Tiny Tavern - Iton, priest of Oriri

Time for the last PC, and to wrap up the Next Level Games creation. I feel like doing something non-standard, and maybe more game-connected. How about we borrow a Heritage from some other Tiny D6 game, and adapt it for Tiny Taverns? I opt for Tiny Dungeon Glitterbug. Glitterbugs are sentient beetles, around 3’ tall, with rainbow-colored elytra that can be used to distract people.

Iton is a priest of Orire, who has come to the casino as part of a pilgrimage. He has braved dangerous caverns, brigands, and monsters, just to join the little group and bring the casino back to fame and wealth. He wants it to be a less-than-humble temple, fitting the glamorous life Orire promises those who trust in her gentle guidance. Since Iton has a custom Heritage, I will follow the path outlined in A La Carte to create it, using Tiny Dungeon for guidance. One of his Heritage Traits will be Flutterflight (borrowed from the Pixie Heritage), which means he can fly, albeit a bit slowly. There is no good replacement for Tiny Dungeon’s Rainbow Shell Trait, but I think it would work well enough to just port it one on one for the other Heritage Trait. Then I get to choose three optional traits, one of which I can take now. I think Scrappy works well since a beetle should be tougher than expected. This is a Trait that Panguri can take, and so I am sure it will work well.

For his personal two Traits I will choose Dungeoneer, meaning Iton will never be lost when exploring such places, and Galvanizing - when in a populated area, Iton can test to find help, like a bodyguard or an extra pair of hands. For his Proficiencies, I choose Priest of Orire, Gambler, and Stick Fighting - as a solitary wanderer Iton has learned to defend himself.

His Belief is ‘Always trust in Orire’s invisible guidance.’ Iton is a bit small for a Glitterbug, let’s say 2.5’. His multicolored shell is a bit damaged from his travels, and he still hasn’t found time to molt. His right antenna has been cut in half. His eyes are deep emerald green. He continues shifts in place, and can never quite stand still. He is a quiet one, who sounds grave when he speaks. 

1. Which one of the other player characters is your closest friend? Why do you consider them to be your bestie?
2. How did you end up working or living at the Tavern? What is your biggest responsibility there?
3. What always puts you in a Good Mood? What always ruins your day?

Mmhh.. I think he has started to trust Holly (Like, 1). Zele, however, dislikes him - he freaks her out a bit, and if she is honest she does not like the newcomer intruding into her quiet life. Especially since he seems insistent on shaking things up, which she takes as criticism of what she and Holly have been doing so far. Gryneret freaks him out a little, but he doesn’t like to show it. If he knew their real identity he would be ashamed; alas, he does not (Rival, Secret, 1). Finally, he has spent the last leg of his travel here accompanying Bonanidas, and he has developed a deep affection for her (Love, Secret, 1). That one he does not quite admit to himself.

As for why he is here, I think that is clear. Besides being the head priest, he is also the dealer at the card games. He always is in a good mood when many games happen since each bet is a prayer to Oriri. When someone gets angry due to a loss it ruins his own mood - it is sad to see people not see the lessons the goddess wants to impart.

To finish the tavern, I would now ask the players to draw a map of the place. And to remember to leave some empty areas for potential expansion. But by myself that is a bit boring, so let's not do that. And there are some basic stats to calculate - Reputation and Size will be 2, which is standard. Safety 0 sounds about right, and less-than-average demand of 1. Finally, typically a business of this size and reputation would generate an Income of 4, but this one is failing. Let's make it 2 - the place is very hard to reach, decreasing Demand, and so on.

Find the tavern sheet here, and Iton here. 

Tiny Taverns - Zele, Next Level Games' bouncer

Next up at Next Level Game is a full-time cook, and occasional bouncer. I think a former adventurer, maybe some kind of fighter? First, let’s roll on the guest table for the Heritage, since I do not want to decide on this one. I roll a five, giving me a choice between a Panguri (catperson), and a Pooka (rabbit person, kind of). I like the second one more. Zele will be a bit unusual for a Pooka; less focused on mechanical tinkering, and more interested in testing new flavors. 

