THE GATEWAY CHRONICLE
Special Edition
September 1997

FROM THE BLACK DESK: September 1997

This Chronicle is a Special Edition because you will probably be receiving two Chronicles this month and I would like the numbering to match the Session numbers or it will get confusing. I expect to be sending out Chronicle Six in another couple of weeks.
    Thirty Six players participated in Session Six, a new high water mark that seems to be part of a recruitment drive that will help us break the elusive 40 player mark. Thank you all for your evangelism. I think 40 players is ideal for what we are doing and we are nearly there.
    On a personal note, I finally got to play a ‘dark and ominous’ character. It was a lot of fun to be able to use my ‘what if Riff Raff was an aristocratic Wizard who knows things man was not meant to know and has been jaded by all he has seen’ voice and to stalk around wearing (a lot) of black (and really big shoulders). I think waiting until the sixth session showed a lot of restraint on my part.

Where is Chronicle Five?

The last Chronicle was never sent out. There were copies available during Session Six but not everyone got a copy that wanted one. If you would like a copy of the last issue let Dawn know and she will send one out to you.

Credit Where Credit is Due

Our Judges for Session Six were Tom Dowd and Rob Nichols. Tom and Rob were called upon to do more prep work than usual and came through in a big way. There was no Innkeep this Session but Rob Nichols, Dawn Nystul and Jeremiah Peterson ran the Inn for us as Vigo, Enya and Illya Voltarre. Session Six was also Dawn’s first game as gamemaster. Kevin and Shari MacGregor organized and prepared the food with the on site help of the incomparable tag team of Kelly Jordine and Diane Donohoe.

Thanks to one and all.

Current Events
What’s going on in the Realm...

WAR !

• Zurek declared regency on the 1st day of the new year.
• Thallarin declared war on Zurek the following day.

I will be having a Special Session with a few of you this weekend to resolve this conflict and will report the results to everyone in the next Chronicle.

Playtest Edition

In case you haven’t heard, the Playtest Edition of the rules is ready. If you need a copy give Dawn a call or drop her a line and we can figure out a way to get you one.
    The rules are a work in progress. I know I have said this before, but it bears repeating. There have been many changes since the first session and there are likely to be more. I assure you that I have good reasons for all of the changes that I have made and that they have all been carefully considered. Nothing has been changed on a whim. In fact I have tried to change as little as possible.
    If you intend to play the game as a campaign you have to trust me. I have over fifteen years of experience with this kind of stuff. I know what I’m doing. You also have to be willing to play along and roll with the punches. If you can’t deal with the evolution of the game system but you would like to play you can volunteer to help out by playing a succession of one-shot gamemaster characters.
    By the way, if your character is affected by rules changes give Dawn a call and I promise we will do our level best to work something out that you will be happy with. If you are dissatisfied you only have yourself to blame.

Please Read the Rules

Not all of them, but those that pertain to your character at the very least. Several instances were reported of players having no idea at all what their abilities were or having gross misconceptions that could have been dealt with by reading up before the Session. If you are playing a warrior pay special attention to the combat section.

No More Crocking

In traditional roleplaying games clever players are expected to exploit their abilities as thoroughly as possible. This practice is called ‘crocking’ or ‘power gaming’. These rules are different in that the descriptions are intended to be taken literally.    
    If the description of one of your characters Advantages says it affects two opponents, it affects two opponents. No more, no less. No matter what you do the effects of his Advantage will be unchanged, even if the ‘tweak’ seems very reasonable. Try to think of the system like a computer game. If you click on one of your character's abilities in a computer game it will do the same thing every time.
    All of this goes against my instincts as a gamemaster. When I’m running a traditional RPG I try to let the players do anything they can reasonably explain (or at least give them a shot at it). There are three reasons this approach won’t work with these rules;
    Consistency: In a tabletop RPG one gamemaster can keep track of how your abilities have been used but we have a rotating crew of Judges who have to be able to rely on the rules to know who can do what and when. I dread ‘but Fred let me do it last time’ syndrome - the inevitable result of setting precedent by allowing exceptions.
    Game Balance: If someone paid for a special ability he would have every right to be torqued off if your character crocked his way to the same effect for free. There isn’t a lot of resolution in the system so every nudge is a big deal.
    Simplicity: Expeditions are supposed to move quickly. Rules disputes and special case adjudications are notorious time wasters. I realize it is a lot of fun to do things like leap on the monster’s back to stab it from behind but these kinds of actions require a host of rules that would muddy up the system so it is expedient to say they can’t be done.
    Hmmm... wait a minute. You should be able to leap on the monster’s back, shouldn’t you? Tell you what - lets use one rule for all of these situations. See the new Karma rule in the Work in Progress section for more on my solution.

