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Dragon Publishing released Dragon #96 in April 1985. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features character backstories, Star Trek deck plans, and the ecology of the otyugh! The cover is by Jack Crane and is titled "Andragon." It's a typically quirky Crane piece...

I am now including regular festivals in my ongoing D&D campaign. They've been popular with the players and have provided marvelous opportunities for character development. I have a list of 20, and I write them up and try to make them gameable when the characters attend one. Last night we have...

This issue features the cockatrice, fantasy taxes, and a Forgotten Realms adventure! The cover is by Dean Morrissey and depicts "Toad's Cloak Armorsmith Shop," where old metal is fashioned into armour. It's a peculiar but memorable blend of genres. Interior illustrations are by Roger Raupp...

I ran Mothership for the first time last week. My D&D group did it as a fill-in one shot because some folks were away. We played "The Haunting of Ypsilon 14", which is considered the classic introductory scenario. The scenario does not hold your hand! I rewrote the hook, and, my players pretty...

It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features the second creature catalog, Solemnic Knights, and the ecology of the chimera! The cover art is by Clyde Caldwell. Titled "Female Ranger," it depicts a striking ranger accompanied by her fierce animal companion. It's a...

Is anyone here running a zero-prep game of D&D (any edition or clone)? A game where you, as DM, just show up and start playing each session, and it results in a satisfying experience? If so, can you please explain your approach, tools, etc?

I finally got around to playing The Lord of the Rings 5E last night. My regular D&D group is playing the sample adventure, "The Star of the Mist". We were using the version in D&D Beyond, which has some definite problems with the implementation. The most serious is that it lacks the new skills...

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #93 in January 1985. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features world crafting, high-level druids, and a fishy ecology! The cover is by Jeff Busch and depicts the transformation of a weretiger, with a real tiger standing guard in...

When I started writing my Iskandar setting, I did a deep dive into real medieval societies. One thing I noticed was that holy days/fairs/festivals were really common and important in those societies, and none of the D&D games I'd run or played in ever reflected that well. I wanted to change...

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #92 in December 1984. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features clerics, ettins, and spellbooks! The cover is called "Bridge of Sorrows," painted by Denis Beauvais, and captures a wizard, barbarian, and centaur facing off...

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #91 in November 1984. It is 116 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features the Nine Hells, realistic character statistics, and a treasure trove of magic items! The cover is by Dean Morrissey and depicts a strange naval vessel that appears...

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #90 in October 1984. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features Norse mythology, the mysterious incantatrix, and lots of bats! The cover, by Jeff Busch, depicts a shipwrecked sailor menaced by a harpy. It's a dramatic scene...

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #89 in September 1984. It is 112 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features the Creature Catalog, special shields, and medieval war! The cover is called "Check" by Denis Beauvais and shows a brain-in-a-jar robot playing chess with living...

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #88 in August 1984. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. The cover is by Jim Holloway, one of my favourite RPG artists, and depicts a rogue hiding from an orc patrol. Interior artists include Keith Parkinson, Jeff Butler, Brian Born, Roger...

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #87 in July 1984. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. The cover is called "The Enchanted Forest" by Jack Crane and is a colourful scene featuring adventurers under attack from hostile vegetation. Crane painted six covers for Dragon and has a...

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #86 in June 1984. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. The cover is by Denis Beauvais and depicts a pair of knights battling on a multi-level chessboard. Beauvais painted many Dragon covers. Interior artists include Harry Quinn, Roger Raupp...

There is a lot of D&D and RPG material being published online, much of it free! Each week, I send out a list of the ten most interesting D&D articles I've come across. Following is a compilation of the hundred links I sent out between September and November: Sly Flourish suggests you...

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #85 in May 1984. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This month's cover is by Susan Collins and is called "The Innocent Power." Interior illustrations are by Kurt Ericksen, Jeff Busch, Denton Elliott, Roger Raupp, Robert Lilly, Lora Louise...

Herbal remedies for various ailments and injuries are a staple of fantasy literature, but the D&D core rules scarcely mention them. The ability to brew a natural remedy in the wilderness leans into this colourful trope and provides an alternative to healing magic. The system below suggests that...

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #84 in April 1984. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features a tournament module, a preview of the D&D Companion Set, and the debut of the ARES science fiction gaming section! The cover was by Dean Morrissey and features a pair...