Everytime you look at something in The City, there is something going on behind it. It is a moment caught in the tangles of time of some other persons life. It is those little moments that make The City seem so alive.
Due to the nature of tabletop RPGs, a campaign will often start with a random group of strangers. Here are some ways to get them adventuring together, without resorting to the old Tavern trope.
Entering a new city there are street urchins, hustlers, con men, kidnappers, thieves and burglars looking to make their day’s profit. The victim, in many cases the PC, is known as the mark and is the target of whatever kind of hustle they have planned. These hustlers are always on the lookout for easy pickings.
A minor mess of magnates for myriad monarchies.
Now with Scroll functions! Add your own!
"Aye, 'dis here is yer problem, squire. Yer gone and got yerself a Cog Devil infestation in the ol' gear box, haven't ya? Look at the little bugger squirm, eh? Nah, dont be embarrassed, squire. It's better than lice on yer privates, innit? Coz, they're harder to get rid of, they are. And a lot more expensive too.."
Istherm Mild (esq.), licensed steam engine mechanic, overheard advicing one of his customers…
When dealing with nobility and court settings, players can sometimes skip the roleplay aspect and jump straight to behavior such as, "I bow, greet all in the court, and ask the duke for his assistance." While in most scenarios this type of action is sufficient, taking it a step further can enhance gameplay (or maybe even manipulate a plotline).
Kalraka Dzeik is a sentient lightning storm with a following of cultists. It has much in common with a natural disaster or a plague; it starts at a single point but spreads like wildfire if given the chance. It is capable of terrible destruction, and will take heroic effort to stop, if it can be stopped at all.
A random generator to create variable merchants shops, stores, and stalls.
She left me, I couldn't deal with it. I sat there with the barrel of the gun in my mouth for a long time before I pulled the trigger.
(Graphic Warning: Not for delicate eyes)
So, Lord and Lady Brennan definitely must sit together, but not too close to either of the Fletchers. General Schneider will cause a scene if he gets stuck next to one of those "brownnosed royalists," but his wife will be upset if she isn't next to one of the king's confidantes. I think we'll have to do it this way....
Appearing in the form of a massive bloody spider, the Bone Stitcher is one of the more macabre creations of the infernal…
On a planet with no name, a group of lawmen must protect a colony nobody has heard of from the universe’s most effective killers. All the while preserving the safety of both the guilty and the innocent in an effort to make society more about dignity and freedom than profit and force.
"Don't just laze about! Help with the seating arrangement! The guests will be here any minute, and the king said everything must be perfect tonight or heads will roll! Now remember, the King must sit at the head of the table with her majesty at his side. Lord and Lady Pemberton must sit next to each other but not next to either the Knight-Commander Gren or his wife.. The Priest Lenard mustn't sit next to any of the attractive Ladies, and the Matriarch will certainly cause a ruckus if not placed in a respectable seat, but don't put her near the wine fountain either. Also, the Ladies...."
Have you ever been in a position where you needed a quick break but your players were too ancy to break as well?
So they defeated the horde of impoverished peasants armed with farm implements. Now they want to loot the bodies…
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A table of possible backgrounds, qualities, or features of a fantasy town or city. A world building tool for getting attention to the details.