Let's read the entire run
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You could get arrested for that.
(un)reason
Legend
Dragon Magazine Issue 173: September 1991
part 4/6
Sage advice: How can the aztec gods live on the prime material if deities can't visit there. (One god can get told off by their peers, but when it's a whole pantheon going around engaging in blood sacrifices and ignoring the usual social conventions, it's a little harder. It's like the cops don't go up to that dirty great ranch full of inbred hillbillies who run a moonshine racket, play their music really loud and fire guns at 3 in the morning. )
Similarly, how can Iuz live on the prime material (again, he's a chaotic evil half-demon who worked his way to demigodhood. He doesn't give a damn about your rules, and no-one's come along who can sort him out yet. Perhaps your adventuring team would like to give it a go. Go on, we'll be over here, watching. )
Why are god's weapons so badass (because they're gods. )
Why does the complete fighters handbook let paladins and rangers specialize (Power creep. They have to encourage you to buy it somehow.)
How many weapons can you specialize in (Again, originally just 1, but if you buy the complete fighters handbook, you can do all sorts of forbidden things. Our splatbook writers care nothing for the fine details of the game and it's balance )
I have a blatantly illegal character! Look at it! I'm so proud! ( Great. Another fine mess Skip has to tidy up. Stupid DM's not properly house-training their players. We oughta get social services in, have them taken away if they can't look after them properly.)
What's the speed of a touch attack (3)
Can you reflect beholders gaze attacks with a mirror (no. They're rays, not attacks based on you seeing them. )
Do liches keep their racial capabilities (probably)
Why do elf mages get to wear armour (special dispensation. Part of their sekrit magical training. )
How many daggers can you throw per round. (not as many as you think. That's supposed to be darts, not daggers. )
What can you backstab and when. (Things with backs that aren't aware of you. Simple as that. It's an assassination tactic, not something you do in the middle of combat. That would step on fighters toes. )
If you twink out you can get your chance of surprise above 100% (so it seems. But you still have a 10% chance of failure, no matter how good you are. )
I really like kender! I want to play one! (Great, another player that urgently needs housetraining. Take it away before it messes up Skip's carpet.)
Fiction: A little knowledge by Jerry Oliton. Dark Sun's co-ordinated rollout continues, with this little piece that illustrates the harsh realities of Athas from the ground level, and gives lots of setting details without being too expository about it. A young half-elf gets enslaved, and has to figure out how their psionic wild talents work if they want to escape. We also find out that the sorcerer kings are bastards, and that has been passed downwards pretty effectively; magic in general is outlawed, preservers have a secret organisation opposing the big bads, but good luck finding it, and there are lots of interesting animals replacing the standard earth ones. Not bad at all, even if it doesn't emulate the actual IC physics of psionics that well. (Co-operative powers should have been considerably easier to access than they were) I think this more than adequately served it's part in persuading people to buy the new shinies.
Chill does ghosts too! How long before wraith comes out? Another three years. Bah.
The sociology of the Flind: Spike Y Jones not only gives us another ecology under another name, but he uses the same cast of framing characters again. We get to find out another chapter in the life of Brendan Farwanderer, as told to his youthful charges. A decidedly dark one, that then comes back to haunt him in the final paragraph. Flinds may be physically pretty similar to regular gnolls, with only a few generations of selective breeding separating them, but culturally they are quite different, and rather more dangerous, for they have brains and organisation on their side to help them kill and consume the flesh of their opponents. This is a particularly epic ecology, both in size and depth, and it makes me very interested in knowing if we'll see the characters involved again. It's tricky to have proper horror unless you're emotionally invested in the characters, and introducing them, letting them hang around for a bit and then ripping them away definitely qualifies. They may not be doing ecologies as frequently lately, but the ones they have done have been of very high standard. It's good to see them not just churning them out because they're an easy way to fill a few pages every month. Now, let's hope they do get some more really good ones sometime in the not too distant future.
part 4/6
Sage advice: How can the aztec gods live on the prime material if deities can't visit there. (One god can get told off by their peers, but when it's a whole pantheon going around engaging in blood sacrifices and ignoring the usual social conventions, it's a little harder. It's like the cops don't go up to that dirty great ranch full of inbred hillbillies who run a moonshine racket, play their music really loud and fire guns at 3 in the morning. )
Similarly, how can Iuz live on the prime material (again, he's a chaotic evil half-demon who worked his way to demigodhood. He doesn't give a damn about your rules, and no-one's come along who can sort him out yet. Perhaps your adventuring team would like to give it a go. Go on, we'll be over here, watching. )
Why are god's weapons so badass (because they're gods. )
Why does the complete fighters handbook let paladins and rangers specialize (Power creep. They have to encourage you to buy it somehow.)
How many weapons can you specialize in (Again, originally just 1, but if you buy the complete fighters handbook, you can do all sorts of forbidden things. Our splatbook writers care nothing for the fine details of the game and it's balance )
I have a blatantly illegal character! Look at it! I'm so proud! ( Great. Another fine mess Skip has to tidy up. Stupid DM's not properly house-training their players. We oughta get social services in, have them taken away if they can't look after them properly.)
What's the speed of a touch attack (3)
Can you reflect beholders gaze attacks with a mirror (no. They're rays, not attacks based on you seeing them. )
Do liches keep their racial capabilities (probably)
Why do elf mages get to wear armour (special dispensation. Part of their sekrit magical training. )
How many daggers can you throw per round. (not as many as you think. That's supposed to be darts, not daggers. )
What can you backstab and when. (Things with backs that aren't aware of you. Simple as that. It's an assassination tactic, not something you do in the middle of combat. That would step on fighters toes. )
If you twink out you can get your chance of surprise above 100% (so it seems. But you still have a 10% chance of failure, no matter how good you are. )
I really like kender! I want to play one! (Great, another player that urgently needs housetraining. Take it away before it messes up Skip's carpet.)
