Crothian
First Post
Inns can serve as a great place for characters to rest in between adventures or can become an adventure for a well prepared DM. Necromancer has a book of Inns that I like very much and it was not until seeing Unusual Inns that I find a book almost as good. I am a fan of using Inns and having places characters can hear about and seek out. Or just to serve as a resting place that the characters do not expect so much more from.
Unusual Inns is a PDF by Heyoka Games. It is written by Rogan Hamby and it is his writing that really makes the product. That is because there are no game mechanics in this. It is designed to be used in a fantasy setting but it does not assume one is going to use it for D&D. It does not fit perfectly really anywhere so a little tweaking will be needed but one can easily use this with GURPS, Hero Fantasy, Palladium Fantasy, Burning Wheel, Warhammer, Blue Rose, or perhaps even D&D. It is of course not limited to just those games either. The PDF is well written and has a good lay out. It is also nicely book marked.
There are five Inns described here all written up as if part of a newsletter from a royal exploration society. There are no maps of the inns and just some basic names of the inn keepers and possible a few other important people. The focus is on the feel of the inn and some kind of quirky thing that is going on with it. The report about each Inn actually can make a handy prop to give the players. Each one sets up a possible adventure seed for the PCs to investigate. It is more exploration and discovery of what is going on then dealing with the latest evil thing to kill. Though in one or two of these a great big evil thing might be found. The book though does offer answers in a DM section. I really liked this part as it seems to be a new trend to set things up in a gaming book but never explain them.
The book does build on many myths and ideas from our own world. For instance one of the inns deals with the fey and the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Another one uses Egyptian gods like Bast. There is also one that could possible deal with angels. These type of things could easily be changed to help fit the setting.
The book does a nice job of presenting unusual inns but more it does it in an unusual way. It does have a nice writing style about it and even though it does not give menus or a layout like usual inns might get; this book presents the mystery and interesting bits of the Inn. The more mundane parts of the inns is something simpler for a DM to create on their own.
Unusual Inns is a PDF by Heyoka Games. It is written by Rogan Hamby and it is his writing that really makes the product. That is because there are no game mechanics in this. It is designed to be used in a fantasy setting but it does not assume one is going to use it for D&D. It does not fit perfectly really anywhere so a little tweaking will be needed but one can easily use this with GURPS, Hero Fantasy, Palladium Fantasy, Burning Wheel, Warhammer, Blue Rose, or perhaps even D&D. It is of course not limited to just those games either. The PDF is well written and has a good lay out. It is also nicely book marked.
There are five Inns described here all written up as if part of a newsletter from a royal exploration society. There are no maps of the inns and just some basic names of the inn keepers and possible a few other important people. The focus is on the feel of the inn and some kind of quirky thing that is going on with it. The report about each Inn actually can make a handy prop to give the players. Each one sets up a possible adventure seed for the PCs to investigate. It is more exploration and discovery of what is going on then dealing with the latest evil thing to kill. Though in one or two of these a great big evil thing might be found. The book though does offer answers in a DM section. I really liked this part as it seems to be a new trend to set things up in a gaming book but never explain them.
The book does build on many myths and ideas from our own world. For instance one of the inns deals with the fey and the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Another one uses Egyptian gods like Bast. There is also one that could possible deal with angels. These type of things could easily be changed to help fit the setting.
The book does a nice job of presenting unusual inns but more it does it in an unusual way. It does have a nice writing style about it and even though it does not give menus or a layout like usual inns might get; this book presents the mystery and interesting bits of the Inn. The more mundane parts of the inns is something simpler for a DM to create on their own.
