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I'm having a hard time in my game with inn names. My party is currently in Korvosa, and I'm using the source book on Korvosa, which has a number of inn names. Every one of which results in 2-4 minutes of pause in my game while everyone laughs. Names like "Sticky Mermaid" come across as kind of silly to my gamers, who are all adults, mind you.
So, I'm thinking of working out my own inn names for future cities that they travel to (the campaign is a sort of Wizard of Oz riff with the party traveling across most of the northern inner sea).
Anyone have any thoughts for useful names or systems for coming up with them? Some ideas I've had:
Traveler's Inn (they won't all have a clever name, after all)
Tin Fed Harp (anagram for Pathfinder)
Cup, Crust and Crumhorn (why wouldn't they advertise the drink, food and entertainment in the name?)
Donovora's (simply naming inns for the family)
Dawnview Fields (regional highlights)
Any of those that you would think wouldn't work? Any that you'd use instead? Let me know.
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My favorite from other fantasy sources...
Vulgar Unicorn - Thieves World
Other possibles:
- Dragons mark Inn
- Red Dragon Inn
- Squatter's Home
- Olde Naked Diamond Den
- The Old Staggering Troll Den
- The Blue Dutchess Inn
- Ye Olde Shattered Griffon Inn
- Rowdy Lion and Lamb Inne
- Three Toothless Vixen Inne
- Destitute Hammer Inne
- Ace in the Hole Rogue House
- Ye Lost Cup House
- The Old Silent Scribe Inn
- Angelic Rose and Crown Inn
- Devil's Brigade Home
- Ye Old Dancing Mason House
- Ye Three Dirty Medusa's Head Den
- Ye Devious Highwayman House
- Four Silent Memories Inn
- Crooked Hammers Inne
- Old Devious Cat and Fiddle Den
Tavern/Bar/Inn names in fantasy and fantasy games traditionally are kind of supposed to be clever, pun-tacular, gross, suggestive, stupid and/or hilarious.
They're intended to give you the quick reaction they're going for, maybe an idea of who you'll be finding inside, and then that's about it. Don't give it too much thought.
Use them as you see fit.
I'm playing the Carrion Crown AP and the first Inn my PC's came across in Lepistadt was named "The Winding Way" solely because I knew it would ellicit a laugh and the standard "Oh $%^& you" look.
Tavern/Bar/Inn names in fantasy and fantasy games traditionally are kind of supposed to be clever, pun-tacular, gross, suggestive, stupid and/or hilarious.
They're intended to give you the quick reaction they're going for, maybe an idea of who you'll be finding inside, and then that's about it. Don't give it too much thought.
Use them as you see fit.
I'm playing the Carrion Crown AP and the first Inn my PC's came across in Lepistadt was named "The Winding Way" solely because I knew it would ellicit a laugh and the standard "Oh $%^& you" look.
Wikipedia has areally good article on this very subject going into the history and naming trends of inns and pubs and gives a very long list of names of them. one like the ever popular george and the dragon(for the patron saint of england) could be changed to aroden and the devil, or sarenrae and the beast...
remember alot of the names are what the picture on the sign is because of the lack of people knowing how to read.
The Orc and Pie.
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I usually start with places like these:
Inkwell's Random Inn Generator (also generates floor plans, menus, staff, and rumors heard, which is awesome)
Random Tavern Name Generator at Seventh Sanctum
While you'll get some silly stuff because it's random, of course, it should be a good source of ideas--and quick too if you're gaming with your laptop and need to come up with something on the fly.
If you are portraying a semi- or totally- illiterate culture, many of the inns will be named for iconic images that will be recognized on signs.
I'm not 100% certain of the truth in this, but taverns and inns with names like "The Saracen's Head" or "The Plough and Stars" were often named because their signs were recognizable paintings, rather than words. You could tell any illiterate crusader to find the Saracen's Head and he would see it on the sign sure enough.
On a longer timeline, a formerly literate culture can degenerate into this kind of naming scheme. I've heard it supposed that the popular "Elephant and Castle" sign was once L'enfant de Castille... but since the Anglos didn't translate the french and the Elephant was a more recognizable pictogram, the mistranslation stuck.
