Building a village
What makes a village different and important to the world of fantasy? This sub has fantastic resources for city-building, there are well developed cities out there that you can just take, they are bigger and more exciting and full of possibilities. So why bother with a little two-horse town? What appeal can a bunch of farmers have?
Let me throw some names at you: Rand al’Thor. Richard Rahl. Paksenarrion. Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. Kvothe. Kaladin. Garion.
All are protagonists and major characters in their books; all are farmers from tiny villages (Kvothe is a bit of an exception, but his village life defines the narrative of the novels). There’s a clear trope here that protagonists that go on to change the world come from out-of-the-way villages. From a literary perspective, this allows the author to explain everything to the reader because the protagonist doesn’t know any better either; they learn while you do. A player could easily pick up this trope to make a background for a PC. But what use is it to the DM?
Here’s another reason why authors like country bumpkins for protagonists; people given overwhelming power need to be grounded in the world if they are to complete their world-altering task for the betterment of the world. They all had the opportunity to seize power by doing awful things, but they chose not to because of their rural, quaint, village background. They are connected to the people and the place of their upbringing, and therefor can overcome the temptation to do evil. Sound like something any PCs you know could use?
Connected. That is where the village shines where the city fails, and why you need developed villages in your campaign. When your world is connected, you can show your PCs the costs of their decisions in the same way these authors do. The PCs' actions affect the entire network of people here; threatening one threatens them all, killing one changes entire village dynamics, refusing a quest will change the future of everyone there. So lets’ build a village that is connected, where consequences are measured in visible effects on NPCs with names and lives. I feel this is easier to do with a small number of people in a village than a large city.
Let’s start with size. We need to keep the number manageable so that you can make sure nearly everyone has a name and that everyone can reasonably know everyone else. I’ve got some tables below, but remember they are suggestions. They need names, which should be obvious. Roll some d6s for family sizes, group them up, distribute some ages to get a mix of young, working, and old. Leave holes: some people are widowed, or children left aging parents to go find adventure, some do not have the means to feed a family. This is foreshadowing because when we get to disrupting the village and forcing the party into hard choices, they will know that such choices in the past have already cost this village.
They need something to do. Nearly everyone farms for subsistence purposes; the very little excess is carefully stored in case of emergency or sold for necessary items from the occasional passing merchant. They aren’t interested in magic items unless they give them the things necessary for a life on the edge of subsistence; sugar, salt, iron farm or household implements, clothing, etc. Every hand is necessary; young and old alike work if they can, and often families can be very cruel to ensure that the working hands are fed first and that they don’t take on more family members than their available land can support. Clearing new land is a luxury for good years.
The village might have a few other roles and trades, but certainly not too many. They will usually focus on the village first; a blacksmith might make pots, pans, farm tools or horseshoes for a wide area and barely know how to make a sword. A higher value product (like scribes) or raw materials (like mining, quarries or lumber) would be used primarily as trade and therefore require a trade network linked to the village, and it would be the one thing that the village can spare hands for and specializes in.
Figuring out what they do will inform how close to the brink they are, and what can imperil them, generating excellent plot hooks. It will also start to build relationships. The trades might be something they rely on, like the bowyer if they rely on hunting to supplement their farming, which then makes that person a key to the entire village. It might be the only source of profit, meaning everyone pitches in when they have any spare time at all, working nights or winters only and it is how they socialize after long days in the fields.
Now we can start to understand how the village is run. If people work mostly alone, they have little reason to spend time or resources on governance; the more they rely on communal labor the more likely they are to organize carefully. If there is a noble in charge there’s a fair chance that noble is not in residence, so knowing how the village organizes and works informs who will be in de-facto charge.
Give it some personality to make it memorable. Some strange traditions that only appear here, some strange and strong personalities that define the town and who everyone knows, make a unique ecosystem like living in giant mushrooms or herds of flying sheep. This could play into the issue of relationships and trades, generate quests, and most importantly make it memorable. Not only for the future when you reminisce over your adventures, but right here in session. When there are strong personalities at play and unique trades threatened, the quest that will stem from disrupting village life stands out all the more.
