Arduin Grimoire

The Arduin Grimoire is book of variant rules for D&D published by Dave Hargrave in 1977. Arduin is the name of Dave’s “setting” for his weekly Dungeons and Dragons campaign. I guess the story is that Greg Stafford, of Chaosium and RuneQuest fame, played in Dave’s campaign and asked him to publish his house rules as a game system. Stafford received what he considered an incomplete manuscript and decided Chaosium couldn’t publish it. Dave went ahead and self-published the Arduin grimoire.

Looking at the book, if this is what was submitted to Chaosium, you can see how this is not a complete game by itself. The book looks like a collection of house rules for someone’s extensively modified D&D game. If someone handed you the Arduin Grimoire you would never be able to play the game, you might not even understand that this was a game at all!

As a supplement for D&D, like Greyhawk or Blackmoor it starts to glow with the light red coals in a brass brazier at the center of pentagram scrawled on the floor of a wizards inner sanctum! Arduin was about 100 pages long and more densely packed with information. Greyhawk was 68 pages, and Blackmoor was only 60 pages. If anything Dave Hargrave was prolific.

Content

So what was in the Arduin Grimoire? I’ll outline here all of the heading topics from the book, I’ll try and give a short description of each section. For things that I find interesting I’ll provide a little more info and some samples from the book.

There is a lot of great old school black and white art in this book by Erol Otus.

Special Note: the artwork for this supplement is the sole doing of one of one fine young artist: Errol Otus. I’m only glad I’ll be able to say ten years from now, “I knew him when…”

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This interesting in that he misspells the name: Erol Otus. And, he suggests the we will glad in ten years but we’re looking at this ~47 years later!

Forward

There are no rules or information about playing the game here. It does say:

This supplement is offered in the hopes that it will infuse new life into the amateur side of fantasy role playing games, and stimulate the free idea exchanges so sorely needed to keep this type of gaming alive and viable. This supplement does not seek to replace or denigrate any other fantasy role playing supplement or game, either professional or amateur. It could have been three times the size you see before you, but personal problems, finances, and lack of time required otherwise. However, if well received, this supplement will lead to others dealing almost exclusively with hundreds of new monsters, spells, and magikal treasures, already in use in the “Arduin Universe.”

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

It seems pretty clear this was meant as a “supplement” and that the material was taken from Dave’s campaign world.

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

This begins with “It seems that most new players are uncertain as to the sequence of play in a fantasy game so here is a rundown of most play situations.” This goes into a page about how to handle overland travel. Which is mostly concerned with rolling for random encounters and reaction rolls.

There isn’t a lot about playing the game but some sort of standard ideas about rolling for encounters in the wilderness. 1 in 6 every hour, 2 in 6 for woods, jungles, or marshes. Double these numbers at night.

POINT SYSTEM

The next page is list of experience point values for various things that might happen to a character. For example:

• 400 points: Death (with successful revival), reincarnation, curse changed into another type of entity.
• 375 points: Being the sole survivor of an expedition, acquiring the mightiest of artifacts (Satan’s own pitchfork, nuclear weapons, phasers, etc.)
• 350 points: Defeating in single combat, demi-gods or major demons (above and beyond the normal points).
• … the list goes on
• 50 points: Figuring out a trap, tripping one and taking damage, all lesser spell use (locks, knocks, wind), going over half damage, doing extra dangerous and uncalled for acts (checking for secret places, when you know there are traps etc.

This is an interesting list. Considering the original game gave experience for gold. This considers the things you experience, like death, worth experience. It’s also silly and arbitrary, 50 points for doing “extra dangerous uncalled for acts.”

This also points out the difference in advancement from the early days. It took a while to advance a character. You had to play many games to level up. These days people are impatient and the most popular system is milestones.

EXPERIENCE LEVEL CHART

This is an experience point chart for levels 2nd to 105th! The chart goes to 20th, then 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 55th, 65th, 75th, 85th, 95th, and 105th. It doesn’t say what to do with the in-between levels that are missing but after 105th level it provides a point value labeled “Thereafter per level”.

The classes listed here include Thief, Slaver, Courtesan, Assassin, Alchemist, Rune Weaver, Saint, All Outlaws. Except for Thief the other classes are all Arduin classes.

The following page has an experience point chart for: Warrior, Cleric, Monk, Mage, Illusionist, Druid, Singer or Bard, Ranger, Normal, Barbarian. These are a mix of standard D&D classes and Arduin classes and some ambiguities.

CHARACTER LIMITATION CHART

This is table that character races/type and classes. It shows the highest level a particular type can achieve in a class. It also marks some classes closed to some types.

This list includes all of the standard races: Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit, Human. It also includes all of the monsters you can think of like: Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Troll, Centaur. It also includes a lot of Arduin monsters like: Phraint, Saurig, Haggorym, and some generic types like: Felines, Canines, Mammals. Note that Mammals can only be 4th level mages, and cannot be Monks or Paladins.

The real controversy is that canines top out at 2nd level as mages, but felines can go to 10th level!

CONDENSED CHARACTER LIMITATION CHART

This is chart that shows the attribute limitations for various races and genders. It includes Human, Elf, 1/2 elf, Dwarf, etc. the chart includes dragons, balrogs, lesser demons, greater demons and demi-gods.

It has an interesting take on the sexism found in the early game. The chart shows:

• Human-Male Intelligence 7-16
• Human-Female Intelligence 8-17

Dave seems to think the woman are smarter!

The chart lists: Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Ego, Agility, Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Mechanical Ability, Stamina, Magic Resistance. This has the classic six attributes, and a few Arduin specific ones like Ego and Agility. Then there are few random things like Mechanical Ability, and Swimming Ability.

Looks like Balrogs and Lesser demons have a swimming of 1-4. I guess demons don’t swim?

HEIGHT WEIGHT CHARTS

This is a chart that gives the height in feet and inches, and weight in lbs for many of the standard races.

BODY TYPE DETERMINATION TABLE

This a short table that ranges from Skinny-Boney, Wiley-Tough, Average, Muscular, Very Muscular, Obese.

NOTES ON FANTASTIC BEINGS

This an interesting but mostly useless table that lists the Average Lifespan, Age of Majority, Ability to Mate “Fertally” with Humans, General Temperament, and Notes and Observations for various races.