For Traits, Zele is like all Pooka Spry, and beyond that she is Sniffy. The two mean that she is nimble, hard to surprise, and has an extraordinary sense of smell. Seems perfect. For her non-Heritage Traits, I think Customer Service works, which allows her to talk potentially violent customers down, as does Foodie. The latter gives her a near-perfect palate, meaning she is really good at making exceptional food. For her Proficiencies, I go with Cooking and Mastery in Security. Security is a bit special in that it is a weapon proficiency. Tiny Taverns treats combat differently from other Tiny D6 games, essentially turning it into a simple task. Which does fit the theme very well, I’d say. The bottom line is that Zele existing will not turn this into a dungeon crawler.

For her Belief, I like ‘People who prefer quarreling to a good brie cannot be trusted.’ With 4' she is unusually tall for a Pooka. She is very buff as well and has abrupt, no-nonsense behavior. She does mellow a lot when smelling, let alone eating great food.

1. Which one of the other player characters is your closest friend? Why do you consider them to be your bestie?
2. How did you end up working or living at the Tavern? What is your biggest responsibility there?
3. What always puts you in a Good Mood? What always ruins your day?

Hmmm… I think Zele sees Holly as her closest friend. Holly will be the one to come to Zele for help from time to time when customers become unruly. I also think the two will work together a lot on food production, and while Holly does not share dietary needs, I can see her being extra friendly to Zele for being considerate and appreciative of Holly’s efforts. However, I do not want this to be reciprocated - in a three-player game I want to avoid two PCs being too cozy with each other, and I can see Holly see Zele as a bit of competition - she gets called in when Holly mismanaged a guest, and while Holly sees the need for cooked food, she still finds it vaguely creepy. So, she secretly sees Zele as Rival (1).

I think Zele arrived here when her adventuring party failed. She had joined them in the search for fortune and glory, as well as tasty food - the dungeon was known for especially “great mushrooms”. Which sadly turned out to be mushroom men who did not like the idea of someone hunting for mushrooms to cook. Zele was split from the rest of the party and luckily stumbled across the entrance to Next Level Games. It took her some time to recover, and by the time she did the exit home was gone. So she decided to make the best of the situation. First, she took over the kitchen, and a bit later her talents for violence came in rather handy. 

Creating a dish that is up to her own high standards always puts her in a Good Mood. She hates it when her duties as a bouncer mean a dish gets ruined.

For Relationships, Holly is clearly liked (2). I think Grant spies on Zele since she is a former adventurer, and therefore clearly cannot be trusted. Dzambeg has a crush on her, he has a thing for small, dominant women. As a consequence, I think Zele dislikes him (Nemesis 1), but in the interest of business keeps that secret. Finally, I think Zele actually likes Yogam, since they are an excellent listener. They also do their work, and never complain - an ideal companion as far as Zele is concerned (Like, 1).

 And here is her sheet.

Tiny Taverns - Holly, Concierge of Next Level Games

Now, let us look at who the PCs in Next Level Games will be. As said before, I want three of them. Mmhh… what kind of PCs do I want?

There is a new Heritage in A La Carte that I like. Let us assume the area the casino is in is well-lit, by crystal veins embedded in the rock floors. The light is good enough to allow the owners to keep a garden. The front part is for decoration purposes, and the back is for food production. Times have been hard, and buying food is not always possible due to the absence of merchants. In the garden lives a Bloam, a garden nymph. They are plants that have taken on the aspects of their gardeners. Let us assume. This one is called Holly. As a Bloam she has the trait plantlike, and mimics another heritage, taking one of that heritage’s Traits. Mmhhh… Holly, weirdly enough, started life as a lily and was raised by the Firbolg gardener who was here a generation ago. Firbolg are frost giants, more or less. Holly has Giant Strength, despite her willowy shape. Then again she is 8' tall, so there is that.

