Compiled list of additional Swallowtail festival games


Rise of the Runelords


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I'm about to embark on this awesome adventure path with my players in a few weeks. I've scouring the forums for additional information to help me in the coming weeks. I've put together a list of additional festival games from the forum here so that I could have them all in one place for a quick reference.

I did not write any of these myself, credit goes to all of you in the forums - Nice work!!!

The Devil Hunt
• Location: Beach by the lighthouse
• NPC: Jodar Provolost
• Reward: Small pie / trinkets
• Contestants: Many
• Price: One copper/play
• Game of: Archery
• Tag line: “Do you have what it takes to bring down the infamous Sandpoint Devil and keep him from menacing the surrounding area? Take a shot and see.”
• Game Details:
This is an archery range setup on the beach down by the Lighthouse. Two large targets, with silhouettes of a scary looking winged horse on them, are set up 50 yards away from a firing line. The bull’s-eye is about where a horse's heart would be. There are bigger concentric circles around the bull’s-eye.

One copper piece per play. Using the longbows provided, fire two arrows at the target, scoring the best one. Hitting a bull’s-eye wins a small pie. Hitting anything else wins progressively cheaper trinkets for each band outside the bull’s-eye, with nothing for a miss. Hitting AC 20 gets a bull’s-eye, each band outside that is AC 18, AC 16, AC 14, and AC 12.

This game is being run by Jodar Provolost (CG male human Expert 1/Ranger 3), an older balding Varisian with black hair, a big thick black mustache, and a noticeable big belly. He is a mediocre carpenter, but is considered one of the best hunters in Sandpoint. He is friendly, but has lots of bad jokes, and particularly likes telling his (untrue) stories of his encounters with the Sandpoint Devil. The pies have been provided by Alma Avertin from Sandpoint Savories. They aren't her best work, but they are good enough for what they are.

Sheriff Hemlock has asked Jodar to quietly make note of anyone who scores a bull’s-eye, or gets both shots in either of the center two circles, so that he can later approach them about joining the militia. Jodar asks anyone who wins his or her name and then announces quite loudly "Attention! Insert name has done Sandpoint a great service. He or she has slain the Sandpoint Devil! Here's your pie!"

Catch the greased pig
• Location: ???
• Contestants: Many
• NPC: ???
• Reward: ???
• Price: ???
• Tag line: ???
• Game of: Grapple
• Game Details: A pig is let loose in a large pen, smeared liberally with grease. It's kind of a free for all, with participants trying to grapple the piglet. It has a +10 bonus on grapple checks due to the grease. After the first failed grapple check with a contender, it has a +8. After the second, +6, etc. The chase continues until the pig is caught. If the bonus ever reaches +0, the pig is smeared with a new coat.

The Goblin Toss
• Location: Sandpoint Market square
• NPC: Daverin Hosk of Goblin Squash Stables
• Reward: venison jerky
• Contestants: 1
• Price: One copper piece / play
• Game of: Ranged Attack
• Tag line: “Three Goblins have found their way into your house and are tearing the place up! Grab them and toss them into the fireplace before they can destroy everything.”
• Game Details: This game is a simple bean bag toss setup in the middle of the Sandpoint Market square. A board is setup with lines of three holes. The board is 10 feet from a throw line. The closest hole is the largest and the farthest hole is the smallest. There are buckets of beanbags sewn to look like Goblins by each of the three stations. Each bean bag has a Goblin name printed on it.

One copper piece per play. Take three Goblins and try to toss them into a fireplace. Kids have to try and hit the biggest and closest hole, which is AC 10. Women use the medium sized hole, which is AC 12, and adult men use the smallest and furthest hole, which is AC 15. The bean bags have a range increment of 10' and there is no non-proficient penalty. Get all three in and win a small bag of venison jerky. Anything less gives a cheap trinket. Something Swallowtail related most likely. Nothing for not getting any in the fireplace.

