Christopher Peter

Divine Madness Press

Worcester, Massachusetts
Writing and Design: Christopher Peter

Additional Development: Wayne Deitrick

Layout: Paul Dinsdale

Cover Art: Danrey Borja

Cover Design: Bob Noberini, Jennefer Noberini, Danrey Borja

Interior Art: Melissa Wang, Bob Noberini, Jennefer Noberini, Danrey Borja, Imperia Studios, Catalina Silva

Editing: Wayne Deitrick, Christine Dinsdale, Bob Noberini

Playtesting: Wayne Deitrick, Bob Noberini, Jennefer Noberini, Christine Dinsdale, Tom Baleno, Eileen Baleno, Mark
Buczek, Matthew Buczek, Stephen Price, Sean Kelley, Christopher Kelley, James Pepin, Matthew Miller, Justin Jackson,
Sean M. Dunstan, Joseph McGivern, Danyal Herder, Steve Rubio, Stacie Nicole Winters, Alejo G. Marello, Kyle Yaworski,
Phillip S. Peck, Kim Foster

Special thanks to the members of the Fight! Group, who provided me with plenty of insights and even more enthusiasm.
You guys are awesome.

Count_Zero, Cenobite, Sean D, ssj_goemon, Finale, Darryl, Rubio, A Bad Idea, Nexus, Alex Lupin, MacLeod, Jack Snipe,
Gunsmoke, ajuson, Lonoto D, aysezz, Jack O’Knives, Charade, Telcontar, matthewmcdonnell2, Stacie Winters, and
Joseph McGivern

Special thanks to several people on the forums at RPG.net and The Forge for their comments and insights, especially
Halfjack and SrGrvsaLot for their thoughtful review, critique, and advice.

Very special thanks to Rafael Chandler, who invited me into the world of indie RPG design and who has proven time and
again to be an excellent mentor and a model of professionalism I can only hope to emulate. Thanks, man.

This game is possible because of my wife and sons, who patiently endured long hours of me prattling on about rules,
discussing video games, and trying to explain the appeal of 2D fighting games. I love you all very, very much.

Copyright 2010 Christopher Peter. This book was published by Divine Madness Press in Worcester, Massachusetts.

For more information about Fight!, please visit http://divinemadnesspress.wordpress.com.

Join in the discussion at http://groups.google.com/group/fightrpg.

All artwork copyright 2010 original artists.

No part of this book may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without permission from the publisher (except for brief
quotes used in reviews). All content is fictional, and any similarity, real or imagined, to persons living or dead, is
coincidental.

Dedication
Fight! is dedicated to Mark Buczek, the game’s first and most fervent
supporter.
I pray that he continues to guide the game from his new post.
I know you’re still playing with us, Mark.
Peace.
Introduction........................................................................................................................................................6
What is the Fighting Game Genre?............................................................................................................................7
Reading This Book...................................................................................................................................................9
Gaming and Metagaming.......................................................................................................................................10
The Basics of Role-Playing......................................................................................................................................11

1. Character Generation...................................................................................................................................13
Concept and Background........................................................................................................................................13
Blood Types...........................................................................................................................................................15
Designing a Character............................................................................................................................................15
Character Generation Checklist...............................................................................................................................17
Basic Qualities.......................................................................................................................................................17
Qualities, Weaknesses, and Quirks..........................................................................................................................18
Noticing What the Players Want Through Their Characters’ Qualities.........................................................................19
Skills.....................................................................................................................................................................20
Choosing Combat Skills at Power Level 1.................................................................................................................21
Special Moves........................................................................................................................................................21
Power Level Chart..................................................................................................................................................22
Power Level...........................................................................................................................................................22
Completing a Character’s Move List.........................................................................................................................23
Explanation of the Power Level Chart......................................................................................................................24
Creating a Group with a Hero and His Supporting Characters.....................................................................................25
Earning Glory........................................................................................................................................................26
Glory and Rate of Character Advancement...............................................................................................................27
Additional Glory Awards Chart................................................................................................................................28
Simplifying and Accelerating the Rate of Advancement............................................................................................29

2. Skills...............................................................................................................................................................31
Basics of the Skill System.......................................................................................................................................31
Assigning Difficulty Levels......................................................................................................................................31
Critical Successes, Mixed Successes, and Fumbles....................................................................................................32
Skill vs. Skill...........................................................................................................................................................33
Skills Without Skill Levels.......................................................................................................................................34
Combat Skills........................................................................................................................................................34
Non-Combat Skills (Mechanical)..............................................................................................................................34
Non-Combat Skills (Narrative)................................................................................................................................34
Skill Descriptions...................................................................................................................................................35
Combat Skills........................................................................................................................................................35
Why No Offensive Skills?........................................................................................................................................36
Mechanical Skills....................................................................................................................................................37
Narrative Skills......................................................................................................................................................40
Action Sequences..................................................................................................................................................46
Developing an Action Sequence..............................................................................................................................46
Resolving an Action Sequence.................................................................................................................................47
Example of an Action Sequence..............................................................................................................................47
Using Action Sequences in the Story.......................................................................................................................49
Earning Glory for an Action Sequence......................................................................................................................49

3. Qualities, Weaknesses, and Quirks............................................................................................................51

Choosing Qualities.................................................................................................................................................51
General Notes Regarding Qualities, Weaknesses, and Quirks....................................................................................51
Choosing Qualities, Weaknesses, and Traits for NPCs................................................................................................53
Qualities...............................................................................................................................................................53
Weaknesses..........................................................................................................................................................54
Quirks...................................................................................................................................................................54
Buxom, Fan Service, and Suggestive Attire: All in the Eye of the Beholder..................................................................55
Quality Descriptions..............................................................................................................................................56
Weakness Descriptions...........................................................................................................................................65
Quirk Descriptions.................................................................................................................................................70
Story Points..........................................................................................................................................................74
Using Story Points.................................................................................................................................................74

4. Basic Moves, Special Moves, and Super Moves......................................................................77

Definitions............................................................................................................................................................77
Basic Moves..........................................................................................................................................................78
Sweeps.................................................................................................................................................................78
Basic Throws.........................................................................................................................................................78
Basic Taunts..........................................................................................................................................................79
Special Moves........................................................................................................................................................79
Move Levels and Controller Motions........................................................................................................................80
Building Special Moves...........................................................................................................................................80
Move Elements......................................................................................................................................................82
Move Liabilities.....................................................................................................................................................83
Exotic Move Elements............................................................................................................................................84
Exotic Move Liabilities...........................................................................................................................................84
Additional Elements for Super Moves Only..............................................................................................................84
Additional Liabilities for Super Moves Only..............................................................................................................84
Weapons...............................................................................................................................................................85
Standard Liabilities................................................................................................................................................85
Standard Elements................................................................................................................................................85
Special Move Liabilities..........................................................................................................................................86
Major Special Move Liabilities.................................................................................................................................87
Special Move Elements..........................................................................................................................................88
Examples of Creating Special Moves.......................................................................................................................98
Exotic Special Moves.............................................................................................................................................99
Exotic Special Move Elements...............................................................................................................................100
Exotic Special Move Liabilities...............................................................................................................................107
Random Move.....................................................................................................................................................108
Attack Strings......................................................................................................................................................108
Adding Elements to Attack Strings........................................................................................................................110
Super Moves........................................................................................................................................................111
Building Super Moves...........................................................................................................................................112
Additional Liabilities for Super Moves....................................................................................................................113
Additional Elements for Super Moves....................................................................................................................113
How Super Energy is Accumulated.........................................................................................................................114
Using Super Moves...............................................................................................................................................115
Structure of Super Move Systems..........................................................................................................................116
Transformations...................................................................................................................................................117

5. Combat.........................................................................................................................................................119
Staging Combat...................................................................................................................................................119
Combat Sequence................................................................................................................................................120
Die Sizes..............................................................................................................................................................120
Fighting Spirit in Combat......................................................................................................................................121
Metagaming Fighting Spirit..................................................................................................................................122
Initiative..............................................................................................................................................................122
Rolling Initiative and Control.................................................................................................................................123
Simultaneous Initiative.........................................................................................................................................124
Summary of Simultaneous Initiative Procedure......................................................................................................125
Example of Resolving Simultaneous Initiative........................................................................................................126
Handling Initiative and Control for Multiple Characters...........................................................................................126
On Your Turn........................................................................................................................................................127
Movement...........................................................................................................................................................127
Movement Summary............................................................................................................................................130
Resolving an Attack..............................................................................................................................................130
Control................................................................................................................................................................130
Rolling to Hit an Opponent....................................................................................................................................131
Rolling an Attack..................................................................................................................................................132
Results of a Successful Attack................................................................................................................................132
After Everyone Has Acted.....................................................................................................................................133
Combos...............................................................................................................................................................133
100% Combos and Infinite Combos........................................................................................................................134
Generating Long Combos......................................................................................................................................135
Defending Against An Attack.................................................................................................................................135
Evasion................................................................................................................................................................135
Tactics.................................................................................................................................................................136
Dashes and Back Dashes.......................................................................................................................................139
Effects of a Successful Attack................................................................................................................................139
Damage..............................................................................................................................................................139
Why Random Damage Rolls?................................................................................................................................140
Hit Stun...............................................................................................................................................................141
Simplifying Hit Stun.............................................................................................................................................141
Knock Back..........................................................................................................................................................141
Knock Down........................................................................................................................................................142
Breakfalls and Tech Rolls.......................................................................................................................................143
Stunning.............................................................................................................................................................143
Other Combat Actions..........................................................................................................................................144
Environmental Hazards........................................................................................................................................145
Effects of Environmental Hazards..........................................................................................................................147
Walls and Ring-Outs.............................................................................................................................................148
Effects of Walls and Ring-Outs..............................................................................................................................149
Simplified Walls and Ring-Outs.............................................................................................................................151
Defeat, Death, and Healing...................................................................................................................................151
Optional Rules for Slower Recovery.......................................................................................................................152
Team Combat......................................................................................................................................................152
Tag Team Combat.................................................................................................................................................153
Example of Combat..............................................................................................................................................153
Thug Thrashing....................................................................................................................................................159
Thug Attributes...................................................................................................................................................159
Balancing Thugs Against Fighters..........................................................................................................................162
Thug Qualities.....................................................................................................................................................162
Procedure for Fighting Thugs................................................................................................................................165
Thug Initiative and Control...................................................................................................................................165
Thug Movement..................................................................................................................................................165
Thug Attacks and Defenses...................................................................................................................................166
Defending Against Thugs......................................................................................................................................167
Damage Effects Against Thugs..............................................................................................................................167
End of the Turn in Thug Thrashing Combat.............................................................................................................168
Thug Events........................................................................................................................................................168
Thug Event Chart.................................................................................................................................................168
Thug Thrashing....................................................................................................................................................169
Special Actions Useable Against Thugs...................................................................................................................170
Thugs and Skills...................................................................................................................................................170
Guns...................................................................................................................................................................171
More Dangerous Guns..........................................................................................................................................171
Example of Thug Thrashing...................................................................................................................................172
Dramatic Combat.................................................................................................................................................177
Initiative Procedure for Dramatic Combat..............................................................................................................177
Movement, Attacks, and Defenses in Dramatic Combat..........................................................................................178
Action Point Options............................................................................................................................................179
Initiative Option...................................................................................................................................................179
Movement Options..............................................................................................................................................179
Attack Options....................................................................................................................................................180
Defense Options..................................................................................................................................................183
Recovery Options.................................................................................................................................................184
Special Options....................................................................................................................................................185
Spiritual Combat..................................................................................................................................................187
Example of Dramatic Combat...............................................................................................................................188

6. The Worlds of Fight!...................................................................................................................................192

Designing Characters for the Campaign.................................................................................................................193
Constructing a Campaign......................................................................................................................................196
The Basics...........................................................................................................................................................196
Group Size...........................................................................................................................................................198
The Tournament..................................................................................................................................................199
Common Plot Elements of Fighting Game Campaign Stories...................................................................................201
Creating NPC Fighters..........................................................................................................................................205
Choosing Campaign Options.................................................................................................................................206
Example Story Arcs and Campaign Seeds...............................................................................................................206
Writing Stories and Running the Game..................................................................................................................209
Example Plotlines................................................................................................................................................210
Examples of Locations for Combat Stages..............................................................................................................211
Combat Systems and Glory...................................................................................................................................213
Pacing a Campaign...............................................................................................................................................214
Creating and Fighting the Boss.............................................................................................................................216
Secret Characters.................................................................................................................................................217
Losing to the Boss................................................................................................................................................217
Once the Boss is Defeated....................................................................................................................................218
Original Video Animation......................................................................................................................................220

Appendix 1: Example Characters..................................................................................................................222

Appendix 2: Character Generation Guidelines............................................................................................227
Appendix 3: Example Special Moves.............................................................................................................231
Appendix 4: Combat Summary......................................................................................................................234
Appendix 5: Glossary......................................................................................................................................238
Appendix 6: Source Material.........................................................................................................................243
Character Sheet..............................................................................................................................................244
Contributor Bios..............................................................................................................................................246
Welcome to the worlds of Fight! The Fighting Game distinctive elements that constitute the fighting
RPG! In this game, players have the opportunity to game genre:
create characters of epic proportions with fighting
skills rivaled by few others in history. Their
adventures will cross time, space, and sub-genre, as One in a Million
such fighters might be found in stories of modern The Human Body is the Most Powerful
supernatural conspiracies, globe-spanning terrorist
plots, urban crime drama, historical fantasy, near- Weapon in the Universe
future techno-thriller espionage, and even fantastic Superpowered
space operas. The Supernatural and Super Science
Rather than present a specific style of story to tell, Drama and Melodrama
the rules for Fight! allow players to emulate the Fighting is Life
conventions and story tropes of the video game Glory and Ego Matter
genre known as fighting games. While the play style
of these video games almost exclusively focuses on Combat is Unavoidable
a series of one-on-one combats utilizing colorful
characters, each with their own distinctive fighting One in a Million: The main characters in the fighting
styles and special moves, the stories that provide game genre are not just excellent martial artists.
the backdrop for these combats constitutes a genre They are the very best martial artists in the world,
of its own. Fight! emulates this genre in both its
perhaps even the greatest fighters in the universe.
tone and its rules. So in order to make the most of
this game, it helps to understand what the fighting Thus, the rules make a distinction between the
player characters (and the most important non-
game genre is.
player characters) and every other character in the
campaign. These distinctive characters are called
What is the Fighting Game Genre? Fighters in the game. Even the Fighters that serve a
more comedic role in the story, or who have less
The fighting game genre is a set of thematic serious motivations for being involved in the events
elements that cross over into several other more of the campaign, are (perhaps inexplicably or
common forms of adventure role-playing. It is incongruously) among the most powerful martial
perhaps easier to understand it as a filter for artists in the world.
interpreting a particular genre, with specific
characteristics that make it distinctive. For Whether or not the rest of the world knows how
example, there have been fighting video games that
powerful the Fighters in the game are varies from
have occurred in fantasy versions of historical Japan,
in the modern world, across several planets in the campaign to campaign. In some games, the
far future, and even in wars waged throughout Fighters are veritable celebrities, while in others the
multiple dimensions. Yet, the fighting game genre is level of their personal power remains unknown.
neither solely fantasy, nor modern, nor science
fiction. It is not even accurate to equate it with the The Human Body is the Most Powerful Weapon in
“martial arts genre,” for while it shares certain the Universe: While there is no question that
common story elements with traditional
understandings of that genre, it maintains a hyper-
stylized context of its own. Here are some of the

7
swords, guns, tanks, and bombs are powerful and levels of this element vary from game to game, the
dangerous weapons in the fighting game genre, fighting game genre presumes that the supernatural
they all pale in comparison to the potential is real: magic, superpowers, demons, ghosts,
destructive force of the human body trained to peak monsters, and psychic abilities all exist in the default
performance (such as is the case with all the Fighters presumptions of the genre. While the world at large
in the campaign). may or may not know about these realities, the
principal characters in the campaign do, and largely
Martial arts in general are reckoned as more flexible take them for granted.
and dangerous in the genre than they are in the real
world. Many plot lines in fighting games rely heavily Likewise, with the possible exception of historical
on somehow capturing the essence of a martial games, technological advancements well beyond
artist’s power. This may be through magic, high real world levels are commonplace in the world of
technology, psychic re-programming, or some other Fighters. They encounter robots, nanotechnology,
means, but the end result is the same: the fighting advanced personal weapons, and powered battle
spirit of a martial artist can be channeled into a armor. This super science may even be the source of
weapon of mass destruction or become the basis for some characters’ fighting abilities. Even in some
the programming of an army of elite super soldiers historical games, elements of the “steampunk”
or unstoppable cyborgs. genre, such as primitive mecha and advanced
gunpowder weapons, may be present.
Superpowered: Aside from the presence of martial
arts and some common story elements drawn from Drama and Melodrama: The best role-playing
the martial arts genre, the fighting game genre games thrive on the right balance of action,
shares more in common with the world of comic adventure, and drama. Even the most combat-
book superheroes. Fighters are larger than life, oriented action game can gain a level of nuance and
often with bold names, distinctive, colorful, and/or immersion with some simple dramatic additions to
outlandish costumes, driven personalities, and the narrative based on the characters involved. It
especially powers beyond those of lesser mortals. gives the players more reasons to appreciate the
story and the setting. This is true of the fighting
Characters in this genre are capable of defying game genre as well; however, it does not thrive on
physics, enduring blows that would shatter steel, mere drama, but rather full-blown melodrama.
leaping multiple stories into the air, and wielding
impossible abilities developed through The principal characters maintain an outlook on
extraordinary training and powered by the deepest their universe that is extremely focused and the
reserves of personal ki energy. Characters in the personal stakes are always high. This fact makes the
fighting game genre are much more than just characters easy to role-play, but if one is being true
martial artists. Rather, martial arts are the means by to the genre, they may lack some of the subtlety or
which they gain access to superhuman prowess. complexity of “real” people. Almost every
important event in the character’s life is treated with
The Supernatural and Super Science: While the do-or-die seriousness, demanding an unrelenting
response. This focus can be hard to relate to, but
maintaining it makes the game true to the genre.

8
Not all characters in fighting games are so deadly This element of the fighting game genre is also
serious or focused. Lesser characters are often important on the “metagame” level (see Gaming
permitted more varied personality traits, and often and Metagaming below for more on this). The
serve as lighter hearts around the brooding main hardcore players of fighting video games are an
characters. unusually competitive lot, and the glory associated
with winning is an important motivator.
Fighting is Life: Fighting skills are never a Furthermore, while winning is good, winning with
secondary consideration in describing a character. style and flair is even better. A player is accorded
On the contrary, they are the way in which the more glory for demonstrating flexibility with a
Fighter understands his place in the universe. Thus, character’s move set and using long and interesting
characters in the genre are extraordinarily willing to combos than winning by repeating the same special
enter into combat. Any offense, especially move over and over. It is easy to assume that this
regarding one’s fighting ability, can be an excuse to would also translate to the Fighters who populate
start violence. the fighting game genre and the rules of the game
support this.
Aside from answering an insult, combat is also a way
to show respect, re-connect with a friend after a Combat is Unavoidable: In many role-playing
long absence, demonstrate one’s philosophy of life, genres, combat exists as one option for resolving
or prove a point. Development of one’s combat conflict. In some games, actually avoiding combat is
abilities is key to one’s whole self-identity. The far more preferable for long-term success or
answer to the question, “Why do you fight?” is also survivability. In the fighting game genre, combat is
the answer to the question, “Who are you?” unavoidable. There is no way that a character will
resolve his personal storyline, realize his destiny or
Glory and Ego Matter: Honor plays an important doom, or reach his full potential without frequent
role in the fighting game genre, just as it does in combat.
many stories in the martial arts genre. However, the
pursuit of glory is often even more important than This has an effect on the way that the Director sets
honor. Glory unofficially establishes a hierarchy up the campaign and prepares stories, as well as on
among the best fighters in the world, a hierarchy the way that players conceptualize their characters.
that matters to all of them, even if only on a It also colors the role-playing of the characters,
subconscious level. especially during combat. As noted above, fighting
is intimately related to a character’s self-identity.
Some characters are arrogant and outgoing about While some genres see character development
their pursuit of glory. Other characters maintain a occurring through introspection and meaningful
more humble demeanor, but the strength of their dialogue with other characters, in the fighting game
ego is still critical for their own self-understanding. genre, character development occurs during
A Fighter may have momentary crises of self-doubt, violence.
but on a fundamental level, the knowledge that he is
one of the greatest combatants in the world keeps These are some of the most important traits that
him going. This pursuit of glory is also the reason define the fighting game genre. Players should
behind the common practice of taunting and trash
talking in combat.

9
embrace these traits when creating and playing
their characters, and Directors should strive to make
Gaming and Metagaming
sure the tone of the game is drenched in them.
Every role-playing game strives for some sort
Reading This Book of balance between playability and realism.
Oftentimes, the realism (or lack thereof) of a
In order to get started with the game, players can game’s rules is a deliberate choice meant to
proceed to Chapters 1-4 for all the details on emulate the genre in which the game is set.
creating their own unique Fighters. Chapter 1 Fight! is in no way an accurate representation
provides an overview of all the components that of real-world martial arts combat. In fact, it’s
make up a character. Chapter 2 describes all of the not even an accurate representation of martial
Skills in the game and how they are utilized in play. arts as seen in wuxia movies. Rather, Fight!
Chapter 3 describes the unique Qualities, takes its perspective solely from fighting video
Weaknesses, and Quirks that define the character’s games. This means that not only is the
appearance, background, and personality. Chapter treatment of martial arts so heavily stylized as
4 describes how to create a Fighter’s Special Moves to bear little resemblance to the real world, but
and Super Moves, the unique attack forms that even the mechanics of the game are influenced
define the character’s abilities in combat. by the conventions of these video games.

Chapter 5 describes all the rules for combat, which In addition to prioritizing specific special moves
are understandably more detailed than the rest of for each character and the use of strings of
the rules in a game called Fight! Two sub-systems attacks in combination (to cite just two
are also described in this chapter: the first is used examples), there is even an “invisible filter”
when the Fighters are fighting lesser opponents, the layered over the rules that occasionally allows
faceless minions of their enemies, while the second one to presume the presence of a hypothetical
simplifies some of the core tactical elements of the “player” playing the video game in which the
normal combat system in exchange for a more character is a part. This metagame is not
narrative style of combat for when the nature of the intended to encourage the breaking of the so-
scene warrants a change in tone. called “fourth wall” in order to have the
characters “speak” to their “players” as if the
Chapter 6 provides guidance and inspiration for the latter were divine beings (though there’s
Director by describing several traditional archetypes nothing wrong with that if that’s what you want
for characters, ideas for fight scene locations, and to do). Rather, it is a way to understand how
campaign models, as well as advice on beginning, some of the rules work and why certain design
maintaining, and ending a Fight! campaign. choices were made in the game. In deciding
between how something would work in “the
So focus your ki and feel your fighting spirit as you real world” as opposed to how it would work in
enter into worlds of over-the-top action in the a fighting video game, the rules almost always
fighting game genre! favor the latter.

10
 The Basics of Role-Playing

This Introduction presumes familiarity with the basic concepts of a role-playing game. However, for
the wholly uninitiated, the following description should suffice. In Fight!, each of the players creates
a character representative of the typical kinds of characters found in a fighting video game. Each
player will act out this character’s speech and determine the character’s actions in the scenes and
setting of the game. Another player called the Director defines this setting and the events that occur
there. The Director is also the player who is responsible for designing the universe in which the
players’ characters will adventure and fight. He plays the roles of all of the characters that are not the
player characters. The game itself is played out by acting out the roles of the characters through a
series of scenes set up by the Director. When there are multiple possibilities to an event’s outcome,
such as who wins in a fight scene, the rules and dice are used to resolve the scene.

11
 1

12
 1
1. Character Generation for Fighting. In each of these categories, think
boldly about your concept. It is often far better to
This chapter contains basic details on all the imagine extremes for fighting game characters than
elements that make up a character for Fight! Follow “safe” concepts. A fighter who wants to be the best
these steps to establish the framework of a Fighter in the world will adamantly refuse to live a safe and
character, and then consult Chapters 2, 3, and 4 for normal life. The way a fighter dresses may be totally
more details regarding Skills, Qualities, and Special inappropriate for the “normal” world, yet he wears it
on a regular basis anyway. A warrior who seeks
Moves.
revenge will put everything else second to this
quest, including loved ones and security. Characters
Concept and Background in Fight! are not normal, everyday people!

An exceptional character always begins with an Appearance: The outlandish character designs and
exceptional concept. This can be simple when costumes of fighting game characters are generally
starting the process: deciding your character is a not at all “normal” and often share more in common
monk who has just left his monastery, a maverick with superhero comics. Both character appearances
cop interested in the supernatural, or a world and outfits are usually extremely stylized, or else
champion tournament fighter is sufficient to start. strongly iconic (e.g., a traditional fighting outfit of a
This is not to say that a concept cannot be detailed particular style). The fighting game genre is
to begin with; after all, the more detailed the idea obviously an extremely visual medium, so give
from the outset, the easier it is to make the serious thought to what the character looks like. An
character. additional aspect of a character’s appearance is his
opening stances or actions before he begins a fight,
If you need inspiration for your concept, all you have as well as his win quotes and/or win poses at the end
to do is look to the source material. Look at of a fight. In the source material, these remain
characters from your favorite fighting game and consistent throughout the character’s career and
borrow an idea. It is obvious to any fan that most become part of his visual identity.
fighting video games do this same thing with great
regularity. This does not suggest that new ideas are Martial Arts Style: While characters in Fight! are not
not available; however, some character types (e.g., required to have any connection to real-world
the wandering master, the headstrong champion) martial arts styles, it is important to visualize what
just fit the genre exceptionally well. In fact, almost the character’s fighting style actually looks like.
any character archetype from action-adventure What common elements or thematic flourishes
fiction can be turned into a concept for a Fight! describe the appearance of the character’s martial
character with the simple addition of incredible arts? Does the character exclusively use punches or
martial arts skills and an attitude willing to engage kicks? Does a glow of blue energy accompany the
in over-the-top action. character’s most powerful attacks? Is the character
especially fast, move around a lot, or spend a lot of
Character concept in Fight! can easily be broken time jumping? Does the character have an unusual
down into four categories: Appearance, Martial Arts
Style, Training Background, and especially, Reason

13
 1
move around a lot, or spend a lot of time jumping? Is his fighting style a traditional art or a completely
Does the character have an unusal stance when he unique school?
fights?
How tall is he? How much does he weigh?
Training Background: What events led to the
character learning martial arts? More importantly, What does he look like? What is his hair color?
where, how, and why did he develop his skill to Remember that some characters in the source
become one of the very best in the world (even if he material, especially women, occasionally have
does not know or believe that to be the case)? Was unusual colors for their hair.
he trained by a reclusive master to fulfill a great
destiny? Was he a soldier who proved to be a natural When he is not fighting, how does he dress?
in unarmed combat? Did he learn to fight to right a
great wrong to his family and his drive brought him How old is he? What is his birthday? Are either of
to excellence? Does he practice a particular style these facts especially significant in some way?
designed to defeat a great evil?
What country is he from? Perhaps he is not of this
Reason for Fighting: This is the most important Earth, or perhaps he is now more or less than human
element of concept to keep the character involved in due to biological mutations or cybernetic
the events of the campaign. Whether the character enhancements.
fights to be the best, or to seek vengeance, or to
save someone he loves, his reason for fighting in Does he have a job? Is it a traditional job or is it
general says much about his philosophy of life in the exotic? Does his job get in the way of his fighting or
fighting game genre. For many characters, fighting are the two complementary? If they are not, how
is a metaphor for life itself. Therefore, knowing why does he get around these complications?
someone chooses to fight as a way to find meaning
in one’s life says much about the character. This one What is his blood type? Japanese tradition relates a
category basically defines a character’s core person’s blood type to their basic personality, much
personality and in some ways guides the previous like an astrological sun sign. See Blood Types below.
three categories.
When the character is not fighting, training, or
As you continue to develop the concept, further working, what does he like to do? What are some of
questions about the character’s background arise. his unusual likes and dislikes? Another strange
Where is he from? What is his personality? His convention of the genre is the unusual and/or silly
interests? Here are some additional questions to hobbies the heroes enjoy, such as text messaging,
consider for your character. Answering these doing laundry, or growing exotic flowers.
questions is not essential, but it can add a lot to a
character. Much of this information can be found What is his favorite food? Favorite sport?
for many characters in fighting video games, so
there are ample sources for inspiration. What is most valuable in his life? Is it a person, a
thing, or an idea? Conversely, what does he hate the
most?

14
 1
own categories. A few are suggested here.
Blood Types
Type A: People with blood type A are calm, self- Supporting characters provide story hooks for the
assured, a bit quiet around others, and often Director to use. These characters might be friends,
committed to personal excellence. This is a fighting allies, enemies, or mysterious strangers.
good blood type for the dedicated warrior who Have the player define one to three of these
fights to perfect his body and his art. supporting characters. If the Director feels any of
them might be problematic, he and the player
Type B: People with blood type B are friendly, should work at modifying them appropriately.
individualistic, and often enthusiastic. This
blood type corresponds to friendly, fun-loving, If the player is not willing to write a full background,
outgoing, and/or silly types of characters. have him suggest one to three quirky aspects of the
While the hero of the most serious fighting character’s personality, things about him that might
game stories will not be blood type B, his not readily suggest themselves.
bumbling buddy or desperate girlfriend might
be. Have the player suggest one to three concrete
aspects of the character’s past. This could perhaps
Type O: People with blood type O are social be a family member that needs protecting, a
people, open-minded, committed, and self- criminal past, or a pact made with a powerful
confident. It is an excellent “default” blood sorcerer.
type for many characters.
Finally, it might be useful to have the player decide
Type AB: People with blood type AB share upon one important obstacle against fighting for the
characteristics from other blood types, creating character. This might be the disapproval of the
an iconoclastic personality with competing character’s family, a deep-seated fear or insecurity
personality traits. Such a character may be about himself, or a curse that will lead to his death.
inconsistent, unpredictable, or deceptive in This last trait, if given enough thought, can often
their behavior. This is a good blood type for provide especially intriguing storylines for the
many villainous characters. character.

While answering these questions will provide a

wealth of information about the character, the Designing a Character
Director may ask for more information. These
additional facts are more directly intended to All Player Characters (PCs) and most important
provide story hooks, as well as to help situate the Non-Player Characters (NPCs) are considered to be
character in the specific world setting that the Fighters. This means that they are among a select
Director has designed. Many players will freely offer group of the most powerful martial artists in the
detailed accounts of their characters’backgrounds, setting (though the scale of that setting might be a
but for those who are less inclined, it helps to have city, the world, or the whole universe). In terms of
some specific questions or categories for the player
to address. The Director is free to come up with his

15
 1
the game rules, Fighters are far more powerful than significant or as debilitating as Weaknesses. Many
other people, able to defeat hordes of lesser characters have one or two Quirks. A larger
combatants, perform unbelievable feats of physical collection of Quirks (more than two) is actually
and possibly mystical ability, and only find a true considered to be a Weakness.
challenge in martial combat against another of their
kind. These are the movers and shakers of the Skills: These traits determine a character’s talent
campaign setting: the noblest of heroes and the and training in a number of different areas. Several
darkest of villains. Skills in the game are not “skills” in the traditional
sense of the word, but rather a rating of a
Each Fighter character is defined by a number of character’s ability with certain exceptional powers or
traits: specialized training.

Basic Qualities: These three characteristics are Special Moves and Super Moves: These two sets of
Strength, Speed, and Stamina. They describe the traits best distinguish a character’s unique fighting
character’s basic physical capabilities and, to a lesser style. Each individual special attack is built out of a
extent, certain elements of his fighting style. They list of Elements that define how the move is best
are defined at character creation and can never be used in combat.
changed.
Glory: This trait measures the style, flair, and skill
Qualities: These traits encompass a wide variety of with which the character defeats his opponents. As
generally advantageous aspects of the character. the character earns more Glory, he advances in
Many of them describe a character’s appearance, Power Level. Glory functions as the equivalent of
but they also include connections to the larger “experience points” in other role-playing games,
world, important items or contacts, and even though the way it is earned is rather specific to the
powerful supernatural abilities for use outside of structure of the game.
combat.
Combat Bonuses: These traits measure special
Weaknesses: These traits encompass a variety of bonuses in combat that are applied specifically to
disadvantages afflicting the character. Many of Accuracy, Control, Defense, and Damage. By
them describe psychological limitations, while choosing specific bonuses, the character further
others describe appearance or other liabilities. defines his particular fighting style.
There are even some Weaknesses that relate to
combat ability. No character is required to take Life Bar: This trait measures how much damage a
Weaknesses, but doing so allows a character to character can endure before being knocked out or
select additional Qualities. being so wounded as to be unable to continue
fighting. It is called a “bar” in reference to the
Quirks: These traits are elements of a character’s depleting bars at the top of the screen in traditional
personality that often impose minor restrictions on fighting video games.
the actions of a character. However, they are not as
Fighting Spirit: This trait measures a character’s
creativity, flexibility, skill, and split-second decision-

16
 1
making ability in combat. It is used for many from opponents.
purposes in combat. Fighting Spirit can make attacks
faster and more accurate, defenses more sure, and The three Basic Qualities are rated between –1 and
combos longer. It has many other uses in combat as 2, with a 0 being average for a Fighter (though not
well. necessarily average for a regular human).

A character may choose to have any two Basic

Character Generation Checklist Qualities at 1, while the third remains 0.
Alternatively, a character may choose to have one
The following steps describe the specific Basic Quality at 2, one at –1, and the remaining one
process of making a character in Fight! at 0. This permits nine different character
archetypes.
1. Choose the character’s Basic Qualities.
2. Choose four additional Qualities. Example 1: Wayne is creating a character. As he
has in mind a fairly stereotypical “hero” character,
3. If desired, choose Weaknesses he decides to choose Strength 1, Speed 0, and
and Quirks to possibly earn Stamina 1. This character hits hard and resists
more Qualities. damage well, but is not especially fast.
4. Spend 5 points on Combat Skills.
5. Spend 15 points on other Skills. Example 2: Christine is creating her character. She
6. Spend 10 points on Special Moves. has a different stereotype in mind: the ultra-fast
female fighter who may not hit hard but hits often.
She chooses Strength –1, Speed 2, and Stamina 0.
Basic Qualities
If a character has a Speed that is not 0, this Basic
Every character has three Basic Qualities: Strength, Quality must be further defined. A character with
Speed, and Stamina. Speed that is one point higher or lower than
average must choose to have the benefit or penalty
Strength: This measures the character’s ability to use apply to either Initiative or Control. If Speed is 2,
physical force in combat. A high Strength increases a the bonus may apply to both or it may apply to
character’s damage in combat. either Initiative or Control twice. These modifiers
increase the available character archetypes from
Speed: This measures a character’s reaction time in nine to 15. This decision must be made when the
combat, including the ability to act with both speed character is first created and may not be changed
and competence. It also measures the character’s later.
ability to most efficiently use the opportunities he has
been given in combat. Speed may modify a Example 1: Christine’s character has a Speed of 2.
character’s Initiative, Control, or both. Her character concept is a character that always

Stamina: This measures the character’s ability to

absorb damage and keep functioning. A high
Stamina reduces the damage a character receives

17
 1
strikes first, so she assigns both points of Speed to Positive Speed with a focus on Control adds one or
Initiative. She fills in the character sheet with Speed two die sizes to the character’s Control rolls in
2, and then circles the word “Initiative” next to it. combat. Negative Speed with a focus on Control
subtracts one die size from the character’s Control in
Example 2: Jen’s character is also a stereotypical combat. Regardless of the character’s base die size
fast female fighter with a Speed of 2. However, her as determined by Speed, Control can still be
character is not only fast, but capable of significant increased with Fighting Spirit as usual (see Initiative
combo attacks as well. She assigns one point of and Control in the Combat chapter).
Speed to Initiative and the other to Control. She fills
in the character sheet with Speed 2, and then circles Positive Stamina subtracts one or two die sizes from
both the words “Control” and “Initiative” next to it. the damage inflicted by an opponent’s attacks.
Negative Stamina increases the damage of
Example 3: Jen and Christine’s Fighters are soon to opponents’ attacks by one die size.
meet one of the Director’s NPCs named Blood Fist.
Blood Fist has Strength 2, Speed –1, and Stamina 0.
The Director decided to record the character’s Qualities, Weaknesses, and Quirks
negative Speed as an Initiative penalty. Blood Fist
may not move fast, but he still knows how to put Every character begins the game with four Qualities,
together a Combo when he has to. The Director selected from the list of Qualities found in Chapter 3.
records Speed –1, and then circles the word A character also has an opportunity to gain a new
“Initiative” next to it. Quality at every even-numbered Power Level,
subject to the Director’s approval. This approval
The effect of having a positive or negative Basic should be based on the events of the campaign. If
Quality is determined by the die size used in certain the character has been carefully cultivating a
situations in combat. A description of how die sizes reputation in the underworld, then the Quality
work can be found at the beginning of Chapter 6. “Connections: Criminal” makes sense. But a
character should not be able to develop the
Positive Strength adds one or two die sizes to the “Wealth” Quality overnight, for example, simply
damage of attacks. Negative Strength subtracts because the character advanced in power. Generally
one die size from the damage of attacks. speaking, the Director should not make it too
difficult for characters to gain new Qualities, as long
Positive Speed with a focus on Initiative adds one or as some reasonable in-game explanation can be
two die sizes to the character’s Initiative rolls in provided.
combat. Negative Speed with a focus on Initiative
subtracts one die size from the character’s Initiative A character can also gain additional Qualities during
rolls in combat. Regardless of the character’s base character creation by choosing Weaknesses. Each
die size as determined by Speed, Initiative can still Weakness selected allows the character an
be increased with Fighting Spirit as usual (see additional Quality. When a character gains a new
Initiative and Control in the Combat chapter). Quality at an even-numbered Power Level, he may
instead lose a Weakness, subject to the Director’s
approval. Just as when gaining a new Quality, there
should be a story-based reason why the character

18
 1
loses a Weakness. Furthermore, some Weaknesses may be extremely difficult or impossible to lose.

Quirks are a lesser form of Weakness, usually defined by specific personality traits that compel the character
to behave in certain ways in certain situations. They limit the character in small ways, but not to the same
degree as a Weakness. Their primary purpose is as a guide to role-playing the character. Some example
Quirks are Brutal, Impulsive, or Suspicious.

Every character is encouraged to take one or two Quirks to help further define his personality. If a character
instead chooses three to five Quirks, the combined Quirks count as a Weakness, making the character
eligible to choose another Quality.

If a player role-plays his Quirks to such a degree that he deliberately hinders his character in the course of a story,
the Director can choose to award the character a Story Point (see Story Points in Chapter 3, the Qualities chapter).

Finally, a character does not have to take all four Qualities (or more than four, if Weaknesses have increased
his available total above four). Instead, a Quality can be exchanged for three additional points of Non-
Combat Skills, two points of Fighting Spirit, or a single point in a Combat Skill. However, all characters must
choose at least one Quality at character creation.

The descriptions of all Qualities, Weaknesses, and Traits can be found in Chapter 3.

Noticing What the Players Want Through Their Characters’ Qualities

The majority of the Qualities and Weaknesses in the game have nothing to do with combat or fighting ability. Instead,
these elements of the character are intended to develop the character beyond his identity as a Fighter. Many of them deal
with social interactions: either additional resources in the form of equipment or information available to the character or
improved abilities to impress or persuade other people the character encounters. As they gain new Qualities by advancing
in Power Level, a character can expand his network of contacts and allies.

However, the rules do not require a character to have any more than a single Quality. This can allow a character to instead
trade all of his extra Qualities for significantly greater Combat Skills and/or Fighting Spirit, choices that directly improve a
character’s ability in a fight.

The Director should note the choices his players make when they make and advance their characters. Are they spending
all of their Qualities on Connections, Influence, and Followers? This indicates that the characters’ interactions with NPCs
are important to the group and a story full of non-stop fight scenes will probably not be as interesting to them. On the
other hand, if the players’ characters all have only a single Quality, and many of those are combat-related, the players are
indicating that combat is most fun to them, and the Director should plan stories accordingly.

Many groups, though, probably have players who fit into both of these categories, suggesting that the Director needs to
find a balance in writing stories that are character-driven and ones that are action-packed. In any case, the Qualities the
player chooses for his character can be a useful guideline for the Director.

19
 1
example, a character cannot spend five Non-
Skills Combat Skill points on Combat Skills or vice versa.

Skills are divided into two categories: Combat Skills A character’s competence with a given Skill is
and Non-Combat Skills. Non-Combat Skills are measured by levels in that skill. It costs one point to
further divided into Mechanical Skills and Narrative increase a Skill by one level. A character with only
Skills. This latter distinction delineates when the one level of a Skill has basic training, while eight
skills are used in the game, though it does not levels denotes an advanced level of training. It
change how the skills are acquired or the basic rules should be noted that what constitutes “basic”
governing how the skills are used. Each character training is largely dependent on the Skill in question.
begins with a pool of points to be spent on Combat Especially for Combat Skills, even one level
Skills and Non-Combat Skills. generally represents far greater skill than is possible
for a normal person.
Combat Skills: These skills have a direct,
mechanical relationship to the combat system. The highest level a character may have in any single
There are five of them, but the most important ones Skill is his present Power Level x 3, up to a maximum
are Defense, Evasion, and Tactics (sometimes level of 10. Two exceptions exist: the Combo Skill
abbreviated DET). These three skills are used to has no maximum level at any point and Defense,
avoid being hit in combat. The remaining two Evasion, and Tactics are limited by a character’s
Combat Skills are Ki, usually used only by characters Power Level to much
with Special Moves that have the Ranged Element, lower levels, as noted
and Combo, which determines how long of a Combo on the Power Level
the character can string together in combat. Chart (see below).
Thus, a Power Level
Mechanical Skills: All the skills in this category of 4 character could
Non-Combat Skills have additional requirements theoretically have a
before they can be acquired and/or specific Combo Skill of 11 (if he
applications in a story context. They are skills with spent all of his Combat
specific game applications. However, they cost the Skill Points on Combo,
same to acquire as Narrative Skills. which would not be an
effective choice!), though
Narrative Skills: The remaining Non-Combat Skills the limit on all his other
encompass everything else a character might be Skills would be 10.
able to do, usually used in a story outside of a
combat situation. Full descriptions of all
Skills can be found in
When a character is first built, as well as each time Chapter 2.
he increases in Power Level, he receives points to
spend on both Combat and Non-Combat Skills.
Points cannot be switched between categories. For

20
 1
Choosing Combat Skills at Power Level 1

A player can distribute the five points available for Combat Skills in whatever way he wishes. However,
there are some mechanical considerations to keep in mind that are not immediately apparent without
some familiarity with the combat rules.

A Combo Skill of 1 has no effect. The actual level of this Skill determines the maximum number of hits
that can be strung together into a single attack, and thus a character needs at least 2 levels of this Skill to
be able to use it. In a sense, one must spend two Combat Skill points to acquire the “ability” to do
Combos.

Ki Skill is useful even with only a single level. However, its primary use in combat is to determine the
damage of Special Moves with the Ranged Element. Therefore, a character without Ranged moves does
not need to have the Ki Skill. On the other hand, a Power Level 1 character can only spend up to three
points in any one Skill. The damage of a Ranged Special Move is the same for Ki 1-3. This means that the
main incentive for choosing a Ki Skill higher than 1 is to speed advancement in the Skill at higher Power
Levels.

