So my current campaign is ending in the next few months and my next one will be Western/Frontier/Arcane-Punk(??) setting. The overall theme I'm going with is they will be some of the founding members of a new settlement founded on a newly discovered dessert/mountainous continent. Its going to be a full 1-20 campaign (as all of ours usually are) but I want the MAIN focus to be this starting town. I want them to end with a feeling of "This is MY town and I'll defend it from gods, demons, or anything else!". So because of this, I'm looking for about 8-10 NPC's that are in the town that I can have REALLY developed so that the players/characters become very attached.
I already have the idea for the Town's Bartender and the Eccentric old man that funded this settlement.
Any Ideas?
Side Note: Since my last campaign was generally serious (or as serious as a DnD game can get lol) I was going for a more silly tone with hints of serious moments for this campaign. If you're a fan of DnD "Let's Plays"/Podcasts, think a little less Critical Role, and a little more Adventure Zone Balance.
I would watch Firefly again and pay careful attention to the "NPCs" (background characters) from it.
Also, on desert environment:
-There just needs to be a lot of dust, dust storms, dust devils...
-Desert hazards--you never see them until you're practically stepping on them--scorpions, rattlesnakes, tiny cacti, tarantula hawk wasps, etc. A lot of things bury themselves.
-Tumbleweeds--I used to run in the desert, and would watch out to my right (where the high winds came from) for human sized tumbleweeds.
-Vultures and ravens--I once had a vulture circle me nearly my whole run. I think it was really hopeful!
-Flash floods are a real thing, especially dangerous if you're in a narrow canyon. It starts raining, and then water is suddenly tearing through.
-Sand dunes are rare here, but they can be ridden down with super slick sandboards (kinda like a snow board). Slog up the dune, board down it. It is awesome. Have some waxed boards for sale in town for an over dune excursion!
FWIW, a lot of your better Westerns are about the END of the frontier and the encroachment of civilization.
A stock Western town would have a Mayor, a Sheriff and/or a Marshall, a deputy, a doctor, a minister, a businessperson, a bartender, and a duo of a virginal schoolteacher and a prostitute with a heart of gold. Historically, its a pretty misogynistic genre.
Frontier stories, strangely enough, do a better job centering women protagonists, maybe because the frontier women kept journals. Laura Ingalls Wilder and Mollie Dorsey Sanford, etc. Ironically, while less misogynist, they're still pretty racist.
A frontier outpost would probably have a smaller population, replace the mayor and law enforcement with the military post commander and officers. Replace the schoolteacher with the colonel's daughter. Replace the businessperson with the person who runs the trading post.
That's enough people to get you started. Figure out the relationships first and go easy on the quirks for now.
Don't know why I never thought Teacher.... Cause I am a teacher...
This new settlement is being funded by essentially John Hammond From Jurassic Park. An old man who dreamed of being an adventurer but really knows nothing of what it takes, he just has a lot of money and creative ideas. So he probably based what he needs from stories and books lol
So all the cliche things will be there (minus the misogyny and racism lol)
Interesting. He reminds me a bit of Alan Rickman's bad guy from Quigley Down Under. Which opens the door to AUSTRALIAN westerns, which are a whole different kettle of fish (but that's a story for another day).
So, do all the people in the settlement have a connection to the John Hammond type? Did he "cast" them?
Pretty much! He's personally selecting people based on criteria HE thinks are important for the settlement. The characters are being selected as members of a team for the protection and betterment of the town. He's pretty much gonna hand deliver invitations/job offers to the characters (and npcs). I want a feeling of "but wait... if he was here then...how did he... and he's here now...???" and NEVER explain it lol
I know that sounds vague atm cause it is lol.
I still have at LEAST another 2-3 months of planning time before it starts but this is the framework I'm going with
FWIW, a lot of your better Westerns are about the END of the frontier and the encroachment of civilization.
