"The Side Quest" [Archive] - Wizards Community

"The Side Quest" [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
AlphaSquirell
08-27-06, 01:10 PM How often do you run side quests?

How many should a good campaign have?

I'm running my PCs through the Sunless Citadel campaign story. (using all 8 printed adventures, adding in tweaks and twists where appropriate for my larger than average party)

I'm working on using this campaign to get used to what happens with PCs at different levels of power, when a PC dies, what happens when they can't solve something, lose intrest in the current adventure, want something they can't easily obtain, etc, etc, etc. Then I'll work on creating a homebrew campaign.

But for now, we're sticking "to the books". But how many side quests should I throw in? How many time should I expect my PCs to need something "sidequest" worthy? (hunting down a PrC NPC to gain training to earn that PrC, hunting down a rare item they want, searching for someone who can tell them more about a specific area, whatever)

How long should a sidequest last? When we play, we usually start around 10PM, and play on until close to dawn the next morning. (we don't get to play often, so we have extremely long sessions, with breaks every now and then)

For those that know the Sunless Citadel, my group has cleared the first floor, and is now level 2. (halfway to level 3 exactly, but off by about 3 1/3 experience points. 6 PCs at level 2 with 1996.666666 experience points...)

Is now a good time for a very short sidequest or in-town adventure? They went back to town, so I could have them fight in a gladiator/arena match (the Monk would love to, and so would the rest) I could add in a barfight, a theif chase, whatever. The point is, should I bother? Give them a chance to test out their level 2 abilities? (when we stopped to calculate EXP, they were halfway to level 3, so they haven't actually fought while being at level 2)

All in all, what do you think of sidequests, in all ways shapes and forms?

EDIT: PCs are Monk (the beatstick), Favored Soul (beatstick first, divine caster second), Warmage (arcanist), Scout (archery and then sneakiness), Ninja (sneakiness then melee) and Cleric (healer and divine caster)
WizO_Cat
08-27-06, 02:46 PM In practice, the amount of side quests in some way should be determined by your group. Yes, while at the tavern, you can make it so that any decision that they make ends up at the same place (the main adventure), but after a while players catch on. Thus, offering a variety of options for players to go is somewhat desirable. Instead of heading directly back o the SUnless Citadel, they want to see why they are mysterious disappearances on the north side of town, that should be an option that they should be able to pursue.
coldfire_x
08-27-06, 02:58 PM you can't really run side quest if your game has a story-line that must be done
if im not wrong

you can run side quest as how much you want the PCs love this XP gives tham power makes tham happy but dont get to fur with themif you dont want them to level up fast.
Zherog
08-27-06, 03:03 PM you can't really run side quest if your game has a story-line that must be done

Sure you can. There's nothing that says the PCs can't work on more than one plot at a time, or even that they have to stick to the main plot. Just because your main campaign plot requires the PCs to eventually save the world from the evil necromancer doesn't mean that the ranger can't go see his grandma. :)
Andorxor
08-27-06, 03:10 PM I think you can only run sidequests when you have a " a story-line that must be done" a.k.a mainquest.
oxybe
08-27-06, 03:47 PM side quests, eh? to me, anytime you set a goal (and try reach it) that has nothing to do with the objective at hand, you are on a "side-quest". maybe that side-quest is to find a mage to repair your favorite +1 flaming longsword, or maybe try out two dozen types of gnomish cheeze in a single sitting, if it has nothing to do with the task you originally set out to do, you good sir, are officially on a side-quest!

that all depends on how "pressing" the main quest is. if you're on a time limit (get to the Hold on Misty Peak in 5 days to oversee a peace treaty), then you probly won't get much time to do some side-questing.

if the current main quest can wait (you just erased the goblin camp off the map & you have the heirloom to boot), then a side-quest may arise.

in between quests/missions/ect... you will probly have mini-quests, solo adventures, ect... these could be considered side-quests, since they aren't "important" enough to warrant multiple sessions worth of time (or even the help of another party member).

But while they don't usually acheive some greater purpose, side-quests do help give life to the people who surround the PC's and the world as a whole. instead of viewing the world as big heap'o trouble that requires saving, with only two distinction between villages: ally or enemy, you have these little "off the beaten path" thorps & random roadside inns where someone might need a letter delivered, or an ailing pirate has a riddle to be solved by whomever will hear him out (treasure location?). instead of having only 2 kinds of NPC's : people who give quests (including people who help you finish the quest [merchants, informants, local gossipers, other adventurers,ect]) & people who get in the way of finishing the quest, you have the kindly old elven matron with a hundred cats, the halfling bard who spins yarns by the fountain, the old basset hound that stares at you on the blacksmith's porch.

