| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Imp |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 14:13:01
Do you know of any games that young elves play in order to train and learn fighting?
Archery and swordsmanship tournaments are obvious, but maybe there's something more elf-ish, like a race through the forest or an advanced game of Hide'n'Seek.
Both canon and homebrew ideas are welcome. |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Hoondatha |
Posted - 17 Feb 2012 : 23:22:06
When we used to go visit my cousins deep in the Wisconsin woods, we used to play flashlight tag. Like hide and seek, only with a flashlight, in pitch black forest. One person counted while everyone else found the best hiding place they could. You then either tried to get back to "home," or hide well enough for someone else to get "tagged" by the flashlight beam and for a new round to begin.
I could see elves (and for that matter gnomes and infravision-using halflings) doing something similar. The fact that everyone has infravision makes things more interesting, but hiding at night from heat vision would be a totally different kind of experience to hiding in the day from normal sight. |
| Thauranil |
Posted - 17 Feb 2012 : 11:30:22
In Bladesinger the young elves play a game called Hunt the Drow, which mostly seems to consist of them tormenting the half elevn protagonist in some way i.e. chasing him, throwing stone etc. But perhaps it is an actual game played by younger elves, a mixture of tag and hide and seek ,used to help them become more alert about their surroundings. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 17 Feb 2012 : 00:47:49
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
A card game called leaves?
And it was designed by a wild-elf called Leaf-man -- whose ultra-cool catch-phrase is the unexpected uttering of "Leaf me alone."  |
| Markustay |
Posted - 16 Feb 2012 : 21:00:28
A card game called leaves? |
| Wolfhound75 |
Posted - 15 Feb 2012 : 17:03:49
I'd think an Elven version of the game Go would have found it's way into being. Given their penchant for strategy, Go requires more advanced thinking than even Chess and many chessmasters of the real world have abandoned the game in preference of Go. It would even be simple to produce from common materiels in the woodlands requiring nothing more than a board which could be made from wood, animal hide, or any other number of items and a handfull of stones in two colors. The critical thinking trained by this game would be useful to any number of PC/NPC-classes and could be, IMO, considered a model of elven wartime strategy focusing more on controlling the maximum area than the more attrition-based strategy of Chess. In addition, the playing of the game creates visually striking patterns on the board which I think would appeal to elven asthetics.
For more on the basics of this game see What is Go? on the American Go Association website.
Good Hunting!
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| The Sage |
Posted - 15 Feb 2012 : 15:45:21
I like the sound of Coroniir, Erik.
Can you share how/if the fall of the drow is represented in the game?
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| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 15 Feb 2012 : 15:36:04
I talk about an ancient elven game called Coroniir (roughly "crowns") in Eye of Justice. A strategy game inspired by the tactica of the Crown Wars, it's similar to (and sort of the root) of the human game lanceboard or castles, though a bit more complex and with some interesting variant rules. And more elegant, as is everything the elves do.
Cheers |
| Bladewind |
Posted - 15 Feb 2012 : 01:43:12
Guessing games that involve a certain random choice element would possibly be popular amongst elven kids. Boasts of accomplishing some sort of physical feat can be very contageous, some could set whole scores of elven kids chasing a squirrel. Because of the observation skills of elves are above average hide and seek games require extra creativity or magic to pull off, and card games such as a Talis decks would give older elven children some ways to pass time.
I guess well travelled elves would bring in games from all the different races to teach their child and friends. Lanceboard is all the rage in Evermeet now, crystal playpieces required! |
| The Sage |
Posted - 15 Feb 2012 : 01:23:34
I'd also ask this question of either Ed Greenwood, Elaine Cunningham, or Steven Schend. |
| Lady Shadowflame |
Posted - 15 Feb 2012 : 00:10:44
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Drow adolescents could also practice using these handy lengths of string/rope to bind prisoners or as improvised garrotes.
That's true, though my first thought was when they're much too young to reach the necks of most things, they could use the game to accustom their hands to the tiny intricate movements they'll need for Drow Sign. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 23:43:33
Elves wear cups.
Dwarves wear mugs. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 23:34:53
quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha
Thanks. And yeah, I definitely think the elves would have invented a "sports codpiece" as self-defense, if for no other reason.
I would hope so.  |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 22:50:38
quote:
Lady Shadowflame
In my own fanon stuff, I assigned the string game Cat's Cradle to young elves and drow.
Making specific patterns with the string around one's fingers would be very good for dexterity, which is kind of the elven major thing.
And I figured it as one of the few games for drow kids, because all you need is a string, not a bunch of toys, and because of the Cat's Cradle variant in which someone puts a hand through, you pull on the pattern, and they are either 'caught' or free. It combines a vague resemblance to spiderweb with something that might help young drow learn about snares/traps/ropes etc, since repetition would help them to look at the pattern and work out exactly which bits will catch someone and which won't.
