Cityscape: Life in the web. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Cityscape: Life in the web. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Aggrenox
04-23-07, 01:51 PM Hello all,

Been DM'ing a new campaign. Basing it off of the cityscape book. Thieves guillds, Assassin clans all that awsome stuff. The PC's arent adventurers, but citizens of the web (For an excellent idea of the web, think Gangs of new york's Five Points).

The setting: The players live in the slums section of the worlds largest city, the Glorious Lamon'Lim. The city is a huge flying island. (Thus making "just leaving the city", a problem. Flight spells are rarer than gold dragon teeth, being considered means for smuggling, subterfuge, and all around an airship economy problem.

Growing up in the web was a pain. Literaly. You have the scars to prove it. The web is a violent place, yet somehow, people get by. Everyday you awake to sunlight peeking in the broken windows and wall cracks in Thorgims old ramshackle house. But, "At least", you think to yourself, "I have a place to stay". The good feeling washing over you is cut short as the very building rumbles. You know what the sound means. Thorgrim is awake.

You hurry down stairs pushing through about 4 other people on your way down. As you get ready to round the last corner you notice Ashley attempting to get out of bed. You lend the boy a hand. He thanks you and the two of you head into the main room.

Towering before you is Thorgrim the Half-Orc. A musty, dirty and wild denizen of the urban jungle. You owe Thorgrim. You may owe him your life, you may owe him your freedom, and you definatly owe him for that scar on your left shoulder. But he is bigger than you. And much tougher. Thats how he made it this far. This much you know.

It's time for the days assignments. He tells you where your to go, sets you up with your team, and your off. Gathering yoiu gear, sliding on your armor and your clothes overtop, you begin to start out the door. You stop. You turn, and you wink at Tera, sitting over in her altar corner reading Olidammara Prayer. She just giggles and tells you that your silly. You turn Burst through the door. Here it stands before you in all its glory. The Web.

The City is as such:

Lamon'Lim:
Large Metropolis Nonconventional (Floating Island); AL LN; 100,000 gp limit; Assets 185,000,000 gp; Population 350,000 (estimated); Integrated (45% human, 15% orc and half-orc, 10% halfling, 10% goblin, 6% elf, 14% other).

Architecture: The city is ancient. Most of it's structures are stone shaped- or brickmasonry. The Wall (a 65ft tall outer barrier surrounding the city, with only two openings, both at the air ship terminals in the royal sector and the trade sector.

Layout:The city is layed out into many different sub sections. The royal section is at the innermost circle of the city. The Royal section is connected to the Military and trade sectors. The military sector almost rings the Royal section entirely.

The largest and most populated sector of the city is the slums. The slums consist of a full 65% of the population. The slums are devided into nieghborhoods. The nieghborhoods have picked up charming nicknames from the local population.

Important NPCs:

Thorgrim.
BAR 3/ DRD 4 (Urban). He is a mean spirited half orc with his own best intrest in mind. He's also your boss.

Tera
CLC 4
Cleric of Olidammra. Caretaker of your loyal band of thieves and nere-do-wells.

Ashley
??? (Later in the story it's revealed that he is a master conman)
The crippled young boy who stays with you all. Greatest lookout and distraction in your group.

Lekorak
Goblin Fence
Lives in the sewer and has alot of stuff. Huge orc protecting his lair.

Merrek
Swindler, cheat and a lier. All around, just like everyone else in ghouls crawl.

Louis of the Ebon Circle
Former leader of the Ebon Circle, Now co-leader of the Black Ravens.
Sliversun
04-24-07, 02:42 AM Nice. Please update soon!
Frag
04-24-07, 12:12 PM Yes keep this up ...I like the feeling of the citie. For a reason it remembers me large south american cities crawling with crimes.

Can't wait to read more ... good work.
Aggrenox
04-24-07, 03:23 PM The group I'm running this game with. First session.

Pay the rent: Accomplished
Thorgrim Needed 50gp to pay for the rent. His side of things went badly and the robbery on the store ended up costing 14gp. The PC's Group was highly successful in robbing the blacksmithy.

Collection Benifits: Accomplished
Lekorak asked you to get his 25 gold from Merrick and his boys. The PC's Group exacted swift justice on the swindlers.

How does one lose a foaming half-orc?: In progress.
Thorgrim is missing. When Thorgrim went to pay the rent and didn't return into the night, The PC's Group went out looking for him. After checking his local hangouts and haunts, The PC's Group found a trail of witnesses that saw him head into an abondoned store house. The PC's Group found him there, after he apparently broke out of restraints, There was obviously something wrong with him and he attacked you. When he fled, you chased him but he lost you in the sewers.

Thorgims Property: In progress.
Thorgrim never went to pay the rent. The Lordery said so. He OWNS the house and doesn't need to pay rent. What did Thorgrim need 50gp for?

