Info and data for fans of the play-by-mail games Duel II, Forgotten Realms, and Hyborian War from Reality Simulations, Inc

Manager’s Criticals List

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Broadsword
Brings his BROADSWORD down in a horrible cleaving motion! (*)
BROADSWORD arcs from overhead with maximum momentum and force! (*)
BROADSWORD whips horizontally across with a deadly timed power! (*)
Charges forward, BROADSWORD whistling through the air! (*)
Hacks at her (BROADSWORD at her) foe with untamed berzerker energy! (*)
Makes a ferocious backhanded assault with her BROADSWORD!
Sweeps his BROADSWORD in a sudden, vicious assault!
Unleashes a horrifying attack (with her BROADSWORD), straining every muscle for power! (*)

Battle Axe
Brings his BATLE AXE hurtling down with devastating force! (*)
Brings his BATTLE AXE slicing across with tree-felling power! (*)
BATTLE AXE arcs forward with a terrible destructive energy! (*)
Makes an all out cleaving attack with his BATTLE AXE!
Slices up wickedly with the gleaming blade of his BATTLE AXE! (*)
Sweeps his BATTLE AXE in a deadly assault on his opponent! (*)
Unleashes an incredible full-bladed chop with her BATTLE AXE! (*)
Whirls his BATTLE AXE from overhead, attacking with demonic fury! (*) (*)

Dagger
Attacks, his DAGGER wielded with an unnerving precision! (*)
DAGGER flashes as he takes a sudden vicious slash at his foe! (*)
DAGGER strikes instantly as his opponent leaves an opening! (*)
Drives his DAGGER in a forward slash! (?)
Ducks low and takes a wicked upward slice with his DAGGER! (*)
Leaps forward, DAGGER thrusting with malevolence and surety! (*)
Makes a cruel and cunning underhanded attack with his DAGGER! (*)
Strikes overhead, DAGGER ripping with incredible swiftness! (*)
Whirls and strikes backhandedly with his DAGGER! (*)

Epee
Attacks from low guard, EPEE slicing wickedly upwards at her foe!
Blurs forward, EPEE stabbing suddenly with blinding speed! (*)
Dives forward, EPEE stabbing repeatedly with his charge! (*)
EPEE leaps forward suddenly from a high guard overhead!
EPEE strikes forward in a clash of cold steel! (*)
Lunges forward, EPEE thrusting with incredible speed and accuracy!
Makes an incredible flesh-splitting slash with her EPEE! (*)
Whips his EPEE blade back and forth as if to slash his foe to ribbons! (*)

Fist
Attacks, FISTS punching with piston-like horse felling power!
Attacks his foe with a pinpoint accurate ELBOW! (*)
Dives forward, FISTS driving at his opponent with menacing fury!
Explodes into a deadly double OPEN HAND strike!
HANDS flash forward, jabbing fiercely at her surprised foe!
Hammers down a ferocious FOREARM smash!
Hauls back and spins into a near-lethal ELBOW smash!
PUNCHES from the waist with an unbelievable quickness! (*)
Spins around and hammers a tremendous ELBOW smash towards his foe!
Throws a rock-fisted PUNCH of incredible felling power! (*)

Great Axe
Attacks, bringing his GREAT AXE down with bone-splitting force! (*)
Brings his GREAT AXE ferociously slashing downward from his head! (*)
Cuts powerfully forward, his full weight behind his GREAT AXE! (*)
GREAT AXE slices at his opponent with concentrated hatred!
Makes a malevolent attack with his gleaming GREAT AXE!
Muscles ripple as his GREAT AXE cuts through the air! (*)
Throws his entire weight behind his GREAT AXE in a mighty assault!

Greatsword
Attacks, bringing his GREATSWORD down with bone-splitting force! (*)
Attacks, swinging his GREATSWORD with untamed savagery! (*)
Brings his GREATSWORD hurtling downward from above his head!
Brings his GREATSWORD smashing outward in a vicious attack!
Hacks mercilessly at his foe with his GERATSWORD! (*)
GREATSWORD arcs forward in an attempt to cut his foe in two!
Muscles ripple as he makes a powerful swing with his GREATSWORD!
Whirls his GREATSWORD overhead, attempting a bashing attack! (*)

Halberd
Attacks, HALBARD sweeping with devastating momentum!
Batters mercilessly at his foe with his HALBARD! (*)
Flashes outward, attacking with horrifying power!
Grimly unleashes an incredible attack with his HALBARD!
Hurls his body behind a full length sweep with his HALBARD!
Jerks her HALBARD brutally upward in a wicked thrusting arc!
Lashes out with the full length of her HALBARD!(?)
Powers her HALBARD to smash at her foe with untamed fury! (*)
Smashes her HALBARD down executioner-style from overhead!

Hatchet
Backhands mightily, revealing the flash of her HATCHET spike!
Chops savagely downward with her trusty HATCHET!
Hacks viciously downward with the blade of his HATCHET! (*)
HATCHET flashes with snake-like speed and accuracy! (*)
Lashes out brilliantly with his HATCHET!(?)
Makes a HATCHET swing that takes the crowd’s breath away! (*)
Twists his HATCHET aiming a malevolent chop at the defense!
Unleashes a HATCHET attack that absolutely stuns the fans!

Kick
LEG smashes outward, kicking with tremendous force!
Throws a piston like SIDE KICK at his opponent!
Leaps into the air taking a vicious flying KICK at his opponent!
Unleashes a bone-crushing KICK of incredible power!
Focuses all of his skill and power into a devastating KICK!
Howls as he snaps a full force KICK at his foe!
Spins, throwing a devastating WHEEL KICK at his foe!
Attacks, LEGS flying in an unbelievable double footed kick!

