TEXT: This download takes a look at some of the favored 
  sports in Rassilon, as well as rules for tournaments. 
  While the word “tournament” may conjure up images of 
  knights in plate armor tilting on the lists, this is not an 
  image befitting Rassilon. While the same basic principal 
  applies, the events are vastly different.
  Many tournaments are held in settlements across the 
  length and breadth of the land, though regional variations 
  to the rules often apply. For instance, the horse warriors 
  of the Drachenlands favor mounted archery at a gallop 
  over static shooting. Only two rules are universal—magic 
  may not be used to affect the outcome of a contest and 
  armor and weapons are generally forbidden.
  Naturally, weapons are required for archery and jav-
  elin contests. Cross-country skiers with any sense wear 
  leather armor and carry a single weapon as a minimum, 
  for there are many dangers in the wilds. Use of weapons 
  against a fellow competitor is strictly forbidden.
  Number of DiscipliNes 
  & DuratioN
  Tournaments can be local, regional, or national. Local 
  event encompasses one village and its immediate neigh-
  bors. Regional tournaments a town and its supporting 
  villages or which occur in a larger geographic region, 
  such as an important noble’s holdings. National events 
  are extremely rare, and would likely be sponsored by the 
  domain’s ruler. Only one such regular event occurs—the 
  annual Grand Moot held in Royalmark.
  The six main sports and their various disciplines make 
  up a total of 12 different possible events. Not every event 
  need be hosted at every tournament. Indeed, not every 
  location can support all the events—a village with no ac-
  cess to water can hardly be expected to host a swimming 
  competition, and a summer fair in the Hearthlands to 
  honor Sigel won’t see much skiing unless there are some 
  very big mountains nearby.
  The minimum number of disciplines held varies by 
  the size of the event. The GM should determine the 
  specific disciplines available. Remember, these are mini-
  mums—an event may always include more.
  Tournaments also have a minimum duration. Again, 
  factors such as season, location, reasons for the tourna-
  ment, and the number and type of contests may modify 
  this.
  Event	
  Min	Disciplines	 Min	Duration
  Local 
  Two 
  One day
  Regional 
  Five 
  Four days (half week)
  National 
  Nine 
  Eight days (one week)
  Number of tourNameNts
  Tournaments are held all year round, but often take 
  place on the same day (for religious reasons, primarily). 
  Because of this, it is difficult to attend more than a hand-
  ful each year. To prevent players abusing these rules to 
  earn quick cash and Glory in preference over adventur-
  ing, the GM should limit the number of tournaments the 
  heroes can attend in a given year.
  Basic guidelines are to limit the number of national 
  tournaments to one per year, regional one or two per 
  year, and local ones to four per year. Glory awards (see 
  page xxx) are restricted to +20 Glory per year through 
  tournaments.
  Tournaments are ideal ways to continue playing when 
  a player cannot make a game, especially if an adventure 
  has just ended. The missing hero may be off on a minor 
  quest or recovering from injury. Meanwhile, his com-
  rades discover a country fair and tournament are being 
  held nearby. The GM need only use the Allied Personality 
  table to turn faceless NPCs into characters the heroes can 
  interact with and perhaps create a simple plot, like a rob-
  bery or murder.
  eveNts
  Tournaments in Rassilon comprise six core events—
  archery, javelin throwing, knattleikr (a ball game played 
  by teams), skiing, swimming, and wrestling. Many of 
  these are then further divided into different disciplines, 
  resulting in a larger number of actual events.
  archery
  Archery contests focus on accuracy. Contestants are 
  given five arrows apiece. Each shaft is marked with col-
  ored ribbon to denote the thrower’s identity. A shield is 
  placed at Short, Medium, and Long ranges. The metal 
  boss is removed and replaced with a wooden plug. This 
  is painted white.
