Flashback: The Seer

Veli-Matti: We’ll do a quick flashback to Day Two, while Roslyn was out exploring the fairgrounds, with Gareth focusing on the other contestants’ qualification joust. The stallkeepers are hawking their wares, shouting loudly, but Roslyn’s attention is caught by a purple tent that stands apart in one corner of the castle bailey. “Madame Zorya Sees Your Future,” the sign proclaims. Incense wafts from within, and the sound of softly jingling bells beckons the curious. Do you wish to enter?

Michele: Sure! Roslyn is game!

Veli-Matti: Inside is one Madame Zorya, a mysterious figure draped in colorful silks, her eyes hidden behind a veil of beads. Her voice is low and melodic as she speaks: “Who seeks to know their future?”

Michele: Roslyn tells her name and asks Madame Zorya to tell her future.

Veli-Matti: “For the meager price of two gold pieces, I will seek to pierce the Veil to the future and tell you what I see,” she intones softly, while gesturing you to take a seat opposite her. 

Michele: Roslyn pays and then sits down.

Veli-Matti: Her well-manicured hands shuffle a pack of Tarot cards, and then she deals them out in a pattern, murmuring something under her breath. She then pauses, staring at the cards for a good minute or two, before she speaks: “Your future holds a choice: you must act swiftly, lest something you treasure is washed away.” And with that, she gathers her cards and shuffles them again.

Jani: And that was worth two gold pieces?

Michele: Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

Veli-Matti: And with that, we’ll move ahead to the last day of the tourney. Not only do we have the final rounds of the joust, but also the duel with Sir Grennigore the Black, and the matter of Sir Gwellith Lockehorn’s ransom that Gareth needs to arrange with Lord Simeone Murkin.

Morning: The Quarterfinals

The Harpy and the Rose

Veli-Matti: The Joust has reached its quarterfinals. Amongst the contestants are some of the people you are already familiar with, such as Sir Grendilore, Sir Osric, and Sir Alienor. As it happens, Sir Grendilore proves victorious against Sir Alienor and advances to the semifinals in the afternoon. Sir Osric also advances, having defeated his opponent, Sir Gawain Harrowmoor, the Harpy Knight. 

Jani: Harrowmoor? Wasn’t that the House that we joined after the Mêlée?

Veli-Matti: Correct. Sir Gawain is the uncle of Lady Harrowmoor, but he serves in the Ducal Household. 

Michele: Why is that?

Veli-Matti: It’s not that uncommon for “spares” to serve in their liegelord’s household if there is no space in their own house’s ranks. However, given that Sir Gawain carries a shield with a harpy on it, your heraldic knowledge tells you that it is a sign of some crime. Obviously, it was not enough to get him executed, but he’s forced to carry the emblem as a punishment and a stigma of a past crime. Maybe it is something for you to ask around during the feast?

Michele: If the opportunity arises, I am curious.

Veli-Matti: To return to the joust results, the semifinalists are Sir Grendilore, Sir Osric, Sir Hoarsent Waverly, who is the reigning champion, and a foreign knight, Sir Clarissa, “The Crimson Rose”. She’s one of the most famous lady-knights in these kingdoms, so you surely would have heard of her before, too. She’s starting to slow down with the years, but she might have been even Roslyn’s inspiration when growing up. 

Michele: Oh, can Roslyn go and talk with her?

Veli-Matti: Sure, you have some time before your duel. Go ahead and roll a Reaction Roll, 2d6 + Charisma modifier, for the first impression and the interaction. 

Michele: <Rolls 6+0> Oh no! At least it was not a 2! Roslyn seems to be a bit tongue-tied around her idol. With a name like The Crimson Rose, is she a redhead, too?

Veli-Matti: Yes, she is, although hers is showing grey streaks. She’s courteous, realizing that Roslyn means well, even if your speech is not the most eloquent. She handles you with the grace of a pro, shaking your hand and wishing you well on your duel, which you’d managed to mention. It’s pretty clear that this is rather routine for her, and you’re not making much of an impression, at least not yet. Maybe once you gain more Renown by doing great deeds in Dolmenwood? Sir Clarissa’s squire then politely intervenes to remind her of the need to get out of her armor and into more courtly wear for lunch, and your interaction comes to a close.

The Ransom and Half-Breeds

Veli-Matti: Jani, it’s Gareth’s turn. Do you want to use the opportunity during the joust to find Lord Murkin and settle the issue of the Ransom?

Jani: Gareth would like to do that. 

