DragonFire Magazine #3 by Andrew Babcock

Seth Stauffer

Dragonfire is back for a third issue with more of everything. Readers looking for more content and gaming news will have another helping of what the first two issues offered. The format has remained consistent, so anyone who enjoyed the last two issues will be pleased to find more of the same. 

The serialised fiction continues to be a standout. Once more, readers follow Altharid on his dark quest toward a yet-to-be-identified goal. The story will continue in the next issue and has so far left quality cliffhangers in the previous instalments. Additionally, there is content for D&D and Call of Cthulhu, as well as a system-agnostic option, similar to the earlier issues. 

There is a statement regarding the use of AI in magazine content production.. AI is employed to save time, but not as a means to generate content. Everything is the result of a person’s efforts, except when something like a piece of art is required, in which case AI is used to create it, saving money and time. There is a growing number of magazines that are full of AI-generated content, so for Dragonfire to make their position clear is worthwhile.

Where the magazine falters this time around is that there are parts, at least in the version of the PDF I received, where the text has been cut in several places. For example, in the section ‘In the News’, it looks like pages are missing. It’s a bit odd, and it is perhaps a formatting issue of some kind. Whatever the reason is, maybe the rigours of trying to operate a monthly periodical are becoming too much. While Dragonfire is actively seeking submissions, people have not yet contributed, and the determined Andrew Babcock at Lunitar Productions is shouldering the load on his own for this monthly periodical. Issue number three offers a lot of decent content, just like the last two magazines. The quality and scope of the material haven’t wavered, but it might be worth considering whether a monthly publication schedule might be too much for a solo endeavour. Even a bi-monthly production would probably help alleviate some pressure. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Dragonfire, as it’s a promising magazine with numerous potential directions.