A stock Western town would have a Mayor, a Sheriff and/or a Marshall, a deputy, a doctor, a minister, a businessperson, a bartender, and a duo of a virginal schoolteacher and a prostitute with a heart of gold. Historically, its a pretty misogynistic genre.
You need a blacksmith, the person who runs the local livery stable, and the person who runs the local hotel or boarding house, as well. The latter two could potentially be the same person. Some trappers and/or prospectors who don't technically live in the town but spend large amounts of time there (selling what they find and getting drunk, usually in that order) would also fit.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I would create 5 “factions” within the town that have 1-2 NPC’s that are quest givers. Treat the town like the hub in a game like Destiny 2, but have it be something that grows and develops with the party based on where they take quests.
set the factions up in a pentagon and have them be linked with eachother so completing a quest for faction 2 increase your standing with them by 3, increases standing with factions 1 & 3 by 1 and decreases standing with factions 4&5 .
then create tracks for each faction that have unlockables at set levels, these unlockables can be buildings and NPC’s that suddenly set up shop in town.
i would also 100% not tell the players this is happening, just have like the barkeep get surly if they take too many quests from Hammond.
faction wise I would go with
Hammond investor arcane punk mad inventor - neutral
So he casts the town madam because she has a peg leg and he thinks that’s hilarious. But she originally read for the role of doctor because she’s a skilled physician on the run from some kind of trouble. The guy who got cast as the doctor is a handsome middle aged white guy, but a sub-par healer. So now the whole town goes to see the madam for medical reasons, but they have to pretend to the boss that they’re sleeping with her, and the official doctor has nothing to do all day but get drunk.
How does the boss regard the town? Avuncular idealist like Attenborough in Jurassic Park? Cold remove like Ed Harris in The Truman Show? A tiny bit sinister like Hopkins in Westworld?
Should there be a “behind-the-scenes” cast, like a cleric who casts raise dead on anyone the boss gets mad at and kills on any given day?
You could check out the first season of Westworld. It’s got some classic archtypes. Hooker with a heart of gold, innocent farm girl, sweet cowboy, sexy outlaw, ineffectual sheriff, wandering gunslinger.
Then there’s other classics like priest with a dark past, person who tinkers with new inventions, doctor with a chip on their shoulder, corrupt mayor, rich guy who basically owns the whole town, has a trophy wife and entitled children.
A lot of good ideas floating around in here! I think i'll go with the faction idea!
My group had a pretty thorough session 0 and I know they want a more sandbox-y campaign this go-around. But I've been playing with the same group for like 5 years now and I KNOW they'll need at least a LITTLE push towards some quests to get started (Hence having the factions!) I agree though that I don't think I'll make it known I'm considering them factions. It'll mainly be for me to keep track of relationships and town developments.
I know the "Main-quests" at least for the first part are going to be: "Get a railroad going to the town" and "gain access and permission to mine the big magical mountain" and I plan on just letting them go all out with how they achieve those. But for side quests for money, renown, or anything else to help them achieve those goals, I'll have the NPC factions!
Also, I never thought of having the John Hammond character as a bad guy, more like an endearing, yet kinda naive and ignorant old dude.
but y'all have convinced me lol. In all the homebrew campaigns I've made, I've never done the classic trope "Beloved-NPC-Betrayal" and I think I'm about overdue for it >>
Can I suggest having like a thoroughly ancient npc that looks no older than the party. Someone who has been part of the town for like 600 years. Maybe the barman or the sheriff
Haunted fort is a good one... I'm not sure about the ancient quite yet cause one of my big spoilers is going to be that this continent/island is relatively new (Created by the crazy world-ending level magic shenanigans of the current campaign in the same world)
As I'm typing though, i just thought that an Ancient dude could work! But I think id make him a "mysterious-wanderer" and possibly BBEG material?? but have him be like this super chill and level headed guy (Thinking like Eothas from Pillars of Eternity 2 if anyone's played)
So my current campaign is ending in the next few months and my next one will be Western/Frontier/Arcane-Punk(??) setting. The overall theme I'm going with is they will be some of the founding members of a new settlement founded on a newly discovered dessert/mountainous continent. Its going to be a full 1-20 campaign (as all of ours usually are) but I want the MAIN focus to be this starting town. I want them to end with a feeling of "This is MY town and I'll defend it from gods, demons, or anything else!". So because of this, I'm looking for about 8-10 NPC's that are in the town that I can have REALLY developed so that the players/characters become very attached.
