D20 Tavern Game, Some Progress

To Manage A Tavern

One of the first big challenges I’ve run into as a first-time game designer is figuring out how to actually hold a player’s attention—not just for a few minutes, but for an entire playthrough.

It turns out, just having a story, mechanics, or a setting isn’t enough by itself. They all need to be blended together, and that blend needs to have a little bit of sugar on top: incentives.

So I started sketching out a basic gameplay loop:

1. Introduce the story and initial goals.

2. Engage the player with mini-game challenges.

3. Reward the player with immediate incentives.

4. Let them spend those rewards on upgrades.

5. Pay off with story beats and introduce new goals.

6. Repeat (but with more depth each time).

Simple? Hopefully. Effective? That’s the goal.

Environmental interactions shouldn't just be simple button presses. Filling a beer shouldn't be automatic—it should require the player to stop the pour at the right time to avoid overflowing. Sliding a drink down the bar to a patron could give extra flair (and bonus rewards). Lighting the tavern hearth? Why not make it a chance for the player to pull off a flourish, like a little fire-spinning trick?

 

Worldbuilding Needs More Than Fantasy Wallpaper

It's not enough to slap the word “fantasy” on a tavern and call it a day. Dwarves, elves, and barbarians shouldn't just look the part—they should act the part.

Dwarves should:

• Challenge you to drinking contests.

• Pay you with gemstones when they like you.

• Maybe leave a mess every time they visit.

Elves should:

• Prefer natural surroundings.

• Sing hypnotically when content.

Barbarians should:

• Challenge patrons to strength contests.

• Laugh raucously and cause a scene.

Rogues should:

• Gamble.

• Pull tricks on other patrons (or even the bartender).

Both race and class should influence how patrons behave, what they like, and how they react to your tavern's decor and service.

The Dice Roll System

So how does this all tie into gameplay? I'm leaning into the good old D20 system.

Every patron will roll a d20 to determine how much they pay and how satisfied they are. The catch? Their roll will be influenced by the environment and your actions.

Example:

The dwarf dislikes the soft bar stools (-1), but appreciates the stone walls (+1), a strong drink (+1), a hearty stew (+1), and the roaring hearth (+1). That's a +2 bonus.

If he rolls a 9 on the die, it becomes an 11 after modifiers. Not amazing, but enough for acceptable service. He leaves the normal pay, no tip, and a nice little spill on the bar from slamming his mug.

 

Things I'm Still Considering:

• Should there be sections for each type of clientele?
  A sunlit room with living wood walls for elves and druids? A moody stone hearth area for dwarves and rogues?

• If you make a world-changing choice (like accidentally turning your regulars into undead by enabling a necromancer), should that be permanent, or could you eventually reverse it?

• Should wealth progression phase out poorer patrons, or should they still show up even when nobles and kings start visiting? Maybe your choices decide—help the poor, or become the snob who bans peasants from the fancy tavern? I’m not judging.

For now, we've got a solid foundation, even if there are still some big choices left to make. I've been working on animations and art (trying very hard not to restart everything just to make bigger sprites, but I’m tempted). If ConcernedApe could make it work with small sprites, so can I.

Until next time,
Stay warm and toasty.