figure.pcx from UA Newsletter #7
Welcome, fellow game-designers, to the eighth issue of the UANL! We've come a long way since the NL's inception, but we've got even further to go. This issue is aimed at a Halloween theme: we've got creapy reviews, a RAVENLOFT designer's guide, and the results of the 1994 Halloween Contest!
Now, to get you drooling about the future: In the coming months, we'll be changing our look, our style, and yes, we may even be able to put the NL out on time! Be on the lookout... and in the meantime, enjoy the Unlimited Adventures NewsLetter #8!
Author: John Kochmar Full Title: Haunted (ed: no, that's it :) Imported Graphics: Yes For: IBM Additional Documentation:No # of Dungeons: 3In the spirit of this issue's Halloween theme, I've decided to dig back through my module archives to review an old module that is in keeping with the times...
John Kochmar (whom most UA'ers will recognize as the keeper of the mailing list) created this little dungeon-crawl way back in '93, for the first AOL UA Halloween Contest. And it lost. 'Haunted' was overlooked in favor of more traditional (and frankly, more chilling) entries.
But that is not to say that this is not a good game. Kochmar has created an endearing module, a quirky and dryly humorous take on an otherwise serious topic. While the other entries of '93 tried to be at least marginally professional, Kochmar took an opposite route.
The game is narratted by a pipe-totting rabbit with more intelligence most people would think possible. And the plot is simple: an old chapel has been overrun by evil after the strange disappearance of an insane priest. It is up to the party to dispell the evils of his corruption and to discover the secret of the chapel...
No, it's not much of a plot - but it works. The game is never confusing or ambiguous. The party always has some direction; the goals are clear-cut and the quest moves quickly. I found myself attracted to 'Haunted', despite its simplicity and strange sense of humor. Then again, the quirks of this game might have been what made it so enjoyable.
It took me about two hours to hack and burn my way through the three levels of demons, jack-o-lanterns, and Scarecrows; I enjoyed every moment of it. The combats are easy and never get annoying. There are no random encounters to worry about. I found the candles with relative ease (they are the main items that the party must hunt for) and mopped up the final baddies in similar fashion.
As I said before, this is definately a tongue-in-cheek adventure. And while it sometimes lapses sophmoric, the jokes usually made me crack a smile... and there were a few that merited a chuckle or two. If you are looking for a serious adventure, you'd best look elsewhere. This is an irreverent look at the noir/gothic adventures that normally deluge the AOL boards at Halloween.
There are some flaws, though. The narrator serves no purpose; I began to get annoyed with him shortly after the game begins. And the combats may be TOO easy for most players - there is very little to challenge the dungeon-hack of average ability. Lastly, there were not enough areas to rest in. I found myself travelling back to the same place every time my level one party got hurt... a real pain.
Overall, I'd recommend 'Haunted' to all adventurers looking for something different, but beginners will get the most enjoyment out of it. The frustration level is low and I didn't have to play with the game's code (a major plus nowadays).
Story Execution: B Encounters: A- Innovativity: A Bug Control: A- (some typos) Overall: A--CORIC-
Author: Balze Full Title:The Deadly Power Imported Graphics:yes For: IBM Additional Documentation:No # of Dungeons:This is a relatively lengthy module with a good foundation. You start in a small town, and the author provides all vital information regarding what you're supposed to do. The plot itself is pretty basic: a protective artifact has been stolen from a town, and you are needed to stop the thieves and retrieve it. It's a relatively well developed plot.
However, and it's my classic complaint... the random encounters are somewhat unbalanced. The frequency of randoms is a bit on the high side for my tastes, but bareable. The problem comes in with the difficulty of randoms. They tend to be far more difficult that necessary, and after one or two, you will often find yourself sans two or three party members. Considering the rarity of resting spots, that seems a bit much to me.
The set encounters too, are a bit on the tough side, but that's almost to be expected. Still, a party of 5th level characters probably shouldn't be in fights with 6 and more giants, half of which are spell casters.
There is a particularly difficult maze at the end, a very interesting, if somewhat wicked, idea for a maze. ;>
All in all, a pretty good effort, but the combat needs a bit of work. (I'm starting to feel like a broken record with the combat thing. ;>) I'd recommend it, but only if you like difficult encounters. ;>
Story Execution: A- Encounters: B Innovativity: B Bug Control: B Overall: B+
As I said before, though, I'll hold the review until I've given the entire mod a fair shake. It deserves it...
And now, on to the reviews:
Author: Nyx Night Full Title: Making Amends Demo Imported art: Yes # of dungeons: 1 Additional documentation: NoAlthough it isn't a game in itself, Nyx Night's demo, "Making Amends," is something every game designer should experience...and I do mean "experience." After running the demo, I was impressed. But, after peeking at how it was done, I was rendered (temporarily) speechless.
As a UA game designer, I'd entertained the idea of including a demo in my own game as soon as it was mentioned <in UANL3>. The only thing holding me back was the idea that a demo would require a great amount of work and an entire level of its own. Nyx has demonstrated, with few events and little text, how wrong I was...
Perhaps I'm over-reacting to a simple, well-executed concept...but I don't think so. :]
Note: The "Making Amends Demo" can be found in UANL4. The save game (to make the demo self-running) is included in UANL5.
Story execution: A+ Encounters: N/A Graphics: A+ Bug Control: A+ Innovativity: A+ Overall: A+<Autery>
Author: ChrisElion Full Title: Hireling Demo Imported art: Yes # of dungeons: 1 Additional documentation: Yes (brief description).This game (found in the events and tutorials section of UA), has been around for awhile, but it deserves mention. The Hireling Demo isn't a demo in the purest sense of the word. Rather, it's a short, enjoyable dungeon romp, with a simple plot, intended to show players a few variations on the acquisition of henchmen. The author mentions in the accompanying text file that the hireling system was based on the one found in Might & Magic III (tm, New World Computing), but it's actually somewhat more simplistic. This by no means detracts from the game's usefulness.
In reality, the tutorial provides far more than its description implies. The author has an excellent understanding of the more difficult events in the game, and it shows. Designers will find a wealth of material in the tutorial, and perhaps a few ways to do things they hadn't thought of before. For players who aren't familiar with Gold Box games (and even some of us 'old timers'), a visit to the town library provides tips on combat tactics and spell casting. While they aren't entirely accurate (a spiritual hammer 'does' return to the caster eventually), the tips are useful and a good idea.
There are occasional spelling errors and -- for those who play the tutorial as a game -- the occasional "reality check" (such as in the library) when the text describes things in terms of the player rather than the character, but neither are really a problem (and this IS a tutorial after all). The only bug I could find was at the inn -- where a character had to pay again if he/she wanted to exit the building, but again, the problem is easily overlooked. Overall, ChrisElion's "Hireling Demo" is well worth checking out. :)
Story execution: A- Encounters: A+ Graphics: A+ Bug Control: A Innovativity: A+ (many well-executed concepts) Overall: A+<Autery>
Actually, "The Awakening" is the third in a long line of titles for a never-ending attempt at creating an enjoyable game. Along with a demo and adventurer's journal, some of the intended concepts include: simulated weather (including different overland maps for different seasons), possible requirements for food and sleep as the party travels, a party-alignment monitor (based on real choices in the game), and a real choice of the difficulty level of the game (one that actually affects experience and rewards). The Awakening is set in a world the characters help to shape, influence, and become part of, a world where the party's fame or infamy affects how they are treated by the people they meet, a world in which one may carve out a dominion and watch it grow. But beware, the awakening...
