RPG Review: Scarrport: City of Secrets
- The new 4e supplement by Reality Deviant Publications is a promising new book featuring pirates, elementalists, clockwork horses, steampunk elements and… Otter Men?!
Yes, this supplement has all this, and so much more.
The city is definitely a “wretched hive of scum and villainy” type location, so if that’s what you’re into, it’s definitely for you. The first section covers the four parts of the city, all brilliantly mapped, detailing dozens and dozens of NPCs with Monster Stat Blocks, even though you’ll probably never fight most of them. It’s nice to have the stats right there, however, just in case.
Chapter Two details the races of Scarrport, including racial powers and feats for each. One race, the Ghodon is descended from giants, much as the tieflings are descended from demons and the genasi are descended from elementals. There are the Gremlins, who are exactly how they sound, little creatures that look exactly like the Gremlins in the movie of the same name.
Otterkin are a race of otter men, which seems strange, but if you consider that they’d fit right in on a pirate ship, they’re definitely worth looking at.
Chapter Three introduces not only a new class (Elementalist), but a new Power Source as well (Elemental. Surprise!). The elementalist is a Striker who uses the elements and elemental chaos to turn the very world itself against their foes. Overall, I think they look like a fairly balanced class.
This chapter also introduces some paragon paths and a couple of Epic Destinies. My favorite paragon path is the Gunslinger, who is a master of the pistol. Speaking of…
Chapter 4 introduces new special equipment including… firearms! Looking over these rules (compared to others I’ve seen online), I think these are very balanced. They also introduce the Clockwork Horse for a measly 75 gold. It’s something EVERY adventurer should own. They just LOOK awesome.
Chapter 5 involves new creatures and hazards, some of which are very creative and can be dropped into any game. My favorite are the clockwork monsters, such as the Clockwork Destroyer, Clockwork Behemoth, Clockwork Soldier and Windup guard.
There are 3 appendices, one is an adventure (The Iron Lumberjack, for low-level heroes), the second is a group of encounters around Scarrport, and finally, rules on Games of Chance in Scarrport, an excellent little addition that certainly didn’t need to be in the book, but I’m incredibly grateful it is.
Finally, there’s an extensive 3-page index in the back.
I am really looking forward to seeing this book implemented in a game. I just HAVE to play a character in this city, and you all should too.