Festival, Tavern & Casino Games for 5e

BETTING/LUCK GAMES

18 Mules
Aim: Be the first player to score 100 points.
Setup: The backstory of this game is about carrying your wagon full of gold without spending any more than
you need to. The dice total represents the number of mules you bought from the farmer. You only have 18
ropes to tie the wagon to the mules, and fewer mules don’t have enough strength to carry the gold all the
way to the nearest town without making any stops.
How to Play: Roll initiative to decide turn order. Players roll 3d6 and add the totals together. After that initial
roll players can then choose to roll additional d6s, one at a time and as many as they like, to try and get them
as close to a total of 18 as possible. Players can decide to stop at any time, but the farther you are from 18,
the less points you get. Moreover, if the sum ever surpasses 18 you lose your turn and the next player gets to
do the same from the start. The number of mules you have (i.e. your total) when you decide to stop adding is
the number of points you get. If you surpass 18, you get no points. If you get a perfect score of three 6s in the
first three dice you roll in your turn you not only immediately win 18 points but also 10 extra points.
Extra Notes: If players wish to cheat, they can make a Sleight of Hand check contested against the other
players’ Perception checks to reroll one of their dice. They must take the new total.
Prize: DM can decide what the buy-in is (for example, 5gp per player). The winner takes the pot.

Aces in the Pot

Aim: To be the player with the last counter who can throw 2d6 three times without rolling a 6.
Setup: Best played with at least 4 players. Players are all given two tokens with each token representing a gold
amount. Players can either roll initiative to determine who goes first, or someone can just nominate. Play
proceeds clockwise.
How to Play: On a player’s turn they roll 2d6. If one of the dice shows a 1, then they must put one of their
counters in to the pot. If a double 1 is thrown, they must put two counters in the pot (Aces in the Pot). If a 6 is
thrown, the player must pass one counter to the player on their left. If a double 6 is thrown, two counters are
passed to the player on their left (Sixes to the Side). All other numbers are meaningless. Once a player has lost
all their counters, they must miss their turn and will have to wait for a counter to be passed to them before
they can resume throwing the dice. The player with the last counter that hasn’t gone into the pot then has
three throws of the dice (3 x 2d6) and has to avoid throwing a 6. If they fail and throw a 6, the counter and
dice pass to the next player who in turn has three throws of the dice, and so on. The player who throws the
dice three times without a 6, wins the pot.
Extra Notes: Physical tokens will be helpful in tracking who has what left around the table.
Prize: The DM can decide how much each token is worth based on the party’s level. 1 token = 1gp for lower
level parties. For higher level parties you could make it 1 token = 5gp or even 10gp.

Avandra’s Favour
Aim: To roll a total of either 7 or 12.
Setup: Avandra, the Changebringer, is the goddess of freedom, trade, travel, and adventure. Player’s roll dice
to see if they have Avandra’s favour, and if so, for how long.
How to Play: Players place down their bet and then roll 2d6. They are aiming to roll a total of 7 or 12. If they
succeed they win, however if they roll any other number, they lose. Luckily Avandra’s favour can be quickly
found again and if the player’s lose, they can choose to double their bet and roll an extra d6 in the hope that
this will be their total up to 7 or 12. If they fail again, then that is the end and they lose all their money.
Extra Notes: Have the NPC at the gaming table congratulate players on having the goddess’ favour if they win
and try and sucker them in to bet more.
Prize: The DM can set the minimum bet based on the party’s level. Anywhere from 10-25gp is a good start for
a minimum bet. Winnings are paid at 2.00 x Bet.

