Noodling/Musketeers RPG - Revision history

Inky: /* Combat Moves */

2016-05-30T23:37:12Z

Combat Moves

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:37, 30 May 2016
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	* When you pull a hidden weapon, roll stealth: ...		* When you pull a hidden weapon, roll stealth: ...
	* When you slip to a new position, roll athletics: ...		* When you slip to a new position, roll athletics: ...
			* When you do a flashy move to intimidate your opponents, roll command: ...

	I note nothing here is using weapons as a skill - not sure if that's an issue.		I note nothing here is using weapons as a skill - not sure if that's an issue.

Inky: /* Combat Moves */

2016-05-24T04:20:40Z

Combat Moves

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:20, 24 May 2016
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	* When you launch an attack from an unexpected angle, roll athletics: ... (this is hopping up on a chair and attacking them from above, or doing a tumbling roll and then attacking)		* When you launch an attack from an unexpected angle, roll athletics: ... (this is hopping up on a chair and attacking them from above, or doing a tumbling roll and then attacking)
	* When you fight defensively as you look for weaknesses in your opponent's style, roll resolve: ...		* When you fight defensively as you look for weaknesses in your opponent's style, roll resolve: ...
	* When you fiercely press the attack, roll brawn: ...		* When you fiercely attack your opponent with no thought of defense, roll brawn: ...
			* When you press the attack to force your opponent back, roll brawn: ...
	* When you lure your opponent into a trap, roll stealth: ...		* When you lure your opponent into a trap, roll stealth: ...
	* When you make yourself known by riding something into combat, roll athletics: ... (needs better phrasing, but this is for swinging in on a rope, riding a mine cart, etc)		* When you make yourself known by riding something into combat, roll athletics: ... (needs better phrasing, but this is for swinging in on a rope, riding a mine cart, etc)
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	* When you slip to a new position, roll athletics: ...		* When you slip to a new position, roll athletics: ...

	I note nothing here is using weapons as a skill - not sure if that's an issue.		I note nothing here is using weapons as a skill - not sure if that's an issue.

	===Intentional Handicaps===		===Intentional Handicaps===
	You can earn a little extra honor by giving yourself an intentional handicap in a duel (fighting left-handed when you're not left-handed, say).		You can earn a little extra honor by giving yourself an intentional handicap in a duel (fighting left-handed when you're not left-handed, say).

Inky: /* Combat */

2016-05-12T19:23:39Z

Combat

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:23, 12 May 2016
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	(Environmental actions can also do some other stuff, like let you move around the battlefield or whatever - I think it's best to say that there you roll your regular skill, but with some bonus from it being an environmental action)		(Environmental actions can also do some other stuff, like let you move around the battlefield or whatever - I think it's best to say that there you roll your regular skill, but with some bonus from it being an environmental action)
			===Combat Moves===
			[http://story-games.com/forums/discussion/20617/problems-with-assets-advantages This story-games thread] makes me think it might be useful to have a set of codified apocalypse world moves for dueling stuff, as opposed to a system where you get a generic boost/situation aspect/advantage like in standard FATE/D&D 5e. This section is a little in opposition to the earlier sections about techniques and environmental stuff - presumably it'd all be unified somehow. Anyway, some moves:
			* When you distract your opponent before launching a sudden attack, roll reflexes: ... (this is throwing a cloak at them, or kicking something up from the floor, or saying "look over there!")
			* When you launch an attack from an unexpected angle, roll athletics: ... (this is hopping up on a chair and attacking them from above, or doing a tumbling roll and then attacking)
			* When you fight defensively as you look for weaknesses in your opponent's style, roll resolve: ...
			* When you fiercely press the attack, roll brawn: ...
			* When you lure your opponent into a trap, roll stealth: ...
			* When you make yourself known by riding something into combat, roll athletics: ... (needs better phrasing, but this is for swinging in on a rope, riding a mine cart, etc)
			* When you pull a hidden weapon, roll stealth: ...
			* When you slip to a new position, roll athletics: ...

