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In the light of the success of the thread 150 Campsite events I want to to something similar but in an urban environment. Thus I bring you the “150 urban events”.
The plan is that we’ll write a list that can be used as inspiration or a tool for random events. I’ll start out ☺
1. A wagon passes by in high speed splashing the Pcs with mud.
2. Three thugs step out of the shadows in an alley, but backs off when they see the well-armed Pcs.
3. A noble challenges another noble (or a Pc) to a duel after his honour has been damage
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4. An explosion from inside a nearby building destroys the outer wall of said building and sends rubble cascading into the alley/street. A few seconds later, three ninjas run from the new hole carrying blacks sacks over their shoulders.
5. A wandering street magician (entertainer, not an actual Mage) puts on a show in the market. If the PC's stop to watch, they are promptly pick-picketed by a group of orphan children. The longer they watch, the more they loose.
Alternately, the magician could do a private show of pulling coins out of ears and other close-proximity illusions. He steals the highest value item the targeted PC has, and (maybe) gets a tip for his effort.
6. The flying mount of a prominent noble drops its droppings all over the PC's. +2 empathy bonus to Cha checks with the lower class until they're cleaned up.
7. A PC notices a copper piece on the ground. Lucky Day!
8. A PC notices a Platinum Piece on the ground. It's stuck there with sovereign glue.
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9. As the PCs pass the local butchery a proper skills reveals a sinister meaning behind an otherwise mundane bit of graffiti "HUMAN CHILD, 8 SILVER PER LB"
10. The contents of a rotten stewpot descend upon a PC from a second story balcony...and it smells.
11. The PCs find themselves in a peculiar tavern where all the patrons are male, and rather flamboyant. Or gnomes.
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12. An ad posted in the market reads, "THIS WEEK ONLY! Special reduced price beauty assessment! How fair are you?"
Just around the corner is a man with a large mirror. He is loudly proclaiming that the mirror will evaluate your Fairess Rank among your social circle to within 3 places!
13. Street rat with a loaf of bread and a monkey dashes by followed by about a dozen guards.
14. A messenger dashes up to a PC and hands them a message, which promptly explodes when read.
15. A troop of the local guard march down the street roughly pushing everyone out of the way.
16. Two groups of kids start throwing rocks, mud, and other things at each other while yelling taunts and insults at each other.
17. A wagon has a broken wheel in the middle of an intersection tying up all traffic in the area.
18. Screams are heard from around a corner, when the PCs look around the corner, they see a web from a web spell spanning the street. In it are a couple of armored figures and several locals. Just then a small fire elemental appears setting the webs on fire. (This actually happened in one of our games. We were jumped and our wizard cast a web, then summoned some sort of fire creature, burning several innocent civilians.)
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19. The players are caught in the middle of a snow ball fight
20. After watching the King or other noble ride by one of the players steps in horse dropping.
21. The obvious religious player (preferable a paladin) is solicited by a prostitute.
Dot
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22. The players exit a tavern right into a burgeoning riot.
23. Players walking through the streets at night hear a woman's scream and men's laughter one street over.
24. Players walk into an inn to find the inn-keeper curled up in a ball beaten on the floor while 3 thugs are pouring lamp oil over everything.
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25. Posters with a picture of a PC are found all over town, along with the caption, "WANTED for CONSPIRACY against the throne! REWARD: X gold dead, XX gold alive."
26. A mutant, turtle-like biped is seen emerging from a back-alley sewer.
27. A noble mistakenly "recognizes" PC from the day before, and invites the party back to her manor for dinner as thanks.
28. The PCs are late arriving at a tavern to meet an employer. A raging fire is engulfing the building
29. Passing by a block of houses, the PCs here shouting and crockery breaking. A small, meek man rushes out with his much larger wife behind him throwing dishes at him. Seeing the PCs watching, she screams "What are you lookin' at?" before throwing a pitcher and beaning one of the PCs with it in the forehead.
30. The PCs walk around a corner to find a city guard brutalizing a civilian.
31. The PCs walk around a corner to find a group of civilians beating a city guard.
32. As the PCs walk along a busy street, a body impacts the cobblestone just in front of them. Looking up to the nearest building, they see the fringe of a cloak swirl just over the eave, and disappear.
