RELIGION IN GOVERNMENT

by Dan Richards

Our government is still working on the idea to allow more religion into the government. Unsaid are things like who is pushing this, what it will entail, and who will truly benefit from this breech of the Constitution. This was even an issue in the selection of a Supreme Court justice.

Some of the people pushing for the increase are groups like The Freedom Club, a group I have been monitoring on the radio, and the 700 Club. We know what these people want, and what they will do with this. We have dealt with them and others like them before.

This will affect our schools, laws, and our general way of life. If you’re a non-Christian, it will infringe on you heavily. The Freedom Club has said if they had gotten this through, they could restrict the non-Christian activity in our schools, television, and in our government. They are very vague on what this means, but talk about “Eastern Philosophy” taught in the schools. I cannot find out what they mean by this specifically, and in talking to them I am not sure they do either.

Who will benefit from this? It will be a select group who wish to bend the laws to fit their wants and greed rather than using their religion to help their followers. All I have seen from these people is a wish to have a religious dictatorship in this country. I don’t see how they could expect to pull this off, but I don’t think they are off to a bad start.

I know CAR-PGa is not a political group, but we have talked to political leaders before, and maybe it’s time to do so again. Think about it!

COMMENTARY

by Paul Cardwell, Jr.

Normally, I have held to a position that I will not comment on anything published in this Newsletter until the next issue, in order to give the other members an equal chance to comment. However, elections in the U.S. are held in early November and that will be before the next Newsletter can arrive, certainly too late for any campaigning.

Dan is correct that CAR-PGa has always been neutral on religious denominations and political parties. However, it can and must take a stand on issues affecting RPG regardless what denomination or party they come from – but always from a position outside the denomination or party. There is a concentrated effort going on in the U.S. (let’s hear from the other countries on this too), particularly at the municipal and school board level, to set up theocracies. The Freedom Club is merely the one operating in the Houston Area (and probably beyond, since they have a radio show). The 700 Club has a more national agenda, in the past and probably the future, the election of Pat Robertson as President.

I would take issue with one of Dan’s statements. It is not just atheists and Wiccans who should fear this activity. If you are part of the mainstream of Christianity you are just as targeted because they consider anything outside their own little cult to be satanic. While “Eastern Philosophy” is a blatant appeal to “Yellow Peril” xenophobia, they should watch their lan­guage. Since Christianity originated on the Asian continent, it can certainly be defined as eastern philosophy, as can Judaism, Islam, and all the other major (defined in number of adherents) religions of the world.

These also talk a lot about “family values,” which means second-class citizenship tor all not in nuclear families.

The 1950s sit-com view was the majority in the U.S. only from 1920 to mid-1960s, minus 1943-1945. Before that period, the majority form was multi-generational with frequent adult siblings in the same family home, while during WW-II the temporarily broken form predominated and after the mid-sixties, there has been no form in the majority. And, naturally, these “family value” groups are consistently anti-RPG.

DIRECTORY REPORT

by Paul Cardwell, Jr.

With the game periodical directory going into the final days, it is time to start wrapping up the project. We contacted 154 publications. Out of that, we got completed forms returned from 37. A further 14 were returned as undeliverable and therefore presumed defunct. This is still over a hundred yet to hear from.

We currently have: AAB Proceedings, Alarums & Excursions, American Go Journal, APAritions, ARGHazine, Beaumains, Camelot *94, CAR-PGa Newsletter, Courier, Empire, Fair Tidings, Fire & Movement, Flying Buffalo Quar­terly, Galleon, Gamers Alliance Report, Gaming & Education, Graustark, Historical Gamer, Inquisitor, Inter*Action, Interregnum, Motive, Moves, Network Newsletter, NOVAG News, Paper Mayhem, Ponteverdria, Pyramid, Rambling WAY, Refractions, Re:Quests!, Southern Exposure, Strategist, Strategy & Tactics, Wargamer’s Information, White Dwarf, and World Builder.

We are still missing such major publications as: Adult Gamer, Adventurers Club, Challenge, Cryptych, Dragao Dourado, Dragon, Dungeon, Interface, Journeys (if still around), Pallas Podium, Polyhedron, Shadis, Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer, Tales of the Reaching Moon, Vortext, and White Wolf in the RPG group; General, and Recon in the board/miniatures; Comics Retailer, GAMA Source Book, Game Shop News, and Model Retailer in the industry support category; and Games in the general audience.

