The Classic Dragon Reviews - Take 2

[Glyfair]

Starting where the missing thread left hope (with fingers crossed that it will eventually be recoverable):

The Dragon #14 May 1978

We have a very spacey science fiction oriented cover. The blurbs proclaim "TD in Orbit: Space Marines, Robot Players in MA, Lycanthropy in D&D."

Dragon Rumbles this issue announces that this is the end of the secon publishing year. The editorial spends some time covering the changes over the past couple of years.

The first article announces the winners of the "Name that Monster" contest, finally. We have the "The Creature Some Call Jarnkung," "The Ulik" and "Cursed Crimson Crawler." Stats are given for these three variations (the winner and two runners-up). They also list 10 entries for honorable mention and the prizes the top three recieved. First place got $20 Gift Certificate from Ral Partha, $20 gift certificate from Archive, $10 gift certificate from the Dungeon Hobby store, copy of the Monster Manual & a 6 issue subscription to Dragon.

A long article appears on the game Space Marines. It includes optional rules and some discussion of the game.

Jim Ward gives a full page review of the wargame Nomad Gods. This is the sequel to White Bear, Red Moon (later Dragon Pass), which will eventually lead to the production of Runequest. Jim is very high on the game. Tony Watson reviews Cosmic Encounter, a classic that still survives in various forms today.

We have the promised articles on Robot players in Metamorphisis Alpha, co-written by Jim Ward. MA clearly is getting much support in these early days of Dragon. Later in the "Designer's Forum" we have history charts for characters in MA.

"Excerpt from an Interview with a Rust Monster" is the next in a line of humerous fiction about the D&D game. This will eventually be reprinted in the first "Best of the Dragon" compilations.

Gary Gygax takes on this issue's "The Sorcerer's Scroll" (indeed, he will become the primary writer for this column over time). "D&D Relationsips, the Parts and the Whole" discusses the difference between Original D&D, Basic D&D and the upcoming AD&D. He points out that before Eldritch Wizardry had seen print they saw the need to unify and clarify the D&D system. They were contacted by J. Eric Holmes, a professor & author, who was interested in distilling the rules into a beginners set. This would become the first Basic D&D set.

Gary points out that the Basic set isn't for experienced players. It's designed to lead players either to Original D&D or to the new Advanced D&D. On AD&D Gary says it will initilally consist of 4 book: the Monster Manual (already released), the Player's Handbook (which Gary is finishing up now), the Dungeon Master's Guide (which has a rough outline) and Gods, Demigods and Heroes (which Kuntz & Ward are working on at this time). He mentions that the first 3 books should be available by mid-1978 (which doesn't happen).

An D&D archeytpe makes it first official appearance in Jim Ward's "Monty Haul and His Friends at Play." Monty Haul will become a standard term for games with large amounts of treasure and magic for very little effort.

We have a slightly tongue and cheek response to a previous issues Cthulhu mythos for D&D in "The Cthulhu Mythos Revisited." This is followed by our regular comics "Fineous Fingers" and "Wormy."

For our "D&D Variant" column, we have some rules for Lycanthropy in D&D. We have a lot of detail in lycanthropes and PCs who may end up with their characters being cursed in this way.

We have the beginnings of the D&D game moving from OD&D to AD&D. Metamorphisis Alpha is still going strong.

 

[Hussar]

Woot! Go Glyfair. These articles are really interesting.

 

[Glyfair]

The Dragon #15 June 1978
Cover by Tramp (ada David Trampier)

Of note, this cover takes up both the front and back covers of the magazine. This might have been the only time this happened. This has two warrior types on a chariot.

"Stellar Conquest: Examining Movement Tactics" covers exactly what the title suggests is the only real non-D&D content in this issue.


"Dragon Magic" comes under the D&D Variant heading. This article essentially expands the magic list for dragons. It's most interesting mechanic has the spells automatically undone if the dragon's true name is spoken. This gives a reason for dragon's to protect their names, and PCs something to quest after rather than directly fighting a dragon.

"Pits", also under the D&D Variant heading, is essentially a "chart article." It includes charts to determine details about pits and possible contents. Interestingly enough, apparently it's as likely to have a pipeweed grower or loan shark tied down in the pit, as it is for all PC classes to be tied down there.

