D RAGON 1 SPECIAL ATTRACTION 41 Death of an Arch-Mage Michael D. Selinker A murder-mystery module for the AD&D® game Publisher OTHER FEATURES Mike Cook 8 Good stuff, for a spell John M. Maxstadt Editor-in-Chief Magic-focusing items: a new concept in treasure Kim Mohan 14 Welcome to Malachi Becky Helfenstein Editorial staff A game city designed with magic in mind Patrick Lucien Price Roger Moore 1 8 DUNGEON Adventures Roger E. Moore Robin Jenkins Everything there is to say about our new publication Editorial assistance 22 No campaign ever fails Joel E. Roosa Eileen Lucas How to recognize and correct an uncontrolled campaign Art, graphics, production 27 Microscopic monsters Kent Colbath Roger Raupp Single-celled organisms take on monstrous proportions Kim Lindau Gloria Szopinski 35 The role of books Reviews by John C. Bunnell Advertising 66 Pull the pin and throw Kevin Marzahl Mary Parkinson Grenades explode onto the TOP SECRET® game scene Subscriptions 7 2 File Under B Esther M. Friesner Pat Schulz Love, magic and a barbarian by the card catalog! This issues contributing artists Denis Beauvais THE ARES SECTION Dennis Kauth Ted Goff Valerie Valusek 78 Phoenix Roger E. Moore Richard Tomasic Marvel Bullpen Bright and dark in the Marvel Universe Denton Elliott Jeff Butler Joseph Pillsbury DC Comics staff 82 Maxima Jack Herman Dave Trampier Larry Elmore Back from the future in the V&V game 84 Supergirl Greg Gorden The Maid of Steel in the DC HEROES game 8 8 The Marvel®-Phile Jeff Grubb An advanced look at a long shot 90 Quantum George MacDonald A quantum leap in CHAMPIONS gaming DEPARTMENTS 3 Letters 64 TSR Profiles 97 Snarfquest 4 World Gamers Guide 94 Gamers Guide 100 Dragonmirth 6 The forum 96 Convention calendar 102 Wormy 62 TSR Previews COVER High above the clouds, away from the interference of men and other landlubbers, The Conflict rages. Our latest offering from Denis Beauvais depicts two deadly dragons locked in a struggle that mirrors the battle between good and evil. Well let you decide which dragon is the good one; all that matters to us is the artwork itself and the artwork is great! 2 JULY 1986 Robin won, Robin too Wipe that puzzled frown off your face and keep reading. I know that title doesnt make any sense by itself, but as the crystal-ball salesman said to his customer, dwarf, no amount of facial hair is going to gain everything will become clear shortly. Dust does the job him the same level of acceptance that a dwarf Recently we evaluated a lot of intelli- would be able to attain. KM gent, energetic people for an opening on Dear Dragon, our editorial staff, and Robin won I have two questions about articles in issue Robin Jenkins, that is. He was playing the #109. First of all I wanted to know if you are able D&D® game before DRAGON® Maga- to see a displacer beast with dust of appearance. Two kinds of art zine existed, and now hes putting all that Second, about The role of books: Can I buy experience to work as the newest member some of these books through you? Dear KM, of our team. Trent Raley After we received issue #109, my wife pointed Poway, Calif. something out to me. She said, When there is a Essentially, Robin is picking up where female on the cover, she is generally scantily clad Roger Moore left off. Roger has moved Since dust of appearance negates the effects of and well proportioned, but when there is a guy into his new role as editor of DUN- cloaks of displacement (DMG, p. 143), its safe on the cover he is covered from head to toe and GEON Adventures, about which a lot to assume that it will also spoil the power of a looks like a jerk. more is said beginning on page 18. Robin displacer beast. The creatures true form will Im inclined to agree with her after looking has taken custody of our eternally replen- become visible, and it won't be able to displace back in retrospect. She would like to see some ishing pile of manuscript submissions, and for the duration of the effect of the dust. nice-looking guys on the cover a hunk. I will put his gaming experience and edito- have no problem with that. It might even entice The books we review are not available for sale rial training to use determining which from DRAGON Magazine or TSR, Inc. some more women to get into the game. ones are fit to print. If he likes it, he shows unless, of course, TSR published the book. You Another thing I have to say has to do with should be able