Tzor's page

Normally I am not one to rave, but I feel that this is important enough to write down my appreciation for the article in issue #327, “Tomb Raider” by Kyla Ward.

I have been gaming on and off now since around 1980, and the article Tomb Raider brought back the long tradition of Dragon magazine of having articles where real world examples were researched in order to build a firm foundation from which the Dungeon Master and the player alike can build their own fantasy world.

I am not in general a fan of “realism” for the sake of realism, but I also feel that we shortchange our fantasy when we do not take the time to stop and notice the fascinating aspects of the real world. There is a saying that “truth is stranger than fiction,” and I do believe that the best fantasy always begins from the grain of reality.

The “homework” required for this article was indeed impressive. Not only was it diverse but interesting, especially the sidebars. In the current climate where some game designers openly flaunt their lack of understanding of the Latin language, such an article is a sign that Dragon may once again lead the way in the gaming genre.

In Issue 117, under "Prison Mail" you mention that the editorial staff drinks Diet Dr. Pepper in preference to coffee. This reminds me of an old discovery I made over ten years ago.

At that time I worked for a company that had just moved to Key West Florida and had finally settled into a former restaurant. While removing the stuff left over from the former restaurant, I discovered a metal thermometer base (with a working thermometer of course) that had a Dr. Pepper graphic and logo with the slogan, “Dr. Pepper … Hot or Cold.” I was intrigued by the thought of whether this meant that you should drink Dr. Pepper on either hot days or cold days, or whether it was implying that you could actually warm up the beverage and drink it “hot.” I found out that some people actually did heat up the beverage and did in fact drink it warm. I’m not sure you can do that today, and I’ve never tried it myself, but I always thought that was a fascinating bit of trivia.