Single city campaign?

[heavyfuel]

I was fiddling with this campaign idea in my head for a while now. Considering my current campaign world is huge but is rather empty (justified as it's a desert setting) I wanted to go in the opposite direction for the next I DM: One single very large town.

All districts, streets, houses, people, pets, items. All put into place and then just see how the players interact with the 10k+ NPCs. I don't suppose any one knows of a setting or adventure path like this? Assuming people that write these things are, unlike me, sane members of society, I don't suppose there is such a thing?


If there isn't something pre-build to save me of all the work I'll have to put into it, here's how I'm thinking about building the city:

There would be NPCs of all levels, from the the level 1 farmer to the level 20 guild master so as to keep a challenge for the higher levels. Of course, I will be using a generator or ten to preserve whatever is left of my mind before its unavoidable breakdown and only work personally on the major NPCs.

To avoid players leaving the city (besides an OOC talk), I was thinking that the town is constantly protected by a Cloister-like (http://oots.wikia.com/wiki/Cloister) spell which would block summonings as well, and the reason for that is that the outside world is a filled with extremely powerful threats with CRs ranging from 15 to 30 (no, I totally did not steal that from Attack of Titan. Why do you ask?)

When presenting suggestions, please note that I don't want a Tippyverse-style city with Create Food and Water traps and Teleportation Circles galore. I'm willing to borrow details from the Tippyverse, but not play it as it is.

So what do guys think of this? Awesome idea or insane undertake? Also, how can this go horribly wrong?

[Uncle Pine]

The cheapest way to do this I can think of is taking a peek at "Waterdeep: City of Splendors". I mean, it's an entire book! 157 pages on a single city! :smallbiggrin:

[Dimers]

A single-city campaign is no problem at all. There's TONS to do in a city. The players should know before building characters, of course, but aside from that the only issue you're likely to face is "where do the food and water come from / how does the sewage leave".

Shackled City adventure path focuses on one city and can give some inspiration. Skullport in FR has its own book -- a nastier and filthier place cramped into a tiny space, if that seems fitting for your intended setting (or if you want an underworld). Sigil makes a great standalone city.

I like to look at travel guides and try to translate places, people and events from those to a fantasy-medieval setting. There are many, many single-city tourist guides; try Rome, London, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Seattle or Hong Kong. Check your public library! </pluggingmyprofession>

[Honest Tiefling]

I wouldn't bother with the spell unless it is a plot point. Breaking it so outside trade can resume might be a good start to get a rag tag team of heroes/murderhobos together however.

I would instead talk to the players and tell them the campaign is about the city, and that they'll be expected to stay within it. Allow them to make backstories and get a teensy bit of advantage with them if they relate to the city, such as being related to a city scribe, or being familiar with a district, or nobility or even money if they are a merchant here. If they still try to leave, you're probably better off without them if they sit down and agree to one thing and do another.

I'd strongly encourage you to strongly encourage them to make back stories that are intertwined, such as all coming from the same slum. There's oodles of other people so make sure they have a reason to work with a handful out of thousands.

Give them the ability to have some sway with a group that goes outside, so they can bribe/convince/coerce that group to handle stuff outside and bring back news/macguffins/etc. Maybe they get some military contacts and get some easy ins for info that way.

They'll probably want a base and NPCs to plop into it. Provide a hook for such, and expect them to try to recruit random NPCs in their path. They will also probably want rank, so plan on them getting a reputation one way or another.

And figure out how the city deals with fires BEFORE they set anything on fire.

[Strigon]

Well, if your players are fine with the only thing being a city, I say go for it!
I imagine it would be a very different experience; more focus on Charisma than usual.

But make sure they understand there will be nothing but a city. If they're looking for a widely-varied landscape, with tons of dungeons and ancient ruins, it sounds like this isn't it.

