Appendix D: Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Excerpts
Presented here are selected passages from the Lone Wolf Club Newsletters which shed light on questions about the rules.
Newsletter No. 2
[Q:] Is the Seal of Hammerdal a Special Item?
[A:] The Seal of Hammerdal is a Special Item that you wear on your finger.
Newsletter No. 3
[Q:] Do I learn a new Weaponskill in each book I read, so that it increases the range of Weapons I can use (and get a bonus to my COMBAT SKILL)?
[A:] This point was considered when the rules for Weaponskill were written, but it was decided against having an extra weapon per completed book, for two main reasons:
- When you start the Lone Wolf series, you are already at the rank of Initiate, which would mean that you should have mastered at least 5 Weapons by then.
- Mastery of more than one Weapon had already been written in to the Magnakai rules, under the Magnakai Discipline of WEAPONMASTERY. Kai Masters learn to become proficient in more than one Weapon and they get a larger bonus to their COMBAT SKILL as a result.
Summer Special 1985
[Q:] Can you tell me if I will always have the Sommerswerd and will it always give me +8 points to my COMBAT SKILL?
[A:] Without giving too much away, any player who has found and kept the Sommerswerd during book two of the Lone Wolf series will be allowed to keep and use it in all forthcoming Lone Wolf adventures.
[Q:] Can the Padded Waistcoat also be worn with a Chainmail Waistcoat?
[A:] The Padded Waistcoat can be worn in addition to the Chainmail Waistcoat; indeed, during the Middle Ages it was very common for soldiers to wear a padded waistcoat under their chainmail to increase its protection and make it more comfortable to wear.
[Q:] If you are instructed to eat Meals whilst in moving vehicles, and you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, can you bypass this instruction or must you eat a Meal?
[A:] [Yes,] you can bypass eating a Meal during a journey by vehicle if you have Hunting. We assume that the coach must stop at some time to allow for ‘calls of nature’, if nothing else!
[Q:] Does a 'Weapon-like Special Item' count towards your 2 Weapons limit? Would it be permissible, for example, to be carrying the Sommerswerd, the Magic Spear, and an Axe?
[A:] [Y]ou are allowed to carry all three of the items mentioned. The Magic Spear and the Sommerswerd are both Special Items, and do not count as Weapons so far as the rule for carrying only 2 Weapons is concerned.
Summer Special 1986
[Q:] On page 26 of Grey Star Book 2, it says you 'carry a maximum of eight items in your Herb Pouch'--should it be six?
[A:] Actually, the rule which first appeared in Grey Star Book 1 regarding the herb Pouch was incorrect. It should be able to hold up to eight items, hence the changed rule in later books.
[Q:] Does the retrieval of the Lorestones change Lone Wolf's COMBAT SKILL, ENDURANCE or Disciplines in any way?
[A:] Yes, only by rediscovering the Lorestones can Lone Wolf acquire the Disciplines of the Magnakai beyond the three he has mastered by study alone. By acquiring the additional Disciplines, he will be able to complete Lore-circles and thereby increase his COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE. Also, increased rank status also brings with it an improvement of existing Magnakai Disciplines, as detailed in the 'Improved Disciplines' section of Lone Wolf books 7+.
Newsletter No. 6
[Q:] In the sewers beneath Tekaro, I lost my weapon to the grasp of a certain killer organism--that weapon was the Sommerswerd! . . .
[A:] Strictly speaking, the Sommerswerd is a Special Item--not a weapon. When facing the organism ([Section] 4) you should erase a weapon from your Action Chart. If you do not possess a weapon, only then do you lose the Sommerswerd.
Newsletter No. 7
[Q:] Is the 'Dagger of Vashna' taken from the Bandit Leader Barraka at the Maakengorge, usable as a weapon? . . .
[A:] Yes, if you possess this Special Item you may use it as an ordinary dagger in combat. Kai Masters may find it interesting to note for future use that the Dagger of Vashna could prove to be a valuable piece of equipment to take with them on the quest for the Lorestone of Tahou in Lone Wolf Book 9--'The Cauldron of Fear' . . .you have been warned!
