Duelists: Metal, magic, and mischief

[RangerWickett]

I'm a big fan of duelist culture. Despite its inherent absurdity, I love watching episodes of anime like Rurouni Kenshin, where during a duel, people standing on the sidelines comment like:

*Bad guy, wearing strange striped black-and-white clothes, taunts Kenshin, then punches at him.*

Kenshin's buddy says: "How did he managed to get a punch past Kenshin's guard? He must have some sort of strange power in his arms."

Kenshin thinks: It seemed as if his arms stretched while he was attacking me, as if by magic. His reach is longer than it should be.

*Kenshin recovers from the blow, backing up since the battle pauses after each attack. Slowly, Kenshin ponders, then switches his stance so that his blade is fully straight in front of him.*

Kenshin's buddy says: "What's Kenshin doing? That stance is normally only used in a charge?"

*The bad guy taunts Kenshin again, then goes for another punch. The action slows, and we see Kenshin staring down the length of his blade. At the last moment, he dodges to the side, avoiding the punch. Then he slashes at the bad guy, wounding him but not killing.*

Kenshin says: "Those stripes on your arm are an optical illusion, and they make it harder to tell exactly where your arm is. But I was able to use my blade as a measure of your position. I watched your shadow on my blade, not your body, and I was able to dodge your attack."

*Bad guy runs away*



I think stuff like that's kinda cool. The characters are actually knowledgable and quick-thinking in how to combat their opponents' various styles, and I think that in a game it would add a lot of flavor if players and characters could recognize different fighting styles, and either be caught off guard by unusual moves, or use their knowledge to overcome their foes more easily.

Earlier in the year, I posted a thread about spell dueling, since one of my PCs in my current game is a trained spell duelist. I ended up creating an entire spell-dueling subculture within my game, based loosely on the different styles of decks I see in Magic: the Gathering, so that over the course of the campaign, the PC has encountered a few different duels. Some were practice, some were for prestige, and one, coming up soon, is going to be to the death.

I think it's added a unique feel to the game, since the mages now each have distinctive styles. Michael's PC . . . well heck, Michael himself, is particularly skilled at outthinking opposing spellcasters, so it has encouraged the other PCs to focus on fighting the non-magic-using bad guys, so now I have this paradigm where the bad guy mage shows up with his minions, and the minions fight the melee fighter PCs while the mages on either side try to control the battleground and focus on each other.

Part of what has added to the duelist 'feel' is that I've played up counterspelling. Most mages beyond 5th level have the Reactive Counterspell feat, and Michael has maxed out his Spellcraft skill so he can try to figure out enemy spells. I'll occasionally pull out a new spell that he doesn't recognize, and it gives him fits for a while, which is what I was hoping for. Also, I let mages make Bluff-Sense Motive opposed checks to try to hide what spell they're casting from Spellcraft checks, or to fake a spell so that an overeager counterspeller wastes a Dispel Magic. Finally, only one mage so far has used fireballs (she's an NPC with the party), and her fireballs actually tend to get rebounded or messed up in such a way that they hurt the party about a third of the time. So the spell duels are more about cunning than firepower.

Now, what I want to come up with are some nice ideas for how to incorporate a duelist mentality for other characters. I won't do it in this campaign (except maybe once or twice on a lark), but I think it'd be nice to have on file in case the situation comes up. Sure, warriors can whack at each other with swords, but when was the last time one of your games had a duel that sounded anything like that match between The Dread Pirate Roberts and Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride? Likewise, I was wondering what a duel between thieves would be like, or between druids.

In Tournaments, Fairs, & Taverns, I had rules for dueling to make one-on-one fights more reactive and reliant on tactics instead of just rolling, and I included a few variants that were posted in the old ENWorld's Fair thread. However, those were mostly rules. I want some more ideas to make dueling more roleplaying-related, and not rely so much on rules.

Any thoughts? Rules are, of course, welcome, but I don't want this to get moved over to House Rules, since that's not the focus of the thread.

