A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Dungeon Backdrop: Craghollow Mine (P1)

Dungeon Backdrop: Craghollow Mine (P1) by Bart Wynants is a role playing game supplement published by Raging Swan Press for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.

The supplement is available as a 19-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $3.75 but was purchased at a reduced price in a special bundle. Two pages are the front and rear covers, two are ads, three the front matter and Contents and one the Open Game License. The PDF comes in two versions, one optimised for print and high-end devices and the other for low end devices and mobile.

Using a Dungeon Backdrop is a standard piece explaining how to use this, that the backdrop is intended for use with the Lonely Coast but can be modified to fit elsewhere, that location descriptions only cover the basics and that treasure is only minor and level appropriate treasure needs adding.

Dungeon Background explains that the mine, prior to becoming such, was a shelter from beasts in the Tangled Wood of the Lonely Coast. They worshipped Daudrabaoth the Death-Bat before dying out, after which the mine was discovered by miners after the silver and lead, but the refining methods were toxic and drove them mad. Cultists then discovered it, but were themselves wiped out by goblins. A sidebar looks at stocking the mine; goblins may be the obvious choice, but not the only one.

The Adventure Begins has three different hooks for getting the characters involved.

Whispers & Rumours has six rumours about the mine.

The Surrounding Locality has six locations and a map of the area, as well as six pieces of dressing and six pieces of things to find. A sidebar explains how lead poisoning can be detected.

Notable Locations at a Glance gives an overview of the important places.

Architecture & Environment gives an overview of the mine’s general features, followed by ten pieces of dungeon dressing and ten things to find, after which is a full-page map of the location.

The area is then described, covering the various locations. Each page has two columns, one with a description of the areas and another with some GM Notes and plenty of blank space.

Aftermath has resolving the adventure depending on which adventure hook is used, and there are three more adventure hooks. A sidebar explains how this is intended to work with Dungeon Backdrop: Scarlock Hill and Dungeon Backdrop: The Shard Isles along with The Secret Name to make a mini-campaign.

Dungeon Backdrop: Craghollow Mine (P1) in Review

The PDF is bookmarked with major and minor sections linked and only sidebars missing. The Contents is to a similar level of depth and is hyperlinked. The text maintains a two-column format and appears to be free of errors. As well as the map, there are some stock black and white illustrations. Presentation is okay.

This adventure may be set in the Lonely Coast but all that’s really needed is some woods to put the mine in, making it easy enough to add this to other settings. Even most of the background is still usable; perhaps some names might need changing, but that’s about it. Like others in this series, this is not an adventure, as it still needs monsters and treasures adding, but it does provide a framework to build an adventure. Dungeon Backdrop: Craghollow Mine (P1) is a decent little supplement and it can be found by clicking here.