DM-Nastics #113: Score A Goal, Unit, Basket!

I would have thought that the answer to our own games or collaborative would be obvious: both!

For my go to setting there's the Great Coast Games: the fantasy Olympics.

First devised and put into action over four hundred years ago because four nations were unable to maintain the war between them, the GCG started out with 6 events spread out over a week. That extended to 30 events held over 3 months. Most events take a few days to finish simply because of the number of competitors, with the exception of the Chaotic Melee.

Events are split into 3 categories: Athletic, Martial, and Mental.
Athletic events are:

• Barrel Roll
  
• Bronc Riding (saddled and bareback)
  
• Deep Dive
• Horse Racing*
• Log Race
• Long Jump
• Long Swim Race
• Marathon*
• Oar Race
• Rock Climbing
• Short Foot Race
• Short Swim Race

As you might have guessed, most are some form of race. The one exception is the Deep Dive, as far down as you can go on one breath. If you can't make it back up before passing out, you are disqualified.

Martial events are:

• Archery
• Boxing
  
• Chaotic Melee*
• Conjuration Duel
• Fencing
• Javelin Throw
• Jousting
  
• Mage Duel
• Phalanx Rush*
• Rope War
• Wrestling
  

Most are self explanatory, the Chaotic Melee takes all of the competitors, gives them dulled weapons, throws them in an arena and the last one still standing is the winner. Rope War is Tug-o-War while the Phalanx Rush is similar, albeit instead of a rope it's a phalanx formation and instead of trying to pull the opposing team past the center line you're trying to push them past their starting point. Mage Duel bans summoning, but otherwise just about anything goes.

Mental events are:

• Alchemical Brew
  
• Enchantment Weave
  
• Long-Hand Draw*
• Scrap Forge
• Swords and Shields*

Alchemical Brew, Enchantment Weave, and Scrap Forge are all crafting competitions where groups of four are given assorted junk and have 3 rounds to make something good out of it. At the end of each round, one competitor is eliminated. Then the victors are gathered into groups of four and the process repeats. Long-Hand Draw is basically fantasy!poker that I don't have rules for. Swords and Shields is my take on fantasy!chess/fantasy!hnefatafl.

Played with 2-4 players, on a 10x10 board with each player having 20 pieces: 18 swords and 2 shields.

S - Shield

s - Sword

The basic rules: you can move 4 pieces per turn, each piece can move 1 square, swords interact like chess pawns except they can move in any direction, you can win in one of two ways: surround both of your opponent's shields with your swords or get both of your shields across to where your opponent's side of the board. Shields cannot be taken out like swords can, but neither can they take out pieces either.

The origin was the 4-way war between the city-states of Chor Kolav, Argoport, Glastig, and the then young Aetherian kingdom (the one that ended with the formation of the Great Coast Games).

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Now, as to the collaborative game, I'll take the burden of naming it: Warbreaker

1. What is the name of the game?

Swashbuckle!

2. How many teams and what size?

Two Teams, anywhere from 8-20 depending on size of crew

3. What equipment is used?

A “Ball” (usually fish, or rotting fruit) , Rapiers, a “basket” (generally the crows nest), ships, planks, rigging lines and a fair amount of liquor never hurt.

4. How is scoring achieved?

The captain of one ship must get the ball in the crows nest of another.

5. How does the game end?

Two to three hours or 20 points or death, which ever comes first.

6. Any other rules, strategies, or commentary?

Traditionally played by pirates to avoid loss of crew and cargo, ships would pull up broadside to each other and lash planks.

The Captains would meet on the planks while the crews would climb the riggings.

The Crew of one ship then flings the “ball” at the opposing captain who pierces it with their blade and flings it back towards the other ships crows nest. A ball in the nest is one point. It was often common for crews to toss the “ball” amongst each other in the rigging to try and confuse the opposing Captain, before throwing it at him.

If a Captain falls from the planks, their ship loses a point. If a Captain dies it is an automatic loss.

