Dragon Publishing released Dragon #84 in April 1984. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features a tournament module, a preview of the D&D Companion Set, and the debut of the ARES science fiction gaming section!
The cover was by Dean Morrissey and features a pair of Victorian gentlemen on Mars. Interior illustrations were by Roger Raupp, Steve Swenston, Kurt Ericksen, Larry Elmore, David Trampier, Jim Holloway, David Hutton, and Phil Foglio.
This month's special attraction is "The Twofold Talisman: Adventure One" by Roger Moore, Philip Tatercyznski, Douglas Niles, & Georgia Moore. It is a tournament module for the AD&D game, divided into two timed adventures with players assigned pre-generated characters. The story plunges adventurers into Jalkive, a city oppressed by ruthless guildmasters, to reclaim two magical stones on behalf of the rebel wizard Mekkari. The primary dungeon, set in a mansion, features a good mix of tricks, traps, and combat encounters, though more social interactions would have been welcome.
The other features include "A Cast of Strange Familiars" by Stephen Inniss, which expands the find familiar spell in AD&D. Instead of 6 animal familiars, we now have 34 options, each with different AC, hit points, and damage output. It's solid game design, though the descriptions of each creature are a little dry. This article is the first of many that Inniss wrote for Dragon.
Ed Greenwood delivers another fascinating dive into AD&D creature lore, this time with "The Ecology of the Trapper." These dangerous ambush predators lurk in dark dungeons, mimicking stone floors to catch their prey off guard. Greenwood, writing as a grizzled adventurer, gives insight into their physiology, life cycle, and hunting strategies. A series of endnotes neatly translates the narrative into gameable mechanics. It is another solid entry in an exemplary series.
In "De-Myth-tifying the Rakshasa," Scott Bennie explores the roots of India's most dangerous mythical creature. He complements the statistics in the Monster Manual with three new creatures: the rakshasa knight, the rakshasa lord, and Ravanna, the rakshasa king. I always disliked the tiger-headed form of the creature that later became canonized in AD&D, and I prefer the more traditional idea of fanged demons who are inveterate shapeshifters. Bennie was a prolific game designer with many credits.
Frank Mentzer's "And Then There Were Three" introduces the forthcoming D&D Companion Set, which expands upon the previously published Basic and Expert Sets. It extends gameplay to level 25, enabling epic, world-spanning adventures. This preview covers Book 1, the Players' Companion, which introduces new armor, weapons, spells, and detailed stronghold rules. A future article will cover Book 2, aimed at Dungeon Masters, which includes one of my favourite features--a mass combat system called The War Machine.
"Master of the Winds" by Sharon Lee tells the story of Petrie, a curious young orphan who longs for freedom and magic in a dreary world. Her life is changed when she meets the enigmatic Kitemaster, who introduces her to the power of the winds. Lee's vivid language immerses us in the setting, and Petrie is a well-drawn character. A less predictable plot and more dramatic tension would have elevated this into a fine story. Lee has written many books and short stories, most notably the Liaden series.
This issue introduces the new ARES Section, dedicated to science fiction games. TSR inherited the ARES magazine when it acquired SPI in 1982, but continuing it as a standalone publication proved uneconomical.
The section starts with "The Lunar High Republic" by Ed Simbalist, which details the history of the Moon according to the Space Opera RPG. Early conflicts transformed Luna from a penal colony into a resilient, independent society. Luna now thrives as a Federation hub, valuing freedom, ethical commerce, and self-reliance. Simbalist was the creator of Chivalry & Sorcery as well as Space Opera.
In "The Zethra", Ed Greenwood presents a new alien race for Star Frontiers known for its mysterious nature and unique biology. Resembling rubbery, ball-shaped beings, the Zethra communicate through electrical pulses, absorb energy from organic matter, and exhibit a deep curiosity about the universe.
Finally, "Starfire Gaming x 3" by Jerry Epperson introduces three rule variants for the Starfire board game by Task Force. Epperson had a variety of publishing credits with various RPG companies in the 80s.
And that's it. Each issue of the ARES magazine used to deliver around 60 pages of content, including a mini-game; the ARES Section is now a mere 16 pages with no mini-game. It is thin gruel for fans.
Off the Shelf by Chris Henderson returns with a roundup of the latest fantasy and science fiction novels:
The cover was by Dean Morrissey and features a pair of Victorian gentlemen on Mars. Interior illustrations were by Roger Raupp, Steve Swenston, Kurt Ericksen, Larry Elmore, David Trampier, Jim Holloway, David Hutton, and Phil Foglio.
This month's special attraction is "The Twofold Talisman: Adventure One" by Roger Moore, Philip Tatercyznski, Douglas Niles, & Georgia Moore. It is a tournament module for the AD&D game, divided into two timed adventures with players assigned pre-generated characters. The story plunges adventurers into Jalkive, a city oppressed by ruthless guildmasters, to reclaim two magical stones on behalf of the rebel wizard Mekkari. The primary dungeon, set in a mansion, features a good mix of tricks, traps, and combat encounters, though more social interactions would have been welcome.
The other features include "A Cast of Strange Familiars" by Stephen Inniss, which expands the find familiar spell in AD&D. Instead of 6 animal familiars, we now have 34 options, each with different AC, hit points, and damage output. It's solid game design, though the descriptions of each creature are a little dry. This article is the first of many that Inniss wrote for Dragon.
