This review is possible thank to Dragon Turtle Games that sent us a digital copy of Carbon 2185 Cities Sourcebook. It is a supplement for Carbon 2185 that focus on three metropolis: London, Manhattan and Tokyo. It’s a setting book that presents in details these three places. Carbon 2185 is a cyberpunk roleplaying game based on an adapted version of the D&D5e system. If you want more informations you can find a previous review of the corebook on our site.
The PDF is available for purchasing on the Dragon Turtle Games store for about €23.
What you Need to Know Before Reading Carbon 2185 Cities Sourcebook Review
Carbon 2185 is a classic cyberpunk game. There are typical elements like cyber enhancements, pollution, wealth and power in the hands of megacorporations. It’s all the result of a dystopian future, disconnected from ours starting from 2019. We are talking about the destruction of the climate balance, the search for resources outside the planet and the rise of the corporations that have replaced governments in the control of the countries. There is also no shortage of artificial intelligences and androids.
A Tale of Three Cities
The structure of the manual is the same for each of the three cities. We start with the basics, which deal with the city in general and then focus on aesthetics, culture, languages and a timeline. Then we focus on the inhabitants. This part features a lot of character options, from backgrounds and origins to equipment and vehicles. The third part focuses on the city in detail, describing its areas or districts in more detail. Finally, the economy, the engine of the world and of adventures, is treated, plus other additional content. The closure is entrusted to a map that gives little satisfaction, but on the other hand I don’t think it was possible to do much more.
The manual ends with The Long Night, an introductory adventure set in Tokyo Mega consisting of six mini adventures. Each of them reveals a side of life in the metropolis. They satisfy from an immersive point of view, but I would have expanded the contents, which unfortunately end too soon.
Review of the Contents of Carbon 2185 Cities Sourcebook
The contents of this supplement are a diverse kaleidoscope of information. I note with pleasure the attempt to combine the pre-existing culture and peculiarities of the cities with originality and the right push towards a punk drift. London has a kind of monarchy and there is an air of rebellion. Manhattan looks like a futuristic Versailles where an elitarian Neuvelle Regime feeds of light and shines on the darkness on which it stands. Tokyo has struggled and struggle between tradition and innovation, between isolationism and change.
Corporations, gangs and districts are many and have a limited space. Some are little more than lists, others have small paragraphs but full of ideas. It is really fun to read the allusions, references and creative inventions that fill the pages. The timelines occupy an excellent space that is more than deserved. They help to understand the path of the metropolis in the almost two centuries that separate us from 2185.
Some extra content, prominent characters, slang dictionaries and more embellish the presentation of each city. The character options are a bonus to understanding the population and give players a chance to better customize their roleplaying alter ego.
Art e Layout
As it can be seen from the images in this review, Cities Sourcebook shows complete continuity with the basic manual of Carbon 2185. Double column layout with a rather large font. Absolute simplicity and practicality with pages almost all in black and white.
The few illustrations present are very beautiful, impactful and particularly immersive.
Final Considerations of the Review of Carbon 2185 Cities Sourcebook
This supplement is obviously closely linked to the use of the corebook of Carbon 2185. That manual only reported one place, the futuristic metropolis of San Francisco. The addition of three cities described with inventiveness and abundance of ideas generates a great variety of possibilities and stimulates and enhances the game.
Cities Sourcebook is an excellent completion that gives breadth and depth to Carbon 2185.