Pyramid Pick: Reverse Dungeon (for AD&D)

Pyramid Pick

Reverse Dungeon

Published by Wizards of the Coast

Written by John D. Rateliff and Bruce R. Cordell

95 pages; $17.95

"When kids play cops and robbers (or in the old days, cowboys and Indians) there are always some who want to play the robbers (and Indians)."
-- Reverse Dungeon; Appendix, pg. 89

This is not your normal adventure. Instead of playing a stalwart group of adventurers, valiantly fighting the forces of darkness, the players take on the challenge of playing those forces and deciding for themselves if they are truly that dark.

Reverse Dungeon is a well thought-out scenario that challenges players to step away from their normal ideas and take a significantly different view of the world around them. It places them in control of a dungeon's monsters. Starting with a small tribe of Goblins, progressing through a menagerie of monsters, and ending with the chance to delve into the diabolic minds of the undead.

John Rateliff and Bruce Cordell present an interesting role-playing challenge to both player and DM. Both their Introduction and Appendix: Playing the Bad Guys caution and guide the readers to the realization that this is a chance to extend beyond any normal role-playing experience. The Appendix delves into the idea that some monsters, the Goblins in particular, may not be "evil" just misunderstood. They're just trying to make their own way in the world and view the occasional adventuring party as an evil force in their lives. . . .

This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.



Article publication date: July 7, 2000

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