Tournaments and fairs

[Morrus]

My player's PCs will be attending a tournament next week. It's your usual medieval jousting/archery tourney with accompanying marjet, booths, stalls, fair (fayre?) etc.

I've used quite a bit of stuff from the Quintenssential Fighter, but I need more ideas for contests and games. So far I have:

1) Open Lists - last man standing.
2) Grand Joust
3) Archery
4) An obstacle course/balance/trap-based contest for rogues
5) Various one-on-one combat events.

What I need are more contests, along with ideas for games etc. to be found amongst the various stalls etc. Plus ideas (and rules) for easily-implemented gambling games and so on. Any ideas?

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

(1) catch the Kender: 6 kender are released into a specially designed pen, with approx. 500gp on them. Up to 20 competitors are allowed in. What the kender manage to get belongs to the stall owner, and the PC's get to keep whatever they manage to catch.

(2) Gnome Toss: Substitute a Str check for the gnomes jump roll (running jump). Also make a ranged attack roll (range increment 5ft) to hit targets. Special purse to whoever gets their gnome the farthest, additional prizes for hitting the targets. Targets placed 10ft, 20ft, 30ft, and so on from toss line.

Just off the top of my head. Sorry if I offended any gnomes or kender in the crowd.

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

(3) Whack a Kobold: PC's given padded mallet and told to stand in from of wooded table with 9 holes in it. Each hole connects to an opening in a metal crate full of kobolds. When the PC pays his money, a fire is started under the crate.

Sorry, I forgot that one last time

 

[BadMojo]

I would add a Melee to that list. It depends how much you feel like running a large combat, but it might be fun if it there aren't TOO many participants. The Melee is mentioned a few times as part of Tournaments in George R R Martin's "Song of Fire & Ice" books. As you might imagine, it is exactly what it sounds like!

 

[Bass Puppet]

When all else fails, Drink

You have to have a Ale Drinking Contest. Add +1 to the DC check (Con) for every pint of ale that is consumed. If you are a Dwarf than you get a +1 for every other pint of ale. If you are a Halfling +2 for every pint. Start with a DC 5.

 

[Conaill]

Check out Sir Kendrk's "Courtly Love goes wrong" story thread on

http://boards.wizards.com/rpg/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=135&t=005025&p=

(Also available on the old ENboards - whenever they go up again...)

Not only makes it for a great read, and an excellent example of low-magic, medieval style campaign, but it also has an extensive tournament about halfway down on page 3.

Enjoy!

 

[jdfrenzel]

(2) Gnome Toss

...sweet...

 

[jhallum]

Grand melees

I did a grand melee a few sessions ago in my game, and the player who participated loved it. He's waiting for next year to get his revenge on the bastard who knocked him out. Great fun. I pretty much randomly generated a few important characters using Jamis' char gen program, and winged it from there...

 

[RangerWickett]

Is magic an option here? I know you don't have too much open magic in your world, but there should be some type of competition where any PC magic-user can at least try out, even if she has to use her powers discreetly.

Do you know the 'Jacob's Ladder' game, where you have to try to balance on a ladder that is held at an angle to the ground. A rope is tied to either end, so the thing spins easily to either side. If you can keep your balance and ring the bell at the top, you get a prize.

Maybe, for spellcasters, a hidden competition. The spellcasters who go to the fair set up their own small tournament that isn't approved. The goal is to use three spells to embarrass or mock the non-spellcasters at the fair. If you get caught, you lose, and the winner is judged by group consensus.

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

How about a mage duel or fireball lobbing contest for wizards and sorcerers. Then perhaps the clerics and bards could through down in a insperational oratory contest.
In my experiance you should make shure there's something to do for each character class represented in the party or players end feeling left out.