The Captain can choose a proxy if there is someone better with a rapier on the ship, but this person will then be considered the actual Captain for the duration of the game.


Though not officially part of the rules, and having no impact on scoring, Captains are expected to be clever and fling insults at the opposing crew and Captain, as well as display fancy footwork and style with their blade.

It is not uncommon for the crew to fling the contents of the bilge across ships, though it is considered bad form to aim for the Captain.

Though less common now, it is also traditional to fill the water between ships with bait to call up predators between ships.

The winning Captain selects an item from the cargo as their prize. Personal items are off limits. It is expected that captain selects the most valuable so as to earn the most for the rest of his crew, though it is up to the Captain.

7. How long has the game existed?

In its current form it has been played for several hundred years. However there are murals and mosaics in ruins thousands of years old that depict fishing ships using spear to play a similar game.

8. What is a contest of historic proportions and why?

Possibly the single most important game of Swashbuckle ever was played between the Pirate Queen, Sestra Storm and the Triton king Tiber Fontus. Having seen her beauty and her power over the years as she stalked the shipping lanes above his kingdom, he fell in love with her. After several attempts to garner her attention, he finally laid siege to her ship, holding it hostage until she agreed to marry him. Trying to buy time, she agreed on the condition that he beat her in swashbuckle, which he could only play if he had a ship. To her surprise he had his court wizards raise a shipwreck from the depths that very day. At first she was frustrated until she realized the shipwreck was the famous Tempest Mor, lost thirty years past, and with it the Crown of the kingdom of Sangar. Now playing with double the incentive, she won.

In the after math of this game, the history of the world changed. Sangar, in a war of succession, ended up an unexpected ruler when she sold the lost crown to the highest bidder, cementing their claim to the throne. Also; feeling tricked, Tiber Fontus forbid all kingdoms and ships use of the shipping lanes above his kingdom, complete shifting the center of power in the world as new trade routes needed to be found. And last but not least, Sestra her self became the wealthiest, most famous and most powerful pirate to have ever lived. The wealth she earned from selling the crown of Sangar allowed her to buy a fleet of ships, after which her flag and name became the most well known and most feared in history. In a small bit of irony, she did end up becoming Tiber’s consort, but of her own desire. The child they had together has taken over her fleet and is quickly living up to his mother name.

9. Anything else!

The game has become somewhat popular with the Navies of a couple different kingdoms. They have streamlined the rules, and use an official “buckle” or ball, a sharks bladder filled with sand and sewn with loops all over. They use blunted rapiers to catch the loops and they use baskets tied to the masts as their goals. The Prize in these games are small pennants, and they have yearly league competitions. Gone are the insults, the shark infested waters and the “bilge fight”. Despite this rather domesticated version, it is a substantial source of betting in Naval port towns and teams and colors are often championed.

Another little known fact; the game is the source of the term Swashbuckler.

1. What is the name of the game?
"Primes"

2. How many teams and what size?
5 teams of 3 members each

3. What equipment is used?
Brains and brawn; tools, weapons, and magic are permitted, but lethality against other teams is forbidden

4. How is scoring achieved?
The game provides for a first place winner and a second place winner, and is played in 3 stages all inside the same arena.

In stage one, all five teams are on an all out race to obtain one of 3 available keys, which are used in stage 2. The keys are usually hidden inside some kind of puzzle, or defended by a unique creature.

In stage two, the teams with the three keys must ascend a difficult climb to a raised platform. The two teams who do not posses keys at this time are eliminated from achieving first place. However, they still have the opportunity to achieve second place during stage 3. All keys must be placed in the relevant locations before a magical forcefield is broken, releasing two orbs. The teams race to obtain one of the orbs.

In stage three, the teams who posses the orbs must descend the platform and race to a ring at one end of the arena. The team to place an orb inside a ring first gets first place. The team that places the second orb gets second place. In this stage, the teams who lost stage one have a chance to steal second place by jumping a team in the lead and stealing their orb. Complicating matters are a release of monstrous constructs and traps that hamper players' efforts to place the orbs and add an element of randomization to the game. 

