SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS Issue #169 Vol. XV, No. 12 Preparation is everything May 1991 9 A collection of helpful hints for AD&D® game heroes. New Weapons For Old Jordan Clarke Hayes Publisher 10 Get a claymore for your dwarf and a flamberge for your fighter! James M. Ward Creative Casting Joel E. Roosa Editor 16 Tensers floating disk as a flying missile platform? You bet! Roger E. Moore Learn Something New Every Day Gordon R. Menzies Fiction editor 20 Whether youd like to learn alchemy or street fighting, heres the Barbara G. Young article you need. The Strategy of Tactics Jordan Clarke Hayes Assistant editor 26 Should you bash the ogre or back off a bit? New melee tactics for the Dale A. Donovan AD&D® game. 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 41 Nothing went right in Jahoreuntil the Princess and crew appeared. Subscriptions The Role of Books John C. Bunnell Janet L. Winters 50 The last of the unicorns returns in a new edition. The MARVEL® Phile Dale A. Donovan U.S. advertising 55 Whos the cycle-riding, flaming-skulled hero we all know and love? Roseann Schnering The Role of Computers Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser U.K. correspondent 61 Elvira needs your help! You see, theres this old haunted mansion. and U.K. advertising Bronwen Livermore Swordfish and Saucery fiction by Deborah Millitello 66 Even the cleverest of spells sometimes has a little catch. Role-playing Reviews Ken Rolston 72 How do you spell magic? A look at some all-new magic supplements for gaming. In Harms WayAt Home! Michael Hollinger 81 If your super heroes like a little excitement, build them a danger room. Bazaar of the Bizarre Ed Greenwood 88 A return to the Realms for a look at a dozen deadly daggers. Through the Looking Glass Robert Bigelow 112 History on instant replay: the sinking of the Bismarck. D EPARTMENTS 5 Letters 3 4 Convention Calendar 102 Dragonmirth 6 Editorial 95 Forum 108 Gamers Guide 3 2 TSR Previews 9 8 Sage Advice 109 Twilight Empire COVER The heroes have found their dragonbut will they survive the final confrontation? Denis Beauvais captures the terror and excitement as the adventurers meet their quarryor their doom. 4 MAY 1991 DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc., PO. Box 756 (201 Sheridan 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 subscrip- tion orders is: DRAGON® Magazine, PO. Box 111, (201 Sheridan Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, USA; telephone (414) 248-3625. 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 issue under Dungeon Master, advice to for Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited a question about an article or have an idea for a past articles on the subject of good game mas- number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the book trade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., and new feature youd like to see? In the United tering. More recent articles on this topic in- in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distribution States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® clude: No Campaign Ever Fails, in issue #111; to the book trade in the United Kingdom is by TSR Ltd. Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, The Elements of Mystery, and Fun Without Send orders to: Random House, Inc., Order Entry U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGON Fighting, in issue #117; The GMs Ten Com- Department, Westminster MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 733-3000. Newsstand distribution throughout the Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry mandments, in issue #122; Dungeon Etiquette, United Kingdom is by Seymour Press Ltd., 334 Brixton Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom. in issue #130; When Game Masters Go Bad Road, London SW9 7AG, United Kingdom; telephone: and The Mix-&-Match Module, in issue 135; 01-733-4444. Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class the entire special section of five articles in issue mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent DM dos & donts #143; The Dungeon Alone, in issue #157; to an address in the U.S. or Canada: 216 for 12 issues Inside Information, Romance and Adventure! sent to an address within the United Kingdom; 224 for 12 and Its sort of like a wand... in issue #161; and issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 in U.S. funds Dear Dragon, for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address, Ive played the AD&D® game for quite a time, The Game Wizards column in issue #162. In or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent air mail to any and I was wondering if you could publish an addition, look at the Best of DRAGON Magazine other address. Payment in full must accompany all article about being a good Dungeon Master . anthology, vol. IV for Five Keys to Success, and subscription orders. In the U.S. and Canada, methods of payment include checks or money orders made payable maybe something like what the DM should do vol. V of that anthology for Keep Em Guessing, to TSR, Inc., or charges to valid MasterCard or VISA and what he shouldnt. Mind of the Monster; and Instant Adventures, credit cards; send subscription orders with payments to: As stated in the AD&D 2nd Edition Dungeon among other good articles. TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 5695, Boston MA 02206, U.S.A. In The revised D&D boxed set: This newly the United Kingdom, methods of payment include Masters Guide, in The Fine Art of Being a DM, cheques or money orders made payable to TSR Ltd., or being a good DM involves a lot more than released set is geared to teach anyone who charges to a valid ACCESS or VISA credit card; send knowing the rules (page 7). Later on is written: reads through it all the essentials of being a subscription orders with payments to TSR Ltd., as per There are hundreds of tricks, shortcuts, and player and a Dungeon Master. The designers that address above. Prices are subject to change without prior notice. The issue of expiration of each subscription simple principles that can make you a better, recommend this product for all novice DMs. is printed on the mailing label of each subscribers copy more dramatic, and more creative game master. If any reader (or author) has any other recom- of the magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of But you wont find them in the Dungeon Mas- mendations on games, modules, or articles that subscription copies must be received at least six weeks offer tips on how to become a better DM, send prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure ters Guide. uninterrupted delivery. Well, in the AD&D Campaign Sourcebook and them to us and well print the best. Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues is Catacomb Guide, I have found some answers available from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop and a lot of help, but it is not enough. So please, (PO. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.) or from TSR Ltd. For a free copy of the current catalog that lists Im sure there are a lot of people who will available back issues, write to either of the above appreciate such an article. Around the addresses. Baruch Richter Submissions: All material published in DRAGON roadblocks Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the pub- Haifa, Israel lisher, unless special arrangements to the contrary are made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes Hmm. The best information that TSR has unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork; published on becoming a good DM for the Dear Dragon, however, no responsibility for such submissions can be assumed by the publisher in any event. Any submission AD&D game (beyond the two editions of the Several years ago, I read an article in DRAGON accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of DMG) consists of the following: Magazine on the subject of including disabled sufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published. DMGR1 Campaign Sourcebook and Cata- gamers. It was brilliantpractical, yet hopeful. It We strongly recommend that prospective authors write may have been six or seven years ago. for our writers guidelines before sending an article to us. comb Guide: Youve already mentioned this In the United States and Canada, send a self-addressed, product, which contains nearly 100 pages on Since I recently became deaf through illness stamped envelope (9½ long preferred) to: Writers the art of DMing and another 25 pages on (failed my saving throw!), it would help my Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as per the above setting up detailed dungeon campaigns. This is gaming group greatly if you could write and tell address; include sufficient American postage or Interna- tional Reply Coupons with the return envelope. In one of the best DMs aids ever published. me which issue contained that article and any Europe, write to: Writers Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Dungeon Masters Design Kit: The funda- related materials that I may have missed.