Free Role Playing Game Supplement Review: FT – Earldom of Curwood

FT – Earldom of Curwood is a free role playing game supplement published by Adventures in Filbar. The supplement is in the FT range, number 26 in the series, which primarily cover urban locations. Curwood is a town in the Duchy of Bast in the original setting, which is primarily aimed at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and AD&D 2nd Edition systems.

This is a sixteen page supplement, of which the first is the front cover in the new design. This is in a different colour to previous supplements, with the grey intending to denote that this is a free offering. The cover has part of an area map on it, which would appear to have been done in Hexographer from Inkwell Ideas. Although Curwood is not labelled by name on the map, it is present and its location can be discerned. Around two thirds of a page are a labelled map of the city, which would appear to have been done in RPG Citymap Generator. One page has two images, one a photograph, the other computer generated and possibly from a game, which are intended to denote areas of the city.

Slightly over one page then gives a history of the city of Curwood and the Earldom; the rest of the supplement details 33 locations on the city’s map. Each location has its name in the majority of cases (including one called IKEA) or just the description of what it is in a few, as well as the name of the primary non-player character occupant. Further details are then provided on each location, such as services, other people, some relationships with other businesses and what can be purchased there. The Caravan Masters, an important trading organisation in Filbar, also have a representative in the city.

One of the NPCs has information on the Codex of Gamber Dauch. Curwood is also the starting point for one of the adventures in that quest series, FQ8 – Uprising of the Undead.

The supplement has a single column layout with only a few errors noted. The city map looks, as mentioned, to have been done with the free RPG Citymap Generator software, rather than being done in the newer software of more recent supplements, suggesting that the town had been developed some time before.

Each described location in the city is nicely fleshed out, with quite a few potential adventure hooks as well as services that can be provided. There are some buildings in the city that haven’t been detailed which could be further detailed by the GameMaster. Although the supplement is intended for AD&D and AD&D 2nd Edition, it is free of stats and is therefore system-neutral in nature. The city could also be dropped into most fantasy settings without too much trouble. This is a useful small city for any GM, and is covered in more detail than some recent entries in the FT series. FT – Earldom of Curwood is free, so click here to get it.