The Ultimate Tavern

[Baz King]

“You all meet in a tavern...”

The original unoriginal beginning to adventure. But what if you did all meet in a tavern, and what if that tavern was the most fantastic place in the world? What would that look like?

My plan is to make the ultimate tavern for fantasy worlds. It will be the place to meet patrons, swap stories, hear tall tales, cement reputations, make legends, get roaring drunk and have one of those lovely little bowls of spiced nuts they do.

I need your help and inspiration. I have the physical place all mapped out, and I have some plots, history, schemes and organisations all ready to go. I want to populate this place with (ir)regulars of all stripes, and that’s where I could do with a hand.

So tell me about your character.

It can be any fantasy character. It might be the one from your gaming history, or one you play today, or one you’ve always wanted to. System is irrelevant (I don’t want numbers). I only ask that you use the following template if you can (and if you can’t, I’ll get over it).

Occupation: what’s your way of life?
Physical description: just briefly, including any quirks
Attributes and skills: anything markedly above or below the norm
Values and motivations: what spurs you to action?
Behaviour: traits that stand out
Useful knowledge: perhaps a hook?
Mannerism: something memorable

As they come in, don’t be afraid of putting in links to other characters. Enmities and alliances are all grist to the mill.

My long term plan is to gather this cast into a game resource. Eventually I’ll publish it. Contributors will be credited of course, and if there is anything physical to come from this I’ll get you a copy gratis. That’s all I can offer. I know it’s not much.

Over to you.

 

[Gilladian]

I don't care about publishing, but I love to talk about my favorite DnD characters.

My online namesake is Gilladian the dwarf fighter. He was the third character I ever rolled up (thus the name, a nickname my dad called me).

Occupation: fighter and wandering adventurer

Physical description: ordinary dwarf, missing his left hand (replaced by an iron hook). Red-brown hair and beard, unbraided, often slightly singed. His truly unusual characteristic is the broom over his shoulder - it's a flying broomstick, but due to slight overexposure to a red dragon's breath, it smokes and sparks when used. He wears a gold ring on his thumb (which was, originally a ring of regeneration). He doesn't know what it does.

Attributes and Skills: Gilladian is quite stupid, and hasn't the wisdom to realize it. He's got few skills beyond swinging his axe in combat, and drinking enormous quantities of ale, beer or cider. He's very handy with his mule, though. Animals like him because he's not much brighter than they are.

Motivations: Love of a good fight. Loyalty to his friends. Pleasure in wealth - he doesn't NEED money, but he enjoys spending it and giving it away. And everyone is his friend.

Behavior: friendly, cheerful, gullible.

Useful knowledge: none, he's a blank book. He's been used as a dupe, a fool, and a pigeon so many times, and he never notices.

Mannerisms: typical dwarf, typical dumb guy. He is friends with everyone, never holds a grudge and is almost always happy. He's the perfect backup guy, who never minds what goes wrong. Just don't hurt his mule.

 

[Wik]

Here's a character I really enjoyed playing, although it was ultimately only for a couple of sessions (I don't get a chance to play much in ongoing games, as I usually GM). I played him in an Eberron game, where I first gamed with poster Blargney The Second.

Marlowe
OCCUPATION: Human Elementalist/Wandering Gambler (Mechanically, human wu jen 5)

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Average height, with shoulder-length brown hair that is well-kept. Marlowe always wears a brown trenchcoat, with well-styled clothing (often black or gray) underneath. He is usually fidgeting with a specially-made deck of cards.

ATTRIBUTES AND SKILLS: Marlowe is an elementalist - a magician who follows arbitrary rules of magic in exchange for mastery over specific avenues of arcane study. In essence, he must follow certain compulsions in exchange for spell power. His particular areas of focus are in summoning and beneficial (ie "Buff") magic. In a fight, he usually goes invisible and then summons allies while bolstering them with specific beneficial spells. Marlowe will use his wand of magic missile as a last-ditch defence, as he prefers to avoid getting personally involved in physical altercations.

In addition to this, Marlowe is an expert gambler, and is a very well-known player of the Magician's Card Game, Transmuter. There are two versions of the game, Low Transmuter and High Transmuter, with Marlowe specializing in "Low Transmuter". He rarely loses. Marlowe's prized possession is a specially-made deck of cards, designed to be very sensitive to Marlowe's magic and giving him an edge when he plays (this is perfectly legal in Transmuter rules).

