This entry is part 5 in the series Mike's Fantasy Tavern/Inn Generator
Western Saloon

Image of a Western-themed Tavern in Spain by FreeImages.com/Robin Davis

Part one of this series used six tables to define the physical properties of a tavern (no guest accommodations) or inn (with guest accommodations), plus – because the modifiers needed were at hand – the meals provided by the kitchens.

Part two used another six tables to determine everything that directly contributed to the ambience of the establishment, from the personality of the owner through to the decorations on the walls. In this final part of the generator, we’ll deal with the bartender’s family and process the worksheets that bring the whole tavern or inn together, ready for use.

Part three used another five tables and subtables and one worksheet to populate the extended-family-in-residence and establish what entertainments the tavern provides to keep the punters happy. That was supposed to be the final part (aside from a behind-the-curtain techniques discussion to be written down the track), but the examples grew uncontainably large, so the decision was made to separate the worksheets from the final set of rolls.

Part four contained worksheet 16, and provided detailed instructions for use (together with some tips and tricks for getting exactly the result you want from the generator).

Which brings me to this installment, which contains and explains tables 17a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, and 18a, b, c, d, and e. This is everything you need in order to generate the second level of the tavern or inn – which is usually where the owners reside, and where there will be guest accommodations if the tavern is also an inn. This was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle, but the tables grew so large that there isn’t even room in this post for the examples – so they, and tables 19 and 20 – have been offloaded into what will be the final part of this series (not counting a planned behind-the-scenes article sharing the tricks and techniques that were used to create the tables, to be published on some future date).

The tables in this part are generally a LOT smaller than the worksheet in Part 4. I have assumed that you have already read and understood the principles outlined there, because there is more than enough that needs explanation in this article already – there simply isn’t enough room to do much recapitulation.

Worksheets

Tavern Generator (cont): “Tables” 17-18: First Floor Calculations Worksheets

As usual, we pick up the process right where we left off. Note that it is impossible to use this content without having completed the earlier parts of the process.

The basic principles that were used for the Ground Floor are the same for this level, but there are a couple of new wrinkles. The most substantial of these is that there is no indication at this point of how many guest quarters of the indicated relative size there are on the floor. This is determined by the GM generating the tavern by first calculating a range of possible results, then (optionally but recommended) determining a second range and narrowing the options to the overlap. If desired, an indicator of where within the resulting range the correct choice lies can also be determined. Once you know how many guest quarters there are, it’s a simply matter to determine the true size of each, using the procedures demonstrated by Table 16.

Rather than trying to cram everything into one massive worksheet and a couple of accompanying tables, I have focused on making many smaller, simpler worksheets.

Table 17a

The first range of possible numbers of guest rooms is generated by calculating a basis value and multiplying it by 0.5 and 2, respectively, to get the low and high values of the range. Table 17a does all the work for you; it takes the total relative floor space of the ground floor and deducts known quantities like stairwells and the family residence (assuming it is on this level, as is usually the case). It then Divides the total that remains by the relative room size of the guest quarters gives the number of guest rooms that would be available If a relative size of “1” means the same thing on this level as it did on the ground floor.

1Worksheet

Range 1
Instructions Values Results
Total Spaces, Ground Floor =
– Stairwells Down =
– Stairwells Up =
– Family Residence
(if on this level)
=
– Other Spaces on this level =
/ Relative Size, Guest Quarters = (a) =
Range, 1/2 x (a) to 2 x (a)
Tables 17b-17h and 18a-18c overview

The second range is also determined by calculating a basis value and multiplying it by two different numbers to get the low and high values (that step actually occurs in Table 17e, which determines what those “two different numbers” are).

  • The base value is calculated using Table 17b if there is only one residential floor, Table 17c if there are multiple residential floors and the family residence is on one of them, and you are willing to use a cheat that simplifies the problem, or Table 17d if you’re unwilling to use the cheat.
  • Tables 18a through 18c then work out the demand for meals by passing traffic, based on price, on a 0-12 scale. Worksheet 18d then adjusts this value for a range of other considerations.
  • Table 17e determines a range of possible room numbers from the base value determined in tables 17b, 17c, and/or 17d, based on the results from Worksheet 18d.
  • Tables 17f through 17h combine the results from table 17a and Table 17e before arriving at a number of guest rooms that best fits everything known about the Tavern (comparing this result to the outcomes of tables 17a and 17b/c/d can provide valuable descriptive context).
Table 17b

Table 17b works by totaling the number of patrons who can be seated in the table area and dividing that by the number of patrons who can stay in a single room. The complications arise because this also has to include any guests accommodated on higher floors, which will usually NOT be the same as that on the first floor, because there is no “Family Residence” taking up space on the other levels. Obviously, if there are no other residential levels, this is not a problem. When you’ve finished, go to Table 18a (recognizable by the green colors).

