TSR Inc. published Dragon #100 in August 1985. It is 116 pages long and has a cover price of $3.95. This milestone issue features more Pages from the Mages, a new high-level adventure, and Dragonchess!
But first, a minor correction. Ever since issue #39, Dragon Magazine has been published by Dragon Publishing, a division of TSR Inc. However, as of issue 93, Dragon Publishing has disappeared, and the magazine lists TSR Inc. as the publishing entity. This change undoubtedly reflects some internal reorganisation, but I'm not aware of any broader significance.
The cover is by Dennis Kauth, and it is most unusual. Instead of a painting, Kauth created and photographed a paper sculpture depicting a faerie dragon gliding over a stream. It's a bold and distinctive image, and I thought it was quite lovely at the time. I'm not sure the digital reproduction does it justice.
There are several special attractions in this issue. First is Gary Gygax's short story, "At Moonset Blackcat Comes," which introduces readers to Gord of Greyhawk, the protagonist in Gygax's upcoming debut novel, Saga of Old City. This little tale is very much written in a classic swords-and-sorcery style, with obvious nods to both Fritz Leiber and R.E. Howard. Gygax's fiction has undoubtedly improved since the material he published in the early issues of Dragon, though I found this story a little slow to get going.
"The City Beyond the Gate" by Robert Schroeck is an AD&D adventure set on Earth. The party seeks the legendary Mace of Saint Cuthbert and is sent via a portal to modern London. As they scour the city, they must deal with cultural clashes, technology, and the severe limitations placed on their magic. It's an excellent premise and could be a lot of fun, but there are problems with the design. The adventure presents a broad overview of a lot of information but doesn't give the DM much help in gamifying the elements. One of the random encounters, for example, is simply "Truant officer". The DM will need to figure out how to make that fun.
In the same vein, the adventure includes an accurate floor plan of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and details one hundred locations within, most of which are not very interesting or relevant. For example, "20. Corridor displays: A. Chinese and Japanese lacquerwork and furniture; B. Ivories and leatherwork; C. Chimney pieces; D. Musical instruments; E. Plaster casts (sculptures)." Still, with a bit of work, a DM could turn this into an enjoyable evening's entertainment. Schroeck went on to write several GURPS books for Steve Jackson Games.
The final special attraction is Dragonchess, also by Gary Gygax. This game is a 3D chess variant played across three boards, representing air, earth, and the subterranean realms. The rules are extensive but clearly explained, and the game is fully playable. Although it appears more like a thought experiment than anything, Dragonchess has had a long afterlife, with people building sets and playing the game to this day.
On to the other features! "Score one for Sabratact" by Forest Baker describes a new outdoor martial sport in which players, wearing armour and wielding pre-modern weapons, score points by breaking small target cups mounted on their opponents. It is team-based, with an emphasis on tactics and co-operation. It appears there has been a recent revival of interest in this sport, with a small documentary released a few years ago.
Frank Mentzer's "All About the Druid/Ranger" tackles the rules ambiguity around the druid/ranger multiclass combination, which Gygax officially approved in issue #96. Many readers pointed out that AD&D druids must be True Neutral in alignment, while rangers must be some variant of Good. Mentzer declares that druid/rangers must be Neutral Good and then spends half a page justifying why. It all seems much ado about nothing.
Ed Greenwood returns with "Pages from the Mages V," adding more magical tomes to the Forgotten Realms. This month, we have Sabirine's Specular, Glanvyl's Workbook, The Red Book of War, and The Alcaistar. To Greenwood's credit, he keeps coming up with new and compelling ideas for these books.
In "The Chance of a Lifetime," Doug Niles offers a brief retrospective on the creation of the Battlesystem miniatures game, highlighting the challenges posed by scale, formations, and spell effects. And in "From First Draft to Last Gasp," editor Michael Dobson shares his perspective on the same design process.
The ARES Section returns, presenting about a dozen pages of science-fiction and superhero gaming material. It includes five articles:
But first, a minor correction. Ever since issue #39, Dragon Magazine has been published by Dragon Publishing, a division of TSR Inc. However, as of issue 93, Dragon Publishing has disappeared, and the magazine lists TSR Inc. as the publishing entity. This change undoubtedly reflects some internal reorganisation, but I'm not aware of any broader significance.
