Appendix B - Part 2 - It's Magic!

One of the neat things about Dragon Magazine has always been to see the creativity of its contributors, especially when it comes to magic and magic items. A lot - if not all - of the spells and items that appeared in Dragon prior to AD&D's second edition were codified into the Encyclopedia Magica books. While this tradition continued long into the latest editions of the game, I'm going to be cherry-picking a number of articles that have caught my eye over the years. Again, I've tried very hard to stay away from mechanic-heavy articles. In this installment, I've also tried to pick out articles that add variety and flavor to the game experience rather than just another way of dealing 1d6 damage or healing 1d4 hit points per casting.

Dragon #18 (August 1978)

"Magic: Governed By Laws of Theory" by Thomas A. McCloud: All good systems of magic in games or fiction are governed by laws. Here, Dungeon Master Thomas McCloud details the roots of magical laws and theories and shows how they can be incorporated into a logical and coherent system for Dungeons & Dragons (or other fantasy RPGs).

Dragon #37 (May 1980)

"From the City of Brass to Dead Orc Pass" by Ed Greenwood: Portals are another well-known ingredient of fantasy fiction, leading either to safety or peril. In this article, the master of the Forgotten Realms himself gives an overview of various gates in fantasy fiction and the tricks (and traps) behind them,

Dragon #69 (January 1983)

"Runes" by Taterczynski & Raupp: Runes are yet another trope of fantasy fiction, providing players and their characters a code to break or riddle to solve in the course of an adventure. This article details the history of runes, including their development and use in various European cultures. It should be noted that some of the historical, archaeological, and anthropological information in this article may be out of date, possibly even contradicted by modern theories and findings. Still, it should provide a foundation for a gamemaster looking to develop a system of arcane or ancient writing for their setting.

Dragon #73 (May 1983)

"Non-Violent Magic Items" by Pulsipher & Gettliffe: When standard magic items like wands, swords, and scrolls just won't do, this article can help. While a number of them seem to be more of an "industrial" type of magic, most of these work well for unique items you might find within a wizard's tower, dragon's hoard, or dwarven delve. Definitely an article worth having on hand.

Dragon #87 (July 1984)

"The Legacy of Hortus" by Jack Crane: Wizards do like to experiment with things - devices, spell creation, the essence of life... This article by Jack Crane details a number of horticultural creations left behind by the late wizard Hortus. A system-agnostic article, it can easily be used in any fantasy system.

Dragon #91 (November 1984)

"Treasure Trove" by various contributors: Another valuable article, this one details various magical items, some of dubious utility that a GM could easily inflict on reckless PCs.

Dragon #98 (June 1985)

"Creative Magic Items" by Ken Hughes: A good gamemaster doesn't rely strictly on the rulebook or supplements for magical treasure. Sometimes the best items are created by the GM. Ken Hughes provides a guide for GMs to make their own creations while maintaining some semblance of balance in their game world.

Dragon #99 (July 1985)

"Treasure Trove II: Seventeen New Treasures" by various contributors: Another handful of magical treasures that can aid or hinder PCs.

Dragon #123 (July 1987)

"The Mystic College" by James A. Yates: While heavily driven by AD&D rules, this article by James A. Yates provides a nice outline of what a fledgling mage could expect at a wizard's school.

Dragon #129 (January 1988)

"Arcane Lore: Magic of the Dwarven Priests" by Len Carpenter: Players who favor the Dwarven Runecaster playbook may want to take a look at this article, which covers dwarven runic magic. It includes a number of recommendations on tailoring various spells to fit the dwarven point of view.

Dragon #139 (November 1988)

"Where Wizards Meet" by John C. Bunnell: Dovetailing a little over a year from James A. Yates' "The Mystic College", this article provides an overview of the inner workings of a mages' guild. My only caveat on this article is that it seems to focus on a world where magic is much more common than what Beyond The Wall and other OSR campaigns might feature.

Dragon #140 (December 1988)

"The Savant" by Vince Garcia: Garcia presents a sage PC class (actually a subclass for the cleric or magic-user class) for first edition AD&D in this article. This is the article I referenced for the savant archetype "Another Exercise in Nostalgia".

"So Many Gods So Little Time" by Andrew C. Gronosky: This is one of a number of articles which have appeared in Dragon Magazine over the years on creating believable pantheons in RPGs. Gronosky discusses reasons for having monotheistic and pantheistic religions in a fantasy campaign as well as handling rival religions, the purposes of the faiths, and other ideas. While not focusing on AD&D mechanics, it is couched in the logic of the game.

"Fantasy Clerics and Clerical Fallacies" by Gregory Detwiler: Detwiler provides a look at making clerical healing a bit more realistic in fantasy campaigns, noting that high-level healing will not always be available to peasants, let alone heroes. Definitely worth a look if you want to run a low-magic campaign.

Dragon #149 (September 1989)

"Magic For Beginners" by  Gregory W. Detwiler: Detwiler strikes gold again in this article on low-level magic items. While most of these are more combat-oriented items, there are some very good ideas in here. My favorite is the silver-iron weapons which provide inherent magic against the fae without the common "+1" enchantment.

Dragon #163 (November 1990)

"Oops! Sorry!" by Donald Hoverson: Magical misfirings are one thing I look for in games. Hoverson provides a compact set of guidelines on how spells can go awry instead of just going "pfft." 

"Magic Gone Haywire" by Rich Stump: Stump dovetails from Hoverson's article here, detailing how magical items can malfunction.

Dragon #181 (May 1992)

"More Magic For Beginners" by Gregory W. Detwiler: Detwiler's sequel to "Magic For Beginners" in Dragon #149 brings us more low-level goodies. In this article there are a few more utilitarian items like low-weight equipment, the continual torch, and miniature or polymorphed gear.

