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DRAGONLANCE We asked for input on the redesign ofDRAGON Magazine, and you told us whatyou think. Thanks for the comments!The New DRAGON MagazineDear DRAGON Magazine,Congratulations. DRAGON Magazine#225 is the single most useful issue Ihave received since subscribing someseven years ago. While I suspect most ofthis had to do with the excellentGREYHAWK article, the India article andothers were also well-done and enjoyable.As for what’s missing, I can’t say I’llmiss Yamara, and I agree that computergames and cards are best served byother magazines. I also like (I think) thenew layout, as you seem to have gottenrid of that odd triangle icon that’s beenon every page of the last few issues.The “Campaign Classics” idea is great,and this reader hopes that this becomesa haven for GREYHAWK more than anything else, though I’m sure others will disagree.I’ve never really been interested inDRAGON Magazine’s fiction, and since it is aTSR magazine, I don’t think it’s a bad ideato focus on TSR’s gameworlds in the fiction area. Although I tired of theDRAGON Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc.,201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva, WI 53147, United States ofAmerica. The postal address for all materials from the United States ofAmerica and Canada except subscription orders is: DRAGON Magazine,201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva, WI 53147, U.S.A.; telephone(414) 248-3625; fax (414) 248-0389. The postal address for materialsfrom Europe is: DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd., 120 Church End, CherryHinton, Cambridge CB1 3LB, United Kingdom; telephone: (0223) 212517(U.K.), 44-223-212517 (international); telex: 818761; fax (0223) 248066(U.K.), 414-223-238066 (international).Distribution: DRAGON Magazine is available from game and hobbyshops throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, andthrough a limited number of other overseas outlets. Distribution to thebook trade in the United States is by Random House, Inc., and in Canada6SETTINGsome time ago andwill be slightly frustrated during the yearor so it will take for the current story toend, I think it’s a good idea in general.What else? The “Rumblings” enhancement is an excellent idea, and I’m gladyou’ve retained “Role-Playing Reviews.”Actually, it was nice to see that the writeractually used the “die rating” that had sooften appeared in explanation but not inthe actual reviews. Good work.I’m also looking forward to theDRAGON Magazine Annual. I’m not exactlysure what this thing is going to contain,but it sounds interesting nonetheless.Just as a final, minor note, I alsoappreciated the full-page look at thecover painting that appeared oppositeyour editorial. Is this something youintend to do every month?Overall, everyone connected with thelast issue should be proud. It’s nice to seethe formula rattled a bit and, most of all,it was nice for this veteran to seeGREYHAWK treated as it should have beenwhen still an active line at TSR. Excellentwork, everyone. I look forward to thenext issue.lquanderTSR Online, AOLDear DRAGON Magazine,First and foremost, Bravo! The newlook and format of DRAGON Magazine arenot only incredible but also a long timecoming. It is by far a much better-lookingmagazine than it has ever been.Also, I have to congratulate the entirestaff of TSR on a job well done with theENCYCLOPEDIA MAGICA series. Those, too,were a long time coming. Now, DMsworld-wide will have to tote less materialfor game sessions. Also, when it comestime to roll for magical items, we are notrestricted to those found in the DUNGEONMASTER Guide or the Tome of Magic.I would really like to see a periodicupdate to the ENCYCLOPEDIA MAGICA series,much like the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM Annuals. With all the new magical itemsin the DRAGON Magazines since issue 200,by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distribution to the book trade in theUnited Kingdom is by TSR Ltd. Send orders to: Random House, Inc., OrderEntry Department, Westminster, MD 21157, U.S.A.; telephone: (800) 7333000. Newsstand distribution throughout the United Kingdom is byComag Magazine Marketing, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, MiddlesexUB7 7QE, United Kingdom; telephone: 0895-444055.Subscription: Subscription rates via second-class mail are as follows: 42 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent to an address in the U.S.; 49 in US.funds for 12 issues sent to an address in Canada; 36 for 12 issues sentto an address within the United Kingdom; 49 for 12 issues sent to anaddress in Europe; 65 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent by surface mail toany other address, or 119 in U.S. funds for 12 issues sent air mail to anyother