Dedication
Ps1. Mordenkainen
Ps2. Holloway
Ps3. Raupp
Ps4. Leomund
 
 

1. DL modules, incl. DL5
2. ALL Polyhedrons
3. Alternate worlds?
4. Dragon #118 (competition section)
5. The forum

(DONE) dragon 96: killer DM and quazar dragon
(DONE) classes --> David Crawford, James Patrick Patyrsun
(DONE) martial arts

(DONE) WSG articles --> Christopher Barnhart
    Dragon (87 && 88)
    Hunting (137)
    Environmental  Hazards (108)

(DONE) pages from the mages
(DONE) centaur papers
(DONE) the 9 hells
ed greenwood
LTH
bazaar bizarre
quirks && curses
fountains
dragon 61: Or with a weird one
169: the strategy of tactics.
129: dwarves, new dwarf spells, hobbit guardian, drow, driders
dragon damage: 98, 110
dragon deities: 86
dragon spells: 134
redefining dragons: 38
method V
charging isn't cheap, 101 + recharge spell (136)
elminster, 110
72(joke)
Hero points
ecology of the spectator
end of the world (plagues)
races
languages
59
77
83
druid spells: 132, 142, 122
119 (druid)
160? (folklore/origins)
160? (feats for fighters)
Luck points?
Quest?
Fighter feats?
Shield skills (Dragon #127)
When the rations run out (#107)
Dragons (#65)
Creature Catalog
Wand of Wonder
Dragon (OA Articles): 121, 164
Piai Shih
Giant articles in Dragon 141
deck of many things
94: same dice, different odds

Oct 1st 2020
* All color art up to issue 170 was added
* Dragonmirth (color panels) was added, up to issue #250
* Color art for AD&D from 171 to 260 was added

Q: Is everything that appears in DRAGON Magazine an official
rule change or addition?

A: No. Virtually all of the magazine's contents are not official,
excepting only those writings that are defined as official, either
by their nature (such as most articles written by E. Gary Gygax,
which are *automatically* official) or by a note prefacing the
article that indicates it should be considered official. For the
most part, the material in DRAGON Magazine is intended only
as possible suggestions for referees && players to adopt into
their campaigns if they so choose. No one is obligated to use any
of the material in the magazine -- but if you try something out
and you find you like it, have fun with it.
(76.64)
 

James M: 9. How much of the material you produced in Dragon had its origin in your personal campaign?
I ask because, as a younger man, I always appreciated the "lived in" feeling that articles like "Pages from the Mages," "Seven Swords," and "Six Very Special Shields" evoked.

Ed Greenwood: My “home” Realms campaign generated a lot of what became articles, because I had SUPERB roleplayers who always wanted to find out more about the world around their characters (so when playing the characters, they frequently talked to old folks or librarians or sages to find out old lore, and even asked questions like detectives to try to piece together “the truth” when they thought clergies, rulers, or guilds weren’t telling them what was actually happened), and because ethically I felt it was only fair to hit my players with new monsters, spells, magic items, poisons, and so on AFTER I’d published them in DRAGON. For one thing, EVERYONE who played D&D read or tried to read DRAGON in those days (even if only by standing in a hobby shop, paging through issues), so whatever a player could remember of what they’d read helped to simulate what their character “might have heard” in life, and so “felt fairer” to me (and of course the editors had examined my writing and could “fix” anything way out of balance or misworded; I don’t recall them ever doing so, but I felt they had the “stamp of approval.”) The Featured Creature (later Dragon's Bestiary) columns even carried a little note at the bottom saying the monsters published in them were “as official” as anything in the rulebooks, so I got to contribute to the game!

By the way, the titles of almost all DRAGON articles were chosen by the editors, not article writers.
 

- Interview with Ed Greenwood, Part II (Grognardia)

THE FORUM

It would be wise to devote a major portion of
the Forum to new ideas rather than criticism
which is mostly superficial and based largely on
personal opinion. Instead of hearing about what’s
wrong with an article, let’s hear about new cam-
paign ideas, magic items, and monsters. “Out on
a Limb” seems naturally suited towards criticism,
while The Forum could be used more produc-
tively as an idea exchange between Dungeon
Masters and players. I encourage other readers
who agree — or disagree — with my suggestion
to write in.

Peter Bregoli
Braintree, Mass.

*    *    *    *

I would like to discuss two items that may or
may not be related, depending upon a particular
point of view: DRAGON magazine and the GEN
CON game convention. Assuming that they  are
related to a goodly degree, inasmuch as both are
results of concentrated efforts of divisions of
TSR, Inc., I’ll make my comments with that in
mind.
I’ve attended the last four GEN CONs and
have also read DRAGON during that same
period. In that time, I have never understood
why the magazine published. by TSR has virtu-
ally ignored any extensive follow-up of the game
convention  presented  by TSR. (I seem to recall a
photo and a small article concerning GEN CON
XII, and I know you now publish the pre-
registration schedule in the June issue.) With the
exception of Kim Eastland’s fine follow-ups on
the miniatures’ competition, there have been no
articles of any depth that concern the last four
GEN CONs. With the wealth of subject matter
that would be available from such an event, it
baffles me as to why DRAGON has not plun-
dered this treasure trove of game tournaments,
seminars, exhibits, art shows, ad infinitum, and
turned your magazine into a complete publica-
tion. Without articles, reviews, results and photos
of TSR?s convention, TSR?s magazine is, indeed,
incomplete.

