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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2009496" data-attributes="member: 172">Common Ground II: Guard Towers, Thieves Guilds, and Private ClubsCommon Ground II is a system made to quickly generate game statistics for a number of common establishments and their inhabitants.A First LookCommon Ground II is a 48 page saddle-stitched softcover book priced at $11.95. The book is printed on slick paper.The cover of the book depicts paper and writing implements against a wood backdrop as if you are viewing a desk.Most of the book is black-and-white, and is limited to a few computer generated pictures of seals, wanted posters, glasses of wine, and the like. The center pull-out has color maps with a very small scale. The maps have a key but no legend or mention of scale.The interior text is dense. The text is single column except for the statistics blocks, which are arranged into two columns.A Deeper LookAs implied in the title, Common Ground II is a system for quickly creating a guard tower, a thieves' guild, or a private club. Each section is laid out in steps of a 5-8 step process. Generally the steps go:- Choose size of the building and an appropriate map. The maps for all buildings are in the pull-out in the middle of the book.- Choose type or purpose of building (e.g., type of terrain for a guard tower or purpose of a club)- Choose appropriate NPCs from a number of categories. For example, the thieves' guild section has stat blocks for leader thieves, base thieves, enforcers, and swindlers. Each has a letter designation, and depending on the size of the guild, the user is directed to choose a number of thieves from each category.- Choose alignment, race, and name for each character. A summary of racial details is included for each core race, including a pre-selection of bonus skills and feats for humans unique to each section.- Add miscellaneous details. This includes sundry details of the building such as statistics for doors, locks, and traps.The bulk of the book seems to be a number of stock NPC stat blocks, which you are directed to use by the step-by-step instructions. The stat blocks are complete with standard combat statistics, skills, and equipment (including magical equipment.)The book had a few sidebar with additional embellishments and ideas for each type of establishment, such as drink prices, gambling game rules, poisons and other details regarding the establishment.The end of the book has worksheets for each type of building. There are two copies of each sheet, one perforated for removal and one not. The sheets have blanks and have listing of letters (corresponding to a particular stat block in the book), gender, and race, as well as a few blanks for name, and combat statistics. I found this a bit wasteful, as it would take less room to jot the race and stat block letter down than to circle it. Further, I found the second set of pages wasteful as they are printed on slick paper that is difficult to write on with a pencil, meaning that you are likely to photocopy them anyways.ConclusionThis is a nice little supplement, enabling you to generate establishments complete with statistics blocks rather quickly. This is of good utility if you expect to use these types of establishments frequently and have a combat oriented game. In a more typical game, however, you may find the book of a bit lower utility, as the stat blocks only tell you so much, and some ideas or inspiration for individuals might have been useful for less combative PCs visiting many locales with swords sheathed.-Alan D. Kohler</blockquote>

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