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The Library: Cityscape [D&D]

Cityscape is a November 2006 release for Dungeons and Dragons, focusing on adventuring in, the narrative role of, and the design of cities.

Pick Up And Go: 1
Depth Of Ideas: 5
Prose: 4
Readability: 2
Rules: 5
Style: Not applicable

At least notionally, Cityscape is the fourth in a line of products Wizards of the Coast has released, focusing on specific enviroments in D&D. In reality, it bears little resemblance to its predecessors (Frostburn, Sandstorm, and Stormwrack), focusing less on providing a collection of rules elements related to that environment, and focusing more on how to effectively design a city.

This was a good decision.

Cities are far more important concepts to consider as concrete entities (as shown in "recent" Kernel of A Game entries) than tundras, wastelands, or oceans: they're settlements, first and foremost, and they differ far more, and matter far more, than just landscapes. The vast majority of Cityscape is devoted just to designing cities from a sociopolitical perspective. There aren't 10 pages on city layouts: there are four, focusing on how it affects the citizens and mood of a city. Entire sections are devoted to the presentation of various organizations that exist within a city, from churches to thieves' guilds. In all cases, these sections are less about rules presentation, and more about design and play opportunities and options. In this, Cityscape represents a wealth of Depth of Ideas, giving you plenty of possibilities for breathing life into your city.

The majority of rules in Cityscape are dedicated to presenting these city concepts in terminology: there's rules for arm wrestling, peacebonds, a quick trial resolution system, joining noble houses, and more. One positive is that (in most cases) the supplement reprints pre-existing rules where it can, instead of making more: it focuses on making things easier for you by using existing rules currency where it can. My one criticism with this is personal: it focuses upon the "Favored in x" organization system shown off in recent products and the Forgotten Realms and the DMGII, instead of the richer "allegiance" system showcased in Five Nations and the PHBII. What earns Cityscape such a low Pick Up And Go score is that most of the rules are dedicated to supporting concepts you design yourself: there's a handful of monsters (one of which, the "Throng Of Children", is responsible for the Prose score - it's well done otherwise), a few spells, and a series of quick-reference sidebars, but in reality, Cityscape is a do-it-yourself sourcebook, not a use-whenever-you-like sourcebook like Frostburn and the others were.

Highly recommended if cities feature as anything more than just a restock and resurrect point in your game.