KENZER &

K n i g h t s of the
D i n n e r T able
COMPANY
TM

No.4
$2.95 USA
$3.50 CAN

“Have Dice Will Travel”

 Knights of the
Dinner Table TM

“Have Dice Will Travel”

By Jolly R. Blackburn
Cover by Jason Holmgren

“The GAMEMASTER’S SCREEN is a wall. It symbolizes the line of division between

player and referee. And it shall not be breached nor diminished. The Good Gamemaster holds the
line and is unwavering on his calls and decisions. the players are at constant odds with the
gamemaster. it is their unspoken mission to chisel away at the wall - to bring it down brick by
brick. it is the gamemaster’s job to thwart them.”

i’m sorry brian. i still think the

introduction to the new edition of
the HACKMASTER:
GAMEMASTER’s GUIDE is
simply BRILLIANT.
what part of it do you have a
problem with??

SPECIAL THANKS TO DAVE PETERSEN FOR PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE

Knights of the Dinner Table™ is published monthly by KODT Enteractive Facktory. Subscriptions are available by sending check or money
order (made payable to KODT), to KODT. 1003 Monroe Pike, Marion, Indiana 46953. A one year subscription (12 issues) is $28.00 (US), $32.00
(Canada), $50.00 (Overseas). Back issues and related merchandising is also available. Send $2.00 for the current catalog and prices. Knights of the
Dinner Table™ and all prominent characters and the distinct likenesses thereof are copyright 1996 by Jolly R. Blackburn. All rights reserved
Phone (317) 664-5014• Internet jollyrb@aol.com. Look for the KODT/Facktory webpage - coming soon.
 Who’s Who in the Group
B.A. is 30 years old and lives with his parents. When he isn’t
gaming he works part-time in his dad’s dry cleaning shop. B.A.
dropped out of college to follow his dream of being a game
designer. He sunk $6,000 into his first gaming product, DOG:
the Role-Playing Game which was a bomb. B.A. suffered a
nervous breakdown and left gaming for a few years before
picking up his dice bag again. He founded the Knights of the
Dinner Table in 1976.
B.A. Felton

Bob is 26 years old and also lives with his parents. He is

currently unemployed even though he’s taken over 8 years of
vocational classes at a local tech college. He has a habit of losing
his job because of his temper and sharp tongue. Bob was the first
due-paying member of the group. Bob is from the old school of
role-playing and believes it’s all about breaking things and
killing people. He made the local papers once when he got lost in
the steam tunnels under the tech college for seven days.

Bob Herzog

Dave is 22 years old and attends Ball State University where

he is studying cultural anthropology and dance theory. Dave
was introduced to role-playing by Bob, whom he met at a local
paintball tournament. Dave is a true blooded hack-n-slasher
who becomes bored easily. He often forgets to bring his
character sheet to the game and tends to borrow someone else’s
dice. Dave originally joined the group to take advantage of the
free munchies.
Dave Bozwell

Brian is 27 years old and lives alone. He manages to make a

modest living operating a local computer bulletin board and selling
painted miniatures. Brian is typically quiet and utters only three
word sentences unless a rule has been broken or his character has
been maligned. Even though Brian can’t remember his own phone
number, he can recite entire passages of various rule books from
memory. He claims to have a girlfriend but no one has ever seen
her.
Brian VanHoose
 Sara is 25 years old and is B.A.’s cousin. She recently moved back
to Muncie, Indiana from Wisconsin and is the newest member of the
group. Unfortunately, Sara is also the only female in the group and
fights a lonely battle to bring more role-play into the group’s gaming
sessions and less hack-n-slash. Sara has decided it is her sworn
obligation to bring the other members of the group around to her
style of play. She attempts to do this by example but occasionally
has to resort to threats and physical bullying to make her point.
Sara Felton
Gary Jackson is fondly known as the, “Gawdfather of Gaming”
by millions of gaming enthusiasts around the world. His failing
wargame company, Hard 8 was about to close it’s doors for good
in 1977 when Gary tossed the dice on a hastily produced role-
playing game, T h e H a c k M a s t e r s o f E v e r K n i g h t . The first
print run was quickly snapped off the shelves and soon frantic
distributors were calling Gary’s three man shop with pleas of,
“More!”. Gary has been riding Hackmaster spin-offs ever since.
Gary Jackson
Edmund Finely was once Gary Jackson’s paperboy. One morning he
was coerced into filling an empty chair during a play-testing
session of HackMaster and became ensnared in ‘Gary’s Game’. That
was twenty years ago and Edmund has been on the Hard 8 team ever
since (though he’s only been on the payroll for the past four
months). Edmund wears the proud title of “Director of Research
and Development” and recently oversaw the production of his first
written work, A b e , B a b e s a n d R o l l e r B l a d e s described as a
“sexy, zany, time-travelling romp through history and fashion”.
Edmund Finley
Victor Fergueson became known as the ‘Lord of Steam’ when he adapted the
HackMaster rules to live-action play and began taking hand-picked groups of players
on late-night forays into the labyrinth of steam tunnels beneath Ball State University.
After ‘Fergueson’s Folly’ made national headlines (Victor and his group were lost for
8 days prompting a massive rescue search) the steam tunnels were secured and
dozens of entrances were sealed with concrete. There are several contradicting
accounts of what happened weeks later on the evening of January 5th, 1987 but it
involved a satchel of C-4 high explosive, a miscalculation of the expected blast
radius, and a medical evac of the Campus Administration Building which collapsed
during an attempt to breach the steam tunnels. The incident earned Victor the
nickname, “Nitro’ and 5 years probation.
Nitro Fergueson
“Weird” Pete Ashton is 46 years old and is the sole proprietor of a
local gamestore called the “Games Pit”. Pete is proud of the fact that
he was one of the co-designers of the cult classic role-playing game,
“LYNCH M O B ” . P e t e l o v e s t o r e l a t e t h e s t o r y o f h o w h e w a s b u r n e d b y
his partners and lost “millions.” Pete is always available for advice
and oddly seems to be very bitter about the hobby he loves so much.
He was a major stockholder in Hard 8 Enterprises but sold his shares
mere days before HackMaster was released.
Weird Pete
The Streets of Muskeegie By Jolly R. Blackburn ©1997

hey guys!! guess what. i spent the hold on there yeah!! what gives??? you got so steamed
weekend reading the new edition of BOBBA-LOUIE!! when we wiped out the entire
CATTLEPUNK and i’m really excited you swore you’d population of DESERT GORGE*
about it. i even bought gary jackson’s never run that you burned your manual.
deluxe cattlepunk campaign setting, cattlepunk again!!!
“STREETS OF MUSKEEGIE”.
how about hanging up your swords and talk about beating a
wands tonight and saddling up??? dead horse!

yeah i got all bent out of shape the last time i ran hell, i have to admit, it brian, resist!!
CATTLEPUNK. that’s true. but now i know it would be fun to form up why not try playing a
wasn’t my fault. the 1st edition was full of holes. the old gang again and lawful character this time.?
hit the outlaw trail.
you guys merely ya wanna??
exploited a sorry maam!
shoddy rule the heart of a
system. the new whadda ya say, lawful man does not
edition has SHOTGUN reside in these dusty
eliminated the BILLY? you in? britches.
quirks and bugs.

awwwh come on guys. this is a NEW edition of cattlepunk. don’t you think it calls for sigh. i yield. buffalo
NEW characters?? sara has a good point. gary says that CATTLEPUNK has jane returns from
much more adventure oops for lawful characters than the outlaw variety. cheyenne country.

nice try b.a. Gnarled bat KNICKERSON

THE BAD BOYS OF on a one-eyed mare!!! and i’ve got an this rules!!! i wish i had
SAGE are riding again.. itchy trigger finger. my TOMBSTONE CD here!!

