Enter the Saurodrome (Glåugust)
Tackling Glåugust 2025 with a miscellaneous tidbit for my Antarctic Adventure Jam entry. Prompt: "Fantasy races (like, NASCAR)".
First was the noise. A roar of boisterous chatter, intermixed with shrill bagpipes and the eerie keening of raptors. Then the smell: sweaty, agitated bodies, reptile dung, and meat, the latter exhibiting a stomach-turning range of freshness.
The slaver ripped off Sadak's blindfold, and for a moment he blinked stupidly in the light of the low-hanging sun. Gradually, the aching amber radiance resolved into a vast triangular arena, stands packed with voluminously-attired Knorth Zurthines. On the dusty racetrack below, muscular, feathered beasts bucked against straining tethers, snapping gore-encrusted fangs at whip-wielding tamers.
"Limber up, jockey", grunted the slaver. "You're next."
- From Betrayal in Ix-Balaqta by Joseph Schmierdorf
The city of Xoth'umbra (28-307) in Zurth's Tetrapolis is famed for its Saurodrome, where deadly races are held every summer to placate SOL.
The rules of a velociraptor race are simple: contestants (typically 6-10) begin along equally-spaced intervals within the arena. Each rider (prisoner or slave) sits astride a single velociraptor (but on high holy days or when celebrating a victory teams of 2-3 raptors may pull chariots upon which heavy crossbows are mounted). At the ringing of a gong, racers goad their mounts into a sprint. Rival racers may be attacked only when overtaken from behind. The use of sorcery & witchcraft is strictly forbidden. The last surviving racer wins a victory parade, freedom, their raptor mount, & 5,555gp.
Rules with which one might simulate this type of event:
Currently untested, this is more-or-less what I'd come up with on the fly to simulate this kind of event in an OD&D game. It's a bit overwrought, but I envision one of these races being the centerpiece of a session.
Velociraptor: AC as Chain, 3+3 HD, move 18"
- Before the race:
- Use 2d6 to determine the stamina of each raptor. PC jockeys with DEX > 14 add +1 to this value. Those with a pre-existing relationship to the mount add from +1 to +3 per the Referee's judgement.
- Randomly determine the positioning of racers. The course is cyclical, so each racer will have an opponent ahead and an opponent behind.
- NPC jockeys have a 2-in-6 chance of being Veterans (1+1 HD), otherwise are typical 1 HD humans.
- For each turn of the race, all riders simultaneously test their mount's stamina by rolling 1d12 & adding the raptor's stamina. Each result is compared to that of the racer positioned ahead & behind.
- Each stamina roll greater than that of the rider positioned ahead allows the pursuing rider and raptor to each make a single attack roll targeting either raptor or rider. Since a single turn may have multiple riders qualifying to attack, attacks are resolved in order of Raptor stamina. Each successful hit reduces Raptor stamina by 1 regardless of damage.
- Whenever a raptor attacks another raptor, each rolls (2-in-6 chance) to cease racing and fight to the death. When this happens, every other racer can choose to attack any stopped raptor/rider (in lieu of attacking the rider ahead).
- This chance is reduced by 1-in-6 for CHA > 14 or for a pre-existing relationship. It increases by 1-in-6 for CHA < 5.
- If only one raptor stops, it resumes racing at the start of the following turn, taking a random position in the race order.
- Whenever a raptor attacks another raptor, each rolls (2-in-6 chance) to cease racing and fight to the death. When this happens, every other racer can choose to attack any stopped raptor/rider (in lieu of attacking the rider ahead).
- After attacks are resolved, riders who attempted an attack may choose to pass the rider ahead of them. These positioning changes are resolved in order of Raptor stamina. A successful roll lets one overtake one rider regardless of current positioning, but only one rider may be passed at one time.
- If three riders A, B, and C are positioned such that C is behind B is behind A, B has the highest stamina, C the second-highest, and A the lowest, & B overtakes A but C overtakes B, then begin with B deciding whether to overtake A. If they do so, then C is up next. Since C rolled successfully to overtake B with the old positioning, they can choose to overtake A. But they can't overtake A & B. The resulting order would thus by B in the lead, followed by C, followed by A.
- Special case: if a rider both made an attack & was subjected to an attack (i.e. they overtook the rider ahead & were overtaken), they must choose to pass the raptor ahead of them or face a second attack from their pursuer.
- At the end of a turn, stamina for all Raptors is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 0. (But attacks may reduce stamina below 0).
- Each stamina roll greater than that of the rider positioned ahead allows the pursuing rider and raptor to each make a single attack roll targeting either raptor or rider. Since a single turn may have multiple riders qualifying to attack, attacks are resolved in order of Raptor stamina. Each successful hit reduces Raptor stamina by 1 regardless of damage.
- Additional notes:
- If a rider is killed, their raptor gains +4 stamina and continues to participate in the race. Raptors that 'win' a race without a rider are slaughtered & burned at the temple to SOL.
- Raptors always attack other raptors when given the opportunity.