Giant Sized Buildings in the City of Brass

[Negflar2099]

So my PCs are about to embark on a series of quests in the City of Brass and I have a few questions about the city that I can't seem to find answers to. I've checked the wiki, I've looked the city up on reddit and I've read about it in the Manual of the Planes, but I still can't get an answer. How large do you think the buildings in the City of Brass should be?

I ask because Efreeti (the primary inhabitants of the city) are all large size. So are Salamanders (the Efreet's primary slave race and all around guardians). A city designed by and for large-sized creatures should feature large-sized everything else, shouldn't it? And yet every description I've read of the city seems to describe it as ordinary sized buildings, but that doesn't make sense.

I'm also worried about how my PCs are going to get around. I can't imagine trying to navigate the bustling, crowded streets of a major city (not to mention a major city for the entire multiverse) when the roads and buildings are all designed for creatures 12 to 15 feet tall. By all rights it should be like navigating a city full of elephants. How would they not get stomped to peanut butter?

It does say the City of Brass does business with creatures across the planes and most creatures are medium, so I would imagine that they would make allowances for medium-sized creatures. But then again we're talking about the Efreeti, who aren't exactly accommodating by nature. I could easily see them not caring how other creatures are going to get by in their city. That's the little guy's problem, isn't it?

Any thoughts on this? Thanks.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'm also worried about how my PCs are going to get around. I can't imagine trying to navigate the bustling, crowded streets of a major city (not to mention a major city for the entire multiverse) when the roads and buildings are all designed for creatures 12 to 15 feet tall. By all rights it should be like navigating a city full of elephants. How would they not get stomped to peanut butter?

Now the humans & elves in the party will know how the halflings & gnomes have felt all this time. ;P

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Efreeti fly as well. I would add some architecture that takes this into mind.

 

[Ancalagon]

If it's a cosmopolitan city there will be amenities for different sized folks.

Personally I would be more worried about burning alive...

 

[jaelis]

If it's a cosmopolitan city there will be amenities for different sized folks.

Also many slaves of different sizes and abilities.

Pretty much a good reason for a DM to design any particular building in the way that seems most interesting!

 

[Negflar2099]

Thank you all. This is very helpful.

 

[Quickleaf]

So my PCs are about to embark on a series of quests in the City of Brass and I have a few questions about the city that I can't seem to find answers to. I've checked the wiki, I've looked the city up on reddit and I've read about it in the Manual of the Planes, but I still can't get an answer. How large do you think the buildings in the City of Brass should be?

I ask because Efreeti (the primary inhabitants of the city) are all large size. So are Salamanders (the Efreet's primary slave race and all around guardians). A city designed by and for large-sized creatures should feature large-sized everything else, shouldn't it? And yet every description I've read of the city seems to describe it as ordinary sized buildings, but that doesn't make sense.

I'm also worried about how my PCs are going to get around. I can't imagine trying to navigate the bustling, crowded streets of a major city (not to mention a major city for the entire multiverse) when the roads and buildings are all designed for creatures 12 to 15 feet tall. By all rights it should be like navigating a city full of elephants. How would they not get stomped to peanut butter?

It does say the City of Brass does business with creatures across the planes and most creatures are medium, so I would imagine that they would make allowances for medium-sized creatures. But then again we're talking about the Efreeti, who aren't exactly accommodating by nature. I could easily see them not caring how other creatures are going to get by in their city. That's the little guy's problem, isn't it?

Any thoughts on this? Thanks.

The City of Brass has always been depicted as having different quarters. There was one in Secrets of the Lamp where efreet competed in a race astride nightmares. Not sure where you got 12-15 feet from, but there's no precise height listed for efreet in the 5e MM or in the AD&D MM. Personally, I'd put them closer to 9-12 feet.

And there's one very good reason (asides from sections of city designed for human-sized folk) that Medium and smaller creatures wouldn't get "stomped to peanut butter": Slaves are treated as property, and sometimes valuable property. You don't want to risk angering a malik or vizier and have to make reparations, all the moreso if it's a political rival whose valet you've trampled!

When I've run the City of Brass, I like to play up the different quarters. So the more organized & prominent ones where races mix have elevated sidewalks for humans. This mirrors some real-world city design in rainy places without/before paved roads where streets could become a flowing cesspool of horse/chicken/goat/pig/human manure. I imagine these as 3-4 feet above the boulevards, with steep stairs down/up when crossing intersections, and stone footbridges over any lava canals.

Also, beasts of burden adapted to the Plane of Fire should be present and used by human-sized folks; things like giant striders, albino fire-resistant camels, massive fire beetles, a variety of figurines of wondrous power, etc.

 

[dave2008]

Large sized. In 2e they are 12' tall. Given their nature I would assume most structures accommodate them first and foremost. Perhaps make certain things (like stairs) difficult terrain? Increase the DC to open doors (+5 maybe) etc. It is the little things that add flavor to a place and make it more immersive, IMO

 

[dave2008]

Not sure where you got 12-15 feet from, but there's no precise height listed for efreet in the 5e MM or in the AD&D MM. Personally, I'd put them closer to 9-12 feet.

I don't have the 1e MM in front of me, but the 2e Monstrous Compendium list them as 12'. I seem them as basically humans x2, so 11-13' seems reasonable.

 

[LordEntrails]

When I've designed things for large or giant size inhabitants that have medium or small sized slaves, things are... relative (?).

The main rooms, stairs and all that are for large or giant size creatures. But the slaves quarters, back passages and stairs often are medium size.

Giant sized staircases might have giant sized stairs, but along one edge or the other they might have double step or small steps to accommodate the slave, valet, or servant (or again, they might not).