Minas Tirith City of the Kings

inas Tirith, originally named Minas Anor, was built upon the flank of Mount Mindolluin, the westernmost spur of the Ered Nimrais. It served

white stone, rising to the high point of the Citadel Rock, where King Calimehtar was to build the White Tower. At last, in 1640 T.A. after a plague

had ravaged Osgiliath, Tarondor the King removed the Royal court permenantly to Minas Anor, which henceforth

was to remain the chief city of Gondor. Both Minas lthil and Osgiliath survived, but the centre of power now rested

firmly in the western city.

In the centuries that followed, great wars were fought in the South with the Corsairs and in the East with the

Wainriders; the power of Gondor was sorely taxed and the watch was removed from Mordor. Finally, in 2002 T.A., the terrible Nazgul issuedfrom the Black land and took

Minas Ithil. Thereafter it was known as Minas Morgul, the Tower of Sorcery, while the men of Minas Anor renamed

their own city Minas Tirith, the Tower of the Guard. Shortly after this, in 2050 T.A., the line of kings failed in

Gondor, and from that time for almost a thousand years, the city had no King but was ruled instead by the line of

the Stewards.

As the Third Age continued, Minas Tirith, as if by default, became the most important city in north west

Middle-earth. Fornost Erain, capital of Arnor, had fallen to the Witch-king shortly before the demise of Minas lthil and Osgiliath had

gradually been abandoned. As Sauron's power grew once more in Mordor, Minas Tiriths importance as a check to his growth, and as a barrier to the

northward expansion of his Southron allies, became pivotal. Sauron himself recognised this and put much effort into reducing the city, by battle and

siege, during the War of the Ring.

M like Minas Ithil, its counterpart across the lthilien valley, as a protection for Osgiliath, the capital city of the realm of Gondor. Built in the days of their strength by the exiles of drowned Numenor, Minas Anor was the seat of Anarion, son of Elendil, as Minas lthil was that of his brother Isildur.

The Dark power of Sauron, however, soon threatened from the East, and the balance of Ithilien was destroyed. In the War of the Last Alliance Minas lthil was taken by the Dark-lord and although eventually regained by Gondor, it never more enjoyed its former position as the seat of Kings. The Line of lsildur was removed to the Northern Kingdom, and the Tower of the Moon became an eastern outpost against the Black land. In contrast, the fortunes of Minas Anor flourished. Although Osgiliath was still accounted the capital of Gondor, the city on Mindolluin offered a much more secure haven for the people of Ithilien. It was much favoured by the kings and was strengthened and re-built by King Ostoher in T.A. 420. As the strength of the realms in exile declined over the long years, so the centre of power inevitably shifted from the beautiful but vulnerable Osgiliath, in Ithilien, to the fortified city of Minas Anor and its hinterland.

The city's naturally strong position, being delved into the living rock of the mountainside, became increasingly important as the might of Gondor shrank and faltered. The City itself was ringed about with seven concentric walls of

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M195. Denethor, Steward of Gondor Denethor, Son of Ecthelion was the last ruling steward of Gondor Since the line of Kings failed, many centuries before, the Stewards ruled the Kingdom but never assumed the title or regalia of Kings In Ihe Royal chamber itself, the throne of Gondor remains vacant, and the Steward sits before it on a low chair The throne supports a canopy on which is cawed the likeness 01 the Crown of Gondor a winged helmet

Minas Tirith is a great and wealthy city, and her steward wears full robes of the linest material The long outer robe is a favoured garment in the Southern Kingdom, its length being generally commensurate with the wearers position in society, and those fully reaching the ground denoting patrician status

The Steward wears two chains of office. the upper being the "Chain of Hurin", MI 96. Pippin and Bergil lirst of the hereditary Stewards in Ihe time of Ihe Kings The second, lower one

is the "Chain of Mardil Voronwe" first of the ruling Stewards He also carries the rod of authority

Pippin the Halfling offered his sword to the service of Gondor, during his first audience with Denethor the Steward who accepted the Hobbit into the Citadel Guard Decked as he was in the fine livery of the Guard, Pippin was called "Prince 01 Halflings" by the townsfolk The armouries of the City produced his small sized armour especially. but he wears a man sized dagger to sewe as a Hobbit sword His companion is Bergil theyoungsonolBeregond, whobecame Pippin's guide through the large and complex city Bergil has the short tunic worn by youths and his tight fitting hose is also characteristic of the Southern Kingdom

