Optional Rules: Jousting

This article only covers tournament jousting, not combat jousting. General tournament rules will follow in a later article. These optional rules were written for Swords & Wizardry, using the single saving throw rules.

In a tournament joust, the normal rules for initiative are not used. Instead, both parties are considered attacking at the same time. One normal attack roll is made by each rider during a pass. These attack rolls may be modified by any Strength modifier "to-hit" bonuses. Armor class is NOT modified by Dexterity.

Any modified roll of 11 or better counts as a touch, for 1 Point. The lance does not shatter.

Any modified roll that hits the opponent proper (die roll hits AC 2 [17]), the lance does 2d6 (plus Strength modifier) non-lethal damage, and shatters, counting as 2 Points. Any attack roll that unhorses an opponent shatters the lance, but only counts as 4 Points, not 6.

Any roll of natural 1 unintentionally hits the opponent's horse, usually resulting in paying a monetary penalty to the opponent, and possible disqualification if deemed intentional.

Any roll of natural 20 automatically unhorses the target, no Saving Throw is used.

Riders that are properly hit must roll a Saving Throw, with failure resulting in being unhorsed. Falling from a mount does 1d6 non-lethal damage.

This Saving Throw is modified (up or down) by any difference between the rider's and the opponent's Strength "damage" modifiers, plus any difference between their mounts.

Mount Modifier:
+2   Heavy Warhorse - Destrier
+1   Medium Warhorse - Courser
+0   Light Warhorse - Hobby
-1    Poor Warhorse - Rouncey

Four passes (tilts) will be made, or until one or both riders are unhorsed, whichever is first. It is possible to tie during advancement, but the final challenge to determine champion must be settled.

1 Point - A hit upon the opponent's shield (touch)
2 Point - A proper hit upon an opponent, lance shatters
4 Point - Unhorsing  an opponent, lance shatters but still only counts as 4 Points

Disqualifications occur for the following:

• Intentionally striking an opponent's mount
• Intentionally using a non-blunted lance
• Not bringing one's mount up to speed (moving too slow) during the pass
• Not presenting a proper target (funny business in the saddle like "trick riding")
• Striking an opponent that has dropped their lance
• Intentionally striking an opponent to kill/harm
• The use of magic at any time
• Healing while on the field

Tournament rules are in place for the safety of participants. The games are a matter of honor and skill, with the risk of severe injury and death reduced when possible. Participants that intentionally cheat, reduce the status of the tournament and cheapen the affair.

The use of magic is prohibited. The use of unusual or enhanced mounts is prohibited, including a paladin's special warhorse. Magical healing during the tournament is prohibited.

Participants must wear plate mail, helmet, and shield. They must also use a warhorse. These rules ensure that only properly trained mounts are used, and the participants are protected.. with the unspoken understanding that the cost of such equipment also keeps "the rabble" out of competing.

The DM may create additional rules or change rules as they wish, but MUST announce the rules at the start of the tournament.

Game Aids: D30 Alphabet Dice

Sometimes, even the best of us, has a brain fart. We're going along without interruption and suddenly.. WHAM.. mental block. It doesn't even have to be a big blockage, just something simple, like needing to figure out the name of an NPC or a town. There are extensive lists and tables filled with names of such persons, places, and things, but sometimes all you really need is a first letter, or first few letters, to help jump start you along. That's where the, D30 Letter DieTable, comes in handy.

The above table is based on the two specialty alphabet d30's, from Koplow Dice. These are the two we have on our personal game table. We are making this table available here in case you don't have access to one of these specialty dice. Feel free to personalize and substitute your own preferred letter combinations for any Wild results rolled.

Use any method you want to roll names. You can roll the first letter, first and last letter, or any other combination. The reason I like to use the letter dice is because it forces me to break out of my normal mindset. I tend to favor some letters over others, when picking "random" names, which causes a lot of headaches when most names in my campaign begin to look and sound similar.