Now we disrupt it, because this is a game and we need to keep the party engaged. If we know how people relate to each other, how the village runs itself, and have a few unique personalities in the mix, then we start to see them react to crisis and force the PCs to see how it personally affects them. The missing blacksmith’s daughter is the only one trained to take over for the soon-to-retire blacksmith, meaning that the town will lose its only trade if she isn’t found. Without that web of relationships built on how the village survives, without that element of survival, the quest is just a throw away session, a few gold and XP on the path to greater things or something a higher-level party doesn’t have time for. Bonus points if the party is the source of the problems. Bonus bonus points for lose-lose situations where the party is forced into making a set of imperfect choices, like a orc raid where they can only defend so many.
This is why I like villages, the idea of small town life, because it really pulls the characters into the realities of suffering and loss in a way that large, impersonal cities cannot. Whether the party causes the problems and is confronted by them, or in other adventures where they have to protect people but can't save everyone, that moral question of suffering and how to take responsibility for choices is one I like playing with, and which village life provides a strong narrative for. The village is a deeply connected place; give your PCs a taste of it to ground them into the world and the game.
Some tables to build your village:
D4 How many People are there?
<25
25-50
50-100
1d100/2 houses, only half are full of families…
D4 Is there an Inn?
No, but the PCs might convince someone with a large house to let them stay
Sort of, it’s more of a granny flat
Yes, a small one.
Yes, bigger than necessary for the traffic it gets.
D8 What is the major farm product in the area?
Corn
Rice
Wheat
Potatoes
Vegetables
Sheep
Cattle
Pigs
D12 What is the most common secondary product or productive pastime?
Beans
Chicken
Nuts
Apples/Pears
Stone-fruits
Tropical fruits
Berries
Sunflower or other seeds
Rare grains (barley, rye, etc)
Fishing
Hunting
Roll twice and use both ignoring other 12s, the village is sharply divided on which one is better, even if the roll is a duplicate
D20 What trade(s) other than farming does the village have?
Brewery
Vineyard
Tannery and leatherworking
Barrel and Box making
Lumber and Forestry
Blacksmith (simple weapons and armor only, focuses instead on village needs)
Blacksmith (larger and capable of most weapons and armor)
Pottery
Glassblowing
Wagon-makers and wheelwrights
Bowyer and fletcher
Mining
Quarry
Chandler
Ropemaking
Tailor
Processed Foods (smoked meats, dried vegetables, tea, etc)
Scribes
Religious (serving nearby monastery, pilgrimage location, etc).
Roll twice, ignoring repeats and this option.
D10 Who is it run by?
Nobody, in case of conflicts the whole village gets together to decide
The village elders vaguely run the place
The village elects a head person
Local noble line with no allegiance to any other empire or nation
Absentee nobility from far away that hasn’t been seen in a generation
Absentee nobility from far away that collects taxes once a year
Nobility in residence with ties to a larger empire or nation
The priest from the local religion, may or may not have ties to larger religion or nation
A small merchant guild branch with ties elsewhere
Roll again, use that roll with a twist (vampires, ghosts, is a sham to hide real ruler, etc)
D20 What current problem is affecting the village?