This game is being run by Daverin Hosk of Goblin Squash Stables. He's getting perverse pleasure out of the idea of tossing Goblins in the fire. It's for this reason that he has written a Goblin name on each beanbag, just so he can desecrate some Goblin's memory even more. It's well known his hatred of Goblin's and nobody is surprised to see this game. Chod Bevuk of the Sandpoint Meat Market has provided the venison jerky for the prize. It is quite tasty and next to Ameiko's salmon, it is the talk of the event. Unfortunately there have been lots of young children asking their parents if the jerky is really made of Goblin meat from the Goblins they threw in the fireplace, like Daverin says it is. Some adults have heard the rumor and actually believe that it is Goblin meat!

The Lighthouse Smash
• Location: Junker's Way
• NPC: Aesrick Battlehorn
• Reward: small toy catapult/trinkets
• Contestants: 1
• Price: 2 copper pieces/play
• Game of: Ranged Attack
• Tag line: “Who needs a Lighthouse without a light? The old Lighthouse has become an eyesore; let's knock it down so we can use the stone to build something new.”
• Game Details: This game is set up at the end of Junker's Way next to the Lighthouse. It has a table with nine square stones stacked on it in a pyramid shape. Three on the bottom, two in the middle, and one on top. There is a firing line 20' from the tables. Using the mini-catapult, try to knock down the stack of stones within three shots.

Two copper pieces to play. You get three shots. It takes a total of three hits to knock down all the stones. Hitting higher ACs counts as more hits, so that it is possible to knock them down with one hit. Hitting AC 12 counts as one hit, Hitting AC 16 counts as two hits, and hitting AC 20 counts as three hits. The catapults have a range of 50', so there is no range penalty, but there is the normal non-proficient penalty of -4 if someone does not have proficiency with siege weapons. Knocking down all the stones wins a small toy catapult; it amounts to being a slingshot. Anything less provides some other cheap trinkets. No prize if nothing is knocked down.

This game is being run by Aesrick Battlehorn. He's been working on the mini catapult and toy catapults during his spare time all year, in preparation for the festival. The mini catapult is quite a work of art. He's carved it to look like a stone giant with its arm throwing the stone. He suspects that he'll be able to sell it in Magnimar for quite a bit after the festival. It's about 2 foot tall, but functions just as a real catapult, albeit with less range and much less damage. He's worked very hard at keeping it a secret all year, so that he can surprise everyone with it.

He's got a soft spot for the kids and helps the kids aim it so that they can win the toy catapults, negates the non-proficient penalty; much to the consternation of mothers. According to many mother's complaints, "They are just the right size for young boys to shoot an eye out with!" This complaining doesn't stop those same mothers from handing over the two coppers for their sons to play. There is no shortage of boys crying because they've been hit in the head by a flying stone.

The Dragon Races
• Location: Sandpoint Market Square
• NPC: Gressel Tenniwar
• Reward: cheap medal + 2 copper pieces
• Contestants: 4
• Price: One copper piece / play
• Game of: Animal Handling
• Tag line: “There's been talk of starting Dragon farming in Sandpoint, so we've gotta find out which ones are the fastest so that we have the best dragons! Pick yourself a dragon and pit it in a Dragon Race against your friends!”
• Game Details: The game is located in the Sandpoint Market Square on the south side by the docks just at the beginning of Market Street. It has two double lane tracks set up next to each other with a three-foot wide gap between the two tracks. The tracks are 30' feet long. Near the starting line there is a large cage with 12 lizards in it. Each one has a set of twig and cloth wings attached to their backs. Each one is painted a different color so that they look like little dragons. Without touching the lizards, goad your lizard down the track. Get him to cross the finish line before your opponents and win a prize!

