Incorporating published city-settings into a homebrew

[Turanil]

I have heard of Ptolus, Freeport (next publishing of it, I think I will get), Holofaust and others, but don't really know about them.

My question is: could you mention the existing city products, summarized them in one or two line, and explain how and where they could be incorporated in a homebrew campaign setting?

Something like:

Port Royal. Publisher: link. Originally intended for a low-magic game, and for use with Skulls & Bones supplement. This is a city of pirates and outlaws in the XVIIth century Carribeans. Could be put on any tropical savage coast, but probably not a civilized area, of a Renaissance or later era type of setting.

(Heh, this one doesn't exist, it's just for example)

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

OK, I'll take a stab at this.

Ptolus: Malhavoc Press. Comes with its own sparsely detailed setting, but can be used in most settings that do not deviate too strongly from the D&D norms. This is a city that is nominally part of a large, crumbling empire but effectively independent in all but name at the moment. It would work best in non-tropical climates (the default description is temperate), and it does require a large body of water to the East that sees a lot of traffic - either an ocean, or a lake on a river with lots of river trade. The "deep background" has certain cosmological assumptions which might require adjustments, but you will have time for explanations until your PCs reach high levels.

 

[GlassJaw]

I had a concept for a homebrew I was working on (well, I'm always working on it) to have 3 cities be at the center of the campaign: Freeport, Liberty (the city from ther Quarter series), and a homebrew city. The three cities would be located across a body of water/ocean and form a triangle of trade and commerce.

It's a low-magic campaign and Freeport and Liberty, which they use the standard D&D rules, are relatively low-magic.

Liberty - Liberty is the center of learning and religion of the region. The standard of living is fairly high and its citizens are law-abiding.

Freeport - Pirate haven and lax government but a necessary evil because of its location and importance to trade and shipping for the region.

Blacktarn (my homebrew) - Largest city in the region and dominated by massive factories and corporations, who also largely control the government. Major exports are military hardware and medical tech. Smuggling, both in and out of the city, is high.

 

[Whimsical]

Cauldron of the Shackled City adventure path. Publisher: Paizo. This small city is the basis of a series of adventures to take a heroic D&D party from 1st level to 20th. Founded 680 years ago, Cauldron is nested in the throat of a dormant volcano. It is self governing with a mayor and several nobles and organizations holding power. The government is fair and functional, but slowly deteriorates as the adventurers level. Cauldron is a frontier city on a subtropical mountain range flanked by jungles and four villages at the base of the mountain, each a day's travel away. There's also a Large City (Sasserine) two or three days travel away that is coastal. The default campaign setting is Greyhawk, but since it is rather isolated from regional politics it can easily be placed in another campaign world. Campaign adaptation would primarily involve selecting new gods for the churches of Wee Jas (major), St. Cuthburt and Kord (intermediate), and Pelor (minor). Cosmology adaptation may also need to reassign planes to replace the Abyssal plane (with a piece of Celestia resting within) and Carceri. Other than that this is a standard D&D setting with the standard level of NPCs and magic available.

Cauldron (small city): Conventional; AL NG; Population 7,500 adults; 15,000 gp limit; Assets 5,625,000; Mixed (79% human, 9% halfling, 5% gnome, 3% dwarf, 2% elf, 1% half-elf, 1% half orc).

Authority Figures: Lord Mayor Severen Navalant, male human arestocrat 10 (elected leader of the town); Terseon Skellerang, male human fighter 8 (captain of the Town Guard); [spoiler of true power behind Cauldron's government suppressed by the Big Bad Evil Threat].

Typical Guard Patrol: A typical patrol consists of a sergeant (warrior 4) and 1d4+2 privates (warrior 2). Guards typically wear breastplates emblazoned with the town emblem (a watchful eye wreathed in flames) and carry halerds, short swords, and short bows. [spoiler of secret plans for world domination suppressed by BBET].

 

[Turanil]

<...> a homebrew I was working on (well, I'm always working on it) <...>

LOL! Same here. My homebrew that I am always working on at some time or other, and never be able to finish it.

