Dragon Magazine #191

124 Pages·1999·9.41 MB·English

FEATURES
Issue # 191
Vol. XVII, No. 10 1 0
Horses Are People, Too (cid:151) Gordon Menzies
March, 1993
If you can(cid:146)t describe your paladin(cid:146)s war horse, read this article.
Publisher 1 7
Open Your Mind (cid:151) Michael John Wybo II
James M. Ward
Psionicist kits, from gypsies to the thought police.
Editor
2 2
Roger E. Moore The Elven Pantheon(cid:151)Completed! (cid:151) Carl Sargent
Where(cid:146)s Rillifane? A lost elven deity reappears for the AD&Dfi 2nd
Associate editor Edition game.
Dale A. Donovan
2 6
Different Totes for Different Folks (cid:151) Vince Garcia
Fiction editor What(cid:146)s in your backpack? A look at the best in equipment for the
Barbara G. Young D&Dfi game.
Editorial assistant 3 2
An African Genesis (cid:151) Brady English
Wolfgang H. Baur
New lore and legends from West Africa for AD&D games.
Art director
4 1
Larry W, Smith The Known World Grimoire (cid:151) Bruce A. Heard
Building armies by the numbers in the D&D game.
Production staff
4 7
Gaye O’ Keefe Tim Coumbe A Magical Personality (cid:151) Matt Posner
Are wizards crazy, or do they just act that way? Role-playing notes
Subscriptions for specialist mages.
Janet L. Winters
5 0
Master of the Blade (cid:151) Peter Sears
U.S. advertising
A smart sword is a great ally(cid:151)if it(cid:146)s on speaking terms with you.
Cindy Rick
6 4
U.K. correspondent Campaign Journal: Risen from the Ashes (cid:151) Carl Sargent
Our new game-worlds column begins with a look at the new (and
and U.K. advertising
Wendy Mottaz changing) WORLD OF GREYHAWKfi setting.
9 4
The Dragon(cid:146)s Bestiary (cid:151) Richard A. Hunt
Politeness counts when you meet the asrai and the faerie phiz.
DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published ution throughout the United Kingdom is by Comag
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2 MARCH 1993
9 8
Unearthed Mundana (cid:151) Randy Maxwell
When a magical item won(cid:146)t do, use a nonmagical one that(cid:146)s
twice as valuable.
FICTION
7 0
The Barber, the Thief, and the Smith (cid:151) P. Andrew Miller
A cutting tale of shear delight.
REVIEWS
5 7
The Role of Computers (cid:151) Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser
The new Might and Magic has might(cid:151)and magic!
Cover
7 4
The Role of Books (cid:151) John C. Bunnell
Silicon ghosts, computer demons, and other lore of techno-
Robin Wood welcomes spring into our
fantasy.
gaming world with her painting for this
8 2 issue, (cid:147)Songbirds.(cid:148) According to her,
Role-playing Reviews (cid:151) Rick Swan
(cid:147)the elf’s name is Jandari, and there
The times they are a-changin(cid:146), and time travel is changing,
are 27 animals in the picture not count-
too. ing the elf, the wolf, and the birds. Only
the last bird is real, by the way.(cid:148) Good
1 1 2
Through the Looking Glass (cid:151) Jean McGuire luck to everyone on finding them all.
So, what do you need for painting besides a brush? Some For information on prints, contact:
basic equipment for all miniatures collectors. Robin Wood, 15529 Longmeadow Drive,
Dearborn MI 48120-1023.
DEPARTMENTS
4 Letters 102 Dragonmirth
6 Editoral 104 Twilight Empire
37 Forum 108 Gamers Guide
78 Sage Advice 120 TSR Previews
87 Convention Calendar
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comes unsolicited submissions of written material and Advertisers and/or agencies of advertisers agree to ©1993 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All TSR char-
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DRAGON 3
What did you think of this issue? Do you have the expense of “home-grown” campaigns every- deities, swords, horses, and faerie creatures in
a question about an article or have an idea for a where. The PHBR, DMGR, and HR series of this issue. DRAGON Magazine publishes the arti-
new feature you(cid:146)d like to see? In the United books and the ‘Challenge” series of modules are cles that present the best ideas in the best man-
States and Canada, write to: Letters DRAGONfi examples of “generic” AD&D product lines that ner that appeal to the largest portion of our
Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, TSR produces. Also, let’s look at the issue of readership.