1Worksheet

Range 2 (2-story only)
Instructions Values Results
# Seats at a table
x # Tables x =
/ Average # Guests per room / =
/ # Residential Floors = base # of rooms / =
Table 17c

Table 17c shows how to employ a cheat to can correct for the complication if you have to: designating areas on those other levels as “suites” that are the same size as the family residence and can hence accommodate a different number of guests to the ordinary room. This trick effectively makes all the floors of the tavern the same in guest capacity, and therefore in the number of guest rooms. It works by deducting the number of guests who can be housed in suites (the same as the number of adults residing the family quarters, plus the number of children over 10 or 12) from the total patrons who can be seated in the tabled area, then dividing the remainder by the average number of occupants per room, and dividing thatresult by the number of guest-room accommodation levels. When you’ve finished, go to 18a (recognizable by the green colors) – unless you are unhappy with the result and want to try it without the cheat (Table 17d) and disregard this result, of course.

1Worksheet

Range 2 (multistory cheat)
Instructions Values Results
# Seats at a table
x # Tables = (c) x =
Adults residing in family qtrs
+ Children over age limit x =
x # Residential Floors* = (d) x =
(c) – (d) =
/ Average # Guests per room / =
/ # Residential Floors = base # of rooms / =

* -1 if family residence is on one of those residential floors

Table 17d

If you don’t want to use this cheat and do it properly, you can; it’s just a little more complicated. The ratio of size of the family quarters divided by the average room size gives an estimate of the total number of additional rooms on levels that don’t have to accommodate that family residence. This HAS to be a whole number. Multiplying that by the number of such floors gives the total number of extra rooms that have to be allowed for. Next, we work backwards from the number who can be seated, dividing that by the average number of guests per room. Subtracting from that the number of extra rooms on all floors and then dividing by the number of residential floors gives what is – in theory – the total number of guest rooms on the level with the Family Residence, which is what we’re after.

1Worksheet

Range 2 (no cheat)
Instructions Values Results
Family Qtrs Relative Size
/ Average Size Guest Qtrs = / =
Round to whole number
x (# Residential Floors – 1) = (e) x =
# Seats at a table
x # Tables = x =
/ Average # Guests per room / =
– (e) =
/ # Residential Floors = base # of rooms x =
Table 18a and 18b, Worksheets 18c and 18d, and Worksheet 17e

Ahh, if only it were that simple. If the tavern brings no outside traffic to occupy table space, then anything from three-quarters to double the number of rooms indicated is possible. Every seat at the tables that is potentially occupied by someone in off the streets for a meal reduces the capacity for guests.

Tables 18a and 18b provide values used in Worksheet 18c to derive an estimated demand for meals from outside traffic, on a scale from 0-12. These calculations ignore potential competitors, the capability of producing that many meals, space at tables, etc.

This is then adjusted in Table 17e along for various other parameters to estimate the reduction in guest capacity that it indicates, ending by deriving a range of values for the number of rooms on the first residential level, which is then applied to the result from tables 17b, c, or d to determine the second estimated number of guest rooms, taking into account the many factors that affect the demand for meals for guests.

The end result is a second range of possible numbers of rooms on the first level, to go with the first range derived in table 17a. In theory, these two ranges should overlap; somewhere in that overlap is the right number; but there are far too many variables involved at this point to actually be sure that this will be the case.

Originally, I intended to make the 18-series of tables and worksheets part of the 17-series – so 17e, f, g and h – but realized part-way through the design process that (1) they were sufficiently different from the tables surrounding them to merit differentiation, since they started with completely new facts about the taverns that had not previously been established, and (2) that treating them differently meant that I could use the color to guide users of the generator. That then left the question of what are now 17e, f, g, and h, and were previously 17i, j, k, and l – should they become a 19-series, or should the 18-group simply interrupt the 17’s? Because the process from 17b all the way through to 17e (including the 18’s) is all aimed at achieving a single result, I decided that the latter was the way to go. And that’s why the 18’s interrupt the 17’s. If you are looking for Table 17e, it follows worksheet 18d.

Table 18a

Table 18a determines a meal demand factor based on the price being charged per serving (which represents both quality and serving size) and the local economy, indexed on a scale of 0-6.

