TregMallin
Villager
Maybe there is some tax benefit to membership. Although the taxman may not haunt all game tables.
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D&D 5E Help Me Develop a 5e Town
- Thread starter Mistwell
- Start date
Jeff Carlsen
Adventurer
The existence of an Adventurer's Guild really has an impact on the shape of the city. As others have said, it implies enough opportunities for adventure to support a guild, and for there to be value in joining it.
Assuming that adventurers are common, so will be a broad range of artisans, from armorers to chefs. Selling to adventurers will be a big market. I'd create some sort of Heroes Hill filled with posh homes owned by semi-retired adventurers.
The city would have a guard, but for extreme and magical threats, they hire or conscript local adventurers, among whom the number of spellcasters is disproportionately high.
This is a city used to large influxes of gold and valuables. The cost of living is probably higher than most cities of this size. This means that merchants are more likely to visit, so expect a healthy trade in exotic goods.
Similarly, the roads nearby are probably fairly safe, though I don't know how maintained they are.
In 5E, adventurers have to work to get better armors. They aren't readily available at low levels. This implies fewer master armorers and weaponsmiths. The town probably only has a few, and the city watch and guild probably keep them busy, and wealthy. Apprenticeships are likely expensive to procure.
Speaking of apprenticeships, you'll want people in the city who can train the various skill and tool proficiencies. Artisans probably sell apprenticeships.
I'd expect there to be rather large and established market. Visiting merchants would have tents, but locals would have stores.
Magic items are rare, but spellcasters are probably less so than in previous editions. This town in particular probably has a regular supply of spells available for casting, scrolls, or potions.
Likewise, the number of clerics that pass through is fairly high. I'd expect there to be a shrine quarter. There would be a few local temples for some gods, and shrines for the rest. This is probably near Heroes Hill.
A bit about the nearby keep. Keeps are intended to protect valuables, so a lot of thought would be go into defense against dragons.
Goblinoid tribes are always a potential threat, so building outside the city walls is a terrible idea, and probably strictly prohibited. A few wizards working in tandom, though, can probably move walls relatively easily. I imagine the city built in rings, like a tree, with the walls being moved outward so another ring of city can be built.
Assuming that adventurers are common, so will be a broad range of artisans, from armorers to chefs. Selling to adventurers will be a big market. I'd create some sort of Heroes Hill filled with posh homes owned by semi-retired adventurers.
The city would have a guard, but for extreme and magical threats, they hire or conscript local adventurers, among whom the number of spellcasters is disproportionately high.
This is a city used to large influxes of gold and valuables. The cost of living is probably higher than most cities of this size. This means that merchants are more likely to visit, so expect a healthy trade in exotic goods.
Similarly, the roads nearby are probably fairly safe, though I don't know how maintained they are.
In 5E, adventurers have to work to get better armors. They aren't readily available at low levels. This implies fewer master armorers and weaponsmiths. The town probably only has a few, and the city watch and guild probably keep them busy, and wealthy. Apprenticeships are likely expensive to procure.
Speaking of apprenticeships, you'll want people in the city who can train the various skill and tool proficiencies. Artisans probably sell apprenticeships.
I'd expect there to be rather large and established market. Visiting merchants would have tents, but locals would have stores.
Magic items are rare, but spellcasters are probably less so than in previous editions. This town in particular probably has a regular supply of spells available for casting, scrolls, or potions.
Likewise, the number of clerics that pass through is fairly high. I'd expect there to be a shrine quarter. There would be a few local temples for some gods, and shrines for the rest. This is probably near Heroes Hill.
A bit about the nearby keep. Keeps are intended to protect valuables, so a lot of thought would be go into defense against dragons.
Goblinoid tribes are always a potential threat, so building outside the city walls is a terrible idea, and probably strictly prohibited. A few wizards working in tandom, though, can probably move walls relatively easily. I imagine the city built in rings, like a tree, with the walls being moved outward so another ring of city can be built.
LostSoul
Adventurer
[sblock=Some thoughts, not much content]
The way I see guilds is that, if you want to take part in the profession, you need to join the guild. They enforce a monopoly and collect rent. The benefits are that you get to work in your chosen profession and, when you get up there in the hierarchy, you get to collect rent (instead of paying it). If you don't join the guild they'll rob you, banish you, and then kill you.
(I figured that extorting so much cash from the PCs - 90% of their loot or so!, but paying for supplies and healing (as loans, to keep them in the guild until the point it pays off) - was one of the ways to have the PCs spend their excess cash in 5E.)
The way I see the city guard is that they watch the walls and that's it. They don't enforce the laws like a modern police force - that's what you hire bodyguards for. And those bodyguards come from the adventurer's guild.
Maybe the adventurer's guild is more like a thieves' guild? They just don't call themselves that, and they deal with more than just picking pockets, extortion, and vices - their reach extends to dungeons and dragon's hordes.
Anyway. I think there are two things to focus on - how the PCs interact with the various guilds (e.g. being in the adventurer's guild gets you cheap arms & armour, potions, scrolls, ropes, etc.) and how those guilds deal with each other - and how the PCs actions trigger conflict between them.[/sblock]
Some things I think are important to know:
Why would the town need magical protection? I ask because, you can use rituals, refresh yearly or seasonal, as part of a festival. Things like strength the walls, the gates, protection from orcs, etc. This would give the Wizard or Priesthood a valued place in the city.
- Reason for East Gantrick to be where it is? This sounds like it is a trade route; so, where does the trade go and come from? Is this part of a Silk Road? This will mean there is a very diverse people living in town and traveling through, high migrant population. It will also, mean support goods and service industry as income, things like wheel/wagon shops, iron rations sellers, horse traders, prostitution and other entertainment, inns, warehouses (if seasonal, store goods until good market up/down the road). It may also mean a military base, if a border town or just a way station if for mobile patrols. It also will see a seasonal festivals as income.
- Nick Name? All cites should have one or a couple, Gateway to X or The City of Pleasure or The Last Point or The Market.
Why would the town need magical protection? I ask because, you can use rituals, refresh yearly or seasonal, as part of a festival. Things like strength the walls, the gates, protection from orcs, etc. This would give the Wizard or Priesthood a valued place in the city.
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Quartz
Hero
I would suggest that the Adventurers' Guild be a sub-section of another guild - perhaps the Merchants' Guild as they hire guards for their caravans. Or maybe it's run by the assistant - not apprentice - of the local archmage who's into experimenting big time and is always on the lookout for interesting stuff.
Adventuring Guilds always have spies in them. 
Warning to a local big bad or a local bandit that steals from the adventures when they exit a dungeon or will sell the location of a dungeon to other parties.
List of Locations:
Warning to a local big bad or a local bandit that steals from the adventures when they exit a dungeon or will sell the location of a dungeon to other parties. List of Locations:
- City Gates (main)
- Stables & Horse Market - this may be outside of the city or walled off part of the city due to waste.
- Commerce Building - this is meeting ground for merchants, merchants of different guilds, buyers and sellers, state and city officials, etc. all meet to discuss prices, sale good and pass information. Sort of a Market Places for volume goods.
- Market Place - most goods but not meat
- Meat Market - close to the market but a separate area
- Library
- City Hall - group of buildings
- Courts
- Archives & Records
- Guilds - Building for each group, Adventuring, Merchant, Wizards, Miners, Wagon-Makers, etc.
- Banks
- Standard street (every block would have at least one):
- Butcher shop
- Barber & Bath
- Inn or Tavern
- Sundry Goods shop
- Clothing shop
- Apartment Building (sometimes above business)
- Public Restroom
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