Starvation from poor harvests lately
Missing villagers
Raiders (humanoid or monsters) harassing village
The cemetery groans at night
A new cult has been through town attempting to recruit them
Town is caught in the middle of a war
A powerful wizard has moved in nearby and is upsetting the locals
Racial tensions have erupted in town
Local rulership has suddenly been thrown into question
Locals have become addicted to a substance being sold by a shady merchant
Somebody has been murdered and the killer is at large
Villagers double as bandits/pirates and business has been bad, possibly because they tried to attack the PCs and failed
Refugees have come in and are throwing off village life
An important item of religious significance has gone missing
The only travelling merchant who ever visits hasn’t come this year
The village has been served a conscription notice, all young men need to leave next week
Local prophesy says the end of times are due any day now
Natural disaster incoming/just hit (flood, tornado, earthquake, etc)
A local monster (harpy, hag, nymph, giant, etc) has moved in as demands tribute
PCs are only witnesses to a murder; a prominent villager kills another and plants evidence on them
D100 What special characteristic does it have?
Puppet show will lampoon PC’s last adventure; no puppeteers behind the screen
Alleyway boxing contest, winner gets gold and fancy belt (of gender change, lasts 1d12 hours)
Ivy square is totally covered in ivy which is attracted to Elves
A gold coin lies in the middle of the road. It weighs 10 tons.
Chapel of the Exalted Philosopher, any can preach to congregation who laugh (animated dead)
Well water at lord’s estate causes sickness
If a debtor can lure creditor into public garden, he can pay off debts in grass (1 blade/silver)
Family of monsters live in shack in middle of road, people ignore them, taboo to mention.
The local tavern run by people who always act like they are hiding something in the next room
Justice dispensed by the Children’s Court, where trials are held by judges no older than 12
Seelie Market where rich people from nearby city vacation to shop, same food or exotic crap for 10x the normal price
Every Sunday at public square they hold full-contact portraiture competitions
People buried in town cemetery have a tree that looks like them grow above grave
Any walking underneath Hellgate bridge falls in love with the 1st thing they see on other side
Campfire in a small clearing in the woods nearby, only fits 6 or so, but time pauses for those around it
At a crack in old section of city wall, you can hear voices of the soldiers who died defending it
Bank of the Smilish will accept any deposit for 1 year; interest is one secret paid up front
Weathervane near the public square always points towards closest horde of gold (10k min)
Soapbox in market has ability to make d20 nearby people believe anything for d10 minutes
Once every 7 years the beauty tree buds 1 flower, any who eat it gain d4+10 Charisma (if below 8)
Local silk producer sells best silk in world, but those who wear it dream fates of the recently dead
Bradmoor the physician will immerse you in vat of crabs, heal at 4x normal rate
Any ignoring “Do Not Sleep” signs at Turnhill downs will wake up in a cavern below city
Within 20 feet of one well in town, you can’t help but feel optimistic and at peace with world
Nobody has heard of a rhino, but for a silver you can ride old Rebus ‘the unicorn’
The Hagfruit tree fruits constantly and in abundance, so none starve if they can stomach it
The Eunuchry of Saint Brigid will modify any willing male
If you touch a statue in Countess Morbella’s garden, you must take its place and it lives again
If you let the bees cover you at Igor’s Apiary, they will buzz you the location of a nearby horde
Gonzo’s Curiosity Shop has absolutely nothing unusual, all normal stuff at normal price
Blessed Cheesemaker sells cheese which, once consumed, can hide alignment for 1d4 days
Black Bertie the goose screams like a woman in distress
Locals hold a yearly Plumage festival, where they run naked in feathery hats/tails
The wrought-iron fences of the local manor taste like peppermint
Ironwood tree planted at former site of heretic burnings, likenesses of dead in tree bark
Fountain of Champions, +1 to hit for next week but wet self at beginning of every combat
One of the locals can give you tattoo that moves around your body
Locals think if you die at Blind Corner, 3-street intersection, death can’t see you pass on
Local leader has a greenhouse where s/he crossbreeds exotic and dangerous plants
In west is a hill with crypt; at dusk every night 3 women walk in and are never seen coming out
Local lords have a ‘Flight Club’ at hill, attempting to fly in various contraptions
A giant sleeps deep below the city; might be accessible through caves
None know who owns the House of Riddles; legend says great riches inside, but none come out
Local law says you must peace knot your weapons and your shoelaces
You must submit to strip-search to enter the city
Curfew after dark, any caught outside will be dressed in colored laces and forced to dance around town
No rations without proper documentation are allowed inside the city
Being impolite to guards means you must clean local inn’s toilets; innkeep is also the mayor
No alcohol to be consumed inside tavern; outside is fine
Outsiders may be pelted by tomatoes, this is perfectly legal
Can’t pass over same bridge twice (local superstition, bad luck), those who do are put out of town
All weapons must have owner’s name etched on them; can have this done for 1d6 silver
Of each group of strangers, the innkeeper will let all but one person in, the other must camp outside
Must speak in form of questions with merchants in town, or they won’t deal with you
Tavern sells spicy ale
Kittens for sale!
