The Development of Towns in D&D

[DerVVulfman]

This is a reprint of an article from
Dragon Magazine, Volume I #8,
July, 1977

THE DEVELOPMENT
OF TOWNS IN D&D
by Tony Watson

Introduction:

Most D&D campaigns center around a dungeon and most of the players’ time is spent in exploring the labyrinth and battling the nasties to be found therein. Rightly so; the depths are the place where the most fearsome monsters, trickiest traps and, of course, largest treasures are to be found.

As well, there is adequate coverage of wilderness adventures, with descriptions and rules especially pertaining to above ground quests and encounters.

Yet, though the rules suggest basing players in a town or village, few DMs. (Dungeon Masters) do much to “flesh out” the town and make it a place of interest in itself and not simply a logistics point for characters.

If imagination is used (and there surely should be no dearth of that in any DM), towns can be made enjoyable and worthy of exploration and adventures themselves.

Laying out a town can be time consuming, especially if you are already struggling to find the time to put together your underworld. Yet the effort is certainly worth it. Hopefully the following suggestions can serve as useful guidelines.



Part I. The Town Layout:

Ideally, the town laid out in a manner similar to your dungeon, and if possible, using the same scale. The multi-use of a graphic and scale system will make transference from the town to the underworld much simpler for the referee. I use a 3’x2’ sheet divided into 1” squares, further divided into ten sections and call each tenth of an inch 5’. This makes for a highly realistic scale and a large town. However a regular size piece of graph paper will do just as well; again, transfer from your dungeon system.

]A small village will do at first; you can save your ideas for a city of wicked splendor for later efforts. In any case, the size of the sheet you are using, and the scale chosen, will dictate the size of your town. Now on to specifics.

If the town is going to be a fairly large one, you should consider whether it will be walled or not. This would be most likely if it were on the border of your mythical country and a sometimes-hostile neighbor, or if it were astride an important trade route or waterway. Also a town of almost any size would have a keep nearby or inside the town itself to house the ruling lord and his retainers, who would serve as the local law and order.

The designer must also decide the local terrain. A river or stream should be nearby for a water source as well as fields for sustenance farming. Is the town on the coast of a lake or sea? Is it an outpost in a heavily wooded or mountainous area? All these factors will determine the local economy and the type of wilderness adventures that players can have in the town’s vicinity.

Once these primary decisions are made the actual planning may commence. Since most campaigns are set in psuedo-medieval times, a glance through some books of city plans of that era (and most libraries have at least a few) will be helpful.

The buildings themselves need not be large, or their rooms spacious. Avoid the supermarket syndrome. Most medieval dwellings and shops were small and consisted of only a few rooms. A large block could be laid out and contain a number of residences and shops, since this was often the case.

Second and third floors can prove to be a problem. I suggest these two methods: drawing in rooms and such of higher levels on separate sheets, one per level or, alternately, putting them in on the main map, but in a different color. I suppose you could dispose of upper floors entirely, theorizing that the action would take place on the lower floors anyway. Generally there shouldn’t be more than three floors save in the case of a special tower or temple.

As you lay out the various buildings, it is probably easier (and more esthetically pleasing) to group like establishments in the same area. Here are some of the shops that could be included in a business district:

armorers — sells, repairs, and fashions armor and weapons cobblers — shoes, boots
cartographers —wilderness and dungeon maps available 100-600 gp depending on remoteness of the area
candlestick maker — torches, brands, incense, candles
weaver —tunics, breeches, shirts, cloaks, blankets
barbers — haircut and shave one gp
pawnshop —armor and weapons bought and sold but have a 1 in 6 chance of being defective in some manner; some magic items; prices should be lower than new of course Various other artisans, such as glassblowers, painters, sculptors and stonemasons might be included if the town is large enough to warrant such types.

Most assuredly there should be a town square that serves as an open air market. Food, wine, packs, rope, household items of metal and wood, perhaps even some magic items should be available. There should be a chance, perhaps 1 in 4, that a foreign merchant or two is in attendance. They might have items of all types that are not available in the village, as well as news and rumors from distant lands. Perhaps they might be interested in finding warriors to serve as caravan guards or rangers to act as guides. Every once in a while a merchant could be hauling something truly bizarre; an artifact, a subdued dragon, etc.