*see Dragon™ #230

4
 okay, okay you go ahead and play your old holster that thang
characters. but i give you FAIR WARNING!!! pardner!!! we all knew the
outlaw trail leads to ruin
the $5,000 DOLLAR
and damnation when we
BOUNTY on your heads
first set foot on it.
from the old campaign is
but as TRAIL DUST
still in place. and your
NELSON always says,
NOTORIETY
“THEY’ll HANG ME FOR SURE.
FACTORS are still at
BUT FIRST THEY HAVE TO
level six for the
CATCH ME.”
DESERT GORGE
MASSACRE.

LATER THAT NIGHT...

WELL, ONE THING’S OBVIOUS.
AS YOU WALK DOWN THE BUSY MAIN STREET OF MUSKEEGIE YOU ARE BEARING JO JO ZEKE IS STILL
WITNESS TO THE BIRTH OF A BOOM-TOWN IN FULL SWING. THE HILLS WHICH BORDER WRITING THE FLAVOR TEXT
THE TOWN ON THREE SIDES ARE TEAMING WITH ACTIVITY AS HUNDREDS OF MEN FOR GARY JACKSON.
INFLICTED WITH GOLD-FEVER ATTACK THE EARTH WITH PICK AND SHOVEL.

GOLD EH?
GOT TO GET ME
SOME OF THAT
ACTION.

GUYS I KNOW YOU’RE ALL OH THERE YOU GO THINKING AGAIN! YOU KNOW WHAT THEY
ANXIOUS TO KILL, MAIM AND CALLING THINKERS IN THE WILD WEST? DEAD!! BOOTHILL IS
BREAK IN YOUR BUNKS AT THE FILLED WITH IDIOTS WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN DRAWING THEIR GUNS
OLD JAIL HOUSE BUT HERE’S BUT WERE CAUGHT ‘GETTING A FEEL FOR THE TOWN.”
AN IDEA TO CONSIDER.
Brian?? please HOLD ON GNARLED
WHY DON’T WE LAY LOW back me up. BAT. I THINK BUFFALO
AND GET A FEEL FOR THE JANE MAY BE RIGHT.
TOWN FIRST? I’M SURE THE
LAW HERE IS GOING TO BE
FAIRLY TOUGH WITH GOLD
FEVER RUNNING SO HIGH.

5
LET’S NOT FORGET HOW LETHAL THIS GAME IS. BETWEEN WELL, THAT’S REFRESHING. YOU GUYS ARE OFF TO A GOOD
THE FOUR OF US, WE ROLLED UP 69 CHARACTERS DURING START. NOW THEN, THE MOST PROMINENT BUILDINGS ON
THE DESERT GORGE CAMPAIGN. MAINSTREET ARE THE IRON MULE SALOON,
THE SIERRA MADRE BANK AND GABBY”S
LET’S GET OUR GENERAL STORE.
BEARINGS FIRST. THEN SO....WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO??
WE KICK BUTT AND
TAKE NAMES.
HEAR THAT GUYS? THEY
HAVE A BANK!!
uh, let’s go to the
KA-CHING!! saloon for a drink!

the IRON MULE SALOON is packed with dusty
prospectors, cardsharks and drifters.
there must be a dozen games of poker being
played at various tables. a piano player is
playing ‘ol susanna’. you notice there are
four empty barstools at the bar.
we’ll grab the stools. i’m ordering a
double shot of whiskey with a hair in it.
i’m taking a good look at why would you ask
the piano player. does he such a question?
have red hair?

why yes, he does have read hair. and he’s HA! i had a gut feeling oh how could i have forgotten?
wearing a green derby and a silk neckerchief. we’d meet up with him. the piano player dave and bob
RED GURDY heckled once.
PICKENS!!
GAAAAHHHH!!!! it’s him!! i got a score to settle
the dude that made me drink with him. yeah. he’s one
from the spittoon tough hombre.

6
 oh it’s gonna be no i want him to see who
SWEET getting pulled the trigger. he killed
REVENGE. let’s my character with a hurled
all shoot him in the shotglass.. and all i did was
back and run for it. ask him if he could play
“SMOKE ON
THE WATER.”
uh actually dave, you attempted to sTeal his tip
jar. unfortunately a dancehall girl noticed you
and pistol whipped you with a derringer.
red only hurled that shot
glass at you because you and
bob spiked his drink with
tobassco sauce.
incidentally, you may want to
keep in mind that you have a
bounty on your heads. there’s
a good chance red knows that.

LATER.... okay bob, you hit luke the barkeep in the shoulder with your bowie knife but he manages to take
off your head with his sawed-off shot gun before diving for cover. dave, red hits your
character with another shotglass for 18 points of damage. the dancehall girl you punched in
the face and decked grabs you by the spurs and causes you to stumble. you crash into a table
where a poker game was in progress. brian as you attempt to ride your horse into the saloon
with both guns blazing - you hit your head on the door jam and knock yourself out.
damn! hand me another oh, ganging up on i grab the cash from the register.
character sheet. me are they? down my drink and head for my

LATER STILL... after the doc finishes sewing

my wounds i’m heading for the
dave as you are sneaking up on red attempting to stab him in the back he general store.
notices your reflection on the bright shiny keys of his piano. with
lightening reflexes he spins on his piano stool and empties a colt dragoon
into your chest. you only have four hitpoints left after the pummeling buy a shovel and
you took from those disgruntled poker-players so i expect you’re dead come prospecting
with me.
i’m low-crawling up behind
the piano. did he notice?

7
EVEN LATER STILL... okay my new character is ready. his name
is knuckles nickerson. he’s bat’s brother
okay bob red forces your character to drink from the spittoon a and he wants to avenge his death.
third time. roll vs. nausea. and no, you fail to break the grip the
two dancehall girls have on you. sara the nuggets you found
are appraised at 300 dollars, 75 dollars and 250 dollars. poor mother knickerson.
she’s lost so many sons.

oh i’m hopping
mad now.

okay brian the storekeeper finally returns and says he managed to gather together all the
available nitro glycerine in town. he packed it in wet hay and it’s sitting in the stables across the
street. bob as you were blowing chunks in front of the saloon the marshall was riding by. he
halts his horse and stares hard at you. he recognizes your face from the wanted poster.

uh bob, you insisted calico

no way dude! this is a new
bob was the identical
character. no bounty on my head.
twin to dusty trail

DAMN!! i’m noose-bound!!! red took my pistol brian what’s with the nitro? i’d like to point out that
away and i accidentally bought 10 gauge quit foolin around. we’re gonna i’ve made five grand
shells for my 12 gauge shotgun. have to bust bob out of jail. panning for gold while
you’ve only managed to
rack up a bodycount for
player characters.

