As DM's what plots, adventures, etc have you seen, used, played in within the confines of city. ( Yes this is a follow up to a previous post of mine)
For the more scholorly of us, Realistic markets what should we see (besides the typical swords, books, and exotic foods booths)
One campaign I played in the DM actually mapped every booth and inventoried the entire market ( for a Fair) I remember seeing things like used clothes with obvious stains, or with the ribbon, and lace removed, Fiddle, Harp, and Mandolin/ Guitar strings, copperware, and a barbarian clans booth selling bone carvings, and tanned furs.
So how do you make a "Market" come to life.
Please everyone post something related to cities.
From Sewer to Steeple to rooftops there is a multitude of uniquely wonderful ecologies in a city perfect for running awesome adventures.
My topic making a Fantasy City "Fantasy" while maintaining a since of reality that grounds a player into the reality of the game world.
Somewhere (where I forget) I read that to make a successful city ( by successfull I mean one that the players talk, and retalk about over and over again) one most create a since of awe.
For instance when we read of PKitties city of Mrid we say ooh, and aah at his description of the stairways, and the waterfall, of the myriad of little things mentioned that make for us ( or just maybe me) a mental image of a wonderful place.
Examples in literature, Rivendel, the city of the elves, and Minas Tirith . Or the Seven Bascilica's of Elizabeth Haydons Rhapsody series each described to make one be taken aback by the beauty.
In my world I have examples of this with the most obvious being the Massive stone dwarven City of Drakesbridge built atop a long thick bridge that crosses over a chasm twice the size of the Grand Canyon, Or Rhys
Built long ago on the plateau that juts up out of the Rhydaraen Falls. Rhys is often called the Green Kings city, or the Misty City due to its natural setting. All of the cities many buildings, walls, and mansions are built under a roof top forest complete with trees, and pools, and long park like paths. Tree roots intertwine with door jambs, or walls. Ivy, ferns, and moss abound in the moist shade of the Cities atmosphere. At the cities center the Palace of Whistyra-Lu-Nabha, an ancient elven palace once renowned for its wondrous magics, rises glitteringly up from the surrounding greenery. Ruled by the Druid King Tellurian ap Gwyrrion the city has thrived in the last eighty years. With the help of the Great Grove he has wisely chosen to take no sides in the War between the Nox Arcanum, and the Inquisition. only recently has the Inquisition took control of the Cathedral of the Maiden, and began hunting mages within the city without the provincial authority of the King.
While the above excerpt from my world has many of the quirks of my world written in this is what I mean. Cities with interesting, or highly descriptive quirks.
Ideas for making uniquely wonderous cities
* A City with massive Asgardian walls rumoured to have been built by the Giants long ago in the First age of the world.
It is said that the Walls of Troy were built by gods
* A City in the face of a Cliff ( Such as those found in Arizona) No need for walls and only a tiny foot path which reachs downward into the land below.
This would be a neat description for an exotic city. Imagine a Temple in the cliffs with gargantuan statues of ancient gods, and a city built at the statues feet walled and raidiating in its magnificence. Also a Dwarven city whose from gate is the cliff carved to appear as a great temple within the chasm, leading down into the world below.
* A city on a jutting sea stack rising off the ocean waves
A city on a sea stack whose front, and only gate can be reached by traversing over a massive rope bridge or by boat, places like this would have a massive interior city built within the sea stack, and probably would have a man made harbor at sea level though with Fantasy one could picture a City going as far as below the sea level as well and maybe even into an Underdark passage or something similar
Of course in the real world cities are usually found by near or on the water or other major trade arteries so Cities such as these should be either near a trade artery, or have some use such as Candle Keep or High Hallick both cities of the Scholorly Wizard.
Also cities such as the City of Ys, Built by the King of Cornwall for his daughter, the princess Dahud. Such was the Debauchery and Sins of the people in that fair place that the sea waters came and overwhelmed it , and It became the City of the Depths...
...When the sea is becalmed in that place, the entire Castle, and City of Ys can be seen- walls, churches, houses, and towers all unblemished and unchanged by the vast flood...
It is claimed that the bells in the Princess Chapel still sadly ring each day, and there is a prophecy that surrounds the bells telling that the first youth to here the sound of the submerged bells will save the Realm.
And In that moment the city will be restored and emerge from its watery no worse than a new babe after babtism, the long vanished citizens of Ys will be revived and the Princess Dahud will marry the Hero who hears the bells and He will become the new King of Ys.
There are many Ideas related to adventure in sunken cities, like the above and two others listed in the book from which the above excerpt was taken. So of course even a sunken city ( with perhaps no ability to breath underwater) could be exploited in a setting. In one story a character can gain the power of the Mages hazel wand of absolute power by being swift, and brave enough to seize it. One has the Twelve strokes of midnight on the eve of penticost to retrieve the item before the sea again retakes the city. However a hero who tries to get to the wand must succed against unnumbered temptations to retrieve it including rooms of gold and jewels to a room filled with a hundred maidens.
So anyone, and everyone post City setting ideas, or places, post your cities, or well tell tales of adventures in the mire of the cobbled streets.
One Request. Anyone with a useful city stat block will you please post it for my use thanks I have them they just aren't all that good, again thank you.
