Aerial Adventure Guide, Vol. 2: Sellaine, Jewel of the Clouds

[Messageboard Golem]

The second volume in the Aerial Adventure Guide series. It covers the sky elves floating city of Sellaine. Nestled in a cloud far above the surface world, Sellaine serves as the nerve center for a vast economy in the sky. Surrounding it are unusual aerial locations: floating mages towers, undead clouds of necromantic energy, and other unique hazards. Features:
Intricately detailed setting of Sellaine, an ancient cloud city on the cusp of enormous change.
Drop-in location of Dreadfall, a powerful cloud of necromantic energy.
Drop-in location of Fulgashs Tower, a long-abandoned wizards tower that floats through the skies tilted at a 45 degree angle.
Drop-in location of the Wildlands, a sentient cloud realm that is in itself one massive artifact.
Stats for all important NPCs and maps for all important places.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Aerial Adventure Guide
Volume Two
Sellaine, Jewel of the Clouds
Written by Mike Mearls
Published by Goodman Games
32 b & w pages
$11.00

Ah, Sellaine, Jewel of the Clouds, one of several locations detailed in this book. What? One of several? But isn’t this a 32 page book? Doesn’t it usually take a company like Mongoose 64 pages just to provide a single city? Yup, and here’s where we come across the problem. There are several excellent ideas here but no meat behind them.

Sellaine itself is a multi tiered city with the highest levels being reserved for the nobles and the lowest levels for the less than honorable characters. It’s a city torn with politics where the sky elf nobles wish to retain their power and the merchants of many races wish to expand their own power base. There are several factions building up their forces in what looks like it’ll be an interesting clash of powers and personalities. There are hooks for the characters to get involved not only with the politics, but also with the soldiers. Most players will probably have some sympathy for Admiral Menathius Truewind, the commander of the sky fleets who believes that a good defense is an even better offense.

There are several locations detailed out for the GM to use but no maps are provided for these locations and outside of stat abbreviations that cover race, alignment and level, no actual statistics. A few adventure ideas round off this section and provide the GM some last reminders of what the aerial city can be used for.

The second part, the aerial Gazetteer, provides several other locations and events for GMs to add to their campaign. Dreadfall has some interesting potential as a massive cloud realm of undeath but there’s one problem I had with it right away. What do creatures that feed on the living do in a city of the dead? Having hosts of vampire lords battle it out to prove their mettle to the lich lord of the island is great, but what are they, the wraiths, the specters, and the ghouls feeding on? There’s nothing alive here. Are they powered by the negative energy field?

Fulgash’s Tower, a floating tower with a large chunk of land, is another interesting rest stop. See, when Fulgash brought the land up, he miscalculated and it’s not at a 45 degree tilt so there are some special rules to account for. Unlike previous areas, this one is fully mapped out and provides GMs an indicator of which direction the floor is slanted towards to keep players on their toes.

One of the most original ideas I’ve seen used involves the Wildlands, a massive cloud realm that is a single living organism whose true origins are unknown to those who attempt to settle there. This place is bad news for the unknowing adventurers who step upon its soil as it can coordinate all attacks against them in a fashion that might make the characters think that there is a human intelligence working against them. Imagine their shock if the learn the actual truth about this land mass. It’s origin, crafted by a titan wishing to emulate the gods, can be thrown pretty much into any setting too, which is another nice bonus.

The book closes off with the Skyways, a few random encounters that provide the GM the means of spicing up standard journey through the air. The Derelicts are devices of unknown origin some odd cubes 60 feet to a side surrounded by a strange energy field that houses terrible creatures. The Sage of Air is a powerful air elemental whose wisdom isn’t as great as he thinks it is, but this doesn’t stop him from sharing it. Lastly, the book ends with a list of random encounters for those plying the sky.

Art is solid but lacks detailed maps. The book is a little pricey for the size, especially since the interior covers aren’t used. The cover is a nice touch but maybe the Interlink books spoiled me because I would’ve loved to see all three covers lined up together to make one massive picture. Editing is fair and not too much jumped out at me.

The problem with this volume is much the same as the first volume. Too many general ideas and not enough specifics to go with it. Almost all of the claims on the back cover aren’t pulled off to any level. Intricately detailed setting of Sellaine? There’s not even a detailed map of the city. Stats for all of the important NPCs? Where? Maps for all of the important places? Well, overhead maps are nice but actual detailed maps, outside of Fulgash’s tower, aren’t here.

Sellaine will give you some ideas but leaves you hungry for more.

 

[Messageboard Golem]

By Steven Creech, Exec. Chairman d20 Magazine Rack

Sizing Up the Target
Aerial Adventures Guide Volume Two: Sellaine, Jewel of the Clouds is written by Mike Mearls, illustrated by V. Shane with cartography by Matt Snyder. Part two of a three volume series on sky realms by Goodman Games, this 32-page book retails for $11.00.

First Blood
The book wastes no time in addressing the subject of the title. After a brief introduction, the history, government and political players of Sellaine are all highlighted. The physical makeup of the cloud realm with its caste-like levels is next. The upper four levels are known as the Spires, home to the aristocracy and nobility. Trade town is the next four levels. This is where the business of Sellaine is run and where the guilds exist. The bottom two levels comprise the Undercity, where thieves’ guild rule and gang activity is rampant. The lowest level serves as the sewers, home to only those who choose to live there or have no where else to go.

Sellaine is not the only cloud realm detailed. Dreadfall is a toxic cloud relam composed of necromantic energy from the negative plane. Filled with undead, this realm always seeks to add more to its ever growing undead legions. Fulgash’s Tower is a former wizard’s keep now sitting at a 45 degree tilt. The Wildlands is a lush, verdant, untamed realm of forests, water and hills that has resisted all attempts at colonization. Finally, the skyways addresses a couple of oddities that aren’t sky realms, but adventure fodder nonetheless.

Critical Hits
There are a wealth of ideas and tidbits generated from the book’s content. Each realm has a bit of a unique spin giving it a fresh feel.

Critical Misses
There are many instances where flavor detail is missing. For instance, in the section on Fulgash’s Tower, there is mention of the tower being built on the burial site of a monastic order of warrior monks. Yet there is nothing else to follow up on this that ties into why a tribe of orcs lived there also. Too many sections feel “glossed over” or hurried. The price is a bit steep for the content at only 32 pages and noticeable white space.

Coup de Grace
Sellaine is good in that it offers new ideas to expose to your players. The various realms will give GMs more diversity to throw at his players and not interrupt his campaign world or the balance it invokes. It is an interesting book, but not quite up to full cover price value unless it fits your needs and you want it. Take a look and decide for yourself.

To see the graded evaluation of this product and to leave comments that the reviewer will respond to, go to Fast Tracks at www.d20zines.com.