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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WillieW" data-source="post: 2472634" data-attributes="member: 4299">Not an inn, but a shop not far from my locality that used to sell floor-coverings:Lino RitchiesI had an article in DRAGON # 160 called "The Last Call Inn" which discussed some of the ways in which an inn might be configured and how to adapt the idea to different localities.  The infomation, below, is not part of the original article.The origin of street signs predates general literacy, so the sign must give an instant indication of the type of establishment present.  In the case of an inn or tavern, the sign is intended to both indicate the presense of a public house and to differentiate it from similar establishments in the area.  If possible, the sign should try to indicate that the establishment is better than neighbouring ones and worthy of a visit.  Where a town has established trades and/or guilds, some inns or taverns might be the obvious hangouts of members of these organisations.  For example, "The Bucket of Guts" is more likely to be visited by abbatoir men and dealers in dead animals than adventurers, a fact of which the player characters may be unaware when locating the premises for the first time.  Taverns with less specific names might be frequented by a wider clientelle.  Remember, too, that the proximity of your tavern or inn to local businesses, marketplaces, institutions of government and so on will also influence the type of clientelle that visits.Here are some other inn names you might like to use:"The Goose & Gremlin" -- sign shows a goose in angry pursuit of a tiny, mischievious humanoid clutching a fistful of white feathers."The <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />'s Comb" -- portrait of the proud head of a rooster crowing"The Picker's 'Prentice" -- a large-wigged dandy quaffs ale as a youth struggles to reach his head with a tweezers"The Cat & Cage" -- a smiling cat washes its face outside an empty birdcage, its door swings open"The Bed & Bucket" -- says it all, really.  You'll want one or the other by the end of the night!"Bill Sticker's Brush" -- a youth posts a bill to the wall of a building with a paste-filled brush while an accomplice keeps watch"The Washerwoman's Woe" -- a matronly woman scrubs laundry in a tub while to one side a villainous youth uses a stick to hook a pair of frilly bloomers from the washing line"The Ink Pot" -- a scribe looks on in horror as the parchment he is writing upon is ruined by a spillage by a clumsy apprentice</blockquote>

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