Looking for a fun way to introduce new players to Dungeons & Dragons? A fantasy carnival lets players learn about ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws with challenging contests and games.
Archery and Weapon Throwing Competition
Make ranged attacks against moving targets to earn prizes.
- 1 gp to compete
You have three shots. For each shot, choose your target and make a ranged attack roll against that target’s AC. You win a prize if you hit the target.
- Slow Target. AC 10, plush toy prize
- Medium Target. AC 12, 1 gp prize
- Fast Target. AC 15, 5 gp prize
Bullseye. If your ranged attack hits with a roll of 20 or higher, you bullseye the target and win a special prize: a Potion of Greater Healing.
Bekster’s Brain Busters
A red tiefling challenges your mind power. If you win one of his contests, he awards you 5 gp. If you fail, he steals one of your earliest memories and you take 1d4 Psychic damage.
- Guess the Plane. Bekster projects images of another plane of existence into your mind and challenges you guess which plane it is. Make a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
- Who Am I? Bekster tells you three facts about a historical figure and challenges you to guess their identity. Make a DC 10 Intelligence (History) check.
- Helix Cube. Solve a complicated mechanical puzzle in less than a minute. Make a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Catch the Blink Dog
Catch a teleporting blink dog to win a prize.
- 5 gp to compete
- 1 Potion of Animal Friendship if you win
A playful blink dog puppy hides in a 50 foot square pen filled with vegetation. To catch it, you must complete 3 steps.
- Make a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check to spot the dog.
- Make a successful Unarmed Strike against the dog (AC 13) to grab it.
- Make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) roll versus the dog’s Dexterity +3 roll. If you roll higher, you catch the blink dog and win the prize. If you fail, the dog teleports away and you must go back to step 1.
You get 3 attempts to catch the blink dog.
Dead Man’s Bluff
Compete in a card game where players try to deduce who is holding the Skull card.
- 1 gp to compete
- 5 gp prize if you win
You have three competitors. For each competitor, roll 1d20. If the roll is 10 or higher, you make a Charisma (Deception) roll versus the competitor’s Charisma (Insight) roll. If the roll is 9 or lower, you make a Charisma (Insight) roll versus the competitor’s Charisma (Deception) roll.
You win if you beat at least two competitors.
- Snikkity Snick the Satyr. +2 Charisma (Deception), +1 Charisma (Insight)
- Abigail the Green Hag. +1 Charisma (Deception), +2 Charisma (Insight)
- Big Joe the Hobgoblin. +1 Charisma (Deception), +1 Charisma (Insight)
Greased Orc Wrestling
Spectators pay to watch competitors attempt to defeat Flabio the Fabulous, a chubby but muscular orc who is slathered in body oil.
- 5 sp to be in the audience
- Free to enter if you wrestle Flabio
- 10 gp prize if you defeat Flabio
Make 3 Strength (Athletics) rolls versus Flabio’s +2 Strength (Athletics) rolls. If you roll higher at least 2 times, you win the wrestling match.
The Great Frog Race
Racers ride giant frogs around a swampy course.
- 1 gp to compete
- 10 gp prize if you win
You start with 3 points. Make 3 Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks. If you succeed a check, you gain points. If you fail, you lose points. If you roll a natural 1, you fall off your frog and take 1d6 Bludgeoning damage.
- Log Hop. DC 8. Worth 1 point
- Puddle Swim. DC 10. Worth 2 points
- Straightaway. DC 12. Worth 3 points
If you finish the race with 5 or more points, you win.
Hide and Seek
Sneak past guards and find a hidden key to escape a trapped room.
- 1 gp to compete
- 20 gp prize if you win
You must succeed in all five challenges to win.
- Make a successful DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide from Guard 1.
- Make a successful DC 12 Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide from Guard 2.
- Make a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check to find a hidden trap.
- Make a Dexterity (Stealth) roll that is higher than Guard 3’s +2 Wisdom (Perception) roll.
- Make a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check to find a hidden key.
The Martial Melee
Try your hand at combat using nonlethal weapons.
- 1 gp to compete
- The prize varies by competitor.
Choose a competitor and roll for Initiative. You and your competitor make melee weapon attacks with your weapons of choice against each other, dealing nonlethal damage until one of you is reduced to 0 hit points and loses the match.
- Durgan Kreel. Dwarf. 5 gp prize. Initiative -1, AC 13, HP 12 Battleaxe +2 to hit, 1d8+2 Slashing damage
- Halbreth Bitterleaf. Elf. 10 gp prize. Initiative +1, AC 14, HP 14 Longsword +2 to hit, 1d8+2 Slashing damage
- Sigma Va’ratha. Dragonborn. 20 gp prize. Initiative +2, AC 16, HP 20 Greatsword +3 to hit, 2d6+3 Slashing damage
The Minotaur’s Maze
You are teleported to the center of a maze and must escape before the minotaur finds you.
- 1 gp to compete
- 10 gp prize if you win
Make 3 DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) checks. On each success, you get closer to the exit. If you have three successes before you have three failures, you exit the maze and win.
If you have three failures before three successes, the minotaur finds you and ejects you from the maze with a friendly “Better luck next time.”
Mushroom Eating Contest
Each as many magic mushrooms as you can in 30 seconds (5 rounds) to win prizes.
- 1 gp to compete
- Various prizes
At the start of each round, roll 1d6 to determine which mushroom you must eat. If you fail a save, you can decide whether or not to stay in the contest.
- Death’s Head. Make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. If you fail, you take 1d6 Poison damage and have the Poisoned condition for 1 hour.
- Violet Shroom. Make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. If you fail, you take 1d6 Necrotic damage and your skin and hair turn bright purple for 24 hours.
- Shrieker. Make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. If you fail, you take 1d4 Thunder damage and have the Deafened condition for 5 minutes.
- Brain Cap. Make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you fail, you take 1d4 Psychic damage and have Disadvantage on Wisdom checks and saves for 10 minutes.
- Mellow Melter. Make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you fail, you have Disadvantage on Strength checks and saves for 5 minutes.
- Buttshroom. Make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you fail, you vomit but suffer no other effects.
For each mushroom you eat and succeed on the saving throw, you gain 1 point. Prizes are awarded according to points.
- 0 to 2 points: no prize
- 3 points: 10 gp
- 4 points: 1 Potion of Healing
- 5 points: 1 Elixir of Health
Satyr Rap Battle
Test your wits and rhymes against a trio of hip-hop satyrs.
- 1 gp to compete
- 10 gp prize if you win
Make a Charisma (Performance) roll versus each of the rapper’s Charisma (Performance) rolls. If you roll higher at least 2 times, you win the rap battle.
- Goatzart. +1 Charisma (Performance)
- Billy Vanilli. +2 Charisma (Performance)
- Baaaad Boy. +3 Charisma (Performance)
“Slime Out” Obstacle Course
A pair of goblins provide rude commentary while contestants navigate an obstacle course suspended over a pool of green slime.
- 1 gp to compete
- 15 gp prize if you win
Make 3 Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks. If you fail a check, you fall into the toxic green slime and take 1d6 Acid damage. You must succeed in all five challenges to win.
- Monkey Bars. DC 8
- Narrow Beam. DC 10
- Spinning Platform. DC 12
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