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D & D T O O L S
V e r s i o n 1 . 0
A Collection of Tools for the Serious
Dungeons and Dragons Player
Conceived and Created by
TONY MARTIN
The BAD SOFTWARE Company
1611 Harvest Green Court
Reston, VA 22094
December 1, 1989
Program and Documentation copyright (C) 1989 by Tony Martin
Dungeons and Dragons is a trademark of TSR
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to D&D Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
The Cost of D&D Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Files Included with D&D Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Quick Start -- for Impatient Ones . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Getting Started -- for Everyone Else . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Obtaining Help from the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Quitting the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Non-Player Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Dragons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Rolling Dice -- The Dice Simulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Character Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Telling D&D Tools About Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Selecting a Print Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Ejecting the Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Setting the Colors of D&D Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
End Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Appendix A - The Dragon Generation System (DGS) . . . . . . 26
page i
Welcome to D&D Tools
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) is probably the most successful
role-playing game ever created, with millions of dedicated
followers. Besides being easy to use, the D&D game system is
diverse, well-thought-out, and quite thorough.
Due to its diversity and thoroughness, however, some of the tasks
involved with the game can become tedious if repetition is
required. The object of the D&D Tools program is to take a little
of the drudgery out of preparing for a game, or playing it.
Admittedly, this tool is directed toward the Dungeon Master and the
large tasks involved in creating an adventure. Perhaps this will
encourage some of you players to put your imagination and
creativity in gear and make a few adventures of your own.
Toward its purpose, D&D Tools will perform several tasks for you,
all automatically, and with everything taken into account that is
required. Exceptions will be pointed out in this documentation
where they occur. D&D Tools will quickly and easily
- Generate a random magic item, with any necessary
capabilities calculated for you
- Generate Non-Player Characters (NPCs) for use in
your adventures, of any class, experience level,
alignment, or race
- Create random dragons, based on a system designed
by myself, Tony Martin (included with this soft-
ware, see Appendix A)
- Roll any sequence of dice in any number. Supports
all dice used by the D&D game system, and also any
that aren't
- Print out character record sheets, either simple
or detailed versions.
Also included are a full compliment of program control features,
such as the ability to change the colors the program uses, tell the
program how to control your printer properly, and on-line help.
All this functionality is packaged into a single, easy-to-use
menu-driven program.
One important note to mention, however. This program supports only
the first editions of the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Players
Handbook. The program may be updated at a later date to support
the second edition of these manuals (after I get the books,
whenever that occurs).
page 1
The Cost of D&D Tools
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The D&D Tools program is free. It costs nothing for you to use,
there are no licensing or registration fees or hidden costs. Use
it to your heart's content and may it improve the quality of your
gaming.
It is not, however, public domain software. This means that I
retain all rights to the program and documentation, and neither may
be modified in any way. The program is copyright 1989-90 by
myself. It is provided "as-is," with no warranties of any kind. I
cannot be held responsible for any circumstances or loss resulting
from the use or misuse of the D&D Tools program. The program may
not be sold by anyone, nor may anyone accept payment or
remuneration of any sort for the copying, distribution, or sale of
the program, unless they have express written permission from
myself.
Now that the legal tangle of red tape has been dispensed with, let
me say that it's not as bad as it may sound. You can still use the
program as much as you like or give it to whomever you choose. Nor
does the above disclaimer mean that the program will be cheap,
flimsy, or crash your hard drive. D&D Tools has been written to
high standards, and can compete with any professionally developed
system in its class.
page 2
Files Included with D&D Tools
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The D&D Tools program is comprised of several files, each of which
is listed below. A short description of each is also included.
Some of the files can be created by the D&D Tools program, and are
not essential to the running of the program. These files are
marked with an asterisk, and are explained in the short description
below.
File Name... ...Description
-------------------------------------------------------------------
D&DTOOLS.EXE This file is the actual executable program.
D&DTOOLS.DAT * This file stores printer driver information
and will be created by the program when you
select a Printer Definition File.
D&DTOOLS.CLR * Contains color setup information for color
monitors. Not needed if you have a mono
screen. If you have color, and this file
is missing, you will get a warning message.
Simply choose the color setup function and
save your colors to create a new file.
D&DTOOLS.MON * Contains color setup information for mono
monitors. Not needed if you have a color
screen. If you have mono, and this file is
missing, then choose the color setup option
from the menu and select a color set to
create a new file.
D&DTOOLS.HLP Contains help information for the D&D Tools
Help function. If missing, help will give
you a warning message stating that it can't
find the help file.
*.PRD A number of files with names of printers
and a .PRD extension. These are Printer
Definition files, and contain information
about different printers. You will only
need the one for your printer, or the one
called GENERIC.PRD if your printer is not
covered by one of the PRD files.
If any of these files are missing and you want them, you can get a
new disk from me by sending $5.00 US to the address on the cover of
this document (to cover diskette and mailing costs).
page 3
Quick Start -- For Impatient Ones
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
For those of you who want to get started immediately with D&D Tools
I have supplied this Quick Start checklist. Follow the instructions
below to get moving fast.
1. Copy all D&D Tools files to the same drive/subdirectory.
2. Change to that drive/subdirectory.
3. Type D&DTOOLS to start the program. Alternately, type
D&DTOOLS/? to find out about the command line parameters
available in the D&D Tools program.
4. Use arrow keys and the ENTER key to navigate the menus,
making the selections you require.
5. Use the HELP function if necessary.
6. To quit, hit the ESC key from any menu, or select the
Quit function from the Other menu. Hit the Y key to
confirm the Quit operation.
If you need more detailed information on any portion of the D&D
Tools program, refer to the appropriate section of manual.
page 4
Getting Started -- For Everyone Else
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The D&D Tools program was designed with simplicity of use as a
primary concern. It is fully menu driven, is very easy to use, and
is very functional. Follow the instructions below to get going
with the program in almost no time.
Step 1: Decide where you want the D&D Tools program and its
supporting files to reside. The whole thing can fit on a
standard 5.25 inch, 360KB floppy (with the exception of
this .DOC file), or you can put it on a hard disk. In
either case, copy all the D&D Tools files to the same
drive and subdirectory (if applicable).
Step 2: Change to the drive and/or subdirectory into which you
just copied the D&D Tools files.
Step 3: Start the program. This may be done in a couple of ways,
but the simplest is to type D&DTOOLS at the DOS prompt and
hit ENTER. The D&D Tools program will load, and you will
be greeted by an opening screen and credits with my name.
You can also specify one or more command line parameters
the program understands. Use a /Q after the D&DTOOLS at
the DOS prompt to make D&DTOOLS supress the keyclick noise
it uses. Use a /M to make D&D Tools run in monochrome
mode, regardless of the type of monitor installed. Use a
/MENU to make D&D Tools always display a menu, usually the
last one you used.
Step 4: Perform any of the operations within the program you
desire. To select a menu, move the highlight on the top
line of the display to the function you want to use, and
then hit ENTER or the down arrow key. A menu will appear
if you did not use the /MENU parameter above (if you did,
the menu will already be displayed - no need to hit
ENTER). Once a menu has been "pulled down," you can
either move to a new menu using the left and right arrow
keys, or select one of the options from the current menu.
To do this, you can move the highlight with the up and
down arrows or the PgUp and PgDn keys (also Home and
End), and then hit ENTER to select the highlighted
function. You could also hit the letter that is
highlighted in the name of the function you want to use.
This will give you direct and immediate access to that
function.
Step 5: Quit the program. Select the Quit option from the Other
menu, or hit ESC from any menu. Enter Y to respond
affirmatively to the "Really Quit?" question.
page 5
Obtaining Help from the Program
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can obtain some basic help from inside the program itself. To
do so, choose the Help menu and select the topic you want some
information about. When you have finished reading the help screen,
hit any key to return to the menu.
If the D&DTOOLS.HLP file is missing, you will see an error message
displayed explaining that it can't find the file. Just hit any key
to clear the message. Before the Help function can work, though,
you will need to quit the program and locate the file. Make sure
it is in the same subdirectory (if applicable) and on the same
drive as the D&DTOOLS.EXE program.
page 6
Quitting the Program
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
There are two ways to quit the D&D Tools program.
While you are at any main menu, you can hit the ESC key to quit.
Your menu will disappear, and a small window will ask you if you
really want to quit. If you do, then hit the Y key, and you will
be returned to DOS. If not, then hit any other key, and you will
be returned to the program.
Alternately, you could select the Quit option from the Other menu.
