Welcome to Elf Water

The next step in the campaign prep stage was establishing the PCs’ “home base.” This was a much easier phase than settling on a region in which to set the campaign—largely, because I cheated.

I’ve always enjoyed and appreciated maps, even before I discovered RPGs. One might even argue that my fascination for this hobby stems from that love. I still recall a map from the interior of some children’s book I owned that showed the protagonist’s journey through a forest, diagramed in dotted line fashion like a “Family Circus” cartoon. For me, the attraction wasn’t what adventures were documented, but what possible events might occur in the areas unvisited by the hero. Maps still have that effect on me.

The “cartographilia” has manifested in a peculiar habit of mine. I find it incredibly relaxing to sketch maps of small towns and sylvan areas, rending such landscapes in either regular or colored pencil. My mind wanders during the process, pondering who lives in these imaginary places and what life must be like for them. It’s a wonderful way to de-stress when something’s bothering me. As a result, I have a number of little maps tucked away in various stages of completion. When it’s time to introduce a new community into a game, I check this collection first to see if anything fits the bill. In this case, I had the perfect map.

Coming up with a name for the community was a quick chore. I imagined that the settlement was situated on a place where the elves and humans first came into contact, a place to trade and negotiate the accord that ultimately led to the human settlement of the outskirts of Southwood. Picturing a forest glen along a riverbank, a place where elves once danced graceful waltzes underneath a summer moon, the name “Elf Water” sprung to mind as an appropriate human-given name for that place and the community that arose on that site would share that moniker.

In the past, I’ve gone to great lengths to detail most of my home bases before play begins. The pages accompanying my old Ashabenford map is a good representation of how much effort I’d expend before the game started. But this time, going along with the “this is supposed to be fun” mantra, I whipped up just two pages of notes documenting a few important NPCs and buildings to guide me. I plan to flesh Elf Water out as future play dictates. I know who’s in charge, what temples are in town, who has their fingers in quasi-legal (or outright illegal) pies, the major wizards, and a few other colorful individuals. That’s all I needed to get things rolling.

The final step was to scan my village map and key the important buildings for the players to consult as needed. A quick trip through Photoshop and—viola!—Elf Water was ready for PC inhabitation. With plenty of space to add new material, I can get a lot of use out of this community, now and in the future.

Yes, I know what "festhall" really means.

That’s it for this week. There’ll be a post on Elf Water’s outskirts and some actual play reports next week as I continue to ramble on about the Realms. 

The Internet is Useless in Certain Endeavours

Such as determining what a certain flower smells like, for instance. In perhaps my strangest search yet, I've been attempting to pinpoint and identify a specific floral scent that I always associate with my time in Los Angeles, and I'm finding that near impossible without "scratch and sniff" computer technology. Just when you think we've made great strides with technology, we discover new limits.

Any L.A. natives (or as close as one gets to being native in a city composed of transients) know the scent I'm thinking of? A light, floral smell that seems most potent in the winter months? I may have to start haunting florists to nail it down

“Meanwhile, back in town…”

The last game session saw the PCs beginning to look around at the larger world picture and realizing that there may just be more to the Kinan-M’Nath than that old prison up in the hills. I’m hoping this is the start of a trend.

The adventurers have learned that Stonehell is not a static location that patiently waits for them in between their expeditions. Things are occurring down in its depths all the time, and some of those events have lasting effects on the dungeon as a whole (which reminds me that I need to make the latest batch of changes to the site). Obviously, the town of Blackpool is also a dynamic place that changes over time. I have a randomly determined a few big events that might occur in the future of the overall sandbox, but haven’t dabbled with the idea of local events. Until now, that is.

What follows is a rough draft of random notable events that could occur in and around the PC’s home base. I’m still tweaking, but this is closer to finished than not. I’ve riffed on the results to give them possible adventure seeds or unexpected twists, but I don’t plan on doing more with them until they come up in actual play.

I’ve experimented a bit with probability of these events occurring and decided to go with a 1 in 8 chance of an event occurring each day (rather than my original plan of 1 in 6). That seems to ensure that at least one interesting event occurs each month, but not so many as to turn town into a madhouse. I also considered staggering the results to make some more likely than others, but decided to make it a straight d20 progression just to keep me and the players on our toes. I plan to roll at least two weeks if not more in advance so that I can give the events a proper lead in, making them appear to happen naturally, rather than be spontaneous occurrences (except in cases where the very event is unexpected). Since I often get asked to do this anyway, you can find a PDF of the following table and its explanations here.

What’s Going On? Roll a d20 to find out!
1) Fire
2) Child goes missing
3) Accident
4) Bandit attack
5) Murder
6) Monster on the prowl
7) Theft
8) Destruction of property
9) Illness
10) Birth/death
11) Execution
12) Festival
13) Sign from the Gods
14) Mustering the troops
15) Windfall
16) Visitor
17) Magic!
18) Rumors
19) Quarrel
20) High weirdness

Accident: A worker is crushed by falling stonework at the keep or someone is grievously injured at one of the sawmills. If a PC cleric is nearby when this occurs, he or she may be able to save their life, earning them the undying friendship of the victim and her or her family.

Unexpected twist: If the victim dies, his or her survivors blame the overseers at the job site and want revenge. An unscrupulous PC might be approached to handle that task.

Bandit attack: A merchant caravan is attacked on its way to or from town. Many are slain. There is a 50% chance that the caravan was carrying needed supplies or that word of the attack spreads outside the immediate area, resulting in a slow-down of traffic on the roads. Prices of all important goods (read: anything the PCs are likely to buy) is increased by 10%-20%.

Unexpected twist: The caravan was carrying an important MacGuffin that someone of importance needs recovered immediately. He or she is offering a reward if the item is retrieved before the next sunset.

Birth/death: Someone comes into or goes out of the world. There is a 10% chance that this event occurs to someone the PCs know in town. Otherwise it is simply a popular topic of conversation for the next day or two.

Unexpected twist: The PCs find themselves involved in some manner. If they have recently done great deeds to assist the community, a newborn child might be named after one of them and one PC is named as the baby’s “sword-uncle (or aunt).” This will require attending a special ceremony and the purchase of a gift (the more lavish the better) for the child and/or his family. If it is a death that occurred, the departed might be of the same faith as one of the PC cleric and require him or her to conduct the funeral, or the deceased may have left one or more of the adventurers something on his deathbed. Why they did this remains to be determined.

Child goes missing: One of the local children fails to return home after heading into the forest or down to the river. A search party is forming in the town square. PCs who willingly join in on the search will find that the residents hold them in slightly higher regard afterwards.

Unexpected twist: Rather than find the child, a crudely written ransom note is discovered. What the kidnapper wants in return is highly unusual.

Destruction of property: For some reason, something breaks. It could be a fishing pier swept away by a rain-swollen river, a stretch of road collapsing into a sink hole, a statue shattered, or the local cemetery defiled. Depending on the exact nature of the damage, the townsfolk might pitch in to repair the damage, demand the Lord Warden take action, or sit around grumbling that “things aren’t what they used to be.” PCs who pitch in or pay to help repair the destruction will earn the respect of the residents. Those who were nearby when the damage occurred will be watched carefully and whispered about.

Unexpected twist: The damage unearths a new mystery. A drowned body might be found chained to one of the remaining pier posts, a tunnel found under one of the overturned headstones in the cemetery, or an interesting find is discovered hidden inside the statue’s hollow form.

Execution: If a prisoner is being held in the keep on serious charges, his execution is schedule for today. If no one is being held, a local outlaw has been caught and is bound for the gallows. An aura of macabre anticipation hangs over the town and most residents plan on attending. Business will be closed for an hour before and after the execution. There is a 10% chance the something unusual occurs to the condemned’s corpse in the days following the sentence.

Unexpected twist: A new development occurs just prior to the execution. This could be the unearthing of new evidence that questions the guilt of the condemned or it could be a last minute rescue effort launched by the convict’s companions. The PCs may easily find themselves in the thick of things.

Festival: Today is either a minor holiday or the day that a celebration such as a wedding, coming-of-age, or funeral is to be held. As such, the town is adorned with decorations and business as usual is suspended. If it is a religious holiday, there is a 75% chance it is a day sacred to one of the faiths in town. If it is not that of one of the settlement’s religions, there is a 15% chance it is one sacred to one of the PCs’ religions (provided they follow a faith not represented in town).

Unexpected twist: There is a 20% chance that something eventful occurs during the festival. Roll or choose from the event table above, ignoring any result that seems unlikely.

Fire: One of the buildings in town catches fire. There is a 66% chance that the structure is destroyed by the blaze and a 40% chance that any adjoining buildings catch fire as well (with similar chances of being destroyed).

Unexpected twist: Someone was seen fleeing the area immediately before the fire. It appears to be arson. Who did this and why?