A level of 1 in any of the defensive Skills is extremely limited. There are very few instances in the combat
system in which that level will be able to block or avoid an attack. Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider
putting two or even three Combat Skill points in at least one of the three defensive Skills at Power Level
1. While the character will be less flexible in his defenses to start, he will actually have a chance to avoid
some attacks. If the player chooses to put at least two Skill points in two different defensive Skills, the
best pair is Defense and Evasion, as these two Skills can be used together.

These first important decisions already begin to define the fighting style of the character. A character
with Ranged attacks has fewer points to spend on defenses and so must manage positioning more
carefully. A character with two or three points in Combo is setting himself up for an aggressive style of
play that will rely on high Initiative and Control. A character who chooses neither of these options will
probably have moderately sound defenses in exchange for offensive flexibility

Special Moves combat. The details of these characteristics are

explained in Chapter 4.
Special Moves are one of the most important A Fighter character begins with 10 Move Points to
characteristics of a Fighter. These are the unique spend on Special Moves. Each Special Move costs a
attacks that make up a character’s fighting style, number of Move Points to purchase equal to its level
whether that includes powerful uppercuts, spinning
(explained in more detail in Chapter 4), with the
roundhouse kicks, or projecting balls of destructive
energy. Each move is made up of specific
characteristics that define its application during

21
 1
exception of Level 2 (L2) moves, which cost 3 Move Points rather than 2 points. Most Special Moves are L3,
L4, or L5

A character must spend all 10 points on Special Moves. However, with each Special Move generally costing
3, 4, or 5 points, there is a possibility that only 1 or 2 points will be left over. In this case, these remaining
points can be spent on Non-Combat Skills instead. They cannot be saved.

Example 1: Wayne’s Fighter is a traditional combatant with three Special Moves. Two of these Special
Moves are Level 3 (L3), while his final move is Level 4 (L4). This costs 10 points (3+3+4).

Example 2: Jen’s Fighter has simpler moves. All three of her starting Special Moves are L3. This only totals 9
points, so the remaining point can be spent on a Non-Combat Skill.

Power Total Super Combat DET Full Life Fighting

Level Glory Moves Bonuses Defense Bar Spirit

1 0-25 0 0 3 +1 30 10
2 26-50 0 1 3 +2 40 20
3 51-100 1 2 3 +2 50 30
4 101-175 2 3/2 3 +3 60 40
5 176-250 3 4/2 4 +3 70 55
6 251-350 4 5/2 4 +4 80 70
7 351-500 5 6/3 4 +4 90 85
8 501+ 6 7/3 5 +5 100 100
Power Level Level. No character can achieve a Power Level
above 8 –this usually marks the countdown to the
A Fighter character’s overall power, especially in end of a campaign plotline. For an additional
combat, is determined by his Power Level. Power challenge and to extend the story’s finale, there is
Level functions in many ways like the concept of also an optional rule that serves as an exception for
“level” in other role-playing games. All characters a campaign’s final “Boss” Fighters, who may be
begin at Power Level 1. As they gain Glory through Power Level 9, or even Power Level 10.
the events of the campaign, they advance in Power
All characters begin with 0 Glory. As soon as a
character gains enough Glory for the next Power

22
 1
Level as listed on the chart above, they immediately advance in Power Level. However, the Director can
restrict a character from advancing in Power Level until the end of a session or the end of an adventure. A
character normally will not advance in Power Level during the middle of a combat, as spending all the
choices to advance the character would disrupt the narrative of the combat. However, the Director is free to
allow this if he wishes, if he thinks the character’s sudden power boost will make for a better story. Perhaps
he might allow an immediate increase in Fighting Spirit or Life Bar, or allow him access to a new Special
Move that the player had prepared in advance.

When a character advances in Power Level, he gains another 3 points to be spent on Combat Skills, another

Completing a Character’s Move List

Over the course of the eight Power Levels, a character will acquire enough Move Points to purchase between 18-
24 Special and Super Moves. This raises certain questions. Does the character need that many moves? Does the
campaign style suggest the character should have that many moves?

If the campaign is meant to emulate the increasingly complicated world of modern 2-D fighting games, the
answer is probably yes. Many characters in contemporary fighting games may rely on 5-6 primary special
attacks, but have a wide array of Special Moves for unusual situations or which are highly dependent on following
other moves, sometimes in long chains. Thus, creative players can use all the available Move Points to create rich
repertoires of moves to use in many different situations.

On the other hand, if the style of the campaign is emulating the majority of 3-D fighting games, the answer is
likely no. Despite impressively long move lists, sometimes in the neighborhood of 100 “special moves,” the
majority of these are actually better represented with the rules for Attack Strings (see Chapter 4). Basically, just
because the attacks look different and are named differently when the player presses one punch, two punches, or
three punches in a row, the game mechanics of Fight! describe this as an Attack String of Basic Attacks, not as
different Special Moves. Thus, in a campaign like this, characters will still likely have a number of Special Moves,
but they will also use Move Points to increase their Attack String Skill.

Likewise, if the campaign is intended to maintain the simplicity of old-school 2-D fighting games, the characters’
move lists might be closed very early (even as early as Power Level 1 or 2). This allows the character to translate
all of his remaining Move Points into Skills for a campaign style that allows characters to do more than just fight,
or into greater levels of Combo and Fighting Spirit.

This latter option also fits well with the implied “metagame” of Fight! With a short move list, it doesn’t take as
long to learn how to perform all of them. Instead, skill in combat is measured by the ability to use those Special
Moves well, which is represented in the game with both Combos and the ability to manipulate fights with
Fighting Spirit.

23
 1
10 points to spend on Non-Combat Skills, and On a metagame level, Power Level can also be
another 10 points to spend on Special Moves. understood as a player’s proficiency with the
particular character in the “video game” represented
With the 10 points available for Special Moves, the by the campaign. At each Power Level, the player
character must acquire at least one new Special learns how to use new moves in more situations, as
Move or Super Move (if permitted by his Power well as how to perform longer Combos and defend
Level and the campaign guidelines). If the character more effectively.
cannot or does not wish to spend exactly 10 points
on new Special Moves, the remainder not spent on Total Glory: This is the total Glory earned by the
Special Moves can be either added to Non-Combat character through all his endeavors. The Glory Total
Skills or to Fighting Spirit on a 1-for-1 basis, to the is what determines the character’s Power Level. The
Combo Skill at a cost of 3 points per point of Combo, ways characters can acquire Glory are described
or they can be saved for next level. below.

A player can decide that his character’s Special Super Moves: It is presumed that campaigns will
Move list is “complete.” At this point, he is no longer allow Super Moves by default. However, no
obligated to spend Move Points on new Special character can acquire his first Super Move before
Moves and can instead spend those points on Non- reaching Power Level 3. When a character reaches
Combat Skills, Fighting Spirit, or the Combo Skill, as Power Level 3, he must use some of his Move Points
noted above. However, the character can never to acquire a Super Move. Unlike normal Special
again acquire more Special Moves or Super Moves. Moves, the total number of Super Moves a character
If the campaign includes Super Moves, a character can have is determined by his Power Level.
cannot “close” his Move List until after Power Level
3 when the character acquires his first Super Move. Combat Bonuses: There are four different Combat
Bonuses: Accuracy, Control, Damage, and Defense.
Finally, at each even Power Level, at the Director’s Each of these adds to the appropriate check or value
discretion, a character can gain a new Quality or lose in combat. When a character achieves Power Level
a Weakness. These cannot be Basic Qualities, which 2, he chooses one of the four categories in which to
never change. take a +1 bonus. At Power Level 3, he may choose a
different bonus at +1, or he can choose the same
bonus to become +2. The split number on the Power
Level chart beginning at Power Level 4 shows the
Explanation of the Power Level Chart
total number of bonuses on the left, and the highest
total available to any single bonus on the right.
Power Level: All characters start at Power Level 1. Thus, at Power Level 4, a character will have 3 total
As they earn Glory, they progress through Power Combat Bonuses, though no single category will be
Level 8. An increase in Power Level demonstrates a greater than +2
greater level of power, as well as a greater
understanding of one’s capabilities and potential. DET: DET stands for the three defensive Combat
Skills: Defense, Evasion, and Tactics. Unlike normal
Skills, these three Skills individually cannot be of a
higher level than listed on the Power Level chart.

24
 1
For example, a
Power Level 5 Creating a Group with a Hero and His Supporting Characters
character can
normally have up to The default presumption for a group of players is that each of their characters is a
10 levels in any Skill, Fighter traveling and fighting alongside the other PCs for reasons appropriate to
except for Defense, their back-stories and motivations. Each of the fighters is roughly equivalent in
Evasion, and skill and ability as the rest. However, it is possible that a group of players might
Tactics, which want one of their characters to clearly be the “hero,” while the remaining
cannot be higher characters offer support roles (despite still being Fighters themselves).
than 4 according to
the Power Level In this situation, the points allocated to Combat and Non-Combat Skills change.
chart (and of The hero character begins with 10 points in Combat Skills, but only 5 points in
course, Combo Non-Combat Skills. Each Power Level (including Power Level 8), the hero gains 5
never has an upper points in both Combat and Non-Combat Skills. On the other hand, the non-hero
limit for any characters start the game with only 2 points of Combat Skills, but with 25 points
character). of Non-Combat Skills. Each Power Level, these characters receive 1 more point
for Combat Skills, but 15 more points for Non-Combat Skills.
Full Defense: When
a character uses the This allows the non-hero characters to develop high skill levels in many different
Full Defense option areas to support the hero. It is important to note that, with such a campaign style,
in combat, his the Dramatic Combat sub-system should not be used. Due to the prevalence of
Defense Total is Non-Combat Skill use in that system, combined with the increased use of Basic
increased by the Moves, not only will the hero character not shine in such a situation, but his
amount listed here. “support” characters will perhaps prove to be better fighters than he is! One
A higher Power possible exception to this would be occasional fight scenes against incorporeal
Level character can monsters and spirits, where a supporting magical character has a chance to shine.
make better use of Likewise, to create balance with this campaign model, investigation, infiltration,
this tactic. and interaction scenes should be as common as combat scenes, in order to give all
the characters their moment in the spotlight. The Director should also consider
Life Bar: This is the small Glory awards for the supporting characters when their skill use saves the day
amount of damage or allows the story to continue for the main hero.
the character can
take in combat before be used in many different ways in combat. The
being defeated. “Defeated” usually means knocked careful management of Fighting Spirit is one of the
out, but in the context of the story, it may mean the most important tactical decisions in the whole
character needs to take a break before going combat system. The number in this column
another round, or that he is simply unable to fight represents the base Fighting Spirit for a Fighter of a
anymore, or possibly that he has been killed. particular Power Level. If the Fighter has spent
Move Points to increase his Fighting Spirit, those
Fighting Spirit: This represents the reserves of additional points are added to his new base Fighting
energy - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual -
that the character can bring to the battlefield. It can

25
 1
additional points are added to his new base Fighting Special Move in this combat), even though it hit,
Spirit when the character advances in Power Level. earns no Glory.

Example 2: Koichiro’s opponent, the ninja Tsuto,

Earning Glory attacks back and hits
with a 4-hit Combo,
Combat is the primary beginning with a flying
means by which characters axe kick, an L4 move.
earn most of their Glory. This is the first time the
The first time a character kick has been used in
hits with a Special Move in the fight; therefore the
a fight, he earns Glory equal Combo is worth 8 Glory:
to the level of the move. 4 for the L4 move, and
This only applies to the first 4 for the successful 4-
use of a Special Move in a hit Combo. Two rounds
fight; subsequent uses of later, he hits with the
the same move in the same exact same Combo.
fight do not earn Glory. If This time, the attack is
the attack misses, no Glory only worth 4 Glory (for
is earned, but if the same the 4-hit Combo).
move is used again in the
same combat and hits, it If a character is fighting
then earns Glory. Basic in a tournament fight or
Moves do not earn Glory. A some other situation in
Combo earns Glory equal to which the best of a
the number of moves in the series of rounds
Combo (including Basic determines the winner
Moves), as well as Glory for (such as the best 2 out
any Special Moves in the of 3), record each
Combo that have been character’s Glory total
used successfully for the for each round of the
first time in the combat. conflict. Each character
earns Glory only for
Example 1: Koichiro hits an opponent with his L3 their personal best round. The remaining Glory from
Ranged attack, a projection of blue ki force. This is other rounds is ignored.
the first time the attack has been used in the fight,
so it earns 3 Glory. On the following round, he uses Example: Koichiro battles the fearsome Blood Fist
the same blue bolt again and hits again. However, in a best 2-out-of-3 tournament. In the first round,
this attack (and all subsequent uses of this particular Koichiro handily defeats Blood Fist, earning 17 Glory.
Blood Fist earns 10. In the second round, Blood Fist
rallies and defeats Koichiro, earning 12 Glory to

26
 1
Koichiro’s 11. In the final round, however, Koichiro Glory and Rate of
bests the villain, earning 15 Glory to Blood Fist’s 13. C h a r a c t e r
Thus, Koichiro would earn 17 Glory (his total from
round 1) and Blood Fist would earn 13 (from round
Advancement
3). Note that Blood Fist still used his highest total,
even though he lost the specific round in question. The rate at which Glory
is earned also
If the combatants are of unequal Power Levels, the determines the speed
higher-level character receives a fraction of the of character
normal Glory earned equal to the ratio of the advancement and
characters’ Power Levels. The lower level character therefore, the speed of
does not earn extra Glory for fighting a higher-level the campaign as a
opponent. For simplicity, this rule should only be whole. Furthermore,
invoked in one-on-one confrontations. earning Glory is highly
dependent on tactical
Glory earned in fights against Thugs is tallied choices and a healthy
normally for the whole combat, and then divided by dose of luck in combat.
3 (rounding up). The Dramatic Combat sub-system It is not impossible that
has many options that have special Glory bonuses two player characters
attached to them when used successfully. Action who are involved in the
Sequences sometimes earn a small amount of Glory, exact same combats
according to a specific formula (see Chapter 2). may have drastically
different Glory totals.
While Special Moves and Combos are the primary
ways in which characters earn Glory, there are other This requires special
ways to gain (and lose) Glory as well. The chart on attention on the part of
the next page indicates these situations. the Director. While it
might make sense in
In general, all characters will earn more Glory than the context of the story
they ever lose. However, if a character should for one character to be
of a higher Power Level opportunities for solo
happen to lose enough Glory to reduce his Power
than another character, combats to help make
Level, he does not lose any of the benefits gained
this is not always up the difference.
from the higher Power Level (including new Special
Moves, Skills, Bonuses, Life Bar, and Fighting Spirit), conducive to good
player dynamics. If it In the campaign
but ntil the character regains sufficient Glory to
seems like disparate overall, the frequency
regain his former Power Level, he is considered to
Glory totals or even of combat will
be the lower Power Level for all effects based
Power Levels will be a determine the rate of
specifically on Power Level, especially the use of
problem in the group, advancement. In a
Fighting Spirit in combat. story based solely
then the Director
should make provisions around a single
for characters lagging tournament with many
behind in Glory to have

27
 1
Additional Glory Awards Chart
Defeating another Fighter (ie., reduce to O life Bar) 1
End of each session of play 1
Character significantly advances the story 1
Good role-playing 0-2 (Director’s discretion)
Character acted consitently according to genre conventions 1
Good planning, ideas, or resourcefulness 1
Not striking a Stunned opponent 1
Defeating a Stunned Opponent 1
Defeating an opponent with a Super Move 1
Issuing a challenge to another Fighter 1
Accepting a challenge 1
Defeating a Fighter with 70% or more time left * 1
Defeating a Fighter with 80% or more time left* 2
Defeating a Fighter with 90% or more time left* 3
Defeating more than one Fighter single-handedly 1 per extra opponent
Defeating a Fighter without losing any Life Bar 3
Open display of cowardice -1-20 (Director’s discretion)
Character defeated in combat -5
Character Stunned -1

* (see the Combat chapter for an explanation of time left in a fight)

28
 1
opponents, it’s possible for a character to advance a full Power Level every single story. However, a better
balance between combat and adventuring (investigation, interaction, interpersonal relationships, training
journeys, etc.) will likely yield a slower rate of advancement. If a group played weekly sessions, with each
character having some opportunity for Glory in combat every session or every other session, while still
working towards the climax of some greater plot, it should take less than one year to progress from Power
Level 1 to Power Level 8.

If the Director feels advancement is too fast or too slow, it is a simple matter to adjust the frequency of
combat. Decreasing combats is often much easier from a story perspective, but in a game such as Fight!,
where the characters are highly focused on, well, fighting, combat cannot be ignored for long. Both
Dramatic Combat scenes and especially Thug Thrashing scenes offer opportunities for full fight scenes
without significant Glory earned. Adding combats requires some sort of context within the larger narrative,
but in the fighting game genre, it should be ridiculously easy to come up with a premise for a throwdown.

Simplifying and Accelerating the Rate of Advancement

In some short campaigns, the plot arc may encompass a very short period of time, perhaps a matter of
days or even a single long tournament. In these cases, the normal rate of advancement may not work.
After all, advancing from Power Level 1 through Power Level 8 should take at least 20 combats and
probably quite a few more.

If the campaign would work better with a more rapid advancement, the Director can simply ignore the
normal means of acquiring Glory and allow every character to advance one Power Level at the end of
each story or story segment. This also allows a group to have a “full campaign,” but in a much shorter
period of actual play time.

For example, suppose the Director wants to run a campaign in which the main story is about a group of
heroes learning to reach their full potential and finding the answers to their quests through the events
of a single tournament occurring in a single city. Such a set-up would not work as well with the normal
means of advancement, which is intended for longer, more complicated plots. So instead, the Director
decides to allow each character to advance in Power Level after each bracket of the tournament. By the
time the finals of the tournament occur, the Fighters will be Power Level 8.

The rules for Power Level are also an abstraction at the service of the campaign and its main story.
Power Level is not necessarily meant to represent the full potential and power of a character, but rather
that character’s advancement in power and potential over the course of a particular storyline. For more
on this, see Chapter 6 regarding pacing and ending a campaign.

29
 2

30
 2
2. Skills Basics of the Skill System

This chapter explains how Skills are used in Fight! The rules for skill use in Fight! are intended to be
While some of the Skills in the game correspond to simple and straightforward to facilitate ease of use
“skills” properly so-called, many of them actually in play. The basic mechanic is the roll of a d10 with
describe specialized training, psychological states, modifiers, trying to equal or exceed a Difficulty
or even actual martial arts techniques. This chapter Level assigned by the Director. If the roll is
describes how to use Skills in play, followed by successful, the character accomplishes what he
descriptions of all the Skills. The chapter concludes intended to do. If not, the character fails, perhaps
with special rules for a particular kind of skill use with negative consequences, depending on what he
called an Action Sequence. was trying to accomplish. This is all that is
absolutely necessary for skill use in the game. The
With these rules, Fighters can sneak into the remainder of this section contains a series of
fortresses of evil masterminds, dodge the gunfire of permutations to this rule.
mere soldiers, persuade their police superiors to
look the other way as they continue an investigation
“their way,” level buildings with secret techniques, Skill Check = 1d10 + relevant Skill vs.
draw spiritual power from the depths of the earth, assigned Difficulty Level (DL)
and look amazing while doing it.

Assigning Difficulty Levels

The chart below provides the suggested Difficulty Levels for various levels of skill checks. Note that the
determination of difficulty is based on the action of a skilled person, not an untrained person.

Difficulty of Task for a Skilled Person Difficulty Level

Trivial 4
Average 8
Challenging 12
Very Difficult 16
Generally Impossible 20

31
 2
For ease of play, the Director may rule that a There are no automatic successes or failures on a
character with a few levels in a Skill can ignore skill check based on the die roll. For example, a 1 is
rolling to resolve Trivial tasks. After all, any not an automatic failure, nor is a 10 an automatic
character with 3 or more levels in a Skill will not fail success. Thus, some skill checks will be
any normal attempt to accomplish a Trivial task; this automatically successful without a die roll, while
presumption can also be extended to characters other checks will be impossible at the character’s
with only one or two levels in most cases. present skill level.

The Director is not obligated to use the Difficulty Critical Successes, Mixed Successes,
Levels outlined in the chart above. He can simply
choose to assign a DL using the chart as a guideline.
and Fumbles
Furthermore, the Director might choose to set the
Difficulty Level at a certain level to represent the This section of rules is optional. While it can
objective difficulty of the task, and then give the increase the drama of certain skill checks, it can also
character a bonus or penalty on the die roll to be more complicated than a particular skill check
represent some special circumstance. Whether requires or deserves. It is up to the Director to
modifying the DL or modifying the roll, the end decide whether a particular roll will have a possible
result is the same: the task becomes easier or critical success, mixed success, or fumble.
harder. Use whatever method works best for the
players’ engagement with the story. During a normal skill check, if a 10 is rolled, the
player can roll another d10. If this second result is
A character’s Basic Qualities may also affect the DL also a 10, and the resulting total of 10 + Skill level
of a skill check. Whether or not a Quality modifies a exceeds the assigned DL of the task, a critical
skill check is up to the Director. There is no specific success has occurred. The exact results of this are
system for the effect of Basic Qualities on skill up to the Director, but truly fantastic results should
checks nor are Skills inherently related to one be possible with a critical success. The effects of a
specific Basic Quality. critical success should be used to enhance the
drama of the present scene, or maybe even the tone
Example: Steve’s character, Scotty McDervish, is of the story as a whole.
trying to smash through a heavy wooden door. The
Director decides that this is an average task and sets In a similar fashion, if the die roll for a skill check is
the DL at 8. Scotty’s Property Damage Skill is a 4, so exactly the number needed for success, a mixed
he needs to roll a 4 or more to break the door. result occurs. This should still qualify as a success,
However, Scotty also has Strength 2, and the but the Director might also impose some minor
Director thinks that’s relevant to the check. He temporary penalty on the character as well.
gives Steve an additional +2 on the roll, making the
task very easy. He rolls a 3 and the door is torn from Example: Scotty has a crane load of steel girders
its hinges. dropped on him. As he sees them crashing down, he
decides to punch them out of the way as they fall.
The Director decides this is a DL 12 task for the
Property Damage Skill. Steve rolls an 8, plus

32
 2
opposite of a critical success. The effects are up to
the Director, but something simply awful (yet
dramatically interesting) should occur. While
accomplishing this specific task should be a failure, a
fumble should not de-rail the story or make it
impossible for the character to act. Like a critical
success, a fumble should be used to enhance the
drama of the story, not be an arbitrary penalty for
bad die rolls.

Skill vs. Skill

Oftentimes two characters are either competing to

complete the same task or they are working directly
against one another. Some examples of this would
be two mystical characters using the Ki Skill to
manipulate the same object, a hero hiding with
Stealth while another character searches with the
Perception Skill, or two Fighters staring one another
down with Intimidation. In these cases, each
character makes a skill check.

After the skill checks are made, the results are

compared. The character who rolls higher wins the
contested task at hand. If a single Skill vs. Skill
check produces a tie, the participants can roll again.
The Director could also just rule the contest a tie and
not require additional rolls.

Scotty’s Skill level of 4, equals 12. He succeeds at Example: Asuka the Ghost Archer is trying to sneak
bashing the girders away from him, but he strains a past the guards at the Fortress of Endless
muscle after a single near miss. The Director says Nightmares. She has a Stealth Skill of 6. The guards
that Scotty will suffer a –2 on appropriate physical at the gates only have Perception Skills of 2. Jen,
tasks until he gets some rest. Asuka’s player, rolls a 5, plus 6, for a total of 11. The
Director rolls an 8 for the guards, for a total of 10.
Finally, the opposite of a critical success can also Asuka wins the contested skill check. The Ghost
occur. If a 1 is rolled on a skill check, roll another Archer slips through the gates to wreak vengeance
d10. If this second result is also a 1, and the resulting against the Midnight Emperor.
total of 1 + Skill level is less than the assigned DL of
the task, a fumble occurs. A fumble is the exact

33
 2
Skills Without Skill Levels
Non-Combat Skills (Mechanical)
There may be circumstances in which a character
must make a skill check but lacks any levels in the Agility
necessary Skill. In this situation, it is up to the Climactic Super Move
Director to determine whether or not the character Gadgeteering
Combat Skills Magic
Power
Defense Psychic
Evasion Reaffirm Purpose
Tactics Realize Potential
Combo Stance Evaluation
Ki Thug Thrashing

Non-Combat Skills (Narrative)

Animal Handling Knowledge Specialization

Acrobatics Lockpicking Spirituality
Athletics Lost in the Crowd Stealth
Awareness Meditation Street Society
Call Forth Wisdom Occupation Technological Aptitude
Cooking Perception The Fighting World
Danger Sense Performance Zen State
Deduction Presence
Draw Ki Property Damage
Endure Great Hardship Receive Wisdom
Fast Reflexes Sense Ki
Grim Determination Shadowing
High Society Sleight of Hand
Intimidation Smooth Talking

34
 2
can succeed at all with the skill check. For example, character knows something without possessing a
it is reasonable to assume that any character could specific Knowledge Skill, the character can make a
attempt a Perception Skill check or a Smooth straight d10 roll with no levels added. A DL 4 should
Talking Skill check. However, a character without be sufficient for fairly common knowledge, while a
Draw Ki would not be able to attempt a skill check DL 12 might be necessary for obscure knowledge (if
without levels in that Skill. The Occupation Skill can the Director deems that the character could know it
often be used as a replacement in many cases where at all). Several Qualities specifically add bonuses to
a character lacks a particular skill (see the skill checks involving knowledge and/or intelligence.
description of the Occupation Skill below).
Some Skill descriptions make reference to Story
If the Director does allow a character to make a skill Points. These are a resource for manipulating rolls
check without any levels in the appropriate Skill, the and events in favor of the players. They are
check is made by rolling a d10 and adding nothing. explained in full detail in Chapter 3.
However, if the Director rules that the task is
impossible without Skill levels, the character
automatically fails. Combat Skills

Skill Descriptions Combo: This Skill represents the Fighter’s ability to

accurately string attacks together in combination.
In the combat system, it limits the maximum
The following sections contain descriptions of all the
number of hits in a single Combo (which means it
Skills in the game. For convenience, all the Skills,
must be at least level 2 to be used). Like all combat
combat, mechanical, and narrative, have been listed
Skills, it has little or no narrative application outside
alphabetically in their own sections.
of the combat system. Unlike all other Skills, this
Skill is not limited to level 10; it has no upper limit
Despite the unusual nature of many of the Skills in
(though it has a practical limit of 23, the highest
the game, new additions to the list should not really
possible Control in a single turn).
be necessary. If a Skill appears to be missing, it is
likely that it could be resolved with an appropriate
Occupation, Knowledge, Presence, Smooth Talking, Defense: This important combat Skill is absolutely
or Specialization roll. required for any character that wants to succeed in
combat. While there are three different defensive
The three Basic Qualities are also listed here as Skills, this particular one is always considered the
Skills. In addition to using Basic Qualities to modify default mode of defending oneself. If circumstances
other skill checks, the numeric value of a Basic do not permit the use of Evasion or Tactics, Defense
Quality can be used as a Skill for a skill check. For is used. Thus, it is an important Skill for all
relatively easy feats that are still not guaranteed characters. It specifically measures the character’s
success, a DL of 4 should be used. For more ability to block attacks, as well as the knowledge of
prodigious feats, the DL should be 8. For miraculous when to block, when to move, and when to attack.
feats, the DL should be 12. Like all combat Skills, it has little or no narrative

If the Director wants a general roll to determine if a

35
 2
application outside of the combat system. to lots of mechanical, often high-tech, equipment.

Evasion: This Skill is an alternative form of defense. Tactics: This Skill is an alternative defense. It
It measures the character’s ability to duck, sidestep, measures the character’s ability to know how to best
dodge, and leap out of the way of attacks. It has respond in any given combat situation and to know
little or no specific narrative application outside of the precise timing to make the best use of the
the combat system. There is a difference between opportunities that present themselves. It has little or
this Skill and the mechanical non-combat Skill called no specific narrative application outside of the
Agility. Evasion covers the Fighter’s ability to avoid combat system.
attacks by Fighters in martial arts combat, while
Agility represents the Fighter’s ability to avoid
Why No Offensive Skills?
attacks when being attacked by lesser opponents.
Players will note that there are three distinct skills
Ki: This combat Skill has a specific purpose in the used for defense in combat, but not a single skill that
combat system, and is only necessary for those determines a character’s offensive ability. This is
characters that have Special Moves with the Ranged deliberate. At the most basic level, hitting another
Element. For many characters, the Skill represents character in a fighting game is nothing more than
proficiency with manipulating one’s personal life determining whether the opponent is standing in the
force or ki, usually for use as an offensive weapon. place an attack hits. This is literally determined by
However, at the Director’s discretion, this Skill might comparison of the computer’s “hit boxes” and
also be used outside of combat to generate low- determining if there is an intersection between an
level magical or supernatural effects that only affect attack’s “hit box” and the location of the opponent. In
the character himself. For example, the character a fight between two relatively unskilled players, each
might be able to heal a debilitating injury faster, player will have an easy time hitting his opponent,
recover from poison, or even generate a glowing simply by closing with him and hitting attack buttons.
field around himself to produce light. The real challenge in a fighting game is not hitting the
opponent, but learning how to avoid being hit, via
While this Skill is always called “Ki,” it can also be blocking, evasion, and counterattack techniques.
understood and listed instead as “Gadgetry” when
the Ranged attacks are the result of mechanical Thus, as the metagame of Fight! is based on the
devices rather than mystical or supernatural power. mechanics of a fighting video game, it makes sense to
The game effects are the same. Gadgetry is used focus on the defensive ability of a character. As such,
wherever Ki is listed in the rules, with the obvious it is recommended that players develop all three
exception of the non-combat magical effects defensive skills to effective levels for their characters.
described above (unless the Director permits it). It In turn, the offensive ability of a character (actually
should be noted that Gadgetry is not ability with meaning the ability of the player of that character in a
mechanics or inventing. It should only be possessed video game) is represented by Control, the tactical
by characters who have skill with and regular access use of Fighting Spirit, and the ability to do longer
Combos accurately.

36
 2
taking any levels in it.
Furthermore, this Skill
also requires the
other secondary
Skills listed
below to be at a
level at least equal
to 1/2 (round up) of
the Gadgeteering skill
level (thus, Gadgeteering
4 requires all related Skills to
be at least 2 levels).
Mechanical Skills
This Skill represents access to and proficiency with
powerful high-tech equipment (and usually, though
Agility: This Skill is usually used only when facing
not necessarily, skill at creating it). In game terms,
Thugs. It is used to dodge their ranged attacks,
the Skill allows the character to do almost anything,
even gunfire, with impressive evasion techniques,
provided it can be described in terms of the high-
flips and dodges, and extraordinary luck. Like many
tech equipment that is being used. The Director
of the conventions of the fighting game genre, it is
simply assigns a DL to determine the difficulty in
not intended to be a “realistic” skill. This Skill can
having the right equipment on hand in the present
also be used as a defensive option in Dramatic
situation (with lower DLs when it facilitates moving
Combat against Thugs.
the story forward). This Skill requires significant
Director adjudication, but it helps to better define
Climactic Super Move: This special Skill represents
many character concepts, as well as increasing
the ability of a character to pull out powerfully
opportunities to use non-combat powers.
destructive techniques, but only when they are
losing. Such attacks are usually accompanied by
Example: Max Damage the cyborg warrior has
flashes, explosions, and huge changes to the
Gadgeteering 4. On a mission against the evil
immediate environment (physically and perhaps
Striker Corporation, Max finds himself trapped in an
spiritually as well). Its main use is for Dramatic
energy cell. He sees the controls only 10 feet away,
Combat, but the Director may allow a Climactic
but he can’t reach them. He decides to use a remote
Super Move skill check in desperate non-combat
control to activate the controls and free himself.
situations, such as destroying an ancient magical
The Director likes this idea and decides to set the DL
monolith before it summons enough power to
at only 8. Max’s player rolls a 6, giving Max a total of
destroy the world. In this way, it is like the Property
10. Max makes an adjustment to the settings on his
Damage Skill, though this Skill (as the name
cybernetic arm, aims it at the control panel, and
suggests) only works in climactic situations and can
activates the release. The energy cell disappears
generate much more impressive effects.
and Max heads further into the complex.
Gadgeteering: This special Skill requires a character
to also possess the Quality of the same name before

37
 2
Meditation, Climactic Super Move, Property
The secondary Skills required for Gadgeteering are: Damage, Sense Ki, Draw Ki, Danger Sense,
Ki (understood as Gadgetry), Thug Thrashing, Spirituality, and Grim Determination. This long list
Climactic Super Move, Property Damage, Endure of requirements highlights the power and potential
Great Hardship, Awareness, and Perception. Note uses of the Magic Skill.
that this Skill is to be distinguished from “Gadgetry,”
which is simply an alternative name for the Ki Skill. Power: This special Skill requires a character to also
possess the Quality of the same name before taking
Magic: This special Skill requires a character to also levels. Unlike other special Skills of this type (i.e.,
possess the Quality of the same name before taking Gadgeteering, Magic, and Psychic), this Skill does
levels. Furthermore, this Skill also requires the other not require any other secondary Skills. This Skill
secondary Skills listed below to be at a level equal to represents proficiency with one specific “super
1/2 (round up) of the Magic skill level (thus, Magic 4 power,” defined by the Quality. The Director assigns
requires all related Skills to be at least 2 levels). This a DL to determine the difficulty of using the power
Skill represents mastery of sorcery and magical in the present situation, if it can be used at all (also
powers. In game terms, this Skill allows the at the Director’s discretion). Likewise, the player
character to do almost anything, limited only by the defines the character’s power when the Quality is
Director. The Director simply assigns a DL to chosen, but the specifics of this power are up to the
determine the difficulty in knowing and being able adjudication of the Director.
to use the right power in the present situation (with
lower DLs when it facilitates moving the story Example: Dominic Kane is a scion of an ancient
forward). This Skill requires significant Director bloodline, each member possessed of unique
adjudication, though it is intended to be the most supernatural powers. In Dominic’s case, this is the
powerful of the Skills of its type (i.e., Magic, Psychic, ability to fly. He has 6 levels with the Skill Power
and Gadgeteering) and it helps to better define (Fly). During a chase, Dominic loses the young
many character concepts. It also increases princess he was hired to protect. He follows the trail
opportunities to use non-combat powers. to her location in the penthouse of a downtown
skyscraper. He realizes he’ll never be able to fight
Example: Yasa, expert explorer and burgeoning his way through inside, so he decides to fly to the
master sorcerer, is traveling the depths of the earth penthouse directly. However, the kidnappers’ dark
looking for the mystical entrance to the lost shrine ritual in progress has created a tremendous
of the Itagaki-Ryu. Realizing she is lost, she draws thunderstorm with high winds. The Director sets
upon her magical techniques to find her way. The the DL at 8. This is not enough to daunt the blood of
Director sets the DL at 10, though Yasa’s Magic Skill the Kane dynasty. Dominic’s player rolls a 4 and
is only a 2. Still, she manages to roll a 9, giving her a begins the liberation of the princess.
total of 11. A series of tiny, twinkling lights suddenly
appears leading down a pathway Yasa had not Psychic: This special Skill requires a character to
noticed before and the journey continues. also possess the Quality of the same name before
taking levels. Furthermore, this Skill also requires
The secondary Skills required for Magic are: Ki, the other secondary Skills listed below to also be at
a level equal to 1/2 (round up) of the Psychic skill

38
 2
level (thus, Psychic 4 requires all related Skills to be Whenever the character is struggling, especially in
at least 2 levels). This Skill represents an array of regard to this purpose, a successful skill check can
useful psionic abilities. In game terms, it allows the give them a boost to rise up and carry on. The DL of
character to do almost anything, limited only by the such a check is determined by the Director, based on
very specific category of special effects defined as how much or how little he thinks the character
“psychic powers.” The Director simply assigns a DL needs to reaffirm his purpose in order to succeed. A
to determine the difficulty in knowing and being common boost would be the award of a Story Point.
able to use the right power in the present situation
(with lower DLs when it facilitates moving the story In addition to a character’s primary purpose, a
forward). This Skill requires significant Director character can also choose a temporary purpose that
adjudication to keep it focused on psychic abilities, can change depending on the scene at the Director’s
but it helps to better define many character discretion. For example, if the character was trying
concepts, as well as increasing opportunities to use to protect an important person and that person was
non-combat powers. in great danger, the character could Reaffirm
Purpose in regard to that purpose. The game effects
Example: Therese is one of the greatest psychic are the same, though the DL would normally be
minds of the 18th century. But at the moment, she higher.
has no idea where the blessed kensai will be born.
She decides to use her precognitive powers. Realize Potential: Characters with this Skill learn
Therese has Psychic 7. However, the Director thinks quickly and strive to always become better. When
this would push the limits of even her powers, so he exceptionally good or bad things happen to them, a
sets the DL at 16. Therese’s player rolls an 8, which Realize Potential check can gain them concrete
is only a 15. Her powers failed her, but the Director benefits. The Director determines whether or not
decides to give her a vision anyway as a clue. the success or failure was significant enough and
whether or not the situation is significant. If it is, he
The secondary Skills required for Psychic are: Ki, sets a DL for the Realize Potential skill check. If it is
Meditation, Property Damage, Sense Ki, Zen State, successful, the character gets a bonus decided by
and Grim Determination. the Director, usually a Story Point.

Reaffirm Purpose: A character with this Skill needs There is another use for this Skill as well. If a
to define a purpose, which can be vague or character is defeated by an opponent of equal or
extremely specific, and which stays the same for the greater Power Level, and the Director knows that a
life of the character. It is the character’s overarching rematch is definite, the character can make a
motivation in life. Thus, it should not be something Realize Potential check. Based on this result, the
that can be accomplished easily or ever, or it must character can design a new Special Move that is
be something that would still inspire the character intended to help him defeat that specific opponent.
even after it was accomplished. Examples might The Director has final say on such a move, and may
include being the best fighter in the world, defeating even design it himself. The nature of the new move
a worldwide evil organization, or killing every may not have much specifically to do with beating
member of a family line.

39
 2
the opponent in game terms (though it might). The
level of the move is equal to the Realize Potential Narrative Skills
skill check divided by 3 (round up). This new move
costs the character nothing, but it can only be used Acrobatics: This Skill allows the character to leap,
against that specific opponent. flip, vault, and tumble as an accomplished gymnast
or circus acrobat. It can be used to navigate difficult
This particular use of the Skill should normally be terrain or achieve greater heights with vertical leaps.
done only once or twice during a campaign, but if For example, a character being chased through back
the campaign centers on characters constantly alleys could use the Athletics Skill to leap over
training in new techniques and rivalries are fierce fences, or he could use the Acrobatics Skill to leap
and commonplace, this rule could be invoked more up to a fire escape leading to the roof. This Skill can
frequently. also be used as an option to avoid ranged attacks
from thugs or as a defensive option in Dramatic
Stance Evaluation: A character with this Skill is Combat.
familiar with many different martial art styles and
can detect them simply from a fighter’s stance. A Animal Handling: This Skill is used for training
successful roll might allow knowledge of some of animals, commanding animals, and dealing with
the Elements of an opponent’s Special Moves. For unfriendly or wild animals. Skill checks might be
every 4 points rolled on a Stance Evaluation Skill used to teach an animal a basic trick, to command
check (round down), the character may ask the an animal to do something it would normally be
Director if his opponent possesses a Special Move unwilling to do, or as an “interaction” Skill with non-
with a specific Element built into it. For example, domesticated or hostile animals.
with a skill check result of 12, the player might ask
the Director, “Does my opponent possess Special Athletics: This Skill is used for athletic feats,
Moves with the Interrupt, Throw, or Ranged especially difficult, over-the-top feats. Skill checks
Elements?” The Director must answer truthfully against Athletics should be made for most athletic
(though this always up to his own discretion, based endeavors (though see Fast Reflexes and Speed for
on the needs of the story!). other similar skill checks). Some examples would be
climbing a rock wall, jumping from one rooftop to
Thug Thrashing: This Skill represents a character’s another, or even the ninja trope of leaping from
proficiency in fighting multiple opponents at once. tree-top to tree-top and running along thin tree
To a lesser degree, it also measures a character’s branches. The relationship between Acrobatics and
simple street-fighting prowess apart from stylized Athletics is up to the Director’s discretion.
technique. Characters with high Thug Thrashing Generally, Acrobatics is used for athletic activities
Skill know how to use the environment, body that require exceptional training and/or physical
positioning, and special techniques to rapidly ability. Athletics makes a better “default” Skill for
engage opponents at close range. This Skill skill checks regarding bodily action. Athletics can
drastically increases a fighter’s combat effectiveness also be used in Dramatic Combat.
in Thug Thrashing Combat.
Awareness: This is a passive perception Skill. It
reflects a character’s general awareness of the world

40
 2
around him at all times. It is not a danger sense (see Director would likely roll in secret (in case there was
the Skill of that name); instead, it is used to in fact no danger at all). This Skill should have much
determine whether or not someone perceives higher DLs to detect spiritual or magical danger,
something interesting or important when they are which is covered by the Zen State Skill.
not specifically looking for it. The Director could call
for Awareness Skill checks anytime the characters Deduction: This Skill is used to help characters
have a chance to notice something important in a connect disparate plot threads that may be
scene when they are not actively looking (or he can confusing (a frequent occurrence in many fighting
just allow the character with the highest Awareness game storylines). More broadly, a player might ask
Skill to notice). for a Deduction Skill check to get a hint or clue from
the Director. If he rolls high enough, it might entitle
Call Forth Wisdom: This Skill does not measure the the player to a “cut scene,” where the Director
character’s intelligence; rather, it expresses his describes the actions of NPCs who are not in the
intuition about people and the world. It also present scene. Finally, this Skill also represents
includes a solid base of philosophical advice to give traditional investigative methods and detective
to others. In situations where a character’s insight work.
into life, people, or the universe could help him in his
present context, a successful Call Forth Wisdom Skill Draw Ki: This is an unusual spiritual Skill. It usually
check should award the character a Story Point to be works in conjunction with the Sense Ki Skill; a
applied to the present situation. This Skill can also character first attempts to detect the presence of ki,
be used to challenge the power of spirits in Dramatic (i.e., life force or spiritual energy, understood
Combat. however the Director wishes) and then uses the
Draw Ki Skill to manipulate it for mystical effects.
Cooking: This Skill allows a character to make
pleasing food that is creative, functional, or artistic It may be possible that a place has obvious ambient
as the needs demand, but which always tastes good. ki that can be manipulated without it being sensed
The Skill may have very limited application in a first. The Draw Ki Skill can allow any character to
story, but the genre has a number of characters that effectively use magical powers, limited by the
are distinguished by their exceptionally good or bad Director’s discretion. Usually, ambient
cooking ability (see the Cooking Quirk for the latter). environmental ki effects are going to be subtler and/
Perhaps the Director could require a Cooking Skill or “natural” effects, rather than flight or blasts of
check to make a positive impression on an energy. The effects should not be as powerful as the
important person in a formal dinner setting. effects allowed by Magic, Psychic, and
Gadgeteering. This Skill also has effects in Dramatic
Danger Sense: This Skill serves the very specific Combat.
function of being an active or passive sense for
danger. If the character is about to be ambushed, Endure Great Hardship: Characters with this Skill
the Director could make a Danger Sense roll before have extraordinary reserves of willpower and
describing the ambush. If a character suspected he spiritual strength. When faced with unbelievable
was walking into a bad situation, the player could
request a Danger Sense Skill check, which the

41
 2
punishment of the body, such characters can to instill fear in another to such a degree that the
continue to function. Skill checks for Endure Great character gets what he wants or frightens an
Hardship can be used to resist torture or opponent into backing down. This Skill is resisted
extraordinary damage like falling off a rooftop. It is with Grim Determination, or some other Skill at the
also used in Dramatic Combat. Director’s discretion.

