Rules Sticky / FAQ Thread

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Rules Sticky FAQ Thread (Part 1)

We all agree that the Lone Wolf gamebooks are great fun to play, but sometimes the rules are a little too vague and in need of clarification. The purpose of this thread is to bring together all known resources for answering the rules queries that many have had.

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Statistics

• When you complete a Lone Wolf adventure, do you renew your ENDURANCE points to their original total for the next adventure?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1987 answers:
  

  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.
  

  
  

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• 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?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1987 clearly states:
  

  If you have completed all five of the Basic [Kai] 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.
  

  
  

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• Does the retrieval of the Lorestones change Lone Wolf's COMBAT SKILL, ENDURANCE or Disciplines in any way?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1986 states:
  

  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 Lorecircles 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+.
  

  
  

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Backpack

• If you find a new Backpack in one of the adventures, can you use it to hold an additional eight items as well as those you already have?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter 12 says:
  

  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 sixteen 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.)
  

  
  

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• Section 337 in Fire on the Water is unclear about just which items are lost and which are retained.
  
  In Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #2, Joe clarifies:
  

  [ I]n Section 337 of Fire on the Water, you lose all the items in your Backpack but without losing the Backpack itself.
  

  
  

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• Is it permissable to keep Backpack Items in safekeeping at the Kai Monastery?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #7 clearly states:
  

  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.
  

  
  

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Special Items

• At what point in the series did Joe introduce the '12 Special Items' limit?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #7 says:
  

  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 [The Jungle of Horrors], 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 safekeeping. A tip for all Kai Masters--don't take your full quota of 12 Items with you when you begin an 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.
  

  
  
  Nevertheless, many Lone Wolf fans consider the 12 Special Items limit to be in force from the start of Book 1: Flight from the Dark.
  
  

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• In Flight from the Dark, Section 181, does this loss of equipment also include loss of money and Helmet?
  
  In Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1985 Joe says:
  

  I'm afraid that the bandits took everything you had, including your Helmet and crowns.
  

  
  

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• Is the Seal of Hammerdal a Special Item?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #2 explains:
  

  The Seal of Hammerdal is a Special Item that you wear on your finger.
  

  
  

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• Can I use a Shield with any Weapon?
  
  An unusual quote in The Dungeons of Torgar Section 304 states:
  

  Owing to your precarious position, deduct 3 points from your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the fight. To prevent yourself from falling into the gorge you can fight using only a weapon that can be used with one hand (a sword, mace, axe, dagger, short sword or warhammer).
  

  
  
  Some Lone Wolf fans argue that use of two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, Spear) precludes the use of a Shield. Adding weight to this theory is the Improved Disciplines section of 15: The Darke Crusade, which tells us:
  
  

  Sun Knights with this Discipline are able to wield two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, Spear) with full effect, using only one hand.
  

  
  
  There is no official ruling for this.
  
  

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• Can the Padded Waistcoat also be worn with a Chainmail Waistcoat?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1985 says:
  

  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.
  

  
  

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• 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 three separate items from the five you are allowed to pick?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1987 says:
  

  The Fireseeds are Special Items which count only as one Item no matter how many of them you possess. However, when you have them be sure to note how many you have left. Also, for the purposes of determining your maximum number of Special Items (12), all Fireseeds count as one item.
  

  
  

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• Is the 'Dagger of Vashna', taken from the Bandit Leader Barraka at the Maakengorge, usable as a weapon?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #7 says:
  

  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!
  

  
  

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• 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?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1985 remarks:
  

  [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.
  

  
  

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Quivers

• How many Arrows can a Quiver carry?
  
  According to The Jungle of Horrors Section 168:
  

  A Quiver holds a maximum of six Arrows.

  
  

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• Can I carry multiple Quivers?
  
  Yes, according to The Jungle of Horrors Section 168:
  

  [T]o carry more than six Arrows you will need to purchase an extra Quiver.