<Autery>
Planned for release after UATOOLS are the nearly complete Lhado's Messengers, where you play one PC - the incarnation of the war god of the humans. You pick up your companions along the way with the eventual goal of kicking the orcs back out of human territory. An unabashed hack and slash featuring artifact weapons, lots of chatter among the various NPC's, and the dense storyline I think is so important to a FRUA game.
Also in the works is Reality: Arkanthas' Dilemma, in which you actually play the only *NPC* in the party (kind of the opposite of Lhado). As Arkanthas, you find yourself beginning to doubt that the world you live in is real, and that the people around you are not just figments of your imagination... A solipsist nightmare.
The first run of Lhado is almost finished, I guess I have about 8 maps to go. That's probably two weeks of work. Then I need to do one more debugging run and maybe hunt for some playtesters. It's harder since I have no roommates - FSU is not exactly the kind of place to go looking for computer types. The average FSU student can bench press a Volkswagen, drinks testosterone for breakfast, and can't read a map, let alone a book. ;>
Peter
delaney@darwin.psy.fsu.edu
NOTE: this article was culled from the Internet UA newsgroup.
I've had a few questions along this line recently, so I decided to dust off this thing, update it, and post it.
** How to Upload FRUA Material **
Version 1.10 - Alan S. Estenson (Mycroft)
Last changed on 21 September, 1994
FRUA: Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures, is a commercial entertainment software product by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI)
These are the recommended guidelines and methods for uploading new or improved FRUA material (modules, art, hints, etc.) to Internet anonymous ftp sites. Please bear in mind that these are SUGGESTED guidelines, not requirements. No one is looking over your shoulder to make sure that you obey them. However, following them will result in a number of people being slightly happier than usual (including yours truly.)
Before you upload your creation, remember to archive (compress) it. While PkZip 2.04g is a defacto standard, arj and lharc are usually also acceptable. If possible, try to avoid self-extracting archives as they make the Mac people unhappy.
ftp.csua.berkeley.edu /pub/frua wuarchive.wustl.edu /pub/msdos_uploads/games/UA ccosun.caltech.edu /pub/UAAfter all, someone else may have already uploaded it (and saved you the trouble.) For instance, I usually transfer new modules from America Online to the Internet within a few days of their initial availability.
Here's a sample *.txt file. (It's fictional, sheesh.) Of course, you may use any format that you desire.
Subject: FRUA Module Module Name: The Evergrowing Fungus Date: October 17, 1993 File: EVFUNGUS.ZIP (112898 bytes) AUTHOR: M. Holmes E-Mail: holmes@baker.st.com EQUIPMENT: SSI's Unlimited Adventures (commercial) Type: Freely Distributed Description: Your party joins the world-renowned M. Holmes as you attempt to save his pet dog ChiChi from the vile clutches of Dr. Ramone and his Evergrowing Fungus!
este0005@gold.tc.umn.edu
estenson@aem.umn.edu
Mycroft@mermaid.micro.umn.edu
Mycroft@aol.com
At your discretion, you can also post a message to the newsgroup
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg
--
Alan S. Estenson aka "Mycroft" este0005@gold.tc.umn.edu
Aerospace Engineering / University of Minnesota / Minneapolis, MN
I first signed up for AOL back in early November, '93. Almost immediately, I found the FRUA area. I was really excited about it because here was a great new source of custom artwork, modules, and other UA players. One thing that I remember very clearly was that there had just been a Halloween module contest arranged by one or two people on AOL. The mods had just become available for general downloading and there was a lot of talk about them. I remember thinking that a FRUA Halloween contest was a really neat idea. The game and the holiday seemed to me to go together very well.
Then, about a month ago, during the first FRUA on-line chat session, I asked the group if anyone was planning to do another Halloween contest this year. No one spoke up and, since I still thought it was a neat idea, I decided to host the contest myself.
By Sunday evening, I had played all six adventures. But I made no decisions on the winner until late Sunday night. It was that hard for me to decide. But decide I finally did, and now here is my summary of the 1994 Halloween Module Contest entries:
BrettE1 on America OnLine
In many games, professional and amateur alike, the conversation between two characters is simulated by two pictures, one of the first character and one of the second. This is adequate to get your point across, but it fails to give the characters life - which is the basis of a role-playing game. There is no energy, no real player involvement. In the table/dice roleplaying game, comic book, or novel, the characters move around each other, so the people experience the closeness of the two characters and feel the tension around them. It is easy enough to simulate this closeness by using text to display this to the user, but it falls back into the trap of relying on the user to imagine it themselves. If that is the case, then there really is no need for pictures in your modules. The module should enhance imagination, not force it upon the pc.
Computer games have the potential to draw players into a great fantasy world, both visually and mentally, and it's this potential that should not be wasted. How does one do this in an adventure you may be asking? In a comic book, the artist uses angles to create this illusion of depth. This can be done with the pictures in your module, but this too has its faults. Think about this: in a comic book, the reader is only an observer of the incidents. The reader is given the power to 'fly' around the scene to take in all the action at the best viewing positions. The same is true for some of the top Hollywood movies. They are made to excite the viewer with as many angles and special effects as possible.
In a game, the user is a part of the action. They control the action and literally take the part of a player. They are not just observers, so your pictures should remain at the user's eye-level so that he/she can feel like they are there. This creates a major problem for the computer artist, as it limits their creativity. The creative angles of movies are impossible to convey realistically in a game environment, and dramatitic shifts are difficult.
Some designers have chosen to ignore the problem, but no challenge should ever be ignored.
The solution is to create a middle picture, one that links the two characters in the same room. In essence, every scene should have THREE main elements: the two characters/parties in a 'taking head' or similar format (a strait-on shot of the character's face or body), and a more artistic shot that merges the two seamlessly together. The challenge is doing the picture at the viewing point of where the characters should be standing at the time. It does not matter if the portraits are close-ups of the characters - in real life, when one focuses on a certain item, the item seems to draw closer to the viewer, though not by much, but in all dramatics it is better to exaggerate.
There could be several pictures to tie the main pics together, but sometimes it is necessary to have only one (due to memory or software constraints). The middle picture should serve not only to tie the pictures together, but also as a display-medium for the actions between them.
Lets discuss this with example:
We last left the burly thief Caravass braced against the outer walls of the dark city, fiercely scolding the party for their lack of stealth. He spoke of the guardians of the town, with great fear in his voice, as he tried to think of a way to get the party by, unobserved...
"The night may be our ally today, my friends. The enemy moon has not shown its face this day." Caravass tries to sound confident, but the sweat on his brow and the tension in his voice betrays him. "Come, follow close. We may lose our chance if we stand here all night."Figure 1-2.pcx is how I drew this scene, with figure3.pcx to conclude the scene. It incorporates all of the above elements that I talked about before; the end result is a fear-inspiring cinematic experience, using some creative angles.Caravass leads the party onward with unsteady steps... he stumbles his way into the city...
A few feet inside the confine of the high city enclosure, Caravass raises his hand and signals for you to halt. Your ears perk up, as you suddenly hear a low whistling in the wind, and you too join him in his paralysis. "AAARRRGHHH, they found us!" Caravass rips out his dagger in a futile gesture of protection. In front of him are three cloaked figures, whom you quickly recognize as the guardians of the city...
figure.pcx from UA Newsletter #7
figure1.pcx
figure2.pcx
figure3.pcx
Until next time, when I talk about how to use lighting to set the mood of the picture, this is:
- DIKA WOLF
First off, the exits from one dungeon to another...
