100th post, thanks to EGG's & ERB' s IMAGINATION

From the first D&D box set, the forward in the Men & Magic:

"These rules are strictly fantasy. Those wargamers who lack imagination, those who don't care for Burroughs' Martian adventures where John Carter is groping through black pits, who feel no thrill upon reading Howard's Conan saga, who do not enjoy the de Camp & Pratt fantasies or Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser pitting their swords against evil sorceries will not be likely to find DUNGEONS and DRAGONS to their taste. But those whose imaginations know no bounds will find that these rules are the answer to their prayers. With this last bit of advice we invite you to read on as enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!"
E. Gary Gygax, 1 November 1973
Tactical Studies Rules Editor, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin


No work of fan fiction or classic table top roleplaying is possible without the willing and active suspension of disbelief by the participants. Rather then endlessly debate the canonical sections of books I – V clearly quoted herein, it is best for the players and GM to expand upon the uncharted or unexplored areas of Barsoom.

“I might indeed be in some, to me, unknown corner of Mars, and this was very possible since during my ten years' residence upon the planet I had explored but a comparatively tiny area of its vast expanse.” (Gods of Mars, Chapter I).

Fliers

Built into the hull of a flier are buoyancy tanks which contain the eighth Barsoomian ray or the ray of propulsion. This ray is “constantly streaming from the planet constituting a force of repulsion to gravity which when confined is able to lift enormous weights from the surface of the ground. It is this ray that enabled them to so perfect aviation such that battleships far outweighing anything on Earth sail as gracefully and lightly through the thin air of Barsoom as a toy balloon in the heavy atmosphere of Earth.” (PM, XXI) Altering the concentration of the eighth ray in the flier’s buoyancy tanks allows the craft to vary altitude; however, the Red Planet’s thin atmosphere makes heights in excess of five haads (1000 ads or 2 miles) suicidal.

Noiseless engines with concentrated, highly flammable, fuel power the propellers that drive these vehicles to speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour. The flier is steered either by using large rudders or by varying the relative performance of the propellers. Each modern flier is equipped with the “ordinary Martian Air compass, which, when set for a destination, will remain constantly fixed thereon, making it only necessary to keep a vessel’s bow always in the direction of the compass to reach any point upon Barsoom by the shortest route .” (TMM, II)

The scout flier (not pictured above) is the smallest and fastest of all fliers. “The body of the one-man air craft is about sixteen feet long, two feet wide and three inches thick, tapering to a point on each end. The driver sits on top of the plane upon a seat constructed over the small, noiseless radium engine which propels it.” (PM, XXI). It is capable of exceeding speeds of 150 miles per hour. The scout flier is utilized in scouting, patrolling, and relaying messages.

Does anyone know where I can obtain good miniatures to represent Martian fliers?

Ulsio

INTV…..… +0
ATTK…. +0/ one bite
DMGE……. d4
AC…….…. 7 [13]
HD……….…d4
Fort..…..... -1
Will………. +0
Move……… 6”

The ulsio is a small omnivore weighing between 20 and 40 lbs with fiery eyes (PM XVII, infra vision). It hunts in packs of d8; however, this wily rodent will only attacks if it gains (3 in 6 chance) surprise or if it outnumbers man-size foes 3 to 1.

“The Martian rat is a fierce and unlovely thing. It is many-legged and hairless, its hide resembling that of a new born mouse in repulsiveness. In size and weight it is comparable to a large Airedale terrier. Its eyes are small and close set, and almost hidden in deep fleshy apertures. But its most ferocious and repulsive feature is its jaws, the entire boney structure of which protrudes several inches beyond the flesh, revealing five sharp, spade-like teeth.in the upper jaw and the same number of teeth in the lower, the whole suggesting the appearance of a rotting face from which much of the flesh has sloughed away . ..
Its only weapons are its jaws since its broad splay feet are armed with blunt talons. With its protruding jaws it excavates its winding burrows and with its broad feet it pushes dirt behind. To keep the jaws from his flesh then was Turan’s only concern and this he succeeded in doing until chance gave him a hold upon the creature’s throat. After that the end was a matter of moments. Rising at last he flung the lifeless thing from him with a shudder of disgust.” (CM, XII)

The ulsio is a scavenger and collector of shiny objects. There is a 33% chance of finding these creatures in their lair, where there will be d6 bp and d4 sp per rat encountered. Also there is a 1% chance per ulsio of finding a small magic item or relic (d10) such as a
(1-5) potion,
(6-7) stone or jewelry,
(8-9) ring or
(10) wand.

