Main

15 — Tavern

This place is the favorite of visitors and inhabitants of the KEEP alike. The food is excellent, the drinks generous and good. The place is always active, with 4-16 (4d4) patrons at any time of day or night. The bill of fare reads: ALE 1 e.p. SOUP 1 s.p. SMALL BEER 1 s.p. STEW 1 e.p. WINE 1 e.p. ROAST FOWL 1 g.p. HONEY MEAD 1 g.p. ROAST JOINT 2 g.p. BARK TEA 1 s.p. 1 e.p. BREAD 1 c.p./slice CHEESE 1 s.p./wedge PUDDING 1 s.p./bowl FRUIT 1 s.p.

The barkeep, if talking with a good customer and drinking to his health, will sometimes talk about the lands around the keep (1 drink per story, half of which may be true). He is known to hate small beer and love honey mead. There is a 50% chance that 2-5 (d4 + I) of the patrons will be mercenary men-at-arms looking for work. [statistics 1] Each will have leather armor & shield, and sword and dagger; all other desired equipment must be purchased by the employer, including missile weapons, and dungeon gear. Wages for duty include all gear purchased, room and board, and 1 s.p. per day of service. If no gear is purchased, the cost rises to 1 g.p. per day. (Note that a mere spear or minor equipment is considered as no gear.) It is always necessary to buy mercenaries a drink before discussing terms of employment. There is a 10% chance that each of the following persons will be in the tavern at any given time:

Original B2 statistics 1

AC 6, F 1, hp 5 each, #AT 1, D 1-6, ML 7.

Corporal Of The Watch

CAPTAIN OF THE WATCH BAILIFF (see 6., above) PRIEST (see 7b., above) 2-4 WATCHMEN (see 12., above) SERGEANT OF THE GUARD (see 18., below) WANDERER (a 2nd or 3rd level fighter, dwarf, elf, or halfling as the DM decides, with complete equipment for adventuring; such a wanderer is 75% likely to join an expedition if offered 25% of the treasure gained, but 1 in 6 will be of chaotic alignment).

The taverner is a normal man [statistics 2], as are his son and the pot boy’ [statistics 3], but in time of need they will don leather armor, carry shields (AC 6), and bear arms against attackers. The place is also served by his wife, daughter, a serving wench, and a scullion. (The owner and his son each have 2d6 gold pieces in their purses, the wife d6, all others have 2d6 coppers.) The cellar is where drink and food are stored and prepared, and where the servants sleep. The family sleeps in the small loft. (Hidden in an old crock under empty flour bags in the back room are 82 copper pieces, 29 silver pieces, 40 electrum pieces, and 17 gold pieces.)

Original B2 statistics 2

AC 9, LVL 0, hp 6, #AT 1, D 1-6, ML 7

Original B2 statistics 3

AC 9, LVL 0, hp 5, 2, #AT 1, D 1-6, ML 7

Source: B2, PDF page 11. Original mechanics retained.