Holly is Fruitful; she can produce flowers and an intoxicating sap at a whim. And during what passes for Winter here, she can guard the dreams of present people (Trait Flower Child, giving her the Dreamwatch winter spell). Beyond that, she gets two more traits. I see her as Curious, which should be self-explanatory. Finally, she is Unflappable. No matter what happens, and what people do, she is very hard to flap.

Next, Holly gets two Proficiencies. The obvious one is Gardening. And I would like to add something else - Holly might very well be Concierge during operating hours. I like that! I could choose to elevate one of the two to mastery, or I can add a third one. I opt for the latter - she is proficient at Gambling.

Now for a Belief, a sentence that summarises her approach to life. I like ‘A little bit of chaos makes life interesting’, which I think fits a being raised in a garden that belongs to a temple of Orire. While at it, I determine she is not only tall and willowy, but has long white “hair”, pale green skin, small lily buds, and flowers all over her body, and usually wears a grey suit when interacting with guests. I will skip the Belongings section since I find it less than useful in Tiny Taverns. And there will be three questions at the end.

1. Which one of the other player characters is your closest friend? Why do you consider them to be your bestie?
2. How did you end up working or living at the Tavern? What is your biggest responsibility there?
3. What always puts you in a Good Mood? What always ruins your day?

The first I will skip it for now for obvious reasons. The second has already been answered. For the last one, I think Holly is in a Good Mood if there is a bit of chaos, but she still feels on top of it. Things not-quite-going wrong, that kind of thing. If that state tips over into catastrophe, her mood plummets.

To round out the character, I will also give her two Relationships, which might be supplemented once the other PCs exist. The obvious first choice will be Gryneret; Holly has been here long enough that she has figured out their secret identity. I assume she is in adoration of this angelic being but keeps it secret as much as possible. And it should be a strong relationship, let’s give it a 2 (maximum would be 3). The second one will be Grant, which Holly just plain likes to hang out with (Like, 1).

And that will be Holly.

The next two posts will deal with the other two PCs and the finishing up of the place.

 

Tiny Taverns - Next Level Games

The last few days were all a bit dark. I mean, mercenaries, killers, criminals… time to do something lighter. I had thought I wouldn’t come back to Tiny D6 this time around, but now I feel that Tiny Taverns should get an encore. This time I might include material from the “A La Carte” expansion.

Similar to last year, I will use rolls on the optional tables most of the time. This year, let us do three characters. Accordingly, I will split this into several posts. But first is the generation of the basic business we are playing. Usually a group discussion, but the game provides random generation tables to assist. And it is only me, and I do not do well discussing things with myself.

Two sixes - a failing saloon or gambling house. The location gets a 6 - extra-dimensional. And close by is (roll of 4) a territory filled with wild, exotic animals. Oh my. This one will be interesting. For a unique feature, I roll a D66, and get a 43 - “a sprawling network of dungeons and caverns which shift and change, filled with traps, treasure, and artificial creatures.” I can see where the "failing" comes in.

So, obviously, we are in the hub where a lot of megadungeons cross. Whoever founded the place stumbled upon this place via other means, and saw connections to all manners of plains. But they didn’t realize that there would be dungeons growing out from here that will make access… tricky. But why do we stay? 

How this is the temple to a goddess of luck. Let us call her Orire. The temple’s location was chosen by a game of chance - a teleport spell with a random component sent the originating priest here a century ago. The temple looks like a marble casino, with an attached guest house. It caters to whoever stumbles in from the surrounding dungeons; the goddess’ magic keeps anything too dangerous out. Adventuring parties, liches, sentient clouds of luminescent gas - they all have been customers. But the dungeons are getting more dangerous by the year, and the number of customers is plummeting. The ever-shifting nature of the dimensional connections doesn’t help either, since quite often regulars at one point just do not find their way back. To make this work I will give the place one more feature - whoever comes in through the doors can speak to anyone else in the place and be understood. Cultural differences abound, but at least people can talk. Oh, and in passing, we took care of the next step - thinking about who typical customers might be. And then we are off to create some regulars. I will supplement this table with the one in the expansion.

