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What do you NEED in a starting town?

On the note about politics - if this is a small village, there isn't all that much in the way of politics to be had. Oh sure, there's always the local scandal of who slept with whose livestock, but, by and large, this doesn't concern the party too much. (Well, I hope it doesn't concern the party too much - you never know about those gnomes :) ) Considering you'll have a headman of some sort and that's pretty much it for any sort of political body, it's not like they can climb the social ladder as it were.

Another decent resource is the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. Pretty sweet ready made town that works for characters for quite a few levels. Add in some caravans once in a while for when they are in town (Oh look, as you round the corner, back from the terrible caves, it appears that there is a caravan in town - who'd have guessed?) and you should be good to go.
 

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Much of the standard stuff has been covered but you should consider how "standard" you want your game to be. I'm not looking down on covering the basics but after a while I've done the "quiet little village" thing a lot and I look to put a new twist or three on the whole scenario. What if...

1) The blacksmith in town does NOT make or carry weapons. It isn't that he doesn't know how (in fact rumor has it that he used to be a sword maker of reknown) but the Baron is concerned about peasant uprisings and has issued a prohibition on those who are not members of the nobility or guard carrying "real weapons". Clubs, "walking sticks" (quarterstaves) and "skinning knives" (daggers) are fine as are short bows for hunting but swords and spears and crossbows are forbidden in the hands of civilians.

2) This puts the PC's in the position of perhaps seeking a spot in the Town Guard as a way of legitimizing their carrying of weapons. It also gives you a way to insert some other interesting PC's (maybe another recruit who's always getting into trouble or a nasty "drill sergeant" type of guard captain). And it gives you a way to add some "time passes" sequences ("You spend the next couple weeks doing drills and making repairs to the aging town walls").

3) Go ahead and put in a "sagely old man" (or woman) who might be able to tell the PC's a thing or two about the local history or perhaps the history of a (Masterwork or Magical) weapon they find. But don't put anybody who can Identify anything beyond a Potion.

4) Instead have a Treant and Dryad living in the forest together. The Treant has a few levels of Druid and the Dryad knows a little sorcery. Their arrangement with the town is "You don't cut too many trees and we'll keep the crops growing well." The townsfolk have always respected this arrangement keeping their farms small but productive but they fear the "Guardians of the Wood". It is said that they know more magic than anybody though and if the PC's want to find out what the magical figurine does, they'll have to visit them or go to "the big city". The Guardians might ask the PC's to fix a problem for them (confront a rogue band of lumberjacks?) in exchange for IDing their stuff or offering healing.

5) Instead of a single Temple, make sure you have at least two and even if (or particularly if) they represent similar alignments have them struggling over the gathering of worshipers. Have them standing on the steps of the temple calling out to passers by to "Come embrace the light of Pelor! No tithe for the first year!" and stuff like that.

I think you get the idea of what I'm saying. You don't necessarily have to put a twist on every one of the "basics" but I think adding a few of these in would lend a certain novelty to what you're doing. Good luck and have fun.
 

A small hamlet may not have a permanent temple at all. The Baron, if he is devout or wants to be known as such, probablly keeps a low level cleric on the pay roll who may go into town on holy days and perform the regular rituals, but there may be no religious presence in the community. Rather, iternerant missionary clerics (perhaps only Experts) come to town every few weeks for a day and hold a serivce in the town square or some meeting house.

I really like the above idea of the Guradians of the Wood, this would be perfect for a very "middle of nowhere" heavilly wooded barony. If the cleric kept by the baron is a follower of a god of Law or Civilization or somesuch, he might object to the commoners supporting such creatures. Maybe even hiring PCs to do something about it.


The baron is likely to have a small attachment on guards, although they are going to fall into two catagories: incompetent officers sent to the boonies and local thugs. For a twist set the Captain up as an obvious womanizing drunkard who does nothing to enforce the law, but who is really a spy sent to keep an eye ont he possibly traitorous baron who has been rumored to be in league with the kobolods/other enemy.
 

