Issue #217 Vol. XIX, No. 12 May 1995 Publisher TSR, Inc. Associate Publisher Brian Thomsen SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS Editor-in-Chief Boons & Benefits Larry Granato Kim Mohan 10 Compensate your PCs with rewards far more Associate editor valuable than mere cash or jewels. Dale A. Donovan Behind Enemy Lines Phil Masters Fiction editor 18 The PCs are trapped in hostile territory with an Barbara G. Young entire army chasing them. Sounds like fun, doesnt it? Editorial assistant Two Heads are Better than One Joshua Siegel Wolfgang H. Baur 22 Michelle Vuckovich Split the game masters chores between two people. Art director Class Action Peter C. Zelinski Larry W. Smith 26 How about a party of only fighters, thieves, clerics, or mages? Production Renee Ciske Tracey Isler REVIEWS Subscriptions Janet L. Winters Eye of the Monitor Jay & Dee 65 Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. U.S. advertising Cindy Rick The Role of Books John C. Bunnell 86 Delve into these faerie tales for all ages. U.K. correspondent and U.K. advertising Carolyn Wildman 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. 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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 t.he U.S.A. tion throughout the United Kingdom is by Comag each subscription is printed on the mailing label of 2 MAY 1995 Role-playing Reviews — Lester Smith 92 Join Les with his big mess of fun stuff. Through the Looking Glass — Bob Bigelow 118 Try something new: "modular" reviews. FEATURES First Quest Jean Rabe 8 Hear a Tale of Frodyne the Fearless, and wish Jean a fond farewell. En-psycho-slade-ica Magica slade 32 Presenting the random generation tables for all the magical items in the ENCYCLOPEDIA MAGICA books The Game Wizards — Dale A. Donovan 77 Introducing the concept of character points for the AD&D® game from the PLAYERS OPTION Skills & Powers book. Sage Advice Skip Williams COVER 82 Skip plumbs the depths of the AD&D game rules This issue's cover painting, Boarding multiverse. Party, by Michael Scott reflects this month's theme quite well. The reveling Rumblings The Staff that is depicted belies a darker intent; by 98 Catch on all the latest news and gaming industry drawing in more merrymakers, these creative characters are actually luring gossip. their prey closer to them. Welcome to our parlor, one of the carousers was heard to quip. 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In the United States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® Dear Dragon, Dear Dragon, Magazine, 201 Sheridan Springs Rd., Lake When I heard that issue #215 of DRAGON Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: I’ve read with interest your plans to put TSR Magazine had a list of cards for the BLOOD and DRAGON Magazine on-line. However, as a Letters, DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 WARS™ card game, I checked and voila! There it Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 long-time subscriber to the magazine, I would was! Oh frabjous joy! hope that you never make an article or a fea- 3LB, United Kingdom. If you wish your letter to However, upon perusing the list of Battlefields be published, you must sign it. We will not ture of the magazine available on-line before the I noticed that four of them: The Ship of Chaos, publish anonymous letters. We will withhold magazine itself reaches subscribers. This would Shra’kt’lor, Soot Hall, and the Spawning Stone be a great disservice to the readers who do not your name if you request it. are duplicated. So what gives, folks? have access to the Internet. Via the Internet Peter D. McMullen via the Internet Well, I tracked down the author of the article in TSR agrees with you totally, Peter.