The local economy index value is up to the GM. I suggest starting by indexing the wealth of the town or city on a 1-5 scale, then adjusting that up or down one or even two according to the prosperity of this part of town. “0” represents both the poorest quarter of a poor community, and a completely rural location; either way, demand for meals doesn’t come from the locals, it depends exclusively on passing traffic, which is dealt with in table 18b.

No Dice Used

Meal Demand (f) by Local Economic Index and Meal Price
Meal Price Local Economy Index
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 sp 0.1 1 1.5 1.2 1 0.5 0 0
2 sp 0.1 1.9 1.8 1.4 1.1 0.5 0.5 0
3 sp 0.1 1.7 2 1.6 1.2 1.2 0.7 0.1
4 sp 0.1 1.5 1.9 1.8 1.4 1.4 1.2 0.2
5 sp 0.1 1.3 1.7 2 1.6 1.5 1 0.5
6 sp 0 1.2 1.5 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.3 1
7 sp 0 1.1 1.4 1.8 2 1.7 1.5 1.3
8 sp 0 1 1.3 1.6 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.5
9 sp 0 0.7 1.2 1.5 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.6
1 gp 0 0.5 1 1.4 1.6 2 2 1.7
2 gp 0 0.2 0.7 1.2 1.4 1.8 1.9 2
3 gp 0 0.1 0.4 1.1 1.3 1.6 1.8 2
5 gp 0 0 0.2 0.6 1 1.4 1.7 2
7 gp 0 0 0 0.3 0.7 1.2 1.4 1.8
10 gp 0 0 0 0 0.1 1 1.2 1.5
Table 18b

Table 18a determines a meal demand factor based on the price being charged per serving (which represents both quality and serving size) and a “passing traffic” index:

  • One minor thoroughfare = 1
  • Two minor thoroughfares intersecting = 2
  • Two minor thoroughfares plus other* = 3
  • One major thoroughfare = 2
  • One major thoroughfare plus other* =3
  • Two major thoroughfares intersecting = 4
  • Two major thoroughfares intersecting plus other* = 5
  • Three or more major thoroughfares intersecting = 6
  • Three major thoroughfares intersecting plus other* = 6

* “other” could be another minor thoroughfare, a reason to stop in this location, a market square, etc.

No Dice Used

Meal Demand (g) by Traffic Index and Meal Price
Meal Price “Passing Traffic” Index
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 sp 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.2
2 sp 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.3
3 sp 1.8 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.3
4 sp 1.9 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.3
5 sp 2 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.3
6 sp 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.4
7 sp 1.8 2 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.5
8 sp 1.4 1.9 1.9 2 1.9 1.6
9 sp 1.2 1.8 2 2 2 1.7
1 gp 1.1 1.7 1.9 2 2 1.9
2 gp 1.1 1.3 1.7 1.7 2 2
3 gp 1.1 1.1 1.3 1.5 1.7 2
5 gp 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.3 1.4 2
7 gp 1 1 1 1.1 1.2 1.7
10 gp 1 1 1 1.1 1.1 1.3
Worksheet 18c

This worksheet combines the values determined on the preceding tables to generate an overall demand score.

1Worksheet

Overall Meal Demand
Instructions Values Results
Meal Demand, Local (f)
+ Meal Demand, Passing (g) + =
x Meal Demand, Passing (g) x = (h)
Meal Demand, Local (f) x 2 =
+ (h) = Overall Demand
x % market share (/100) = Demand x =

Worksheet notes:
Any Overall Demand >7 will probably result in a competitor arriving to steal market share. Any Overall Demand >10 will normally indicate at least one and probably more than one competitors, and probably established competitors at that. Overall Demand of 12 will normally indicate at least two established competitors. Set the Market Share of this establishment accordingly.

Worksheet 18d

While this result is probably interesting in an intellectual way as a purely abstract indication of the demand for the services that the Kitchens provide, there has to be more to the story. For a start, there’s the ability to actually satisfy that demand; no matter what the theoretical demand is, if you can’t meet it, the unsatisfied customers will go elsewhere and your market share will fall from that theoretical figure.

Are the cooking facilities adequate for the demands they are expected to meet? Lavish facilities may slightly enhance the products, but that’s a very minor factor compared to even a modest improvement in cooking skill. The converse is definitely not true: every compromise on the capacity and capability of the facilities has a direct and substantial impact on the quality of the food produced, and there’s relatively little that even a skilled cook can do to compensate. It takes more than a small improvement in skill to make up for a small compromise in facilities. As a rule of thumb, small facilities are adequate for a small (ie, low) demand, say 1-3; medium facilities are adequate for a moderate demand, roughly 4-6; and large facilities are adequate for high demand, the 7-9 range. As stated earlier, any demand of 10 or more tends to divide that demand amongst two or more establishments; so if demand grows over time, as you would expect, it goes from 9 to 5, 6, or 7 – with one or more new rivals picking up the 5, 4, or 3 respectively of the rest of the market. But there are a great many variables – position, reputation, exclusivity, established clientèle – that can affect that; the only certainty is that if demand ever hits levels of 10-12, they won’t stay there for very long, one way or another!

