The City Campaign Manual Draft 1 (WIP)

7/29/2019 The City Campaign Manual Draft 1 (WIP)

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The CityA Dystopian Adventure

Sci Fi City Sunsent 2 by UrbanMelon@deviantart

Layout and Text by Aurah ChristianImages their respective owners, used without permission for non-commercial purposes


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2 Table of Contents

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Table of Contents

8

Factions

3

History

7 Timeline

11 Powers

15 Races


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History

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of causing harm to other community members. Sotoo, did drow, duergar, and githyanki vanish fromthe map. Tieflings who were unable or unwillingto destroy or conceal their demonic features werelikewise removed from the sanctuary. And oall the kenku, only a handful managed enoughtrickery to escape death as they stole their way tosurvival.

For other species, even power was consideredreason enough for slaughter. Dragons who wouldnot or could not hide in mortal forms were hunted

down by large mobs for fear that they wouldconsume too many resources or take control othe land. Others, such as mighty vryloka andvampires, were also purged by enormous swarmsof mortals who feared for their lives.

Some races died out naturally. Those speciesdeeply tied to nature simply withered away fromthe aftereffects of the Cataclysm and the rapid

The first ten years following the creation ofthe Dome were a time fraught with mayhem andwidespread violence. Despite covering an arearoughly the size of the real-world American stateof Vermont, there was not nearly enough spaceand resources to support the large population ofrefugees who had fled to the shelter immediatelyfollowing the Cataclysm. As such, steps had to betaken and someone had to go.

The steps taken became what is now referredto as the Purges. Any races or individuals too weakto properly contribute to the groups survival wereimmediately slaughtered by the collective mightof the safe zones other inhabitants - goblins,orcs, and other sentient monstrous races were notpermitted to stay within the shelter of the Dome.

Neither were any and all with a high likelihood

90 years ago, the Cataclysm rocked the planet to its foundations, reducing the landscape to a stormof dust. The vast desert sparks with random explosions of magic and abrupt extremes of temperatureand weather conditions, and the sky turns from ash-choked to pouring sleet in an instant. None but thmost durable races - and then, only their most steadfast individuals - survived the Cataclysm and stilremain to scrape out a desperate existence in the maelstrom.

However, one last bastion of civilization remains, the Noahs Ark of the world - the City. Protectedbeneath a pale purple dome of magic, the City is home to the last significant population of humanoid

in the world.Here, resources are tightly monitored and carefully distributed, and every inch of land has been

engulfed by the stone-and-metal structures that make up the metropolis. Floor upon floor of the Cityoutskirts contain the vast hydroponics gardens and animal breeding areas that support its populationof 10 million, while the inner sections of the city contain most of its more urbanized inhabitants in agreat multilayered honeycomb that reaches toward the sky and deep into the earth.

Yet for all the wonder of its existence, the City does not rest peacefully beneath the rule of the Council

Troubled Beginnings


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In order to deal with the illithid problem, thescattered factions each sent their respectiveheads to form a committee to consider the mindflayers proposal. As each soul within the Domewas well aware, the illithids were few enough tobe destroyed, but powerful enough to present a

Rise of the Council

destruction of resources inside the Dome; so fellthe wilden and their fey brethren, the satyrs andhamadryads. And yet more vanished or swiftlydwindled by rarity alone, unable to find mates.

Trapped amidst the desperation-maddenedhumanoids, the small band of two dozen illithidswho had stumbled to safety were quick to realizetheir danger. Rather than wait to be eradicated

by the last wave of purges, they came forward toany community leaders who would listen, offeringto serve to community and cooperate with itsmembers in exchange for their lives and the brainsof any dissenters in need of disposing.

serious threat that could, if left unchecked, oneday enslave the entire population.

Rather than sacrifice a great number ofwarriors to kill the mind flayers, the committeeproposed a deal: they would send any prisoners ortroublemakers to the illithids for disposal in anyway they saw fit, provided the illithids remainedsegregated from the general populace and under

close guard by powerful psionics. These psionicswould be charged with the task of ensuring that thepopulations of both the illithids and their slavesremained low enough to pose no threat to thecity, and that the actions of the illithids stayed inline with goals in the best interest of the commongood. So much as a toe out of line would be mewith swift and deadly force.

