About running a campaign in a town/city

[Prince Atom]

Aha! More Thieves' World fans!

Pity -- most of my group doesn't know TW (and my gf doesn't like it)

I picked up a copy of the box that was missing the Personalities of Sanctuary, but I figure I can stat 'em up on my own. Haven't got around to it yet, though.... It's early 80s and looks it.

Yeah, as a lot of people have said, city games (and TW) are heavy on the NPCs. I probably don't need to say that the legendary TW folk shouldn't show up very often. Last I read, Shadowspawn had taken off for parts unknown with his seer girl, and Kadakithis was under the Beysib leader's charm. So you really have to worry about Tempus and the shifting mage whatsisname.

Oh well. I think the setup of the books (whole lot of short stories) makes a good RPG premise. I feel uncomfortable in worlds with only one author. I can't run a Star Wars game I feel comfortable in, frex, despite all the novels out there. Maybe it's because they're all coordinated...

But I digress. The authors couldn't touch each other's characters permanently in a negative way, but I don't think you should feel compelled to leave them alone. One great way to shake up the PCs' world is to change it around them. If you feel Kadakithis needs to die, kill him and get the PCs in on the action.

Arg. Not much TW-specific stuff in here. I do recommend the boxed set; it's got an essay by Poul Anderson in it ("Thud and Blunder," c. 1979-1980) that's fascinating. Did you know he's (or was) both an SCA'er and a RP'er? I didn't.

TWK
Andrew Offutt ROCKS! His kid, Chris, taught at Morehead University in KY and my bro took a course! (indirect fanboy drool....)

 

[Khorod]

The great thing for npc creation in TW is that the creation and introduction of new and interesting characters is almost more common in the books than significant plot elements.

The creation of new character concepts just seems remarkably easy for that stage.

One thing about killing off the 'core' chars like Kittycat is that so much of the city is dependent on its past characters. Make sure new ones have been adequately woven into the fabric of the city before going in a killing spree.

I am eagerly awaiting a chance to read the new book, I am very interested in how the new characters do. It doesn't help that Molin Torchholder is my distinctly least favorite character in the series. He's just so much of an ass I'd rather read about the corrupt, vile jerks deeper in the city.

 

[der_kluge]

Building a city from the ground up is far too much work. Just buy Bluffside. And as an earlier poster suggested, augment it with Urban Blight. You could further augment it with Freeport. All excellent products; all will save you mountains of time.

 

[Nikodemos]

Hi The Whiner Knight & Khorod

The cursed mage's name is Enas Yorl.

I think I will avoid, killing any major NPC's, unless of course the PC's alter the storyline somehow. But I will keep in mind that I will need backup NPC's, to step into the limelight. The only thing I am really worried about is the party picking a fight with some potent NPC, and potentially getting themselves killed. Hopefully with the reading of the first book, and a stern warning from me, the players will steer a sensible course. But of course I don't wish to restrict what the players do, just make them realise that there will be consequences too their actions, if they mess with the wrong people.

Yours Nikodemos

 

[Buttercup]

Most newspapers have archived online editions. Pick a city--any city other than your own--and pick a date a few months back. Then just do the ol' cut-and-paste job on certain stories as they develop.

This is a fabulous idea! In fact, I liked it so much that the good people of Davenport, Iowa just provided me with a front page of the Vosh Crier Gazette. I transformed an article about vicious dogs to kobalds kept as pets. (As if anyone would!) Archwizard Drenelak is paying a visit instead of GW Bush. And a woman was busted for tampering with potion bottles at the Hospice of Mercy instead of alalgesic patches at the local nursing home.

Zarathustran, du hast gut gesprochen! (My German is quite rusty, so the reference probably will sink like a stone, unknown by anyone.)