Which Dragon column(s) would you like to see revived?

[Glyfair]

While Dungeon gets very positive reviews, Dragon is a bit more low-key in its praise. Still, most would agree its an improvement, there is always room for more.

If you got to see 3 columns from the past revived, what would they be? (You get to pick the column, not the author).

My choices:

1) Giants in the Earth: If always loved the statting of historical and fictional characters in D&D. They showed ways to adapt characters from different worlds to the D&D system, and often were good for adapting to different characters in campaign settings.

I realize this is the least likely, given the copyright/trademark considerations. It was a different atmosphere in those days.

2) Rogue's Gallery: I guess I like NPC stats. I would like to see themed NPC stats. As a player, they'd be good for quick PC stats, as a DM they'd be good for quick, NPCs. I wouldn't mind if these were tied into WotC fiction, too. I sort of miss seeing stats for characters in the D&D books (no matter how much some might abuse them).

3) Creature Collection: Yes, I realize they have had a few issues with a lot of creatures in them. In this case, I'd like to see a creature in every issue. No need for a gazillion, you only need one. They could even tie this into Dungeon with a creature easily substitued into the adventure.

 

[Greylock]

Class Acts.

The new version with Arcane/Divine/Adventurer etc. does nothing for me.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

1) Giants in the Earth: If always loved the statting of historical and fictional characters in D&D. They showed ways to adapt characters from different worlds to the D&D system, and often were good for adapting to different characters in campaign settings.

I realize this is the least likely, given the copyright/trademark considerations. It was a different atmosphere in those days.

I'd love to see this back, and Silicon Sorcery folded into it. (The best games are better than the average fantasy novel of today for story-telling and world-building, IMO.)

2) Rogue's Gallery: I guess I like NPC stats. I would like to see themed NPC stats. As a player, they'd be good for quick PC stats, as a DM they'd be good for quick, NPCs. I wouldn't mind if these were tied into WotC fiction, too. I sort of miss seeing stats for characters in the D&D books (no matter how much some might abuse them).

I would like this to be pretty retro if they brought it back. I'd like to see someone close to Gygax and company give us the modern stats of classic characters. (Sort of like Lasserven the Dark was in a relatively recent issue of Dungeon.) Once those are exhausted (or otherwise unavailable), I'd like to see flavorful characters from the pros' campaigns, whether PCs or NPCs.

3) Creature Collection: Yes, I realize they have had a few issues with a lot of creatures in them. In this case, I'd like to see a creature in every issue. No need for a gazillion, you only need one. They could even tie this into Dungeon with a creature easily substitued into the adventure.

Great idea.

I'd also like to see Pages from the Mages back. I never have much trouble with new magic items, but coming up with flavorful new spells is harder and adds a lot more to a game, IMO.

 

[cimbrog]

Known World Grimoire!!!

-Chad

 

[TheBadElf]

The book review column. I discovered better than a third of my favorite authors through those reviews.

 

[Hussar]

I'd also like to see Pages from the Mages back. I never have much trouble with new magic items, but coming up with flavorful new spells is harder and adds a lot more to a game, IMO.

When did they stop this? I know it wasn't in the anniversary issue, but the ish before that had new spells. They've had a new spells column every ish for the past two years IIRC.

I think you could roll Silicon Sorcery, Giants of the Earth and Novel (whatsits) into one rotating monthly column. I agree in that I too have found more than a couple of new authors through the Novel Ideas column and Silicon Sorcery has had a few hits as well.

I would like the see Creature Collection rolled into the Ecology articles. Instead of using non-core books for Ecologies and then giving advanced or classed stat blocks, just give us an entirely new creature, complete with base stats. I know this isn't going to happen, but, I can always wish.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

When did they stop this? I know it wasn't in the anniversary issue, but the ish before that had new spells. They've had a new spells column every ish for the past two years IIRC.

I could be wrong (I frequently am), but those looked like they were getting lots of such submissions at the moment (or overflow from WotC books), not a set column. I want guarantees.

Plus, I liked the old format better. Give me all the nitty gritty on the spellbooks, like Clockwork Golem does in its PDF series on spellbooks.

 

[Hussar]

You mean stuff like a curse that comes with the physical book so that the original author of the spellbook comes out of his grave and eats you? That was from one of the recent spellbook offerings. Or the spellbook from the insane bard who penned his spells as part of his masterwork symphony?

That's what you are looking for?

 

[Joshua Randall]

Scale Mail.

Because endlessly ongoing arguments about adjudicating illusion spells never get old.

 

[Shade]

Overall, I'm very happy with Dragon lately. Demonomicon and Creature Catalogs are my "must reads", and I'm really fond of the new Class Acts format.

Of the no-longer around features, I'd like to see:

• Dragon's Bestiary: 1-3 monsters every issue, without (necessarily) a theme.
• Wyrms of the North: I'd actually rather see a more generic "super dragons" article, not tied to just FR, though. I loved the mix of a cool creature, flavor, and the usual added cruchy bits (new spells, items, guardian creatures, etc.)
• Old-School Ecologies: I still prefer the old format, where we'd get variant creatures, young or larval form stats, etc. Some of the recent ones have come close (like the ettercap brood swarm or the moonlords), but too many still just have a monster with class levels (bo-ring) or a few extra HD.