Issue #220 SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS Vol. XX, No. 3 August 1995 Stratagems and Dirty Tricks Gregory W. Detwiler 10 Learn from the masters of deception: advice for DMs Publisher and players. TSR, Inc. The Politics of Empire Colin McComb & Associate Publisher 16 Carrie Bebris Brian Thomsen Put not your faith in the princes of this Editor world achieve victory in the BIRTHRIGHT Wolfgang Baur campaign through superior scheming. Associate editor Dave Gross Hired Killerz Ed Stark 22 Meet Vlad Taltos, and see how assassins can play a Fiction editor crucial role in any RPG. Barbara G. Young Art director FICTION Larry W. Smith Hunts End Rudy Thauberger Editorial assistant 98 One halfling and two thri-kreen reach the end of the road. Michelle Vuckovich Production staff Tracey Isler REVIEWS Role-playing Reviews Lester Smith Subscriptions 48 Lester examines PSYCHOSIS: Ship of Fools* and other Janet L. Winters terrifying RPGs. U. s. advertising Eye of the Monitor David Zeb Cook, Paul Murphy, and Cindy Rick 63 Ken Rolston U.K. correspondent BLOOD BOWL* goes electronic, the computer plots against and U.K. advertising you in Microproses Machiavelli, and we take another look Carolyn Wildman at Warcraft. From the Forge Ken Carpenter 128 Whatever happened to quality painting? A few words about neon paint jobs. DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 1062-2101) is published Magazine Marketing, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, monthly by TSR, inc., 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Middlesex UB7 7QE, United Kingdom; telephone: Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States of America. The 0895-444055. postal address for all materials from the United States Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class of America and Canada except subscription orders is: mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues DRAGON® Magazine, 201 Sheridan Springs Road, sent to an address in the U.S.; $36 in U.S. funds for 12 Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.; telephone (414) 248- issues sent to an address in Canada; £21 for 12 issues 3625; fax (414) 248-0389. The postal address for all sent to an address within the United Kingdom; £30 for materials from Europe is: DRAGON Magazine, TSR 12 issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 in U.S. Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 funds for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other 3LB, United Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), address, or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent air 44-223-212517 (international); telex: 818781; fax (0223) mail to any other address. Payment in full must accom- 248066 (U.K.), 44-223-248066 (international). pany all subscription orders. Methods of payment Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from include checks or money orders made payable to TSR, game and hobby shops throughout the United States, Inc., or charges to valid MasterCard or VISA credit Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited cards; send subscription orders with payments to: number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 5695, Boston MA 02206, U.S.A. In book trade in the United States is by Random House, the United Kingdom, methods of payment include Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. cheques or money orders made payable to TSR Ltd., Distribution to the book trade in the United Kingdom is or charges to a valid ACCESS or VISA credit card; by TSR Ltd. Send orders to: Random House, Inc., send subscription orders with payments to TSR Ltd., Order Entry Department, Westminster MD 21157, as per that address above. Prices are subject to U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 733-3000. Newsstand distribu- change without prior notice. The issue of expiration of Printed in the U.S.A. tion throughout the United Kingdom is by Comag each subscription is printed on the mailing label of 2 AUGUST 1995 FEATURES First Quest Ed Stark 8 Pull up a chair and hear the clatter of diceer, make that chits. The College of Apportation Lachlan MacQuarrie 28 Sometimes a teleport is just a teleport, but sometimes . E3 Con Report David Zeb Cook 34 Whats hot and whats not in the electronic world: our scout reports from the worlds biggest computer game show. Dice Advice Lester Smith 36 The Diceman Cometh: how to play the DRAGON DICE game. The Thought Police Lisa Smedman 41 No more wimpy watch! Giving the city guard psionic powers. Arcane Lore: Sea Magic Deborah Christian COVER 70 Sail away with maritime magic. A rider gallops through the woods by Bazaar of the Bizarre: Elven Magic Robert S. Mullin night: is he a messenger or an assassin? 80 We know they make great cloaks and boots: what other Will the wood spirits lurking in the trees catch him? David Hornes Only the magical tricks do elven wizards have up their sleeves? Light Keeps Them Back sets the tone of danger and intrigue for this issue. Sage Advice Skip Williams 86 This month, the sage tackles questions about magic and psionics. Dangerous Ground William J. White 90 Fights are more fun when your character is twelve stories up. Take Advantage of Us Do It on the Cheap Ken Whitman The GEN CON® Game Fair has traditionally 106 Getting to the GEN CON® Game Fair on time and under been the time when the Periodicals Depart- ment talks to treaders face-to-face, in semi- budgettips from Conmeister Ken. nars, in Q&A sessions, and at the TSR castle in the dealer area. It is also the time when Rumblings Michelle Vuckovich we offer the lowest subscription price of the 112 What hot new projects are brewing behind closed doors? yearand this year is no exception. In fact, Who was hired and who was fired? Find out here! the special Game Fair subscriptions this year are the cheapest since 1992: $17 for one The Game Wizards Bill Slaviscek year of DRAGON® Magazine, $15 for a year of 114 DUNGEON® Adventures, and $40 for a year A new campaign box reshapes the face of Athas. of both combinedwith even bigger savings for multi-year subscriptions (up to 52% off the cover price). But they're only available at DEPARTMENTS The TSR castle during the GEN CON Game Fair, so come say hello to the periodical 4 Letters 108 Convention Calendar 124 Gamers Guide staff, and get a great deal on a subscription 6 Editorial 119 Libram X 136 TSR Previews at the same time! 54 Forum 122 Dragonmirth each subscriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes of Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as per the above rights to the contents of this publication are reserved, address for the delivery of subscription copies must be address; include sufficient American postage or and nothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in received at least six weeks prior to the effective date of International Reply Coupons with the return envelope. part without first obtaining permission in writing from the change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery. In Europe, write to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON the publisher. Material published in DRAGON® Maga- Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues is Magazine, TSR Ltd; include sufficient return postage zine does not necessarily reflect the opinions of TSR, available from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop or IRCs with your SASE. Inc. Therefore, TSR will not be held accountable for (201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva WI 53147, Advertising: For information on placing advertise- opinions or mis-information contained in such material. U.S.A.) or from TSR Ltd. For a free copy of the current ments in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card. All ® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, catalog that lists available back issues, write to either ads are subject to approval by TSR, Inc. TSR reserves Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Most of the above addresses. the right to reject any ad for any reason. In the United other product names are trademarks owned by the Submissions: All material published in DRAGON States and Canada, contact: Advertising Coordinator, companies publishing those products. Use of the name Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the TSR, Inc., 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva of any product without mention of trademark status publisher, unless special arrangements to the contrary WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, contact: Advertising should not be construed as a challenge to such status. are made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine Coordinators, TSR Ltd. ©1995 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All TSR char- welcomes unsolicited submissions of written material Advertisers and/or agencies of advertisers agree to acters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses and artwork: however, no responsibility for such sub- hold TSR, Inc. harmless from and against any loss or thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. ORIGINS missions can be assumed by the publisher in any expense from any alleged wrongdoing that may arise is a trademark owned by the Games Manufacturers event. Any submission accompanied by a self- out of the publication of such advertisements. TSR, Association. addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will be Inc. has the right to reject or cancel any advertising Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis., returned if it cannot be published. We strongly recom- contract for which the advertiser and/or agency of U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: mend that prospective authors write for our writers’ advertiser fails to comply with the business ethics set Send address changes to DRAGON Magazine, TSR, guidelines before sending an article to us. In the forth in such contract. Inc., 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva WI United States and Canada, send a self-addressed, DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc.