2014 Ducal Tournament Events

Circe

Artisan
2014 DUCAL TOURNAMENT
SATURDAY, JULY 19th

Hello, everyone! As you may already know, this year’s Ducal Tournament will be held at Flameheart Keep, home of the Gilded Claw, during the HQ July event (18, 19, 20). Only teams may enter to participate. For the sake of the tournament, we are defining a team as “any cohesive group of people unified by a common name and heraldry.”

In anticipation of the tournament, we’re letting you know ahead of time what the events will be so that you may appropriately prepare yourselves. An in-game announcement (to be posted shortly) will address the following tournament events, including more detailed rules and explanations, but we wanted everyone to be notified as to the event listing as soon as possible.

COLORS
Participating teams must formally present themselves for the tournament and the judges.

HERO’S COMBAT
Hero’s Combat is a series of one-on-one melee duels using strictly martial skills. Magic, magic items, and alchemy are prohibited.

THREE-MAN TEAM
Three-man Team is a series of three-on-three matches using strictly weapons and martial skills. Magic, magic items, and alchemy are prohibited.

ICENIAN STANDOFF
The “Icenian Standoff” event is a grand melee – using only archery. Magic, magic items, and alchemy are prohibited.

SURVIVAL
Participants of Survival are timed while they seek the treasure hidden in the woods.

RITUAL PERFORMANCE
Participants will be provided a single LCO ritual with the appropriate components to perform for the judges' evaluation.

ENTERTAINMENT
The entertainment portion of the tournament requires the competing groups to stage a skit, story, or other performance for the judges’ evaluation. Combat is prohibited.

FEAST
While not an actual tournament event, the feast will conclude the tournament and the presiding judges will announce the winners. This time period will be allotted for only roleplay and in-game partying; NPC camp will not send out combat-active monsters during this time.​

Other mini-events are also being held by PCs at PC discretion, including a trap competition and a dessert competition. Should anyone have questions, concerns, or suggestions, feel free to talk to myself (ashburygm@gmail.com) and/or our Head of Plot, Collin Babcock (allianceplot@gmail.com). We welcome your thoughts!
 
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Just a few questions:

1. Will there be no traditional archery contest?
2. Will there be no trivia?
3. Is Survival replacing the Scavenger Hunt?
4. Is there a required minimum number of team members to enter?

Thanks!
 
1. At this time, there is no traditional archery contest.
2. There will be no trivia.
3. Survival is replacing the Scavenger Hunt.
4. No.
 
Re: #4 If there is no number on the team, then how is this a team tournament? By that wording, an individual could participate, which I didn't think was the point (don't we alternate individual and team tourneys?) And if there's no minimum, is there a maximum?
 
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I would assume because it has team events.
Bill
 
There's only one event that has a multi-person requirement.
 
Colors, three man, entertainment. All are team doable. While the argument can be made that you can do colors and entertainment solo I wound assume it's at a significant handicap.
Bill
 
There is no minimum or maximum number on the number of people on teams. Hypothetically an individual can participate by that wording, however their chances of success would be greatly diminished in certain group-based events. Likewise, larger teams are still only able to elect a set number of members to compete in certain events. This is to the discretion of the players.
 
Colors: Tabard on a back pole, marching while drumming.
Three Man: Bone city
Entertainment: One really strong performer can be better than a group of bad-to-moderately talented people.
 
Colors: Tabard on a back pole, marching while drumming.
Three Man: Bone city
Entertainment: One really strong performer can be better than a group of bad-to-moderately talented people.

Yes, hypothetically possible, but not recommended. Plus, you'd need a pretty convincing argument with the judges to get in the door solo. Just sayin'.
 
It might be nice to have an event for those who are more magical than marshall. If not an actual fight between casters, perhaps having to accomplish a task using only spell skills?
 
Ashley: I'll put myself under 800 spell effects in inconvenient locations. You have to come find me. There. I get to use spells I never use, you get to blow useful skills fixing it. We call this "V doesn't know how to have fun like normal people".
 
The problem with magical events is that you burn per day abilities at a very fast rate. A significant number of people (like myself) will not even think of participating in caster events. Fighter events you can participate in without per day skills quite effectively....it is just a matter of where the healing is coming from. However, for example, if we find that in this tournament all the healing is coming from the town healers then I will very likely withdraw from any consideration of that as well. The game world dictates discretion.

Joe Siegel
resident jerk
 
If skill expenditure is an issue, an intellectual or logic based event could be very interesting. A thing for people without a stick and little entertainment talent. Something a little bit like the rescue mod during the 9 Towers event perhaps? Bill could explain the specifics of that better than myself. I'm no exceptional plot writer, so I may need help coming up with a situation, but I'm willing to run/sponsor it IG.
 
I think in the past this is what riddles ended up doing. The inherent problem with tournaments is that they either test the players or the characters. Those things that test the characters tend to test the expendable skills. Testing players is a nice idea, it certainly highlights the "live action" portion but there are allot of people out there who do not like how that tends to sort itself out. It is a core challenge of tournament design.

Joe Siegel
Resident jerk
 
I've seen enough "fighter's circles" to say that if plot wants to justify an AOE for a caster battle that upon completion restores skills, they absolutely could. I'd say those establish a precedent.
 
Kris , you are 1000% dead on. That is all they need to do. I have not seen it done at HQ. Thus ends the data points of which I am aware.

Joe S.
 
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