I don't know about you, but some of the mods that I have played have asked me if I wanted to leave before I even got to the exit itself. And other asked if I wanted to leave as soon as I stepped into the square right infront of the exit. The way that I would expect it to act is I would have to make an attempt to step through the exit before I would be asked if I wanted to leave. It took a little bit of playing around, but I finely came up with a solution to this problem. What I do is make the exit wall open, not blocked. That way the person can step through the wall to where the transfer module event will be. If, in edit mode, you are at 5,0 and you take a step north you end up at the bottom of the screen, at 5,15 or whatever you have your dimensions set at. That is where you put the transfer module event, on the other side of the dungeon from where you have your exit. When you place your transfer mod event there, you have to do a couple of things to make sure that it doesn't get triggered when your chars are on that side of the mod walking around. On page 1 of the transfer mod event you can click on the ALWAYS HAPPENS option and scroll down to FACING CORRECT DIRECTION, then you chose the correct direction that they will be facing when they enter that square from the other side of the mod. EX. Let's say that we have a mod that is 16 by 16. You put an exit at 0,8. You would place the transfer mod event at 15,8 and when you change ALWAYS HAPPENS to FACING CORRECT DIRECTION you make sure that the direction is WEST. That way when they are walking down the east side of the city, or whatever, and they come to 15,8 and they are not facing west when they enter it, the transfer mod event won't get triggered. And that is my way of implementing an exit. I hope you like it. :)
Second, having something/someone appear only when entering room...
If there's one thing I hate it's an innkeeper that wants more money on my way out after I already paid them. <G> What I am going to talk about now can, and should, be used in other situations than just for an inn. The way that I implement an inn probably isn't the only way, but it's the way that I do it and I'm sure that others do the same also. What I do is to place a WHO PAYS event inside a door and say something like "GREETINGS ADVENTURERS, IT'LL COST 5 PP TO STAY THE NIGHT. WHO PAYS?" Then on the successful page place some text like "ENJOY YOUR STAY". On the failure page you can place text there or in the text statement that you will chain to. In any case, you chain the failure page to a text event and enter some text in that says something to the effect that they can't stay there. The reason that you chain to a text event is because if they fail to pay you don't want them to be able to stay there. The text event has a button that you can select to make the party move back a step after the event, which kicks them out of the inn if they don't pay. If they succeed, once they get in they don't want to run into the innkeeper again on the way out. The way to solve this problem is by using the FACING CORRECT DIRECTION option on the page 1 of the WHO PAYS event and set the direction to the correct direction when entering the inn. This also applies to other situations where you want the party to read some text when they are only entering a building and not when leaving. The option to have an event execute only when the party is facing the correct direction is a powerful one that should be implemented in a lot of situations. Well, that about does it for me. Hopefully I will get my first mod done here in the near future so you all can make sure that I practice what I preach. Until next time, if there ever is one, happy adventuring and keep those mods coming. <G>
NOTE: Remember to check out the SAMPLE.EXE file to see how I worked all this into a simple dungeon!!
Pym Jr.
The UANL is written for you. So, if you'll pardon the bit of advertising, the best way to see the answer to a burning question, or an article you'd like, is to write in. Submission guidelines were listed in UANL7, but if you've a short article or question related to the Beginner's Corner, you're welcome to send it to me as e-mail. I'll do my best to see that it gets the attention it deserves.
Articles, tips, suggestions, hints, questions, requests, or just about anything else related to Unlimited Adventures, can be addressed to this newsletter via the e-mail address: 'UANL@AOL.COM'. Chances are, the material will make it into the newsletter. Let us know at the UANL what we can do to help you -- that's what we're here for, after all. :)
This month's article deals with simple strategies of downloading games from AOL to FRUA <simple, that is, to those who've performed the process many times...>. If you know all this already, bear with me. You might still learn a few tricks... :p
For this article, we're going to make a few assumptions. The first is that you've installed Unlimited Adventures on your computer using the default settings (i.e., on drive C, under a directory called FRUA). The second is that you've installed AOL in drive C, under the directory WAOL. The W in the latter simply means the Windows version <and will obviously be different if you use a different version of AOL>. If you use different locations or names, simply replace the appropriate text with your own settings.
NOTE: Always create a SAVE sub directory in your game. Otherwise, when you try to play, FRUA will give silly comments such as "Insert Save Disk..." To my knowledge, there's no such animal -- FRUA isn't designed to look in your floppy drives for a disk. :/
Disadvantages:
The zip file will remain in your FRUA directory, leaving you with two copies of the game. If you want to save disk space and not clutter up your FRUA directory, move the zip file to a different location (preferably a floppy disk) or delete it. AOL (via the download manager preferences) can be set to automatically delete zip files after decompression, but I wouldn't personally recommend the option -- AOL doesn't support the newer versions of pkzip, and I'm not sure it wouldn't delete the file even though it was unable to extract the file's contents.
Self-extracting (executable) files won't automatically unzip...You'll need to use another method (read on, though :).
Move C:\WAOL\DOWNLOAD\xxx C:\FRUA(where xxx is the name of the directory you want to move). Change directories to C:\FRUA and rename the new directory as mentioned previously. Open this directory and make a save sub directory. I won't pretend to be a master at using DOS, especially versions earlier than 5.0, but if you have trouble using the move command, you should be able to use the copy command instead.
'PKUNZIP
C:\AOL\DOWNLOAD\<file.zip> c:\frua\<newmod>.dsn'. The files will copy
into your directory, and you've got yourself a game!
And now we'll pause for a brief advertisement...
With Halloween just around the corner, and the ensuing contest between the brightest designers <that's a hint, guys & gals :>, there'll be a wealth of new and exciting games on the boards. If this article helps you to participate in the fun, it will have served its purpose well. :)
Until we meet again,
<Autery> :)
To start, before uploading your files, make certain they look correct in the game. Even the best picture -- a genuine work of art -- is of little use to a game designer if the borders are in the wrong place, the colors mutate, or the background turns out not to be transparent. <For Neopaint users, the transparent color is the last in the palette, not the color indicated on the art template>
Second, cut out the unnecessary information on the picture. What is meant by this is simple; the art template contains instructions and a sample palette to show the prospective artist what colors may and may not be used. After you've placed your pic in the appropriate place, erase the extra information and fill it with black. What this does is decrease the size of the picture (by as much as 75% for combat icons). Without intending to slam an excellent art file, Gateway is a prime example of a file that could've benefitted from this tip. Unzipped, this file takes up about 1.3 Meg of space. Using the above procedure, it takes up less than 500 kbytes. What this smaller size translates to is less download time. This, in turn, corresponds to more people willing to download your art files.
As a note, UA256, a program that can be found in the same area as this newsletter, performs the task quite well for PCX pics. This utility is also useful to those who've had problems placing a pic in the proper location or who've had trouble with color mutations. In the latter case, the program adjusts its palette to the colors in the pic, rather than doing the opposite (as what you might see when pasting onto the templates provided with FRUA).
Finally, for those of you who do a lot of screen grabs, you're probably familiar with the occasional lock-up of the game or program you're attempting the grab on. Usually, the only difficulty this causes is the need to reboot and try again. In FRUA, however, there could be an additional problem; the lock-up could also corrupt the string001.dat and/or the string003.dat for that particuluar design, making it impossible to access the art files or monster editor. The design can be restored, but only by deleting the old string 1 and 3 dats, going back into the design, making slight modifications in the mods, and re-saving them. To avoid this frustrating possibility, when screen-grabs are attempted in FRUA, create a temporary game design to do them in. It's far easier to delete a temp. design than to correct one you've spent months creating...
