Hello all,
I have a homebrew game tomorrow and I feel like I'm missing something from the "town," I put town in quotes because it's actually an underground prison...
The town has been divided by three people and they are the only authority there.
The center of the town is barren and walled off from the rest of the area and from there there are three gates, each which lead to one of the territories ruled over by those mentioned above.
Through one gate lies the area ruled over by Satina. She is an oracle who is quite insane but places the blame for her reputation on her lieutenant Sero who plays along because its amusing to him. She runs an infirmary and there is a temple (cult) in her territory. Her area has the most underlings (about 35) mostly because she doesn't have alot of rules and is willing to "heal" people for free.
One of the other gates leads to Teran's territory. He and his sister Viona were imprisoned for protecting their land. He is a druid and she is a ranger and they run a general store and a store that sells food and water. There are 20 or so people in his territory and he grows vegetables as well.
The last territory is ruled over by Davok. He and his best friend since childhood, Harsk, control the bar and the prostitutes. (As a side note, the building that the prostitutes live in is one of only five actual buildings. All of the rest are shacks and shanties which are obviously makeshift.) There are about 20 people in his territory as well.
There is a (loose) alliance between the three; Davok and Teran have a strong alliance because either would be outmatched by Satina through sheer numbers. Satina stays loyal to the alliance because against the two of them she would be defeated. If they were to all fight there would surely be casualties so they formed the alliance.
If you are wondering where the goods are coming from:
The party will have three ways to escape the prison (a pardon not being one of them). I don't want to give too many spoilers in case they wander in here...
So it boils down to this, am I missing anything in the town or is it good?
Edit: I left a bunch of stuff out which may or may not be important. The center area where they start has a lot of destitute, dying, and dead people lying around in it. In order to leave this area you have to perform a task given by the representatives guarding the gates. Once they chose a gate to go through and prove themselves to the leader of that territory they will be given privilege to go between the territories (hence the alliance). There are some under cover city guards and members of a crime family (who were sent there by one of the party members) to add tension and ... entertainment. Most of the "underlings" will be commoners who won't actually pose a real threat to the party unless they decide to fight an army alone in which case they deserve to TPK. The rules of the town are simple; Do what your faction commander tells you, respect those who are your betters, and don't mess in your faction or another faction's businesses. Stealing, killing, raping, are all on the table (of course the party won't know that) and will not be punished (unless it violates rule 1, 2, or 3).
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I might be nice to have some sort of migratory or neutral element that can move between each section and is accepted by all. Normally the healer would fill this role but you already have that covered. Perhaps a "town" drunk who also is the best source of info in town and so accepted everywhere.
So far, looking like a very interesting place to play, with a good set of characters and sets.
Seconding the smith/rat breeders/undertakers/neutral trading party.
A destabilizing group of spies (allied together to hurt everyone) could be handy. Some group of "gremlins" that may be a real group seeking mutually assured destruction, or merely scapegoats fabricated by the 3 factions so they can hurt each other without risking open conflict (up to the PC's to find out).
Neutral monsters could be handy for random encounters when the party just wants to fight. Maybe have tunnels that are constantly being created and collapsing due to burrowing monsters (that eat the light giving creatures). Anyone foolish enough to crawl into a tunnel (or dig their own) risk the hole collapsing, or the monsters eating them. This discourages escape attempts.
The monsters could also have a "poison" stinger/excretion/internal sac that can be distilled into a drug for trade within the community.
The local alchemist in the center pays top (carrot? old shoe?) for this poison so he can sell the distilled version as a drug to the local factions (they need to come out and mingle to get the drugs from the "neutral" alchemist).
I might also suggest a monstrous NPC that works with the outside guards to get prisoners IN. Maybe a giant, or a barbarian minotaur, that everyone hates (but refuses to attack because it is better than the last 4 that were installed). There are all kinds of interesting things you could do with a high level melee NPC who hates EVERYONE and goes where it wants, when it wants, through what/who it wants. Could be handy for keeping the PC's moving (or as a final boss if they go the TPK route later on). Its only job is to ferry new prisoners into the center and keep the old prisoners from escaping (or ambushing the outside guards) it has its own hoard of food (bodies?) and goods that it takes (or is gifted to leave).
great ideas all around. thanks for the input and i will be using them tonight. I'll let you know how it goes. if you think of anything else between now and then let me know
Perhaps a "town" drunk who also is the best source of info in town and so accepted everywhere.
Midwives and washing women are also traditional in this role - as well as good sources of (unreliable) gossip.
Warning, I'm now in "over-thinking-it" mode.
If it's more of a pit situation where the townsfolk open an entrance (perhaps a very large rock that needs several people to lift), then it makes more sense - at least for how there's a central section. Still, it's hard for me to understand why the PCs can't get back out that way unless the threat of collapse and burial exists (in which case, the area should have collapsed in a while back from at least one attempt at escape).
With the three areas, I'm assuming there were three naturally-formed underground tunnels and the various factions walled them up over the years to create the gatekeepers?
You could have a Bard as the neutral folks keep talking about. I'm really not sure if at this point the folks in the underground "town" are going to be too preoccupied to escape. You might want shoemakers, seamstresses/tailors who can redesign stolen clothing. If there are extensive cave beyond the "town" there would probably be some explorers or folks who hunt underground critters.
The barter system may work, but usually money of some kind is seen as better than bartering. The key would be figuring out what's valuable and durable enough to be accepted as a more or less universal currency that would mean something. Even if this is not the case, metal of any sort is usually pretty useful.
Also, you need a reason why there aren't more dead people around. What is it that turns someone into a citizen down there anyway? Do they pass an initiation test or something? Surely each group would be looking for more folks to swell their numbers.
If there are ways for the PCs to get out, why hasn't everyone else? Do they stay on purpose? Do they like it better down there? Is it like Hogan's Heroes and they're not prisoners at all?
on myphone so forgive the lack of formatting
1 there's a narrow tunnel that leads down underground and back up through a step incline. there is a metal plate which is opened by a switch inside the tunnel. thetown is very large and wealthy and the guards are not weak (would easily kill people trying to fight their way out).
i have an explanation for no corpses but don't want to spoil it just in case one of them wanders in.
pretty much everyone is a citizen unless they are too weak to pass any of the three entry methods to join one of the factions.
the reason the others don't escape is becausevthe ways to get out are rather... extreme and unknown. also, just because they are criminals doesn't mean that they are strong. with the exception of the faction leaders, their lieutenants, the few henchmen and a few... others the rest of the people are largely weak.
i hadn't thought about the drug trade, and the venom from the monsters will likely be the"money" for the area.
Sorry, had to be said. Carry on!
There must be a good reason the prisoners don't dig out. Really hard rock near the surface perhaps. Really big bad bugs who's territory ended several escape tunnels maybe. There could also be areas of crumbly stone that caves in easily. You go too far down and the Drow will take you as a slave.