City Supplements - What do we like?

[WayneLigon]

What I like: Clear readable maps of the city.
Illustrations with vague suggestions of areas are not maps.
Do not give me cookie-cutter detached buildings ala early TSR.
Do not give me grainy washed out computer slop like Green Ronin's Emerald City.
Do not give me Campaign Cartographer-based buildings and call that any sort of 'city'.
Do not give me Middenheim, City of the White Wolf
Do not give me Altdorf
Give me something like Freedom City 1e or 2e.
Give me Hudson City: Urban Abyss
Give me San Angelo for Champions
Give me Ubersreich
Give me New Pavis

 

[Fenris-77]

Huh. I love the Middenheim book. To each his own I guess. Maybe you want to expand a little on what the actual features are in those examples that you like and don't?

 

[Fenris-77]

Here's a good question. Would you want to see a specific procedure for running investigations or would you prefer to just freehand things with the city elements provided?

 

[TheSword]

Huh. I love the Middenheim book. To each his own I guess. Maybe you want to expand a little on what the actual features are in those examples that you like and don't?

I think they are referring to the more artistic isometric maps in Altdorf, Middenheim Altdorf. I personally love them but to each their own.

The Ubersreik map is pretty good, but I think the illustrated ones are gorgeous.

Regarding investigations, I think a framework is a good idea. But one thing I’ve always thought would be quite useful is different lists names for the different social tiers. The lists of names in WFRP products are often quite grand. Some of your settings naming conventions, titles etc would be useful for improvising investigations.

 

[Fenris-77]

Yeah, I like "I need an NPC on the fly" generators. I'll be putting one in Ashalom for the reasons you mention.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Here's a good question. Would you want to see a specific procedure for running investigations or would you prefer to just freehand things with the city elements provided?

Given how much traditional D&D DMs struggle with mysteries in a magical world, and given that state of the art on investigations is so good and so developed now, I would at least nod towards some of the innovations from Gumshoe and Brindlewood Bay in telling GMs how to run a mystery in your city.

Even just the bit from a blog I am not remembering, of providing at least three clues for every puzzle -- which still has more of a chance of failure than the Gumshoe or Brindlewood Bay approaches -- is genuinely helpful guidance for a GM who's otherwise about to wing a mystery.

 

[Voadam]

Even just the bit from a blog I am not remembering, of providing at least three clues for every puzzle -- which still has more of a chance of failure than the Gumshoe or Brindlewood Bay approaches -- is genuinely helpful guidance for a GM who's otherwise about to wing a mystery.

The Alexandrian - Three Clue Rule.

 

[Fenris-77]

Given how much traditional D&D DMs struggle with mysteries in a magical world, and given that state of the art on investigations is so good and so developed now, I would at least nod towards some of the innovations from Gumshoe and Brindlewood Bay in telling GMs how to run a mystery in your city.

Even just the bit from a blog I am not remembering, of providing at least three clues for every puzzle -- which still has more of a chance of failure than the Gumshoe or Brindlewood Bay approaches -- is genuinely helpful guidance for a GM who's otherwise about to wing a mystery.

Oh yes. Not the Brindlewood mechanic specifically though, much as I love it, but some of that feel maybe. I'm not a fan of gating information behind rolls, or at least not much of it, and there needs to be lots of clues scattered around for every new element in the mystery so that not getting to a specific location or not finding a specifc clue isn't going to bring the whole thing to a grinding halt.

The blog you aren't remembering is The Alexandrian and his three clues per node rule. I'm on that bandwagon. I was re-reading some portions of it just today actually. Liminal Horror also has some wonderful mystery advice for systems build on OSR-adjacent chassis'.

Ninja'd by Voadam.