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Alex12
2007-10-12, 09:54 AM
Okay, this is just a little idea I had for a particular location. It could probably be applied to many homebrew campaigns without too much tweaking, but I deliberately left some things vague so whomever wants it can use it. Feel free to use and adapt this idea if you want, but if you do, I wouldn't mind being to told, since it would be a big ego-boost for me:smallsmile:

It is market day in Unity City, and representatives of countless races are out looking for a bargain. At one stall, a Halfling haggles with a Minotaur over the price of a gold necklace. At another, a family of Kobolds is buying food from a Goblin merchant. Nearby, a Mummy watches over a group of children, including three Orcs, two Humans, a Gnoll, a Drow, and a Wood Elf, all playing happily together. On the street corner, an Illithid and a Githyanki, both wearing the brilliant purple clothing (in this case, light armor) indicating that they were on-duty police officers, stand watching the crowds.

Background:
Unity City, sometimes called “the city of a thousand races” or “the city that never sleeps” was founded centuries ago with a single guiding ideal-no sentient being will be denied rights based upon race or gender, provided they do not discriminate against others. The intent was to provide a sanctuary for good individuals from races normally considered evil. This ideal has been in action since the very beginning, and its effects are clear. Newcomers to the city, especially adventurers, are often wary at first of seeing creatures normally considered evil casually going about the business of living. However, the astonishing quickly becomes mundane for visitors, and specieist attitudes are demolished in a matter of days.
Special areas within the city have been set aside for nonsentient food creatures to provide for the specific dietary requirements of certain races, and large, clean canals alongside the roads have been constructed to provide for the aquatic species that make their residence there.
The architecture of the city is a mixture of dozens, possibly hundreds of different styles, from many different species, as well as several that can be seen nowhere else, the product of architects from many races, with different and sometimes conflicting ideas of what constitutes aesthetic beauty, coming together to create a totally unique design.

Uses:
Give your players a little surprise-make them question their ideas as to what is evil.
A few misunderstandings would be amusing, like the PCs accidentally threatening a Vampire, thinking that he's going hunting when he's really just going to the opera with a friend.
I'm sure there are plenty more for the forumites to think of. Have fun!

Alex12
2007-10-12, 03:12 PM
Any thoughts on this? Questions, comments, praise, criticisms, improvements, suggestions, etc?

Logic
2007-10-12, 03:21 PM
I have a comment, let your thread fall to the second page of threads before double posting and asking for comments. It's just bad form to ask us again, after only a few hours.

XiaoTie
2007-10-12, 03:28 PM
I love the idea of a big city with all races living togheter. But on the other hand, I think that the Illithids, Githyankis and Beholders part was when you went from "Whoa thats an interesting concept" to "Dude...what the hell?". But thats just what I think :smallsmile:

Alex12
2007-10-12, 06:25 PM
I love the idea of a big city with all races living togheter. But on the other hand, I think that the Illithids, Githyankis and Beholders part was when you went from "Whoa thats an interesting concept" to "Dude...what the hell?". But thats just what I think :smallsmile:

Out of curiosity, why? Was it those specific races, the fact that they were cops, or what?

XiaoTie
2007-10-12, 08:14 PM
The races, not the fact that they are cops :p. Don't get me wrong, its just that it goes over my "high-fantasy'meter",[at least in my mind] it stops looking like D&D and starts looking like some sort of anime or something. I mean, a beholder law enforcer, c'mon :p

Alex12
2007-10-12, 08:53 PM
The races, not the fact that they are cops :p. Don't get me wrong, its just that it goes over my "high-fantasy'meter",[at least in my mind] it stops looking like D&D and starts looking like some sort of anime or something. I mean, a beholder law enforcer, c'mon :p

So, the beholder cop was what did it? I can change that. I actually like the idea of an Illithid cop- it somehow seems to fit them. I don't know why.

XiaoTie
2007-10-12, 10:00 PM
Aaah, much better now :smalltongue:. It's a pretty cool idea, I would use it on a high-fantasy campaign if I'm ever to DM one

DracoDei
2007-10-13, 01:02 AM
I recommend checking this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45841) thread for a similar concept that you might want draw some inspiration from.

Alex12
2007-10-13, 08:45 PM
I recommend checking this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45841) thread for a similar concept that you might want draw some inspiration from.

That's pretty much the style I was looking for, though that thread seems to focus more on "good" races, whereas I was thinking more like anyone can come in (in fact, many of the races mentioned in the fluff are "Usually evil" as I'm sure you noticed)
And you just know that some of those racial abilities will come in handy even for mundane things/work. Imagine a Beholder using it's unique perspective and disintigration eye rays to work as a sculptor.:smallsmile: