Building immersive cities for RPGs takes center stage on this episode, with inspiration from real-world examples like San Antonio's Alamo and Chicago's reversed river.

We dive into tools and techniques for making cities that evolve, feel lived in, and resonate as characters within campaigns. From quirky city rivalries to handling disasters, this episode offers creative advice for dungeon masters and storytellers.

Chapters

0:00 Intro2:10 Real-World Inspiration: San Antonio and the Alamo6:30 Geography and Natural Features in City Design10:45 Tools for RPG City-Building (The Quiet Year, Ex Novo)15:00 How Cities Evolve Over Time20:00 City Rivalries and Personality24:30 Integrating Disasters and Landmarks into City History30:00 Cities in Post-Apocalyptic Settings33:20 Q&A: The Rogue-Polymorphed-Toad Dilemma34:30 Outro

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Show Notes

Introduction: Exploring city-building in RPGs inspired by San Antonio's vibrant culture and geography.

Cities: Skylines video game

Key Elements of Real Cities:

San Antonio’s Alamo and its unique building-height regulation.

Chicago’s reversed river and evolving cityscape.

Historical insights from medieval cities to Cyberpunk's Night City.

Domus: Night City: how Cyberpunk 2077’s future megacity was built

Tips for RPG City-Building:

Start with geography and natural features.

Use landmarks, NPCs, and district evolution to build personality.

Recommended tools:

The Quiet Year

Ex Novo

The Game Master's Book of Astonishing Random Tables

Recommended books

Life in a Medieval City

Life in a Medieval Castle

Life in a Medieval Village

A Magical Medieval Society Western Europe

City as a Character:

How rivalries and unique traits shape urban identity.

Integrating disasters and recovery into city evolution.

The 9/11 Memorial in New York City

The Survivor Tree

Q&A Segment: Turning a rogue-turned-toad mishap into a strategic move.