Dragon Publishing released Dragon #88 in August 1984. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00.
The cover is by Jim Holloway, one of my favourite RPG artists, and depicts a rogue hiding from an orc patrol. Interior artists include Keith Parkinson, Jeff Butler, Brian Born, Roger Raupp, Kurt Erichsen, Tom Wham, Dave Trampier, Mark Nelson, and Larry Elmore.
This month’s special attraction is “Elefant Hunt,” a light-hearted board game by Tom Wham. The players are big game hunters who explore the African interior in search of wild animals and other valuables. The cute art and interesting hunt mechanics elevate this above the typical roll-and-move game, but it will most likely appeal to kids.
There are three articles on falling in AD&D, and old-timers will know this was a real chestnut back in the day. “Physics and falling damage” by Arn Ashleigh Parker argues for a more realistic velocity-based falling system. He follows up with “Scientific facts behind the system,” which uses natural-world physics to derive a falling damage equation. All the math boils down to “the number of d6 damage dice equals 5 times the square root of the distance fallen in feet, divided by 4.” Parker was a physics major with a handful of published credits in Dragon.
In a brief rebuttal called “Kinetic energy is the key,” Steve Winter argues that velocity is less important than kinetic energy and that the original falling damage system in the Players Handbook (1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet fallen) is pretty good. Winter was an editor working in the TSR game department at this time.
“The Ecology of the Rust Monster” by Ed Greenwood delves into the biology and behaviour of this favourite D&D monster. In the voice of Baerdalumi the sage, Greenwood describes the monster’s temperament and biology and gives some practical tips for dealing with it. The game notes detail the effects of certain spells on the creature and address edge cases around their antenna attacks.
“Beyond the Dungeon: Part 2” continues Katharine Kerr’s exploration of wilderness adventures. She explains how to create engaging encounters by pitting players against harsh terrains, environmental obstacles, and the challenge of resource management. The article also emphasizes the integration of non-dungeon settings into the broader campaign world to deepen storytelling. I enjoyed this much more than the first article, which was a bit pedantic for my taste.
“Key to Ramali” is a short story by Ardath Mayhar. A weary intergalactic negotiator needs the help of his malfunctioning mechanical camel to secure a trade deal. It’s a humorous little tale with patches of creativity, but it is no more than light entertainment. Mayhar published dozens of science fiction, fantasy, and western novels.
Len Lakofka brings us a diverse trio of new “Gods of the Suel pantheon.” This month, we have Syrul, Goddess of False Promises and Deceit, Fortubuo, God of Stone, Metals, and Mountains, and Wee Jas, Goddess of Magic and Death.
“Off the Shelf” returns with reviews of the latest sci-fi and fantasy:
- The Chaos Weapon by Colin Kapp is a rousing tale of space marshals confronting a chaotic menace and is “well worth reading.”
- The Paradoxicon by Nicholas Falletta is a comprehensive exploration of paradoxes and is of great use to “those who like including puzzles and riddles in their game campaigns.”
- The Sword and the Chain by Joel Rosenberg continues this series about college gamers transported to a fantasy world and is “delightful.”
- Across the Sea of Suns by Gregory Benford, a tale with confusing dual plots about an interstellar mission and an alien invasion, is “a disappointing book.”
- Salvage and Destroy by Edward Llewellyn, about aliens awaiting the end of human civilization, is “a good science fiction tale from a talented writer.”
- Neuromancer by William Gibson, a dark and gripping vision of our cyberpunk future, is “a novel worth reading.”
There is a feature-length game review in this issue. Rolemaster by Iron Crown Enterprises is a comprehensive RPG system offering exceptional player flexibility and detailed mechanics, but it is burdened by inconsistency and complexity. Reviewer Arlen P. Walker says, “If you want a freer, more open game than you are currently playing, I’d say it is probably worth it.”
Finally, the Ares Section includes four articles:
- “Before the Dark Years” by Jim Ward and Roger Moore is a detailed timeline of the Gamma World universe.
- “The Marvel-Phile” by Jeff Grubb details the diverse inhabitants of the Marvel Superheroes RPG.
- “The Battle at Ebony Eyes” by William Tracy is a Star Fronters game scenario.
- “Yachts and Privateers Return” by Douglas Niles has revised statistics for various Star Frontiers ships.
And that’s a wrap! There was a little too much physics in this issue, but I did enjoy Katharine Kerr’s article on wilderness adventures. Next month, we have new monsters, special shields, and war words!
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