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                          REC.GAMES.FRP.DND FAQ
                                 Part 4

                     1) Meta  2) Misc.  3) Religion
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
* designates topics which have been updated.
+ designates topics which have been added.

Meta
 D1: I've found a mistake in the latest D&D product; where can I report
     it?
 D2: Where can I find a list of official D&D errata?
 D3: What is a PBEM and how do I get into one or start one?
 D4: What are the best *D&D products (books/modules/etc.) to get?
 D5: What do those letter/number combinations on older modules and
     handbooks stand for?
 D6: What font did TSR use for Planescape and where can I get it?
 D7: What is the chance of rolling up a character with all natural
     18's?
 D8: I heard there are some official *D&D modules on the web. Where are
     they?

Misc.
 E1: Wasn't there a Saturday morning cartoon about *D&D?
 E2: What *D&D-specific comic books have been published?
 E3: Whatever happened to SnarfQuest, What's New?, Wormy, and Yamara?
 E4: While we're talking about it, whatever happened to Erol Otus?
 E5: Wasn't there a TSR module that was banned?
 E6: Wasn't there already a FIFTH edition of D&D?
 E7: When the current version of D&D is revised, will all of my old
     sourcebooks be obsolete?
 E8: What was removed from Deities & Demigods?
 E9: Was Legends & Lore really originally a 1st ed. book?
 E10: What happened to my favorite campaign world?
 E11: Where did all the devils, demons, daemons, and the rest go?
 E12: Who is this Cthulhu guy, anyway?
 E13: What are the major changes in AD&D, 2nd ed. from 1st ed.?
 E14: What are the major changes in D&D, 3rd ed. from AD&D, 2nd ed.?
 E15: What is the Gazebo story?  And what's the Head of Vecna?
 E16: Isn't there a humorous "Dungeons & Dragons" skit out there?

Religion
 F1: Is *D&D really the tool of the Devil?
 F2: Yeah, but is *D&D really the tool of the Devil?
 F3: Isn't Al-Qadim actually one of the holy names of Allah?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Meta
D1:  I've found a mistake in the latest D&D product; where can I report it?

A:  If you discover a major typo or other mistake in a D&D publication,
   such as the infamous 'damage/dawizard' transposition, or a reversed or
   missing map or table, feel free to write in and report it.  The
   contact address for errata reports is <[email protected]>; they will
   see to it that the appropriate editors are notified of the error and/or
   are castigated for it.  If the error affects gameplay (such as a spell
   with a statistics block that is contradicted in the spell description)
   include the word "Errata" in the subject field of your e-mail, along
   with the book and page number.
     There is not much need to post reports of typos or errata for all
   to see unless it actually affects gameplay in some way, such as a
   drastic misalignment in the columns of a table or mislabeled maps in
   modules.

D2:  Where can I find a list of official TSR errata?

A:  Official errata files for the 3rd ed. books are available on WotC's
   webpage at <http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article1.asp?x=dnd/er/errata,3>.
     The official errata for the 2nd ed. core books and the Player's
   Option books are available on WotC's web page, at
   <http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDDownloads.asp>.  You can find the
   official errata for the 1st printing of the original PH2, as well as a
   list of Forgotten Realms errata, on various sites around the net.  TSR
   at one point also released an official errata page for the first
   printing of the Complete Psionics Handbook; electronic copies of it are
   floating around and shouldn't be too tough to find.
     Other than that, look through the Sage Advice column in back issues
   of Dragon Magazine; every once in a while, that column has included an
   official correction of an error.

D3:  What is a PBEM and how do I get into one or start one?

A:  Whoa, whoa, whoa!  Hold on there, Tex, that there's three questions in
   one.  In way of an answer, PBEM (or PBeM) stands for "Play By E-Mail,"
   campaigns which are run via the DM sending out turns to each of the
   players, who respond with their characters' intended actions.  Such
   campaigns are the outgrowth of Play-By-Mail baseball leagues, the
   Illuminati PBM, and just plain *D&D PBM's.
     To get into a PBEM, monitor rgf.announce and wait.  When you're done
   with that, wait some more.  After that, wait a couple of whiles.  By
   that time, somebody probably will have posted a message to rgf.announce
   indicating that they are starting (or that an opening has appeared in)
   a PBEM; rules for character submission will usually be included.
   Follow the rules and mail off a character.  If the PBEM chooses your
   character, you're in.  There.  That wasn't so hard, was it?
     If you don't want to wait that long (and it could be as quick as
   tomorrow, or it could take several months), you could try to start up
   your own PBEM campaign.  However, be warned--running a PBEM might sap
   any and all free time you think you have and then some, and isn't
   necessarily as easy as it might sound.  For a wealth of helpful tips,
   tricks, and suggestions for running as well as playing a character in
   PBEM's, read "An Argosy of Play By E-Mail Advice," which can be found
   on <http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/misc/pbem_faq.html>.
     Another excellent place to look for information on PBEMs is
   <http://www.pbem.com/>, which has a plethora of files on the topic,
   from advice to listings of currently active PBEMs.

D4:  What are the best *D&D books and/or modules to get a hold of?

A:  This depends on who you ask.  Everybody has their own opinions on
   which products are great and which are trash.  However, there was a
   survey done by Anthony Brooks on rgfd and ADND-L of every *D&D product
   TSR had ever put out, as of around January 1995.  It rated each
   product on a 0-10 scale, based on the average of all of the responses,
   and included comments on the products by the people who responded.
   Only those products which received 5 or more votes appeared in the
   listings, but there were comments included on several non-listed
   products.
     The results of that survey were used as the starting point for an
   ongoing survey on the web, which can be found at
   <http://users.rcn.com/aardy/rate/index.html>.  This survey includes
   every D&D and AD&D product TSR has published up to the current date,
   as well as every AD&D-compatible product which Judges Guild published.
   Since it is ongoing, the results will naturally change from week to
   week, as more people vote and new products are added.  The current
   "best" (8.0 out of 10 or higher) and "worst" (3.0 out of 10 or lower)
   are listed at <http://cgibin.rcn.com/aardy/rate/bestofshow.cgi>.

D5:  What do those letter/number combinations on older modules and
   handbooks stand for?

A:  Up until late 1994, TSR game every product an alphanumeric code, as
   well as a numeric product code.  The letter codes were based in some
   way on the product, and the number following the letter designated
   which one in the series it was.  For example, Against the _G_iants was
   G1-3, the Vault of the _D_row was D1-3, and _Q_ueen of the Demonweb
   Pits was Q1.  Some codes were based on other factors; for example,
   Competition modules for tournament use were given a C designation, and
   the Special series was labeled with an S.
     This use carried over into 2nd ed., with the Players HandBook
   Reference series (PHBR), Dungeon Masters Guide Reference (DMGR), and
   Historic Reference (HR) series, as well as the GA/R (General
   Adventure/Reference) RA/R (Ravenloft Adv./Ref.), WGA/R (World of
   Greyhawk Adv./Ref.), et al.  Late in 1994, TSR decided that this
   system was getting out of hand (what with the [class] Challenge series
   being given HHQ1-4 !?), and dropped the system.  Now, products are
   only coded by product number, numbers-only code used internally by
   the company to track products & sales.
     For more information on what the letter/number codes stood for, see
   the complete TSR Product Guide maintained by Gavin Bartell and found
   in Word format at <http://www.effierover.com/tsrlist/docfiles.html>.

