Tag: Gangsters

Posted in: Pirates, Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Spy-Fi, Westerns

RPGaDAY2026 Day 23: Finding your Fortune

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 23 Prompt: Fortune
Week 4 Prompt: Instinct
Weekday Prompt: Blessed

Day 22 of the RPGaDAY 2026 Challenge and our prompt is “Fortune”. This is also the last entry for the week 4 prompt of “instinct” with the Sunday prompt of “Blessed”. Another prompt that could be RPG related, but I don’t want it to be too generic. Let’s see if this works as I let the muse take over.

Jackson runs into the shop. “Kei? Kei are you here?”

The hanging bead curtain door gently separates as Kei steps forward. “Greetings on this blessed day Jackson. I hope your fortunes have improved.” She said with a calm voice.

“No, they’ve taken a turn for the worse. I can’t find my lucky coin. The one that’s been helping me ever since I found it. Did I leave it here by mistake?” Jackson’s voice sounded like it was on the verge of panic.

“So, Fortune’s Coin has moved on to help another? No, Jackson, you didn’t leave it here. It was time for it to move to the next soul who needed assistance.”

“What? How do you know that? That coin changed my fortunes almost overnight. I was able to get my debt paid off after the local administrator finally approved my proposal. I wasn’t getting harassed by those thugs and even the storm that hit left my property mostly intact.” Sweat starts forming on Jackson’s brow.

Kei lit a calming candle on the counter. “Breathe this in Jackson, you don’t want to overextend yourself after finally getting things in order.”

“But the coin…”

“Jackson.” Kei’s voice was stern, but not loud. This caused Jackson to suddenly stop having never heard Ke raise her voice once.

Taking a deep breath. Then three more, Jackson opened his eyes again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to slip back into the bad situation that I was in before.”

Kei’s calming smile returned. “But now you have the resources and the knowledge to make your life better, correct?”

“Well… yes.” Jackson hemmed.

“And having experienced the bad, you want to continue to improve your fortunes, correct?” Kei’s voice purred.

After a short breath a calm “Yes. I know that I can do this.” Escapes from Jackson’s mouth.

“Then Fortune’s Coin has done its job. The rest is up to you since it has now moved on to the next soul it intends to help.” Kei adjusted the sage hanging from the ceiling. “It chose you to help when you needed it. But it can’t carry you. You have to do that yourself.”

“You’ve seen this happen before?” Jackson raised an eyebrow.

“Seen. Read about. Heard about. Recognized it every time it showed up.” Kei smiled again. “And, gods willing, will get to see it improve another soul’s life again in the future.”

“I guess I panicked. I always said I just needed one boost to get me over the threshold, and I sure got it.”

Kei reached out and grasped Jackson’s hand. “Then don’t spoil this opportunity. Make things better for you and for others. That is how you can show your gratitude for the assistance Fortune’s Coin provided to you. Perhaps your generosity is the assistance that Fortune’s Coin needs to bless others.” Kei looked at the clock. “I believe you are needed at your next appointment. Well get some tea later and you can tell me all about your plans.”

After the farewell and getting half-way to his destination, Jackson had a stray thought. “How did Kei know that I had an upcoming appointment?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Can’t think about that now. I’ve got things to do.” And he continued to his future.

For your fantasy RPGs like Fantasy Age, Basic Fantasy or Tunnels and Trolls; Fortune’s Coin is a Piece of Silver with a Crown stamped on it.

For your pirate RPGs like Pirate Borg, 7th Sea or Tiny Pirates; Fortune’s Coin is a gold doubloon with one side scratched out in an “x”.

For your western RPGs like Boot Hill, Modern Necessities-Single Action or Tall Tales B/X; Fortune’s Coin is a lucky silver dollar that has taken the impact of a bullet and prevented it from passing through it.

For your pulp or modern RPGs like Amazing Adventures, Everyday Heroes, or Gangbusters B/X; Fortune’s Coin is ancient silver coin that looks like it has survived several centuries.

For your cyberpunk RPGs like Shadowrun, Modern Necessities-Cutting Edge, or Cyberpunk Red; Fortune’s Coin is a physical crypt-token.

For your science fiction RPGs like FrontierSpace, Traveller or Stars Without Number; Fortune’s Coin is a centuries-old trade credit chip.