address. Payment in full must accompany all subscription orders.Methods of payment include checks or money orders made payable toMARCH 1996and all the new products since startingthe encyclopedias, I believe there wouldbe enough for another volume.The main thing I’d like to see is a set ofencyclopedias similar to the ENCYCLOPEDIAMAGICA, but for spells. I understand thatyou came out with the spell cards in thepast, and these were helpful. The onlyproblem is that there were so manysources of spells that were neglected. Forinstance, Greyhawk Adventures, DragonKings, Dark Sun , The Complete Book ofElves, and many, many more. I do believeI am not the only person to feel that thiswould be a valuable tool for role-playing.Brian J. Van CourtJacksonville, FLBrian, you’re thinking just like one of thegame wizards here at TSR. Such huge andexhaustive compilations take time to produce, but keep an eye on the TSR Previewssection of the magazine later this year. Youwon’t be disappointed.Dear DRAGON Magazine,Yeah! GREYHAWK is not a “forgottenrealm.” Thanks for the article and theglimpse of G REYHAWK history. As aGREYHAWK DM, I really appreciate anything about this original campaign.Les BowmanWashington, MODear DRAGON Magazine,Bravo, D RAGON Magazine! On thewhole, I am very impressed with the newlook of the magazine. I particularly likedthe extra space devoted to the featuretopic of the month. I found something injust about every article in the issue that Ican use in my game. I also like the newDM’s column. It’s nice to see that thesepractical tips for DMs will be a continuingfeature.I was disappointed to see that “FirstQuest” was gone. I enjoyed reading itevery month. Also, there is one technicalflaw in the new format that I felt shouldbe brought to your attention. The insidecolumns are hard to read with the newTSR, Inc., or charges to valid MasterCard or VISA credit cards, sendsubscription orders with payments to TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 5695, Boston,MA 02206, U.S.A. In the United Kingdom, methods of payment includecheques or money orders made payable to TSR Ltd., or charges to a validACCESS or VISA credit card; send subscription orders with payments toTSR Ltd., as per that address above. Prices are subject to change withoutprior notice. The issue expiration of each subscription is printed on themailing label of each subscriber’s copy of the magazine. Changes ofaddress for the delivery of subscription copies must be received at leastsix weeks prior to the effective date of the change in order to assureuninterrupted delivery.Submissions: All material published in DRAGON Magazine becomes theexclusive property of the publisher, unless special arrangements to thecontrary are made prior to publication. DRAGON Magazine welcomes unso-

binding style. The last few (or first few,depending on the page) letters are hardto read without really forcing the magazine open.On the whole, it was an excellentissue, and I look forward to continuedhigh quality from you.Simon ChambersVia e-mailDear DRAGON Magazine,As a reader and subscriber for severalyears, I have mixed feelings regardingthe present and the apparent future ofthis magazine. While the many improvements were made in the magazine,almost all of which I deem to be excellent, several things do bother me. In myhumble opinion, there should be moreinstant-ready items in the magazine, likespells, monsters, adventure ideas, characters, etc., that are generic enough toinsert into any campaign.Some players do not have access tothe myriad new campaign worlds TSR,Inc., unleashes. You need to bear that inmind and avoid printing too manyworld-specific articles.Still, I would like to say that I am verypleased with DRAGON Magazine in general.Oran Magal20 Ilanot St.Kefar Maas PTIsrael 49925I especially like the layout you havegiven the magazine. The columns andtext flow better and are easier to read.And adding cartoons to the middlebreaks the format nicely.The artwork has always been superb.Easley, Elmore, and the others give usviews of worlds we only dream of. Keepup the good work.Loyal subscriber,John TomkinsVia e-mailThanks for all the kind words. We areopening the gutters of the magazine a bitwith this issue, so the glue in the bindingshouldn’t be a problem any more.The Lost SwordsDear DRAGON Magazine,In “Bazaar of the Bizarre” in issue#188, there were 10 swords featured thatwere up for grabs in the FORGOTTENREALMS setting. These were “lost swords.”What I was wondering was, where canthey be found? And if fellow readers canwrite me and let me know more information on these and other swords. (I’man amateur DM, still learning.)John W. PorterP.O. Box 128 M/S 61-52-10Tennessee Colony, TX 75880Dear DRAGON Magazine,I just received the newest issue, and Imust say that I am very impressed! I likethe new look. The binding