Port Cities

[zagorm]

Here's a template and an example of what I am talking about. ......

I agree with Mighty Halfling - very cool template. Maybe we should cooperate? You give your description and The Forge crew will illustrate it and publish as free PDF on www.theforge.pl
If you are interested give me PM or email me (maciek@theforge.pl)

Regards Z

 

[Tarsus]

To answer KMageau

The goal is to produce a publishable (book) product. Will it materialize? Who knows. I intend on giving it my best effort and go from there, if no one wants to publish it, it will likely become a PDF.

 

[Trolls Den]

To One and All

Well, I'll have to admit, I didn't expect THIS much of a reply from everyone. Tarsus and I have been working on this, mostly just talking about it as the project is QUITE large and we were trying to decide how best to progress with it.

Tarsus and I both want to create this monster from the ground up and I think our vision is to have people come up with shops/places of interest that appeal to them, might be fun, etc. that we can add to this monster as it will be larger than those port cities Tarsus originally mentioned ... i.e. we have plenty of room for all kinds of places. The more the merrier.

Perhaps Tarsus should give up the information we're working on as a base ... the size of the city and the general view of it from above. Actually ... he might be waiting on me to say something.

 

[KMageau]

I am interested in helping out and contributing in whatever small way I can. I have many ideas floating around in me 'ol mellon just waiting to come out.

I would like to have some background information about the city. Things such as population, demographics, political system, general attitudes of the citizens. This information could provide me valuable information I can use to add credibility to some aspect of my contribution.

If you don't want to freely post your conceptual ideas you could email them to me. let me know.

 

[Tarsus]

My Que

Troll is right, let's get a little more information about this project so you guys will have a better vision of it. The port city is actually 2 metropolis sized coastal cities separated by the mouth of a large river. The half on the northern side of the river was the original city and is around 400 years older than the southern expanse. The north is home to approximately 48,100 citizens, while the south has approximately 46,000. The plan is to define around 150 shops on each side of the river, providing enough information to carry a campaign yet leaving plenty of places undefined to allow the DM to fill in the blanks (if they so chose) and mold it to their campaign world. Both north and south "halves" will be broken into districts and each district will have a detailed map locating the shops defined within that district. Please feel free to ask questions or make suggestions, we fully understand that the 2 of us focused closely on this will not be able to "see" as many details as 100 people viewing from a distance. Thanks again for all the responses so far!

BTW, if any of you would like to contribute, send me an e-mail at scraven@tmecorp.com

 

[Tarsus]

Update

In light of Zagorm's offer, we have decided to accept and provide this as a free PDF if we can get enough responses and aid to complete this project. Feel free to add any shops here or contact me if you would like to participate.

 

[Incenjucar]

Hrmn.. what sort of cultures are you looking for, exactly? And what level of detail? (I have a tendancy to do research for my locations: I've been reading about tin mining lately for it, heh.)

 

[Trolls Den]

The Port City

I'm going to help out Tarsus a bit ... he's not got all the information you need on the city posted just yet.

[The port city is actually 2 metropolis sized coastal cities separated by the mouth of a large river. The half on the northern side of the river was the original city and is around 400 years older than the southern expanse. The north is home to approximately 48,100 citizens, while the south has approximately 46,000.]

Yes, it will be 2 metropolis-sized coastal cities separated by the mouth of a large river. I could go in-depth here, but you guys are just looking for the general discription, so it would be more prudent to state that the metropolis' are separated by the mouth of a large river that is actually two rivers converging in one large spanse of river that empties into the bay. I say this because part of the city will also be on the land mass split by the two rivers converging into one. I intended to have three large bridges spanning the river(s) ... one from the south to the middle part, one from the middle part to the north, and one spanning over the largest part of the river (after the two converged into one) that goes from south to north.

