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ErikPeter Walker
United States
New Haven
Connecticut
Uplifting
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Harrowing Halls is the first set of dungeon tiles from Wizards of the Coast to incorporate 3D terrain elements. Two of the six included tile sheets are reserved for interlocking pieces that can be assembled into a staircase, two tall platforms, and two shorter platforms, along with a couple smaller details (e.g., a table or a fountain.). These pieces add a new dimension and are a welcome addition to my dungeon tiles collection.
Like a few of the previous Dungeon Tiles sets, the title Harrowing Halls doesn't really match what comes in the package. Nothing is too harrowing about these tiles, which are mostly comprised of wooden flooring textures with some outdoor transitions. Don't let the misnomer deter you, however; this is a fantastic tile set and should be useful for many encounters, especially those taking place in mansions, taverns, or any building with a wooden interior.
The 3-D pieces lock together quite well and remain quite sturdy, however, the stairs occasionally slip off the notches when moving the piece. It is a minor problem which shouldn't cause much of a problem during gaming, and I think they could have done a lot worse in terms of structural durability. For some reason, the tile set is lacking one small piece that would allow you to create three tables at once (instead of two tables and an unusable table top), which is my only gripe with the set.
The best part of the 3-D elements is that like all D&D dungeon tiles they are double-sided, which means they can be used for different environments. Most of the tiles in Harrowing Halls use a wooden interior texture, but one side of the 3-D elements uses the standard dungeon stone texture which means they will be even more usable when combined with different tile sets.
As for the tiles themselves, Harrowing Halls maintains the consistent quality of previous sets, but giving us a new tile texture to work with. Unlike the situationally useful but not-quite-matching yellow stone from DT6: Dire Tombs, the wooden floorboards of Harrowing Halls are more generally useful for any indoor map that isn't quite a dungeon.
The more detail-oriented side of the tiles comprises a few outdoor transition tiles and a number of richly detailed room tiles, including a sitting room, bedrooms, kitchen, and even a bathroom. I really like these tiles and they can be used to add a lot to the character of your encounter, whether you're creating a tavern or a richly detailed mansion.
With two sheets of tiles going toward 3-D terrain, the other four sheets had better have some utility, which the open 'hallway' side of the tiles provide. Designer Peter Lee could have included more "dungeony" pieces to match the grey side of the 3-D elements, but instead gives us plenty of open floor space in the wood texture, as well as a large dining hall. I think it was wise to give us as much of the new texture as possible to allow for a larger variety of encounters.
Overall, Harrowing Halls is a great set that provides a lot of new options for map construction. The 3-D elements are gimmicky, but in a good way, and sturdy enough to stand up to repeated use--just watch where you chuck those dice! The interior floor tiles are fantastic and, if anything, exceed the quality of the previous sets. And finally, the 'grey dungeon stone' side of the 3D elements will come in handy to spice up any old dungeon crawl.
If you're a fan of the Dungeon Tiles series, you will definitely enjoy wandering these Halls.
 
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