Therefore, there is a survey form in this Newsletter. If you know of a publication not included, get the form to them. If you have a full year of any not yet included (and these can include local club newsletters if they are available to the general public and contain more than just house organ material), make a survey of the copies and fill out the form for it. Make an actual count of the categories in each issue to get an accurate percentage for the Contents section. If you can’t get an answer, then mark NA. Circulation may be the toughest, but U.S. requirements are that annually (usually December or January) certain information must be submitted and this is often included in the magazine; circulation is on that. Do not guess, even if the guess is probably accurate. CAR-PGa standards apply here too. Those not coining from the publisher will be differentiated in the Directory, but still try for accuracy.

All adventure games qualify: RPG, LARP, PBM. board games (no chess periodicals have replied), and miniatures. We got over a quarter of the list (excluding defuncts) which isn’t bad for a first attempt, but we can probably double it with a little effort.

NEW FROM THE PUBLISHERS

EDIOURO

Misterios de Sherlock Holmes: Assassinato no Clube Diogenes; scenario: no price stated. Misterios de Sherlock Holmes: Esmeralda do Rio Negro; scenario: no price stated. Misterios de Sherlock Holmes: Coroa Contra o Dr. Watson; scenario: no price stated.

TSR

AD&D: Rogues in Lankhmar; accessory: $9.95.

AD&D: Wizard’s Challenge II; adventure: $6.95.

Planescapc: Well of Worlds; accessory: $15.00.

Forgotten Rc -inis: Eliminster’s Ecologies; accessory: $25.00.

Ravenloft: Hour of the Knife; adventure: $9.95.

All companies are welcome to submit listings for this column.

FINANCES
GENERAL

• On hand, 1 August 1994: $30.48
• Income: $10.00 (7.15 contrib., 2.85 lit.)
• Outgo: 5 1.05 postage
• Balance: $38.93

NEWSLETTER

• On hand, 1 August 1994: $40.94
• Income: $17.50 (15.00 sub, 2.50 contrib)
• Outgo: $15.42 postage
• Balance: $43.02

DIRECTORY

• On hand, 1 August 1994: $5.64
• Income: $25.00 contribution
• Outgo: $0
• Balance: $30.64

FANDOM DIRECTORY

by Paul Cardwell, Jr.

Old timers in C AR-PGa remember an annual publication called Fandom Directory. It started out as a fan directory for those interested in comic books, but quickly spread in scope to cover fans of various science/fantasy fiction authors, and then RPG. We undertook a campaign to get Game Advocacy recognized as one of the interest groups and were the first (and so far only) one to get the required number the first attempt. They then raised the minimum, which we reached the second year.

The publisher is in the Air Force and was sent to Korea and had to suspend publication for two years. The two years are up but no word has come down about the Directory being resumed. If any of you have heard about resumption, contact the Chair immediately so we can get to work on making our minimums. We would get in barely over the minimum starting work in September. Obviously that possibility is lost. There may have been some problem from our address change, although we are still getting material forwarded which was sent to the old address.

NEW MATERIAL

TIM KLEIN

• Nexis
• Norman, Tony (1994, September 2). Put a spell on you. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Arts & Entertainment page 2. Magic: the Gathering. 2 pages.
• Ross, Deborah (1994, Sept 6). It’s Magic; players say card game is a normal, healthy obsession. Phoenix Gazette, D-l. Finally, some coverage of the game aspect, but still mainly about collecting.
• Gaws, Jonathan (1994, Sept 11). It’s all in their heads; fantasy game players go where no one has gone before. [Cleve­land] Plain Dealer, page 22. Game convention context for feature on RPG, board wargames. Even coverage spoiled by unattributed quote from Radecki, claim that DeRenard & Kline and Douse & McManus were inconclusive [they concluded no evidence existed to support attacks], and do not mention Simon, Carroll & Carolin, or Abyeta & Forest [who concluded the attacks were totally without foundation]. 2 pages.
• Duffy, Joan I. (1994, Sept 19). Opponents challenge Ark. school for gifted. [Memphis] Commercial Appeal, 1 A. State summer program at Methodist college (Hendrix) attacked for teaching kids to think for themselves. Playing D&D example of how school damaged one student; but another praised the way the school strengthened her faith and taught her about other religions.
• Vande Water, Judith (1994, Sept 22). “Mental defect” plea upsets victim’s family; decision was judge’s only option ethically, legally, he maintains. St. Louis Post Dispatch, page 1. D&D is example of bizarre behavior. 2 pages.