Fast Reflexes: This Skill is particularly focused. It Knowledge: This specialized Skill represents a focus
measures the character’s ability to act on the level of on one particular area of knowledge, defined when
pure reflex, as opposed to a character’s manual the Skill is chosen. The area of knowledge might be
dexterity or his bodily speed or grace. A skill check as broad as “weapons” or as narrowly focused as
could be used to see who acts first in the case of a “straight swords of 6th century southern China.” A
stand off or to see if a character can react in time to more focused Knowledge Skill will have lower DLs in
a sudden surprise situation. its area of focus, but higher DLs for more general
knowledge of related subjects; the reverse is true of
Grim Determination: Characters with this Skill have a more general focus.
extraordinary reserves of conviction and
psychological endurance. When faced with Lockpicking: A character with this Skill is able to
unbelievable punishment of the mind, such open locks, both mechanical and electronic. It is not
characters can continue to function. Skill checks for a skill at disabling security systems (which is covered
Grim Determination can be used to resist by either the Occupation or Technological Aptitude
psychological torture, the strain of not sleeping for Skills). This Skill could be used to open a locked
days, mental instability, hallucinogenic drugs, or display case in a museum or to get past a
witnessing things that were not meant to be seen. It sophisticated vault door housing valuable
is also used in Dramatic Combat. information.

High Society: This is a specialized interaction Skill. Lost in the Crowd: A character with this Skill can
It is used to behave properly in upper class and/or disappear into a crowd and remain so nondescript as
formal social situations. Skill checks could be used to be undetectable. It is a unique kind of stealth
to determine if the character behaved in a way that skill, applicable only in crowd situations. It could be
did not call undue attention to himself or to impress used to set up an ambush or to escape from
a person from high society. It could also be used to pursuers. A character may need to make several
determine if a character recognized an important skill checks in order to shake off dogged and/or
figure from those same upper class circles. skilled pursuers. Characters with outstanding
appearances, reputations, or attitudes will have
Intimidation: This special interaction Skill allows greater difficulty staying under cover, regardless of
the character to instill great fear in another. As a their skill level. This can be reflected by assigning
Skill, it involves special techniques that are higher DLs for such characters.
psychologically more effective than simple brutality
or display of force alone. Skill checks could be used Meditation: Characters with this Skill can achieve a
deep meditative state. Such a state is conducive to
healing, discernment, and spiritual enlightenment.

42
 2
Skill checks could allow faster healing (if the Perception: This is an active perception Skill. It
Director is imposing any sort of time restraints on reflects a character’s concerted effort to note
healing Life Bar), a bonus on another roll such as Call something out of the ordinary. This Skill is used
Forth Wisdom or Grim Determination, or perhaps whenever the character actively and deliberately
even a Story Point to be used for some immediate tries to sense (usually by seeing or hearing)
spiritual benefit in the story. Other game benefits of something around him. This is contrasted with the
this state are up to the Director. It can also be used Awareness Skill, which reflects the character’s
occasionally in Dramatic Combat. passive perception of the world around him.

Occupation: This is a catchall Skill to represent Performance: A character with this Skill is
proficiency in any profession the character might competent in some form of performance, artistic
have. Any additional skills necessary for this and/or pleasing to others. It may represent singing,
profession are automatically subsumed under this playing a particular musical instrument, or dancing.
skill heading. Thus, a translator could speak several A character could roll this Skill to impress a crowd,
languages, a lifeguard would know swimming and to earn a living, or to demonstrate his cultured
life-saving techniques, and a cat burglar would know upbringing to a potential patron.
how to case a facility and analyze its security.
Presence: This interaction Skill determines how
Depending on the occupation in question, the much of an impression the character makes when
Occupation Skill may actually cover a number of entering a scene. It can also be used when a
different skills. Most skills not found on this list can character prepares in advance to make a strong
probably be covered by the Occupation Skill. In impression on others or during a scene when the
particular, this Skill is meant to represent exotic or character wants to dazzle or impress onlookers.
unusual professions, ones that might prove
beneficial in the campaign setting, such as “ninja” or The practical effects of this vary widely, but it is a
“commando.” Thus, even if a character were an genre convention that some characters go out of
excellent accountant, it would not necessarily be their way to look impressive and “pose off.” This is
appropriate for such a character to take the the Skill for them. Any character obsessed with his
Occupation Skill (except perhaps in some really appearance, or any character who just looks good all
unusual campaigns). This Skill may not be necessary the time should have this Skill. It can be used to
for many traditional concepts in the fighting game create a powerful, if superficial, first impression, to
genre. Thus, many characters will not even possess attract the attention of a crowd, or to focus
this Skill. attention on the character as a distraction while
something else is occurring elsewhere. This Skill is
This Skill is meant to be open-ended in its also used in Dramatic Combat.
application, but the Director can always restrict its
usefulness at his discretion. The Occupation Skill Property Damage: Some characters are masters at
can even duplicate specific Skills on the normal skill style and technique, but characters with this Skill are
list, though the Director should increase the DL of
the specific skill check in this case.

43
 2
good at using their training to break things. This high roll might even allow a character to be able to
Skill could be used to burst down a door, or even a identify a specific person by their ki. This Skill does
wall, at the Director’s discretion. It could also be not provide any ability at manipulating ki, though
used to destroy a car or truck with one’s bare hands. this Skill should be necessary to get the best
This is a Skill of wretched excess, meant for benefits out of the Draw Ki Skill.
explosive good descriptive use in a story, not
realism. It is also used in Dramatic Combat. Shadowing: This Skill allows a character to follow
another character without being noticed. It is used
Receive Wisdom: This unusual Skill allows the for urban or wilderness shadowing, by foot or by
character to get insights into strange pieces of vehicle. A successful Shadowing skill check means
advice they might come across. This might be in the that the target remains unaware of being shadowed
form of the words of a mentor or mysterious (in the case of most NPCs) or the Shadowing Skill
stranger or in deciphering a riddle on an ancient can be used in Skill vs. Skill checks against
temple wall. If the Receive Wisdom Skill check is Perception or Awareness (against PCs or important
successful, the character gains one or more Story or skilled NPCs).
Points (Director’s discretion) to be applied to the
problem or situation at hand. Sleight of Hand: This Skill represents the ability to
perform fast tricks with one’s hands. It could be
The difference between this Skill and Call Forth used to pick someone’s pocket, perform a quick
Wisdom is that Receive Wisdom can only be used magic trick as a social distraction, or to quickly grab
when the character encounters “wisdom” from and hide a small item on one’s person.
another; for example, from a wizened old master, an
ancient prophecy, or an encoded riddle. Call Forth Smooth Talking: This interaction Skill can be used
Wisdom suggests that the character already for any social interaction between characters that is
possesses a body of wisdom that can be not based on Intimidation and which is not more
remembered when needed to apply to a problem at suitably represented by either High Society or Street
hand or instead shared with others. However, Call Society. It can be used to persuade, convince, or
Forth Wisdom does not help with the interpretation seduce another. It can also be used to generate a
of wisdom found in other sources. favorable impression. In many ways, it is the
“default” interaction Skill.
Sense Ki: This Skill allows the character to sense the
power of ki around them, in his immediate Specialization: This unusual Skill is not exactly a
environment and in the people nearby. A successful skill by itself, but rather a modifier to another Skill.
skill check determines whether or not enough ki is A character can choose to have a general knowledge
available in the area to manipulate and perhaps how about a Skill’s use and then define a Specialization
the ki might best be harnessed and used. It might for the Skill as well. For example, a wilderness
also be used to detect the presence of powerful hunter might have the Stealth Skill, and the
hostile ki, perhaps including the presence of Specialization: Wilderness Stealth as well. In any
powerful ki-using opponents hiding in the area. A situation in which the Specialization would apply,
both Skills are rolled at the same DL. If either roll
succeeds, the skill check succeeds. If both succeed,

44
 2
the better result is used and the Director should and is in some ways the opposite of the High Society
apply some additional benefit based on the Skill. Characters can use this Skill to get along with
circumstances. A character can have multiple the criminal and disreputable elements of society, to
Specializations on the same or on different Skills. determine their knowledge of the major figures at
work in the underworld, or to set up a meet to buy
Speed: The Speed Basic Quality can be used in skill weapons on the black market.
checks when bodily agility, flexibility, and physical
speed of movement are involved. Actions involving Strength: The Strength Basic Quality could be used
fast reflexes are covered by the Skill of the same to resolve any test of brute force, such as lifting a
name instead. A Speed skill check could determine heavy object, holding up rubble to help someone
the winner of a foot race or as part of an Action escape, or breaking restraints holding the character.
Sequence to resolve a chase through the streets, The Director should be careful that it is not used to
along with Athletics and other Skills. duplicate the effects of Property Damage or
Athletics, except perhaps at a much higher DL.
Spirituality: This Skill covers a character’s Thus, it should not be used to burst down a door or
knowledge and attunement with the deeply wall or to leap from one roof to another, even
supernatural. It could be rolled to determine a though these are also examples of feats of Strength.
character’s knowledge of the occult, old legends, or
rituals of great power. It also includes knowledge of Technological Aptitude: A character with this Skill
religion. It does not provide the character with any possesses detailed knowledge about mechanics and
actual magical ability (which is covered by the Magic electronics, as well as possessing at least
Skill). This Skill can also protect the character from rudimentary skill at building such devices. A skill
the attacks of spirits in Dramatic Combat. check could be used to build a mechanical device,
disable an electronic security system, or tune a piece
Stamina: It is unlikely that the Stamina Basic of electronic equipment to perform better or
Quality would need to be rolled as a Skill very often. differently than it was intended.
However, it could be used to determine a character’s
resistance to a powerful disease, drug, or illness, The Fighting World: A character with this Skill has a
how quickly a character recovers while in the basic knowledge of all the Fighters active in the
hospital, or whether or not a character could run for campaign. A successful check will distinguish a
hours without stopping. Fighter-level NPC from a mere Thug, as well as
possibly provide some insight into the opponent’s
Stealth: This Skill is the ability to move quietly and Special Moves. Information gained from this Skill
hide well in available cover. Its uses are fairly should be general, indicating for instance, the kinds
obvious: hiding from pursuers, maintaining a hidden of moves a character uses, rather than specific
position while hiding from another person, or mechanical information about the Elements that
sneaking past security guards. This Skill is often make up those moves, which is the specific province
used in Skill vs. Skill checks with Perception and of the Stance Evaluation Skill.
Alertness. Ninja characters will often have high
levels of this Skill. Zen State: This Skill represents a character’s

Street Society: This is a specialized interaction Skill

45
 2
intuitive awareness of the realms of the spirit story.
around him. It could be used as a sort of “spiritual
danger sense” to avoid being possessed by a
demon, or it could be used to achieve a spiritual
Developing an Action Sequence
state in which it may be possible to call spirits or
An Action Sequence is composed of four
travel to other planes, all subject to the Director’s
components: The Action Goal, the Skill List, the type
discretion and the needs of the story.
of Action Sequence, and the Difficulty Level.
Action Sequences The Action Goal is the number of successes each
party is trying to reach with their skill use. The first
An Action Sequence is a special series of skill checks party to achieve the Action Goal has “won” the
used to resolve an entire scene. It is used when a Action Sequence, though the specific meaning of
single skill check would not be adequate to account winning depends on the situation. In a chase, the
for the tension involved and usually (but not winner either catches his quarry or he escapes. In an
necessarily) when multiple participants are involved infiltration, the infiltrators have either reached their
and the action in question requires speed, finesse, or goal or else they have been caught by security or
both. forced out of the installation in some way. A short
Action Sequence might have a Goal of 2-3. An
Thus, the Action Sequence sub-system of the skill average length Sequence has a Goal of 3-5. A long
system allows for a more dynamic way to adjudicate Sequence, intended for skilled characters and with
competitive action scenes. It can be used for chases frequent opportunities for danger, might have a
on foot or in vehicles, computer hacking, an Goal of 8-10.
infiltration into a secure facility with active security
forces, or a debate or negotiation between The Skill List is the list of Skills each individual or
competing factions. Any situation in which two team may use without penalty in the Action
parties are competing through skill use and in which Sequence. The number of Skills on the Skill List is up
a single die roll fails to capture the intricacy or to the Director, though four is usually a good default
potential drama and excitement of the situation number.
could be resolved with these rules.
Example 1: The Skill List for a foot chase Action
The use of Action Sequences is optional. The Sequence includes Speed, Acrobatics, Athletics, and
Director can describe a situation and simply require Fast Reflexes.
appropriate skill checks. These rules are intended to
provide some structure to fuel imagination, Example 2: The Skill List for an Action Sequence
encourage the use of more Skills and more creative involving a team fighting their way into a guarded
use of Skills, inject some additional random danger research facility could include Thug Thrashing,
into an event, and/or just to speed along a scene to Property Damage, Athletics, and Stealth.
get to more exciting or more important parts of the
Example 3: The Skill List for an Action Sequence
involving computer hacking could include
Occupation: Hacker, Knowledge (Computers),

46
 2
Deduction, and Technological Aptitude. After establishing the parameters of an Action
Sequence, the player characters take turns choosing
It should be noted that many stereotypical what Skill they wish to check. Every character on
characters in the source material might not be good the team must make a single skill check before any
at many different kinds of Action Sequences aside character may make a second skill check. Thus, a
from chases and fighting through security forces! single character cannot make all the rolls for a team
of characters. The Director chooses who goes first
There are two kinds of Action Sequences: Standard in declaring a Skill, especially in an Opposed Action
and Contested. In a Standard Action Sequence, the Sequence. This may be important, as the character
characters compete against a static DL determined declaring second gets to choose his skill choice after
by the Director. All skill checks are made against the hearing his opponent’s skill choice.
same DL.
A character is free to use whatever Skill he wishes to
The Difficulty Level is based on the challenge of the make a skill check, and different characters may
Action Sequence. For an easy Action Sequence, the choose to use the same Skill on their turn. However,
DL is 8. For a moderate Action Sequence, the DL is each character can only use each Skill once in the
12. For a difficult Action Sequence, the DL is 16. If a whole Action Sequence. Furthermore, the player
character uses a Skill that is not on the Skill List, the must be able to explain in narrative terms how the
DL is increased by 4. The characters fail a Standard Skill is being used and how it will help the characters
Action Sequence if they fail a number of skill checks “win” the Action Sequence. The Director should be
equal to the Action Goal before succeeding at the open to creative skill use, but he is also free to veto a
same number of skill checks. skill use that seems too far-fetched in the
circumstances. On the other hand, if the player is
In a Contested Action Sequence, the characters are exceptionally creative or descriptive with a skill use,
competing against other characters, whether an an award of a Story Point is warranted.
NPC Fighter, a group of Fighters, or a Thug group. In
this case, the skill check of one of the PCs is rolled The use of certain Qualities may be appropriate in
against the skill check of one of the NPCs. Whoever an Action Sequence. In this case, a Story Point can
wins the check earns a success towards the be spent to achieve an automatic success,
Sequence’s Action Goal. A tie roll does not earn a regardless of DL or the roll of the opponent. If it
success for either side. If a character chooses a Skill normally costs a Story Point for a character to use a
that is not on the Skill List, the opponent gains a +4 Quality in a story, the character can spend two Story
on their skill check. When one side achieves Points instead to achieve an automatic success. If
successes equal to the Action Goal, that side has two opposing characters both do this, their efforts
won the Action Sequence. cancel one another out, neither scoring a success.

Resolving an Action Sequence Example of an Action Sequence

It is up to the Director to decide whether or not to Cannon McCabe and his allies decide to fight their
let the players know what the Skill List is before the
Action Sequence begins.

47
 2
way into the inner labs of the sinister Akira that blows holes through several walls, providing a
Corporation. The Director chooses to resolve the convenient shortcut away from the trapped
infiltration as an Action Sequence before having the hallways. This Skill is not on the Skill List, but the
heroes reach the climactic fights against the Director thinks it fits the character’s style, so he
corporation’s most powerful forces. allows it. The DL is increased to 12. Despite this,
Koichiro’s player rolls a 10, for a total of 15. Another
The player characters are Cannon, the ninja Sho, success! Only one more to go.
and the elemental warrior Koichiro. The Director
decides to use the Skill List of Thug Thrashing, At this point, each of the characters has gone once
Property Damage, Athletics, and Stealth. While this and they must start over again taking turns.
is the same as the example provided above, the However, they are not required to use the same
Director has decided to not tell the players the Skill order the second time around. Cannon, inspired by
List. This Standard Action Sequence has an Action Koichiro, decides some further Property Damage is
Goal of 4 and a Difficulty Level of 8. in order. He describes kicking down security doors
with brute force in the restricted part of the
The Director describes the building the heroes are building. Unfortunately, his total is only a 6, so the
invading and gives them a chance to think about team has its first failure. Three more of those and
their approach after telling them that he plans to the team will have lost the Action Sequence. The
resolve this as an Action Sequence. Director describes that the doors in this part of the
facility are all super-reinforced, making them much
Sho’s player chooses to go first and chooses Stealth. harder to bash down.
He describes their entrance through an external air
duct, and even describes various other labs they see Sho’s player, hoping that they are near their goal,
on their way through the facility. He rolls a total of chooses to use Thug Thrashing. He describes the
10, easily scoring the 1st success towards the Action team’s inevitable contact with elite security forces,
Goal. along with some colorful descriptions of some
attacks that the Director feels warrants a Story
Cannon’s player goes next and chooses Athletics. Point. Sho’s player then rolls a total of 11, achieving
Cannon’s player suggests that the team needed to the 4th and final success required by the Action
navigate through a trap-laden gauntlet to get to the Goal.
inner portion of the labs. The Director likes this idea
and adds some additional details. Another high roll At this point, the Director informs the team that, as
of 9 and the team is halfway to their goal (though the last of the guards is dispatched, the door in front
they do not know that). of them is definitely the lab they seek. At this point,
the Action Sequence ends and the Director returns
Koichiro’s player decides that a direct route straight to normal narration. The players have had a fairly
to the mastermind’s lab would speed things along, detailed description of their fight into the Akira
so he chooses to use his Climactic Super Move. He Corporation, all resolved with only five die rolls.
describes an enormous blast of electrical energy

48
 2
Skills on the Skill List of all the characters on the
Using Action Sequences in the Story opposing side. This number can be added to 6 to
generate a Difficulty Level for the Glory calculation.
The rules for Action Sequences are meant as a However, this formula may be more complicated
shorthand way to generate a dramatic than desired; in this case, the Director can simply
situation worth playing through, but without estimate the Glory award for the Action Sequence.
the necessary prep time or play time to resolve
in a more detailed fashion. The abstraction in
the narrative also allows one’s imagination to
create more interesting scenes than a series of
skill checks alone might provide.

The Director should not make the “loss” result

of an Action Sequence an occasion to de-rail
his own story. Instead, he should use the loss
as a complication to put the characters in a
more interesting place; perhaps one that is
more difficult to resolve, but not one that is an
outright failure.

Use Action Sequences as a way to add more

action and drama to a story, but don’t use
them as a way to randomly destroy the
forward momentum of a story in progress.

Earning Glory for an Action Sequence

Successfully completing an Action Sequence is also

worth a small amount of Glory for each member of
the winning side. The formula for earning Glory in a
Standard Action Sequence is as follows: multiply the
Action Goal by the Difficulty, and then divide by 10
and round off normally.

Example: The Action Sequence described above

would be worth 4 (Action Goal) x 8 (Difficulty Level),
divided by 10. Thus, each character would receive 3
Glory.

For a Contested Action Sequence, the Director

should calculate the average skill levels of all the

49
 3

50
 3
3. Qualities, Weaknesses, more than eight Qualities to model the character
ideally, or conversely, there may be less than eight
and Quirks appropriate Qualities to fill all of the available slots.
In either case, these traits should be chosen with
attention paid to the most important attributes of
This chapter provides descriptions for all of the
the character.
Qualities, Weaknesses, and Quirks available to a
character. It also contains rules for the use of Story
Points, a flexible resource that allows players to General Notes Regarding Qualities,
manipulate die rolls and circumstances in the story Weaknesses, and Quirks
for their own benefit.
Many Qualities and Weaknesses make use of Story
The rules for acquiring Qualities, Weaknesses, and
Points. The way in which the Quality is used may
Quirks are also summarized here, as well as some
require a Story Point in order to get the benefit or
recommendations about the use of certain traits in
the effect of the Weakness on the character may
certain campaigns. Some of these traits specifically
earn a Story Point. Full rules for Story Points are
reference the “metagame” of Fight!: the
included at the end of this chapter, after the
hypothetical video game on which the campaign is
descriptions of the Qualities, Weaknesses, and
based and the engagement of the players of that
Quirks.
video game. Not all campaigns will want to break
this “fourth wall,” and as such, these traits should be
There are also many Qualities that have effects on
strictly moderated by the Director. combat. Some of these are due to physical
characteristics, such as a character being
Choosing Qualities exceptionally big or short. However, some of them
are essentially personality traits (such as being
A character begins with four Qualities at Power exceptionally driven) or physical traits without
Level 1. He can gain additional Qualities by appreciable combat effects (such as being buxom).
choosing Weaknesses; each Weakness chosen allows If the Director wishes to keep the combat system
an additional Quality. As noted in Chapter 1, the more “pure” and tactical, he can choose to ignore
character can also choose less than four Qualities in the combat benefits of these non-physical Qualities.
exchange for additional Skills or Fighting Spirit, but However, these combat effects should usually be
all characters must choose at least one Quality. allowed.

At Power Level 2, and every subsequent even- Some of these Qualities and Weaknesses apply
numbered Power Level, the character either gains a solely to a metagaming perspective, relating more
new Quality or, with the Director’s permission, loses to the fictional hypothetical fan playing the video
an existing Weakness. game represented by the characters and the
campaign. As such, they should not be allowed in
In regard to choosing Qualities, Weaknesses, and more serious campaigns. Such Qualities generally
Quirks, not every aspect of a character needs to be
defined by these traits. The character may need

51
 3
have effects on combat as well. The details of many Qualities and Weaknesses are
deliberately left vague. Qualities should always be
Many of the Qualities and Weaknesses below useful enough in a game that they are worth taking,
mention “interaction skills.” This is a general term while Weaknesses must both come into play often
to represent any skill check that applies to social enough and be debilitating enough to make them
interactions: any attempt to charm, deceive, worth the Qualities they earn. Specific details,
seduce, persuade, intimidate, or placate another however, are often dependent on the campaign, the
character. It does not apply to any specific set of Director, and the player. This is especially so in
skills; the Director determines what constitutes the regard to those Qualities that are very similar to one
use of an interaction skill. another. For example, the Qualities Connections,
Followers, and Influence all represent similar
Some Qualities are specifically defined as resources. It is up to the Director and the player to
appearance Qualities. A character with three adequately define the differences between them.
appearance Qualities may stack the bonuses and
receive an additional +1 on interaction skill checks It is the Director’s job to make sure that the
on top of the total. Attractive and Dashing (for male characters’ Weaknesses actually manifest during the
characters) and Attractive and Beautiful (for female game. In fact, scenes and even whole stories can be
characters) only count as one Quality for this structured around the characters’ Weaknesses. By
calculation. For example, a male character has the taking a Weakness, a player is “permitting” the
following qualities: Attractive, Dashing, Bishounen, Director to use these traits to complicate his
and Sharp Dressed. Attractive and Dashing give a + character’s life. For example, a character with Dull
2 bonus on interaction skill checks involving female Personality as a Weakness should occasionally have
characters. Bishounen gives a +1 bonus on all to interact with NPCs in order to advance the story.
interaction skill checks. Sharp Dressed gives a +1
bonus on all interaction skill checks (and +2 in However, a player may also inconvenience his own
certain circumstances). Thus, in most interaction character through his Weaknesses, beyond what the
skill checks involving female characters, the Director has chosen to include in the course of a
character would receive a +5 bonus (+2, +1, +1, and + story. In these cases when the player takes the
1 for having three appearance Qualities). initiative to hinder his character through his
Weaknesses, the Director should award a Story
As another example, a female character has the Point.
following qualities: Attractive, Sexy, and Cute. Each
of the three Qualities individually gives a +1 bonus Quirks are a lesser form of Weakness. For the most
on interaction skill checks involving male characters. part, they are guidelines for role-playing. However,
Thus, for all interaction skill checks involving male if a player deliberately role-plays a Quirk in such a
characters, the character would receive a +4 bonus way as to inconvenience his character (Director’s
(+1, +1, +1, and +1 for having three appearance discretion), the character earns a Story Point.
Qualities). Characters are encouraged to take one or two
Quirks for their character. If a character takes three
to five Quirks for his character, this counts as a
Weakness and is worth an additional Quality.

52
 3
Choosing Qualities, Weaknesses, Qualities
and Traits for NPCs
Attractive
When designing opponents for the PCs to face, the Beautiful (females only)
Director should strive to be fair when choosing Qualities Big
and Weaknesses for the NPCs. For example, if the Bishounen (males only)
players have designed Fighters with Qualities like Buxom (females only)
Attractive, Connections, Influence, and Fame, then in Charming
general it would be inappropriate for the Director to Connections
make an NPC Fighter with a number of Weaknesses Cute (females only)
that will have no effect on the single fight scene in Dashing (males only)
which the character is featured, and then to exchange Driven
most of the character’s many Quality choices for Fame
additional Combat Skills and Fighting Spirit. The Followers Power
players’ Quality choices have indicated a desire for Friend Powerful Item
stories that involve more than endless fight scenes as a Gadgeteering Psychic
way to advance the plot, and the Director has Genius Reputation
responded by throwing a monster at them with little Great Destiny Sensei
depth and a host of serious Weaknesses that will never Gun Expert Sexy (females only)
manifest during his short time on stage. Immortal Being Sharp Dressed (males only)
Influence Short
The reverse is also true: if the player characters are the Intelligent Suggestive Attire (females only)
ones who are the thinly-developed combat monsters, Intimidating Tall
then the Director should not bother with detailed Light Technique
creations with interesting backgrounds and varied Lucky Theme Music
resources at their disposal when they are just going to Magic Tomboy (females only)
end up as defeated victims at the PCs’ feet. Mobility Wealth
Pet Weapon Expert
Exceptions exist. Sometimes the Director intends an
opponent to be a brutal force that forces the player
characters to work hard in order to defeat him, and
sometimes a well-developed villain will get a second
chance to use his extensive resources after being
soundly defeated by the protagonists of the story.

Overall, the Director should choose Qualities and

Weaknesses for NPCs that will contribute to the quality
and depth of the story and that will also make
interesting and challenging opponents for the player
characters.

53
 3
Quirks
Disgraced Nosebleeds (males
Weaknesses Distinctive Appearance only)
Age
Arrogant Fan Service (females Pacifist
Amnesia Attitude only) Reckless
Annoying Voice Brutal Glutton Revenge
Bad Reputation Bumbling Friend Greedy Rivalry
Code Clueless Immature Scarred
Curse Cooking Impulsive Secret
Dangerous Job Dead Serious In Love Short-Tempered
Dark Side Demure Lecherous Suspicious
Dependence Loves Combat Unworldly
Doomed
Dull Personality
Duty Bound
Fanatic
Fearsome Appearance
Fragile Self-Image
Glass Jaw
Haunted
Honorable
Hunted
Obsession
Phobia
Physical Handicap
Poorly Drawn
Ritual
Significant Other
Style Weakness
Thick
Ugly
Unattractive
Unintelligent
Unlucky
Vow
Warped

54
 3
Buxom, Fan Service, and Suggestive Attire: All in the Eye of the Beholder
Some groups of players may have problems with the Qualities Buxom and Suggestive Attire and the Quirk Fan Service. They make specific game
allowances for certain common genre conventions about female characters in fighting video games, but some groups might find them offensive.
Other groups may not take offense to these game elements, but may instead just
find them silly. If either case applies, they should be removed from the list of
available options for characters.

In games in which Buxom, Fan Service, and Suggestive Attire

are allowed (which is the default assumption of the rules),
it must be emphasized that what constitutes “buxom,”
“fan service,” and/or “suggestive attire” must be
understood from the perspective of the specific
campaign setting in which they are used. In the
case of more unusual campaign settings, these
elements may represent more extreme notions.
For example, in a campaign setting in which all
the Fighters are buxom athletes, a character
with the Buxom Quality must be buxom
even by comparison to the other Fighters in
the campaign in order to take this Quality.

Similarly, in a campaign set in the world of

supermodel martial artists fighting solely
in their lingerie (a ridiculous concept for a
fighting game to be sure!), the characters
should not all take the Suggestive Attire
Quality, as such attire is “normal” for this
campaign setting. In such a setting, a
character that did take the Suggestive Attire
Quality must be quite scantily clad indeed.

In theory, the opposite extreme might be true,

but the Director should be cautious about
allowing the same game effects to apply. For
example, in a campaign in which all the Fighters are
male except for one female, whose fighting attire
happens to show a little cleavage, one could make the
case that any or all of the three Qualities under discussion
could apply to this character in that setting. However, this is
not the intent of the rules as written.

55
 3
Quality Descriptions character can choose to push his opponent back 1
Range, which can also be used as an additional free
Maneuver towards an Environmental Hazard, unless
This section describes all of the Qualities in the the opponent is also Big or Tall. The character is only
game. They are listed alphabetically. It should be Knocked Back by attacks that do 2 or more points of
noted that some Qualities require other Qualities as damage. However, any combatant attacking this
prerequisites and that some Qualities are restricted character receives a +1 Accuracy on all his moves
to male or female characters. (including Basic Moves) in combat. Furthermore,
jumping or moving with the Mobile Element for the
Attractive: This appearance Quality represents Big character costs 2 FS instead of 1.
generic good looks that are recognizable as such but
not outstanding in any regard. This is a fairly Bishounen: (males only) This appearance Quality
common Quality for heroic characters. It is also represents a fairly common fighting game
extremely common that female characters in the stereotype, especially among high-ranking villains
source material (heroic or villainous) have at least (though there are many bishounen heroes as well).
this level of attractiveness. This Quality gives a +1 The character is thin, has delicate features, long
bonus on interaction skill checks when dealing with hair, and a flair for fashion. The Attractive Quality is
the opposite sex. a prerequisite for this Quality. This gives a +1 bonus
on interaction skill checks when dealing with either
Beautiful: (females only) This appearance Quality is sex, who cannot deny the character’s noteworthy
the highest level of appearance traits for female appearance, and who might also be surprised or
characters. The Attractive Quality is a prerequisite confused about the character’s beauty.
for this Quality. Such characters possess a sort of
virginal, pure, and/or untouchable beauty. A Once per combat round, the character can target an
character with the Beautiful Quality gets a +2 bonus opponent who has both higher Life Bar and Fighting
on interaction skill checks when dealing with the Spirit than himself at the end of a turn. If the
opposite sex. This replaces the +1 bonus for the character spends one Story Point, then either the
Attractive Quality. opponent underestimates the character, based on
his apparent harmlessness or frailty, or the
Big: A character with this Quality is huge. He is bishounen character himself becomes inspired by
often as broad as he is tall and covered with bulky his own beauty (depending on the character
muscles or fat. Sometimes the character is tall as concept). As a result, the opponent suffers a one die
well. The character’s proportions are definitely size penalty on Initiative on the following turn. This
beyond human. This Trait is often possessed by ability can also be used against a Thug Group once
wrestlers and bruisers who rely more on force than per combat regardless of current Life Bar and
technique. Fighting Spirit.
The character receives –1 damage from all attacks in Buxom: (females only) There is a stereotype in
combat (minimum 1) and also receives a +1 to his many fighting games in which some or all of the
Stun Threshold. By moving into Range 0, the female Fighters are blessed (or cursed) with chests
that seem to defy gravity, flowing gracefully (and

56
 3
totally unrealistically) about as they fight. This otherwise be hard or impossible to get.
implausible physical characteristic has no purpose in
the video game other than providing gratuitous fan Cute: (females only) This appearance Quality
service, attracting the attention of male players. represents a particular aspect of an attractive
Thus, a Buxom character receives +2 on interaction female character’s appearance. It serves as a
skill checks when dealing with males. modifier to other appearance-related Qualities. A
Cute character must also have the Attractive
The down side of this Quality is that such characters Quality, and may have the Beautiful and/or Sexy
will also have to deal with men speaking directly to Qualities as well. Many heroic females in fighting
their chests, the accosting hands of horny old and games have this Quality, often claiming more fans
young men and, in darker campaigns, unusually than more voluptuous or sensual female characters.
bleak treatment at the hands of lecherous villains. A Cute characters receive a +1 bonus on interaction
player can allow her character to willingly suffer this skills when dealing with males, which stacks with
negative attention during a story to earn a Story other appearance Qualities.
Point.
Dashing: (males only) This appearance Quality is the
If the character spends one Story Point at the start highest level of appearance for male characters. The
of a combat, then male opponents are so enthralled Attractive Quality is a prerequisite for this Quality.
by the character’s unnatural “poetry in motion” that Such characters represent the most handsome and
they suffer a one die size penalty on Control (not charismatic men. As male villains are often
Initiative) on the first turn in which they fight a Bishounen, the lead male hero is often Dashing.
Buxom opponent. Regardless, a character’s moral point of view does
not limit their choice of appearance Qualities. A
Charming: The character has a likeable personality. character with the Dashing Quality gets a +2 bonus
He may be charming, charismatic, funny, inspiring, on interaction skill checks when dealing with the
nice, or all of the above. This Quality has nothing to opposite sex. This replaces the +1 bonus for the
do with the character’s appearance. As a result of his Attractive Quality.
disposition, the character receives a +1 on all
interaction skill checks. Driven: Characters with this Quality are dynamos of
self-motivation. They tend to be rigid in their habits
Connections: The character has a number of and utterly addicted to training. These characters
contacts and connections he can draw upon. These receive a +1 bonus on all their die rolls (outside of
might be because the character is wealthy, or combat) when they are either on the losing end of a
politically influential, or a well-connected celebrity. situation or during the climax of a story (as defined
Similarly, the character’s connections might be by the Director). The Director can limit this bonus if
criminal contacts or friends and allies from a temple he wishes, or even allow it to be used in combat.
or martial arts school. During a story, the character The character can also spend a Story Point to
can spend a Story Point to draw upon these “override” the Director’s limitation or to use the
resources. This might take the form of allies to Quality in combat (provided the normal conditions
provide assistance or a distraction, access to a for its use are also in place). While only a small
restricted site or event, or information that would

57
 3
bonus, its use in combat can have a dramatic effect. Friend uncovers a critical clue, has already done
Because of this, this should be reserved for necessary research, inspires the character to get a
appropriately climactic confrontations. needed Realize Potential roll, or simply points out a
critical plot point that has been missed.
Fame: The character is famous. This might be a
limited form of fame, such as within a specific While this NPC should not be abused (for that, see
subculture, but is generally intended to represent the Significant Other Weakness), the player may
widespread acclaim. This Quality also means that willingly choose to place his character’s Friend in
the character is liked (i.e., famous, not infamous). harm’s way or get him into trouble, requiring the
By spending a Story Point, the character can benefit character’s intervention to save him, in order to earn
from his Fame, by getting help from perfect a Story Point. This Quality is not representative of
strangers or access to exclusive events. Fame the loud, bumbling buddy; for that, see the Quirk
should be allowed to accomplish powerful effects, Bumbling Friend.
but the player can also choose to willingly
inconvenience his character during a story on Gadgeteering: This Quality is a combination of both
account of his Fame in order to earn a Story Point. a Quality and a Skill. Taking this Quality is a
prerequisite for taking the Gadgeteering Skill (see
Followers: This character has a fairly large group of the Skill description in Chapter 2). A character with
followers at his beck and call. These might be this Quality is capable of designing almost any
members of a street gang the character leads, technological device, often very quickly and
corporate security, personal bodyguards, a fawning sometimes with very few raw materials.
fan club, or the like. By spending a Story Point, the
character can use these Followers for his purposes, Genius: This Quality requires the Intelligent Quality
such as performing errands or gathering as a prerequisite. The character is truly brilliant, far
information. While the Followers may be beyond the intellectual powers of most people. As a
considered combat-trained (e.g., street thugs or result, the character receives a +4 on any skill check
soldiers), this Quality cannot provide people who in which the Director determines his superior
can fight in place of the character. They serve only intellect would be a factor. This replaces the +2
in a support role. If appropriate, the Director could bonus of the Intelligent Quality.
consider the Followers a Thug group in combat.
Great Destiny: This character is destined for some
Friend: A character with this Quality possesses a great purpose, such as becoming a powerful ruler,
devoted friend, who is almost always much more reviving a great, lost tradition of the martial arts,
subdued than the character himself, and hardly ever becoming the greatest warrior in history, or saving
a Fighter. This Friend supports the character, cheers the world. This has obvious and significant effects
him on, helps him out as he is able to, and points out on role-playing the character and the structure of
things the character might miss. By spending a the campaign featuring the character. Furthermore,
Story Point, the player can use this Quality to when the player spends a Story Point to modify the
essentially get a “story assist” from the Director: the circumstances of the story, if the circumstances can
be specifically related to the character’s Great
Destiny, the story changes can be even more

58
 3
dramatic and portentous. What that the default Quality does
occurs should clearly be not permit such
related to the character’s bonuses in a
destiny and should also modern setting
further it towards (i.e., a Gun Expert
completion (which may is not also a bow
or may not happen in expert), unless the
the course of the character takes
campaign). the Quality twice
to represent this.
Gun Expert: This Quality
is not as common in the Immortal Being:
source material, as guns T h i s
are rarely a part of supernatural
martial arts combat. Quality means
However, this Quality that the character
represents a high will never die of old
degree of skill with age and cannot be
modern firearms. Despite permanently killed.
the word “expert” in the Obviously, the Director should
title, this is an appropriate Quality restrict this Quality to appropriate
for any character who has had formal character concepts. Due to the very
military training, especially in some loose nature of killing and death in the
branch of elite forces. Given the rules, the specifics of this Quality are largely
highly abstract nature of the gun rules up to the Director and the events of the story
in the game, this Quality gives a +3 and campaign. While death is rarely
bonus on any skill check related to permanent for any character in Fight! who
firearms. If appropriate for the still has a useful role to play in
campaign, the Director should allow the plot as a whole, Immortal
characters with this Quality to pull off Beings should have opportunities to
amazing action-movie stunts with flaunt their inability to be killed and/or
guns, often accompanied by graceful return from their non-permanent deaths
acrobatics. more quickly (often re-appearing
at a critical moment). For
In a campaign set in a world example, it would not be
without guns (e.g., a fantasy or inappropriate for the Director to
historical setting), the deliberately “kill” the Immortal
Director may permit this character, just to allow the character to
Quality for use with primitive re-appear when he is most needed or
ranged weapons such as
bows. Note, however,

59
 3
when the story would benefit the most.
Intimidating: The character is intimidating, whether
The player may choose to spend a Story Point to do through a cold stare, a disturbing presence, or a
something fatal without serious consequence (such demanding demeanor. This has nothing to do
as escape by leaping out of a 70th-story window). directly with the character’s appearance, though an
The player may choose to do this without spending Intimidating character often has a “look” about him.
a Story Point, but the Director may choose to As a result of his disposition, the character receives a
impose some temporary hardship as a result (for +2 on all interaction skill checks intended to frighten
example, in the above situation, perhaps the or coerce by force.
character needs to wait an hour before his limbs re-
align from the impact). Light: This Quality is uncommon in fighting games,
but when it occurs, it is almost always possessed by
Influence: This Quality represents the ability to female or child characters. A character with this
manipulate and/or control a group of people or a Quality is usually smaller than a normal character,
sub-culture. For example, a character may have but not short enough to possess the Short Quality
Influence in the criminal underworld, or in mass (though a character could have both Qualities). The
media, or in the halls of political power, or over a character is much lighter than other characters. As a
particular school or style of martial arts. A character result, the character can jump 3 Ranges without
with this Quality must define the nature of his attacking or 2 Ranges with an attack without
Influence and this Quality can be taken more than spending FS in either case. However, attacks with
once to represent other areas of Influence. By the Juggle Element do +2 damage against this
spending a Story Point, a player can make use of his character, as it is easier to keep them juggled in the
Influence to get favors, assistance, or information. air. Furthermore, a Light character’s Stun Threshold
is also reduced by 1.
This Quality is similar to both Connections and
Followers. Connections applies to personal, largely Lucky: Some characters display extraordinary good
peer relations in a group. Followers are underlings luck in their lives. This is often manifested in scenes
personally and specifically committed to the that are intended to be more comic relief than plot
character. Influence is an abstract authority, development. In fact, this Quality works best in a
potentially over a large group, but without any campaign that highlights comedic storylines more
personal relationship or loyalty. Influence may gain often than the gritty serious ones that are the
the character a favor, but it doesn’t mean the one default presumption of most campaigns. The
granting the favor likes or even knows the character. Director may thus choose to disallow this Quality if
it fails to match the tone of the game or of a
Intelligent: The character is very intelligent and particular character (as even serious campaigns
probably also very well educated. As a result, the often have one or more comedic characters).
character receives a +2 on any skill check in which
the Director determines his impressive intelligence This Quality allows the player to re-roll three skill
would be a factor. checks during the course of a session, at no cost in
Story Points. Furthermore, when the character with
this Quality uses a Story Point to modify

60
 3
circumstances in his favor, far more extreme or While the Pet may have the ability to assist the
implausible events can (and should) happen. Finally, character in combat, any game effects related to
during a story, this character will also have general combat should be built into the descriptions of the
good luck at the Director’s discretion. If the character’s normal Special Moves. For example, if
character spends a Story Point to manifest his good the character can make his dog charge forward and
luck in combat, then some or all of the character’s attack his opponent, this ability can be constructed
three skill re-rolls for the session can also be used in as a Special Move with the Ranged Element to
combat to re-roll any roll. reflect the fact that the Fighter himself does not
close with his opponent as he attacks.
Magic: This Quality is a combination of both a
Quality and a Skill. Taking this Quality is a Additionally, the player and Director must define
prerequisite for taking the Magic Skill (see the Skill the non-combat abilities and uses of the Pet. During
description in Chapter 2). A character with this the course of the story, a player can spend a Story
powerful Quality is capable of creating almost any Point to make the Pet do something exceptional,
supernatural effect imaginable, limited solely by his beyond its normal expected abilities. While the Pet
level of skill. Sometimes effects may be should not be manipulated or abused by the
instantaneous, other times they may be great Director (for that, see the Weakness Significant
rituals, but there are no theoretical limits (beyond Other), the player may willingly choose to place his
the Director’s discretion and the needs of the story character’s Pet in harm’s way or get him into
and the campaign) to what the character can trouble, requiring the character’s intervention to
potentially do. save him, in order to earn a Story Point.

Mobility: This character can move swiftly and with Power: This Quality is a combination of both a
great control. Because of this, when the character Quality and a Skill. Taking this Quality is a
moves 2 Ranges and then attacks, he can choose to prerequisite for taking the Power Skill (see the Skill
simply take a –2 penalty to Accuracy instead of description in Chapter 2). A character with this
spending 1 FS. If the character also possesses the Quality possesses one specific supernatural ability
Big Quality, there is instead no penalty to Accuracy, or superpower, generally without specific combat
but the movement costs 1 FS (rather than 2 FS, as is application. Some examples might be flight, or
normally required for Big characters). telekinesis, or the ability to walk through walls. If
the Power is very specific (such as “Flight”), then the
Pet: This Quality represents an animal or creature DL of skill checks using the Power Skill should be
that accompanies the character. The choice of lower, while if the Power is broader (such as “Wind
animal is up to the player, but this Quality is Powers”), then the DL of skill checks should be
intended to represent unusual animals such as higher for specific uses of the power.
highly intelligent dogs, panthers, bears, or birds of
prey, or else supernatural companions such as Powers with specific combat applications (such as a
demons or spirits. The more “mundane” the choice blast of energy), or the combat applications of other
of pet (e.g., a cat or small dog), the more likely that Powers (such as using telekinesis as a form of
it is an extraordinary member of its species.