One copper piece to play. Once they have four people with a dragon picked, place them in the starting lanes. At the sound of the whistle, the gates are lifted and you goad your dragon down the track without touching them. To do this, each person racing makes an initiative check and players attempt to goad their lizard in initiative order. The lizards are notoriously difficult to deal with, so you must make a DC 14 Handle Animal check to get them to move. The lizards move 5' on a successful check. On a failure they do not move. On a failure by 10 or more, the lizard actually moves backwards. The first lizard to cross the finish line wins. The winner gets a big cheap medal that says "1st Place Swallowtail Dragon Races" and 2 Copper Pieces. All other places get nothing and the others get nothing.

This game is run by Gressel Tenniwar. He's running it on the orders of Jubrayl Vhiski, but nobody knows this. Jubrayl is using it to run a gambling scheme betting on the races. Nobody knows it but 9 of the 12 lizards were secretly well fed the night before and they are tired and are even more difficult to move. These 9 are DC 16 to move. The other three are quite hungry and haven't eaten in about a week. These are at normal DC 14. In fact if some raw meat or other small rodent like thing is held in front of them they will be DC 12 to move.

Jubrayl and his men know which three are the hungry ones and use this to fix the betting. Jubrayl has also ordered that one of his men should always try to be in the race each time; so that they can pick one of the hungry lizards in order to hedge the bets even more, but not make a big deal if any groups of four really want to race each other. The GM should pick the nine that are well fed. Anyone that watches more than 5 races with one of the hungry lizards can make a DC 20 Sense Motive check to notice that some of the lizards seem more motivated than others. Jubrayl and his men will disappear if it looks like anyone has caught onto their scheme. Gressel will claim ignorance and one of his barmaids will back him up when he claims they are all well fed.

Ogre Stomp
• NPC: Das Korvut
• Reward: +circumstance bonuses
• Contestants: 1
• Price: 5 Silver Pieces/Play
• Game of: Strength
• Tag line: “Step on up, boys! No girl likes a noodle-armed weakling. Let’s see your strength!”
Game Details: The staple game of every good carnival: a strength tester, and it costs a whopping 5 SP per play. A weight is placed on one end of a board set over a pivot and in a groove on a split log that runs some 10 feet up to a bell with three different colors brightly painted along the groove noting degrees of success. Characters are given a wooden mallet to strike the board and try to ring the bell. A Strength check is made (at a -2 penalty if the PC isn’t proficient with martial weapons) with results as followed:

0 or under - the bell doesn’t move an inch! Everyone has a good laugh, or a good giggle in the case of the girls. A PC scoring this low takes a -5 circumstance penalty on all intimidate checks made against Sandpoint citizens for the duration of the Swallowtail Festival. “Why don’t you leave this game to the real men, boy?”

1 to 7 - the bell moves partway up the red stripe. Most seem rather disappointed and the PC is awarded a cheap trinket. Any PC scoring in this section takes a -2 penalty to all intimidate checks made against Sandpoint citizens for the duration of the Swallowtail festival. “My grandmother scored higher than that and she’s been 6 feet deep for 8 years!”

8 to 15 - the bell rises midway up the blue stripe; an average result. There is some halfhearted clapping and the PC is awarded a ribbon. A PC can present this ribbon to any Sandpoint citizen to finds them attractive to gain a +2 circumstance bonus on diplomacy checks to influence them. “You’re strong enough to lift a mug and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?”

16 to 21 - the bell climbs up the green section and dings the bell. The PC earns some well-deserved respect from Sandpoints citizens, granting him or her a +2 circumstance bonus on intimidate checks. They are also awarded with a cute stuffed toy crafted by Rynshin Povalli (NG female half-elf expert 5) of “Vernah’s Fine Clothing”. Passing this to an eligible mate will grant a +5 circumstance bonus on diplomacy checks made to influence them. “That’s the spirit, friend, show the boys and lasses how it’s done!”

22 or higher - the bell breaks off! A PC earns the same prize as below with healthy round of applause from the audience and a string of curses from the man running the game who then must spend an hour repairing it. Any PC scoring this high should earn a +5 circumstance bonus on intimidate checks made against citizens of Sandpoint. “The goal is to ring the bell, not break the bell!"