Side-quests, well, i love em. they offer everything a main quest cannot. while you might lose track of the "big picture", a side quest is always very specific & can sometimes help give root to a new "main quest"!
EldonG
08-27-06, 04:12 PM I love side-quests, and this is the *typical* way I handle them...

Let the party decide. They may even split up for a while, and go on separate quests, or perhaps the Ftr will have his quest while the Wiz is busy making a magic item...now, splitting a party for such things - anything over a shopping trip - has its own built-in problems, but I'd prefer to do them than not. Often it involves an extra session for those involved...you don't want to run a split game with everyone present - the others will get bored pretty quickly.

Anyhow...back to the main point - during character creation, everyone should do a backstory. Every backstory worth writing will create a sidequest or 2, and any good DM should use that. Work 2 or 3 stories together, if you can. Also, during the game, some NPCs should escape, some interesting places left temporarily unexplored, etc. A player may even simply look at the kmap and say, "Gee, what's there? That looks interesting!" Simply put, make sure to leave them time to do it!

Every once in a while, throw in one of your own, too. Don't be shy, it's a great way to learn...but many sidequests can easily come from the party. Just roll with it.
Kaligrad
08-27-06, 05:46 PM I would actually ask the players themselves about when they want a break from the storyline. There is no storyline that can't afford a few months in between certain segments, and if there is, then you can alter it so that it can. The point of the sidequest is twofold: first, to give the PC's items and powers that would be otherwise unavailable; and second, to give the players a break from the primary story.
AlphaSquirell
08-27-06, 09:52 PM Okay, my Monk PC wants to go to an arena.

Now, right now I can avoid this, by simply saying "The town is too small for an arena." (which it is, and the rest of the party won't want to travel to go to an arena)

Thing is, I can't (and won't) avoid it forever. But if I let him go to an arena, he will keep competing and competing until either no one wants to compete, the party drags him out kicking and screaming, or I "accidentally" make it blow up.

He'll want to stop at an arena on EACH run back into town, for both training and the "honor" behind it. (he's a monk, and saw an affiliation in the Player's Handbook II, and now wants to win 1 on 1 honorable duels to try and gain affiliation; trick is, he doesn't want the MW Katana or benefits from the affiliation for using it, but he still wants the "honor duels" thing)

How do I let him have his wish without detracting from the campaign. (he would have me run a "Gladiator" campaign if he could, but the rest of the party kinda wants to go where I tell them for now, simply because none have gotten "in the swing of things" enough to take initiative in where they want to go. They want me to give them missions and they want to then achieve it however they want)

Just a question: What's a good way to get players to create a background? Right now there is little-no background for the party combined, much less for each individual character. I kinda tried to inspire them to create one, and I think I got them to think about it, but still no backgrounds.

I would love to build sidequests that relate to them personally, but I have nothing to start with (yet).
Zherog
08-28-06, 12:45 AM How do I let him have his wish without detracting from the campaign.

Use what he wants. He wants arena fights, or just one on one duels? Give it to him. Make them have meaning, too. Figure out a way to have a small plot hook that requires somebody from the group to enter into a wrestling competition. Maybe there's a dude who has a major piece of the puzzle their trying to solve, but he'll only give the info to somebody worthy - somebody who can beat him in hand-to-hand combat.

Continue to drop those sorts of little things into the game - a tournament put forth by the Duke; while fighting in the tournament, the players find the next major plot hook.

And so on.

Just a question: What's a good way to get players to create a background? Right now there is little-no background for the party combined, much less for each individual character. I kinda tried to inspire them to create one, and I think I got them to think about it, but still no backgrounds.

I would love to build sidequests that relate to them personally, but I have nothing to start with (yet).

See, the side quest/plot hook thing is what I use to get a background. I don't require any more than a sentence or two as a background. But if you want me to have the game focus on you - at least part of the time - you need to give me information to work with. I want to know your PC's goals, and fears, and friends, and enemies, and family, and so on.

You give me some of that information, I give you a game tailored to what you want. You don't give me the info, the game tailors to the other PCs who did give me the info.
Aeromus
08-28-06, 01:53 AM After each adventure ends, have x amoutn of time pass, say years equal to last level gained.

So the Sunless Citadel ends with them at level 3. Say 3 years pass.

Do three years worth of solo story progretion. Don't award XP. Don't challenge them with death.

