Looking for a Well Developed City Setting

[Wild Gazebo]

Sounds fun to me...minus the silly elves. I'd try green-skins.

 

[Nightfall]

Baron,

Only reason I didn't mention them before is that both are SL tied, even though you could divorce Hollowfaust a little more readily than Mithril. Even so both are nice places to try out.

 

[haakon1]

- City of Greyhawk (late 2nd Edition book version, from like 1999, by Roger Moore)
- City State of the Invincible Overlord
- Lake-Town (really old MERP product, about the Lake-Town on the lake next to the Lonely Mountain, as seen in the Hobbit)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

In case you didn't know, City State of the Invincible Overlord is a NICE old (1Ed) Judges Guild product...and it has recently been updated for D20.

 

[Akrasia]

... Free City of Haven (available from Different Worlds Publications - I almost swallowed my gum when I found out that it was back in print!) A generic setting, easily used with D20.
...

I still own this box set (it must be about 25 years old now!) and it's pretty fun.

Another great OOP city is ICE's 'Minas Tirith' book by Graham Staplehurst. The city map is beautiful, and the book does a truly amazing job in describing the city. (However, given it's distinctive geography and history, it may be hard to use Minas Tirith as a 'generic city').

Speaking of ICE, their old 'Thieves of Tharbad' is also quite good, and probably more useful for non-Middle-earth games, as it is more 'generic' in feel and layout.

For more recent stuff, I recommend:

(a.) City State of the Invincible Overlord (already mentioned a few times).

(b.) Yggsburgh (first book in the 'Castle Zagyg' series from Troll Lord games). The city of Yggsburgh is pretty generic, but still flavourful and well-detailed.

 

[Whimsical]

The Dungeon Master's Guide II details Saltmarsh, a coastal town of 3,850. It has a town map (no street names), and details 65 locations & basic information of the town councilors, city watch & militia, guild leaders, religious leaders, and other notable citizens. Each location is detailed in several paragraphs, which includes more detail of certain NPCs, and each location has an adventure hook suggested.

But I'm really enjoying Shackled City. A city set in a vocano with big secrets hidden everywhere. I have just started running it.

 

[Nightfall]

Forgot about the Saltmarsh. It's decent but honestly not a big enough map or really a pull out one. Still it is very well detailed, pull out map not being there regardless.

WG,

Ookay....*steps away*


In any case I do think your best bet for d20/D&D stands as listed:
Saltmarsh (DMG II)
Cauldron (Shackled City HC)
Sanctuary (GR's Theives World)
Waterdeep (Various FR 2nd and 3rd edition products)

 

[MonsterMash]

City State of the Invincible Overlord is an estuary port so a bit upriver rather than pure coastal, still think its the best city. See my review for detail.

Freeport is to me second choice.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hmmm, sticking to stuff not yet mentioned - but not necessarily D20:
Free City of Haven (available from Different Worlds Publications - I almost swallowed my gum when I found out that it was back in print!) A generic setting, easily used with D20.

Hawk and Fisher's Free City of Haven? (When you're tired of living, come to Haven. And someone will kill you.)

Or a different Free City of Haven?

-Hyp.

 

[Geogrere Ziacara]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have to make a list and look at some reviews.