8
A WEE BIT LATER... brian you don’t know anything it’s the most LETHAL
about nitro glycerine. you weapon in the book sara. what
they haven’t built a jail that can hold TRAIL else do i need to know? i’m
better rethink this.
DUST NELSON....er, i mean calico bob. i taking RED out first. then
rattle my tin-cup on the bars real hard. does the we bust out bob.
marshall get a headache?? hang in there bob.
we’ll get you out.
No but your cellmate,
CRAZY ARNIE does.
roll for initiative.

okay i stand up and act like i’m stretching my arms.
i’ll even yawn to make it look good. then i suddenly
grab the satchel under the table and while
yelling, “FOR GNARLED BAT AND TRAIL
DUST NELSON!!!!” i throw it at the piano!!!!!
uh.....you’re throwing the satchel??? the satchel
that contains forty seven 12 ounce bottles of nitro?
are you sure that’s what you’re doing?

oh and i’ll dive

behind the bar YEP!!!
taking cover. didn’t expect
that did ya?

MOMENTS LATER... now THAT’S how

The shockwaves are felt up to 75 miles away in Rapid SPRINGS. at first it is reported that you LIGHT UP
muskeegie was struck by a COMET - so great was the devastation. the saloon, jail and hung A TOWN.
mac’s laundry are vaporized along with everyone in those buildings. most of the town is leveled
by the initial blast. the others burn down in the CONFLAGRATION that follows. ADIOS RED!!

yeah, yeah, enough whoah!! so much for guess you guys won’t
flavor text. i wanna that town need caskets.
know if i survived! supplement.

9
The Old Guard Strikes Back By Jolly R. Blackburn ©1997

Evening boys and girls!! b.a. asked me to stand in for him tonight. he’s over in kokomo sitting in on a play-
testing session of Nitro Fergueson’s new role-playing game, ESCALATED DEVASTATION!! may gawd
save his soul!! i advised him to abort and bail but you know b.a.

oh....uh....er...i forgot.
you’re running the game tonight? i have an appointment with cowards!!!
uh....i don’t think i’m mentally uh....my vocational counselor. weird pete isn’t
prepared for this. so bad. consider
it a challenge.

oh that’s right. i forgot. this is a group for sissified gamers who can’t cut REAL ADVENTURE!!! go ahead
and run away. what do you care if you miss out on an adventure packed with enough EP potential to catapult
your characters three to five levels in a single session.

THWEE TA FIVE LEVELS???? oh great! the testosterone

ME TOO!!! level just went off the
KRIMMENY-JIMMENY!!! i’m in!!!
meter in here.

to refresh your memory i use the hell, i guess i can knuckle under for one night.
DEMERIT SYSTEM to keep after all three to five levels of advancement!!!!
order. and that means ZERO-
TOLERANCE for any challenge
no sweat!! okay weird this should be
or question of my authority as
pete!! let’s game!! interesting.
GAMEMASTER!

-pssst-
sara

10
 huh? what did you say brian?
here, it’s my character’s LAST
WILL AND TESTAMENT.
if anything happens make sure
my wishes are executed.
just in case.
pathetic characters quaked at the knees and were just about to kiss
okay here’s the deal. the gawds of GARWEEZE WURLD are
mighty peed off. they’re fed up and they’ve decided to wipe out
humanity and start over. well they would have done just that
straight off but OL’ LUVIA THE WUSS GAWD* intervened
on the behalf of mortals. the gawds were furious. there was a big
fight over it. zeus and thor strangled each other. Markovia threw
Atenia into a vat of lava. lot’s of casualties. LOTS OF
CASUALTIES!!! the ground rumbled! the skies split apart. your
their sorry butts goodbye when a truce was declared. the gawds
decided to have a contest to decide the fate of mortals.

that’s where you guys come in. your characters were chosen by lot to represent all mortals in the contest.
the gawds have constructed an enormous dungeon in the bowels of the earth. and it’s populated by some very
special critters. it’s filled with every monster, man, woman and demi-human your characters ever killed. B.A.
and i sat down for three hours last night compiling the list of the dead.

oh is that all? hell we I DISBELIEVE!!

oh man this is a give=away!!
killed them once. i suppose pete yer too kewl. I DISBELIEVE!!
we can do it again. I DISBELIEVE!!

sorry brian! it’s not an illusion. good reaction though. 25 experience points for quick thinking.
NOW LET ME BURST THE BIG BALLON. there are rules to this contest. you’re not here to fight your
old foes again. how redundant. in fact if you initiate combat, even once, YOU INSTANTLY LOSE the contest
and mankind is wiped out. to save yourselves and your fellow mortals you must each win the ALLEGIANCE of
five - count ‘em - five of your former foes. that’s twenty total for the group but each of you must personally win
over your quota of five. HAR HAR HAR - NOW THIS IS ROLE-PLAYING. HAR HAR.

no kills? can oh pete, i aaaah, a thinking

no combat?? we pummel? love you. man’s game. kewl!
That’s lame

* See Shadis 11
11
 bob 10 DEMERITS for criticizing the proposed HRRRMMMFFF!!
adventure. SARA, 25 EXPERIENCE POINTS FOR THE VOTE OF 5 demerits for trying
CONFIDENCE. AND THE SAME FOR YOU BRIAN. oh...er...uh...as i was just to KISS-UP to the
about to say, i think the GM dave. i hate that.
premise for this adventure is
nothing short of genius.
Can i have some scrap paper? i
better keep a tally.
you sure run a tight
game pete.

LATER AS THE ADVENTURE UNFOLDS...

okay as you kick the door in you find it’s a wine cellar. there’s a dwarf leaning on the wall and he
ain’t looking too healthy if you know what i mean. he’s kinda gurgling and frothing at the mouth. upon
closer inspection you see he has a ‘sucking chest wound’. he looks at you with extreme hatred and
moans, “i remember you. i begged for mercy but you only offered torment and pain.”*

i’m going through GUYS!!!!! are you

does he have any
his pockets. stupid or what???
gold teeth?

this is obviously one of she may be right. it will be a snap winning this guy
your poor victims . we’re over. all we gotta do is give him a sip of healing
being judged here potion. he’ll be eating out of our hands.
remember? you tortured
this pathetic creature hey this contest may now you’re using
even as he lay dying from not be so difficult your heads.
a horrible wound. you after all.
should be trying to make
amends. we each have to
win over five of our
former foes after all.

* See Shadis # 11
12
MINUTES LATER...
bob, as you ease your hand behind the dwarf’s head and lift him up to sip from the potion bottle you feel a
sharp stinging pain in your side . the dwarf has stabbed you in the kidneys with a poisoned blade. you’ll take
thirty points of damage per round until you either save vs. poison or die.
oh that little low-life. Don’t be discouraged guys. as
GAAAAAAA!!!!
i take out my axe of doom and we were trying to long as we don’t initiate
and behead the bastard!! help him. combat we’ll be okay.

A FEW ROOMS LATER... HOW BAZZARE! it appears all the rules have
been thrown out the window. we’d better be careful.
okay dave, as you open the door you’re smacked right dab
in the face with a shotglass!!! you take 26 points of
damage. you all hear a maniacal laugh as a very lively actually sara, the first edition of
rendition of ‘Buffalo Girls’ begins playing on a piano.
hackmaster had some obscure references
SPUTTRRRRR!! whaaaa?? what’s he to intra-genre cross-over adventuring .
IT”S RED!! he’s they were never widely embraced but
doing here?? this isn’t
followed us into
HACKMASTER! CATTLEPUNK?? they were never rescinded.

