About Jousting

[Wayfinder]

I recently started making notes for a little BW campaign. It has castles, kings, knights, that sort of thing. I want to include tournament jousting. Reading the mounted combat rules, I was curious as to how to handle jousting.

Should both riders roll simultaneous strike and block actions and then roll riding skill or power vs the push? This seems staightforward and simple, unless someone else has a different idea. It's also possible for both riders to be unseated. Cool.

I watched a show about jousting a while ago, but I can't remember if breaking your lance is good or bad. Can someone with knowledge on jousting give me a little refresher? And any ideas on the mechanics for breaking lances?

Thanks

[Kublai]

Um... it's been a while since I saw A Knight's Tale (;)) but I think it goes 1 pt for breaking a lance on your opponent, 2 pts for hitting his head, and 3 pts for unseating him. They get three passes at each other.

[luke]

tilting/jousting is a little more complex than A Knight's Tale let on.

Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe (http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0300083521/ref=sib_db_rdr/103-6792233-7262221#reader-page) Is the book you're after for details on the process of the period.

As far as mechanics go, I'd allow both players to choose a stance as normal. The player whose horse has a higher Power gets +1D, player with higher Speed gets +1D (so it's possible for one really awesome horse to overmatch it's pony-like opponent).

Test Lance skill. Divide dice between Lance and Shield. (Aggressive stance gets +2D to Lance, but can't put extra dice in the Shield. Defensive Stance can only put half skill in the strike half.)

Each player rolls their shield and then armor as normal. If they're not killed, then use the successes on the Strike as a Push. Win by 1D means your opponent is unseated, win by 2D and he's unhorsed.

Deaths were not entirely uncommon in tilting. But neither was every pass a deadly one. Often, blunted lances were used. For game purposes that'd be no VA, so the attack would really be about the Push.

So yeah, what you said.
-L

[Wayfinder]

Great stuff! Thanks. I forgot about the horses!! That makes for some interesting differences. You just know the corrupt knight is going to have a kick-ass horse, while our poor hero is going to make do with some over the hill rejected one.

I'm also thinking about including a melee tournament as well. Basically with the same concept. No real damage, just about landing blows.

[Thor]

Great stuff! Thanks. I forgot about the horses!! That makes for some interesting differences. You just know the corrupt knight is going to have a kick-ass horse, while our poor hero is going to make do with some over the hill rejected one.


Make sure you download the Mount Burner from the site! Lots of interesting stuff for horses and mounted combat.

[Wayfinder]

Seriously though, you guys are killing me! Thanks alot!!