			The Eamon Adventurer's Guild

				June 1989

Editorial - by Tom Zuchowski

OUR FIRST YEAR:  The EAG was started up in March '88 when we contacted all of 
the various Public-Domain sellers, offering Eamon library support in return for 
EAG support from them.  The transfer of the Apple-NEUC membership to the EAG was 
accomplished in mid-June, and the first EAG newsletter went out on June 30.

How did we do the first year?  As of Feb. 28, 1989, we had taken in $911.43, 
spent $787.02, and had a club balance of $124.41. The membership has nearly 
tripled from the NEUC level and is pushing 70 now.  The P-D people have decided 
that the EAG is a Good Thing, and they are now advertising us in their catalogs, 
which should greatly aid new membership.  We have succeeded in eliminating most 
of the bad, buggy Eamon libraries.  This was a very important step, as too many 
of the non-EAG Eamons were seriously bugged, which may have caused countless 
people to decide that Eamon was trash.

The outlook is good.  Along with the update and back issue revenues, the $7.00 
membership is turning out to generate a slightly positive cash flow.  The 
newsletter costs approximately $1 per member-issue, and the costs of supplies 
and postage are not quite using up the other $3 of the membership fee.

CONTEST: It seems like a good place to put a little of this excess cash is into 
an Eamon contest.  Prizes galore!  Everybody wins!  See inside for details.

ENVELOPES:  As you can see, the newsletter is now being shipped in a letter 
envelope.  We had originally tested mailing it in 6x9 envelopes, which put the 
weight over the 25-cent limit.  We thought that the newsletter would be too 
thick to go in a letter envelope for 25 cents (there is a surcharge for 
excessive thickness), but it turns out we were wrong.  Since we are now using 
envelopes for all newsletters, we have extended the $9.00 envelope-subscriptions 
by one additional issue to pay back the extra $2.00.

LOWER CASE:  Lower case chips can be obtained for old II's for $12 from Nexo 
Distribution, 914 East 8th St., Suite 109, National City, CA 92050.  I ordered 
one and received it in less than three weeks.  They have a large selection of 
II+-compatible stuff.  Applied Engineering also sells a lower-case chip which 
lists for $24, and has lots of II+ stuff too.

GENIE:  I have agreed to run an Eamon forum for A2-Central on GEnie.  I just got 
an AE DataLink 1200/300 modem, but the details have yet to go thru channels.  It 
will still be in Dos 3.3.

EXPIRATION DATE:  Don't forget to check your membership expiration date on the 
envelope address.

======================================================

BACK ISSUES:
Apple-based back issues of the formerly Apple-based NEUC's 'Adventurer's Log' 
are available from us:
  Aug'84, May'84, Oct'84, Jan'85, Mar'85, May'85,
  Aug'85, Oct'85, Jun'86, Jan'87, Oct'87

EAG back issues: Jun'88, Sep'88, Dec'88, Mar'89

All issues are $2.00 each.

ADVENTURE UPDATES:
You may obtain updated versions of your Eamon adventures from the EAG.  Send in 
a copy of the adventure to be updated and $1.00 per copy to cover our cost, and 
an updated copy will be returned to you.  You MUST include a copy of EACH 
adventure for which you wish an update.

We want to improve Eamon all we can; this includes getting authors to use the 
latest and best version.  Therefore, the version 7.0 Dungeon Designer Diskette 
and the 7.0 Multi-Disk Supplement may be obtained from us for $1.00 each (US & 
Canada), foreign $2.00 each.

======================================================
EAMON ADVENTURER'S GUILD
Thomas Zuchowski, Editor


Membership/subscription fee for 4 issues:
     US-Canada: $7.00; foreign: $12.00; in U.S. funds
The Eamon Adventurer's Guild is published 4 times per year in Mar., Jun., Sep., 
and Dec.


------------------------------------------------------

We are always looking for new material!  If you would like to publish your own 
letter or article in this newsletter, feel free to send one in.  If you would 
like to add your own Eamon adventure to the list, send it on a disk to the above 
address.  It will be assigned an Adventure number, and tested for bugs and other 
problems before release.  An informal critique and disk with bug corrections 
will be returned.

======================================================
      New Adventures
------------------------------------------------------

 167 Expedition to the Darkwoods   by Greg Gioia
 168 The High School of Horrors    by Mike Haney
                                      & Aaron Hunt
 169 The Black Phoenix             by Roger Pender
 170 Ragnarok Revisited            by Nathan Segerlind
 171 The Pyramid of Cheops         by Robert Parker
 172 the Mountain of the Master    by Michael Dalton
 173 The House that Jack Built     by Robert Parker
 174 Escape from Granite Hall      by Robert Parker
 175 Anatomy of the Body           by Robert Parker
 176 Dirtie Trix's Mad Maze        by Robert Parker
 177 Shippe of Fooles              by Robert Parker
 178 The Alien Intruder            by Robert Parker

'Expedition to the Darkwoods' sends you into the evil Darkwoods to rescue some 
children and right some wrongs.  Most of it plays extremely well, but near the 
end it runs out of gas and fails to live up to its promise when the hinted-at 
big finale fails to occur.

'The High School of Horrors' finds you returning to your old high school which 
has been overcome by various Bad Things.  Although pretty simple for the most 
part, it has a couple of rather obscure puzzles.

In 'The Black Phoenix', you are a member of a crack mercenary outfit, fighting a 
war in the distant future.  You must complete 6 different missions that are each 
more difficult than the last.  It's loaded with the high-tech gadgets, readouts, 
and commands that Roger has made his trademark.

'Ragnarok Revisited' continues the adventures of Samurai Cat, this time in the 
Norse mythos in Nathan's most ambitious special-effects Eamon to date.  It is 
undergoing final revision and test and will be released July 15.

'The Pyramid of Cheops' has little to do with Egyptian stuff, but is a standard 
'kill & loot' scenario.