High weirdness: Something so strange or unexpected occurs that nobody could have seen it coming. A gargantuan helmet falls from the sky and lands in the town square. A purple worm erupts from the ground and swallows the butcher’s shop. One of the residents gets a nocturnal visit from the “dwarfs in black.” In any case, things are going to be most unusual in town for the near future.

Unexpected twist: This entire event is an unexpected twist.

Illness: A sickness is making its rounds through the town. On a roll of a 1-3, it is a minor aliment such as the flu or chicken pox. On a 4-5 is a more serious ailment such as cholera or dysentery. On a 6 it is the plague. Roll again on a result of 6. Should the die come up another 6, the disease is magical in nature and could even be a curse such as lycanthropy or vampirism.

Unexpected twist: Some mastermind is behind the illnesses. It could be goblins bathing in the water supply, a mummy sorcerer getting his long-delayed revenge, or even be caused by the innocuous looking doodad the PCs picked up on their last adventure and sold to the local curio shop.

Magic!: A magical event occurs to brighten up the dreary lives of the townsfolk. A wandering wizard comes to town with his pyrotechnics show, a local mage inadvertently transforms himself into a strange form or blows up his lab, or a magic artifact is discovered in the course of daily life. The Lord Warden’s sorcerer is bound to investigate such matters.

Unexpected twist: It is one of the PC magic-users that becomes the focus of this attention—deservedly or not.

Monster on the prowl: Some creature (determine randomly) was detected close to town. Depending on the threat level, the townsfolk might form a posse, called out the guard, or hire adventurers to hunt down and remove the threat.

Unexpected twist: The “monster” is of a neutral or good alignment and may be seeking assistance on some matter. Or it could just appear to have good intentions…

Murder: Someone in town dies by violence. This could be due to a brawl, a duel, or an assassin. There is a 50% chance the murderer is in custody at the keep. If not, the culprit is either on the lamb or unknown. This will be the topic of conversation for the next several days.

Unexpected twist: Someone swears they saw the victim alive and well after they were killed. This could be a case of simple misidentification, the result of disguise magics, or a doppelganger at work.

Mustering the troops: The local military is assembled. This may be a simple case of the twice-yearly mustering of the militia to ensure their readiness and inspect their weaponry or it could be an actual military conflict. In the later case, a portion of the keep’s soldiers are needed to combat a threat. This might be a matter of assisting another nearby settlement to deal with a problem, or it may be that a great threat to the security of the settlement has been detected and must be dealt with immediately. In either case, the PCs could become drawn into the conflict, be hired as mercenaries, or find they need to lie low to avoid being pressed into service.

Unexpected twist: This assembly reveals that the local soldiery is woefully unprepared in some manner. The troops’ arms or armor have become unserviceable or perhaps even stolen, leaving the troops under-equipped. Clever PCs might take it upon themselves to go into business as arms-merchants, collecting the cast-off arms and armor of their foes and selling it to the local quartermaster at an inflated price.

Quarrel: Two parties in town find themselves in conflict. The reason for this could be mundane but scandalous (somebody was caught stepping out on their spouse) or serious and potentially fatal (two merchants are locked in a feud that comes to blows or a pair of soldiers prepare to duel over the affections of a woman). Depending on the conflict, the PCs could become involved if an ally (or enemy) is part of the quarrel or if their personalities make them the mediating-type.

Unexpected twist: This quarrel is the result of a much deeper scheme. The two parties might have been lured into conflict so that a third person can benefit from their feud in some manner. This plot could have severe repercussions on the security and future of the settlement should it come to fruition.

Rumors: One piece of information seems to be on everybody’s lips but nobody can identify where this information came from. To make matters worse, everyone seems to have heard a different variation on the tale. This piece of news could be joyous (“The Grand Price is coming to look for a bride!”) or grim (“The Armies of R’kee are marching east!”). In either case, not only will this be the talk of the town, making it difficult to learn more concrete and useful rumors, but it could affect day-to-day business (there is a run on arrows and bolts as townsfolk stock up for the imminent conflict they believe is coming, for example).

Unexpected twist: The rumors are true.

Sign from the Gods: One of the deities makes his/her/its presence known within the town limits. This could be a simple prophetic dream visited upon a devout worshipper, a minor miracle occurring around the temple, priest, or a layperson, or even an actual manifestation of the god(dess). The more impressive the demonstration of the deity’s presence, the more likely that word will spread and the town will become a destination for pilgrims. This influx of the faithful results in the swelling the town’s population for some time, causing increased difficulty in finding lodgings, fervent street-side sermons, and other mundane but annoying hassles for the residents.

Unexpected twist: The deity who manifests its power is not a good deity, but one of the darker powers. Who knows what sort of riff-raff this would attract and what this manifestation means to the future of the town?

Theft: A crime involving the stealing of wealth or property is committed within the town limits. This could be as simple as a fisherman’s skiff being stolen to the purloining of a merchant’s strongbox to a robbery at the Lord Warden’s keep. Even the PCs’ residence may be subject to robbery if it is not secure. There is a random 10%-60% chance the culprit has been caught. If not, he or she is either wanted or unidentified.

Unexpected Twist: This is just one of a string of strange thefts. The items being stolen are not particularly valuable, but are odd enough to make people wonder what’s going on. Clues could lead outside of town, resulting in the PCs being hired to track down the crime ring, find out their intentions, and bring them to justice.

Visitor: Someone or something interesting comes to town. This might be a nobleman come to visit the Lord Warden at the keep, the arrival of a Zutanni compania, or even a friendly monster taking up residence nearby. Half the town will be delighted; the other half will be suspicious.

Unexpected twist: The arrival is a band of renowned adventurers come to try their fortune in the local dungeon. The PCs now have some serious competition. How far will they go to protect “their dungeon”?

Windfall: Someone (or everyone) in town is getting rich, rich, rich! This could be the result of the sudden popularity and demand for a local product, the discovery of a rich cache of natural wealth, or the unearthing of a lost treasure. Costs could rise as much as 25% in the case of settlement-wide wealth, and such a windfall is bound to attract unsavory types if word gets out. In the case where only certain individuals become wealthy, the PCs might find themselves being sought as bodyguards, arm candy, or even gladiators to appease the money-crazed nouveau riche .

Unexpected twist: The wealth is the property (rightly-so or not) of another party who will come looking for revenge. This could lead to a simple beat-down in the street or escalate into a siege on the town itself.

Fencing the Loot

In my youth, I always had issues with the way we handled gems and jewelry. Not with the fact that you could pay for a room at the Ol’ Pig Sty Inn with a 5,000 gp diamond and the innkeep would have change— that was fine since we had little idea about market economies or business overhead and the like. Instead, it was the manner in which we would cash in gems, jewelry, and objects d’art that troubled me.

Back then, if Hugo the Fighter found a 100 gp gem in his adventures, he knew he could always visit the jeweler or moneychanger back in town and get exactly 100 gold pieces for it. Even at a young age, I knew something was amiss with this system. How did this benefit the jeweler or moneychanger? There was no profit to be made so was he simply providing a community service? Once I learned about things like luxury taxes and the like, this method of equal exchange made even less sense.

If you’ve been following this blog long enough, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that I’m not a simulationist by any extent. Although I do make friendly nods to reality most of the time, I’ll readily jettison reality if it gets in the way of a good time or a great game. Nevertheless, perhaps since I’ve had this peeve for so long, I wanted to come up with a quick and easy system of dealing with gems, jewels, and art objects once the PCs hauled it back into town. And, since I hail from the school of thought that “Charisma is not a dump stat,” I settled on the following:

Whenever the PCs visit a merchant to sell or exchange non-coin treasure, I have the PC doing the negotiations roll 2d6 modified by their CHA reaction adjustment and other nebulous modifiers. I then compare the adjusted roll to the list below. The final result determines what percentage of the item’s actual value the merchant is will to buy it for.

2 – 100% of actual value
3-5 – 90% of actual value
6-8 – 80% of actual value
9-11 – 70% of actual value
12 – 60% of actual value.

Think about it: A grizzled, muscle-bound guy who hasn’t bathed in a week and looks like he slept in his armor comes into Gerry the Gem Merchant’s shop and wants to sell this sapphire he claims to have found in those caves just outside of town. You know, the ones that nobody ever seems to come back from? He’s got nothing to prove the jewel’s provenance other than his word—maybe that of a couple of other gnarly looking characters if he’s lucky—and he’s looking for some fast cash so he can buy a horse to ride off to his next “adventure”… or so he claims. If you were Gerry, would you really give this guy the full value of the rock?

For all you know, this guy swiped this rock from some powerful warlord or wizard and is looking to ditch the loot ASAP. You’ll probably have to sit on it for a few weeks just to be safe or work it into a new piece to disguise its original appearance. That’s time and effort, both of which cost money. Unless he’s really, really persuasive or you’ve dealt with him in the past, you’re going to offer a fraction of its real value.