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33. As the PC's make their way down a deserted alley, they pass under a low stone arch. The lead man (or pair, whoever's in front) runs headlong into the stone wall that's actually there, but is disguised to look like the street goes on via illusion magic. A snicker can be heard from a nearby window.
34. The party is assaulted by swarm of begging, pick-pocketing children.
35. The party passes a temple and witnesses a burning at the stake about to start.
36 A cloaked driver sits upon a slow moving funeray cart. An odd smell rises from the covered coffin. It feels familiar.
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38b. The party rides into a town full of people speaking a strange unknown language. After some spells they discover that it is a town from Germany a bit less than a third of the way into the fifteenth century.
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40. As the PCs walk through town, a wild eyed man runs and grabs one of the PCs yelling in his face, "The King has been murdered, and they say it was done by someone wearing <describe the PCs clothes>. You'd better run." As soon as he finishes, a group of guards come around a corner, one points at the PCs and yells, "There he is. Get him." (Whether the man is telling the truth and the guards charge after the PCs, or if he is just crazy and the guards are after him is up to the GM.)
41. A swarm of rats, dire rats, and were rats come boiling out of the sewers. (Roll for initiative.)
42. A strangely dressed man with a towel around his neck, walks up to the PCs, whispers "42," nods and winks then walks off.
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43. A elderly man in a hooded cloak approaches the PCs, trailed by an entourage of Orcish bodyguards. He explains to the Pcs that he has heard of their deeds, and that he is a very rich man. He offers them 10,000 Gp each if they will recover a piece of jewelry that has been stolen from him by thieves with apparent access to powerful arcane magic, as they entered and left his tower via dimensional portals of some sort. He can recreate the portals (thanks to the uh...magical portal residue left behind, or whatever) the thieves passed through, but can tell them no more about where they are going. (Germany about a third of the way through the 15th century)
44. The party arrives in a large town late on a rainy night, as they make their way to the nearest Inn they hear a high pitched whining, like that of a baby. They look down to find a basket full of kittens, soaked from the rain, with a sign that reads "FREE" in Elvish...
45. Looking down the alley they see what appears to be a trail of either sweets or pieces of baked goods. Further investigating will reveal it leading to a crude cage trap and some local kids hoping to catch a large rodent to use in their pranks.
46. Passing through a particularly crowded area one of the PCs are told to "hold this" and gets a large full body mirror shoes into his or her hands. Some rich noble is out shopping and the entourage apparently needed an extra pair of hands.
47. While walking the PCs encounter a group of men with huge grins on their faces who invite them to sit down on a nearby bench and taste some of their new cider. A perception check will alert the players to the nearby open paint can and wet brush.
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48. A cloaked stranger bumps into one of the PCs, apologizing before quickly carrying on his way. A DC 20 Perception check reveals that the stranger had slipped a worn piece of parchment into the person's pocket. Upon closer examination, it turns out to be a spell scroll of some sort...
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49. Passing through the market the PCs spy an old woman selling apples to young girls. There is a scream and a girl near the party collapses, an apple falling from her hand. The fruit is blackened inside and drips a sickly icor; the old woman is nowhere to be found.
50. As the PCs arrive in town the gate guards are wearing garlands and the streets are festooned. A great pole has been erected in the square beyond with streamers flying from it.
51. As the PCs pass a dreary alleyway the hear a few children intoning an eerie song: "Pogolo Peeps, he comes when you sleeps, into your room in the night; Old Pogolo Peeps, he stalks and he creeps, your eyes to steal with his bite..." they notice the party at the same time that the PCs realize the children don't appear to have slept for days. Despite their lethargy the kids scatter a moment later.
52. An inquisitor suddenly shouts and draws his crossbow in the rain-soaked evening. A scantily clad woman flees from him and the crowd. As if in slow motion he aims and fires, catching her in the back. She stumbles, crashing through several stalls in the square, dead after seven steps. The inquisitor flips up his collar and disappears into the crowd. Investigation will reveal he is part of an inquisition called the Runners of the Blade and is tasked with hunting shape-shifting fey known as Replicants; the woman on the ground is one of them.
53. a troupe of travelers have assembled their caravans near a major intersection either in or out of the city. The Desnan wanderers are dressed provocatively in open vests, silks and a number of bangles and jangling jewelry. They entreat the PCs in different ways; some encircle one of them in a ring for dancing, others display fine wares consisting of jewelry, small weapons and clothing, and others still cast cantrips into the air like dancing lights appearing as flames from their mouth or create water like a rain shower. None of these are attacks and the troupe is completely above-board.