D6:  What font did TSR use for Planescape and where can I get it?

A:  The Planescape font is called Exocet (technically it's two fonts,
   Exocet Light for regular text and Exocet Heavy for titles, etc.);
   it is a commercial font sold by Emigre.  You can see a sample of it
   and purchase it at Emigre's web page, at <http://www.emigre.com/>.
   Visitation is a free font which is quite similar to Exocet and is
   available on various and sundry pages throughout the World Wide Web.
     For a list of this and other fonts that were used by TSR & WotC
   for *D&D adventures and accessories over the years, see the TSR Font
   FAQ at <http://www.geocities.com/rgfdfaq/tsrfonts.html>.

D7:  What is the chance of rolling up a character with all natural 18's?

A:  If one is using the basic 3d6 method of character creation, this
   means rolling 18 sixes with 18 dice.  The chance of this happening
   is thus 1/6^18, or 1/101,559,956,668,400.  (This assumes fair dice,
   of course.)  In other words, "slim to none, but technically
   possible."  If one uses the 4d6, drop the lowest die method,
   the chance of getting a character with six stats of 18 is
   1/54^6 or 1/24,794,911,296.  A bit more likely than when using 3d6,
   but you still have a better chance to win the jackpot in most
   state or national lotteries than to get a character with all 18's.
     For the chances of getting 18's with most of the other
   "standard" methods, see <http://users.rcn.com/aardy/rpg/stats.html>.

D8:  I heard TSR put some *D&D modules on the web; where are they?

A:  Yes there are.  Not just modules, either.  Several sourcebooks and
   accessories as well, some products that for one reason or
   another were pulled from the production schedule and published on the
   web instead, and a lot of brand new web-exclusive characters, maps,
   adventures, enhancements, etc.  Here are the URLs to the pages for the
   free material:

   3rd. ed. D&D Downloads
     http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article4.asp?x=dnd/archive,3
   Previous edition D&D downloads
     http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDDownloads.asp

     Wizards of the Coast has also undertaken the project of making
   almost every out-of-print item ever published by TSR available in PDF
   format either for free at the "previous edition" page above, or for a
   low cost through an online store.  To see what the store currently
   offers, go to <http://www.svgames.com/downloads-wotc.html>.


Misc.
E1:  Wasn't there a Saturday morning cartoon about *D&D?

A:  Yes, there was.  _Dungeons & Dragons_ was produced by Marvel
   Productions, premiered on September 17, 1983 on CBS, and ran for
   three seasons.  The main characters were all real-world people who
   rode the new "D&D" roller-coaster at the local theme park and somehow
   got transported by the Dungeon Master to a fantasy world.  Each of the
   main characters had a personal magic item, and a vast majority of the
   show's plots revolved around the evil Venger trying (and failing) to
   get their items so that he could become all-powerful, while the heroes
   tried to find portals back to the "real" world and failed to use every
   one for one reason or another.  The first episode was available on
   video at one point (though it is currently without a distributor), so
   it may be possible to find it at conventions, in video stores, or in
   rec.games.frp.marketplace.  In the early 00's, Fox reran the show as
   part of their FoxKids lineup (though with an altered title sequence),
   so there is a good possibility that the entire series will eventually
   find its way to video.

   The main characters were:
   Hank (Ranger): The leader.  His bow shot magic arrows that (almost)
     never missed and could also do whatever the writers imagined, from
     becoming slow-burning flares to forming a force-cage or energy rope
     around enemies.
   Eric (Cavalier): The scaredy-cat.  (Which wasn't very cavalier of him,
     but that's another matter.)  His shield projected a force field.
   Presto/Andrew (Wizard): The comedian.  He could pull items out of his
     hat, but rarely, if ever, got what he wanted.
   Sheila (Thief): The 2nd in command.  Her cloak made her invisible when
     she put on the hood.
   Diana (Acrobat): The token minority.  Her 10-inch pole could extend to
     become a strong yet flexible 10-foot pole on command.
   Bobby (Barbarian): Sheila's kid brother.  His club caused a mini-
     earthquake when he struck the ground, and gave powerful blows
     to any enemies he hit with it.
   Uni (Unicorn): Token cute creature.  How can you hate a show that
     features a baby unicorn with big, blue eyes and a plaintful bleat?
   Dungeon Master (DM): The DM, of course.  Short, bald guy who talked in
     riddles and sent the party into the face of certain doom. They always
     managed to solve his riddles and survive, yet always failed to get
     home.
   Venger (Fiend): The bad guy.  He had one horn, fangs, and rode a
     winged nightmare.  He always had some scheme to take over the world,
     and it usually involved stealing the heroes' weapons first.
   Tiamat (Dragon): The really bad girl.  What's really big, has five
     heads, a nasty temper, is very evil, and wants revenge on
     Venger for something that happened in the first episode?  I don't
     know, but it's standing right behind you...  RAAAAAAAAHHHHRRRRRR!!!

   There was never an episode filmed that showed our heroes permanently
   defeating Venger and returning home, but a "last episode" of sorts was
   actually written.  The script of that episode can be found at
   <http://www.mindspring.com/~michaelreaves/D&Dpreface.html>.

E2:  What *D&D-specific comic books have been published?

A:  There have been a number of comic series over the years which dealt
   with various TSR worlds, often published by DC in conjunction with
   TSR.  Here is a list of known *D&D-related comic books:

   Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #1-36, Annual #1 (DC)
   Avatar #1-3 (DC)
   Baldur's Gate (Interplay)
   Birthright: The Serpent's Eye (TSR freebie)
   Dork Tower #1-8 (Corsair)
   Dork Tower #9-[ongoing] (Dork Storm Press)
   Dragonlance #1-34 (DC)
   Dragonlance (TSR freebie)
   Dragonlance Saga #1-3 (TSR)
   Dragonlance Saga #4-5 (DC)
   Dragon Strike #1 (Marvel)
   Dungeons & Dragons: In the Shadow of Dragons #1-8 (Kenzer)
   Dungeons & Dragons: Tempest's Gate #1-4 (Kenzer)
   Fineous Fingers collection (TSR)
   Forgotten Realms #1-25, Annual #1 (DC)
   Forgotten Realms: The Forbidden Sands of Anauroch #1-6 (21st Century)
   Forgotten Realms: The Grand Tour (TSR freebie)
   Gammarauders #1-10 (DC)
   Knights of the Dinner Table #1-4 (AEG)
   Knights of the Dinner Table #5-[ongoing] (Kenzer)
   Knights of the Dinner Table: Bundle of Trouble #1-[ongoing] (Kenzer)
   Knights of the Dinner Table: Hackmasters of Evernight #1-[on.] (Kenzer)
   Knights of the Dinner Table Illustrated #1-[ongoing] (Kenzer)
   Knights of the Dinner Table: Tales From the Vault #1-[ongoing] (Kenzer)
   Labyrinth of Madness (TSR freebie)
   Nodwick #1-3 (Henchman Publishing)
   Nodwick #4-[ongoing] (Dork Storm Press)
   Planescape (TSR freebie) [online only]
   SnarfQuest collection (TSR)
   Spelljammer #1-18 (DC)
   TSR Worlds Annual #1 (DC)
   What's New? collection #1-2 (Palliard Press)
   What's New? collection #3 (Studio Foglio)
   Yamara collection (Steve Jackson Games)

E3:  Whatever happened to SnarfQuest, What's New?, Wormy, and Yamara?