Although the PC’s CHA adjustment plays the largest role in modifying the dice throw, I do allow adjustments for roleplaying (usually -1 to the roll) and for repeated dealings with the merchant (again, usually -1 but I will go higher if the party maintains good relations with the same dealer over a long period of time). These relationship adjustments are fickle, however, and can easily change if the party isn’t careful. Just recently, the PCs visited their usual merchant and weren’t satisfied with the deal he was offering. There was some debate about marketing the gems around town to try for a better deal, but they decided to take the offer in the end. Had they started trying to move the stones through another dealer and their usual guy found out about it, he would have been less likely to give them a good deal in the future and the die roll would be adjusted accordingly.

In addition, most jewelers have a personal quirk regarding gemstones and, if the PCs can figure these personal likes and dislikes out, they can use them to their benefit. For example, the party has recently learned that their regular go-to jeweler, Seno, has a particular love for pearls and is always willing to pay top dollar for them.

I should mention that, regardless of what the party gets for this type of loot, I always award them experience points equal to the items real value. My intent is to mimic the fluctuations of the market and to try and keep the PCs money-poor for as long as possible, not retard their level advancement.

The above chart is just for legitimate dealers and plundered loot. I have a second one which is reserved for fencing stolen goods, but it also does double duty when the characters want to sell their used armor and other goods after they’ve upgraded. It works the same as the above table, but the percentages are much reduced.

2- 50% of actual value
3-5 – 40% of actual value
6-8 – 30% of actual value
9-11 – 20% of actual value
12 – 10% of actual value

Mad Props

It started simply enough. After the deaths of last week, the end of the game session saw the party wisely deciding to return to Rhuun to resupply and recruit new bodies. This was a move I wasn’t expecting. The town part of the campaign still remains a nebulous place as I try to create all the little nuances that a settlement needs before it can become a living, breathing place in the minds of the players. I’ve had a tendancy to gloss over town time in order to get back to the dungeon. However, this is one of the things in my “Needs to be improved on” category on my mental referee’s checklist. One way or another, I vowed, this trip to town would be different. But how?

On Wednesday, I took a trip down to the FLGS to see if they had anything in the used D&D section that might help jumpstart the creative process. In the box of old modules, I came across a complete copy of B6 – The Veiled Society by Dave Cook. By complete, I mean that all the paper models and cardstock miniatures were present. Remembering that the module was one of the first “city adventures” for D&D, I bought it on the off-chance that parts of it were adaptable/salvageable for my own campaign.

As much as I hate to say it (which is a lot considering the author was kind enough to write the foreword to my book), the module doesn’t age well and the mystery it contains is a little thin. This is not surprising since this was one of those “Basic D&D” modules aimed at a younger demographic from back when TSR really started focusing on the tween market. Since then, town-based adventures have come a long way and B6 unfortunately gets left in the dust.

However, there was an encounter in the module that introduces the basic premise of the adventure—rival families at one another’s throats as they contend for power—which served my purposes well and I decided to adapt it and put a little spin on it to make it my own. But it was the paper models that were included in the module that really got my mind going.

Like the module itself, paper and cardstock models, miniatures, and terrain have greatly improved since 1984. A sizeable portion of RPGNow.com’s catalogue is dedicated to these products, and companies like Fat Dragon Games makes PDF versions of models that blow the doors off of the easily-destroyed cutout buildings of yesteryear. And since I live in an age where such things are easily downloadable, I decided to be true to the module’s original intentions—give the players some eye candy to gawk at—and include some cardstock buildings of my own.

When the players arrived on Sunday, the most commonly asked question was: “Are we playing a new game?” An understandable question, considering this is what they found waiting for them on our big blue table.

Pictured is the Street of the Cobra during the Festival of Erion. Those Scrabble tiles are celebrants, fire-eaters, dancing girls, acrobats, and musicians. It was a crowded festival—until the draft lizard went berserk and started to run amuck in the street! (I should mention I watched a Godzilla flick this week, which might have also had something to do with my decision to use model buildings and then sett a big lizard loose to run wild amongst them).

Would I do this every time the party goes to town? Absolutely not (sorry you missed it, Rob), but it was a fun way to reinforce the notion that, while I may not be the greatest referee to ever sit behind the screen, I have evolved my own ways of presenting the game world and entertaining my players—ones which I hope are appreciated by anyone who joins me at the table.

City-State of the Invicible Twelve-Year Old

As someone whose career involves the organization of information, I'm extremely lax to do so when it comes to my own files. However, with the new year here, I've been compiling and organizing my game notes from across the decades. These are strewn across various binders and folders, but it is my goal to create an organized filing system for them all.

Tucked away in the back of one of those folders, I chanced upon a map that I'd forgotten I still had. It is the first giant city map I ever drew and, while the exact year of its creation escapes me, it can be no earlier than 1985, as Gygax's depiction of Greyhawk in Saga of the Old City influenced a lot of this city's design.

The map consists of 6 pieces of 8.5 x 11 graph paper held together with Scotch tape and illustrated with a mix of pencil and permanent markers. All the buildings are numbered but I can't remember if I actually got around to detailing and stocking the entire city. In fact, I can't even remember the name of the place.

Like any good walled city, this one is composed of several different districts and quarters. The reason I know that Saga of the Old City influenced my design is because a few (the Slum, River, and Foreign) are taken right from the book.

The northeast section of the city, which is comprised of the Low District, the College District, the Slum District, the High District, the Magic District, and the Palace.

The northwest section contains the Garden District and the overlapping High and Magic Districts, and the Palace.

Strong defences ring the city's walls. Here we see a ballista and catapult perched atop a guard tower situated against the river.

The commercial area of the Garden District. When you have some coin to spend, be sure to peruse the shops along Tree Street, Watch Avenue, Buyers Lane, Owl Bear Lane, and, my personal favorite, Magic Hat Lane. I'm pretty certain you can find a magic shop or three along that stretch of road.

If you seek more exotic goods, a trip to the Foreign District is in order. There you will find a vast bazaar where merchants from around the world erect a maze of gaily-colored tents and stalls filled with delights. And if it's slaves you seek, auctions are held in the large hall against the western wall.

At the north end of the River Quarter, adventurers can find an array of taverns, inns, and shops catering to their professions. When the sun goes down, lights, laughter, and violence spill out from saloons, casinos, and bordellos that line The Avenue.

Every time I look back on this city, I remember the summer that I spent drawing it and the wide-eyed enthusiasm for the hobby that gripped me at that time. Some of that enthusiasm can never quite be replaced, but the map still gets me excited to visit it. While I wouldn't use this map as it is now, there remains plenty of details to re-purpose back into the campaign world--which is why I've kept it for so long. That and the nostalgia it gives me in looking upon it again.

Down Darkened Streets

If the bishop’s seat was the spiritual heart of the community, the donjon, overshadowing the public square, was its secular nucleus. On its roofs, twenty-four hours a day, stood watchmen, ready to strike the alarm bells at the first sign of attack or fire. Below them lay the council chamber, where elders gathered to confer and vote; beneath that, the city archives; and, in the cellar, the dungeon and the living quarters of the hangman, who was kept far busier than any executioner today.

[…]

The donjon was the last line of defense, but it was the wall, the first line of defense, which determined the propinquity inside it. The smaller its circumference, the safer (and cheaper) the wall was. Therefore land within it was invaluable, and not an inch of it could be wasted. The twisting streets were as narrow as the breadth of a man’s shoulders, and pedestrians bore bruises from collisions with one another. There was no paving; shops opened directly into the streets, which were filthy; excrement, urine, and offal were simply flung out windows.

And it was easy to get lost. Sunlight rarely reached ground level, because the second story of each building always jutted out over the first, the third over the second, and the fourth and fifth stories over those lower. At the top, at the height approaching that of the great wall, burghers could actually shake hands with neighbors across the way. Rain fell rarely on pedestrians, for which they were grateful, and little air or light, for which they weren’t. At night the town was scary. Watchmen patrolled it – once clocks arrived they would call “One o’clock and all’s well!” – and heavy chains were stretched across street entrances to foil the flight of thieves. Nevertheless rogues lurked in dark corners.

—A World Lit Only By Fire, pp. 47-48

The next time you sit down to sketch out a pseudo-medieval, fantasy city, try making the streets a little more twisted and cramped, instead of the broad ones we’re so used to. Those looking for an aboveground “dungeon” may also want to take note.

Tavern Tables

As you open the door to the tavern’s common room, a blast of heat from the massive hearth and the crowded bodies within banishes the last vestiges of cool night air that cling to you. In the room beyond the door, uproarious laughter and cascading conversations mingle with the myriad smells of delicious cooking, spilled ale, and perfumes from a half-score of foreign shores. The tavern is busy tonight as both locals and travelers gather for companionship, filling the taproom to near capacity.