			I note nothing here is using weapons as a skill - not sure if that's an issue.
	===Intentional Handicaps===		===Intentional Handicaps===
	You can earn a little extra honor by giving yourself an intentional handicap in a duel (fighting left-handed when you're not left-handed, say).		You can earn a little extra honor by giving yourself an intentional handicap in a duel (fighting left-handed when you're not left-handed, say).
	===Injuries and Healing===		===Injuries and Healing===
	It has to be possible to fight duels where people are hurt enough to have to quit, but it also has to be the case that duelists aren't being killed all the time, or you need a constant influx of new duelists. The Three Musketeers seems to have the basic principle that any wound that doesn't kill you immediately can be treated, and within a couple days you'll be good as new with the proper care. This ~~might be~~ more ~~the case with~~ dueling ~~swords than with~~, ~~like~~, ~~muskets~~.		It has to be possible to fight duels where people are hurt enough to have to quit, but it also has to be the case that duelists aren't being killed all the time, or you need a constant influx of new duelists. The Three Musketeers seems to have the basic principle that any wound that doesn't kill you immediately can be treated, and within a couple days you'll be good as new with the proper care. This seems to apply to any weapon - a musket is more likely to kill you than a dueling sword, but if the hit doesn't kill you, you seem to recover fine.
	===References===		===References===
	* Princess Bride's Chatty Duel is clearly a formal duel but has a certain amount of non-swordplay allowed; not clear if this is a breach of the rules or just a description of them		* Princess Bride's Chatty Duel is clearly a formal duel but has a certain amount of non-swordplay allowed; not clear if this is a breach of the rules or just a description of them

Inky at 04:25, 20 April 2016

2016-04-20T04:25:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:25, 20 April 2016
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	Random bits for a musketeers thing:		Random bits for a musketeers thing:

	==Honor==		==Statistics==
			===Honor===
	Characters all have an honor score. Perhaps 'respect' or 'repute' is a better name for this, since it doesn't imply "lawful good" behavior, and it basically only matters wrt what's public knowledge. Honor is the implied goal of the game - it may even translate directly into xp (alternately, the game uses a key system and the PCs by default have the Key of Honor, or some combination of keys that add up to this). Rough tenets are like:		Characters all have an honor score. Perhaps 'respect' or 'repute' is a better name for this, since it doesn't imply "lawful good" behavior, and it basically only matters wrt what's public knowledge. Honor is the implied goal of the game - it may even translate directly into xp (alternately, the game uses a key system and the PCs by default have the Key of Honor, or some combination of keys that add up to this). Rough tenets are like:
	* Don't abuse your position wrt social inferiors		* Don't abuse your position wrt social inferiors
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	* Show good taste and manners		* Show good taste and manners
	Note that in particular lying isn't a problem, and it's possible that two people can oppose each other stridently but both behave honorably. It is conceivable there might be different codes of honor depending on your group.		Note that in particular lying isn't a problem, and it's possible that two people can oppose each other stridently but both behave honorably. It is conceivable there might be different codes of honor depending on your group.
			===Money===
			Money is a big deal but the exact kind of big deal it is depends on your social class etc. If you're mercenary-class, then you tend to gain money from patrons or mistresses, or rewards from social superiors, or occasionally prizes in war or being actually hired as a mercenary. You spend it on stuff like a fancy horse or maybe a sword, or nice lodgings or clothing or whatever, or drinks for your buddies, or blow it gambling (this probably exchanges money for honor). When you're dead broke you sell off your fancy outfits, move to shadier lodging and drink worse-quality drinks, and maybe grovel to or flatter people you'd rather not grovel to (this exchanges honor for money). If you're noble-class, then you always have enough personal funds for stuff, but you have an estate whose fortunes wax and wane. You can be tied up in farming and dependent on agricultural returns, or invest primarily in other stuff and have to deal with that. There are some minor losses of honor if your estate gets too in debt, and minor gains if you keep it up well, but mostly it doesn't affect honor. You might get involved in stuff that affects honor depending on what your estate's invested in, though.
	===References===		===References===
	* The Three Musketeers (obviously) - note all the stuff that is apparently permitted by their honor codes		* The Three Musketeers (obviously) - note all the stuff that is apparently permitted by their honor codes; also a bunch of good stuff about money and how people get it
	* The Phoenix Guards - some argument for different people having different codes		* The Phoenix Guards - some argument for different people having different honor codes
			* Count of Monte Cristo is also a good reference for money

	==Combat==		==Combat==
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	* Three Musketeers has d'Artagnan explicitly get a recipe from his mother for a healing potion with the above-mentioned properties, but other characters seem to have similar recovery without it. Also, it seems pretty routine to stab a guy and then leave him on the porch of a nunnery for the nuns to patch him up.		* Three Musketeers has d'Artagnan explicitly get a recipe from his mother for a healing potion with the above-mentioned properties, but other characters seem to have similar recovery without it. Also, it seems pretty routine to stab a guy and then leave him on the porch of a nunnery for the nuns to patch him up.

