Before we start this review of A Visitor’s Guide to the Rainy City, I want to thank Nigredo Press for providing us with a physical copy. I also recommend you follow their Instagram and Facebook pages.

If after reading this review you would like to purchase A Visitor’s Guide to the Rainy City, you can find it on the Nigredo Press store at a price of 13 euros, including both the physical version and the PDF. If instead you would like to purchase only the digital format, the price will be 8 euros.

A First Look at the Volume

Taking a first look at the manual, we can immediately notice the particular and captivating aesthetics. The manual is composed of 64 black and white pages in A5 format in saddle-stitched paperback. The quality of the materials is really excellent, and the sensation that you have leafing through it is pleasant.

Its layout is almost entirely in two columns. We can find several images in the various chapters of the manual, as well as some paragraphs in a single column that make the layout less monotonous. The contents, which we will analyze later, are numerous, as it should be in a manual of this type.

A Visitor’s Guide to the Rainy City is adaptable to many roleplaying games. It is a urban setting full of all kinds of oddities, in which the characters will certainly not remain dry for long.

Review of A Visitor’s Guide to the Rainy City: the Aesthetics

Let’s now move on to the most important aspect of this volume: aesthetics. The manual is full of wonderful illustrations. These represent both maps of places, creatures and other elements of the setting.

Browsing this manual is a real pleasure for the eyes. The interior illustrations were made by Bill Spytma, while the cover by Andrew D. Devenney. Two exceptional artists who made this manual truly valuable.

The style of the internal illustrations, which partly reflects that of the cover thus providing visual continuity, is particular. Its engraving technique in my opinion is perfect for this type of manual, never resulting excessively heavy or cumbersome compared to the text.

The type and size of the font used make the text extremely easy to read.

Even this time the aesthetic quality of Nigredo Press products does not disappoint us.

A Setting Rich in Oddities

As anticipated in the previous paragraphs, this setting manual is full of oddities, but in a good way.

In a decadent city that shows us the end of the world, there are some very peculiar and bizarre creatures. Pirates who live on their own island, but also nobles who try to conquer the entire city. You must always be careful of the gargoyles that can take you from behind while you walk through its streets.

The city is extensively described to us, as well as a significant number of its notable inhabitants. Among the creatures that we can find in this crazy city are gargoyles, mermaids, ghouls, mine goblins and numerous other threats. The inhabitants that populate this city are diverse; there are the Wizards and Witches, the Patrons, the Gangs, the Guilds and the Pirates. But the Pirates, who populate the Perilous Island, are definitely my favorite.

The weather is marked by four typical seasons, the most important of which is the Rainy Season.

The city, which never remains dry or without a hint of fog, is made up of eight main districts where the sad city life goes on regularly. Perhaps because of the charm it exudes, the district I preferred was the Old Town. The threats that lurk in its alleys make it particularly evocative, providing interesting gameplay ideas. Always look up to make sure something doesn’t fall into your pocket!

Conclusions of the Review of A Visitor’s Guide to the Rainy City

In conclusion, I feel like saying that A Visitor’s Guide to the Rainy City is a truly valid and versatile product. A little gem to keep in the library even for collectors of captivating aesthetics. The quality of Nigredo Press products does not disappoint this time either. This does not mean that the contents are less, on the contrary. The peculiarity of the contents makes the manual perfect for building adventures full of wonder and charm.

I would recommend this manual to everyone. It is suitable for both the most experienced masters who want to add a little originality to the sessions, but also for novices who want unique game ideas.

The fact that it can be used with any roleplaying game makes it a truly great and versatile resource.

Are you ready to venture into this decadent world?

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