Ability to Mate with Humans, is a little weird. Turns out Dwarves can mate with humans? I’ve never heard of a half dwarf? Trolls, sadly cannot mate with humans. Frost and Greater Giants can mate with humans 😱.

CHARACTER AND ALIGNMENT OF PLAYERS CHART

A percentage table with a range from Lawful good to Insane. It lists alignments like Moderately Lawful, Marginally Lawful, True Neutral, Amoral and the others you are used to.

It includes: Kill Factor, Lie factor, ToleranceFactor, Loyalty Factor, and cruelty factor. I guess you could roll your alignment and then roll a percentage to decide if you should kill the goblin captive or lie to the guards? Seems like this is where role playing goes wrong some times.

Those last tables are pretty useless.

SPECIAL ABILITIES CHART FOR ALL WARRIOR TYPES AND BARBARIANS OR THOSE OF SIMILAR NATURE

This is d100 table with a list of special abilities that you might roll at first level. We used this a lot way back when. The table has a lot of random stuff like:

01-02: -1 with longswords, -2 versus cold and disease.
03-04: +1 with short swords, -1 versus all magical attacks (even clerical).
05-06: +1 with all axes, -3 versus all dragon “breath.”
…
39-40: Flesh tastes bad to monsters (75% chance they’ll “spit you out”).
…
51-55: Religious fanatic, -4 charisma and an inability to work with “pagans.”
…
71-72: Dragon friend, +2 save versus all dragons attacks (65% chance of talking).
73-74: Elf friend (they’ll never attack you first), you speak their languages.
…
89-90: Born to kill, you truly savor it, -2 charisma, 25% of going berserker.
…
**95: You are a secret were creature, roll to see what kind
…

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

I think this chart is great, a little unfocussed, and fun. Some of the entries are negative, for example: coward -8 vs fear 50% to flee in combat. There is a lot neutral stuff: good horseman you buy them for 20% less. Then there is a lot of random perks. Overall I think you could have fun with this today, and games like 5e and Mork Borg borrow from this idea.

There must be 50+ entries which give a lot of options. I doubt much though went into game balance. Games like 5e might have put too much into game balance.

SPECIAL ABILITIES CHART FOR MAGES, ILLUSIONIST, DRUIDS, ALCHEMISTS, MEDICINE MEN, PSYCHICS AND THOSE OF MAGICAL NATURE

Same as above but for magic users.

01-02: +1 with daggers, dodges well/+1 versus missiles, large monters
03-04: Chronic insomnia, +5 versus sleep spells but -5 charisma.
…
31-32: Sleep and charm competent, -3 versus all dragon “breeths.”
33-34: Cold and poison competent, -3 versus magical disintegration.
…
89-90: Natural magical linguist (read all magical writings without trouble).

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This table is good not quite as fun as the warrior table. Funny that it lists some classes that are not listed in the earlier tables “Medicine Men”.

SPECIAL ABILITIES CHART FOR CLERICS OF ALL TYPES, BARDS, SINGERS, WITCH HUNTERS, PALLIDINS, and ALL OF MORE RELIGIOUS THAN MAGICAL NATURE

More of the same but focussed clerics and bards?

01-02: Mountain man, plus 2 to strength, agility, and dexterity. Climb as a thief.
…
07-08: Sickly and anemic, -2 off all character attributes, cannot be hasted.
…
56-60: Desert born, add plus 3 to constitution and ability to find water (90%).
…
96: Clerical spell competent (all spells), and elf friend (see mages list).
…

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This is more of the same. Maybe less focussed than the mages chart. These charts often share entries like Elf friend, and flesh tastes bad to monsters. Here some of the entries seem problematic for some some classes they apply to.

SPECIAL ABILITIES CHART FOR THIEVES, MONKS, NINJA, HIGHMAN, CORSAIRS, ASSASSINS, TRADERS, SLAVERS, RANGERS, AND ALL OF THOSE WITH MORE OR LESS “SECRET”NATURE

More of the same but applied to rogues. Again a few classes that don’t appear in any of the other lists. I can see where Greg Stafford would not see this as incomplete. The ideas are really great but it’s stuck in minutia and doesn’t really get the big picture.

01-02: Natural locksmith, work at two levels above normal for these abilities.
02-03: +3 with daggers/knives, etc., -1 with all non-edged weapons.
04-05: +2 agility and dexterity, but -3 versus all attacks by oozes/slimes, etc.
…
08-09: Good liar (+5 charisma when so doing), -3 versus cold.
…

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

Again more of the same. There is a numbering error on line 2.

SPECIAL ABILITIES CHART FOR TECHNOS, NORMALS, SAGES, and COURTESANS ALL OTHERS NOT COVERED

I wonder if anyone played a Courtesan in the Arduin campaign adventures? Did they roll on this chart?

01-05: Good liar, plus 5 charisma when so doing, plus 2 otherwise. -2 versus cold.
06-10: Stunningly good looking, charisma is 25, but super arrogant. Plus 8 ego.
11-15: Natural mechanic, ability to figure out devices 90% of the time.
…

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

Again very similar. I can only imagine a party with a Stunningly attractive techno and a courtesan with natural mechanical ability! Sounds like a hollywood blockbuster I just saw, was it Barbie?

Next follows some character classes.

HARGRAVE’S TRADER (MERCHANT) CLASS

This is a class that gets a “bargaining” ability. They can wear leather or chainmail and use a shield, and can use short swords, scimitars, and rapiers. It’s an idea, but doesn’t fit most of the material to play.

I could get into the details but it’s not very interesting.

NEW CHARACTER TYPE “PSYCHIC”

This is described as a “naturally” psychic person. Oddly they can have no characteristic higher than 12 except intelligence. He says: “They are not very physically inclined, tend to be dreamy and ‘out of it’ most of the time.”

They don’t get spells or psionics but they do get special abilities at various levels.

1st Intuit traps.
2nd Intuit secret doors, intuit poison
3rd Clairaudience, intuit enemies (25% base, up 10% per level hereafter)
4th Intui evil, speak to plants and animals.
…

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

While this might be a useful, yet dreamy, NPC there isn’t much here to encourage people to play this. It would be great to have a trap detector along for the ride. It doesn’t say if they can use weapons and armor? They get some mental attack abilities but not until about 13th level!

NEW CHARACTER TYPE “The Barbarian”

So Dave is ahead of his time with the barbarian class. This is just a collection of random ideas based on Conan and other fiction. +3 vs fear, can use complex weapons etc.

