D&D General Humor Articles from Dragon Magazine

[RealAlHazred]

Be careful with some of those things from the past, they might not play well with today's culture.

Yeah, I’ve converted Zagig’s Comedicon, but haven’t posted it, as the the “humor” is, uh, in poor taste. Heck, it was in poor taste back then. On the other hand, it’s got (as far as I can tell) the first actual official spell to change someone’s sex, which is actually a useful noncombat spell! And I believe it was reprinted in the Encyclopedia Magica for 2nd edition, so really official!

 

[RealAlHazred]

Anyway, I haven't gotten to a "joke" issue yet, but I will soon (and am dreading it).

Maybe not a joke issue yet, but definitely a humor article -- those started in The Strategic Review!

 

[Bill Zebub]

Be careful with some of those things from the past, they might not play well with today's culture.

cough*eddiemurphyraw*cough

 

[el-remmen]

Maybe not a joke issue yet, but definitely a humor article -- those started in The Strategic Review!

I don't own any of those. And I am only covering issues I actually own, so I haven't gotten to a humor article yet in my collection (unless I am blocking it out, which is totally possible).

 

[RealAlHazred]

I don't own any of those. And I am only covering issues I actually own, so I haven't gotten to a humor article yet in my collection (unless I am blocking it out, which is totally possible).

It looks like you've mostly covered issues in the Great Humor Drought, from #96 to #120.

 

[el-remmen]

the Great Humor Drought

Who told you my nickname!?

 

[RealAlHazred]

Who told you my nickname!?

It was actually mentioned in an editorial, IIRC, where they'd gotten a bunch of complaints from people that they didn't like the humor articles since they weren't useful for their very serious games.

Of course, after they stopped publishing humor articles, they got letters from the same guys complaining they were publishing things for Greyhawk/Forgotten Realms/Birthright/whatever, and that those were also wasted space articles... You just can't please some people.

 

[el-remmen]

You just can't please some people.

Again, I feel attacked!
But I remember skipping April issues (except when I had a subscription of course) and preferring when there was one humor article in an otherwise useful or interesting issue than an entire humor-focused one (and LORD, the D&D parody songs were only made worse when people tried to actually sing them).

Still, there were a handful of "humorous" things that I liked and thought could be incorporated into a game - like the chain sword.

 

[humble minion]

989

Apr

Dragon

144

Still More Outrages From the Mages

John M. Maxstadt

32, 34, 37, 79

Magic Item: cylindrical scroll; Spells: find terrain; explosive familiar; invisible runes; wizard’s stalker; Bigby's interposing eye; remove hand; audible curse; hallucinatory glamer; burning mouth; locate hands; detect object; feign invisibility; Drawmij's instant death; magic summons; speak with mud; charm dead; water plant; stone breathing; affect shape; detect normal fires; wall of evil; transmute rock to stone; wall of missiles; minor globe of iron; monster invulnerability; fools summoning III; protection from normal gold

I do remember falling over laughing at this one. back in the day.

exalted book of ethnic humor

I'm both deeply tempted to look this up, and deeply wary about what it looks like through modern eyes.

 

[RealAlHazred]

I do remember falling over laughing at this one. back in the day.

Sadly, this would need to be completely redone, since the joke was the spells were rejiggered, and under 5E there are different spells and spell names...

I'm both deeply tempted to look this up, and deeply wary about what it looks like through modern eyes.

It's not that bad, actually. It's a book a jester (and only a jester) can use to taunt and enrage a monster within earshot.