Are you a busy GM? Does session prep take too long? Do you never have time to work on the cool little details that can bring your adventures to life? These focused lists give you, the time-crunched GM, the tools to effortlessly add verisimilitude and detail to your urban adventures.

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1: The Sage’s Study

The Emporium of Knowledge: Comprising the ground floor of a larger building, the privacy-conscious sage, Sven Joutsi (LG male human), works here but lives elsewhere. Sven is kind and friendly. He is wise in the ways of folklore, religion and fey.
Warberry Cottage: This small, tidy cottage looks respectable and in good repair. The sage, Hille Puukko (LN old female human), is knowledgeable on matters of religion, spirituality and art.
The Tree of Knowledge: In love with her own knowledge and intoxicated by wealth, Janaela Cyelrae (N middle-aged female half-elf) works for anyone who will pay her. She trades on the mystique of her mixed heritage and knows much about the natural world and the history of the elves, dwarves and gnomes.
The Open Book: Esoteric symbols and stylised books decorate this building’s frontage. Taavi Salme (N male human) runs two businesses here. He knows much about the planes of existence and is skilled in cryptography.

2: Major Locale Features

A stuffed owlbear “guards” the door to the sage’s public study. Here they meet clients, and the sage likes to tell how they killed the owlbear in their youth. This may—or may not—be true.
Books on many appropriate subjects line the study’s walls. The study likely contains more books in one place than the characters have ever seen before.
The study is small and cosy. Thick rugs cover the floor, and a warm fire blazes in the hearth. A large wolfhound lounges in front of the fire. It ignores patrons.
A dusty chandelier glimmers with permanent magical light. The sage can use various command words to dim or brighten the light. The chandelier is not for sale.

3: Minor Locale Features

The study is a riot of disorganisation; books, papers, objects of interest and more are piled randomly about the room. Only the sage knows where anything is.
A large tapestry covers one wall and shows a stylised map of the local region for 200 miles in all directions.
A perceptive character spots the edge of a large dried bloodstain part hidden under a poorly positioned rug. The sage evasively dismisses the bloodstain as the result of an old accident.
The sage feels the cold; no matter the weather, a fire blazes in the study’s fireplace.

4: What’s Going On?

Sounds of two people shouting drift from the sage’s study. As the characters arrive, another customer (roll on “Visitors & Customers”) storms out of the study.
The sage is deep in research for a well-paying customer when the characters arrive. The characters must return tomorrow—unless they are better paying.
In need of quick gold, the sage offers to expedite the characters’ research (for a small extra fee, of course).
The sage has their young child or grandchild with them. The young child fixates on one character and asks many simple (and increasingly annoying) questions.

5: Other Folk

Auni Ilakka (LG female human) serves the sage as a bodyguard. Either the sage is paranoid, has received death threats, or they have something worth guarding. This skilled, heavily armed warrior is vigilant and honest.
Falgar Dwygth (LG male dwarf) watches the sage’s place of business. He suspects the sage is a fraud after their advice led to a companion’s death. (Perceptive characters may spot the dwarf lurking nearby.)
Esteri Kaipia (LN female human) needs advice “for a friend”. She actually works for a merchant who wants to disguise their interest in a certain matter. She is friendly but evasive about the reason for her visit.
Hille Kontio (CE female human) works as an assassin and has been hired to kill the sage. She is here to get a feel for her target. Perceptive characters notice that she seems exceptionally aware of her surroundings. She is disguised as a moderately wealthy merchant.

Credit

This is a short system-neutral extract from Urban Locale #02: Sage’s Study by Creighton Broadhurst. The book is available from DriveThruRPG and here at our store.

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Urban Locales: Sage's Study