What unique cities would you build?

[Roxxy]

In my campaign setting, Dwarves love unique and difficult architecture and engineering. It's why they don't just build regular cities like everyone else. They prefer to put them in interesting environments.

So far, I have groups of Dwarves that construct cities in deep underground cave complexes, groups that carve cities out of the faces of mountains, groups that suspend cities between hundreds of trees in thick forests and jungles, and groups that build gigantic ships that serve as permanent homes for entire communities.

What other interesting non-standard cities could my Dwarves build? I'd love to have more ideas to work with than just these four.

[SpaceBadger]

Maybe some kind of huge arcology, a whole city in one giant building? That might be kinda like the ones carved into the sides of mountains, except that this would be a freestanding construct. Dunno what kind of magitech dwarf-stonecunning-engineering would be required to build such a thing without steel girders so that it would not collapse of its own weight - maybe lots of carefully placed stone so that it is almost like a manmade (dwarfmade) mountain?

[Ninjadeadbeard]

How about a city built into the walls of a huge canyon? It resembles an Escher painting with all its interconnected platforms and staircases and a few bridges between the sides of the canyon. It's a bit chaotic due to being originally several cities that grew together, but never worked out a way of reworking the "street" layout.

Or they build a city-planet. They twist Steam technology to the point where they create an artificial gravity well, smash rocks and ground into it, and then build a vast city atop (well, around) that. Travelers would be going past, stop, and gawk at the sight of a friggin Moon, covered in buildings, swarming with airships and hovering over a small lake.

No idea how far you were looking to go.

[00dlez]

The city of Cauldron (google Shackled City Adventure Path) is, if IIRC, built inside of a dormant volcano. The center is a small lake with the city built around the lip and inside ring. There is a large undercity as well with plenty of caverns and underwater tunnels to explore.

It is similar to the canyon idea that ninjadeadbeard posted above (perhaps combining these two is a good idea), but I have used a city before based off of the real world Ronda, Spain. specifically the awesome bridge they have there. (http://pixdaus.com/pics/1272533013CpmXQv2.jpg) It spans a gorge that cuts the city in two. In my games, it was a bit of a legend; there used to be a natural rock bridge connecting the two sides, which collapsed. The current bridge was rebuilt in a single day by a lone mage who used his power to rebuild it larger and stronger.

[Roxxy]

I love the canyon and volcano ideas.

[jojolagger]

a Large Town built on the side of a mountain. Not cutting a flat bit into the side and building there, not carving into it, actually hanging the city off the side of the mountain.

[Carecalmo]

A city built on the ceiling of a cave, hanging from it. Hollowed-out stalactites would contain buildings of importance, while the poorest sections of town are the fringes touching the cave walls. The floor is a deep underground lake and there are numerous platforms on its surface, connected to the city by lifts. From these platforms (and from the longest stalactite, headquarters of the Underadmiralty and the Explorers' Guild), dwarven magitech submarines plunge into the depths to recover treasures from the seabed, be they from collapsed stalactites that fell into the lake during earthquakes in ages past or as part of undersea mining operations.

Of course, the lake is not empty..

[00dlez]

A city built on the ceiling of a cave, hanging from it. Hollowed-out stalactites would contain buildings of importance, while the poorest sections of town are the fringes touching the cave walls. The floor is a deep underground lake and there are numerous platforms on its surface, connected to the city by lifts. From these platforms (and from the longest stalactite, headquarters of the Underadmiralty and the Explorers' Guild), dwarven magitech submarines plunge into the depths to recover treasures from the seabed, be they from collapsed stalactites that fell into the lake during earthquakes in ages past or as part of undersea mining operations.

Of course, the lake is not empty..

*Pictures a WWII styled dwarf submarine captain* Awesome.

[Friv]

A city built on two rivers, running parallel to each other in opposite directions. At each end of the rivers is a large lake, along the banks of which a mechanism quietly funnels the floating buildings from one river to the other. The result is a large, slowly orbiting city. When danger threatens, the mechanism is shut off and the entire city floats into whichever lake is safer from this particular danger.