Fiction: A little knowledge by Jerry Oliton. Dark Sun's co-ordinated rollout continues, with this little piece that illustrates the harsh realities of Athas from the ground level, and gives lots of setting details without being too expository about it. A young half-elf gets enslaved, and has to figure out how their psionic wild talents work if they want to escape. We also find out that the sorcerer kings are bastards, and that has been passed downwards pretty effectively; magic in general is outlawed, preservers have a secret organisation opposing the big bads, but good luck finding it, and there are lots of interesting animals replacing the standard earth ones. Not bad at all, even if it doesn't emulate the actual IC physics of psionics that well. (Co-operative powers should have been considerably easier to access than they were) I think this more than adequately served it's part in persuading people to buy the new shinies.
Chill does ghosts too! How long before wraith comes out? Another three years. Bah.
The sociology of the Flind: Spike Y Jones not only gives us another ecology under another name, but he uses the same cast of framing characters again. We get to find out another chapter in the life of Brendan Farwanderer, as told to his youthful charges. A decidedly dark one, that then comes back to haunt him in the final paragraph. Flinds may be physically pretty similar to regular gnolls, with only a few generations of selective breeding separating them, but culturally they are quite different, and rather more dangerous, for they have brains and organisation on their side to help them kill and consume the flesh of their opponents. This is a particularly epic ecology, both in size and depth, and it makes me very interested in knowing if we'll see the characters involved again. It's tricky to have proper horror unless you're emotionally invested in the characters, and introducing them, letting them hang around for a bit and then ripping them away definitely qualifies. They may not be doing ecologies as frequently lately, but the ones they have done have been of very high standard. It's good to see them not just churning them out because they're an easy way to fill a few pages every month. Now, let's hope they do get some more really good ones sometime in the not too distant future.
(un)reason
Legend
Dragon Magazine Issue 173: September 1991
part 5/6
The same advert on three consecutive pages? Interesting way of doing things. Probably costs quite a bit too.
The role of books: The rocketeer by Peter David does fairly well for a film conversion, adding to the story nicely while maintaining the pulpy feel. As usual, they can both get into the characters heads more, and show bits that were cut. Time/space constraints do seem much less serious in books, for some reason.
Fallen angels by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle & Michael Flynn gets a fairly negative result, like the last one a couple of issues ago. For this reviewer, it works neither as a serious story or satire, and some of the plotting makes little sense. The brain eater is hard at work here. Choose your collaborators wisely.
Hawks flight by Carol Chase gets a pretty good review on both the worldbuilding and story fronts. Not drawing on any particular earth mythos too obviously, and full of depth, it's one that obviously took quite a lot of work. Unravelling everything may be a similar challenge for less experienced readers though. I think if we can handle Tolkien and Gygax's writings, we can get our heads round this too.
The fantastic adventures of robin hood, edited by Martin H Greenberg, is another of his anthologies that show a whole range of spins on the legend. This does of course mean there are huge jumps in tone and characterisation, as we're dealing with a vague public domain legend in the first place. Feels a bit like a cash-in on a certain obscenely profitable recent movie.
Street magic by Michael Reaves is one of those books that's too short, and splits it's attention too many ways for you to really get attached to the characters or world. Which is a shame, because what there is is pretty good. Never easy to get the length right, is it.
Extreme paranoia: Nobody knows the trouble I've shot by Ken Rolston sees the reviewer become the reviewed, in highly amusing and somewhat meta fashion. As an example of proper Paranoia play turned into a story, it succeeds brilliantly. As a conventional novel, it may be a bit too wacky and punful. Obviously depends on your tastes then.
Jandar Sunstar. The good elven vampire trapped in ravenloft. Oh, the angst. AAAAANNGGGST I say! Oh well. He can have yaoi buttsecks with Strahd and they can both whine about their respective lost loves for a while or something. Hee. That'll get the fangirls in.
Forum: Matt Barrett picks apart the argument that what assassins do is always evil. Killing things that are going to kill you if you don't get them first is entirely justified, even if you use stealth and take them out while unsuspecting. As Gary himself said, good doesn't have to be stupid. But the ends do not justify the means. Slippery slope, dude.
Michael Kellam bites on the Batman's alignment debate hook. I knew someone would. Given his current level of [strike]whoreswhoreswhoreswhores[/strike] darkness in characterisation, it's debatable if he's even good, and certainly not lawful. Once again, we are painfully reminded that Thiiiis IIIIiiis theeeee 90's!
Mark D. Krieter has to deal with the problem that one player is far cleverer and more motivated than all the others, and thus tends to outshine them and get more stuff and spotlight time. Yeah, that's a tricky one. You want to reward involvement, but at the same time, you don't want the other players feeling left out. An issue that I'm still struggling with myself.
John H. Goins thinks that vampire PC's, at least temporarily, and particularly if they're seeking redemption, is not a bad idea at all. And a heavy-handed horde of celestial being removing them from play is neither fun or fair, given the number of powerful evil things wandering around canon modules unmolested.
Robert W. Heym ponders the morality of raising mindless undead. Is the body no more than a sack of meat once vacated? Is making them them as turning training acceptable behaviour for good clerics? Since they do say it's evil behaviour, I'm guessing there are some issues. Means and ends once again come into conflict.
W. N. Knierim, Jr wonders how it relates to issue 164's editorial if you like to play lots of different characters. It means you can't make up your mind, duh.
Elizabeth Caetta has written a 5 volume set of stories based on the adventures of her characters, that can never really be published. Now that's dedication. Also a good reminder of how things can be huge for one person, but absolutely minute in the overall scheme of things. Makes you wonder why we bother sometimes. It's all going to be eaten up when the sun goes, and we won't even be a footnote on the cosmic scale. I'll bet those 25 pounds of typed paper have already been lost or destroyed by something.
part 5/6
The same advert on three consecutive pages? Interesting way of doing things. Probably costs quite a bit too.
The role of books: The rocketeer by Peter David does fairly well for a film conversion, adding to the story nicely while maintaining the pulpy feel. As usual, they can both get into the characters heads more, and show bits that were cut. Time/space constraints do seem much less serious in books, for some reason.
Fallen angels by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle & Michael Flynn gets a fairly negative result, like the last one a couple of issues ago. For this reviewer, it works neither as a serious story or satire, and some of the plotting makes little sense. The brain eater is hard at work here. Choose your collaborators wisely.