is better, making a more durable magazine. In my collection of DRAGON Magazines, the staplebound magazines tend to rip more as theedge becomes creased with use.The only problem I see so far with thenew binding is that some of the text closeto the binding is almost lost. I’m not sureif anything can be done about that.With the new look, I see a new figure.The dragon icon at the end of the articlesis a nice touch. Now, if you could bringback the ampersand symbol as well.John, you’re the DM. You can put thoseswords anywhere you want. That’s why youhave all that power. You can replace items,duplicate unique ones, even change settingsyou don’t like.licited submissions of written material and artwork; however, no responsibility for such submissions can be assumed by the publisher in any event,Any submission accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope ofsufficient size will be returned if it cannot be published. We strongly recommend that prospective authors write for our writers’ guidelines beforesending an article to us. In the United States and Canada, send a selfaddressed, stamped envelope (9 ½” long preferred) to Writers’ Guidelines,do DRAGON Magazine, at the above address; include sufficient Americanpostage or International Reply Coupons (IRC) with the return envelope, InEurope, write to: Writers’ Guidelines, c/o DRAGON Magazine, TSR Ltd.,include sufficient International Reply Coupons with your SASE.Advertising: For information on placing advertisements in DRAGONMagazine, ask for our rate card. All ads are subject to approval by TSR,Inc. TSR reserves the right to reject any ad for any reason. In the UnitedStates and Canada, contact: Advertising Coordinator, TSR, Inc., 201Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A. In Europe, contact:Advertising Coordinators, TSR Ltd.Advertisers and/or agencies of advertisers agree to hold TSR, Inc.harmless from and against any loss or expense from any alleged wrongdoing that may arise out of the publication of such advertisements. TSR,Inc. has the right to reject or cancel any advertising contract for which theadvertiser and/or agency of advertiser fails to comply with the businessethics set forth in such contract.DRAGON is a registered trademark of TSR, Inc. Registration applied forin the United Kingdom. All rights to the contents of this publication arereserved, and nothing may be reproduced from it in whole or in part without first obtaining permission in writing from the publisher. Materialpublished in DRAGON Magazine does not necessarily reflect the opinionsWe’d like to hear from you.Please send correspondence to DRAGON Magazine, 201 Sheridan Springs Road, LakeGeneva, WI 53147 USA. You can also send e-mailto tsrmags@aol.com. Please murk your envelopes“Letters,” “Forum,” “Submissions,” etc.If you expect a reply, enclose an SASE (selfaddressed, stamped envelope).D RAGON#227On The Cover:This painting by Jeff Easleydepicts a gargantuan dragon surrounded by her (his? who can tell?)adoring followers. Which is justabout the last thing you'd want tosee after stepping out of that darkcavern you've been exploring.Jeff just keeps cranking thesegreat images out, and there were afew that hadn't been snapped upby other areas of the company andwe were lucky enough to get therefirst. We know you love 'em asmuch as we do, so we grabbed 'emfor you. The clack has it that thisone might be seen again on a calendar!Enjoy!of TSR, Inc. Therefore, TSR will not be held accountable for opinions ormisinformation contained in such material. designates registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. designatestrademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Most other product names are trademarksowned by the companies publishing those products. Use of the name ofany product without mention of trademark status should not be construedas a challenge to such status, 1996 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All TSR characters, characternames, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks ownedby TSR, Inc.Second-class postage paid at Lake Geneva, WI, U.S.A., and additionalmailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to D RAGON Magazine,TSR, Inc., 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva WI 53147, U.S.A.USPS 318-790, ISSN 0279-6848.7