[heavyfuel]

The cheapest way to do this I can think of is taking a peek at "Waterdeep: City of Splendors". I mean, it's an entire book! 157 pages on a single city! :smallbiggrin:


A single-city campaign is no problem at all. There's TONS to do in a city. The players should know before building characters, of course, but aside from that the only issue you're likely to face is "where do the food and water come from / how does the sewage leave".

Shackled City adventure path focuses on one city and can give some inspiration. Skullport in FR has its own book -- a nastier and filthier place cramped into a tiny space, if that seems fitting for your intended setting (or if you want an underworld). Sigil makes a great standalone city.

I like to look at travel guides and try to translate places, people and events from those to a fantasy-medieval setting. There are many, many single-city tourist guides; try Rome, London, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Seattle or Hong Kong. Check your public library! </pluggingmyprofession>

I own none of these books, although a quick Google search revealed to me that Waterdeep is more in line with what I had in mind. So I'll almost definitely get it and hope that whatever I spend ends up paying for itself in time I won't waste building a city from scratch.

Thanks, to both of you for the suggestions.


I wouldn't bother with the spell unless it is a plot point. Breaking it so outside trade can resume might be a good start to get a rag tag team of heroes/murderhobos together however.

I would instead talk to the players and tell them the campaign is about the city, and that they'll be expected to stay within it. Allow them to make backstories and get a teensy bit of advantage with them if they relate to the city, such as being related to a city scribe, or being familiar with a district, or nobility or even money if they are a merchant here. If they still try to leave, you're probably better off without them if they sit down and agree to one thing and do another.

I'd strongly encourage you to strongly encourage them to make back stories that are intertwined, such as all coming from the same slum. There's oodles of other people so make sure they have a reason to work with a handful out of thousands.

Give them the ability to have some sway with a group that goes outside, so they can bribe/convince/coerce that group to handle stuff outside and bring back news/macguffins/etc. Maybe they get some military contacts and get some easy ins for info that way.

They'll probably want a base and NPCs to plop into it. Provide a hook for such, and expect them to try to recruit random NPCs in their path. They will also probably want rank, so plan on them getting a reputation one way or another.

And figure out how the city deals with fires BEFORE they set anything on fire.

All around solid advice. Thanks!

I thinking about the spell as something made to cover outsiders plane shifting / being summoned into the city, as well as to cover things like Teleporting to the outside world, which is something that I don't want to plan, given that the city is going to be an actual city with actual people. But yes, as long as the players understand that moving away from the immediate vicinity of the city means that their character has "died" and that he has to roll another one, the Cloister spell won't be necessary.

As for the backstories, they will be insensitives to have one, I always make sure of that. I really like this idea of them having related backstories, although I'll probably have to restrict them to PHB races and variants so as to not have a too diverse group come from the same place (especially since 3/7 of the players really like bizarre races from the many MM books)

Yes. Travelling merchants might have news from other cities and can give quest hooks. Doesn't quite work if the spell is in play though (I might just make it a plot point, just because I like it so much. But then again, I might be restricting myself to what can and can't happen)

I was thinking of having it be a campaign with a slower pace then your usual campaign. They might go on adventure for a month trying to solve some problem or another, and then have nothing happen for a few months. So yeah they'd have to have some sort of base, although individual houses might also work. When it comes to fame, have you (or anybody really) played with the Reputation system (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/campaigns/reputation.htm) from UA (I also think there is one in Cityscape, but I'm not sure). if so, what's your experience with it?

Hmmm. Decanters of Endless Water maybe?


Well, if your players are fine with the only thing being a city, I say go for it!
I imagine it would be a very different experience; more focus on Charisma than usual.

But make sure they understand there will be nothing but a city. If they're looking for a widely-varied landscape, with tons of dungeons and ancient ruins, it sounds like this isn't it.

If all of them will be down with it or not I don't know yet. My campaign is coming to a close, and we will be launching into another long campaign (in which I won't be DMing). So I have only talked to 3 of our 7 players. These 3 liked the idea, and that's good enough for me, as if none of the other 4 like the idea, they can leave and I'll still have a group to play with.

