This can influence the way shopkeeps and innkeepers interact with the players.ĭon’t forget, road rage is as old as roads themselves, even Ancient Romans had problems with traffic. This can help or hurt your players if their reputation is terrible or honorable. Even if this town doesn’t have a functioning press corps or a town crier, gossip always finds its way. Word gets around the town of the heroes of villains affecting it’s day to day life. Civilian ConcernsĬivilians in the D&D sense are generally a passive force in an encounter but they are still witnesses and environmental hazards.īeing a witness can be more than just seeing and saying something to law enforcement. The range of that can be everything from stopping a hostage situation in progress, solving magical crimes that require special skills to investigate, to dealing with a Goblin problem that’s too dangerous for the commissioner’s conscience to send men with families to fight. Players having encounters in Urban settings should almost always be doing something that law enforcement can’t or isn’t equipped to handle. Imagine what that would be like before modern conveniences. Modern-day police with call centers and vehicles can sometimes take nearly half an hour to respond to a 911 call. They will know when to strike and how long it will take law enforcement to get there. For example, a Vampire who is also a City Councilor will likely have a lot of influence and be able to convince officers that they are either above the law or threaten to fire them if they intervene.Ĭriminals that have worked in a city for a long time will be excellent at evading law enforcement. Urban encounters often need a component to them that neutralizes or works around law enforcement as a whole. If the guards are too effective, then there isn’t really a need for heroes.
#DMG 252 5E SERIAL#
If those same players that needed help with the serial killer get in a drunken bar fight and guards arrive to arrest everyone, that tells us they value quiet more than they value justice.
If the players are chasing a serial killer and the local law enforcement refuses to help, that tells us: they don’t care, they are incompetent, or are otherwise occupied. Their general strength and ability to help or hinder players matters a lot. If the Guards are Lawful Neutral and arrest anyone when they do something wrong regardless of stature, that encourages players to think creatively when trying to solve a problem like breaking into the warehouse they believe their friend is being held. How well the Guards follow the law also dictates the player’s methods while working in town. If the Guards are Neutral Evil and are called upon to arrest a powerful group of adventurers for starting a drunken brawl, they’re more likely to let them go in exchange for a personal favor rather than arrest them and charge them like normal people. It will also explain their relationship to the players quickly. What is their standard response to a violent encounter?Īlignment is brought up here to help you determine how likely law enforcement is to follow the law and to what ends they do it.How well are they trained and equipped?.For this town, what alignment is the average guard or law enforcement?.
Decide for yourself the following three things: How a government handles disturbances is the key factor in any urban encounter. “ Rules… Without them, we live with the animals!” -Winston, John Wick 2 If you ever wanted to run an urban encounter, but don’t know where to start, this article is for you! What Defines an Urban Encounter? Law and Order or Lack thereof The human element within an urban encounter infuses tension and emotion throughout. Players are never entirely alone while they are within a city’s walls. Urban encounters in D&D 5E are defined by the presence of law enforcement, civilians, and the unique enemies that populate a fantasy city.
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