'The Mountain of the Master' sends you into the Master's mountain stronghold to 
kill him.  Primarily a 'kill & loot' scenario.  Has hires & music at startup.

'The House that Jack Built' sends you wandering about Jack's place in a 'hack & 
slash' scenario.  Some black humor in this contemporary setting.

In 'Escape from Granite Hall' you have been hired to test the security of the 
Hall by escaping from it.

In 'Anatomy of the Body' you are shrunk to microscopic size to kill microbes and 
cancer cells within a human body.  The premise is good but the anatomical detail 
is very vague.

'Dirtie Trix's Mad Maze' sends you into a simple maze; object: escape.  All the 
room descriptions are identical but there are no trick room connections.

In 'Shippe of Fooles' you have been shanghaied by pirates and must kill them.  
Standard 'hack & slash'.

In 'The Alien Intruder' you are sent to the moon base to discover why 
communication has been lost.  Standard 'hack & slash'.

======================================================
Terminological Inexactitudes
------------------------------------------------------
Nathan Segerlind writes to inform us that he has been slow on his progress in 
his newest Eamon because of his maintaining a 4.0 GPA, placing well in the state 
wrestling tournament (152 lbs), becoming an Eagle Scout, and placing first in 
the State Science Olympiad computer programming contest.  He also notes that he 
is a long-time regular winner of the 'George Washington Cherry Tree Award for 
Truth and Honesty'.  We find ourselves wondering why he saw fit to include that 
last award.

A rumor is going around that Tom Zuchowski is really a talking dog who can type.  
His family and friends deny this but after we found dog hair in a disk mailer we 
became suspicious, seeing as that none of us have ever seen him.  This explains 
why there has never been a dog in any of his Eamon games.

======================================================
  EAMON ADVENTURE CONTEST
------------------------------------------------------
Announcing the first EAG Eamon Adventure Contest!  Yes, now is the time for you 
to start work on that Eamon adventure that you were always going to get around 
to 'someday'!  There are no restrictions; write any old kind of Eamon adventure 
that you desire, but if it is written for a specific type of audience (eg: grade 
school classrooms or AD&D freaks), let us know so we can judge it accordingly.

FIRST PRIZE: *** FIFTY DOLLARS! *** (yes, $50.00).

SECOND PRIZE: A nifty Eamon binder for your EAG newsletters, etc.  These are 
really nice padded vinyl 3-ring binders, with olde-English lettering on front 
and spine and the Eamon dragon on the cover (retail value $13.00).

THIRD PRIZE: Any 3 Eamon adventures of your choice.

ALSO: the top 3 prizewinners will receive a 1-year extension to their 
memberships.

ENTRY BONUSES: ALL entries which did not place in the top three will receive a 
1-issue extension to their memberships, plus:
--NEW EAMON AUTHORS will receive a 1-issue membership extension for every rating 
point that their entry receives that exceeds 4.
--EXPERIENCED EAMON AUTHORS will receive a 1-issue membership extension for 
every ratings point that their entry receives that exceeds 6.
--MAXIMUM EXTENSION: 4 issues total.

JUDGING will be done by Tom Zuchowski and anyone he may select as consultant.  
The final decision will be made by Tom Zuchowski, and the selection of the 
winners will be based on rating, story, plot, special stuff, orginality, author 
experience, continuity, and so on.  The rating will not be the final 
determinant; the aim is to balance the contest so that beginners will have an 
equal chance with experienced authors.  A well-done 5 from a beginner has a good 
chance to beat a 6 from an author who routinely gets 7's.  Neatness counts; the 
fewer bugs and errors, the better you are likely to do.

MULTIPLE ENTRIES are acceptable.  However, only one entry from each author will 
be eligible for prizes or for membership extension.  You need not designate your 
entry; we will automatically select your best one.

ADDITIONAL PRIZES: may be given out if an entry merits special mention but does 
not place in the top three.

DEADLINE:  All entries must be submitted by October 31, 1989 so we can announce 
the winners in the December issue.  An extension to this deadline will be 
considered if anyone needs it; we would rather have your Best Stuff than see you 
cut it short for lack of time.

======================================================
      Dungeon Designs
------------------------------------------------------
Traps and Obstructions - Doing It Right

by:  Tom Zuchowski

How many times have you been blind-sided by a no-warning death trap while 
playing Eamon?  How much did you enjoy having to start over again?  Eamon 
authors seem to undergo some kind of strange compulsion to include in their own 
Eamons the very traps that they hate in others' Eamons.  There are three reasons 
why Eamon authors install death traps:

1) They are practical jokers and think it's funny.  RESPONSE: It's NOT funny to 
have to start over for no good reason and many people will quit if they have to 
start over too often.

2) They are giving proper responses to stupid player moves.  RESPONSE: No one 
will intentionally kill himself off-if he made a stupid move then the warning 
clues were very poorly written by the author.

3) They consider it to be an essential part of the plot.  RESPONSE: There are 
alternative methods that can be used that will fit the plot equally well.

ALTERNATIVES TO DEATH

Whenever I complain to an author about a given death trap, a response that I 
often get is that 'if it were real life, the player WOULD get killed there.  
I've got to be realistic.'  Well, if it were real life, then the player would be 
really dead, and would never, ever again get to play the adventure.  To continue 
this 'realism', the Eamon disk should erase itself when the player is killed.  
To carry this 'real life' thing to its ultimate absurdity, the player will have 
to quit Eamon altogether!  The real issue here isn't realism, but sloppy 
adventure writing.

What this means is that an Eamon that is well-written for realism will be very 
survivable.  Note that I said 'survivable', NOT 'easy'!  A rule which all Eamon 
authors should closely follow is that it should be possible to escape, overcome, 
or endure anything that the player encounters in the dungeon.  If a trap is 
unavoidable then it should be survivable at least 98% of the time.  'Pass/no 
pass' puzzles or riddles should send the player away to search for clues, not 
kill him or force him to battle supernatural opponents.