 

[drnuncheon]

I think the 'duelist culture' is pretty fascinating too. I once had a campaign where mage schools took the same kind of attitude that opposing martial arts schools did in China and Japan - facing off to prove themselves against each other, insulting the other people's teacher and their honor, etc.

I think the key is to put a lot of work into whatever you want the focus of the culture to be. If you want it to be dueling sword schools, then you need to have a lot of IC information about those sword schools. It should be the talk of taverns: 'which is better, Agrippa or Capo Ferro?' The PCs should get to witness duesl in the streets. They may even be challenged by young toughs who want to prove their school's superiority. You should make the schools neat, cool, and desirable for PCs, which often means giving the styles benefits that you can't get anywhere else.

Rules-wise, here's what I'd do: I'd have a list of feats taught by each school, each list being more or less unique. Then, I'd have special feats only available to members of that school who have mastered the basic teachings.

You could do this with PrCs, but doing it with feats opens it up to more characters - a rogue could join the school and remain a rogue, for example.

You could also do it the same way the martial arts schools are done in OA, with mastery of the school giving you a special benefit. Mongoose has something similar, as do FFG in their Path of the Sword, and I believe that the Bad Axe books do too.

I would make sure that only one 'style mastery' could be in use at any one time.

Anyway, I would then devise a new Knowledge skill: Knowledge (Fighting Styles). Each rank would represent a knowledge of one particular fighting style, much like Perform, and if you were able to make a successful check (DC of their BAB, perhaps?) against someone using a style you were familiar with, you'd get a minor combat bonus that would represent your familiarity with the strengths and weaknesses of the style. Nothing huge, but maybe on the order of a +2 to Bluff and/or Sense Motive vs. them. The bonus would of course apply only as long as the opponent was using that style.

J

 

[I'm A Banana]

I've actually started to adopt a lot of things from Rorouni Kenshin into my games.

The various styles, IMC, are defined by the bonus feats a fighter gets, which are lumped into styles. There are styles that emphasize grace and defence, styles that emphasize attacking prowess, styles for different weapons, etc.

One of the feats is "Sense Skill" which allows the user to decect how powerful an enemy is based on their attacks (and to detect the 'swordsman spirit' of nearby combatants)

Another is "School Knowledge" which grants you bonus if you can identify the school of combat they hail from.

I adopted many of the OA feats for this, too. For instance, in that battle with Kenshin above, I'd say he has the OA feat of "I Forget It's Name" )), the one that allows you to take full defense, and if an opponent strikes at you and misses, you get a +4 bonus to hit them the next round. A sort of "I've studied your style, and now I can see it's weakness."

It's up the the PC's to play out how that works.

 

[RangerWickett]

So, let's think of some dueling styles we could introduce in a D&D campaign, or mention some real-world fencing schools/styles. Include their focus and perhaps some game mechanics.

I'm not sure quite how to provide the proper benefits from these dueling styles. Either A--make them feats that just provide a benefit--or B--let people just use them if they have the appropriate prerequisite feats, but the style has both benefits and drawbacks.

Rapier Schools

Moretti Style: Designed for dueling indoors, in enclosed areas, where most mobility is linear, with little sidestepping. Skilled duelists often try to find a narrow location and adopt this style when they're facing a more mobile opponent. Prerequisite feats include Alertness, Dodge, and Expertise.

When using this style, if you are in the following position:

???
XDX
???

X = Square where the terrain provides a wall or solid barrier that is at least as tall as the Duelist.
? = This square may or may not have a wall or barrier; it does not matter. As long as your enemy attacks from any of these squares, you gain the bonus mentioned below.
D = The duelist using the Moretti style.

You gain a +2 bonus to AC against melee attacks when there are two squares on opposite sides of you that have some form of obstruction that blocks attacks. You are particuarly skilled in using the terrain in the X squares to block some incoming attacks, making it easier for you to defend against straight-on attacks. Thus, this style is useful in hallways, or if you are able to back into an alley, or even if you can just find a spot between two large pillars.

