THE [old] RAVEN'S INN AND ADVENTURER'S GUILD--an AD&D game aid.
by Vince Garcia
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Years ago, before the Raven's Inn was constructed as a massive complex larger than several castles, catering to the wealthiest merchants from across the world, it had a humble beginning as a first-rate inn offering food, comfort and fellowship for adventurers passing through town--a place where they could (almost always) count on a safe night's stay and a place to link up with fellow adventurers for tales of the trail, buy and sell magic items, obtain training, deposit their money in a safe place, get a line on treasure leads, and perhaps find a group to join up with.
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This slice of history presents a view of the inn from its early days when it and those running it were still finding their identity, and life was still more "fun" than business, although they were pressing forward with the united purpose they had in mind, following the one leader who had brought them together.
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THE INN.
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From the outside, the inn is a large, four-story wood and plaster building
with both regular and stained glass windows and a shingled roof. A strange,
enchanted beanstalk grows up one corner. (It must be constantly trimmed as
it has been known to grow up into the clouds where rumor has it a cloud giant
lives and once started climbing down before someone managed to chop it down.
Every so often, it grows to full height overnight!)
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A sign above the door reads:
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The Raven's Inn.
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Adventurer's Guild.
Lady-Lord Raven TenTolliver, Prop.
Anyone caught thieving will be gutted.
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Parts of it seem to bow outward a bit, which might give the impression it's
a bit top heavy, but as soon as the party steps through, it will be apparent
that parts of the inn used the ribs of an old ship in its construction, hence
its appearance. A fancy, highly carved mahogany door beckons the group to
enter.
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The first floor.
S= Shelf except on the 2nd floor where it refers to a secret door.
T= Table.
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Description.
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Over a dozen large and small tables with a bar are found within, and the
place is always at least half full, and bursting at the seams on a Friday
night. Check-in is by the stairs. Two things will immediately be noticed:
there are few seedy-looking characters or low-income-looking people except,
perhaps, up at the bar where some sailor types might be seen laughing and
hefting a tankard with one or two bartenders who look like seamen. Both have
eye patches, and are conversing in a strange tongue that seems to consist
entirely of various inflections of the word "Argh!"
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Any Thieves or Assassins in the group will have a 10%/level chance of recognizing
this language must be Pirates' Cant. If the men are asked what language it
is, they'll scowl and respond it is "Sailors' Cant." If anyone inquires as
to the odd title of the proprietor ("Lady-Lord"), they will be told that
Raven was once a Pirate Lord who held the title of "Tenth Lord of the Captaincy,"
hence the unusual appellation.
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The second thing that will be noticed is that the room is extremely clean
and everything is high quality. Wooden beams are carved, lamps are made of
brass and burn scented oil, and tables are made of mahogany, a rare wood.
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Personnel.
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Four attractive waitresses see to the tables, in addition to bus people,
and four 5th level bouncers see to basic security. At least one man always
tends bar, and a hostess always greets newcomers. The manager of the inn,
Nazier, may or may not be up at the bar with his pet baby galeb duhr at his
side.
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Evenings, two Bards named Stuart and Clyde, 3rd and 4th level respectively,
entertain the patrons by the fireplace. When they're off on weekends, Barnaby,
a 10th level Bard and instructor in the Adventurers' Guild, takes over..
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NPCs.
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Hostess (Katie). AC 8; MV 12"; 1st level Thief; HP 4; # attacks 1 dagger;
Dmg. 1D4; AL N; 16 Cha.
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Bartender (Billy). AC 8; MV 12"; 7th level Fighter; HP 40; # attacks 3/2
cutlass (scimitar); Dmg. 1D8; AL CN.
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Nazier (Innkeeper and Guildmaster Thief) AC 4; MV 12"; 11th level Thief;
HP 45; # attacks 2: +2 cutlass (scimitar) and +2 dagger, both of which act
as vampiric regeneration; Dmg. 1D8+2/1D4+2 +1 strength bonus; AL CN.
Lithe (at this point in his life), muscular, wearing a bandanna, a gold earring,
and a sometimes jeweled eye patch (a Gem of Seeing), and a ring
of Mirror Image (5 charges). Nazier speaks with an air of ostentationess
about him, and has a flamboyant personality.
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Eddleston Quigley. Quigley is a pleasant, Neutral, 60 year-old 12th level
Thief who occasionally makes extra money with the Adventurers Guild, training
members to advance in level. He hangs out in the inn a few times a week and
lately has been looking for a Good-aligned group of adventurers to assist
in a quest involving an enchanted coin he found.
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Sgt. Faubus, a 6th level Chaotic Good Fighter and ex-guardsman with 35 hit
points is available for hire as a bodyguard or city guide at a gold piece/day.