Dragon #200 (December 1993)

"The Color of Magic" by Dan Joyce: "The Color of Magic" provides workable guidelines to making each mage's spells unique and noteworthy in BECMI D&D (as well as B/X, Holmes, and other editions) without incorporating a ton of metamagic feats and the like. An excellent article to consult for Beyond the Wall.

Dragon #229 (May 1996)

"Magic Doesn't Always Go Boom" by Christopher Byler: Byler confronts the issue of level-appropriate magical items in adventuring. While grounded in second edition AD&D rules, the article does have good guidelines on providing non-combat magical items and treasure for low and middle level groups.

A Necessary Evil

So as I'm contemplating what to write and post here, it comes to me that it might be a good idea to set some ground rules with regard to copyright, the Open Game License, and Open Game Content for my site. I need to practice what I preach and play nicely with others. Why? It's the right thing to do and I really don't want to get hit with a lawsuit, let alone a C&D (cease and desist) order.

What is about to follow is a wall of (mostly tiny) text that will be updated as content is posted. If you decide to read the whole thing in its entirety, you're either a lawyer or you've been in quarantine for so long you'll do anything to break the boredom. May God have mercy on your soul...

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System Reference Document, © 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Paizo Publishing, LLC.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. © 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary. © 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2. © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4. © 2013, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Savannah Broadway, Ross Byers, Adam Daigle, Tim Hitchcock, Tracy Hurley, James Jacobs, Matt James, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney- MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Tork Shaw, and Russ Taylor.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 5. © 2015, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, John Bennett, Logan Bonner, Creighton Broadhurst, Robert Brookes, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Thurston Hillman, Eric Hindley, Joe Homes, James Jacobs, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Ben McFarland, Jason Nelson, Thom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Alistair Rigg, Alex Riggs, David N. Ross, Wes Schneider, David Schwwartz, Mark Seifter, Mike SHel, James L. Sutter, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 6. © 2017, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Robert Brookes, Benjamin Bruck, John Compton, Paris Crenshaw, Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, James Jacobs, Thurston Hillman, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, Jason Keeley, Isabelle Lee, Jason Nelson, Tim Nightengale, F. Wesley Schneider, David Schwartz, Mark Seifter, Todd Stewart, Josh Vogt, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bonus Bestiary. © 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Bulmahn and F. Wesley Schneider.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game GameMastery Guide. © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Cam Banks, Wolfgang Buar, Jason Bulmahn, Jim Butler, Eric Cagle, Graeme Davis, Adam Daigle, Joshua J. Frost, James Jacobs, Kenneth Hite, Steven Kenson, Robin Laws, Tito Leati, Rob McCreary, Hal Maclean, Colin McComb, Jason Nelson, David Noonan, Richard Pett, Rich Redman, Sean K reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Amber Scorr, Doug Seacat, Mike Selinker, Lisa Stevens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, Penny Williams, Skip Williams, Teeuwynn Woodruff.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide © 2014, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Ross Byers, Jesse Benner, Savannah Broadway, Jason Bulmahn, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Tracy Hurley, Jonathan H. Keith, Will McCardell, Dale C. McCoy, Jr., Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Sean K Reynolds, Tork Shaw, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player's Guide. © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide. © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Hal MacLean, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Owen K.C. Stephens, Todd Stewart, and Russ Taylor.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Monster Codex. © 2014, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Ross Byers, John Compton, Robert N. Emerson, Jonathan H. Keith, Dale C. McCoy, Jr., Mark Moreland, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Thomas M. Reid, Patrick Renie, Mark Seifter, Tork Shaw, Neil Spicer, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Mythic Adventures © 2013, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Ben Bruck, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Tracy Hurley, Jonathan Keith, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Ryan Macklin, F. Wesley Schneider, Amber Scott, Tork Shaw, Russ Taylor, and Ray Vallese.
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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Occult Adventures. © 2015, Paizo Inc.; Authors: John Bennett, Logan Bonner, Robert Brookes, Jason Bulmahn, Ross Byers, John Compton, Adam Daigle, Jim Groves, Thurston Hillman, Eric Hindley, Brandon Hodge, Ben McFarland, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Alex Riggs, Robert Schwalb, Mark Seifter, Russ Taylor, and Steve Townshend.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Pathfinder Unchained. © 2015, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Ross Byers, Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Robert Emerson, Tim Hitchcock, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Robert Schwalb, Mark Seifter, and Russ Taylor.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Campaign. © 2013, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Ryan Costello, Adam Daigle, Matt Goetz, Tim Hitchcock, James Jacobs, Ryan Macklin, Colin McComb, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Stephen Townshend.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Brian J. Cortijo, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Richard A. Hunt, Colin McComb, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, and Russ Taylor.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Equipment. © 2012 Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Ross Byers, Brian J. Cortijo, Ryan Costello, Mike Ferguson, Matt Goetz, Jim Groves, Tracy Hurley, Matt James, Jonathan H. Keith, Michael Kenway, Hal MacLean, Jason Nelson, Tork Shaw, Owen KC Stephens, and Russ Taylor.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Intrigue. © 2016 Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jesse Benner, John Bennett, Logan Bonner, Robert Brookes, Jason Bulmahn, Ross Byers, Robert N. Emerson, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Steven T. Helt, Thurston Hillman, Tim Hitchcock, Mikko Kallio, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Alexander Riggs, David N. Ross, David Schwartz, Mark Seifter, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Wilderness. © 2017 Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Alexander Augunas, John Bennett, Robert Brookes, John Compton, Dan Dillon, Steven T. Helt, Thurston Hillman, Eric Hindley, Mikko Kallio, Jason Keeley, Isabelle Lee, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Alex Riggs, David N. Ross, David Schwartz, Mark Seifter, Jeffery Swank, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Horror Adventures. © 2016 Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: John Bennett, Clinton J. Boomer, Logan Bonner, Robert Brookes, Jason Bulmahn, Ross Byers, Jim Groves, Steven Helt, Thurston Hillman, Eric Hindley, Brandon Hodge, Mikko Kallio, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Alistair Rigg, Alex Riggs, David N. Ross, F. Wesley Schneider, David Schwartz, Mark Seifter, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Villain Codex. © 2016 Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Alexander Augunas, Logan Bonner, Paris Crenshaw, Dan Dillon, Crystal Frasier, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Eric Hindley, Mikko Kallio, Dale C. McCoy, Jr., Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Alistair Rigg, Alex Riggs, Mark Seifter, and Linda Zayas-Palmer 
Delving Deeper - Gnome, © 2009, Luke Fleeman, Brave Halfling Publishing. 
Dark Elf, © 2012 James M. Spahn, Barrel Rider Games. 
Fairy, © 2012 James M. Spahn, Barrel Rider Games.  
Feast Master, © 2012 James M. Spahn, Barrel Rider Games.  
Half-Elf, © 2012 James M. Spahn, Barrel Rider Games.  
Half-Orc, © 2012 James M. Spahn, Barrel Rider Games. Labyrinth Lord, © 2007-2009 Daniel Proctor, Goblinoid Games.  
Labyrinth Lord Monster Listing, © 2007 Daniel Proctor, Goblinoid Games.
The Hero's Journey: Fantasy Roleplaying, © 2016 James M. Spahn, Barrel Rider Games.
13th Age Archmage Engine, © 2013, Fire Opal Media. Author: Chad Dylan Long, based on material by Jonathan Tweet and Rob Heinsoo. Edited by Cal Moore and Simon Rogers.
13th Age, © 2013, Fire Opal Media. Authors: Rob Heinsoo and Jonathan Tweet. Edited by Cal Moore. Additional editing by Simon Rogers. The 13th Age RPG and supplements are published under exclusive license to Pelgrane Press. 
Shields Shall Be Splintered!, © 2008 Trollsmyth  
Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures, © 2012-2014, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - The Nobility, © 2012-2013, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings, © 2012-2013, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - The Village, © 2013, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - Further Afield, © 2015, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - The Elders, © 2015, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - Heroes Young and Old, © 2012-2016, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - The Wicked Dark, © 2013-2017, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - Beyond the Cave: An Unusual Playbook, © 2014, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - What Lies Beyond: The Chapman Bestiary, © 2014, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - Across The Veil, 2015, © Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - Hearths and Homes, © 2017, Flatland Games, llc.
Beyond the Wall - From Distant Lands, © 2019, Flatland Games, llc.  
Beyond the Wall - Tails and Paws: An Unusual Playbook, © 2019, Flatland Games, llc.
Ultimate Options: Story Feats. ©2014, Christina Stiles; Published by Rogue Genius Games. Authors: Rich Howard and Mike Welham. 
The Four Horsemen Present: Young Character Options © 2015, Rogue Genius Games. Author: BJ Hensley.
The Four Horsemen Present: Mature Character Options © 2016, Rogue Genius Games. Author: Steven T. Helt.
The Four Horsemen Present: Venerable Character Options © 2016, Rogue Genius Games. Author: Tim Hitchcock.The Four Horsemen Present: Comedic Character Options. © 2016, Rogue Genius Games. Author: Steven T. Helt.
The Four Horsemen Present: MORE Comedic Character Options. © 2017, Rogue Genius Games. Author: Steven T. Helt. 
Childhood Adventures © 2016 by Everyman Gaming, LLC. Authors: Alexander Augunas, BJ Hensley, Andrew Marlowe, Monica Marlowe, Matthew Morris.
Everyman Minis: Childhood Feats © 2016 by Everyman Gaming, LLC. Author: Margherita Tramontano
Everyman Minis: Family Options, © 2017, Everyman Gaming LLC.; Authors:Alexander Augunas.
The Adequate Commoner. Copyright 2015, Misfit Studios. Author J.M. Perkins.
You’re Gonna Die Screaming: An Optimization Guide to Pathfinder Commoners. Copyright 2014, Misfit Studios. Author J.M. Perkins.

