Finally! A "Cities of Fantasy" done right!

"Sheoloth" by Sam Witt, published and distributed by Mongoose Publishing.
ISBN = 1-9034577-20-2.  MAP # 5005.

Quick Look-see:
01) History
02) Overview
03) Life in Sheoloth
04) Powers of Sheoloth
05) Magic of the Drow
06) Darkness and Heresy
07) Ward Descriptions
08) Ashen Bulwark
09) The Blood Tithe
10) Burning Pit
11) Cabal Hold
12) Charred Gate
13) Crystalspine
14) Ebon Dock
15) The Foreign Ward
16) The Fungus Pits
17) The Glory Crypt
18) Granite Circle
19) The Hordes
20) The Leviathan Shield
21) Night Seal
22) The Noble Labyrinth
23) Outland Thieves
24) Roaring Gate
25) Rusted Vein
26) Shrieking Hive
27) Silver Street
28) Sun Gate
29) The Vault of Tombs
30) The Wailing Way
31) Web of the Dark Mother
32) Witch Daggers
33) Ward Summary
34) OGL

Part 01 - History.  Includes info on the Schism, The Benighted Age, The Reign of Karzai, The Nobles Rebellion, the War of Vengeance, Tears of Stone, The Second War of the Elves, The Coming of the Dark Mother, the War of Terror, and the Reconstruction.

Part 02 - Overview.  Layout of the City, including a cross-section map, Building Materials, Food and Water, The Powers of the City, and the Merchant Guilds.

Part 03 - Life in Sheoloth.  Disposable Slaves, Valued Slaves, the Fleshcrafted Slave, the Outsider, the Commoner, the Merchant, the Drow Noble, Clergy of the Drow, a look at Air, Food, Light, Waste, and Water, Law and Order, the Economy, the Military and Defences, and Holidays and Customs.

Part 04 - Powers of Sheoloth.  Religion, the Nobility, Criminals, Arcanists, and Merchants.

Part 05 - Magic of the Drow.  Necromantic Domination, the Secret of Domination, the Process of Domination, Fleshbuilding, and Virurgy.

Part 06 - Darkness and Heresy.  The Incabulos Heresy, and the Woven Mothers.

Part 07 - Ward Descriptions.  A quick look at how each ward is discussed, Building Types, and Business Types.

Part 08 - Ashen Bulwark.  A quick look at the Ashen Bulwark Ward, including four locations.

Part 09 - The Blood Tithe.  A quick look at the Blood Tithe Ward, including four locations.

Part 10 - The Burning Pit.  A quick look at the Burning Pit Ward, including three locations.

Part 11 - Cabal Hold.  A quick look at the Cabal Hold Ward, including two locations.

Part 12 - Charred Gate.  A quick look at the Charred Gate Ward, including two locations.

Part 13 - Crystalspine.  A quick look at the Crystalspine Ward.

Part 14 - Ebon Dock.  A quick look at the Ebon Dock Ward, including two locations.

Part 15 - The Foreign Ward.  A quick look at the Foreign Ward, including a location.

Part 16 - The Fungus Pits.  A quick look at the Fungus Pits Ward.

Part 17 - The Glory Crypt.  A quick look at the Glory Pit Ward, including two locations.

Part 18 - Granite Circle.  A quick look at the Granite Circle Ward, including two locations.

Part 19 - The Hordes.  A quick look at the The Hordes Ward.

Part 20 - The Leviathan Shield.  A quick look at the Leviathan Shield Ward, including two locations.

Part 21 - Night Seal.  A quick look at the Night Seal Ward, including two locations.

Part 22 - The Noble Labyrinth.  A through look at the Noble Labyrinth Ward, including several locations.

Part 23 - Outland Thieves.  A quick look at the Outland Thieves Ward, including three locations.

Part 24 - Roaring Gate.  A quick look at the Roaring Gate Ward, including two locations.

Part 25 - Rusted Vein.  A quick look at the Rusted Vein Ward, including two locations.

Part 26 - Shrieking Hive.  A quick look at the Shrieking Hive Ward, including a location.

Part 27 - Silver Street.  A quick look at the Silver Street Ward, including two locations.

Part 28 - Sun Gate.  A quick look at the Sun Gate Ward, including four locations.

Part 29 - Vault of Tombs.  A quick look at the Vault of Tombs Ward, including three locations.

Part 30 - The Wailing Way.  A quick look at the Wailing Way Ward.

Part 31 - Web of the Dark Mother.  A quick look at the Web of the Dark Mother Ward.

Part 32 - Witch Daggers.  A quick look at the Witch Daggers Ward, including two locations.

Part 33 - Ward Summary.  Tables of merchants present in each ward.

Part 34 - OGL.  The usual Open Gaming Licenses.

This is the fifth and last in a short series from Mongoose called "Cities of Fantasy", although the Cities of Fantasy logo is not present.

Now, =this= is a city book.  In previous Cities of Fantasy, there was a shortage of material that covered the city.  But here we have a city book (Hardcover!) that has 256 pages of info for creative GM's.  This is the first of the series that I consider almost ready to "just drop" into a campaign.  The look at each ward within the city provides jumping off points for many adventures.  There are over 45 encounter locations, and it would be easy to add more. 