[Fax Celestis]

Ptolus. The thing you are looking for is Ptolus.

[XionUnborn01]

There's the book World's Largest City. It's a huge book and I believe it comes with a map of the city that can be super useful. I haven't read even close to half of it, but it's designed for many multiple adventures to be had at pretty much every level.

[heavyfuel]

Ptolus. The thing you are looking for is Ptolus.

Oohhh. That looks sexy.

Now to choose between Ptolus and Waterdeep... Oh decisions!

[nyjastul69]

Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?375590-3-5-PF-List-of-City-Supplements&p=18219441) is a link to a recent thread about city supplements.

[heavyfuel]

There's the book World's Largest City. It's a huge book and I believe it comes with a map of the city that can be super useful. I haven't read even close to half of it, but it's designed for many multiple adventures to be had at pretty much every level.

Hmm. Couldn't find any info on it besides the summary from the Amazon page. Do have any other details other than it just being a huge city?

[Calimehter]

Another possible option would be Sigil.

Sure, there are gateways everywhere out of the city . . . but, these gateways are fickle and/or secret and/or well guarded, and are as much GM-controlled plot devices as they are true 'city gates'. The city is physically large, physically well-bounded, and has so much stuff in it from all over the multiverse that one would never have to leave to have all manner of crazy adventures.

[XionUnborn01]

Hmm. Couldn't find any info on it besides the summary from the Amazon page. Do have any other details other than it just being a huge city?

I know it has a lot of specific details, such as shop keepers with specific hobbies and some things they do every week along with shops and inns and taverns and guilds etc all with lists of people that go there, work there, or own it. And pretty much every place has one or more plot hooks.

It's 700 pages and weighs 5 pounds. It's full of crazy information.

Pretty much every campaign I run has parts of this book in it somewhere because it's easy to export a shop into a new city, you can even keep the rivalries it has or make new ones.

[EisenKreutzer]

Sigil would be a perfect choice. It has tons of available material, and a very unique feel.

[AlanBruce]

I actually designed a city, with npcs, guilds, churches, different taverns and stores, as well as a magic school.

The important thing is to keep the players immersed in the city.

How old is the city?

Who founded it?

What laws exist regarding certain type of behavior (spellcasting, for instance)

What interesting landmarks are there in the city?

Who are the notorious go to npcs if the PCs are looking for a job?

Are their warring factions/families in the city?

Is there a criminal underground? Perhaps several?

Who runs the city? Is it a theocracy? Magocracy? Oligarchy? Maybe a monarchy?

If you can establish certain landmarks/npcs/history to your city, this will give the necessary push for the players to maybe strike it out on their own.

A bard in the party? Maybe the local theatre has a play that will give her renown throughout the city (as well as a moderate amount of coin). There is competition for that coveted role in the play…. and not all those involved are willing to play fair or nice.


Melee guy who wants to prove his worth? Maybe there's a warrior or hunter's guild and the leader of said guild just boasted his latest capture- some rare templated beast…

Which happened to set itself loose in the city.

Cleric in the party introduces himself to the many church leaders in teh city, however, each has a distinct feeling taht the other church is working to have them booted. Time to commune and investigate.

Ranger or druid? The city park is in fact the last intact natural stretch of forest left within the city walls- with a very large druidic and fey community. A perfect place to train and rapport with nature- were it not that someone…or something is defiling this narural reserve from within. The druids have been threatened to leave this park- their sacred ground. How to stop a rampaging community of several hundred wildshaping druids and their ranger friends?

An arcanist? Maybe he or she wishes to attend the city's prestigious Magic School. Cue in different consipracies among the student body and the teachers, as they fight a silent and very cold war to determine which school is best.

Those are just some ideas, but the point is to keep them interested so they don't want to leave the city.

[Honest Tiefling]

Oohhh. That looks sexy.

Now to choose between Ptolus and Waterdeep... Oh decisions!

If you have the cash, I'd just smash the two together. A bit of work, but that way it'll hide where you got your inspiration a bit better...