A:  For those who don't recognize those names, all four were very popular,
   long-running sequential art features in Dragon at one time or another,
   and references to and queries about these regularly crop up on the
   group.  (Other regular features include Fineous Fingers, Pinsom,
   Tal'n'Alan, The Twilight Empire (Robinson's War), Floyd, and Knights
   of the Dinner Table; these don't come up for discussion nearly as
   often as the main four).  In alphabetical order:
     SnarfQuest, by Larry Elmore, began in issue #75 and ran for several
   years.  The episodes were collected together into a single book in
   the late 80's (reprinted in the early 00's, so it should be possible
   to track down a copy), and a special one-shot episode appeared in
   Dragon #200.  Larry currently works freelance, and his material graces
   the pages of many a D&D product.
     What's New? with Phil & Dixie, by Phil Foglio, first appeared
   shortly before issue #50 and ran until issue #84, when Phil decided
   that exactly three years was long enough and left to work on other
   projects.  One of those projects was the comic book adaptation of
   Robert Asprin's _Another Fine Myth_; Phil, Dixie, and the dragon made
   a special guest appearance in issue #5.  The entirety of the Dragon
   run of What's New, as well as two new episodes ("How They Met", and
   the long-threatened "Sex and D&D"), were published in two parts in
   1991 and 1994 by Palliard Press; it is currently still available.
   Episodes of What's New? appeared in every printed issue of the
   Duelist magazine, save the last one; though those strips were based on
   collectible card games rather than role-playing games (also, Dixie was
   officially declared to be a blonde rather a redhead).  In November
   1999, What's New? returned to the pages of Dragon Magazine.
     Wormy, by Dave Trampier, ran concurrently with What's New? and
   SnarfQuest.  It ended suddenly in the middle of a story, and has
   been the center of no small amount of confusion and consternation.
   What is known for certain is that Dave solicited orders for a Wormy
   collection at one point (around Dragon #102), but for whatever
   reason, it fell through and was never published (everyone who ordered
   a copy got their money back).  No one, and I mean no one, in either
   the gaming or art industries has seen or heard from him since; though
   it is known for certain (through his family) that he is still alive
   and well, just not working with either games or art.  Without his
   permission, there is zero chance for a Wormy collection to be printed
   within our lifetimes.  The closest you can get is the Dragon
   Magazine archive CD-ROM, which includes all of the published strips.
   As for the reason Wormy was dropped from Dragon in the first place,
   therein lies a mystery.  The most likely story to surface so far (as
   told by an artist who was with TSR at the time) is that Trampier
   wanted more money and threw a major tantrum over the issue, at which
   point the editors returned the remainder of the episodes to him,
   unpublished.  Since neither Trampier nor the editors of Dragon at
   that time will comment on the issue, this story cannot be verified.
     Yamara was the most recent strip of these four; it ended its
   several-year run in 1996.  A Yamara collection (up through at least
   the episode from Dragon #202, and including descriptions of each of
   the characters) was released around 1994 and is currently available
   from Steve Jackson Games.  Yamara is now available as a web strip, at
   <http://www.yamara.com/>.  The creators of Yamara can be reached at
   [email protected].

E4:  While we're talking about it, what ever happened to Erol Otus?

A:  The man whose art is usually either wildly loved or loathed is
   currently doing well for himself in the the computer game industry.
   He has worked on "Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Final Unity" by
   Spectrum Holobyte, and "Star Control 2: The Ur-Quan Masters", among
   other popular games.  He's still illustrating, too, just not very much
   for RPGs--see <http://www.slough-feg.com/> for some album covers he's
   done.  He apparently doesn't have a website of his own, but an e-mail
   address for him is listed on Slade's "Ex-TSR" list at
   <http://www.pensys.com/pages/slade/xtsr.htm>.

E5:  Wasn't there a TSR module that was banned?

A:  No, there have been no "banned" modules; but there was one which was
   recalled & re-released in a different form, thus making the original a
   rare find.
     The story, according to Frank Mentzer (ex-TSR editor), is that back
   in 1980, a woman named Jean Wells wrote an adventure for TSR entitled
   "Palace of the Silver Princess."  It was edited by Frank Mentzer, with
   art by Erol Otus.  It was published in 1981 for D&D Basic characters
   as module B3, levels 1-3, and had an orange cover.
     Shortly after publication, TSR discovered many serious flaws in the
   dungeon layout and also had it pointed out to them that some of the
   included artwork was of very questionable taste, almost bordering on
   pornographic in a couple of instances.
     So for the first (and possibly only) time in TSR's history, they
   recalled a product.  Every copy of B3 TSR could locate was returned
   and destroyed.  Then TSR heavily revised the module, fixing the errors
   and replacing some of the art.  It was re-released shortly thereafter,
   only with a green cover this time.
     However, not every copy of the original version had been returned.
   The first time this was publically discovered was at the auction at
   the 1984 GENCON, where one came up for sale and went for $300.
   Several other copies have come up for sale since.  Those that were
   sold on rec.games.frp.marketplace a few years ago sold for around
   $100 to $250.  With the advent of eBay and the "must-have-it"
   mind-set that seems to have come with it, those that have sold on
   web auctions have generally sold for five to ten times higher.
     For those interested in seeing what all the hubbub was about,
   a scanned copy of the module can be downloaded for free from
   <http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DND_PSP.asp>.

E6:  Wasn't there already a FIFTH edition of D&D?

A:  Yes and no.  When the D&D game was split into "Basic" and "Advanced",
   the "Basic" version of the rules went through five editions in the
   time that the "Advanced" version of the rules went through only two.
   The word "Basic" was dropped from the name of that version of the game
   around the time that 2nd ed. AD&D was released--so there really was
   a fifth edition of a game called just "D&D".  However, TSR stopped
   producing Basic D&D soon after that, and the current game is the third
   edition of the "Advanced" version of the rules, just without the word
   "Advanced."

E7:  When the current version of D&D is revised, are all of my old
    sourcebooks obsolete?

