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This month’s particular attraction is “Exondias Spaceport,” a Traveller journey by Jeff Swycaffer. It’s 16-pages lengthy and describes a mini-sandbox setting that features a small planet and its spaceport. The function packs lots of element and is enhanced by a number of glorious illustrations. Swycaffer was a daily contributor to Dragon right now, although he’s higher identified now for his “Concordat” sequence of science fiction novels.
Retaining with the sci-fi theme, “Skitterbugging” is a brief story about astro-geophysicists and their encounter with a brand new life type. In a pleasant postscript, designer Steve Winter provides Traveller stats for the crew, tools, and alien species.
There are a pair of options on halflings, each by Roger E. Moore. “The Halfling Level of View” describes the tradition of the sport’s most diminutive race, whereas “The gods of the halflings” introduces us to deities corresponding to Arvoreen, Brandobaris, and Cyrrollalee.
Rob Kuntz makes a uncommon look within the pages of Dragon with “The Nice Kingdom and the Knights of Doom.” It gives some current Greyhawk information and an outline of the titular Knights, created by Ivid the Timeless for nefarious pursuits. The editor supposed this to be a daily column, however it lasted just a few points.
In “Poisons: The toxins of Cerilon,” Larry DiTillio describes numerous poisons and their results. If you’re aware of DiTillio’s work, you’ll not be stunned to listen to that that is high-quality content material. Talking of high quality, “Make monsters, not monstrosities” by Lewis Pulsipher gives a invaluable set of pointers for creating credible D&D monsters. I am unable to recall one other article of this nature in Dragon, and it is extremely welcome.
On to the common choices! In “From the Sorcerer’s Scroll,” Gary Gygax introduces us to cantrips, that are the minor spells “discovered and utilized by apprentices throughout their lengthy, rigorous, and tedious coaching for the craft of magic-use.” They’re primarily home in focus, with names corresponding to Clear, Mud, Sew, and Sweeten. However imaginative gamers could have discovered a use for them in an adventuring context.
“Giants within the Earth” by Roger E. Moore presents D&D statistics for traditional heroes from fiction and literature. This month we now have Poul Anderson’s Sir Roger de Tourneville, L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt’s Harold Shea,
Alexei Panshin’s Anthony Villiers, and Clifford D. Simak’s Mark Cornwall and Sniveley. This column at all times recollects me to the sport’s pulp roots.
“Dragon’s Bestiary” has three new monsters. The bleeder by Ed Greenwood is a sort of bloodsucking beholder; the stymphalian birds by Michael Parkinson are carnivorous storks; and the spriggan by Roger Moore is a tiny, grotesque humanoid. Of those, I am most certainly to make use of the stymphalian birds.
“Dragon’s Augury” has simply two recreation evaluations this month, each by Tony Watson. Starfire III: Empires by Job Power Video games “has a number of issues” however remains to be “spectacular,” whereas Demonlord by Dwarf Star is “an actual discount.”
Chris Henderson returns with 5 ebook evaluations in “Off the Shelf.” We’ve two anthologies: the Better of Randall Garrett is “price shopping for,” whereas In Iron Years by Gordon R. Dickson “is just not an incredible assortment, however it’s a good one.”
Fuzzy Bones by William Tuning is “a completely pleasurable novel.” The Important Information to Residence Computer systems by Frank Herbert (sure, that Frank Herbert!) is “a easy ebook” however “obligatory.” Lastly, The Artwork of Leo & Diane Dillon “is in all respects what an artwork ebook needs to be.”
The duvet is by Jim Holloway. Inside artists embrace Larry Elmore, Phil Foglio, Roger Raupp, Joe Lee, Bruce Whitefield, and Steve Peregrine.
And that is a wrap! Some good content material this month, with the spotlight being DiTillio’s article on poison. Subsequent month, we now have D&D firearms, a function on elves, and the April Idiot’s mini-magazine!
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