Orius said:
Maybe not an inn, yes. But damn near every tiny hole in the wall hick town out in the middle of nowhere is going to have a place for the locals to go get liquored up. It's kind of a rule.
Well, I was thinking that lots of small towns are more like farming communities. People might have liquor, but they're often too busy to go get drunk on a regular enough basis to support a business.
 

Farmers. A whole freakin' lotta farmers! Besides Profession (Farmer), they should all have some other Profession or Craft skill(s), and their wives and kids should, too! (Historically, most farm wives made clothing for their families, and also wove girdles in their spare time. These were then sold to the general merchants, who re-sold them for a profit.)

Ranchers. Animal Husbansmen, if you prefer. Cattle-whoppers, shepherds, whatever. Maybe some even raise and train horses. Maybe someone breeds and trains dogs. Many raise chickens, goats, milch cows, etc. Almost as many of these as farmers.

Houses. Lots of these! Everyone needs a place to live, although some might also incorporate a business, too!

General Store. Food, clothing, materials, needles, thread, pots, pans, household items. Some minor adventuring gear, like candles, oil, lanterns, knives of all sorts, hammers, handaxes, pitchforks, sickles, scythes, machetes, plows, etc. Camping gear is also sold here.

Carpenters. They make anything smaller than a house or barn, and help out on anything bigger that's made of wood. Furniture, boxes, perhaps barrel-staves and bow-staves, too! Several men work here.

Stonecutters. Cuts the blocks for building, as well as tombstones. Employs several people.

Builders. While the townsfolk will help their neighbors raise a barn, or house, some structures require more expertise. These are the men you go to, for those projects. At least one will have some Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering).

Blacksmiths. Makes nails, affixes horseshoes, probably does all the local cooping (although there might be a cooper in town, too, if a lot of barrels are needed). Can make simple weapons and tools, as well. May have a few for sale.

Bowyery. Sells bows and arrows, mostly to the local hunters, but also for self-defense, and also to adventurers. At least one bowyer and apprentice.

Leatherworkers. Can make all forms of leather gear, including armor, quivers, backpacks, cases for musical instruments, etc. At least a master and apprentice work here.

Butcher. Cuts meat, makes sausages, etc.

Tanners. Skins the butcher's animals, tans the hides, and takes them to the leatherworkers. Includes a public restroom (as urine and feces are used in the tanning process).

Tailors/Weavers. Can be two places, or just one. While most house-/farm-wives will do this, the best will be dressmakers and clothiers, and also be able to make cloth armour fr adventurers!

Bazaar/Market. Where local produce is usually sold, at least once/week. Traders can also stop here, on occasion.

Armor & Weapons Shop. If your PCs are going to adventure here, they really do need one, to allow them to equip (and re-equip, after each adventure). At least all the forms of light armor, and Scale Mail must be available (that's about all you can afford, at first level). Maybe a used suit of "Chain Maille" that the PCs can aspire to own, someday...

Bakers. Make bread from the local grain(s). May also have a specialty, like pie-making.

Candlewrights. Take the tallow from the butcher, and beeswax from farmers who keep hives, and make candles. They may sell these, themselves, or simply pass them to the General Store.

Barber-Chiurgeon. Also the town dentist and physic/leech. Haircuts, appendectomies, and teeth-pullings, all in one! Has some Healing skills, and perhaps Profession (Herbalist).

Alchemists. Unless your PCs don't want any of these items, there should be one in town, with the usual stock in trade. Can also be the Wizard/Sage's.

Inn. Someplace for shifty travellers to stay, locals to meet and talk with them, alcohol and rumours to flow, and fights to break out.

The Temple to All Good Deities. The local priests all share upkeep on one building, which they all use at different times on various days. Can also be rented out for weddings, dances, shows, etc.

Town Hall. The only three-story building in town. The bottom floor is a large meeting hall, the second floor holds offices, and the top floor is the Mayor's residence. He and his family live here, and his Secretary has a small room on the second floor.

