Ideas for taverns, inns, bawdy houses, and gambling dens. Roll up the name of the establishment, its design, then its unusual feature, and finally its proprietor.

Roll up an Establishment

Roll 1d20 (add up to +5 for a more reputable establishment), then roll the die or dice suggested. You can append Inn, Tavern, Alehouse, Public House, or some similar descriptor to the end, depending on the sort of establishment you want. Some of these are more appropriate for a tavern than an inn.

1d20 (+5?)	First Part	Second Part
1	The…	1d12: 1=Iron Maiden; 2=Village Idiot; 3=Harlot’s Kiss; 4=Wiley Wench; 5=Bloody Dagger; 6=Dirty Oar; 7=Captain’s Daughter; 8=Grass Widow; 9=Juggler’s Balls; 10=Smuggler’s Cove; 11=Maid’s Favors; 12=Merry Widow
2	The… 1d10: 1=Wicked; 2=Bawdy; 3=Winking; 4=Bathing; 5=Jolly; 6=Dancing; 7=Lusty; 8=Naughty; 9=Saucy; 10=Dreaming	1d10: 1=Maids; 2=Lady; 3=Witch; 4=Mermaid; 5=Nuns; 6=Damsels; 7=Nymphs; 8=Sylph; 9=Wenches; 10=Lasses
3	The Pirate’s…	1d10: 1=Standard [flag]; 2=Jack [flag]; 3=Hat; 4=Skull; 5=Chest; 6=Parrot; 7=Monkey; 8=Dice; 9=Rest [gibbet]; 10=Hand [severed]
4	The… 1d6: 1=Orc’s; 2=Goblin’s; 3=Ogre’s; 4=Dragon’s; 5=Troll’s; 6=Fiend’s	Head
5	The… 1d6: 1=Jolly; 2=Dicing; 3=Handsome; 4=Hardy; 5=Armored; 6=Laughing	1d8: 1=Gent; 2=Lad; 3=Rakes; 4=Knights; 5=Archers; 6=Rogue; 7=Fellows; 8=Outlaws
6	The…	1d8: 1=Spinster’s Spindle; 2=Bard’s Lute; 3=Witch’s Broom; 4=Wizard’s Wand; 5=Sorcerer’s Staff; 6=Shepherd’s Crook; 7=Fisher’s Hook; 8=Hunter’s Horn
7	The… 1d8: 1=White; 2=Black; 3=Gray; 4=Green; 5=Brown; 6=Spotted; 7=Blue; 8=Red	1d8: 1=Balls; 2=Bell; 3=Dog; 4=Calf; 5=Hare; 6=Mare; 7=Cat; 8=Pig
8	The Dog &…	1d8: 1=Cat; 2=Bone; 3=Pony; 4=Ball; 5=Boy; 6=Rat; 7=Chain; 8=Frog
9	The Hammer &…	1d6: 1=Axe; 2=Tongs; 3=Nail; 4=Anvil; 5=Helm; 6=Hand
10	The…	1d8: 1=Beehive; 2=Crossroads; 3=Armored Lion; 4=Fellowship; 5=Bridge; 6=Full Pint; 7=Fool’s Cap; 8=Jester’s Bells; 9=Waterfall; 10=Fair Maiden
11	The Oaken…	1d8: 1=Barrel; 2=Bucket; 3=Club; 4=Table; 5=Stump; 6=Log; 7=Boat; 8=Door
12	The…	1d12: 1=Lock & Key; 2=Cup & Plate; 3=Moon & Stars; 4=Sun & Moon; 5=Bridge & Boat; 6=Lad & Lass; 7=Bottle & Boot; 8=Horse & Carriage; 9=Lucky Bowler; 10=Broken Bell; 11=Jolly Drover; 12=Silver Goblet
13	The… 1d8: 1=White; 2=Black; 3=Gray; 4=Green; 5=Golden; 6=Silver; 7=Brass; 8=Red	1d8: 1=Dragon; 2=Griffon; 3=Eagle; 4=Falcon; 5=Giant; 6=Stallion; 7=Lion; 8=Unicorn
14	The… 1d8: 1=Resting; 2=Rampant; 3=Leaping; 4=Sleeping; 5=Slain; 6=Hungry; 7=Ferocious; 8=Laughing [tongue out]	1d8: 1=Dragon; 2=Lion; 3=Bear; 4=Ogre; 5=Serpent; 6=Griffon; 7=Troll; 8=Eye [beholder]
15	The Lion &…	1d6: 1=Lantern; 2=Cub; 3=Fowl; 4=Falcon; 5=Lady; 6=Goat
16	The Bull &…	1d6: 1=Bear; 2=Cow; 3=Calf; 4=Dog; 5=Boy; 6=Boat
17	The Bear &…	1d6: 1=Beaver; 2=Cub; 3=Candle; 4=Maiden; 5=Boy; 6=Bridge
18	The… 1d6: 1=Bell; 2=Knight; 3=Mage; 4=Tower; 5=Dog; 6=Damsel	& Dragon
19	The Stallion &…	1d6: 1=Groom; 2=Stabler; 3=Smith; 4=Saddle; 5=Monkey; 6=Fence
20	The Eagle &…	1d6: 1=Sword; 2=Shield; 3=Helm; 4=Dragon; 5=Bell; 6=Book
21	The 1d6: 1=Wayside; 2=Wayfarer’s; 3=Traveler’s; 4=Pilgrim’s; 5=Wanderer’s; 6=Stranger’s	1d6: 1=Rest; 2=Welcome; 3=Friends; 4=Well; 5=Relief; 6=Stop
22	The Monk’s…	1d6: 1=Hands [praying or making a sign]; 2=Wife [nun]; 3=Book; 4=Head; 5=Sheep; 6=Bird
23	The… 1d6: 1=Crowned; 2=Regal; 3=Royal; 4=Noble; 5=Loyal; 6=Trusty	1d8: 1=Eagle; 2=Dog; 3=Steed; 4=Charger; 5=Lion; 6=Boar; 7=Servant; 8=Officer
24	The Knight’s…	1d8: 1=Arms [coat of arms]; 2=Helm; 3=Steed; 4=Pavilion; 5=Tomb; 6=Portrait; 7=Lady; 8=House
25	The King’s…	1d8: 1=Arms [coat of arms]; 2=Helm; 3=Steed; 4=Carriage; 5=Men [soldiers]; 6=Portrait; 7=Head; 8=House