Large Shield
Barrels forward, LARGE SHIELD smashing before him as the crowd roars!
Cruelly attempts to pulverize his foe with his LARGE SHIELD!
Cruelly attempts to batter her foe with her LARGE SHIELD!
Rest same as other shields

Longspear
Catapults forward, LONGSPEAR flashing in a deadly assault! (*)
Charges forward, LONG SPEAR thrusting with murderous power! (*)
Is making a deliberate attempt to impale her enemy with her LONG SPEAR (*)!
LONG SPEAR strikes forward with incredible swiftness and power!
Lunges into an attack, his LONGSPEAR flying with incredible force! (*)
Makes a devastating thrust, LONG SPEAR blurring in the attack! (*)
Makes a lighting thrust with his LONGSPEAR! (*)
Unleashes a murderous thrust, that brings the crowd to their feet! (*)

Longsword
Catapults forward, LONGSWORD stabbing cruelly at his foe! (*)
Feints, then springs viciously forward with his LONGSWORD! (*)
Lashes out with her longsword in a murderous thrust! (*)
Leaps into an incredible flesh-splitting lunge with his LONGSWORD!
LONGSWORD lunges forward with a flash of cold, cruel steel! (*)
Strikes forward with his LONGSWORD, all his weight behind his blow!
Thrusts her LONGSWORD, brilliantly timing her opponent’s motion! (*)
Thrusts his LONGSWORD, cleverly timing his opponent’s motion! (*)
Thrusts his LONGSWORD forward with an unbelievably deadly force! (*)
Unleashes her LONGSWORD in a piercingly accurate thrust! (*)

Maul
Bats murderously at his foe with his MAUL! (?)
Bludgeons his MAUL with terrible savagery! (*)
Makes a devastatingly powerful sweep with his MAUL!
Smashes furiously downward with his MAUL! (?)
Sweeps his MAUL in a tremendous bone-crushing arc!
Throws his weight behind is MAUL in an all-out assault! (*)

Medium Shield
Barrels forward, MEDIUM SHIELD smashing before him as the crowd roars! (*)
Cruelly attempts to batter his foe with his MEDIUM SHIELD!
Cruelly attempts to flatten his foe with his MEDIUM SHIELD!
Smashes his MEDIUM SHIELD wickedly forward toward his foe!
Sweeps his MEDIUM SHIELD in a sudden, unexpected assault! (*)
Runs forward, seeking to pummel his opponent with his MEDIUM SHIELD!

Morning Star
Attacks, whirling the MORNING STAR with tremendous Froce!
Attempts to smash at his opponent with his MORNING STAR! (?)
Cleverly tries to break her foes defense with her MORNING STAR! (*)
MORNING STAR whines with unstoppable velocity!
Snaps the MORNING STAR forward in a deadly assault!
Swings his MORNING STAR with deadly intent at his target (*)
Whips his MORNING STAR downward in a remorseless arc!
Whips his MORNING STAR downward in a viciouis power smash!

Quarterstaff
Bats murderously at his foe with his QUARTERSTAFF! (*)
Brings his QUARTERSTAFF smashing ferociously downward! (*)
Impresses everyone with a masterful thrust of her QUARTERSTAFF! (*)
Jabs murderously at her foe with the tip of her QUARTERSTAFF!
Lashes out with her QUARTERSTAFF in a lightning quick assault!
Surprises everyone with a masterful swing of his QUARTERSTAFF! (*)
Sweeps her QUARTERS in a tremendous bone-crushing arc!
Whirls her QUARTERSTAFF, attacking with berserker fury!

Scimitar
Attacks, her SCIMITAR wielded with malevolence!(*)
Ducks low, her SCIMITAR slicing suddenly upwards! (*)
Leaps forward, swinging her SCIMITAR into a veritable wall of blades! (*)
Leaps into the air, bringing his SCIMITAR down in a powerful slash! (*)
Leaps into the air in a furious slash!
Leaps into the air taking a furious slash with his SCIMITAR! (*)
makes a brilliant twisting thrust with his SCIMITAR! (*)
times a devilish cunning attack, SCIMITAR leaping with deadly force! (*)
twists into a tremendous cutting attack with his SCIMITAR! (*)
Turns into a furious whirlwind of blades as her SCIMITAR leaps forward! (*)
SCIMITAR lunges with awesome cutting power! (*)

Small Shield
Attempts to swat at his foe with his SMALL SHIELD! (NOT)
Barrels forward, SMALL SHIELD smashing before him as the crowd roars! (*)
Charges forward, trying to run down his opponent with his SMALL SHIELD! (*)
Cruelly attempts to batter his foe with his SMALL SHIELD! (*)
Cruelly attempts to bruise his foe with his SMALL SHIELD! (*)
Runs forward, seeking to pummel his opponent with his SMALL SHIELD! (*)
Sweeps his SMALL SHIELD in a clever backhanded assault!
Sweeps his SMALL SHIELD in a sudden, unexpected assault! (*)
Smashes his small SMALL SHIELD wickedly forward towards his foe!

Short Spear
Dives into a powerful lunge with its SHORT SPEAR! (*)
Lunges past its foe and brings its SHORT SPEAR into a brilliant backhand stab! (*)
Makes a menacing underthrust with her SHORT SPEAR!
Rushes her foe, her SHORT SPEAR underthrusting malevolently! (*)
SHORT SPEAR leaps forward with incredible swiftness and power! (*)
SHORT SPEAR moves like angry lightning! (*)
SHORT SPEAR strikes with blinding quickness! (*)
Springs with full extension with her SHORT SPEAR!

Shortsword
Focuses his energy in a powerful upward stab with his SHORTSWORD! (*)
Hacks viciously downward with her SHORTSWORD! (*)
Lashes his SHORTSWORD cruelly at a break in the defense! (*)
Makes a clever stab with his SHORTSWORD that stuns the fans! (*)
Stabs powerfully upward with his SHORTSWORD! (*)
Thrusts his SHORTSWORD forward with his full force behind it! (*)
Thrusts his SHORTSWORD in a lightning move at the defense! (*)
SHORTSWORD leaps forward in a bloodthirsty assault on his foe! (*)
Sweeps his SHORTSWORD in a tight, powerful slash!

War Flail
Attacks, his WAR FLAIL whistling with a frightful acceleration! (*)
Cracks his cruelly barbed WAR FLAIL with tremendous force! (*)
Hauls back and power smashes with his WAR FLAIL! (*)
Lashes out, WAR FLAIL chains curling with a hideous power!
Takes a tremendous swipe at his foe with his WAR FLAIL! (*)
Sweeps his WAR FLAIL in a vicious flailing arc!
Unleashes a murderous full force attack with his WAR FLAIL!
WAR FLAIL screams in the rush of this assault!

