How to build a Swords&Sorcery city -Adventurer style !

CITIES

Many adventures will begin and end at a city; most will involve one at some point.  The primary fact about any city, and likely what distant folks will know of it, is its reputation. Reputation both defines what is expected from such a city (such as maintenance and public works), and shapes the results of its other characteristics (such as law and the personality of its rulers and their servants).  Additionally, a cities reputation provides some direct modifiers when rolling for its other characteristics

Code	A	B	C	D	E	X
Reputation	Lawful	Pragmatic	Corrupt	Decadent	Chaotic	Evil
	2,3,4	5,6	7,8	9,10	11	12
	wealth +1 Law +1		wealth -1	size +1* wealth+1	Law -2 Wealth-1	ruler +3  law +3

Lawful	Rule of law, consistently, if often obsessively, applied; trade is protected, organized and static ;reliable. Traditions are clung to, respected and enforced.  Authorities are generally obeyed respected or feared equally. Little change can be expected between visits, and is extremely hard to bring about. Upkeep, repair and hygiene are major and constant priorities for the rulers.  Often the last to accept widespread changes in culture or technology. A few ancient guilds generally dominate trade and industry, and seldom change. Slavery, indenture, and caste related rules strongly enforced and very seldom altered. Little social mobility.  Banishment is a common punishment, as is quick and clean execution to encourage public order. An elaborate system of fines and repayments are also generally enforced.
Pragmatic	As Lawful, but greater priorities, or important immediate issues may take precedent. Trade is generally protected, somewhat organized and open to innovation. Law may differ for different populations or classes, or be altered to reflect major changes with moderate effort. Moderate change between visits; Traditions respected, and generally followed but not necessarily enforced as law. Upkeep repair and hygiene. Established trade and industry controlled by numerous guilds, with newer enterprises often unregulated as they grow. Slavery, indenture, and caste related rules are enforced but can be altered. Some social mobility is possible. Criminal penalties geared towards public education, including public execution, mutilation and public humiliation.
Corrupt	As pragmatic, but with money and political gain as the main priorities. The main goal of the rulers and servants, and much of the population, is personal gain. The wealth of the city is slowly being sucked into the rulers’ hands, and those of their minions.  Trade is protected to the extent that it pays for it. Bribes for service often institutionalized. Laws can be altered by bribes, as can nearly an official decision; often de facto bidding decides cases in courts. Public works tend to suffer due to bribery, graft and corruption, or are essentially private money making schemes. Slavery, indenture, and caste related rules are enforced insofar as they are profitable. .C Criminals are generally treated as cheap resources rather than executed or imprisoned. Slavery, forced labor and huge fines are typical penalties. Social mobility is possible if one has the money
Decadent	Laws exist, but not the motivation to enforce them.  Pleasure and novelty are major motivators for all. Laws may well be ignored or enforced as convenient or amusing.  Traditions less important unless they directly affect an individual. Public maintenance generally ignored. Elaborate and multilayered political scheming is the norm, often to no discernable goal. Change very likely as regards fads, fashion and hobbies; little attention is paid to much else. Criminals are often banished or immediately executed as an annoyance; equally likely they are used as entertainment Social mobility is possible, but often fleeting and dependent on fame or fashion.
Chaotic	While it may well have official rulers and servants, actual control is constantly shifting, and open conflict is common. Laws might exist but are applied arbitrarily or unevenly, or are invented at whim. Unlike a corrupt city, power is the key factor in all decisions.  Feuds and vendetta may predominate, or an elaborate set of old boy networks, generally at odds. Public works depend entirely on the local users for the local users benefit to the city as a whole, is  generally ignored. Punishments are swift and final, as befits a system where tomorrow may bring a totally different social arrangement. Social mobility beyond ones local party is negligible.
Evil	Laws exist only to benefit and protect the rulers, and to promote some evil agenda.  The rulers of a city are only motivated by their own base agenda; the city is either ignored or ruthlessly exploited for the final goal. Often, the city is treated as an ultimately expendable resource in pursuit of a greater goal, and thus decisions may be extremely short sited as regards effects upon the city. Little or no attention is paid to anything that does not further the rulers’ plans, anything that impedes it is ruthlessly crushed. Laws are either ignored or crushing, depending on the above. Sacrifice and gruesome public execution are common penalties for most offences, as is enslavement at unspeakable labor. Social mobility is impossible.

