The Problem with D&D Starting Towns. 

For towns and cities I'm using a method from Monarch Factory: the SPERM method (the name makes you remember it). Social, Political, Economical, Religious and Military. Describe your settlement through all of those lenses, with a few npcs and story events. Then I apply the Mathew Colville method for population (dominant, minority, enclaves, groups, individuals). Along wth a map, that's a pretty thorough planning on a settlement.

Great episode.The tip for skipping awkward role-play is spot-on.

0:19 Religions 3:01 Factions 5:07 Shops & Taverns 6:36 Unique Features 7:15 Getting Started Since i'm worlbuilding a bunch of starting towns rn (i made the poor choice of having all my players start in different places so we can go one at a time before meeting fot the important sessions) this comes incredibly handy, wonderful as always

I'm a big fan of The Dresden Files RPG approach the book calls Faces. If there's parts of the town you want/need your players to interact with, create an npc that has a reason to interact with the players and lead them to your plot point (on purpose or on accident)

This is phenomenal. Your channel is so consistently good.

If nothing else, I'll always remember that tip about how to start a game. None of the fun video games I've ever played ever start in a tavern with someone telling you what the conflict is. They start at your home or hometown interacting with people your character already knows, and then a conflict that hints at the entire game's final destination occurs soon after.

I feel the first thing for designing a town is: why is it even there? Settlements, just like characters, have a motivation. A military outpost, a crossroads of trade and travel, and a gold rush town are going to have very different resources and factions.

Dang it, I just walked my players into their starting town today. I need this info right now! Not...24 hours from now!

love this! your last point is what I hope to develop into more a habit in my games. Starting almost in medias res, removing all possibility of confusion as an adventure begins.. It gets the players immediately invested if a conflict springs them to action from the start.

If I had one thing to suggest to people, it would be to get a better understanding of the historical period desired to gain insights on abstract town creation.

This video premieres the exact time I'm going to be starting a new campaign. My poor starting village, what am I doing wrong?

You're back! This is the kind of content I'm subscribed for. You have an amazing talent for making concise, useful information. And your style is always impressive.

I've been watching your videos for a while and they're amazing, it actually really surprised me when I saw your subscriber count was "only" 60k. I just wish this one had come out a bit earlier since I just started a campaign last week haha. I definitely think starting in a tavern wasn't the right way to go with this one, but I think my main issue just was I didn't push them into the action well enough, I think they needed a little less freedom there to figure out what they wanted to do faster. You make me think of an alternate universe Saul Goodman where instead of getting into scamming people he got really into D&D.

6:19 "Day of the rope!". Well played, Baron :)

The reason why Poseidon was also a god of horses was because in older version he was an earth deity. He is also connected with earthquakes.

'...act as justification for things these people were going to do anyway.' Organised religions very nicely summed up in a line.

I enjoy all of Dungeon Masterpiece videos

"What stuff to dungeon masters waste time on that goes entirely unused?" Almost all of it. Even with strong advice, I cannot get my younger friends to understand the concept of "simple framework - adjust through play". They all nod...and then proceed to try to write the next Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The game then lasts four sessions, and not one item they laboriously put together is used.

CRUD! I have a game in 4 days and i need this video now.

I have a unique starting town idea where the town itself is also the focus on the story. The story would be that the characters are in an underground dwarven town and one day, they start noticing a very feign rhythmic pattern. Over time that pattern becomes louder until they get worried and start investigating, conscripting the players to do so. All they have figured out so far is that the sound gets louder the lower under the town you go. Whatever it is, it comes from below us. The reveal would be that deurgar are building an enormous 'tower' underneath with a hollow center. The walls are integrated into the bedrock so they can build as high as they like, but they're fully tunnelling out the center with a giant upward digging construction. That digging construction has been causing the sound. If their tunnel-tower reaches the town, the whole town will sink into the center collum, hundreds, if not thousands of meters in depth.