When you select this function, a small window will ask you if you
really want to quit. If you do, then hit the Y key, and you will
be returned to DOS. If not, then hit any other key, and you will
be returned to the program.
The D&D Tools program has tried to stay with standards that users
expect, such as using the ESC key to quit.
page 7
Magic Items
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Magic Items function of the D&D Tools program will generate
random magic items based on the tables found on pages 120-125 of
the DM's Guide. All tables except the Artifacts have been
included. If you plan to have an artifact in your campaign or
adventure, you should plan it carefully, not determine it randomly.
Mostly the tables in the DM's Guide regarding artifacts have been
placed there as guidelines for you to follow when creating your own
artifacts. They were not meant to be gaming law regarding
artifacts.
There are two extra selections you will see on the menu that
supplement those found in the DM's Guide. These are "Miscellaneous
Magic 1-5" and "Any Random Item." Miscellaneous Magic 1-5 will
select an object at random from one of the five Miscellaneous Magic
item tables, while the Any Random Item option will select a random
item from any of the magic item tables.
Note that some magic items require extra calculation. For example,
if the item "Robe of Useful Items" turns up, the items on the robe
must be determined. Or you may have an intelligent sword with
extra powers and capabilities. The D&D Tools program performs all
these calculations for you and shows them when the item is
displayed.
To generate a Magic Item, select the Magic Items menu from the main
menu. You will then see a list of about 14 choices, each a
different type of magic item. They mostly correspond to the tables
in the DM's Guide, with the two exceptions noted above. Move the
highlight to the item you need to generate, or select it using the
highlighted letter of the item's name. Your item will be generated
and displayed as soon as you make this menu selection. The item
will be displayed in a window in the middle of the screen, with a
small instructions window at the bottom of the screen.
After your Magic Item has been displayed, you have the choice of
performing one of three activities. These are
1. Print the Magic Item
2. Generate another of the same Magic Item type
3. Return to the menu
Printing the Magic Item: To print the magic item, make sure your
printer is turned on and connected to the LPT1 port of your
computer, and hit the P key. The magic item will be printed on the
printer as it appears on the screen. Once the information has been
sent to the printer, D&D Tools will display a new Magic Item of the
same type.
page 8
Generate Another: If you don't want or aren't interested in the
currently displayed Magic Item, you can have D&D Tools generate
another of the same type. To do so, hit the SPACEBAR. A new Magic
Item of the same type will be generated and displayed. You can do
this for as long as you like.
Return to the Menu: If you are finished with the currently selected
type of Magic Item, you can return to the menu by hitting the ESC
key.
page 9
Non-Player Characters
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This function of the D&D Tools program will generate Non-Player
Characters (NPCs) for use in any adventure or campaign. They are
generated based on the rules and tables found in the DM's Guide on
pages 100-102, along with assorted character information from the
Player's Handbook.
The NPCs generated by this program are very complete and are
immediately usable. Need a shopkeeper who is a retired 3rd level
fighter? Create one in seconds with D&D Tools. All dependent
calculations are done for you. For example, if you select a
Paladin as a character class, all of the basic ability scores that
do not meet the minimums for this class will be adjusted up to the
minumum.
Also calculated for you are a host of descriptives for the
character. If some of these contradict each other, simply ignore
the part you don't like. The characters generated are, of course,
subject to your own judgement.
Note that the character class is the single attribute of most
importance. Everything is calculated around it. For instance if
you choose an Assassin as a character class, the program will only
select an evil alignment for it. If you leave the class as random,
and specify an alignment, the alignment you choose will not
necessarily be a legal one. Since the class is the driving factor,
and alignment was "cast in cement" by your selecting a specific
one, they may not match. D&D Tools assumes you know what you are
doing in this case. This allows for maximum automation, as well as
maximum flexibility.
With the D&D Tools NPC Generator, you can specify any or all of the
following aspects of your NPC:
1. Class
2. Experience Level
3. Race
4. Alignment
Once you have set any of these to your liking, you can then
generate your NPC, or as many as you like.
To set any of the four above attributes, or generate your NPCs,
choose the NPCs menu from the main menu. You will then see a menu
with five options. The first four are the above listed traits
which you may set. Notice that each of the four has the word
"random" in parentheses after it. This text in the parentheses
page 10
shows the current setting for that aspect of the NPC. When you
select a specific item for any of these four aspects, the text in
the parentheses changes to reflect this. For example, if you chose
"Dwarf" as a race, the menu entry would read "Race (Dwarf)."
To change the Class of your NPC, select the Class option from the
NPCs menu. You will be presented with a sub-menu of choices; all
the available NPC classes. Choose the one you want, or select
"Random" to reset the Class to random determination. When you
select your choice, the menu entry will indicate your selection.
To change the Race of your NPC, select the Race option from the
NPCs menu. You will be presented with a sub-menu of choices; all
the possible NPC races. Choose the one you want, or select
"Random" to reset the Race to random determination. When you
select your choice, the menu entry will indicate your selection.
To change the Alignment of your NPC, select Alignment the option
from the NPCs menu. You will be presented with a sub-menu of
choices; all the possible NPC Alignments. Choose the one you
want, or select "Random" to reset the Alignment to random
determination. When you select your choice, the menu entry will
indicate your selection.
To set the Experience Level of your NPC, choose the Level option
from the NPCs menu. You will see a small window asking you to
enter the level for your NPC. It will tell you what the maximum
level available is. In most cases, the maximum level is 15. Type
in the number of the level you want your NPC to have. To reset the
level to random determination, enter a value of 0 (zero). Correct
typing errors with the backspace key. When finished, hit ENTER.
The menu will now indicate the level of experience you just set.
Once any of these parameters are set to your preferences (you don't
have to set any of them), choose the Generate option from the NPCs
menu to create NPCs with the current settings. A full screen of
NPC information will appear. Scan it at your leisure.
At this point, you may perform one of three actions. You may
either:
1. Print the NPC
2. Generate another NPC
3. Return to the Menu
Print the NPC: To print the NPC currently displayed, make sure your
printer is on-line and connected to the LPT1 port of your computer.
Then hit the P key. The NPC will be printed.
page 11
Generate Another NPC: To create another NPC with the same settings,
hit the SPACEBAR. Another NPC will replace the currently displayed
one.
Return to the Menu: If you are finished generating NPCs with the
current settings, hit the ESC key and you will be returned to the
menu.
page 12
Dragons
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dragons have always been my favorite part of Dungeons and Dragons
and Fantasy in general. When the dragons based on simple colors in
the D&D Monster Manual became tedious and dull, I created my own
Dragon Generation System (DGS). It allows for the creation of
dragons of all types, colors, ages, and powers, usable at all
levels of experience. This system is completely detailed and fully
explained in Appendix A of this manual.
The DGS works similarly to most D&D random generation systems. It
is comprised of many tables that contain choices, selected by a die
roll. This means it was ideally suited to automation and the
computer. Therefore it is included with this package. As with the
other tools in this program, all dependent calculations are done
for you.
In the D&D Tools DGS, you can set the dragon's hit dice (which
determines a lot of things like age, hit points, size, etc.), the
dragon's alignment, both, or neither. Once you have set either (or
neither) of these, you can select the Generate option, and
information about a dragon will be created and displayed on the
screen.
Notice that on the Dragons menu, the Hit Dice and Alignment
options have the word "random" in parentheses after them. This
indicates that for Hit Dice and Alignment, the computer will
generate a random value. If you set these items to a specific
value of your own choosing, the text in parentheses will indicate
your choice.
To set the Hit Dice for your dragon, select the Hit Dice option
from the Dragons menu. You will see a small window asking you to
type in the number of hit dice for your dragon. It should also
tell you the maximum, which is 15. Enter a value of 0 (zero) to
reset the hit dice selection to random determination. Type in the
number of hit dice, and hit ENTER when finished. Use the backspace
key to correct errors. When you return to the Dragons menu, the
Hit Dice option will display the number of hit dice you just
entered.
To set the Alignment for your dragon, select the Alignment option
from the Dragons menu. You will be presented with a sub-menu of
choices; all the valid Dragon alignments. Select the alignment of
your choice, or the "Random" option to have the computer generate a
random alignment. When you return to the Dragons menu, the
Alignment option will indicate your choice in parentheses.
page 13
If the settings for your dragon's hit dice and alignment are how
you want them, select the Generate option from the Dragons menu to
create your dragon. A screen full of information about your dragon
will appear. You may peruse this information at your leisure, for
as long as you like.
