Dragon Reflections #79

Dragon Publishing released Dragon #79 in November 1983. It is 84 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features holy saints, adventuring tips, and a new Top Secret module!

The issue's special attraction is "Wacko World" by Al Taylor. The adventure won the recent Module Design Contest in category T-3 (an investigative mission for 4-8 Top Secret characters). Hydra has infiltrated an amusement park in Florida and is using it to front various criminal enterprises. Players must uncover Hydra's activities and prevent the assassination of a visiting VIP. The adventure gates important clues behind Perception and Observation roles, and I wonder how it played at the table. Taylor published no other RPG material.

The feature articles include "The Fights of Fantasy" by Lew Pulsipher, which examines how large-scale battles in a fantasy world differ from medieval warfare and provides guidelines for DMs to run these encounters. The article is particularly concerned with the impact of magic on battles but also covers matters such as fortresses, intelligence gathering, and aerial warfare.

Pulsipher's other piece, "Be Aware and Take Care," offers strategic advice for successful adventuring in fantasy roleplaying games. This lengthy and thorough article emphasizes the importance of preparation, adaptability, and cooperation within the party. Pulsipher published several articles like this in Dragon, reflecting his deep engagement with the gaming aspect of Dungeons & Dragons.

Scott Bennie's "Setting Saintly Standards" notes that AD&D mentions saints but gives no further information. Bennie defines them as "the most powerful servants of a deity on earth, the absolute embodiment of their religion." He explains the requirements of sainthood and the powers saints possess, and he also provides several examples, such as St. Eleador the Survivor. It's a well-crafted article and is the sort of thing I can imagine Gygax writing. Bennie was a prolific RPG freelancer and was one of the original writers on Fallout, amongst other credits. He passed away in 2022.

"Magic Resistance" is an uncredited piece that explores this aspect of AD&D gameplay in depth. It defines magic resistance, explains the mechanics, and then explores certain edge cases, such as scope, voluntary nullification, and the impact on worn magic items. It's a solid article and full of practical advice.

In this issue's "Ecology" article, Susan Lawson delves into the lore of the treant, offering insight into these enigmatic and ancient creatures. Much of the information clearly derives from Tolkien, but there are a couple of nice details, such as the idea that treants make potions from their living sap. Lawson wrote several more articles for Dragon and also wrote an Endless Quest book called Riddle of the Griffon for TSR.

For aspiring game designers, "Page Advice II: Getting Started" provides advice for getting published by TSR. It makes the critical point that "you need the desire to write—not just the desire to see your work in print." It then mentions the importance of knowing the game system, having a reference shelf, editing your work, etc. The article was uncredited but was most likely written by Kim Mohan.

"Blame it on the Gremlins," by Gregg Chamberlain, introduces these notorious troublemakers into the AD&D universe, drawing inspiration from their roots in military folklore. These creatures briefly reappear in 4E but (contrary to my recollection) were never officially published in 5E. Chamberlain had several credits in Dragon.

"The Ordeal" by Atanielle Annyn Noel is a short story about a group of D&D players who devise a creative solution to deal with a troublesome member. Noel, who previously contributed "Be Quest" to Dragon #69, later published several novels. Her brother, Jefferson P. Swycaffer, was also a writer and published several Traveller-related books.

"Off the Shelf" returns and covers an eclectic collection of books:

• The Art of Al Williamson by James Van Hise is a rich tribute to "one of the grand masters of comic art" and blends interviews, essays, and artwork.
• Code of the Life Maker by James P. Hogan is a standout science fiction novel about robots on Titan and is "the best book to date this year."
• The Unteleported Man by Philip K. Dick is a complicated yet compelling novel and "not to be missed."
• Dinosaur Tales by Ray Bradbury is a beautifully illustrated collection of Bradbury's dinosaur stories and "a solid tribute to a well-respected master."
• The General's Wife by Peter Straub is a chilling novella about identity and the supernatural and "a fine example of Straub's talent."
• The Worthing Chronicle by Orson Scott Card is a complex, compelling tale of telepathy and "is the kind of book Card should have been writing from the start."

The cover art is by Jack Crane with interior art by Dave Trampier, Steve Swenston, Roger Raupp, and Phil Foglio.

And that's a wrap! There was a lot of good material in this issue, with my favorite being Bennie's "Setting Saintly Standards." In the next issue, we have castle inhabitants, rare treasures, and the keys to DM success!

 

[Voadam]

I had heard references to St. Kargoth before but never seen this issue.

I thought it was interesting that Greyhawk had St. Cuthbert the prominent Greyhawk lesser god and Kelanen as the Sword Saint quasi-deity (hero-deity?) but never really developed the role of saints in D&D. I think the 3.5 Book of Exalted Deeds had a bit on saints for that D&D era but it was mostly just a template that I mostly ignored.

I use a bunch of saints in my current mashup campaign expanding a bunch on the Ptolus selection for my Holy Lothian Empire and include a bunch of gods from different pantheons assimilated in as Lothian saints (Saint Abadar, Saint Erastil, Saint Iomedae, Saint Corean, Saint Hedrad, Saint Bethesda, etc.) alongside some still being worshiped as gods in places so I can have a Brigid/Saint Brigid thing going on.

For my game I cosmologically have divine power just as a different power source for divine caster traditions so divine spells of different levels are not tied to gods or divine servants of specific power so it is easy to incorporate different traditions of gods and saints and such and keep it a bit mysterious as to what a god or saint actually is but have intense devotion to such beings and different traditions and theologies built around them.

I think I should pull up this article on my CD files at some point and check it out.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

According to Gary in the DMG, it’s not until 6-7th level spells do they actually come from the deity. 1-2nd are innate, 3-5th are via an escalator of intermediaries.