VALUES AND MOTIVATIONS: Marlowe generally enjoys overcoming obstacles, preferably without physical violence. He is a bit of a rogue, and has a knack for finding himself in trouble more often than not. His favourite past time is tricking and outwitting those around him - perhaps because of this, he prefers to avoid casting charm spells, as he thinks they make things "too easy". After all, anyone can charm a guard if they need to get past the gate, but it takes special skills to talk your way past.

Quite often, Marlowe will try to gain a superiority or edge in discussions, simply for the fun involved - certainly, any moneys he gains are quickly spent or gambled away.

BEHAVIOUR: Typically, Marlowe is a sly rogue. He has certain arbitrary compulsions he must follow (see below), and he tends to get angry when he's put himself in a situation where those compulsions come into play - when it happens, he feels as if he's made a stupid mistake. Marlowe tends to tease his friends. In combat, he is cool and collected, though occasionally has been called a coward due to his personal non-involvement in the fight. However, he proved this wrong when he single-handedly saved the lives of his companions in a fight against a possessed bard.

In some ways, Marlowe is a consummate liar. However, in others, he is scrupulously honest. For example, he will never cheat at cards, and abhors those that do. He will lie to a gate guard for personal gain, but would never make a lie that would harm that gate guard's career or future. Marlowe never steals (although he has no problem with bribes, small cons, and even blackmail).

USEFUL KNOWLEDGE: Marlowe knows every gambling game in existence. He is streetwise, and well-versed in arcane lore. He often has his fingers in several small-scale cons and schemes at any one time. If Marlowe doesn't know something, odds are he can summon someone who does.

MANNERISMS: Marlowe's biggest problem are the magical compulsions he has voluntarily put himself under. If he breaks one of these compulsions, he loses access to his magical abilities. There are currently two compulsions he must abide by:

1) He cannot leave a building the same way he entered it. The only exception to this is if Marlowe is in a different state of consciousness going out as he was going in. Thus, Marlowe can enter a bar, get drunk, and leave through the same door with no problem. However, he usually has to find more interesting ways to get out - including starting bar fights so he'll get thrown out a window.

2) Marlowe cannot cast spells during a storm. This is often a problem, as his main partner in crime is a member of house Lyrandar.





(Basically, "Transmuter" was a game I made up that Marlowe would refer to. The idea is that wizards are allowed to cast spells while playing it. In High Transmuter, the wizard is not allowed to use his physical body in any way to play the game - he must even use spells to draw cards from the deck. In Low Transmuter, the game has more restrictions on the spells allowed to be used. In both versions of the game, players can use spells to "cheat" - cast illusions on your cards so they are something else entirely, scry on other players, or summon additional players to play for your side. The only rules in regards to spellcraft is you can't harm any other player, and you can't dominate someone's free will).

 

[Sorrowdusk]

My past/ongoing DnD Characters for your Inspiration:

Name: Tammuz Alzared AKA Tammuz Talwar-Kadath/ Human (Abyssal Heritor) Cleric/Warlock/Eldritch Disciple 15 CE
Known For: Swarthy eastern man known for being an expert on the workings of cults, and being a skilled demonologist, and necromancer; Having black snakeskin except on his face (Marilith ancestry), a serpents tongue, filing his canines to points, having and disturbingly pupils flickering with an inner light; being too "curious" (asking too many questions, more than dabbling in dark arts); wearing a turban; polymorphing into snakes just to kill little animals for pleasure; owning a pet skeleton cat "Marrowkins"; he's evil but NOT a complete monster. He's driven by pursuit of knowledge and forbidden lore, fighting cultists more to take what they have than to do any "good".

Creative Influence: Abdul Alhazred, Old Castro, various Lovecraft Characters; House (of series of the same name), Count Dooku, Dr. Orpheus, Dr. Strange, Severus Snape, Vetinari (Discworld)
Note: Both Alzared and Talwar-kadath are nods to Alhazred and Dream Quest to Unknown Kadath


Name:Vassago Corsair/ Human Sorcerer 7 CN
Known For: Many tattoos and piercings; going barechested in all weather in his red Charismatic Cape, red/white striped pants, and buccaneer boots/gloves; being too "curious" (in his words 'investigative'...by opening all the sarcophagi despite the Palidin's divinations) and getting into traps. XD He was my first character. He's motivated by searching for his half-orc half-brother Barnz.
Creative Influence: Tetsuo from "Akira"

Name: Barnz "Barney" / Half Orc Barb-Fighter 5 CN
Known For: Being a blacksmith, Vassago's half brother; his Freezing Ogre's Greatsword "Avalanche"; he's a quiet and reserved man, but looking at him, its there's like a winter storm behind his eyes.
Creative Influence: Guts/Gatsu from "Berserk"

