D&D General Is there a compilation of old Dungeon Magazines?

[sabrinathecat]

I collected them all, finishing around 2023. I bought many when they came out at FLGS, some back issues at cons or FLGS, and filled in the rest from Noble Knight or eBay.

I’ve been writing reviews of every print issue (1-150), and expected to be done and share it, probably in 2027. Only 4 issues left, but it’s slow going and I may redo some. It started off as short notes for my own DMing, but morphed into the idea of an index to share with comprehensive notes.

Link to the reviews?

 

[sevenbastard]

I’ve been writing reviews of every print issue (1-150), and expected to be done and share it, probably in 2027. Only 4 issues left, but it’s slow going and I may redo some. It started off as short notes for my own DMing, but morphed into the idea of an index to share with comprehensive notes.

Better you than me, but once you share it I will be interested to see what you thought amd what your gems are.

 

[haakon1]

Better you than me, but once you share it I will be interested to see what you thought amd what your gems are.

Of course, some of it is a matter of taste or interests, but I have features that control for that.

- It’s in Excel, so if (eventually when I finish it) a reader who to check my FR, 1e, Side Trek, or Chris Perkins reviews, for examples, to see if I’m overly nice or harsh to them relative to others, can do so with Pivot Tables or other analysis.

- I have a rating scale of 1 “No” to 5 “Excellent”, but right in the middle I put a category of 2.5 “Unlikely”, which means I don’t foresee having a use for it, or most DMs fitting it in, but it’s competently written, so if it fits what you’re looking for, worth considering. This helps with the many unusual settings and scenarios (and even entire non-D&D game systems like Top Secret) that showed up in Dungeon.

- I added notes about whether I have DM’d or played each, which may help readers weigh my enthusiasm or lack thereof.

 

[sevenbastard]

Of course, some of it is a matter of taste or interests, but I have features that control for that

Did you read the Tenfoot Pole reviews of Dungeon Magazine?

I dont necessary agree with all of Bryces verdicts thus glad someone else took on the monumental task.

Having a searchable excel is a great choice!!!

 

[haakon1]

Did you read the Tenfoot Pole reviews of Dungeon Magazine?

I read them after I write mine of an issue. Sort of a dessert treat.

Sometimes we agree; often we don’t. We have different styles. Bryce is mostly about did he like the vibe. My approach evolved into “what is useful here and why”. An important concept for me is “Plunder” - often there’s an element of an adventure, like an NPC, location, trap, or concept, that could be useful to a DM even if they don’t choose to run that adventure. I also evolved into finding something “Good” and “Bad” about every adventure in my later reviews - almost nothing is perfect but even those I rate “1”, I can find a redeeming grace. Bryce is often more dismissive.

Also, I decided to review every article, whereas Bryce reviews only the adventures (and skips non-D&D one’s, and solo adventures). Late in Dungeon’s run, there were many DM advice columns that aren’t adventures - I reviewed all those.

Rarely, I even include a row for a Letter to the Editor, if it’s an idea on pulling together several adventures into an adventure path or a “best of” list, as I find those interesting and potentially useful to others.

 

[el-remmen]

I need to try my own version of this project someday, as I am someone who believes Dungeon Mag remains the best source of adventures for D&D, and one I use, not exclusively, since I use a lot of classic D&D modules of the 1E and BECMI era as well, but that I have returned to for every edition I have run games for.

I will admit they are not necessarily useable as written, but I think that of every module ever written, so my mileage varies, I guess.

 

[sabrinathecat]

Bought a bunch of them fro Noble Knight. Actually, I'm only missing 7 of them. Started reading.

Read one adventure where it talks about an NPC having been polymorphed into a "Booka," but have no idea what that was. Either a typo or a monster I have totally forgotten existed.

I very much like the "Plunder" option. A lot of the module are like that--especially older editions. Having to constantly remind myself that the modules I'm reading were for 1st edition, and how that game worked, as I mentally start converting to 4th. Also reminding myself that some of these magazines are from the era where most people smoked! (yuck, that smell gets everywhere). And some issues have mold damage.

 

[ilgatto]

Read one adventure where it talks about an NPC having been polymorphed into a "Booka," but have no idea what that was. Either a typo or a monster I have totally forgotten existed.

Well, I guess it'll depend on edition, but there's a booka in the 1981 Fiend Folio, with a revamp in the 1990 Greyhawk Monstrous Compendium Appendix.

 

[billd91]

Read one adventure where it talks about an NPC having been polymorphed into a "Booka," but have no idea what that was

The booka appeared in the 1e Fiend Folio. They're basically tiny, secretive, helpful house fairies that play tricks on evil people or people who don't appreciate their efforts to help clean the house.

 

[sabrinathecat]

The booka appeared in the 1e Fiend Folio. They're basically tiny, secretive, helpful house fairies that play tricks on evil people or people who don't appreciate their efforts to help clean the house.

That seems like an odd thing for a vampire wizard to polymorph a dwarf into. I mean... toad... pig... warthog... flumph... mycanoid... beagle... So many other possibilities...

Thank you for clearing that up for me.