Graythorn Alley
This section of the warrens stretches between two 4-story (or higher) buildings. One is flat-roofed and the other is sloped and shingled (<45 degree slope for 10 feet before leveling off). The distance between the the edges is 10 feet (more if that would be really easy for PCs.) One catch however (Knowledge: Local 25), is that the edge of the sloped roof is oiled by some of the tenants below (without Old Lady Graythorn's knowledge). This makes that side severely slippery. It's detectable with difficulty and of course, depending on which roof you're standing on and whether or not it's raining.
Characters leaping from the flat roof to the oiled roof (and not specifically saying they jump 5 feet further or saying that they jump as far as they can) hit the oiled area and must make an Acrobatics check DC 12 (you can change this for higher levels) or slip and fall. Those leaping from the sloped roof and not saying they leap from 5 feet away from the edge, make a similar check or slip and fall before their jump. Players obviously shouldn't be warned beforehand or offered the choice if they don't otherwise state they aren't running to the edge to jump.
(Knowledge: Local 15) The alley below is named for Old Lady Graythorn, a name not used when in her presence ("Mother Graythorn" being far more likely to result in a successful interaction). A former orphanage mistress who lost her orphanage to a shady merchant working with a nobleman to buy up surrounding property, she was forced off her property and her charges were left to fend for themselves on the streets, most dying poorly or turning to crime.
Finding herself in the Warrens, she met up with some of her former orphans who had outgrown their stay with her previously. Some having turned to shady pursuits and others just with nowhere else to go, they still remembered the stern headmistress fondly and moved her into a dilapidated tenement house. In time, she managed to gather orphans and other lost souls and turn the old building into something of a home and a vague semblance of her former orphanage.
At first, her former children would help out, gathering money by begging or stealing, either money or food which they brought back to her for cooking and distribution. She also noticed the many times that "roof-leapers", people traveling along the Warren's 'highway' would miss and end up either dead in the alley along her home or severely injured and easy prey for either robbers or the hungry dogs roaming it.
While these occurrences did provide her 'children' with opportunities to gather extra coin and resources, they often involved a scrambling first-come-first-loot struggle with nearby inhabitants or scuffles with hungry dogs. She decided to invest a little money into several sturdy cargo nets stretched between the alley and had her 'children' fence off the far ends with wooden boards (DC 15 to climb from the outside, DC 10 to climb from the inside out due to wood crosspieces.)
Now, anyone falling from her rooftop is likely to land safely in one of the cargo nets (negating the first 10 feet fallen and reducing any more to non-lethal damage.) The nets are lined with bells that alert the residents and also alert the pack of hungry mongrels living in the alley below. This means that within moments the alley if filled with barks, growls, and yips of canines below the entangled and dangling character.
This results in Old Lady Graythorn and several of her followers showing up at the windows. They control both buildings and most carry simple reach weapons like long spears (proficient), though they do not threaten anyone in the net initially with them. Old Lady Graythorn does not carry a spear (though she may be armed). After sizing up the trapped character (she is a good judge of character having run an orphanage and has a keen eye for appraisal) she'll tell them how lucky they are to have been saved and that she needs a small donation of appreciation to help "maintain the safety of consistency of this public service and other good works around the Warrens." She speaks most common racial tongues, having had to raise numerous orphaned children over the years.
Typically, 1 gp worth of coin or goods (sale price) per person, is enough, though she won't initially say that (for instance, she would accept being offered a longsword which her group could sell and might be found later by the PCs.)
Obviously poor individuals aren't gouged but may instead be put to work. Agreed upon coins or jewelry are collected by one of the gang using a pole similar to a butterfly net and they are adept at catching such items even when fumbled or dropped (intentionally or unintentionally) by people in the net. Items offered in payment (such as weapons or such) may be collected using a pole similar to a mancatcher (and which can be used as such, though with penalties as an improvised weapon.)
Characters who are well-known for generosity to the poor or who are famously orphans who have done well may receive much better treatment or even a 'free pass'.
After payment, the target is moved to the side of one building window using pulleys connected to each net. This leads to a hallway with blocked off doorways not connected to the rest of the building and eventually down to a door connecting to the street, where targets can now go their own way.
Unconscious characters in the net (or those successfully feigning such) will be moved to the side window (though kept entangled) while a gang member is sent to check them for valuables. While not evil, depending on the individual they may take a bit more than Mother Graythorn would approve of, though nothing too big or noticeable since she will likely be watching from across the alley. The unconscious character is then moved to just inside the doorway leading to the street (bleeding or injured characters are tended, but otherwise it's a hard knock life here.)
Characters refusing to pay are slowly lowered by pulley to just out of reach of the dogs, then if still refusing, lowered for 1 round into reach of them. Assume 6 dogs get to make bite attacks before the nets are raised and the offer is made once more, refusal or insults results in the nets being lowered to the alley (though the target is still entangled) and at that point the person is free to break out, whup all the dogs, run and leap over the fence, or otherwise go their own way. Old Lady Graythorn has no problem with this, as she considers herself as having already saved their life once anyway.
The cargo net has the hit points of a huge net and can hold creatures of Small to Large size. Tiny creatures can slip through the net as a full-round action. Anyone in the cargo net is considered entangled and additionally also suffers a -2 to attack rolls for each other person in the same net.
Freedom of movement effects prevent being entangled and also attack penalties from sharing the net (only for the recipient) but they are still enclosed in the net until they actively try and slip free.
If anyone is spotted trying to cut through the cargo net (no check needed unless visibility is an issue, such as fog or darkness though they will bring light sources if it's night or dark) then the cargo net handlers will violently shake the pulleys and nets, requiring everyone in the net to make a Reflex save DC 10 or drop whatever they are holding. They can do this once per round. Only if targets are abusive, hostile, or clearly threatening later retaliation will the gang attack from reach with their spears. They can also reach targets on the alley floor from their positions if need be, such as if the net is lowered into reach of the dogs (receiving a higher ground bonus when applicable.)
Anyone assaulting the buildings or managing to reach the windows will cause the tenants to fall back to secure areas (They don't really want a fight) in the hopes the attackers will head towards an exit an leave. The halls to their living areas are warded by traps (almost always non-lethal) like snares and bells. There are actual children orphans living here and Mother Graythorn would not tolerate them getting injured accidentally. There are also a few smaller dogs that were deemed friendly and 'safe enough' to be around children. These are mostly barky, watchdog types of little threat to attackers other than rats and vermin however.
Skill DCs and saves can of course be adjusted to be a challenge for higher level PCs.
