Memories of Holdenshire: The Summer Festival
Hengistbury is abuzz with activity—the weekend long Summer Festival is in a mere three days! The annual pie eating contest with Thornbury is one of the most anticipated events, and the smell of berry pies fills the marketplace. There are also a number of other competitions all of which the PCs are encouraged to take part in for a small entry fee.
If there are notable NPCs that the adventurers have grown fond of (or developed a rivalry with), make sure to work them into the contests. For example, Three-Fingered Jake and Freya could be in the storytelling competition, or any of the several hunters could be a stand-out in the archery competition.
Vendors. A wide assortment of food, drink, and toys are available. Sweet, salty, and fried items are usually sold at 2 silver each, and Granny Appleseed has special goodies as well.
Game Limits. Typically a contestant is no longer allowed to play a game or contest again after winning it once. The contestant may attempt to play one more time by making a DC 13 Deception check to convince the moderator that their win was a fluke, but otherwise they must move on.
Magical Cheating. Unless explicitly stated, magical enhancements (both spells and items) are prohibited from festival games in a city or smaller settlement. A contestant found to be using magical enhancements is stripped of all winnings and publicly shamed.
The air thrums with excitement as townsfolk pour into the festival grounds, the smell of fresh-baked pies filling your nostrils. Then the sound of popping firecrackers splits the air as Granny Appleseed appears on her wagon, setting off colorful light and illusion magic as she hollers, "I've got all the pies you could want—come and get "em!"
Right Honorable Annual Pie Eating Contest
Entry: 2 gold
Prize: Winner's choice of a blackbird pie (provided by Freya) or the pot (up to 10 gold)
The highlight of the Summer Festival, the pie eating contest is a major point of contention between Hengistbury and Thornbury. All other victories are paltry in comparison—at least until the cheese rolling competition in the fall. If one of the adventurers seems particularly able to put it away, they are asked by the locals, young and old alike, if they'd fancy representing Hengistbury for the occasion. In addition to more tangible rewards, anyone who wins gets bragging rights until fall and likely won't have to buy themselves a drink for the next month.
During the contest each contestant eats the provided berry hand pies continuously for the duration, making a Constitution saving throw every minute (DC 12 + 1 per previous save), and the last gurgitator standing is declared the winner. On a failed save, a contestant is impossibly full and unable to continue. On a failure by 5 or more, they instead suffer a "reversal of fortune" and expel what they've already eaten, which disqualifies them.
Each of the 4 NPCs contestants (half from Hengistbury, half from Thornbury) have been training hard for this and have Constitution saving throw bonuses of +3.
Archery Competition
Entry: 1 silver
Prize: 64 silver
Not quite as hotly contested as the Right Honorable Annual Pie Eating Contest, the archery competition still always makes a good showing. Between the PC entries, Hengistbury, and those visiting from neighboring Thornbury, there are 64 contestants, meaning 6 rounds of competition. The winner of the final round takes the pot of entry fees.
Scoring Points. Each contestant takes 3 shots per round. Contestants score 1 point for hitting the target's AC, 2 points for hitting a middle ring by beating the AC by 4, or 3 points for hitting a bullseye by beating the AC by 8. In each round, the top half of contestants that score the most points progress. In case of a tie, each of the tied contestants have a fourth "sudden death" shot.
But There Are 64 of Them! Starting with the semi-finals, each contestant should be handled individually to increase the drama of the occasion, but otherwise the Narrator is not expected to roll attack rolls and tally the points for each of them. An adventurer progresses to the next round simply by scoring 4 points or more.
The Contestants. The Archery Competition table shows the number of contestants, their attack bonuses, and the target's AC at each round of a contest.
|
TIER |
NUMBER OF CONTESTANTS |
ATTACK |
TARGET'S AC |
|
Finals |
2 |
+5 |
15 |
|
Semi-Finals |
4 |
+4 |
14 |
|
Quarter-Finals |
8 |
+3 |
13 |
|
Fourth |
16 |
+2 |
12 |
|
Fifth |
32 |
+1 |
11 |
|
Sixth |
64 |
+1 |
11 |
Caber Toss
Entry: 1 silver
Prize: 2 gold
This competition focuses on the precise tossing of a 20-foot whittled pole. Contestants wait their turn to heft the pole, balance it on one shoulder, and then run a short distance before actually throwing it. Ideally, the caber does a full revolution before landing straight in front of the contestant. Rather than measuring by distance, judges award points based on the angle and positioning of how the pole lands. Each contestant makes a ranged attack roll using Strength as the ability modifier, the person with the highest result winning the pot.