A:  As is often the case, the answer is both yes and no.  Whenever a game
   as extensive as D&D is officially revised and republished, no revision
   can immediately replace absolutely everything that had been in print,
   so certain "key" products generally remain in print and are considered
   generally compatible with the new system until a new product can be
   published that covers that segment of the game--which can take a few
   years in some cases, if not longer.
     What this really means is that you will not be able to purchase much
   material published before the revision as "in print" material; it does
   not mean that that material is useless. All rules-light
   "setting" material (such as descriptions of people, places, and things)
   and "story" material (such as the plots, locations, and characters of
   adventures) is still usable, but you will need to convert any
   accompanying rules to the new edition.  Any books that were
   "rules-heavy," are generally quickly superceded by new material, but
   there may still be helpful sections in the older products--even
   material that cannot be used directly as is due to rule changes can
   often be used to help give a player ideas for how to create a
   particular type of character and how to better role-play that sort of
   character.  Depending on how extensive the changes are, this may be
   easy to do on the fly, or it may be intensive enough to take time some
   DMs would rather spend on prepping characters and subplots.
     In addition, just because a game system or edition has been superceded
   by a new version doesn't mean that no one uses it.  There are still
   groups out there who play "Original" D&D, 1st ed., 2nd ed., Basic D&D,
   and various combinations of any or all of those.  The most important
   element is not what version of the rules you use, but rather that you
   have fun while you play.
     For online discussions, it is always assumed that you are talking
   about the latest version unless you state otherwise, so if you want to
   bring up or ask about the way something worked in a previous version,
   please label that clearly so that people who are not as familiar with
   old rules don't waste time their time and yours trying to "correct"
   you.

E8:  What was removed from Deities & Demigods?

A:  The first printing of Deities & Demigods included the mythoi of
   Cthulhu and Melnibone. The ideas behind the Cthulhu mythos were in the
   public domain at that time, but copyright on the Cthulhu books in print
   was owned by Arkham House, who had licensed Chaosium to create a Cthulhu
   RPG based on those books.  TSR thought the public domain status allowed
   them to create game representations of whatever Cthulhu creatures they
   desired, and so that mythos was added to Deities & Demigods.  TSR then
   contacted Michael Moorcock, who gave permission for TSR to include the
   Melnibonean mythos in Deities & Demigods.  However, again, Chaosium had
   already arranged for a license to create an Elric RPG.  Chaosium became
   upset that TSR was apparently violating Chaosium's licenses, and the
   print run of Deities & Demigods was halted while the two companies sat
   down to talk.  Eventually, they agreed that TSR could continue printing
   the books with the two mythoi as is, on the condition that a note be
   added to the preface:  "Special thanks are given to Chaosium, Inc. for
   permission to use the material found in the Cthulhu Mythos and the
   Melnibonean Mythos."  The printing plates were changed, and the first
   printing continued.
     When the time for a second printing came, the Blume brothers decided
   that a TSR book should not contain such a prominent reference to one
   of their competitors.  They decided to remove the two mythoi, and thus
   the need for the note.  (Apparently, Gary Gygax offered to write up
   two new mythoi to fill the space, but the Blumes decided they could make
   more money charging the same price for a book with fewer pages.) They
   removed the two mythoi, but forgot to remove the note on the next
   print run of the book, though the note was removed for the following
   print run.  Later, the book--still without the two mythoi and the
   note--was republished under the name "Legends & Lore."
     When Legends & Lore was updated to 2nd ed. AD&D, several more
   mythoi were removed, namely the Babylonian, Finnish, Nonhuman, and
   Sumerian mythoi; the Central American mythos was renamed the Aztec
   mythos.  Contrary to rumor, the Newhon mythos was never removed, and,
   in fact, was included in the 2nd ed. L&L, probably due to the fact
   that it is TSR who owns the license to produce Lankhmar materials.
   The deities of the nonhumans were reintroduced in Monster Mythology.

E9:  Was Legends & Lore really originally a 1st ed. book?

A:  As a matter of fact, yes.  As stated in the above question, Legends &
   Lore was a reprinting of Deities & Demigods, and was later recast into
   a 2nd ed. book.
     Here is the publishing history of *D&D general mythological
   supplements. First, there was D&D.  A supplement called Gods,
   Demigods, & Heroes came out.  Then, there was AD&D.  A book called
   Deities & Demigods came out; it included the Cthulhu and Melnibonean
   mythoi, among others. TSR decided to remove those two mythoi, as
   described in the above question, but kept the Deities & Demigods name
   and otherwise keep the book the same.  Later, TSR decided to repackage
   the book by giving it a new cover and an orange spine like the other
   new printings of the AD&D hardcovers, and renamed it Legends & Lore.
   Inside, it was identical to the later version of Deities & Demigods.
   Then there was 2nd ed. AD&D.  This new version of the game needed
   its own book of mythoi, so TSR updated and rewrote the info in
   Legends & Lore, removed a few mythoi, renamed another, and released
   it to the public.  For 3rd ed., there was a general return to "classic"
   names, so the world once again saw a book titled "Deities & Demigods."
   It was rewritten from scratch, however, and the only resemblance to
   the original book was the title.

E10:  What happened to my favorite campaign world?

A:  One of a couple of things. Despite their popularity in some groups,
   sales of products for some worlds--for example, Mystara, Spelljammer,
   and Dark Sun--end up dipping very low. People use the worlds, but
   simply not enough of those people buy new products for those worlds to
   warrant the company putting time and money into R&D for those worlds.
   Therefore, active promotion for those worlds is dropped, and on is
   sent on developing existing worlds that still sell well, or for new
   worlds that may spark interest.
     Another possibility is the fact that some campaign worlds are
   designed to be limited in scope--they are active for a certain number
   of years, after which point are longer actively supported. Al-Qadim was
   one of these; it was conceived to be a two-year project, but due to its
   popularity, TSR opted to extend the project an extra year.
     With the coming of 3rd ed. D&D, WotC initially cut back all active
   game worlds to only two: Greyhawk, which is the setting used for any
   "generic world" adventures for which only the PH & DMG are needed, and
   Forgotten Realms, which is the setting used for any adventures that go
   beyond the PH & DMG into new and/or optional rules and similar
   situations. After a few years of that situation, and after the d20
   project got off the ground, Ravenloft and Dragonlance were licensed to
   other companies for development as new d20 worlds.  Also around that
   time, Kenzer & Co. licensed the entire 1st ed. AD&D game system to be
   revised and released as their "Hackmaster" game.
     At this point, the only new "official" material for any other worlds
   appears in Dragon magazine, Dungeon magazine, and WotC's web page. WotC
   may re-examine the potential of these campaign worlds after a few years
   on the shelf.  At some point, they may decide to bring some or all of
   the defunct worlds in some form--perhaps as an annual adventure
   collection, perhaps as full-blown product lines, perhaps as something
   in between.

E11:  Where did all the devils, demons, daemons, and the rest go?

