Dragon #309

[BiggusGeekus]

Oh…and Biggus, the stats for the lich-queen are located in issue 100 of Dungeon page 133.

Ah. That would explain it. Thanks. I'll pick up the issue on Monday.

 

[Limper]

Just when Dragon was getting good we now get 3.5. Now they have to start over finding good material.

A very WEAK issue. Hopefully they will start including AU stuff in Dragon since it will be better than 3.5 any day of the week.

 

[John Crichton]

I loved this issue of Dragon. I found it very useful. A lot of my campaigns use war as a backdrop I can use a lot of this for flavor. The combat spells may be a quest item for the PC’s to help turn the tide.

War, in your campaign... nah!

But serious, I agree. The articles are very useful for those of us who dig war and like to incorporate it into our campaigns. I know many folks who can make use of information in that article.

The History of Warfare is very interesting to me. Made me want to load up a game of Civilization III.

I my computer was working properly, I'd be playing it right now...

- Matt

 

[Olive]

A very WEAK issue. Hopefully they will start including AU stuff in Dragon since it will be better than 3.5 any day of the week.

More weak troll-fu.

 

[Artimoff]

Without mas combat rules, i don't think they should have any articles in Dragon about War. I also found it to be a weak issue, but then again I don't like themed issues.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I liked the issue, though I wouldn't call it one of the best ... I missed some of the regular features, and I think the Githyanki stuff would have played better matched with the Dugeon material.

Anyway, the announcement of the "Undefeated" magazine got me thinking: could this be a good way to handle the mixed Dungeon/Poly mag?

Put all the Poly content into Undefeated, which becomes a general gaming mag with lots of d20 content.

If Dungeon can't stand alone, then, roll it and LGJ into an expanded Dragon. Then you've got one (or two, if Dungeon can survive on its own) D&D-specific magazines, and one more general magazine with some heavy d20 content, plus minigames.

 

[Gallo22]

I'm with the folks who thought the issue was week. Way too much Gith stuff. I'm getting real tired of the 30 page plus articles. I miss the short, to the point stuff. Articles maybe 5-8 pages long. I don't want to read a book, for that I'll buy a core product. Besides, most of these long topic issues go on way too long and they turn in to over-kill, getting real boring & reptative.

Also, what about the regular features. They are not regular any more???? There has to be some consistancy.

Gallo22

 

[Terry Edwards]

Thus far I am loving #309. The incursion article may run a little longwinded in the explanations of how to fit the githyanki into an existing campaign but the idea in general is very exciting. As I read through the article images of the incursion campaign flashed through my head like cut scenes in a video game. It could have used some more "crunchy bits" but I hear I can find that side of the incursion campaign in Dungeon. Great stuff!

The only other article I have read thusfar is the Ecology of the Hobgoblin and since I am a touch biased on that one, I'll just thank Matthew for the final edits that pulled it all together.

War is good (in a fantasy world) give it a try.

 

[Gizzard]

The article on 3.5 character conversions, used a lot of words to say very little, there were give 3 or 4 concrete things but mostly it said, it may have changed, so look it up.

Yeah, I grab the magazine and flip to the 3.5 stuff right away when it shows up. I was a bit disappointed in this installment, it was too big a subject so they were forced to rush through it. "The entire PHB condensed to 4 pages!"

I haven't gotten around to the rest of the magazine yet. I'd be surprised though if the Githyanki stuff is any more or less useful than the things in the previous couple issues -- Mind Flayer add-ons, Dragon Magic, extra fighty demon-things.

I always loved the old Ecology articles; that's one I am looking forward to.

 

[Felon]

Originally posted by GamerMan12
Just got my issue of Dragon #309. This is the 1st issue that is D&D 3.5. My initial impression is that this must rank as one of the most useless Dragons ever.

Hmm. That's hyperbole...but there was certainly a dearth of useful material. I'm not taken to bashing Dragon--I've been one of Dragon's biggest boosters on this board--but there can be little doubt that this issue was weak.

The article on 3.5 character conversions, used a lot of words to say very little, there were give 3 or 4 concrete things but mostly it said, it may have changed, so look it up.

I agree. It was not particularly helpful or enlightening, to the point where it just seemed like filler material.

The Phil Foglio's comic strip is the worst one I have seen.

Yeah, he phoned it in this month. The only funny part about it was that it came in a month late for the dragon-themed issue, making it not only lame but off-target.

The theme of war is ok and ties in with the Githyanki invasion, but battlefield monsters, spells and tactics would be rarely used in a D&D campaign. Battlefield tactics and stragtegies are interesting but their usefulness to a D&D game is slight.

Giving the spells a one-minute casting time along with a lot of other major associated costs (costs a feat, for the love o' Pete!) certainly constrains their useful application, even in a large-scale battle.

The article on 15 ways to speed up combat had some good if obvious advice.

Nothing innovative here. More filler material.

The art of D&D article which purports to use Sun Tzu's Art of War strategies as they apply to D&D, really pushed the bounds of belief. There would be a Sun Tzu quote followed by an interpretation of how that fitted into D&D, some of these made sense, others were just made up or had a very tenuous connection or even had an opposite meaning!. For example 'Tire them by flight' is the quote and then how that won't work with monks is the example!?

Pretty accurate review of the article. Ill-conceived idea, languid execution.

Overall save your shekels for the next issue, when you get a DM screen and the warrior classes are focused upon.

I agree. Not a great issue. I have a subscription, so I took my gamble and lost this month. I'm fine with that though, because the subscription is a great bargain, making even a weak issue worthwhile.