Epilogue
The Final Tally For Session Six

Your favorite character this Session was Kayla. There was a three way tie for second so Kayla, Branywn, Kobar and Captain Owl will all receive the ‘player’s choice’ bonus.
    Congratulations guys.
    At the end of Session Six Arthon Jurel of Zurek gained enough Influence to declare Regency. As you may or may not know the leader of a Faction that declares Regency is King and will take power so long as no one declares war to keep it from happening. Unfortunately for the new King of Kaleth Blacksteel decided that he would rather go to war than swear fealty to the Lord of Zurek.
    At this point the relative positions of the other Factions have been obscured by the chaos this turn of events has caused. There are rumors that Lord Morgan of Evangar has finally rallied the support of the Alliance of the Faithful but nothing is certain in the long shadow of war. When the conflict is resolved I will let you know where everyone seems to stand in the aftermath the bloodbath.

War Stories
Highlights And Lowlights Of Session Six

Captain Rhys led an attack on the Legion of the Damned a matter of days before he arrived at the Ram’s Head, with fresh wounds still healing. His companions included Captain Owl, Branwyn, Mardigan and Umbar. They were prepared to lay siege to a Legion stronghold but when scouts located a secret entrance the heroes entered the Keep from below. They did battle with many monsters and the Lieutenant himself. In the end they won the day and destroyed one of the few remaining Legion outposts.
    The Ram’s Head was set up in the back room of an Inn called the Painted Tortoise in the town of Edmunton. It was Festival Day in Edmunton and the Volatarres brought some of the Festival to the Ram’s Head. There were carnival style games and many prizes were won, including 50 treasure tokens, several gemstones, a magic shield and a ‘squared circle’ said to be capable of granting a wish.
    As part of the Festival Day celebration the Voltarres sponsored a tournament. The winners of the first round were Kayla, Kobar, Lazik and Captain Moorkoth. Kayla and Kobar won the second round and faced off in the final. Kobar was victorious but he traded the magic shield he won for the gemstone Kayla was awarded for second place, a generous and sporting gesture if ever there was one.
    Captain Gray had Anasawak Ku deliver the head of a demon and a message to the adventurers gathered at the Ram’s Head. The demon had infiltrated the Inn by kidnapping Gray and stealing his face over two years ago. The Gatekeeper had the head mounted on his scrying pool, a grim warning to those who would dare threaten him or his guests.
    The Ram’s Head was visited by Zayven Duvarik, the Tarotmancer of Fallow Spire. Zayven and the Gatekeeper seemed to know each other and to have a lot in common. It is rumored that the Wizard was spotted outside the Inn, performing some kind of ritual with his own set of keys.
    There are rumors that the price of Healing Potions has continued to rise. Fortunately, there seemed to be no shortage of potions at the Inn but more Healing Potions were given away or traded than sold. It is suspected that the Guild has something to do with the price increase.
    More strange goings on at the Ram’s Head Inn. The mysterious ‘meddler’ was up to his old tricks. As night fell the adventurers reported seeing strange shadows, phantom lights and sudden chills that heralded more serious phenomenon such as disastrous magical backfires. The worst of it was when Gareth seemed to have been slain by a shadow but the Gatekeeper was able to revive him.
    During the confusion Orim Harth stole the Gatekeeper’s staff. He was tracked down by a hunting party led by Hunter and Tyler. The thief was slain during his apprehension. The staff was returned to the Gatekeeper and most of Orim’s possessions will be passed on to his next of kin, in accordance with the Will he carried.
    The Gatekeeper was able to open a window which allowed his guests to watch the final Expedition of the day. No one seemed anxious to talk about what happened but according to what little has been said it was very bad. The adventurers were sent to what seemed to be another dimension where they met with a supernatural being of some kind who was powerful enough to toy with them while they searched for some way to be rid of him. They seemed to be ill prepared to deal with the creature and had to use the word of recall to escape him. The ‘imp’ knocked Turan unconscious, dazed Fool and cut Duncan in two. Fellerie the Bard turned out to be in his service and chose to remain with her Master.
    During the final Expedition an earlier Expedition that turned out to be a rescue mission returned with Count Skye, Kedrick the Inquisitor and two others who were being held in a Dark Elf lair. According to Andor one of the Dark Elves was armed with a Hand Cannon and they were extremely fortunate to have escaped without any casualties.

