Rules for Running Knivesies?

[Seems]

My Party will start their next session in Eel's End, and have already hit upon a plan to offer up the half-orc bloodrager as a knivesies champion to win Devargo's favor. I know the rules of knivesies itself, but are there any good rules/recommendations for running the knivesies fights and keep them flowing?

Thanks in advance!

[Skeld]

No thtat I know of, but i will say this: knivsies was a complete failure for my group. It made no sense when i tried to run it for them. I will caveat that by saying I might've done it wrong. Still, I would've been better off just skipping it altogether.

-Skeld

[Seems]

Time to brush up on my unarmed combat, I suppose! Ordinarily, I would say that the guy with the knife has a huge advantage, as any unarmed attack will provoke an attack of opportunity, but my players are 7th level, so the bloodrager can take quite a few pokes and still throw her opponent off the table.

[Skeld]

That will make a difference. I think my players were 3rd level when they encountered the King of Spiders.

-Skeld

[Blackthourn]

My party volunteered the monk. He let the thug grab the dagger while he grabbed some gold for a few rounds. Then he flurried, managed a stun and that was all she wrote. Rather underwhelming for me but the party really seemed to enjoy it so that's all that matters.

[Zachiel DM]

The guy with the knife is at a huge disadvantage, because he's spending turns grabbing the knife and trying to connect hits. If the opponent is good at dodging (i.e. has a decent AC), going for the coins is better.

[Mrakvampire]

Sorry for reincarnating this thread, I also have an important question regarding this game.
It's stated that as soon as any coin is knocked off table game immediately ends and person with more gold in purse wins.

So what exactly prohibits to throw singe coin from table as soon as you see that you have more coins than your opponent?
This rule feels very strange, I wound say.

[Seems]

Mrakvampire wrote:

Sorry for reincarnating this thread, I also have an important question regarding this game.

It's stated that as soon as any coin is knocked off table game immediately ends and person with more gold in purse wins.

So what exactly prohibits to throw singe coin from table as soon as you see that you have more coins than your opponent?
This rule feels very strange, I wound say.

I'd probably leave that part out, or have it be considered cheating/cowardice if a coin is knocked off deliberately. Devargo or spectators could ridicule any character that does so and refuse to accept the victory.

[Zebbie]

We skipped this game and the later Blood Pig as well. As my group doesn't seem to really care for the games. Even the chase went so-so. Not sure if its how I DM, or the group.

What I ran instead was a series of "active" negotiations that started after the discussion grew heated. As the group decided to extremely low ball him and would not budge. The group seemed like they preferred to intimidate and squeeze the information from him. I had lined up a quest that Devargo would have asked for to be completed, but instead a fight ensued after a PC started to try to barge his way closer to Devargo. Devargo saw this a hostile threat.

As I ran the fight, Devargo continued to negotiate the price for the information. Devargo, continued to smile and show wit as he was using this to test both a group of new recruits and the group. (I had leveled Devargo up a fair bit, as I hated his build) he was purely enjoying "the discussion".

When the price was met, the fight stopped and they shook hands and had a round of drinks. As a few of the fallen Eels End recruits, grew cold.

It should be noted, my Devargo plays a much bigger role throughout the campaign. In Chapter three, he is a 3rd player in the turf war for Old Korvosa. With the Emperor trying to shake him down for Taxes, he intends to offer information to the group as opposed to Amen.