Dragon Magazine articles worth re-reading

[delericho]

I forget which issue it is in, but "The Highs and Lows of Fantasy" is good for inspiration. Actually, that whole issue is brilliant. (Edit: #143)

In the late Paizo era, the Demonomicon series and the series on the Greyhawk gods was always really strong - even if you didn't use the elements as-is there was lots of stuff that could be lifted.

 

[Weregrognard]

Great timing in this thread, OP! I just started (re)reading my Dragon collection, starting on issue #243 last night!

Here's some articles that stood out for me from this issue:

- Out of Character: The PC Report Card - An article about assigning XP in the form of a school "grade". I recall using this method in one campaign.

- Enchanting Weapons - An article about giving more flavor to magic items. I'll definitely be using this one in my current 4E campaign.

Honorable Mention:

- Wyrms of the North: Jalanvaloss, The Wyrm of Many Spells. I might use these Wyrms of the North articles in my 4e FR campaign.

 

[Agamon]

The article in #101, "For King and Country", is one I used to go back to frequently. It dismantles the alignment rules for AD&D.

I don't recall this one. By dismantle do you mean remove, or go over subjectively?

I need to break out the old CD, too. It's been a while.

 

[Vascant]

I own them all, both complete collections of Dragon and Dungeon magazine but I can't come up with a way to nail down a few articles because my game changes constantly. As the group moves from encounter to encounter or area or plane the very first thing I do is search my subscription for related content.

I can see it not being so important if you run or favor one shots and the such but if you are running a long term campaign, these are important resources no matter the edition.

 

[Achan hiArusa]

But if those were all for the same project, that would be AWESOME!

The city of Mhegadon in Alternity: Tangents comes close. But I always have problems in mixing high technology and high magic with players. I mean what is wrong with having +5 Blasters of Distance aimed at them by guards wearing Fortified +5 Overland Body Tanks? Really...

 

[Aeolius]

#125 - "Ecology of the Greenhag" by Nigel Findley. That one article shaped all of my games that followed.

#114 - The Witch class; still my favorite incarnation of the witch class, thus far.

 

[S'mon]

I forget which issue it is in, but "The Highs and Lows of Fantasy" is good for inspiration. Actually, that whole issue is brilliant.

Agreed, it's one I refer to a lot.

 

[Greg K]

Here is my "stock" reply for articles for the first 250 issue:

58 Dwarves
59 Halflings Point of View;
60 Elves Point of View;
61 Gnomes Point of View;
62 Half-orcs/orcs Point of View;
63 Humanoids
--- "Plan before you Play" by Ed Greenwood
65 "Law of the Land" by Ed Greenwood
66 Thieve's Cant
67 Greyhawk Deities
68 Weather in Greyhawk
---Thrills and Chills
---Greyhawk Deites (Celestian, Farlanghn,Ehlonna, Pholzus, Tritheron)
69 Greyhawk Deities (Istus, Obad-hai)
70 Greyhawk Deities (Boccob, zagyg, Oldimarra)
71 Greyhawks World (Heward, Keoghtom,Murlyand, Kelanen)
--- Greyhawk Deities (Erythnul, Incubalos, Nerull, Ralishaz, Wastri)
72 The Real Barbarians by Katherine Kerr
73 Non Violent Magic Itemsby Lewis Pulsipher and Roland Getliffe
75 Beyond the Rule Book by Lew Pulsipher
---- Nine Hells Part 1 by Ed Greenwood
---- All games Need Names by Katherine Kerr
76 Nine Hells Part 2 by Ed Greenwood
79 The Fights of Fantasy Lew Pulsipher
80 Who Lives in that Castle Katherine Kerr
84 Never the same thing Twice: Scott Bennie
-A cast of strange Familiars by Stephen Inniss
85 Clerics must be deity-bound Frazer Sherman
87 Beyond the Dungeon by Katherine Kerr
88 Beyond the Dungeon part 2 by Katherine Kerr
91 Eight Devilish Questions by Ed Greenwood
91 Nine Hells Revisited by Ed Greenwood
93 The Making of a Milieu by Arthur Collins
94 An army travels on its stomach by Katherine Kerr
96 What good PCs are made of by Katherine Kerr
97 Blueprints for a Big Game by Jim Dutton
98 Detailing a Fanasty World by Jim Dutton
----Creative Magic Items
99 That's Life in the Big city by Kevin Anderson and Kristine Thompson
102 Creating a Cast of NPCs by Jim Dutton
104 The Well Rounded Thief by John C. Bunnel
-Race is ahead of Class by John C. Bunnel
-Was it Worth the Risk by Bruce Barber
105 The Well Equipped Victim by Ed Greenwood
-Travel works Both Ways by Paul Vernon
108 The role of Nature by Bruce Humphrey
109 Locals aren't all Yokels by Ralph Sizer
111 Welcom to Malachi by Becky Helfenstein
112 Armor Piece by Piece by Matt Bandy
115 Lords of the Night by Eric Oppen
A Den of Thieves by Vince Garcia
The Art of Climbing Walls by Vince Garcia
Honor Among Thieves by Eric Oppen and Robin Jenkins
117 Fun without Fighting by Scott Bennie
118 Surely, You Joust! by Leonard Carpenter
-On Target by Leonard Carpenter
119 Underestimating the Druid by Carl Sargent
122 Marshalling the Martial Arts by Wayne Goldsmith and Dan Salas
123 Just Making Time by Roger Moore
133 Notice Anything Different by Thomas Ruddick
148 Tracking down the Barbarian by David Howery
---- Corrected Cavalier by David Howery
164
167 Curses are Divine
171 Completing the Complete fighter by David Howery
175 Creative Campaigns: A New Recipe by Tim Schroeder
-Inventing the "Instant Adventure" by Arthur Collins
176 Servants of the Seldarine
177 Defenders of the Hearth
178 What not to Include by Arthur Collins
184 The 7-Sentence NPC by C.M. Cline
189 The Dark Continent by David Howery
- Arms and Armor of Africa by Michael J. Varhola
-The other Orientals by Tom Griffith
-Completing the Complete Bard by Jon Winter
191 Open your MInd by Michael John Wybo II
-The Elven Pantheoen Completed by Carl Sargent
-An African Genesis by Brady English
196 Magic From the Gods: Wizard kits for an African Campaign by Michael John Wybo II
200 Familiar Faces by David Howery
-The Even More Complete Psionicist by Jon Winter
202: Mythic Races of Africa by Michael John Wybo II
205 The People by David Howery
208 Right from the Start by Eric Noah
209 The Priests of Africa by Michael John Wybo II
210 Primitive Weaponry
214 The Complete Half Elf
-Lost Empires: Add and Atlantis to your Campaign's Background by David Howery
215 The Deities of Africa by Michael John Wybo II
216 The Auld Alliance by Arthur Collins

 

[pemerton]

I don't recall this one. By dismantle do you mean remove, or go over subjectively?

Remove, but with a very good discussion of campaign design, and incorporating religion and politics as a more interesting and nuanced alternative to alignment.

 

[Agamon]

Remove, but with a very good discussion of campaign design, and incorporating religion and politics as a more interesting and nuanced alternative to alignment.

Really? That's pretty cool, I'll have to check it out.