Fairs are great places to start a campaign or individual adventure.

The usual fare…

1. Jugglers
2. Apprentices doing cantrip magic
3. Dancing bears
4. Plays and puppet shows
5. Food booths
6. Recipe & eating contests

Carnival Games & Contests

The heroes can play carnival games, such as rolling a ball down a slope at a target, trying to catch a greased piglet in a pen, arm wrestling, chasing a wheel of cheese down a steep hill, bobbing for apples.

Roll 1d3 to determine how good they are the game (the roll becomes their bonus). Then roll a d20 check against difficulty 20 with the bonus. On a natural 1, your attempt is so poor (or you’re beaten so badly) that you’re humiliated and must stop.

Each attempt costs 1 sp against winning some minor prize.

A game of football is something like a brawl while kicking the ball to either end of a field. Roll 1d6 for each side; higher roll gets control of the ball. Roll 1d12 to determine which player has the ball; 11 or 12 is the the hero. Roll 1d20 for the attack against AC 10; on a hit, the player rolls 1d6 hp damage. Most players have 6 hp. If you reduce a player to 0 hp, you get a kick on goal; roll an attack against AC 16 to score. Players with 0 hp are replaced to allow them to attend their injuries.

Wrestling is also a common contest.

More unusual…

1. A troupe of actors reenacts legendary events that led to the loss of a treasure.
2. There is a public mummy unwrapping.
3. The sheriff reads a writ of outlawry against a criminal or band of adventurers.
4. An outlaw is executed.
5. A live monster is displayed in a cage.
6. A dead monster is displayed for viewing.
7. A duel is fought.
8. A skirmish tournament is fought.
9. A jousting tournament is held.
10. An archery tournament is held.
11. A fortune teller tells a hero about his or her future.
12. A fortune teller has a sudden vision.