By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer d20 Magazine Rack
Sizing Up the Target
Urban Arcana is a long-awaited D20 MODERN supplement from Wizards of the Coast. This full-color, 320-page hardcover manual is co-authored by Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Eric Cagle, David Noonan, and Stan! and retails for $39.95. The cover by Dave Johnson features a trio of drow elves.
First Blood
Anyone familiar with the D20 MODERN game will recognize the title Urban Arcana. For the uninitiated, the idea is that magic remains a force with which to be reckoned, even in the modern world. While this isn’t exactly a new concept, it is one that tends to attract a large following. Just ask any of the thousands of Shadowrun players out there.
Before I get too far into this review, I’d like to address the many people who have been deriding this product, claiming that it is too focused on magic. Duh! What did you expect from a product called Urban Arcana? The fact that you don’t like the taste of chocolate and peanut butter doesn’t make it any less a viable campaign setting. (If you are too young to understand the subtle metaphors in that statement, go ask your parents to explain it.)
Now then, as I was saying, Urban Arcana expands on the campaign setting that was described in the D20 MODERN rules, adding not only new races, classes, and spells, but also rules for magic items, secret organizations, new monsters, and some helpful hints for GMs running a UA campaign. While everything herein applies to such, there’s still quite a bit that can be used by GMs running more mundane scenarios.
First off, there are some new staring occupations. The hedge wizard, novitiate, psychic, and squire are pretty campaign specific, but the apothecary and shadow scholar could easily fit into other campaigns. The novitiate and the apothecary can even be adapted to a perfectly mundane campaign where absolutely no paranormal activity exists. Even the psychic is provided with a mundane option, permitting scammers who pretend to have actual psychic powers. Of all the new starting occupations presented, only the hedge wizard does not fit a non-magical niche.
There are also some new feats to be had. As with starting occupations, some of them are acceptable for both mundane and magical campaigns. Metamagic feats have been added (largely drawn from Core Rulebook I), as have meta-psionic feats (so those of you who prefer Agents of PSI needed feel left out). A new category of feat, Initial, may only be chosen by 1st level characters. Out of a total of 42 new feats, eight are useable in a completely non-magical campaign: Fleet of Foot, Improved Grapple, Improved Overrun, Improved Natural Healing, Jack of All Trades, Power Crit, Precise Strike, and Vehicle Specialization. The majority of the remainder are metamagic feats and meta-psionic feats, though a few deal with enhancing spell ability or turning undead.
In a magical world, it is reasonable to assume that there would be non-human races. Urban Arcana does not disappoint. Any character whose origins can be traced to someplace other than our world is known as Shadowkind, regardless of their moral outlook. Even a dwarf born in this world is still considered Shadowkind because his ancestors at some point had to come to Earth through Shadow. Even humans may be Shadowkind, if they hail from a world other than our own. Shadowkind encompasses the typical fantasy races (elves, dwarves, halflings, half-elves, half-orcs, and gnomes), as well as the more unusual ones (half-dragon, goblin, snakebloods, and others). Some races have ECLs to help balance them against the less-powerful beings.
Though the much-anticipated sniper advanced class is nowhere to be seen (and in my opinion, that’s no loss), there are several other advanced classes, as well as a handful of prestige classes. The difference between an advanced class and a prestige class is in the requirements, and prestige classes may actually have requirements found only in advanced classes. The new advanced classes are: the arcane arranger (dealers in rare (and often magical) objects), the archaic weaponsmaster (specialist in outdated weaponry), the glamourist (the ultimate manipulator), the mystic (a divine spellcaster who doesn’t prepare spells), the shadow hunter (the name says it all), the shadowjack (a computer wizard, literally), the speed demon (vehicle expert), the street warrior (the ultimate brawler), the swashbuckler (a lightly-armored warrior), the techno mage (powers that meld magic and machinery), the thrasher (trained for extreme action), and the wildlord (the ultimate survivalist). The prestige classes on go to 5th level. They are: the archmage (master of magic), the artificer (expert craftsman), the ecclesiarch (who controls the divine spirit), and the holy/unholy knight (a divine crusader).
