| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
"You all meet in a tavern/pub/inn."
Let's make 101+ unique versions of that scenario!
Rules: Give the tavern a name, setting, and flavor. And have fun!
1 - The Verdant Spirits
Nestled away under the sleepy Elms, this inn acts as a safe haven for travelers moving through the dense forest that hosts it. The building itself is made up largely of an enormous tree that has been reworked with a Wood Shape spell. The proprietor (a Tengu Druid of venerable age) has a strict no open flames policy – except for the fireplace, which he constantly maintains with an Ironwood spell. Gimmicks aside, this inn is most well-known for its bar, which uses large bowl-shaped leaves harvested from a special plant, as goblets. These leaves have a special property that cause them to naturally aerate wine on contact. When drank from these leaves, patrons find that no amount of wine will leave them hung over the next day. The bartender, Izuho, is an Awakened Raccoon, and always appreciates tips in the form of honeycomb, sugarcane, and other sweets.
2 - The Hob Goble Inn
The smell of soot and singed metal wafts through the streets. Most buildings are constructed of scrap metal and spare parts. Each new building is thrown together with little regard to the traffic and overall design of this industrial shanty town. Jutting uncomfortably into what used to be the middle of the main street sits the Hob Goble Inn. Most of this Inn’s alcoholic drinks are diluted with sea water. It saves the Inn some coin, and it gives the drinks that extra wallop that all the locals “love”. Fights are a daily event here, broken up by the Inn’s two bouncers: a pair of dilapidated Clockwork Soldiers, which have had their original parts replaced with scrap so many times, that they've started to resemble walking shrapnel. Careful with that tetanus! The Inn’s fireplace (a lavishly decorated aluminum burn barrel) sits cozily in the back corner, with the proprietor’s prized collection: mounted Hobgoblin heads. The city's Hobgoblin population is always one dirty glance away from burning the place down. In fact, they give it shot ever few month or so.
3 - Arcane Mark’s
Mark runs this pub with one simple motto: "There's a Spell for That." His Unseen Servant keeps it clean, while Ghost Sound provides easy-listening music, and Silent Image provides guests with entertainment from moving pictures to erotic dancers. His overly sweet, extra alcoholic drinks are sure to leave you hung over, but an over-priced Polypurpose Panacea is sure to please the next day. Back in his prime as a traveling adventurer, Mark was quite talented at Planar Binding. He utilizes this refined art to always have a couple Ceustodaemons working as bouncers, manual laborers, and bartenders. Between his Planar Binding and Unseen Servants, Mark ensures that 100% of payroll goes directly to himself.
5 - The Yawn Tea
This Inn is decorated with lots of soft, puffy area rugs. Red silk curtains are draped over the windows to keep the inside a sleepy maroon. The proprietor and his wife go to great lengths to ensure their guests experience a calm, relaxing visit. Their signature drink is Yawn Tea, which very successfully induces drowsiness and lets the imbiber enjoy a full-night's rest, sleeping through even the most rambunctious of distractions. Most guests adore the owner and his wife, and claim that they're the heart and soul of their little town. Some, however, find them a bit too friendly; a bit too interested in guests' stories of their families, their habits, and their quirks. And some still discover only too late that these kind old folks are actually a bit too Serpentfolk for the average customer's taste. The luckiest of those who discover this are mere midnight snacks. The unluckiest will leave with a new outlook - and a new mind - under their skin.
6 - Dr Jekyll's Hyde-Away
The best kept secret of the wealthy merchant quarter, this quaint establishment is not on the main street, or found on any maps of the city. If you manage to convince a local to give up the secret, or simply stumble upon it by chance, you'll find this small watering-hole alone in a surprisingly well lit and well swept alley behind the other shops.
With only 5 small tables, and 4 seats at the bar, this is easily the smallest tavern in the city, but the richness of the decor and the warm personal welcome by the exceedingly polite proprietor give it an upper-class feel that none of the other taverns can boast.
This is a quiet place to sit and rest, away from the riff-raff. No music plays here, just the quiet thrum of the city streets muffled by walls and distance. There are never more than half a dozen other people here, but one might recognise the wealthier merchants - or even a noble - sitting quietly with a book or a drink or a light meal.
