References to money are silver standard. Rules are GROG.
Cities on the Mountain
There are two "Cities" on the Mountain, though "City" is a bit of a misnomer at least initially as at the start of the campaign they will be little more than shanty towns. The concept is that the cities level up as the players do, growing in utility and population and serving as a method of permanent, shared advancement in the face of almost certain PC death.
I'm going to pull heavily from this concept to run that, I think.
There are also a number of small farming/fishing/hunting/logging communities that support the Cities, generally close by and relying on them for protection. These each have a population under a few hundred and maybe one or two notable structures and ought to be the sort of thing that can be dropped in where appropriate and I'm not going to detail them here.
If PCs advance one City, the other one will advance randomly - maybe at a lower (half) rate?
The New City
The first is the New City, originally constructed by settlers (the first on the Mountain) from the goblinoid Charter Nations some 30-ish years ago in a gold-rush frenzied dream of colonial riches as the first explorers returned to the Civilized Lands with tales of a green and pleasant land ripe for exploitation.
The second explorers, of course, didn't return at all. As a result, the New City has receded bit by bit within its initial bounds to the point where it is now more of a shanty town, set up within the half-finished ruins of an over-ambitious frontier wonderland.
It's run more by the mafias and cartels of the Charter Nations than it is by anybody else, really. There's very little 'governmental' presence, beyond a few ships in the harbor and a weakly organized militia.
The Rat Warrens connect to the City via a network of underground tunnels, and the Crabman Caves and Goatman Village are nearby. Ratmen are hostile but more of an annoyance than a direct threat, crabmen are largely neutral, and goatmen have a complicated relationship with the City (some neutral, some hostile).
Structures
Blacksmith and Bowyer (level 1)
Church (level 1)
Market (level 1)
Port (level 1)
Tavern (level 1)
Thieves' Guild (level 1)
Walls (level 1, palisade)
Housing (population ~3000)
Ruins (easily repairable to house considerably more)
Demographics
Species: Majority goblinoid, some orc/moth elf, few kobold/lizardfolk/minotaur/gnoll
Class: Majority settler, some explorer/adventurer/criminal/mercantile, few militia
The Old City
The second is the Old City, a series of low stone blockhouses and massive ziggurats constructed innumerable centuries before by whatever originally dwelt on the Mountain, but colonized more recently (well within the last decade) by the orcish River Kingdoms. A nest of tents and lean-tos cover the tops, hosting the beginnings of a heavily industrialized, painstakingly cautious, and rigidly controlled colonial/extractive effort.
It's much more well-organized than the New City, with most of the population belonging properly to one of the Kingdoms and working, more or less directly, for the colony.
Structures
Barracks (level 1)
Blacksmith (level 1)
Industry (level 1)
Market (level 1)
Port (level 1)
Towers (level 1, 2-story wooden towers atop ziggurats)
Workshop (level 1)
Housing (population ~1500)
Ziggurats (easily furnished to house considerably more)
Demographics
Species: Majority orc, some goblinoid, few moth elf/lizardfolk/minotaur, no kobold/gnoll
Class: Majority worker, some military/settler, few explorer/adventurer/mercantile
City Structures
You can advance a structure 1 level (or construct a new structure at level 1) by selling a significant treasure or spending a great deal of money in town. Every time a structure advances, the population of the City will also increase, as more people are drawn to the Mountain by the riches you recover. Past a certain point, NPC adventurers will also start venturing into the Mountain. Some structures might require additional conditions to advance.
A higher-level structure provides all of the lower-level services as well. When a structure mentions hirelings/special items/etc, reroll them whenever the party checks in at that location and have spent a few days or more outside of the City since the last time.
Barracks
Level 1 - A small guard force is present. The City guard and/or militia are organized and moderately well-equipped. 1d6 deserters and ex-militia (classless, but equipped with basic weapons and armor) are available for hire.
Level 2 - A large guard force and small well-equipped professional military is present. 1d6 level 1 FIGHTMASTERS and/or other martial characters are available for hire. PCs can become FIGHTMASTERS.
Level 3 - A large, well-equipped standing army is present. 1d3 higher-level FIGHTMASTERS and/or other martial characters are available for hire:
- One level 2,
- One level 3, one level 2.
- One level 3, two level 2.
Blacksmith and Bowyer
Level 1 - Forges, stocks, and sells tools, can repair weapons and armor, might be able to custom-make some with time and money.
Level 2 - Forges, stocks, and sells basic weapons and armor, might be able to custom-make more advanced stuff with time and money.
Level 3 - Forges, stocks, and sells advanced weapons and armor.
Level 4 - Requires a magic anvil looted from deep under the Mountain or similar. Forges, stocks, and sells 1d3 minor magic weapons and armor each time the party returns to the City:
- 1 weapon.
- 1 weapon, 1 shield or armor.
- 1 weapon, 1 shield, 1 armor.
Church/Cathedral
Advancing a Church influences its religious sectarian alignment towards yours.
Level 1 - A handful of lay-clergy are present. Offers non-magical healing, sells indulgences, has minor influence over the populace.
Level 2 - A bishop is present, maybe as a punitive posting or to keep them out of the way. Produces and sells holy water. Has moderate influence over the populace.
Level 3 - At least one cleric with actual divine power is present. Can perform minor miracles and White Magic. Has significant influence over the populace. 1d3 level 1 paladins are available to hire.
Level 4 - Requires a sacred relic looted from deep under the Mountain or similar. An archbishop or cardinal is named, probably without the consent of the Church. Can perform significant miracles and White Magic. Has powerful influence over the populace. 1d3 higher-level paladins are available for hire:
- One level 2,
- One level 3, one level 2.