At this point you may perform one of three actions. You can
1. Print the Dragon
2. Generate another Dragon
3. Return to the menu
Print the Dragon: Make sure your printer is on-line and connected
to the LPT1 port of your computer. To print the dragon, hit the P
key. Your dragon will be printed.
Generate another Dragon: To create another dragon, hit the
SPACEBAR. The computer will generate a new dragon with the same
settings (hit dice and alignment, if they were specified), and then
replace the one currently displayed with the new one. You may
repeat this operation as often as you like.
Return to the menu: You can return to the menu by hitting the ESC
key.
page 14
Rolling Dice -- The Dice Simulator
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
D&D Tools provides a simulator for any type of die you can dream
up. Instead of using a d10 and a d6 to calculate those 1st level
Magic User spells, use D&D Tools to roll a d30 (NOTE: There does
exist a d30 you can purchase. The polygon for the d30 was invented
by a long-time high school friend of mine, John Handwork. If you
buy one, he gets .5 cents per die). Or you can create a character
by rolling a die that has values from 3 to 18. The capability to
create your own die types is rather useful.
The Dice simulator provides the standard dice on the Roll Dice menu
-- d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, d%, plus the option to create your
own die type.
To generate any number of die rolls (max 256 rolls) of any type,
select the Roll Dice option from the main menu. You will see a
selection of the standard die types, plus the Special option.
Select the die type you desire.
For the Special die type: You will asked to enter the lowest and
highest value on the die. Enter these values and hit Enter when
done. Use the backspace key to correct errors.
For all die types: You will be asked to enter the number of times
to roll the selected die. Maximum is 256 times. Enter the number
of times to roll the die and hit ENTER. Use the backspace key to
correct errors.
The die rolls will then be generated and displayed in a window. If
you requested more die rolls than will fit in the window, you may
scroll the list up and down using the up and down arrows, the PgUp
and PgDn keys, and the Home and End keys. When you have finished
with the sequence of die rolls, you can return to the menu by
hitting the ESC key.
page 15
Character Sheets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
To further aid you in your D&D endeavors, D&D Tools provides a
facility that will print out character record sheets for you. You
can either distribute these to your players (if you are a DM), or
use them yourself (if you are a player).
There are two types of character sheets available -- simple and
detailed. The simple character sheet is less cluttered and gives
you more room for each item, but does not have spaces for the more
esoteric features of the character. Use the simple sheet if you
want to generate quick characters, or are dealing with (or are)
beginning players. The detailed character sheet has much more
information on it, but less room for each item. Print one of each
to decide which would best suit your needs.
To print character sheets, select the Character Sheets option from
the main menu. You will then see the Character sheets menu, which
provides only two choices -- simple or detailed character sheets.
Select which option you prefer.
The program will then ask you to enter the number of sheets you
want printed. You may enter a number from 1 to 99, followed by
ENTER. D&D Tools will then display a window telling you to make
sure the printer is at the top of a page, and is on-line and ready.
Once you have done this, hit any key, and printing will commence.
At any point during the print operation, you can hit the ESC key to
abort the printing process. Note that the program will finish
printing the page it is on, and then stop.
Once printing has finished or been interrupted, you will be
returned to the menu.
page 16
Telling D&D Tools About Your Printer
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Several of the tools in this program make use of the printer. To
do this effectively, D&D Tools needs to know how to handle your
specific printer properly. This involves knowing a few of the
control codes your printer uses. There are typically two methods
used to do this. You can either have the user fill in all the
codes specific to their printer and save them in a single data
file, or you can create printer-specific files that contain these
codes, one file or each printer. The former method is easier and
reduces the number of files distributed with the program, but also
requires the user to re-enter the data if they change printers. The
latter method requires more files to be distributed with the
program, but allows the user to store data for more than one
printer. D&D Tools uses the latter method, and has a data file for
each specific printer it supports.
There are about six Printer Definition (PRD) files that come with
the D&D Tools program. The nice thing about these files is that
they are stored as readable ASCII files, and you can read or edit
them to suit your needs. This means that, if there is no PRD file
for your printer, you can make one very easily. More on this
later. For now, let's find out how to use the ones that exist.
When you start D&D Tools for the first time, the PRD file selected
as the default is called GENERIC.PRD. This PRD will work with any
printer, but will not make use of any of the printer's features.
To change the PRD file to one closer to your own printer, choose
the Printer Setup option from the Other menu. You will then see a
sub-menu with two choices -- Set Print Quality and Select Printer
Driver. Choose the Select Printer Driver option. The program will
then build a menu out of all the PRD files it finds on the disk.
Select the printer driver that matches your printer. Once
selected, data files will be updated and the new printer data will
be loaded immediately. You may now use any of the D&D Tools
printing functions.
Perhaps you have a printer that has no matching PRD file. You can
either use the GENERIC.PRD file, or you can create your own. To
create your own, simply make a copy of the GENERIC.PRD file, with a
name that resembles your printer. It MUST have a .PRD extension.
For example, if you had a Star NX-10 printer, you could make a copy
of the GENERIC.PRD file and call it STARNX10.PRD.
Once the copy is made, it remains only to edit the file. D&D Tools
PRD files are simple ASCII files that can be edited using any ASCII
word processor. If you edit the file using a word processing
program that has its own format (such as Microsoft Word,
WordPerfect, etc.), you must make sure to save the file as ASCII
only.
page 17
Load the PRD file to edit into your word processor and take a look
at it. You'll see lots of explanatory text there. Notice that
each line of text is preceeded with a semicolon (;). A line with a
semicolon as the first non-space character is a comment, and is
ignored by the D&D Tools program. The comments have been used
liberally to explain what's going on inside on of these files.
Refer to the comments if you are having trouble understanding the
PRD file.
At the top of the file is a commentary header that tells you what
printer this PRD file is for. You can change this header to
indicate the name of your printer, if desired. Add other
commentary where necessary.
Now notice that there are a few lines that are not comments. These
are the actual printer information lines. The info required by D&D
Tools includes codes to make your printer
1. Turn BOLD print ON
2. Turn BOLD print OFF
3. Turn Near Letter Quality mode ON
4. Turn Near Letter Quality mode OFF
5. Reset
There is also a code to tell D&D Tools whether or not your printer
can handle the IBM extended ASCII character set, which includes the
box drawing characters.
Codes for printers are usually ESCAPE sequences, that is, numerical
values of ASCII characters, preceded by the ESC character. For
example, the code to make an Epson FX printer change to Near-Letter
Quality mode is the ESC character, followed by the lower case x,
and the character with an ASCII code of 1. When these characters
are represented by their ASCII decimal values, they look like this:
27 107 1
This is exactly how you enter the codes in your PRD file. Find out
the sequence of characters needed for the specific code you want,
and then convert them to their ASCII values. You can find an ASCII
chart in any DOS manual, or your printer manual.
The exception to this is the XASCII parameter -- we might as well
talk about that one first. The first parameter you will see is the
XASCII parameter. This has a value of either ON or OFF. It tells
D&D Tools whether or not it should use the IBM extended ASCII
character set (box drawing characters). Set this value to ON if
your printer can handle these characters, or OFF if it cannot.
page 18
Example: The line in the PRD file to tell D&D Tools to use the
extended character set would look like this:
XASCII = ON
Note that all the following codes use the numeric representation of
characters (ASCII codes) mentioned above.
The next pair of codes tells D&D Tools how to turn Near-Letter
Quality mode on and off. For some printers this may not be
applicable (such as the HP LaserJet, which always prints in Letter
Quality). The EPSON FX printers use the following characters to
turn the NLQ mode on:
ESC x (ASCII 1)
where the (ASCII 1) means the character with ASCII code of 1.
Numerically, this looks like this:
27 107 1
The final code in your PRD file will look like this:
NLQON = 27 107 1
The second code tells the program how to turn the NLQ mode OFF.
The line in your PRD file for an EPSON FX printer looks like this:
NLQOFF = 27 107 0
Simply replace the numerical codes with the correct ones for your
printer.
The next (and last) code in the list is actually a pair of codes.
They tell the program how to turn BOLD print ON and OFF. The codes
used for the EPSON FX series are ESC E ESC G. Numerically this
looks like:
27 69 27 71
So the actual code in your PRD file will look like this:
BOLDON = 27 69 27 71
Then comes BOLD OFF. For the EPSON FX, it looks like this:
BOLD OFF = 27 70 27 72
page 19
Pretty easy huh? Just replace these numbers with the appropriate
ones for your own printer. That's all there is to it. Remember
these points as you create your PRD file:
- If your printer does not support one of these
features, or you do not want it to be used, you
can disable it by not putting any values after
the code, such as BOLDON =
- You can place any printer codes after these
identifiers. For instance, if you wanted your
printer to use bold print in place of NLQ mode,
simply place the codes for bold print after the
NLQON = identifier.