  
  

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Rules Sticky FAQ Thread (Part 2)[/b]

The Sommerswerd

• Which 'God-like race' made the Sommerswerd?
  
  Newsletter #11 tells us:
  

  The Sommerswerd was forged by the Nuoma, a race of spiritlike demigods who serve Kai on the Plane of Light. Their powers are akin to the Shianti, although the Nuoma have always remained within the confines of their plane of existence and have never had need to take on a physical form.
  

  
  

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• Is the CS bonus for the Sommerswerd permanent, or does it only count vs. the undead?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1985 states:
  

  Yes, the increase in your basic COMBAT SKILL is valid from book two onwards, adding . . . to your total in any combat in which you use it.
  

  
  

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• What weapon type do I need to possess Weaponskill with to get the extra CS bonus when using the Sommerswerd?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1985 mentions the CS bonus for the Sommerwswerd as being:
  

  . . . 8 points ([or] 10 due to your Weaponskill with Swords)
  

  
  
  Most Lone Wolf fans take this to mean any of the Sword types available in the game (Sword, Short Sword, Broadsword).
  

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• 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?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1985 remarks:
  

  [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.
  

  
  

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• In the sewers beneath Tekaro in The Kingdoms of Terror, I lost my weapon to the grasp of a certain killer organism--that weapon was the Sommerswerd! Is this a mistake?
  
  In Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #6 Joe clarifies:
  

  Strictly speaking, the Sommerswerd is a Special Item--not a Weapon. When facing the organism ([in 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.
  

  
  

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• In Book 2 Fire on the Water, it says that if any other person, save a True Kai, wields the Sommerswerd, it will lose its power forever. How come, in Castle Death, the ugly-faced Dwarf takes the Sun-sword, but it does not lose its power?
  
  According to Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #6:
  

  In Book 2, [Section] 79, it states that in order to release the power of the Sommerswerd, only a Kai Lord should wield it. Should it be used in combat by anyone who is not a Kai Lord, its power will fade and be lost forever. The Dwarf in Castle Death did not use the Sommerswerd in combat, and therefore its power has not been diminished as a result.
  

  
  

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• In The Masters of Darkness Section 57, you use the Sommerswerd. From there to 75 you are told to go to 240 if you kill Kraagenskûl--not 318, which means a certain (and scary!) death. Is this a mistake?
  
  Joe tells us in Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #12:
  

  Although the Sommerswerd has been drawn and used within the Darklands, you were able to use it to destroy Kraagenskûl before he could make use of the communicator to inform Gnaag of your presence. The port of Argazad is on the fringe of the Darklands and, because of its remote location, your unsheathing of the Sommerswerd did not directly alert Gnaag in Helgedad. The Sommerswerd combat with Kraagenskûl was true to Rimoah's warning ([Section] 282); it did alert him to your presence and betrayed your true identity.
  

  
  
  

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Weapons

• Are you allowed to drop a Weapon, or must you wait until the end of the book?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter New Year's Special 1987 says:
  

  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 an 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 may only carry two Weapons at any time.
  

  
  

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• What's the difference between a one-handed and a two-handed weapon?
  
  An unusual quote in The Dungeons of Torgar Section 304 states:
  

  Owing to your precarious position, deduct 3 points from your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the fight. To prevent yourself from falling into the gorge you can fight using only a weapon that can be used with one hand (a sword, mace, axe, dagger, short sword or warhammer).
  

  
  
  Some Lone Wolf fans argue that use of two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, Spear) precludes the use of a Shield. Adding weight to this theory is the Improved Disciplines section of 15: The Darke Crusade, which tells us:
  
  

  Sun Knights with this Discipline are able to wield two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, Spear) with full effect, using only one hand.
  

  
  
  There is no official ruling for this.
  
  

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• Can I dual-wield (that is, enter combat using two Weapons) for a bonus to my COMBAT SKILL?
  