On the same page we have another D&D Variant chart article, "Random Events Table For Settlements and/or Settled Areas." This would be a bit more useful today than the pits articles with events like Storms, Poor Harvests, Storms, Uprisings and the like.

Jim Ward continues his "Monty Haul" series with "Monty and the German High Command." This covers an attempt to use a combination of the Tractics rules with D&D.

Another article by Jim Ward is the "The Wandering Monster." While this one-page article is chart oriented, with a 4th level wandering monster chart included, it has some discussion about how to make wandering monster charts "make sense." Todays players might not feel they reached the goal, but for the day this certainly had some thought behind making it logical.

Jim is associated with the next article in a way. "Notes from Another Barely Successful D&D Player" was written by someone following up Jim's earlier article on the subject. This essentially is an article on player's tricks to dungeoneering. Things like filling a waterskin with oil for dousing mummies, having razor wire concealed in a pant leg, and having fake poisoned darts (negotiate with those hit for the antidote, without risking poisoning yourself).

"The Gospel of Benwa" falls under the Dragon Mirth category. A slightly humerous story in a myth or gospel type format, a large amount of the humor seems to be from naming the Lady of Law Benwa.

"From the Sorcerer's Scroll" again has Gary taking over. This article discusses the difference between indoor scale and outdoor scale. In those days, all measurements in the rules dealt with inches; Indoors 1"=10 feet, Outdoors 1"=10 yards. However, this only applies to ranges, not areas of effect. Thus, it doesn't really apply to spells.

An interesting historical bit in this article has Gary mentioning that the first 2 years of D&D usually had no visual aids by most players. In 1976 a movement was made to start using miniatures. This is interesting considering that D&D developed out of Chainmail, a miniatures game.

"Weather in the Wilderness," another D&D Variant, is an attempt for weather tables for D&D. This expands on some tables in Blackmoor, and won't be the last word on this subject.

"The Green Magician" continues the excellent fantasy authors appearing in early Dragon's. Le Sprague de Camp contributes this story that takes up 7 pages in this issue, and is completed in the next issue.

The last pages has another "chart-icle" with "Random Encounters for Boot Hill." Also within the article two pages are given to the comics. "Fineous Fingers" has Fineous, Fred & Charly dealing with the anti-paladin Grond. Wormy is a one panel strip, that nonetheless takes up a full page.

This issue has a lot of the typical early D&D articles of charts for various things. We continue the hall-of-fame fantasy author's appearances with de Camp. We also get a look at the confusions that were built into D&D and AD&D with Gary covering the various scale issues in the game.

 

[Glyfair]

The Dragon July 1978
Cover: Jean Morrisey? (No credit in the issue, appears to be the name in the signature)

This is an important issue for me. This is the earliest physical issue of TD I've ever owned.

"Dragon Rumbles" discusses adding 4 pages to the issue to accommodate the last part of "The Green Magician." The fiction debate is alive at this date, with this defense by Kim: "It has always been THE DRAGON’s contention that roleplaying gaming requires large amounts of stimulation to ensure fresh and viable campaigns. Due to the fact that virtually all of the good roleplaying games require liberal interpretation, fresh ideas are paramount. We will continue to bring you quality heroic fiction."

He also brings up the question of why so few people in the hobby have a sense of humor and take the hobby deadly serious. He mentions that amateur 'zines "now they are filled with vitriol and bickering; satire goes unnoticed and/or unappreciated; humor is unwelcome." One example he gives is someone taking it as a personal affront that a science fiction game had two ships called the Akryoid and Belushi.

Also on this topic, he mentions the huge success of the experimental Snit's games. Clearly on the side of whimsy, they were hugely popular. Yet, The Dragon recieved letters from people calling them to task for publishing them.

Is this actually any different from where we are today? In fact, it's probably worse today with the immediate feedback of the internet.

We have the ballot for the "Fourth Annual Strategist Club Awards for Creativity in Wargaming." Traveller gets a nod in Outstanding Game alongside such games as Ogre and Squad Leader. It also appears in Outstanding Game Design. The nominees for Outstanding Wargaming Publication include the Dragon. MiniFigs D&D line gets a nod for Outstanding Miniature Figure series. Legions of the Petal Throne & Chivalry & Sorcery get nods for Outstanding Miniatures Rules.