[ShiningStarling]

A city made entirely of glass, not necessrily all transparent.

A city carved into the ceiling of a cave, with streets suspended between buildings and such.

A city where all buildings are large replications of everyday or natural things.

[Roxxy]

*Pictures a WWII styled dwarf submarine captain* Awesome.That actually fits the setting.

[Roxxy]

A city built on the ceiling of a cave, hanging from it. Hollowed-out stalactites would contain buildings of importance, while the poorest sections of town are the fringes touching the cave walls. The floor is a deep underground lake and there are numerous platforms on its surface, connected to the city by lifts. From these platforms (and from the longest stalactite, headquarters of the Underadmiralty and the Explorers' Guild), dwarven magitech submarines plunge into the depths to recover treasures from the seabed, be they from collapsed stalactites that fell into the lake during earthquakes in ages past or as part of undersea mining operations.

Of course, the lake is not empty..Yes. I like it.

[Zeta Kai]

Near the coast, the water table is so high that a vast marsh stretches for miles inland. The ground cannot be excavated, for the soil is nothing more than mud, & any tunnels would be instantly flooded. Rather than cede this territory to savage orcs or vicious lizardfolk, the dwarves of this land have imported stone from faraway quarries to built a cyclopean watchtower. This immense pillar rises far above the swampland, it tallest ramparts offering a vantage unequaled by any other. A veritable metropolis lies within the tower, as the garrison of dwarven defenders who were stationed at this remote outpost has grown greatly since the tower's founding, & supporting services eventually swelled to forge a community that became a town in its own right. Today, hundreds of dwarves live their entire lives here, & thousands more come every year to marvel at this unique architectural wonder.

[Pokonic]

A large, almost flat plain dominated by a formaly nomatic tribal culture, every home has been grown from the ground and the resulting structure resembles a large, greenless sun-bleached tree. These trees are hollowed and than reinforeced with stone from local quarries, with small holes drilled to let in sunlight.
The trees themselves are carved, often with family histories and tales alongside the carvings. The city itself is heavily landshaped, with large amounts of land between the hills that each have a building on it. The whole city is supported by the creation of alchemical potions and charms from the local flora, and every houses branches are adorn with varying colorful and varied totems and charms, with a few that signify the residents jobs and titles.

The whole city is proud to say that they have no actual goverment, for such a way of life among the artificaly-green false hills is so peacefull and secure that there is no need to suppress crime or keep wach on the economy. However, delving into the weird and strange (Fey, divine, necromantic, ect) is one of the few things truly forbidden, and such fools are bound to be thrown out of the city and transported into the deadly, wild elven-ruled forest far away from the city proper.

EDIT: Looking over your OP, this might not be exactly dwarven-approved. Perhapes orcs, goblins, gnomes, ect, but not dwarves. Sorry. :smallredface:

[Madeiner]

I'd go with the canyon idea. I have one city IMC built exactly like that. You can find an ispiring image here:

It is the Eloi village in The Time Machine movie

http://img149.echo.cx/img149/6295/villaggioheloi6qt.png

[Kadzar]

An underwater city. Not necessarily built underwater; it could have been built above water and lowered into position or built in a location where the water was dammed and the dam removed after construction.

[Roxxy]

I'd go with the canyon idea. I have one city IMC built exactly like that. You can find an ispiring image here:

It is the Eloi village in The Time Machine movie

http://img149.echo.cx/img149/6295/villaggioheloi6qt.pngAwesome. Mountain dwarves would so do that.

[The Durvin]

Maybe one built on glide on low-friction rails or tracks? Buildings could be moved around as needed. This gets even more impressive if the layout is 3D.

Or, since we're talking about fantasy, maybe all the buildings have legs.

[ARTHAN]

Here are my ideas:

1st) A completely uderwater city, protected by a giant bubble, or smaller bubbles, like the Gangan City in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace movie.