Once you have created your own PRD file, the D&D Tools program will
automatically find it (assuming it has a .PRD extension), and add
it to the menu of PRD files. Select the new PRD file from inside
the program and you'll be all set.
If this process eludes you, and you want D&D Tools to take
advantage of your printer's capabilities, send me a copy of the
pages of your printer manual that detail the printer codes for the
features mentioned above, and I'll write a PRD file for you. I'll
send you the text of it printed on paper for free, but if you want
it on diskette, send a check for $5.00 (to cover diskette and
mailing costs) made to Tony Martin to the address on the cover of
this document. I'll get it to you as soon as possible.
page 20
Setting the Print Quality
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The D&D Tools program allows you to change the print quality of
hardcopy output from within the program. If your printer does not
have a Near-Letter Quality mode, however, this function will not be
of any use. For example, the Epson MX series of printers does not
have a Near-Letter Quality mode, so the Near-Letter Quality setting
in D&D Tools will have no effect. The Hewlett Packard LaserJet II
prints everything in letter-quality, and therefore has no need of a
Draft mode.
To change from Draft to Near-Letter Quality mode, or vice versa,
select the Printer Setup option from the Other menu. Then from the
sub-menu that appears, select the Set Print Quality option. A
second sub-menu will appear, from which you may select either Draft
Quality or Near-Letter Quality. Note that there is a small pointer
next to one of these two options. This pointer indicates which
Print Quality is currently selected. If you change the Print
Quality, this pointer will move to point to your selection.
Once you have selected a Print Quality, it stays in effect until
you change it, even if you quit the program and start it again.
page 21
Ejecting the Page
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This option is used simply to make the printer eject the page it is
currently sitting on, and move to the top of a new page. This is
useful if you are not right next to your printer and would like to
send output to a new page. It has been very useful when an NPC has
been printed, with his/her magic items below the character
printout, and I want to start a new character on a new page.
To make the printer eject the current page, choose the Eject Page
option from the Other menu. The printer will then eject the page
and move to the top of the next page. A small window will appear
to tell you that this is happening, but it may disappear before you
get a chance to read it.
That's all there is to it.
page 22
Setting the Colors of D&D Tools
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The D&D Tools program is smart enough to detect what kind of
display you are using and adjust its use of colors accordingly.
For example, if your machine has a monochrome monitor (one color),
the D&D Tools will only use the colors black, white, and bright
white, in varying combinations. If your monitor can display
multiple colors, then D&D Tools will use all the text colors
available to it.
While D&D Tools has a built-in set of default colors, it is clear
to this software designer that many people enjoy "personalizing"
their programs through the selection of their own color schemes,
while others don't care what colors are used. Therefore, the
capability to change the colors of the program has been included.
It can make using the software much more pleasant. For those who
do not care to fiddle with the color layout, the default colors
will do just fine.
Note that this function will operate differently on monochrome and
color monitors. On monochrome monitors, you only have a choice of
2 color sets. You simply choose color set 1 or 2. Color users
have a much richer variety to choose from, and can configure the
colors of all parts of the display. The "how-to" of changing
colors is divided into two sections -- one for monochrome users and
another for color users. You need not read both unless you plan to
use this program on both monochrome and color machines.
MONOCHROME USERS: To change the colors while using D&D Tools on a
monochrome monitor, select the Color Setup option from the Other
menu. A small sub-menu will then appear. From this menu, you may
select either Color Set 1 or Color Set 2. Note that a small
pointer sits next to one of these options. This indicates the
current selection. If you change the Color Set, this pointer will
move to point at the one you choose. When you select one of the
options, the colors used by D&D Tools will be updated immediately,
and you will see them as soon as you return to the main menu.
COLOR USERS: To change the colors while using D&D Tools on a color
monitor, select the Color Setup option from the Other menu. A
large window will then appear, full of daunting colors and text.
Let me take a moment to explain the parts of this display. In the
upper left corner of the window, you will see the word FOREGROUND
in color. This indicates that you are currently changing the
foreground of whatever part of the program you are working with.
Below this is a red arrow that points to one item in a list of
about six items. These items are the parts of the D&D Tools
display of which you may change the colors. The pointer will be
page 23
next to the item you are currently changing. Underneath the item
list you will see a color bar with a small arrow pointing to one of
the colors. This indicates the current color of the foreground or
background of the item currently being changed. The right side of
the display is taken up by a model of the D&D Tools program screen.
This model is where you watch the colors you are selecting being
put into effect. As you change colors, this model will be updated
to reflect your changes, so you can see them and how they look
together. You can change any of these items in the following ways:
To change this pointer/value... ...Use these keys
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Foreground/Background Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +
Item List Pointer . . . . . . . . . . . . Up/Down Arrows PgUp PgDn
Color Pointer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Left/Right Arrows
Sound complicated? Not really. Let's go through a sample color
changing session. Assume the color selection window has just
appeared. We would like to change the colors of the Information
Windows (the last item in the item list). These are the windows
that show the various random things the program generates for you,
such as Magic Items, NPCs, etc. We've already decided we would
like to have the Information Windows be displayed with a White
foreground, on a Blue background. First, the foreground. Make
sure The Foreground/Background indicator reads FOREGROUND. If it
doesn't, change it with the + key. Next, move the Item List
Pointer to the Information Windows item, the last one in the list.
You can move this pointer with the down arrow or the PgDn key. Once
this is done, it remains only to change the color. Move the
pointer on the color bar with the left and right arrow keys until
it sits over top of the White portion of the color bar. As you
move the arrow, watch the sample Information Window foreground
change colors on the Program Display Model. Now for the
background. Change the Foreground/Background Indicator using the +
key so that it reads BACKGROUND. The Item List Pointer should
already be sitting on the Information Windows item. Note that when
you hit the + key to change the Foreground/Background Indicator,
the small pointer arrow on the color bar changes place to point at
the current background color for the Information Windows. All you
have to do now is move the Color Bar Indicator to the portion of
the Color Bar that is blue. The Program Display Model will be
updated as the pointer moves. Our colors should now be how we want
them. We could change any other parts of the display at this time,
but for now, we'll just save the colors we've set. To do this, hit
the F2 function key. A small window will tell you that the colors
are being saved, and you will be returned to the main menu with the
colors you just changed in effect. If you didn't like the colors
you set for some reason, you can lose any changes made in the
current session by hitting the ESC key instead of F2.
page 24
End Notes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
That's about all there is to the D&D Tools program at this time.
This section is generally reserved for trivia and other notes.
The D&D Tools will be updated sometime in the future to reflect the
changes made to the game system when the second edition of the DM's
Guide and the Player's Handbook were released. This will occur
whenever I get hold of the books.
For Programmers: This entire program was written using QuickBASIC
v4.5. It amounts to about 8900 lines of code, including blank
lines and comments. If you liked the windows, menus and user
interface in general, and are a QuickBASIC programmer yourself, you
may like to know that the user interface was created entirely with
a package of routines called the QBSCR Screen Routines. This is a
comprehensive set of display-oriented routines for QuickBASIC
version 4.0 or greater. These routines were developed by me, Tony
Martin, and are available as shareware. If you would like to
purchase these routines, or would like more information about them
or other BAD SOFTWARE products, please feel free to write me at the
address on the cover page of this manual. Also note that the
D&D-specific routines are very modular and self-contained. If you
would like copies of the source code for the D&D Programmer's
Toolbox (which is free, but not public domain), which I also wrote,
send a check for $5.00 made to Tony Martin to the address on the
cover page of this manual, and I'll send you a disk with the source
code. This will only include the D&D-specific routines, not the
QBSCR Screen Routines.
I hope you find some usefulness in this software. If not, that's
OK, send the program to your local BBS or give it to a friend. If
so, I would appreciate your comments, good or bad (I don't get much
mail). Please send them to the address on the cover page of this
manual. Try to be as specific as possible if there are bugs you
are writing to report.
page 25
Appendix A - The Dragon Generation System (DGS)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're anything like me, dragons make up a big part of your
conception of the realm of fantasy and Dungeons and Dragons.
