Volume 1 Issue 3 The Strategic Review - Fall 1975

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Volume 1 Issue 3 The Strategic Review


More info to follow over the next few days.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

This issue was labeled as Fall 1975.

The opening editorial was by Gagax and apparently he an another designer had been engaging in some tit for tat and this just continued that.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Mext up is the Publisher's Statement followed by TSR News.

The news highlight is

By the time you are reading this Professor M. A. R. Barker’s incomparable fantasy campaign game EMPIRE OF THE PETAL THRONE will be nearing completion.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

This month the Creature Features as promised inlcudes multiple monsters. They are:

The Yeti(Abominable Snowman)
The Shambling Mound (or the Shambler) - one of my favorites
The Leprechaun
The Shrieker - another favorite of mine
The Ghost - undead but not true undead
Naga - three types - another favorite monster of mine
- Guardian Naga
- Water Naga
- Spirit Naga
The Wind Walker
The Piercer
The Lurker ABove - another great monster

[The Perilous Dreamer]

THE STRATEGISTS CLUB

Poll results (partial) (Rated 9 best and 0 worst)

Fantasy mean score 8.5!
Ancients mean score 6.5!
ACW mean score 5.5!
WW I mean score 3.5!
Yep, respondents wanted fantasy, I really have always doubted that there was a need for a poll to find that out.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

New poll

Rate from 9-0 (best - worst) your opinions of the following specific fantasy game rules:

1. J.R.R. Tolkien
2. R.E. Howard’s “Conan”
3. Fritz Lieber’s “Lankhmar”
4. John Norman’s “Gor”
5. Lin Carter’s “Jandar of Callisto”
6. Jack Vance’s “Dying Earth/Eyes of Overworld”
7. List any similar fantasy world you wish and rate it.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Monster Reference Table Addition, Hostile & Benign Creatures

Drolls
Buydras
Hobnoblins
Weregamers
Umpyrs
Grifferees
Hippygriffs
Green Granules

This is humor and I will only note that I really like the name Hobnoblins and will probably use it sometime.

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Then we have a battle report:
THE BATTLE OF THE EBRO RIVER
IN 5mm NAPOLEONICS
by Bob & Paul Zahray

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Wargamig World

Which is a myriad of little news tidbits.

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Gallery of Gunfighters
Part 1 - The Art of Gunfighting

They start by stating:

Note: The normal format of this column will be to present a short profile of a famous gunfighter along with ratings of his ability. These ratings will be compatible with TSR’s BOOT HILL rules for Man-to-man actions in the Wild West. However, since this is the first in the series, it is appropriate to first discuss the “Art” of Gunfighting.

Quite a bit of historical information about guns and holsters is presented.

One tidbit:

Wyatt Earp held gun fanners in contempt, and other old-timers, including some Texas Rangers, stated that they had never seen fanning used in a fight but only as a stunt.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

FROM THE RIVENSTAR SONGBOOK
THE UNICORN SONG
by Moonwulf of Rivenstar

Sadly no suggested tune was provided.

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MAPPING THE DUNGEONS

D&D NEWS AND A LISTING OF SOME GAMEMASTERS

in part:

Dave (The Fiend) Arneson relates the following: “We had an interesting game this weekend in preparation for the great SUPER-NAZI confrontation. A band of heroes went through the ol’ teleporter, and after mucking around awhile (robbery, kidnapping, murder, rape, etc.) the locals sent the police and army after them. (The Germans thought it was guerrilla activity.) The army finally found the farm they were using as a camp and moved in to search it. While thus busily employed the heroes returned from a foray and ambushed them. It was The Great Svenny, Marty the Elf, Richard the Hairy, and 5 berserkers against 26 soldiers with 2 cars, 2 trucks, 4 light mg’s, 2 motars (60 mm), and the usual bevy of small arms. Marty the Elf and 2 berserkers were killed, while the tropps lost 7 KIA and 1 wounded before fleeing — good thing too, for shortly thereafter the remainder of the heroes’ force arrived, 3 magical types and another 12 berserkers! The Nazis will certainly be back in strength, and this will result in a big battle . . .

”

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They continue saying:

The LGTSA fought a somewhat similar action in May, and the German patrol managed to save about one-third of its force. However, a panzerfaust certainly takes a troll out in a hurry, and had the Krauts been alert they might have done pretty well. The surviving veterans of such a fantastic confrontation would prove to be stout competition for dungeon adventurers and friends. Such mixing of historical periods with D&D makes for some interesting game situations. If readers are sufficiently interested we will eventually put out some detailed information as to how we manage to blend such widely varying periods — but not too soon, for we are still working bugs out of the systems.

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But perhaps the most interesting thing was this:

John Bobek and Bill Hoyt have used D&D as a teaching aid in grade school classes. Bill has a great little book of accounts of adventures and illustrations of monsters prepared by his 6th graders. Wish I’d have had such luck as a child . . .

Me too, for sure! But can you imagine when the game was a year and a half old it was already being used in a school.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Next up is an awesome article entitled:

Deserted Cities of Mars by Jim Ward

For anyone who has read more than one of the famous John Carter of Mars series, just the mention of the title of this piece brings to mind vivid images. While Edgar Rice Burroughs never went into any great detail on this fascinating subject, there are several basic features to
 these cities that should be taken into account by the perspective wargame Barsoomian adventurer.

Charts are provided at the end as an aid in creating a Barsoomian city.

I am reminded that it is quite sad that TSR and the ERB estate could not have struck a deal by this point in time.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

The continually expanding product catalog at the end along with a teaser for the next issue.

IN THE WINTER ISSUE
A new D&D Character Class
More PANZER WARFARE Unit
Organizations
M.A.R. Barker on EMPIRE
of the PETAL THRONE
Possibly the Return of
Regular (?) Columns
And More! (Space Permitting)

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Any Questions, just ask!

[Red Virtuoso]

Feb 12, 2021 21:44:26 GMT -5 The Perilous Dreamer said:

This month the Creature Features as promised inlcudes multiple monsters. They are:

The Yeti(Abominable Snowman)
The Shambling Mound (or the Shambler) - one of my favorites
The Leprechaun
The Shrieker - another favorite of mine
The Ghost - undead but not true undead
Naga - three types - another favorite monster of mine
- Guardian Naga
- Water Naga
- Spirit Naga
The Wind Walker
The Piercer
The Lurker ABove - another great monster

PD have you ever compiled the good stuff out of the Strategic Review into one document?

[Yaleric]

I loved the new monsters in this issue, well not all of them, but these are great - Shambling Mounds, Piercers, Lurker Above and the Naga.