Veli-Matti: Alright, you can see him in the audience, surrounded by his knights, including the unlucky Sir Gwellith Lockehorn. Lord Simeone Murkin is a half-breed, like Gareth’s beloved Cordelia, but unlike her, his lordship is malformed: his face is an almost half-and-half mix, one goat-eye, one human-eye, one nub of a horn that looks almost like a tumor… A handsome man he is not, and he has an almost perpetually sour scowl on his face. “What do you want?” he brays at you, affecting the speech patterns of the Longhorn nobility. Roll a Reaction Roll, 2d6 + Charisma modifier, as you make your case. Since this is about getting money out of him, you get a -2 penalty.

Jani: <Rolls 7+1-2 = 6> “My Lord Murkin, I am Sir Gareth Ironwill. I beseech a moment of your time, to settle the ransom of your good knight, Sir Gwellith, seated next to you…”

Veli-Matti: “Not good enough since he got captured!” Lord Murkin bleats, glaring with his goat-eye at the knight who is squirming with embarrassment. “It would serve him right to settle his own debts! But I’m a generous lord, as all here can attest. You can have his ransom, 300 gp, with the equipment returned as well.” Gareth may recall that Sir Osric advised not to settle for less than 500 gp. 

Jani: Gareth clears his throat. “My lord is indeed generous, but that 300 gp would only cover the knight’s own ransom. His horse and armor are valuable as well. For 500 gp, you can have your man and his equipment as well.” 

Veli-Matti: “What? Do you seek to haggle with me like some stallkeeper?” Lord Murkin snarls, his face starting to turn puce. “400 gp, not a penny more!” 

Jani: Gareth worries that the lord will die of apoplexy if this goes on, and 100 gp is not worth risking making him an enemy. “As you wish, m’lord. 400 gp, by the end of the tournament.” Gareth says with a bow.

Veli-Matti: Lord Murkin gives an aggressive nod and then waves his hand to dismiss you, turning his attention back to the jousting. However, before Gareth has too much time to think dark thoughts about half-breeds, a much more welcome half-breed seizes his arm: Lady Cordelia has found you again and asks you to be her companion during the duel of Sir Roslyn and Sir Grennigore.

Jani: Gareth accepts happily, his mood very much improved!

Noon: The Duel

Veli-Matti: The gray skies overhead finally break just as the combatants mount their chargers. This is no mere foot duel—this is a clash with lethal war lances from horseback: Sir Roslyn Trueheart against Sir Grennigore the Black. As the first heavy drops of rain begin to splatter against your plate armor, Sir Grennigore wheels his horse around at the far end of the lists. Michele, Roslyn lowers her visor, and then roll for the first pass. His Joust AC is 9.

Michele: Roslyn wastes no time, spurring her horse forward into a hard gallop and leveling her war lance straight for his breastplate! <Rolls 12+7> 19 for a Mighty Strike. <Rolls 12+2> 14 halved to 7 points of damage! 

Veli-Matti: The lance connects with a thunderous crack! Sir Grennigore is hit squarely, the impact buffeting him violently in his seat. <Roll 15-5=10> He manages to stay in the saddle, as your lance shatters. His lance strikes in return… <Rolls 14+5> 19 against your AC of 12 is a Solid Strike. Roll to stay in the saddle.

Michele: <Rolls 10> I made it. Roslyn grips with her thighs, just rocking back a bit with the hit. She wheels her horse around for the second pass, picking up a new lance from my squire, and charges again! <Rolls 13+7> 20, another Mighty Strike! <Rolls 2+2> Not the cleanest hit, 4 halved to 2 points of damage.

Veli-Matti: <Rolls 13-5> Sir Grennigore grunts as he is almost unhorsed. <Rolls 4+5> His own aim is off, a 9 — a wide, clumsy miss that clears your shoulder entirely. Roll for the third pass. 

Michele: <Rolls 15+7> 22, another thunderous hit! <Rolls 8+2> 10 halved to 5 points of damage.

Veli-Matti: The splintering wood drives into his breastplate, heavily buffeting him a third time. <Rolls 16-5> He’s bleeding beneath his armor and breathing heavily, but his fury keeps him mounted. <Rolls 15+5> His own lance strikes true this time: a 20, a Solid Strike!

Michele: <Rolls 10> Saved again! And my armor remains proof against his lance.

Veli-Matti: As you turn your horses around, you can see him taking a moment to lift his visor and spit out some blood. Seeing her bastard half-brother battered, bloodied, and repeatedly nearly blasted from his saddle on every pass, Lady Cornelia rushes toward the edge of the barrier, weeping and pleading for him to yield. <Rolls 6> However, Sir Grennigore’s pride is too fierce; his morale check is a 6, and he stubbornly refuses to concede the field.

