Misc

Jousting

Jousting is a contest between two riders, played a pass at a time. One of you strikes and the other guards, and you trade places every pass. The striker steers a lance tip across the other rider; the guard moves a shield to meet it. A lance is always drawn toward the shield, and the further from it you hold the tip the harder it fights you, so an open strike has to be earned. Where the lance lands and how far it was from the shield when the riders met decide how much it takes off the other rider's Seat. Empty it and they are unhorsed, which is a round; the first to three rounds wins. The skill itself steadies your lance against the horse under it, makes it answer your hand sooner, eases the drag toward the shield, and quickens your own shield.

How you train it Stand in any town and type /joust for a practice match against the lists' own knight, or right-click another player there and choose Joust Challenge (or type /joust and their name). Every pass you actually ride is one chance to gain, whether you struck or guarded in it and however it went; a pass you sat out teaches nothing. In Britain the match is ridden on the lists for the whole town to watch. If they are taken, or you are in another town, you are shown to the tourney field and brought back afterwards. Every point of damage your lance does, to a player or to the practice knight, counts toward the season's Jousting leaderboard. Whoever stands highest on it of all those sworn to a town is that town's Sir or Dame, a title to wear for as long as nobody sworn to the same town passes them.

What you need Nothing. The lists will lend you a lance and a shield. But a borrowed one never improves: a Jousting Lance, turned by a carpenter, and a Jousting Shield, beaten by a smith, are yours for good and learn as you ride with them, up to level 20. A practised lance hits harder and is drawn less to the shield; a practised shield covers more and moves faster. Neither is equipped: owning one is enough.

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