D&D 5E Need ideas for a city straddling two planes!

[Dannyalcatraz]

Besides Split Infinity and Neverwhere, check out the Charlie Jade TV show if you can.

 

[tardigrade]

Ooh, one more: the Death Gate cycle (by Weis and Hickman, of Dragonlance fame). It almost works as a D&D campaign out of the box: in ancient times an arrogant cabal of superwizards sundered the world into different element-themed subworlds linked by portals, intending to connect them to create an Almighty Project - but Something Went Wrong.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_Gate_Cycle

 

[Werebat]

I always enjoy playing with these scenarios to establish a mythos that turns the usual good versus evil tropes sideways. Given your setup:

Interesting ideas snipped.

You're thinking along the same lines I was -- yes, the bastions of civilization do tend to be near the gates because that is where it is easy to get water to the arid areas, and clear some water away from the swampish ones. Of course in some areas the gate opens on such a wet or relatively dry part of the swamp world that the maintenance of a city on one side or the other just isn't worthwhile; and there are more habitable areas of both worlds that have nothing to do with the gates. But the largest and most impressive cities usually do sport permanent gates that bridge the two worlds.

I'd imagine there would be a great business in moving water from the swamp world to the arid one -- perhaps an elaborate system of pumps and aqueducts, or maybe just peasants who carry buckets all day and cross the two worlds on a regular basis.

 

[Werebat]

Here is an idea -- a gate that opens horizontally, OUTSIDE of the city, because it is actually located underwater on the other side. Water floods up from the swamp side of the gate and on the arid side the gate sits open at the bottom of a very small lake that is used for crop irrigation. Travel through the gate is possible but inconvenient, as you have to swim down a short distance and get soaking wet.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I predict cross-portal trade of water for refined materials might be brisk & lucrative.

 

[Werebat]

I predict cross-portal trade of water for refined materials might be brisk & lucrative.

The PURIFICATION of swamp water on both sides would also likely be a big deal.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yep!

 

[Werebat]

Vandross the Porter: Not actually a porter, Vandross is a large human with a thick, black beard who hires, manages, and organizes the porters in the city that regularly move through the city Gate between worlds. In this case, the Gate being at the bottom of a small lake just outside the city limits, this means he typically employs two types of porters - human and demihuman workers who seal goods in watertight containers and cart them to and from the lake shore, and a small group of relatively "civilized" lizardfolk who swim the containers down to the bottom of the lake and through the portal in exchange for a steady supply of raw meat and fish (they have a taste for chickens). Vandross is not a caster but does own more than one magic item that allow him to more quickly and easily make the journey to the bottom of the lake and back himself. He speaks Draconic as well as Common, and his skill in negotiating with the lizardfolk is the primary reason that he has attained his position of importance in the city.

 

[Satyrn]

I'd think these cities would be very much like large port cities - like a New York welcoming refugees, or a London growing fat off the trade.

 

[LordEntrails]

Big Market from Valerian?
https://youtu.be/d9Unv1xT1FM