Until we meet again, may your swords strike true and your pens never falter. :]
Autery
Y Yes - Effect works. N No - Effect does not appear to work. X Setting this code causes problems. ? I am not sure about this one.As near as I can tell, NPCs are subject to the same effects as player characters ("Char"), not monsters ("Monster"), as they join the party and are saved in the same format in the saved game files. Also, since monsters appear only in combat, effects that are not discernible at that time are listed as "N".
Applicability
Code Char Item Monster Effect
0 Y Y Y No Effect
1 Y ? ? Blessed
2 Y ? ? Cursed
3 Y ? ? (Harrassed by Snakes)
4 Y ? ? Dispelling Evil
5 Y ? N Detecting Magic
6 Y ? Y Immune to Electricity
7 Y ? Y Gnome THAC0
8 Y ? Y Protected from Evil
9 Y ? Y Protected from Good
10 Y Y Y Resistant to Cold
11 ? ? ? (Charmed)
12 Y ? ? Enlarged
13 Y ? ? Barkskin
14 Y ? N Friendly
15 Y ? ? Slowed Poison
16 Y ? N Reading Magic
17 Y ? ? Shielded
18 Y ? Y Half-Elf MR
19 Y ? N Finding Traps
20 Y Y Y Resistant to Fire
21 Y ? ? Silenced
22 ? ? ? ???
23 Y N ? Has Spiritual Hammer
24 Y ? Y See Invisible
25 Y Y Y Invisible
26 Y ? Y Dwarf THAC0
27 ? ? ? (Befuddled)
28 Y ? ? Duplicated
29 Y ? ? Weakened
30 Y ? ? (Nauseated)
31 ? ? ? (Helpless)
32 ? Y ? (Hasted on Wear)
33 Y ? ? Blind
34 Y ? N Diseased
35 Y ? ? Confused
36 Y ? ? Accursed (by Ring of Vulnerability)
37 Y Y Y Blinking
38 Y ? ? Strengthened
39 Y Y ? Hasted
40 Y ? Y Rakshasa MR
41 Y ? ? Protected from Normal Missiles
42 Y ? ? Slowed
43 N Y N Weakened when Unreadying
44 N X N Takes 1 hp of damage when Unreadying
45 Y ? Y Protection vs. Evil 10'
46 Y ? Y Protection vs. Good 10'
47 Y ? Y Dwarf AC Bonus
48 Y ? Y Gnome AC Bonus
49 Y ? ? Affected by Prayer
50 Y N ? Fire Shield, Hot Flames
51 Y ? ? (Held)
52 Y ? ? (Asleep)
53 ? Y ? Readying item renders wielder helpless
54 Y N ? Fire Shield, Cold Flames
55 Y ? ? Poisoned
56 Y Y ? Invisible (Ring)
57 Y ? ? Globe of Invulnerability
58 Y ? Y Petrifying Gaze
59 Y ? Y Reflectable Gaze
60 Y ? Y +3 or better weapon to hit
61 Y Y ? Resistant to Fire (Ring)
62 Y X Y Regenerates 1 hp per hour
63 Y ? ? Minor Globe of Invulnerability
64 Y N Y Lethal Poison
65 Y ? Y Petrify Attack
66 Y ? Y Half Damage from Cutting Weapons
67 Y ? Y Half Damage from Blunt Weapons
68 Y ? ? Mentally Enfeebled
69 Y ? ? Invisible to Animals
70 Y ? Y Umber Hulk Gaze
71 Y ? ? Magically Highlighted
72 Y Y Y Mirror Readied
73 Y Y Y Immune to Dragon Breath
74 Y Y ? Wearing Boots of Speed
75 Y Y ? Giant Slaying Sword
76 Y Y Y Immune to Disease
77 ? ? ? ???
78 Y Y ? Wearing Stone of Good Luck
79 Y ? Y Iron Golem MR
80 Y ? Y Half Damage from Weapon of +2 or less
81 Y ? Y Half Damage from Weapon of +3 or less
82 Y ? Y Slain by Blessed Bolts
83 ? ? ? ???
84 N N Y Dragon Fire Breath
85 N N Y Dragon Cold Breath
86 Y ? Y Phase Spider Poison
87 ? ? ? ???
88 Y ? Y Paralyzing Attack
89 Y Y Y Wearing Cloak of Displacement
90 N N Y Dragon Poison Breath
91 N N Y Dragon Lightning Breath
92 Y ? Y Immune to Fear
93 Y ? Y Immune to Fire
94 ? ? ? ???
95 Y ? Y Elf MR
96 N N Y Dragon Acid Breath
97 Y ? Y Short Guy MR
98 Y ? Y Immune to Cold
99 ? ? Y Random Bonus Attacks
100 ? ? Y Dragon Fear Attack
101 Y ? Y Drain 1 Level
102 Y ? Y Drain 2 Levels
103 Y ? Y +1 or better weapon to hit
104 Y ? Y +4d6 fire damage
105 Y ? Y Ranger Damage Bonus
106-107 ? ? ? ???
108 Y ? Y +2d6 fire damage
109 ? ? ? ???
110 Y N N (Paladin Cure Disease ability used up)
111-112 ? ? ? ???
113 ? ? ? (Strengthened by Potion of Giant Strength)
114 Y ? Y Paralyzing Gaze
115 Y Y Y Vorpal Weapon
116 ? ? Y Marilith Attack
117 ? ? Y Beholder Attack
118 ? ? ? ???
119 Y ? ? Resist Fire (Druid)
120 ? ? ? ???
121 Y N ? Fire Touch
122 Y ? ? Iron Skin
123 Y ? ? Shielded by Mind Blank
124 Y ? Y Charm Gaze
125 Y ? Y +2 or better weapon to hit
126 Y ? Y Protected vs. Gaze Attack
127-131 ? ? ? ???
132 Y ? Y Paralyze on Hit
133-136 ? ? ? ???
137 Y ? Y Carrion Stench
138-139 ? ? ? ???
140 Y N N (Paladin Lay Hands ability used up)
141 Y ? Y Immune to Sleep/Charm
142 ? ? ? ???
143 Y ? Y Immune to Poison/Paralysis
144-157 ? ? ? ???
158 Y ? Y Immune to Paralysis
159-167 ? ? ? ???
168 Y ? Y Vulnerable to Fire
169 Y ? Y Half Damage from Magic Weapons
170 ? ? Y Inflicts Mummy Disease
171 ? ? Y Mummy Fear Aura
172 ? ? ? ???
173 ? ? Y Grows from Electricity
174 Y ? Y Resistant to Fire/Cold
175 Y ? Y Half Damage from All Weapons
176 ? ? Y Shambling Mound Engulf
177-185 ? ? ? ???
186 Y ? Y Black Pudding Attack
187-192 ? ? ? ???
193 Y ? Y Immune to All Weapons
194 ? ? ? ???
195 ? ? Y Gorgon Attack
196-215 ? ? ? ???
216 ? ? Y Troll Get Up
217 Y ? Y Troll Regeneration
218 ? ? ? ???
219 Y ? Y Efreet Fire Resistance
220 ? ? Y Owl Bear Hug
221-222 ? ? ? ???
223 Y ? Y Hell Hound Breath
224 Y ? Y Ghoul Paralysis Attack
225-255 ? ? ? ???