Price and quality also have a further impact; Tables 18a and 18b assume that prices are fair, given the quality and the quantity of a serving. They further assume that competition will keep prices fair, and they make no allowances for taxes above what we would consider relatively normal, ie a flat 10-20%, or a 25-35% margin with a tax-free threshold of roughly 15% of the average wage. You don’t need an economics or history degree to realize how improbable this is (which is a good thing, as I have neither). Price wars, price gouging, reputation, cooking skill, demand, captive markets, corruption, greed, taxes – they all impact the price that is charged, and the product that you get for that price.

And we’re still not finished. It can be argued that if the rooms are overpriced, the meals probably will be too – but it can just as easily be argued that the rooms are overpriced to subsidize the costs of the meals, bringing the real price charged down, so as to capture greater market share and, ultimately, a greater net profit. Properly assessing this requires just about every fact that’s been determined about the Inn or Tavern to date – everything from the repertoire of the bar to the size of the table area relative to everything else to the size of the table area relative to the kitchens to the personality of the barman, it all feeds into this question of price and whether or not that price is seen as fair.

Finally, there is the “x factor” – some places are simply popular for some reason, others are not. This factor takes into account anything, from the popularity of the ambiance through to the attractiveness of the barman’s daughter, that isn’t otherwise explicitly defined.

So there are a lot of factors that the theoretical figure for demand that has just been calculated doesn’t take into account; it needs quite a bit of adjustment to allow for all these “real-world” factors. That’s the function of this worksheet – to adjust that theoretical demand and then use the resulting figure to infer the implications for the residential capacity of the establishment.

I thought very carefully about how much adjustment there should be for each factor, and how that should be applied, and came to the conclusion that there is no right way or wrong way. So I’ve taken the simplest possible approach:

  • Demand is greatly reduced: x0.77, round down
  • Demand is somewhat reduced: x0.87, round down
  • Demand is slightly reduced: x0.95, round down
  • Demand is generally unchanged: x1
  • Demand is slightly increased: x1.05, round up
  • Demand is somewhat increased: x1.15, round up
  • Demand is greatly increased: x1.3, round up

These modifiers are enough to turn a 1 into a 12 (if absolutely everything is in the establishment’s favor) or a 12 into 0.88 – which would round down to zero – when all ten adjustments are taken into consideration. (They can also turn a 12 into a 165, but that’s rather improbable!)

1Worksheet

Food Demand Adjustments, see above for discussion
Instructions Values Results
Base Demand from Worksheet 18c
Adjustment factor for Cooking Facility Capacity x =
x Adjustment factor for Kitchen (Food Preparation) Capacity x =
x Adjustment factor for Actual prices vs fair price x =
x Adjustment factor for quantity of servings vs fair servings for the quality and price x =
x Adjustment factor for exceptionally low or high overhead and staff costs x =
x Adjustment factor for competition/price wars (if any) (or lack of same) x =
x Adjustment factor for Owner’s generosity/greed x =
x Adjustment factor for Exclusive deals, captive markets, and targeted clientèle x =
x Adjustment factor for impact of guest accommodation prices x =
x Adjustment factor for X-factors = adjusted demand x =
Table 17e

If the tables and kitchens are being used to feed passing traffic and local inhabitants, they aren’t being used to feed guests. Conversely, the less demand there is from outside, the more of the kitchen’s focus will be on those staying in any guest accommodations. Table 17e uses the corrected demand levels to determine the range of possible numbers of guest rooms after converting them into “room occupancy” scale.

Note that there is a considerable fudge factor built in. Ultimately, this part of the process is all about estimating the kitchen capacity that is dedicated to feeding guests and from that, the number of rooms available for guests – but is the basis of that capacity the normal level of occupancy, the maximum level of occupancy, the minimum expected level of occupancy, or something somewhere in between?

I could have had users of the system make this determination directly, but without any foundation, the results would have amounted to “your guess is as good as mine”. I’ve tried to put a bit more rigor into the process than that throughout, why throw all that away now?