	==~~Money~~==		==Setting==
	~~Money is a big deal but~~ the ~~exact kind of big deal it~~ is ~~depends on your social class etc. If you're mercenary-class, then you tend to gain money from patrons or mistresses, or rewards from social superiors, or occasionally prizes~~ in ~~war or being actually hired as~~ a ~~mercenary. You spend it on stuff like a fancy horse or maybe a sword~~, ~~or nice lodgings or clothing or whatever, or drinks for your buddies, or blow it gambling (this probably exchanges money for honor). When you~~'re ~~dead broke you sell off your fancy outfits~~, ~~move~~ to ~~shadier lodging and drink worse-quality drinks, and maybe grovel to or flatter people you'd rather not grovel to (this exchanges honor for money)~~. ~~If you're noble~~-~~class, then you always~~ have ~~enough personal funds for stuff,~~ but ~~you have an estate whose fortunes wax and wane. You~~ can be ~~tied up in farming and dependent on agricultural returns, or invest primarily in other stuff and have to deal with that~~. ~~There are some minor losses~~ of ~~honor if your estate gets too in debt, and minor gains if you keep it up well~~, but ~~mostly it doesn~~'~~t affect honor. You might get involved~~ in ~~stuff that affects honor depending on what your estate's invested~~ in~~, though~~.		===Premise===
	===~~References~~===		I think the main things to figure out here are why so much dueling and stuff is happening in a small area, and what the characters do when they're not dueling, if they have enough leisure time to be duelists. Presumably making them city guards is one solution - they have freedom to poke around but can also be given various missions. Another take might be a bunch of feuding groups, maybe city-states - but they'd probably feud in a war way and not in an individual duelist way.
	* Three Muskeeters has a bunch of good stuff about money		===War===
	* Count of Monte Cristo is also a good reference here

	~~==War~~==
	Sometimes you have to go to war. This is a chance to make money and distinguish yourself, get awarded a noble title, and accumulate career-ending injuries. It can be kind of annoying for social stuff you're trying to get done since everyone will be out of town.		Sometimes you have to go to war. This is a chance to make money and distinguish yourself, get awarded a noble title, and accumulate career-ending injuries. It can be kind of annoying for social stuff you're trying to get done since everyone will be out of town.
	=~~==References===~~		===Patronage, Politics, Conspiracies===
	* Three Musketeers has some war stuff, I believe

	==Patronage, Politics, Conspiracies==
	Part of the standard setting premise seems to be an empire with a set of traits, as follows:		Part of the standard setting premise seems to be an empire with a set of traits, as follows:
	* The emperor is prone to whims - the absence of a strong hand at the top means policies can shift around a fair amount on short notice		* The emperor is prone to whims - the absence of a strong hand at the top means policies can shift around a fair amount on short notice
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	This probably implies some kind of faction scoring (that is, different factions have honor scores of their own, and you can do various things by your action to adjust them - so you might want to become someone's patron in exchange for them working to give the faction you run more honor).		This probably implies some kind of faction scoring (that is, different factions have honor scores of their own, and you can do various things by your action to adjust them - so you might want to become someone's patron in exchange for them working to give the faction you run more honor).

	~~==Setting==~~
	I think the main things to figure out here are why so much dueling and stuff is happening in a small area, and what the characters do when they're not dueling, if they have enough leisure time to be duelists. Presumably making them city guards is one solution - they have freedom to poke around but can also be given various missions. Another take might be a bunch of feuding groups, maybe city-states - but they'd probably feud in a war way and not in an individual duelist way.

