New Twists on Classic RPG Myths: Uncaged, Volume One Reviewed

Game Name: Uncaged, Volume One

Publisher: Uncaged Authors at Dungeon Masters Guild

Editor-In-Chief: Ashley Warren

Authors: Alicia Furness, Alison Huang, Annabeth Lennon, Asa Wheatley, Awkward Bard, Bi- anca Bickford, Catherine Evans, Deirdre Donlon, Elise Cretel, Emily Smith, Jessica L. Washburn, Jessica Marcrum, Jessica Ross, Judy Black, Johanna Taylor, Kat Kruger, Kelly Dayton, Kristina Sisto Kindel, Luciella Elisabeth Scarlett, Lynne M. Meyer, Lysa Chen, Ma’at Crook, Maryska Connolly, Masha Lepire, Mellanie Black, and Natalie Wallace

Illustrators: Samantha Darcy, FlourescentWolf, Gwen Bassett, Hla Rosa, Jen Vaughn, Johanna Taylor, Kayla Cline, Liz Gist, Luciella Elisabeth Scarlett, Ma’at Crook, Wouter Florusse, and Sammy Ward

Year: 2019

Genre: Fantasy adventure supplement for 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons

Pages: 238 pages

Price: $14.95 in PDF/$35.95 Print-On-Demand Hardcover through Dungeon Masters Guild

Classic mythology is just that — classic. But, if you’re hankering to bring a new twist on an old tale to your next Dungeons and Dragons adventure, volume one of Uncaged is here to help.

Uncaged is a collection of twenty-five standalone adventures for characters levels one through four. Created by a team of authors and illustrators from around the world, Uncaged’s stories work to surprise and subvert the tropes and expectations that come with some of the most famous females in the mythological canon. Ashley Warren, more likely known to readers from her work through Wizards of the Coast or Onyx Path Publishing, spearheaded the project after a tweet meant to gauge interest was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback.

It’s likely that Uncaged’s stories won’t be what you’re expecting from the typical D&D adventure. This isn’t to say that they aren’t wildly enjoyable, rife with memorable NPCs, fantastic locations, and thought-provoking puzzles  – which they are! – but that there’s often something more going on beneath the surface. Uncaged’s narratives center on female-focused myths and the scenarios take a decidedly feminist interpretation. This makes Uncaged a fantastic opportunity to bring reluctant players to the table, especially women who may have previously felt shut-out by the hobby’s male-dominated reputation.

There’s a fine line when bringing real world parallels and implications to the gaming table. Setting aside the contentious nature of some of the topics at hand, there’s always the issue of keeping the game scenario feeling like an adventure as opposed to a lecture. Uncaged is interested in wrestling with big topics, including meditations on violence, trauma, and the relationship between humanity and the natural world. One particular scenario asks players to dig in with the experience of post-traumatic stress disorder, using puzzle solving as a metaphor for the psychological labor of trauma processing and recovery; players can choose to leapfrog over these challenges or face them head-on, leading to very different endings. It’s a sophisticated use of meta-narrative, made even more impressive for the fact that Uncaged never loses sight of its medium. The adventures it presents feel like adventures, even as they tangle with heavier themes.

Uncaged also deserves note for its moves towards accessibility and sensitivity. Directions are included with certain scenarios for adaptations for younger players and suggestions abound throughout the book on tweaking difficulty and scaling as needed. Along those same lines, content warnings feature prominently. While some may feel this is overkill, many more will appreciate the care and consideration shown.

The book’s visual style is likewise worthy of praise. Samantha Darcy’s cover illustration is stunning and the interior full color art on display is similarly lovely. Design elements such as font choice, page texture, and header elements all bring to mind ancient Mediterranean civilizations, adding to the overall experience of reading through the text. The layout is clear and easy to follow, with callout boxes to highlight what text should be read aloud as opposed to what is meant for the DM’s eyes only.

Uncaged provides enough support for even first-time DMs to successfully run an adventure, but offers enough leeway and room for improvisation to allow more experienced storycrafters to enjoy as well. Adventures can standalone as one-offs or, with a little elbow grease and imagination, be run in succession to create a campaign. Either way, there’s plenty of material to work with here, thought you will need the standard Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual to fully run these scenarios.

Uncaged seeks to reframe mythology’s monstrous women as more than just foes to be slain – or, as is frequently attempted, seduced – but as individuals with stories, personalities, and desires all their own. By challenging the traditional framing of the D&D narrative, Uncaged asks players and DMs alike to reconsider the stories they tell. It dares to ask why the knight is worthy of the spotlight, but not the mermaid, the fury, or the dullahan, then demonstrates how wrong that notion is.

The top-notch storytelling on offer makes Uncaged a must-have for any D&D aficionado, but especially those who find themselves drawn to uncommon takes on common tales. Newbies and veterans alike will find no shortage of things to love, including handy charts to port Uncaged’s custom additions – including dryads, banshees, and Lady White Snake – into existing, non-Uncaged settings. A second volume of the anthology is already in the works and expected out later this month.

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Sami Yuhas

Writer, gamer, and necromancer bard (at least in D&D). Sami focuses primarily on board and tabletop gaming, with a focus on sci-fi and fantasy, as well as worker-placements and co-op titles. She prides herself on the ability to overthink world building in games, and cites a three post manifesto on the costuming of XCOM 2 as among her greatest nerd achievements.

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