Use low cr (like 2 less then the party) if the 3 years calls for it ect.

No xp but character building. make sure the Players know XP wont be dished out for these encounters. Run them as one on ones ect as needed.
Draco Strang
08-28-06, 03:01 AM The best advice I can give someone regarding side-quests and sub-plots is this: Read OotS like it's your job.

Seriously, OotS does a great job illustrating (haha....a joke!) how story arcs, side-quests, and character history/interaction all tie in to a major, all-encompassing campaign. What with Roy's broken sword and blood oath, Haley's dilemma with her dad (and speech), The Linear Guild, and Xykon's wicked plans to take over the world all sort of touch on each other, and help shape one another.

My only gripe is that sometimes it feels like they're stuck on a "sidequest" for too long....but that's only because I wanna see what's happening next, or with other characters in the story. But there's a lesson in there, too.

Ultimately, though, it comes down to the party. Do your guys wanna drive straight and true to the finish, or do they wanna smell the roses? A good way to present your players with manifold options is to offer several different "sidequests" that ultimately will lead them to the same conclusion, regardless of which one they pick up.

For example, if you want your party to wind up at a certain cave in the mountains, you could say that the princess of the kindgom has been kidnapped and she's in that cave, or maybe orcs have been spotted in the woods (with their lair being the cave), or maybe some rich merchant knows that there's gold in them thar hills, and commissions the PC's to go up and confirm the rumors. Any of those 3 will get the PC's up into the mountains, and into that damned cave. And when they're there (for whatever reason), they're going to find whatever it is that you want them to find in the first place.

See? Sometimes it's not so much that you give the PC's a million choices....but merely the illusion of a million choices.

Good luck.
Leilond
08-28-06, 04:15 AM I always give my players the "opportunity" to start for side quests. If they go for them it means that they want a break from the main plot line; if the ignore the clue for the side quest it means they want to go for the main plot.
It's a very crude world and there are always problems here and there, with bad orcs, evil wizards, robbery and so on. It will be too unrealistic if the character never encounter situations that requires "heroes".
But if you don't want some things happen, do not put the opportunity!!
If you don't want that the players partecipate to an arena because you didn't prepared it and you don't like, well do not put a free access arena in your cities!
MerlintheTuna
08-28-06, 05:04 AM Blah blah Monk wants arena etc. etc.

If you've got the Complete Warrior, consider reading the entry on The Alabaster Cup. It's basically an Olympic-style tournament with a little something for just about everyone. There's an obstacle course, a hunt, wrestling, a joust... pretty much the whole shebang. My group played through it a few months ago with PCs that were ~8th level, and it was a ton of fun. Quite a bit of work for the DM to come up with an obstacle course, an arena, balancing factors to keep spellcasters from being too incredibly good, and what not (Potions/Spell Component Pouches preventing you the use of equipment, giving a time penalty on the obstacle course, etc.), but it might very well have been the best session of our year long campaign. Be warned, though -- unless you can think of something clever or have particularly unique enemies, you may find that the wrestling and arena-battle sequences are the LEAST interesting of them all.
AlphaSquirell
08-28-06, 06:22 AM If you've got the Complete Warrior, consider reading the entry on The Alabaster Cup. It's basically an Olympic-style tournament with a little something for just about everyone. There's an obstacle course, a hunt, wrestling, a joust... pretty much the whole shebang. My group played through it a few months ago with PCs that were ~8th level, and it was a ton of fun. Quite a bit of work for the DM to come up with an obstacle course, an arena, balancing factors to keep spellcasters from being too incredibly good, and what not (Potions/Spell Component Pouches preventing you the use of equipment, giving a time penalty on the obstacle course, etc.), but it might very well have been the best session of our year long campaign. Be warned, though -- unless you can think of something clever or have particularly unique enemies, you may find that the wrestling and arena-battle sequences are the LEAST interesting of them all.

That sounds great. Maybe I can have him read a flier in town about the "upcoming"? Alabaster Cup. Then, he spends his free time in town training. (thus, character developement, tadah!)

And the fight WILL be interesting. At an early point in our party's history, a friend of mine was the DM, and I was the Star Wars RPG GM. So now I'm DM, and we haven't started back Star Wars yet.

