3.86/5.0 StarsRating if the Book Were a Movie: PG-13
Creative Team:
![](https://cloud.indiecomixdispatch.com/images/2023/12/IMG-5544-1703525670-33866430-1703525670-1757686083-276x300.jpeg)
Writer: James MasciaArtist: KodarisLetters: James MasciaCover: KodarisPublisher: Dren Productions
Ratings:
Story: 3.7 StarsArtwork: 3.9 StarsCover Artwork: 3.75 StarsDialogue: 4.0 StarsMechanics: 4.0 StarsEditing: 3.8 Stars
About the Book:
Dungeons & Dimwits is the tale of a group of middle school friends that form a Dungeons & Dragons party. They are playing a campaign in the fantasy city of Riverfowl when the unthinkable happens. The children are whisked from our world to Riverfowl. Now they must survive a high stakes campaign in order to survive.
Reader’s Notes:
I have always been a fan of Dungeons & Dragons. As a nerdy middle school student it was a great way to make friends with similar interests. As an adult I see it as a great game for building friendships while also encouraging players to be creative. A fun filled byproduct is that the math skills of the players are improved, as well. To this day I still find it hilarious that in the game a twenty mile hike takes less than five minutes and a two minute fight can take five hours.
In seventh grade my friends and I had an ongoing campaign. We would meet up every Saturday at someone’s house and make a day of it. At the end of the school year I moved across town. It was a different time in the 90’s. Kids had a lot more free rein to go out and about by themselves. Even so, six miles one way on a bike got to be a stretch when the snow started falling. Sadly, the days of campaigning came to an end.
When I saw the campaign promotion for Dungeons & Dimwits on Kickstarter I jumped all over it. With the name of the title I was expecting something that included a campaign, as well as the poor decisions that players sometimes make along the way.
This book was everything I thought it would be and more. It feels like a book by a gamer that is for gamers. The sidebar conversations at the table took me back to the days of campaigning with my friends. As I read this issue, I could almost taste slices of Little Caesar’s pizza and cups of RC Cola from my memories.
I like how this cover is done. It’s fun. It gives us a chance to meet all of the key players. It also gives us a tiny glimpse of what’s to come. I like the intrigue that comes with that.
Kodaris keeps the hits coming with the artwork on the interior pages. We get a terrific melding with the story that brings this magical story to life. I especially enjoyed seeing the myriad of facial expressions the characters had during the campaign. Given enough time and the right circumstances, every player will experience every emotion in every long campaign.
Dungeons & Dimwits isn’t necessarily the Great American Novel. We could use a bit more character development (and names for all of the characters). Here’s the thing: I didn’t buy this book expecting it to be the Great American Novel. I bought this book to be entertained, and I was.
As a geek on a budget I would say that Dungeons & Dimwits #1 is a must read for anyone who has ever played a tabletop RPG. You’ll laugh. You’ll be reminded of your own party’s adventures. You’ll be left wanting more.
You can get your copy of Dungeons & Dimwits #1 at:
http://www.DrenProductions.com