D&D General Which D&D for Hometown Heroes?

billd91 · 2026-03-06T14:37:44+0000

Pretty much any edition of D&D can work - you just lean into the setting appropriate aspects like making more out of their 5e background as their non-adventuring job or their 3e profession and crafting skills. I would also generally slow advancement to extend the mid level sweet spot.

Reynard · 2026-03-06T14:39:24+0000

Remathilis said:
It's also worth noting that Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone has a campaign model called Home & Hearth that focuses on the PCs being part of the community. Your PC isn't just a cleric, he's the town preacher. Unfortunately, it doesn't do much with it but give ideas on how PCs can be prominent in Quickstone and take the place of the NPC who fills that role.

Is that one of KB's books?

Reynard · 2026-03-06T14:41:15+0000

payn said:
What does make a city HQ campaign different is how the adventures come to the PCs instead of the other way around.

Just for clarity, I am talking about a small town, not a city. I think the concerns and focus of adventures is a little different there.

payn · 2026-03-06T14:46:26+0000

Reynard said:
Just for clarity, I am talking about a small town, not a city. I think the concerns and focus of adventures is a little different there.

Then swap out most those APs for Kingmaker which is a frontier building campaign. Much of the principles are the same. Problems come to the town for the PCs to face. The factions become neighboring towns and bands of monsters living int he wilds. Old crones living on their own, etc..

Artamo · 2026-03-06T14:48:24+0000

My first thought was Stonetop as well due to the town as character aspect being a key factor, but the adventuring still tends to take place outside of the town, but always with impacts that tie back to it. So I think it very strongly fulfills half of the requirements in that the town and the NPCs really feel alive and the things your characters do matter to that town.

Reynard · 2026-03-06T14:59:06+0000

zottel said:
That would be Stonehell, I presume.

Stonetop does look interesting, though I am not a huge fan of PbtA games.

Artamo · 2026-03-06T15:10:24+0000

Reynard said:
Stonetop does look interesting, though I am not a huge fan of PbtA games.

I will say that it is definitely not in the D&D space as far as mechanics go. It’s solidly PbtA. But perhaps it’s something to scavenge ideas from.

Remathilis · 2026-03-06T15:22:31+0000

Reynard said:
Is that one of KB's books?

Yes. His latest. Quickstone has a Western feel, so there is a definite feel of "protect the town" to it. However, it's a very specific strand of D&D (a Western set in Eberron) so while wonderful, I don't know how much it translates out of it's specific niche.

Reynard · 2026-03-06T15:28:53+0000

Remathilis said:
Yes. His latest. Quickstone has a Western feel, so there is a definite feel of "protect the town" to it. However, it's a very specific strand of D&D (a Western set in Eberron) so while wonderful, I don't know how much it translates out of it's specific niche.

I keep meaning to get those books...

BenjaminPey · 2026-03-06T15:48:09+0000

I'd say the most important thing is to add a level cap for this, so maybe Basic, or E6 or any other version like that. Just saying "we'll take 5e but stop at level 9. After that, is +1 HP for level and a feat every two or three other level" could work. Even a hard cap without any further progression could work.

That said, I second Stonetop for the not-D&D option, and add Legends in the Mist, perfectly taylored for that. In fact, I played yesterday the third sessions in a campaign exactly like that.