Fax Celestis
2009-01-30, 07:05 PM
Some Dragons chose to play a game, a great game where their very hoards are put at risk. This game is Xorvintaal (MM-V) and all the world is the playing board. A Dragon skilled in a Great Game is both respected and feared by other Dragons and it can be a source of a great deal of money. Yet the Dragons cannot harm each other directly, having sworn terrible and binding oaths not to do so. Thus, each Dragon has servants, Exarchs, who carry out the Dragons wishes, and claim treasure, hunt down other Xorvintaal Dragons, purge dungeons and generally act in the Dragons stead.
The number of recognized maneuvers within Xorvintaal is enormous: if written down, it would fill hundreds of tomes. Many are often not remembered or even known about to even the most involved of players. However, some moves are common (or famous). The moves presented here are within their number.
For the uninitiated, Xorvintaal (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070710a) is much like calvinball: freeform, nearly impossible to follow, and frequently dangerous. Others liken it to chess, except that you have multiple sets of pieces per player, and there are multiple boards (none of which are visible or square), and pieces frequently change sides...okay, so it's not much like chess.
The book states that Xorvintaal is arcane and confusing and that it references many other games in its own mechanics. Players are not meant to understand many of the terms used within the game itself, so mostly what I'm doing here is brainstorming for if I ever run a Xorvintaal campaign. Additions are much appreciated.
When "the player" is mentioned below, it is referring to the Xorvintaal dragon who is performing the maneuver.
Megiddo's Maneuver: One of the most fundamental principles of Xorvintaal is gambling your own hoard against that of another: the larger the hoard, the more points it is worth. There is a proximity multiplier for being close to another dragon's hoard, which goes up the closer you are. Megiddo was one of the first to capitalize on this when he placed his hoard secretly within another dragon's lair, thereby capitalizing on that multiplier and taking that season's trick. What Megiddo failed to account for, however, was an exit strategy and ended up being passed the Queen of Spades as his hoard was taken.
Royal Flush: The player lays claim to a castle (in which lives a royal family) and removes its current inhabitants from the premises without using force. Once done, the player moves a portion of their hoard into the castle (no more than half or less than a quarter) and abandons the castle. The longer the hoard goes unclaimed, the higher the value of the hoard. If the player returns to the castle, he forfeits the entire value of the hoard eternally, even for other players.
Korranberg Klepto: This risky maneuver requires the player to exchange their hoard with that of another player. If the player performs the maneuver but is not immediately present (say, through the use of his Exarchs), he can claim the trick and be placed in the standings for a hat trick.
Glorious Golden Crane Form: By transferring half or more of their hoard within three miles of another player's hoard, the player can move forward in the standings three steps, increase their odds to 16:1, and claim a single item from the opposing player's hoard. If the player can perform this whole maneuver within a day, they may also claim a boon from their opponent and have rights of salvage.
Undying Ascension: A dragon can take the round's trump by assuming dracolichdom during a full moon. His exarchs must collect the proper ingredients. If he is thwarted in his attempt, he foregos his right to the next three tricks, and also owes a boon to three of his opponents in the Great Game. Should he succeed, however, all of his opponents owe the player fifteen points.
Hammerblow: A player can mount a quick offense versus his opponents exarchs, but it must be performed only under a crescent moon. Most dragons recall the Gravenstein Incident in 317 where a young player attempted a hammerblow under a waxing crescent, failed the rotary toss, and in doing so forfeited his entire hoard to his opponents.
Knightsen Triple-Cross: A risky, but potentially lucrative move, requires the player to simultaneously perform the Korranberg Klepto with three of his opponent's hoards. Doing so not only renders the opponent's hoards half-value, but causes the values of red and blue chips to triple for the next four hands--quadruple if you leave a note.
By the Skin of the Rukanyr's Teeth: Seeding your foe's hoard with coinbugs moves the player down one rank in the standings, but puts the player in the running for a hat trick. It also doubles the value of yellow chips but halves the value of a full house for three days.
Voyage of the Dawn Treader: By keeping pace with dawn for an entire day, a player can quadruple the value of his--and only his--purple chips. The player is also placed in the rankings for a hat trick and gives the player both a Jack of Diamonds and The Tower. If the player so chooses, he may also acquire the Knuckle of Harshoon. If he forfeits his claim to the Knuckle, he may instead claim the trick and proclaim the next round's trump.
First Strike No Blood: If the player can force his opponent's entire play field to convert to his control under a new moon, he may claim up to two of his opponent's exarchs as his own and change the round's trump.
Mornington Crescent: A player who takes three tricks in as many rounds may proclaim the next four round's trumps, draw fifteen cards, and take three tokens from his opponents. If he draws the Wheel of Fortune, all players pass their hands to the west: otherwise, all players pass their hands to the east. In either case, those on the northern line are unaffected.
