Answer time!

Here are the answers to the trivia quiz I posted earlier in the week. In the grand tradition of nitpicky gamers, I cheerfully await someone challenging my answers. So fire away!

1) A character would most likely visit the Spinward Marches in what sci-fi game?
C) Traveller

The Spinward Marches would work for lots of different systems, but it was designed for use with Trav.

2) Which RPG system first utilized critical hits in melee combat?
C) Empire of the Petal Throne

3) Which of the following was NOT a commercially released roleplaying game?
B) Mazes & Monsters

Mazes & Monsters was a novel by Rona Jaffe later made into a movie starring a young Tom Hanks. It's all about a guy who gets into RPGs and goes nuts.

4) In which of the following gaming worlds are you most likely to see a character take 10,000 points of damage from a relatively normal attack?
C) World of Synnibarr

Daggers in Synnibbarr do 100 to 400 points of damage, IIRC. Ordinary small arms can do thousands of points. Starting PCs tend to have around 1,000 hp or so. Armor protects in 'tenths'. A suit rated two 'tenths' (like Black Manta's diving suit) cuts incoming damage to 1/100 normal.

5) Which game's earliest edition discussed the possibility of playing a young balrog as a PC?
C) Dungeons & Dragons

It was changed to a dragon after the Tolkien estate got in a snit.

6) Which of the following listed terms would be the more powerful rank in TSR's Marvel Super Heroes game?
A) Amazing

7) Which of the following superhero RPGs has no list of superpowers?
E) Superhero 2044

The authors feared that Marvel and/or DC would kick their asses if they included any powers that replicated popular comic book characters. The setting info is kinda neat, though.

8) Which of the following RPG names is not nor has ever been an abbreviation?
D) RIFTS

9) Who created the Forgotten Realms campaign setting?
C) Ed Greenwood

I know he's responsible for Elminster. Is Drizz't his creation also or was that a later miscreant?

10) What was the name of the dungeon featured in module B1 In Search of the Unknown?
B) Quasqueton

11) In the earliest published reports the gemstone on the Ring of Gaxx had how many facets?
D) 9

I'm pretty sure the Ring of Gaxx first appeared in Eldritch Wizardry.

12) Fineous Fingers once played chess with what kind of monster?
D) dragon


13) What was the first roleplaying game written by Steve Jackson?
A) The Fantasy Trip

14) What company once held the licenses to produce both Star Trek and Dr. Who roleplaying games?
D) FASA

Man, remember when FASA was the king of sci-fi gaming? Good times.

15) Who singlehandedly wrecked havoc in the Temple of Elemental Evil?
B) Robilar

T1-4 includes a brief history of the Temple. One incident recounted is a solo expedition by Robilar. While he was risking his life against the forces of elemental evil, his orcish henchman waited outside. The pig-dude got cold and turned Robilar's carpet of flying into a poncho. I love that story.

16) The Marvel Superheroes module Secret Wars encouraged players to each run a whole team of superheroes, with one exception: one player was assigned a single hero. Which hero was it?
D) Thor

17) Which of the following monsters does NOT appear on the cover art of the original Monster Manual?
D) hydra

18) Which of the following is not a Chaosium RPG?
A) Bushido

Editions of Bushido were released by Tyr Games, Phoenix Games, and FGU.

19) In Pacesetter's Chill RPG, what was the name of the organization the PCs all worked for?
E) SAVE

If you answered 'Clan Gangrel' deduct two points from your score.

20) Which of these companies has released an edition of Chivalry & Sorcery?
C) FGU

21) Which of these early sci-fi RPGs was designed with the assumption that each player takes the role of the captain of their own starship?
D) Starfaring

For more on this trippy game, check out this post.

22) What roleplaying game started as a Metamorphisis Alpha campaign?
B) Skyrealms of Jorune

23) Which of the following was NOT one of the original published quasi-deities?
C) Leomund

The other four all appeared together in Dragon #71, which introduced the quasi-deity concept. Those were some cool characters. I especially like Murylund, who is both a cowboy and a wizard.

24) Which of the following was NOT produced by Fantasy Games Unlimited?
C) Lords of Creation

LoC was a release of The Avalon Hill Game Company.