Ed Greenwood delivers another fascinating dive into AD&D creature lore, this time with "The Ecology of the Trapper." These dangerous ambush predators lurk in dark dungeons, mimicking stone floors to catch their prey off guard. Greenwood, writing as a grizzled adventurer, gives insight into their physiology, life cycle, and hunting strategies. A series of endnotes neatly translates the narrative into gameable mechanics. It is another solid entry in an exemplary series.
In "De-Myth-tifying the Rakshasa," Scott Bennie explores the roots of India's most dangerous mythical creature. He complements the statistics in the Monster Manual with three new creatures: the rakshasa knight, the rakshasa lord, and Ravanna, the rakshasa king. I always disliked the tiger-headed form of the creature that later became canonized in AD&D, and I prefer the more traditional idea of fanged demons who are inveterate shapeshifters. Bennie was a prolific game designer with many credits.
Frank Mentzer's "And Then There Were Three" introduces the forthcoming D&D Companion Set, which expands upon the previously published Basic and Expert Sets. It extends gameplay to level 25, enabling epic, world-spanning adventures. This preview covers Book 1, the Players' Companion, which introduces new armor, weapons, spells, and detailed stronghold rules. A future article will cover Book 2, aimed at Dungeon Masters, which includes one of my favourite features--a mass combat system called The War Machine.
"Master of the Winds" by Sharon Lee tells the story of Petrie, a curious young orphan who longs for freedom and magic in a dreary world. Her life is changed when she meets the enigmatic Kitemaster, who introduces her to the power of the winds. Lee's vivid language immerses us in the setting, and Petrie is a well-drawn character. A less predictable plot and more dramatic tension would have elevated this into a fine story. Lee has written many books and short stories, most notably the Liaden series.
This issue introduces the new ARES Section, dedicated to science fiction games. TSR inherited the ARES magazine when it acquired SPI in 1982, but continuing it as a standalone publication proved uneconomical.
The section starts with "The Lunar High Republic" by Ed Simbalist, which details the history of the Moon according to the Space Opera RPG. Early conflicts transformed Luna from a penal colony into a resilient, independent society. Luna now thrives as a Federation hub, valuing freedom, ethical commerce, and self-reliance. Simbalist was the creator of Chivalry & Sorcery as well as Space Opera.
In "The Zethra", Ed Greenwood presents a new alien race for Star Frontiers known for its mysterious nature and unique biology. Resembling rubbery, ball-shaped beings, the Zethra communicate through electrical pulses, absorb energy from organic matter, and exhibit a deep curiosity about the universe.
Finally, "Starfire Gaming x 3" by Jerry Epperson introduces three rule variants for the Starfire board game by Task Force. Epperson had a variety of publishing credits with various RPG companies in the 80s.
And that's it. Each issue of the ARES magazine used to deliver around 60 pages of content, including a mini-game; the ARES Section is now a mere 16 pages with no mini-game. It is thin gruel for fans.
Off the Shelf by Chris Henderson returns with a roundup of the latest fantasy and science fiction novels:
- The Sleeping Dragon by Joel Rosenberg, about college gamers transported to a fantasy world, is "an exciting and innovative piece of literature."
- The Aquiliad by Somtow Sucharitkul is an alternate-history comedy where a Native American warrior and a Roman general face absurd trials in "one of the wriest, funniest books to be published within the past year."
- The War for Eternity by Christopher Rowley explores colonization and exploitation with ethically charged conflicts and is "excellent reading."
- The Man in the Tree by Damon Knight follows a mutant with otherworldly powers grappling with his purpose and is "a finely crafted novel."
- The Mirror of Helen by Richard Purtill retells Helen of Troy's life from various perspectives and is "a top-notch fantasy for adult readers."
- Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce, a sword-and-sorcery tale about a girl training to be a knight, is "highly recommended for the young reader."
- The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford is an ambitious retelling of the story of Richard III, but the "plot wanders and falters repeatedly."
- The Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson, a post-apocalyptic exploration of America's second revolution, is "an excellent novel."
- Secrets of the Labyrinth by Gamelords is a richly detailed supplement for the Free City of Haven universe, full of inventive scenarios that encourage bluffing, counterplots, and clever illusions. Despite minor complaints about the format, reviewer Arlen P. Walker concludes: "Secrets of the Labyrinth is an excellent volume!"
- Chivalry and Sorcery by FGU is a sweeping fantasy game catering to experienced roleplayers with a complex system emphasizing chivalric romance and medieval realism. The revised edition somewhat addresses prior usability problems but still has issues due to its dense presentation. Nevertheless, reviewer Ken Rolston thinks the in-depth magic system, campaign design, and cultural supplements "offer the most comprehensive and powerful FRP game mechanics" for dedicated players.
- Dungeons & Dragons by TSR is a highly accessible two-part ruleset, with the Basic Set introducing essential mechanics for new players and the Expert Set expanding into wilderness adventures. These sets are well-organized, clearly written, and feature practical improvements in presentation and gameplay flow. Though not as complex as other systems, Rolston thinks "the D&D Basic Set is an outstanding introduction to FRP action-adventure, and the D&D Expert Set is a more-than-respectable introduction and example for wilderness and campaign play."
- Towns of the Outland by Midkemia Press is a "handy reference for quick scenario preparation or emergency improvisation."
- Monster Squash by Tri-Tac Games, Inc. is a "marvelous game, great fun, ridiculously cheap."
- The Arkham Evil by Theater of the Mind, Inc. is "a first-class Call of Cthulhu adventure campaign."
- Stormhaven by Blade is an adventure pack for Mercenaries, Spies, and Private Eyes that would be improved by "better-developed scenarios."
- Weapons and Assassins by Palladium is an "inexpensive, well-illustrated introduction and reference."