Blackjack
Aim: To beat the total of the dealer (DM) by getting the total of your cards as close to 21 as possible without
going over.
Setup: Players choose a gold piece amount of how much they’d like to bet (DM can set a minimum of 5gp, for
example). Once all players have placed their bets, each player rolls 2d10 to represent their cards, and the
dealer (DM) rolls only 1d10 and reveals the total to the players. The second unrolled d10 represents the
unknown face-down card that the dealer has. A “1” on the d10 represents an Ace (1 or 11) and a “0”
represents either a face card or regular 10 card.
How to Play: Starting with the player on the dealer’s (DM’s) left, they indicate whether they would like to
“Hit” or “Sit”. If they “Sit” they end their turn and lock in their total as play moves to the next player on their
left. If they wish to “Hit”, they roll an addition d10 and add it to their current total. If this new d10 takes their
total over 21, they go “Bust” and are immediately out, losing their gold pieces that they bet. If the new d10
does not take them over 21 though, they can then choose to either “Hit” again or “Sit” and lock their new
total in. This choice keeps repeating until a player chooses to “Sit” or goes “Bust”. If players do not have
enough d10s to roll, they can either borrow some from other players or just record their running total on a
piece of paper. Once all players have chosen to “Sit” and locked in their totals, the dealer then rolls their
second d10 and announces the total. The dealer must keep hitting until their total is 17 or more, where they
then must immediately “Sit” unless they have gone “Bust”. Once the dealer and all players have sat, the
winners are decided and bets are settled. Any player who scored higher than the dealer and didn’t go “Bust”
wins. If the dealer scored higher than a player without going “Bust”, then the dealer beats that player. If the
dealer had gone “Bust”, all players who weren’t out automatically win. If a dealer and a player have the same
total, then it is a draw and the player simply gets their money back that they had bet.
Extra Notes: If a player rolls doubles on their 2d10, they can choose to “Split”, where they separate the two
dice/cards and treat them like separate hands, “Hitting” or “Sitting” for each hand. If the player chooses to
“Split”, their original bet is moved over to one of the split hands, and they must put up more gold of the same
value of their original bet to cover the second hand. This is very much a “double-or-nothing” style move. If a
player rolls a “1” and a “0” on their initial 2d10 roll, this is a Blackjack causing the player to automatically win
and receive a higher payout than that of a standard win (providing the dealer doesn’t also roll a Blackjack).
Prize: Regular wins are paid out at a rate of 2.00 x Bet and Blackjack wins are paid out at a rate of 3.00 x Bet. If
a player and dealer draws, the player just gets their bet back.
Critter Races
Aim: To bet on the creature that wins the race.
Setup: Five straight, narrow racetracks stretch out on a patch of ground for about 15ft with 5 individual cages
at the start line filled with 5 critters varying in size from tiny to small. These critters are a dog, fox, pig, rat, and
badger. The racetrack is broken up into 15 even segments with the 15th segment being the finish line.
How to Play: Players place a bet on the critter that they think will win. Once all bets are collected, a singular
cage door is lifted opening all 5 cages and the 5 critter leap out heading straight for the finish line. To make
things easier, assign one critter to each player at the table for them to roll for. The first player to get their
critter to a total of 14 wins the match. The DM can narrate each stage of the race to add intensity for the
players.
Extra Notes: The speed of each critter and dice required for rolling can be found here:
• Dog = 2d4 (average speed of 5, max of 8)
• Fox = d4+2 (average speed of 4.5, max of 6)
• Pig = d8-1 (average speed of 3.5, max of 7)
• Rat = d12/2 rounded up (average speed of 3.5, max of 6)
• Badger = d6 (average speed of 3.5, max of 6)
If two or more critters reach the finish line on the same turn, then the one who had more movement
remaining wins (meaning the one who finished further past the finish line). If two or more critters reach the
finish line with the same amount of movement remaining, they roll off to determine the winner. If players try
and play this game over and over again, the owners of the critters will lock them in their cages after the third
race to give them a rest.
Prize: There is usually a minimum bet that is required in gold amount, this can vary pending your party’s level
and where this game is taking place. The payout for each critter varies based on their chances of winning.
Here is what each critter pays if they win:
• Dog = 2.00 x Bet
• Fox = 3.00 x Bet
• Pig = 6 x Bet
• Rat = 10.00 x Bet
• Badger = 10.00 x Bet

