In this review, we talk about the Master of Ceremonies Toolkit, a manual full of ideas, tips, tools, and much more to help you create and manage your own City of Mist sessions.
The handbook is published in English by Son of Oak Studio and in Italian by Isola Illyon Edizioni, which we thank for sending us a review copy. We suggest you follow Son of Oak Studio on their Facebook page, Instagram and their official website; also follow Isola Illyon Edizioni on their Facebook page, Instagram and their official website to discover many interesting products.
If you are interested in this manual, you can find it here at 44,95$ hard cover + PDF; otherwise you can buy here the only PDF at 19,95$.
New Edition
The manual proposed by Son of Oak is actually the reissue of the first edition; it was a volume of more than 500 pages that included both the part for the players and that for the Master Ceremonier. To facilitate readability, it was decided to divide it into two separate manuals. So in this one we will not find rules for PCs or the setting, but only material designed for those who lead the narrative. If you are interested in the Player’s Guide, you can find our review by clicking here, where there is also a link to buy it.
The division into two manuals did not negatively affect the quality, which in fact remains very high; various additions were made to illustrations and examples, enriching the original product. Surely for fans of City of Mist this is a product not to be missed.
Master of Ceremonies Toolkit Structure Review
The manual consists of 247 pages and is divided into 4 chapters full of content useful to the narrators:
- The first chapter includes everything you need to create and customize your own City, including what you need to generate Districts (and there are some premade ones).
- Then the second one explains how to create a Case (a session) and a Series (a campaign).
- The third chapter is a collection of NPCs, Adversaries, Dangers and much more to enrich your sessions.
- The fourth one is a pre-made adventure suitable for a one-shot.
At the beginning of each chapter there is a list of the various sections; they often also have a paragraph that summarizes their content.
The manual is clear and easy to consult; there are also many boxes dedicated to examples and insights. There are some typos, but on such a large amount of work it is understandable and do not compromise a pleasant reading.
When Comics Meets Noir
The artistic part of the Master of Ceremonies Toolkit requires a separate section of it in this review. I found this look fantastic! All the illustrations are beautiful and suitable for the context; in some places it seems like reading a noir comic like Sin City. But the entire graphic aspect of the manual is also well made; a set of neon, light and dark colors that alternate with precision creates an efficient layout; in short, a spectacle for the eyes.
A great point in favor is that the various examples and insights are positioned in boxes that stand out thanks to the choice of colors, thus allowing easy use; then the yellow highlighter for the keywords is an original touch and very appreciated.
Finally, I need to mention the beautiful pages organized exactly like a comic book, which perfectly convey the mood of the game and the setting. In short, already for the artistic side, it is a manual not to be missed.
Overview of the City’s Districts
The first chapter of the manual contains various indications on how to build the background of our adventures. All game sessions take place in the City but this one is different for each game group; we do not have a fixed map.
The mechanism used to create and personalize your city is that of the Districts; they are the places where the most important events happen and, as the manual says, everything else is unimportant.
We can find different archetypes of possible Districts; each of these are associated with possible NPCs, ideas and places of interest, all really interesting and exhaustive. For example we have the archetype of the City Center, identified as the hub of the City, and linked to it are for example Alice, avatar of Alice in Wonderland, and the VIP area known as Theatre Avenue.
In short, you can create your own, and in taking advantage of those offered by the manual. A huge source of creativity that makes me appreciate this manual!
Master of Ceremonies Toolkit Case Management Review
The second chapter is the largest in terms of content. In fact, the suggestions and tools for conducting a session and all the parts related to creating a Case (a session) or a Series (a campaign) are presented.
First of all we find the indications to conduct a session. The content ranges from tips on how to handle the opening scene to how to use cinematic storytelling tools to make the games more exciting and engaging. All this is also explained in a clear and simple way, making the text accessible to everyone.
Then we have many moves of the Master of Cerimonies, activable under certain conditions; they are very interesting and usable in many situations so as to prevent a session from stagnating.
Then we find everything you need to build a Case; the first step is the “Iceberg” method, ideal for writing intriguing and compelling adventures for any investigative RPG. It is based on the fact that each Case has a depth and this defines its complexity and how to divide scenes to get an exciting adventure. There are also a series of Steps to follow to structure and enrich the plot; even here there are examples and suggestions to help the narrators.
This chapter definitely confirms even more how this manual is a must buy for City of Mist MCs.
Dangers and NPCs in the City
In the third chapter we find the indications on how to create Dangers, Moves, Avatars and NPCs. In addition we find a huge cast of NPCs ready to exploit.
The dangers are all those elements that can hinder the PCs during their adventures; they can range from drunken people to epidemics. The rules to manage them are well made, simple and quick to use. Even here there is a lot of pre-made material, with its own statistics and moves. I appreciated very much that some were generic and others related to particular archetypes of the Districts, so as to make them more characterized and peculiar.
Moreover we find the rules to create Custom Moves for a specific Danger or NPC. For those who do not know PBTAs, Moves are particular actions that are activated under certain conditions; PCs can have their own as well as Dangers and Avatars. Here too the creative process is simple and full of examples.
At the end of the chapter we find a large collection of NPCs and Avatars; it is extremely convenient to have antagonists ready to be used in adrenaline-pumping and addictive series. All Avatars present have included their motivations and purposes, specific Dangers associated with them and their entire Organization with NPCs, Thugs and more.
Hard to be a City of Mist narrator and miss something!
Gambling with Death: An Exciting Case
At the end of the manual we find a Case ready to be played, an adventure inspired by Andersen’s The Nightingale. I’m referring to Death Wager.
The Case will see the PCs investigate a strange death that occurred in one of the most sumptuous casinos in the City. Being a Case of Depth 4 (on a scale of 1 to 5) is quite complex and articulated; it could last more than one session if players want to explore every detail.
The adventure is very addictive, includes various hooks for the characters and is not rigid, thus giving a lot of freedom of action. All NPCs are interesting and well-written, perfect for recreating the atmospheres of a noir novel or a black-and-white thriller.
It is also a great starting point for a series since it is linked to one of the Avatars present in the third chapter of the manual.
Conclusions of the Review of the Master of Ceremonies Toolkit
At the end of this review of Master of Ceremonies Toolkit, I can only say that it is an almost fundamental manual for the narrator. It has everything you could want and the contents are many and well presented. The artistic side is phenomenal.
As I said, this manual is more than recommended.