Shrines/Fanes. Small roadside areas run by a Druid or Priest. Minor Templets to some single deitiy. One might be run by an old Paladin or Ranger, instead of a Priest/Druid.

Mine. Where ore or gems come from. Many miners, houses, and maybe even a General Store, here, too. Mines can be even less glamorous caol mines, as well.

Quarry. Where the stonecutters do their jobs.

Hunters' Camps. Simple rustic fixin's, perhaps even a cabin. Near the Hunting Lodge, if you include one. Many hunters, depending upon local game. Excess meat is sold to the butcher, and skins to the General Mercantile or Tanners.

Millers. Grinders of the local grains. Usually charges 10% of the grain milled, in lieu of money. Usually hated by the local farmers, because of this. :p

Wainwrights. Farmers need carts and wagons, and they have to come from somewhere! These are the folks who build and repair them (although the carpenters and blacksmiths could probably figure it out, if something needed fixing).

Charcoal-burners. These grimy folks, on the outskirts of town, partially burn wood to make charcoal. Usually lower class, as they're always sooty.

Herbalists. Gather healing herbs, and sometimes serve as apothecaries, as well, dispensing home remedies. Sell Healer's Kits, as well as plants and poultices.

Sherrif's Guardhall. Where the Sherrif and Deputies hang out, and the local militia/guard assemble, and store their gear, when need be.

The Stables. The Inn will have one, if the town doesn't. Get your horsefeed here, as well as tack, saddles, perhaps a horse, if one of the ranchers raises them, and maybe even a riding dog, if Halflings live nearby.

The Hermits. Every town has one or two... The stand-offish, stick-to-themselves folks with a secret. Some are independently wealthy, and live at the Inn while writing poetry. Some are hatching dark plots. Bree had its Rangers, and sometimes a "Furiner" is doing research (or other things) in a local ruin. Sometimes, there're just a few thieves hanging around, between jobs.

Abandoned/Ruined/Haunted Houses. May be of interest, or not. Could also be up for sale, or free for the taking. May or may not have adventure hooks, within.

Shipwrights. If the town is on a river, or even a stream, someone nearby will make and sell small boats. There will also likely be a bridge, and perhaps fishermen.

Fishermen. They catch them, buy salt and barrels, dry them, salt them, pickle them, and sell them either to the locals, or to the General Mercantile.

Ferrier. Profession (Boater). He'll take you across the river for a small fee, and sometimes up and down it, if you make it worth his while...

Fowlers. Some places might have a specialist in catching and/or breeding and training birds. Usually, these will be game birds, but on occassion, these will be trained birds of prey.

Drovers. At least the General Merchant and Stables will have a wagon for hauling goods (and the Wainwrights will all be able to drive, if they exist). Any of these wagons will be rentable, when not otherwise in use. The drovers are the guys you hire to drive them. Many Farmers/Ranchers will also have this skill.
 
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Most of what I would've suggested, based on the current set-up for the town of Thornhill in my C&C campaign, has already been listed.

What I will add is that every small town needs to have a big city far away, but close enough that stories about the city reach the village. Because eventually the PCs are going to outgrow the small town, and need a place to go.
 

Steveroo, I'm trying to detail the minimum necessary. I don't want to be detailing this hamlet to be the rest of my life. ;)

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. In a lot of ways, we're surprisingly on the same wavelength to begin with; for instance, the blacksmith can only sell used weapons and armor (or repair ones found by the PCs) because the baron has a contract with a smith in the biggest village in the barony who's guaranteed the rights to be the exclusive weapon and armorsmith in a barony famous as a birthplace for heroes. And this, of course, will eventually push the characters down the road to that other village when they decide they want masterwork or less common weapons and armor.

I may start a Midwood thread in the Rogues Gallery forum to get help fleshing out specific places and NPCs. Thanks!
 




Into the Woods

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