61
 3
ranged attack) are simply designed as normal form of good Reputation. People know of the
Special Moves. In fact, a character’s Special Moves character and have reason to like, trust, and/or
may include several “powers” without the character respect him. In general, this means that people
taking this Quality. This Quality (and its Skill) is only meeting the character for the first time will be
necessary if the character can use the Power in predisposed toward positive social interactions with
flexible ways outside of combat. him. However, the player may also spend a Story
Point during a social interaction to play on his
Powerful Item: This Quality represents a specific Reputation (when appropriate) to get people to do
item that the character possesses. It may be a what he wants, regardless of interaction skill checks.
specific piece of high-tech equipment, or it may be
an ancient magical artifact. While such an item may Sensei: The character with this Quality still has
have combat applications (e.g., a magic sword), any access to his original teacher or to a current teacher
game effects related to combat should be built as who possesses extraordinary wisdom, extraordinary
normal as Special Moves. In fact, a character with a skill, secret knowledge, and/or secret martial arts
magic sword (for example) that does nothing but techniques. By spending a Story Point, this
give him combat abilities does not need this Quality. character can provide the character with the
Its abilities are wholly represented by the character’s wisdom or training or perhaps equipment needed
Special Moves. (often in the form of ancient artifacts) to solve a
problem. The player should come up with a reason
The player and Director must define the non- why the Sensei himself is not involved in the events
combat abilities and limits of the Powerful Item. of the campaign, considering his own high level of
During the course of the story, a player can spend a power.
Story Point to activate those abilities. This Quality
can also represent access to a powerful place, such While this NPC should not be abused (for that, see
as an extradimensional fount of mystical energy, the Significant Other Weakness), the player may
access to a high-tech lab, a personal arena suffused willingly choose to place his character’s Sensei in
with the Fighter’s own ki energy, or the seat of harm’s way (of course, what constitutes “harm” to a
power of a kingdom or nation. powerful Sensei must be great indeed) or otherwise
get him into trouble, thus requiring the character’s
Psychic: This Quality is a combination of both a intervention to save him, in order to earn a Story
Quality and a Skill. Taking this Quality is a Point.
prerequisite for taking the Psychic Skill (see the Skill
description in Chapter 2). A character with this Sexy: (females only) This appearance Quality
Quality is capable of effecting any superpower represents an alluring, distinctly sexual dimension of
broadly defined as a mental, psychic, or psionic a character that acts as a modifier to other
ability, limited solely by his skill level and the appearance-related Qualities. A Sexy character
Director’s discretion. must also have the Attractive Quality, and may have
the Cute or Beautiful Qualities as well (though the
Reputation: A character with this Quality has some combination of the sensual Sexy Quality and the
pure Beautiful Quality is uncommon). Many of the
most popular fighting game females tend to have all

62
 3
three of the Attractive, Cute, and Sexy Qualities. restrict its application. There is absolutely nothing
Sexy characters receive a +1 bonus on interaction realistic about this Quality; in fact, it’s fairly
skills when dealing with males, which stacks with ridiculous, but it is a part of some character
other appearance Qualities. concepts.

Sharp Dressed: (males only) A male character with The character’s gratuitous display of flesh is worth a
this appearance Quality is always impeccably +1 bonus on interaction skill checks when dealing
dressed. It should be noted that, in the source with males. Such characters are also subject to the
material, this Quality typically manifests according negative attention encountered by Buxom
to the standards of “metrosexual” or “Euro” meets characters (see above). A character with both
glam rock star, and may often include fashions Qualities may be subject to significant role-playing
“regular” people would never try to pull off. The challenges and more than a few unpleasant
effect of this Quality is to provide a +1 on interaction situations (some intended to be humorous, some
skill checks, or a +2 with people who would normally anything but, depending on the tone of the
be impressed by exceptionally fashionable campaign). A player can willingly suffer this
characters. negative attention during a story to earn a Story
Point.
Short: Characters with this Quality are noticeably
shorter than normal. In fighting games that strive Most importantly, however, if the character spends
for some sense of “realism” (a term used loosely in a Story Point at the beginning of a combat, she
any fighting game), this trait is not extreme. In most proves to be less vulnerable to harm when she wears
games, however, characters with the Short Quality less clothing. As such, the character receives –1
are very short, sometimes no more than about three damage from all attacks in combat and also receives
or four feet tall. This Quality is often possessed by a +1 to her Stun Threshold. This becomes –2
strange old men who laugh and/or drink a lot. The damage and +2 Stun Threshold if the character also
character receives a +2 to Defense Totals when has the at least one of the three Qualities Buxom,
trying to Evade attacks, but receives a –2 penalty Beautiful, or Sexy.
(instead of –1) to Accuracy on attacks made at
Range 2. Tall: Some fighting game characters tower over
their opposition. This Quality represents the effects
Suggestive Attire: (females only) This Quality is of this height. Such characters are not necessarily
another convention of the genre that is somewhat huge, just tall. However, many characters that have
commonplace. Some female characters wear the Tall Quality also have the Big Quality. Due to the
clothing (if it can be called that) that is simply length of the character’s limbs, the character does
inappropriate for the weather, for fighting, or even not suffer a penalty to Accuracy at Range 2, though
for being seen out in public. This does not represent this bonus only applies to Basic Moves, not Special
the typical skintight or short skirt outfits worn by Moves. Due to his impressive height, the character
most female fighters, but rather truly extreme receives a +1 bonus on interaction skill checks when
outfits with substantial cleavage, thongs, lingerie, trying to intimidate someone. Using the Evasion
and the like. The power of this Quality is easily
subject to abuse; the Director should feel free to

63
 3
Skill to defend against attacks made by this Tomboy: (females only) This appearance Quality
character receive a +1 bonus to Defense Totals. represents another common fighting game
stereotype. The character is muscular, has short
Technique: This special Quality requires permission hair, and perhaps even dresses as a man. Despite
from the Director. A “Technique” is a special ability this, male characters often find the character
useable by the character that is not available to any attractive anyway. This gives a +1 bonus on
other Fighter character in the campaign. The form interaction skill checks when dealing with either sex.
of this special ability is an optional rule for combat However, characters may not realize the character is
that applies only to the character. For example, the female at first. Until the character’s gender is
default combat rules do not allow a character to realized, the character does not receive the Tomboy
combine a moving Evade with Defense (which is bonus. A player may use the character’s gender
called an Aerial Block in a fighting game). In a ambiguity to willingly inconvenience her character
campaign using the default combat rules, a during a story in order to earn a Story Point. A
character could take the Technique Quality and use character with this Quality may also be Attractive,
the rule for Aerial Blocking for his character. Cute, and/or Sexy, though they may not be
Beautiful.
The Director must approve all Techniques, as some
rules are far more powerful than others. If a player Wealth: The character is extremely wealthy or has
wanted a particularly powerful Technique, the easy access to a lot of money. The benefits of this
Director may allow it at the cost of more than one are readily discernible, though Wealth can also
Quality. The default rules for Fight! in this book do create distinctive problems. By spending a Story
not have many rules options suitable for the Point, the character can get any sort of assistance
Technique Quality. Future supplements will contain needed that would be available by throwing money
many more options, or the Director can create his at the problem. The character may hire specially
own. trained technicians, researchers, fast or secretive
means of transportation, etc. It is up to the Director
Theme Music: This Quality is a metagame Quality to determine whether or not a particular resource is
and thus requires the Director’s permission. In available, as well as how long it takes to materialize.
fighting games, the soundtrack played while the In general, as long as the request doesn’t circumvent
character is fighting may be exceptionally exciting, the whole story, it should be permitted. If the player
well written or memorable. This Quality has combat willingly chooses to have his character suffer from
effects. The strong positive vibe of the character’s the unique problems of great wealth (fees and taxes,
soundtrack is inspiring enough to allow him to delays in fund availability, unwanted media and
automatically recover Fighting Spirit equal to his banking attention, theft, etc.), the Director may
Power Level every full 10-count of combat. Thus, award a Story Point.
the character would recover Fighting Spirit when the
time count dropped to 89 or less, and then again Weapon Expert: This Quality represents
when it dropped to 79 or less, and so on. extraordinary skill with all forms of melee weapons.
The character receives a +3 bonus on any skill check
or combat roll in Thug Thrashing combat related to
melee weapons. This Quality does not apply to rolls

64
 3
involving primitive ranged weapons such as bows up to no good. The reputation is established enough
(which is the province of the Gun Expert Quality). that it will be difficult for someone who does not
know the character to see past it.
Weakness Descriptions Code: A Code is similar to the Vow Weakness or
(somewhat less so) the Obsession or Fanatic
This section describes all of the Weaknesses in the Weaknesses. The player must describe the strict
game. They are listed alphabetically. Remember dictates of the character’s Code (with the Director’s
that the Director has a responsibility to make sure approval) and abide by them always. Common
that Weaknesses actually have an effect on the codes would include the samurai’s code of bushido
game. A Weakness that never comes into play is not or a more generic code to always fight honorably.
a Weakness. The effects of failing to abide by a character’s Code
are up to the Director, but should be suitably severe.
Amnesia: The character does not remember his A character may live by a code and not take this
past. How much he has lost or whether he will ever Weakness; this version of a code is a way of living
regain his memory is up to the player and the that is strongly tied to a character’s self-identity.
Director. This gives them both significant freedom
to alter the character’s understanding of himself to Curse: A character who is cursed has been afflicted
best suit the campaign’s story, though the Director by some supernatural force either in his own past or
should do this with the interests of the player in the past of his family. This can manifest in any
mind. number of ways and it may or may not yield
concrete game effects. The player should come up
Annoying Voice: This Weakness is a metagame with the story of the Curse and then work with the
Weakness and thus requires Director permission. Director to determine its actual effects. A curse that
The voice acting in fighting games (especially after has major effects need not see those effects turn up
dubbing for localization) often leaves much to be in the game very often, while a relatively minor
desired. Secondary heroes and comedic sidekicks curse may have a consistent permanent (albeit
often have loud, nasal, or silly voices. The character lesser) effect on the character.
with this Weakness has one of these voices.
Because of the character’s ridiculous voice, the Dangerous Job: A character with the Dangerous
hypothetical “players” mock the character. The Job Weakness has an employer who places him in
character loses 1 Glory point every session of play hostile situations frequently. This usually means
and has a -1 penalty on all his interaction skill combat, but it can also refer to other life-
checks. threatening situations. The player and Director
must work out the details of the character’s
Bad Reputation: The character has a bad reputation employer. The game effects of this should be
that may or may not be accurate. Regardless of manifest in the kinds of stories the character
whether or not it is accurate, people treat the participates in. The Director should make sure the
character accordingly and expect him to behave in a character has to occasionally do things he would
certain way. This may mean, for example, that
people expect him to be a delinquent who is always

65
 3
rather not do, get thrown into dangerous situations, need water. An ancient spirit may need to meditate
and be involved in frequent fights, usually (but not in its sacred grove. The effects of failing to meet the
solely) of the Thug Thrashing variety. This Weakness Dependence should be decided on by the Director
often contributes significantly to establishing an and the player.
entire character concept. The job must be a genuine
liability to the character, not just an excuse for Doomed: This character is doomed to some ignoble
comparatively easy extra Glory during stories. or dark fate, such as dying at the most important
point in his life, failing to ever achieve his life’s
Dark Side: Usually, this Weakness would only be purpose, or even being responsible for the world’s
taken by a heroic character (though the Director destruction. This will probably have an effect on the
might permit a villainous character to have a “really, character’s self-perception as made manifest
really Dark Side”). Despite the character’s noble through role-playing. Furthermore, the Director can
nature, he possesses an evil side that he may or may impose more severe hindrances on the character
not be aware of. Under the right circumstance, before awarding a Story Point, especially if the
always at critical moments, his Dark Side may come Director furthers the character’s doom. Whether
to the fore, causing the character to do destructive the doom actually comes to pass during the course
or reprehensible things. The character also may or of the campaign should be up to the Director (with
may not be aware of what he has done during the input from the player).
dark time.
Dull Personality: For whatever reason, the
The Director may choose to develop some sort of character fails to make a positive impression on
sliding scale for the character’s loss of control, others. He may be boring, dull, lack social skills, or
informing the player that circumstances have be unintentionally annoying. As a result, the
pushed the character another step closer to losing character suffers a –1 on all interaction skill checks.
control, thereby allowing the character the chance
to act in such a way as to regain it, or he may just Duty Bound: A character with this Weakness is
impose it on the character when dramatically obligated to serve someone or something else. This
appropriate. The control and/or elimination of the may be a particular person, such as an elder family
Dark Side is often a driving motive for the character. member, an organization such as a school or
corporation, or even an ideal embodied in a
Dependence: The character with this Weakness is philosophy or religion. The duty should be
dependent on something else to survive. This could understood as more than just a job; the character
be a dependency or addiction to a substance, but in has a psychological attachment to the idea of doing
this case, it would need to be a profoundly deep well in the performance of his duty. The Director
addiction and/or a very dangerous substance to should create situations that cause conflict between
qualify (e.g., a character who smokes does not the character’s duty and other options that may be
qualify for this Weakness in most cases). The easier, better, or more desirable. The Director
Dependence might instead be to something else for should impose consequences if the character fails to
a non-human character. An amphibious being may live up to his duty, especially by choice.

Fanatic: A character with this Weakness must define

66
 3
what he is a Fanatic about. This should be thing for a fighter to live with. The character has a -
something fairly significant. It also should not fall 2 Stun Threshold.
under the purview of Obsession or Vow. Fanaticism
usually relates to an ideal, philosophical or religious Haunted: Characters who are Haunted can be
system, or lifestyle. The player and Director must tormented in one of two ways. The haunting might
work together to define the typical behaviors of the be literal, in which case, the character will have
Fanatic. The Director should assign penalties or frequent interaction with frightening, bothersome,
other consequences if the character fails to act or malevolent spirits. The other form of the
according to his fanaticism. The player can Haunted Weakness is the torment the character
inconvenience his character on account of his feels over the events of one’s past; in this case, the
fanaticism by choice in order to earn a Story Point. player needs to describe what happened that now
From a role-playing perspective, such a character gives the character frequent nightmares, bouts of
will also be annoyingly one-tracked in his thought depression, and lack of confidence about his choice
and often talk or think of little else. of actions. Either version of this Weakness may lead
to penalties on skill checks and/or a misperception
Fearsome Appearance: This Weakness represents of reality on the part of the character.
an unusual appearance that can be broadly defined
as anything that is definitely not normal and usually Honorable: Honorable characters abide by a simple,
will provoke a negative reaction. It can be a specific form of code related to their general way of
monstrous appearance (which may or may not also life and how they treat others. In combat, an
be Ugly) or a supernatural quality that simply makes Honorable character will not strike an opponent who
other people uncomfortable. A character with this has been Stunned or Knocked Down. As a slightly
Weakness suffers a –4 on Lost in the Crowd skill beneficial side effect of this Weakness, people who
checks. Furthermore, the character also suffers a -1 know of the character’s honor may treat the
penalty on all interaction skill checks. On the other character with respect. On the other hand, villains
hand, the strange nature of the character’s will exploit this Weakness.
appearance is worth a +1 bonus on interaction skill
checks if the character is trying to frighten or Hunted: A character who is Hunted needs to define
intimidate someone. If applicable, these bonuses who is hunting him and why. This Weakness should
and penalties stack with the Ugly Weakness. not usually be defined as another specific Fighter
(which is usually a Rivalry instead). However, the
Fragile Self-Image: This character is usually hunter should have the resources to send lots of
overconfident in his actions, but this actually masks troops at the Hunted character. The Director should
a severe lack of confidence. If the character ever feel free to send mobs of Thug-level opponents at
loses a significant fight (defined by the Director the character during each story. Ideally, this
according to the specific character), he loses 10 Weakness should be worked into the story rather
Glory points immediately and subsequently suffers a than serve as a distraction from it. The Director
-1 penalty on all skill checks until he wins a should keep this in mind when choosing opponents
significant fight (as defined by the Director). for the character. Also, like the Dangerous Job

Glass Jaw: This dangerous Weakness is a tough

67
 3
Weakness, being Hunted is supposed to be a considered to have any effect on combat (the
liability, not a persistent low-level opportunity to character is assumed to have trained to
earn extra Glory beyond the other characters. compensate), but the Director can impose whatever
limitations seem appropriate outside of combat
Obsession: This Weakness does not represent a (e.g., a character with one leg moves slowly during a
character’s ideological stance (that is covered by the chase, a character with asthma cannot do prolonged
Fanatic Weakness), but rather his obsession with a physical activity, a blind character cannot read, etc.)
specific item, person, plan, or idea. The player must
clearly define the object of his Obsession. Though it Poorly Drawn: This Weakness is a metagame
is possible that the Fanatic Weakness might be Weakness and thus requires Director permission. It
understood in a heroic (if overzealous) light, represents a poor visual concept on the part of the
Obsessions are often darker psychological territory. hypothetical character artists who “draw” the
From a role-playing perspective, this Obsession character for the “game” that is the campaign. The
usually dominates the character’s mind, so that he players are bored by the character’s appearance and
cannot easily concentrate on anything else. This do not connect with him. As such, all Special moves
results in a -1 penalty on all skill checks except those and Combos performed by the character are worth -
related to the Obsession (Director’s discretion). The 1 Glory point.
player can inconvenience his character on account
of his Obsession by choice in order to earn a Story Ritual: A character with this Weakness has either a
Point. need to be recognized for his exploits wherever he
goes or a ritual or series of rituals that he absolutely
Phobia: The character suffers a profound, irrational must adhere to in order to function in day-to-day
fear of something. The choice of Phobia needs to be life. The player should define the exact nature of the
common enough (as deemed by the Director) that Ritual; this could be a calling card left behind by the
the character has a reasonable chance of character at a scene, a catch phrase that has to be
encountering it during his adventures. When spoken aloud, a move that has to be used to finish
exposed to the presence of the Phobia object, the an opponent, or a routine that must be followed
character must either flee or else become paralyzed before entering combat. The character’s Ritual must
by fear. If the player willingly exposes his character be performed or satisfied in all cases; he cannot be
to the object of his Phobia, the Director can award a convinced to not perform it. This might provide a
Story Point. tactical weakness in combat, ruin an undercover
action or disguise, or delay a character’s plans.
Physical Handicap: The character with this Should the Ritual be violated in some way, the
Weakness has a significant Physical Handicap. This Director should impose penalties on the character
is an uncommon Weakness for a fighting game until he atones appropriately.
character. The Director must approve the handicap.
Examples include missing arms, legs, or eyes, or Significant Other: The character has some sort of
perhaps strong asthma or a lasting, debilitating Significant Other in his life. This could be a lover,
illness. The Physical Handicap is generally not best friend, child, sibling, or whatever that the
character cares deeply about and wants and/or
needs to protect. Generally, the feelings are

68
 3
reciprocated in this situation. The Director is free to regardless of the condition of their figure. A
threaten, kidnap, or otherwise endanger the character with this Weakness must also have the
Significant Other during stories. This Weakness can Unattractive Weakness, though the Ugly penalties
easily be combined with the Quirk In Love. The supercede the Unattractive penalties.
player should not be able to easily ignore or blow off
his Significant Other without real consequences for Unattractive: Some characters just don’t have a lot
his character. going for them in the looks department. This
appearance Weakness yields a -1 penalty on
Style Weakness: The character’s martial arts style is interaction skill checks when the character is dealing
not well suited to facing opponents using certain with the opposite sex.
techniques or his style is predictable. One example
of this is the supposed weakness of traditional Unintelligent: This character is significantly less
Western Boxing to kick attacks. This Weakness has intelligent and/or less educated than most people.
combat effects and thus requires the Director’s As such, he gets a –2 on any skill check that would
permission. When facing an opponent with Style involve intelligence or education (Director’s
Weakness, a combatant may make a DL 8 Stance discretion).
Evaluation roll. In addition to the normal benefits of
the roll, if it succeeds, all attacks against the Unlucky: Some characters display an extraordinary
character with Style Weakness do +1 damage. amount of bad luck in their lives. This is often
manifested in scenes that are intended to be more
Thick: This Weakness is only available to characters comic relief than plot development. In fact, this
who also have the Unintelligent Weakness. This Quality works best in a campaign that highlights
character is just plain stupid. He is not creative in his comedic storylines more often than the gritty
thoughts, cannot understand detailed plans, and serious ones that are the default presumption of
gets a –3 on any skill check that would involve most campaigns. The Director may thus choose to
intelligence or education (Director’s discretion). This disallow this Quality if it fails to match the tone of
replaces the –2 penalty of Unintelligent. the game or of a particular character (as even
serious campaigns often have one or more comedic
Ugly: This Weakness represents the worst characters).
appearance possible. Such characters are hideous
to behold. In fighting games, this can sometimes be This Weakness allows the Director (not the player)
quite graphic. It is rare among females in the genre. to force the player to re-roll up to three skill checks
The effect of this Weakness is a -3 penalty on all during the course of a session, with no Story Point
interaction skill checks when dealing with a member reward. Furthermore, when the character with this
of the opposite sex. On the other hand, being Weakness chooses to inconvenience himself for a
disgusting to behold is worth a +1 bonus on Story Point reward, far more extreme, implausible,
interaction skill checks if the character is trying to and unpleasant events can (and should) happen.
frighten or intimidate someone. Characters with Finally, during a story, this character will also have
this Weakness cannot acquire any positive general bad luck at the Director’s discretion. This
appearance Qualities and female characters with
this Weakness cannot acquire the Buxom Quality,

69
 3
should usually just be used for humorous effect. If
the Director wishes to allow this Quality to have
Quirk Descriptions
combat effects, then some or all of the character’s
This section describes all of the Quirks in the game.
three skill re-rolls for the session can also be used
They are listed alphabetically. Remember that
against the character in combat to re-roll any roll.
Quirks are intended to be descriptors of major
personality traits of a character. They should
Vow: This Weakness represents a vow or series of
occasionally hinder or define a character’s actions,
vows that the character has taken which are likely to
but they should not be as debilitating as
affect his behavior on a fairly regular basis. It can
Weaknesses. Because they have a limited
represent the religious rules of a monk, a stout
mechanical effect on a character, the Director may
warrior’s vow of purity, or an evil desire for
allow players to come up with their own Quirks.
vengeance. The nature of the Vow should not be so
obscure that its application in the game is barely
Age: The character is particularly old, perhaps even
seen. The character is committed to the Vow, but
ancient, or else very young, such as a child. This has
this does not necessarily mean that the character is
no specific game effects – fighting games are filled
always completely comfortable with it, and the
with spry old men and immensely powerful children
character can still be subject to temptation.
– but it will affect the way other people perceive and
relate to the character.
Because of this Weakness, the character will be
inhibited in his actions in some way and will be
Arrogant: The character is convinced of his own
tempted with some regularity during his adventures.
superiority and has no problem sharing this self-
If the character ends up breaking his vow, he will
knowledge with others. This perception may or may
have a -3 penalty on all his die rolls until a journey of
not be accurate. In any case, the perceptions and
repentance is taken (a special story or series of
attitudes of other people towards the character will
scenes designed at the Director’s discretion).
certainly be colored by this arrogance.
Warped: This Weakness can cover a number of
Attitude: Many characters in fighting games, both
different afflictions. A Warped character may be
heroes and villains, are so cool as to radiate an “aura
physically or mentally Warped. Thus, this Weakness
of attitude” when they are around. Characters with
covers any physical deformity or insanity the
this Quirk may occasionally have difficulty hiding in
character may be burdened with. In any case, such
crowds or appearing sincerely humble in their
afflictions will be difficult to conceal and hard to live
interactions with others. Others may be inclined to
with, though the exact details are up to the Director
either challenge the character or to act subservient
to decide. Physical afflictions will often have a
around them.
negative effect on social interactions, while mental
afflictions may control or limit character actions.
Brutal: Characters with this Quirk are harsh fighters
in combat. They enjoy bullying the weak and using
dirty tricks, and they have no compunctions against
beating opponents who are already down. This may
result in legal difficulties, a loss of respect and

70
 3
honor, a recognized bad reputation, and few friends. opponent in combat. In fact, the Demure character
will often apologize for winning. In the source
Bumbling Friend: The character has a good friend material, this Quirk is more common among female
who is always willing to help in any way he can. characters.
However, despite this friend’s best intentions, he
rarely proves to be of much help. Typically such a Disgraced: At some point in his past, the character
character is loud, clumsy, not too bright, and/or was disgraced in some way. He may have been
socially inept. While the friend may occasionally thrown out of his dojo, killed a friend accidentally,
prove useful (more often by accident), he is usually a violated a vow, or felt his reputation or honor was
liability to the character when he is around. ruined by a past fight. This character will be
somewhat morose and/or angry and will usually be
Clueless: This Quirk is not an assessment of the devoted to undoing the causes of his disgrace.
character’s intelligence. Rather, a character with
this Quirk is curiously unaware of his environment, Distinctive Appearance: The character’s
the feelings of those around him, and the meaning appearance makes him stand out, even beyond the
of clues presented to him. While there are no normal standards of most fighting game characters.
specific game mechanics to reflect this, the Director The character is not frightening (see Fearsome
may choose to withhold information from the Appearance) nor is he merely ugly (see Ugly). This
character when describing a situation. would be an appropriate Quirk for a character that
dresses in a way that makes him stand out in a
Cooking: Any food the character prepares will be crowd, even a crowd of Fighters. Penalties to Lost in
horrible and will cause temporary illness in anyone the Crowd Skill checks are appropriate.
who eats it. The character may be aware of this or
instead believe that he is actually an excellent cook. Fan Service: (females only) Many female fighting
This Quirk is usually used as a source of comic relief game characters fight exclusively in short skirts
in a story. (often school uniforms). As such, when they fall or
leap or kick high, the players are treated to a clear
Dead Serious: Despite the occasional light-hearted view of their underwear. Similarly, other characters
scene in the plot of a fighting game, some walk, pose, stretch provocatively, and/or fall over
characters seem to have no part whatsoever in it. frequently when they move, whether deliberately or
This character is one of them. The character never accidentally, also revealing their underwear or at
laughs, rarely appears noticeably happy, and is least acting in an overtly sexual manner. This is
usually an extremely focused individual. This should often intended for comic effect, albeit of a
be clear through the player’s role-playing. It may particularly lowbrow variety. This character is one of
have an effect on the character’s social interactions. those characters. Apt descriptions of the character’s
fan service, if it inconveniences the character in
Demure: This Quirk is in some ways the opposite of some way, could be worth a Story Point.
the Attitude Quirk. The character rarely makes eye
contact or exalts himself in any way, and may Glutton: This character will eat at every opportunity
regularly put himself at the service of others. This
attitude persists, even after having beaten an

71
 3
which presents itself, will eat a lot, and will often laughs. In this case, the character In Love will
make an embarrassing display of himself while sometimes do stupid things. The player can earn a
doing so. The character is not necessarily fat. This Story Point by suggesting that the beloved be
Quirk is best used for occasional comic effect and to endangered, but this story idea should be used
perhaps provide a distraction to the character. sparingly, as it more properly falls under the
Weakness Significant Other.
Greedy: The character is constantly in pursuit of
material gain, whether through money or Lecherous: Characters with this Quirk will always be
possessions. This is a primary motivation for the making inappropriate comments to members of the
character’s actions and, unless the character makes opposite sex, peeping in locker rooms and showers,
an effort to keep it secret, will usually color the and grabbing other characters in socially
perceptions and reactions of people around him. unacceptable ways. Such behavior often results in
social ostracism and frequent beatings at the hands
Immature: This is another common stereotype, of those who have been ogled. The targets of
usually among female characters. Despite being lechery in the source material are almost always
fully-grown in years, this character still acts like a women, regardless of whether the lecher is male or
child. This manifests in the character through high female.
and/or loud voices, frequent temper tantrums,
unusual moments of stupid courage or unreasonable Loves Combat: A character with this Quirk thrills to
fear, and making a general nuisance out of himself. the excitement and danger of combat. He is not
necessarily brutal or violent. This may not seem like
Impulsive: A character with this Quirk possesses a liability in a fighting game, but this character will
boundless energy and an inability to stay in one look for any excuse to fight, even when it would be
place for too long. The character is bored with better or more prudent not to.
excessive planning and usually flies off on his own
without proper discretion. As a result, the character Nosebleeds: (males only) This Quirk is also intended
often ends up in trouble. An Impulsive character is for more light-hearted campaigns. It is not well
not necessarily Reckless; the Impulsive character suited for serious games. A character with this Quirk
may choose a prudent course of action, but only often suffers sudden and embarrassing nosebleeds
because it was the first idea he came up with. when he experiences something that would be
sexually arousing. On rare occasions, the nosebleed
In Love: Love relationships sometimes play a role in may be severe enough to cause the character to
the plot of fighting games. A character who is In pass out from blood loss.
Love needs to first define whom he is In Love with.
This is usually another player character or a Pacifist: This is a difficult Quirk for a fighting game.
prominent NPC. In any case, the object of the The character will not willingly initiate combat and,
lover’s affection should be around fairly frequently, if forced in some way, will seek to end combats as
but does not necessarily need to have reciprocal quickly as possible. While such sentiment is
feelings. This Quirk may occasionally be played for undoubtedly noble, this can prove to be a difficult
Quirk for the player and the Director to work with. It
might be worthwhile for the Director and the player

72
 3
to establish a set of circumstances or kinds of somewhere on his body or has numerous small scars
opponents toward which the character is “less all over (or perhaps both). This may make the
pacifistic.” character hideous or ruggedly attractive. In either
case, however, he will have a harder time avoiding
Reckless: A character who is Reckless makes being noticed in public. Alternatively, the character
unnecessarily bold choices in his actions. Such may be Scarred in a psychological sense, as a result
characters are usually loud and enthusiastic and of some past trauma.
have little interest in caution. Because of their
rashness, they usually get into trouble over their Secret: This Quirk can represent any number of
heads. This is not the same thing as Impulsive; a things. The character might have a secret identity
Reckless character may deliberate over his actions that needs to be maintained, he could be carrying
but will ultimately choose an action that will the guilt of a secret crime committed in the past, he
generate “big” results (whatever that may mean in a could be lying about his true identity, or he could be
specific situation). an undercover operative. In any case, the character
must work diligently to maintain his Secret, as it
Revenge: A character with this Quirk has a need for would be bad (or at least the character is convinced
revenge. The target of this revenge should be that it would be bad) if the Secret were revealed.
someone or some group that is accessible during the The specific ramifications of this revelation are up to
events of the campaign, and ideally is a person or the Director and the player.
group that is directly related to the main plot of the
campaign. The character seeking Revenge will act Short-Tempered: The character is prone to bouts of
irrationally when faced with an opportunity to get extreme anger and loses his temper with little
back at the offender. This may be a dominant provocation. This affects the way others perceive
component of the character’s reason for fighting. the character, as well as causing significant social
inconvenience and lots of unnecessary fights.
Rivalry: A character with a Rivalry needs to define
who the Rivalry is with and what the nature of the Suspicious: A Suspicious character is unwilling to
Rivalry is. The other character should ideally be a trust the motivations of others. As such, they are
character that is around somewhat frequently, but if less willing to accept help from others and may be
not, then the Rivalry should be even more intense reticent in offering help. It should be noted that this
and fierce when both characters are around. The Quirk is not paranoia, just a certain lack of trust in
other character may not share the sense of Rivalry, others. Because of this Quirk, such a character may
but this is much less interesting. The rival can be also have problems persuading others.
another player character, which can make for some
great stories, but the Director should be aware of Unworldly: The character is unaware of the
the possible danger of bad player dynamics. workings of the world. He may have been raised in
Characters with rivalries will often do stupid things. an isolated martial arts camp, sheltered by an
Common rivals are siblings or fighters from the excessively protective family, or may even be a
same school. stranger to the world (an alien or spirit). This

Scarred: A character who is Scarred has a large scar

73
 3
character will not be able to relate well with modern When a player provides exceptionally cool
technology, cultural mannerisms and slang. The descriptions of his actions (inside or outside of
Director may occasionally use this unfamiliarity to combat), the Director may award a Story Point.
cause the character inconvenience at an important
moment. Finally, the Director can manipulate events in the
story against the characters and then compensate
them with a Story Point. For example, the Director
Story Points could allow a villain to escape despite the heroes’
attempts to pursue and capture him. By
Story Points are a mechanic that allows the Director guaranteeing the villain’s escape, the Director gives
to reward the players for engaging the genre as well each of the characters a Story Point. This technique
as to manipulate the flow of the story by giving the should be used by the Director with discretion; it
players the opportunity to improve their chances of should only be used when the effect of it will
success at critical moments. improve the overall narrative flow of the story.

Normally, the Director will give each character one Story Points are saved from session to session,
Story Point at the beginning a session. There are though the Director may restrict the maximum
several ways to acquire additional Story Points. number a character may have at any one time.

In combat, when a character is reduced to 1/10th of Using Story Points

his Life Bar and then wins, he earns a Story Point.
There are a number of ways in which Story Points
A player may inconvenience his character by choice can be used in the game.
during a story through his Weaknesses and/or
Quirks. The Director may reward this with a Story Some Qualities, such as Connections, Followers, and
Point. Influence, require the use of Story Points in order to
gain their benefits.
When the character suffers a catastrophic failure (as
defined by the Director), he earns a Story Point. A character can use a Story Point to re-roll any skill
check immediately after it is rolled. The character
The use of certain skills (such as Reaffirm Purpose must abide by the results of the re-roll, regardless of
and Realize Potential) can earn Story Points. whether they are better or worse.

When a player role-plays exceptionally well and/or A player can spend a Story Point to gain a sudden
entertainingly, the Director may award the player insight into his character’s current situation. For
with a Story Point. Similarly, when a player role- example, if the players seem unclear as to what they
plays the genre exceptionally well, especially the should do next to move the story along, one or more
excessively serious melodrama of fighting game of them could spend Story Points in order to have
characters, the Director should award a Story Point. their characters receive sudden, special insights
from the Director to advance the story. The Director

74
 3
should make these insights fairly obvious, not A Story Point can also be used in combat to give a
cryptic, so as to justify the use of Story Points. Special Move an Element it does not normally have
Certain specific Qualities also use Story Points to for a single use. This needs to be explained in some
give hints or assistance. The general insights gained appropriate narrative way. For example, it might be
by spending Story Points as described here should difficult to describe a crescent kick attack suddenly
not be as useful as those gained by those Qualities. gaining the Ranged Element, but perhaps the
Fighter launches the kick into thin air and his ki
Example: Despite collecting a number of clues projects a wave of force at his opponent. If the
about the whereabouts of the headquarters of the Element desired counts as more than one Element
Cartel of the Iron Lords, the player characters are normally when building a Special Move, the Element
unclear as to how they should proceed. Cannon costs an equal number of Story Points.
McCabe’s player decides to spend a Story Point for
an insight. Suddenly, Cannon remembered Finally, a Story Point can be used to recover 1d4 plus
something he heard one of the Cartel’s goons say in Power Level in points of lost Life Bar or 1d10 plus
a previous confrontation. The Director tells the Power Level in points of lost Fighting Spirit. This
group that the Cartel has moved their headquarters cannot bring Life Bar or Fighting Spirit above the
to a downtown skyscraper. Based on earlier clues character’s normal starting totals.
they had uncovered in the story, the group now
knows where to go.

A player can spend a Story Point to make minor

modifications to his circumstances in the current
scene. For example, a character is pushed off a
rooftop. The player spends a Story Point and states
that his character lands on a fire escape only one
floor down, but out of sight of his opponent. The
Director decides this is reasonable and allows it.

Normally, Story Points cannot be used in combat.

However, if the Director deems a combat
sufficiently critical to the character or the story, he
can allow the use of Story Points to modify rolls in a
fight. Keep in mind that this can significantly
lengthen a normal combat, especially if a lot of
Story Points are available for use.

In combat, a Story Point can be used to re-roll any

roll. As above, the character must keep the results
of the second roll, regardless of whether the result is
better or worse.

75
 4

76
 4
4. Basic Moves, Special Definitions
Moves, and Super Moves Basic Moves are the attack forms available to all
characters. They represent all the “normal” attacks
Special Moves are one of the defining characteristics
used in hand-to-hand combat, such as punches,
of fighting video games. Aside from their distinctive
kicks, elbows and head butts. Generally, these
appearances, what makes players choose to play
moves have the same game mechanics for all
and master particular characters are an appreciation
characters, no matter how they are defined by the
of their Special Moves, in both their visual flair and
player.
their specific combat application. This chapter
explains the distinction between the different kinds
Special Moves are the unique attacks of a particular
of moves that Fighters can use in combat, as well as
character. They are acquired by spending Move
provides rules for designing unique Special Moves.
Points both at character generation and when a
With these rules, characters can throw blasts of
character advances in Power Level. The Move Points
destructive ki, launch punches and kicks that send
spent determine the level of the Special Move,
their opponents flying high into the air, turn invisible
which in turns establishes how many Elements can
during combat, and use attacks designed to work
be used to build the Special Move, which describes
around any defense. The system is designed to be
the move’s mechanical role in combat. The actual
flexible enough to duplicate almost any effect seen
visual description of a Special Move is very
in a fighting video game.
important, for it is these moves that define and
characterize a Fighter and his martial arts style.
The term “move” refers to a specific form of attack –
Thus, regardless of the move’s game effects, it is up
it may be as simple as a jab or roundhouse kick, or as
to the player to provide appropriate and interesting
impressive as the massive emanations of destructive
descriptions for his Special Moves.
ki that describe a character’s Super Move. In
exceptional cases, a “move” might also be a special
Super Moves are a particular kind of Special Move.
form of non-attack action available to a specific
In most ways, they are the same as regular Special
Fighter.
Moves; however, they are made up of more
Elements, they are a little more damaging, they
Most moves need to be designed by the player or
have a couple Elements and Liabilities available that
Director as individual, unique options for a specific
are not available for regular Special Moves, and a
Fighter. This is done by “building” the move as a
Fighter needs to accumulate Super Energy in
series of Elements and Liabilities that define how
combat before he can use a Super Move.
the move is used in combat. Some moves may
simply be more accurate or damaging than others,
These are the three primary kinds of moves in the
while others may provide special options or allow
game. Future supplements will detail many
the move an exception to a normal rule. additional options for Basic, Special, and especially
Super Moves.

77
 4
This chapter also presents additional rules options:
modifying Basic Moves, rules for Basic Taunts in Sweeps
combat, Basic Throws, and a special form of Combo
called an Attack String, which can be used to better In many fighting games, a low strong kick also
replicate the Special Moves found in many 3-D functions as a sweep that knocks down the
fighting games. opponent. If the Director wishes to include this
option in his game, it functions as a modified
Basic Move. Instead of requiring only 1 Control
Basic Moves like a normal Basic Move, a Sweep requires 3
Control. It does the same damage as a normal
No move needs to be designed to enable a character Basic Move, but it also includes the Hits Low
to punch another character. A Fighter’s standard and Knocks Down Elements (see below).
attack forms are summed up under the category of
Basic Moves. If the Director does not wish to use this as a
campaign option for all characters, it could also
All Basic Moves can be defined however the player be acquirable by a character with the Technique
wants for his character. For a big brawler, a Basic Quality.
Move might be a roundhouse punch, a knee, or a
brutal head butt. For a quick kung fu fighter, a Basic
Move might be a snap kick, an open palm strike, or Basic Throws
an elbow. The specific differences between these
attacks are not defined by the game rules; all Basic
It is rare to have a fighting game in which each
Moves are considered equivalent to one another.
character does not have at least one Throw
While each character might have different
attack. To represent this, the Director might
descriptions for his Basic Moves, in a fighting video
wish to allow all characters to gain at least one
game, any given character is consistent with his
Throw attack for which they do not have to
style of Basic Moves. For example, a character
spend Move Points. At Power Level 1, every
defined by his long, straight kicks does not suddenly
character receives one or more (as decided by
start using elbow and knee strikes. This is another
the Director) additional L2 Special Moves for
way in which a character’s unique fighting style is
free. These Special Moves must include the
defined.
Throw Element. Any additional Throws must
be acquired as regular Special Moves.
In game terms, all Basic Moves are considered L1
moves and thus can always be used, no matter what
the Fighter rolls for Control in combat. A Basic Move
always does 1d4 damage, modified as usual by the
attacker’s Strength and the defender’s Stamina.

78
 4
costs a number of Move Points to purchase equal to
Basic Taunts its level. Thus, a Level 4 (L4) Special Move costs 4
Move Points. The one exception is L2 moves, which
Many fighting games allow all characters to cost 3 Move Points rather than 2 Move Points. Thus,
taunt their opponents in combat. If the L2 and L3 moves cost the same, though an L3 move
Director wants to include this option, the has an additional Element, while an L2 move only
following rules apply. Some characters build requires Control 2 to use in combat.
more impressive taunts as Special Moves, or
even Super Moves. However, the following
rules are for basic, insult-dishing, trash-talking
taunts or gratuitous displays of attitude.

A Taunt is considered to be a Basic Move, and

therefore requires only Control 1 to perform.
Provided that the character gets to act before
his opponent, he will immediately gain 1d4
Glory. A Basic Taunt cannot be put into a
Combo. A Taunt can only earn Glory once
during a combat. A Fighter can gain Glory for
Taunting a Thug group.

Special Moves
The power, complexity, and flexibility of a Special
Move are determined by the Level of the Special
Move. The vast majority of Special Moves are Level
2 through Level 5. There are no Level 1 Special
Moves; a Level 1 move is a Basic Move. Special
Moves of Level 6 or higher are permissible, though
uncommon in the source material. A move’s Level is
abbreviated “L.” For example, a Level 3 Special
Move is referred to as an L3 move.

The Level of a Special Move determines the number

of Elements that are used to make up the details of
the move, as well as the Control roll necessary to use
the move in combat.

A Fighter acquires Special Moves through the

expenditure of Move Points. Each Special Move

79
 4
Move Levels and Controller Motions
The philosophy behind Move Levels is based on a system of evaluating the standard controller motions
used in fighting games. Basically, the number of controller directions required plus the number of
buttons pressed should equal the Special Move’s level. The one important exception to this is that any
“quarter sweep” motion (e.g., down, down-forward, forward – the classic “fireball” motion) counts as
only two directions rather than three because the rolling motion is easy to perform. This likewise
applies to a “half sweep,” which is two quarter sweep motions and thus is reckoned as four directional
presses rather than five.

Using this formula, a standard fireball (down, down-forward, forward with a button press) is an L3
move. The standard “dragon punch” motion (forward, down, down-forward with a button press) is an
L4 move. A typical “command move” (one direction and a button press) is an L2 move. A 360-degree
controller motion with a button press is an L9 move (though many “360 degree” moves can actually be
performed with only 270 degrees of motion, thus making them perhaps only L7 moves). This means
that the vast majority of Special Moves should be L3-5, while most Command Moves (almost by
definition) are L2. Special Moves that simply require repetitive button pushes of the same kind would
be considered L2 or perhaps L3, depending on how slowly the move begins in the game. Special
Moves of L6-8 are rare according to these guidelines, except in the case of attacks that require
multiple button presses at the same time (as is the case in some Super Move systems) or unusual
directional combinations. Using these guidelines, it becomes much easier to translate an existing
fighting game character’s Special Moves into Fight! Special Moves.

