Quick Jousting Rules

To run the actual combat of a joust, each knight should have a blunted lance, a horse, and a shield of some kind. Naturally, the riding or horsemanship non-weapon proficiency is required in order to safely ride the horse, but proficiency in the lance is not a necessity, although it never hurts.

Each knight squares off at opposite ends of the field, or on either side of the list (a long low fence). Lances are levelled as the combat-ants charge one another, but no initiative is required, as both lances are of equal length. A simple roll to hit is all that is required and any rider so struck must make a successful horsemanship proficiency check or be forcibly dismounted. Whoever is still up wins and gets to move on to the next round. If both riders remain viable competitors, they turn and charge again. This continues until somebody falls. If both knights are dismounted simultaneously, both are removed from the tournament.

A natural 20 automatically dismounts an opponent, while a natural 1 strikes the opponent’s mount (doing half normal damage). This is a dishonor to the knight and he must forfeit the contest. However, since it is obviously accidental, no further punitive action is taken and no significant loss of personal honor ensues.