Project Jasper: Ayla Buckburr and Jasper

Artwork ©2016 Kraken-Steelklaw

For my first entry in Project Jasper, I thought I'd go with one of my favorite fantasy games, Beyond the Wall. I present to you, Ayla Buckburr and Jasper!

For generations the Buckburr family was renowned for breeding dogs long sought by hunters across the kingdom. Like her father, her brothers, and all her cousins, Ayla, the sole daughter of her father's family, was a budding kennelmaster. Were it not for a chance meeting with Jasper during their shared youth, she most likely would never have seen the lands beyond her home village.

During her 20th summer, Ayla was wandering the woods when she came across a big-pawed, floppy-eared pup of a dog drinking from the stream. Mutually surprised, the two eyed each other suspiciously for a moment before Ayla took the first step.

Calling to the dog, she knelt down and offered a piece of beef jerky to him. Jasper, as Ayla came to call her new friend, wolfed the offering down and licked Ayla's face in appreciation. Ayla quickly offered up her entire lunch, which Jasper made short work of. The two sat by the stream for some time and formed the foundations of a bond through which Jasper told his story as best he could. Sensing her new friend's feelings of loss, Ayla invited Jasper to live with her and the rest of the Buckburr clan.

As Jasper waited outside, Ayla began to work her charms on her parents and older brothers. Bringing the pup into the house, she quickly introduced him to her family. Bartleby, her father, was reluctant to simply adopt Jasper, citing the fact that they already had a breeding pair and their large litter to feed. Ayla won them over however, and spent the rest of the summer tending to her chores and playing with Jasper in her free time. Despite his misgivings, Bartleby quickly came to see that Jasper was something special, for he was brighter than his new kennelmates. Ayla's bond with Jasper grew over the next two seasons. Sadly, that did not last long as Ayla's father sold Jasper to a hunter who turned out to be cruel and abusive. Before long, Jasper escaped and made his way back home, much to Ayla's delight, her father's surprise, and the hunter's anger.

