How to Run Basic Battlegames

Here are some basic battle games for a new park (of course we still use them in our old parks…) These can be varied for fun. I have defined each as class or not class, a class meaning a full class battelgame and not class meaning no classes, armor or projectiles. The important thing to remember is to be clear in game definition, flexible in conflict and try to not powerhouse one side (nobody likes being shattered in 1 minute a life). Have fun!

Flag battles: (class) Divide populace into teams and give each team a flag. The teams fight each other for the flags until someone is delcared a winner. To win a team must capture the other team’s flag and hold it for 15 minutes or 3 attacks. These are basic requirements and can be varied. A stationary flag battle requires that the team flag stay at the base (which is declared at the beginning of the game). When the opponant’s flag is captured it must be brought back to the base. The clock stops when a flag is moved, and the clock starts when there are two flags at a bas. This can be varied for more than two teams also.

Mutual annihilation: (class)Populace is divided into teams and fight it out until one team is shattered.

Fox across the river: (not class) An alley is drawn across the field (the bigger the alley, the harder the game, recommend start with 50ft). One person is chosen to be the fox. The fox stands in the alley, or "river", and the rest of the populace stands on one side of the river. When the fox yells "fox across the river" the object of the populace is to run across the river without getting killed. Anybody that the fox kills becomes a fox the next round, until everybody is in the river. Last man standing wins.

Trench or Ditch battles: (not class) Populace is divided into two teams and line up opposite each other on a field. The two teams fight until one team is annihilated (the losing team). The first person to die on the winning team then joins the losing team and the battle begins again. Sometimes the sides get really lopsided on these, but eventually they even out ok.

Monster hunts: (class) Pick a monster that your park has the class abilities to deal with. If your populace is larger, you may need multiple monsters. Then yell lay-on and its the populace vs. the monster until somebody is shattered. Its very important for the monster to have a sense of humor.

Castle battles: (class or not class) Divide into two teams, defending and attacking. You will need to construct some semblance of a castle. Leave a space for the drawbridge (where most of the fighting will be done). You can use hay bays, ropes around trees or whatever else is safe and works. The defending team is inside the castle and the attacking is outside. Lay down rules on castle walls ahead of time- no casting through them, fighting though them or projectiles through them. If your using something that permits you can make provisions for destroying castle walls. Start with the drawbridge down and let the teams fight until the attackers are killed or the castle is taken. You can define taken as a flag or just overrun. When your done you can switch off teams and let the attackers defend.

Chasm battles: (not class) Lay out two "planks" with rope appropriate to the number of people playing (I’d keep it under 10 a team). A very approximate guess would be 4’ x 10’. They should be divided by about 5’ (enough that you can jump across, but not without effort). The teams divide up onto the planks so that they are at opposite ends and half of each team is on each plank. The two teams then fight until one teams is killed. The idea is that there are two planks over a chasm. Jumping between planks is allowed but if you miss the planks, you die; this includes stepping off into nothing. Note: you can try these with classes, but we have had little success, too much going on, not enough room…

Pirate Ship battles: (not class or class) Outline two large pirate ships with rope, the ships should be about 10’ apart and connected by two planks. Each team takes a ship and the object is to board your opponants ship. You can play this with flags or just mutual annihilation. Be sure to define ahead of time if the planks can be destroyed; the ships cannot be destroyed. We occasionally play this with some classes variations include, allowing one or two people per side the heal spell, allowing archery, allowing classes w/spell bolts only - no range magic, allowing everything but mass magics (Very Chaotic).