City of Arches: High-Fantasy 5e RPG City Sourcebook
The City of Arches is an exciting new high-fantasy city sourcebook for tabletop roleplaying games. This 160-page book gives game masters a fully-realized fantasy city they can drop into any campaign setting. It's designed to work with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and other fantasy RPG systems.
Created by Mike Shea, known for his "Lazy DM" guides, the City of Arches aims to make running urban adventures easier. The book provides detailed information about the city's districts, factions, and key locations. It also includes adventure hooks, random encounter tables, and other tools to spark creativity.
Game masters looking to expand their worlds will find the City of Arches full of inspiration. The book describes a vibrant fantasy metropolis surrounded by exciting adventure sites. With its flexible design, the city can fit into many different campaign styles and settings.
The Living Tapestry of the City of Arches
The City of Arches teems with diverse peoples, complex politics, and hidden histories. This high-fantasy metropolis offers a rich backdrop for 5e and other fantasy RPGs.
Races and Heritages of the City
The City of Arches is home to a wide array of species and heritages. Humans form the majority, but elves, dwarves, and halflings have thriving communities.
Exotic races like tieflings and dragonborn add color to the city's streets. Each group brings unique customs and traditions, creating a vibrant cultural mosaic.
Neighborhoods often form around racial lines, with some areas known for their specific heritage. The Elven Quarter, for example, is famous for its graceful architecture and magical artisans.
Governing Powers and Political Intrigue
A complex web of political factions vies for control in the City of Arches. The official government is a council of elected officials, but noble houses and merchant guilds wield significant influence behind the scenes.
The city guard maintains order, but corruption runs deep. Shadowy conspiracies and backroom deals shape many of the city's major decisions.
Key political players include:
The High Council
The Merchants' Consortium
The Noble Houses
The Thieves' Guild (unofficial but powerful)
Ancient History and Secret Cults
The City of Arches boasts a long and storied past. Ancient ruins beneath the streets hint at civilizations long forgotten.
Secret cults dedicated to old gods or dark powers operate in the shadows. These groups often seek powerful artifacts or attempt to unlock forbidden magics.
Some notable historical elements:
The Founding of the Arches (1,000 years ago)
The Great Fire (500 years ago)
The Plague of Shadows (200 years ago)
Rumors persist of a vast underground city, home to strange creatures and lost treasures. Adventurers often seek entry to these fabled depths.
Tools for Masterful Narratives
The City of Arches sourcebook offers powerful tools to create rich, engaging stories. It provides adventure hooks, detailed maps, and new game mechanics to enhance campaigns.
Creative Adventure Hooks and Lore
The sourcebook is packed with adventure hooks to spark creativity. It offers over 100 unique story seeds tied to the city's districts and factions. These hooks range from simple quests to complex political intrigues.
The lore section dives deep into the city's history. It covers major events, legendary figures, and ancient mysteries. This rich background helps GMs craft believable narratives.
A random table generator allows for quick adventure creation. GMs can roll dice to combine different story elements. This tool is perfect for improvising during gameplay.
Comprehensive Mapping: Overland and Dungeon Designs
The City of Arches includes detailed maps for every district. These maps show key locations, streets, and landmarks. They come in both color and printer-friendly versions.
For dungeons, the book provides modular map pieces. GMs can mix and match these to create custom layouts. This system works well for sewers, catacombs, and hidden lairs.
An innovative 3D mapping tool lets GMs visualize vertical spaces. This is useful for the city's towering spires and multi-level structures.
Innovative Game Mechanics for 5E
The sourcebook introduces new mechanics that blend seamlessly with 5E rules. These include fresh options for character backgrounds tied to city factions.
A reputation system tracks player actions within the city. This affects how NPCs react to the party. It adds depth to social interactions and consequences to player choices.
The book also presents optional rules for urban chases and stealth. These mechanics make city-based adventures more dynamic and exciting.
All new content is designed to be compatible with other systems like Pathfinder 1 & 2. This flexibility allows GMs to easily adapt the material to their preferred ruleset.