M197. Gondorian oficer The Gondorian helmet is but a distant relative to the High coned "Karma" helm of the Numenoreans The only vague echo of this is the small back slanting crest on the crown (For an Arnorian derivative 01 the "Karma" see M14. M35 M56) That this ligure is a Gondorian officer is attested by the black breast plate with seven stars but no tree "Wing plumes"on the helmet denote that the regiment he commands is from Minas Tirith itself Officers from other provinces wear no plumes, but olten have decorated metal helmet crests

His Gondorian sword is of good quality but is a little shorter than and not as line in temper as its Northman equivalent

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M203. Townsfolk (2 f igs) In the south land of Gondor it is

most common to wear freer flowing clothes than in more norther ly c l imes There is probably some cultural influence here from the hot desert land of Harad lo the south It is common i n the City to wear a long undertunic (length depending on social status j with a somewhat shor te r a n d more ornate sleevelessoutertunic Oneofthe

B l I

M l 9 9 . Gondorian Royal Guards (2 figs)

figuresdepicled here is aclerkor librarian from one of the great libraries of Minas Tirith Scholars including Gandall have journeyed far to consult the ancient tomes in the city libraries The other figure IS a pedlar the small square patches on his coat indicating that he is a tradesman and a purveyor

his helmet ,see M200) and wears a combination of mail and

I Dlate armour dis rank is

The Guards 01 the citadel [The tower olCalimehtari wear the most splendid unilorms in theKingdom They havefullcoatsoffinestblackmailoverwhichare blacksurcoats emblazoned with the White tree and seven stars No other troops save the those of lhesteward sownlamily wearthis insignia Their Mithril helmets haveahigherc?own than ordinary Gondorian models but apart from this are similar in design The front of the helmet carries a crown pattern denoting their status as Royal retainers The helmets are also set with lwo stylised seabird s wings the symbol of Royally in both the thgdoms in exile and ancient Numenor The guards w a r gauntlets and date armour on their legs They carry a halberd and wear a more finely decorated version of the regular Gondorian sword

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1 1 1 1 98. Gondorian infantrymen (2 figs) infantry from the city itself #year a costume similar to that 01 the officer except +at the armour is one of soft studdea leather Nith re in fo rced shoulder pieces The helmets are mass produced and are somewhat less snapely than the officers thecheekguards are not metal but leather arid tie under the chin Both are armed with sword and spear and carry oucklers with the

WhiteTreesymbol Infantry fromother Gondorian provinces Lebennin Morthond Antalas and those further west would wear a variety of differing costumes with only the distinctive helmet as the common

Depicted at the defence of the outer walls of Minas Tirith before Sauron s final assault Faramir wears the armour of a Gondorian Knight or cavalry officer His helmet is the standard Gondorian design but with a single wing as its crest This crest was worn by all the Royal troops of Ithilien which were the source of most of Gondors manpower Since the fall of Osgiliath and the ruin of Ithilien only the cavalry and nobles of Minas Tirith retain this particular crest As a member of the House of the Steward Faramir also wears the livery of the Citadel on his surcoat M202. Ioreth

the healer n the style of old Ithilien favoured

armour on the lower half of his body gst the Nobilily 01 the city he wears M204.

Originally from Lossarnach lorelh was a matron of h a s Tirilh skilled in the arts of healing and in the herblore of her home region Like most wonien in

Gondor she wears a veil over her hair as a Sian of her Tarried or

Gondorian Nobleman A large number 01 noble families possessing varying lortunes inhabit thegreat city Many have estates as

1 shown by the plate mail on his limbs a lashion derived from the K ings knightly retainers in the days when the Royal Dower rested in

Osgiliarh The cavalry t roopers would &ear

predominantly chain mail with a surcoat which was unadorned black in the case of Minas Tirith and various colours with different liveries for provincial troops The cavalry sword is longer than that of the infantry but retains the narrow handguard OHicers both infantry and cavalry always wear cloaks

M200. Faramir at Osgiliath

c a, A

far away a s Mor thond a n d

and generally richer nobility of Lossarnach There are of course

lmrahil of Dol Amrolh The destruction 01 Arthedain

widowed status At her side is a

and healing she LamEdom but Chose 10 live in Minas Tirith IfSEl! in the Style 01 the older

exceptions to this fashion as in the case of Prince

pouch for the herbs

COllECtS

also led to an influx of noble families into the south bu t the southern nobi l i ty can usual ly b e distinguished from their northern cousins as being moreof the statureof ordinary men having interbred with the native population more readily than the Arnorians Like most nobles this figure i s clean shaven and wears a rich and decorated

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2 T A N U A R Y I F E B R U A R Y , 1 9 9 3