They can choose at any time during combat to go berserk, adding +4 to their attack, but subtracting -3 from their defense. Once berserk, they will fight blindly for 1 melee turn for each level less than 20 that they are, even after all enemy are dead. There is a 60% chance for 1st level barbarians going berserk uncontrollably, rolled for every melee turn. This decreases 5% per level attained, a 13th level barbarian going berserk by choice.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimnoire

Greta ideas, mostly unusable.

NEW CHARACTER TYPE “RUNE WEAVER”

Rune Weavers were the original human magik users, learning their craft from the reptilian races of old. Their magik is stronger than that generally practiced now. It is, however, slower acting, and lengthy in its conjuration.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoir

It’s got some complicated, nonsensical, system for determining a prime requisite based on the average of dexterity and intelligence.

Then there is a bunch of stuff about mana points, this is an idea introduced in the Arduin books as an alternative spell casting system.

Run Weavers can dispel “unravel” magic. But’s not really explained in a concrete way. it takes one round per level but costs the “full dispel magik cost each turn” whatever than is?

It doesn’t offer anything about spell casting. No spells per level or how they acquire spells.

The best idea here is the flavor “learning their craft from the reptilian races of old.”

NEW CHARACTER TYPE “TECHNO’S”

Techno’s are specialists that disbelieve 100% in magic, and work from a strictly scientific point of view. …

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This is a great idea but not really useful at the gaming table. The abilities of the techno are not really useful and they “never wear armor unless it’s something like a flak jacket. They also never carry anything except technological weapons to fight with.” Gamma world characters have it easier!

NEW CHARACTER TYPE “MEDICINE MAN”

Described as a “barbarian priest/mage” and akin to druids. They get some mana points but it doesn’t say what spells they get. Not useful or incomplete!

NEW CHARACTER TYPE “WITCH HUNTER”

These characters are religious fanatics (99% christian) that are obnoxiously “holier than thou” in their attitude towards just about everyone and everything.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

A good idea for your novel, doesn’t really work at the game table. Might have been good for the special abilities table?

Witch Hunter has a detailed level; advancement table. It looks like they get spells? Doesn’t say what types of spells. Seems at odds with the premise.

MULTIVERSAL TRADING COMPANY PRICE LIST (in Gold Sovereigns)

This is a really fun table of stuff you can buy. It includes weapons and armor. It’s not too far off from the standard tables you might find but was much more interesting in 1977. It’s got armor and weapons, rope and torches etc.

It also has some things like poison, antidotes, healing (Doctor Johns Salve)

MAGIC IN ARDUIN

I have to make the point that I have used the word “Magik” where Dave has used this spelling and “Magic” where this spelling appears. Not sure if Dave had some idea where these are different? This section is labeled “Magic”.

This section described ho mages memorize spells and how they cast spells. It gets into minutia like how many hours it takes to memorize a spell by level. There is a little too much detail here and this is not adding to the game. It does clarify some things that were hadn’t waved in early editions of the game.

There are some good ideas and some half baked things that are not practical. For example:

If a mage has tried a fireball against an orc, and the orc made his saving roll and took only half damage, that means that as far as that particular type of spell concerned, it does not work well against that particular orc, and from that time forward, his saving roll is automatically made against that mages fireballs.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

Wow, the suggestion is to keep track of every monster, every mage and every spell they have cast and remember where saving rolls were made. What happens if you miss the first save but made a following save? This is obviously half baked, but presented with an air of the all knowing expert, which I guess you can be if you are writing the rules and creating the “world”.

This is followed by “MAGIC IN ARDUIN CONTINUED” and “EVEN MORE MAGIC IN ARDUIN” which are more esoteric rules and ramblings about the use of magic. None of this is really useful but it is interesting to read to get an idea of what people were thinking about it 1977.

NOTES ON PLAYER CHARACTER TYPES

A short section that you can play type of character you like. Not just the “Tolkeinian” types.

For you will never know the joys of having your Jewish Kobold run up to every dwarf he see’s and ask for penny, no, you will never see your Phraint (insect) warrior leap fifteen feet over the heads of your more mundane comrades to get at the giant spider, nor will you ever thrill to the sight of your centaur knight being followed through the passages of a dungeon by his Sancho Panza holding a whisk broom, dust pan and large sack.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin

CLERICAL TURN-AWAY CHART

An alternative chart for turning undead. It uses a d20, if I recall the original method used 2d6 if I recall. It also shows undead as type rather than hit dice.

The d20 roll is a nod to the future that Dave missed but the table is more complicated than it should be as it tries to show turning chances for each undead type: Skeleton, Ghouls, Wraiths, Ghosts, Mummy etc.

HARGAVE’S DETECT ABILITY CHART

Looks like chances to detect things like Poison, Evil, Masked Magic, Curses, Disease, Hidden Injury, Alignment, Weather, Enemies, and Undead by character class. For example Mages have a 55% chance to “detect” the weather. Or, Clerics have a 45% chance to detect Poison.

The table also lists: Amulets, Rings, Winds, Rods, and Staves. I’m assuming that this trying to show the chance that an amulet of poison detection would have a 50% chance of detecting poison.

This is all totally unusable. Why put this here? Why not show the chance with the magical item or character class? If you had an Amulet of poison detection and it was only 50% effective it’s not really effective at all, heck I don’t really think it’s magic. Speaking of which Amulets only have a 45% chance of detecting magic!

HARGRAVE’S MAGICAL EQUIMENT SAVING THROW MATRIX

The percent chances that magical items might “save” from various types of damage, including: Heat, Cold, Energy, Disintegration, Negation, Triggers, and Electricity.

Not really useful.

CHARACTER TYPE SAVNG ROLL CHART

This is an alternative saving roll table with some alternative categories. it shows saves for Dragon Breath, Psychic Attack, Polymorph, Disintegration, Stoning, Paralysis, Poison, Venom, or Acid.

This is so arbitrary, I’m not sure that anyone has ever understood the logic behind these.

SPECIAL OR EXOTIC CHARACTERS SAVING ROLL CHART

This another saving chart but listing characters by race. It’s hard to reconcile this with the previous chart. It includes Male Elf and Female Elf. Where Male Elf saves better vs Dragon Breath but Female Elf saves better vs psychic.

