Freeport: City of Adventure Review

It was Freeport that started me down the piratical path. When I went to Gen Con in 2000, excited to play the new 3rd Edition of D&D, one of two adventures available was Death in Freeport. That first scenario hooked me on the setting, leading to numerous campaigns. Now, more than fourteen years later, Green Ronin has published its dedicated Pathfinder version of the setting. This is my favorite setting, and so I can't help but be biased in reviewing the new book. Even so, here goes.

-Nate


Freeport: City of Adventure Review
This book weighs in at 545 pages. It includes a brief introduction, one chapter with a history of the city and one that presents an overview of Freeport. Chapters 3-12 detail each of the city's neighborhoods in turn, while Chapters 13 and 14 detail the surrounding islands of the Serpent's Teeth and the greater World of Freeport. In Chapter 15 are detailed some of the major players in Freeport life, complete with color illustrations of the characters. That is followed by the crunchier parts of the book, with chapters dedicated to races, classes, supplemental rules, goods & gear and spells & magic. Finally there is a sixty-page adventure, "The Ironjack Legacy," which is designed to immerse characters thoroughly in the city.

The Old and the New
One major question people might have about this book is now much new content it provides. After all, there's already a Pathfinder rules supplement for the old, system-neutral Pirate's Guide to Freeport. What this book does is to update the timeframe for the setting by two years. It adds new characters and plot elements, including the dreaded salt curse. It also incorporates many of the additions that Pathfinder has made to d20, including rules for settlements and vehicles. Some of the classes that were added in the PFRPG rules supplement have been modified for use as archetypes instead of as separate classes. All told, it does a much better job of weaving the rules into the setting. That, along with the aforementioned advancement of the city's history, helps to keep the setting vibrant and makes this an excellent supplement for those who want to run an urban and nautical Pathfinder campaign.