The market place itself should be a hot bed of rumor and local gossip, a good percentage false. It is the meeting place of the common folk, and when your players visit there to outfit an expedition, be sure they hear a few choice bits of information, be they true or not! Near one of the roads leading into the town, there should be a stable (horses boarded 2-3 gps per week) a smith, and a wheelwright who repairs and constructs wagons and carts. Horses might be available here, for sale or rent.

If your town is on a coast be sure to have a dock section with fishing boats and trading vessels available for hire or seeking crew members or marines. Once again, the gristly old sea hands should be filled with stories and lies about strange lands across the sea or terrible oceangoing monsters, (or maybe even a special island the DM has worked up.) The docks should also be a good place to meet foreigners and visitors. As well as a seaman’s tavern, this section should include an open air fish market, a sailmaker and maybe a shop specializing in naval Another portion of the town should be concerned with the higher classes, such as rich warriors, merchants or bankers. Their houses should be nicely built and guarded, for these types are sure to have treasure lying about.

Either in a special area, or grouped about the town square a few temples are a must. Of course they will be staffed with their attendant clerics and a character of suitable level as a patriarch or bishop. Player clerics may wish to belong to one of these sects. This will encourage participation in the town as whole. If the DM has time he can work out some basis to the religion to “flesh” it out. Naturally temples should be large and ornate, and have a few treasures within them.

The most interesting area has been saved for last. This is the darker side of town, a place where honest men are loath to go save in groups (a 1 in 8 chance of encountering a thief or being attacked by a band of brigands, per turn. At least one or two taverns should be located here with their attendant patrons and barmaids. A sleazy boarding house is in order as well. Other points of interest might include:

soothsayer —for 20 gps this woman (or man) will “predict” how a planned expedition or exploit may turn out. Once players give a general idea what they have planned the DM will respond, drawing on his knowledge and an accuracy dieroll.
magician — simply a non-player magic user who will cast spells for a fee (say 50 x spell level).
brothel — No thieves’ quarter would be complete without one. As well as being a haven for earthly delights it should be brimming with privy information (available for bribes of 10-100 gps). Fees are about 20 gp (35 for the “special”). One to six male patrons of all types and classes will be in the waiting area.
square —an open air square where freelance prostitutes, spies, assassins, and thieves can be met. Another good area to purchase purloined items.charts and gear.

No town or village would be complete without a full complement of taverns and inns. These are the heart of the town and where the nuclei of adventurersmeet and discuss their plans.

It is reasonable to assume that each tavern would have its own particular clientele. For example, in my town, one inn is the only place in town to put up elves, dwarves and hobbits, so that visiting characters of this type would most likely be found there. The exact composition of patrons at a given moment can be obtained in a system such as the following:

Falgrave’s —where non-humans frequent and stay when in town. Falgrave is a dwarf himself and up on non-human gossip. 3-18 patrons, 2/3 of which shall be non-human and ½ will be warriors; the rest will be townspeople, nonhumans of other classes. 1-4 will be non-human wayfarers or merchants.

Another inn could be frequented by visiting human merchants so half of its patrons would be men of such class. Another tavern might be the meeting place of local warriors and thus a good place to swap tales and find the non-players to round out an adventure (persons also known as monster fodder . . .).

Other establishments might cater only to clerics or the wealthier classes. The possibilities are limited only by the town size and the DM’s imagination.

To round out the town I’ll throw in a couple of ideas best categorized as miscellaneous.

Surgeon —for a fee of 25 gps the doctor will attempt to cure 1-6 wound points (50% chance of success); for 35 gps he will attempt to cure poison (a one in six chance for success). Maximum of one attempt per day and one successful healing or cure per week. Money paid despite the success or lack thereof, of the attempt.
Library —a number of scholars will seek out knowledge among the many tomes and volumes for a fee. The base value of general information is about 100gps with specific facts increasingly more expensive. (Types of knowledge might include legends concerning a certain area or dungeon, or DM created monster, Scribes available to identify and write in languages.)

As the DM develops his town he should keep a town directory, listing the address of the establishment as well as its function. A few phrases describing the interior adds to the color. This should be followed by pertinent info on the proprietor, types of patrons or visitors and their number (as in the above, Falgrave’s example). Then as players enter a shop or market the DM can give them a brief idea of the place and make it come alive for them.



