Moto-Jousting

Recently, Kaptain Kobold posted a set of jousting rules on his blog. I found the topic appealing so I decided to give them a go. However, I don't have any individually based knights. I improvised with some motorcycles from Microworld. Knightriders anyone?

At least I'm not the only one with unusual jousters.

Anyway, I gave Atteint! a go. Sir Baldwin (blue) met up with Sir Reynold (red).

In the first pass, Sir Reynold scored a glancing blow while Sir Baldwin missed. Baldwin did better in the second pass, scoring a hit, but Reynold broke a lance. In the final pass, Baldwin missed again (even though he focused on his aim!) while Reynold broke another lance! Final score was 5-1 in Reynold's favor.

In Atteint!, players try to raise their stats in Balance, Aim, and Force as they advance down the list. Each one plays a role so the player must manage the stats for the best effect. This requires a bit of thought for the player, a prime consideration for jousting rules otherwise they can just turn into a dice fest. Overall, the rules worked fine given their design goals. I just felt that it was a bit too much management for a lazy, solo gamer like me. ;)

I decided to work up my own, lazy gamer set of jousting rules. I dispensed with the stat management process. Instead, knights gained a bonus if they met the opponent on the opponent's side of the field. I then rolled to see if they hit and the effect of the hit. Very simple stuff. To add an element of decision making, I designated one knight as my PC and gave him 2 re-rolls to use per joust. Given that a joust consists of 3 passes, judicious use of re-rolls will be crucial.

I ran a few jousts with my rules.

1. Sir Baldwin unhorsed his opponent in the first pass and then managed an easy 4-1 win.
2. Sir Caradoc (an experienced jouster) unhorsed Baldwin in the first pass and then broke a lance in the second. Down 5-2, Baldwin needed to unhorse Caradoc just to tie! Caradoc missed in the final pass; if only Baldwin could unhorse him! Baldwin's aim appeared to be off but he corrected at the last second (I used a re-roll). The lance shattered and Caradoc swayed in his seat. However, he managed to stay on the horse. Ohhh! Almost a glorious comeback. Alas, Baldwin loses 5-4.
3. Baldwin broke a lance in the first pass to take a 2-0 lead. Alas, Sir Durian the Stinky scored a solid hit in the second. Baldwin nearly fell but managed to stay in his seat (thanks to a timely re-roll). Alas, Baldwin missed on the final pass and was knocked from his horse. He loses again, 5-2.

Even though my rules are probably far too simple for most people's tastes, they worked well for me. I was able to run 3 jousts in about 20 minutes, which makes a great filler game. Furthermore, the game created an enjoyable narrative, an important consideration for a blogger! I expect to dabble some more.