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Post by 00dlez on Aug 13, 2019 17:24:48 GMT
It was a great episode - I never thought of ships and such in terms of a mobile static location and its for sure a new perspective!
Also, the dwarven submarine is definitely getting plugged into my campaign. Population 1,000 or so probably. There is already a sea faring dwarven empire (northmen, essentially vikings) that have "ice ships" that ship massive ice blocks to nobility in distant port cities and a few much smaller submarines that dive deep to capture glowing sea creatures, put them in pressurized tanks for the most exclusive tavern in the richest city in the world - a massive city sized submarine should plug right in.
Their empire has a very violent and mysterious past, Im thinking the Sub-City is going to be a doomsday cult project to survive the pending apocalypse (whether or not there is actually an apocalypse is unknown to the PCs... spoiler alert, there is.)
^^^ Cross posted from the discord, but a little more elaboration.... I just happend to be scrolling through some youtube videos and a particular title caught my eye: "Cities at Sea: How Aircraft Carriers Work" (Here, but note I've not actually watched the video, so I have no idea what it says or how useful it is or isnt: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0pS3Zx7Fc8) . A very good point - we essentially have City-sized ships in existence today all over the world and I imagine it would be a fantastic place to start when dreaming up your City-Ship. Hell, re-purposing the floorplan of an existing ship could directly translate into a fantasy City-Ship!
Modern, USA Nimitz class carriers have crews of over 6,000 - so turning a bunk room into a small apartment sized dwelling and dropping the crew/population to 1,000 or so would fairly reasonable.
Massive aircraft hangers become market and craftsmen areas.
The flight deck becomes a garden/city common.
The engine rooms are places of industry and forges.
The bridge, towering high above the water, is the King's castle.
On and on!
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Post by DM Onesie Knight on Aug 13, 2019 20:46:40 GMT
Ooooooooh yeah 00dlez that's a great point about aircraft carriers. I must admit I sort of mentally skimmed over the bit about ships because these magical moving locations sounded to me like a different beast from your typical pirate ship campaign, but you're absolutely right that the biggest modern ships (think about how big cruise ships are!) are indeed a vastly different experience from the classic three-mast sailing ship. What really got my creative juices flowing in this episode though was Danny the Street. It's absolutely brilliant. We often talk about locations (especially cities) having a certain spirit or character, but this is a brilliantly literal angle on that. I was inspired to combine Danny with some unearthed arcana I remember reading a while back about a City domain for clerics, as well as some interesting modern magic. Imagine you have this sentient street which embodies the "spirit of cities." It can be a haven for the common folk and the downtrodden. People who are deeply in tune with the rhythms of their home metropolis. I imagine a city cleric could be that unassuming hobo who knows every secret corner and local trick, or that humanitarian who runs a soup kitchen and always gives to beggars. For folks like this, The Street is a holy place, maybe even like a temple to them. They can travel throughout the cities of the world and still come home to The Street. In turn, a do-gooder on the run from evil forces might find that The Street will help them and give shelter. They're running from an assassin or corrupt guards, and they notice the name of that apothecary shop is apparently "Hide in here! I will keep you safe!" The next thing they know, their pursuers are nowhere to be found, and The Street is in a completely different city. Or maybe the players are the ones doing the chasing, and their quarry turns down a blind alley with multiple outlets. It just so happens that the vapor wisping out from a sewer vent is shaped like a hand pointing down the right-hand alleyway, and the chase is back on. I was thinking maybe characters whose background is in a city might recognize The Street, but it's of course in a new location. This could be the hook that leads them to discover what its true nature is. |
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Post by joatmoniac on Aug 16, 2019 5:39:22 GMT
These are some great posts! The idea of a ship representing a moving society is a ton of fun. The idea of something the size of a cruise ship is so good.
Also, I love your love for the ever amazing Danny the Street, and using it in the way you have described would make for an amazing character, and tons and tons of story hooks for the entire party.
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Post by meribson on Sept 6, 2019 14:57:53 GMT
Haven't listened to the full episode yet, but I have 2 ideas from what I've heard so far: a living city that's secretly a lich's phylactery and the city mechs from the DragonMech setting.
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Post by DM Onesie Knight on Sept 6, 2019 18:43:37 GMT
meribson A lich phylactery city? That's... disturbing. What effects does that have on the city and its inhabitants? Higher rates of mysterious hauntings than normal? A chronic plague of bad dreams for the inhabitants? Higher rates of crime and violence as dark whispers gnaw at the collective sanity of the populace? Zombies in the sewers?
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