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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 4960540" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Magazine Issue 149: September 1989part 2/5Sage advice: Do you need to learn how to use bastard swords one handed and two handed separately (Your DM's decision. )    Why would anyone use anything else if slings are so cheap and effective. ( Clearance, mostly. That and point blank shots. Why use swords if polearms are more damaging and have greater reach. )     If system shock rolls are used when being raised, what are resurrection survival rolls for (AWOOGA AWOOGA! Eratta alert! Please fix immediately!)    How much do staves cost. (find one yourself. It's far more rewarding than getting one from the shops. )    Can you use missile weapons in melee (not easily)    How much damage do short bows do (Same as it ever was. not fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better)    Why can't spears be set to do double damage against charges anymore (yes they can. )    Can you attack while withdrawing. (yes, but the rhythm method isn't very reliable.)    Where are nets, lassos and mauls (cut for space at the last minute. They'll be back in a few supplements time. )    What are the stats for a broad sword. (barely different from a long sword. I don't know why you would want to differentiate them)    Can you fire an arquebus faster at high level (not unless you specialize. Note that you'll need regular supplies of gunpowder to practice enough for this.)      Can you wield a longsword in both hands at once ( Not unless you're drizzt. And you really don't want that.)    Can you specialize in two weapons and then attack with full bonuses for both( no, doubly. So very illegal. )    What happened to space requirements (they were relegated to the realms of common sense. You may want to go there some time. )      Why can't you use blunt weapons nonlethally (Lack of finesse. This is why you don't get flail duels. Get some flail snails and make them duel instead. That should be a good little earner. )     The table of save priority and the example contradict one-another (the table's right, the examples wrong. Rip it out and throw it in the bin. )    What's the conversion rate between 1st and 2nd ed. (They're the same, apart from some specific attacks of inflation. )     What's the conversion rate between GP and dollars (approximately 1 gp = $20. Not  that you could spend them straight away)    Can you multiclass subclasses (not unless we say you can)    Do you divide Xp between classses when multiclassed (nothing has changed here. Move along. )    Does temporary con damage temporarily reduce HP (yes)     What happened to alignment languages  (They're gone. And we shall pretend they never existed. No one could ever agree what they were anyway. )    Do drow and svirfneblin still have all their 1st ed special powers (not until they get books for 2nd ed. It's like the disappearance and reappearance of monks and assassins and half-orcs. )    What are PC race's size classes ( You should be able to figure this one out no trouble )    What use is the healing proficiency (Do you decry the medical profession. Unlike gods, It'll never abandon you just because you break some stupid rule.  Skip pitys da foo who underestimates it's use. )    The math on mountaineering doesn't add up ( Oh dear. That's not good. )     Why is it impossible to climb a dry ice wall, when you can climb a slippery one (all ice walls are slippery. At least until they get so cold that layers of your skin stick to them when you touch them. And you don't want to climb like that. You'd be a skeleton before you were halfway up the cliff face. )     Can you disbelieve an illusion at any time (as long as you can justify it)     Does plate still reduce damage (No. Skip streamlines. )     What good is a helmet (Skip will cap a mutha<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />a in the back of the head. Then you'll see what good a helmet does.)     Why are you killing baby dragons. Isn't this a family friendly magazine (because if you don't get them now, they become near impossible to stop. )    Do demihumans have to spend a slot to learn common (Probably best to give it to them for free. PC's can't really work together unless they can all understand each other. )    Are running and jogging cumulative (No. Man, that takes the cake for stupid questions. )    What's the correct procedure for dual class characters losing levels (whatever would be most inconvenient. We are still sadists, and awkward characters like this are a prime target to pick on. )    What happened to falling damage being geometric (Like so many of Gary's mid period contributions, we chucked it. We are our own people now. )    Do you take falling damage if you diliberately jump (yes)     Which way do proficiency modifiers go (High good, Low bad. Napster still irrelevant.) Magic for beginners: Greg Detwiler continues to prove himself a fairly reliable contributer, with this article on how to keep magical weapons from becoming too crucial too soon. If you do things wrong, then you either end up with a situation where everyone can always affect the enemy, and there's no mystery and tension to a battle, or one where no-one can do anything, and they're in deep <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />. Finding the right balance between those extremes can be tricky. Here's plenty of suggestions to solve this. Charged weapons that you need to save for when it's needed. Ones made out of special materials that only penetrate DR on specific types of creatures. Illusory items that'll hurt things vulnerable to magic, as long as they believe in them. When you consider that you need 16th level spellcasters for the most basic of permanent magical items, it's vaguely surprising that tricks like this aren't more common. Another example of how the D&D demographics and economy doesn't add up. In a similar vein, although obviously less extreme than dark sun's making metal scarce, this seems like a good way to up the level of grittiness in your campaign, and encourage players to be cautious and tactical in picking their fights. Not a terrible design goal to have, really. Definitely one I'll be considering. The Envelope, Please!: Convention season is drawing to a close. So let's do a little looking back, at some of the more important events. Such as the Origins awards. They've been going for quite a while, but obviously, as TSR sided with Gen con during the feuding years, we've seen little on them in this magazine. A fairly balanced set of awards this year, with no one product obviously sweeping the board. GURPS, Sky Galleons of mars, and F-19 Stealth fighter each get two awards. TSR isn't completely ignored, but D&D is, with their minis line, and The hunt for Red October boardgame winning awards, along with Pool of Radiance featuring in their computer game awards. And Rick Loomis gets inducted into the hall of fame, having been working here right from the start. Make of that what you will.</blockquote>

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