I’ve also noticed as I read these magazines that while the page count hasn’t changed for a while, I think the word count very much has. Each magazine takes a little longer for me to read now, and there are many articles in much smaller type. In some cases a bit tricky for me to read!
But back in 1981, Ian Livingstone is already marvelling at how this hobby has grown so quickly. It wasn’t a long time ago that there was only Diplomacy or a few rare historical wargames. Then came Avalon Hill, SPI and TSR’s first white box D&D and things have exploded. Apparently, in 1980 TSR sold 500,000 copies of D&D. Those are damn good numbers for any modern company. Ian also suggests that the rise in games and their popularity and profitability has increased the quality. Each game now needs to stand out so much more, and when you know you will still make a profit, it makes business sense to spend more money on production quality. While I’m not sure if the profit margins are the same, the trend has continued. I’d argue games today have staggering production values for their cost, and even more so compared to their predecessors.
The artist is Dave Pether (and to be fair, it is very good work) and this is his first White Dwarf cover (and possibly his only one). However, Dave was a prolific artist in other fields. After a motorbike accident forced him to step away from a music career he worked on several storyboards and advertisement art for ITV television shows. He also illustrated several covers for historical romance novels (especially Regency and Victorian romances). In a departure from his usual style he is also the artist behind the cover designs for the popular Lemmings computer games. Dave sadly died in 2021 (or 2023 as the internet is unclear) aged around 79.
But back in 1981, Ian Livingstone is already marvelling at how this hobby has grown so quickly. It wasn’t a long time ago that there was only Diplomacy or a few rare historical wargames. Then came Avalon Hill, SPI and TSR’s first white box D&D and things have exploded. Apparently, in 1980 TSR sold 500,000 copies of D&D. Those are damn good numbers for any modern company. Ian also suggests that the rise in games and their popularity and profitability has increased the quality. Each game now needs to stand out so much more, and when you know you will still make a profit, it makes business sense to spend more money on production quality. While I’m not sure if the profit margins are the same, the trend has continued. I’d argue games today have staggering production values for their cost, and even more so compared to their predecessors.
On the Cover
A warrior woman stands on the battlefield of a defeated army, great spear ready to pick off the stragglers. Behind her, smoke rises from a stone fortress and another soldier covers her back. The woman has made the bold choice of a leather bikini for this battle rather than a chainmail one, but to be fair it does look like a very warm day in the desert, and while her companion isn’t wearing much more that she is, he does have trousers as well as a helmet and shield. One can only assume he just isn’t as skilled a fighter as she is…The artist is Dave Pether (and to be fair, it is very good work) and this is his first White Dwarf cover (and possibly his only one). However, Dave was a prolific artist in other fields. After a motorbike accident forced him to step away from a music career he worked on several storyboards and advertisement art for ITV television shows. He also illustrated several covers for historical romance novels (especially Regency and Victorian romances). In a departure from his usual style he is also the artist behind the cover designs for the popular Lemmings computer games. Dave sadly died in 2021 (or 2023 as the internet is unclear) aged around 79.
Features
- Alignment in Role-Playing Games (O. C. McDonald): Given this is the current contentious subject on the letters page, I’m sure there will be letters about this one! But this is a very sensible and well considered article on the subject, with some nice alternate ideas for using alignment.
- Backdrop of Stars (Andy Slack): Given that Traveller don’t have a very specific campaign setting beyond ‘there are lots of planets, go for it’, this article looks at building your campaign. While it’s not much we don’t know now, but in 1980 this is a great article.
- An Introduction to Dungeons and Dragons, Part 2: Dungeon Mastering Styles (Lewis Pulsipher): Rather than talk about how to run a game, this article reminds the beginner that each GM (or DM) is different. If you play one game and don’t like it, a different GM might run a game you enjoy much more. He takes a very basic look at potential styles and it is interesting to see how different they are compared to the variety of GM styles we recognise today.
- The Lair of Maldred the Mighty (Mark Byng): The winning entry from White Dwarf #21’s adventure competition. The layout is very tiny as its 4 pages to a page but this is a solid dungeon where the PCs rush through a complex to stop an evil mage transforming into a great demon. However the best part of this for me was the excellent “Morghis” monster, the spirit of an evil place given physical form.
Regulars
- Character Conjuring: This issue the character class is the Detective by Marcus L Rowland. Based as a form of thief subclass, the Detective has a lower ability at the various Thief and Assassin skills but has the advantage of spells at 4th level. The spells aren’t especially powerful and as you’d expect focus on detection. There are many useful new spells, like Detect Law/Chaos, codebreaking and escapology as well as spells to revisit a past scene.
