A COLLECTION OF MINI GAMES INCLUDING ARM

WRESTLING, ARCHERY, DRAGON CHESS, 3 DRAGON

ANTE AND JOUSTING
 s
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DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft,
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Masters Guild.

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under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
SOME SMALL ASIDES
S
ometimes players don’t want to get to that
dungeon just yet or want to spend a little time in
town before starting their next adventure. These
sessions can be a fun palette cleanser between
more traditional adventures, but it can often be difficult
to let characters with a non-social focus shine in these
kinds of sessions. Provided in this volume are some
ideas for some mini games that can be played any time
players have a moment of downtime, be it betting over a
few copper while resting in a dungeon, meeting the
locals in a new tavern by playing a friendly game of
cards, or showing off feats of skill or strength to maybe
win a little bit of drinking money. Plus it gives players
something to actually do with those gaming sets and
proficiencies!
MORE THAN JUST A SINGLE
ROLL
As with almost all expressions of skill in
Dungeons & Dragons, these mini games are based
around rolling skill checks. With these particular games
however, this has been opened up to make more skills
relevant to the situation and to give players more choice
in how they wish to play the game. Arm wrestling, for
example, is always going to be a primarily strength
based endeavour but being good at intimidating an
opponent or having a hearty constitution can both make
a significant difference to the outcome. Suggestions for
such alternative secondary checks are given for each
game, but these are meant as a starting point for player
creativity; if a player can make a good case for using any
skill in a worthwhile way then you are encouraged to let
them. Likewise, if bystander players can figure out some
way of helping the player involved, using guidance of
enhance ability for example, then this should also be
considered.
NARRATIVE IMPACT
Mini-games are great for adding some simple, low-
stakes drama to a session and can be a nice, quick aside
from the main action. Alternatively, they can also be used
as a great vehicle for weaving a wider narrative. Below
are some examples of how this can be achieved:
• Most games in this volume have a directly
competitive nature. This makes them an excellent
way to introduce a rival or villain in a way that
allows the party to get to know them in an
adversarial way without resorting to a traditional
combat encounter.
• Many games make good spectator sports, allowing
characters to get noticed by any potential patrons
or organisations, building up a name for
themselves with the local populace.
• Games that draw a crowd are great distractions;
while the party wizard is keeping the noble prince
occupied with an incredibly tense game of chess,
the rogue can be sneaking through the rest of the
palace, trying to uncover the royal family’s secrets.
Cheating
All’s fair in love and mini-games. If you
want an NPC to be particularly dastardly, or a
player is not afraid of some underhandedness,
then consider allowing them to be a cheater.
Some games lend themselves to cheating more
than others and for some it might even be an
expectation, but all games have the potential for
some underhanded shenanigans. When
choosing to run a mini-game, consider who is
watching and how cheating will affect play, as
well as how players or by-standers would
potentially be able to uncover the shenanigans.
Finally, have an idea for how things would play
out if a player or NPC is caught red-handed,
maybe this will be the time for the Tavern Brawler
feat to come in handy…
Miscellaneous Mini-games 1
 ARM WRESTLING
Start
Str / Str/Str Str /
Str Str

Str / Str /
Con Con

END END

Rules: Begin by placing a counter/marker on the white start space. Rounds are played by rolling contested skills
checks or saving throws, the winner of each pushes the counter one space towards their opponent’s side. In the event
of a tie, players roll again. The participant that is currently winning rolls the skill check for each step (top), the
participant that is currently losing rolls the save (bottom). The END spaces represent a hand hitting the table and a
winner is declared.

Intimidate: Once per game, a player may attempt to intimidate their opponent. The player makes a Charisma
(intimidation) check with a DC equal to the opponents Wisdom score. If successful, the opponent makes their next roll
at disadvantage. This has no effect on creatures that are immune to the frightened condition.

TOURNEMENT ARCHERY
Rules: Participants take in turns to make a ranged 10
weapon attack on the target, adding any bonuses they are
entitled to through proficiency and other modifiers. A 14
natural 20 is always a bullseye, otherwise compare the attack
roll with the chart to determine the score for that arrow. 16
When all participants have loosed three arrows, the total
scores are compared to determine the winner.
20

Improved Focus: Once per game, the participant can 24+

attempt to improve their focus and block out any distractions
10pt
around them. The participant makes a DC12 Wisdom check,
gaining advantage on their attack roll for this round if
8pt
successful. The DC of this check may be increased at DM
discretion if the arena is particularly noisy or otherwise 6pt
distracting.

Trash Talk: Once per game, a participant may attempt

4pt
to distract an opponent by trash talking them. The
2pt
participant makes a Charisma (intimidation, performance, or
persuasion) check with a DC equal to the opponents Wisdom
score. If successful, the opponent has disadvantage on their
attack roll this round.

2 Miscellaneous Mini-games
 DRAGON CHESS
Rules: Dragon chess is based on a series of dice rolls of diminishing size to
represent the loss of options as pieces are removed from the board. Players start on Tier 5: d12
tier 5, rolling a d12, and add their Intelligence modifier (and proficiency bonus if
relevant). The loser of this roll moves down one tier and rolls the corresponding
dice in the next round, no player moves if the rolls are tied. If a player on tier 1
loses a round, then they are in check and must immediately make an Intelligence
saving throw with a DC equal to the opponent’s Intelligence score. If they succeed
Tier 4: d10
then they play another round on tier 1, if they fail then it’s checkmate and the
match is over.

