Services

There are a number of jobs that NPCs can take to help support player characters. These jobs can help the player characters understand where their hard-got gains are being spent. They can also be sources of information outside the typical tavern setting.

Service Explanations

City Rooms: City rooms are just the rooms for sleeping and staying in, similar to a hotel. Common amenities include having the room cleaned at least 3 times a week. In larger city settings rooms may have to be shared with 4 other PCs and/or NPCs. Poor amenities mean the rooms cleaned once a week if even then, and there is always a good chance that there will be bedbugs or other creepy crawlies in the beds. The beds must also be shared with 8 to 12 other PCs and/or NPCs.
Grain and stabling for a horse is usually done at a Livery or Stable. A livery is an independent storefront that offers housing for horses, including farrier service and tack. The farrier will feed and care for the horses as part of the housing service. A stable is a barn for housing horses associated with an inn or rooming house. The owners of the horses are responsible for feeding their animals; the inn will charge to replenish the grain and hay eaten by the horses.
Inn lodging: Inn lodging includes a room and a day’s meals. A private room includes having the room cleaned on a daily basis and good-quality meals, and not having to share the room or bed with anyone else. Common lodgings include sharing a room with another person, with common meals provided. The rooms are cleaned about 3 times a week. Poor lodgings will include lackluster meals and having to share the room and the bed with 3 others. The room is cleaned about once a week.
Latrine: Having a separate room or shed for a latrine available. For common and poor accommodations a character would have to share with the other PCs and/or NPCs staying in that room.
Meals: an approximate cost for a day's prepared food.
Bath includes tub and hot water. Soaps, oils, or other ‘amenities’ are extra.
Clerk: Person trained to read and write Common and one or more languages for close races or nations. They can copy, write, or translate letters.
Guide: Person that knows all the hot- and low-spots of the city and most of the dealings that are going on between different criminal organizations.
Lantern or Torchbearer: Similar to a guide but will hold the lantern or torch so a character can see where they are going.
Hirelings: Untrained hirelings are those working jobs requiring no or limited skill: laborers, porters, common cooks and servants. A high-quality servant, akin to a valet or butler, would fall under Trained Hireling. Note that these are minimum-wage jobs.
Messenger: A Messenger (usually associated with a Clerk) will deliver a letter or other document that can easily be transported in a saddle bag.
Minstrel: A minstrel’s performance will usually last an hour. During the performance the minstrel will sing several popular songs and may tell a few jokes.
Mourner: A person paid to attend a funeral; may also be a pall bearer if there are not enough people at the funeral (add another 1 sp in this case).
Road or gate toll; A per-person toll; wagons will cost extra. Usually paid upon entry into a city or town.
Coach cab: Overland passenger + light cargo rates. For travel within most cities, 1 cp per person will get you a coach ride to your destination.

At the Tavern

Poor: Dark or rough bread, butter or hard cheese, porridge, broth soups or simple stew, “Chef's specials”.
Common: Good bread & cheese, hearty stew, roast fowl or small game, cured meats, fruits and vegetables in season.
Merchant's (Good): Roast meats, cheeses, light breads, fruits and vegetables, soups, more ‘prepared’ dishes; preserved fruits offered as well.
Rich: A few courses of different foods like those listed in the Merchant listing above, of exceptional quality.
Banquets: Includes multiple courses and a variety of offerings; price includes personnel for service, but does not cover entertainment.
Drinks

Alcoholic drinks are not necessarily consumed to get drunk in the medieval worlds as usually portrayed. Water sources were not always as clean and pure as one might wish; beverages containing alcohol were much safer to consume.
Beers and Ales: Brewed or fermented from grains that use yeast to make the alcohol content. These are generally not as potent as spirits and are usually produced at monasteries.
Small Beer: A low-alcohol beer. This lightly-fermented brew is almost a liquid snack, and keeps clean better than water. Suitable for adventuring, though it may turn ‘dank’ if left in a wineskin for too long.
Cider: Fermented fruit juices, generally non-citrus juices like apple, pear, and peach and many different berries. Citruses like orange, lime, and lemon have acids that kill the yeast used to ferment the juice.
Wine: Fermented grape juices; the type of grapes determine the color and flavor of the wine. Monasteries produce the best wines.
Mead: Honey diluted with water or apple juice, fermented with wine yeast. A potent drink popular in northern climates.
Spirits: Fermented alcohols that are boiled again to remove the water and increase the alcohol content. The type of spirit is dependent on the grain, grape, fruit, or berry used as a base. These are generally made by a local farmer. Quality depends on the experience of the person making the spirit and the quality of the crop. Spirits are generally mixed or ‘cut’ with water to make the bottle last longer. Rotgut is a poorly-fermented drink mixed with more water than alcohol. Common spirits are half water and half alcohol and have an acceptable taste. Quality spirits are cut with 25% water and have a very good taste. Exceptional spirits are not cut and usually are not mixed with any other liquids.
Common drinks are the cheapest, passable-quality offering.
Quality drinks are among the best local brews or vintages. These will be pleasing to more refined tastes
Exceptional drinks are the best available, including rare brews, good vintages, or imports such as Elvish Wines and Dwarven Spirits. Prices given are minimum.