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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5861221" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Magazine Issue 270: April 2000part 4/7When worlds collide: Ahh, now this is a reasonably influential little article, which got converted to 3e and appeared in Unearthed Arcana with very few changes, when I compare them. The idea of multiverse spanning campaigns where you play different incarnations of the same eternal champion is a pretty awesome one, but something that still needs work to implement well. They tried in in the Amazing System, but that was clunky as hell. They made a small step in Dark Sun, which is repeated and built upon here. But what you really need is a system which allows you to tweak both characters and world physics while remaining balanced overall, and mathematically quantifying those changes. In short, what you really need is GURPS. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> But the vast quantity of fairly compatible D20 variants that'll spring up in the wake of the OGL are also a big improvement on D&D as it is. So this is an idea who's time is about to come, but still needs a bit more network externalities to really work. Masque of the Red Death, Buck Rogers, and Alternity are all interesting in their own ways, but they do show the limits of the current system when you try and change it too much. Very worthy of note indeed. So that does indeed make a hat trick of significant and very different articles, which is something I haven't said in a long time. If this issue can keep the quality and notability up, it has a pretty good chance to get into the top 10 overall. The hidden faces of evil: James Wyatt does a second article in quick succession. This one is somewhat less notable, as it's part of their current crop of ones looking back, collecting and summarising information from the tons of supplements the old edition has, with a few little additions. Not that it isn't a pretty compelling read, as it shows how you can get AD&D fiends to be the subtle tempters of mythology. Actually, to be honest, they're overqualified, especially the baatezu, who's array of innate powers lets them deceive and control weak-willed mortals almost casually, and they can expect the rest of the hierarchy to help fulfil and enforce any deals they make. Yugoloths and Tanar'ri don't have it quite as easy, but most of the higher-ups have at least some tricks that let them be more than a supertough engine of destruction. And if they've learned magic or psionics, which they have plenty of time to do, the sky's the limit. And when the time comes to cease being subtle, well, that's what summon cascades are for. Basically, if they focus their attention on your world in any numbers (and don't cancel out each other's machinations with endless plotting and betrayals or attract celestials to clear up the mess) your world is screwed. In the meantime, that gives adventurers plenty to do. So this is a pretty cool article, much of which is going to be invalidated next edition, but the general principles will remain valid. It deserves it's own praise, even if it is looking back more than forward. Arcane Lore: As befits an april issue, we have a bunch of joke spells from one of our long-hated characters, Zagig Yragerne. Ok, so not all of his worst moments were actually Gary's fault, particularly WG7, but he was hardly blameless in this matter. Anyway, we're finally getting the contents of one of his spellbooks, not that we really want too. As usual, it's been passed from person to person (again, with rather less enthusiasm than usual, as they find themselves eager to get rid of it. ) before getting lost, so your players can find it. Be afraid if you do. Zagig's Canned Laughter turns your whole life into a badly dubbed sitcom. Yup, this is very much in character with the guy who completely ripped off alice in wonderland. Damnable meta wizards. Zagig's Amusing Alteration temporarily alters your face in cartoon fashion. Course, he might not let you know it'll be gone by next scene, which would be rather scary. Damn, don't you just want to kick his ass right now. Zagig's Gender Shift, on the other hand, is incredibly useful. Finally, switching sex is easier than coming back to life or becoming a whole different species. If you went through the tomb of horrors, you might want to get your hands on this book temporarily just for that. At last, one of AD&D's great practical problems is sorted out, barely in time. Like a few of the demihuman pets of last issue, that is an unexpected gem amongst the vast amounts of dross.</blockquote>

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