Hawks flight by Carol Chase gets a pretty good review on both the worldbuilding and story fronts. Not drawing on any particular earth mythos too obviously, and full of depth, it's one that obviously took quite a lot of work. Unravelling everything may be a similar challenge for less experienced readers though. I think if we can handle Tolkien and Gygax's writings, we can get our heads round this too.
The fantastic adventures of robin hood, edited by Martin H Greenberg, is another of his anthologies that show a whole range of spins on the legend. This does of course mean there are huge jumps in tone and characterisation, as we're dealing with a vague public domain legend in the first place. Feels a bit like a cash-in on a certain obscenely profitable recent movie.
Street magic by Michael Reaves is one of those books that's too short, and splits it's attention too many ways for you to really get attached to the characters or world. Which is a shame, because what there is is pretty good. Never easy to get the length right, is it.
Extreme paranoia: Nobody knows the trouble I've shot by Ken Rolston sees the reviewer become the reviewed, in highly amusing and somewhat meta fashion. As an example of proper Paranoia play turned into a story, it succeeds brilliantly. As a conventional novel, it may be a bit too wacky and punful. Obviously depends on your tastes then.
Jandar Sunstar. The good elven vampire trapped in ravenloft. Oh, the angst. AAAAANNGGGST I say! Oh well. He can have yaoi buttsecks with Strahd and they can both whine about their respective lost loves for a while or something. Hee. That'll get the fangirls in.
Forum: Matt Barrett picks apart the argument that what assassins do is always evil. Killing things that are going to kill you if you don't get them first is entirely justified, even if you use stealth and take them out while unsuspecting. As Gary himself said, good doesn't have to be stupid. But the ends do not justify the means. Slippery slope, dude.
Michael Kellam bites on the Batman's alignment debate hook. I knew someone would. Given his current level of [strike]whoreswhoreswhoreswhores[/strike] darkness in characterisation, it's debatable if he's even good, and certainly not lawful. Once again, we are painfully reminded that Thiiiis IIIIiiis theeeee 90's!
Mark D. Krieter has to deal with the problem that one player is far cleverer and more motivated than all the others, and thus tends to outshine them and get more stuff and spotlight time. Yeah, that's a tricky one. You want to reward involvement, but at the same time, you don't want the other players feeling left out. An issue that I'm still struggling with myself.
John H. Goins thinks that vampire PC's, at least temporarily, and particularly if they're seeking redemption, is not a bad idea at all. And a heavy-handed horde of celestial being removing them from play is neither fun or fair, given the number of powerful evil things wandering around canon modules unmolested.
Robert W. Heym ponders the morality of raising mindless undead. Is the body no more than a sack of meat once vacated? Is making them them as turning training acceptable behaviour for good clerics? Since they do say it's evil behaviour, I'm guessing there are some issues. Means and ends once again come into conflict.
W. N. Knierim, Jr wonders how it relates to issue 164's editorial if you like to play lots of different characters. It means you can't make up your mind, duh.
Elizabeth Caetta has written a 5 volume set of stories based on the adventures of her characters, that can never really be published. Now that's dedication. Also a good reminder of how things can be huge for one person, but absolutely minute in the overall scheme of things. Makes you wonder why we bother sometimes. It's all going to be eaten up when the sun goes, and we won't even be a footnote on the cosmic scale. I'll bet those 25 pounds of typed paper have already been lost or destroyed by something.
Last edited:
LordVyreth
First Post
Elizabeth Caetta has written a 5 volume set of stories based on the adventures of her characters, that can never really be published. Now that's dedication. Also a good reminder of how things can be huge for one person, but absolutely minute in the overall scheme of things. Makes you wonder why we bother sometimes. It's all going to be eaten up when the sun goes, and we won't even be a footnote on the cosmic scale. I'll bet those 25 pounds of typed paper have already been lost or destroyed by something.
Or maybe she got a scanner some time in the last two decades.
Frankly, if we haven't developed terraforming and sufficient space-traveling capabilities in the next few million years and can't treat the sun going as a big fireworks show, we don't deserve being more than a footnote on the cosmic scale.On a similar note, I checked that "Fallen Angels" review and was amused at the references to "green" technology. The more things change...
(un)reason
Legend
Dragon Magazine Issue 173: September 1991
part 6/6
TSR Previews: Dark Sun is here! The boxed set of blasted oppression. A bleak world, ruled by sorcerer kings, where everyone is psionic and starts at third level. New classes, new races, and very weird spins on old ones. What can you do to make this world your own? Well, for a start, let your PC's take the starring role in ending oppression, rejuvenating the world and becoming epic heroes, not the NPC's in The Verdant Passage, our very first novel, which straight away makes big changes for the better (for a certain value of better) Remember, metaplot is only an example, not something you have to follow slavishly.
Greyhawk continues to get sporadic support with WGS2: Howl from the north. You have the 5 blades, now you have to keep them from the ice barbarians. Easier said than done.
The Forgotten Realms are still focussing on the Harpers, in Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham. Is there treachery amongst their ranks? Surely not. Still, once an assassin, always an assassin.
Ravenloft gets it's own book full of little anthology adventures. RR2: Book of crypts. What monsters does your wallet have the money to pay for? Grr, aargh.
Spelljammer continues the cloakmaster cycle. Nigel Findley takes us Into the Void. Don't trust the brain-eater! They might be able to play civilised, but they're reading your mind, talking down to your limited intellect and drooling at the thought of cracking open your cranium. You cannot deal with them as equals. Have you learned nothing from a life of sheep farming?
Marvel superheroes finishes messing around with the cosmic control rod in MSL3: Spore of Arthros. Let's kick some negative zone horror butt.
Buck Rogers goes for some timed drama in 25CS4: Phases of the moon. No surprises where this one is set. What is surprising is that it seems to be mostly negotiation based. How's that going to work? Probably not very well, as this is their last product before the line gets abruptly and unceremoniously cancelled. Seeya later, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. So much for that plan.
