City Supplements - What do we like?

[Fenris-77]

I other news I have a cover I like.

 

[Fenris-77]

I realized after I'd posted it (several places) that the whole title-image group is way too low on the cover. I have since fixed that issue. It's funny, but posting WiPs for public consumption creates its own kind of editing process.

 

[Simon Miles]

I'm in the middle of writing a city supplement for Shadowdark and it has occurred to me that there are a lot less in the way of design exemplars and best practices out there for city supplements. I don't want to restrict the conversation to just fantasy games either. It seems like city supplements are ripe for the kind of over-written lore dump that I cordially dislike in my RPG books, and a survey of my collection hasn't changed my mind much on that score.

So what are your favorite city sourcebooks, or specific mechanics, or procedures, or rules? You might even tell us why!

I started mine after reading Irilean in White Dwarf magazine back in about 1983. It's been revised and modified to make it adaptable to high and low magic but it's strength is the low-level whimsy, humour and flexibility, I think: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/14527/Dunromin-University-Press?affiliate_id=295776

 

[Bagpuss]

The LA Campaign sourcebook "Streets tell Stories" for Underground, was a cool sourcebook. Your actions as "superheroes" would change aspects of the city for better or worse.

Also the Zombicide Chronicles RPG has a pretty good city mechanic to it, with different districts offering different resources and danger levels. There is also a adventure sourcebook with an adventure for each district of the city.

Pelinore a city that was detailed each month in Imagine Magazine was pretty cool as well. You can find the collected articles online as a pdf.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The LA Campaign sourcebook "Streets tell Stories" for Underground, was a cool sourcebook. Your actions as "superheroes" would change aspects of the city for better or worse.

It's amazing we've never seen someone come along and bring the kind of ambition Underground brought to superhero RPGs any time since then. And the model of the setting changing based on your actions is a great one that could/should be widely adapted.

 

[Fenris-77]

Another little bit that I like in fantasy city supplements (and scifi too for that matter) is the idea of proper identification. It's nice to be able to put some soft gates in the city and needing ID in some instances is a great way to do that. It's pretty common in scifi, but less so in fantasy. I'm going to use the idea for my current book. Not for every city ward, but the rich ones and high security ones. If you're wandering around the rich gated community after dark you better have the right papers on you if you're stopped.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Another little bit that I like in fantasy city supplements (and scifi too for that matter) is the idea of proper identification. It's nice to be able to put some soft gates in the city and needing ID in some instances is a great way to do that. It's pretty common in scifi, but less so in fantasy. I'm going to use the idea for my current book. Not for every city ward, but the rich ones and high security ones. If you're wandering around the rich gated community after dark you better have the right papers on you if you're stopped.

Yeah, having identification papers is a really useful in-game tool. Very fun in my Ptolus campaign.

 

[Fenris-77]

Yeah, having identification papers is a really useful in-game tool. Very fun in my Ptolus campaign.

I really don't know why more people don't design it in. If for no other additional reason than it gives the characters something specific and useful to forge, or steal, or whatever.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I really don't know why more people don't design it in. If for no other additional reason than it gives the characters something specific and useful to forge, or steal, or whatever.

And something to find on dead bodies or to not find on their bodies, which is almost as good of a clue, etc.

And it's a great thing for NPCs to pickpocket off PCs right before the guards are sicced on them, and so on.

 

[Fenris-77]

And something to find on dead bodies or to not find on their bodies, which is almost as good of a clue, etc.

And it's a great thing for NPCs to pickpocket off PCs right before the guards are sicced on them, and so on.

Yes, and yes. So why don't more folks use this wonderful tool? I really don't know.