Dungeon a Marginal Purchase

[Gregory Oppedisano]

craig wrote "I think some people misunderstand the point of a Map of Mystery:"

yes if someone disagrees with you or provides simple solutions to simple problems clearly they are too stoooopid to under stand what you are saying. I am sorry i do not understand your nuanced positions on maps of mystery.

Here is my marginal understanding of maps of mystery:
1) they are maps
2) they are mysterious
3) they have the title "map of mystery" on them
4) they have another title on them like "old dwarven mine" or "temple of frogs" or "secret map - you no look"
5) people like them really lots
6) dungeon readers like to complain
7) Dungeon is full of maps, so is paizo's web site, so is wizards website, for that matter type the word "map" in your favorite browser and you can go on your own map of mystery tour...
8) ...as soon as you are done come here and complain about how the 4 bucks you spent on Dungeon entitles you to have all your D&D problems anticipated and solved!

[GVDammerung]

Gregory Oppedisano wrote:

Hey and don't forget GVD also loved the mini games - those were great weren't they?

Did anyone ever play one of the mini games?
and if you did for how long?
and while you were playing "Rollerderby Mecha Manga" were there any other people playing with you or were you alone in Weezers garage playing with a d12 and talking to Ace Freely?

Mini games - worst...idea...ever... (say it with me slowly)

Here we have an illustration of an inability to percieve potential.

Yes. I actually used the mini-games.

The Spelljammer mini-game updated that setting to 3rd Edition.

I used the Shadow-Chasers(sic)mini-game(with the addition of other modernist mini-game material) as a substitute for buying D20 Modern. It works very well, thank you, and is, IMO, more interesting than Wotc's d20 Modern offerings to date, which tend to rehash too much of D&D.

I use the material from the "rock-n-roll" mini-game as well to supplement D&D bards. The ideas in this game, while appearing silly with a "Jose and the Pussycats" presentation, are mechanically sound and can be easily adapted to playing a "band" in d20 Modern or a bardic group in D&D. It is, in this way, amazingly useful and allows for a truely unique game that features bards or modern musicians. A more than superficial appraisal of the material is, however, necessary, or one will fail to see the potential and dismiss the material as silly simply because it is presented in a whimsical fashion.

The mini-games were laboratories of experimentation, seeing what could be done with the rules. To anyone with a more than passing interest in how the game actually works from a rules standpoint, they were fascinating. For those looking for another orc to kill, I suppose they would be of less interest, but those folks are usually not the DM.

I accept that the mini-games won't be coming back. I, for one, will continue to find uses them, however.

While not looking for any more mini-games, however, I will hope for better luck with Maps of Mystery and Critical Threats.

[Ragboy]

I'll throw my bits in the bin:

1) Wasn't a fan of Maps of Mystery for reasons already stated. Maps are everywhere.

2) Wasn't particularly a fan of Critical Threats. Most of the NPC's in various adventures are interesting enough when ripped out by the roots and re-envisioned with a backstory relevant to your campaign. (Though the one based on the D&D action figure...forget his name now...was inspired)

3) Was a fan of mini-games. But, that's irrelevant now.

I've been a subscriber and 'game store' subscriber of Dungeon off and on since issue 1, and I have to say this is a Renaissance for the magazine. I really thought bundling Poly was a great idea, but I felt like there was a steady decline in that period of its life (though the Shackled City was great -- no others really stood out for me). Now, it seems like every adventure is usable just as it stands. For the first time, (since Into the Fire - issue 1) I'm using whole adventures, rather than pounding them out by hand. It's WEIRD, ERIK! Did you guys put something in the water over there? That Jackalwere adventure was fantastic (too lazy to look up the name). I pulled the NPC's out of that and have been popping them in various adventures for my kids, all leading to their desert retreat. I like even the 'Campaign Builder' articles.
I'm really looking forward to the next Adventure Path.

I say don't change a thing.

[GVDammerung]

Gregory Oppedisano wrote:

if someone disagrees with you or provides simple solutions to simple problems clearly they are too stoooopid to under stand what you are saying. ...as soon as you are done come here and complain about how the 4 bucks you spent on Dungeon entitles you to have all your D&D problems anticipated and solved!

