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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5646336" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon magazine annual 1997part 1/8124 pages. What is this? Featuring articles by Gary Gygax?! Whoa. They'd been talking about reconciling with him this year, but I guess this clinches it. He's back. The rest of the cover seems appropriate as well. A bunch of generic fighter types, with one aging badass( who bears more than a passing resemblance to Gary if he'd kept himself in better shape ) taking centre stage and pointing his sword at the reader. This is significant. Course, since Gary was an unpredictable writer to say the least back in the day, that might not mean it'll be good, but it should be interesting. And they have plenty of other big guns as well. Let's hope this annual really has something to deliver above and beyond a normal issue, unlike last time. In this issue:The wyrms turn: Ha. Considering that immediately after they did their first annual, the company went <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=":)" />-up, they're remarkably positive about the outcome. No deaths were directly attributed to the extra workload? Technically true. Really, they'd probably already scheduled this before they even released the first one, and having missed 6 issues, this'll help them get the slush pile under control a bit more. So it's hello to all the regular columns, and lots of stuff for their various settings. Not too different in principle from last year. So I guess it's all down to whether the articles are any better, since last time was more than a little dull overall. I should stop expecting the editorial to be anything interesting anyway, shouldn't I. Dragonmirth is at the front for some reason. Swordplay needs reminding that clever tricks only work for so long before the enemy develops a counter. Arcane Lore: As with last year's annual, it looks like they're going to tackle subjects very similar to ones already covered. So here we go from Bards to Illusionists. Both have a definite tendency towards the larcenous, and seeking indirect solutions. And since they share spell lists in this edition anyway, a spell researched for one is a spell researched for both! Two for the price of one! Careful with the overkill, dudes. Acquaintance makes people vaguely think they know you. As long as you have basic social skills, this may well work out better in the long run than brute force charming them. Anasthesia makes you numb. This isn't as nasty as blindness or deafness, but is rather exploitable for your multiclass rogue. If you numb the right place, they might not even notice the backstab until you're gone, possibly with their wallet too. Anosmia takes out their sense of smell. Looks like we've got another symmetry filler here lads! Ensure he's paid properly for his troubles. Dancing Shadows is sorta the inverse of dancing lights. Another one that can be creepy and misleading but doesn't do much mechanically. Illusionists still have to use their brains to profit. Engagement is another cool mind<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=":)" />ing one, making people "remember" that they need to do something important somewhere else. Genius. This is turning more fun than I expected. Illusory Savor, on the other hand just does the symmetry filling thing creating illusory smells and tastes. Yawn.  Jannes' Impressive Demeanour makes you look more badass. Meh. That's not hard to do. Backing it up, on the other hand, takes a little more work. Phantom Touch does the symmetry filling with illusory touch. Itches, taps on the shoulder, slimy things up the legs, the choice is yours. Keep stretching that imagination dudes. Shadow Cloak is a 4th way of increasing your hide in shadows chance in recent years. That idea really needs to become core next time if that's to be gone by. False Thoughts is our only second level spell, unobtrusively foiling ESP with a handy decoy screen. Another one that could well become a staple if properly promoted, which would of course make it less valuable as people would get to developing counters for that.</blockquote>

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