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Running a city campaign?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
smobey
May 12, 2010 5:00:45 I've decided to run my next campaign, or at least a good portion of it, within a single city. Now, it should preferrably be big enough to be able to support a whole campaign, and it should have as much errata and whatnot available as possible. The Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide has some stuff from a lot of cities, but isn't there anything more indepth about some place? I remember a whole 150 page book being available for Waterdeep in 3rd edition, but a lot of that stuff's outdated by now.

But yeah, what city would you suggest?
#2
The_Silversword
May 12, 2010 6:06:55 Well Id say still go with Waterdeep, previous material would still come in handy. If you compare the older maps of Waterdeep and the 4e one, it hasnt really changed all that much, so much of the older stuff could still be fitted in there relatively easy. Really no matter what city you go with, your going to find that there isnt alot of 4e lore for it, they give you a little info on it and then youre supposed to fill in the rest. Theres a few Dragon and Dungeon articles detailing some cities, Airspur, and Tarmalune, but Waterdeep (counting previous editions) is the most detailed city in the Realms, so yeah Id go with that.
#3
Diffan
May 12, 2010 10:05:17 Another city that has a lot of lore is Baldur's Gate. With the Spellplague, the city has grown to immense proportions. I can't remember but I think it was close to the same size as Waterdeep and had a bigger population.

Not only that, but there's still lots of useful information from the 4 video games they made about the place and it's famous interior locations like the Elfsong Tavern.

#4
smobey
May 12, 2010 10:21:49 Baldur's Gate quite interests me. Waterdeep's always a possibility, but the players have been there before in earlier campaigns, and I'd rather start from a clean table, so to speak.

The games I've played, but any actual literature (other than the campaign guide) that I should check out?

Another possibility that I was thinking of is Amn, though I don't know anything about the 4th edition Amn.
#5
Diffan
May 12, 2010 10:31:33
Baldur's Gate quite interests me. Waterdeep's always a possibility, but the players have been there before in earlier campaigns, and I'd rather start from a clean table, so to speak.

The games I've played, but any actual literature (other than the campaign guide) that I should check out?

Another possibility that I was thinking of is Amn, though I don't know anything about the 4th edition Amn.

Well, there is the novels Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate: Shadow of Amn that you could read. They're pretty small, something like 260 some pages but they fill in parts about the city, the city's ruler, and the flaming fist. It's not a well spring of info, but it's not bad either. If you do read them, don't get attached to the iconic characters of Xan and Khalid. And Minsc is barely mentioned in the second novel and not mentioned at all in the first.

As for those, in the game itself there are books your character can pick up and read and those always provide some good history and lore for the setting as well as the city too.

I don't think WotC put out any worth-while supplements that detail Baldur's Gate the way they did Waterdeep. Of course, you can always use homebrew ideas from fans. Also i'd google for more info about the city too.
#6
smobey
May 12, 2010 10:48:45 Right, then. I believe I'll go for Baldur's Gate. Seems like a great setting.

Any official/unofficial maps of the place anywhere?
#7
The_Silversword
May 12, 2010 21:03:35 Yeah theres maps for Baldur's Gate, but nothing for the current Timeline. The old 2e book Forgotten Realms Adventures would be one to get. It is chock full of city maps, including Baldur's Gate. Of course most if not all of them are probably out dated in the current timeline.

Heres a map, from the video game, but I dont think it really does the city justice.

This ones from the Forgotten Realms Adventure:
#8
smobey
May 13, 2010 3:51:09 The port looks... rather sad in the Baldur's Gate crpg, huh.

Thanks a lot for the pictures.
#9
The_Silversword
May 13, 2010 4:11:42 yeah they sorta "dumbed it down" for the video game. The city is alot bigger than what they show on there, but it does sort of show you how its basically laid out, and how the architecture looks.
#10
The_Silversword
May 14, 2010 6:21:02 Ok found another one. This one has a little more detail, and lists more locales.

