Every campaign eventually needs a roof, a hot hearth, and a stiff pint. While you can find dozens of tavern name generators floating across the web, most of them are buried under rigid copyrights, paywalls, or digital clutter.
Back in 2017, I published a simple drop-in name table to solve that problem. This revised and expanded edition polishes the classic engine, adds alternative naming structures (like heraldic crests and dual-noun pairings), and tosses in quick flavor tables for what the party actually sees and tastes when they kick open the door.
As with the original post, this material is rules-free, system-agnostic, and released for your free use. Adapt it, roll on it behind the screen, or include it in your own homebrew publications—just remember to give credit to Gerald "Redcap" Williams and Portcullis.
Step 1: Choose Your Naming Formula (Roll 1d6)
1–3: The Classic Heraldic ("The [Descriptor] [Creature]")
4–5: The Paired Trade ("The [Noun] & [Noun]")
6: The Proprietor or Landmark ("The [Title/Name]'s [Facility]")
Method I: The Classic Heraldic
First, roll 1d6 for the Descriptor Type:
1–3: Roll on Table A: Colors & Qualities (1d10)
4–6: Roll on Table B: Actions & States (1d10)
Then, roll 1d6 for the Subject:
1–3: Roll on Table C: Beasts of the Field (1d12)
4–5: Roll on Table D: Birds & Vermin (1d8)
6: Roll on Table E: Mythic & Monster (1d8)
| 1d10 | Table A: Colors & Qualities | Table B: Actions & States |
| 1 | Red / Crimson | Laughing / Jovial |
| 2 | Blue / Azure | Dancing / Prancing |
| 3 | Green / Verdant | Slumbering / Sleeping |
| 4 | Gold / Golden | Drunken / Thirsty |
| 5 | Black / Sable | Raging / Rampant |
| 6 | White / Pale | Singing / Howling |
| 7 | Gray / Silver | Leaping / Wandering |
| 8 | Blind / One-Eyed | Drowned / Sunken |
| 9 | Iron / Brass | Weeping / Mourning |
| 10 | Fat / Crooked | Crouching / Lurking |
| Roll | Table C: Beasts (1d12) | Table D: Birds & Vermin (1d8) | Table E: Mythic (1d8) |
| 1 | Bull / Ox | Rooster / Cockerel | Dragon / Drake |
| 2 | Boar / Sow | Raven / Crow | Griffon |
| 3 | Bear | Hawk / Falcon | Wyvern |
| 4 | Stag / Hind | Goose / Gander | Chimera |
| 5 | Hound / Wolf | Owl | Unicorn |
| 6 | Badger | Swan | Harpy |
| 7 | Stallion / Mare | Gull / Cormorant | Manticore |
| 8 | Ram / Goat | Rat / Ferret | Basilisk |
| 9 | Fox | — | — |
| 10 | Hare / Coney | — | — |
| 11 | Otter | — | — |
| 12 | Cat / Lynx | — | — |
Method II: The Paired Trade ("The [Item] & [Item]")
Roll once for each column on 1d10 (e.g., The Crown & Anchor, The Pig & Whistle):
| 1d10 | First Object | Second Object |
| 1 | Crown | Anchor |
| 2 | Pig | Whistle |
| 3 | Rose | Thistle |
| 4 | Hammer | Tongs |
| 5 | Tankard | Pipe |
| 6 | Moon | Star |
| 7 | Bell | Candle |
| 8 | Boot | Spur |
| 9 | Sword | Shield |
| 10 | Hook | Line |
Method III: The Landmark or Proprietor
Roll 1d8 to construct a regional haunt:
The Widow's Rest (Quiet, somber, clean linen, cheap stew)
The King's Arms (Loyalist tavern, town guard off-duty haunt, stiff prices)
The Miller’s Wheel (Built over a rushing millrace, deafening creak of gears)
The Old Tollgate (Border waypoint, muddy yard, suspicious teamsters)
The Friar’s Cellar (Brewery house, dark vaulted ceilings, heavy seasonal bock)
The Captain’s Cabin (Dockside den, sour grog, low timber beams, smuggler talk)
The Beggar’s Cup (Slum dive, watered ale, grease-slick benches, quick daggers)
The Crossroads Watch (Fortified waystation, arrow-slits, iron-bolted shutters)
Quick Atmosphere & Signature Pour (Roll 1d6 Each)
The Vibe in the Common Room:
Smoky & Raucous: Squealing fiddle, spilled bitter, table gambling, shouting over the draft.
Hushed & Wary: The room goes silent as the door opens; eyes drop back to tankards slowly.
Warm & Domestic: Smell of baking trenchers and dried thyme; the landlord's terrier sleeps by the hearth.
Sour & Sodden: Damp sawdust on dirt floors, rain leaks from the thatch, bitter dregs in tin cups.
Stiff & Formal: Merchant types comparing ledgers, velvet doublets, extortionate lodging rates.
Brawl Waiting to Happen: Two rival factions (mercenaries vs. townsfolk) glaring across the room.
On Tap Tonight:
Barrow Bitter (Earthy, muddy brown, tastes of chicory and roast barley)
Clovermead (Sweet, cloudy, catches in the back of the throat, highly flammable)
Sour Apple Perry (Sharp, bone-dry cider that numbs the lips)
Small Beer (Watery, cheap, safe to drink, leaves you hungry)
Red Dwarf Port (Thick, sweet fortified wine from foreign casks, headache-inducing)
Smoked Birch Stout (Pitch black, tarry head, tastes like campfire smoke and iron)