2nd) A cloud city, built on magic, solid clouds, much like the ones D&D 3.5 Cloud Giants love to build. Images for inspiration are renaissance drawing of the Heaven or drawings of the Greek Olympian Pantheon.

3rd) An acid city, built between rivers of acid. The Drarves here are going to use stone or metal resistant to acid in order to build cities or even magic ships able to withstand the acid and to travel along the rivers. Acid from the rivers may also be used for magical or alchemical research.

4th) A lava city, similar to the acid city, but built between rivers of lava instead of acid ones.

5th) A metal city, built entirely from metal. The city Metallon from the videogame Silver is a good example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc3NFJYFAKs&feature=related

6th) A floating island city, look at this Wikipedia page for more info. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_island

7th) An ice city, sculpured directly into a colossal iceberg! The drarven inhabitants should have cold resistance to withstand the sub zero conditions there.

8th) A "shell" city, built on a huge piece of land which floats on the air. Have a look at Septerra Core videogame and you will see what I mean. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fczpRaMVCho

9th) A Venice styled city, where people travel with gondolas and small bridges connect the various public areas and buildings.

10th) A portal city, much like Sigil, where each area is connected with the next through portals and travelling physically between houses is not able, since mundane doors are non-existent here.

11th) A swamp city, much like Andoria from Heretic II, take a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJYvsBQeKBk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImdeDMar0Mo&feature=related

12th) Here are some other pictures with interesting cities or structures:
http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/wallpapers/wallpaper_keldonmegaliths_1024x768.jpg
http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/daily/wallpapers/wp_commandtower_1024x768.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/daily/wallpapers/WP_ZENForest_1024x768.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/arcana300/Wallpaper_CentaurGarden_1024x768.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/wallpapers/Wallpaper_SerrasSanctum_1024x768.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/wallpapers/Wallpaper_CityOfAss_1024x768.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/wallpapers/Wallpaper_RavnicaForest_1024x768.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/wallpapers/Wallpaper_RavnicaMountain_1024x768.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/wallpapers/wallpaper_island_1024x768.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/wallpapers/wallpaper_plains_1024x768.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/wallpapers/wallpaper_forbiddingwatchtower_1024x768.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/daily/wallpapers/WP_DOTP1_wwb491hqr4_1280x960.jpg

[Yora]

In my setting, there is a series of large caves in a cliff next to the sea, of which many of the largest chambers have collapsed roofs and are open to the sky, inside of which are the buildings. It's basically a number of large natural pits connected to each other by tunnels. An underdark city with the roof taken off.
Some of the caves are also directly connected to the sea and form natural harbors.

[Reltzik]

My setting Ravine was set in and around a giant canyon, that was a mile or more deep in places and could be up to a 100 miles wide.

At its narrowest gap, dwarves had built The Bridge. ... just The Bridge. Say it in capitals and everyone knows which one you're talking about. It's two miles off The Ravine's floor (again, capitals) and twelve miles in length. The structure has multiple floors in its span, and includes shops, residences, markets, and inns across its entire length and up most of its towers. The dwarves claim a defensive buffer of about ten miles at its north end (fortified every step of the way), and its south end is firmly in dwarven territory.

The structure itself looks less like a medieval stone bridge and more like a modern suspension bridge or arch bridge (albeit one whose supports are anchored in the Ravine's walls, rather than the floor). The graceful swoops of the supports and beams not only maximize the structure's strength per mass (which is significant), but also maximize area for windmills. Wind is both reliable and powerful through the Ravine (requiring special alloys in the bridge's construction, ask any dwarf and you'll be bored to tears) and the resulting motive power is harnessed for industry. (The dwarves have yet to sort out how to make use of lightning strikes, but lightning rods at least divert the threat.) This, coupled with The Bridge's heavy volume of traffic and trade, makes it the greatest economic power almost anywhere.

While some magic was employed to correct minor imperfections in the parts, to sink the anchors and fuse them to bedrock, and to hold everything in place until the major supports were connected, the final product is nonmagical.

