
Capn Cupcake |
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Greetings! First I'd like to thank the 2 who helped me in my last thread about th e Inquisitor. He's very happy with the build even though we haven't had our first session yet, which brings me to this thread.
I'm having my first session this Sunday which is starting at a festival celebrating the year anniversary of the war ending. The setting is very magicpunk, with the country the characters are from being on the losing side of the war. It was a backwater country that didn't have a lot of the modern conveniences of the other nations (like the one who just took over). So I'm wanting ways for the festival to really sell the setting and also be a lot of fun. Thus far the only thing I've come up with is the cup game being a simple spot check to find it which isn't great on its own. It's also going to have the first fight which will be a large wind elemental powered combat mech from the war having been repurposed as a cleaning mech but goes haywire and reverts back to its old protocol and attacking people with mops and sprays and such. Anyway yeah. Just looking to brainstorm about cool stuff to put in this fair. Gadgets for sale, interesting parade ideas, etc. I appreciate it!

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I'm a big fan of fortune-tellers at festivals. You decide how accurate they are.
Storytellers can also be a good way to drop a little extra world history or foreshadow a quest hook.
Festival food adds flavour. Meat on a stick is a good standby. Depending on culture consider also pastry, pancakes, dumplings, stuffed buns, or various things wrapped in flatbreads or edible leaves.
Ring toss and arm wrestling contests, or similar tests of aim and strength for characters so inclined.
In a previous game, I also really enjoyed a merchant selling cheap magic items - 100gp each - mostly really minor effects probably worth only 50gp but with a handful of more valuable items thrown in. Some of them have deceptive auras so you can't always tell what's valuable but a really good Spellcraft or a bit of luck might net you a deal. This is probably a bit trickier for your first level 1 session since 100gp means a lot more, but you could do something similar with a merchant selling bits of old jewelry or similar odds and ends, with one or two items being somewhat more valuable than they appear (Appraise check). Consider having some sort of boon in mind if the players tell the merchant about the real value of his goods rather than taking advantage of the deal (of course, it's also possible that the merchant really does mean "anything for 5gp" and the extra-good deal is part of the advertising).
More information about the setting would be useful if you want to get that across. Is this particular settlement known for anything - a commodity or landmark that might be featured? Is it a small town with proportional festivities or more of a city? How long ago was the war, and how do people feel about it at the time your campaign kicks off? Would it be appropriate, for example, to have war veterans taking part in the parade, or would they be dead or perhaps dishonoured as a result of the conflict? Would anyone try to make a political fuss?

Sah |

My gm had a series of events for a festival, that allowed the characters to meet each other, focusing on attributes the characters might be good at. For instance, there was the keg throwing contest for the strong characters, hide and seek for the sneaky, tug of war, balancing on a rope, intelligence games the cup game you mentioned.
There was also different tents for food, drink, performing etc.

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The we be goblins module had a grand old feast and there were different game s like that. the winner got random stuff (you rolled to see if you accomplished certain tasks
the second was eating fermented fruit if you didn't roll high enough you could get drunk the effects lasting the whole mission for that
and the third was crawling through a obstacle course of spikes every round you missed you lost an hp
i think thinking of fun games that gave odd prizes that may or may not be useful could be cool (mimic stuffed doll anyone?) also they could win certificate for a free night at the local inn (so many plot hooks there), card decks, marbles, food, random supplies, or the magic item, potions, books, ect certain stores in area could host games giving certain prizes. also eating contests could be fun and having a costume contest with a great prize so there frantically looking for something to wear the list goes on

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There are at least a couple of Pathfinder modules related to carnivals that may have some useful stuff for you to plunder, Carival of Tears and Murders Mark. I've not run either myself but both seem to be well liked and have pretty great reviews!
There's also a pretty solid competition with half a dozen 'challenges' in War of the River Kings, one of the Kingmaker AP books. This I have run and my players thoroughly enjoyed it, the competitions were tons of fun and should be easily scale-able to whatever level your players are.