Ayla's father sent Jasper back with his would-be master, but the pup soon found his way back again. This time, however, Ayla hid him away. The hunter, incensed at the dog's defiance, returned to the Buckburr farm with eyes afire. Bartleby tried to convince his daughter to give Jasper back, but she refused to give him up. Frustrated with his daughter's refusal to do what he thought was the right thing, Bartleby gave the hunter his money back. Sadly, it wasn't enough. The hunter, still demanding he receive a dog, took the family's prize dam as he left.

Fearing his business ruined, Bartleby was furious. In a fit of rage, he threw Ayla out of the house and banished her from the family farm. Now homeless, Ayla and Jasper made their way to human lands. Along the way, Jasper taught Ayla what he knew of survival in the wilderness and protected her from wild animals.

The two soon found themselves in a large human village at the edge of the woods. Being the only halfling in town made life hard for Ayla, but Jasper provided her with companionship and protection. At first the pair tried to raise money for food by doing acrobatic and riding tricks in the town square. Sadly, what little they raised was barely enough to feed the two once a day. However, their act had caught the eye of the captain of the guard, who suggested they join the militia.

When the captain of the guard introduced Ayla and Jasper as the newest recruits, the other militia members practically fell out of formation in laughter. Undeterred, Ayla refused to be laughed out of room and board. For the first month, she and Jasper seemed to be nothing more than mascots for the militia. "Small but mighty" they fancied themselves. Ayla, however, was out to prove herself, and Jasper was equally determined.

Ayla fixed up a makeshift saddle and tack for Jasper. At first he didn't care for it, but he soon got the hang of having a rider. The two quickly became able to read each other's body language and improved their synergy as rider and steed. The young halfling also took up archery and found she was most proficient with the bow. Being a halfling, a human-sized shortbow worked well as a halfling-sized longbow. Before long, the two began putting on "performances" for the militiamen, demonstrating Ayla's skill as a mounted archer and Jasper's agility as her steed.

As autumn set in, Jasper and Ayla's bond grew more powerful and soon Jasper was able to communicate with Ayla as well as any other person. On the last full moon of the harvest, Jasper demonstrated another unusual talent of his faerie upbringing. The night of All Saints' Eve, the ghost of a long-forgotten murder victim haunted the village square. Fearing the ghost was an ill omen, the townsfolk began locking their doors and staying in when it was normally a festive time of year. Unafraid of the ghost, Jasper, who had a keen sense for the presence of spirits, aided Ayla in leading the ghost to its final rest in the village graveyard.

During the winter, when goblins began attacking nearby farms in search of food, Ayla and Jasper volunteered to act as scouts. The two quickly learned the best ways to track and avoid the foul creatures and led a band of militia soldiers right to their cave. In the end, the goblins were driven from the region and the pair were hailed as heroes, being made true members of the local militia.

Ayla Buckburr, Halfling Outrider
Class: Warrior-Rogue       Level: 1       Title: Observer      Alignment: Lawful
DEX: 15 (+1)      STR: 10 (+0)        CON: 12 (+0)        INT: 12 (+0)        WIS: 10 (+0)        CHA: 8 (-1)
Hit Dice: d10
Hit Points: 10
Armor Class: 13 (leather armor); 14 (leather armor + wooden shield)
Initiative Bonus: +2           Initiative (DEX bonus + Initiative Bonus + Level): 4
Base Attack Bonus: +1      Total Attack Bonus: +3 (Weapon Specialization + DEX Bonus + BAB)

Skills: Animal Lore, Direction Sense, Stealth
Knack: Weapon Specialization (Bow): +1 to hit, +2 to damage
Special Abilities
     - Fortune's Favor (p.11, BtW)
     - Halfling Spirit (p. 31, BtW) 
     - Small Stature (p.31, BtW) 

Saving Throws
Poison 14 
Breath Weapon 17 
Polymorph 15 
Spell 17 
Magic Item 16

Fortune Points: 5

Equipment: A dagger, a very fine saddle, bags filled with food and rations, leather armor (+2 AC), a wooden shield (+1 AC), bow, quiver with 12 arrows, and 12 silvers


Jasper, Loyal Outrider Cohort
Class: Warrior-Rogue       Level: 1       Title: Observer Cohort      Alignment: Lawful
DEX: 9 (+0)      STR: 16 (+2)        CON: 17 (+2)        INT: 12 (+0)        WIS: 13 (+1)        CHA: 7 (-1)
Hit Dice: d10
Hit Points: 10
Armor Class: 13 (leather armor); 14 (leather armor + wooden shield)
Initiative Bonus: +2           Initiative (DEX bonus + Knack + Initiative Bonus + Level): 4
Base Attack Bonus: +1      Total Attack Bonus: +2

Skills: Animal Ken, Survival
Knack: Fleet (+1 Initiative)
Special Abilities
     - Fortune's Favor (p.11, BtW)
     - I'm A Dog: Dogs have a base AC of 12, receive a +1 bonus to bite (1d4 damage), and have no hands.

Saving Throws
Poison 14 
Breath Weapon 17 
Polymorph 15 
Spell 17 
Magic Item 16

Fortune Points: 5

Equipment: Specially made leather barding/armor (AC+2) 

Design Notes: While Beyond the Wall does have the Village Bear playbook, it doesn't really have anything with regard to playing other intelligent animals in the vein of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia or even anthropomorphic animals along the lines of Brian Jacques' Redwall series. This is something I intend to write on at a later date, but with this particular project in mind, I went through the Village Bear playbook and basically modified it for a dog by substituting the dog stats from the rulebook bestiary for the bear stats given in the playbook.

