Micro #23 17 декабря 1999

Игры

AD & D - The texts on the subject of AD & D.

         Texts on subjects AD & D



  These texts are taken from Pal'a. I hope the authors will not 
be offended. 

__________________________________________

         And still they roll!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


   This seems to be no doubt nor
whom. Neither the Brave, neither steep nor the Light nor the 
Dark. It remains only the question "Where", and he is 
rhetorical. And "why", but it is a whole bunch of answers. Most 
favorite: yes because the masters ... (Please append).


   It is easy to reconcile the most opposite points of view. 
Well, except for the studio, but and there is simple: replace 
the masters on the players. Who can not play and never do not 
learn. 


   What is a bad game, we all know.
What is a very bad game - guess. What is good - sort of know, 
too, but for her, alas, you need to play three hundred two 
hundred copies have Loved and another hundred of our best 
friends. 

   Claim number one: this is not Middle-earth! According to 
Tolkien so can not be, because there can never be! And in most 
cases this is true, but ...


   As, believe reacted to Tingol,
Bring him Kirdan jackhammer? A
does - this could not be, right? But
that's what the trouble: although the name of Frodo or 
Gandalf's respond to the forty-something man, stern, most are 
not eager to accept them real. 

   Few people seriously think that Aragorn
Gandalf, Arwen live among us. Can not
is so surprised that the characters on the CI is slightly 
different from the prototype? And maybe not so bad that the 
orcs there quite real?


   And, therefore, why should Tingol
respond to another, not quite tolkinovskogo Kirdana exactly the 
same as in the present? No, I do not mean to yell "it's not 
Tolkien. "I just want to say that Kirdan if, say, show him not 
credible, and Feanor, on the contrary - noldorom kind-hearted, 
he does not have to remember how it was actually. Is it that he 
wants to be thus man that he saw at the zoo giraffe

said that the animal can not be ... Not logical to remembering 
what it was "Sometime" when the game has not started yet

assume that the last time it changed? Yes, once he did that and 
then some; and now ... Even elves change that would

there is no lack of advocates argue
Elves have free will.

   Teams create their own team legends
and not always strictly JRRT. A
time and would be happy to - so cunning wizard specifically 
take a moment, of which almost nothing is said, to get there 
loved life scenarios from the Languedoc or Novgorod. Or just 
know that there was a people - but it is described in five 
lines ... AND even described a lot that does not mean, though, 
it is clear how to write the legend. After all, as said 
chestertonovsky Father Brown, "one reads his Bible." If

really want, you can deduct in a book
whatever. This fact increases
that is not always possible to feel the enormity of the length 
of time in which events occur. Players will probably be 
surprised to if the game suddenly appear on the Renaissance

gladiators, legionaries and vestal. A modest goals, separating 
from Elros Ar-Pharazôn or Elessar of Kiriagera as

would not exist ...


   And every one has read Tolkien
Especially in the original, by definition, assumes that others 
can not do it. AND that all who disagree with his vision

Middle-earth, just do not read the book. And when it turns out 
that reading - very offended and tries to arrange an exam, the 
naivete of his belief that his competence is something of doubt 
... 


   Next, would be nice to everyone to critic
already decided: it is to play
or to win? Usually, and in order and
for another, I agree, but most often hear insults like "We 
play, and they have taken out!" or "Why did not they resist?", 
and ... from the same person! 


   Why all this? It is very simple. Think
debate about "where are all the same they roll
and what to do, "may well be
constructive. If you do not try to figure out who and played 
"not to Tolkien" and not begin to divide the players on the 
steep and marvelous or others as a constructive method.


   Not so long ago was published a draft
"Code of Ethics workshop. On many occasions there is to argue, 
but I drew the special attention to the following two points.


   "The player is entitled to his own interpretation of the 
role." (I apologize to venerable Code authors: a copy of my

No, because quoting from memory.) On the
I think that rule applies not only to
masters, but also to the players. For when in
Game time is quite the conversation suddenly having things like 
"You can not say this!" or "That's not ...", it worse any 
marasmus _v_igre_. And what about "non-blacklisting" - Maybe it 
was they have an alternative? After all, it is clear that for 
Galadriel manyachaschuyu in tavern (it's just an example, there 
was no such seems!) beat will be in the first place masters, 
but to talk to her game that she was wrong and incorrect, and 
just plain stupid ... When some scenarios, the game this can be 
solved and game methods - until falling through the underworld 
- but not always the same! If do not want to let someone on the 
role, it is necessary say that she's busy, though it is not

so? Or spit and throw, and then whether that
be? Yes, you can not correct the behavior
players in the game - but if you can not intervene, and before 
the game, then maybe play without masters of all?