A:  According to some sects, they have been banished to the last of the
   infinite layers of the Abyss by an indescribable force known only as
   Pae-Sae. Thus was removed one of the Six Signs of Evil in the world.
     However, according to MC8 (the Outer Planes Monstrous Compenium
   Appendix), as well as material for the Planescape campaign setting,
   they never left.  What happened was that sages discovered that the
   names commonly used for them are not necessarily the names by which
   these creatures refer to themselves.  Thus, the creatures you know as
   devils call themselves Baatezu; demons call themselves Tanar'ri; and
   daemons call themselves Yugoloths.  Several of the Outer Planes
   themselves also have had their "local" names discovered; these planes'
   names have trickled down into common usage by residents of the Prime
   Material almost as quickly as the names of the planes' residents have.
   A real-world example of this situation would be the Germans, who call
   themselves "Deutsch", but were generally called "Alemanni" by the
   Romans, and are called "German" by English-speakers, "Allemands" by
   the French, and "Tedeschi" by the Italians.  Just as with the Germans,
   the "popular" names of these creatures and locales are not really
   incorrect, merely a different term for the same creature or locale
   (and no term is as commonly used for denizens of the Lower Planes as
   the ever-popular "Oh %$#@!!"); the "popular" names are still in wide
   circulation on the worlds of the Prime Material plane, and generally
   indicate a personal preference rather than any ignorance.  TSR started
   used both sets of names towards the end of 2nd edition's run, and some
   of each set of names are used in 3rd ed., so it really does come down
   to a question of personal preference over "correctness".

E12:  Who is this Cthulhu guy, anyway?

A:  Once and for all, Cthulhu is a fictional character.  Anyone who tells
   you differently is pulling your leg.  The Cthulhu mythos (including the
   infamous Necronomicon and Miskatonic University) was the creation of
   H.P. Lovecraft, originating in a group of science fiction/horror
   stories he wrote in the early twentieth century.  Several of his
   friends, including August Derleth, decided to also write stories about
   the octopoid being whose visage drives men insane, and these tales,
   along with Lovecraft's own, form the basis of the "Cthulhu Mythos."
   Cthulhu himself is portrayed as a being from the stars who sleeps in
   his temple on an Atlantis-like sunken island and thinks of humans much
   the same way humans think of ants or rats.  Cthulhu stories are still
   being written today by friends and fans of Lovecraft.  For more
   information, see alt.horror.cthulhu.

E13:  What are the major changes in AD&D, 2nd ed. from 1st ed.?

A:  When the time came to write the 2nd edition of AD&D, TSR took the
   opportunity to take some of the changes made in later 1st ed.
   supplements and some of what seemed to be the more popular
   house rules, and merged them together with the rules presented
   in the Players Handbook and Dungeon Masters Guide.  Some of the
   changes were important alterations, some were made into "optional"
   rules, and others were merely cosmetic additions.  What follows is
   a list of the major changes, compiled by Lawrence "DMGorgon" Mead
   <[email protected]> and Ian Malcomson <[email protected]>.

   Note: Because some of the changes actually occurred with later 1st ed.
   books such as Unearthed Arcana and the Dungeoneers Survival Guide,
   or in the pages of Dragon Magazine, players who adopted the rules
   presented in those books saw fewer changes to the core rules when
   2nd ed. came out.  When a change was made with UA or DSG, that is
   noted below.  Also, some of the affected rules were often ignored by
   1st ed. players, and/or are often ignored by 2nd ed. players, so the
   changes listed below may not be "major" for all players.

   CHARACTERS

   * Monk, and assassin were removed as as standard character classes;
     the four basic classes have been split into the warrior, wizard,
     priest, and rogue groups--into which all classes fall--and the
     fighter, mage, cleric, and thief classes, which are now equals of
     the ranger, druid, bard, and other classes.
   * Druids can now progress up to 20th level, with a new progression
     table. (UA)
   * Thief abilities now have a degree of player choice in their
     improvement.
   * Rangers were reworked; they now get d10 for hit dice, no mage
     spells, etc.
   * Wizards may now have specialties (e.g. illusionist, necromancer,
     etc.) with enhanced spell capabilities within each specialty; the
     mage class is but one member of the wizard group, as is each of
     the specialist wizards.
   * Mages' hit dice extend only to 10d4 instead of 11d4.
   * Druid spells are now mixed in with clerical spells to form a
     single "priest spell" list.
   * Illusionist spells are now mixed in with mage spells to form a
     single "wizard spell" list.
   * Non-weapon proficiencies added to core rules as an "option" in
     name only. (DSG)
   * Half-orcs are no longer a standard race.
   * Some stats' tables (e.g. dexterity bonuses) have been changed.
   * Clerics now have "spheres" of influence into which all clerical
     spells have been divided, instead of automatically having access
     to every spell on the list.  Clerics have access to one set of
     spheres, druids to another, overlapping, set.
   * "Specialty priests" are new priest classes which may have their
     own unique sets of spheres of influence and may have different
     granted powers; some may have even different hit dice and
     combat abilities, as well.
   * Bards have been totally reworked and are now in the "rogue"
     group, alongside thieves.
   * Experience points given per gp of treasure acquired is now optional.
   * Optional experience bonuses may be given for "in class" actions
     (e.g. spell casting), and for role-play. The majority of experience
     is given for scenario completion.
   * Saving throws no longer always fail on a roll of "1".

   COMBAT

   * "Segments" no longer exist.  That is, casting times are given, but
     in arbitrary short periods which are not directly a measure of
     time, but rather are modifiers to the initiative roll; see below
     for how this affects spellcasting.
   * A d10 is rolled for initiative instead of d6, with optional
     modifiers (casting time, weapon speed factors, etc.).
   * The THAC0 system is now standard; combat charts with six 20's no
     longer exist.  A natural 20 always hits, a natural 1 always misses.
   * Unarmored combat has been greatly simplified. (UA)
   * Weapon size and length effects have been deleted from standard
     rules.
   * (Optional) Weapon specialization possible for the cost of a
     certain number of weapon proficiency points. (e.g., a 1st level
     fighter could specialize in long sword giving him 3 attacks per
     2 rounds at +1 to hit/+2 to damage. (originally introduced in UA,
     changed futher yet in the 2nd ed. version)

   SPELLS

   * Damaging spells (e.g. fireball, lightning bolt, etc) are limited
     to a maximum number of dice of damage (10, for fireball and
     lightning bolt).
   * Almost all spells common to both versions have had minor details
     changed or added (e.g. identify has different % chances to determine
     powers), sometimes even the level of the spell has changed (e.g.
     any spell that existed at different levels for different classes).
   * Illusions now do temporary damage instead of real damage if
     believed; they can kill by system shock or cause victims to faint
     under certain circumstances.
   * Some spells which cause aging in the caster now age by different
     amounts (e.g. wish has changed from 3 years to 5 years); a system
     shock roll is required for all magical aging, whether it is part of
     the casting or a result of the spell. (e.g. If you are hasted, age
     one year and roll a system shock to see if death ensues.)
   * Mages must now be 9th level rather than 7th level before they can
     scribe scrolls.
   * Number of mage spells omitted in 2nd ed.: 12
   * Number of mage spells added in 2nd ed.: 89 (many from UA)
   * Number of clerical spells omitted in 2nd ed.: 11
   * Number of clerical spells added in 2nd ed.: 43 (many from UA)
   * Casting times of less than a round are now optional initiative
     modifiers and not the actual time a spell takes to cast (though they
     retain that name); spells with casting times of a round or more go
     into effect at the end of the last round/turn/etc. of casting time.