Although maps are present, and well done, it was hard to consolidate them all and really see what Sheoloth might look like.  But, despite the shortcomings, I'm giving it a strong four stars and might have gone to five stars if a really good map of Sheoloth was available.  Great for enterprising GM's that want to add a living Drow City to their world.  It has my recommendation for any GM - but not for players.

Complete Content an Illusion?

"Stonebridge" by Patrick Younts, published and distributed by Mongoose Publishing.
ISBN = 1-903980-82-8.  MGP # 5004.

Quick Look-see:

01) Introduction
02) History and the Present Day
03) Palazzo, Piazzo, and Sandstone Streets
04) Vineyard, Farm, and Villa
05) Dragons, Dreamers, and Builders
06) Stonebridge Adventures
07) Beasts, Magic, and Wondrous Machines
08) OGL

Part 01 - Introduction.  The intro includes a one page short story, and a short intro to the book.

Part 02 - History and the Present Day.  A good timeline, info on the citizens, Apprentices, Masters, and pursuit of genius, Science in Service, Guilds, Religion, Government and the Law, Military Service, and the Cycle of the Seasons.

Part 03 - Palazzo, Piazzo, and Sandstone Streets.  Stonebridge at a glance, Landmarks, the First Terzo, Ponte Sofferenza and the River Canyon, the Second Terzo, and the Third Terzo.

Part 04 - Vineyard, Farm, and Villa.  The River Canyon, its north side and south side, and several locations.

Part 05 - Dragons, Dreamers, and Builders.  Five important NPC's, four dragons (!), and a bit about the city watch.

Part 06 - Stonebridge Adventures.  Nine adventure seeds set beginning in Stonebridge.

Part 07 - Beasts, Magic, and Wondrous Machines.  One new critter, one new Prestige Class, six new Feats, seven new Spells, and eight new Magic Items.

Part 08 - OGL.  The usual open gaming licence.

This is the fourth in a short series from Mongoose called "Cities of Fantasy".  Mongoose has used almost every open space in this book for info on Stonebridge.  The map of Stonebridge is on the inside front cover, but on the inside back cover are advertisements from Mongoose.

Stonebridge suffers from the same 64 page limitations as its earlier predecessors, "Skraag", "Stormhaven" and "Highthrone".  I thought all of it could use a little bit more fleshing out - maybe even enough for a 128 page book.  There just doesn't seem to be enough info to "just drop" this city into your campaign. 

Having said that, though, I still think enterprising GM's could supply this city with enough detail to last a hundred adventures.  Only three stars from me, although I =might= have given it four if it had been even 80 pages.  Not for Players.

Doesn't Quite Reach the Clouds

"Highthrone" by Alejandro Melchor, published and distributed by Mongoose Publishing.
ISBN = 1-903980-43-7.  MGP # 5003.

Quick Look-see:

01) Introduction
02) Highthrone - Overview
03) Lay of the City
04) Valley of Crowns
05) The Terraces
06) The Mines and the Floating Islands
07) Factions and Players
08) Running Highthrone Adventures
09) Creatures of the Peaks
10) Magic and Secrets
11) OGL

Part 01 - Introduction.  The intro includes a one page short story, and a short intro to the book.

Part 02 - Highthrone - Overview.  Looks at the history of Highthrone.  There's a look at The Long Walk, the Voice of the Wind, the First Invasion, Unearthing Windsteel, the Second Invasion, the Coming of the Assembly, the Stormbreaker, Commercial Dominance, the Giant's War, the Growing City, the Mountainside, the Valley of Crowns, Flora and Fauna, Natural Resources, Weather, and Trade and Relations.

Part 03 - Lay of the City.  Government, the Armed Forces, Life Above the Clouds, Law and Order, and Religion.

Part 04 - Valley of Crowns.  Market Square, Forest of Sun and Wind, Ossuary, Shipyards, Warehouses, Longhaven, Arms Plaza, Condor Trail, and the Plazas.

Part 05 - The Terraces.  Terrace Features and Neighbourhoods.

Part 06 - The Mines and the Floating Islands.  The Mines and Clan Thorbrindas Holdings, a small map of Thorbrindas Holdings, and details on the various floating islands.

Part 07 - Factions and Players.  Six organisations, five well-wrote-up NPC's, and some generic city defenders.

Part 08 - Running Highthrone Adventures.  Details on using Highthrone in a campaign, including plots and story hooks, Altitude Sickness, Terraces, the Flying Ships, Skyships, and other flying devices.

Part 09 - Creatures of the Peaks.  Three new critters.

Part 10 - Magic and Secrets.  Three new feats, two new divine forces, and a description of Windsteel.

Part 11 - OGL.  THe usual Open Gaming License.

This is the third in a short series from Mongoose called "Cities of Fantasy".  Mongoose has used almost every open space in this book for info on Highthrone.  The map of Highthrone is on the inside front cover, but on the inside back cover are advertisements from Mongoose.

Highthrone suffers from the same 64 page limitations as its earlier predecessors, "Skraag", and "Stormhaven".  I thought all of it could use a little bit more fleshing out - maybe even enough for a 128 page book.  There just doesn't seem to be enough info to "just drop" this city into your campaign. 

Having said that, though, I still think enterprising GM's could supply this city with enough detail to last a hundred adventures.  Only three stars from me, although I =might= have given it four if it had been even 80 pages.  Not for Players.