In addition, Das Korvut (LN male human expert /fighter 1) the mutton-chop-sporting drunken smith of the “Red Dog Smithy”, will accept a bribe of at least another 5 SP to put on a heavier or lighter weight for specific contestants, granting either a -2 or +2 circumstance modifier, respectively. Despite the morning hour he is already knee deep in mugs and will hurl insults and hearty pats on the back for each paying player based on their degree of success.

The Cornugon Smash
• Location: ???
• NPC: ???
• Reward: Varying drinks / earth breaker / inn stay
• Contestants: 1
• Price: 5 copper/play
• Game of: Melee Attack
• Tag line: “Step right up folks and give this game a whirl!”
• Game Details: The object of the game is simple. In front of you is a pivot with one weighty rock laying on the lower side of it. The rock rests up against a narrow metal board with a bell fixed to the top of it. Now, the idea is to hit the raised side of the pivot (closest to you) to see how high you can make the rock fly!

On the metal backboard are markings to measure how far up the player has managed to launch the rock. Prizes will be awarded for hitting an AC of 10, 15 and 20 respectively. Reaching the very top requires an AC of 20, but if the player surpasses this score, he or she will be asked their name and will be rewarded with a Masterwork Earth Breaker for their "Smashing" performance. Note: There is only one of these weapons available to win.

The game costs 5 copper a go, but prizes include:

AC 10: 1 Bottle of Ale (courtesy of Two Knight's Brewery).
1 Thunderstone
1 Copper miniature Hammer designed to look like a tiny Earth Breaker.

AC 15: 1 Bottle of Rum (courtesy of Two Knight's Brewery).
1 Map of the event (which also serves as a map of Sandpoint).
1 Silver miniature hammer designed to look like a tiny Earth Breaker.

AC 20: 1 Bottle of Fine Red Wine (courtesy of Two Knight's Brewery).
1 Weekend all inclusive stay at The White Deer for two (courtesy of Garridan Viskalai's family).
1 Gold miniature hammer designed to look like a tiny Earth Breaker.

AC 21: 1 Masterwork Earth Breaker

Note: You may choose two prizes from the zone you scored your points in. Each AC represents a different zone.

Don’t be so sour!
• Location: The Pixie's Kitten
• NPC(s): Kaye Tesarani's workers
• Contestants: 1
• Reward: ???
• Price: 5 copper/play
• Game of: Fortitude
• Tag line: ???
Game Details: One of Kaye Tesarani's workers start by pouring strong alcoholic spirit into the belly button of one of her topless colleagues and then places a slice of lemon halfway into her mouth.

The objective of the game is to suck the alcohol from her belly, pick up the slice of lemon (only using your teeth - NO HANDS ALLOWED!) and drop it into a bowl.

The more lemons you drop into the bowl, the more points you get. 1 lemon = 1 point.

You must make a Fortitude save (starting at DC 5, and then increasing by 2 every 2 points, up to DC 20 where it stays) after every drink (due to the potency of this alcohol) and if you fail this save just once, you take 1 Non-Lethal Con damage from every drink thereafter. You get no more saves, and as soon as your Con drops to 10, you pass out. However, if someone throws water over you 4 hours later, you wake up with the fatigued condition until you drink enough water to sober yourself up.

If you end up in a fight whilst under the influence of this particularly potent spirit: You suffer -4 on attack rolls, but gain +2 on damage rolls, and even though you know which direction you want to walk in, you must roll 1D10 to see which direction you move in. How to determine the roll is as follows:

1 You remain standing still
2 You stumble forwards at half speed
3 You move diagonally right at half speed
4 You move diagonally left at half speed
5 You move right at half speed
6 You move left at half speed
7 You move diagonally back to the right at half speed
8 You move diagonally back to the left at half speed
9 You stumble backwards at half speed
10 You fall over

While drunk, you will always move at half speed due to stumbling, taking a -4 to Dex and Wis while the effects of this condition last.

