D&D General How would you do a fantasy mall?

[Baron Opal II]

There are definite rivalrys.

I remember when I worked at a used bookstore in a mall. The owner had little time to spare the comic book seller at the end of the hall because they both were trying to branch out into RPGs. There was a little friction there. I could see something similar between clothiers leatherworkers trying to sell light armor, hats, or other things that overlapped.

Also, exotic food and drink. Everything from roasted spiders and bird nest soup to Brimstone liquor (take 1 pt poison damage, 1d4 resistance to heat damage for an hour) and pigeon-on-a-stick (a raw food and troll favorite).

 

[Minigiant]

Imagine a waning god, a strong demigod, or major power who in order to keep their strength creates a more like structure in their domain and via their cult allows people to travel to the mall like structure within the domain.

Store owners within the mall pay rent to the demigod/patron who in turn uses the rent payments to fuel their ascent to full godhood. Store owners flocked to the mall because it allows them freedom from whatever restrictions from the kingdoms and republics of the planes they are from as well as security from roaming bandits and raiders which would attack their trade routes and markets.

However because they are not a full deity or just a major nondivine power, they are not completely free from danger from the outside. The lands outside of their Mall is still dangerous as it is located in another public plane just in a remote area. The mall owner requires groups to clear out the areas outside of the wall in order to expand it.

 

[Distracted DM]

Been going through Pratchett again, and honestly, I want to do a fantasy mall.

In your opinion.

1. How would you do a fantasy mall?
2. What would you see there?
3. How would you use it to drive stories?
4. Where would you put it? Is it like a mega dungeon or is it a location like a massive store complex in waterdeep?

If nothing else, let's build stores and/or locations with in this mall?

It's been too long since I reread the Discworld books, which one made you think Fantasy Mall?

 

[aco175]

I worked at a few malls for 20 years. They have their own management team that deals with running things such as snow removal and trash and cleaning. I found many people just thought that the stores did things and there was not a company behind this.

People think the mall is just the main runway with storefronts, but each tends to have a back door that opens to the outside for deliveries or to a series of hallways that connect everything behind the curtain so to speak.

There were always petty theft that was dealt with, but also other things would go on. People would meet in the lot Sunday nights to swap kids from divorce. Someone tried to flush a pair of pants down the sewer and blocked everything up. We needed to install a machine that grinds everything up before it gets to the pumps after that. One time a sinkhole opened up to fit a car and another time homeless were living in the garage.

Many stories revolve around normal people. Someone looses their child or car and things were always found. You can have retired city watch making extra money or construction workers needing to fix the sewers that run under or install tents for a temporary circus. Social people would meet to shop and gossip or eat a meal. It would be a good place to information gather.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

Another idea
The necropolis of a city that the undead have turned into a place to sell, sell, sell!

 

[MarkB]

It's been too long since I reread the Discworld books, which one made you think Fantasy Mall?

Not the OP and I don't remember which book it is, but at one point Pratchett likens out-of-town malls to parasites, feeding upon the cities they adjoin and slowly sucking the life out of them (with the whole thing becoming disturbingly more literal within the setting of the Discworld, naturally).

That model doesn't work so well in a historical setting, because people don't commonly have sufficient independent mobility to take advantage of such things. For your average medieval townsfolk it's not just a matter of hopping in the car for a quick 20-minute drive out of town.

Doubly so in a fantasy setting, since it's dangerous outside those city walls. When you're having to fend off ogres and wyverns it starts to be a tough job being a mall cop.

 

[Baron Opal II]

People think the mall is just the main runway with storefronts, but each tends to have a back door that opens to the outside for deliveries or to a series of hallways that connect everything behind the curtain so to speak.

Ha! I was working at an arcade and in the back room trying to fix some mechanical doober. The back door opens and this tall guy in street clothes just wanders in. I knew he didn't work there and some other store in our wing was broken into a couple days prior. I shouted and grabbed a fistful of loose pinballs from the parts shelf and backed up to the door to the game area. He holds up his hands and says,

"Chill, my dude! I'm just looking for [whatever]. I don't know where I am!"

I blink. "God-DAMMIT Brenda!"

"My name's Dave..."

"Sure, whatever. Brenda left that door unlocked."

"Okay... So, about [whatever]..."

"Uhh, sure. Main hall three shops down."

"Later, sorry I startled you."

"Later..." After I calm down I laugh for five minutes, standing there like a goon with a bunch of pinballs.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

It's been too long since I reread the Discworld books, which one made you think Fantasy Mall?

Reaper Man

lets do a franchise.
Ye Olde Potion Hut (a franchise)
Like Starbucks/Orange Julius, but with health potions. Slogan: “Double-shot of Cure Light, no foam.”

 

[Distracted DM]

Reaper Man

lets do a franchise.
Ye Olde Potion Hut (a franchise)
Like Starbucks/Orange Julius, but with health potions. Slogan: “Double-shot of Cure Light, no foam.”

Wow, I loved Reaper Man but I totally forgot about the

Spoiler

commercialism/evil mall/wizard subplot.

 

[bloodtide]

Start with a basic "x" for the shape.

Anchor Stores of Sears, JC Pennys, Nordstroms and Macys.

All the classic mall stores: Spencer's Gifts, Things Remembered, Hot Topic, Victoria's Secret, Radio Shack, Suncoast, Camelot Music, Lids, Merry go Round, Chess King, Gadzooks, Pay Less Shoes, Kenny Shoes, Espirit, and The Sharper Image.

My Beloved KB Toys, Waldenbooks and B. Daltons Bookstore(two levels with the RPG stuff in a corner upstairs next to a nice table and chairs...for some reason?)

An Aladdin's Castle Arcade (the "room full of video game machines" type arcade. Including Tron and the ancient table type Missile Command).

A food court down that JC Penny part.

And last but not least The Keep (The Official WotC store!)