Click here to skip the intro crap
OK, here's the deal,
there's been a whole lot written about how war and combat could be carried out
in sci-fi, but there are other ways to risk your neck. What about the reckless
violence and danger for the sake of, uh well, reckless violence and danger,
that we can see on MTV Sports, or the Ultimate Fighter Championship. Just how
would galaxy-crossing warlords settle a duel? 30 paces, turn and fire, I don't
think so! That's why I am starting this list of great sci-fi (and maybe a
couple fantasy or horror) duels, extreme sports, etc. If you have something you
want to add, send it to me at SurfName01@aol.com. If I like it, I'll
post it. Just be sure to indicatate what name I should put for the credit (ie:
your name, nickname, e-mail address, site, etc.).
ONE FINAL NOTE BEFORE GETTING ON WITH IT ALREADY: Some of your characters may
have powers that make a certain type of duel pointless (like flying characters
in the dueling pit), so players and GMs need to use some common sense.
Judge Mills Lane sez: "Let's get it on!"
Gentlemen, choose your
weapons...
The Dueling Pit
Low-Grav Expulsion Duel
Relay Station Defense
Extreme Team Sports (Baseball)
Extreme Team Sports (Basketball)
Extreme Team Sports
(Football)
Extreme Team Sports (Hockey)
Extreme Team Sports (Soccer)
The Dueling Pit (Recommended Duelists:
2-5)
This is my favorite sci-fi duel. It would make a bithin' action sequence in
a movie.
What you need:
- A huge pit with a ceiling or a large hollow tower (or a satellite for that
matter, all that really matters is that you have a huge hollow shaft to hold
the duel in). There should be several platforms (pretty small, about like
modern windowledges) at various heights along the inner surface of the shaft.
These are the "corners" for the fighters. The exact layout is up to
the GM, but a good size is 20' in diameter and at least 50' in depth. The
bottom may also be lined with spikes, crackling with electricity, etc.
- A harness for each duelist equipped with a good sturdy cord (some kind of
flexible steel perhaps). This cable is connected to the ceiling. A control
system to reel the duelist up or down may also be employed. Another nice option
is an inflexible cylindrical bracing (about a foot long) around the base of the
cable at the connection to the harness so that it doesn't slip around the
duelist's neck and strangle him. Just a thought...
- A weapon of some sort (bladed or blunt weapon work best)
Applicable Skills:
- Gymnastics: Parallal Bars and Rings at -10%, or Rappeling at -15% to aim
your leap (ie: I wanna land on that platform, or I'm gonna slash at him as I go
past).
- Maintain Balance at -5% to successfully land on a ledge
- Computer Operation (or Basic Mechanics for a manual version) to operate an
ascension/descension (that's up/down for you thesaurus-deprived readers) device
- And last but not least, the WP skill for whatever weapon you decide to use.
Rolls to strike or parry will be -1. Dodge is unaffected.
The Rules
- All combatants begin on a predesignated ledge. They stand on their ledge,
with their harness on and firmly (it had better be) connected to the ceiling.
They are not permitted to leave these ledges until the signal to duel is given.
- Upon duel inception, the fighters make a series of fantastic leaping
attacks with their weapons
- Some organizers have a rule to the effect that all combat must cease in the
event of a cord tangle
Victory: One of these conditions must be met to be declared the winner. Note
that some duels may require a specifc victory (ie: Only one of you is allowed
to come up alive)
- You kill your enemies
- Your enemies surrender
- Your enemies lose their capacity to fight (ie: You make them drop their
weapon, you sever the link to their line control, etc.)
Of course there may
be other conditions (like a point system similar to that used in many martial
arts competitions. Another popular rules variant is to have both combatants
given a simple sword and decked out in full body armor that the sword cannot
penetrate. This means victory can only come by slashing the line.
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Low Grav Expulsion Duel (Recommended Duelists:
2-6)
The object here is to knock your enemy into orbit or beyond.
What You Need:
- An asteroid, small planetoid, or satellite with a weak gravity field
- Spacesuits (preferably armored)
- May use blunt weapons, but ranged and bladed are not really suitable for
this duel
Applicable Skills
- Just standard combat and physical skills. If you are using the skill
"Zero Gravity Movement" from Phase World, then that would be an
excellent addition, though it is by no means mandatory.
The Rules:
- This duel is pretty simple. Basically the opponents try to knock each other
up out of the gravity well (which is easy due to the low gravity).
- In a moon-type environment, a character will probably be knocked 1 foot for
every 3 points of blunt impact damage. On a small asteroid, the victim of such
an attack would probably be propelled 1 foot per damage point.
- NOTE: I am not sure of these figures. I will look them up when I get the
chance, so don't take them at face value. On a small asteroid, probably 25 to
30' will put the character out of the well.
Victory:
- Victory comes when a duelist propels all of his opponents away from the
dueling surface. Of course, whether the losers are picked up or not is up to
the duel organizers.
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Relay Station Defense (Recommended Duelists:
2-4 teams with 2-8 memebrs each)
This is a high-tech
version of that old favorite Capture-the-Flag, except that this time there's a
portable relay station instead of a flag.
What You Need:
- A sufficiently large and complex dueling environment (ie: forest, caverns,
building complex)
- A portable relay station for each team (probably about 4-5 feet in size and
somewhat heavy, so just one character can't move it.
- Whatever armor, weapons, etc. the duel organizers deem appropriate
Applicable Skills:
- Combat, military, survival and espionage skills
The Rules:
- Each team is given a relay station, and each station broadcasts a constant
signal which a master computer picks up. Players win by destroying or disabling
all enemy relay stations
- Other rules are optional. Some duel organizers have suicide devices in each
player's armor so that when a relay station goes down all of its defenders die.
Some organizers replace lethal force weapons with infrared beamers and special
armor designed to lock up when hit
Victory:
- Victory is acheived by having the only working relay station
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Extreme Team
Sports (Baseball)
The game is basically the same except for the following
revisions: Each baseman is given a bo staff. The batter is allowed to keep his
bat. The fielders are all armed with their choice of non-blades melee weapon,
and may charge any runner if they have the ball (there is a small transparent
pouch on their belts that they may place the ball in)
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Extreme Team
Sports (Football)
Basically the same, except that every player knows a martial
art, and there are three extra players whose job is to guaard the endzone.
There are no inappropriate contact rules.
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Extreme Team
Sports (Hockey)
Basically the same, except that the hockey sticks each house
a medium length, straight-bladed sword (3D6 damage). Goalies also have small
circular shields (50 SDC)
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Extreme Team
Sports (Soccer)
Basically the same, except that each player has a martial art
involving kicks (you can't use your hands in a soccer match). There are now two
goalies per team.
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