And finally, our standalone novel this month is The Cloud People, by Robert Kelly. A savior from the skies? Relying on heroes of destiny is risky gamble at best. They'll rarely be exactly what you expect. Did this one subvert the fantasy formulae in any way, or was it just more schedule filler?
Dragonmirth is down wit da dungeoneering. Yamara has yet more romantic drama. of the undead kind. David bowie gives us a great shot of his area in Twilight empire.
Through the looking glass: Return of the lead banning bill from beyond the land of sanity! We thought it was defeated, but in congress, things go though more revisions and appeals than any horror movie series. Beware! Do not assume rationality will prevail, or like the sensible character who doesn't believe in monsters, you'll be first on the chopping block. Proactiveness and being paired up with an attractive member of the opposite sex when you lobby will save your hobby! This little subplot continues to give and give.
Lots of actual reviews this month as well, as we lead up to staying at home painting season. ( )
Stone mountain miniatures step into the future with two packs of alien soldiers.
Thunderbolt Mountain, on the other hand, give us a fairly large wizard piece to invoke wrath with.
Houston's Ships convert the USS Eagle to the Space:1889 game.
Black Dragon Pewter have changed address, and also give us a fairly statuesque female warrior.
Stan Johansen Miniatures are in a fusion cannon mood, for some reason.
Lance and Laser create a mini of the famous wizard Tamerlin from Talislanta. Now that's a privilege I don't think Elminster's had yet.
Alternative Armies release a pair of well-armoured and mounted mercenaries.
Grenadier release a whole set of different wood elves. They'll jump out of the forrest and get you happily.
Ral Partha easily manage the most, and most official stuff. A Troll. Some Golems. Kobolds! Being licensed does have it's benefits. Get those kobolds in bulk if you want to properly emulate the game.
Another issue in which the themed section is the worst part of the magazine, with it being largely promotion that's a waste of space if you actually buy the products. There are quite a few other useful and entertaining articles here though, and some definite signs of the widening scope of the hobby, and the very different ways you can play which still count as roleplaying. So it looks like the problems in this era are largely management ones, as they have more than enough good articles to fill the magazine, but have to take on some dubious ones for commercial reasons. Maybe I should read the issues back to front if I want to enjoy them more. .eno txen eht otno ,llew hO
part 6/6
TSR Previews: Dark Sun is here! The boxed set of blasted oppression. A bleak world, ruled by sorcerer kings, where everyone is psionic and starts at third level. New classes, new races, and very weird spins on old ones. What can you do to make this world your own? Well, for a start, let your PC's take the starring role in ending oppression, rejuvenating the world and becoming epic heroes, not the NPC's in The Verdant Passage, our very first novel, which straight away makes big changes for the better (for a certain value of better) Remember, metaplot is only an example, not something you have to follow slavishly.
Greyhawk continues to get sporadic support with WGS2: Howl from the north. You have the 5 blades, now you have to keep them from the ice barbarians. Easier said than done.
The Forgotten Realms are still focussing on the Harpers, in Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham. Is there treachery amongst their ranks? Surely not. Still, once an assassin, always an assassin.
Ravenloft gets it's own book full of little anthology adventures. RR2: Book of crypts. What monsters does your wallet have the money to pay for? Grr, aargh.
Spelljammer continues the cloakmaster cycle. Nigel Findley takes us Into the Void. Don't trust the brain-eater! They might be able to play civilised, but they're reading your mind, talking down to your limited intellect and drooling at the thought of cracking open your cranium. You cannot deal with them as equals. Have you learned nothing from a life of sheep farming?
Marvel superheroes finishes messing around with the cosmic control rod in MSL3: Spore of Arthros. Let's kick some negative zone horror butt.
Buck Rogers goes for some timed drama in 25CS4: Phases of the moon. No surprises where this one is set. What is surprising is that it seems to be mostly negotiation based. How's that going to work? Probably not very well, as this is their last product before the line gets abruptly and unceremoniously cancelled. Seeya later, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.
So much for that plan. And finally, our standalone novel this month is The Cloud People, by Robert Kelly. A savior from the skies? Relying on heroes of destiny is risky gamble at best. They'll rarely be exactly what you expect. Did this one subvert the fantasy formulae in any way, or was it just more schedule filler?
Dragonmirth is down wit da dungeoneering. Yamara has yet more romantic drama. of the undead kind. David bowie gives us a great shot of his area in Twilight empire.
Through the looking glass: Return of the lead banning bill from beyond the land of sanity! We thought it was defeated, but in congress, things go though more revisions and appeals than any horror movie series. Beware! Do not assume rationality will prevail, or like the sensible character who doesn't believe in monsters, you'll be first on the chopping block. Proactiveness and being paired up with an attractive member of the opposite sex when you lobby will save your hobby!
This little subplot continues to give and give. Lots of actual reviews this month as well, as we lead up to staying at home painting season. (
) Stone mountain miniatures step into the future with two packs of alien soldiers.
Thunderbolt Mountain, on the other hand, give us a fairly large wizard piece to invoke wrath with.
Houston's Ships convert the USS Eagle to the Space:1889 game.
Black Dragon Pewter have changed address, and also give us a fairly statuesque female warrior.
Stan Johansen Miniatures are in a fusion cannon mood, for some reason.
Lance and Laser create a mini of the famous wizard Tamerlin from Talislanta. Now that's a privilege I don't think Elminster's had yet.
Alternative Armies release a pair of well-armoured and mounted mercenaries.
Grenadier release a whole set of different wood elves. They'll jump out of the forrest and get you happily.
Ral Partha easily manage the most, and most official stuff. A Troll. Some Golems. Kobolds! Being licensed does have it's benefits. Get those kobolds in bulk if you want to properly emulate the game.
