Dungeons and wilderness areas are not the only places where characters can have adventures; cities and other urban areas are another possible location. Cities do not have to be merely the place that characters stop to rest, recuperate and resupply between adventures, as they can be the location of a different type of adventure. Adventuring in a city can pose different restraints on characters, as violence and destruction tend to be frowned on by the authorities.

This is a list of 100 different encounters that characters can have in a city. They can be used simply as background colour and flavour, but most have oddities that can be developed further, making them into a source of potential adventure hooks, should the characters get involved.

To use the list, either roll d100 for a random result, although choosing results manually may be better.

Here are some sample results:

19. A grubby-looking and down on his luck gnome is being supported by a sailor. The gnome looks extremely drunk and certainly incapable of standing by himself. The reason for the gnome’s drunken state is that he has been exiled from his homeland, never to be allowed to return. The sailor is supposedly taking the gnome to his lodging, which they are currently outside, but when the latter comes to his senses again, he will find that he has been press-ganged to serve on a sailing ship, doing minor repairs.
20. A hooded figure in black comes rushing out of a physician’s shop to the sound of someone shouting “Stop thief!” as they do. Neither thief nor physician’s is truly what it seems. The physician’s is actually a front, the entrance to the tower of a very paranoid mage. The tower is not visible, for it is located in another dimension out of phase with the normal world. There is a gate to the tower inside the physician’s shop in a back room that is not visited by customers, for the physician actually practices. The thief knew about this hidden access and got into the mage’s tower, stealing some valuable magic before leaving again.
21. A horse is being ridden by an elegantly-dressed man down a street. The rider, a noble, is galloping at high speed and is yelling at any pedestrians in the street to get out of his way. A raggedly-dressed small child is in the way and does not look as if they will be able to get out of the path of the horse in time unless someone comes to their aid. If the nobleman is stopped or
interfered with, he will arrogantly refuse to answer any questions and will instead demand that any who stop him release his horse immediately or face the consequences. The noble has no genuine reason for his behaviour; he is simply riding his horse fast because he can. Should his horse hit the child, the nobleman will continue on his way unconcerned.

Reviews for 100 Strange or Unusual Encounters for Fantasy Cities

“…the entries are interesting and well-written, easily worth $2 for potentially hours and hours of encounters.”

Richard L. (five stars)

“If you need some city encounters, this book provides some great examples.”

sdonohue (four and a half stars)

Released: 8th December 2018 Pages: 20

PDF ($1.99): DriveThruRPG

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