Hiya, running a joust and was looking for some ideas mechanics wise.
It will be a PC vs NPC, mounted and running towards each other on opposite sides of a tilt. The historical rules are bastardized a bit, this is an exotic court of shadow fey.
It's considered 'perfect' to knock the crest off the opponents helmet and dismount (Stechzeug style helmets). Broken lances are also considered good.
First Issue: Does who strikes first really matter? Should I just ignore initiative?
Second Issue: Is dismounting being a Shove (athletics contest) the best way to do it?
Third Issue: How to handle lances breaking, considered a break maybe on a roll higher than 15 on the raw d20?
Fourth Issue: How should I incorporate special player abilities like heavy armor resistance and mounted combat?
Just trying to brainstorm a bit, thanks for any thoughts.
(There's a tournament style melee combat afterwards also, but I already have the mechanics fairly nailed down for that.)
First Issue: Does who strikes first really matter? Should I just ignore initiative? It's your call, but I don't think initiative really has a place here.
Second Issue: Is dismounting being a Shove (athletics contest) the best way to do it? What point system are you using for the joust? If dismounting is worth the most points? Athletics, Strength, or a combat roll would probably work fine.
Third Issue: How to handle lances breaking, considered a break maybe on a roll higher than 15 on the raw d20? I would base it on a DC roll. More details below.
Fourth Issue: How should I incorporate special player abilities like heavy armor resistance and mounted combat?The rules for the mounted combat feat seems to focus on protecting your mount, so it's your call, but I probably wouldn't give any bonuses, but a +2 to the roll wouldn't seem unreasonable. Same goes for the heavy armor resistance, while it may protect from damage, only an evil or non-honorable opponent would intentionally try to harm someone during a contest.
As for the jousting, I would create a DC to reflect the competence of the NPC. If the player fails the check, the lance remains whole. On a success, th woe tip breaks. If the player beats the DC by 5, the lance shatters. And if the player beats the DC by 10 or more (or scores a critical), the opponent is knocked off their mount.
For the NPC to succeed, treat the player's AC as the DC to succeed.
I hope this helps you figure out what you'd like to do.
I’d let the player decide if they want to target the crest or go for dismounting the opponent. The crest is just an attack v AC, but a high AC since it’s a small, moving target. Dismount is opposed athletics checks (basically shove rules as you noted). Loser has to save or be knocked off. Another idea would be if they are proficient in animal handling, let them add in that to their roll somewhere to reflect their skill at controlling their mount. And if you really want to mess with the PC, make the NPC have at least three levels in cavalier fighter cause that gives them advantage on saves to not be dismounted. As for lances, do you want it to be luck or skill? If you just say 15 or higher on the dice, it’s pure luck. If you make it a certain DC, then skill comes into play.
I would give any contestant a +1 or +2 to all rolls while mounted if they have animal handling. Jousting is a skill that takes years to master with regular practice between a knight and his horse. You have to adjust for the subtleties of the gate of the horse as you go charging into the "point" of your enemy's lance.
Lances breaking are related to several factors. The quality of the wood and age (wear) of the lance are the most important. The secondary factors would be the speeds of the horses and the mass (weight) of the riders. Essentially the lance has to overcome the kinetic energy of the strike = 1/2 M x V^2. A solid blow well planted will challenge the lance. A glancing blow will just deflect the lance. If one of the knights were very skilled compared to the other then some consideration would need to be given to how much one knight understood the technique for staying on the horse at the hit, but I'm assuming your combatants have about the same skill there.
There is also the matter of wearing the right king of plate armor for the joust. The breast plate for a joust is made to deflect blows. There are other subtle adjustments. I'm assuming you would both have the best sort of armor for jousting. Good luck and have fun.
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I definitely want it skill based, with the 15 on raw die I was just trying to think of a way to make something similar to a crit, but easier to accomplish. These are 8th level PCs so mods are around +7 for attack or athletics, AC around 20. But I like the idea of instead beating the DC by certain set values, I think I will go with that.
