The Craft Dungeon is intended for low-level characters and Reaban notes that he designed it to be relatively easy with a focus on exploration. Included in the module's thirty pages are DM's and players' maps for the main site, a town map, and an overland map complete with suggestive site names for expanding the adventure. The artwork is sparse, especially in the module proper, due to budgetary constraints. Unfortunately the text has a few minor typos - nothing to cause major difficulties, but a reminder of the hazards of proof-reading one's own work.
The yellow-highlight on the cover claims that The Craft Dungeon is for use with "OSR games". There are some signs of this module being made for easy use with whatever system the DM prefers, such as showing ascending and descending AC. However, when it comes to NPCs does the system of origin really become apparent - the half-orcs and monks suggest AD&D 1st Edition or OSRIC to me. For my own purposes, this isn't a problem (I play 1E), but I think that OSR modules ought to wear their native rules system, or at least a clone, on their cover. This lets the users of that system know that they can just pick-up and play, and makes conversion easier for DMs using other old school systems.
Reaban's scenario is a (the?) classic set-up: an eccentric magic-user now thought dead has left behind bizarre ruins, no doubt full of treasure - and danger! The DM gets a few extra paragraphs to help fix the theme in mind and then its on with the show. I like this approach, especially for an introductory module. The Craft Dungeon is quite large and has dozens of keyed entries that develop its distinct flavour. To support the scenario's distinctiveness, there are ten new magic items and a collection of "DM special" monsters. The magic items are mostly flavourful and could be assimilated into most campaigns, although I fear that the third of the set might be somewhat overpowering for low-level groups. No such reservations attach to Reaban's new monsters, which are lively and appropriate. All in all, it's an interesting if occasionally dangerous place and resourceful PCs will find it rewarding. Reaban notes that this is a scenario that he ran for his players and I'm sure that they would have enjoyed the experience.
Following the description of the adventure site is a six-page appendix detailing the village of Cowford, offered up as a possible home base for adventurers set on exploring The Craft Dungeon. It's a fairly prosperous and sleepy place with largely trustworthy people who expect that their government would hasten to aid them in a time of crisis. To be honest, I don't much care for Cowford as a matter of taste, but the descriptions are complete and it shouldn't be at all difficult to use. Alternatively, it would be simple enough to uplift The Craft Dungeon and place it into a darker or even post-apocalyptic world.
As you might have gathered, the suggestion that Jeremy Reaban would find something scandalous in this review was mostly in jest. My rating is 4/5, and that's only because the module is not so innovative that I would recommend it to a DM with the time and experience to confidently develop their own material. The execution here is superior and the level of detail hits the sweet spot between incompleteness and over-burdened. If someone told me that they wanted to get into DMing AD&D (or OSRIC), I would point them straight towards The Craft Dungeon of Reynaldo Lazendry.
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