Momentarily pausing in the doorway, you cast your eyes across the bustling common room. A row of patrons three-deep crowds the bar, clamoring for the attention of Yven the barkeep. On your left, next to the tavern’s gigantic hearth, a small performance space has been cleared. The dense throng surrounding it erupts in a gale of laughter and applause, but their numbers obscure the performers beyond. At the rear of the tavern, a wide door bangs open, revealing a serving wench emerging from the kitchen beyond with a larger trencher of succulent meat balanced atop her shoulder. More servants move about the room collecting the culinary desires of the common room’s occupants.

Near the kitchen door, a worn staircase rises to the tavern’s second story, providing access to the numerous small apartments and rooms that occupy that space. To your right, in a dimly-lit, sunken corner of the tavern, stand several gaming tables. Wagerers of all races and creeds swarm the tables, risking coin and property to the whims of Chance. As your eyes rove about the room, you detect the presence of several other doughty adventurers also between forays into the ancient subterranean holdings just outside of town.

With pouch laden with wealth plundered from the dungeon depths, you plunge into the throng in search of an evening’s entertainment and relaxation. Do you want to:

• Order a drink?
• Purchase a meal?
• Investigate the performers?
• Visit the gaming tables?
• Rent a room for the evening?
• Hire more adventurers?
• Start a barroom brawl?

Tavern Tables: Barfight!

Feeling arrogant and in the mood for a good dust up, you punch the closest, meanest-looking face you see. He goes sprawling into a table occupied by a crew of sailors on shore leave. They jump to the feet, sending their chairs into a group of dwarves, spilling their ale. In ten seconds flat, a brawl has erupted!

Bar Brawl Random Event Table
At the end of each round of combat, each PC involved in the brawl rolls a d6. On a 1, some event has occurred to that character. Roll a d20 on the table below to determine what has happened.

1) The PC is caught in the area of effect of a random 1st-3rd level spell.
2) The PCs current opponent gets blind-sided, taking him out of the fight.
3) The room’s chandelier comes crashing down. Make a save vs. petrify or take 1d6 points of damage.
4) Hot soup is splashed on the PC. Make a save vs. breath attacks or take 1-2 points of scalding damage.
5) Furniture goes flying. Save vs. petrify or take 1d6 points of damage and get knocked down.
6) A fire breaks out. In 1d10+5 rounds, it grows out of control, engulfing the room in flames.
7) A mug sails through the air. Make a save vs. wands or take 1d4 points of damage.
8) A brawler lands on the PC either accidentally or intentionally. Make a STR check to remain standing and there’s a 50% chance this brawler will start fighting the PC next round.
9) The PC dives to the ground to avoid a flying chair. Lying in front of him is a pouch containing 2d20 random coins.
10) The PC steps in a puddle of spilled liquid (stew, beer, blood, etc.). Make a DEX check or fall to the ground.
11) Whoops! In the chaos, the PC accidentally takes a swing at a fellow party member or other ally. Make a normal attack roll and apologize later if successful.
12) A swing comes at the PC from behind. Make an attack for a 3rd level Fighter against the PC’s armor class (no Dexterity or shield bonus) and, if it hits, he takes 1d2 points of damage.
13) An attractive member of the PC’s preferred sex grabs the character’s ankle and attempt to lure him to safety under a sturdy table.
14) Burning logs spill from the hearth. Make a save vs. breath weapon or take 1d6 points of damage. The logs will ignite a fire as #6 above.
15) The PC’s opponent is tougher than he looks. Increase that combatant’s hit points by 2 hit dice. If the PC has yet to land a blow on him, improve his armor class by two steps as well.
16) A 2nd level Thief takes advantage of the melee to lift the PC’s pouch. He has a 47% chance of success due to his level and the chaos.
17) Your opponent has friends. Next round, there is a chance that one (75%) or two (25%) of them join their pal to fight you!
18) The PC gets debris in his eyes, blinding him for 1d4 rounds unless a save vs. poison is made.
19) The Watch arrives to break things up. The patrol consists of 2d6 1st level Fighters led by 3rd level Fighter.
20) The PC gains an unexpected ally during the next combat round who will help him take down his opponent.

Tavern Tables: NPCs for Hire

Making your way through the crowd, your eyes spot several fresh faces that look hungry for work. After the losses sustained during your last delve, you and the rest of the party have agreed to increase your numbers for the next attempt. You approach some likely-looking candidates and inquire if they’re looking for work.

Twenty Random NPCs Looking For Work
1) Wregor Mooseblood [Neutral 3rd level Barbarian, AC 4, H: 22, DG 1d10 (two-handed sword)] – Wregor is a hulking, brooding tribesman of the Tribe of the Moose. He believes he’s doomed to die in an unglamorous battle and, accepting his fate, will join foolish quests for pay.
2) Cleopos Myrthmunt [Lawful 2nd level Magic-user, AC 9, H 3, spells - magic missile, sleep] – Cleopos is a perpetual apprentice. Now entering middle-age, her love of pranks and less-than-devoted pursuit of magic has stunted her advancement. She has a potion of clairvoyance.
3) Rolf Sheepminder [Neutral 1st level Hireling, AC 6, HP 3, DG 1d6 (spear)] – This laconic shepherd lost his flock to wolves. With no money to replace them and limited options, he’s taken to hiring himself out as a torch-bearer and pack mule to adventurers. Rolf saves his wages and avoids strong drink.
4) Rondo Fleagle [Neutral 2nd level Dwarf, AC 3, Hp 13, DG 1d6+1 (war hammer +1)] – Rondo has a very low opinion of anything not dwarvish, believing his race to be the epitome of all things. He’ll work for non-dwarves but will constantly criticize their actions and decisions by saying, “That’s not the way a dwarf would do it.”
5) Sigguard Bloodhammer [Lawful 2nd level Barbarian, AC 5, Hp 18, DG 1d8 (battle axe)] – Sigguard is a convert to a more civilized religion. Having embraced his new faith, Sigguard seeks to do good and charitable deeds to the point where he puts some paladins to shame.
6) Siobhan of the Black Woods [Chaotic 3rd level Elf, AC 4, Hp 14, DG 1d6 (short bow) spells – hold portal, magic missile, detect invisible] – Siobhan comes across like your favorite kid sister. She’s pleasant, cute, and always has a kind word for everyone she meets. She’s also completely insane and serves a powerful demon lord, but she hides that well. Siobhan owns a set of chain mail +1.
7) Greybeard Longtooth [Lawful 2nd level Barbarian, AC 7, Hp 13, DG 1d6 (short bow)] – Greybeard is an ancient member of the Tribe of the Caribou. When he reached senility, he was left on an ice flow to die per tribal law. Greybeard merely wandered south and now hires himself out as an archer during his moments of lucidity. Despite his eighty years of life and his harsh treatment by the tribe, Greybeard remains a trusting soul and takes people at their word.
8) Dirk Sodbuster [Neutral 1st level Hireling, AC 7, Hp 4, DG 1d4 (club)] – Dirk spent his whole life as a simple farmer. Now, wracked with disease and sensing his end approaches, Dirk seeks to have one glorious adventure after seventy-seven years of tilling the soil. Despite his failing health, Dirk remains perceptive of falsehoods, white lies, and has a knack for spotting overlooked details.
9) Ulba Gippfold [Neutral 3rd level Thief, AC 5, Hp 7, DG 1d6+1 (short sword +1)] – Ulba laughs too much—except when she’s picking pockets. Her laugh is more of a cackle and it grates on the nerves. Combined with her nosy nature, this makes Ulba a real pain in the ass to travel with.
10) Haggar Houri-Tosser [Chaotic 3rd level Dwarf, AC 2, Hp 18, DG 1d6+2 (mace + STR)] – Haggar sports black plate mail and shield, which makes his resemble a walking anvil. He is dour and moody, and his sole joy is smashing things bigger than himself into a pulp. If you can offer that, he’ll sign on.
11) Pootak MacDinn [Neutral 1st level Barbarian, AC 5, Hp 7, DG 1d6+1 (hand axe + STR)] – Pootak has journeyed to the civilized lands to learn about the soft ways of the cities (and about something called “chariot racing”). Rather than being dismissive of culture and civilization, Pootak is inquisitive and wishes to learn more of these strange practices. He owns a potion of invisibility.
12) Ervin the Prodigy [Neutral 3rd level Magic-user, AC 9, Hp 6, spells – floating disc, shield, knock] – Ervin is eleven years old but a genius at magic. Despite his age, he’s reached a level of competency some apprentices never see. Regardless of his magical aptitude, Ervin is still a child and acts as one.
13) "Basher" Noggin-Knocker [Neutral 3rd level Fighter, AC 4, Hp 24, DG 1d8+2 (long sword + STR)] – Basher is a seething kettle of insecurities. He’s quick to anger, convinced everyone’s out to get him, and has never known love. As a result, he looks at every problem as one to be solved with violence. He owns a potion of extra-healing.
14) Quilliaramoia-Vell-Shim [Neutral 1st level Elf, AC 7, Hp 3, DG 1d4 (dagger) spells – sleep] – Although he knows how to fight, Quill prefers magic over swordplay and will only engage in melee if it means his life. His studious nature makes him covet magical writing and he will demand first choice of scrolls before he joins the party.
15) Shelia Copperpot [Chaotic 2nd level Halfling, AC 6, Hp 8, DG 1d6-1 (short sword - STR)] – Shelia once worked for the Syndicate, but her greed got the best of her. Now on the run, she hopes to lose herself amongst adventurers. Her obsessive-compulsive disorder, however, makes her stand out even amongst those odd characters.
16) Cecile Zebullah [Neutral 1st level Thief, AC 5, Hp 2, DG 1d4 (dagger)] – Cecile is a young, freckled-faced lad with a mischievous love of pranks. He also has a greedy streak a league wide. At the end of each adventure, Cecile must make a Loyalty check or rob his employers blind—usually in a manner he finds humorous. Cecile owns a pair of elven boots.
17) Rahyk Three-Born [Neutral 2nd level Fighter, AC 4, Hp 14, DG 1d8 (long sword)] – Rahyk suffers from black depressions that greatly inhibit his ability to hold a steady job. In his better moments, he hires out as a sellsword, but he’ll punctuate such employment stints with predictions of doom and gloom for both himself and his fellow party members.
18) Nuada Holyoake [Neutral 1st level Elf, AC 4, Hp 4, DG 1d6 (quarterstaff)] – Nuada is desperate for acceptance and praise, which makes him fawningly servile to his employers. He’s also a bit unbalanced and he will take his employer's commands (or even their unvoiced or unconscious desires) to extremes.
19) Bifferton Blondehair [Neutral 2nd level Fighter, AC 2, Hp 13, DG 1d8+2 (long sword + STR)] – Everyone wants a lackey like “Biff.” Handsome, competent, and completely trustworthy, Biff is an employer’s dream come true. Unexpectedly, he’s also everything he seems to be, which drives some employers mad. They’re convinced that he’s hiding something.
20) Tobias Widdershins [Lawful 1st level Hireling, AC 7, Hp 4, DG 1d6 (spear)] – Tobias is fresh off the farm; looking to earn a fortune so he can marry his sweetheart, Elizabetta. A mere youth, Tobias is neither worldly nor careful – two traits unlikely to lead to a long adventuring career. Under the wing of a more experienced and concerned leader, however, Tobias just may have a chance of making it back to his love’s side.