War Hammer
Attacks, his WARHAMMER wielded with pile-driving precision!
Backhands, swinging his HAMMER-SPIKE savagely at his target! (*)
Brings his WAR HAMMER crashing downward with horrific power! (*)
Is attempting to smash through the defense with his WAR HAMMER!
Launches a brilliant attack with his WAR HAMMER! (*)
Makes a lightning-quick backhand smash with her WAR HAMMER!
Sweeps his WAR HAMMER downward in a crudely brutal smash! (*)
Sweeps his WAR HAMMER downward in a vicious power slash!
Takes a tremendous swipe at his foe with his WAR HAMMER! (*)

The Effects of Coordination

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     Coordination has long been ruled as having no effect on a warrior.  I have 
noticed a few things that may be the cause of certain coordination levels.  So I 
decided to write this article to give the general DM populace something to ponder.  
Below is the coordination table:

Coordination =  SP + DF

06 - 16  = Clumsy
17 - 20  = Slightly Uncoordinated
21 - 27  = Normal
28 - 31  = Highly Coordinated
32 - 39  = Very Highly Coordinated
40 - 42  = Marvel of Fighting Coordination

     Since I run a lot of bashers that have a clumsy rating most of the time, I 
noticed a few things that happen to them and not the high coordination warriors I 
have.  Most people don't have clumsy warriors, save some bashers and TPs, so it may 
not be paid that much attention to.
     The first thing I have noticed is that a clumsy warrior seems to drop his weapon 
more often than a higher coordination warrior.  So I think that maybe he has a higher 
chance to do this than normally coordinated warriors.
     Second, I noticed that clumsy warriors have harder time trying to quick draw 
their back-up weapon, causing them to fumble around trying to get it.
     Third is that the clumsy warrior also is slower to get up after he has been 
knocked down.  It may also influence the roll on whether you get knocked down or not, 
along with other factors.
     These things aren't as noticeable the higher the coordination becomes.  That's 
probably why a lot of people don't place any  value on coordination.  At the higher 
levels of the game there aren't any clumsy warriors, so coordination isn't noticed.  
You can still get knocked down, lose your weapon, and draw your back-up quickly, but 
the odds are more in your favor with a higher coordination in my opinion.
     Well, may joy and happiness be with you.  If you would like to chat , I can be 
reached at 103260.3347@compuserve.com  
     You may diplo me at LORDS OF THE ABYSS, in DM 11, or any of the JOKER'S WILDS 
scattered about.

                                                         Ta-Ta,
                                                         Sir Jessie Jest
                                            (He who always gets the last laugh......)

THE MAKING OF A CHAMPION – How Psycho Scientist came to TC Gateway

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Once upon a time, there was a team in Talcama. It was the third team started by the manager that was to become known as The Neon Necromancer. Now, this team started out pretty darn good. They ran over 80% for just about their entire first year, and regularly got free turns as a result. Not all was wine and roses, however. There was a death in the family, and Neon needed a new recruit. He went to his laboratory and set to work. He created a golem with the body parts of the finest physical specimens he could find. He then surfed the astral plane for a mind as fine as the body. As he was trying to pull the mind essence of one Albert Einstein from ‘earth’ into his construct, things went a bit awry and a different mind was entrapped in the golem. Norman Bates. Psycho. Thus was born Psycho Scientist. (Neon later admitted that if he had thought of that name to begin with, he would have used it as the team name.)

Psycho was born as an 11-5-11-13-20-12-12 Lunger. This fit Neon’s early career pattern of creating stat trainers. The 20 quickly became 21, the 12’s quickly became 13’s, and a couple points of wit were added for good measure. The quick boost allowed Psycho some early arena success. He translated that arena success into tournament success with the first ever Champions TV for Neon. (This was Mail-In IV or so.) Enjoying the arena success led to a quick induction to ADM. At that time, that was the top arena; Primus didn’t exist yet. With training enhanced at the Isle of the Eye, Psycho took full advantage and raised his will to 25, and tacked on at least three trains in every other area. This turboed Psycho to a TV in his first ever ADM tournament (the one that Jake the Snake won). He lost the first two rounds to Epitaph and Jake the Snake, then won his next eight fights in a row.

Around this time was when Neon became fully convinced of the skill burning aspect of stat training. Of course, it was far too late for Psycho, who had already burned approximately 50 skills. After a run of several TV’s, these lost skills resulted in Psycho fading from the TV ranks in Primus. While he could pull the occasional fluke win (like beating Dee Dee when she was a TC caliber warrior), he just didn’t have what it took to hang with the big dogs.

Neon hadn’t been idle during this time, and the concept of warrior bonuses came to his knowledge. He analyzed Psycho and found he was -1 Init, +3 Atk, +1 Def, +3 Dec, one of the most bonused warriors Neon owned (at the time), and the only one that bonused that was already in ADM. (Alas, several others more bonused never made it to ADM.) Neon kept running the fading warrior out of a sense of sentimentality, but also because, despite the burnt skills, Psycho was still the best he had. Psycho experienced a minor resurgence when he got his strength trains past 21. When he reached 24 strength (at the beginning of a tournament), he got devastating damage. He went on a rampage of ‘Psycho Devastation’, winning his next four consecutive fights with one mighty swing. He once again broke the ranks of the TV’s. At the time, he was one of only two warriors with that kind of damage, and while it didn’t launch him into TC contention, it did allow him to eke out a few more TV’s.

