Knights & Knaves Alehouse

Once again, Fight On! returns to unscroll the Runes of Chaos and conjure the mighty titans of yesteryear! Dedicated to Tom Moldvay, this BIG issue contains three BIG undercities and lost worlds (sorry, Trent!) by Gabor Lux, James Mishler, and Chris Robert, right alongside the rules supplements, mini-adventures and modules, villages, one-page dungeons, spells, monsters, NPCs, tricks, traps, geomorphs, reviews, and tables you've come to know, love, and expect from our fantastic fanzine. Illustriously illustrated by Patrick Farley, Jennifer Weigel, Lester, Kelvin Green, Jason Sholtis, Peter Mullen, Mark Allen, Anthony Stiller, Steve Robertson, and more; puissantly penned by Jeff Rients, Calithena, Jerry Stratton, Tim Snider, Geoff McKinney, Patrice Crespy, Peter Schmidt Jensen, Paul Stormberg, Geoffrey O. Dale, Tim Kask, and a whole gang of garrulous grognards trying to take it (their PC, that is) to the next level. We hope you'll roll the bones on this issue and check it out - but either way, keep Fighting On!

You can check out the print version here:

http://www.lulu.com/product/13001261

the EBook here:

http://www.lulu.com/product/13001463

or check the link in my sig for the whole store and all the issues of the magazine from beginning to present. Also, look out for our first fantasy fiction anthology, Roll the Bones, due out this Fall (Halloween? Could happen…) Here’s the TOC to whet your appetite:

Table of Contents
Fast Company (Alex Schroeder)…………………………...3
Wear and Tear (Mátyás “Urban” Hartyándi)....…………….5
Catwomen and Lion-Men (Calithena)…………...….….…..5
The Time-Displaced (Tim “Sniderman” Snider)…....…..….7
Cult Leader (Lee Reynoldson)……………………………..9
The Familiar Spirit (James A. Smith)……...……………...11
Knights & Knaves (Duncan Jones & Sean Still)…..…...…14
Khosura, Part II (Gabor Lux)………………...………….15
Killing Monsters You Can’t Kill (Jeff Rients)……...……..39
Creepies & Crawlies (various)…………….………...……40
The Godzillas Will Breath On You (Geoff McKinney)…..43
Futa-kuchi-onna (Ian & Andrew Baggley)…...….…….….47
Urgent Care Cleric (Jonathan Linneman & Kelvin Green).48
Education of a Magic-User (Douglas Cox)……………….49
Trolls will be Trolls (Heron Prior)……………………..…50
Time For Tea (Clarabelle Chong)…….…………...…...…51
Heart of Darkness (Lord Kilgore)…………………...…...52
Laboratory of the Asmodean Techno-Mage (P. Mullen)....53
Special Properties of Gemstones (Wayne Rossi)……...….54
The Coinage of Ilthar (Calithena)………………...………55
Artifacts, Adjuncts, & Oddments (various)……….……...56
Lost Dragonia (James Mishler)…………………….......…57
Tables for Fables (Age of Fable)………………………....79
Weird Treasure Containers (Telecanter)……………...…..81
Moldvay-esque Adventure Generator (Michael David, Jr.).81
Dungeon Modules (Geoffrey O. Dale)……..……….……82
Hobgoblin Halls (Joshua Mackay)………………………..83
The Shrine that Glittered (Patrice Crespy)………………..86
Moulin Rouge 1955 (Jerry Stratton)……………………....94
Random’s Assortment (Thinker, Random, and Jensen)…..98
The Darkness Beneath (Chris Robert)……………….….100
Merlyn’s Mystical Mirror (Hargrove/Hewlett/Pookie)….121
Everyone is Here to Have Fun (Paul Stormberg)…….…129
One-Off Con Adventures (Tim Kask)……………….....133
Dougal Must Die! (Steve Robertson)………...……..…...135
Dungeon Geomorphs (Tim Ballew)……………...……..137