Drow adolescents could also practice using these handy lengths of string/rope to bind prisoners or as improvised garrotes. |
| Hoondatha |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 22:33:48
Thanks. And yeah, I definitely think the elves would have invented a "sports codpiece" as self-defense, if for no other reason. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 20:34:49
quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha
This is completely my own creation, but I came up with a badminton variant for elves meant to train balance and reflexes. Instead of a court, the game is played on ropes, either in a logical and evenly spaced "spider's web," or something more abstract, with multiple levels. The "birdie" is a ball made out of woven feathers; more advanced games will weight the ball for added difficulty. Racquets are the same as modern badminton racquets
The goal of the game is to keep the birdie in the air. If it falls below the reach of the player(s), then the other player or team gets a point. Games generally go to ten points. Note that this is the players' reach, not the level of the ropes, because I specifically wanted to allow people jumping off the rope, grabbing hold with one hand and hitting the birdie with the other. And then hopefully scrambling back up before their opponent sends the birdie to the other side of the court.
I don't have a name for the game, but I like it a lot and have had it show up in a couple of my campaigns in the background. It's something that very few humans could do, so it emphasizes the elves' not-humanness, and provides a rationale for why they're so good on their feet.
Great game! Plus, if some of the male participants slip on the ropes then you will be able to fill any empty slots in the Elven Soprano Choir |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 19:52:44
quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha
This is completely my own creation, but I came up with a badminton variant for elves meant to train balance and reflexes. Instead of a court, the game is played on ropes, either in a logical and evenly spaced "spider's web," or something more abstract, with multiple levels. The "birdie" is a ball made out of woven feathers; more advanced games will weight the ball for added difficulty. Racquets are the same as modern badminton racquets
The goal of the game is to keep the birdie in the air. If it falls below the reach of the player(s), then the other player or team gets a point. Games generally go to ten points. Note that this is the players' reach, not the level of the ropes, because I specifically wanted to allow people jumping off the rope, grabbing hold with one hand and hitting the birdie with the other. And then hopefully scrambling back up before their opponent sends the birdie to the other side of the court.
I don't have a name for the game, but I like it a lot and have had it show up in a couple of my campaigns in the background. It's something that very few humans could do, so it emphasizes the elves' not-humanness, and provides a rationale for why they're so good on their feet.
That's an interesting idea, thinks I. |
| Fellfire |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 19:39:53
I remember the game khaless (trust) played by the drow of House Oblodra where competing drow would enter into a sphere of darkness and silence and levitate over the Clawrift until one or usually both fell to their deaths. This was from one of RAS's early books. |
| Hoondatha |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 18:46:56
This is completely my own creation, but I came up with a badminton variant for elves meant to train balance and reflexes. Instead of a court, the game is played on ropes, either in a logical and evenly spaced "spider's web," or something more abstract, with multiple levels. The "birdie" is a ball made out of woven feathers; more advanced games will weight the ball for added difficulty. Racquets are the same as modern badminton racquets
The goal of the game is to keep the birdie in the air. If it falls below the reach of the player(s), then the other player or team gets a point. Games generally go to ten points. Note that this is the players' reach, not the level of the ropes, because I specifically wanted to allow people jumping off the rope, grabbing hold with one hand and hitting the birdie with the other. And then hopefully scrambling back up before their opponent sends the birdie to the other side of the court.
I don't have a name for the game, but I like it a lot and have had it show up in a couple of my campaigns in the background. It's something that very few humans could do, so it emphasizes the elves' not-humanness, and provides a rationale for why they're so good on their feet. |
| Lady Shadowflame |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 15:52:00
In my own fanon stuff, I assigned the string game Cat's Cradle to young elves and drow.
Making specific patterns with the string around one's fingers would be very good for dexterity, which is kind of the elven major thing.
And I figured it as one of the few games for drow kids, because all you need is a string, not a bunch of toys, and because of the Cat's Cradle variant in which someone puts a hand through, you pull on the pattern, and they are either 'caught' or free. It combines a vague resemblance to spiderweb with something that might help young drow learn about snares/traps/ropes etc, since repetition would help them to look at the pattern and work out exactly which bits will catch someone and which won't.
Similarly, forest-dwelling elves could probably more easily spare lengths of cord to amuse children than they could find the resources for the really elaborate sorts of toys, and the same things might apply for snares, if one wants to catch food that way or be sure of, like... not strangling yourself in a vine or something. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 14 Feb 2012 : 15:15:49
Catch the Wisp?
I just made that up... but it sounds like something they would play.
Cast a cantrip to create a small, glowing light, that randomly drifts through an specified area, which darts away when someone comes near. |
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