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CONTENTS

4 RUNES STEWART DISCUSSES THE NEW PALLADIUM POLICY

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5 I

FROM THE PACK LETTERS FROM OUR READERS

SPACE AGE MAGIC IN GURPS 8 JOHN S. ROSS COVERS HIGH-TECH MAGIC IN GURPS

THE SILICON DUNGEON 12 JIM TRUNZO GIVES US A LOOK AT WH.4T’S NEW IN COMPUTER GAMES

PORTRAIT IN HORROR: THE VAMPIRE’S HUNT 20 CHARLES PIERCE SHOWS HOW TO MAKE THE HUNT MORE EXCITING IN VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE

MAGIC OVER BOURBON ST. 26 C.R. SHAVER AND JASON Rust4 REVEAL THE SECRETS OF VOOLxx3 IN h . 4 OF OUR SH.4DOWRUNTM NEW ORLEANS SUPPLEMENT

PEOPLE OF THE LAND 42 DAN BEYER ADDS SPICE TO THE SWAMP ENVIRONMENT I N SKYREALMS OF JORUNE

FEATURE REVIEW 48 KEITH H. EISNBEE HAS AN JN DEPTH LOOK AT FROM Tt1E ASHES

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT 52 COVER ARTIST J. WALLY JONES GIVES us A SAMPLING OF HIS BEST WORK

DICE NOT INCLUDED 54 R(X;ER SPEN1)LOVE MAKES PINOTI1ER INSTALLMENT IN OUR LIVE-ACTION ACTION COLUhlN WITH COURT MARTIAL OF .A PRINCE

CAPSULE REVIEWS WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT

65

TOP TWENTY LISTS 79 AN EXPANDED LCXIK .41 WH.4T TOPS THE Cf WRTS

ON THE HORIZON 80 WHAT’S I N STORE FOR NEXT MONTH

W H I T E W O L F M A G A Z I N E 3

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It’s official. WW will no longer consider for publication any article that deals with the games published by Palladium Books. We’ll continue to print reviews of the products, of course, as that’s part of the industry news you should expect to see in WW, but articles, scenarios and fiction based on Palladium’s games will be returned to freelancers unread.

It’s not our policy. It’s Kevin Siembieda’s policy, as stated in his lawyer’s letter to us concerning a recent RiftsTM submission: “In summary, Palladium does not want this article published or distributed in

We don’t ordinarily send copies of articles to other companies for approval, but considering our past with Palladium it seemed like the best move. Other companies seem to appreciate it when we print articles or scenarios based on their games, but despite Siembieda’s complaint in WW27 that he was not among these companies, he has decided to remain an outsider - no doubt so he can complain some more. God forbid someone should actually take his requests seriously?!

with articles or art for their games so Some companies even provide us

any way.” Siembieda, you know, is the president/owner of Palladium Books.

Yes, the same one who wrote a lengthy letter about the failings of WW a while back that sparked the exchange that I declared dead from WW as of WW30.

Yes, the same one who declared in that letter of WW27: “Yet, as usual, Palladium Books’ roleplaying games are all ‘ignored’.”

Yes, the same one who decided not to respond to us personally when we forwarded our (previously) upcoming RiftsTM article to him for approval.

Yes, the same one whose lawyer wrote us to explain we could not print a RiftsTM article because it will “confuse Palladium fans, and damage Palladium’s reputation for high quality.” This is the same letter in which Siembieda stated what we have now accepted as policy. I mean, why hassle with it?

I don’t know why I am even bringing this issue up again after I decided to discontinue discussion about it in the magazine (it could have gone on forever and now it apparently will), but others on the staff here at WW convinced me to continue in light of this recent incident. Maybe Siembieda’s goal was to perplex me. If so, he succeeded admirably. Why does he have time to explain the situation to his lawyer and yet not have the time to respond to me personally when I go out of my way to contact him about printing an article relating to one of his games?

we can print them. Mike Nielson, a staff artist at FASA, provided the artwork for this issue’s install- ment of

“Shadows Over the Big Easy,” our five-part Shadowrun series.

Siembieda objected to lack of coverage of his superhero games Heroes UnlimitedTM, Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTM and Ninjas and SuperspiesTM. He was also disappointed in the coverage of his other games: Beyond the Supernatu- ralTM, RECONTM and RobotechTM. And, “Where’s RiftsTM ?” Well, RiftsTM would have been in the magazine. It was a pretty interesting article too.

In the end, I’m sorry I gave Siembieda’s complaints any attention at all. From the beginning he has proven himself to be nothing but ill- informed about the content and direction of WHITE WOLF Maga- zine, as evidenced by comments in his letter. The same complaints from someone who really gave a damn about what WW has been trying to do with roleplaying games would mean a lot to me, but it’s obvious that Siembieda was just looking for a place to grind an ax. At least it made the letters page interesting for a time.

