While in a small town or thorp, there might not be a lot of options when the Dungeon Master
asks how you pass the time, but in a big city the possibilities are endless. Depending on how
your games play out, a DM might simply gloss over the visit to the city for characters who
have to wait a few days while the cleric pays homage or the wizard scribes a few scrolls. But
for those that wish to enrich their campaigns by asking “you have 5 days to spend in the city,
what do you do?” that can be a catalyst for adventure, campaign growth, and good times.
Here is a selection of 50 pastimes that your character can pursue when confronted with this
very situation.
Scan the listing below. If it's been a busy week or you are uninspired or want a challenge, roll
percentile dice and go for it! Perhaps you like responsibility. Make a list of a handful of things
your PC would always do so you have your PC's interests at hand. The ‘leader' of the party
could assign a few to each member of the party as their duty to the party. Or you could
choose one based on circumstance, like visit the shrine to Corellon Larethian because of the
timely healing your party received by the elves a few sessions back.
Let's assume that Owen the Paladin, Tallia the Rogue, Moondown the Wizard and Garreth
the Fighter enter a city because their Cleric Equilina has to scribe a few scrolls and make
some holy water. For surprises for all, the DM asks everyone to roll percentile and interpret
their actions.
With a little ingenuity and a DM good at improvisation, an adventure itself could be worked
into the circumstances above to include all the players and their new interests. Enjoy!
| 1-2: | Collector. Increase your collection or work with mer-chants
to help appraise others collections. Your interest
could be anything from ancient weapons, to gem-encrusted
jewelry or old outdated game pieces. Collect a unique item
as a souvenir. |
| 3-4: | Citizen. Check local laws to be sure the party's inter-ests
or habits are within the legal limits. |
| 5-6: | Rumor mill. Collect information regarding the city.
Learn news from the roads leading to the city or neighbor-ing
lands or the current Lords and Ladies gossip. |
| 7-8: | Fellowship. Win friends and influence people. Buy the
house a round of drinks, help a young person with their
chores. Make a friend who you can visit or call upon in need
at a later date. |
| 9-10: | Merchant. Once you discover the cities imports and
exports, determine the party's direction and purchase ac-cordingly
to sell a few items at your next stop. |
| 11-12: | Alchemist. Research spells, and magic item creation
formulas and procedures and search out components. With
luck you could even get down to actually working on the
item. |
| 13-14: | Brawler. Pick a fight in a tavern or inn to test your
mettle and gain a few new scars. |
| 15-16: | Actor. Present yourself as a different person to eve-ryone
you meet during your stay in the city and watch the
fun! Using a different name, title and accent can lead to
many unexpected adventures. |
| 17-18: | Vanity. Update your PC's looks with grooming or an
upgrade in clothing and equipment for visual, not functional
reasons. Pamper yourself with baths and massages. |
| 19-20: | Student. Search out a local teacher or trainer to help
you hone or learn a skill or talent. |
| 21-22: | Palate. Sample the best of the local cuisine and
drink. |
| 23-24: | Paladin. Upgrade your armor and /or weapons with
better materials to enhance their aesthetic and functional
capabilities. |
| 25-26: | Pen-pal. If the campaign allows it, write letters or
otherwise correspond with someone in another city with
whom you keep in touch. |
| 27-28: | Moneychanger. Cash in the party's art objects, gems
and jewelry or vice-versa to aid everyone. |
| 29-30: | Bard. Set up a place or seek out a business where
you can ply your skills for pay or respect. |
| 31-32: | Artisan. Set up a place or seek out a business to ply
your trade for pay. |
| 33-34: | Boy Scout. Prepare for the trip ahead by getting sup-plies,
survival gear, maps, food and drink, etc. |
| 35-36: | Cartographer. Update and compare you recent maps
with local copies or knowledge to ensure accuracy or to add
new discoveries. |
| 37-38: | Piety. Check in with the local church of your deity to
pay homage and make offerings. |
| 39-40: | Romantic. Sneak into high society parties and charm
the lords and ladies with your dance, wit and wily ways. |
| 41-42: | Ranger. Travel the lands just outside the city to ply
your forester skills or stay in tune with nature. |
| 43-44: | Amorous. You go looking for love in all the wrong
places. A visit to the brothel or seducing the local lord is not
out of the question. |
| 45-46: | Gambler. Get involved in local games of chance or
skill for a wager. |
| 47-48: | Journal. Update the party journal (in the game, in
real life at the game, or both). |
| 49-50: | Politician. Check on local rulers and law enforce-ment
and the cogs of the government's wheels. Aggres-sively
research the true movers and shakers of the city and
arrange a meeting and chances to further the party's goals. |
| 51-52: | Gamer. Enter local contest or competition for reward
and respect. |
| 53-54: | Party. Check on upcoming local festivals and holiday
celebrations to attend or large parties to crash. |
| 55-56: | Animal Friend. Stable and care for the party's
mounts and beasts of burden. Collect feed for mounts, ani-mal
companions and familiars if any. |
| 57-58: | Injured. Seek healing, rest and rejuvenation. |
| 59-60: | Guard. Find other travelers going your way next so
you can arrange to travel together, perhaps even offer the
party's services as guards. |
| 61-62: | Spy. Seek out information on local secret societies
and power party's and what they are up to. |
| 63-64: | Race Seeker. Look for others of your race not other-wise
well represented to visit with and exchange informa-tion
and lore. |
| 65-66: | Family Tree. Research local bloodlines and geneal-ogy
to map your characters background and history. |
| 67-68: | Employer. Hire and/or fire henchmen and hirelings
for the party's next adventure. |
| 69-70: | Sightseer. Look for local famous landmarks and
sights just to say you saw them. Perhaps even keep a
sketchbook of your views. |
| 71-72: | Innkeeper. Secure lodgings to match the party's
needs and affordability. |
| 73-74: | Moderator. Research foes and friends of the city to
aid with future encounters and dealings with them. |
| 75-76: | Hobbyist. Find supplies for your hobby and secure a
place to work at it (coat of arms, art, music, etc.) |
| 77-78: | Saint. Seek out worthy causes and donate your time
or money (orphanage, under-funded city watch, recently
damaged church). |
| 79-80: | Troublemaker. Crash parties in an overwhelming
way, pick pockets, play practical jokes. |
| 81-82: | Librarian. Search out local library and read for
knowledge and fun. |
| 83-84: | Respectful. Visit the tomb or grave of a local hero or
ruler or family member or friend. |
| 85-86: | Bounty Hunter. Check for rewards posted for the
capture or killing of criminals or monsters. |
| 87-88: | Streetwise. Learn the local layout of alleys, streets
and sewers around the party's dwellings to aid in quick es-cape
or chases. |
| 89-90: | Passport. Register name(s) with local rulers/guilds/
law enforcement as the customs apply. |
| 91-92: | Entrepreneur. Start a business. Purchase a cart, build-ing,
or land, hire folks to run the business, and see how it
develops over time. |
| 93-94: | Culture. Take in a show at the theatre, or a gladiato-rial
fight at the local arena. |
| 95-96: | Slumming. Visit the seedy, law-skirting section of
town. |
| 97-98: | Braggart. Tell tales of all the parties deeds for re-spect
or free drinks. |
| 99-100: | Dependents. Send some of your extra loot to family
or friends. Perhaps your parents, the old master who raised
you, or the orphanage or church where you grew up. |