There are a number of ways that damage can be inflicted on the player when 
special effects are printed.  Any trap will play well if minor to medium damage 
is inflicted.  You can either inflict a standard amount of damage or can make it 
random.  The methods are:

1) I recommend that you use a small set amount.  The following will add 3 hit 
points to the player and then will jump to the melee routine to give a health 
status report:

       DF = 0:D2 = 3: GOSUB 7636

2) A random hit from 0 to 4 can be given with this code:

       DF = 0:D2 = INT(RND(1) * 5)): GOSUB 7636

3) If you want to make it truly dangerous with a chance of death, this code will 
randomly set the amount of damage to something between 0 and the character's 
total hardiness (M%(0,1)):

    DF = 0:D2 = INT(RND(1) * (M%(0,1) + 1)): GOSUB 7636

4) A final alternative is to NEARLY kill the player by giving him hits that 
NEARLY wipe him out.  This code will leave the player one hit point away from 
death:

     DF = 0:D2 = M%(0,1) - M%(0,13) - 1: GOSUB 7636

THE DEATH TRAP

See if you recognize the following scenario: you are walking down a plain hall 
when you come to an unusual door.  You open the door-no result.  You pass thru 
the door, and are told that you walked into an atomic incinerator and have died!  
This is an example of the worst brand of 'Gotcha' death traps-no warning, no 
wind-up, and suddenly the game is over.  There are four fair ways to have 
handled this same trap:

1) When the player attempts to open the door, open it, then print  an effect 
that is similar to this: AS THE DOOR SWINGS WIDE, YOU ARE STRUCK BY A BLAST OF 
WHITE HEAT EMANATING FROM A ROARING INFERNO WITHIN.  YOU HAVE FOUND AN ATOMIC 
INCINERATOR.  Then if the player proceeds into the room, kill him.

2) When the player attempts to open the door, DON'T open it, but print an effect 
that is similar to this: AS THE DOOR SWINGS WIDE, YOU ARE STRUCK BY A BLAST OF 
WHITE HEAT EMANATING FROM WITHIN!  YOU ARE STANDING BEFORE AN ATOMIC 
DISINTEGRATION CHAMBER!  QUICKLY, YOU SLAM THE DOOR SHUT AGAIN!

3) Open the door but print nothing.  When the player attempts to enter the room, 
do NOT actually move him into the room, but instead print an effect similar to 
this: AS YOU ENTER THE ROOM YOU ARE SEARED BY A BLAST OF HEAT!  YOU REALIZE THAT 
YOU HAVE ENTERED AN ATOMIC INCINERATOR!  QUICKLY YOU BACK OUT OF THE ROOM AND 
FLEE TO THE SAFETY OF THE HALLWAY!

4) Combine option (1) and (3).  First give the warning from option (1), then if 
the player enters the room print the effect from option (3) to show him that he 
did something stupid.  This option or option 2 is recommended; special effects 
are fun, and the player is not annoyed by needless restarts.  It would also be 
appropriate to inflict some damage as outlined above.

DANGEROUS TRAVEL DIRECTIONS

Many Eamons are set in mountainous country, and it is not uncommon to have 
cliffs which will kill the player if he foolishly walks off of the edge.  
Typically, the room description will say something like THERE IS A CLIFF TO THE 
WEST.  Note that it doesn't say how far away the cliff is, or even if it is the 
top or bottom of the cliff!  Subsequently the player decides to go WEST to see 
if there is anything near the edge, or tries DOWN to see if the cliff can be 
climbed.  Often the results are:  YOU HAVE FALLEN OFF THE CLIFF!  YOU HAVE DIED!

Now, think about this.  In real life, no one is going to mindlessly walk off the 
edge of a cliff but will stop at its edge, and no one will attempt to climb down 
a sheer, unclimbable cliff face, either.  The author forgets that a real 
adventurer would KNOW where the cliff edge was and if it was unclimbable.  If 
the player blunders off the edge, then the failure was in the author's 
descriptions, NOT in the player's decision.

There are 3 valid solutions to this:

1) Simply make the room connection 0, thus using the standard message 'YOU CAN'T 
GO THAT WAY'.  Not very imaginative, but it gets the job done.  Remember, if it 
were real life, the player would KNOW he couldn't go that way because he would 
be able to see the cliff edge.

2) Make the room connection some random high value negative number, like (-900).  
Program some code in the 3070-3300 region in this fashion:

 3070 IF R2 = - 900 THEN GOSUB 56: PRINT "THE CLIFF
      EDGE BLOCKS YOUR WAY.": GOTO 300

 Notes: 'GOSUB 56' spaces one line and updates the line
          counter by 2 lines to allow for the text
        'GOTO 300' exits the Move routine

3) Use a program line similar to option (2) that prints a special effect that is 
similar to this: YOU STEP TO THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF.  EXAMINING IT, YOU SEE THAT 
IT IS TOO STEEP AND CRUMBLY TO BE SAFELY CLIMBED.  SEEING NOTHING ELSE, YOU STEP 
BACK TO SAFETY.  If the effect number was 15, for example, the programming would 
look like this:

 3070 IF R2 = - 900 THEN GOSUB 51: R = 415: GOSUB 45:
      GOTO 300

 Notes: 'GOSUB 51' spaces one line and increments the
          line counter by 1
        Effects are in the 401-600 range, so effect #15
          is record 415
        'GOSUB 45' calls the description print routine

Don't make insulting comments like 'THERE'S A CLIFF THERE, STUPID!'  If the 
player tried it, then the descriptions inadequately described the danger and the 
failure was the author's, not the player's.

An alternative to death by falling off a cliff is death by drowning.  Remember 
the 'real life' rule when doing water hazards.  The best way to handle water is 
with the standard 'YOU CAN'T GO THAT WAY' response, although the alternate 'YOU 
CAN'T SWIM!' is perfectly acceptable.