The cover is by Dennis Kauth, and it is most unusual. Instead of a painting, Kauth created and photographed a paper sculpture depicting a faerie dragon gliding over a stream. It's a bold and distinctive image, and I thought it was quite lovely at the time. I'm not sure the digital reproduction does it justice.
There are several special attractions in this issue. First is Gary Gygax's short story, "At Moonset Blackcat Comes," which introduces readers to Gord of Greyhawk, the protagonist in Gygax's upcoming debut novel, Saga of Old City. This little tale is very much written in a classic swords-and-sorcery style, with obvious nods to both Fritz Leiber and R.E. Howard. Gygax's fiction has undoubtedly improved since the material he published in the early issues of Dragon, though I found this story a little slow to get going.
"The City Beyond the Gate" by Robert Schroeck is an AD&D adventure set on Earth. The party seeks the legendary Mace of Saint Cuthbert and is sent via a portal to modern London. As they scour the city, they must deal with cultural clashes, technology, and the severe limitations placed on their magic. It's an excellent premise and could be a lot of fun, but there are problems with the design. The adventure presents a broad overview of a lot of information but doesn't give the DM much help in gamifying the elements. One of the random encounters, for example, is simply "Truant officer". The DM will need to figure out how to make that fun.
In the same vein, the adventure includes an accurate floor plan of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and details one hundred locations within, most of which are not very interesting or relevant. For example, "20. Corridor displays: A. Chinese and Japanese lacquerwork and furniture; B. Ivories and leatherwork; C. Chimney pieces; D. Musical instruments; E. Plaster casts (sculptures)." Still, with a bit of work, a DM could turn this into an enjoyable evening's entertainment. Schroeck went on to write several GURPS books for Steve Jackson Games.
The final special attraction is Dragonchess, also by Gary Gygax. This game is a 3D chess variant played across three boards, representing air, earth, and the subterranean realms. The rules are extensive but clearly explained, and the game is fully playable. Although it appears more like a thought experiment than anything, Dragonchess has had a long afterlife, with people building sets and playing the game to this day.
On to the other features! "Score one for Sabratact" by Forest Baker describes a new outdoor martial sport in which players, wearing armour and wielding pre-modern weapons, score points by breaking small target cups mounted on their opponents. It is team-based, with an emphasis on tactics and co-operation. It appears there has been a recent revival of interest in this sport, with a small documentary released a few years ago.
Frank Mentzer's "All About the Druid/Ranger" tackles the rules ambiguity around the druid/ranger multiclass combination, which Gygax officially approved in issue #96. Many readers pointed out that AD&D druids must be True Neutral in alignment, while rangers must be some variant of Good. Mentzer declares that druid/rangers must be Neutral Good and then spends half a page justifying why. It all seems much ado about nothing.
Ed Greenwood returns with "Pages from the Mages V," adding more magical tomes to the Forgotten Realms. This month, we have Sabirine's Specular, Glanvyl's Workbook, The Red Book of War, and The Alcaistar. To Greenwood's credit, he keeps coming up with new and compelling ideas for these books.
In "The Chance of a Lifetime," Doug Niles offers a brief retrospective on the creation of the Battlesystem miniatures game, highlighting the challenges posed by scale, formations, and spell effects. And in "From First Draft to Last Gasp," editor Michael Dobson shares his perspective on the same design process.
The ARES Section returns, presenting about a dozen pages of science-fiction and superhero gaming material. It includes five articles:
- "Creative Conjuring" by Eric Walker presents a variant Marvel Super Heroes magic system.
- "Champions Plus" by Steven Maurer adds new skills and powers to Champions.
- "Charisma Counts" by S. D. Anderson expands charisma rules for Villains & Vigilantes.
- "Defenders of the Future" by William Tracy introduces the Guardians of the Galaxy to Marvel Super Heroes.
- "The Marvel-Phile" by Jeff Grubb details the Defenders Ensemble, also for Marvel Super Heroes.