  Each contestant may freely choose which shield he 
  wishes to shot. The points scored depend on the range 
  tourNameNts
    
   
   
   
   
  optioNal rules
  
  and the accuracy of the shot, as shown below. Thus, 
  while a contestant can play safe and stick to Short range, 
  one good score at longer range earns far more points. A 
  trick shot, such as splitting an opponent’s arrow, gives a 
  -4 to the Shooting roll. However, it scores an additional 
  2 points. 
  scoriNG table
  Range	
  Success	
  Raise
  Short 
  1 
  2
  Medium 
  3 
  5
  Long 
  6 
  10
  Time is not generally an issue, so all contestants may 
  Aim before firing. Rushed format contests involve firing 
  in rapid succession, which precludes aiming unless the 
  contestant has the Marksman Edge. In most competi-
  tions, rushed format is reserved solely for warriors, hunt-
  ers, and clerics of Ullr, professions considered specialists 
  with a bow, while the standard format is open to anyone 
  capable of pulling a bowstring.
  Competition rules can vary immensely, and partici-
  pants are expected to know which set of rules is being 
  used in advance. Claiming not to know the rules is taken 
  as a sign of incompetence concealed behind a lie. 
  In short form archery, the highest scorer after five shots 
  wins. If there is a tie for first place, those contestants fire 
  a second round of five arrows to decide the overall win-
  ner. Other contests eliminate those who failed to reach 
  a certain score. Those who make the cut fire again, this 
  time with a higher pass mark to reach. Some make the 
  warriors release three rounds of five arrows, with the 
  closest shield being removed after the first round and 
  the next closest shield after the second. Points scored 
  over the three rounds are then tallied to find the victor.
  JaveliN
  Javelin throwing is broken down into two catego-
  ries—range and accuracy.
  raNGe
  Throwing for range has nothing to do with accuracy—
  it is simply a test of strength and technique. The throw 
  is highly inaccurate, and thus never used in battle unless 
  facing massed ranks (where accuracy is less important), 
  showing off to try and intimidate rivals, or trying to make 
  a point (i.e. cross this point and you might be killed).
  Because no accuracy is involved, range modifiers are 
  irrelevant. Instead, contestants simply make a Throwing 
  roll. Whoever scores the highest wins. Short tournaments 
  allow just a single throw, whereas longer formats allow 
  multiple throws.
  accuracy
  Typically, this event involves striking a round shield 
  attached to a wooden post, though other objects may 
  be used. Before the Anari conquered their lands, Saxa 
  threw their spears at convicts tied to stakes, with points 
  awarded for the part of the hapless victim they struck. 
  The rules are identical to those for archery contests.
  skiiNG
  Nowhere in Rassilon escapes winter. Skiing is thus 
  as much a way of life as it is a recreational activity. In 
  competition, skiing takes the form of straight downhill 
  racing, slalom, and cross-county.
  DowNhill
  Because it requires a decent slope, downhill competi-
  tions are only held in mountainous or extremely hilly 
  areas. Running a downhill contest uses the Chase rules.
  Place ten markers on the tabletop to represent the 
  course. The markers aren’t intended to represent any 
  specific distance—they are simply to show relative posi-
  tions along the length of the course. The Obstacle rules 
  are not used; courses are cleared of obstacles before the 
  race begins to prevent accidents.
  All contestants race simultaneously, using the action 
  cards and Agility rolls. Each contestant begins off the 
  marker track—his first success moves him onto the first 
  marker. Shoulder barging opponents, kicking up snow, 
  and cutting in front of opponents to force them off bal-
  ance are all part of the game. Hence, the standard Stunts 
  and Maneuvers can all be used. However, striking a rival 
  is prohibited and results in instant disqualification.
  A contestant who goes out of control for any reason 
  and who rolls Skid, Spin, or Slip suffers a –2 penalty to 
  his next Agility roll. Any other result causes the skier to 
  fall (whereupon he suffers 2d6 nonlethal damage), end-
  ing his challenge automatically.