A Work in Progress
Additions, Revisions And Updates To The Core Rules

NEW RULE: Karma Points

My fanatical pursuit of game balance has threatened to purge the system of the potential for heroic actions. This won’t do. I’m still convinced that a relatively rigid rules structure is best so the only answer is to add a rule which will allow the other rules to be bent or broken that will limit the number of times this may be done each session.

Acquiring Karma

• Most characters begin the game with 2 pts of Karma
• Experienced characters start with 3 pts of Karma
• Legendary characters start with 4 pts of Karma

When you play a GM character or serve as a Judge your character receives 3 pts of Karma. If you have more than one character one of your characters receives 2 pts (your choice) and all of the others get 1 pt. I only expect you to help out once a cycle (every 4 games) which means most characters will be able to spend one point of Karma each Session.
    Knights of the Order of the White Rose are a special case. If they have less than 3 Karma points at the end of a Session they will get another point before the next Session begins. The ability to perform heroic actions is one of the things that makes them what they are.

Spending Karma Points

Karma points are used to do things that would normally be illegal. Normally, improvisation is discouraged but if you spend a Karma point you can try any action you like. The Karma Point won’t guarantee that you will succeed but it will force the Judge to make a one time adjudication.
    Use Karma Points to step in front of an attack directed at a wounded comrade, to jump of the back of a monster’s neck to stab it where it can’t reach to bite back, to cause extra damage with your lightning spell because your opponent is wearing metal armor while standing in water and so on.
    It is up to the Judge to decide how powerful your character’s Karma will be, which will make it an unpredictable and unreliable resource. This is as it should be. With these rules in place you can rely on a literal interpretation of your character’s abilities unless you use Karma, which is intended to give your character a little nudge when you need it most.

REVISION: Fast Learner

At present, you can buy up to 3 levels of Fast Learner at 5 pts each and they will benefit your character as long as you play him. From now on you can only buy 2 levels. Fast Learner 1 costs 5 pts and Fast Learner 2 costs 10 more points (15 pts total). In addition, when a character becomes a Wizard or acquires Grand Mastery of any of his Skills he no longer benefits from the Fast Learner Advantage.
    If you currently have a character with 2 levels of Fast Learner I will either loan you the 5 pts you need to keep it or I will give you back the 5 pts for the second level (you get to keep any points the second level gave you while you had it). Any character with Fast Learner 3 can have Fast Learner 2 for the same points. If the 10 pt investment for the second level no longer seems appealing I will give you back those points to spend as you see fit.
    A strategy tip - there is a new Advantage called Mentor that is particularly attractive when combined with 2 levels of Fast Learner. This combination has a much better feel than the ‘your character gets more points forever’ deal.

The Sacred Scrolls
Parables Of The Pantheist Faith

These entries were read during the Feasts of the Faithful as part of the eulogy ritual that allowed the truly faithful to cross the Threshold to the afterlife.

From The Allanara Cycle

The healer waited all through the night for the warriors to return and when they did it was worse than she feared. The creature had mauled many of them very badly and her abilities were sorely tested but she vowed not to rest until she had tended all of their wounds. She worked through the dawn, past noon and on into the night but some of the injuries were so grievous that they were beyond her.

One of those who lay dying of mortal wounds was a young man, no more than a boy, whose innocence had been stolen on the battlefield. He wept like a babe and the healers heart went out to him. Allanara had chosen her to perform miracles and she refused to give up on the lad. She would restore him no matter what the cost.

