Trope Tuesday -- You Meet In An Inn

Not Another Tavern...

Your eyes scan the perimeter of the dimly lit tavern.
A curious slew of souls crowd the crooked canteen. In the corner, a mysterious hooded figure leers, weighing you and your companions. The bards bustle and clamor rousing the patrons into a ruckus of drunken revelry.

Another "In"?

By now you are either rolling your eyes
or readying your dice for a well executed insight check. Either way, it's hard to deny
the allure of the classic "You Meet In A Tavern" trope. There are several advantages  to consider with this kind of an opener. Inns provide a small sampler of your world, rumors of the surrounding area, its inhabitants, culture, and even its social structure. It's not uncommon to see different social rungs gathering together to gamble or share a beer. A rowdy bar fight is an excellent way to get your campaign rolling right into the action.

Why Fix It?

If you're like me

you've probably thought "Why would I use a tired old cliche, I'm a decent writer?" Originality doesn't trump the fun of your players. For some of them, these "tired old tropes" are comfortable and familiar. Maybe Dave didn't show up to take part in your 20 act unveiling of why the old gods have abandoned some world with too many accent symbols. Fantasy is inundated  with tropes, that's just part of adhering to a genre. And sometimes your players are there  to enjoy those established ideas.

The Pros

An Inn  actually makes a lot of sense.

Adventurers from all over would welcome respite in a warm safe place with decent food and ale. Oftentimes, taverns were a natural hub for socializing and news. It's a tradition as old as the hobby, and maybe even older. It's an easy way to get the party together in a setting that's logical. Inns are an excellent opportunity for world building. It's a chance for the players to rub elbows with characters they might not otherwise meet.

The Cons

If you're not careful the trope can be too familiar. Avoid placing your Big Bad or a henchman right in the sights of your adventuring party, otherwise, they may get into the fray sooner than you're expecting. If it's a seasoned group they may grow wary of the expectations associated with this setting. Nothing's worse than figuring out the whole plot before it even unfolds. Change it up. Do something unexpected in the familiar setting. Throw them off your trail and keep the story fresh and exciting.

Fantastic Inns

The real kicker is the location.

This is the perfect chance to get those creative muscles flexing. Make your inn its own character and add flavor to your campaign. Don't be afraid of getting bizarre with this. Think about the Yawning Portal. It has a huge well at the center leading to the Underdark and a massive subterranean dungeon. What characteristic is going to make your inn stand out and be remembered? At the end of the day, it's about you and the players sitting at your table. If you think this old trope will leave your game a yawning portal then maybe it is a good time to avoid it. There will no doubt be times when your players will need an inn to make a pit-stop and that will be your chance to truly make it something unique that everyone will be talking about all the way to the next session. Don't be afraid to get weird with it if you want the location to stand out!

In the eternal words of Ms. Frizzle:

"Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy."

Written by:
Jordan Cribbs