,

Tavern Games for your d&D campaign

Radmanious Avatar
Radmanious

·

,

·

knife throwing game dnd

Picture yourself entering a cosy tavern after a long day of orc-bashing or diplomatic bickering, candles flicker, a minstrel croons, and the smell of spiced ale drifts through the air. Suddenly, you spy a group of adventurers hooting and clapping around a rickety table. They’re not rolling for initiative; they’re playing a game that involves dubious wooden tokens, rhythmic chanting, and the threat of being doused in mead if you lose. If this sounds like more fun than your standard “roll dice to see who’s drunk,” read on we’re about to explore an assortment of delightful tavern games that can bring your inn based roleplay to life.

Jump to Tossers Game Rules

The Basics of Tavern Games

Tavern (or inn, or pub) games serve as miniature social puzzles, tension breakers, or opportunities to gamble away a rogue’s ill-gotten gold. They also encourage roleplay that doesn’t hinge on life or death stakes(but can be). Whether it’s a simple game of chance, a show of wit, or a test of physical prowess, tavern diversions often reveal more about a character’s personality than any epic battle can.

Some fun categories include:

  • Card and Dice Games – Traditional favourites yet you can breathe new life into them by adding magical flourishes or region-specific twists. Popular games are three dragon anti, and liars dice.
  • Dexterity Challenges – Tossing knives at targets, balancing on barrels, or flicking coins into a narrow jug. See the rules for Tossers below!
  • Storytelling Contests – One-upping each other’s outrageous tales for the amusement (or pity) of the bar crowd.
  • Team Games – Relay races around the tavern, brew-chugging competitions, or puzzle-solving challenges that require multiple participants.

Practical Tavern Tips for Dungeon Masters

  1. Set the Stakes – Even a simple game like “Knife Toss” becomes thrilling if the winner earns a potent house brew or a clue to the next quest.
  2. Roleplay Hooks – Mix in personal or comedic elements—like a sour old knight who challenges the party to a one-arm drinking contest.
  3. Encourage Creativity – Invite your players to invent new rules or add colourful, region-specific twists. Maybe a dwarven version of darts uses throwing hammers?
  4. Optional Consequences – If a player cheats or rubs a local champion the wrong way, let that spark a new rivalry or a bar brawl—assuming you’re in the mood for chaos!

Practical Tavern Tips for Players

  1. Embrace the Spirit – Tavern games are perfect for character-driven fun. Does your bard ham it up to distract others while your rogue quietly palms an extra card?
  2. Leverage Your Strengths – A monk might excel in reflex based challenges, while a wizard could outsmart opponents in a puzzle contest. Don’t be shy about your skill proficiencies!
  3. Build Connections – Tavern games offer a low-pressure way to meet NPCs and gather rumours. If you defeat the dwarven champion at Tankard Jenga, you might gain a new ally or a comedic rival.
  4. Be a Good Sport – Sometimes losing spectacularly is more entertaining than winning. Roleplay the joy (or humiliation) of your character’s misadventures!

From raucous, beer-soaked contests of dexterity to cerebral puzzle challenges that turn the tavern crowd into enthusiastic (or jeering) onlookers, these mini games inject cheer and camaraderie into your campaign. They provide a stage for brightening your characters’ personalities, forging new alliances, and occasionally starting bar fights your DM never saw coming. So next time you gather around the hearth, consider putting away your swords and staves. Instead, pick up a deck of suspiciously marked cards and prepare to bamboozle your fellow adventurers in the name of tavern glory!

“Tossers,” a Knife-Throwing Tavern Game

Step right up, brave (or foolhardy) souls! Nothing says “friendly pub competition” like a few sharp knives hurled at a wooden board amid raucous cheering and possibly the odd flying tankard. Welcome to Tossers, the tavern knife throwing game so beloved by thrill seekers and troublemakers alike. If you’ve ever wanted to test your dexterity, your nerves, and your tolerance for questionable liquor, prepare to have a go and watch your fingers!