  Many Lone Wolf fans argue that the difficulty of the later books means that Joe always had dual-weilding in mind. They also point to the fact that Lone Wolf has two Weapon slots, meaning one for each hand. This evidence is somewhat specious at best, considering that it is possible to be carrying two two-handed Weapons (see What's the difference between a one-handed and a two-handed weapon? above), and also the fact that Weapon-like Special Items do not count toward your Weapons limit, meaning Lone Wolf can be carrying more than two Weapons (see Does a 'Weapon-like Special Item' count towards your 2 Weapons limit? below).
  
  There is no evidence for any official dual-weilding rules in the books or the Lone Wolf Club Newsletters.
  
  

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• 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?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1985 remarks:
  

  [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.
  

  
  

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• Is the 'Dagger of Vashna', taken from the Bandit Leader Barraka at the Maakengorge, usable as a weapon?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #7 says:
  

  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!
  

  
  

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• In the sewers beneath Tekaro in The Kingdoms of Terror, I lost my weapon to the grasp of a certain killer organism--that weapon was the Sommerswerd! Is this a mistake?
  
  In Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #6 Joe clarifies:
  

  Strictly speaking, the Sommerswerd is a Special Item--not a Weapon. When facing the organism ([in 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.
  

  
  

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Safekeeping[/b]

• Is it permissable to leave items in safekeeping even if Lone Wolf is not at the Monastery?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #7 says:
  

  urely for the sake of accuracy, the term 'safekeeping at the Kai Monastery' in fact [can also mean] leaving some items with the Elder Magi at Elzian, which features as Lone Wolf's base of operations during the Magnakai quest.
  

  
  
  Even so, many fans feel that items left in safekeeping in Book 9 are not accessable again until the beginning of Book 12: The Masters of Darkness, and that you may not access safekeeping in any way from the end of Book 10: The Dungeons of Torgar until the beginning of Book 12. A similar case could be made for items left in safekeeping at the end of Book 16: The Legacy of Vashna not being accessable again until the beginning of Book 19: Wolf's Bane.
  

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Rules Sticky FAQ Thread (Part 3)

Kai Disciplines[/u]

• 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?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1985 states:
  

  As regards to the Meals, yes, you can by-pass 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!
  

  
  

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• 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?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1987 clearly states:
  

  If you have completed all five of the Basic [Kai] 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.
  

  
  

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• 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)?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #3 clarifies:
  

  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:
  
  1. 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.
  
  2. 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.
  

  
  
  

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Magnakai Disciplines

• 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?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1987 clearly states:
  

  If you have completed all five of the Basic [Kai] 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.
  

  
  

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• If Lone Wolf has Healing as well as Curing, does this give him +2 ENDURANCE points back for every section through which he passes without combat?
  
  Joe tells us in Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #8:
  

  Kai mastery of Curing gives the same +1 ENDURANCE point back (for every section through 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.
  

  
  

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• What does the Improved Discipline of Curing at Archmaster level mean in real terms?
  
  The Improved Disciplines section of 12: The masters of Darkness states:
  

  Archmasters are able to use their healing power to repair serious wounds sustained in battle. If, whilst in combat, their ENDURANCE is reduced to 6 points or less, they can use their skill to restore 20 ENDURANCE points. This ability can only be used once every 100 days.
  

  
  
  The easiest way to apply this is to assume it is flavour text meaning "once per adventure". The Grand master Discipline of Deliverance supercedes this, dropping the time limit down to once every 20 days. Some might therefore argue that this Magnakai Curing ability can only be used once during the two books 17: The Deathlord of Ixia and 18: Dawn of the Dragons, since one occurs immediately after the other. The time between the other Grand Master books is more vague, and it can easily be assumed that 100 days passes between the adventures.
  
  There is no official ruling on this.
  
