TSR Periodicals published The Dragon Issue 27 in August 1979. It is 59 pages long, with a cover price of $2.00. In this issue, we have the Politics of Hell, the return of Monty Haul, and Awful Green Things from Outer Space!
In a short editorial, Tim Kask encourages readers to help dispel the misconceptions that have accrued around gamers. He says:
"Dragon's Bestiary" presents us with the Slinger by Jake Jaquet, "a reptilian creature somewhat like an iguana" that can throw spines from its tail. It did not make it to any official books. TSR paid $20 for monsters, which then became TSR's intellectual property. It will be interesting to see how many reader-submitted monsters were ultimately re-printed in the hardcovers.
"Giants in the Earth" gives us statistics for Eric John Stark from "People of the Talisman" by Leigh Brackett, and Welleran from "The Sword of Welleran" by Lord Dunsany. "Bazaar of the Bizarre" shares a collection of minor magic items from Len Lakofka, including Leomund's Plate & Cup. In "Sorcerer's Scroll," Gygax discusses the difference between lawful evil and chaotic evil.
There are a bunch of minor feature articles. In "A Short Course in D&D," a teacher describes how he instructs students in the game. In "Six Guns & Sorcery," TSR staff member Allen Hammack explains how to do Boot Hill / AD&D crossovers, while "Fantasysmith's Notebook" has tips on miniature collecting.
There are several wargame-related features. "Simulating the Cavalry Plain" is a scenario for System Seven Napoleonics, while "Elvish Tactics" discusses the formation and deployment of Elvish armies, and seems aimed at Lord of the Rings-style miniature wargames. There are two historical military articles, one concerning "The Cavalry Plain at Austerlitz" and the other describing the "Armies of the Renaissance." This sort of material disappeared from the magazine altogether once Tim Kask left.
The most notable feature is "The Politics of Hell" by Alexander von Thorn, who later wrote for GURPS. It is a bizarre but compelling essay that weaves medieval and puritan conceptions of hell into the D&D multiverse. The article was influential in its own right and was later included in The Best of Dragon. Ed Greenwood made good use of some of its ideas a few years later when he wrote his authoritative articles on the Nine Hells.
There is a single rule variant in this issue. "Level Progression for Players and Dungeon Masters" suggests awarding experience points to players and DMs depending on how much they play. The purpose of these awards would be to allow people to gauge relative experience at conventions. It did not catch on.
There are two reviews. Divine Right by TSR Hobbies is "an outstanding, fascinating, challenging, and interesting game, well worth anyone's attention." Sorcerer by SPI is "enjoyable," but "has several features that only serve to overcomplicate the game."
Jim Ward returns with some more Monty Haul madness. For D&D history buffs, it's fun to figure out who was attending these games. Ward writes:
There is an extended interview with Gary Gygax about the recent Dungeon Master's Guide, with a lot of time spent discussing how and why original D&D players should switch over to Advanced D&D. The irony (as Skip Williams recently noted) is that experienced players stuck with original D&D (and later, BECMI D&D) while beginning players tended to favour Advanced D&D!
I've saved the best until last. This already packed issue includes a full board game—The Awful Green Things from Outer Space by Tom Wham. In this whimsical little board game, crew members battle aliens for control of a spaceship. It was so popular that TSR Hobbies released a boxed version the following year, before Steve Jackson Games picked up the rights and published multiple editions. Black Gate magazine was undoubtedly correct to call it "one of the great mini-games of all time."
Next issue, we learn all about inns and taverns, Wormy returns, and a future legend joins The Dragon!
In a short editorial, Tim Kask encourages readers to help dispel the misconceptions that have accrued around gamers. He says:
He may have been discouraged to know that it would take nearly 40 years for the stigma around this sort of gaming to start to evaporate.
"Dragon's Bestiary" presents us with the Slinger by Jake Jaquet, "a reptilian creature somewhat like an iguana" that can throw spines from its tail. It did not make it to any official books. TSR paid $20 for monsters, which then became TSR's intellectual property. It will be interesting to see how many reader-submitted monsters were ultimately re-printed in the hardcovers.
"Giants in the Earth" gives us statistics for Eric John Stark from "People of the Talisman" by Leigh Brackett, and Welleran from "The Sword of Welleran" by Lord Dunsany. "Bazaar of the Bizarre" shares a collection of minor magic items from Len Lakofka, including Leomund's Plate & Cup. In "Sorcerer's Scroll," Gygax discusses the difference between lawful evil and chaotic evil.
There are a bunch of minor feature articles. In "A Short Course in D&D," a teacher describes how he instructs students in the game. In "Six Guns & Sorcery," TSR staff member Allen Hammack explains how to do Boot Hill / AD&D crossovers, while "Fantasysmith's Notebook" has tips on miniature collecting.
There are several wargame-related features. "Simulating the Cavalry Plain" is a scenario for System Seven Napoleonics, while "Elvish Tactics" discusses the formation and deployment of Elvish armies, and seems aimed at Lord of the Rings-style miniature wargames. There are two historical military articles, one concerning "The Cavalry Plain at Austerlitz" and the other describing the "Armies of the Renaissance." This sort of material disappeared from the magazine altogether once Tim Kask left.
The most notable feature is "The Politics of Hell" by Alexander von Thorn, who later wrote for GURPS. It is a bizarre but compelling essay that weaves medieval and puritan conceptions of hell into the D&D multiverse. The article was influential in its own right and was later included in The Best of Dragon. Ed Greenwood made good use of some of its ideas a few years later when he wrote his authoritative articles on the Nine Hells.
There is a single rule variant in this issue. "Level Progression for Players and Dungeon Masters" suggests awarding experience points to players and DMs depending on how much they play. The purpose of these awards would be to allow people to gauge relative experience at conventions. It did not catch on.
There are two reviews. Divine Right by TSR Hobbies is "an outstanding, fascinating, challenging, and interesting game, well worth anyone's attention." Sorcerer by SPI is "enjoyable," but "has several features that only serve to overcomplicate the game."
Jim Ward returns with some more Monty Haul madness. For D&D history buffs, it's fun to figure out who was attending these games. Ward writes:
I'm guessing this group included Rob Kuntz, Jake Jaquet, Brian Blume, Ernie Gygax, Dave Megarry, Tom Wham, and Tim Kask. I'm not sure who Freddie or the second Dave is, but someone in the comments will know. Nor am I sure how much these columns describe actual games, and how much are amalgamations, expansions, and downright inventions! It's all good fun, nonetheless.
There is an extended interview with Gary Gygax about the recent Dungeon Master's Guide, with a lot of time spent discussing how and why original D&D players should switch over to Advanced D&D. The irony (as Skip Williams recently noted) is that experienced players stuck with original D&D (and later, BECMI D&D) while beginning players tended to favour Advanced D&D!
I've saved the best until last. This already packed issue includes a full board game—The Awful Green Things from Outer Space by Tom Wham. In this whimsical little board game, crew members battle aliens for control of a spaceship. It was so popular that TSR Hobbies released a boxed version the following year, before Steve Jackson Games picked up the rights and published multiple editions. Black Gate magazine was undoubtedly correct to call it "one of the great mini-games of all time."
Next issue, we learn all about inns and taverns, Wormy returns, and a future legend joins The Dragon!