Also, perhaps you should consider asking your players what races they tend to enjoy? Within reason, of course. If it is say, Humans and Elves, BAM! City on the border between elven lands and the human ones. Could even work for more exotic races, if it is say, Minotaur, Goliath and Dwarves. BAM! Mountainous city near trade routes, so plenty of ore comes in for dwarven forges, often escorted by the more wild Goliaths as many make their home in that same mountain range. The Minotaurs were slaves brought in by a prior regime for gladiatorial combat, that earned their freedom in the rebellion that occurred generations ago and now often serve in the guard.

[Andry]

You could always run Shackled City.

[heavyfuel]

Another possible option would be Sigil.

Sure, there are gateways everywhere out of the city . . . but, these gateways are fickle and/or secret and/or well guarded, and are as much GM-controlled plot devices as they are true 'city gates'. The city is physically large, physically well-bounded, and has so much stuff in it from all over the multiverse that one would never have to leave to have all manner of crazy adventures.

Sigil would be a perfect choice. It has tons of available material, and a very unique feel.

Yeah, I think it's too magical for my tastes. I'm not saying I want a gritty low-magic city (hell, I was even planning a constant epic-spell around it). I just want it to feel like a "classic" D&D city. Medieval with magic sprinkled on top. I might change my mind about it, but that's the idea at this point.


You could always run Shackled City.

It's been suggested. From what I read about it, I don't think it's what I want.


I know it has a lot of specific details, such as shop keepers with specific hobbies and some things they do every week along with shops and inns and taverns and guilds etc all with lists of people that go there, work there, or own it. And pretty much every place has one or more plot hooks.

It's 700 pages and weighs 5 pounds. It's full of crazy information.

Pretty much every campaign I run has parts of this book in it somewhere because it's easy to export a shop into a new city, you can even keep the rivalries it has or make new ones.

This seems like it could save me a LOT of work. Like, I'm seriously considering buying it just because it sounds so awesome, to have that much detail (NPCs with hobbies? F yeah!)


If you have the cash, I'd just smash the two together. A bit of work, but that way it'll hide where you got your inspiration a bit better...

Also, perhaps you should consider asking your players what races they tend to enjoy? Within reason, of course. If it is say, Humans and Elves, BAM! City on the border between elven lands and the human ones. Could even work for more exotic races, if it is say, Minotaur, Goliath and Dwarves. BAM! Mountainous city near trade routes, so plenty of ore comes in for dwarven forges, often escorted by the more wild Goliaths as many make their home in that same mountain range. The Minotaurs were slaves brought in by a prior regime for gladiatorial combat, that earned their freedom in the rebellion that occurred generations ago and now often serve in the guard.

Considering Ptolus is selling for 145 dollars at Amazon, I'm gonna go with "No, I don't the cash". Seriously? 145 dollars for a freaking splat book?! :smallannoyed: Nah, if I buy a book it's going to be either Waterdeep or WLC (World's Largest City)


I actually designed a city, with npcs, guilds, churches, different taverns and stores, as well as a magic school.

The important thing is to keep the players immersed in the city.

How old is the city?

Who founded it?

What laws exist regarding certain type of behavior (spellcasting, for instance)

What interesting landmarks are there in the city?

Who are the notorious go to npcs if the PCs are looking for a job?

Are their warring factions/families in the city?

Is there a criminal underground? Perhaps several?

Who runs the city? Is it a theocracy? Magocracy? Oligarchy? Maybe a monarchy?

If you can establish certain landmarks/npcs/history to your city, this will give the necessary push for the players to maybe strike it out on their own.

A bard in the party? Maybe the local theatre has a play that will give her renown throughout the city (as well as a moderate amount of coin). There is competition for that coveted role in the play…. and not all those involved are willing to play fair or nice.


Melee guy who wants to prove his worth? Maybe there's a warrior or hunter's guild and the leader of said guild just boasted his latest capture- some rare templated beast…

Which happened to set itself loose in the city.

