Jousting Tactics

You can employ one of several tactics during a joust to give yourself an edge over your opponent. You can use a different tactic for each of your passes during a round of jousting. For fairness, you present your opponent with the tactic you will be using on a folded scrap of paper just before a jousting pass begins.

Spurring Charge

You spur your mount forward with intensity, hoping to strike your opponent’s shield with tremendous force. Holding your lance steady under this mighty charge is difficult, and you suffer a -1 penalty to your Lancework check, but if you hit, your opponent suffers a -2 penalty to his Horsemanship check to remain in his saddle.

Shield Glance

As your opponent’s lance bears down upon you, you twist your shield at the last second, hoping to turn aside his attack. Doing so is risky. Sometimes the lance doesn’t deflect in the direction you expect, ultimately worsening your situation. You gain a +2 bonus to your Shieldwork check against your enemy’s lance, but if you are hit, you suffer a -1 penalty to your Horsemanship check to stay in your saddle.

Cautious Tilt

You steel yourself for a hit from your enemy’s lance. You suffer a -1 penalty to your Horsemanship check to see who attacks first, but if struck, you gain a +2 bonus to your Horsemanship check to stay on your horse.

Steady Lance

You trade power for accuracy with your lance attack. You gain a +2 bonus to your Lancework check to strike your opponent, but your opponent gains a +1 bonus to remain in the saddle if your attack hits.

Braced Lance

You brace the butt of your lance tightly against your armor, using the full force of the charge to unhorse your opponent. This is a risky maneuver, as sometimes the impact can unhorse you as well. If you hit, your opponent suffers a -4 penalty to remain in the saddle, but you must make a Horsemanship check against your own Lancework check to remain atop your horse.