Part II. The Town Population:

Once you’ve got the physical aspects of your town laid out, you’re going to need someone to populate it. These non-player characters will provide the needed bodies to serve as shopkeepers, merchants, tavern owners and patrons, warriors and magic users your players will run into. They will truly serve to flesh out the skeletal structure your previous work has provided you.

It is probably best to roll up a large amount of character first and then assign them jobs and positions in the town as seems appropriate. It is not likely that the village smith would be the possessor of a mere 3 or 4 strength, or that a man with an 18 intelligence would serve as a cook’s apprentice. If you can’t find the certain person you need from the pool you’ve rolled up, Fake it! Just supply the needed attributes you want for those particular non-players. You certainly have license as DM to literally create the right man for the job.

The easiest way to keep track of these non-players is to get a small note book and devote it to that purpose. As to the segregation of types, I’ve found that the headings, “warriors”, “magic-users”, “clerics”, “townspeople” and “specialists” (the latter referring to the myriad of new character types that have lately appeared) suit admirably. Be sure to leave room as you will probably wish to on your initial population base later.

All standard attributes should be rolled for in the usual manner. If you wish to reflect the fact that the adventuring types are more likely to be the cream of humanity, throw 3 four-sided dice for townspeople. Additionally, women, for strength and constitution only (forgive me, any liberated women reading this), and children, for all attributes, can use two standard dice. Other considerations can be determined on the following chart. Roll once for EACH category.

Die Roll...Alignment..Age..........Personality...................Loyalty
1..........Law........young........Very cooperative, friendly....High
2..........Law........young........Cooperative, friendly.........Loyal
3..........Law........young........Friendly......................Average
4..........Neutral....Middle Age...Non-commital..................Average
5..........Neutral....old..........Unfriendly....................Disloyal
6..........Chaos......Very Old.....Hateful.......................Low



Die Roll...Initiative....Level
1..........High..........Special
2..........Average.......3
3..........Average.......2
4..........Average.......1
5..........Average.......1
6..........Low...........1

Chart Key:

Level —straight forward, simply the experience level of that character. For “special” roll an eight-sided die and number rolled equals the level of the character.
Alignment —Again, just as it appears. I’ve reasoned that a town is a lawful place just by its nature of structure and emphasis on order in its design. Hence, only a small chance for chaotic alignment.
Age —more informational than functional. I only wanted to provide a characteristic to help tell people apart. Add one to roll for each whole group of two levels above 2nd level the character has gained. Add one always, for magic-users.
Personality —The hardest, and the one the DM will have to add to the most. This will give a basic idea of how a particular person is going to act when players interact with him. A die roll of 1 here would affect subsequent random reaction die rolls with a +2 when the character is asked to do something, go on an expedition, etc. A die roll of 2 would be a + 1 while rolls of 5 and 6 would be -1 and -2 respectively.
Loyalty —In a manner similar to personality, this category would affect any rolls for desertion or other tests of loyalty. Low loyalty coupled with a chaotic alignment might result in the character betraying the party to an evil high priest, etc.
Initiative— This is to help the DM mainly. Average initiative will mean a character won’t be particularly bright or innovative, while high initiative might mean a strong character who could be a leader if the players are botching the show. Low initiative characters have to be told to do everything.

After you have rolled up a bunch of people, enter them in your notebook. In addition to the above material, it’s a good idea to list a place or two where the character might be found. To real flesh them out, add a few bits of information about them personally. For example:

Blatherson of Hillock

Strength 12 —Constitution 9— Intelligence 13 — Charisma 15 — Dexterity 8 —Wisdom 7
Align: Law — Age: Old — Pers: Coop/Frnd —Loy: Loyal — Int: Aver
Level: 4
Found in Golden Goblet tavern,likes to tell war stories of his heroics in Goblin Wars (over-emphasizeshis own importance), loves a good mug of meade.

More now than just monster fodder, Blatherson is a real, if somewhat Falstaffian, character. By adding these little bits your die roll generated population will take on a little semblance of real people and become more than bodies attributed with certain mathematical characteristics. Your players will actually be able to make friends with certain townspeople, as well as cross others. With the inclusion of personified townspeople your town will literally come alive.


The development of a town can be a truly rewarding experience for both the DM and the players. Approached in the right manner (and the ideas presented here are only offered as suggestions) can be a place of interest in and of itself, and certainly worthy of one afternoon’s adventuring.