[Q:] Can you keep Backpack Items in [safekeeping] at the Kai Monastery? . . .
[A:] Yes if you wish to leave any surviving Backpack Items in [safekeeping] at the end of an adventure, you can do so. When beginning the next quest, you are given a selection of new equipment which you may then supplement with any of the items you previously held. Many readers have written to point out that they now have a huge selection of Special Items discovered during the course of their adventures and that carrying all these goodies seems a little unrealistic. In response to this valid point, a new rule comes into effect in Lone Wolf 8, limiting the number of Special Items you can carry. The new limit is 12 Special Items; all others you may have must be left in safe keeping. A tip to all Kai Masters--don't take you full quota of 12 items with you when you begin the adventure; leave enough room for any you may find en route otherwise you will have to sacrifice some in favour of others. The recommended number to start with is eight. Also, purely for the sake of accuracy, the term 'safe keeping at the Kai Monastery' in fact means leaving some items with the Elder Magi in Elzian, which features as Lone Wolf's base of operations during the Magnakai Quest.
1987 New Year's Special
[Q:] Is there a ranking system for Shianti Wizards, like there is for Kai Lords and Masters? . . .
[A:] No, unlike the ranking system that marks the rise of Kai Lords, the Shianti do not have set levels of advancement.
[Q:] On reaching the rank of Primate and having mastered Weaponmastery, would this enable you to be skilled in four weapons and increase the points added to your COMBAT SKILL to +4 when entering combat with a weapon you have mastered? . . .
[A:] For every adventure you complete in the Magnakai series, assuming you have the mastery of Weaponmastery, you gain proficiency in the use of one new weapon. The bonus to your [COMBAT SKILL] rating for use of this weapon in combat always remains at +3.
[Q:] Are you allowed to drop a weapon, or must you wait until the end of the book? . . .
[A:] You can drop ([i.e.] discard) a weapon at any time during your adventure, you need not wait until the end of the book. If you find a weapon during the adventure (it will be marked in the text with a capital letter, like a Backpack Item) you may pick it up and use it. You can only carry two weapons at any time.
Newsletter No. 8
[Q:] If Lone Wolf has Weaponskill & Weaponmastery with the same weapon, does this give him +3 or +5 extra COMBAT SKILL points in battle? Also, if he has Healing as well as Curing, does this give him +2 ENDURANCE points back for every section through which he passes without combat? . . .
[A:] The correct weapon bonus is +3, one higher than the basic Kai Discipline bonus for having Weaponskill. Kai Mastery of Curing gives the same +1 ENDURANCE point back (for every section though which you pass without combat) as does the basic Kai Discipline of Healing. The mastery advantage comes with the ability to cure disease, blindness and combat wounds, as well as being able to identify the properties of herbs, roots, and potions. Additional advantages are gained at higher rank as the Magnakai [Discipline] improves.
Summer Special 1987
[Q:] In Lone Wolf Book 8, ref. no. 169, you 'lose a grip of your weapon'. Can you retrieve it or must it be erased from you Action Chart? . . .
[A:] If you win the combat against the Vordak you are able to retrieve the weapon and keep it noted on your Action Chart.
[Q:] When you complete a Lone Wolf adventure, do you renew your ENDURANCE points to their original total for the next adventure? . . .
[A:] All lost [ENDURANCE] points are regained at the end of an adventure. If you have completed any new Lore-circles by finishing an adventure successfully, the bonuses you gain to your [COMBAT SKILL] and [ENDURANCE] are added to this basic score prior to the next adventure.
[Q:] In the basic series (Books 1-5) I possessed the Kai Discipline of Healing and was able to restore 1 ENDURANCE point for every section I passed through in which I was not involved in combat. Now that I am a Kai Master with the Magnakai Discipline of Curing I can no longer benefit from my basic healing skills . . . or can I? . . .
[A:] If you have completed all five of the Basic series books you can add +1 [ENDURANCE] as per the rules of Healing. This advantage will benefit all those Kai Masters who have completed the basic series books prior to tackling the Magnakai Series.