I think we as DMs often over complicate it. In my experience, when it comes to towns and settlements, most players just want: *A safe long rest (tavern) *A chance to resupply/upgrade (shops) *A chance to get into some local mischief (rumors/lore, quest hooks, and/or shenanigans) Everything else is mostly window dressing to facilitate those basics. Most of the adventure media your players consume (video games, tv shows, movies, etc) won't go much further than that anyway.

Perfect for my new campaign setting supplement! Thank you!!!

This is perfect timing for me thank you.

Great video as always. Thanks for sharing your wisdom

Thanks a lot, very inspiring. Be careful, your shelf just behind youd bends dangerously. Roll a D6, on a 1 o 2 all books will fall on the ground....

Love the suit in this one.

Nice video, I wish you the best!

wow......this whole video just amazing! taking notes

I read two years before the mast, the sailors read constantly when not working. Reading was almost all sailors did

Thank you for your information video

A lot of people would probably think to include a wandering peddler, but what about a wandering/visiting priest? You don't even need a temple or shrine, they can hold their sermons in somebody's house or in a public gathering/feasting hall that can double as an armory and impromptu jail. Magistrates and shire reeves (where we get sheriff from) also makes for great authorithy figures that can be on loan from somewhere else, this also grants you free recurring characters as you now have an excuse for them to show up again in the town over. And also, consider that just because a service isn't commercially available, doesn't mean people don't have access to it. The hamlet might be lacking a butcher's, but that means that every peasant is likely their own butcher, though there are likely some more skilled than others. Might not have an apothecary but old Nonny Ogg knows a thing or two about poultices and plants etc. Of course that doesn't mean that they'll neccesarily offer those unskilled services, at least not right away, but that can be a nice reward for services rendered. Thirdly, what they can't get at home, they visit the closest town for, so at least have an idea of what's and maybe some who's there.

Very helpful!

After running Against the Cult of the Reptile God, these points are quite accurate. The two main factions (with more to be added at the DM's discretion) are of course the cult and those trying to stop it's subterfuge in the miniscule farming village; its main landmark is the only stone building in town, a two-story walled church atop the hill; the church plays into the town's main religion of the demigod Merikka, a distant relative of the region's seasonal agricultural gods. The first amicable thing the party comes across when entering the town is an inn on the corner with a sign of a chaff of wheat: the Golden Grain Inn, which the module author rightly uses as an easy staging point to trap the party. The party doesn't even necessarily start in a tavern, they're just supposed to have heard rumors of something happening in from the neighboring town and meet up on the road as they go investigating of their own volition, which also provides conversation starters for the road trip that developed since the Cleric used his starting funds to buy a cart and mule.

My starting town for one campaign was a fairly large city with an area referred to as the "Snake Cult District".

I found you through Professor Dungeon Master....subscribed! Lol

Thanks for the vid! I like tshirt Baron better than coat and tie Baron.

An important question that need to be ask is what towns don't have. See what happen when the starting town does not have an inn or a tavern and the local refuse to sell their brews with the PCs. If the players knows when they leave the city that they may not be able to get all gear they want along their journey then that leave to a question of weight vs gear.

One of the longest running jokes in the FeartheBoot podcast is players meeting up in the Color Animal Inn.

Love this as always

Did anyone else catch “umcommon” not “uncommon” in the Religion section of the video?

I missed these types of videos. I’ve watched it three times now and am still pulling kernels out of it

I suggest looking at places like rural Appalachia for idea on starting areas. A run down forgotten community with a knowledge and understanding of the outside world but no wealth or reason to leave. The cookie cutter main streets with the single post office, a few bars and one or two overpriced general stores selling basic supplies. Characters would likely be just passing through with maybe one or two as locals coming of age.