There is really no reason for this except to add confusion. What if you were playing a Gnome Rune Weaver, which chart would use?

RANDOM CHANCE CHART FOR MAGIK WEAPONS

This chart is really great. It’s table that allows you to roll up weapons with magical powers. It has columns for Type of Weapon, Attack Plus, Damage Plus, Intelligence, Ego, Normal Powers, Special Attributes. It’s not unlike the magic sword generator in Dungeon Crawl Classics.

You could roll up weapons like:

• Dagger, +1 Attack, +3 damage, Intelligence 4, Ego 10, Detect magic
• Cutlass +3 Attack +1 Damage Intelligence 14, Ego 12, Detect Distance, 100% Anti-Cleric magic shell
• War Pick, +3, Damage +5, Itelligence 16, Ego 9, +2 dexterity, ESP, Speed, Elemental Conjuring.

These are a little random but the range of weapon types and powers is compelling. There is not much thought to balance, like we see in 5e, where your class powers are now the way to buff your character, and magic items are watered down and limited to prevent over powered characters.

Unlike 5e and modern games the rules are missing or vague. What is “Speed”?

PRISMATIC WALLS AND THEIR USAGE

This is a section on Prismatic walls. What exactly is a prismatic wall? Dave Says:

Within the realms of the various “dungeon worlds” there rages a controversy over what a prismatic wall is, and how it may be used. Therefore in order to shed some more light on the matter, I herewith describe how they are throught of and used with this borders Arduin.

A prism is most often used to separate the colors of light, not to combine them (giving one plain light). Because of this we see prismatic walls as separate colors each with a different property and magical effect, thus giving rise to the many different types of prismatic walls all differentiated by color! Here is the list of known types of prismatic walls and their properties:

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

I never knew there was a raging debate about this, I’ve only ever read about prismatic walls in Arduin! And, I’ve never encountered one in actual game play.

There follows a list of color, effects, and nullifying agents.

Red – Stops all missiles, 12 pts damage. – Ice Storm
Blue – Stops all clerical spells, flesh to stone. – Disintegrate
…
Magenta – Stops all time oriented spells, 3-36 pts – Thunderbolts (8 dice and up).
…
Black & Silver Stops all “psychic” activity, mind wipe!!! – Thunderclap or high intensity sound***
…

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

Okay, so the idea, just the name, “Prismatic Wall” is very compelling, but we really don’t get much in the way of rules here, how is the game master to adjudicate these things? What are thunderbolts and Thunderclaps? They might be spells but who would have these? When it says stops Time oriented magic, what exactly is this and how often would it come up in game play?

I feel like someone should write a fanzine about prismatic walls. If you could explain them coherently there could be a real debate!

NEW AND UNUSAL SPELLS

DRIDICAL MAGIK

This is a list of new spells for druids. The names and descriptions are inspired. I’m not sure that any of these spells to recommend them over spells in the players handbook. That’s probably a good thing since these don’t seem to be over powered.

Name: TAYYNWYN’S SPELL OF SINGING WINDS Level: 3rd Mana Cost: 3 Plus 3 per hour to sustain Range: 120′ Area of Effect: 60′ diameter plus additional 10′ per level over level needed for use Effects: A wonderfully scented gentle wind blows melodious music within the spell area, which immediately charms all up to 6th level into sitting and listening raptly.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

That’s a pretty good spell. Like a mass charm or sleep it’s 3rd level, you’d need to be 5th or higher to cast this. Seems balanced. The description is very flavorful. Some details are missing. If you are sitting raptly what happens if you are attacked? Seems like a loose end that could create some argument.

Name: CUELCHAN’S SPELL OF THE WONDERFUL WIND HORSE Level: 5th Mana Cost: 5 plus 1 per 10 minutes’ use Area Effected: None Effects: Horse-shaped air elemental of fog and shifting mist will appear to do the druid’s bidding. It can “run” in the air at 48″/turn and attacks with 2 hooves for 2-16 each and 1 bite for 1-8. It can be ridden or sent on errands.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

Another spell that seems pretty balanced. The horse is pretty good it’s got great attacks! But you’d have to be 9th level to cast it. Again the description really makes this special and compelling.

MAGES’ SPELLS

Some magic user spells.

Name: THE ROSY MIST OF REASON Level: 1st Mana Cost: 1 plus .5 per minute held in place Range: 60′ plus 10′ per level of user Area Affected: 60′ diameter Effect: A cloud of rose-colored mist that causes all intelligent types to save versus magik at -4, or be reasonable and discuss things instead of fighting. All unintelligent types have a 10% chance of leaving, 20% chance of being indecisive, and a 70% chance to eat you!

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This is a really great spell. Sort of a mass charm person but rather than charmed those effected have to “be reasonable”. It’s got a lot of role players potential.

I seem to remember someone in our game group actually using this in a game at some point.

Name: THE WAILING WHEEL OF FIRE (or “Pyroman’sPinwheel”) Level: 4th Mana Cost: 4 plus .5 per melee turn retained Range: 33′ plus 3′ per user level over level needed for use Effects: A whirling, wailing pinwheel or fire showering sparks in all directions. All hit take 2-24 fire damage, and if 3rd level or less ands within 20′, save versus fear or flee in terror. Total concentration is required to maintain it.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

Another reasonable spell. At 4th level it’s a level higher than Fireball, does less damage but has a fear effect and can be maintained for a number of rounds.

There are more spells with names like:

• THE FLAMES OF DOOM
• RHOAR-EEE’S TRANSIT SPELL
• MASAYUKI’S MIST OF MALEVOLENT MISERY
• MORGORN’S SPELL OF RED DEATH
• YORGAN’S FALLING FOREVER SPELL
• SULTHOE’S BLAZE OF GLORY

The last on the list is an 8th level spell that fires off all of you remaining spells at once!

There is also “STAFFORD’S STAR BRIDGE” a 9th level spell that creates a magical rainbow bridge that can support anything but selectively allows others to fall through. I suspect this was a poke at Greg Stafford for not publishing the work originally.

CLERICAL SPELLS

• AURA OF EVIL DETECTION
• KORGEN’S CLOUD OF KINDNESS – (same effects as Rosy mist of reason)
• TRANSFER CURSE
• GATHERING THE SHEAVES – Reassembles dismembered or even vaporized body parts.
• WILAMON’S WALL
• WISIONS OF HELL

And more.

