Settlements
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Settlement Alignment
A settlement’s alignment not only describes the community’s general personality and attitude, but also influences its modifiers.
- A lawful component to a settlement’s alignment increases its law modifier by 1.
- A good component increases its society modifier by 1.
- A chaotic component increases its crime modifier by 1.
- An evil component increases its corruption modifier by 1.
- A neutral component increases its lore modifier by 1 (a truly neutral city gains an increase of 2 to its lore modifier).
Alignment never modifies a settlement’s economy modifier.
Settlement Sizes
| Population | Settlement Size | Base Value | Purchase Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 51 | Thorp | 50 gp | 500 gp |
| 51–200 | Hamlet | 200 gp | 1,000 gp |
| 201–1000 | Village | 500 gp | 2,500 gp |
| 1001–5,000 | Small town | 1,000 gp | 5,000 gp |
| 5,001–25,000 | Large town | 2,000 gp | 10,000 gp |
| 25,001–50,000 | Small city | 4,000 gp | 25,000 gp |
| 50,001–250,000 | Large city | 8,000 gp | 50,000 gp |
| More than 250,000 | Metropolis | 16,000 gp | 100,000 gp |
| Settlement Size | Spellcasting | Minor | Medium | Major |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thorp | - | - | - | - |
| Hamlet | 0th [1] | 1d4 items | - | - |
| Village | 1st | 1d6 items | - | - |
| Small town | 2nd | 2d4 items | 1d4 items | - |
| Large town | 3rd | 3d4 items | 1d6 items | - |
| Small city | 4th | 3d4 items | 2d4 items | 1d4 items |
| Large city | 5th | 4d4 items | 3d4 items | 1d6 items |
| Metropolis | 6th | 4d4 items | 3d4 items | 2d4 items |
- ↑ Craftsmen with the Toilcrafter trait are often found in hamlets
| Type | Modifiers | Qualities | Danger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thorpe | -4 | 1 | -10 |
| Hamlet | -2 | 1 | -5 |
| Village | -1 | 2 | 0 |
| Small town | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Large town | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Small city | +1 | 4 | 5 |
| Large city | +2 | 5 | 10 |
| Metropolis | +4 | 6 | 10 |
The Settlement Stat Block
A settlement stat block is organized as follows.
- Alignment and Type
- A settlement’s alignment is the general alignment of its citizens and government—individuals who dwell therein can still be of any alignment, but the majority of its citizens should be within one step of the settlement’s overall alignment. Alignment influences a city’s modifiers. The type is the size category the settlement falls into.
- Modifiers
- Settlements possess six modifiers that apply to specific skill checks made in the settlement. A settlement’s starting modifier values are determined by its type. This value is further adjusted by the settlement’s alignment, government, qualities, and disadvantages.
- Qualities
- All settlements have a certain number of qualities that further adjust their statistics—think of qualities as feats for settlements. A settlement’s type determines how many qualities it can have.
- Danger
- A settlement’s danger value is a number that gives a general idea of how dangerous it is to live in the settlement. A settlement’s base danger value depends on its type.
- Disadvantages
- Any disadvantages a settlement might be suffering from are listed on this line. A settlement can have any number of disadvantages you wish to inflict on it, although most settlements have no disadvantages.
- Government
- This entry lists how the settlement is governed and ruled. The type of government a settlement follows affects its statistics.
- Population
- This number represents the settlement’s population. Note that the exact number is flexible; a settlement’s actual population can swell on market days or dwindle during winter—this number lists the average population of the settlement. Note that this number is generally used for little more than flavor—since actual population totals fluctuate, it’s pointless to tether rules to this number.
- Base Value and Purchase Limit
- This section lists the community’s base value for available magic items in gp (see Table: Available Magic Items). There is a 75% chance that any item of this value or lower can be found for sale in the community with little effort. If an item is not available, a new check to determine if the item has become available can be made in 1 week. A settlement’s purchase limit is the most money a shop in the settlement can spend to purchase any single item from the PCs. If the PCs wish to sell an item worth more than a settlement’s purchase limit, they’ll either need to settle for a lower price, travel to A larger city, or (with the GM‘s permission) search for a specific buyer in the city with deeper pockets. A settlement’s type sets its purchase limit.
- Spellcasting
- Unlike magic items, spellcasting for hire is listed separately from the town’s base value, since spellcasting is limited by the level of the available spellcasters in town. This line lists the highest-level spell available for purchase from spellcasters in town. A town’s base spellcasting level depends on its type.
