Dragon Magazine #222
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10 The Death Knight-Ed Stark Issue #222 To keep your campaign lively, sometimes Vol. XX, No. 5 you need a little extra-powerful un-life. October, 1995 16 The Necrology of the Penanggalan Paul F. Culatta Publisher TSR, Inc. Some forms of undead are so terrifying and fell that even mighty paladins can fall Associate Publisher prey to their powers. Brian Thomsen Editor-in-Chief Pierce B. Watters FICTION Editor Anthony J. Bryant On the Scent at Slabs John Gregory Betancourt Associate editor 46 What’s an innkeeper to do when his dead boss won’t leave Dave Gross him alone, and then asks to be fixed up with the heir to the Fiction editor throne? Barbara G. Young REVIEW Art director Larry W. Smith Role-playing Reviews-Rick Swan Editorial assistant 26 Rick investigates voodoo, necromancers, and a new grimoire. Michelle Vuckovich Production Staff Tracey Isler FEATURES Subscriptions First Quest-Douglas Niles Janet L. Winters 8 Tarzan may have fired his imagination, but it was a high U.S. advertising school student who provided the fuel. Cindy Rick Sage Advice-Skip Williams U.K. correspondent 35 This month, the sage answers questions on PLAYERS OPTION™: and U.K. advertising Combat & Tactics. Carolyn Wildman DRAGON®Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published Kingdom is by Comag Magazine Marketing, Tavistock monthly by TSR, Inc., 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE, United Lake Geneva, WI 53147, United States of America. Kingdom; telephone: 0895-444055. The postal address for all materials from the United Subscription: Subscription rates via second-class States of America and Canada except subscription mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues orders is: DRAGON® Magazine, 201 Sheridan sent to an address in the U.S.; $36 in U.S. funds for Springs Road, Lake Geneva, WI 53147, U.S.A.; tele- 12 issues sent to an address in Canada: £21 for 12 phone (414) 248-3625; fax (414) 248-0389. The issues sent to an address within the United Kingdom; postal address for all materials from Europe is: £30 for 12 issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, in US. funds for 12 issues sent by surface mail to Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United any other address, or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), 44-223- sent air mail to any other address. Payment in full 212517 (international); telex: 818761; fax (0223) must accompany all subscription orders. Methods of 248066 (U.K.), 414-223-238066 (international). payment include checks or money orders made Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from payable to TSR, In., or charges to valid Mastercard game and hobby shops throughout the United States, or VISA credit cards; send subscription orders with Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited payments to TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 5695, Boston MA number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the 02206, U.S.A. In the United Kingdom, methods of book trade in the United States is by Random House, payment include cheques or money orders made Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, payable to TSR Ltd., or charges to a valid ACCESS Ltd. Distribution to the book trade in the United or VISA credit card; send subscription orders with Kingdom is by TSR Ltd. Send orders to: Random payments to TSR Ltd., as per that address above. House, Inc., Order Entry Department, Westminster Prices are subject to change without prior notice. The MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 733-3000. issue expiration of each subscription is printed on the Newsstand distribution throughout the United mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of the 2 OCTOBER 1995 Rumblings Michelle Vuckovich 41 What’s hot and who’s new? Find out here. Roaming the Realms: The Green Elves of Faerûn- 42 Belinda G. Ashley Don’t travel in Faerûn without reading this ranger’s report on some of the notable and more infamous tribes of elves dwelling in the realms. DRAGON® Magazine Interview: Steven Brust 55 Sit back for an illuminating chat with the man who gave us Vlad Taltos. Its All In the Details Jamie Nossal 62 Illusions are potentially more deadly than you think. Adding Substance to Psionic Combat-Bill Slavicsek 75 It’s mental combat, so try using imagination in its execution. Running Scared... and Really Fast!-Spike Y. Jones 81 Scare your superheroes right out of thier tights. Who Needs Hit Points When You Have Credit? 86 Peter C. Zelinski Eight ways to give 0-level bad guys an edge over powerful PCs. Secrets of the Sunless Seas-Wolfgang Baur COVER 90 In the depths of the Underdark, the powerful aboleths use This month's cover by West Coast artist glyph magic. Hung Mac was part of his portfolio sub- mission. We felt it was too cool to let it A Slither in The Dark-Gregory W. Detwiler just sit in the file drawer, so it became a 96 A retired officer of the British Raj reflects on his encounter most appropriate cover for our Undead issue. with a fierce creature of the Mythos. DEPARTMENTS 4 Letters 103 Libram X 6 Editorial 108 Gamers Guide 59 Convention Calendar 112 Dragonmirth 72 Floyd 120 TSR Previews magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of the above address; include sufficient American part without first obtaining permission in writing from subscription copies must be received at least six postage or Internation Reply Coupons with the return the publisher. Material published in DRAGON® weeks prior to the effective date of the change in envelope. In Europe, write to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o Magazine does not necessarily reflect the opinions of order to assure uninterrupted delivery. DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., include sufficient TSR, Inc. Therefore, TSR will not be held accountable Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues is International Reply Coupons with your SASE. for opinions or mis-information contained in such available from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop Advertising: For information on placing advertise- material. (201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva, WI ments in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card. ® designated registered trademarks owned by 53147 U.S.A.) or from TSR Ltd. For a free copy of the All ads are subject to approval by TSR, Inc. TSR TSR, Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, current catalog that lists available back issues, write reserves the right to reject any ad for any reason. In Inc. 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All TSR Magazine welcomes unsolicited submissions of writ- to hold TSR, Inc. harmless from and against any loss characters, character names, and the distinctive like- ten material and artwork; however, no responsibility or expense from any alleged wrongdoing that may nesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. for such submissions can be assumed by the publish- arise out of the publication of such advertisements. ORIGINS is a trademark owned by the Games er in any event. Any submission accompanied by a TSR, Inc. has the right to reject or cancel any adver- Manufacturers Association. self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size tising contract for which the advertiser and/or agency Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis., will be returned if it cannot be published. We strongly of advertiser fails to comply with the business ethics U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: recommend that prospective authors write for our set forth in such contract. Send address changes to DRAGON Magazine, TSR, writers’ guidelines before sending an article to us. In DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc. Inc., 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva WI the United States and Canada, send a self- Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. All 53147, U.S.A. USPS 318-790 addressed, stamped envelope (9%” long preferred) to rights to the contents of this publication are reserved, Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as per and nothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in DRAGON 3 not swing up into the saddle. Museum Replicas, Ltd., a supplier of battle-ready weapons and armor, printed the following in a recent catalogue. It con- cerns a knight's typical exercises: He leapt onto a horse without placing foot in stirrup, fully armed.... Placing one hand on the saddle-pommel of a war horse and the other near the horses ears, seizing the mane, he leapt from the ground through his arms and over the horse. Next, between two high walls an arms length apart, he would climb to the top and down again, simply using the Dear Dragon: strength of his legs and arms-fully You ask readers to send you a SASE. I armed. don't know how to proceed with a SASE Their source? The Marshall of France, since I do not live in the United States. 14th century. Benoit Chassé We also have proof you can see today.