As Erik noted earlier in this thread, that "simple solution" you offer is too simple by half. I agree with Erik's appraisal - it is too simple to suggest that Maps of Mystery are not useful content simply because adventures have maps and too simple to say that Critical Threats are not useful simply because the adventures have npc blocks.

Your "simple solution," Gregory, is too simple and that is not just me saying that.

Similarly, you err when you opine that "4 bucks you spent on Dungeon entitles you to have all your D&D problems anticipated and solved!" No one has said that except you. It is your characterization and it belied by the actual posts here.

Fascinating.

[Ragboy]

Gregory Oppedisano wrote:

Did anyone ever play one of the mini games?
and if you did for how long?

Mini games - worst...idea...ever... (say it with me slowly)

We played the following (either the whole game or used some significant portion of it):

V for Victory (Great game, though I've bolted on so much custom armor plating that it's unrecognizable)
The Rock and Roll thing (silly [but original] presentation, but had some good mechanics)
The 'Cannonball run' thing - Perfect four (short) session introduction to d20 Modern vehicle rules and an original concept for laugh-out-loud gaming.
The Pulp thing - Still playing it...

[GVDammerung]

Paul Wolfe wrote:

The Rock and Roll thing (silly [but original] presentation, but had some good mechanics)

The 'Cannonball run' thing - Perfect four (short) session introduction to d20 Modern vehicle rules and an original concept for laugh-out-loud gaming.
The Pulp thing - Still playing it...

What Paul said. In spades. :-D

[Craig Clark]

GVDammerung wrote:

Your "simple solution," Gregory, is too simple and that is not just me saying that.

Similarly, you err when you opine that "4 bucks you spent on Dungeon entitles you to have all your D&D problems anticipated and solved!" No one has said that except you. It is your characterization and it belied by the actual posts here.

Fascinating.

Yeah, and you can call a troll a troll, the guys not even worth responding to.

[primemover003]

I have to throw in for the return of the Critical threat. As Stand alone's I've completely populated my current campaign with them. My campaign has run from 2nd level to 13th so far by taking the excellent pre-made adventures from Dungeon and inserting several critical threats into it.

So far I've used:
Cry Wolf
Witch of Serpents bridge
Beast of Burden
Mellorn Hospitality

Through this series of adventures, based around the Reaching Wood in FR, I've had the joys of placing several Critical threats as behind the scenes BBEG's.

Homnar Thest is the Mayor of Hill's Edge
Xollox the Beholder is the secret ruler of Scornubel (ala Vhalantru in the Shackled city AP)
Hungash the Hobgoblin wizard is Xollox's lieutenant
Kershazz the Imp is also one of his minions

I've also taken the hierarchy of the temple of Wee Jas in Cauldron and used them as the Temple of Cyric in Hill's Edge.

My PC's are about to delve into Maure Castle (in FR the Crypt of the Wondermakers in Scornubel).

I've been building my campaigns with Dungeon adventures for nearly 11 years! I couldn't do this Job without the fine work of the writers and editors of this "Marginal purchase."

--"I am a Vrock, I'm a Tanar'ri!"

[Steve Greer]

GVD and Craig Clark make some interesting points. I had forgotten about some of the Maps of Mystery that were mentioned. They were awesome! I also think that the ideas Great Green God has offered have merit, as well.

I hope that Erik & company are taking notes. The return of Maps of Mystery perhaps once a quarter similar to the Eberron content supposed frequency in the mag wouldn't break the bank, I would think. And I'm a big fan of the Critical Threat idea the Green one suggested.

[farewell2kings]

Now here is an idea for enhancing the value of the magazine and maybe making the good people at Paizo a few more bucks-which I'm sure they richly deserve.

How about an "enhanced subscription" to Dungeon. For $59.95 a year, along with your hardcopy magazine, you get all the NPC and monster stats presented in the magazine in PDF format (I like to put my NPC's and monsters on 3x5 cards for quick reference during the game, so this would really help me out). You also get all the maps as pdf files with all the labels and numbers removed so you can pass them out to your players more easily.

Along with your mailer, you get a monthly e-mail with the "enhanced" contents included. I'm sure some sort of encryption protocol could be set up by the propeller heads so that the PDF could only be opened by the recipient who paid for it.

I would pay $25 to $40 extra a year for my subscription if I just got all the NPC's and monster stats electronically so I could make my little 3x5 monster cards before each game.

