How do you run Dragonchess?

[Lord_Dots]

How would you run a game of Dragonchess for a PC vs an NPC? Curious what people typically do if the situation arises.

[ProsecutorGodot]

I'm not prone to running extravagant skill checks for gaming proficiencies, I just use whatever ability score I feel is most appropriate. For Dragonchess I just run it as an intelligence based game. Roll an intelligence check, add proficiency if you have it and whoever rolls higher wins. Easy.

You could make it a best of 3 or 5 if you want it to be a little more competitive.

[Amnestic]

Assuming you're not running it as the full game (which google tells me there are rules for) then probably a set of ability checks with skills to mix things up.

A perfectly honest game would probably just be a set of 3 or 5 Intelligence contests to out think the opponent. Majority wins the game.

Both players and NPCs would get the option to utilise other skills (sleight of hand, deception and insight off the top of my head) to gain Advantage on the Int contest if they beat a DC*. Probably only get to use each skill only once, and if they flub the DC then it might give them disadvantage on the int check because they're distracted by their failure.

*passive skill of the opponent probably.

I am assuming this is an important game mind you, if it's just a downtime thing in the tavern then probably just a single check.

[Lord_Dots]

Thank you to both of you! I was assuming (and hoping) it was contested INT checks but wanted to see if anyone did things differently.

[Keltest]

Generally i would have something like this be a best of 3 or best of 5 contested int check. Add proficiency when applicable. Maybe allow it to be a deception check if somebody is going to explicitly try to cheat. In general i try not to draw this stuff out unless its a one on one session anyway, because it tends to result in the rest of the players checking out for anything much more complex.

[kingcheesepants]

I give my players actual chess puzzles (https://chesspuzzle.net/). I'll look one up and then set up an actual chessboard or screenshot of the board layout (if online) and then they tell me how to move. Knight to G7 then pawn to D5 for example. If they get stuck they can make an Int check (with proficiency bonus if proficient in dragonchess) to get a hint. On a success I'll say, you suspect that you need to move the knight and then a pawn. If your players are big fans of chess and/or puzzles I'd recommend doing this as an alternative to a simple check. My players really appreciate having to actually think and not just make checks for things. I also give them lots of riddles, ciphers, block puzzles, pipe puzzles, logic puzzles etc. But with other groups that don't want to sit there for 10 minutes discussing whether to move the rook or the knight, I'd stick with a simple check.

[Kurt Kurageous]

Chess is, at critical moments, incredibly stressful. You may experience physiological responses akin to a panic attack (racing heart, rapid thoughts) but you have to sit there in your chair mostly still. Reading your opponent, breaking your opponents concentration (within limits of decorum), or using a false "tell" is all part of tournaments among the most competitive. Perhaps consider CHA check to disadvantage an opponent's roll?

Best 3 out of 5 mirrors the three phases of the game (opening, midgame, endgame). I would also say that if a player wins the first two contests in a row, they should probably get some sort of modifier (double proficiency, or single proficiency for those not proficient) to simulate the advantage that a superior opening gives a player.

I would second using the insight check to gain advantage, but only in the 3rd and 4th rolls simulating the midgame and endgame.

[Sparky McDibben]

Opposed skill check; failing means you need to roll to avoid your pieces' breath weapons.

[Wizard_Lizard]

I mean not dragonchess but for normal chess I've done it in five rounds of intelligence checks (adding proficiency if proficient).

These five rounds represent beginning, early midgame, midgame, late midgame, and endgame. Ultimately it is the winner of the endgame contest is the one who wins the overall match. The way this works is that after the first check, the winner has advantage on the next check. This simulates being put in a more advantageous position on the board.

[meandean]

The only important thing is that the players explain themselves via obviously-made-up-on-the-spot rules, e.g. "I split my black pudding" or "I try Gargauth's Lesser Gambit."

[Angelalex242]

This depends on if there's any real chess players in the group.

If there are legit chess players lurking around, you can have them solve chess puzzles like the guy above suggests.

Otherwise, it's boring old Int Checks. Maybe with a Wis check thrown in here and there (Perception of what your opponent is trying to do is also important.)

[Tanarii]

Don't forget the Str (Dragon Chess Set) check to flip the board if you lose.

[PattThe]

The only important thing is that the players explain themselves via obviously-made-up-on-the-spot rules, e.g. "I split my black pudding" or "I try Gargauth's Lesser Gambit."

