Urban DnD

Post by **weemadando** » 2006-08-08 05:58am

An idea I've been bandying around for a while as a little campaign setting I'd like to develop. Take you modern day world and inhabit it with all manner of fantasy races... Have a read and you'll get the idea. Throw feedback/concepts at me.

Urban DnD concepts

Setting:
A world run by a relatively benevolent religious order (Lawful Neutral primarily), but away from the glittering steel and glass spires (getting images of huge, pseudo-gothic cathedral styled sky-scrapers - probably with temples on the roof, or maybe a wizards dwelling) the world is falling apart. Crime is rampant in the massive metropolis' as many creatures adapt to city life.

Some defining images that have popped into my head:
-A dragon running a bank, sitting in his office behind an enormous desk. Probably wearing reading glasses and looking at the "Fiscal Times".
-An underclass of "migrant labour" (mainly the bestial races - orcs, goblins, gnolls etc) living in slum areas and working minimum wage or illegal jobs, specifically some gnolls and bugbears in hardhats, jeans and singlets working construction under some dodgy gnome overseer.
-A dwarven cop walking a beat in a bad part of town with his night-stick spinning.
-A group of elves (think some militant greenies) protesting outside a corporate HQ about something.

Character classes: These should probably remain unchanged to be in keeping with the fantasy vibe, with the exception of adding a few skills/feats in here and there (like Firearms proficencies).

Barbarian -
Bard -
Cleric - bureaucrat/public servant
Fighter - average thug/gangster/cop
Monk -
Paladin - federal agent type (by the book gov't enforcer)
Ranger -
Rogue -
Sorceror -
Wizard -

Integrating the setting:
There would of course be the traditional fantasy splits - orcs don't much like humans, but living in the city is sort of easier than living rough on the land. Many tribal societies have formed gangs - this is leading to much conflict on the streets. Some groups can't break their ways - dragons still hoard gold, but now its in bank vaults, not mountain caves. Some groups have changes their ways - the religious order running the setting is more of a bureaucratic theocracy with little in the way of real power in the day to day lives of its inhabitants. They employ clerics in high ranking bureaucratic roles with everyone who is part of the government also being a part of the church. Some Clerics instead find their path heading out onto the street, and join the police forces or leave the main church to join one of the splinter groups which are seeking to help those in need within the cities. Paladins of the Church are the much respected (or feared) enforcers, while much of the Church remains aloof and out of touch, the Paladins are usually to be found in the worst parts of the cities delivering their justice. Throughout the lands, there remain many ruins of castles and keeps of old, abandoned towns, dungeons long forgotten and strange altars. All overgrown and forgotten. Some small tribes of various races still try to hold onto their original lifestyles in some way. Various "reservations" are in place, but usually what occurs is a bizarre mix of the new and old. For example there are numerous large bikie gangs, in which many of the races find a way to channel their old nomadic urges. Wizards and sorcerors still dwell in lofty towers and wield magic with much more control (the nature of their precarious social posture now demands as much), though their massive libraries are now mainly for display, most wizards carry a laptop or tablet PC rather than their old spellbooks.

Jadetear · Post by **Jadetear** » 2006-08-08 07:15am

I am sure that the slums are going to be a nasty place to walk. You should probably have manditory curfews in those areas. Patroled by squads of city guard.

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2006-08-08 07:54am

Sounds similar to the Shadowrun setting in a number of aspects. You might find some further inspiration there.

Jadetear · Post by **Jadetear** » 2006-08-08 09:17am

nod.. it does sound shadowrunish... with less cyberware... hmmm.. have a few mage/dragon ran companies that are fighting a black ops type war with each other for domination.

Tatterdemalion · Post by **Tatterdemalion** » 2006-08-08 10:33am

Alternatively if you want inspiration for a fantasy/steampunk city-based setting in novel form I highly recommend 'Perdido Street Station' by China Mieville. In many ways I found it to be a straight-played version of Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork, albeit with a larger amount of magic based technology.

Aside from that the Eberron setting makes a decent attempt at adapting D&D to cities, with Sharn in particular being the "New York" of the setting.

I notice you haven't finished off the list of class adaptations, so let me add a few suggestions. In an urban setting Rangers' tracking abilities make them natural bounty hunters, though with favoured enemy and their knowledge class skills they could also function as 'pest control' bringing a degree of expertise that fighters are unlikely to have. Basically in an urban setting you'd take away the animal and nature vibe and make them very specialised, knowledgable fighters who trade muscle for expertise.

