So one of my players is going to be an Urban Barbarian who is basically a soccer hooligan, but he needs a sport to get all angry about!
I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a cool fictional sport that crowds of people could watch and get into. No magic or very little, but it can be far out.
My original thought was something like arena sized tether-ball with a large stone spiked ball, but it didnt quite come to fruition in my brain.
Gladiator shows? Chariot races? Athletics? I mean, sure, you could make up something overly complicated to mirror modern sports, but you're just there to see guys get hurt, so why wrap it in rules, right? :)
Wild animal wrestling. I can just see a barechested dwarf applying a sleeper hold to a grizzly bear.
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Dwarf Tossing
I'd imagine something like (american)football with less strict rules, monks shouldn't be allowed though..
A more or less lethal marathon run course complete with traps and possibly opponents to overcome in record time, focus should be on physical skills, like acrobatics, athletics, fast movement, wrestling, feats of strength, endurance, heavy drinking, avoiding/disarming traps and possibly ways to hinder the competing players.
I'd imagine something like (american)football with less strict rules, monks shouldn't be allowed though..
"Alright, we've gathered here today to play a game of football. Anyone here know how to play?"
*two guys raise their hands*
"Right, you guys are out. Anyone else?"
:p
Of course monks should be allowed. They are like wardancers, they will jump circles around you, but when you finally get them in a good block they don't get up again. :p
So one of my players is going to be an Urban Barbarian who is basically a soccer hooligan, but he needs a sport to get all angry about!
I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a cool fictional sport that crowds of people could watch and get into. No magic or very little, but it can be far out.
My original thought was something like arena sized tether-ball with a large stone spiked ball, but it didnt quite come to fruition in my brain.
"Skullball", a re-skinned version of rubgy. Play doesn't stop until someone scores, or someone needs to be carted off-field for healing.
All games are played within an anti-magic field, to prevent illegal "performance enhancers".
I'd imagine something like (american)football with less strict rules, monks shouldn't be allowed though..
"Alright, we've gathered here today to play a game of football. Anyone here know how to play?"
*two guys raise their hands*
"Right, you guys are out. Anyone else?"
:p
Of course monks should be allowed. They are like wardancers, they will jump circles around you, but when you finally get them in a good block they don't get up again. :p
Ok, maybe just a 1 or 2 monks in every team would be cool, runners, blockers, bruisers/bashers.. lets call it bloodball
All games are played within an anti-magic field, to prevent illegal "performance enhancers".
You can't do that, that will screw with the scrying rights sales. :)
You'll need detect-magic referees on the sidelines. Besides, getting away with cheating is half the game, so it shouldn't be ironclad protection.
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Quidditch.
On a more serious note, Squirrel Ball. I have no idea why it's called that, that's just what my teacher called it in high school. It's a weird mix of football and rugby. Three teams, two balls, two goals. One team by each goal with the third in the center. The two teams by the goals try to score on the other goal while the center team can score on any goal. Ref throws both balls into the air, all three teams go for them and try to gain control of the ball and score. The only real rule, listen to the ref when they say to start and stop.
However, whatever sport you go with, it should have some rules. Part of being a die hard fan/hooligan is getting irritated over "bad calls". Just ask a Seahawks fan about the Super Bowl they were in a few years ago (I forget which number) against the Steelers.
You could also try to take the Warhammer side game of Blood Bowl and get that into your game. It's pretty much a fantasy version of football where cheating is allowed. As long as you don't get caught. It was the basis of the Mutant League games.
All games are played within an anti-magic field, to prevent illegal "performance enhancers".You can't do that, that will screw with the scrying rights sales. :)
You'll need detect-magic referees on the sidelines. Besides, getting away with cheating is half the game, so it shouldn't be ironclad protection.
Well then, perhaps the players all get a Dispel cast on them before the match. That'd work as well.
I didn't think about the cross-promotion with the Crystal-Dish-Network. I wonder how much a season pass should cost?
A couple of historical inspirations for you...
Byzantine chariot races:
Throughout the Byzantine period, the Hippodrome was the centre of the city's social life. Huge amounts were bet on chariot races, and initially four teams took part in these races, each one financially sponsored and supported by a different political party (Deme) within the Roman/Byzantine Senate: The Blues (Venetoi), the Greens (Prasinoi), the Reds (Rousioi) and the Whites (Leukoi). The Reds (Rousioi) and the Whites (Leukoi) gradually weakened and were absorbed by the other two major factions (the Blues and Greens).
A total of up to eight chariots (two chariots per team), powered by four horses each, competed on the racing track of the Hippodrome. These races were not simple sporting events, but also provided some of the rare occasions in which the Emperor and the common citizens could come together in a single venue. Political discussions were often made at the Hippodrome, which could be directly accessed by the Emperor through a passage that connected the Kathisma (Emperor's Loge at the eastern tribune) with the Great Palace of Constantinople.
The rivalry between the Blues and Greens often became mingled with political or religious rivalries, and sometimes riots, which amounted to civil wars that broke out in the city between them. The most severe of these was the Nika riots of 532, in which an estimated 30,000 people were killed[citation needed] and many important buildings, such as the second Hagia Sophia Church, were destroyed.