Let us do two regulars, and two NPC employees. The first one is a Pixie Bard/Storyteller. Let us call them Gryneret; they are an employee. Not only do they perform regularly to keep guests entertained beyond games, but they are also a croupier. For their specialty I roll a 6 - they are a powerful being in disguise (suggested is a dragon) or have some other large secret. I like the idea that Gryneret is actually a genuinely divine being, the equivalent of an angel in the faith of Orire. To keep things interesting I will assume the PCs do not know that bit. Looking at the A La Carte table they are very outgoing and artsy, which fits well.

Next is a <Other> soldier. Let us make this one a sentient cloud of luminescent gas, patrolling the edges of the megadungeon connecting the reality their people live in to this place. They like to be called Grant, and they sometimes come in to gamble away some of their salary. Mostly because they like the atmosphere of the place. They also (dice roll of 4) spy on one of the PCs for a reason. Luckily, Grant is a bit lazy.

For the next guest, I roll a Mandrake cartographer (think giant dragon folk), who has a sideline performing minor magics for drinks and, I assume, ante. Her name is Bonandias, and she is one of our regulars. She stops by every once in a while to take a break from mapping the dungeons. She is rich and eccentric (looking at last year's tavern there is a tendency for Mandrakes to be just that, it seems), which probably explains her embarking on dungeon mapping. She has a cynical nature. 

I wanted to make another employee, but then I rolled a human parcel-delivery person. Dzambeg Kertibiev has been cursed by the gods of their world to deliver missives between planes of existence. The one thing they gave him to drive the point home is that he is immortal. Not invulnerable, but they come back from the dead quite fast. Every once in a while he gets to catch a break here. He also is a bit of a charmer and will have a crush on a PC.

Finally, let us get another employee. This one is another <Other>. Let us go with a living statue. Yogam has been around since the beginning, they are part of the place. Their job is the janitorial things - making sure the drains are free, the tables are clean, and the oven is working. That the spinning wheels are actually spinning well. They are mute. Their attitude is questioning - I assume some passive-aggressiveness from time to time. 

And now I need a name - ‘Next Level Games’? Not sure that counts as a clever pun - if it would, each PC would start with a point of Fortune. Ah well.

I think that will be it for post one. Have a sheet.

 

Day 17: Tiny Taverns - Endre and Selina, friends at the top of the world

And now for the beautiful owners of this rather refined cheese-slinging place. I will make two at once, character generation in Tiny D6 is rather fast, after all. I think I want a proprietor, who doubles as greeter and barkeeper, and the manager, who also does massages. Sounds ok, right?

First, we go with Heritages, and once done I will give names. Let us make the owner a friendly pooka, daughter of Grett. Her name is Endre. Pooka are three, four foot tall, soft fur, long prehensile tails, and are lithe and willowy. Their eyes aren't the sharpest, meaning they often wear spectacles. Their sense of smell is great, though. They tend to like to read and learn and to tinker with gadgets. I get to choose some traits for Endre from the Pooka list. She has to be Spry, and I choose to make her Doozery as well, meaning she needs less sleep each day.

Next, let's make the manager and massage therapist a Panguri called Selina. When you think Panguri, think cat person. I think Selina and Endre are life-long friends and have come here from the big city. Endre has family in the warren, and Panguri suggested they make a life for themselves here. Selina has Feline Senses (read excellent smell and hearing), and also has Claws and Paws. Beyond that, I think she should be Empathic. She is an excellent listener, can tell when someone is lying, and literally smell someone else's emotional state. I want her to be some kind of quiet pool, the emotional center of the spa. And Endre might be the more excitable one, often a bit absent-minded, but friendly and upbeat. Yeah, I like that.

By the way, the book is very explicit on these Traits not having to be fixed; it is perfectly ok to decide your character does not fit the 'standard'; people are diverse, after all. That also goes for pookah and cat people.

