D&D General City Campaign

[Reynard]

Relatively straightforward question:

To run a city campaign (NOT a modern urban fantasy campaign a la Dresden) which version of D&D or a D&D adjacent game would you use, and why?

Please and thank you.

Note: I am not talking about setting or utility books here. I am specifically asking about your preference for a D&D rule set for a campaign that takes place primarily in a city and why you chose that rule set.

 

[cbwjm]

This is probably not all that helpful, but I'd choose OSE only because that's the system my friends and I are using at the moment. Otherwise, I really don't think I'd have a preference between the various dnd editions, they can each easily run a city campaign.

 

[ichabod]

I would want more information. I don't think a city campaign necessarily points to one sort of game, because there could be so many different types of city games. Is it going to be heroic fantasy, political intrigue, horror, or something else? The flavor of the game is what I would use to choose the system.

 

[jdrakeh]

Lankhmar: The New Adventures of Fafhrd and Gray Mouser. Granted, it's laser-focused on one city in particular, but it's well-written and easy to pick up and play.

 

[Reynard]

I would want more information. I don't think a city campaign necessarily points to one sort of game, because there could be so many different types of city games. Is it going to be heroic fantasy, political intrigue, horror, or something else? The flavor of the game is what I would use to choose the system.

That's fair.

When I imagine cutting based D&D campaigns, they rely more on social and factional play but not to the degree that there aren't dungeons (or dragons for that matter). But the primary difference is that rather than exploring a whole world and adding breadth, the PCs are exploring a city and adding depth.

 

[Stormonu]

Any D&D will work, though I find the later versions (2E, 3E, 5E) with more robust skill systems lend themselves well to city environments where there is likely to be investigative, social and a variety of non-combat encounters. Also, unless the city is fairly fantastical from the outset, high-level characters can present all sorts of issues that a city can't cope with.

Non-D&D, Blades in the Dark is centered around an urban campaign, though its focus is narrow - the group is a bunch of criminals trying to get ahead in a dystopian fantasy city setting. I do find the "crew" aspect, build-a-hideout and gang rivalries quite entertaining.

 

[Quickleaf]

Swords of the Serpentine is high on my list to try out - it's a GUMSHOE hack for a swords & sorcery urban-centric game in the city of Eversink, with swashbuckling action, "social combat" (i.e. attacking morale), and faction play layered on the investigative core of the system. It seems like a great approach, and I'm eager to try it.

 

[kigmatzomat]

3e provides more skill granularity which might help characters have the feeling of wider competencies. Though tbh if players are willing to take skill feats they can get more depth even without multiclassing to rogue/bard.

 

[thullgrim]

3.x for the skill system. I think can argue for 4e too. Skill system that works and skill challenges to handle social conflict, chases and other likely city based tasks and challenges.

 

[aco175]

I would not change from 5e. It has enough of a social part and we have been playing it for 10 years, so the group is most familiar with it at this point.

Just moving a campaign to a city does not mean the rest is not going to happen. There would still be monsters in the sewers and rats in the cellars. There is still magical libraries political bribes with nobles. All is just part of another campaign.