Dragon Magazine Issue 179: March 1992
part 1/6
124 pages. A surprisingly dynamic and cheesecake low Elmore pic heading things up this month. Someone's going to slip and fall while trying to get their hands on that sword, especially if they're rivals rather than part of the same team. The topic inside, on the other hand, is rather less mold breaking. Generic Magic again. You've got to specialise! They've realised that over in the campaign building stuff. When things are stable, you specialise to fill a niche, and outcompete anyone at it to profit properly. When times get hard, that's when it pays to be a generalist, and you adapt or perish. My mind needs more variety! :sigh: Pass me the lube. Here we go again.
In this issue:
Al Qadim! The forgotten realms fills up another continent with pseudo real world cultures. Well, it works for Kara-tur and Maztica. Why mess with a winning formula? Now all they need is a fantasy australia and the world'll be complete.
Letters: A letter asking about how you can become an official certified Dungeon Master. That, my dear, is just an urban legend, albeit one probably started by them back in issue 28, where they provided a system for figuring out what level DM & player you are. And then distorted and spread further by Jack Chick. What goes around comes around.
A letter by people who've translated the dwarvish on issue 174's cover. Another thing introduced by Ed Greenwood via the magazine, back in issue 69. Yet another strange little thread of history we can trace and enjoy.
And finally, yet another sexism letter, this time from a girl struggling to find other women interested in gaming. There's certainly enough of them sending in complaining letters to the magazine. Now, if only they could find each other in real life.
Editorial: Another familiar topic here, as Roger returns to the theme of future shock. The geopolitical situation has changed in a way few predicted, making a whole bunch of sci-fi novels invalid again, while also increasing his tolerance for improbable plot twists, since reality has often proved itself stranger than fiction. This seems really to be another not too subtle attempt at getting people to check out new games, both from TSR and other companies. Which hopefully will lead to more variety in the games he gets submissions for. Well, an editor can dream, can't he. Not a hugely interesting editorial, this does once again highlight his sense of whimsy and search for new forms of gaming to keep interests up. I'm betting we'll see a definite drop in non D&D articles soon after he's replaced.
Picture this!: Nigel Findley gives us another cool set of themed magical items. Why should Ed have all the fun in that department? So enjoy these 7 magical paintings, each a masterpiece both visually and in terms of effects. After all, you have a lot more room to customise a painting than with most items.
The Watchers lets you take control of animals in the vicinity and use them as spies. Careful though, for the twin dangers of losing yourself in their minds, and dying if they get killed while you're in them are quite significant. Seems like this could be almost as much a liability as a benefit. Seems rather appropriate given his fondness for horror stories.
Widow's walk is less dangerous, but still has it's quirks. But shielding from magical divination and weather control seem well worth a little creepiness. Anyone with reason to be paranoid'll value those qualities.
The Gladiators traps you in the painting and forces you to fight it's occupants. If you know the password, you can summon them out to fight a party the old-fashioned way. Which is actually less scary, but life is odd like that sometimes. This one is probably more a liability than a benefit to most groups.
Dragonnel lets you summon a little dragon to ride on, or turn into. It does have the danger of running out mid-combat, but since that's perfectly normal for magic, it can hardly be considered a curse.
Glorindel's Gates let you step into the area painted. This is of course a one-way trip. Seems pretty self-explanatory, and with plenty of literary sources.
Glorindel's Living Paintings are hypnotic. Another reason never to go to an art gallery in fantasy worlds, especially in Ravenloft. You never know what'll be implanted in the back of your mind, just waiting for the right situation. Being a slave sucks.
Igrane's Portraits let you communicate with the person in the painting. Again, this might not seem too surprising, but there are more than a few tricks this can pull. It can penetrate the veil of death. (with the usual dangers to your sanity) And there's an unfinished one which is even more useful than the finished ones. Goes to show how quirky magic can be.
I'm still amazed at what they did to the geography of the Realms in the 3-4e switchover.
