Thoughts on Reading Judd Karlman's dictionary of Mu

Judd Karlman reprinted his Dictionary of Mu in late 2018, and I received my copy early this year.  I had a ton of other books on my to-read stack, so the Dictionary ended up on my gaming shelf.  Two weeks ago, however, I discovered Judd’s recent podcast, “Daydreaming about Dragons,” and I found myself enjoying his voice and perspective so much that I pulled the Dictionary off the shelf and moved it to the top of the pile.  And I’m glad I did.
 
Dictionary of Mu is a supplement for Ron Edward’s Sorcerer, which means that it essentially is a setting with its own rules particular to that setting.  The supplement takes the form of, surprise surprise, a dictionary, covering the various locations, events, factions, and personae in alphabetical order, so that the world comes into focus through definitions and references between entries.  Occasionally, the conceit is laid aside so that the author can address how the rules of play are affected by the narrative elements in the entry.  Similarly, demons and sorcerers are statted up to allow for easy incorporation of those figures into your own game.
 
Cleverly, Karlman gives his dictionary a narrator, Oghma, son of Oghma, who hails from the city of Mu’s Bed. Oghma, who refers to himself in the third person only, is an old and cynical man who warns his reader about the dangers of the world and points out where his knowledge comes from first hand experience and where it founded only on rumors and stories.  His marginalia makes the story that unfolds three dimensional and flavorful.
 
The world described is the world of Marr’d, a harsh red planet that is a fantasy version of our Mars. While no map is given, the geographic features and their rough relationships to each other, are detailed, named, and populated in the dictionary.  There are feline humanoids on the Chryse Plains; a gorilla-like people who mine Mount Olymon; the great city of Mu’s Bed located near the canyon called Mariner’s Gash, ruled over by a witch-king; and the red wastes where no one dwells.  There are religions and legends, slavers and lost sciences, and a whole world sketched with enough inspiration to set your imagination to work without bogging you down with details and canon.  It’s smart and engaging and full of possibilities.
 
But the book is of course more than just setting material.  To use it in a Sorcerer game, the text defines humanity as “hope for the future” (146), and the sorcerers are those characters ambitious enough to try to make that future a reality, but powerful and dangerous enough to leave destruction in their wake.  Demons are defined as “the spirits of the dead,” and Marr’d is brimming with said dead spirits.  Even forgotten ideas and notions can be spirits.  The books gives you whole new lists of trait descriptors to fit (and help define) the world.  The book relies on (and makes use of) the added rules that Edwards introduces in the first Sorcerer supplement, Sorcerer & Sword, so if you’re planning on planning, have your copy handy.
 
My favorite part of the book are the little flavorful additions that Karlman has thrown in.  In the text itself, Oghma encourages whoever is reading his dictionary to make further marginalia in the book so that a complete telling of Marr’d can exist.  Karlman brings this feature into play with his advancement rules: 

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Sorcerer characters advance just as stated on page 42 of Sorcerer but with one difference, they must add an entry to the dictionary before the advancement roll is made.  More entries can be added if the player wishes.  The write-up must be a hard-copy (or easily printable is the GM gives permission for emailed entries), so the GM can tuck it into the Dictionary, compiling a batch of definitions that will outline your campaign and add to Oghma’s labors (141).

​That’s just cool as hell.  Additionally, 

When ten post-game definitions of player-authored demons have been added to the Dictionary, the Devilexicon will show up in the game. . . . When twenty player-authored definitions of demons are added to the Dictionary, a new epoch will begin.  The coming of the new epoch and its details are defined by the player’s kickers (142).  

​There are humanity-affecting rules for forming friendships, becoming a hero to another P.C., and falling in love.
 
It's a neat book, a neat world, a neat supplement, and a fun read.  Whether you’re looking for inspiration, material to game with, or simply an entertaining diversion, I recommend you pick up a copy of the Dictionary of Mu.