Name: Dagun/ Human Monk 9 LG
Known For: Being a zealot, "wannabe" paladin; overbearing sense of "justice" and "honor". Despite this he seems at least a little insane, and has been known to punch out (stunning fist) members (like Vassago) of his party to "borrow" (steal) their oil or alchemist fire and use it to fuel his Evil-Cleansing-Pyromania. He regularly burns books, scrolls, bodies, buildings, and anything else he deems as unclean. He is also a germaphobe and carries several pounds of soap which he uses to "cleanse" mundane things, although he resorts to fire if its "taint" (of dirt or evil) is too great. He once tried to scrub a blood pentagram from a dungeon floor, and when it wouldnt come off he set it on fire, which caused it to form into a Blood Golem. He dresses in simple clothes, but is often noticed for ever-burning torch tied to his forehead with a headband.

Name: Sir Griffon Venn-Bargyle (pron. Bar-guy-all)/ Human Knight 7 LG
Known For: Flaming Silver Spiked Chain "White Rose Red Dragon"; Being of Noble blood, he would have been crowned prince until his uncle had followers try to do away with him in a river only to end up in a neighboring country. When his uncle took the throne and went to war with their neighbors, he didnt count on Griffin comming out of the woodwork, and leading the charge against him-Griffon would have exacted vengeance had his uncle's wizard not sent him into another dimension.
Creative Influence: Griffith from "Berserk"

Name: Crank "Marty" Marten/ Warforged Monk 8 LN
Known For: Being a personal body guard, guarding his creators shipments in transit; he's a warforged of iron and brass created by an old wizard from which he takes his last name and whom he reguards as his "father". When his father died, he didnt know what to do with himself, and set about wandering. He has a pet warhorse "Axel" that he takes care of.
Creative Influence: Various characters played by Johnathon Statham

 

[Werebat]

A rather drab, bitter-looking man sits alone at the bar, nursing the latest in a long line of drinks. He has the look of a soul who has lost his cause.

What is not obvious is that it is a doppleganger. It goes by many names; in this form, it calls itself Dren. Among its own kind, it goes by the name of Lum.


Occupation: what’s your way of life?
This and that. Lum specializes in spying, and is skilled enough to have worked for some very powerful people (most of whom did not realize its true nature, and some of whom were ultimately betrayed to their enemies when that seemed more profitable). It is an opportunst and is willing to earn (or steal) its keep in whatever manner comes its way, however.

Physical description: just briefly, including any quirks
As a doppleganger, Lum can take on nearly any appearance. Currently, it doesn't seem to be caring much for putting on an attractive face to the world.

Attributes and skills: anything markedly above or below the norm
Lum's Intelligence is a bit higher than the average doppleganger's. It has levels of rogue, and the skills one would expect a spy to have.

Values and motivations: what spurs you to action?
Lum is currently despondent. The last year has seen it supping at the tables of powerful nobles and the ecclesiastical elite.
It was assigned by a patron to ferret out the secrets of an up and coming noble family, and towards this end it chose to seduce a young, politically unimportant niece of the family's patriarch, posing as a member of an obscure noble line from a distant nation.
For her part, the girl was enchanted by the doppleganger's silver tongue and charismatic ways. But her earnest innocence and piety stirred a heretofore unknown feeling in the doppleganger's heart -- true love.
All could have been well if Lum had maintained its disguise indefinitely, but with feelings of love came a desire for honesty between itself and the girl, and Lum did something foolish in the pursuit of its heart's desire -- it revealed itself to the girl as the creature it was, hoping that she would be able to accept it as it was so there need be no secrets between them. So real was the girl's love for it that it did survive the shock of this revelation, but in sadness she revealed that she could never marry Lum as it was a creature not of noble lineage, as she knew it would be against the wishes of her family and church. Lum tarried for some time, trying to find a way to work things out with his love, but to no avail. Finally, in pain and sadness, he abandoned his mission to disappear for a time, as only a doppleganger can.

