by sdonohue

Remarkable Inns & Their Drinks was released in 2017 by LoreSmyth. It has team of writers and artists and is mostly system-neutral.

Presentation
This is available in PDF and both hardcover and softcover. The hardcover is 88 pages with color covers and pages. The interior pages are slick paper. The primary layout is two columns.

Content
This book details 8 inns in a system-neutral way. It starts with a table of contents and an introduction. The book has three chapters: Remarkable Inns, Bringing Your Inns to Life, and Creating Your Own Inn.

The layout of the inns is comparable to the other "Remarkable..." books. It starts with a system neutral pseudo-stat block. The block rates wealth, prices, security and authority from 1-5 stars. It then provides room details, available services, typical patrons, and describes the disposition which explains which professions, races, or alignments are unwelcome at this inn. There's also a small exterior picture of the inn. From there we get more details: history, information on the innkeeper and their staff, notable patrons, other features (like special services or rooms) and a series of adventure hooks. Each inn also features a menu with their specialties; this could be food or drink. Most of the inns get about 4 pages of information.

The next chapter, Bringing Your Inns to Life, explains the elements of the stat block. We learn what the dispositions mean and get a random table on the effects of disposition as well as rules for becoming a favored patron and the benefits of doing so. Authority is the ability of the innkeeper to affect change -- it's basically who listens to them based on geography and ranges from 1, no influence, to 5, unbound influence. Security describes how safe the inn is and the chances that you'll have some sort of criminal encounter or other problem while visiting the inn. Wealth ranges from 1 to 5 with 1 meaning the inn is squalid and prices are lower and 5 meaning the inn is exotic and prices are up to 3 times as high as normal. There are random tables for things that might happen depending on the wealth of the inn. Lodging & services is an explanation of things offered by the inn. Work & Training explains what sort of people and jobs a character might find while visiting the inn. It also includes some tips for handling retired adventurers at the inn. Food & Drinks lists menu items and provides suggestions for making an interesting menu. Games & Gambling explains the rules for a number of games one might find offered at the inn. Songs & Tales provides some tips on entertainment at the inn as well as some sample songs and stories. This section ends with some suggestions for making bar fights into epic events including some random tables that might up the stakes.

Creating Your Own Inn is the final chapter and it is primarily a series of tables for determining the details of an inn. There's a table for structure (what the inn is made of), location and unusual locations, a tavern name generator, Inn characteristics which describes its purpose like guild house or holy commune. Decor is next, followed by Memorable things which are mostly unusual things that are part of your taverns culture. From there, it's on to Innkeepers and servants; there are random tables for personality, appearance (typically one feature), clothing, and, if you want, exotic appearances. You can deepen your staff by rolling for a life's purpose, secrets, and mannerisms. Finally, there's a table with one-sentence descriptions of a secret of your tavern.

Evaluation
Like others in this line, this is a good resource for GMs who are looking to either spice up their own inns or to just pull one ready-made from the book. The eight taverns described here have enough detail to use them without much prep, unless your players like to cause trouble in taverns. If that's the case, the GM will probably need to create some character sheets, using whatever rule system they need. Although it identifies as generic, it definitely has a lot of fantasy tropes from classes to races and from prices in gold to magical effects.

If you're looking for a way to generate inns quickly (or not at all), this is a good resource. There are a lot of ideas here for the taking. I'd recommend it.

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by Paul Evans

As the army packs up to leave Paris, there's just time to settle some affairs of honour. Predictably, big bloke Claude de Nord beats little guy Justin Thyme. Similarly, hefty Maurice Danseur thumps weedy Ian Dediette - though this is followed by a big breakfast for all concerned. However, things go rather differently when Camille de Polignac and Henri DuShite square up to each other. Henri lays his weapon on the ground. Camille expects a ruse, but eventually runs him through and Henri surrenders.

There's clearly an expectation that the new Minister of State will send lots of the army on campaign next year as there is some heavy investment in Arms stocks - not least from the new Minister of State. He also fills the long-vacant post of Minister of Justice, Come Asiouar taking the role. With some help from his friends, Thibault Chanson de Skye gets to be commander of Frontier Division just in time for the summer campaign. Conversely, Major Sebastiane Blanc-Chevaux of the 13th Fusiliers resigns his commission, turns in his uniform and rejoins the civilian population of Paris.

In the Netherlands, Third Army is defending the French gains from the Spanish and takes casualties. Third Foot Brigadier Louis Severin Descartes makes the mistake of inspecting the 4th Arquebusiers and takes a cannonball in the chest. Pierre De Terre is another casualty of this cannonade. While Bdr-Gen Henri DuShite, leading a battalion of the RNHB falls under a hail of musketry.

Meanwhile First army is busy chasing the Imperial forces away from Alsace. The Cardinal's Guard and Royal Foot Guards drive the Imperials from the field. The enemy cavalry proves a hard nut for the Heavy Brigade, but the Horse Guards have a field day mopping up the fleeing infantry.

And Second army covers the armies' lines of supply. The disgraced Bernard de Lur-Saluces (he was a Lt-General once) is still sitting in his tent after the action. As a lowly Private in a Frontier regiment, he is promptly executed. A sad end to his career, but a salutary lesson pour encourager les autres. Ben e'Volence gets the result he hoped for as commander of Second Army: promotion to Field Marshal for next year.

Meanwhile, back in Paris, all is quiet. Apart from Sebastiane Blanc-Chevaux pinching Sue Briquet from Hugo Serre. When Hugo's fighting for King and country, too. And new boy Jean-Jules de Gantès runs out of cash!

The full reports of June 1677 and July 1677 can be found on my website (follow the links!). And Count Ben e'Volence remains at the top of the Greasy Pole.

[GM Note: as players don't have much to do when their characters are in action and almost all characters are in action, I run these two months in quick succession.]

by SeaofStars

$15.00 for RPG Item: Taldor, the First Empire
Condition: New
Location: United States