Issue #216 Vol. XIX, No. 11 SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS April 1995 Bazaar of the Bizarre Steven Miller Publisher 10 We liked this article so much, we made TSRs Games TSR, Inc. Dept., hire Steven. Associate Publisher Brian Thomsen Fuzzy Reviews Spike Y. Jones 16 Read these (serious) reviews of plush-animal Editor-in-Chief miniatures rules. (No, we really are serious. Could we Kim Mohan make up something this goofy?) Associate editor Dale A. Donovan April Fools Faxions Tim Beach 22 Add these faxions to your PLANESCAPE campaign. Fiction editor Barbara G. Young We mean it, go ahead, please . Bards on the Run Editorial assistants Wolfgang H. Baur 30 We just cant seem to stop printing these silly songs. Michelle Vuckovich We know its sick and wrong, but were hooked. Its Art director an illness, really. Larry W. Smith Production FICTION Renee Ciske Tracey Isler Dead Mans Curse Roy V. Young 82 Read this excerpt from a book you cant buy until August. Subscriptions Janet L. Winters (Whose idea was this?) U.S. advertising Cindy Rick REVIEWS U.K. correspondent Eye of the Monitor David Zeb Cook and U.K. advertising 63 Carolyn Wildman Turn on your monitor, rev up your hard drive, and open fire on the bad guys in Doom II. DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) 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. 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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 APRIL 1995 Role-playing Reviews — Rick Swan 74 Explore the Savage Coast, Denver, the Victorian era, and the lost city of Parlainth. From the Forge — Ken Carpenter 112 SF has come a long way since Jules Verne. If you don’t believe it, just check out these games and figures. FEATURES First Quest — William W. Connors 8 Time flies when you’re having fun gaming. Paths of Power — Wolfgang Baur & Steve Kurtz 42 Let’s get serious: here’s an alternative magic system for the AD&D® game spellcasters. The Game Wizards — Rich Baker & Skip Williams 50 Presenting a PLAYER’S OPTION™ book preview: Critical hit systems from the Combat & Tactics tome (another book that you can’t buy yet—Nyah, nyah!). Rumblings — The staff 68 Catch up on all the latest dirt in the gaming industry—just be certain to wash your hands afterward. The Auld Alliance — Arthur Collins 70 You can keep your gaming group together for the long haul if you follow Arthur’s advice. Novel Ideas — Jean Rabe 96 Find out what TSR author Simon Hawke has up his sleeve for TSR’s first BIRTHRIGHT™ novel. Elminster’s Notebook — Ed Greenwood 100 In which El answers the burning question: “What are those kobolds up to?” (Oh, about 3-foot-nothing.—Sorry, that’s an old gnomish joke.) DEPARTMENTS 4 Letters 92 Forum 6 Editorial 106 Dragonmirth 37 Convention 108 Gamers Guide Calendar 120 TSR Previews 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. 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He is a big fan States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® don’t think we didn’t have anything else to do of Rikus, from the DARK SUN® setting! He Magazine, 201 Sheridan Springs Rd., Lake although we really did not). Went to a friends seems to think that Rikus, in battle with Drizzt, Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: house to see what race indeed had the better would kill Drizzt! Now I’m pretty sure most Letters, DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 eye sight and also to see who was going to make people will agree with me when I say, “No man Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 fun of the other over this whole issue.