One of those things that was less generic than it probably should have been in a core book, but whatever.

Yep...though as a kid, I know I completely missed that section in the DMG. It was so dense and shambolic and I would've been young, probably 11 when I was reading it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I use a bunch of saints in my current mashup campaign expanding a bunch on the Ptolus selection for my Holy Lothian Empire and include a bunch of gods from different pantheons assimilated in as Lothian saints (Saint Abadar, Saint Erastil, Saint Iomedae, Saint Corean, Saint Hedrad, Saint Bethesda, etc.) alongside some still being worshiped as gods in places so I can have a Brigid/Saint Brigid thing going on.

Hey, I've done that too, with some of the Prustan gods being repurposed as Lothianite saints!

 

[PHATsakk43]

Yep...though as a kid, I know I completely missed that section in the DMG. It was so dense and shambolic and I would've been young, probably 11 when I was reading it.

I’m 45 and started playing in 1990 or so. Very big Satanic Panic vibe in my hometown. I literally just got a 1E DMG last week for the first time.

I’ve heard about it for decades, but actually reading is a very weird experience. From what I can tell, there is zero resemblance to anything that looks like a game manual. It’s Uncle Gary’s Guide to How I DM. It’s weirdly conversation, albeit in a very derogatory manner.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

The saints article was tremendously influential on my campaign. It's also quite curious (and probably due to religious concerns) that the concept doesn't appear more often. Gygax used saints (notably St. Cuthbert) but D&D skews much more toward "deity has an avatar" vs. "humanoid elevated to sainthood." I prefer less avatars and more saints to make the gods a bit more mysterious.

I liked the saints article and have used some of the ideas over the years. There's another article in Dragon - not sure when - called "Small Gods" I believe, and had ideas about villages with a local god or the protective stones from Temple of Doom. I used it in a game I ran that was eternal winter - the druids managed to awaken a great oak that had healing abilities, and so there was a zone around the tree for a mile or so where it was 50F while the rest of the world was suffering from impact winter.

 

[talien]

I liked the saints article and have used some of the ideas over the years. There's another article in Dragon - not sure when - called "Small Gods" I believe, and had ideas about villages with a local god or the protective stones from Temple of Doom. I used it in a game I ran that was eternal winter - the druids managed to awaken a great oak that had healing abilities, and so there was a zone around the tree for a mile or so where it was 50F while the rest of the world was suffering from impact winter.

It's funny how D&D's got some "big gods striding the world" vibes. My travels to different countries have made it clear that for many people their religion isn't some abstract deity who might show up one day, but a physical presence in their daily lives (relics being one example, incorruptible saints you can visit being another). To that end, "little gods" make perfect sense, and I imagine makes a fantasy campaign more magical. I try to split the difference in that I have a big "core three" deities and then they have incarnations and a host of saints who act as intermediaries, so you can still technically worship a particular god but might be dealing with a local saint instead who you are on much more personal terms with.

Mechanically it probably doesn't change the game much, but I think the default tone of deities being supremely powerful and occasionally stomping around the planet is a very different vibe from saints and local deities.

 

[Voadam]

Mechanically it probably doesn't change the game much, but I think the default tone of deities being supremely powerful and occasionally stomping around the planet is a very different vibe from saints and local deities.

I think it is mostly just a matter of focus.

In Greek Mythology you have the big powerful god Olympians on actual Mount Olympus in Greece and screwing around in different places in the world with big things like Zeus burying Typhon under Mount Aetna and then you have individual nymphs and a god of that particular river being very local small gods and you have crossover things like Apollo chasing a nymph. So what the vibes are depends heavily on the particular story.

In Greyhawk you mostly have the big gods being removed from the world and distant figures even though they have full 1e stats for interactions, the ones mostly stomping around the world are the demi and quasi gods, Iuz, Wastri, Xagyg on his path to ascension, and Murlynd and Kelanen and such. They are the god people you are more likely to meet in the Flanaess than actual Nerull or Hextor or Rao coming down out of the planes to interact directly with people of the world.

 

[Zaukrie]

I liked the saints article and have used some of the ideas over the years. There's another article in Dragon - not sure when - called "Small Gods" I believe, and had ideas about villages with a local god or the protective stones from Temple of Doom. I used it in a game I ran that was eternal winter - the druids managed to awaken a great oak that had healing abilities, and so there was a zone around the tree for a mile or so where it was 50F while the rest of the world was suffering from impact winter.

That small gods article is great

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I’m 45 and started playing in 1990 or so. Very big Satanic Panic vibe in my hometown. I literally just got a 1E DMG last week for the first time.

I’ve heard about it for decades, but actually reading is a very weird experience. From what I can tell, there is zero resemblance to anything that looks like a game manual. It’s Uncle Gary’s Guide to How I DM. It’s weirdly conversation, albeit in a very derogatory manner.

When I read the DMG back then, I might get bits and pieces, but at that age it was hard to completely encompass and understand the whole thing. Even today, you can get completely different rules depending on whether you go by the DMG or PHB - how backstab works, for example.

 

[evildmguy]

I think this discussion perfectly describes gaming in the 80s and 90s. Go to this table and the DM is using ten dragon magazine articles they loved and their own notes. Go to that table, and the DM is using twelve different dragon magazine articles, and three things from the DMG appendix on suggested reading.

That's not to say the articles aren't good. The saint article defines them as NPCs, at least 16th level, a quasi-deity, and the embodiment of the religion. Reads like a Chosen to me, although it's many years before we get that term. I suppose it could be an Avatar of the god.

I would get more out of the articles today then I did back them. It's why I like these reflections so much! Back then, though, what an article meant for the gaming table would vary for each DM.