Cleric in the party introduces himself to the many church leaders in teh city, however, each has a distinct feeling taht the other church is working to have them booted. Time to commune and investigate.

Ranger or druid? The city park is in fact the last intact natural stretch of forest left within the city walls- with a very large druidic and fey community. A perfect place to train and rapport with nature- were it not that someone…or something is defiling this narural reserve from within. The druids have been threatened to leave this park- their sacred ground. How to stop a rampaging community of several hundred wildshaping druids and their ranger friends?

An arcanist? Maybe he or she wishes to attend the city's prestigious Magic School. Cue in different consipracies among the student body and the teachers, as they fight a silent and very cold war to determine which school is best.

Those are just some ideas, but the point is to keep them interested so they don't want to leave the city.

Indeed. The reason for building a single city would be to have it completely filled with quest hooks and things to do. Things that aren't normally available in your average campaign. However, I feel like these "taylored" quests you suggested might be boring for all except the ones interested in them. Why the hell would a Fighter want to watch the Wizard play magic with the other Wizards? But the general point still stands, the city would have to be thought out completely, which is why I'm seriously leaning towards just buying WLC and forgetting about the whole building an entire city thing, especially since I may not have the time to do so in the near future.

[Milodiah]

The longer you stay in a city, the longer (for some of my friends and I at least) the brokenness of the D&D economy shine through. Well, brokenness is one thing...I suppose I mean "internal inconsistencies".

Prestidigitation. A spell that can make water taste good essentially for free.

In the modern world there is a multi-billion dollar industry dedicated to "making water taste good".

A DM I played with named Ian has essentially taken this type of thing to its logical conclusion, stringing together RAW magic in unexpected ways to make the D&D world a post-industrial economy. He's even got a branch of this extrapolation so autonomous and alien that he's actually afraid to run it because it upsets basic human assumptions of how things should be, and the only job done by human beings is "mailroom clerk" while nearly everything is handled by permanent and autonomous magic.

Plan out everything that you can think of for mundane magic. Start with simple things, like how an enchanted Coat Rack of Mending would enable magical laundry/garment repair industry. Then go up from there. Shipping, refrigeration, pharmaceuticals, etc. etc.

[AlanBruce]

Indeed. The reason for building a single city would be to have it completely filled with quest hooks and things to do. Things that aren't normally available in your average campaign. However, I feel like these "taylored" quests you suggested might be boring for all except the ones interested in them. Why the hell would a Fighter want to watch the Wizard play magic with the other Wizards? But the general point still stands, the city would have to be thought out completely, which is why I'm seriously leaning towards just buying WLC and forgetting about the whole building an entire city thing, especially since I may not have the time to do so in the near future.


The quests mentioned by me as examples would be aimed at a PC individually. Ideally, a quest that they could take on themselves or with the aid of another party member while the others do things elsewhere in the city.

This gives the idea that they are all working on their own agendas while at the same time gaining reputation in the city and eventually rising above the norm and attracting attention of the real problems the city may have.

[heavyfuel]

The quests mentioned by me as examples would be aimed at a PC individually. Ideally, a quest that they could take on themselves or with the aid of another party member while the others do things elsewhere in the city.

This gives the idea that they are all working on their own agendas while at the same time gaining reputation in the city and eventually rising above the norm and attracting attention of the real problems the city may have.

Sure thing. It just seems weird to have someone suggest that the players split the party.

For the real problems I was thinking more a bunch of hooks instead of a single major one. So as to not have the players "win" or "lose" the adventure.

[Honest Tiefling]

To answer the question of why the fighter watches the wizard duel...
1) To impress some ladies/gents there. Mages of noble birth might be a thing, so its not entirely perverted.
2) To chat up a guy who make items who might be normally reclusive.
3) To rig the event, or to place a bet on it. Or both.
4) To meet up with his relative, who happens to go to the same Mage School as the mage.
5) To make sure other people don't rig the event.