For your post-apocalyptic RPGs like Mutant Crawl Classics, Fallout or Mutant Future; Fortune’s Coin is The Last Quarter, a worn US quarter minted in the final year before the fall of civilization.

So, I think the muse helped me out on this one. I did do a lot of “squirrel” distractions as I was looking at different systems that this article could have referenced. But I think I’m happy with this one. What do you think? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Comic Books, Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Star Trek, Star Wars, Westerns

RPGaDAY2025 Day 3: Tavern

Written by TardisCaptain

Tavern is the Day 3 topic for RPGaDAY 2025 Challenge and I think this is a good one. The common thread of taverns with roleplaying games is the “you all meet up at the tavern for the start of the adventure.” Well taverns can be a bit more than that. They can be a home base of operations such as the Inn of the Crescent Moon seen in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons comics from DC Comics, a common gathering place for the community such as Quark’s Bar on Deep Space Nine, a place to find transport such as the Mos Eisley Cantina or just a place to pick a fight…

“Funny, sir, how you always seem to find yourself in an Alliance-friendly bar, come U-Day, lookin’ for a quiet drink.” Zoe- The Train Job, Firefly episode 2

Taverns, bars, inns, etc. can be used as plot points in may different roleplaying games or stories. A place to find a contact or pass on information. Especially if it’s a last minute option for the GM to use. Just in case you suddenly find yourself in need of a name for that shady little dive the players find themselves in, here are some random tavern names.

Fantasy Taverns-

  1. The Silver Stag
  2. The Soot and Song
  3. The Broken Tankard
  4. The Rusted Crown
  5. The One-Eyed Owl
  6. The Whispering Mug
  7. The Moonspindle Inn
  8. The Wyrm and Whistle
  9. The Laughing Lich
  10. The Barrel and Brimstone
  11. The Hearthless Flame
  12. The Twisted Oak
  13. The Sly Fox and Fowl
  14. The Emerald Lute
  15. The Crooked Lantern
  16. The Grinning Gargoyle
  17. The Copper Cauldron
  18. The Wand and Wagon
  19. The Hollow Helm
  20. The Scarlet Manticore

1920’s Speakeasies-

  1. The Velvet Valve
  2. The Blind Canary
  3. The Whispering Flask
  4. The Garter Grip
  5. Club Hush
  6. The Gilded Ghost
  7. The Gin Mill Grin
  8. The Clover Club
  9. The Cat’s Meow
  10. The Backdoor Saint
  11. The Brass Button
  12. The Crooked Ace
  13. The Cinder Lounge
  14. The Owl and Hourglass
  15. The Silver Stitch
  16. The Blue Note Bunker
  17. The Dizzy Duchess
  18. The Blind Ledger
  19. The Staggering Dame
  20. The Clockwork Coda

Space Bars-

  1. The Nebula’s Kiss
  2. The Black Hole Saloon
  3. The Cyro Leak
  4. The Void Cantina
  5. The Binary Shot
  6. The Dockside Drift
  7. The Event Horizon
  8. The Crater and Cask
  9. The Proton Parlor
  10. The Ion Ivy
  11. The Comet and Coil
  12. The Blacklight Bazaar
  13. The Tachyon Tap
  14. The Gravity Well
  15. The Chrome Chimera
  16. The Red Shift
  17. The Wreck Deck
  18. The Quantum Mule
  19. The Circuit Inn
  20. The Infinite Happy Hour

Western Saloons-

  1. The Rusted Spur
  2. The Dusty Deputy
  3. Cactus Canteen
  4. The Whiskey Widow
  5. The Silver Saddle
  6. The Golden Rattlesnake
  7. The Crooked Trail Saloon
  8. The Tin Horn Tavern
  9. The Red Mesa Saloon
  10. The Prairie Rose
  11. The Dry Gulch Tavern
  12. The Coyote’s Cry
  13. The Spittoon and Sparrow
  14. The Gold Tooth Tavern
  15. The Bootjack Burrow
  16. The Hangman’s Harmony
  17. The Devil’s Draw
  18. The Brass Rail
  19. The Blind Bear
  20. The Lone Star Hollow

What adventures have you had in a tavern? Is there a better name of a bar that you’d add to the list? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

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