenage
heroes dying. When you grow up in the geek culture of games, comic
books, scifi and fantasy, there are numerous creators whose work
touches you and influences you. As a geek fan, you do not really know
these people. You might be fortunate to gain their acquaintance (I
consider myself very lucky to have known Dave Arneson and to have
worked for him), have a chance to have dinner with them, or even
interview them. However, for the most part, you never get to meet your
idols. Still, because of your idols, you find your life influenced in ways
you never realize. When you find out, said idol, passes away, you either
are sad, or stricken.
When I found out Arneson had passed away, I was hit hard. When I
found out Gygax had passed away I was sadden. Now, the reason, for
this, as I mentioned, is closeness. I had known Arneson, had talked with
him and worked for him, my immediacy to him was greater, than with
Gygax.
Now, I find out Harvey Pekar has passed away, I am stricken. I did not
know Pekar, but I knew and admired his work. I did not know him, but
you did know him becasue of his autobiographical American Splendor.
To call him just a writer, does a disservice to his voice, his work, and the
sheer brilliance of his writing. No more so was this talent shown was in
Our Cancer Year, which he wrote with his wife Pekar and his wife, Joyce
Brabner. The book dealt with his experiences of dealing with lymphatic
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 13 July 2010

cancer he was diagnosed with in 1990 and underwent a grueling Thousand Suns, this is your chance to ask me about the revision in the
treatment. works, as well as the slew of books being worked on as well.

Pekar’s work needs to be celebrated. Needs to be read. He is not only the

voice of Cleveland, but of life in the Rust Belt. His passing is a great lost,
and here I sit numb.

Rest in Peace.

Filed under: comic books, Life Tagged: comic books, thoughts

ROGUE FEED

What’s for sale at GenCon this

year? Part 2.
JUL 12, 2010 06:57A.M.

Last week, I mentioned that I’d be posting what is going to be for sale in
the Rogue Games booth at GenCon this year. As you remember Rogue
Games has a booth (Booth 1539) this year, and we are a full slate of new
titles. Last week I talked about Colonial Gothic. This week’s topic?
Thousand Suns.

What’s new?

Thousand Suns: Starships. A nice sexy little book, all about, well,
starships. Price? $12.99. In addition the author, Greg Videll, will be in
the booth.

In addition to this new book, the rest of the line is there. Speaking of