Rapid fire knowledge dropped in a white blazer?! It don’t get any better than this

Sea + Horses…= SEAHORSES!!! That changes up some stories

Very useful video - thank you. I particularly like the idea of introducing the PCs to some of the factions up front rather than hoping they will wander around the town or tavern and bump into the right people, particularly for new characters. Also, just wondering if you should perhaps provide credit to the artists/copyright holders of the images you use (I presume you have not created them yourself).

As a historian, the idea of a “general store” in medieval fantasy rankles me. They had an outdoor market in the town square. Just use that. Stores didn’t exist for hundreds of years, especially stores that sold more than one thing. Shops were just workshops where stuff was made to sell on market day.

Could you do a video on the duties and responsibilities of each noble rank, and what one would need to do to get promoted to the next higher rank, please?

Now we know why sea horses exist. Poseidon wanted his favourite animal close to him.

A very nice use of grey factions in Baldur's Gate occurs when you first enter a town. You see a fight between the Shadow Thieves and vampires. After the fight, the victorious vampires offer for you to join them. The next day, another thief approaches you to ally with them. You must decide and when you ally with one, you necessarily become enemies with the other. As a lawful good paladin, I chose the thieves as the lesser of two evils.

Your ideas for RPG games are almost as sharp as your wardrobe.

I always ask that the PCs already know one or more of the other PCs, or incorporate at least one of the other PCs into their backstory. This avoids a LOT of that awkward first session RP where they pretend to get to know each other and either end up rubbing each other the wrong way or oddly having a group of complete strangers decide to implicitly trust each other with their lives.

I started skipping shops in D&D 5 because they didn't seem helpful or engaging. Players mostly started with about everything they'd need considering the starting adventuring packs and how close to irrelevant gear seemed to be in combat. Thinking of religion, as a RL clergy who plays D&D I should write a book on making a realistic religious organization for campaigns.

Hi Baron!🎉

Could you explain how you present these details to your players? For example, the fact that a rope costs double and takes a week to arrive is a fantastic detail, but how do you present it if they don't want to buy a rope? Or any of the other details we want them to know but that they may never interact with?

My structure is a bit different. I start with 'how does campaign start' so I know what I need. I then build my starter like real settlements do. I start with the terrain on map. Potentially randomly choosing a spot on my map. Will that have fishing, or farming, or mining. Perhaps started as a fort or tradepoint. Then I will use that to expand on what the religion would be and the groups that exist there, etc.

I use the short bullet point and make shit up as it goes method.

British pubs were generally named for signage that was designed to advertise the beer made by "alewives" in their homes, though obviously not so much these days...

I recently ran my first Pathfinder Game. Whether D&D or PF, I always make it that the PCs know each other and a few people in the town, I noticed very quickly when I began playing that this initial introduction is always (well, almost) unecessarly awkward so sorry skip over that part and get into the adventure. Thanks for the video

The artwork you used in this video is fantastic. Do you have a list of sources for them?

Just taking a moment to compliment your art choices.

My number one rule for this is “everything happens for a reason” or a cause and effect way of thinking. Nearby meadow? Needs pollinators, like bees. Lots of bees can be made into an apiary, apiaries can sell honey for food and drink and wax for other artisans. So suddenly i started with a meadow and ended up with a kooky beekeeper, a gruff meadery owner, and a seductive candlemaker

"Every town needs some kind of spiritually or institutionally anchoring institution!" Me: **Laughs in "My world doesn't really have those"** (My world's gods are basically sentient concepts and demands results that line up with their agendas, not worship. They're more like disconnected cults than religions. Especially on the continent that the game takes place in.) That said, giving each town a maxim sounds like a REAAALLY fun idea! Each of my towns is defined by a worldview (colored by their local commerce, location, and neighbors), though, for sure. A town in the frozen and accursed north will feel different than a town in the booming central province, or a town out on the wild frontier that's still dealing with Fae Folk coming around and wreaking havoc. So coming up with some single turn of phrase to help nail down the community's general behaviour would be a great idea.