The Basics of “Tossers”

  1. Scoring Board
    • The target board is divided into three concentric circles:
      • Outer Ring – Worth 2 points.
      • Middle Ring – Worth 4 points.
      • Bullseye (inner circle) – Worth 8 points.
    • Any knife that fails to stick (or lands outside all circles) scores 0.
  2. Knife Throws and Dexterity
    • Each participant makes a Dexterity based attack roll to see if they land in one of the rings.
    • Base Difficulty (DC): 10 for the outer ring (2 points), 15 for the middle ring (4 points), and 20 for the bullseye (8 points).
    • A single turn consists of one throw per participant in clockwise order around the table.
  3. Distracting Your Opponent
    • Once per round, each participant may attempt to put off an opponent. This can be done by:
      • Shouting a taunt or insult (Performance or Intimidation check).
      • Flicking a stray peanut, tapping the target board, clanging a mug—whatever fits your character.
    • The would-be distracter makes a skill check (DM’s choice: Performance, Deception, or Intimidation—be creative!).
    • Compare this roll to the target’s passive Wisdom (Perception) or a Charisma (Deception) check if they want to stay cool.
    • Success: The target gets -2 to their Dexterity roll for that throw.
    • Failure: The distracter’s attempt backfires; the target gains +1 instead, as they’re now extra focused.
  4. One Drink Per Round Rule
    • At the start of each round, every participant must down a small measure of the tavern’s potent brew—perhaps it’s called “Dragon’s Breath” or “Granny’s Best.”
    • After each drink, participants make a Constitution saving throw.
    • Cumulative Difficulty – Start at DC 10 in round one, then DC 12 in round two, DC 14 in round three, and so on (increase by 2 every round).
    • Failure – You’re getting woozy. You suffer a -1 penalty to your Dexterity roll for each failed CON save, stacking with each failed save as the rounds go by.
  5. Winning Conditions
    • Predetermine how many rounds will be played (or until the last sober person is still upright!).
    • Tally up the total points. The highest total wins the pot of coins, the bragging rights, and possibly a belly full of questionable ale.

Practical Tosser Tips for Dungeon Masters

  1. Roleplay the Atmosphere – Don’t just roll dice—describe the sweaty tension, the hush that falls before a crucial throw, or the jeering laughter when a peanut hits someone in the eye.
  2. Tailor the DCs – If your players are especially skilled, crank up the DCs or add a rotating target or flickering lights. If they’re novices, dial it down to keep the fun rolling.
  3. Offer Extra Incentives – Maybe the barkeep awards free lodging if you win “Tossers,” or the local militia champion invites the victor to a private contest next session.
  4. Keep It Fast and Furious – If you have many players, encourage brisk turns. Quick banter between throws maintains the lively pub energy.

Practical Tosser Tips for Players

  1. Play to Your Strengths – If your character has high Charisma, embrace your inner showman and distract your foes. If you’re more about the steady hand, prove your mettle through sheer precision.
  2. Strategise Your Drinks – Failing your Constitution saves can snowball into a real disadvantage. Maybe you nurse the brew carefully—or cunningly swap out with water if you’re feeling sneaky.
  3. Characterful Distractions – Whether you’re an innocent bard or a grizzled barbarian, make your attempts to throw off the competition fun. Physical or verbal, it’s a chance to let your personality shine.
  4. Mind the Consequences – The tavern’s patrons might not appreciate it if you go too far with your distractions. Even in a rowdy bar, there’s a line between friendly banter and starting a brawl!

“Tossers” is a rambunctious blend of skill, strategy, and slightly inebriated silliness. The seemingly simple act of hitting a wooden board becomes a rollicking narrative setpiece when you factor in comedic distractions, escalating tipsiness, and the ever looming possibility of “friendly” bar brawls. If you’re keen for a break from monster bashing and puzzle solving, gather a few knives, fill up your mugs, and see who can keep a steady arm under mounting inebriation and jeers!

