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GM's Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing $19.95
Publisher: Raging Swan Press
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by Ismael A. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 07/20/2015 22:38:34

For full disclosure, I did receive a digital copy of this product, though I am contemplating buying a print copy, as it is quite good.

Now, I have already reviewed the "GM's Miscellany: Wilderness Dressing" product, and was quite impressed with that. I am equally impressed with this product, given that it is up to the same standards. I have not been able to pour through it, but I have the same glaring eye that most role players have towards grammar, and have yet to find an error. Moreover, this resource is packed to the gills with various resources that not only spruce up a dungeon, but keep players on their toes.

There are obvious dungeon staples such as trapped doors and diabolical devices that threaten to harm players. Of there there are plenty of top notch traps made to harry your players. But of further intrigue are the various tables to add devilish details to any dungeon. These details, or the dressing, beg the players, and perhaps even the game master to ask more questions. Why did someone leave macabre objects at the entrance to the dungeon? What does the dungeon's name mean?

These are all excellent hooks that may convince the players that there is added depth to the dungeon's purpose, and with some luck and a few percentile rolls, that will be true! I not only read through the book, but I was able to employ it in my current game, and it worked wonders! It really does do wonders for describing something more elaborate than a 20x20 ft stone room with no features, and in no time at all.

If I had one complaint about the book, it being a compilation and all, is that it did not somehow include a section on rooms. Granted, there were plenty of things that comprised rooms, ranging from floors, ceilings, altars, doors, archways, ceilings, captives, etc... but nothing to address a room unto itself. I understand that the point of the book is to add to a room through its component pieces. On the other hand, I would rather like a few tables for simple rooms that are themselves noteworthy not because of their walls or ceilings, but something that comprises the room itself. As an example, a room made of ice that refuses to melt, and so on. If Raging Swan were to do such a supplement, I think that I would be first in line for its purchase, especially given the quality of the product at hand.

Outside of the actual dressing, there are a number of impressive and useful tables and rules that do wonders for planning and running dungeons. Pre-generated treasure hoards are a life saver, and while such a thing is common on the internet, it is nice to have them included in this product. The riddles were amusing, and though I have yet to use any, I am eager to do so.

I also was very fond of the dungeon design section. Much of it was simply sound advice, though not as useful perhaps for veteran game masters. Despite that, I think all of the information on dungeon design and ecology were things that needed to be said, and not everyone is privy to the idea that a dungeon that makes sense is typically better than one that does not.

In closing, I was especially pleased by "GM's Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing". I heartily endorse it, and my only complaint is that I want more of it.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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GM's Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing
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