  

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• If Lone Wolf has Weaponskill & Weaponmastery with the same weapon, does this give him +3 or +5 extra COMBAT SKILL points in battle?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #8 replies:
  

  The correct weapon bonus is +3, one higher than the basic Kai Discipline bonus for having Weaponskill.
  

  
  

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• On reaching the rank of Primate, and having mastered Weaponmastery, would you 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?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter New Year's Special 1987 answers:
  

  For every adventure you complete in the Magnakai series, assuming you have the Discipline 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.
  

  
  

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• 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. The Jungle of Horrors, Section 129?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #10 says:
  

  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).
  

  
  
  

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Grand Master Disciplines[/b]

• What happens to the +1 EP bonus when you progress from Kai Master to Grand Master?
  
  According to Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #28:
  

  The +1 EP 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.
  

  
  

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• How are we to implement the time-limit rule about Deliverance?
  
  The Grand Master books state:
  

  Grand Masters are able to use their healing power to repair serious battle wounds. If, whilst in combat, their ENDURANCE is reduced to 8 points or less, they can draw upon their mastery to restore 20 ENDURANCE points. This ability can only be used once every 20 days.
  

  
  
  Even if you use this right at the end of an adventure and the subsequent adventure takes place immediately (i.e. 17: The Deathlord of Ixia and 18: Dawn of the Dragons), since your COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE scores are restored to their original values at the start of a new adventure, you are unlikely to need it until some days of game-time have elapsed anyway. The easiest way to implement this is to accept that it is flavour text to mean "once per adventure".
  
  

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• If a person keeps the +4 CS Weaponmastery ability from one series to the next, does that mean that when he gets Grand Weaponmastery he has +9 CS with the weapons he has proficiency in?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #28 tells us:
  

  The +4 CS Weaponmastery bonus is not added to Grand Weaponmastery·it simply rises by 1 to +5.
  

  
  

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• 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?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #27 states:
  

  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.
  

  
  

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Rules Sticky FAQ Thread (Part 4)

Book Section Questions[/u]

• In Flight from the Dark, Section 181, does this loss of equipment also include loss of money and Helmet?
  
  In Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1985 Joe says:
  

  I'm afraid that the bandits took everything you had, including your Helmet and crowns.
  

  
  

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• Section 337 in Fire on the Water is unclear about just what items are lost and which are retained.
  
  In Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #2, Joe clarifies:
  

  [ I]n Section 337 of Fire on the Water, you lose all the items in your Backpack but without losing the Backpack itself.
  

  
  

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• In The Caverns of Kalte I found a vial containing distilled Graveweed (Sections 10, 250 & 77). I was then asked if I had ever visited the 'Graveyard of the Ancients' (ref. Book 1). My problem is that I did go to the graveyard, but I was flattened by a block of granite. I'm wondering if this visit still counts.
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1985 answers:
  

  Strictly speaking, in The Caverns of Kalte the text should have read: 'If you have ever visited the Graveyard of the Ancients and survived', as your knowledge of graveweed would only be of use to you if this was the case.
  

  
  

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• In the sewers beneath Tekaro in The Kingdoms of Terror, I lost my weapon to the grasp of a certain killer organism--that weapon was the Sommerswerd! Is this a mistake?
  
  In Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #6 Joe clarifies:
  

  Strictly speaking, the Sommerswerd is a Special Item--not a Weapon. When facing the organism ([in 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.
  

  
  

  ---

  
  
  
• In Book 2 Fire on the Water, it says that if any other person, save a True Kai, wields the Sommerswerd, it will lose its power forever. How come, in Castle Death, the ugly-faced Dwarf takes the Sun-sword, but it does not lose its power?
  
  According to Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #6:
  

  In Book 2, [Section] 79, it states that in order to release the power of the Sommerswerd, only a Kai Lord should wield it. Should it be used in combat by anyone who is not a Kai Lord, its power will fade and be lost forever. The Dwarf in Castle Death did not use the Sommerswerd in combat, and therefore its power has not been diminished as a result.
  