   While on someone then barrel roll?

                            Andrey Lensky

__________________________________________

         H e r n a m to about about e? !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        "That knocked the model-enemies in

        huge white sheets covering the

        table with such force that it burst

        graphite rods in a pencil. "

                                    S. Lem


   Phrase "AD & D" (often spoken to us as the PSD) recently 
attracted roughly the same reaction as the name all sorts of 
disciplines such as astrology or Socionics: often heard 
immediately begins rapidly exchanged remarks on the 
Anglo-Russian, part of the same crooked grins, and says 
something like "No, I did not see and do not want. "interests 
for the sake I decided porassprosit this category of people, 
what is it considers AD & D, and for that so it does not like.

Of course, people were asked only of relevance to the 
role-playing games. 

   Here are some answers:

   - It's like bingo for preschoolers that
rolled on the dice, it will be!

   - To get them to look like will come, so soon ...

   - No freedom of choice that rushed ...

   - Here in our system rush and characters! Kicked here 
yesterday, two sex maniac ...


   It is easy to see that the last two answers, in fact, 
opposites. Together with Secondly it shows that the case before

all that is just not enough information. Indeed, to produce 
literature AD & D, we are still a problem to the same

in English reading is not everything, but in Russian
nothing and is not expected. Meet
same with the idea for an enthusiastic (or vice versa)
review - it highly ungrateful ...

   Therefore, I had a desire for these
pages tell a little about AD & D. In
Further, in addition to materials for beginners, there may 
appear something of interest to AD & D'Schnick with experience. 
And yet ... 


                Who are the

      "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons"

          and how to deal with them?


   Briefly, AD & D role-playing essence of the verbal
game where the participants do not need any equipment except a 
sheet of paper and a pen. 


   Master - in the jargon of AD & Dshnikov, DM -
represents a world, the players the same -
characters of this world, usually one per
player. They say that their characters say and do - the master 
also tells how reacts to this world: the characters (in

jargon - "adventurer," tracing the English words adventurer) 
see that they correspond to counter what the weather ... 


   For example - a couple of fragments from the games.

   First - translation from English, from the description of 
the game: 


   Three characters fought verkrysoy
(A creature like a werewolf, but not turning into a wolf and a 
rat). The rat was wounded and fled down the tunnel, the 
characters her pursue. The detachment consists of two warriors 
and a cleric. Warrior 1 - the boss. 

   DM: You went through a tunnel about 120 yards. On the floor, 
cold water up to his ankles. Every now and then something soft 
As for your feet. All the more it stinks rot and decay.

The tunnel is spreading a cold fog.

   Warrior 1: Ugh, how disgusting. Nothing like
door or side passage can not see?

   DM: No, the line corridor as far as the flares.

   Cleric: Verkrysa could not be anywhere from here
go. Come on.

   Warrior 1: If only we did not miss
secret door. Lousy place!

   Warrior 2: We must still find her. Come
further.

   Warrior 1: Okay. Go ahead. But keep an eye on everything 
that can be door.


   DM: Another thirty yards. Lying on the floor
large stone.

   Warrior 1: Stone? Prismotryuc closely.

   DM: Stone trimmed about 12 to 16
inches and inches of height 18. Breed stone
does not seem that from which the walls of the tunnel.

   Warrior 2: It's against the wall or the middle?

   DM: Just right.

   Warrior 1: I try to move - we have?

   DM (checking for valid character): Yes
easily.

   Warrior 1: Hmm. It looks like some sort of label or
sign. We need to check the walls for secret doors.

   DM (throwing some bones, so that players do not see the 
result): No, nothing unusual was found. 

   Warrior 1: There should be a door! And what about
ceiling?

   DM: You will not get to it. About
feet is not enough.

   Klerik: Of course! This is not a label, it is
step. Become a rock and examine
ceiling.

   DM (throwing another bone): Seconds after
twenty searches of the ceiling suddenly alert. Do you find the 
rising bar. 

   Warrior 1: Open up, just gently.

   Cleric: lifts bar on a couple of inches and gently move it. 
What else can see? 

   DM: Never mind - your head is below the level of
sex. But on the one hand be seen weaker
light.

   Warrior 1: lifts him to better see.

