Thread: Town Buildings List

Great start Green-Pilgrim ... here is a list of Medieval Occupations I have compiled ... not sure if it is 100% accurate in terms of the commonality of the occupations as it is only based on my own assumptions. But this would help in terms of building regularity (i.e. number of buildings per occupation per city) .

There are so so many that it is difficult to compile a truly exhaustive list.

It's also worth considering who supplies who as well. For example the alchemist needs "raw" alchemicals, and the scribier/map maker will need paper. The tailor will need cloth which means weavers and dyers. Also in a town you might not have say, a basket weaver. That would likely be something someone's wife or children do to earn extra money, which they'd sell on to traders at market.

And it is culture dependent too. Certain occupations might be slightly different depending on the culture. For example, if people are buried in barrel-shaped coffins, then your cooper is also the coffinmaker (this kind of thing can be fun to play with then world building I think).

Also don't forget your cheapest-source-of-light maker. Generally the (tallow) candlemaker (a smelly job). It might vary depending on the world (for example in mine the cheapest source of light is a chemoluminescent mixture - something which leads to conflict between the people who make those and the people who make candles).

Awesome List!

Yup - you're right Larb, we'll probably not be able to make an exhaustive list because there are too many variables for each person's world to nail them all down. However we could probably have a "these are your basics" list so that when you're designing a map you can pick and choose the number of buildings you'd need and what they're used for.

...and I totally forgot about a candlemaker.

I wonder, in a world where wizards can pop off a light spell at the flip of a finger...would there be candlemaker strikes?

hehe.

Thanks for the followup!

-GP

Great list, but keep in mind that back then people were not that specialized. One person did many of those jobs. The shepherd, did his own shearing, built his own barn, raised a small garden and occasionally was conscripted to help build the road or bridge.

This a great list. Very extensive. Any ideas whether D&D 4E included a dice table to random roll occupations?

funny how theres a fighter school, priest school and wizard school... but no mundane school!

Originally Posted by vorropohaiah

funny how theres a fighter school, priest school and wizard school... but no mundane school!

That's not necessarily out of the ordinary, a mundane school would be more of a public school and, depending on the setting, these probably didn't even exist. To get an education then you would have to pay for it, which would mean being sent to one of the private guild schools (Wizard, Priest, Fighter, etc.) unless there is some law that dictates an education (Robin Hobb: Soldier Son, the first born is the heir, the second born the soldier son, third born priest, etc.). More commonly people would have private tutors if they were rich/privileged enough, or if in a castle/keep then the children may be taught together in lessons.

The first public education systems were generally pushed by various priesthoods to spread religion, or by those who wanted to spread knowledge (Confucius).

So not necessarily a given, depends on the world and history



Also, to the OP, hand guide for how many different trade buildings you are likely to find in cities/town of various sizes: http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/demog.htm

Though in medieval times, children of the wealthy and nobility would often get a religious education. If I remember my medieval history correctly, many of the Christian monks would be the teachers. But, indeed, an education would generally be the privilege of the rich.