  
  

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• 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. The Jungle of Horrors, Section 129?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #10 says:
  

  Basically, yes you can. All Kai Masters who have completed one or more of the Lone Wolf 'Basic' [Kai] 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).
  

  
  

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• In The Jungle of Horrors Section 169, you 'lose a grip of your Weapon.' Can you retrieve it, or must it be erase from your Action Chart?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1987 clearly states:
  

  If you win the combat against the Vordak you are able to retrieve the Weapon and keep it noted on your Action Chart.
  

  
  

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• When I was captured in The Cauldron of Fear, all my Weapons were taken from me. Can I retrieve them at the end of the book?
  
  In Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1987 Joe writes:
  

  Yes. The South Gate Guard would definitely allow the 'Saviour of Tahou' to have his Weapons back!
  

  
  

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• In The Dungeons of Torgar Section 304, it differentiates between one-handed and two-handed Weapons. What does this mean in practise?
  
  This unusual quote has prompted some Lone Wolf fans to introduce a rule regarding different Weapons into their games. They argue that use of two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, Spear) precludes the use of a Shield. Adding weight to this theory is the Improved Disciplines section of 15: The Darke Crusade, which tells us:
  
  

  Sun Knights with this Discipline are able to wield two-handed weapons (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, Spear) with full effect, using only one hand.
  

  
  
  There is no official ruling for this.
  
  

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• In The Masters of Darkness Section 57, you use the Sommerswerd. From there to 75 you are told to go to 240 if you kill Kraagenskûl--not 318, which means a certain (and scary!) death. Is this a mistake?
  
  Joe tells us in Lone Wolf Club Newsletter #12:
  

  Although the Sommerswerd has been drawn and used within the Darklands, you were able to use it to destroy Kraagenskûl before he could make use of the communicator to inform Gnaag of your presence. The port of Argazad is on the fringe of the Darklands and, because of its remote location, your unsheathing of the Sommerswerd did not directly alert Gnaag in Helgedad. The Sommerswerd combat with Kraagenskûl was true to Rimoah's warning ([Section] 282); it did alert him to your presence and betrayed your true identity.
  

  
  

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Grey Star Questions

• Is Grey Star alive at the same time as Lone Wolf?
  
  Joe clearly states in Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1986:
  

  Yes, Grey Star and Lone Wolf are alive at the same time. The events in Grey Star book 1 are set in the same year in Lone Wolf books 1 & 2. Grey Star was born in MS 5034, and is one year older than Lone Wolf
  

  
  

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• Is there a ranking system for Shianti Wizards, like there is for Kai Lords and Masters?
  
  Lone Wolf Club New Year's Special 1987 informs us:
  

  No, unlike the ranking system that marks the rise of Kai Lords, the Shianti do not have set levels of advancement.
  

  
  

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• On page 25 of Grey Star book 2, it says you '. . . carry a maximum of eight items in your Herb Pouch'--should it be six?
  
  Lone Wolf Club Newsletter Summer Special 1986 clarifies:
  

  Actually, the rule that 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.
  

  
  

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For further information, please see the Readers' Handbook, a Project Aon release intended to answer all rules-based questions for the Lone Wolf, Grey Star and (eventually) Freeway Warrior books.

[julystork]

If I've lost my weapons but have a Shield, how much do I add/subtract to my CS?

[johntfs]

The Shield adds +2 to your CS when used in combat. So, if you were Weaponless in the Basic Kai series, but had the Shield (as just happened to me in FotW) you'd effectively only subtract 2 from your CS in a battle.

[Rusty Radiator]

Anyone reach any kind of decision on how to implement Kai Blast/Kai Ray? I would assume it replaces a normal combat round, but possibly it is in addition to? In that case the round is fought with no Kai Surge/Psi Surge bonus? It all seems very vague.

