Quasqueton
First Post
Dragon magazine, June 1983 (#74) "Out on a Limb" letters section:
QuasquetonDear Editor:
I would like to express my concern over what I see as a disturbing trend in the last several issues of DRAGON: a greatly increased emphasis on charts, tables, statistical comparisons and the like. Specifically, "Charting the classes" and "Weapon statistics" (#69), "The hull truth about speed" and "A second volley" (#70), and "Who gets the first swing?" (#71), to cite only a few of the many examples.
I've also noticed the introduction of a plethora of new character classes and the needless reworking of older ones, such as the recent articles on illusionists and druids, for example.
You tout your magazine as a role playing aid, and although the articles I mentioned above are all well written and well intentioned, they do not further the cause of role playing.
It is difficult enough for Gamemasters to wean players from their beloved handbooks and charts and [get them to] play their characters as individuals rather than puppets tethered to a leash of polyhedra dice. Is fantasy role playing really served by an article interpreting the classes on a strictly numerical basis?
Again, the articles were well done. I applaud the quantum jump in professionalism of recent articles over some published in years past by DRAGON. Yet, I see a letter like Time Henke's (in issue #64), asking that DRAGON do his creative thinking for him, and I can't help but wonder what attitudes newer readers are gleaning from your publication of number-oriented articles.
Mark Kreighbaum
Berkeley, Calif.