Darts (Luck-based)
Aim: To score the highest amount of points possible after three rounds.
Setup: A d20 and d6 represent the sections of the dart board. The numbers on the d20 represent the numbers
sections/slices around the board, while the d6 represents how close to the bullseye they get. Rolling a 1 on
the d6 means 1x multiplier; 2 means 2x; 3 means 3x; 4 means 25 points (the outer bullseye); 5 means 50
points (true bullseye); 6 means they miss the board altogether.
How to Play: Players determine their playing order by either rolling initiative (handy if NPCs are involved) or
just deciding amongst themselves. On a player’s turn they roll a d20 and a d6 at the same time to determine
where their dart lands. If they roll a 1, 2, or 3 on the d6, they multiply the number rolled on the d20 by that d6
value rolled. If they roll a 4 or 5 on the d6, they automatically score 25 or 50 points respectively and ignore the
value of the d20. If they roll a 6 on the d6, then the dart misses the board completely, or hits the wire and
bounces off. Once they have scored their first dart, they repeat this process another two times, add all three
totals together, and that is their score for the end of the first round. After all players have had a total of 3
rounds, the game is over and the player with the highest total wins.
Extra Notes: If the DM wants to have a quicker game, you can make it just one round of 3 throws and highest
total wins. If you would prefer to play proper dart rules, then instead of highest total wins, each player starts
with a total of 501, and the value of each dart they throw gets subtracted from that total. The first person to
land exactly on 0 wins. If a player lands on a value that would subtract their score past 0 into the negatives,
they go bust for that round, ending their turn, and their scores resets to what it was at the start of that round.
Prize: Prize can either be a pot contributed to by all contestants, or a large prize set by the tavern (cash or
item).

Dragon Slayer
Aim: To be the quickest to slay the dragon by having the lowest number of chips after a number of rounds.
Setup: 3d6 and plenty of chips are required, however players can just record a running total of their ‘chips’ if
none are available in real life. To begin, all players roll 1d6. The player with the highest value then rolls 2d6 (if
there is a tie for the highest, those players reroll). The total of the 2d6 then sets the number of rounds it will
take to slay the dragon (minimum of 3).
How to Play: On a player’s turn, starting with the player who set the number of rounds, they roll 3d6 and try
to roll a double. The player keeps rolling 3d6 until they successfully roll a double. A roll without a double
counts as a miss and a roll with a double counts as a successful strike on the dragon. Once the player has
success struck the dragon, they take a number of tokens equal to how many rolls it took them to strike the
dragon. For example, if a player had 3 misses and 1 hit, they would take 4 tokens. Play then proceeds to the
next player in clockwise order and this process repeats. Once all players have completed one turn, this counts
as 1 round. Rounds continue until players have played a number of rounds equal to the total of the 2d6 the
start player rolled at the beginning. Upon completing the final round, players count up their chip total and the
player with the lowest number of chips has slain the dragon the quickest, making them the winner.
Extra Notes: If players wish to play again, the previous winner sets the new round total. DM can moderate the
number of rounds if they wish for a shorter game (i.e. 1d4+2 to set the number of rounds instead of 2d6).
Prize: The DM/Players can set the price of the buy-in to play the game. The winner takes the pot.

Gambit of Ord
Aim: To be the player with the highest total hand.
Setup: Named after an ancient ruler, J’mon Sa Ord, this game is about making small tactical moves/remarks to
gain advantage and win big. Before a game starts, players must pay the initial buy-in to signal that they are
sitting in for this round.
How to Play: Players all roll 1d8 and keep the result hidden. Then, starting with the player on the Dealer’s
(DM’s) left, players can either Raise the bet, Call the bet, or Fold. Once all bets are equal, any remaining
players then roll 1d6, keeping it secret too. Then they have one final chance to Raise the bet, Call the bet, or
Fold. After all bets are equal, any remaining players finish by rolling 1d4 and adding it to their total. Players
then reveal their d8, d6, and d4 and announce their total. The player with the highest total wins!
Extra Notes: If players wish to cheat, they can roll a Sleight of Hand check against all other player’s Perception
checks. Players can also make some cocky remarks and roll a Deception check against another player’s Insight
check to force a fold (this would usually only work on NPCs though).
Prize: DM decides the initial buy-in pending the party’s level and where this is being played. If located in a
local tavern and being played amongst simple patrons, then the winner gets to keep the entire pot. If this
game is being run by an establishment like a casino, then the player only keeps 80% of the pot, with the
House keeping the remaining 20%. Any ties in winners then equally split the pot, rounded down.
Dead Eye Dice
Aim: To be the last person with dice remaining in their hand.
Setup: Players need to have a d20, d12, d10, d8, d6, and d4.
How to Play: Players start by rolling all of their dice at the same time. If a player rolled a 1 on any of their dice
they must get rid of their best/largest dice (starting at d20 then working their way down). If a player rolls
multiple 1s, then they need to discard that many dice starting with their best/largest and working their way
down. The last player standing with at least one dice still in play wins the pot.
Extra Notes: N/A
Prize: Buy-in can either be set by the DM or by the players if they are running the game amongst themselves.