[Lucy Van Pelt]

May 19, 2012 19:17:25 GMT Rusty Radiator said:

Anyone reach any kind of decision on how to implement Kai Blast/Kai Ray? I would assume it replaces a normal combat round, but possibly it is in addition to? In that case the round is fought with no Kai Surge/Psi Surge bonus? It all seems very vague.

It has been 8 years. I still cant get tge answer.

[outspaced]

According to the Rules Handbook

The Kai-ray works in conjunction with a round of combat to add 15 damage to the end result. It is not used as a “free hit”.

[Ixia]

May 13, 2020 7:24:00 GMT outspaced said:

According to the Rules Handbook

The Kai-ray works in conjunction with a round of combat to add 15 damage to the end result. It is not used as a “free hit”.

Sorry if I look like a complete idiot, but I don’t get neither how to use the Kai Blast.

Let’s take a concrete exemple.

Lone Wolf CS 40. E 50

Drakkar CS 40 E 39

I decide to use the Kai Blast, because why not. I go on the Random Number Table and get a 3 and a 6. 3+6 equal 9, so the Drakkar loses 9 points of Endurance.

So far so good?

Now, during that assault, what happens? Do I pick a third number on the Random Number Table, this time to figure out on the Combat Result Table how much Endurance points the Drakkar and I lose during that same assault? Do I deduct only the point Lone Wolf loses? Or do I add the points the Darkkar loses to the ones I took off him with the Kai Blast?

Or something completely different???

This has always been a mystery to me, to the point I never use the Kai Blast, because I don’t know how. I would appreciate very much if someone can help me with this. Thank you in advance!

[Oiseau]

I've always figured that the Drakkar would lose 9 from the Kai Blast, plus anything the RNT says for that combat round, except that you have to disable Mindblast/Psi-surge/Kai-surge for that round. Which is my reason for never using Kai Blast: it's not advantageous. You have to sacrifice Kai-Surge (+8CS) which puts you four columns back on the Combat Results Table on average, leading to the enemy losing a lot fewer Endurance points and Lone Wolf losing a lot more. Plus the Kai Blast itself costs 4 points of Endurance to use, and it is very possible that it will inflict ≤4 points of damage on the enemy anyway, since 0 counts as 1, not 10. So for me, no deal. That's a nearly worthless attack.

Kay Ray is a little bit better since you're guaranteed 15 points of damage, but it suffers from the same problem as far as losing 8 points off your CS for a round as well as 4 EP outright. I didn't run the math, but it seems to be only slightly in Lone Wolf's favor, not by much. Not worth it unless you're desperate.

[Zipp]

Really? I always figured it was far simpler: just, after the combat results for the round are added up you add an additional 9 or 15 (depending on ability used).

[Oiseau]

Well, yeah, but the rules say you can't use it in conjunction with another psychic attack. So your way works the same, except you can't use Kai-Surge in that combat round, leading to the problems I described.

[Ofecks]

May 16, 2020 18:03:25 GMT Oiseau said:

I've always figured that the Drakkar would lose 9 from the Kai Blast, plus anything the RNT says for that combat round, except that you have to disable Mindblast/Psi-surge/Kai-surge for that round.

This is how it works on all 3 of the LW book reader software I've used (Seventh Sense, LW Saga, LW New Order). Makes sense to me, but yeah, it's a really risky thing to use unless you're already at -11 CR.

[Rusty Radiator]

May 28, 2020 18:39:46 GMT Ofecks said:

May 16, 2020 18:03:25 GMT Oiseau said:

I've always figured that the Drakkar would lose 9 from the Kai Blast, plus anything the RNT says for that combat round, except that you have to disable Mindblast/Psi-surge/Kai-surge for that round.

This is how it works on all 3 of the LW book reader software I've used (Seventh Sense, LW Saga, LW New Order). Makes sense to me, but yeah, it's a really risky thing to use unless you're already at -11 CR.

OR

If the enemies are immune to Kai Surge, but not Kai Ray...