[Dragon] Fiction in Dragon

[Tsyr]

By the same token, of course, most people have sections they would rather were used for other things. I could do without, for example, ever seeing another "Combine these two classes to almost get a third!" article, or another article on converting videogames to feats and spells (Which I find are rarely either all that interesting or that balanced, and when they *are* balanced they usualy don't represent the original source all that well). But I suspect I havn't seen the last of either of those.

 

[The_Gneech]

*shrugs*

I don't read the fiction, usually, but it doesn't bother me, either. Dragon is always a mixed bag, but I'm still happy with it.

-The Gneech

 

[Holy Bovine]

i've never, in all my years, ever read a short story in an issue of Dragon. and i've had a subscription since 3e came out (not to mention having one for several years during 1e).

i totally agree with you -- i'd rather see an additional article or two about D&D than a short story. even if the story is by an award-winning author like Bova.

So having never read a single story how do you know that they wouldn't provide information you could use in a game? An interesting NPC, plot, magic item etc are all waiting for you in those stories. True it wouldn't be statted out but any DM worth his salt should be able to take a cool character like Damphair (from the Geroge Martin story a few months ago) and make him into a full D&D NPC. Condemn if you like but I am starting to find that the fiction gives me as many ideas about new stuff for my campaign as the regular articles.

So, overall, yes I do read the fiction. I didn't for the longest time but I finally have begun to and am finding their choices of authors and stories to be very solid this last year. Hopefully, if the quality continues like this, more people will give the fiction section a try.

 

[Wombat]

I have disliked most of the fiction in The Dragon. I have different tastes in literature than what the present for the most part.

Then again, I while I love fantasty rpgs, I dislike most fantasy literature. Tolkein, great. LeGuin, excellent. Kay, superlative.

Just don't ask me to name names on the others, as it would probably lead to offense...

 

[kilamanjaro]

I just have to chime in and say that I almost always read the fiction in Dragon and borrow heavily from some of it for my game. The Fool Wolf stories by Greg Keyes are awesome!

 

[Zogg]

You should have made this a poll - and I would have been pro-fiction. I like it.

I also like the idea of Dragon being a variety of DnD-related pieces, not just a bunch of "crunchy articles".

 

[Geoffrey]

I say dump the fiction.

 

[Holy Bovine]

I say dump the fiction.

Have you read it? If you have - that's cool.

If you haven't - you may not know what you are missing.

 

[Harlock]

Have you read it? If you have - that's cool.

If you haven't - you may not know what you are missing.

That's a very good point, Bovine. I think this is also a good point: Many people buy Dragon because it is a gaming magazine and the fact that they aren't even bothering to read the fiction says something. Not that they are right or you are right. As long as the Magazine is still selling I don't think Paizo will bother too much. If it ain't broke...

 

[John Crichton]

My knee-jerk reaction is dump it.

However, I have never read a single line of the fictin included in the magazine with the possible exception of something I may have browsed about 10 years ago when I was in high school. So with that said I really can't say. Maybe it's time to read a bit of it for once instead of just passing it over out of hand...