So, names of iconic images like a Drunken Goblin, or a Ship with Three Sails might be very good names for inns, depending on your desired portrayal of literacy.
The Randy Mage.
Most of my campaigns feature this tavern, which always sports a sign with a picture of a busty woman in revealing robes, a wand in one hand and a frothing mug of ale in the other.
Easing the Badger.
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No one has mentioned the Cock and Bucket from Warhammer Fantasy yet. One of my favourite halfling run establishments featuring the gambling game called "Ringing the Cockatrice."
Any chance you might provide a link for those of us too lazy to search for it? :)
Wikipedia has areally good article on this very subject going into the history and naming trends of inns and pubs and gives a very long list of names of them.
The wikipedia article is the one for Public House but a longer and more authoritative article will be found Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
(Also, the Elephant and Castle etymology given above is a folk etymology. Most scholars think the image comes from an elephant with a houdah on its back.)
(Also, the Elephant and Castle etymology given above is a folk etymology. Most scholars think the image comes from an elephant with a houdah on its back.)
I did mention my uncertainty. :)
In any case, folk etymology is totally sufficient when discussing the naming of fictional places in an RPG — the more folk-logical and folk-memorable, the better!
We often have names consisting of "gold" (or any other shining metal) and an animal. Classic names, like the Golden Stag, the Bronze Boar, the Silver Griffin, etc, etc.
On another note, we used the Gamemastery Guide table for random tavern names at our German speaking gaming table and I rolled the name "Boozy House" and told my player "meet him at the Boozy House".
He thought I gave him a German name and understood "Busihaus" which kind of translates into "Titty House" and he thought it was a strip club or something like that...
In a game I ran there was the Queen's Bistro. They had great cheese cake and delicious fruit based teas. Also funny in that the city state they were in wasn't ruled by a monarchy.
There was the Double Rainbow. It was the players ad lib I assure you.
Then there was the PCs home base: The Outrageous Trousers.
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The way Inn names occur in my games, that is when I am DMing or either of our other 2 players/dms in the group... Is we usually use the following formulae.
The / (Adjective, verb, or number) / (verb, or color) / (Object, or creature)
So we wind up with things like
The Silly Prancing Kobold
or
The Seven Silver Swords (Which if our primary DM is running and we come in here, means a cameo from one of his old epic level AD&D thieves. There's always a Seven Silver Swords in every game he runs, weather we actually show up at it or not is another story.)
Kind of typical, but it works.
Oh, and the inn MUST have a matching sign... Like a prancing kobold in a tutu.
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Inn names that have seen use in games that i've been in (or am currently in):
The Lumpy Pig
The Lumpier Pig
The Lumpiest Pig
The Thing and Other Thing (Orc pub...)
The Queen's Bed
There have been others but they aren't really suitable for posting (which is why my good lady is no longer allowed to suggest names for pubs when the DM needs one...)
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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But above all, make sure the name matches the clientele. I don't think a pompous elf that deals in magic items would like to meet up at the 'Bloody Hen Tavern'. Or an burly orc mercenary captain wanting to be seen at the 'Delicate Daffodil Cafe'.
For each race, location, consumer, and etc I try to give places names that are appropriate.
Current Inns I am using:
Fluidic Flavours (Elven tavern) written in high styleized Elven script
Black Snake Mead (near a river and run by a Dwarf) picture of a black snake
Sailor's Relief (bordello by the naval docks) sailor smiling
Seaman's Spatter (bordello near the poverty stricken dockyards) sailor with white on his pants
Drowned Thief (city where drowning is acceptable punishment) hands holding a head underwater
Crowned Crow (crows are treated well in the area) crow wearing a crown
The Orc and Pie.
hehe...
Speaking of Tavern names: Read up on "Legs" - a funny game regarding Tavern names from the story "Twistbuck's Game" in the Gord the Rogue anthology Night Arrant by Gygax here.
Also:
Random Fantasy Inn Generator with Floorplans, Menu, Rumors, Staff and Patrons(!)
Instant Tavern Generator on WotC site (comes with a nice printable pic of the menu, NPC descriptions and rumors!)