Note to Peter Delaney: I could not reproduce the following item
effects:
Dispel Evil (39, hex 27) -- I got the wielder Hasted.
Lethal Poison (64, hex 40) -- The wielder was never affected.
I was using the IBM version 1.2 of UA (patched from 1.1) and used UGE to alter the special ability code of a vorpal sword. If you did something radically different, please let me know and I will try again.
Kaviyd@aol.com
Thanks to JGB4907 for his helpful leads.
Code Effect 0 No Effect 1 Blessed 2 Cursed 3 (Harrassed by Snakes) 4 Dispelling Evil 5 Detecting Magic 6 Immune to Electricity 7 Gnome THAC0 8 Protection from Evil 9 Protection from Good 10 Resistant to Cold 11 (Charmed) 12 Enlarged 13 Barkskin 14 Friendly 15 Slowed Poison 16 Reading Magic 17 Shielded 18 Half-Elf MR 19 Finding Traps 20 Resistant to Fire 21 Silenced 22 ??? 23 Has Spiritual Hammer 24 See Invisible 25 Invisible 26 Dwarf THAC0 27 (Befuddled) 28 Duplicated 29 Weakened 30 (Nauseated) 31 (Helpless) 32 ??? 33 Blind 34 Diseased 35 Confused 36 Accursed 37 Blinking 38 Strengthened 39 Hasted 40 Rakshasa MR 41 Protected from Normal Missiles 42 Slowed 43-44 ??? 45 Protection vs. Evil 10' 46 Protection vs. Good 10' 47 Dwarf AC Bonus 48 Gnome AC Bonus 49 Affected by Prayer 50 Fire Shield, Hot Flames 51 (Held) 52 (Asleep) 53 ??? 54 Fire Shield, Cold Flames 55 Poisoned 56 Invisible (Ring) 57 Globe of Invulnerability 58 Petrifying Gaze 59 Reflectable Gaze 60 +3 or better weapon to hit 61 Resistant to Fire (Ring) 62 Regenerates 1 hp per hour 63 Minor Globe of Invulnerability 64 Lethal Poison 65 Petrify Attack 66 Half Damage from Cutting Weapons 67 Half Damage from Blunt Weapons 68 Mentally Enfeebled 69 Invisible to Animals 70 Umber Hulk Gaze 71 Magically Highlighted 72 Mirror Readied 73 Immune to Dragon Breath 74 Wearing Boots of Speed 75 Giant Slaying Sword 76 Immune to Disease 77 ??? 78 Wearing Stone of Good Luck 79 Iron Golem MR 80 Half Damage from Weapon of +2 or less 81 Half Damage from Weapon of +3 or less 82 Slain by Blessed Bolts 83 ??? 84 Dragon Fire Breath 85 Dragon Cold Breath 86 Phase Spider Poison 87 ??? 88 Paralyzing Attack 89 Wearing Cloak of Displacement 90 Dragon Poison Breath 91 Dragon Lightning Breath 92 Immune to Fear 93 Immune to Fire 94 ??? 95 Elf MR 96 Dragon Acid Breath 97 Short Guy MR 98 Immune to Cold 99 Random Bonus Attacks 100 Dragon Fear Attack 101 Drain 1 Level 102 Drain 2 Level2 103 +1 or better weapon to hit 104 +4d6 fire damage 105 Ranger Damage Bonus 106-107 ??? 108 +2d6 fire damage 109 ??? 110 (Paladin Cure Disease ability used up) 111-112 ??? 113 (Strengthened by Potion of Giant Strength) 114 Paralyzing Gaze 115 Vorpal Weapon 116 Marilith Attack 117 Beholder Attack 118 ??? 119 Resist Fire (Druid) 120 ??? 121 Fire Touch 122 Iron Skin 123 Shielded by Mind Blank 124 Charm Gaze 125 +2 or better weapon to hit 126 Protected vs. Gaze Attack 127-131 ??? 132 Paralyze on Hit 133-136 ??? 137 Carrion Stench 138-139 ??? 140 (Paladin Lay Hands ability used up) 141 Immune to Sleep/Charm 142 ??? 143 Immune to Poison/Paralysis 144-157 ??? 158 Immune to Paralysis 159-167 ??? 168 Vulnerable to Fire 169 Half Damage from Magic Weapons 170 Inflicts Mummy Disease 171 Mummy Fear Aura 172 ??? 173 Grows from Electricity 174 Resistant to Fire/Cold 175 Half Damage from All Weapons 176 Shambling Mound Engulf 177-185 ??? 186 Black Pudding Attack 187-192 ??? 193 Immune to All Weapons 194 ??? 195 Gorgon Attack 196-215 ??? 216 Troll Get Up 217 Troll Regeneration 218 ??? 219 Efreet Fire Resistance 220 Owl Bear Hug 221-222 ??? 223 Hell Hound Breath 224 Ghoul Paralysis Attack 225-255 ???-Kaviyd-
Now I know how we were so disappointed when we found so many "obvious features" were left out of UA when we first got it (i.e. item editors and such), but isn't it odd to find pics of underwater creatures, not to mention TWO sets of wall art for building coral cities, and even a combat setting to show our characters fighting underwater; and yet we are denied a simple method, such as a button, to indicate that combat is occurring underwater? As you know, the rules of engagement are very different beneath the waves. The environment itself is alien and makes even the simplest actions, like swinging a sword, into a tiring task. And magic can be greatly affected, particularly when dealing with the various fire-producing spells (i.e. fireball, etc.). But these aren't concerns of the creatures who live there. In their own element, these creatures will have an obvious advantage over their adversaries whose lives are spent on dry land. So how can we simulate this in our mods?
Well, this is one method (as I'm sure there are other ways) to put an average UA adventure in the water and literally sink it!
Since UA has limited (ironic, isn't it?) our options, we must seek an alternative method of changing the physical characteristics of combat and how they affect the players. As of now, we can select to make the undead harder to turn, magic unavailable, and non-lethal combat. That is the extent of our options to alter the combat environment, but it's not the only way to show a change in the atmosphere...
We enjoy more creative freedom with the monster editor than any other feature in UA because it allows us to define nearly every fine detail and we can even determine how it looks. So while we can't easily show how a certain area can affect the party in combat, we can show how it affects the creatures encountered there. Let's see how we do it.
First of all, we assume that the characters have overcome the problem of breathing (otherwise they wouldn't last long enough to encounter a water-breathing adversary). But that would be more along the lines of designing adventures rather than combat, so we'll just deal only with those aspects which affect combat.
The greatest factor in underwater melees is overcoming the resistance of water. This causes the impact of any weapon to be greatly reduced. To simulate this in UA terms, we bestow underwater creatures with the HALF DAM WPNS option under Immunities.
Another factor is the distortion of light in water. Creatures and all other objects being viewed underwater will have the same effect as if they were wearing a Cloak of Displacement. Obviously, we would select the CLOAK DISPLACED option under Items Readied. And because water can also displace the mass of an object, invisibility is rendered useless against creatures accustomed to the deep (SEE INVISIBLE).
Now although different spells are affected differently underwater, we obviously can't adjust for every one. But since fire-based spells can not be cast underwater, we can give the creatures IMMUNITY TO FIRE to simulate this without abolishing the use of spells completely.
As you can see, a standard creature can become more challenging if it is encountered underwater. But not all of these special abilities and immunities need to be applied, especially if you want to include some more important abilities.
