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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2009529" data-attributes="member: 18387">By Steve Creech, Exec. Chairman, d20 Magazine RackThis review is for Backdrops by Will Hindmarch. Published by Atlas Games (www.atlas-games.com) under their Penumbra imprint. Backdrops is a ready-to-use collection of fourteen different scene locations suitable for any fantasy campaign setting. I’m going to be up front right away and say that while $8.95 seems a little pricey for a 32-page book, this one’s worth every cent! The layout of each specific location is done in 2 pages. The first page contains the physical description of the location, enough information to develop an adventure hook fairly easily, and a new “crunchy bit” in the form of a new feat, rule, item, trap, creature, etc. The second page contains the map that can be easily photocopied for use. The map also contains the gridlines that signify 5’ squares. While the descriptive text and graphics (including the maps) are closed content, the information presented in shaded text (the “crunchy bits”) is Open Content and available for use in other publications. Backdrops covers a wide range of settings that include an outdoor bazaar, an athenaeum (cramped library), a bath, ship, wharf, stable, smithy, toll bridge, temple, caravanserai (shelter for caravans), tavern, alleyway, merchants’ district, and dungeon (jail). With a little bit of work, a GM can easily combine several of these into a homebrewed adventure (for example: ship, wharf, merchants’ district, alleyway, and tavern). I have to admit that I really like the new “Break It And Buy It” combat rule listed in the bazaar section. Essentially, players roll damage (even when they miss) when engaged in melee in the close quarters of a bazaar or shop. The amount of damage equals the gold piece value of nearby items that are damaged. This is a great idea and a good way to keep players’ finances in check. If they are prone to barroom brawls, then paying all that restitution for broken things is going to get expensive. In summary, Backdrops is a gem. The only complaint I have is the degree of tilt the text pages have (Atlas openly admits this is only an experiment), but it is just a minor annoyance. Any GM should have this book in their collection. If however, you never GM or plan to do so, Backdrops won’t really be of use to you. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys creating and developing their own worlds, nations, and cities to adventure in. To see the graded evaluation of this product, go to The Critic's Corner at <a href="http://www.d20zines.com" target="_blank">www.d20zines.com.</a></blockquote>

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