All rhe jiames mentioned ahove ace rrademarks of Palladium Books. Menrion of rhe games wrhour proper trademark norice should not be construed as a challcnge to such status

4 J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R V 1 9 9 3

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From the Pack Letters from our Readers Please send all letters to: II A

White Wolf 4598-B Stonegate Industrial Blvd. Stone Mountain, GA 30083

Dear Packmasters,

format. My kudos are mixed with a little apprehension, however. White Wolf Magazine and White Wolfs games have both had great play and reading value, with or without four-color pictures. I like the new look, but the last issue had a lot of typos. I’d rather have good copy than pretty pictures, so if you feel you must make the choice, I’d vote that way as your customer.

I’m sure the magazine will experi- ence some growing pains. I hope you won’t fall victim to the belief that form and content in game design are mutually exclusive, because they’re not. You can have a good game and be aesthetically interesting, but many game compa- nies assume that you can’t do both, or that prettiness is more important than playability, play balance, or other features. For example, Games Workshops’ plethora of games that are graphically interesting but badly designed (and certainly not playtested, in most cases) are popular because they are “pretty”. (Maybe that’s not the right word to apply to Genestealers, but you get the idea). GW’s games could be visually attractive and well-de- signed, but for some reason, GW doesn’t try. If I want pretty pictures, I’ll by a poster or an art book, not a game.

TSR has the resources to put its full attention on both graphic design and game design, but smaller companies, I’m sure, do not have enough bodies to do both as well. If

Congratulations on your new

I know it’s hard to do both, and

rou have to make choices between :he two, please choose content over ‘orin. You’ve done an excellent job if carving out a niche in the market or yourselves as the purveyors of de-playing games (with an 2mphasis on role-playing and story- :elling) for a certain kind of adult iudience. The people who faithfully 7uy your products will continue to lo so whether or not you have color llustrations inside, as long as the written material maintains your xesent high level of quality. I inderstand your reading of the narket, but also position yourself in :he right place in the market.

By the way, your graphics are xetty damn good. The cover of White Wolf #32 was eerie and 2ffective. (When I showed it to my ‘our year-old, she said, “Ooooh, jcary!”) I showed the cover of Vampire to the graphic design 3erson at work to give him some deas on the creative uses of marble :overs. Keep up the good work, but again, don’t let it get in the way of the most important thing about what you produce.

By the way, your reviews of Dangerous Journeys didn’t empha- size enough one of the important failures of that game system. Not only it is an over-hyped, over- complex, overpriced turkey, but GDW has invested huge bucks in it at the expense of other games it produces. GDW has had a bad history of developing interesting ideas, but then supporting the product line for only a year. Space 1889, a great concept, withered on the vine because GDW raced on to

new game designs. Their lackluster ;upport for Traveller, a game with a ;reat deal of potential in the midget 3F-RPG market (especially with the staggering amount of fan-produced md out-of-print source material waiting to be repackaged) is inexplicable. Woe to those who invest anything in a GDW RPG, ‘or fear of being abandoned for the next project. Now, Dangerous lourneys has commanded their attention and their money, but the ;ame itself is an unplayable mess. Zould this be the game that sinks SDW?

By the way, if Dangerous Jour- neys still rates a 2, what rates a l ?

Yours, Tom Grant Irvine, CA

‘Tom: My feeling is that WW will ilways produce quality material, or at !east always try to, but the best way to :et said material into the hands of roleplayers is with “pretty” packaging. 4 combination of the two make s the strongest products since they are good ind can survive because they will sell znough copies, 1 can only assume that this is what every game company tries to do. You’ue read Space 1889 incorrectly, though. It did not receive much support from GDW and consequently died because it didn’t sell well. I feel it was a good game and a fun concept, but one difficult to make work in this industry. -SW]

Dear Editor,

new format of White Wolf. “On the Horizon” hasn’t been particularly accurate of late. If you aren’t that committed to what’s going in the next issue, don’t waste your space or our time by telling us untruths. For two issues, we were promised a Fantasy Adventure with character stats for Ars Magica, MERE‘/ Rolemaster, and GURPS, as well as a Scope of Magic article detailing spells for high-tech worlds.

Is the 3rd time the charm? Nope. Neither article appears or even gets mentioned in this issue’s “On the Horizon”. (Hey, maybe that’s the Plan: Since saying they

A couple of suggestions for the

W H I T E W O L F M A G A Z I N E 5

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