So I think we can all agree that Strixhaven's wizard sport RAW sucks. So I thought we could attempt to improve it. This is how I ran it last session, but suggestions are appreciated
The rules:
Get the mascot from your oponent's tower to yours.
I added in a ban on mental spells (because hypnotizing the other team is foul play) and invisibility (because it would be a must-have for every team and make it boring to watch.
To avoid lethal strikes, every player has a badge that's been enchanted with a shield spell. In-game, this translates to temporary hitpoints dependent on the tier of play; 30 temp hp for tier 1, 50 for tier 2, 70 for tier 3
The game is divided into three tiers, which represents how powerful spells are allowed. Only lv. 1 spells for tier 1, tier 2 has lv. 1-through-3, and tier 3 has lv. 1-through-5.
The match itself works mostly as a combat encounter. Teams of 3 to 5 players with fun names (like Planeswalker Powerhouses, Lords of Lore, Silverquill Stars, etc.) go up against each other in turn-based combat (I'm not perfectly happy about this, since it feels a bit slow, but hard to find a workaround). Players start on each side of a field and have to get the other team's mascot to their tower. To climb a tower, a playe has to make a dc 15 athletics or acrobatics check, and it takes their entire action to do so. Same with climbing down, so a feather fall or fly spell will be useful. While carrying a mascot, a player can't cast spells, requiring their team to support them. Once they get the mascot to the top of their team's tower, they win.
I cooked up my own alternate rules for Mage Tower where you run as follows:
Instead of a skill- challenge like in the book, run it like traditional combat in initiative with the several changes
1. Any spell that would result in HP damage constitute a foul. Players who accrue fouls may be removed from the game for penalty time outs.
2. Each team has three "welters"-- soccer ball sized crystal orbs that can be thrown at opposing team members which, on a hit, can force a concentration save as if the player had taken 10 damage. Once thrown, a team's welters reappear behind their tower for future use. Capturing another team's welters can give you bonus uses, and count as bonus points for the purposes of settling ties. A player cannot carry more than one welter at a time, or a welter and a mascot at any one time.
3. School mascots have special properties:
Inkling can impose a DC 14 slight of hand check to successfully capture due to its amorphous nature, making it difficult to handle. Recharge 5-6.
Fractals can grow a size larger while being handled by the opposing team, requiring a DC 14 athletics check to maintain control. Recharge 5-6.
Elementals can influence the emotions of the handler in one of 1d4 ways: Excitement-- doubles movement speed, Anger-- disadvantage on concentration saves, Lethargy-- speed is halved, Disheartened-- disadvantage on ability checks. Recharge 5-6.
Pests can induce the handler to make a DC 14 animal handling check, and on a failure the pest uses its spikes and teeth to drop it, then moving its full movement does in a random direction. Recharge 5-6.
The Spirit Statue is a size medium still and for the purposes of the game, will require either a DC 15 athletics check to move, OR the player can persuade the rudimentary spirit within the statue to accompany them willingly with a DC 12 persuasion/intimidation check. The mascot still requires the handler to have at least one hand on it to guide it even if it is moving willingly.
So I think we can all agree that Strixhaven's wizard sport RAW sucks. So I thought we could attempt to improve it. This is how I ran it last session, but suggestions are appreciated
The rules:
The match itself works mostly as a combat encounter. Teams of 3 to 5 players with fun names (like Planeswalker Powerhouses, Lords of Lore, Silverquill Stars, etc.) go up against each other in turn-based combat (I'm not perfectly happy about this, since it feels a bit slow, but hard to find a workaround). Players start on each side of a field and have to get the other team's mascot to their tower. To climb a tower, a playe has to make a dc 15 athletics or acrobatics check, and it takes their entire action to do so. Same with climbing down, so a feather fall or fly spell will be useful. While carrying a mascot, a player can't cast spells, requiring their team to support them. Once they get the mascot to the top of their team's tower, they win.
I would ban teleportation as well. Make both Mascots have an anti magic field.
I cooked up my own alternate rules for Mage Tower where you run as follows:
Instead of a skill- challenge like in the book, run it like traditional combat in initiative with the several changes
1. Any spell that would result in HP damage constitute a foul. Players who accrue fouls may be removed from the game for penalty time outs.
2. Each team has three "welters"-- soccer ball sized crystal orbs that can be thrown at opposing team members which, on a hit, can force a concentration save as if the player had taken 10 damage. Once thrown, a team's welters reappear behind their tower for future use. Capturing another team's welters can give you bonus uses, and count as bonus points for the purposes of settling ties. A player cannot carry more than one welter at a time, or a welter and a mascot at any one time.
3. School mascots have special properties:
Inkling can impose a DC 14 slight of hand check to successfully capture due to its amorphous nature, making it difficult to handle. Recharge 5-6.
Fractals can grow a size larger while being handled by the opposing team, requiring a DC 14 athletics check to maintain control. Recharge 5-6.
Elementals can influence the emotions of the handler in one of 1d4 ways: Excitement-- doubles movement speed, Anger-- disadvantage on concentration saves, Lethargy-- speed is halved, Disheartened-- disadvantage on ability checks. Recharge 5-6.
Pests can induce the handler to make a DC 14 animal handling check, and on a failure the pest uses its spikes and teeth to drop it, then moving its full movement does in a random direction. Recharge 5-6.
The Spirit Statue is a size medium still and for the purposes of the game, will require either a DC 15 athletics check to move, OR the player can persuade the rudimentary spirit within the statue to accompany them willingly with a DC 12 persuasion/intimidation check. The mascot still requires the handler to have at least one hand on it to guide it even if it is moving willingly.