Rogues and bards on the other hand, really don't need many alterations at all to fit in a city setting. With Bards you could maybe lessen the focus on music and tales and trump up their natural charisma and speechcraft. Essentially bard's are gifted politicians and orators. Whether they represent the affluent political elite, down-in-the-muck soapbox agitators or tabloid hacks spinning propaganda for a living depending on their social station.

Ar-Adunakhor · Post by **Ar-Adunakhor** » 2006-08-08 12:05pm

Some possibilities:

Barbarian - Athelete, Military/Grunt
Bard - Rockstar, Politician, Buisinessman
Monk - Military or Bureaucrat
Ranger - Military or Bounty Hunter
Rogue - Secret Police, Gangsters, Spies
Sorceror - Engineer or Buisinessman
Wizard - Scientist or Engineer

The Rogue just has so many uses though...

Steven Snyder · Post by **Steven Snyder** » 2006-08-08 12:57pm

You may want to read up on the Eberron setting, if you haven't already. It doesn't deal exactly with the setting you have but does present some concepts that one would expect to happen if magic were really commonplace and a society formed around it. Such as the Magewright NPC class for instance...

My impression of the classes
Barbarian - skilled street thugs, trained survivalists
Bard - Musicians, actors
Cleric - Doctors, psychologists, paramedics, missionaries
Fighter - professional soldiers, well trained police
Monk - Bodyguards, spec-ops soldiers, spies, security specialists, boxers
Paladin - Police Detectives, Judges, combat medics
Ranger - Soldiers, partisans, survialists, park rangers, hunters
Rogue - professional criminals, spies
Sorceror - military fire-support, law enforcement
Wizard - military/law enforcement, civil service

Aristocrat - Wealthy families, politicians
Adept - Clergy
Commoner - Joe ordinary
Expert - Skilled workers, misc professionals,
Warrior - Most police, thugs, military, etc.

houser2112 · Post by **houser2112** » 2006-08-08 01:33pm

Have you thought about checking out D20 Modern? Instead of fighters, clerics, and wizards, you have Strong heroes, Fast heroes, Tough heroes, etc. (one for each attribute) D20 modern has done all the feat and skill updating that you'd need to do.

https://wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/msrd

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2006-08-08 01:38pm

houser2112 wrote:Have you thought about checking out D20 Modern? Instead of fighters, clerics, and wizards, you have Strong heroes, Fast heroes, Tough heroes, etc. (one for each attribute) D20 modern has done all the feat and skill updating that you'd need to do.

https://wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/msrd

And the prize for missing the fucking point goes to Houser2112...

houser2112 · Post by **houser2112** » 2006-08-08 01:46pm

Well, excuse me for trying to save him some work. Although he did say that he wanted to keep the D&D classes, the feats and skills updates have already been done. Just putting ideas out there. Maybe you should leave it to the OP as to whether I earned the "missing the fucking point" award, hmm?

Lonestar · Post by **Lonestar** » 2006-08-08 02:27pm

Keevan_Colton wrote:
And the prize for missing the fucking point goes to Houser2112...

I guess I'm missing the point too. Do we not like D20 modern Urban Arcana?

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2006-08-08 02:53pm

The point isnt the mechanics, it's the setting.

Post by **weemadando** » 2006-08-08 05:54pm

Keevan_Colton wrote:The point isnt the mechanics, it's the setting. :roll:

Indeed. I looked at d20 Modern and Urban Arcana, but it just didn't feel quite right.

I'll try and put together a bigger world briefing today to gauge impressions and give people a better idea of what I'm looking at.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2006-08-08 06:46pm

I'd suggest picking up an Eberron book and looking over it. Very steampunk style, albeit with less steam tech and more applied magic. It also looks into the magical-engineering concept with Artificiers and Magecrafters(I think that's it? An NPC class devoted to making magical items). I think Races Of delves into the concept of urban elves?

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2006-08-08 07:12pm

What are the laws like in this setting? It would be interesting to see how creatures that typically have little intelligence and no qualms about eating other sentients are intigrated into a sociaty. Even with steady joe jobs their brutishness would still need to be watched and handled.