Building Special Moves number of Elements equal to its Level + 1. For

example, an L3 Special Move is built with four
Special Moves are constructed from a base Elements. A Move can be constructed with
template modified by Elements and Liabilities. Liabilities to allow additional Elements. Each
Elements enhance the power of a Special Move or Liability allows an additional Element to be added to
allow it to be used in additional ways in combat. the Special Move. One is not required to use all the
Liabilities limit the power or flexibility of a move. available Elements when building a move.
Special Moves have a base Accuracy modifier of +0
and do 1d6 damage, modified by the attacker’s When designing Special Moves, not every effect of a
Strength and the defender’s Stamina. Elements move needs to be defined by Elements and
and Liabilities can increase or decrease a Special Liabilities. This is especially so when attempting to
Move’s base Accuracy and damage. interpret a specific Special Move from an existing
video game series. There may simply not be enough
When building a Special Move, a move is allowed a Elements available to build the move perfectly. In
this case, the move should be designed with
attention paid to its most important characteristics,
those that principally define the move’s role in the

80
 4
overall repertoire of the character. If an undefined to highlight different uses of a Special Move when
Element should become critical during a fight, there are not enough Elements available to build it
especially for dramatic or narrative purpose, the completely as a single move. For example, a
Director can adjudicate the situation as necessary. character possesses a high-damage punch meant to
be used on opponents as they jump towards the
Once a move is designed, it cannot be modified character. However, to get the extraordinary
later. However, characters receive enough points to damage he wants, the player doesn’t have enough
spend on Special Moves as they advance in Power Elements to also include the Anti-Air Element. So
Levels that a character could re-design the same he builds two versions of the same move: one with
Special Move as a new move, and then just choose very high damage and the other with slightly less
to ignore the original move. Designing multiple damage and the Anti-Air Element. From the
versions of the same Special Move can also be a way perspective of the character, he has only one move,
not two; however, the two different sets of game
effects highlight different ways to use
the move. The fact that the Anti-Air
version does slightly less damage is
accepted as a minor side effect of
allowing the move to have more
flexibility. A player cannot have two or
more versions of a Special Move that are
exactly alike.
The Director can
disallow any Liability
or Element on a
particular move. It is
not too difficult to
assign a Liability to a
Special Move that
makes the move
stronger in most
cases, with a single
negative exception
that will rarely come
into play based on
the character’s other
moves and general
play style. Likewise,
certain Elements
may prove to be too

81
 4
powerful when
combined with Move Elements
o t h e r
Elements. Aerial Knockback Advance
Finally, some Always Does Damage Mobile: Full movement after attack
Elements may Anti-Air Mobile: Increased movement
a f f e c t Area Effect (2 or 4) - Only 2 Ranges (0)
conditions that Bounce - Moves Low
only apply if Charge Back Mobile: Movement before or after attack
c e r t a i n Counter Pass Through
campaign - Counter only (0) Position Shift
options are in Critical Hit Power Up: Extra Control
place, and are Easy to Combo Power Up: Life Bar
therefore not Evade Ranged Priority
appropriate in Explosive (3 or 5) Ranged (2)
all games. - Reduced damage (2) - Accuracy for Damage
Fast Recovery - Draw Closer
Once the Hard to Evade (1-2) - No Ranged Response
design of a Harry - Short Range
Special Move is Hits Low - Very Fast
finished, it Increased Accuracy (3-6) - Very Slow
should be given Increased Damage (1-6) Reach
an evocative Increased Glory (1+) Reversal
name, which Increased Knockback Subtle
may or may Increased Stun Teleportation (2)
not have Interrupt - End in mid-air
anything to do Interrupt only (0) Temporary Invulnerability (3)
directly with Invincible Interrupt Temporary Technique (1+)
the move’s Juggle Throw (2 or 0)
purpose or - Launcher - Carrying Grapple
description. It - Spinning Juggle - Hurl
may be as Ki and Strength - Sustained Hold (2)
simple and Knocks Down (2) Unblockable
descriptive as - Only at the end of a Combo (1)
“Rising Flaming
Uppercut” or as
enigmatic as “Violet Swan Strike of Liberating some effort should be spent to make them as
Moonlight.” Characters often shout the name of memorable as possible. Hundreds of examples for
their Special Moves as they use them in combat, so inspiration can be found in fighting games.

The following lists contain all the basic Elements,

82
 4
Liabilities, and Exotic Elements that can be used in the
construction of Special and Super Moves. Additional
options and modifier Elements and Liabilities are also
included. A number in parentheses indicates the
Element or Liability in question counts as more or less
than one Element or Liability. See the descriptions
below for detailed information.

Move Liabilities
Behind Opponent
Cross-Up
Decreased Accuracy (1-3)
Decreased Damage
Limited Damage: Knock Back Only
Limited Damage: Stun Only
Limited Move
Limited Movement: Movement away
only
Limited Movement: Must move forward
1 Range
Limited Movement: No movement
before attacking
Limited Use (2)
- Can Reload (1)
Negative Positioning
No Combo
No Damage (2)
No Super Energy
Non-Finisher
Only When Prone (2)
Random Element
Range 0
Self-Damage: Damages Attacker (2)
Self-Damage: Stuns Attacker (2)
Self-Prone
Slow Recovery
Super Energy (2)

83
 4
Exotic Move Elements Exotic Move Liabilities

Absorbs Attacks Move Sub-Set

- Absorb All Attacks Multi-Part Move: Multi-Part Attack
- Absorb and Use Ranged Multi-Part Move: Multi-Part Throw
- Transform Energy Prop
Bomb - Recover Prop with Special Move
- Moveable Bomb Random Move
- No Range
- Short Timer
Borrow Identity
Copies Moves Additional Elements for
Entangle (2) Super Moves Only
Fake (2+)
Flight (2) Breakthrough (1-4)
Free Movement (2) Decreased Super Energy Cost
Gradual Effect
Extended Duration
- Delayed Onset
Healing (2-3) Increased Accuracy (3-9)
- Heal others Increased Damage (1-8)
- Only heal others Infinite Supers (5)
Illusionary Doubles Invincibility (1-4)
- Defensive Illusion (2) Unique Super Move
- Offensive Illusion (1+)
Invisibility
- Maintain Effect
Power Enhancer (1+)
Additional Liabilities for
- Delayed Onset Super Moves Only
Reflection
Style Change Increased Super Energy Cost (1-3)
Super Move Enhancer (2) Limited Choice
- Not Stunned (2)
Suppression: Suppress Special Moves (2)
- Suppress Super Moves
Suppression: Suppress movement
Suppression: Suppress Special Moves and
movement (5)
- Suppress Super Moves
Taunt
- Modify Super Energy
- Element Addition

84
 4
Weapons attacker’s Strength and the defender’s Stamina.
This Liability cannot be taken on a move with the No
A player might be looking for the list of weapons Damage Liability, and a move cannot have both
so he can compare the relative merits of arming Decreased Damage and Increased Damage.
his character with either a katana or a naginata.
But there is no list of weapons. The reason for Standard Elements
this is twofold. The first reason is that Fight!
tends to concentrate on unarmed martial arts. Two of the most common and universally useful
The second reason is that weapons in Fight! Elements for a Special Move are Increased Accuracy
possess no characteristics to distinguish their use and Increased Damage.
in combat from the capabilities of an unarmed
combatant. Thus, if a character wields a katana Increased Accuracy: Up to six Elements can be
in combat, the descriptions of his Basic Moves spent on Increased Accuracy. Each three such
and Special Moves will include the sword, but the Elements adds +1 to the move’s Accuracy. A move’s
game effects will be no different from the moves Accuracy bonus is often a representation of how fast
of an unarmed character. This preserves game the move is to execute. A Special Move with a fast
balance and also accurately represents the execution speed lessens the amount of time the
source material. However, in many games, a defender has to respond.
weapon provides better reach or damage, which
make the Reach Element and the Increased Increased Damage: Up to six Elements can be spent
Damage Element appropriate choices for a on Increased Damage, which increases the base
weapon user’s Special Moves. damage of a Special Move beyond 1d6. This new
base damage is then modified by the attacker’s
Strength and the defender’s Stamina as usual.
Standard Liabilities
One Element increases the base damage to 1d6+
Two of the most common Liabilities for a Special 1.
Move are Decreased Accuracy and Decreased Two Elements increases the base damage to 1d8.
Damage. Three Elements increases the base damage to
1d8+1.
Decreased Accuracy: Up to three Liabilities can be Four Elements increases the base damage to
taken on Decreased Accuracy. Each such Liability 1d10.
subtracts 1 from the move’s Accuracy. This Liability Five Elements increases the base damage to
cannot be applied to a Special Move that does not 1d10+1.
attack an opponent, though it can be applied to a Six Elements increases the base damage to 1d12.
Special Move that attacks an opponent but does no
damage.

Decreased Damage: One Liability can be taken on

Decreased Damage. This decreases the base
damage to 1d4 before being modified by the

85
 4
Special Move Liabilities other existing Liabilities. Some examples might be
an attack that can only hit an opponent at Range 1,
Each of these Liabilities earns one extra Element but not Range 0 or Range 2, or an attack that is Hard
with which to construct a Special Move. to Evade, but only against opponents with the Tall
Quality. Limitations that will rarely come into play
Behind Opponent Liability: In order to use this or that have little real effect on combat should not
move, the combatant must move forward to Range count as a Liability. This Liability is subject to abuse
0 and then continue to move “through” his and therefore should be restricted by the Director as
opponent to Range 1 on the other side. The necessary.
combatant can then use this move at any time up
until either combatant moves or is moved again Limited Movement Liability: This move permits
(including movement from Knock Back). only limited movement in some way. The specific
Alternatively, an attacker using a move with this effects must be defined when the move is designed
Liability can use movement and a Maneuver Check and cannot be changed later. It could be any one of
towards a Distance of 1 as a special way to the following: either 1) the move does not allow any
maneuver behind the opponent. If the Maneuver movement before attacking, or 2) the move only
Check is successful, the character can use a move allows movement away from one’s opponent, not
with this Liability until one of the combatants moves towards, or 3) the move always requires forward
or is moved. movement of at least one Range before attacking.

Cross-Up Liability: This move can only be used if it Negative Positioning Liability: When this move is
is used in a Cross-Up situation. Otherwise, it used, the opponent can Maneuver the attacker 1
automatically misses. Distance for free. Alternatively, the attacker simply
receives a one die penalty on his Initiative roll on the
Limited Damage Liability: This move does not do following turn. This Liability often represents an
normal damage. This Liability can be used for attack that turns the attacker away from his
various kinds of Special Moves such as a healing opponent immediately after using it.
move. The specific effects must be defined when
the move is designed and cannot be changed later. No Combo Liability: This move cannot be placed at
Either 1) the move may do Knock Back only, or 2) the beginning, middle, or end of a Combo in any
the move may do only Stun Damage. In this latter circumstances. The Director may choose to disallow
case, the attacker rolls damage normally and applies this Liability.
it to the opponent’s Stun Threshold, but the
opponent loses no Life Bar. No Super Energy Liability: This move does not
produce any Super Energy when it is used. This
Limited Move Liability: This is a catchall Liability to Liability is only available in campaigns that allow
represent any minor Liability not otherwise covered Super Moves and in which Super Energy is built up
here. It is up to the Director to determine the by the use of Special Moves. It is also only allowed
specific effects, but they should be comparable to on moves acquired at Power Level 3 or later.

Non-Finisher Liability: This move, while capable of

86
 4
damaging an opponent, cannot defeat an opponent. times in a single combat, but using one’s action for
If the attack would bring the opponent below 1 Life the turn to reload rather than to attack allows
Bar, his Life Bar remains at 1. another three uses. This alternative Liability is only
worth one extra Element, not two.
Random Element Liability: This Liability must be
attached to another specific Element of this Special No Damage Liability: This move earns Glory the
Move. When the move is used, the Element may or first time it is used in a combat, but it otherwise has
may not work. The attacker rolls a die; on an even no other immediate offensive application. It does
number, it works. Otherwise, it does not. If that no damage, no Stun damage, and causes no Knock
would somehow make the move or attack Back. This Liability can be used for various unusual
impossible, the action is lost. kinds of special moves such as a self-healing move.
If a Special Move built with this Liability ends up
Range 0 Liability: This attack can only be used with unused Elements and the move is the first
when at Range 0. However, the attack still receives move of a Move Sub-Set or Multi-Part Move (see
a +1 bonus to Accuracy. below), then a follow-up move in a Combo does full
damage, not half damage as usual.
Self-Prone Liability: After this move is used,
whether the attack succeeds or not, the attacker is Only When Prone Liability: This move can only be
Knocked Down and must use his action on the used after the combatant has been Knocked Down.
following turn to stand up. This move modifies the normal Knock Down
procedure. Instead of losing an action, this move
Slow Recovery Liability: After this move is can be done instead. However, this move has a –1
completed, there is a pause before the Fighter is Accuracy. The move cannot be used in any other
able to continue with his next action. If this move circumstance and the combatant still needs to use
misses, the attacker suffers a one die size penalty on an action to stand up afterwards.
Initiative on the following turn.
Self-Damage Liability: When this move is used,
regardless of whether or not it hits, the move’s base
Major Special Move Liabilities damage (unmodified by Strength or Stamina) is also
rolled against the attacker. Alternatively, the move
Each of the following Liabilities earns two extra may do no damage to the attacker, but instead
Elements with which to construct a Special Move. automatically Stun the attacker after the attack.

Limited Use Liability: This move can only be used 5 Super Energy Liability: This move requires 10 Super
times in a single combat. At the Director’s Energy to use, but it is not a Super Move. This
discretion, this may be limited to only 5 times per Liability is only available in campaigns that allow
day total. It may represent the limited ammo of a Super Moves and only on moves acquired at Power
gun or crossbow, or limited reserves of personal
Level 3 or later.
energy to power the attack.

As an alternative, the attack may only be used three

87
 4
Special Move Elements the move.

Aerial Element: This move involves the Fighter

Most of these Elements count as a single Element
leaping high into the air before attacking or as part
towards the total allowed Elements of a Special
of the attack. It is often combined with the version
Move. However, some of these Elements count as
of the Mobile Element that allows 2 Ranges of
two or even three Elements.
movement before attacking, though this is not a
prerequisite. If a move with this Element is used and
Some Elements are modifiers for other Elements
the attacker is interrupted by an opponent who had
and can only be taken if the move has the base
held their Initiative, the attacker receives a +2 bonus
Element in question. On the other hand, some
on his Defense Total if he chooses to use the Evasion
modifier Elements are actually Liabilities and
Skill to avoid the attack.
instead earn an extra Element with which to build

88
 4
Special rules apply if a move with this Element is Always Does Damage Element: Even if this move
used and the defender chooses to use any Defensive misses, the defender loses 3 FS. If the defender is
Response other than the Anti-Air/Juggle Response. unable or unwilling to lose a full 3 FS, he loses 1 LB
If the attacker using the Special Move with the Aerial instead. This is an uncommon Element in the source
Element misses, he can use his full Evasion Skill material, but it can be used to create a Special Move
against the defender’s attack, rather than half his that is so strong that it crashes through an
Defense Skill as normal. opponent’s defenses.

Anti-Air Element: This move is

intended to specifically counter
attack as a combatant jumps
toward the attacker. The move
allows the Anti-Air Response
Defensive Response.

Area Effect Element: This Element

counts as two Elements. This
move affects all opponents
immediately surrounding the
attacker. All characters (friend or
foe) standing at Range 0 or 1 (but
not Range 2) from the attacker are
attacked by this attack
simultaneously. Separate attack
rolls are made against each target
and FS must be spent to modify
each individually as desired. Each
target can choose their own
defensive option against the
attack, and the user of the attack
can be subject to multiple
Defensive Responses. In this case,
all effects of these Responses (e.g.,
Knock Back, Knock Down) are put
into effect after all attack rolls
have been made. Damage from
this move is –1 against other
Fighter-level opponents (minimum
1), but it has full effect on Thugs. If

89
 4
the Special Move also has the Ranged Element, this Defense and, if the opponent’s attack misses, the
Element counts as four Elements. defending character can then attack with a Special
Move that has this Element. In either of these cases,
Bounce Element: This move forces the opponent to however, the character does not get an Initiative or
the ground with such ferocity that he bounces back Control bonus, as is usually the case with Full
into the air, giving the attacker an opportunity to Defense. The Director may require that a character
juggle the opponent in the air for more damage. must have most or all of his Special Moves with the
Taking this Element also requires the Knock Down Charge Back Element, or else none may be. This
Element. If the attack hits, the attacker must make would be consistent with the source material.
a Tactics skill check against DL 8. If he succeeds, he
juggles the opponent for +3 damage and +2 Glory. Counter Element: This move is specially designed
This move can be put into a Combo, even though to block an opponent’s attack while launching an
Special Moves with the Knocks Down Element immediate counterattack. This move allows the
normally can only be put at the end of a Combo. defender to use the Counter Response Defensive
However, if the Tactics skill check fails, the Combo Response, though the move can also be used
automatically misses. normally. There is one optional Liability and one
optional Element that can modify this Element.
Charge Back Element: This move is prepared by
doing a “charge back” or “charge down” movement. The cost of this Element is balanced by a Liability if
Many fighting games have characters whose Special the move can only be used as a Defensive Response
Moves are dependent on first holding the joystick and not as a regular attack. For the cost of two
away from the opponent or down for a few seconds additional Elements, a Special Move with the
before attacking. The result in these games is to Counter Element can be made into an Invincible
have a more defensive character who often retreats Counter. In this case, the Defense Total for the
and blocks more frequently. If the combatant has Counter receives the Fighter’s Total Defense bonus,
Initiative and wants to use a Special Move with this and if the Counter attack hits, it receives the benefit
Element, he must do one of the following: 1) Retreat of the Increased Knockback Element.
1 Range before attacking; 2) The combatant must
have successfully defended against the last attack Critical Hit Element: This move occasionally hits
made against him using his combined Defense and opponents in such a way to create a brief opening to
Evasion Skills; or 3) Roll Control 2 points higher than press the offensive. If the damage rolled is an even
normally necessary for the Special Move. number, the attacker receives a two die size increase
to either Initiative or Control next turn, determined
The advantage of the Charge Back Element is that if before they are rolled. Unlike the typical use of the
the character Holds his Initiative, he is considered to term in other role-playing games, there is no other
be on Full Defense (using the Defense Skill, not the mechanical definition of a “critical hit” for this
Evasion Skill), even though he may attack later in Element.
the same turn. If the Fighter fails to obtain
Initiative, the character can choose to be on Full Easy to Combo Element: This move is well suited
for use in Combos. When this Special Move is
included in a Combo, the Control cost of the Combo

90
 4
is reduced by one. This effect is cumulative if low simultaneously, or an attack that swings in a
multiple moves with this Element are put into the wide arc vertically or horizontally. For a Special
same Combo. Move with the Ranged Element, it may strike from
an unusual angle, such as diagonally up, straight up
Evade Ranged Element: This move is particularly from the ground, straight down from the sky, as a
effective against attacks with the Ranged Element. wide beam, or some combination of these. Perhaps
For example, the move may pass through the attack the Ranged attack can even be re-directed once it is
or it may slide under it. This move can be used for launched.
the Evade Ranged Defense Response.
Regardless of how the move is defined, the effect is
Explosive Element: This fairly uncommon Element to give a +1 Accuracy against an Evading opponent.
counts as three Elements. This move affects all Two Elements can be spent on this Element to make
opponents within a short distance from the attacker. it a +2 Accuracy for particularly difficult to Evade
All characters (friend or foe) standing at Range 0-3 attacks. In the case of Special Moves with the
from the attacker are attacked by this attack Ranged Element, this could apply to arcing beam
simultaneously. Separate attack rolls are made attacks, prolonged beam attacks, or homing attacks
against each opponent and FS must be spent to that are incredibly difficult to avoid.
modify each individually. Damage from this move is
–2 against other Fighter-level opponents (minimum Harry Element: This move harries or confuses the
1), but it has full effect on Thugs. As a Liability opponent in some way, such as hitting him and
(reducing the cost for the Explosive Element to two turning him away from the attacker with the force of
Elements), the damage from this attack can be the blow. The defender suffers a one die size
further reduced by 1 for each Range step away from penalty on his next Initiative or Control roll (this is
the target (e.g., a target at Range 3 would suffer –3 the defender’s choice, made before the rolls on the
damage, or –5 if the target was a Fighter). If the following turn).
Special Move also has the Ranged Element, this
Element counts as five Elements. Hits Low Element: This move hits the opponent
low, requiring a crouching block to successfully
Fast Recovery Element: This move is easy to defend or else a jump to leap over the attack. This
recover from or can be cancelled out of, making it attack receives a +1 Accuracy when the opponent
easier to progress into the next attack, or the move defends with the Defense Skill, but a -1 Accuracy
improves the position of the attacker in relation to when the opponent uses the Evasion Skill. It has no
his opponents. If this move hits, the attacker gets a effect against the Tactics Skill. If the defender
one die size increase on the following turn that can combines Defense and Evasion, there is no modifier
be applied to either Initiative or Control. to Accuracy.

Hard to Evade Element: This move has some Increased Glory Element: This move is either
characteristic that makes it difficult to Evade. For a especially flashy or, more commonly in the source
normal Special Move, it may be a mid-striking or material, this move hits multiple times but counts as
overhead move that hits crouching opponents more
easily, a move that hits an opponent both high and

91
 4
a single move. For example, some Special Moves Tactics roll for the Interrupt receives a +2 bonus.
may hit a dozen times, but only do damage once.
This is actually a common Element in the source Juggle Element: This move knocks the opponent
material. Each Element spent on this Element high into the air, thus increasing the possibility of
increases the move’s Glory award by 2. stringing together a longer Combo against the
opponent before he hits the ground. If this move
Increased Knockback Element: If this move hits, it begins a Combo, it does +2 damage and the Combo
knocks the defender back 2 Ranges, rather than just is worth +1 Glory. Taking this Element requires the
one. Knock Down Element as a prerequisite; however,
this Element is an exception to the normal rule that
Increased Stun Element: This move hits with such a move that Knocks Down cannot begin a Combo;
force that its effective damage for the purposes of instead, the Knock Down effect is delayed until the
application against an opponent’s Stun Threshold is end of the Combo. If a Combo begins with a move
increased by 2. Thus, an attack that does 4 Life Bar with the Juggle Element, another move with this
damage would count as 6 points of damage when Element can be placed later in the same Combo and
compared against the opponent’s Stun Threshold to still receive the damage bonus. The Juggle Element
determine whether or not the opponent is Stunned. can also be further modified by either of the
following modifier Elements.
Interrupt Element: This move can be used to
Interrupt another combatant’s attacks with the Launcher Element: This Element launches the
Interrupt Defensive Response. Such moves are opponent even higher into the air, allowing even
usually designed as counter attacks, but with a more hits, changing the +2 damage of the
different tactical requirement than the Counter Juggle Element to +4 damage instead. However,
Element. This Element can also be used to Launchers cannot be used too quickly in
represent a static field of some sort that will damage succession. A DL 10 Tactics skill check is
any opponent who accidentally or deliberately necessary in order to use two Launchers in the
touches it. Examples of this would be a burning ki same Combo. Failing this roll means the Combo
field or a twirling weapon. The character sets it off automatically misses.
as an opponent approaches. However, this Element
does not need to specifically “represent” anything – Spinning Juggle Element: This Element can
it may be applied to any Special Move that the only be applied to a move with the Launcher
character has learned to use as a fast response to an Element. Because this attack also spins the
opponent’s attack. opponent around uncontrollably while they are
juggled in the air, no Breakfall is possible, if
The cost of this Element is balanced out by a those optional rules are in use in the campaign.
Liability if the move can only be used as a Defensive
Response and not as a regular attack. For the cost Ki and Strength Element: This move uses Ki effects
of an additional Element, this Special Move can be in conjunction with normal physical moves, such as a
made into an Invincible Interrupt. In this case, the powerful punch that also involves the attacker’s fist
bursting into flames. Many times, this is merely the
special effect of the move and does not require this

92
 4
Element. If it is mechanically relevant to how this Move. Optionally, this move can allow 3 Ranges of
move is used in the character’s repertoire of moves, movement without attacking, but not if this
then this Element can be applied. The base damage movement would bring the Range to 0. This third
is calculated from the character’s Ki score (see option is a very common Element in fighting video
Ranged Element) and then Strength modifies games.
damage as usual.
The cost of the first option is balanced out by a
Knock Down Element: This extremely common Liability if the character must move after attacking.
move Element counts as two Elements. If this move The cost of the third option is balanced out by a
hits, the opponent also suffers a Knock Down in Liability if the move allows 2 Ranges of movement
addition to Knock Back, damage, and Stun Damage. before attacking (or 3 Ranges without attacking),
but which cannot move only 1 Range. There is also
If the move only causes Knock Down when it is the one modifier Element for this third option.
last move of a Combo, this is a Liability, reducing the
Element cost to one. Moves Low Element: The movement forward
occurs at crouching height, making it possible
Knockback Advance Element: This move allows the that attacks will pass over the attacker’s head. If
attacker to optionally advance after Knock Back, the attacker is interrupted by a character who
moving forward up to the same number of Ranges has held their Initiative or the attacker needs to
as the opponent was Knocked Back, if so desired. If defend himself against a Defensive Response,
the opponent was Knocked Back towards an he receives a +2 bonus to Defense Total if using
Environmental Hazard, the attacker must also move Evasion or a +1 bonus to Defense Total if
towards the Hazard if he chooses to use this defending against a Defensive Response.
Element.
Pass Through Element: This move allows 2 Ranges
Mobile Element: This Element covers a number of of movement without any cost in FS, but it can only
options that apply to movement that occurs during be used if that movement would bring the Range to
the execution of a Special Move. The specific effects exactly 0 or pass through the opponent to Range 1
of this Element must be defined when the move is or 2 on the other side.
designed and cannot be changed later. One of the
following options can be chosen: 1) The move allows Position Shift Element: This move allows the
full normal movement after attacking; however, the attacker to shift to one side as he attacks, to shift
attacker cannot move before attacking; 2) The move the defender to one side if the attack hits, or to
allows only 1 Range of movement before attacking cause the combatants to switch positions. While
(as usual), but this movement can be used before or this does not change the Range between the
after the attack takes place; 3) The move travels combatants, the attacker can move the defender 1
quickly, either because of fast ground-based Distance towards an Environmental Hazard if the
movement or because it is a special form of jumping attack hits. This effect is in addition to normal
or aerial attack (also see the Aerial Element). This Knock Back.
Special Move allows 2 Ranges of movement before
attacking for a cost of 1 FS, just like a jumping Basic

93
 4
Power Up Element: This move does more damage Ranged Element: This move can be used at
when first powered up. There are two versions of significant range from an opponent. This Element
this Element; the specific option must be chosen counts as two Elements when applied to a Special
when the Special Move is designed and cannot be Move. The classic stereotype of a Special Move with
changed later. Regardless of which option is being the Ranged Element is the ki blast or fireball, though
used, all the decisions about the use of the Power Up this might also be an energy beam, a thrown knife or
Element must be made before an attack roll is grenade, a magical or supernatural effect, some
made. form of shockwave along the ground, or however
else the designer of the move wishes to define it. A
The first option for this Element allows a Special move with the Ranged Element can hit a target
Move to do +1 damage per +1 Control required by without penalty at any Range from 0 to 4 (and still
the move. For example, a Fighter wants to use his receives a +1 Accuracy at Range 0). Normally, such
L3 Special Move with the Power Up Element. On an attack can still not hit an opponent at Range 5,
this turn, he has rolled Control 5. Thus, he could but this is left to the Director’s discretion. It should
choose to use the move with no modifier and get a + be permitted if two characters are both capable of
1 Accuracy bonus for having more Control than attacking their opponent at that range (though
needed for his chosen move (see the Combat adjudicating this goes beyond the normal combat
chapter) or he could treat this move as requiring 2 rules).
more Control and thus do +2 damage. He could also
treat it as requiring one more Control, gaining both Unlike all other Special Moves, the damage for a
+1 damage for the Power Up Element and +1 Special Move with the Ranged Element is based
Accuracy for still using a move requiring less Control solely on the character’s Ki skill and is not modified
than the amount rolled for the turn. The maximum by Strength.
Control allowed for extra damage is equal to twice If the character has a Ki skill of 1-3, the base damage
the move’s normal level. Thus, an L3 move could do of the Special Move is 1d4.
up to +3 damage for 6 Control. If the character has a Ki skill of 4-7, the base damage
of the Special Move is 1d6.
The second option for this Element allows the move If the character has a Ki skill of 8-9, the base damage
to require one Control more than usual, but it then of the Special Move is 1d8.
does +1 damage per 1 Life Bar spent. The maximum If the character has a Ki skill of 10, the base damage
Life Bar that can be spent for extra damage is equal of the Special Move is 1d10.
to the character’s Power Level. For example, a PL 4
combatant could spend 4 Life Bar to gain +4 There are a significant number of additional
damage on the attack. Elements and Liabilities that can be applied to
Special Moves with the Ranged Element.
Priority Element: This move is executed quickly and
connects first even in near-simultaneous attack Accuracy for Damage Element: The move can
situations. This move breaks ties in the case of be powered up to trade accuracy and range for
simultaneous Initiative. It can also be used for the additional power. Before an attack is made, for
Priority Defense Response. each 1 Range reduction from the normal
maximum Range of 4, as well as an additional –
1 Accuracy, the attack gains +2 damage. Thus,

94
 4
for an attack from Range 2, the attacker could opponent closer as many Ranges as would
choose to reduce max range by 2 (to Range 2) normally have been done by Knock Back,
and take an additional –2 to hit to add +4 though no closer than Range 0 (i.e., the attack
damage. won’t draw a close opponent through the
attacker’s Range to the other side). The
Draw Closer Element: The move physically Increased Knock Back Element can be further
draws the target closer to the attacker. For applied to this Element, instead increasing the
example, it could be a tractor beam or dragging Ranges that the opponent is drawn closer.
an opponent closer after impaling him. Instead
of doing Knock Back, this move draws the No Ranged Response Element: The move
cannot be prevented with the Ranged
Response Defensive Response.

Short Range Liability: The move is ranged, but

doesn’t have particularly long range. The

95
 4
move can be used at Ranges 0-3, rather than 0-4. however, he is still considered to be standing, but
he suffers a two die size penalty on Initiative on the
Very Fast Element: The attack form of the move following turn (instead of the usual one die size
(e.g., the bolt of energy, fireball, thrown knife, penalty).
etc.) travels very quickly. At Ranges 0-2 only, the
speed of this move provides an additional +1 bonus If the Fighter is Knocked Down and he has already
to Accuracy. acted this turn, he rolls for Initiative normally on the
following turn. If he gets Initiative and has enough
Very Slow Liability: The attack form of the move Control to use a move with the Reversal Element,
(e.g., the bolt of energy, fireball, thrown knife, he can use this move to attack at the same time as
etc.) travels very slowly. At Ranges 3 or greater, he stands up. In this case, there is no penalty to
the speed of this move provides a –1 Accuracy Accuracy. If he does not get Initiative but still rolls
penalty. enough Control to perform the move with the
Reversal Element, he can use the Reversal Response
Reach Element: This move can be used further away Defensive Response if he is attacked right after he
than most moves, though not as far as a move with stands up when his turn to act comes up.
the Ranged Element. The move might represent
stretching limbs, an overextended fighting style, Subtle Element: This move has some characteristic
tentacles, or a whip. A move with the Reach Element that makes it difficult for opponents to use Tactics
can hit a target without penalty at any Range from 0 against it. In a video game, this usually means that
to 2 (and still receives a +1 Accuracy at Range 0). the move has a very subtle starting animation
Furthermore, the attack can hit at Range 3 with a –2 before the attack is launched or the attack is
Accuracy. extremely fast and hard to predict. Regardless of
how the move is defined, the effect is to give a +1
Reversal Element: If the Fighter possesses a move Accuracy against an opponent using Tactics.
with this Element and is Knocked Down, he can
attempt to perform a Reversal. How this Element is Teleportation Element: This Element counts as
used depends on when the combatant is Knocked two Elements. This Element includes the benefit of
Down. one of the options covered by the Mobile Element,
allowing movement of 2 Ranges before attacking,
If the Fighter is Knocked Down and has not yet acted though instead with no FS cost. The movement
this turn, he can attempt to perform the move with associated with this move is teleportation, and as
the Reversal Element instead of just standing up on such, can pass through intervening obstacles
this turn. He must have enough Control to use the outside of combat. It would also include turning
move (the normal rules for Hit Stun do not apply in into shadow or sinking into earth and coming up
this case) and he must be within Range. The attack again in another place.
has a -2 Accuracy penalty. If it hits, the combatant is
considered to be standing and he does not suffer an As an additional Element, the teleportation can end
Initiative penalty on the following turn. If he misses, in mid-air, which adds a +2 bonus to Evasion, but
the defender must choose to move away from the
attacker if the Evasion is successful. This ability also

96
 4
has additional non-combat applications to reach
places otherwise out of reach. A move with this Element only permits movement of
1 Range, and this movement always costs 1 FS.
Temporary Invulnerability Element: This Element Furthermore, an attack with this Element can only
counts as three Elements. This move makes the occur at Range 0, and the Range 0 Liability cannot be
attacker temporarily immune to all attacks. If this applied to the move. All moves with the Throw
attack is interrupted by an opponent with held Element receive the Knock Down Element at no cost
Initiative or an opponent using a Defensive Option, and are also considered to have the Priority Element
or if this move attacks at the same time as the in cases of simultaneous Initiative. However, their
opponent’s due to simultaneous Initiative, the damage does not count against an opponent’s Stun
attacker using this move automatically takes no Threshold. The Throw Element can also be further
damage, no Knock Back, no Stun damage, no Knock modified by any of the following modifier Elements.
Down, and does not suffer from Hit Stun from the
opponent’s attack. Carrying Grapple Element: If the attacker uses
this Throw at Range 0 without moving first, the
Temporary Technique Element: This unusual attacker may spend 1 FS to continue moving with
Element allows the character to gain temporary use the defender 1 Distance towards an
of a Technique, as if the character possessed the Environmental Hazard. In a fight with multiple
Technique Quality. The Technique is granted for the combatants, the attacker also moves himself and
entire duration of the turn on which this Special his opponent 1 Range.
Move is used and until the end of the Fighter’s action
on the following turn. The specific Technique must Hurl Element: If the attack succeeds, the
be indicated when the move is created. At the defender is not only Knocked Down, but is also
Director’s discretion, if the Technique is very thrown 2 Ranges away from the attacker. This
powerful, this Element may cost two or more replaces normal Knock Back. The attacker can
Elements. The base rules in this rulebook contain make a Tactics check (not a Maneuver Check)
few options for Techniques; future supplements will against DL 8 to hurl an opponent 2 Distances
include more. towards an Environmental Hazard. Unlike a
normal attack with the Throw Element, a move
Throw Element: This Element counts as two with this Element can be used at the beginning of
Elements. It is a very common Element in fighting a Combo or in the middle of a Combo. However,
games. Several special rules apply to Throws. In it can only be followed immediately by a Special
many fighting games, throw moves are unblockable, Move with the Ranged Element. This Ranged
or are at least very difficult to block or avoid. This move then ends the Combo.
situation is also the default rule in Fight! As such, a
move with this Element receives +1 Accuracy. If the Sustained Hold Element: This Element counts
Director instead decides that Throws are blockable in as two Elements and represents a bear hug,
a campaign, moves with this Element do not receive choke hold, or other attack form in which the
a bonus to Accuracy, but this Element itself also does attacker maintains the hold rather than throwing
not count against the total allowed Elements of a
move; it is instead a “free” Element.

97
 4
the opponent to the ground immediately. When Element as prerequisites. This four Element
this attack hits, it does damage and the combined cost gives this move a +4 Accuracy, but
opponent suffers Hit Stun. Regardless of only against Defense (i.e., not against Evasion or
remaining Control, the defender cannot act on Tactics). However, the slow build-up for an
this turn. Unblockable move gives it a -2 Accuracy against
Evasion and Tactics.
On the following turn, when Initiative is rolled,
the attacker with the Sustained Hold increases Examples of Creating Special Moves
his die size for Initiative by two. If the attacker
using the Sustained Hold gets Initiative, a Christine is trying to create a straightforward fireball
second damage roll divided by 2 (round down) is move for her high school ninja character. She
made immediately, and the defender is Knocked describes it as a glowing purple ball of force. She
Down. Initiative then proceeds as normal. If the spends 3 Move Points to create a Level 3 (L3) Special
attacker does not get Initiative or Initiative is Move. As an L3 move, she has 4 Elements with
simultaneous, Initiative still proceeds as normal. which to build the move. She could choose
In this latter case, the Sustained Hold does no Liabilities to increase this allowance, but she
additional damage, but the defender is still chooses not to.
considered Knocked Down and thus must still
use his action for the turn to stand up and the A fireball attack obviously needs the Ranged
attacker is still considered to have used his Element, which counts as two of the four Elements
action for the turn on the Sustained Hold. Christine has to create the move. With the
remaining two Elements, she chooses to increase
In a combat involving multiple combatants, both the move’s damage by one die size. The final move
combatants involved in the Sustained Hold are is L3, +0 Accuracy, Ranged, and, because Christine’s
immune to attacks until the Sustained Hold is character has a Ki skill of 4, has a damage of 1d8.
completed on the second turn.
Wayne wants his heroic Fighter to have a rising
This move can only be put into a Combo as the punch, fist crackling with electrical energy, that
last move of the Combo. The Glory earned from launches his opponent high into the air. He spends 4
a Sustained Hold is tallied with the first damage Move Points to create an L4 Special Move composed
check. If the second damage check does not of 5 Elements.
occur, the move earns 1 less Glory. The
combatant is still considered to have earned Wayne decides to make the move an anti-air move,
Glory for the move for the present combat; if he as well as a move that can begin a juggle. So he
uses it again successfully for both turns, he does chooses the Anti-Air and Juggle Elements. He also
not earn the lost point of Glory back. decides to add the Power Up Element, choosing the
option to exchange Control for damage. To add a
Unblockable Element: This Element requires the distinctive descriptor to the move, Wayne decides
Knock Down Element and the Increased Stun that his Fighter’s fist creates an aura of electricity
like a shield around his fist. He builds this as the
Hard to Evade Element. Finally, he uses the last

98
 4
Element to increase the Special Move’s chooses to increase the Special Move’s damage.
base damage. The final move is L4,
Anti-Air, Juggle, Power Up, Hard to The final move is L4, -1 Accuracy, Limited
Evade, and has a base damage of 1d6+1. Movement, Unblockable, Increased Stun, Knocks
Down, and has a base damage of 1d8+1. Bob’s
Bob decides he wants an over-the-top “Abyssal Reckoning of the 10,000 Hells” is now
Special Move that complete.
draws all the light
from the immediate More examples of Special Moves can be found in
area and transforms Appendix 2.
it into a forward
punch of incredible
destructive force.
Exotic Special Moves
He decides to make
Most Special Moves can be designed with the above
the Special Move only
Elements and Liabilities. However, there are a
L4, costing 4 Move Points
number of more unusual kinds of Special Moves in
and providing 5 Elements
fighting games that are not as easy (or impossible)
with which to work.
to accurately emulate using the normal rules. Some
of these special kinds of Special Moves are
Since Bob wants the
somewhat common, while others are very rare. This
move to be both
section describes exotic kinds of Special Moves and
Unblockable and
describes the cost in Elements necessary to make
damaging, he decides to
use of these rules. Some of these exotic kinds of
take some Liabilities to earn
Special Moves are actually Liabilities, not Elements,
some additional
and thus earn additional Elements for use in the
Elements. He decides the
construction of the move.
move will have –1
Accuracy, earning one
The effects of many of these Elements do not
extra Element, as well as
directly affect an opponent in terms of damage.
the Limited Movement
Any attempt to damage an opponent requires an
Liability, defined as an
attack roll. However, other effects do not require an
inability to move before
attack roll of any kind. Simply doing the move as
attacking. This also earns an extra
one’s action for the turn creates the effect. For
Element, providing a total of 7
example, a Special Move with the Invisibility
Elements.
Element and also built to do no damage does not
need to hit an opponent to create the Invisibility
Bob takes the Unblockable
effect; simply by choosing to do the move, the
Element, which requires the
effect happens. If this example move also did
Increased Stun and Knocks Down
damage, an attack roll would be needed to
Elements. This takes 4 of his
available 7 Elements. For the
three Elements remaining, he

99
 4
determine if an opponent was hit and damaged, but designed and cannot be changed later. The
the Invisibility effect would occur regardless. damage in this case is not modified by Strength
or Stamina. The Director must approve
For effects that last for a specific time count, the transformations into Fighting Spirit, as there are
effect ends at the end of the turn in which the time no examples of this in the source material and it
roll equals or exceeds the duration. may prove to be too powerful in play.

Exotic Special Move Elements Bomb Element: Some Special Moves allow the
character to place a damaging hazard on the
Absorbs Attacks Element: This Special Move, battlefield and then move away from it. These
usually an energy shield of some kind, absorbs the hazards then explode, damaging anyone near them.
power of Ranged attacks launched against the When an attack with the Bomb Element is used, the
character. This move may or may not do damage location of the bomb becomes an Environmental
itself. This Element has the Interrupt Element as a Hazard and the Range the character is away from
prerequisite. In order to absorb an attack, the other combatants at the time becomes the Distance
combatant must use the Interrupt Defensive away from the Hazard. It will explode after a 1d8
Response. If successful, the attack is absorbed and count (rolled when it is first placed) at the beginning
does no damage. There are a couple optional of the following turn before Initiative is rolled. When
Elements available that modify this Element. it explodes, an attack is rolled against anyone within
Distance 2. The attack roll is against the
Absorb All Attacks Element: The Defensive opponents’Defense Skill, and the attacker cannot
Response can be used against any attack, not spend FS on Accuracy. Full damage is rolled against
just Ranged attacks. This counts as two anyone at Distance 0, and half damage is rolled
Elements. against those at Distance 1-2. Damage is not
modified by Strength or Stamina. There are some
Absorb and Use Ranged Element: Beginning on additional Liabilities available for this Element. A
the turn after a Ranged attack was absorbed, the single Liability balances the cost of this Element.
absorbing character can then use the Special More than one Liability actually changes this
Move as if it were his own. It can be held until Element into a Liability instead.
the end of the present combat. It will possess all
of the same characteristics as the original Moveable Bomb Liability: At Distance 0 and
owner’s, including damage. This counts as two before it explodes, it can be moved by any Basic
Elements. Move. It is considered to have a Stamina of 0.
The bomb is moved 1 Distance away from the
Transform Energy Element: Damage for the attacker and towards any character for each 2
absorbed attack is still rolled but it becomes points of “damage” done (round up).
either Super Energy or Fighting Spirit. This
decision must be made when the move is No Range Liability: This Bomb does damage
only at Distance 0.

