Dragon Magazine #170
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SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS Issue #170 Vol. XVI, No. 1 The Power and Glory of Dragons June 1991 9 Our namesake and favorite beastie, back with a vengeance. From Hatchling to Immortal Guardian Bruce A. Heard Publisher 10 A dragons life (and afterlife) in the D&D® games Known World. James M. Ward Crossing Dragons With Everything Gregory W. Detwiler Editor 19 When you cross a dragon with a chimera, you get trouble with three Roger E. Moore heads. Jason M. Walker Fiction editor The Dragons Bestiary Barbara G. Young 26 Breath weapons youll never believe! The deadly new ferrous dragons. DRAGON KINGS a bonus game by C.C. Stoll Assistant editor 60 Wyrm your way to victory in this game of warring dragon clans. Dale A. Donovan Art director Larry W. Smith O THER FEATURES Production staff Gaye OKeefe Angelika Lokotz The Voyage of the Princess Ark Bruce A. Heard Tracey Zamagne 39 Just because you can predict the future doesnt mean you can avoid it. A Wing of Wyverns fiction by M.C. Sumner Subscriptions 46 He hunted wyverns for a livingwith an airplane and a rifle. Janet L. Winters The Role of Computers Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser U.S. advertising 55 One computer game on 10 disks? Thats a real kings quest! Roseann Schnering The MARVEL®-Phile Steven E. Schend Are these villains dead? Alive? Both? Neither? You decide. U.K. correspondent 72 and U.K. advertising Stand Up and Be Counted! RPGA Network Bronwen Livermore 81 Heres your ballot for the GAMERS CHOICE Awards 1991use it! Role-playing Reviews Ken Rolston 82 If wizards had been real, these modules would be our history books. The Pitfalls of Game Mastering Steve Maurer 87 Being a good GM isnt just a hobby, its a lot of work. Novel Ideas Marlys Heeszel 96 When the going gets tough, call for the Harpers! Through the Looking Glass Robert Bigelow 111 Big dragons, little dragons, dinosaurs, and lizard men. D EPARTMENTS 5 Letters 66 Convention Calendar 102 Dragonmirth 6 Editorial 71 TSR Previews 104 Twilight Empire 34 Forum 95 Sage Advice 108 Gamers Guide COVER Last year, Jeff Easley painted a 4 X 6 mural for some very lucky Californian. It was the biggest painting he had ever done, and it was so large that we were able to use two whole sections from it for our cover and our frontispiece. The Siege of Lord Eyries Crag is available in prints; just write to Jeff Easley, c/o TSR, Inc. 4 JUNE 1991 DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) IS published monthly by TSR, Inc., PO. Box 756 (201 Sheridan LETTERS Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States of America. The postal address for all materials from the United States of America and Canada except subscnp- tion orders is: DRAGON® Magazine, PO. Box 111, (201 Sheridan Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.; telephone (414) 248-3625; fax (414) 248-0389. The postal address for all materials from Europe IS: DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), 44-223-212517 (international); telex, 818761; fax (0223) 248066 (U.K.), 44-223-248066 (international). Distribution: DRAGON Magazine IS available from game and hobby shops throughout the United States, What did you think of this issue? Do you have a Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited question about an article or have an idea for a Another number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the book new feature youd like to see? In the United trade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., and States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® revelation in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distribution to the book trade in the United Kingdom IS by TSR Ltd. Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, Send orders to: Random House, Inc., Order Entry U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGON Dear Dragon, Department, Westminster MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry To answer your question Who is Dwight L. (800) 733-3000. Newsstand distribution throughout the United Kingdom is by Seymour Press Ltd., 334 Brixton Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom. Moody? in Letters, issue #167: Dwight Moody Road, London SW9 7AG, United Kingdom; telephone: was a very prominent Christian evangelist of 01-733-4444. the late 1800s. He founded several seminaries Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent and preached extensively throughout the United to an address in the U.S. or Canada: £16 for 12 issues Allen Varney States and Britain. In general, he was the Billy sent to an address within the United Kingdom; £24 for 12 Graham of his day. issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address, Games: Going F.K. or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent air mail to any Springfield OH other address. Payment in full must accompany all out of business! subscription orders. In the U.S. and Canada, methods of The Rev. Arthur Collins, fantasy gaming payment include checks or money orders made payable to TSR, Inc., or charges to valid MasterCard or VISA Dear Roger, author and real-life minister, gave me the same credit cards; send subscription orders with payments to: Whoever started the false rumor that I was answer just before I got this letter. Now we all TSR, Inc., P.O Box 5695. Boston MA 02206, U.S.A. In know who first said, Character is what you are the United Kingdom, methods of payment include organizing "Allen Varney Games" quit it! Give cheques or money orders made payable to TSR Ltd., or it a rest! in the dark. charges to a valid ACCESS or VISA credit card; send This prank has gotten out of control. A con- subscription orders with payments to TSR Ltd., as per that address above. Prices are subject to change without vention has invited "Allen Varney Games" to buy prior notice. The issue of expiration of each subscription tables in its dealers room. Rumors have ap- is printed on the marling label of each subscriber’s copy peared in gossip columns of computer maga- And another of the magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of zines. Australias biggest game distributor has subscription copies must be received at least six weeks Dear Dragon, prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure asked for a catalog and a price list. uninterrupted delivery. I am sorry to see that this "Allen Varney I am writing to you about "Dragonmirth," in Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues is Games" nonsense has continued, despite my issue #149 and #165. Please correct me if I am available from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop wrong, but is the cartoon in issue #149 showing (P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.) or from best efforts to quash it. Let me assure you: TSR Ltd. For a free copy of the current catalog that lists There is no "Allen Varney Games." Not now, not the wizard taking off his pointy hat only to available back issues, write to either of the above ever! This was a joke on me, started by persons reveal his pointy head, drawn by Dwain Meyer, addresses unknown at the GEN CON® game fair in Milwau- just very slightly similar to the cartoon in issue Submissions: All material published in DRAGON #165 that shows a wizard taking off his pointy Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the pub- kee in August 1990, and carried forward by lisher, unless special arrangements to the contrary are friends at a science-fiction convention last year. hat only to reveal his pointy head, drawn by made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes They even printed fake business cards for Dwain Meyer? I would like you to know it took unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork; me about 20-30 minutes of searching through however, no responsibility for such submissions can be twelve corporate positions in this alleged game assumed by the publisher in any event. Any submission company. my collection of DRAGON Magazines to discover accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of But its not true. There has never been an this. I would much rather have been playing sufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published. "Allen Varney Games," I have never intended to [Origins computer game] Wing Commanders We strongly recommend that prospective authors write Secret Missions disk, which I also have and for our writers’ guidelines before sending an article to us. start one, and I doubt very strongly that I ever In the United States and Canada, send a self-addressed, would! think you should review or mention, having stamped envelope (9½” long preferred) to: Writers’ I dont mind the joke. My friends who did it reviewed Wing Commander in issue #166. Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as per the above One other thing I would like to ask: On address; include sufficient American postage or Interna- whoever they areremain my friends, with no tional Reply Coupons with the return envelope. In hard feelings. In fact, the whole stunt seems to AD&D® character sheets, I cant find out what Europe, write to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON have publicized my freelance writing career. (I the "Wounds" box is for. It is next to the "Hit Magazine, TSR Ltd; include sufficient return postage or design games and adventures for TSR, West End Points" box as if its important.