Rural Settlement

A rural settlement spreads across farms, lanes, grazing land and small clusters of buildings rather than gathering tightly behind walls. Even when the population is substantial, daily life still feels local: neighbours know one another, news travels by word of mouth and strangers are noticed quickly.

At a Glance

• Character: dispersed homes, workshops, fields and common land.
• Strength: close local ties and relatively low crime.
• Weakness: fewer markets, specialists and concentrated services.
• Adventure pressure: distance matters; help may be several miles away.

Legacy Settlement Rules

Under the legacy settlement-quality rules, a Rural settlement decreases Economy by 1, decreases Crime by 1 and reduces Danger by 5.

Using It in Play

Adventurers are less anonymous here than in a crowded city. A missing traveller, stolen horse or unfamiliar armed band may be discussed throughout the district by nightfall. At the same time, the settlement’s wide footprint means a problem at an isolated farm can remain physically distant from any watch post or local authority.

Rural communities work especially well for mysteries, livestock attacks, boundary disputes, hidden shrines, roadside encounters and threats that move between scattered holdings.

Sources & Licensing

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