What Could Possibly Go Wrong In a City?

[Hand of Evil]

• Don't drink the water -- could be allsorts of nastiness
• Dog packs -- strays for the most part, harmless beggars but if they come on a wounded person in the street in the night, they may not pass up on a meal. This can be goblins or rats if better suits the city.
• Gangs - players can come between gang territory or even be seen as a foe to the gang in some parts of the city.
• Halfling Adductions -- this sad and ugly truth is real, Halflings are adducted every day in cities and placed in slavery, cooking for the wealthy or restaurants. Blame the fad, all Halflings can cook and the holiday. Could be gnome or kender is they are used in your game.
• Racism - the people do not like a race.

 

[Eltab]

- Guild members must wear lederhosen while on the job. Only Guild members may wear lederhosen. If the PCs are in lederhosen (the Bard's good clothes may qualify), a group of toughs shows up to enforce Guild rules. If the Guild has had the rules written into law, then the toughs have police backup.
- River is running slightly over its banks. And it's raining. The PCs are dragooned into a sandbagging squad - even if they DO have pressing business elsewhere.
- Wearing the color _____ is the prerogative of the nobility / influential family. The PCs show up wearing that color. Snob aristocrat or merchant is not amused.
- One of the PCs is the spitting image of a man who was recently hanged for High Crimes. The locals commit mistaken identity and...
- (Background: the King's writ runs about as far as his bodyguard's bowshot) There's a war on, man, and you walked right into the middle of it. The Duke against the Baron, both are trying to gain alliance with the Mayor.
- The Burgermeister Meisterburger seeks to arrest the mysterious figure who keeps delivering TOYS to the children in their homes at night. (Because breaking and entering, violating Guild privileges, &c) He decides the PCs will make an acceptable substitute, and send a message to the real culprit.
- The PCs are at the wrong table when a bar fight breaks out and the local police "round up the usual suspects".
- A religious schism has rent the city. Members of the minority faith have a temporary and shaky upper hand. The PCs then show up, and any Cleric / Paladin gets suspicious interrogations.
- Previous tyrant has been overthrown, and local anarchists are trying to take long-term advantage of instability.
- "That d--nfool mage built his tower right in the middle of town", and is quietly trying to follow in Saruman's footsteps: invent gunpowder. He may come up with something that really ought to be kept in some farmer's Back 40. Maybe the test batch is more potent than he really thought...
- Urban renewal project has just been enacted, so now ALL the major roads have construction projects blocking them every few blocks. Just try to run away from somebody!
- Thieves Guild has bought out craftsman guilds and is now eliminating all competition, including travelling crofters. (Think: Zhents)
- Cholera or similar plague is brought to town by unassociated others at the same time as the PCs arrive. They might catch it or might get blamed for it.
- Fire in one building causes the building next door (tavern / orphanage) to become unstable. Could you go in anyways and get everybody out?
- River floods overnight, so the PCs wake up to discover they can only leave the inn by boat. Hopefully they did not take a room on the ground floor !
- Flashy rebel (Scarlet Pimpernel / Zorro / Robin Hood) plagues the leader of this city. The Mayor is unable to put a stop to the rebel's antics.