- Letters: We start with the usual complaints on previous letters, with one reader not a fan of the lengthy notes on the Mythology game last issue. To no one’s surprise, the inclusion of Ungoliant in Fiend Factory brings criticism from a Tolkein fan who insists they got it wrong. Expert or pedantic gatekeeper? You be the judge. Amusingly, one reader insists that the days of D&D are numbered as Runequest and The Fantasy Trip are so clearly superior they will easily supersede it reasonably soon. Still waiting there, although Runequest has at least lasted just as long. Finally, one reader claims White Dwarf is the best UK gaming magazine, then goes on to complain that everything about it is going downhill except the Traveller articles (which he does say are excellent to be fair).
- Molten Magic: It should be back this issue but is conspicuous by its absence. Although the news column does have detail on some new figure releases so it’s there in spirit.
- News: The news section gets big revamp this issue, with pictures and a full page of space this time. Dungeons and Dragons is the lead story with the new Basic edition and Expert edition boxed sets coming out. For those who don’t know, these covered levels 1-3 and then 4-14 and merged races and classes together just enough to make this edition and AD&D incompatible! A string of modules is promised, although some of these won’t be just for Basic. Among them is what will become the controversial Palace of the Silver Princess. Yaquinto games is the one with a cloud of releases this time, although GDW and Judges Guild have not been idle. Games Workshop releases the dates for the next Dragonmeet and Games Day conventions. Task Force Games expands their Star Fleet Battles game, a “Star Trek with the serial numbers filled off” setting that would only lead to law suits these days. Interestingly the Barbarian and Survival games from previous White Dwarfs get a release from TFG too.
- Starbase: This issue, Lightsabres! Come on, don’t tell me you hadn’t already added them to your campaign. There is also a call for readers to send in their jump drive mishaps to grace the pages of a future Starbase.
- Treasure Chest: This issue it’s the turn of traps, with some fiendish and complex pits and poisons. Four reasonably complex rooms are detailed here, each a potential encounter in its own right. Next issue will go back to a more mixed bag though.
Fiend Factory
As its April, this issue’s Fiend Factory collects all the silly monsters that have been submitted. It’s a shame they seem to have given up on the mini-adventure format though, not that these creatures should be thrown at players in one adventure! No monstermarks in this collection but it’s not quite gone yet:- Bonacon (David Taylor) A form of longhorn cattle that blasts opponents with a deadly fart, knocking over and gassing their opponents. A flying variant uses this ability for jet flight.
- Dungeon Master (Malory Nye) An inevitable piece of meta-gaming, this creature changes the rules, refuses to play fair and tries its best to kill adventurers. I think the author needs to find a different game group as there are clearly some issues there too.
- Llort (Andrew Key) A form of troll that only regenerates damage when it is hit, so it haunts adventurers trying to start a fight.
- Tali Monster (Craig Edwards) A giant humanoid so fat it must be carried about on the backs of 35 goblins. Smells of whiskey and cigar smoke. I can’t help but think someone has based this on their Ex again.
- Todal (Marcus Barbor) This strange gestalt creature made of lips comes to the material plane to admonish those dedicated to evil that they aren’t pulling their weight. Very weird, but I rather like it.
Open Box
This month’s reviews are:- Quirks, Board Game (Eon Products): Possibly the grandfather of games like Evo and many others where you evolve your creature to dominate the ecosystem. This game will see another two expansions in 1981 and a Japanese edition in 2006.
- Shooting Stars, Spaceship Combat Game (Yaquinto Publications): Yet another ship to ship battle game. There are a lot of these out there now, although this one is one of the better ones apparently, even if it’s a bit pricey for what you get.
- Twilight’s Peak (Adventure 3), Traveller Supplement (GDW): In this adventure the PCs try to take advantage of a new trade route and run afoul of the mysterious Octagon Society. Andy Slack considers this the best Traveller, adventure yet written, so worth a look at least.
- Valley of the Four Winds, Adventure Board Game (Games Workshop): While it’s taken a while to appear, this is the board game of the story from Issues 8-13 and the miniature range. Designed by Lew Pulsipher it pits a good player against an evil player for control of the kingdom. The baddies need to use their demonic forces to kill the adventurers, and the adventurers must find the items they need to destroy or control the evil player’s minions and magic.