POISONS

I dunno about you, but I NEVER drink or eat anything unless I have first saved 
the game.  In fact, I never eat or drink at all if I can avoid it; the 
occurrence of 'Gotcha' fatal poisons is all too common.  There are two fair ways 
to handle poisons:

1) Give it non-fatal consequences as outlined above.

2) Give it a readable label.  This is more difficult to accomplish because it 
requires that the poison be two different types of artifact at once (readable 
and drinkable).  But is the best way, because it gives the alert player a chance 
to avoid being blind-sided.  To accomplish this:
(a) The bottle's description must mention that there is writing on it.  It would 
be best to avoid mentioning a label, because the player is liable to try to READ 
LABEL instead of READ BOTTLE.
(b) make it a drinkable artifact (type 6) but add a line to the READ routine to 
recognize this one artifact (for example let's make it artifact # 5 and make the 
writing effect # 2):

     23015 IF A = 5 THEN R = 402: GOSUB 45: GOTO 300

ACTS OF GOD

This category includes random events that were added to spice up the adventure.  
You are all familiar with the old pre-version 7.0 POWER command's 'the ceiling 
falls on you' death trap.  Other examples that come to mind are snipers in 
modern settings and falling rocks in caves and mountains.  This kind of random 
thing is great for adding realism and excitement, but is patently unfair if it 
kills the player off.  Any of the above examples would play well using one of 
the 'damage' options.  Imagine this special effect: A RUMBLE COMES FROM ABOVE.  
SUDDENLY A HUGE BOULDER CRASHES ON THE PATH BESIDE YOU AND BOUNCES ON DOWN THE 
MOUNTAINSIDE!  YOU ARE PELTED WITH LESSER ROCKS; ONE THE SIZE OF TWO FISTS JUST 
MISSES YOUR HEAD!  Exciting, huh? And even though you as the author know that 
the player won't be killed by any such special effects, HE doesn't know it!

FAIR DEATH TRAPS

Is it possible to have a death trap that is fair?  The answer is yes; there are 
two ways to do so:

1) Automatic Resurrection:  it's acceptable to kill off the player if a means of 
resurrecting him can be worked into the plot.  One such means can be found in 
#114 'Thror's Ring'; the player's companions will pull him back from foolish 
moves or resurrect him with a spell.

2) Progressive Deadliness:  death traps are acceptable if some means is provided 
for the player to learn how to recognize them.  One way is to have a series of 
similar traps that increase in deadliness but offer similar clues as to their 
whereabouts.  An alternate method of doing this is to describe the trap's 
characteristics in the introduction or by some other means so that the player 
will know what to watch for.

The bottom line on the subject of death traps is playability.  It is NOT fun to 
have to start over and replay old, stale ground, especially if the player had no 
control over his demise.  And the more fun that people have with your adventure, 
the higher they will rate it.  And the higher the rating, the more people will 
obtain and play your hard work.

======================================================
   Adventure Reviews
------------------------------------------------------
#69 The Black Castle of Nagog - by Doug Burrows

Reviewed by Tom Zuchowski

MAIN PGM version: 5
Extra Commands: SEARCH, PRY, READ, HELP, DRINK, OPEN
Deleted Commands: none; no SAVE
Special Features: HELP cmd gives hints
Playing Time: 1.5-2 hours
Reviewer Rating: 7

Description:  The revered hero Gladmar has gone insane.  The powerful wizard 
Dracnard has determined that Gladmar is possessed by the demon Demogorgon.  The 
only way to cure him is to recover a magical golden statue of the demon which 
was last possessed by the evil Lord Rovnart of Nagog hundreds of years ago.  His 
stronghold, the Black Castle of Nagog, was conquered over 200 years ago and has 
been abandoned ever since because of its evil reputation.

Comment:  The adventure is well-written with a clear quest, and was very 
enjoyable to solve and to play.  This is not a simple rehash of old ideas, but 
presents some fresh puzzles and concepts.  I had fun.  The level of the dungeon 
is geared towards a 'standard' character with ordinary, mundane weapons.  If you 
get a lot out of combat in Eamon, then arm yourself with a simple sword from the 
Main Hall's armorer for this foray.  Using a 2D10 sword, I killed many with one 
blow.

The puzzles are well done, quite adequately clued, and not difficult to solve, 
with the following exception: LOOK doesn't find secret passages or hidden clues; 
that is the function of the SEARCH command.  In order to find secret passages, 
you must SEARCH WALLS.  There are several clues similar to version 6 embedded 
artifacts that can only be found by using SEARCH.  It works well enough, but the 
method is poorly explained.

Because of the weak monsters (even Demogorgon!) and the complete puzzle clues, I 
give it a (5) for difficulty.  There is a reward for a successful quest and an 
amusing penalty for failure.  Doug produced a good adventure; it's too bad that 
this is the only one that he did.
------------------------------------------------------
#118 Pittfall - by Scott Starkey

Reviewed by Tom Zuchowski

MAIN PGM version: 6.0
Extra Commands: REMOVE, WEAR, PRESS, JUMP, KICK
Deleted Commands: none
Special Features: 10-direction adventure
Playing Time: 1 hour
Reviewer Rating: 8

Description: The demon Pitt is challenging any fools or adventurers in the 
countryside to attempt the recovery of the 'Star Stone', a nearly priceless 
jewel, from his tomb.  From what you have heard, this demon collects traps of 
all kinds.  In Pitt's tomb you will probably find some of his collection.

Comment: This is a good adventure.  It is not overly complex plot-wise but it 
has 44 special Effects.  There are 6 or 8 nifty events that keep your interest 
up.  There are only 8 monsters, but they are all pretty much important 
encounters; there are no miscellaneous guards or orcs here.  One monster is a 
puzzle to be beaten and another is a sorceror who has a lot of tricks up his 
sleeve.  The puzzles are thickly laid but generally fairly simple, including a 
dozen of the 'key' variety.  The traps are well done and may be considered 
puzzles, as all can be found before they hit you.