Flight is a major visual theme of the Bridge's architecture. In addition to the wind vanes (usually worked in bird motifs), images and carvings of flying animals are common. Flying buttresses are everywhere, kite-flying is the local pastime, and colorful clan flags and decorative streamers fly from every rooftop.

[Laharal]

To feed underground cities, the dwarves could rely on mushroom or cave crops fields. These fields would develop naturally in some caves and the dwarves studied those parameters to replicate them elsewhere. Exemple of that would be a special rock, moisture,magic energy inside a rock that would enable a cave ceiling to irridiate energy/light and provide nutrients to plant forms to be cultivated within the ground and not only above it.

[Lord Raziere]

The Road City. Longest City in the world, Called The Big Snake.

Bayville/ Lake Ring, a city the completely encircles a Bay or Lake, so that its this ringly thing. Various sports, mock navel battles and all that occur in the lake while people in the city watch.

Mouthcliff, where the dwarves tunneled and shaped this big mouth into this big cliffside, and made a city inside of it. Eventually they added the Two Eyes, two small towns above Mouthcliff city, so that it looks like some big yawning face.

An entire mountain, literally sculpted and tunneled and blasted repeatedly until it became a pyramid-style city, so that you have this pyramid that is literally as big as a mountain.

A city built on top of a volcano. and using its geothermal energy to power itself, while dwarves regulate the pressure so that it doesn't blow up.

[young_genuis]

The city of fire. A city built in to a lava chamber. The Lava will act a the walls. As a DM you could make a "fire dwarf". a Dwarf that resists fire. Easy
The Grave yard. You make the gravestones levers that open up to chambers. Each level would be only 20x20 but could go thousands of feet in to the ground
Your city could be a modified portable hole or perhaps a City built in to the clouds.
I hope this helps

[helik4888]

golden plains stretch out from the base of the mountain to the far coast and in the middle of that underneath a nearly constantly black sky lies a city. One may call it a city but it truly a fortress. Approaching the city tall walls made of solid pieces of stone rise up out of the ground. Boulders are stuck in the massive wall from the last giant attack. As you move into the city through the wall the tunnel extends for nearly 60ft before emerging on the other side. You stand upon a great stone walkway. Looking upon the city from the inside it appears as if someone dropped a stone from the sky and they carved from it a city. Tall buildings extend from deep within the earth to great heights in the sky, all of this being solid stone. Elaborate walkways extend from one building to the next. Places of patchwork can be seen as the years have not been kind to this city. As you move into the foundry of the city huge furnaces heat the buildings and coal dust is as common as air. the poor walk these streets sacrificing their lives to the great furnaces for meager pay. in the tall spires the inhabitants look outward enjoying the clean air and the great view. the middle regions prosper from the scraps of the spires as well as the influx of travelers from beyond the massive wall. each day like clockwork rain pours in from the sky. Some days it would be a light drizzle other days it would be torrential downpours.

this city is the last bastion of hope in a cruel land. this is Storm Fort.

[ulgulanoth]

I would build a city in the centre of a continent large desert, made from polymorph any object the sand of the desert into large spiral octahedral domes. So this city would have been built by epic level liches and outsiders. The reason for the city being there is that none of the citizens need any resources at all, so the only thing that matters is privacy. Being built out of *magic* the shapes of buildings would be as outlandish as the citizens like.

[Sgt. Cookie]

A setting I thought was rather good was in Scar Night, by Alan Campbell.

It's set in a city suspened by chains over a very, very deep pit. Parts of the town have collapsed and at the center is a single, massive temple devoted to worshiping the god at the bottom of the pit.