Making dungeons real is half the gameby Mathew Gussillustrated by William O Connor and Mathew Gussandor and Valg put their weapons away and rested their shoulders against the dust-covered door. Like so many in the windingcatacombs, this one was locked. One quick thrust from theirarmored bodies and the door groaned, dirt and dust raining downfrom the frame overhead. The portal resisted but for a moment, thenfell away slowly, its hinges emitting a deep, agonizing moan.A large chamber waited beyond. The two adventurers hefted theirweapons and advanced cautiously. Like so many of the catacomb’sother rooms, this one appeared empty, its great dimensions lackingany furnishings. Then something moved in the darkness, a heavybody that shifted ponderously upon the dust covered, ancient stonefloor. It rose to its feet and rushed toward the startled pair, as if its onlyreason for existence was to destroy the hapless adventurers.Sound familiar? Reduce the description to its most basic elements, and what remains is the typical dungeon room. A lockeddoor, a big room (usually empty), and a monster that attacks theplayer characters without hesitation. Then there is the inevitabletreasure trove with perhaps a trap or two. Standard fare for anydungeon, Why is it that monsters always seem to sit arounddoing absolutely nothing, just waiting for a group of adventurersto come along? And why are dungeons littered with so manyempty rooms (except for ones with monsters, of course)?There are many factors which contribute to enjoyable roleplaying. The most important, and perhaps most overlooked,element of any AD&D adventure is the dungeon itself. Adetailed campaign setting is, of course, essential. It sets thestage and provides a degree of continuity within which playersthrive. It is also understood that strong, well-rounded charactersare critical to ensuring player satisfaction. But what makes orbreaks the best gaming session is the dungeon’s quality.Unfortunately, this is the very area most often given the leastattention. The reason most Dungeon Masters build poor dungeons is that they don’t really build them at all. They grab graphpaper, lay down some corridors and rooms, fill them with monsters, traps, and treasures, and call it good. The actual dungeonis reduced to a collection of obstacles that the players mustovercome. Such dungeons are created backward.Essentially, the Dungeon Master develops an intricate location that exists only for the few hours or days the player characters spend in it. It may be a ruin thousands of years old, butit is designed as if it were only a few weeks old, its only purposebeing for the party to plunder. This backward approach to dungeon building produces floor plans with no rhyme or reason,and corridors and levels sprawling across sheets of graph paper.Rooms simply house monsters that sit around (in some cases forcenturies, unaffected by time), waiting for the characters toappear. Traps serve no logical purpose other than to slow downcharacters. Finally, the dungeon offers up treasures with no relevance to the dungeon in which they are found.There is more to a successful dungeon than several sleeplessnights spent placing rooms on a map and populating them withthe requisite monsters, traps, treasures, and clues. If you takethe time to address the following issues, you will succeedin designing your creation from the beginning, notthe end.DRAGONDecide your dungeon s purposeThe first and most critical step toward designing a dungeonis deciding what it is in the first place. Any dungeon, whether itis a crypt, a ruin, a cavern complex, or a castle, must serve aspecific purpose. Why does it exist? What is it’s purpose? Was itbuilt as a laboratory for an ambitious wizard? Is it a noble family’s mausoleum? Is it the ruin of a castle that now serves as adragon’s lair? You must decide up front and be specific.In AD&D terminology, “dungeons” can be practically anything. They can be pyramids, mines, towers, taverns, cellars,monasteries, palaces, windmills, druidic shrines, shops, apartments, and so on.If it doesn’t have a reason for existing, you won’t know whatto do with it or what should and should not go in it. A dismalsewer system shouldn’t have the same features and functions ofan armorers’ guildhall. Nor will a castle have the same layout asa cathedral. By figuring out what your dungeon is, you have abetter understanding of what it will, and will not, offer the PCs.Create your dungeon s creatorThe next step is to determine who made the dungeon. Allconstructions must have an architect. The creator is an integralplayer in any dungeon. Give the dungeon a creator, and yougive it personality. Is your dungeon’s creator one person or agroup of characters? Was the priest who commissioned yourdungeon-temple a benevolent, kind-hearted man? Or was he acruel, wicked power-monger who stole vast amounts of thefaithful’s offerings? Did he have a family? Were they reclusiveor highly active in the political and social arenas? The creatormay be the villain of the adventure, or he may have passedaway centuries ago.Then you should determine why the creator would want tobuild the dungeon in the first place. What purpose does thedungeon serve? Is it a formidable tower built to defend therugged frontier? A secret prison to house political enemies? Acomplex of crypts?Nothing is