Stefano Buonocore
Today we offer you the review of Dungeon Craft 3, a series of very useful accessories for creating two-dimensional maps and environments for role-playing games. First of all we want to say thank you 1985 Games for sending us these props, so we could try them out and review. It’s not the first time we’ve had the opportunity to try their products. If you are interested, you can also read ours review of the first volume of the series. Dungeon Craft 1 was among the most awarded products of the No Dice Unrolled Awards 2020 in its category.
After one Kickstarter campaign of undisputed success, the maps with their accessories are finally ready to find a place in your libraries. These products are available on the 1985 Games store, where you can purchase them for about 52 euros; but using the code NoDiceUnrolled15 you will get a 15% discount!
Review of Materials of Dungeon Craft 3
Jungles Floor Pack it’s a foldable squared map of approximately 61 x 84 cm (the original measurements are obviously in inches). Like all of the products line Dungeon Craft, the surface is waterproof and suitable for erasable markers. The map is double-sided: on one side there is open land, on the other the banks that run along a watercourse. The setting, as you can imagine from the name, is that of a jungle, and is the basis on which to use Dungeon Craft 3.
Jungle of Dread and Fallen Kingdoms are two collections of scenic and tactical elements compatible with the Jungles Floor Pack: together they make up the new volume of the line. Huts, buildings, ruins, campfires, tents; we find everything necessary to set up every typical scenario of these environments. Which can be brought to life with the most varied NPCs, creatures and monsters, also in this case obviously strongly themed. Where the former places more emphasis on the horrors of the jungle, the latter specializes in recreating the atmospheres of the ancient Meso and South American empires.
The miniatures and 2D scenery elements are distributed among 100 sheets, divided into 50 for each of the boxes that make up Dungeon Craft 3. Considering that these are also printed on both sides and that most sheets have multiple images to cut out, the overall total available exceeds 1800 elements. The back features alternate versions of the creatures and structures, mostly. But it also happens to find segments with the “before-after” version of a trap, for example, or with a top view of the exteriors and then of the interiors. The variability is therefore very very high.
A Practical Guide
Initially, the idea of having to cut out individual elements from the sheet might be scary. This is a truly impressive amount of material; after all Jungle of Dread and Fallen Kingdom they are designed to make any scenario possible in the jungle context. But all things considered, it ends up becoming a pleasant activity. Of course, die-cut sheets would have been more convenient, but Dungeon Craft 3 it is sold at a more than fair price to require a bit of home DIY.
The quality of the materials is in fact high enough to facilitate cutting; just follow the dotted lines. And it is not necessary to be surgically precise: the jungle background allows each scenic element to be perfectly camouflaged with the map. Furthermore, it is not necessary to prepare every single cut in advance, except for a question of order: they can be searched and shaped if necessary.
Conclusions of the Review of Dungeon Craft 3
There has always been a controversy in the world of role-playing games. A debate between those who use the combat grid and those who rely on the theater of the mind. A non-debate, one might say, because there is no right or wrong answer. It could be said that each game lends itself more to one method or the other, and that would be true. But above all, each group uses the tools they find most comfortable.
Fallen Kingdom and Jungle of Dread they are great tools. Qualitatively they maintain the very high standards of 1985 Games, and manage to have a truly interesting variety of elements. The line Dungeon Craft it comes out strongly enhanced, expanding the already vast range of possibilities offered with the first volumes. Those who own them absolutely cannot miss this latest brilliant product, which is however equally recommended for anyone who wants to enrich their sessions with tactical elements which, why not, also contribute to beautifying the gaming table.