Note: The NPCs above were generated using a combination of Cook/Marsh Expert, The Rogues Gallery, and the Labyrinth Lord rulebook. The classes of Barbarian and Hireling are from my own "New Classes and Racial Variants for Basic Dungeons & Dragons".

Tavern Tables: Rooms for Rent

Sensing that tonight’s activities will leave you looking for nearby quarters to rest your head, you inquire as to the availability of the rooms on the second floor. After several attempts to make yourself heard over the noise of the crowd, you’re finally directed to a matronly, grey-haired woman who mans the counter of a small alcove. She says that there are several vacancies available and, depending on your purse, she’d be glad to give you the key to one.

Twenty Rooms to Choose From
1) "Oasis" (8 cp/night) – This room should really be called “Desert,” as it is bare of any furnishings whatsoever. Other than a coat of white paint, the room in empty, but for the frugal adventurer with a bedroll and no desire to share the common room, it’s a good deal. The room’s narrow window overlooks the courtyard outside and the lock on the door is new and of good construction.
2) "The Shambles" (8 cp/night) – The mattress is lumpy, the bed squeaks, the chamber pot has a crack in it, and a mouse lives in the wall. Still, it beats sleeping in the rain.
3) "Sweet Slumber" (8 cp/night) – The inn’s staff has been scrubbing this room for a week and something continues to stink. The innkeep believes something crawled into the wall and died. Rather than tear up the wall and floor in search of a carcass, he’s had the staff double their cleaning efforts and hang sachets of pleasant-smelling herbs in the room. The stink will eventually clear – once someone finds the murdered halfling that’s been dismembered and sewn into the tick of the bed. Will the PC be the lucky one to discover this?
4) "Evening Grove" (2 sp/night) – This room is located off of the main hallway of the inn at the end of a secondary corridor. While the room itself is nondescript in appearance (simple furnishings, small hearth, single window, and a good lock), both the room and the corridor outside always remain clean. While this phenomenon has been noticed by the staff, the innkeeper’s wife forbids anyone to investigate the matter for fear of ruining a good thing. She suspects that the Wee Folk have something to do with it and she’s correct. A booka has taken up residence in the attic just over this room. He regularly passes through this room by way of the hearth and likes to keep the place tidy. The booka respects the privacy of both the innkeeper’s family and guests; he expects the same in return.
5) "Starlight Dreams" (2 sp/night) – All the furniture in this room was made by the innkeeper’s eldest son and he’s not a very good carpenter. Each piece of furniture is slightly off-plumb, creating minor nuisances for the guest who stays here (things roll off tables; shins are banged on oddly-angled corners, and the chair just feels wrong). On the plus side, the innkeeper’s son works cheap. If the party needs something crafted and isn’t concerned about quality, they can get it half-price through him.
6) "Labor’s Rest" (2 sp/night) – The furnishings in this room are old and worn. The bed creaks, the chair is rickety, and a sliver of wood propped under the night table keeps it from rocking. Despite this, anyone sleeping in the room gains a +1 bonus to their natural healing roll. This is due to the enchanted straw mattress that lies atop the bed. The innkeep bought the bed second-hand from a dead mage’s estate sale and it bears a slight aura of magic – a fact that the innkeep is unaware of. If he was to learn this, the cost of this room would certainly rise.
7) "Oak & Ivy" (2 sp/night) – The décor of this room bears a forest motif. Intertwined vines are carved into the exposed wood, the walls are daubed with green and brown paint in a leaf-like pattern, and large carved acorns adorn the bedposts. A wicker basket containing a pillow lies in the corner, left as a bed for familiars, pets, and animal companions.
8) "Monk’s Cell" (2 sp/night) – As the name implies, this simple room contains a bed, a small table, a pitcher, washbasin, and chamber pot. A smoky candle provides the only illumination, as there is no window.
9) "Beggar’s Banquet" (2 sp/night) – This room is a closely-guarded secret and, unless you’re friendly with the innkeep or really down on your luck, it’s likely to remain that way. The room is extremely comfortable. A feather mattress and soft linens grace the bed; a plush, padded chair and ottoman sit in the corner, and a collapsible bathtub waits inside the room’s wardrobe. A fine dinner is also included with an evening’s stay. The price for such opulence: 2 silver. Despite his gruff exterior, the innkeeper is a softy when it comes to folks truly down on their luck. Itinerant adventurers who lost everything in their last delve or a humble tradesman who fell afoul of robbers might be rewarded with a night of luxury for a very low cost. The innkeep believes he’ll gather his reward for such kindnesses in the next life. Loutish or lazy folks never benefit from his charity, however. He has no tolerance for such behavior.
10) "Nook Bed" (2 sp/night) – This tiny room was intended to be a storage closet until greed trumped practicality. These small quarters are cramped and oddly-shaped, as the room lies under a conflux of the inn’s eaves and gables. The small bed is comfortable at least. The solitary window in these quarters looks directly out over the inn’s roof and is shielded from view by the building’s gable and a chimney, making it a superb place from which to launch unseen forays onto the city’s rooftops.
11) "Solitude" (2 sp/night) – This room occupies the inn’s garret and is accessed by a narrow staircase. Cheap wall-hangings and a thick rug cover the walls and floor, providing sound-proofing from the rowdy common room far below. The furnishings (bed, armoire, desk & chair, and cloak stand) are worn and need to be replaced, but the quiet is well-worth the rustic conditions for a travelling magic-user, sage, or other private individual. Due to this room’s elevation, it is the only quarters in the inn that can see the window to Nook Bed – a fact that could become important depending on the resident of that room’s nocturnal activities.
12) "The Chapel" (4 sp/night) – These quarters are named for its two stained glass windows. A third, more functional, window is also present. One window depicts a man in red cowl and robes bearing a knobby-headed staff; the other shows an elven maiden surrounded by animal life. The windows were purchased second-hand and the innkeep doesn’t know where they originally came from.
13) "Feathered Nest" (4 sp/night) – This room was once filled with plush finery but time has taken its toll. The down mattress and pillows are stained and worn, the rug is growing threadbare, and the padded headboard of the bed bears stitches. For those all-too accustomed to sleeping in the raw or not too picky, however, these quarters are well-worth the cost.
14) "Battened Down" (4 sp/night) – This rooms is done in a nautical motif. The bed is of driftwood, the chairs are captain’s chairs, and old rope and ship paintings hang from the walls. The windows are even porthole-shaped. A battered, bent, verdigris-covered telescope is mounted on a plaque above the bed. The top section of this telescope can be pulled off to reveal a small compartment within. A certain clandestine organization uses the telescope as a drop point for coded messages. There is a 5% chance that one such missive is inside at any given time.
15) "Warm Comfort" (1 gp/night) – These quarters and the three that follow are located around the tavern’s main chimney. The ambient heat from that smokestack warms the chambers quite well when in use, making these rooms comfortable lodgings during the height of winter. This room sports a comfortable bed dressed with thick quilts sewn by the innkeeper’s wife. She has two more available for sale if guests find them to their liking.
16) "Frost Foe" (1 gp/night) – These cozy quarters are perhaps the best of the four “hot rooms.” The furnishings are clean, comfortable, and well-cared for. The temperature in the room is never stifling and, as an added feature, the innkeeper’s daughter rooms just below this one. She’s in the habit of singing in her room at the end of her workday and she has a pleasant contralto voice.
17) "Hearth Home" (1 gp/night) – There are two sets of furnishings in this room: one human-sized and one halfling-sized. Each set includes a bed with wool-filled mattress, a night table with ewer and basin, a padded chair, and a chest of drawers. A worn, blue rug covers the floor and a small tin tray, suitable for tapping out the pipe ash, sits on the halfling-sized night table.
18) "Fire Rest" (1 gp/night) – This room is warm, uncomfortably so except for on the coldest of nights. Characters bedding down here will find themselves sweating despite opening the window, shedding the covers from the bed, or sleeping au naturel. The PC must make a CON check to get any sleep at all. A failed check results in no natural healing and the inability to memorize spells the following day.
19) "Sage’s Sleep" (3 gp/night) – Perfect for the travelling scholar, this room contains a massive desk and comfortable padded chair in addition to its other opulent furnishings. An array of inks, quills, and scribing tools rest in a caddy atop the desk and parchment is available for the asking. The rug in this room roughly resembles a written letter.
20) "The Dragon’s Den" (5 gp/night) – The apex of housing in the inn. No expense has been spared to furnish these quarters and all the room’s accouterments are of the finest quality and materials. A gilded bathtub stands on a platform of marble, privacy granted by a painted silk screen. A separate room is provided for entertaining guests and a bell rope hangs in both rooms to summon immediate attention from the staff. If you award experience for gold spent, booking the Dragon’s Den for a week or more gives a +10% experience bonus but only to one character. The PCs may find themselves contending against one another to get the room first.

