I – Innkeepers/tavern keepers/barkeeps, etc.

Travelers need a place to stay and sailors and merchants and the common people need a place to gather for drink and gossip.

How dense are the bars? I once lived in a town of 300 people that had five bars. It was a farming community, many miles from any big city, and not much to do. I was an outsider and did not fit in, and never felt welcome.

The quality of inns and taverns will vary by the socioeconomic power of the area where it exists. The wealthier districts will tend to have the more expensive accommodations. The least expensive accommodations might be suitable to the upper middle class, for example. While the poorest districts would seldom have anything beyond upper lower class or maybe lower middle class quality/cost.

A quick assumption that by the book equipment costs are middle middle class prices. One could add 10 or 20 percent for each step up, so that a pint of ale that is 1 s.p. by the Player’s Handbook is 1.1 or 1.2 s.p. in an upper middle class inn or tavern. Similar increases for each step of lower upper class, middle upper class, and high upper class. Perhaps the increase for the higher class establishments might be a doubling or tripling. It might be questionable if the higher class was related to the quality of the food and drink, most likely not the quantity. Would the cost for the lower echelons of society be much of a drop? There would most likely be a significant drop in quality.

What sorts of things would be found in the abandoned inns and taverns of an ancient city? Would there be casks of fine ale, wine, or whiskey that survived all this time? Would their be grains kept dry all these years that are still edible? Might there be some cheese still sealed in wax?

Would their be scattered coins, gems, or jewelry?

What odd sorts of object might be found in an abandoned inn or tavern?

This list would be good not just for an inn or tavern in an ancient city, but one that was raided in a small village or way station.

What Survived In the Inn/Tavern? (Randomly determine the condition- is it edible, and location of the following.)

• 1d10 Bottles of the finest ale.
• 1d10 Bottles of ale.
• 1d6 kegs of the finest beer
• 1d6 kegs of beer
• 1d12 bottles of the finest wine
• 1d12 bottles of wine
• 1d20 bottles of the best whiskey
• 1d20 botles of whiskey
• 1d12 assorted cheeses
• 1d6 assorted cured hams, or legs of beef, or mutton
• 1d12 mugs
• 1d12 plates (wood, pewter, silver, etc.)
• 1d12 sets of tableware (knives, forks, spoons, chopsticks, etc.)
• 1d20 sets of serving utensils (knives, forks, spoons, etc.)
• 1d20 kitchen utensils (pot stirrers, cooking forks, ladles, etc)
• 10d20 copper pieces
• 5d20 silver pieces
• 1d20 gold pieces
• 1d6 gems
• 1d4 pieces of jewelry

Where is the secret hiding place? (1d6) (Determine if this has been found or if not found, does it still contain its original contents? If the contents were moved, are they buried or hidden nearby?)

1. Under the keeper’s bed.
2. Under a movable section of the bar.
3. Behind a brick/stone in the fireplace.
4. Secret compartment in the fireplace mantel.
5. Behind a rock/stone in the fire area of the fireplace.
6. Secret compartment in a post or pillar.

In March, 2014 I published an article on districts or quarters of a city.