1Worksheet

Range of guest room numbers inferred from kitchens & meals
Instructions Values Results
Adjusted Demand
x # Seats per table x =
x # Tables x =
/ Average # Guests per room / =
/ # Residential Floors = (i) / =
85 – (i) = low (%) 85- =
x Base # Rooms, round down = range low x (/100)=
(i) x 5 (scaling factor) x 5 =
/ 2 (scaling factor) = (j) / 2 =
200 – (j) 200- =
x Base # Rooms, round up = range high x (/100)=
write Range Low – Range High  
Table 17f

In theory, the ranges determined by method 1 (worksheet 17a) and that determined by method 2 (worksheet 17b) should overlap, indicating where the correct value lies. If they do, simply write the overlap in the last space on this worksheet and move on.

There are far too many variables for me to have any confidence that there will, in fact, be an overlap. Table 17f adjusts the two ranges until there IS one. Use it if you have to, for as long as you have to, though in even the most extreme testing, only two iterations were needed. It adjusts range 1 to the averages of the two ranges extreme points and adjusts range 2 to a geometric combination of the extreme points. You will need a square root function, available on most calculators. Just in case, I’ve provided space for three iterations.

For the record, I tested the system using 5-10 for range 1 (almost certainly low) and 1000-5000 for range 2 (clearly ridiculously high). It still produced an overlap of 282-377 on the second iteration. I therefore have no doubt that if more reasonable values are entered, the results will be produced just as quickly, if not sooner.

1Worksheet

Range Adjustment calculations
Instructions Values Results
Low, Range 1
+ Low, Range 2 + =
/ 2, round down = new low, Range 1 / 2 =
High, Range 1
+ High, Range 2 + =
/ 2, round up = new high, Range 1 / 2 =
Low, Range 1
x Low, Range 2 x =
square root, round down = new low, Range 2 / 2 =
High, Range 1
x High, Range 2 x =
square root, round up = new high, Range 2 / 2 =
New Range 1 Low – High  
New Range 2 Low – High  
If there is an overlap, write the range of overlap in the space below. If not, repeat the process using the new values for ranges 1 and 2 recorded above.
 
 

1Worksheet

Range Adjustment calculations
Instructions Values Results
Low, Range 1
+ Low, Range 2 + =
/ 2, round down = new low, Range 1 / 2 =
High, Range 1
+ High, Range 2 + =
/ 2, round up = new high, Range 1 / 2 =
Low, Range 1
x Low, Range 2 x =
square root, round down = new low, Range 2 / 2 =
High, Range 1
x High, Range 2 x =
square root, round up = new high, Range 2 / 2 =
New Range 1 Low – High  
New Range 2 Low – High  
If there is an overlap, write the range of overlap in the space below. If not, repeat the process using the new values for ranges 1 and 2 recorded above.
 
 

1Worksheet

Range Adjustment calculations
Instructions Values Results
Low, Range 1
+ Low, Range 2 + =
/ 2, round down = new low, Range 1 / 2 =
High, Range 1
+ High, Range 2 + =
/ 2, round up = new high, Range 1 / 2 =
Low, Range 1
x Low, Range 2 x =
square root, round down = new low, Range 2 / 2 =
High, Range 1
x High, Range 2 x =
square root, round up = new high, Range 2 / 2 =
New Range 1 Low – High  
New Range 2 Low – High  
If there is an overlap, write the range of overlap in the space below. If not, repeat the process using the new values for ranges 1 and 2 recorded above.
 
 

Because I expect the examples to kick out reasonable results, and might possibly even produce overlaps in every case, I thought it worth doing a specific example of this process. I will take, as my starting point, a range 1 of 30-60 and range 2 of 10-25.

  • Low, Range 1 = 30.
  • Low, Range 2 = 10. 30 + 10 = 40.
  • / 2 = 20. New Low, Range 1, is 20.
  • High, Range 1 = 60.
  • High, Range 2 = 25. 60 + 25 = 85.
  • / 2, round up, = 43. New High, Range 1, is 43.
  • Low, Range 1 = 30.
  • Low, Range 2 = 10. 30 x 10 = 300.
  • square root, round down, = 17. New Low, Range 2, is 17.
  • High, Range 1 = 60.
  • High, Range 2 = 25. 60 x 25 = 1500.
  • square root, round up, = 39. New High, Range 2, is 39.
  • New Range 1 is 20-43.
  • New Range 2 is 17-39.
  • We have an overlap: 20-39. No second iteration needed.
Worksheet 17g

Once you have a narrowed range, you are honing in on the correct value for the number of rooms. Table 17g tells you roughly where in that range the right value should be. It takes the real area that a relative size of “1” represents on the ground floor, and (after conversion) compares that to the descriptions of the room size. Along the way, there are many variable factors that get taken into account (most of which have already been determined in the course of worksheet 18c). Remember that each room also allows space for the corridor that leads to it!

