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The Midderlands - OSR Bestiary and SettingClick to magnify
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The Midderlands - OSR Bestiary and Setting

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Gold Winner - 2018 ENnie Awards - Best Cartography

The Midderlands is an old-school game setting with bestiary for use with old-school role-playing games. It is based on Swords & Wizardry Complete, but could easily be used with other old-school systems and even non-OSR systems such as D&D or Pathfinder.

It is a green-hued, dark-fantasy, late-middle ages, early-renaissance view through grime-smeared spectacles. The setting itself is based on an area in the middle of England near where I live called The Midlands. Many of the locations are loosely based on reality, but others are pure fantasy from an addled mind.

The setting part of the book contains something I call "game-juice". Not heavy of history and monotonous detail, but enough to get the game-juices flowing and let the game master twist and tweak as they need to in order to fit their campaign.

There is also humour and occasional swear words.

Reviews and Feedback

“[The Midderlands] as a small area campaign supplement is the best I’ve ever seen, displacing Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor First Fantasy Campaign area, which up until now -- and that’s decades -- has been my favorite one.” - Matt Finch (Creator of Swords & Wizardry).

Check out the full video interview here.

"So needless to say that the Midderlands is very well done, the layout is easy on the eyes, the material fits exactly the itch of a deep, dark, dank fantasy England. Glynn Seal knows his sources & solid background of his world very well." - Eric Fabiaschi.

Check out the full review here: Swords & Stitchery blog.

"The artwork, design, and layout are gorgeous and help evoke the setting." - Larry Hamilton.

Check out the full review here: Follow Me and Die! blog.

"I love this book, and have no hesitation at all, in giving it a 'Legendary' rating." - Red Dice Diaries.

Check out the fully detailed 18m:43s video review here.

"The Midderlands campaign setting is remarkable. One of the most creative and well thought out I have ever seen." - Kip Corriveau.

"They say you can't have Quick, Quality, and Price all in the same product but somehow you managed." - Morgan Patrick Hazel.

"The Midderlands is among the best-looking OSR books ever." - Theodric Ælfwinesson.


WANT A HARD COPY? HEAD OVER HERE: http://monkeyblooddesign.co.uk/The-Midderlands

Situated in the middle of Havenland is an area known by the ancestors as the Middle Havenlands. They don’t use that name much any more, preferring to talk lazily, and skip letters.

In strange accents, often misheard and little understood by those outside of the central region - they call it “The Midderlands”, and themselves “Midfolk” or “Midderlanders”.

There are many peculiar folk that call these Midderlands home. Generally mistrusting of outsiders, they suspiciously eye strangers, close doors, bar windows and scurry in opposite directions. Maybe the area has had a troubled history and that is why the folk behave the way they do.

All that aside, there are good folk too. These folk just want to subsist peacefully and not have interference or “goings on” in their lives. Nothing is ever that simple.

As well as the people of the area, there are the places. The towns and hamlets, the woods and hills, the lakes and the rivers. Amongst all these places are stranger locales too; circles of stones, strange towers, castles and burial grounds.

Everywhere, the Midderlands is tainted by a green-hued menace that rises from the deep and affects nature and order, sometimes subtly and sometimes catastrophically. It rises from the mysterious subterranean realm known as Middergloom. Often described as hell bathed in green fire and flames. Green-tinged slime, noxious vapours, and miasmas creep upwards, amongst them viridian-coloured demons, lime-green tentacles and other malachite horrors claw their way to the surface to wreak havoc. The Lords of the land are always working to keep things at bay. The realm of Middergloom is deliberately nebulous and mysterious, and left for you to develop as needed to suit your campaign.

The vileness that lurks below taints the skies above the land too, known as The Drab. The atmosphere is a hint of green rather than blue. The colour can shift between turquoise and sickly yellow-green in a short space of time. When night comes and the Drab clears, the midfolk can see the constellations surrounded by wispy green nebulae, strange wandering stars and comets, and a single many-cratered moon.

There are many things to keep the inquisitive minds of treasure seekers amused. There are also many things to keep the treasures where they are.

Things stir in this viridian-hued landscape. Evil eyes blink and watch. Teeth and claws scratch and sharpen. Gaping maws slobber and drool.

All is not content in the Midderlands.

Check out The Midderlands Google+ 'collection' here.

Check out The Midderlands Google+ community called 'The Punched Muckulus Tavern' here.

Also, check out The Midderlands Kickstarter page for details of its funding.


