Dragon Publishing released Dragon #82 in February 1984. It is 84 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features a new board game, the infamous Monty Haul, and magical rings!
The issue’s special attraction is “The Baton Races of Yaz,” a whimsical board game by C. C. Stoll. Teams of four distinct races from the planet Yaz—Skadingles, Flibdills, Tarnoses, and Luggants—compete to break “bulges” with their batons. The game board is a hexagonal grid representing Yaz’s muddy, marshy terrain, and each race has different movement capabilities and other features. The baton-passing mechanic adds some interest to this basic game, which does not use dice or other random elements. Stoll wrote several small board games for Dragon and also published a set of miniature rules called Clash.
“The Ecology of the Peryton” by Nigel Findley explores this magical creature via a narrative exchange between several adventurers. The peryton is known for its fearsome habit of tearing hearts from the victim’s chest, which the creature uses to reproduce and sustain its otherworldly body. The article notes that perytons are formidable in combat as they are intelligent, can make devastating dive attacks, and are immune to non-magical weapons. Findlay was a prolific game designer with many RPG credits.
Kevin Thompson’s “Wounds and Weeds” introduces players of the AD&D game system to various medicinal plants that characters can use to heal themselves without clerical magic. The article explores twelve common herbs like comfrey and juniper, explaining their in-game healing effects. For example, juniper berries are a stimulant that can restore 1d4 hit points to an unconscious character. It’s a well-written and creative article, but I don’t know how useful the material would be at the table. Thompson wrote one other RPG article, for Different Worlds.
“Enhancing the Enchanter” by Craig Barrett buffs up the enchantment school of magic in the DragonQuest game. These new rules give enchanters expanded spell investment options, more sophisticated spell activations, and new rituals. It’s a long article that demonstrates strong proficiency with the system. Barret published several articles with Dragon and several adventures in Dungeon magazine.
“Rings That Do Weird Things” presents thirteen new and quirky magical rings by various authors, including the Ring of Liquid Identification that changes color based on the liquid nearby, the Ring of Icebolts for launching icy projectiles, and Wizzo’s Ring of Compulsions, which makes the wearer perform random, often absurd actions like fighting or taking a bath.
Merle Rasmussen’s “New Avenues for Agents” by Merle Rasmussen previews the Top Secret Companion, which is due for release later in the year. The article introduces two new bureaus (Technical and Operations), adds six new divisions, and expands agent roles. The Companion would not be released until 1985 and would be the second last supplement published for Top Secret Second Edition.
“Curing the Monty Haul Malady” by Roger E. Moore discusses the pitfalls of campaigns where player characters have gained excessive power, money, and magical items. The article starts with several examples of the phenomenon from recent letters to Dragon, such as:
“My players have characters who have created spells that propel them through time and space at tremendous rates. They have looted the future and brought back devices that could destroy Greyhawk and many of the planes. They own several Battlestars, and they also have a large stock of AT-AT Walkers from The Empire Strikes Back. How do I keep them from destroying Greyhawk and creating an incredibly boring campaign?”
Moore’s prosaic solution to such DM’s is to start fresh with low-level characters and stick closer to the game’s rules. The expression “Monty Haul” was coined by Rob Kuntz to describe Jim Ward’s refereeing style and was introduced to the larger world in Dragon #14.
Bruce Heard’s “Spells between the covers” expands upon the rules for spell research in AD&D, offering guidance on constructing libraries, purchasing books, and enhancing the success rate for spell creation. He also introduces an appraisal system for determining the value of magical books. He includes a list of nearly 100 magical books by well-known NPCs, such as “Arcane Manipulations of the Entourage” by Otto and “The Dark Sides of the Memory” by Mordenkainen. Heard worked for TSR full-time as a French translator but soon moved into the Games Division, where he accrued many publishing credits.
“Windwolf” is a short story by Earl S. Wajenberg that follows the birth and evolution of the spirit Vonulupeh as he navigates his newfound powers and responsibilities. It is a richly imaginative tale that blends mythic elements with moral questions about power, nature, and reverence. Great atmosphere, but it would benefit from tighter pacing and a more restrained style. Wajenberg later published two novels with author Clayton Emery.
Lew Pulsipher reviews several gaming accessories:
- BATTLEMATS and MEGAMATS by Berkeley Game Company are fabric-backed vinyl gaming mats to mark locations during play. They are “nearly ideal; their only shortcoming is that you have to use water to erase them.”
- DRAGONBONE by DB Enterprises is a compact electronic device that generates die rolls. It is “quick and easy to use, portable, very fast in response, and usable one-handed.”
- FAIR SHAKE Dice Device by JandeL Products, Inc. is a tower-shaped dice-rolling device that prevents cheating. It is “amusing in its own right, even if you don’t worry about satisfactory dice rolls.”
- THE D4 THAT ROLLS by Kilendale is an eight-sided die marked twice with the numerals 1 through 4 for easier use in place of a traditional four-sided die. It is “on the mark” for its price and functionality.
Finally, Steve List reviews three games:
- Pavis: Threshold to Danger by Chaosium is a supplement for RuneQuest that provides detailed background and scenarios set in the city of Pavis. It includes maps, guides, and a collection of episodes centred around the city and its surroundings. The product is “a major contribution to the growing body of literature” on Glorantha and is “well worth obtaining for any lovers of RQ or for Gloranthan scholars.”
- Big Rubble: The Deadly City by Chaosium is a RuneQuest scenario package featuring a vast ruined city and surrounding areas. The adventure offers a stimulating mix of exploration, role-playing, and combat. The result is “one of the best scenario packages,” the reviewer has seen.
- City States of Arklyrell by Task Force Games is a strategic multiplayer wargame set in the world of Arklyrell, where players act as leaders vying for control. The game offers some original elements but relies heavily on familiar ideas, resulting in “a pastiche of game mechanics” that doesn’t stand out in a crowded genre.
The cover art is by Jerry Eaton. Interior artists include Richard Dell, Roger Raupp, Kurt Erichsen, Jim Holloway, Daniel Buckley, E.B. Wagner, Larry Elmore, David Hutton, Phil Foglio, and Dave Trampier.
And that’s a wrap! There were several substantial articles, but my favorite was Heard’s “Spells between the covers.” Next time, we have Raistlin, James Bond, and a Dancing Hut!
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