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<blockquote data-quote="silentspace" data-source="post: 1704938" data-attributes="member: 14316">I've always tried to make my worlds as &quot;default&quot; as possible, and I agree mostly with what KM has said.&nbsp; Let me share with you how I've reconciled some of the issues you guys are discussing.First, I decided that the smaller communities are basically unsustainable on their own.&nbsp; They simply cannot survive, as the first random hostile creature to pass through will wipe them out.&nbsp; In addition to the physical danger posed by hostile creatures, there is the economic factor.&nbsp; How can a thorp produce all the goods and services needed for long-term survival?&nbsp; The inhabitants simply don't have the skills.So each small community needs to be near a powerful protector, and near a strong economic center.&nbsp; These are often the same place, but could be separate.&nbsp; The thorp's protector could be a local keep, a feudal lord with a manor house, a local sheriff's station, a border watch tower, a larger walled town with a military force, etc.&nbsp; The thorp's economic center will usually be another town, or perhaps a cluster of thorps, which will allow for some individuals to have the specialized skills necessary for survival (i.e. craft and profession skills).&nbsp; Neither center should be further than a day's journey from the thorp.While this doesn't have to be a feudal system, the typical European feudal system, as I understand it, fits the bill perfectly.Additionally, there are more civilized, settled areas, that have been already cleared of most dangers.&nbsp; In this case, the smaller settlements will still require close-by economic centers, but the military centers can be smaller or further in-between.So the commoners weren't often facing the hostile creatures.&nbsp; I agree they would be armed, at the very least with farming implements, but that's not much against a CR 4 encounter.&nbsp; In areas that are especially dangerous, a small community would have a designated runner, someone with a mount or at least the Run feat, who could get away to call for help.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="silentspace, post: 1704938, member: 14316"] I've always tried to make my worlds as "default" as possible, and I agree mostly with what KM has said. Let me share with you how I've reconciled some of the issues you guys are discussing. First, I decided that the smaller communities are basically unsustainable on their own. They simply cannot survive, as the first random hostile creature to pass through will wipe them out. In addition to the physical danger posed by hostile creatures, there is the economic factor. How can a thorp produce all the goods and services needed for long-term survival? The inhabitants simply don't have the skills. So each small community needs to be near a powerful protector, and near a strong economic center. These are often the same place, but could be separate. The thorp's protector could be a local keep, a feudal lord with a manor house, a local sheriff's station, a border watch tower, a larger walled town with a military force, etc. The thorp's economic center will usually be another town, or perhaps a cluster of thorps, which will allow for some individuals to have the specialized skills necessary for survival (i.e. craft and profession skills). Neither center should be further than a day's journey from the thorp. While this doesn't have to be a feudal system, the typical European feudal system, as I understand it, fits the bill perfectly. Additionally, there are more civilized, settled areas, that have been already cleared of most dangers. In this case, the smaller settlements will still require close-by economic centers, but the military centers can be smaller or further in-between. So the commoners weren't often facing the hostile creatures. I agree they would be armed, at the very least with farming implements, but that's not much against a CR 4 encounter. In areas that are especially dangerous, a small community would have a designated runner, someone with a mount or at least the Run feat, who could get away to call for help. [/QUOTE]

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