That's hooligans for you!
Mesoamerican ballgame:
As might be expected with a game played over such a long period of time by many cultures, details varied over time and place, so the Mesoamerican ballgame might be more accurately seen as a family of related games. It is known in Spanish as juego de pelota ("ballgame"), in Classic Maya as pitz, and in modern Nahuatl as ollamaliztli.
In general, the hip-ball version is most popularly thought of as "the" Mesoamerican ballgame,[17] and researchers believe that this version was the primary—or perhaps only—version played within the masonry ballcourt.[18] Ample archaeological evidence exists for games where the ball was struck by a wooden stick (e.g. a mural at Teotihuacan shows a game which resembles field hockey), racquets, bats and batons, handstones, and the forearm, perhaps at times in combination. The various types of games each had its own size of ball, specialized gear and playing field, and rules.
Games were played between two teams of players. The number of players per team could vary, between 2 to 4.[19][20] Some games were played on makeshift courts for simple recreation while others were formal spectacles on huge stone ballcourts leading to human sacrifice.
Even without human sacrifice, the game could be brutal and there were often serious injuries inflicted by the solid, heavy ball. Today's hip-ulama players are "perpetually bruised"[21] while nearly 500 years ago Spanish chronicler Diego Durán reported that some bruises were so severe that they had to be lanced open. He also reported that players were even killed when the ball "hit them in the mouth or the stomach or the intestines".
Also suitably brutal
You should check out the 3.5 Pathfinder adventure "Escape from Old Korvosa" which has rules for a brutal sport called Blood Pig. To get a feel for the idea, here's the blog preview for it...
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You should check out the 3.5 Pathfinder adventure "Escape from Old Korvosa" which has rules for a brutal sport called Blood Pig. To get a feel for the idea, here's the blog preview for it...
Blood Pig was so much fun. I don't know how I forgot about it. It's probably because my character in that game was too busy trying to figure out rules for the Goblin game "Rat Squish" (at least that's what he called it) despite my DM telling me repeatedly that there are no rules for it.
If you're going for some kind of realism then sticking with horse and chariot racing, as well as gladiatorial combat would likely be your best bet.
Tossing realism out the window you could probably pick up a used copy of Blood Bowl and use that as a base to create a bunch of teams for your PCs to follow.
Another thought is that the theme running through the Pathfinder Society games this year is a massive fighting tournament to win some kind of artifact. You could have the fights magically broadcast to the whole world.
My group loved Goatball from 3.5. It was described in detail in the races of stone book I believe. Basically its a cross between american gladiators (standing on individual platforms) and dodgeball (hurling inflated goat bladders at eachother trying to knock the other guy off).
You might want to include some of this Mesoamerican Ballgame
Bloodbowl from GamesWorkshop. Right up your ally if you want hooligans!
BloodBowl
You should check out the 3.5 Pathfinder adventure "Escape from Old Korvosa" which has rules for a brutal sport called Blood Pig. To get a feel for the idea, here's the blog preview for it...
Blood Pig is the best sport ever. EVER. Robert Ranting can back me up on this.
Any Urban Barbarian would be nuts to not like it.
Jumping on a Dragon's back and seeing how long you can stay on! XD Honestly I have no ideas - this just popped into my head and I thought it was funny.
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I was recently discussing Fox Tossing on another thread. Sounds like an excellent sport to me for PF!
Blood Bowl!
Wholehearted SUPPORT!!!
Played this during our Dark Sun Campaign and it was (for once) AWESOME ! Even without nostalgia, a great game.PS: Ceterum censio halblingam esse delendam !
Shadak Bountyhunter, The Crimson Snake, Knight of the Tree,
still got the ring.
Have you ever seen "Salute of the Jugger"? Rutger Hauer film, great "violent" sport with a semblance of rules.
Edit: oh, and the "team" is RPG party size.
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Have you ever seen "Salute of the Jugger"? Rutger Hauer film, great "violent" sport with a semblance of rules.
Edit: oh, and the "team" is RPG party size.
Great film, but some might know it better by it's U.S. title, "The Blood of Heroes".
Jumping on a Dragon's back and seeing how long you can stay on! XD Honestly I have no ideas - this just popped into my head and I thought it was funny.Dragon Rodeo? :D
Hells yes!
I borrowed a page from the Zork universe in a game I was running once by including Shark Wrestling. It was mainly there as a background element, but the players decided to join in. I couldn't get them away for a while.
Great film, but some might know it better by it's U.S. title, "The Blood of Heroes".Have you ever seen "Salute of the Jugger"? Rutger Hauer film, great "violent" sport with a semblance of rules.
Edit: oh, and the "team" is RPG party size.
One of my all time favorite movies!
If you have ever read the Sword of Truth books Ja'La was a great sport for a fantasy setting.
Now a question would be, say, how would one convert Blood Bowl to Pathfinder rules? :)
You wouldn't, the systems are largely incompatible. Instead you should either hand-wave games or play BB as a separate mini-game.
