Wyrd of the Week: Mayfair Pub

 This time on Wyrd of the Week, we're going to explore the Mayfair Pub, a drop-in location that can be included in your legendarium. This cozy watering hole can be a place for heroes to relax, share a pint, some fellowship, and maybe get caught up in a new, unexpected adventure.

The Mayfair Pub

Looking for all the world like a cozy wooden cottage with an off-kilter chimney, log walls covered in ivy, and a small wooden door with a frosted glass window, the Mayfair Pub is a welcome sight to passing travelers and thirsty locals. A tiny lake, sometimes enjoyed by local children who fish or play in the waters is nestled on the path from the road to the Mayfair. Travelers who open the door and duck into the tiny, two room building are immediately greeted by a combination of raucous laughter and lively music mixed with the scents of home-cooked meals (try the mince pies!), dark ale, and a hint of pipe smoke hanging in the air. 

Unlike most pubs, the Mayfair doesn't have a bar. Instead, the proprietor, one Gilderoy Mayfair, pops in and out of a side door between the kitchen and the common room to hand out meals, meads, and good cheer. A scattering of tables surrounded by stools creates a cozy feel and a small corner stage hosts a performer or two on occasion. Rafters of wooden beams run barely eight feet from the plank floor with lanterns hanging from hooks to cast twinkling light about the place on even the coldest night with the aid of a large fireplace. The tables of the pub are old and well-cared, each featuring a small Tenstone set for patrons to play to pass the time.

Gilderoy Mayfair (2nd-level Human Bard) himself seems to operate the pub without assistance from additional staff, often to the amazement of his patrons. His flashing grin, perfectly kept facial hair, and the twinkling light that seems to catch on his spectacles combine with a simple style of dress to create a welcoming persona. Regular patrons of the Mayfair know that Gilderoy has a policy of offering the first drink of the night for free in return for a new tale of adventure for his ears. 

The tiny kitchen of the Mayfair has a small brick oven and a trap door to a chilled cellar where salted meat and wine are stored. Unbeknownst the patrons, Mayfair keeps the service of a Brownie (see The Hero's Journey 2e Core Rulebook, page 150) to help him maintain the establishment. The Brownie, named Crumpet, is quite friendly with Gilderoy and keeps a small bedroom in the cold storage basement. Gilderoy treats Crumpet as an equal and in spite of the former's encouragement, the Brownie refuses to let the patrons know of his presence. 

Gilderoy himself keeps humble quarters in a loft over the kitchen where there is little more than a straw mattress, stool with a writing desk and handful of books, and a wooden trunk.

The grounds outside the back side of the pub are speckled with opportunities for outdoor sportsmanship. Horseshoe pits for a friendly game, straw bails for archery contests, and even wooden target boards for ax throwing are all available for patrons to enjoy. 

A Night at the Mayfair Pub

Player characters who spend an evening at the Mayfair Pub receive Advantage on all roles to Relax Around the Campfire. In addition, if they become regulars at the pub (which takes about a month of regular appearances), Gilderoy becomes a bit of a patron to them and will provide them with news, rumors, and the occasional free meal. Though not a true inn, Gilderoy will sometimes allow regulars to sleep in the common room for the night.

Being a busy location, frequented by many travelers who might bring any manner of adventure to the very doors of the pub. On any given night where the players are spending several hours at the Mayfair Pub, the Narrator can roll on the table below to see if anything unusual happens.

A Night at the Mayfair Pub

Roll (1d12)	Event
1-6	No special events.
7	A Goblin Merchant (see THJ2e, pg 171) wanders in and tries to strike up a bargain with the player characters.
8	In the middle of a heavy rainstorm a scared child bursts in and claims their parents have been taken by an ogre who lairs in the nearby wilderness.
9	A group of 1d4+1 Robbers (see THJ2e, pg 126) stumbles into the pub, drunk and claiming that Gilderoy owes them 1d6x10 gold pieces and will get violent if not driven off or paid.
10	A strange hermit enters the pub, sitting at a table alone and speaking to no one. If approached, the hermit speaks cryptically that the player character is either cursed (1-3 on 1d6) or blessed (4-6 on 1d6). The character wakes up the next morning with a one-point increase to their Weal modifier for the next 1d4 days.
11	Mayfair regretfully informs the evening’s patrons that the beer has run dry. If the player characters are regulars, he pulls them aside and asks them if they can convince the Clurichaun (see below) that has taken up residence by the beer barrels to depart.
12	A troupe of baudy singers enters the tavern to provide a night of raucous entertainment. Everyone present automatically gains the benefits as if they had successfully Relaxed Around the Campfire (see THJ2e, pg 90), but has  horrible hangover the next morning, imposing Disadvantage on any Insight-based Attribute Saving Throws made that day..