WANT A HARD COPY? HEAD OVER HERE: http://monkeyblooddesign.co.uk/The-Midderlands


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Reviews (7)
Discussions (5)
Customer avatar
Stacy B July 13, 2022 6:03 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I come from the midlands, so for me, this setting was an imediate purchase when it was released, but...no equivalent of Hinckley in Leicetershire? realy? I'm kinda disapointed in that, it is one of the biggest towns in the county and I lived there for most of my life. (I come from a small village just outside of Atherstone and you have that in there, as well as several other smaller towns/villages in the local area) so if you can, please add this in a future update (if it helps, the local accent says it as inkleh and is often refered to by people from the local region as Stinkleh, so c'mon, how can you pass that one by?) :D
other than my local moan & groan, realy, this setting is awesome and very worthy of a purchase.
Reply
Customer avatar
Glynn S July 14, 2022 8:56 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hey Stacy,

Many thanks for your comment.
I have given myself a stern talking to for the Stinkleh omission :). I've been to Hinckley once for prior career work-related reasons and I supsect I blocked it out of my psyche for that very reason :D
It's worth noting that the Midderzines are always adding additional content to the setting, so it can still happen. I shall add it to my research list.

Many tahnks, Glynn
Customer avatar
George F January 11, 2022 8:00 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Is this the first book? If so, where can I find a print copy?
Reply
Customer avatar
Glynn S January 11, 2022 8:11 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hey George. Thanks for your message.
We ship out hardcopies from our UK webstore: https://monkeyblooddesign.co.uk/store/
Thanks, Glynn
Customer avatar
Anthony H June 13, 2020 4:28 am UTC
PURCHASER
Do you get the large maps if you purchase the PDF?
Reply
Customer avatar
Glynn S June 13, 2020 11:15 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for your message.
Yes, the colour and parchment versions of 'The Midderlands' maps (JPG format) are included in the download.
Many thanks, Glynn
Reply
Customer avatar
Anthony H June 14, 2020 2:44 am UTC
PURCHASER
The US distributor doesn't seem to have any of the books available not even in the sold-out capacity. Do you have another US distributor or a POD option?
Reply
Customer avatar
Glynn S June 14, 2020 11:51 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Anthony,

The only other distributors that might have physical copies in the US are; Noble Knight Games or Black Blade Publishing. If they are out of stock, they can still be ordered from the UK webstore (www.monkeyblooddesign.co.uk/store), although we used tracked shipping which is not a particularly competetive option.

I dont have any current approaches from the US distributors for restocking, but if you register your interest with them, they might request further stock.

Also, we are not planning a PoD option, preferring to sell the higher quality offset options with printed enpapers and ribbon bookmarks, etc.

Many thanks,
Glynn
Reply
Customer avatar
Anthony H June 14, 2020 4:06 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Yes, they are all out of stock as well. If I order straight from you to ship to my home address is that possible being in the US. Also straight from your store if I buy physical copies do I have to buy PDF copies as well or is that included in your physical cost?
Reply
Customer avatar
Glynn S June 14, 2020 4:18 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Anthony,

Shipping to a US address is no problem, jus enter the address in the checkout process.
PDFs are sold seperately, although, if you buy the physical copy from the store, add a note to your order with your DriveThru email address and I'll make sure you get the PDFs ;-)

Many thanks,
Glynn
Reply
Customer avatar
Anthony H June 14, 2020 4:22 pm UTC
PURCHASER
That is a deal I am going to go to your store now and prepare an order.
Reply
Customer avatar
Glynn S June 14, 2020 4:27 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
That's great, Anthony! I'll keep an eye out for it ;)
Reply
Customer avatar
Anthony H June 14, 2020 6:10 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Done and sent you an email! My players are going to freak out..
Customer avatar
Zack W January 25, 2020 3:58 am UTC
PURCHASER
Is there anyway to get the town maps seperate and maybe without a key?
Reply
Customer avatar
Glynn S January 25, 2020 6:30 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Zack,

Thanks for the question!
Digitally, this product contains all the full page (only) maps from The Midderlands and The Midderlands Expanded without titles and keys:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/285654/HandyMaps--Towns--Villages

It's also available physically (and digitally) here:
https://monkeyblooddesign.co.uk/product/handymaps-towns-villages-physical-cards/

Many thanks,
Glynn
Customer avatar
Juhan V August 15, 2018 11:53 am UTC
Is there going to be print option?
Reply
Customer avatar
Glynn S August 15, 2018 12:52 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Juhan,

There will be no print option via OBS in the foreseeable future. However, hard copies are available through the website here: http://monkeyblooddesign.co.uk/The-Midderlands

Or via BackerKit orders for the fully funded and delivered second book Kickstarter, of which you can also get this hardcover... are available here:
https://midderlands.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Many thanks, Glynn
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Product Information
Gold seller
Pages
224
ISBN
978-1-9998435-1-9
Publisher Stock #
MBD012
File Size:
646.31 MB
Format
Original electronic Click for more information
Scanned image
These products were created by scanning an original printed edition. Most older books are in scanned image format because original digital layout files never existed or were no longer available from the publisher.

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File Last Updated:
November 03, 2022
This title was added to our catalog on November 21, 2017.