Few places are as evocative as a temple, particularly an ancient one. Whether large or small, ornate or spartan, these timeworn edifices are monuments to religion, faith, and dedication. Temples can be a refuge for the hunted and the lost, and a bastion against tyranny. Bur tl1ey can also be the source of tyranny, d1e headquarters of a religion determined to conquer and rule.
Stadium
Stadiums are fascinating places, particularly for people-watching. Often people go to a sporting event less to watch the event itself than to watch the other spectators. Young and old, rich and barely scraping by, families and loners: all sorts go to stadiums. Of course, the groups do segregate themselves, which is also interesting to watch-the rich buy box seats or front-row season tickets, while the working- class get seats up in the nosebleed section. Groups of college students or other young adults cluster together, usually in the cheap seats, while more elderly attendees huddle together in the back where they don’t have to walk far to their seats. Families often go with other families, creating a single Large mass, while loners find seats by themselves and sit curled up to avoid attracting attention.
Spaceship
Traversing the vase depths of interstellar space, a spaceship is many things co its passengers and crew: safety, transportation, convenience, home. Available in a myriad of shapes and sizes constrained only by style, technology, and budget, the spaceship might house the foes of the players’ characters or serves them as a base of operations from which to explore the w1known. When used as an adventure location instead of a vehicle, the spaceship provides many exciting adventure possibilities. It might be the object of a search – buried under arctic ice, crash-landed in the jungle, or hidden in the depths of the sea. Or, it can serve as a means of bringing the adventure to the characters, with its alien crew contacting or abducting them.
Showboat
Nothing says Old World decadence like a showboat. These are not the luxury liners of today, but the slow, stately paddleboats of the previous century that meandered up and down the Mississippi and other large rivers. Men and women who can afford the steep prices travel down the Mississippi on these elegant vessels, drinking, dining, and sometimes gambling in the well-appointed salon and the impressive grand ballroom. Less affluent travelers buy economy tickets, which lets them take the riverboat but does not give them access to its top deck. Of course, where the rich and powerful gather, those who would prey upon them also appear, and showboats are a favorite haunt of showgirls, musicians, con artists, and the famous riverboat gambler. But the fact that these people are out to steal from, swindle, or seduce the rich only makes the journey more exciting.
Secret headquarters
Some organizations and individuals can operate openly, like the police, licensed private detectives, or a law firm. But others must conceal their identity and operations, for whatever reasons. And those who need concealment need a place where they can do their work in secret, without anyone suspecting. That requires a secret headquarters.
School
Schools come in many shapes and sizes, depending on the level of education they provide, as well as the school’s era and geographical location. Rural schools meant for children under the age of 12 can have as few as five or six rooms altogether, while even relatively obscure universities are often sprawling complexes of single- and multi-story classroom buildings, residence halls, and research facilities.
Restaurant
Restaurants are a wide-ranging location with hole-in-the-wall greasy spoons, fast food joints, and even fine luxury dining halls falling under their classification.
Park
Parks provide urban denizens an escape from the sprawl of asphalt and concrete that binds them, whether it is a quick walk in the local city park or a camping trip to a state or national park. They are places dedicated to preserving one bit of nature for the enjoyment of the citizens. In a typical adventure, this happy, shiny fun is bound to be shattered by the intrusion of villains bent on crashing the party.
Office
The office building remains one of the enduring symbols of white-collar workers, commerce, and business. The typical building contains multiple offices, ranging from the cubicle farms of low-level clerical workers to the scenic windowed offices of managers and company presidents. Offices contain all the elements for efficient conduction of business: desks, telephones, word-processing devices, and the like. The typical building also has all manner of office supplies, ranging from mundane paper, pens, and correction fluid, to more esoteric devices such as binding machines, paper cutters, and high- capacity shredders.
Museum
The word “museum” comes from the Greek word “mouseion” – a place dedicated to the Muses, who were themselves the divine spirits of the arts. This ancient definition holds true today, as museums remain buildings devoted to exhibiting objects and displays of importance. What is on display depends on the museum. The art museum – filled with paintings, drawings, and sculptures of famous artists – remains the most popular conception, but museums exist devoted to all kinds of topics: science, history, sports and hobbies, and so on. The focus and scope of a museum determines most of its characteristics. For example, a regional museum dedicated to the history of coal mining in the area would probably be a modest building, possibly with a coal car in the center, and other artifacts or pictorials hanging loose on walls. A national art museum, on the other hand, might be a huge, impressive structure with towering statues, housing the country’s most valuable objects in phenomenal security. Museums can take the form of refurbished warehouses, rededicated palaces, or planned architectural marvels.