Alehouses, Taverns & Inns

A generator for medieval-style drinking and lodging establishments, organized into three tiers of increasing complexity: the humble Alehouse, the commercial Tavern, and the full-service Inn. Each establishment type is built through a series of rollable tables that produce unique locations, proprietors, and daily offerings.

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Alehouse

The alehouse is the simplest and most common drinking establishment, run from a private home by an Alewife. It offers a single, limited batch of "small beer" and one type of food, serving as a social hub for the lowest classes.

Step 1: Location (d6)

d6	Location
1	A cramped, one-room hovel with a dirt floor, smelling of woodsmoke and damp.
2	The surprisingly clean ground floor of a tradesperson's home (e.g., a weaver, a cooper).
3	A small, thatched cottage with a well-tended herb garden out back.
4	A leaning, ramshackle house crowded by other buildings on a narrow alley.
5	A sturdy home with a stone foundation, a sign of a slightly more prosperous family.
6	The back room of a working stable, smelling of hay and livestock.

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Step 2: Symbol (d6)

d6	Alestake
1	A simple, worn broom propped next to the door.
2	A bundle of birch twigs tied to the doorframe.
3	A long pole with a small, faded garland of hops tied to the end.
4	A sheaf of barley hanging from a hook.
5	A wet branch stuck in the ground.
6	A simple wooden sign with a crude drawing of a mug.

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Step 3: Alewife (d6)

d6	Alewife Archetype
1	Wife Selling Excess. A married woman brewing from home, selling the surplus to supplement her family's income.
2	Unmarried Brewer. An unmarried woman running her own small-scale enterprise, a rare position of financial independence.
3	Widow Inheritor. A widow who inherited her deceased husband's brewing business and continues the trade.
4	"Disreputable" Keeper. No longer a brewer, but a woman who has fallen on hard times and now works in a low-repute alehouse to survive.
5	Struggling Against Regulation. A married brewer whose husband is under pressure due to new laws making him liable for the quality of her ale.
6	Wealthy Brewer. A disproportionately wealthy woman who has managed to maintain a prominent brewing business against the odds.

Step 4: Today's Offerings

d6	Ale (Small Beer)
1	A thin, pale oaten ale.
2	A slightly sweet barley brew.
3	A dark, smoky ale from roasted malt.
4	A cloudy, unfiltered wheat ale.
5	A weak ale flavored with local herbs (gruit).
6	A slightly sour, watery brew (end of the batch).

d6	Food
1	A dozen savory pork pies.
2	A large pot of thick pease pottage with bacon.
3	A basket of hard-boiled eggs pickled in brine.
4	A wheel of sharp sheep's cheese with coarse rye bread.
5	Smoked and salted herring.
6	A tray of savory oatcakes with onion.

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Tavern

The Tavern is a commercial, middle-class establishment specializing in wine, serving as a hub for socializing, business, and potential trouble. Unlike a rustic Alehouse, it's a more upscale venue; unlike a traveler's Inn, it likely doesn't offer lodging.

Step 1: Tavern Name

As a formal business, the Tavern has a name. Roll once on each column: "The + Part 1 + Part 2."

d10	Part 1	d10	Part 2
1	Gilded	1	Boar
2	Salty	2	Cony
3	Golden	3	Dog
4	Crimson	4	Mare
5	Laughing	5	Barrel
6	Sleeping	6	Rose
7	Black	7	Coin
8	White	8	Shield
9	Broken	9	Hammer
10	Iron	10	Flagon

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Step 2: Primary Function (d6)

d6	Tavern Function
1	A Social Hub. The tavern is filled with locals meeting friends and neighbors to relax and talk.
2	A Business Hub. Patrons are conducting business meetings. Agreements are being sealed with drinking parties known as "ale lawings."
3	A Political Hotbed. Seditious newspapers are being passed around, and patrons are engaged in heated political discussion. An uprising could start here.
4	A Den of Vice. A prohibited gambling game (dice, cards, skittles, or billiards) is being played discreetly, robbing laborers of their money and morals.
5	A Nest for Thieves. "Nocturnal villains" are gathered in a corner, planning a crime or dividing their spoils.
6	Under Scrutiny. A constable is present, ensuring order and that food isn't being sold outside of main meal hours to curb drunkenness.

