The Gamecraft 25: Distinctive Locations

I’m a list guy.  I have shopping lists, to-do lists, and even gaming lists.  One of the resources I use most as a GM however is my list of adventure ideas and components.  Currently the list is about 15 pages long and divided into multiple categories such as Plot Twists, Memorable NPC’s, and Unusual Circumstances.  I thought I’d share parts of the list for you guys to look at and mine for ideas.  Today we’ll take a look at one of my favorite categories; Distinctive Locations, a quick list of 25 exciting and memorable places in which to craft a story and challenge your players.

1. A village set high up in the side of a cliff face in the style of the American Indians of the southwest.
2. A community elevated on stilts over a pond, marsh, or bog and connected by bridges and ropes.  Maybe it’s abandoned and sits over dry ground, why was it elevated in the first place?
3. An old dam with a connecting aqueduct system.  Does it still hold back water or is it just a wall-like structure connecting two sides of a canyon?
4. An orphanage haunted by the ghosts of former residents.  Maybe they were tortured and abused?  As a disturbing twist perhaps the children were part of an evil cult that killed the masters of the orphanage.
5. A giant botanical garden or some sort of supernatural zoo. Could be the pride of the city, or maybe just an eclectic private collection.
6. A massive wrecked ship set in the middle of a dry lake bed.  The hull may be partially embedded in the playa forming a makeshift “dungeon”.
7. A lighthouse set upon a rocky outcropping overlooking a vast desert or savanna.
8. A slave trading bazaar set in a secret location.  Maybe the location is revealed by “invitation” only.
9. A creepy backwoods village with residents that seem a little “odd”.  Think toothless banjo-playing bard.
10. A lone cemetery set high in the mountains many miles from the nearest settlement.  Dates on headstones seem to indicate people have been buried here as recently as last month.
11. The ruins of an arcane college set upon a small isle in the middle of a mountain lake.
12. Some sort of colony or commune.  The residents may share a common religion (monks) or disease (lepers), or may dwell together because of trade (artists) or background (criminals).
13. A set of sea caves beneath a sleepy seaside village.  They may be prone to rapid flooding due to rising tides or sudden rainfall.
14. Inside an important monument.  What is the monument dedicated to (a religion, history, famous battle) and who built it (humans, dwarves, goblins, giants)?
15. A building dedicated to entertainment such as an arena, theater, or opera house.  For added excitement maybe an event or production is underway.
16. Set aboard a large riverboat, ferry, or barge.
17. The burnt-out ruins of an inn set in the middle of an old forest.  Maybe the heroes are hurt, tired, and were expecting to be able to recover at the inn.
18. A massive tree-top settlement constructed by an atypical race such as dwarves.
19. A plateau in the desert or badlands.  Atop the plateau is a fertile and lush oasis.
20. An ongoing construction site for a major structure, perhaps a cathedral, castle, or ziggurat.
21. A prison or an asylum.
22. A long-forgotten abbey in a remote location.  Everything about the abbey seems good and holy but evidence suggests that the original inhabitants were of a traditionally evil race.
23. An outpost on the very far edge of civilization.
24. A huge sewer system beneath a relatively small town.  Is this the signs of an earlier settlement?
25. An abandoned location that was occupied and thriving the last time the heroes were there.

Hope you find at least a few ideas here for your next adventure.  Until next time…