   MONSTERS

   * Many monsters have had some details changed, if only the number of
     experience points awarded for their defeat; xp awarded is higher
     in 2nd ed. than in 1st ed.  Some changes include a strengthening of
     the creatures' combat ability (e.g. the "Balor" now has a vorpal
     sword).  The changes are often minimal in nature and the reader will
     recognize an orc as an orc.  Only giants, dragons and outer-planar
     creatures have had major reworkings (see below).
   * Some monsters from 1st ed. were removed from the core collections
     of monsters (either the Monstrous Compendium vol. 1-2, or the
     Monstrous Manual).  Others were added from books and scenarios other
     than the core monster manuals (MM and MMII).  Outer planar creatures
     (demon princes, etc.) were originally solely detailed in
     supplementary 2nd ed. texts; some have been added to the core
     Monstrous Manual.
   * Dragons have been completely reworked; in general, being more
     powerful than their 1st ed. counterparts.  They are rolled up
     differently, have magic resistance, cannot be subdued, etc.

   MISCELLANEOUS

   * Many small changes: open doors rolls, surprise rolls, monetary
     exchange values and coin weights, addition of a death by massive
     damage rule, removal of artifact descriptions from the DMG, etc.
     Too many and generally too minor to list here.

E14:  What are the major changes in D&D, 3rd ed. from AD&D, 2nd ed.?

A:  While most of the changes between 1st edition and 2nd edition AD&D
   were minor enough that both could easily be seen as two versions of
   the same game, the designers of 3rd edition D&D started from scratch
   and overhauled everything.  What follows is a very incomplete list,
   as there are far too many changes to list here.

   CHARACTERS
   * The class "groups" are gone.  Therefore, rangers and paladins are
     no longer types of fighters, druids are no longer a type of cleric,
     and bards are no longer a type of rogue.
   * All characters now have a "character level" in addition to their
     class level(s); standard characters have a maximum character level
     of 20 (though optional rules allow for this mark to be surpassed).
   * Monk and barbarian are back as standard character classes, with
     completely reworked rules and descriptions.
   * The sorcerer is a new spell-casting class that does not need to
     memorize spells in advance.
   * "Thief" is now "rogue."
   * Half-orcs are again a standard race.  They can never (or almost never)
     pass for human, even an ugly human.
   * Halflings are short and skinny, and do not have hairy feet.
   * Gnomes are slightly taller than halflings and are also skinny.
   * 25 is no longer the maximum for stats.  The modifiers due to
     stat tables have been combined into a single table.
   * The non-weapon proficiencies list has been split into "skills" (such
     as rope use, diguise, or spellcraft) and "feats" (such as
     blind-fighting, ambidexterity, and two-weapon fighting style).  Both
     lists have been extensively revised; many items have been merged or
     removed, and many new items have been added.
   * Weapon proficiencies are now feats.  Fighters, Rangers, and Paladins
     automatically have the necessary feats to use any "simple" or
     "martial" weapon (such as clubs, polearms, swords, or bows) they
     come across without penalty; they still must take feats for
     individual "exotic" weapons (such as shuriken, dwarven waraxe, or
     bastard sword)
   * The six thief skills are now skills that any character can learn at
     any level.
   * Dual-classing has been removed from the system; any character can
     multi-class.
   * Multi-class characters add all their bonuses, abilities, and hit
     points instead of averaging them or using the best.
   * All clerics use the same spell list.  Each cleric also selects two
     of the deity's "domains" (generally similar to 2nd edition's spheres),
     and gains access to another spell per spell level from each domain.
     Unless it is also included in the cleric's normal spell list, only
     one domain spell can be prepared each day.
   * Specialist wizards choose which school(s) they will not be able to
     access, from a list unique to each school.
   * All characters use the same experience point table, as it works off
     of character level, not class level.  (Thus, a 5th/2nd level
     fighter/mage who wants to gain a mage level must get enough xp to go
     from 7th to 8th level in order to gain that level.)

   COMBAT
   * Rounds of combat last six seconds.
   * Initiative is rolled only at the beginning of a combat; the initial
     order of action is generally kept throughout the rest of the combat.
     After the first round, there is no more "first" or "last", only "next"
     in a repeated cycle of actions.  There are ways to change where a
     character is in that order, however.
   * There are only three saving throws for characters: Reflex (getting
     out of the way), Fortitude (withstanding massive physical damage),
     and Will (fighting off mental attacks).
   * The rogue's "backstab" is now a "sneak attack," and can come from any
     direction.  Instead of a damage multiplier, it does an extra 1d6
     damage at 1st level, 2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, etc.
   * Critical hits in the form of damage multipliers are now part of the
     standard rules.  A roll of natural 20 is not always required for a
     hit to be critical.
   * Except for damage, almost everything is based on the roll of a d20.
     High is always good, low is always bad.  In most cases, a natural 20
     will always succeed and a natural 1 will always fail.
   * THAC0 is gone; AC now starts at 10 and goes up.  If the rolled number
     plus modifiers is equal or higher than the target's AC, it is a hit.
   * Polearms have "reach" and are generally only useful if an opponent is
     ten feet away.
   * Which direction a character is facing does not matter in combat.
     Instead of bonuses to hit for attacking from the side or rear,
     whenever two characters are on exactly opposite sides of the opponent
     they are fighting, they get a bonus to hit.  If the opponents are
     thieves, they can "sneak attack" every round that they remain on
     exactly opposite sides of the opponent.
   * Unarmed combat has been overhauled and streamlined.
   * Characters are unconscious and dying if their hit points fall below
     0, and die when their hit points reach -10.
   * Each character in combat "threatens" an area for 5 feet in all
     directions.  If an opponent attempts certain actions within this area,
     the attacker gets an extra attack on that character.
   * Use of miniatures of some sort (even just dice on a grid) is
     *strongly* recommended, due to the many instances where relative
     position of combatants and distance between combatants is vital to
     running a combat.