The healer worked through the day and into the small hours of the night. She called upon Allanara and as dawn broke for the second time the young man’s wounds closed but the healer’s hands began to bleed. Content that she had saved the boys life she staggered back to her tent to rest and recover her strength.

Before the healer could recover from her ordeal a young mother found the camp, a child in her arms. She explained that the child was playing in a riverbed and fell on a rocky outcropping. The healer despaired. She had no strength left and could do nothing for the child. She lay helpless, listening to the mother’s lamentation as her firstborn slipped away.

So it goes for those of us who fail to accept our limitations. There is no sin in mortality, only in choosing to believe that we can defy fate.

From The Mordekar Cycle

His sister asked him again to put aside his sword and as he loved her he did as she asked and left the best part of him on her kitchen table. He went out into the night feeling lost and alone but warmed himself with thoughts of his sisters happiness.

On his way to the butcher shop he saw two men following another into the dark alley between the row of shops and the city wall. It was obvious to him that the smaller man was unaware of his pursuers and that they intended him harm. He couldn’t bring himself to simply allow this injustice to happen so he slipped into the alley after them and cleared his throat.

The thugs turned and menaced him with their clubs. The warrior reached for his sword and to his surprise it was where it always had been. Drawing the blade he closed with his opponents and drove them off with a few well placed blows. When the battle was won the warrior realized that his hands were empty. Puzzled, he returned to his sister’s house.

He told his sister what happened and she told him that his sword was on her table the entire time. Concerned for his safety she asked him to stay with her that night but he needed some time to think so he went back out into the night without his sword.

As the warrior passed the alehouse he was accosted by an old enemy who had been looking for him for years. Once again he reached for his weapon and again his hand found the hilt of the sword he thought he had left behind. He made short work of his enemy and when it was over the blade vanished.

Confused, the warrior went directly to the temple and sought a priest of Mordekar. He explained the events of the day and asked what they meant. The priest asked him why he left his sword on his sisters table. He explained that she was afraid for him and didn’t want him to be a warrior any more. The priest asked him if leaving his sword with his sister made him any less a warrior.

The warrior returned to his sisters house and reclaimed the finest part of him from where it sat on her kitchen table. He went back into the world a whole man. So it goes for all of us who attempt to deny who we are, what we are and what part we are destined to play. Blessed are those who understand who they are and have the courage and the grace to accept our lot.

What is the Law?
New Subskills, Advantages And Disadvantages

Characters with this Advantage may teach any skill they have Mastered (it only needs to be purchased once). Only students with a Skill Rank which is lower than the teacher may benefit. A teacher who has Mastered a skill may not teach a student who is also a Master of the same skill but a teacher who is a Grandmaster may teach Master students. Grandmasters may never be students.
    If the teacher and student spend their Between Time together the student receives a point of experience which may only be spent to buy up his Skill Rank and the teacher receives a point of experience for helping him.

Your character has a Mentor who is a Rank 10 Grandmaster of the skill of your choice with the Teacher Advantage. He may spend his Between Time with his Mentor and will receive a point of experience for doing so which may only be used to buy up his Skill Rank.
    If your character has 2 levels of Fast Learner he will receive 2 pts of experience instead (this is in addition to the usual benefits of the Fast Learner Advantage).
    The Mentor doesn’t require payment and will teach the character throughout his career until he reached Rank 10 at which point the Mentor has nothing left to teach. If your character has a Mentor you should decide who he is and why he has taken your character under his wing.

The Grand Grimore
New Spells And Adept Advantages

A lot of stuff - again. Go figure. I actually have more than this but I think I’ll save some for later.

This Advantage gives Specialist Enchanters access to the spells Detect Magic and Identify Magic Item from the Divination list. Lesser Divination only gives access to these spells (they must be purchased separately). For the purposes of acquiring spells with this Advantage there is no Prerequisite for Detect Magic but Detect Magic is a Prerequisite of Identify Magic Item. Enchanters can only use Detect Magic on objects (they can’t use it to Detect Magic on characters or areas).