So he's going to wrestle a Wookiee. :) (even funnier, because we started the campaign with 4 "starter missions" that were completely different, so when we played together for the first time, the party had each earned some EXP and had a background that threw them together for the mission, kinda cool, because the "Monk" player was first trying to gaurd a Wookie Senator, then helping him chase down a handful of baddies; oh the irony)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
AlphaSquirell 08-27-06, 01:10 PM	How often do you run side quests? How many should a good campaign have? I'm running my PCs through the Sunless Citadel campaign story. (using all 8 printed adventures, adding in tweaks and twists where appropriate for my larger than average party) I'm working on using this campaign to get used to what happens with PCs at different levels of power, when a PC dies, what happens when they can't solve something, lose intrest in the current adventure, want something they can't easily obtain, etc, etc, etc. Then I'll work on creating a homebrew campaign. But for now, we're sticking "to the books". But how many side quests should I throw in? How many time should I expect my PCs to need something "sidequest" worthy? (hunting down a PrC NPC to gain training to earn that PrC, hunting down a rare item they want, searching for someone who can tell them more about a specific area, whatever) How long should a sidequest last? When we play, we usually start around 10PM, and play on until close to dawn the next morning. (we don't get to play often, so we have extremely long sessions, with breaks every now and then) For those that know the Sunless Citadel, my group has cleared the first floor, and is now level 2. (halfway to level 3 exactly, but off by about 3 1/3 experience points. 6 PCs at level 2 with 1996.666666 experience points...) Is now a good time for a very short sidequest or in-town adventure? They went back to town, so I could have them fight in a gladiator/arena match (the Monk would love to, and so would the rest) I could add in a barfight, a theif chase, whatever. The point is, should I bother? Give them a chance to test out their level 2 abilities? (when we stopped to calculate EXP, they were halfway to level 3, so they haven't actually fought while being at level 2) All in all, what do you think of sidequests, in all ways shapes and forms? EDIT: PCs are Monk (the beatstick), Favored Soul (beatstick first, divine caster second), Warmage (arcanist), Scout (archery and then sneakiness), Ninja (sneakiness then melee) and Cleric (healer and divine caster)
WizO_Cat 08-27-06, 02:46 PM	In practice, the amount of side quests in some way should be determined by your group. Yes, while at the tavern, you can make it so that any decision that they make ends up at the same place (the main adventure), but after a while players catch on. Thus, offering a variety of options for players to go is somewhat desirable. Instead of heading directly back o the SUnless Citadel, they want to see why they are mysterious disappearances on the north side of town, that should be an option that they should be able to pursue.
coldfire_x 08-27-06, 02:58 PM	you can't really run side quest if your game has a story-line that must be done if im not wrong you can run side quest as how much you want the PCs love this XP gives tham power makes tham happy but dont get to fur with themif you dont want them to level up fast.
Zherog 08-27-06, 03:03 PM	you can't really run side quest if your game has a story-line that must be done Sure you can. There's nothing that says the PCs can't work on more than one plot at a time, or even that they have to stick to the main plot. Just because your main campaign plot requires the PCs to eventually save the world from the evil necromancer doesn't mean that the ranger can't go see his grandma. :)
Andorxor 08-27-06, 03:10 PM	I think you can only run sidequests when you have a " a story-line that must be done" a.k.a mainquest.
oxybe 08-27-06, 03:47 PM	side quests, eh? to me, anytime you set a goal (and try reach it) that has nothing to do with the objective at hand, you are on a "side-quest". maybe that side-quest is to find a mage to repair your favorite +1 flaming longsword, or maybe try out two dozen types of gnomish cheeze in a single sitting, if it has nothing to do with the task you originally set out to do, you good sir, are officially on a side-quest! that all depends on how "pressing" the main quest is. if you're on a time limit (get to the Hold on Misty Peak in 5 days to oversee a peace treaty), then you probly won't get much time to do some side-questing. if the current main quest can wait (you just erased the goblin camp off the map & you have the heirloom to boot), then a side-quest may arise. in between quests/missions/ect... you will probly have mini-quests, solo adventures, ect... these could be considered side-quests, since they aren't "important" enough to warrant multiple sessions worth of time (or even the help of another party member). But while they don't usually acheive some greater purpose, side-quests do help give life to the people who surround the PC's and the world as a whole. instead of viewing the world as big heap'o trouble that requires saving, with only two distinction between villages: ally or enemy, you have these little "off the beaten path" thorps & random roadside inns where someone might need a letter delivered, or an ailing pirate has a riddle to be solved by whomever will hear him out (treasure location?). instead of having only 2 kinds of NPC's : people who give quests (including people who help you finish the quest [merchants, informants, local gossipers, other adventurers,ect]) & people who get in the way of finishing the quest, you have the kindly old elven matron with a hundred cats, the halfling bard who spins yarns by the fountain, the old basset hound that stares at you on the blacksmith's porch. Side-quests, well, i love em. they offer everything a main quest cannot. while you might lose track of the "big picture", a side quest is always very specific & can sometimes help give root to a new "main quest"!