Liar’s Dice Rules

Liar’s Dice (also known as Dudo or Perudo in some regions) is a classic game of bluffing, cunning, and calculated risk. Each player hides their dice under a cup, then attempts to outbid (or out-bluff) the others about how many dice of a particular face value are hidden around the table.

Number of Players and Equipment

  • Players: Generally 2–6 works best, though you can play with more if you have enough dice.
  • Dice: Each player starts with 5 standard six-sided dice.
  • Cups: One opaque cup per player for covering and shaking dice.

Setup

  1. Distribute Dice: Give 5 dice to each player.
  2. Cover: Everyone places their dice under their cup so no one else can see.
  3. Shake and Peek: Each player secretly shakes and peeks at their own dice result without revealing it to others.

Gameplay

  • Players take turns in a clockwise order.
  • On your turn, you must make a bid: a statement claiming how many dice of a specific face value exist in total among everyone’s hidden dice (e.g., “I bid there are four 3s across the table”).

Bidding and Bluffing

  • Increasing the Bid: When it’s your turn, you can either raise the existing bid or challenge the previous player (see next section).
  • Raising means either bidding a higher quantity of the same face or bidding any quantity of a higher face value.
    • Example: If someone says “three 4s,” you can raise to “four 4s” (increasing quantity) or “three 5s” (increasing face value).

Challenges

  • Calling “Liar!”: If you believe the current bid is too high (i.e., the player must be bluffing), you say “Liar!” (or some variant).
    1. All Dice Revealed: Everyone lifts their cups, showing their dice.
    2. Counting: Count the total number of the face value that was bid.
    3. Outcome:
      • If the bidder’s claim was correct (there are at least as many of that face value as they declared), the challenger loses one die.
      • If the bidder’s claim was incorrect (there are fewer than claimed), the bidder loses one die.

Losing Dice and Player Elimination

  • When a player loses a die, they choose which die to remove from future rounds.
  • The game continues with each player having fewer and fewer dice—once you lose all your dice, you’re out.

Winning the Game

  • The final player with at least one die left is the winner.
  • In a friendly setting, you can always set house rules or side bets—for example, in a tavern campaign, the winner might score free drinks or a local rumour!

Optional Variations

  1. Aces Wild
    • Some groups treat 1s as wild, meaning a bid of “four 5s” would count all 5s and all 1s. This change can make bids riskier and more dramatic.
  2. Exact Call
    • A player may choose to call “Exact!” if they believe the previous bid is precisely correct. If they’re right, they regain a lost die (or force someone else to lose one, depending on your house rules).

Liar’s Dice is a simple yet endlessly entertaining game of misdirection and shrewd observation. It’s ideal for a tavern setting, where characters can watch each other’s tells, lay cunning traps with outlandish bids, and revel in the drama that unfolds when all dice are revealed. Liar’s Dice offers a welcome break from sword-swinging—and an opportunity to sharpen those bluffing skills.

Lizard Racing Rules

Setup

  • Participants: Each player (and possibly a few NPCs) has a lizard.
  • Track: Sketch out a small racetrack on a grid or theatre-of-the-mind style. Roughly 30 feet or 6 squares is enough for a fast-paced race.
  • Starting Line: All lizards begin side by side.

Turn Structure

  • The race progresses in rounds, similar to combat.
  • During each round, every player takes one turn for their lizard.