	===References===		===References===
			* Three Muskeeters has some war stuff but it's not quite the right vibe - it's mostly just a change of scene
			* Aubrey/Maturin books might be better wrt war
	* Black Company		* Black Company
	* Conan		* Conan

Inky at 04:30, 18 April 2016

2016-04-18T04:30:34Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:30, 18 April 2016
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	===Intentional Handicaps===		===Intentional Handicaps===
	You can earn a little extra honor by giving yourself an intentional handicap in a duel (fighting left-handed when you're not left-handed, say).		You can earn a little extra honor by giving yourself an intentional handicap in a duel (fighting left-handed when you're not left-handed, say).
			===Injuries and Healing===
			It has to be possible to fight duels where people are hurt enough to have to quit, but it also has to be the case that duelists aren't being killed all the time, or you need a constant influx of new duelists. The Three Musketeers seems to have the basic principle that any wound that doesn't kill you immediately can be treated, and within a couple days you'll be good as new with the proper care. This might be more the case with dueling swords than with, like, muskets.
	===References===		===References===
	* Princess Bride's Chatty Duel is clearly a formal duel but has a certain amount of non-swordplay allowed; not clear if this is a breach of the rules or just a description of them		* Princess Bride's Chatty Duel is clearly a formal duel but has a certain amount of non-swordplay allowed; not clear if this is a breach of the rules or just a description of them
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	* The Phoenix Guards has a bunch of scenes of different kinds of fights		* The Phoenix Guards has a bunch of scenes of different kinds of fights
	* The Three Musketeers does too, although in fact the first fight seems to be a formal duel but nevertheless is a 5-on-4 scene that includes somebody tagging in mid-fight		* The Three Musketeers does too, although in fact the first fight seems to be a formal duel but nevertheless is a 5-on-4 scene that includes somebody tagging in mid-fight
			* Three Musketeers has d'Artagnan explicitly get a recipe from his mother for a healing potion with the above-mentioned properties, but other characters seem to have similar recovery without it. Also, it seems pretty routine to stab a guy and then leave him on the porch of a nunnery for the nuns to patch him up.

	==Money==		==Money==
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	===References===		===References===
	* Three Musketeers has some war stuff, I believe		* Three Musketeers has some war stuff, I believe

	~~==Injuries and Healing==~~
	It has to be possible to fight duels where people are hurt enough to have to quit, but it also has to be the case that duelists aren't being killed all the time, or you need a constant influx of new duelists. The Three Musketeers seems to have the basic principle that any wound that doesn't kill you immediately can be treated, and within a couple days you'll be good as new with the proper care. This might be more the case with dueling swords than with, like, muskets.
	~~===References===~~
	* Three Musketeers has d'Artagnan explicitly get a recipe from his mother for a healing potion with this property, but other characters seem to have similar recovery without it. Also, it seems pretty routine to stab a guy and then leave him on the porch of a nunnery for the nuns to patch him up.

	==Patronage, Politics, Conspiracies==		==Patronage, Politics, Conspiracies==

Inky: /* Environmental Interactions */

2016-04-18T04:29:16Z

Environmental Interactions

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:29, 18 April 2016
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	Roughly speaking, the desired balance is that against no-name opponents, environmental actions are slightly more effective than weapon attacks wrt damage and temporary conditions are usually not as good as damage. Against more serious opponents, environmental damage is less than weapon damage; conditions are useful but the bonus from stacking them usually makes it not worth it.		Roughly speaking, the desired balance is that against no-name opponents, environmental actions are slightly more effective than weapon attacks wrt damage and temporary conditions are usually not as good as damage. Against more serious opponents, environmental damage is less than weapon damage; conditions are useful but the bonus from stacking them usually makes it not worth it.

			(Environmental actions can also do some other stuff, like let you move around the battlefield or whatever - I think it's best to say that there you roll your regular skill, but with some bonus from it being an environmental action)