Tavern Tables: Games of Chance

Making your way down the short series of steps that lead to the tavern’s sunken gaming area, you enter the throng of gamblers. All around you is the sound of shuffled cards, clattering dice, clicking tiles, and - of course - the tinkling of coin. Through the lingering haze of pipe-weed and smoldering taveesh resin, your eyes catch a glimpse at the games being played on the stained, felt-covered tables placed about the gaming pit. With a hand firmly wrapped about your money pouch, you take a seat at a nearby table and signal the games’ master that you’re ready to play.

Random Games of Chance Chart
1) Spottle
2) In Between
3) Zowie Slots
4) Up is Down, Down is Up
5) Crystal Palace
6) Wolves & Jackals
7) Mouse Racing
8) Hornswoop Me Bungo Pony
9) Xultvarian Tile Storm
10) Knucklebones
11) Battle Chess
12) Punch-for-Punch
13) Fizzbin
14) Roulette
15) Arm Wrestling
16) Craps
17) Double Cranko
18) Guts & Balls
19) High-Low
20) Lick the Lich


Quick and Dirty Gambling Table
There will come a time when a player wants to spend the evening sitting at the gaming table rather than pillaging forgotten tombs. This isn’t a problem if the rest of the players are also keen on a night of R & R, but when the rest of the party wants to go exploring, it helps to have a quick and easy way of determining the gambling character’s luck at the tables. Rather than play out the process, have the gambler state how much he or she is willing to risk at the tables (known as the character’s “stake”) and roll on the table below. If the character wishes, he or she may cheat, which adds a +20 modifier to all rolls made on to the table below, but also increases the chance that they’re caught.

Gambling Results Table (d100)
01: Lose stake plus all wealth carried unless a successful WIS check is made. If successful, result as 02-10.
02-10: Lose stake plus an additional 10-100% (1d10x10).
11-50: Lose stake
51-60: Win stake + 10%
61-70: Win stake + 50%
71-80: Win stake + 100%
81-85: Win stake + 200%
86-88: Win stake x (2d4)
89-90: As 86-88 plus an additional unusual object (magic item, treasure map, deed to Tegel Manor, the Millennium Falcon, etc.)
91-95: Another gambler is cheating; roll again and subtract -20 from the result.
96+: Character is accused of cheating/caught cheating. Lose stake plus additional consequences of the referee’s devising.

Tavern Tables: Evening’s Entertainment

Gingerly making your way through the crowd, you work your way to a better vantage point from which to watch the performance area. On a roughhewn stage, the most amazing performance is underway. The audience laughs, gasps, and cheers at the talent displayed before them, indicating that the battered straw basket at the edge of the stage will soon be filled with gladly-donated coins.

Random Tavern Entertainer Table
1) Gnome yodeler
2) Magic lantern show
3) Acting troupe
4) Grizzled storyteller
5) One-man band
6) Half-orc or barbarian drummers’ circle
7) Dwarven wrestlers (2-6)
8) Trained animal act
9) Strolling minstrel
10) Bump & grind act
11) Acrobats/tumblers
12) Conjurer/prestidigitator
13) Half-ogre insult comic
14) Oddities & wonders show
15) Hobbit dance troupe
16) Kabuki theatre
17) Juggler(s)
18) Elven harpist
19) Gypsy fiddler and fortune-teller
20) Sword-swallower/fire-eater

Tavern Tables: Meals from the Kitchen

Taking advantage of an opening left behind by a party of departing dwarves, you settle down at a scarred and ring-marked table. A moment later, a young serving wench, her brow and ringlet curls dabbed with sweat, sidles up to your table. With barely concealed impatience, she cocks her hand to her waist and briskly rattles off the kitchen menu from memory. What’ll it be?

Tavern Meal Table
1) Hunk of bread and a wedge of cheese – course, black bread served with a wedge of sharp white cheese (5 cp).
2) Crawfish with rice and beans – fished from the stream just outside of town and served on a bed of wild rice and red beans (8 sp).
3) Dog-head soup – exactly what it sounds like. An acquired taste to say the least (2 cp).
4) Cottage pie – beef, carrots, green beans, and corn served with a mashed potato crust (5 sp).
5) Stuffed mushrooms – mushroom caps stuffed with sausage, onions, bell peppers, and cheese (10 cp).
6) Fruit – assorted types (apples, peaches, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, grapes, etc.) served in season (1 sp per piece or equivalent).
7) Mutton haunch – a steaming sheep’s haunch served with gravy and potatoes (15 sp).
8) Venison – roasted deer served with a green leaf salad and bread (6 sp).
9) Beef steaks – served bloody rare (15 sp).
10) Frog’s legs – caught in the swamp just down the road, breaded, and fried (1 sp).
11) Chicken and dumplings – cooked chicken breast, vegetables, and balls of dough served with sauce (5 sp).
12) Haggis – stuffed sheep’s stomach (5 sp).
13) Rabbit stew – a thick stew containing rabbit, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms (3 sp).
14) Roast boar – local wild boar taken legally from a nearby forest (1 gp).
15) Giant crab legs – baked crab legs of the giant (and I mean giant, not just big) variety, trimmed down to fit in the oven (10 gp).
16) Lutefisk – dried cod soaked in cold water and lye, then cooked. Served with potatoes, peas, and bacon (4 sp).
17) Roasted fowl – game bird served with rice and seasonal vegetable (10 sp).
18) Perpetual stew – constantly simmering stew comprised of meat and vegetables. When the stock gets low, more of the same are thrown into the pot (2 sp).
19) Blood pudding – pig’s blood, fat, and barley cooked thick then cooled (5 sp).
20) Honeycomb – a piece of fresh comb dripping with honey (1 gp).

Tavern Tables: Drinks at the Bar

Working your way to the front of the throng that surrounds the bar, you tap a gold coin soundly on the battered counter. The distinct ring of gold pilfered from a monster’s dungeon lair catches Yven’s one remaining ear. The grizzled former solider moves down the bar, turning his attentions to you. Pointing to the wooden placard hanging next to the moth-eaten owlbear’s head mounted above the bar, Yven asks what you’re drinking.