54. A local herbalist is trying her hand at brewing beer for the first time and is offering free samples from her stoop; the smell is... challenging.
55. A Kuthite priest leads a congregation of the faithful on a Walk of Pain to cleanse them; this involves her at the lead of a chain linking all of the four acolytes with manacles, leg irons, a belt and collar. These restraints all have tiny burrs within them to inflict non-lethal discomfort and pain. To heighten the experience the acolytes have their eyes covered with blindfolds and their bodies are exposed to the elements, though their modesty has been mercifully preserved. As they pass, as is tradition, locals take loose stones, fruit and dung and hurl these at the acolytes.
56. A Halfling dressed in leathers and olive drab is putting on a display of balance and accuracy with his sling-staff and a rope suspended between trees; assisting him is a mastiff with a saddle and a trained sparrowhawk.
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57. A night-time scuffle in an alleyway draws the PCs' attention. They find a shaken prostitute and the dead body of her erstwhile attacker. With gaping mouth and wide eyes, she silently points upwards where, silhouetted against the moonlight, a hybrid werebat crouches. Much more investigation might reveal that this werebat is actually a local noble who has sworn to fight crime in his city.
58. A crowd are giving a ragged figure a hard time. It turns out to be a half-gnoll (or similar racial hybrid) druid who has been reluctantly forced to come into town for supplies/deliver a message/find someone. He is fairly feral and awkward around people, but will offer to do the party a favour if they perform his mission in the town so that he can get back to the wilds.
59. An awakened donkey in the stables is acting as the 'inside man' for a group of horse thieves. If the PCs don't pick up on his slightly odd behaviour (which should be fairly easy for them to do), any mundane mounts they stable will be stolen.
60. A runaway wagon careens down a hill, headed right for the farmer's market.
61. While walking through the streets, the party hears "Stop! Thief!" A raggedly dressed man is seen bolting into a dark alley with a bundle of garments under his arm. If the PC's chase him, and he makes it all the way back to his hideout, the PC's find five children, all dressed in tatters, waiting for their father's return.
62. A half-dozen Dwarves are selling fine (Masterwork) Dwarven metals (armor and weapons) and gems for a bargain (half price!). An appraise check will show that the weapons and armor are very mundane, and a Detect Magic spell, and a Spellcraft check will show that both the gems and the Dwarves are cloaked in Illusion magic.
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63. The city guard asks the PCs if they've seen a farm boy and an old wizard with two clockwork servants.
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64. As they explore one of the filthier parts of town they see several brightly rainbow colored rats in the area. It turns out the locals have hired a wandering magician to clear out the rats from the area but he has not been very successful so far. A few days later they might see other odd attempts to get rid of the rats such as cat shadows stalking along the walls without cats or fall prey to an ambush of animated mousetraps while exploring a dark alley.
65. In the market the PCs find a man hawking stone statues of cats, rabbits, small dogs and other little animals from his wagon. A few days later can hear rumors about pets disappearing around town. The statue salesman actually has a cockatrice caged up in his wagon and is using it to turn animals into very lifelike statues.
66. A young woman comes storming down the street with eyes filled with enough rage to put a barbarian to shame. Behind her is a man trying to gain her attention to no avail. She marches straight up to one of the PCs and plants a kiss on his lips before turning to the man shouting something at him. At this point the man will challenge the kissed PC to a duel to show himself more worthy of her than the PC, he'll be visibly shaken and have pleading in his eyes if the PC is one that generally looks intimidating.
67. A mistake at the inns stable results in one of the party members ending up with the wrong saddlebags on his or her mount. The bags in reality belong to a knight who confront the party later in the day demanding his bags back. He didn't bring the PCs original bags.
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68. While enjoying dinner in a tavern, another adventuring party enters led the way by an obvious Paladin. As the last person enters, he states in a somewhat too loud voice, "Sir Anthony, I don't care what you and your mount do at night, but that is NOT where centaurs come from."
