Sooner or later, your players will ignore your narrative breadcrumbs in favor of aiding a random NPC. This is good and right. But it helps to be prepared when it happens!
One Roll Wonders are a way to throw together RPG locations and points of interest in the time it takes for a bathroom break!
Grab one of each of the polyhedral dice: d4, d6, d8, d1, d12, and d20. Roll them all at once and consult the tables.
The results provide a ready-made bit of adventure. You might need to massage the outcome to create something coherent, or you might find a result that appeals to you more than what you rolled. Whatever gets the game moving is the right call!
Want more help keeping things running? The Prepared! Expanded Collection is an group of pre-generated one-shot adventures that helps you look like an improv master.
The Rowdy Tavern
| d4 | What is this tavern known for? |
| 1 | Music, dancing, and storytelling |
| 2 | Where firebrands discuss philosophy and revolutionary ideas |
| 3 | A friendly place where all the locals know each other’s name |
| 4 | Donnybrooks and fracases, rumbles and rhubarbs |
| d6 | What kind of people frequent this tavern? |
| 1 | The dregs of society |
| 2 | The working class |
| 3 | Merchants and bureaucrats |
| 4 | A mix of lineages, heritages, and socioeconomic groups for the area |
| 5 | The educated intelligentsia |
| 6 | The upper crust and nobility |
| d8 | Where do you find this rowdy tavern? |
| 1 | Down by the docks |
| 2 | Surrounded by decrepit buildings |
| 3 | On the outskirts of town |
| 4 | The wrong side of the thoroughfare |
| 5 | In the city center |
| 6 | At the edge of the marketplace |
| 7 | Just outside an affluent neighborhood |
| 8 | Near the local constabulary |
| d10 | What’s everyone drinking tonight? |
| 1 | What vengeful transmuter learned to ferment urine? |
| 2 | Watered down ale by the copper |
| 3 | A dry lager with foamy head |
| 4 | A crisp cider made with locally sourced apples |
| 5 | A sweet mead served by a bee stung bartender |
| 6 | A shot of whiskey dropped into a flagon of stout beer |
| 7 | A dry red wine of dubious vintage |
| 8 | A fruity brandy that burns on its way down |
| 9 | A fizzy white wine served in glass flutes |
| 10 | An almond liqueur mixed with coffee and cream |
| d12 | What friendly faces are in the tavern? |
| 1 | A long lost relative, flush with coin |
| 2 | An elf who sits at the back of the room and watches intently |
| 3 | A thief who owes you a favor |
| 4 | A mage so down on their luck that they prestidigitate drinks for copper pieces |
| 5 | A wizened bard who tells stories for anyone who buys them a meal |
| 6 | A bartender who plays a game of guessing your order |
| 7 | A dwarf with many strong opinions and will buy the drinks as long as you listen |
| 8 | A weaponsmith who wants to show you just how sharp their blades are |
| 9 | The musician who claims to have written your favorite ballad |
| 10 | A scholar with access to a forbidden library |
| 11 | A merchant who can’t leave the tavern without your help |
| 12 | A noble who knows a lot of people |
| d20 | What foes are in the rowdy tavern? |
| 1 | Three kobolds in a trenchcoat |
| 2 | The relative of a deceased compatriot, who hasn’t learned of the death |
| 3 | An alehouse drake (see Tome of Beasts 1) that got into some spicy liquor that affects its breath |
| 4 | An outsider with an oversized weapon . . . everyone’s too afraid to ask them to leave it outside |
| 5 | A woodworker who needs to drum up business for their woodshop |
| 6 | A rapscallion whose pockets are filled with the coin purses of others |
| 7 | The illegitimate child of a monarch who can’t stand talk of revolution |
| 8 | A bounty hunter who won’t let anything get in the way of their quarry |
| 9 | Animated armor with a patron stuck inside |
| 10 | A vampire spawn trying to lure patrons to the vampire that controls them |
| 11 | A well-behaved werewolf, so long as the moon isn’t full |
| 12 | An herbalist who tries to taint drinks with drops from a potion of fire breath |
| 13 | A wild-eyed cultist who wants to see the city burn, starting here |
| 14 | The monarch’s heir apparent with their owlbear bodyguard |
| 15 | An entertainer who is scorned that the establishment won’t let them perform |
| 16 | The ghost of a past proprietor who chases out patrons at last call |
| 17 | A bare-knuckle brawler who just hates it when someone bumps into them |
| 18 | A fey lord or lady slumming it with the mortals |
| 19 | A noble looking to field test their new bodyguards |
| 20 | A bartender who thinks you skipped out on your tab on your last visit |
Benjamin! Excellent!