Game Aids: S&W Complete Combat and Save Tables

The following two tables are part of a DM Screen that we're making for our home campaign. They use the Base Attack Bonus (with Ascending Armor Class), and Single Saving Throw, rules options from Swords & Wizardry Complete. 

If you so desire, just click on the pictures to see them at full size, and save to your device for your convenience.

Optional Rules: Magnificient Mounts

OR, What Color Is My Horse?

"Young Wyatt's eyes were glued to the riders on either side of the jousting list. He couldn't believe how fast their mounts moved as they barreled towards each other, hooves thundering, their rider's armor flashing in the bright sunlight as their lances locked into place. It only took seconds for the horses to reach each other and the impact the lances made upon the opposing shields was tremendous, but the horses kept stride as if nothing had happened.

The 12 year old couldn't help but be fascinated by the horses. He started working with them at the age of 6 when he entered the service of Sir Aston Wyndham, a local knight. Because of his lowly birth, Sir Wyndham could not take Wyatt on as either paige nor squire. However, he did allow Wyatt to serve as a stable hand for Wyatt loved being around all the horses. He had a knack for getting them to behave. Especially Sir Wyndham's spirited Hobby, Shadow.

The cheers from the jousting field brought the boy's attention back to the riders. One of them had just been unhorsed and his squire was chasing after the knight's loose Courser. As the squire worked to get the wayward mount under control, the crowd started to murmur. Wyatt looked to the end of the field. He had only heard tales of how large and powerful a Destrier was, but he never imagined that he would see one. The horse was so big, the boy could have walked right under its belly without having to duck. His eyes were glued to the field as the riders lined up, the Destrier pawing at the ground, ready to charge. And then the thunder began. The rider urged the Destrier forward and Wyatt could feel the ground shake every time a hoof struck the dirt. He had to duck for cover as the rider's lances hit each other's shields. There was so much power behind the Destrier, that both lances exploded into splinters as the other rider was knocked off his horse, slamming into the dirt some feet away. Wyatt couldn't believe it! He had never seen anything like this before.

"Wyatt!" A voice called out. "Wyatt! Where are you? There is still work to be done!" Wyatt jumped. He was in for it now. He was supposed to be out getting water for Sir Wyndhams Courser. He had stopped to watch the joust instead. He climbed off of the fence that he had been using for a seat, dropped onto the bucket he had used as a step stool, then ran towards the trough as fast as his scrawny legs could carry him."

Horse breeding in medieval times was very different from modern horse breeding. Unlike modern times, where breeders keep track of breeds and bloodlines, medieval horse breeders did not. The animals were seen as transportation and tools for farming. But eventually, horses made their way on to the battlefield and people began to realize how essential a good horse was. They began to breed horses for selective traits. Most medieval horses were bred for a purpose and were classified into several categories. A break down of the various categories follows.

Destriers: Destriers were highly prized and admired for their war capabilities. They were well trained and required to be strong, fast, and agile. They were not very common and were well suited for jousting. While they were big, they weren't always as big as modern draft horses (ex. a Clydesdale). They were also encourage to be spirited and aggressive. These are the equivalent of a heavy war horse

Coursers: Coursers were light, fast, and strong. They were a cheaper version of a destrier and more common among poorer knights. While they were commonly used for battle, they were also used for hunting. They are classified as medium war horses.

Hobby: A hobby is a light weight war horse that is known for being quick and agile. It was commonly used by light cavalry for skirmishing or hit and run tactics.

Rouncey: A Rouncey was a general all-purpose horse. It could be used for riding or war. Commonly used by poor knights or squires. They can sometimes be used as pack horses, but never cart horses.

Palfrey: A Palfrey could be just as expensive as a Destrier. It was popular among Nobles and highly ranked knights for riding, hunting, and ceremonial use.

Jennet: A Jennet is a smaller horse or pony, favored by the ladies. They are easier to care for than a Palfrey and many ladies would use them for pilgrimages or traveling long distances. 

Cart Horse: These are horses that are not trained to handle a rider. They are only used for pulling carts.