Another issue in which the themed section is the worst part of the magazine, with it being largely promotion that's a waste of space if you actually buy the products. There are quite a few other useful and entertaining articles here though, and some definite signs of the widening scope of the hobby, and the very different ways you can play which still count as roleplaying. So it looks like the problems in this era are largely management ones, as they have more than enough good articles to fill the magazine, but have to take on some dubious ones for commercial reasons. Maybe I should read the issues back to front if I want to enjoy them more. .eno txen eht otno ,llew hO
LordVyreth
First Post
For me, the weirdest thing about Dark Sun is that they're bringing back for 4th edition! Don't get me wrong, I can see the "Points of Light" thing working out well. But when I think Dark Sun, I think desperation and survival. Metal weapons? Good luck with that, enjoy this bone sword that could break mid-fight. Magic? Oh, you could be a wizard, if you enjoy destroying everything or nerfing yourself while becoming a hunted prey. Or just play a half-giant or four-armed poisonous warrior insect! If you wanted to play a paladin or a monk? Tough. And EVERYBODY gets psionics, cause why not?
This does not strike me as the appropriate setting for a game that insists upon balancing everything and has the expectation that you'll get a +2 Flameshredding Blade by 10th level.
This does not strike me as the appropriate setting for a game that insists upon balancing everything and has the expectation that you'll get a +2 Flameshredding Blade by 10th level.
(un)reason
Legend
Dragon Magazine Issue 174: October 1991
part 1/6
124 pages. Oooooooooh. It's october again, gentle readers. Won't you come on in to my humble thread. :steeples fingers: Don't worry about the door slamming itself behind you, it's just a draft. Maybe I ought to get that looked at, before our bodies start to shiver. So, Dark Sun got a special last month, now it's Ravenloft's turn, with our regular horror theme now officially sponsored by Strahd von Zaroviches patent 2 in 1 fang polish & bloodstain remover. Good for clothes, carpets, curtains and coffins. Use after every meal to ensure you have no trouble getting your next one :teeth ting: But I digress. Roll the projector! We have articles to view! What mere mortal could resist that?
In this issue:
Letters: A letter from someone wanting to contact one of the other writers for the magazine. Roger does what he usually does, and agrees to forward any letters, assuming they're not bombs or acid.
A letter asking about shadow dragons. They're hardly the most obscure of monsters. You just need a few more supplements.
A couple of tedious corrections, suitably erratad.
An index to all the ecology articles they've done so far, just as they did with all the classes a year ago, along with a request to send more in, for they seem to have a bit of a shortage at the moment. They're still popular reading, but they can't satisfy demand without a supplier. Go on, guv, gi's a fix.
Editorial: Roger talks about the aftermath of convention season here, just as he has every october since he became head editor. As usual, it was exhausting but fun, with more stuff going on than any single mere mortal could take in. Rare and OOP stuff is sold, sometimes for silly prices. Shiny new stuff is unleashed upon us, sometimes for free. White wolf make their first big impact on the gaming industry. And for yet another year, it was bigger than ever. Just how long will he be able to boast that? The usual array of amusing little personal tidbits and historical pointers here.
Are you having bad thoughts?: Another entirely official bit of writing kicks us off this month. Ravenloft screws over a whole range of spells to keep you from solving your problems and getting out too easily. Did you think you could get around that issue by using psionics instead? Fool! They will not let you escape, and if you use powers that are tinged with darkness, you will feel the same corruptive effects. So here's a couple of pages spelling out both the general restrictions and specific changes to your powers if you venture into the demiplane of dread. This was reprinted practically verbatim in the revised edition of the core boxed set, so I can't really work up any enthusiasm about it, other than a mild surprise that this was another bit of writing that appeared in here before getting put in a book. Learn something new every day, I guess.
Sage advice is even smaller than ever this issue.
Can a wand of negation deal with spells and already existing magical effects (no, it's very specific in it's use. Only get it out if you know you'll need it for an adventure.)
Can you drape a portable hole over your back to protect from backstabbing (ow, mah brains. Better say no to this one, otherwise who knows where it'll end. Hmm, what excuse can skip give? Skip knows! Skip'll say that people are not objects. That'll keep em happy )
What happens if you hide inside a portable hole when an enemy casts reverse time. (inventive. If you remember to shut the opening, it might just work. )
Can you use a carpet of flying underwater (Slowly.)
Can gauntlets of dexterity raise your score over 18 (Probably)
I've been thinking about weapon sizes. (What a co-incidence, so is Skip. Maybe we should get together, plan a rules revision. Skip likes that idea very much. )
part 1/6
124 pages. Oooooooooh. It's october again, gentle readers. Won't you come on in to my humble thread. :steeples fingers: Don't worry about the door slamming itself behind you, it's just a draft. Maybe I ought to get that looked at, before our bodies start to shiver. So, Dark Sun got a special last month, now it's Ravenloft's turn, with our regular horror theme now officially sponsored by Strahd von Zaroviches patent 2 in 1 fang polish & bloodstain remover. Good for clothes, carpets, curtains and coffins. Use after every meal to ensure you have no trouble getting your next one :teeth ting: But I digress. Roll the projector! We have articles to view! What mere mortal could resist that?
In this issue:
Letters: A letter from someone wanting to contact one of the other writers for the magazine. Roger does what he usually does, and agrees to forward any letters, assuming they're not bombs or acid.
A letter asking about shadow dragons. They're hardly the most obscure of monsters. You just need a few more supplements.
A couple of tedious corrections, suitably erratad.
An index to all the ecology articles they've done so far, just as they did with all the classes a year ago, along with a request to send more in, for they seem to have a bit of a shortage at the moment. They're still popular reading, but they can't satisfy demand without a supplier. Go on, guv, gi's a fix.
Editorial: Roger talks about the aftermath of convention season here, just as he has every october since he became head editor. As usual, it was exhausting but fun, with more stuff going on than any single mere mortal could take in. Rare and OOP stuff is sold, sometimes for silly prices. Shiny new stuff is unleashed upon us, sometimes for free. White wolf make their first big impact on the gaming industry. And for yet another year, it was bigger than ever. Just how long will he be able to boast that? The usual array of amusing little personal tidbits and historical pointers here.
