DRAGONS Features The Missing Dragons Richard Lloyd A classic article returns with three new dragons for the AD&D® game. Departments 26 56 Wyrms of the North Ed Greenwood The evil woman Morna Auguth is now The Moor Building a Better Dragon Dragon. Paul Fraser Teaching an old dragon new tricks 74Arcane Lore is as easy as perusing this menu. Robert S. Mullin For priestly 34 dragons ... Dragon Dweomers III. Dragon’s Bestiary 80 Gregory W. Detwiler These Crystal Confusion creatures are the distant Dragon-Kin. Holly Ingraham Everythingand we mean everything 88 Dungeon Mastery youll ever need to know about gems. Rob Daviau If youre stumped for an adventure idea, find one In the News. 40 92Contest Winners Thomas S. Roberts The winners are revealed in Ecology of a Spell The Dragon of Vstaive Peak Design Contest. Ed Stark Columns Theres no exagerration when Vore Lekiniskiy THE WYRMS TURN .............. 4 is called a mountain of a dragon. D-MAIL ....................... 6 50 FORUM ........................ 10 SAGE ADVICE ................... 18 OUT OF CHARACTER ............. 24 Fiction BOOKWYRMs ................... 70 The Quest for Steel CONVENTION CALENDAR .......... 98 Ben Bova DRAGONMIRTH ............... 100 Orion must help a young king find both ROLEPLAYING REVIEWS .......... 104 a weapon and his own courage. KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE ... 114 TSR PREVIEWS ................. 116 62 PROFILES ..................... 120 Staff Publisher Wendy Noritake Executive Editor Pierce Watters Production Manager John Dunn Editor Dave Gross Art Director Larry Smith Associate Editor Chris Perkins Editorial Assistant Jesse Decker Advertising Sales Manager Bob Henning Advertising Traffic Manager Judy Smitha On the Cover Fred Fields blends fantasy with science fiction in this month's anniversary cover. DRAGON 248 3 ® DRAGON Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly except November (twice monthly) by TSR, Inc., 1801 Lind Avenue S.W., Renton, WA 98055, United States of America. Periodical-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, WI, 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, 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. 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SUBSCRIPTIONS: Subscription rates via periodical- Theres a reason we dont call it king, Beowulfs responsible in part for 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 for 13 Dungeons & Kobolds. the actions of any of his people, so when issues sent to an address in Canada; £34.95 for 13 issues Ogres, giants, goblins, and many other he goes to fight the dragon, the situa- sent to an address within the United Kingdom; £41.95 for 13 issues sent to an address in Europe; $57.95 in U.S. funds of the traditional monsters are basically tions more ambiguous than ever. for 13 issues sent by surface mail to any other address. Payment in full must accompany all subscription orders. just big, ugly, bestial men, not far Beowulfs gone from fighting a land- Methods of payment include checks or money orders divorced from the sort you encounter at based belligerent thug to a vengeful made payable to TSR, Inc., or charges to valid Mastercard or VISA credit cards; send subscription orders with pay- your local tractor pull or board meeting. aquatic mother to a flying, firebreathing ments to DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 469086, Escondido, reptile whos legitimately angry that CA 92046, USA; email [email protected]; Like a lot of Star Trek aliens, theyre phone 1-800-395-7760. In the United Kingdom, meth- humans with a nose or ear job. They some creep broke into his barrow. ods of payment include cheques or money orders made payable to TSR Ltd., or charges to a valid ACCESS or VISA arent all that different from us. (Well, Beowulf isnt the only story that credit card; send subscription orders with payments to most of us.) defines dragons, but its one of those that TSR Ltd., as per that address above. Prices are subject to change without prior notice. The issue expiration of each Consider the poem Beowulf. In it, shows the dragon as an awesome, terri- subscription is printed on the mailing label of each sub- scriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes of address for the Grendels pretty much an ogre who ble force because its so alien to us. Some delivery of subscription copies must be received at least six crashes the party at Heorot and wipes up might argue that the most horrifying weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery. the floor with some of Hrothgars folks monsters are human, but I say that its SUBMISSIONS: All material published in DRAGON Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the publisher, for no particularly good reason. When because theres something hideously unless special arrangements to the contrary are made prior Beowulf shows up to slap Grendel inhuman in them that makes them mon- to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes unsolicited sub- missions of written material and artwork; however, no down, he's totally justified. He catches sters. (Sure, its creepy that Ted Bundy responsibility for such submissions can be assumed by the publisher in any event. Any submission accompanied by a the brute in the act and rips off his arm. looks like such a nice boy, but its mon- self-addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will be There are witness and everything. strous that he killed people.) returned if it cannot be published. We strongly recommend that prospective authors write for our writers’ guidelines It's a little different when Grendels A dragon, on the other hand, makes before sending an article to us. In the United States and Canada, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (9½” long mother comes to town. She probably no pretensions to humanity; its all preferred) to Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, at could have done a better job bringing up monster. So what does that say about the above address; include sufficient American postage or International Reply Coupons (IRC) with the return enve- her little boy, but shes got a reason to our game? lope. ADVERTISING: For information on placing advertise- want some revenge. You cant really fault At its simplest, the DUNGEONS & ments in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card. All ads are subject to approval by TSR, Inc. TSR reserves the right the maternal instinct. RAGONS game is about exploring dan- D to reject any ad for any reason. Contact: Bob Henning, This time, Beowulf has to leave his gerous locations and fighting monstrous DRAGON Magazine, 1801 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98055, U.S.A., (425) 204-7262. own jurisdiction, even swim down to a opponents. Thats not to say that there Advertisers and/or agencies of advertisers agree to hold subterranean lair, then mix it up with arent dozens of other pleasures in role- TSR, Inc. harmless from and against any loss or expense from any alleged wrongdoing that may arise out of the somebodys mother! If you read the Old playing, but thats the basis for it all publication of such advertisements. TSR, Inc. has the right to reject or cancel any advertising contract for which the English carefully, you see that he even your basic dungeon crawl with a big advertiser and/or agency of advertiser fails to comply resorts to hair-pulling. Ultimately, he monster at the end. Ultimately, its a way with the business ethics set forth in such contract. DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc. Registra- cant win the battle without the help of a of facing and defeating the inhuman . tion applied for in the United Kingdom. All rights to the contents of this publication are reserved, and nothing may magical sword that Ma Grendel has con- while not taking it all so seriously that be reproduced from it in whole or in part without first veniently kept waiting for him. Its a obtaining permission in writing from the publisher. Material youre not having any fun. ® published in DRAGON Magazine does not necessarily reflect great fight, but Beowulf seems just a little the opinions of TSR, Inc. Therefore, TSR will not be held more out of his element. Maybe there's a accountable for opinions or misinformation contained in such material. case for brutality, here. ® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Most other So they make Beowulf king. Whos product names are trademarks owned by the companies publishing those products. Use of the name of any prod- going to object? And everythings uct without mention of trademark status should not be copacetic for years, until a thief slips into construed as a challenge to such status.