Donkey : Mostly used as pack animals or work animals. They can be ridden, but only by light weight riders.

Mule: Mostly used as a pack animal. They are generally more docile and easier to handle than a horse, but it cannot be used to breed. They are bigger than donkeys.


Suggested pricing for horses:

• Destrier 400g
• Courser 200g
• Hobby 100g
• Rouncey 50g
• Palfrey 150g
• Jennet 40g
• Cart Horse 20g
• Mule 20g
• Donkey 8g

A horse's coloring can be extremely varied. There are so many possible combinations of base colors, patterns, and markings that it became next to impossible to draw up a random horse table without it being 2 pages long. So after many failed attempts, and several moments where I ALMOST threw my computer out the window, I stripped it down to the most common markings and colorings. In order to use the table, first roll to determine your horse's color. Then roll to determine if the horse has any markings. Some results may increase the value of the horse. A lack of markings, or a pure white color, was really desirable. 

Colors: Roll 1d6 to determine the base color

1: Bay: Body color ranges from a light redish brown to a dark brown with black manes, tail, and lower legs. Can have Markings

2: Black: Solid black coat. Can have Markings.

3: Buckskin: The body coloring is similar to a tanned deer skin with a black mane and tail. No markings

4: Chestnut: Reddish body color with no black. The mane and tail are the same color. Can have Markings

5: Grey: Solid Grey coloring. Can have markings

6: White: Solid White Coloring. No Markings. Increase the horses value by 50% due to a rare coloring.

Type of Markings: Roll 1d6

1-2: No markings. Increase horses value by 10% 

3-4: Facial Marking

5-6: Leg Markings

Facial Markings: Roll 1d12

1: Blaze: Wide strip of white on the face that stops around the nostrils.

2: Stripe: A thinner version of the Blaze.

3: Stripe and Nose: Stripe that runs past the nose and across the lips.

4: Irregular Blaze: An oddly shaped stripe running across the face.

5: Interrupted Stripe: The stripe is broken on the horses face.

6: Bald Face: A wide Blaze that covers most of the horses face. The horse might have blue eyes because of this.

7: Faint Star: Horse have a very small white spot (usually shaped like a diamond) on its forehead.

8: Star: White spot on the forehead, usually shaped like a diamond.

9: Irregular Star: Oddly shaped white spot on the forehead.

10: Star and Stripe: Stripe on the face that blends into a star. The star must be wide than the stripe in order for this marking to be called a Star and Stripe.

11: Snip: Just a little white spot on the nose of the horse.

12: Lip Masking: White marking on one or both lips.

Leg Markings: How many legs are marked? Roll 1d8

1: Front Right

2: Front Left

3: Back Right

4: Back left

5: Front legs, both with the same marking

6: Back legs, both with the same markings

7: Front legs, both have different markings

8: Back legs, both have different markings

Type of Leg Markings: Roll 1d10

1-2 Stocking: white marking that extends at least to the bottom of the knee or hock, sometimes higher.

3-4 Sock: white marking that extends higher than the fetlock (ankle joint) but not as high as the knee or hock. This marking is sometimes called a "boot."

5-6 Fetlock: white marking that extends just over the fetlock(ankle joint), occasionally called a "boot."

7-8 Pastern: white marking that extends above the top of the hoof, but stops below the fetlock.

9-10 Coronet: white band just above the hoof , usually no more than 1 inch high

Age of Horse: Roll 1d6

1 Foal: A young horse that is under one year of age. It can be either male or female. Subtract 25% from the base price of the horse since it cannot be ridden until it becomes a yearling. Roll 1d6. 1-3 is Male. 4-6 is female

2 Yearling: A horse of either sex that is between one and two years old. Roll 1d6. 1-3 is Male. 4-6 is female

3 Colt: A male horse between the age of two and four.

4 Filly: A female horse between the age of two and four.

5 Mare: A female horse four years old and older.

6 Stallion: A non-castrated male horse four years old and older.

--------------------------------

Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_coat_color

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horses_in_the_Middle_Ages#Breeding

http://stores.renstore.com/history-and-biography/horses-in-the-middle-ages#.WojFB_nwbIU

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_markings

About the Author

Today's article is by our special guest contributor, Rachel Williams. Rachel is a manager at a popular national food franchise, and long-time gamer in both video and table-top media. She is an avid history buff and can often be found glued to the PBS channel and streaming documentaries.. usually far later into the night than she should.