Limitations

So I was writing up a Wizard character and you know what I noticed? Wizards are expensive. Really expensive. Thats how it should be but within reason. In theory, it should be possible to play a moderately powerful Wizard player character by taking the Legendary Character option. As things stand that isn’t a realistic proposition.
    Limitations should help.
    Limitations are like Disadvantages which can only be taken by magicians. A character with either the Lesser or Greater Gift and at least 1 Magic Skill can take up 10 pts worth of Limitations. For every 5 pts of Limitations after the initial 10 the character receives 2 pts, 3 pts if he is Wizard. For example, a Wizard takes 35 pts worth of Limitations. He gets full credit for the first 10 pts and 3 pts per 5 thereafter so he gets 19 pts for the Limitations.
    Under no circumstances may a character receive more points from Limitations than half the total points he spent on Magic Skills, Mastery of Magic Skills, Adept Advantages and Spells (round up). For example, a character with the Lesser Gift, Healing at Rank 3 and 8 pts worth of spells has 29 pts invested in magic so could take no more than 15 pts worth of Limitations.
    This is an important addition for a lot of characters and we are willing to make adjustments to existing characters to accommodate these new rules. If you are playing a Magician and you would like to give him one or more Limitations let Dawn know and we will figure out a way to make the sudden change in his abilities make sense.

LIMITATIONS DESCRIPTIONS

A mage with this Limitation may never become a Wizard or Magister, no matter how many Magic Skills he Masters. I have a suspicion there will be a lot of player characters with Base Magic but I would advise against it unless it is really appropriate (Wizards can do a lot of really neat things).

Spellcraft makes noise that some magically sensitive creatures such as ghosts, angels and demons can hear. When a character with this Limitation casts a spell while on Expedition he will alert creatures of this kind in the immediate area to his presence. ‘Immediate area’ is an intentionally vague term whose definition is left to the discretion of the Judge. The relative power of the spell and the creature in question will have a lot to do with how far this ‘noise’ will travel. A minor demon can only hear 2 pt spells cast within a few yards of him but a Demon Lord would be able to hear a 6 pt spell from miles away.

Characters with this Limitation cannot use any magic item or device which is restricted to magicians and which aids in spellcasting or allows additional spells to be cast. For example; Spell Scrolls, Magic Scrolls, Magestaves, Magic Wands and Backfire Wards are all useless to them as are the Alchemist’s Field Kit and the Namer’s Codex.

Some magicians aren’t able to deal with the rigors of spellcasting as well as they should. Characters with this Limitation cannot cast Major Magic. In addition, casting a Strenuous spell causes the temporary loss of a point of Wound Capacity.

There are a lot of ways for mages who have difficulty with the rigors of spellcasting to focus their energies. One of the traditional methods for dealing with this shortcoming is the use of material components of various kinds.
    Characters with this Limitation need to expend special components every time they cast a spell. These components are bought during Setup and cost 1 gold for sufficient components to cast a 2 pt spell once, 2 gold for 4 pt spells and 3 gold for 6 pt spells. Most mages who rely on Fetishes usually have some kind of theme to their components such as carved figurines or rare herbs.
    The mage doesn’t need a Fetish component when casting a spell which already calls for one or more material components. Characters with this Limitation who are Alchemists, Enchanters or Incanters don’t need Fetish components to cast spells from those schools.

Some mages have less potential than others. Characters with this Limitation can never achieve Grandmastery of any of their Magic Skills or learn any 6 pt spells. In addition they can’t Master their Magic Skills until they reach Rank 6. Most mages get 10 pts for this Limitation - Specialists or characters with the Undisciplined Disadvantage get 5 pts and Undisciplined Specialists don’t get anything.

Characters with this Limitation need a Magestaff to help them shape magical energies during spellcasting. The Difficulty of all spells cast by a Maladroit character are doubled unless he has a Magestaff. Most mages get 10 pts for this Limitation - characters whose only Magic Skills are Alchemy, Enchantment and/or Incantation only get 5 pts.
    If your character has this Limitation he may begin the game with a Magestaff but he will owe whoever created it 50 gold unless he chooses to be Indebted or Obligated to them instead in exchange for this favor. The 50 gold must be paid back as quickly as possible - the character earns 1 less point of experience per session until it is paid off.