Step 3: Proprietor (d6)

d6	Proprietor Archetype
1	Licensed Vintner. A professional wine manager, accountable to the powerful vintner's guild.
2	Elite Businessman. An owner of multiple businesses who sees this tavern and its expensive, imported wine as a status symbol.
3	Guild Publican. A member of the publican's guild, focused on the rules, traditions, and politics of the guild.
4	"Broken Merchant." A formerly successful merchant who has fallen on hard times and is now trying to make a living selling ale and wine.
5	"Idle Fellow." A proprietor with no real skill or trade, running the tavern simply to avoid begging or ending up on the poor rate.
6	Brewer's Tenant (Tied-House). Doesn't actually own the establishment; it's owned by a large-scale brewer who dictates what he can sell.

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Step 4: Today's Offerings

d8	Drinks Menu
1	Fine Imported Wine
2	Cider (Apple Wine)
3	Perry (Pear Wine)
4	Mead (Honey Wine)
5	Ale (Small Beer)
6	Metheglin (Honey and Fruit Wine)
7	Hypocras (Fortified, Spiced Wine)
8	Buttered Beer (Spiced and Sweetened Beer)

d6	Food
1	A pottage of root vegetables, served with preserved ham.
2	A meat (minced pork or mutton) pie with a crust.
3	The pottage made with whatever preserved meat is on hand.
4	A pottage made with river fish or preserved cod.
5	A pottage of boiled vegetables like beans and cabbage, served with brown bread.
6	It's outside of main meal hours, and the authorities have restricted sales to curb drunkenness.

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Inn

The Inn is a full-service establishment for travelers, offering food, drink, and lodging. As the highest-tier venue, it's a place for players to find secure long-term lodging, interact with people from outside the local area, and hear news from the wider world.

Standard Layout. The inn typically includes a Hall (common room that may include dining), Kitchen (usually focused more on food than drinks), Stables (for guests' horses or mules), Storage (back area or cellar, often with strongboxes), and Dining Rooms (secluded rooms used for private dining or events).

How Lodging Works. An inn's main service is providing accommodation, which varies in quality: Stables (many inns would allow sleeping in the stables), Chamber (back room with communal beds), and Private Chambers (separated private bedrooms).

Step 1: Inn Name

Roll on each column: "The + Part 1" or "The + Part 1 + Part 2" or "Part 1 + Part 2."

d8	Part 1	d8	Part 2
1	Bell	1	's Head
2	Crown	2	's Arms
3	Hart	3	's Cross
4	Plough	4	's Inn
5	Fawcon	5	's Passing
6	Lion	6	's Rest
7	Staff	7	's Court
8	and (Roll x2)	8	and Part 1

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Step 2: Inn Feature (d6)

d6	Inn Feature
1	Landmark Location. The inn is a well-known landmark, located in the town square or at a major trade road intersection.
2	Guild Patronage. A local guild rents a private room for its meetings, making the inn a center for a specific trade.
3	Cost for Entry. There's a minimal entry fee to cover potential damages, and hired guards are present.
4	Under Scrutiny. Because the inn serves strangers, local authorities are constantly watching it and questioning the innkeeper about guests.
5	Ancient Structure. The building is old, featuring stout timber framing and low ceilings. The storage cellar contains old strongboxes from previous owners.
6	Tippling Limit. There is a maximum time (e.g., one hour) that a patron (often lower classes) can drink.

Step 3: Innkeeper (d6)

d6	Proprietor Archetype
1	The Manager. Focused on the logistics of the business: ordering supplies, managing rooms, and calculating bookings.
2	The Hospitable Host. A kind and loving person who sees it as their duty to receive and entertain strangers, sometimes offering charity.
3	The Security-Obsessed. Primarily concerned with preventing violence and ensuring the safety of their guests and property.
4	The Scrutinized Operator. Is constantly being watched by local authorities and is wary and suspicious of all strangers who enter.
5	The Professional. Views innkeeping as one of the most lucrative and demanding occupations. They are all business, focused on profit and efficiency.
6	Briugu. A wealthy individual running the inn to gain social status by hosting important people.

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Step 4: Today's Offerings

d4	Drinks Menu
1	Cider (Apple Wine)
2	Mead (Honey Wine)
3	Perry (Pear Wine)
4	Ale (Small Beer)

d6	Food
1	A stew (bukenade), usually with venison or beef.
2	A slab of stale bread (trencher) served as a plate, topped with hot meat and sauce.
3	Spiced beef, venison, or lamb with white bread.
4	A large game pie, filled with seasoned fowl like pheasant or duck.
5	A sweet dish of frumenty, made with boiled wheat, egg yolks, almonds, and sugar.
6	A "white pottage" made with chicken, rice, almonds, and spices.