City Tensions¶
Blitz Eternal: Adventures Beyond the Mists — v0.4 Draft¶
When your Characters arrive in a city or town, tension is the first thing they should feel. Not lore. Not atmosphere. Friction between people pulling in different directions.
Use these tables to generate immediate, visible conflict. Roll twice (1d6, then 1d6) to find a tension, or pick one that suits the moment. Each tension has two clear factions and something the Characters can see and largely understand in their first scene.
How to Use¶
Roll 1d6 to pick a chart (1 to 6 below).
Roll 1d6 again to pick the tension (1 to 6 within that chart).
Or simply read through and pick what fits your session.
Each tension gives you:
- Two opposing factions with incompatible goals
- Something visibly happening right now (protests, blockades, sabotage, armed camps, open recruitment)
- An immediate hook the Characters can engage with
You don't need more. Improvise the NPCs and details from here.
POWER & SUCCESSION | Roll 1d6=1, then 1d6¶
| 1d6 | Tension |
|---|---|
| 1 | Heir A vs. Heir B. The old lord is dead. Both heirs have armed supporters camped outside the keep. The city is paralyzed; merchants won't trade until someone wins. |
| 2 | Lieutenant A vs. Lieutenant B. The watch captain just died. Two lieutenants are each leading half the guard force, and they're giving contradictory orders in the streets. |
| 3 | Summoned Hero vs. Interim Ruler. A hero was summoned through the Mists to rule this land. The interim steward refuses to step down. Both are issuing commands; citizens don't know who to obey. |
| 4 | Local Nobles vs. Capital Governor. A governor from the capital arrived to "reform" the city with harsh new laws. The merchant houses are openly defying her in the market square. |
| 5 | House A vs. House B. An old treaty ended. Two rival merchant houses now share the same market. Fights break out daily at their adjoining stalls. |
| 6 | New Guard Recruits vs. Suspicious Citizens. Half the watch was purged for corruption. The new recruits are paranoid and arresting anyone who looks wrong. People are furious. |
FACTIONS IN CONFLICT | Roll 1d6=2, then 1d6¶
| 1d6 | Tension |
|---|---|
| 1 | Merchant Guild vs. City Guard. The guild controls the market; the guard wants inspection authority and a cut of profits. They're fighting over who searches which stalls. |
| 2 | Company A vs. Company B. Two adventuring companies both claim the same noble's contract. They're recruiting at rival taverns and getting into brawls over territory. |
| 3 | Shipping House A vs. Shipping House B. Two shipping houses are sabotaging each other's docks. Ships are being delayed or damaged; violence is expected soon. |
| 4 | Scholars' Society vs. Temple. An established temple wants to burn books the scholars consider essential knowledge. Scholars are smuggling manuscripts out at night; the temple's wardens are blocking the docks. |
| 5 | Thieves' Guild vs. Merchant Guild. The thieves openly run a guildhouse in the warehouse district. The merchant guild pays guards to look the other way while thieves steal from their rivals. Honest merchants are furious. |
| 6 | Mage Cabal vs. Temple. The cabal is openly recruiting in the streets and teaching magic. A dominant temple is threatening to denounce its members and refuse them the rites. Both are holding public ceremonies to claim authority. |
ECONOMIC STRAIN | Roll 1d6=3, then 1d6¶
| 1d6 | Tension |
|---|---|
| 1 | Grain Cartel vs. Everyone Else. A merchant cartel cornered all grain supplies and is holding them hostage until prices triple. The poor are starving. Riots are starting at the granaries. |
| 2 | Displaced Merchant vs. Tax Collectors. A prominent merchant was taxed out of business. His workers are unpaid and angry; his family is begging in the streets. His rival took over his stall. |
| 3 | Soldiers vs. Their Vanished Commander. A company commander fled with the payroll. His soldiers haven't been paid in months and are turning to theft and extortion. They're desperate and dangerous. |
| 4 | Smugglers vs. New Tax Authority. A new lord taxed all incoming goods. Merchants are openly smuggling around the checkpoints; guards are beating smugglers and confiscating goods. |
| 5 | Hoarders vs. Starving Citizens. A crop failure is coming. Hoarders are buying all remaining grain; people are starving. Guards are beating back crowds trying to steal food. |