Each one gets two Traits from the giant list in the book, that tell us a bit more about who they are. And I home in on Anamchara. These are soul friends, people who are tied together by Karma. They understand each other on a deep, personal level, and can communicate with looks and other nonverbal clues. I want that for both, they would make amazing Anamchara. Lovely! Endre also has Fast Friends, meaning she makes friends really quickly, though she does care about all of them. Not as much as for Selina, but there you go. Selina is Unflappable, which should be self-explanatory.

Now I choose either two Proficiencies or one Proficiency at Mastery level for each of them. These are areas of expertise and are essentially made up by the player. And this is easy - Endre has a Barkeeping and Hospitality, Selina Management and Massage Therapy. Nothing Martial here. Maybe an unknown third (or fourth, or fifth) player would deliver that. Then again this is a spa, not an arena. Oh, along the way I decided that Regell is a rival of Panguri, competing with her for the attention of any guests. Minka spies on Endre, mostly since she thinks that a Pooka who lived in the big city must have some cool stories and maybe even gadgets hidden somewhere.

Then I have to come up with the character Beliefs, one-sentence statements that summarize the core of their worldview. Selina believes that "Money is best in her pocket", and Endre that "Everyone has an important role in life". A match made in heaven.

Two things remain - determining belongings (kind of not needed, they get a basic kit and the rest is on the map), and answering three questions for them.

1. Which one of the other player characters is your closest friend? Why do you consider them to be your bestie? Obvious for both.
2. How did you end up working or living at the Tavern? What is your biggest responsibility there? Also done for both.
3. What always puts you in a Good Mood? What always ruins your day?

Selina always has a good mood when she made some great profit. It ruins her day when Endre feels bad. Endre has a good mood when she gets to spend some quality time with an Alpkees sandwich and a good tea. She has a bad mood if a customer is unreasonably rude.

Mechanically, these answers determine some relationships (already done with the Anamchara Trait), the second question is important in the narrative, and the game does care about moods to help drive the drama. I could determine more relationships, but I think that is better done in the game.

Since we do not have any spellcasters, we are done. Please find Endre here, and Selina here.

Day 16: Tiny Taverns - Cerulean Terrane Spa, a boutique spa for rich cheeselovers

Maybe let's do something a lot nicer now, the last few days have been a bit depressing. How about a game I have played, but not nearly enough - Tiny Taverns? It uses the Tiny D6 system that was introduced in previous posts (Day 2 and Day 3), but this one is rather different. Tiny Taverns is not really an adventure game, but about telling slice-of-life stories of people living and working together in a service establishment in a fantasy world. This can be a titular tavern, but also a school, or a massage parlor, or a dragon tuning shop, or... Anything with employees, premises and the potential for regular customers can work. The basic creation process will still look very familiar, but I will go one further, and create the setting with it as well. Tiny Taverns has you covered there, you see? And to have a bit of a more interesting situation, I will make the tavern, and two characters to go with it. Spread out over two days. Today: Tavern. Usually, this would be done by the whole group, but here I am by myself.

Now, pretty much all steps have some kind of random generation table for inspiration, and I will use it. First up is to decide on the type of business, which is one of the examples where the rolls only make general suggestions. So, 2d6, one table per die, and I get a 4 and a 1, so a "boutique" "spa/resort/ranch", with "boutique" as an adjective. Mmhh... I like the idea of a remote spa catering to the rich and powerful. It'll need some weird twist or two, but that can happen later. Next is location, with another two tables of D6 each. A 3 and a 6 suggest "crossroads" and that "something blessed by an ancient deity or spirit" is close by. Ok, I think I will go with an area where several airship transport routes meet, on top of a high mountain that is blessed by an ancient air spirit; the air here has remedial, stress-relieving powers. It isn't completely remote, there is a settlement here. I will think about more interesting things for the village later. For now, I name the mountain Terrane's Churchshall, after the Earth elemental that lives in it, and the air spirit Cerulea; the place is holy to both since they married here. Yes, I like that. And since I fired up the name generators, I will call the town Gottshain. 