Local delicacy is kittens
Whole town speaks its own unique language
Whole town shares a minor physical feature (tattoo, height anomaly, unusual hair/eye color)
Society very atheistic
Buildings are built to look like giant mushrooms
Local leader cursed with lycanthropy; everybody knows and doesn’t seem to mind
Local leader cursed with vampirism; everybody knows and doesn’t seem to mind
Town has captured creature with startling regenerative powers; local economy to harvest it
Claude de Sarlat will pay adventurers to hunt and bring back exotic animals for him to eat
Entry and exit fees
Thieves’ Guild ‘insurance’ fees in the tavern, or else
City cursed by sorcerer for no good reason, ethereal filchers interrupt people during sex
Entertainers in local tavern actually 3 skeletons who play xylophone on their ribs
Eyebrows outlawed
Temple of Boros, worshippers dropped into large maze, those who make it out blessed by gods
Temple of Batrubis, a 20 ft tall giant with some magical powers, worshipped as a living god
Almost no laws in the city, instead ruled by a cabal of passive-aggressive druids
A ghost appears at the edge of the sea each night, if talked to will lead you to its shipwreck
A dozen parrots who nest nearby have learned a charm-person spell, many people now stuck
Marzetz will offer to tell you how appetizing your blood is to vampires (1d6) for a small fee
Marco the Simpleton stabs a tree all day, every day
In the public square, people are mute and animals speak (though they don’t have much to say)
A woman in armor offers to bed anyone who can out armwrestle her (Str 23)
Man in robes from a Neutral temple handing out blank sheets of paper
Gate guards are old women knitting incredibly long scarves which grow visibly over the course of the day
All vendors in town vehemently insist that they won’t sell you their hair
Something smells awful, and always has, unsure what it is but the locals don’t notice any longer
Ancient battlefield from forgotten war a day away; ghosts refight the battle every full moon
Everyone begs for money when adventurers come in; they assume it is normal
Nudity totally normal for anyone under 12 or over 60
Buildings all on stilts even though there hasn’t ever been a flood
Village raises strange or fantastic animals (turtles or foxes; flying pigs, giant sheep, etc)
A few of the fields have their own Corn Dryads; pleasing her makes it grow better
Some of them are slaves; there’s no real difference in their lives, but they insist they are
Villagers believe sickness is caused by being rude, they will go out of their way to be nice even to enemies
The dreams of children are considered messages from the gods directing their lives
The people live communally with children raised by all and dorms for different genders
A full kiss on the mouth is a standard greeting
Visitors are expected to provide entertainment each evening they are there
Everyone makes jokes about badgers in suits. You’d have to have been there to get it
All misfortune is blamed on the town a few days down the road; the other town does similarly. In times of natural disasters, it sometimes becomes violent
At first glance the entire town is made of women, but really the locals only know how to make dresses
The entire town was cursed to become nocturnal. They don’t have darkvision, and it’s a problem
Tell the PCs everything is totally normal and there is nothing at all anywhere even slightly out of the ordinary, nope, nothing at all
I used this to build Nanfield, an adventure I have up for free on DMs Guild; https://www.dmsguild.com/product/206715/Nanfield