The third issue of Other Hands was published in October 1993. Contributors included Gunnar Brolin, Jason Beresford, Andrew McMurry, Tim Innes, Anders Blixt, and James Owen. Art was provided by Jeff Hatch, Tom Loback, Lisa Disterheft-Solberg, and Edith Crowe. Here is Chris Seeman’s editorial.
EDITORIAL: THREE IS COMPANY
Besides offering all of our usual fare, there are two ways in which this issue represents significant progress toward our goals as a gaming journal. From its conception, Other Hands has aimed to provide a forum of communication between the authors, audience, and publishers of Tolkien-related role-playing games. Three of the many contributions to the present issue have advanced us in this direction.
James Owen of the Oxford Tolkien Society has offered an engaging response to Pete Fenlon’s open letter (written on behalf of ICE to our readers — sec OH 1: 3—6). James’ comments are those of a long-time Rolemaster player, and we are hoping to see more from him in future issues. His extensive training in the field of metallurgy makes him well qualified to say a thing or two about forging technology in Middle-earth.
Moving across the English Channel, we received a letter of great interest from Eduardo Martinez Santamaria (sec pg. 2), who has announced the formation of a “rolcplaying game commission” within the Sociedad Tolkien Espanola. This group seeks to establish contact through Other Hands with individuals or groups who are interested in Middle-earth gaming. They are also involved in customizing the MERP rule system to suit their tastes, and I have encouraged them to submit any of their ideas to our journal.
Finally, as the module-writing process continues apace for The Kin-strife, Umbar, and Southern Gondor, collaborative dialogue between the respective authors of these forthcoming Iron Crown publications has led Gunnar Brolin to present his view on population levels for the Dunadan rcalms-in-exile. Gunnar is a man of many talents (one of these being demographics), and he is a contributing author to both the Kinstrife and Southern Gondor projects. Jason Beresford, author-to-be of the revised Umbar module, has written a brief response to Gunnar’s views, especially as they relate to the region of Umbar.
Because both of these authors offer population statistics which are at variance with those found in the recently published Northwestern Middle-earth Gazetteer (see review on pgs. 26—27), we have decided to present their respective arguments in these pages for further consideration and discussion by both you, the reader, and Jessica Ney of Iron Crown, who is responsible for the development of the MEKP line. The purpose of this deliberation process is to come to some degree of consensus on this matter, so that these and future modules will not contain conflicting figures. In this way, we hope that Other Hands will be able to help facilitate constructive dialogue on topics of relevance to Middle-earth gamers.
The second way in which the present issue represents progress toward our stated goals is in our aim to offer practical materials for the Middle-earth player or referee. Much of the stuff in OH 1 and 2, while no doubt of interest to many of our readers, was less directly applicable to the contingencies of role-playing. There is a place in Other Hands for these more general Middlc-carth-related topics; but we want to balance this out with more “immediately usable” materials.
Our ultimate goal is, of course, to publish actual adventure scenarios within these pages. Although we have not achieved that goal in this issue, we read Tolkien Enterprises’ continued silence on this matter as tacit consent to proceed with our plans to include at least one adventure in each issue of Other Hands, beginning with issue four in January (see OH 2: 1 for the context of this discussion). We hope that this announcement will encourage some of you to send us you unpublished adventures.
OH 3 nevertheless contains a few pieces which are of practical interest. Tim Innes, one of the Southern Gondor authors, has given us an extensive essay on the Drughu (i.e., Drúedain, Woses), which includes RuneQuest stats for both the Drughu themselves and the infamous “Pûkel-mcn.” Finally, in preparation for an adventure which may appear in a future issue, I have written an interpretive article on the enigmatic Queen Berúthiel and her mysterious cats.
To wind things up, we have a programmatic essay by Andrew McMurry (also of the Oxford Tolkien Society) on the principles governing the use of magic in Middle-earth, which follows closely on the heels of Chris Pheby’s contribution to OH 1. And we have another short piece from Anders on — of all things — Scandinavian influences on the Orkish-English dictionary in the Empire of the Witch-king module. Finally, we have added a new feature, “Frontlines,” which will bring together all of the latest gossip and news about Middle-earth gaming which fails to get into the letters column or this editorial. Anyone with information about anything is encouraged to give report for our fellow readers.
Before closing, I should bring everyone up to date on the problem of European distribution. We are still working with the possibility of arranging for Other Hands to be produced and distributed independently in the EEC, so as to reduce the overseas mailing — and, hence, subscription — cost for our readers outside the USA. For the present, however, it will be possible to purchase individual issues of our journal through Myth of Adventures: Verlag fur phantastische Medien, Berner Weg 24, D—67069 Ludwigshafen, Germany. We are also hoping to get Bilbo’s Bookshop Bath to stock us, but have not yet received a reply from them.
A final matter before signing off. I am contemplating including an address roster of Other Hands subscribers in the upcoming January issue, so as to facilitate communication between our readers. Please let me know if for any reason you would not care to be included in this list. Well, that’s all for now— talk to you in three months!
Chris Seeman, 15 October, 1993
You may download Other Hands Issue 1 for free either from Other Minds’ Other Hands archive or MERP.Com’s Other Hands archive.