The Tale of Ys excerpt from CASTLES by Alan Lee pg 66
For the more scholorly of us, Realistic markets what should we see (besides the typical swords, books, and exotic foods booths)
One campaign I played in the DM actually mapped every booth and inventoried the entire market ( for a Fair) I remember seeing things like used clothes with obvious stains, or with the ribbon, and lace removed, Fiddle, Harp, and Mandolin/ Guitar strings, copperware, and a barbarian clans booth selling bone carvings, and tanned furs.
So how do you make a "Market" come to life.
Please everyone post something related to cities.
From Sewer to Steeple to rooftops there is a multitude of uniquely wonderful ecologies in a city perfect for running awesome adventures.
My topic making a Fantasy City "Fantasy" while maintaining a since of reality that grounds a player into the reality of the game world.
Somewhere (where I forget) I read that to make a successful city ( by successfull I mean one that the players talk, and retalk about over and over again) one most create a since of awe.
For instance when we read of PKitties city of Mrid we say ooh, and aah at his description of the stairways, and the waterfall, of the myriad of little things mentioned that make for us ( or just maybe me) a mental image of a wonderful place.
Examples in literature, Rivendel, the city of the elves, and Minas Tirith . Or the Seven Bascilica's of Elizabeth Haydons Rhapsody series each described to make one be taken aback by the beauty.
In my world I have examples of this with the most obvious being the Massive stone dwarven City of Drakesbridge built atop a long thick bridge that crosses over a chasm twice the size of the Grand Canyon, Or Rhys
Built long ago on the plateau that juts up out of the Rhydaraen Falls. Rhys is often called the Green Kings city, or the Misty City due to its natural setting. All of the cities many buildings, walls, and mansions are built under a roof top forest complete with trees, and pools, and long park like paths. Tree roots intertwine with door jambs, or walls. Ivy, ferns, and moss abound in the moist shade of the Cities atmosphere. At the cities center the Palace of Whistyra-Lu-Nabha, an ancient elven palace once renowned for its wondrous magics, rises glitteringly up from the surrounding greenery. Ruled by the Druid King Tellurian ap Gwyrrion the city has thrived in the last eighty years. With the help of the Great Grove he has wisely chosen to take no sides in the War between the Nox Arcanum, and the Inquisition. only recently has the Inquisition took control of the Cathedral of the Maiden, and began hunting mages within the city without the provincial authority of the King.
While the above excerpt from my world has many of the quirks of my world written in this is what I mean. Cities with interesting, or highly descriptive quirks.
Ideas for making uniquely wonderous cities
* A City with massive Asgardian walls rumoured to have been built by the Giants long ago in the First age of the world.
It is said that the Walls of Troy were built by gods
* A City in the face of a Cliff ( Such as those found in Arizona) No need for walls and only a tiny foot path which reachs downward into the land below.
This would be a neat description for an exotic city. Imagine a Temple in the cliffs with gargantuan statues of ancient gods, and a city built at the statues feet walled and raidiating in its magnificence. Also a Dwarven city whose from gate is the cliff carved to appear as a great temple within the chasm, leading down into the world below.
* A city on a jutting sea stack rising off the ocean waves
A city on a sea stack whose front, and only gate can be reached by traversing over a massive rope bridge or by boat, places like this would have a massive interior city built within the sea stack, and probably would have a man made harbor at sea level though with Fantasy one could picture a City going as far as below the sea level as well and maybe even into an Underdark passage or something similar
Of course in the real world cities are usually found by near or on the water or other major trade arteries so Cities such as these should be either near a trade artery, or have some use such as Candle Keep or High Hallick both cities of the Scholorly Wizard.
Also cities such as the City of Ys, Built by the King of Cornwall for his daughter, the princess Dahud. Such was the Debauchery and Sins of the people in that fair place that the sea waters came and overwhelmed it , and It became the City of the Depths...
...When the sea is becalmed in that place, the entire Castle, and City of Ys can be seen- walls, churches, houses, and towers all unblemished and unchanged by the vast flood...
It is claimed that the bells in the Princess Chapel still sadly ring each day, and there is a prophecy that surrounds the bells telling that the first youth to here the sound of the submerged bells will save the Realm.
And In that moment the city will be restored and emerge from its watery no worse than a new babe after babtism, the long vanished citizens of Ys will be revived and the Princess Dahud will marry the Hero who hears the bells and He will become the new King of Ys.
There are many Ideas related to adventure in sunken cities, like the above and two others listed in the book from which the above excerpt was taken. So of course even a sunken city ( with perhaps no ability to breath underwater) could be exploited in a setting. In one story a character can gain the power of the Mages hazel wand of absolute power by being swift, and brave enough to seize it. One has the Twelve strokes of midnight on the eve of penticost to retrieve the item before the sea again retakes the city. However a hero who tries to get to the wand must succed against unnumbered temptations to retrieve it including rooms of gold and jewels to a room filled with a hundred maidens.
So anyone, and everyone post City setting ideas, or places, post your cities, or well tell tales of adventures in the mire of the cobbled streets.
One Request. Anyone with a useful city stat block will you please post it for my use thanks I have them they just aren't all that good, again thank you.
The Tale of Ys excerpt from CASTLES by Alan Lee pg 66