[Q:] When I was captured in Book 9, All my weapons were taken from me. Can I retrieve them at the end of the book? . . .
[A:] Yes. The South Gate Guard would definitely allow the 'Saviour of Tahou' to have his weapons back!
[Q:] In some books you can choose Fireseeds at the start. It says 3 Fireseeds--if you take all three does this mean you have taken 3 [separate] items from the 5 you are allowed to pick? . . .
[A:] The Fireseeds are Special Items which count only as 1 item no matter how many of them you possess. However, when you use them be sure to note how many you have left. Also, for the purpose of determining your maximum number of Special Items (12), all Fireseeds count as 1 item.
Newsletter No. 10
[Q:] If, in a Magnakai adventure, we are instructed to eat a Meal (or lose 3 ENDURANCE points) and we do not have the Magnakai skill of Huntmastery, can we still use the basic skill of Hunting (assuming we're not in a desert or wilderness), [e.g.] Book 8; ref. 129? . . .
[A:] Basically, yes you can. All [Kai Masters] who have completed one or more of the Lone Wolf 'Basic' books (1-5) can benefit from their experience in this way. This will give them a real advantage over those who have tried only one or more of the Magnakai series books (6-12).
Newsletter No. 12
[Q:] If you find a new Backpack in one of the adventures, can you use it to hold an additional 8 items as well as those you already have? . . .
[A:] Realistically, you can only wear one [Backpack] at a time, and carry a maximum of eight [Backpack] items ([Special Items] not included). Carrying two [Backpacks], and 16 [Backpack Items], would make close combat very difficult indeed, even for a Kai Master. (Note: This aspect of the Lone Wolf rules influenced the progressive [encumbrance] rule of the Freeway Warrior series.)
Newsletter No. 24
In Lone Wolf 16, the Improved Discipline of Kai-surge (at rank of Sun Lord) is not fully explained (a sentence is missing from the paragraph). A Kai Sun Lord using Kai Blast [sic] determines the damage inflicted on an enemy by picking two numbers from the Random Number Table. These numbers should be added together (a '0' = 1) and the resultant total equals the damage inflicted.
Newsletter No. 27
[Q:] Lone Wolf absorbs the power of the Lorestones in the Magnakai series, leaving behind glass spheres, but in the Grand Master series he made a room for the seven Lorestones under the monastery. How come?
[A:] Lone Wolf absorbed the power of the Lorestones upon first touching them. He kept the korlinium shells and later "recharged" them once he had attained the rank and abilities of a Kai Grand Master and was physically able to do so. This took three years to accomplish. The 'recharged' Lorestones now hold the key to Lone Wolf's powers and are a safeguard for the future of the Kai in the event of Lone Wolf's sudden demise.
Nb. The time required to 'recharge' the Lorestones (approximately three years) makes it impractical for each member of the New Order to individually acquire their Magnakai Disciplines by simply touching the Lorestones. They have to acquire their skills the hard way--through training, study, and journey-maning.
Newsletter No. 28
[Q:] Can you clarify what happens to the +1EP bonus when you progress from Kai Master to Grand Master? . . .
[A:] The [+1EP] bonus gained when passing through combatless sections does still apply, but only if you have played and survived the Magnakai series books. Joe Dever intended this as a 'hidden loyalty bonus' for readers who had played the earlier books, which is why it was omitted from the Grand Master rules.
[Q:] If a person keeps the +4CS Weaponmastery ability from one series to the next, does that mean that when he gets Grand Weaponmastery he has +9CS with the weapons he has proficiency in? . . .
[A:] The +4CS Weaponmastery bonus is not added to Grand Weaponmastery--it simply rises by 1 to +5.
[Q:] Is the Dagger of Vashna taken from the bandit leader Barraka at the Maakengorge usable as a Weapon? . . .
[A:] Yes, if you possess this Special Item you may use it as an ordinary [Dagger] in combat. It could also prove especially useful during the quest for the Lorestone of Tahou (Lone Wolf 9).
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