THE NIGHT DRAGS ON...

okay, it looks as though there are about 5,000 ORCS in the group. They split into two long columns and
they form a ‘gauntlet’ . the BANSHEE-LORD forces you to remove your clothes down to your skivvies. You are
instructed to ‘RUN THE GAUNTLET’. If you survive the Banshee lord says he will offer his friendship.

shoot, i wish i’d known all those hey my character isn’t so dave is naked??
GRATUITOUS ORC KILLS wearing any skivvies. great, now it’s a
would come back to haunt me horror game.

!!

13
 MANY PAIN-FILLED HOURS LATER....

The old man is using bob’s dead body as a shield to protect himself from the blast of your fire-ball volley
Brian. He takes the flag of truce Bob was carrying and uses it make a wick which he shoves into an oil flask.
lighting the wick off of bob’s flaming body he hurls the flask at the group. everyone takes 50 points of damage .
oh, i almost forgot -- dave put down ten more demerits on your tally for attempting to warn bob’s character
the old man was packing a switchblade. i saw you peeking at my notes when I was in the restroom.

last time i use the flag-of- i’m earning more that old man has some
truce ploy. sheesh!!! demerits than pitching-arm there. what
experiences points. was that, 300 yards?

careful sara.
you’re 3 demerits
away from losing
a level.

FINALLY...
well brian, it’s up to you to save humanity now. the Gorge-Giant picks up dave’s dead body just long enough to
pull his +12 Hackmaster from his belt and tossing dave aside. he begins to chuckle loudly as he approaches
you. since your trapped in a cul-de-sac and you only have two hit-points left , i’ll let you have initiative.
wow!! thanks for letting me play the you little traitor!!! we
awh crud!! i’m outta
part of the gorge-giant pete. i was had it made. all you had
spells.
getting bored just sitting here with to do was accept our
good-bye cruel world.
my dead character. offer of friendship.

TWO WEEKS LATER...

hey pete. i think it worked. i ran a game last night and the HACK-N-SLASH RATIO IS DOWN
65% .they even vote now after every conflict to decide whether or not it was a ‘GOOD KILL.” i can’t believe it.

i just taught them to have a

little respect for npc’s and
monsters, that’s all.
it’ll wear off soon. Enjoy, enjoy.

14
 B.A.
finis
he
ORC s the la
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Road in ing Pt figure
B.A. defends the Kings
er scenario
arty o
Set. f a 500
a live=a ction HackMast

Dave offers
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that the fi tion to supp
st does mor ort his posi
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with
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is ls
ses d e cal
expres .A’s rul
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Bria one of B

SEND US tes his RE.

nstrater Syste
m
MOTE

demo

YOUR KODT B.A. Gamemas

ADVENTURE Come on!! No One is as funny as your

very own gaming group!!

IDEAS Send in your ideas for future

adventures of KODT.
Write to:
KODT Enteractive Facktory
1003 Monroe Pike
Marion, Indiana 46953
or email jollyrb@aol.com

15
 By Jolly R. Blackburn ©1997
The Gawd Complex Story by Christopher Heath

as you flee from the large band of goblins pursuing you, you find that death wand is a mighty
your escape path has suddenly been cut off. you’re standing at handy thing to have. if you ever
the end of a deep gorge. facing a steep cliff face. want to sell it - i got first dibs.

I’LL USE THE DEATH WAND COOL! I’LL START searching the
OF KANDEER TO SLAY bodies. good work bob.
THEM ALL INSTANTLY. I CAN DO
THAT TWICE MORE TODAY.

NOW JUST A DAMN MINUTE!!! HOLD it right there, BOB! WE JUST STARTED THIS CAMPAIGN LAST WEEK
AND WE’RE ONLY ON THE SECOND SESSION. WHERE’D YOUR first level RANGER GET A MAJOR ARTIFACT?

REMEMBER THAT ELVEN KNIGHT I PLAYED ALL RIGHT! THIS

THREE YEARS AGO? WELL, THIS RANGER IS HIS COUSIN. CAMPAIGN’LL BE A I’M POSITIONING MY PALADIN
SINCE THE KNIGHT IS RETIRED, HE’S GIVING ALL HIS BREEZE EARLY ON. BEHIND BOB’S ranger FOR
ITEMS TO MY RANGER, INCLUDING THE +6 GAINSU DEFENSIVE PURPOSES.
BLADE OF SHARPNESS.

I DON’T CARE IF YOUR RANGER IS RELATED
TO HOOKNOSED WALLACE!
THERE’S NO WAY I’M ALLOWING YOU TO
START OUT THAT POWERFUL!
why do i always get
the shaft??? you’d
deny me my
inheritance?
LAST WEEK MY COUSIN GOT A NEW HALF THE CLOTHES I OWN ARE HAND-
CAR STEREO AND GAVE ME HIS OLD ME-DOWNS FROM A RICH UNCLE.
ONE . IF IT CAN HAPPEN IN REAL
LIFE, IT CAN HAPPEN IN A GAME,
DUDE. i’m siding with
b.a. on this one.
sorry guys.

16
 YOU’RE MISSING THE POINT, GUYS. I’M NOT SAYING
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE. I’M NOT ALLOWING IT SO I CAN
PRESERVE GAME BALANCE. BEGINNING
CHARACTERS SHOULDN’T BE TOTING AROUND A
CART OF THEIR RELATIVES MAGICAL ARTIFACTS!
BUT I HAVE THE FAMILY TREE ALL DRAWN
OUT B.A. , IN BLACK AND WHITE! THE TWO i’m just
CHARACTERS ARE CLEARLY RELATED. fortunate my
uncle has such
IF BOB’S GOT AN ACCURATE FAMILY excellent taste
TREE, IT’D BE WRONG NOT TO LET THE in fashion.
RANGER HAVE THOSE MAGIC ITEMS.

BOB, I’M SORRY YOU TOOK THE TIME TO DOCUMENT A FAMILY TREE. NO MATTER bob, you’re way out of
WHAT YOU SAY, I’M NOT GOING TO RULE FOR YOU. scratch out that death wand line. b.a. is our gm.
and anything else you might have ‘inherited’. again, i’m sorry.
WHO ARE YOU TO PLAY GOD? WHOA! SOUNDS LIKE BOB FOUND YOU’VE LOST
YOU MAY BE THE GM, BUT I CONTROL MY HIS MISSING SELF! THIS ONE, B.A..
CHARACTER! MY RANGER IS NOW THE OFFICIAL
OWNER OF THOSE ITEMS, SO DEAL WITH IT.

THUNDER CRACKS AS A HUGE

LIGHTNING BOLT FALLS FROM THE SKY, WHEN I ASKED, “WHO ARE
SIZZLING BOB’S RANGER IN THE PROCESS. THE MAGIC YOU TO PLAY GOD?,” I
ITEMS THEN DISAPPEAR INTO ODIN’S HANDS. NOW ODIN WASN’T REALLY LOOKING man, you were robbed,
OWNS THEM, SO DEAL WITH IT. FOR AN ANSWER. dude. THAT SUCKED.

once again the damn! if odin

hard slap of hadn’t grabbed the
reality goodies i was going
reaffirms my to call dibs.
position.