In the "Letters to the Editor" column we have a rebuttal to an earlier issues "Cthulhu Mythos Revisited" article. This article argues fine points of Cthulhu mythos details, and perhaps highlights Kim's point in the editorial this issue about gamers being too devoted to their hobby.

"Near Eastern Mythos" falls under the D&D Variant header. This article gives Gods, Demigods & Heroes stats for gods from Sumeria, Babylonia and Canaan. Gods include Enlil, Ishtar, Baal andTiamat (a 20th level wizard, 16th level lord, with 6 levels of psionic ability).

We have the first appearance of the Ninja in a D&D Variant article "The Ultimate NPC: Ninja - The DM's Hit Man." The introduction states "this was originally submitted as a PC; it was far too powerful for that." This takes up 4 pages, and includes ninja weapon stats, among other tidbits.

In the ads section we have a full page ad for Judges Guild. They also seem to be carrying some Avalon Hill products, so that gives us some interesting tidbits for price comparisons. JG is introducing the first of their generic map supplements with Castles Book I, Islands Book I, and Village Book I. These books are each $2.75 (which would be about $8.50 in today's dollars). City State of the Invincible of the Overlord is $8.00 (about $25 today). For comparison Squad Leader, Diplomacy & Third Reich are all $12 (about $35 today). Note that Diplomacy is priced at about $45 if you were to buy it today.

Jim Ward gives us the 3rd installment in the Monty Haul series with "The Thursday Night D&D Game with Monty and the Boys." One comment has the narrator (presumbably Jim) comment that his character is pretty weak, a 13th level magic-user with only 69 hp, without an 18 in strength (all other stats were 18) who prefered not to use artifacts or tech devices.

Gary again heads up "From the Sorcerer's Scroll" for "Roleplaying: Realism vs. Game Logic; Spell Points and Rip-Offs." His initial sally is commenting that D&D is a game, which is about fun. While D&D is far from unflawed, but some people seem to get their primary joy in attacking it. They seem to fail to understand that D&D is a game. It should be judged as a whole, rather than an individual part. In something that will later develop strongly, he encourages those who feel need to fiddle with the framework to design their own game (i.e. changing the framework makes it "not D&D").

He comments that most of these systems purport to be more realistic. He points out that a game can never be "real." Bullets kill, and a wargame that was real would kill people. He recommends those who prefer that sort of thing go into those things they want to be real (for example, someone who wants a real wargame should join the military). One he establishs that, he continues on the level of reality. One comment that's notable is "How can the critic presume that his or her imagined projection of a non-existent world or conjectured future history is any more “real” than another’s?"

Here Gary puts up some guidelines about "variant D&D' rules. "I fervently desire to put the matter of variants, particularly “realistic” variants, to rest once and for all, so as to get on to other more important things, but it keeps springing up every time a sound stroke is dealt to it. Additions to and augmentations of certain parts of the D&D rules are fine. Variants which change the rules so as to imbalance the game or change it are most certainly not."

He gives a few examples of "destructive variants." The first is allowing magic-users to wield swords or fighters to use wands. He also mentions critical hit/critical miss subsystems, as being very bad for the game (in reference to instant death rules, based on his comments).

He then addresses spell point systems. He gets quite nasty towards the APAs (amateur press association). He states "There one finds pages and pages of banal chatter and inept writing from persons incapable of creating anything which is publishable elsewhere. Therefore, they pay money to tout their sophomoric ideas, criticise those who are able to write and design, and generally make themselves obnoxious." (Apparently, at this time, Gary was recieving loud and voracious attacks in these fanzines). He points out that perhaps magic-users are too powerful, but that can be fixed within the system. Point systems add nothing but more bookkeeping and complications to the game.

He also mentions bits and pieces that add nothing to the game, but take nothing away either. He specifically mentions "social status." His opinion is that if players enjoy it, use it.

Finally, he addresses the complaints about TSR keep D&D proprietary, and complaints that they do so from a completely mercenary motivation. He points out that TSR and D&D are synonomous. When a shoddy D&D product is release, TSR bears the brunt of the criticism.