- One level 3, two level 2.
Industry
Level 1 - Simple trade goods (ore, wood, plant matter, food, &c) are available in bulk.
Level 2 - More complex trade goods (worked metal, furniture, fabric, &c) are available in bulk. Produces, stocks, and sells minor vehicles (carts, wagons, barges, riverboats).
Level 3 - Any trade good is available in bulk. Produces, stocks, and sells major vehicles (ships). Can probably be retooled to produce anything else of significant scale if needed.
Market
Level 1 - Buys and sells a slim selection of basic gear/tools and food.
Level 2 - Buys and sells more advanced gear/tools (lanterns, telescopes and navigation equipment, collapsible 10ft poles, really good backpacks, etc), food, and minor luxury goods.
Level 3 - Buys and sells all luxury goods and art objects. Can probably find pretty much anything you need in here.
Port
Level 1 - Buys treasure up to 1,000 sp, ships in goods and materials the City needs to function. Rowboats and dinghies are available to hire.
Level 2 - Buys treasure up to 10,000 sp. 1d6 sailors (classless, but equipped with swashbuckling weapons and know how to sail) and small vessels (fishing boats, etc) are available to hire.
Level 3 - Buys any amount of treasure. A small naval force is present. 1d3 higher-level sailors (pick a thematic class) and mercenary warships are available to hire:
- One level 2,
- One level 3, one level 2.
- One level 3, two level 2.
Tavern
Level 1 - 1d6 vagabonds and wanderers (classless, with random backgrounds and basic equipment) are available to hire.
Level 2 - Requires the average party level to be 2 or higher. 1d6 level 1 mercenaries and adventurers (random class, with appropriate backgrounds and equipment) are available to hire.
Level 4 - Requires the average party level to be 4 or higher. 1d10 weird, random adventurers are available to hire. New PCs start at level 2.
Thieves' Guild
Level 1 - Buys treasure and stolen goods at half normal value. Might be able to get you special equipment with some time and cash. 1d6 thieves and thugs (classless, but armed and moderately intimidating and/or stealthy) are available to hire.
Level 2 - Buys treasure and stolen goods at 3/4 normal value. Can definitely get you special equipment with some time and case. Has moderate influence over the populace. 1d6 level 1 Gambler Rogues and/or other thiefish characters are available for hire. PCs can become Gambler Rogues.
Level 3 - Buys treasure and stolen goods at full value. Has significant influence over the populace. 1d3 higher-level Gambler Rogues and/or other thiefish characters are available for hire:
- One level 2,
- One level 3, one level 2.
- One level 3, two level 2.
Towers
Level 1 - Wooden watchtowers. Provides 6-hour advance warning of assaults and light missile fire in defense of the City.
Level 2 - Stone watchtowers. Provides 12-hour advance warning of assaults, heavy missile fire, and tactical strongpoints in defense of the city.
Level 3 - Armored keeps. Provides 1-day advance warning of assaults, heavy missile and light artillery fire, and strategic strongpoints in defense of the city.
Walls
Level 1 - Wooden palisades. Delays direct assault of the City, requiring ladders, ramps, sapping, fire, or immense strength to break through.
Level 2 - Low stone walls. Significantly delays direct assault of the City, requiring ladders, ramps, sapping, or siege equipment to break through.
Level 3 - High stone walls with causeways and crenelations. Halts direct assault of the City, requiring ladders, ramps, sapping, or siege equipment to break through, and provides light missile fire.
Wizard's Tower
Level 1 - Can detect and identify magical items and cast minor (cantrip-level) wizard magic (wizard magic is neither Black nor White).
Level 2 - Can cast minor (level 1) wizard magic and sells 1d6 random potions. 1d3 level 1 BATTLEMAGES and/or wizards are available for hire. PCs can become BATTLEMAGES.
Level 3 - Requires a significant magical artifact. Can cast major wizard magic and sells 1d6 random significant enchantments. 1d3 higher-level BATTLEMAGES and/or wizards are available for hire:
- One level 2,
- One level 3, one level 2.
- One level 3, two level 2.
Workshop
Level 1 - Crafts, stocks, and sells tools, can repair technological devices (crossbows, firearms, simple siege engines and vehicles). Might be able to custom-make a simple one with time and money.
Level 2 - Crafts, stocks, and sells basic technological devices (simple crossbows, firearms, explosives, siege engines and vehicles), might be able to custom-make more advanced stuff with time and money.
Level 3 - Crafts, stocks, and sells technological devices (crossbows, most firearms, advanced explosives, simple clockwork devices), can definitely custom-make more advanced stuff with time and money.
Level 4 - Requires advanced scientific documents recovered from the Mountain. Crafts, stocks, and sells advanced technological devices (rifled and breech-loading firearms, clockwork devices, chemical compounds), can craft basically anything appropriate with time and money.
Hirelings
You have two options for hirelings. Regardless of which one you use, hirelings have 12 in one stat related to their profession or species and 10 in all others or use their monster statline, if they have one. Doubling their wage adds 2 to their morale.
Option One: Consistent Hirelings
Hirelings have 4 + CON HP per HD, have morale equal to 7 + hiring character's CHA, and demand a weekly wage of HD * 7 gp.
This is probably a useful option if you're hiring a whole bunch of people.
Option Two: Random Hirelings
Hirelings roll each HD + CON for HP, have morale equal to 2d6 + hiring character's CHA, and demand a weekly wage of HD * morale gp, +/- up to 50%.
This is more fun. Makes it a gamble. Especially if you don't tell your players the potential hireling's HD.
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