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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 8638013" data-attributes="member: 27780">Polyhedron Issue 103: January 1995part 4/5Elminster's Everwinking Eye: As he's done for quite a few countries now, Ed talks about some of the more unique treasures to be found in Turmish. A craze for walking sticks in the past means there are a lot of them to be found, many bejewelled or enhanced with mechanical tricks like hidden compartments and concealed weaponry and more than a few enchanted. One would make an excellent accessory for an adventurer on their winding little trails. There are some more spectacular and less practical items as well. Two magical gems with colourful histories, plus an extremely powerful magical sword created (and then lost) by the priests of Talos. Anyone who gets their hands on it can really get their Thor on when it comes to summoning storms & lightning, while remaining untouched by the weather themselves. Finally, a magical …… wardrobe? How very C.S. Lewis. This is getting a little formulaic, but even formulaic Ed work is full of interesting little details that could easily be expanded into a full story, making places feel alive and with a complicated, messy history stretching back centuries. I can easily see myself using any or all of the things in here. The Living Galaxy: Roger takes another genre and tries to give it a sci-fi veneer to keep this column going a little longer. This time, it's advice about detective games. Why would people want to solve a mystery in the first place?Usually, you'll want a carrot and/or a stick to motivate them, some kind of treasure for success, or dire consequences if whatever it is continues to roam free and unthwarted. No matter how tricky the mystery you set, make sure you have a clear idea of what the answer is unless you want your story to end up like the works of J. J. Abrams. Make sure there are multiple different clues if you don't want the story to stall or turn into a railroad where you feed them the same clues no matter what they do or how well they roll. Don't forget a few red herrings and untrustworthy characters who aren't the main villain. If you get stumped for ideas, read a good mystery novel and see how they handle things. Another competent but very formulaic entry here that continues to feel like he's struggling to keep to the original remit of the column, with increasingly tenuous examples involving sasquatches. Look, you could just change the name if it's becoming that much of a burden. It's not as if it hasn't been done before with the various other advice and review columns they've tried over the years.</blockquote>

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