	===Intentional Handicaps===		===Intentional Handicaps===

Inky: /* Environmental Interactions */

2016-04-18T04:27:30Z

Environmental Interactions

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:27, 18 April 2016
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	You can switch from a formal duel "mode" to an informal one if you want at any time (even right before you declare your action). However, to switch from informal back to formal is more complicated and requires spending an action just switching.		You can switch from a formal duel "mode" to an informal one if you want at any time (even right before you declare your action). However, to switch from informal back to formal is more complicated and requires spending an action just switching.
	===Environmental Interactions===		===Environmental Interactions===
	In informal duels you don't get the base defense bonus (because instead of focusing on your opponent exclusively you're splitting your attention to the environment to spot opportunities there). Hence dueling techniques aren't generally useful. On the other hand, you're allowed to do other kinds of things.		In informal duels you don't get the base defense bonus (because instead of focusing on your opponent exclusively you're splitting your attention to the environment to spot opportunities there). Hence dueling techniques aren't generally useful. On the other hand, you're allowed to do other kinds of things. It's not clear how to "score" random stuff like hitting a guy with a leg of lamb or throwing wine in their eyes or dropping a chandelier on them. I think it's something like regardless of the action, you choose between damage or a temporary condition (blinded, stunned, entangled, etc). Success is determined by rolling some appropriate skill (or maybe part of the deal here is you always roll some fixed skill). There's a bonus to the roll if you've never done this particular action before (this adventure, anyway), and a penalty if you have - it's basically impossible to succeed at this kind of thing if you're repeating an environment action more than two or three times. You can also get a bonus spending some actions to set it up, but that's often not that useful.

			Roughly speaking, the desired balance is that against no-name opponents, environmental actions are slightly more effective than weapon attacks wrt damage and temporary conditions are usually not as good as damage. Against more serious opponents, environmental damage is less than weapon damage; conditions are useful but the bonus from stacking them usually makes it not worth it.

	===Intentional Handicaps===		===Intentional Handicaps===
	You can earn a little extra honor by giving yourself an intentional handicap in a duel (fighting left-handed when you're not left-handed, say).		You can earn a little extra honor by giving yourself an intentional handicap in a duel (fighting left-handed when you're not left-handed, say).

Inky: /* Combat */

2016-04-18T03:58:55Z

Combat

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:58, 17 April 2016
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	==Combat==		==Combat==
	===~~Formal and Informal~~===		===Types===
	There are two basic kinds of combat, formal duels and informal ~~"duels" (aka~~ fights ~~or scraps or whatever)~~. In the case of an informal ~~duel~~, it's anything goes and no honor is at stake, so it's fine to cut the rope to the chandelier or throw wine in their face or whatever, and it is fine to team up N-against-1 or whatever. On the other hand, in formal duels you're much more limited in what you're allowed to do, but contrariwise you can use some more advanced skills/techniques that aren't practical in informal settings. Furthermore, in formal duels you gain honor based on the stakes (for participating, maybe more for winning - definitely lose some for turning down the duel depending on situation). It's still possible to gain honor for an informal fight, but not just for the fact of fighting - but if you, say, are in a tavern and some of your buddies get into a fight, you gain honor for helping them out. I think it is probably possible to gain some honor if you treat a combat like a formal duel even if they are treating it like a fight. Also note that dueling is often illegal (formal; informal dueling is basically (attempted) murder, of course).		There are two basic kinds of combat, formal duels and informal fights. In the case of an informal fight, it's anything goes and no honor is at stake, so it's fine to cut the rope to the chandelier or throw wine in their face or whatever, and it is fine to team up N-against-1 or whatever. On the other hand, in formal duels you're much more limited in what you're allowed to do, but contrariwise you can use some more advanced skills/techniques that aren't practical in informal settings. Furthermore, in formal duels you gain honor based on the stakes (for participating, maybe more for winning - definitely lose some for turning down the duel depending on situation). It's still possible to gain honor for an informal fight, but not just for the fact of fighting - but if you, say, are in a tavern and some of your buddies get into a fight, you gain honor for helping them out. I think it is probably possible to gain some honor if you treat a combat like a formal duel even if they are treating it like a fight. Also note that dueling is often illegal (formal; informal dueling is basically (attempted) murder, of course).
	===Positioning===		===Positioning===
	When there is a team up, positioning yourself to limit the number of people who can attack you (by getting your back against a wall or tricking them into interfering with each other or whatever) is a big part of the duel since even fairly weak opponents can be dangerous when they outnumber you.		When there is a team up, positioning yourself to limit the number of people who can attack you (by getting your back against a wall or tricking them into interfering with each other or whatever) is a big part of the duel since even fairly weak opponents can be dangerous when they outnumber you.
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	In formal duels, everyone gets a relatively high base defense (depending on their skill level). If you're much more highly skilled than your opponent you can probably just blow through it, but otherwise you need to spend some time figuring out their style (which chips away at their defense). You maybe divide your successes (or skill dice?) between attacking and figuring out their style and hence can do both every round. The dueling techniques revolve around this - so like you can have Obscure Style that makes it harder to understand, or even Adaptive Style that lets your defense "heal" from being understood, or Flash of Insight that gives you some one-shot big knock against their defense, or Secondary Style that lets you switch to a new style, resetting stuff (but techniques apply to different styles separately). Note that named schools and techniques and so on are only part of this implicitly - they're basically color for the various rolls.		In formal duels, everyone gets a relatively high base defense (depending on their skill level). If you're much more highly skilled than your opponent you can probably just blow through it, but otherwise you need to spend some time figuring out their style (which chips away at their defense). You maybe divide your successes (or skill dice?) between attacking and figuring out their style and hence can do both every round. The dueling techniques revolve around this - so like you can have Obscure Style that makes it harder to understand, or even Adaptive Style that lets your defense "heal" from being understood, or Flash of Insight that gives you some one-shot big knock against their defense, or Secondary Style that lets you switch to a new style, resetting stuff (but techniques apply to different styles separately). Note that named schools and techniques and so on are only part of this implicitly - they're basically color for the various rolls.

