I have noticed over the years that there has been a decline in the number of humor articles in the April issue of Dragon that can be used at the game table:
Good example from the older eras of Dragon include The Crazed Book of Mog from issue 204, the Planescape Factions from issue 216, and the Monstrous Compendium parody from issue 132 (I'm uncertain on that number).
It's not to everyone's tatse I guess, but it's one issue a year, and I for one think the game is actually poorer for a lack of Pelf's Rancid Arrow spells, Wizardesses of the Black Teddy, Killer Spruce trees, Chocolate Golems, and Death Sheep.
And let's not forget Duh Jock!
Sure, it was written in humor, but I actually ran a Jock from 1st to 6th level back in 1987 in a short campaign.
I like the additional comics that have come with previous April issues, but I would love to see the return of "game-able humor" in the April issues as well. I recently got the Munchkin Monster Manual 2.5, and it just makes me laugh. It's very funny, but also useable in a game.
Actually, if anyone has the spare money and wants a good laugh with "game-ability," check out the Munchkin Player's Handook, Munchkin Master's Guide, Munchkin Monster Manual, and the Monster Manual 2.5.
So... I second the nomination.
And don't forget the Blink Mammoths, the snarfable Jell-o Cubes or that robe of blending that had four or five speeds ("liquify" -yuk!).
Yes, those were very cool, kinda like "Dungeonland" or "Land Beyond the Magic Mirror" or "Monster Quest" from Dungeon #10 I think. It's kinda sad you don't see more humor in the game. It seems like it's all so serious now adays with folks moving minis like wargamers of old and maxing out character skills like they where building a killer magic deck rather than interesting character.
It seems to me that if you wanted to get younger folk involved in D&D you might consider being a bit off-the-wall sometimes.
GGG
What prompted this thought was my recent acquisition of issue #144 from my wonderful local used book store/comics specialty store/RPG stuff store. This was another April issue with lots of interesting humor, some of which, like the Outrages from the Mages installment, can be used in a game if you like.
After doing some figuring the Monstrous Compendium parody mentioned in my first post is almost definitely from issue #156. That is where Killer Spruce Trees, Deeth Sheep, Blink Wooly Mammoths, and a vareity of other nifty funny monsters can be found.
This is one suggestion that I can definitely get behind!
I have many fond memories of gamers running jesters and jocks and running afoul of all these ridiculous magic items and monsters.
D&D does seem to take itself awful serious these days for such a fundamentally silly game about fantasy SWAT teams robbing random monsters of the gold they hoard for no apparent reason in architecturally and ecologically suspect "dungeons." :)
Strangely enough even as I am writing this in one window I am in another working on a greenlighted adventure that will have a few "unique" twists to it. Jeremy says I have until April 1st to turn it in (take that for what it's worth) so I wouldn't expect to see it anytime soon but you never know....
GGG
PS Disclaimer: even though it was okayed for a full treatment that doesn't mean they will print it.
PPS Jake, I took your advice and ordered them on Saturday.
This year's April issue of Dragon fetl a little light on the game-able humor content. On the one hand, "Ecology of the Adventurer" was a great laugh. On the other hand, the kobold feats sidebar while funny, did not include anything that would be likely to be incorporated into even a silly game.
Lol, I remember some years where the April issue was so far out there none of us were, and still dont know, if anything in any April issue is real or just pulling our dice bags.
In the spirit of the April Dragon magazines, I tried to run an "April Fools" version of my regular gaming campaign. Game night just happened to be the 1st, so I made all of the characters suddenly turn into stick figure form, in the style of Oots. But none of them got it. They just looked at me like I was nuts... It was rather embarrising.
Lol, I remember some years where the April issue was so far out there none of us were, and still dont know, if anything in any April issue is real or just pulling our dice bags.
I don't know what you mean by for real vs. just pulling our dicebag.
To me a monster is for real if it has hit dice, an armor class, attacks per round and damage figures, and EXP value/ CR
Does it matter if it's a Norker, a Goblin, a Chocolate Golem, or a Death Sheep?