Characters with this Limitation have a singleminded devotion to their magical studies which keeps them learning anything else. Obsessed mages can only buy Magic Skills - the Core Skills are unavailable to them. An Obsessed Mage who has Mastered at least one Magic Skill may buy the Scholar Core Skill so long as the only Subskills he takes are those that relate directly to ‘the art’.

Magicians with this Limitation cannot cast spells quickly. They have to take several minutes to gather and manipulate the necessary energies. This renders spells such as Cure and Powerblast which rely on timing useless. Assume that the magician cannot cast any combat spells. While in the Inn the mage will have to perform a brief ritual before resolving his spellcasting attempt. It is up to the player to decide what the rituals for his spells are like but he should clear them with the gamemaster first. Most mages get 5 pts for this Limitation - Specialist Sorcerers and characters with the Fetish Limitation get 10 pts (Specialist Sorcerers with the Fetish Limitation get 15).

A Rogue Mage is self-taught, a very rare thing. Because of their unique perspective Rogue Mages cannot benefit from the Teacher Advantage when learning or improving their Magic Skills and cannot use Monographs. This may not seem like much of a Limitation but Teachers and Monographs are two major sources of extra experience points that your character may regret losing later in his career. Rogue Mages are rare for a reason.

The Potions and Elixirs created by an Alchemist with this Limitation are only good for one Session. This Limitation is usually worth 5 pts but it is worth 15 pts if the character is a Specialist Alchemist. From now on, most of the NPC Alchemists will have this Limitation so most of the Potions you get from sources other than PC healers will only be good for the Session in which you acquired them.

Spells which aren’t normally considered Strenuous cost characters with this Limitation a Wound to cast.
    If the mage also has the Fatigue Limitation he can’t cast Major Magic and all other spells cause the temporary loss of a point of Wound Capacity, whether they are Strenuous or not. This combination is worth a grand total of 20 pts (5 for Fatigue, 15 for Strain) for which the character receives full credit (any additional Limitations are worth 2 or 3 pts for every 5 pts as usual).

Some magicians are better with theory than they are at learning practical applications for their skills. All spells are 1 pt more expensive for characters with this Limitation (Specialists would buy their spells at normal cost - their bonus and this penalty would cancel each other out). This is the way to go if your character needs a high Magic Skill but won’t be buying many spells.

Enchanters with this Limitation can only create minor magic items (those which are expended when they are used). This Limitation is usually worth 5 pts but it is worth 15 pts if the character is a Specialist Enchanter.

Characters with this Limitation cannot cast any of their spells while in the Inn or the warded area which surrounds the Inn which will restrict their spellcasting to Expeditions. Most mages get 5 pts for this Limitation - Specialist Healers and Namers get 10.

Magicians with this Limitation have trouble controlling the magical energies they channel during spellcasting. Default Backfires or those which specify one or more Wounds are considered Knockouts. Spells with special Backfires will have their usual effects and will also inflict a Wound. In either case, Backfire Wards are useless to them. If a Backfire Ward is worn it will be expended but it won’t do any good. Most magicians get 5 pts for this Limitation - Specialist Sorcerers get 10 pts.

Against the Trolls
A Recounting Of The Resolution Of A Between Time Proxy Plot 
Submitted By Vicki ‘Hunter’ Martin

Hunter signaled for her companions to stop. The troll trail they had been following split off and the tracks were fresh enough that the grass hadn’t sprung back. "They’re close," she whispered. "And not sleeping as I’d hoped."

She bent down to examine the ground closely. Tracking the trolls had been easy. The way they waded through the vegetation made a trail a child could follow. She had no interest in what other things the trail could tell her while she believed they were heading for the lair and would find their prey sleeping inside. Now, it was different.

The fresh footprint she’d found was twice as long as her hand. The ground was not soft enough that she could see much detail beyond general shape. If it belonged to a man, the man would be half again as tall as Kobar. She breathed a short sigh of relief when she realized that only one set of prints was fresh.

Kobar and Turan stood silently behind her. Turan had left his armor behind when she’d asked him. She’d feared the noise would wake the sleeping trolls. Now, she wished she hadn’t made the request. His eyes held no scorn, only curiosity as he watched her at her craft.