Right then, the heavens open up. A sudden, torrential downpour turns the tilting lane into a treacherous, slipping bog for the horses. Having failed to convince her half-brother, Lady Cornelia turns to Sir Gareth with desperate eyes, begging him to intercede with his companion, Sir Roslyn, to postpone the duel before a lethal accident occurs due to the slippery mud.

Jani: Sir Gareth, of course, agrees to take the message to Sir Roslyn.

Michele: Seeing the wisdom in it and respecting the lady’s wishes, Roslyn reins in her horse and signals a halt.

Veli-Matti: Grudgingly, shivering in the downpour and realizing his mount can no longer find purchase, Sir Grennigore finally relents and agrees to pause the match to salvage his pride. It’s a draw! The rain continues to pour down like a deluge, washing the color away into a grayness.

Michele: Wait, what did you say? Wash the color away… deluge… Our camp by the river! Our stuff! Sir Roslyn yells to her squire to tell Sir Gareth to come quickly to the camp and then follow with all haste, as Roslyn rides ahead already!

Jani: Gareth follows, as soon as he has made his excuses to Lady Cordelia.

Afternoon: The Finals and The Flash Flood

Veli-Matti: The final rounds of the joust are forced to move indoors due to the rain. You later hear that Sir Hoarsent defeated Sir Clarissa, and Sir Grendilore defeated Sir Osric. The two then faced off for the Championship, and predictably, Sir Hoarsent was able to defend his title once more, remaining undefeated.

However, you miss all of that excitement. Thanks to the storm, the campsite outside faces disaster. The sudden deluge triggers a flash flood along the river, especially where you pitched your tents. Let’s make a Chance Roll (1d6) for how you handle the evacuation of your gear and horses.

Michele: <Rolls 4> I hope that is enough.

Jani: <Rolls 1> It seems Gareth got heavily delayed, making polite, lingering excuses to Lady Cornelia. Courtly manners cost time.

Veli-Matti: Precisely. By the time Sir Gareth reaches the tents, a wall of muddy water is sweeping through your campsite. Sir Gareth and his squire are knocked off their feet, thoroughly drenched and caked in thick, ruining mud, though you both manage to scramble to safety. The tent is gone, though, as are some of the other camp stuff. Fortunately, thanks to Sir Roslyn getting there first, she did manage to rescue the valuables, including Gwellith’s armor and warhorse!

Jani: Oh, losing those would have majorly sucked! “Thanks, Roslyn!”

Michele: “Happy to help!” 

Veli-Matti: As for Sir Roslyn’s stuff, you got there early enough to pack your stuff as well as help with Gareth’s valuables, but your tent got washed away as well. Easy enough to replace, though.  

Michele: “Best two gold pieces I ever spent.” Roslyn murmurs, and once we are heading out of that mess, she even tells Gareth of the fortune teller predicting this situation. 

Veli-Matti: Fortunately, your standing with the nobility ensures that you are not left to sleep in the mud. Given Gareth’s high reaction bonuses with her, the grateful Lady Cornelia personally arranges a dry, comfortable room for him at the local crowded inn. Meanwhile, Roslyn can approach her new employer, Lady Harrowmoor, who graciously arranges for her to double up in quarters with one of her trusted household knights.

Michele: Oh, can I ask them about the Harpy Knight?

Veli-Matti: Sure. Make a Reaction Roll to see how willing they are to chat with you about him.

Michele: <Rolls 9> That’s pretty good, isn’t it?

Veli-Matti: Yes. You find knights willing to share. In a nutshell, a few years back, Sir Gawain’s honor was insulted by another knight during a feast at Harrowmoor Keep, and he punched the other knight out. However, the knight cracked his skull against the flagstones and died within moments, before the healers could intervene. He was judged guilty of manslaughter by the Duke and ordered to carry the harpy shield as a signal of his guilt. He was exiled from Harrowmoor Keep, but found service in the Duke’s household, as he is a capable veteran knight. 

Michele: Later, once the horses are stabled and the armor is off, Roslyn seeks out Sir Grennigore at his pavilion to check on his injuries. 

Veli-Matti: His squire ducks in to check if you are welcome, and then blocks the tent entrance, crossing his arms. “My master will not receive you,” the youth scowls, “unless you are here to offer a formal apology.”

Michele: Roslyn swallows her pride for the sake of chivalry. She chooses to apologize.

Veli-Matti: Alright, that’s the end of that, then. Honor is satisfied all around. Let’s move on to the final feast.

Evening: The Feast of St. Dougan

Fairy Ring

Veli-Matti: That evening, the nobility gathers in the dry, warm great hall for the Feast of St. Dougan. The wine flows, and the musicians strike up the traditional, intricate Fairy Ring dance. Roll a Dexterity check with -2.

