THE URBAN ADVENTURER

An urban adventurer is not quite like her more traditional, far-ranging counterpart. She tends to be less fl ashy, and perhaps more prone to subtler, more focused techniques. She often lets adventure come to her, rather than going in search of it. And while she might certainly seek fortune and glory, she might just be someone who’d rather live an ordinary life, if only circumstances would permit it.

This isn’t to say an urban adventurer never seeks out excitement and danger. From the monster-infested sewers to the orc armies at the walls to the demons and doppelgangers in the highest levels of government, most cities boast more than enough evil to seek out and destroy. Still, an urban adventurer likely has close personal ties to the city—or else why would she stay? She might seek to defend her home, to rise through the ranks to a position of power, to support her guild or house, or simply to smite evil and earn a few gold pieces without leaving the comforts of civilization. Whatever the case, her skills and abilities—to say nothing of her attitudes—differ somewhat from those adventurers who wander out into the world, rarely thinking of home.

The most important distinction between traditional and urban adventurers, especially spellcasters, has to do with their methods. Fireball and lightning bolt are mainstays of the dungeon delver or the dragon hunter, but they simply aren’t practical when battling thugs in an alley or monsters on Main Street. The fighter who counts on his wizard’s enlarge person to make him truly potent when fi ghting giants could be in a tight spot when he tries to use the same trick inside a guildhall. The city’s enclosed nature, and the presence of innocent bystanders, mean that adventurers must be a lot more selective in their techniques. Save the fireballs for warding off invading armies or battling otyughs in the cavernous chambers deep beneath the city, and read on for more appropriate methods and abilities for city streets and the halls of power.