Dragon Publishing released Dragon issue 56 in December 1981. It is 84 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. In this issue, we have more Gygax on Greyhawk, a feature on bards, and a Top Secret adventure!
This month's special attraction is "Mad Merc: The Alulu Island Mission," a Top Secret adventure by Merle M. Rasmussen and James Thompson. A mercenary group has invaded a pacific atoll, and it's up to our heroes to stop them. They encounter plenty of obstacles on the island itself, including a massive industrial facility worthy of the best James Bond films!
There are three articles dedicated to the bard. First, in "Singing a new tune," Jeff Goelz offers a variant class that leans into Welsh ideas. Next, we've got a dedicated "Sage Advice" column for the bard. Most of the answers boil down to, "Read the Player's Handbook!" Finally, in "Songs instead of spells," Bill Howell describes an alternate magic system for the class.
There are two more feature articles. William Hamblin's "Map hazard, not haphazard" recommends real-life topographical maps for your campaign world. Unfortunately, he does not really explain the benefits of doing this. And "The Doctor" is a piece of medical horror fiction by J. Robert Dunkle. I don't recall any horror fiction in Dragon before. It's creepy and nicely written.
On to the regular articles! Gygax returns with "From the Sorcerer's Scroll," presenting a short piece on protective circles and a longer one on the history of Iuz and the northern Flanaess. It is mostly battle reports and is probably one for fans only.
In "Minarian Legends," Glen Rahman details some legendary monsters from his setting, while John Prados brings us his final article on game design in "Simulation Corner."
"Dragon's Bestiary" presents three new monsters for D&D. First is the shroom by Lewis Pulsipher, an ursine humanoid with a fondness for ransom. Next is the colfel by Richard Lucas, a bug-like aberration from the Negative Material plane. Finally, there is the gem vars by Michael C. Reed, a humanoid construct made of gems.
"Dragon's Augury" reviews four games. Survival/The Barbarian is a double-pack by Task Force Games. The games are "easy and quick, but gamers after a real challenge should look elsewhere." Dawn of the Dead by SPI, based on the George Romero movie, is "fast-paced and a fair amount of fun." The Argon Gambit/Death Station is a pair of adventures produced by GDW which are "colorful and well-detailed." And while Fighting Ships, also by GDW, is "very interesting reading for those of us enamored with spaceships," the reviewer questions how valuable the content is for gamers.
I'm pleased to see that "Off the Shelf" has returned, with reviews by Chris Henderson. "Other Stories and... The Attack of the Giant Baby" by Kit Reed is "the best short story collection to be released this year." In "Sharra's Exile" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, we have a "complicated, devious, demanding tale," ultimately let down by a dull lead character. "Too Long a Sacrifice" by Mildred Downey Broxon "adds new dimensions to the fantasy genre," while "When Trouble Beckons" by Mike McQuay is a "fierce , hard-bitten travel through a gritty, weary future."
Phil Foglio painted this month's cover. Interior artists include Harry Quinn, Bruce Whitefield, Roger Raupp, David Trampier, Chuck Vadun, Alan Burton, and Mary Hanson-Roberts.
And that's a wrap! It felt like a thin issue, with the highlight being "Off the Shelf." Next month, we have modern monsters, a history of the shield, and a complete D&D adventure!
This month's special attraction is "Mad Merc: The Alulu Island Mission," a Top Secret adventure by Merle M. Rasmussen and James Thompson. A mercenary group has invaded a pacific atoll, and it's up to our heroes to stop them. They encounter plenty of obstacles on the island itself, including a massive industrial facility worthy of the best James Bond films!
There are three articles dedicated to the bard. First, in "Singing a new tune," Jeff Goelz offers a variant class that leans into Welsh ideas. Next, we've got a dedicated "Sage Advice" column for the bard. Most of the answers boil down to, "Read the Player's Handbook!" Finally, in "Songs instead of spells," Bill Howell describes an alternate magic system for the class.
There are two more feature articles. William Hamblin's "Map hazard, not haphazard" recommends real-life topographical maps for your campaign world. Unfortunately, he does not really explain the benefits of doing this. And "The Doctor" is a piece of medical horror fiction by J. Robert Dunkle. I don't recall any horror fiction in Dragon before. It's creepy and nicely written.
On to the regular articles! Gygax returns with "From the Sorcerer's Scroll," presenting a short piece on protective circles and a longer one on the history of Iuz and the northern Flanaess. It is mostly battle reports and is probably one for fans only.
In "Minarian Legends," Glen Rahman details some legendary monsters from his setting, while John Prados brings us his final article on game design in "Simulation Corner."
"Dragon's Bestiary" presents three new monsters for D&D. First is the shroom by Lewis Pulsipher, an ursine humanoid with a fondness for ransom. Next is the colfel by Richard Lucas, a bug-like aberration from the Negative Material plane. Finally, there is the gem vars by Michael C. Reed, a humanoid construct made of gems.
"Dragon's Augury" reviews four games. Survival/The Barbarian is a double-pack by Task Force Games. The games are "easy and quick, but gamers after a real challenge should look elsewhere." Dawn of the Dead by SPI, based on the George Romero movie, is "fast-paced and a fair amount of fun." The Argon Gambit/Death Station is a pair of adventures produced by GDW which are "colorful and well-detailed." And while Fighting Ships, also by GDW, is "very interesting reading for those of us enamored with spaceships," the reviewer questions how valuable the content is for gamers.
I'm pleased to see that "Off the Shelf" has returned, with reviews by Chris Henderson. "Other Stories and... The Attack of the Giant Baby" by Kit Reed is "the best short story collection to be released this year." In "Sharra's Exile" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, we have a "complicated, devious, demanding tale," ultimately let down by a dull lead character. "Too Long a Sacrifice" by Mildred Downey Broxon "adds new dimensions to the fantasy genre," while "When Trouble Beckons" by Mike McQuay is a "fierce , hard-bitten travel through a gritty, weary future."
Phil Foglio painted this month's cover. Interior artists include Harry Quinn, Bruce Whitefield, Roger Raupp, David Trampier, Chuck Vadun, Alan Burton, and Mary Hanson-Roberts.
And that's a wrap! It felt like a thin issue, with the highlight being "Off the Shelf." Next month, we have modern monsters, a history of the shield, and a complete D&D adventure!
They complain about how 1E Bards are tougher than tanks, more or less. All those Hit Dice did tend to give them a ridiculous number of HP if you actually went all the way through the process!
