Many, many moons ago there was a boxed set for Robert Aspirin's Thieves World (Chaoseum) and some gaming supplements for the same setting (FASA, Chaoseum, Role Aids). These served (with some major alterations and the introduction of elements from Virgin's Conan of Cimmeria computer game) as the basis for my (then) game's Shadizar the Wicked.

Mongoose Publishing has managed to surpass my expectations, yet again, with their release of Shadizar - City of Wickedness for the Conan RPG.

The packaging sets the tone for exciting Hyborian adventure. Within are a poster sized map of Shadizar, character cards and counters, a 96 page Game Master's Guide, a 32 page Book of the Secrets, a 32 page Adventure Book and eight mini-maps of locales introduced in the Adventure Book. 

The Adventure Book takes characters on a jaunt through Dark Dens of Iniquity that crosses all level's of Shadizar's corrupt social structure. The objective: to foil the nefarious schemes of a seductive succubus. One can easily adapt The Coming of Hanuman (see review below) and The Stones of Kovag-Re (last issue) as follow-up adventures.

I was pleased to see stats and background info for wine-sodden King Tiridates, Abuletes the tavern keeper (who mixes potent Sultanapur Slings), Princess Jehnna from Conan the Destroyer, the Giant Bat from Marvel Comics's Conan the Barbarian and the Fire Drake from the Tor paperback Conan the Magnificent.

And there's much more, including a wealth of Zamoran customs and mores, a list of Zamoran names and a treatise on Hyborian Age politics and religion.

To say I really love this boxed set would be an understatement.