Highwayman
Aim: Two players team up to play against the House by trying to roll above and below the Highwayman.
Setup: The House (DM) rolls 1d20 and the result is the total of the Highwayman.
How to Play: Players can decide who is Player 1 and who is Player 2. Player 1 then rolls 1d20. If P1 rolls below
the Highwayman, then P2 needs to roll above the Highwayman, or if P1 rolls above the Highwayman then P2
needs to roll below the Highwayman. If both players roll the total of the Highwayman then this is called
“Robbing the Highwayman”.
Extra Notes: If the House rolls either a 1 or a 20 for the Highwayman, then the only possible win is for players
to “Rob the Highwayman”. Also, if only one of the players lands on the Highwayman, then the Highwayman
wins and the players lose.
Prize: Buy-in is 5gp per player (10gp total). Regular success pays 2.00 x Bet, so player double their money
getting 10gp back each. If players succeed in “Robbing the Highwayman” it’s the biggest payout possible. DM
can choose how big they think the payout should be but here is a guide based on the party’s current level:
Level 1-4 = 50.00 x Bet (250gp per player)
Level 5-7 = 100.00 x Bet (500gp per player)
Level 8+ = 200.00 x Bet (1,000gp per player)

New Market
Aim: To have the highest total out of three dice and win the most out of 5 rounds.
Setup: Players need to have a 3d6 for this game. Turn order is not particularly necessary for this game.
How to Play: On a player’s turn they roll 3d6 for their first throw and set aside the dice with the highest value
(if two or more dice have the highest value, then only one is set aside). They then roll the remaining 2d6 and
once again set aside the highest value. The finish their turn by then rerolling their final d6 and putting it aside
too. They total up the three dice and this equals their total for the round. Once all players have had their turn,
the player with the highest total wins the round and scores a point (if there is a tie, players each get a point).
This continues for 5 rounds and the player who has the most points after 5 rounds wins.
Extra Notes: If there is a tie for the winner, those players play an extra round for the decider.
Prize: Buy-in can either be set by the DM or by the players if they are running the game amongst themselves.

The Run of Luck

Aim: To bet on the creature that wins the race.
Setup: Five straight, narrow racetracks line a table with 5 individual cages at the start line filled with tiny
creatures (usually lizards, but can be rats or any other tiny creature the DM chooses).
How to Play: Players place a bet on the lizard that they think will win. Once all bets are collected, a singular
cage door is lifted opening all 5 cages and the 5 lizards scurry out heading straight for the finish line. The DM
rolls 1d4 for each lizard three times to represent the three stages of the race. The lizard with the highest total
after three rolls wins the race. The DM can narrate each stage of the race to add intensity for the players.
Extra Notes: The DM should give each lizard a name and an identifying feature, whether that is a painted on
number, different skin colour, or something else. This way players can better choose who to bet on by
deciding who they like the most.
Prize: There is usually a minimum bet that is required in gold amount, this can vary pending your party’s level
and where this game is taking place. A player whose lizard comes in 1st wins and doubles whatever their bet
was (2.00 x Bet). A player whose lizard comes in 2nd gets half of their bet back rounded down (0.50 x Bet), and
all other players lose their bets.
CONSTITUTION GAMES

