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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Deadguy" data-source="post: 72944" data-attributes="member: 2480">City as a CharacterI will agree with Harlequin that, if a city is to become a long term element of the campaign, then it needs a good background story. In many ways you need to treat the city as though it were an important NPC.- It needs a History. It needn't be a blow by blow account of every event ever, but at least a broad sweep of its role. Why was it first built? Has it ever been conquered? Has its role changed over the years (e.g. a market town developing into an industrial centre, or a port dominating the locality and becoming a de facto regional capital)? What races have been involved in the history of the city? What landmarks are a result of that history (c.f. Arc de Triomphe in Paris, a victory marker, or Colosseum in Rome)? What are the local land features (c.f. the Seven Hills of Rome, or the Castle Rock in Edinburgh)?- Current Attributes: Who appears to control it and who really controls it? What are its interests? Do its activities mark the city (a port is obvious, but an industrial town might need a special layout)? What races now live there and how do they relate (this links back to their history)? What religious groups are represented in the city, and how do they influenced it? Likewise what role does arcane magic and its practitioners have? How is the underworld organised (there doesn't have to be a single, monolithic Thieves' Guild, there can be many different gangs, or something in-between, or even a totally fractured structure)? What forms of entertainment are available (from the usual, to fantastical things like hippogriff racing or skyship battles!)? What materials is the city built from (very much a function of the local area - it doesn't just have to be wood and stone; brick or even something stranger like a magical plant or natural caves)?- Quirks: these are the things that help set the city apart when describing it to players. Things like a peculiar dress code (e.g. people wear masks when outside their own homes), city festivals (marking significant events in the history or role of the place), peculair odours (e.g. the prevalence of perfumers means the air smells of roses), regular activities that are noticeable (e.g. regular chiming of a gong in honour of the king), peculiar locales (e.g. a blood fountain, or a haunted gallows), unusual folk (e.g. a guild of beast-blooded streetsweepers). These are definitely worth working on, as they will stick in your players' minds.It sounds like a lot of work! But the xity can grow organically as you use it (don't be afraid to make things up - just note them down and work them into the setting formally between times!). And, of course, real world history is replete with colour that can be added to your own cities (just think of an event like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, or the history of the Christian Church in Rome). Never forget that even in a gritty, low fantasy setting, that it is still fantasy, so don't sweat oddities and remember to include the fantastical, otherwise you're really just playing Mediaeval Ages: the Sickness!And, of course, have fun... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></blockquote>

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