U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters DRAGON DRAGON Magazine you mention, #188. The We’re not “brushing aside” anything. I've
Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry theme section contained three articles devoted played the AD&D game for over a decade, and
Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom, to advice for players of role-playing games in I’m as loyal to it as you are. However, the AD&D
general, not just those who play in TSR's pub- 2nd Edition game is better organized than, more
lished game worlds. “The Wizards Three” con- readable than, and just as much fun to play as
The big brush-off?
tained spells and monsters that are adaptable the 1st Edition game. May I remind you that the
for use in any AD&D game (or to a D&D® cam- AD&D 1st Edition game was derived from the
paign, for that matter). Speaking of the D&D D&D Original Set, making that AD&D game in
Dear Dragon, game, “The Voyage of the Princess Ark” detailed reality a “second edition” itself New isn’t neces-
I have a few comments and questions regard- the race of phanatons—a race that can be trans- sarily better, but neither is progress necessarily
ing DRAGON issue #188. First off, I would like lated easily to either edition of the AD&D game. bad.
to take a second look at [Dale Donovan’s] editor- “Bazaar of the Bizarre” gave 10 magical swords Dale
ial. It sounds like a cry for help. Let(cid:146)s face it: which, while being labeled as having come from
Your magazine isn(cid:146)t what it used to be. Writers the FORGOTTEN REALMS® setting are emi-
aren(cid:146)t producing material that can be inte- nently usable in any campaign. “Mind Over Mat- Getting the tapes
grated into everyone(cid:146)s campaign. This is ter” discussed the best ways to run a psionicist
because there are so many campaigns pro- character in any AD&D game. “‘Sage Advice”
duced by TSR, Inc. Whatever happened to a answered readers’ questions on PHBR5 The Dear Dragon,
Dungeon Master creating his own campaign? Complete Psionics Handbook, a generic prod- When I received the November 1992 issue, I
Anyway, it seems like you are not interested in uct. “Forum” discussed the roles of the fighter came across the letter (cid:147)Cartoon kids!(cid:148) on page
any articles (cid:147)aimed specifically at the AD&D class and its sub-classes in the AD&D game. 4. This is the one that asked if the DUNGEONS
original edition game.(cid:148) I get the feeling that this As has been stated here before, readers need &DRAGONS(cid:148) cartoon series was going to be
means you don(cid:146)t want anything that can be to look past the labels on gaming articles and re-released on TV or if it was available on video
integrated into an existing campaign because products to the core concepts beneath—the Your answer was yes, it is on video. I was rather
you would rather have something for the concepts that can, with a little work, be applied excited, since I really liked the series when it
SPELLJAMMERfi, DARK SUN(cid:153), or AL-QADIM(cid:153) to many campaigns. For more on the “world- was on the air, so I called the video company,
settings so readers would have to buy that cam- specific vs. generic product” debate, see “Sage Best Film &Video, the next morning. Well, it
paign to use it. Also, if you don(cid:146)t promote the Advice” in issue #189, page 100. seems that Best Film &Video has only one
AD&D 1st Edition game, why do have pictures The reason we don’t want articles written episode, (cid:147)In Search of the Dungeon Master,(cid:148)
of its books on pages 10 and 17 of issue #188? specifically for the AD&D 1st Edition game is which isn(cid:146)t even the first episode.
You also do not want (cid:147)articles on the theory of because the AD&D 2nd Edition game is now According to the people that I talked to, the
magic or other fantasy elements.(cid:148) May I remind entering its fifth year on the market, and the company plans to release a quantity of tapes
you that in DRAGON issue #106, there was an majority of AD&D gamer players today play the after the first of the year, but they don(cid:146)t believe
article called (cid:147)The Laws of Magic(cid:148) that revealed AD&D 2nd Edition game. Should TSR ignore any other D&D cartoons will be made available
the difference between clerical and mage that majority? That's not good business. TSR due to lack of demand! Well, I think that read-
magic. I enjoyed that article and would like to does its best to keep its loyal gaming fans happy ers of this magazine could fix that little prob-
see more along the same topic. In DRAGON by publishing a wide variety of high-quality prod- lem. Let(cid:146)s start demanding!
issue #143, you had an article that dealt with ucts (including, we like to think, this magazine). If you want to get this great series out on tape,
fantasy [“The Highs and Lows of Fantasy”]. There is no grand corporate conspiracy to strip let the company know! Just in case anyone
I am greatly disappointed when you brush the gamers of their cash by “forcing” them to buy missed the last issue, here is the address: Best
AD&D 1st Edition game aside. It seems that my our products, be they campaign settings or oth- Film & Video, 108 New South Road, Hicksville
group is the only one left that abides by the 1st erwise. Besides, the changes made in the AD&D NY 11801. The phone number is [phone].