Drinking Contest
Aim: The first player to reach 20 points without falling unconscious or throwing up
Setup: Contestants can choose between four different types of drinks to drink with each one varying in
strength and in the number of points they’re worth. Stronger drinks are worth more points while weaker ones
are worth less. Each drink is also allocated a different DC based on its strength. Here is an example of drink
names, DCs and point values:
• “Light-hearted” (DC10), worth 1 point
• “Bull’s blood” (DC14), worth 2 points
• “Frosty heart” (DC17), worth 3 points
• “Carnage” (DC20), worth 4 points
*Names, DCs, and points can be adjusting depending on the level of the party
How to Play: Roll initiative to determine the order players will participate. Players then nominate which drink
they’d like to drink on their turn and make a Constitution Saving Throw to see if they can equal/beat the DC of
their chosen drink. Regardless of whether they fail or succeed the player still gets the points for the drink they
consume. Everytime you fail a saving throw, you receive a penalty which makes it harder for you to win the
game.
Penalties:
• 1st fail: -2 to Saving Throws.
• 2nd fail: -2 to Saving Throws, disadvantage in Saving Throws and “Poisoned” condition for 2 hours.
• 3rd fail: Unconscious condition or the drinker throws up.
Extra Notes: If players already have advantage in Con Saving Throws, they get to keep that advantage. Also, if
players are quite regular drinks, DM can choose to offer an extra bonus of +1, +2 or +3 pending on the
character. This game is about finding the balance between scoring points quickly while also aiming for
achievable DCs. If players are taking the safe option, have an NPC create tension by going for the stronger
drinks, and then vice versa for the other way.
Prize: Tavern (DM) can set the entry fee and then have the tavern offer a cash prize for the victor (DM choice)

Pie Eating Contest

Aim: To eat as many pies as possible in 30 seconds (5 rounds)
Setup: Players sit down at a long table with a large amount of small pies placed in front of them (roughly meat
pie size).
How to Play: Once the announcer calls go, players go around the table a roll a Constitution check, with the
total indicating how many pies they eat within that round (6 seconds).
• Nat1: The player throws up, and is out of the game.
• DC0-5: No progress is made
• DC6-10: You eat 1 pie
• DC11-16: You eat 2 pies
• DC17-20: You eat 3 pies
• DC21+: You eat 4 pies
• Nat20: You eat 5 pies
At the completion of the 5th round, any remaining contestants who have not thrown up then tally up how
many pies they ate and the winner is the contestant who ate the most pies.
Extra Notes: If there is a tie, then the prize is shared between winners. DM can modify the DCs to match the
level of their party if needed.
Prize: DM can set the entry fee based on the party’s level. The prize will usually be a cash prize in the amount
of gold pieces, but DM can swap out for a flashy item.

Swaying Knives
Aim: To be the last person to pass out from drinking.
Setup: A tray of drinks are ordered to share amongst the contestants. Each contestant puts up an agreed
upon gold amount to form a pot (or an entry fee set by the tavern) and a single throwing knife/dagger is given
to each contestant.
How to Play: Players determine their playing order by either rolling initiative (handy if NPCs are involved) or
just deciding amongst themselves. On a player’s turn they roll a Dexterity check, adding their proficiency
modifier if they are proficient with daggers (simple melee weapons) to throw their knife at a circular wooden
target. The target’s AC starts at 11 but increases the more contestants drink. If a contestant misses the target,
they must take a drink. This increases the target’s AC by +2 for that contestant (DM or contestants will need
to keep track of their individual target ACs). Once a contestant has had 3 drinks (their target’s AC becomes
17), they must then start making Constitution Saving Throws to prevent them from passing out. The starting
difficulty for the saving throw starts at DC10 but increases by 3 for every additional drink. Contestants/DM will
now have to track their increasing target AC and increasing saving throw DC. As soon as a contestant fails their
Constitution Saving Throw, they pass out and are immediately eliminated from the game. The game continues
until there is one contestant standing, and they are declared the winner.
Extra Notes: For extra flare, the DM can decide that any player who passes out is immediately given the
Poisoned condition for 1 hour. They can also ask the winning player to make one final Constitution Saving
Throw against their current DC, to determine whether they are also given the Poisoned condition for 1 hour
too or not (a fail doesn’t make them pass out).
Prize: Prize can either be a pot contributed to by all contestants, or a large prize set by the tavern (cash or
item).
DEXTERITY GAMES

