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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 6171413" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 331: May 2005part 1/769(108) pages. Once again, they choose a different set of basics to go back too. Dungeoneering equipment? Polearms, flaming oil, torches, and all that jazz? Intriguing. Their delving into increasingly esoteric nonmagical equipment grew a bit tedious in the late 90's, but hopefully absence has made my heart grow fonder, just as it did with the joke articles last month. Let's hope they've had enough time to prepare, and high enough encumbrance limits to pack everything they need to get through this issue without running out of resources and resorting to padding. Scan Quality: Medium, unindexed, Ad-free scan. In this issue:From the editor: Last year, they had a themed issue on ninjas. They remain perennially popular, but Erik isn't that keen on them anymore, as cheesy products like ninjaerobics or the TMNT musical ground the idea into the dirt in the 90's, and his childhood love for them turned into disillusionment. The fact that other people still were was vaguely surprising. That's how breakups work. You have to go through the grieving and bitterness phases before you can look back with an objective eye, and accept the good while leaving behind the bad. And maybe then you can do better next time. His other issue with including them in a Greyhawk campaign, that there isn't a place for them, I can instantly refute. The Scarlet Brotherhood is filled with Monks and Assassins. I don't know about you, but if Martial Artist + Assassin does not = ninja then you are using a very different mathematical system to me. It doesn't matter that they're blonde and blue-eyed under the clothes, because hopefully they won't get caught and unmasked. Again, this is a case of taking things that fit, and discarding the rest that isn't so helpful, and hopefully winding up with something better. Hopefully we can apply the same philosophy to all the big old dungeoneering gear. Scale Mail: We start off with another bit of sycophantic praise. Nothing to see here folks, move along, move along. An actual interesting request is one for Class Act articles on ones from the supplements. Warlocks and Ninjas are certainly popular enough to merit it. Maybe at some point in the future, especially if people send stuff in. Looking back a bit, we have a question about what Dragon Annual 6 was, and where to find it. The name is synonymous with the D20 special. And since it's quite recent there are still a fair few back issues in stock. Another request that they don't have any plans for, but don't rule out if someone sends good stuff in is more Epic level material. As with previous editions, they'd rather cover the levels people are most likely to play at more. This does create a vicious circle, as the less you support it, the more likely people are to give up when they get to 20th level instead of continuing the campaign. More lighthearted is a haiku inspired by a brutal convention dungeon crawl. Don't let Acererak hear about that or he'll incorporate poetry into his next masterpiece of idiot slaughtering. The sexism in gaming issues continue. Removing the forum just means it winds up spilling over here. It's very exasperating that we still can't fix it after 40 years. Also continuing is the talk about after-school gaming groups. Roger had his Army days reminiscences. Erik has this. Doesn't have quite the street cred, but since it's gaming we're talking about, are any of us in a position to judge?Yet another ongoing issue is with the jokes. By dropping Dragonmirth, they removed the base of artists that submitted to it, and now they can't start it up again even if they want too. It's the same thing that happened with coverage of other RPG's before it. You've got to use it or lose it, and the less variety you have, the harder it is to add or swap out elements without people complaining. And finally, we have two cases of the subscription blues. One because they're not that keen on the magazine at the moment, but can't be bothered to actively cancel it, and the other because they don't have the money to renew at the moment. Since we're now at the stage where you can find .pdfs all too easily within a month or two on the internet, I can't work up much sympathy.</blockquote>

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