D&D: Five Ways to Pass Time in the Tavern Waiting for a Quest
There comes a point in any adventurer’s life where they must sit and drink in the tavern, waiting for the starting quest. Here’s what to do.
Adventurers have met in shady taverns since the dawn of time. They say that the first adventurer ever only existed after the first tavern was built. Waiting inside was a mysterious hooded figure with a long, spiraling quest. And that tradition continues today.
But what can you actually do in the tavern? While you wait for the DM to stop describing different kinds of ale and soups and showing off their medieval history degree, there’s actually some fun mischief to get up to!
Drink Like You Mean It
Look. This one might be obvious. But hey you’re there and the DM hasn’t yet introduced whatever plot device is there to move you along, so you may as well try and talk the DM into letting you roll on the carouse tables in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything to see what happens next. You might make a friend, you might make an enemy, or you might wind up in charge of the local theatre festival and married to a surprisingly understanding dwarf.
Brood in a Corner
If it was good enough for the lost scion of the Numenoreans, it’s good enough for you. Tell your DM you want to find a corner. The darker and danker the better. Ask your DM in between descriptions of how frothy the ale is if you can make a stealth check so you’ll already be hidden when things invariably go down. In the meantime, start coming up with a name by which most folks around here to know you since they won’t necessarily know you by your right name.
Gamble
Your luck might be ever-changing, like the moon, waxing one day and waning another—but you may as well push it while you have the chance. Roll some dice for a reason other than combat, and find yourself betting against patrons less fortunate than you. Just take care who you bilk or might insist you go back to fighting sooner than you’d like.
Do Crimes
There are a lot of people gathered in a tavern usually. They almost certainly have gold or silver or platinum or some other valuable that they can’t appreciate, and would do well to be rid of. So why not help them along by picking their pockets clean until your DM sits up and takes notice that you’re talking about buying this whole stinking tavern?
Hire Some Adventurers
Look, going on the adventure that the mysterious hooded figure wanted you to go on sounds like it’s going to be a lot of work. And that won’t necessarily fuel your lifestyle devoted to creature comforts and capes. But you know, you could probably just get a hood yourself, and then hire some adventurers (for less money than you’re getting paid) to get out there and clear the dungeon for you. Why should your character get their hands dirty when there are other people willing to do it for you?
And that’s just five things to do when your game stalls out in a tavern. What are your favorite bits of tavern life in a roleplaying game?
