The Alabaster Cup

[Afgncaap5]

I've been planning on having a jousting match near the end of act two of a campaign I'm running (or near the start of act three depending on how you call it), and while brushing up on the jousting rule suggestions in Complete Warrior I was reminded about the Alabaster Cup. I liked the look of it because it incorporated jousting, included multiple events that a bit of mystery and roleplaying could be spread between, and because it had so many other events apart from jousting (probably the most noteworthy being the "impress me" challenge.)

Has anyone else run The Alabaster Cup or an event similar to it? Any tips or suggestions?

[Doctor Awkward]

I've been planning on having a jousting match near the end of act two of a campaign I'm running (or near the start of act three depending on how you call it), and while brushing up on the jousting rule suggestions in Complete Warrior I was reminded about the Alabaster Cup. I liked the look of it because it incorporated jousting, included multiple events that a bit of mystery and roleplaying could be spread between, and because it had so many other events apart from jousting (probably the most noteworthy being the "impress me" challenge.)

Has anyone else run The Alabaster Cup or an event similar to it? Any tips or suggestions?

I did for my group once.

I think the key to it's success was the random NPC's I added to compete against the party. I made it out to be a huge event that attracted competitors from far and wide. It was a way for them to build up prestige since the local nobility liked to watch. I had tons of throwaway competitors but three with actual stats: a barbarian, a monk, and a factotum.


Day one was a general all day athletics competition. There was a javelin toss, a weightlifting competition (flat strength checks), and the archery competition. The party was pretty evenly matched against all of them.

Day two was the banquet, followed by the "Impress me" round. Using the rules on Concentration checks from Sword and Fist, the monk set up a stack of six bricks and struck the top one, shattering only the second brick from the bottom. The factotum put on an entire stage performance using only himself, ghost sound, silent image, sonorous hum, and his ranks in perform skills. The barbarian walked over to the party warblade and said to him, "I will wager you three of the coins in your cup that I can haul something in that wheelbarrow over there across the field that you cannot haul back." After the warblade player agreed to the wager, the barbarian picked up the handles, gestured to the empty tray and then said to him, "All right. Get in."

Boy howdy was the warblade displeased.

Day three was entirely the foot race, but I changed a few things:
She gathered all of the competitors in front of her estate and very politely explained to them, "Today's sole event will be a foot race around my estate. Start from here, and head towards that marker in the distance, and continue in a straight line from one to the next. Coins will be awarded for first, second, and third place. There are no rules save that you must race on the ground, not flitter about above it. You may begin."

After the players sat there staring at me in silence for a few seconds, I had them roll spot checks to notice that the monk and the factotum had already taken off running.

Once they rounded the first corner, they came upon a hedge maze. Rather than draw out a maze, I had them roll a simple DC 15 Intelligence check to not get lost. The enterprising warblade instead opted to roll a simple Strength check to barrel through the walls of the maze. Of course he rolled a natural 20, and everyone had a great laugh at my expense. And again, rather than try to map out a specific obstacle course I offered them options to proceed, Make a Jump check to cross this pit, or an Escape Artist check to squeeze through this gap (which the gnome beguiler got through at no penalty). Make a Use Rope check to swing across this pit, or make a Balance check to walk the narrow ledge. Various things like that. The NPC's were specifically designed to stack the race in their favor: the monk had his class speed boosts, the barbarian had the Run feat, and the factotum made judicious use of Cunning Surge for extra actions at crucial moments (and of course the moment when he cast Grease on one of the ropes just as the Scout player jumped for it). I also threw in random patches of rough terrain (swampy mud pits, thick hedges, etc) to eat additional move actions. If they failed a skill check, they had to spend move actions to recover from it, which put them behind competitors that did not. Finally, the last leg of the race was a straight sprint to the finish line.

In order to progress the plot, at least one member of the party needed to come in first overall in the competition. So between heaping expeditious retreat and and freedom of movement on the Scout, and tripping the other competitors when they tried to pass, it became a really neat session of the party working together to prop each other up in ways they hadn't really done before.

[Afgncaap5]

Nice! Sounds like a good day. I do have a few stats prepped for some of the competitors (and one competitor that the players had previously met at an archery competition). I'd really like to include a hunting competition since that's a classic sport, but I'm not sure how to score it exactly. It seems unfair to base it on Survival checks, but it also seems unfair to not base it on Survival checks.

Day two was the banquet, followed by the "Impress me" round. Using the rules on Concentration checks from Sword and Fist, the monk set up a stack of six bricks and struck the top one, shattering only the second brick from the bottom.

Welp, that settles it, I need to get a copy of Sword and Fist.

Once they rounded the first corner, they came upon a hedge maze.

Ooh, nice call...

I'm in a weird position. I think the best way for the plot to proceed would actually be for the players to lose to their primary competitor, but that takes out some of the fun. I might want to expand the "Winner may make a reasonable and noble request of King Kaius III" tradition extend to the top three winners.