Why Dragon Magazine?

[caudor]

I use Dungeon as a source for adventures.

I read Dragon for the all cool articles and inspiraton for my game. Mostly, I just read it for fun...I find something interesting in Dragon every month.

I subscribe to both.

 

[The_Gneech]

I use Dungeon as a source for adventures.

I read Dragon for the all cool articles and inspiraton for my game. Mostly, I just read it for fun...I find something interesting in Dragon every month.

I subscribe to both.

Yup, what he said. I like Dragon, but it doesn't quite have the "something great every issue" quality it did back in, say, "The Half-Orc Point of View" days. Of course, some of that may be because all that stuff got said already! Or just that my standards have changed. I dunno. I miss having articles about stuff beyond just D&D in it. One of my favorite things ever from the Kim Mohan era was "Ginny's Delight" -- a ship statted up for FASA's Star Trek Roleplaying Game of all the crazy things.

Dragon does have good stuff in it, make no mistake -- the recent article on Boccob was Pure Awesome In Printed Form. Just not quite as dependably every issue. It's still often enough that it's worth the subscription, for me.

Dungeon, on the other hand, never fails to satisfy. Yum! :d

-The Gneech

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Let's look at what I found valuable (either useful or interesting, or both) out of this year's issues that I have received so far:

• #339 January: Classic Creatures, Races of Spelljammer, Dead Factions, the Ecology of the Draconian, and the beginning of the new Class Acts format of which I highly approve. This was always going to be a worthwhile issue for me as someone who got into the game at the beginning of Second Edition AD&D and enjoyed many of the campaign settings TSR published.
• #340 February: Ecology of the Mooncalf and The Sun and The Moon. The one is a well-written ecology of a cool Lovecraftian creature, the other is a pair of articles that touches on religious issues (always of interest to me) and uses the clever substitution level mechanic.
• #341 March: Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Baphomet, Lesser Golems, Forging Friends, Warforged Components, Ecology of the Inevitable, and the preview of pact magic detailing Kas and Primus as vestiges(!). A high-quality issue for me, clearly.
• #342 April: Core Beliefs: Olidammara, Power of Domain, Initiate Feats, Raise the Dead. The Core Beliefs series, like the Demonomicon of Iggwilv, tickles my interest in religion, as do the rest of the articles in this issue.
• #343 May: Creature Catalog, Ecology of the Ettercap, Spells of Kyuss. Less exciting for me, but a good read - I love the rune golem, the gray shiver, and the hellchain weaver.

I usually always love the Class Acts, especially the mind blade feats and alternate familiars from March; the ninja feats and Wild Hunt deity from April; and the domain feats for sorcerers, divine feats, and fighter feats from May. Also the fey-schooled druid from either January or February (I don't have those issues to hand now).

Really, it's often a great read even when I don't want to use the rules material or concepts in my game, and it's been really hitting my favourite topics a lot recently.

 

[ShadowDenizen]

First, let me say that I think Erik and crew have done a great job in turning both magazines around.

That said, while I buy "Dungeon" on a monthly basis (Love the Adventure Paths, and there's always at least one other adventure I can adapt!!), I only pick up Dragon when there's a topic that interests me.

I'd like to see more articale on the core Deites (the article on Olidamarra a few months ago was fantastic!!), and keep up with the Demonomicon. And of course, I enjoy the "Campaign Classics" issues, too.

 

[Shemeska]

1) Demonomicon
2) Ecologies
3) Zogonia
4) Core Beliefs
5) other assorted cool articles


So incredibly well worth my jink.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

I don't run modules and I love crunchy stuff.

 

[Bagpuss]

out of habit

 

[Shade]

Dragon is a great resource for both players and DMs.

I've probably used more material from Dragon in my campaign than from any individual book.

The Demonomicon articles are, IMHO, the perfect blend of crunch and flavor. I've found more inspiration in those articles than anywhere else.

Since WotC has all but abandoned classic monsters in their monster books (I'm looking at you MMIII and IV), Dragon (and Dungeon) is the only official place to find updates of many beloved creatures of the past.

Dragon is also on the cutting edge of rules. Look how much of the 3E material in the later hardbacks made its 3E debut in the pages of Dragon. A short list: ninja, erudite, planar dragons, staves as familiars, bardiche, duelist, stonelord, avolakia, ulgurstasta, vehicles, grappling hook rules, grues...the list goes on.

Dragon has had its ups and downs in 3E, but lately you'll find that many posters on these boards consider it to be in its Golden Age.

For me, Dragon gives me the greatest return on my gaming dollar.

 

[Mercule]

Honestly, I've been wondering the same thing. I'm a Dungeon subscriber (which reminds me, time to re-up, which I will), but Dragon just never quite seems to have enough in it to make me want to shell out the cover price. The Demonicon has been calling to me, but not much else (though there isn't anything I actively dislike).

I guess, at some point, the idea of having a repository of ready-to-go modules just clicked and I started buying Dungeon. I'm still looking for that "click" with Dragon.

 

[satori01]

The "read" is different. Dragon is a very leisurely read to me. The articles are generally short, and the Headline Articles, Demonnomicon, or the Faith articles are always entertaining, and worth a read. I do not use Greyhawk gods, and yet I love the level of detail in the articles, file off the serial numbers and you have instant depth.

Bazaar of the Bizare is a classic and storied feature, and the magic items presented are often quite good. Zogonia is always good, OOTS in Dragon, while not as funny as the online version, is more stand alone. I pretty much read all of Dragon on the day it arrives, and it is pure indulgent bliss, just me and my hobby, for no other reason than it brings me joy.

Dungeon is much more the buisness end of the DM's job for me.
Even when I do not like a presented adventure, I feel compeled to go finish it, because I am combing the magazine for an encounter, a map, a stat block, an idea that I might steal, get inspiration from, or use. Now Dungeon is great, and worth it's weight in gold and larvae, but Dragon to me is like watching a game on Sunday Afternoon for no better reason than you want to.