The great adventuring party generator
Eventually, the adventurers arrive.
If you’re running a well-appointed watering hole on the crossroads, they arrive dusty and travel stained on their way to or from some obscure ruin or trouble spot no one else cares about.
A tavern on the borderlands? They leave shiny and bright-eyed, return bloodstained and beaten.
An inn at the city wall? They drink all your beer, eat all your mutton, and leave a copper for a tip. Then they come back with a sack of gold, tip generously, and smash the place up so bad you have to spend it all on repairs.
Even the high table in the noble’s quarter has seen its share of rowdy sellswords squandering their ill-gotten gains on fine wine and owlbear steaks.
So, what I’m saying is that adventurers are like any other kind of trade. They bring the good and the bad and if you serve them well, you can turn a nice sovereign. But keep an eye out, because where adventurers go, trouble always follows.
Who are these jokers?
This old world has a way of generating problems that no one wants to solve. Places too dangerous to venture, beasts to fearsome to face, exploits too risky or lands too perilous for normal folk. It’s a pity for most, but for those desperate or crazy enough, it’s opportunity.
Adventurers take on jobs no one else wants—for obvious reasons: danger, difficulty, hardship, and pain are an adventurer’s lot. Many die. Most other suffer injury, penury, or just plain give up. A few manage to retire. But every once in a while, one or two of them strike it rich. That’s enough to keep these jokers going.
Ye olde adventuring band
A few are brave enough, foolish enough, or just plain too anti-social to mix with others and so travel alone. But most adventurers travel in bands. Each band is different, so when a party of them walks through the door, be sure to check their numbers first.
HOW MANY ARE THEY: Roll 2d4
Next, suss out their demeanor. What’s their preferred mode of action? What kind of quests do they prefer? Keep a sharp eye out and, if possible, ask around.
Every band has its specialty, and that can tell you a lot about them and why they do what they do.
The devil’s in the details
Once you’ve got the hang of who they are as a group, it’s time to focus in on the individuals. Take care to give them the once-over. A bloodthirsty group of cutthroats might have a soft-hearted healer in its midst. A band of monster-hunters could sport a wizened scholar.
Roll once for each member to determine their chosen profession:
And while you’re at it, take note of anything that jumps out at you. A first impression is often an accurate one.
The mission
Adventurers do missions. They like to call them quests. Even though each party has (theoretically) a specialty, a lot of different missions could fall under it. For example, archaeologists might be found escorting a translator to a site containing ancient runes. Treasure hunters might be hunting a land shark if it’s known to have ingested a fabulous gem or something. Understanding a party’s current mission can help you give them the appropriate care and service.
Friends old and new
To the discerning innkeeper, a customer’s always more than just an order and a coin. Lives entwine, and no one’s ever that many degrees from someone else.
For each adventurer you interact with, there’s a 50% chance you have some kind of mutual connection. If you do, roll here to find out what.
The best laid plans
No matter what your prep, how observant or smart you may be, adventurers are chaos agents at heart. About 50% of the time, when an adventuring party stays at your inn, somethings going to happen. Sometimes it’s just a good story, every now and then a windfall, but often as not, a disaster.
50% of the time, when adventurers visit your tavern or inn, something happens. Roll here to find out what.
An oracle
Like as not, you’ve still got questions. Here’s an oracle to help you answer them. Roll three times, once in each column. Put the words together in any order to give you a hint as to the answer.
