Volume 3 of the White Box takes us on an adventure, designing world.s dungeons and wilderness areas in which to play our fantasy wargames. The 36 page volume starts out with a cross-section dungeon showing the various layers and connections between layers. Note, even at this early date there was an effort to avoid what came to be known as railroading. In the example dungeon map there are several way to pass between the various levels. The next page shows several dungeon features, some tricks and traps that the wily referee might use to challenge the party of adventurers and advice on how to keep the dungeon interesting. The basic dungeon design is to draw several levels or layers on paper. The deeper levels will be home to more challenging monsters and correspondingly more valuable treasures. Each level is drawn out with one or more sheets of floor-plans. Rooms and hallways are labeled and a key is devised with notes for the referee regarding what is happening where. In this way the referee can reveal details as the adventurers enter an area by reading or paraphrasing the corresponding notes. The next section deals with treasure and one finds the usual randomness associated with the White Box as the values that can be rolled on the treasure by dungeon level table varies considerably. There are several tables to help the referee plan the dungeon by rolling the dice, including monster type and numbers by level, and treasure by level. Monsters who roam the halls or may show up when the adventurers stand around, make camp, argue or otherwise pass time can be rolled for on the wandering monster tables. Movement, the passage of time and effects of light (or the lack of) are covered and it is interesting to note that monsters all see in the dark, except if under player character control! Rules for encountering monsters, avoiding monsters and determining their random reaction to the players rounds out the underground rules. A nice example of underground play concludes this section. Volume 3 next takes the reader on to the wilderness where yet more adventure awaits. The wilderness section suggests the referee consult the Outdoor Survival game by Avalon Hill for its map and outdoor rules. The Outdoor Survival map is referred to as good for general adventures with the buildings representing towns and the basins representing castles. (My friends and I never owned a copy of Outdoor Survival, but I have to wonder how many referees took Mr. Gygax and Mr. Arneson's advice and used the Outdoor Survival map as the basis for many wilderness adventures.) There is a random table for castle inhabitants who may come out and confront the adventurers as they pass through their territory. The denizens of the castle may be friendly or no and may challenge an adventurer to cross lances. The rules suggest using the jousting rules found in Chainmail to play through such an encounter. In addition to castle residents, the wilderness is a place to encounter wandering monsters off an appropriate table and use up resources, perhaps through becoming lost or just from an extended overland journey. Evading and pursuit are possible tactics when encountering underground or in the wilderness. What to do with all the treasure the adventurer has accumulated. Volume 3 has rules for constructing strong holds and hiring specialists to build and maintain the stronghold. Rules for sieges, aerial combat and naval combat are given in an effort to provide the referee with a near endless variety of challenges with which to entertain the successful adventurers. Volume 3 concludes with the recommendation that referees make up their own solutions to situations not covered by the rules found in the 3 Little Brown Books for it is through the use of one's own imagination that the game truly comes alive and is its most rewarding.
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