Timm Woods - Random Tables: Cities and Towns: The Game Masters Companion for Developing Inns, Shops, Taverns, Settlements, and More

Text copyright 2020 Timm Woods. Design and concept copyright 2020 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

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ISBN: 978-1-64604-009-4

ISBN: 978-164604-054-4 (ebook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019951343

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To my family, my original adventuring party

Hello and welcome, traveler!

It looks like you could use some rest! Gaze around this beautiful tavern; take in the sights, the sounds, the music, the ambiance

actually, its pretty boring. Theres a guy. And a candle. And some drinks?

Whats this? Youre a Game Master, you say? A storyteller? And youre actually running a role-playing game right now? This is your imaginary tavern? And you have a table full of players who want to know what happens next? Oh notheyre about to enter the tavern, and you werent expecting them to do that! Its not ready!

Never fear. Take a deep breath, because you hold in your hands the key to unlimited city-based adventures.

Every Game Master gets stumped on occasion by some unexpected course of action that the player-characters have taken. Improvising whole scenes on the spot can be tough, but with the help of this book, it just got a lot easier. Using these tables, a storyteller can generate on-the-fly details to make any tavern, shop, or street feel alive and vibrant. Towns and cities are especially prone to player-driven storytelling; now you can feel prepared for when a character decides to carouse through town, see the sights, or otherwise go rogue!

Whether you need that initial spark of inspiration or already have the beginning of an idea that you want to flesh out, this book has something to offer you when designing your own fantasy town.

Lets say, for example, that your players have put you on the spot. Theyre paying a surprise visit to that tavern you told them about, The Burning Barrow. Unfortunately, you didnt expect them to reach the Barrow until next weeks session! As the storyteller, you know what important plot events are supposed to happen there; but the details and the atmosphere are all completely flat, and youve got less than a minute to cook them up!

But a minute is all that youll need. First, flip to ). Use as many or as few of the tables as you want! Before you know it, youll have a tavern that will catch your players attention, paint a vivid and descriptive image, and probably encourage more than a few side-quests and shenanigans.

When you feel stumped, at a creative block, or just out of ideas in general, this book can help launch you back into creativity and fun. Just find the question that youre looking to answer, like:

Whats in that noblemans pocket that the thief just picked? Who lives across the street from the local blacksmith? How is the bartender feeling today, and whats on the menu?

Once you have your question, flip to the relevant table and grab your dice. Each table will tell you what to roll, whether its a d20 (a 20-sided die), a d100 (a 100-sided die), or some other dice. Some tables might ask you to add numbers to your roll. Just follow the instructions, roll the dice, and refer to the tables in this book to see what exciting, surprising results youve generated.

All ideas within these tables are suggestions! Use them as inspiration for your own stories, or build entire adventures using random rolls, or save the book for when you need to really surprise the players (and yourself)! Theres no wrong way to play; and whatever you dont like, just re-roll! In just a few seconds, youll have dozens of vivid scenes and encounters waiting to play out!

Not all towns are equal, and there is a world of difference between a sleepy cluster of houses and a bustling seaport. If youre generating a random town or settlement, this is where to start. Roll here to find out what size of town the characters will find.

A towns governmental structure can have a major impact on characters who seek to interfere with the regions political machinations, or who simply get on the wrong side of the law or the ruling authorities. Roll here to see what kind of government the town has in place.