Michele: Roslyn is putting the muddy day behind her and hitting the dance floor. <Rolls 4+2-2> 4, Success!

Veli-Matti: Beautifully done. Your grace catches the eye of the court heralds; Roslyn gains a +1 Reaction Roll modifier as a renowned, great dancer for the next year. Gareth, what are you doing during the festivities?

Jani: I am skipping the dancing for now. I want to use the social gathering to try and build bridges, specifically Seek Allies with the House Malbleat. <Rolls 1+1> Oops, a natural 1!

Veli-Matti: Oof. Not only are the Malbleats thoroughly annoyed by your overtures—resulting in a -1 penalty to your next Charisma Check with them—but your high-aiming social maneuvering catches the eye of Sir Braembel Ramius. The stern knight stalks over, corners Gareth near the high table, and thoroughly tells you off in front of the peers for “putting your low aims far too high” regarding the hand of Lady Cornelia. He is now firmly your Enemy. 

Interlude

Veli-Matti: Both of you, roll for a random event.

Michele: <Rolls 1-1> No event. I want to try to patch things up with Sir Grennigore during a lull in the feast. I’ll use my Social Activity to Seek Allies with him. <Rolls 2> Well, drats.

Veli-Matti: You approach him, but Sir Grennigore turns his back to you, offering a freezing cold shoulder. “I have nothing else to say to you, knight,” he growls into his goblet. You’ll suffer a -1 penalty on all future Reaction Rolls with him. 

Michele: Roslyn grumbles and walks away.

Jani: <Rolls 1-1> No event. Since the Malbleats are a bust, I’ll spend my remaining time trying to Seek Information around the hall. <Rolls 5+1> 6, a solid success! What do I learn?

Veli-Matti: You pick up on some juicy court intrigue. The whispers over the trencher bread reveal a fierce, bitter rivalry simmering between Lady Berryld Ramius and Lady Zoemina Brackenwold, over the issue of occult knowledge. So if in your adventures you happen to come across something occult-ish, those two would be potential buyers, although you might make an enemy of the other one.

St. Dougan’s Measure

Veli-Matti: Finally, the evening concludes with St. Dougan’s Measure, a slow, intimate partner dance. There is no need to roll a check, but to sit it out means that you are dishonoring the saint, and thus incur social penalty from the locals. What do you do?

Michele: Dance, of course.

Jani: Same here.

Veli-Matti: As the couples form, Roslyn might be surprised as none other than Gawain Harrowmoor moves to take her hand. Do you accept?

Michele: Uh. Yes?

Veli-Matti: The stately dance is easy enough to follow, even as you are justifiably a bit distracted. Gawain murmurs out of the corner of his mouth: “You have been asking about me. Unless it is vengeance you seek, drop it. The past is dead, and my shame is my own. Serve my niece well, and you will have a friend in me. Betray her, and I will gut you myself.” 

Michele: Roslyn’s cheeks blush in anger, and she grits her teeth back at him. “My honor is being questioned by the Harpy Knight. Now my night is complete.”

Veli-Matti: He glances at you, and as the music stops, he drops your hand and walks away without the niceties of taking his leave. 

Michele: Roslyn seems to attract a type. The insufferable, rude types.

Veli-Matti: Now, as for Gareth… Lady Cornelia deftly slips away from her family’s watchful eyes to take Sir Gareth’s hand. Across the room, Sir Braembel Ramius glares holes through you, growling under his breath. 

Jani: Heehee… I ignore him and focus my attention on the lady and the dance.

Veli-Matti: Let’s roll a Devotion check for the lady. Remember the +2 bonus from last night, and -1 since she unfortunately gets the Malbleat penalty, the dislike of her family cooling her ardor, perhaps?

Jani: Let’s see if the mud was worth it. <Rolls 6+1+2-1> An 8!

Veli-Matti: An incredible result. Squeezing your hand as you turn in the dance, she softly apologizes for her family’s harsh behavior and her brother’s bitter pride. Before the dance ends, she slips a silk token of her favor into your palm for you to wear on your adventures, whispering that she deeply hopes you two will meet again. “But,” she adds under her breath, “avoid Castle Malbleat for the foreseeable future, my knight. Just in case.”

Jani: Gareth bows and kisses her hand. “My lady,” he says with a voice choked with emotion. 

Veli-Matti: Aaand… scene. Thus concludes the Duke’s Tourney! 

XP Awards

Veli-Matti: Michele, since the fight against Sir Grennigore ended in a draw, no defeat XP, despite you clearly being the dominating party in that duel. You do get 60 XP for the three Mighty Strikes, though. You succeeded in both dances, so that is an additional 10 XP. Jani, you only got one dance for 5 XP. In short, more of a social day. 