Now our spa needs a unique feature, and I can roll two d6 vs. a d66 table. A 12 indicates a famous ingredient or dish, which sounds nearly too good to be true. The villagers make a really insanely rare cheese, made from the milk of animals called Cerulean Mallachi, blueish flying lizards that burrow in the looser soil here where air and earth mingle. They are connected to the two spirits/minor deities, though no one knows how. They have only ever been found on top of this mountain, and can't be reared elsewhere. If treated well they will share "milk" that runs out of their eyes. This is used to make a really rare cheese that only becomes edible after a few years of fermentation. The cheese is called 'Blarer Alpkees'. Yop, that should ensure a stream of special clients who come here.

Which raised the question for the typical guest, which also just happens to come next in the book. I will say very rich or powerful people looking for a special, rare kind of relaxation. And many have a soft spot for Blarer Alpkees, a rare, special, and expensive item that makes for a great conversation item once home. We do also offer far more affordable meals and rooms in a separate little tavern for the airship sailors and of course the locals. Which reminds me - I still do not know who the locals are. Well, I kind of have an idea... one of the provided heritages here are the Pooka, small, bookish people that are a bit clumsy but are also really good at fitting into small crevices and spaces. I like the idea of them living here, and also being most of our regulars. This also makes the town a warren, fitting the theme. But let's assume there is some above-ground space. It also makes sense for them to be the ones able to collect 'milk' from the Cerulean Mallachi, they can reach the small crevices the animals rest in.

Great timing, now I have to come up with regular clients. Or staff, if I prefer. The staff and owners will usually be PCs, but there is the acknowledgment that most places will need more than 3, 4 people running them, so coming up with some more workers is always an option. But let's start with Regulars. There is a table, well, three. A 5, a 6, a 4 - a pookah Bard/Storyteller/Performer, who is spying on some PC to be chosen later for some reason. Fits like a glove! So, I name her Minka, she is the local storyteller and gossip, daughter of the eldest in the village. I will come up with the reason for her spying when I come up with the two PCs. Let's add another. A 5, 2, and 1. Another pooka, the dice like the idea. This one is a trader, and family of one of the PCs. Let's make him a cheesemonger called Grett, who will be related to a PC later. He is not local but actually stops by often to buy more cheese to sell in the big city. When he is in town, eh, village, he stays at the spa. Two are in theory enough, but I want a third one, and then maybe one staff member. This time I get a 1, a 6, and a 5. A Furbolg (think frost giant) or a mandrake (half-dragons, a dying people). I like the idea of a mandrake, who, by the way, are also several times as tall as pookas. She is also another bard/storyteller/performer and is rich and eccentric. Let's call her Regell, she is old, wealthy, on permanent retreat in our spa, loves the mountains and the cheese, is a hopelessly romantic poet, and hits on anyone not evading her quickly enough, but generally not following through. She will fit right in but will need a friendly rivalry with a PC later. Finally, I want an employee. Nothing to roll here. For the sake of diversity let's make him a human, a cook and former (failed) alchemist called Gerald Ramstop. The one thing he hates about his job is that he has to cook with Alpkees; he prefers lighter dishes. And what a ghastly color!

So, time to name the place. Cerulean Wellspring? Na, boring. Earth, Wind, and Cheese? Yeah...no. Cerulean Terrane Spa? That'll do. 

So, now the PC creation would happen, and the party would come back afterward to create a map or blueprint of the place, leaving some space for later modifications in-game. During that step we would also come up with services and special rooms, but I will skip the map, and do the services now.

We have a sauna, two hot springs, a breathing room (for fresh mountain air), a contemplation area (encased room open to a spectacular view - and drop - on one side), a restaurant, a tea room/common area, a small tavern for the locals, an airship landing platform and anchorage, a Cerulean Mallachi petting garden, and we provide rental sleds. Beyond that we have spacious suits for up to eight guests - we are very exclusive, after all. Oh, and living spaces for the six people who work here. Including the owner. The tavern and all employees' living rooms except one are close to the airship platform. One employee is the night guard/server, who lives in the main spa building. 

And with that, our Tiny Tavern is ready. 

On an unrelated note, get Tiny Taverns. It is amazing.