After receiving
issue #3 of Gygax magazine I decided
I must dust off this old tome of a blog. Between work, raising kids and running
several active RPG campaigns I’m a busy guy. That said I enjoy Gygax magazine so much I felt compelled
to write a review in support of it.
Back when
the magazine was first announced I immediately jumped on board. Just the
thought of having a real RPG magazine to thumb through again was exciting to
me. Back in 1983 when I was a fledgling gamer obtaining an issue of Dragon magazine was like unearthing a
great mythical treasure.
When Dragon magazine
(and its sister Dungeon) went digital copy only it was a blow to the hobby. For
me the tactile nature of the publication was part of its charm and allure. It
was akin to feeling dice in your hands or that worn lucky pencil which has seen
you through several harrowing adventures. That void has been filled with a the magical Gygax magazine and I must say improved upon.
Gygax magazine issue #3 arrived with a
wonderful piece of cover art by the legendary Clyde Caldwell. What a fantastic way to proclaim the arrival
of this third issue of RPG goodness. Caldwell’s art has graced the works of Dungeons & Dragons for years and
just draws up nostalgia immediately.
Perhaps
one of my favorite aspects of the magazine is articles crossing multiple RPG
systems. I absolutely love that Gygax magazine
is brave enough to do this. The market is saturated in role playing games and
everyone has an old or new favorite. Having a publication which is not afraid
to go down many paths will have my subscription forever.
As a GM
of thirty years I love looking at different systems and game designs. In fact
some of my best inspirations over the years have been obtained from glancing over other games. Additionally being
exposed to other systems could introduce a reader to a game that they never
knew even existed.
To the right is an example of the contents page of issue #3 just so you can see the vast
myriad of articles spanning multiple game systems.
My favorite
part of the issue without a doubt is The Marmoreal Tomb
of Garn Pat’uul by Ernest Gary Gygax Jr. and Benoist Poiré. No sooner than
opening the map and reading the background was I warped back to my earliest
days of gaming.
After thirty years of
various iterations of the D&D game and hundreds of sessions, reading The Marmoreal Tomb of Garn Pat’uul was like riding
an old bike. Everything from the style of writing, presentation and awesome artwork
of Jim Holloway – this is
a gem. What a great adventure which has all the best aspects of the old school
but is polished enough for the new school.
I can hardly wait for the module HSD1 – THE HOBBY SHOP DUNGEON, to be published by TSR in late
2014. I think the best thing about Gygax magazine
is it has created another chance for new gamers to discover the hobby. Just seeing my 7 year old son pick up the
magazine randomly one day and ask relentless questions about it is proof positive.
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| Classic Holloway Art |
In the future when people have “unplug” parties and
there is a renaissance to have real social interaction we can all chuckle. But
in order to make the chuckle come from the heart we need to do our best to pass
table top gaming on to the next generation. That includes supporting this
wonderful publication known as Gygax Magazine. I feel so inspired I plan to write an article in the future (or two)
and submit them!
