Building Better Taverns

We humans (generally) enjoy connection. A good drink at your favorite tavern is hard to beat. The same goes for a warm espresso and quaint cafe. You can relax with friends at home but the shared experience of these places adds something else. Call it atmosphere or entertainment. It's both exhausting and rejuvenating. But in our games, taverns are often nothing more than a container for information or conflict. Let's fix that.

Frequent the Same Taverns

Visiting the same taverns multiple times throughout a campaign opens a world of opportunities. Players have the opportunity to build and evolve relationships. Some acquaintances grow into friends. Others become enemies. Taverns come alive when they change over time. Little details can make a big impact. Here are six ideas for what changes between visits:

1. A once-busy establishment becomes a ghost town after a new tavern opened up nearby.
2. A well-loved patron passed away.
3. A favorite bartender moved away.
4. The tavern knocked out a few walls, introducing an open floor plan.
5. The tavern got a new "espresso" device from gnomes but can't get it to work right.
6. The tavern is rebuilding after a fire.

Give Food and Drink Meaning

When I visit a tavern, I'm excited for the food and drink. Players? Not so much. Imaginary food doesn't do much for us (unless you've retained more magic from childhood than I have).

So let's make the food and drink exciting. First, grab the infinite menu for immersive ideas and get rolling. Next, add rewards. Maybe one drink grants advantage on the next Charisma check while the daily special boosts Constitution. Here are some general ideas:

• Restore a hit die
• Benefits of a short or long rest
• Grant inspiration
• A d6 added to any roll
• Gain a spell slot back
• Give Experience Points

The key to making this work is telling your players. This is the game reward for spending time and money at the tavern. Over time, larger rewards like renown could lead to much bigger benefits for the party.

Engage the Scene

Alright, the party is in the tavern and enjoying a meal. Now what? Atmosphere isn't enough for most players. They need something to engage with. Enter the scene. What's going on while the party is there? Make it interesting. Here are some ideas:

• There's a gnome at the bar that appears to be swindling drunks with a loaded game of dice.
• Two ogres are showing off their axe throwing skills at the wanted posters on the wall.
• The tap just ran dry and the patrons are not happy.
• Everyone in the bar is taking turns showing off their weapon and telling the story behind it.
• A local painter is painting caricatures for 25sp.
• The owner is walking around with a clipboard, trying to redesign the interior of the bar but struggling to come up with ideas.

Each of these invites engagement. But like lore, the players are free to ignore it. At the very least, it adds options and flavor. If they latch on to anything at all, make it something.

Build up relationships with taverns by revisiting them. Reward players to make taverns more appealing from the gaming aspect. Offer engaging scenes that invite participation. With these in mind, you'll be building better taverns in no time. If you're a subscriber, visit the Inn of Good Faith below...

Game on.