A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Innkeepers

Innkeepers by Jonathan Davidson, Jarold Holland-Hibbert and Jim Sanderson is a role playing game supplement published by Columbia Games Inc. for use with Hârn and HârnMaster.

The supplement is available as a 12-page PDF from $5.99 from DriveThruRPG but was purchased at a reduced price thanks to a special offer.

The first page has a sidebar with brewer’s measures and the opening paragraph explains that the Innkeeper’s Guild has a monopoly on inns and taverns in western Lythia and masters are mostly well-respected.

Inns & Taverns looks at the difference between inns, taverns and hostels. Inns cater to travellers and wealthy locals and have accommodation. Taverns cater to local customers. Hostels provide food and lodging to members of some guilds.

Innkeepers’ Guild gives an overview of the guild before moving onto the structure and the different ranks. Being a Master doesn’t guarantee a job, though.

Guild Franchises explains that most are kept in the family and buying one that comes on the market costs a lot and usually requires a fair amount of bribery.

Taxes & Regulations looks at what franchises pay in various licenses and fees and the regulations that need adhering to.

Alewives & Cellarers looks at these two. Alewives brew ale, which doesn’t last long enough to travel well, for home use, especially as water isn’t safe to drink, and cellarers work at large manors.

Associated Crafts & Guilds looks at those guilds the Innkeepers’ Guild has close relations with. These are the Ostler’s Guild for horses, the Mercantylers’ Guild for selling excess production and buying it from others, the Woodcrafters’ Guild, for barrels, the Lia-Kavair, to avoid trouble with them, and prostitution.

Entertainment looks at various types, including travelling entertainers and tavern games.

Inn & Tavern Buildings looks at the various component places that go into one of them, including the signs.

Beverages looks at the different types of alcoholic drink that taverns sell.

Inn & Tavern Food looks at the sort of food sold, which tends to be similar no matter where the place is and doesn’t tend to be unusual food that no-one would eat.

The Glossary is the final page and explains various terms.

Innkeepers in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and has enough different sections that these would have been useful. Navigation could be better. The text on the first page is single column with sidebar; the rest is two columns. There are a number of appropriate black and white illustrations. Presentation is okay.

The supplement lacks any HârnMaster stats and can therefore be used with any system. This is a descriptive piece explaining the details of how innkeepers are organised, how the guild works and abouts inns and taverns. It is therefore a supplement that adds background to a setting, and does this well. Innkeepers can be found by clicking here.