Are you having bad thoughts?: Another entirely official bit of writing kicks us off this month. Ravenloft screws over a whole range of spells to keep you from solving your problems and getting out too easily. Did you think you could get around that issue by using psionics instead? Fool! They will not let you escape, and if you use powers that are tinged with darkness, you will feel the same corruptive effects. So here's a couple of pages spelling out both the general restrictions and specific changes to your powers if you venture into the demiplane of dread. This was reprinted practically verbatim in the revised edition of the core boxed set, so I can't really work up any enthusiasm about it, other than a mild surprise that this was another bit of writing that appeared in here before getting put in a book. Learn something new every day, I guess.
Sage advice is even smaller than ever this issue.
Can a wand of negation deal with spells and already existing magical effects (no, it's very specific in it's use. Only get it out if you know you'll need it for an adventure.)
Can you drape a portable hole over your back to protect from backstabbing (ow, mah brains. Better say no to this one, otherwise who knows where it'll end. Hmm, what excuse can skip give? Skip knows! Skip'll say that people are not objects. That'll keep em happy )
What happens if you hide inside a portable hole when an enemy casts reverse time. (inventive. If you remember to shut the opening, it might just work. )
Can you use a carpet of flying underwater (Slowly.)
Can gauntlets of dexterity raise your score over 18 (Probably)
I've been thinking about weapon sizes. (What a co-incidence, so is Skip. Maybe we should get together, plan a rules revision. Skip likes that idea very much. )
(un)reason
Legend
Dragon Magazine Issue 174: October 1991
part 2/6
Out of the mists: Another collection of scary monsters, also with the official ravenloft seal of approval. Dr Van Richten may have catalogued these ones, but that certainly doesn't make them less dangerous. And just because they're from Ravenloft, doesn't mean you can't use them elsewhere as well. Let's face it, in actual modules, the demiplane of dread is considerably more porous than Athas. But anyway, let's see if they're any good.
Shadow asps are yet another magical way of guarding a tomb from any interlopers. Their poison slowly turns you into a Shadow as well, so although they're pretty weedy, they can become an escalating problem to a party. A swarm of these coming at a party will provoke a suitable degree of terror similar to swarms of spiders or centipedes IRL.
Fenhounds are actually good guys, in that they only savage people who've made powers checks. Course, since even good people can wind up making them, especially if they're also spellcasters, and they have no appeals court, a party may well find themselves having their own recurring baskerville situation to deal with.
Psionic liches are scary mofos, just like their wizardly counterparts, with the typical array of powers, and probably minions, long reaching plans, elaborate lairs, etc etc. They're one that would go on to official use and several appearances in supplements. As with regular liches, finding out where the hell their phylactery is is crucial, for revenge served cold is not very tasty actually.
Looks like this has been a pretty nice collection really, with stuff suitable for a wide range of situations, not just more boring straight-up fights. Do you want body horror or psychological stuff, little minions or big big bads, because both are provided for.
Cry Wolf: A few more monsters to scare your players with. Wolves certainly haven't been neglected in the magazine over the years, with both the regular and were varieties getting plenty of mentions. And they do have a long association with horror stories. Let's see if there's any new ideas to be had here.
Dread wolves are animated undead with a nasty rotting bite and regeneration. Their creator can see through their eyes, which means they can be rather useful for espionage as well as killing stuff.
Vampiric wolves take the already close relationship between the two creatures and blur it a little further. They vill drink your bluuud, and turn on their leader if they show weakness. Now that's definitely exploitable in a plot sense. They should be popular amongst not-too-bright evil overlords.
Stone wolves, on the other hand, are loyal, don't require any upkeep or toilet breaks, and can disguise themselves as ordinary statuary. (not that experienced adventurers will let their guard down around that. ) So it looks like all 3 of these are designed to be minions to some other vaguely horror themed big bad. I suppose wolves rarely do get the same kind of central importance in big plotlines as vampires and mages. Overall, this is pretty useful, but not particularly impressive. Guess that adds out to an average themed section then.
The marvel-phile: Steven Schend delves into the history books to give us another obscure villain who hasn't been covered yet, probably because he hasn't appeared in comics for over a decade either. Equinox! Heat and cold powers in one mentally unstable package! A bit gimmicky, but there doesn't seem to be any great reason why he's vanished when some other D-listers haven't. And he's less likely to be countered and ignored by a team effortlessly like a one-trick pony, so he could have a use. But no, this isn't anything particularly special.
Bugged about something?: Ahh, yes, giant insects. They've certainly played a substantial part in my low-level D&Ding, especially in places with lots of random encounters. This is a quick little realism in gaming article that looks like it was put in as a filler one, to fit around the number of adverts they have. Greg Detwiler does a decent job of reminding us just how badass real insects are, with their proportionate strength, various spiffy senses, ridiculous toughness, social organisation, etc etc. A bit insubstantial really, but the artwork's good. Meh.
The game wizards: I may have made quite a few Gotta collect 'em all quips in my time doing this, and there are more to come, but here they really are literally asking for it. Their trading card series has proven quite a decent seller, and so they fully intend to print new ones each year until it ceases to profit them. This is full of the kind of data that collectables geeks will love. Limited editions, the variations in their looks based on number and run, size of print runs, the kind of thing that makes you look smart if you can quote it to your friends. I actually find myself quite liking this article, unexpectedly, probably because I am a statistics geek. And the economics of collectibles is an interesting and potentially profitable area of study. Anyone know what these cards go for these days?
part 2/6
Out of the mists: Another collection of scary monsters, also with the official ravenloft seal of approval. Dr Van Richten may have catalogued these ones, but that certainly doesn't make them less dangerous. And just because they're from Ravenloft, doesn't mean you can't use them elsewhere as well. Let's face it, in actual modules, the demiplane of dread is considerably more porous than Athas. But anyway, let's see if they're any good.
Shadow asps are yet another magical way of guarding a tomb from any interlopers. Their poison slowly turns you into a Shadow as well, so although they're pretty weedy, they can become an escalating problem to a party. A swarm of these coming at a party will provoke a suitable degree of terror similar to swarms of spiders or centipedes IRL.
Fenhounds are actually good guys, in that they only savage people who've made powers checks. Course, since even good people can wind up making them, especially if they're also spellcasters, and they have no appeals court, a party may well find themselves having their own recurring baskerville situation to deal with.