Scott writes pretty well and has a sense of humor.  I enjoyed a couple of 
running gags.  There were also a number of things that were intriguing, but I 
never found their purpose, suggesting more Good Stuff that I missed.  This 
adventure is of your basic 'kill & loot' variety, but it is a cut above the 
ordinary such Eamon.  I give it a (6) for difficulty.  Recommended to anyone who 
can get along without buckets of gore.
------------------------------------------------------
#149 Elemental Apocalypse - by Sam Ruby

Reviewed by Nathan Segerlind

MAIN PGM Version: 6
Extra Commands: DIG, FILL, PULL, WEAR, REMOVE, DISPLAY
Deleted Commands: none
Special Features: 4-disks, WEAR cmd, it doesn't use
     your character, DISPLAY cmd, armor artifacts,
     SOLUTIONS pgm
Playing Time: 10-20 hours
Reviewer's Rating: 6

Description:  Shipwrecked upon an unknown continent, you easily learn the 
language and are eager to get home.  You decide the best way to accomplish this 
would be to go to the capital.  When you reach the capital, the Prime Minister 
is eager to speak to you.  He tells you that a month ago the king had traveled 
to a retreat in the northern district, and not a word has been heard from him 
since.  He sends you off to find the king and report what you find.

Comment:  The above is a VERY abbreviated version of the introduction.  The real 
intro is EXTREMELY long, a trademark of Sam's adventures.  You are not allowed 
to use your own character but must select a new one from an offering of 10 
'bios'.  Most of the important weapons are swords, so you would do best to pick 
a swordsman of some sort.

DISPLAY toggles between full room descriptions or just the room name.  Armor is 
'real' and includes magic stuff that only works in this adventure.  The WEAR 
command is mainly for putting on armor.

One of two flaws that knocked it down from an 8 in my opinion was that it's just 
too long.  There are 390 rooms, and the monsters are so tough that you must 
start over again and again.  The other was short, dull descriptions and its 
resemblance to an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (c) TSR adventure.  Many monsters 
had copy-cat descriptions and got tiresome by the fourth disk.  The resemblance 
to AD&D was irritating (to me anyway) in its bland treatment of magic items, 
weird monsters, and direct reference to the game mechanics in descriptions (eg: 
'this item will give you a +6% bonus to hit').  The monsters were OK, but does 
any 'real' fantasy hero have a '+2 sword' or a 'potion of extra-healing'?  This 
aspect might not bother you or might even be a plus for you, but I disliked it.

I also disliked the numerous traps, which can be found and most of the time 
disarmed, but can kill careless people.  Some were illogical or unfair, such as 
being killed by a drop of blood or not being informed that you were standing on 
the very edge of a cliff.

This had a solid plot and challenging nature.  If you can stand the length and 
traps, you will enjoy it.
------------------------------------------------------
#166 Storm Breaker - by Sam Ruby

Reviewed by Tom Zuchowski

MAIN PGM version: 6.2 (with 7.0 search routine)
Extra Commands: SHOW, BUY, USE, XTINGUISH, WEAR, RESUME
Deleted Commands: BLAST, SPEED, HEAL, POWER, TAKE,
      SMILE, WAVE, OPEN, FREE
Special Features: 3-disks; author's notes; hints
      program; 3 simultaneous saves permitted
Playing Time: 5-10 hours
Reviewer's Rating: 9

Description:  You had finally reached your home continent.  You went up the 
coast, looking for a sea port, but for 3 days you found none.  On the morning of 
the fourth day, you awoke to find something else.  A tremendous storm had set 
in, the likes of which you had never seen.  The clouds were black and threaded 
with crackling energy.  Huge waves and strange currents tossed your ship about.  
Finally, a port was sighted, and with great hardship, you made it in safely.  
The captain says that sailing is impossible under these unnatural conditions and 
that the best thing to do is to wait it out.  You agree, and as the crew secures 
the ship, you step out onto the docks.
    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
Centuries of sleep ended.  He awoke.  Gradually his awareness returned...and he 
remembered.  Then he looked outside...a city surrounded him - it had been built 
around his tower!  But by whom?  They were men, and for a moment he feared that 
his enemies of long ago had survived...but no, these that surrounded him were 
weak; unlike the others, these could be controlled.  He felt power surging 
through him, recharged after a millenium of rest.  Aye, he would rule them, and 
they would worship them, for was he not a god?

Comment:  This huge Eamon has 195 rooms and 125 effects.  Much of the action 
takes place within the city, but you must make several forays into the 
countryside for a variety of reasons.  The puzzles are many and difficult, 
interlocking and evolving as the plot progresses.  Usually the danger is not too 
high as you can FLEE to safety; the emphasis here is puzzles, not combat.  The 
SOLUTIONS program offers hints for each puzzle that progress to outright 
solutions, and chats about what is happening around you just in case you are not 
sure.  Sam offers his usual author's notes to clarify command modifications.

The above description is the introduction.  Several things happen right off that 
leave you stranded without gold or weapons in a city that is undergoing a grave 
supernatural pounding.  It is up to you to figure out what to do about it.  
Things are confusing at first as you wander about a large city with dozens of 
shops, but gradually you hit upon clues that put you on the right track.  There 
IS a detailed, complex story here, but you must discover it a piece at a time 
while playing.  Besides the above-mentioned god and sundry citizens, there are 
giants, dwarves, undead, evil cultists, dangerous animals, and even a dragon to 
overcome, and it all fits together within the framework of the story that Sam 
has wrought here.