Clurichaun (Fey)

Defense: 17

Endurance: 8

Reduction Value: 2

Attack Modifier: +1

Attacks: Brawling (1d6)

Special: Bless the Brew, Purse Keeper, Suckerpunch, Vanish

Move: 4

Saving Throw: 18

Despair Rating: 3

Rare cousins to Brownies and Boggarts, the Clurichaun are tiny fey standing no more than six inches tall with withered faces. Their eyes twinkle with mischief, they wear leather aprons, and have silver buckles upon their shoes. Tough in the fiber and stronger than they look, Clurichaun are most often found in the cold storage or beer and wine cellars, if they are found at all. Though they do not tend to household duties like a brownie, they do always ensure that the beverages remain of the utmost quality - usually through ample sampling. If they find the supply to be lacking in quality, they will secretly work to improve its quality through their magics, though only if the kegs, crocks, and bottles are well-tended, the taps kept clean, and the patrons treated honestly.

  If discovered, a Cluriachaun tends to be abrasive and belligerent. They will typically scream and yell and threaten whomever discovered them in hopes that the individual will simply retreat in shock and awe - or simply look away as a stream of obscenities pours from the tiny fey’s mouth. All it takes is an instant of being unobserved a Cluriachaun can completely vanish from sight and become totally invisible. Strong for their tiny size, a Chluriachaun’s punch packs quite a lot of power and if they are able to suckerpunch a target unaware, they receive Advantage to their attack roll and they ignore the target’s Reduction Value. Finally, if cornered and unable to defend themselves or escape, a Clurichaun will offer its captors the choice of between one of two purses it carries. It will reveal that one purse contains only a single copper piece, while the other is filled with 5d4 gold pieces. Whichever purse is taken, after the Clurichaun has escaped their former captors will find themselves holding the purse containing a single copper coin.

Clurichauns enjoy a good brew and if player characters can manage to calm one down and share a story or two over a pint, they may learn the location of a long forgotten treasure or secret heirloom hidden away somewhere in some far off land. They are always solitary and if the tavern is treated poorly or bad brew is served, they are known to drag the tavern keeper from its bed into the basement, beat them senseless, and depart forever. Like most fey they are immune to most weapons, save those that have been Blessed or made from Cold Iron.

Wyrd of the Week: Victory from the Ashes

 In this week's Wyrd of the Week, we're going to discuss one of my favorite tropes in heroic fantasy literature. We've all read stories or seen movies where the heroes have been beaten and broken, laying defeated at the mercy of some terrible villain. Yet somehow, together, they dig down deep and find that final spark of courage that saves the day. They snatch Victory from the Ashes.

Victory from the Ashes

    If a player character is facing off against a foe with a Despair Rating high enough to require a Despair Saving Throw and that character is reduced to zero Endurance they can do one of two things to avoid defeat and death: Draw Upon the Strength of Fellowship or Find Inspiration from the Legends of Old.

Draw Upon the Strength of Fellowship: If the character has succeeded on a Bearing-based Saving Throw to Relax Around the Campfire (see THJ2e Core Rules, page 90), they can forgo the benefit of that effect in order to immediately succeed on the Grievous Saving Throw required when reduced to 0 Endurance. Moreover, the character's Endurance becomes 1d4 per level of that character. So, a 3rd-level character reduced to 0 Endurance who Draws Upon the Strength of Fellowship immediately goes from 0 Endurance to 3d4 Endurance. In order to use this ability, one other person who was present when the character succeeded in the aforementioned Bearing-Based Saving Throw to Relax Around the Campfire must be physically present.

Find Inspiration in the Legends of Old: Recalling the heroes that inspired them to take up the road to adventure, a character reduced to 0 Endurance can spend a single Myth Point. They immediately recover 1d4 Endurance per character level, are immune to the effects of Despair from Overwhelming Evil for the remainder of the encounter, and receives Advantage on their next Attack Roll and damage roll made against the villain who initially reduced them to 0 Endurance.

Regardless of which option is taken, a character can only snatch Victory from the Ashes once per encounter.

For more information on The Hero's Journey, Second Edition or to purchase a copy you can go to DriveThruRPG where the core rules and a line of supplements are available for purchase.

Wyrd of the Week: City Living - Urban Professions

 In the core rule book of The Hero's Journey, Second Edition, most of the professions found on page XX are very focused characters who lived as commoners or craftsmen before taking up the life of adventure. While this assumption is very common in classic fantasy and folklore, players may want to have their character be from a more urban environment or even grown up in a the security of a castle! 