Tavern Beverage Table

1) Sour beer – a cloudy beer that results from the presence of impurities during the fermentation process. Normally, such a beverage would be discarded, but some rough-and-tumble establishments serve it nonetheless (5 cp per tankard).
2) Goblin grog – the drink of the desperate or destitute, some taverns pour the dregs of any remaining drinks into a large cask at the end of the night. This unwholesome mixture is called “goblin grog” and sold for a pittance (2 cp per tankard).
3) Bubbling concoction – the ingredients of this drink vary from establishment to establishment, but the results of their mixture are always visually stimulating. Bubbling concoctions can foam, burble, emit vapor, change color, produce flame or sparks, generate tiny thunderclouds, glow, or even cause temporary physical alterations to their drinker. The special ingredients that make these effects occur are purchased from a local alchemist (5 gp per cup).
4) Kumis – fermented mare’s milk (4 cp per cup).
5) Ale – local, human-made variety (2 sp per tankard).
6) Old Red Eye – A vile, rotgut liquor. Rumor has it that Old Red Eye is made by orcs who dwell in an evil land far to the south (5 cp per shot).
7) Goat’s milk – like cow’s milk, but from a goat. Non-alcoholic (2 cp per cup).
8) Bark Tea – tree bark and various herbs steeped in hot water (1 sp per cup).
9) Viskha – amber-colored, fiery-tasting corn liquor (10 sp per glass).
10) Wine – common human-made wine of local vintage (5 sp per glass).
11) Elven ice wine – a light-tasting, blue-white wine (15 sp per glass).
12) Kahvak – a dark, bitter-tasting beverage made from roasted kahvak beans. Non-alcoholic (2 sp per cup).
13) Dragon’s blood – rare liqueur usually reserved for the tables of nobility, but bottles occasionally turn up in establishments of lesser status. This dark red liqueur has a spicy tang resembling cinnamon and an extremely sweet aftertaste. Its distillation process and ingredients are a closely guarded secret (1 pp per glass).
14) Ale, dark – local, human-made stout (5 sp per tankard).
15) Snow barbarian whudka – a clear but potent liquor distilled on the northern tundra, whudka makes its way south to civilized lands where it is traded for gold ornaments and steel weaponry. Its distillation process and even ingredients are unknown to outsiders (15 sp per shot).
16) Dwarven brandy – this potable is a clear liquor distilled from the apples and cherries that grow along the slopes of RInghammer Hall. Possessing a light fruit flavor, dwarven brandy is kept in cool caves and cellars, and is served chilled (15 sp per cup).
17) Hard cider – fermented apple cider (3 sp per cup).
18) Mead – honey wine (10 sp per cup or horn).
19) Varkarös rum – a dark liquor distilled from molasses and sugarcane grown in the southern islands, primarily around Varkarös, the City of Foul Mists. Popular with sailors and wannabe mariners (8 sp per cup).
20) Kvass – a mild alcoholic beverage made from rye bread and flavored with mint (2 cp a tankard).

The March of Time

I love world-building. If this hobby didn’t feature it, I’d probably be playing golf or building ships in bottles for recreation. The fact I get to create an imaginary world with all its little details and invented history is the reason I’ve spent the majority of my years in this hobby on the referee’s side of the screen.

And although drawing political borders and creating vast cities has its pleasures, I really enjoy making up the fine details that breathe life into the setting. These little touches, while maybe not doing much for the overall campaign world, are the sparks which set the world ablaze in the players’ minds.

Some years back, I jotted down a few ideas about timekeeping in R’Nis – names of years, months, weeks, etc. While entertaining to create on the large scale, it was coming up with the hours of the day that was the most fun. My world has a goddess of Time and all large settlements with a temple dedicated to her mark the hours with the ringing of bells. It only seemed fitting that a fantasy world have a less prosaic clock than a simple numerical count of hours. And so, the March of Hours was born.

Below is an updated version of my original notes. I came across them again yesterday while searching for something else. Feel free to steal them or adapt them if you’re looking for a way to count the hours and don’t really care about the lack of reliable timekeeping in a pseudo-medieval setting. I certainly don’t.

DawnMarch (6 AM): According to the priests of Eram and the Grand Clock, DawnMarch is the start of the new day.

WakeMarch (7 AM): Traditionally, the time when honest folk rise from the beds and prepare to meet the day.

MornMarch (8 AM): This is the hour that families break their fast before beginning their day’s work. It is a time for families to come together and converse around the bread-bread table. It is also the hour that the first cups of kahvak are served.

MarketMarch (9 AM): At this hour, the stores and businesses of the City Resilient open their doors. It marks the start of most of the city’s working population’s day of labor.

DayMarch (10 AM): According to the clocks of the Temple of Time, the new day is now fully underway. Anyone who pursues a traditional lifestyle in the City Resilient and is still asleep at this hour is considered a slugabed.

InnMarch (11 AM): After cleaning and preparing the kitchens for the day to come at MarketMarch, the inns and taverns of Xultvar are now open for business. Anyone currently renting a room must either depart or pay for another night’s lodging. In some parts of the city, the lines of drunks that formed in front of tavern doors at DayMarch are now allowed in to begin their binging.

NoonMarch (12 PM): NoonMarch indicates that the midday break is on its way. At this hour, meals that require time to prepare are begun and preparations for lunch are made. Otherwise, the city continues on as usual.

EatMarch (1 PM): Lunchtime in the city. The meals started at NoonMarch are ready to be eaten. Some shops close their doors during this March, while inns and taverns attempt to draw customers off the street with lunch specials and the smell of fine food.

DogsMarch (2 PM): This March gets its name from the old saying, “In the heat of this hour, only rabid dogs and madmen tread the streets.” This is the hottest hour during the summer months; merchants and tradesmen lower awnings and cool their shops as best as possible. It is also a much hated time by apprentices, as they are sent out into the streets to run errands for the masters at this time. During the winter months, this hour is referred to as the “March not fit for man nor dog.”

ForgeMarch (3 PM): Since leaving a hot forge unattended is a fire hazard, most smithies, weapon shops, glass blowers, bakers, and armorers choose this hour to extinguish their ovens, forges, and crucibles. This gives them two hours to cool before closing, allowing the craftsmen to lock their doors for the night without fears of an accidental fire. Any priority jobs that come in just before ForgeMarch are bound to cost more, since the craftsmen will need to stay late at the shop to insure their ovens and forges cool enough to close for the evening.

CashMarch (4 PM): This is the hour that merchants begin tallying their business for the day and counting the coins in the till. Ledgers are filled, money is secured in safes, and small sums are left available for last-minute trade. This is also the hour that the day’s final inventories are counted. The shops are winding down for the day.

HomeMarch (5 PM): The workday is over. At this time, most merchants and craftsmen are closing their doors and heading home for their evening meals. A few stray merchants leave their shops open, but soon a darker clientele will be on the streets. Most shopkeepers are looking forward to another cup of kahvak.

ShadowsMarch (6 PM): Night begins to creep into the city. This is the hour that most of the night people of the city begin to awake. Harlots dine and plan their outfits, thieves sharpen their dirks, and assassins gather to plot the night’s events.

DuskMarch (7 PM): Most of the nocturnal population of Xultvar is dining and preparing for the evening. The inns of the city begin to turn down the sheets in their rooms and a few extra kegs are tapped in preparation for the night.

FiresMarch (8 PM): The Lamplighters Guild takes to the streets and lights the city’s lamps, braziers, and lanterns for the evening to come. In private residences in the city, candles, lamps, and hearths are lit. It is rumored that the Thieves Guild meets at this time.

NightMarch (9 PM): Night has fallen and the nocturnal people of the city are out in force. The taverns begin to fill, harlots stroll the streets, and the first of the night’s crime are committed.

SongMarch (10 PM): The patrons of the taverns have a few mugs of ale in them and seek entertainment. During this hour, bards, entertainers, dancers, magicians, and troubadours begins their nightly performances. Their audiences, loosened by ale and wine, are more eager to tip the performers well.

MurderMarch (11 PM): The city watch has completed their first rounds, ale is flowing freely, and insults are being traded. In city legend, this is the hour that most murders, muggings, brawls, and assassinations occur. Despite little hard evidence that this hour has more killings than any other, its name remains unchallenged.

HighMarch (12 AM): The Witching Hour. Considered to be the period when the moon is at its apex, this is the time when the night people begin to act in earnest. The Night Market opens its doors at this hour.

MagesMarch (1 AM): According to legend, this is the hour that mages, wizards, witches, and alchemists begin their incantations and experiments. The moon is high, the stars are bright, and magic flows freely through the night air. Whether there is any truth to these legends is known only by the magi themselves.

SpiritsMarch (2 AM): Folklore tells that this is the hour when the spirits of the dead are most likely to cross the border of death to vex the living. It is uncommon to find anyone on the street at this hour. Most ruffians continue to drink in the taverns; the city guards patrol the walls and halls of city office, and harlots, their pimps, and clients are safely inside bordellos and bawdry houses during this March. Those who dare the streets encounter dark-robed necromancers, grave robbers, and the spirits of the dead.