It occurs to me that there are a number of fantasy football computer programs out there that allow you to simulate an entire season. There are even a couple of BB games out for various systems that might allow for quick games that you could fit into a gaming session. I've never played any of the BB computer games though, so don't take that as gospel.
Welp, looks like I've been significantly beaten to the punch but...
In one game I ran a character of mine wanted to find a way to channel the inherent violence of a particularly large and vicious orc clan into constructive, non-lethal ends. So he created a sport - bjorker.
It was simple and straight forward. The orcs dressed up in armor (pads). They took a large, hard leather object (ball). They attempted to get it from one side to the other (field). The other group stopped them, attempted to get it, and move it to the other side (rival teams). There were dancers on either side of the area insulting their rivals and encouraging their warriors (cheer leaders). Others watched (spectators/fans). Wagers happened.
Similar to a re-skin of (American) football, with a few rules (and less-violent regulators akin to coaches and referees) allowed them to work hard, play hard, slam hard, and enjoy, all while not killing the daylights out of themselves and others. Also, it was a way for them to make money by having the pink-skins actually come and pay them to have fun.
Some things that were changed in order to help the illiterate (and often low-INT score) orc barbarians:
* Only ten on a 'field' each team (instead of eleven) - that way they didn't have to count higher than their fingers for their team.
* The "ball" is basically whatever they can get a wad of leather together. It has no regulation size, as they'd have to be meticulous... and that's not really their style.
* Violence is fine... breaking bones, killing, or maiming is not. Weapons are strictly disallowed.
* Wagers were fine. Yes even for or against your own team. Corruption is rampant... but it already was anyway, and this is actually an improvement.
* Usually this is played in a cave (similar to indoor [American] football) with layers of furs and such placed on the ground to cushion falls, though fields'd be fine.
* Broken into hour-glass-long segments.
* No real limit to the number of downs or the like, though each down did cause everyone to re-assemble. Purposefully taking a "down" caused you to go back one increment.
* The "field" was broken into ten increments (regardless of how long the field was).
* No real field-goal attempts.
* Scoring a goal meant abdicating the "shank"... until or unless your team got it back again.
* Points were earned in one-tally-mark increments. Whoever had more won. More than four hands of tally-marks (twenty points) was an automatic victory.
There were, of course, other changes, but that's the gist of it. Eventually non-orcs started joining, and really it paved the way for genuine civilization and racial integration to start. That's right: the riots, the rage, and the hatred brought people together like war never could. :D
CLARIFYING EDIT: I recognize I am by no means the only or first to mention this kind of sport. I just threw mine out there because it had more rules than others. The name does not need to stay the same, nor the rules, but they're out there, just in case.
Definately Bloodbowl.
You can even use one of the human figs for your minature.
As to rules:
Here's the field.
Here's the ball, sometimes it's spiked.
Don't forget some armor.
You guys try to stop those guys from getting the ball to the other side.
Ya'll can throw the ball, run with it, or throw the guy with the ball.
No weapons, but each side can get healing if the guy who needs it can get to the side lines.
There's a break in the middle to let the crowd get a stretch and the players get a rest.
Winner is the last team standing or the one who scores the most goals.
There's even a line of novels to let your player get the feel of the game.
This is a real game, with some religious overtones, which always adds to the realism of it. It's, as suggested above, a mesoamerican game.
Now, Shadowrun went off on a tangent with this particular game. In Shadowrun, Aztlan resurrected a particularly bloody version of it, where the heads of criminals were used as the balls instead of the hard rubber balls. You could incorporate that as an 'underground' version of it, similar to street fighting vs boxing.
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So one of my players is going to be an Urban Barbarian who is basically a soccer hooligan, but he needs a sport to get all angry about!
I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a cool fictional sport that crowds of people could watch and get into. No magic or very little, but it can be far out.
My original thought was something like arena sized tether-ball with a large stone spiked ball, but it didnt quite come to fruition in my brain.
I remember the old WHFRP game (first edition...) had a module where the PC's played a game called "Snotling". It was basically rugby with the ball being a pathetic goblin-like creature (except it was small enough to be held like a football). The snotling also had a tendency to free itself making "fumbles" not uncommon and the resulting pursuits hilariously bloody.
Sounds right up a barbarian's alley.
So one of my players is going to be an Urban Barbarian who is basically a soccer hooligan, but he needs a sport to get all angry about!
I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a cool fictional sport that crowds of people could watch and get into. No magic or very little, but it can be far out.
My original thought was something like arena sized tether-ball with a large stone spiked ball, but it didnt quite come to fruition in my brain.
I remember the old WHFRP game (first edition...) had a module where the PC's played a game called "Snotling". It was basically rugby with the ball being a pathetic goblin-like creature (except it was small enough to be held like a football). The snotling also had a tendency to free itself making "fumbles" not uncommon and the resulting pursuits hilariously bloody.
Sounds right up a barbarian's alley.
In a less-than-good-aligned game, a troll's head, still alive, could be a fun "ball". I could see troll-head biting, drooling, spitting, and so on to try and get dropped.
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Drownball sounds like a good choice to me.
Drownball sounds like a good choice to me.
Atzen's a helper!