List of newspapers online (not cheap enough for serendipitous searches, but useful for documents if not otherwise accessible.

FROM GARY REGIER

• Bodenhausen, Kerry G. (1994, September 3). “20 people shouldn’t collapse a deck”, expert bays of accident. Spring­field Ne^s-teader. page unstated. Fantasy football league draft party hospitalizes nine. A new hazard from

FROM CLARISS A FOWLER

• Horwitz, Jane (1994, August 11). Airheads. Washington Post, B-7. Gratuitous slam at D&D in deserved slam at bad movie. [Uncool i s milder than last month’s occult allegation, but the Post is definitely slipping, (ed.).]

FROM PAUL CARDWELL, JR.

• Gray, Bob (1994, October). Remember when games were fun to play? Comics Retailer. 28-29. Emphasis on collectivity rather than playability in card-based game merchandising could lead to collapse of the market as has happened in ot ter collector card                                          -•

FROM CHARLES APPLIN

• Walters, Eric M. (1990, July). Maneuver warfare in commercial board wargames. Marine Corps Gazette, 79-83. Intro­duction to board games as military training look Not directly on RPG, but has implications. 5 pages.
• Walters, Eric M. (1990. July). Wargames for evaluation. Marine Corps Gazette, 84-86. Limitations of board wargames in military training. As above, implications rather than direct coverage of RPG. 3 pages.

FROM OMAR DINIZ

• Cabral, Alexandre (1994, August 21). Para viver 1001 noites sem fim. Globo, page 2. Hints to game referees.
• Cabral, Alexandre (1994, September 4). Cantrips. Globo, page 2. Brief reviews of advanced Tagmar, Middle Earth Games, miniatures for MareNostrum; plus In Nomine and some CD modules for AD&D, both in English.
• GSA News (no date given). RPG em revista, author, page not stated. Dragao Dourado.
• Cabral, Alexandre (1994, September 18). Bienal do RPG. Globo, page 2. Description of RPG material displayed at Sao Paulo book show.

FROM JENNIFER CLARKE WILKES

• Korski, Tom (1994, July 6). Killer trading cards have MPs obsessed. Winnipeg Sun, page 23. Cards and board games legislation saddles police with one more non-issue to enforce rather than deal with real problems.
• Zanini, Stephen J. (1994, July 7). letter to Allan Rock, Minister of Justice, on Canadian Wargamers Group letterhead. Supports bill but is concerned over vagueness.
• McKeague, Paul (1994, July 13). They’re serial killers – of time. Windsor Star, A-6. “The country has real problems. It doesn’t need to invent fake ones.”
• Jackson, Steve (1994, July 14). letter to Keith Martens, editor, Canadian Wargamers Journal. Blast at Zanini for willingness to turn over to the government his personal responsibility to raise his own kids; from someone with first-hand experience with the inadequacy of that institution to deal properly with the subject. 2 pages.

FROM JOHN BOARDMAN

• Nielsen, Karol (1994, August 31). Cop asks, “could it be Satan?”. Newsday, B-7. Feature on Marcos Quinones, cult cop disciple of the notorious Dale Griffis.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES FROM ALL OVER

Gareth Jones sent a couple of clippings from a summer public recreation program sponsored by a private school in Britain. There were two courses on RPG: an introductory⁷ course for 11 + year olds offered six times a day, while an advanced course concentrating on character playing was offered twice a day for 15+. Both were available to adults as well as those closer to the minimum age. This seems quite similar to the Toronto Harbourfront program except for the adult participation. The question is, what has been done along this line in the U.S.? Or is this done only at game conventions?

Omar Diniz reports the release of the 2nd edition GURPS Basic rules in Portuguese and says it is a major improvement over the older version. Another month, another major advance in Brazil! Drgao Dourado is a new RPG magazine, full color, professionally done, and at least in the first issue, a free miniature (plastic vampire) with the magazine. Articles include: What is RPG?, Die Origins of Brazilian RPG, The Fantasy Universe of J.R.R. Tolkien, and some others that were lost in the black-and-white picture of the cover. If the inside is as good as the outside, this is a winner.