Just when Psycho was once again fading down the ranks due to newer, better-trained warriors, along comes Gateway! Gateway was a dream come true for Psycho! It would allow him to learn back all those burned skills, and he would at last reach his full potential. Psycho had a lot of learning to do, and those skills did not come as fast as the Commission had led him to believe. But, come they did, and stat trains followed them. As Psycho did better and better in tourneys, the Commission suddenly announced that all accumulated tourney prizes had to be used or forfeited. Neon had a favorites prize laying around for years (which Doc Steele was constantly trying to pry from his gnarled hands), and decided the time had come to give Psycho that something extra. No longer shackled with shortspear, moderate/moderate, Psycho would now become a scimitar wielding, very high/very high attack monster! (This was the original version of the favorites prize, the one that allowed modification of all favorites, but only on a single warrior.) As the improvements came, Psycho became the second warrior ever to achieve a Blademaster rating in attack. With his new rating, his improved favorites, and his Gateway trains, Psycho inched his way past the mere TV stage and into the TC contender stage. He started going deep in the tourneys, making the final four several times, and the final two once. Still, Neon searched for that one final thing that would put Psycho over the top and make him a TC.

Then, the experimentation began. Neon began giving Psycho unusual orders on the strategy sheet. Delbaeth became Psycho’s personal tackling dummy. Neon chose Delbaeth because, a) he was a good warrior that gave Psycho a run for his money, and b) Carapace didn’t avoid so Psycho could fight him repeatedly and see the results of strategy changes. Psycho never questioned the unusual orders, but his tourney performance began to suffer. Neon insisted he was learning from the experiments, but Psycho dropped down, and actually missed his TV in a tournament after seven consecutive. Neon felt that the TC strategy was just around the corner when an interesting tourney prize became available.

It was not the first time that growth had been offered as a tournament prize, but the timing was significant. Psycho was all but maxed (he had a couple parry skills left), and Neon was wondering what else he could do to help his beleaguered gladiator. In stepped Doc Steele to suggest that Neon procure several growth potions and raise Psycho’s size until he increased his damage rating. There were very few warriors that did superhuman damage, and none of the top ones did. Perhaps this would be the kicker Neon was searching for.

With the help of Moriarty and some willing sellers, Neon carried out the plan. Psycho was raised from size 11 to size 14 and achieved superhuman damage, and didn’t have to sacrifice a single skill to get it. Combined with what Neon had learned from the strategy experiments, Psycho proved that dreams can come true. With the ability to take out completely maxed warriors with one or two hits, Psycho powered his way to a TC in January 2000, beating Vengeance for the first time ever. The TC fight consisted of Psycho getting hit by Falstaff, then hitting back twice and winning the title, avenging an earlier tournament loss in the process. Psycho repeated the feat the next tourney taking his only losses from the legendary Vengeance. His third, undefeated TC proved it wasn’t a fluke, and cemented Psycho’s place in history. Psycho Scientist had returned from the brink of retirement to conquer the toughest arena in Duelmasters and become a legend of the game.

(Postscript: After the summer FTF in July 2002, Psycho Scientist now has a total of five Gateway championships.)

Top Ten Reasons Why Duelmasters is better than Sex

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10. When you spend money on Duelmasters, you know you’re going to get return on your investment.

9. One arena won’t get jealous when you start playing in another.

8. With the right tourney prize, you can design your own warrior.

7. If you make it to AD, they tell you your warrior’s favorites.

6. You can always DA and get another roll-up.

5. The more experience you get, the less likely you are to die.

4. SZ, CN and Charisma are less important in Duelmasters.

3. Most mangers are satisfied with two minute fights.

2. Warriors do as they’re told, even if it means using ALE and a WF.

And the number one reason……….

1. You don’t have to hold your turn for an hour after you’re finished reading it.

Composed by the Jester and Predator

MAKING YOUR CHALLENGES GO THROUGH

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First, you need to be sure you are making your challenges correctly.
1. Are you writing down the warrior I.D. number of the warrior you want to
challenge?
2. Is your handwriting clear?
3. Is the warrior you are challenging within range of your warrior? Warriors
can challenge within their own class and the next higher class, plus the “Challenger”
classes can also challenge the next lower class. So, an Adept can challenge Adepts
and Challenger Adepts. A Challenger Adept can challenge Adepts, Challenger Adepts,
and Champions. (Try not to challenge down, though. Besides being unsportsmanlike and
making everyone mad, it isn’t advantageous to your warriors. They need to fight more
experienced warriors so they will learn.)
4. Are your warriors eligible to make challenges? If they didn’t fight within
the last two turns, then they can’t challenge.
5. Are the warriors they want to fight eligible to receive challenges? If they
didn’t fight within the last two turns, then they can’t be challenged.

Next, adjust your choices for the maximum likelihood of getting your challenges.
There are several things that will help:
1. Have each of your warriors challenge two different opponents from two
different teams. That way, if the first opponent’s team doesn’t fight that turn, you
still might get your second challenge.
2. Use your avoids. Have each warrior avoid the teams of whoever you think
might be likely to challenge him. If you can get out of being challenged, that
increases your chance of getting your own challenge through.
3. Don’t challenge warriors who didn’t fight last turn. The odds are higher
that they won’t be fighting this turn.
4. Don’t challenge warriors who might be involved in a bloodfeud (either as the
killers, or the avengers). A bloodfeud challenge has priority over all other
challenges.
5. Don’t challenge Tournament Victors. A TV challenge has priority over all
other challenges except bloodfeuds. You’ll need to do a little research in back
issues of the newsletter to find out who the TVs are.
6. Don’t challenge warriors who you know are going to challenge someone else, or
are going to get challenged by someone else. Your challenge has a better chance of
getting through if it is the only challenge to that particular warrior.
7. Don’t challenge the “easy pickings.” That is, warriors above you who have
way too few fights or very bad records for where they are ranked. They will tend to
get challenged a lot.
8. Don’t challenge warriors who are likely to be avoiding your team. This
includes any warrior your team fought within the last two turns.
Well, it sounds like I’ve eliminated just about everybody, doesn’t it? Of course
you can challenge opponents who fit into one or more of those categories; just try to
find ones who don’t. Your idea candidate for a challenge is: A warrior ranked
somewhat above your warrior in the same class, or in the next higher class, with a few
more fights than your warrior, and a winning record, who isn’t a TV and isn’t
currently at war with anyone.
I hope this will be of some help to you.