5. How does the game end?

The game ends when both orbs are placed through their respective rings. 

6. Any other rules, strategies, or commentary?

Some teams prefer to play very physically, attempting to steal from others (either the key or the orb). Other teams make an emphasis on speed and ability to avoid the others. 

The ability to place first or second makes tournaments interesting, because it affects the bracket placement. 

7. How long has the game existed?

Its only been played for the past dozen years or so. 

8. What is a contest of historic proportions and why?

Because there are many players and several teams on the field at once, there can be an interesting dynamic of alliances made and broken. A contest of historic proportion is the culmination of the annual "playoff" tournament at the end of the regular season. 

9. Anything else!

Did I mention monstrous constructs? We're talking gargoyles, elementals, oozes. 

The game can be played once, or multiple games can be played in succession with a score keeper tallying team points along the way. A first place win is worth 11 points, and a second place win is worth 7 points. The regular season keeps a running tally, and the top teams in competition head to the playoff tournament. 

1. Buckle wrestling.

2. 1 vs 1

3. each player wears a belt with a brightly collored buckle, the player can chose how he wears the belt placing the buckle at the front side or back

4. pinnin down your openent and then toching your hand to your bucle holding it there 3 secons and then touching the oponent with the same hand.

5. it is usualy played in a best out of 3 format

6. there is a focus on leg locks and pins becouse you want to have one hand free to touch your buckle to score a point. While preventing your oponent from doing the same.

7. The wrestling style rose to popularity with the introduction of the crossbow that is ofte used at closer range in urban settings.
It was used as a training tool for crosbowmen and city guard that onlu wore a dagger as their 2nd weapon.
Touching the buckle 3 seconds and then touching you openent represents that you would have had enough time to draw your dagger and stab.

Warbreaker 3 continued: The staff is enchanted such that upon striking another player with significant force, they are teleported to a holding area and replaced with a simulacrum of their mangled corpse. The staff is also teleported to a random location in the arena at least 20 feet from the pit. The pit casts feather fall on anyone falling down it and teleports them to the holding area.

Warbreaker 4: Season rank scoring is complex. A team earns 2 points per opponent defeated with the staff, 3 points per opponent cast in the pit, and 5 points per team member remaining at the end of the game. If a team possess the staff for a full minute with landing a successful blow (abandoning the staff is considered to leave it in possession of the team until another team claims it), then they lose a point, losing another point each minute until a successful blow is landed.

Warbreaker 5: The game ends when one team is left standing. The field is darkened and the simulacrum bodies removed. The victorious team will often leap down the pit in the darkness.

How about a game called "Bladeball"? Where both players stand in front of a steam/magic powered tennis ball thrower with a short or longsword and try to deflect them. The first person to block 10 balls wins. The difficulty/reward depends on how fast the balls are going and what type of sword is being used. You can also swap the balls for arrows if its a gladiatorial thing. This is a game that I play irl by holding a nerf sword and blocking things that my friends throw at me. Just a nice little thought I had.

This game is run worldwide by the leader of the thieves guild, and is used for a number of reasons. The most obvious reason is for the entertainment of thieves, and recruitment into the guild. The second reason, for entertainment of the laymen, is also part of the game, as it is a distraction from the fact that they are targets. Thirdly, the game has levels, with obvious games and those that need to be uncovered over time, and ultimately create tiers within the organization, which has ultimately lead to the pursuit of power.

1. What is the name of the game?
The name of the game which is public is the Dayeimbe dice. The true name of the game is the Unsung King.


2. How many teams and what size?

In the Unsung King, teams are optional, and as teams can be formed falsely, there is no way to truly know how many teams there are.
There are, however, two teams competing at once for the public game of  Dayeimbe dice. Each team consists of 3 participants


3. What equipment is used?

Dayeimbe Dice: Each player has a dice made of bone, with 20 sides. There is a mat in the middle of the table with 5 rings around and a drink in the center. The dice themselves are made of bone, and each have a character representing a number between 1 and 20. There are also cards, each with 4 different values on each side between -2 and 2 to be used for the two players competing for premier.