Cities are further defined by their primary and secondary characteristics.

Primary characteristics define basic demographics of the city, which are then given a range of expression by a secondary characteristic. Primary characteristics are generated by a 2D6 roll, in many cases modified by previous primary rolls. 

Population is the maximum number of hearths (families).  Actual value can range down to just above the maximum of the previous category. Generated by 2d6-2

Wealth measures what the middle class or higher citizen would be described and effects the value of treasures and caches in the city.  Generated by 2d6-7+Pop

Size affects the number of hexes or squares on a city scale map. 0 suggests that it is hidden, lost or buried, or destroyed except for some artifacts. Generated by  2d6-7+Pop

Ruler is described separately. Generated by 2d6-2

Law is the strictness that an outsider has face; the basic throw to avoid trouble with the law, enter the city secretly, to escape or receive justice. Generated by  2d6-7+Ruler

Influence effects the number hexes around and including the polis that are under the cities’ influence. Actual rule by the city is 1d6 less Generated by 2d6-7+Ruler

	Population*	Wealth**	Size***	Ruler	Law	Influence
0	0/ruins	None	Hidden	None	None	Powerless beyond walls
1	10	Impoverished	Tiny	Family
2	50			Tribal
3	100	Poor		Council
4	500			Oligarchy
5	1000	Unremarkable		Autocracy
6	5000			Factional
7	10,000	Well off		Conquered
8	50,000			Dictator
9	100,000	wealthy		Tyrant
A	500,000			Dynastic
B	-	rich		-
C	-			-	Total
D	-	Opulent		-	-
E	-			-	-
F	-	Staggering	Huge	-	-	Domineering

Ruler

None	Might makes right; the strong do as they will, and the weak do as they must.
Family	Rule  and law applied on a family by family basis
Tribal	Clan based, families have common rule and decision making
Council	A small group of rulers make laws and policy. Membership is generally quite open, and terms limited.
Oligarchy	As Council but membership is limited to a small subgroup  of the demos.  Entry into the subgroup is possible, but limited or difficult. May be obvious or covert, defined by law or custom.
Autocracy	As Oligarchy, but the subgroup is generally small, socially  defined, and closed to new members; Terms are often defined by the members. Invariably obvious, generally legally defined
Factional	No one authority controls the polis.
Conquered	The Polis is a conquered possession of another; rule is imposed by the conqueror with little input locally.
Dictator	Rule by a single person, generally chosen to deal with a crisis, with limited term but unquestioned power and support. Ruler type should be rerolled at +2 once term ends.
Dynastic	As dictator, but it has become inherited, either thru families (as with a king)  or institutionally (as with a theocracy), and potentially of unlimited term.
Tyrant	As dictator, but with unlimited term, and support is irrelevant; often replacing a Dynasty, and/or the start of a new one.

Polis is the city (or town) Demos is the population of the Polis. Term is the time any one member can expect to remain in power.

Secondary characteristics are always rolled with an unmodified D6, and represent ways the primary characteristic can be expressed.

Primary	Secondary
Population	Openness vs. Insularity
	Religion: Few vs. Many
	Morale
Wealth	Trade vs. Treasury (wealth is mobile/situational vs. hoarded)
	Military quality Poor vs. good
Size	Declining vs. Expanding
	Ancient vs. new
Ruler	Complacency vs. Aggression
	Allegiance: local vs. distant
Law	Ruler stability vs. instability
	Consistency
Influence	Diplomacy vs. Military means of control