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Message: <blockquote data-quote="skippy_the_witch" data-source="post: 3145260" data-attributes="member: 18980">This proves the fact that different people find different things useful in Dragon.  ANY Greyhawk material is worse than useless to me.  I would rather have those same pages filled with blatant video game ads, because the artwork might spark an idea or two with me.  Forgotten Realms material is usual the same way, but FR material is slightly less vanilla than GH (think fudge topped vanilla), so every once in a while, I will find something that I am able to modify and use.  Eberron is the exception, as my campaign is technomagic, so I will admit to stealing much of the ideas from Eberron.The recent core beliefs articles are also wasted space for me, as my current (and only) homebrew does not allow clerics of any kind, and the gods (and the upper planes) have been completely cut off.  Besides, 90% of those articles is fluff, something which I am more than capable of creating on my own.  But, I am happy that many people seem to find them useful.  The demonomicon articles are only slightly more useful, as the prestige class of each of the demon's followers has sometimes been useful for mutant villians in my game.Maps are ALWAYS a waste of space.  I have NEVER used a published map in my entire 20+ years of gaming, UNLESS I am running a published module (which I haven't done in decades).  As a matter of fact, if the map is an insert, it usually ends up in my RPG junk box (I have the bad habit of never throwing anything out).I like those articles with ten unique magic items or whatever.  I bought the Dragon with the magic face paints in it just for that article.  I am not so much interested in new monsters and spells, but every once in a while, it does fill the bill (especially templates...if I can't take a MM creature and slap templates on it to do what I want, then I need to hang up my GMs hat).I agree with the first, second and third advice points, but vehemently disagree with the others.  The ONLY reason I subscribe to Dragon is Class Acts.  I think my cost per issue is around $4 (rounding to keep math easy).  Of the FOUR Class Acts, TWO have ALWAYS been useful to me so far.  These are the kind of things I would easily have spent a dollar or two online for a pdf.  Thus, half the class acts and a magic item article and I got my monies worth compared to what I would have paid online for same info (maybe with slightly more content) from purchasing pdfs.  Having been assured by Eric and company that Class Acts would not be significantly changing is the ONLY reason I renewed my subscription.As for the initial question asked, the current COVER price is much more than I am willing to pay for MOST issues of Dragon.  Take the most recent issue (349), I found the article on bows slightly useful (as pnuematic repeating crossbows are used in my game), the thrall of dagon maybe useful if my players go near the ocean and I need evil mutants (but rest of article useless), the Horde article useless, ecology of ogre mage useful for the cereborg (psionic ogre mage), savage tide useless (not running adventure path...but three of last years articles for age of worms were extremely useful to me, so I do not begrudge the space), and ALL of the class acts VERY useful for my world (even the animal battle gear, as my halflings all bond with soem critter, usually a mount of some kind).  Total useful pages...about 19 pages.  I have been known to pay $4 for a pdf of that size, so put it in the win column.Sorry to be so long winded.  And please note, I am not bitter or upset when I see a core beliefs article or demonomicon, since these popular items allow articles that I find more useful to be published.  Anyway, I will go away now.skippyThe GM of The Cursed Earth</blockquote>

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