Editorial

I figured that this website would be better if there is some form of ongoing discussion about Dragon Warriors:- game mechanics, GMing, the DW system and rules, or just role-playing, hence the motivation for this page.

To start off this forum, I'm going to pose some questions and personal views of mine. If you wish to express your views, feel free to email me your opinions or comments, and I'll post them on this page.

Rhevar
23rd August, 1998


I just read Len Henderson's "GMing - The Users Guide II". He mentioned some very good points about GMing dungeons which I never thought about before. Anyway, one question he raised about illuminated dungeons (to GMs) was this: Who lights the torches in the dungeon ? One quick response I got was, "Oh, by the skeletons walking around in the dungeon."

Anyway, in my campaign, I usually have my underworlds as being unlighted, so player characters will have to bring their own torches/lanterns in. (I don't keep track of exactly how much oil they have, maybe you do. But that's another topic to be discussed another day.) Perhaps, the walls of the underworld may be covered by some kind of moss or fungi which give off a very faint green florescence. Occasionally, I assume the presence of magical torches which light up (or stay lighted).

Can someone tell me exactly how you light a torch by the way ? I have some vague idea that torches are pieces of wood that have been treated chemically. What kind of chemicals? Or do you just presoak them in pitch/oil? So do you just strike the flint & tinder to create some sparks on the torch ? Is that sufficient to light it, or do you need to dip the torches in oil first?

If your PC uses a two-handed sword, do you allow him to also carry a lighted torch? I assume his weapon is sheathed if he is carrying the torch, so if he needs to fight, is he going to drop the torch on the ground ? In a multi-PC party, I guess the most sensible thing to do is for one PC to carry a torch and a sword, while his comrade walks slightly ahead with his two-handed sword drawn and ready. How about one carrying a shield? Can you hold a lighted torch and carry a shield with the same arm?

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Magical rings - Do GMs tell PCs how many charges there are in a Ring of Agonizing Doom they just found? I know of one humorous GM who gave a PC a ring, with a meter on it. I've played with another GM who never revealed how many charges there are left. Perhaps that is most realistic. Personally in my campaign, I prefer to let the PC know how many charges there are inside the ring. How? Perhaps the wearer of the ring somehow 'knows' - a magical sentience? Perhaps one could bring the ring to a Sorcerer for 'appraising' the number of charges left?

Psychologically speaking, I wonder what the behavioral patterns are like for a character who knows how many charges he has left on his ring, compared to a character who has no idea when it will 'run out'. Instinctively, one may say that the person who does not know will be more cautious in using his ring, saving it for the more powerful adversaries. But think about it again. To this guy who does not know, it is as if the ring could be used indefinitely, until one day the GM says it just stops working. To him, it's a matter of luck, so might as well use it while it lasts? One who knows his ring has seven charges left, will plan ahead, and conserve accordingly? Any takes on that?

OK, now that you know how many charges you have left, how do you activate a ring? Just by concentrating, and aiming at a target? Exactly what do you think of when you concentrate? I suppose you could visualize an energy bolt zapping your opponent while pointing it at one. That would probably work for those 'energy-blast' type rings. How about a Ring of Burning Halo or Teleportation - would it actually work while you are visualizing the wrong thing ?
 
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