Playing Favorites he TSR online areas see a lot of activity. I spend far too I suspect that many gamers are like me in this respect, much time there myself, chatting with friends and keeping enjoying a variety of settings as much as having a passion for an eye on the message boards. One topic that never fails to one in particular. The reason you don’t hear from us more draw responses (and flames) is that of favorite game world. often on those message boards is that it’s hard to be a parti- Depending on which topics you read, you might get the san when you don’t have a single favorite. What’s the point of impression that all GREYHAWK® setting players are embittered jumping in on an argument between those who love Toril and 30-somethings with a deep and abiding scorn for anything those who love Oerth if you agree with them both? new. And you might think that fans of the FORGOTTEN REALMS® It’s also hard to get a good feel for how many gamers like campaign are all 14-year-old boys who want to grow up to be a particular setting based on the responses of a relatively small Drizzt Do’Urden. You might think that those who enjoy the group, even one as active as that online. At a guess, there are PLANESCAPE® setting are incomprehensible, cant-spewing power dozens, maybe hundreds of people who are fairly active in the gamers. TSR message boards. Considerably more of you are reading Naturally, you’d be wrong on all counts. this right now, so let’s hear what you think. Put fans of two different football teams together, and you Write me a letter. Tell me whether you have a favorite set- generate rivalry. You can even put fans of two different soft ting or like several of them about equally. More importantly, drinks together and sit back to watch the sparks fly. It’s only tell me what makes you like each setting so much. Send your human nature, really. We like to think that what we like most letter to “Favorite Setting” in care of the magazine address. is the best, and we’ll find things to disdain in those who have We’ll print the most interesting ones in “D-Mail” or “Forum” different tastes. (depending on which is more appropriate for the particular Among gamers, perhaps because we love our favorite letter), so be sure to include your full name and postal address, settings passionately, the rivalry can become more than a little even if you send your letter via email. Let us know whether fierce, sometimes downright nasty. That’s a shame, since we’re you’d like your full address printed or just your name; we’ll all playing essentially the same game, speaking the same print only your name, city, and state otherwise. language. We just have different accents. My favorites if I had to choose? I’ll tell you after the letters I’m one of those people who has a hard time picking a come in. favorite anything. It’s even harder for me when it comes to gaming because I love a lot of different game systems, even different settings within the same system. Part of my problem- if it is a problem-is that I have a short attention span. Give me a RAVENLOFT® game for a few weeks, and I’m ready to try the Dave Gross BIRTHRIGHT® setting for a change of atmosphere. Publisher Editor Associate Editor Art Director Pierce Watters Dave Gross Chris Perkins Larry Smith Editorial Assistant Advertising Director Production Manager Advertising Manager Subscriptions Manager Jesse Decker Bob Henning Roger Mangelson Judy Smitha Sharon Whiting Printed in the USA DRAGON #241 3 November 1997 Volume XXII, No. 4 Issue #241 Great Excavations Steve Berman Indiana Jones look out! New kits, spells, and proficiencies for making your next dungeon crawl a journey through time. Page 20 Chronicle of Cerilia Carrie A. Bebris and Ed Stark A timeline of the BIRTHRIGHT® campaign, with new material for your AD&D® game. Page 28 Legacies of the Suel Imperium Roger Moore Five races spawned by the ancient sorcerers of the GREYHAWK® setting, now available as player characters. Page 38 Modron Magic Monte Cook The modrons are on the march again, and just look at their new toys! Page 56 4 NOVEMBER 1997 Columns 3 . The Wyrms Turn Wyrms of Everyone plays favorites. the North 6 . D-Mail Ed Greenwood In your own words, questions, comments, and Hoondarrh the Red Rage lacks criticism of the recent issues. neither cunning nor power. Page 70 8 . ................................ Forum Cavalier remarks about the AD&D game, and an argument for changing the 10% XP bonus. Arcane Lore Robert S. Mullin 14 ............................... Sage Advice More sorcerous tomes from three Direct from the mailbag, your questions and the of the most notorious ancient Sage's answers. wizards in “Greyhawk Grimoires II." Page 75 96. ........................... Cons & Pros If you havent made it to a convention lately, youre missing some great gaming. Dungeon 108......... Role-playing Reviews Mastery Theyre not Mousetrap, but these oddball games Jon Pickens are sure to amuse. Let the Spirit of the Age determine 120............ The Current Clack the personality of your NPCs. Our brave reporter dares to write the D-words. Page 82 Campaign Classics Wolfgang Baur The evil Yikaria weave their wicked plots from "The Roof of the World.” Other Material Page 88 98 . ... Knights of the Dinner Table 100 . .. .DragonMirth . 102 . Gamer’s Guide 104 . .................................................... Floyd 116 ........................................... TSR Previews 62 Innkeeper’s Solution Steven Piziks A tale of familiar problems. DRAGON #241 5 nothing more than cooking, cleaning ALTERNITY™ Game Support and changing diapers? Whatever the Dear Dragon Magazine, author’s intentions, that is the distinct I wish to compliment DRAGON Magazine impression I had after reading the article. on issue #237. I used most everything in The article also sends the message it in my dungeon, even the article on that “motherly” chores are the exclusive Lupins of the MYSTARA™ setting. I hope province of women. I don’t know about that you folks are back on track after the the other readers of this magazine, but buy-out by the Wizards of the Coast and in my home most of these chores are that you continue to produce useful equally shared by me and my wife (who quality articles for DRAGON Magazine. I is a mother). I will, however, admit that might even subscribe if I can scrape up my wife works harder in the home than the moolah. Issue #237 is a great issue. I do-a fault which I might never com- Another thing, I read the piece on the pletely eradicate. ALTERNITY game and was excited about it. In the generally male-dominated Then my local sage of gaming told me hobby of fantasy role-playing games, that you weren’t going to release we often hear the complaint that not Alternity until '98 because you wanted enough women play the games we so to “get it right.” Well, here is some unso- lf you have a comment, opinion, or ques- enjoy. Well, can you blame them? If you licited and possible unwelcome input on tion for the editors of DRAGON® Magazine, were a woman, would you wish to role- it (sorry): play with a bunch of clods who tend to we’d love to hear from you. 1. Help would-be ALTERNITY DMs by In the United States and Canada, send think of you as nothing more than a including everything necessary to star Ietters to “D-Mail,” DRAGON Magazine, Mother NPC or at best a scantly clad bar- system and planet creation. Hopefully 1801 Lind Avenue S.W., Renton, WA, USA. barian princess? this would cut the paperwork and math In Europe, send letters to “D-Mail,” DRAGON Women deserve more than this. It is to a minimum. Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, little wonder so few of them sit around 2. Can it possibly allow conversions Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United our gaming tables. And for the nay- from fantasy AD&D in terms of charac- Kingdom. You can also send email to us at sayers, who would contend that there ters and worlds already created and [email protected]. really is little interest for roleplaying using, for instance, the Worldbuilder’s among women, I suggest you access Guide? Male Chauvinist Article? one of the online role-playing chat areas Thanks for the good work. Keep it up, Dear Dragon Magazine, or MUDs and see how many women are because I am an avid fan and DM. I write with mixed emotions. While roleplaying there. Chances are you’ll Mark C. Runyon the article by Lawrence Wenzel on find as many or more women there than Columbia, MO Mother NPCs in issue #238 did provide you will find men. DRAGON the occasional chuckle, it also gave me I think Magazine has a duty As you should see by the time this issue reason to pause and reflect on the mes- not only to provide quality articles for hits the stands, we’re back to our regular sage it really sent to the reader. use in our games but also to promote shipping schedule. (And there was much The type of mother portrayed in the the hobby in general. More than half the rejoicing!) In fact, with the help of our article shares more in common with the population is female, and if we continue extended family, we’re planning to improve to alienate them with chauvinistic idyllic June Cleaver than with any ‘real” DRAGON Magazine even more in the com- modern mothers.