[Denihilist]

Demersae
There is a human city in the southern plains of Daethenor built in a lake. When the settlers originally moved there, they found the soil to be so rich, they did not want to waste any of it by covering it with buildings, but there was some concern that the historically dry spells might be an issue requiring irrigation. To solve both issues at once, they built dwellings down into the lake, with entrances above the high-water line, and arching bridges and a few large platforms joining and supported by each other and the dwellings below. As the buildings were built, the water displaced was gradually allowed into irrigation channels, and an underground spring keeps all necessary areas irrigated, without wasting a drop of water, or an acre of land.
Their dwellings, the walk-ways and even the large platforms are built using the carefully cultivated reed fields around the lake and the irrigation channels. These reeds are slightly translucent, and have large flowers at the top. The reeds are pressed into wide, long rectangular boxes and layered with a liquid made from the crushed flowers at the top of the reeds. Multiple layers are used, depending upon the depth the building the panels will be used for. For added color, the leaves are sometimes left in the resin. The reed panels are glued together using the same resin, and tied down to the bedrock of the lake using resin treated hemp ropes braced to keep the buildings from moving.
When swimming through the clear waters of the lake, it seems as if many differently shaped tubers or fruit are glowing and suspended in the water These buildings, therefore, at the top levels get bright colorful light due to the sunlight being transmitted down and through the reeds like fiberoptic cables, and where flowers were added, it is shaded like a stained glass window seen through a golden tapestry. Because of the nature of the reeds, the heat of the sun (and it is most often sunny) is also transmitted down into the building as well. When it is cold, there are small clay stoves made from the clay of the lake shores. Because there are few trees in the area, firewood has been replaced by plant bricks which use waste materials from building, meals, and the inedible portions of food or plant life, and they are pressed into brick or log-like shapes for use in the clay stoves and heaters.

[celtois]

This is the city my current campaign is set in but hey I don't mind sharing

Similar to many of cliff cities others have been talking about the idea is a city literally carved into high sea cliffs, which link to important structures on small bay islands, by a series of wooden bridges. In addition some artificial 'islands' consisting of large suspended platforms help make for additional space for those who do not want to live in the sea cliff tunnels.

In the centre of the bay is the castle with an associated church on one of the actual islands.

The city despite its strange position is actually the largest trading up in the region, with an just outside of town where the sea cliffs have been blasted away forming the dock district, it is there all trading takes place.

I also have a whole bunch of unique cultural aspects that go with the city due that arose due to the requirements of maintaining the suspension, but they are somewhat less relevant. The only other matter of relevance is the island is actually a dormant volcano, so there is very little fertile land, so most food and water must come from trade. Particularly since the areas fish have been wiped out by over fishing. The only other food comes from terraced farms carved into the side of the volcano.

[Ponderthought]

I have a city for my homebrew race that might be interesting.

Yva was built in an enormous cavern, place unknowingly along the coat of an enormous surface sea. When room to build on the floor of the cavern became scarce, the Vahan simply began building from the ceiling down, carving elaborate inverse towers into the stalactites that hang from the caverns ceiling. This has split the city into two districts, Lowside and Highside. A few years ago the northern wall of the cavern collapsed into the sea and the water flooded in a ways, creating a natural harbor and allowing the Vahan to see the sun for the first time in their existence.

They say the skyline at sundown is fantastic.

[Solaris]

Maybe some kind of huge arcology, a whole city in one giant building? That might be kinda like the ones carved into the sides of mountains, except that this would be a freestanding construct. Dunno what kind of magitech dwarf-stonecunning-engineering would be required to build such a thing without steel girders so that it would not collapse of its own weight - maybe lots of carefully placed stone so that it is almost like a manmade (dwarfmade) mountain?

I imagine that's the natural evolution of a dwarven city - they eventually completely take over the mountain.

My idea was for a desert culture. In place of farms, they have big ol' ziggurat-shaped hanging gardens. The peasantry live inside the ziggurats and tend the crops that grow on the outside of 'em. I've been toying with the idea of making it entirely hydroponic - no soil, just plants growing in the water.

[Roxxy]

I imagine that's the natural evolution of a dwarven city - they eventually completely take over the mountain.

My idea was for a desert culture. In place of farms, they have big ol' ziggurat-shaped hanging gardens. The peasantry live inside the ziggurats and tend the crops that grow on the outside of 'em. I've been toying with the idea of making it entirely hydroponic - no soil, just plants growing in the water.Yes. Yes, I like it.