The Shady Dragon Inn

Accessory #AC1

by Carl Smith

Book by Smith, Carl

Genres: Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Role Playing Games, Reference

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Jason Koivu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful accessory for the D&D game system. The Shady Dragon Inn was mostly useful for the dungeon master (game referee), who was looking for pre-generated characters to quickly incorporate into the game at short notice. The booklet includes page after page of brief descriptions of fighters, wizards, clerics, and thieves. The details are quite brief, but having said that, they do go into greater and more colorful detail as relates to the typical info you'd usually find on pre-rolled NPCs.

Here are some typical entries:
Quintain is 27, weighs 161 lbs., and stands 5'10" tall. His staff and old brown cloak often make people think he is a friar. He is losing his brown hair, but he has a full beard. He likes good jokes and is an easygoing companion. He claims a mummy's touch caused his hairline to recede.

Zarkon is brash and young. His beard is thin and his dark hair needs cutting. He is slender, wears dark blue clothing, and has startling blue eyes. Zarkon likes to play practical jokes, although he dislikes having jokes played on him. He brags too much, and sometimes makes promises he cannot
keep. You cannot trust him when the chips are down.

Penelope has timeless beauty and grace. She is 5'8", weighs 131 lbs., has brown hair and eyes, and favors tan clerical garb. She keeps to herself, saying nothing about the rumor that she has a demon in bondage (the rumor is a lie). Penelope believes how well she profits from an expedition shows how well her god favors the adventurers. Her armor and shield are gilded.

Begol is a vale dweller. He prefers peace and quiet but is far too curious. Once, exploring a cave, he was trapped by a rabid badger and had to burrow his way through eight feet of soil to freedom. He is friendly and usually trusting, but he is thoughtful when events seem strange to him.


Not every entry is a winner. I mean, it's a bit of a stretch to say that a 2nd level fighter with subpar ability scores became famous for being a guard. Yeah sure, this is fantasy, but come on! While I'm on a negative kick...The characters' levels only go up to 14, if I'm not mistaken. That's because this was made for use with the Basic and Expert sets way back in the first edition days, and back then the rule books only listed levels going up that high. So, while it's not an error on the maker's part, it is just a little drawback I thought I'd mention. (On a side note: You know this is old stuff when you see that Smith has included elves and dwarves as if they were their own class, not races.)

D&D mainstay illustrator Jim Holloway provided drawings of each character, which is a nice touch.


Yes, there is also an inn. It's set up with just enough detail (npc names, traits) to make it function as a meeting place for the players' characters.

Earlier I said this book was mostly useful to a DM, but I suppose it would be good for players who didn't want to roll up new characters for a quickie adventure. It might also be a helpful aid for those seeking ideas for background details for their own character creations.

If interested, you can find a pdf of this right here: The Shady Dragon Inn

[John Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great Accessory for the Dungeon Master a book with the starting tavern Of the same name as the title. And a 118 NPC characters for the Dungeon Master to use with all the relevant stats. Great for Running a game on the fly.

[Messorem Animarum · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most fun supplements ever created! A full panoply of NPCs for all races and classes.

[Cimuchowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dave Rooney, Thanks for sharing.