If you use the feat version, you simply gain the above bonus in appropriate situations. If you do not require a feat, then add the following drawback: Switching between styles can be done at the beginning of your turn. If you are using this style and do not have the appropriate squares of cover, an opponent attacking you gains a +2 bonus to all his attacks if he uses a 5-foot adjustment to sidestep from your front to your side.


Kerensky's Last Stance: The rapier requires quick movements for effective attacks, and severely wounded duelists often lose proper finesse and control over their movements. The Kerensky style was developed specifically for times when a character is very weak. It is said that Renek Kerensky, the originator of this style, would practice for hours with other styles until he was nearly exhausted, before he could even begin to study this new style.

This style is useful only when a character is Disabled (0 hit points, or negative hit points but stable and conscious) or Staggered (subdual damage exactly equal to his hit points). In both instances, the duelist is only able to take partial actions each round. The duelist's stance and grip changes so that though his attacks lose some precision, they require less exertion.

The prerequisite feats are Great Fortitude and Endurance.

Firstly, whenever you are Disabled, you may attack using this style without taking the normal 1 point of damage. Secondly, though you normally can only make partial actions when Staggered or Disabled, you can make a Full Attack, but you suffer a -2 penalty to your attack rolls. Finally, if you are Fatigued or Exhausted, you can still retain any benefits from Dexterity-based feats such as Dodge and Mobility, even if your effective Dexterity score has been reduced below the normal prerequisite for those feats. This does not, however, allow you to keep a higher Dexterity-based AC bonus, or attack bonus if you have Weapon Finesse. There is no particular drawback to this style, except that you have to be nearly unconscious to use it.



Nailo Shalanth (Nightbreeze Form): This rapier-whip form actually uses the rapier as the support weapon, relying primarily on the whip to keep enemies at bay and creating openings that the more deadly rapier can take advantage. Prerequisite feats are, of course, Weapon Proficiency (whip or whip-dagger), Two-Weapon Fighting, Expertise, and Improved Trip, plus at least 6 ranks in Jump.

The duelist primarily fights using full Expertise, attempting to trip his opponent or disarm him. Tripping is usually easier, since the trip requires only a touch attack, and the opposed check is Strength based, not attack bonus-based. This style relies on keeping your distance, and often the duelist will only attack to deal damage if it is absolutely necessary.

The duelist gains three primary benefits. First, she threatens out to 15 ft. with her whip, and can make attacks of opportunity against opponents who move out of a threatened square in this area. This is particularly useful against opponents who try to close.

Second, the duelist gains great reach with her rapier, due to a special lunge that emulates the cracking of a whip, rapidly forward and back. She may choose to effectively increase her reach with her rapier by 10 ft. for one round. However, she suffers a -2 penalty to her AC for one round, much as if she had made a charge. Also, she may only make this lunge on her turn, so she cannot lunge out and strike someone 15 ft. away as an attack of opportunity.

Typically, if the duelist is successful with a trip attack with her whip, she'll lunge with her rapier for a free attack, since Improved Trip grants a free attack whenever you trip someone.

For example, Quillathe is dueling against Theric. Due to Theric's heavy armor, she is unable to harm him with the whip, but she can keep her distance easily since he's slower. On her turn, Quillathe makes one attack with her whip, trying to trip Theric, who is 15 ft. away. If she fails (assuming Theric doesn't manage to trip her in response), she'll use her move action to back up and continue keeping her distance. However, if she successfully trips Theric, she can lunge in with her rapier for the bonus attack from Improved Trip, and then make her normal off-hand attack with the rapier. On the next turn, her AC will be lower, but it's unlikely Theric will be able to catch up to her.

The drawback of this style is its heavy reliance on its whip. A failed trip attempt can easily turn disastrous if your opponent manages to pull your whip out of your hands, so many Nightbreeze Form duelists prefer to let themselves be tripped instead of dropping their whip. Also, an opponent can ready an action to sunder the whip whenever the duelist attacks, even if the duelist herself is out of range. Whips are very fragile weapons, and so Nightbreeze Form duelists typically carry at least two, sometimes three.

 

[RangerWickett]

*bump*