These clerical spells also have a Mana Cost so Dave meant for Clerical magic to use the same spell casting system as Magic users. I like system that make a distinction, like DCC. I’d rather have divine spell casters that work from a different source of power, it adds flavor.

RUNE WEAVER MAGIK

Hargraves’ New Magikal Spells (Wonderous Webs of Power)

This subheading seems to imply this some Rune Weaver magik. It hints that rune Weavers would be spinning webs of magik. There is a list of colored webs with names and effects. The spells shown range from 3rd to 10th level. Your first through 4th level Rune Weavers don’t have much to do.

Basically these are all magical webs that trap things with different effects. For example “Spell of the Web that eats Man” is 4th level and creates a 10′ diameter web of green slime. Kaid’s Web of the Wonderous Star Spyder is 10th level, creates a 20′ diameter energy web, that shrinks 4′ per melee turn to a point, that then blinks out. Anything entangled “dimension ported to another universe. It holds up to 20 dice.

Not sure how to read that it’s all pretty vague. Not publishable! But there is a creative spark here that, if it could be harnessed, could have gone on to do great things.

NEW MAGIKAL TREASURES

A list of magical treasures from the Arduin universe. A couple of these appear in the adventures with illustrations. I have reviewed these here, here, here, and here.

The magical treasure seem a little more powerful than the spells. Rumor has it that the Arduin campaign was a little over powered.

Item: WITCH FIRE WAND Value: 3,500 G.S. plus 100 G.S. per charge Charges: 1 to 100 Looks: Shiny black 18″ long wand with a glowing golf-bal-sized blue sapphire tip Range: 60′-90′ Effects: A brilliant 6″ wide whistling blue flame that spirals out from to form a cone 15′ across it’s far end. All hit take 3-36 fire damage and are paralyzed (except elves who are stunned). It can be “started” up to 30′ from the tip of the wand.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This is pretty strong but not out of control for a higher level party. Dave is into the funny dice. Here he’s using 3d12, earlier he was using 2d12 for another effect. It’s good to see the d12 getting some love!

The description is great. Very evocative and dripping with flavor.

Item: MISTY BOOTS OF SILENT SPEED Value: 50,000 G.S. Looks: Boots of translucent grey-blue mister fog that is ever-shifting and changing, yet always the same Effects: The wearer can move on any surface (even illusions!) at double speed. They exert absolutely no ground pressure. The weaker is also 100% silent.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This is a great item, good description, a little over the top. Powerful though I’m not sure how much abuse could be squeezed out of these. Being able to move on any surface could get out of hand.

Note! G.S. stands for Gold Sovereign. This was the standard Gold Piece in Arduin.

There are also items like:

• RING OF THE NIGHT
• RING OF RAPID TRANSIT (ENGRAVED WITH B.A.R.T.)
• SHIELD OF DEFENSE
• GAUNTLET OF THE FENCING MASTER
• STAFF OF DRUIDS
• HELM OF WAR
• HOLY (or Un-Holy) ROBES
• SLAVERS LASH
• RING OF REMEMBERING
• HAWK HELM
• DOCTOR JOHNS SALVE
• GOLDEN CENTAUR SALVE
• GOLDEN DROPS OF HEAVENLY ESSENCE
• BOOTS OF BANANA PEEL
• MIGHTY, MYSTICAL SILVER SLINGSHOT OF SLAYING
• RING OF RUTHLESSNESS
• JAVELIN OF DEVESTATION
• OIL OF INSTANT IMMOLATION
• OIL OF INSANITY
• OIL OF INSTANT OBEDIENCE
• WHIMESY WINE
• DOOM FIRE WAND

These are an interesting read.

NOTES ON ALIGNMENT AND PLAYABILITY

This is useless section on alignment. it states that “Law does not mean good and chaos does not mean bad, and neutral certainly does not mean deliberately inbetween”. While this does not really constitute a complete rule set, and is a little all over the map, I feel like Dave could have written a great D&D advice column.

GENERAL NOTES ON MONSTER, COMBAT AND THE LIKE

Not really a rules just some vague ramblings on what can hit magical creatures. I suspect that Dave never even stuck with what is presented here. He says:

All mythological/magical creatures can always hit all other creatures, regardless of the fact that the intended target can go gaseous, ethereal or whatever (and they can always see each other). Whereas normal creatures cannot even scratch anything other than other normal types. Yes, that does mean that a 20 hit dice giant spider (of normal mutational birth) cannot touch the 3 dice ghoul that is slowly picking it apart with his junior woodchuck pocket knife. However, that little ghoul can be shoved aside by superior strength, webbed and the like by that big spider, or better overrun.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

So now we have distinction between magical and normal creatures and magical creatures have a damage immunity to non-magical types. Fun on paper or in a discussion with grognards in the bar at the con. but not practical in anyway.

There are a few other rules here about how much experience to award if a monster flees, and clerics who fail turn attempt can try again, and undead are only repelled by their own holy symbols. The last example suggests that Moslem Vampires need to see the name of Allah to be turned. This is all useless baggage, in opinion, that would just weigh down game play.

This goes on for a few pages.

MOVEMENT OF MEN AND MONSTERS

An equally useless section about ways to handle movement and how fast someone can move in a minute.

MELEE CHART

This page has some diagrams of character facing on eight sided bases. This includes shield and attack bonuses, visual sighting, emergency turn, and fall penalty. Nonsense simulationist waste of space. Why not hexagons?

WEAPON ATTACK CHART

This looks like a chart that shows weapon bonuses vs AC values. Another bunch of nonsense.

I have to say that I doubt Dave, or anyone else really used a lot these idea. They just seem cumbersome, and not very well explained.

WEAPON DAMAGE TABLE

A table showing weapon damage vs size of monsters shown as hit dice. For example A Broadsword does 1-6 vs 1/2 HD or less, 1-12 vs 3+1 to 4 HD, and 1-4 vs 24+1 to 30 HD. It’s got all of the stops in between. Waste of time adds nothing to game play.

MISSILE WEAPONS ATTACK CHART

Attack modifiers for missile weapon types against AC values.

MISSILE WEAPONS DAMAGE TABLE

Damage adjustments for missile weapons against HD.