Yet another game system, this one based on the Sherlock Holmes setting, has been published in Portuguese. Dtis is further evidence of the active nature of the hobby in that country⁷.

There has been a rumor that RPGs are banned at military base post exchanges. Charles Applin researched a confirm or deny request and found the matter is totally at the whim of the base Morale, Welfare, and Recreation officer. Therefore, it is true at some bases and false at others. They are available at MCAS Yuma (Charles’ base).

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

New Member

Allan                            ⁵ ■*??-■* F7 /11 *1 mH f /’-I:;- *1 *

CALENDAR

October

November

• 5; U-Con, University of Michigan Union, Ann Arbor, MI; Box 4491, Ann Arbor, MI 48106.
• 6; Adventure Gamefest, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR; Adventure Games Northwest, 6517 NE Alberta, Portland, OR 97218.
• 6; Conquest of Santa Maria, Santa Maria Inn, Santa Maria, CA; Box 1854, Santa Maria, CA 93456.
• 5; Fantasy Quest,.Owensboro Executive Inn-Rivermount, Owensboro, KY; Larry Hedden, Box 283, Fordville, KY 42343.
• 6; MiniWars, Norwalk, CA; Box 701, Norwalk, CA 90651.
• 5-6; New Jersey ASL Open, Edison, NY; 416 Pleasant, Piscataway, NJ 08854.
• 5-6; Novagcon, Best Western, Falls Church, VA; NOVAG, Box 7158, Reston, VA 22091.
• 5-6; Rucon, Lockhaven University, Lock Haven, PA; Parsons Union Bldg, LHU, Lock Haven, PA 17745.
• 10-13; TNT, Laurel MD; 9225 Fairlane, Laurel, MD 20708.
• 10-13; War!Zone Central, Holiday Inn-Main Gate at Universal Studios, Orlando. FL; Wolf Ent., Box 1256, DeLand. FL 32721.
• 12; Saga, Howard Johnson Hotel, Metairie, LA; 800 Sena Dr., Metairie, LA 70005.
• 12-13, Pentacon, Grand Wayne Conter, Fort Wayne, IN; Steve & Linda Smith, 836 Himes St., Huntington, IN 46750.
• 13; Immaculate Convention, Chelsea Old Town Hall. Chelsea London: Killjoy, Box 425. Kingston, Surrey, KT2 ^ZD, England.
• 18-20: Eyecon. Emporium. London. ON: 123 Line Si.. Londe*!.. ONI N6A 1C3.
• 18-20; MidCon, Birmingham, UK; Brian Williams, 30 Rydding Lane, Millfield Estate, W. Bromwich By 1 2HA, UK.
• 18-20; Shauncon, Howard Johnson Central. Kansas City. MO: Box 7457. Kansas City, MO 64116.

January 1995

• 13-16; Games University, Red Lion Hotel, Ontario, CA, Ultraviolet Productions, Box 668, Upland, CA 91785.
• 21-29*, RoundCon, Columbia, SC; Box 80018, Columbia, SC 29225.

February 1995

• 17-19; GenghisCon, Denver, CP; Box 440058, Aurora, CP 80044.
• 17-20; OrcCon, Los Angeles, CA; Box 3849, Torrance, CA 90510.

March 1995

• 3-5: Cold Wars. Lancaster, PA; 902 Langley. Glen Bumie, MD 21261.
• 3-5; Egyptian Campaign, Carbondale, IL; Strategic game Society, 3d Floor Student Center, Carbondale, IL 62901.

April 1995

• 21-23; Con Troll; Box 740969-1025, Houston, TX 77274
• 20-24; ManorCon, Birmingham, England.
• 27-30; CruiseCon, Bahamas; 1-800-529-3976.
• 29-30; Saints’ Con, SCSU, St. Cloud, MN; St. Cloud State University Games Club, 1404 12th St. SE, St. Cloud, MN 56304

August 1995

• 1-3; Operation Green Flag, Farmington, ME; 5 South St., UMF, Farmington, ME 04938.
• 1 -3; UMF-Con, University of Maine, Farmington;
• 3-6; AvalonCon/DipCon; Hunt Valley, MD; TAHGC, 4517 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD 21214.
• 10-14; Gamefest, Old Towne, San Diego, CA; 3954 Harney St. San Diego, CA 92110.