She lives in Upstate New York, with her adorable cat and equally adorable husband (the Editior). 

New Magic Items: The Golden Helmet of Mambrino

The Golden Helmet of Mambrino

Once belonging to the legendary giant warrior, Mambrino, this simple golden helmet was endowed with wondrous properties. When worn, the user is immune to decapitation. Furthermore, no blow to the head (while wearing the helmet, of course) can ever cause harm or death. However, blows to the helmet can still cause the wearer to be knocked off their feet, unhorsed, etc., as per normal.

As a magical item, the helmet will perfectly fit whomever places it upon their head. Only intelligent humanoids may attempt to wear this item.

Rembrandt, Man in a Golden Helmet, circa 1650

According to legend, the giant, Mambrino, challenged the noble paladin, Sir Varidor, known to wield a vorpal sword. Immune to the sword's magics, Mambrino, battled the paladin from sunrise to sunset, with neither able to strike a fatal blow. As the day drew on, both combatants agreed to stop for rest periods and meals. Only in the late evening, tired, hot, and weary, did the giant forget to replace his helmet before rejoining the combat. Sir Varidor, was finally able to strike the final blow that ended the giant's life.

Optional Rules: Situational Bonus

Image courtesy of https://www.goodfreephotos.com

Situational Bonus - Sometimes, if a player fails a die roll by 1 point, I'll watch to see if the player (not character) stuck their tongue out during the attempt. If they did, I give it to them.

And if they catch on, I roll a d6 to see if it counts depending on where the tongue was sticking out.

1-2   player's left side of mouth

3-4   player's mouth, center

5-6   player's right side of mouth

Why? Because it's a game, and we play to have fun.

P.S. Funny faces, vocal sound effects, and appropriate movie quotes have been known to invoke bonuses now and then.

The Evolution of Our Mascot

It took over a year to complete the visual evolution of our mascot, Redcap. The original image was a black and white sketch of a Brownie from page 212 of "English Fairy Tales" (Jacobs, J., 1895 New York: Grosset & Dunlap), found in the public domain. We chose it because it looked comical and fitting for our "nasty little blighter."

We wanted our own mascot that people could identify with our work, similar to Flying Buffalo's iconic Grimtooth the Troll from the infamous "Grimtooth's Traps" series. We named our mascot Redcap after a group of evil little tricksters who supposedly kept their caps red by dipping them in the blood of their victims. We imagined Redcap as a comical Fey "Dungeon Master" who takes great pleasure in the misfortunes of their players. (Addendum: No harm has come to the actual players in my D&D campaign.)

While I'm not very artistically inclined, I did make the original black and white image's cape red. Although it was okay, it was still pretty generic and needed personalizing. We had to find an artist who could bring out the imp's personality to represent our blog.

After following artist James V. West on-line, we quickly realized that he was perfect for the job. While many talented artists exist, West possessed the exact style and artistic vision we needed for such an important project. Redcap isn't just a cartoon character; it's our brand, and it had to represent the spirit of our work.

Once we chose James, we left it up to him to capture the character visually, except for necessary background details. We believe that you don't tap a creative artist and then restrict them. An artist must be free to create, and you want them to feel like the subject is as much their child as yours. That's how you inspire the best work, and James delivered within hours. He took the reins and ran with it!

We are proud to present to you our gleeful little reprobate mascot, Redcap. James V. West created the images on the left, while the image on the right is the colorized version of the original public domain image we used in 2017.

Image Copyright Gerald Williams, created by artist James V. West