Oddly, the Village Bear playbook initially gives the character the Warrior-Rogue class, but later talks about the character's class being Village Bear. In light of the synergy I wanted to establish between Ayla and Jasper, I stuck with the Warrior-Rogue class. At the same time, I thought it better to give Jasper the Animal Ken skill, which I better defined for my games here. In short, Animal Ken is the better choice as it gives Jasper the ability to speak with other animals.

In order to get the pair's backgrounds, skills, and abilities to have the right synergy, I built both characters by hand, picking entries from the tables as I saw fit, trying to keep in mind the fact that the only restriction Ayla faces as a halfling is a maximum STR score of 10. The Halfling Outrider playbook can be found in the free Dwarves, Elves and Halflings supplement or Heroes Young and Old. Ayla's title of "Observer" comes from the article "Scouting for More Options" by Kim Eastland, which appeared in Dragon #161. The full table of titles for the scout class (or in this case the halfling outrider) is as follows:

Level - Title
  1 - Observer
  2 - Spotter
  3 - Pointman
  4 - Outrider
  5 - Vanguard
  6 - Forerunner
  7 - Huntsman
  8 - Spy
  9 - Scout
10 - Master Scout

The stats for the Black Boar can be found on page 3 of The Village. If you want stats for Jasper's would-be master, the cruel hunter, use the stats for the Wicked Hunter on page 2 of Beyond the Cave.

And so it begins...

So, it's been no secret that I'm a writer or that I write game material and some fiction. However, most of the time I keep what I write secret until it's done or at least until I know nobody is going to steal my ideas. At any rate, I'm throwing my hat into the ring for NaNoWriMo 2016 with a book I'm writing. We'll call it Project Frying Pan. Why? Because in the tradition of George Lucas, I don't want things getting out before it's time. Only two or three other people know the true nature of the project, and I know they'll keep it.

While I have the general idea of the project's plotline set up, have capsule descriptions of the characters, and actually have a head start on chapter one, there's a lot of work to be done on research so I can get things right. These last two months are going to be precariously balanced between my job, home life, my writing, getting some design work done for Beyond the Wall, and a Shadowrun campaign I'm running. I may not get Project Frying Pan done in one month, but I intend to put a good sized dent in it before the year is through.

But enough talk. It's time to act. I've got research and writing to do.

The Silent Sage Publishing RPG Catalog

Welcome to the Silent Sage Publishing RPG catalog. All of the items linked here are free of charge. From time to time, links will be updated to reflect new and improved material. While it may appear small now, there will be more products added in the future.

BEYOND THE WALL

Flatland Games' fantasy adventure RPG combines rules from the newer editions of the world's most popular fantasy RPG with the simplicity found in the same game's older editions.

SBW1001 - BW1: GM and Player Reference Pack
Status: In revision but available as a work in progress! (Details here.)
You can download the full document here

When adventuring beyond your village, it always pays to be prepared - and that goes for the gamemaster too! In this product you'll find:

• Color and black and white six-panel GM screens
• A never-before-seen bonus color GM screen 
• Regular and form-fillable character sheets
• Character and adventure tracking logs for the GM
• Indices for NPCs and monsters in all current material available from Flatland Games
• Listings for cantrips, spells, and rituals found in the same material, including "Beyond the Wall - Further Afield!

It's dangerous beyond the wall - take this with you! 

The Rules of the House

Okay, bad pun in the title aside, I've found that despite my difficulties with advanced math (including probabilities), I do enjoy doing a little tinkering with the rules of the games I run. Sometimes it's because something doesn't fit the flavor of the game and other times I do it to see what the existing game can do with a little more tweaking. Beyond the Wall (BtW) is one of those rare cases where the Rules As Written are darn near perfect, but there are some bells and whistles on similar games that fit so nicely with it. Here are my proposed tweaks that I plan to use (in addition to my previous musings on skills) when running BtW in the future. (EDIT: I do apologize for the wall of text. When formatting this entry, I tried breaking things up with the covers, but it fouled up the spacing.)

From first edition AD&D, D&D 3.5, and Pathfinder: Interpreting Hit Points

A lot of players and gamemasters misinterpret hit points to indicate the amount of physical wounds and damage a character can take. In the first edition Player's Handbook (p.34), Gary Gygax states:

"Each character has a varying number of hit points, just as monsters do. These hit points represent how much damage (actual or potential) the character can withstand before being killed. A certain amount of these hit points represent the actual physical punishment which can be sustained. The remainder, a significant portion of hit points at higher levels, stands for skill, luck, and/or magical factors. A typical man-at-arms can take about 5 hit points of damage before being killed. Let us suppose a 10th level fighter has 55 hit points, plus a bonus of 30 hit points for his constitution, for a total of 85 hit points. This is the equivalent of about 18 hit dice for creatures, about what it would take to kill four huge warhorses. It is ridiculous to assume that even a fantastic fighter can take that much punishment. The same holds true to a lesser extent for clerics, thieves, and the other classes. Thus, the majority of hit points are symbolic of combat skill, luck (bestowed by supernatural powers), and magical forces."

Beyond the Wall echoes this interpretation:

“Hit points are an abstract measurement of how tough the character is, as well as how good at resisting and avoiding harm in combat. At every level, a character gains a number of hit points by rolling the die type indicated by his class’ hit dice. For instance, a Rogue has a hit die of d8, and so a character with the Rogue class rolls 1d8 and gains that many hit points every level. This number is modified by a character’s Constitution bonus every time it is rolled. Additionally, all PCs gain the maximum number of hit points possible for a roll on their hit dice at first level; the above mentioned rogue would begin at first level with a full 8 hit points plus any extra hit points from his Constitution bonus.”

In the third edition version of Unearthed Arcana, this is taken literally, making the character's “Wound Points” equal to their CON score and their added hit points “Vitality Points”. I will be using this added interpretation to indicate how much the character has yet to “grow into” their role as a hero. Once a character hits their CON score maximum, any hit points gained after that point are just as described – a measure of skill, luck (or divine intervention), and magical forces.

