RPM:Rules/Code Duello

🎲 DM: This was used once and is unlikely to be used again.

Code Duello Modified from jousting rules found in Knights of Invasion

Codes duello regulates dueling and thus helps to prevent vendettas between families and other social factions. They ensure that non-violent means of reaching agreement be exhausted and that harm be reduced, both by limiting the terms of engagement and by providing medical care. Finally, they ensure that the proceedings have a number of witnesses. The witnesses could assure grieving members of factions of the fairness of the duel, and could help provide testimony if legal authorities become involved.

You and your opponent face off against each other. The challenged person gets to choose the weapon (usually swords, sometimes fists or pistols) while the challenger gets to choose the location. Once the duel commences it continues until one opponent is taken out.

Duels are a series of exchanges using Weapons or Fight, depending on the weapon chosen. Each exchange the skill is rolled. Starting with whoever got the lower result, each person must then split the result between attack and defense. After both people declare their split, relevant stunts and invokes may be used to improve attack and defense, though each such bonus can only improve attack or defense, not both.

The Baron lunges at Sir Rupert and rolls, getting a Superb (+5) result, while Sir Rupert gets a Good (+3) result. Rupert decides to go all-out to deal some stress to the Baron, so he makes his attack Good (+3) and his defense Mediocre (+0). The Baron allocates four shifts to his attack, making it Great (+4) and leaving his defense at Average (+1). The Baron must absorb two shifts with stress or consequences, while Sir Rupert must absorb four.

After each exchange, a person may attempt to create an advantage, but this is a risky strategy. Failure means distraction during the next exchange, so the entire roll must be allocated to either attack or defense, leaving the other at Mediocre (+0).

After the first exchange, the Baron flashes back to learning how to fence with a cutlass in an attempt to get a free invoke on his Technically Wasn’t a Pirate aspect. As there’s no real way for his rival to oppose this, the Baron rolls against Average (+1) opposition.

Being taken out during an exchange usually means that you’ve suffered injuries which satisfy the honor of the challenge. Duels rarely lead to serious injuries, but there can be duels to the death.

Review

Not inclined to use these rules again, despite feeling right for a duel. Having an extended conflict between a single player and NPC left the rest of the players bored, despite a device to try and keep them engaged (prompts for flashbacks). --Wizardoest (Talk) 07:58, 3 August 2017 (PDT)