All considerations that are taken into account on this worksheet are represented as %-plus-or-minus adjustments; these are added together to determine the final net adjustment to the calculated size of the guest quarters.

Adjustments are made according to three different scales. Two factors are given greater individual weight than the others; these are the “Local Economic Index” (Secondary weight) and the “Passing Traffic Index” (Primary Weight). These were also used in tables 18a and 18b respectively to assess the demand for meal services within the tavern. In assessing the Local Economic Index, there are multiple effects that affect the reasonable guest density, many of them contradictory. The intensity of these effects vary with room size, and economic basis. So look up the modifier that applies to this Inn on table 18e, below.

There are 10 other factors that also taken into account. The other modifiers are more straightforward to assess and are handled by two lists that follow Table 18e, followed by specific instructions and then by the worksheet itself.

The net effect of these adjustments can reduce the number of people it is reasonable to accommodate in a room of the theoretical size to 40% of the base value or increase it to 250% of the base value, or anything in between.

After allowing for these various factors, the worksheet ultimately results in a simple comparison: Taking all these things into account, does the room’s area seem too small or too large to match the descriptive elements?

  • If it’s too small, the absolute value of a relative room size of “1” needs to increase, which is done by choosing a number of rooms in the lower half of the indicated range.
  • If the area seems too large, then the absolute size of “1” needs to shrink, which is done by choosing a number of rooms in the upper half of the indicated range.
  • Closer examination of the degree of difference between the numbers being compared shows you whether or not the value will be close to the middle (but to one side or the other), close to an extreme, or somewhere in between (and roughly how far towards the extreme).
Table 18e: Modifier from Local Economic Index:

No Dice Used

Modifier for Local Economic Index by Room Factors
Rates are Charged Room Size Local Economic Index
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
per week large +16 +10 +6 +2 -1 -2 -4 -4
medium +16 +8 +4 +2 -2 -4 -8 -8
per night large +16 +16 +8 +4 +2 -1 -2 -2
medium +16 +8 +4 +2 +0 -2 -4 -4
small +8 +4 +2 -1 -1 -2 -2 -4
tiny +6 +4 +4 +2 +1 -1 -3 -6
per hour medium +16 +16 +8 +4 +1 -1 -2 -2
small +4 +2 -1 -2 +1 -1 -2 -3
tiny +6 +3 +2 +1 +0 +1 +2 +4
Modifier from “Passing Traffic” Index for Worksheet 17g
  • Passing Traffic rating 1: Use modifier= -12
  • Passing Traffic rating 2: Use modifier= -6
  • Passing Traffic rating 3: Use modifier= -3
  • Passing Traffic rating 4: Use modifier= +6
  • Passing Traffic rating 5: Use modifier= +12
  • Passing Traffic rating 6: Use modifier= +24
Other Modifiers for Worksheet 17g:

All other factors use the following adjustment scale:

  • Reasonable Guest Density is greatly reduced: Use modifier -4
  • Reasonable Guest Density is somewhat reduced: Use modifier -2
  • Reasonable Guest Density is slightly reduced: Use modifier -1
  • Reasonable Guest Density is generally unchanged: Use modifier +0
  • Reasonable Guest Density is slightly increased: Use modifier +3
  • Reasonable Guest Density is somewhat increased: Use modifier +7
  • Reasonable Guest Density is greatly increased: Use modifier +11
Worksheet 17g Notes & Instructions
  • Ground Floor Conversion Factor: This is the value that converts a relative room size to an actual area from worksheet 16.
  • x Relative Size, Guest Accommodations: This is the relative size of the guest rooms.
  • Set Reasonable # of guests in a room of this size: What do you think is a reasonable number of guests to physically accommodate in a space this size? Not a number that gives each person lots of space and not a number that packs guests in like sardines, but a reasonable number?
  • Adjustment for “Quality of Accommodation” Description: The better the quality of the accommodation, the more space per person – so better quality is a negative adjustment.
  • Adjustment for Room Size Description: Is the room area calculated on the second line of this worksheet an appropriate size for the description of the room (tiny, small, etc)? Or perhaps, that question should be asked the other way around – is the description reasonable for a room of this size? If the description indicates more space per person in order to be reasonable, there is is a negative modifier to guest density; if the description indicates less space per person, there is a positive modifier to guest density.
  • Adjustment for Under-/Over Priced Description: If a room is under-priced, it suggests that there is less crowding than you might otherwise expect, a negative adjustment to reasonable guest density. If the room is overpriced, it suggests that there is more crowding than you might expect from the price, a positive adjustment. Once that is known, you have to decide how big a factor crowding is – if there are lots of other reasons for the price difference relative to what you might expect, then crowding is less important, and the modifier will move in the direction of zero. If these other factors are even more significant, it might be that they are more than overcoming the effects of a lack of crowding within rooms, moving this modifier beyond the zero point and onto the other side of the scale. Only if crowding (or the lack of it) is the ONLY factor in determining that the price charged is more or less than a reasonable price should the most extreme adjustments (greatly reduced or greatly increased) be used.
  • Adjustment for Local Economy (NB uses different scale): This is the value from table 18e, above.
  • Adjustment for Passing Traffic (NB uses different scale): This is the value from the first list, above.
  • Adjustment for Actual Price (vs Fair Price): The price indicated during tavern generation is a reasonably “fair price” given all else is equal. The indication of over-pricing or under-pricing indicates a justifiable inequality in pricing – a price that is higher than might be expected for a room of that size alone for some valid reason, or lower for some valid reason. It says nothing about how much the owner is actually charging for his accommodation – so that’s what you have to decide here. If the price being charged is higher than it “should (justifiably) be”, it indicates an increase in the number of people crammed into the space (a positive modifier), if the price is lower than it “should (justifiably) be” then it indicates that people get better rooms than they might have expected from the price – and one of the reasons for that is they have more space per bed, or bigger beds, or otherwise have a reduction in guest density, a negative modifier.
  • Adjustment for Exceptionally high or low overhead costs: If the owner has exceptionally high overhead costs – hidden costs or high tax rates or whatever – then he has to cram more people into a given space to spread that load as much as possible. So that’s a positive modifier. If, on the other hand, he has a large family and therefore doesn’t have to pay many outsiders, or for some other reason has lower-then-normal overheads, then he doesn’t even need to pack them in at the normal rate to cover that overhead – which could indicate a negative modifier, but probably doesn’t, because that would eat into profits. Instead, it would normally indicate minimal effect. The GM should take into account the local economic index and passing traffic index; a strong local economy and lots of passing traffic will increase overheads, while being in a depressed area and not having much passing traffic will reduce overheads; only when this combination is a valid description of the circumstances is a negative modifier greater than -1 justified, regardless of how low the overheads are. So this is usually a positive modifier.
  • Adjustment for Competition/Price War (if any) or Lack of Same: Take a look at the market share adjustment at the end of worksheet 18c. If this is low, the Inn needs a competitive edge and that is a major negative modifier on the number of people in a given area of the inn’s guest accommodations. If it’s closer to 50-60%, this will be a relatively minor effect. Anything more than 60% indicates a positive modifier, from small at 60% to large at 100% (indicating that the inn has no competition). That means that this modifier is more likely to be a negative modifier than a positive one. The distance to the competition should also be taken into account – a strong competitor more than an hour away is probably no more important than a weak one that’s right next door.
  • Adjustment for Exclusive Deals and Captive Markets: Inns have always loved exclusive deals with regular travelers who can pay. In modern times, that tends to be corporations; in a medieval milieu, it’s probably a deal with the local nobility to house messengers, troops, civil servants, etc, or a deal with the local Church to house visiting Priests, etc. But it might also be something that results from doing a deal with the local Thief’s Guild (“All your traveling fences stay here when they are in town and you can use the cellar for your Guild Headquarters for free”). A captive market means that the Inn has set itself up to cater for a specific segment of the population who will thus stay there in preference to any nearby rivals. Both of these effectively subsidize the cost of the accommodation by justifying higher prices, and that in turn reduces the need to pack customers from the rafters, and so result a negative modifier. NOT having such an advantage exacerbates the problems from competition, especially if they have such deals – so take your cue from the previous adjustment.
  • Adjustment for Kitchen/Bar Subsidies: If the pattern indicated by the Kitchens profile (the results of worksheets 18d and 17e) suggest that the Kitchen or Bar are being subsidized by income from guest accommodation, that indicates that there are going to be more guests in a room of given size (because that reduces overhead costs), but this is balanced by there being more rooms, and therefore a smaller guest presence in each room – so this is a minor modifier. If, on the other hand, the pattern suggests that the room rates are being subsidized by high meal demand, that indicates there are fewer guests in a room of given size, so that’s a negative modifier. This requires the GM to decide, in other words, the relative earning power of the different parts of the establishment; it’s a truism that the most profitable parts will usually subsidize the less profitable parts so that the unprofitability isn’t reflected in higher prices which would drive demand still lower, making the problem worse.
  • Adjustment for Generosity/Greed of owner: Greed indicates a positive modifier (cramming more people into the space); Generosity indicates a negative modifier.
  • Adjustment factor for X-factors Does the inn have something that makes it “cool”, or the flavor of the month? Is it notorious for guests being robbed? What else can you think of? And, the $64,000 question: do these indicate that the number of people for a given area of accommodation should be higher or lower? Most X-factors will have little or no effect, but there’s always the possibility that something will.
  • = Net Adjustment: Adding up all these adjustments on their own would give a plus-or-minus total percentage adjustment. However, I’m keeping things simple (some people have trouble with negative numbers) and adjusting the base 100% as I go. So this should be read as “N % of Base”. The following steps actually apply the adjustment to the base in precisely this way.
  • Average number of guests per room: This is from the guest room description generated using Table 10.
  • More Rooms or Fewer Rooms?: If the result after the modifications are taken into account is higher than the actual number of people indicated for a guest room within the inn, it means that the room if converted using the ground floor standard is larger than it should be – and that means “More” rooms are needed, so write “More” or (in extreme cases, “Much More” in this space. If the result is lower than the actual number of people indicated, it means that the room if converted using the ground floor standard is too small, and that means that “Less” or “Much Less” rooms are needed – so write that in this space. If the two are reasonably close, write “OK” and either “plus” or “minus” in the space – the plus indicating a small “more”, the minus indicating a small “less”.
  • Range of possible room counts (from Table 17f): Simply copy the overlap range from worksheet 17f.
  • Choose Number Of Guest Rooms (within range): This is the whole point of the exercise!
    • Much More indicates the number of rooms to be in the top 1/6th of the range.
    • More indicates the number of rooms to be somewhere around 3/4 of the way through the range.
    • OK+ indicates the number of rooms to be a little higher than the mid-point of the range.
    • OK- indicates the number of rooms to be a little lower than the mid-point of the range.
    • Less indicates the number of rooms to be somewhere around 1/4 of the way through the range.
    • Much Less indicates the number of rooms to be in the lowest 1/6th of the range.
Worksheet 17g