	In informal duels you don't get the base defense bonus (because instead of focusing on your opponent exclusively you're splitting your attention to the environment to spot opportunities there). Hence dueling techniques aren't generally useful. On the other hand, you ~~get~~ a ~~bonus to environmental actions~~, ~~perhaps ?~~		In order to get this defense bonus, you're limited in what skills you can use - more or less just your weapon skill, your style observation skill (perhaps that's the general perception skill), and conversation skills.

			You can switch from a formal duel "mode" to an informal one if you want at any time (even right before you declare your action). However, to switch from informal back to formal is more complicated and requires spending an action just switching.
			===Environmental Interactions===
			In informal duels you don't get the base defense bonus (because instead of focusing on your opponent exclusively you're splitting your attention to the environment to spot opportunities there). Hence dueling techniques aren't generally useful. On the other hand, you're allowed to do other kinds of things.
			===Intentional Handicaps===
			You can earn a little extra honor by giving yourself an intentional handicap in a duel (fighting left-handed when you're not left-handed, say).
	===References===		===References===
	* Princess Bride's Chatty Duel is clearly a formal duel but has a certain amount of non-swordplay allowed; not clear if this is a breach of the rules or just a description of them		* Princess Bride's Chatty Duel is clearly a formal duel but has a certain amount of non-swordplay allowed; not clear if this is a breach of the rules or just a description of them

Inky at 04:10, 17 April 2016

2016-04-17T04:10:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:10, 17 April 2016
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	==Honor==		==Honor==
	Characters all have an honor score. Perhaps 'respect' or 'repute' is a better name for this, since it doesn't imply "lawful good" behavior, and it basically only matters wrt what's public knowledge. Rough tenets are like:		Characters all have an honor score. Perhaps 'respect' or 'repute' is a better name for this, since it doesn't imply "lawful good" behavior, and it basically only matters wrt what's public knowledge. Honor is the implied goal of the game - it may even translate directly into xp (alternately, the game uses a key system and the PCs by default have the Key of Honor, or some combination of keys that add up to this). Rough tenets are like:
	* Don't abuse your position wrt social inferiors		* Don't abuse your position wrt social inferiors
	* Act properly wrt social superiors		* Act properly wrt social superiors
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	* The Phoenix Guards - some argument for different people having different codes		* The Phoenix Guards - some argument for different people having different codes