Indeed, it's half of the name of the game. And while the dragons
contained in the Monster Manual I are good, they are also all about
the same -- large intelligent creatures that have a breath weapon
and fly around. You could only encounter them at high levels of
experience.
The Dragon Generation System was created by myself in order to make
dragons more interesting and more diverse in the D&D game system.
With the DGS, you can create dragons that can be encountered by
first level characters (in which case, the dragon is very young),
or by much higher level characters, or any experience level in
between.
Besides being more varied in size, age, and capability, the dragons
created with the DGS have many more attributes associated with them
that make them more like non-player characters (NPCs) than
monsters. They have five numerical statistics, like characters,
and a host of physical attributes that describe what the dragon
looks like. Tables and charts are provided below for complete
random determination of dragons.
The system that follows is not public domain, but is free for use
by yourself and whomever you wish to give a copy. You may change
the system to suit your needs, but only your needs. Do NOT send
modified copies of this system beyond your own domicile. And now
to begin...
Wingspan to Length Ratio
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dragon generation begins with the determination of of a ratio that
describes the relationship of wingspan to length. This is
important in determining not only the actual wingspan, but also
whether or not the dragon can physically fly. If the wingspan is
not at least the same distance as the dragon's length (wingspan to
length ratio of 1:1), the dragon cannot physically fly, even though
wings may be present. This will be discussed later when we
actually calculate the wingspan.
Calculating the wingspan to length (W/L) ratio is done in two
parts. First, calculate a wingspan factor, and then a length
factor. Use precentile dice (d%) and the following two tables to
do this:
page 26
d% roll... ...Wingspan Factor
-------------------------------
01 - 02 0.0
03 - 50 1.0
51 - 75 1.1
76 - 90 1.3
91 - 97 1.6
98 - 00 2.0
d% roll... ...Length Factor
-------------------------------
01 - 03 0.7
04 - 09 0.8
10 - 60 1.0
61 - 80 1.1
81 - 90 1.3
91 - 97 1.6
98 - 00 2.0
Note that if your wingspan factor is 0.0, your dragon has no wings
at all.
Now create the W/L ratio by placing the wingspan factor over the
length factor. Example: Our first d% roll was 83, so the dragon's
wingspan factor was 1.3. Our second d% roll was 12, so our length
ratio is 1.0. Place the wingspan factor over the length factor and
we have 1.3 over 1.0, or 1.3:1. This dragon can fly, because its
W/L ratio is greater than 1:1.
Hit Dice and Related Information
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, with one d% roll, we determine the dragon's age, hit dice,
length, mental modifier (MM), and claw/claw/bite damage. Roll the
percentile dice and consult the table below:
d% roll Age Hit Dice Length (ft) MM Claw/Claw/Bite
---------------------------------------------------------------
01 - 05 01 - 03 1 2 - 10 0.3 1/1/1-6
06 - 10 04 - 10 2 11 - 15 0.5 1-2/1-2/1-6
11 - 15 11 - 20 3 16 - 20 0.7 1-3/1-3/1-6
16 - 20 21 - 40 4 21 - 25 0.9 1-3/1-3/1-8
21 - 27 41 - 70 5 26 - 30 1.0 1-4/1-4/1-8
28 - 35 71 - 100 6 31 - 35 1.1 1-6/1-6/1-8
36 - 45 101 - 150 7 36 - 40 1.2 1-6/1-6/1-10
46 - 55 151 - 200 8 41 - 45 1.3 1-8/1-8/2-12
56 - 62 201 - 250 9 46 - 50 1.4 1-8/1-8/2-16
63 - 70 251 - 300 10 51 - 55 1.5 1-10/1-10/3-18
71 - 77 301 - 350 11 56 - 60 1.6 2-12/2-12/5-20
(continued)
page 27
78 - 85 351 - 400 12 61 - 65 1.7 2-12/2-12/6-36
86 - 92 401 - 500 13 66 - 70 1.8 3-18/3-18/6-36
93 - 98 501 - 600 14 70 1.9 3-18/3-18/7-42
99 - 00 601+ 15 70 2.0 5-20/5-20/6-48
Note that if you want a dragon of a particular experience level or
power, this table is where you do it. Select one of the
categories, usually by the amount of hit dice you want.
Wingspan
-------------------------------------------------------------------
To calculate the dragon's actual wingspan in feet, use the
following equation:
WINGSPAN = (W/L FACTOR) x (LENGTH)
Let's build on our previous example, a dragon that had a W/L ratio
of 1.3:1. We use a d% and roll a 28. Consulting the chart above,
we see that the dragon's length is 31 - 35 feet. To get a more
specific number, you could roll a d10 and divide by 2, and add the
result to 30. If we rolled a d10 and got a 6, we would add three
to 30, yielding an actual length of 33 feet. Now, if we fill in
the numbers, our equation above looks like this:
WINGSPAN = 1.3 x 33
which evaluates to a wingspan of 42.9 feet. This dragon can fly
just fine.
Body Color and Ego Modifier
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dragons base their social hierarchy on color. If one dragon should
encounter another, seniority is determined by the dragons' ego
scores. Ego is directly modified by the dragon's color, hence the
Ego Modifier that comes along with the color. Below is a table of
colors a dragon may be, and the Ego Modifier associated with them.
Roll a d% to determine color.
d% roll Color Ego Modifier
-----------------------------------------------
01 - 04 Gloss Black 1.3
05 - 10 Matte Black 1.0
11 - 16 Metallic Dark Blue 1.0
17 - 21 Silver 1.1
22 - 27 Bronze 1.0
28 Gold 1.9
29 - 34 Burgundy 1.0
35 - 40 Amber 1.0
(continued)
page 28
41 - 45 Emerald Green 1.1
46 - 52 Bright Green 0.8
53 - 63 Grey 0.5
64 - 68 Ruby Red 1.1
69 - 75 Dark Brown 0.8
76 - 81 Medium Brown 1.0
82 - 85 Tan 1.3
86 - 89 Pale Green 1.3
90 - 93 Violet 1.3
94 - 96 White 1.5
97 - 99 Rust 1.5
00 Spectral 2.0
The color Spectral is a magical color. The dragon with this hue
will continuously coalesce all dragon colors randomly.
Example: We roll a d% and get 98. Our dragon would have a color of
Rust, and an Ego Modifier of 1.5. Later, when we discover how to
generate the dragon's numerical characteristics, you'll see that
the Ego score will by multiplied by this Ego Modifier for a final
Ego score.
Markings
-------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to their basic coloring, a dragon may have additional
coloration in the form of markings. Roll a d% and consult the
table below to determine if your dragon has any markings.
d% roll Markings Location
----------------------------------------------------
01 - 30 None
31 - 40 Main color fades to darker shade
toward all extremeties
41 - 50 Main color fades to lighter shade
toward all extremeties
51 - 57 Mottled patching of a darker *
shade of the main color
58 - 65 Mottled patching of a lighter *
shade of the main color
66 - 70 Mottled patching of a color *
different from the main color
71 - 75 Tiger striping of a darker shade *
of the main color
76 - 80 Tiger striping of a lighter shade *
of the main color
81 - 83 Tiger striping of a different *
color than the main color
84 - 90 Discolored underside of a darker
shade of the main color
(continued)
page 29
91 - 96 Discolored underside of a lighter
shade of the main color
97 - 00 Discolored underside of different
color than main color
If there is an asterisk (*) in the "Location" column of the above
chart, then roll a d% and consult the following chart to determine
the location of the markings on the dragon's body.
d% roll Markings Location
--------------------------------------------
01 - 20 Markings cover entire body
21 - 50 Markings found only on back
51 - 70 Markings found only on sides
71 - 80 Markings found only on wings
81 - 90 Markings found only on head
91 - 00 Markings found only on underside
Morphology
-------------------------------------------------------------------
We now embark on the determination of the physical shape of the
dragon's body. Dragons in general tend to be long and sinewy, but
many characteristics can differ. Feel free to skip over any parts
of the dragon's morphology you don't have an interest in. Note,
however, that detail can bring a game to life.
