A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Evocative City Sites: Bedlam Asylum

Evocative City Sites: Bedlam Asylum by Rob Manning is a role playing game supplement published by Rite Publishing for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.

This is a 26 page PDF that is available from DriveThruRPG for $2.96 but was purchased at a greatly reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the front cover, one the front matter, one page is the Open Game License and one page is an ad.

The content starts with maps of the ground and upper floor of the asylum, followed by the locations in-character description. In this description is a map of the basement floor. The asylum is not a pleasant place, and seems to concentrate more on abusing its residents than actually trying to treat them. None of the maps have keys.

Descriptions of two primary NPCs follow, each of whom has a secret, and then there are four adventure seeds.

Stats for the two major NPCs are then given, along with some brief details on a familiar. There are then stats for two more NPCs and a paragraph each on four inmates.

The final twelve pages of content have battlemaps for the various floors of the asylum.

Evocative City Sites: Bedlam Asylum in Review

The PDF is reasonably bookmarked with the major sections linked. Navigation is okay. The text maintains a two column black and white format and appeared to be almost free of errors. Other than the maps, there are some black and white stock images. Presentation is okay.

It is a shame that the locations on the maps are not fully described, instead much of them have to be inferred. So the asylum is not very well detailed. It is also a pretty much stereotypical portrayal of the worst type of insane asylum; patients who are effectively tortured, not cured, dubious staff, screams and other such. In other words, there is really nothing unique about this location. It is exactly what might be expected. Evocative City Sites: Bedlam Asylum is generally uninteresting location, in that it is so much what might be expected, and it can be found by clicking here.