A Pixie’s Kiss
• Location: The Pixie's Kitten
• NPC(s): Kaye Tesarani's workers
• Contestants: 1
• Reward: kiss(es)
• Price: 1 silver piece / play
• Game of: Fortitude
• Tag line: “But beware! A pixie’s kiss can bring the strongest man to his knees!”
Game Details: One of Kaye Tesarani's workers starts by pouring a “very special” fruit brandy labeled “Pixie Punch” into the belly button of one of her half-naked and artfully painted colleagues and then places a slice of lemon halfway into her mouth.

The objective of the game is to suck the alcohol from her belly, pick up the slice of lemon (using only your teeth and resulting in a slight but no less erotic kiss!) and drop it into a bowl. The more lemons you drop into the bowl, the more points (and kisses!) you get. 1 lemon = 1 point. Each kiss is usually accompanied by the pixie girls’ and the crowds counting shouts: “One! ... Two! ... Three! ...”

The difficulty however is that Kaye spiked the fruit brandy with a special substance called “Pixie Dust” (a courtesy of Nisk Tander) which is normally used to spike the drinks of unwanted customers (those who become aggressive or too demanding). Only the strong alcohol and the small dosage prevent the contestants from being knocked out cold from the very first sip.

If used to its full intent, the victim must make a Fort save after every sip of the spiked drink. If he fails his save, he is knocked out cold and – once conscious again – must succeed on a second save to prevent the secondary effect (or right away if he succeeded on the first save). A dump in the river (or any large amount of cold water) usually ends the unconsciousness immediately.

Since the “Dust” is heavily watered-down, the contestant receives a +4 bonus to his saves and a failed save does not cause immediate unconsciousness. Instead, a failed save results in a cumulative –2 penalty to all further saves and is accompanied by a strong feel of “drunkenness”. The contestant falls unconscious if any one Fort save fails by 10 or more (a modified 5 or less), but only for half the duration.

When knocked out cold, the contestant is usually laughed at by all bystanders and gets a bucket of water over his head, bringing him back from the dreamlands and getting some humorous but cheerful comments. Finally, he must make one last Fort save (using the last final modifier) to prevent the poison’s secondary effect.

PIXIE DUST
Type poison, ingested; Save Fortitude DC 15
Onset 1d4 rounds
Initial Effect unconsciousness for d6 x 20 minutes
Secondary Effect sickened for d6 x 10 minutes

Usually, the kisses are the prices of this game, but if any contestant actually manages to get 20 or more points, he most probably will be given some sort of price and receive the admiration of the crowd.

Goblin Slaying:
• Location(s): ???
• Contestants: 1
• NPC: Daviren Hosk
• Reward: Melon / Goblin Slayer badge
• Price: One copper piece / play
• Tag line: ???
• Game of: Ranged Attack
• Game Details: Each player pays a copper piece to Daviren Hosk and gets three throwing axes. There are three "goblin heads" (melons labeled with goblin names). The front one is AC 10 and the other two are DC 12. Anyone who damages a melon gets to keep the melon. Anyone who breaks (3+ damage) two melons gets a tin "Goblin Slayer" badge shaped like a goblin's head.

Pie Relay!
• Location(s): Bakery/Sand Street/Glass Street/Rat Alley/Main Street
• Contestants: 4
• NPC: Avertin Family (Aneka/Arika/Alma)
• Reward: pie + blue ribbon
• Price: ???
• Tag line: “What's better than dessert? Having it before lunch! See if you can be the first to finish!”
• Game of: Fortitude
• Game Details: This event is sponsored by Sandpoint Savories, with all the apple pies baked by the Avertin family. Unlike many competitive eating contests, it's not just about speed or endurance, but a mixture of the two. The entrance to the bakery serves as both the starting line and the finish. When the signal is given, all participants dash west along Sand Street to the first station, where they must eat their first pie. Once Aneka gives the all-clear, the contestant runs north up Glass Street to the second station, eating their second pie. Arika gives the all-clear here, and it is a squeeze through Rat Alley to the third and final station. Once their mother Alma gives the all-clear on the third pie, they must race back to the start down Main Street. The first one to cross is the winner!

