Issue #185 SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS Vol. XVII, No. 4 Lore of the Blasted World: September 1992 9 The DARK SUN Campaign Publisher Where only the strong survivesometimes. James M. Ward The Arena Master's Arsenal Timothy B. Brown Editor 10 Ten of the deadliest weapons any fighter can hold. Roger E. Moore Mastered, Yet Untamed Timothy B. Brown Associate editor 18 Athas has no horses, but it does have driks, Dale A. Donovan jalathgak, and undead watroaches. Fiction editor Barbara G. Young Editorial assistant FICTION Wolfgang H. Baur 34 Water and Ashes fiction by Allen Varney Art director The roots of good and evil are closely entwined in the dry Larry W. Smith soil of Athas. Production staff Gaye OKeefe Tracey Zamagne REVIEWS Subscriptions Janet L. Winters Role-playing Reviews I Rick Swan 64 Which games have the most goodies inside? Heres one U.S. advertising gamers opinion. Cindy Rick Role-playing Reviews II Allen Varney U.K. correspondent 82 Cyberpunk game worlds are alive and well . and and U.K. advertising dangerous to your chracters. Wendy Mottaz The Role of Books John C. Bunnell 90 Imagine what you could do if you could teleportthen read about a teenager who does. DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 733-3000. Newsstand distribu- monthly by TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756 (201 Sheridan tion throughout the United Kingdom is by Comag Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States Magazine Marketing, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, of America. The postal address for all materials from Middlesex UB7 7QE, United Kingdom; telephone: the United States of America and Canada except 0895-444055. subscription orders is: DRAGON® Magazine, P.O. Box Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class 111, (201 Sheridan Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues 53147, U.S.A.; telephone (414) 248-3625; fax (414) sent to an address in the US. or Canada: £21 for 12 248-0389. The postal address for all materials from issues sent to an address within the United Kingdom; Europe is: DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church £30 for 12 issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 in End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United U.S. funds for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), 44-223- other address, or $90 in US. funds for 12 issues sent 212517 (international); telex: 818761; fax (0223) air mail to any other address. Payment in full must 248066 (U.K.), 44-223-248066 (international). accompany all payment include checks or money Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from orders made payable to TSR, Inc., or charges to valid game and hobby shops throughout the United States, Mastercard or VISA credit cards; send subscription Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited orders with payments to: TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 5695, number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the Boston MA 02206, U.S.A. In the United Kingdom, book trade in the United States is by Random House, methods of payment include cheques or money orders Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. made payable to TSR Ltd., or charges to a valid Distribution to the book trade in the United Kingdom is ACCESS or VISA credit card; send subscription orders by TSR Ltd. Send orders to: Random House, Inc., with payments to TSR Ltd., as per that address above. Order Entry Department, Westminster MD 21157, Prices are subject to change without prior notice. The 2 SEPTEMBER 1992 Through the Looking Glass Robert Bigelow 112 A box full of high-powered fantasy from the DARK SUN world. OTHER FEATURES Twenty Tricks for Castle Defense Fraser Sherman 26 Goblins knocking at your gates? Heres some advice for all castle owners. The Voyage of the Princess Ark Bruce A. Heard 41 A brain-eating monster hunted the lizard folkand now it hungers for the admiral and his crew. Magic in the Evening Ed Greenwood 56 The two most famous wizards of the FORGOTTEN REALMS® and GREYHAWK® campaigns meet at last! 71 The MARVEL®-Phile Steven E. Schend Operation: Galactic Storm is over, but memories of its COVER heroes live on. Bloodweaver is the name of both The Game Wizards William W. Connors our cover painting and the central 88 Win friends-and new gamerswith the DRAGON QUEST figure, as rendered by TSR artist Brom. Rather than being upset at game! being surrounded by hostile warriors, Bloodweaver seems to be enjoying his turn at hands-on diplomacy. DEPARTMENTS 4 Letters 98 Forum 6 Editorial 102 Dragonmirth 30 Convention Calendar 104 Twilight Empire 76 Sage Advice 108 Gamers Guide 96 TSR Previews issue of expiration of each subscription is printed on guidelines before sending an article to us. In the advertiser fails to comply with the business ethics set the mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of the United States and Canada, send a self-addressed, forth in such contract. magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of stamped envelope (9½” long preferred) to: Writers’ DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc. subscription copies must be received at least six Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as per the above Registration applied for in the United Kingdom. All weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order address; include sufficient American postage or rights to the contents of this publication are reserved, to assure uninterrupted delivery. International Reply Coupons with the return envelope. and nothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues is In Europe, write to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON part without first obtaining permission in writing from available from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop Magazine, TSR Ltd; include sufficient return postage the publisher. Material published in DRAGON® Maga- (P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.) or from or IRCs with your SASE. zine does not necessarily reflect the opinions of TSR, TSR Ltd. For a free copy of the current catalog that Advertising: For information on placing advertise- Inc. Therefore, TSR will not be held accountable for lists available back issues, write to either of the above ments in DRAGON Magazine, ask for our rate card. All opinions or mis-information contained in such material. addresses. ads are subject to approval by TSR, Inc. TSR reserves ® designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, Submissions: All material published in DRAGON the right to reject any ad for any reason. In the United Inc. ™ designates trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Most Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the States and Canada, contact: Advertising Coordinator, other product names are trademarks owned by the publisher, unless special arrangements to the contrary TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756,201 Sheridan Springs Road, companies publishing those products. Use of the name are made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, contact: of any product without mention of trademark status welcomes unsolicited submissions of written material Advertising Coordinators, TSR Ltd. should not be construed as a challenge to such status. and artwork; however, no responsibility for such sub- Advertisers and/or agencies of advertisers agree to ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. missions can be assumed by the publisher in any hold TSR, Inc. harmless from and against any loss or Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, Wis., event. Any submission accompanied by a self- expense from any alleged wrongdoing that may arise U.S.A., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: addressed, stamped envelope of sufficient size will be out of the publication of such advertisements. TSR, Send address changes to DRAGON Magazine, TSR, returned if it cannot be published. We strongly recom- Inc. has the right to reject or cancel any advertising Inc., P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. mend that prospective authors write for our writers’ contract for which the advertiser and/or agency of USPS 318-790, ISSN 1062-2101. DRAGON 3 What did you think of this issue? Do you have You can write to Robin Wood (or any other so we cant edit rules-specific pieces that we a question about an article or have an idea for a artist whose work has appeared in our maga- dont understand. Nonetheless, we have man- new feature youd like to see? In the United zines) by writing to them c/o DRAGON Maga- aged to get a few good pieces on non-TSR games States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® zine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, into our pages, and we sometimes get articles Magazine, PO. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. with gaming ideas applicable to many games at U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGON And thank you. For an opposing viewpoint, once (see Unidentified Gaming Objects, in issue Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry see the following letter. #183, for example). Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom. If DRAGON Magazine isnt meeting your needs, you might wish to consider subscribing to another gaming magazine with materials You stink! more to your liking. One that comes to mind is Computer query GDWs Challenge magazine, which covers Dear Dragon, science-fiction RPGs (particularly those from Dear Dragon, Im not writing this letter expecting it to get GDW). For more information, write to: Chal- I have been a reader of DRAGON Magazine printed. After all, you guys print only letters lenge, P.O. Box 1646, Bloomington IL 61702- and a supporter of TSR for many years, but I praising your magazine.