Issue #218 Vol. XX, No. 1 June 1995 SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS Publisher Tarazin the Gray L. Richard Baker III TSR, Inc. 10 After a few thousand years, this dragon has learned a Associate Publisher few tricks. Brian Thomsen Dragon Intrigues Gregory Detwiler Editor 16 If you thought dragons were tough in combat, wait Wolfgang Baur until they work against you behind the scenes. Associate editor Dragon Dweomers Robert S. Mullin David Gross 24 Dragons claws, fangs, and breath weapons are potent Fiction editor weaponsand these new spells help make them Barbara G. Young more potent still. You have been warned. Art director Larry W. Smith FICTION Editorial assistant Michelle Vuckovich The Time of Leaving Ron Collins 91 When does an apprentice become a master? Production staff Tracey Isler Subscriptions REVIEWS Janet L. Winters Eye of the Monitor David Zeb Cook and Paul Murphy U.S. advertising 59 Astounding Oriental adventures and a dud raven. Cindy Rick Role-playing Reviews Rick Swan U.K. correspondent 82 Undaunted, Rick dives into the card game maelstrom. and U.K. advertising Carolyn Wildman From the Forge Ken Carpenter 112 Fantasy creatures great and small. 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: 818761; 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 JUNE 1995 FEATURES First Quest Ed Greenwood 8 Wherein lies the first sentence ever written about the Realms. The Spice of Life Thomas Kane 32 Multiple plots add variety to any campaignand give players more freedom. The Game Wizards Steven Schend 39 Presenting a checklist for the first BLOOD WARS expansion, and a sample deck to help you conquer the City of Doors. The ORIGINS Ballot The staff 45 Vote for the worlds best games of 1994. Magic Resistance, Step by Step Skip Williams 56 How to resolve the thorny knot of resistancewithout losing friends. The Nature of Evil Michael T. Kuciak 66 What does it take to make a truly despicable villain? COVER Rumblings Michelle Vuckovich This issue's cover painting by Stephen King shows another side of dragonsa 72 Catch up on all the latest news and gaming industry foul dracolich in flight over a barren gossip. wasteland. the issue is our annual tribute to our namesakeeveryone's Ecology of the Bird Maiden Paul Culotta favorite engines of destructiondragons. 75 Truth and treachery intertwine in this tale from the desert. Sage Advice Skip Williams 97 Answering the thorniest and most tangled game questions. DEPARTMENTS 4 Letters 103 Libram X 6 Editorial 106 Dragonmirth 43 Convention Calendar 108 Gamers Guide 46 Forum 124 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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USPS 318-790, ISSN 1062-2101. stamped envelope (9½” long preferred) to: Writers’ Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. All DRAGON 3 What did you think of this issue? Do you have Well, recently the craze seems to have ebbed; The figures are all new at the time of the a question about an article or have an idea for a not died out entirely, just sort of receded. It has games release; five are exclusive to the box, the new feature youd like to see? In the United now been relegated to a before/after the RPG other five are available separately in blister States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® pasttime instead of one that takes the place of it. packs. Magazine, 201 Sheridan Springs Rd., Lake This is greatly to my liking, I have to admit. And Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: just as we have our board/war game nights, we Letters, DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 also have our Magic/Jyhad nights. Again, greatly Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 to my liking. Cthulhu by the Bay 3LB, United Kingdom. If you want your letter to Goodness, I may even think about picking up be published, you must sign it; we will not a deckbut dont tell my friends I said that! publish anonymous letters.