Tuesday, November 27, 2012

This, That, and the Other Thing: A Night at the Inn

During a session, GMs rarely spend much time describing something as routine as the characters’ rooms at the inn. Unless the scenario specifically calls for an encounter, most evenings at a hostel pass without incident. The eight rooms presented in this table are designed to provide for some memorable overnight stays.

1) Rat Race
     The rats that live in the attic appear to be running some sort of marathon. They rush back and forth all night, causing quite a racket. Eventually, a cat pounces and the clamor that results is unreal. The cat hisses, rats squeak and people begin pounding on the ceiling. Things finally quiet down around midnight. 
2) Tone Deaf Bard
     An aspiring minstrel is lodged next door to the party. He’s not very good with his lute and his singing is even worse. His voice cracks as he croons about love lost, love found and love lost all over again. If the party pounds on the walls to get him to shut up, he will only sing louder. 
3) I Love You So Much That I Hate You
     The couple next door are hardly the picture of marital bliss. They fight long and loud into the night, stomping, shouting and banging furniture about. Eventually, there is much sobbing followed by wild love-making. Their make-up sex is almost as loud as their fighting. 
4) Keyless and Drunk
     Late at night, pebbles will begin bouncing off the windows of the characters’ room. If they investigate, the party will find a man standing outside. He asks to be let into the inn, explaining that he is a lodger at the inn who stayed out too late drinking. He’s now locked out and doesn’t wish to sleep in the cold. 
5) The Ghosts Come Out at Night
     The party’s sleep will be interrupted by a cool wind blowing in from the window. When a character gets up to close it, he finds that it has been shut all along. There appears to be no other source for the breeze. If the characters ask the innkeeper about the wind, he gives the party a sly wink then changes the subject.
6) I Hear You Knocking But You Can't Come In
     It appears that a prankster is about. In the wee hours of the morning, the characters’ door will be pounded on. If the party answers, they find no one there. This will happen again and again throughout the night. If the party sets up some sort of ambush, the annoying knocking will stop.
7) I Love You, Man
     Lodging next door are a group of extremely loud drunkards. Throughout the night, the louts will curse, sing, challenge one another to wrestling matches and express their undying, brotherly love. If the party knocks on their door to complain, the men will shout, “Go away and get your own grog!” 
8) Casualty in the Making
     The fellow upstairs wishes to become an adventurer. Equipped with a new sword and armor, he stays up late practicing his combat maneuvers. Throughout the evening, the party can hear him making up battle cries, crashing into furniture and leaping off his bed onto the floor. “Have at thee, beastie!”

2 comments:

  1. These are great! I definitely plan on making use of at least one of these encounters during the PCs next stay at the inn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Once I used this table in play to populate an inn and the PCs barely made it to the adventure, since they spent so much time interacting with the other guests. :)

      Delete