And so it became that the small, elder-brainlessmind flayer band became the steadfast servants o

the community, taking on various unsavory tasksand researches that no others wished to touchin exhange for their lives and limited freedomsTo ensure that this contract was obeyed, thecommittee and their warrior servants became themore permanent observatory body of the Council

Magslag by AlexTooth@deviantar


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With a greater populace came greater troublesThe Citys densely-packed, layered structureproved extremely efficient for space andfunctionality, but a significant problem in the

event of conflicts. It took only a handful of scufflesbetween arcane casters to break through some othe strengthening spells on the inner walls metaland stone, collapsing portions of three separatefloors into the floors beneath them. Following thecollapse, it became apparent that a system of legarules and punishments were required if the Citywere to remain standing.

Power Struggles

As the first representative body created frommembers of each major living group under theDome, the Councils duties quickly expanded farbeyond its original purpose. Any and all inter-faction disputes that could not be easily settled

soon turned to the Council for mediation, andarguments over land repurposing frequentlyended up in the hands of the Councils lap as theDomes only truly neutral - or at least balanced -party.

With each successfully-resolved problem, theCouncil gained the loyalty of powerful warriorswho vowed to support them, and the faith of themasses desperate for guidance. So when thepurges tapered off and the issue of more tenableliving conditions arose, it naturally fell to the

Council to decide the survivors course of action.For the Council, whose perspective was that

of the common welfare rather than the concernsof specific group, it was obvious that the Domestop concern was of space and resource efficiency.With that goal in mind, they gathered up thevarious craftsmen and inventors, many of whomhad been actively protected by far-sighted groupleaders during the Purges, and set to work on themost intensive engineering project the world hadever seen.

The ensuing decade was a time of greatinnovation. Any spare scraps of metal or alchemicalreageants anywhere under the Dome were handedover for the use of the researchers as they soughtthe creation of structures capable of supportingmultiple floors over a wide area. In the fuzzily-defined territories, any space not clearly belongingto a group was given to agricultural investigationas the farmers and mages struggled to create astable, space-efficient food supply.

In the end, the survivors sacrifices bore fruit inthe form of blueprints for what would eventuallybecome the innermost sections of the City.Minotaurs and dwarves were swiftly put to workdesigning all the necessary pathways and mapsfor their new home. Arcane casters gathered inlarge groups to cast the necessary protection andpreservation spells to ensure the workers building

Birth of the City materials would last. The remnants of the primaclasses did their best to soothe the nature spiritsunder the foundations and enable construction tomove downwards into the earth even as it reachedfor the sky.

By the end of a scant 19 years of heavilyconcentrated efforts, the scattered groups of

surviors had gathered into a unified body underthe Council and completed the foundationsof their new home. Two dozens floors up andanother dozen underground, the new City wasan enormous conglomeration of stone, metaland specialized concrete, reinforced by powerfumagic. In the center lay the Councils chamberand base of operations. Sprawling outwards werevarious empty rooms, ready to be modified asshops, offices, and homes. Stretching to one thirdof the outer edges and soon to grow all the way to

the edge of the Dome was the hydroponics sectorhome to floors upon floors of arcane-poweredlighting and carefully-monitored environmentsthat supported massive amounts crops andlivestock.

Survivors began to flock to the City in drovesexchanging their desperate existences for theconfined but stable life offered by the metropolisAs the inner sections quickly filled, othersbegan to build their homes on the outside of thestonework, arranging new streets and shops withthe assisstance of the Councils street planning.


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Forming the Alliance

In response to this need, the Council formulatedits first set of laws, meant to apply equally to allcitizens living beneath the Dome. While most of therules themselves were reasonable - dont kill, dontstart fights, dont steal - the penalties were harsh.Without space or resources to spare on criminals,any crimes too serious for fines or communityservice resulted in immediate sending away of

lawbreakers, who thereafter never returned.More specifically, these individuals were handed

directly to the illithids as part of the councilsoriginal contract. While this was more or lesscommon knowledge, few citizens spoke of it aloudfor fear

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Todays Situation

0 ADC

Cataclysm occurs

Dome is createdPurges begin

10 ADC

Council is formedPurges end

29 ADC

Major sections ofCity are completed

52 ADC

Gangs emergeas significant

localized forces

74 ADC

Gangs form the

Alliance, opposingthe Council

90 ADC

Time of campaign

0-90 ADC(After Dome Creation)


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In keeping with the Domes history, the Citys power is divided among groups, not individuals. Withinthese groups may be smaller factions and powerful members with their own specialized goals, but almembers of the group generally subscribe to a similar ideology and method of operation. As of 90ADC (After Dome Creation), the primary factions in the city are the Council, the Alliance, and variouguilds, which is a term that refers to both more traditional guilds as well as mercenary bands andsmall cults.

