Battle Royal: General Rules
Before the Game
The supervisor records the names of each player, then takes a number of item cards equal to the number of players and assigns one card to each player (this can be done randomly if the supervisor wants to be fair, but following the tradition of the fiction, the supervisor could be carrying out his own agenda).
This game is intended to last for days, but this is not necessarily so. A player could suddenly use their machine gun to take out everybody else before they've even left the room after the introduction. It would be difficult, but it could happen. Generally, a given player will bide their time, growing suspicious and paranoid before finally trying to kill someone or getting killed themselves.
The Introduction
All the players and the supervisor must then be gathered into one room. The supervisor distributes the cards to the players and explains the rules. THE GAME BEGINS IMMEDIATELY WHEN EVERY PLAYER HAS A CARD. The supervisor then sits back and enjoys the mayhem. The supervisor should come across as a villainous cheater, to encourage the players to also lie, cheat, steal, and murder.
Combat
Offense
Most items are usually weapons. If you can attack with an item, it will say "# MELEE" or "# RANGED," which is the item's offense score (#) and offense type (MELEE or RANGED).
In any one combat, you can only use as many items as you can be wearing and wielding at one time. Each item has an entry at the top that says "1 Hand," "2 Hands," "Body," "Neck," and so on. Also, an item might have the property "Big" next to the body slot; you can only wield one big item at a time (yes, I stole this system from Munchkin, sue me).
At the very simplest, when you engage someone in combat, you can use one weapon and they can use one weapon. You compare offense scores, and the higher score wins. If it is a tie, the victory goes to the instigator (again, to encourage more murder!). Example: Nabemiya has a long sword, which has the entry "3 MELEE." Kurokawa has the sickle, which has the entry "2 MELEE." Nabemiya wins the combat.
Sometimes, you don't end up with a weapon. You might have a useful item, like binoculars or a jetpack, but you can't fight with them. However, you still can fight. Everyone is treated as having the following item:
Unarmed Attack - 2 Hands
You're not going to go down without a fight.
1 MELEE
NON-LETHAL: When you defeat someone with this item, you do not kill them, but they become unconscious.
When a player becomes "unconscious," then the winner of that combat can take whatever items they want from the loser, but the loser does not die, though the winner or anyone else who witnessed the attack could coup de grace them, having it count as a sneak attack. Otherwise, they return to the game as soon as everyone has taken their fill of the unconscious player's items (yes, you are allowed to search pockets and bags in case they're hiding something; if you do not find it, tough luck).
Defense
Items could also have a DEFENSE entry (which would look like "# DEFENSE"). When you use an item with a defense score in combat, you subtract the defense score from your opponent's offense score, and then resolve the battle normally. Example: Fuji has a bastard sword, which has the entry "4 MELEE." Hoshihira has a fork in one hand (1 MELEE) and a trash can lid in the other (3 DEFENSE). Hoshihira attacks Fuji; Fuji's offense score of 4 is reduced to 1 by Hoshihira's makeshift shield, meaning their offense scores are even, and the tie goes to the instigator, which in this case is the unlikely Hoshihira.
Using Multiple Items
Since each item takes up a slot, and there are a lot of slots, you could eventually become a christmas tree of loot that you've collected, since very few items are only usable once. When this happens, you simply add all the offensive scores together, and the defensive scores together. Even if the offensive scores are of different types (MELEE and RANGED), you add the numbers together. Example: Mura has several weapons that he can wear and wield all at once; one has the entry "2 MELEE," another has the entry "1 MELEE, 4 DEFENSE," another that has the entry "1 RANGED," and another has the entry "1 DEFENSE." This means that when he enters a combat encounter, he treats his offense score as 4 (2 MELEE + 1 MELEE + 1 RANGED) and his defense score as 5 (4 DEFENSE + 1 DEFENSE).
Face-to-Face
A standard combat is started when a player goes up to another player and challenges them to a face-to-face combat encounter. Both players choose from the items they have at hand what they are wearing and wielding, and then determine the winner using the rules as stated above.
Sneak Attack
In Battle Royale, you should always be on your toes. Paranoia is what drives this game. To induce this feeling of always having to look behind your shoulders, you literally have to always be looking behind your shoulders if you don't want to get killed.
To sneak attack someone WITH A MELEE WEAPON, you come up behind them with the weapon card in your hand and tap the player on the back. YOU MUST BE STANDING BEHIND THE TARGET (you cannot sneak attack someone by standing next to them and reaching around to touch their back; they would have seen you draw your weapon). If you succeed, and show the target the card you just attacked them with (it needs to have an offensive score of at least 1, of course), then the target instantly loses the combat encounter (barring any items that specifically counter sneak attacks). The target does not get to use their weapons or items, either offensive or defensive.
