Previous Day, Sunset: Arrival and Registration

Veli-Matti: The sun is setting as you finally arrive at Castle Brackenwold, cutting it a bit close. The tournament grounds are a hive of activity.

Before you can pitch your tents, you’ll need to register with the Marshal of the Lists; it’s a formal affair. Please, make a Charisma Check to see how you are received.

Michele: (Rolls her dice) A 3. Not a great start.

Jani: (Rolls his dice) 3 plus my modifier… that’s a 4. A success!

Veli-Matti: The Marshal of the Lists, a stern-faced man with a neatly trimmed beard, glances up. He seems standoffish with you, Sir Roslyn. He takes your information, but his eyes remain fixed on you, Sir Gareth, as if you’re the only one who matters.

MARSHAL: (Addressing Gareth) Your registration is complete. You may pitch your tents where you’ll find space, but I would recommend the creek side to the west, near the copse of birches. It is more distant, to be sure, but also calmer than trying to crowd close to the town. And an additional word of advice, Sir Ironwill: be ready. The Duke’s Hunt begins at dawn, and His Grace does not tolerate tardiness.

Jani (as Gareth): (Nodding respectfully) Thank you, Marshal. We’ll be there.

Michele (as Roslyn): (Muttering to herself as they walk away) Well, that was a little frosty. Did I forget to polish my armor this morning?

Jani (as Gareth): Don’t worry about it. Some people just have a sour disposition. The tents are this way. Let’s get settled and prepare for the morning.

Morning and Afternoon: The Duke’s Hunt

Morning Hunt

Veli-Matti: The next morning, the mist hangs heavy in the air. The Duke’s horn signals the start of the hunt, the participants head into the forest individually or in small groups to find and bring down prey animals. Where do each of you choose to search for prey? The default is Forest Clearing, but you can head to Light Forest, which gives you a better chance at small prey, or to Medium Forest, which is denser and harder to traverse, but might hide more dangerous and hence prestigious prey.

Michele: I’ll head into the Medium Forest.

Jani: I’m more of a Forest Clearing man.

Veli-Matti: Alright. Michele, you get a -1 to all other rolls except the prey type, which is at +2. Jani, no modifiers for you. Let’s begin the hunt.

The Boar and the Stag: Round 1

Veli-Matti: Now, both of you make a Locate roll. This is at +2 since you’re hunting in a prepared game preserve. 

Michele: 2 plus 2 minus 1… a 3. A miss.

Jani: I got a 4, plus my bonus, that’s a 6. A success!

Veli-Matti: Sir Roslyn fails to spot anything right away, but find some tracks. Meanwhile, Jani, excellent! You find an animal with minimal searching. Both of you make a Prey roll. Michele, you get the +2 on this one.

Michele: I roll an 18, plus 2 is 20.

Jani: A 14 for me.

Veli-Matti: Michele, Sir Roslyn finds tracks of a boar in that rather overgrown forest; make a Track roll.

Michele: A 5. Fail!

Veli-Matti: Alas, you lose the trail in the bushy undergrowth, spending an hour for nothing.

Veli-Matti: Meanwhile, Sir Gareth spots a red deer in the distance, grazing peacefully. You need to sneak closer to get a shot. Make a Stalk Roll.

Jani: A 4. Miss!

Veli-Matti: The deer hears something, its head shooting up and ears rotating around. It will spot you in a moment! This is your only chance to take a shot; make an Attack Roll.

Jani: A 14, plus my bonus is a 19! A hit!

Veli-Matti: You land a hit, wounding the deer. However, it turns and darts away into the brush. If you want, you can spend the next Round trying to follow it to bring it down.

Jani: Sir Gareth follows the wounded deer. If nothing else, it needs to be put down.

The Woad and the Wounded Deer: Round 2

Veli-Matti: Michele, new Locate and Prey Rolls.

Michele: 6 plus the bonus, a success! I spot something new. A Prey roll gets me a 10 plus 2, 12.

Veli-Matti: You’ve found a woad, a great, warty toad. Make a Stalk roll.

Michele: A 2. A failure. It has spotted me.

Veli-Matti: Go ahead and take your shot; an Attack roll.

Michele: 12 plus my bonus… 18. A hit!

Veli-Matti: You bring down a woad using a blunt arrow to not rupture its spleen and spoil the meat. It’s better than nothing. Meanwhile, Jani, Sir Gareth can try to follow the wounded deer, which is leaving blood in its wake. Make a Track roll at +2.

Jani: I got a 6, plus the bonus… an 8. A success. 