Assorted free agents who either have power and keep it to themselves or take various contracts also

exist, but due to the high level of scrutiny and disapproval of powerful people outside the Councilscontrol, these individuals are not terribly common.

Listed here is a general overview of the three largest groups in the City, though the two main factionare really the Council and the Alliance. Once the party has selected which of those two sides they wilbe playing on (at least initially - they can technically switch sides over the course of the campaign if areason arises, but there will obviously be consequences), the DM will provide additional informationabout that faction. This is because while both the Alliance and the Council are aware of one anotherexistence and general goals, they are both fairly secretive organizations and neither knows very muchabout the inner workings of the other.

Factions

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I AM TEXT FEAR ME

The Council


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I AM TEXT FEAR ME

The Alliance

I AM TEXT FEAR ME

Guilds


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As per standard 4.0 rulesets, there are six power sources in the City: martial, arcane, psionic, divineprimal, and shadow. However, the broken nature of the world outside the Dome and the culturachanges experienced by the surviors of the Purges have somewhat altered the tones of these sourcesAs such, each power source comes with its own new flavor that will have an impact on your characterEach of those sources and their new natures will be outlined here. Keep in mind that you do not havto strictly adhere to the typical learning places or roles listed here, but that they are the standard formost people.

Powers

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Unlike some of the other power sources, martialabilities remain much the same as they were priorto the Cataclysm. In the City, martial skills aregenerally gained in one of three ways: trainingfrom the Council as an agent, teachings of a guildor mercenary band, or instruction from a gang asone of its members.

A select few individuals also learn in secret fromfriends or family members, or teach themselveson the streets. However, given the governmentsdisapproval of any non-Council-sponsored combattraining, such learning without group protection ishighly unusual.

Always vigilant for potential unrest, thegovernment keeps a group of special agentsspecifically to look out for citizens displaying highlevels of combat ability. Any accomplished fighters

that are discovered outside of Council agencies -either as unaffiliated agents or group members whoacted where they could not be properly protectedby their fellows - are generally immediately askedto join the ranks of Council agents. If they cannotbe persuaded, bribed, or threatened into doing so,they are generally relocated to the illithids forreprogramming or outright vanishing.

Martial

The Citys arcane casters are as much itslifeblood as its technology, and they are frequentlyused in tandem to support both its physical andgovernmental structures.

Civilian arcane casters are all required to registerwith the Council as soon as they either begin theistudies or uncover their powers, as the case may

be. By and large, this registration has no impacon their daily lives, and only serves as a means fothe Council to track the whereabouts and generapowers of the populace. These individuals servein all manner of non-combat roles - reinforcingarchitecture, casting blessings on paying citizensand even gaining licenses to brew and sell potions

Within the Council itself, arcane casters serve amore serious role. They are secret police, trackersspies, and more. Some notable swordmages are

even known to have simultaneously captureddozens of fleeing rioters with their teleportation.The Alliance likewise highly prizes their arcane

casters, and uses them for whichever roles they aremost trained to suit. Largely a mixed bag, gangmages have been known to cast divinations withone hand and throw globs of necrotic magic withthe other, whichever seems most convenient.

Arcane


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In spite - or perhaps because - of their oft-subtlenatures, psionic classes rank among the mostfeared groups in the City. Almost always employedin some way by the Council, which snaps them upas soon as they are found, they serve as the citys

hidden guardians, peacekeepers, and enforcers.They are quiet about their powers, only showingthemselves when a situation cannot be resolvedin any other manner, and preferring to use moresubtle psychic manipulations to solve problemswithout violence. Understandably, however, manypeople object to this form of nonviolent resolution,and tend to shy away from any known psionics.

The greater concern about psionics comes fromthe rumors of their activities behind the closeddoors of Council interrogation rooms. Urban

legend states that bold and powerfulmind mages can pierce into theminds of others and add thoughtsthat were not previously there oralter memories. Many of those whoreturn from Council captivity at bestdo not recall their stay, and at worstresume their life as an entirelydifferent person from the one wholeft.