Anonymous Warrior |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

Here are a couple of ideas for the festival.
Thematic:
- Have some creature from the country the players originate from at the festival that would be considered rare and exotic in the conquering nation.
- Weirdo's suggestion about storytellers is a great idea as well: it allows you to put the quirks of the nation on display. Do they have a hatred for certain creatures? Are it's occupants of a more lawful or chaotic bent? Do they support their leadership, or secretly resent it?
- Stalls offering odd baubles can be fun. Offer them mostly worthless but interesting items. Toys that are non-aggressive animated objects and constructs. Other things could include sea shells that use ghost sound to produce sounds of the ocean, a chess set that continually play games of chess with iteself, extra-dimensional finger traps, small bowls that produce candle sized flames of different colors, "Mutagens" that cause you to grow scales or feathers, view finders that show you memories of distant landscapes, paintings of different planes, twine bracelets that unravel and rearrange themselves each day, etc.
- Have other mechs from the war there as well, some now as walking musicboxes/one-man-bands, and some as reliquary memorials of the war.
- Give your players a chance to socialize. Let them mingle with local NPCs that might become important, from the best blacksmith in the region, to the corrupt noble who they will eventually hunt down for tax evasion, to the rival mercenaries currently on guard duty.
Non-thematic but interesting challenges:
- You mentioned the cup game, but you could use various tests of strength and dexterity. Some can be fairly standard, like hitting a target with a hammer to ring a bell, which requires hitting with enough force to deal 15 points of damage, while others can be more intimidating but mostly harmless, like trying to catch a tiny viper as it strikes at you (its venom sacks have been removed.)
- A team sports competition has always been something I've wanted to incorporate into a campaign at some point. Have the players team up with NPCs in a friendly game of "____", a sport native to the region.
- "All challengers welcomed" style wrestling matches, archery tourneys, and even magic duels could make for fun diversions for the players if they insist on them, especially if it's against a "champion" that can't be beaten by other members in the crowd. Bonus points for making it against an automaton.

GM 1990 |
I just finished up Maplefest in my campaign. It was a lot of fun. the opening night was a huge bonfire to Eristil, great role-playing, and then one by one everyone from the town would write their wishes for the next year on parchment and walk up and toss on the fire.
Then it was all Stihl Timbersports Spring-Board Chop Video type events for 2 days, and then archery, and lastly maple-chugging.
1. Start with a DC which your best PC will succeed on a roll of 5 or higher. IE: PC has +5 climb, so base climb speed per round is achieved on a DC=10.
2. Add options to increase your progress towards goal by 20-40% for a +5 DC per increase. IE: add 1d4 per round climb for each +5DC the character wants to try. So attempting a base climb speed +1d4 is a DC15 climb check.
3. Set catastrophic failure at 6 or worse. IE: failing climb check by 6 or more results in fall; failing by 5 or less just results in 0 feet climbed.
Here are the description and mechanics for a few of the Maplefest games (Updated based on actual play for my 3rd level characters)
Tree Climbing: Climb 30’ pole as fast as possible without falling.
Mechanics: Make a DC 12 climb check to move at climb speed add +5 DC for an additional 1d4 climb per round. Players put both hands under table place dice they plan to roll in one hand 1d20 plus any additional d4 they intend to try; all players hold out closed hand and drop dice at same time. This allows individual tactic to be hidden until dice are dropped.
Spring Board and Cleave: (see video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=awf4NiEN_oc) Using a timber ax, chop a small v-cut in tree approx. waist height above the ground and wedge a 5’long 6”wide plank into it; climb on the plank; chop another v-cut at waist height from plank you're standing on, wedge another plank into the new v-cut and climb onto it; Cut completely through the top of the tree approx. waist height above the plank you're standing on.
Mechanics: v-cut = AC15 melee attack with ax (damage = 1d8+STR minus 3 for hardness), 5 damage required to get large enough v-cut to wedge plank; Option: successfully hit AC20 to automatically do the v-cut; DC15 climb check (or acrobatics; players choice) (if you fail by 5 or less try again next round; 6 or more fall and out of competition); Final Cleave AC15, damage 1d8+STR minus 3 for hardness, need 10 points of damage to cleave off. Easiest to track this if each player writes :Wedge (5 damage); Climb; Wedge (5 Damage); Climb; Cut (10 Damage) on scratch paper before starting.
Log spinning: Log spinning: 2 competitors walk out on floating log, when signaled to begin each tries to spin log knocking the other off by Hopping, Popping, or Stopping to gain advantage.
Mechanics: Player’s do “paper/rock/scissors” to simulate their characters Hop, Pop, or Stop. On a tie = no advantage; winner = advantage (roll 2d20 and keep best). Opposed Acrobatics check simultaneous, beat opponent by 10 to knock them off, or if either rolls a 1 or 2 they fall off regardless.
Boom Run: each competitor faces a line of several slender floating logs chained together going out into river, competitors run out touch end of last log and run back without falling. 60ft out and 60ft back, fastest across wins
Mechanics: Simultaneous DC15 Acrobatics checks. Success = move base or DC20 to add d10 (players put dice in hand in secret, either D20 only or both 20 and d10 and then without shaking drop dice simultaneous (this ensures people don’t know your strategy. fail by 5 or less, only move ½ base, 6 or more and fall.
Archery Contest: shoot targets of increasing range, last person to miss wins. Targets must be hit square enough that they tip over to count as a “hit”, targets that fail to tip over are considered a miss. May chose a smaller target at each range, and not required to tip it over.
Mechanics: First round target is AC10 to hit and need 2 or higher on a d6 to knock over; or +3 AC to hit smaller target but not need knock over. Increase range by 50’ (add AC1) each round. No strength bows; players select dice in secret, hold in closed hand and drop/roll on table simultaneous.
Maple Syrup Chugging: Competitors each have 4 pints of maple syrup, the first to consume (and keep down) all 4 wins.
Mechanics: 1st pint = DC 10 Con check to chug ½ or DC17 to chug at one time, if you fail the CON check make no progress, and have to make a DC12 Fortitude save or throwup and be out of contest, if you succeed on Fortitude save, you can keep trying to chug that pint until you make the CON check, and then move to next pint; Increase the CON DC check by 1 each pint but Fortitude save stays at 10, winner is first to finish all 4 pints and not throwup.

wabbitking |

1 the towns construct mascot dressed up as a soldier armed with a wooden sword playfighting children
2 a pie eating contest ending with a huge black liqourice pie the winner(the one who last the lonest eating) gets a few silver and a medal if someone actually manages to eat the whole pie theyget a bag of holding and the old lady who made it ridiculing you if you fail.
3 free for all or fighting tournament in a pigsty ending with a fight against the local jerkwad. free healing afterwards provided by the local cleric. maybe winner getting a mastwerwork sword
4 drunk old man loudly complaining about the new laws and government and how things were better under the old regime dragged of to the drunk tank before it goes to far.
5 mother telling children if they don't behave the clockwork men(old folk legend)will come for them.
6 hansome man from conquering kingdom come to festival telling them all about the great things the new regime has done for them and how they should help their new land by joining the army(possibly coupled with #4)
and that's all I can think of with the given information.

GM 1990 |
Another technique is to ask your players "what game do you go play". Have the describe it, how you win, and then assign a realistic DC. Other players can then play that game as well, just work your way around the table until everyone has explained which game caught their eye.
This allows you to spend a lot less time putting games together that they might not even really want to play. I also find that any time you can use this technique you gain player investment and they feel like they have a lot more freedom in the game. You can do this in all kinds of scenarios, even for fleshing out dungeon rooms - you just write down old pantry, then ask the players - "whats one thing that catches your eye?".
Most of the ideas behind my Maplefest was from 2 of my PCs (my 10 and 8yr old). they grew up in the town Aerolyth Falls, and as the weather transitioned to spring I had an idea about a festival there, but I asked the two players between session to tell me what their characters remembered from growing up there. The concept of a kicking off the growing season with bonfire to Erastil, syrup chugging, and several others were their ideas.