to find any of them in your local when you started making posters available of the it to me, and if I like it, we show it to you. bookstore, or if they aren't on the shelves the front covers: Bravo for Lady Valshea! More The process is simple, but some of the proprietor of the store can usually place an order should become available! I cant say enough decisions are pretty tough, and Im glad to for a specific title. KM the Lady Valshea poster is beautiful! have Robin here to help us make them. Scott P. Devine Salem, Mass. A few months ago, Keith Parkinson broke the ice by being the first DRAGON His and hers Practically all of our cover paintings fall into Magazine cover artist to sell posters of his one of two categories; lets call them fine art Dear Dragon, and game art. Fine art is just that: a painting work. And now, the roster of artist/ In The barbarian cleric (issue #109), I only that is rendered with such a high degree of techni- entrepreneurs includes Robin too remember seeing masculine pronouns when cal excellence that we cant pass it up. That Robin Wood, that is. She called a while describing actions, ownership, etc. Is it possible category includes, but is not limited to, paintings ago to let us know that Music Lover to have a female cleric, or dont the tribes allow of scantily clad, well-proportioned women, such (issue #97) is being produced for sale as an female clerics? as Keith Parkinson's Lady Valshea (#106). 11 x 14 poster. Also, concerning Worth its weight in gold: Game art must also be well rendered, but has Each print will be numbered and signed How do dwarves react to half-dwarves (if possi- an extra element that makes it even more attrac- by the artist, shrink-wrapped in protective ble) and half-elves that may grow beards? tive to us: it depicts a scene that could occur in a plastic, and mailed flat. The limited- Bill Voshell game context. Attack of the Taer by Daniel Marydel, Md. Horne (#109) features a monster from the edition prints will be sold to the first 250 AD&D® game and a man who is wisely (consider- people who send a $35 payment to Robin In most of the articles we publish, masculine ing the circumstances) outfitted in the best armor at 80 Princeton Arms North 1, Cranbury pronouns are used to refer to both sexes, because his gold pieces could buy NJ 08512. If the demand turns out to be constructions such as his or hers and he or We don't go out looking for fine art, but if greater than the supply, Robin says shell she are usually cumbersome and hard to read someone shows us a beautiful painting well make extra prints (unsigned and unnum- through. (If confronted by a monster, he or she consider it. The cover of this issue, by the way, is bered) available for $25 each, and people will draw his or her sword. See what I fine art: As you're probably already noticed, who ordered the $35 print will be given a mean?) If an author writes he or she and the those aren't game dragons that Denis Beauvais chance to buy one of the less expensive usage doesnt seem to disrupt the flow of the has depicted but how could we turn down such article, we will often use the words as they were a striking piece of art? versions and receive a rebate. Since written, which is why you sometimes see that We do actively solicit game art; in fact, Daniel Music Lover is one of the most popular construction in these pages. Otherwise, unless the Horne produced Attack of the Taer in response covers weve printed in the last year or so, context obviously indicates that only the mascu- to our specific request for something game- I expect the prints to sell fast; if you want line gender is referred to, you can assume that related. (And if you liked that painting, wait till one, order it soon. he stands for he or she, and so forth. Is it you see his next one.) I hope that this news will spur some of possible to have a female barbarian cleric? Sure, If someone shows us a painting of a hunk, our other artists into marketing their if you assume that women can attain positions of and it strikes us as something wed be proud to paintings as posters, too. That means you, prominence within the tribe. print, then well do that. But if that hunk is Denis . and you, Clyde . and you, About dwarves and beards: As far as I know, engaged in combat with a monster, hed better be the half-dwarf has not been described as a racial wearing more than a scowl and a loincloth.