Many of those who enter cannot even lift the 120-pound caber properly, much less toss it, but there are 3 stand-out NPCs who can and have a +4 bonus on their ranged attack rolls.
Cabernet Toss
Entry: 1 silver
Prize: 2–8 silver
Starting as a pun made about the caber toss, the cabernet toss is a challenge of toasts that usually breaks out around wine, cider, or beer barrels (no serious contestant lets the actual variety spoil the fun). Two individuals make toasts of increasing verbosity to life, the gods, their opponent, or anything else that strikes their fancy.
Contestants make opposed Persuasion checks to bring the crowd to their side. This ability check is usually Charisma, but a contestant that improves their toast by throwing in related facts can use Intelligence, someone that carefully reads and responds to the crowd can use Wisdom, and a few people have managed to win with Constitution by liberally including long chugs of alcohol into their routine.
The contest is over when a contestant beats their opponent's check by 10 or more, and the winner takes the whole pot. Occasionally the loser may double the bet for another round, but this can only be done three times before the crowd demands fresh contestants.
NPCs contestants have Persuasion +3.
Catch the Pig
Entry: 1 silver
Prize: 2 silver
The lucky contestant is led into a muddy arena with a greased pig where they have 1 minute to catch and tie up the squealing animal. Each round that the pig is loose, the contestant makes a DC 10 Acrobatics to catch it. On a success, they must successfully grapple the pig (use boar statistics for Arnie, this year's contender). If the contestant successfully grapples the pig for 3 or more consecutive rounds, they win the contest—but if at any point the pig escapes, the contestant must begin the process anew.
If the pig dies or falls unconscious the contestant is likely ejected from the festival unless they deliver a truly remorseful apology, line a few pockets with coin, or convince everyone that it was an honest mistake.
Guess the Pig's Weight
Entry: 5 copper
Prize: The pot (up to 200 copper)
Anyone who wishes may make a guess as to the weight of one of Penner's prize pigs—this year it's a large black sow named Effie. Each contestant may make a Nature check to guess its weight (one entry per contestant). At the end of the festival Effie weighs in at an impressive 750 pounds, and the contestant with the highest result on their Nature check wins.
Most contestants are way off, but there are 3 NPC contestants worth rolling for (each has a +4 bonus on Nature checks.)
Light Show
Entry: None
Prize: 1 silver
This is a casual, entertaining game judged by the local children after dinner on the first night of the festival. Any contestant with access to dancing lights , light , minor illusion , prestidigitation , or a similar persistent light or illusion effect may enter. Each contestant makes an Arcana check to craft a fascinating light show, and the contestant with the highest result wins (measured by the raucous applause they receive). Kalle Sirkesalo has notoriously spurned the event for years, despite pleading and cajoling to the contrary. Granny Appleseed also abstains, not wanting to "ruin the fun", but she watches every year.
There are only 2 NPC contestants, each with a +3 bonus on Arcana checks.
Raffle
Entry: 5 copper per ticket
Prize: Beautiful silver bell etched with the profile of a stag (worth 1 gold)
For the unskilled and worshipers of luck, raffles are an excellent diversion. One hundred tickets are sold at the start of each festival to anyone willing to buy, and individuals can purchase as many as they like. Each ticket is marked with a single number, from 1 to 100. At the end of the festival, a single ticket is picked from a jar (roll a d100 to determine the ticket picked).
Storytelling Contest
Entry: None
Prize: 5 silver, and until the next festival each night the contestant can tell a story at the Bleeding Heart tavern to receive a free meal
This event is mostly intended to provide free entertainment at dinner, though there are several locals who take it very seriously. Each contestant goes on the village green's stage and makes a single Performance check. The contestant with the highest result on their Performance check wins.
There are 4 NPC contestants, each with a +3 bonus on Performance checks.