Thanis Kartaleon |

This suggestion may already be in the Rise of the Runelords forum, but: Look to Chrono Trigger for ideas.
Chrono Trigger had several minigames and specialty vendors at the Millenial Fair. It also had its own currency system (Silver Points), awarded by winning minigames. One of the minigames was actually hugely important for a quest much later on in the game (the fair remains accessible throughout the game to facilitate this).
Vendors
When Chrono Trigger begins, three vendors can be found at the fair. These are in fact the only vendors available at that point. While one of them sells the basic items you'll see again and again in the game, the other two sell upgrades to the party's initial weaponry and armor. In Pathfinder, you might simulate that by have one or two vendors selling masterwork equipment at a discount. You'll have to work out how the party will acquire the funds to purchase some of these items, still.
Minigames
Test Your Strength: In this minigame, you attempt to hit a lever that will launch a striker up to a bell. Striking the bell gets you a silver point. To simulate this in Pathfinder, set an AC for the sweet spot on the lever (say 20), which the character must hit with the hammer (to make the game more difficult, simply make the hammer an improvised weapon).
Drinking Contest: In this minigame, you attempt to out-drink other participants. Winning the contest gets you 5 silver points. In Chrono Trigger (the American release, anyway), this is done with soda, but you can use any beverage you like. Obviously, alcoholic beverages or other intoxicating substances will have their own effects, but the important bit to simulate here is the speed at which the characters drink. Perhaps a series of Fortitude saves - start at a low DC and then increase it by 2 for each successive drink. Success means the drink was imbibed as a move action, failure means it took a standard action, and failure by 5 or more means the character choked and is disqualified (event organizers would be on hand during this time to assist these characters so their life is not in danger). Just don't set the number of drinks too high - the last DC should probably be no higher than 20.
Mini-Battle: In this game, you duel with a sanctioned foe. Winning gets you 15 silver points. In Chrono Trigger, this is against Gato the Robot. What makes it fun is Gato's appearance, attack style, and singing. This isn't a battle for life, just for fun. In Pathfinder, this can be an excellent time to use the dueling rules, unusual weapons, or the like.
Betting: A competition occurs that the PCs have little direct control over. They can choose who to bet on from the sanctioned competitors. While the competition is ongoing, A correct choice wins 20 silver points. In Chrono Trigger, the competition is a race running around the fairgrounds. Since very little interaction from the PCs would occur, the fun here is in the unusual appearance and names of the competitors. A handful of interesting competitors and occasional updates on their progress will help the feel of the festival. Perhaps the competitors can be represented by different d20s, with 4 rolls for each race. As the PCs cannot participate in the race, as GM you have complete control over when it occurs and how often, so keep that in mind.
Prizes: In Chrono Trigger, silver points can be spent to win special prizes. Even spending the points is a minigame, however, and failure means you lose the points! You can wager 10 points to win a doll that plays music, 40 points to win a posable clone of one of the characters (important to that sidequest later on), and 80 points to win a kitten. Bidding 80 points again wins you cat food.
The 10 point wager is essentially a shell game. The organizer pits their Bluff or Stealth check against the character's Perception. This is merely a 10 point wager, so the DC should be 15 or less.
The 40 point wager is a Simon Says style of game. The character must not only copy the organizer, but do so quickly. This one is a little more tricky in Pathfinder. Perhaps a series of low to mid DC Initiative and Perform checks?
Finally, the 80 point wager is a more complicated game that requires an ally. The character's ally is held captive over some threat (in Chrono Trigger, it is a non-lethal flame; you might also do a dunk tank). The character is given ammunition (bean bags, etc.) and must fend off advancing tacklers while simultaneously preventing their ally from being dunked. Whatever you make of a game like this, it should be creative and challenging.