The Quintessential Barbarian
The Quintessential Barbarian cover
| Author | Robert Schwalb |
| Series | Quintessential Series |
| Publisher | Mongoose Publishing |
| Publish date | 2003 |
| Pages | 128 |
| ISBN | 1-903980-92-5 |
| OGL Section 15 | qbbn |
The material below is open game content
Arm Wrestling
The struggles of two opponents, vying to prove who is stronger, meet over a table to match strength of arm against strength of arm. On either side are blades wedged between the boards of the table, waiting to prick the flesh of the loser. A high Strength does not guarantee success. Willpower, endurance and determination are the ingredients to success. A successful combination of all four reveals the necessary mettle to become a successful arm wrestler.
Contestants: Only two opponents can enter any individual contest. However, for a more exciting match, multiple contestants can meet in a larger tournament, where victors continue along the path of greatness, while the losers wallow in their despair, nursing the knife cuts on the backs of their hands. For the purposes of this example, the two contestants are 1st level each.
Locale: Any location that can accommodate the sport is suitable for arm wrestling. Weather has no impact and so indoors or outdoors makes no difference.
Objective: The ultimate goal of arm wrestling is to force your opponents hand through the upturned knife blade on the table.
Severity: Impaling one's hand is no small affair, but is not significant enough to cause lasting damage considering the availability of clerical magic. Therefore, arm wrestling has a minor severity. There is a greater potential for lasting harm if the contestants coat the knives in poison, accordingly increasing the severity.
Intervals: Generally, a match is four combat rounds (about 24 seconds), where the best of the four rounds wins. In case of a tie, a new 'match' begins until there is a victor.
Prize: 60gp
Special Rules: Resolving arm wrestling is simple. Each contestant rolls a Strength check. The highest result wins the round, thereby gaining 'progress.' The strength checks continue until 3 progresses, at which point the victor plunges the other's hand onto the knife. The knife inflicts 1d4 + the victor's Strength adjustment in damage and inflicts 1 point of permanent damage to the loser's Dexterity. Having the Endurance feat confers a +2 bonus to the opposed Strength check. Having Improved Initiative also confers a +2 bonus. Any Strength check result doubling the other is an automatic victory.
For example, a young Vignar faces a mighty berserker warrior. Vignar has an 18 Strength and Improved Initiative, thus gaining +6 to his Strength checks. The berserker has a 20 Strength but no useful feats and so has a +5 to his Strength checks. On the first round, Vignar rolls a 6, adds his +6, resulting in a 12. The berserker, unfortunately rolls 10 and adds his +5 resulting in a 15, thereby gaining progress. On the second round, Vignar is truly without luck, rolling a 2 for a total of 8. The berserker, sensing victory, rolls very well (18) and adds his modifiers totalling 23, which doubles poor Vignar's. The match is over, and the knife pierces Vignar's hand. He had better hope that the blade was not poisoned.
Editing ©2008 Alex Schröder