Veli-Matti: Let’s just say that a natural 6 on an already wounded and tired animal is an automatic kill. A fine trophy for Sir Gareth. The deer is his.

The Fruitless Pursuit: Round 3

Veli-Matti: Round 3. The morning continues. Michele, make another Locate and Prey rolls.

Michele: A 5, plus a bonus, is a success! My Prey roll is a… 1 plus 2 is a three?

Veli-Matti: You find a trotteling; a pink miniature pig with the face of a petulant toddler. Make a Stalk roll to close the range.

Michele: Nightmare fuel… A 2. A failure.

Veli-Matti: It heard you. Make an Attack roll before it can run.

Michele: A 1! Plus my bonus… only a 7. A miss.

Veli-Matti: It scampers away. Now, Jani, Locate and Prey rolls…

Jani: A 6, plus the bonus… a success. My Prey roll is a 9.

Veli-Matti: You find a merriman, a miniature golden swine. Make a Stalk roll.

Jani: A 1. A potential mishap! (rolls 1d6 again) 4, so just a failure.

Veli-Matti: It’s still a natural 1, so… As Sir Gareth closes silently as a ghost on the oblivious merriman, he steps on a dry branch, which breaks with a loud crack. Consequently, the merriman darts away into the bushes before he can get a shot off. That concludes your turn.

The Final Hour: Round 4

Veli-Matti: Round 4. The sun is approaching its zenith, and the morning hunt is in its final hour. Make another Locate and Prey rolls, each of you.

Michele: A 3, plus a bonus, is still a failure. My Prey roll is again 1+2, so another trotteling?

Veli-Matti: Correct. Make a Track roll to see if you can find it.

Michele: A 2 again! A failure.

Veli-Matti: Alas, the tracks are too faint for you. Jani, Locate and Prey rolls.

Jani: 6 total, a success. My Prey roll is an 11.

Veli-Matti: You find a puggle, a little, silver-furred wild pug. Make a Stalk roll.

Jani: 2, a failure. Attack roll is… nat 20!

Veli-Matti: Congrats, Sir Gareth drops the puggle with a headshot, painless. 

Veli-Matti: Finally, the morning ends. The knights compare their haul: Roslyn with one woad (1 point) and Gareth with the red deer and a puggle (6 points).

Afternoon: The Driven Hunt

Veli-Matti: For the driven hunt, you’ll need to choose a position in the preserve. The beaters will flush the animals towards you, and depending on how good a position you have selected, you might get some good shots off. Round 1. Roll Survival to select your spot, you still get the +2 bonus for the game preserve.

Michele: Ack, a 1! And another 1! Mishap!

Jani: 1 for me too! And a 3. 

Veli-Matti: I’ll need a Mishap roll from Michele.

Michele: I got a 5.

Veli-Matti: Sir Roslyn suddenly realizes that her valuable hunting knife, an inheritance from her grandfather, is not on her belt. A flash of memory of sticking the knife into a tree stump as you were enjoying lunch earlier…

Michele: Dangit, she needs to go and fetch it. 

Veli-Matti: (Rolls) That takes care of your hour. Meanwhile, Jani, Sir Gareth has a boring time, having selected a poor position. He can hear the beaters approaching, but all the animals are hidden by the thick bushes.

Jani (as Sir Gareth): (Sighs in frustration) Waste of time. I should have gone to help Roslyn find the knife. 

Better Positions

Veli-Matti: Round 2. Let’s try again. Roll a Survival Check for the positions again. 

Michele: A 4. Failure?

Veli-Matti: Simply not optimal positioning. Nevertheless, roll another 1d6 to see how many targets you get. (Michele rolls a 6.) You get 3 targets. Jani, what’s your positioning?

Jani: Position roll 6 in total.

Veli-Matti: OK, roll another 1d6, and Roslyn gets three targets: a puggle, a red deer, and a merriman. Select your target and roll your attack.

Michele: Let’s go for the big prize, the red deer. A 1, plus 6… only 7. A miss! 

Veli-Matti: Meanwhile, Gareth sees a red deer (the same one Roslyn shot at), a false unicorn, and another merriman. Choose your target and roll your attack.

Jani: I’ll try the shoot at the false unicorn… a 17, plus 5 is 22! A hit.

Veli-Matti: The false unicorn is wounded and flees. However, you can try to track it next turn.

Jani: I’ll do that.

Veli-Matti: Round 3. Roslyn, make a Position roll.

Michele: A 5. A failure. My Flush roll is a 1.

