I figure the lavishness and excess of high-born feudal age nobility would be summed up well in a grand ball. Gifts, talks, music, etc. Nobles didn't just farm peasants and stab each other.
I've always wanted a kind of gambling game in Battlemaster, and this seems like the ideal form. I figure that reciprocal gifts in medieval society swayed public opinion quite a bit, so a kind of "blind gift bet" can be made at social functions. Wager honor/prestige with another character and if one character's gift far surpasses the other, they are demeaned in the public's eye and you gain a portion of their h/p.
The point would be to aim your gift just under your competitors. You offer 200, they offer 230, you gain 30 gold and no one loses h/p. You offer 100, they offer 200, you've got 100 gold but you lose h/p (and they gain).
I figure it would also be neat to give some of the other skillsets a chance for tournaments, too. Debates, speeches, and games were not uncommon. A kind of oratory/courtier/trader tournament could be included with some prizes.
Pros
-Good avenue for RP
-Offers less battle-centric characters a tournament/event.
Cons
-Potential abuse if players coordinate to exchange gold for h/p in the reciprocal-gift game.
