Archives of Nethys

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Settlement Toolbox

Source Galaxy Exploration Manual pg. 150
From small towns to bustling metropolises to orbiting space stations, settlements comprise one of the major building blocks that make up a campaign setting. Every settlement should feel unique, whether due to geography, culture, or the quirks and challenges presented here.
When creating a settlement from scratch, GMs can use the following tables to help give a particular settlement a touch of personality. Alternatively, a player can use these tables to determine something interesting about where their character is from.
Settlement Quirks: These details help a settlement stand out.
Settlement Challenges: These plot hooks might determine why the PCs visit a particular settlement, or they might spur adventure while the PCs are there.
Settlement Locations: These locations might appear in any settlement. If you want a location in a low-technology settlement, reroll results of 51 or higher. If you want a location in a medium-technology settlement, reroll results of 81 or higher.

Settlement Quirks

D% Description
1–4 An enormous statue stands in the settlement’s center. No records of its construction exists, and no one knows what it represents.
5–8 Harmless swarming creatures overrun the settlement.
9–12 A yearly festival celebrates a certain crop, food item, or trade good that isn’t produced anywhere near the settlement.
13–16 A specific color is banned from appearing in the settlement.
17–20 The settlement enforced a strict curfew, giving rise to several after-hours establishments operating just outside it.
21–24 An unusual weather or cosmic phenomenon hangs just above the settlement in defiance of meteorology or physics.
25–28 Every hour, a tolling bell can be heard throughout the settlement—though no such timepiece exists.
29–32 The settlement’s law enforcement officers proudly use a peculiar or outdated form of transportation.
33–36 A factory or fort on the settlement’s outskirts opens its gates only once every 3 months, and none of the locals work there.
37–40 A famous and reclusive author or artist lives within the settlement; the locals dissuade outsiders from bothering them.
41–44 Many inhabitants claim to be descended from a lost line of an important family that originates from this world or another.
45–48 The settlement houses the decorated tomb of a historical figure.
49–52 Detailed murals depicting a sibling settlement grace many of the exterior walls of the settlement’s residences.
53–56 A benevolent secret society believes itself the settlement’s masterminds, but locals merely humor the society’s members.
57–60 The settlement’s layout follows a precise geometry, but the streets seem to be numbered or named at random.
61–64 Dozens of stray animals make their home in a particular building.
65–68 A precocious child rumored to possess powerful psychic abilities serves as one of the settlement’s leaders.
69–72 A small garden grows in the middle of the settlement that produces a type of flower found nowhere else in the galaxy.
73–76 The settlement observes an elaborate weekly tradition.
77–80 The settlement hosts a regular gathering of collectors of a rare but unusual type of object.
81–84 The inhabitants get their clothes from a single tailor or fashion designer, who boasts a distinct and unusual style.
85–88 An archway stands in the middle of the settlement and occasionally flashes with (harmless) eldritch energy.
89–92 A secret passage connects two seemingly unrelated structures.
93–96 Several of the settlement’s structures were built for inhabitants much smaller or larger than the average local.
97–100 All but one of the settlement’s buildings are identical.


Settlement Challenges

D% Description
1–4 The settlement and its people are heavily taxed or in deep debt.
5–8 A rival settlement is luring away the settlement’s residents.
9–12 A grifter holds control over the settlement’s resources or finances.
13–16 The settlement’s leaders trade some of its inhabitants to an evil outsider in exchange for future prosperity.
17–20 A wealthy, influential individual is maneuvering to purchase the settlement in its entirety—and then demolish it.
21–24 Bizarre accidents plague the construction work on a new, high-profile public building within the settlement.
25–28 A huge influx of visitors recently entered the settlement, overwhelming local resources and leading to culture clashes.
29–32 An unknown saboteur has infected the settlement’s water source.
33–36 A magical curse or technological virus afflicts the settlement’s equipment, rendering it ineffective.
37–40 An addictive substance taints the settlement’s food supply, turning inhabitants against each other when provisions run low.
41–44 The settlement’s inhabitants enjoy a form of entertainment that surreptitiously carries a supernatural form of mental illness.
45–48 Unpredictable severe weather periodically cuts the settlement off from the outside world.
49–52 Wild animals, both predators and prey, regularly encroach upon the settlement’s limits, attacking the citizens on sight.
53–56 A group of space pirates or other villains holds one of the settlement’s major landmarks under siege.
57–60 Warring criminal groups use the settlement as a battleground.
61–64 A serial killer stalks the settlement’s streets, avoiding capture through either magical or advanced technological means.
65–68 A terrifying figure from the settlement’s distant past has returned from the dead to seek revenge.
69–72 Half of the settlement recently vanished without a trace.
73–76 The locals have no memory of the past week.
77–80 The settlement’s inhabitants simultaneously receive a cryptic glimpse of their individual futures.
81–84 A recently discovered relic at the heart of the settlement draws attention, both good and ill.
85–88 A group of unscrupulous mercenaries made the settlement their home base and now refuse to leave.
89–92 A high-profile legal proceeding uncovers all manner of dark secrets about the settlement’s inhabitants.
93–96 The settlement is under constant threat of being quickly reclaimed by nature and must be diligently maintained.
97–99 A prank war among the students of a nearby institute of learning escalates dangerously, engulfing the settlement.
100 An especially temperamental domesticated animal or pet terrorizes the settlement’s inhabitants.


