White Dwarf Reflections #7 (June/July 1978)

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It’s time to gear up the nostalgia again and return to our irregular reviews of the granddaddy of British gaming, White Dwarf. This issue marks the first full colour cover for the magazine, and a shift to a more glossy magazine style. The fanzine style of the first issues is gone as the magazine grows, and this issue also contains a short questionnaire asking what readers think of it so far and what they want more or less of.

On the Cover

A feminine space traveller and her diminutive guide ride a strange creature across a bleak landscape. The painting is by John Blanche whose work will form much of the art style of Warhammer in years to come.

Features

  • Feudal Economics in Chivalry & Sorcery (Ed Simbalist): A look at buying, selling and income for PCs in C&S. Lots of numbers but potentially worth a look if you are a Pendragon fans.
  • Lair of the Demon Queen (Don Turnbull): A short dungeon adventure designed for a Game Master to slot in their own traps and monsters. A bit vague as an article but a useful one shot.
  • Thoughts of the Proliferation of Magic Items in D&D (Gary Gygax): Mr Gygax suggests that too many magic items make D&D too easy and GMs should be sparing with them. Less challenge is less fun. So they shouldn’t be sold in shops except for the odd potion, and only ever given as rewards for adventuring. After all, if the PCs won’t sell their good stuff, why would anyone else? He also notes that it’s tough to find time to actually play games the more you work in the game industry, twas ever thus!
  • The Asbury System (Brian Asbury): The third part of a new experience system for D&D (1st ed) that rewards spellcasting and use of character abilities rather than just treasure and monster killing.

Fiend Factory

A new regular feature introduced last issue asking for submissions from readers. This month we have:
  • The Necrophidius (Simon Tilbrook) a skeletal naga-like undead guardian,
  • Rover (Gary Ames) based on the suffocating ball from “The Prisoner”.
  • Living Wall (Neville White) exactly what it sounds like.
  • Volt (Johnathan Jones) a flying electric eel.
  • Gluey (Guy Shearer) an adhesive mummy creature.
  • Squonk (Christopher Kinnear) an ugly but friendly furry creature.
  • Eye Killer (Ian Livingtone) a flying bat creature with a death stare.
  • Witherweed (Simon Eaton) a poisonous moss found on treasure hoards.
  • Withra (Don Turnbull) an incompetent wraith who cures instead of drains.

Open Box

This month the reviews are:

Everything Else​

  • News: Announces the arrival in the UK of the new Monster Manual for D&D (1st edition).
  • Letters: One reader points out the real source of some of the monsters in an article in issues 4 and 5. Two readers (one of whom is Gary Gygax) take issue with Roger Musoon’s article on armour class in the previous issue. Interesting in that Roger’s suggestion of different AC values for different situations (like being prone) will become part of 3rd edition D&D as ‘touch AC’ etc. Another reader takes issue with a previous letter taking issue with a previous letter (and you thought it was the internet that invented this!). In this case a GM who refuses to allow players to roll dice as he doesn’t trust them. Last month’s letter said this was something of a silly idea, so this month’s letter is angry that anyone might tell someone else what is or isn’t a silly idea in their game. Again, all this is long before the internet!
  • Treasure Chest: This week a surprisingly concise system for figuring out encumbrance in non-D&D games (D&D already having rules for this).
  • Molten Magic: Example photos of the new figure releases from Minot’s Miniature Armoury, Oracle Miniatures, Wargames Publications, Archine Miniatures, Asgard Miniatures, Ral Partha, Miniature Figurines and Greenwood & Ball.
  • Kalgar: Comic strip where Kalgar the warrior comes to the aid of a woman trying to save her grandfather from bandits.
 

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Andrew Peregrine

Andrew Peregrine

  • Thoughts of the Proliferation of Magic Items in D&D (Gary Gygax): Mr Gygax suggests that too many magic items make D&D too easy and GMs should be sparing with them. Less challenge is less fun. So they shouldn’t be sold in shops except for the odd potion, and only ever given as rewards for adventuring. After all, if the PCs won’t sell their good stuff, why would anyone else? He also notes that it’s tough to find time to actually play games the more you work in the game industry, twas ever thus!
It's interesting that the most recent edition of D&D has moved in the direction of having fewer magic items. When you look at older editions, there are so much more handed out. And I totally agree that you shouldn't be able to waltz into Ye Olde Magic Shoppe and buy a flametongue.
 

It's interesting that the most recent edition of D&D has moved in the direction of having fewer magic items. When you look at older editions, there are so much more handed out. And I totally agree that you shouldn't be able to waltz into Ye Olde Magic Shoppe and buy a flametongue.
Lew wrote an article about this (and discussed it back in White Dwarf #43!): Worlds of Design: The Problem with Magimarts
 



It's interesting that the most recent edition of D&D has moved in the direction of having fewer magic items. When you look at older editions, there are so much more handed out. And I totally agree that you shouldn't be able to waltz into Ye Olde Magic Shoppe and buy a flametongue.
I think that there was also so much less you could do on a turn and the amount of options as a PC. Today we do not need to give out a magic sword that lets you attack twice or something that lets a fighter cast a spell, everyone can do so much more already.
 

So gluey became the adherer?
Pretty sure. I mean of the list, the rover didn't make it (for obvious reasons due to copyright), living wall (probably showed up elsewhere though, maybe in Temple of Elemental Evil or something?), squonk (Fearsome Critters I guess didn't make it into D&D), and the withra (a "joke" monster). All the rest I recognize. Calling @eyeheartawk!
 

Pretty sure. I mean of the list, the rover didn't make it (for obvious reasons due to copyright), living wall (probably showed up elsewhere though, maybe in Temple of Elemental Evil or something?), squonk (Fearsome Critters I guess didn't make it into D&D), and the withra (a "joke" monster). All the rest I recognize. Calling @eyeheartawk!
Living wall showed up in 2e Ravenloft as well but I don't have this White Dwarf to know whether it is a similar thing. The Ravenloft one absorbs people into it then adds their attacks and powers into its set of attacks.
 

I think that there was also so much less you could do on a turn and the amount of options as a PC. Today we do not need to give out a magic sword that lets you attack twice or something that lets a fighter cast a spell, everyone can do so much more already.
That is a very important point. In 1e and 2e, magic items were very much a part of how you increased your power, whereas now, leveling up provides way more.
 

Living wall showed up in 2e Ravenloft as well but I don't have this White Dwarf to know whether it is a similar thing. The Ravenloft one absorbs people into it then adds their attacks and powers into its set of attacks.
Maybe that's where I saw it! I feel like there was a "living wall" spell or something that a cultist could summon, and it had tentacles and beak attacks. Probably not a standard monster though. I do vaguely recall the Ravenloft version.
 

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