***A tent*** Everything in the place can be packed up and ready to travel within two hours. Nothing is permanent or fixed in place, which sometimes makes it hard to keep the weather out. Perhaps the owner moves on when business slows, he follows a circuit of annual fairs and festivals, or he is a fugitive just trying to make an honest gold piece.
***Advertising*** One or more walls is completely devoted to customer-posted want ads. Bounty posters, missing pets and persons pleas, small jobs, and mercenary and adventure hooks abound.
***Animated garden*** What could have been a tranquil, garden-themed business has become a creepy place due to animated plants that are free to roam. This puts off most customers, who tend to leave abruptly after the first vine curls around their ankles, but it suits druids and some elves just fine. GMs might consider putting a plant master in the cool, moist basement, ala Little Shop of Horrors.
***Birds*** The business is themed after birds and flying creatures of all kinds, and even allows wild birds to nest in the rafters and fly around patrons. Some birds are in cages, but none are ever on the menu. An employee runs a nice side business supplying quality and unusual quills to a scribe supply store.
***Bounties*** The business is crawling with bounty hunters, some who are obvious as such, and some who prefer to remain undercover or unidentified. It's said that innocent people who don't know better and take a table are ambushed, disfigured, and claimed falsely for bounties.
***Chaos nest*** Acts as a front for chaotic presence in the city
***Drop center*** Being the busiest place in the neighborhood, there is constant freight coming and going. A steady stream of supplies arrives each day, and trash, returns, and spoiled goods stream out. This traffic creates the necessary diversion for smugglers to use the location for their drop center. Stolen goods by arrangement are dropped off and re-distributed to select deliveryman via the back alley.
***End of the line*** The place is a slum. It's infested with vermin, smells horrible, and serves putrid food and drink. Yet, all know only those without hope go there, probably to die, and that it is the end of the line.
***Expert*** The owner is legendary for his expertise in a certain area (GM's choice). Patrons come from all over the world to pick his brain, which makes the place popular with locals as well those who would get news and meet strange travelers for entertainment. The place is themed according to the type of knowledge of craft the owner possesses.
***Fake wealth*** The canny owner has decorated the place with fake gems, thinly plated gold decorations, and cheap mirror glass to create the impression of grandeur. Until recently, it was a hot spot for nobles to hob nob and party. However, once the true nature of the decor was discovered, the scandal spread quickly and the nobles party elsewhere. Now the middle class come in droves to drink, eat, and mock the nobility who formerly patronized the place.
***Famous chef*** The business's reputation for fine food is overshadowed only by the fame of its chef. Perhaps the chef is incredibly rude, which amuses patrons, or maybe the chef is of unusual race or has a legendary history.
***Fast and cheap*** This small, bustling location is known for quick service and low prices. The staff are run off their feet each day, but volume is making those who don't waste their pay quite wealthy. Customers are brusquely ordered to be quick and leave fast so the ones waiting in line can be served right away.
***Gambling in the back*** A quaint business run by a sweet, motherly old lady is a front for a gambling den situated in the rear. Inquirers are interviewed by the matron, who has hard edges when required, and if they pass inspection they are given a special ale mug that gets them past the guards in the kitchen to the gambling area.
***Guards only*** This is the local hangout for off-duty guards who want to unwind, get drunk, share news, and talk shop. Those who aren't fellow guardsmen are glared at and usually provoked into a fight.
***Herbmaster*** The owner is a master herbalist who has applied his knowledge to creating incredible drinks and meals. Drying herbs dangle from rafters, the hearth crackles with red, blue, and green flames, and plant pots brimming with herbs decorate the main room. If one knows what to ask for, the herbmaster will concoct one of several special brews or meals said to convey near-magical effects.
***Horror*** Unless pressed, most locals won't tell strangers the business is known as the last stop before people disappear. They figure if travelers and visitors keep the supply up, then they'll be safe in their homes. In truth, maybe the owner is part of an underground escape network who prefers locals don't stick their noses in his business, or perhaps the owner has a curse or horrific need for bodies.
***Hunting lodge*** The heads of animals decorate the walls, showing off hundreds of successful hunting trips. These are great conversation starters, and hunters and adventurers from all over the region compete to get a worthy kill up on a wall. Exotic animal and monster heads are especially desired by the owner, who'll pay a generous bounty.
***Jungle*** Boiling water pumps perpetual steam and heat into the common area. Vines and creepers, small trees, strange birds, and exotic animals bring the jungle to patrons.
***Keymaster*** The place is decorated with thousands of keys of all shapes and sizes. Though rumor has it this is a favorite hangout for rogues, that is not the case as any rogue worth his salt can open locks without a key. It is also said that one of the keys is a master key that can open any door in the palace. It's likely no one will ever know unless they are given some clue as to what the key looks like.
***Many corner tables*** One enterprising owner realized tables in corners were always being taken. He redesigned the layout with a bit of investment money and created an interior with many walls, levels, and dividers. Most can still see the entrance, and now there are dozens of corner tables, most with extra shadow for the shy.
***Metal-free*** No metal is allowed in the place due to a weird rule enforced by the strange, one-armed owner.
***Monster refuge*** The owner is a monster that keeps its identity a secret. The staff are sympathetic and are happy to serve other, non-dangerous monsters who are hiding in the community. The back door is extra large to accommodate wide girths, a trapdoor in the roof grants access to flying customers, and the structure and furniture have been magically reinforced to bear great weight and resist various energy types.