He sits in a chair near the fireplace, leaning against the wall, downing
an ale.
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Bear Helm, a 6th level Neutral Good ranger with 40 hit points is available
as a guide for the region for 5 GP/day. He won't enter a dungeon but he's
down with the group if anyone attacks in the field. He's deadly with a bow.
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Harlequin, a 10th level Chaotic Evil Assassin roams between here and the
Adventurers Guild upstairs and the cellars downstairs, providing training
and handling "special" problems for Raven, and can be found at the bar or
at a table, enjoying dinner at times. He also occasionally hires out to someone
needing his talents at a price of 5,000 GP. What makes him unsurpassed as
a threat is an enchanted harlequin mask he owns, which allows him to take
the form of any person--man, woman, Elf, Dwarf, etc., he wishes. With this
ability, he can infiltrate anywhere to do his dirty work. This actually makes
him too dangerous even for Raven, and she plans to deal with him, while he
likewise plots to remove her, but each fears and respects the other. Some
parting of the ways is inevitable.
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Opportunities.
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Food and lodging may be obtained on the ground level. Prices are more expensive
than some other inns, but the quality and offerings of this inn shame the
competition with a fine meal starting at 1 GP, and going up to 10 GP, including
ale and the freshest of ingredients. Drinks are 1 SP (regular ale or rum)
to 1 GP (Dwarven Ale or choice liquor from around the world). The inn also
features a wonderful concoction of tropical juices and coconut-flavored rum
called called Tropical Tea they sell for a 1 GP/tankard.
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A private dining room may be rented for 25 GP, but it goes fast every night.
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A room on the second level may be secured for 1 GP/night for a large common
room, 5 GP/night for a smaller common room, up to 10 GP/night for a smaller
private room with small bed or beds, 25 GP for a larger private room, and
50 GP for a luxury room with large bed. Those renting rooms are told clearly
that this is a quiet inn and loud patrons will be immediately removed from
the premises.
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If asked about the Adventurers Guild, the group will be directed to the third
level.
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It will be pointed out that equipment may be obtained down in the cellars
if the group joins the Guild and needs to resupply.
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Sally Simpson, an attractive 0-level 19-year-old human girl, has come to
the inn from a local village seeking help against some orcs and goblins that
have been harassing the place.
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Eddleston Quigley recently looted an enchanted coin from a mage's quarters
and noticed the further north he went, the warmer it got in his palm. It
led him to a pool in a glade about a week's journey distant. Jumping in,
he emerged in some sort of complex he's convinced holds treasure. In return
for a 25%cut of treasure (though he'd go down to an equal cut if bartered
with), he'll give the coin and the information to a group of adventurers
willing to undertake the quest. He'll keep an eye out for any Clerics in
the group, and if he spots one with a holy symbol indicating he serves as
Good-aligned deity, he'll approach and engage the group in conversation,
and see if they would make good candidates for the quest. (Obviously, he'll
not make a point of going out of his way to admit stealing the coin…)
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Nogg Battleboro, a 1st level Fighter, running low on funds in a card game,
will approach the party and offer to sell a Cure Light Wounds potion for
50 GP.
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If the party takes a table and orders, a rough-looking dark-skinned man,
sitting at a table next to them, offers to sell a map for 100 GP to an abandoned
graveyard where a lot of gold was supposedly buried by fleeing troops in
the false grave of a man named Arch Stanton.
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The map is real. The grave is real. There is no gold. Just a body.
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Cellars (not shown).
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The cellars, reached by a guarded stairway at the back of the room. are a
world unto themselves. The group will be told that entrance requires membership
in the Adventurers Guild and display of a Guild token. Assuming they get
one and head down into the cellars, they will emerge into a large chamber
with a selection of booths selling all sorts of normal equipment for adventuring.
Past this area are the training areas where first-rate training for level
advancement for non-rogue classes takes place unless outdoor training is
more appropriate. Beyond that, in a part of the sewers only Rogues have access
to, is the meeting-place and training areas for Thieves and Assassins, where
unparalleled training in the roguish arts takes place.
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Second floor.
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Rooms are found here, and one thing the inn does not tolerate are rowdy,
drunk guests. Two extra-tough Fighters are on constant guard on the floor,
and anyone making too much noise is dealt with quickly, ranging from a severe
warning, to kicking him out of the inn, to a beat-down, to throwing him out
a window, to sapping him and taking him down to the cellars to be used as
a human training dummy for the Thieves and Assassins, in extreme cases.
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No one disturbs the other guests, and whatever force necessary to deal with
the offender will be directed to handle the problem--quickly!
