6 Tournaments To Add Some Bloodsport To Your Campaign

There is nothing quite like a tournament. The pomp and circumstance juxtaposed with the speed, skill, and sometimes brutality, of combatants doing everything they can to be the victor. A tournament can often be the centerpiece of a campaign chapter, and winning one of them (or at least putting on a good show) is a phenomenal way for your party to get noticed. I recently completed a series of 6 tournaments for Kobold Press, and they're free for any player or DM to use.

If you like these, then you might want to check out the previous series I did for Kobold, 6 NPC Organizations to Spice Up Your Campaign.

Or if you're looking for some other pieces of lore to add to your campaign you should check out the supplements A Baker's Dozen of Rumours (And The Truth Behind Them) as well as A Baker's Dozen Pieces of Lore. Both pieces were authored by yours truly for Azukail Games, and they're full of urban legends, potential plot arcs, traditions, and local legends to spice up your setting.

6 Tournaments To Add Some Bloodsport To Your Campaign

#1: The King and Queen of Sharps

Where scoring "points" is a whole new game.

The King and Queen of Sharps tournament is a display of astonishing skill, and fast-paced swordsmanship. When your goal is not to kill your opponent, and where wounding them could lose your victory instead of clinching it, only those with a nearly supernatural skill will win the honor of being addressed as one of the Kings or Queens, and be given the right to carry one of the weapons awarded to the tournament winners.

#2: The Iron Fist

No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone.

When it comes to bare-knuckle brawling, no tournament is more brutal, or more revered, than the Iron Fist. A tournament by invitation only, participants have their lots drawn at random. They enter the arena with no weapons, and no clothing, fighting with strength, skill, and training to see who is the toughest. While some participants will only fight a handful of opponents, it isn't unheard of for one fighter to have to best a series of fresh, eager enemies with no more than a few minutes to catch their breath.

#3: The Arcane Masters

Never call it the battle of the bands... the bards take it personally.

Tournaments aren't only for the martially-inclined. Wizards, sorcerers, magi, and others all flock to the Arcane Masters as a way to prove their skill, knowledge, and power. However, the goal is not to do your opponent serious harm; the goal is to make them concede. This is where strategy comes into play, as many powerful spellcasters will try to keep their best spells and abilities a secret in order to throw off their opponents. Guile and strategy are often just as important as raw power when it comes to winning this tournament.

#4: The Labyrinth

It's around here somewhere... I think...

The Labyrinth is unusual among tournaments, in that it's not a test of battle skill... or not just that, at least. Every year the Labyrinth is different, and its location is set up so that only those in the know, or who are skilled at ferreting out information, will be able to find it. The challenges are kept completely secret, but participants need to overcome those challenges as quickly as possible. So, it's not a question of can they beat the Labyrinth... but how quickly can they do it?

#5: Blood on The Sand

A day at the beach, it isn't.

In the desert, water is life. Warring over water is expensive, though, which is why the tribal chieftains and nomadic caliphs came together, and created a way to determine who would control the oases. Blood on The Sand is often a battle to the death, but as the years have passed and the desert tribes have grown wealthy, the fighters have grown stranger. Mercenaries wielding bizarre weapons, mystics from faraway nations, and even inhuman creatures spawned from the desert's depths are all common sights in this tournament, but there's no telling who will win.

#6: The Devil's Dance

And your first opponent is...

Some tournaments are only available by invitation. Others are held in secret places, inaccessible to the common people. The Devil's Dance, though, is a tournament so secretive it's considered a legend by many fighters. Matches are held in a dark cavern before a masked and hooded audience, who never breaks their silence while fighters are pitted against fiends belched from the innards of some mad, despicable hell. Is the tournament real, or merely a figment in someone's imagination? And what prize would be worth fighting such inhuman creatures?

All right everyone, that's this week's Moon Pope Monday update. I hope you enjoyed, and found it useful. If you did, and you'd like to see more content just like this, then why not stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron? As little as $1 a month nets you some sweet swag, and it will help me keep creating content just like this. Lastly, if you haven't done so yet, why not follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter to keep up with my latest releases?