This adventure is a sequel to #149 'Elemental Apocalypse', but the two stories 
stand alone and you do not need to have played #149 first.  The difficulty 
rating will range between 5 and 10, depending on how much you use the SOLUTIONS 
program.  If you require 'Hack & Slash' combat, you won't find much here, but it 
is highly recommended to puzzle fans.
======================================================
       Bugs 'n Fixes
------------------------------------------------------
DDD 6.2 Dungeon List program
Date Fixed: 5/3/89

Problem: crashes when it encounters a custom artifact
   type number that is greater than 10.
Fix:  The real fix is to use the Dungeon List program
   from the DDD 7.0, which already had this fix:
3550  IF A2 = 2 AND A%(2) > 10 THEN PRINT " [SPECIAL
       CATEGORY]";: GOTO 3580
------------------------------------------------------
#21 - The Quest for Marron
Date Fixed: 5/4/89

Problem: 2 trashed records in EAMON.MONSTERS
Fix: The club copy did not have this error, but it did have a directory error 
which may have caused bad copies to be generated.  The directory has been 
repaired. Your copy may not have this problem; if you can reach 'YOUR COMMAND' 
you are probably OK.  You will need a good disk utility like 'Bag of Tricks' to 
check it further.
------------------------------------------------------
#30 - The Underground City
Date Fixed: 5/4/89

Problem: 2 trashed room records in EAMON.DESC
Fix: The 2 records were reconstructed using a disk zap utility, and the disk 
directory was repaired.  Your copy may not have this problem; you can verify it 
with the CHECK FILES Eamon utility program.  If you have the errors, you will 
need a new copy of the disk.
------------------------------------------------------
#69 - The Black Castle of Nagog
Date Fixed: 4/7/89

Problem: Demons appear but don't fight.
Fix:
24060  GOTO 3600
24240  MD%(36,5) = ROOM: GOTO 3600

Also, the speedup mods were added.
------------------------------------------------------
#81 - The Rescue Mission
Date Fixed: 4/9/89

Problem: This adventure was designed to be played as part 2 of #80 'The Search 
for the Key' and could not be played alone.  These two should have been listed 
as a single two-disk adventure, but they are widely listed seperately now and it 
is too late to change it.
Fix: The program WRONG WAY was modified to allow play of #81 as an individual 
adventure:

(delete 5090)
5100  HOME : VTAB 4: HTAB 17: INVERSE: PRINT "NOTICE!":
      NORMAL
5110  PRINT : PRINT : PRINT "'THE RESCUE MISSION' IS
      DESIGNED TO BE  PLAYED AS 'PART II' OF EAMON
      ADVENTURE #80, 'THE SEARCH FOR THE KEY'."
5120  PRINT : PRINT "TO PROPERLY ENJOY THIS ADVENTURE,
      YOU SHOULD FIRST PLAY #80.  HOWEVER, IF YOU DO
      NOT HAVE #80 AND WISH TO PLAY THIS   ADVENTURE
      RIGHT NOW ANYWAY, YOU MAY DO  SO."
5130  PRINT : INPUT "DO YOU WISH TO RETURN TO THE MAIN
      HALL NOW?";A$: IF LEFT$ (A$,1) < > "N" THEN 10
5140  PRINT : PRINT "VERY WELL.": PRINT DK$"RUN THE
      RESCUE MISSION"
------------------------------------------------------
#118 - Pittfall
Date Fixed: 5/4/89

Problem: READ cmd gives wrong effect or OUT OF DATA
Fix: In line 23210, change   AD%(A,4)  to  AD%(A,5)

Problem: OUT OF DATA error if carrying 6 weapons
Fix:
2015  PRINT DK$"CLOSE"
2060  HOME: VTAB 5: PRINT "AS YOU START TO ENTER THE
      MAIN HALL,": PRINT "LORD WILLIAM MISSLEFIRE
      APPEARS AND": PRINT "TELLS YOU, 'YOU HAVE TOO
      MANY WEAPONS": PRINT "TO KEEP THEM ALL--4 IS THE
      LEGAL LIMIT.": PRINT "YOUR WEAPONS ARE

Problem: club address is wrong
Fix: change Effect #4 to correct address
------------------------------------------------------

======================================================
 Eamon Adventure Listing
------------------------------------------------------


Ratings are given on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 highest.  Format is R/N, where R 
= the adventure's overall rating;  N = the number of people who have rated it.

Note key:
     a: version 4 or older    h: contemporary setting
     b: version 5             i: 40/80 column capability 
     c: version 6             j: 80-column only
     d: version 7             k: 40 & 80 col. versions
     e: (not used)            l: 2-disk adventure
     f: contains a quest      m: 3-disk adventure
     g: science-fiction       n: 4-disk adventure

