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The Bluffside PDF has not been updated to 3.5 nor has any new material been added to it. It does however contain all the errata that has been collected to date so the few errors of the original print book have been fixed. The cover art is by Paul Chapman and is a picture of the city. It shows the mountains that surround the city, the river, waterfall and cliff the city sits on and beside, as well as the different individual sections of the city itself. Many of the more prominent buildings are easily identifiable as well. The interior art is all black and white and well done. The maps however are a little difficult to read. They are available for free download at the Mystic Eye Games website and the ones they have there are a lot more crisp. So, while downloading them from a separate site might be a little inconvenient it is easy to do and well worth the effort. The layout of the book is very well done. The dual column format is a very easy to read and even more importantly easy on the eyes. There is not an abundance of white space and at the same time the pages do not seem crowded.
One of the great things about PDFs is the inclusion of the bookmark ability. Bookmarks are basically a linked index that is at the side of the PDF. It can be closed so that the PDF fills the screen, or opened to allow one to glance down the list to find what one is looking for. Then a simple click on the link and the PDF goes directly to that section. The Bluffside PDF has one of the most complete set of Bookmarks that I have seen. They have them listed by chapter. One can open up all the bookmarks in an individual chapter at a time so they are not overwhelming.
Bluffside starts with the introductory chapter. In here it explains the city is dividing into eight districts, it explains about the places of interests (POI) and how they include NPCs and hooks for using each place described, as well as talking a little about the religions and the areas around Bluffside. Now the POIs are really great. There are over a hundred described and each is its own place with unique NPCs and plot hooks. Many of them are tied together and can easily lead characters from one place to another as the characters explore this vast city. The POIs are easy to use and filled with great ideas. For me they offer the core material for Bluffside and make sure that it is near impossible to run out of ideas here.
The second chapter deals with the rich and mysterious history of Bluffside. The city is on the remains of a much older city and there are many mysteries about who these original people were. It explains a few key buildings that are still around and not fully understood by the inhabitants of Bluffside. It mentions the great adamantium mines that are found in the mountains nearby and the goblin wars and the chaos that brought to the fair city. There is a nice little timeline and even a brief description of the cliff divers. They are a small organizations that dives from the cliffs. They are stunt men and women who risk their lives for a brief thrill.
Chapter three really starts to get into the going ons of the city. It is here that the many different groups the lobby for power in the city can be found. Groups like the Adamantine Security council who is in charge of the mining and smelting of the precious ore, the Five a group of very important citizens and the actually rulers of the city, and the Wizards Council. There are more groups in the busy city of Bluffside but these three are by far the most important and the most widespread.
The fourth chapter goes into the Old City district first. It is here that all the power players seem to come from. This place is full of money and important people. It has a rich history and is not well thought of by the rest of the city. It is also a place that few people are allowed in. There are many plots going on behind the scenes described in the more then abundant POIs of this area. There is also the Miners District, Temple District, Military District, Wizard District, and New City District. Each is brilliantly described and filled with rich POIs. Each district could actually be removed and used as its very own city with out the rest of Bluffside.
The fifth chapter goes into the city beneath the city. The Undercity is a maze of sewers, tunnels, and even a few places of business. The Undercity has a unique history with many places for adventures as well as exploration. There are dangers of the monstrous variety as well as more mundane things like traps and diseases. Many of Bluffsides mysteries can be found here and lucky group of adventurers might even find a way to learn something about them.
Chapter six covers Sordadon. This is the district that floats in the water below the cliffs. It is hear the boats dock and most of the merchandise goes through. It has a different feel then the other districts being literally on the water. There is plenty to do here and much danger to be found. As always the POIs are numerous and intriguing.
The seventh chapter deals with the many guilds that can be found in Bluffside. There is a guild for adventures and explorers, archeologists, traders, and miners. The guilds serve a few purposes and characters would benefit from using them.
The eighth chapter deals with the secret societies of Bluffside. There are many to be found. Some are based on adventure while others are more based in religion.
Chapter nine is about and deals with the areas around Bluffside. There is a map that shows Bluffside and the lands many hundreds of miles inland. There is plenty of info to take characters farther inland and to have many adventures there. The POIs are used and as can be expected to a great effect.
The tenth chapter deals with the many, many religions of Bluffside. There is a pantheon listed with gods and their domains. It would be fairly easy to bring in gods from elsewhere instead of these or alongside these. The gods are well described and there are little articles about a few of the debates that seem to always crop up in the Religion Distinct
The book from here goes to the appendixes. The first one is a complete list of all the NPCs mentioned. Each NPC is giving a full stat block making them very easy to use. It is impressive that they stated all the NPCs as there are at least a hundred in this book. That cannot have been a fun task.
The next few appendixes are very useful. The second lists a few new creatures that can be encountered in Bluffside. The third is stat blocks for the many different tyopes of gaurs one is likely to run into during a stay in the city. The fourth appendix lists some new races that can be encounter in and around the lands of Bluffside. The Dragori for instance are a race of reptilian humanoids from a vast and old empire in the Dragon Sands, a vast desert near Bluffside. Next, the book goes into prestige classes. The first is the Bluffside Mountain Ranger. They explore the mountains around Bluffside and make sure goblin raids and attacks do not happen. The cat burglar is a thief extraordinaire that may stalk his prey for months before the right time to strike comes. Explorers prefer to go to places civilization has yet to reach and blaze trails for others to follow. The Tunnel Fighter goes below the city of Bluffside to operate in the many tunnels, sewers, and caves. The next appendix covers a variety of new spells. Many are utility spells like Detect Ore and Improved Scribe. New equipment covers the next appendix and it lists many special pieces that are used for exploration and mining as well as many of the other activities Bluffside provides. Lastly we have new magical items, feats, and domains.
The Bluffside book is filled to the brim with information and intrigue. The city is truly alive and has a great history filled with mystery and adventure. The POIs are truly inventive and provide heaps of information and ideas for any Dungeon Master. Bluffside is a one of the best cities to ever come from a Role Playing Game.
<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>
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