[Milodiah]

Sure thing. It just seems weird to have someone suggest that the players split the party.

For the real problems I was thinking more a bunch of hooks instead of a single major one. So as to not have the players "win" or "lose" the adventure.

I'm actually running a campaign more-or-less set in a single large city, and I had a heck of a lot of success starting my PCs as members of the City Watch. Great way to give them little encounters a level-1 character can deal with, but at the same time not feeling like the DM is patronizing you. Break up a bar fight. Deal with a missing person. Save a kid from a burning building. Look into whether that was an arson or not. I even had a brief Papers, Please style segment where I deliberately tried lulling them into bored complacency on gate duty so they'd miss the poison smuggler.

All sorts of quest seeds can be planted for these guys, who (due to the player-character mindset) are almost always ambitious and competent, while being intrigued by the signs of something bigger that the more complacent and cynical guards just turn a blind eye to. Was that Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Scrying (quite the mouthful there) stolen as part of a larger scheme, given that the thief broke into a highly secure magic shop but only grabbed it and a few cheap potions? Who's running the protection racket represented by these three thugs, and what's going to happen to the shopkeeper since you busted up the lowly street goons?

[Jigawatts]

If you decide to go with Waterdeep, make sure you have the party visit Dandalus Ruell at The Old Xoblob Shop in Dock Ward at least once. Having your players walk into a curiosity shop in the middle of a city whereupon they see a giant beholder staring at them, and you then look at them all seriously and say "roll for initiative", is priceless! Usually about level 3 is the right time to do this. :smallwink:

(The beholder is stuffed)

[Fax Celestis]

DMG-II has Saltmarsh, too, which is more of a plug-and-play city into a larger campaign than anything else.

[AlanBruce]

To answer the question of why the fighter watches the wizard duel...
1) To impress some ladies/gents there. Mages of noble birth might be a thing, so its not entirely perverted.
2) To chat up a guy who make items who might be normally reclusive.
3) To rig the event, or to place a bet on it. Or both.
4) To meet up with his relative, who happens to go to the same Mage School as the mage.
5) To make sure other people don't rig the event.

You just got served by a plateful of hooks.

In my game, the group is relatively high level (ECL 12-14, going on 15)

The party mage will be retraining at the city's Wizard School to become a MotAO.

The party's full classed cleric wants a complete overhaul to his build, so he's going to see the church of Kord and get some retraining there (he follows Phaulkon, but this city does not have an established church to the sky god, so the next best thing is his son).

This leaves the party's mermaid sorceress, the pixie bard, and the human druid.

The pixie got word of her mentor's old paintings being showcased at some shady gallery in the city. She has decided to go investigate, since those paintings were last seen buried with him.

The mermaid sorceress and high noble has begun a political game with the city's powers that be in order to establish peaceful negotiations with her people and "land folk".

The idea of getting two cultures to meet and trade is sound, both in terms of alliance and economics, but as usual, there are those who distrust the merfolk and some may even plant suggestions and negative views on the sorceress' plans for a unified world… that and imminent assassination from those who would not want the city developing in the way they want.

The druid is currently quelling a druid march after abberations were spotted in the park where they live and the city officials blame them for it, threatening to shut down the community entirely.

Investigations have lead the druid to an abandoned area in the city (abandoned in the sense that no law enforcement goes there. The place is a haven for the downtrodden and the sneak types.) And has found leads that point to an old teacher from the Wizard's School, booted decades ago for 'malpractice'. The man was exiled from the city and his manor walled up, just to make sure that none of his experiments- if any survived- would escape.

Has the mad wizard returned to the city? Who is behind these aberrant attacks? The druid has taken to himself to explore the walled up manor and find the true culprit before the druids are unjustly kicked out.

Of course, all these plot hooks are designed for lower level characters, since the group might want to take on them alone, but they can be raised challengewise if more than one PC is included.

Again, the group I play with is higher level, so the idea of splitting them in low level challenges is not too bad, however, if your group is starting at 1st level the no party splitting clause is a must.