17
The Gary Jackson Files™ By Jolly R. Blackburn ©1997

one morning at the complaint department at oh gee i don’t know. maybe i’m a bit upset because
HARD EIGHT ENTERPRISES i peeled off the little “2nd edition’ sticker on
the title page and it reads “1st edition”
you say you want to return a case of
underneath. put me through to gary jackson.
CATTLEPUNK 2nd EDiTION???
what seems to be the problem mr. ashton?

yeah, yeah!! well la-de-da

you managed to peel off a
sticker. i’m happy for you.
maybe you want to
reconsider returning the
product, huh?
later in the board room....
we got big problems with the cattlepunk line.
we need to get something into production quick or
some of you may be eating your christmas dinners in
a refrigerator box on main street.

or do we need to baaahhhh!!! this damn x-

discuss your 8,000 generation. who in the hell can
dollar tab on those anticipate what they want??
SPELLJACKED
starter decks you cattlepunk is a solid game
over-ordered. huh sir. the index needs work
pal??? hello? but it’s solid.
CK!! Hello?
CLI
I DIDN’T
THINK SO!!!

i know you shot this one down already, gee-Jay but i think my
dice-rolling corral is a hot idea. we just take some
it took me years to pull this creative think- athletic protection-cups, line them with green felt and
tank together. you’re the best in the industry shrinkwrap it with some polyhedrons. the gamers have been
and it’s time to earn your pay checks. so let’s screaming for something to roll their dice in for years.
hear some ideas.
i like it!! the green felt gives it a
vegas-feel. there’s some possible
cross-marketing potential there.

18
 peter, you due for another PSYCH- well gee-jay, it took a very severe beating from the
EVAL?? you used to be my best idea collectible card game craze. i put my heart and soul into
man. gawd, what’s happen to you? SPELLJACKED: SERIES FOUR THROUGH NINE.
where’s that innovative spirit you used this industry can be so cruel
TO WOW me with?
so the public didn’t go for it. so
aaahh! you were just too far ahead of the
what? you got quite a track
times, peter. i thought your paint-by-number
record there pete. mood dice ,
collectible card concept was pure genius. i
action-figure erasers, soda-
had a blast painting mine.
repellent dice...

i was afraid of this. so the well is i know it’s not

dry huh? okay, we fall back to ready. you think i’m
24 HOURS??? uh...but...gaaaa....sir, we’ve only
PLAN B. edmund I’m pulling your an idiot?? that’s
completed two play-testing sessions. no
game from play-testing and pushing why i’m giving you
artwork has been assigned. there are still some
it to the front of the production 24 hours.
design concerns and, and, i really don’t think it’s
line. you have 24 HOURS to get
ready to go to press. not by a long shot.
me a final manuscript with
artwork. got that? well we better get Flash colby on the phone. he’s
the only artist in the business who can crank out
line-art on such notice. and he’s well within the 200
dollar art budget on this project.

sir, don’t get me wrong. i really believe in i’m afraid the kid may be right gee-jay. the initial
ABE, BABES AND ROLLERBLADES. i feedback from the playtesters indicates that by-and-
think it’s a winner. but...but...i just can’t pull large they are confused and bewildered about the
it together in 24 hours. premise of the game.

confused? what’s so damn confusing about playing

a character who laces up a pair of high-tech
rollerblades and time-trips?

this new generation of gamers are tech

freaks sir. they want to know how everything
works. they have trouble accepting that
roller-blades enable time-travel.

19
 let’s just put some techno-babble explanation in the designer notes. i know!! i saw a show on the science
channel on BUCKY-BALLS!! i don’t know what they do but we could just say the roller-blades have
bucky-ball reactors in them. huh?? what do you think? huh?

you’re in way over your head jo-jo. you’re

mixing your alchemy with your physics. i’m confused. ain’t bucky-balls
oh i see those
bucky-balls have nothing to do with those chewy caramel candies
refrigerator
breaching the time barrier. that Jolly-Poacher puts out?
boxes lining up!
bucky-balls?

why roller-blades??? why not bungie-jumping?? okay i’m gonna break my own rule and offer a little
now there’s a hook for ya. that sudden snap at incentive for you edmund. if you make my 24 hour
the end of the jump could rip the fabric of deadline i’ll give you a 12 POINT BY-LINE!!!
time!! it’s a sure winner!!!
how’s that grab you?
these generation- picture that enormous 12
x’ers have bungie point helvetica for all
jumping on the brain. the world to see!!
they’ll flip over it.

TWELVE POINT!!! are you serious??? WOW!!! TOP-BILLING?

i never thought i’d live to see the day. i can’t believe you’re actually giving me
credit for writing my game. thank you sir. THANK YOU. i can’t wait to tell my
parents. maybe now my dad will forgive me for dropping out of SPIVEY-TECH.

not to burst your bubble but i just a DAMN MINUTE!!! how in the hell
didn’t say anything about top aaah, i remember
can you justify giving the ‘kid’ a 12
billing son. i’m bumping my own my first 12 pointer.
POINT SCREAMER???
by-line up to 18 POINT.

20
i’m having trouble hearing you down here pete. by OKAY LET’S GET THE BALL ROLLING. WHILE EDMUND
the way, what’s your preference?? MAYTAG, CARRIES THE BALL THE REST OF US WILL WRAP UP THE
KENMORE OR FRIDGIDAIRE??? LEGALS AND START PUMPING UP ADVANCED SALES.

you had your day with 12-

point - remember? if you THAT REMINDS ME BOSS -THEY KICKED BACK OUR
don’t why not take a TRADEMARK APPLICATIONS FOR ‘ABRAHAM
stroll through the LINCOLN’ AND ‘GEORGE PATTON’
warehouse. i’m sure you’ll
see your name on one of
the 75,000 pAINT-BY-NUMBER
STARTER DECKS GATHERING
DUST IN THERE.

DAMN!! I WAS HOPING WE COULD SNEAK THOSE BUT HEY, WE MANAGED TO SLIP
THROUGH. WAIT A FEW DAYS AND WE’LL BATCH ‘ROLLERBLADES’ AND
THEM WITH THE DICE BAG ‘TIME-TRAVEL’ BY THEM.
BUDDIES TRADEMARK PAPERWORK. SURE THING,
GEE-JAY!!
OUTSTANDING!!!
GOOD WORK GUYS.

JUST KEEP THINKING OF THAT 12

OKAY, MEETING ADJOURNED. POINT SCREAMER, SON.
GOOD LUCK EDMUND. I’LL BE AT MY WINTER
CONDO IN WABASH IF YOU NEED ME.
RUN EDMUND!!!
HMMRRRRFFF!!
24 HOURS HUH?? RUN LIKE THE WIND!!!
OUR LITTLE 12 POINT
OKAY, I’LL GIVE IT MY WONDER-BOY!!
BEST SHOT.