I already have the idea for the Town's Bartender and the Eccentric old man that funded this settlement.
Any Ideas?
Side Note: Since my last campaign was generally serious (or as serious as a DnD game can get lol) I was going for a more silly tone with hints of serious moments for this campaign. If you're a fan of DnD "Let's Plays"/Podcasts, think a little less Critical Role, and a little more Adventure Zone Balance.
One thing that comes to mind is an overly chipper, friendly religious family. Think like the Flanders' from The Simpsons.
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Love it!
I would watch Firefly again and pay careful attention to the "NPCs" (background characters) from it.
Also, on desert environment:
-There just needs to be a lot of dust, dust storms, dust devils...
-Desert hazards--you never see them until you're practically stepping on them--scorpions, rattlesnakes, tiny cacti, tarantula hawk wasps, etc. A lot of things bury themselves.
-Tumbleweeds--I used to run in the desert, and would watch out to my right (where the high winds came from) for human sized tumbleweeds.
-Vultures and ravens--I once had a vulture circle me nearly my whole run. I think it was really hopeful!
-Flash floods are a real thing, especially dangerous if you're in a narrow canyon. It starts raining, and then water is suddenly tearing through.
-Sand dunes are rare here, but they can be ridden down with super slick sandboards (kinda like a snow board). Slog up the dune, board down it. It is awesome. Have some waxed boards for sale in town for an over dune excursion!
FWIW, a lot of your better Westerns are about the END of the frontier and the encroachment of civilization.
A stock Western town would have a Mayor, a Sheriff and/or a Marshall, a deputy, a doctor, a minister, a businessperson, a bartender, and a duo of a virginal schoolteacher and a prostitute with a heart of gold. Historically, its a pretty misogynistic genre.
Frontier stories, strangely enough, do a better job centering women protagonists, maybe because the frontier women kept journals. Laura Ingalls Wilder and Mollie Dorsey Sanford, etc. Ironically, while less misogynist, they're still pretty racist.
A frontier outpost would probably have a smaller population, replace the mayor and law enforcement with the military post commander and officers. Replace the schoolteacher with the colonel's daughter. Replace the businessperson with the person who runs the trading post.
That's enough people to get you started. Figure out the relationships first and go easy on the quirks for now.
Don't know why I never thought Teacher.... Cause I am a teacher...
This new settlement is being funded by essentially John Hammond From Jurassic Park. An old man who dreamed of being an adventurer but really knows nothing of what it takes, he just has a lot of money and creative ideas. So he probably based what he needs from stories and books lol
So all the cliche things will be there (minus the misogyny and racism lol)
Interesting. He reminds me a bit of Alan Rickman's bad guy from Quigley Down Under. Which opens the door to AUSTRALIAN westerns, which are a whole different kettle of fish (but that's a story for another day).
So, do all the people in the settlement have a connection to the John Hammond type? Did he "cast" them?
Pretty much! He's personally selecting people based on criteria HE thinks are important for the settlement. The characters are being selected as members of a team for the protection and betterment of the town. He's pretty much gonna hand deliver invitations/job offers to the characters (and npcs). I want a feeling of "but wait... if he was here then...how did he... and he's here now...???" and NEVER explain it lol
I know that sounds vague atm cause it is lol.
