Have you ever actually used ‘Gaming Set’ proficiency in ANY of your sessions? Yeah. . . me neither. In today’s video I give you 5 custom mini games that you can easily implement into any tavern or festival during your sessions!
GAME 1: THIEVES CAN
Gaming Set: Dice
Players: 2-6 recommended
Duration: 5-10 min
For this game in particular it is hugely beneficial to have tokens or coins or SOMETHING to represent gold.
SETUP
Before the game begins, all players must agree on 2 things: a total wager per person, and a ‘theft amount’ that will typically be one-fourth of the total wager amount. Everyone’s wagered gold is placed into a large pile in the center, using coins or tokens to represent the theft amount. So for example if each person is wagering 100 gold, the theft amount might be 25 gold which is the value of one coin in real life.
PLAYING
The player with the most expensive jewelry goes first. They roll 2d6, keeping the result hidden from all other players. On a result of 7, or if the player wants to lie, they announce ‘Thieves Can’ and take a coin (equal to the theft amount) from the center. If everyone believes them, it becomes the next person’s turn, clockwise. If any other players don’t believe them, the first one to say ‘HALT!’ can try to guard the pile.
When someone says HALT! The thief makes either a Persuasion Check or Deception Check without saying which one, depending on whether they’re being truthful or lying. This becomes the DC for the guard to make an Insight Check. If a player is proficient with Gaming Set (Dice), they may add their proficiency bonus to any of these rolls (even if it’s already included).
If the Insight Check does not meet or exceed the thief’s check, then the thief proceeds to take the gold and it becomes the next person’s turn, clockwise.
If the Insight Check DOES meet or exceed the thief’s check, the thief must reveal their dice roll to everyone. If the thief was lying, the thief cannot take the coin, but the guard takes two. If the thief was not lying, then the thief may take two coins. After this is resolved, it becomes the next person’s turn, clockwise.
The game continues until there is no more gold in the center pile.
GAME 2: SKULLAXE
Gaming Set: Card
Players: 4 players (two teams of 2)
Duration: 5-15 min
BASICS
The game is played in ‘hands’ which are split into miniature rounds called tricks, where each player plays a single card. Whoever has the highest valued card wins the round “or takes the trick”. Card value is determined first by suit and then by number. The highest valued suit, also known as trump, is always hearts. The second highest valued suit changes every trick, but it’s always the suit of the first played card. Numbers are valued as 2 being the lowest and Ace being the highest.
Players must follow suit whenever possible, which means the card you play must match the suit of the first card played in each trick. So if the first card is a Spade, then everyone MUST play a spade if they have one. If they don’t have one, then they can play whatever card they want.
PLAYING
Everyone sits around a table kitty-corner from their partner. Whoever has killed a monster most recently starts as the dealer. They deal 5 cards to each player, and then set the deck aside. The person to the left of the dealer plays their card, and the game continues clockwise (each person plays a single card). After everyone has played a card, the trick is given to whoever has the highest valued card. That person plays the first card for the next trick, and this continues until everyone runs out of cards.
At this point, the hand is over and the team that has 3 or more tricks gets the opportunity to swing at the skull. Someone from this team is chosen to swing the axe, and someone from the other team is chosen to throw the skull.
The skull thrower makes a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) Check as they throw the skull (which becomes the skull’s AC), and the axe swinger makes a melee attack and tries to hit the skull with the axe (which can be treated as a non-magical greataxe). If players are proficient with Gaming Set Cards, they can add their proficiency bonus to either of these rolls – even if it’s already included.
If they hit the skull, the game is over and that team wins the gold. If they do not hit the skull, all tricks are discarded, and a new hand begins with the axe swinger as the dealer.
GAME 3: SHIPWRECK
Gaming Set: Dice
Players: Teams of 2 players
Duration: 60 sec
SETUP
On each team, one person is the spinner (they’ll need 2d10) and the other person is the flipper (they only need a d6). You need at least two teams in order to play, but you could have as many as 6 if you really wanted. The teams all decide on a wager, and the gold is placed into one large pile in the middle of the table.
PLAYING
The game lasts for 60 seconds in real life.
