Kobold Kerfuffle
A Tavern Game for Kobolds and by Kobolds.
Within small-town taverns, kobolds can typically be seen playing many games. These creatures put their little wealth on the line, rolling dice on a tavern table. One of these games| \pagebreakNum
can be played with very little resources, and as many players as one could wish for. This game goes by many names, such as Katastrophe, Straights, or Kobold's Game, but is most commonly referred to as Kobold Kerfuffle.
This game, while played by many races simply for fun, is often taken very seriously within kobold communities. Their have been tales of certain kobolds losing all of their wealth, and becoming absurdly rich.
The rules below describe how to play the game, both "in-universe" and "out-of-universe".
Goal of the Game
The objective is to win massive amounts of wealth by being the first one to roll a straight anywhere between 1 and 8 with a d4, d6, d8, d10, and d12.
Resources to Play
Before you play, make sure you have these resources available to you:
- A d4, d6, d8, d10, and a d12
- A cup (or just simply hands)
- Some sort of writing system (pen and paper, chalkboard, etc.)
- Money. Lots of money.
Important Terms
While playing, there will be many terms used. Here are a few of them, defined:
- Player. For the purposes of this rule description, "player" refers to any character playing the game, which could be a PC or NPC.
- On-table. This refers to the dice that are still able to be rolled.
- Off-table. This refers to the dice that are "saved" and cannot be rolled again.
Starting the Game
Before beginning the round cycle for the first time, each player must wager an amount of gold. This value changes throughout the game. Then, once every player has written down their beginning wager, the game can begin.
A Round of Play
There are 5 stages in the game: Rolling, Saving, Switching, (optionally) Challenging, and Recording. At the end of each round, each player's wager is doubled. Rounds loop until one player wins.
Rolling
Each player rolls all of their On-Table dice at the same time, keeping them hidden from all other players.
Saving
Each player can determine what dice they want to save, and what dice they want to roll again. The dice saved are considered Off-Table, and the dice available to roll again are considered On-Table.
Switching
Switching is an optional maneuver, which allows each player to replace up to 3 Off-Table dice with On-Table dice.
Challenging
Some groups of kobolds do not play with this rule. However, if all players in the game are okay with it, it can be added in. After determining what dice each player wants to keep or roll again, any player can make a challenge against one other player. This challenge, if won, doubles the target's wager, and if lost, doubles yours. Here are some examples.
- "Challenge: I will get my 5 before you."
- "Challenge: You will switch die before I do."
- "Challenge: I will finish the game before you."
This can be a very high-risk maneuver, and can only be done once per game.
Recording
Each player must update their wager at the end of their round. It is doubled inherently every turn, and it doubles for every switch a player makes.
Winning
Once a player completes their straight, they officially win that match. Upon winning, they gain their wagers back, and everyone else gives them their wager.
Thanks For Reading!