You can obtain excellent ULSIO miniatures by contacting David @ BronzeAgeMin.com
IMAGE is from Frazetta

White Apes

INTV….... +2
ATTK….. +4 / four paws
DMGE……. d8
AC…….…. 5 [15]
HD…….… 6d8
Fort..….... +6
Will………. +4
Move…….. 12”

Incredibly strong, the white ape is
“hairless except for an enormous shock of bristly hair upon its head . . . The thing which more resembled our earthly men than it did the Martians I had seen, held me pinioned to the ground with one foot, while it jabbered and gesticulated at some answering creature behind me. The other, which was evidently its mate, soon came toward us, bearing a mighty stone cudgel with which it evidently intended to brain me. . .
The creatures were about ten to fifteen feet tall, standing erect, and had like the green Martian, an intermediary set of arms or legs, midway between the upper and lower limbs. Their eyes were close together and non-protruding; their ears were high set, but more laterally located than those of the Martians, while their snouts and teeth were striking like those of our African gorilla.” (PM,V - VI)

White apes are accomplished hunters that are skilled at climbing and infiltration. Stalking the sun-bleached ancient cities of the dead sea bottoms, by day or night, they are encountered alone or in pairs and are the only monster upon Barsoom that can arouse fear in the hearts of the green Martian. White ape herds are also found in the forests of the Valley Dor. They are cunning adversaries and will retreat if an opponent is too well armed or too numerous.

White apes are a primitive species that neither build shelters nor make fires, but they do have a rudimentary language. They use crude tools, but are incapable of using almost all human weapons that they find; although they may defer their paw attacks and wield a cudgel at +8 to hit, inflicting 3d6 damage. There are rare isolated tribes of white apes that have reached TL I in development.

They usually do not accumulate possessions that would be valuable to people; but often the discarded weapons and equipment of their prey are found when encountered in their lair (1 in 6 chance). The typical white ape lair contains d12 coins, d6 daggers, d4 short-swords, and one useful small item such as a compass or a watch. One percent of the weapons found will be enchanted or magical and a white ape lair will always contain one master work weapon (mtwk =10 x cost, +1 to hit, no damage bonus) of a type selected by the GM.

Daring performers have used these monsters to entertain audiences, but white apes are incapable of full domestication and are always dangerous.

You can obtain these excellent WHITE APE miniatures @ BronzeAgeMin.com
IMAGE FROMS Dynamite Comics & Frank Cho

Ranged Combat

“I fell almost directly in the center of the fierce combat, among warriors who had not seen my approach so busily were they engaged in life and death struggles. The men were fighting on foot with long-swords, while an occasional shot from a sharpshooter on the outskirts of the conflict would bring down a warrior who might for an instant separate himself from the entangled mass.” (PM XXV)

……………….….Defending…Unit . . . . . . . . . . . .
..........…..RW…RT…GT….TW....BP...YM.....RANGE
WEAPON
Javelin.….5.…..6…...6…....5…....5…...5.........7"
Bow......….4.…..5…...5…....5…....4…...4........12"
Pistol....….4.…..4…...5…....5…....4…...3........12"
Rvlvr.…....3.…..4…...4…....4…....3…...2........10"
Rifle....…...3.…..4…...4…....4…....3…...2........36"
GMR....…..2.…..3…...4…....3…....2…...2........99"
.

Melee combat is the preferred method of conflict upon Barsoom as
“Few red men are good shots, for the sword is their chosen weapon.” (TMM, IV)
To a lesser extent, large scale or army size combat is also governed by the code of arms; however, the unit with the lesser weapon has to attack first, before being attacked in ranged combat by the unit with the more advantageous weapons.

Javelins are used by Yellow Martians
Bows are used by ancient white Martians or isolated red Martian nations such as Manator.
Pistols are equivalent to revolvers and used by red warriors.
Revolvers are used by therns and black pirates and red Troopers.
Rifles are used by therns, Red troopers, and red kadars/ guards.
Green Martian rifles (GMR) are used by the 15' green troopers.
“Thar Ban reached the side of his mount he snatched his long radium rifle from its boot, and, wheeling, poured three shots into the oncoming red men. Such is the uncanny marksmanship of these green Martian savages that three red warriors dropped in their tracks as three projectiles exploded in their vitals.” (TMM IV)

The attacker rerolls all 1s if he is on higher terrain such as a hill, battlement, flier, etc. .

