Recaps & Roundups part 21: The Strategic Review #5

Cover art by Greg Bell

This issue of The Strategic Review is cover-dated December 1975. The news section notes right away that Blackmoor was off to the printers, and that it should be available in stores by the time this issue came out. In other news, TSR is just about to open the Dungeon Hobby Shop in Lake Geneva, which I understand is sadly no longer in business. A bunch of other games are in development: Fight in the Skies, Little Big Horn, Lankhmar, Classic Warfare and a Robin Hood game. Mention is also made that Supplement IV: Gods, Demigods & Heroes will be out before the next Gen Con. Also: THE DRAGON IS COMING!

In non-D&D articles we have some bios of the TSR staff, an article about the Battle of the Nile by Dave Arneson, and some new weapons for Tractics.

Sturmgeshutz and Sorcery by Gary Gygax: In this article, Gary recounts a conflict between the inhabitants of a castle from the World of Greyhawk and a Nazi SS Patrol. A strange fog sprang up west of the castle, which allowed passage both ways, from Oerth to 1940s Germany and back.

The master of the castle is "The Gatherer", a 12th level evil high priest. His lieutenants Grustiven the Warlock and Goocz the Lama had previously disappeared through the fog. Many of the Gatherer's strongest fighters and 200 orcs are off warring with a neutral Lord who insulted him earlier. I'll no doubt place the Gatherer's forces, as well as those of this mysterious Lord, somewhere in castles in the vicinity of Greyhawk city.

During the battle between D&D baddies and SS troops, the Gatherer lost some ghouls, a troll, a giant scorpion, and a number of orcs. The Nazis were driven back to their camp. These events will absolutely be a part of my campaign's history.

Below are the game maps of the area.

I'll assume that the German map is correct for their side of the fog, and the Servants' map is accurate for the Oerth side. I might have to ignore the arrow pointing north, as the text says that the fog appeared to the west of the castle. Maybe it's north for the Germans and west for the Servants.

Mighty Magic Miscellany: This gives two new magic items:

• Robe of Scintillating Colours
• Prayer Beads

The types of Prayer Beads introduced are:

• Bead of Atonement
• Bead of Response
• Bead of Damnation
• Bead of Karma
• Bead of Succor
• Bead of Hindrance

In the Prayer Bead entry it introduces the idea the deities might respond to prayers and give aid, while also noting that they are fickle and dangerous.

Gallery of Gunfighters: A bio and stats for Ben Thompson.

Creature Features: Three new monsters are introduced:

• Rakshasa
• Slithering Tracker
• Trapper

Rakshasa are said to be "known first in India", which either indicates that they originated on Earth, or that they're from a place that either culturally or geographically corresponds with India on Oerth. I favour the latter, but it should be noted that travel back and forth from Earth to Oerth is establised elsewhere in this issue.