Re: Any 'Duel of a Different Color' players out there?

From: dredick@nmc.cit.cornell.edu (Donald JA Redick)

Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 16:43:56 +0000

Keith,

I play the Winter Flowers in DoaDC. I think it's a great game, but
I'm bias.. cuz I wrote it. *smile* Fractal Dimensions has just start out
and we are currently running around 15 players at the Catadu University.
We will be at UBCon in Buffalo this weekend, running a LIVE, FREE demonstration.

Kathy and I came up with the idea of this game when I played Bloodpit about
two years ago. I never played DM, just read some reviews. I think you will
like DoaDC and, of course, when you are filling out your character
development sheets and turn sheets I can give you some insider tips to
help. Kathy has done a fine job creating the rulebook. I hope you enjoy
it. We are still making the rulebook better and you will receive the
updates free with your turns.. Mostly we are adding to the quailty of
our output results.

The game as a whole, viewed from our playtesters, seems to be quite good.
We still take suggestions to heart from our players. We are still improving
the University's code and the Dueling code without upsetting anyone's
play balance. We are doing this cuz we like it... In our playtesting,
most of the magic students did graduate..(Kills are rare..but so is
obtaining the Master of your Color, most graduated with just a Pigment
degree)

Here is the output of one of my characters during 4/17th Duel...

Otelohe   Toti
                            1[0]-1-0   1[0]-0-0
                  Winter Flowers (3)   Werewolves of London (2)
                          Orange Hue   Orange Hue
                          Human Male   Human Female
          STR:12 INT:10 DEX:9 LPS:10   STR:12 INT:8 DEX:10 LPS:11
                  clever persistance   clever persistance
               calculating bloodlust   serendipitic bloodlust