(6/29/16 EDIT: As an addendum, the 3.5 SRD rules on Wound Points are here. The Pathfinder version can be found here.)

From 13th Age: One Unique Thing

This is the prime rule which caught my eye when I heard about Pelgrane's 13th Age RPG – not because it adds to the power of a character, but because it adds depth to their story. Essentially, the purpose of this rule isn't to create new combat powers, skills, or special abilities, but to add a detail to the hero that sets them apart from other characters. This detail should be something that both the player and GM can take advantage of in the course of the game. It should give clues as to how the character interacts with the world and people around them and vice versa. From the standpoint of the gamemaster, it should provide the opportunity for one or more story hooks or the promise of a mystery to be unraveled later in the story. Some interesting discussions regarding this rule can be found here, here, and here on RPGNet.

From The Hero's Journey and Moldvay B/X D&D: Table Roles

James Spahn's The Hero's Journey RPG (THJ) brings back table roles in the form of an optional rule, but in a slightly different format. THJ has the roles of Treasure Keeper and Initiative Tracker, but not Mapper (or Caller, for that matter). The Treasure Keeper notates what treasure is acquired by the party and once a total is inventory is taken, leads the discussion about how it is to be divided - but they are not necessarily the one whose character is packing all the treasure around. The Initiative Tracker rolls group initiative or otherwise has the necessary information (such as each party member's initiative bonuses and the initiative order) assembled for the referee during combat. Of course, to do Old School style right, we have to include the Mapper from the Moldvay edition of Basic Dungeons & Dragons. As for the Caller, that's optional.

More Rules from The Hero's Journey

Non-Combat XP (p.67)

• Player accurately roleplays their character’s race and class: +100 XP
• Player character attempts a potentially life-threatening act of heroism: +250 XP
• Player character performs a surprising/clever deed that helps the party or an ally: +150 XP
• Player encourages other players to get involved, roleplay, and contribute to the game: +100 XP
• Making everyone at the table laugh out loud: +75 XP
• Player takes the role of Treasure Keeper (optional): +50 XP
• Player takes the role of Initiative Tracker (optional): +50 XP
• Player takes the role of Mapper (optional): +50 XP
• Player takes the role of the Caller (optional): +50 XP

Death's Door (p.73)
Having started with Basic D&D (where zero hit points equals death) I'm not a big fan of the "Death's Door" rule, but THJ seems to take the streamlining a bit further than BtW. As such, I'm more apt to use this optional ruling than the simple “10 count” or Pathfinder's rule (negative CON = Death). THJ's rule on death's door balances out the  book-keeping with increased character frailty.

In this case, “...The character is not dead until they reach negative hit points equal to their level (EDIT: Emphasis mine). Thus a first-level character is dead at −1 hit points, while a seventh level character would be able to survive until reaching −7. However, a character with zero or fewer hit points is unconscious and cannot move or act in any fashion until healed.”

The only thing I might add to that is making -10 hp the maximum for level-based toughness, meaning even a mighty warrior king isn't utterly immune to Death's cold grasp.

Heroic Damage and Critical Hits (pgs. 68 and 71)
With "Heroic Damage", the character adds all or part of their level to the damage they deal based on their class. Warriors add their full level, Rogues add 1/2 their level (rounded up), and Mages add 1/3 their level (rounded up). With multi-classed characters, use the class from which the character draws their attack bonus.

Additionally, a character can inflict Heroic Damage by burning a Fortune Point at a dramatically appropriate moment. Finally, whenever a natural 20 is rolled, the maximum damage of the weapon or the character's Heroic Damage are dealt (whichever is higher); a natural 1 is simply a miss.

From Trollsmyth's Blog: Shields

To add a bit more spice to combat, I'm thnking about using the following shield rules from Trollsmyth's blog:

• Shields still provide their regular AC bonus, but if the player so chooses, they can declare that their shield absorbed the damage from the blow and was splintered or sundered. This destroys the shield, but protects the character from damage. In the case of a critical hit, it halves the damage unless a Fortune Point is also burned.
• A shield can also be sacrificed against spells that deal damage, offering the character an automatic save for half damage.
• For every +1 bonus a magic shield gives in addition to its regular AC bonus, the shield has a +10% chance of surviving a blow when sacrificed in combat. As such, a +5 shield would have a 50% chance of surviving a sundering blow.

Further Thoughts On Fortune Points (Further Afield, p.71)

• If a character burns a Fortune Point and the second roll is a failure, they take the higher of the two rolls.
• According to Further Afield, "Fortune Points normally only refresh after a full rest, such as between adventures..." However, I am willing to "allow a character to regain a Fortune Point for a particularly heroic or noble act during the middle of a game." This bonus is not given lightly; it is "for when the characters are truly acting like the good guys."
• A character who is on the verge of collapse (0 hp) can burn a Fortune Point to make one last ditch action against a foe or to otherwise aid a fellow hero before collapsing. This can be done instead of burning the Fortune Point to stabilize at 0 hp, not in conjunction with spending another Fortune Point to stabilize at 0 hp
• Likewise, a spellcaster who does not have the Ultimate Enchantment trait (Heroes Young and Old, p.10) can also burn a Fortune Point to cast one last spell if they have exhausted all their other spells. However, unlike Ultimate Enchantment, this use of a Fortune Point inflicts a number of hit points in damage equal to the spell's level (cantrips inflict only one hit point of damage). With this ruling, there is the chance a character's hit points could drop to negative levels, killing them. This can be done with rituals only if the GM and player agree it is dramatically appropriate.