The Rogue She-Puppy

The Mechanics of Death

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     Greetings, joy and happiness to everyone!  This article discusses the mechanics 
involved when a warrior dies in combat.  It will give the reader a better knowledge of 
how a warrior actually gets killed in combat.
     Here is how a warrior dies... The Facts) ...in fact, get out a dead warrior's 
last fight so you can follow me.  To start the process of death, a warrior must first 
fail to make a death roll.  Let's say the death roll is 20 or less out of 100 to fail 
that roll for this example.
     There are 2 ways a warrior can be forced to make that Death Roll.

1. The vitals roll.
2. The second is when you run out of hit points, which is called the "infirmary roll."

     The vitals roll -- every time a warrior gets hit in a vital area you make a 
vitals roll.  Lets say that you fail on a 1-15% out of 100.  If you get hit in the 
head, chest, or abdomen, you will roll the vitals percent.  If you roll 15 or less you 
must make the death roll to determine if the warrior was killed.  Now look at the 
fight with your dead warrior on it...look for the death intent statement, it will say 
something like, "Trying to make this into a death match, or seeks death of his 
opponent, etc. etc." (there are a lot of them) that is telling you that your warrior 
was forced to make a death roll.
     Now comes the scary part: if you fail the death roll your warrior dies.  But the 
program does not kill you immediately because you still have hit points left.  So what 
happens next is that you will get normal attacks and damages that hit your character 
automatically in the vitals until yours hit points run out.  Then it will say your 
warrior is dead.  Remember that it will be normal hits to the vitals, not crits or 
extra damage remarks.  If your warrior dodges, crit attacks , parries,  has extra 
damage remarks or anything else EXCEPT a normal hit to the vitals, the sentence 
following right after the death intent statement comes up, then he made his death roll 
successfully and the fight continues.  You can have many death intent statements come 
up in one fight, depending on the number of times you hit a vital. You won't get one 
every time, only when you fail the vitals roll.  And your warrior will have to roll 
the death roll every time you fail the vitals roll to see if he is killed or not.  
EXAMPLE:

INFERNO leaps to his left!
INFERNO's scimitar lunges with awesome cutting power!
NULN takes an upper body hit!
NULN is badly hurt!
NULN is becoming FRANTIC!!!!
INFERNO's scimitar lunges with awesome cutting power!
NULN is struck on the left rib cage!
What a devastating attack!!
NULN is dangerously stunned!
INFERNO is trying to make this a death match----(Death Intent)
INFERNO slashes an attack with his scimitar---(Normal Attack)
NULN is struck on the side of the HEAD!---(Vital Hit)
INFERNO slashes with his scimitar
NULN is wounded in the upper chest.
INFERNO slashes with his scimitar
NULN is hit in the forehead!
NULN curses the gods in frustration!
NULN falls LIFELESS to the ground!
INFERNO has won the duel!
INFERNO laughs and says, "What a loser!"

     As you see, if you fail the vitals roll, and then fail the death roll, you will 
get normal attacks to the vital areas until all of your warrior's hit points are gone.  
All of your dead warriors that have died from DEATH INTENT statements will have those 
three things... death intent statement, then normal attack, then hits to the vitals 
until all hit points are gone.  Then you will get some sort of, "falls over dead 
statement."  In the past, if you failed the death intent statement roll, the program 
would just skip all the stuff that was in between the death intent statement and the 
falls over dead statement.   It would say something like this:

INFERNO seeks the death of his opponent
NULN falls to the ground lifeless
INFERNO has won the duel.

But they changed it to make death more dramatic.

     The second way your warrior is forced to make a death roll is if your warrior 
runs out of hit points during or after the fight has ended.  This roll is called the 
infirmary roll and can happen in or out of combat, and does not matter where your 
warrior gets hit.  If your warrior has taken many hits, that reduces his hit point 
total below the preset percentage... lets say it 5% of your total hit points... then 
he will make an infirmary roll.  If you fail the infirmary roll, you then make the 
death roll to determine if your warrior has died.  In combat, you will read that you 
died from serious wounds or something to that effect.  After a fight is over, the 
program checks to see if your warrior has fallen below that preset percentage of hit 
points, if you have, you will make an infirmary roll.  If you fail the infirmary roll, 
an infirmary statement will appear at the bottom of your fight letting you know if 
your warrior failed the death roll that comes after that.   Sometimes you can die in 
combat without a death intent statement that comes up during the battle .  This is a 
good example of an infirmary roll failure in combat from low hit points, triggering 
the death roll which actually is the roll that kills your warrior.  In some battles 
you can get hit several times in the vitals, have several death intent statements come 
up, make every roll successfully and still die from lack of hit points (i.e.: fail the 
infirmary roll).
     A simple way to think of this is the 2 ways are :  1. vitals roll, which deals 
with getting hit in the head, chest, or abs and dying when a death intent statement 
comes up.  Or  # 2.  infirmary roll, which deals with dying from lack of hit points, 
and does not use the death intent statement.  I'd say about 90% of all deaths are by 
death intent statement because of a failed vitals roll.  Only a small percentage die 
from the infirmary roll in or out of combat.
     Well, that's it.  These are facts, not theories.  You can check this out with all 
your dead warriors, and you will learn there are NO exceptions.   Those percentages I 
used up there are just made up, I have no way of knowing what they really are.
     Now I have formed theory regarding KD or kill desire.  I do not believe KD has 
anything to do with a warrior dying, but is rather a tool to determine your warrior's 
aggressiveness in combat.   In other words the timing of his blows, his shot 
selection, and other such things.  For example: The higher the KD the wilder he is 
with his shots, and easier to feint, dodge, parry and riposte.  Some styles like Abs 
(Aimed Blows) fight better with a 1 KD because they are very selective with their 
shots.  Most of the other offensive styles function well between 5-7 KD.  Any more 
than that is just a waste of endurance and has a negative effect on your warrior's 
performance in battle, in my opinion.
     Well that's it for now.  If you would like to chat sometime drop me a diplo at 
Jessie's Kids in DM 60 (yes, I've come out of retirement)  ;) May the axe fall in your 
favor!

Cheerio!
Sir Jessie Jest,
Lord of Puns, and Master of Laughter.

