5e Tavern Games
Arm Wrestling
Two players make a contested Strength check. The winner rolls another 1d20 and adds their strength modifier, if the number exceeds the opponent's Strength score, you win. If there is no winner, you start back at the contested Strength check. The winner for the last round rolls with advantage.
Darts
20’s
Each player makes a ranged attack with a dart. If successful they roll a 1d6, 2d6 if the roll is over 20. The first player who gets to 20 wins.
20's variant: Perfect 20
Each player makes a ranged attack with a dart. If successful they roll a 1d6, 2d6 if the roll is over 20. The first player who can add their dice to exactly 20 wins.
Around the World
Each player makes a ranged attack with a dart. If successful they roll a 1d4, 2d4 if the roll is over 20 and keeps 1 of them. The first player who gets a dice with a 1, 2, 3, and 4 wins.
Dice Set
There are two games you can play. Peaks, or Twins.
How to Play Peaks
- Peaks is played with a pool of three dice.
- If you are proficient you roll one dice, if you have expertise you roll two dice.
- If you want to cheat roll Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) vs the higher of their Passive Perception, or Passive Wisdom (Dice Set). If you succeed roll 1 dice.
- Both Players bet, raising or calling.
- Roll the remainder of your dice.
- The highest number wins
If there are more than one NPC playing, increase the DM’s dice by one for each NPC, and the DM’s bet is multiplied by the number of NPC’s playing.
How to Play Twins
- Twins is played with a pool of 5 dice.
- If you are proficient you roll two dice, if you have expertise you roll three dice.
- If you want to cheat roll Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) vs the higher of their Passive Perception, or Passive Wisdom (Dice Set). If you succeed roll 1 dice, and add that to your pool of dice.
- Both Players bet, raising or calling.
- Roll the remainder of your dice.
- The highest number of the same number wins, the higher the number as tie breaker. If there are no twins, the pot stays for the next round.
If there are more than one NPC playing, increase the DM’s dice by one for each NPC, and the DM’s bet is multiplied by the number of NPC’s playing.
Dragonchess
You start with a pool of 3d6’s, 4d6’s if you’re proficient and 5d6’s if you have Expertise.
Each round is a contested Intelligence (Dragonchess) roll. Then you roll your dice pool. The winner of the contested roll can remove one of their opponents' three highest dice that’s rolled number is lower than one of their dice. If the dice are equal you can choose to remove both dice or none. This dice is removed from their opponents pool.
The game ends when one player has no dice left in their pool.
Variant Speed Dragonchess:
After the winning player removes a dice that is lower than theirs the loser can do the same, with their remaining dice.
Cheating:
You can try to cheat by rolling Dexterity(Sleight of Hand) in place of your Intelligence(Dragonchess). Compare that roll against the other players Passive Perception. If it’s equal or lower, they notice your cheating. If you are playing the normal rules any cheating rolls are at a disadvantage.
Example: Asinaras wins the dragonchess roll and Banari loses. They both roll their die pools. Asinaras is proficient so they roll 4d6 getting 2, 5, 4, and 2. Banari isn’t proficient so they roll 3d6 getting 4, 6, 3. Asinaras can remove the dice that rolled 4, or 3, but not the dice that rolled 6. Banari now has a pool of 2d6.
The next round they roll again and Barnari wins. Asinaras rolls 6, 5, 4, and 1, Banari rolls 3, and 2. Banari can’t remove any dice as the three dice at risk (6, 5, 4) are all higher than their highest dice (3). Asinaras has a pool of 4d6’s and Banari is still at 2d6.
At the third round, Asinaras wins the contested roll. Asinaras rolls 5, 4, 3, and 2, and Banari rolls a 5 and 5. Asinaras chooses to remove her 5 and one of Banari’s 5’s, leaving Asinaras with 3d6 and Banari with 1d6.
At the fourth round they decide to switch to Speed Rules. They roll and Banari gets lucky, winning the roll. Asinaras rolls 5, 3, and 2, and Banari rolls a 3. Banari can only remove the 2, so they do. Asinaras, playing speed rules, now gets to take one of Banari’s dice that are lower than one of theirs, using the 3 or 5, they remove Banar’s last dice.
Drinking Competition
Everyone playing takes a drink and makes a Constitution check against a DC 10. Each round it continues the DC rises by 2. Every loss you gain a drunk dice that is a d20, when you make your Constituion check you roll the normal dice and all your Drunk Dice, taking the lowest. If you have a number of drunk dice equal to your Constitution modifier, you pass out.
Three Dragon Ante
The dealer rolls 2d6 for the tower.
There are always three gambits
- Everyone bets
- Roll 2d6 keep 2 for your hand. Proficient players get to roll 3d6, players with Expertise rolls 4d6, but both only keep 2. On the second round you can keep 4 and the third round you keep 6.
- Everyone who wants to play a gambit rolls a contested Intelligence(Three Dragon Ante), the winner gets to reroll up to 2 of their dice, or reroll one die in the tower.
- Repeat three times from the betting.
- At the end, the dice with the same number are organized into flights, and can use the dice in the tower to create flights. The highest number of dice in flights wins, with the largest flight breaking ties.
Cheating: There are two ways to cheat. You can roll Dexterity(Sleight of Hand) vs Passive Perception to reroll one of your dice. You can also use Dexterity(Sleight of Hand) to win the gambit. This roll is also compared to the Passive Perception of the other players to see if they notice your cheating.
More NPC’s: For each NPC the DM rolls an extra dice, but keeps the same number, and their ante is multiplied by the number of NPC’s playing.
Playing Cards
Choose a Dealer, the dealer calls how many rounds of betting will happen.
- Everyone antes
- Everyone rolls 1d20 and keeps it, this is your hand.
- Betting moves around the table starting with the dealer. When you bet you can try to Bluff, Cheat, Intimidate, or Play the Hand. You can also pass, doing nothing. You make a contested roll and any of the other players can oppose you.
- Bluff: roll Charisma(Deception) vs Wisdom(Insight)
- Cheat: roll Dexterity(Sleight of Hand) vs Wisdom(Perception)
- Intimidate: roll Charisma(Intimidate) vs Wisdom(Insight)
- Play the Hand: both roll 1d20 and add their playing card proficiency.
- The one who took the action, if successful, rolls 1d20, and can choose to keep their “hand” or to replace it with the new roll.
- When everyone has bet or passed, the player with the higher d20 wins.
More NPC’s: For each NPC roll a different d20 as their hand and increase the NPC’s bet by the number of NPC’s playing.