	==~~Duels~~==		==Combat==
	There are two basic kinds of combat, formal duels and informal "duels" (aka fights or scraps or whatever). In the case of an informal duel, it's anything goes and no honor is at stake, so it's fine to cut the rope to the chandelier or throw wine in their face or whatever, and it is fine to team up N-against-1 or whatever. When there is a team up, positioning yourself to limit the number of people who can attack you (by hiding or taking cover or whatever) is a big part of the duel since even fairly weak opponents can be dangerous when they outnumber you. On the other hand, in formal duels you're much more limited in what you're allowed to do, but contrariwise you can use some more advanced skills/techniques that aren't practical in informal settings ~~(maybe positioning rolls break up whatever dueling setups you build)~~. Furthermore, in formal duels you gain honor based on the stakes (for participating, maybe more for winning - definitely lose some for turning down the duel depending on situation). It's still possible to gain honor for an informal fight, but not just for the fact of fighting - but if you, say, are in a tavern and some of your buddies get into a fight, you gain honor for helping them out. I think it is probably possible to gain some honor if you treat a combat like a formal duel even if they are treating it like a fight. Also note that dueling is often illegal (formal; informal dueling is basically (attempted) murder, of course).		===Formal and Informal===
			There are two basic kinds of combat, formal duels and informal "duels" (aka fights or scraps or whatever). In the case of an informal duel, it's anything goes and no honor is at stake, so it's fine to cut the rope to the chandelier or throw wine in their face or whatever, and it is fine to team up N-against-1 or whatever. On the other hand, in formal duels you're much more limited in what you're allowed to do, but contrariwise you can use some more advanced skills/techniques that aren't practical in informal settings. Furthermore, in formal duels you gain honor based on the stakes (for participating, maybe more for winning - definitely lose some for turning down the duel depending on situation). It's still possible to gain honor for an informal fight, but not just for the fact of fighting - but if you, say, are in a tavern and some of your buddies get into a fight, you gain honor for helping them out. I think it is probably possible to gain some honor if you treat a combat like a formal duel even if they are treating it like a fight. Also note that dueling is often illegal (formal; informal dueling is basically (attempted) murder, of course).
			===Positioning===
			When there is a team up, positioning yourself to limit the number of people who can attack you (by getting your back against a wall or tricking them into interfering with each other or whatever) is a big part of the duel since even fairly weak opponents can be dangerous when they outnumber you.
			===Dueling Techniques===
			In formal duels, everyone gets a relatively high base defense (depending on their skill level). If you're much more highly skilled than your opponent you can probably just blow through it, but otherwise you need to spend some time figuring out their style (which chips away at their defense). You maybe divide your successes (or skill dice?) between attacking and figuring out their style and hence can do both every round. The dueling techniques revolve around this - so like you can have Obscure Style that makes it harder to understand, or even Adaptive Style that lets your defense "heal" from being understood, or Flash of Insight that gives you some one-shot big knock against their defense, or Secondary Style that lets you switch to a new style, resetting stuff (but techniques apply to different styles separately). Note that named schools and techniques and so on are only part of this implicitly - they're basically color for the various rolls.

			In informal duels you don't get the base defense bonus (because instead of focusing on your opponent exclusively you're splitting your attention to the environment to spot opportunities there). Hence dueling techniques aren't generally useful. On the other hand, you get a bonus to environmental actions, perhaps ?
	===References===		===References===
	* Princess Bride's Chatty Duel is clearly a formal duel but has a certain amount of non-swordplay allowed; not clear if this is a breach of the rules or just a description of them		* Princess Bride's Chatty Duel is clearly a formal duel but has a certain amount of non-swordplay allowed; not clear if this is a breach of the rules or just a description of them

Inky at 04:44, 15 April 2016

2016-04-15T04:44:07Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:44, 15 April 2016
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	==Setting==		==Setting==
	I think the main things to figure out here are why so much dueling and stuff is happening in a small area, and what the characters do when they're not dueling, if they have enough leisure time to be duelists.		I think the main things to figure out here are why so much dueling and stuff is happening in a small area, and what the characters do when they're not dueling, if they have enough leisure time to be duelists. Presumably making them city guards is one solution - they have freedom to poke around but can also be given various missions. Another take might be a bunch of feuding groups, maybe city-states - but they'd probably feud in a war way and not in an individual duelist way.

	This seems like the kind of thing where you have a bunch of mercenary companies, and part of the goal is to advance the status of your company. Also, there must be enough work in a relatively small area to support a pretty big population of mercenaries, implying a bunch of feuding city-states, but not constantly at war so everyone isn't tied up all the time. Probably the mercenaries migrate around to some extent - I imagine they're a little like sailors, where they have a home base but they're away half the year.
	===References===		===References===
	* Black Company		* Black Company
	* Conan		* Conan