Stonebridge - City of Illusion

Stonebridge is a city setting based on the cities of the Italian Renaissance. It's goal is to present such a setting with strong fantasy elements, such as Gnomes and Copper Dragons, which have an interest in renaissance-type achievements.

The historical background of the city is a rich blend of Fantasy elements concerned with artistic achievement. The copper dragons are the key rulers of the gnomish city, from its founding days. The emphasis on art in the city is strong, and the concept of illusions as art is brought to full flower here, as this city of Gnomes prizes its illusionists above all other artists. The great artists of the city all seem to have magical ability, including one clearly based on Leonardo DaVinci. The use of Italian in the naming scheme for aspects of the city is both a blessing and a curse: on the one hand, it adds much to the already strong atmosphere of the city, but on the other hand, the names do become confusing and unwieldy, particularly in cases where English translations serve just as well to express a concept.

This supplement introduces dragon-touched characters, those who have some dragon heritage in their blood, giving them a light assortment of dragon abilities. While these provide interesting options to make a character who is special, they are by no means essential to the setting. GM's who don't want such elements in their campaign can work around their existence with barely any effort whatsoever, while those who wish to make use of them have everything needed at their disposal.

There is a great deal of cultural flavor in this supplement. There are brief but detailed descriptions of local festivals and celebrations, spread throughout the seasons. With the cultural emphasis on art, the architecture of the city is also noteworthy, resulting in a wide variety of notable buildings and statuary that reflect the history of the city. Even the outlying areas, with the private villas and vineyards, are full of interesting locations, story hooks, and strong connections to the heart of the city. Even if the reader opts not to include this city in their campaign, there are a lot of truly creatively described buildings and artwork that could be included in appropriate parts of their game world.

Role-play, rather than violence, will be the rule in this setting. The adventure seeds specifically downplay violence, which is appropriate given the setting. Of the various NPC's of note in the city, only one is clearly an evil antagonist, while all the others merely have separate agendas, which may, at times, clash with one another.

The game mechanics added are, with one exception, rather bland. Various spells, feats, and magic items fill the back, without any being outstanding. The Fey Drake creature is another version of the ever-popular Faerie Dragon familiar, appropriate for the magic-intensive city. The Dream Engineer prestige class, however, does very much stand out as a fine concept. Essentially a step up from an Illusionist, this concept could easily be adapted for other mages specializing in one school or another, augmenting the effects of spells in that area.

For a renaissance-type city set firmly in a fantasy setting, this supplement easily surpasses its goals. Though the opportunities for adventure are decidedly parochial, there is enough to keep things interesting, and perhaps provide a home base for adventurers. The culture of artistic achievement presented here provides a wellspring of material for a campaign.

CITIES OF FANTASY - STONEBRIDGE
From: Mongoose Publishing
Written by: Patrick Younts
Cover Art by: Anne Stokes and Ralph Horsely
Interior Art by: Andrew Dobell
Number of Pages: 64
Retail Price: $14.95
Item Number: MGP 5004
ISBN: 1-903980-82-8
Email: info@mongoosepublishing.com

Added: April 15th 2003
Reviewer: Bill Preusser
Score:
Related Link: Mongoose Publishing
Hits: 151
Language: eng