Dragon Issue 109: May 1986
part 1/4
108 pages. The abominable snowman attacks on the front cover, in a dynamic, but slightly cartoony image. Can brave brave sir robin defeat him? Who can say. Meanwhile, inside we have another attack of the missing feature, as the 24 page Gen con Preregistration booklet they mention in the contents page is not in the scan. As ever, I would very much appreciate assistance in filling in missing bits like that. However, we still have the full 108 pages, even without it, so this is still going to be another long, tiring issue. Will I sink into a happy sleep of a job well done at the end of the day, or will I still be laboring to think of something interesting to say? Seems likely, I'm afraid.
In this issue:
Letters: Ha. Someone's realized that they've been hitting the supplement treadmill a lot harder recently. They don't like it, because it means they can't keep up with everything. Kim of course tells them that they shouldn't try too, they should just pick and use the bits they like.
buy everything. you know you want too
An accusation of being a house organ, because they put TSR specific previews and profiles in. Kim gives a rather snippy response, pointing out all the things they've done recently that aren't purely for profit.
A letter asking a dumb question. How do you expect to survive the tomb of horrors with an attitude like that?
A letter asking why Gary changed his mind on an issue. People are entitled to that, are they not. Businesses even more so, when staff changes. There are a lot of things happening in the world, and promises can not always be kept, even if we wanted too.
The forum: Dr John F McDermott would like to battle the problem of fearmongering about D&D by doing an official medical study of people's roleplaying experiences, and how they have benefited or suffered from playing. Write up your adventures and send them in to him. Please do not send spam or hate mail just because he included his address in the magazine.
Glen Sitton would like to remind people that the greyhawk flavour in the core rules is just there as an example, and is relatively easy to strip out. Don't feel you have to have a Boccob and a Myrlund in every world. Don't be afraid to not put valley elves in there either
Gordon Hull thinks that the rules for the maximum number of spells a magic-user can know per level are stupid, especially when they can erase one from their books and learn another one. After all, how smart you are has nothing to do with the size of library you can own. A cogent argument.
Paul D Ingraham would like to remind you all that the GM is the boss, and shouldn't tolerate players who throw tantrums because you change the rules or introduce new monsters that aren't in the books. They'll respect you more if you're firm, and if not, no gaming is better than bad gaming. Or something.
Fritz Freiheit would like to point out that guns are not automatic instakill weapons in real life, any more than you can hack at someone with a sword for hours and they'll be fine in a week or two. Guns in D&D should not be exponentially more powerful than all other weapons. Remember D&D's escalating hp system isn't remotely realistic in the first place. And making weapons that have the same odds of killing you at higher levels is against the spirit of the game. There is a reason why damage is fairly static, and saving throws get easier as you advance.
Customized classes: Oohh. This is wonderful. Three months ago they gave us the biggest collection of classes yet. Now they give us the keys to the kingdom with an idea that would make it into the second edition DMG. Build your own classes by assigning point costs to various abilities, and adding them all up to determine the XP multiplier for the class. It's a bit clunky compared to the 2e version, but still, it's a great idea, and another one that you can redefine your entire campaign by using. (of course, as the cost is based around XP multipliers, you can make an utterly brutal 1st level character for a deathtrap dungeon you're not expecting to survive, and not face the downsides) It includes lots of sample classes generated using it as well, and shows how the standard classes would be balanced using the system, which is also pretty helpful. (Clerics actually turn out way more expensive than wizards, which is amusing when you consider they also have one of the lowest XP costs in the standard game. CoDzilla was already right under your nose.) Now that's the kind of thing you start an issue with. A classic article in it's own right. When you factor in that this is also Paul Montgomery Crabaugh's last posthumous contribution, it acquires extra resonance. A very fitting legacy, for someone who loved gaming so much. What's that? No, it's just a bit of dust in my eye. Honest.
The barbarian cleric: Looks like we have another class straight away. Funny, that. They go years without introducing any new ones, and suddenly, dozens come along at once. Anyway, this is a good demonstration of what happens when you forbid a class from multiclassing. Someone'll just go and make a hybrid. The barbarian cleric, aka shaman, medicine man, wokan, witch doctor, and all kinds of unpronounceable titles. Their relationship to gods is less the fealty to one big one that ordinary clerics swear, than a process of negotiation with whatever spirits happen to be around. They get a big chunk of the barbarian's wilderness dealing toolkit, plus some minor wizardly powers, bardic lore, and assassin poison making; at the cost of some of a cleric's spellcasting ability, a brutal advancement test system, and truly obscene XP costs, more than three times any of the standard classes at higher levels. Which I suppose is fitting, given that they're essentially a one man band, able to fill every party role themselves in a wilderness setting. I'm really not sure if the costs and drawbacks would balance them out when put with a regular party, but if you were playing a solo game, these guys would be the perfect pick. While slightly underwhelming in scope compared to the previous article, I would also be interested in testing this one out, partially out of morbid curiosity.
Fighters for a price: Mercenaries. People who fight for those who pay them. (As opposed to adventurers, which derive most of their wealth from the people they kill. ) A risky life, because no-one really trusts you. Yet they get everywhere, and are still found in war-torn areas today. Guess It's like prostitution (and I suspect the two trades do regular business with one-another. ) So here's a long and crunchy article on the finding, hiring, and maintenance of merc squads in D&D. They can come from many races and backgrounds, and have quite different capabilities and price ranges. While still a useful addition to a game that you can slide in without too much trouble, (if the DM will allow it, as many would get awkward if the players suddenly decided they'd prefer to do the job with backup, rather than play the big heroes on their own) this is a much less interesting read than the last two articles. So it goes. Back to the coalface to uncover the gems.