  Whoever passes beyond the tenth marker first wins 
  the race.
  cross-couNtry
  Whereas downhill is about pure speed and slalom is 
  about technique, cross-country skiing is a test of endur-
  ance (and speed, since it is a race).
  The quickest way to run one of these contests is using 
  the Chase rules as for the downhill contests (see below). 
  Each token used to denote Range Increments can be any-
  where from one mile to as much as 10 miles, depending 
  on the length of the course.
  The third, fifth, and eight markers should be of a dif-
  ferent color to the others. When a skier reaches one of 
  these he must make a Vigor roll or suffer a level of Fa-
  tigue. Over short courses, the race is essentially a sprint 
  and the skiers are pushing hard for the duration. In long 
  distance races, the skiers have to cover the distance by 
  nightfall and thus must continually push onward, albeit 
  at a slower rate than on short tracks.
  A level of Fatigue can be removed by using the Steady 
  hellfrost
  
  maneuver—that is, the skier remains stationary this 
  round. In reality he’s likely covering a short distance 
  rather than stopping, but it’s not enough to warrant a 
  die roll. Whoever moves past the final marker first wins 
  the race.
  Because of the slower speeds involved compared to 
  a true chase, the GM can waive the Obstacles rules if he 
  wishes. Alternately, he can use the Club value to repre-
  sent difficult terrain, such as forest or uneven ground, 
  or a specific problem that slows the skier, like fording a 
  river or repairing a broken ski. The card value gives the 
  skier a modifier to his Agility roll for the current round.
  Card	
  Penalty
  Deuce 
  –4
  3–6 
  –2
  7–10 
  –1
  Jack–Ace 
  0
  slalom
  Slalom skiing involves deliberately placed obstacles 
  the skier must avoid or jump. The basic format is the 
  same as downhill skiing, except every other Range Incre-
  ment marker represents as obstacle of some kind. These 
  may be posts the skier must move between or avoid, or 
  banks or fallen logs which must be jumped.
  When a character reaches an obstacle, he must make 
  an Agility roll as a free action. Each obstacle has a modi-
  fier of 0, –1, –2, –4, or -6, which applies to the Agility roll. 
  A hero who fails his obstacle Agility roll crashes out of 
  the contest. In the event all skiers fail to reach the end, 
  whoever moved the furthest wins the race.
  swimmiNG
  Like skiing, swimming takes one of three forms.
  DistaNce
  Distance swimming is about endurance. The swim-
  mers begin on the beach and head out to sea (or a large 
  lake or upriver). It uses the rules for chases, with Swim-
  ming as the controlling skill. However, the line of mark-
  ers is essentially endless as there is no finishing line. 
  Typically, each Range Increment represents one mile.
  Every third marker should be a different color to the 
  others. Like cross-country skiing, a hero passing one of 
  these markers must make a Vigor roll or suffer Fatigue. 
  Unlike in skiing, though, each special marker after the 
  first gives a cumulative –1 penalty (so a swimmer reach-
  ing the third colored marker rolls at –2). In addition, a 
  failed Swimming roll forces the character to make a Vigor 
  roll to avoid Fatigue. A swimmer cannot rest in order to 
  recover—he must either quit or keep going.
  Use of any Stunt or Maneuver except Push is forbid-
  den and results in instant disqualification. The Steady 
  maneuver represents treading water, which is banned.
  Whoever travels the greatest distance before he turns 
  back (or drowns) is the winner.
  speeD
  Speed swimmers also begin on the shore and head 
  out to sea, but they are trying to reach a designated fin-
  ishing line first. Use the basic rules for downhill skiing, 
  but substituting Swimming for Agility. Distract and Push 
  are the only permitted Stunts and Maneuvers.
  wrestliNG
  Water wrestling is immensely popular with crowds. 
