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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 4517343" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 39: July 1980 Part 1/278 pages. So its their 4th birthday. Notice something different? Yes, folks, you knew it was coming, even if you didn't know when. This is the point that Dragon Magazine loses the definite article from its cover. It continues inside for a few more issues, but the knell has sounded for it. Not that it saves me much time, because I'm copypastaing that stuff in advance anyway. It also marks yet another high (and new minimum) point in size, and changes in formatting. The magazine now has a computer, and a UK office. But does the UK office also have a computer? Probably not.  How long before computers become integral to their operation, as they are for almost every business in the world today? I doubt we'll know exactly, as these things creep up on you. And then you're a slave to the machine. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> They're also auctioning off a complete set of back issues. Which is nice for those completists out there. Ahh, the hassle of getting hold of old issues before the electronic age. Ebay and .pdf's really have been a godsend. Also, ask for The Wargamer at your local store, because we're distributing that magazine in america now. Busy beavers build bigger businesses. (as the zoologist said to the gynacologist)In this issue: Out on a limb: A rather strident little letter accusing them of being afraid of covering Runequest, because it is so much better than D&D and they'd go out of business if it got the popularity it deserves. To which they calmly explain, yet again, that they are not a house organ, or dependent on TSR, and if another RPG became more popular than D&D they'd switch to primarily covering that. And they can't publish articles on a game if no-one sends them in. (anyone listening, bueller?) A letter supporting the recent article on angels, saying that they don't seem to have a problem with demons in the game, why should angels be one? They're the good guys. A letter of generalised praise from a self proclaimed Charismatic and Spirit-filled Christian, saying he doesn't think they're doing anything wrong by depicting angels, plus commentary on other matters. A request for binders, to store the magazine in and protect it from the ravages of time. To which they respond they don't think the readership is large enough to do this profitably, but maybe some dayAnd finally a request for an updated version of the MM with the various monsters from Dragon issues in. To which they respond that they aren't doing so, but the fiend folio will be out soon, with all manner of new nasties within for your enjoyment. The fantasysmiths notebook: On one one side, an illustration showing you how to cover up a naked miniature, attiring it so it doesn't offend the feminists or make the moralists go into think of the children mode when fielding it in your army at a con. On the other page, an article about increasing your speed and efficiency via production line techniques and doing things in batches instead of working on one miniature until its done, then moving on to the next one. This becomes particularly helpful if several people work in a team, each concentrating on a particular aspect of the job. All seems pretty common sense to me. Antipaladins! Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (cough, wheeze, hack) Ahem. Yes folks, one of our oft-mooted annoyances finally gets (semi)official rules. And heavens to betsy, they're pretty solid ruleswise, if a little overpowered, and entirely recognisable as the inspiration to 3e Blackguards in the specifics of their special abilities. Hell, their 5th level title is Blackguard <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> Of course they are not recommended as PC's, because they refuse to accept anyone as their equal (under pain of losing their powers), so if they're not in charge of the party, they'll spend the whole time scheming to backstab whoever is and get in charge. Which may not be good for group dynamics. Up on a soap box: The problem of morality in fantasy. A direct rebuttal to the article in issue 36, attacking the use of modern moral relativism in fantasy and playing up the use of the heros journey as a means of defining the moral trials that adventurers should go through. Which as they were designed for dramas with a primary protagonist, not troupe dungeoneering, might not work too well in D&D, in my opinion. But the point that morality is not relative in D&D, and you shouldn't be able to get out of it by arguing cultural exemptions or other rules lawyerish behaviour is a good one. As ever, defining what good and evil is in the game needs to fall to the GM, and then they need to be consistent. Otherwise, you end up with a situation like modern day earth, with loads of different people arguing which rules are more important than others and what god really meant, because he isn't around to explain and enforce them. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> Minarian Legends: The history of Divine Right barbarians, and their greatest hero, Juulute Wolfheart. A cool story involving animism and people breeding with spirits. In fantasy games, people like this can be real living legends, instead of just myths distorted and magnified by time. Women want equality: The long advertised article by Jean Wells finally arrives. And is a little underwhelming really, given the build-up. Sexist crap happens, and this, along with the way that RPG's are marketed in hobby stores that have previously catered almost entirely to men, does put quite a lot of women who would be interested in roleplaying off gaming. (if RPG's had evolved primarily from amateur dramatics rather than wargaming, the demographics of gaming might well have been very different) Women want different things from their gaming, like romance (but only on their own terms, not being used as sex objects) and talking to NPC's instead of fighting straight away. Oh, and the first use of hack and slash as the primary derogatory term for players who are only interested in the fighting side of gaming, rather than actually playing a role. (Which I guess is pretty significant. Now we know who to attribute the popularising of that phrase to.) Chesecake outfits are annoying, and decidedly unpractical for adventuring purposes. Lots of stuff that is still an issue today, in other words, if maybe not quite as frequently. Human nature is a pain in the ass to change. But we've got to try, otherwise we're no better than animals. And I guess they've already come quite a way since the first time this topic was covered in issue 3. That was ....... not good. Points to Ponder: Female fighters can kick much ass as well as male ones, and there are plenty of historical and mythological examples. Don't underestimate them.   Women are both more agile and better at withstanding pain than men, and this should be reflected in their stats. Leomunds tiny hut: Len talks about designing a party and an adventure for that party. An interesting article because it reveals his assumptions about proper party size, ability score ranges, amount of control players should have in creating their characters, and similar matters of demographics. Which is always useful, as it allows me to get points of data on how the game, and attitudes to it have changed over the years. Fiction: Next time, try a cleric, by Tom Armstrong. A short story poking fun at D&D ressurection, where a character can be restored to life several times in one day if things aren't going well. Which kinda takes the threat out of death, doesn't it. Nice to see people back then were realizing it as well. Of staves, strings, and other things: Talk of the construction process of various types of bows. and their advantages and disadvantages. Yawn. Giants in the earth: This month they decide to go all Sagaical, with Bodvar Bjarki, and Egil Skallagrimson from norse stories. Slightly less twinked than most previous entries, they still both have abilities that PC's can't have. Business as usual then.</blockquote>

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