21
Temptation of the Ring
OKAY BRIAN AS YOU ARE SEARCHING THE
DEAD GUARD’S BODY YOU FIND A RING
OF PASS THROUGH WALLS!!
AWWH MAN!!! THAT MAGIC
ITEM WOULD BE PERFECT FOR
MY THIEF!!!
HEY BRIAN, FOR THE GOOD OF THE
GROUP AS A WHOLE - GIVE ME THAT
RING. WITH MY STEALTH AND
THIEVING ABILITIES I CAN PUT IT TO
MUCH BETTER USE THAN YOUR
MAGE EVER COULD.
WELL I GOTTA USE THE RESTROOM. I’M NOT
GIVING UP MY RING SO JUST ACCEPT IT AND
LET’S GET ON WITH THE GAME.
BE RIGHT BACK!!!
By Jolly R. Blackburn ©1997
IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER SUITED FOR MY FIGHTER AS HE TAKES THE
POINT OUT FRONT. SIGH! I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE SEARCHED THAT BODY.
HOW COULD YOU HAVE AT LAST!!! I HAVE EVERY
KNOWN THAT A COMMON OFFICIAL MAGIC RING
LISTED IN THE
GUARD WOULD HAVE
HACKMASTER PLAYER’S
SUCH A RELIC??
GUIDE!!!
THANKS FOR THE NICKEL BUT NO
NO WAY BRIAN! I’D BE A BETTER
GUMBALLS HERE GUYS. I’VE BEEN WORKING
CHOICE AS RING-BEARER. I
FOR YEARS TO COMPLETE MY RING
COULD SNEAK INTO ROOMS AND
COLLECTION. NOW I CAN APPLY TO THE
GAIN THE INITIATIVE ON ALL
CIRCLE OF THE
KINDS OF NASTIES.
SEQUESTERED MAGICKS!!!
OKAY WE DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME SO HERE’S THE PLAN B.A. MY THIEF WILL
ATTEMPT TO PICK BRIAN’S POCKET EVERY ROUND UNTIL HE SUCCEEDS.
JUST USE THE PHRASE, “MY-OH-MY” IN A SENTENCE WHEN I FINALLY
SUCCEED. THAT WAY YOU WON’T TIP BRIAN OFF TO WHAT’S HAPPENED.
HE’LL GET OVER IT. BOB IS
OH COME ON BOB! JUST PLAYING HIS
YOU KNOW BRIAN IS ALIGNMENT AND CHARACTER
GOING TO GO CLASS AFTER ALL.
BERSERK IF YOU POOR BRIAN.
STEAL HIS RING!
22
LATER THAT NIGHT... good job bob!!!! i knew you could pull
it off. uh.....i mean...never mind
hmmm.. i
okay you guys are continuing down the corridor
smellz a
and uh.......MY-OH-MY there’s sure is a lot of
rat
debris on the floor. (ahem-ahem). giggle - oh you guys are going to
deserve what’s coming to you.
Yeah?? I DID IT??
i mean...er....uh...
debris huh?

b..a. i’m using my wand-of-scrying and OH MY GAWD!!! THE JIG IS UP???

HE’S WISE TO ME! the face of fear is
i’m asking it this question i’ve WADDA I DO? WADDA I DO??? not pretty.
written on this note. sara please
pass this to b.A. RUN LITTLE BUDDY!!!
RUN LIKE YOU”VE
with pleasure. NEVER RAN BEFORE!!!

THREE WEEKS LATER... I’M SORRY I STOOD YOU ON YOUR

okay this little feud has
lasted long enough guys.
i’m glad you’ve finally
agreed to bury the
hatchet. bob, i believe you
have something to say to
brian?
uh yeah. i’m really sorry i stole
your ring. i really wish i hadn’t
done it. and i wish my
ACCOMPLICE, DAVE, WOULD HAVE
HAD THE GUTS TO CONFESS TO HIS
PART IN IT.
BRIAN, YOU
HEAD AND USED YOU LIKE A
HAVe
POGO-STICK. AND I’M SORRY I
something to MADE YOU SWALLOW ALL
TO SAY TO BOB? THOSE FOUR SIDERS. OH AND I’M
SORRY I THREW YOUR MOPED OFF
THE HIGHWAY OVERPASS. LET’S
JUST CALL IT EVEN OKAY?

DIRTY
SNITCH!!

23
Uh...Where Was I? By Jolly R. Blackburn ©1997

hey guys, i want you all to make a SPECIAL EFFORT to help keep the game moving tonight. the last few
sessions have been eaten up with a lot of IRRELEVANT CHATTER and SMALL TALK. i’d really like
to get this campaign wrapped up in the next few weeks. i got a real good hunch my mom kicked in the 47 bucks for
HACKMASTER: BAR ROOM BRAWL for my christmas present. so it would be nice to come back after
the holidays and start up a new campaign using that supplement. okay nuff said. let’s see last week we were.....

what irrelevant we’re here to game!!

a ‘hunch’ huh? Moma chatter? no problem.
Felton must still be
hiding the presents in
the deep freeze.

Hey brian! remember back in 86 when REMEMBER?? how could i forget? who would have guessed
b.a.’s mom bought the deluxe starter that frozen polyhedrons can shatter like glass?? i had to race b.a.
set of MOOD DICE? we talked to the hospital. he got peppered with dice-shrapnel.
b.a. into sneaking them out of the
freezer for a quick-look-see??
now that’s what i call a mood dice??
critical roll. snicker. you’re kidding.
uh...guys? can we
move along?

come on guys. this is how it gets started. someone says something like, “so-and-so owes me such-and-such” and a
whole side conversation erupts that lasts for five or ten minutes. save the chatter for after the game. okay?
hey bob, that reminds me. you gee i hate mentioning it but talk about jogging the old
owe me ten bucks. i need it. my you all owe me two bucks bean. dave you owe me seven
pacer is running on fumes. for that pizza last week. bucks for those black-
bordered spell-jacked cards.
huh? oh...uh..er..i’m
broke dude.

24
well as long as we’re talking about debts. you’re you’re gonna run me down for owing a
all behind in dues. bob you owe four bucks . Dave DAMN fifty-cents? SOME NERVE!!!
you owe a buck . Brian owes fifty cents and uh
sara, you owe five bucks.
especially after i
almost threw a rod
in my van racing you
now....WHERE to the hospital.
was i?

yeah, i gotta say it’s pretty PETTY of you to rub a puny dave, you’re the grumble...errr..
debt in our faces. i thought i was gaming with friends here. one who brought i didn’t even get a
up debts. proper thank-you, a
card, a cold soda - zip!!!
can we just drop it? now FIFTY FREAKING
where were we? yeah, i came CENTS!!! hmmrrff!
to game.

i’ll clear MY DEBT BOB, instead of paying me

right now. bob just pay the full seven bucks that
brian seven bucks of dave owes me do this.
what you owe me. give give two dollars to sara.
two bucks to sara and and give FIFTY CENTS to
throw the remaining the CARPETBAGGER
dollar at b.a. for my behind the screen. that
dues. then i’ll be free clears my tab and you’ll owe
and clear. me four-fifty .

