The Broken Cask by Shoreless Skies Publishing

“Look, boss, Drizella is back at it and she’s already on her fourth one. And the Wizards are complainin’ about the lack of books. And Carmina hasn’t shown up. Oh and the kitchen’s on fire…” #

What is Broken Cask? #

Broken Cask is a solitaire innkeeping roleplaying game. Well, what in the world does all that mean?

It means your dining room table covered in papers and charts; it’s slinging dice to find out what happens next; it’s hoping that slowcoach cook of yours can get the next meal out in time for a hefty tip and wondering who will come through the door next.

You play it with paper and pencil and at least one six-sided die. 

It may inspire you to imaginative feats and storytelling of your own, or it may just be a good time when you feel like relaxing and playing alone. 

You will create your inn and innkeeper persona, hire staff, earn gold, expand your inn, trade at the market, send heroes off on adventures, and oh so much more. This is done by rolling dice against random tables to generate events, then rolling again to see how you and your staff handle those events. You keep track of things using a log and put yourself in the middle of the action using your imagination.

A Merry Old Inn #

To start things off, Broken Casks generates your inn, your persona, and your staff using the fun new technology of random tables. A red-carpeted, marble-strewn marvel between worlds? A rustic lodge on top of a mountain? Orc brewers or elvish gardeners? A retired adventurer or a classic swindler? A few rolls and faster than you can say “Barliman Butterbur” your inn is up and running.

If chance is not your thing, the game is wide open and ready for your creativity. Make your own space or recreate a favorite from class stories!

Satisfyingly Smooth #

Running an inn should be cheerful and lighthearted. Broken Cask seeks to cut out crunch and technicalities and leave you with a foaming mug of pure, slice-of-life fun!

Each action is resolved by a simple roll of 1d6 plus a relevant stat. If you meet or exceed your task difficulty, it’s a hit; otherwise it’s a miss and chaos ensues.
As the Innkeeper, you will…

• Hire and train staff
• Choose which rooms you will build or upgrade
• Head to market for that next piece of gear
• Press your luck when you prate about your inn
• Roll up your sleeves and do it yourself!
• Treat your regular patrons
• Increase your inn’s notoriety
• Send foolhardy adventurers to an early grave—er, retirement…