Arm-Wrestling
Target Number/DS: 20/Opposed.
Arm-wrestling is a simple test of opposed arm strength. Two competitors sit across a table from each other, clasp matching hands (right and right, or left and left), and try to shove the other person’s hand to the surface of the table.
Mechanics
Each round, competitors make Strength checks. If neither competitor reaches the Target Number quickly, they may begin to tire. A character can arm-wrestle for a number of rounds equal to her Constitution, but after that, she must succeed a Constitution check (DC 10) to continue to arm-wrestle. She must check again each round, and the DC increases by 1 for each check she has made. Characters with the Endurance feat gain a +4 bonus to this Constitution check.
When she fails this check, she can no longer arm-wrestle, and automatically loses. If both competitors fail their Constitution checks in the same round, then the winner is whoever had the higher DS (Degree of Success).
A character who fails the above Constitution check incurs a -2 penalty to all Strength-based rolls involving that arm until she can rest for at least one minute.
Variants and Optional Rules
Characters who compete with their off-hands may have a -2 penalty to their Strength checks. Characters with the Ambidexterity feat do not have this penalty.
Sometimes an arm-wrestle is conducted over a pair of spikes or flames, positioned so that the loser’s hand is injured. If this variant is being played, the loser takes 1d4 points of damage, plus the winner’s strength bonus. In addition, her hand is considered injured, incurring a -2 penalty to skills that require the use of that hand, and to attack rolls with that hand. is lasts until the injury is healed.
Wizards and sorcerers occasionally play psychic arm-wrestling, using their own mage hand spells (or, in rare cases, Bigby’s hand spells) to wrestle. Instead of Strength checks, use opposed caster-level checks. Wizards, sorcerers or psions can also sometimes engage in mental conflicts which work in the same way as arm-wrestles, but Intelligence is substituted for Strength and Wisdom is substituted for Constitution. e GM can optionally rule that the loser takes damage.