I need that last one statted as a 2e Faiths and Pantheons spell XD

[Angelalex242]

Don't forget the Str (Dragon Chess Set) check to flip the board if you lose.

Otherwise known as 'let the wookiee win'

[JellyPooga]

It depends on how high the stakes of the game are:

A casual or friendly game: simple contested Int (Dragonchess) roll. No need to drag things out with multiple rolls. K.I.S.S.

Low stakes match for coin, or to beat a riddlemaster1 for information: Best of three. As with the former, you don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill and take up half a session for something that's of minor consequence, but at the same time, you don't want to leave it entirely to luck. The better player (i.e. the one with the best Int (Dragonchess) modifier) should probably win.

High stakes match, playing for large sums or high value, someones life is at stake or worse, the final of a tournament: Full blown skill challenge involving not only Int (Dragonchess), which would represent knowledge of the rules and common strategies, but Wis (Insight) to read your opponent, Int/Cha (Deception) to make plays and bluff your opponent, etc. at the players option of how they want to play the match (which could include cheating with Intimidation, Sleight of Hand, etc.). You could even make arguments for Concentration checks to be made, either as part of the skill challenge or every "round" to avoid distractions, which might impose disadvantage on a check.

1I define a "riddlemaster" as anyone who demads or requests an intellectual challenge in exchange for goods or services (often including passage).

[qube]

It depends on how complex you want to go. A single int check, with potential proficiency in dragonchess could do the trick.

A more complex system ... I can easily see a system of 6 to 9 checks.
Chess has an opening, middlegame and end; and dragon chess (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonchess) is played on 3 boards at the same time.


type of checks: you can always roll a Int(dragonchess) or Wis(dragonchess) roll. Alternatively you can roll an applicable skill (like insight, or deception - yes on charisma ("oh damn, I think I made a mistake ;) ") or a concentration check as JellyPooga notes - but those you can only use once per game of chess.
There are 3 layers (upper middle, and lower) and 3 phases (opening, middlegame and end).
Each turn, one of the players decides which layer to continue the game.
A succesful check during the opening & middlegame gives you advantage, or the opponent disadvantge during the next phase of this, or an adjacent layer.
A tie neither provides advantage or disadvantage.
ex. Alice could play a good upper and lower opening, giving herself advantage and her opponent disadvantage on the middle layer middle game
end game: if you win the 3rd roll for a layer, you 'win that layer'. if you tie or lose you don't.
winning, drawing:
if one person wins 2 layers, they win. If you win a layer; draw a layer, and lose a layer, the game ends in a draw


You can in fact flavor the moves using some prepared statements of real dragon chess.

If you won the last upper layer check, and your opponent won the last lower layer check, the middle layer check could result into either

Your griffon is able to capture the opponents paladin, dealing a serious blow
His dwarf is able to capture your mage, dealing a serious blow

[Kane0]

For a standard game make three INT checks and add the results together vs your opponent who does the same. Adding prof bonus for the rolls if you’re proficient of course.

If it’s a particularly highly competitive or professional game add in a WIS and a CHA check as well.

[noob]

You need to put a bunch dragons on a board then it is all about directing overgrown cats to get them to stay still on the same board.
You win if you successfully regroup more dragons on the board than the opponent and have them not fight dragons on the same side of the board (usually by tricking all of them to think they are leading and playing the game and that they are not just pawns).
Usually playing dragonchess by placing pseudodragons on the board is considered too hard and most people never tries playing dragonchess this way.
Pseudodragonchess is like dragonchess but you must use pseudodragons only and it is such an hardcore game that only gods plays it.(mortals might try but they fail nearly every time thus ending the match in a draw)

[Asmotherion]

How would you run a game of Dragonchess for a PC vs an NPC? Curious what people typically do if the situation arises.

Opposed Intelligence checks (potentially together with Profficiency in Dragonchess), where you apply your choice of Insight, Perception, Deception or Intimidation Bonuses. Best out of 5 checks.

[UnintensifiedFa]

While opposed intelligence is generally a good consensus. If you wanna have a more interesting game that involves the whole party, you could have a player of your choice play chess against you, while the whole party has to fight a certain monster for each piece captured...

Obviously this doesn’t work in normal scenarios, but it’s fun for a lot of dungeon challenges... adds another layer to chess.