SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS Issue #154 Vol. XIV, No. 9 The Art of Making War: February 1990 11 How you win can be more important than winning itself. Warrior Kings and Empire Builders Eileen Lucas Publisher 12 Those at the top of the political mountain should watch their footing (and James M. Ward their allies). Editor The Making of a Paladin Eric Oppen Roger E. Moore 16 Paladins are made, not born, and the best are made over a lifetime. All in the Family Thomas M. Kane Fiction editor 18 Heraldry adds a lot more to your campaign than fancy shields. Barbara G. Young For King and Country Dan Salas Assistant editor 30 Youre in the army now, and its a whole new game campaign! Dale A. Donovan How to Win Wars and Influence People Thomas XI. Kane Knowing when not to fight is just as important as knowing when you Art director 42 should. Paul Hanchette Production staff OTHER FEATURES Kathleen C. MacDonald Gaye OKeefe Angelika Lokotz The Game Wizards James M. Ward Subscriptions 9 A look at the Angry Mother Syndrome and how it affects the games we Janet L. Winters make. U.S. advertising Role-playing Reviews Ken Rolston Sheila Gailloreto Tammy Volp 53 What do Victorian Martians, cyberpunk elves, and mind-flayer space raiders have in common? U.K. correspondent Raistlin and the Knight of Solamnia fiction by Margaret Weis and U.K. advertising 64 and Racy Hickman Sue Lilley The knights pride was not all he had left, but it alone would kill him and many others as well. The Role of Computers Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser 76 One of Titans cities has disappeared, and a stranded astronaut is the only one who can find it. Novel Ideas Will Larson 88 Meet three new books and their authors in our most novel column! The Voyage of the Princess Ark Bruce A. Heard 90 The flying ship finds an abandoned civilizationand the reasons for its destruction. Who Was That Masked Android? Marcus L. Rowland 100 If you think a pair of glasses will protect your super heros identity, guess again! DEPARTMENTS 5 Letters 10 Forum 98 TSR Previews 6 Sage Advice 84 Convention Calendar 102 Gamers Guide 8 Editorial 96 Dragonmirth COVER Bob Eggletons cover painting for this issue shows that one of the Four Horsemen has traded his horse for a dragonThe War Dragon, in fact, is the name of the portrait. Death seems to like his rather intriguing mount. Obviously, he will be able to travel much farther and much more rapidly now on his errands. One still hopes that he will be forced someday to acquire a riding snail. 4 FEBRUARY 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 something on the order of: This ought to get Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from the readers all stirred up! Judging from the game and hobby shops throughout the United States, a question about an article or have an idea for a Canada, the United Kingdom, and through a limited new feature you’d like to see? In the United mail, I was correct in that assumption. number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to the book States and Canada, write to: Letters, DRAGON® I would venture to say that not a single parent trade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., and or gamer ditched role-playing in his or her in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Send Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Lake Geneva WI 53147, orders to: Random House, Inc., Order Entry Department, U.S.A. In Europe, write to: Letters, DRAGON house because of that letter. I dont agree with Westminster MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 638- Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, Cherry everything I get for Forum, but I feel that all of 6460 toll-free except Alaska (call (800) 492-0782 toll-free Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3LD, United Kingdom. the letters we have run in that column have in Maryland). Newsstand distribution throughout the United Kingdom is by Seymour Press Ltd., 334 Brixton made positive contributions to the gaming field Road, London SW9 7AG, United Kingdom; telephone: (even the letters on whether or not mages 01-733-4444. On mudslinging should wear armor, or whether dragons or Subscriptions: Subscription rates via second-class adventurers are rnore powerful). If nothing else, mail are as follows: $30 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent to an address in the U.S. or Canada; £16 for 12 issues Dear Dragon: they show that gamers still love gaming. sent to an address within the United Kingdom; £24 for 12 I usually find your periodical enlightening, At any rate, I dont make a habit out of run- issues sent to an address in Europe; $50 in U.S. funds ning letters that call the players of a certain for 12 issues sent by surface mail to any other address; and I read the letters to the editor and “Forum” or $90 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent airmail to any game weenies. But I do look for material that first. But after I read Michael Henits’s letter in other address. Payment in full must accompany all issue # 151’s “Forum,” my copy almost went in expresses valid points and problems in gaming: subscription orders. In the U.S. and Canada, methods of the garbage. I feel that that letter had no place game snobbery, public misperceptions of gam- payment include checks or money orders made payable ing, campaign balancing, better ways of playing to TSR, Inc., or charges to valid MasterCard or VISA in a periodical that is supposed to promote credit cards; send subscription orders with payments to: RPGs. When the RPG community should be and refereeing games, etc. And as I said before, TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60678, U.S.A. In trying to improve its image, we allow a minority 1 look for material that I feel will make the the United Kingdom, methods of payment include magazine more interesting to read. Im like a cheques and money orders made payable to TSR Ltd, or to determine how the public views us. How charges to a valid ACCESS or VISA credit card; send kender (as perhaps we all are) in that I hate many parents have read Michael’s letter and subscription orders with payments to TSR Ltd, as per that kept their children from playing? How many being bored. It never hurts to occasionally address above. Prices are subject to change without prior throw a salamander into the woodpile. notice. The issue of expiration of each subscription is new players have read that letter and decided printed on the mailing label of each subscriber’s copy of to quit playing? the magazine. Changes of address for the delivery of I realize that you (the editor), in keeping with subscription copies must be received at least six weeks the ideal of a free press, do not want to resort No contest prior to the effective date of the change in order to assure uninterrupted delivery. to censorship of the letters to “Forum.” But does Back issues: A limited quantity of back issues is Michael’s letter really belong in your magazine? Dear Dragon: available from either the TSR Mail Order Hobby Shop In issue #113, page 6, you specifically state: “We The thing that we’ve been waiting for here at (P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.) or from HQ is a contest, such as designing a scenario, TSR Ltd. For a free copy of the current catalog that lists won’t print letters that, in our opinion, don’t available back issues, write to either of the above make sense or are abusive, insulting, or overly writing a tournament, even designing a game. addresses. sarcastic in tone.” Does not Michael’s letter fall Nobody’s asking for 50% of your stock, a Submissions: All material published in DRAGON $10,000,000 cash prize, or a partnership with Magazine becomes the exclusive property of the pub- into this area? If not, what does it take to be lisher unless special arrangements to the contrary are unacceptable for printing? TSR. We’re just looking for a challenge. The made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes I believe that it is not only the editor’s respon- prize should promote gaming overall, such as a unsolicited submissions of written material and artwork; sibility but also the writer’s responsibility to paid trip to a major gaming convention, some however, no responsibility for such submissions can be products, or maybe even a a lifetime subscrip- assumed by the publisher in any event. Any submission present an idea without regressing to mudsling- accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope of ing and name-calling. tion to DRAGON Magazine or DUNGEON® sufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published.