Archery Contest
Aim: To score as many points as possible by landing arrows closest to the bullseye.
Setup: Contestants take three shots at two different targets with a shortbow. Target 1 is 50ft away and Target
2 is 100ft away (rolling with disadvantage). Contestants cannot use their own shortbows or arrows, and any
magical items that give bonuses to archery must be temporarily removed while competing.
How to Play: Contestants start by aiming three shots at Target 1 and then another three shots at Target 2 to
get their combined score. Contestants go one at a time, shooting all 6 arrows before the next contestant takes
their turn. On their turn, players roll 1d20 + Dex + Proficiency (if they are proficient with shortbows). Their
total needs to equal or beat the AC of the various sections on the targets:
• White (AC 10) - 1 point
• Black (AC 12) - 3 points
• Blue (AC 14) - 5 points
• Red (AC 16) - 7 points
• Yellow (AC 18) - 9 points
• Bullseye (AC 20) - 15 points
Extra Notes: N/A
Prize: DM decides how much the entry fee is. If this is being played as a contest/competition then there can
be a cash prize (or even special item) that the winner takes home. Otherwise, this can be played as more of a
skill test where there are different tiers of prizes pending on how many points the player can score with their
6 shots.

Darts
Aim: To score the highest amount of points possible after two rounds.
Setup: Players will get three darts to throw each round and will have two rounds to try and get the highest
score possible.
How to Play: Players determine their playing order by either rolling initiative (handy if NPCs are involved) or
just deciding amongst themselves. On a player’s turn they roll a Dexterity check, adding their proficiency
modifier if they are proficient with darts (simple ranged weapons). The result of their roll determines where
their dart hits and how many points it scores:
• 1-5: Miss target
• 6-12: 1 point
• 13-16: 2 points
• 17-19: 3 points
• 20+: 5 points (bullseye)
Once they have scored their first dart, they repeat this process another two times, add all three totals
together, and that is their score for the end of the first round. After all players have had a total of 2 rounds,
the game is over and the player with the highest total wins.
Extra Notes: Reduce it to just one round if you wish for a quicker game, or extend it out to a maximum of
three rounds for a longer game.
Prize: Prize can either be a pot contributed to by all contestants, or a large prize set by the tavern (cash or
item).
Trebuchet
Aim: To land three sandbags in the basket
Setup: A long walkway has been cleared where a 1ft wide, 10ft long carpet of light brown has been set to end
at an empty basket.
How to Play: Players are given three sandbags and stand at the other end of the 10ft carpet facing away from
the basket. Players then roll a DC10 Dexterity check at disadvantage as they throw the bag backwards over
their head without looking. Each successful throw earns a prize, the more successful throws, the better the
prize.
Extra Notes: N/A
Prize: DM can set the entry fee based on the party’s level. The game is best suited to item prizes. The original
game had each successful throw winning the contestant a fresh strawberry, with three successful throws
winning them a candied apple. DM can choose what they wish the prizes to be.
INTELLIGENCE GAMES

Dragonchess
Aim: To outwit your opponent in a strategic game of chess.
Setup: To opponents sit down at a game of Dragonchess to test their wits and strategic skills.
How to Play: Player commence the game by rolling a contested Intelligence check + Proficiency if they are
proficient with Dragonchess. The winner of the contest gets 1 victory point. The first person to score 3 victory
points wins the game.
Extra Notes: If you want the game to go a little longer and make it a little more contested, you can make it
first to 5 victory points.
Prize: Pending on why the players chose to play, the prize can either be simple bragging rights, or each players
can begin the game by putting up a certain gold amount and the winner keeps the pot.
STRENGTH GAMES

