The destruction of objects (breaking dishes, chopping down a tree, taking a tire iron to a fender) seems like a valid option for barbarians and other berserkers to work out their rage. On a related note, a scene I have always wanted to GM is a good ol’ fashioned food fight in a tavern. Unfortunately, even if the party is disarmed, monks, rouges, and spell slingers quickly start upping the ante.
Perhaps a royal banquet, where such a activity is party of the festivities. Perhaps even a prize for the person that emerges from the ball room with the least food on them. My standard rules for impromptu weapons (such as plates of food or a drum stick) are:
- Base penalty of -4 (for non-proficiency). (I also use a feat which allows a reduction in this penalty across the board, unconventional weapons and traditional weapons/exotic weapons alike. The feat can be taken twice, each time reducing the penalty by one for any use of otherwise untrained weapons)
- In this food fight scenario, treat all attacks a touch attacks. (Pudding on your breastplate is just embarrassing as pudding on your shirt.)
- Depending on the fight either no damage is inflicted or non-lethal damage (if plates and mugs are being thrown as well.) (By the way, I am not sure if this rule is in the text anywhere or not, but I usually play that if you score a “critical hit” while using non-lethal attacks, you can choose to take the critical modifier or inflict lethal damage instead.)
- Range is also highly dependant on what is being thrown. A splashed mug of ale would have a very short maximum range (say 10 feet) but has area effect spray a few feet long at least. Solid food would go further, while plates and saucers further yet.
Here is a great resource for medieval food:
Medieval and Renaissance Food Homepage (http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/food.html)
