Lantern's Cross

A Drag n' Drop RPG Town

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 Lantern's Cross: A Drag n' Drop RPG Town
Using this Town
Lantern's Cross is a small town near the geographical
center of Aloria, a small kingdom on the outskirts of the
Forgotten Realms (or whichever setting you prefer). This
town has been designed to make it as easy as possible to
drag n' drop this settlement into your home game. As
such, the exact details about the town, such as names, are
not set in stone, and can be changed without much issue.
That being said, as many details as possible have been
provided in order to alleviate burden on the GM.
This town assumes a fantasy world of swords and
sorcery with relatively low technology levels and high
levels of wonder. Lantern's Cross was designed with 1st
and 2nd level characters in mind, but may be used in your
game anywhere where your characters would normally
encounter a small town.
Lantern's Cross: Overview
Population: 1,126
Racial Makeup: 80% Human, 10% Halfling, 5% Half-elf,
4% Dwarf, 1% Other.
Terrain: Forest and Plains.
Town Center
The glowing center of Lantern's Cross is visible even at a
distance. Rows and rows of glass lanterns hang from
granite stone columns that decorate the central
crossroads. These dirt roads connect several major towns
and villages across the kingdom, intersecting at the trading
post of Lantern's Cross.
Most days of the week, the intersection is crawling with
vendors and buskers, the lantern posts surrounded by
colorful tents and stalls. Local tradespeople and traveling
merchants alike frequent the crossroads every weekday to
hawk their wares. The town radiates outwards from this
central hub of trade and commerce, from the residential
thatch houses, to the wooden palisade that surrounds the
city, to the outlying farmlands and homesteads.
These crossroads are also known as Lantern's
Crossing.
Outskirts
A wooden palisade marks a tight defensive outline around
the bulk of the population in Lantern's Cross, enough to
keep out wild animals and the incorrigible bandit at the
very least. Beyond the wall lies a mixture of abandoned
buildings, farmhouses, and a scattering of ruins. Not far to
the west of Lantern's Cross lies Mosswind Wood, a dense
forest full of wild and scary beasts. Not many residents or
visitors to Lantern's Cross are interested in what happens
outside the palisade wall. Those lands belong to
archaeologists, historians, explorers, and adventurers...
1
Rumor Mills
Use the Town Rumor Mill for NPC introductions and for
the first time PCs visit a location. Have the party
overhear the tail end of a conversation or showcase an
immediate conflict involving one of the rumors.
Use the Region Rumor Mill when PCs start actively
looking for adventure, or to add a sense of wonder and
magic to the area surrounding Lantern's Cross.
Town Rumor Mill
1d8+1d12 Rumor
Villagers swear they've seen strange dancing
2–4 lights on misty nights by the Druidic Standing
Stones just west of the town.
Matthias the Wizard once directed an
5–6 adventuring party into a nearby ruin to retrieve
an artifact, but the party never returned.
7–8
Captain Langley once killed a man for looking at
her the wrong way.
Petty theft and vandalism has been unusually
9 – 13 high in Lantern's Crossing lately. Merchants
blame leadership.
Vandren the Smith suspects Athlia the Fletcher
14 – 15
of stealing his arrowheads.
Baron Ambrose accepts bribes from merchants
16 – 17 and vendors to secure "prime" selling spots at
Lantern's Crossing.
There is an abandoned farmhouse on the
outskirts of town that villagers have heard
18 – 20
weird groaning noises coming from in the dead
of night.
Region Rumor Mill
1d8+1d12 Rumor
A young white dragon was spotted to the far
2–4
north.
A goblin tribe is seeking to conquer the
5–6
Mosswind Wood.
The region has been experiencing a drought in
7–8 the last month, which does not bode well for
this year's harvest.
Wild dogs have been killing livestock near the
9 – 13 Mosswind Wood with increasing frequency as
of late.
A bandit gang has been hassling travelers on
14 – 15
the East Road.
