Tourney Rules

Tournaments feature two specific styles of event: stylized combat and games of skill. In mock combat, opponents practice cavalry skills using lances or spears while on horseback, or they participate in melees that can range from one-on-one challenges between swordsmen to huge skirmishes involving multiple teams. Audience turnout and glory for participants is higher for these events due to the inherent risk they carry.

Games of skill focus on participants demonstrating their expertise in a given art, such as archery or falconry, rather than directly attacking one another. Ladies often participants in such tourney games, as risk of damage is low to non-existent.

Stylized Combat

Use the following rules to determine a win or loss for stylized combat.

  1. Tourneys usually have assigned opponents of different strength values.
  2. +check tourney check for all participants at the start of a bout. This represents your showmanship and skillfulness at rousing the crowd.

Jousting Rules

In a joust, two mounted opponents set their lances and charge at one another. The goal of a joust is dismounting your opponent or, in some tournaments, striking three blows regardless of whether they do damage.

Step Action Details
1. +check Lance On a Critical Failure, your lance breaks before you strike.
2. droll 6d6 for damage on a successful hit droll 12d6 on a critical hit
3. Check for knockdown
  • Compare damage against opponent's SIZ trait.
  • If damage equals or exceeds opponent's SIZ but is not double, your opponent must +check Horsemanship
  • If damage doubles opponent's SIZ, opponent is automatically dismounted and loses.
4. Determine outcome of the pass.
  • No one dismounted: Proceed to next round.
  • You knock your opponent out of the saddle: You win, they droll 1d6 falling damage.
  • Damage is an odd number: Your lance breaks, you must get another one from your squire before the next pass.
  • If you break three lances against the same opponent, both you and your opponent dismount and fight with hand weapons (swords, etc) until one knight is knocked down (see Dueling Rules below, but the fight stops at the first knockdown).
5. Apply damage after subtracting armour and shield and supernatural bonus, if any. Note: Typical armour and shield bonus is 18. Shield bonus only applies if the struck character succeeded in their lance roll.

Dueling Rules

Dueling involves a one-on-one melee challenge between two swordsmen. Damage in this sort of melee is halved after checking for knockdown as blunted weapons (called "rebated" are used. Opponents can also "pull" blows, not striking with full force; if this is done, damage is halved. If blunted weapons are used and blows are pulled, damage is quartered.

Step Action Details
1. +check Sword

* Or other weapon skill as appropriate.

  • On a Critical Failure, you lose your grip on your sword and must spend a round regaining it.

( Other weapons have special rules for Critical Failures and other situations.

2. droll #d6 for damage on a successful hit
  • # is the DR listed on your +sheet
  • droll ##d6 on a critical hit

Example: If you droll 5d6 damage normally, on a crit, you droll 10d6.

3. Check for knockdown
  • Compare damage against opponent's SIZ trait:
  • If damage equals or exceeds opponent's SIZ but not double, opponent: +check DEX. On a success, no change. On a failure, your opponent is knocked down.
  • If damage doubles opponent's SIZ, opponent is automatically knocked down.
4. Determine outcome of roll.
  • Damage lower than opponent's SIZ: Proceed to next round.
  • Double opponent's SIZ in damage: Your opponent is knocked down. You may choose to attack them while they are knocked down for a +5 bonus to your skill (and a -5 to theirs) or honorably let them stand. Proceed to next round.
  • Successful DEX check: You damage but do not knock out opponent. Proceed to next round.
  • Unsuccessful DEX check: Your opponent is knocked down. You may choose to attack them while they are knocked down for a +5 bonus to your skill (and a -5 to theirs) or honorably let them stand. Proceed to next round.
  • The terms of victory are set by the opponents at the beginning of the match, but the standard terms are "First fighter to land three strikes" regardless of knockdowns or damage actually dealt.
5. Apply half or quarter damage after subtracting armour, shield and supernatural bonus, if any. Note: Typical armour and shield bonus is 18. Shield bonus only applies if the struck character succeeded in their weapon roll.

Games of Skill

Archery Rules

Archery participants are paired off, and the winner is the first person to acquire three successful rolls.

Step Action Modifiers
1. +check Bow
2. Determine outcome of the roll Failure: You miss. Proceed to next round.
Critical Failure: Your weapon may be damaged. Lose the bout.

Success: You win the round if your base roll exceeds your opponent's.

Example: On two successful checks, a roll of 7 beats a roll of 4.

Successful Tie: Neither win. Proceed to next round.
Critical Success: You win the round if your opponent does not also crit.
3. Repeat rolls. End once one participant scores 3 successful rolls.

Falconry Rules

Falconry typically features a single roll between paired participants to determine the outcome of a hunt. These rolls represent the whole process of launching a bird in pursuit of specific prey, such as a released rabbit, or hunting to return the best prey.

For a more complicated approach, characters may check Hunting to determine prey flushed out, then Falconry for the bird's ability to hunting, and the bird's Hunting roll versus the prey's Avoidance score.

Step Action Modifiers
1. +check Falconry
2. Determine outcome of the roll Failure: Your bird gets no prey. If both miss, then roll again.
Critical Failure: Your bird has some kind of problem. You lose.

Success: You win the bout if your base roll exceeds your opponent's.

Example: On two successful checks, a roll of 7 beats a roll of 4.

Successful Tie: Neither win. Roll again.
Critical Success: You win the bout if your opponent does not crit.
3. Resolve rolls. Roll again only if both opponents fail or tie.

Performance Rules

A performance is defined as a musical staging of a song or instrumental concert. Typically the judges set a topic or theme to be sung or played. Participants then make a single roll to determine the quality of their material and the audience's response. Often times, performances may encompass several pieces, with one roll for each.

This game of skill uses Singing or Play. Opponents use the same skill; a Singing check is not countered by a Play check. Alternate variations use Orate for speeches, stories, or theatrical performances or Compose for written expression, including poetry, long form verse or even who has the finest calligraphy.

Step Action Modifiers
1. +check Singing Alternates: Compose, Orate, Play
2. Determine outcome of the roll Failure: Your performance is poor. If both miss, then roll again.
Critical Failure: Your performance is terrible. You lose.

Success: You win the performance if your base roll exceeds your opponent's.

Example: On two successful checks, a roll of 7 beats a roll of 4.

Successful Tie: Neither win. Roll again.
Critical Success: You win the performance if your opponent does not crit.
3. Resolve rolls. Roll again only if both opponents fail or tie.
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