THE NUMEROLOGY OF DUELMASTERS

368 views
                                 Character Generation

     Hello, I am the Ghost of Eldrid, and I have an important message that directly 
effects how well your team may do in the future.  Some managers will not take this 
important article seriously (some people don't believe in ghosts, either), and their 
records will suffer for it.  I have played Duelmasters for four years and searched 
through all of my old turns and painstakingly researched every important fact in this 
article, and I have discussed my conclusions with about ten different managers (named 
managers such as Phido, Doctor LeGrand, Silk, Russ, and Biff Frothingslosh) who all 
agree on the validity of my arguments.  The results of my research are both startling 
and magnificent.  THERE IS NUMEROLOGY IN DUELMASTERS!!!  Whether it was programmed in 
or it exists on a higher plane, it matters not.  IT EXISTS!!!  And I plan to share 
some of its amazing secrets with you, starting with character creation.
     Remember in the realm of character generation the powers favor odd number stats.  
NEVER, EVER have an even number on stats, except, of course, for size, which, 
obviously should be even since everyone can tell what size your character is by his 
description in the fight.  Do you want people thinking your warrior is odd?  I should 
hope not!!  But in case you decide to keep your odd warrior, DO NOT MAKE ANY OTHER 
STATS EVEN!!  Write a letter to the commission stating that you forgo the rights to 
the last point and you want it to be sacrificed to the benefit of Alastari.
     Always start adding points to wit and will first.  Either make them 13, 17, or 
21.  Why?  Under 12 wit is worthless, as any good manager will tell you.  A 13 
understandably gives your opponent bad luck, a 17 has the ever-lucky "7" in it, and 21 
is BLACKJACK, and you get twice the number of winnings you would normally get.  Why 
not 15 or 19?   Is it not obvious to everyone that 15 is unlucky?  The only President 
of the United States not married was the 15th, James Buchanan (who?).  Lincoln was 
shot on April 15th, and the clincher... my brother was born on the 15th of May.  If 
these "coincidences" don't prove to you that 15 is unlucky, I don't know what will.  
19 is an evil number.  It tries to deceive you into thinking it is better than 17, but 
actually, it is an "11" with a small zero placed on the second pole, and we all know 
that a zero is nothing.  So what do we get for our extra eight points?  In effect, 
something smaller than nothing.
     Next, make every other stat odd.  Add the other points to make the style you 
want.  Deftness is the key to character generation.
     Deftness (min)
          5 to make a basher (ST 13+)
          7 for a lunger
          9 for a striker
          11 for a wall of steel (ST 11+, WL 17+)
          13 for a parry lunge (ST 11+), slasher (SP 11+), parry-strike, and total 
                    parries (these styles depend on the opponent's bad luck.
          17 for a parry-riposte (WT 17+)
          21 for an aimed blow (this style needs the double winnings)

     The last thing to remember is that luck is a big factor in this game and I don't 
know if you noticed, but when warriors have even ID numbers they are luckier than odd 
ID characters.  Look at the best warriors in Primus: Wallbanger, Donatello, Epitaph, 
Chaos Knight, Villiage Idiot, Silverflash, Khorga Khan, Jake the Snake, Sly, Max, 
Stormbringer, Teetotaler, Raphael, Selleque, Kiri, Constance, Hangover, Eve, and Sam 
Spade.  All have even-numbered IDs.  Now you say, "But Yoda and Necron-99 both have 
odd IDs, and they are the best aimed blows of the game!"  Yes, but they are AIMED 
BLOWS and they are members of an odd style, so of course they do better with odd 
numbers.  So remember if you want your warriors to be best in all Alastari someday, 
Dark Arena all your odd-numbered characters, unless of course they are aimed blows.  
Good luck, and may the numbers fall your way.

                                        -- The Ghost of Eldrid,
                                             retired

The Top 10 Signs you play this game too much

156 views

10. You wonder whether Mike Tyson does Awesome, or merely Tremendous Damage

9. Think OJ should have used a Longsword, and gone for a knockdown.

8. You forgot your non-managerial name.

7. You communicate with your spouse via personal ad.

6. You write ‘Diplomatic Note’ to the Serbian government, asking them to lower their kill desire, and aim for the limbs.

5. You have a favorite eating utensil.

4. Your mailperson sends you chiropratic bills.

3. You think of members of the opposite sex as having seven vital statistics.

2. You try to scum your opponent in a barroom brawl

and the number one sign you play DM too much…

1. You send your kid to the Dark Arena, because he didn’t have a 17 wit!

The Zen of Putting Your Opponents Six Feet Under

215 views
This article is the result of a fellow Duelmasters manager asking me how to 
go about the business of killing. He stated that I was "the resident expert" 
on the Duelmasters Round Table (an e-mail chat group) and was therefore the 
person to come to for tips. Well, this got me thinking, and the mail that I 
sent to him is a subset of this full-fledged article. 

As for being an "expert", all I can say is that I hold the record for most 
kills in Alastari with any one stable. Merlin's Lot in Sibikhas had a record 
of 661-538-72 as of Cycle 283. 


So, for all of you who want to strike constant fear in the hearts of your 
weak opponents, here's my tips: 


1) This is my most important rule, and it is a corollary to Doc LeGrand's 
famous "First Rule of Duelmasters", which was "You can't die if you don't 
lose." My version is "You can't kill if you don't win." This is obvious, 
but many managers design what they believe to be "killers" with all sorts 

of scary damage ratings and the ability to swing two mauls, but the likelihood 
of these warriors winning is rather slim, because they're brain-dead, or 
ponderously slow, or are just as likely to chop their own foot off as to hit 
their opponent. Sure, they might get lucky in one or two of their first 
few fights, but is one kill worth a 2-6-1 record and five skills learned 
followed by a DA? So, first you have to start with a warrior that will 
win at least half of his first 10 fights (or however long you think this 
warrior will last). That is critical. When all else is equal, the more you 
win, the more you'll kill...guaranteed. 