Tavern Generator (Fantasy NPCs, menu, nice descriptive text)
Random Generators
Abulafia (More random generators than you can shake a stick at)
Sometimes I like to rip off real world names:
The Dew Drop Inn
Doc Rickett's Lab
The Mucky Duck
MacLaren's
The King's Head
The King's Arms (as in weapons)
The Brass Lantern (real place; always reminds me of Zork)
Steak & Ale
I like the name of Sandpoint's brothel: The Pixie's Kitten. I think that name is less innocent than one might think...
Otherwise, I just brainstorm:
The Crimson Blade (I once was in a party that took over an Inn (don't ask) and we just stuck a red longsword over the door and gave it that name)
The Smuggler's Mug
The Sailor's Knot
Mead My Friend (little pun there--could also be "Mead, My Friend")
Meg's Keg
"The Library"--could just be a clever name; could have lots of couches and walls lined with books so the learned patrons can peruse while they booze, and so guilty husbands or youngish students can say, "I was at the Library"
Ye Olde Mill (or "The Old Mill," either way)(could be a former mill that is now a tavern)
The Waddle Yav (I.e. "What will you have?")
The Phoenix Tavern (a place that has been rebuilt after burning down; Maybe the *old*, blackened fireplace is located in an improbable spot, say, I don't know, the middle of the dining room, as a memorial to the former inn)
Of course, alliteration can be fun:
The Saucy Strumpet;
The Wistful Wench;
The Beef & Brew;
The Blushing Blonde;
The Tipsy Troll
I could go on all day...
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One of my favorite silly name inns from FR is: The Bargewright Inn...
When making up my own names, I like to think of names that fit within the area around the inn. For example, I needed an inn for the town of "Wolf's Ear" in southern Varisia in Golarion. So, reading up on the town's history, I came up with "The Tender Lamb"...
Have some fun when naming an inn...
My favorite DM had a world where the inerect the central kingdom were all based on proverbs. We began the campaign staying at "The Flying Pig" and later visited "The Sow's Ear". I can't remember the others, but it was a neat way to immediately remind us of the culture we were in - at one point we visited the dwarves, who had a different custom ( I think we stayed at "The Forge" when we visited them). The evil empire we eventually visited had a different scheme as well (though I forget what it was now).
I believe that literacy is almost universally widespread in Golarion.If you are portraying a semi- or totally- illiterate culture, many of the inns will be named for iconic images that will be recognized on signs.
I'm not 100% certain of the truth in this, but taverns and inns with names like "The Saracen's Head" or "The Plough and Stars" were often named because their signs were recognizable paintings, rather than words. You could tell any illiterate crusader to find the Saracen's Head and he would see it on the sign sure enough.
On a longer timeline, a formerly literate culture can degenerate into this kind of naming scheme. I've heard it supposed that the popular "Elephant and Castle" sign was once L'enfant de Castille... but since the Anglos didn't translate the french and the Elephant was a more recognizable pictogram, the mistranslation stuck.
So, names of iconic images like a Drunken Goblin, or a Ship with Three Sails might be very good names for inns, depending on your desired portrayal of literacy.
With PCs at least.
My personal take, to give more medieval flavor, is to have the PCs be the exceptions rather than the rule. That way you don't have to work out the puzzle of public schooling for human chattel in Geb, for example.
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Hey all! If ever there was a group that might be interested, THIS is that group :) I'd been working on this on and off for a while, but it was reading this thread that inspired me to put the final touches on it and get it out there ...
So What's It Called, Anyway?
"Having returned from their most recent adventure, the PCs rest and recuperate in a nearby town. Of course, being adventurers it’s not long before they start to explore every nook and cranny of their new home in search of adventure! Before the hard-worked GM knows it, they are exploring every un-detailed portion of the town and asking questions like “So what’s that tavern called, anyway?”
Instead of panicking, or using the same old names again and again, a GM using the tables within can quickly name dozens (if not hundreds) of taverns, inns, shops, locations and even other organizations and groups. Alternatively, the GM can use these tables ahead of time to create interesting and evocative names to pique the PCs’ interest and to breathe life into his campaign setting."
Now Available from Raging Swan! :)
... At RPG Now (has a preview as well)
Check it outif you like :)
In the past, my players have wined, dined, and whined at The Weeping Cockerel, The Pick Handle (a Dwarven tavern), The Sandy Jackboot, The Dark Horse, and the Duck Blind (named for an actual club from my hometown). Notable brothels included The Court of the Crimson Crown and The Eager Beaver.
