While the subtitle to the original Dungeon & Dragons rules set states
that it is a fantasy role playing game playable with paper and pencil and
miniature figures, to many fanatics of the game and its genre, the
equipment used has gone far beyond that point. Not that the D&D
claim is false, far from it. It’s in the nature of fanatics to take their interest
seriously and to constantly seek new ways to expand their interest.

Over the years access to photocopiers and mimeograph machines
have aided many Dungeon Masters in copying maps, charts and even
publishing their own zines, all to the expansion of their campaign. But,
the recent electronics explosion has now brought another tool to those
DMs fortunate to have access to them: the micro-computer.

We were one of those fortunate groups to gain the use of a 4K
(4,000 bit) memory, BASIC speaking microcomputer. We mentioned
to several fellow DMs and gamers of our plans to program it to handle
role playing games (D&D, Boot Hill), and to my surprise there was a lot
of concern about letting a machine become a part of role playing games.
Well, either I did a lousy job of explaining the planned programming
(possible as I am by no stretch of the imagination a computer scientist,
merely a gamer looking for new ways to use technology in gaming) or
the concern was unwarranted. As any of our group of gamers can testify,
the SAFE has improved our handling of the mechanics of our campaign,
at no expense to creativity.

An analysis of D&D reveals that movement around a dungeon
(which way to go, which door to open, should we fight or run, how do
we disarm the trap, etc.) is basic logic (sometimes good logic, sometimes
bad) problem solving that can be broken into a mathematical or a computer
flow chart. But, the contents of the rooms, how monsters react,
what a chamber looks like is an art that a DM develops from experience
and use of his/her imagination. So why not let the computer handle the
mechanics and the DM handle the material. With the computer doing
part of the job it leaves the DM more time to be creative and interact with
the players.

What does the computer do in the Realm of the Celestial Wizard
(our campaign)? At present with our limited memory, the SAGE is programmed
for the hit charts and damage allocation, name generation (for
the thousands of minor NPCs), creating requisites and levels of nonplayer
characters, handling the bookkeeping details on player characters,
and a basic Dungeon that runs itself.

The hit charts are easily programmed, though repetitiously dull to
work on, but the knowledge that once done it never has to be done
again is compensation. The program is based on simple if. . . then, as
well as “logical AND” and “logical OR” statements. First you tell the
computer to generate a random number (X) from 1 to 20. Now you
INPUT the monster’s hit dice (Y) and then foe’s armor class (Z). A sample
program entry shows what is done with the preceding information: If
Y equals 1 and Z equals 9 and X is greater than or equal to 10, then go to
600.

The computer’s dice rolls a 12, it goes to line #600 in the program,
where it is told to print “hits.” The computer tells you the monster has
hit, but it now waits for further input. It needs to know what type of die to
roll and how many in order to give damage. Since the monster in the
example was an orc, we enter 6 for type of dice and 1 for how many.
Had the computer rolled a 20, it would have informed us of double
damage and the 6 would be rolled twice. Now the computer returns to
the start of the program ready for more action.

Had the computer rolled less than 10 in the example, the SAGE
would have gone back to the beginning of the program, indicating a
miss. No need to have it print “Miss” as it takes up valuable space in the
memory. Another important thing to remember is to include a “timer
loop”, when the damage is rolled, as it will disappear from the screen as
rapidly as it appeared. Even the computer is eager to get back to battle.

Programming to generate names is accomplished by giving letter
values to numbers and generating randomly a string of numbers (letters)
according to certain pre-determined patterns. Professor Barker’s
article in The Strategic Review on names in the Empire of the Petal
Throne provides a reference for these patterns which can be adapted to
suit your own taste.

Our computer dungeon is based on a labyrinth, and the only limit
to it is the size of SAGE’s memory bank. But by using reoccurring rooms
and passages, the size of the memory can be compensated for. As to try
and explain the program for the dungeon would take too much space, a
few generalized patterns will be demonstrated, and if you have access to
a micro computer try and expand on it yourself,

The computer dungeon is based on if. . . then statements such as,
“You are standing in an east-west corridor. Which way?” If east, go to
Room #1, which is empty but has 3 doors. If west, then go to Chamber
#2, which contains a dagger trap and 2 doors. From here the computer
can take you back to the initial corridor, or to a series of other rooms,
which also leads to the initial corridor. By wording corridors and rooms
similarly, it makes the trick of repeating rooms impossible to detect and
this misdirection poses as much of a threat as the Minotaur and other
creatures trapped within the labyrinth. To demonstrate how confusing a
program can be, try navigating your way through it right after completing
the program.

The computer in gaming has been around awhile, but now as
technology takes steps forward, the e next several years contain the
possibility of general access to the more complete systems for the average
consumer. However, the fear that the use of a micro computer will
destroy the creativity of role playing games if used in them is groundless.
Our experience in recent months has been very positive in SAGE’s use
in both D&D and Boot Hill (our program for Gamma World is not
finished yet), and if anything, has helped this DM in handling his chores.
We now are adding new ideas that previously couldn’t be adopted, as
we were busy enough rolling dice and trying to locate all the different
charts.

The micro computer has its place in role playing gaming as long as
its limitations are understood, and the human programmer remembers
that his duty is in creativity, while the computer can and should only
speed up the mechanics. The computer provides the skeleton for gaming,
and the DM still creates the flesh of the campaign.