25
well, i’ll follow suit. bob , just give dave’s two bucks and brian’s two bucks to b.a.
then give me one dollar of the two you owe me to b.a. then you’ll only owe me a
buck and i’ll have my dues all paid up.
hey, i thought we came
here to game? let bob
DAMMIT!!! this ain’t fair. i’m paying chill out dude! settle his debts after
off everyone’s debts. everyone comes the game.
out in the clear but ME!!!

uh...where was i?

i’’ve been SABATOGED!!! now if i don’t pay back NOT FAIR??? you wanna talk unfair?? let’s talk
that ten bucks i got EVERYONE hounding me about that little stunt you guys pulled last week
instead of just dave. it’s not fair. when you voted to give me HALF SHARES on
experience points!!! just because one of my fireballs
so what you’re saying back-blasted. you’re gonna see some pay-back tonight.
okay, back to the is...you weren’t planning
game folks. guys....the game.
on paying me back??

oooohhhh, i can’t believe you went there brian. any yeah and i think you should place some FRESH-CUT
IDIOT knows you don’t LOB FIREBALLS FLOWERS on the grave of my fighter,
ROUGTUNDA!! if i would’ve made my
down a twenty foot POLTERGEIST-ROLL i would have haunted your
stretch of passage way STUPID MAGE til the end of time.
when you’re
STANDING in it!! it was a major blunder, brian.
yeah let’s talk about i wouldn’t have brought it up.
some PAY BACK in the but you were all in the
game. how about forking LINE OF FIRE!!
over the 10,000 gold pieces
to replace my CLOAK
OF STALKING you
TOasted?

26
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!! this is exactly
what i’m talking about!!! can we PLEASE,
PLEASE get on with the game??? HUH???
where
SHEESH! now....w
in the hell was i?
you were just about
to leave town for
the dungeon when....
WHOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! hold on
there, hackmIEster i need to buy some supplies.
and i want to take another crack at identifying
those strange daggers i found last week.
and would it be too
much to ask if we
made a taco run ? I ate
some yogurt that
turned bad for lunch
and hurled. i’m
starved.

hey bean-head , don’t forget that i was the one who found those hey if you’re making a taco run could we run
daggers. if they’re magical i want them back. and that lame by FREDDIE’s CHARRED BURGERS
healing potion you sold me didn’t do anything but make me speak AND WINGS?? i got a craving for a
gnome-gibberish for twenty minutes. double-thick peanutbutter-cranberry shake.
brian? you were holding that gnome-
gibberish potion for me. i gave it to you
uh, could we while i climbed up that shaft.
just move along hey, i have con-
artist as a
guys? sigh. secondary skill

hey b.a my character wants to....???? oh my! i haven’t seen b.a. look so mad since
NOW WHERE THE HELL DID HE GO?? the time you and dave shaved his cat.

WHAT A JERK! i drove all the way not like him to leave in the
over here on empty to game and what does he middle of a game. wonder
do? bail on us. THIS BLOWS. what’s bugging him?

27
A Hole Lot of Trouble Story suggested by Peter Loyd-Lee

okay, the black dragon crashes in a bloody wow, i’m kinda sorry to see the ol’ boy go. he was the most
heap. his great leathery wings twitch for worthy adversary i’ve ever ran across. did you see how he
several seconds as he dies in agony. took blow after blow from my hackmaster +12 ??

i thought my parley with him was going well until

i can’t believe it!! ROTGUT THE you lobbed those flaming flasks of oil at him.
WYRM is finally dead. i must’ve sunk
thirty bolts of slaying into the bastard. come on b.a. start reading
that dragon’s horde list.

well OL’ ROTGUT had been hounded so much over the years since he burned aquatania to the ground that
he was constantly relocating his lair. so his horde isn’t exactly as huge or varied as you might expect. still,
it’s quite a prize. ONE MILLION GOLD PIECES!!!! he kept his horde in a portable hole

a portable hole?? ? how convenient. we’ll a mill...a million...wow!!! guys. this is a lot of money.
just grab it and head back to town. i want to swim in it. let’s spend it wisely.

listen up gang!!! i’ve been waiting a long time to get great idea big guy. okay we have one million
my hands on a portable hole. with a little planning let’s make a list. gold pieces to spend and
and forethought we could be set for life.
the hole has 282 cubic feet
of space to fill.
we load this hole
up with anything
and everything we wow. it’s like having a
could possibly warehouse in your pocket.
need in future
adventures
you with me?

28
 LATER THE GROUP ARRIVES BACK IN TOWN.
TWO ROW BOATS, 8 1,00 CROSSBOW BOLTS, 2,000
OKAY I’M BUYING 3MONTHS I’M PICKING UP 100 TORCHES, OARS, 4 TENTS, 20 ARROWS, 6 OF EVERY WEAPON IN
SUPPLY OF IRON RATIONS 200 FLASKS OF OIL, 10 HOODED WINTER BLANKETS, A THE PLAYER’S HANDBOOK. NO,
FOR EACH OF US. 50 SKINS LANTERNS, 10 BULLSEYE 60 FOOT EXTENSION MAKE THAT 60 DAGGERS. I CAN
OF THE FINEST WINE. 7 LANTERNS, 1,500 CANDLES... LATTER.... THROW FOUR PER ROUND WHEN
MILES OF STRONG ROPE.....
I’M HASTED.

AN HOUR LATER... LATER IN THE DUNGEON...

WELL WRAP ALL THE SHARP STUFF IN BLANKETS SO
THEY DON’T CUT THE HOLE. WE’LL THROW IN 100 10 FOOT
WOODEN PLANKS, A SACK OF NAILS, SAW, HAMMER AND A
MANUAL ON CONSTRUCTING SMALL FORTRESSES AND
DEFENSE WORKS. HELL, I’M PUTTING MY ENTIRE LIBRARY
OF SPELL MANUALS IN THE HOLE AS WELL.
UH GEE GUYS, AS YOU GO TO RETRIEVE THE PORTABLE HOLE
FROM DAVE’S BACKPACK YOU CAN’T SEEM TO FIND IT.
REMEMBER THATT BEGGAR WHO BUMPED INTO YOU AT THE CITY
GATE??? IT WOULD APPEAR YOU’VE BEEN THE VICTIM OF A
PICK-POCKET. (SNICKER)

WHEW!!! THERE. THE

PORTABLE HOLE IS FULL.
LET’S GO TO THE DUNGEON.

MOMENTS LATER...
I OWE YOU B.A. THANKS FOR NOT TIPPING THEM
BOY AM I STEAMED. BOB COULD HAVE PUT MY EYE OUT WHEN HE OFF THAT I WAS THE PICK-POCKET. LET’S GET A
HURLED THAT TWENTY-SIDER AT ME. DID YOU SEE THE DENT IT PUT IN PIZZA. IT’S ON ME.
THE WALL?? AND SARA...MY OWN COUSIN. SHE ACTUALLY HELD ME
DOWN WHILE DAVE GAVE ME AN ATOMIC WEDGIE.
I HOPE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’VE PUT ME THROUGH.

* NOTE: Four weeks later the group ‘got wise’ to Brian’s treachery. Brian’s character, Teflon Billy was placed in the portable hole with
fifty trolls, a dragon, four rabid bears and a near-sighted Frost Giant. The hole was then buried in a fifty foot shaft.

