SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS Issue #153 In the Hands of the Gods: Vol. XIV, No. 8 11 Just hope that they dont drop you. January 1990 The Goals of the Gods Craig Barrett, Jr. Publisher 12Just what does a deity want out of life? For starters, everything. James M. Ward As Above, So Below Craig Barrett, Jr. Editor 22As men look up to gods, so do gods look to those powers above them. Roger E. Moore Following in Their Footsteps Fraser Sherman 26Why clerics of Poseidon had better not get seasick, and other priestly Fiction editor tidbits. Barbara G. Young Your Place in the Grand Scheme Tom Little Assistant editor 36Your cleric has a role in the Cosmic Plan if he can find it. Dale A. Donovan Art director O THER FEATURES Paul Hanchette Firebearer fiction by Lois Tilton Production staff 42To save a Titan, you must defy the god who punished him. Kathleen C. MacDonald The Game Wizards Jeff Grubb Gaye OKeefe Angelika Lokotz 48In which Jeff entertains a well-known visitor from the Forgotten Realms. Subscriptions The Role of Books John C. Bunnell Janet L. Winters 51 A look at how gods (and authors) handle their worlds. U.S. advertising The Ecology of the Manticore Spike Y. Jones Sheila Gailloreto Tammy Volp 56The best way to learn about this beast is probably also the worst. Through the Looking Glass Ed Dobrianski U.K. correspondent 60Want to make your very own army of dragons? Heres how! and U.K. advertising Sue Lilley The Voyage of the Princess Ark Bruce A. Heard 68A new article series explores the D&D® Known World from above. Your Best Chances Ed Friedlander 72If you need to roll up a great paladin, 3d6 wont do it. The Role of Computers Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser 76 Combat, from the Battle of Britain to the battles of Aragon. A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Mission 84Merle and Jackie Rasmussen Secret agents lead more dangerous lives than they would ever imagine! Awash In Phlogiston Jeff Grubb 94Where did those SPELLJAMMER proficiencies go? D EPARTMENTS 5 Letters 64 Convention Calendar 100 Dragonmirth 6 Sage Advice 80 Gamers Guide 8 Forum 96 TSR Previews COVER If you ever wondered what the gods do on their lunch hours, now you know thanks to our cover artist, Kelly Freas (yes, that Kelly Freas, winner of 10 Hugo awards). Chariot races are a dime a dozen, said Mr. Freas, but he hit upon the idea of having the gods use panthers in the races they run for their own amusement (the panthers were Anubiss idea, he explained). Mercury seems to have lost his bet with Odin on the races outcome, while Jupiter sighs in the background. 4 JANUARY 1990 Several people have been encourag- ing me to produce more hard-hitting, controversial editorials, but Im pretty much editorialized out this month, so well make do with What did you think of this issue? Do you have brief transcripts of game play, either real or This & that a question about an article or have an idea for a invented, when used as examples to highlight new feature youd like to see? In the United points in an article. Several of the AD&D® rule Changelings II: Since my January States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® books use such transcripts for this purpose. I 1989 editorial, weve had a few other Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, doubt that we will run a transcript just on its personnel changes (a fewha!). We U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGON own merit, however. wish everyone who has been with our Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry staff over the last year the very best at Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, United Kingdom. the holiday season and for all of 1990. And from We especially wish our best to Anne Do it on disk Brown, who is now with TSRs games Germany division and will need all of the luck Dear Dragon: she can get (yuk, yuk, snort). This is yet another letter about computerizing Dear Dragon: We have with us now Dale Donovan DRAGON Magazine. Instead of a bulletin board, Im going to ask a few questions: as assistant editor, and Paul Hanchette I would suggest writing the magazine in disk 1. Who is the German publisher of the AD&D as art director. Our new publisher is form, like the UPTIME disk-of-the-month sub- game? Jim Ward, who needs no introduction scription. You could still have ads, fine graphics, 2. What is the publishing date for the German since hes already given himself one in and art work incorporated on the disk. AD&D 2nd Edition game? issue #152 (The Game Wizards). With the price of disks so low these days, it 3. What is the address for German friends to Classical Art: We were informed by wouldnt cost too much once the operation was use when mailing proposals and questions (as set up. Shipping would be more costly, but I for you surely notice its a little bit complicated to Larry Elmore that his painting for the one would be willing to pay a few extra dollars write all ideas in a foreign language)? cover of DRAGON® issue #150 (the per year for DRAGON Magazine on disk. Martin Fide witch and the scarecrow, remember?) Garth Shaneyfelt Hamburg, West Germany won Best of Show at DRAGON CON in Boston MA Atlanta this October. Congratulations! I called Malcolm Mitchell at TSR Ltd. in the U.K. Price Change! TSR Ltd has Your idea certainly has a new twist to it, U.K. and learned the following: sent the following message to us, so pay though I doubt that you will see it done. Its too 1. TSR Ltd. is now the publisher of the Ger- attention: easy for us to simply ship the magazine on man translation of the AD&D game. DRAGON Magazine is available to paper. (And you dont have to plug in your 2. The German edition of the AD&D 2nd computer to read each issue.) readers in the U.K. and Europe on Edition game will be on sale in January 1990. annual subscription. The cost is £16 for 3. All article proposals and convention an- nouncements for DRAGON Magazine will have 12 issues (inclusive of posting and pack- How its played to be in English; no one on our staff in Wiscon- ing) mailed to any address in the U.K., sin is proficient in German. You may, however, or £24 for 12 issues (inclusive of post- Dear Dragon: write to TSR Ltd., and your letters will be ing and packing) to any address in There is something that Id really like to read answered in German by the staff there. A Europe. To ensure your regular copy of in your magazine: a four- or five-page transcript special branch of the RPGA™ Network will be the Number One gaming magazinefull excerpted from a good AD&D game (possibly established for German gamers in 1990. from a recent convention). This is something of news, reviews, ideas, advice, comics, Ive never seen in the years Ive been reading and featuressend for your subscrip- the magazine. As far as I know, nothing like that tion now! has ever been printed for the general public, yet Judges Guild: Simply enclose a cheque or postal I cant think of anything that could potentially order made payable to TSR Ltd, and be more informative and enlightening about the gone send it to: TSR Ltd, Subscriptions, 120 nuances of the game. Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cam- Most of the articles in DRAGON Magazine Dear Dragon: bridge, United Kingdom CB1 3LB. For tend to be overviews of one sort or another, By chance, would any of you know what has payment by Access or VISA, call: (0223) which is great, but Id also like something focus- become of Judges Guild? I assume it is out of ing a little more on the nitty-gritty of the play- 212517 and ask for DRAGON Magazine business; a letter I sent to the companys old subscriptions. ing. For instance, maybe the transcript could address was returned. If that is the case, who is include the DMs comments regarding the way Apologies: We had a keylining error marketing its old line of modules, play aides, on page 49 of DRAGON® issue #150, in he ran a particularly complex combat, how and etc.? Who owns the rights to these materials? why he was assigning experience points along Larry Ries the article Nobody Lasts Forever. the way, etc. Columbia MO Move the top 11 lines of that column to Paul Kub the bottom of that column, and the text Berkeley CA makes sense. Sorry about that. Judges Guild, a game company that produced No misteak: Again, I remind all This, too, is an interesting idea, but I doubt licensed modules and accessories for a number readers that this magazine is printed in that we will do it, either. Recording and tran- of role-playing games, went out of business years ago. Mayfair Games, Inc., acquired the December 1989, so all copyright notices scribing a particularly good RPG event is diffi- herein are correct, as far as we can tell. cult, but you have to decide if the game you rights to some of these materials and released transcribed was “good” and by what standards. them in a new format: the CITY-STATE OF THE What is entertaining to the players who took INVINCIBLE OVERLORD™ boxed set (reviewed Continued on page 75 part in an adventure is often not so entertaining in DRAGON issue #136).