Head Adornment
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The following table describes any interesting features a dragon may
have on its head. Roll d% to determine what head adornment exists,
if any.
d% roll Head Adornment
-----------------------------------
01 - 15 Chin Fringe
16 - 30 Cheek Fringe
31 - 35 Horns, Bovine, Spiral
36 - 40 Horns, Bovine, Smooth
41 - 45 Horns, Swept, Smooth
46 - 50 Horns, Swept, Spiral
51 - 55 Spike, Nose-mounted
56 - 60 Spike, Forehead-mounted
61 - 00 None
Fringe is a clump of loose flesh strands that resemble hair. It
may be clumped or fan-shaped. Bovine horns sprout from the side of
the head and extend outward at right angles to the lines of the
head, while swept horns exit from the back of the head and extend
parallel (roughly) to the lines of the head. Use your imagination
-- these are only guidelines!
page 30
Ears
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The following table describes the various shapes a dragon's ears
may take. Roll d% and consult the table to determine the shape of
the dragon's ears.
d% roll Ears
---------------------
01 - 70 Invisible
71 - 85 Pointed
86 - 95 Fringed
96 - 00 Amorphous
Note that most dragons' ears are invisible on the surface, much
like a lizard's are invisible (never call a dragon a lizard -- you
may find yourself toasted).
Teeth
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The following table describes the type of teeth the dragon may
have. Roll d% and consult the table to determine the type of teeth
the dragon has.
d% roll Teeth
------------------------------
01 - 30 Small, Pointed
31 - 65 Fangs, Viper-like
66 - 95 Fangs, Canine-like
96 - 00 Fangs, Boar-like
The small pointed teeth mean that the dragon's teeth are all pretty
much the same size -- small but sharp. Viper-like fangs are long
and thin, as well as razor sharp. Canine-like teeth are not as
long as viper-like, and not as sharp, but are stronger and more
general purpose. Boar-like fangs are really large tusks that grow
up from the lower jaw.
Number of Eyes
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Most dragons have two eyes, but the placement of the eyes can
differ. Rarely you will find the one-eyed dragon (Draco Cyclopsus)
lurking about. Roll a d% and consult the following table to
determine the number and placement of the eyes on your dragon.
d% roll Eyes, Number and Placement
--------------------------------------
01 - 47 Two, Opposed
48 - 96 Two, Frontal
97 - 00 One, Frontal
page 31
Opposed means the eyes are set apart, on the sides of the head.
Frontal means both are set on the front of the head. Opposed eyes
provide a much larger field of view, but reduced stereo vision.
Frontal eyes have a smaller field of view, but much better stereo
vision. Better stereo vision means better distance judgement and
depth perception, while better field of view means less chance of
surprise. The one-eyed dragon is more fiersome due to its
strangeness, but lacks on both accounts -- poor depth perception
and small field of view.
Shape of Eyes
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The following table allows you to determine the general shape of
the eyes of your dragon. Roll d% and consult the table.
d% roll Eye Shape
---------------------------------------
01 - 20 Slit-like
21 - 30 Round (Circular)
31 - 50 Snake-like (Vertical pupil)
51 - 00 Oval (Human-like)
Color of Eyes
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The following table allows you to determine randomly the color of a
dragon's eyes. Roll a d% and consult the table.
d% roll Eye Color
---------------------
01 - 15 Blue
16 - 20 Green
21 - 25 Red
26 - 35 Black
36 - 50 Grey
51 - 55 Yellow
56 - 65 Violet
66 - 75 Lavender
76 - 90 Brown
91 - 97 Silver
98 - 00 Gold
Intermission
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you tired of dragon morphology and details yet? Or perhaps
tired of the different aspects of dragons' eyes? There are good
ways to make all these details count for something besides flavor
in your game. Case and point: Suppose your party of adventurers
manages to kill a dragon, for whatever purpose. You happen to have
page 32
a dwarven fighter who decides to take the dragon's metallic hide
back to his mountain smithy from which he will make magical armor.
You have a magic user who takes the dragon's golden eyes to sell in
the city to other wizards -- golden dragon eyes being the rarest
kind, and useful for all kinds of spells. The point is that with a
little imagination, you can put these details to work for you and
your players. So live it up -- generate all the parts of a dragon
(or better yet -- let D&D Tools do it for you!). But to resume...
Neck/Spine Adornment
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This table describes any decoration that may be present on the
dragon's neck and/or spine. Roll d% and consult the table.
d% roll Neck/Spine Adornment
--------------------------------
01 - 10 Webbed Spines (Fan)
11 - 25 Spines, Short
26 - 35 Spines, Long
36 - 50 Fins, Pointed
51 - 60 Fringe, Short
61 - 70 Fringe, Long
71 - 00 None
Short is defined as equal to or less than 6 inches in length, and
Long is greater than 6 inches.
Number of Limbs
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The number of limbs dragons have varies. While most have four, a
few have two and a few have six. Note that this number of
extremeties calculation does not include wings as limbs. Roll d%
and consult the table.
d% roll Number of Limbs
---------------------------
01 - 90 Four
91 - 97 Two
98 - 00 Six
Note that a dragon with only two extremeties has no frontal legs,
only two rear legs, which are used solely for locomotion. A dragon
with six limbs uses four strictly for locomotion, and only the
front two are considered frontal limbs, with possible manipulatory
capability (see next table).
Frontal Extremeties
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This table describes the frontal extremeties of the dragon. Note
that a dragon with only two legs (see previous table) need not
page 33
bother with this table -- it will not apply. Roll d% and consult
the table.
d% roll Frontal Limbs
------------------------------------------
01 - 25 Elbowed, Manipulative Hands
26 - 60 Elbowed, Non-Manipulative Paws
61 - 00 Kneed, Non-Manipulative Paws
Elbowed means at the elbow joint, the limbs fold forward, as on
human arms. Kneed means the limb folds backward at the knee, such
as on a dog or horse. Manipulative means the dragon can use its
claws as a hand, and pick things up, while non-manipulative means
the claws are simply like a foot, and cannot pick things up.
Number of Digits
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This table determines how many fingers/toes a dragon has on each
foot. Roll d% and consult the table below.
d% roll Number of Digits
----------------------------
01 - 40 Three
41 - 75 Four
76 - 00 Five
Claws
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This table allows you to determine the type of claws a dragon has.
Roll d% and consult the table below.
d% roll Claws
----------------------------------------
01 - 30 Retractable, Standard
31 - 70 Non-Retractable, Standard
71 - 80 Retractable, Knife-like
81 - 00 Non-Retractable, Knife-like
Standard claws are pointed and somewhat rounded, while knife-like
claws are thinner and have a razor sharp edge.
Wings
-------------------------------------------------------------------
If your dragon has wings (wingspan factor > 0.0), then you can use
this chart to determine what kind of wings are present. Roll a d%
and consult the table below.
page 34
d% roll Wings
--------------------------------
01 - 40 Fleshy, Muscular
41 - 80 Bony, Membranous
81 - 95 Overlapping Scales
96 - 00 Feathered, Bird-like
Skin
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This table determines the type of outer surface your dragon has.
Roll d% and consult the table below.
d% roll Skin
---------------------------
01 - 10 Rough, Scratchy
11 - 50 Scaly, Leathery
51 - 60 Scaly, Metallic
61 - 90 Smooth
91 - 96 Fur, Short
97 - 00 Fur, Long
Rough Scratchy skin is analogous to sandpaper. Any dragon that has
Scaly Metallic skin subtracts one (1) from its armor class. Note
that the D&D Tools program does this for you automatically.
Tail
-------------------------------------------------------------------
All dragons have tails. This table will determine the type of tail
present on a dragon. Roll d% and consult the table below.
d% roll Tail
---------------------------------
01 - 20 Prehensile, Plain
21 - 35 Prehensile, Whip-like
36 - 75 Plain
76 - 00 Whip-like
A whip-like tail is much thinner than a plain tail, which is more
muscular. Whip-like tails tend to be faster than plain ones.
Tail Adornment
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes a dragon's tail will have some sort of adornment on the
end of it. The table below will determine if such adornment
exists, and if so, what it is. Roll d% and consult the table
below.
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d% roll Tail End Adornment
------------------------------
01 - 25 Spade
26 - 60 None
61 - 70 Spikes
71 - 80 Blades
81 - 90 Stinger
91 - 00 Forked, Split
If a stingered tail is present, all hit by this tail must save
versus poison or die.
Mental Characteristics
-------------------------------------------------------------------
That's all there is to the dragon's morpohology. Now we move on to
the dragon's mental abilities. There are five characteristics,
much like the basic six for D&D player characters. The numerical
ratings correspond fairly evenly. A dragon with an intelligence of
12 is roughly equivalent to a player character with the same score.
The five characteristics are listed and explaind below.
INTELLIGENCE: This is the dragon's ability to think
logically and to reason.
EGO: The Ego score determines the dragon's force of will
and also how highly it thinks of itself. Used to
determine pecking order among dragons. Modified by the
dragon's color (Ego modifier).