freeDungeons don’t come cheap. Digging miles of tunnels orerecting defensive walls around a magnificent palace is expensive and time consuming. It makes sense that most (but not all)creators will be conscious of their investment’s cost. They aren’tgoing to build rooms simply for the sake of building them. Norare they going to spread rooms out at the opposite ends oflong, twisting corridors without a specific reason.The layout should be justified in the creator’s eyes. Is it defensive or aesthetic in nature? Is the layout efficient or are the occupants going to exhaust themselves during their daily routines rushing from chamber to chamber? Even considering the possibility ofslave labor and magical assistance, would a dungeon builderreally build a sprawling complex in which more than half the features serve no purpose whatsoever? Dungeon designers must consider that on the most fundamentallevel, bigger is not necessarily better.#2279

This does not mean only small dungeons should exist. Large dungeons aremost certainly necessary. A tomb built tohold the 400 Cavaliers of the Silk Veilwould be massive, as would an abandoned dwarven city. The key to size isensuring that every element makessense.Start with the essentialsYou should make a list of required features and rooms before the dungeon ismapped. With every room, you mustdecide whether it benefits the dungeon’sintended occupants. For example, aprison should have a large quantity ofcells, rooms for the guards, a torturechamber, storage rooms, a kitchen andpantry. Should it have a formal diningchamber? Probably not. What about awizard’s laboratory? Perhaps, if theguard is staffed by a wizard or two.A good dungeon’s biggest pitfall is aroom that serves either the wrong purpose or no purpose other than to housea monster, trap, or treasure. The mostexciting and challenging chambers arethose that the characters associate withsomething tangible; like a torture chamber, a room of fiery pits, or the librarywith the screaming banshees. If youdon’t know why the dungeon’s creatorwould have included the room, erase it.Empty rooms are two-dimensional distractions. Keep them out of the creationat all costs.Consider the visual detailsTake a moment to decide what additional features the dungeon should have.If it is a castle, will it have a drawbridgeand moat? If it is a temple, will it havestone gargoyles as ornamentation? Howmany levels would the creator build? Ismore than one level necessary? Shouldthe dungeon have a sewage or wastedisposal system? (Would the creatorknow how to design one?) Doesthe dungeon require morethan one entrance? Ifso, why? Are there stairsconnecting levels, or is thecreator advanced enough todevelop an elevator or teleportsystem? Are the walls and floorsmade of solid rock or fittedstone? How will the entiredungeon be decorated?Will it be Spartan andplain or will it sportornamental banisters,intricate iron workings,and fantastic mosaics?The more details brainstormed before drawingthe dungeon, the moreclear it will be in yourmind.To trap or not to trapNext to useless monsterrooms, traps are the mostabused feature of any dungeon. In a typical dungeon astandard trap goes off whenever any creature gets withinrange of the triggering mechanism. Such universal defensescontradict simple logic. Would awealthy man defend his treasure in such a way thathe could never reach itwithout risk of death ordismemberment?Before placing the firsttrap ask this one question: Wasthe dungeon designed for continual use? If, as with a castle, the answer is yes,then there can’t bemany traps. What goodis a castle if the guards10M ARCH 1996

spent half the day avoiding them and therest of the time pulling their hapless comrades out of them? On the other hand, abuilding intended never to be enteredagain would logically have a full array ofdeadly traps that might not discriminateagainst victims.The presence of magic contributes toan unfortunate tendency toward building absurd traps, like 50’-long corridorsin which the entire ceiling or walls closeinstantly to crush intruders; 200’-deeppits (as if a 100’ fall were not enough); acurtain of whirling, animated blades protecting a small chest of coins; or the ultimate teleportation trap which transportsits victims to the liquid stone heart of anactive volcano.You should be careful with trapdesigns, Even with magical assistancetraps should stay within the realm ofcredibility. A 30’-deep pit lined withspikes is as treacherous as a 100

DRAGON Magazine's fiction, and since it is a TSR magazine, I don't think it's a bad idea to focus on TSR's gameworlds in the fic-tion area. Although I tired of the DRAGON Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) is published monthly by TSR, Inc., 201 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva, WI 53147, United States of America.