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#1 gv_dammerung Jun 26, 2006 11:58:27

After being regaled with stories of this product in the Greytalk Thursday chats and having read the dustup on the Necromancer Games message boards, I have been attempting to obtain a copy of Dreadmire from Spellbinder Games for not a little while. For some reason, this product is very hard to order, even from distributors. I have, however, secured a copy. The presentation is professional, albeit with small print and an almost “day-glo” cover. But at over 200 pages with many illustrations (almost all monsters are illustrated) and maps for $30, one cannot initially complain. The complaints begin as one reads Dreadmire. The writing is too often colloquial or presumes a knowledge of matters the reader may not have. Malapropisms abound as the author attempts to use “big words” without an understanding of their meaning. Most of the concepts and ideas presented are only half done. In any number of cases, the author forthrightly states this with advice to “take it from here,” so to speak. One hardly wishes to pay for half-realized ideas, however, even when some of the ideas are pretty cool. Indeed, Dreadmire shows signs of promise in a number of respects but a better editor and a rewrite would have been necessary to realize these prospects. The overall feel of Dreadmire is of a half completed manuscript or a hurried one. Claiming to be 3x compliant, 3.5 actually, Dreadmire is a disappointment, on a par with some of the “lowlights” from Fast Forward Entertainment. Monsters are for the most part only sketchily presented, with many “entries” nothing of the sort, only suggested modifications to existing monsters. The numerous spells look like the author was familiar with 1st Edition spell formats and thought he could “fake it” or “wing it” for 3rd Edition. No. The 18 20th level base classes presented are mechanically awful and aesthetically worse, often no more than a hodgepodge collection of spells made into class abilities - “as per spell but useable X times per day.” There is nothing to recommend Dreadmire but for sensationalist interest. In this respect, Dreadmire surprises. Suffice to say, claims of IP violations have swirled around this product. In my reading, I found no obvious IP violations, only “near misses” or “close friends.” Being no IP lawyer, I cannot say how “close” is “too close” but I suspect Dreadmire is in no immediate danger of violating anyone’s IP. This said, there are some close similarities. For those familiar with Greyhawk, Dreadmire is recognizable as the Hool Marshes and the Dreadwood. This is actually a rather interesting take on the region, even if not “canon.” The Yeomanry is manifestly the “Arable Republic.” Keoland also has a stand-in and the Hold of the Sea Princes gets a passing nod. The remaining geography to the east is submerged beneath an ocean. While disappointing, Dreadmire can be useful as an idea grab bag. It had the potential to be much more. The real disappointment with Dreadmire is that the author was clearly within striking distance of creating the definitive swamp sourcebook. He just missed the target by a quarter mile.