Knights & Paladins Features Issue #243 Volume XXII, No. 6 Destriers of the Planes ............ 26 January 1998 Steve Berman Nine fantastic steeds from the Outer Planes. Holy Swords of the Realms . 35 Departments Lloyd Brown Weapons both divine and infernal. Wyrms of the North . 56 He’s Got Personality . 40 Ed Greenwood David Brumbaugh A steel dragon claims Waterdeep as her home, so A paladin’s Charisma works differently from that of a bard or visitors beware “The Wyrm of Many Spells.” enchanter, and here’s how. Bazaar of the Bizarre . 70 The Treasures of Krynn . 48 Brian Dunnell Stephen Kenson A knight needs the finest in “Helms and Armor.” The Fifth Age brings both new and legendary magical items to the DRAGONLANCE® setting. Dragon’s Bestiary . 75 Johnathan M. Richards Enchanting Weapons . 52 “Magical Crossbreeds” range from cute to deadly. Mike Nystul The DM’s guide to making the most of your magical weapons. Arcane Lore . 89 Anthony Nixon & David Head Fiction: “Honor and Guile” . 62 For those who would seek these magical tomes of Margaret Weis the GREYHAWK® campaign: “Caveat Emptor.” Raistlin Majere and Sturm Brightblade in one of their earliest adventures. Dungeon Mastery . 94 Don Perrin In a Class by Themselves . 82 A brief survey of historical knights, with a DM’s Tom Doolan bibliography for campaign inspiration. Create a new kind of knight by making multi-class humans— using only the DUNGEON MASTER™ Guide. Columns About the Cover The Wyrm’s Turn™ ...................... .4 Stephen Daniele’s first cover for DRAGON Magazine illustrates a D-Mail™. ............................... 6 point that has become near to our hearts: You can’t keep a Forum . .12 good dragon down. Sage Advice . .18 Out of Character ...................... .24 Knights of the Dinner Table ............. .96 Conventions .......................... .98 DragonMirth .......................... 100 Staff Gamer’s Guide ....................... .102 PUBLISHER Pierce Watters — EDITOR Dave Gross Floyd .............................. 104 EDITOR Larry Smith— ASSOCIATE EDITOR Chris Perkins Roleplaying Reviews .................. .108 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jesse Decker — PRODUCTION MANAGER Roger Re:Views ............................ .115 Mangelson — ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bob Henning TSR Previews ........................ .116 ADVERTISING MANAGER Judy Smitha ProFiles. .......................... 120 # DRAGON 243 3 DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly except November (twice monthly) by TSR, Inc., 1801 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98055, United States of America. Periodical postage paid at Renton, WA, U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 469086, Escondido, CA 92046, U.S.A. USPS 318-790, ISSN 0279- 6848. The postal address for all materials from the United States of America and Canada except subscription orders and change-of-address notices is: DRAGON® Magazine, 1801 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98055, U.S.A.; telephone (425) 226-6500; fax (425) 204-5928. Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from game and hobby shops throughout the United States, The Door Committee Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the book trade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distribution to the book trade in the United Kingdom is AFTER A YEAR OF UPHEAVAL, I’m debates on the relative merits of some- by TSR Ltd. Send orders to: Random House, Inc., Order finally finding the time to play the body else opening the door. Entry Department, Westminster MD 21157, U.S.A.; tele- phone: (800) 733-3000. Newsstand distribution AD&D® game again. For the first time Luckily, one of the players had a throughout the United Kingdom is by Comag Magazine in well over a decade—not counting big, stupid fighter—and he wasn’t Marketing, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE, United Kingdom; telephone: 0895-444055. tournament play and online games— afraid to use him. While the rest of Subscriptions: Subscription rates via periodical- most of the players were people I the PCs argued at the third door, class mail are as follows: $34.95 in U.S. funds for 13 issues sent to an address in the U.S.; $41.95 in U.S. funds didn’t already know well. I had no “Ogre” crashed through it . right into for 13 issues sent to an address in Canada; £34.95 for 13 idea how it would turn out. The one the first melee, of course. The fight issues sent to an address within the United Kingdom; £41.95 for 13 issues sent to an address in Europe; $57.95 thing I’d forgotten about was doors. was soon over, but they were more in U.S. funds for 13 issues sent by surface mail to any concerned about doors than ever. It other address. Payment in full must accompany all sub- Virtually everyone who replied to scription orders. Methods of payment include checks or my message that I’d be starting up a took them much longer to open the money orders made payable to TSR, Inc., or charges to new game mentioned that it had been door out of the room than it did for valid MasterCard or VISA credit cards; send subscription orders with payments to DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box years since he’d last played. One guy them to enter. 