Notes and daggers: Accomplished
The notes that you have been finding are from the Black Ravens. An new guild formed of two large minor guilds. The Silver Ravens and the Ebon Circle.

Initiation Rights: In progress.
The black ravens want you! All you have to do is capture a money shipment in broad daylight.
Aggrenox
04-24-07, 03:24 PM So forumites, you wanna help me come up with names for:

Thieves and assassin guilds/gangs?

Slum sections? (So far I have: The Web, Ghouls Crawl, and the Dragons Tail)

Ideas and hooks in the city?
Sotha_syl
04-24-07, 03:35 PM Looks good, but your population to money ration is waaaay out there. As in, most D&D metropolises with say, 40,000 population have about twice as much assets in gp as you do. Unless you want to make the point that the entire city is freaking dirt poor, I dunno what's up.

It's just a minor detail I picked up, but compare your city with other cityscape sample cities like Kaddestrei. And I know you wanted to get the point of slums and run down city sections across, but D&D cities hardly ever, ever get above 100,000 people just because the world simply isn't that populated or advanced yet. So either take down the population (Because the city you would have to draw out would be impossibly large) or multiple the assets a few times over.

But I like the campaign idea quite a bit, I'm doing something a bit similar for 10th level characters, I'd post details but a friend and I plan on publishing it, or at least trying, so we don't want any rogues with ranks in forgery to take our ideas, if you know what I mean ;)
Aggrenox
04-24-07, 03:47 PM heheh. NAT-20 ON MY INNUENDO!
gurullamen
04-24-07, 05:07 PM Here's a hook:

As word of a semi-legendary smuggler and his planned large heist pass through the slums, (and eventually to the higher ups) the military prepares their guards by better equipping them with anti-smuggling gear. A mid- to high-level guard hires either you or your employers to steal a set of Fly potions that are being delivered to various regiments throughout the city. Using his position, he influences the decision of his commanding officer who sends the shipment through an area where your team can easily get the potions with minimal fuss and violence (if the proper precautions are taken.)

Backstory: The guard plans on using the large quantity of potions to gain leverage in the underworld with which he plans to establish a small band of thieves and smugglers of his own. The power and money will allow him the freedom to exercise his "exotic" tastes. (Fill in the blanks with whatever you want: hobo fights, Saw-esque traps for enemies (and just for fun,) more adult-themed pleasures...)