Just a thought.

[Erik Mona]

Folks,

We've slated a Critical Threat for issue #126, which was really the soonest we could get it back in the magazine. I cannot promise that we'll have one every month thereafter, but they will be more common than they are now.

Maps of Mystery are still on hiatus, but consider me more interested in trying to find a way to make it work. The budgets have been absolutely deadly lately. We're starting to see an increase in subscriber numbers (five consecutive months of growth!), but for now it's more a rob Peter to pay Paul thing than a beg the suits for more money thing. When that changes, we'll get the maps back on the docket.

We've got an eye out for a good solution.

--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon

[Scylla]

Thanks for the update Erik.
I'm sure I speak for many folks here that appreciate your trying to respond to your readers and what they wish to see in Dungeon.

[Gregory Oppedisano]

Craig Clark wrote:

GVDammerung wrote:

Your "simple solution," Gregory, is too simple and that is not just me saying that.

Similarly, you err when you opine that "4 bucks you spent on Dungeon entitles you to have all your D&D problems anticipated and solved!" No one has said that except you. It is your characterization and it belied by the actual posts here.

Fascinating.

Yeah, and you can call a troll a troll, the guys not even worth responding to.

Funny Craig, i feel responded to... and i see myself as a beautiful unicorn. plus i can agrue with out resorting to the two most commonly used, flawed argument strategies: You don't understand... and i'm not talking to you! Also i am telling the teacher you called me a troll - yup my hand is up right now and i'm gonna tell him even if you apologise.

GVD - come on what i wrote was pretty funny - go read it again but this time consider having a few drinks first to lighten up! "secret map - you no look" even a gully dwarf would laugh at that and "rollerderby mecha manga" - those three words completely sum up the entire mini game experience... even if you loved the mini game experience! (p.s. please don't drink - or write me about drinking because that was sarcasm... just lighten up - D&D should be fun)

Hey i know complaigning about dungeon is a full time job and very serious business, so I'll try and stay out of your way...

Ok probably not and here is why.
Have you ever played on a losing team or worked with a bunch of losers? Losers always complain, and pine for the way things were before or the way they could be in the future. They nit pick every decision and result, and wish for this or that. They can never just enjoy something - there must be a problem and they are going to use every ounce of their vocabulary to flesh it out. They go on and on about what they would do if they were in charge... Funny thing is they never step up to the plate but boy can they tell you what the batter is doing wrong! Maybe if they practiced batting instead...

Or how about walked into your local gaming store to listen to the loud mouth know it all bellowing about what is wrong with everything - they always use big words where small ones would do and glare about daring someone to challenge their negativity. These guys are the bane of our hobby and they drive new gamers away.

I have been reading Dungeon for years and by far the most common theme in letters to the magazine is what is wrong with it. Followed closely by an editorial explaination/apology/promise to do better next time. I find it demoralizing to read constantly about what people dislike about something. This is purely a Dungeon magazine thing by the way - i dare you to find me another example of a magazine that constantly published negative comments in its letters. Month after month of: i like this page and i don't like this page and more of this and less of that and on and on and on...

Yes, its brave to do it, yes "we appreciate your feedback and it helps us make a better magazine..." yes the platitudes are all there...

If i was introducing a new person to D&D the last thing i would let them do is read the readers opinions from dungeon - they are too frequently negative, whining, and self absorbingly self serving. Plus the negative gamer is one of the main impediments to growing our hobby - people are turned off by constant unproductive unending complaining - it makes them feel like helpless losers too. I am not kidding if you are a generally positive person i challange you to be negatively critical about everything for a week and see what it is like to have no social skills.

If i was coaching the dungeon staff i would insulate them from all of this negative crap - there are legitimate ways to seek feedback and reading and attempting to respond to every negative thing that is said about your organization is not one of them.

Plus the most convincing losers are the ones who dress their whining up in big words and actually believe what they are saying - "Marginal purchase", "err when you opine", "characterization and it belied" etc. Trying to sound smart does not make your opinion more valid. Give me a break! (i accept the fact that you are probably a very smart person GVD - so don't be offended that i am offended by your over the top writing style - or more likely go ahead and be offended...)

I take strong exception to the term marginal purchase- and attempted to adress it light heartedly.