EldonG 08-27-06, 04:12 PM	I love side-quests, and this is the typical way I handle them... Let the party decide. They may even split up for a while, and go on separate quests, or perhaps the Ftr will have his quest while the Wiz is busy making a magic item...now, splitting a party for such things - anything over a shopping trip - has its own built-in problems, but I'd prefer to do them than not. Often it involves an extra session for those involved...you don't want to run a split game with everyone present - the others will get bored pretty quickly. Anyhow...back to the main point - during character creation, everyone should do a backstory. Every backstory worth writing will create a sidequest or 2, and any good DM should use that. Work 2 or 3 stories together, if you can. Also, during the game, some NPCs should escape, some interesting places left temporarily unexplored, etc. A player may even simply look at the kmap and say, "Gee, what's there? That looks interesting!" Simply put, make sure to leave them time to do it! Every once in a while, throw in one of your own, too. Don't be shy, it's a great way to learn...but many sidequests can easily come from the party. Just roll with it.
Kaligrad 08-27-06, 05:46 PM	I would actually ask the players themselves about when they want a break from the storyline. There is no storyline that can't afford a few months in between certain segments, and if there is, then you can alter it so that it can. The point of the sidequest is twofold: first, to give the PC's items and powers that would be otherwise unavailable; and second, to give the players a break from the primary story.
AlphaSquirell 08-27-06, 09:52 PM	Okay, my Monk PC wants to go to an arena. Now, right now I can avoid this, by simply saying "The town is too small for an arena." (which it is, and the rest of the party won't want to travel to go to an arena) Thing is, I can't (and won't) avoid it forever. But if I let him go to an arena, he will keep competing and competing until either no one wants to compete, the party drags him out kicking and screaming, or I "accidentally" make it blow up. He'll want to stop at an arena on EACH run back into town, for both training and the "honor" behind it. (he's a monk, and saw an affiliation in the Player's Handbook II, and now wants to win 1 on 1 honorable duels to try and gain affiliation; trick is, he doesn't want the MW Katana or benefits from the affiliation for using it, but he still wants the "honor duels" thing) How do I let him have his wish without detracting from the campaign. (he would have me run a "Gladiator" campaign if he could, but the rest of the party kinda wants to go where I tell them for now, simply because none have gotten "in the swing of things" enough to take initiative in where they want to go. They want me to give them missions and they want to then achieve it however they want) Just a question: What's a good way to get players to create a background? Right now there is little-no background for the party combined, much less for each individual character. I kinda tried to inspire them to create one, and I think I got them to think about it, but still no backgrounds. I would love to build sidequests that relate to them personally, but I have nothing to start with (yet).
Zherog 08-28-06, 12:45 AM	How do I let him have his wish without detracting from the campaign. Use what he wants. He wants arena fights, or just one on one duels? Give it to him. Make them have meaning, too. Figure out a way to have a small plot hook that requires somebody from the group to enter into a wrestling competition. Maybe there's a dude who has a major piece of the puzzle their trying to solve, but he'll only give the info to somebody worthy - somebody who can beat him in hand-to-hand combat. Continue to drop those sorts of little things into the game - a tournament put forth by the Duke; while fighting in the tournament, the players find the next major plot hook. And so on. Just a question: What's a good way to get players to create a background? Right now there is little-no background for the party combined, much less for each individual character. I kinda tried to inspire them to create one, and I think I got them to think about it, but still no backgrounds. I would love to build sidequests that relate to them personally, but I have nothing to start with (yet). See, the side quest/plot hook thing is what I use to get a background. I don't require any more than a sentence or two as a background. But if you want me to have the game focus on you - at least part of the time - you need to give me information to work with. I want to know your PC's goals, and fears, and friends, and enemies, and family, and so on. You give me some of that information, I give you a game tailored to what you want. You don't give me the info, the game tailors to the other PCs who did give me the info.