Veli-Matti: You get a single Headhog; a flea-infested hedgehog-like thing. Roll your attack.

Michele: Ew, do I have to? A 15, plus 6, is 21! A hit and a kill.

Veli-Matti: Meanwhile, Sir Gareth’s tracking the wounded false unicorn.

Jani: I roll a 4, plus 2 for bleeding, a success. My Stalk is a 5.

Veli-Matti: You get it into your sights again. Take the shot!

Jani: A 14 plus 5 is 19. A hit! 

Veli-Matti: And a kill! That concludes the Hunt. Roslyn now has a total of 2 points, while Gareth has 11 points. Gareth’s is a respectable showing, and at least Roslyn didn’t return empty-handed either.

Evening: The Feast of St. Cornice

Veli-Matti: You arrive at the great hall of the Brackenwold Castle, and the place is illuminated by hundreds of candles. The feast is in full swing; the air is full of music, laughter, and the hubbub of conversation as a couple of hundred knights and ladies socialize.

The first event of the evening is a Forest Dance, which is a formal processional dance. Make a Charisma Check.

Michele: A 4. A success!

Jani: A 3, plus 1… a 4. A success for me too!

The Feast Begins

Veli-Matti: Nice. You meet some of the local nobility, knights, and ladies, trying to memorize faces, names, and heraldry. As the dance ends, the servants rush to set up the trestle tables for the feast itself. Rows of tables are made ready for the knights and ladies, the ushers guiding everyone to their places according to their status and reputation.

The Lords and Ladies of the Houses of Dolmenwood are, of course, seated at the high table, whereas you, as foreign knights with little in the way of local reputation, are guided to the less prestigious seats. Once the tables are set, the food and drink start to come in… Now, each of you roll a 1d2-1 for a feast event. Michele, what do you get?

Michele: A 1, minus 1… so — 0. Nothing happens.

Veli-Matti: You are in the thick of the party, but unfortunately, no one seems to approach you or invite you into a conversation. It’s a bit isolating.

Michele (as Roslyn): (Sighing) No one wants to talk to me? I am depressed. I’m going to eat and drink my sorrows away.

Veli-Matti: Alright, so let’s say that is the Social Activity of Eat, Drink, and Be Merry? Make a Charisma Check to see if you have a good time.

Michele: <Rolls d6> I get a 5. A success! So I had a good time?

Veli-Matti: Not only that, but you win over your table companions, becoming the life of the party, people laughing at your anecdotes and war stories. As a result, you gain a +2 bonus to Reaction Rolls in this feast. You also need to make a Constitution roll to see if you suffer from a hangover in the morning.

Michele: <<Rolls>> A success! Good, no hangover.

Censorious Cleric

Veli-Matti: Jani, what was your event roll?

Jani: I got a 2, minus 1… a 1.

Veli-Matti: <Rolls an event> Sir Gareth finds to his horror that his table companion is one of those droning, clergymen, prattling on about how bad the tournaments are for the souls of the participants. Do you accept the seat or ask for a new one?

Jani: I ask for a new one; Sir Gareth has had it with these meddlesome priests!

Veli-Matti: Make a Charisma Check.

Jani: A 3, plus 1… a 4. A success!

Veli-Matti: You make your displeasure known, earning a -1 to Reaction Rolls in this feast for your discourtesy. Nevertheless, an usher quickly finds you a new spot. While there, you overhear a rumor. <Rolls on the rumor table… a 10…> You hear that the Duke’s hounds are going mad, barking all the time. There must be something in the air… a premonition, perhaps?

The Serpentine Dance

Veli-Matti: A couple of hours later, once everyone has had their fill, the plates and the leftovers are getting cleaned away, and the long tables are quickly taken down and put away. Now for the final event: The Serpentine Dance, which is an easy dance intended to help to break the ice and foster socializing for the rest of the tourney. Dexterity Checks for both of you, at plus 1.

Michele: A 6, plus 3… a 9!

Jani: A 2, plus 2… a 4.

Veli-Matti: You both succeed. You’ll get a +1 bonus to your next Charisma Check. Michele, Sir Roslyn gets a chance to win one of the prizes for the best dancer. Make a Dexterity Check and a Charisma Check, though you don’t get the +1 for this one since it represents your ability during the dance itself.

Michele: <Rolls> I get a 6, plus 2 is 8, and a 5 for the other one? 

Veli-Matti: Alright, you are not quite the best dancer, but almost. Go ahead and roll 1d6 to see if you happened to get paired with another amazing dancer. Perhaps together you could elevate each other’s performance and shine as a couple.