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Description.
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Plush blue rugs cover the hallways of the second floor, absorbing the sound
of boots or heavy footfalls. Locked doors, each with brass numbers, beckon
guests to enter.
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Personnel.
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Two 7th level guards.
Four chambermaids.
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NPCs (night shift).
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Sven Olafsson, AC 5; MV 12"; 7th level Fighter; HP 55; # attacks 3/2 +2
longsword; Dmg. 1D8+5; AL CN, a Viking warrior with 18:60 strength and a
bronze Horn of Valhalla when he needs backup. His partner is Jon Iron Hand,
AC 6; MV 12"; 7th level Fighter/Thief; HP 40; # attacks 3/2 +2 axe; Dmg.
2D4; AL LE, a Dwarf.
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Jon does most of the talking as Sven doesn't speak Common that well, and
is mostly limited to saying, "No loud!" And, "No loud or Sven kill!"
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Jon is a bit more subtle: "Try to keep the noise down--Sven don't like noise."
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Opportunities.
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1. Treasure map. In this room a sailor
died a while back, and no one noticed that tucked in the center of his mattress
he had left a map to a dungeon and treasure near the coast. If someone in
the party asks for a 10 GP private room, they will be given this chamber.
If they state they are searching the room, a search for secret doors roll
(or if the player states the character is specifically searching the bed)
will uncover the map.
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2. The ghost. A ghost haunts this
chamber, and if a character asks for a 25 GP private room he will be assigned
here, and meet it. During the night, he will be awakened by a spirit at the
foot of his bed, who will speak silently and plead with him for a moment,
then disappear. Each night, he will appear, and if some sort of communication
with the dead is used, he will explain that he was slain down in the sewers
a few blocks from the inn by a carrion crawler. He cannot rest until he is
given a proper burial, and if the room's occupant will help, he is welcome
to all his worldly goods, which consist of a +1 dagger and 50 GP, which will
be found on his body.
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Needless to say, there are a few denizens between the character and the body
down in the sewers, including the carrion crawler.
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3. Carli the succubus. If a male
asks for a 50 GP luxury room, he will have the opportunity to meet Carli,
a polymorphed succubus that prowls the city inns, looking for victims. He
will be awakened from sleep, hearing a tapping at the window. Investigating,
the character will behold a very attractive young woman dressed in thief-like
attire, who will wave and beckon for him to open the window up. If he draws
near and asks what she wants, she'll reply:
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"Can you help a girl out? I nipped a purse from a merchant, and he shouted
for the Watch. Could you please hide me for a few minutes? I'll leave as
soon as they pass!"
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Now at this point, the character just might wonder if the girl is a vampire,
seeking to be invited in, and he may hold up a holy symbol or mirror. If
he does, she'll reply:
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"Do I look like a flippin' vampire to you?!"
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He may then decide to let her in. But if not and he tells her to get lost,
she'll leave. If he lets her in, she'll gratefully come inside, swing closed
the window, and look out onto the street.
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Sure enough, some guardsmen with torches will soon walk past the back of
the inn, then she'll relax, and say:
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"Okay, they're gone so I can leave. I'm Carli Fast-Fingers, by the way. Thanks
for your help, friend. I owe you one."
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Then she'll size up the character, and say:
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"You know…you're kinda cute. Maybe it would be safer if I…stayed
for the night…if you'd like some company, that is…
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And she will undo the top button of her blouse.
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If the character goes for it, she'll hop into bed with him, roll on top of
him--and give him the kiss of his life, draining one energy level while forcing
him to save vs. charm! (Gods help him if he fails…)
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If he refuses the offer, she'll try to Charm Person, then kiss him
to death if he fails the save. If he succeeds, she will reveal what she is
and roll to kiss him. (Remember, he should be without armor if awakened from
sleep.)
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If his friends don't find him dead the next morning with the world's biggest
smile on his face, they can roll for initiative. Sven and Jon are only a
few yards away, and if the character calls for help, she will only have time
to make one attack roll to kiss him again before turning ethereal and escaping
as the guards come through the door to drive her off.
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Carli: AC 0; MV 12"/18"; HD 6; HP 40; # attacks 2 claws or 1 kiss; Dmg. 1D3/1D3;
Special attack: energy draining kiss; Special defense: +1 weapon needed to
hit; Magic resistance: 70%; AL CE.
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Third floor.
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The third floor is occupied by the Adventurers Guild clubhouse, offices,
and the bank vault. 2D6 adventurers of all different classes, levels and
alignments will always be found lounging around, shooting the bull, gambling,
swapping lies, or looking to find a group to join. A message board will be
found with notes and tips.
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Description.