Arm Wrestling
Aim: To overpower your opponent by slamming their arm flat onto the table
Setup: Imagine an arch with 5 sections for how this game works. You have the neutral position in the middle
which is at 90°angle, then one space either side of neutral which is at a 45° angle, then finally there is the
winning position at 0° either side. A judge counts contestants down from 3. Once they say “Go!” contestants
roll initiative to see who gets the jump on who.
How to Play: Contestants roll opposing Strength checks, with the contestant who rolled the highest initiative
getting advantage on their first roll of the match. The contestant with the highest total moves their arm one
section closer to their winning space (so from the neutral 90° to their 45°, which means they’re one space
away from winning). Players keep making contested Strength checks until someone forces their opponent’s
arm onto the table.
Extra Notes: If a contestant rolls a Nat20, then they move their opponents arm TWO spaces forward. If this
happens in the neutral 90° position, then it is an instant win. On the other side, if a contestant rolls a Nat1,
then their arm gets shoved back TWO space. In the very rare situation where one contestant rolls a Nat20 and
the other rolls a Nat1, it is an instant win to the contestant who rolled a Nat20 and the loosing contestant
suffers 1d4 points of bludgeoning damage as their arm is slammed into the table with severe force.
Prize: Prize depends on the situation of the challenge. If it’s just between two patrons at a tavern, then it
would just be the pot of the total buy-in (i.e. 5gp each, so 10gp winnings). However if it a stall at a festival,
then the prize could be money or maybe they win an item like a candied apple or wooden toy sword.

Boulder Carry
Aim: To be the first to carry a large heavy boulder 50ft over a finish line.
Setup: Contestants roll initiative to see who gets off the line first once the starter shouts “Go!”
How to Play: Contestants make a DC15 Strength check to carry the boulder forward. A successful check moves
the contestant forward 10ft. A Nat20 moves the contestant forward 15ft, while a Nat1 results in the
contestant dropping their boulder and having it roll back 5ft.
Extra Notes: For added excitement, model the race of a simple mini with minis/tokens (either physical or
digital). This builds excitement with the players and they watch on.
Prize: DM decides what the entry fee is and if there is a cash prize, or an item reward.

Brawling Pit
Aim: To knock the other contestant unconscious
Setup: Contestants cannot wear any armour (lowered AC) and cannot bring in any weapons (unarmed strikes
only). Use of magic is also against the rules.
How to Play: Contestants roll initiative to determine order. Players then proceed to make unarmed strikes
against each other’s AC and take any other action/bonus actions as if in normal combat. Damage can be as per
the rules (1 + Strength Mod), or the DM can decide to add a dice roll in to make it more interesting and
variable (1d4 ÷ 2 + Strength Mod, rounded down – minimum of 1). Turns keep happening back and forth until
one character is knocked unconscious.
Extra Notes: If a character has a feat (such as Tavern Brawler) or a class ability (such as a Monk’s Martial Arts)
that overrides damage for unarmed strikes, then this applies for the damage instead of the previously
mentioned rules. Also, depending on where this event takes place, you can have officials that are healers or
who have healing potions that can slightly heal up losing contestants to just help them regain consciousness.
Prize: Bookies can control the pit taking bets from the contestants and surrounding crowds as a way to
provide winnings. Otherwise, if contestants choose not to place bets on themselves, then they play purely for
pride. DM can decide odds based on the contestants, examples being 2.00 x Bet for the favourite and 4.00 x
Bet for the underdog.

Pole Climbing
Aim: To beat your opponent in being the first to reach the top of a 50ft pole
Setup: Contestants roll initiative to see who gets on their pole first once the starter shouts “Go!”. The two
poles are side-by-side and are only 5ft apart. This is a race between only 2 contestants.
How to Play: On their turn, contestants roll an Athletics (Strength) check. If a contestant has a climbing speed
then they can make this check with advantage. The result of their roll determines how far they climb up the
pole:
• Natural 1 = You fall 15ft down the pole
• DC 1-5 = You fall 5ft down the pole
• DC 6-10 = You don’t gain any distance
• DC 11-17 = You climb 5ft higher
• DC 18+ = You climb 10ft higher
• Natural 20 = You climb 15ft higher
The first person to reach the top of their pole on their turn is the winner.
Extra Notes: Instead of climbing their pole, a contestant can choose to try and pull their opponent lower or
kick them off. They can only do this if they are level with their opponent, or the opponent is only 5ft above or
below them. To do so, the attacking contestant makes an Acrobatics (Dexterity) check. The result of the roll
will match a DC to determine what happens:
• Natural 1 = You fall off your pole, losing (take falling damage equivalent to 1d6 per 10ft)
• DC 1-7 = You slip and fall 5ft down your pole
• DC 8-12 = Your opponent shrugs off your attempt and nothing happens
• DC 13-19 = Your opponent falls 5ft down their pole
• DC 20+ = Your opponent falls 10ft down their pole
• Natural 20 = You knock your opponent off their pole causing them to lose
Prize: DM decides what the entry fee is and if there is a cash prize, or an item reward.

