Royal Tournaments of the Realm

Greetings!

Below, I present a tournament system I developed for use in my own campaigns.

Enjoy!

Semper Fidelis,

Shark

Royal Tournaments of the Realm

Throughout the provinces and domains of the realm, Great Nobles sponsor and host glorious, noble tournaments throughout the year with great pomp and ceremony, providing enormous, noble feasts of outstanding food and refreshing drinks, fine wines, and delicious ales. These famous tournaments provide joyous entertainment for the masses, from commoners and merchants to every rank of nobleman and knight. Such rich and glorious celebrations provide the local community with every kind of commercial opportunity and potential for great profit, providing lodging, goods and services to fellow citizens and foreign visitors alike.

The spectacular tournaments provide knights from across the land with numerous opportunities to rise to the challenge of testing their skills in martial combat against other noble and chivalrous knights from every level of skill and experience. The various tournaments also allow participating knights to gain in skills, fame and glory! Victorious knights are also rewarded richly for their glorious exploits of heroic valor and chivalrous prowess with a great variety of noble and splendid treasures, from great, finely-trained warhorses and noble hounds, to beautiful armor and weaponry, rich cloaks, and glittering, precious jewels, as well as fine sums of excellent gold. Visiting knights also gain excellent opportunities to attend many other contests and assorted games and celebrations, as well as resplendent feasts, regal dances, and exotic masquerade balls. Visiting knights have many occasions to socialize with other knights, fine craftsmen and merchants, as well as enjoying constant and dazzling opportunities of romance.

Each knight seeking to enter the tournaments must provide noble papers and declarations documenting their personal noble coat-of-arms, as well as providing extensive family histories and lineages. The knights must register their coat-of-arms with the Chief Herald and the Master of Ceremonies. Knights that have been provided with warrants exempting them from the proof of lineage by their noble patron--or their temple--must register their coat-of-arms as other knights, and submit their Warrants of Exemption to the Chief Herald and the Master of Ceremonies for inspection and review.

Knights entering the tournaments must defeat four other knights in single combat, and be declared the victor by any panel of judges presiding--or by the Great Noble and Regal Host. Each knight entering the tournament will engage in combat with a variety of opponents, some of whom may be of less skill, equal skill, or greater skill to the knight. Such are the hazards of even noble and chivalrous combat on the tournament field!

Tournament Opponent Table
01-10% Two Levels Below the Character.
11-25% One Level Below the Character.
26-75% Equal Level with the Character.
76-90% One Level Above the Character.
91-00% Two Levels Above the Character.

Champion Tournament Opponent Table
01-50% Equal Level with the Character.
51-70% One Level Above the Character.
71-85% Two Levels Above the Character.
86-95% Three Levels Above the Character.
96-00% Four Levels Above the Character.

Noble Valor Tournaments: "Champion of The Marches" Tournament Circuit
The series of tournaments belonging to the Champion of The Marches Tournament Circuit are typically referred to as "Noble Valor" tournaments, as they are part of a general theme. The "Champion of The Marches" tournament circuit is composed of the Northern Marches Tournament, Southern Marches Tournament, Eastern Marches Tournament, and the Western Marches Tournament. The tournament circuit series culminates with the "Champion of The Marches" tournament, wherein the greatest knights from the lower four tournaments in the series gather together for the great tournament to determine the greatest "Champion of The Marches".

Northern Marches Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Marches Tournament).
Southern Marches Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Marches Tournament).
Eastern Marches Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Marches Tournament).
Western Marches Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Marches Tournament).
Champion of The Marches Tournament: (Top twelve knights of the circuit compete against each other; The top three knights go on to Champion of The Realm Tournament).