***Monsters on the menu*** If adventurers can kill it and bring it back, this place will cook it.
***Never closes*** Despite local laws, license restrictions, and regulations, the business is open all day and night. Bribes and influence might be what keeps the place from being shut down. Certainly, the owner doesn't want to ruffle official feathers or get undue attention from the guard.
***Pipe smokers*** The business specializes in patrons who enjoy smoking tobacco. Tabbac is available for sale, an impressive pipe collection adorns the walls, and the smell of pipe smoke will never leave the place. Connoisseurs gather to trade stories, sample tabbac, and relax in a staid environment. Children tend to line the windows outside and strain to hear the tales customers tell until the owner rushes outside to sweep them away.
***Posh party home*** This was once the home of a socialite whose parties grew so popular that she decided to convert it into a business. Only those with invitations are allowed entrance, and each night a party of a new theme is thrown, attracting many of the community's rich and powerful with strong livers who crave diversion.
***Rare goods*** It is said one can arrange to buy anything here, if you have the coin. Brokers of all types are always present, but they don't advertise themselves and they expect customers to be professional, courteous, and circumspect. Those who deal with gray and black market items will set qualified buyers up with new meetings in shadowy places that give them tactical advantage and help weed out the law.
***Restricted to lowlife*** Lowlife only. Shunned by society, lowlife gather here to drink in peace. Of course, there can't be peace without a nightly brawl. Those who are not are immediately jumped, and unfortunately, the guard fear the place enough to let the half-bloods get away with murder.
***Restricted*** Only those with <xxx> are welcome. Perhaps magical detection is employed, in secret or out in the open, to weed out evil. The reputation alone keeps most folk away. This premise sets up some interesting plots and encounters with those who can mask their alignment or are powerful enough they don't care.
***Retired*** Serving folk who made a career out of a particular skill, set of abilities, or profession, this type of place is adorned with old tools of the trade and pictures of folk plying their trade. Goods and services are named after various aspects of the class, and servers are uniformed accordingly, though in a serious, respectful way. A community might feature several such places, each specializing in a specific class (i.e., druids, warlocks, rangers), or to a grouping of similar classes (i.e., spellcasters, warriors).
***Rogue hideout*** The place is rumored to be a base for thieves. If it's a small location, it could be a cell of the thieves' guild, and if it is a large structure, it could be the guild headquarters. There is undoubtedly a system of underground tunnels and caves the rank and file uses, while guild big wigs conduct larger transactions in the offices on the second floor.
***Sex appeal*** The business is popular these days because word is spreading of a voluptuous dancer who does five shows a night. Men from all over the community are falling in love with her. Angry wives and girlfriends claim she uses magic to entrap her male audiences. Regardless, while the owner rakes in the money, there is growing unrest and tension as men begin to fight over her and spouses begin to plot.
***Slavers*** It seems there's a new face in the staff every day. The owner buys and sells people, and those who will fetch a high price are put on display under the guise of being new hires. Comely ones are servers, tough ones bouncers. The other slaves are kept under lock and key in the cellar, in which is located a bidding and purchase area where prospective buyers sit at comfortable tables, enjoy good food and drink, and inspect the offerings.
***Sorceror lair*** This dark, unsettling place is run by a necromancer for necromancers. If necromancy is illegal in the area, then clientele keep a low profile, with the creepy mood and atmosphere scaring regular folk away. If necromancy is permitted, then various rooms are made available for lectures, experiments, and unspeakable practices.
***Spicy pepper*** This place only serves spicy food and strong drink. It advertises a free meal to any first-time customer who doesn't cry after taking a bite of the House Special.
***The gaming hall*** This place is dedicated to games of all sorts. Space has been made available for games, competitions, groups, and quiet matches. Patrons must bring their own supplies, though materials for popular activities are available for sale. At night, the business reveals a sinister face however, where death matches of various sorts are held downstairs for invitation-only, rich patrons who place exorbitant bets or who sponsor competitors.
***The place is alive*** Animated objects made into furniture and various devices serve patrons and automate many of the cooking, pouring, and cleaning tasks. While some folk are repulsed by the lack of humanity, others are drawn to the novelty and reliable service, and the place is doing a booming trade.
***Tree house II*** The owners have molded and tailored this upscale place from plants and trees to create a wondrous tree house. Towering above all other buildings, patrons can catch a breathtaking view of the area, making it a popular place for rogues and others planning urban forays. All furniture is shaped from living wood and plant, and many special sap- and plant-based drinks are said to convey wondrous properties to those who can afford them.
***Tree house*** The place is inside or on top of a large, ancient tree.
***Trendy night parties*** Closed during the day, the business opens its doors after the sun(s) retreat and the moon(s) come out. Loud entertainment keeps young folk drinking and dancing until sun-up. Complaints from neighbors seem to fall on deaf ears, and it's rumored the owner is connected to the underworld.
***Underground railroad*** Escaped slaves and those on the run are helped through a mysterious network of inns, taverns, and restaurants. Each location supplies secret areas for exiles to enter and leave, hide, rest, and replenish. The people are given instructions on how to find the next place in the system, until they have reached the frontierlands.
***Windowless box*** The building has no windows and always feels damp and cold. It's dark inside and patrons enjoy the near anonymity.
***Yar!*** A favorite hangout for pirates, the business doubles as a broker in stolen goods. Nightly bar brawls and dozens of burly sailors with anger issues keep the guard at bay, and so smuggling commerce is thriving. It is said to be a good place to find a captain who will sail where others won't or to carry cargo that others don't.
Encounter Generator