You can also use a RANGED WEAPON to make a sneak attack. You have to be out of the target's line of sight (behind them, around a corner, under a table...), BUT you must also be within two arms lengths of the target (when reaching out with your arm, you should be close enough that the target can reach out with their arm and touch you). You then call the target's name, or say "Hey," or something to get the target's attention, and if the target turns around...sneak attack, you instantly win the combat (again, barring any items the target has that specifically counter sneak attacks).
If you attempt a sneak attack but the target becomes aware of your presence before you succeed, a face-to-face combat starts. However, there is an interesting twist. The player who was being targeted by the sneak attack becomes the instigator of this combat, and the player who was instigating the sneak attack must use whatever item they were trying to sneak attack with (it has to be in their hand, so they cannot switch it out. They can use additional items if they can carry them along with the first item, though).
Running Away
Sometimes, you're just going to lose a combat encounter. If you are not the instigator, you can run away. Yes, you literally have to run away. Book it, because if the instigator catches you (tags you, tackles you, whatever), you then are forced to battle. You only get one chance to run away per combat encounter (i.e., if you run away and then the instigator catches you, you cannot try to run away again).
The rule that only the target, not the instigator, can run away holds true during a sneak attack. In addition, the target running away (who would have been the one to start the sneak attack) can switch weapons if they run for at least five seconds before the instigator catches them. Example: Yamaka tries to sneak attack Kiko with a piano wire. At this moment, Yamaka is the instigator. However, Kiko notices Yamaka before he taps her or gets her attention. Kiko then becomes the instigator of the combat, as described in the sneak attack section. In a face-to-face combat, the piano wire is useless, so Yamaka decides to run away. Kiko could decide to let him go and get him some other day, but instead tries to give chase. Kiko has longer legs, but Yamaka got a decent head start while Kiko was assessing the situation. Kiko catches up with Yamaka and tags him, thus forcing them into a face-to-face combat encounter. However, five seconds passed before this happened, so Kiko gets to switch his piano wire out for his chainsaw!
Aiding Others
You don't have to fend for yourself the entire time. You can try to stick together with others during the game. If you witness two players get into a face-to-face combat encounter, you can join one side. Everyone on one side adds their offense and defense scores together to determine the final outcome for the encounter. If a team of multiple players wins, they all survive. Similarly, if a team of multiple players loses, they are all defeated. If you witness a player trying to sneak attack another player, you can stop the attacker by shouting out at them. If a sneak attack occurs, others who witnessed it can attack the sneak attacker, but the player who was killed by the sneak attack is dead and cannot contribute.
Killing and Dying
When you are defeated in combat, you are killed. When you defeat someone in combat, you kill them. Death happens quickly in Battle Royale; there are no hit points, there is no wound system, and no coming back from elimination. When you kill someone AND when you are killed, YOU MUST INFORM THE SUPERVISOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. If a group defeats another player or group of players, only one person in that group needs to contact the supervisor, but they need to tell the supervisor each person that died, and one person on the team that died needs to contact the supervisor and tell him or her each person that died in the battle. The supervisor should get two confirmations for each person's death.
When you kill someone, you get to collect their items. You can do so immediately, even if someone witnessed the sneak attack and immediately challenges you to a combat encounter.
End of the Day
At the end of each day, using an agreed upon method (email, phoning, texting, or Facebook are the best methods; gathering in one location is not a good idea because after the first meeting, it should be hard to get everyone together to kill all at once), the supervisor will inform everyone who is dead and who is not.
In addition, the supervisor should randomly (or not...) choose one person to be eliminated at the end of each day, and inform everyone of that death. It's unfair, it's cruel, and it's just how Battle Royale works. If there was a particularly small number of deaths that day (I'd say below 10% of the remaining players), then the supervisor can choose to eliminate additional players. If there was a particularly large number of deaths (40% or more) or if there are only a few players left (10 or less), the supervisor could also choose not to eliminate anyone in this way.
The supervisor should also choose two or three players to have found a random item while they were "exploring the island," and give it to them (this should NOT be announced to everyone, but kept between the supervisor and the receiving player). This keeps things constantly interesting, so no one can really be sure of all the items that are in play.
Conclusion
That's all there is to it besides the specifics of each card. Obviously, the winner is the last player standing after however long it took for everyone else to be eliminated. Next, I'll post the cards! Please post your thoughts, criticism, and ideas!