25) In 4th edition Call of Cthulhu a Diletantte may select how many "profession" skills?
B) 5

26) Judge's Guild produced support products for which of the following games?
E) All of the above

Judges Guild rocks on toast.

27) In Pendragon what determines the number of damage dice rolled for a lance attack?
D) type of horse ridden

28) Complete the following game title: Mercenaries, Spies & _______.
C) Private Eyes

29) What do Castle Falkenstein players use instead of standard dice?
B) playing cards

30) What was the name of the predecessor to Rob Kuntz's Deities & Demigods?
C) Gods, Demigods & Heroes

31) What was the location of the first dungeon adventure?
E) Castle Blackmoor

32) In Toon where do most characters keep their equipment?
B) back pocket

33) What was the name of Aaron Allston's tour-de-force Champions supplement detailing his personal house rules and campaign setting?
E) Strike Force

Technically, the name of the supp was Aaron Allston's Strike Force.

34) "Dr. Kromm" is the moniker of what GURPS guru?
D) Sean Punch

35) What are cannon-fodder level warriors called in Ars Magica?
B) grogs

36) What game resolves most actions by rolling d10 and multiplying it by another d10 roll?
D) Cyborg Commando

37) What island is the setting for Over The Edge?
B) Al Amarja

"Inguria" is the island setting for Superhero 2044. If you gave that as your answer give yourself half a point for being awesome.

38) The Fiend Folio tome compiled monsters mostly from what source?
D) British gamers

Gygax was made an honorary British citizen by the Queen back in '78. True story.

39) What game designer appears on an official Macho Women With Guns counter sheet?
D) Richard Tulcholka

40) What is the name of the rules system designed to be compatible with both Champions and R. Talsorian games?
D) Fuzion

Interlock is the name for the R. Talsorian house system. Fuzion was meant to bridge the gap between Interlock and HERO System.

41) Which game's setting requires dungeon explorers to be licensed, otherwise they are legally considered grave-robbers?
C) Fifth Cycle

The license generally gave a 20% cut to the noble issuing the document and a 20% cut to the king. Royal licenses (whereby the party was directly charted by the king and thus only agreed to a total cut of 20%) were much in demand but rarely issued. I thought the whole concept was very cute, but I have trouble tracking the duration that torches burn and enforcing encumbrance. I'm not sure I could handle another bookkeeping maneuver to pummel PCs.

42) What is the reward given to high-level Lords of Creation characters?
A) ability to create own universe

Demigod status and immortality are lesser rewards.

43) What urban area is the Veiled Society known to haunt?
D) Specularum

Biggest city in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, the small slice of the Known World (Mystara) that originally appeared in the '81 Expert D&D rulebook.

44) Mayfair released which of the following RPGs?
B) DC Heroes

45) What game are you most likely to encounter a foe carrying a Panther Assault Cannon?
E) Shadowrun

One time I played a troll street samurai armed with one of those. It was pretty cool.

46) Which of these personages is not a wizard?
C) Serten

Erac's Cousin may not have enough MU levels to technically qualify as a wizard, but Serten was a cleric.

47) Which of these games assumes the players are freedom-loving rebels fighting a dastardly empire?
D) Star Ace

48) TWERPS characters are represented by a single attribute. What is it called?
C) Strength

49) Which of these swashbuckling games include rules for playing a centaur?
E) Lace & Steel

I'm pretty sure there was a centaur right on the cover of the edition that was reviewed in Dragon.

50) Which of the following is not a human subspecies?
D) Vargr

There's some wiggle room here regarding the definitions of "subspecies" and "human" but for me it all boils down to the fact that Vargr are dogpeople and the other races are peoplepeople.



SCORING

12- You probably play sports and read People when other nerds aren't looking.
13-25 You might have another hobby, like 40K or videogames or something.
26-39 You had a Dragon subscription in the 80's.
40-49 I suspect you're probably wearing D&D underoos right now. For God's sake, put on some pants!
50 All hail King Nerd.
50.5 I was kidding about the bonus half point, okay?
51+ I bet your fighter has 18/00 strength, too.