The observant patron notices a few things out of place. While the decor is refined, there is something clashing about the way it's arranged. No two cups are quite same size, meals sometimes come with an extra fork instead of a knife, and some of the pictures on the wall seem to be covering damaged walls. Dr Jekyll is always polite and warm, but there seems to be a nervousness to his demeanor, and it looks like he hasn't slept in a while. The entrepreneurial Rogue might also note that despite obvious wealth, there doesn't seem to be a bouncer or security of any sort (or even any serving staff besides the unassuming Dr Jekyll).
Players drinking at the Hyde-Away have a 5% chance that their drink is actually a random "potion". If the character gets a "potion" roll 1d10: 1-4 - random Potion, 5-7 - random Poison, 8-9 - random Alchemist's Extract, 10 - random Alchemist's Mutagen (Note that Extracts and Mutagens normally can't effect anyone but the alchemist preparing them, bit in this case they affect the person drinking as if they were the alchemist preparing it - with all the positive and negative effects that brings - and any Mutagen imbibed has a 1% chance to become permanent).
Additionally, anyone foolish enough to earn the Ire of Dr Jekyll will most likely meet Mr Hyde. Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde is actually a 16th level Alchemist who has the ability to activate the "True Mutagen" ability (+8 Natural Armour, Str, Dex & Con, -2 Int, Wis, Cha) at will as a standard action (and without imbibing a mutagen). While in the guise of Mr Hyde, he also has the "Spontaneous Healing" ability (Fast Heal 5hp/round, 16 rounds/day).
Also note that while Dr Jekyll has a Lawful Good alignment, Mr Hyde is Chaotic Neutral.
7. The Hidden Cactus.
This quaint desert town is famous for one thing, a hole in the ground bar surrounding an underground grotto. Patrons enter the tavern through a lone cellar door, descending a long line of well worn steps. Once under the cool stone of the desert, patrons enter the bar proper. It is a round bar, at the center a bubbling spring, kept away from the blazing heat of the sun, is surrounded by flowering cacti, which are in turn surrounded by the round bar and tables running along the wall. Popular drinks are chilled water (alchemically frozen before serving), potent cactus nectar taken directly from the flowers and diluted to be less than completely poisonous, and meat based mead brewed by local Gnolls (Cheap and strong).
Illumination comes from continual flame chandelier in the center, and mirrors reflecting light from the sun. At night summoned water elementals perform tricks in the water dancing as they are prestigitated into interesting colours.
A perceptive patron might notice the fine tapestries hanging on the walls hide slim doors, from which dual scimitar wielding guards come flooding out of there should be trouble.
8. The Twisted Mirror.
This bar, hidden through back alleys, past several pass-worded doors is not a place for the common man. Once through the final door patrons enter a small black room with a single candle and mirror floating in the center. Patrons stand before the mirror and wait until a door opens up (One of a dozen). Patrons then enter the room as selected by the mirror.
Each room fits a theme, one tailored to the patrons desires at that time. One room is iron lined, with lots of breakables and strong liquors, fighting is almost encouraged. Another room is replete with vivid colours, moving shapes, and opiate laced (or polypurpose-panacea laced) drinks to inspire vivid hallucinations, another room has only four chairs, four drinks coated with poison detection, and one bottle of wine, the room is well lit with no corners or cover. There are many rooms suited to the patrons needs, the staff are all invisible, and mute, discretion is guaranteed, by assassins. There is a flat price for entry and everything beyond that is free.
The Barnacle Belly.
This tavern sits far back in the docks, an old war galley flipped on its back and smashed in half has been remodeled into a seedy establishment. The old figurehead and shattered prow greet patrons as they enter, it is customary to rub her breast for luck. Inside it is like most drinking establishments, chandeliers hand from the rowing benches, two floors allow for private booths, and a large hole in the floor allows the mermaids and gillmen to interact with patrons on the lower level when the tides are in. It is a place to go for information, and to pass messages via mermaids, by renting trained parrots (of which there are many living in the old bilge room. A pair of retired hook handed pirate captains run the place, the law unable to arrest them until they leave the docks proper. The two are merely the most recent owners, it is not uncommon for owners to vanish into the sea, or wake up on dry land with the city watch dragging them to the galleys after a hard nights drinking. No matter a new owner always steps forwards, with few questions asked after the old.
10 - The Wizards Off The Coast
Tales of The Flying Dutchman are common among sailors: A moonless night, the fog rolls in, all sounds are muffled. Then from the fog looms a mighty war-ship, crewed by the dead and captained by the damned.
These tails are of course nonsense.