Hook: Just like in the GTA games, accomplishing this one mission will unlock (lol) further missions along the same vein. A corrupt-authority-owned smuggling center created by the party is a good way to focus the attention on them when they get to the mid- to high-levels and start wanting to weild more political power.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aggrenox 04-23-07, 01:51 PM	Hello all, Been DM'ing a new campaign. Basing it off of the cityscape book. Thieves guillds, Assassin clans all that awsome stuff. The PC's arent adventurers, but citizens of the web (For an excellent idea of the web, think Gangs of new york's Five Points). The setting: The players live in the slums section of the worlds largest city, the Glorious Lamon'Lim. The city is a huge flying island. (Thus making "just leaving the city", a problem. Flight spells are rarer than gold dragon teeth, being considered means for smuggling, subterfuge, and all around an airship economy problem. Growing up in the web was a pain. Literaly. You have the scars to prove it. The web is a violent place, yet somehow, people get by. Everyday you awake to sunlight peeking in the broken windows and wall cracks in Thorgims old ramshackle house. But, "At least", you think to yourself, "I have a place to stay". The good feeling washing over you is cut short as the very building rumbles. You know what the sound means. Thorgrim is awake. You hurry down stairs pushing through about 4 other people on your way down. As you get ready to round the last corner you notice Ashley attempting to get out of bed. You lend the boy a hand. He thanks you and the two of you head into the main room. Towering before you is Thorgrim the Half-Orc. A musty, dirty and wild denizen of the urban jungle. You owe Thorgrim. You may owe him your life, you may owe him your freedom, and you definatly owe him for that scar on your left shoulder. But he is bigger than you. And much tougher. Thats how he made it this far. This much you know. It's time for the days assignments. He tells you where your to go, sets you up with your team, and your off. Gathering yoiu gear, sliding on your armor and your clothes overtop, you begin to start out the door. You stop. You turn, and you wink at Tera, sitting over in her altar corner reading Olidammara Prayer. She just giggles and tells you that your silly. You turn Burst through the door. Here it stands before you in all its glory. The Web. The City is as such: Lamon'Lim: Large Metropolis Nonconventional (Floating Island); AL LN; 100,000 gp limit; Assets 185,000,000 gp; Population 350,000 (estimated); Integrated (45% human, 15% orc and half-orc, 10% halfling, 10% goblin, 6% elf, 14% other). Architecture: The city is ancient. Most of it's structures are stone shaped- or brickmasonry. The Wall (a 65ft tall outer barrier surrounding the city, with only two openings, both at the air ship terminals in the royal sector and the trade sector. Layout:The city is layed out into many different sub sections. The royal section is at the innermost circle of the city. The Royal section is connected to the Military and trade sectors. The military sector almost rings the Royal section entirely. The largest and most populated sector of the city is the slums. The slums consist of a full 65% of the population. The slums are devided into nieghborhoods. The nieghborhoods have picked up charming nicknames from the local population. Important NPCs: Thorgrim. BAR 3/ DRD 4 (Urban). He is a mean spirited half orc with his own best intrest in mind. He's also your boss. Tera CLC 4 Cleric of Olidammra. Caretaker of your loyal band of thieves and nere-do-wells. Ashley ??? (Later in the story it's revealed that he is a master conman) The crippled young boy who stays with you all. Greatest lookout and distraction in your group. Lekorak Goblin Fence Lives in the sewer and has alot of stuff. Huge orc protecting his lair. Merrek Swindler, cheat and a lier. All around, just like everyone else in ghouls crawl. Louis of the Ebon Circle Former leader of the Ebon Circle, Now co-leader of the Black Ravens.
Sliversun 04-24-07, 02:42 AM	Nice. Please update soon!
Frag 04-24-07, 12:12 PM	Yes keep this up ...I like the feeling of the citie. For a reason it remembers me large south american cities crawling with crimes. Can't wait to read more ... good work.
Aggrenox 04-24-07, 03:23 PM	The group I'm running this game with. First session. Pay the rent: Accomplished Thorgrim Needed 50gp to pay for the rent. His side of things went badly and the robbery on the store ended up costing 14gp. The PC's Group was highly successful in robbing the blacksmithy. Collection Benifits: Accomplished Lekorak asked you to get his 25 gold from Merrick and his boys. The PC's Group exacted swift justice on the swindlers. How does one lose a foaming half-orc?: In progress. Thorgrim is missing. When Thorgrim went to pay the rent and didn't return into the night, The PC's Group went out looking for him. After checking his local hangouts and haunts, The PC's Group found a trail of witnesses that saw him head into an abondoned store house. The PC's Group found him there, after he apparently broke out of restraints, There was obviously something wrong with him and he attacked you. When he fled, you chased him but he lost you in the sewers. Thorgims Property: In progress. Thorgrim never went to pay the rent. The Lordery said so. He OWNS the house and doesn't need to pay rent. What did Thorgrim need 50gp for? Notes and daggers: Accomplished The notes that you have been finding are from the Black Ravens. An new guild formed of two large minor guilds. The Silver Ravens and the Ebon Circle. Initiation Rights: In progress. The black ravens want you! All you have to do is capture a money shipment in broad daylight.
Aggrenox 04-24-07, 03:24 PM	So forumites, you wanna help me come up with names for: Thieves and assassin guilds/gangs? Slum sections? (So far I have: The Web, Ghouls Crawl, and the Dragons Tail) Ideas and hooks in the city?
Sotha_syl 04-24-07, 03:35 PM	Looks good, but your population to money ration is waaaay out there. As in, most D&D metropolises with say, 40,000 population have about twice as much assets in gp as you do. Unless you want to make the point that the entire city is freaking dirt poor, I dunno what's up. It's just a minor detail I picked up, but compare your city with other cityscape sample cities like Kaddestrei. And I know you wanted to get the point of slums and run down city sections across, but D&D cities hardly ever, ever get above 100,000 people just because the world simply isn't that populated or advanced yet. So either take down the population (Because the city you would have to draw out would be impossibly large) or multiple the assets a few times over. But I like the campaign idea quite a bit, I'm doing something a bit similar for 10th level characters, I'd post details but a friend and I plan on publishing it, or at least trying, so we don't want any rogues with ranks in forgery to take our ideas, if you know what I mean ;)
Aggrenox 04-24-07, 03:47 PM	heheh. NAT-20 ON MY INNUENDO!
gurullamen 04-24-07, 05:07 PM	Here's a hook: As word of a semi-legendary smuggler and his planned large heist pass through the slums, (and eventually to the higher ups) the military prepares their guards by better equipping them with anti-smuggling gear. A mid- to high-level guard hires either you or your employers to steal a set of Fly potions that are being delivered to various regiments throughout the city. Using his position, he influences the decision of his commanding officer who sends the shipment through an area where your team can easily get the potions with minimal fuss and violence (if the proper precautions are taken.) Backstory: The guard plans on using the large quantity of potions to gain leverage in the underworld with which he plans to establish a small band of thieves and smugglers of his own. The power and money will allow him the freedom to exercise his "exotic" tastes. (Fill in the blanks with whatever you want: hobo fights, Saw-esque traps for enemies (and just for fun,) more adult-themed pleasures...) Hook: Just like in the GTA games, accomplishing this one mission will unlock (lol) further missions along the same vein. A corrupt-authority-owned smuggling center created by the party is a good way to focus the attention on them when they get to the mid- to high-levels and start wanting to weild more political power.