[AtE] Let's go shopping!

[Luke Bunyip]

So, some intrepid adventurers have made it to a moderately large and functional settlement, and they're in the mood for trading, getting a shave, visiting the dentist etc.

The town in question is comparatively large, and acts as a rudimentary service hub for the smaller farming and grazing communities which surround it. Local industry could include plant and animal fibre processing, weaving/felt production, animal sales yards, a tannery, some smithing and metal working workshops, and a timberyard. A couple of demolition yards store building materials scavenged from buildings which have been abandoned and/or demolished.

I'm positing that the majority of commercial activity would consist of a couple of markets:

• The Small Market: a former carpark and associated small mall/shopping centre complex. Open three days a week, vendors have small semi permanent stalls. Main source for townsfolk of basic perishables, and as an outlet for local cottage industries.

• The Middle Market: Open on the first and third Saturday of the month, this is bigger, but the stalls here are removable. Items for sale could include locally made items, such as clothing, leather products, metal tools and implements, and pottery. The areas surrounding some of the food stalls is where a number of townfolk meet to exchange gossip, make business deals etc. If the PCs want to find someone, this is the place to go. There may be some imported produce on sale, like imported speciality oils (emu oil, anyone), better quality pottery (the local clay is meh), and cloth sourced from animals which don't occur in the surrounding areas (alpaca and possum wool).

• The Big Market: Occurring on the first Sunday of every third month, this is the one where foreign traders dominate. (I don't have clear and detailed ideas as of yet regarding what would be available) A carnival atmosphere would prevail, with visiting puppet shows, traders with pre End items scavenged from the nearest ruined urban wastelands, and manufactured items from out of the region. It's also frequented by members of the region's outlying communities and nomads. As a consequence, Big Market night can get a bit, let's us say, rowdy.

[Luke Bunyip]

However, there'd have to be some permanent shops supplying speciality items and services. Off the top of my head, these could include:

• A couple of gunsmiths and/or firearm and ammunition retailers
• A doctor and a medical clinic with a couple of nurses
• An apothecary
• A couple of blacksmiths, with varied specialities(?), as well as a light engineering works
• An undertaker
• A couple of scrapyards (building materials, parts from scavenged vehicles, etc)
• A timberyard
• A technologist (more to come, but I'm thinking of someone like the Finn from Neuromancer)
• A printer
• A bookseller
• A dojo or two
• At least one bar and/or diner

[Luke Bunyip]

Q: If you were to include this in a setting for an AtE game, what would you include or modify? What you exclude?

[Dustin]

Consider at what level power and lighting are available in this community, and provide some specialists to support those. From traction animals and rushlights, up to generators/solar panels and ancient LED bulbs. Fuel of any kind is usually specialized (charcoal, kraken oil, radioisotopes). Air and water filters may need their own specialists as well, if pollution is a major thing.

There will likely be a range of technologists, from tinkerers who can just about re-solder a connection, up to the one town government connected egghead who won't have time for you unless you have something *really* impressive to show her.

[ajardoor]

Thought this would be a thread for AtE loadouts for quicker character creation. Disappointing.

[Luke Bunyip]

Originally Posted by ajardoor

Thought this would be a thread for AtE loadouts for quicker character creation. Disappointing.

Now... there's an idea!

Sorry to disappoint. I'm thinking from a GM perspective, rather than a player's.

EDIT: Must admit, this is me procrastinating with making up character generation templates for my players. Am currently defining settlements and groups/clients/foes. Thought that the later may inform the afore.

[Luke Bunyip]

Originally Posted by Dustin

Consider at what level power and lighting are available in this community, and provide some specialists to support those.
<snip>
There will likely be a range of technologists...

Mmmn. Lighting, power.

[JulianLW]

There'll be a tanner, and in addition to making other leather goods, he'll probably make drums, which will likely be the most commonly-used musical instrument. Any good-sized community will also have a dance-floor/stage area, where there'll be parties, talent shows, and maybe performances. I imagine drum circles will be a thing, if there are larger communities like this AtE.

[dcarson]

Butcher and baker. Possibly with working cold storage and oven.

[benz72]

A few things would be setting assumption dependent.


Brewer/vintner/distiller
Weaver/tailor/seamstress/cordwainer/cobbler if there are no more ‘old clothes’
Luthier/jewler/lacemaker if a place has a luxury economy
Foundry, able to cast aluminum, copper alloys and maybe iron/steel
Builder/carpenter/mason/plumber
Bicycle repair shop or wainwright
Dog breeder/trainer
rope maker
Furniture maker?