Psionic liches are scary mofos, just like their wizardly counterparts, with the typical array of powers, and probably minions, long reaching plans, elaborate lairs, etc etc. They're one that would go on to official use and several appearances in supplements. As with regular liches, finding out where the hell their phylactery is is crucial, for revenge served cold is not very tasty actually.
Looks like this has been a pretty nice collection really, with stuff suitable for a wide range of situations, not just more boring straight-up fights. Do you want body horror or psychological stuff, little minions or big big bads, because both are provided for.
Cry Wolf: A few more monsters to scare your players with. Wolves certainly haven't been neglected in the magazine over the years, with both the regular and were varieties getting plenty of mentions. And they do have a long association with horror stories. Let's see if there's any new ideas to be had here.
Dread wolves are animated undead with a nasty rotting bite and regeneration. Their creator can see through their eyes, which means they can be rather useful for espionage as well as killing stuff.
Vampiric wolves take the already close relationship between the two creatures and blur it a little further. They vill drink your bluuud, and turn on their leader if they show weakness. Now that's definitely exploitable in a plot sense. They should be popular amongst not-too-bright evil overlords.
Stone wolves, on the other hand, are loyal, don't require any upkeep or toilet breaks, and can disguise themselves as ordinary statuary. (not that experienced adventurers will let their guard down around that. ) So it looks like all 3 of these are designed to be minions to some other vaguely horror themed big bad. I suppose wolves rarely do get the same kind of central importance in big plotlines as vampires and mages. Overall, this is pretty useful, but not particularly impressive. Guess that adds out to an average themed section then.
The marvel-phile: Steven Schend delves into the history books to give us another obscure villain who hasn't been covered yet, probably because he hasn't appeared in comics for over a decade either. Equinox! Heat and cold powers in one mentally unstable package! A bit gimmicky, but there doesn't seem to be any great reason why he's vanished when some other D-listers haven't. And he's less likely to be countered and ignored by a team effortlessly like a one-trick pony, so he could have a use. But no, this isn't anything particularly special.
Bugged about something?: Ahh, yes, giant insects. They've certainly played a substantial part in my low-level D&Ding, especially in places with lots of random encounters. This is a quick little realism in gaming article that looks like it was put in as a filler one, to fit around the number of adverts they have. Greg Detwiler does a decent job of reminding us just how badass real insects are, with their proportionate strength, various spiffy senses, ridiculous toughness, social organisation, etc etc. A bit insubstantial really, but the artwork's good. Meh.
The game wizards: I may have made quite a few Gotta collect 'em all quips in my time doing this, and there are more to come, but here they really are literally asking for it. Their trading card series has proven quite a decent seller, and so they fully intend to print new ones each year until it ceases to profit them. This is full of the kind of data that collectables geeks will love. Limited editions, the variations in their looks based on number and run, size of print runs, the kind of thing that makes you look smart if you can quote it to your friends. I actually find myself quite liking this article, unexpectedly, probably because I am a statistics geek. And the economics of collectibles is an interesting and potentially profitable area of study. Anyone know what these cards go for these days?
(un)reason
Legend
Dragon Magazine Issue 174: October 1991
part 3/6
The voyage of the princess ark: Once again, Raman takes centre stage this month, being lured away by a ghostly creature that hungers for cinnabryl. Guess it's Haldemar's turn to play rescuer this time round. At least, once he escapes from another annoying political plot, probably from the Huleans. Oh, if only we could meteor swarm them at the first sign of trouble instead of having to be diplomatic.
Crunchwise, we have stats for the aforementioned errant spirits, who are produced as a result of people extending their lifespans unnaturally with cinnabryl. We also have info on the northenmost 4 of the savage baronies, their relationships with each other, and the looming spectre of Hule's expansion. To survive around here, they have indeed become pretty tough places, full of passionate and stubborn warriors. A rich ground for adventure, both personal and political.
Letterswise, we have lots of annoying nit-picking this month. Yes, time has passed since these areas were first detailed in all those out of print modules. Yes, the gazetteers aren't very standardized. Yes, keeping intelligent flying mounts in your army is bloody tricky, and you need to ensure they're well treated and given the respect they deserve. No, none of these are setting breaking. Chill out, dudes.
Novel ideas: Athas's promotion continues, in an article that probably ought to have been last month, but for their bimonthly schedule. This is another one that's telling me stuff I know already, that Athas has a nice 5-book series kicking things off, courtesy of Troy Denning, and they intend dramatic things to happen in the novels and change the setting on a regular basis. It also calls attention to the way they're consciously trying to avoid or subvert as many of the usual D&D setting tropes as possible. Maybe too many at once, actually. We've been through this with Tekumel & Jorune, where too many alien elements keep people from getting into things. Athas is probably less experimental than either of those, but it is relatively low on literary and historical antecedents. And it didn't really enjoy the same kind of success as Dragonlance or Ravenloft. On the other hand, it did last quite a few years, and was one of the first worlds to be revisited in 4e, so it's hard to call it a failure either. Guess like morality in Athas, it's more complicated than that. This is definitely worth more debate. I look forward to the next time this topic comes up.
Fiction: The blue eyed thief by Bob Liddil. We hear a lot about cycles of abuse. Sins inflicted on people are in turn emulated and performed on others, be out of vengeance, need, or simple habit. You hear far less about cycles of redemption, people paying good deeds forward. Still, that's what this one is about. A young street-thief turned into a honest (well, almost) merchant by a little generosity and cleverly applied compassion, and then returning the favour a generation later. The kind of heroism that you can actually manage in the real world, if you're something like a teacher or homeless shelter volunteer. Don't think it'll be easy, or that some won't reject your help and continue being locked in their own self-destructive patterns, but you can make a difference. It may be a tiny one against the overall tapestry of the world, but you can make a difference. And this, in it's own small way, is a good reminder of that. So I think it does it's job quite nicely.