  It is rarely a quick contest, as the aim is to hold your 
  opponent’s head under water until he gives up or passes 
  out, whichever comes first. The contest is run using the 
  standard combat rules, except only the Grapple maneu-
  ver may be used—no regular blows are permissible.
  Once a grapple has been achieved, the attacker must 
  make a Strength roll opposed by his opponent. With suc-
  cess, the defender’s head is under water. Each round the 
  grapple is maintained, the victim remains submerged.
  A contestant can survive beneath the water for a 
  number of rounds equal to his Vigor. After this time, he 
  must make a Vigor roll each round with a cumulative 
  –1 penalty per round after the first since he ran out of 
  air. Failure causes a level of Fatigue. Recovery is as per 
  drowning. Submission can be signaled at any time.
  Example: A hero with d10 Vigor can stay submerged 
  safely for 10 rounds. On the next round, round 11, he 
  must make an unmodified Vigor roll. On round 12, he 
  rolls at –1, on round 13 at –2, and so on. 
  wrestliNG
  Depending on the type of contest, wrestling can focus 
  on technique or brute strength. In general, contests are 
  run as eliminations, with the winner progressing to a 
  draw for the next round. As such, the number of com-
  petitors is limited to a power of two (2, 4, 8, 16, and so 
  on). Whoever wins the final bout is the champion.
  Glíma
  More commonly known as Saxa wrestling, glíma 
  involves throwing your opponent through technique 
  rather than brute force. It is handled like regular com-
  bat, except only the Grapple special maneuver may be 
  used—no punching, kicking, biting, head butting, el-
  bowing, or similar is allowed.
  Wrestlers may not inflict damage on each other. In-
  stead, the attacker may try to throw his opponent on 
  subsequent rounds his grapple is maintained.
  The attack makes an Agility roll (remember, technique 
  is being judged, not strength) opposed by his victim’s 
  Agility or Strength (defender’s choice). If the attacker 
  scores a success and beats his victim’s roll, then the de-
  fender is thrown, earning the attacker one point. A raise 
  is worth two points. The first to reach three points wins 
  the bout.
  TOURNAMENTS
  
  No holDs barreD
  This works as above with three small adjustments. 
  First, Strength may be used to throw opponents. Second, 
  unlike glíma, it is quite permissible to inflict nonlethal 
  damage on your opponent through locks or strangula-
  tion (but not blows). Points are awarded for throws as 
  with glíma, but a hero wins by default if his rival falls 
  unconscious. Third, Tricks may be used to catch an op-
  ponent off guard.
  kNattleikr
  Saxa for “ball game,” knattleikr is a popular yet dan-
  gerous sport, more akin to warfare than a way to pass a 
  few hours with friends. While most competitors end up 
  with bruises, death is not uncommon. Knattleikr, as the 
  name suggests, is played using a ball. The aim is to strike 
  the ball with a ball, though hands may also be used. Body 
  contact is permitted, as is intimidation and taunting.
  Played by two teams over a long-period, it is a popu-
  lar spectator sport. Most Saxa villages have teams, which 
  compete against each other at great markets, important 
  religious occasions, and at regional moots. Many bloody 
  feuds have started over the result of a game of knattleikr, 
  but just as many have been settled this way.
  Knattleikr uses the Mass Battle rules, although with 
  some changes.
  • Both sides equal tokens. These are used to represent 
  the score, not the players. A team which loses tokens is 
  losing the match. The team which loses all their tokens 
  loses the match. In the event both teams lose all their 
  tokens in the same round, the match is a draw.
  • There are no Battle Modifiers except for tokens—
  teams which are losing tend to be dispirited, while their 
  rivals are better motivated.
  • Team captains (which replace commanders) may 
  use Knowledge (Battle) or Smarts for their Battle rolls.
  • Both teams may attempt to earn crowd support. 