Edition(cid:146)s rules only. I would like the readers to 2nd Edition game were not so drastic as to make Ask for customer service.
know that just because something is new it most material for the current game unusable Matt Stipicevich
doesn(cid:146)t mean it(cid:146)s better. I would encourage with 1st Edition campaigns. Burlingame CA,
playing the 1st Edition game to anyone who has I should have added the word “esoteric” to the
never tried it. phrase, “. . . magic and other [esoteric] fantasy Your editor spoke with the company this morn
Jason LaLonde elements” in my editorial. I enjoyed both the ing and can now offer a toll-free number to call
Methven MA articles you cite, but they were the exceptions to them in requesting catalogs, ordering informa-
the rule. Almost all of the articles we receive tion, and so on: [phone]. By all means, if
Since you specifically mention my editorial, I along the lines I mentioned quickly descend into you want to ask for more episodes to become
want to respond to your letter. In one way, my metaphysical philosophizing on the abstract available, be polite. You might also put your
editorial was a plea for aid. A lot of people make nature of magic, etc., quickly losing any direct request in writing. If enough people ask for the
the same mistakes when submitting articles to gaming applications. We’d much rather publish episodes, perhaps more will appear. It worked
DRAGON Magazine, and the point of my editor- articles that have direct effects or applications to for “Star Trek,” after all!
ial was to make authors aware of those mistakes campaigns, like the articles listed above and the
and thus avoid them. Hence the editorial’s title, pieces on exotic weapons and armors, Oriental
“Make my life easier.” and bardic character kits, and the African cam-
I do take issue with your assertions that paign setting in issue #189 and those on ready-
DRAGON Magazine and TSR in general are out to-use equipment packs, specialist-mage
to promote our published campaign worlds at personalities, psionicist kits, elven and African

It(cid:146)s hard to be good
Many years ago, I played a paladin char- ing and slashing and being hacked at in our concept of Lawful Good in the AD&D
acter in an AD&Dfi game. It was the only return. I also didn(cid:146)t feel right about my game is all mixed up with real-life issues
time I(cid:146)ve ever done it. All I remember paladin disguising himself as anything of justice vs. the letter of the law, individ-
about my paladin now is that he was other than a knight in shining armor, and ual rights vs. the rights of society histori-
awfully hard to play because I had to think everyone knew he was a paladin from the cal accuracy vs. romantic chivalry, and so
all the time about acting and thinking way he looked just as sure as they knew on. Just what exactly can a lawful-good
Good, and that was almost impossible to the guy who claimed to be a fighter but person get away with? What is a lawful-
do when I wanted nothing more than to wore leather armor was a thief. Being a good person expected to do? What should
sneak into a monster lair and steal its paladin was really sort of dull. a lawful-good person want to do? It(cid:146)s a
treasure after a hundred rounds of hack- Paladins are a real pain to play because very personal and controversial issue, and
6 MARCH 1993
it is not unknown for it to generate argu- and being familiar with evil sea-dwelling ter named Paladin Brandybuck, a halfling
ments right in the middle of role-playing races? What of a paladin from a Viking, warrior who made good use of potions
games (see DRAGONfi issue #187, page 57, African, Oriental, Native American, Arabic, and other devices to this end.
for a (cid:147)Forum(cid:148) letter on that topic). or Indian background, which affects her Borrow material from other role-playing
That(cid:146)s nothing, however, compared to dress, mannerisms, and speech? Did this games and media sources to bolster your
the troubles involved in simply role-play- paladin start out as a cleric, boosting his paladin-playing. The first and foremost
ing a paladin. When I think of (cid:147)paladin,(cid:148) I number of clerical spells and allowing source of material in my mind would be
usually think of Dudley Do-right, someone him to use clerical magical items? Does the brilliantly designed PENDRAGON*
high-minded but shockingly naive and she have a wild psionic talent? And what game from Chaosium, which covers the
lacking in common sense, what some of a paladin who travels wildspace to world of Ring Arthur and his knights.