Michele: What if I had continued and defeated Sir Grennigore? 

Veli-Matti: He would have been worth 80 XP. But while you did not manage to befriend him, Lady Cordelia does have a reason to think kindly of you, so it was not all wasted effort.

Michele: True, and I didn’t take any damage anyway.

Veli-Matti: So, in the grand total… Roslyn gained 465 XP, and Gareth gained 490 XP. Oh! I forgot! You are supposed to get XP also for the treasure you have gained. So that would be 100 XP for the Keepsake rings and 25 XP for the silver brooches at the Ashen Bough on the third day, and 400 XP to Gareth for the ransoming of Sir Gwellith.

Michele: Wait, don’t I get anything from Sir Ursequine?

Veli-Matti: Hmm… technically, you didn’t get paid for him, but I agree, that seems a bit harsh. You did get out of paying 1,000 gold pieces or so yourself, but I am not going to give the full value for that, either. On the other hand, it doesn’t really feel right to stiff Gareth out of some XP for the gold he was not able to negotiate for in that case, either. Oh well, call it a St. Dougan’s Feast Gift: Roslyn gets 400 XP for 400 gold pieces that would have been the fair ransom and loot value, and Gareth gets 500 XP.

Jani: I’m not complaining!

Veli-Matti: So, that brings your totals to 990 XP for Roslyn, and 1,115 XP for Gareth. Which is not nothing, although clearly, at your level, you need to do more dangerous adventuring or greater heroics to actually gain a level. But I hope you had fun!

Michele: Yes, definitely!

Jani: We did! I’m looking forward to our future adventures in Dolmenwood and to what happens with Sir Gareth and Lady Cordelia.

Michele: Roslyn will be looking for a chance to put Sir Grennigore and Sir Gawaine on their fundaments… Maybe in the next tournament?

Veli-Matti: Maybe… To be continued?

Thoughts for the Final Day

1. Leave some action for the last day, too. As the Tourney reaches its final day, most of the events naturally narrow. It’s less likely that the Player Characters are in the quarterfinals of the joust, let alone in the semifinals or the finals. However, it’s a good day to set up duels, the final grudge matches to crystallize any rivalries and animosities. The ransom negotiations are good for some social interaction as well.

2. Sudden Storm. I had pre-rolled this random event at the start of the tourney, but I didn’t want it to happen during the main part of the tourney, especially not before the mêlée. It would have been difficult to justify the mêlée if the whole field had turned into a muddy quagmire. So, I waited patiently until the last day to trigger it. Sure, I could have rolled another random event, but this was what I rolled and decided to use. Granted, it was not the most exciting or impactful one, but I think I managed to incorporate it well enough.

3. Courtly Intrigue. Since our focus was more on playtesting the various subsystems, rather than running a full campaign in Dolmenwood, I must admit that the amount of intrigue we managed to include was not too much. Then again, Roslyn and Gareth are foreigners, their first entry into Dolmenwood. It makes sense that they would not become enmeshed in the local politics and intrigue right away. Oh, and while I am at this, in the Seek Allies, I think the natural 1 should cause a lasting -1 Charisma Check penalty until the Player Character has done something to redeem themselves. Just having that penalty for a single roll means that the Player can simply initiate some minor encounter and suddenly everything is forgiven? One for the errata, methinks!

4. Commoners. There’s also a very rich stable of commoner NPC encounters in the book, which I didn’t take full advantage of. This mainly came down to time and timing: they were being finalized while we were doing the playtests. Also, while these work with knights well enough, they are even more useful for non-knight PCs, who aren’t so involved with the knightly events of the tourney. There would be scope there to run a little detective plotline with a couple of non-knight characters, particularly thieves. And of course, those commoner NPCs don’t just spring out from the ground like mushrooms (although this is Dolmenwood…), so it would make sense to cross paths with them even outside of the tournaments.

See You in the Lists!

Knights of the Wood: The Duke’s Tourney contains complete rules for jousting, sorcery competitions, feasting, dancing, and everything else you could possibly need to run tournaments in Dolmenwood. Need just one of these elements? Excerpta 1: The Joust features all of your x-treme sporting needs. Excerpta 6: The Phantasmagoria shows you how to run a magical exhibition as an exciting competition; Excerpta 5: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry handles feasting, dancing, and courtly mechanics. Need to generate knightly competitors? Our free Dolmenwood Knight Generator’s got you covered. Feast details? Try our Medieval Feast Generator that more than passes the verisimilitude test!