Front Cover by Patrick Sean Farley (electricsheepcomix. com). Back cover by Lamentations of the Flame Princess (lotfp.blogspot.com). Tom Moldvay photo by Kevin Hen-dryx. Fight On! logo by Jeff Rients. Interior art by Jennifer Weigel (4,11,12,117), Bronze Age Miniatures (bronzeagemin. com: 4), Peter Schmidt Jensen (5,56,59), Swords & Wizardry/ Frog God Games (talesofthefroggod. com: 6,45), Lester (7,8, 44,103,104,106,107,114), Black Blade Publishing (black-blade-publishing.com: 7,17), Alicia Miller (9,133), DEI Games (deigames.com: 13), Kelvin Green (14,42,48,52,121), Gabor Lux (15,18,21,22,25,27,29,32,35,36,37,38,39), Robert S. Conley (batintheattic.com: 40,100, Darkness Beneath logo), Jason Sholtis (41,75,132), Ian Baggley (46), Douglas Cox (49), Heron Prior (50), Clarabelle Chong (51), Lord Kilgore (52), Peter Mullen (freewebs.com/mullenart: 53), Mark Allen (marjasall.com: 54,55,73,82,85), Carlos “Celurian” Torreblanca (56), James Mishler (63,78), karenswhimsy.com (64), Lee Barber (69, Knights & Knaves logo, Creepies & Crawlies logo), Geoffrey O. Dale (83), Patrice Crespy (86), Yannick Zogg (91,92), Jerry Stratton (94,95,96,97), Anthony Stiller (98,99), Alex Schroeder (112), Emperor’s Choice Games and Miniatures (empcho.com: 122), Doug Easterly (126), Lamentations of the Flame Princess (127), Rob Hewlett (128), Tom Moldvay (131), John Larrey (132), Kevin Hendryx (134), Steve Robertson (135,136), and Tim Ballew (137,138).

Ghetto hair as a helmet liner?

Hmm...

I thought those were tight buns with lines shaved in? Dreadlocks tide up maybe? I'm getting a SERIOUS 3E vibe going. So, the covers a homage to White Plume or something? And whats up with the heavy computer art look? Are you guys getting into computer games in the near future. Just curious....seems like a really odd/bad choice considering your target market (unless of course that is your target market). Wow, I hate to see 137 page fan mag with this on the cover.

Quite likely; and also note the penguin!?

What's with the ludicrous penguin?

I also get a kind of 3e-art feel from the chick with the modern day ghetto hair.

Odd choices IMO.

Re: the penguin

One of the earlier FO issues included a penguin race.

Re: the cover in general

Number me among those who dislike the computer-generated art. That look is just a big turn-off, for me.

I kind of dug the penguin pc race article. There's a certain style campaign that would fit it to a tee.

Besides, who wouldn't want to play a character based on Opus from Bloom County/Outland? Or better still, Tennessee Tuxedo? Certainly no less ridiculous than the Donald/Daffy/Howard inspired ducks of Runequest.

rogatny wrote:Besides, who wouldn't want to play a character based on Opus from Bloom County/Outland? Or better still, Tennessee Tuxedo?

Me.

Certainly no less ridiculous than the Donald/Daffy/Howard inspired ducks of Runequest.

No less ridiculous, indeed.

I've got no problem with others liking penguin PCs (or ducks) and doing what they like in their game, but that kind of thing never appealed to me.

Playing intelligent animals is the top of a slippery slope that may lead to people dressing up like Sonic the Hedgehog and fucking their Teddy Ruxpin dolls . . .



Not that I'm judging a lifestyle, just sayin'.

- Wheggi

Har. Enjoying the cover hate.

I am not a big fan of rendered art in general, and this is the first one we've accepted. Probably it will be another ten or more issues until the next one! But, I like Patrick's style, and I like penguins, so - we took this one.

Wheggi wrote:Playing intelligent animals is the top of a slippery slope that may lead to people dressing up like Sonic the Hedgehog and fucking their Teddy Ruxpin dolls . . .

Aha! And Hobbits have hairy, unshod feet, just like furry little animal paws! No wonder Gygax began the first sentence of his description of them with "Should any player wish to be one…"

I think, but am not certain, that several of the shorter articles in this issue would be appealing to many K&Kers.

Axe, assuming your question was even serious, no, there are no plans to get into computer games at FO!

Cal, it may be that your previous covers have been so stellar (Pete Mullen! Erol Otus! How can you top that?) that we've been spoiled. Besides, you know that we're all crotchety old luddites who shun new technology and to whom "style" means everything. Computer art was bound to go over like a fart in church here.

- Wheggi

It's all good, Wheg.

Calithena wrote:It's all good

Glad you have thick skin, Calithena.

Look at it this way, when you do get praise over here, you know it's legit! Also, for what it's worth, I have enjoyed all of the previous covers quite a bit - the art inside and out is as enjoyable for me as the written content.