MAIN COMBAT TABLE

This is Dave’s version of the to hit table from the basic game. I’m not sure if this is different. 1-2 level needs a 10 to hit AC 9. The table makes a point of describing AC as base AC + magical bonus for example: “If a person has chain mail and a magik +3 shield, his armor class would be 4 + 3”.

CRITICAL HIT TABLE

This is a percentage table with a hit location, result, and damage for critical hits. This is a great idea it adds a lot of color, but it does make combats more deadly. DCC has absorbed this but their table is not as much fun.

Entries include:

01-02: Head, Frontal – Brain penetrated, immediate death. – 4-32
03-04: Neck, frontal – Voicebox ruined, total voice loss. – 1-8
05-06: Wrist – Hand severed, die in 1-8 minutes. – 3-18
…
26-30: Fingers – 1-5 (roll) severed (roll side). – 1- each
…
43-44: Head, General – Stunned, 1-10 melee turn. No fighting. – 1-2
…
100: Head – Entire head pulped and splattered over a wide area, irrevocable death insues. – Total

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

You can see the chart is all over the map. There is no attempt for balance. More than a few entries are fatal and some are little extra damage. Its a good idea but it does favor the monsters!

What’s missing here is a definition of a critical hit. Back when it was always assumed that a critical was a natural 20 but there is no mention of that.

HARGRAVE’S FUMBLE TABLE

Not sure why some tables are listed as “HARGRAVE’S” and others are just named. Dave needed an editor.

This is another great that adds a lot of color to the game and was used by DCC.

Entries include:

01-05: glancing blow – one-half normal damage
06-10: weapon twists in hand(s) – one-quarter normal damage and lose next turn
11-15: weapons (both) tangled – both parties lose next attack, 25% chance to drop.
…
41-49: hit yourself – one half normal damage
…
56-60: bump ally – each makes agility roll or loses attack as above
…
98: critical hit nearest ally – just as it says
99: critical hit yourself – yep, you did it
100: roll three times on the above table – accept all three roll results

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This another table, less interesting than the crib table, that is all over the map. It’s funny that some of the results score damage on a miss!

A note at the bottom states:

These rolls are made when the attacking player rolls a double one on the dice, and all results are final and irrevocable.

This chart will put realism into the game like nothing you have ever seen, unless you have been to a society tourney and seen the novices clobbering everyone but those they’re supposed to hit!

One suggestion, though, as “GOD,” you can adjudicate according to level by giving the players with characters over say eighth level a lower percent of damage taken/given, and melee time lost. That however, is up to the individual “GOD.”

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This is interesting, there appears to be a rule for when to apply the fumble table. It says “double on on the dice” I’ll assume this was the old days when d20 had numbers from 0-9 twice and people often rolled another die along with it. For example on d6 1-3 and the d20 was read as it showed, on a 4-6 you added 10 to the d20 result. But! if both dice were 1, then a fumble would occur less often than rolling 1 in 20.

It is also notable that the note here doesn’t refer to the DM or GM but “GOD.” Did Dave see himself as “GOD”?

BRAWL CHART

A ridiculously complicated, and I suspect half baked, attempt to simulate a hand to hand combat with called actions like: Duck Right, Go to one knee, Step into opponent etc.

There is some attempt to explain how to use this but I’m not sure it really works.

WERE-CREATURES COMBAT TABLE

A table for were creature with hit dice, AC, and attacks. Might be useful. It sort of condense all were creatures into a single table.

This table includes: Wolf, Bear, Lion, Tiger, and Weasel, Otter, Wasp, Beetle, and a lot more. I wonder how many were Otters and Were Wasps appeared in Arduin?

DINOSAUR CHART

Similar to the were creature chart this chart features a list of dinosaurs their hit dice, AC, Speed, and attacks.

SEA CREATURES LIST

Same but for sea creatures.

ESCAPE TABLES

Looks like a table that determines if character escapes the grasp or jaws of monster? There’s no description on how to use this. There is a note at the top that reads: “*Subtract 10% if tentacles hit. Add 5% if claws hit. Subtract 20% if jaws enclose. Add 10% if hands grab.” This doesn’t make any sense.

The table shows “MONSTER LEVEL” as hit dice and values based on character class. With a bonus per level. For example: FIGHTER +10% per level. 1+1 75% is the first row. I’m guessing your second level fighter has an 85% chance to escape, 75% if tentacles, 90% if claws, etc.

So I guess this makes some sense. In practice seems too complicated.

DUNGEON MONSTER ENCOUNTER CHART

A random monster table by level. It includes standard monsters, some Arduin specific monsters, and some monsters that are never mentioned but maybe get a writ up in later Arduin books?

The list has some interesting mentions: Mindworms, Conheads, Giant Air Squids, Moutharms, Stirge Bears. And a copyrighted creatures like: Beholder, Rust Monsters, and Umber Hulk.

I’d like to see the stats for Mondworms and Stirge Bears!

OVERLAND (WATER) MONSTER ENCOUNTER CHART

An encounter table for overland and sea encounter. It includes Forest, Jungle, Swamp, Arctic/Snow, Plains/Open, Caverns.

WEATHER TABLES

This is a mostly useable table that determines weather conditions by season. It’s a percentage table with 28 entries. Just roll and read the weather.

It’s not perfect, looks like Summer on a roll of 91 you get “Cold, zero – 30˚, wind 10-20 MPH. Or Summer 99: “Snowstorm, zero visibility, wind cyclonic”. I guess weather conditions in Arduin are chaotic?

SPECIAL AT SEA WEATHER

A shorter table with weather conditions applied to sea travel.

RANDOM FOG AND MIST GENERATION CHART FOR DUNGEON ROOMS

This is interesting, I’m not sure how useful but interesting. It’s a table that generates a fog or mist that might appear in a dungeon room. It includes Color, Smell, Visibility, Sounds, and Special Effects.

You could generate things like:

• A red fog that smells like Jasmine, with visibility 7′, and sounds of rasping metal, and the effect of “*Delayed Diarrhea”.
• * indicates 1-20 minute delay time, with 1-20 hours lasting effects (roll)

Or this one:

• Silver & Gold mist, smells like corned beef & cabbage, visibility varys 3′-7′, sounds of distant bells, Effect delayed acid disintegration.

Okay so your party walks into the first fog and they all get diarrhea. Then they run into a second mist and start disintegrating? Good luck adjudicating this!

RANDOM TRAP MATRIX

Not sure why some things are “charts” others are “tables”, and this is a matrix. They are all just lists!

