S PECIAL ATTRACTIONS Issue #159 Beyond the Sky Itself Vol. XV, No.2 9 July 1990 Journey into the depths of space, astral and arcane. Rough Times on Refuge Ed Greenwood Publisher 10 Strange things happen at the largest arcane shipyard among the James M. Ward crystal spheres. Editor Bazaar of the Bizarre Steven E. Schend Roger E. Moore 15 A glove that explodes, a ring that moves ships: new magic from wildspace. Fiction editor Randal S. Doering Barbara G. Young Voidjammers! 20 Want to hitch a ride in the Astral plane? Heres how! Assistant editor The Dragons Bestiary the TSR staff Dale A. Donovan 30 Three monstrous reasons why arcane space is a dangerous place. Art director Larry W. Smith O THER FEATURES Production staff To the Ends of the MARVEL UNIVERSE TM David Edward Martin Gaye OKeefe Angelika Lokotz 40 Faster than a speeding photon: starships for super heroes. Tracey Zamagne The Role of Computers Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser Subscriptions 47 Casting spells with music, and casting bombs with flair. Janet L. Winters The Waiting Woman fiction by Peni R. Griffin She had stood guard for a thousand years. Lord Kettry felt that was U.S. advertising 58 Sheila Gailloreto long enough. Jim Atkiss Pulling a Con Job Thomas M. Kane 65 Be a legend in your own time: Run your own game convention! U.K. correspondent and U.K. advertising The MARVEL®-Phile Dale A. Donovan Sue Lilley 71 A minotaur can make a fine wizards apprentice, and other surprises. Rhythm Warriors Joseph R. Ravitts 74 Martial arts can be a way of life: the battle dancer NPC class. The Role of Books John C. Bunnell 80 Meet Jack Fleming. Hes been killed once. He wont let it happen again. Down with the Titanic Lawrence Schick 90 Its 1912, and you are therethanks to live role-playing! Through the Looking Glass Robert Bigelow 103 Whats better than plate mail +5? An 80-ton missile tank! D EPARTMENTS 5 Letters 39 Sage Advice 86 TSR Previews 6 Editorial 42 Gamers Guide 94 Dragonmirth 36 Forum 84 Convention Calendar 96 Twilight Empire COVER It was just another crystal sphere until the half-elven captain saw the double planet. When he ordered his privateer to move in and investigate, another surprise appearedthe Spelljammer itself was in orbit! Whats a clever captain to do next? Robin Wood presents this stunning scene, The Privateer, for our July cover. For information on prints, write to: Robin Wood, 15981 Woodland Drive, Dearborn MI 48120, U.S.A. 4 JULY 1990 DRAGON® Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 756 (201 Sheridan Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, United States of America. The postal address for all materials from the United States and Canada except subscription orders is: DRAGON Magazine, P.O. Box 111 (201 Sheridan Springs Road), Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.; telephone: (414) 248-3625. The postal address for all materials from Europe is: DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd, 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, United Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517 (U.K.), 44-223- 212517 (international); telex: 818761; fax: (0223) 248066 (U.K.), 44-223-248066 (international). What did you think of this issue? Do you have TSR did not do a lot of recycling (as far as I Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from a question about an article or have an idea for a know) until the last couple of years, when a Girl game and hobby shops throughout the United States, Scout troop leader set up containers in the Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited new feature youd like to see? In the United number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the book States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® building for aluminum cans. This year, a num- trade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., and Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, ber of other recycling projects are being dis- in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Send U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGON cussed, among them beings ways to recycle the orders to: Random House, Inc., Order Entry Department, Westminster MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 638- Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry tremendous amount of paper that we go 6460 toll-free except Alaska (call (800) 492-0782 toll-free Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, United Kingdom. through. As I write this, motion-detecting light in Maryland). Newsstand distribution throughout the switches are being installed in some offices and United Kingdom is by Seymour Press Ltd., 334 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AG, United Kingdom; telephone: restrooms, which should save a lot of money on 01-733-4444. electric bills (of course, if you lock yourself in a Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class restroom stall for a long time. click. Hey!). mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent Game referees and players can always bring to an address in the U.S. or Canada; £16 for 12 issues Live & in color! sent to an address within the United Kingdom; £24 for 12 used paper (with one blank side) from their issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 in U.S. funds Dear Dragon: schools or workplaces to game meetings, for use for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address; as character notepads, message sheets, hastily or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent airmail to any Ive recently read a G.M. magazine article other address. Payment in full must accompany all about live role-playing in England. I was won- designed diagrams of monster-filled dungeon subscription orders. In the U.S. and Canada, methods of dering if you know about any LRPGs in the U.S., rooms into which your group has just been payment include checks or money orders made payable preferably near western Pennsylvania. teleported, etc. I bring home large quantities of to TSR, Inc., or charges to valid MasterCard or VISA used paper for my son to draw on and turn into credit cards; send subscription orders with payments to: Steven T. Voigt TSR, Inc., PO. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60678, U.S.A. In Pittsburg PA airplanes. If youre going to throw paper out, it the United Kingdom, methods of payment include might as well be thoroughly used! cheques and money orders made payable to TSR Ltd, or And as for printing DRAGON Magazine on charges to a valid ACCESS or VISA credit card; send Funny that you should write to us about subscription orders with payments to TSR Ltd, as per that LPRGs just now. In this issue, we have Down recycled paper, we dont because it simply isnt address above. Prices are subject to change without prior With the Titanic! by Lawrence Schick, which available at the moment. But well keep it in notice. The issue of expiration of each subscription is gives many of the details on how LRPGs are mind. printed on the mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of run. Details on contacting the Society for Inter- subscription copies must be received at least six weeks active Literature are given at the end of that prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure article. Another writer has sent us a pamphlet A few concerns uninterrupted delivery. Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues is on NERO, the New England Roleplaying Organi- available from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop zation; for information on this group, write to: Dear Dragon: (P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.) or from NERO, c/o the Gamemaster, 212A Massachusetts I have a few concerns that I hope you can TSR Ltd. For a free copy of the current catalog that lists Avenue, Arlington MA 02174, U.S.A. Convention help me with: available back issues, write to either of the above 1. What is the oldest undiscovered mistake in addresses. listings and notes in your local hobby shops Submissions: All material published in DRAGON might give leads to other LRPG groups. the history of DRAGON Magazine? Kim Mohan Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the pub- mentioned something about this in issue #102 lisher unless special arrangements to the contrary are (page 3) but refused to say anything else about made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork; Recycle it? it. If you cannot tell me what it is, could you at however, no responsibility for such submissions can be least give the readership a general hint if, in assumed by the publisher in any event. Any submission Dear Dragon: fact, this mistake is still undiscovered? accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of 2. Are there any plans for producing SSI sufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published. I have not been involved in environmental We strongly recommend that prospective authors write issues until recently, when the Earth Day festivi- computer games that are based on a TSR game for our writers’ guidelines before sending an article to us. ties began. I began to consider the implications besides the AD&D® game? For example, I think In the United States and Canada, send a self-addressed, that a GAMMA WORLD® computer game would stamped envelope (9½” long preferred) to: Writers’ of the discussions during the week of Earth Day, Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, as per the above and I began recycling all of my cans, bottles, be very interesting.