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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5643042" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Magazine Issue 242: December 1997part 5/8Wyrms of the north: Volo isn't much help this time, leaving Elminster to do all the work. Understandable, because while Ed may have held back a bit last time, this one is just insanely powerful. A blue dragon with 20th level spellcasting, and enough extras to take on Phaerimm? This is getting a little excessive. If you make all your NPC's exceptional, then the exception becomes the rules, which devalues the exceptional and makes the normal seems hopelessly inadequate. Which I suppose is a result of having a mainline to way more inspiration than anyone else. You never have to learn how to be economical and make the best of limited resources. So this one does annoy me rather with it's excesses, and doesn't seem like it'd be very easy to use in game. And I was never very keen on this series anyway. So this is one case where Ed doesn't manage to win me over with his whimsical charms. He'll have plenty more chances if I know him. Bookwyrms: The world of Robert Jordan's Wheel of time by Robert Jordan & Teresa Patterson would be incredibly handy for anyone planning on roleplaying in this setting. Like most companion works of this sort, there is quite a bit repeated from the books themselves, but the new information on their history and villains is worth it for getting a more objective picture of the world. And when the books have as much character switching and descriptive padding as this, collecting the useful setting info you could glean from the books is handy in itself. Destiny's road by Larry Niven once again sees him create a new world, and use real scientific ideas as a big driver of the story. You know, I don't actually think I've read this one. I ought to get on that, given how much I like most of his work. The singing sword by Jack Whyte is an attempt at a gritty, realistic take on Arthurian myth. Sounds very 90's. I suppose that's the thing, isn't it. Reinterpretations of existing stories can't help but bear the influence of the concerns of the current age. The subtle knife by Philip Pullman is the second book in his anti-Narnia trilogy that's going to go on to be quite the breakout hit in a few years. I don't think it's any surprise to say they recommend it wholeheartedly, moral message and all. Fiction: In the bleak deepwinter by Lynn Abbey. Oooh. A bit of fiction from one of their official writers, for the Forgotten Realms setting. In Ed's tradition, it involves an immortal and exceedingly powerful protagonist which can basically steamroll their way through most challenges. Unlike most of Ed's creations though, she got that way through happenstance, and isn't particularly happy about being immortal. With the number of people in the Realms who do manage to adapt to immortality decently, the old trope of angsting because you've left behind everyone you know, and are afraid to love anyone loses a bit of it's sting. But no-one ever said people were rational, and so that's what we have here. And in classic romantic tradition, despite weird trappings and supernatural obstacles, we essentially have a story of learning to let go and open yourself up to love. How sweet. I think this manages to fit into the realms decently, despite the tone being darker than Ed's writing. After all, it's still pretty cheesy. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> And as far as I can tell, the continuity is ok. So I'm not going to complain. Bazaar of the Bizarre: Still in theme, with some Realms-set items designed to give you stories that rival Drizzt's in style. New magical figurines. Another idea we had quite a few of last year, in issue 229. Still, with a different flavour, they could still be fun. Harashuin's Spirit Ally doesn't come to life, but as long as you have one of these little pendants, you'll never be truly alone. Aww. How sappy. And you can trade it up for a familiar of the same kind as your spirit animal easily. No more worrying about being stuck with a toad for a decade. Quixoro's Knightly Steed is an ultimately chivalric horse that will try and mold it's owner into an exceptional knight. This could be cool, amusing or irritating. You may end up passing this on if you aren't the right sort. The Urn of the Blue Vishap summons a rather cranky dragon who has to fulfil three tasks for you. Since he doesn't have actual wish-granting, this isn't as cool as a genie, but you take what you can. And the risks are pretty similar. Let the rubber beware. Lycaeonorukke becomes a wolf with various playful quirks and magic abilities.  Not enormously powerful, it is useful for a good deal more than combat, and once again, may or may not form a bond with it's owner. I guess it's all down to your roleplaying skills. They're not up to Ed's standard, but I can still see myself having fun with these lot.</blockquote>

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