A traveling merchant claims they saw a massive
16 – 17 sea serpent swimming beneath the Singing
River to the east.
A young boy started exploring an abandoned
tower at the edge of the Mosswind Wood, but
18 – 20
when he returned the next day, the tower had
disappeared.

Lantern's Crossing
The crossroads at the center of town hosts a number of
vendor stalls and tents, colloquially known as Lantern's
Crossing. It is the hub of trade and culture in the town.
This is where PCs will do the majority of their shopping
and interaction with major NPCs. This hub is unique due to
the high amount of traffic it receives from all corners of
the surrounding kingdom. As such, the party may
encounter new and familiar NPCs every time they return
to Lantern's Crossing.
It is recommended that the GM come up with rumors
and NPCs that fit exotic locations in their settings to
sprinkle into interactions that occur at Lantern's Crossing,
especially for return visits to the site. Executing this well
will help make Lantern's Cross feel like a living breathing
town. The Rumor Tables and Sample NPCs listed here
serve as a way to help GMs get started on this.
The party should be able to purchase any equipment
listed in the Player's Handbook at Lantern's Crossing.
Sample NPCs
Vandren Trussek
Role: Human Blacksmith.
Appearance: A clean-shaven man of middle years. He
often squints his eyes at people in conversation due to
poor eyesight.
Trait: Haughty. Vandren is a proud man, and prouder
still of his craft. He won't miss a chance to criticize poor
craftsmanship.
Friendly: Vandren offers a 20% discount on weapons
and armor to his loyal customers.
Hostile: Vandren refuses to sell to those he believes will
mistreat his quality wares.
Teriak Sherwind
Role: Human Leatherworker.
Appearance: A man with a boyish face and a
mischievous grin. He talks at about twice the speed of the
average person.
Trait: Chatty. Teriak loves to chat with customers about
even the most inane details, even long after business has
subsided. It can be hard to extricate yourself from
conversation with him.
Friendly: Teriak offers free engravings on leather armor
to those who indulge in his chattiness.
Hostile: Teriak is short and terse with those he believes
to be rude.
Athlia Ironeye
Role: Dwarven Fletcher.
Appearance: A dwarf with long braided red hair and
red freckles. She has large muddy-brown eyes and always
seems to maintain eye contact for an uncomfortably long
time.
Trait: Stubborn. Athlia rarely admits she is wrong, and
often places the blame for her hardships on other people
in town. She will pay attention to see whether the party
chooses to agree or disagree with her complaints.
Friendly: Athlia will sell specially crafted +1 arrows at a
price of 1 gp per arrow.
Hostile: Athlia sabotages the weapons she sells,
causing them to break upon use.
Leadership
Lantern's Cross and the surrounding area is looked after
by Baron Winston Ambrose. He is an eccentric man, largely
keeping to his timber mansion on the outskirts of town.
Baron Ambrose's interests lie in the collection of strange
artifacts and ancient treasures. When he is spotted outside
of his abode, it is wandering Lantern's Crossing looking
for a new antique to add to his collection. If the party were
to bring him an ancient weapon or fine ruby, they might
win his favor.
In most matters, Baron Ambrose leaves the authority
with Captain Quinn Langley of the Lantern Watch. Her
small militia is largely comprised of young men and
women who have the free time and the will to volunteer.
Captain Langley and her militia monitor disputes between
merchants that come up at Lantern's Crossing and ward
off the occasional wild animal.
Quinn Langley
Role: Human Captain.
Appearance: Scarred woman of middle age and
grayish-blonde hair. She keeps a longsword at her waist
and wears practical clothes in muted colors.
Trait: Stern. Captain Langley has a no-nonsense
disposition, and keeps a deadpan expression even in the
most emotional of circumstances. She might only ever
crack a smile at an exceptional war story.