But suppose these creatures can be encountered on dry land as well as underwater. They wouldn't have the same defenses that are granted for being in their natural element. To simulate the differences in combat areas (dry vs. wet), create TWO sets of all creatures which are to be encountered in both areas. This may limit the number of creatures you can introduce into you mods, so you may want to see to it that only a few of the creatures encountered are amphibious.
Well, I hope this article has given you a new perspective on your own modules and designs. It just goes to show you, you don't need to be a computer genius and hack the codes to get results! (But we sure would like to thank them for doing so:>)
Aneroch (aka Louminator)
I hope this won't be too much of a problem.
So if you wouldn't mind making a pic and icon of the woman, lemme know and I'll E-Mail the GIF of her to work from. ;> I also need a pic (not an icon ;>) of a blonde succubus. Without these things, I'll be unable to create my adventure, so please help me here. (it's taken me long enough as it is!) ;>
Nyx Nightshade
Class: Mage (Lich)
Special Abilities:Standard Lich, enhanced spellcasting
History sypnosis: There was a time when Katcheles was a normal man, a poor but honest enough man, fiddling in wizardry with whatever spare time he had. But when he was 24, his home was ransacked, and he and his wife returned from a day at the market to find the villains still there. They slew his wife, and left him for dead. Deep in mourning and anger, Katchel buried himself in wizardry, all but ignoring his need for food and drink. Eventually, he excelled in his craft and determined to punish those who had slaughtered his wife. His encounter with the murderers was less than successful, for they had in their company a powerful mage, and Katchel fell, nearly dying. Reminded once more of his own mortality, he sought lichdom, and eventually, he achieved his goal. The years marred his mind, however, and his hatred of the murderers became hatred of humanity in general, which he regards as a nest of potential murderers.
Motivations: Katcheles is motivated by intense hatred for all of humanity. He is goodness twisted, and good intentions marred beyond recognition. He wants more than anything to prevent all potential murders and killers. Unfortunately, the years of lichdom and loneliness have not been kind to Katchel. He is a madman, so deep in his resolution that all humans are inherently evil that he fails to recognize true virtue.
Possible Encounters: Katchel could, for whatever reason, pinpoint the pc's as his next victims. Alternately, he could be used as a tragic personality if the murderers turn out to be more than they seem, and the pc's are in some way connected to or opposing them.
Now on to...
The Big Picture: Part II - Scope
[Excerpt from The Third Dream of Primion]What, you may ask, is scope? Well, the scope of a story is its capacity to contain things. The area, in terms of space and time, that it encompasses. A story may have a very small scope, such as the events of a single night that occur in a run down, old mansion (in the spirit of the season). A large scope could be something like Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," which encompasses an entire continent during the space of a year or more (near the end of the third book it was Frodo's birthday again), or could be even larger, as in our Rothon example. The story we are building will span a whole world over a couple of years and, in fact, affect the entire history of the world.Solestra soon found that there were limits to the world of her father's creation. If she travelled too far in any one direction, she would eventually be confronted with an impassable barrier. The edge of Primion's dream. Beyond this barrier nothing could exist, perhaps even herself.
However, within the dream all was lush and varied. The land brought forth all types of plants and animals. [Ed. Here the narrative breaks down into a naming of most of Rothon's flora and fauna] There were plains, mountains, rivers, deserts, tundra - everything all within Primion's dream. There were oceans and upon those oceans were islands.
Most interesting to Solestra were the sentient lifeforms. They were relatively few, but widely varied and very unpredictable in their behavior. Solestra set about naming them. The tall, fair race she found living within the forests she named Elves and imbued them with innate magic and the ability to live forever. Next she found a strong, burley people living in the mountains. They were interested in the secrets under the earth, so Solestra made them shorter (the better to fit in the small spaces under the earth) and named them Dwarves. [Ed. Again the narrative breaks down into listing Rothon's races].
At this point Malbech returned his attention to Rothon...and he hated what he saw. All of the intelligent races were worshiping his sister. Malbech decided to ruin all that his sister had accomplished. He first took a tribe of her "secondborn" dwarves and corrupted them; they became Orcs. Malbech proceeded to do this sort of thing with almost all of the races: from the Gnomes he created Goblins, and from the Halflings came Kobolds. Finally, Malbech came across a tribe of Elves. These elves had seen what Malbech was doing and were impressed with his power. They wanted to dedicate themselves to him and forsake Solestra. Malbech gave them what they wanted; by bathing in the blood of a freshly killed Unicorn they gave up their immortality in exchange for infernal powers. Malbech made their skin black (like his own) to signify his favor and ordered them underground so Solestra would not find out what he had done.
But it was too late. Solestra had seen and she came to him full of wrath. She swore to battle him through all time and to set her worshipers against his own, so as to wipe them from the memory of Primion's dream.
So why is scope important? Well, it helps to have your scope in mind when coming up with a plot. If you want the scope to be small, it wouldn't do to have a large overland map, or perhaps any overland segments at all. If the scope is to be large, don't attach too much importance to small things like those random encounters with kobolds. That would too easily detract from the grand feeling you are trying to accomplish. In fact, in a large scope design I would suggest that the designer not use ANY random events [Ed: agreed]. All events should be planned and even the "apparently" random encounters with kobolds should have an NPC villain as the driving force or even present during the encounter to help drive the plot (eg. the attacks on the Heroes of the Lance engineered by Fewmaster Toad in the Dragonlance Chronicles).
In our Rothon design there are a few important scope issues to keep in mind. The physical size of the world is much more limited than usual, but is still large enough to contain one large continent and several island chains. The time period of the module covers several years, but the history of the world and our "creation myth" are also very important. Thus, it might be a good idea to have lengthy history/myth segments, complete with pictures. Finally, our plot deals with a war between gods and their minions...gods who like having their sticky little fingers in everything concerning Primion's Dream...gods who commonly have several "avatars" active on Rothon at any one time.
Now a little teaser for next month's article. I included this tidbit because it also has an affect on both setting and scope.
All three major gods - Solestra, Malbech and Triamon - have the power to make Primion's Dream real...independant of the sleeping god. Why don't they use it? What will happen if they do? That is best left for next month... ;>
Next month we will discuss "THE BIG PICTURE: PART III - PLOT",
Until swords part,
Alex D. Karaczun
Of course, I cannot go completely in-depth. I will, however, give some background on Ravenloft as a whole, and attempt to assist you in adding some of the nifty Ravenloft things (like Horror checks) into your UA games.
Anyhow, I have split the article into two parts. Part I: The Mists, will describe the world of Ravenloft, some personalities, some lands, and descriptions on playing two of the greatest villain types ever created: Vampyres and Liches. Part II: the Machine, when it's completed, will give specific information on how to reproduce Ravenloft effect and such things in the cold, inflexible world of Unlimited Adventures. I'll try to keep the article on track, giving only information that the designer would find useful, but I tend to go off on tangents. So there you are.
I. The Demiplane of Dread
The land of Ravenloft is a place always in flux. It contains many domains, all created to fit the particular personalities of the lord. You see, every once in a while the dark powers notice a being of particular evil, and it draws that person into the mist, adjusting it's borders to fit the lands to the villain. The land is a new home for the lord, who has control over most things that happen. For a while, the land was only one domain: that of the Vampire Strahd von Zarovich. But soon, more and more evil beings had started to become lords.
II. The Characters
Ravenloft effects all characters in adverse ways. The very nature of the demiplane is one of gloom and despair, and how can it maintain it's atmosphere with these pesky heroes running around, doing good? The mists thrive on evil and despair, so sucking the powers of paladins and the piety of priests is too tempting a treat to ignore.