69. A plume of black smoke leads the PCs to a burning building. While the town guard and a few able-bodied civilians try to douse the flames bucket-by-bucket, other people simply form a crowd to stare at their efforts. Any inquiries as to what happened will be answered by a beggar who claims to have seen what happened. (The report may not be entirely accurate, however.) The beggar will then follow the PCs for three blocks in hopes of alms or another form of payment for the information; he will go back to the crowd after being paid, the PCs walk more than three blocks away (at which point they get the hint and return to the crowd), or is threatened (at which point they may report to the city guard, making them wary of the PCs as possible arsonists).
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70. There's a sale on silk.
71. A wizard's apprentice goes insane/wants revenge and starts using a wand of Grease up and down the main market street that the PCs are shopping on.
64. While out shopping at a magic items shop a PC comes across a lovely amulet. Speaking with the shop owner reveals it to be an amulet of (insert useful thing to that PC here) and the owner decides to sell it at a third of the price because they "have a good feeling about you." Just as things seem like they're too good to be true a legion of guards storms the place and arrest all of the shop workers while snatching all of the wares and shoving them into bags. A man who is clearly in charge of the operation personally takes the amulet and eyes it carefully. If the PC inquires as to what's going on the captain reveals that all of the magic items were created using blood sacrifices and are now evidence in their pending trial.
At this point the PC can decide whether or not to try to talk the captain into giving them the amulet anyway. What's one missing piece of evidence?
72. The PCs are passing by a shop when it erupts in a roar of heat and noise. A reckless alchemist accidentally let his newest experiment progress too fast and now there's odd smoke spewing everywhere.
73. A baker is making pies said to be addictive. Also, some of the first customers to consume the pies appear to have disappeared.
74. A sacred prostitute of a local temple runs into the PCs arms, asking for protection. Following her at a run are three very angry battle nuns, dressed for combat with spiked whips and daggers at the ready.
75. A lesser contract devil has opened up a law firm in the city. Some of the more self-righteous denizens of the city are bugging him, though, so he's asking for the party's help with some things.
I just stole numbers 32 and 52.
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I just stole numbers 32 and 52.
That's OK, they did too.
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75. A cute child shows up and begs for the PCs' help. Mommy is being taken off to jail and there's no money to pay the rent. Do they want to buy her younger sibling? (Mommy actually died four years ago and the kids have been running this scam ever since. The younger sibling will escape as soon as the PCs' back is turned -- they're all rogues of moderately useful levels.)
76. Two dwarves are arguing in the middle of the street, in an obscure dialect of Dwarven (-5 to Linguistics checks). As the PCs watch, one of them pulls out a hammer and swings it at the other. (They're brothers, and this is their usual spring bet about who has the harder skull. PCs that attack one will face two infuriated dwarven berserker brothers with teamwork feats.)
77. A small mob is chasing a white-robed woman down the street, throwing stones, dung, wine bottles, et cetera. (The woman is a social worker who is trying to better the lot of the poor, who don't want to be interfered with or have their tipple taken away.)
78. A beggar approaches the PCs and gives them a sealed letter, then waits for an answer. (He has mistaken the PCs for someone else; the invitation is to an exclusive party in a highly decadent nightclub -- just entering the door is probably an alignment violation for a paladin). All the beggar knows is that he is supposed to take the reply back. Oh, and that the PCs are supposed to tip him 10 gp for safe delivery.
79. A random street preacher wanders by, shouting about the end of the world in three days when the dragons attack.
80. A wagon comes rolling down a steep local street and crashes against the wall. A bunch of cages spring open, and a number of very angry animals emerge. They're all very hungry and start attacking if no one offers them food in two rounds.. Three rounds later, the wagon driver comes running down, tearing his hair, and hoping that nobody has killed the very rare, expensive, and ferocious trained animals that were supposed to be performing at a very decadent nightclub tonight.
81. Same as above, but instead of animals, a hatchling dragon emerges and starts attacking local street preachers.
82. A street magician offers to perform a conjuring trick for the PCs' amusement. He asks to hold one of their items, then casts vanish and takes off around the corner, where he casts disguise self.
83. A wagon rolls by with the dolorous chant of "Bring out your dead!" eachoing. It's followed by quite a few children carrying dead dogs, cats, etc. Apparently there's a market for the fur...
84. The PCs come across a child that looks to be lost. If the PCs stop to help, he says that he lost his mommy and they were staying at an inn with a "monster" on the sign. If they help the child return to his mommy, they will find that he is actually a high level Halfling Inquisitor hunting child slavers, if they try to kidnap him, they will find themselves fighting a high level Inquisitor.
