Contents

TROLL TALK: Editorial by Ken St. Andre

KINGMAKER: Mini-Solo Dungeon by Michael Stackpole

FIREARMS IN T&T by Ken St. Andre & Tommie Williams

TUNNELVISIONS by Ugly John Carver & Liz Danforth

SOLO DUNGEON REVIEW by Martin Schlesinger

KNOW YOUR FOE 101 by Michael Stackpole

BROTHER TO GHOSTS by Robert E. Vardeman

WEAPON EXPERIENCE by Gregory Courter

LETTERS & CLASSIFIEDS

HEROIC FANTASY by Ken St. Andre

MIDNIGHT SUN by Karl Edward Wagner

Troll Talk by Ken St. Andre – Winter 1978

First editorials are usually a glorious combination of pep talks, campaign promises, and advertising ballyhoo. I should get up on my soapbox and preach the noble crusade for simple, playable fantasy gaming as exemplified by Tunnels & Trolls. But I think I’ll pass, this time around. Nevertheless, there are important things to say about the launching of a new magazine, especially one with aspirations of quality; and it falls to me to say them.

For some time now, people have been writing to FBI to ask for a more professional, higher quality magazine than the late Supernova. I first suggested the idea of doing such a ‘zine to Rick Loomis last May while flying to Cangames. He vetoed it at the time, but apparently the idea stuck. It surfaced again when I informed Rick that Supernova 33 would be the last that I would edit and produce. Rick must feel that FBI needs some kind of publication other than Flying Buffalo Quarterly and Wargamer’s Information, because shortly afterward he (and Liz Danforth and Ugly John Carver and a veritable host of little buffaloes) told me that they would be doing a slick professional ‘zine based around T&T specifically and fantasy role-playing in general. The honor of being general editor devolved on me from lack of any other serious candidate for the job. And I’m very pleased to be in this kind of position. It’s a tremendous opportunity to continue the evolution of T&T, to fill a need of fantasy gamers who aren’t D&D addicts, to encourage the publication of new fantasy and fantasy art.

So what’s going on here? Basically, Liz Danforth and I are creating a new magazine from whole cloth before your very eyes, one that we hope will be able to compete with, and eventually surpass The Dragon and White Dwarf in quality.

Sorcerer’s Apprentice will attempt to carry the T&T philosophy of FRP gaming to a wider audience: namely that role-playing is fun. Dungeons & Dragons, despite its inherent silliness (especially in monster names and types), has somehow taken on the quasi-serious aspects of a religion. T&T will always remember that it is a game, and though it may take over your life, it won’t strive to do so.

Every major game in the country is reaching the point where it has its own select fandom. And each fandom – needs its own forum for purposes of self-expression. SA will be the forum for T&T, and for other role-playing games. To that end, we intend to feature articles about how to improve your play, other ways to play, or new developments in T&T. It will be a place for gamers to talk to each other with an audience, and a place to recite great brags about some of the best games played. It will be a small market for fantasy fiction and poetry. And it will be a showcase for the very best fantasy art we can get. I think a look at our Table of Contents will show you that we’ve tried to do all of that in this first issue.

And we’ll do it all with one cheek bulging – because there’s a tongue in it.

Which brings me to the most important part of this little elegy; namely, we need your help. This is your magazine, as T&T is your game, but only if you care enough to write to us and for us. Let me know what you like, and what you dislike; what you want and don’t want. If you have something to say about gaming, or people, or better ways to do things, write it as an article and send it to me. If you can draw or paint, we’d like to see your work. If you have a gripe, express it. If you have comments of any type, make them. The best, most relevant, and the funniest will be printed – that I promise. Send all submissions, letters, art to Editor, SORCERER’ S APPRENTICE, c/o Flying Buffalo Inc., PO Box 1467, Scottsdale, AZ 85252. If there is something that you especially want Liz or me to see, put our name on the envelope. We expect a lot of mail, and though we can’t promise to answer all of it, we will attempt to reply to questions if you send a self-addressed, stamped envelope along. And that brings me to the end of this introductory talk. In future issues, I’ll have burning issues to discuss with you in this column, like equal rights for monsters. Until then, I hope you’ enjoy SORCERER’S APPRENTICE!

Best, Ken St. Andre
Winter 1978.