Sorcerer - A Fantastic Simulation Game. - SPI Simulations Publications Inc.

Sorcerer Designer's Edition

A Fantastic Simulation Game.

S.P.I. (Simulations Publications, Inc.) # HSO-954 - 1975

From the Box:

The Course of the Battle... The Education of Periandrenn: A few cycles after capturing the city of Fan-nyan, Periandrenn (the first Sorcerer) grew restless. He resolved to tour the other cities of his kind to "broaden his mind" (and to see what he could get in the way of tribute). Taking a company of his guardsmen, his nine-string kyry, and one of the ladies of his court, he set off on his grand journey. Soon along, however, he found that his path was not to be strewn with rurri leaves. Magical hordes appeared and attacked the innocent band at every turn. It seems that word had gotten around that Periandrenn could summon and command (to a limited extent) the fiends of the other universes. And the fiends didn't take to the idea. In their own disorganized way, they were attempting to terminate Periandrenn's career before he grew too wise in the way of magic or told another human how to do it. Gods knew what that could lead to. By great good luck, the various fiends did not have their way. Periandrenn toured the cities and returned triumphant to Fan-nyan. By the back gate. Without the guardsmen. Without the lady (who took a liking to a city where a matriarchy prevailed). And without a single brass leient to show for his troubles.

Incident of the Red Glove: The Red Glove had been fabricated by artisan Banforl for an unknown Sorcerer. Supposedly it would have allowed a non-Red Sorcerer to conjure in Red magic. Whether it could have will never be known, since the Glove, Banforl, and his client were all incinerated by a Red magic bolt while completing the transaction. Accusations flew and tempers flared. Charms of power were stolen and stolen again. The Academy of Conjuration was burned to the ground. A full-scale battle developed between the so-called Free Sorcerers Guild and the more conservatitive Brothers of the Colors. The end result was a lot of dead young Sorcerers and a blood compromise on the question of exclusivity of powers, charms and spells.

The Task of the Stones of Power: When Ussa grew wise in years (and not too right in the head), he resolved to pass along his powers to one of his three sons, 'ere he depart and some upstart two-power Sorcerer usurp one of the colors of his line. He called his sons to his townhall in Amma-Avattar, and to them he said: "In nine cities have I placed three Stones of Power each. And upon each Stone have I set a Seal of Chaos. The first of my sons who shall gather up six Stones of his color and set them in a field of power beyond this gate shall have set upon him a robe of three colors, the ring of three colors, the book of three colors... robe, ring and book. And I shall pass from this vale."

Opa, Acu and Dorn crashed into each other as they beelined to the door of the townhall. As each to a seperate city cped, he set upon the other's path demons, brigands, magic bolts, and whatever. As Stones were gathered by one, they would be stolen by another. Acu actually managed to get himself killed by one of the Seals; Dorn was severely beaten by some freelance thugs in Lyann-Dritta; Opa lost his Color Sword in a gambling house. As time sifted by, Ussa grew impatient with his sons, and when Dorn and Opa returned, they found a three-color Sorceress in mourning for their capricious father.

The Course of the Game... Sorcerer is a game of magic and fantasy. It is played on a map which depicts a multi-colored land of sorcery. A grid of hexagons printed over the map is used to regulate movement much as the squares on a chess board. The pieces in the game represent Magical units (which are conjured up by the sorcerer units), Human infantry and the Sorcerers themselves. The large numbers on the pieces indicate the relative strengths of these units, but these strengths are highly variable, depending upon the color of the unit, the color of the hex and the color of the defender. Each player maneuvers his pieces on the map to engage those of the enemy. Battles take place when opposing units are in the same hex. The total relative strengths of the units involved are compared. The players consult a simple probability table (the Combat Results Table) to determine the outcome of each battle. Then the other Player moves his units, and combat is again resolved. The game proceeds this way (for a specified number of turns) as the players try to achieve the objectives set forth in the rules.