Elements of a realistic campaign

[Hairfoot]

Sounds like some fine DMing to me. Too often, towns are static trade hubs that stick around for the benefit of adventurers. I've been guilty of running them that way, for lack of better ideas.

 

[Warren Okuma]

I've told this one before, but it fits here.

Back in 1E our stalwart adventurers agreed to rid a hamlet of some monsters. (We were about 5th or so level.) So we killed them and took their stuff. Then, being the mercenaries most adventurers are, we went back to the town for our just reward. Imagine our chagrin when it turned out to be chickens and goats, mostly! In fact, we were so insulted that one of the guys gave them all his copper pieces to show his contempt.

Then someone else, not to be outdone, gave them all of his silver pieces. It ended up with everyone pitching in to show that they weren't pikers either! Ok, so off we go feeling pretty good about ourselves. We'd been generous, we had. True heroes in every sense of the word!

But then, some time later we heard that a small village had been found deserted. Thinking that this was a plot hook we looked into it. Imagine our surprise when we found that it was the same place we'd given all that (useless to us) small change to. What had happened? Bandits? More monsters? Nope, the place was just deserted, like everyone had packed up and left.

A while later the GM let us in on what had happened. The villagers, with more money than they'd seen in several lifetimes at one time, had, indeed, packed up and left. Gone to the Big City they had, now that they were rich and all. Somehow we never did get around to 'solving' the mystery for the rest of the world!

Learn to ask how they are going to pay you and in what form first. A simple business rule all adventurer's must learn or you get burned.

And always read the fine print. Especially the terms and services clause.