Remembrance of Erol Otus Drawings; The Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, 1981
Erol Otus created the cover art on the 1981 D&D Basic Set, and also contributed eight of the more than 30 interior illustrations to the included rulebook. The other illustrators are Jeff Dee, Dave La Force, Jim Roslof, and Bill Willingham.
A Tale of Thievery and a Tribute to Dragon Magazine!
It is my opinion, having played D&D since 1981, that the early 80's issues of Dragon Magazine are the best... but that is because that is from when the most nostalgia is for me.
The Elves... their Ancestors... and the Drow
The elves believe that their ancestors were fertility gods who delighted in nothing more than being at one with nature. Back then, when there were no mortal humanoids, the elves were happiest. They had nature, and nature had them. Life was harmonious and in balance. They and nature were at one and both were whole, and they were together the whole world. But after many eons, the world somehow got sick. Continue reading...
A Brief Look at the Fine Quality of Elven Names
In my many years of studying various race languages, I have found that in comparison to most other races, human names are the least fascinating. This is only my opinion of course, but the reason why I believe this is simply the fact that most human names tell very little about the individual and are usually nothing more than attempts at setting children apart in order to avoid confusing them with each other. These names are most often drab and about as nondescript as having no name at all. Middle names are nothing more than extra first names and so are no exceptions. Whatever meaning their names have are generally not known and thus not generally considered when human parents name their children. Last names are a bit of an exception in that they indicate familial ties, and perhaps they also relate regional or occupational familial influences. Continue reading...
My First Game of Dungeons & Dragons... Sort-Of!
My first... sort of... game of Dungeons & Dragons was while walking home with a classmate after school. It was springtime 1981, I was in the 6th grade and I had just met Paul (if I recall his name correctly) for the first time.