I, Otelohe of the Winter Flowers, entered the dark, gloomy arena. I
wondered if by chance my opponent had forfeited the destined match. As my
eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed across the grey marble floor a
human personage of known repute. It was Toti of the Werewolves of London.
     I tried to create the Stun of old, but because I was not trained in it
yet, it failed. Toti conjured some spell, but the invocation escapes me.
Whatever the hex was, it didn't succeed. Carefully, I picked the ran'n
crystal for my changing spell. It was, indeed, successful. Toti's spell was
successful in that she was able to change the tanenipol to orange.
     [Examiner's Comments: Otelohe's state of health was excellent and
fatigue status was excellent. Toti's state of health was excellent and
fatigue status was excellent. Otelohe owned the ran'n. Toti owned the
tanenipol.]
     I tried to create the Stun of old, but because I was not trained in it
yet, it failed. Gooseflesh crawled over my limbs. I nearly exclaimed aloud.
Smeg! Toti was trying to work an unusual Stun. Someone has spoken of it
during a lecture just a few days before. Or was it during the duel
preparation? Anyway, it was an advanced thing, a purely learned type of
sorcery -- unlike others which were learned and inherent both. Giving Toti
a quick look, I decided to protect my ran'n crystal by throwing another
orange spell on it. Toti's spell was successful in that she was able to
change the adadi' to orange.
     "I have heard about you, Toti. I know your reputation," I said. I was
stalling for time. My Itch didn't seem to work correctly. "Oh, that," she
replied carelessly, and cast me a smile that was a gleam of teeth in the
darkness. "I could say it was all slander, Otelohe." He waited. "I could
say that I might have founded the Advocates. And we are quite exclusive. We
are thirteen. Fourteen, if you count the Master, but he only comes at
certain times. For the Mass, you know. But of course, you could say I'm
only speculating." Toti conjured a globe of orange light. When I looked
closely, I could see, within the globe, a diminutive, very dainty, humanoid
form, but only in rough outline. She must have enhanced herself with some
spell. The orange spell that Toti created to counter my orange one
proceeded to leave the yoneli crystal in the same clear state as it was
before our spells were conjured.
     [Examiner's Comments: Otelohe's state of health was excellent and
fatigue status was good. Toti's state of health was excellent and fatigue
status was excellent. Otelohe owned the ran'n. Toti owned the tanenipol and
adadi'.]
     The Spasm that I conjured did not seem to work correctly. It fizzled
and died. The human shrugged. "Your mind's an open book to me. As is the
mind of any human to one with a Talent to read." She gave me a most vexing
grin. "I can teach you more valuable lessons than just mastering your
orange spells. What coin would you pay to learn your next exam answers. Or
whether a certain personage -- I mention no names, mind you! -- holds you
dear?" Carefully, I picked the yoneli crystal for my changing spell. It
was, indeed, successful. Toti seemed very cautious of my tactics at
changing the crystals, she protected her orange adadi' crystal with another
spell.
     I tried to create the Stun of old, but because I was not trained in it
yet, it failed. Toti conjured some spell, but the invocation escapes me.
Whatever the hex was, it didn't succeed. With intense concentration, I
proceeded to aim my orange spell at the orange adadi' crystal. I smiled as
the crystal cleared. Toti conjured a change spell that allowed her to
convert the yoneli crystal from orange back to clear. I would need to gain
that back again to win.
     [Examiner's Comments: Otelohe's state of health was excellent and
fatigue status was fair. Toti's state of health was excellent and fatigue
status was excellent. Otelohe owned the ran'n. Toti owned the tanenipol.]
     I tried to create the Strength of old, but because I was not trained
in it yet, it failed. The human shrugged. "Your mind's an open book to me.
As is the mind of any human to one with a Talent to read." She gave me a
most vexing grin. "I can teach you more valuable lessons than just
mastering your orange spells. What coin would you pay to learn your next
exam answers. Or whether a certain personage -- I mention no names, mind
you! -- holds you dear?" Carefully, I picked the wineg crystal for my
changing spell. It was, indeed, successful. Toti's spell was successful in
that she was able to change the yoneli to orange.
     "Remember, Toti. I know your reputation," I said. I was still
stalling for time. My Wall of Illusion wouldn't work correctly. "Oh,
that," she replied carelessly, and cast me a smile that was a gleam of
teeth in the darkness. "I could say it was all slander, Otelohe." He
waited. "I could say that I might have founded the Advocates. And we are
quite exclusive. We are thirteen. Fourteen, if you count the Master, but he
only comes at certain times. For the Mass, you know. But of course, you
could say I'm only speculating." The human shrugged. "Your mind's an open
book to me. As is the mind of any human to one with a Talent to read." She
gave me a most vexing grin. "I can teach you more valuable lessons than
just mastering your orange spells. What coin would you pay to learn your
next exam answers. Or whether a certain personage -- I mention no names,
mind you! -- holds you dear?" Giving Toti a quick look, I decided to
protect my wineg crystal by throwing another orange spell on it. The human
seemed uncomfortable at the way I changed the Crystals of Nuvaw. She tried
to strengthen her position by throwing a protection orange spell on her
yoneli crystal.
     [Examiner's Comments: Otelohe's state of health was excellent and
fatigue status was poor. Toti's state of health was excellent and fatigue
status was excellent. Otelohe owned the wineg and ran'n. Toti owned the
tanenipol and yoneli.]
     Gooseflesh crawled over my limbs. I nearly exclaimed aloud. Damn! Toti
was trying to work an unusual Strength. Someone has spoken of it during a
lecture just a few days before. Or was it during the duel preparation?
Anyway, it was an advanced thing, a purely learned type of sorcery --
unlike others which were learned and inherent both. I cast a simple Spasm,
but the spell was not strong enough to continue and, thus, died before I
could put it into action. Carefully, I picked the adadi' crystal for my
changing spell. It was, indeed, successful. The human seemed uncomfortable
at the way I changed the Crystals of Nuvaw. She tried to strengthen her
position by throwing a protection orange spell on her yoneli crystal.
     Upon the completion of my casting of the color/crystal spell, Toti and
I stood staring at three orange crystals. Victory was mine! My opponent's
face saddened. She had met her match.
     [Examiner's Final Comments: Otelohe's state of health was excellent
and fatigue status was poor. Toti's state of health was excellent and
fatigue status was excellent. Otelohe owned the wineg, adadi', and ran'n.
Toti owned the tanenipol and yoneli.]

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Well, this might not be my best output. I'm still working on getting the
narrative generator to stop locking on certain syntaxes for events. But
that is another story.. It's getting better...

So after you read the rulebook, shoot me some questions.. If any one else
would like to ask question.. Feel free..

Fractal Dimensions is a real company with a real office...(we share one
with TLC Computer Services). Kathy and I would love to answer any
questions or send out information if you send us a SASE at

Fractal Dimensions
17-29 Main St., Suite 316
Cortland, New York 13045
(607) 753-9246

I can be e-mailed at dar6@cornell.edu or dredick@cit.cornell.edu

Shameless plug: If A Duel of A Different Color is not your cup of tea
                then our next game, Warriors of the Fractal Domain just
                might grab you..

Keep 'n touch, Keith.. Thanks for your ear...(so to speak)..

-- Donald Redick

References

Any 'Duel of a Different Color' players out there?
khearn@pyrps5.eng.pyramid.com (Keith Hearn)
Thu, 22 Apr 1993 00:26:46 +0000