Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 4604325" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 74: June 1983 part 1/287 pages. Welcome to another birthday issue. We have more dragons, more cool stuff from Ed, Lew, Roger, Len, and plenty of other articles. Also, Roger is now a full member of the editorial team, working in the same building rather than sending in articles from god knows where. Unfortunately, the pull-out extra pages on gen con do not appear to have been included in the scan, so I can't comment on them, which sucks. Oh well, there's plenty of other things still to do. Like spying. This issue has an unusually high number of top secret articles as well. Lets see what they've crammed in, and see if I can fit it into my already bulging skull. In this issue:Out on a limb: A letter defending giving each level a title. There's always going to be some reactionaries. A letter complaining about the statistical analyses of classes, as well as their recent revisions and additions, saying that this does not help roleplaying, and boiling things down to the numbers discourages creativity and treating them as personalities. Kim gives a rather lengthy reply to this, and seems a bit baffled as they do also have plenty of articles of how to build personalities and background details. A letter complaining about how male oriented the magazine is, and wondering why there's no incubi in the game. This gets the stock response of well, we're trying, but when the vast majority of submissions are by male writers and artists, of course it's going to be skewed to that viewpoint. (oh, and they did do incubi, back in issue 54, but kim forgets to point that out) You want to change that, send stuff in. From the sorceror's scroll: Horseys! Gary gives us info on warhorses, barding, and how much of an expense it is to get hold of them. You may want to use that, because it is pretty helpful for your overland adventures. More importantly, we get another talk about their current plans for the future. And this one's a doozy. They're planning on releasing more minis and constructable environments for them. The D&D movie has a script (written by an academy award winner, what the hell happened there?) now we just need someone to make it. The D&D cartoon is done, and will be sharing airtime with the smurfs and pac-man. (tee hee. Family friendly show) and he's working with Flint Dille to create another D&D TV show. (And so another seed of his downfall was sown) Very interesting indeed. So many big plans, to have so many crushed hopes and unexpected ramifications resulting from them. You think you can play with the big boys in hollywood and come out ahead? Oh boy. You will learn. Lets hope we get to see some more of the backstage drama unfold here in the future, because this is important stuff, and I don't want to miss these big events in their zenith years. James bond, 007 gets a big full colour advert. Another big licence gets a game based upon it. Will we see more stuff on this soon? Leomund (and Nystul's) tiny hut: We get a contribution that seems to have been misplaced from the april issue. The bureaucrat and politician classes, more ones that are technically functional, but completely unsuited for adventuring. This is about as interesting and funny as spending time around real bureaucrats. Next please. Landragons: Ahh, this is more like it. Three new dragon types, with a common theme running through them, and a load of implied setting stuff attached (the ubiquitous nebulous sages strike again!) Wingless compact dragons which are closer to being standard apex predators than the magically mighty supra-intelligent all rounders that make up the standard selection. And their breath weapons are pretty interesting as well. With plenty of info on their tactics, life cycle and ecology, this is a solid article that'll give you foes to challenge your players at a wide range of levels. The electrum dragon: And a 4th dragon, unconnected to the previous three. This is not the product of gold and silver dragons mating, (although it probably ought to be) but a brand new metallic dragon species. They are a bit poncey, and not very considerate parents, but as we know, even good dragons aren't saints. This certainly isn't Ed's best contribution ever. Seven swords: On the other hand, this is certainly a contender, if you go by the number of people who remember it fondly. Hello again, Elminster. Having been extensively regailed with stories of this world's magical swords, he condescends to reveal a little about the realms' most famous magical weapons in return. Adjatha, Albruin, Ilbratha, Namara, Shazzelim, Susk and Taragarth. Each has interesting powers beyond just being good at kicking butt, from monumental to quirky; and a history that spans many locations and multiple adventurers lives. Obviously, Ed is leading by example, and hopes to inspire other people to write stuff in the same vein, because at this stage, it'd still be a bit tricky to use them direct, given that our info on the realms is still in the form of tidbits with not enough joined up info to see the world beneath. Course, you could just nick the powers but replace or ignore the fluff. So it's useful even if you're lazy. Don't be lazy folks. Put in the effort to make your own world and make Ed proud. The ecology of the bulette: Now why doesn't it surprise me that these are another of the first monsters to be ecologicaly examined. We see the return of the guild of naturalists, and their attempts to understand the creatures of the world around them. While a fun story, this one doesn't reveal that much about their general place in the world. Still, if not brilliant, it's a solid addition to their latest new series. Tracing THRUSH's nest: A villainous organization for your top secret games. Formed from the ashes of professor Moiarty's criminal network, the Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity (man, that is a terrible acronym. ) is let by a supercomputer and has it's own flying mobile city. That's ..... Pretty far out, man. Introducing that would definitely raise a few eyebrows in all but the most gonzo game. I'm really not sure what to make of this. In trouble? Say UNCLE: Ahh. Now it all makes sense. It's all the fault of 60's tv. Man, they came up with some utter tosh for their backstories. Most rpg settings seem like models of logical design and consistency by comparison. This does what you'd expect, compiling the hints from the shows to build up a setting for your PC's to use. If they're ON DRUGS! No, sorry, I cant suspend my disbelief long enough to take this seriously as a workable setting. It's like 60's batman. The holes and stylistic weirdness are just too big and obvious for me to deal with. You'll have to get someone else to try it.</blockquote>

Verification