   DM: Your friends lifts you up ...

   Warrior 1: No, no! Just so that he
be seen.

   DM: Well, raises you on foot. You
you see another tunnel like this, but
going in one direction only, and ten
yards - the door. Behind her the light. Back stretches
a chain of muddy footprints.

   Cleric: Okay. Fighters - in advance?

   DM: They dipped you. Heard the approaching grunts, splash 
and clang of metal. 

   Cleric: Up! Top! Push me! Grab, pull up and help them climb.

   (All three of them climb to the top.)

   DM: What about the cover?

   Warrior 1: Get it in place.

   DM: It becomes a place with a loud
ringing. Growl grows louder.

   Warrior 1: Heard. Cleric, come here and
Stand on the panel. But we shall verify that
there behind the door.

   DM: Cleric, you can hear the cries and the bottom
pant, then a blow from which cover
under you shivers.

   Cleric: Open up!

   DM (soldiers): Behind the door a little cubicle with a table 
and chairs. On the bench - coiled verkrysa to you back. In the 
long the wall is another door in the corner of the bell.


   Warrior 1: The rat moves?

   DM: No. Cleric on the cover beating again.
It crackles.

   Cleric: Hey, quick! When the panel
begins to break down, I'll go!

   Warrior 1: Now! I walked into the room, pushing
verkrysu shield. The result?

   DM: Nothing. Blood on the bench.

   Warrior 1: This is the same rat, which
we fight?

   DM: How do I know? For you they all look the same
face. Cleric, another blow, and there is
a big crack.

   Cleric: I'll go with the panel. And to the others. "
(Player's Handbook AD & D 2nd Edition, p.10)

This is a good sample of a game without
characters, clears the master. For
sample with those quote a piece of the presentation module, 
played with us Slava Lyubkinym. (Note:

NPC - characters for whom playing the master;
PC - characters for whom the game players;
number after the name of the class (Cleric 9
etc.) - level.


   Cast:


   NPC:

   Reinhard Wanderer (Fighter 10, AC5, STR
18/52, Long sword Frost Brand with specialization)

   The first demon, 2 nd Ifrit

   PC:

   Kato, kensay 9, the weapon of choice - katana,
vakizashi +2;

   Gillespie's father, a cleric 9

   Tanner, assassin 9

   Nath, tri-kreen fighter 8

   Horatio, the magician 8


   Looking for a daring killer imperial
subject, with a detachment of adventuring acceded to Reinhard, 
falls into the secret hideout magi elementalist. In

During the research dungeon adventuring enter the cave, 
separated from the rest of the dungeon deep abyss, at the 
bottom of which is boiling lava, and the only way through it - 
a narrow suspension bridge without railings.


   Once in the room, the characters discover that it is full of 
swords (one copy each), it has 20 red Rob and 20 daggers, two 
pairs of deer antlers and two bottles.


   All: Uuuh-tyyy ....

   Father Gillespie: My friend Horatio! It is time to know 
yourself for what ... 

   HORATIO: Mmm ... (Read Detect Magic)
Ooh! (All of these things shine strong magic)

   All: Uuuh-tyyy ....

   Kato: Well here again! Again, treasures and
none for me ...

   Tanner: But you've got your honor ...

   Horatio (trying to take the robe and put on):
Terrific! I can touch it, but
I can not pick it up - my hands just pass through!

   Nut (perekapyvaya bunch of swords): Here and leave it where 
it lies. Damn! Why there are no copies!


   Tanner: However, it should take the gifts to our friends who 
are now probably sweet sleep together with some fascinating 
barbarian ... Nate, please perturbation away katana, long sword 
and the sword and engrave on them the inscription "For Bravery".


   Father Gillespie (carefully examining the
a pair of antlers): Horns, horns, gorgeous
antlers, magical reindeer antlers ...

   Tanner: Just your size.

   Father Gillespie: Put on your own, suddenly prirastut! In 
general, it is time to move from here, once take nothing more 
... but the horns ... 

   Nut (packaging swords): I'd have to search ... hey, Horatio 
... Horatio! Stop the crank! Th ... Well here is always so ... 

   Horatio, unable to deal with robami,
decided to take the first available long
item (it was bastard sword) and poke them robe. As soon as the 
metal touched First, all robes suddenly revived and grabbed

daggers pounced on the characters.

   Tanner: I'll kill you bastard ... (Wounded with a dagger) 
Shit! Well, magic! 

