The Dream Prison makes the second adventure produced by Menagerie Press I have receivedto review (the first was Adul, City of Gold). Again this is an adventure for D&D5e for character of levels 6-8. You can buy The Dream Prison on DrivethruRPG in PDF for 11,99€ or softcover for 14,99€.

The value is in the little things

We are talking about a 41-pages adventure with a very classical structure. In some ways, I would call it trivial. But, as I often point out, it is very difficult to write a truly original, surprising, and well-articulated adventure. Most of the stories that are told at the table of an RPG have characteristics attributable to a few archetypes. The strength is in providing details that make the setting and situations fresh and engaging. Dream Prison excels at this.

The initial situation is well framed and there are many details that accompany the Game Master in completely painting the picture as he gradually reveals it to the players. It is an imaginative and dreamlike adventure, in which the descriptions and the environment reflect the creativity and talent of the author, William Murakami-Brundage. There are quality NPCs whose characterizations are relevant, not just an end in themselves.

The facets described open up the game to player choices, and grant the opportunity to embellish the story. I was very pleased to read an original and ingenious use of riddles, here. In general there is a lot of inventiveness and colorful characterization. Not only are there creatures created or revisited for the adventure, but other details are also provided, such as a list of game world idioms, which really make a difference in generating a unique atmosphere.

Spoiler-free plot review of The Dream Prison

The structure of the adventure is quite simple. In fact the main goal is a rescue. The PCs are engaged and pointed in the right direction, then journey, information gathering, dungeon, and ending. We are talking about a rather clear railroad that leaves little room for variation. Most of the adventure is experienced outside the Material Plane, in very special places. The imagination and the wealth of details allow a pleasant journey and the status quo that is created by the end of the adventure can be a good excuse to continue to explore the possible consequences in play.

In my opinion, the only significant flaw is the lack of any real climax in the finale. As a player, I like to get a shock from time to time, whether it’s a twist or the expectation created by an event or a clash that gradually approaches. Reading The Dream Prison I had the impression that I would have enjoyed playing it a lot, but at the end I would have missed a quid before the conclusion.

Art and layout

The layout is standard, both in the two-column format and in the management of fonts and text boxes. But the illustrations are not a strong point. The full page images are cute, with their light and color palette they help to effectively invoke the world for the storyteller. As for the rest, they are fillers more or less related to the text without shame or praise. On the other hand, this is an adventure to be played, not a manual to leaf through.

Maps are provided along with the adventure, in double jpg and tiff format (to have the drawing on a transparent background). There are also digital tokens, a detail always appreciated, especially under these circumstances, when online role-playing is almost a necessity.

Final considerations about Dream Prison

Dream Prison is certainly a good product. A simple texture has been greatly enriched with many original details. There are well-balanced explanations – without being boring or pedantic – that can help you understand situations. It allows you to experience an adventure with a context and environment different from the usual ones. It provides the Game Master with notions and tools to create beautiful backgrounds in broad brushstrokes and, interesting ideas with little effort. Compared to the excellent price of the physical version, I find that of the PDF alone a bit high. Even at this price, however, the overall quality justifies the expense.

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