Issue #186 Vol. XVII, No. 5 SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS October 1992 Pleasant Nightmares! Publisher 9 James M. Ward Three unforgettable excursions into the macabre. 50 Castle Hauntings Michael Gabriel Editor 10 Roger E. Moore You dont want a mere ghost to scare the heroes. You want a ghost theyll remember forever. Associate editor Dale A. Donovan 14 Mission: Impossibly Dangerous! Gregory W. Detwiler Fiction editor Barbara G. Young How to darken the future (and the characters lives) in GDWs DARK CONSPIRACY game. Editorial assistant Wolfgang H. Baur 20 The Dragon's Bestiary Spike Y. Jones Art director Three new undead: one good, one evil, and one thats Larry W. Smith rather shocking. Production staff Gaye OKeefe Tracey Zamagne Dawn K. Murin REVIEWS Role-playing Reviews I Lester Smith Subscriptions Janet L. Winters 32 Some lessons in horror from small-press game companies. Role-playing Reviews II Rick Swan U.S. advertising Cindy Rick 96 More ghastly games, newly edited and fresh from the crypt. U.K. correspondent Through the Looking Glass Robert Bigelow and U.K. advertising Wendy Mottaz 112 The dead in lead: figures of horror in miniature scale. DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published tion throughout the United Kingdom is by Comag monthly by TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756 (201 Sheridan Magazine Marketing, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States Middlesex UB7 7QE, United Kingdom; telephone: of America. The postal address for all materials from 0895-444055. the United States of America and Canada except Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class subscription orders is: DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues 111, (201 Sheridan Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI sent to an address in the U.S.; $36 in U.S. funds for 12 53147, U.S.A.; telephone (414) 248-3625; fax (414) issues sent to an address in Canada; £21 for 12 issues 248-0389. 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In the United Kingdom, book trade in the United States is by Random House, methods of payment include cheques or money orders Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. made payable to TSR Ltd., or charges to a valid Distribution to the book trade in the United Kingdom is ACCESS or VISA credit card; send subscription orders by TSR Ltd. Send orders to: Random House, Inc., with payments to TSR Ltd., as per that address above. Order Entry Department, Westminster MD 21157, Prices are subject to change without prior notice. The U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 733-3000. Newsstand distribu- issue of expiration of each subscription is printed on FEATURES Welcome to the Neighborhood! James R. Collier 26 Hows the night life in the necropolis? Make cities sparkle in AD&D® campaigns. The Voyage of the Princess Ark Bruce A. Heard 41 The admiral learns an important lesson about boomerangs from an expert. Novel Ideas Rob King 56 A new world opens in TSRs book lines for the D&D® game! Give Your Villains a Fighting Chance Kevin Troy 63 Whatever tricks the players use work just as well for the evil wizards. The MARVEL®-Phile James Lowder 71 The Thing That Shouldnt Exist meets The Monster From Planet X. The Game Wizards William W. Connors 89 A thumbnail guide to villainy for game masters, who will COVER appreciate it most. Lets hope the cleric in Thomas Baxas cover painting has more than a simple cure light wounds spell to use against the vampire landing on his back. Tom DEPARTMENTS was able to prove to the editors satisfaction that chain mail pants did 4 Letters 92 Forum exist. 6 Editorial 102 Dragonmirth 52 Sage Advice 104 Twilight Empire 58 TSR Previews 108 Gamers Guide 76 Convention Calendar the mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of the stamped envelope (9½” long preferred) to: Writers’ Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. All magazine. 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In the United even giving them out to the people in their everyone it meets with its peculiar powers). States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® gaming groups). —“Unidentified Gaming Objects” had a brief Magazine, PO. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, note on page 30 about the possibility that in U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGON certain campaigns the derros, a degenerate Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry Dying breed? dwarven race in the AD&D game, might de- Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom. velop magical or technological flying saucers, if Dear Dragon, not other horrible devices as well, which they I play only the AD&D® 2nd Edition game. I would use in an attempt to conquer their world. think of myself as a simple DM. I dont use the This would make a particularly wild (and per- Old issues, big SPELLJAMMER® set. I dont use psionics. I dont haps frightening) fantasy campaign. use the Nordic or Charlemagne supplements. I —The race of araneas, from “The Voyage of bucks? dont play in the RAVENLOFT®, DARK SUN, or the Princess Ark, could be adapted from the FORGOTTEN REALMS® settings.