The Dragon Magazine Number 39 - July 1980
Holy crap, two weeks in a row... And on a Monday. I know. I am as shocked as you are.
The Cover: Where to begin with this one. Starts with bad layout, ends with bad color reproduction. The actual painting (by Steve Swenston), while not earth shattering, is not bad at all, particular considering it is the artist's first published work. But ye gods is that layout awful.
The yellow is a poor choice as it doesn't draw out any of the color of in the work to the eye. Also, the color is really muddy in general. Did anyone look at a proof before they gave the thumbs up? The text is all smashed up in the top. The bullets, I don't know what the hell is going on there. All in all, a terrible effort.
Greyhawk Ad: This ad is actually the top left corner of one of the original maps. It is cropped funny and is a train wreck as far as advertising goes. However, as far as maps go, this is one of my all time favorites. I would love to get a reproduction of this up on my wall in my studio space.
Women Want Equality: Here is a fascinating article by Jean Wells and Kim Mohan. It begins with the broader issues facing women in gaming (which sadly has not changed much), touches on the portrayal of women in miniatures, and ends up with the old Strength Argument. I suspect that a lot of the latter end of things is coming out of Kim's mouth (if you don't know he is a dude). It is an interesting read and roles into the next article...
Points to Ponder: Is an article by Kyle Gray. She looks to tackle the bullshit Strength Argument in a different way than I have seen before. She very much throws a gauntlet with something akin to, Fine women can't be as strong as men? Well women handle mental stress better than men and are more agile so give them bonuses.
It is an interesting argument, but it really just illustrates (I think) the line women have had to walk not to offend the assholes in the community well calling out bullshit. This leads us to the last bit in our next "article"...
Sage Advice: This question and answer (handled by Jean Wells) illustrates why the notions of Strength limits for female characters are bullshit. I'll save you having to hunt for the image (there are a lot in this installment) with a brief summary below:
Why can’t human, half-elf and elven Magic-Users wear armor and still cast spells?
The only reason for the restriction is game balance, giving each character class advantages and disadvantages which will make it comparable in power and potential with the other classes.
So fuck off with your gender arguments. Until next time true believers.
