The Leaky Cauldron

Encountering the Tavern

Event Triggers:

• Forest: Random forest encounter (event weight 100)
• Travel: Random travel encounter between cities (event weight 100)
• Both have equal probability when conditions are met

Mount Blocking:

• If your mount has "findtavern" preference = 1: Event DOES NOT trigger
• Event hook returns 0 (no chance) if findtavern is enabled
• Flavor explanation: Mount knows efficient routes, avoids detours to shabby taverns
• If findtavern = 0 or you have no mount: Event triggers normally (100% weight)

Mount Preference System:

• Each mount can have a "findtavern" objpref (module: darkhorse)
• Admin-configurable per mount
• Default: 0 (mount does NOT avoid the tavern)
• If set to 1: Mount is smart enough to bypass the Leaky Cauldron
• Thematic: Noble steeds don't visit seedy establishments

Discovery Text

There is exactly one narration, shared by every character regardless of sex, race, or anything else — the module imports the SEX_MALE/SEX_FEMALE constants but never actually branches on them.

Forest / Travel Encounter

• You wander through what appears to be an ordinary London street and notice a small, shabby-looking pub wedged between a bookshop and a record store — passing Muggles don't seem to see it at all
• A weathered wooden sign depicts a cracked black cauldron with a single leaking drop, with the tavern's configured name painted beneath it in faded lettering
• If your mount is present and doesn't have findtavern set, the text notes it seems eager to approach, "as if recognizing a magical landmark"
• Options: enter the tavern, or return to the street and walk away

Tavern Name Customization:

• Admin setting: tavernname (default: "Leaky Cauldron")
• Used throughout all discovery and interior flavor text
• Can be renamed to any tavern (e.g., "Hog's Head", "Three Broomsticks")

The Tavern Interior

Inn Functionality:

• Functions as an inn-style location with its own room, rather than reusing the core inn.php page directly
• Available interactions:
  • Talk to Tom the innkeeper — general chat, a color-code tutorial, and a "pay 100 gold to learn about another wizard" lookup service
  • Talk to a wizard playing Exploding Snap (hooks into any installed tavern minigame module)
  • Examine the magical graffiti on the tables (a commentary/guestbook area, unless it's been blocked)
  • Exit to Diagon Alley (see below)

Dark Horse Theme:

• Module name: "Dark Horse"
• References both the tavern's hidden, unexpected nature and the mount-blocking mechanic
• Actual tavern content (Tom, the graffiti tables, the Exploding Snap game) is unique flavor for this module, not a copy-paste of the standard inn

Canon Connection: Leaky Cauldron:

• Harry Potter universe: Entrance to Diagon Alley
• Located on a Muggle London street, invisible to Muggles
• Shabby exterior, magical interior, bartender named Tom
• The module replicates this directly — see "Exit to Diagon Alley" below

Exit to Diagon Alley

This is a real, built-in feature, not just flavor: from inside the tavern, choosing "Exit to Diagon Alley" walks you through the back door into a small walled courtyard. Tom's trick — tapping a specific brick with your wand (three up, two across from the trash bin) — makes the wall fold back into an archway revealing Diagon Alley's cobbled street beyond. You step through, and the wall seals itself behind you.

• The courtyard/brick-tapping sequence is part of this module's own code, triggered by the "leave" option inside the tavern
• It plays out as narrative flavor text rather than a mechanical teleport to a separate Diagon Alley location — but the canonical gateway is genuinely present, unlike the standard inn

Mount "findtavern" Preference

What It Does:

• Mount-level setting (not user setting)
• Admin configures per mount type
• If findtavern = 1: Mount bypasses tavern encounters
• Effect: Forest/travel event returns 0 weight (never triggers)

Why Some Mounts Avoid the Tavern:

• Thematic Reasoning:
  • Noble mounts (unicorns, hippogriffs, phoenixes) too dignified for seedy taverns
  • Fast mounts know direct routes, don't detour to pubs
  • Intelligent mounts recognize the tavern as a distraction from the journey
• Gameplay Reasoning:
  • High-tier mounts offer an additional perk (skip unwanted random events)
  • Player choice: convenience (avoid the tavern) vs variety (encounter the tavern)
  • Balances mount value (premium mounts do more)

