Product Description
The first sourcebook detailing the central metropolis of the Eberron campaign setting.
Sharn: City of Towers illustrates and characterizes the most important city in the entire Eberron setting. The city of Sharn is a source of great intrigue and adventure on Eberron, making it the launching point for most campaigns and adventures. Sharn: City of Towers describes how Sharn looks and works, from power and politics to trade and commerce, and with four-color illustrations throughout. There are detailed geographical descriptions of every part of the city, with a complement of maps for visual reference. Monsters and villains prevalent in the city make an appearance, and there is detailed information on what characters can do and obtain in Sharn to improve their adventuring skills. Dungeon Masters will find a wealth of information on running campaigns in Sharn, and adventure hooks are provided for immediate gameplay.
Tikan @ 9:34 pm
I would agree with the other reviewers in that this book is an excellent buy but for it not having an index. Luckily, the author of the book, Keith Baker, has been putting together a detailed index on his website.
You can download it for free here:
http://www.bossythecow.com/sharnindex.htm
The NPC, Locations, Services, and Organizations sections have been put together with the rest, I believe, coming soon.
C. Richeson @ 12:16 am
If you’re looking for a highly detailed city book for an Eberron campaign you can’t go wrong here. Sharn provides endless outlets for adventure, from thieves guilds to corrupt officials to exotic and interesting locales in the city itself.
This setting book is focused almost exclusively on the city of Sharn itself, with only a brief discussion of the rest of Eberron and how it relates to Sharn politically and economically. Those who are looking for additional crunch – rules and Prestige Class – will be disappointed, though what is here is very well integrated with the city.
The bulk of the book breaks the city down into Districts and presents extensive information on these smaller sections of the city. Prominent businesses, guilds, NPCs, and other such information is presented. Politics, law and order, and life in Sharn each receive their own detailed chapter.
Eberron fans can’t pass this one up. While the information is only focused on the city of Sharn, the feel of the book is entirely Eberron.
Michael T. Schell @ 2:24 am
The first supplement for Eberron is a book of a major metropolis on the main continent. This is the suggested focal point of most adventures in Eberron. And what a focal point! This place is really well imagined from depths to the heights. Plenty to see and do in this place. Although parts of this is not for the kiddies so becareful of this. Brothels are mentioned, frequently, not to suggest this be the main focus of your stay here but those that have an itch to scratch have their choices. Although this is usually quickly mentioned and then the book moves along. At least one D20 modern critter is featured in the roach thrall although they shoved this buggy in the somewhat limited monster section. Sharn is apparently built on an area of Khorvaire that enhances levitation and flight magic so the sky is the limit is more ways than one. A history is given and a good sketch on how things are done is detailed as well. Beyond Eberron you’d have to figure out how make certain things work for it to be useful, but for the first actual supplement for the new setting of Eberron, this book is very good.
Robert Quinn @ 3:10 am
The content of this book is 5 stars, like the Eberron campaign setting itself. I’ve already started using the four criminal organizations, we’ve had a trip to the Silver Flame temple in Fallen, and I hope to contrast that with the corrupt but rich Silver Flame church in the Sovereign Towers. The Cogs and Sewers are next. There is more information than I will ever need on the many districts of the city, but it all helps to reinforce the whole feel of the Eberron setting.
Unfortunately, unless you have a photographic memory you’re going to have trouble bringing it all together since there’s no index. Even reading cover to cover there are a number of forward references with no quick way to look them up. Wondering who the Blackened Book is? Can’t remember who The Lady of the Plague is when she’s mentioned under The Children of Winter entry? Where does the secret head of the assassins live? Don’t count on quickly finding something in the middle of play. Combined with a small number of typos and mistakes a good editor should have caught, I have to give this book two to three stars.
This is the second time I’ve been disappointed by WotC’s choice to not include an index in a reference book. I know Keith Baker is putting together an index on his personal web site, but WotC should have included one from the beginning. If I hadn’t already been so taken by the Eberron setting I would have passed up this book in protest.
S. Kahadin @ 4:03 am
This book is only useful if you are a DM running an Eberron Champagn. If that describes you, then this book is a must have. Most modules, characters or general adventures start out in Sharn, the capital of Korrivare’s melting pot. It’s the onlt place really that anyone of any race and nation can meet up, without half of them being persicuted and hunted before you start. This book details down to every districe and level what Sharn is. It also provides NPCs, such as the Mayor of Sharn. This book also normalizes an important city, in that since you don’t need to invent it, the city’s integrity will run throughout your champagn and someone elses. Take note that this book is only background fluff. There are a few city maps, but other then that it’s purely information.
Also take note that the CD is poor at best.