Unbeknownst to the generalpopulation, this technique, knownas delving, is taught to all Councilpsions, though most never use it.Those who pursue it as a careerpath are known to the governmentspsionic population as Awakened,and function much like Dai Limindbenders in Lake Laogai, riskingtheir own minds to serve the City.If you wish to play an Awakened,

please contact the DM for additionalinformation. (See Dragon Magazine#394, pg. 55 for more informationon delving. Note that some ruleswill be tweaked and delving will havehigher odds of personality pollutionfor PCs, especially those who are notAwakened.)

Psionic Regardless of the victims state upon release, theCouncil always gets what it sought. As such, therumors of the Awakened psions who perform thesemiracles paint them somewhat rightly as boththe most feared and most potent of the Councilsweapons, and the heart of their power. In manycases, they are said to even rival the effectiveness

of the illithids with which they are said to work.A very few psionics, especially those whoseabilities crop up late in life or suddenly in nonpsionic bloodlines, have a chance to escape thenotice of the council. While some of these registerwith the Council, others choose to seek shelter withguilds or the Alliance in an effort to defend theirautonomy. These individuals, however, neverlearn to delve, causing the Alliance a significanthandicap against one of the Councils greatestpowers.

Wizard Girl by Hokunin@deviantar


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The Cataclysms effects on the world outside theDome have also borne an impact on the prima

classes within it. The world, its spirits, and itsenergy are all connected. However, only the landwithin the Dome exists in its original form, andeven that has largely been desecrated by the Citysexpansion.

Put lightly, the planet is not pleased and iscertainly not at rest. To the senses of a persondeeply connected to the heart of the worldexistence is a great morass of chaotic energy thatshould not exist, strewn through a vast emptinesswhere life belongs. With every step and every

Primal

Following the Cataclysm, many people lost faithin the gods and cursed them for failing to protecttheir followers. At that time, many of the originalways of worship were lost.

After the City was built, however, some interest

in religion began to reappear in the form ofsmall cults. Some of these worship older gods asdescribed in texts that survived the Purges, whileothers worship entirely new gods.

However, none of these cults are particularlylarge due to the Councils disapproval of religion.Any sect that finds itself too large or too influentialfrequently vanishes overnight, along with allits practitioners. Because of this, many groupstend to deliberately keep their followings smallerthan 300 members and quiet, if sometimes quite

devout. Due to a lack of large-scale worship, it isunclear to outsiders whether these groups gaindivine power from the sheer fervor of their beliefsor the actual intervention of a god.

This uncertainty is fed by the fact that divinepower can also stem from intense dedication to aprinciple or an ideal. An individual who holds thevirtue of mercy above all else and incorporates itinto everything he does may find himself with thefirst sparks of a clerics healing energy. Similarly,a thief who venerates the idea of a chaotic world as

Divine the greatest end and acts on that belief may soonbegin tossing an invokers flames.

While many divine classes side with the gangsout of a desire for their apparent moral superioritythe Council also possesses a number of divineoperatives whose faith in the government is sofervent that it grants them powerful magic.

For the purposes of this campaign, if you wishto worship an actual god rather than venerate theCouncil or an ideal, see the Niore Gods manual fora list of worshippable deities.

It Lasts Forever by AlexTooth@deviantar


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I

Shadow

breath, a primal character is painfully remindedthat they world they know is wrong and that theremay be no repairing the damage in any forseeablefuture.

Such individuals are faced with a choice: acceptthat the current state of affairs is twisted andattempt to encourage natural energies withinthose bounds, or rage against the damage and

try to return the Domes land to what they feel itought to be. Either approach leaves a deep impacon that persons worldview. As such, many primaclasses are viewed either as subdued and stalwartor mad and raging beasts to be feared.

On the whole, however, primal classes are rareenough that the average citizen knows very littleabout them. Those that do exist frequently residewithin the Citys hydroponics and agriculturasector, tending the life growing there.

It is in that sector that most primal practitionersget their start, either from growing up near themost dense area of natural life remaining in theworld or from being taught by a master. A selecfew nature-followers originate from the top leveof the city where the sky can be seen or from theouter edges that overlook the desert, but these areunusual and frequently untrained.

