Inspired by a recent RPGNet thread (login required to read), I started working on an entry for Arcologies on the Arcana Wiki. I thought a bit about possible adventure and campaign ideas, and then wondered how to use them in different genres.

Take fantasy, for instance. Sure, you could just use some giant building chiseled out of a mountain by a legion of dwarves. But that's been done before. So how about making the whole arcology into a gigantic, living creature - either artificial or natural? The human inhabitants could be seen as either parasites or symbionts - the creature would be able to provide them with food from its bodily fluids, and also recycle their waste.

Furthermore, these creatures might be migratory. Given how much energy they would require to move, they would likely move very slowly - possibly slower than human walking speed. Using legs as locomotion would not be a very smooth ride for the inhabitants. But maybe they move similar to slugs - they travel on a single, massive "foot" and crush the vegetation - including entire trees - below them and eating them - leaving a massive slime trail behind them which serves as compost for new plant growth.

Now imagine a herd of such creatures traveling through a vast forest into the direction of the sunset, each inhabited by thousands of people...



I really need to use that imagery...






Note: If you have any other good ideas for using them in games, please add them to the Arcana Wiki!