  1. Main Hall & Beginners Cave  D. Brown       4.5/2 a
  2. The Lair of the Minotaur    D. Brown       3.3/3 a
  3. The Cave of the Mind       Jacobson/Varnum 2.5/2 a
  4. The Zyphur Riverventure     J. Jacobson    5.7/3 a,f
  5. Castle of Doom              D. Brown       4.7/3 a
  6. The Death Star              D. Brown       4.0/2 a,f,g
  7. The Devil's Tomb            J. Jacobson    5.3/3 a
  8. The Abductor's Quarters     J. Jacobson    6.0/1 a,f
  9. Assault on the Clonemaster  D. Brown       5.0/1 a,f
 10. The Magic Kingdom           D. Cook        3.0/1 a
 11. The Tomb of Molinar         D. Brown       3.0/2 a,f
 12. The Quest for Trezore       J. Jacobson    7.0/1 a,f
 13. Caves of Treasure Island    Genz & Braun   3.0/1 a,f
 14. Furioso                     W. Davis       4.0/1 a
 15. Heroes Castle               J. Nelson      5.0/1 a
 16. The Caves of Mondamen       J. Nelson      8.0/2 a,f
 17. Merlin's Castle             R. Hersom      4.0/1 a
 18. Hogarth Castle              K. Nestle      4.0/1 a,f
 19. Death Trap                  J. Nelson      7.0/1 b
 20. The Black Death             J. Nelson      7.0/1 a,f,h
 21. The Quest for Marron        J. Nelson      7.5/2 b,f
 22. The Senator's Chambers      J. Plamondon   5.0/1 b,f
 23. The Temple of Ngurct        J&R Plamondon  7.0/1 b,f
 24. Black Mountain              J. Nelson      7.0/1 b,f,h
 25. Nuclear Nightmare           J. Nelson      7.0/1 b,f,h
 26. Assault on the Mole Man     J. Nelson      7.0/1 b
 27. Revenge of the Mole Man     J. Nelson      7.0/1 b
 28. The Tower of London         F.& S. Smith   6.0/1 a,h
 29. The Lost Island of Apple    D. Brown       2.0/1 a
 30. The Underground City        S. Adelson     2.0/1 a,g,h
 31. The Gauntlet                J. Nelson      5.0/1 b
 32. House of Ill Repute         Anonymous      2.0/2 a,h
 33. The Orb of Polaris          J. Nelson      7.0/1 b,f
 34. Death's Gateway             R. Linden      7.0/1 a,h
 35. The Lair of Mutants         E. Hodson      6.5/2 a,f,g
 36. The Citadel of Blood        E. Hodson      6.0/2 a,h
 37. Quest for the Holy Grail    E. Hodson      7.0/2 a,f
 38. City in the Clouds          E. Hodson      7.0/1 a,f,g
 39. Museum of Unnatural History R.Volberding   6.0/2 b,f
 40. Daemon's Playground         R.Volberding   4.5/2 b
 41. Caverns of Lanst            R.Volberding   6.0/1 b
 42. Alternate Beginners Cave    R.Volberding   5.0/2 b
 43. Priests of Xim!             M & E Bauman   5.0/2 b
 44. Escape from the Orc Lair    J. Hinkleman   4.3/3 b
 45. SwordQuest                  R. Pender      7.5/2 b,f
 46. Lifequest                   D. Crawford    2.0/1 b,f
 47. FutureQuest                 R. Pender      7.5/2 b,f,g
 48. Picnic in Paradise          J. Nelson      7.0/1 c
 49. The Castle Kophinos         D. Doumakes    7.0/1 b,f
 50. Behind the Sealed Door      T. Berge       4.0/2 a
 51. The Caves of Eamon Bluff    T. Berge       7.0/1 b
 52. The Devil's Dungeon         J. Merrill     5.5/2 a,h
 53. Feast of Carroll            D&J Lilienkamp 4.0/1 a
 54. Crystal Mountain            K. Hoffman     5.0/1 b
 55. The Master's Dungeon        J. Allen       6.0/2 a
 56. The Lost Adventure          J. Allen       6.0/1 a,h
 57. The Manxome Foe             R. Olszewski   4.0/1 b
 58. The Land of Death           T. Berge       6.0/1 a
 59. Jungles of Vietnam          J. Allen       2.1/4 a,h
 60. The Sewers of Chicago       J. Allen       2.7/3 a,h
 61. The Harpy Cloud             A. Forter      4.0/1 b
 62. The Caverns of Doom         M. Mullin      3.0/1 b,h
 63. Valkenburg Castle           J. Weener      2.0/1 a,f
 64. Modern Problems   Anderson/Barban/Thompson 6.5/1 a,f,h
 65. The School of Death         K. Townsend    5.0/1 b,f,h
 66. Dungeons of Xenon           S. Bhayani     5.0/1 a,f
 67. Chaosium Caves              S. Bhayani       -/- a,f
 68. The Smith's Stronghold      A. Porter      6.0/1 b,f
 69. The Black Castle of NaGog   D. Burrows     7.0/1 b,f
 70. The Tomb of Y'Golonac       R. Romanchuk   4.0/1 a,f
 71. Operation Crab Key          J. Vercellone  1.0/1 a,h
 72. House on Eamon Ridge        T. Berge       3.0/1 b
 73. The Deep Canyon             K. Blincoe     6.0/1 a
 74. DharmaQuest                 R. Pender      9.0/1 b,f
 75. Temple of the Guild         D. Doumakes    7.0/1 b
 76. The Search for Yourself     D. Doumakes    8.0/1 b,f
 77. Temple of the Trolls        J. Nelson      8.0/1 c,f
 78. The Prince's Tavern         R. Davis       9.0/2 b,f
 79. The Castle of Count Fuey    D. Brown       6.0/1 a,f
 80. The Search for the Key(80a) D. Brown       3.0/1 a,f
 81. The Rescue Mission    (80b) D. Brown       7.0/1 a
 82. Escape from Mansi Island    S. Starkey     5.0/1 b,f
 83. The Twin Castles            J. Tankard     5.0/1 c,f
 84. Castle of Riveneta          R. Karsten       -/- b,h
 85. The Time Portal             E. Kuypers     5.0/1 a,g
 86. Castle Mantru               S. Constanzo   6.0/1 c,f
 87. Caves of Hollow Mountain    J. Nelson      6.0/1 c
 88. The Shopping Mall           A. Porter      1.0/3 b,h
 89. Super Fortress of Lin Wang  S. Bhayani     4.0/1 c,f
 90. The Doomsday Clock          J. Tankard     6.0/1 c,f,h
 91. FutureQuest II              R. Pender      8.0/3 b,f,g
 92. The Fugitive                D. Doumakes    7.0/1 c,f
 93. Flying Circus               R. Krebs       7.0/1 b