Behaviour: traits that stand out
Lum is sullen, withdrawn, and cynical. Believing itself to have found -- and lost -- the love of its life, on some level it no longer cares if it lives or dies. It realizes the irony of its situation; had it simply continued to lie to its love, it could quite possibly have spent a lifetime with her. But the fact that it loved her made that an impossibility; to Lum, a dishonest love was no love at all.
It is also angered at the control its love's family and the caste system it espoused had over her, knowing that she loved it and truly wanted to be with it, despite its alien nature, and that its leaving pained her as much as it pained it. It is angry at itself for having failed to find a way to enable its love to find her bliss with it, and feels keenly the pain it knows she must feel at their separation.
It has not considered such consciously, but it would almost certainly enjoy working out some of its anger on some deserving target, most likely a person or system forbidding relationships between young lovers for its own gain without regard to the resultant pain caused. In fact, its alignment has drifted into Chaotic due to its quiet rage at the social systems that bind its love's decisions and prevented her from simply leaving with it.
Other than this, Lum is a pretty typical (albeit skilled) doppleganger.


Useful knowledge: perhaps a hook?
Lum knows several juicy secrets thought kept safe by some powerful people, some local and some in far-off places. Its freshest information pertains to the noble family it has been spying on for the past few months, but it will not willingly part with anything that could even indirectly harm its love.

Mannerism: something memorable
Lum tends to shake its head and mutter cynical predictions for truly happy couples it observes. It also nurses a simmering hatred of social systems (including religions) that forbid members of different groups from marrying who they will.

 

[steeldragons]

Gnerendulous "Stripey Gned" Greystone
Gnome/male. Fighter/thief. Neutral

Occupation: A successful "prospector"/miner.

Physical description: "Gned" is fairly commonplace for a gnome. Average height a toned but not overly musculed build, though his arms and back are rather developed giving him a slightly hunched appearance. His face is almost always streaked with soot and dirt. His steely grey beard is curled and wiry with a few thick streaks of shocking white throughout (often, also, sooty/smudged with dirt). His clothing is similarly average for a gnome, leather breeches, shirt and vest all vertically-striped in bright clashing colors, commonly red and chartreuse. His sparcely haired dome is almost always beneath a flopping cap of bluish grey felt. His eyes are the brilliant blue of sapphires that sparkle wildly (especially after a few ales) from his dark smudge-stained face. At his side, always, is a gnome-sized well-used miner's pick dubbed "Sweetheart" by the gnome and the regular patrons who know him.

Attributes and skills: Gned is a miner of apparent skill, often literally covered in his work and never at a shortage to pay his tab with gold, or occasionally raw gemstones...even buying the house a round on a particularly productive day.

He will be polite, if somewhat curt, when engaged in conversation but will not, under any circumstances, discuss the whereabouts of his mine...other than to say it's "just outside of town." Diviners, enchanters and psions who have attempted to locate the obviously rich mine cannot glean a thing. Attempts to trail the gnome to or from his workplace have all met failure. Whether this is the normal mental-slipperiness of gnomes or an attribute of some item on the gnome's person is unknown. Even at his drunkest, the gnome will not reveal his secrets.

Values and motivations: Stripey Gned is motivated by his mine. He goes wanders to it in the mornings from his modest cottage in the woods south of the Tillman farm, works sun up to sun down, then hits the tavern for his evening meal and libation and stumbles back to his cottage. The continued acquisition of his wealth and contentment he has from his ongoing "simple working folk" day is of the utmost importance. Anyone interfering with that will have a miner's pick to deal with.

Behaviour: Gned keeps to himself most of the time. As stated, he will be polite, perhaps gruff. On a "good day" at the mine he will be more affable, and, most likely, more drunk. Even drunk, when trouble breaks out in the tavern, Gned seems to make a discreet exit. Noone can ever recall seeing him in a brawl or causing trouble in any way.

Useful knowledge: See "values & motivation." Also, anyone attempting to take/mess with "Sweetheart" will be in a world of hurt. Detecting for magic on Gned is somewhat useless. Again, there is the inherent magical nature of gnomes to consider, but overall, the gnome's entire person, from head to tow, including the pick, will register magical auras of multiple/confusing/never the same thing twice types. Inquiries as to their nature will be ignored or angrily rebuked as "Profound rude-ity!" and "None of ye busy-ness."

Mannerism: Gned's most memorable mannerism is his maniacal-sounding laugh. When particularly amused, may be a joke or riddle or limerick or some mild misfortune of others, Gned cackles like a mad man. This along with the bright sparkle of his eyes has led more than one tavern regular to decide the gnome is actually insane. The supposition is also aided by his knack for mumbling to his "Sweetheart" after a few ales, though it is rarely heard what he says to the implement. This, of course, is not so...or is it?

This was fun! More to come.
--Steel Dragons

 

[MortalPlague]

1) He cannot leave a building the same way he entered it.

This is inspired! I may steal it for a future character. It just seems like too much fun.