469086, Escondido, CA 92046, USA. In the United Kingdom, methods of payment include cheques or money wrote that he hadn’t rolled the dice in Afterward, they took an hour and a orders made payable to TSR Ltd., or charges to a valid fifteen years. Three or four of them half to cross a pit. I was glad there ACCESS or VISA credit card; send subscription orders with payments to TSR Ltd., as per that address above. Prices had never played 2nd Edition. That wasn’t a door at the other end. are subject to change without prior notice. The issue expi- was OK, I replied, pointing out that the Next, they figured out a trick and ration of each subscription is printed on the mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes of differences weren’t profound. Besides, made short work of a dangerous mon- address for the delivery of subscription copies must be while we’d be using the 2nd Edition ster. But then came another door. received at least six weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery. rules, we wouldn’t add any optional Twenty minutes. Then another ten Submissions: All material published in DRAGON rules, except for a half page of my after they heard some slavers walking Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the publisher, unless special arrangements to the contrary are made prior house rules (mostly simple variations past on the other side. to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes unsolicited sub on existing optional rules). Corridors weren’t quite as daunting missions of written material and artwork; however, no responsibility for such submissions can be assumed by the After about an hour, all eight play- as doors, but deciding which way to publisher in any event. Any submission accompanied by a ers showed up, and we were ready to turn at an intersection became a con- self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published. We strongly recommend go. To start more quickly, and because troversy. Another fifteen minutes. that prospective authors write for our writers‘ guidelines some of the players felt a little rusty, Two scary doors (briefly opened before sending an article to us. In the United States and Canada, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (9½” we used the pregenerated characters and quickly shut) and forty minutes long preferred) to Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON from the original modules. We spent later, they found stairs leading down. Magazine, at the above address; include sufficient American postage or International Reply Coupons (IRC) only about fifteen minutes messing Deciding to take the stairs took only with the return envelope. around with the character sheets, ten minutes. Stairs must be inherently Advertising: For information on placing advertise- ments in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card. All ads adding proficiencies, changing spells, less controversial than doors, though are subject to approval by TSR, Inc. TSR reserves the and like that. Then we went straight to there was some concern that there right to reject any ad for any reason. Contact: Bob Henning, DRAGON Magazine, 1801 Lind Avenue S.W., the game—and the first door. might be more doors down there. Renton, WA 98055, U.S.A., (425) 204-7262. They did all the right things. Well, Fortunately, the first things the PCs Advertisers and/or agencies of advertisers agree to hold TSR, Inc. harmless from and against any loss or they did some of the right things. It discovered downstairs were hostile expense from any alleged wrongdoing that may arise out took them quite a while to walk into monsters, and we enjoyed the pleas- of the publication of such advertisements. TSR, Inc. has the right to reject or cancel any advertising contract for the first hallway, after a long debate ant diversion of mindless combat for which the advertiser and/or agency of advertiser fails to about how conspicuous a torch would almost half an hour. We had another comply with the business ethics set forth in such contract. DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc. be outside the stronghold of the hour before we had to go home, and Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. All rights to the contents of this publication ate reserved, and nothing slavers. Once they actually confronted at last it looked as if they might may be reproduced from it in whole or in part without first the room, things moved more quickly.