WISDOM: The dragons' equivalent of common sense and
intuition.
HOARD LUST: This is a measure of the dragon's desire for
treasure, especially precious metals and gems. The
greater the score, the greater the desire for treasure,
and the more protective the dragon is of amassed
treasure (the Hoard).
TELEKINESIS: Some dragons have some degree of
telekinesis, the ability to move physical objects by
force of will.
Determine these score by rolling a d10. This gives a base score of
1 to 10, which is then multiplied by the dragon's Mental Modifier
(MM) determined previously along with age and hit dice. A score
will never be below 1. Additionally, the Ego score is then
multiplied again by the Ego Modifier determined earlier along with
color. Therefore,
EGO = d10 x MENTAL MODIFIER x EGO MODIFIER
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Telekinesis is determined by rolling a d% and consulting the table
below, and then multiplying it by the Mental Modifier. Note that
this is the only score that may be zero (0).
d% roll Telekinesis Score
-----------------------------
01 - 40 0
41 - 50 1
51 - 59 2
60 - 68 3
69 - 77 4
78 - 83 5
84 - 88 6
89 - 92 7
93 - 96 8
97 - 99 9
00 10
On the Offensive
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A dragon has three basic physical attacks, those of two frontal
claws and a bite. This is further enhanced or modified as follows:
- If a dragon has only two extremeties, it may only
attack with one claw at a time, and then only every
other round.
- A dragon can make an additional attack with its tail,
lashing at any enemy on either side. The tail does
damage as follows, according to its end adornment:
Tail Adornment... ...Damage
-------------------------------
Spade 1d10
None 1d8
Spikes 1d12
Blades 2d6
Stinger 2d6
Forked 2d8
Don't forget if a dragon has a stinger on its tail and
someone is hit, they must save versus poison or die.
- If a dragon has knife-like claws, treat its claw
damage as if it were one age group higher.
On The Defensive
-------------------------------------------------------------------
To determine a dragon's armor class (AC), Subtract its number of
hit dice from ten (10), as in the following equation:
page 37
AC = 10 - Hit Dice
Thus, a dragon with 12 hit dice has an armor class of -2.
Flying Speed
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The actual flying speed of a dragon in miles per hour is calculated
using the following formula:
FLYING SPEED = (W/L Ratio) x Hit Dice x 25
Assuming a dragon had a W/L Ratio of 1.3, and 7 hit dice, the
dragon would have a flying speed of
FLYING SPEED = 1.3 x 7 x 25
or
FLYING SPEED = 227.5 mph
You can use this flying speed to figure dragon travel times from
one place to another.
Alignment
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dragons, like people, have alignments. To determine the dragon's
alignment, use the two tables below. Alignment is calculated in
two parts and then assembled to form the complete alignment.
Part 1 Part 2
d% roll Alignment 1 d% roll Alignment 2
--------------------- ---------------------
01 - 25 Lawful 01 - 25 Good
26 - 75 Neutral 26 - 75 Neutral
76 - 00 Chaotic 76 - 00 Evil
Roll a d% twice. If the rolls were 38 and 77, the dragon's
alignment would be Neutral/Evil.
Breath Weapon
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The most famous natural defense a dragon has is the breath weapon.
While the strictly traditional will say a dragon only breathes
fire, this is far too limited to be interesting in a game system.
Therefore the DGS has incorporated a table that randomly determines
one of many interesting breath weapons. A dragon is limited in the
number of times per day that he/she can use a breath weapon. The
table below shows the relationship between hit dice and the number
times a breath weapon can be used per day.
page 38
Hit Dice Uses Per Day
------------------------
1 - 3 1
4 - 6 2
7 - 9 3
10 - 12 4
13 - 15 5
The table below lists them all, and following the table is a
detailed description of each breath weapon.
d% roll Breath Weapon
--------------------------------------
01 - 07 Fire - Cone
08 - 14 Cold - Cone
15 - 22 Lightning - Line
23 - 29 Acid Spray - Cone
30 - 36 Paralyzation Gas - Cloud
37 - 43 Polymorph Gas - Cloud
44 - 50 Reduction Gas - Cloud
51 - 56 Sleep Gas - Cloud
57 - 63 Chlorine Gas - Cloud
64 - 70 Delusion Gas - Cloud
71 - 74 Negate Magic - Area
75 - 79 Light Flash - Area
80 - 83 Petrification, Rock - Area
84 - 87 Sonic Blast - Area
88 - 90 Metal to Wood - Area
91 - 93 Teleport Gas - Cloud
94 - 95 Petrification, Gem - Area
96 - 97 Phase Gas - Cloud
98 - 99 Time Gas - Cloud
00 Prismatic Spray - as Spell
Areas of Effect
-------------------------------------------------------------------
After each breath weapon you will notice there is an area of effect
specified, such as cloud, area, or line. These are explained below,
with calculations for actual sizes.
CONE This area is (Hit Dice) / 2 x 10 feet in length, and has a
width of (Hit Dice) / 4 * 10 feet at the end of the cone.
LINE This area of effect includes any targets in a straight line
from the point of origin (the dragon's mouth) to a distance
of (Hit Dice) x 10 feet, and will affect anyone within 5
feet of either side of the line.
page 39
CLOUD This area of effect has a length, a width, and a depth. The
width and depth measurements are the widest at the middle of
the cloud. These three measurements are calculated as
follows:
Length of Cloud = (Hit Dice) / 2 x 10 feet
Width of Cloud = (Hit Dice) / 4 x 10 feet
Depth of Cloud = (Hit Dice) /4 x 10 feet
AREA This area of effect defines a roughly spherical shape, whose
radius is calculated as (Hit Dice) / 2 x 10 feet, and whose
center is the point of origin (the dragon's mouth).
Breath Weapon Descriptions
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The descriptions of each breath weapon in the breath weapons table
are detailed below. You should find a description of each effect,
including results and damage dealt to targets.
FIRE: This breath weapon is a magically super-heated fire
that sets anything combustible aflame, and causes damage
equal to 1d8 per hit die of the dragon. A successful saving
throw versus dragon's breath will cut damage in half. Any
metal in the area must save versus magical fire or be melted,
but in any case will remain too hot to touch for 1d4 rounds.
If metal armor is worn and heated by this breath weapon, an
additional 1d8 damage is done for each round that it is worn
and still hot.
COLD: The cold breath weapon is an exhaled, magically frozen
frost that will cover and freeze anything it touches. Damage
is 1d6 per hit die of the dragon. A successful saving throw
has no effect on damage sustained, but will prevent the
target from being frozen to immobility. If the saving throw
is not successful, the target is frozen solid and cannot
move. Thawing time is one (1) hour per hit die of the
dragon -- only then will the victim be able to move again.
Additionally, if a sharp blow is struck to the person while
frozen, the person will shatter into tiny fragments.
Recovery from being shattered can only be accomplished via a
ressurection or wish.
LIGHTNING: This is a bolt of high voltage, high power
electricity that arcs in a relatively straight line from the
dragon's mouth doing 1d8 of damage per hit die of the dragon.
Those subject to the dragon's lightning must save versus
dragon's breath or have their nervous systems short out for
4d4 turns, resulting in a -4 to hit modifier in combat, and
acting as a confusion spell for the same duration. A
successful save will negate this short circuit, but will not
lessen the damage accrued.
page 40
ACID: The Acid Spray, a fine but dense mist of highly
corrosive fluid, does 1d6 of damage per hit die of the
dragon. In addition, it will permanently lower the target's
CHARISMA by 1 point for each 15 points of damage sustained.
This can only be restored by the use of a restoration or wish
spell. A successful saving throw will negate the loss of
Charisma, but does not affect damage taken.
PARALYZATION GAS: This gas is a weakly caustic substance that
has the same effect as a hold person or monster spell. It
also does 1 hit point of damage per hit die of the dragon. A
successful save versus dragon's breath will reduce the effect
of the paralyzation to that of a slow spell, but damage is
not affected.
POLYMORPH GAS: This breath weapon will cause the
transformation of all in the area of effect into a creature
of the dragon's choosing, usually something it can eat, such
as cattle. A successful save versus dragon's breath will
completely negate the effect. In other ways, this operates
as a polymorph other spell.
REDUCTION GAS: The use of this gas results in the reduction
of all in the area of effect to a fraction of their original
size. The fraction is determined by placing a 1 over the
number of the dragon's hit dice + 1, as in:
1
------------
Hit Dice + 1
Thus, a dragon with 4 hit dice would make anyone shrink to
1/5 of their original size. A successful save versus
dragon's breath will completely negate the effect of this
breath weapon.
SLEEP GAS: All those in the area of effect of this breath
weapon must successfully save versus dragon's breath or be
put to sleep. If the saving throw is failed by a roll of 5
or more less than the score required (ex.: you needed a 12 to
save, but only rolled a 7), the period of sleep is one year.
Otherwise, a failed save indicates a period of sleep equal to
the dragon's hit dice in days.
CHLORINE GAS: This breath weapon creates a cloud of chlorine
gas that remains in the area for a number of rounds equal to
the number of hit dice the dragon has. Each person in the
cloud will suffer 1-2 points of damage for each hit die of
the dragon, each round they remain in the cloud. For each
page 41
20 points of damage sustained from this breath weapon, 1
point of CHARISMA will be permanently lost, restorable
through a restoration or wish spell. A successful save
versus dragon's breath will cut the damage sustained in half.
DELUSION GAS: This will cause all in the area of effect to
experience strange hallucinations and act as if they were
real. The hallucinations will always be in favor of the
dragon, but related to the target's personality. A
successful save versus dragon's breath will negate the
effects of this breath weapon.
NEGATE MAGIC: This weapon has the effect of negating all
spells in the area of effect, and neutralizing the magic from
all magic items, rendering them inert, while in the area of
effect. Spells cast while in the area of effect are used up,
but do nothing. If the level of the spell caster is greater
than the hit dice of the dragon, the caster is allowed to
save versus dragon's breath. If successful, the spell that
was cast takes full effect. This breath weapon has a
duration in rounds equal to the number of hit dice of the
dragon.
LIGHT FLASH: This breath weapon allows the dragon to send
forth a brilliant flash of bright light (greater than 1
million candle power), that will render all in the area of
effect blind unless a successful save versus dragon's breath
is made. If the save is successful, affected persons are
only temporarily blinded that causes them to sustain a -2
penalty on all attack rolls for a number of rounds equal to
the dragon's hit dice. This flash also does 1-2 points of
damage for each hit die of the dragon.
PETRIFICATION, ROCK: All living matter in the area of effect
for this breath weapon will be converted to fresh granite
unless a successful save versus dragon's breath is made.
SONIC BLAST: This breath weapon delivers forth a thunderous
blast of sound that will deafen all in the area of effect
permanently unless a save versus dragon's breath is
successful. If this save is successful, a second saving
throw is made. If this second roll is failed, the target
passes out for 1d4 rounds. Deafened individuals need not
make a second saving throw -- they automatically pass out for
1d4 rounds.
METAL TO WOOD: All metal in the area of effect for this
breath weapon is immediately converted to wood of a frail and
dried out nature. The items, if magic, are no longer so if
page 42
the magic depended on the item being metal. For example, a
metal wand that turned to wood may still operate, but a suit
of armor or a magic sword would no longer be magic.
TELEPORT GAS: All those in the area of effect for this breath
weapon must save versus dragon's breath or be teleported in
a random direction 100 to 1000 miles away. Individuals may
go different places, as determined by the chart below:
d% roll Result
------------------------------------------------------
01 - 70 All affected go to same place
71 - 90 All affected go to different places
91 - 00 Some go to same place, others go to others
PETRIFICATION, GEM: This breath weapon converts all
individuals in the area of effect to a type of randomly
determined gemstone. They will retain their exact shape, but
will be made of this gemstone. The dragon will then attempt
to add the valuable statue to its hoard, but the ferocity
with which it will do so is determined by its Hoard Lust
characteristic. A successful save versus dragon's breath
will negate the effect of this breath weapon.
PHASE GAS: All in the area of effect of this breath weapon
will be phased to another plane of existence, to be
determined randomly. A successful save versus dragon's
breath negates this effect.
TIME GAS: Those affected by this breath weapon are thrown
d1000 years into the future or past, to be determined
randomly. All affected will go to the same time period. A
successful save will negate the effect of the breath weapon.
PRISMATIC SPRAY: This breath weapon operates exactly as the
magic user spell of the same name.
Magic Powers
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dragons throughout the ages tended to be studied from a great
distance and then ganged up on by many, so that it never stood a
chance of survival. Therefore the dragons generated by the DGS
have an additional power available to them with which they are
born. These powers tend to be defensive in nature, while the
breath weapons are offensive. The table below lists all the
magical powers possible, and is followed by detailed descriptions
of each.
page 43
d% roll Magic Power
---------------------------
01 - 08 Stone Shape
09 - 20 Shape Change
21 - 29 Soul Storage
30 - 36 Water
37 - 50 Flying
51 - 57 Phase
58 - 70 Invisibility
71 - 80 Heal
81 - 90 Regeneration
91 - 94 Weather Control
95 - 00 Teleport
Magic Power Descriptions
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Some magic powers have a limit on the number of uses per day. If
this is so, it will be spelled out in the descriptions that follow.
STONE SHAPE: This power allows a dragon to manipulate a mass
of stone equal to the number of hit dice times 25, or
STONE MASS = (Hit Dice) x 25 kilograms
Manipulating is defined as altering the shape of the stone in
any way. A boulder could be converted to gravel or a tall
pillar, but the mass will always remain the same. This power
can be used up to (Hit Dice) / 4 times per day.
SHAPE CHANGE: A dragon possessing this ability can change
shape as the ninth level magic user spell, Shape Change.
This can be done up to (Hit Dice) / 3 times per day.
SOUL STORAGE: This power allows a dragon place its soul into
any object it desires for storage. If the dragon dies or is
killed, it reappears two weeks later next to the object that
contains its soul. It will be physically at age 1 year, but
with all memories and mental characteristics as they were
when death occurred. If the object that stores the soul is
destroyed, the dragon dies immediately and irrevocably.
WATER: Dragons as a rule hate water, and will never immerse
themselves if they can avoid it. This power allows a dragon
to immerse itself, while being able to move at it Flying
Speed / 10 miles per hour under water (if the dragon cannot
fly, calculate the speed he would have had and divide by ten.
If the dragon had no wings, assume a hypothetical wingspan
equal to its length, and then calculate the flying speed he
would have had, and divide by ten).
page 44
FLYING: This ability allows a dragon to fly normally if he
could not. Calculate the flying speed of the dragon with the
normal formula if he cannot fly, or assume a wingspan equal
to the dragon's length if he does not have any wings. If the
dragon could already fly normally, then this power serves to
double the flying speed of the dragon. In addition to
doubling the speed, the dragon also has the power to create a
CLOUD. This cloud is a dwelling place in the air and is
composed of condensed water vapor and magic. It requires one
week for a dragon to fashion a cloud. The interior can be
any shape, and the size of the cloud can is not limited. From
the outside, this cloud is 95% undetectable from ordinary
clouds. A dragon can fashion as many clouds as it desires,
but will rarely have more than one at a time.
PHASE: This ability allows a dragon to shift back and forth
at will between planes. Only three different planes may be
visited per week, but they may be visited any number of
times. This ability can be used once every other round.
INVISIBILITY: The dragon with this power can render itself
invisible and inaudible for any length of time, for as long
as it wishes. Normal restrictions apply, in that when it
attacks, it becomes visible.
HEAL: This allows the dragon to heal (as the clerical spell)
any creature, including itself. This can be performed a
number of times per week equal to the dragon's Wisdom / 2.
WEATHER CONTROL: This allows the dragon to alter the weather
one stage from its current status. The chart below shows the
different stages of weather. The dragon may only move from
one item to an adjacent item at a time, and must follow one
of the connecting lines.
/--> Stormy
/
/------> Light Rain <-------> Snowy
/ \
Sunny <---> Overcast \--> Hail
The dragon could, for example, move the weather from overcast
to sunny, or from overcast to light rain, or from light rain
to stormy, but not from sunny directly to stormy.
Accompanying temperature changes occur as well. This power
may be used a number of times per week equal to the dragon's
Intelligence / 2.
page 45
TELEPORT: This ability allows the dragon to teleport itself
or someone else to anywhere on the same plane with no error,
and without requiring a system shock check. A clear picture
of the destination is required for teleportation. This power
can be used a number of times per week equal to the dragon's
Intelligence / 2.
The End
-------------------------------------------------------------
That's all there is to the DGS. Hope you like it. If you
have any comments on it or changes you'd like to see, please
drop me a line at the address on the cover page of this
manual.
page 46