The Unknowable Maneuver: A player that drives an opponent's exarch mad during a waxing moon when that opponent is not present at the game he may claim the opponent's entire hoard. The opponent is then passed the King of Spades.
The number of recognized maneuvers within Xorvintaal is enormous: if written down, it would fill hundreds of tomes. Many are often not remembered or even known about to even the most involved of players. However, some moves are common (or famous). The moves presented here are within their number.
For the uninitiated, Xorvintaal (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070710a) is much like calvinball: freeform, nearly impossible to follow, and frequently dangerous. Others liken it to chess, except that you have multiple sets of pieces per player, and there are multiple boards (none of which are visible or square), and pieces frequently change sides...okay, so it's not much like chess.
The book states that Xorvintaal is arcane and confusing and that it references many other games in its own mechanics. Players are not meant to understand many of the terms used within the game itself, so mostly what I'm doing here is brainstorming for if I ever run a Xorvintaal campaign. Additions are much appreciated.
When "the player" is mentioned below, it is referring to the Xorvintaal dragon who is performing the maneuver.
Megiddo's Maneuver: One of the most fundamental principles of Xorvintaal is gambling your own hoard against that of another: the larger the hoard, the more points it is worth. There is a proximity multiplier for being close to another dragon's hoard, which goes up the closer you are. Megiddo was one of the first to capitalize on this when he placed his hoard secretly within another dragon's lair, thereby capitalizing on that multiplier and taking that season's trick. What Megiddo failed to account for, however, was an exit strategy and ended up being passed the Queen of Spades as his hoard was taken.
Royal Flush: The player lays claim to a castle (in which lives a royal family) and removes its current inhabitants from the premises without using force. Once done, the player moves a portion of their hoard into the castle (no more than half or less than a quarter) and abandons the castle. The longer the hoard goes unclaimed, the higher the value of the hoard. If the player returns to the castle, he forfeits the entire value of the hoard eternally, even for other players.
Korranberg Klepto: This risky maneuver requires the player to exchange their hoard with that of another player. If the player performs the maneuver but is not immediately present (say, through the use of his Exarchs), he can claim the trick and be placed in the standings for a hat trick.
Glorious Golden Crane Form: By transferring half or more of their hoard within three miles of another player's hoard, the player can move forward in the standings three steps, increase their odds to 16:1, and claim a single item from the opposing player's hoard. If the player can perform this whole maneuver within a day, they may also claim a boon from their opponent and have rights of salvage.
Undying Ascension: A dragon can take the round's trump by assuming dracolichdom during a full moon. His exarchs must collect the proper ingredients. If he is thwarted in his attempt, he foregos his right to the next three tricks, and also owes a boon to three of his opponents in the Great Game. Should he succeed, however, all of his opponents owe the player fifteen points.
Hammerblow: A player can mount a quick offense versus his opponents exarchs, but it must be performed only under a crescent moon. Most dragons recall the Gravenstein Incident in 317 where a young player attempted a hammerblow under a waxing crescent, failed the rotary toss, and in doing so forfeited his entire hoard to his opponents.
Knightsen Triple-Cross: A risky, but potentially lucrative move, requires the player to simultaneously perform the Korranberg Klepto with three of his opponent's hoards. Doing so not only renders the opponent's hoards half-value, but causes the values of red and blue chips to triple for the next four hands--quadruple if you leave a note.
By the Skin of the Rukanyr's Teeth: Seeding your foe's hoard with coinbugs moves the player down one rank in the standings, but puts the player in the running for a hat trick. It also doubles the value of yellow chips but halves the value of a full house for three days.
Voyage of the Dawn Treader: By keeping pace with dawn for an entire day, a player can quadruple the value of his--and only his--purple chips. The player is also placed in the rankings for a hat trick and gives the player both a Jack of Diamonds and The Tower. If the player so chooses, he may also acquire the Knuckle of Harshoon. If he forfeits his claim to the Knuckle, he may instead claim the trick and proclaim the next round's trump.
First Strike No Blood: If the player can force his opponent's entire play field to convert to his control under a new moon, he may claim up to two of his opponent's exarchs as his own and change the round's trump.
Mornington Crescent: A player who takes three tricks in as many rounds may proclaim the next four round's trumps, draw fifteen cards, and take three tokens from his opponents. If he draws the Wheel of Fortune, all players pass their hands to the west: otherwise, all players pass their hands to the east. In either case, those on the northern line are unaffected.
The Unknowable Maneuver: A player that drives an opponent's exarch mad during a waxing moon when that opponent is not present at the game he may claim the opponent's entire hoard. The opponent is then passed the King of Spades.