At the City Gates
City adventuring starts before you even take your first step
If you’ve followed my content for an extended period of time, you probably know that I love city-based adventures. Hell, I’ve spent the last two years working out my own city-centric campaign setting called Nighthaven. As I’ve been working on this setting, I stumbled on a realization. The most underrated location of a city for adventures is the first one you come across; the gates. The gates of a city are constantly buzzing with comings and goings. Guard presence is heavy, vendors are close at hand, and more happens than you can perceive. When properly utilized, the city gates can be a primary source for adventures, information and danger.
What exactly happens at the gates of a city? Well, according to history, entering a city involved so much more than merely walking through the open gates like in an open-world video game. No, entering a city was a process that involved paying appropriate taxes, informing the guard where you were staying and what your business was in the city. Gates were well-guarded and they closed after dark. The whole idea behind this is to make sure that guards and city officials know exactly who is in the city, why they’re there, what they’re there to do. Did this always work? No, and that’s where the fun begins.
Players or NPCs may enter a city incognito or under false pretenses. Clandestine entry alone creates tension - and therefore, adventure - as players attempt to uncover the secrets of a stranger or keep their own secrets hidden. Additionally, guards at the city gate may be corrupt and try to extort players or NPCs for additional taxes. Taxes were assessed largely based on people’s clothing, which makes the standard of assessment somewhat dubious. Any enterprising guard could decide “That man looks like a noble” and double his taxes while pocketing the difference. Players may be hired to sniff out this kind of corruption or may be motivated to expose it because they themselves were victims. Maybe the players want to start earning a cut of the graft themselves. In any case, it's fuel for adventure.
Because of all the comings and goings at the city gates, there's a lot of opportunity for interesting encounters and the planting of rumors. Whether it's a foreign noble, a traveling carnival, a merchant caravan or a company of mercenaries, travelers bring opportunity for further adventure. Whether this business keeps the party in the city or takes them somewhere else, it can easily be introduced by any number of travelers coming through the gates of the city.
The gates of a city are always humming with activity. Therefore, they are a perfect breeding ground for adventure hooks. The districts of a city are all important when you're running an urban adventure. Utilize all of the tools at your disposal. The gates aren't just a fancy doorway. There's adventure to be had just inside and just outside of them.