Design

Roll 1d6 for the overall look of the place…

1. H-Shaped

2. Cross-Shaped

3. Rectangle

4. L-Shaped

5. Tower

6. W-Shaped

Main Hall Layout

Roll 1d6 for the layout.

1. Little Local Spot

2. Cozy

3. Homey

4. Old Hall

5. Dark Recesses

6. Grand hall

Ordinary Features

It’s… (1d6: 1=dark; 2=light and airy; 3=smoky; 4=noisy; 5=quiet; 6=odd-smelling).

Roll 1d6 for salient feature.

1. Official town meetings are held in the back room, where issues are discussed.
2. Money-lenders, merchants, or shipping traders meet in the back room to make deals.
3. There is gambling in the back rooms.
4. There are private rooms away from the main hall for quiet discussions.
5. It’s on a courier route, so some people receive or leave letters here.
6. Roll twice, avoiding duplicates.

Roll 1d6 for patrons.

1. Currently empty, perhaps one fellow in a shadowy corner.
2. A few patrons in the middle, obvious friends of the owner.
3. A few patrons along the sides, keeping to themselves.
4. A fair number of patrons, with tales being traded and a little music.
5. A decent crowd, some engaged in a discussion of the topic of the day.
6. Quite crowded, with a song going.

Unusual Feature

Roll 2d12.

1. It offers a free lunch.
2. It has dwarf-tossing contests.
3. It’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.
4. It’s decorated with skulls of the fallen from a battle long ago, dug up nearby.
5. It has an enchanted water basin that, when all is quiet, whispers mysteriously.
6. A tame bear is chained up out back.
7. It has amazing carved-wood columns and railings.
8. Portraits of nobles and heroes hang on the walls, painted by an elf who traveled extensively and met many people and made this establishment a second home.
9. It has a… (1d6: 1=tennis court; 2-3=bowling green; 4=kolf course; 5-6=horseshoe pitch) out back.
10. It has a fantastic view of… (1d6: 1=the castle; 2=the harbor; 3=the river; 4=the mountains; 5=the city streets; 6=a historic building or monument).
11. It has a secret tunnel in the cellar to… (1d6: 1=the stables; 2=the guildhall; 3=the church; 4=a merchant’s house; 5=the castle; 6=tunnels all under the city).
12. On the wall is the mounted head of a… (2d6: 2=cyclops; 3=griffon; 4=lion; 5=elephant; 6=giant elk; 7=aurochs; 8=bear; 9=dire wolf; 10=troll; 11=sea serpent; 12=dragon).
13. It has a regular minstrel who plays… (1d6: 1=pipes; 2-3=lute; 4=flute; 5=horn; 6=harp).
14. It currently features… (1d6: 1=a dancing boy; 2-3=dancing girls; 4=an entertaining monkey; 5=entertaining dogs; 6=fights).
15. Some walls are painted with elaborate murals of… (1d6: 1=landscapes; 2=battles between armies; 3=heroes fighting monsters; 4=dainty damsels; 5=ships at sea; 6=maps of the shire).
16. It has the full, articulated skeleton of a… (1d6: 1=mastodon; 2=giant; 3=sea serpent; 4=dinosaur; 5=whale; 6=dragon) hanging from the ceiling.
17. There is a trap door down into cellars that connect to natural caverns of unknown extent.
18. An important noble and with a small entourage is currently stopped over.
19. The decor includes a few carved stone lids of tombs from the Old Kingdom.
20. The courtyard outside features a sword embedded thru an anvil into a stone, with an inscription that is weather-worn and illegible.
21. It was once a church/temple, and its crypt/ossuary is intact in the cellar.
22. It has a huge horn from some ancient beast hanging on the wall. Blowing it produces a great, deep bellow that will likely (2+ on 1d20) soon result in an answer from its brother hanging on the wall of another tavern miles away. Otherwise, there’s a chance (20 on 1d20) its brother will be blown, & the staff will invite a patron to blow the reply.
23. It has a secret room in the cellar that keeps an outlawed religious relic safe.
24. Roll twice, avoiding repeats.

The Proprietor(s)

2d6	Description	NPC
2	Sour	Treacherous*
3	Skeptical	Elf male
4	Disabled	Dwarf male
5	Superstitious	Halfling male
6	Nosy	Human couple
7	Curious	Human male
8	Jolly	Human female
9	Friendly	Halfling female
10	Knowledgeable	Dwarf female
11	Helpful	Elf female
12	Conspiratorial	Unusual**

* Treacherous: A fae or supernatural being or doppelganger or other creature disguised or polymorphed as a regular person. Roll again for the disguise.

** Unusual: One of the less common or less accepted ancestries in the realm.