Another way for characters to have a little fun!
Chariot Racing in the OnderlandDuring the Age of Lords the Wissen enjoyed fine roads, the daily use of chariots, and the sport of chariot racing. Though the ancient Wissen road network is largely gone, and the Ondish none too keen on such transport, chariot racing itself remains enormously popular in the cities of the Ondish.
Racing, and gambling on races, is a part of everyday Ondish life, with arenas organizing many such events each month. In addition, races are played out on major holidays such as the Jarl’s birthday celebration.
ObjectiveThe object of the game is to be the first to complete three laps around the track. Surviving the race is also a plus…
Equipment Needed Dice, a track, and pieces of some type representing charioteers.
Create a track in the pattern of the one below:
It should probably be made large enough so that each square is 1 inch by 1 inch. You will also need four pieces to mark chariots, painted in different colors. Possibilities include miniature chariots, ordinary miniatures, or simply four chess knights, each painted a different color.
Rules of the RaceNo charioteer can wear armor, nor carry any weapon other than an ordinary whip (the small knives carried to cut a driver free from the reigns of a wrecked chariot are useless as weapons).
Each chariot starts in one of the four lanes immediately behind the starting line (the green line surrounded by the words "START" and "FINISH"). Poll position (i.e. which lane each chariot starts in) is determined randomly. The innermost lane is the most advantageous. All chariots move in the direction of the green arrow marked on the board.
Initiative and MovementAll players roll 1d10 initiative at the beginning of each round. The highest rolling charioteer can move first, or defer until another charioteer completes his turn before moving.
Each turn, each chariot must, at a minimum, move forward at its maximum speed in its own lane (the lanes are marked in alternating colors of light and dark brown on the board). Backward moves are not allowed, and chariots can only change lanes as listed below under Free Actions. Diagonal moves are not allowed.
The maximum speeds are: Heavy chariot=15 spaces, Light chariot=18 spaces. The only exception to this is that a chariot which is blocked by another chariot directly in front of it must stop movement
unless it can use change lanes actions to get around the other chariot. No chariot can move through another chariot, the outer wall of the track, or the center area.
Charioteers unfortunate enough to be dismounted can be run over by other chariots, the dismounted figure then takes 1D10 randomly allocated levels of wound damage.
Free ActionsIn addition to the mandatory forward movement, each charioteer can take one free action each turn from the list below. These actions can be made at any point during the move, and the remaining move completed afterwards (example: Hrothgar, in a heavy chariot, can move three spaces forward, change lanes, and then move his remaining 12 spaces to complete the turn):
1.
Change Lanes: Move laterally one lane. The chariot can move to any square in a lane bordering its present lane that is adjacent to its present square (vertically or horizontally only, never diagonally) as long as that square is not occupied by another chariot.
2.
Scythe Attack: When passing another chariot, the driver can attempt to use the sharpened blades attached to the hub of his chariot's wheels to destroy a wheel of the target chariot. The attacker and defender both make a AGL/TN7 check (see below under Risky Actions). The attack is successful if the attacker’s MOS is greater than the defender’s. If the attack is successful, roll 1d100 on the table below for the result. Add +20% if the defender is driving a light chariot:
Scythe Attack Table (D100) 1-29 Wheels Locked: Both chariots may be damaged. Roll again on this table for each chariot.
30-49 Driver stunned: The defending chariot can take no action next round except normal forward movement.
50-64 Chariot Out of Control: The defending chariot moves randomly one space in a random direction.
Roll 1D100. 1-25=Left, 26-50=Right, 51-75 =Ahead, 76-100=Back. If this would cause the chariot to move into another chariot, the outer wall of the track, or the center area, see Crashes, below. The defending chariot can take no action next round except normal forward movement.
65-84 Wheel Damaged: The chariot takes no immediate damage, but place a marker on it indicating that the spokes on its wheel are partially cut through. At the beginning of each of the chariot's succeeding turns, roll 1d6. On a roll of 6, the wheel is destroyed and the chariot wrecks, as below.
85+ Defending Chariot Wrecked: The chariot wrecks. The driver remains tied to the reins, and is pulled along by his horses at maximum speed each turn, taking an automatic 1d6 random wound levels of damage per turn, until he can cut himself free of the reins by passing a AGL/TN8 check. Roll this before the chariot moves each turn.
3.
Whip Horses: The driver whips greater speed out of his horses. The chariot gains a bonus of 1d6 spaces to normal forward movement. ALL OF THIS ADDITIONAL MOVEMENT MUST BE TAKEN (which may not be a good thing, if it puts him over maximum speed while in the turnaround, or causes him to crash into another chariot).
4.
Whip Opponent: When passing another chariot, make a contested AGL/TN8 whip attack against one opponent. A successful attack inflicts 3 random wound levels of damage. In addition to random damage, the target must pass a WP/TN8 check, or he is temporarily stunned by the attack and can take no action next turn, other than normal forward movement.
Risky ActionsThis is where the race becomes strategic. Any free action can be taken again, any number of times, as a risky action. However, as the name says, this is risky. Each risky action requires a AGL/TN7 check, with each subsequent check beyond the first raising the TN by 2). After the round has been completed, the TN for risky actions resets back to TN7.
A successful check means that an additional action (from the free actions list) can be performed normally. A failed roll means the chariot wrecks, as result
85+ on the
Scythe Attack Table, above.
The TurnaroundCentrifugal force makes the turnaround (the curved area between the two red lines at each end of the track) the most dangerous place on the track. If a chariot is moving at over maximum speed (as a result of whipping horses) while in the turnaround, the driver must make an immediate AGL/TN7 at +1 to TN for the 4th (outermost) lane, +2 to TN for the 3rd lane, +3 to TN for the 2nd lane, and +4 to TN for the 1st (innermost) lane. A failed check means the chariot wrecks, as per result 85+ on the Scythe Attack Table, above.
CrashesIf a chariot crashes into another chariot, the outer wall of the track, or the center area, roll on the
Scythe Attack table, above.
A chariot which crashes into the outer wall of the track or the center area remains in its own space, and further movement is allowed (if any remains), unless the results of the Scythe Attack Table say otherwise.
If a chariot crashes into another chariot, both are moved one space randomly, as per result 50-64 on the Scythe Attack Table, above, in addition to other results.
Note that multiple crashes can occur if several chariots are bunched up, and a crash causes one chariot to move into another
CharioteersNPC charioteers are generally AGL5 and WP5.
Winning the RaceVictory goes to the chariot which moves into the space past the finish line first, after three laps have been completed, or to the remaining chariot if all others have been eliminated.
Throwing the RaceCharacters are not allowed to bet against themselves, or make other arrangements that would result in financial advantage to them by purposely losing. The Jarl takes a dim view of this, and the crowd might well tear apart a character that threw off the results of the race in this shabby fashion.
