With thanks to the folks at Chaosium I’ve been spending some time getting to grips with the Rivers of London Tabletop RPG. As a fan of Ben Aaronovitch’s series I’ve been quite excited to get to grips with things here, finding out how this new system works and (importantly) if it works well when you put it down on the table.
Below you can find my brief run down of the Rivers of London TTRPG. This includes an overview of the game, as well as my four-point rating for gameplay, visuals, accessibility, and narrative. If you have any questions on the system or our experience with the game, do get them in the comments here or on your favourite social media platform.
You can keep us ad-free here by subscribing over on Twitch, where you’ll get ad-free viewing, emotes and access to our subscriber-only area on Discord
The Basics – What is the Rivers of London TTRPG About?
The Rivers of London TTRPG provides GMs and players with all they need to hold their very own paranormal investigations in the beating heart of London (or any other location, really). It is based within the universe of Ben Aaronovitch’s best-selling series of (at the time of writing) nine main books and more novellas and short stories.
For the uninitiated, the novels centre around PC Peter Grant, who is soon inducted into the Metropolitan Police Service’s special magic branch at The Folly. Players will take the role of Investigators, new recruits at the Folly who will be tasked with looking into reports of crimes involving the series’ Newtonian magic.
The TTRPG provides a good backstory for those who are not acquainted with the Rivers of London Universe. This includes a fairly comprehensive run down of Newtonian magic, known settings and how things work within our new play area. In addition, it also provides some good detail on how criminal investigations and policing within London are typically carried out, as well.
All of this provides a solid backdrop for players, alongside other bits and pieces that you should expect from a TTRPG, rules, character sheets, creation and play mechanics and much more. This also includes advice for Game Moderators. As well as general TTRPG advice from game creators, there are 12 pages dedicated to GM hints including tone of play, running and pacing for games, use of technology and dealing with the unexpected (including potential player issues).
The base game also provides a self-guided introductory adventure to get players used to the mechanics, and an additional standalone adventure, The Bookshop. While the book has all you need to make your own characters and settings, it also provides a number of handouts, including maps, pre-made characters and witness statements for the included adventures.
The Run Down – My Five-Point Rating for the Rivers of London TTRPG
Gameplay – 4: The team have done a fantastic job at bringing Aaronovitch’s novels to a TTRPG setting. Gameplay may be a little familiar for some experienced players (based on the Basic Roleplaying System), but it really works, and manages to translate concepts from the books well. GM’s should have everything they need to make players feel part of the action, as well as providing help for those new to GMing as well.
Visuals – 4: The build and printing quality of the hard-copy book is fantastic. I’m not hugely enamoured with the simpler character portraits here, but the larger images and maps are wonderful and manage to keep the novels’ characters and humour alive.
Accessibility – 5: The Rivers of London TTRPG is a great system for bringing new players into the TTRPG world. It will be familiar to any regular Chaosium players (looking at you, Cthulu) as well as provide an understandable in-road for those who have never played before. The book includes great tutorials for players and GMs alike, and as long as you’re paying attention, will turn the greenest hand into a seasoned Folly Investigator.
Narrative – 5: There are two stories included within the base TTRPG rule book. This includes a “getting to know you” solo adventure, as well as a wider standalone plot to help players get used to the system. Both have a solid story, and while the emphasis has been on learning, it all benefits from Aaronovitch’s expertise and guidance.
The Verdict – Is Rivers of London TTRPG Worth It?
Overall my Pixel Bandits Nightingale Level for Rivers of London TTRPG is an outstanding 9/10. The Rivers of London TTRPG manages to walk the fine line between welcoming newcomers to TTRPGs and delivering for franchise fans. I’ve loved the additional short fiction, as well as the “official” map of the Folly, even before getting into the system itself.
Using the Basic Roleplay System as a base, this is going to be one which is very familiar for anybody who has dipped into Call of Cthulu or Runequest, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Newtonian Magic in real world london, and the great detail on typical police procedurals, will give GMs lots to be getting along with.
Guidance from game creators and Aaronotivtch himself should ensure that everybody can start the game confidently, and grow from there. While I think it will definitely help to know the book series, as long as you are open to the idea of magic in modern day London, it’s one which everybody will be able to get along with.
As ever, to provide my review I received a free copy of the Rivers of London TTRPG from the folks at Chaosium.
