Dreaming Cities: Urban Fantasy Genre
Initiative Round
Dreaming Cities is a roleplaying game published by Guardians of Order. It is written by Jason L. Blair, Jamais Cascio, Phil Masters, Jo Ramsey, Liz Rich, David L. Pulver, and Jesse Scoble. Marta Dahlig provides the cover art for this 272-page hardcover. Dreaming Cities carries a retail price tag of $39.95.
Subtitled “Tri-Stat Urban Fantasy Genre,” Dreaming Cities is primarily based on the d6 tri-stat system although there are circumstances where other dice are needed depending on the campaign and character power level. Instead of the usual 6 abilities that D&D players are accustomed to, tri-stat uses three: body, mind and soul. Character creation is done on a point-based system thatlows for a great deal of character customization – more so than in d20. Through this point system, players may adjust power modifier values (PMVs), choose attributes (special abilities like flight, invisibility, and sixth sense), skills, and even gain additional points by selecting defects. To help with character creation, chapter seven is devoted to character types and templates that make building characters much easier. In all, the first 139 pages is devoted solely to game mechanics and rules.
The first campaign setting is called “The Nightmare Chronicles” and gives the premise of the fantastic and mythical existing side-by-side with the normal – only the “normals” don’t know about the fantastical. Those who play in Wizards of the Coast’s Urban Arcana setting for d20 Modern will find this to be quite familiar. Evil forces seek to conquer mankind but are opposed by human protectors, whose powers surface at the most needed times. Combat is gritty and this secret war means the characters receive little recognition, let alone fame and glory for their deeds. In a nutshell, you are in a battle against demons and it’s kill or be killed.
The second setting presented is “The World at Twilight.” This is where the fairie tales you’ve grown up with are real. They exist, but not everyone knows it. It is a blending of tales from all cultures. A world where “Cinderella and Freya might attend the same high school dance.” Only five years have passed since the destruction of Yggdrasil and magic is slowly returning. It’s the story of a city in the center of the expanding development in this age of revelation. Meet fey, goblins, and historical icons like Snow White. Beware the golden apples and try not to get killed, okay?
The final campaign setting is “The Small Folk.” Tiny supernatural humanoids have lived in the shadows and under-floor spaces of humans since the beginning of civilization. You are these characters and are still a part of urban fantasy. Small folk are magical and use their diminutive size to effect change in the world. Compared to the previous two settings, this one is light and comical but still has tons of potential for action. Boggarts, pixies, brownies, gremlins, and goblins are commonly encountered small folk. In this world, “cat and mouse” games take on a whole new dimension.
Critical Hit
In today’s world of multiple RPG supplements, it is refreshing to have a game that is completely self-contained in a single volume. Everything you need is here. Another strength is that in some ways, the tri-stat mechanic is much better suited for the genre than d20. Like I mentioned earlier, the customization potential for characters is outstanding.
Critical Fumble
Despite the level of detail in each given setting, it would have been nice to have more. At approximately 40 pages for each setting, there is just enough information for the beginnings of a campaign setting. It feels like some of the critical flavor information was cut short or is missing altogether. In defense of this criticism however, the settings presented do contain adequate information to put together a campaign. But it still feels a bit empty.
Coup de Grace
Gamers who want elements of fantasy but are tired of generic Dungeons & Dragons might find Dreaming Cities appealing. It represents a successful union of modern and fantasy. Depending on the skills of the GM and players, the opportunities for role-play are limitless and far from the cliché fare you see to often in other genres. There is much here to like and inspire you and it would make a worthy addition to any gaming collection, especially if you’ve enjoyed such movies and television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The 10th Kingdom, Beauty and the Beast, Hellboy, Underworld, and the animated Gargoyles.
Final Grade: A
