Build Better Cities – Campaigns and Coffee

Lair Of Secrets

Building immersive cities for RPGs takes center stage on this episode, with inspiration from real-world examples like San Antonio’s Alamo and Chicago’s reversed river.

We dive into tools and techniques for making cities that evolve, feel lived in, and resonate as characters within campaigns. From quirky city rivalries to handling disasters, this episode offers creative advice for dungeon masters and storytellers.

Chapters

0:00 Intro
2:10 Real-World Inspiration: San Antonio and the Alamo
6:30 Geography and Natural Features in City Design
10:45 Tools for RPG City-Building (The Quiet Year, Ex Novo)
15:00 How Cities Evolve Over Time
20:00 City Rivalries and Personality
24:30 Integrating Disasters and Landmarks into City History
30:00 Cities in Post-Apocalyptic Settings
33:20 Q&A: The Rogue-Polymorphed-Toad Dilemma
34:30 Outro

Listen to the Episode

Watch the Episode

Watch Build Better Cities – Campaigns & Coffee on YouTube

Show Notes

• Introduction: Exploring city-building in RPGs inspired by San Antonio’s vibrant culture and geography.
  • Cities: Skylines video game
• Key Elements of Real Cities:
  • San Antonio’s Alamo and its unique building-height regulation.
  • Chicago’s reversed river and evolving cityscape.
  • Historical insights from medieval cities to Cyberpunk’s Night City.
    • Domus: Night City: how Cyberpunk 2077’s future megacity was built
• Tips for RPG City-Building:
  • Start with geography and natural features.
  • Use landmarks, NPCs, and district evolution to build personality.
  • Recommended tools:
    • The Quiet Year
    • Ex Novo
    • The Game Master’s Book of Astonishing Random Tables
  • Recommended books
    • Life in a Medieval City
    • Life in a Medieval Castle
    • Life in a Medieval Village
    • A Magical Medieval Society Western Europe
• City as a Character:
  • How rivalries and unique traits shape urban identity.
  • Integrating disasters and recovery into city evolution.
    • The 9/11 Memorial in New York City
    • The Survivor Tree
• Q&A Segment: Turning a rogue-turned-toad mishap into a strategic move.

Feedback

We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels:

• Email
• Bluesky
• Discord
• DiceCamp (Mastodon)
• YouTube
• Twitch

The post Build Better Cities – Campaigns and Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.