First Impressions - The Midderlands Expanded

The Midderlands Expanded; more greenness.

TL;DR: I like The Midderlands Expanded, but I don't love it like I did the first one. It has superb production values and lots of useful material, but by spreading itself more thinly it fails to give me the GM tingles that The Midderlands did. The lack of the integration of the main map of the Haven Isles into the text detracted from my enjoyment. It's a useful addition if you want to play in the setting, with superb production values (if anything, higher than the first). Recommended, but not essential.

The Midderlands Expanded takes the setting described in The Midderlands (previously reviewed here) and expands it to cover the whole of the Haven Isles. This is an OSR book, designed for use with Swords & Wizardry, but usable with any D&D engine with a bit of thought.

It's a 224 page digest sized hardcover, full colour throughout. Admittedly, that colour is mostly green. Production values are very high, with two ribbons and good quality paper. The artwork and mappage is superb. It's well edited and clear. It has one failing which detracted from the usability of the book, which I'll cover below.

This probably should have been called Beyond the Midderlands, as what the book does is provide the setting details beyond the regions that was lovingly detailed in the first book, with a gazetteer of the entire twisted version of the Island of Great Britain. The gazetteer is packed full of gaming juice; vignettes describing towns, maps, random tables and plenty of inspiration. What it's lacking is the map. The map is a separate product (which you mustn't forget if you order the book as you're reminded at the Monkey Blood Design webshop). I have the map, because it came as part of the Kickstarter for the book, but I found a lack of it embedded in the book (even as sections) really detracted from my reading. It should be part of the book. If it added another 4-8 pages, then it would have been worth it. I think that the separation is a flaw.

As an aside, the separate map is gorgeous and I love the fact that it places another OSR favourite, Dolmenwood, in the equivalent of Ireland.

The only other niggle I have is that several times the keys to the lovely town maps are placed on a different page spread so you're flicking backwards and forwards.

There are good sections on magical items, shipwrecks and creatures. Several character classes are offered; the Witchfinder, the Highland Shaman and the Dragonsinger. This would definitely add to a campaign in the setting.

The book rounds out with an introductory adventure - The Ratdog Inn - which would be useable just as easily with Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying and could easily get messy if GMed the right way. There's also a potential adventure site (a town with caverns cut into the hillside and used for trade, with paths to the Middergloom below) and a good selection of adventure hooks. Some adventure ideas are tied to map hexes. The appendices are useful including relationship diagrams, quick hints on the nobles in each area and their personalities, and ways to personalise equipment. The index is decent.

I like this book, but I don't love it like I did the first one. It has superb production values and lots of useful material, but by spreading itself more thinly it fails to give me the GM tingles that The Midderlands did. It's a useful addition if you want to play in the setting, with superb production values (if anything, higher than the first).

I am looking forward to reading the Lunden book which I also have; I hope that the tightening of focus will excite me once more.

Recommended, but not essential.

4 May 2020