To be all 1 large city it would have to be fairly technological and transportation would need to be available. Most of it would be a mix of magic and technology. Any ideas or directions would be helpful.
Have you heard of Sigil from the Planescape setting?
That might be a direction you could explore for ideas.
To be all 1 large city it would have to be fairly technological and transportation would need to be available. Most of it would be a mix of magic and technology. Any ideas or directions would be helpful.
Sharn: City of Towers, from the Eberron setting, is a good example of a 'one city setting' that could be useful for your research. It's 3.5, so shouldn't be expensive to get a hold of.
I'd look into the rules for planar travel, as the population clearly would have to get its food from off-world.
Bah! Create food and water spells for everybody!!
cityscape was a "ok" book might have some stuff
but the magic the gathering set "Ravnica: City of Guilds" will be a cool why to dress up a setting like that.
To be all 1 large city it would have to be fairly technological and transportation would need to be available. Most of it would be a mix of magic and technology. Any ideas or directions would be helpful.
I ran a few 4e games in a setting like this. The city was massive, being roughly equivalent in size to a European country. It was the remains of an ancient, unknown race and was haphazardly inhabited by other races. As a result, massive areas of the city were uninhabited or only inhabited by monsters. Numerous "neighborhoods" formed with their own cultures, religions and laws. They constantly battled it out within the city for more territory or ancient artifacts from any of the numerous civilizations that had risen and fallen in the city in the past.
Food problems were solved by rooftop farms and those neighborhoods near the wall which could make use of the expanse of grassland around the city. Several town-sized parks had also been converted into grazing lands.
While it was using the 4e ruleset, I relied very heavily on 3.5 information for developing the setting.
Cityscape was really useful. So was all of the Eberron sourcebooks. Lightning elemental powered trains were a lot of fun!
Outside of actual sourcebooks, looking to literature is helpful. I based the neighborhood combat/gang-like behavior and massive city off of the environments in Digital Devil Saga (video game). Eberron, Dragonmech, and Iron age sourcebooks from 3.5 provide lots of industrial+magic ideas as well.
The Dresden Files could provide ideas for adventure hooks or adventuring companies in an urban-magic environment.
Interesting idea. I am reading you as the whole world is a city. Not a single city that is the campaign setting. Cool idea. Here is what I think off the top of the noggin. I like this idea so forgive the raid fire suggestions.
1- Vertical elven or halfling farms- these are all the rage for futurists. In a fantasy world that is one big city I think it would be really cool to have districts or buildings in the city that are multi-story farms.
2- Everything is recycled. If everything is the city that means less room for mining outfits which would be limited. That means old brick and stone would be prized for new buildings. Not to mentioned weapons, armor are reused.
3- Living structures even a world that is a city will need greenery, and some way to recycle oxegen. Whether it is green roof buildings, buildings grown from grafted trees or the use of vines. Scientists are working now in bioengineering makeing all sorts of fun things, making hybrids of fast growing plants and useful materials. Everything from spider silk clothing to carbon fibers grown to shape rather than forged or manipulated. I can totally see some cultures, druids, or whatever attempting this. The are trying to grow meat like plants. This sort of technology I see being useful even if it is magically realized rather than scientifically attained.
4-
Bah! Create food and water spells for everybody!!
But having to access other worlds to trade for food makes for more plot seeds.
Hrm... It's a bit far off, but how about looking at Warhammer 40k's hive worlds, or Star Wars' Coruscant? Or maybe even Mass Effect's Citadel?