Players, with Narrator permission, may select one of the following professions instead of those found in the core book. These professions are very focused on human character or characters that grew up in traditionally human cultures, so may not be appropriate for everyone or every legendarium. 

In addition to the professions listed below, there are several new pieces of equipment associated with some of these professions.

Urban Professions

Apothecary: You specialize in crafting salts, poultices, and solutions used to treat minor ailments. You are skilled at identifying poisons and liquid solutions, as the necessary procedure to craft mildly effective balms and medicines. Starting Gear: Three vile tasting concoctions that function as healer’s kits, a mortar and pestle, a small collection of dried herbs, 1d6 x 10 gold pieces. Artist: You are a skilled painter or visual artist, able to identify valuable art objects and forgeries with ease, as well as understanding the basic etiquette when interacting with nobles and other aristocrats. Starting Gear: A set of brushes and paints, 3 small canvas sheets in a scroll tube, one complete painting which can be sold to an interested buyer for 1d6 x 10 gold pieces, 1d6 x 10 gold pieces. Bailiff: You ensure that the lord’s proper taxes are collected and their laws are enforced. You are knowledgeable in both matters of etiquette and local law, with a fierce reputation in your home town. Starting Gear: Long blade, fine clothing, 3d6 x 10 gold pieces. Barrister: You speak in a court of law on behalf of those who stand accused of a crime. You are well versed in law in its myriad of forms, including the rights of the accused and accuser. Starting Gear: Quill, a bottle of ink, a blank journal, a book of law, fine clothing, 3d6 x 10 gold pieces. Blacksmith: You are trained to work iron at the forge into the tools of day to day life like nails, horseshoes, and hand tools. You can also identify quality smithwork for such items with careful examination. Starting Gear: Hammer (small), leather apron, a crowbar or twelve iron spikes (choose one), 2d6 x 10 gold pieces.

Brewer: You are skilled at the preparation, fermentation, and storage of grains for purposes of brewing beers, ales, ciders, and stouts. In addition to being able to identify quality beverages brewed from grains, hops, wheat, and oats, you are also able to recognize when such crops are healthy, of poor quality, or riddled with rot and mold. Starting Gear: A keg of ale, a wooden tankard, 2d6 x 10 gold pieces.
Butcher: You know how to carve, salt, and prepare meat for consumption. You can identify cuts of meat from various animals and easily identify a quality piece of meat or poor cut, as well as meat that has been fouled. Starting Gear: Carving Knife (damage as dagger), bag of salt, leather apron, 2d6 x 10 gold pieces. Crier: You walk through city and village streets, yelling out the latest news and events, as well as declaring royal proclamations, announcing festivals and market days. You can easily find your way around cities and castles, and know where to go to find the latest news and gossip. Starting Gear: A set of fine clothing, a hand bell, 2d6 x 10 gold pieces. Famulus: You were the apprentice or servant of a wizard. You grew up in a truly strange environment, handling unusual substances and helping your master in all manner of alchemy and study. You have a firm, but basic, understanding of magic and its principles. Starting Gear: Blank journal, heavy robes, 3d6 x 10 gold pieces. Falconer: You know how to train birds of prey, how to tend to them, and how to hunt with them. You know everything there is to know about avian wildlife, can easily identify each breed, and are knowledgeable regarding their basic patterns of behavior. Starting Gear: Trained falcon, falconer’s glove, falconer’s training kit, 2d6 x 10 gold pieces. Innkeeper: You spent some time running a pub or tavern. You know how to bend the ear of a stranger and can usually get a sense of a person simply by sizing them up. You’re good at identifying quality food and drink. Also, you’re not too shabby at whacking someone with a barstool if the need arises. Starting Gear: Hardwood chair leg (damage as club), mostly blank journal with a list of former patrons who still owe a tab, 3d6 x 10 gold pieces. Link Man: You worked in castles and cities, guiding nobles and wealthy individuals through shadowy streets at night, guiding them by torchlight. You are less disoriented at night and can easily find your way through winding city streets. Starting Gear: Torches (6), flint and steel, 1d6 x 10 gold pieces. Kennel Master: You know all the nuances of dog training and how to tend to them. You can turn groups of dogs into coordinated hunting packs and you know how to lead them in a hunt. You can determine their general state of health and mood. Starting Gear: Hunting dog, dog whistle, bag of training treats (with 10 treats), 2d6 x 10 gold pieces.