2) You have to be offensive. There's no getting around it. You have to run 
with at least a 7 KD, and, while I can safely say that I got most of my 
kills running 10 KD, I also feel that I could have avoided more than a few 
losses by toning that down a little. There is a big trade-off here; raising 
KD means more kills, but it can also mean less wins. With a 10 KD, when your 
warrior is on the ropes, he'll be way too berserk to even care. I now go 
no higher than 9 KD, but the rate I've been getting kills has noticeably decreased. 


3) Point #2 does NOT mean that your warrior must be one of the offensive 
styles! Defensive warriors can be excellent killers as well, most notably, 
parry-lungers, parry-strikers and wastes. Total parries and parry-ripostes 
just don't seem to have the knack. Still, though, you can't just change 
the KD on your normal defensive strategy and hope to kill. It's just not 
that easy. You'll have to completely modify your warrior's strategy to get 
that killing edge. This means high offensive effort, but not necessarily 
high activity. I've had two parry-strikers that were great killers, but 
I ran them 7-7-7, which is out of the bounds of their potential favorite 
numbers. Parry-lungers are better suited to killing because they can be 
run (relatively successfully) just like lungers. There was a recent 
discussion on the Duelmasters Roundtable concerning parry-strikers that 
said that many managers run rookie PSs 10-10-6. Well, how much different 
is 10-10-9? 


4) Your killer will have to do some damage. This does not NECESSARILY mean 
that he will have to do at least good damage (although, for my killers, 
I prefer at least great). What it DOES mean is that, if your warrior does 
only normal damage, he's going to have to hit A LOT to get that kill 
intent statement! There's nothing more pleasing than having your great 
damage basher send one shot to an opponent's head, get the death intent 
statement, and one more swing and the undertaker's already reserving a slab. 
This just cannot be accomplished with a normal damage warrior. 


5) Obviously, to maximize your killing potential, you have to aim at vitals. 
I prefer the head or the chest, although many of my lungers have gotten 
their kills aiming for the abdomen. Also, a high deftness will greatly help 
in this regard, because it does no good to aim at the head and hit your 
opponent six times in six different locations. Sure, you'll get the win, 
but you'll have a more difficult time getting the kill. 


6) Killing means weeding out the worthless and weak. One of my favorite 
sayings is "If a warrior dies, he wasn't meant to live." Of course, I use 
this to justify going after warriors that I BELIEVE just don't deserve to 
live, like that 2-6 ripper, or that 6-7 aimed blow who has gotten some 
lucky challenges through to defensives, but is finally going to have his 
luck catch up with him. Or any warrior belonging to the Neon Necromancer.... 
You have to be merciless to enjoy killing, and to go after the warriors that 
deserve to die. That's the Dark Circle way. Also, when you have a chance 
to REALLY get a slam dunk on an opponent (and there is no better example 
than having a champion bloodfeud an initiate), then, by all means, crank 
up that KD all the way to 10. You KNOW you're going to win, and your chance 
of killing is maximized. Go for it. 


7) When in doubt, at least challenge warriors you know that you can HIT, 
not necessarily BEAT, just HIT HARD! This tip is really only good for 
warriors that do at least great damage. The more damage you do, the more 
likely that one hit will be all you'll need (especially if you hit 
where you're aiming, as I stated in Point #5). If there's a great lunger 
out there, but he's slow and you've sent him desperate with your faster 
striker before the lunger's dodge strategy kicked in and he pounded you, 
challenge him again and you'll be more than likely to send him desperate 
again! Maybe you got a bad roll last time. Maybe you'll get a really good 
roll this time....


8) And, being on the receiving end of a bloodfeud can be a good way to get 
those slam-dunks as well. If you kill a warrior who comes from a relatively 
new team, or from a team that has no warriors above yours (or, at least, 
no warriors that can beat yours), then you're home free. Stack up the 
opposition like cordwood as they try to revenge their pathetic loser. 


9) As we all know, the younger a warrior is, the more likely he is to die 
when he loses. Therefore, the tips on challenging that I have just stated 
should practically be ignored for any warrior in the Challenger Adepts or 
higher. This does not mean that Champions don't die; far from it! Sibikhas 
just lost its Duelmaster, and arenas like Sunset and Talcama (where 
bloodlust reigns supreme) have at least one 10+ fight warrior dying 
practically every turn. Even warriors with 20 or more fights can be fairly 
regularly found on any arena's dead list. But, it's in the rankings of the 
Initiates where you will find most of the dead. So, if you want to kill, you 
should "make hay while the sun shines", as it were, and try to get in those 
notches on your hilt within your warriors' first ten fights. 


10) If you're just looking to pad your kill total, then you should challenge 
the DA with any of your warriors that graduates to ADM. I would estimate 
that about half of the warriors that do this win the fight, and even if you 
lose it, all you lose are the skills that you may have gotten if you had 
fought a regular opponent. You also don't have to worry about a bloodfeud. 
I must admit, though, that I am pretty proud of the fact that my kill total 
in Sibikhas has NOT been inflated via this manner. Just think how many kills 
I would have had if I had sent all two dozen of my Lord Protectors to the DA 
on their last fight! Maybe over 80! 


11) As you may well know, there are many managers out there (many of whom call 
themselves Andorians) who believe that killing is bad and wrong and all sorts 
of other judgemental stuff that has nothing to do with combat. As for me, 
I couldn't care less whether you want to kill my warriors (or anybody else's) 
or not. Just don't tell me what to do. This is also the Dark Circle way. 
Unfortunately, many of these Andorians have banded together in certain arenas, 
where the idea of "killing without remorse" is heavily frowned upon. It is in 
these arenas where, if you kill and enjoy it (and even SAY so...), your 
entire stable will be hunted down for the true warriors that they are, rather 
than for the "we all share a common goal, so let's play nice" slumber 
party pillow-fighters that all the other warriors in those arenas are. 
Therefore, if you wish to be proficient and successful at killing, I suggest 
you avoid these arenas like the plague that they are. Trust me. You will 
receive more enjoyment from your kills when the manager of your victim vows 
revenge in kind, but does not question your morals. 


