D&D General A city of artist

[Hex_Toliver]

Hi everyone. I’m looking for ideas and inspiration for a city my players will be hanging around for awhile. The context of the city is that it’s built in a forest, an over abundance of resources, and little danger to the city. The city itself is built and ruled by philosophers and artist.

Anyone have any ideas for a city like this, things to do, important people, cultural values/ taboos. Maybe ideas for encounters, whatever!

 

[Ixal]

There could be debate forums for public debates, not only big ones for high philosophy but also smaller ones for common people maybe integrated in taverns and alehouses.

It might be a tabo, or very rude to interrupt other people and literacy might be valued higher than in other areas. (Or controversy, there might be a disdain for written words as oratory abilities are valued higher).

There might be some discussion of what is considered art with the existing artist, a prestigious occupation wanting to protect their clique from outsiders, especially upstart peasants who think they produced something of artistic value (even when its really good).
They might look down upon fighters and adventurers, seeing them as brute and generally do not value military (they are safe after all), leaving them completely unprepared when something bad happens.

There might be an ageing philosopher or artist who lives on his old fame but hasn't produced anything new for decades and while he claims he is working on his masterpiece which will be finished soon™ others believe he is just leeching off his old accomplishments.

Some young philosophers have debated the nature of evil and believe that an always evil race like demons or whatever your world has are forced to behave that way by the perception of outsiders and that they are open to debate and logic. They want to prove that they are right by bringing them into the city, completely sure that their debate skill will ensure a peaceful meeting and resent the idea that you might have security close on hand in case something goes wrong. Maybe they want to do it in secret and only reveal it to the city once the deed is done.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

I think on a macro level, you will have two 'active' factions - you'll have the old guard, and you'll have the iconoclasts. You will have people who want art, but only 'safe' art - the way we get movies greenlit by pitching them as 'It's like Jaws, combined with Mean Girls', the Powers that Be go 'well, both those made money, so it's greenlit'. The opposite end will be your John Waters (a hero of mine) who will push the boundaries and argue that his 'filth' is art.

I think there would also be maybe a cultural 'softness' to a civilization that always has Had, and has not had to chase survival for awhile. You will see people who are for bringing in former enemies or devils into the city, 'in safe numbers', because how better to debate the true nature of existance than with a devil who never ages, and has seen and taken part in the lost great ages.

You may even see serial killers develop, or other kinds of deviance, where, to them, what harm and crimes they do are art. Even if the society is 'good', at some point I think the decadence sets in and the jaded monotony leads to some... extreme things possibly, either in crime or even philosophies - look at our modern world for some 'out-there' ideas that seem to be developing because people have a lot of free time as of late to question things and ask questions and develop cliques. YMMV

 

[Imaculata]

I recently used a city near a forest, that had a giant log flume running through it as its most notable feature.

And of course I included a thrilling chase down the log flume in the adventure. At some point during this chase, the players fired their guns at bags of flour. This caused an explosion, and dislodged a giant waterwheel from a lumbermill. Now the waterwheel was rolling through the city, crashing through buildings, and through part of the log flume. All while the players were being chased down the log flume by bad guys.

Epic stuff!

 

[Faolyn]

A city like that is probably going to have some sort of large underclass whose purpose is acquiring those resources--artists and philosophers aren't going to be doing that sort of manual labor themselves. Whether these are just "uncultured peasants" or actual serfs/slaves depends on how good you want this city to be.

 

[Richards]

Depending upon the chosen form of art these artists create and how long the city's been in such a state, I could see the city being practically overrun by statues, as centuries of accumulated carvings pile up to the point where it's hard to find a place to display the newer statues being created by the latest generation of sculptors. Maybe all along the outskirts of the city, before you hit the actual surrounding forest, there's a "forest" of sorts composed solely of statues?

Johnathan

 

[Imaculata]

Of course the real question is, what is in the forest?

 

[aco175]

Most of the taverns are more coffee houses / book stores where locals gather to battle other taverns in knowledge duels instead of darts or daggers. The local teams can have corny names like "The Book Wyrms" and such and may/should look down upon the adventurers unless they can match wits with the locals.

You also need a painter who likes to draw "happy clouds."

 

[humble minion]

The old 3e version of Dementlieu from the Ravenloft Gazetteers might provide some inspiration, if you have access to that resource. A very decadent, fad-prone aristocracy where artistic talent is seen as the highest mark of culture, and fashion swings wildly so you might be feted and showered in riches one day and ostracised the next if your style becomes passe or you make a social faux pas. There's a very Les Miserables Paris vibe about it, a smouldering resentful underclass seething under brutal working conditions while the aristocrats frolic among gorgeously extravagant fripperies, but also this consciousness that if YOUR kid turns out to be talented and their art gets noticed, it could mean wealth and the high life for the whole family. Knife-fights between rival painting schools on the street! Grand Guignol theatres competing about just how extreme they can be! (The one run by the necromancer wins...) Wax golems! The LITERAL phantom of the Opera...

 

[Eltab]

Wall paintings or mosaics on the side of the building facing the outdoor dining.
Rise of Tiamat offers a mosaic monster that could protect the premises vs nighttime thieves.

Gargoyles along the edges of the roof, once there isn't enough room for statues on the ground.

Buildings have bas-reliefs of famous scenes from books / plays on the street-facing walls.

One creepy building has a wall-mounted sculpture that looks like people are being sucked into the wall despite their efforts to resist; their faces hold expressions of exhaustion, terror, or despair.
Across the street is a similar wall-mounted sculpture that looks like people pulling themselves out of the rock; expressions of effort or relief.

Magic Mouth on a street sign gives directions to the buildings within a few blocks.

One public square features sculptures "at a dinner party" so true-to-life that in bad light it looks like a 3-D snapshot of real people enjoying themselves.

You can only imagine how the House(s) Of Ill Repute decorate themselves in "good taste".

Medusa's Statuary - most realistic seen anywhere !

Everybody who is anybody has a stained-glass window in the front door. Designs and motifs vary. (Some can provide important plot clues or background knowledge: Cudgel of St. Cuthbert.)

If knowledge battles won't do - among the laboring classes, say - sing-offs always work. Bonus points if you can sing well while lightly inebriated.