Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Grandpa" data-source="post: 5786723" data-attributes="member: 560">I wanted to share results of input from this thread hoping it encourages more feedback and helps improve the setting. Despite not knowing how well I'm doing, I constantly find myself wanting to share the product of all my preparation.City InspirationI started by looking for images that matched the imagery in my mind: night scenes with packed vertical buildings lit from below. I also imagined Gotham being located on a hill or cliff side to create the impression of vertical buildings. Concept art from Guild Wars 2 fulfilled both desires.[sblock=Guild Wars 2 Inspiration]<img src="http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/thumb/4/46/Divinity%27s_Reach_concept_art.jpg/800px-Divinity%27s_Reach_concept_art.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><img src="http://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/thumb/f/f8/Divinity%27s_Reach_cliff_concept_art.jpg/800px-Divinity%27s_Reach_cliff_concept_art.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />[/sblock]City RoughTwo considerations drove my next decision. First, background story from one of my players' characters  mentioned a wharf being part of the city (everyone got an attractive 1000 xp for completing a series of questions). Second, I had already described Gotham built on the ruins of another city.Local GeographyThis led me to imagine Gotham being at the edge of a bay or cove (and looked these up in Wikipedia to understand the difference -- it's amazing how much more interesting how geography works when having to build your own world).[sblock=Geography Notes]<img src="http://www.beeba.net/dnd/gotham/gotham_inspire01.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />[/sblock] <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Bay</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Cove</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">South Cliffs</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">North Cliffs</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Valley</li> </ol>Satellite ViewI did a quick painting of what it might look like from above, later touched up by a draw night friend.[sblock=Satellite View]<img src="http://www.beeba.net/dnd/gotham/gotham_world02.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />[/sblock]Ancient HistoryTo incorporate the ruins, I drew from flavor text about the dragonborn empire of Arkhosia and decided Gotham was founded on the remains of an ancient dragonborn city called Ankor. After doodling the city, I imagined that a cataclysmic sunk the west side of Ankor and created the cove (2), with ruins deep below the surface of the water. East Ankor also sinks, but is still buried in the South Cliffs (3) with some parts peaking above the surface.[sblock=Ankor Doodle]<img src="http://www.beeba.net/dnd/gotham/gotham00.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />[/sblock]Modern HistoryThe next step was to create the more recent history of Gotham per Ardoughter's suggestion. I had already described Gotham to the players as the last great city of the civilized races so I decided it was part of the Nerath empire mentioned in my 4E books. The cove (2) looked hidden in the inspiration image but I imagined being discovered and used in wartime by the Nerath empire to bring and ready troops that would pass through the valley (5) and assault cities on the plains to the east. This camp attracted or brought dwarves to help forge weapons, who discovered extremely valuable ore in South Cliffs (3).Post-WarAfter the war ended, the dwarves continued mining and the camp eventually became the first makings of a city and trading port. In time, the dwarves carved huge statues and an impressive community in the cliff side. Humans meanwhile capitalized on trade and heroes returning from war explored the area and found many valuables in the Ankor ruins. They expanded in the valley, up the North Cliffs (4), and built temples along a more-flat incline to the west of the North Cliffs. One rich hero, a Kane, built an estate atop the South Cliffs that overlooked the city, above the dwarf community.Magic is TechnologyIn time, enough valuable artifacts and points of magical interest were discovered that the area became known as a hot-spot for magic and the city truly flourished. The North and South Cliffs were connected by a bridge and the Arcane Academy was founded. The South Cliffs held the Colosseum and rich estates (like the Kane estate), and training grounds and walled defenses manned by the Gotham Infantry. The North Cliffs hold the Academy and Government buildings. A more crowded but still very rich area that attract a very diverse crowd, and are also defended by walls to the north. On the bridge connecting the two areas, I imagined a lightning rail (borrowed from Eberron) that heads to the North, connecting Gotham to certain farmlands.The CrashWhen the Titan appeared and crashed into the city, it hit the Arcane Academy head-first and mostly filled the valley, but its left forearm smashed part of the Wharfs (again, to accommodate a PC story), with its hand underwater in the cove.These thoughts all led to the following sketch of Gotham, and a second colored version meant to clarify the history of the city detailed above:[sblock=Gotham Sketch and Timeline]<img src="http://www.beeba.net/dnd/gotham/gotham01a.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><img src="http://www.beeba.net/dnd/gotham/gotham01b.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />[/sblock]Next Steps / FeedbackNext, I'd like to try mapping it out top-down as something I can add more specific detail to, including districts and specific buildings, temples, etc., which is extremely intimidating.My last adventure was run a couple days ago using this rough sketch of the city and it seemed to be a hit. The players took the crystal "key" the Shadow Knight gave them and found the Shadow Cave, and inserted it into the chest of a lifeless warforged, Red, who came to life and told them about his and the Knight's efforts to explore the Titan. Red was one of the warforged who arrived on the Titan but his consciousness only awoke two years ago. Red loves the city his consciousness was born in and helps the Shadow Knight find the source of the Titan and the magic corrupting Gotham. When Red and the Knight discovered a special crystal was necessary to explore deeper into the Titan and that Red was of a caste of warforged containing one, Red volunteered his crystal to the Knight. Red was lifeless for a month while the Knight explored the Titan and found continuum that could activate a portal to wherever the Titan came from. When the PCs met the Knight, he would have preferred to keep the crystal assuming it would be necessary beyond the portal, but gives it to the PCs so they can activate Red, who knows of an exorcism Ritual that can stop the possessed Man-Bat from performing a ritual on the city's water purifier and turn its citizens into evil bat creatures.Thanks for letting me share. If you have critiques or ideas to offer, please do. I feel like every little bit helps me improve the game for my players and improve my skills as a DM. Unfortunately, my love for playing is a major source of stress as a DM responsible for the impressions others might build of D&D. I just thank the stars for 4E for simplifying my job and giving me the time to focus on this stuff.</blockquote>

Verification