In the land of Ravenloft, a curse is more than simply yelling "Damn it, Jon, you're cursed." (Not that people often yell this). The dark powers empower the curse, and make it really cool. There are three types of curses: magic, self-induced, and vengeance. The first one is non applicable to UA. However, the other two could work quite nicely.
SELF-INDUCED CURSES
If the character does something really terrible, like massacre a small town or kick a puppy, the dark powers of the land thwack him with a curse. Their power is almost limitless. They can do a heck of a lot of damage. Rewrite history, remake populations, and other such things. Using these, you can have a lot of fun screwing with the player.
CURSE OF VENGEANCE
These are also granted by the dark powers. These happen when the character does something bad to some person, or a family members of said person, and are pretty darn powerful. Now curses have to have specific structures, such that they include the strength of the curse, whether the effects are triggered or constant, and should also have an escape clause. Unfortunately, due to the confining nature of UA, this is not terribly easy to do.
IV: The Gypsies
Through the lands of the mists, there is one race who stands out among the others: The Vistani gypsies. They are outcasts, and seemingly the least affected of those in Ravenloft. They move from domain to domain, spending little more then a week in any one place. In other words, they are a nice moving plot device.
FORTUNE TELLING
One thing the gypsies are adept at is fortune telling. The form of fortune telling most used by these roaming vagabonds is Cartomacy: fortune telling with cards. The cards that most Vistani tell with is the Tarokka.
The Tarokka is a fifty-four card deck. These have four suits, the Coin, the Swords, the Star, and the Glyph, representing the Rogue, the Warrior, the Wizard, and the Priest, respectively. There are nine cards in each suit, representative of the alignments. Each suit has a master card, which is representative of the suit. There are also fourteen cards which are part of the High Deck. These are more powerful than the other cards. These are as following: The Darklord, the Artifact, the Horseman, the Marionette, the Innocent, the Temptress, the Mists, the Donjon, the Hangman, the Ghost, the Broken One, the Raven, the Beast, and the Esper. All of these are subject to your own interpretation, which makes my job a little easier.
V: The Lands of the Core
In the Core, there are already some pretty cool lands. In this section I'm going to include a description of some of the most important (and nifty) lands around.
BAROVIA
The churches of the lands are empty, except when funerals occur. The people believe their gods have abandoned them.
The only people who have any freedom whatsoever to move about as they please are the vistani, who have a special formula given to them by Strahd to ward off the choking fog.
COMMON ENCOUNTERS RARE ENCOUNTERS Strahd Zombies Hell Hounds Strahd Skeletons Lycanthropes Skeletons Any Undead Zombies Worgs Bats Rats
The police of the land of Darkon are made up of 2nd level warriors, and are controlled by Barons of local towns. Azalin maintains a secret police force called the Kargat. These are 5th level warriors, the leaders mostly vampires. Were creatures flesh out the ranks.
According to local legend, Darkon was ruled by the dead, and one day they may come back to rule their land again (neat adventure idea, huh?)
This land consist of two settlements: Ludendorf and Neufurchtenburg, each housing fewer than 1,000 people. The two fixtures of the land are the Isle of Agony and the Schloss Mordenheim. The former is the home of the evil creature Adam. The latter the home of his creator, Dr. Mordenheim.
COMMON RARE Wolves Bear Caribou Flesh golems Giant Weasel Lycanthrope seawolf Boar Giant lynx Moose
One of the main villains one encounters in the world of the undead is the vampyre. The Prince of Darkness, Nosferatu, Das Vampyr, whatever you want to call him, he is among the most interesting villains of all time. Sleeps all day, hunts all night, what could be better? Well, in the next few pages, I'll attempt to get into the evil being morals, manners, and method of eating asparagus. Well, maybe.
THE NECROLOGY OF A VAMPIRE
Vampires are an odd race. They have no true metabolism, and as such no poisons can have any affect on them. There are, however certain substances that can cause a vampire severe pain. Garlic is a rather popular, though probably ineffective allergen.
Some vampires can not eat solid food without immediate regurgitation. This severely hampers attempting to masquerade as a normal human. The circulatory system is much the same. However, the blood absorbs nothing from the lungs since the vampire needs no oxygen. Their blood is much the same as a normal mans, except for when it is held up to a transmitted light (like a lamp) it appears golden.
AGE AND POWER
As a vampire gets older, his power's expand and increase. An extremely ancient (say 1000 year) old vampire to tear a fledgling (up 100 years old) vampire to pieces.
Age Categories Fledgling: 0-99 years Mature: 100-199 years Old: 200-299 years Very Old: 300-399 years Ancient: 400-499 years Eminent: 500-999 years Patriarch: 1000+ yearsPOWERS BY AGE
AGE CATEGORY FLEDG. MATURE OLD VERY OLD ANCIENT EMINENT PATRIARCH HIT DICE 8+3 9+3 10+2 11+1 12 13 14 STR 18/76 18/91 18/00 18/00 19 20 21 INT 16 16 17 18 18 19 20 DEX 16 17 17 18 18 19 20 CHA 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 MOVEMENT 12 15 15 15 18 21 24SALIENT POWERS
Some vampires have powers beyond even a normal vampire's grimoire (this is some pretty nasty stuff, and I've only written down the one's I could figure out how to use in UA).
There are many ways to create new vampires, and they'll be split into traditional and non-traditional methods of creation.
TRADITIONAL VAMPIRE CREATION
Sucking the life outta ya
This is the most popular form of vamp creating. All the vampire has to do is to suck whoever dry, and in two days she (it is most often a she, if the vamp is male, which I'm assuming) will rise as Nosferatu.
Spitting on ya
Vampiric saliva is also a way, though exceptionally rare, of creatine vampires. The saliva of the vampire is a deadly poison, strong enough to kill a hardy hero. It will not kill him outright, though. It drains his life, and two days after the imminent destruction, the hero is part of the vampire's legions.
VAMPIRE WEAKNESSES
There are, of course, the traditional weaknesses of the vampire. The holy symbol, the holy water, the sunlight. But there are a number of other things that are useful for whacking vampires.
The Holy Symbol
Holy symbols are useful for keeping a vampire at bay. However, it is often thought that it is the faith the user has in the symbol. Well, that is not easy to rate in UA. Oh well.
Sanctified Places
There are many places that a vampire may not be able to enter. These are separated into two types. The first type are those that are OWNED. These would include a house, owned by the residents, a monastery, owned by it's monks, and a graveyard, owned by it's order's priests.
The seconds type is a place that is hallowed. This does not specifically mean a religious place, it may just be respected. These include holy burial sites, homes, and churches.
Homes
Homes give a special protection to the residents therein, due to the fact that the vampire must be invited into the house before he may darken it with his presence. If just a resident of the household invites the vampire inside, then the vampire is allowed in for then. If the 'man of the house' does it. Then the vampire can enter whenever he wishes, which can really ruin a nice evening.
This does not count for places likes inns. An inn is by definition inviting everyone to come and stay in it. So there.
Graves
A vampire is unable to open the grave of another if it is on consecrated ground.
VAMPIRE DESTRUCTION
There is no certain way to destroy a vampire, since vampire are individuals with their own traits and weaknesses. This makes things hard for your average vampire hunter.
Wooden Stakes
These don't always work. They are pretty useful, but they are not fool proof. Ash is generally used for this purpose. However, some vampires may be immune to ash. Then you need different wood. Anyway, it must be remembered that the stake is only effective as long as it is in the body. After the beast has been impaled, his head must be removed.
