Dragon Publishing released Dragon #93 in January 1985. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features world crafting, high-level druids, and a fishy ecology!
The cover is by Jeff Busch and depicts the transformation of a weretiger, with a real tiger standing guard in the foreground. I like it better than Busch’s cover for Dragon #90, but the execution still feels a bit off. Interior artists include Jim Holloway, Bob Maurus, Atanielle Annyn Noel, Jane Hoffman, Marvel Bullpen, Dave Trampier, Denton Elliott, Richard Tomasic, and Larry Elmore.
This month’s special attraction is “The Gypsy Train” by Richard Fichera. The article provides a vivid depiction of wandering travellers for your AD&D game, including descriptions of their wagons, lifestyle, and key personalities. The material is accompanied by several adventure seeds and some paper cut-outs, enabling you to assemble 3d wagons. It’s a nice idea but marred by stereotyping. Fichera published a few articles in various RPG magazines around this time.
Gary Gygax contributes a pair of articles. In “Life Beyond 15th Level,” he expands druids beyond their previous level cap (level 14 in the Player’s Handbook, extended to level 15 in Dragon #65). Grand Druids can now relinquish their title and follow the path of the Hierophant, advancing up to the 23rd level and gaining abilities such as planar travel, longevity, and the power to conjure elementals. It’s actually a fascinating demonstration of how AD&D lost the concept of an “end game” for characters.
In “Thinking for Yourself,” Gygax addresses, in a general way, the controversies facing Dungeons & Dragons. It was the height of the satanic panic, and the game was under attack from various parties. Gygax defends role-playing games, emphasising liberty of conscience and the harmlessness of imaginative play.
Arthur Collins shares his insights on world-building in “The Making of a Milieu.” He recommends beginning your world-building process around a single compelling concept—this could be inspired by a culture, a distinctive event, or even a unique map feature—and then steadily layering details like social exchanges, geography, and evolving political events. He also emphasises the importance of an overarching goal to tie your campaign together, supported by lively NPC interactions and dynamic socio-political developments to keep players actively invested in the world. I’ll admit, it makes me feel a bit inadequate! Collins contributed many articles to Dragon as well as DMGR2: The Castle Guide.
In “The Ecology of the Eye of the Deep,” Ed Greenwood delves into the biology and behaviour of this aquatic monstrosity, examining its habitat, hunting strategies, and breeding cycle. He presents the article as a scholarly dialogue among sages in Hillsfar, moderated by Auvras the Enquirer. Greenwood includes several game design notes, such as the mechanics of the eye-flash attack and explaining the limitations of its hold abilities. It’s not my favourite monster, but Greenwood’s description makes it compelling.
Stephen Inniss provides practical rules for jumping and leaping in “Short Hops and Big Drops,” detailing distance calculations and impact consequences for AD&D characters. I’m growing a little weary of these maths-heavy simulationist articles! Inniss was a regular contributor to Dragon.
Frank Mentzer’s “Ay PronunseeAY shun Gyd” tackles the challenges of pronouncing various AD&D words, mainly monster names. Anyone looking for the official pronunciation of “bulette” will be disappointed, as he gives four variants!
“Agencies and Alignments” by Merle Rasmussen expands the Top Secret game universe by detailing rival espionage organisations. Some of the naming feels a bit lazy, such as “The Agency,” “The Cartel”, and “The Exterminators.” He also introduces a political alignment system, which looks useful, though underdeveloped.
“Eira,” a short story by Josepha Sherman, is an atmospheric fairy tale about a young bard attempting to free a swan-maiden from a dangerous Faerie kingdom. Sherman, a prolific folklorist and novelist, uses evocative prose and creates a vibrant setting. However, the story leans too heavily on standard fairy-tale tropes and hence feels slightly stale.
Finally, the ARES section is back with 14 pages of science-fiction and superhero content:
- “The Marvel-Phile” by Jeff Grubb presents more Avenger stats, this time covering Mockingbird and Shroud.
- “New Ships for Old” by Stefan Jones shows how to redesign starships in Space Opera.
- “New Brotherhoods” by Peter C. Zelinski introduces minor Cryptic Alliances for Gamma World.
- “Rare Wines and Ready Cash” by Tony Watson provides practical guidance on agricultural trade in Star Frontiers.
And that’s a wrap! The standout article was Greenwood’s “Ecology,” though I’m sorry there were no game or book reviews this time. Next month, we have ranger changes, the ecology of chimera, and a new Creature Catalog!
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