Lore of Steel - Fellbringer by Pixieface@deviantart


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At the creation of the Dome, changelings madeup a small percentage of the refugee population.When the purges began, they survived by disguisingthemselves as members of other races, therebyjoining whichever side seemed to be winning atthe moment.

As a result of this behavior, changelings cameto be seen as spies or tricksters primarily outfor their own gain, with loyalties to no one andnothing. While this was largely untrue even at the

time, some negative sentiment remains today andmodern citizens tend to be somewhat suspiciousof the true motives of a confirmed changeling.

Fortunately for changelings as a species,however, many produce more changelings whenmating with other humanoids, so their populationhas not increased or decreased in rarity since theCitys founding.

As the last remnants of the multicolored scalesthat once represented dragonkind, dragonbornroam the streets relatively unhindered regardlessof their own colors. Being shadows of the grea

power of dragons, they now frequently servein military, guard, or other combat-orientedpositions.

They can frequently be found on both sides othe conflict between the gangs and the Councilfollowing whatever they feel to be right ratherthan any racial obligations or histories. Forother dragonborn, a more mercenary approach ispreferred.

Races

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Choosing Your Race

Listed in this section are races meant for playercharacters. While all are permitted, understand thatmany of the races here are quite rare in the City, eitherdue to the Purges or simply an inability to find mates.

This will cause such characters to be highly visibleand perhaps elicit unusual reactions. If you wish to be amember of an unusual species, please notify the DM so

they can inform you of any additional ramifications ofyour selection.

Those who take rare or very rare races will, at somepoint, likely be given a single-form Hat of Disguise tomake their character viable, so do not be afraid to choosethese options.

ChangelingRarity:2 (rare)

DragonbornRarity:0 (common)

During the purges, some forward-thinkinggroups actively protected dwarves for theirbuilding and smithing talents. As a result, theycurrently enjoy a very large presence in the Citydespite their pre-Cataclysm status as somewhat

unusual sights.Today, many dwarves carry on a family traditionof work on the structure and infrastructure of themetropolis. While they generally take jobs as eitheemployees or contractors for the governmentrumor has it that some dwarves have thrown theirlots in with the gangs, enabling the rebel groupsto evade capture in the underground honeycombs

DwarfRarity:0 (common)


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Despite the initial dragon hunts, the City is hometo a small and well-concealed dragon population,comprised primarily of silver, steel, copper,and green dragons, with a scattered handful ofbrass, golds, mercuries, and browns. All of these

individuals hide in the form of various humanoids,keeping to their natures as best as possible in thelimited space and constant scrutiny.

While the Citys 90 years are but a short time inthe span of a dragons life, some individuals haveadapted swiftly and well, building lives and homeswith the mortals who share their city. Theseunions have borne fruit in the form of the newly-emerged race of dragonkin - half humanoid andhalf dragon.

Perhaps as a result of their draconic parentsform at the time of their conception, dragonkinappear to be primarily human or elven, with theaddition of horns, wings, fangs, claws, and tails,with patches of scales scattered across theirbodies. These individuals carry some of a dragonsnatural traits, inclinations, and arrogance of their,but remain connected enough to a mortal lifethat they fit in surprisingly well with the otherinhabitants of the metropolis. It is likely thisvery tendency that has caused the government to

ignore their presence in the city, enabling them tolive moderately normal lives.

Thus far, the Council has given no officialstatement on the existence or origin of thedragonkin. As such, when the dragonkin claimto be the product of Council experiments, no onedares look closely enough to realize their truedraconic roots.

Most dragonkin are less than 60 years old, andcome from silver, steel, mercury, or green parents.A dragonkins mother is subject to a slightly-longer-than-standard gestation for her physicalrace, after which she gives birth to 3-5 offspring.

Due to large numbers of children, progenyof dragonkin, and perhaps draconic ignoranceto contraception, the dragonkin population isbelieved to have reached nearly 500, making thema very unusual, but not unheard-of sight.

DragonkinRarity:3 (very rare)

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EladrinRarity:1 (unusual)

Rarity Index

0 = Common1 = Unusual2 = Rare3 = Very Rare (less than 2000 citywide)

0: Dragonborn, Dwarf, Elf, Half-Elf, Halfling, Human,Minotaur

1: Eladrin, Gnome, Goliath2: Changeling, Kenku, Mul3: Dragonkin, Genasi, Githzerai, Half-orc, Kalashtar,

Longtooth Shifter, Razorclaw Shifter


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