After this long, but very interesting POV article, we have a D&D Design Variant article "Why Magic Users and Clerics Can't Use Swords." The writer essentially creates a system where they can, but their are large drawbacks in doing so. Somewhat ironically, this article is positioned in the middle of Gary's where he decries system that allow magic users to use swords.

An MA variant article "Metamorphosis Alpha Modifications" addresses the fact that only pure humans can learn to use devices or weapons. It also discusses making mutated animals more interesting, given the strong disadvantage to playing them (having to use mutations to have human intelligence and usually for manipulation ability).

My favorite part of this issue is the Chaosium ad. This is the first Dragon appearance of Runequest!!! One of the handful of early RPGs to successfully compete with D&D in the fantasy genre, It clearly tries to distance itself from D&D with such comments as "no artificial character classes," "mages can use armor and wield blades," and a combat system based on years of experience in the SCA. However, it doesn't skimp on the story element, opening the ad with some vivid descriptions of being a Sartarite youth raiding the Shadows Dance, or mounting your nomadic steed to raid the Big Rubble of Pavis. At $8.00 (again, about $25) this was a great value.

Next we have the conclusion of "The Green Magician" by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt. A long out-of-print story of Harold Shea (a major contribution to the feel of D&D according to Gary), this appearing is a major coup. This story takes up 8 pages of this issue, which was quite a bit. Was 8 pages of the Dragon worth using up for a hall-of-fame fantasy author? The debate still rages.

Wormy has the trolls and imp handling a riot of were-creatures. Fineous Fingers has Fred & Charly facing Grond, the anti-paladin as Fineous runs away (until he returns after feeling guilty for leaving them behind).

Jim Ward addresses "Game Balance" in the Design Forum. He distills it to one principle "if a dungeon master runs a give-away game it can’t be a well run game and the same thing applies in the opposite direction of not giving enough to the players." However, he really starts discussing "game equilibrium" where the DM likes have players jhaving powerul magic items and begins giving tips on dealing with it (mostly coming from one word - "imagination.")

So, from this issue can definitely can see the state of the game was lively. Gary certainly gives us a view at his mindset of the state of the industry. It seems that then, just like today, the big dog (i.e the owner of the D&D line) gets slings and arrows thrown at it by some vocal minority. In those days it was the amateur press, today it's on the internet.

At the same time, we can see variety in point of view, even within the TSR crew. Gary will decry monty haul gamers, yet Jim Ward will defend them. Gary will decry allowing magic-users to use swords, but TD will print an article so they can do so.

 

[Glyfair]

The Dragon #17 August 1978

We open this issue with Tim Kask lamenting the dearth of quality material for The Dragon at that moment. At the same time, he comments this is the largest issue without an insert of some kind, and hopes to keep it at that size.

He also welcomes Will McLean as the new cartoonist on board. You'll remember many of his comics from the AD&D DMG. One strip this issue has the adventures commenting on all the giant creatures they have been facing wondering what is next, with a giant rabbit around the corner (OK, you have to see it for the full effect).

"Vampires in the Dungeon or 'Dave, why is this fog moving with us?" reminds me somewhat of the current ecology articles. It's a mix of several sorts of articles including tactics for the DM, tactics for the players facing them and issues with their existance (quickly taking over a dungeon as it creates more vampires).

A D&D Variant article "Chainmail Revisited: Jousting in D&D" is an article of the sort that was very common in those early days of D&D. It's a complete rule subsystem for an very specific situation. We have an entire page of rules just for jousts. You choose either the helm or one of 7 zones on the shield as an aiming point, consult a chart to see if you hit, consult a chart to see what the effects were if you hit. If you caused an injury there is another chart, with a 1% chance your character is outright dead.

We have a game review of Dragonlord from Wee Warriors (one of a handful of third partyt companies to have published official D&D material in those days). Later we get an article on Ogre analyzing the pieces one at a time. We also have a review of microgames "Warp War."

Finally, on the inside back cover we get an ad for a new TSR game Gamma World.

"Faceless Men & Clockwork Monsters" is a huge article where Gary recounts an adventure where D&D characters ended up aboard the Starship Warden (from Metamorphosis Alpha). Essentially, his players were hit with a curse and Gary joked that they was a 1 in 10 chance they would end up there. Of course, he rolled a "1." The next time Jim Ward was in the area, Gary had him run the players through the adventure with Gary as a player. Clearly, this must have been an early influence on Expedition to the Barrier Peaks.