"Only one," she whispered. "Passed by here less than an hour ago. The path is older than that and looks about as well used as the one we’re on. I’m not sure how fast they travel. The stride is pretty even, and, if they’re built about the same as human, the prints aren’t deep enough to be running. If it were running, the front of the print would be deeper and you might not see the heel imprint at all."

She glanced up from the ground. "We need to step up the pace."

Her companions nodded. "Perhaps it would be best if you let us lead the way now," Turan suggested. "In case we come upon our quarry unexpectedly."

Hunter strung her bow. "You’re probably right. I’m the first to admit that I’m no good in close combat, but I’m learning."

Turan set off at a jog with Kobar close behind him. Hunter followed, adjusting her baldric so that Captain Drenn’s sword didn’t slap her legs as she ran. She knew she lacked the endurance of the warriors and hoped they’d find their prey before her stamina gave out.

They emerged in a clearing and the two warriors engaged with the troll before she even realized they had found it. It stood half again as tall as Kobar with gnarled limbs and jagged claws. Its greasy black hair hung limply over feral yellow eyes and the mouth was full of sharp teeth.

She heard a loud crack and a howl from the troll as Kobar snapped one of the bones in its arm with his bare hands. It was followed by the sound of Turan driving the blade of his polearm through its thigh.

Hunter knocked an arrow and took careful aim. The troll’s height made it easier to take a shot without risk of injuring her companions. The arrow sunk deep into the flesh of the shoulder and the beast howled again.

That was when she noticed that the thigh wound was no longer bleeding and that the broken arm was no longer hanging down by its side.

"It’s regenerating," Kobar said, neatly dodging a blow. "Hunter, we need fire."

She put down her bow and began gathering up small sticks and anything else dry that might burn, thankful that it had not rained in several weeks. She bundled it up, bound it to a large branch, and coaxed flames out of it with her flint and steel.

By the time she had it burning well, the monster was bleeding from several more wounds and the arm was dangling again. Neither Kobar nor Turan looked like they had been touched, but they must be tiring as the beast seemed to heal just about everything they inflicted on it.

She circled around the fight, keeping out of the troll’s long reach. It was going to be a difficult task to cauterize the wounds before they had a chance to heal.

"Give me the torch," Kobar said taking it out of her hand almost before she could let it go. "Get another for Turan."

There was another howl of pain as she turned around and a searing sound followed by the smell of burning flesh. Hunter was grateful that her foraging was taking her a little ways away from the battle. Her place was not this close to a fray.

She had just gotten the second torch burning when a second troll came crashing through the trees, snarling with rage. Its yellow eyes fixed on her and it charged.

She dove out of the way, barely keeping a hold of the torch and cursing herself for not thinking that the cries of the first troll might bring help from the second. It whirled on her again and she felt the wind as its clawed hands missed her by no more than the span of a fly’s wings.

She brandished the torch in front of her but the troll seemed beyond concern. Every time she avoided it, its anger grew and she was sure that if one of those clawed hands touched her, she would not be getting up again.

She tried to lead it back to where Kobar and Turan were, but she could not hear the sounds of their battle over the raging of the monster in front of her.

One swipe of a clawed hand sent her flying to the side, a huge gash in her arm. The torch lay burning out of reach. She scrambled up and away to avoid the next strike and fumbled for the only weapon she had left.

Blood ran down her arm and into her hand, staining the leather on the hilt of Captain Drenn’s sword. She held it in front of her with both hands. The most she could hope for at this point, was to keep the troll occupied until Kobar and Turan could come to her aid.

Please, Captain Drenn, I don’t know if you or your gods can hear me, but I can’t let this creature take Kobar and Turan by surprise. The villagers are depending on us.

With the fire gone, the troll charged. She dropped to the ground and braced the butt of her blade on the forest floor. The angered monster impaled itself almost up to the hilt.

The force knocked her away from the sword. The troll thrashed and howled, clawing at its chest, its claws slicing its own skin in its frenzy to destroy what was causing it pain. She knew the wound would heal but prayed it would be slowed by the three feet of steel which was still sheathed in its flesh.