Pathfinder Official and Third Party Options

Back in late May, I posed a question to the designers of BtW about the traits introduced in Further Afield and continued in Heroes Young and Old:

"I've got a design question for John and Peter - when you designed the traits found in "Further Afield" and "Heroes Young and Old", did you look strictly at the traits as presented in the 3.5 SRD and Pathfinder PRD or did you look at feats as well. The reason I ask this is because Rogue Genius Games has several supplements for young, old, and venerable characters as well as comedic options (like "Please Stop Helping", which allows a character to still gain the aid ally bonus when an ally fails their roll to help) which might be interesting as traits..."

Peter Williams wrote in response:

"To tell you the truth, I don't remember looking at traits or feats in the SRD at all while designing BtW Traits. That doesn't mean that I didn't, just that I don't recall doing so and it certainly wasn't the main source of inspiration.

"The initial goal with Traits was to have a way to model other old school classes while still keeping a simple, three class structure for the game. That's why you'll find a lay-on-hands ability, a ranger-ish favored enemy ability, and so forth. After getting those basics down, I mostly then just had fun coming up with interesting mechanical widgets and fun, in-genre things.

"Having said all of that, I'll try to take a look at the Rogue Genius stuff. That sounds neat."

The official Pathfinder options for traits, story feats, and the like - as well as options produced by Rogue Genius Games under the Four Horsemen and Everyman Gaming imprints - have some interesting possibilities. While I haven't fully explored the ramifications of modifying these rules to work with BtW, I'll link them here for reference for the time being.

(6/29/16 EDIT: Boy, am I a yutz. I forgot to put the links in...)

From the Pathfinder Rules Document:

• Advanced Players Guide - Traits 
• Ultimate Campaign - Background
• Early Life
• Adolescence
• Adulthood
• Background Generator 
• Traits
• Story Feats

Free download from Paizo - Character Traits PDF
Some of the later Adventure Path Players Guides have specific traits listed as well.

From Rogue Genius Games:

• Comedic Character Options
• Young Character Options
• Mature Character Options
• Venerable Character Options
• Ultimate Options: Story Feats
• Childhood Adventures

Of course, all of these are trumped by Rule Zero...

...the best writeup of which I've found on Bruce Gulke's Mythosa site:

"Every feat, race, spell, prestige class, variant rule, etc. is subject to change or removal at the discretion of the DM. Even if a game element is initially permitted, if it is later deemed incompatible with the campaign, it will be modified or removed. Any characters (PC or NPC) that use that element may be required to adjust to the change (in other words, grandfathering is not guaranteed). The DM will attempt to keep this sort of thing to a minimum (if at all), but sometimes this may happen in the process of keeping the rules appropriate to the campaign setting."

Now all that remains is the road test. I'll keep you all apprised as to how that works out.

Appendix B (for Beyond the Wall) - Part 1

A lot of gamers the past few years have either been praising or condemning the idea of "Appendix N" as it appears in the first edition AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide. What is "Appendix N"? It's the appendix in the DMG that lists "inspirational and educational reading" for Dungeon Masters and players alike. When some people mention the Old School Renaissance in one breath, their next breath contains the words "Appendix N".

While I have no problems with drawing inspiration from authors such as Lloyd Alexander, Andre Norton, or J.R.R. Tolkien, or doing research in the library, I thought it would be nice to present some old school articles I have found of interest and possible use to players and gamemasters of Beyond the Wall. Rather than running through all 300+ issues of Dragon Magazine, I'm going to pull this off the top of my head and pick out the articles I remember most as things progress. While this may make it slightly disorganized and absolutely not an exhaustive appendix, I hope you find it of some interest and use.

Though the bulk of the articles in this appendix are drawn from out of print issues of Dragon Magazine, there will be others cropping up here and there from such publications as Shadis when I have time to dig those issues out of the attic, as well as other online resources, blogs and whatnot. I have made an effort to stay away from articles that are heavy in game mechanics, instead focusing on those with practical advice, background, or a minimum of mechanics allowing them to be used in BtW.

Appendix B, Part One's featured references

Dragon #58 (February 1982)

"The Dwarven Point of View" by Roger E. Moore: Kicking off a series regarding demihuman cultures, Roger E. Moore (once and future editor of Dragon Magazine), takes a look under the mountainside at dwarven culture and whether or not they're really as grumpy as the elves say they are. Despite being rooted in AD&D (and Greyhawk) lore, this is a purely fluff/background piece, as are all others in this series.

Dragon #59 (March 1982) 

"The Halfling Point of View" by Roger E. Moore: Continuing his series, Moore next turns his attention to the halflings and reveals that halflings aren't as naive and foolish as some believe and their life really isn't one big party.

Dragon #60 (April 1982)

"The Elven Point of View" and "The Half-Elven Point of View" by Roger E. Moore: Moore looks at the longest-lived of the demihumans and those of their kin caught between two worlds. Unlike BtW elves, with their strong ties to the faerie court, these articles are rooted in Greyhawk and AD&D lore. Despite the difference there are a number cultural gems in the articles with which to better flesh out elves.

Dragon #61 (May 1982)

"The Gnomish Point of View" by Roger E. Moore: Gnomes are Moore's next focus in his second-to-last article on demihumans, explaining how the rarest of the demihumans has much in common with both elves and dwarves while having a distinct culture all their own.

Dragon #63 (July 1982)

"The Humanoids" by Roger E. Moore: Not wanting to slight the ornery orcs, Moore concludes his series on non-human cultures in AD&D with a general look at the cultures of orcs, kobolds, gnolls, bugbears, goblins, and hobgoblins. The article, like all the others, is rooted in AD&D lore and includes a number of humanoid deities not featured in AD&D's Unearthed Arcana.

Dragon #109 (May 1986)

"Worth Its Weight In Gold" by John Olson: An article detailing the cultural significance of the dwarf's beard, it also takes on the issue of whether or not female dwarves have beards or not.

Dragon #119 (March 1987)
"The Uldra" by Callie Lindstrand: A new demihuman race, the uldra are closer to the Scandinavian idea of elves. This article might provide a new fantastic race for gamemasters and players or a suitable version of the elf for BtW games rooted in Scandinavian folklore.