Speaking of early influences; the aforementioned Jim Ward writes a D&D Variant article "A Wizard with a Difference." What might have been an early lead in to specialist wizards, this is actually much narrower and potentially more powerful. Jim has certain "area wizards" such as the Wizard of Defense, the Wizard of All Things Rustic or the Wizard of Agression. These wizards have a very selective spell list, but have a chance of casting any spell on their list. Thus, even a 1st level magic-user has a chance to cast an 8th level spell (no 9th level spells here).

We have yet another charticle in a D&D Variant "Sights & Sounds in Dungeons & Dragons." Essentially, the author gives a 25% each half hour of a random sound being heard (a "wandering sound"?) If so, you roll on the included chart to see what was heard.

In the Variant Monster Dept. (I think this might be the only time this header was used), we have the first official use of the term "munchkin." In this article they are monsters, or more accurately pests. In fact, many players lament this sort of pest from DMs, they are "they are immune to most magic, and are regenerative." We also have, in that column, the schlolar & the crs’tchn (for EPT) as variant monsters.

In a very brief (2/3 column) article we have a Dungeon! expansion article giving rules for the monk and bard in that game.

We have a classic article next "Tesseracts or Making Meticulous Mappers Mad." In those days, almost everyone mapped their adventures. The party mapper was a job even more important than the party leader. Messing with the maps was a point of a lot of DMs tricks in those days. This is the lead in for this article, but it's so much more. This introduced the idea of 4 dimensional cubes to D&D. It's a very cool idea, so much so that this & the sequel were chosen to be reprinted in the Dragon Compendium from Paizo.

In a Design Forum article by the prolific Jim Ward we have "Boredom and the Average D&D Dungeon." In this brief bit, Jim recommends having theme levels in your dungeon. He gives examples of an Ancient Egypt level, a Far East level and a far future/machine level.

In possibly the most thorough tackling of the subject, we have "A Short History of Adamantite." In this article it's described as an expensive alloy of mithril, carbon, iron and certain other "secret ingrediants." It discusses the history and game effects of the metal.

In a very controversial D&D Variant article we have "Messengers of God: Angels in Dungeons and Dragons." Since Eldritch Wizardry gave large numbers of demons, the author decided to tackle the other side. He takes the demon approach by giving them types, but also names. We have Type I: The Angel of Wrath, Type II: The Angel of Healing, Type III: The Archangel of Mercy & Type IV: The Seraphim.

We also have a Game Variant "Natural Armor for Monsters, Monsters." Although I vaguely remember it, I've forgotten the details of this game. Essentially, this gives armor ratings for different sorts of monsters with natural armor.

In the comics section, we have new installments of both Fineous Fingers & Wormy. Also, through the issue Will McLean has a number of comics inserted.

 

[Enkhidu]

...Will McLean...

Is he the +2 Backscratcher guy?

 

[Rothe]

Started with issue #14 myself, remember #16 well, and still have the Tesseract article from #17. Don't ask me why, but at some point I thought it was a great idea to cut out my favorite articles and put them in a 3-ring binder.

 

[cildarith]

Is he the +2 Backscratcher guy?

Yep!

 

[Glyfair]

Started with issue #14 myself, remember #16 well, and still have the Tesseract article from #17. Don't ask me why, but at some point I thought it was a great idea to cut out my favorite articles and put them in a 3-ring binder.

I think every regular Dragon subscriber has wrestled with the conundrum of having easy access to the articles during gameplay and not defacing their magazines. It used to be much more of a taboo to copy things like this (you didn't see too many arguments about "archive copies" back in those days).

 

[Rothe]

I think every regular Dragon subscriber has wrestled with the conundrum of having easy access to the articles during gameplay and not defacing their magazines. It used to be much more of a taboo to copy things like this (you didn't see too many arguments about "archive copies" back in those days).

I also don't recall having acess to a photocopier back then. Did they even exist? I think they must have, but I still remember classrooms using mimeographs.

I must say the awful cutting happened after I started lugging around a whole stack of magazines. I tried the typing it up route for some articles, luckily I had a built in correction ribbon so it wasn't so painful...but making a table was pure torture.