Hunter watched it struggle. She had no weapon and the torch she had lost had extinguished itself in the dirt. She reached for a branch just as a gore covered blade thrust itself through the wounded monster’s neck, severing the head. A torch followed to cauterize the wound.

The troll fell to reveal Kobar and Turan, the former with the torch and the latter’s polearm still dripping blood. Both were covered in ichor, but neither one appeared hurt. Kobar yanked the sword out of the body and handed it hilt first back to her. "Well done."

Turan offered her a rag and she wiped the sticky black goo off the blade. He laughed. "I meant that for your arm."

She glanced over. The ugly gash was still bleeding. He wrapped it tightly. "I hope there’s someone in the village with some healing skills. Wounds like this will give you fever if they’re not properly cared for. I think it’s bled as clean as it’s going to bleed."

"Blood," she gasped. "We have to collect the blood for Catherine."

"You should sit down," Kobar suggested. "Turan and I will collect the blood."

She took one step, got dizzy and decided that they were probably right.

They returned to a hero’s welcome. The villagers crowded around them as they made their way, to the common house, all three still sticky with troll blood.

Gavin, the leader, quieted and settled his people.

"We are grateful to the three of you for what you have done for us today. I regret that we have so little to offer in the way of payment."

He held out a bag. "It is all the silver we could gather. We can’t even offer you a feast as all of our animals have been taken by the trolls."

Hunter glanced first at Kobar and then at Turan. "I promised to bring you help. The men that I brought didn’t come here because of the silver. They came here because you needed them. The happiness on your faces is all the payment we require."

Gavin took her hand, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Thank you."

The brief silence was broken by the bleating of sheep. "We were afraid you wouldn’t have anything left when we arrived so, thanks to Kobar, Turan and the Church of Dain, we were able to bring you some of the things you’ll need."

Gavin embraced her and then Kobar and Turan.

"Bless you. The gods bless you all."

Hunter watched him practically leap through the crowd to get to the wagon and the sheep. She turned to her companions and could feel tears of her own starting. "Thank you both. I could never have done this without you."

Turan smiled and Kobar nodded.

"Any time you need help with something like this, come to me," the nomad said.

"Come," Turan said. "Lets find the healer and leave these people to their work."

Onward and Upward

The next session is scheduled for the 27th of September. It will probably be held at the Community House but I haven’t confirmed that yet. We are looking for alternate sites. If you know of someplace that would be appropriate (and won’t cost us a mint) please let Dawn know.
    We are still looking for new players. I’m trying to get copies of the rules made to give these recruits and Tom ‘Kedrick’ Dowd is working on posting the rules to a web site for us which will give us ‘on demand’ access.
    If you are planning on coming to the September session please let Dawn know as soon as possible. Its hard to do some of the prep work when we aren’t sure how many players we will have until the week before the game.
    Dawn needs 3 Judges, a new player to be Gaelen and a couple of GM characters for the next session. If you would like to volunteer for any of these positions please let her know as soon as possible. Remember, your character gets 5 experience and 3 Karma points when you help out.
    Thanks for your continued enthusiasm - I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone reacts to some of the events I have planned for the next few months.
    See you soon -

Black Mike

Help Wanted

With new players on the way and some of the old characters out of circulation I thought it would be a good idea to summarize the character archetypes that would be most useful to the campaign.

Bard: When Fellerie turned out to be a minion of ‘the imp’ we lost our only Bard. Bards actually serve an important function in the game. I know at least two players who are mourning the loss of her talents.

Healer: There are several characters who can heal, but only Alejandro did it really well. We could use another Specialist Healer or a Priestess of Allanara.

Pantheists: The material you needed to create Pantheist Priests and Champions wasn’t available for a long while but its in the Playtest Edition so its time we filled in the blanks.

Priest: We have an Inquisitor and a Crusader but no actual Priest of Dain, which has given the adventurers a very skewed notion of what the Church of Dain stands for.

Teachers: Check out the Teacher Advantage in this issue. It is a good character hook and very useful. I’m sure Teacher characters will be very popular.

Gateway Chronicles Copyright (c) 1997, 2000 by Alex Gray