Put simply it is a name designed to cover both fantasy and science fiction. White Dwarf being the name of a type of star and the fantasy character who appears on the contents page. He also mentions that he asked readers about RPG themes they would like to see in the future, but had a spectacularly small response. So it seems everyone is happy with things as they are, although those who wrote in would like to see more Private Eye style games.
On the Cover
Two dragons fight over territory (or are doing a mating ritual, I’m no expert) by blasting each other with flaming breath in a bleak rocky landscape (a little reminiscent of Wales). The piece is by Andrew George who will do one other cover for the magazine in a couple of issues time (#33). Sadly I can’t find anything definitive about his career, although he might be Andrew Scott George who is renowned for his landscape art (although he doesn’t do much sci-fi/fantasy). There are quite a few Andrew George artists out there too (although many weren’t born when this piece was done so easy to rule out!).Features
- Designing a Quasi-Medieval Society Part 1 (Paul Vernon): This first part looks at the basics of an economy as relating to workers and craftsmen. It’s a pretty dense article but a good one, looking at the relationships between living costs and prices for what jewellers, armourers and the like will have to charge your player characters. I especially like the “Ale Standard” where each working NPC should be able to expect to afford to have a decent pint at the end of the day and will charge prices to match.
- Lucky Eddi (Oliver Dickinson): One of the rare fiction pieces that will become more commonplace, but unlike Valley of the Four Winds, just a single issue. This story is about Wolfhead and Griselda, two renowned characters from Runequest. There will be many more of these Runequest short stories from Oliver Dickinson, which are now collected in a single volume and still available.
- This is, of Course, Impossible (Marcus Rowland): After taking a look at space travel, Marcus Rowland looks at time travel in AD&D. There are some solid options here, and a variety of time machine possibilities as well as some new spells. He does miss out the option of time travel via ancestors or without going back physically but there is only so much space available.
- Weed War (S McIntyre): While it doesn’t say, this looks like the second place winner of the competition that was won by Amber to Red (WD#26). I must admit I think this one is a little better. The PCs have to hunt down a group of pirates stealing a valuable water weed crop. The details of finding the pirates are a little vague but there is a lot to keep you occupied.
Regulars
- Character Conjuring: We take a look at new species instead of classes this issue. Roger E. Moore offers Grey and Sylvan elves to add a bit more elven variety. Although the changes are mostly what classes to what levels are allowed (1st ed AD&D limited non-humans in both class choice and level progression). Bob Lock gives us the Brownie PC which has some interesting special abilities, including the ability to repair standard equipment.
- Letters: A lot of criticism and praise this issue. One reader is upset at the very idea of D&D in space, as it’s apparently “not proper D&D”. So an early example of “everyone should play the same way I do”. Another reader drops in to add some rules pedantry about Ogres Vs Gargoyles (a fight used as an example in the recent Dungeon Architect articles). There is discussion about the importance of role-playing and how well any game system can aid or impede it. Finally one reader asks why White Dwarf isn’t addressing these new computer things that are becoming very popular. The editor replies that there is a new column in the works to serve your ZX81/Commodore/Acorn gaming needs very soon.
- News: The news is mainly figure and wargame related. For D&D there are three new modules on the way, set to become classics and one controversy, U1 Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, B3 Palace of the Silver Princess and X2 Castle Amber. Finally we might see more of the “satanic panic” with a new book Mazes and Monsters warning of the dangers of D&D. It will become the dreadful film we all know and loathe that it is hard to believe Tom Hanks ever agreed to be in. There is also a story of a break in at a Games Store where the thieves left the till and more valuable stock to get some D&D products.
- Starbase: This issue we get the details on a small passenger spacecraft “The Mudskipper”. It might serve as a PC ship very well if they branch out from cargo to passengers.
- Treasure Chest: This issue Lew Pulsipher looks at Amulets and Talismans in general, offering some more rules for creating them. He also notes the difference in the two, amulets being protections against a spell and talismans being something that evokes an effect.
Fiend Factory
We are back to mini-adventure again, this time with an Arabian/desert theme with “The Distant Light”:- Angorian Wormkin (Barney Sloane) An apparently feeble creature that is actually very dangerous as it only dies if you can kill it in one hit. If you can’t do that quickly its poisonous bite may be the end of you.
- Anubi (Andy Wouldham) A form of rather dangerous Arabian Gnoll with a lot of strength. Also presented are the Kail, an Anubi variant who are even stronger and bigger!
- Giant Sandcrab (Roger E. Moore) Big crab, just as you’d expect, and a nasty ambush surprise for the party when it comes out of hiding under the sand.
- Shim-Shari (Glenn Godard) An odd but intriguing muscular humanoid creature with no head. It’s essentially a form of earth elemental that senses vibrations so it is very hard to blind.
Open Box
This month’s reviews are:- Barbarian Prince, Solitaire Minigame (Dwarfstar Minigames): Another ‘you are the barbarian’ games that seem to be popular. But for a solo player game there is a lot in the box.
- Fifth Frontier War, Wargame (GDW): This space wargame is set in the Traveller universe, and while I never played the game I remember seeing it a lot. So it was either very well advertised or very popular.
Sorag, Supplement for Traveller (Paranoia Press/Games Workshop): A rather odd but intriguing third party release for Traveller. This book is almost a completely new game, with the PCs members of the organisation known as Sorag, This organisation watches emerging societies, reporting on their development to their superiors. - Stormbringer, RPG Core Boxed Set (Chaosium): Despite the horrific imbalance between sorcerers and non-sorcerers, this is one of my favourite games, and I played it a lot throughout the 80’s. Also my favourite cover for an RPG of all time.
Stormbringer was soo much fun even if unbalanced.
