Runequest games

[Utgardloki]

While reading a paragraph about fantasy sports, I got the idea that it might really spice up a Runequest game to have the PCs play games in the game. So, I thought I'd start up a thread here looking for ideas to make this idea work.

I think to appeal to the widest variety of players, there should be different types of games. Some would be based on Athletics, while others would be based on Lore (<particular game>) Other games could be based on other skills such as Perception and Influence. (Or even Resilience, for a drinking game.)

A simple drinking game
Each turn, the players drink some strong drink, and make a Resilience check to stay in the game. Each round the player that does not get a Critical Success takes a cummulative 1% penalty to Resilience rolls for the rest of the day. After three failures, the player passes out and is out of the game. Last player still standing wins.

A more intricate drinking game
A player is given a quantity of strong drink, requiring a Resilience check to stay awake. Then he has to try to get some randomly chosen NPC to come to the table, which requires an Influence roll, however a Resilience check has to be made to have a chance, as the player is trying not to make it obvious that he is drunk. He has to make three successes before making three failures, and there is a randomly determined adjustment (typically +30% to -70%; GM rolls 1D4, subtracts 1D8, and multiplies by 10).

Warlords, a board game
This game is played on a gridded board with different color tokens. Each of two players start with 10 tokens. Each turn, the players make a Lore (Warlords game) check; success means she keeps all her tokens on the board. Failure means she loses a token. If she gets a Critical Success and her opponent fails, she gains a token. First player to run out of tokens loses.

 

[captrooper]

It does work - we had a game of 'One-Hundred' a drinking game played by the local clan. The idea is to drink as many horns of ale (but could be mugs of beer or whatever) within the count of 100 seconds (as counted by the onlookers). As many can play as you want as long as there is someone to count!
The game mechanics of one-hundred are: first horn drunk at resiliance +30, second at +20, third at +10, forth at skill level, fith at -10 etc, to a max of -30 no matter how many horns are drunk. A fumble means you couldn't handle the volume of liquid and are sick, ending the contest for you. A failure means you take 1d10+20 seconds to down the horn. A success means you take 1d10+15 seconds to down the horn. A critical success means you take only 1d10+10 seconds to down the ale. This represents the actual physical action of drinking down an increasing volume liquid at speed.
The second resiliance test is for the opposed roll against the potency of the ale.

The drinking rules from S&P 45 (I think they are now also in a printed supplement) were used to create this game.

 

[EricJ]

Gamemasters and players can get ideas for games from many sources, both on Earth and from old RQ publications. Borderlands had the Garhound contest. Trollpak had Trollball and troll drinking games. Apple Lane had chess, and so did the Gorgorma write-up. A referee who wants to make something up can adapt game ideas from "Winning ways for your mathematical plays", by Berlekamp, Conway, and Guy.

To make things more confused and Gloranthan, don't use modern rules for chess. Perhaps the Brithini don't have the pawn's double move. Only Jrustela in the West has the full queen's move; everyone else in that empire uses the firz instead. The Holy Country would use the Amazon (Queen + Knight) instead of the Queen. Teleos uses dice to determine which pieces may move, like old Indian chatauranga. Maniria might not have castling. Two players from different cultures might duel over rules confusions.

 

[Utgardloki]

I have an old issue of Dragon Magazine that has rules for playing Chess in D&D. Instead of defining where the pieces are on the board, the method was to have each player choose one of six strategies, make a Chess Playing roll, and then read off a chart to find out how their general situation evolved.

I plan to eventually find that issue and adapt it to Runequest.

I've also come up with other ideas:

Darts

Also applies to Archery or any other game where the players try to hit a target with a ranged weapon. Each player makes three attacks, getting 1 point for a success, 3 points for a critical success. Or a player may try for a tricky shot -- reduce his effective skill by half, and then he gets 5 points for a critical success.

Stones

Two teams of seven players compete to carry five stones from a pile of ten at the center of the ring to their own area at the edge of the ring. There are several complicating factors:

* Each stone weighs about 80 pounds.

* There is an eigth player on each team, called The Healer, who has special rights and restrictions,

* Magic can be used. In fact, the use of magic is expected.

* A player (except for the healer) who leaves the ring for any reason is out of the game. Many players happen to be airborne when they leave the ring.

* No weapons may be used.

* Did I mention that each team had a "healer"? Usually this is an actual healer.

* Players are expected to have their last will and testament up to date before they enter the ring.

Obviously this is a game that requires careful planning and strategy, and not just successful Athletics skill rolls.