Id imagine it looks pretty much the same in 1480 Realms, just alot more buildings out side the gates, probably some huts, tents and lean-tos as well.
#11
smobey
May 15, 2010 5:22:21 Damn, that's a great map. Thanks a lot!
#12
gargoyle117
May 18, 2010 10:27:35 I'm in the planning stages for a similar game set in Mezoberranzan right now. It has been a long time dream to run such a game and I am finally making time to do so. 4e is particularly easy to run during a game session, but has been rather difficult when applying it to a classic Realms setting such as Mezoberranzan.

I will be sure to return and post any thoughts that I have on a city based game. Meanwhile, those who are interested can check out what I have so far. It's kind of bare, but I am trying to make a lot of adaptations to enhance the roleplay and character's investment in the city.

www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/flies-i...
#13
maeglin-amandil
Aug 27, 2010 8:09:36 I am about to launch my players into a Campaign based in Athkatla. In order to plan the city, I divided it into several districts and then wrote three or four landmarks for each one. I drew some inspiration from the old PC game Baldur's Gate II (Shadows of Amn).

Just make some stuff up, the cities are big places, who's to know all of what is there or not?
#14
ilhuicatl
Sep 23, 2010 4:32:44 Seems WOTC is focusing on Neverwinter as the next setting for the FR world instead of Waterdeep. Novels, CRPG, adventure, board game (read in latest news report)... So you could wait until 2011 and start there?
#15
JudgeDookie
Sep 30, 2010 22:50:34
Seems WOTC is focusing on Neverwinter as the next setting for the FR world instead of Waterdeep. Novels, CRPG, adventure, board game (read in latest news report)... So you could wait until 2011 and start there?

I'm not sure if I would say that. Neverwinter has become more of a trademark than much else (though, I could be mistaken).