Rolling a 1: If a natural 1 is rolled on any round, then that represents an Tier 3: d8

unforced error and they have left their king open. They must immediately succeed
on an Intelligence saving throw (DC = opponent’s intelligence score) or lose the
game. If successful, then play continues as normal.
Tier 2: d6
Insightful Play: Once per game, a player may attempt to get a read on their
opponent’s play style. That player makes a contested Wisdom (insight) check
against the opponent’s Charisma (deception or persuasion). If successful, the
player gains advantage on the roll for this round. Tier 1: d4

THREE DRAGON ANTE

Rules: Participants roll 3d6 to represent their cards, attempting to get the highest hand. Participants agree an
ante beforehand to buy into the game and set the size of the first bet. As the rounds progress, participants can either
match the bet to stay in the round, raise the bet, or fold. A participant that cannot meet the bet must fold. When the
round is down to only two players, they may choose to continue betting as normal, or one player can pay twice the
current bet to ‘see’ the other player, ending the game. At this point, both players reveal their hands and the player with
the highest hand takes the whole pot.

Three Poker Face: Once per game, a participant may wish to try
of a and read an opponent’s expression or demeanour to get an idea
Highest

kind of the quality of their hand. The participant makes a contested

Wisdom (insight) check against the opponent’s Charisma
(deception). If successful, the opponent must reveal one of their
Straight dice.

Sleight of Hand: Once per game, a participant may

attempt to change their cards in an underhanded manner,
All
making a Dexterity (sleight of hand) check to do so. They can
Evens
then change one of their dice rolls to any value they choose.
However, anyone with a view of the game and a passive
All perception higher than the participant’s sleight of hand roll
Odds automatically sees the cheat; how they then react is up to them!

If a player is proficient in this game, then they can add their

proficiency bonus to all checks, even if they have already
Pair applied it due to their skill proficiencies.
Lowest

High
Card

Miscellaneous Mini-games 3
JOUSTING
Rules: Jousting is a game played on horseback wherein participants try and break an lance by hitting their
opponent, with the ultimate goal of unseating them from their saddle. Despite the apparent simplicity, there are many
factors that come into play when jousting, including strength, accuracy, ridership and determination. Participants in a
joust must be wearing heavy armour and have access to a large mount. Blunt lances are provided and a participant
cannot use their own. A single round proceeds as follows:

 The Approach: Participants gallop towards each other, either side of the tilting fence. Players both make a
Wisdom (animal handling) check. A score of 10 or less means the next attack roll is made at disadvantage, a
score of 20 or more means the next attack roll is made with advantage.

 The Strike: Both players make an attack roll with their lance, adding any modifiers that they are entitled to
through stats, features, feats, etc. If a participant’s attack hits their opponent then they roll for damage as
normal, but this damage is not removed from the opponents hit points. Instead a damage roll of 6 or more
breaks the lance. Additionally, a damage roll equal of 12 or more has a chance to unseat the opponent; the
opponent rolls a Strength saving throw, the DC of which is the damage dealt. On a failure they are knocked out
of their saddle and hit the ground prone.

 The Aftermath: If a participant has been unseated then the match is over and that participant loses. If no players
have been unseated (or both are unseated simultaneously) then they line up for another run in the opposite
direction. The first player to break 3 lances wins. If both players break their third lance in the same run, then
they continue until one player gains a lead.

Eyes Forward: It is usual for jousters to tilt their heads at the moment of impact, in order to protect against the
risk of splinters striking them in the eyes. A participant can choose not to do this and increase their accuracy, but at
great personal risk. When choosing this option, a participant can re-roll one d20 rolled as part of the attack on this
round. However, if a lance is broken during this round (by either participant) then any participant that is Eyes
Forward must roll a d8, on a roll of 1 the player has been struck in the eye through their visor and is immediately
knocked from their saddle. Optional: If using lingering injuries then the participant has also lost an eye. Mechanical
implications for this can be found on page 272 of the DMG or in An Alternative Approach to Death and Injury by
Tresorys Press.

4 Miscellaneous Mini-games
 MORE FROM TRESORYS PRESS!

The Arena of ‘Infinite’ Goblins

From the Multiversal Arbiters and Temporal Bookkeepers comes the
ultimate standardised combat challenge, The Arena of ‘Infinite’ Goblins.
Test your party’s combat prowess against an almost unending horde of
goblins (and goblin-like creatures) and see how long they can last.

An Alternative Approach to Death and Injury

It’s always a tragedy when a player character dies but sometimes it does not
have the narrative weight that it should have. The alternative mechanics in
this volume allow players to make an impact on the story, even when their
character is dying.
For those characters who survive their brush with death, a lingering injuries
system is included that focusses on narrative consequences rather than
excessive mechanical punishment, as well as some prosthetic items that help
to mitigate these longer term effects for those who are unlucky enough to
suffer permanent harm.

Tresorys Character Sheets

Presented here are alternative layout character sheets for fifth edition
Dungeons & Dragons. These sheets are designed to keep mechanical aspects
of a character nice and clear, as well as giving plenty of room for adding
roleplay aspects too.
Also included are custom spellcasting sheets for each class of full and half
spellcaster, combining spell slots and lists with room for unique class
features.
 Miscellaneous
Mini Games
Is the party back in town for a few
days, looking for something light hearted
to do before the next adventure?
Or maybe they want to get the
measure of their foe without having to
resort to combat
Or perhaps you just like the recursive
idea of running games inside your game of
D&D.
If so, then this tome provides rules and
guidelines for adding 5 new mini-games to
your table that are more than just a single
ability check.

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Tresorys
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