As soon as the timer begins, each spinner tries to keep BOTH of their d10s spinning at the same time. When a spinner has both dice spinning they’ve created a whirlpool, and their teammate may begin rolling the d6 as fast as they can. They score points (or ‘cause shipwrecks’) whenever they roll a 1. It is each flipper’s responsibility to keep track of their team’s score. If either of the spinner’s d10s stops spinning, the flipper cannot score points again until both d10s are spinning.
When 60 seconds have passed, the game is over. If a player has proficiency with Gaming Set Dice, they may add their proficiency bonus to their team’s total score. Whichever team has the most points wins all of the gold.
GAME 4: SUN RABBIT RUMMY
Gaming Set: Card
Players: 2-8 recommended
Duration: 5-10 min
SETUP
To begin, each player rolls a d6 and draws cards equal to their roll plus 3 (players with proficiency may draw additional cards equal to their bonus) from the deck. After everyone has drawn, flip over one card from the deck to become the discard pile. Everybody starts with 8 ‘hit points’, represented with a d8.
PLAYING
Choose a player to go first, play continues clockwise. Each turn goes: Draw, Play, Discard
DRAW
A player begins their turn by drawing a card from the deck or from the discard pile. If you take From the deck, draw a single card. If you choose to take from the discard pile, you can either take the top card or when there are more cards you can choose any card with the caveat that you must also pick up every card above it AND you must play the chosen card this turn.
PLAY
On your turn, you can play as many cards as you are able to. To play cards, you must have at least 3 in a matching run or set. A run starts as 3 consecutive cards of the same suit (for these, Ace can be either low or high, but not both). A set is 3 or 4 of the same card in different suits. When you play cards, lay them down in front of you – revealed. Once a run or set is in play, additional cards may be added if they continue the run or set. There is no minimum in this case, and you can play cards onto your opponents’ piles.
You deal 1 damage to any opponent for every card played. When someone’s hit points drop to zero, they are eliminated from the game (however their cards remain in play).
DISCARD
When you are finished playing cards on your turn, you must discard a card. If you are unable to discard, draw a card instead. If you discard your last card, draw a card.
RUMMY
If someone discards a card that could be played somewhere on the board, if other players notice they may call ‘Rummy!’ At any point before the next person draws a card. The person who calls rummy takes the card and plays it, and may then deal 3 damage to any player instead of the normal 1. Play continues as normal.
The game ends when everyone except one person is eliminated. The winner takes any wagered gold.
GAME 5: CO-BALL’D
Gaming Set: Dice
Players: At least 1 player; 1 ‘house’
Duration: As long as you want
SETUP
Since this game has the DM acting as the ‘house’, it can be played with only a single player, though it’s always more fun when a couple of people play. The DM will need three d20s (ideally with one of them being larger than the other). Anyone who is playing will need as many d12’s as they have – the more the better.
PLAYING
This game is played like blackjack, where a bet is required for every round. Before any dice are rolled, whoever wants to play places their bet in front of them. Once bets are made, the house/DM rolls their large d20. The number they roll becomes the target number.
The house then rolls their other two d20’s. Whichever of these is closer to the target number without going over becomes the house’s roll. If neither of the house’s rolls are under the target number, the house busts. In this case, all a player needs to do is not bust in order to win.
Players are trying to roll d12’s to get closer to the target number than the house’s roll, without going over. They start by rolling a single d12. If they have not ‘busted’ (gone over the target roll), they can roll another d12 and add their number to it. They can keep rolling d12’s and adding their number until they are satisfied, or until they bust.
If a player is proficient, they may add (not subtract) up to half of their proficiency bonus rounded up to their final roll.
WINNING
If a player’s final roll is closer to the target number than the house’s roll, that player wins gold equal to their wager.
If a player busts, they lose their wager.
If a player is NOT closer to the target number than the house’s roll, they lose their wager.
If a player hits the target number exactly, they win gold equal to 1.5x their wager.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE
If the house rolls a 1 for their target number, all bets are collected immediately and a new round can begin.
Players may continue playing as long as they’d like, assuming they have gold to wager.