default activities - beer!

The tradition of adventurers hanging out at a local inn, tavern or other place of alcoholic consumption is a fine and noble one.  Heroes like Conan, Elric, Prince Diarmuid, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser have all been patrons at one point or another and there have been luminaries behind the bar as well - Mike Callahan, Rick Schumann and Jack Fedogan to name but three.




This continued into RPGs via Dragon, the seminal Runequest setting Griffin Mountain, various parts of the Forgotten Realms and Tales from the Floating Vagabond.  Inns made it into text-based multi-user dungeons (MUDs) and bar-hopping is well-documented in World of Warcraft and other MMOs.  The local inn has sometimes been over-used in getting a party together - though settings like Dragonlance and Ravenloft have often taken advantage of such venues to great effect.  Socialisation, loosening of inhibitions, tall tales and outright mayhem may make for great adventures.

Want to join in on the fun?  Those who love random generators will enjoy Inkscape Ideas.  Alternatives include Wizards of the Coast and RPG Ideas and there is no shortage of blogs who provide examples of inns and taverns for games.  Also, if you fancy contributing to a brewing and gaming site, take a look at Fantasy Brewmasters.

(dedicated to Detective Chief Inspector Gene Hunt)