Polluted Settlement

A polluted settlement has paid for economic growth with poisoned air, water or soil. The cause may be alchemical workshops, magical industry, mining, furnaces or another concentrated source of waste.

Legacy Settlement Rules

Under the legacy settlement-quality rules, Polluted increases Corruption by 2 and Economy by 4.

A character who spends at least 24 hours in the settlement takes a –4 penalty on Fortitude saves against disease while remaining within 5 miles of it and for 1d4+1 days after leaving, unless magical healing removes the lingering effect as described by the source.

What Adventurers Notice

• Discoloured water, smoke, dead vegetation or foul industrial runoff.
• Workers and poorer districts bearing most of the health cost.
• Powerful owners arguing that closing the industry would destroy local livelihoods.

Using It in Play

The pollution can be a symptom of something larger: unsafe alchemy, a leaking magical engine, illegal dumping or a creature imprisoned beneath the works. Adventures can revolve around proving responsibility, finding a clean water source or keeping a vital industry running without poisoning the town.

Sources & Licensing

Section 15: Copyright Notice — Cityscapes: New Settlement Options for the Pathfinder RPG. Cityscapes © 2012, Otherverse Games; Author: Chris A. Field.