This is a d20 table with two columns “Floor Traps” and “Ceiling Traps”. Her are a few items:

• 10′ fall onto 7′ steel spears
• 5′ fall into 5′ deep green slime
• 50′ long teleport shaft to?
• 10′ fall to molten lava (100% fatal)
• Magic floor over purple worms mouth
• Umpire special! Anything goes!
• Sex change ray, no save!
• Disintegrate Ray
• Magic Negation Ray (all magic must save)
• Hydraulic roof smashes to floor
• Heat Ray (2 dice damage per level)

There often isn’t any save or damage listed. Not very useful, except to inspire some traps you might write yourself.

MOST MALIGNANT & MALEFIC MISSERIES KNOWN

A list of diseases that player might contract. Includes Where usually contracted, name, Symptoms and effects. For example

Screaming Scarlet Sickness is contracted in Swamps. The victim turns bright scarlet and feels, literally like he’s on fire! So he screams. It is not fatal, but the pain is so bad there is a 10% chance per day (it lasts 5-10 days) that the victim will go permanently crazy.

5-10 days is that a d6+4? Permanently crazy what is that exactly? Not sure this is adding anything to my games.

The Spiraling Death (Death doom spiral) contracted in the desert. The victims motor/nerve/stability center malfunction & he walks in an ever smaller spiral (he sees it as a straight line). It lasts 3-30 days & is not fatal in itself. It has a 3% chance/day of becoming permanent.

Weird, so you walk in an ever smaller spiral. What happens when you get to the center? What about therapy?

These are fun but useless. The best part is the names.

NEW MONSTERS

A list of monster from Arduin with stats. This is one of the better parts of the book. The ideas here are good. It doesn’t complete with the monster manual but it is more creative!

Here are a few of my favorites:

AIR SHARK: HD 3+1 to 24+1; AC: 5+2; Speed: 18″ to 36″ (air only); Dext: 14-18; Number: 1-20 (more in special “frenzy” situations); % Liar: too stupid to ; Attacks: 1 bite for 1-8 to 8-80 (the skin can do 1-2 to 1-12 points “scrape” damage on brush bys); Looks: As for each type of shark; Notes: they swim through the air like normal sharks do through water. Due to hydrogen gas bladders in their bodies they are highly susceptible to fire, sometimes exploding a fireball equal to its HD and 5′ diameter for each said HD. They are 100% fear proof. Their rushing attacks bowl over all they hit of their own size or less.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

That’s a pretty good monster. It has a lot of flavor and interesting side effects. The rules are not so clear but this was 1977 no one had established a standardized stat block!

It’s interesting that Dave gave all of these monsters variable stats. It’s a headache to calculate for the DM but it is an innovation from the Monster Manual where a 1 HD monster was always a 1 HD monster.

Why are HD always X+1? Makes no sense! Why AC: 5+2? This implies from the earlier notes that it would be chainmail with a +2 magical bonus, but I doubt the Air Shark has magical armor. Why not AC 3? That’s another funny thing about this system! The bonus is subtracted from the value.

% Liar is another interesting addition. Was there a lot of role play and character interaction with monster in the Arduin world, where you would need to know the chance something would lie to you?

BOOGIE MAN: HD: 8+1 to 12+1; AC 2+4; Speed: 9″ (fly at 27″); Dext: 20; Number: Always alone; % Liar: 100%;; Attacks: 2 kicks for 1-12 to 2-26 each, 2 horns for 1-8 to 1-12 each, and 1 bite for 1-16 to 2-24. All hits drain 1-4 strength points. Those who lose all strength die and become shadows under the monsters control. Looks: Shadowy, semi-winged, horned and hanged nightmare. Notes: 100%fear, paralysis, confusion, and acid resistant. Only magic or techno energy weapons hit it. Clerical light “burns” it 1 dice per 2 clerical levels. It can regenerate all but that kind of light at 6 points per turn. It can pass through solid objects and uses up to 3rd level magic. Though a class off undead, it cannot be “turned away”.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

So this is like a super shadow or shadow lord.

Dave really likes the d12, it seems to be used a lot.

DEODANTH: HD 4+1 to 9+1; AC 2+Dext.; Speed: 18″; Dext: 17-20; Numbers: 1 to 20; % Liar: 90%; Attacks: 2 claws for 1-8 to 3-18 and 1 bite for 1-4 to 1-12 (with 20% chance of 1 life drain); Looks: 6′ to 7′ tall ebon humanoids with flaming red eyes and silver claws and fangs. They wear military trappings but no clothes. Notes: they can leap 20′ to 40′ in any direction and hate elves so much they always attack them on sight. They are 50% magic resistant and cannot be life drained.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This seems inspired by Jack Vance’s Deodand. This and a few others really seem to define the setting of Arduin. There are more than a few monster with a hatred of elves. Not sure what Dave’s beef with elves was?

HELLMAIDEN: HD 5+1 to 8+1; AC: 4; Speed: 9″; Dext: 14 to 18; Number: 1 to 120; % Liar: 90% Attacks: 1 per turn by weapon type plus 1-6 for strength; Looks Voluptuous bodies valkyrie like warrior women with bare skull heads. They wear chain mail and use shield, lance, and sword or axe. Notes: only silver or magic weapons can hit them (or techno energy weapons). They are 100% immune to paralysis, fear, confusion, sleep, charm, or life drains. They ride “Hell Horse,” are canabalistic, and screech and gibber in combat. They are no undead.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This another good one. The description is great women warriors with skulls for heads. Hell Horse is another Arduin Monster!

KNOBLINS: HD 1+2; AC: 6 (wings 8); Speed: 4″ (20″ fly); Dext: 14 to 18; Number: 4 to 48; % Liar: 50%; Attack: 1 hit for 1-3 or by weapon type (usually 4-dice poison darts); Looks: a weird combination of a little goblin, a bit of kobold, and a smidge of bat. Usually dusty gray to black in color. Fairly small. Notes: not very brave, they prefer ambushes.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

Flying goblins are a good idea. 4 dice poison darts sound pretty deadly!