Dragon #129 (January 1988)
"Children of the Spider Goddess" by Eric Oppen: A look at dark elven culture through the lens of Greyhawk and AD&D. Despite this grounding, there are still cultural and philosophical points in the article that can be used to flesh out the elves of the Unseelie Court.

Dragon #131 (March 1988)

"The Folk of the Underworld" by Eric Oppen: Oppen expands upon Moore's series, giving us a look at the culture and lives of the surface gnomes deep cousins, the svirfneblin.

Dragon #152 (December 1989)

"Servants of the Jewelled Dagger" by Eric Oppen: Delving into the shadows, Eric Oppen gives us a look at the culture of the dwarves' dark cousins, the duergar.

Dragon #155 (March 1990)

"Wild in the Woods" by Eric Oppen: Again expanding upon Moore's series, Oppen details the culture and outlook of the wood elves, also known as the grugach.

"In the Frost and the Snow" by David S. Reimer: If you're in need of something different for elves, there's always the snow elves. While there are mechanics for AD&D in this article, they can easily be converted over.

 

Another Exercise in Nostalgia

Previously, I posted about recreating AD&D classes in Beyond the Wall through multi-classing. Looking back, there was more to AD&D characters than just the standard character classes. During the lifespan of first edition AD&D, NPC classes proliferated in the pages of Dragon Magazine. In some cases, the creators of the material noted the NPC classes could be used as PC classes (with some tinkering usually left to the Dungeon Master), but most of these were variants of the base classes meant to fill roles held by every day figures the player-characters would encounter or purchase goods or services through.

Most NPC classes were variations of their foundational classes, but there were a few that I thought stood out as being different enough to merit treatment as multi-classed archetypes. Unlike the previous archetypes I wrote about, these may be more focused on one class than the other instead of being balanced between the two.

Bounty Hunter (Dragon Magazine #52)

Unlike assassins, who focus on killing their targets and then escaping, bounty hunters are called upon to do much more. While they mainly focus on capturing wanted criminals (dead or alive), they are sometimes hired to retrieve errant or kidnapped individuals when discretion - not bravado - is called for.

Classes: Warrior/Rogue

Base Attack: As Warrior
Hit Dice: As Warrior
Saving Throws: As Rogue
Armor: As Rogue 

Initiative: As Rogue 

XP: As Warrior 

Special Abilities: Player chooses one special ability from each class.

Mariner (Dragon Magazine #107)

Like the bounty hunter, the mariner is a sub-class of fighter with some roguish elements. Sailing the high seas, they must rely on light armor in order to keep some of their dexterity - after all, I've yet to see a sailor swing between two ships on a rope while clad in full plate mail armor. Because of their dangerous career, mariners must be highly skilled in the event one or more of their crewmates are incapacitated or killed.

Classes: Rogue/Warrior 

Base Attack: As Warrior 

Hit Dice: As Rogue 

Saving Throws: As Warrior 

Armor: As Rogue 

Initiative: As Rogue 

XP: As Warrior 

Special Abilities: Weapon Specialization or Knack, Highly Skilled

Merchant (Dragon Magazine #136)

The merchant was the main inspiration \for this posting. I always thought it stood out from the other NPC classes even though it was a "post- adventuring" class. Here, I've distinguished between regular merchants and antiquarians, who deal with magic items.

Merchant 

Classes: Rogue/Warrior 

Base Attack: As Warrior 

Hit Dice: As Rogue 

Saving Throws: As Rogue 

Armor: As Rogue 

Initiative: As Warrior 

XP: As Rogue 

Special Abilities: Player chooses one from each class.

Merchant, Antiquarian 
Classes: Rogue/Warrior/Mage 
Base Attack: As Mage 

Hit Dice: As Rogue 

Saving Throws: As Rogue 

Armor: As Rogue 

Initiative: As Mage 

XP: As Mage 

Special Abilities: Spellcasting or Sense Magic, plus one from the Warrior or Rogue class.

Savant (Dragon Magazine #140)

The savant was a double-classed character class for AD&D. PCs could either be a cleric/savant or a magic-user/savant and had to jump through a number of hoops in leveling up. My own thoughts are that they were intended to be player-character sages of a sort. As such, the best way to recreate them in BtW is by making them mage/rogues with a higher concentration on being a mage.

Classes: Mage/Rogue

Base Attack: As Mage 

Hit Dice: As Mage 

Saving Throws: As Mage 

Armor: As Mage 

Initiative: As Rogue 

XP: As Mage 

Special Abilities: Spellcasting, Highly Skilled

Smith (Dragon Magazine #70)

The smith was another NPC class which seemed to stand out from all the others as they play such a major role in some stories. In Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Elrond has his smiths reforge the broken sword Narsil into Anduril. Similarly, in Stephen Lawhead's "The Warlords of Nin", Quentin forges the holy sword Zhaligkeer under the hermit Inchkeith's tutelage. As such, the mundane smith is a rogue/warrior and the dweomersmith - a smith specializing in magical arms and armor - is a rogue/warrior/mage. Both archetypes require the Highly Skilled special ability of the rogue class.

Weaponsmith/Armorer 

Classes: Rogue/Warrior 

Base Attack: As Warrior 

Hit Dice: As Warrior 

Saving Throws: As Rogue 

Armor: As Warrior 

Initiative: As Rogue 

XP: As Rogue 

Special Abilities: Weapon Specialization, Highly Skilled

Dweomersmith 

Classes: Rogue/Warrior/Mage 

Base Attack: As Warrior 

Hit Dice: As Warrior 

Saving Throws: As Rogue 

Armor: As Rogue 

Initiative: As Rogue 

XP: As Mage 

Special Abilities: Spellcasting, Highly Skilled

As with the previous set of archetypes, this material is a first draft and open to tinkering and rewriting based on constructive feedback.