Example Mount Configurations:

Mount	findtavern	Reasoning
Horse	0	Regular mount, follows normal path
Unicorn	1	Pure creature, avoids disreputable locations
Broom	0	Basic transport, no sentience to avoid the tavern
Phoenix	1	Intelligent magical creature, knows better routes
Thestral	0	Death-themed mount, doesn't judge tavern quality

Admin Configuration:

• Access the mount editor
• Find "The Leaky Cauldron Mount Preferences" section
• Setting: "Can this mount find the tavern" (bool, default 0)
• Counterintuitive naming: "find" = avoid (if 1, the mount FINDS a way around it)
• Set to 1 to make the mount bypass the tavern
• Set to 0 to allow tavern encounters

Admin Configuration

Module Settings:

• tavernname: Name of the tavern (text, default: "Leaky Cauldron")
• Appears in discovery flavor text, the interior scene, and the Diagon Alley exit
• Can be customized to any pub name

Mount Preferences (per mount):

• findtavern: Can this mount find the tavern (bool, default: 0)
• Misnomer: "find" actually means "avoid"
• If 1: Mount bypasses the tavern, event doesn't trigger
• If 0: Normal tavern encounters

Hooks Used:

• forest: Event hook, weight = 100 if findtavern = 0, else 0
• travel: Event hook, weight = 100 if findtavern = 0, else 0

Strategy & Usage

For Players

When the Tavern Appears:

• Chat with Tom, browse the color-code tutorial, or pay to scout another wizard's stats
• Check out whatever tavern minigame is hooked in (Exploding Snap)
• Use the brick-tapping exit if you want the Diagon Alley flavor moment

Mount Choice:

• If you WANT tavern encounters: choose mounts with findtavern = 0
• If you want to AVOID the tavern: choose mounts with findtavern = 1 (premium mounts likely)
• Check with your admin which mounts bypass the tavern on your server

For Admins

Customization Options:

• Rename the Tavern: Change tavernname to fit server theme
  • Canon alternatives: "Hog's Head", "Three Broomsticks"
  • Custom: "The Broken Wand", "Dragon's Flagon", whatever fits your lore
• Mount Configuration: Decide which mounts avoid the tavern
  • Premium mounts: findtavern = 1 (perk)
  • Basic mounts: findtavern = 0 (normal)
  • Creates mount tier differentiation

Common Questions

Q: Why doesn't the Leaky Cauldron appear when I'm on my unicorn?
A: Your unicorn has findtavern = 1. It knows better routes and avoids seedy taverns. Switch to a mount without this preference.

Q: Is there special content inside the Leaky Cauldron?
A: Yes — Tom the innkeeper, a color-code tutorial, a pay-to-scout service, a commentary/graffiti board, an Exploding Snap encounter, and a genuine Diagon Alley exit sequence. It is not a bare copy of the standard inn.

Q: Does entry text differ between characters?
A: No. There is a single shared narration for the discovery, the tavern interior, and every interaction — nothing in the module branches on player sex or any other character trait.

Q: Can I find the Leaky Cauldron multiple times?
A: Yes. It's a random encounter with 100% weight (if your mount allows). It can trigger repeatedly.

Q: Can I change the tavern name from Leaky Cauldron?
A: Yes, admins can. Module setting: tavernname. It can be renamed to any pub.

Q: Does the tavern connect to Diagon Alley like in Harry Potter?
A: Yes. Choosing "Exit to Diagon Alley" from inside the tavern plays out the brick-tapping courtyard sequence and delivers you into Diagon Alley, exactly as in the books — this is built into the module itself, no extra setup required.

Q: Why is it called the "Dark Horse" module?
A: "Dark horse" nods to the tavern's hidden, unexpected nature and doubles as a pun on the mount-based blocking mechanic that governs whether the encounter appears at all.

Limitations

• Random Only: Can't bookmark/return to the tavern deliberately — it's a random forest/travel encounter
• Mount Preference Naming: "findtavern" is counterintuitive (find = avoid, not find)
• Unused Gender Import: The module pulls in SEX_MALE/SEX_FEMALE constants but never actually uses them — every player gets identical text