Bryan Steele

I've loved the city of Pavis since I first encountered it in the original Chaosium RQ 2 days. The Pavis and Big Rubble packs figured prominently in a lengthy campaign I ran at the time, and I enjoyed the detail and creativity of those sources.

This version of Pavis, set in the Second Age for use with Mongoose RQ 2 (I really wish they'd just called it RQ 5), is a worthy successor. Second Age Pavis is a thriving, thrilling metropolis, quite unlike the dusty frontier town of the Third Age. The book goes into extensive detail about the political undercurrents of the city, the attitudes of the residents, and the motivations of some major NPCs. After reading the book (I recommend you read the whole thing before using it), you really have a sense of what Pavis is like, and how it will fit into your game.

The adventures are constructed in a way that gives a GM the flexibility to introduce them in a fashion best suited to her campaign. There are many potential patrons for PCs, all with competing interests, which has already given me many ideas for ways to add to and adjust the scenarios presented.

My only quibbles with is book are the relative dearth of illustrations, particularly of NPCs, and the rather specific timeline of events. As the authors suggest, the timeline is not intended to be a constraint, so that's a minor quibble. Overall this is an excellent supplement, and I look forward to many hours of game play in Pavis.… (meer)