As with feats, several of these classes are usable in mundane campaigns. The archaic weaponmaster, the street warrior, the swashbuckler, and the street warrior have no supernatural abilities whatsoever, and the supernatural abilities possessed by the arcane arranger, the glamourist, the speed demon, and the wildlord can be easily adapted or toned down to a level at which they can fit right into a non-magical campaign setting. If it seems odd that I’m going on about how these rules can be used in non-magical campaigns, it’s because I’ve seen many complaints that there is nothing in this book that is useful outside of an Urban Arcana campaign. I’m sorry, but that’s just plain wrong. In fact, there is plenty of material here that can be adapted to any kind of D20 MODERN campaign that you wish to play.
In a modern-setting, players love new goodies, and Urban Arcana delivers the goods with some new pieces of equipment, both magical and mundane. As might be expected, there are plenty of archaic weapons added to the tables, but also included are air guns, paintball guns, and water guns. Some may find this a waste of space, but when you’re facing down a vampire, that water gun filled with holy water may save your life. In addition, a dozen types of ammunition are presented; from armor piercing to the dreaded white phosphorous. Before you ask, silver bullets are in there as well. Of course, where there are archaic weapons, you can find archaic armor. Archaic armor can provide a lot of protection, but it does tend to be noticeable.
General equipment hasn’t been neglected either. Stealth suits, double-sided clothing, concertina wire (really nasty-bad stuff), fiber optic cameras, and plenty more can be found herein. Yes, the greatly anticipated rules for skating are here, along with inline skates, skateboards, skis, and snowboards. There is a plethora of new vehicles as well, from bicycles to emergency vehicles. One of the coolest features in the book are the “What’s in a…?” sidebars. These sidebars tell you exactly what can be found in a typical fire truck, ambulance, and police car, as well as what the typical police officer carries on their person. Now tell me that won’t be useful, no matter what kind of campaign you run!
Since Urban Arcana is a setting where magic is prevalent, it is logical to expect some new spells. Wizards doesn’t disappoint, providing a plethora. Some are ported over from Core Rulebook I, while others, such as dataread are wholly original and well-suited to the modern backdrop of the game. In addition, there are rules for casting spells through e-mail and a table of conversions to permit the use of psionic powers as spells. With these conversions considered, there are a total of 104 new spells to supplement those in the D20 MODERN core rules!
There is also a new type of magic addressed in Urban Arcana. Incantations function like spells, but can be learned by anyone, not just spellcasters. They don’t take up spells slots and don’t have to be prepared ahead of time, so you can cast any number of them per day. Thinking there has to be a catch? Well, there is. They take a lot longer to cast than spells do (at least an hour, often much longer), and require several successful Knowledge (arcane) checks, with DCs around 30 or so (and at least one as high as 41!). If you fail your checks, there are consequences to deal with, ranging from a reversal (so that the incantation affects the caster) to death. New incantations are possible, and in fact, detailed rules are provided for making up your own incantations. The process uses seeds (not unlike the system for epic spells from the Epic Level handbook).
Where there is magic, there are likely to be magic items. So it is with Urban Arcana. Magic items for the modern world range from the vaguely familiar (armor of fortification) to the painfully obvious (backpack of holding) to the odd (chain saw of the psycho) to those that just make you say, “Why?” (decoder ring). Of the whole book, this was the one section that I found to be the biggest disappointment. Though there are a few gems buried in this section, much of it is largely uninspired, being either modern take-offs on core magical items (such as slingshots of distance and flaming bullets) or refugees from a gag-gifts shop (like the magic billiard-ball, a magic 8-ball toy with the power of augury). The fact that Urban Arcana is supposed to be the modern world with the inclusion of magic does make fro some very interesting artifacts, however, and this is where the section on magic items really shines. The artifacts presented are drawn from historic fact, myth, and legend and some are quite inventive. A very interesting campaign could be built around collecting magical artifacts from the past. In case anyone is curious, there is also presented a small selection of vehicular magic items. Now those silly dashboard figurines can actually mean something!
The high-point of the book for me is the section on running the game. Gamemastering advice is always welcomed, no matter what kind of campaign you are running. This section covers everything from rewards to making the adventure seem more real. A table of one hundred adventure ideas is the perfect jump-start for weary imaginations, and there is even a system presented for building a random city! As in other chapters, much of this information is perfectly usable outside of a magical setting.