Saving throws are allowed if the defender/ target has cover. Chance of avoiding injury (d6) is based upon target’s cover - - >
a ‘6’ if light cover; smoke, brush, etc.,
a ‘5’ or ‘6’ if medium cover; trenches, walls, ruins, small flier, etc.,
a ‘4’, ‘5’ or ‘6’ if heavy cover; battlements, forests, battleship, etc..

This bonus is increased
An additional one in six if night combat, and/or
An additional one in six if elite or crack unit, and/or
An additional one in six if rapidly moving target, and/or
An additional one in six if target is at long range (twice that listed).

Regardless of defender’s cover and circumstantial modifiers, the defending unit or target always fails its saving throw on a natural one on the d6 throw.


art work by Thomas YEATES

Large Scale Melee

Upon the Red Planet, sword fights are the preferred method of settling individual and unit combat; melee combat is resolved according to the ancient or traditional code of arms:
“Scarcely had his hideous laugh rang out but once, when I was upon him. The brute was twelve feet in height and armed to the teeth, but I believe that I could have accounted for the whole roomful in the terrific intensity of my rage. Springing upward, I struck him full in the face as he turned at my warning cry and then as he drew his short-sword I drew mine and sprang up again upon his breast, hooking one leg over the butt of his pistol and grasping one of his huge tusks with my left hand while I delivered blow after blow upon his enormous chest.

“He could not use his short-sword to advantage because I was too close to him, nor could he draw his pistol, which he attempted to do in direct opposition to Martian custom which says that you may not fight a fellow warrior in private combat with any other than the weapon with which you are attacked. In fact he could do nothing but make a wild and futile attempt to dislodge me. With all his immense bulk he was little if any stronger than I, and it was but the matter of a moment or two before he sank, bleeding and lifeless, to the floor.” (PM X)

R = red, G = green, T = thern, B = black, Y = yellow, and
W = warrior, T = trooper or cavalry and P = pirate.

……………….….Defending…Unit
ATTR…..RW….RT….GT….TW….BP….YM....MOVE

RW…....….4.…..5…...6…....4…....6…...5.........6"
RT….....….3.…..4…...5…....3…....5…...4........12"
GT….....….2.…..3…...4…....2…....4…...3........15"

TW…....….3.…..4…...5…....3…....5…...4.........5"
BP….....….3.…..4…...5…....3…....5…...4.........6"
YW…....….4.…..5…...6…....4…....6…...5.........6"

Players may assign modifiers to the die roll based upon the circumstances; i.e.,
Charging, surprise, terrain advantage, troop quality, etc. . .

Retreat does not appear to be a common option for the determined warriors of Barsoom; therefore, unlike terrestrial based war games, morale rules are not a necessity. Each unit within base contact rolls d6 in melee and if the attacker’s die roll is equal or greater than number assigned to defending, a casualty (remove miniature or model from play). This continues until either player is eliminated or chooses to withdraw his forces from battle.

“These Kaolians are most noble fighters, nor are the green men of the equator one bit less warlike than their cold, cruel cousins of the temperate zone. There were many times when either side might have withdrawn without dishonor and thus ended hostilities, but from the mad abandon with which each invariably renewed hostilities I soon came to believe that what need not have been more than a trifling skirmish would end only with the complete extermination of one force or the other.”
(WM VI)


art work by Thomas YEATES

Zitadar

An enormous beast used by green Martians to pull their three-wheeled chariots. “There were about two hundred and fifty of these vehicles, each drawn by a single animal, any one of which, from their appearance, might easily have drawn the entire wagon train when fully loaded. The chariots themselves were large, commodious, and gorgeously decorated. In each was seated a female Martian loaded with ornaments of metal, with jewels and silks and furs, and upon the back of each of the beasts which drew the chariots was perched a young Martian driver. Like the animals upon which the warriors were mounted, the heavier draft animals wore neither bit nor bridle, but were guided entirely by telepathic means.” (PM II)

“The fifty extra mastodons, or heavy draught animals, known as zitidars, and the five or six hundred extra thoats of the warriors running loose within the hollow square formed by the surrounding warriors. The gleaming metal and jewels of the gorgeous ornaments of the men and women, duplicated in the trappings of the zitidars and thoats, and interspersed with the flashing colors of magnificent silks and furs and feathers, lent a barbaric splendor to the caravan which would have turned an East Indian potentate green with envy.
“The enormous broad tires of the chariots and the padded feet of the animals brought forth no sound from the moss-covered sea bottom; and so we moved in utter silence, like some huge phantasmagoria, except when the stillness was broken by the guttural growling of a goaded zitidar, or the squealing of fighting thoats. The green Martians converse but little, and then usually in monosyllables, low and like the faint rumbling of distant thunder." (PM XV)