gamers call (cid:147)awful good(cid:148) instead of (cid:147)lawful defend his world and its colonies with his Writers to (cid:147)Forum? in the past have sug-
good.(cid:148) That can(cid:146)t be right, of course, own spelljammer? Is he an AD&D 1st Edi- gested characters as diverse as Batman,
because anyone who fights evil as relent- tion cavalier-paladin, as per Unearthed James ((cid:147)Wild, Wild(cid:148)) West, and James
lessly as a paladin can(cid:146)t be naive. Besides, Arcana, or does he use a kit from the ((cid:147)007(cid:148)) Bond as prototypical paladins in
a paladin is supposed to be someone we AD&D 2nd Edition Complete Fighter(cid:146)s other settings. To that list, I would add
look up to, not laugh at. But if we can(cid:146)t Handbook (Amazon, Cavalier, Noble, etc.)? Superman and Captain America, two (cid:147)law-
relate to the paladin in more than two- Does she use a different set of virtues and ful good(cid:148) comic-book heroes, and our
dimensional terms, the knight in shining codes than the list given in Unearthed modern concept of the ideal police officer.
armor will always be a comic figure. Arcana, page 16? Is this paladin from the Paladins are great guys, and playing
One solution might be for anyone want- RAVENLOFTfi GREYHAWKfi, them well is one of the AD&D game(cid:146)s
ing to role-play a paladin to write down DRAGONLANCEfi, FORGOTTEN greatest challenges. It(cid:146)s hard to be good,
that character(cid:146)s basic goals, with some REALMSfi, or other setting, with appropri- but it(cid:146)s well worth it.
explanation as to why these goals are kept. ate attitudes, goals, and skills?
Is her ultimate goal to destroy all undead Consider, too, the use of quasi paladins,
she encounters, as part of a long-term characters who are not true paladins but
war between her religion and a necro- act and function like one in many ways. A
mancer-lich arch-foe? Is he a questing dwarven hero, an elven knight, a halfling
paladin, searching for magical items that sheriff, and even a good-aligned thief
could be used by his liege to strengthen could take on the aura (if not the reality)
the kingdom for a coming battle against of paladinhood, given the proper combi- * indicates a product produced by a company other
migrating humanoid hordes? Is she a nation of classes (fighter/cleric is best), than TSR, Inc. Most product names are trademarks
owned by the companies publishing those products.
dual-classed mage/paladin who dresses as goals, magical devices (a goad sword The use of the name of any product without mention
a peasant and works to overthrow an evil helps), skills, mundane equipment, and of its trademark status should not be construed as a
tyrant? Is he a guardian paladin who must role-playing. I had a lawful-good charac- challenge to such status.
defend an island colony from a score of
foes, including the ravages of nature?
Think about what the paladin is supposed
to do, and not so much about what the
paladin is supposed to think. The latter
will come naturally during play, and deeds
speak louder than words.
The paladin player should also work
with the Dungeon Master to develop a list
of general (cid:147)dos and don(cid:146)t(cid:148) for the charac-
ter, based upon the paladin(cid:146)s religion, cul-
ture, and personal beliefs. This list should
be brief, no more than 10 items long, clar-
ifying what is done with helpless but evil
prisoners, what should be done with trea-
sure, who may be associated with, how to
handle crimes, and so forth, to avoid trip-
ups during play.
Focusing on what the paladin opposes
often strengthens the image of what the
paladin supports. A heroic but possibly
doomed struggle against terrible odds will
greatly deepen a character(cid:146)s role-playing.
The heavy cloak of responsibility smothers
out the silliness that some may feel with
such characters, giving them a welcome
seriousness not wholly devoid of humor.
Look at possible quirks for the paladin,
things that set that character out of the
ordinary. Does this paladin use firearms,
perhaps even a magical holy blunderbuss
with blessed ammunition? Does he refuse
to wear armor, relying on magical rings,
cloaks, and bracers to allow for free
movement? Does she come from a seafar-
ing background, using a net and trident
DRAGON 7