Page 114 - Dungeon Master's Guide

SHOP precedent and evidence until the judge makes
a decision. with or without the aid of spells or
d20 Type d20 Type
interrogation. Others are decided with a trial by ordeal
Pawnshop 11 Smithy
or trial by combat. If the evidence against the accused
2 Herbs/incense 12 Carpenter is overwhelming, a magistrate or local lord can forgo a
3 Fruitsfvegetables 13 Weaver trial and skip right to the sentencing.
4 Dried meats 14 Jeweler
5 Pottery 15 Baker SENTENCES
6 Undertaker 16 Mapmaker A settlement might have a jail to hold accused criminals
7 Books 17 Tailor awaiting trial, but few settlements have prisons to
incarcerate convicted criminals. A person found guilty
8 Moneylender 18 Ropemaker
of a crime is usually fined, condemned to forced labor
9 Weaponsfarmor 19 Mason
for a period of several months or years, exiled, or
10 Chandler 20 Scribe
executed, depending on the magnitude of the crime.
MAPPING A SETTLEMENT RANDOM URBAN ENCOUNTERS
When you draw a map for a settlement in your game, The Random Urban Encounters table is useful for
don't worry about the placement of every building, and city- and town-based adventures. Check for a random
concentrate instead on the major features. encounter at least once per day, and once at night if
For a village, sketch out the roads, including trade the characters are out and about. Reroll the result if it
routes leading beyond the village and roads that connect doesn't make sense given the time of day.
outlying farms to the village center. Note the location of
the village center. If the adventurers visit specific places RANDOM URBAN ENCOUNTERS
in the village, mark those spots on your map. dl2 + d8 Encounter
For towns and cities, note major roads and waterways
2 Animals on the loose
as well as surrounding terrain. Outline the walls
3 Announcement
and mark the locations of features you know will be
4 Brawl
important: the lord's keep, significant temples, and
5 Bullies
the like. For cities, add internal walls and think about
the personality of each ward. Give the wards names 6 Companion
reflecting their personalities, which also identify 7 Contest
the kinds of trades that dominate the neighborhood 8 Cor-pse
(Tannery Square, Temple Row), a geographical 9 Draft
characteristic (Hilltop, Riverside), or a dominant site 10 Drunk
(the Lords' Quarter). 11 Fire
12 Found trinket
URBAN ENCOUNTERS 13 Guard harassment
Although they hold the promise of safety, cities and 14 Pickpocket
towns can be just as dangerous as the darkest dungeon. 15 Procession
Evil hides in plain sight or in dark corners. Sewers, 16 Protest
shadowy alleys, slums, smoke-filled taverns, dilapidated 17 Runaway cart
tenements, and crowded marketplaces can quickly turn 18 Shady transaction
into battlegrounds. On top of that, adventurers must 19 Spectacle
learn to behave themselves, lest they attract unwanted
20 Urchin
attention from local authorities. ·
That said, characters who don't go looking for trouble
Animals on the Loose. The characters see one or
can take advantage of all the benefits that a settlement
more unexpected animals loose in the street. This
has to offer.
challenge could be anything from a pack of baboons to
an escaped circus bear, tiger, or elephant.
LAW AND ORDER
Announcement. A herald, town crier, mad person,
Whether a settlement has a police force depends on its or other individual makes an announcement on a
size and nature. A lawful, orderly city might have a city street corner for all to hear. The announcement might
watch to maintain order and a trained militia to defend foreshadow some upcoming event (such as a public
its walls, and a frontier town might rely on adventurers execution), communicate important information to the
or its citizenry to apprehend criminals and fend off general masses (such as a new royal decree), or convey a
attackers. dire omen or warning.
Brawl. A brawl erupts near the adventurers. It could
TRIALS
be a tavern brawl; a battle between rival factions,
In most settlements, trials are overseen by magistrates families, or gangs in the city; or a struggle between
or local lords. Some trials are argued, with the
city guards and criminals. The characters could be
conflicting parties or their advocates presenting

CHAPTER 5 I ADVENTURE ENVIRONMENTS