1Worksheet

Reasonable Guest Density, see above for discussion
Instructions Values Results
Ground Floor Conversion Factor
x Relative Size, Guest Accommodations x =
Set Reasonable # of guests in a room of this size: =
Base 100% 100
+ Adjustment for “Quality of Accommodation” Description + =
+ Adjustment for Room Size Description + =
+ Adjustment for Under-/Over Priced Description + =
+ Adjustment for Local Economy (NB uses different scale) + =
+ Adjustment for Passing Traffic (NB uses different scale) + =
+ Adjustment for Actual Price (vs Fair Price) + =
+ Adjustment for Exceptionally high or low overhead costs + =
+ Adjustment for Competition/Price War (if any) or Lack of Same + =
+ Adjustment for Exclusive Deals and Captive Markets + =
+ Adjustment for Kitchen/Bar Subsidies + =
+ Adjustment for Generosity/Greed of owner + =
+ Adjustment factor for X-factors = Net Adjustment + =
Average number of guests per room: =
More Rooms or Fewer Rooms? =
Range of possible room counts (from Table 17f): =
Choose Number Of Guest Rooms (within range): =
Worksheet 17h

We’ve jut about finished defining the first residential level (which is defined as the one with the family residence – assuming there is one on any residential level, regardless of which actual story of the structure it may be located on). The number of guest quarters is both the most important fact and last major decision that had to be made (that importance is the reason so much effort has been put into it). Worksheet 17h takes the various design elements of this level of the inn or tavern and applies the principles in the same way as was done for the ground floor to convert relative spaces into actual areas and then adjust for convenience.

1Worksheet

Instructions         Working         Calculated Areas
[Relative Size x (l)]
Area Adjustments Final Areas
# Guest Rooms on this level
x Relative Size x =
+ Family Acommodations (if any on this level) + =
+ Stairwells Up =
+ Stairwells Down =
+ Storage Areas =
+ Other Spaces (if any)= Total Relative Spaces, this level (k) =
Total Footprint, Ground Level
Footprint, This level
/ (k) = 1st level conversion factor (l) =
Other totals

A solid foundation: Prologue to part 6:

In the concluding post of this series (at least for now), part 6 will provide the worksheets for constructing other residential levels (now that the hard work is all done) and bring the examples to a complete finish (including demonstrations of using all of the above). Whew! There’s light at the end of the tunnel… now, what’s that rumbling sound…?



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