   Horatio: I'm not .... (Falls, pierced by five daggers)

   Kato: Well, why do I always have
to save him .... Ouch! Oops! Uuh! Well, no ... yourself! 
(Wounded three times) Agrrr! (With difficulty leaving from the 
fourth stroke) Get It! (Deals robe blow vakizashi which would 
cut the elephant, but Rob is still on his feet) No skeletons!


   Father Gillespie (removing the holy symbol):
Now, now .... Uaaaaaaaaaa !!!!! (Behind him there is a fire 
elemental and wraps his tongue of fire)


   Nat (taking daggers on the carapace): Once,
two, three, four, five, went robes Pogue ...
Damn! A dagger is not less than ... Damn!
(Noticed Elemental)

   Meanwhile, Reinhard silently fights back
in the corner of four robes, ironically looking like
they are trying to pierce his magical armor.

   Passes a couple rounds, and the enemies
stage is only an elemental, burning
anybody.

   Kato (there were 6 hits): And because of this
bastard mage my art must die
KIYAAAAA !!!!! (C wild battle cry hacks
Elemental into small pieces)

   Tanner (shaking from scraps Rob):
The Holy Father, look, Please, what we
can do for our misfortune halfwits Maga.

   Father Gillespie: Yes I did ... Yes, if
He ... To his bones ... (Grim reading
Raise Dead) It worked! Success! By ...
(Falls prostrate)

   Horatio (without regaining consciousness): Guys
I do not spe ... I just ho ... (Also silent)
   The balance of the day is to bring Father Gillespie 
consciousness and division of the spoils. Around midnight, 
Reinhard, standing on the guard at the bridge, hears the other 
side suspicious noise and sees the passage of

opposite appears sleepy-eyed demon in his turban askew and goes 
on the bridge in its side (bridge melting before our eyes).


   Reinhard: Hmmm ... Uh ... mneee .... WHAT
YOU'RE DOING, ugly mug! He is BURNT!

   First demon: I? I turn to you. (Looking
from a height of three meters on their Reinhard)
I can go?

   Reinhard (backs his head thrown back): Yes
yes of course ... Be kind ...

   First demon (Enter the cave and saw
dissolves in it): UGM. Okay. So,
adventurers! The owners of this dungeon
suggest that you immediately leave the
room in general and in particular the dungeon!
If you do not do it yourself, am I allowed to help you!

   Reinhard (from behind demon): But ... but
Bridge ....

   All except the demon: WHAT - MOST?

   Reinhard (sadly): The Bridge ... burned.

   All except the demon: HOW ???????

   First demon: I took advantage of it. I guess he did not 
survive this. Well, yes it does not matter. Sweep away, 
adventuring, while I Good morning.


   People silent, Kato, Tanner and
Reinhard approach closer and begin to retrieve the weapon from 
its scabbard. 

   First demon: Well? Count to three, who did not
hid not my fault. One, two ...

   Kato, Tanner, Reinhard: ON!! (Round
chop, chopping, kicking, etc. Ifrit)

   Chipped in thousands of small pieces,
disappears artfully induced illusion.

   First demon from a very different place: Do not
want to good .... (Enclose them all
charoy Wall of Fire), soak a bit.

   Reinhard (removing a sword Wall of Fire):
Now! Now! Now spill someone's
blood.

   First demon: UGM. (In reverie Cards
head)

   Meanwhile, the characters, uttering animal rumbling slowly 
surround him in a semicircle, expressively waving their arms. 

   First demon: Okay. And if so? (Protects charoy Fire Shield)

   Adventurer in thought stopping.
Nobody wants to be first. Nat gets
packet and starts throwing triangles
their throw. All with the hope of gazing at Kato
which looks at grim demon and mumbling
something about the unfair fight.

   First demon (stung by propelling the triangle): Okay, okay, 
now I do ... Pshshsh! (The whole room is covered with thick 
white smoke, as a result of the spell Pyrotechnics, part 2) 

   Realizing that more will only get worse,
Characters are thrown up in smoke, hacking and poking
right and left.

   Reinhard (hitting into something): Oh! Gotcha! And now a 
second attack .... 

   Nut (after hitting Reinhard down to 20
hits): NO !!!!!!!

   Soon, the characters realize that before
them no one.

   Kato (turning over the head of a katana): Twist the sword 
like me! So we do not Zaden friend other and do not release the 
bastard! 

   A few minutes of whirring sounds of swords and
concentrated sniff characters.