   SPELLS
   * All spells are now in a single alphabetical list, with a line in each
     describing which classes can access it and what spell level it is for
     each class.
   * All spells have been extensively overhauled, with many added, dropped,
     renamed, altered beyond recognition, etc.
   * Magic resistance is now called "spell resistance."
   * Fireball no longer fills an area of 33 10x10x10 cubes; rather, the
     blast extends 20 feet in all directions, including around corners.
     Thus, a mage standing more than 20 feet from the blast point will
     always be outside the area of effect, no matter what the layout of
     the area is.
   * Stoneskin now lets characters ignore the first 10 points of damage
     from every successful attack.  If an attack deals more than 10 points
     of damage, the difference still gets through; if an attacker has a +5
     weapon or greater, all of the damage gets through.  The spell lasts
     until it has prevented 10 points of damage per caster level, up to
     a maximum of 150.
   * The cleric spell list has been rearranged to be on a 9-level scale
     instead of a 7-level scale.
   * All spell writeups now include a comment about how spell resistance
     applies to the effects of the spell.
   * Spells generally have casting times of 1 action, 1 round, 1 minute,
     1 hour, etc.  Mages who cast a 1 action spell can also move up to
     their full movement for the round.  Mages who cast a 1 round spell
     can move up to 5 feet that round.

   MONSTERS
   * Monsters do not all get d8 for hit dice; some may get d4, others
     may get d12.  Bonuses to the final hit point total can now far
     exceed +3.  All monster listings include the average number of hit
     points, so that "standard" examples of that creature can be easily
     created without rolling dice.
   * There is now a save against undead energy drain to see whether it is
     temporary or permanent.  Energy drain gives a character "negative
     levels," which apply a cumulative -1 to all rolls and will kill
     a character if they are equal or greater than the character's
     Character Level.
   * Monster xp now varies depending on how much of a challenge the
     encounter is to the PCs.
   * Special abilities are listed as Extraordinary, Spell-like, or
     Supernatural, to better judge how they interact with other abilities
     (such as spell resistance) and whether or not they can be disrupted
     in combat.
   * Monsters now have STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA, as well as
     saving throw bonuses, just like PCs.
   * Monsters can gain levels in "character" classes, and their monster
     hit dice count as levels of "Monster."
   * Dragons have been made significantly more dangerous and deadly than
     before.

   MISCELLANEOUS
   * All PCs, NPCs, deities, and locations mentioned in the PH and DMG
     are taken from the world of Greyhawk.
   * Far, far too many details to list here.

E15:  What is the Gazebo story?  And what's the Head of Vecna?

A:  Both of these are gaming stories that have been told and retold so
   many times that they have taken on the air of urban legends--where
   the original DM is a "friend of my sister-in-law's uncle's second
   cousin" and if you track that path down, it turns out to be just
   that, a story.  However, in both of these cases, the original
   tellers are known, and the original versions are archived on the web--
   and both really happened!
     "The Tale of Eric and the Dread Gazebo," by Richard Aronson, is
   about a player who didn't know that a gazebo is a hutlike building
   typically found in parks, and had his character attack one.  The story
   was originally written in 1986, and various versions of it can be
   found all over the web.  One such place is the rec.humor.funny webpage,
   at <http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/98/Jul/gazebo.html>; another,
   with some background by the author into how the story spread, can be
   found at <http://www.qrivy.net/~ender/Stories/dreadgazebo.html>.
     Whereas the tale of Eric and the Gazebo is about how lack of
   knowledge can be a dangerous thing, "The Head of Vecna," by Mark
   Steuer, is more of a morality tale about how greed can make you
   stupid.  Most *D&D players have heard about the Hand and Eye of Vecna,
   powerful artifacts which require the owner to cut off his own hand or
   eye in order to gain the powers.  In this case, the characters found
   what they thought was the Head of Vecna, and ended up with several
   headless--and thus very dead--characters.  The full story can be
   found on the web at
   <http://www.qrivy.net/~ender/Stories/head_of_vecna.html>.

E16:  Isn't there a humorous "Dungeons & Dragons" skit out there?

A:  Yes, there is.  Written and performed by the Dead Ale Wives, the
   skit is a popular request of the Dr. Demento radio show.  An audio
   file of the skit is available on the Dead Ale Wives' homepage,
   at <http://www.deadalewives.com/>.  The skit is also available
   on cassette or CD on the "Dr. Demento's 30th Anniversary" album.
     There is also a "movie" of sorts of this skit, called "Summoner
   Geeks."  A group named Volition took the audio file and added video
   with some of their computer game characters playing the various roles
   in the skit.  The video can be found on Volition's web page, at
   <http://summoner.volitionwatch.com/downloads.shtml>.
     The Dead Ale Wives also did a sequel of sorts, in which the
   non-gamer girlfriend of one of the players sits in on a game session.


Religion
F1:  Is *D&D really the tool of the Devil?

A:  No.  See GAMA's response to this, a seminar on which is summarized
   below.  Another place for information on this subject is the Internet
   posters' response to role-playing & Satanism in the rec.games.frp.*
   FAQ.

   This is a slightly edited version of a very informative post by
   Steffan O'Sullivan ([email protected]):

   A report on Mike Stackpole's "Satanism & Gaming" seminar at Northeast
   Wars, Burlington, VT, March 20, 1993.

   Mike Stackpole is the chair of GAMA's "Industry Watch" committee.
   (GAMA, for those who don't know, is the GAme Manufacturer's
   Association, which exists to promote the hobby.)  Mike is also the
   author of many gaming books from many companies, including
   Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes and Battletech novels.

   As such (and, in fact, long before he was head of the Industry Watch
   Committee), Mike has been very interested in anti-gaming attitudes
   that exist in the media and what we, as gamers, can do about it.

   Much of his talk was background: he told of Pat Pulling and the
   formation of BADD (Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons), Dr. Radecke,
   Cruel Doubt, etc., etc.  He then went on to describe how's fought
   this anti-gaming media blitz: research.  Yes, the answer is largely
   plain, simple, non-glamorous research.

   Mike has researched every single case of so-called "gaming-related"
   suicides and murder.  To this day he still carries on correspondence
   with two murderers in prison, whose cases BADD touted as having been
   gaming-influenced.  He has written statements from both men that
   gaming had nothing to do with it: they were sick individuals long
   before they heard of roleplaying.  Likewise, he has testimony
   concerning every single case the enemies of FRPs have ever touted -
   that he knows about, that is.  He admits there are cases he knows
   nothing of - more on that in a bit.

   [snip a section about radio shows]

   Mike feels the battle is going well.  GAMA has only taken an active
   role in combatting anti-gaming attitudes since 1989, but great
   strides have been made.  Pat Pulling has been discredited, as have
   some of the other big names who were lambasting gaming.  The media is
   still attracted to the flash of fantasy gaming and a link to crime,
   but law enforcement has become aware that such links are illusory.
   Mike says that GAMA has spoken to many gatherings of law enforcement
   people and come across as responsible businessmen who really don't
   want their customer base committing suicide, since it would hurt
   sales.  (It's amazing how putting it that way can convince those in
   power!  They understand such arguments.)  GAMA has also told law
   enforcement that they don't want gaming being used as an insanity
   plea, and will give them facts to combat this defense in any case.
   This is how you win over your opponents: by joining them in ways they
   can understand.