Coalition · Post by **Coalition** » 2006-08-08 09:59pm

Mark S wrote:What are the laws like in this setting? It would be interesting to see how creatures that typically have little intelligence and no qualms about eating other sentients are intigrated into a sociaty. Even with steady joe jobs their brutishness would still need to be watched and handled.

World Wrestling Federation, WCW, and other types. Cage matches, underground fight clubs, etc all serve to help burn off some of that aggression. Gives Deathmatch a new meaning. Eating their opponent means that they are full for the rest of the night.

Or criminal enforcers/cleaners. Got a body you need to get rid of? These guys will take care of it.

lance · Post by **lance** » 2006-08-09 01:29am

SirNitram wrote:I'd suggest picking up an Eberron book and looking over it. Very steampunk style, albeit with less steam tech and more applied magic. It also looks into the magical-engineering concept with Artificiers and Magecrafters(I think that's it? An NPC class devoted to making magical items). I think Races Of delves into the concept of urban elves?

Magecrafters are an npc class that specializes in making non-magical goods.
Artifacers are a PC class that focuses on making magic goods. While a wizard that sandbags a level is almost as good at making magic items, the Artifacer can trick out double wand wielding by giving wands temporary charges and applying his metamagic feats to the wands.

A thing to keep in mind is that high level wizards are likely to open up shop and sell the magic items, and their should be laws put into effect on this. If their isn't then their should be some sort of campain group that wants to have a 30 day waitng period on staffs of fireball.
And if there are restrictions then a black market should be present.

Rangers might have a favored enemy-organization, as opposed to a race.
Rogues, scouts, bards, rangers will get jobs as detectives, undercover, and the like, due to skills. Clerics will be detectives for thier-Mr. corpse, can you describe your killer?- ability.
Palidans won't be detectives due to the lack of skills, though they might assist the actual detectives, or act as swat.

Some races, like beholders will be killed on sight for being batshit insane.
Ogres, trolls and the like might be an upbringing issue.

Remember that a large city is filthy rich in D&D and their is likely at least couple hundred of every magical item under the GP limit, due to how ridiculously easy they are to get in D&D for any wizard that has down time and can planar bind an effeeti, or other wish granting outsider. Which leads to my next point high level wizards will be the money lenders, arms dealers and the like of the city.

Post by **weemadando** » 2006-08-09 04:53am

Additional setting stuff thrown together. Again - go at it like the jackals that you are.

Nation:
Beran

Total Populations:
45 Million

Total Population breakdown:
30% Human (includes half-elf human idenfitifiers)
15% Orc (includes Half-orcs)
12% Dwarf
12% Elf
10% Kobold
9% Assorted Bestial
8% Halfling
2% Gnomes
2% Other/miscellaneous (giant races, draconic, undead, lycanthropic, elemental etc)

Head of Government:
Guide Risna

Government Structure:
Both Federal and Local Governments are headed by the Church of Orban.
It is a very strong bureaucracy with the city run almost exclusively by members of the Church. However, this unified power does lead to many projects being completed far more quickly than most would anticipate. Most governance is undertaken with the view of advancing society, as such the Church has become amazingly tolerant of many of the ideas prevalent in modern society. Crime however is becoming a major problem and the Churches Paladins are increasingly fighting a war within some sections of the city. More disturbingly, there have been small factions of the Church (and as such, the Government) who have postulated that just maybe, the increasing amount of crime and the associated "problems" are just another form of advancement of society.
Though day to day governance is dealt with by the established bureaucracy, once per week a Council of Guides convenes to discuss the long term agendas for the nation.
The Church oversees all construction in the city along with all urban planning - though they do this usually only in an oversight role.
The Church is responsible for law enforcement as well as incarceration and rehabilitation. This role is controlled by Paladins or martially-inclined Clerics, but most police officers and prison guards are not actually members of the church.
Finances are also overseen by the Church, but on a "national" level, with most financial organisations operating with a great deal of independance.

Orban:
Lawful Good deity (Church however, does include Lawful Neutral and Neutral Good members as well)
Seen as the God of Pathways - many philosophical interpretations, but the main Church dogma shows him as being the protector of those journeying, but more recently, he has been seen as guiding and protecting those who are advancing society.

---

Capital city:
Hinterloom

Population:
11.5 million at last estimate

Population Breakdown:
32% Human
12% Dwarf
11% Elf
11% Halfling
10% Orc
9% Kobold
8% Gnomes
6% Assorted Bestial
1% Other/miscellaneous

Government:
Locally the government is administered by Guide Urgan.