29

Tales from the Guard Shack
The Adventure Continues...
G reetings! Welcome to the Facktory’s Gate
House (affectionately known as the ‘shack’
by those who man it.). I’ve chosen this location
from which to write my editorials because nothing
comes or goes from the Facktory without passing
through these gates. If you want to know what’s
going on at the Facktory this is the place to be.
There’s always a game going on in the backroom,
here, a pot of steaming coffee on the radiator and
news of the latest doings on the grounds.
As many of you know, a year ago I resigned as editor
of Shadis™ Magazine and sold out my interests in the
magazine and AEG. I was anxious to get out of a
partnership that wasn’t working and to continue the
journey I had started in 1990 when I launched
Shadis/AEG.
Notice that I said ‘continue the journey’. When I left
Shadis I was deluged with letters and cards from fans
and members of the industry. From their vantage point it
appeared as though I had lost something or left a part of
myself behind.
While I was extremely touched by the outreach and
show of support the truth is I wasn’t walking away, I
was moving on - chasing that same dream that had
driven me to launch Shadis/AEG six years before.
For the past twelve months I’ve been working
exclusively on setting up my new company, KODT
Enteractive Facktory ™ and a new magazine,
Vanguard™. It’s been a massive undertaking. Taking
everything I learned during the six years running Shadis
™
and working in the gaming industry and applying it to
the new vision.
It’s been an incredible year — one of the toughest
and one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
I’m telling you all this because I wanted to explain
why the issue of KODT #4 you hold in your hands was
delayed for almost a year.
I stubbornly refused to go to press with #4 until the
Facktory was up and running to my standards. I also
insisted that KODT #5 and #6 were essentially finished
and that a monthly production schedule could be
guaranteed. (These things are important to distributors and
retailers you see.)
Most of my mail and email over the past few months
are from fans asking the same questions. I’d like to take
this opportunity to address some of them.
Q: What is the Enteractive Facktory? Why is it
spelled funny?
A: Enteractive is a word I coined to better define the
Facktory’s mission. It’s actually a marriage of two words,
“Interactive” and “Entertainment”. My definition of
Enteractive is “any form of entertainment that involves the
interaction of two or more people.”
What this does is broaden the focus of the Facktory to
include Interactive CDs, Live-Action applications, Virtual
Reality, board games, video conferencing/gaming, card
games, comic books, and of course role-playing games.
The Facktory isn’t your typical game company. It is
set up from the ground up as a production company and is
closely modeled on the movie production studios of
Hollywood.
A movie production studio provides the the sound
stage, the cameras, the props, the backlots - everything
needed to produce, market and distribute movies. They
aren’t in the business of writing movies or acting in them.
They provide the resources and equipment for the creator-
types to come in weave their magic. That’s essentially how
the Facktory works. It will serve as a forum, bringing
together investors, talent, experience and know-how to
turn concepts into reality.
How’s it work? Let’s say B.A. Felton dusts off Dawg:
The Role-playing Game and wants the Facktory to
produce it. Assuming the game passes the review process
and is accepted B.A. would would receive the following
offer.
• 25% of the profit. (If the product is a derived from an
existing creative property the original creator would get
10% and B.A. would get 15%). To my knowledge, this is
the highest royalty paid in the industry. Royalty payments
are made quarterly.
• Retention of all rights. The author retains full rights to
his work. The Facktory would have exclusive rights to the
product for the ‘life’ of the first print run. Life is typically a
12 month to 18 month window - enough time for the first
print run to be widely distributed. Once the window closes
the B.A. can take his game (and his royalties) and run with
it. He can continue to produce it himself, take it to another
game company, or... he could negotiate another print run
with the Facktory.
What I like about this arrangement is that it puts the
Facktory in the business of making dreams come true.

Better yet, B.A. doesn’t have to mortgage his house to
chase his dream. He doesn’t lose control of his creative-
properties and he doesn’t have to start a business, deal
with the headaches of production, distribution, legals and
so forth just to get his game on the shelf.
Keep in mind that the Facktory isn’t limiting itself to
producing games. By networking people with a wide
range of skills, background and experience any creative
endeavor is possible.
Q: Vanguard? What’s that all about?
A: Vanguard is games publication with a twist. It will
be a full-color, tabloid newspaper. (Printed on bright-
white stock not newsprint. USA TODAY is the closest
example I can direct you to).
Vanguard is more than just a newspaper or
publication however. The definition of Vanguard,
according to Webster’s Dictionary is, “the forefront of an
action or movement.” In the military, a vanguard is the
spearhead of a moving or advancing army. They clear the
way for those who follow. Removing obstacles, engaging
the enemy, finding the best route.
The newspaper will serve as a nexus where game
enthusiasts (those who play the games, those who make
them, and those who sell them) can come together and
interact.
It also serves as the foundation for a service
organization that will grow and expand with the
publication. I wish I had more space to give you the full
details but it will have to wait for another time.
Vanguard will be made up of numerous sections just
like your typical newspaper. Sections will be added and
dropped monthly depending on advertising and reader
interest. There will be separate sections on Role-Playing,
Board Games, Card Games, Miniatures, Play-By-Mail,
Computer, Live-Action, Virtual Realty etc.
The backbone of Vanguard will be the Industry
Section. This section will be aimed at retailers,
distributors and game companies and will feature a wide
range of articles, charts and industry data that have never
before been available.
Editorial of a Madman
Vanguard will be mailed to every retailer and
distributor in the country eventually creating a forum for
exchanging ideas and information. Don’t worry, if
industry news and chatter are of little interest to you -
toss that section and keep reading. You’ll recognize
some of your old favorites among the offerings.
• GameMaster’s Workshop™
• PlotWerks™
• MarketPlatz
• Zine Scene™
• Cries From the Attic™
• Close Encounters of the Random Kind™
• Nuts n’ Bolts™
• G.E.A.R .
• High Gear/Low Gear™
Those of you who have internet access can write to
jollyrb@aol.com and request to be put on the mailing list
for updates on Vanguard/Facktory.
Well, that about does it for this issue. Look for
KODT#5 at your game shop. As I close, I would like to
ask you to do me a favor. If you find a gameshop who
doesn’t carry KODT, jot down their name and
address/phone and send them this way. I’ll make sure
they get our promotional material and list of distributors
who carry us.
Before closing, I want to dedicate this issue to my
parents. (You’re incredible. Thanks for believing in my
dreams and allowing me to chase them.)
Til next time - good gaming.
Jolly R. Blackburn
October 15, 1995

hey bob, how’s the new job down at AttA Boy, Bob!! They should have you can’t
SCARFIN’ KARL BURGERS? a medal for gamers like you. expect a guy
to work on
job? oh...uh...i had to brian, they’re game night! it
quit. KARL scheduled me scaring me again. just ain’t
to work on game night!!!
done.
HEY HACK-JOCKIES!!!
Issue 5 of KODT Hits the
Streets December 15, 1996!!
RESERVE YOUR COPY
AT YOUR LOCAL
GAMESHOP OR
COMICSHOP!

MASTE
R OF T
HE GAM
E

MAKE KODT A CHECK

SUBS
OUT O
CRIP
UR K
EWL

BAD HABIT!!
(We’re Monthly Now!)
DUDE
TION
S!!
OFFER

A 12 Issue Subscription is only $28.00 Bucks!!

($32.00 Bucks for you Canadian types and $50.00 bucks for Overseas).
Just send your check or money order to:
KODT Enteractive Facktory
1003 Monroe Pike, Marion, Indiana 46953.