The third floor is a smaller version of the first, with a welcoming selection
of tables and a small bar where members can relax and enjoy a drink or orders
brought up from below. A roped-off area to the north of the bar, against
the vault, provides a safe area for members to teleport in to. The Guild
offices are to the north, where registration and entry into the Guild is
done.
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Personnel.
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As noted, there are always at least three 8th+ level guards to make sure
nothing gets out of hand. Additionally, there will be three waitresses who
are Thieves and able to Hear Noise (whose task is to keep their ears
open and surreptitiously listen to the members for useful information); and
either Jackie or Witherwane, two 18 CH female bartenders popular with the
members.
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NPCs.
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Raven's most important cronies both work in the office: Espidreen, an 8th
level Lawful Evil Witch (Magic User), who is utterly devoted to her, and
Cyllindrethfl, her most powerful ally, a 14th level Neutral Good Druid/Witch
(Magic User). Cyllindrethfl, a silver-haired Sky Elf, left her people in
order to study magic more freely, and hearing that Raven was starting a Guild
for adventuring women, sought her out and found her logical, analytical mind
kindred, joining her as an ally. While aware her mistress is Evil, humans--being
an inferior, barbaric race--do need someone to guide them out of the morass
of barbarism and chaos they are currently in, and Raven, who appreciates
beauty and art as she does, seems a better option because of her goal of
gaining control through commerce rather than the point of a sword, a more
benign way of subjugation than most despots choose. Thus, she supports her.
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She's a Sky Elf--she doesn't think like other people…
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Opportunities.
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Membership in the guild is 1 GP to 1st levels (i.e., to beginners), and 10
GP if one is an experienced adventurer beyond that. Membership grants one
access to the clubhouse and full entitlement to all Guild benefits, including
a 10% discount on normal training expenses. Beyond that, a member gets a
token identifying him by number, and also the following:
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Access to the bank. Members may store their gold in the bank for free.
To do so, they must provide a password associated with their account, and
to withdraw it they must present their token and password to the office,
then sign a withdrawl note. If the token is lost, someone must either vouch
for them or they must be recognized, but under no circumstances do they get
the return of their money if they do not provide their password. Gold deposited
freely like this is not insured against the theoretical possibility of a
bank robbery, but no one believes the chances of that are very likely:
Disenchantment spells prevent magical ingress into the vault; at least three
8th+ level guards are stationed there at all times for security; Raven's
most powerful cronies flow in and out of the clubhouse or else work there;
and the clubhouse has a built-in security force of adventurers of all levels
hanging out in it 24 hours a day.
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The benefit to Raven of storing gold for others at no charge is that many
adventurers have short lifespans, and so when they die their gold simply
passes to her free of charge. Plus, she could theoretically raid the bank
for her own needs if she really felt she needed to…. But having said
that, she is scrupulously honest and honorable for an Evil character--unless
she is threatened.
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Members can insure their gold against theft at a charge of 1%. In the unlikely
event of a bank robbery, the Guild will make good their deposit.
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Buy and sell magic items. The Guild will buy magic items at the going
rate. It will also sell them. (The DM determines what's available.)
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The Guild also holds auctions every so often, charging a fee of 10% to the
owner.
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Needless to say, anything really good winds up in Raven's hands.
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Training. As noted, the Guild has specialists either in its employ
or on retainer as independent contractors that can train PCs in any class
up to any level at a 10% discount in cost. Characters 15th or higher in level
may have to wait 1-4 weeks until a specialist can be brought in for them.
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To join the Guild, one goes up to the offices and detailed information is
taken on their background, class, alignment, skills, type of adventuring
they are interested in, whether or not they are currently in a group and
with whom, whether or not they seek to link up with a group; and what sort
of companions they would be willing to adventure with. They then pay their
fee, receive their token, and are told what the Guild offers. If necessary,
office personnel will always help to put them in contact with other potential
adventurers if they need to find a group. If they need tips for potential
quests, they will be referred to the message board, which lists the most
recent gossip and rumors.
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Raven's best associates typically come through the Guild, as her cronies
alert her to potential new recruits.
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4th floor (not shown).
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Apartments for some of the inn's key personnel are on the 4th floor.
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Raven herself is usually too busy these days to put in an appearance, but
she would be treated a 12th level Lawful Evil Assassin/Witch (Magic User),
whose spells function at a much higher level of power due to the powers of
an Artifact. She would also look somewhat different from normal people due
to havng a Kara Turan father, passing off her somewhat squinty eyes by claiming
to have some Elven blood. She also possesses martial arts skills, which she
keeps a closely-guarded secret unless forced to use them. Those few still
alive who've seen them describe them as "boxing" skills.
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