---

Conflicts:
Many uncleared dungeons remain, and there are still some groups with agenda's not compatible with those of the city-dwellers. Some areas remain very wild with "un-domesticated" elements. Indeed, some species and groups are inherently incompatible with the cities and civilisation in general. Though these groups do tend to remain in some pockets within Beran, they are for the most part found beyond the borders (which are regularly expanding). This leads to a occassional conflicts as the border moves outwards, or occassionally as an army is led against Beran.
Internally there has been very little strife, the occasional civic unrest, but no civil wars or other major conflicts since the rise to prominence of the Church of Orban two hundred years ago. Most scholars feel that this is to do with the remarkably fluid and accepting nature of the Church of Orban.

Post by **weemadando** » 2006-08-09 04:57am

Mark S wrote:What are the laws like in this setting? It would be interesting to see how creatures that typically have little intelligence and no qualms about eating other sentients are intigrated into a sociaty. Even with steady joe jobs their brutishness would still need to be watched and handled.

I try to cover that in my latest bit. Not all exist happily in society. There are "reservations". I can only begin to imagine that some enterprising members of The Church might also attempt behaviour control experiments...

Post by **weemadando** » 2006-08-09 05:00am

Things I've also been thinking about:

How do Paladins and Clerics survive in a modern world where firearms would be commonplace?
-For some reason I'm having beautiful images of Paladin's equipped similarly to riot police. Would grenades go against their beliefs? Pepperspray? Tasers?

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-08-09 05:05am

weemadando wrote:Things I've also been thinking about:

How do Paladins and Clerics survive in a modern world where firearms would be commonplace?
-For some reason I'm having beautiful images of Paladin's equipped similarly to riot police. Would grenades go against their beliefs? Pepperspray? Tasers?

You mean using non lethal weapons to subdue people who don't deserve death? Seems right up their alley.

Post by **weemadando** » 2006-08-09 05:40am

Imperial Overlord wrote:
weemadando wrote:Things I've also been thinking about:

How do Paladins and Clerics survive in a modern world where firearms would be commonplace?
-For some reason I'm having beautiful images of Paladin's equipped similarly to riot police. Would grenades go against their beliefs? Pepperspray? Tasers?
You mean using non lethal weapons to subdue people who don't deserve death? Seems right up their alley.

I'm more referring to them still having to use melee weapons rather than ranged...

Post by **weemadando** » 2006-08-09 05:41am

Steven Snyder wrote:You may want to read up on the Eberron setting, if you haven't already. It doesn't deal exactly with the setting you have but does present some concepts that one would expect to happen if magic were really commonplace and a society formed around it. Such as the Magewright NPC class for instance...

My impression of the classes
Barbarian - skilled street thugs, trained survivalists
Bard - Musicians, actors
Cleric - Doctors, psychologists, paramedics, missionaries
Fighter - professional soldiers, well trained police
Monk - Bodyguards, spec-ops soldiers, spies, security specialists, boxers
Paladin - Police Detectives, Judges, combat medics
Ranger - Soldiers, partisans, survialists, park rangers, hunters
Rogue - professional criminals, spies
Sorceror - military fire-support, law enforcement
Wizard - military/law enforcement, civil service

Aristocrat - Wealthy families, politicians
Adept - Clergy
Commoner - Joe ordinary
Expert - Skilled workers, misc professionals,
Warrior - Most police, thugs, military, etc.

That's fucking beautiful. A great expansion onwhat I was thinking. Thank you.

And yes. Eberron doth fucking rock.

Vejut · Post by **Vejut** » 2006-08-09 10:49am

Far as I know, Paladins can use ranged weapons and have no problem with them, granted, it's not the classical "look and feel" of the sword weilding pure knight in shining armor.
I'd think they might have more problems with "poison" like tear gas or pepper spray though.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2006-08-09 11:05am

weemadando wrote:Things I've also been thinking about:

How do Paladins and Clerics survive in a modern world where firearms would be commonplace?
-For some reason I'm having beautiful images of Paladin's equipped similarly to riot police. Would grenades go against their beliefs? Pepperspray? Tasers?

We're talking about folks who are equipped to Smite Evil with big fuggin' swords. They'd not have a problem flashbanging rooms of badguys.

EDIT: Oh, misunderstood.

Did you know 'Ranged Smite Evil' exists?