I’m currently writing up a location (Lazy Dragon Tavern.) do you create specific locations in the same way as a village, town, etc,? What about the major NPCs in the tavern such as regular patrons and the owner? I’m still really new to the system and trying to convert some of my Labyrinth Lord settings over.
I’m currently writing up a location (Lazy Dragon Tavern.) do you create specific locations in the same way as a…
I’m currently writing up a location (Lazy Dragon Tavern.) do you create specific locations in the same way as a…
Depends. Have any of the PCs been there before? If so, I’d leave more blanks than not and just ask their players. Even if they haven’t, you could ask what they’ve heard of and build on that.
Beyond that… maybe? Depends on how important the tavern’s likely to be in the setting and to any fronts you’ve got.
But in general, I’d just go with some roles that I want to be there (barkeep, eager youth, drunk vicar, etc.) and a names list and improve the rest.
Jeremy Strandberg http://middlekingdoms.blogspot.com/ to give you an idea of flavor, here’s some descriptions I wrote up about the tavern and the Tavern Owner. Its assumed the PCs have not been there before and that the tavern is not just a place to start the adventure, but perhaps THE start of the adventure.
I have thought about dangers, but I’m not sure I’m writing them up properly:
1.Ambrose is kidnapped by brigands and taken to the Star Stone Abbey Ruins. Their employer wants an ancient sacred tome that only he knows about.
2.The ancient hidden scrying well beneath the Lazy Dragon becomes active and strange things begin to happen in and around the tavern.
Hey Frank, is this part of a continuing game, or are you prepping for the first session?
If the latter, don’t do too much, or spend more time on the initial situation and one or two key NPCs and their wants.
Leave lots of blanks! Fill them in during play.
After reading your blog, I guess you are after ‘adventure starter’ type locations?
Give that brief introduction and then a few hooky ‘in media res’ situations.
Grim world and Joe Banner’s work are great examples of this technique.
Decide on a tone (friendly, or dangerous, or ?) and a question for each player. (especially good leading ones)
If you’re looking to make this friendly, ask players things like
‘Somebody here was a big help to you last time you passed through, who and what did they do?’
You chose your tone and the players give you hooks and maybe an npc.
Or something like
‘This tavern almost burned down the last time you were here, how were you involved?’
This can lead to an action scene depending on the hooks your player gives you.