PHRAINT: HD: 1+1 to 12+1; AC 3 to 2; Speed: 9″ to 15″; Dext: 17 to 24; Number: 1 to 40; % Liar: they never lie; Attacks: by weapon type or 1 claw for 1-4 5 to 1-10, 1 bite for 1-4 to 1-8 and 1 sting of 1-2 to 1-4 plus never more than 1+1 dice venom; Looks: 9′ to 9′ tall bright metallic blue, green, or silver grey insect warriors, erect, resembling a cross between a mantis and a an ant but with only 2 legs and 2 arms. They usually carry javelins and two-handed swords. Notes: they can leap 15′ to 30′ and so in battle throwing their javelins at the to of their arc and landing, sword in hand to strike. They are cold, emotionless, and logical, a veritable bug “Mr. Spock.”

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This is another definitive Arduin Monster. It think Phraint and Deodanth are also playable character races. They are 9′ tall!

Again this suffers from a lack of rules clarifications hard to tell what some of the features are. Do you get a save vs venom? Can they use all of the attacks in one round?

Funny that AC is 3 or 2 not 4+1 or 4+2. Not sure where this bonus number is coming from. Maybe people felt they had to include that in the early days as an expression of mastery of the esoteric rules.

The book lists 29 monster. Most are usable. There are a couple that could be scrapped and a couple that might never get used for other reasons.

NEW GOLEM TYPES

A list of new golem types. This is interesting and may or may not be useful. Here are the types.

• Silver
• Gold
• Mithril
• Adamantine
• Orichalcum
• Shadow
• Light

Here is a sample:

Type: ADAMANTINE; HD: 120 points; AC 2+5; Speed: 5″; Dext: 8 to 12; Number: 1 to 6; Attack: 1 hit for 7-56 and 3 times a day a 45′ x 5′ disintegrate ray; Notes: 100% disintegrate, etc. proof.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

Nothing special, lacks the flavor of the monsters. The idea isn’t bad. The rules are vague “Notes: 100% disintegrate, etc. proof. ” what is etc. here?

Hargrave’s DEMON LORE

This looks like someone’s list of notes about demons. For example I. All demons have infra-vision good to 120′ or more. II. Demons hear everything within 120′ regardless of obstruction.

It’s a good to outline these things but this is not really useful. There is a lot of esoteric stuff that would never be used, and has no relevance.

Interesting is this note:

VII. Conjuration of demons requires that those doing so be of equal level to the type called. Chance of control is: at Parity, 10%; plus 1 level, 15%plus 2 levels 20%; plus 3 levels, 25%; plus 4 levels. 30% plus 5 levels, 40%; and up 10% thereafter. However the % of control probability is halved vis-à-vis greater demons. Maintaining control requires 100% concentration!

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This doesn’t make much sense to game play but I like the idea of rules for summoning demons, it’s got that Elric of Melnibone’ flavor.

Too bad the satanic panic didn’t launch Dave’s career!

What is here could never be used in game play. There are too many unanswered questions. Who can summon demons? What kind of demons can you summon? How do those percentage really work? What is concentration?

THE 21 PLANES OF HELL

This seems to be some notes on Arduin lore and cosmology. It lists the 21 planes of hell with Primary inhabitants, Atmosphere, Average temperature, Terrain, Looks, Notes etc.

For example :

The first plane of hell is home to earth demons (this are defined later in the book). The Atmosphere is carbon monoxide, humans die in 1-3 minutes. 130˚, Copper colored sky, ragged basalt, lava flows, dark, dry earth. No plant life of any kind. 60 hour day, no moon, golden aurora at night masks the stars.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This is very evocative but I can’t see it becoming useful unless you need to explain why a character that was transported to a plane of hell by a trap has died. The atmosphere is carbon monoxide and the temperature is 130˚.

These all sound like other worlds. Here’s another:

4th plane of hell. Home of wind demons. Very high in neon and xenon but breathable by humans for 4 hours. Endless deserts with occasional oasis of flame. Red vegetation (the sands are shiny black). 3 pale red moons in the toilet sky. Silver clouds. There are no bodies of water above ground. Mountains of basalt and granite criss-cross the continent rising to 50,000 feet. 25 hour day.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

Another great little description. This could almost be used for an adventure. The players find themselves trapped on the 4th plane of hell. They must survive under ground, more than 4 hours above ground is fatal. The techno can explain about neon and xenon gasses.

LESSER DEMONS

This section outlines seven lesser demons. These are better than the demons found in D&D which I never liked. They just didn’t have a “demonic” flavor to me. These have a good sword and sorcery demonic flavor.

Type: ICE DEMON; HD 8 to 10; AC 2; Speed: 8″ (10″ flying); Dext: 10 to 18; Numbers: 2 to 6; Attacks: 2 claws for 2-20 each plus 1-10 intense cold damage, and 3 times/minute they can breathe a 3-36 cone of cold 30’x10′; Looks: Smooth snow white, 7′ to 8′ tall humanoids with translucent , ice-like bat wings and 3 eyes like chips of ice in a pyramid formation over a long fanged mouth; Notes: 100% impervious to cold, paralysis, and slow spells. They take 1/2 damage from acids, but fire does 50% more damage. They can create walls of ice at will, use 1st level magik, and can drop the air temperature 20˚ per turn to -180˚ maximum in a 30′ diameter area around them. Inside that area, or in other intensely cold places, they get +2 to all their attributes. They hate titans and was constantly with them. Their favorite food is amazon meat.

Dave Hargrave – Arduin Grimoire

This is really great, very original, demonic flare. The rules are a bit random with a lot of fluff that would be pointless in a game. The idea that they war with titans is good. The physical description is great. The idea that they get +2 to attributes in “intensely cold places” is not useful, hard to track and doesn’t do anything for game play. The temperature control ability is also something that is either overpowered or not useful in game play.

The books provides descriptions for: Wind Demons, Fire Demons, and Earth Demons.

The last page has a poorly drawn overland map. The back cover has a drawing of what could be an interesting dungeon map.

Conclusions

This is an interesting book from the early days of self published RPG zines. It’s like a zine on steroids at over 100 pages long. Sadly the content is hit and miss. There is a lot of vague ramblings about “how to play the game”, and a few things that truly inspire.

Would I buy this book? Originals go for top dollar on the used market these days. You can get reprints but they are still costly and if the content hasn’t been updated I don’t think it’s worth it.

If you can get a copy it’s worth perusing the pages for the bits of inspiration. Highlights are:

• Character Special abilities table
• New Spells
• New Magical treasures
• New Monsters
• Planes of Hell
• Lesser Demons