The bath: a lively location for RPG campaigns

According to received wisdom about the middle ages, Europeans unfortunate enough to be born into that era were ignorant of the merits of bathing. As a result, public hygiene was poor and epidemics regular.  This could hardly be more wrong.



Bathing has been a popular human activity for centuries.  The Romans' public baths are famous, but they were hardly an exception.  After the fall of the empire, Europeans might have bathed in less stately conditions but they didn't break the habit.  The nobility feasted while they bathed, offered baths to visiting knights, and generally spent a lot of time in water.  Commoners were just as prone to getting a good wash, leading to ordinances governing the operation of town and civic bathhouses in major European cities.

Unfortunately, good bathing habits weren't much help in checking the advance of the Black Death.  Worse yet, learned folks drew entirely the wrong conclusions from the epidemic.  It was believed that bathing opened up the pores to infection and so people were instructed to cut down on that unhealthy activity.  (If the scholars of the day were on to anything, it's likely that public bathing tended to spread the disease as much as any public gathering.)

If you're anything like me, learning this is a source of some relief.  One can finally play a fresh-smelling character without resorting to anachronism!  But more importantly, the institution of the public bath is a wonderful setting for roleplaying encounters.  Such places were relatively common and a good rule of thumb is a substantial public bath for every 1000 inhabitants of a population center.  Villages and thorps with fewer than 1000 residents would have less formal setups, such as river or pondside bathing when weather permitted.

For the savvy player character, the baths are an excellent source of information without the risks inherent to a tavern.  The following table can be used to quickly determine the nearest fellow bather to a PC:

Random Bathers (roll d6+d12)

2. The Tub - a person of unusual girth.  Although their size may inconvenience the PC it is also a sign of wealth.
3. Renegade rinser - this bather is wanted by the authorities.  The DM should determine 1d3 distinguishing marks by which the bather is known.
4. Absolutist ablutionist - a prude, bathing in a very concealing suit and eager to moralize on the debauchery of those who choose to reveal their bodies.
5. Delicate douser - an old bather of frail stature.  Roll 1d8 to check for attendants.  On a roll of 3 or less, the bather is unaccompanied, otherwise roll for another bather who is assisting them.  This type of bather often (4+ on 1d8) has some interesting folklore to pass on to polite PCs.
6. Tedious towel-jockey - a gossip with much to say and little to talk about.  On no account will this bather have truly interesting stories to tell.
7 - 8. Moistened matron - a bathhouse attendant eager to sell additional services (assistance washing and massage being the most common) to the PC.  The great majority of such bathers are not sex workers and will respond negatively to advances that assume otherwise.
9 - 11.   Cleansing conversationalist - an amicable bather happy to discuss the news of the day.  Roll 1d8 to check for breaking news: a roll of 1 indicates that the bather has heard a false story and a roll of 8 indicates that they have learned something true.  On a 2 to 7 this bather has nothing interesting to tell for now.
12 - 13. Neophyte natator - a young person, easily impressed by an adventurer's scars.
14. Slumbering soaker - the bather is sleeping, though this affords little opportunity for larceny.  Roll 1d8 to check for snoring: a roll of 7 indicates audible but not overly irritating, whereas an 8 indicates uncomfortable levels of volume.
15. Feral floater - this bather comes from a foreign land with barbarous customs.  Roll 1d8 to check the bather's attitude to the locals.  A roll of 1 indicates open disgust, 2 through 5 concealed disdain, 6 and 7 open-mindedness, and on an 8 the bather feels that their homeland's ways are inferior and is trying to "reform".
16. Indolent immerser - a wealthy bather with time to lounge around the baths.
17. Slanderous scrubber - a vicious gossip with many defamatory stories to tell.  Items of gossip from bathers of this type are 40% likely to be true.
18. Bathing beauty - a person of romantic interest to the PC.  Details are best determined by the DM, who will have a better idea of what will appeal.

Rolling once per hour, or whenever a PC changes locations in the bathhouse, is usually sufficient.  PCs who go out of their way to mingle should be bluffed with the regular excuses for not describing every NPC they encounter.  (e.g. "Among the many bathers with whom you speak, this one stands out...")  The DM is also encouraged to use bathhouse encounters to brief the PCs on news that "everyone is talking about" where appropriate.  (i.e.  Not when a PC is cornered by the tedious towel-jockey or distracted by a bathing beauty.)