I have decided to have a location for each of the main published cities available. So what about Holofaust and other cities I never heard of?

 

[Nightfall]

Hollowfaust, two Ls.

City of Necromancers. Built at the base of a volcano, this once thriving city was buried in wave of magma and ash when the gods and Titans clashes. No one survived. Now currently home to an increasing number of necromanists, as well as the growing faith of Nemorga, Lord of the Dead, Forbidden Knowledge, and good necromancers, the local populace relies on the undead (all of which are skeletons of some kind and zombies of various sort, along side a complement of Golems of all kind), to defend their city from the assaults of the Desert Assatthi, the occasional Ratmen, but mostly the Sutak, donkey headed peoples of Thulkas who find the Hollowfaustians an affront their "god." Last census has the population around 30,000, this number probably has increased over time. The city is one of laws and order. While they are somber, they are joyful too as they believe in living life until the very end. Murder is relatively unknown and usually committed by outside sources. The vast majority of "mortal crimes" falls under what is known as "final forfeiture", in which the body, even if alive, is condemned to practices/experimentation by one of the seven guilds (mostly wizards guilds that are devoted to various aspect of necromancy. The Church of Nemorga is apart of this guild but rarely gets involved in the practice of forfeiture.) Most the time the citizens concentrate on going about their lives with little interference from the Guilds of Hollowfaust. Indeed, other than some secret police, the wizards and the local populace tend to have little interaction save when their interests collide.

Is that all or did you need more?

 

[EricNoah]

If you look at this map I modified from the FR Atlas CD ROM, you'll see some familiar names going into my homebrew... some stuff from Goodman Games (DCCs), plus Saltmarsh from DMGII, Liberty (Thieves' Quarter, etc.) from The Game Mechanics, Bard's Gate from Necromancer Games, Sasserine and Diamond Lake from Dungeon Mag and some place and family names from GRRM's Song of Ice and Fire books. And I think even a place name or two from the Birthright campaign setting. A big ol' mishmash. I'm only going to really dig into each source as dictated by the needs of the players. For example, I don't know much about Bard's Gate but I'll read up on it before they go there or wing it if they make a sudden change of plans.

http://webpages.charter.net/ericnoah/noahrpg/westernshore/index.htm

 

[Nightfall]

Sweet! Eric put in Bard's Gate! Rock on Eric Noah!

 

[Turanil]

Is that all or did you need more?

Thanks for Holofaust info. There is enough for what I need to know.

I got a look at Liberty, it seems to be generic, not that much info on it. I also looked at Bard's Gate, and this one would fit absolutely pefectly in my campaign setting! Glad I learned about it! I will see if I can find it in PDF...

Bard's Gate - City of Bards

In the far north lies the ancient city of Bard's Gate. Located on a strategic trade route, this city is famed far and wide as a bastion of art and learning that welcomes bards, performers, writers, artists and crreators of all sorts. Yet this citadel of enlightenment, deep in the wilds, is also threatened by dark forces - the gnolls and orcs from the wilderness and cults of evil gods from within, for the very freedom that draws artists and musicians from across the continent also allows evil to flourish in secret.

City of Adventure

Bard's Gate is a fully-developed fantasy city that can be used in any campaign. A wide range of businesses, churches, homes, shops, taverns, inns and other locations are described in detail, ready made for your campaign. Bard's Gate is also filled with unique NPCs, from the most influential leader and wealthiest merchant to the lowliest pauper. Also included in this product are the adventures Slip Gallows Abbey and The Gnoll Fortress, where Bard's Gate-based PCs can find peril and - if they're lucky - fortune. Whoever you may be, whether prince or beggar, if you are a seeker of adventure, Bard's Gate welcomes you!

 

[Nightfall]

Tur,

It should be available in PDF via DTR-RPG.com. I have it in both. I like the city and there's plenty of it to use anywhere, especially in a Necromancer Games setting. Glad I could help sketch out Hollowfaust.

Did you want to see any more Scarred Lands cities?