Baron, you are the man to ask this question to I think: Why would a manorial lord allow a town or city to be built on their lands? I've been reading about the difference between independent towns/cities and a manorial village and the differences are striking, but I cannot understand why a lord would allow one of his villages to become so big that it effectively becomes independent of his rule. Could you explain this evolution in a future video perhaps?

How did you like the starting point in the DC20 RPG one shot at Gencon?

No hand gestures are better than one.

In media res is a good idea

While the scarcity idea is fun, no single town would ever not have essentials unless they cannot physically make them. Rope, food, water, building materials and such are needed in daily life. Sure that may have variations but a basis is always there, otherwise there can be no town.

The Money/Pound thing is really nice. And I'm "LIke" number 666. : )

I think something to make a campaign's starting town more memorable and important is by not starting the party in the town when the campaign begins. Start the campaign in a dangerous scenario where the party (who could comprise of party members who may or may not actually get along) would be forced to work together to survive their encounter and then to finally make it to civilization. Nothing is better than finally getting a warm bed, food, and surrounded by people who (mostly) dont want to kill you. But who knows, maybe whatever starting town they end up might just be a out of the pan and into the fire situation.

nice vid

I am pretty sure the men of the Iron Islands worship Cthulhu. And at least some of them may be deep ones. 1:46

Like the refresh, wish there wasn't AI art in it

Posiden. Sea + Horse = Seahorses, makes perfect sense! (joke)

1:45 Yes very deep not at all stolen from lovecraft.

What I learned: make towns more gimmicky and make rope cost a lot Thanks, Baron!

The Swan & Paedo

I've got a small town Crandleton that the residents call Crandlemire during the fall and spring. 100 people mostly farmers. There is a birthing center run by local clerics of Kuan Yin, chinese goddess of mercy. There is also a much younger Militant Cleric and temple to the God of Kandor - God of Truth and Warfare. If a character is playing a cleric of another religion I will add at least one other true believer in the town. There is a Lumber house , a windmill/flour producer and storage barn. There is a central mail office (and bake shop) with a ten most wanted list. This would be equivalent to you in your sleepy village seeing a wanted dead or alive poster for Osama Bin Laden or Carlos the Jackal up in their local sweet shop. Also a list of terrible local jobs which is part of the impetus for the PC's to want out of town. My town also has a butcher, a fly-tying shop, a couple elderly people on a rough town council. There is a grave yard and a slate quarry. A tenting eccentric fishes the river and pans for gold. He's also a low level MU who could have an apprentice. There is a forge with smith and wheel wright. Also a communal building holding the town beasts of burden, Oxen, draft horses, mules and donkeys all held in common. Just out of town are Samantha the old witch alchemist (only 30, but terrible limp due to a broken poorly healed hip and prematurely gray). King Billy's is a bar two miles south of town (by design of the town fathers) and run by Bill Prince. Often called Big Billy and or Big Belly Prince, and the place sometimes called, King Belly's place. There is An abandoned Copper Mine and an old estate where the owners used to live. All wiped out in the plague of '44. There are other communities in four directions on the roads. There are hazards on and around the roads. Once I have a party of youngsters who know each other I hand them a couple threads that take them out of town.

