13
\$\begingroup\$

I know that Three-Dragon Ante is one of the widely popular table games across Faerûn, and here's a nice answer with some info about the Talis deck. But I am having trouble finding what other 'table' games are widespread throughout Forgotten Realms. Are dice games generally plentiful, and what are they usually like? Is there perhaps a common fondness for pieces-on-a-board games like baduk or checkers? Sowing games like mancala? Maybe something with a blurrier line between luck and positioning, such as nard or diced chess?

While I'm particularly interested in games that are widespread throughout all layers of society and common in the northern parts of Faerûn, other games are of interest too.

Improve this question
\$\endgroup\$
2
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ Are you interested in anything with a mention in the books, or are you only looking for things with more detail? There are equipment entries for things like dice and dragon chess sets, so those might count, but they don't tell us anything about the games those things are used to play or how popular they are, so they might not. \$\endgroup\$
    – Upper_Case
    Oct 26, 2020 at 12:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Upper_Case If it's a mere namedrop with zero other information, then it's not a very helpful thing (at best a namedrop can provide a hint about location based on where it is mentioned, and maybe some clues on the description if it matches a real-world game). But generally, I am hoping for games which have a paragraph or more of commentary (direct or indirect) about what they're like and/or where they're common. \$\endgroup\$
    – vicky_molokh- unsilence Monica
    Oct 26, 2020 at 12:21

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
14
\$\begingroup\$

The 2e product Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue is a unique accessory that is written in the form of an in-game catalogue of a company selling all kinds of items throughout the Realms. It has a section titled Diversions, which covers toys (balls, toy arrows and bows, marbles, dolls, etc.) as well as games. There we read about "four universal games": chess, draughts, dice and talis cards. In addition, there are three more games that are sold: fighting dolls (foot-high dolls controlled by sticks), "Old Men's Bones" (a game of pick-up sticks), and "Table Dice" (backgammon).

For a more recent (November 8, 2018) semi-official answer, you can also have a look at the following series of tweets from Ed Greenwood, the original creator of the setting:

... Off the top of my head, we have “play games” like jacks, shove-skittles, tag, Toss the Dagger, the Xorvintaal game played by dragons for social standing by accumulating points derived from real-world accomplishments (Whispers of Venom by Richard Lee Byers, and references in Erin Evans’ novels). There are also dice (gambling) games like thabort and Traitors’ Heads. There are a few trackboard-and-dice games like shirestone (played by halflings) and Wheel-of-Spells (Cormyr: A Novel), High Dragon, Smashcastle, Strikedragon/Battles, Swords, Swords and Shields, and Wandsiir. As well as card games that use the ... Talis deck Then there are the board games, from the familiar to us of Earth draughts/checkers, chess/lanceboard, and go (both referenced in the Red Knight entry in 2e Powers & Pantheons), to: sava (a chess-like drow boardgame with many complex side options), chethlachance, fiveknights, lancers and lions, and more. I even snuck a reference to the Lords of Waterdeep boardgame into DEATH MASKS. And then there are card "teaching games" (nobles' Who'sRelatedToWho).

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .