Bits of the Boulevard

[Crothian]

"Bits of the Boulevard" helps the GM answer the age-old question, “So what do we see as we walk down the street?” It provides short "bits" of description and colorful settings for any medieval fantasy city. This is created to be an "on the go" product, which means you don’t need to read the entire work before you can use it. The descriptions are designed so that they can be randomly generated as you play or placed carefully ahead of time. It is written to be of use to both experienced and inexperienced Game Masters, particularly those who (for whatever reason) find themselves short on time or creativity.

This book includes 100 Bits of description, small pieces that can be stuck in anywhere a little description is needed, and are numbered so they can be used randomly. Each Bit is also provided in index card format for ease of use by Game Masters. In addition, there are 100+ other descriptions that may depict a particular place or event, or set a feel for an area. These additional descriptions include a special section on Walls and Gates, features often encountered by the visiting adventurer.

The material is indexed a number of ways to allow a GM to easily find a description to fit a particular circumstance. Also, an article on the location and organization of cities is presented to help the GM add a little realism to the fantasy city. Some descriptions are graphically depicted in the interior art by the Carmona Brothers and Christine Griffin.

Tabletop Adventures LogoThis is part of the "Harried Game Master" line of products, providing the materials we've always wished to have.

Augment your imagination with products from Tabletop Adventures.

48 pages plus index cards; 65 pages total.

 

[Crothian]

Bits of the Boulevard

At times coming up with good and fast descriptions of places can be tough. The Dungeon Master has to do a lot of work preparing adventures like the constant stating of creatures, the thinking and plotting of plots, and the contingency plans for all the things the players do that one will not be expecting. It can be rather time consuming job especially with all the other things going on in our lives. That is where Bits of the Boulevard comes in. It offers some help for the DM who does not have a lot of extra time to prepare many of the details in one’s game.

Bits of the Boulevard is a new book by Tabletop Adventures. They have put out a few good books that are aimed to help the DM with providing descriptions and other ideas for the game that the DM does not have to spend time designing himself. The sixty five page PDF is written by a lot of people. This is one of those products that a lot of people helped out on and looking at their names many of them seem to be related in some way. It is nice to see a project that brings families together. The book marks could be a little better done more like the index. The index is very well done and makes finding the different pieces of information easy. The layout is good with a few pictures but they did do a nice job of the note card section. The last sixteen pages have the descriptions from the early parts of the book on note card sized sections of the page. This makes it easy to print, cut out, and organize them for the DM.

Bits of the Boulevard is a unique product. It is like a few of Tabletop Adventures other books but I have not seen anything else in role playing like them. The book consists of descriptions for a city and inside a city. The imagery is very good and it really is something I can see many people getting good use out of. There are two types of items here: Bits and Shards. The Bits are usually a bit smaller and there are a hundred of them. So, to give an example I’ll pull out the under used d100 and come up with number eighty nine:

“Flocks of doves and pigeons roost in chaotic nests in rain gutters, squawking incessantly. The cloth awnings covering most doorways are white with old bird droppings. Bits of long-forgotten bread crunch underfoot, thrown by visitors
similar to the ones you see today who come here to feed the tame street birds. Unlike most wild birds, these avians don't flitter away as you approach; instead they boldly approach you for treats.”

That is the type of description the book has to offer. They paint a nice picture with a good eye for detail. The Shards cover a little more area. Like there are some that are for street filled with leather workers or smiths on it. There are eighty Shards like that in the book and each is a little more in depth then the bits for instance one called Business Rained Out.:

“Rain falls continuously, having a negative affect on business. People throw cloaks over their heads to dash down the street if they must go out. They come in from the street dripping, leaving muddy footprints and spreading water all about. The awnings and tents of wandering merchants deflect most of the rain, but there are steady drips inside their improvised shops nevertheless. They cover their merchandise and hunker down to wait out the storm. The air becomes increasingly damp as the rain continues, so that if things aren’t wet from the rain, they are soggy from the humidity. The smells also intensify: wet horses, wet dogs, wet hair, wet wool. “

They really do a nice job with capturing a scene and providing vivid detail. There are twenty three additional Shards that describe the gates and walls of a city. These are easy to use and should enhance any trip into a city making it come alive with detail.

The book also has some great uses for building a city. It does not offer stating out the city but for giving the city a reason to exist. The section is not as in depth and does not cover other city building books like the rules in Advanced Players Guide by Sword and Sorcery does. But the section provides some good ideas on information like laws and organizations in a city.

Bits of the Boulevard is a rare product that needs very little DM prep time. The descriptions are easy to scan for the one that a DM needs and the details they provide should enhance any game. This is a very good product and it is close to being a must have for anyone who runs city based games like in Freeport or Bluffside.