101 Inns You Should Probably Stay Away From
1. Procrustes' Rooms For Rent
2. The Otyugh's Lair
3. At Least the Mead is Warm...
4. Notell Motel
5. Bates Motel
6. We Hate Mages
7. The Lucky Louse
8. Keep Out
9. The Amityville House o' Fun
10. Zhentil Keep
11. Bob's House of Toast
12. The Speling Flayme
13. The Tortured Adventurer
14. The Angry Munchkin
15. The Angry DM
16. The Unfortunate Stain
17. Encounter 5A
18. The Lich's Foot
19. International House of Flumphs
20. The Tomb
21. Lost Taverns of Tsojcanth
22. Puke and Go
23. Tequila Wyrm
24. The Inn Definitely Not Run by Doppelgangers
25. Green Slime-O-Rama
26. Rot Grub Pudding Restaurant
27. The Illusionary Floor Inn (a.k.a. "The Dew Drop Inn")
28. The Bowels of Vecna
29. Castration Palace
30. The Undead Eatery
31. The Grassy Gnoll
32. The Gassy Gnoll
33. The Inn Where You can Get Into Lots of Fights, and Maybe Even Get Started on an Adventure or Two
34. Cheers: Where Eveybody Knows Yer Moniker.
35. The Inn of Last Resorts
36. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
37. The Tavern of Elemental Evil
38. Undermountain II
39. The Paranoid Bartender
40. The House of the Blue Balls
41. Strahd Slept Here
42. Hastur, Hastur, Hast__ (a.k.a. "Innsmouth Inn")
43. The Golden Arches
44. The Secret Meeting Place
45. The Puking Palace
46. The Abyssal Gate
47. Bar-B-Aatezu and Grill
48. House of Pain
49. Red-shirts' Inn
50. Heartbreak Hotel
51. International House of Long Pork
52. Ye Olde Saving Throw
53. Microsoft(R) Vista(R) Inn
54. Werebeer
55. The Open Grave
56. The Scarlet Neighborhood Tap & Grill
57. Socrates' Bar & Pub
58. Inn of Horrors
59. The Tavern With a Man Shrouded In Darkness In the Back Corner
60. Hey, We Don't Like Your Kind In This Here Inn
61. Kill the Adventurers Inn
62. Inn on the Borderlands
63. Still Smoking Inn
64. Ground To A Paste Tavern
65. Hell's Kitchen
66. Acererak's Saloon
67. House of Strahd
68. Ye Olde Flophouse
69. Beshaba's Kiss
70. The Rose of Dorakaa
71. Inn Iuz We Trust
72. The Uncursed Inn
73. The Gaping Maw (big red doorway, completely dark inside...)
74. The Angry Wizards' Soda Fountain
75. The Slaughtered Lamb
76. The Thieves' Den
77. Pressgang Hostelry
78. Caveat Emptor
79. Parasite Palace
80. Hotel California
81. Kobold's Delight
82. The Closing Coffin (particularly in Ravenloft)
83. Blue Oyster Bar
84. The Scape Goat
85. The Random Encounter
86. Run For the Border
87. Elminster's Harem (gives new meaning to "The Chosen of Mystra"...)
88. The Tower of High Sorcery
89. Menzoberranz-Inn
90. The Gelded Ranger
91. Snack of the Archlich
92. The Cute Fluffy Bunny Inn
93. The Plague
94. The Towering Tavern O' Terror
95. The Retching Slattern
96. The Save or Die Inn
97. Ye Olde Plot Device
98. The Crazed Cannibal ("serving all kinds of people for over 10 years")
99. The Inn of a Thousand Whirling Sledgehammers
100. Inn of the Damned
101. Chateau d'Amberville
Of course, alliteration can be fun:
The Saucy Strumpet;
The Wistful Wench;
The Beef & Brew;
The Blushing Blonde;
The Tipsy TrollI could go on all day...
Alliteration is not only fun, but it's a damn fine marketing strategy!
The Bloody Stool (sign is a barstool getting smashed over a head)
The Iron Fist Inn (the gm regretted the name immediately, we made him)