D&D General What do you expect in a starter village?

[cbwjm]

Some of the things I can think of for a starter settlement are:

• An inn/tavern, a basic blacksmith, a general store, a small temple or shrine.
• Trouble on the horizon which could be a local bandit gang, a tribe of orcs, or some other evil which leads to questing.
• A couple of settlements close by, something for the PCs to visit later on, perhaps a larger town or even a smaller village that has sent for help.
• A reason for the settlement's existence like a nearby mine, an important crossroad, or prime hunting grounds.

 

[fba827]

If the PCs themselves are from the village, it being small I’d expect there to be dozens of NPCs that they see daily and know by name and maybe two or three that they know really well (relatives, neighbors, that guy who runs the fruit stand that he buys an apple from every morning). Those last two or three each player should come up with name and relationship so that the players feel some more connection.

 

[Guang]

I consider Endhome from The Lost City of Barakus to be the best starting village, with strong ties to many adventure sites in the surrounding area. Although I guess it's quite a lot bigger than a village.

 

[Krachek]

Ultimately that later at least three quest to save the world force you to go back to this specific village.

 

[hopeless]

The thing I most regret looking back at the game I ran with and for the gaming group I used to play with.
One GM created a hamlet that was an ideal place to start his campaign at, 4 newly 3rd level characters arrived to defeat a winged fiend leading a platoon of undead zombies.
A caravan of supplies and the guards accompanying seemingly ambushed with evidence some if not all were killed.
He had me change my then Ranger into a Cleric for this game and used my background in the introduction.
Once that opening game finished he decided we would head back to the Port City that really didn't need the help.
So a hamlet beset by bandits and evidence where one fiend might be flying around, there may be others and since he wouldn't let my character find her apparently deceased son a clear reason to stick around.
Nope!
My mistake was then running a game in Exandria to explain my cleric had been banished from that world to his settings world and recovering from temporary amnesia is now looking for a way home.
I shouldn't have bothered as he apparently liking my game decided to port his to the same world despite the fact he had several times said no to that and then ignored my character was banished from that world.
What I should have done and deeply regret is take that setting he ignored and demonstrate how wrong he was.
I just wanted to say I agree with some of the posters here and just wanted to add if you get the chance don't ignore it!

 

[J.Quondam]

on that note, a job board at the back of the tavern.

The tavern jobs board be posted out back, on the inside of the door of the privy... at the bottom of which lurks a horrific mystery.

 

[Demetrios1453]

This is something that I mentioned in the thread on potential new settings books - that while we have several 5e examples of cities of adventure in settings books, we don't have a village of adventure example. I brought this up in relation to a potential new FR setting book, where Shadowdale would be the perfect example...

 

[overgeeked]

This is something that I mentioned in the thread on potential new settings books - that while we have several 5e examples of cities of adventure in settings books, we don't have a village of adventure example. I brought this up in relation to a potential new FR setting book, where Shadowdale would be the perfect example...

To me, it points directly to the main problem with the Forgotten Realms...too many high level NPCs. What adventure is there in the town where the most powerful wizard in the realms lives? Goblins in yonder cave? Elminster could fart a fireball big enough to roast everyone of them without noticing he’d cast a spell. And yeah, I know the “it’s beneath him” and “he’s busy with something” and “he’s away” excuses. They don’t fix the problem only make it sillier.

 

[Zaukrie]

To me, it points directly to the main problem with the Forgotten Realms...too many high level NPCs. What adventure is there in the town where the most powerful wizard in the realms lives? Goblins in yonder cave? Elminster could fart a fireball big enough to roast everyone of them without noticing he’d cast a spell. And yeah, I know the “it’s beneath him” and “he’s busy with something” and “he’s away” excuses. They don’t fix the problem only make it sillier.

Is there any published setting where there aren't more powerful NPCs? If there weren't, why wouldn't all the all powerful bad guys/dragons/etc. that are waiting for the PCs to level up just take over the world? To me, there being more powerful people makes the world realistic.

That said, I'm playing in a game where we are the most powerful people, and the DM and I have briefly discussed this. It works for me as is, and given that there aren't really NPCs powerful either (other than dragons and their servants).....it works. But, that's a pretty unusual set up for most setting.

 

[Zaukrie]

This is something that I mentioned in the thread on potential new settings books - that while we have several 5e examples of cities of adventure in settings books, we don't have a village of adventure example. I brought this up in relation to a potential new FR setting book, where Shadowdale would be the perfect example...

Isn't that Phanalin? In the two boxed sets?