6 NPC Organizations to Spice Up Your Campaign

This Monday I'd like to put a little bow on a gift for the DMs out there. I know how hard it can be putting together a great game, and that sometimes you just don't have the available sweat to go elbow-deep into more world building. That's why I wanted to offer you these six organizations that I put together for Kobold Press which can add a lot of spice (and plot hooks, if you need them) to your campaign.

Also, the sharp-eyed among you might notice that some of these organizations were first mentioned in my post What Services Exist In Your Fantasy World (And Do You Use Them)? That post was the initial inspiration, but now these groups have a slightly more involved history, as well as tips that will allow you to incorporate them seamlessly into your game.

#1: The Brotherhood of The Brawl

Seriously, I don't care what level you are, don't get into it with the bouncer. Not here.

The Brotherhood is a loose confederation of skull crackers and leg breakers that live and train right out in public. Bouncers by trade, the Brawlers take all kinds, from pugilists and prize fighters, to grapplers and knockout artists. They might not look like much, but the Brotherhood is a training ground for some of the strongest, deadliest bare-fisted fighters in the world. They're good allies, and awful enemies.

#2: The Wanderer's Way

Package for you, sir!

Have you ever wondered how common people send letters and packages in your fantasy world? After all, if reading and writing are commonplace, then wouldn't there be some kind of postal service? The Wanderer's Way is a volunteer post that's made up of everyone from merchants and caravan guards, to wandering adventurers and no-account saddle tramps. The Wanderers are a great way to explain why a PC is in town, but they're also great for adventure hooks when you're trying to have a mysterious letter show up to drag the party into your plot.

#3: The Sundown Eyes Guild

You broke into the wrong house.

The Sundown Eyes Guild has one job; keep its clients safe. Security experts, bodyguards, and anti-infiltration experts, the Sundown Eyes Guild draws its ranks from both the famous, and the infamous. Former bandits, sneak thieves, spies, and other disreputable adventurers work shoulder to shoulder with detectives and former Watch officers, all doing their best to stymie the latest attempts from burglars, robbers, and, when necessary, assassins. If you need an extra challenge for your party to bypass, or you want a patron to employ them, you need look no further than this anti-thieves guild.

#4: The Iron Horsemen

Got a problem, squire?

It seems like every other campaign is a noble hiring adventurers to travel with him, or to deliver an unspecified parcel from point A to point B. You'd think, with so many valuable people and treasures about, that someone would just start a business centered around their delivery. That is the niche the Iron Horsemen fulfill, and the group only hires the best. Their black-clad coachmen are uniform in look, but their abilities and powers are often surprising. So, whether a party is looking for a paymaster, or they just want a reliable group to transport their treasure halfway across the continent, the Horsemen can easily get the job done.

#5: The Order of The Healing Hand

We can cure what ails you... again.

If you've ever had a game where no one wanted to play a cleric, you've probably found yourself wishing you had an in-game group of healers to fall back on. Something like a fantasy version of the Red Cross that your party could find all over the map, provided they get out of the dungeon alive. That is where the Order of The Healing Hand comes into play. Dedicated to curing the sick, the order is made up of bonesetters and surgeons, alchemists and priests, and it's rumored that among their number there are scholars of the body so learned they can resurrect the dead. Ideal for character backstories, escort missions, and even as secret villains, the Order has many uses for a cunning DM.

#6: The Raven's Quill Criers

How do I know? A little birdie told me.

Town criers are one of the easiest ways to make announcements to the general population, but the Raven's Quill Criers take their jobs even further. They write letters for the illiterate, provide maps for out-of-towners, and they collect information like a magpie goes after shiny objects. So, if you need a handy way to get a key piece of intel to your party, you want to introduce potential allies, or you want to turn the Criers into a front for a network of spies, they're available to you to do with as you please.

As always, I hope you found this week's update useful. If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, why not stop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron today? As little as $1 a month can be a big help! Also, if you haven't done so yet, why not follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter?