Creating Interesting and Fun Taverns!!

[SHARK]

Greetings!

Well, in my campaign world of Thandor, I always try and create some kind of signature tavern in most places that the players visit--especially large cities. Smaller towns are a bit more generic, of course, but exceptions can be found. In my experience, despite the laden cliche of the tavern trope, players almost universally respond well to exciting, interesting, and fun taverns. It seems to really help players form an attachment to a place, but also to "ID" a certain place. For example:

"Yeah, yeah...he's that bastard nobleman we met in that one huge city...with the tavern that served us those hot blue drinks, and had the effing hot elven pole dancers!"

"Hmmm...didn't we meet her at that temple of the Great Beast in that city where we stayed at the Grey Oak Tavern? Yeah....the Grey Oak Tavern, where we became friends with Valandil, the high elf ranger and adventurer, who is the tavern's owner....that's right...where the common room had that huge stone fireplace, carved with dragon heads, and there was a cool dragon head that overlooked the mantle...and would whisper stuff when we were near it late at night by the crackling fire?"

And so on. Taverns are important, and they are usually fun and interesting places to visit and hang out at. What kind of interesting taverns have you introduced in your campaigns?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Milagroso]

I typically use the Taverns listed in my FRCS book, but sometimes I throw a little extra out there. Hillsfar for example is the only place you can Dragon's Breath, an effervescent, frothing, smoking brew that floors you on a fail of a DC 25 fort save.

For some reason my players love to drink this stuff.

Yhaunn has some of the best bath houses in their Inns.

One other town I can't remeber the name of ATM, is the only place you can get actual dragon meat steak served to you (although truthfully, sometimes they run out and substitute with another meat)

One of my favorites it Traveller Inn. It use to be a normal inn, but after Torm's defeat in Tantras, the explosion of random and chaotic magic energy caused the Inn to wink out of existence and appear somewhere else. Ever since then every 2-3 days the tavern disappears and reappears somewhere else in the realms. Never the same place twice. Fortunately, the inn was large enough that it had some self sustaining elements to it such as a garden and a corral for sheep, cows, chickens. Think of it more like a large farm.

Yes, Yes. I know its campy. But my players love it. I've had many different players too, not the same ones.

 

[Phlebas]

One of the players has just bought his own tavern - 'The Gryff Inn' so thats become the main meeting place for the group.

My favourite inn though was ' The jungle' where it was built around a massive tropical tree with creepers and female amazons (monks) bar staff. the PC's always referred to it as the pub with the prettiest bouncers in town.

 

[green slime]

Consider me inspired! Thanks!

I've actually never used taverns very much, trying to stay away from what I considered a "stale" concept. I've focused on making other "mundane" buildings visited by characters (libraries, churches) flavourful.

 

[cmrscorpio]

I used the Drunk Monk tavern in one of the seedy parts of Sharn:

The PCs walk in and see a stereotypical tavern except for one thing: The ceiling is 15 feet high and all sorts of weapons are embedded in the ceiling. The PCs ask around about it and find out that violence is strictly forbidden, and it is enforced by Drunken Master monk who is always at the bar. The monk's combat tactic is to disarm his foe, then toss the weapon to stick it to the ceiling, then beat the opponents to pudding.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I had the "Temple of Bacchus Bar & Grille" in one of my games...

 

[Rhun]

I always thought that in the 2E Volo's Guides they did a great job of detailing a lot of stand-out inns and taverns (as well as shops, homes and other things).

 

[WarlockLord]

The Necromantic Tavern. The place is run by a retired necromancer, and all the servitors are undead. Always open.

Surprisingly, no one ever visits...

 

[Kurashu]

In our last game, our DM included "The Fallen Sword Inn" The finest inn of all Waterdeep, everything is gold. Even the mugs. And especially the owner's dresses, Euronis (or however her name is spelled, I feel a little guilty for never getting it right). Among it's regulars are a human and a dwarf who constantly play chess over a valuable book (which we never tried to lift for fear of our lives). And housed underneath, much to our surprise, and it makes sense after we found it, a gold dragon. A stairway connected it to a sister tavern in the Underdark, although this one is far less spectacular. Served as the temporary meeting place for a resistance of sorts.

When we last left our valiant heroes, it had been shut down for "shady business dealings." Which our rogue didn't help much when he said he was, quote, "The man. You know, the one who takes care of business." The authorities took that as "So, you break the legs."


Also, I would go to the Necromantic Tavern. Might get more business if you played down the Nec part and played up the Romantic. Just, disguise your wait staff well.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

One tavern I remember was a nice, clean, place. Don't even remember the name.

What I do remember was Joachim, the innkeeper. He was a polite, unassuming man, who became absolutely aghast of all the terrible things that caught up with the PCs at his inn.

After a while, he was constantly running around, urgently cleaning the bloodstains out of the floor, assuring the PCs and other guests that his guests are not typically attacked in the middle of the night, and would they please consider the ninjas that came through the window last night as a fluke, and he will be sure to get bars installed on those windows, and the demon gate will be closed before lunch...