D&D 5E Does this exist? List of interesting, random towns.

[BoldItalic]

Here are two from an unpublished novel that I wrote a few years back:

13. Redcott is a market town, a hub for local artisans and traders, walled on three sides and bounded on the other by the River Redde. The Mayor’s House is adjacent to the Market Square. The Grove Hotel is recommended. The Amber Gate, on the north side, is noteworthy for its twin bartizans. Travellers should keep to the wider thoroughfares and avoid the poorer districts.

14. The dwarf beheld Sevenbridge but with little enthusiasm. It was easy to see where the town got its name – strategically placed at the confluence of three rivers, it was built on islands connected by wooden bridges that could be raised to allow the passage of sailing barges or to hamper invaders in case of attack. That in itself seemed a sound enough scheme to him; but the buildings were predominantly timber with almost nothing of good solid stone. This was a town that was vulnerable to a quick end by fire or a slow end by rot and decay of its fabric. He was unimpressed. ‘Too much wood,’ was his terse comment.

 

[rgoodbb]

15. Cannock Docks. Surrounded by the jungle, a rivertown as far away from the capital as one could get and still claim civilised. Humans, Halflings and Kenku call this place home. Those who come here come to get away, others to find. For the right coin a drunk river-junk captain will take adventurers, explorers, cartographers and the plain mad along one of the hundreds of unexplored tributaries.

 

[Ancalagon]

I know some historical examples that are fantastic as fantasy towns...

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using EN World mobile app

 

[Ancalagon]

Here we are

16: Jiaohe: A city built on an island of rock, a plateau, between two shallow rivers in the desert. The northers section was reserved for temples - and graveyards. 7000 people lived here and farmed the fertile lands on both river banks. A narrow incline was the only way in or out of the city - unless you could climb the 30 metre cliffs (which served as city walls).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaohe_ruins

17: Merv: This oasis city in the Karakum desert became a center of scholarship and trade and was briefly the largest city in the world. The city "moved" a few times, with new walls and streets being built besides the old city which was then semi-abandoned, becoming a place for the poor and undesired to live. Its walls were impressive but did not prove suitable to resist siege engines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv

18: Zeugma: This city was known for its mosaics. It had a pontoon bridge over the Euphrates and was thus of strategic importance. The local culture was a mixture of greek, roman and persian influence. Trade was very important as it was one of the westernmost cities of the Silk Road.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeugma,_Commagene

Should I go on?

 

[HomegrownHydra]

Donjon does exactly that, as well as tons of other random things.

 

[Bladecoder]

19. Imperium: A town built around a obsidian obelisk, which resides at the highest point in town. This town is built like many greek city states, as the higher you up the hill the town is built on the more powerful the people are. This town is known for its odd mixture of Elvish, Dwarvish, and Human cultures, for example: the average house is built into the side of the hill and incorperates lots of wood and natural things (plants and such) into it. The only people allowed to visit the obelisk are scholars from far away lands, whom enter using their plentiful gold, and the mages who run the city, who use their power to enter. Many believe the artifact is tied to the beginning of the world, but it is in fact just a device that the leader of the town can use to control and observe his people. This society is a Magocracy.

 

[KahlessNestor]

Following [MENTION=23]Ancalagon[/MENTION]:

20. Petra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra

 

[Gilladian]

21. On the edge of a swamp, this town is built half on large stilt-platforms, and half in and between the huge mangrove trees. Small rafts anc coracles are used by everyone to get around. The locals harvest valuable insects in the trees that are used to make a prized dye for fabric that only the nobility may wear. (IMC the population is half grappling and half halfling.)

22. This hidden village is almost completely underground; a natural hill has been hollowed out with many rooms, including granaries and a well-chamber. A few watch posts in trees, and some cleverly disguised natural gardens are the only signs of its above-ground existence. Mixed dwarf and halfling population. No special resources, but a mine or similar would work.

23. A small human city - once ( or still) a pirate nest, a few hours sail down the coast from a larger mercantile center, this place is lawless and dangerous. Pirate ships hide in the harbor, safe behind a mess of small barrier islands and shifting sandbanks. A local pilot is needed to navigate in safely.

These are all sites in my campaign world.

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

24. actualy 2 towms conected by a paved stone road, one of the towns has a castle on the hill in the center of the city while the other just has a empty hill. The story goes the 2 lords of the cities had a long feud and one voved not to let 2 stones of the others castle stand ontop of eachother and he kept his vow. The road conecting the 2 towns made from the stones that used to make up the castle in the other town al stones side by side not one ontop of another.

 

[Eltab]

Fallcrest, the starting town in the 4e DMG is like #1 with the waterfall.

That IS what I was thinking of.
After that I tried to be original.