A selection of secret (and not-so-secret) organizations is provided, ranging from the relatively mundane to the deeply mystical. Department 7 is among those described here, though the description is sorely lacking in anything more than a sketch (the same is true of all organizations in this book). Still, enough detail is given to each organization that they can be dropped into the campaign with minimal effort and expanded upon as necessary, should the players decide to follow up on or join one.
New monsters are always appreciated by GMs, and a small selection has been included here. Most all are creatures of shadow, and more than a few are drawn from other resources (most notably Core Rulebook III). Personally, I don’t see why this was necessary. There is relatively little difference between a beholder in D&D and a beholder in D20 MODERN, and certainly not enough that I couldn’t convert it myself. If conversions were necessary, for whatever reason, they should have been done as a web enhancement. Still, there are several new creatures introduced in Urban Arcana, including some that are unique to a modern setting. The roach thrall is so incredibly disgusting as to actually be a cool creature and is undoubtedly my favorite. Also, with the addition of the nuclear toxyderm come accompanying rules for radiation sickness. Certainly, these rules are of use even in a mundane setting.
Several locations are described, suitable whether magic is the focus of your campaign or entirely non-existent. Several maps are thoughtfully provided, including a shopping mall, an office block, a city hall, an abandoned factory, a bar, a penthouse, and an occult shop. Many more locations for adventures are discussed in text, along with mystical sites such as ley lines, mystic pools, and holy/unholy sites. Just perusing this chapter in depth can provide dozens of adventure ideas.
Notes on bringing D&D characters to the modern world (and the differences between the two settings) are provided, including modern analogs for D&D classes. The psionics system is also expanded on, with the introduction of meta-psionic feats, a new class (the psionic agent), and 33 new powers. Think of the psionic agent as a traditional “man in black,” using his unique abilities to move against Shadow (or work for it).
Finally, there are seven short, interlinked adventures that utilize the new material found herein. Though held together by a common plot thread, the adventures can be easily separated and altered to function as stand-alones. Each is suitable for a single evening’s play and look to be quite entertaining. As a bonus, more maps!
On the whole, this book is a valuable reference for just about any GM running a D20 MODERN campaign. About two thirds of the book are specific to magical campaigns, while the remainder is either mundane or can be easily adapted to non-magical campaigns. Don’t let the title sway you from what might be an otherwise very useful reference.
Critical Hits
Though I think that the real selling point of this book will be it’s connection to the Urban Arcana setting, I feel it necessary to point out once more that it is not useless to those running a mundane campaign. In several instances, the authors seem to have almost gone out of their way to make sure this was the case, and it shows.
Critical Misses
I found the magic items chapter to be the most lacking. Many of the items seemed uninspired or too strange even for a magical setting and a lot of this section is simply a repeat of portions of Core Rulebook II. I understand that not everyone who plays D20 MODERN will also have played D&D, but I think that this will be the case the majority of the time. This problem of repetition appears again in the creatures chapter to a lesser degree, with several creatures (most mundane animals) being ported over almost wholesale from Core Rulebook III.
On the other hand, there were high points to both chapters as well; the artifacts in the first instance, and the new creatures that were included in the second. You have to take the good with the bad, I guess.
Coup de Grace
If you’re a fan of the Urban Arcana setting or if you intend to run adventures in that setting, then my advice is obvious. Buy this book! You simply can’t go wrong. In fact, I might go so far as to say that it is a necessity. On the other hand, if you don’t like Urban Arcana or the idea of magic in modern adventures, then you may still want to consider purchasing this work. As I said earlier, almost a third of what is in here is magic-free or else easily adapted to be such. Does that justify the price? That’s for you to decide.
This work contains no content designated as Open Game Content and d20 Compliance is as high as might expected for a Wizards of the Coast product. GMs and players will find this work equally valuable. About 80% of the content contained herein is completely original. Ultimately, the value of the book will have to be determined on an individual basis. Here, I judge it based solely on content, not on magical versus mundane campaign value. It could have been a little better in some areas, but overall, it’s a fine effort and will see extensive use in my games.
To see the graded evaluation of this product and to leave comments that the reviewer will respond to, go to The Critic's Corner at www.d20zines.com.