I take stronger exception the the negative gamer stereo type that is all to prevalent in our hobby and am tired of the amount of press they get in Dungeon (and everywhere else for that matter).

Rant will end in 3...2...1

[Steve Greer]

Scylla wrote:

Thanks for the update Erik.

I'm sure I speak for many folks here that appreciate your trying to respond to your readers and what they wish to see in Dungeon.

Ditto! What he said.

[Erik Mona]

Gregory,

I appreciate your comments on the negative comments in the letters pages. As someone who has read, reread, and rereread all of the letters printed in Dungeon over the course of the last three years, I certainly sympathize with your point of view, but I must say I do not agree with it.

Sure, Dungeon readers (and D&D fans in general) can be prickly fussbuckets at times, but I happen to think that's part of gaming "culture" in general, and is a pretty accurate representation of the way most hard-core D&D fans tend to approach life, if not simply the rules or the setting or the magazines for their favorite game.

I don't know what it is. Perhaps it's because the act of roleplaying and building a character enforces constant critical thinking. This feat is better than this feat. I'll make this choice because it will be more optimal with this choice. It's not just a rules thing. "Bladesingers are cool." "Drow are cool." "Disenchanters are kind of embarrassing."

So part of it is that the hobby self-selects for pickiness. I think another way of looking at it, frankly the way I prefer to look at it, is that it self-selects for good taste, or at least some sort of taste at all.

I think another reason readers feel so free to offer advice, even when it is exceedingly negative at times, is because they know that the editors are gamers just like they are. If it's a "we're all in this together" relationship, people are going to naturally feel some ownership for the magazine, especially since a lot of readers outlast this editor or that. I think it's easy for a long-time reader to think "well, I've been reading since 1986, and I have a very firm idea of what Dungeon should be, and have had ever since I first thought of the idea of an adventure magazine while I was reading through my first D&D book (Men and Magic [white box, fourth minus printing])."

Plus, let's not forget that people pay money for the magazine, and have a right to expect a certain amount of enjoyment. Of course it's impossible for all readers to enjoy all issues, but it seems like the best solution is a formula that pleases the largest group of people, and which in fact is so exciting that it attracts more and more people all the time.

So readers who aren't quite getting what they want are welcome to sound off here, and to send us letters telling us how they feel. That's pretty much what these boards are for.

We're not always going to agree with complaints about the magazine, and frankly we're not always going to be swayed on an issue even by a good argument. But we do cruise these boards when we're bored, or when we have a few moments of free time at work, and we are listening.

--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon

[farewell2kings]

Erik Mona wrote:

Gregory,

prickly fussbuckets at

PRICKLY FUSSBUCKET---sounds like a good idea for a future Critical Threat, Erik. It's always a dreaded encounter when they rear their head at work or at home....or in forums, he he.

[Hal Maclean]

Sidestepping any kind of feuds that may develop from this thread...

I let my subscription to Dungeon lapses just over a decade ago when I realized that I wasn't really getting anything out of it anymore. I loved some of the adventures/regular writters (especially Willie Walsh, the master) but I liked writting my own adventures (and as the pile of mostly unused issues grew I started to fear an "magalanche").

When I heard about the new format for Dungeon I resubscribed, pretty much solely to get access to those intriguing "Campaign Workbooks" and "Backdrops". Since then I've also enjoyed a number of the adventures, mainly treating them as resources and idea fodder. While the name escapes me at the moment that one involving the giant, one eyed frog especially comes to mind.

So, Dungeon's new format has brought at least one canky old timer back into the fold.

[GVDammerung]

Gregory,

I think Erik has summed up nicely what I would consider a healthy and well-considered approach to feedback with respect to Dungeon and Dragon. I also very much appreciate his specific willingness to consider additions to the Dungeon and the implementation of additions where it makes editorial sense.

I do not, however, want to entirely dismiss your point about negativity. I think you have a point; there is a great deal of negative comment among gamers about any number of things, not just Dungeon and Dragon. To be even-handed, however, there is also often a great deal of fawning praise or lock-step acceptance for whatever is produced that seems as reactionary or knee-jerk. I tend to be as impatient with the latter as you are of the former, but I try not to throw too many Molotov cocktails on that account. Life's too short.