A typical turn might include:

  1. Feeding (Optional)
  2. Encouragement Attempt
  3. Movement Roll

Feeding

Before the race begins, each player can choose 1–2 pieces of food from a small selection. They can feed these to their lizard once per race (i.e., you can’t keep feeding multiple fruits every round). Some suggested fruits:

  1. Flies
    • Grants a +5 bonus to the lizard’s movement this round.
  2. Mushroom
    • Gives advantage on any Animal Handling check to coax the lizard forward this round.
  3. Chilli Pepper
    • The lizard dashes forward in a frenzy, gaining +2 to the Movement Roll but a -2 penalty on any subsequent turn’s Encouragement Attempt (the lizard’s a bit rattled!).
  4. Ale
    • Adds a random effect: Roll 1d4—on a 1, no effect; on 2 or 3, gain +5 Movement; on a 4, the lizard doubles its movement for this round but must make a DC 12 Constitution save or be stunned next round (too drunk!).

Players must announce they’re feeding at the start of their turn. The effect only applies for that round, unless otherwise stated.

Encouragement Attempt

Players can shout words of encouragement (or wave shiny objects, whistle, etc.) to spur their lizard on. This requires a Charisma (Performance) or Wisdom (Animal Handling) check player’s choice, depending on how they flavour their encouragement.

  • DC 12 for a +5 bonus to the Movement Roll.
  • If the check fails, the lizard is momentarily confused and -2 to its Movement Roll this turn.

If the party loves chaos, allow each participant to attempt to distract an opponent’s lizard instead! That might involve a Charisma (Deception/Intimidation) check against the opponent’s Wisdom (Animal Handling) or Charisma (Persuasion) to keep their lizard focused. On success, the rival lizard takes a -3 penalty to Movement that round. But beware, failed distractions can make your own lizard lose focus (you might impose a reciprocal penalty).

5. Movement Roll

After fruit (if any) and any encouragement attempts are resolved, each player rolls to see how far their lizard moves. The simplest approach:

  • Base Movement: 1d6 squares (or 5-foot increments).
  • Add or subtract any modifiers from fruit or encouragement attempts.

Example turn:

  1. Player decides to feed their lizard a Speedy Strawberry (+5 movement).
  2. They succeed on a DC 12 Animal Handling check, granting +5 to their final movement total.
  3. They roll a 3 on 1d6 for the lizard’s base movement.
    • Final movement = 3 squares + 5 (strawberry) + 5 (encouragement) = 13 squares (or 65 feet in a theatre-of-the-mind approach).

Winning the Race

The first lizard to cross the finish line (e.g., 30 feet away) wins the race. If two lizards tie on the same turn, resolve with a quick roll-off (1d20 each, highest wins).

Variant/Optional Rules

  1. Stamina Points: Each lizard starts with, say, 3 stamina points. Each time you roll above 6 squares of movement (or 30 feet), you lose a stamina point. Hitting 0 stamina means the lizard is exhausted and can’t move the next round.
  2. Sudden Obstacles: Throw in small hurdles or puddles. If the lizard tries to clear them, it must make a Dexterity or Strength (Athletics) check to avoid losing movement.
  3. Team Racing: Pair up with an NPC or ally for comedic effect—two people coaxing the same lizard, with maybe too many instructions leading to comedic chaos.

Fun Flavour & Roleplaying

  • Named Lizards: Encourage each player to name their scaly speedster—“Fleetfoot,” “Scampers,” or “Sir Skitters-a-Lot.”
  • Tavern Bookies: Let NPC bystanders place bets, or have shady bookies offer sabotage attempts.
  • Victory Celebrations: Reward creative roleplay. Perhaps the tavern offers free lodging or a novelty “Champion’s Collar” for the winning lizard.

Example Round in Action

  1. Start: The race is on! Players know it’s about 30 feet to the finish line.
  2. Player A: Feeds a Speedy Strawberry (+5), rolls Animal Handling 18 → success (+5). Rolls 1d6 = 4. Final movement = 4 + 5 + 5 = 14 squares!
  3. Player B: Tries to sabotage Player A with a Charisma (Deception) 15 vs. Player A’s Wisdom (Animal Handling) 16 → fails, meaning Player B’s own lizard gets confused and suffers a -3 penalty next turn (house rule, optional).
  4. End of Round: Player A’s lizard scampers far ahead. Player B regrets the failed trick.