Aeromus 08-28-06, 01:53 AM	After each adventure ends, have x amoutn of time pass, say years equal to last level gained. So the Sunless Citadel ends with them at level 3. Say 3 years pass. Do three years worth of solo story progretion. Don't award XP. Don't challenge them with death. Use low cr (like 2 less then the party) if the 3 years calls for it ect. No xp but character building. make sure the Players know XP wont be dished out for these encounters. Run them as one on ones ect as needed.
Draco Strang 08-28-06, 03:01 AM	The best advice I can give someone regarding side-quests and sub-plots is this: Read OotS like it's your job. Seriously, OotS does a great job illustrating (haha....a joke!) how story arcs, side-quests, and character history/interaction all tie in to a major, all-encompassing campaign. What with Roy's broken sword and blood oath, Haley's dilemma with her dad (and speech), The Linear Guild, and Xykon's wicked plans to take over the world all sort of touch on each other, and help shape one another. My only gripe is that sometimes it feels like they're stuck on a "sidequest" for too long....but that's only because I wanna see what's happening next, or with other characters in the story. But there's a lesson in there, too. Ultimately, though, it comes down to the party. Do your guys wanna drive straight and true to the finish, or do they wanna smell the roses? A good way to present your players with manifold options is to offer several different "sidequests" that ultimately will lead them to the same conclusion, regardless of which one they pick up. For example, if you want your party to wind up at a certain cave in the mountains, you could say that the princess of the kindgom has been kidnapped and she's in that cave, or maybe orcs have been spotted in the woods (with their lair being the cave), or maybe some rich merchant knows that there's gold in them thar hills, and commissions the PC's to go up and confirm the rumors. Any of those 3 will get the PC's up into the mountains, and into that damned cave. And when they're there (for whatever reason), they're going to find whatever it is that you want them to find in the first place. See? Sometimes it's not so much that you give the PC's a million choices....but merely the illusion of a million choices. Good luck.
Leilond 08-28-06, 04:15 AM	I always give my players the "opportunity" to start for side quests. If they go for them it means that they want a break from the main plot line; if the ignore the clue for the side quest it means they want to go for the main plot. It's a very crude world and there are always problems here and there, with bad orcs, evil wizards, robbery and so on. It will be too unrealistic if the character never encounter situations that requires "heroes". But if you don't want some things happen, do not put the opportunity!! If you don't want that the players partecipate to an arena because you didn't prepared it and you don't like, well do not put a free access arena in your cities!
MerlintheTuna 08-28-06, 05:04 AM	Blah blah Monk wants arena etc. etc. If you've got the Complete Warrior, consider reading the entry on The Alabaster Cup. It's basically an Olympic-style tournament with a little something for just about everyone. There's an obstacle course, a hunt, wrestling, a joust... pretty much the whole shebang. My group played through it a few months ago with PCs that were ~8th level, and it was a ton of fun. Quite a bit of work for the DM to come up with an obstacle course, an arena, balancing factors to keep spellcasters from being too incredibly good, and what not (Potions/Spell Component Pouches preventing you the use of equipment, giving a time penalty on the obstacle course, etc.), but it might very well have been the best session of our year long campaign. Be warned, though -- unless you can think of something clever or have particularly unique enemies, you may find that the wrestling and arena-battle sequences are the LEAST interesting of them all.
AlphaSquirell 08-28-06, 06:22 AM	If you've got the Complete Warrior, consider reading the entry on The Alabaster Cup. It's basically an Olympic-style tournament with a little something for just about everyone. There's an obstacle course, a hunt, wrestling, a joust... pretty much the whole shebang. My group played through it a few months ago with PCs that were ~8th level, and it was a ton of fun. Quite a bit of work for the DM to come up with an obstacle course, an arena, balancing factors to keep spellcasters from being too incredibly good, and what not (Potions/Spell Component Pouches preventing you the use of equipment, giving a time penalty on the obstacle course, etc.), but it might very well have been the best session of our year long campaign. Be warned, though -- unless you can think of something clever or have particularly unique enemies, you may find that the wrestling and arena-battle sequences are the LEAST interesting of them all. That sounds great. Maybe I can have him read a flier in town about the "upcoming"? Alabaster Cup. Then, he spends his free time in town training. (thus, character developement, tadah!) And the fight WILL be interesting. At an early point in our party's history, a friend of mine was the DM, and I was the Star Wars RPG GM. So now I'm DM, and we haven't started back Star Wars yet. So he's going to wrestle a Wookiee. :) (even funnier, because we started the campaign with 4 "starter missions" that were completely different, so when we played together for the first time, the party had each earned some EXP and had a background that threw them together for the mission, kinda cool, because the "Monk" player was first trying to gaurd a Wookie Senator, then helping him chase down a handful of baddies; oh the irony)