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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fenes" data-source="post: 1613383" data-attributes="member: 604">I usually run city adventures, since I prefer social interaction and intrigue to wilderness dangers or dungeon crawling.IMHO, a city is defined by the people in it. I would concentrate on building memorable NPCs with goals, running plots and adversaries. That way, the actions of the PCs will have consequences. Trip a noble on the street, so that his new cloak gets dirty, and his attempt to woo a lady may fail, and he will carry a grudge. Save a young couple from muggers, and you may have foiled a ploy from the evil uncle to create a rift between two families. Stop a thief, and you may threaten to expose the corrupt city guard, who may start a plot to get rid of the evidence. Support one merchant, and another may dislike you for it. Then add local color and customs to it, make the people come alive. Add passions, and pastimes to NPCs. Grander plots and background - maybe the city has a hereditary rival, and every year two ships meet for a race. Maybe the ruler of the city came to power after a coup, and some nobles are still yearning for the rightful monarch.When you have that web of relations, add the adventure plot. That can be basic - some item gets stolen, PCs pursue or gather information - and let the PCs get tangled up in the plots while they solve the first adventure - and make enemies and allies.Remember that unlike dungeons or wilderness, a city offers many ressources, and different dangers and opportunities. The Law will be a constant factor to take into consideration - PCs can't usually just run amok with their weapons. They won't have to deal with camping and watches, but may have to deal with onlookers and witnesses. People may frown upon PCs walking around armored, and the PCs may have to deal with social problems as well as the local catacomb undeads.Main point is, for me, to make the players feel they are affecting the city, and that the city changes around them. Let them meet people they know again, and again, and show how they change. That destitute noble they helped may turn out to gain the favor of the king, and shower them with gratitude later, splendid in his new estate, or that rich corrupt merchant may end up on the run, driven underground when the party exposed his actions, and now there is a new merchant council in power, battling the emerging thieves' guild led by the merchant, with people commenting upon it in daily life.</blockquote>

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