There is - however - one magical ship that appears in the fog: The Wizards Off The Coast Tavern!
Any spell-caster who knows of the tavern can summon the ship. They must wait for a foggy night (or create their own fog) and expend 2 summoning spells (any summoning spells will do for this ritual) to summon the ship (A Knowledge Arcana or Spellcraft check DC 10 will work for a character to know the ritual, Characters can take 10 on this check as long as they have at least 1 point in the relevant skill).
The ship appears, motionless in the fog and lasts for 1 hour before fading away. A character who boards the ship will find no living creatures, and nothing of any use besides the boat (the boat and everything summoned with it will disappear after 1 hour, characters can use whichever parts of the boat for any means they wish, but they will only last 1 hour, and the boat cannot be moved). Once on board, the characters must stand before the steering wheel and say the password to open a portal to the tavern:
"WIZARDS RULE!"
Arcane spell-casters are welcomed, Divine casters are tolerated (openly mocked, but never harmed, and they are served by the staff if they can produce the coin). The staff are summoned creatures of varying sorts, from elementals and spirits, to powerful Angels, Devils and Daemons.
The Wizards Off The Coast Tavern has only one rule: You must not use magic against a fellow caster.
Since the tavern is an extra-dimensional space with thousands of portals potentially opening anywhere in the multiverse, this usually means that there are almost always hundreds of high-level casters of all alignments here to meet, drink, or find entertainment.
If a non-caster should find themselves here, take care not to be noticed, as the rules do not include them - they are fair game.
As a magical establishment, nearly anything you can think of can be purchased or bartered here, but be careful. The mysterious cabal of wizards who created the tavern have some VERY powerful countermeasures in place for anyone who breaks The Rule.
|
11- Whimsyville
The portal opens at midnight, when the light of the blue moon falls onto a ring of toadstools.
Inside is a verdant green grassland dotted with toadstools(red with white spots) of the size of tables and chairs. The sky is a brillant sky blue with only a few puffy white clouds in it, and there is a rainbow in the sky. The sun is always out, and it is a perfect summer, neither too warm nor cold, with the smell of spring flowers in the breeze. There is a magical fountain in the centre of the place, with random (but temporary, and never harmful, effects - like drinking from it could turn you into a unicorn). A rainbow coloured gnome runs the bar, with his pink teddybear servers. Their house specialty is a mix of magic mushrooms (to be smoked), but the gnome bartender can produce any food or drink you request, on demand, using his magic cauldron, free of charge. If there is a request for live music, the gnome calls up his satyr band to play anything requested. Everyone is welcome to eat, drink, smoke, socialize and be merry.
The only rule there is: No violence is to be done within the place. Breaking the rule results in a whole bunch of rainbow gnomes showing up on the scene and going after the offender with colourspray (those gnomes are heavens oracles, with awesome display revelation, and selective spell, threnodic spell, persistent spell). Offenders are booted out of the place via planeshift to the plane they came from.
Whimsyville disappears at the break of dawn, with each reveller waking up in a different toadstool ring that he slept in, with the effects of a heal and restoration spell being cast on him/her if he is a living creature, and wondering if the night was but a dream...
12 - The Tavern on the Green.
This tavern is the finest tavern in the entire town, sitting just a few minutes past the main gate of the city. At least, it did. Within the past 8 hours, the tavern burned down in a fire with as yet unknown causes. The PCs are either here because they're lawful sorts or friends of the owners trying to stop even worse from happening, or else they're looters, brawlers or worse taking advantage of the temporary anarchy.
13 - Kettle and Brimstone
The sign outside this pub shows a giant black kettle, with an Imp standing on the rim and stirring the contents with its tail. Kettle and Brimstone is located just a short walk from the Keep that houses its city’s Governor. It’s a favored place to meet among the city’s nobles. A convenient Look-the-Other-Way rule is enforced on the pub’s employees. This allows Nobles to meet with folks or conduct dealings of a more sensitive nature that might otherwise be frowned upon in a public light. To that same vein, no one may enter without the password, which changes every day. Loiterers, or those who try to enter without the correct password are swiftly and forcibly removed from the premises. The bouncers of this pub are actually guards from the Governor’s personal ranks, and usually a little crooked. Those who aren’t aware of the pub’s shadier side may still try to sneak in, if only to try some of the pub’s famous drink: the Salamander Slammer, which mixes cider with a robust Brandy brewed in the Elemental Plane of Fire.