12) And, above all, when that manager of your victim DOES threaten to wipe 
out your entire stable, you have to be prepared to die yourself. Some studies 
have shown (to varying degrees) that raising your KD also increases your 
own likelihood of death. I'm not convinced of this, but I'm not denying it 
either. And, of course, when you kill, you invite a bloodfeud upon your 
killer, and the opposing manager will have all of the bloodfeuding advantages 
that I have mentioned above. Accept that death is part of the game, and 
relish the chances to be bloodfeuded, just as much as you relish the kill. 


Well, that's about all I can think of. I hope to see all of the undertakers 
throughout Alastari very busy! Best of Luck in your headhunting! 


Merlin, Warden of the Dark Circle 

MORE ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS

344 views
     Many essays dwell on style specifics.  This piece describes a playing philosophy.  
When you just want to WIN, create scum TPs and size 17 monsters with impunity.  Don't 
worry about getting these warriors into ADM!  YOU'RE concerned with winning those "Top 
Team" and "Team on the Move" awards.
     By comparison, managers with an excellent setup shouldn't be too concerned with 
the team win/loss record.  Their character must develop, gain every skill possible, in 
order to blossom into a deadly duelist.  THEIR goal is to advance this fighter into 
ADM, and eternal life.
     Here are some broad parameters for assessing a warrior's value, and a few 
representative samples:
Primus Bound:
     - WT, WL and DF total 49+.
     - 4 or more wit statements.
     - Start with Expert rating or gain it in one or two skills.
     - [13-5-5-21-13-10-17, 6-6-9-17-21-9-17, 11-7-9-17-17-6-17, etc.]
Basic/ADM Only:
     - WT, WL and DF total to 35+.
     - At least 3 wit statements.
     - Gain Expert rating in no more than five skills.
     - [17-9-10-17-9-9-13, 13-11-11-17-13-8-11, 9-13-10-15-21-5-11, etc.]
Dark Arena: [Any two of these qualify the character as "expendable"]
     - WT less than 13.
     - Less than 3 wit statements.
     - Is clumsy.
     - Has very little endurance.
     - [15-15-16-11-13-5-9, 7-18-13-17-5-13-11, 13-15-13-13-17-6-7, etc.]
     The Primus Bound setups are rare; they are coddled, protected and sometimes 
sandbagged for a year or so in order to build up a few Ad Experts to help them survive 
in the arena.
     The Basic/ADM Only fighters have mediocre to decent stats, and are going to be 
very dependent on their overview for that elusive "luck factor."  This class of 
warrior should be highly competitive.  Most of the fighters seen in the arena are in 
this category.
     Finally, the Dark Arena fighters: conceived from pitiful setups with little 
chance of being competitive.  However, these rollups might prove useful.  Don't fight 
the system; learn to use it to your advantage!  Many managers send fighters to the 
D.A. who might have provided them with a successful (if brief) career in Basic.
     Give BIG numskulls lots of ST and SP; these are your killer LUs and STs.  More WL 
= LU; Higher DF = ST. (I don't advise making Bashers unless you have a 17+ wit and 15+ 
points in WL.)  Give LITTLE morons a boost to WL, ST and CN; these are your TP scum.  
If they have absolutely no WT or WL, escort them to the Dark Arena.
     Of course, some fighters have good stats and decent overviews yet still lose most 
of their fights in the beginning of their career.  The "old" method of dealing with 
this phenomenon was to bump all stats by two or more.  Now, it's generally agreed that 
this increases performance at the cost of future skill learns.  This takes away from a 
duelist's competitive abilities in the higher levels of play.  Competitive fighters 
should be making as few stat raises as possible until they have "maxed out" in at 
least three of four skill areas. (Some managers advocate waiting until a character is 
completely "maxed out" before raising stats; this will take a long time for most 
warriors.)
     Some warriors (particularly the finesse styles: AB, PR, PL, PS) take a little 
longer to develop.  If they DON'T have the stats or the overview to raise visions of a 
Primus inductee, take a HARD look at their potential.  Will stat raises help?  Well 
they come easily?  Is the rest of the team strong?  How much money are you willing to 
invest in this character?
     ANYONE can create an awe-inspiring fighter by adding a couple of points to key 
stats.  It means the fighter may lose some of its long-term potential, but so what?  
Duelmaster, Most Popular Fighter, Best Win/Loss Record, etc. all equate into free 
fights and recognition.  If you don't have that Godling in your stable, what other 
goal might you have but to excel in your arena?!!
     I urge new managers to run EVERY setup at least once in the arena.  Look on 
rollups as a challenge; try to make the best killer or scum possible out of Dark Arena 
material.  There's a tremendous amount of experience to be gained by this.
     See what effect a high ST or DF has on specific styles; compare overviews to find 
what works and what doesn't; gain new insights on character design.  You will enjoy 
playing far more than you do now!  You might even come up with a better way of 
designing a character for a specific style, and write an article to share your views.
     The point is, DON'T wait around for the "right" rollup, or waste time and money 
(or sentiment) on characters who aren't doing anything for you.  Play the percentages.  
If a promising warrior is losing repeatedly, be patient.  Once a few AdExperts are 
gained he will probably turn things around.  If you Dark Arena Mutant loses a lot and 
his scumminess or killer-design aren't working, either bump a couple of stats or DA 
him.  If your scum/killer goes out there and wins a few, start paying attention to 
challenges/avoids (which you SHOULD be doing anyway).  Send that scum against a LU or 
ST; send that monster ST against a midget Parry-whatever.  Style vs. style matchups 
are crucial in the early careers of EVERY fighter.
     Generally, even lousy STs, LUs, BAs and TPs do well starting out.  Later the 
finesse styles--PL, PS, PR, AB--usually take over.  Summary: Recognize the difference 
between playing "to win" and playing "longterm."  Start noticing which teams have high 
win/loss percentages: what kind of warriors are they running?  Start sending diplos; 
don't be bashful.  You can bring that win/loss to a respectable level with careful 
play, short-term Mutant killers and scum, and the occasional stat-bump for those 
mediocre fighters whom you plan on retiring later.  Try it and see.  It gives the game 
more spice, you win more often, and you have more FUN!  And just remember... I told 
you so!

                         Diplo me with comments, questions, rebuke:
                              -- The Arcane Kid, of Astral Kin in Osksi (DM-3)