| 6 | Lord vs. Local Wells. A lord claimed a nearby wellspring and is selling water at inflated prices. Local wells are running dry. People are forced to buy from him or suffer. |
TRANSFORMATION | Roll 1d6=4, then 1d6¶
| 1d6 | Tension |
|---|---|
| 1 | Merchant Prince vs. Smaller Merchants. A wealthy merchant is funding a bridge rebuild to monopolize trade routes. Smaller merchants are losing money daily and demanding compensation. The bridge blocks their access. |
| 2 | New Lord vs. Old District. A new lord declared the old market district will be demolished for his palace. Shopkeepers are fighting to keep their stores; some have chained themselves to buildings. |
| 3 | Tanner vs. Residents. A wealthy tanner is opening a new yard that reeks. Residents are demanding it be moved, but the lord supports it for tax revenue. The neighborhood is split between profit and survival. |
| 4 | New Governor vs. Temple. The new governor is tearing down a beloved temple to build a military barracks. Citizens are protesting daily; clergy is blocking construction. Violence is likely. |
| 5 | Noble Fortification vs. Merchants. A noble's new fortification is cutting off access to the merchant docks. Traders are rerouting at huge cost and are openly angry. Business has collapsed on one side of the city. |
| 6 | Capital Order vs. Local Fear. The capital ordered the city walls torn down as a "gesture of peace." Locals fear raiders and blame the crown for leaving them defenseless. People are arguing openly in the streets. |
SECRETS & CORRUPTION | Roll 1d6=5, then 1d6¶
| 1d6 | Tension |
|---|---|
| 1 | Temple Clergy vs. Victim's Family. A temple was rebuilt after a murder. The clergy acts nervous and refuses to discuss what happened. A family still seeks answers and is watching the priests closely. |
| 2 | Honest Captain vs. Corrupt Guard. Half the guard takes bribes from the thieves' guild. An honest captain is rooting out the corruption, causing paranoia and betrayal within the force. No one knows who to trust. |
| 3 | Guild Master's Rivals vs. His Loyal Followers. A beloved merchant guild master is actually a fraud. Rivals are about to expose him publicly, and his loyal followers are ready to fight to protect him. |
| 4 | Legendary Warrior's Enemies vs. Her Allies. A legendary warrior supposedly died years ago. Her old enemies are hunting her through the city. Her allies are secretly hiding her. Both sides are searching. |
| 5 | Rival Houses vs. Suspicion. One noble house's merchants keep getting robbed by bandits while another's aren't. Suspicion is growing that a rival house is funding the bandits to destabilize them. Open accusations are flying. |
| 6 | Ghost-Hunter vs. Returning Impostor. A company commander faked his death to escape a blood oath. He's returned in secret, but people mistake him for his own ghost. His sworn enemies believe he's cursed the city. |
ARRIVALS & UPHEAVAL | Roll 1d6=6, then 1d6¶
| 1d6 | Tension |
|---|---|
| 1 | Foreign Merchants vs. Local Distrust. A foreign merchant company just opened warehouses in the city. Locals suspect them of being spies or thieves. Citizens are watching their every move and spreading rumors. |
| 2 | Street Preacher vs. Established Temple. A charismatic preacher is holding street sermons condemning the city's dominant temple as corrupt. Crowds are choosing sides openly. The temple is losing followers daily and is furious. |
| 3 | Refugees vs. Two Factions. Refugees from a plague-struck region are flooding the gates. A temple demands they be sheltered; citizens demand they be turned away. The city is split, and the gates are mobbed. |
| 4 | Unpopular Foreign Prince vs. Local Nobles. A foreign prince arrived to negotiate a trade deal. The local nobles are almost in open revolt over the negotiations. The city is divided between those who want trade and those who see him as a threat. |
| 5 | Mist-touched Stranger vs. Two Camps. A Mist-touched stranger appeared in the market with no memory. Some people want to help her; others demand she be exiled before she brings a curse. Debate is fierce in every tavern. |
| 6 | Mists Cult vs. Temple and Families. A cult is recruiting daily, promising salvation through the Mists. Families are tearing apart choosing sides. A local temple is losing authority and is desperate to stop them. |