  This involves rousing speeches and proud boasts. The 
  team captain on each side may make a Persuasion roll 
  before the match begins. Teammates may use the Coop-
  erative rules to assist. If a team has home field advantage, 
  the home captain has +2 to his roll. Each success and 
  raise earns their side a benny. Any player on that team 
  may use these bennies during the match.
  • In place of the usual Characters in Mass Battle rolls, 
  a hero may use Agility, Strength, Fighting, Intimidation, 
  Taunt, and Throwing. The results are unchanged—as 
  mentioned above, death can, and does, occur.
  • Unlike other sports, knattleikr allows for healing 
  (magical and mundane) during play. Anyone wishing 
  such aid incurs a penalty and must sit out for one com-
  plete battle round. The loss of a key player, as heroes 
  are by their Wild Card nature, gives the opposing side 
  a +1 bonus per Wild Card sitting out during the Battle 
  Roll phase. If the hero receiving treatment happens to 
  be the team leader, he must appoint another player to be 
  captain for the round.
  • There is no Morale phase.
  • While a typical game of knattleikr lasts an entire 
  day, actual tournaments are held on major festive occa-
  sions. These often last for over a week, and sometimes 
  stretch toward two weeks. Some events are elimination 
  contests, while others are played in league fashion. Re-
  gardless, a team which wins a match automatically gains 
  one team benny for its next match due to crowd support. 
  In a round robin contest, the losing team gains one less 
  benny, to a minimum of zero, in its next match.
  raNDom oppoNeNts
  The quality of opposition in a contest depends on the 
  type of tournament. For instance, a local fair probably 
  attracts participants from the community and those close 
  by, whereas a regional tournament attracts better skilled 
  contestants. A national event may attract competitors 
  from far and wide. One quick way to determine a hero’s 
  opponents is to draw cards.
  Number of oppoNeNts
  For every player character taking part in a solo event, 
  there are three NPCs. Players whose character is not 
  participating in an event should be given a share of the 
  NPCs to control to keep the players active in the game. 
  For knattleikr, the number of additional teams should be 
  one, three, or seven, depending on the length and style 
  of the tournament.
  Quality of oppoNeNts
  As noted elsewhere, large tournaments attract better 
  historical kNattleikr
  Knattleikr was an actual Viking ball game. Although 
  the details of how the game was played have been lost, 
  some facts have passed down to us. Rather than try to 
  piece together our own version of how the game was 
  played, the Mass Battle rules allow for a quick system 
  to resolve matches.
  • Many settlements had a team. Knattleikr was a 
  popular spectator event, drawing large crowds.
  • The aim was to hit a ball with a bat.
  • Body contact was permissible (death and injury 
  occurred), and intimidation played an important role.
  • The game lasted many hours, often from dawn 
  till dusk.
  • Each team had a captain.
  • Penalties existed, though what the infringements 
  were for has not survived.
  • [Conjecture] The playing field, which could be 
  grass or ice, had lines on.
  • [Conjecture] Special clothes needed to be worn, 
  though again details are lost.
  hellfrost
  
  quality contestants. Low Rank heroes who take part in 
  such tournaments are not necessarily going to win. The 
  setting does not automatically assume the heroes are 
  special and always destined to be victorious—they must 
  earn that recognition.
  Cards are used to determine the quality of opponents 
  based on the tournament scale, as detailed below. Check 
  the suit against the appropriate entry on the table. In all 
  cases, the Trait die value is used for every Trait the NPC 
  might use in the contest.
  The Rank listed in parentheses below is a rough guide 
  of what Rank the heroes should be to stand a good chance 
  of victory, and then only if they have the appropriate 
  Traits. A Legendary hero with Shooting d4, for instance, 
  is very unlikely to win any archery contest without some 
  luck or very poor opposition. The Ranks are guidelines 
  only—because of bennies, Acing, and the Wild Die, a low 
  Rank hero may actually perform well in higher grade 
  contests. Similarly, though, a Legendary hero may have 
  an off day and lose even a local tournament.
