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View Full Version : DM Help What do your settlement notes contain?



PhoenixPhyre
2018-03-08, 05:40 PM
Note: Minor settlements here, so not Waterdeep or Sharn. But more like the villages and towns that dot the landscape in more civilized lands.

Because I'm terminally bad at coming up with basic data on the fly that actually fits the world well, I've been writing customizable generators for various aspects of my prep work. One of these generates minor settlements (up to the size of a town, ~5k people). I'm trying to have a library of settlement skeletons I can adapt more easily as players come across settlements.

So far, it generates the following information from data files for the specific region:

* Name (using a prefix-root-suffix approach with different combiners)
* Size category (hamlet, village, town, etc)
* Role (subsistence farming, natural resources extraction, manufacturing, etc)
* Population
* Nearest big city (sets the region, crafting specialties and racial demographics)
* Demographics (how many of each race)
* Tech levels (general idea of what can be found there, modified by the region and the role)
* A selection of important NPCs (tavern-keeper, mayor, priest, etc.). This uses a separate generator I also wrote.
* What items and services are available (weapons/armor/arcane spells/enchanting/divine spells/potions/lodging/common items/specialty items)

What other things do you include in your notes on the more minor settlements? What about minor (those not directly part of the plot) NPCs?

Nifft
2018-03-08, 09:21 PM
- What's especially available in this locale?
- What's unusually NOT available in this locale?

- Who is in charge?
- Is anyone looking to start trouble with strangers?
- How do the locals feel about their neighboring communities?
- How do the locals relate to their non-local government?

Environment / verisimilitude notes (sights, sounds, smells, catch-phrases, etc.), hopefully ~3 for various senses.

One or two recent bits of news, or at least stories that the locals tell to impress adventurers. ("Let me tell you about the hydra that got hunted ten years back. Lord Woebegone stayed right at this inn, so we got a good look at his troops and their magic weapons, including his own famous Spear of ___..." etc.)

PhoenixPhyre
2018-03-08, 09:43 PM
- What's especially available in this locale?
- What's unusually NOT available in this locale?

- Who is in charge?
- Is anyone looking to start trouble with strangers?
- How do the locals feel about their neighboring communities?
- How do the locals relate to their non-local government?

Environment / verisimilitude notes (sights, sounds, smells, catch-phrases, etc.), hopefully ~3 for various senses.

One or two recent bits of news, or at least stories that the locals tell to impress adventurers. ("Let me tell you about the hydra that got hunted ten years back. Lord Woebegone stayed right at this inn, so we got a good look at his troops and their magic weapons, including his own famous Spear of ___..." etc.)

Thanks. How much of this is (relatively) generic? Or do you generate it for each settlement individually based on the campaign at hand?

Skelechicken
2018-03-09, 01:06 AM
I recommend generating a rumor as well. Something that has a lot of townsfolk occupied that could be a quest hook, but more likely is just what this community has on their minds.

Small communities generate hard to squash drama, talked about in hushed corners because no one wants to be on actual bad terms with their neighbors. Is Priscilla a secret magic user or is she just really really good at styling her own hair somehow? The deacon may be having an affair with the blacksmith's wife etc etc. These things build flavor quickly in the town, and make it seem more organic and less like a group of NPCs just sitting around waiting for a band of adventurers to accept their quests.

hymer
2018-03-09, 03:41 AM
I recommend generating a rumor as well.

Yes! And secrets! Ideally a few levels of secret, so you have something to reward good rolls and clever investigators with. But every important place should have its own secret.

I usually keep a few of the things OP mentions under a more general 'character' description. One place's description begins with 'Too wet, too hot, and too full of mosquitoes'. This is something you'd notice immediately on teleporting in, and these first impressions can be important.

Nifft
2018-03-09, 02:56 PM
Thanks. How much of this is (relatively) generic? Or do you generate it for each settlement individually based on the campaign at hand?

I am as lazy as possible.

For example, that one NPC name ("Who is in charge?") probably came from a list of 100 pre-generated names that I got from a generator all at once. It's the top one, which gets crossed off when I use it.


The other answers depend on the style of game that I'm running.

Wilderness survival game? Then I'll care about the availability of fresh water, and type of food & rough quantity of stored food. Is there a rumor of a witch nearby? That's probably a risk to avoid, plus a clue to the specific unnatural horrors that might be encountered in this area.

High magic, high fantasy? Food is irrelevant, what will vary are interesting local spell ingredients. Is there a rumor of a witch nearby? That's probably an adventure hook.

Political intrigue? Food matters but not to the PCs, rather that's a source of potential unrest. Monsters & rumors & cults & secret familial affiliations or the like are what may or may not be present. Is there a rumor of a witch nearby? That's probably a ploy by a political rival, or it's a potential ally who's been socially ostracized.


Basically, there are some things which are relevant, and which things are relevant will vary by genre.