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Hiya, running a joust and was looking for some ideas mechanics wise.
It will be a PC vs NPC, mounted and running towards each other on opposite sides of a tilt. The historical rules are bastardized a bit, this is an exotic court of shadow fey.
It's considered 'perfect' to knock the crest off the opponents helmet and dismount (Stechzeug style helmets). Broken lances are also considered good.
First Issue: Does who strikes first really matter? Should I just ignore initiative?
Second Issue: Is dismounting being a Shove (athletics contest) the best way to do it?
Third Issue: How to handle lances breaking, considered a break maybe on a roll higher than 15 on the raw d20?
Fourth Issue: How should I incorporate special player abilities like heavy armor resistance and mounted combat?
Just trying to brainstorm a bit, thanks for any thoughts.
(There's a tournament style melee combat afterwards also, but I already have the mechanics fairly nailed down for that.)
First Issue: Does who strikes first really matter? Should I just ignore initiative? It's your call, but I don't think initiative really has a place here.
Second Issue: Is dismounting being a Shove (athletics contest) the best way to do it? What point system are you using for the joust? If dismounting is worth the most points? Athletics, Strength, or a combat roll would probably work fine.
Third Issue: How to handle lances breaking, considered a break maybe on a roll higher than 15 on the raw d20? I would base it on a DC roll. More details below.
Fourth Issue: How should I incorporate special player abilities like heavy armor resistance and mounted combat?The rules for the mounted combat feat seems to focus on protecting your mount, so it's your call, but I probably wouldn't give any bonuses, but a +2 to the roll wouldn't seem unreasonable. Same goes for the heavy armor resistance, while it may protect from damage, only an evil or non-honorable opponent would intentionally try to harm someone during a contest.
As for the jousting, I would create a DC to reflect the competence of the NPC. If the player fails the check, the lance remains whole. On a success, th woe tip breaks. If the player beats the DC by 5, the lance shatters. And if the player beats the DC by 10 or more (or scores a critical), the opponent is knocked off their mount.
For the NPC to succeed, treat the player's AC as the DC to succeed.
I hope this helps you figure out what you'd like to do.
I’d let the player decide if they want to target the crest or go for dismounting the opponent. The crest is just an attack v AC, but a high AC since it’s a small, moving target. Dismount is opposed athletics checks (basically shove rules as you noted). Loser has to save or be knocked off.
Another idea would be if they are proficient in animal handling, let them add in that to their roll somewhere to reflect their skill at controlling their mount.
And if you really want to mess with the PC, make the NPC have at least three levels in cavalier fighter cause that gives them advantage on saves to not be dismounted.
As for lances, do you want it to be luck or skill? If you just say 15 or higher on the dice, it’s pure luck. If you make it a certain DC, then skill comes into play.
I would give any contestant a +1 or +2 to all rolls while mounted if they have animal handling. Jousting is a skill that takes years to master with regular practice between a knight and his horse. You have to adjust for the subtleties of the gate of the horse as you go charging into the "point" of your enemy's lance.
Lances breaking are related to several factors. The quality of the wood and age (wear) of the lance are the most important. The secondary factors would be the speeds of the horses and the mass (weight) of the riders. Essentially the lance has to overcome the kinetic energy of the strike = 1/2 M x V^2. A solid blow well planted will challenge the lance. A glancing blow will just deflect the lance. If one of the knights were very skilled compared to the other then some consideration would need to be given to how much one knight understood the technique for staying on the horse at the hit, but I'm assuming your combatants have about the same skill there.
There is also the matter of wearing the right king of plate armor for the joust. The breast plate for a joust is made to deflect blows. There are other subtle adjustments. I'm assuming you would both have the best sort of armor for jousting. Good luck and have fun.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Good thoughts all, thanks.
I definitely want it skill based, with the 15 on raw die I was just trying to think of a way to make something similar to a crit, but easier to accomplish. These are 8th level PCs so mods are around +7 for attack or athletics, AC around 20. But I like the idea of instead beating the DC by certain set values, I think I will go with that.