D&D 5E (2014) Walking Town Ya or Na?

[ranger69]

This is a great idea.

Can I recommend the "cities in flight" series of by James Blish? Although they are sci-fi rather than fantasy there are ideas and themes you may be able to mine (cough).

 

[Hand of Evil]

Had a city built on the shell of a giant tortoise back in my 1e days, that walked a grassland plane. The people in the city, would raid the areas around them for goods and slaves or defend themselves from raiders.

 

[Derren]

Where does the town get its food and water from?
What is the profession of the common people living in the town and where do they get the raw materials for their job from?

Having the ability is fine, just realize that it would likely be used sparingly instead of walking with it every day because of the above mentioned problems.

 

[I'm A Banana]

There's a walking town in Planescape, too. Totally legit.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Where does the town get its food and water from?
What is the profession of the common people living in the town and where do they get the raw materials for their job from?

Having the ability is fine, just realize that it would likely be used sparingly instead of walking with it every day because of the above mentioned problems.

Think I would put a mechanic in place; have it walk d20 days then stop for d20 days and follow a track.

 

[JWO]

I really recommend the Mortal Engines series by Phillip Reeve. It's set in a future dystopia where all towns are mobile and exist in a survival of the fittest type ecology where smaller and weaker towns get predated by larger towns for their resources.
It's aimed at the YA market but I find that that's where a lot of the more "out there" ideas can be found.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_Engines

 

[metalman42]

Aw, I was waiting to read the whole thing before plugging Mortal Engines!

Anyway, I think a walking city can be really cool whether it's mechanical or magical/biological in nature. No matter what, it would provide protection to its citizens greater than a wall or other low-tech solution. Perhaps the city needs people to help it, and the citizens live in a symbiotic relationship? They fix it, feed it, steer it towards food, or something that it can't do on its own. So naturally people stayed on and now it's a little town!

 

[MasterTrancer]

Interesting concept!

I can imagine that the inhabitants grow food and cattle on patches on the city.

As for the artisans, they could be very specialized mithrilsmiths, and actually set the course of the city towards wherever there is a rich vein, or a profitable market; with the earnings, they maintain the other villagers. (substitute mithril with whatever fancies you most).

My 2 lire thrown in ;-)