The role of computers: Quest for glory II: Trial by Fire combines a review with an interview with the makers of the game. Interesting. They talk about their design philosophy, and some of the technical details of it's creation. They've gone to plenty of effort to make this a fun adventure game that you'll have plenty of challenge completing, but hopefully won't get stuck on, and can improve your skills along with your character's. And they intend to release still better looking versions in the near future. Yay for ever increasing monitor resolutions.
Cybergenic Ranger: Secret of the seventh planet looks and sounds good, but is slow and boooooooring to play. Remember your design priorities, programmers. Fun must always be primary, otherwise all else becomes irrelevant.
F29 Retaliator is a flight simulator, but one that sacrifices realism for fun, making the planes rather easier to pilot than their real counterparts. Which is a good thing, really, since the amount of training to get an actual pilots licence is quite substantial.
Sonic the Hedgehog sees them instantly spot that this was created by sega as a conscious attempt at making a marketable mascot. Not that the game is bad at all. (although I always preferred Sonic 3. The series didn't really get going until he had a proper cast of supporting characters.) The high speed bits impress them, the non-linear level design still holds up today, (if anything, it's more so than many of the later games, especially once the series went 3D) and the rotating bonus levels are really cool for the era. Mario now has serious competition, and their battles will be good for the profiles of both sides. Let the lines be drawn, and the fanboys of both sides rage.
They also re-review a whole bunch of old games that have been recently released for new systems. Gunboat, Harpoon, Railroad Tycoon, and Wizardry: Bane of the cosmic forge. Most manage to improve on the previous versions in some way. Wizardry in particular is massively improved on it's original incarnation.
part 3/6
The voyage of the princess ark: Once again, Raman takes centre stage this month, being lured away by a ghostly creature that hungers for cinnabryl. Guess it's Haldemar's turn to play rescuer this time round. At least, once he escapes from another annoying political plot, probably from the Huleans. Oh, if only we could meteor swarm them at the first sign of trouble instead of having to be diplomatic.
Crunchwise, we have stats for the aforementioned errant spirits, who are produced as a result of people extending their lifespans unnaturally with cinnabryl. We also have info on the northenmost 4 of the savage baronies, their relationships with each other, and the looming spectre of Hule's expansion. To survive around here, they have indeed become pretty tough places, full of passionate and stubborn warriors. A rich ground for adventure, both personal and political.
Letterswise, we have lots of annoying nit-picking this month. Yes, time has passed since these areas were first detailed in all those out of print modules. Yes, the gazetteers aren't very standardized. Yes, keeping intelligent flying mounts in your army is bloody tricky, and you need to ensure they're well treated and given the respect they deserve. No, none of these are setting breaking. Chill out, dudes.
Novel ideas: Athas's promotion continues, in an article that probably ought to have been last month, but for their bimonthly schedule. This is another one that's telling me stuff I know already, that Athas has a nice 5-book series kicking things off, courtesy of Troy Denning, and they intend dramatic things to happen in the novels and change the setting on a regular basis. It also calls attention to the way they're consciously trying to avoid or subvert as many of the usual D&D setting tropes as possible. Maybe too many at once, actually. We've been through this with Tekumel & Jorune, where too many alien elements keep people from getting into things. Athas is probably less experimental than either of those, but it is relatively low on literary and historical antecedents. And it didn't really enjoy the same kind of success as Dragonlance or Ravenloft. On the other hand, it did last quite a few years, and was one of the first worlds to be revisited in 4e, so it's hard to call it a failure either. Guess like morality in Athas, it's more complicated than that. This is definitely worth more debate. I look forward to the next time this topic comes up.
Fiction: The blue eyed thief by Bob Liddil. We hear a lot about cycles of abuse. Sins inflicted on people are in turn emulated and performed on others, be out of vengeance, need, or simple habit. You hear far less about cycles of redemption, people paying good deeds forward. Still, that's what this one is about. A young street-thief turned into a honest (well, almost) merchant by a little generosity and cleverly applied compassion, and then returning the favour a generation later. The kind of heroism that you can actually manage in the real world, if you're something like a teacher or homeless shelter volunteer. Don't think it'll be easy, or that some won't reject your help and continue being locked in their own self-destructive patterns, but you can make a difference. It may be a tiny one against the overall tapestry of the world, but you can make a difference. And this, in it's own small way, is a good reminder of that. So I think it does it's job quite nicely.
The role of computers: Quest for glory II: Trial by Fire combines a review with an interview with the makers of the game. Interesting. They talk about their design philosophy, and some of the technical details of it's creation. They've gone to plenty of effort to make this a fun adventure game that you'll have plenty of challenge completing, but hopefully won't get stuck on, and can improve your skills along with your character's. And they intend to release still better looking versions in the near future. Yay for ever increasing monitor resolutions.
Cybergenic Ranger: Secret of the seventh planet looks and sounds good, but is slow and boooooooring to play. Remember your design priorities, programmers. Fun must always be primary, otherwise all else becomes irrelevant.
F29 Retaliator is a flight simulator, but one that sacrifices realism for fun, making the planes rather easier to pilot than their real counterparts. Which is a good thing, really, since the amount of training to get an actual pilots licence is quite substantial.
Sonic the Hedgehog sees them instantly spot that this was created by sega as a conscious attempt at making a marketable mascot. Not that the game is bad at all. (although I always preferred Sonic 3. The series didn't really get going until he had a proper cast of supporting characters.) The high speed bits impress them, the non-linear level design still holds up today, (if anything, it's more so than many of the later games, especially once the series went 3D) and the rotating bonus levels are really cool for the era. Mario now has serious competition, and their battles will be good for the profiles of both sides. Let the lines be drawn, and the fanboys of both sides rage.
They also re-review a whole bunch of old games that have been recently released for new systems. Gunboat, Harpoon, Railroad Tycoon, and Wizardry: Bane of the cosmic forge. Most manage to improve on the previous versions in some way. Wizardry in particular is massively improved on it's original incarnation.
LordVyreth
First Post
Are you mad? It was the cast of supporting character that eventually killed Sonic. Tails was fine and maaaaaybe Knuckles, but even saying the name "Big the Cat" is enough to make most gamers experience pain. That being said, "Sonic 3" is my favorite, too.
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