A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Urban Locale #13: Alchemist’s Laboratory

Urban Locale #13: Alchemist’s Laboratory by Robert Manson is a generic role playing game supplement published by Raging Swan Press.

The supplement is available as a 7-page PDF for $1.75 from DriveThruRPG but was purchased at a reduced price thanks to a special offer. The supplement comes in two versions, a plaintext file and a PDF. Two pages are the front and rear covers, two pages are ads and about half a page is the front matter and Contents.

Using this Urban Locale is a standard piece explaining how to use the lists and what each list covers. This is followed by a brief paragraph on alchemists and their laboratories, then the d10 lists.

1: The Alchemist’s Laboratory has ten laboratories with their names, a brief description and the alchemist, with their name, alignment, species, sex and age, if the last is relevant, except for the last which is in ruins and lacks an alchemist.

2: Major Locale Features has ten larger features which can make a difference to the overall construction.

3: Minor Locale Features is similar but covers more minor features.

4: What’s Going On? has ten events that can be happening.

5: Other Folk has ten NPCs who might be encountered, with names, brief descriptions, alignment, sex, species and age if relevant.

6: What’s for Sale? has ten items that could be bought.

Urban Locale #13: Alchemist’s Laboratory in Review

The PDF is bookmarked with the various sections linked. The Contents is to a similar level of depth and is hyperlinked. Navigation is good. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be almost free of errors. There are no illustrations. Presentation is adequate.

Alchemists are a location that might be visited by characters; sadly, this is a field that’s not that well covered in D&D and derived games, with the alchemists being less useful. However, characters may end up visiting and buying something from one of the alchemists, though the ruined one feels more appropriate to Derelict Building. Urban Locale #13: Alchemist’s Laboratory can be found by clicking here.