PaulKemp
First Post
Agree with most of what's been said, especially the advice about making both the city and NPC's colorful. I try to do this in a variety of ways. Sometimes I emphasize small things that occur regularly, so that the PC's can rely on them -- the priests of the god of the sun walk the pre-dawn streets, reach the bay, wade in up to their thighs, and await the rising sun; a group of watchmen frequent the same tavern after their shift, where they dice, whore, and sell sensitive information; every tenday, a strange light appears in the sky above a certain brothel; when the bell at the temple of the god of song rings the hour, the sixth chime always sounds an off-note and no one knows why; etc. None of these things necessarily need to lead to an adventure, but they help bring the setting to life for the players.
Another something I do: I have a whole host of pre-prepared, generic street encounters, sorted by City Quarter, that I can drop in anywhere. Again, these may or may not lead to adventures. Sometimes they just add to the feel or mystery of the city. E.g., a PC believes he is being followed by a cowled wizard, who later turns down an alley and vanishes; an overturned wagon in the road is bleeding apples and lots of folks are stealing the poor farmer's wares; a brickbat fight between members of rival craftsmen guilds erupts around the PC's; maybe the PC's witness an irate patron smacking around the mentally deficient son of a middle-aged innkeeper, etc. Sometimes, my PC's avoid these encounters, sometimes they get involved and it provides an enjoyable diversion; and sometimes one of these encounters blows up into a full fledged story arc. The point of all of them is the PC's interact with what appears to be a living, breathing city.
One more thing: I do a monthly "Here's the News" handout, which goes over some of the tavern-talk that the characters may have overheard during the month (but that we did not necessarily play out). I use it to plant rumors, story arcs, flavor-type events, etc. And the PC's love it when they are themselves featured in the gossip.
Anyway, some ideas. Nice thing about city adventuring is that after a while, the city and the personalities take on a life of their own. It definitely gets easier with time.
Another something I do: I have a whole host of pre-prepared, generic street encounters, sorted by City Quarter, that I can drop in anywhere. Again, these may or may not lead to adventures. Sometimes they just add to the feel or mystery of the city. E.g., a PC believes he is being followed by a cowled wizard, who later turns down an alley and vanishes; an overturned wagon in the road is bleeding apples and lots of folks are stealing the poor farmer's wares; a brickbat fight between members of rival craftsmen guilds erupts around the PC's; maybe the PC's witness an irate patron smacking around the mentally deficient son of a middle-aged innkeeper, etc. Sometimes, my PC's avoid these encounters, sometimes they get involved and it provides an enjoyable diversion; and sometimes one of these encounters blows up into a full fledged story arc. The point of all of them is the PC's interact with what appears to be a living, breathing city.
One more thing: I do a monthly "Here's the News" handout, which goes over some of the tavern-talk that the characters may have overheard during the month (but that we did not necessarily play out). I use it to plant rumors, story arcs, flavor-type events, etc. And the PC's love it when they are themselves featured in the gossip.
Anyway, some ideas. Nice thing about city adventuring is that after a while, the city and the personalities take on a life of their own. It definitely gets easier with time.