   The talk ended with a "what can you do?"  His suggestions,
   summarized, are as follows:

   1) Don't try to "freak the mundanes."  If someone says they've heard
      these games are evil, and can they come watch one, don't put on
      devil's horns and have fog flowing out of a bowl on a candle-lit
      table.  Just be yourselves and have a good game.  If you ever do
      have a chance to call in to a radio or even TV station that is
      discussing a case of gaming & crime, please be polite and
      intelligent.  In other words, be a responsible gamer.

   2) Tell your local game store to download and print out some pamphlets
      GAMA has produced as educational tools.  Most game store owners
      would be glad to have something they can show worried parents.
      More information on how to get these pamphlets is included below.

   3) If you hear of any cases where people are claiming gaming is
      related to a murder, suicide or other crime, let GAMA know right
      away so they can investigate it.  Use the address below.

   4) If you hear of an out-of-town "big name gaming expert" coming to
      condemn RPGs, contact GAMA as soon as possible!  Mike says there is
      a small discretionary fund that will let him fly in to debate such
      people and discredit them.  It's easy for him to discredit such
      folk because he's been researching these cases since 1985, and has
      all the facts on his portable computer.  It would be harder for
      you, and you might end up losing a debate, which would not be good.

   GAMA contact information:

     The Game Manufacturers Association
     80 Garden Center, Suite 16
     Broomfield, CO 80020 USA

     Phone: (303) 469-3277
     Fax: (303) 469-2878

     http://www.gama.org/
     [email protected]

   GAMA's main informational pamphlet is called "Questions & Answers About
   Role-Playing Games."  It is available for free on GAMA's web page at
   <http://www.gama.org/pdfs/Roleplay.pdf>, along with a second pamphlet
   titled "How to Deal with Parents" and written specifically for store
   owners, available for free at <http://www.gama.org/pdfs/Parents.pdf>.
   GAMA has also produced several brochures & pamphlets about using games
   to teach various subjects, which are available (along with the above
   two) at <http://www.gama.org/gamesed/index.cfm?action=home&nodeID=5>.

F2:  Yeah, but is *D&D really the tool of the Devil?

A:  Not for many people, no.  The rest of this answer assumes the reader
   is Christian, so if that doesn't apply, the reader may wish to skip
   ahead to the next question.
     When one reads a fantasy novel, for example, C.S. Lewis' series
   _The Chronicles of Narnia_, one will probably come across many things
   which, in the real world, could be considered evil--or at the very
   least, non-Christian.  Magic use, satyrs, dragons, talking animals,
   man-beasts, battle, killing, and miracles are all examples of such
   things which many Christians would look at askance if they showed
   up in the real world.  However, the book is not the real world.  Most
   people can sufficiently differentiate between the real world and a
   fantasy world to tell that Susan's *Horn of Summoning* isn't something
   one is going to stumble across when cleaning out your Uncle Pete's
   attic, and isn't something worth trying to construct.
     Fantasy role-playing is essentially a form of interactive fiction.
   The players and game master work together to tell a story, but do so
   from the characters' perspectives rather than from an omniscient
   third-person perspective.
     For those people who are strong in their faith, and can tell the
   difference between fiction and reality, there isn't a problem.  During
   the game, they realize that none of it is any more real than the
   Tooth Fairy.  When the game ends, they go on with their lives.  If
   they choose, they can even use the game and the fictional characters
   therein to try to explore different elements of their faith, such as
   how to react to extreme bigotry and prejudice, what the best approach
   is to certain situations like warfare in a violent world, what can
   happen if one takes a single element of a religion too far, or even
   what can happen if one strays too far from one's faith.  In this way,
   the game can be used as an aid to faith, helping to quantify it and
   build it up.  The game can also be use to simulate The Good Fight,
   allowing one to pretend to directly defeat evil and restore hope in
   the players that it is also possible to defeat the more insidious and
   harder to nail down evils of the real world.  Or it can be just a
   game, used as a way to get together with some good friends for an
   evening of fun and relaxation.
     However, for those people who are not strong in their faith, or
   who have problems differentiating between fiction and reality to the
   point where they start trying to live in the fantasy world, there
   very well could be a problem.  For such people, shaking their faith
   or feeding their fantasies can be dangerous things.  They could fall
   away from the church, decide they like a fantasy religion better, or
   completely retreat into their fantasy world.  One should be very
   careful of these things when gaming with such people--I'm sure most
   gamers have met a couple people at one time or another for whom the
   game is a bit too real, or for whom game elements start to spill over
   into their real life, or for whom the game becomes the chief driving
   element in their lives; these are the kinds of people we're talking
   about here.
     In other words, the game itself is not inherently evil, not really
   a tool of the Devil--though, like anything and everything in this
   world, the Devil can use it as a tool to get into our hearts, just
   like books, movies, stray thoughts, money, possessions, and so forth.
   If one feels the game is interfering with one's faith, then one should
   stop playing the game.  This is an individual choice, just as with
   anything else that starts to interfere with one's faith--significant
   other, pursuit of money, car, tv set, anything.  This does not mean
   one should start a crusade against it, since it may not interfere with
   others' faith, only that one should work to keep it out of one's own
   life.  However, for those who have a firm foundation in their faith
   and can tell where the fictional world ends and the real one begins,
   there isn't any more of a problem than with reading C.S. Lewis'
   Narnia books--which, by the way, use a fantasy world to tell the
   story of Christianity and show examples of many of its tenets.

F3:  Is Al-Qadim actually one of the holy names of Allah?

A:  No.  Well, not really.  Al-Qadim is an adjective meaning "the ancient"
   or "the old".  In that context, it might be occasionally used by
   Muslims to refer to Allah, but it is normally used as a regular
   adjective in everyday speech.  A Christian equivalent would be claiming
   "eternal" is a holy name reserved for God; I don't think many people
   actually believe the word "eternal" is reserved solely for use of
   referencing God, and Al-Qadim is not reserved solely for use of
   referencing Allah.
     For what it's worth, Jeff Grubb and the creative team behind the
   Al-Qadim setting did their homework, checking English-Arabic
   dictionaries and asking professional linguists and Arabic speakers how
   the term was currently used in the Islamic world in order that they
   could avoid offending anyone.  "Al-Qadim" is what they came up with.
     More recently, Mr. Grubb asked about this matter on the newsgroup
   soc.culture.arabian; the responses he got confirmed the above, and
   one also added that it depends on part on the pronunciation: the
   pronunciation TSR used (short A sound, stress on the second syllable)
   means "the ancient", while a pronunciation with a long A sound and a
   stress on the first syllable means "the approaching" or "the next
   one".  No mention of this term being used as a official alternative
   for "Allah" was given in any of the responses, and several mentioned
   that it is an everyday adjective.

***End Part 4***


--
Aardy R. DeVarque
Feudalism: Serf & Turf
Rec.games.frp.dnd FAQ: http://users.rcn.com/aardy/faq/rgfdfaq.html

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