Short Timer Liability: In this case, the Bomb

100
 4
explodes after a time count of 1d8-4. If the
result is zero, it explodes immediately. Copies Moves Element: Some characters have the
ability to temporarily borrow another character’s
Borrow Identity Element: This is a truly unusual Special Moves. A Special Move with this Element
ability, rare even in fighting games. As such, the does less damage to the opponent, but it also copies
Director may restrict its usage. A Special Move with one of the opponent’s Special Moves. When the
this Element does not just borrow another damage for the attack is rolled, it is translated into
character’s moves; instead, it turns the fighter into Move Points. One Special Move of the attacker’s
another specific Fighter with access to all of the choice is copied, limited by the Move Points rolled.
resources available to that character. The remaining damage is applied as regular
damage. The copied Special Move will remain for a
While transformed, all of the character’s Basic 5-count, starting from the turn of the successful
Qualities, Special Moves, and other Qualities and attack, with a minimum of one full turn. The copied
Weaknesses (at the Director’s discretion) are Move shares the characteristics of its original
replaced by those of the character who he has possessor; it does not use the attacker’s Basic
turned into. This effect lasts for a time count of five. Qualities and skills. Furthermore, the attacker must
The character cannot use this ability outside of lose one of the Special Move’s normal Elements
combat unless he also has the Power Quality or uses (attacker’s choice).
the Magic, Psychic, or Gadgeteering Qualities to do
so. The character keeps his own Life Bar and Entangle Element: This Element counts as two
Fighting Spirit. Elements. This is an attack that inhibits the
opponent in some way. It could represent a net, a
Transforming into each specific Fighter is a separate freezing attack, ice under his feet, or temporary
Special Move. Each can be learned only after facing mind control. In any case, if the opponent has not
the character to be copied in combat for the yet acted this turn, he loses his action for the turn,
duration of a full “round” (i.e., either a 99-count or regardless of Control, and he suffers a one die size
until one of the Fighters is defeated). The Special penalty on Initiative on the following turn. However,
Move must be at least L3. It usually does no damage if the character is hit again before the next turn
on its own. (including by a subsequent move in a Combo that
previously included the attack that produced the
In addition to the Element cost applied to each Entangle effect), the Entangle has no effect.
Borrow Identity Special Move, if a character has
even one Borrow Identity Special Move, every other Fake Element: This Element counts as two or more
Special Move the character possesses also incurs a Elements. Some characters have versions of their
one Element cost of its own. For example, the normal Special Moves that are Fake moves. The
Director is designing a new villain with the power to animation for the Special Move begins, but the
transform into the heroes over the course of the attack never occurs. Instead, the fake move
campaign. Because he has Special Moves with this suddenly ends, freeing the Fighter to act in another
Element, all of his other Special Moves have one less way. The purpose of such a move is to lure the
Element than usual. Thus, the Fighter’s L3 moves
would only have 3 Elements rather than 4.

101
 4
opponent into responding to a specific Special Move character to move freely without concern for other
and then countering the opponent in an combatants’ location or attacks, though it does not
unpredictable way. This Element automatically allow any movement on the turn it is used. This may
includes the No Damage Liability. represent turning insubstantial or (more commonly)
sinking into the ground and reappearing elsewhere.
In order to use this Element, the character must win If this move can only be used more or less
Initiative. He then chooses to use the Special Move instantaneously, i.e., for the duration of a turn
with this Element. This does no damage. However, before re-appearing, it should be built as a
it gives a bonus to the character’s Defense Total for movement-only Special Move with Teleportation
the remainder of the turn when using Tactics. The (even though the special effects of the Move are
bonus is +2, plus an additional +1 per additional two actually different). If the character can move freely
Elements used for this Element. For example, for a longer, then this Element applies. The character is
cost of four Elements, the character would receive a immune to Environmental Hazards and all attacks
+3 bonus on Tactics Defense Totals for the remainder for a 5-count (minimum of one full turn). The
of the turn. character cannot attack during this time and he
cannot speed up the duration of this Move.
Flight Element: This Element counts as two
Elements. This Element means that the character Gradual Effect Element: This Element can be used
has the ability to fly, but only temporarily. If a to create moves that mimic poisonous effects or a
character wishes to be able to fly regularly outside simple version of the mystical Dim Mak technique.
of combat, they must take the Power Quality, or use The rolled damage is divided into three separate
the Magic, Psychic, or Gadgeteering Qualities to do damage totals (round up). The attack does damage
so. Even characters with those Qualities must build equal to one of the three damage totals, plus one
a move with this Element in order to use their power additional point, on each of three successive turns,
in combat. beginning with the attack itself and then at the end
of each of the next two turns after all combatants
By using this Special Move, the character flies for a have acted. The successive instances of damage do
time count duration of five, with a minimum of one not incur Hit Stun. For example, when the original
full turn. While flying, the character gets a +4 to attack hits, the Fighter rolls five points of damage.
Evade attacks. On the other hand, only Special Divided by three, rounding up, and then adding one,
Moves with the Hard to Evade Element or the Aerial the attack will do three points of damage each turn
Element can be used while flying. A Special Move for three turns. One additional modifier Element
with this Element does no damage to the opponent, can be added to this Element.
and the move does not get the benefit of the No
Damage Liability. The character is assumed to land Delayed Onset Element: After the attack hits,
at the beginning of the turn after the time runs out. the character can delay the onset of the damage
(which still takes place over three successive
Free Movement Element: This Element counts as turns). This can be anytime within a 10-count.
two Elements. A move with this Element allows the Activating the damage is an action for the
Fighter who used the Gradual Effect attack.
This activation can also be a part of a Combo; in

102
 4
this case, it counts as an L2 move. If the time This also includes the “ninja-replaced-by-a-log”
expires before the damage begins, the attack is disappearing trick. This move may or may not
lost. Multiple versions of this attack can be in do damage. In order for it to work, the
place at once on multiple targets if so desired, combatant must use the Interrupt Defensive
but this Special Move can only affect a single Response. If successful, the character may
opponent once at a time. If hit again before immediately move 2 Ranges in either direction
damage begins, the 10-count resets. as well as avoid the opponent’s attack as usual,
even if his counterattack (if there is one) misses.
Healing Element: This Element counts as either two
or three Elements, depending on how effective it is. Offensive Illusion Element: This Element
A move with this Element does “damage,” except requires the Interrupt Element as a prerequisite.
this figure is used to determine healing of the Offensive illusions may or may not include an
character’s Life Bar instead. It is acceptable to have attack while creating a number of duplicates,
an attack that also heals the user at the same time. confusing the opponent as to which is the real
In either case, however, damage is not modified by one. For this move to succeed, the combatant
Strength or Stamina. All healing effects occur at the must use the Interrupt Defensive Response with
end of all characters’actions; thus, it is possible to be a bonus of +1 or more to Tactics. If successful,
Knocked Out before healing occurs. If the move the attack occurs. Also, at the beginning of the
restores 1/2 of the damage rolled (round down), this next turn, the character automatically moves as
Element counts as two Elements. If the move many Ranges as permitted by this Special Move
restores all of the damage rolled, this Element at no FS cost. This Element counts as one
counts as three Elements. Element, plus one Element for each +1 bonus to
Tactics and 1 Range of movement permitted.
Moves that heal other characters are not part of the Usually, the number of illusionary duplicates
source material, but this Move may be used on created increases based on the bonus to Tactics
another character as an additional Element if the provided by this Element.
Director allows it. If other characters can be healed,
but the character with this Special Move cannot heal Invisibility Element: This Element counts as two or
himself, this Liability cancels out the extra Element more Elements. This move makes the character
cost to heal others. temporarily invisible (though usually an energy
outline or distortion in the air of some sort gives a
Illusionary Doubles Element: There are two general indication of the character’s location). This
versions of this Element: Defensive and Offensive. Element could also be used for any Special Move
In either case, the Fighter creates one or more that hinders the opponent’s Initiative or Control,
illusionary duplicates to confuse his opponent. making it harder for them to know when or how to
act. When the move is designed, it must be
Defensive Illusion Element: This Element designated as hindering an opponent’s Initiative,
counts as two Elements and requires the Control, or both. This move hinders the opponent
Interrupt Element as a prerequisite. Defensive on the following turn after the Special Move is used.
illusions replace where the character was The base cost for this ability is one Element. Each
standing and often put a hazard in his place.

103
 4
additional Element decreases Initiative or Control by Enhancer, this counts as an additional Element.
one die size. For example, a move that reduced The enhancement can be held indefinitely
Initiative by one die size and Control by two die sizes during the same combat. The default effect
would count as four Elements. This Special Move without this modifier Element is that the Power
may or may not be an attack itself, but the move Enhancer effect is always used immediately
does not need to “hit” to be effective. The effect when the affected Special Move is used next.
only lasts for the following turn. The following
Element can be added as a modifier. Reflection Element: This Element creates a wave
or shield that will send a Ranged attack back at
Maintain Effect Element: With this Element, the attacker if it is successful. The Interrupt
the effect lasts until the character invoking the Element is a prerequisite for this Element. This
effect actually suffers damage. This counts as Special Move may or may not do damage itself.
two additional Elements. This Element will work against any Special Move
with the Ranged Element. In order to reflect a
Power Enhancer Element: This Element is used for Ranged attack, the combatant must use the
a Special Move that does nothing by itself, but Interrupt Defensive Response. If successful, the
which powers up a specific subsequent Special Move projectile reverses and travels back toward the
(defined when this move is designed). This Element opponent. The reflecting character gets an
represents a summoning of additional power or opportunity to attack his opponent as if the
taking specific stances to enhance the power of Ranged attack were his own, using all of the
another move. Performing the Power Enhancer Special Move’s normal attributes. The opponent
itself has no special rules. After this, when the may use the Defense Skill or the Evasion Skill
affected Special Move is used, it gains a die size of against this, but he may not use another
damage for each Power Enhancer move that has Defensive Response, and the appropriate Skill is
been performed before it. This Element costs one halved (round down). Super Moves cannot be
Element for each Special Move affected by the reflected, except by a Super Move with the
Power Enhancer, plus one Element for each time Reflection Element.
over one that the Power Enhancer can be used prior
to using the affected Special Move. For example, if Style Change Element: Some characters have
the Power Enhancer could be and was used three multiple martial arts styles with unique move lists
times in advance of the affected Special Move, the for each style. The character uses a particular non-
affected move would increase three die sizes for damaging Special Move to switch styles, thereby
damage. In this case, if the Power Enhancer accessing his different move lists. A Style Change
affected only one other move, this Element would Special Move must be built for each separate “style”
cost 3 Elements. The following Element can also be the character possesses, and then each style must
added as a modifier. be populated with its own Special Moves. The Style
Change Special Move itself is generally L2 or L3,
Delayed Onset Element: If the character can though it can be any level. Each Style Change
choose when to use the benefits of the Power Special Move is usually the same level, but they do
not have to be. Each must possess the No Damage
Liability. Style Change Special Moves can be

104
 4
included in Combos. Each subsequent Special Move “exits” all of his styles, he has no access to his
in a given “style” receives a number of Liabilities “default” Special Moves. To re-access the default
equal to 1/2 the Level of the Style Change Special moves, he must use the same Style Change Special
Move (round up) + (Total number of Style Change Move for his current style to “exit” the style and
Special Moves-2). The same Special Move can exist return to default moves. A character can always add
in different styles, but it must be built separately as new moves to his “default” style. A character built
a unique move in each style. with Style Change Special Moves at Power Level 1
may not have any moves in a “default” style.
For example, a character with two L3 Style Change
Special Moves would receive two Liabilities on each For example, Genji has his normal brawling style and
Special Move in each individual style. Another his special Void Walker Style, which requires a Style
character with five L2 Style Change Special Moves Change Special Move. When he switches to Void
(which would be pretty unusual) would receive four Walker Style, he loses access to his default brawling
Liabilities on each Special Move in each individual moves until he uses the Void Walker Style Change
style. If a character had an L2, L4, and L6 Style Special Move again to revert to brawling.
Change Special Move, each Special Move in the first
style would receive two Liabilities, each move in the Finally, if a character adds new Style Change Special
second style would receive three Liabilities, and Moves at later Power Levels, the Special Moves in
each move in the last style would receive four the new style gain the Liabilities based on the new
Liabilities. total number of Style Change Special Moves, as do
any new Special Moves added to existing styles, but
Each style must have at least one move beyond the all previously built Special Moves remain
Style Change Special Move itself. If the character unchanged.
does not have enough Move Points to build a
specific Special Move to go with each Style Change For example, Akemi has two L2 Style Change Special
Special Move, it is possible to build a style that has Moves at Power Level 1. Thus, each move in each
no Special Moves in it. However, the character must style receives one Liability. At Power Level 3, Akemi
build at least one Special Move for the “empty” style adds a new L4 Style Change Special Move. All
as soon as additional Move Points become available. moves in this new style receive (1/2 L4) + (3-2) =
A character cannot create an empty style at Power three Liabilities. All existing moves in the original
Level 8. In most cases, no more than one Style two styles remain unchanged, even though a third
Change Special Move should be allowed. Style Change Special Move has been added.
However, at Power Level 4, Akemi adds a new
When a character acquires his first Style Change Special Move to one of the original styles. This
Special Move, any existing Special Moves the Special Move now receives two Liabilities, rather
character may already possess are considered part than one, based on her current number of Style
of the character’s “default” style. When the Change Special Moves, even though other Special
character uses his Style Change Special Move to Moves in the same style only received one Liability
switch to the new style, he loses access to his at Power Level 1.
“default” style. He may use multiple different Style
Change Special Moves to switch to multiple sets of
Special Moves in different styles, but unless he

105
 4
Super Move Enhancer Element: This Element
counts as two Elements. A Special Move with this costs five Elements (or six if Super Move
Element increases the effectiveness of a Super Suppression is also included).
Move. It effectively increases the available Super
Energy for a short period of time. Beginning on the Taunt Element: In addition to Basic Taunts
turn after this Special Move is performed (which described above, characters can make other taunts
usually does not do any damage itself), the as Special Moves. In this case, some taunts might
character is considered to always have an extra 20 allow movement or even do damage (though usually
Super Energy for a time count of five (minimum of this is very low and usually cannot defeat an
one full turn), usable for one specific Super Move opponent). Some taunts are just small personal
(defined at this move’s creation). After this time, the actions that a character can do that do not readily
character is automatically Stunned. This Element is appear to be attacks or taunts (e.g., adopting a brief
only available for characters of PL 3 or higher. If the meditative pose, posing for the audience, etc.).
character is not Stunned afterwards, this costs an
additional two Elements (for a total cost of four Taunts can earn Glory in two ways: a) a move can
Elements). just be called a taunt without any special Element
and earn Glory equal to its Level the first time it is
Suppression Element: A move with this Element is used just like any other Special Move or b) a move
usually a manifestation of ki energy or some hi-tech can formally be defined as a Taunt with this
gadget. There are two different kinds of Special Element. In this latter case, the Special Move
Moves that can make use of the Suppression follows the rules for Basic Taunts, including the extra
Element. Neither does damage to the opponent, Glory above and beyond the normal Glory for the
and the move does not get the benefit of the No move itself. A taunt built with this Element can be
Damage Liability. However, a successful attack is put into a Combo if so desired. Additional modifier
still necessary to invoke the suppression effect on Elements can be added to this Element.
the opponent.
Modify Super Energy Element: With this
The first use of the Element counts as two Elements. additional Element, Special Moves with the
It prevents one opponent from using any Special Taunt Element can also increase Super Energy
Moves for a 5-count (minimum of one full turn). For or decrease the opponent’s Super Energy (which
an additional Element, this Suppression also must be decided when the move is built).
includes Super Moves. Taunts with this Element should do damage,
though this damage is not modified by Strength
The second use of the Element prevents the or Stamina. The amount of “damage” rolled is
opponent from any movement for a 5-count instead the gain or loss in Super Energy, as
(minimum of one full turn). This does not prevent appropriate.
Evasion, but it does prevent moving as a result of a
successful Evasion. Element Addition Element: With this additional
Element, a Taunt can temporarily add an
Having both uses of Suppression on the same move Element to another Special Move. This Element
must be designated when the Taunt is designed
and it can only be a single cost Element (i.e., the

106
 4
This Liability differs from the Multi-Part Move
Element cannot count as two or more Liability because several different Special Moves
Elements). In order for this Taunt effect to work, could follow the opening Special Move. The first,
the character must either win Initiative or the opening Special Move of such a set does not get a
Taunt must occur in a Combo. A Special Move Liability; it is a normal Special Move in all respects.
on the following turn receives the additional The following Special Moves, of which there is no
Element for that turn only. limit (but probably no more than six), all receive this
Liability.
Exotic Special Move Liabilities
Multi-Part Move Liability: Special Moves that can
only follow specific other Special Moves use this
Move Sub-Set Liability: This Liability is a minor Liability. They fall into two categories: multi-part
version of the Style Change Element. Instead of attacks (MPA) and multi-part throws (MPT). These
actually having multiple styles, the character has moves differ from Move Sub-Sets (see above) in that
certain Special Moves that can only be used on the a Multi-Part Move is a specific unchanging sequence
turn immediately following the successful use of of moves, whereas a Move Sub-Set begins with a
some other specific Special Move first (which must single Special Move that can be followed by a series
be defined when the moves with this Liability are of possible moves.
designed) or immediately following the move in a
Combo. “Successful use” usually means attacking The 2nd and subsequent Special Moves after the 1st
an opponent, but this may also include the use of making up a MPA get two Liabilities each. If the
the move beyond a Range in which it would fighter using the 2nd or subsequent parts of a MPA
normally hit. The character uses his action to fails to either get Initiative each turn and hit or else
perform the move simply in preparation for the include the later parts as part of a Combo, the multi-
move’s sub-set. If a subsequent move of the sub-set part sequence ends and must start over again. These
occurs in the middle of a Combo, it does not cost moves are often built as simple L2 Special Moves. A
one extra Control to use. Furthermore, contrary to MPA can begin as a single attack and then continue
the normal rule, if the opening move of a move sub- as a Combo or vice versa over multiple turns. If the
set does not do damage, the first move that does subsequent parts of a MPA occur in the middle of a
damage is not halved in a Combo. If the opening Combo, they do not cost one extra Control to use.
Special Move Knocks Down, the follow-up move can Furthermore, contrary to the normal rule, if the
only be used if the target is standing. Therefore, the opening move of a MPA does not do damage, the
opening move cannot be used in a Combo and the first move that does damage is not halved in a
attacker also needs to lose Initiative on the following Combo. If the opening Special Move Knocks Down,
round, in order to allow the defender to stand up. If the follow-up move can only be used if the target is
the attacker wins Initiative, he cannot hold and wait standing. Therefore, the opening move cannot be
for the defender to stand and then use the follow-up used in a Combo and the attacker also needs to lose
move; the opening move must be used again. As Initiative on the following round, in order to allow
noted above, the Juggle Element is an exception the defender to stand up. If the attacker wins
here, but only if the follow-up move(s) occurs in the Initiative, he cannot hold and wait for the defender
same Combo.

107
 4
Without the prop, the Special Move cannot be used
to stand and then use the follow-up move; the until it is recovered by spending an action picking it
opening move must be used again. As noted above, up, either a number of Distances away equal to the
the Juggle Element is an exception here, but only if number of Ranges that the target was away at the
the follow-up move(s) occurs in the same Combo. A time of attack for a missed Ranged attack, or
MPA can be attached to a Super Move, but this is otherwise simply where the character is presently
uncommon. standing. In some cases, another particular Special
Move must be used in order to return the prop. In
Multi-part throws are a special version of the this case, this Liability counts as two Liabilities.
Sustained Hold Element. Each subsequent move is
usually a limb break of some kind. If the fighter fails Random Move Liability: A move with this Liability
to get Initiative each turn and hit or include the later is defined as any attack form in which a number of
parts as part of a Combo, the multi-part sequence possible different attacks may occur, some of which
ends and must start over again. A MPT can begin as are superior to others. It is an uncommon Liability in
a single attack and then continue as a Combo or vice fighting games. The Special Move is designed as
versa over multiple turns. If the subsequent parts of usual, with two changes: 1) an additional roll on the
a MPT occur in the middle of a Combo, they do not following chart must be made each time before an
cost one extra Control to use. The 2nd and attack roll with this move is made, and 2) damage is
subsequent Special Moves in a MPT must all have rolled twice, and the lower result is applied.
the Throw Element, but they also gain a single
Liability. None of the Special Moves requires the
Sustained Hold Element. Unlike normal Throws,
Random Move
Knock Down does not occur until the MPT sequence
ends. 1-2: No change.
3: Move fails to have any effect at all.
Prop Liability: While it is uncommon, some fighting 4: Opponent receives +3 to either Defense or Evade.
game characters rely on some sort of prop for some 5: Opponent receives +2 to either Defense or Evade.
or all of their Special Moves, such as a thrown knife 6: Opponent receives +1 to either Defense or Evade.
or a handheld weapon. If the character suffers some 7: Move receives an additional +1 Accuracy.
particular circumstance, he drops his prop and his 8: Move receives an additional +2 Accuracy.
Special Moves are hindered until he takes an action 9: Move receives an additional +3 Accuracy.
to pick up the prop again. A Special Move with this 10: Damage is 1 die size larger.
Liability thus needs a specified condition (approved
by the Director) in which the prop is dropped. For
Ranged attacks, this is usually if the attack is Evaded Attack Strings
(though not if the combined use of the Defense and
Evasion Skills is used to avoid the attack). For other There is a difference in the lists of Special Moves
kinds of attacks, it is usually if the character is typically found in 2-D and 3-D fighting games. Many
Knocked Down. of the most detailed 3-D games do not really have
many “Special Moves” instead, they have special
chain combos. For example, three punches in a row
might be a one-two punch, followed by a backhand.

108
 4
Yet, this character is incapable of doing this for the purposes of inclusion in regular Combos. Thus,
backhand attack except in this specific combo Attack Strings can be put together into a Combo with
situation. The Director might choose to structure normal Basic Attacks or other Special Moves. On their
the campaign along these lines instead. This allows own, Attack Strings earn 1 Glory, regardless of how
for a much different (and ultimately simpler) combat long they are.
system, relying on lots of Basic Moves and easy to
perform Combos. Because Attack Strings generally replace traditional
“Special Moves,” Special Moves in a campaign that
To simulate this, characters in such a campaign need allows Attack Strings cost as if they were one
to purchase two different Combo skills. Both are Difficulty Level higher (e.g., an L3 Special Move would
considered to be Combat Skills. The first is still cost 4 Move Points). However, Move Points can also
called “Combo,” but it costs twice as many Combat be used to buy the Attack String Skill on a 2 for 1
Skill Points. It functions the same as usual with one basis.
important exception detailed below. The second
Skill is called “Attack String.” Like the normal
Combo Skill, it represents the number of Basic
Moves that can be strung together. The Director can
set a limit on this Skill. A game concentrating on
hypothetically realistic martial arts would probably
have an upper limit of 4-5. A more wild game could
go as high as 10 or beyond.

An Attack String is a special Basic Move that has a

Control cost and an Accuracy penalty as if it were a
Combo of equivalent length to the Attack String
Skill level composed entirely of Basic Moves. If it
hits, it does damage as a Basic Move, with a bonus
again equal to the Attack String Skill level. For
example, a character with Attack String 4 could
attack with a Basic Move which would have a –1
Accuracy and would do base damage equal to 1d4+
4, modified by the attacker’s Strength and the
defender’s Stamina. The character does not need to
use his full Attack String Skill. For example, a
character with Attack String 5 could launch an
Attack String 2 because it required less Control and
had no Accuracy penalty, though it would only do
base 1d4+2 damage, rather than base 1d4+5
damage.

The Attack String counts as a single Special Move

109
 4
Adding Elements to Attack Strings
In 3-D fighting games, the reason to use certain specific Attack Strings is often because of the additional
benefit the specific combination offers. For example, an Attack String of three punches may include a
Knock Down at the end of the string that is not present if three punches were not used together. As an
optional rule, the Director can permit Elements to be added to the end of an Attack String.

The following Elements can be added to an Attack String. In each of these cases, only the “base” version
of the Element is allowed. Modifier Elements or Liabilities cannot be applied. For example, “Hard to
Evade” is only the single Element version; the two Element version cannot be added to an Attack String.

Anti-Air
Bounce
Hard to Evade
Harry
Hits Low
Increased Knockback
Increased Stun
Juggle
Knocks Down
Position Shift

In order to add an Element to an Attack String, the Attack String must first be at least three moves long.
After this, additional moves can be sacrificed to instead add the Element. The number of moves
required is equal to the Element’s normal Element cost plus one. Thus, a 3-hit Attack String that had the
Bounce Element would count as five hits, even though it would have the Accuracy and damage of a 3-hit
Attack String. A 4-hit Attack String that Knocks Down would count as seven hits, because the Knocks
Down Element normally costs two Elements. The extra “cost” for the added Element only applies to the
combatant’s Control roll and the limits of his Attack String Skill.

These Elements do not need to be acquired in advance in any way. They are available to all characters
that use Attack Strings. The Director can add other Elements to the above list if he desires. These rules
add tremendous flexibility to the rules for Attack Strings, which makes up for the decreased number of
unique Special Moves possessed by all characters.

110
 4
Super Moves

Special Moves are a

Fighter’s unique
combat abilities.
However, beyond the
power level of Special
Moves are Super
Moves, even more
extraordinary
manifestations of a
Fighter’s skill and ki.
In fighting video
games, Super Moves
are usually
accompanied by
glowing power
effects, changes in
the environment,
sudden close-ups of
the Fighters’faces, or
time slowing down.
All of these
impressive and
powerful effects
make Super Moves an
entertaining
enhancement of a
Fighter’s normal
move set. Thus, it is
the default
presumption of the
rules that characters
of Power Level 3 or
higher have access to
Super Moves (though
the Director can
choose to exclude
them from the
campaign).

111
 4
In general, Super Moves are simply Special Moves Down Element at no Element cost. Furthermore,
subject to some additional rules. All Super Moves half (round down) of the total Elements available for
must be L5 or greater. Just like Special Moves, the a Super Move (including additional ones earned
Level of a Super Move determines the number of through Liabilities) must be spent on the
Elements that are used to make up the details of the Breakthrough, Increased Accuracy, Increased
move, as well as the Control roll necessary to use the Damage, or Invincibility Elements.
move in combat.
When designing Super Moves, not every effect of a
A Fighter acquires Super Moves through the move needs to be defined by Elements and
expenditure of Move Points. A Super Move costs a Liabilities. This is especially so when attempting to
number of Move Points to purchase equal to its interpret a specific Super Move from a video game
level. However, a character can only acquire a Super series. There may simply not be enough Elements
Move at Power Level 3 or greater, and in addition, available to build the move perfectly. In this case,
upon reaching Power Level 3, a character must the move should be designed with attention paid to
purchase at least one Super Move. its most important characteristics, those that
principally define the move’s role in the overall
repertoire of the character. If an undefined Element
Building Super Moves should become critical during a fight, especially for
dramatic or narrative purpose, the Director can
Super Moves are also constructed from a base adjudicate the situation as necessary.
template modified by Elements and Liabilities.
Super Moves have a base Accuracy modifier of +0 The Director can disallow any Liability or Element
and do 1d8 damage, modified by the attacker’s on a particular move. It is not too difficult to assign
Strength and the defender’s Stamina. Elements and a Liability to a Super Move that makes the move
Liabilities can increase or decrease a Super Move’s stronger in most cases, with a single negative
base Accuracy and damage. Super Moves with the exception that will rarely come into play based on
Ranged Element still determine damage based on the character’s other moves and general play style.
the character’s Ki skill, but the damage is increased Likewise, certain Elements may prove to be too
by one die size. Super Moves do not count their powerful when combined with other Elements.
damage against a character’s Stun Threshold. Finally, some Elements may affect conditions that
only apply if certain campaign options are in place,
When building a Super Move, a move is allowed a and are therefore not appropriate in all games.
number of Elements equal to twice its Level. A
Move can be constructed with Liabilities to allow There is one special consideration when designing a
additional Elements. Each Liability allows an character’s Super Moves. A Super Move must be
additional Element to be added to the Super Move. built according to one of the following four
All the normal rules for designing Special Moves configurations:
apply to Super Moves as well, though Super Moves
have additional Elements and Liabilities available, 1. A combination of 2-3 regular Special Moves
and all Super Moves automatically gain the Knocks possessed by the character. In this case, the
Super Move must have all of the Elements

112
 4
and Liabilities of all the Special Moves on the Elements and Liabilities of the normal
which the Super Move is based. It may have Special Move on which it is based, just as
additional Elements and Liabilities beyond noted above. It may have additional
those possessed by the base Special Moves. Elements and Liabilities beyond those
If Elements and Liabilities conflict with one possessed by the base exotic Special Move.
another, they should be combined, even However, if a Super Move is constructed as
though the costs of the Element and the an enhanced version of a Special Move with
Liability are not equal. For example, if the an exotic Element, that Element also affects
Super Move combines two Special Moves, Super Moves. For example, a Super Move
one with –1 Accuracy and one with +2 with the Reflection Element could also
Accuracy, the Super Move should have (-1 + reflect Super Moves with the Ranged
2) a +1 Accuracy bonus. Because Super Element.
Moves automatically have the Knocks
Down Element and because Super Moves Additional Liabilities for Super Moves
do no Stun damage, if the Super Move is
composed of Special Moves that possess Increased Super Energy Cost Liability: Super
either the Knocks Down or Increased Stun Moves normally cost 10 Super Energy to use. This
Elements, they do not need to be included Liability increases the cost to 20 Super Energy. If the
in the Super Move. cost is 30 Super Energy, this counts as two
2. A super powerful version of a single Special Liabilities, and if the cost is 40 Super Energy, this
Move possessed by the character. In this counts as three Liabilities.
case, the Super Move must have all of the
Elements and Liabilities of the Special Move Limited Choice Liability: If the character possesses
on which the Super Move is based. It may more than one Super Move, but he can only use one
have additional Elements and Liabilities specific one during any given fight, all of the
beyond those possessed by the base Special character’s Super Moves gain this Liability. This
Move. Because Super Moves automatically choice must be made before the fight begins. This
have the Knocks Down Element and Liability must be chosen for a character’s first Super
because Super Moves do no Stun damage, if Move, or else none of them may have this Liability.
the Super Move is an enhanced version of a The Director may require this Liability for all
Special Move that possesses either the characters as a campaign option.
Knocks Down or Increased Stun Elements,
they do not need to be included in the Super
Move. Additional Elements for Super Moves
3. A unique move, usually a colorful barrage of
attacks. There are no special restrictions on Breakthrough Element: This Element can be
such a Super Move, other than requiring the applied to a Super Move up to four times. While not
Unique Super Move Element (see below). required, all Super Moves should possess this
4. A Super version of one of the exotic kinds of Element, as this is what often distinguishes a Super
Special Moves possessed by the character.
In this case, the Super Move must have all of

113
 4
Move from a Special Move in a fighting game. Increased Damage: For a Super Move, up to eight
Super Moves generally either hit a great number of Elements can be spent on Increased Damage. One
times, or they cover a huge area, or they hit so hard Element increases the base damage to 1d8+1. Two
that they even injure blocking opponents, or some Elements increases the base damage to 1d10. Three
combination of the three. The Breakthrough Elements increases the base damage to 1d10+1.
Element represents this. Four Elements increases the base damage to 1d12.
Each additional Element after four adds +1 base
If a character using a Super Move misses his damage to the move’s 1d12 base damage. This new
opponent, the attacker must calculate how much he base damage is then modified by the attacker’s
missed by on the die roll to hit. If the total missed Strength and the defender’s Stamina as usual.
by is equal to or less than one for each Breakthrough
Element the Super Move has, a partial hit has been Infinite Supers Element: This Element counts as
scored. Some of the hits made it through, or the five Elements. For a time count of 5 (minimum of
opponent failed to completely avoid the attack, or one full turn), Super Moves can continue to be used
some damage made it through the block anyway. In freely without any costs in Super Energy (beyond
this case, Glory is calculated as normal –1, and the 10 Super Energy used to launch this Super
damage is rolled and halved (round down). This Move). This Element can only be taken with the
partial hit still does cause Hit Stun, Knock Back, and Director’s permission.
Knock Down. If a Super Move is part of a Combo
and is not the first move in the Combo, only half Invincibility Element: When a Super Move begins,
(round down) of the Breakthrough Element applies the character is momentarily invincible. This
to the roll to hit. Element describes how long that invincibility lasts.
Up to four Elements can be spent on Invincibility.
Decreased Super Energy Cost Element: A Super The way in which this Element is used is described
Move with this Element only costs 5 Super Energy to below under Using Special Moves.
use. This Element cannot be used in campaigns that
use multi-level Super Move systems (see below). Unique Super Move Element: This Element must
be taken on any Super Move that is not an enhanced
Extended Duration Element: This Element can only version or combination of the character’s existing
be applied to Super Moves that provide some form Special Moves.
of special timed effect as part of an exotic Element
(see above). After the Super Move is in effect, each How Super Energy is Accumulated
additional 10 Super Energy spent increases the
duration by a time count of 5. In order to use a Super Move in combat, the Fighter
must first accumulate Super Energy. This is tallied
Increased Accuracy: For a Super Move, up to nine on a turn-by-turn basis. When the Fighter
Elements can be spent on Increased Accuracy. Each accumulates 10 or more Super Energy, they may
three such Elements adds +1 to the move’s attempt to use a Super Move. A Fighter without
Accuracy. Super Moves does not accumulate Super Energy.

The rate at which a Fighter accumulates Super

114
 4
Energy is as follows: Using Super Moves
1. 1 point of Super Energy per occasion in For the most part, a Super Move is the same as any
which one or more Life Bar is lost. Thus, if other Special Move. They can be used as single
three different opponents hit a character, attacks or they can be used at the beginning,
he would accumulate three Super Energy. middle, or end of a Combo (even though attacks
The attack of a Thug group counts as a that Knock Down can normally only be used at the
single opponent in this regard. end of a Combo). However, Super Moves differ in
2. 1 point of Super Energy per attack that they need Super Energy to use and they have
performed, regardless of the level of the special rules regarding Initiative.
move used and whether or not the move hit
(or even could have hit – an attack launched Before using a Super Move, a Fighter must have
beyond its effective range will still accumulated enough Super Energy. Super Moves
accumulate Super Energy). Basic Moves cost 10 Super Energy to perform (or 10 Super Energy
included in a Combo do not count as per level of Super Move used – see below). Super
separate moves for this calculation, but Moves also cost 1 FS to attempt to use. However,
individual Special Moves do, provided the this cost is only applied if the character actually has
Combo hits (see below). If the Combo FS remaining to expend; once at 0 FS, Super Moves
misses, only 1 Super Energy is gained. can still be performed.
3. 1 point of Super Energy per Combo that hits
an opponent. This is in addition to the Many Super Moves possess the Invincibility
Super Energy accumulated from Special Element. If a combatant wishes to use a Super
Moves noted above. Thus, a 3-hit Combo Move and rolls sufficient Control for it, yet fails to
made up solely of Special Moves that gain Initiative, he may still be able to use the Super
succeeds in hitting an opponent is worth 4 Move. If the difference between the combatant’s
Super Energy total. Initiative roll and his intended target’s Initiative roll
4. Finally, all Fighters automatically is within as many Elements as spent on the
accumulate an amount of Super Energy Invincibility Element, he can interrupt the
each turn regardless of their actions equal opponent’s action as if he had held his Initiative and
to the maximum Super Energy allowed for a announce that he is doing a Super Move. In this
character in the campaign divided by 20 case, the opponent’s action occurs during the Super
(round up). This usually means a Fighter Move’s temporary invincibility. If the opponent has
gains one Super Energy per turn of combat already announced a specific attack, there is no
regardless of any combatant’s actions. result and no Glory is earned. The character using
the Super Move takes no damage, suffers no Hit
No Super Energy is gained by a character on the turn Stun or Stun, and cannot be Knocked Back or
in which he uses a Super Move. Knocked Down. If the opponent has not yet
announced a specific attack, he may instead choose
Campaign options presented in future supplements to move away or perform another action such as Re-
will present alternative ways in which Super Energy
is accumulated.

115
 4
focus instead. He may also announce the use of his It is also up to the Director to decide the maximum
own Super Move, in which case the second Super Super Energy a character can hold onto and if a
Move takes Priority over the first one. If a Super Fighter’s accumulated Super Energy remains
Move is in a Combo and is not the first move in the between rounds of combat in a multi-round
Combo, the Invincibility Element does not apply, but tournament fight. The default rules are a maximum
instead counts as the Easy to Combo Element. of 10 Super Energy and accumulated Super Energy is
lost between rounds of a multi-round fight.
Super Moves always have Invincibility in cases of
simultaneous Initiative with non-Super Moves. The The 3-tier structure for Super Moves uses the same
effect of this is that the combatant using the Super Super Move built at three different consecutive
Move goes first as if the move had the Priority levels such as L5, L6, and L7, and which uses 10, 20,
Element and the combatant is also unaffected by or 30 Super Energy respectively to use increasingly
the opponent’s attack as noted above. In the case of powerful versions of the same Super Move. Such a
two Super Moves getting simultaneous Initiative, system requires characters to build the same Super
still only one can succeed. Both combatants lose Move at three different levels of power, with each
Super Energy, but a special separate Initiative roll is increasing level of power including all the Elements
used to determine which character actually launches and Liabilities of the previous levels. When building
his Super Move. FS can be spent again on this such a Super Move, the character must only spend
special Initiative roll as usual and subsequent ties are Move Points equal to the highest level of the Super
re-rolled. Move.

Structure of Super Move Systems For example, in a campaign using the 3-tier
structure, a player designs a Super Move that can be
The Director must determine the structure of how used as an L5, L6, or L7 move at a cost of 10, 20, or
Super Moves are used and organized in his 30 Super Energy respectively. He will need to design
campaign. In the source material, most Super Move three versions of the same Super Move. The L6
systems fit into one of two categories: a simple version will have all the Elements and Liabilities of
single tier system (with a maximum Super Energy of the L5 version, and the L7 version will have all the
10) and a 3-tier system (with a maximum Super Elements and Liabilities of the L6 version. Despite
Energy of 30). In this latter case, a single Super building three related Super Moves, however, this
Move may be designed three times to indicate three Super Move will only cost 7 Move Points total (the
levels of Super Power (most commonly L5, L6, and highest level of the three tiers) for all three versions.
L7) or the system may just allow a combatant to Oftentimes, the only difference in higher-level
store up three uses of a Super Move. However, versions is an increased use of the Breakthrough and
other versions do exist and variations on the 3-tier Invincibility Elements.
system also exist. Some of these variations will be
included in future supplements. The single tier This 3-tier structure is only available if this is the
system is considered the default system, though the default structure of Super Move systems in the
3-tier system is described in greater detail below. campaign (though a Director might allow it as an
unusual Technique Quality). This multi-tiered Super
Move counts as only one Super Move when

116
 4
considering the limit on the number of Super Moves known according to the Power Level chart.
Transformations
This campaign option exists as a modifier to all Fighters in a campaign. Either all characters have this ability or none do.
It is too powerful to be a viable choice for a Technique Quality. This is a system for use in campaigns where every Fighter
can transform into a monstrous, animal, or beast form.

In regular campaigns, a character may have some form of Special Move that changes them into a beast, but that is a
different, more limited, case (perhaps bought as a form of the Style Change Element). However, the following set of
rules applies to all characters in a transforming campaign.

A character accumulates Beast Energy in the same way as Super Energy is accumulated in the campaign (and is tallied
separately from Super Energy). 10 Beast Energy is necessary to change into Beast Form, but up to 20 Beast Energy can
be accumulated and stored during a single combat.

Transforming is an action. No other attack, action, or movement may be performed on the turn in which the character
transforms. However, transforming automatically does damage equivalent to the character’s Basic Move (modified by
Strength as usual) to all other combatants within Range 0-1. Furthermore, this damage does cause Knock Back except to
opponents who are also transforming on the same turn within the same Range.

Once in Beast Form, no more Beast Energy is accumulated until the character reverts back to normal. The 10 Beast
Energy used to transform is then lost at the same rate and in the same fashion as it was accumulated. In other words,
when the character performs moves and takes damage, he loses Beast Energy. However, the normal Beast Energy
accumulated each turn is not lost each turn while in Beast Form. When Beast Energy reaches –1 or less (not 0), and the
character is then Knocked Down by any means, the character reverts to human form.

When in Beast Form, Basic Qualities increase. These changes must be decided when the character is created and cannot
change. Two of the three Basic Qualities are increased by one point each (to a maximum of two, as usual). Also, all
attacks automatically have the Increased Knockback Element, and the character automatically recovers 1 Life Bar at the
end of each turn.

One new Special Move Liability becomes available with this campaign option: Only in Beast Form. This Liability means
the move can only be used when the character is in Beast Form.

If this campaign option is being used, the following additional campaign option can be added to modify transformations.

Going Primal: While in Beast Form, a character may choose to Go Primal. In this form, Beast Energy depletes each turn
according to the rate it is normally gained each turn (contrary to the above rule), even if the character does nothing else
during the turn, but it still will not drop below 0. While Primal, all of the combatant’s moves are +1 Accuracy and +1
damage.

117
 5

118
 5
5. Combat fairly obvious.

This still leaves certain decisions for the Director

The heart of Fight! is necessarily fighting. This based on the needs of the story. He must decide if
chapter provides the system to run over-the-top the fight is going to be one round or multiple
action scenes involving the world’s most skilled and rounds. He must decide what the time limit is going
deadly Fighters. These battles take place in to be or even if there is one. He must decide how far
organized tournament arenas and in the dirty back apart the combatants are when combat begins. He
alleys of the most crime-ridden cities. They occur as must also decide if any conditions in the
melodramatic confrontations between life-long environment are going to have a specific mechanical
rivals or as adrenaline-fueled brawls against dozens effect on combat or if they are just going to be
of opponents at once. Some confrontations descriptive elements with no effect on the rules.
represent mere steps along the way to a character’s
goal and some represent the final encounter In some cases, these questions are easy to answer.
deciding the salvation or destruction of the whole A tournament fight might have established rules
universe. about the number of rounds, time limit, and arena
conditions such as walls or ring-outs. But if the fight
The main system presented here is intended for use is occurring in the middle of the wilderness,
when Fighters engage in combat with one another. something like a time limit may seem artificial.
However, two additional sub-systems are also After all, why should the fight arbitrarily end just
contained in this chapter. The first is the system for because some metagame timer goes off?
Thug Thrashing, which is used anytime Fighters
engage in combat with non-Fighters. These This is a valid observation, but the default
opponents are no match for the main characters of presumption of the rules is that fights are timed.
the campaign and only pose a threat in far greater While this is not required, maintaining the time limit
numbers. The second sub-system is used whenever can inspire story elements that add drama to the
the Director wants to streamline combat, adding conflict. Perhaps the timer running out signifies a
dramatic flair at the cost of tactical options. This bomb going off or a fire engulfing the characters in a
sub-system involves more Skill use during combat as burning building. Perhaps police or military will
well as character choices based on the narrative arrive on scene to drastically complicate matters
elements of the battle, rather than on all the related to the ongoing story. Maybe an extra-
mechanical details offered by a character’s Special dimensional portal opens up, flooding the world
Moves. with demons.