Michele: <Rolls> The couple roll is a 4.

Veli-Matti: Alas, not enough to clinch a prize, but you still participated with grace. With the dance over, the feast is winding down, and everyone is retiring for the night. Finally, the tournament begins in earnest tomorrow!

XP Awards

Veli-Matti: Michele, you get 15 XP for bagging the woad, 10 for the headhog and 5 for the dance — 30 in all.

Jani, the red deer, puggle, and false unicorn award 65, 10, and 20, respectivly. That’s 95 plus five for giving a respectable showing on the dance floor for another 5 — 100 XP. Not bad for your first day at the Duke’s Tourney!

Recommendations for running the Duke’s Hunt

1. Preroll animals and mishaps. In the case of animals, the location the characters choose matters, but the Referee can simply roll a list ready for each hunting ground. It is faster to read from a ready list “Medium Forest: 1st round: Boar” than it is to wait for the player/Referee to roll and then look up from the correct table. Fortunately, the Dolmenwood convention of having everything on a two-page spread means that the table is right there, which helps a lot. However, having the animal predetermined means that the Referee may have time to come up with more vivid descriptions of the situations, rather than needing to constantly improvise. 

For the Afternoon Hunt, the types of the animal won’t change, so it is enough to have a list of three animals per hunter per round, and simply use as many animals from the list as you need; e.g., a list of a trotteling, a deer, and a woad would mean that a hunter who flushes two animals would get to choose whether to shoot at a trotteling or a deer. Also, in the case of Mishaps, having the Referee think things through in advance will make it easier to weave the event into the story. That said, if you and your players like rolling the dice at the table, don’t let this dissuade you! And it does put the “blame” squarely on the dice. 

2. Weave situations and non-player characters into the subsequent events as much as you can. If the characters have hired a Hunter to help them, make sure that the Hunter has some personality, and that the way they are treated will color his views on the characters. Good treatment and a nice tip from the player-characters might make it more likely that not only would this Hunter be keen on getting hired again (perhaps even as a guide into the Forest itself), but the word might spread that the player-characters are good employers, making it easier for them to hire other hirelings in Brackenwold. The opposite could easily be true, too. 

3. Use Mishaps to enhance the story. Mishaps can be a fertile ground for indelible first impressions (“Oh, by my faith, are you alright!? I swear I thought you were a deer!”) or hints of something more sinister going on (perhaps the characters’ past actions have gained them some enemies?). One way to gain a bit more mileage out of the Mishap Table would be to roll on them even on the first roll of 1, but not make the player-character suffer the consequences (being hit by an arrow is just a near miss, the lost item is found just a few steps away or maybe it was a broken bowstring, spoiling the shot but fixed within a couple of minutes), or have the Mishap happen to a nearby non-player character (their yelling scaring any prey away, if the character was stalking one). 

Indeed, a Referee can turn an otherwise relatively uneventful Hunt into a mini-adventure by having a non-player character have a Mishap: “You hear a scream for help. Rushing forward, you see a fellow hunter trying to dodge away from a boar, but they’re caught by the boar’s tusks and gored.” And thus, suddenly, the players have a choice to make, whether to face the dangerous boar clad only in light armor (if even that) or leave a person to die before their very eyes, with possible accusations of cowardice if the truth ever comes out… 

Involving the non-player characters can be particularly effective if the Referee has already done some other prerolling for the Tournament. The hunter with a bad aim or with the boar troubles could be a knight whom they are facing later in the lists or in the melee, or perhaps a lady who might reward the understanding or valorous hunter with her favor for the tournament? And of course, assassinations are almost a fantasy trope, whether trying to solve a murder mystery or to foil one attempt and having to be on guard for subsequent attempts and find out who’s behind them and why? Either case would provide much roleplaying fodder for the rest of the Duke’s Tourney, and perhaps even beyond! 

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Join the Hunt!

Knights of the Wood: The Duke’s Tourney contains complete rules for hunting, feasting, jousting, mêlées, and courtly intrigue, plus tournament NPCs and detailed social maneuvering systems. Want just the hunting system? Excerpta 4: The Duke’s Hunt offers focused rules for both morning and driven hunts in Dolmenwood, complete with prey tables and tracking mechanics. Excerpta 4 includes the Archery Competition mini-game, giving non-knight characters their own moment in the tourney spotlight. Need feast details? Try our free Medieval Feast Generator for authentic courses and dishes.