Minstrel: You’re a skilled musician and singer who travels from town to town making a living by performing on street corners, taverns, festivals, and even noble courts when the opportunity arises. You have a lovely singing voice and can generally find a cheap place to sleep and a simple meal in exchange for an evening’s performance. Starting Gear: One musical instrument of choice, a set of fine clothing, a set of traveling clothes, 1d6 x 10 gold pieces. Man-at-Arms: You’re a trained soldier, capable of holding your own in most combat situations. While you’ve not seen a lot of live combat, you still know basic military protocol and most common laws of the realm. You likely briefly campaigned for a lord or mercenary captain. Starting Gear: Long blade or spear (choose one), whet stone, helmet, 2d6 x 10 gold pieces. Messenger: You are a runner and horseman often hired by nobles and rich merchants to ferry letters and missives across vast distances when time is of the essence and carrier birds cannot be trusted. You have an excellent sense of direction and are likely to know the lay of the land for miles around. Starting Gear: Riding horse, belt pouch, saddle, two sets of traveling clothes, 2d6 x 10 gold pieces. Merchant: You bought and sold goods for profit. You’re a skill negotiator and know how to haggle for a good price when buying most mundane products. Dealing regularly with coins, you can often identify counterfeit coinage. Starting Gear: Wooden chest, lock (with matching key), 3d6 x 10 gold pieces. Physician: You are a medical professional that specializes in stitching wounds, amputations, and pulling teeth. You also know how to identify infection and wounds that are not healing properly. The job you do is a messy one, but you help keep your patients alive more often than not. Starting Gear: Bonesaw (damage as hand axe), healing kit, 2d6 x 10 gold pieces. Rat Catcher: You slither, climb, and wiggle your way into filthy places like castle dungeons and city slums in an effort to kill rats to control the spread of plague and disease. You know how to make use of traps and trained dogs to hunt and kill these vermin, and rarely lose your sense of direction in confined or dark spaces. Starting Gear: Trained dog, animal trap, lantern, 1 pint of oil, 1d6 x 10 gold pieces. Servant: You are a servant in a noble court or a castle, doing the bidding of the aristocracy. You typically assist in day to day tasks or mundane affairs they deem beneath their station. You are often ignored and regularly treated as little more than an afterthought, though are surprisingly knowledgeable about the day-to-day practices of courtly life. Starting Gear: A set of fine clothing, 1d6 x 10 gold pieces. Shepherd: You know how to raise and tend to sheep for their milk and meat, as well as shearing them for their wool. You can determine their general state of health and market value. You know how to train and work with a shepherding dog. Starting Gear: Shepherd dog, sling, bag of stones (20), walking stick (damage as quarterstaff), 2d6 x 10 gold pieces. Squire: You trained to become a knight, but never completed your term of service. You have basic knowledge of horsemanship and courtly etiquette, as well as the proper keeping of arms and armor. Starting Gear: Long blade, a set of fine clothes, 3d6 x 10 gold pieces. Stevedore: You spent years laboring on the shore, loading and unloading cargo, as well as performing manual labor to make ends meet. All that time on the water gave you a keen ear for gossip from foreign parts as well as giving you an opportunity to learn to swim. Starting Gear: Crowbar, two sets of common clothing, 2d6 x 10 gold pieces. Steward: You previously represented a noble lord or lady, speaking with their voice and authority in their absence. You are a keen speaker and skilled at navigating the subtleties and subterfuges of court. Starting Gear: A set of fine clothing, 4d6 x 10 gold pieces. Watchman: You walk the streets of a city or village, often at night, ensuring that law and order are maintained, and more importantly that the lamps stay lit to stave off the darkness. You’ve got a keen eye for trouble and often find it easy to bend the ear of the law-abiding citizens whom you protect. Starting Gear: Club or short blade (choose one), lantern, pint of oil, 2d6 x 10 gold pieces. New Equipment Bag of Training Treats: Typically composed of small pieces of meat soaked in marrow gravy and then dried, they are used to aid in the training of dogs, owls, falcons, eagles, and hawks. Typically sold in small bags of 10 treats. Cost: 1 gp.

Dog Whistle: This small metal whistle that can only be heard by dogs and cats when blown. They hear a shrill noise that carries for a distance of 1200 feet. Cost: 2 gp.

Falconry Training Kit: This elaborate kit includes a perch, bells, anklets, leashes, hoods, jesses, and other basic tools necessary to properly train a hunting bird to follow commands. Cost: 35 gp.

Falconer’s Glove: This thick leather glove runs nearly to the elbow and offers fine protection from the sharp talons and beak of a falcon or other bird. It can even serve as minor protection in combat and if a character is wearing a Falconer’s Glove on a hand not otherwise occupied by a shield or through the use of a two-handed weapon, that character receives a +1 bonus to their Defense. Cost: 15 gp.

For more information on The Hero's Journey, Second Edition or to purchase a copy you can go to DriveThruRPG where the core rules and a line of supplements are available for purchase.