For the storyteller
The Innkeeper's Handbook
Everything you need to run story night, even if you've never done it before. No rulebooks, no homework — one die, this page, and a table full of heroes.
What the storyteller does
The whole job is three sentences, repeated: describe the scene, ask "what do you do?", then say what happens. That's it. The kids bring the ideas; you bring the world they land in.
You cannot do it wrong. If you forget a detail, the detail changes. If the heroes surprise you, be surprised out loud and keep going. The story belongs to the whole table.
The one-die tavern rule
There is exactly one rule at this table, and it fits on a card. Use it whenever nobody is sure whether something works — climbing the woodpile, sneaking past the goblin, crossing the log.
Tales mark their best rolling spots with a "✦ Roll for it" note, but any moment of "hmm, would that work?" is a fine time to hand someone the die.
Your first story night, minute by minute
Seat the partyEveryone picks a hero from the gallery and joins the table. Names, gifts, and wishes come from the four notes on the quest board.
Pick a taleChoose one together (or let the die choose). Open its page — it stays open in front of you the whole night. It's your script.
Read Scene IRead "Set the scene" out loud, or say it in your own words. Then ask the scene's question and point at a hero.
Keep goingLet each hero act, roll when it's uncertain, and move to the next scene when the current one feels answered. A tale runs about fifteen to thirty minutes.
Land the endingRead the tale's ending, praise the heroes by name, and blow out an imaginary candle. Done.
Innkeeper's tricks
Say "yes, and…"When a hero tries something wild, let it mostly work and add something new. "Yes, you befriend the crow — and it wants to be paid in shiny things."
One thing each, every sceneMake sure every hero gets to do one thing per scene. "And what is YOUR hero doing while the log wobbles?"
Steal the stuck linesEvery scene in every tale has an "if they're stuck" nudge. Reading it out loud is not cheating — it's the innkeeper leaning over to whisper a hint.
Wrong answers are plotIf the heroes accuse the wrong suspect or take the wrong path, don't stop them. Let them find out, then let the story bend. Detours are the good part.
Trouble is a giftWhen the die says trouble, make it interesting, not mean. Nobody loses a turn; the goblin just heard you coming.
End while it's still funBetter to stop with everyone wanting one more scene than one scene too late. The tavern will be there tomorrow.