LateMarch (3 AM): Night is coming to a close at this hour. With SpiritsMarch past, ruffians, rogues, and thieves are headed towards bed. The Night Market begins to shut down and the last rounds of the city watch prowl the streets. Most taverns are calling for last rounds.

RevelersMarch (4 AM): The last crowds of partygoers and drinkers are stumbling home. The city watch is known to be lax in their duties at this hour, allowing drunks who can get up and walk the chance to avoid time in the city gaol. Insults to the watch, however, are NOT tolerated. At this hour, the taverns have closed and city grows quiet.

LastMarch (5 AM): The sun is soon to rise and the night watch is looking forward to a draught of kahvak back at their barracks. Those who are awake make preparations for the new day and wait for the next ringing of the March bells.

Certain Half-Deserted Streets

The idea of playing with a dreamlands setting has been lurking in my unconsciousness for a little while now. I was just not cognizant of it. Looking back on it, I realize that my experiment with the October Country was this idea bobbing briefly to the surface. It took my recent rereading of Leiber to crystallize this vision by way of my reintroduction to Lankhmar.

To reacquaint myself with Fafhrd’s and the Mouser’s stomping grounds, I pulled my copy of Lankhmar – City of Adventure off of the bookshelf. In addition to being reminded of what a spectacular piece of gaming material that book is, I rediscovered the geomorph system it uses to assist the referee in customizing his or her Lankhmar. Seeing those geomorphs was like brushing clear the tiniest corner of a buried artifact. The more I brushed away, the larger that particular potsherd grew until I found myself staring at the nascent dreamlands idea fully revealed.

I was going to build a dream city and I was going to use geomorphs to do it.

I like fantasy cities, but I’ve found that the initial effort to create them is often not worth the reward of using them in play. Unless the campaign is specifically urban-centered, the PCs tend to shuffle off before even a small fraction of the city is explored. But since the referee cannot predict how long they’ll remain in the city or where they might go, he has to do a lot of mapping and prep work just to be safe (although Santiago has demonstrated this need not be the case).

Unlike a “normal” fantasy city, a dreamlands’ metropolis wouldn’t have to be fully mapped out. The mutability of dreams makes it feasible to play fast and loose with both the layout of the city and what is found along those streets. I could mimic the unpredictability and the lack of consistent internal logic by using geomorphs and random tables to determine the overall look and contents of my hypothetical city. Even the boundaries of the city would be in flux initially. A character climbing to the rooftops could look out over the city skyline and see the high walls that surround it, but any attempt to reach those walls would result in him not getting any closer or finding something that bars his way.

Neighborhoods could change on a whim and heading east along the Maiden’s Amble might not always result in arriving at the Court of Silver Fire. Finding that music shop where you bought that violin might become impossible as you vainly search for the dim alley that the store was located along. At least, at first.

I’m still turning the idea of the characters as recent arrivals to the dreamlands over in my head, but the more I do, the more it seems right to me. As recent arrivals, the city remains mutable, lacking any concrete structure outside of the initial arrival neighborhood. To venture out from there, the party must either rely on luck or the assistance of natives and/or public transportation. But as they spend more time in the city, thing seem to solidify and their area of stability grows to include more and more neighborhoods (and thus, more geomorphs). This is where my belief in a shared world comes into play.

As the city solidifies, the players can determine what the next neighborhood is based on what areas they’ve enjoyed the most in their explorations. Like the river district? It now lies directly to the west of the beginning neighborhood. The temple district was fun? It’s now directly to the north. The reason it seemed further away previously need not be explained; it’s all a dream world.

I realize that this concept of the fluctuating city may stink a bit of the railroad, but I’ve got a plan to address that, which I’ll cover that in another post. In the meanwhile, let’s take a look at the first geomorph in its basic form. I’ll be using this as the demonstration model in later posts to help elaborate on my scheme and to test some of the random table ideas in action. If it strikes anyone as being derivative of the Lankhmar geomorphs, this is because I used their layout as a starting point. Future geomorphs may undergo a change, but this will serve for now.

Later this week, I’ll talk more about the city, its purpose, and the influences I’m drawing from to piece it together.

Shadebyrne: Lords, Inns, and Boardwalks

With the broad details of the settlement in place, it was time to flesh out who was in charge, where you could grab a pint and swap tall tales, and what the overall look of the town was. Deciding to start from the top and work my way down, I resolved to let the LBBs and the Cook/Marsh Expert rulebook guide the way.

After arbitrarily deciding that the local authority figure would be a “name level” fighter, I turned to p. 15 of The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures book to determine the composition of the Lord’s guard, retainers, and other special followers. The dice determined that 60 troops serve under the lord, likely as stronghold guards and outriders to keep the surrounding lands safe. A second roll indicated that a 5th level magic-user also occupies the local stronghold. Sensing the possibilities for adventure seeds that clashing personalities would create, I decided that the Lord and his resident MU don’t always see eye to eye. Whether this is because of personal agendas or alignment, I haven’t yet decided, but I make a note to come back to this idea later. The final roll determines that the Lord has a single giant at his beck and call. Seeing the Lord as Lawful, I fill this role with a Stone Giant who owes the Lord for some past boon or service.

The giant’s presence gets me thinking about the wooden palisade around Shadebyrne. I decide that, with the giant’s help, the Lord is embarking on a series of community projects to better protect the town. At the moment, the giant and a group of hired workers are turning the lord’s stronghold from a wooden fort into a stone redoubt. After this is completed, the wooden palisade around the settlement is due for an upgrade. Such improvements seem indicate a change in regime from the former corrupt administration. Therefore, the new lord is a recent appointee to Shadebyrne, I decide. He seeks to remove the legacy of the former administrators’ corruption and make the settlement a better place. Whether his initial optimism will survive contact with harsh frontier life remains to be seen. An online random name generator gives me the name Rindper Cryt, and Lord Warden Cryt becomes the local authority figure.

With government out of the way, the town inn is our next stop. Luckily, I’ve got Fight On! # 2 in my library which features James Raggi’s excellent “Random Inn Generator” article. With that article’s help, I learn that the inn is run by a retired 3rd level Fighter, his wife, and their 13 year old son. The random name generator informs me these are Trato Sane, his wife, Dianarra, and their boy, Akry. Rolling on the random inn name generator from the article result in “The Dizzy Strumpet Inn.” Although I liked that, I decided to give a nod to the Dungeon Masters Guide and changed it to “The Brazen Strumpet Inn.”

That change got me thinking. No self-respecting goodwife is going to let her husband run an establishment named after some wanton harlot! Since Shadebyrne was once a garrison town on the kingdom’s border, not to mention a regular watering hole for the soldiers who kept an eye over Stonehell, it occurred to me to give the inn a more martial-sounding name: The Brass Trumpet. One night, however, some unknown vandal defaced the sign that hangs above the inn’s entrance; a splash of red paint turning the Brass Trumpet into the Brazen Strumpet. Although initially angered by this vandalism, old Trato noticed that business picked up in the inn almost immediately afterwards. Even his copper piece-pinching wife couldn’t argue that the name change was good for business. The vandalized sign still hangs out front, unchanged.

All that was left to do now was to make a rough map of the town and give it a little personality to distinguish it from other settlements. Since my concept of the home base is that of the last spot of civilization on the edge of the frontier, my natural inclination was to visit some Western themes. The wooden palisade already calls to mind the log forts common on the western frontier during America’s youth. It would be fitting therefore to steal another common feature from the Wild West for Shadebyrne: the raised, wooden boardwalks that front most businesses.

Not only did this make sense to serve as a barrier between the mud, muck, and manure that would accumulate on the earthen streets, but since the settlement is close to the river, seasonal flooding would be an issue. To compensate for these periodic deluges, I decided that the buildings in town are erected on 6’ tall berms of stone and earth. In turn, these berms are surrounded by a 3’ tall boardwalk with short sets of stairs that lead up to the front door of the buildings and down to ground level as well. These boardwalks will help establish the town’s identity, give thieves and other riff-raff a place to spring from ambush, and provide a place for the local halfling to hide beneath when the outlaws whip the sheriff to death in the middle of the street.

Using the map from Castle Book I as a guide, I break out some graph paper, my geometric shape stencils (perhaps the cheapest, yet most useful mapping tool I ever bought), and start drawing. In short order, I can see that the raised walkway is going to add a cool level of detail to the town; one that I hope will stick out in the minds of the players. Once the rough map’s finished, I scan it so as to have a central template that I can use again and again as the town grows and/or changes, and I’m ready to start placing businesses and other features.

Overall, I’m happy with the settlement. It’s certainly not as grandiose as Greyhawk and even smaller than Blackmoor, but it will serve its purpose for now. I can fill in the required details as they’re needed once the adventurers come to visit or when the urge strikes me.