This product is a massive product with 339 pages and a $19.95 pricepoint which equals about 6 cents a page which when compared to the average $2 product with 10-15 pages is a real value. So 5 stars for value.
So on to the content.
Back in the day when I first discovered RPG's I owned a little well known book called the Dungeon Masters Guide. (Back then we didn't know about editions. But for those that don't know it was for the 1st edition D&D game). Anyway this book had lots of cool info on DM'ing and it had the ever popular magic items. But... It also had a really cool section in the back of the book called the appendix. The Appendix was filled with page after wonderful page of charts for dressing a dungeon. I loved it, I used it, I needed it to make my dungeon rooms their very best or at least more interesting than I could have made them myself. Years later when the next edition of that same titled book came out it was much thinner and to my shock and horror that wonderful appendix was missing. And worse yet it never did come out for that edition or any other edition to date those wonderful charts were forgotten.
So enter GM's Miscellany: Dungeon Dressing so many years later. It takes the concepts introduced so long ago and amplifies it X100. It is the DMG appendix on super steroids as much as I liked the original this is sooooo much better.
The first section or chapter talks about dungeons in general. Why they exist, and how to make them better more realistic mini enviornments. What it says really makes sense and I would recommend all dungeon creating GM's to read before starting their new dungeon creations.
Next up is a long list of items that are found in dungeons starting with alters and ending with wells with dozens of item in between. Each item is given charts with 20-100 choices to make the item unique and special.
So if a GM is describing seeing an alter to his players instead of saying "you see an alter covered in blood", this book allows a GM to make the description much more exciting.
So using the charts in the alters section I roll on the first chart which is a basic description of the alter. So I roll d100 and I get 16 I look on the chart and it says "Drainage channels criss-cross the alter's upper surface and run to two small fonts, one at either end of the alter." So next I roll on the next chart about interesting features I roll a 91 on a d100 and the text says "A single lit Candle set in the absolute centre of the alter dimly illuminates a blank sheet of parchment" Ok then now we have an interesting description of an alter than stimulates the imagination when you put the two together. An that's not all the alter section has several new traps and other informative. bits.
These charts continue for literally dozens of items. Some of the more interesting subjects are captives, goblin pockets, and legends.
The next section is riddles dozens of ready made riddle's for a GM to stump their players with. And Finally their is a section on treasure hoards when dungeon worth its salt doesn't have a treasure hoard or two. The riddle even have a multiple categories.
Over this book is a fun read not like so many that are just too boring to hold your interest I enjoyed reading this word for word as the descriptions were fun and sparked the imagination. I am not an expert on grammar but I didn't see any typo's or example of poor grammar. So for content I also give this 5 stars.
Over all this book is a must have for any GM's looking for a fast easy way to create fun usable dungeons. I rate this a 5 star product I'd give it a 6 if they let me.
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