Imagine Magazine: Issue #19

Chris Collingwood provides the cover for issue #19 of Imagine (October 1984). Its first article is "The Art of Animation" by Mark Davies, which deals extensively with the topic of golems and other magically animated beings. I've always had a fondness for golems, influenced perhaps by the presence of the magens in Castle Amber. The article itself is solid, looking not just at existing golems and golem-like creations but providing several new ones. Meanwhile, "Geas" by Venetia Lee presents several geased magical items. These items are powerful but they also impose restrictions on the behavior of the person possessing them, such as the sword of Bast, which prevents its wielder from ever willingly harming any cat or cat-like creature. It's a simple idea but a good one. 

"The Private Lives of NPCs, Part II" is a follow-up to an article that appeared in issue #11. Like that previous article, which I enjoyed, this one is very good, focusing on a half-dozen basic questions a referee should ask himself when creating non-player characters. It's not a radical or revelatory article, but it's the sort of grounded, commonsensical piece that I still find helpful, even after four decades of gaming. This month's game reviews caught my attention, purely for historical reasons. The first Dragonlance adventure, Dragons of Despair, is given a positive review, unlike the Top Secret scenario, Ace of Clubs. Never let it be said that Imagine was a mere house organ, despite being published by TSR UK. The review of Avalon Hill's Powers & Perils is encouraging, noting that, while it was unlikely that such a complex game would develop a huge following, it was nonetheless worthy of continued support. I have a weird fascination with P&P myself, so I appreciated seeing this review.

"Sinvel's Peril" by Doug Cowie is a Dungeons & Dragons adventure for levels 12-15, intended, it seems, to promote the newly released Companion Rules. The scenario concerns the defense of the town of Sinvel against a horde of barbarians – a trite set-up that's been done numerous times and better, but it does include some terrific maps by Paul Ruiz (about which more below). "Role Playing for Remedials" by Alan Heaven is another look into the past. The article is a counter to suggestions that RPGs are "addictive escapism." How strange to consider that this was once a serious charge against the hobby! Pete Tamlyn offers "Towards Systemless Scenarios," which is a brief overview of the question of how to present adventures intended to be used by many rules systems. The answer? Be as vague as possible, as demonstrated in the companion article (also by Tamlyn), "The Stolen Herd." I'm being flippant, of course, but it is  true the case that what Tamlyn is suggesting is not so much scenario writing as establishing a broad "plot" and then letting each referee decide how things play out. On the other hand, "Games without Frontiers" by Graeme Davis is extremely practical – maybe too practical – as delves into mathematical comparisons of various rules systems.

Paul Vernon's "Uncharted Stars" is a rare example of a Traveller article in the page of Imagine (leaving aside the previous issue), something that was very common in White Dwarf.  It provides rules for spectral classes for stars, as well as an Amber Zone (scenario). Colin Greenwood's "Fantasy Media" tackles a pair of movies (The Last Battle and Supergirl) and a pair of novels (Tanith Lee's The Castle in the Dark and James P, Hogan's Voyage from Yesteryear). "Rubic of Moggedon" and "The Phalanx" comics are here once more, along with Roger Musson's "Stirge Corner." Musson talks about the two ways alignment can be interpreted: as ethics or allegiance. Though short, it's a fine meditation on this contentious topic and does a good job of offering some solutions.

The real heart of the issue is "Pellinore: Law and Order" by Paul Cockburn, which describes the legal system of the City League. There are discussions of police forces, courts, and crimes, in addition to tables devoted to adjudicating all of the above. There's also a gazetteer of those sections of the city where the Courts can be found, along with NPC write-ups of various magistrates. It's terrific bit of worldbuilding by small steps, one that I now realize I have been subconsciously imitating in my own Urheim posts – great minds and all that! The article is accompanied by the maps of Paul Ruiz, whose style I absolutely adore. It's unlike any other cartographer I've seen before or since and I find myself wishing he were still active in the scene.

Imagine has definitely hit its stride. This is a great issue, probably my favorite so far. I look forward to the next one.