Rift

We had just finished circling the wagons and were setting down to supper when I caught sight of the caravan guard. They had all produced dice and begun playing a game they called "Rift", betting with food in place of coin. They were happy to teach me, and were just as happy to take my meal...

— Journal of a traveling Sunderian merchant

Rift is a simple dice game originating from the Six Cities of Dhelboran, named after The Rift of Twisting Stones. Much of the game's design is inspired by the founding story of the Six Cities, though it has spread beyond their borders to much of Sundercrag.

Gameplay

Rift is most often played with two players, though it has no maximum number (physical space and attention spans tend to be the limiting factors). The game can also be played solo, with the player attempting to reach a high score. Players take turns over 13 rounds, rolling 3d6 and assigning them as certain combinations (shown below). After rolling, a player may choose to reroll 1d6 , 2d6 or all 3d6 in hopes of getting a better combination. Once the second roll has been made or skipped, a category is chosen and the score is tallied. Once a player uses a category, they may not use it again. If a category is chosen but the dice do not match the requirements, no points are scored. The winner is the player scoring the most points.

Rift Scoring

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Category	Description	Score
Rift	Any combination containing a pair and totalling 8	48
Mage	Any combination totalling 8	28
Tower	Any combination totalling 12	24
North	1-2-3	20
South	4-5-6	20
Nobles	1-3-5	20
Knaves	2-4-6	20
Sixes	Any combination	The sum of dice with the number 6
Fives	Any combination	The sum of dice with the number 5
Fours	Any combination	The sum of dice with the number 4
Threes	Any combination	The sum of dice with the number 3
Twos	Any combination	The sum of dice with the number 2
Ones	Any combination	The sum of dice with the number 1

Betting

Rift isn't a game conducive to standard betting, and as such isn't found in proper gambling establishments. The bets placed are typically quite low, with more than a single gold piece rarely changing hands. There are two popular betting styles associated with Rift, "Tavern" and "Take-All."

Tavern Betting

Tavern betting uses two 100-copper strings and one 50-copper string. Each player adds 243 copper to a central pot (the remaining 7 copper is usually left as thanks to the establishment) and begins play. For each point scored, the player takes a copper piece, continuing until the game ends. Given that the maximum score in Rift is 243 points, it is extremely unlikely that all the copper pieces will be claimed. Under tavern betting, the leftover then becomes "drinking money" for the benefit of the players.

Take-All Betting

Take-all betting plays out nearly the same as tavern betting, differing only at the end of the game. The remaining copper pieces all go to the player who scored the most points. In the case of a tie, the player who scored the most high-value categories takes the pot, otherwise it is split evenly.

History & Cultural Influences

Built by eight mages long ago
Six towers o'er six cities stand.
'Twas by their magics sky did glow
Across the dark of ancient land.

Surrounded now by cities six
Twinned towers keep the rift at bay.
And now our people grow and mix,
Forever bathed in light of day.

— Ancient Dhelboric poem

The scoring categories of Rift are inspired by this poem, which tells the of the founding of the Six Cities of Dhelboran. Aside from the numeric categories, they are reflections of either Dhelboric history or more modern culture. Each face of the dice is also associated with one of the Six Cities, an association that has spread to other dice games.

Faces of the Dice

* 1: Kher Dhelboran, the political center of the Six Cities. * 2: Voc Dhelboran, the city that stretches into the Rift. * 3: Mar Dhelboran, on the banks of the Stonespear River * 4: Brev Dhelboran, rising high above the others. * 5: Ward Dhelboran, built along a mighty ancient wall. * 6: Nox Dhelboran, near always cast in shadow.

A noble and a traveler bond over a game of Rift.

Historical References

* Tower: This category is likely inspired by the line "Six towers o'er six cities stand", which is why the requirement is to total twelve. * Mage: This category requirement of totaling eight remembers the eight mages that crafted the towers. * Rift: This category, of course, references the actual Rift of Twisting Stones, but also reflects how the eight mages paired the towers together with beams of sunlight.

Cultural References

* North: The cities of Kher, Voc, and Mar Dhelboran all sit along the northeastern edge of the Rift. * South: The cities of Brev, Ward, and Nox Dhelboran all sit along the southwestern edge of the Rift. * Nobles: The cities of Kher, Mar, and Ward Dhelboran are known for being home to the wealthier inhabitants of the Six Cities. * Knaves: The cities of Voc, Brev, and Nox Dhelboran are relatively poorer than the "Nobles," and have been given the title of Knaves.

D&D Mechanics

When played in-game, Rift functions as described above with a few additions. Proficiency with a gaming set of any kind allows a player one extra reroll during the course of the game, representing their general gaming prowess. Additional rerolls may be allowed at DM discretion due to expertise or other similar situations.

Additionally, unscrupulous players may wish to change the outcome of a dice roll. Players may make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by an opponent's Wisdom (Perception) check. If they succeed, they may move a single die to a facing of their choice. Moving additional dice requires additional contested checks. If a player is suspected of cheating, or if their opponent is particularly observant, they make their check with disadvantage.

----- Rift is adapted from the real-world game of Crag, which is also why I chose it to originate in Sundercrag!

100-copper strings, like those used to bet in Rift.

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Components:
Three six-sided dice and (if betting) two 100-copper strings and one 50-copper string.

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Quick Play Guide:

Step 1. Roll 3d6 .
Step 2. Reroll no dice, 1d6 , 2d6 , or all 3d6 .
Step 3. Assign dice to a category and tally points.
Repeat until all 13 categories are filled. Player with the highest score wins.

Related Ethnicities

• Sunderian