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- This subsystem is intended as a seperate system from normal combat. Its purpose is to simulate serious, but formal sword duels in the style of kendo or iaijutsu. During a kendo duel, characters move through four phases: Stance, Maintain, Seek, and Strike. The second two phases are repeated until a character wins the Seek phase and chooses to enter the Strike phase.
- As Kendo is based on a formal style of duel, participants are meant to compete on relatively equal terms. The base ability of the combatants is averaged, with the weaker taking a -10 penalty for every 50 points below their opponent's attack they were originally. The same rules are applied to defense.
- STANCE
- Both characters choose and enter one of the six stances, applying the chosen stance's effect. Choices should be made independent of each other, that is, the GM should have both players reveal their stances to the GM in secret and openly announce them after both have declared their intent.
- 1. Chuudan no Kamae (Middle stance)
- A basic stance in most swordsmanship, the sword his held at hip level with the point reaching up towards the enemy's throat. The position provides no particular advantage beyond being easy to maintain.
- -Maintenance tests are normal.
- -+20 defense, +10 attack
- 2. Gedan no Kamae (Low Stance)
- Referred to in some schools of swordsmanship as a 'fool's guard', this stance is a variant of the above Chuudan where the point of the sword is allowed to drop to waist or even knee level. A difficult but highly reactionary stance, it focuses on deflecting an opponent's attack in the hopes of creating an opening.
- -Maintenance tests are one level higher
- --10 to defense, +50 to a counterstrike
- 3. Hassou no Kamae (Eight-directional stance)
- In this stance, the left foot is forward and the sword is held pointing upright with the hilt in front of the right shoulder. The blade should slope slightly to the rear. A highly (doho) offensive stance.
- -Maintenance tests are one level higher
- --20 to defense, +20 to attack
- 4. Joudan no Kamae (High stance)
- A fierce stance where the sword is raised fully above the head, tilted towards the rear in preparation to strike
- -Maintenance tests are two levels higher
- --40 to defense, +30 to attack, bonus to seek
- 5. Waki-Gamae (Light stance)
- A strange stance where the unsheathed blade is held as if it were sheathed in order to hide the blade behind the wielder's body. This disguises both the orientation and length of the blade, making it difficult for the opponent to ascertain the wielder's range or the sword's intended path.
- -Maintained tests are one level higher
- --20 to defense, +seek defense roll.
- 6. Iaijutsu
- Less a stance and more a form of swordsmanship in its own right, Iaijutsu practitioners live under the assumption that a duel will end with the very first strike. Therefore, strike fast, and strike true...for if you miss, your foe will not.
- -Maintained tests are one level lower due to the sword remaining sheathed during this stance.
- --60 to defense, +seek, +50 attack if making the first strike, otherwise -20 attack.
- MAINTAIN
- During the Maintain phase, competitors attempt to endure the rigors of maintaining combat readiness over a long period of time. Every cycle, players make a maintenance test by rolling 1d10+(CON + WILL) and comparing against a chart below. A failure indicates the character is struggling, and they take a -10 to their attack and defense as well as a -1 to their Seek (Defensive). Multiple failures compound. After 3 failures, a character's guard visibly drops (representing their arms falling, knees shaking, or the sword falling out of their numb hands) and they lose the duel (As it would be rather dishonorable to actually strike them at that point, comparable to kicking a person when they are down).
- ____________________________________
- | Round | Difficulty | Time Passed |
- ------------------------------------
- | 1 | 12 | 5s |
- ------------------------------------
- | 2 | 14 | 15s |
- ------------------------------------
- | 3 | 18 | 30s |
- ------------------------------------
- | 4 | 20 | 45s |
- ------------------------------------
- | 5 | 23 | 1m |
- ------------------------------------
- | 6 | 26 | 1m30s |
- ------------------------------------
- | 7 | 30 | 2m |
- ------------------------------------
- | 8 | 35 | 5m |
- ------------------------------------
- | 9 | 40 | 10m |
- ------------------------------------
- | 10 | 50 | 1h |
- ------------------------------------
- | 11 | 55 | 6h |
- ------------------------------------
- | 12 | 60 | 1d |
- ------------------------------------
- | 13 | 70 | 1 week |
- ------------------------------------
- The difficulty indicated by the table cannot drop below 0. In the case of a character in Iaijutsu stance, they simply use the values for round 1 twice before moving to the value for round 2.
- SEEK
- In the Seek phase characters look for an opening in their opponent's guard while attempting to shore up their own defenses. Characters who have a bonus to Seek gain +5 to the offensive Seek test unless listed otherwise. Both characters roll to determine their Defensive Seek and then roll Offensive Seek against their opponent's Defensive Seek.
- Seek (Offensive) = 1d10+(PER + (STR or POW))
- Seek (Defensive) = 1d10+(DEX + (CON or WP))
- A player can refuse to roll one of the seeks in order to gain a +5 bonus to the other. In this case the unrolled test is set to 0
- When a character beats the other's defensive Seek, they can choose one of the following effects
- 1. Learn the number of times their opponent has failed their maintenance
- 2. Increase their attack or defense by +5 until the next Seek phase
- 3. Grant a +1 bonus to one of their next seek rolls.
- If one character comes out on top in both of their Seek tests, they may choose between advancing to Strike phase as the aggressor or waiting for a better opportunity, in which case the players return to maintenance.
- If both characters succeed in their Offensive Seek tests, compare the degree by which they succeeded. If the degree of success is within 2 points ( 13 compared to 11 or 15), a Clash occurs. Both players advance to Strike phase, see below. If the degree of success is outside of 2 points, the player with the greatest degree of success may choose between advancing to Strike phase as the aggressor or waiting for a better opportunity, in which case the players return to maintenance. Either way, both players may choose a bonus from above.
- If both characters succeed in their Defensive Seek tests, the players return to maintenance.
- STRIKE
- During the Strike Phase, the character termed the aggressor makes the first strike using their attack skill, while the character termed the defender must defend using their block or dodge. If the strike misses, the defender makes an attack (with any applicable counterattack bonuses). If a strike hits with a final difference of less than thirty between the attack and defense, a point is awarded to whoever made the strike and the cycle begins anew (from the Stance phase) until an agreed-upon number of points is accumulated by one competitor. If a strike hits with a final difference over thirty, the one who made the strike is assumed to have landed a killing blow and is declared automatically victorious.
- Special rule: Clash!
- In a Clash, both players roll their attack. If the final value is within 30, the swords lock and players may make an opposed strength or dex test to attempt to overpower or outmaneuver their opponent and gain a point. If one player achieves a value more than 30 above that of their opponent, that player is assumed to have struck first and recieves a point. IF the value is 50 or above, it is assumed to have been a killing blow and the player who made the strike is declared automatically victorious.
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