I think the "negativity" is the result of those commentators caring about what it is they are purchasing. Gamers, IMO, invest themselves in the hobby as in few other hobbies. Roleplaying itself certainly encourages a personal investment and identification with the game. It also requires the ability to think in an imaginative way. The result, I think, is that gamers easily imagine alternatives and how things might be done and their investment leads them to voice their opinions. When these opinions run counter to the status quo and/or when the fawning praisers take exception, you get a a frothy negativity.

I think too great a negativity should be avoided or muted when possible because it can be self-defeating, stubbornly hardening positions. I think, in this thread, that has mainly been avoided, with a demonstrated willingness to compromise being displayed. People are going to disagree. It is unavoidable. But I would resist the thought that this means there will be an inevitable shouting match where the loudest will prevail.

I can appreciate a sense of humor. In that way, let me suggest to you that you use "your inside voice." :-D

I look forward to the return of Critical Threats, and am hopeful that Erik and Company will find a way to do Maps of Mystery that makes sense; and I appreciate their efforts. Now, if we could just get setting application sidebars for those hopelessly generic adventures. ;-D

[Chris Wissel - WerePlatypus]

GVDammerung wrote:

I can appreciate a sense of humor. In that way, let me suggest to you that you use "your inside voice." :-D

Dude, you don't have to rub it in.

[Gregory Oppedisano]

I would like to apologise to GVD for my sarcasm, i should not write after midnight...

Eric stated "Sure, Dungeon readers (and D&D fans in general) can be prickly fussbuckets at times, but I happen to think that's part of gaming "culture" in general, and is a pretty accurate representation of the way most hard-core D&D fans tend to approach life, if not simply the rules or the setting or the magazines for their favorite game."

Of course you disagree with me Erik. This is my point exacty. It is sad. D&D is a social game. Unfortunately the game is over run with people who lack social skills. Critical thinking is not the same as being critical. Leadership is required to realize what is a major impediment to the growth of your organization and adressing it. Supporting a negative culture because it exists is not leadership. (Neither is preaching, which is what i am doing right now, but this is a limited form of communication - sorry...). You are in a precious position to have influence over the tone, direction, and culture of D&D. And i would say that there have been vast improvmets in how the marketing/promotion of the game is changing. In the ads for CONs you never see two angry geeks fighting over what sucks about the CON... Dungeon and Dragon are still two main instruments of communication in our hobby. The message that is consistantly reinforced in prison mail is that there is something wrong with Dungeon. The boards are less of an issue because they have a reduce readership.

Presently our group is a very positive group. We all have families, play every saturday and celebrate many of lifes important moments together. I am not saying your D&D has to be this way, nor am i saying that complaining is always negative and never to be done.

Over the last 25 years every D&D group i left was filled with negative/critical people - constantly arguing about who was smarter or worse why you or something you liked was stupid. This of course spilled over into political, relegious and current events opinions as well. Every person who i have introduced to D&D over the last 25 years who liked the game didn't like the negative/argumentative mentality of some of the people who played it quit for social reasons. Also hygene was an issue...

It is difficult to expalin in this limited forum what i am saying but i would ask you to listen to your stomach the next time you are reading/hearing negative criticism/opinion for criticisms/opinions sake - there is a tightness there, and uncomfortable feeling, a weakness.

As a school administrator and coach I know one of the major limiting factors in athlete performance and staff functioning is the impact of voiced negative thought. I have coached equally physically talented teams with dramatically different mental/social skill - to dramatically different results. In the face on an overly biased negative and anti social team i spend an increased amount of time on positive team building social skills developing drills and activities in practice. Don't even get me started on the negative burnt out teacher - but you could be assured i would do everything in my power to limit that teachers ability to negatively influence other staff, especially new enthusiasticc staff!

My last point - the next time you are about to embark on one of lifes many challenges and adventures - start by writing a list of the three things that are marginal about you, the five reasons you can't do it and the seven reasons that doing it is not worth it. Prepare for success (ok, that was a bit sarcastic...)

Thanks for listening.

[Yamo]

So fawning, mindless praise is the only valid means of expression and Erik should just bask in it and make a big show out of how much "better" he is than anyone who offers constructive criticism of his work?

Sounds like a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

[GVDammerung]

Gregory Oppedisano wrote:

I would like to apologise to GVD for my sarcasm, i should not write after midnight...

