After quite some waiting, Dolmenwood has arrived. This epic fairy forest of adventure has long fascinated me from the times that it was a humble zine (Wormskin). I've written this very much as a first impression; I think there's a good month or so of reading needed to digest this properly, and at the moment, I'm focused on convention preparation for TravCon and Furnace.
Along the way, it has morphed from a supplement for Old-School Essentials to a standalone derivation of that OSR classic. So if you know how Basic D&D plays in its B/X variant, you'll know how this plays. Of course, it's tailored and unique.
The package that arrived was huge, spread across two boxes; the heart of it was the core player's book with the rules, a book of monsters, a large campaign book and an accompanying book of maps as a quick reference.
And that's just the beginning! The second box incuded two cloth maps, dice, a dice bag, miniatures and a GM Screen. Oh, and a patch*. There are also four adventures in small hardcovers, reminding me of Ladybird books in some ways.
The books are beautifully illustrated, and very clearly laid out. This is a sandbox setting par-excellence, with factions, plots, fascinating and evocative locations and space for a campaign to grow into something truly unique. It's the kind of book that you dip into and really want to run a game from the ideas that it gives you as you read it.
In truth, I have far too many large campaigns, especially in the OSR space. However, this is definitely a keeper. I've just got to decide what's going to go to make enough space on the shelves.
On what I've seen, I recommend this wholeheartedly. I certainly don't regret backing it, despite the delays. It's a classy production.
27 September 2025
(*) What is the current obsession with stickers and badges to go alongside games? I really don't get it. Perhaps I'm too old.
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