So now that we've got a hex map generated, you are going to pick a spot on this map to put your adventure starting point, or the character's home town.
The home town is going to serve as a hub for the adventure. A safe space, so to speak. Safe space does a lot of heavy lifting in this instance. Why? Because the adventurers want to be lured and tempted into the wilderness. Into the great hex map you created. If the home town is constantly under threat, and the adventuring keeps happening here, they have no reason to leave. So what purpose(s) should the home town serve as?
- A comfortable place to rest
- A place to bring back treasure
- A hub to gather intel and rumors
- Possibly the place to get their magic items identified
- A place to feel like "home town heroes"
Now, you are probably familiar with the archetypal village. It probably has a blacksmith, a tavern, and inn, and a provisioner. Note this important fact; not every problem the characters run into can be solved here in the home town. This will require them to venture out into the wilderness, where the treasure is, as well. But I also believe in making this town a bit unique as well. Maybe add an establishment with no direct use for the characters just yet.
Here's an example home town:
Name: Bolgen
Establishments:
- Blacksmith, run by a voracious halfling woman named Hildegard Vilfommel
- Tavern, called the Limp Fish. Run by an old human named Richard, and his three adopted elf children
RUMORS AT THE LIMP FISH:
1. "Beware the wolves. They've been gathering at the standing stones of late. Strange times are upon us."
2. "I know the devil when I seen him, and he's there with his ghostly buddies ripping mamaw out of her grave."
3. "I hear the Coyote Woman was once a noblewoman, but spent her fortune on mind-altering substances, brothels, and swims nude with mermaids."
4. "If you're able to snag a barrel of the sour titan ale, you can sell those for 2,000 crowns EACH."
- Inn, known as Gustafson's. Modest prices, and a relatively soft bed. The continental breakfast isn't great. Also has stables for an additional fee
- Provisioner, known simply as the General Store. Everything found in the equipment list can be bought here, but there are only limited quantities. They get new shipments every week via caravan
- The Coyote Woman's hut is a couple miles outside of town. She's pretty eccentric, and sometimes spooky, but she knows much about the occult
- Blood & Thunder is the local brewery here in Bolgen, located forty feet underground. They supply the Limp Fish with their drinks, and is one of the last official brewers of Sour Titan Ale, which is so strong, any non-dwarf who drinks it is immediately inebriated for 1d4 days. Rumor has it that there is a golem that patrols the cellar, keeping the barrels of alcohol AND the secret recipe safe
This is all you need for your home town. You want places of interest, the folks who are important to those places, and what they can provide the adventure.
*The home town probably is near a source of fresh water.
**There is also a mayor or shire reeve the townsfolk report to, as well.
You can get as noodly with this town as you'd like, but avoid making this a sprawling metropolis. The home town is merely a starting point for the hex-based adventure. Allow some flexibility to allow your players to help fill in the gaps you don't have. Maybe your town doesn't have a sage-like character to identify arcane artifacts, but a temple to a deity instead, that might have a few potions to lend.
Towns are fun to create, but easy to get lost in the details with. Especially for a starting home town, you just need the basics. A few places, a few NPCs, and a few rumors.
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