How many Dragon Magazine articles do you normally read each month on average?

[howandwhy99]

I know that I normally read around 2-3 articles lately, but I have noticed others on boards posting about how they don't read the magazine at all. That they simply page through it and put it on the shelf. Personally, I like the "Class Act" section in back, the Ecologies, and normally an article or two. But I do skim most of the rest just to see what is there.

What sections do you normally read?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I read the whole thing.

The real question is how many of the articles do I find useful, or actually use, which is sadly very few. I find Dungeon much more useful on a per article basis, personally.

 

[Khayman]

I read pretty much everything though I usually take a pass on anything that is specific to Eberron or FR. I usually only skim Sage Advice (unless a topic catches my eye) and Class Acts (which now takes up a huuuuuuge amount of the magazine).

 

[Dark Psion]

I read the whole magazine, now I may skim some articles. The miniature and silicon sorcery articles for example, I will look to see if there is any actual RPG information, but I do "read" the entire magazine.

I have a special way of rating my magazines.

I have one of those storage racks on my desk for "this month's" magazines. The time it takes me to actually put the magazine in the rack will tell just how good that issue was. And yes, I have had a few issues that were still on my desk when the next one came.

Of course, there have been a few that went right into the rack as well :\

 

[Tumbler]

I read it cover to cover eventually. I don't use much instantly, but I always pull them back out as I plan a new campaign. I keep a photocopy of each table of contents in a binder and the mags on a shelf. With some simple looking and pulling, I can have a ton of specific stuff for a campaign quickly. I guess I don't expect every issue to be as useful as everyone else does. I also subscribe to some woodworking magazines, but I don't expect to build every piece mentioned or use every tool discussed.

 

[haiiro]

2 is about right for me. Sometimes it's none, sometimes it's cover to cover -- but usually I'll skim the whole issue, pick a couple to read, and shelve it.

I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing. I get a lot of use out of Dragons after the fact, which is why I subscribe -- I'll be making a character, or dong something specific, and go back through old issues for things that help. Or I'll just jot down a couple of ideas -- monsters are good for this -- that I want to use at some point, and keep them on file.

I am surprised how many people (so far) read every issue cover to cover, though.

 

[Wombat]

Currently I don't subscribe.

When I did, I usually read the comics, skimmed a couple articles, and put it away, never to be read again.

 

[Erik Mona]

Nowadays I usually read them cover-to-cover.

--Erik

 

[Shadowdancer]

I usually read it pretty much cover to cover. I usually just skim through the D&D Miniatures and Silicon Sorcery articles, though.

 

[JustKim]

I read mine from cover to cover (Except for fiction), so I can summarize every article in a color-coded document and find useful information later. I'm all efficient like that.