 94. Blood Feud                  R. Krebs       5.0/1 b,f
 95. The Maze of Quasequeton     B. Kondalski   2.0/2 a,f
 96. The Chamber of the Dragons  B. Kondalski   2.0/2 a
 97. The House of Secrets        G. Gunn        6.0/1 a
 98. Slave Pits of Kzorland      R. Hersam        -/- a
 99. In the Clutches of Torrik   J. Nelson      6.0/2 c,f
100. Sorceror's Spire            J. Nelson      8.5/2 c
101. Ground Zero                 Sam            1.0/2 a,g
102. The Eamon Railroad          Sam            2.0/3 a,h
103. Top Secret                  Sam            1.0/1 a
104. The Lost World              Sam            1.0/1 a,g
105. The Strange Resort          Sam            1.0/1 a,h
106. Camp Eamon                  R. Slemon      7.0/1 b,f,h
107. The Last Dragon             R. Pender      8.0/1 c,f
108. The Mines of Moria          S. Ruby        8.5/2 c,f
109. The Forest of Fear          S. Ruby        7.0/1 c,f
110. Fire Island                 G. Gioia       5.0/1 c,f
111. A Vacation in Europe        D. Smith       4.5/2 c,h
112. Hills of History            D. Smith       6.0/2 c
113. The Life-Orb of Mevtrelek   R. Volberding  7.0/1 c,f
114. Thror's Ring                T. Zuchowski   9.0/3 c,f,i
115. The Ring of Doom            S. Ruby        5.0/1 c,f
116. The Iron Prison             S. Ruby        5.5/2 c,f
117. Dungeon of Doom             D. Knezek      8.0/2 a,f,k
118. Pittfall                    S. Starkey     8.0/1 c,f
119. Grunewalde                  P. Hurst       6.5/2 b,f,l
120. Orb of My Life              J. Nelson      9.0/1 c,f
121. Wrenhold's Secret Vigil     R. Davis       9.0/1 c,f
122. The Valley of Death         S. Ruby        4.0/1 c
123. Wizard of the Spheres       M. Elkin       5.0/1 c,f
124. Assault on Dolni Keep       T. Zuchowski   9.5/2 c,f,i
125. The Mattimoe Palace         J. Actor       3.0/1 b,f,h
126. The Pyramid of Anharos      P. Hurst       8.0/1 c,f
127. The Hunt for the Ring       S. Ruby        7.0/1 c,f
128. Quest of Erebor             S. Ruby        7.0/1 c,f
129. Return to Moria             S. Ruby        8.5/2 c,f,l
130. Haradwaith                  S. Ruby        7.0/1 c,f
131. Nucleus of the Ruby         K. Somers      6.0/1 c,f,j
132. Rhadshur Warrior            R. Pender      9.0/1 c,f,h
133. The Final Frontier          R. Slemon      5.0/1 c,f,g
134. Pyramid of the Ancients     J.& R. Pirone  4.0/1 c
135. The Tomb of Evron           M. Greifenkamp 2.0/1 b
136. The Mountain Fortress       M. Greifenkamp 3.0/1 b,f
137. The Ruins of Ivory Castle   M. Greifenkamp 6.0/1 b
138. Starfire                    E. Phillips    6.0/1 c,f
139. Peg's Place                 M&A Anderson   7.5/2 c,f,h
140. Beginner's Forest           M. Anderson    5.0/1 b
141. The Infested Fortress       M&P Hamaoka    3.0/2 c
142. The Beermeister's Brewery   J. Actor       7.0/1 b,f,h
143. The Alternate Zone          J. Actor       6.0/1 b,f
144. Gartin Manor                G. Gioia       5.0/1 c,f,h
145. Buccaneer!                  P. Hurst       8.3/3 c,f,l
146. The House of Horrors        D. Cross       6.0/1 c,f,h
147. The Dark Brotherhood        P. Hurst       9.0/1 c,f,l
148. Journey to Jotunheim        T. Zuchowski   8.3/3 c,f,i
149. Elemental Apocalypse        S. Ruby        8.5/2 c,f,n
150. Walled City of Darkness     T. Zuchowski   8.7/2 c,f,i
151. Eamon S.A.R.-1 (Deneb Raid) D. Crawford    3.5/2 c,f,g
152. The Computer Club of Fear   N. Segerlind   5.5/2 c,f,h
153. Lost!                       N. Segerlind   5.0/1 c
154. A Trip to Fort Scott        W. Trent       7.0/1 c
155. Tomb of the Vampire         Trent/Grayson  6.0/1 c,f
156. The Lake                    N. Segerlind   4.0/1 c
157. Pathetic Hideout of Mr. R.  N. Segerlind   5.0/1 c,f,h
158. The Lair of Mr. Ed          N. Segerlind   7.0/1 c,f,h
159. The Bridge of Catzad-Dum    N. Segerlind   6.5/2 c,f,h
160. Monty Python & Holy Grail   N. Segerlind   7.0/1 c,f
161. Operation Endgame           S. Ruby        9.0/2 c,f,h,m
162. Eamon 7.0 Demo Adventure    T. Zuchowski   (N/A) d,i
163. The Sands of Mars           T. Swartz      6.5/2 a,f,g
164. A Real Cliffhanger          T. Swartz      6.0/1 a,h
165. Animal Farm                 S. Ruby        5.0/1 c,f,h,k
166. Storm Breaker               S. Ruby        9.0/1 c,f,m
167. Expedition to the Darkwoods G. Gioia       4.0/1 c,f
168. The High School of Horrors  M.Haney/A.Hunt 5.0/1 a,h
169. The Black Phoenix           R. Pender      7.0/1 c,f,g
170. Ragnarok Revisited          N. Segerlind   (July 15)
171. The Pyramid of Cheops       R. Parker      5.0/1 b
172. The Mountain of the Master  M. Dalton      5.0/1 a,f
173. The House that Jack Built   R. Parker      3.0/1 b,h
174. Escape from Granite Hall    R. Parker      4.0/1 b
175. Anatomy of the Body         R. Parker      3.0/1 b,g
176. Dirtie Trix's Mad Maze      R. Parker      3.0/1 b,h
177. Shippe of Fooles            R. Parker      3.0/1 b
178. The Alien Intruder          r. Parker      4.0/1 b

Dungeon Designer Diskette    Version 7.0
DDD 7.0 Multi-Disk Supplement
Dungeon Designer Diskette    Version 6.2
Eamon Utilities Diskette
Graphics Main Hall

==========================================================
Here are two additional Eamon sellers.
They do not carry EAG versions of Eamon.

AAA Computer Products
1803 Warren Ave.
Cheyenne, WY 82001

Big Red Computer Club
423 Norfolk Ave.
Norfolk, NE 68701

