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slay_4_pay
Seeker
65 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Dec 2007 : 02:35:55
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I just read an article about Three Dragon Ante, the card game that can be played within the AD&D setting. This made me start thinking about games within the game. I was wondering if anyone has any info on the various games played in The Realms? I seem to remember one from the novels (I believe it was from the Finder's Stone Trilogy) that involves various cards and dice. Any info out there on this topic would be appreciated.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2007 : 03:13:28
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Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue has some details on a few of the games played in the Realms. And Ed's shared a couple with us through his replies -- especially '04.
Here's a listing compiled by Faraer:-
"Here's the list (which doesn't have the Aurora's ones) that I've posted before:
Card games: Archers, Chase the Dragon*, High Dragon, Old Wizard, Smashcastle, Strikedragon/Battles, Swords, Swords and Shields, talis card games
Dice games: thabort, Traitors’ Heads, Wheel-of-Spells*
Board games: chess and variants (lanceboard), chethlachance, fiveknights, lancers and lions, shirestone
Other games: jacks, shove-skittles, tag, Toss the Dagger
* might be mixed up as to which is card, which dice"
...
"Elemental Empires," is what Giogio and his buddies are playing in The Wyvern's Spur, as I recall.
The DRAGON #320 June '04 issue details the games:- 'Over the Hurdles', 'Hardriders', and 'Throwknife' in the "Roaring Dragon House" article. [It's also the article that describes "Zzar wrestling." Despite my best efforts however, I never been able to persuade the Lady K to try it.  ]
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 13 Dec 2007 03:41:03 |
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Daviot
Senior Scribe
USA
372 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2007 : 05:12:50
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Sage, your notes check out with my mine, but I'd like to add one missing card game: the Elven game of kholiast, from Elves of Evermeet. The rules were never worked out, but here's what we do know about it:
-One deck consists of 1000 cards
-Hand size is variable, and a based on a throw of dice
-The point counting system would "drive even the most dedicated Candlekeep scholar completely mad" ~_^
-It's probably similar to poker (and maybe also bridge), except that bets are simultaneous, the turn action is continuous, and draws and discards are likewise continuous. |
One usually has far more to fear from the soft-spoken wizard with a blade and well-worn boots than from the boisterous one in the ivory tower.
My Tabletop Writing CV. |
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slay_4_pay
Seeker
65 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2007 : 23:25:51
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| Thanks to The Sage, I'll look for that issue of Dragon. I checked Aurora's Catalogue and found the section on games, it mentions quite a few, and some have real world translations such as chess and backgammon. But, what I'm really interested in are the various games that are exclusive to the realms. Several card games are mentioned under the Talis Deck (including the aformentioned Elemental Empires) but no rules are given for these games. Also, is a Talis Deck just like a regular deck of playing cards with the same number of cards, the same values (2-10 + face cards), etc., but with different names for the suits and face cards? If anyone can share any info on the rules of various card games, or just tell where I might find said info (if it is indeed available). I would certainly appreciate it. |
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Broken Helm
Learned Scribe
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2007 : 04:45:39
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| I seem to recall that some of the games on Faraer's list are detailed in Volo's Guides (by Ed Greenwood) and some were described in Ed's replies here at Candlekeep, in the earlier years threads. |
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fw190a8
Acolyte
United Kingdom
32 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jan 2008 : 08:11:40
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| Chase the Dragon and Wheel-of-Spells are mentioned in Cormyr: A Novel (chapter 19) where they are referred to collectively as "dice-and-cards." Unfortunately this doesn't make it clear which is a card game and which is a dice game, or whether either game involves both. |
Contributor to the Forgotten Realms Wiki: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2450 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jan 2008 : 09:03:06
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| Kholiast is, hands down, my favorite FR game. I've had my players run across it, though they never played. For my verbal description, I drew on poker, competative solitare, and craps, all played at a speed much like they speed native Italian sounds to those who don't know it. It was very, very fun. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Daniel
Acolyte
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2008 : 01:35:35
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| In the Underdark, as mentioned in the 'War of the Spider Queen' series (among others), there is a board game called sava that seems to be similar to chess. I don't know if there is more specific info on the game available, but it has been mentioned in several novels. |
The killing was the best part. It was the dying I couldn't take.
~Craig Volk, Northern Exposure
It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.
~Oscar Wilde |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36891 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2008 : 05:12:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Daniel
In the Underdark, as mentioned in the 'War of the Spider Queen' series (among others), there is a board game called sava that seems to be similar to chess. I don't know if there is more specific info on the game available, but it has been mentioned in several novels.
Going from memory... Pretty much, it's chess. Once per game, you can opt to throw 2d6. If you get snake-eyes, you get to remove any piece from the board. Otherwise, you lose a turn.
Which to me doesn't seem all that worthwhile. There's a neglible chance of getting snake-eyes on 2d6. Sure, it can and does happen (usually at the worst possible time, like when both blue properties have hotels, and you are on Park Place), but the chance is so minute that if I was playing sava, I'd only take the chance if I knew I was losing and had no hope of saving it.
I'd modify it to be something like every other turn, the dice get thrown, and certain pieces either are immune to being removed that way, or you've got to roll snake-eyes twice to take them out, or maybe you'd have to roll against the other player to actually remove a piece (both players roll, high roll gets it). That puts a lot more chaos and chance into the game, which is what the point of the dice was. |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4694 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2008 : 05:22:00
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Sava is interesting because of what is not said as oposed to what is said. It is a plot devive (from all appearances) that allows the narator to change the odds.
Jettan (spelling) presented in full in _Chessman of Mars_ also had a Chess like rules, but also problems (A cheif to attack a cheif had to be withing three squares, which would allow oposing cheif to attack before next move) as to how to play a game to win. Clearly a dice throw should be a last chance of success, however the Dark Maiden used it fairly soon (in the novel) and Lolth has not. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Games Within the Game - Gambling in The Realms
