Tavern

xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼

v50.14 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

Fortress mode

A Tavern is a designated location in Fortress mode. You may designate them from any meeting area or dining room. Upon creation, the new tavern will be given a random name, but you can rename it by pressing n in the locations screen.

Taverns are places where your fortress's idle dwarves can mingle with visitors from nearby civilizations. These visitors can be members of any nearby humanoid race, and will come with one of five occupations: performer, mercenary, bandit, monster slayer, or diplomat. Once a character is in the tavern, it can do the following:

• Socialize - So long as there are at least two characters in the tavern, they may socialize. This can involve telling each other stories, reciting poetry, or sharing music. Its only requirement is that you include a moderate amount of empty space in the tavern's floor plan, which the game recognizes as a "dance floor." Stocking the tavern with a variety of instruments will improve the quality of the music, as performers will simply improvise the sound of any missing instruments. Selecting a socializing creature with v and then pressing Enter will allow you to see the details of the story, song, or poem being performed, though this only works for fortress dwarves and long-term residents.
• Eat/Drink - If you've built thrones and tables in your Tavern, and have food and drink stockpiles within its boundaries, then tavern goers will eat and drink while here. You should also include containers full of mugs and goblets in your tavern, as drinkers receive bad thoughts when drinking without one.
• Rent Rooms - If you build a bedroom and assign it to the tavern (select the bedroom with q, then press l to bring up a list of locations to assign it to), it will now be known as a "rented room" and become available for rent by long-term mercenary and performer visitors whose petitions you've accepted. These visitors don't actually pay you anything for use of the room, but will offer their services in exchange for room and board, essentially joining your fort but refusing to accept labors. Mercenaries can be assigned to serve in any military squad, but not as a leader, while performers simply socialize with tavern goers.

Because taverns serve all the same purposes as dining halls (and then some), there is no reason why you can't have them be one and the same. Lavishly decorating your tavern and filling it with such mood-enhancing items as mist generators will greatly boost your fort's happiness, as every dwarf will eventually need to visit the place to eat and drink. You can further improve it by assigning dwarves to the occupations associated with taverns: performers and tavern keepers. Performers simply socialize with anyone who is idle in the tavern, while tavern keepers provide drinks in mugs to tavern-goers. Bear in mind that a tavern keeper will remain idle indefinitely if your tavern doesn't have a drink stockpile, and that they tend to serve more alcohol than a creature would normally drink. This can lead to issues with drunkenness, particularly for your non-dwarven long-term residents!

Although taverns attract foreign visitors by default, you can adjust this option in the location menu. If you feel that your dwarves would be better off without fraternization with other peoples, you can simply change the tavern's policy on guests to serve locals only. You can also adjust the number of mugs and instruments the tavern will keep on hand from this menu.

Adventure mode

Taverns are also generated in settlements in Adventure mode. They are visible in the structures list of legends mode.

An adventurer can order drinks and rent rooms at taverns.To do this simply talk to the tavern keeper and choose to Ask about available services, drinks, rooms, etc. then choose the drink you want to order or the room you want to rent. This is the only way you can sleep in a building in a city in the current version. People in towns are far less accommodating than rural folk. The drinks are different for each tavern and they occasionally change, so going to a tavern one week and coming back the next will mean you will likely have different options of drinks you can order. Just remember that you have to pay the tavern keeper, of course you could just ignore your payment and run off if you aren't planning to return any time soon. But that will get you labeled as a criminal.

You don't have to pay off your debts immediately unless you plan to leave the tavern, you can even pay it off the next day if you have a room at the tavern. However if you do plan on leaving the tavern and you wish to pay off your night of debauchery or your room, talk to the tavern keeper and choose to Trade or settle debts you can then trade the tavern keeper items of equal or greater value than what you owe them in order to pay off your debts.

This article or section has been rated D for Dwarf. It may include witty humour, not-so-witty humour, bad humour, in-jokes, pop culture references, and references to the Bay12 forums. Don't believe everything you read, and if you miss some of the references, don't worry. It was inevitable.

A little-known limerick about taverns and cats is the ancient dwarven expression "Oh Urist, curiosity didn't kill the cat, the booze did" . This became popularized early on due to cats liking booze just as much, if not more, than dwarves did, which led to a century-long friendship between cat and dwarf kind—and many cats dying of alcohol poisoning in taverns. Many, many cats. Sadly, cats have recently become less inclined to drink booze. Scholars claim this is probably due to the process of natural selection