NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 6657657" data-attributes="member: 97077">I handle them as little as possible. Generally, I treat them as safe havens and places for imparting exposition, not for spending any appreciable time during the gaming session. I am definitely not interested in spending time on tavern or shopping scenes or for tedious interviewing of NPCs. It's the characters that have interesting lives - the NPCs should be interviewing them!So when it's time for the PCs to hit the town, I provide a pithy description and go around the table and ask each player to:1. Describe the most important thing he or she is planning to do in town (downtime activities or the like).2. Tell me of some minor trouble that the character witnessed, started, or prevented.3. Offer something that makes the town particularly unique, interesting, or memorable.As the player is describing these things, I can build on what they say, adding expository information and flavor. If that naturally leads to a short scene we want to play out, then we do it. Otherwise, it's handled in just a few exchanges before we move on. For example:DM: Describe the most important thing you are planning to do in town (downtime activities or the like).Player: I'm going to do some research on the mysterious map we found in the necromancer's lair.DM: Okay, how do you go about that exactly?Player: I consult with local sages and experts on the area.DM: Sure, by spending a little gold, it doesn't take you long for you to find an outlander, a half-orc by the name of Thokk, who tells you that the map shows a landmark - a barrow - with which he is familiar. He tells you how to find it and recounts some tales of the wilderness. What trouble did you witness, start, or prevent as you set about your research?Player: The day after I got the information from Thokk, he was found stone cold dead.DM: Yes, and nobody seems to have seen what happened to him, despite his head being completely twisted around. What makes this town particularly unique, interesting, or memorable?Player: Their funeral practices. Without much ritual, they tossed old Thokk on the pyre.DM: Yes, and some tell you that's due to a problem they had with the dead rising from their graves long ago. How about you, [Player 2]?So here, we've created some stuff about the town. I've dropped two hooks (the barrow, the dead rising). And we didn't have to spend a lot of time interviewing quirky, cagey NPCs. Now I'll repeat this for the other three players, dropping my hooks in there where it makes sense, establishing some flavor for the town, and resolving their activities. I'll write down the interesting tidbits for use later.Sometimes I create adventures that take place in towns, but not often. I prefer adventures to take place outside of civilized areas and to spend as little time in town as possible.</blockquote>

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