AN APPEAL

by the Chair

It has been awhile since I nagged you, so this seems as good a time as any. As you will notice if you get that far, this issue has some black space at the end. Because of the nature of the publication, we have to have an even number of pages. This sometimes makes it hard to come out even. For instance, in this one, we would have had to cut the convention schedule (our usual method of making it come out right) to the point that it would only be a month ahead, hardly our usual standards. Now if we had a bunch of articles on backlog, we could dip into that and take the pressure off the poor conven­tion schedule in order to fill the page. In fact, if we had a bunch of articles, we would be able to go back to the old eight page format instead of the six we have been running of late.

It is odd that a bunch of gamers (or at least those interested in the serious study of gaming) do not have an opinion they would like to share on the subject, or a project they need help on. The hard-core research, as shown in the New Material section, is coming along as it has always done: too much to have grounds for complaint, but still the nagging fear that something is slipping by us. However, the articles have slipped in recent issues.

Your editor is not interested in doing a personal journalism publication. He is in enough APAs (or APAe as some Latinize it) to valve off any urges of that nature. Besides, there is a limit to how much Cardwell a reader can stand before stopping reading! Therefore, don’t just sit there reading this, go write something for the Newsletter. At the very least, it is another point toward keeping (or gaining) active membership status, and usually it improves the Newsletter, the ideas circulating in C AR-PGa, and your writing ability.

Unless a really important issue, keep it to a page or less, but that is still a major chunk of writing. We would not be adverse to a serialize article which could cover various aspects of the same topic over several issues with the hope that other members would add their comments as it went along. That was the intention in publishing the Academic Survey when it was new, but while it did get a few more surveys in, no one commented on the various conflicting opinions expressed.

Say something!

Copyright 1904 by th* Committee for the Advan ement of Role-Playing Games (CAR-PGa). T99N10717120. The CAR-PGa Newsletter is a month tv publication of the Committee tor the Advancement of Role-Piavmg Games i( AR-PGa). inc. it is available by subscription of $730 per year or 75 cents per copy ($12.00 per year or $1.25 per copy overseas). Back issues are available. The editor is the Chair, Paul Cardwell, Jr. The address is 1127 Cedar, Bonham, TX 75418. Contributions of material from the membership are urged. We go to press on the last day of the month, so get the material in as much before that time as possible. The size of the Newsletter depends on what is submitted. Permission is granted to copy anything in the Newsletter, provided we are given a credit line in the publication copying it, and it doesn’t have someone else’s copyright on it.

A mark here indicates your subscription ends with this issue. Renewal, as with original subscriptions, is $7.50 ($12.00 overseas) for the full 12-issue year.

A mark here indicates your subscription ends with the next issue.

® A mark here indicates that this is a complimentary copy.

You currently have points. If no more are made, you will have points next month.

MAGAZINE SURVEY

If the item does not apply to your publication, simply mark NA. Use the back if there is inadequate space

NAME AND ADDRESS Name of Publication Editorial Address Namefs] of Editorfs) Name of Publisher (may be corporation) Subscription Address Frequency of Issue Subscription Price (per year) Circulation

ISSN

Date of First Issue Copy Price (single issue) Type (magazine, APA, newsletter, etc.)

PHYSICAL Size (width & height) Printing Method Advertising? Submissions Guide? Query Needed? Index (how often published)?

Average Number of Pages Color? Free Ads? (restrictions) Pay for Material? (money, copies, no pay, etc.) Release Form?

CONTENTS

Main Target (RPG, board, miniatures, PBM, live action, trade, fan, etc.) Subjects Covered (primary) (incidental) Article Types (indicate: always (>90% of issues), usual (60-90%), occasional (20-60%), rare (<20%), or never) Scenarios                                                                              Reviews

Full

Games

Outlines and Starters Playing Techniques Character Development Species (PC, monsters, etc.) Spells Rule Design Articles Factual Background Articles Cultures Battles Order of Battle Political History Equipment Specifications Other (list) Models Scratch-Building Plans Conversion Plans Conversion Techniques Painting Techniques Terrain Construction Other (list)

Books Movies/TV Video Games Figures Other (list) New Produce Releases Letters to the Editor Question and Answer Column Event Schedules (conventions, etc.) Gamer Listings Fiction Cartoons Best Seller Lists Contests House Organ Material (organization publications) Other (list)