In Tavern Keeper, completing the objective to join the guild requires satisfying the operational milestones set by guild representative Dorothy Chaddus during the Riverbottom campaign scenario. Players must bring the tavern to a one-star operational rating, build a kitchen to reach a one-star food rating, clear all active loans, pay the required guild dues, and answer three oral trivia questions during the Bar Exam.
Finalizing your membership completes the Riverbottom scenario, awards the "Made It Official" Steam achievement, and unlocks travel to the next region, Halflington.
Meeting Dorothy Chaddus: Joining vs. Refusing the Guild
Dorothy Chaddus visits your tavern shortly after you establish initial operations in Riverbottom. She serves you with an official notice of censure for operating an unlicensed tavern, presenting two distinct paths.
Agreeing to the Application
Accepting Dorothy's terms registers you as an official guild applicant. She provides:
- A world map showing reputable commercial distributors for food and drink orders.
- A tavern elemental named Hops housed in a crystal bottle, who serves as your business advisor.
- The initial requirement to raise your tavern to a one-star overall rating.
Refusing the Guild (Secret Ending)
If you choose defiant dialogue options and repeatedly refuse to join the guild, Dorothy warns that you face six years of grape-stomping labor or being thrown into the ocean by a constable. Pushing the argument further leads Dorothy to offer a coin toss game.
Persisting in total defiance—declaring reality to be an illusion and choosing "oblivion" over signing—causes Dorothy and the narrator to surrender. The narrator declares "The end," the screen fades to black, and the application closes directly to your desktop. This triggers the secret ending before requiring a game restart.
Prerequisites to Trigger the Final Guild Visit
Before Dorothy returns to collect your dues and administer the Bar Exam, your tavern must meet several specific management thresholds.
1. Attain a One-Star Tavern Rating
To reach a one-star tavern rating in Riverbottom, you need:
- Drinks Pillar: Maintain at least two different drinks on your menu simultaneously (such as Scrape Barrel, Mudweiser, House Brew, or Quick Blossom) and serve enough tier-one patrons.
- Services Pillar: Build an outhouse or simple toilet outside, and install a bulletin board, dartboard, or waiting bench in the taproom.
- Maintain an average patron satisfaction score above 65%.
2. Build a Kitchen and Reach a One-Star Food Rating
Once the tavern reaches one star, Dorothy sends a letter authorizing kitchen expansion along with an allocated loan. To complete this phase:
- Construct a dedicated kitchen room with an entrance door.
- Place a grill and a food window connecting to the taproom.
- Install a larder shelf in a storage room or kitchen to store perishable ingredients.
- Order ingredients (such as common rats, mushrooms, or broccoli) from the traveling merchant or the world map delivery service.
- Open the tavern menu, create a dish (such as the grilled skewer), and assign a staff member to the chef role.
- Serve meals to eight tier-one patrons to earn the one-star food rating flag.
3. Clear Debts and Accumulate Guild Dues
Dorothy requires that all debts and development loans be repaid in full before taking the final exam. When her return approaches, keep enough gold on hand to cover the one-time guild dues.
In playthroughs where kitchen development funds were loaned, Dorothy collects a single sack of gold totaling 190 coins to cover both the loan repayment and the membership dues. If your funds are slightly low, players with sufficient personality stats can attempt a skill check (such as a 75% charm roll) to defer the cash payment, though clearing it immediately proceeds straight to the test.
The Bar Exam: Questions and Correct Answers
When Dorothy returns to inspect the tavern, she reveals that the "Bar Exam" is named after an exam binder hidden on a literal bar built tall enough for giants to drink at. She presents three randomly selected oral questions.
Failing the exam carries the threat of having ogres unleashed to demolish your business. Below are the verified questions and passing answers recorded during campaign gameplay.
| Question | Correct Option | Guild Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Question 1: A tavern is no place for rogue children. They must be ruthlessly weeded from the premises. How do you tell a dwarf and a child wearing a fake beard apart? | Ask them for beard oil recommendations. | Most children do not have real beards and are not well-versed in beard care products. |
| Question 2: Which of the following services is not guild approved? (Child catapulting / Distribution of shrinking potions / Basilisk stabling) | Any of the three listed options. | The guild rejects all three for distinct bureaucratic reasons: basilisks turn staff into stone; shrinking potions violate the Alchemist's Guild monopoly; catapults count as unregulated siege engines. |
| Question 3: In the landmark case of Thorvac versus the Foggy Sailor, was the judge correct in voiding the plaintiff's privilege to adjudicate beverage consumption and declaring all patrons free to spend their coin as they see fit in recreational businesses? | Yes. | Guild council records agree with upholding patrons' statutory right to spend their coin freely. |
Answering these questions correctly prompts Dorothy to mark her notepad, fold the paper into an envelope, and seal it with heated wax using her signet ring.
Rewards for Joining the Guild
Passing the exam and settling your accounts completes your application:
- Official License: You become a fully certified member of the Tavern Keepers Guild.
- Scenario Completion: Completes the Riverbottom scenario and grants the "Made It Official" achievement.
- Campaign Progression: A guild-appointed conservator takes over the day-to-day operation of your Riverbottom property, instructing you to report immediately to Halflington to operate a tavern during the Harvest Festival.
- Design Workshop: Completing the scenario unlocks full access to the Item Workshop and custom design mode features from the main menu, allowing you to build, customize, and share furniture items.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you fail Dorothy's Bar Exam?
Selecting the verified answers listed above ensures an immediate passing grade. Answering incorrectly triggers Dorothy's failure warnings, threatening to unleash demolition ogres on your tavern.
What is the exact fee for guild dues?
Dorothy references the dues as a one-time membership fee. When settling the kitchen development funds provided earlier in the scenario, she collects a sack containing 190 gold to settle both the debt and the dues simultaneously.
Does refusing Dorothy lock you out of the campaign permanently?
Refusing Dorothy repeatedly leads to the joke "Fade to Black" secret ending where the game quits to the desktop. Relaunching your save file allows you to reload before the dialogue and accept the guild application normally.
What does the elemental Hops do after you join?
Hops serves as a permanent tavern elemental advisor. Once your membership is approved, Hops continues accompanying your campaign journey into subsequent regions like Halflington.
