A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement So What’s The Tavern Like, Anyway?

So What’s The Tavern Like, Anyway? by Richard Green and Liz Smith is a role playing game supplement published by Raging Swan Press for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.

The supplement is available as a 23-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $3.99 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. Two pages are the front and rear covers, three the front matter, Contents and Foreword, one page is an ad and one is the Open Game License. The PDF comes in two versions, one designed for print and high-end devices, the other for mobile and low-end devices.

The Foreword explains that characters are often travellers with no permanent home and that, though they stay in many taverns, such places are rarely described in detail.

Table A: Tavern Name (Descriptor) and Table B: Tavern Name (Subject) are two d100 tables that are often used together. A simple tavern name can be the result on rolling on both, or two subjects could be rolled; the results combined in a meaningful way. There is also a d100 table with 50 results (although erroneously called a d20 table) of sample names.

Interesting Tavern Features is a d100 table though with less than 100 results of features to make a tavern stand out.

Sample Customers is a d100 table with 50 results of customers to meet. Each is given a name, alignment, sex, race, class and level, together with a brief description.

Sample Staff is similar, being a d100 table with 50 results, describing 50 staff members, with name, alignment, sex, race, class and level, together with a brief description.

Food & Drink has values for common drinks and fare by quality, then a series of d20 tables. There are three d20 tables, for meals, drinks and house specialities, each coming in three qualities, poor, common and good.

Taproom Events is a d100 table with 100 things to happen in the tavern.

Taproom Entertainment is a d100 table with 50 results of different kinds of tavern entertainment.

Sample Tavern Songs has four different songs.

Games to Play has ten different tavern games, each described along with game rules.

So What’s The Tavern Like, Anyway? in Review

The PDF is bookmarked with major and minor sections linked. The Contents is not as thorough but is hyperlinked. Navigation is decent. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be almost free of errors. There are a number of stock black and white illustrations. Presentation is decent.

This is a useful supplement that can be used to describe a tavern in a fair amount of detail, including what’s going on in it. Though there could always be more added, given a tavern map a GM could certainly make a tavern interesting, including background events, some of which might be potential adventure hooks. So What’s The Tavern Like, Anyway? is a good supplement and it can be found by clicking here.