Titan’s Grasp
Aim: To flip a solid stone cube onto its side.
Setup: A large, solid stone cube (2ft x 2ft) rests on a thick, metal bar with a fulcrum wheel in the centre. A
sledgehammer rests nearby.
How to Play: Players hold the sledgehammer and slam it down as hard as they can onto the metal bar trying
to lift the edge of the stone cube to flip it. Players make a DC20 Strength check, with a successful check
flipping the stone over to its other side.
Extra Notes: If players try again without resting in between attempts, then the DC increases by 1 with each
attempt without a rest. If you wish to make the challenge harder, increase the size of the cube and the base
DC for the strength check.
Prize: DM sets the entry fee for 1 swing. Successful players win the total of the current pot at that point in
time. The DM can come up with a value of the current pot based on the current entry fee and how long
people have been playing for.
WISDOM GAMES

The King’s Vault

Aim: To correctly guess the cup that holds your coin underneath.
Setup: A simple wooden table stands with three plain silver cups adorning it and an attendant waiting
patiently behind.
How to Play: Players step up to the table and place down 1sp or 1gp. The attendant then covers the coin with
one of the cups and begins rapidly shuffling them around constantly reordering them. The player whose coin
was put down makes a DC16 Perception (Wisdom) check to see if they could keep track of where the cup that
held their coin went. A successful check reveals their coin, but a failure shows an empty cup
Extra Notes: N/A
Prize: If the player correctly guesses the location of their coin they get it back plus one more matching one,
effectively doubling their money.
MULTI-SKILL GAMES

Obstacle Course
Aim: To be the first person to reach the end of the obstacle course.
Setup: Players roll initiative to determine turn order as they progress through the 5 stages of the obstacle
course.
How to Play: Starting with the player who rolled the highest initiative and then progressing down, players roll
relevant checks pending on what stage of the course they are up to. Here is a list of the 5 stages and the
required checks for each stage:
• Stage 1 – Wall Climb – DC12 Athletics (Strength) check
o A 15ft wall with small slits between each wooden slat to provide small finger and foot holds
• Stage 2 – Mud Crawl – DC10 Survival (Wisdom) check
o A 20ft crawl through wet slippery mud with barbed wire hung low overhead
• Stage 3 – Hay Bale Push – DC14 Strength check
o A large 7ft cylindrical hay bay that needs to be rolled 40ft across a marked line
• Stage 4 – Swinging Bats – DC15 Acrobatics (Dexterity) check
o A boxed in corridor that is filled with swinging wooden bats attached to rope and a spinning
contraption
• Stage 5 – Hedge Maze – DC16 Investigation (Intelligence) check
o A 50ft x 50ft square maze created with large wooden barriers that stand 10ft tall
Once a player rolls the successful check for the stage they are currently in, they get to advance to the next
stage. The first player to successfully pass each of the 5 stages wins the race.
Extra Notes: DM can adjust the DCs for each section based on their party’s level and how easy/challenging
they wish to make it. If a player rolls a Nat1, then DM can adjudicate the consequence. Perhaps the player
falls off the wall and takes 1d6 falling damage, perhaps they get mud in their eye and has disadvantage on
their next roll for that stage, it’s up to the DM. If the player rolls a Nat20, the DM can also decide if that grants
any benefits. Maybe it can be as simple as they move through that stage so fast their surge of adrenaline gives
them advantage on their next roll.
Prize: DM’s decision, but can usually be a large cash prize or maybe a desirable item.