Staging Combat Similarly, drama can be added by using multiple

rounds for a combat scene, even in a non-
tournament setting. While it may seem strange to
It is up to the Director to decide when to formally have two opponents meet in the woods at the
switch from a normal storytelling mode of direction climax of a story with no one around and yet have a
to the specifics of combat. However, given the
nature of the characters and the kinds of situations
they typically find themselves in, it should usually be

119
 5
“best 2-out-of-3” fight, in an area that sort of runs out and opposing combatants are still standing,
naturally resembles a fighting stage, possibly with the winner is the side that has the highest
ring outs and other environmental hazards, this percentage of Life Bar remaining. Outside a
irrationality is rarely considered in fighting video tournament setting, however, it is up to the Director
games. Multiple rounds are best interspersed with and the story to determine what “winning” means if
story-critical dialogue between the Fighters (as the time runs out and combatants are still able to fight.
whole fight should be). At the end of the first
“round,” the defeated character is actually not The basic sequence of a turn is as follows:
knocked unconscious, but merely beaten down and
taking a moment to catch his second wind. His 1. All combatants roll both Initiative and
honorable or gloating opponent waits for him to Control.
recover before continuing the fight. In fact, since 2. Acting in order of Initiative, characters take
time in combat can be interpreted loosely, each actions, often moving and/or attacking
round of combat may actually represent several opponents.
hours of non-stop fighting. While a battle may 3. Glory and Super Energy are tallied for all
begin while the sun is high in the sky, the second combatants for the turn, as appropriate.
round may occur as the sun goes down, while the 4. The Director rolls the Time Roll and records
third round occurs in the middle of the night. the result.
5. The Director and players conduct a brief
Thus, while the default presumptions of the rules storytelling segment, describing in narrative
seem to suggest many trappings of tournament terms what occurred during the turn.
combat, this does not need to hinder creative
interpretations that serve to improve the story This sequence is repeated until the round ends.
rather than get in the way of it.
Die Sizes
Combat Sequence
A character’s Basic Qualities, as well as many
Combat is conducted as a series of turns. A random situations in the combat system, require the player
“time roll” determines how long any given turn is; to increase or decrease a die size before rolling a
each count of the time roll usually represents 1-2 result. For example, a character normally rolls 1d6
seconds of time, but ultimately this is intended as an for Control each turn. However, having the Basic
abstraction. If the story is served by the time count Quality Speed 1: Control means that the character’s
representing a longer amount of time, the Director die size for Control is increased by one. Thus,
can adjust it accordingly. instead of rolling 1d6, the player would roll 1d8. As
another example, the base damage for a character’s
A round of combat ends when only one side remains Special Moves is also 1d6. However, the Strength
undefeated or when the time count runs out, Basic Quality increases this damage. A character
whichever comes first. Normally, if the time count with Strength 2 would increase that damage two die
sizes to 1d10 (one size increase would be 1d8).
Likewise, the opponent’s Stamina Basic Quality also

120
 5
modifies the damage suffered. If the Strength 2 There is one general rule that applies to all
character hit an opponent with Stamina -1, the die expenditures of Fighting Spirit during combat. A
size for damage would be increased again to 1d12. combatant may spend Fighting Spirit for particular
actions any number of times during a turn. For
The “steps” for increasing or decreasing die size go example, a combatant may spend FS on Initiative,
as follows (listed here from lowest to highest): and then to attack, and then perhaps later in the
1 turn to defend, and then to modify the Time Roll at
1d4 the end of the round. However, the amount of
1d6 Fighting Spirit a combatant can use for any single
1d8 application of FS is always limited by their Power
1d10 Level. Therefore, while a PL 1 character may spend
1d12 FS five times during a turn, each time no more than
1d12+1 1 FS can be used. This rule is often repeated in the
1d12+2 specific rules sections dealing with FS expenditures
Etc. in a specific situation, but even if it is not mentioned
explicitly, this rule always applies.
The lowest a die size can ever become is “1,” in
which case no roll is necessary; the result is simply 1. Fighting Spirit can be recovered in combat by the
The highest die that can be used in a single roll is use of the Refocus action. Furthermore, the first
1d12, though there are theoretically an infinite combatant to successfully hit an opponent during a
number of die sizes above 1d12. Each die size above fight immediately regains FS equal to his Power
1d12 simply adds 1 to the roll. Rolls above 1d12+3 Level. If both combatants hit one another
are pretty rare, however. simultaneously, the one doing greater damage
receives FS. If damage is equal, no FS is regained.
Fighting Spirit in Combat This FS recovery cannot bring a character’s FS above
their starting total; thus, if the Fighter has not used
any FS, nothing is gained.
Fighting Spirit (FS) is an expendable resource used
in many different ways in combat. It represents the
character’s drive to win, the strength of his
convictions, and his will to survive. In combat,
Fighting Spirit can be used to increase Initiative and
Control, increase Accuracy on attacks, improve one’s
defenses, tactically manage one’s movement in
combat, control the pacing of combat, among other
things. Whether a character loses all of his Life Bar
in combat or not, Fighting Spirit should almost
always be completely used up by the end of a fight.
If that’s not the case, the Fighter simply isn’t fighting
with everything he has!

121
 5
character’s innate speed in combat, as well as the
Metagaming Fighting Spirit insight of how to best react to the opponent’s
actions. Control represents coolness during combat,
In a combat system so focused on emulation of as well as knowing the best available options to use
fighting video game combat, the flexibility of at any given moment.
Fighting Spirit might seem out of place. From a
narrative point of view, Fighting Spirit is a useful The dice used to roll Initiative and Control are based
character trait, as references to it are frequent in on the character’s Speed (see the explanation of
the source material, even if it is hardly ever Speed in Chapter 1). The base roll is 1d6 for each.
defined in any specific way (e.g., “I’ve never seen
such fighting spirit!” “You’ll never win – you’ve Before all characters roll for the turn, any characters
lost your fighting spirit.” “You are a worthy who wish to can spend Fighting Spirit (FS) to
opponent – your fighting spirit is strong.”). increase the die size rolled for one or both. One FS
will increase the die size for either Initiative or
But there is also a metagame way of Control, to a maximum of 1d12 for each. A
understanding Fighting Spirit. As a player of the character can only spend as much FS on increasing
hypothetical video game that the campaign Initiative and Control as his Power Level. This limit is
represents, Fighting Spirit measures the player’s applied to both Initiative and Control, not to each of
patience, confidence, and talent at handling crisis them separately. For example, a PL 1 character
situations as they occur during a match. could increase either Initiative or Control for 1 FS,
but could not spend 2 FS to increase both by one die
In the role-playing game, a character who runs size (though a PL 2 character could do so). Initiative
out of Fighting Spirit has to rely a lot more on and Control are rolled as separate rolls and, after
luck to win. In a video game, a player who runs applying the effects of Speed and the use of FS, will
out of Fighting Spirit begins to panic and lose often use different size dice.
control of the situation, often leading to his
defeat. So even though the trait is meant to Characters declare their intention to spend FS in this
represent a specific narrative aspect of the genre, manner, as well as the amount they wish to spend,
it is not without parallel in the metagame of according to their Power Level, from lowest to
Fight! highest. If these are tied, the combatants declare
according to their Speed Basic Quality, again from
Initiative lowest to highest. If these are also tied, each
combatant rolls 1d6 to break the tie or else just
The turn begins with each combatant rolling one die mutually agree on who should declare first.
each for Initiative and Control. Initiative determines
how quickly the character can act in the turn If the combatant with the highest Initiative on the
sequence, while Control determines how difficult a previous turn also hit an opponent on the previous
move or Combo the character can perform during turn, he gets a +1 bonus on his Initiative roll. If the
the turn. Initiative represents a combination of the highest Initiative was tied or if the character with
the highest Initiative missed his opponent or didn’t
attack at all, no one gets this bonus. A character’s

122
 5
Control Bonus is added to his Control roll, if usual, and Special Moves with the Priority Element
applicable. automatically gain Initiative over attacks without
the Priority Element. Remaining characters then act
The character with the highest Initiative total acts in Initiative order until all characters have acted or
first. A character with Initiative may instead choose have lost their actions due to events occurring
to hold his Initiative and let another combatant go during the turn (e.g., Hit Stun, Knock Down, or
first. A character holding their Initiative in this Stunning).
fashion can choose to act at any point later in the
turn, including interrupting another character during Rolling Initiative and Control
his action for the turn. If this interruption occurs
after another combatant has actually declared a Roll 1d6 separately for Initiative and Control.
specific attack, a separate Initiative roll is used only
to determine the acting order of this exchange of The Speed Basic Quality and other factors may
two attacks. FS can be spent to increase this roll as affect the die sizes used for this roll.

123
 5
Simultaneous Initiative attacks have to be named also. Characters acting
simultaneously cannot perform Combos, either
The limited range of die rolls possible means that against each another or against other combatants.
combatants will inevitably roll the same Initiative
total from time to time. In the case of simultaneous After these declarations, combatants acting
Initiative, the characters often, but not always, act
simultaneously.

When characters share the same Initiative total,

each of the combatants must declare their actions

simultaneously must conduct

a sort of “mini-turn” among
themselves. If all tied
combatants wish to move
before attacking (or
performing some other action)
or instead of attacking,
movement occurs simultaneously first, and then
attacks and other actions occur simultaneously after
all movement is resolved.

If two characters simultaneously move towards one

another, they travel as many Ranges towards one
another as their combined total. This means that
they may pass through one another (see
Movement).

before they are resolved. This declaration of actions If not all combatants with simultaneous Initiative
occurs in reverse order of Control totals, even wish to move, those who wish to attack or perform
though the actions themselves may be resolved some other action without moving resolve their
simultaneously. The declaration needs to be actions before any movement occurs. If there is
specific. For example, it is not sufficient to declare more than one simultaneous attack (i.e., because
that one is moving forward; one must specify the more than two characters have simultaneous
number of Ranges he is moving forward. Specific Initiative), these attacks are resolved
simultaneously. After these attacks are resolved, if
the other combatants who wish to move or move
and then act are still able to act, they then do so. In

124
 5
this case, all movement is resolved first, then one who did more damage is considered to have
attacks and other actions are resolved. Knocked Back his opponent. If this too is tied, each
combatant can roll 1d6 and the higher result is the
Any character sharing Initiative with any other one who has Knocked Back his opponent. If one of
opposing combatant can only use the Defense Skill the attacks used has the Increased Knockback
in response to simultaneous attacks; Evasion and Element, the Knock Back is 2 Ranges.
Tactics cannot be used, except in the case of a
jumping Basic Move. Full Defense can still be Finally, if two characters with simultaneous Initiative
declared in place of an attack. A character doing a are allies and do not have simultaneous Initiative
jumping Basic Move as a simultaneous attack is with any opponents, they can act in whatever order
considered to be using the Evasion Skill for the they choose.
purposes of determining Defense Total. All normal
defensive options are available against other attacks
that do not have simultaneous Initiative. Even
Summary of Simultaneous Initiative
though the effects of the attacks are simultaneous, Procedure
the combatant with the higher Control resolves his
attack first. This may be important for determining 1. All characters with simultaneous
when and how much FS is used in resolving these Initiative declare actions in reverse
attacks. order of their Control totals.
In the case of simultaneous attacks, if one of the
2. Characters who do not need to move
attacks is a Special Move that has the Priority before acting take their actions.
Element, this attack is resolved first and is not These actions and their results are
considered simultaneous. However, the defender considered simultaneous with each
still cannot choose any defensive response besides other.
the Defense Skill, just as if the attacks were still 3. Characters that wish to move or move
considered simultaneous. If an attack with the and then act may now act if they are
Priority Element hits, the defender suffers Hit Stun
and may lose his action for the turn (see Hit Stun).
still able to do so.
Any movement before the attack associated with a
Special Move with the Priority Element is not
considered to have Priority over the movement of
other characters with simultaneous Initiative; the
Priority Element applies only to the attack itself.

Simultaneous attacks only Knock Back 1 Range. In

other words, the two opponents do not knock each
other back 1 Range each, for a total of 2 Ranges. If
the direction matters (e.g., if one wishes to
maneuver the other towards an Environmental
Hazard or in a fight with multiple combatants), the

125
 5
Example of Resolving Simultaneous Initiative

Jason has rolled Initiative 4 and Control 2. His opponent, Riff, has rolled Initiative 4 and Control 4. They are
presently at Range 3. Their Initiative is simultaneous. They begin to resolve this by declaring (but not yet resolving)
their actions in reverse order of Control. So Jason has to declare first. He declares, “I’m leaping in 2 Ranges and
using a jumping Basic Move.”

Riff now knows that Jason is moving toward him, but this has not yet been resolved, so he couldn’t declare, “I
attack at Range 1,” and hit Jason because Jason isn’t at Range 1 yet. Thus, if he declared, “I attack with Blazing
Arc,” the situation would be resolved by determining the results of the attacks first, and then applying the effects
of movement. So Riff’s attack would occur first and he would hit nothing, as Jason is still approaching from Range
3. Jason would then land at Range 1 and his attack would be resolved.

Riff could instead declare, “I’m moving forward one and attacking with my Blazing Arc.” Now both combatants are
moving, so movement is resolved first. Simultaneous movement adds the total Ranges of movement together, so
since Jason was moving 2 towards Riff and Riff was moving 1 towards Jason, they close by 3 Ranges total. They
move from Range 3 to Range 0. Then Jason’s Basic Move and Riff’s Blazing Arc would be resolved simultaneously.

If Riff declared that he was using his Ranged attack, Fiery Sun, that attack would be resolved before Jason jumped
forward, as attacks are resolved before movement. If Jason were struck, he would suffer Hit Stun and may not be
able to move at all (see Hit Stun). If the Ranged attack missed, Jason would jump in 2 Ranges and attack.

If Jason declared he was using his Ranged attack, Violent Spike, and then Riff declared he was using Blazing Sun,
both attacks would be resolved simultaneously.

Handling Initiative and Control for Multiple Characters

When handling Initiative and Control totals during a large fight scene (which is really any fight in which there
is more than three or four Fighters involved), the Director needs to use a method to keep track of everything.
One way is to have every character use specific colored dice for Initiative and Control. Once rolled, these dice
are put aside or the results are recorded on a separate sheet on the table to keep track of who rolled what.

An easier variant of this (though it requires more work for the Director) is for the Director to record all
Initiative and Control rolls on a special sheet listing each character, with each line on the sheet representing
one turn. As characters act or lose their actions, their Initiative roll for the turn is crossed off the sheet. When
all the Initiative numbers are crossed off, the turn ends and the next turn is recorded on the next line of the
sheet. This could also be done on a large wipe board visible to all the players as well.

126
 5
On Your Turn difference between Range 3 and Range 4 may be 20
feet or more. The Range system is an abstraction to
facilitate the kind of combat typically found in
When a character’s turn comes up in the Initiative fighting video games.
order, the player has several choices of what to do.
A character can: When a fight begins, it is up to the Director to
decide how far apart combatants are at the
1. Move beginning of combat. A typical fighting tournament
2. Attack would begin at Range 3, and this is also a good
3. Move and then attack default distance for combat in other situations as
4. Refocus well. If the dramatic narrative suggests that combat
5. Power Up begins as soon as one opponent strikes another,
6. Await Opening combat may begin at Range 1, though the Director
might instead declare that the combatants
Depending on circumstances from previous turns, a immediately jump back and into fighting stances at
character may also use his action to stand up from the beginning of hostilities, once again making the
being Knocked Down or to recover from being starting distance Range 3. Combatants could
Stunned. mutually decide on a starting range, or it could be
determined randomly by rolling 1d6-1.
Movement
Attacks launched at Range 0 receive a +1 Accuracy
bonus. Attacks without the Ranged or Reach
Combat in Fight! does not use any sort of map or
Elements launched at Range 2 receive a –1 Accuracy
grid to determine positioning. Instead, all combat is
penalty.
based on the principle of Range Categories
(Ranges). There are six Ranges, numbered from 0-5.
A combatant can move forward or backward 1
Range 0 is grappling range, though normal combat
Range and still attack, or can move forward or back
can also occur at this range. Range 1 is standard
2 Ranges without attacking. A combatant can jump
hand-to-hand combat range. Range 2 is just outside
forward 2 Ranges and attack or 3 Ranges forward or
normal combat range, though some attacks may
backward without attacking, but either of these
still hit, as combatants jink in and out of range of
options costs 1 FS. A combatant can only jump
one another. Range 3 is a short distance away, but
forward and attack if he is using a Basic Move or if
one in which combatants can still quickly close with
he is using a Special Move with the version of the
one another. Range 4 is the normal maximum range
Mobile Element that allows movement of 2 Ranges
for Ranged Special Moves. Range 5 is effectively out
before attacking (see Chapter 4).
of combat, while still maintaining the possibility of
re-engaging the enemy. Most combat occurs
If a combatant can jump forward 2 Ranges to attack
between Ranges 0-4.
with a Basic Move and land exactly at Range 0, and
These Ranges do not directly correspond to actual then chooses to spend an additional 1 FS, the
distances. The distance between Range 0 and
Range 1 is generally only a couple feet, while the

127
 5
combatant can do a Cross-Up attack. This earns a + determine the number of grid bands two characters
2 bonus to Accuracy, which replaces the normal +1 are apart from one another, each character just
Accuracy for attacking at Range 0. occupies a specific band on the grid, labeled from 1-
6. To calculate actual Range between combatants,
If a combatant moves only 1 Range and does not simply count the bands between them (i.e., Range 5
attack, he receives a +1 on his Defense Totals for the if they are on opposite ends of the grid and Range 0
turn. if they occupy the same band). The direction of
movement is important in this case, as Knock Back
Knock Back from an attack is 1 Range away from the after an attack occurs away from the direction of the
attacker. Knock Back cannot push an opponent to attacker’s last movement. If a combatant would be
Range 5, however. Knocking Back an opponent at “knocked off” the edge of the grid, all the
Range 4 keeps the opponent at Range 4. combatants can be shifted one or two bands to keep
them all on the grid. The one exception to this
Facing is not important in combat. However, shifting would be if two of the other combatants
sometimes a character will want to move past an involved in the fight were already at Range 5 from
opponent specifically, either because of an one another. In this case, the limits of the grid have
Environmental Hazard, to make the best use of a been defined by these characters’ presence at the
particular Element of a Special Move, or to edges and thus no Knock Back would occur.
accomplish a narrative goal set by the Director (e.g.,
needing to run past an opponent to escape a room). Even if a grid is not being used, the same principle
A character can move forward through an can be used for battles with more than two
opponent, moving down from Range 1 to Range 0 combatants. Each character’s location is noted by a
and then back up to Range 1 and beyond on the number from 1 to 6, perhaps indicated by recording
opposite “side” of the opponent. the numbers on a separate sheet or wipe board
accessible to everyone at the table, or by using a
While a grid is not required for combat, a simple large d6 with the location number facing up for all to
page with six bands to denote Ranges 0-5 can be see. Distances between any two combatants can be
used as a visual aid. Markers are placed for the determined by subtracting the lower location
characters based on how many bands apart they number from the higher location number. If a
are. Characters at Range 0 would share the same combatant would be Knocked Back below 1 or
band. Characters at Range 2 would be in separate above 6, all combatants simply shift their location
bands with an empty band between them. number up or down a number to keep everyone “on
However, this visual effect, while very helpful in a the board.”
combat involving only two characters, gets more
complicated when there are more characters Note that these rules do not take into account any
involved. form of lateral movement. Lateral movement is
irrelevant in a one-on-one fight, as the principle of
In the case of multiple combatants on each side, the Range takes into account the direct distance
same grid can be used, but instead of using Range to between the two combatants. In a fight with more
than two combatants, any number of characters can
be located within a single band on the grid or at a

128
 5
single numeric location, and they are all
considered equidistant from one another. In
most cases, this abstraction is sufficient.
After all, Fighters in video fighting games
are incredibly mobile and capable of leaping
prodigious distances to get to their
opponents. Under most circumstances, it
should be fairly easy for any Fighter to catch
up to any opponent still within the field of
combat.

However, in a fight featuring multiple

combatants on each side, if two opposing
combatants wish to face off against one
another apart from the other combatants,
they can mutually decide to do so by
declaring their movement for the turn to be
“away from the fight.” At that point, their
combat continues to be resolved as a
separate fight scene apart from the
remaining combatants. Neither combat has
any effect on the other, even though they
are both taking place in the same general
area. For simplicity’s sake, and in keeping
with the conventions of the genre, the
Director should disallow any other
combatants from pursuing the pair that has
broken off from the original combat.
However, if the Director does wish to allow
it, another combatant would need to make
two successful Maneuver Checks, one
against each of the other combatants (even
if one of them is an ally), in order to enter
their fight. This is a special contested
Tactics Skill check, rolled on 1d6, rather
than 1d10.

Conversely, if there are multiple

combatants on each side, the case may
arise when a combatant wants to move into
a position where a particular opponent

129
 5
cannot easily attack him. In this case, in place of than the Control roll.
movement, the character makes a Maneuver Check
against the combatant he wishes to avoid. Both If the attacker does not roll high enough Control for
combatants make a contested Tactics Skill check on a particular move or for the length of the Combo
1d6. If the character succeeds, the desired desired (see below), that move cannot be used or
opponent is considered Checked. The Checked the Combo must be of shorter length. Basic Moves
opponent cannot attack the character without first are considered to be L1 moves and are thus always
succeeding at a Maneuver Check in place of available, regardless of Control rolled.
movement. If the opponent succeeds, the Checked
condition is removed. There is one exception to this limit. Some Super
Moves may be higher than L12 and a high PL
Movement Summary attacker may want to do a Combo that requires
more than Control 12. However, the maximum
A character can move: Control rolled on a d12 is 12 (with potentially 3 more
with the maximum Control Bonus of 3). If the
1 Range and gain a +1 on all Defense Totals. attacker wishes to use a move or Combo that
1 Range and attack. requires more than Control 12, he must first roll
2 Ranges. Control 12 (thus requiring both the ability to roll
2 Ranges and attack with a Basic Move or a 1d12 for Control in the first place, as well as actually
Special Move with the Mobile Element that rolling a 12), and he then must spend 1 FS per
allows 2 Ranges of movement before attacking. additional Control needed/desired, up to a
This costs 1 FS. maximum equal to his Power Level, as usual. This
3 Ranges. This costs 1 FS. means that the largest Control possible is 23 (12
Control rolled, plus 8 FS spent by a PL 8 character,
plus 3 from a Control Bonus of 3).
Resolving an Attack
To further clarify the specific role of the Control
Bonus in this exceptional situation, if a character
Control rolled 11 Control and had a Control Bonus of 2, his
Control would be 13. He could use an L13 move or
The most common action of a character during a up to 13 levels of moves in a Combo without
turn is to attack an opponent within range (perhaps spending any FS. Likewise, if the same character
preceded by movement). In order to attack, the rolled 12, his Control would be 14, and thus he would
attacker first declares a specific attack form. This not need to spend FS up through L14 or 14 levels of
may be a Basic Move, a Special Move, or, subject to a Combo. The above rule about spending FS applies
the conditions described in Chapter 4, a Super Move. to those characters who do not have a high enough
The attacker’s choice of move is limited by the Control Bonus to reach L13 or 14, as well as all
Control rolled for that turn. The character can only characters trying to use Control of 15 or beyond.
choose attacks that have a Level equal to or less
If the Attacker has rolled Control higher than needed
for his specific attack or Combo, he receives a +1

130
 5
bonus to Accuracy. though a successful use of Evasion with Full Defense
still permits movement after the attack if desired
Rolling to Hit an Opponent (see Evasion below). Whether or not the combatant
successfully defends, using Full Defense allows him
Before the roll to hit an opponent is made, the to roll one die larger for either Initiative or Control
attacker determines any factors that affect the on the following turn with no FS cost.
Accuracy of the attack. These typically include the
Accuracy of the move in question, Range, and the After the Defense Total is determined, the attacker
Control of the attacker. In addition, if the attacker rolls 1d6 + the Accuracy of the move being used +
intends to act on Full Offense this turn, this must be Accuracy Bonus (if applicable). The attacker can also
declared before the Defense Total is calculated. A spend FS on Accuracy. Each 1 FS adds 1 to Accuracy.
Fighter on Full Offense has a better chance to hit his The attacker can spend FS up to his Power Level.
opponent, but at great cost to his own defense on
the same turn. A Combo is rolled as a single attack, using only the
Accuracy of the first move in the Combo, modified
Next, the defender calculates his Defense Total. If by the total number of attacks in the Combo (see
the defender intends to act on Full Defense this below).
turn, this must also be declared during the
determination of the Defense Total. A character A combatant on Full Offense may instead roll 1d10
that has already taken any actions this turn for attacks. However, the character can choose no
(including movement) cannot act on Full Defense. defensive options besides the standard use of the
Full Defense adds to both the character’s Defense Defense Skill and even in this case, he only adds 1/2
Total, as well as his Initiative or Control on the (round down) of his Defense Skill to Defense Totals.
following turn. Furthermore, the character’s die size for either
Initiative or Control (attacker’s choice) is reduced by
The defender’s Defense Total is equal to his Skill one on the following turn and he cannot spend FS to
level in the applicable defense Skill (see Defending increase either. This latter effect is cumulative if the
Against An Attack) plus his Defense Bonus (if combatant stays on Full Offense for multiple turns.
applicable). In addition to this, the defender can Thus, after several turns on Full Offense, a
spend FS to add to his Defense Total. Each 1 FS combatant may be reduced to Initiative 1, Control 1,
adds 1 to the Defense Total. The defender can spend or both, with no die rolls (see the description of die
FS up to his Power Level in this way. sizes at the beginning of this chapter).

A combatant on Full Defense adds a set bonus to his If the attacker rolls equal to or higher than the
Defense Total based on his Power Level (see the opponent’s Defense Total, the attack hits.
Power Level Chart in Chapter 1). Full Defense can be Otherwise, it misses.
used with the Defense or Evasion Skills, but not with
the Tactics Skill. When using the Evasion Skill, the
Full Defense bonus from the Power Level Chart is
halved (round down). A combatant on Full Defense
may take no actions at all, including movement,

131
 5
has already acted this turn, they do not suffer any
Rolling an Attack effects of Hit Stun on the following turn. The
attacker then calculates whether or not Stunning
Roll 1d6 + all applicable modifiers. has occurred, and notes Knock Back and Knock
Down (if applicable).
If the total equals or exceeds the opponent’s
Defense Total, the attack hits. For convenience, it is often easiest to tally the
character’s Glory awards as he performs attacks in
Results of a Successful Attack combat. Each Special Move that hits earns Glory
equal to its level, though a particular Special Move
earns Glory only once in a round of combat, no
If the attack hits, the attacker rolls damage. This
matter how often it is used. Basic Moves do not
amount is subtracted from the opponent’s Life Bar.
earn Glory, nor do attacks that miss. A Combo earns
Once Life Bar reaches zero, the opponent is defeated.
Glory for each move in the Combo as applicable and
This usually means
then an additional 1
knocked out, but it
Glory for each move
may vary depending
(including Basic
on the needs of the
Moves) in the Combo.
story. The opponent
For example, a
may instead be
Combo beginning
merely unable to
with an L3 Special
continue fighting or
Move, followed by 4
he may be dead.
Basic Moves, and
This is decided by
concluding with an L2
the Director, taking
Special Move would
into account the
be worth 3 (for the L3
intended effect of
move) + 2 (for the L2
the character who
move) + 6 (for the
has defeated his
total number of
opponent.
moves in the Combo)
Glory, a total of 11
In addition to
Glory. This example
damage, the
presumes that the
opponent also
two Special Moves
suffers Hit Stun,
had not been used
reducing their
earlier in the combat.
Control and possibly
If they both had, this
causing him to lose
Combo would still be
his action for the
worth 6 Glory (for the
turn. If the opponent
number of moves in
the Combo).

132
 5
After the character moves and/or attacks, play alive in the imaginations of the participants.
proceeds to the character with the next highest
Initiative total who is still able to act. This is also an appropriate time for additional role-
playing between the participants. This can be trash
After Everyone Has Acted talking, taunts, and threats, vows to murder or to
bring to justice, or even the internal monologue of a
Fighter, acted out for all to hear. Furthermore,
After all characters have acted during the turn, there many of the most important character defining
are two steps remaining before proceeding to the moments and plot revelations will occur in the
next turn. middle of a fight - it’s the nature of the genre. So
the Director and the players should make the most
The first step is the Time Roll. Under default of this time to prevent combat from becoming a
conditions, the results of this roll are subtracted series of attack choices and die rolls.
from a count of 99 at the beginning of the fight. If
this counter reaches zero, the fight usually ends,
with the winner being defined as the side that has Combos
the highest percentage of Life Bar remaining.
A Combo is a term used in fighting video games to
Any character may spend FS up to their Power Level describe a series of attacks that is generally
on the Time Roll. Each FS spent adds or subtracts 1 unblockable if the first attack hits. Fighters can
from the Time Roll. The result of the Time Roll is launch Combos as a special form of attack,
always at least 1, regardless of FS spent. Opponents exchanging Accuracy and Control for significantly
may cancel one another out as one spends FS to greater damage.
increase the Time Roll and another spends FS to
decrease it. If necessary, the declaration of intent to A Combo can be as long as the combatant wishes,
spend FS on this occasion is conducted in reverse limited only by his Combo Skill level and his Control
order of Power Level (i.e., lowest to highest). If for the turn. A Combo cannot be longer than the
these are tied, the combatants declare in reverse character’s Combo Skill level. The Control necessary
order of their Speed Basic Quality. If these also are for a Combo is equal to the total Levels of all the
tied, each combatant rolls 1d6 to break the tie or moves contained within it. This is thus 1 per Basic
else just mutually agrees on who should declare Move, but if one or more Special Moves are part of a
first. Combo, there must be Control equal to each move’s
Level as well. For example, a 5-hit Combo opening
The Time Roll is 1d6. If there are more than two with an L4 Special Move would require [4+(4x1)] =
combatants active at the same time, the Time Roll is Control 8.
1d8.
A Combo can be made up of any combination of
The second step is the narrative for the turn. The Basic Moves and Special Moves. However, any
Director and the players collaborate to describe the Special Move that is not either the first or last move
action of the turn that is ending. The fighting video
game genre is driven by visuals and so all attempts
should be made to make the game’s action come

133
 5
of the Combo requires one extra Control to use. The combatant began at Range 2, provided the first
one exception to this is for a Combo composed move of the Combo closed the Range to 0.
solely of three Special Moves (i.e., a 3-hit Combo
made up of three Special Moves with no Basic A Special Move that Knocks Down the opponent can
Moves). Special Moves cannot be duplicated in a only be used at the end of a Combo (unless it has the
Combo. Bounce Element, the Juggle Element, or is a Super
Move). A Special Move with the Throw Element can
No matter how many moves make up the Combo, be used in a Combo, but it must begin at Range 0
the Combo is resolved as a single attack. A Combo and it must be the last move in the Combo. There is
suffers a –1 Accuracy penalty for every full three one exception to this: a Special Move with the Hurl
moves in the Combo. Thus, a 2-hit Combo has no Element can be followed by a Special Move with the
Accuracy penalty, a 3- to 5-hit Combo has –1 Ranged Element. A Special Move with the Increased
Accuracy, a 6- to 8-hit Combo has –2 Accuracy, etc. Knockback Element only does Increased Knock Back
If the Combo has a Special Move anywhere other if it is the last move in a Combo.
than as the opening move, there is an additional –1
Accuracy.
100% Combos and Infinite Combos
The Accuracy of a Combo is based on the first move
in the Combo; the Accuracy bonuses or penalties of Some fighting game characters possess the ability
any other move in the Combo are ignored. Likewise, to do what is commonly called a 100% Combo. This
the damage for a Combo is based on the 1st move in is an attack that is capable of taking off 100% of the
opponent’s Life Bar in a single Combo. Likewise,
the Combo. If a Special Move is in the middle or end
some other fighting game characters are capable of
of the Combo, damage is also rolled for those
pulling off an infinite Combo, which is a Combo
moves, but they are reduced to half damage (round
that, once started, cannot ever be defended against
down). Each additional Basic Move in the Combo by an opponent as long as the attacker does not
adds one to the final damage. A character’s make any mistakes (such a “feature” is often
Damage Bonus is only added once to a Combo, not considered a flaw in competitive fighting games).
to each move in the Combo. Knock Back only occurs
at the end of a Combo. The Fight! rules cannot duplicate either an infinite
Combo or even a 100% Combo. At Power Level 1, a
Any limitations that apply to movement are only character can theoretically pull off a 94% Combo
based on the first move in the Combo. Movement against another Power Level 1 character. At Power
occurs first, and then the Combo begins. Therefore, Level 8, a character can pull off a 44% Combo
a Special Move that allowed no movement could against an opponent of equal power. Both of these
follow a Special Move with the Mobile Element that situations would require very specific character
began the Combo. Similarly, any restriction on builds and a lot of luck and/or timing. While this is
Range is based after movement has concluded. For not a perfectly accurate simulation of fighting
example, a Special Move that could only be used at games, it makes for a much more playable game.
Range 0 can still be a part of a Combo even if the The average Combo in Fight! will probably do
damage equal to about 20% of an opponent’s Life
Bar, which is enough to keep fights interesting.

134
 5
If a Combo misses and the opponent uses a character’s attempt to block the opponent’s attack.
Defensive Response, he can choose any response However, other options for avoiding an attack also
based on any of the Elements in any of the Special exist. Instead of using the Defense Skill, a character
Moves that made up the Combo. can use the Evasion Skill, the Tactics Skill, or in some
cases, even a combination of the Defense and
Generating Long Combos Evasion Skills.

It isn’t especially difficult for a character to pull

off 3- to 5-hit Combos on a fairly consistent basis
Evasion
with decent Control rolls. However, this is not
While the Defense Skill represents the active
always representative of expert levels of play.
attempt to block the opponent’s attack, the Evasion
After all, while a 20-hit Combo is certainly
Skill represents the attempt to avoid the opponent’s
possible in the rules as written, it generally
attack entirely. In fighting video games, this is
requires a high Power Level, a specific sort of
specifically accomplished by crouching underneath
character build, and a decent amount of tactical
attacks or by leaping above attacks and/or away
planning and luck, as noted above.
from opponents.
However, the rules for Initiative and Hit Stun can
Instead of using the Defense Skill, a combatant can
be used as a means to narrate much longer
try to Evade his opponent’s attacks. In this case,
Combos than are actually being used in the
Evasion is used instead of Defense for the Fighter’s
game. For example, Rei Oshiro hits his opponent
Defense Total calculation. A combatant who
with a 4-hit Combo. Because of Hit Stun, his
successfully Evades may choose one of two options:
opponent does not get a chance to respond. On
1) the character may move 2 Ranges forward or
the following turn, Rei once again gets Initiative
backward (but not 1 Range), which costs 1 FS, or 2)
and hits the same opponent with another 4-hit
the character may instead receive a +2 Accuracy on
Combo. This happens yet again on the next turn.
his next attack (either on this turn or the next, as
Finally, Rei loses Initiative on the 4th turn. For
appropriate). If the combatant successfully Evades
the purposes of the story, and for the bragging
again before getting the chance to use this Accuracy
rights that go with it, it is perfectly acceptable to
bonus, he must not choose to move in order to
say that Rei hit his opponent with a 12-hit Combo
maintain the bonus. If the combatant is hit again
(the total of his three 4-hit Combos). While the
before using the bonus, the bonus is lost.
rules adjudicate Knock Back and Stunning for
each individual Combo, there’s nothing that
A combatant may also choose to both block (with
prevents providing a more glorious description of
Defense Skill) and Evade. This usually represents a
the Fighter’s awesome prowess.
crouching block. In this case, the defender adds half
(round down) of the lower skill to the higher skill
Defending Against An Attack when determining the character’s Defense Total.
This costs 1 FS, but the defender cannot move, and
When a character is the target of an attack, he must if the attacker misses, the defender does not receive
choose what defensive option he is going to use to
avoid being hit. The default method of defending
oneself is the Defense Skill. This simulates the

135
 5
a +2 Accuracy on his next attack. A character can do to take an action based on the Defensive Response
this on Full Defense as well. The Full Defense bonus chosen. If a character is eligible to use more than
is added to Defense, and then the combined one Defensive Response against an attack, he can
Defense Total is calculated as normal. Attacks that choose which one to use after successfully
have the Hard to Evade Element can apply the defending against the attack.
Accuracy bonus to a defender who is combining his
Defense and Evasion Skills. Most of the Defensive Responses described below
allow the defender to interrupt the normal Initiative
As a campaign option, combatants may also be able procedure and attack the attacker. In this case, the
to do Aerial Blocks. This allows the combatant to attacker may use the Defense Skill as usual, though
move as a successful Evasion if the defense is his Defense Skill is considered halved (round down)
successful, while getting the benefits of combining when calculating the Defense Total. The attacker
the Defense and Evasion Skills to determine his may not use any Defensive Response. The attacker
Defense Total (as described above). In this case, this may also not use the Evasion Skill, unless the
costs an additional 1 FS for the movement (and original attack possessed the Aerial Element. In all
therefore 2 FS total). cases, if this interrupting attack misses, the
attacker’s original attack still misses.
Tactics The defender may use this interrupting opportunity
to launch a Combo, provided that the interrupting
Several other additional defensive options exist attack can be used as the opening of the Combo.
utilizing the Tactics Skill and usually a Special Move This costs 2 FS and there is an additional –1
with a particular Element. These options are Accuracy on the attack.
collectively called Defensive Responses. One of the
Defensive Responses included here (the Counter In every case of an interrupting attack that is part of
Response) still uses the Defense Skill rather than the a Defensive Response, if the defender has not yet
Tactics Skill, while another (the Ranged Response) acted on this turn, the interrupting attack takes the
uses the Ki Skill; they are included here because place of the defender’s normal opportunity to act at
they generally follow the same procedures as the his place in the Initiative order. By using the Tactics
other Tactics-based defensive options described in Skill, a skilled combatant can thus violate the
this section. A character does not need to have the Initiative order and make attacks with an easier
Tactics Skill to be able to use the Counter Response chance to hit. If the defender has already acted on
or the Ranged Response. All that is necessary is a this turn, he can still use these Responses, thereby
move with the appropriate Element and levels in the possibly making more than one attack in a single
Defense Skill or the Ki Skill respectively. turn. Against multiple opponents, there is no limit
to how many Defensive Responses a character can
A Defensive Response calculates the Defense Total use in a single turn.
the same as the use of the Defense or Evasion Skills,
with the exception that the Tactics Skill is used The interrupting attack needs to be in range to hit in
instead. If the attack misses, then the defender gets order to use the appropriate Defensive Response.
For example, a normal Interrupt Special Move
cannot be used against a Ranged attack from Range

136
 5
4. Furthermore, the
defender has to have rolled
high enough Control to use
the move used in the
Response. This is also the
case if the combatant has
suffered from Hit Stun and
has reduced Control. If Hit
Stun causes the loss of the
character’s action, he
cannot use any Defensive
Response except the
Jinking Response.

Anti-Air/Juggle Response:
If the attacker jumped 2
Ranges before attacking
with a Basic Move, or used
a Special Move with the
Aerial Element, or simply
jumped 3 Ranges toward
the defender, and ends his
movement at Range 0 or
Range 1, a defender can
interrupt with any move
that has the Juggle or Anti-
Air Element. If the attacker
misses, the defender
temporarily becomes the
attacker until the Juggle or
Anti-Air attack is resolved.
Initiative then returns to
normal.

Basic Response: A
defender can interrupt with
a Basic Move. If the
attacker misses, the
defender temporarily
becomes the attacker until
the attack is resolved.
Initiative then returns to

137
 5
normal. has no effect against Ranged moves, unless the
Jinking moves the defender out of the range of the
Counter Response: If the defender successfully attack (e.g., if the Ranged move also had the Short
blocks an attack using the Defense Skill, he can Range Liability).
interrupt the normal Initiative order with a Special
Move that has the Counter Element. The current Priority Response: A defender can interrupt with
order is interrupted, and the defender temporarily any Special Move that has the Priority Element.
becomes the attacker until the Counter attack is Contrary to all other Defensive Responses, this
resolved. Initiative then returns to normal. Unlike interruption occurs regardless if the attacker misses
almost all other Defensive Responses, the Counter or not, but the defender can only use half (round
Response is based on the Defense Skill, rather than down) of his Tactics Skill when determining his
the Tactics Skill. However, any game effect that Defense Total. The defender temporarily becomes
prevents a character from using Tactics as a the attacker until the Priority Attack is resolved.
defensive option also prevents the use of the However, in the case of a Priority Response, all
Counter Response. effects of both attacks are suffered by both
combatants (i.e., damage, Knock Back, Knock
Evade Ranged Response: If being attacked with a Down, and Stunning). In other words, the attacks
Special Move with the Ranged Element, a defender are considered simultaneous, rather than the
can interrupt with any Special Move that has the defender actually “interrupting” the attacker.
Evade Ranged Element. If the attacker misses, the Initiative then returns to normal.
defender temporarily becomes the attacker until the
Evade Ranged Attack is resolved. Initiative then Ranged Response: If being attacked with a Special
returns to normal. Move with the Ranged Element, one can respond
with a Special Move with the Ranged Element. This
Interrupt Response: A defender can interrupt with works differently than other Defensive Responses.
any Special Move that has the Interrupt Element. If In this case, the Ki Skill simply replaces the Defense
the attacker misses, the defender temporarily Skill in the Defense Total calculation, rather than the
becomes the attacker until the Interrupt attack is Tactics Skill, as is the case with most other
resolved. Initiative then returns to normal. The Defensive Responses. However, any game effect
Interrupt Response is based on Tactics, while the that prevents a character from using Tactics as a
Counter Response is based on the Defense Skill. defensive option also prevents the use of the
Ranged Response.
Jinking Response: Instead of using the Evasion Skill
to evade an attack, the defender can use the Tactics Reversal Response: If the defender does not have
Skill instead. The Accuracy bonus from the Hard to Initiative and is attacked just as he has stood up on
Evade Element applies to this attack, even though the turn following being Knocked Down, he can
Tactics is used for the Defense Total rather than interrupt with any move that has the Reversal
Evasion. If the attacker misses, the defender must Element. If the attacker misses, the defender
move away one Range. This Defensive Response temporarily becomes the attacker until the Reversal
attack is resolved. However, if the Reversal attack
misses, the defender suffers a two die size penalty

138
 5
on Initiative on the following turn. Regardless of whether the Reversal attack hits or misses, Initiative then
returns to normal for the current turn after it is resolved. See the description of the Element in Chapter 4 for
more details about using the Reversal Element.

Throw Response: If the attacker attempts to attack at Range 0, a defender can interrupt with any Special
Move that has the Throw Element. If the attacker misses, the defender temporarily becomes the attacker
until the Throw is resolved. Initiative then returns to normal.

Dashes and Back Dashes

Two very common campaign options in fighting games are the ability to Dash forward or to perform a
Back Dash. One or both may be permissible in the campaign at the Director’s discretion.

A Dash allows a combatant to move forward 2 Ranges and attack with a Basic Move for a cost of 2 FS.
Unlike a jumping Basic, however, a Dash is not subject to the Anti-Air/Juggle Defensive Response.
Because a character can only spend as much FS as his Power Level in any given instance, this means
that a PL 1 character cannot use this option even if the campaign allows it.

In addition, if a combatant is at Range 2 or 1 from his opponent, and then chooses to advance 1 Range
(to either Range 1 or 0), and spends 1 FS to perform a Dash, he receives a +1 Accuracy bonus. At Range
0, this stacks with the +1 Accuracy for attacking at Range 0.

A Back Dash is a modifier to the Jinking Defensive Response. If a combatant chooses in advance to use
this response against an attack, he can spend 2 FS to perform a Back Dash. This provides a +4 bonus to
the Defense Total. If successful, the combatant moves back 2 Ranges rather than 1. As noted above,
because a character can only spend as much FS as his Power Level in any given instance, a PL 1
character cannot use this option even if the campaign allows it.

In addition, a combatant can use a Back Dash in conjunction with the Evasion Skill. For 1 FS, the
combatant gains a +2 bonus to his Defense Total while using Evasion, but if the attack misses, the
combatant must move away 2 Ranges.

Effects of a Successful Attack A Special Move has a base damage of 1d6. A Super
Move has a base damage of 1d8. A Special or Super
Move with the Ranged Element instead determines
Damage base damage according to the character’s Ki Skill
(see the description of the Ranged Element in
The damage inflicted by a successful attack is Chapter 4). This base damage may be modified by
determined by the move’s damage, modified by two the Increased Damage Element or the Decreased
factors. A move’s damage is based on what kind of
move it is. A Basic Move has a base damage of 1d4.

139
 5
Damage Liability.

An attack’s base damage is then modified by the attacker’s Strength, increasing or decreasing a number of
die sizes equal to the character’s Strength Basic Quality. Strength does not modify an attack with the
Ranged Element. The damage is then also modified by the defender’s Stamina, decreasing or increasing a
number of die sizes equal to the defender’s Stamina Basic Quality. A positive Stamina decreases damage,
while a negative Stamina increases damage. The character’s Damage Bonus (if any) is also added to
damage. Combos and certain other Elements may also affect damage.