  Local (Novice–Seasoned): Draw one card for each 
  NPC or team.
  Regional (Veteran–Heroic): Draw two cards for 
  each NPC or team and keep the best result.
  National (Heroic–Legendary): Draw three cards 
  for each NPC or team and keep the best result.
  oppoNeNt Quality table
  Value	
  Local	
  Regional	
  National
  Deuce 
  d4 
  d6 
  d8
  3–10 
  d6 
  d8 
  d10
  Jack–King 
  d8 
  d10 
  d12
  Ace 
  d10 
  d12 
  d12+1
  Joker	
  If a Joker is drawn, the contestant also 
  has a particular talent. He may be a 
  Wild Card or have a suitable Edge, 
  such as Marksman for an archery con-
  test. The GM should determine the 
  exact benefit. Draw a second card to 
  determine the actual Trait die. If this 
  is also a Joker, the person has two tal-
  ents—he may be a Wild Card and have 
  Marksman, for example. Draw a third 
  card for the Trait die.
  rewarDs
  Rewards come in two forms—monetary and Glory. 
  While Glory is fixed to prevent player abuse, the rules for 
  monetary rewards are guidelines.
  moNetary
  All contests are considered of equal skill, since they 
  are all tests in one way or another. That archery requires 
  prowess with a bow makes it no less prestigious than 
  downhill skiing, for instance. As such, rewards are not 
  generally divided into separate categories. Instead, the 
  scale of the event determines the size of the reward.
  Rewards are given as a random amount. Every event 
  carries the same reward, so the GM need only roll once. 
  Alternately, he may pick a value that best fits the sponsor’s 
  means. Remember, rewards are per individual event—a 
  hero participating in multiple events could walk away a 
  very rich man indeed.
  Event	
  Reward	
  Reward	Range
  Local 
  20 + (1d4 x 5) gs 
  25–40 gs
  Regional 
  100 + (1d10 x 10) gs 
  110–200 gs
  National 
  200 + (1d4 x 50 gs) 
  250–400 gs
  Glory
  While winning an event can earn a hero Glory, it is 
  unlikely to make him truly famous except under excep-
  tional circumstances. The Glory rewards are weighted to 
  prevent highly-skilled heroes from attending local events 
  they are near guaranteed to win and scooping huge 
  Glory awards—people may recall how an underdog won 
  an event for years to come, but they won’t have much 
  good to say about a ringer. Note that only the winner of 
  an event earns Glory—folk may recount how a hero did 
  well enough to earn second place, but it won’t affect his 
  immediate Glory (it’s covered in the general reward for 
  achieving a new Rank).
  A maximum of 20 Glory per year can be earned 
  through tournaments.
  solo eveNts
  Individual Glory is earned for each competition 
  won. A truly skilled all-rounder may win multiple events 
  in a single tournament. The Glory reward is based on 
  the winner’s Rank and the scale of the tournament, as 
  shown below. Total all the individual awards a hero earns 
  during the tournament and round down, to a minimum 
  of one.
  Tournament	 Nov	
  Seas	
  Vet	
  Her	
  Leg
  Local 
  1 
  1 
  0.5 
  0.5 
  0.25
  Regional 
  2 
  2 
  1 
  1 
  0.5
  National 
  4 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  0.5
  team eveNts
  For team events like knattleikr, Glory is calculated 
  slightly differently. Being in the winning team at a lo-
  cal tournament is worth 1 point, a regional event two 
  points, and a national competition four points. Bonuses 
  for raises are calculated as normal for Mass Battles. How-
  ever, the total a hero earns from playing knattleikr can 
  never exceed +7 Glory.
  The losers earn zero Glory, though individuals may 
  still be recognized for exceptional play. Calculate each 
  individual hero’s raises, to a maximum of +3 Glory.
  (c) Triple Ace Games, 2009
  TOURNAMENTS
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/Hellfrost/Free Downloads/Tournaments.pdf