Like all 5Evo books, this starts with a comic. The comic presents the dark and dirty streets of London towards the end of the 19th century and how the Ripper has made it an even crueler place.
After the comic we're presented with the a Victorian London primer, ten locations in London's East End, and the scenario. An investigator recruits a group of scoundrels (the players) to investigate the Ripper murders. Unlike many scenarios, this doesn't have a totally definitive progression. Yes there are nine fixed encounters that happen in chronological order, but there are also fifteen random ones. These encounters are a mix of roleplaying, investigation, and combat. I think the authors found a clever way to include monsters in this real world adventure by statting up some hallucinations the party could face. I won't spoil the ending, but I like the final encounter and there are suggestions for follow-up adventures.
The locations are given nice detail and contain stat blocks and potential encounters. I'm particularly happy with location 9, Isaac & Company. Because I was a big supporter of the projects, there was a npc named after me. I am super thankful and honored for this. Justin Isaac runs the a goodes and pawn shop and is definitely not a fence. *wink wink, nudge nudge*
There is a page of Victorian weapons, equipment and their prices. The characters are created via archetypes, like the other 5Evo books. They are much weaker in power than previous books (being CR 1/2), but that works well within the setting.
The book ends with a calendar and map of the East End.
Just like the other 5Evo book, I loved this one! It's a fun short campaign that uses a great rule system in a new way. You can buy the pdf here. I definitely recommend using it as is, but you can also combine elements from it with others. If you'd like something like Gotham by Gaslight, you could mix it with Carbide City. Want to play Dracula, add some monsters from Tunnel of Terror.
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