Noble Wisdom Tournaments: "Champion of Seasons" Tournament Circuit
The series of tournaments belonging to the Champion of Seasons Tournament Circuit are typically referred to as "Noble Wisdom" tournaments, as they are part of a general theme. The "Champion of Seasons" tournament circuit is composed of the Spring Festival Tournament, Summer Fires Tournament, Autumn Feast Tournament, and the Winter Procession Tournament. The tournament circuit series culminates with the "Champion of Seasons" tournament, wherein the greatest knights from the lower four tournaments in the series gather together for the great tournament to determine the greatest "Champion of Seasons".

Spring Festival Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Seasons Tournament).
Summer Fires Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Seasons Tournament).
Autumn Feast Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Seasons Tournament).
Winter Procession Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Seasons Tournament).

Champion of Seasons Tournament: (Top twelve knights of the circuit compete against each other; The top three knights go on to Champion of The Realm Tournament).

Noble Honor Tournaments: "Champion of The Glorious Kingdom" Tournament Circuit
The series of tournaments belonging to the Champion of The Glorious Kingdom Tournament Circuit are typically referred to as "Noble Honor" tournaments, as they are part of a general theme. The "Champion of The Glorious Kingdom" tournament circuit is composed of the Tournament of the Radiant Dawn, Tournament of Virtuous Hope, Tournament of Eternal Love, and the Tournament of Righteous Brethren. The tournament circuit series culminates with the "Champion of The Glorious Kingdom" tournament, wherein the greatest knights from the lower four tournaments in the series gather together for the great tournament to determine the greatest champion of the circuit.

Tournament of The Radiant Dawn: (Top three knights go on to Champion of The Glorious Kingdom Tournament).
Tournament of Virtuous Hope: (Top three knights go on to Champion of The Glorious Kingdom Tournament).
Tournament of Eternal Love: (Top three knights go on to Champion of The Glorious Kingdom Tournament).
Tournament of Righteous Brethren: (Top three knights go on to Champion of The Glorious Kingdom Tournament).

Champion of The Glorious Kingdom: (Top twelve knights of the circuit compete against each other; The top three knights go on to Champion of The Realm Tournament).

Noble Faith Tournaments: "Champion of Chivalry" Tournament Circuit
The "Noble Faith" tournaments are part of a unified theme of chivalry, and form the "Champion of Chivalry" Tournament Circuit. The Champion of Chivalry circuit is composed of the following tournaments: Champion of Bravery; Champion of Charity; Champion of Defense; Champion of Justice; Champion of Loyalty; and Champion of Piety tournaments. The series of chivalry-themed tournaments culminate in the Champion of Chivalry tournament, wherein the greatest knights from the lower seven tournaments within the series compete to determine the greatest Champion of Chivalry.

Champion of Bravery Tournament: (Top six knights go on to Champion of Chivalry Tournament).
Champion of Charity Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Chivalry Tournament).
Champion of Courtesy Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Chivalry Tournament)
Champion of Defense Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Chivalry Tournament)
Champion of Justice Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Chivalry Tournament)
Champion of Loyalty Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Chivalry Tournament)
Champion of Piety Tournament: (Top three knights go on to Champion of Chivalry Tournament)

Champion of Chivalry Tournament: (Top twenty-four knights of the circuit compete against each other; The top three knights go on to Champion of The Realm Tournament).

THE FINAL CHALLENGE
The greatest knights from the lower four champion tournaments are allowed to enter the greatest tournament of the entire year--the Champion of The Realm Tournament. This tournament is traditionally hosted in the capital city of the realm, as enjoys a long and glorious tradition. The most glorious tournament features the finest entertainment, joyous celebrations, noble ceremonies, and fantastic spectacles of any tournament of the year. The greatest and most glorious and prestigious tournament of the year is attended by tens of thousands of people from across the land, often gathered together in their best attire and costume, enjoying the realm's most glorious tournament alongside the land's greatest nobles, finest knights, and fine merchants from near and far, bringing together the finest in goods, food, drink, and entertainments.

Champion of The Realm Tournament: (Top three knights from each of the four previous tournament circuits compete against each other; The greatest knight of them all is awarded the title of Champion of The Realm).