- Minor Items/Medium Items/Major Items
- This line lists the number of magic items above a settlement’s base value that are available for purchase. In some city stat blocks, the actual items are listed in parentheses after the die range of items available—in this case, you can use these pre-rolled resources when the PCs first visit the city as the magic items available for sale on that visit. If the PCs return to that city at a later date, you can roll up new items as you see fit
Settlement Modifiers
Corruption
Corruption measures how open a settlement’s officials are to bribes, how honest its citizens are, and how likely anyone in town is to report a crime. Low corruption indicates a high level of civic honesty.
A settlement’s corruption modifies all Bluff checks made against city officials or guards and all Stealth checks made outside (but not inside buildings or underground).
Crime
Crime is a measure of a settlement’s lawlessness. A settlement with a low crime modifier is relatively safe, with violent crimes being rare or even unknown, while a settlement with a high crime modifier is likely to have a problem with organized crime and a significant problem with violence.
The atmosphere generated by a settlement’s crime level applies as a modifier on Sense Motive checks to avoid being bluffed and to Sleight of Hand checks made to pick pockets.
Economy
A settlement’s economy modifier indicates the health of its trade and the wealth of its successful citizens. A low economy modifier doesn’t automatically mean the town is beset with poverty—it could merely indicate a town with little trade or one that is relatively self-sufficient. Towns with high economy modifiers always have large markets and many shops.
A settlement’s economy helps its citizens make money, and thus it applies as a modifier on all Craft, Perform, and Profession checks made to generate income.
Law
Law measures how strict a settlement’s laws and edicts are. A settlement with a low law modifier isn’t necessarily crime-ridden—in fact, A low law modifier usually indicates that the town simply has little need for protection since crime is so rare. A high law modifier means the settlement’s guards are particularly alert, vigilant, and well-organized. The more lawful a town is, the more timidly its citizens tend to respond to shows of force.
A settlement’s law modifier applies on Intimidate checks made to force an opponent to act friendly, Diplomacy checks against government officials, or Diplomacy checks made to call on the city guard.
Lore
A settlement’s lore modifier measures not only how willing the citizens are to chat and talk with visitors, but also how available and accessible its libraries and sages are. A low lore modifier doesn’t mean the settlement’s citizens are idiots, just that they’re close-mouthed or simply lack knowledge resources.
A settlement’s lore modifier applies on Diplomacy checks made to gather information and Knowledge checks made using the city’s resources to do research when using a library.
Society
Society measures how open-minded and civilized A settlement’s citizens are. A low society modifier might mean many of the citizens harbor prejudices or are overly suspicious of out-of-towners. A high society modifier means that citizens are used to tourists and unusual visitors and that they respond better to well-spoken attempts at conversation.
A settlement’s society modifier applies on all Disguise checks, as well as on Diplomacy checks made to alter the attitude of any non-government official.
Settlement Government
Just like nations, towns and cities are ruled by governments. A settlement’s government not only helps to establish the flavor and feel of the community but also adjusts its modifiers.
See a list of governments on The city generator
Settlement Qualities
Settlements often have unusual qualities that make them unique. A settlement’s type (or size) determines how many qualities it can have—once a quality is chosen, it cannot usually be changed.
Note that many of the following qualities adjust a town’s base value or purchase limit by a percentage of the town’s standard values. If a town has multiple qualities of this sort, the percentages from modifiers are added together first and then increase the base value by that aggregated total—do not apply the increases one at a time.
See a list of qualities on The city generator
Settlement Disadvantages
Just as a settlement can have unusual qualities to enhance its statistics, it can also suffer from disadvantages. There’s no limit to the number of disadvantages a community can suffer, but most do not have disadvantages, since a settlement plagued by disadvantages for too long eventually collapses. A disadvantage can arise as the result of an event or action taken by a powerful or influential NPC or PC. Likewise, by going on a quest or accomplishing a noteworthy deed, a group of heroes can remove a settlement’s disadvantage.
Anarchy
The settlement has no leaders—this type of community is often short-lived and dangerous.
(Replaces settlement’s Government and removes Government adjustments to modifiers; Corruption and Crime +4; Economy and Society –4; Law –6; Danger +20)
Cursed
Some form of curse afflicts the city. Its citizens might be prone to violence or suffer ill luck, or they could be plagued by an infestation of pests.
(Choose one modifier and reduce its value by 4).
Heavily Taxed
The settlement is very heavily taxed and has fewer resources available than a settlement of its size normally has.
Decrease Society -2, base value by 10%, purchase limit by 50%, spellcasting -2. Available magic items as per settlement 1 category smaller.
Hunted
A powerful group or monster uses the city as its hunting ground. Citizens live in fear and avoid going out on the streets unless necessary. (Economy, Law, and Society –4; Danger +20; reduce base value by 20%)
Impoverished
Because of any number of factors, the settlement is destitute. Poverty, famine, and disease run rampant.
(Corruption and Crime +1; decrease base value and purchase limit by 50%; halve magic item availability)
Martial Law
As long as the settlement remains under martial law. Additionally, as long as the citizens must follow the edicts and proclamations, the city stifles and suffers.
Increase Law +2. Decrease Corruption -4, Crime -2 , Economy -4. Danger +10. Halve all values for marketplace entries.
Oppressed
The leadership of this settlement retains oppressive control.
Decrease Lore -6, Society -6.
Plagued
The community is suffering from a protracted contagion or malady.
(–2 to all modifiers; reduce base value by 20%; select A communicable disease—there’s a 5% chance each day that a PC is exposed to the disease and must make a Fortitude save to avoid contracting the illness)
Guards! Guards!
It’s inevitable—sooner or later, the PCs will want to call upon the town guard or cause a situation where citizens do so instead. Calling for the guard requires a Diplomacy check modified by the settlement’s law modifier. It’s only a DC 5 check to call for the guard—with a success, the guards generally arrive on the scene in 1d6 minutes. Every 5 points by which the Diplomacy check exceeds DC 5 (rounding down) reduces the arrival time by 1 minute—if this reduces their arrival time below 1 minute, the increments of reduction instead change to 1 round.
For example, the party wizard is being mugged and calls for the guard. The result of his Diplomacy check is a 23, and the GM rolls a 2 on 1d6 to determine how long it’ll be before the guards arrive. Since the wizard rolled three times the amount he needed, the 2-minute wait time is reduced to 8 rounds.
Qualities table
| Name | Corruption | Crime | Economy | Law | Lore | Society | Danger | Spellcasting | Base Value | Purchase Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic | +1 | +1 levels | |||||||||
| Adventurer Site | +2 | +50% | |||||||||
| Ambassadorial | +1 | -1 | +1 | ||||||||
| Artifact Gatherer | +2 | +50% | purchase of items above original base value is limited to black markets. | ||||||||
| Broad Minded | +1 | +1 | |||||||||
| Cultured | -1 | +1 | Always counts as a prosperous city for the purpose of perform checks | ||||||||
| Darkvision | -1 | +1 | |||||||||
| Deep Traditions | -2 | +2 | -2 | ||||||||
| Defiant | -1 | +1 | |||||||||
| Holy Site | -2 | +2 levels | |||||||||
| Insular | -1 | +1 | |||||||||
| Magically Attuned | +2 levels | +20% | +20% | ||||||||
| Militarized | +4 | -4 | |||||||||
| No Questions Asked | -1 | +1 | |||||||||
| Notorious | +1 | -1 | +10 | +30% | +50% | ||||||
| Pious | +1 levels | Unfriendly to faiths with an alignment more than one step away [1] | |||||||||
| Prosperous | +1 | +30% | +50% | ||||||||
| Racially Intolerant | Unfriendly to stated race(s) [1] | ||||||||||
| Resource Surplus | A surplus of a certain community has made for very competitive markets in those kinds of goods.[2] | ||||||||||
| Restrictive | -1 | -1 | Unfriendly to outsiders [1] | ||||||||
| Rule of Might | +2 | -2 | |||||||||
| Rumormongering Citizens | +1 | -1 | |||||||||
| Strategic Location | +1 | +10% | |||||||||
| Subterranian | +1 | -1 | -5 | ||||||||
| Superstitious | -4 | +2 | +2 | +2 levels | |||||||
| Supportive | +2 | ||||||||||
| Timid Citizens | +2 | -2 | |||||||||
| Tourist Attraction | +1 | +20% | |||||||||
| Wealth Disparity | +2 | +2/-2 | -2/+2 |
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Prices for the shunned group are 150%. They may also be discriminated against in other ways, or even targetet with violence.
- ↑ This commodity and items primarily made from it can be purchased for as little as half the normal cost. The additional cost of making an item with alchemical compounds related to that resource (for instance, alchemical silver for silver or cold iron for iron) is halved in this settlement’s marketplaces.