4. How is scoring achieved?

Dayeimbe Dice: The players must alternate around the table, so that no two players from the same team are directly next to each other. To decide who goes first, there is a neutral party, the arbiter, who must have a riddle on hand for the captains of each team to answer, whoever answers first begins the rolling of the game. The dice are rolled onto the table, and the number showing on the dice counts as the number of points awarded to the team. Each ring can have a max of 3 dice, and if both teams have dice in the same ring, they must compete for premier. Each participant in the ring must play one of their cards in the position of their choosing. The numbers of the cards effect the rolls and cards around them. The numbers on the top and bottom are added to the closest rolls in the rings directly above them and below them. This number reflects the total score of the card, but the dice gain this new value as well, regardless of if they are on your team or not. The side numbers effect the values of the cards in play competing for premier. Whichever player has the highest value card earns premier for their team, and the other rolls are no longer valid. Any roll of a 20 automatically earns success in premier, and a value of 1 automatically forfeits that player's roll. If any player hits the drink, they must drink it and buy a round for everyone spectating. If a player can not afford drinks for spectators, his rolls are disqualified.


5. How does the game end?

The game ends when all scores are tallied and resolved, and the team with the highest score wins. When a game ends, the winning team collects the difference in scores in gold from the opposite team

6. Any other rules, strategies, or commentary?

There are so many other rules
As I mentioned, Dayeimbe Dice is a front for the true game, the Unsung King. Everyone competing in the Unsung King begins as an individual. While part of the Unsung King is tied to Dayeimbe Dice, not all Dice players are playing the Unsung King. Every dice player can begin participating by purchasing cards or dice, though there are many that are either made by hand or stolen. Entrance to the Unsung King can be by chance. When participating for premier, if the player places their card face down, has the card back of a key, flips it over, and turns it sideways, they begin participation in a new game, whether they know it or not. If they do not know what they are doing, they are approached after the game by the arbiter and led to the thieves guild to be recruited and join the Unsung King. If the player is aware, the numbers take on a new value, it is a bet. The total of the numbers on each side (in the same ring) is the amount of gold being anted for the game. Things become a bit murkier at this point, because each player is competing individually, and teams of the game could consist of players colluding with each other on each side.
Sometimes, there are cards and dice that seem to win games more often then not, and that is because they are designed to. Many dice are weighted for play styles, and special cards are obtained from underground games. These underground games are not advertised, and must be broken into. If a player can not pick the lock to these games, or navigate the dungeon or labyrinth leading to them, they can not enter. These games are significantly different, as they too have layers. For those who are unaware even at this stage, a game of Dayeimbe Dice begins. Players in the know must give the arbiter a password, and after the game show them proof that they stole dice or cards from their opponents. How they obtain this password is up to them. If they can prove they were successful in stealing without capture, they receive a card, a dice, and a note and key.
The dice and card are designed to be superior in games of Dayeimbe Dice. The map and key, however, lead the players to the next level of the game, an artifact that they are assigned to retrieve for the guild. The note is a written in code, and must be deciphered to find out what their next objective is. If the player deciphers incorrectly, they are often sent on a wild goose chase or think they have finished when they have not. The ledger gives the player 3 objectives, an retrieve an artifact which is named, gain influence over a political power of their choosing, and create a lock that can't be picked by the Unsung King. If a participant can find the Unsung King, provide proof that they have won 3 world championships of Dayeimbe Dice and completed their objectives, and the Unsung King can not pick their lock, they are the new Unsung King, the leader of thieves everywhere! This can be proven by a distinct signet ring which is passed from one to the other.

7. How long has the game existed?

Much like the identity of the game and those participating in it, this is not known.