This port city has become more of my baby than his (he does the cad work, I do the creative work) as I've done some DM'ing in a campaign of my own creation dealing only in Thieves (Campaign of Thieves) that primarily took place only in one large city. I have several 'ideas' for this port city, which brings me to the next topic to cover ...

NPC's!!!!! Come one ... Come all ... We are sweetening the pot that is this port city. Tarsus and I realized that not only will we need help with all the shops in this metropolis squared, but the opportunity for NPC's is endless. I personally have several characters lying around the office (retired high and low level freaks) collecting dust and having nothing better to do, so I'm kicking them into this port city for whatever NPC needs we have. I believe Tarsus is doing the same.

So, if those wanting to participate would like to add to the NPC pool, submit your characters (mostly human and demi-human preferred but all will be considered) with the standard information (gear, motives, traits, etc.), in stat blocks if possible (PCGEN style) and we'll work them in as the opportunities present themselves.

 

[Trolls Den]

To KMageau

I am interested in helping out and contributing in whatever small way I can. I have many ideas floating around in me 'ol mellon just waiting to come out.

I would like to have some background information about the city. Things such as population, demographics, political system, general attitudes of the citizens. This information could provide me valuable information I can use to add credibility to some aspect of my contribution.

If you don't want to freely post your conceptual ideas you could email them to me. let me know.

As far as a political system and general attitudes of the citizens, I believe Tarsus and I agreed on this port city being ruled by one ... not necessarily a King as its not entirely a kingdom, but it is within the walls ... we haven't really named this person yet nor 'ranked' him (king, prince, duke, baron, etc.), but the general idea is to be ruled by one. Quite possibly, this port city will just be a Free City ... not 'ruled' by any king and the such, but overseen by one who rules only within the walls.

The attitude of the people is generally good-hearted and in good nature. In our own personal campaign Tarsus and I run, things everywhere are tipping the scales more toward Chaotic Neutral in general society than 'good'. Although the port city won't be a haven for all good and no evil, evil isn't exactly heralded about and its citizens will work more against evil than against good. Tarsus .. step in here if I've gone astray from the general plan on the city in this regard ... I'm pretty sure that's what we decided, but it's been awhile since we discussed it in depth.

 

[Incenjucar]

Just to see if you're looking for these sorts of NPCs, I've been dabbling with the following:

Gramm Pluckapple, the Baker: Gramm's a large man nearing his sixties, and showing his age, but in a jolly fashion. His thick white beard seems to be where most of the hair on his head went, except for a small top-knot that looks like it would belong on an old genie. (Think sad-eyed looking Santa Claus looking fellow in a baker's apron). Gramm is something of a simpleton (Int 8 at his age), but he's a wise old soul with a big heart (NG, Wis 16). While most don't know much about him other than he makes decent, if not overly-fancy cookies (Expert 2), some also know that he has strange dreams that often 'come true', but which are so obscure that they don't reveal their meaning until it's too late. He's also been known to heal injured children and animals with just a gentle touch (Adept 2), one each of which are his constant companions. On his shoulder, his pet (and, unknown to him, Familiar), a mouse named "Crumbs", and often on his other, a very young, and very very bright kobold named Orange (after Gramm's favorite muffin flavor), who adopted Gramm as a father (Gramm just went with it).

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Molly and Jill: Molly is a young girl with a very clean face, and very worn out clothes, who sells flowers, and lives in the alleys. She gives a tithe to the local temple, just enough to survive to herself, and the rest to her mother, Jill, who spends her evenings trying to make enough money to satisfy her pimp (the sole reason that Molly has no siblings is that the pimp left a nice big knife scar that, not quite killing her, made her unable to carry a child for longer than a trimester). Jill is a loving, doting mother, when she has the energy and isn't in too much pain to move, and does her best to make sure that Molly stays clean and presentable, in hopes that some young man will fall in love with her when she's old enough, or that some rich family will adopt her prior. Molly hates the idea; she just wants to stay with her mom.

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That what you're looking for?