The Draconic Archeologist: Identity Crisis- The Dragon Issue #7

Is it Vol. II, No.1 as the cover states, or is it Vol. I No. 7 as the inside front cover says?  It's the 7th issue, regardless of numbering.

The editorial tells us that readership has increased 300% since the first issue.  Not bad for a new gaming magazine.

On to the articles...

What to Do When the Dog Eats Your Dice - alternate methods of random generation: chits, deck of cards, numbered straws, spinners, calculators (high end ones back then i would think), the second hand of a watch (not to sure about this method myself), phone book and blindfold, and a few ridiculous methods (counting flying birds, pulling out chest hairs, jumping beans).  There is an interesting chart to use 2D6 to generate results like a D20, reproduced below:

 PERCENTAGES GENERATED

WITH TWO STANDARD DICE (D6)

The following table is from FIGHT IN THE SKIES. The column

on the left is percentages and numbers needed to get them, while the

figures on the right are the actual probabilities. (I.E., if there is a 10%

chance of an encounter, a roll of “9” indicates that it occurs. The actual

percentage chance of rolling a “9” with two standard dice is 11.1% .)

  5%  11                                       5.6%

10%   9                                      11.1%

15%   6                                      13.9%

20%   7,12                                 19.4%

25%   4,7                                   25.0%

30%   7,8                                   30.6%

35%   2,4,5,6                             36.1%

40%   5,6,8                                38.9%

45%   6,7,8                                44.4%

50%   4, 5, 6, 7                          50.0%

55%   5,6,7,8                             55.6%

60%   3,5,6,7,8                          61.6%

65%   4,5,6,7,8                          63.9%

70%   3,4,5,6,7,8                       69.4%

75%   all except 2,3,4,10           75.0%

80%   all except 2,4,10              80.6%

85%   all except 3, 11, 12          86.1%

90%   all except 9                      88.9%

95%   all except 11                    94.4%

Gary Gygax on D&D: Origins of the Game - A short article on how Chainmail evolved with Dave Arneson's help into D&D.

Our Featured Creature of the Months is The Prowler.  Never heard of it.  Nice Erol Otus artwork tho'.

The 7th installment of Gnome Cache - fiction that requires you to read 7 issues in a row.  Bad idea.

Hmm, fairly light issue as far as OD&D gaming goes.