Xorvintaal Dragons- Who has used them and how did it go?

[megamania]

Today I was reading carefully the Monster Manual 5's description of Xorvintaal. This is a "game" played by Dragons only.

Who here has used the template / plot device and how did it go? Did you use Exarchs?

Anyone try to better define the rules of the game?

 

[Asmor]

I think you're missing the point a bit, when you ask if anyone's tried to devise rules for the game. The whole game is just an excuse for you to do whatever the heck you want, without your players asking why nothing makes sense.

Q: Why is there a well-maintained dungeon under the desert?
A: A dragon put it there to hide its gigaplats from its enemies.

Q: Why is there an aboleth in an isolated 20x20 room on the fifth floor of said dungeon?
A: The dragon put it there to eat you.

Q: Why are we exploring this god-forsaken dungeon in the first place?
A: Because your patron dragon is trying to perform a castle maneuver to net himself an extra 12 brownie points for this cycle and if you don't he'll eat you.

 

[megamania]

That is the reasoning. When I do adventures, I like to think a lot about the background activities of the foes also. So, what kind of background activities will the dragons use to win?

I like defined reasons / rules I guess. Especially since some of these games go 100's of years. That seems like it should be more than a mere sneak in and take my hoard with your exarchs and minions.

Could be just me.

 

[Ion]

That seems like it should be more than a mere sneak in and take my hoard with your exarchs and minions.

Absolutly it is. I'm sure that things like taking control of all the vice in the royal city has got to net a dragon some points (or at least more treasure to spend on the great game.)

Convincing a church to declare the exarchs of a rival dragon "heretics", definitely worth some points.

Being crowned 'king" of a human kingdom, definatly points to be had there. Especially when you defend your position against all the other players of the Great game who don't like your favorable position.

Essentially anything that gives a dragon more power or more followers or more treasure is worth points. Probably you gain more points if you do riskier things.

 

[earthbinder]

but then again, granting control of all the Vice in Royal City to a rival dragon grants you more points.

skillfull placing your rival into a position where he has to display who he is to escape from a different rivals Exarchs nets more points

Winning a Sacred Draconic relic, and then giving it to the second placer nets more points and loses the second placer a massive amount.

sacrificing yourself to save all of dragonkind and the plane from destruction:
lots of points if you succeed
More points if you survive
Mention in the great rules of the Game if you do so and cause all your rivals to lose points in the process by manipulating their Exarchs into joining you

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I think you're missing the point a bit, when you ask if anyone's tried to devise rules for the game. The whole game is just an excuse for you to do whatever the heck you want, without your players asking why nothing makes sense.

Q: Why is there a well-maintained dungeon under the desert?
A: A dragon put it there to hide its gigaplats from its enemies.

Q: Why is there an aboleth in an isolated 20x20 room on the fifth floor of said dungeon?
A: The dragon put it there to eat you.

Q: Why are we exploring this god-forsaken dungeon in the first place?
A: Because your patron dragon is trying to perform a castle maneuver to net himself an extra 12 brownie points for this cycle and if you don't he'll eat you.

Yup. Its not intended that the players ever understand the rules of the game or what is going on, etc. At best perhaps the DM might invent some plot that involves the characters figuring out some aspect of what some dragon is going to do. In 4e terms it would be like a skill challenge and you maybe win the challenge and the DM says "You believe the dragon's next logical move would be BLAH."

The whole thing is just a cheap plot hook generator where the DM can always explain away anything as "part of the game".