None of the distances are extremely long, and none of the pies are huge, but many contestants are cramping and sick from eating and running by the time they head down Main Street (many have dubbed it “Puke Parkway,” for obvious reasons.) A hopeful must be able to quickly scarf down three apple pies, crust and all, and run back to the start without throwing up. Not an easy feat!

Races involve four contestants. If there are not enough PCs to fill out a relay, assume there are enough 1st level commoners to do so (Fort save +1). Running to the first station does not require any rolling, but Aneka is very strict, not allowing anyone to proceed unless they've completely finished their pie. (She made most of them, after all.) Chowing down on this first pie is a Fortitude save DC 10. Failure means that they cannot finish it in one round, and must try again. Failure by more than 5 means they actually get too sick to continue.
Running to the second station is where things get a bit more difficult. Another Fortitude save at DC 12 will be required. Many people make it past this part, but there are a few people with weak stomachs every year. Arika is presiding over the second station, and eating this pie is a DC 14 Fortitude save, with the same implications as the last stage. Arika has little interest in the bakery, much less this event, so she is not nearly as concerned about finishing as her sister is. A Sense Motive DC 15 will bring this fact to a contestant's attention. A Bluff check DC 15 will be able to convince her that you've eaten enough to move on, and a Sleight of Hand with the same DC will allow you to ditch enough of the pie to move on. Both of these options will allow the contestant to move on without having to make a Fortitude save.

Running down Rat Alley is difficult, as the buildings are close together. Two Fort saves at DC 14 will be needed to make it through, but an Acrobatics check DC 15 will let a contestant dodge through the narrow passageway in one round. More people choke here, leaving the place a stinking mess of partially digested apple pie. Emerging from Rat Alley, the contestants now face their final pie, and this is another Fortitude save, this time at DC 16. Alma is inattentive here – unlike Arika, she wants to be involved in the joy of the festival, but she just can't feel good when she knows she has outlived her son. Again, a Sense Motive check will bring this to their attention. A Stealth or Sleight of Hand DC 15 will allow the contestant to move on without having to make a Fortitude save.

The final leg of the race is a painful run back to the start, with a DC 16 Fortitude save, with the usual penalties for failure. If multiple people succeed at this point, then the person with the highest save has won! Winners receive a blue ribbon – the pie is reward enough for most.

Man o’ War Tug of War
• Location(s): Near the shipyard
• Contestants: 5
• NPC(s): Valdemar Family
• Reward: Bragging rights
• Price: One copper piece / player
• Tag line: “Do you and four other landlubbers think they can overcome five of the biggest and strongest of the shipwrights of Sandpoint?”
• Game of: Strength
• Game Details: The Valdemar Family has set up a tug-of-war contest near the shipyard. Do you and four other landlubbers think they can overcome five of the biggest and strongest of the shipwrights of Sandpoint? Test your strength and mettle with four others and see if you can.
A 50 ft length of thick rope, like that used on ships, is lies stretched out down Water Street, near the shipyard. Each player pays one copper piece to try his or her luck against the shipwrights. To succeed, a team must win three out of five strength checks. The strongest member of both teams rolls the strength check for his/her team, while the teammates roll to Aid Another.
Victory against the shipwrights earns the team bragging rights for the day. The losing team falls into a large puddle of muddy water and walks away with wet clothes and wounded pride.

Magic show
• Location: ???
• Contestants: 1
• NPC: Vernutt Parooh
• Reward: ???
• Price: ???
• Tag line: ???
• Game of: Illusions
• Game Details: Magic show Vernutt Parooh has drawn a small crowd with some minor illusions. A PC illusionist or bard might be able to outdo him.

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