   First demon (voice can be heard from the middle
Cave): So. I want to .... I want ...
I want to .... Idea! Fireball want in there!

   Hear the shrill whistle. In a terrible
premonition adventuring freeze and 20D Fireball explodes in 
complete silence. 

   All except the demon: UAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!!!!!

   Among the general shouting and roaring flames poorly
breaks crunch a splitting shell
Nat (he did saving throw, and remained six hits ...). When the 
smoke settles, the characters discover that the missing demon 
and Nat. And if by Nathan can not find a spear

Throwing triangles and legs, demon
disappeared without a trace.

   Reinhard (looking around, whispering): It is where
here!

   Tanner (shaking, whispering): Who?
Three-Crean?

   Father Gillespie (getting out from under racks,
whisper): No, demon. By the way, anyone
should be treated?

   All look askance at the remains of Nathan and whisper
yelling: "I !!!!".

   Kato (almost not affected by the explosion, loud): I'm going 
to look, where did this coward! I knew that he was no match for 
us in a fair fight! (Published)


   Idyll: Cleric, heal characters and
beach, sweeping broom ashes Nath and top
all other residues, in a whisper reads Raise Dead. Somewhere in 
the corner of Reinhardt wipes Plate with soot, muttering 
something about "Meeting - kill bastard!" Horatio peacefully 
snorting on the rack, Tanner works off blows

back. Suddenly, from a passage leading to the
abyss voice of Cato, the outgoing
tank of cunning and valor the enemy in half
with blasphemy, which would envy any devil. After a short time 
audible thump, noise falling body, and then silence. All look 
with hope to Reinhard. 

   Reinhardt: Well, I do not know the right ... Well have
look ... Well, now I'll drink this bottle (Gulp!) ... And then 
here is this (Gulp! Poor fellow, he did not know that the 
second bottle was Potion of Delusion) ... Well here and now

You can go. (Exits)

   From a passage heard two dull blows,
din fallen armor, and again silence. Assassin pulling a rope 
with a hook shaking goes to passage, and going into it sees as 
a demon with shouting "I'll be back!" dives into the chasm in 
the lava. The remainder of the day goes by without accidents. "



   This text has a lot of "special
terms ", meaning that I will gradually explain, but I think the 
main the meaning is clear without them ...


   Another accusation is often leveled against the AD & D - is 
that the alleged Party in the AD & D are composed exclusively of

"Come on, chopped monsters, went further,
More chopped ...". The conclusion is made from
seen one module or the abundance of combat
rules in the book. In fact, this is not true:
Yes, there are parties, in which the problem - to chop a bunch 
of monsters and calm down, but they still do not exhaust the 
game. Me say, ever to play the game where the characters went 
wandering the theater and put play, in keeping with the terrain 
and conditions ... And the abundance of rules because simple 
fact that the warhead more all in need of clarity and to

foresee all possible cases. After
If, for example, come to blows with each other
characters of two players from the master there
must depend on nothing - otherwise likely
resentment, and so forth joy, who played in rolevki -
understand what I mean.

   Now a bit about the pros and cons of the game.
It is not necessary, of course, think that it is capable of, 
say, replace the field or pavilion game: and other wagering 
method and model can not ... This is - just another tool. 
Hardly smodeliruesh by this game of scientific and 
technological progress, both in the pavilion game. And the 
attitude to the game there is not something that rolevke. What

You really should not be able to own a sword
or climb over the walls, on the one hand,
gives you the opportunity to play a character
closer to the desired, on the other hand, the value
gaming realities - death, for example - are much lower.

   And how would it differ from the Field
rolevok, it certainly can recommend a man that gathered on the 
field game team of novices - in order to accustom them to 
role-wagering. It's easy, requires no so much time and 
equipment, and most importantly - in case of failure does not 
lead to such oblomu as runaway field play. 

   Of course, there are many other
word games and systems. Some of them
even quite successful, but for most
cases, I would recommend not to try
reinvent the wheel. For AD & D, in contrast
from many artisan crafts, balanced and thought-out system. 
Looking good grounds to say that it is not suitable for some 
cases. 

   Of course, all very sloveskah
much depends on the master. Good Wizard
hold rolevku and very shaggy system so that players in the 
loser will not go. But I say to that Stradivari violin differs 
from the violin factory to them. Left Shoe Illich not the fact 
that it may make wonderful sounds, and the fact that It is not 
their issue as an example to better ... 


                            Andrey Lensky