Baldur's Gate is the place Smobey really want's to stage his game. It's a wide open type of town where anything the DM want's to create can fit in. The map Swordboy provided is a good start, simply expand it with shanty towns on the outskirts where gang/mafia-like activity rules. Sort of like NYC in the 1800's.
#16
pruano
Nov 03, 2010 20:35:47 You can always port the info from the "Living City" setting (Ravens Bluff); some recent LFRA use it as their location, so you have some recent info as well.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 smobey May 12, 2010 5:00:45	I've decided to run my next campaign, or at least a good portion of it, within a single city. Now, it should preferrably be big enough to be able to support a whole campaign, and it should have as much errata and whatnot available as possible. The Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide has some stuff from a lot of cities, but isn't there anything more indepth about some place? I remember a whole 150 page book being available for Waterdeep in 3rd edition, but a lot of that stuff's outdated by now. But yeah, what city would you suggest?
#2 The_Silversword May 12, 2010 6:06:55	Well Id say still go with Waterdeep, previous material would still come in handy. If you compare the older maps of Waterdeep and the 4e one, it hasnt really changed all that much, so much of the older stuff could still be fitted in there relatively easy. Really no matter what city you go with, your going to find that there isnt alot of 4e lore for it, they give you a little info on it and then youre supposed to fill in the rest. Theres a few Dragon and Dungeon articles detailing some cities, Airspur, and Tarmalune, but Waterdeep (counting previous editions) is the most detailed city in the Realms, so yeah Id go with that.
#3 Diffan May 12, 2010 10:05:17	Another city that has a lot of lore is Baldur's Gate. With the Spellplague, the city has grown to immense proportions. I can't remember but I think it was close to the same size as Waterdeep and had a bigger population. Not only that, but there's still lots of useful information from the 4 video games they made about the place and it's famous interior locations like the Elfsong Tavern.
#4 smobey May 12, 2010 10:21:49	Baldur's Gate quite interests me. Waterdeep's always a possibility, but the players have been there before in earlier campaigns, and I'd rather start from a clean table, so to speak. The games I've played, but any actual literature (other than the campaign guide) that I should check out? Another possibility that I was thinking of is Amn, though I don't know anything about the 4th edition Amn.
#5 Diffan May 12, 2010 10:31:33	Baldur's Gate quite interests me. Waterdeep's always a possibility, but the players have been there before in earlier campaigns, and I'd rather start from a clean table, so to speak. The games I've played, but any actual literature (other than the campaign guide) that I should check out? Another possibility that I was thinking of is Amn, though I don't know anything about the 4th edition Amn. Well, there is the novels Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate: Shadow of Amn that you could read. They're pretty small, something like 260 some pages but they fill in parts about the city, the city's ruler, and the flaming fist. It's not a well spring of info, but it's not bad either. If you do read them, don't get attached to the iconic characters of Xan and Khalid. And Minsc is barely mentioned in the second novel and not mentioned at all in the first. As for those, in the game itself there are books your character can pick up and read and those always provide some good history and lore for the setting as well as the city too. I don't think WotC put out any worth-while supplements that detail Baldur's Gate the way they did Waterdeep. Of course, you can always use homebrew ideas from fans. Also i'd google for more info about the city too.
#6 smobey May 12, 2010 10:48:45	Right, then. I believe I'll go for Baldur's Gate. Seems like a great setting. Any official/unofficial maps of the place anywhere?
#7 The_Silversword May 12, 2010 21:03:35	Yeah theres maps for Baldur's Gate, but nothing for the current Timeline. The old 2e book Forgotten Realms Adventures would be one to get. It is chock full of city maps, including Baldur's Gate. Of course most if not all of them are probably out dated in the current timeline. Heres a map, from the video game, but I dont think it really does the city justice. This ones from the Forgotten Realms Adventure:
#8 smobey May 13, 2010 3:51:09	The port looks... rather sad in the Baldur's Gate crpg, huh. Thanks a lot for the pictures.
#9 The_Silversword May 13, 2010 4:11:42	yeah they sorta "dumbed it down" for the video game. The city is alot bigger than what they show on there, but it does sort of show you how its basically laid out, and how the architecture looks.
#10 The_Silversword May 14, 2010 6:21:02	Ok found another one. This one has a little more detail, and lists more locales. Id imagine it looks pretty much the same in 1480 Realms, just alot more buildings out side the gates, probably some huts, tents and lean-tos as well.
#11 smobey May 15, 2010 5:22:21	Damn, that's a great map. Thanks a lot!
#12 gargoyle117 May 18, 2010 10:27:35	I'm in the planning stages for a similar game set in Mezoberranzan right now. It has been a long time dream to run such a game and I am finally making time to do so. 4e is particularly easy to run during a game session, but has been rather difficult when applying it to a classic Realms setting such as Mezoberranzan. I will be sure to return and post any thoughts that I have on a city based game. Meanwhile, those who are interested can check out what I have so far. It's kind of bare, but I am trying to make a lot of adaptations to enhance the roleplay and character's investment in the city. www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/flies-i...
#13 maeglin-amandil Aug 27, 2010 8:09:36	I am about to launch my players into a Campaign based in Athkatla. In order to plan the city, I divided it into several districts and then wrote three or four landmarks for each one. I drew some inspiration from the old PC game Baldur's Gate II (Shadows of Amn). Just make some stuff up, the cities are big places, who's to know all of what is there or not?
#14 ilhuicatl Sep 23, 2010 4:32:44	Seems WOTC is focusing on Neverwinter as the next setting for the FR world instead of Waterdeep. Novels, CRPG, adventure, board game (read in latest news report)... So you could wait until 2011 and start there?
#15 JudgeDookie Sep 30, 2010 22:50:34	Seems WOTC is focusing on Neverwinter as the next setting for the FR world instead of Waterdeep. Novels, CRPG, adventure, board game (read in latest news report)... So you could wait until 2011 and start there? I'm not sure if I would say that. Neverwinter has become more of a trademark than much else (though, I could be mistaken). Baldur's Gate is the place Smobey really want's to stage his game. It's a wide open type of town where anything the DM want's to create can fit in. The map Swordboy provided is a good start, simply expand it with shanty towns on the outskirts where gang/mafia-like activity rules. Sort of like NYC in the 1800's.
#16 pruano Nov 03, 2010 20:35:47	You can always port the info from the "Living City" setting (Ravens Bluff); some recent LFRA use it as their location, so you have some recent info as well.