Running Water
Oceans don't work for this. You gotta have extremely fast moving water, like from a fountain. If this is done, the vampire turns to gaseous form and tries to get back home.
Sunlight
Only direct sunlight, or sunlight reflected from a mirror can kill the vampire. If a vampire is in a room with a mirror blasting sun into it, he is extremely uncomfortable, maybe even in pain, but he is not truly dying.
Stigmata
Often in the cases of Holy Water, Holy Symbols, and Sunlight, a vampire will be marked by some form of a blackened scorch forms.
LIFE-BLOOD
When a Vampire drinks blood from his victim, it goes for the neck. Another popular place for vampires is the femoral artery, inside the thigh near the groin. The victim of the sucking experiences deep sensual pleasure from the draining.
When a vampire has just fed, it gains a healthy complexion, and it is more energetic. As a vampire grows older, it needs more blood.
INTER VAMPIRIC RELATIONS
Vampires are very solitary creatures, and when another vampire moves into it's area, if is threatened and will try to expunge it. This will often involve physical combat.
Progenitor and Offspring
There is one slightly more amicable relationship between vampires, and that is the one between the progenitor, or Vampire Creator, and the Offspring of the Progenitor. The Progenitor uses these offspring as slaves and servants. Every few years, the progenitor destroys the offspring.
Brides and Grooms
Occasionally, a vampire finds he wishes to create for himself a bride; a female vampire with which he can live eternally. To do this, he bestows to them a Dark Kiss. This Dark Kiss give to the victim a euphoric, ecstatic pleasure. Afterwards, the vampire cuts his own throat, and his new bride drinks the golden blood which pours forth. The bride generally is mercifully destroyed by the vampire.
VAMPIRE PSYCHOLOGY
The vampire is virtually immortal. This changes the psychology of the monster permanently. At first they enter a stage of experimentation, during which they test their own strength and power doing feat impossible for normal men. Later, they swing to a different mind set, in which they realize they are not truly immortal. The first vampire hunters are soon to come. The vampire comes to realize that the world would be a lot happier without the "blood sucking fiend."
After this phase, the vampire will start making servitors since it will become a rampaging fiend, killing people every night. After this phase comes boredom. This give the vampire a great sense of loneliness.
The vampire will soon attempt to regain a place in society, to regain what has been lost. If this does not work, the vampire will kill large groups of people every night, to try a stay the boredom. This will not work for more than a few decades. And the vampire will destroy itself.
After 100 years, the vampire begins to realize just what he has: immortality, if he is careful.
Ego
All vampires believe man is merely cattle for their feasting pleasure.
CONCLUSION
The vampire is a very interesting villain, and one who should not be thrown as cannon fodder to adventurers. If he is used correctly, he could be a monster used in many adventures to come.
VII: The Conclusion
This concludes Part I of my two part ( thought I might expand it) article on Ravenloft. Next month I'll have info on adapting things in Ravenloft to your computer, personality profiles on some very important personalities in Ravenloft, and a description of the Lich. Thanks for reading. Pleasant Dreams.
KentConrad
-The UANL staff:-) *Editorial staff: Editor-in-chief: Coric <Bryan SM@Aol.Com> Editor (MAC platform): WiredChild <WiredChild@Aol.com> Assistant Editor: Kaviyd <Kaviyd@aol.com> Assistant Editor: Shdwmstr03 <Shdwmstr03@aol.com> *Columnists: Reviews & Previews: Nyx Night, Nyx N1ghts <same :> Art: Dika Wolf <Dika Wolf@aol.com> Beginner's Corner: Autery <Autery@aol.com> 'The Dungeon': Kent Conrad <KentConrad@aol.com> The Writing Workshop: AlexDK *Contributors (all from AOL unless noted): Pym Jr, White Wyrm, BrettE1, Peter Delany <delaney@darwin.psy.fsu.edu> The UANL address: <UANL@aol.com>As I sit here at my old and battered 286 (yes, yes, I PROMISE to get a new one with a fast modem sometime in the next 20 years :), I think 'What a great issue.' And it really is. We've packed more stories, articles, art, and mods. into this issue than ever before!
Maybe my plea last month worked - TONS (well, close to a ton) of submissions filled my mailbox during the past 30-odd days. I can say only one thing: keep up the good work! I've got high hopes for the future of both UA and the NewsLetter; let's keep the enthuisiasm high!
::chanting - more submissions, more submissions::
Coric-<C> (or Bryan SM; whichever you prefer :)
Submissions are a key part of any hobbyist newsletter; ours is no exception. As I've said time and time again, this is YOUR NL! If you want it to be the best that it possibly can, you need to submit. We, the editors, cannot do it all by ourselves; we need your help (esp. you Internet users!)
(NOTE: all submitted material is subject to editing for clarity, brevity, and/or vulgarity. The UANL staff accepts no responsibility for anything said or implied in the free-lance articles; if you have a gripe, see its author. ;)
The AOL boards have been full of disscussion (and even one zealous Catholic determined to squash the Satanic UA - something that we all got a laugh out of) and there are lots of new users. In fact, we had more requests for information on the product than even the first months of its commericial life! UA enthusiasm is growing; more and more people have been able to find copies of the program and SSI's upcoming CD-Bundle ('Fantasy Empires', UA, and 'Dungeon Hack') will only bolster our growing ranks.
There was a time not too long ago when some members were forcasting UA's doom. Now, with the influx of new users, module-designs, and hacks (YES - the ITEM EDITOR and the CHARACTER EDITOR should be ready for download by the time this NL is posted!!), I can safely say that UA is here for a long, long time.
So keep your seat-belts fastened, 'cause there are gonna be some changes in the future. We're moving with the times and the times are great. :>
BTW - I appologize for this issue's late upload date, but I was hard at work on 'Heart of Darkness' and this issue is just so BIG that it took a long time to complete! However, a job well done is a job well done, regardless of the time it takes to do it... the UANL would've been hurt had I tried to rush it out.
UA was used to create the commercial 'Gold Box' games by SSI. These include such classics like: 'Dark Queen of Krynn' and 'Pools of Darkness'. However, this version of the gold box engine requires no programming skill or technical ability. With it, many would-be game designers, artists, and budding writers have been able to produce the game of their dreams that would not have been possible otherwise. I owe a lot to UA; its given me many hours of design - and playing - enjoyment.
Even if you are not a designer, I would reccomend getting UA. It is one of the most versitile RPG systems on the market: there are hundreds of games to play, games that cost nothing! If you tire of one module or finish it, just download one of the many others available. There are games of all sorts on AOL, Compuserve, and the Internet: traditional dungeon-crawls, epics, hack-and-slashes, and interactive novels. Like the pen and paper AD&D, this system can be enjoyed over and over. There is never an end to the fun; the options truly are Unlimited.
TO ORDER:
Call SSI direct at 1-800-245-4525 or (408) 737-6800 OR visit your local software retailer. The number of copies of UA are limited; you may have to hunt to find one. You may also check with the mail-order software companies (who usually have a large number of any title and can get you the most obscure of disks with relative ease). The SSI mailing address is as follows:
Electronic Arts/CODE SSI 53 P.O. Box 7530 San Mateo, CA 94403or:
SSI Direct Sales 675 Almanor Ave., Suite 201 Sunnyvale, CA 94086-2901
Katchels will appear in the Bullete slot. To add his name to the monster roster, enter the monster editor, click on bullete, and then 'edit'. Hit okay and his name will appear on the list!
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