85. A group of commoners are dragging a woman dressed as a "witch" before a knight. If they stay and watch, one of the commoners will claim to have been turned into a newt.
86. Two street preachers are fighting over what is going to cause the end of the world in three days.
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79. A random street preacher wanders by, shouting about the end of the world in three days when the dragons attack.
80/81. A wagon comes rolling down a steep local street and crashes against the wall. A bunch of cages spring open, and a hatchling dragon emerges and starts attacking local street preachers. Three rounds later, the wagon driver comes running down, tearing his hair, and hoping that nobody has killed the very rare, expensive, and ferocious trained animal that was supposed to be performing at a very decadent nightclub tonight.
86. Two street preachers are fighting over what is going to cause the end of the world in three days.
87. Then mommy dragon lands on a house down the street. Things get interesting.
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79. A random street preacher wanders by, shouting about the end of the world in three days when the dragons attack.
80/81. A wagon comes rolling down a steep local street and crashes against the wall. A bunch of cages spring open, and a hatchling dragon emerges and starts attacking local street preachers. Three rounds later, the wagon driver comes running down, tearing his hair, and hoping that nobody has killed the very rare, expensive, and ferocious trained animal that was supposed to be performing at a very decadent nightclub tonight.
86. Two street preachers are fighting over what is going to cause the end of the world in three days.87. Then mommy dragon lands on a house down the street. Things get interesting.
Then the Swedish Bikini Team arrives and things get... a little better.
90. As the PCs are moving through the marketplace a crossbow bolt lands in a tent beam beside them leading a young man all in black with something pressed to his face. "Mr Wizard! Need a little HELP here!" he exclaims into the flat thing on his cheek as he sprints past. No sooner does he do this then another guardsman melts from the crowd drawing a loaded crossbow and firing, missing again. A Perception (DC 20) reveals a random crowd person shape-shifted to become the guardsman, and a moment later that shape is gone, as if the crowd member had been momentarily possessed body and soul.
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91. As the party is traveling down a street, a human carrying a sheathed rapier, wearing a cloak and dressed in all black and grey appears out of nowhere. He bends over and throws up, muttering about how he hates teleporting. He then enters an apothecary shop and an elderly looking elf walks out sighing, and cleans up the vomit. If the PCs look into the shop the human is nowhere to be seen.
93. While wandering through town, the PCs keep seeing flyers advertising the upcoming concert by the "World Famous" Justin Bugbear.
94. A scantily clad male approaches the PC with the highest charisma and propositions him or her.
95. The PCs see a very large man riding a bull. He dismounts and ties the bull up in front of a tavern. A stuffy looking aristocrat riding a stately horse, tells the man he can't tie his bull up there. The large man walks over and punches the horse once. The horse collapses unconscious. (Mongo can tie up his bull where ever he wants.)
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97. An Old red dragon smashes to the ground in the midst of a grand plaza. Several aristocrats assembled there prostrate themselves and cry out that they don't have the money yet, but that they're working on it...
98. While reclining in the beer garden of a local tavern at sundown the PCs drinks suddenly turn sour. Others around them complain of gross smells and grit in their libations and such. A barmaid screams as dozens, no HUNDREDS of cockroaches begin swarming around her. Over their shoulder a grizzled archaeologist doffs his hat and mutters "Mites...why'd it have to be mites..."
99. An adolescent youth is being accosted by a group of his peers; they are teasing him about weird lenses he's wearing on his eyes. Before the party can react significantly the rowdies knock the boy's glasses off at which point endless red beams, Ray of Frost spells admixtured to be a Force effect, come streaming from his eyes, slamming into the hooligans. A red-haired girl nearby cries out "Scott! NO!" and puts a hand to her temple at which point an unseen force lifts the glasses back toward the ray-shooting lad.
100. It begins raining frogs from a darkened sky. Somewhere near the PCs a religious zealot cries out "It has BEGUN!"
101. A frontier town has recently installed a Decanter of Endless Water as a public service. A local druid (or perhaps a cluster of such) who was already annoyed by the imperialistic behavior of the settlers views this as the last straw, and intends to use their new fountain to drive out the people and return the land to nature's domain. Whether the druid(s) use a proxy to do their dirty work or crash the event in grand style is up to the DM, but if the players intend to stay for any length of time, they'll need to find a way to stop the slowly regenerating vines from ruining the city.