Friendly: Captain Langley has a strong belief in justice
and in the law. The party might win the Captain's favor by
solving disputes in the town. Langley will offer free training
to anyone with whom she is friendly. A character who
spends a day training with Captain Langley gains
advantage on ability checks that require Strength for the
next week.
Hostile: Captain Langley assigns 1d4 guards to follow
the party.
2
 Points of Interest
1d8+1d12 Spell Scroll
The Burning Wick 2–4 Shield
The Burning Wick is a stone brick establishment on the 5–6 Chromatic Orb
corner of Lantern's Crossing that overlooks the trade
7–8 Detect Magic
tents. It hosts a second story with a dozen small but well
cared for bedrooms. The inn offers food, drink, and board 9 – 13 Featherfall
for modest prices. Often found roaming the first floor and 14 – 15 Alarm
chatting with locals is Korrin Merryleaf, the owner of The
16 – 17 Expeditious Retreat
Burning Wick.
18 – 20 Misty Step
Korrin Merryleaf
Role: Halfling Barkeep. Church of Light
Appearance: Laugh lines frame the face of a halfling
who seems to be simultaneously boyish and wise beyond Near the Baron's mansion stands a one story stone
his years. Amber eyes crinkle at their corners as his face church, the front of which is decorated with marbled
seems to be bent in a permanent smile. He smells of pillars and red stained glass windows. The establishment
freshly baked bread. was built to honor Freynir, the God of Light, Home, Hearth,
Trait: Good Cheer. Korrin hates to see people suffer, and Travelers (or whoever a suitable equivalent may be for
and will do everything within his power to raise people's your region). Father Gabriel lives in and tends to the
spirits. If the mood becomes dark, Korrin will offer food, church, and is a beloved figure of the community.
drink, or a joke in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.
Friendly: The party may have free meals at The Gabriel Festus
Burning Wick. Role: Human Priest.
Hostile: Korrin no longer laughs in the party's presence. Appearance: Gabriel has thinning gray hair, pale skin,
and a slight limp.
Wizard Silo Trait: Mediator. Gabriel hates discord in Lantern's
Cross, and invites those with disputes or arguments into
The aging wizard, Matthias Payne, lives in a repurposed the Church of Light to settle things. In conversation,
grain silo south of the town. He moved in without anyone's Gabriel keeps an almost unsettlingly soft tone of voice.
permission, preferring to take his arcane studies to the Friendly: Gabriel will bless holy water for the party at a
privacy of a makeshift wizard tower. Matthias likes his cost of 25 gp per flask.
privacy, and the silo is far enough removed from the town Hostile: Gabriel will not offer his spell casting services
proper to prevent prying eyes. to the party.

Matthias Payne Gabriel can cast Lesser Restoration for the party at the
Role: Human Wizard. cost of 50 gp.
Appearance: Matthias has cropped gray hair. He has a
disarming smile despite his crooked teeth and a terrible Standing Stones
hunchback. He likes to raise his eyebrow at people instead
of answer questions. Betwixt Lantern's Cross and the Misty Woods lies a
haphazard configuration of five ancient standing stones.
Trait: Lonely. While the wizard prefers the company of
Symbols written in Old Druidic can be found here,
his books and artifacts to people - he gets overly excited
detailing the place as a holy site designed for communing
when he finds people who seem to share his interests, and
with nature. The stones are covered in a creeping green
is loathe to see them leave.
moss, and they seem to shift locations slightly every time
Friendly: Matthias will give the party a 20% discount on
the party revisits them.
his spell scrolls and spellcasting services.
Hostile: Matthias won't open his door for the party. A character who is a druid or a ranger can meditate
here for 1 hour in order to gain the ability to cast Speak
Matthias can cast the comprehend languages and
with Animals or Speak with Plants for the rest of the
identify spells for the party at a cost of 10 gp per cast.
day.
Matthias usually has a stock of spell scrolls he can sell.
He sells each spell scroll for 100 gp each, and restocks
on new spell scrolls at the start of each week from
traders that come into town.