If you’re stumped during town generation, you can use these handy tables! With inspiration from Courtney Campbell’s awesome Treasure supplement. Add in Doug Anderson’s Fantasy Market and Vendor Generator to round it out.
A supplement entry for the 200 Word RPG Contest.
Population:
1-3: Village
4-7: Town
8-9: City
10: Large City
Ruling System: 1d10, -1 for Village, +1 for Normal/Large City
0: As Needed
1-2: Eldest
3-4: Elected Head
5-6: Elected Council
7: Lottery
8-9: Hereditary Council
10-11: Hereditary Head
Ruler Personality: 1d10
– Resistant to Change
– Secretive
– Cynical
– Lazy
– Inexperienced
– Crude
– Forgetful
– Generous
– Meticulous
– Idealistic
Environment: d8
– Forest
– Valley
– Coast
– Cliff
– Wasteland
– Plains
– Trees
– Hills
Building: 1d6, +1 for Normal/Large City
– Bridge
– Market
– Shrine
– Specialty Production
– Civic Center
– Monument
– Castle
Specialty Goods: 1d10, +2 for Town, +5 for City, +8 for Large City
1: Cotton, Wool, Flax
2: Grain, Vegetables, Staples
3: Raw Metal
4: Lumber
5: Wine, Ale, Liquor
6: Furs, Hides, Cloth
7: Livestock, Pets
8: Leather Goods
9: Wooden Goods
10: Housewares
11: Herbs, Salt, Spices, Sugar
12: Clothing, Armor, Weapons
13: Exotic Fruits
14: Painting, Sculpture
15: Jewelry
16: Perfumes, Potions
17: Scrolls, Books
18: Magical Items
Sights: 1d6
– Greenery
– Festive colors
– Drab buildings
– Gleaming buildings
– Organic shapes
– Geometric designs
Sounds: 1d6
– Running water
– Birds
– Market hawkers
– Clanging metal
– Children
– Livestock
Smells: 1d6
– Animals
– Cookfires
– Forest
– Water
– Specialty Good
– Waste
Threats: 1d10
– Famine
– Drought
– Monsters
– Natural disaster
– Bandits
– Plague
– Unfair treatment
– Missing people
– Vermin
– Isolated