Urban Events
Just as monster templates can be used to modify a creature, turning a typical orc into a demonic beast or an undead menace, urban event templates allow you to model the effects of widespread, catastrophic events on a city. A gleaming, civilized bastion of commerce can quickly turn into an anarchic mess if a terrible plague sweeps through town. Angered by repressive laws or unfair treatment, the commoners can take to the streets in riots that push a town into temporary barbarism. The urban templates work with the descriptors and systems given previously in this book. They alter a city’s law enforcement, government, and economy to reflect the effects of a sudden change or special event that can shake a city to its core. Whenever possible, the templates include descriptions and ideas you can use even if you do not utilize all of the rules from previous sections.
Each event template includes an overview of its effects, uses, and nature along with information on how it alters different aspects of city life. All of the templates represent temporary conditions that cause a fundamental change in a city. In time, many of their effects fade, but they may leave behind permanent changes to a city’s geography, laws, and government.