Now, I know (as you have stated in your
editorials several times) that you do not want to
be known as a ?house organ,? and maybe this is
why you haven?t done any follow-ups on TSR?s
convention. As far as I?m concerned (and you
said you wanted to hear our opinions) it doesn?t
really matter if you are hung up on what you
consider to be a derogatory title, your magazine
is  published  by TSR, so why not take advantage
and have one division of TSR link hands with
another. Of course, I am not aware of what ethics
might be involved here, if any, but it appears
painfully logical that if TSR puts on the biggest
game convention around, why not use their own
magazine to further both the convention  and  the
magazine?

And if you?re worried that ?house organ? will
attach some sort of stigma to DRAGON, you
need fear not. With the influx of gaming maga-
zines in the past four years, DRAGON still
retains (and constantly improves on) its quality
and professionalism. You truly lost the ?house
organ ? monkey on your back when you stopped
printing E. Gary Gygax?s diatribes against the
entire gaming industry. Gary Gygax?s war with
his competitors has absolutely no bearing on any
of us average gamers.

But, GEN CON does have a bearing on read-
ers of DRAGON: it presents what you publish,
live. Articles, reviews of seminars and exhibits
and art shows, some tournament results, and
photos would not only renew memories and give
news to those of us who attend, but it would give
valuable information and stir the interest of a
gamer who may be reluctant to attend. In the
end, it means more and more satisfied DRAGON
readers, as well as new convention attendees who
can find out how much fun a large scale conven-
tion can be.

Anyway, these are just one man?s comments
and opinions on a couple of subjects that could
and should complement each other, and I hope
you take this constructive criticism in the light
that it was given and deal with the situations.

Bill Cavalier
Rolling Prairie, Ind.
(Dragon #84)

In issue #84 there appeared in The Forum a
letter asking why DRAGON didn?t cover GEN
CON more thoroughly than it does. Although
DRAGON and GEN CON are both run by
TSR, the magazine maintains a separation from
company policy and politics that is truly remark-
able. The letter asked why TSR did not advertise
and review GEN CON in the pages of
DRAGON.

Well, if TSR were in financial hot water, it
might make sense. But TSR is not, and
DRAGON?s hard-built reputation of being
company-blind in reviews and ads is too valuable
to risk by plugging for GEN CON. Endorsing
one TSR ?product? would lead to endorsing
more, and that we don?t need.

Not that I am against covering conventions.
They are a valuable part of gaming, and I
wouldn?t mind seeing more than just their sched-
uled dates in DRAGON. But GEN CON is not
the only good convention around: there?s also the
Game Faire, Aggiecon, Onocon, Orccon and
GEN CON South, to name a few, which
DRAGON would not do badly to review. Con-
ventions deserve more mention than they have
been getting, but without any loss of the imparti-
ality which makes DRAGON so special.

Jennifer Walker
Lake Oswego, Ore.
(Dragon #86)

I would like to applaud Peter Bregoli?s state-
ment in The Forum of issue #84. However, it is
also true that The Forum is needed for the more
lengthy letters of criticism and comment. Else-
where in that same issue is a letter to Out on a
Limb saying that  that  column has changed for the
worse to a worthless place where nit-picking
letters are printed and the Forum a mere replace-
ment, a poor one at that, under a different,
unfitting name. But it seems to be that Out on a
Limb, besides being a relatively traditional space
where minor errors are corrected, is more a
column where letters are directed to the editor(s)
specifically, whereas the Forum is where gamers
can speak their mind to other readers. Take
another look; do you see any editorial replies in
the Forum? Give the editors a chance, I think
they?ve thought through their choices well.

Definitely the Forum is a place for new ideas,
but these new ideas must be the briefest of the
bunch. Most new ideas worthy of being printed
grow quickly to become full-fledged articles that
grace other pages of the magazine.

The Forum is absolutely necessary as the
location for the more lengthy letters of criticism,
and that?s why those letters are most commonly
found there. Look at your most recent issues of
the magazine, the ones without the Forum; see
the astonishing lengths of those letters, which are
more directed at other gamers, and you feel pity
for the publishers in their hunger for space.

So let the Forum contain what the editors think
needs to be there. Most certainly, new ideas from
readers represent an important part of DRAGON
Magazine, but if your ideas are really that good,
think about writing full articles on them. Re-
member, criticism and commentary on previous
issues or present concerns are a vital part of any
magazine ? DRAGON even more so.

Kirk Everist
Dubuque, Iowa
(Dragon #86)

* * * * * * *

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