Cities in fantasy tend to be dirty, corrupt, and crime-ridden - taking after Lankhmar, Sanctuary, and others. And that does maximize potential for adventures within the city - fighting monsters, dealing with the Thieves Guild or Assassins Guild, etc.

But there's also use for a place that's mostly *between* adventures. Places like Lothlorien, Rivendell, Gondor, Camelot, etc - where things are mostly good. There could still be an adventure under unusual circumstances, but the PCs aren't making dangerous encounter rolls just walking around. It's mostly a place to do research, negotiate with potential allies, train, recover, and so forth. They then go out from that city on adventures.

I tend more towards something in between, actually, but sometimes I'll go more to one extreme or the other. My two recent city adventures have been in provincial cities where the PCs are dealing with a mystery and there is intrigue among the authorities. The authorities aren't corrupt and things aren't terrible (like I wouldn't have dangerous encounter checks walking around), but there was stuff the locals couldn't handle. If they go to the capital, though, it'll be more of a shining city on a hill. They'll probably get recognition from the emperor and have some opportunities for social advancement.

Do people vary their cities from "scum & villainy" to "shining city on a hill"?

It really depends on the setting.

Take something like Allansia from Fighting Fantasy. It's freaking hard to even be able to imagine fitting a shining city in that continent.

Sure, Port Blacksand is the worst, but even places like Stonebridge (a dwarven city) are far from being a beacon of light. Dark Sun also has cities that are essentially hell on earth.

If you're homebrewing, then you should think about consistency. Maybe not the best idea to have something like Silverymoon sitting right beside Mos Eisley. My personal preference is to fill up cities according to the general outlook of each region. If it's a frontier kingdom, towns are likely to be rowdier and dirtier. I like how Symbaroum makes the settlements close to Davokar (the huge ancient forest infested with all sorts of baddies that is the center of the setting) very much like Old West frontier towns, while making the cities away from the forest more like political hives of villainy.

Greetings!

I probably have most of my cities have a grimdark environment. Reflecting a dynamic that human beings are depraved, filthy, wicked, and corrupt.

However, I'm also a romantic, and a fan of righteousness and heroism, so in my campaigns there are usually a few cities that are bastions of righteousness, and serve as "A Shining City on a Hill".

I also think that narratively, it is an important psyhologicaland emotional resource for the Player Characters--and ultimately, for NPC's as well!--that there are some "islands"; some refuges, some few towers of righteousness, strength, and genuine virtue and Goodness that people can rely on, trust, and have faith in.

I also think that having such contrasts also provide the Players and NPC's with examples, with legacies, of a noble heritage, of a righteous hope in which to fight for, and stand against the Forces of Darkness.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: jhkim on July 22, 2022, 09:24:51 PM

But there's also use for a place that's mostly *between* adventures. Places like Lothlorien, Rivendell, Gondor, Camelot, etc - where things are mostly good. There could still be an adventure under unusual circumstances, but the PCs aren't making dangerous encounter rolls just walking around. It's mostly a place to do research, negotiate with potential allies, train, recover, and so forth. They then go out from that city on adventures.

In the Atlantean trilogy, there's the Magical Institute of Dardanus.  It was an institute of sages, scholars and spellcasters dedicated to the preservation and recovery of lost knowledge.  Strictly neutral, they would hire adventurers to go out and collect this knowledge.  In my game it proved a convenient way of handing out adventures to the group in a way more believable than the old "a guy comes up to you in a tavern one night and...."  It was even a convenient way of introducing new characters out of the blue or providing for replacements. If the party was on some lost island in the middle of nowhere and needed reinforcements or replacements, it was entirely logical for a ship to show up with a new character who simply announced, "Hi, I'm Joe, your new thief, the Institute sent me."

It is not necessary that this place is a "city". In my campaign the PCs found respite in places ranging from the core of the elven lands in the Moonshae Islands (for which I took a bit of inspiration from Lothlorien) to a demi-plane created by Eldath in the Astral Plane.

Notice how in both these cases there was a magical "fix" along with a sense of protection coming from isolation (another example was an island governed by a "Lady of Horses", who turned out to be an avatar of Chauntea). Maybe this reflects an unconscious pessimism by my part, but every time I see a social construct I also think about ways for Evil to infiltrate it.

It's not exactly a hill but I've got a lawful good city in the clouds inhabbited by cloud giants, storm giants, winged folk and titans in my D&D campaign.  The PCs couldn't get out of there fast enough.

This is a great question jhkim.

Cities in my world, in almost all instances, have their seedier underbelly, even elven cities. In my youth, reading and devouring all the fantasy I could get me hands on, I've found how it's influenced me throughout my world building.

Eddings Belgariad is one such. I have always loved the way the capital city of Riva was described. A sober, sensible city on the outside, necessary due to the climate, but inside was the colour and warmth.

Even elven cities in my world have their dark aspect. Dragonlance is another huge influence and cites like Silvanesti and Qualanesti have their factions with willingness to do seemingly anything.

And obviously Lord of the Rings influenced me. Gondor is fascinating cause I always assumed a level of rot in the past glory. Even Rivendell, the elves were getting ready to leave.

So I guess I may have more lawful and good cities, they're rare, but they still have a level of larceny about them.