Over the Hurdles

Over the Hurdles was a dice-and-board game popular in northwest Faerûn, circa the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR. Two to ten players sat around a table and took turns rolling dice to advance their token to the next space on the board. Betting was common on individual rolls of the dice, the outcome of the game, and many other conditions generally governed by chance. The game was offered at the Roaring Dragon House gambling hall, located just outside Waterdeep.

Set-Up
This game was played with a pair of six-sided dice and a board marked with squares in a "course" that indicated progress from start to finish. The first square was called the "Stables" and the last square was known variously as "Glory" or "Home Again". Each player had a token of some sort—a pebble, bone, or carved wooden figure—and it began the game in the Stables. Players determined turn order by high roll, second–high roll, and so on, re-rolling to break ties. The players then arranged themselves around the table so the dice could be passed to the next player on the left.

For casual games, the board was drawn on a cloth that could be spread over a convenient table. In fancy gambling houses, special tables with the course permanently marked or inlaid on the surface were used. Dice rolling was done in a long, triangular chute or trough with a blunted point upon which the dice impacted. This trough was made from wood and surfaced with leather.