I still have at LEAST another 2-3 months of planning time before it starts but this is the framework I'm going with
You need a blacksmith, the person who runs the local livery stable, and the person who runs the local hotel or boarding house, as well. The latter two could potentially be the same person. Some trappers and/or prospectors who don't technically live in the town but spend large amounts of time there (selling what they find and getting drunk, usually in that order) would also fit.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I would create 5 “factions” within the town that have 1-2 NPC’s that are quest givers. Treat the town like the hub in a game like Destiny 2, but have it be something that grows and develops with the party based on where they take quests.
set the factions up in a pentagon and have them be linked with eachother so completing a quest for faction 2 increase your standing with them by 3, increases standing with factions 1 & 3 by 1 and decreases standing with factions 4&5 .
then create tracks for each faction that have unlockables at set levels, these unlockables can be buildings and NPC’s that suddenly set up shop in town.
i would also 100% not tell the players this is happening, just have like the barkeep get surly if they take too many quests from Hammond.
faction wise I would go with
Hammond investor arcane punk mad inventor - neutral
town sheriff- good
local ranch owner- neutral/evil
school teacher/doctor- good
Bounty hunter/ mercenary guild - neutral
I’m into this idea.
So he casts the town madam because she has a peg leg and he thinks that’s hilarious. But she originally read for the role of doctor because she’s a skilled physician on the run from some kind of trouble. The guy who got cast as the doctor is a handsome middle aged white guy, but a sub-par healer. So now the whole town goes to see the madam for medical reasons, but they have to pretend to the boss that they’re sleeping with her, and the official doctor has nothing to do all day but get drunk.
How does the boss regard the town? Avuncular idealist like Attenborough in Jurassic Park? Cold remove like Ed Harris in The Truman Show? A tiny bit sinister like Hopkins in Westworld?
Should there be a “behind-the-scenes” cast, like a cleric who casts raise dead on anyone the boss gets mad at and kills on any given day?
There was an old film where the mayor was also the judge, and the sherriff, and maybe some other stuff too.
Sort of a comical effect, and speaks to a small town where people have to wear multiple hats.
You could check out the first season of Westworld. It’s got some classic archtypes. Hooker with a heart of gold, innocent farm girl, sweet cowboy, sexy outlaw, ineffectual sheriff, wandering gunslinger.
Then there’s other classics like priest with a dark past, person who tinkers with new inventions, doctor with a chip on their shoulder, corrupt mayor, rich guy who basically owns the whole town, has a trophy wife and entitled children.
A lot of good ideas floating around in here! I think i'll go with the faction idea!
My group had a pretty thorough session 0 and I know they want a more sandbox-y campaign this go-around. But I've been playing with the same group for like 5 years now and I KNOW they'll need at least a LITTLE push towards some quests to get started (Hence having the factions!) I agree though that I don't think I'll make it known I'm considering them factions. It'll mainly be for me to keep track of relationships and town developments.
I know the "Main-quests" at least for the first part are going to be: "Get a railroad going to the town" and "gain access and permission to mine the big magical mountain" and I plan on just letting them go all out with how they achieve those. But for side quests for money, renown, or anything else to help them achieve those goals, I'll have the NPC factions!
Also, I never thought of having the John Hammond character as a bad guy, more like an endearing, yet kinda naive and ignorant old dude.
but y'all have convinced me lol. In all the homebrew campaigns I've made, I've never done the classic trope "Beloved-NPC-Betrayal" and I think I'm about overdue for it >>
Can I suggest having like a thoroughly ancient npc that looks no older than the party. Someone who has been part of the town for like 600 years. Maybe the barman or the sheriff
Also haunted military fort
Haunted fort is a good one... I'm not sure about the ancient quite yet cause one of my big spoilers is going to be that this continent/island is relatively new (Created by the crazy world-ending level magic shenanigans of the current campaign in the same world)
As I'm typing though, i just thought that an Ancient dude could work! But I think id make him a "mysterious-wanderer" and possibly BBEG material?? but have him be like this super chill and level headed guy (Thinking like Eothas from Pillars of Eternity 2 if anyone's played)
That was a big difference between the novel and the film.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Now how would one go about forgetting all the advice they have given you and becoming your friend to play in this campaign ;)