Settlement Locations

D% Location
1–2 Restaurant: Dine in for local cuisine.
3–4 Pub: Enjoy alcoholic beverages.
5–6 Café: Enjoy hot brewed beverages and pastries.
7 Butcher: Purchase pre-cut portions of meat.
8 Greengrocer: Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
9 General Store: Purchase various sundries.
10 Smithy: Purchase worked metal items.
11 Woodworker: Purchase worked wooden items.
12 Stonemason: Purchase worked stone items.
13 Tanner: Purchase, alter, or repair leather items.
14 Tailor: Purchase, alter, or repair clothing.
15–16 Alchemist: Purchase magic potions and similar items.
17 Gallery: Purchase or admire artwork.
18 School: Learn basic or advanced skills and information.
19 Fairgrounds: Enjoy outdoor fairs and exhibitions.
20 Monument: Learn about or reflect on a figure, place, or event.
21 Jeweler: Purchase or repair jewelry or buy and sell precious gems.
22–23 Stadium: Watch major sporting events.
24 Solarian Monastery: Train in the ways of the solarian.
25 Library: Borrow books and periodicals, and perform research.
26 Records Hall: Examine local government records.
27 Post Office: Pick up mail or post it for delivery.
28 City Hall: Engage with local government and its officials.
29 Jailhouse: Visit prisoners.
30–31 Healer: Purchase medicines or receive medical treatment.
32–33 Temple: Offer prayers to a deity, or speak with local clergy.
34 Seer: Engage the services of a diviner or fortune-teller.
35–36 Inn: Secure short-term lodgings.
37 Boarding House: Secure long-term, impermanent lodgings.
38 Theater: Watch live performances.
39 Bank: Deposit or withdraw money, or apply for a loan.
40 Livery Stable: Keep, purchase, or rent mounts.
41–42 Transport Dealer: Purchase or repair ground-based transport.
43–44 Spellcaster’s Tower: Engage the services of a spellcaster.
45 Cartographer: Engage the services of a mapmaker.
46 Undertaker: Engage the services of a mortician.
47 Thieves’ Guild: Engage the services of a thief.
48 Casino: Gamble on games of chance.
49–50 Pet Shop: Purchase a creature companion or supplies for it.
51–52 Pawn Shop: Sell items for cash or purchase secondhand items.
53 Comic Book Shop: Purchase comics and graphic novels.
54–55 Media Shop: Purchase films, music, and other media.
56 Hacker’s Den: Engage the services of a hacker.
57–58 Infosphere Cafe: Connect to the local or global infosphere.
59–60 Tech Repair Shop: Repair computers and other technology.
61–62 Fuel Station: Purchase fuel and small sundries.
63–64 Public Transportation Hub: Use public transportation.
65 Office Building: Engage the services of a professional.
66 Hospital: Receive emergency or long-term medical care.
67 Gym: Train and exercise.
68 Broadcast Studio: Create live broadcast transmissions.
69–70 Maker Space: Learn and use crafting skills and equipment.
71–72 Nightclub: Enjoy food, alcohol, and music.
73–74 Enchanter: Purchase and install weapon fusions.
75–76 Museum: Learn about art, natural history, or relics of the past.
77–78 Aquarium/Zoo: Observe rare and interesting animals.
79–80 Observatory: Learn about the local star system.
81 Drone Arena: Compete in high-stakes robotic sports.
82 Alien Consulate: Engage with offworld cultures.
83–84 Augmentation Clinic: Purchase and install augmentations.
85–86 Starship Dealership: Obtain, repair, or upgrade starships.
87–88 Starport: Board starships going to other places.
88–89 Starfinder Society Lodge: Meet with intergalactic explorers.
90 Artificial Personality Studio: Create artificial personalities.
91–92 Recycling Centrifuge: Convert almost anything into UPBs.
93 Memory Clinic: Alter or remove your memories.
94 Cryonic Suite: Freeze yourself to be thawed at a later date.
95–96 Tech Workshop: Craft tech, magic, and hybrid items.
97–98 Sensorium: Watch productions that envelop all senses.
98 Zero-G Arena: Watch or participate in zero-gravity sports.
100 Holovid Arcade: Play immersive virtual reality games.