Dragon Publishing released Dragon #77 in September 1983. It is 84 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features tarot cards, unicorns, and a new board game!
This month's special attraction is King of the Tabletop, a board game by Tom Wham and Robert Kuntz. In it, you play as a noble looking to grow your domain and increase your prestige. Collect gold, build cities, and go to war. This highly regarded game was later expanded and published as Kings & Things by West End Games and won an Origins award.
In "The Tarot of Many Things," Michael J. Lowrey details the structure, history, and various uses of the tarot deck, emphasizing its mystical and divinatory qualities. He then describes every card in the Major and Minor Arcana and associates it with a D&D effect. For example, if you draw the Magician card, you gain 1 extra point of intelligence (2 if you are a magic user). Some of the effects are rather complex and fun. It's an obvious idea but very well executed. Lowrey wrote a couple more articles for Dragon and has been active in fandom ever since.
"Curses!" by Ed Greenwood is a collection of 20 minor curses the DM can bestow upon unwary characters. The goal is inconvenience rather than punishment. For example, "One piece of paper (scroll, map, page of spell book, etc.) carried by the party is erased, becoming instantly blank," or "One character is confused (6 rounds) or feebleminded or loses consciousness (2-8 rounds) immediately."
On the same theme, Richard Fichera's "Nasty additions to a DM's arsenal" shares some creative cursed items for your D&D campaign. One of his more odious objects is the Ring of Gaseous Form—once you use it, you and the ring become gas, so you can't take it off! Fichera published several more articles in Dragon and an adventure in Dungeon magazine.
"Elemental Gods" by Nonie Quinlan describes the pantheon she has created for her home campaign, which she claims is more engaging and credible for players than the published alternatives. Her proposed gods are non-corporeal, all-powerful, and immune to physical harm—which obviously influences how players interact with them! In Quinlan's pantheon, there are just four gods (based on the four elements), each with good and evil aspects. It's a thoughtful system and may appeal to those tired of D&D's crowded hall of gods. Quinlan later contributed to a Champions sourcebook called Champions in 3-D.
"A new game with a familiar name" by Frank Mentzer describes the upcoming revised Basic and Expert Sets from TSR. He asserts they designed this edition to be even more accessible than the previous ones, allowing players to learn the game without prior knowledge or experience. Innovations include a guided scenario and a more narrative-focused approach to explaining the rules.
"Spy's Advice" by Merle Rasmussen answers readers Top Secret questions. It includes queries such as "How long would a flash grenade blind a character?" and "How do you determine if an agent has made a successful parachute jump?" As I read this, I wondered why "spy" RPGs went out of fashion after being a significant category in the 80s.
Let's move on to the regular offerings! In "The Ecology of the Unicorn," Roger Moore details this mythical woodland creature. The article describes an encounter between a dryad and an adventurer, with the dryad delivering a lecture on the unicorn's various qualities. A short appendix contains some D&D-specific details. There is some helpful information, but this is much less rich than the previous article on the beholder.
This issue includes two game reviews:
And that's a wrap! This issue felt a little lightweight regarding articles, but King of the Tabletop more than offset this. In the next issue, we have a new AD&D adventure and psionic rules!
This month's special attraction is King of the Tabletop, a board game by Tom Wham and Robert Kuntz. In it, you play as a noble looking to grow your domain and increase your prestige. Collect gold, build cities, and go to war. This highly regarded game was later expanded and published as Kings & Things by West End Games and won an Origins award.
In "The Tarot of Many Things," Michael J. Lowrey details the structure, history, and various uses of the tarot deck, emphasizing its mystical and divinatory qualities. He then describes every card in the Major and Minor Arcana and associates it with a D&D effect. For example, if you draw the Magician card, you gain 1 extra point of intelligence (2 if you are a magic user). Some of the effects are rather complex and fun. It's an obvious idea but very well executed. Lowrey wrote a couple more articles for Dragon and has been active in fandom ever since.
"Curses!" by Ed Greenwood is a collection of 20 minor curses the DM can bestow upon unwary characters. The goal is inconvenience rather than punishment. For example, "One piece of paper (scroll, map, page of spell book, etc.) carried by the party is erased, becoming instantly blank," or "One character is confused (6 rounds) or feebleminded or loses consciousness (2-8 rounds) immediately."
On the same theme, Richard Fichera's "Nasty additions to a DM's arsenal" shares some creative cursed items for your D&D campaign. One of his more odious objects is the Ring of Gaseous Form—once you use it, you and the ring become gas, so you can't take it off! Fichera published several more articles in Dragon and an adventure in Dungeon magazine.
"Elemental Gods" by Nonie Quinlan describes the pantheon she has created for her home campaign, which she claims is more engaging and credible for players than the published alternatives. Her proposed gods are non-corporeal, all-powerful, and immune to physical harm—which obviously influences how players interact with them! In Quinlan's pantheon, there are just four gods (based on the four elements), each with good and evil aspects. It's a thoughtful system and may appeal to those tired of D&D's crowded hall of gods. Quinlan later contributed to a Champions sourcebook called Champions in 3-D.
"A new game with a familiar name" by Frank Mentzer describes the upcoming revised Basic and Expert Sets from TSR. He asserts they designed this edition to be even more accessible than the previous ones, allowing players to learn the game without prior knowledge or experience. Innovations include a guided scenario and a more narrative-focused approach to explaining the rules.
"Spy's Advice" by Merle Rasmussen answers readers Top Secret questions. It includes queries such as "How long would a flash grenade blind a character?" and "How do you determine if an agent has made a successful parachute jump?" As I read this, I wondered why "spy" RPGs went out of fashion after being a significant category in the 80s.
Let's move on to the regular offerings! In "The Ecology of the Unicorn," Roger Moore details this mythical woodland creature. The article describes an encounter between a dryad and an adventurer, with the dryad delivering a lecture on the unicorn's various qualities. A short appendix contains some D&D-specific details. There is some helpful information, but this is much less rich than the previous article on the beholder.
This issue includes two game reviews:
- Hârn by Columbia Games Inc. offers an immersive, medieval-style campaign world with a meticulously detailed environment. The $20 package includes a full-color map of Hârn—an island the size of Madagascar—along with two booklets: the Hârndex, which is a comprehensive guide to the region's geography, culture, and history, and the Hârnview, providing insights into its societies and the gameplay mechanics. The map is stunning and almost worth the high price on its own. Reviewer Roger Moore says, "Hârn sets a high standard in campaign complexity and authenticity, promising an engaging experience for players."
- Plague of Terror by The Companions is an $8.50 system-generic fantasy adventure centered around a troubled village called Wentworth. The module is rich with subplots and detailed NPCs, though the complexity makes it challenging for even seasoned referees. Moreover, it contains depictions of extreme violence and abuse. Moore says, "I cannot recommend this module for inexperienced role-players or those uncomfortable with graphic content."
And that's a wrap! This issue felt a little lightweight regarding articles, but King of the Tabletop more than offset this. In the next issue, we have a new AD&D adventure and psionic rules!
