I have it.  My brother was running games out CSWE many years ago and I picked it up as a companion setting for him to use.  We never actually used it.  I thumbed through it, but it has been so long I can't remember much.  I'll pull it out of storage and give you a quick impression.  I have recently pulled out the two adventures that were written as companion pieces for it and I can safely say they were not my cup of tea.  Frankly they were a waste of money.

James,

Here is an old thread from the Necromancer forum where it was being kicked around and the author chimes in with an explanation/defence:

http://necromancergames.yuku.com/topic/7314

Here is a search of all its mentions on the Necromancer forum:

http://necromancergames.yuku.com/search ... Search+All

OK...now I have Tarracina Port.

I have to say, at first glance, it appears to be pretty...good.  

I think anyone here ought to contact Kent Krumvieda and snap up copies while they are available.

More thoughts when I have read more....

I am reading through Tarracina Port.  

My copy is #897 of 1000.

First Thought:  

It fits well with the Judges Guild items it was designed to match.  A large, interesting and simple city map, combined with simple and short descriptions of each location, puts this project about on a par with City State of the Invincible Overlord, only not quite as solid.  (I can't think of a better word than "solid"...the feeling that the people described might exist, if on a sillier world than our own.)  

The charming use of anachronism is also a part of the Judges Guild heritage.  Tarracina Port is set in a medieval world that mixes ancient Greek city states, vikings, Amazons, 16th century pirates, printing presses (one NPC pays for juicy rumors for his tabloid), bardic universities, Norse priests acting like Catholics (The Temple of Odin is an excellent sketch from a tourist brochure of the Cathedral of Notre Dame), jewelers named "Goldstein," the Elder Gods, a monastary shaped like the donjon of Osaka Castle and notions and deities lifted directly from The World of Greyhawk.

There is also the fun mix of names and archetypes from a jumble of Earth languages and cultures along with a sort of psuedo-Tolkien Elvish.  For instance, the city is ruled by Shah Abdul Nazzarr.  His palace is guarded by a fighter named Grisco.  A list of members of the royal household  includes Shah Abdul, Sandov, Reena, Giesey, Vondak, Radak, Kigeri, Azuchi, Meiji, Osmonson, Quinlan, Rusczyk, Shega and Weyer.

Statistics are provided for many of the NPC's, written out in standard columns, like the stats in later Judges Guild Universal Role-playing System publications...although the actual stats are AD&D.

Second Thought:

There are a couple of things that could have been left out.  For example, a wedding ceremony conducted by priests of Odin with lines like...

Bride:  Plow my vulva, man of my heart! (Priest now bathes Bride in Holy Oil)

That is not the most outrageous line.  It might be authentic or something.  Probably could have been left out.

Third Thought:

The maps and artwork are sort of cheerfully scattered throughout the publication.  Some of them are good.  Some not.  Many are located near the written description.  Some seem incomplete or not fully thought-out.  It is, in fact, exactly like Judges Guild.  Not all of the pictures printed dark enough...a hazard of semi-professional printing.

Fourth Thought:

There are some wonderful gamerisms...such as a description of the behavioral conditioning process of "negative reinforcement," described exactly backwards.  The decorations on the outside of the Temple of Freya are "frescos."  These sorts of misconceptions and urban legends were common in gaming publications of the old days, when we were all just really smart kids.  Remember the story about the person who was hypnotized to believe that a cigarette was burning his hand...and the burn actually appeared?


Fifth Thought:

Don't think I am making fun of Tarracina Port.  I AM NOT.  This is a very interesting gaming time capsule...right back to the old days of gaming in between football practice and church youth group.  It should be really familiar to fans of OD&D because it is roughly of the same quality as old modules like Temple of the Frog, from Blackmoor.  A DM could do worse as a base for his campaign.

Who couldn't love a publication which makes it possible to visit places like The Temple of Onyx:  "Immediately off Port Center a black temple of polished black onyx stands.  It is named the temple of onyx because that is what it is made of and no one knows what is worshipped here."

How about a visit to the shop of a magician named Flynt: "Adjacent to his shop, Flynt has a small keep with only one entrance which is located in his shop.  Flynt's familiar is a weasel by the name of Squeeker. (CKT-+4, RT-~00)"

Thought Six:

The city map...which is...big...is the heart of the publication.  The map looks just like the picture posted online, only in a size large enough to lay out on most of a dining room table.  There are enough sources of story hooks and inspiration just on the map to make Tarracina Port worth $25.

Thought Seven:

They ougtha publish this silly gem.  Slap the name Judges Guild on it and put this baby on the market for 4.0.

mbassoc2003 wrote:Okay.. In a nutshell.. Is this product in any way associated with Judges Guild, or is it just being discussed on this forum by chance? I haven't ever drawn a link between Judges Guild and Kent Krumveda. Is ther one?

Tarracina Port is a privately published city state for the Wilderlands setting.

Its not for the Wilderlands, but a general setting, though it is based off of the small bit of information for Targnol Port in the CSWE.

ShaneG.

Tarracina Port is not a Judges Guild product.  

However, it was obviously written in direct imitation of the Judges Guild style.

It might as well be a city state in the Wilderlands.

Thought Eight:

If Kent Krumvieda had splurged a bit to print the cover of Tarracina Port on parchment type paper.....Acaeum members would be bidding $350 to own a copy.

jamesmishler wrote:Does anyone here have that Tarracina Port product?

If so, is it any good? I've considered picking it up for some time, but have never seen a review of it...

James,

I have a copy of this unofficial, privately-published Wilderlands city-state.  I could bring it along to LGGC with me if you'd still like to look it over during the con.  

tacojohn4547

jamesmishler wrote:
That would be great and much appreciated!

With the way the schedule is filling up, I dunno when I'll have time to look through it! I'll probably get more gaming in at LGGC than I have at the last five Gen Cons I've attended.

Will do and you're welome.  

If you're really interested in looking it over in greater depth, you could probably borrow my copy and take it home for a while. It's not like I'm using it right now anyway.  One way or another, we'll figure something out.  

As an FYI, here is a link to Kevin Krumvieda's Tarracina Port website:

http://www.dreamborn.com/p_tport.html


Ditto for me on the "playing" aspect of LGGC.  Probably more playing (not as DM) in store than I've done in the past 3 years combined, including the conventions I've attended.