From the editor-in-chief's description of the issue:
Even though I've tried and tried to resist the temptation, I can't help referring to this one as a devil of an issue - or, perhaps more properly put, an issue of devils. No, that's not entirely accurate, but more than 20 of the pages inside are devoted to descriptions of new devils and devil-types for the AD&D game, along with "facts" about what the environment is like on the various planes of the Nine Hells. It's not a place to spend your summer vacation - except, of course, in your imagination.
Leading off the devil section is a presentation of the manuscripts that E. Gary Gygax has composed over the last few years (since the release of the Monster Manual) on the heirarchy of The Nine Hells and some of the previously unrecorded devil-types that live there.
Next is part I of "The Nine Hells," a massive treatise composed by contributing editor Ed Greenwood in an effort to flesh out what Gary had already done. Ed presents his educated speculations about what each of the separate planes is like, and descriptions of the individual devils that Gary mentions but doesn't detail. Because Ed's manuscript was so long, we had to break it into two parts; next month we'll present his musings on the lowest four planes, plus notes on how the effects of various magic spells are changed, or nullified, if those spells are cast anywhere within the Nine Hells.
Top billing in the table of contents this time - our middle-of-the-magazine special inclusion - goes to the winner in category A-7 of our Module Design Contest, "Can Seapoint Be Saved?" If the player characters in your campaign have never been challenged by an adventure on (and around) the high seas, just let 'em try to sail through "Seapoint."
There's a lot more to being a good and effective gamemaster than knowing the rules. Lew Pulsipher's contribution inside goes "Beyond the rule book," offering guidelines on procedures and style that any "campaign manager" - veteran or novice - should keep in mind.
'Way back in issue #66, we printed a package of articles about the use of languages in role-playing games. As often happens, those articles prompted other articles on the same subject - so, inside are two new "Language lessons." Both authors, Clyde Heaton and Katharine Kerr, make the same basic point: Any language, no matter how primitive, must be logical and consistent in order to be believable and playable.
Lastly, but far from least (or should that be leastly?), we present the debut of a new comic adventure strip: Snarfquest," drawn and written by Larry Elmore. Maybe ol' Snarf isn't exactly a typical hero - but then again, this isn't exactly a typical magazine... - KM