*Or* _begin in a lightly palisaded _*_Pawn Shop_* with the fenced in "yard" being a Thrift Shop," the items outside sold by local people for menial hire & the interior of the Pawn shoppe having much better items, _many of which beyond a locked stout door are for sale on commission commanding a higher price_ & & is regularly staffed, *which is where the partially unknown adventurers get their taste of factional politics & religion* as a local noble is confronted by a local priest while the young noble is making a deal to sell his item on commission & & the local priest recognizing that item as belonging to an outside the gate Hostelry which has a chapel run by a stabler friar. Except the young noble _only knows of the Hostelry/Inn_ & & nothing of what's there, & & he won the fancy stirrups gambling at a much more proper Inn on the upper side of town where there are no pawn shops & & his own stirrups are *obviously much better made,* evidenced on the saddled steed outside the palisade that you all noticed was hitched as you hitched your own horses. *_You all know that horse thieves are hung dead._* (some of you from far off nervously) _You are all stirred to action to your own horses as from outside the ringing of a tinny bell is kinda heard, but the bellow "Horse Thief" is quite audible_ The the young noble declares, *"70 solid gold Barlings for my horse & tack returned alive, 18 for just the tack & harness!"* in a breaking voice squeal, *"damn it unhorse that thief!"* You all still have your mounts comparatively, not riding. The constables are rarely visible in this sorry part of this sad little town. The town's much more stout palisade is barely an 8th mile yonder. {480 feet to town exit = 4 rounds. Roll initiative. We're going far. The Horse thief has delayed action Initiative 16 & we are very much not going down a smooth road} Cherish is the new love, Be Well.

2:50, Neither axe, or hammer; An Hammaxe? 😂

Poseidon was the god of the sea and horses. So... Seahorses?

I really like your content and always want to watch, but I feel like a while ago you started artificially speeding up the videos and it's too hard to watch/listen now. I tried slowing it down to .75 but it feels unnatural and thus distracting and hard to follow :( I wish you uploaded at normal speed and then we can adjust as we want with the RU-vid settings.

Fujian Tulou village

Mr Baron sir, for a hundred gold I will gather a party of rat-catchers to drive out the spammers in thine comments

Surprised I haven’t seen anybody crying about the AI art yet 😂

Had to go look up the word “trite”. It means: overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness. There are a lot of long words in there, Baron, we’re not but humble pirates 😂🏴‍☠️

Be different, drop your players into the world right outside the starting dungeon.

Came here from www.youtube.com/@DeficientMaster/featured . I like the suit and tie look.

0:37 I think you are too used to modern times where that might be true. Its more hit or miss in small towns if they consider that worth doing.

This seems to skip over the two fundamental questions that the answers provide the foundation for building out the described aspects in a believable way: What is the primary function of the settlement? How does it avoid being exterminated by the next band of wandering assailants? The fact that almost every published town going back to Homlet doesn’t even have a wall, but is under constant threat from bandits, goblins, etc. really undermines immersion.

Serious question: Why use AI generated images? It takes the same amount of time to search actual images by actual humans and credit them. Doing that gives them a priceless spark of joy knowing that their hard work is seen by a bigger audience! What if you saw someone popular share a video on DnD starting towns but instead of yours they just generated it? And it had some of the same talking points you did, telling you that your work went into training that for no recognition? You'd feel ripped off I bet, and millions of artists are feeling that every time you take their work without permission by using these unethical generators. Don't be the bad guy here, support the artists that made your hobby how it is today.

I think Religion is the wrong starting point to creating a playable town, especially for new players. You need an Inn, a Blacksmith, a Stores and then a temple. Nobody starts a campaign at the church

You don't need a religious hub at a starting town at all.

Whatever you do: keep in mind that players are instinctively narcissistic and self centered. If it’s not leading to something involving the players…. Then a single sentence of flavor text is fine

Well, that was a bit demonphobic. Has it not occurred to you that our dimension might _need_ destroying?

Honest feedback: I am very interested in the topics of your videos but often find listening to them to be almost anxiety-inducing. You speaking very very quickly and breeze through useful details or examples faster than I can often fully process them. This may be a combination of the speed that you read your script, a lack of specific visuals or typography pertaining to what you're saying from moment to moment, or both. But, in any case, I find it hard to keep up with your videos or really soak in your suggestions without having to pause or rewatch. Slowing your delivery down and bring more detailed visual aids to your videos might be worth experimenting with.

You absolutely don't need a religious or ideogical center to have a town. That's completely specious.

Goblin Slayer intensifies

4:30 We purge goblins in this house.

Anti-tropeists, I'll tell you...

I hope your voiceover isn't going to be this compressed going forward.