Thranconia

SECTION 1: GAME RULES FOR JOUSTING

THE PASS: A pass is when two knights individually ride at one another attempting to unhorse the other. Each jouster picks an aim point and a shield position and each knight's attack is resolved simultaneously. It is possible for each knight to unhorse the other, for example.

JOUSTING FACTORS

• Jousting Skill: each fighter has a Jousting Skill Number. This is equal to his Strength, plus Intelligence, plus Dexterity, divided by 5, to which is added one half his experience level. Drop all fractions from the final total. When a Jousting Skill Roll is called for, roll 1d20 and get equal to or less than the Jousting Skill number to succeed at the roll.
• Aim Point: for each pass at the Joust, each jouster picks one of four Aim Points: Head, Body-Left, Body-Right, Horse. Targeting the horse is always a foul in a formal match and sees the jouster disqualified from the joust, he also suffers a 1d6 loss in Charisma for 2d6 months, if the deed were witnessed.
• Shield Position: for each pass at the Joust, each jouster picks one of four Shield Positions: High, Middle-Right, Middle-Left, or Low.

For ease of play, each jouster should have a set of Joust Cards with the range of aim points and shield positions on them, and should pick one aim point and one shield position card each pass. joust_cards.pdf

JOUSTING RESULTS: check Joust Results Matrix document or list below. joust_result_matrix.pdf

1. Head vs. High: Break Lance
2. Head vs. Middle-Left: Hazard
3. Head vs. Middle-Right: Hazard
4. Head vs. Low: Injure Rider
5. Body-Left vs. High: Unhorse
6. Body-Left vs. Middle-Left: Break Lance
7. Body-Left vs. Middle-right: Hazard
8. Body-Left vs. Low: Unhorse
9. Body-Right vs. High: Unhorse
10. Body-Right vs.. Middle-Left: Hazard
11. Body-Right vs. Middle-Right: Break Lance
12. Body-Right vs. Low: Unhorse
13. Horse vs. High: Injure Horse
14. Horse vs. Middle-Left: Hazard
15. Horse vs. Middle-Right: Hazard
16. Horse vs. Low: Break Lance

BREAK LANCE: the attacker's lance is broken (No Joust Skill Check is made if using jousting lances, Joust Check allowed for a real lance to avoid breaking).

HAZARD: the attacker and defender each rolls a Joust Skill Check, if the attacker rolls higher, but still succeeds, then the defender rolls second Joust skill check or become unhorsed. If the defender rolls higher, but still succeeds, then the attacker's lance is broken. If both jouster's exceed their Joust Skill on the roll, there is no effect.

INJURE RIDER or HORSE: defender makes a Joust Skill check, but if he fails he or his horse takes 1d6 points of damage, but the damage explodes (add an additional 1d6 for each 6 rolled). After taking damage, roll an additional Joust Skill check or be unhorsed (if man or horse is injured).

UNHORSE: defender makes a Joust Skill check or falls from the horse to the ground.

JOUSTING WITH DIFFERENT GEAR: the above rules assume that the knights are wearing chain or plate armor, a shield and a helmet and are using a jousting lance.

• If a jouster is in leather or no armor every HAZARD and UNHORSE is also an Injury result.
• If the jouster has no helmet, then any aim at the head resulting in Hazard or Unhorse is also an injury.
• If the jouster has no shield, every result counts as an Unhorse.
• If the jouster is using a real lance instead of a jousting lance, any injury or unhorse result does regular charging lance damage (1d8 or 1d10 doubled).

SECTION 2: SETTING RULES FOR TOURNAMENTS

FRIENDLY INDIVIDUAL JOUST: When two knights decide to fight a joust, they will run 4 passes. If a knight is unhorsed, he loses, but if neither knight is unhorsed in 4 passes, it is a draw. A loser must forfeit his armor and horse, or a ransom of 400gp for them.

ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT At an elimination tournament, knights hang their shields up and wander about challenging other knights to a joust by tapping the shield with a lance. Losing a joust eliminates the knight from the tournament. When all but 4 knights have been eliminated, 2 semi-final jousts are held and then a grand final joust.

The DM sets a number of elimination rounds ahead of time before a semi-final and final round. Each elimination round follows the rules for a friendly joust, but lasts 6 passes if no one is unhorsed. If neither knight is unhorsed, the knight who has broken the fewest lances wins. If it is tied, the two knights trade a blow with a 2-handed blunted ground weapon and whichever takes the most damage (subdual) loses.

A defeated knight must hand over his horse and armor, or 400gp, just as in a friendly joust. The winner of the final round also receives a prize of some sort, provided by the organizer of the tournament, which had been previously announced (usually worth at least 1500gp).

DUEL AND TRIAL BY COMBAT If a knight challenges another to a blood-duel or a trial by combat is called for, the knights will use real lances, which do charging lance damage (1d8 or 1d10, x2) on an Injury or Unhorse Result. If a combatant is unhorsed and still alive, the fight continues. The horsed knight can continue to fight from horseback, but this is considered to be slightly dishonorable and he will suffer a -1 to -4 to his Charisma Score for 1d6 months.

After 6 passes, if neither knight is unhorsed, the fight continues on foot with regular weapons until one knight is dead, unconscious or yields. The victorious knight may kill an unconscious or yielded knight, or may spare him.

Historical Note: Yes, I know that in historical jousts “breaking a lance” was a good thing, showed you made a hit. But, it seemed better for simplifying the matrix to ignore the chance for a miss, instead the breaking of a lance in Thranconia represents the defender blocking the lance with his shield.