Review of Urban Adventure

This first supplement for the recently released IKRPG took me by surprise, as I wasn't waiting for anything between the base handbook and the first hardcover book supposed to cover the 5 Iron Kingdoms proper. Urban Adventures is a small, softcover full color book which presents a collection of topics all brought together by the theme of the city in the Iron Kingdoms. As a fantasy world which has developed industry and considerable levels of technology, what is a city in Western Inmoren is quite different from one could picture from more traditional fantasy worlds. But more on this later.

Regarding the form, the book is great quality, glossy full color paper with a great cover illustration, and has kept the beautiful margins of the base handbook. The art is usually good, and a few nice new pieces are present, however some are reused from the base handbook, which itself already reused the miniatures games book's. A few typos and errors feel like they could have been avoided.

The contents are very, very varied. The first chapter give 6 new careers for nonhuman adapted to the urban environment: the trollkin/ogrun pugilist, the gobber guttersnipe, the ogrun labor korune (sort of a... work supervisor?), the Nyss Urban Nomad, the Iosan Seeker, and the Rhulic (dwarf) Searforge Trader. While all pretty cool careers, they are definitely more specific than the ones in the base handbook, and players might wonder why the race restrictions (one could see a pugilist human, for example). A couple of new abilities ensue, some cool but some which gave me pause (Archer, which currently only the Urban Nomad has access too, and lets him fire twice a round... so tribal elves turned city dwellers are the best archers in the world? Mkay...). Not sure any of these but the Seeker (an already established part of the setting) were really needed, but they could give some character ideas, or an edge to the nonhumans in a predominantly human setting.

This is followed by a few new items of equipments, including some new alchemical items worthy of note (the fear gas is an instant favorite).

Then we are treated to urban combat, aka dirty fighting, with some tricky manoeuvers and improvised weapon rules. I usually improvise these but guidelines can't hurt.

Urban laborjacks will give you two new chassis, a couple of new weapons, systems, and tools and some configuration for your city robots. Solid extra options, expanding the roles of the industry machines that are laborjacks (which are quickly turned into weapons of war).

Five Fingers presents the city of the same name, and the book lets us now this is summarized from an earlier larger book of the same name (from the D20 era). Well, this invites comparison doesn't it? And of course in way fewer pages the city can't be described as well, and it feels like too many details were crammed into too small a space. The details about all the gangs and various areas controlled by the High Captains (local pirates/crime lords) were confusing to read, as the names blur easily (mix of Anglophone names and "fantasy" ones doesn't help). However, Five Fingers still offers a nice starting ground for adventures, as a "low law, profits high" sort of town seen in many other settings. But its outlook is unique to the IK, with cranes lifting ships out of the water, steam power diving suits to repair ships below the waterline, or even the remnants of a colossal robot clinging to a cliff.

Urban Encounters follows, a series of small scenes which can take place within a city, and combat stats associated with the protagonists. Useful stuff there, some being local takes on urban legends (alligators in the sewers, Jack the Ripper) and one in particular just plain silly fun (explosive rats!). Would have wished for a few more.

The Servants of Thamar details the ones who worship the dark goddess of the setting, and includes a specific (human restricted, balancing chapter one) career. The description of the cult is on the sort side, and seems a bit more clear cut evil than the grayer morality I had taken from the base handbook. The career in itself is pretty cool, with plenty of terrific spells, soul taking abilities, and rules to customize your own undead thralls. It even has a rule for playing a Thamarite Sept (although it lets you know if you're not one of the sorcerer you're a pawn. That feels very reductive too).

Risk and Reward gives you three sample criminal groups, all interesting and closely tied to the setting, and rules to play them. Cool stuff, but a few more would have been nice too. It is closed by a table listing punishments for common crimes across the kingdoms, which gives a clear idea (Ord is lax on law, Menoth isn't). Made my players laugh, which isn't a bad thing.

The last chapter, Friends in High Places, is a sample adventure taking place in Five Fingers. It's not a bad plot, and has plenty of interesting encounters but it is very, very railroad in its description of the story, as it mostly expects players to go from A to B. The many antagonists offered will be handy for reference too. The main villain is, surprise, a Thamarite - and, er, what if the characters are playing a Thamarite sept using the rules from two chapters ago? Not discussed either!

Overall, this is a little bit of everything kind of book, only loosely tied by theme. Good news is, almost every GM or player will find stuff of use there. Bad news is, no topic is really covered in depth, and it can seem frustrating at times. But for a very reasonable price, there is no reason to pass Urban Adventures while waiting for the meatier stuff.