I have a fondness for Spellbound (1995) that I think is tied to the fact that it seems like a prime source for Mask of the Betrayer, a videogame I liked at the time but never went back to. The box set is basically a re-do of Dreams of the Red Wizards that also details two countries that neighbor Thay — Aglarond and Rashemen. The leaders of all three are depicted in Fred Fields’ pretty good cover: Szass Tam, the Zulkir of Thay, is the guy who looks like the annoying customer at the comic shop, the Simbul of Aglarond is the goth and Lady Yhelbruna, the witch of Rashemen, is probably behind that tacky Venetian mask your funky aunt used to have hanging in her living room.

It’s still a fairly unexciting box. The main book is like Dreams, but more. Thay wizards favor head tattoos now. Rashemen is the most interesting. I like how the berserker men rule in public but how the witches are the real power, and how that contrasts with Thay. There are two scenarios, a pile of encounter flashcards and a bunch of maps. The monstrous compendium has some OK monsters, but the only real stand out is the Uthraki, shapeshifting spirits whose true form is like a great ape but with dark eyes all around its head.

Valeria Valusek does all the interior art and it’s looking good here, giving the snap and sparkle the words seem to lack. I have said this before, but I really enjoy her woodcut-style pieces.