D&D is a social game. Unfortunately the game is over run with people who lack social skills. Critical thinking is not the same as being critical. . . . The message that is consistantly reinforced in prison mail is that there is something wrong with Dungeon. The boards are less of an issue because they have a reduce readership.

Over the last 25 years every D&D group i left was filled with negative/critical people . . . Also hygene was an issue...

Hi Gregory,

No problem.

I tend to agree with you that there are a number of gamers who do lack social skills; you can usually hear them a mile off. I tend to agree with you that there are gamers who have hygene issues; we won't talk about how you detect them. I also agree that some gamers can tend to be a bit overly critical; I think this is as often as not some subset of the "rules lawyerly" bunch, but probably not exclusively. Adding them all up, however, I don't think they are a majority of gamers or even close to it. What these folks are, I think, is noticible and memorable, to a degree that is outsized to their actual numbers.

In my experience, most gamers are pretty normal people and pretty descent.

With regard to Prison Mail/letters, I don't think it/they are overly negative. I think the staff publishes as many flattering letters as negative ones and many of the "negative" ones begin with some variation of, "I love your magazine . . .but . . ." I think the published letters are pretty even handed, certainly, IMO, more so than ever in the past.

I understand you are not against criticism, per se, but it is quite the trick to be critical but not by some measure negative. For example, in this thread, I expressed a personal preference for a Dungeon that would include two features that had once been more regularly seen. I did not call into question any of the present features but suggested adding two more. This was still deemed too "negative" by some. I'm sure you see the difficulty.

The flip-side, of course, are the reactionary flatterers who would praise almost anything that had an official logo or masthead attached to it, merely because it was "official."

There are doubtless many people who range the gaming message boards on the internet more widely than I, but in my experience, the Paizo boards tend to be far more "cheerful" than almost any other gaming related message boards I have seen. Part of this is due, I think, to the fact that even the most critical gamers are pretty pleased with where Dungeon and Dragon are going, at least as compared to where they have been at times. I certainly count myself among that number, even as I find Dungeon a "marginal purchase" too often. I used to never buy Dungeon at all!

Its trite but I want to say its a glass half-empty or half-full thing. And, I think that is a good thing. While I did not previously purchase Dungeon, I was aware of it and would thumb through a new issue in my FLGS just like any other new gaming release. It seemed to me like the older incarnations of Dungeon and Dragon fell into ruts with which they were too satisfied. I think Erik has expressed a desire to produce more multifaceted magazines that will shake up the magazine lineup to keep things interesting. I think this is probably pretty smart, even if that means I only get a Critical Threat every other issue and a Map of Mystery every quarter, or what have you. For me, its a hobby. For Paizo, its a business. I think Erik is attempting to split the difference and I can respect and live with that compromise.

What prompted me to initially post was the feeling, after cataloging my collection of Dungeons, that the magazine had started to fall into a rut and was even taking a step backward from where it had been just a little while ago. For me, its not an issue of "changing back" but of expressing a preference that cool features from prior incarnations are not completely lost in a new incarnation. Best of the old, best of the new kind of idea.

Is that "negative?" I don't think so, even while it is not completely affirming of the present lineup.

I see what you mean but I hope you can see what I mean too (even if we don't necessarily agree with each other:).

[Jeremy Mac Donald]

primemover003 wrote:

...My PC's are about to delve into Maure Castle (in FR the Crypt of the Wondermakers in Scornubel)...

Where they will all die...over and over again.

[Jeremy Mac Donald]

GVDammerung wrote:

...Gamers, IMO, invest themselves in the hobby as in few other hobbies. Roleplaying itself certainly encourages a personal investment and identification with the game...

I dunno...

I mean anyone who takes it upon themselves to say jump out of a perfectly good airplane at 16,000 feet is pretty damn invested in their hobby.

[Jeremy Mac Donald]

GVDammerung wrote:

...reactionary flatterers...

This ought to be a political party.

[Great Green God]

Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:

GVDammerung wrote:

...reactionary flatterers...

This ought to be a political party.

Would Senator Mac Donald please yield the tread. Elsewise we shall have to rewite the ethics and procedural rules and have him ousted in favor of more Erivatius-friendly politicians.

And if you don't know who Erivatius is you haven't picked up the latest good book from your friendly neighborhood game shop. He makes an excellent critical threat - even though he takes up 3 pages.

Let us prey on free thought,
GGG