The damage rolled is subtracted from the opponent’s Life Bar. When Life Bar reaches 0, the character is
defeated and no longer able to fight. This often means that the character has been knocked unconscious,
but depending on the circumstances of the fight and the needs of the story, a defeated character may
simply be too exhausted to continue fighting at the moment, or the character may be seriously injured and
in need of hospitalization. In some very rare cases, the Director may even declare that the defeat of a
character means his death (see Defeat, Death, and Healing).

Why Random Damage Rolls?

Fight!’s source material is the world of fighting video games. In a video game, there is little or
nothing in the mechanics of the world that is actually random, aside from the actions of the players
of the game. So, then, why are there so many random elements in the combat system of Fight!? In
large part, this is to represent the dozens of minute conditions that may apply in a software
program’s adjudication of a situation in-game without requiring rules for such in the tabletop game
that would require as much mechanical complexity as a program.

But even so, one might ask, why use random rolls for more easily controlled data, like the damage of
attacks? In most fighting video games, very little (if anything, depending on the game) can modify
the damage of an attack. Every time it hits, it has the same effect on an opponent’s Life Bar.
However, this doesn’t translate as well to a role-playing game. There are several reasons for this.
First and foremost, rolling dice is part of what makes a fight scene in a game fun for most people.
Second, the random effect of damage compensates for several other mechanical elements in the
program that would be less fun or too complicated to play out. Random damage accounts for such
things as increased damage from counter hits, the fact that Fight!’s combat system does not account
for “block damage,” which is a common part of most fighting games, and the possibility that there
are also other random Basic Move hits that occur between combatants that are simply not resolved
(especially in a long Time Count for a turn). Simply put, standardized damage would be more
accurate to the source material, but ultimately not as easy or as fun to play.

140
 5
Hit Stun regardless of his Control. See the relevant sections
for additional details.
Any attack that does damage to a character who has
not yet acted on the turn also inflicts Hit Stun on the Simplifying Hit Stun
combatant. This is to be distinguished from
Stunning, which is a more serious effect of some The additional calculation to reduce Control after
attacks (see Stunning). Hit Stun temporarily stops being struck might be confusing or slow down
the combatant, often preventing him from acting. If combat too much for some groups. As an easier
the combatant has already acted this turn, he does way to adjudicate Hit Stun, the Director can
not suffer Hit Stun when struck. simply declare that a combatant who suffers Hit
Stun loses their action for the turn. This optional
The effect of Hit Stun is to reduce the Control of the rule is especially appropriate for battles featuring
combatant. His Control drops by four points or it is multiple combatants.
reduced to half (round down), whichever is lower. If
this drops Control to zero or less, the combatant
loses his action for the turn. If he has any Control
Knock Back
remaining, he can still act, though he is limited to
choosing attacks based on his new Control total and Any attack that does damage also knocks the
his movement is limited. Instead of an attack, he opponent back 1 Range away from the attacker. A
can still choose to Refocus or Power Up, but not character will never be Knocked Back to Range 5. A
Await Opening. character at Range 4 who is successfully attacked
remains at Range 4.
If the combatant who has suffered Hit Stun has
Control remaining and wishes to move, it costs 1 FS, Knock Back does not occur after each hit during a
in addition to any other FS costs associated with Combo. At the end of the Combo, the opponent is
movement. For example, if the combatant wanted Knocked Back 1 Range.
to use a Special Move with the Mobile Element to
move 2 Ranges, it would cost 2 FS – one for moving A character who suffers damage from a Throw
2 Ranges and one for moving after suffering Hit moves back 1 Range out of Range 0 to Range 1 away
Stun. In this example, a PL 1 character could not do from the combatant who used the Throw attack,
this, as he can only spend FS up to his Power Level in even though they were Knocked Down as a result of
any given instance. the attack. This does not apply if the Throw also has
the Hurl Element. In this case, there is no Knock
If a combatant has Control remaining after suffering Back.
Hit Stun, he can also choose not to move or act at
all. In this case, his Control roll increases by two die A character who was hit by a Special Move with the
sizes on the following turn at no cost. Increased Knockback Element or by a Combo that
includes a Special Move with the Launcher Element
If a combatant is Knocked Down or Stunned by an is Knocked Back two Ranges instead of one.
attack, he does not suffer the effects of Hit Stun. He
automatically loses his action if he has not yet acted,

141
 5
Knock Down

A Fighter is Knocked Down when

he is successfully attacked by an
attack that includes the Knocks
Down Element. After being
Knocked Down, he must use his
action for the turn to stand up
instead of moving or attacking.
The normal effects of Hit Stun do
not apply in this case, and he can
still stand even if he was using
Total Defense. On the following
turn, the Fighter reduces his die
size for Initiative by one. The Total
Defense bonus does not apply (if
applicable).

If a Fighter who has been Knocked

Down has already acted this turn,
he must use his next action on the
following turn to do so. In this
case, there is no penalty to
Initiative. A combatant who was
using Full Defense has effectively
already used his action for the turn
and so must also use his action on
the following turn to stand up. A
character who has been Knocked
Down and who also subsequently
gets Initiative cannot hold and
delay standing up; he stands up
automatically when it is his turn to
act. The Director can choose to change this rule as a character who is still Knocked Down must hold and
campaign option. wait until his opponent stands before attacking
again. This is the case even if the combatants have
At the same time, however, a character who has simultaneous Initiative. Special attacks and options
been Knocked Down cannot be attacked. An to allow attacks against Knocked Down opponents
opponent with Initiative wishing to attack a will be included in future supplements.

If a character Knocks Down his opponent, he may

142
 5
choose to move 1 Range towards or away from his opponent.

If a character is Knocked Down while holding his action, he loses this held action and must use his next
action on the following turn to stand up. If two combatants are Knocked Down simultaneously, they each
lose their next actions.

Breakfalls and Tech Rolls

Two common campaign options that affect the rules for Knock Down are Breakfalls and Tech Rolls.
One or both may be permissible in the campaign at the Director’s discretion.

Both of these options presume that the defender failed to avoid the attack that caused the Knock
Down effect. A character cannot just choose to Tech Roll as a reaction to an attack that missed or to
one that hit but did not cause a Knock Down. The FS cost to perform either of these is 2. If a campaign
is using both options, this cost must be paid twice in order to gain both effects. Because a character
can only spend as much FS as his Power Level in any given instance, this means that a PL 1 character
cannot use either of these options even if the campaign allowed them, and only a PL 4 or higher
character could use both at once if both were allowed.

A Breakfall reduces the damage inflicted to 1/2 (round up). It also eliminates the loss of the defender’s
next action (whether in the current turn or in the next, as applicable) and the consequent die size
penalty to Initiative. Essentially, the Knock Down does not occur.

A Tech Roll allows 2 Ranges of movement. This movement can occur in either direction, including
through an opponent, but the movement must be 2 Ranges; the Fighter cannot choose to move only 1
Range. This movement still costs the defender’s next action however, just like the effects of a normal
Knock Down. This applies even if a Breakfall is also used at the same time.

Stunning damage in a turn exceeds an opponent’s Stun

Threshold.
Every character has a Stun Threshold. This number
is equal to the character’s Power Level + 4. If a When a Fighter is Stunned, he loses his next two
character takes damage to his Life Bar greater than actions. He must use his action on the present turn
his Stun Threshold in a single turn (from any number to recover (Hit Stun does not apply in this case), as
of attacks), he is Stunned. well as his action on the following turn. If he has
already acted in the current turn, he must use his
Damage from all Super Moves, any Special Moves next two actions on the following two turns to
with the Throw Element, and any Combo that has a recover. If the Fighter was using Total Defense when
Throw as the last move of the Combo do not add
their damage when calculating whether the total

143
 5
he was hit by the attack that Stunned him, he does
not get the Initiative or Control bonus on the After a character has been Stunned, the
following turn and he must still use two full actions accumulated damage towards his Stun Threshold is
to recover. immediately re-set to zero. Once a character has
been Stunned once during a full round of combat (or
Until the Stunned character can act, he cannot combat scene, at the Director’s discretion), a
contribute FS to his Defense Total, he cannot use character’s Stun Threshold increases by 2. If the
the Evasion or Tactics Skills to avoid attacks, and his character should be Stunned again, the Stun
Defense Skill is considered to be half (round down). Threshold increases by another 2 (i.e., +4, +6, etc.).
Unlike being Knocked Down (see above),
combatants can continue to attack the Stunned
opponent. However, the Stunned character
Other Combat Actions
immediately recovers from being Stunned after
suffering damage once and is also immune to being The majority of a character’s actions in combat will
Stunned again until he recovers, regardless of how be movement, attacking, and recovering from
much damage he takes. However, if the character Knock Downs and Stunning. However, some other
recovers from being Stunned by taking damage, he game rules permit certain characters to take other
still loses his action for this turn, and on the actions during combat. For example, a character
following turn, the formerly Stunned character with a Special Move that has the Prop Liability may
reduces his die size for Initiative by one. take an action to pick up his Prop. The following
three non-attack actions are available to all
If a character is Stunned while holding his action, he characters.
loses his held action and must still use his next two
actions on the following turns to recover. In order to use any of these three non-attack
options, a combatant cannot use any defensive
If a character is Knocked Down while he is Stunned, options during the turn besides the Defense Skill.
he still stands up as his next action, even if that None of these actions can be done during
action is also one of the two actions required to simultaneous Initiative, unless both combatants
recover from being Stunned. In other words, the wish to use one of these actions.
character stands up and begins recovering from
being Stunned with a single action. His Initiative die Refocus : This non-attack action can only be done
is reduced by one die size on the following turn. when at Range 2 or greater from any opponent. The
character re-gains FS equal to 1d4 + half of his
If two combatants are Stunned simultaneously, they Power Level (round down). This cannot bring the
each lose their next two actions. If a combatant character’s Fighting Spirit above his starting total.
recovers from being Stunned simultaneously with This action also allows 1 Range of movement away
an attack against him, he gets his full Defense skill, from the character’s opponents.
but can still use no other defensive options and his
Stun Threshold is considered re-set to zero (i.e., he Power Up: This non-attack action adds 1d6 Super
can be Stunned again). Energy to the character’s Super Energy total. This
action does not allow any movement. This action
can only be performed by characters of Power Level

144
 5
3 or greater.

Await Opening: This non-attack action can be done

multiple times over successive turns. Each Await Environmental Hazards
Opening action also allows 1 Range of movement
away from the character’s opponents. On the turn The default rules for combat assume the
following one or more successful Await Opening combatants are fighting on a large, open,
actions, each successful Await Opening action featureless plain. No matter how they move or how
increases the die size used for either Initiative or often Knock Back occurs, the combatants’ position
Control by a number of die sizes equal to the only matters in relation to one another. This is a
character’s Power Level, up to the normal limit of perfectly workable way to run combat and it keeps
1d12. If this raises both Initiative and Control to things simple. Even if the scene in which the
1d12 each, any extra die size increases remaining combat occurs is not so empty, such as a busy
become +1 Accuracy each on the character’s next downtown street during rush hour, or a lab cluttered
attack. However, any successful hit against the with expensive and dangerous equipment, the
combatant while he is Awaiting Opening before he Director may deem that the environment has no
actually takes any other action eliminates all effect on combat beyond the colorful narrative
accumulated benefits. described at the end of the turn.

Example: Yoshiro is a Power Level 3 character with However, adding obstacles and especially hazards to
an Initiative of 1d6 and Control of 1d6. He decides the battlefield can add further levels of tactical
to Await Opening and he is not hit during the turn. depth to a fight. Furthermore, certain Special
On the next turn, he can choose to Await Opening or Moves are useful specifically for their ability to
to do something else. If he Awaits Opening again, manipulate the positioning of the opponent. The
his Initiative for the turn remains 1d6. If he decides following rules apply to tracking various
to do something else, his Initiative and Control Environmental Hazards in combat. This system is
would increase a total of three die sizes. His highly abstract, but it creates new options for
Initiative could increase three die sizes, his Control movement and positioning while still eliminating
could increase three die sizes, or he could increase the need for any sort of “game board” to run
each some combination of three die sizes. Yoshiro combat.
decides to continue to Await Opening and he still
doesn’t take any damage during the turn. On the An Environmental Hazard is defined as any element
third turn, once again, if he chooses to continue to of a fight scene that could directly affect the
Await Opening, his Initiative remains 1d6. outcome of the combat. The two most common
Otherwise, he could add a total of six die sizes to forms of Environmental Hazards, especially in a
Initiative and Control. This would automatically tournament combat setting, are walls and ring-outs.
bring both die sizes to 1d12 each. If Yoshiro Other possibilities might include cliffs or roof edges,
continued one more turn Awaiting Opening before explosive devices, elevation changes, or deathtraps.
attacking, he would also get a +3 Accuracy, as his
Initiative and Control would already both be 1d12 The position of all Environmental Hazards is tracked
and the extra die size increases would become by their Distance away from the combatants. For
bonuses to Accuracy instead.

145
 5
example, the Director may declare that there are every combatant and their Distance from every
gigantic bonfires Distance 3 away from both Environmental Hazard in the battle and update the
combatants. It is up to the Director to decide list at the end of the turn based on the combatants’
whether or not a particular Hazard is equidistant current positions.
from each combatant at the start of a fight. A
character’s distance away from an Environmental Example: Asuka is Distance 2 away from a spiked
Hazard is recorded by the Director or the player, as pit. Cannon McCabe is Distance 1 away from a cliff
they see fit. The Director should avoid putting in too edge. These two characters move into Range 2 with
many features that actually influence combat in a one another. At the end of the turn, their new
single combat sequence. As each must be tracked Distances to the Environmental Hazards need to be
separately for each combatant, this can quickly determined. Regardless of their previous Distances,
become unwieldy. Remember that minor terrain Cannon is now considered to be Distance 3 (Asuka’s
features may be just a matter of description rather Distance of 2+1) from the spiked pit and Asuka is
than having actual game effects on the combatants. now considered Distance 2 (Cannon’s Distance of 1+
1) away from the cliff. If it had been the case that
Ranges and Distances serve similar purposes in Asuka was already Distance 1 from the cliff, she
combat, but are not equivalent to one another. would remain Distance 1 from the cliff at the end of
Range is only used to describe the space between the turn; she would not suddenly move to Distance
combatants. Distance is only used to describe the 2, because the shortest Distance away from an
space between a combatant and an Environmental Environmental Hazard is always used.
Hazard. One can never be more than Distance 6
away from a Hazard without actually leaving the Neither a character’s normal movement nor the
scene of the combat. effects of Knock Back against him ever bring him or
his opponent closer to an Environmental Hazard
When characters are within proximity to one unless they explicitly say they are moving towards or
another, they also share their proximity to away from one. It is possible to use movement to
Environmental Hazards. If two characters are within move closer or further away from an Environmental
Range 2 or less from one another, they are also Hazard while maintaining the same distance from
automatically considered to be the same Distance, an opponent. In this case, the movement is simply
plus one, away from all Environmental Hazards in noted in the character’s Distance from the
the battle. In every case, use the closest Distance Environmental Hazard, while his position in relation
between any particular Fighter and the to other combatants does not change. The Distance
Environmental Hazard in question for this moved is equal to the movement in Ranges. For
calculation. If a character was already closer than example, a character jumping without an attack
this calculation determines, that character’s original, could move 3 Distances towards or away from an
closer Distance remains in effect. This calculation Environmental Hazard. A character can only move
occurs at the end of the turn before the Time Roll is towards or away from a single Environmental
made, not after each character’s individual Hazard during a turn.
movement. The Director should create a list of
If a character does wish to move towards or away
from an Environmental Hazard and an opponent at

146
 5
Range 2 or less wishes to prevent this, a Maneuver knocked Cannon off a cliff with his Unleash the
Check must be made. This is a contested Tactics Storm ki attack. At the time of the attack, Koichiro
Skill check using 1d6 rather than 1d10. The winner was Distance 3 from the cliff. On the following turn,
of this check succeeds in moving or preventing his Koichiro doesn’t move and Cannon leaps back up
opponent’s movement, as appropriate. A character onto the cliff edge. At that point, Cannon is
can also use a Maneuver Check to direct his Knock Distance 2 from the cliff (see below) and Range 3
Back of an opponent towards an Environmental away from Koichiro (the same Distance as Koichiro
Hazard. The opponent is allowed a contested Skill is from the cliff).
check even if he is Knocked Down or Stunned, as the
Maneuver Check represents movement on the part Pits: Falling into a Pit does damage to the character.
of both combatants for ideal positioning before the The character is considered out of combat until he
attack even hits. escapes from the Pit. A character can spend an
action to leap out of a Pit, unless the Director
Effects of Environmental Hazards declares the Pit too deep, in which case the
character remains out of the fight. Once out of the
An Environmental Hazard affects a character once Pit, the character is at Distance 2 from the
he is Distance 0 away from it. The specific effects of Environmental Hazard.
this depend on the Hazard.
Elevation Changes: An Elevation Change can be
Many forms of Environmental Hazards simply do defined as either higher or lower than the
damage to a combatant and have no other effect. surrounding terrain. When a character reaches
The standard damage is 1d6 + the highest PL of any Distance 0, they are assumed to be on the higher or
of the combatants involved in the combat, though lower elevation (as appropriate). This represents a
the Director can modify this damage as appropriate change of no more than a few feet. A character
for his setting. After suffering damage, the fighting from a higher elevation does +1 damage to
character is Knocked Back 1 Distance away from the an opponent at a lower elevation. A character
Environmental Hazard that caused the damage. fighting from a lower elevation has a +2 bonus to
Evade opponents at a higher elevation, but only if he
More specific effects of Environmental Hazards chooses not to move with a successful Evasion.
depend on the nature of the Hazard. The following These two effects occur concurrently; a combatant
examples all add a vertical dimension to combat. As who moves to a higher elevation gains the damage
a general rule applying to any condition that bonus, but a combatant targeting him gains the
removes a character from combat, when the benefits of lower elevation.
character re-joins combat, he is considered to be at
a Range away from other combatants equal to the Major Elevation Changes: A battle arena may have
Distance those combatants are from the height differences in it that are much more
Environmental Hazard that took the character out of significant, such as a cliff or rooftop. At Distance 0,
the fight. a character either falls off to a lower Elevation
Change or is backed against the wall of a higher
Example: Cannon McCabe is battling Koichiro in a
desolate mountainous region. Koichiro has just

147
 5
Elevation Change. In the former case, the character the opponent before Knock
suffers Environmental Hazard damage from the fall. Back and the same Distance
In the latter case, the character is treated as if he from the Environmental
was against a Wall (see below). Hazard as the defender. A
Special Move with
A character is always presumed to be able to take the Ranged Element
an action to jump down to a lower Elevation can attack an
Change. It is up to the Director to decide opponent who is
whether or not a character can take an either above or below
action to jump up a Major Elevation the attacker, but the
Change. In either case, the Range is considered to
character is then be one further away.
considered Distance 2 There is no effect on
away from the either Accuracy or damage in this case.
Environmental
Hazard. Characters Walls and Ring-Outs
who have been
affected by a Major Two of the most common Environmental
Elevation Change Hazards are the walls of an arena or fighting
Environmental space, or the possibility of falling out of the
Hazard are fighting area and thus out of the fight.
considered out of combat with Ring-Outs are different than the Major
the exceptions noted below. If Elevation Changes discussed above. In the
another character follows the case of elevation changes, there is the
character who has been affected by the presumption that the battle continues in
Environmental Hazard, the two combatants may the new location. In the case of a Ring-Out,
continue combat on their own away from other once an opponent falls out of the fighting
combatants. space, the battle is over. This is usually
because the fight is a tournament fight
It is up to the Director to decide whether or not a and those are the tournament rules – a
character at Distance 1 can leap down onto an combatant who leaves the ring
opponent within Distance 2 of the lower elevation of automatically loses the fight. However,
this Environmental Hazard. This must be either a a Ring-Out might mean that the
leaping Basic Move or a Special Move with both the combatant has fallen miles to his
Aerial Element and the Mobile Element allowing 2 mysterious fate, unable to be
Ranges of movement before an attack. This attack followed, or perhaps stepping off the
does +1 damage, but the attack also has –2 platform shifts the combatant to
Accuracy. Regardless of whether or not the attack another dimension. The Director
hits, the attacker is considered to be at Range 1 from might just use rules for Ring-Outs as
a simplified form of elevation change, noting that

148
 5
once a combatant has fallen a significant distance, it because Walls and Ring-Outs are exempt from the
is impractical for the story to continue the fight. proximity rule for Environmental Hazards (see
above). Duke is thus much closer to a Ring-Out.
Walls and Ring-Outs are set up like any other Therefore, Duke chooses to move towards his
Environmental Hazard: they are assumed to be a opponent by jumping 3 Ranges. This makes the new
certain Distance away from the combatants at the Range 2 (forward to Range 0, through the opponent
beginning of the fight. However, because they mark to Range 1 on the other side, and then onward to
specific boundaries of the field of combat, the Range 2). As Duke has moved through his
effects of movement in regard to them are different opponent, he can choose to switch Distances with
than other Environmental Hazards. his opponent regarding the Ring-Out Environmental
Hazard, which he wishes to do. Now Asuka is
Walls and Ring-Outs are an exception to the above Distance 1 from a Ring-Out, while Duke is now
rule that re-calculates the Distance to an Distance 3.
Environmental Hazard based on the proximity of
combatants to one another at the end of the turn. Effects of Walls and Ring-Outs
Walls and Ring-Outs always remain at the same
Distance from any given character unless movement
Walls: A character at Distance 0 from a Wall is
or Knock Back specifically changes this, according to
against the Wall. Opponents at Range 0 or Range 1
the following rules.
receive +1 Accuracy on all attacks. A Special Move
with the Juggle Element does an additional +2
If the environment features Walls or Ring-outs,
damage to a character against a Wall. Knock Back
Knock Back always moves the opponent 1 Distance
has no effect against a combatant at Distance 0
towards this feature unless the attacker specifically
from a Wall; his Range away from his opponents
uses a Maneuver Check to prevent it or if neither
stays the same after being hit. Some campaigns
combatant wishes to move towards the Wall or
may use the option that Knocking Back an opponent
Ring-Out. This is in addition to the normal Knock
into a Wall also causes a Knock Down. Instead of or
Back of 1 Range away from the opponent. If both
in addition to Knock Down, Knocking Back an
options exist (e.g., an arena with two walled sides
opponent into a Wall may also cause damage (if the
and two open sides), Knock Back does not move one
Walls are electrified, for example).
towards either feature without a Maneuver Check.
In many 2-D fighting games, there are “walls” on
If a combatant moves through an opponent (i.e.,
either side of the screen, even though the
from Range 1 to Range 0 back to Range 1 again on
background does not show any walls. Getting an
the other side of the opponent), he can choose to
opponent into the corner of the screen is often a
exchange his Distance from a Wall or Ring-Out with
sound tactic for victory. The Director can set up
his opponent’s.
these arbitrary walls in a normal, non-walled
fighting arena if he desires. The rules are the same
Example: Asuka is Distance 3 from a Ring-Out.
as for normal Walls.
Duke Diesel is only Distance 1. The two characters
are at Range 1. Despite this close Range, Asuka is
not considered to be Distance 2 from a Ring-Out

149
 5
Ring-Outs: A character at Distance 0 from the away from the Danger Zone to avoid its effects. As a
edge of an arena incurs a Ring-Out. As noted variant, an entire arena could be a Danger Zone,
above, the specific effects of this vary with the causing additional damage every time a character
nature of the Ring-Out. For example, the character suffers a Knock Down.
may fall a few feet off the raised floor of the official
tournament arena, or he may fall off a 1000-foot Movement and Knock Back are considered differently
cliff. In most cases where Ring-Outs are an if the Danger Zone is a ring around the normal arena.
Environmental Hazard, suffering a Ring-Out means If a combatant is at Distance 0 from a Danger Zone
losing the tournament fight, regardless of how and is then Knocked Back, his distance is then
much Life Bar the character has remaining. recorded as being away from the main arena, as if the
normal arena were an Environmental Hazard.
Corners: In addition to Walls, a separate Furthermore, anyone wishing to close with the
Environmental Hazard can be defined as a Corner. combatant must willingly move towards the Danger
Any movement or Knock Back towards a Wall can Zone and, once at Distance 0 from the Danger Zone,
also simultaneously be towards or away from a must also measure Distance away from the main
Corner. Unlike a Wall, however, a Maneuver Check arena. A further complication could be added by
is necessary to Knock Back an opponent towards a including a Wall at the edge of the Danger Zone,
Corner. If a character is at Distance 0 from both a requiring the Director to keep track of Distance from
Wall and a Corner at the same time, attacks both the arena proper and the Walls for characters
against the character receive an additional +1 stuck in the Danger Zone.
Accuracy over the normal +1 Accuracy for fighting
against a Wall. The same Knock Back rules for Example: Miriya is at Distance 0 from the Danger
Walls also apply. Furthermore, a character in a Zone. Akiko closes with her to Range 0 and kicks her
Corner has a –2 on any Maneuver Check to move back 2 Ranges and 2 Distances with an attack with the
away from the Corner. A character that is at Increased Knock Back Element. Miriya’s player now
Distance 0 from a Corner but not a Wall suffers no records the fact that she is Distance 2 from the safe
particular effects; Corners only modify the effects arena floor. She continues to suffer the effects of the
of Walls. Danger Zone if she is Knocked Down. However, if
Akiko wishes to close from Range 2, her movement
Danger Zones: As a variant on Ring-Outs, fighting also automatically brings her closer in Distance to the
arenas may have an explosive, electrical, or Danger Zone Environmental Hazard. So she closes to
magical border to them. This replaces the normal Range 0 again, which automatically also moves her 2
effects of a Ring-Out. Once at Distance 0, if a Distances closer to the Danger Zone. This situation
character suffers a Knock Down in this area, he will continue until both of them are back in the main
suffers damage from the Environmental Hazard. arena once again.
The character then stays at Distance 0. Unlike
normal Environmental Hazards, the character is
not Knocked Back away from the Danger Zone by
the Hazard’s damage. The character must move

150
 5
Bar recovers in Fight! The default presumption is
Simplified Walls and Ring-Outs that characters have full Life Bars at the beginning
of each fight and at the beginning of each round of a
If a grid is being used to determine the multi-round fight as well. This keeps things simple
parameters of an arena (i.e., a grid with six bands and is certainly faithful to the video game source
on which all of the combatants are located), the material, in which each character begins a new
grid can also be used to define the location of round with a full Life Bar, no matter how badly one
Walls or Ring-Outs. Instead of tracking was beaten in the round before. After all, the
Distances for individual combatants, the Wall or characters are supposed to be larger than life
Ring-Out is simply located at either edge of the anyway.
grid. Thus, if an opponent is Knocked Back off
either edge, instead of shifting all the One will also note that there is absolutely no
combatants to keep everyone on the grid, the possibility of death in the rules as written. A
character that has been Knocked Back is “defeat” defined as death should only occur when it
considered to be against the Wall or has suffered benefits the story and the campaign as a whole. It
a Ring-Out. It should be noted, however, that should be very rare that an NPC Fighter dies
hitting Walls and suffering Ring-Outs will be definitively. Player character death should never
extremely common using this method. occur, unless it has been mutually agreed on by both
the Director and the player for the sake of the
campaign as a whole. On the other hand, depending
Defeat, Death, and Healing on the seriousness of the campaign, innocents and
non-Fighter NPCs can be liberally maimed,
As noted above in the section on damage, a hospitalized, and killed as necessary to keep the
character who is reduced to 0 Life Bar has been drama level melodramatically high.
defeated. While this normally means the character
is unconscious, it is up to the Director to decide
exactly what “defeated” means. In many cases, a
player character will simply be too exhausted to
continue fighting when they are defeated. If they
are knocked unconscious, they will regain
consciousness when it is dramatically appropriate
for the story. On the other hand, if an important
NPC friend is defeated in combat, the Director may
decide that he is laid up in the hospital, struggling to
recover from a broken back. This can serve to
motivate the heroes to seek revenge on their
friend’s behalf. So the definition of “defeat”
depends on the needs of the story.

There are no formal rules for the rate at which Life

151
 5
Optional Rules for Slower Recovery
Team Combat
The fundamental structure of fighting video games
For some players, the default rule may not be
is based on one-on-one combat. On the other hand,
realistic enough. Furthermore, fast and full
the most common structure of a tabletop role-
healing eliminates the possibility of one
playing game involves a number of characters allied
common dramatic device in martial arts
with one another, acting as a team. This can be
storytelling: “I’m still reeling from that last
difficult when it comes to combat in Fight! It is
encounter; how will I survive this one?” If
usually not much fun for other players to wait
desired, the Director can use the following rules
around for their chance to engage in a one-on-one
for recovering Life Bar between fights.
combat during a tournament, even if the Director
makes an effort to continue the story with
After a fight (either a round of combat or as
“backstage” events involving the other PCs while
defined by the Director), a character recovers
one of them is in the ring.
Life Bar and Fighting Spirit equal to his Stamina
+ his Defense Bonus + his Power Level
On the other hand, combat scenes involving
(minimum 1). If the character gets eight hours
multiple combatants on each side have their own set
of rest of at least moderate quality, he will
of difficulties. They tend to be more complicated
recover all of his Fighting Spirit and his Life Bar
and a little longer to resolve. They sometimes fail to
will recover an additional number of points
highlight a character’s particular combat tricks and
equal to his Power Level. Fighting Spirit can
tactics, designed for one-on-one combat. And
also be recovered with Serene Meditation. Each
perhaps most significantly, they don’t correspond to
hour of meditation will recover Fighting Spirit
the traditional pattern of the genre that inspired this
equal to the Skill check, divided by 4 (round
role-playing game in the first place.
down). Of course, after an hour or two, the
Director should feel free to interrupt the
This section of the combat rules provides a series of
character’s meditations with gratuitous combat!
alternatives that allow more than one player
character to be involved in combat at the same
The purpose of these rules is to increase the
time, without necessarily resorting to the full mass
tension of the story. They are best used when
melee of team-on-team combat. These patterns all
the Director has a well-balanced series of
conveniently conform to patterns found in fighting
encounters he wishes the heroes to fight
video games as well.
through and he wants to encourage smarter,
more conservative combat. On the other hand,
There are two basic formations for team combat
if the Director has one or more encounters
found in traditional fighting video games. Either of
planned that are meant to really tax the limits of
these can be used as an alternative to whole teams
the heroes, they should be allowed full recovery
of characters fighting at the same time. The two
after each fight.
formations are an alternative method of team
combat and tag team combat.

Even though these formations are usually intended

152
 5
for tournament combat, there is nothing to restrict enters combat in the exact same position, both in
the Director from coming up with reasons why these terms of Range from opponents and Distance from
formats are used in non-tournament combat. One any Environmental Hazards. The new teammate
of the easiest ways to justify these forms of team also immediately rolls Initiative and Control and
combat outside of a formal arena is the conventions enters the turn sequence (though they cannot spend
of the martial arts genre itself: martial artists often FS to modify these rolls). If the entering character
choose the glory of one-on-one combat, and their rolled a higher Initiative than any Fighters remaining
allies often support this choice, even when their who have not yet acted, the entering character acts
friend is being badly beaten. Only when their friend immediately. Once the switch occurs, Initiative
actually calls for their support do they enter the continues as normal.
battle.
The Switch action can also be used at the end of a
The first formation is simply the use of two or three Combo. This counts as an L2 Special Move for
person teams. In this case, combat is conducted like determining the Control cost and Accuracy penalty
normal one-on-one combat. The winner of a round of the Combo. If the Combo misses, however, the
stays to fight the next team member on the switch still occurs. If the Combo hits, however, and
opposing team, but in between rounds, he regains the new character gains Initiative and is able to act
Life Bar equal to his Power Level + [Time Remaining/ immediately and then chooses to Combo, the new
10] before facing the next fighter. In this Combo gains a +2 Accuracy bonus. The Switch
arrangement, the team with fighters remaining wins action can be put at the end of a Combo as often as
the match. desired in a single turn, provided each subsequent
Combo hits. Thus, it is possible to string together a
The second formation is two or three person tag number of Combos with Switches in them in a single
teams. Full rules for tag teams are presented in the turn, as the two teammates take turns attacking the
next section. opponent.

Tag Team Combat Example of Combat

A Tag Team combat is a battle in which only one Rei Oshiro, scion to a family tradition sworn to
team member is fighting at any time, but a defend a particular set of mystic artifacts from
combatant can immediately call on his partner to falling into the hands of those who would use them
jump in and take his place while he recovers on the for selfish ends, has confronted Dr. Jason Battle,
sidelines. In future supplements, there will be occult-trained relic hunter in an ancient
additional options to allow both partners to be underground city. The ruins are the resting place of
involved at once, although only in certain an enormous Demon Stone, capable of
circumstances. transforming the world if properly activated and
focused. Battle wants the stone to fulfill his goals,
Tag Team fights allow an additional non-attack while Oshiro plans to guard the stone’s resting
action: Switching Teammates. By using this action
place. Both Rei and Battle are Power Level 3.
in place of movement or an attack, teammates can
instantly switch places in the arena. The teammate

153
 5
Director: This underground cavern is brimming with Hunter Kick is Mobile, so I spend 1 FS to move 2
ambient ki energy. You can feel that your opposing Ranges to Range 1.
spirits are strong enough to de-stabilize the entire
ruins! We’ll start at Range 3. The Time Count will be Director: Okay. Battle chooses to Evade. He has a
set at 99. Defense Bonus of 1 and a Skill level of 2, so that’s 3. I’ll
put two Fighting Spirit into it because he’s ready for
Rei: What happens at zero? the attack. That’s a Defense Total 5. So you need to
roll a 5 or better.
Director: Bad things. De-stabilizing things. Maybe
“crushed under mountains of rock” kinds of things. Rei: Okay, cool. My Accuracy for this 5-hit Combo is 1
Okay, time for Initiative. Dr. Battle will be spending for the kick, 1 for having more Control than I needed,
1 FS to add to his Initiative. and 1 for my own Accuracy bonus. So, +3.

Rei: I have 1d6 for Initiative and 1d8 for Control and Director: That’s a difficult Combo though; a 5-hit
a +1 Control Bonus. Combo gets you a -1.

Director: Good! Battle has a d10 for Initiative, but Rei: Okay, so +2. I’ll spend two Fighting Spirit for a
since he’s using a point of Fighting Spirit, he’ll have a total of +4. I guess I don’t need to roll. Pow! “This
d12 instead. He has 1d6 for Control. Let’s roll it. ends here, Jason! We determine who’s the best right
now!” My damage is 1d6+1 for the Demon Hunter
Rei: 5 for Initiative and 8 for Control. Kick, but my Strength increases it to 1d8+1. What
about Battle’s Stamina?
Director: A 1 for Initiative! Crap! And... 5 for Control.
Rei, you go first then. Director: Actually, it’s a –1, so your damage increases
to 1d10+1.
Rei: Okay, I have 8 Control to work with. Not bad.
I’m definitely going to begin with a Combo. I’ll start Rei: Awesome! I also get +4 for the 4 Basic Moves I
with my Demon Hunter Kick. It’s L3. Then I’ll add stuck on, so 1d10+5!
four more Basic Moves for a 5-hit Combo. That’s 7 of
my 8 Control. Director: Looks right - roll it!

Director: Not spending that last point? Rei: A 5! 10 points damage!

Rei: Nope. Director: Wow! Battle is down to 40 Life Bar already.

He gets Knocked Back to Range 2. He’s not Knocked
Director: Why not? Down, is he?

Rei: I want the Accuracy bonus. Oh, I need to move Rei: No, the Demon Hunter Kick doesn’t Knock Down.
first. I forgot we were at Range 3. The Demon
Director: Well, that’s something. But that’s also more
damage than Battle’s Stun Threshold, so he’s Stunned.
This is not going well for the good doctor! This is the

154
 5
first hit of the Rei: I’m totally
battle, so Rei, pressing this
you get 3 advantage! I’m
Fighting spending 1 FS on
Spirit back, both Initiative
the same as and Control.
your Power That gives me
Level. Battle 1d8 and 1d10.
has to use his
turn to begin Director: Battle
recovering spends Fighting
from being Spirit on
Stunned. Initiative too,
That’s it. So keeping his 1d12.
that’s the Let’s roll.
turn - Rei
leapt forward Rei: Crap!
toward Initiative 2,
Battle, Control 7.
ambient ki
trailing behind him as he flew through the air. The Director: Initiative 9! I rolled Control 4, but that
first kick landed, then he twisted his hips to land doesn’t really matter this turn. It looks like Dr.
another kick while still in the air, and as he came to Battle catches a break through a momentary lapse
land on his feet followed up with flurry of punches. in Rei’s concentration. Time to get back into the
All the blows landed, sending the relic hunter reeling fight! But I have to use this action to recover from
back across the pulsing rocks of the ruins. being Stunned too. At least Battle will have the
benefit of his full defensive capabilities for the
Rei: I get Glory, right? remainder of the turn.

Director: Yeah, 8 Glory this turn: 3 for using a Level Rei: I’m still bummed that I’m not going to be able to
three move (the Demon Hunter Kick) and 5 more for annihilate this guy quickly. Oh, well. You know
hitting with a 5-hit Combo. You also get 3 Super what? I’m going for the same Combo I had planned
Energy (1 for the turn, 1 for the Special Move, and 1 anyway. I’m starting with the Airwalk Fist and then
for the successful Combo). Battle gets 2 Super I’m adding three more Basic Moves. That’s 7
Energy (1 for the turn and 1 for suffering Life Bar Control, just what I rolled.
damage).
Director: OK, I should choose to go on Total Defense
Rei: How long was that? I’m worried about these at this point…but where’s the guts in that? I’m
ruins. going to use Tactics for defense. With my Defense

Director: Not long at all. A 3. The Time Count drops

from 99 to 96. Next turn!

155
 5
Bonus and another 3 FS, Battle’s Defense Total is 6. Total is 3.

Rei: OK, let me see if I can figure out my Accuracy Director: OK. A Basic Move has +0 Accuracy, but I
for this. The Airwalk Fist has no mod, and I have my get a +1 because I have more Control than I need for
+1 Accuracy Bonus. I get –1 for attempting a 5-hit the attack. Hey! It looks like my Control mattered
Combo, right? So that’s a +0 total. after all!

Director: Nope. You never moved and you’re still at Rei: Yeah, but you’re attacking at Range 2 too.
Range 2. Remember?

Rei: I can’t move when using the Airwalk Fist. Can I Director: Yes, yes. OK, so that’s a –1. Right now, I
attack at this Range? have a +0 Accuracy, and Battle spends 2 FS, so he
has a +2. So I don’t need to roll to hit.
Director: Yes, but attacking at Range 2 has another –
1 Accuracy, so you have a –1 to hit. Rei: So I suffer the humiliation of both missing and
getting hit in response?
Rei: OK. I’ll spend 3 FS on Accuracy. So I get a total
+2. [Rolls] A 3. 5 total – a miss. Director: Yup. The damage is only 1d4 for a Basic
Move, but Battle has a +1 Damage Bonus. His
Director: Had Battle just used Defense, your attack Strength and your Stamina are both 0, so there’s no
simply would have missed. But he used Tactics, modifier for that. I guess that’s it. [Rolls] Four
which means I get to choose a Defensive Response points of damage.
to use on Rei. Right now, I can only use the Basic
Response or Jinking. I’m going to use the Basic Rei: My Life Bar drops to 46. Knock Back?
Response and see if I can’t get a simple jab to strike
home. Director: Yes, so we are now at Range 3. No Knock
Down, no Stunning. Shaking the stars out of his
Rei: OK, how do I figure my Defense Total against eyes, Battle’s vision clears just in time to see Rei’s
this? Is it the same as a normal attack? body tensing up for a powerful uppercut. Acting on
instinct honed from hundreds of precarious
Director: No. Because you’re defending against a situations in his long career, Dr. Battle throws a
Defensive Response, you only get to use the quick kick into Rei’s side. Rei tumbles to the ground
Defense Skill, and your skill level is halved. and rolls back to his feet, ready to re-engage.
“You’re not ready to take me on, Oshiro! I’ve learned
Rei: I have a 3 Defense. Do I round up or down? techniques you couldn’t even imagine!” No one
earns Glory this turn –you missed and Battle only
Director: Down, my soon-to-be-struck opponent. used a Basic Move. But you do get 3 more Super
So that’s a 1. Energy. Battle gets only one more.

Rei: Yikes. I’ll spend 2 FS on defense. My Defense Rei: Time Roll?

Director: Wow! Only a 1. Busy turn! Down to 95.

156
 5
Ready for next turn? Director: A successful Evasion means either he can
move out of the way or take an Accuracy bonus on
Rei: Let’s do this. We’re back at Range 3, just like we his next attack. I’ll be doing the latter. So not much
started. I’m not spending any Fighting Spirit on really happened this turn. Battle cautiously moved
Initiative or Control. forward, sizing you up…

Director: OK, neither am I. Let’s roll. Rei: …and then I stepped forward to throw a strong
punch…
Rei: Initiative 4, Control 2. Great.
Director: …and Battle ducked underneath it. The
Director: Initiative 5, Control 1. Not much better. adventurer has a devious smirk on his face. No
Battle has Initiative. I’m going to advance 1 Range Glory this turn either. Rei gets 1 Super Energy, as
and stop. We’re now at Range 2. does Battle. Time Count…4! I guess there was a lot
of cautiously moving in and out of range before we
Rei: Why did you do that? had that dull exchange. 91 left on the Time Count.
Let’s get a more exciting turn going!
Director: Well, really, it’s none of your business,
but…we both rolled lousy Control, so probably not Rei: OK. We’re in range for my best Combos now!
much is going to happen this turn, so I’m going to I’m going to spend 1 FS on Initiative and 2 FS on
set up for next turn. Plus I get a +1 to my Defense Control. That’ll be 1d8 and 1d12.
Totals this turn for moving 1 Range and not
attacking. Director: Battle spends 1 FS on each as well. 1d12
and 1d8 for me. Roll them.
Rei: We’ll see how this works out. I’m also moving
forward 1 Range to Range 1 and attacking with a Rei: Initiative 8 and Control 10! Yes! That makes up
Basic Move. I have more Control than I need, so I for last turn.
get a +1 Accuracy.
Director: No, it doesn’t, I’m afraid: Initiative 9,
Director: Good. Battle is going to use his Evasion Control 4. It’s Battle’s move first.
Skill. He has a Skill level of 2, plus his Defense
Bonus, and he once again is going to spend 3 FS on Rei: This guy is annoyingly fast.
defense. Defense Total of 7.
Director: Yeah, but you’ve already seen that he can’t
Rei: 7? Wow. +1 Accuracy for Control and +1 for my take a punch. He’s going to move in 1 Range to
Accuracy Bonus, and…3 more FS. +5 should do it. Range 0. And he’s going to do a Throw. That costs
[Rolls] Crap! Another 1! I missed! him 1 FS.

Director: The ki energy in this place must be aligned Rei: Are Throws unblockable like they are in fighting
against you. Battle’s Evasion is successful.

Rei: So what does that mean?

157
 5
games? Director: Actually, you’re not. Damage from Throws
is not applied against Stun Threshold.
Director: No, but they do get a bonus to Accuracy.
How are you going to defend yourself? Rei: Am I Knocked Back?

Rei: I’m just going to use Defense; it’s my best Skill. Director: Normally, yes, a Throw would knock you
So that’s 3. I’ll spend 3 more FS to give me a 6 back to Range 1. But this move has the Hurl
Defense Total. That’s the best I can do. Element. Instead of Knock Back, you get hurled
away 2 Ranges to Range 2. Also, all Throws Knock
Director: You could skip your action for the turn and Down the opponent.
go on Full Defense. It will add 2 more to your
Defense Total and give you an Initiative bonus next Rei: So I lose my action standing up, right?
turn.
Director: That’s right, you would. Except you chose
Rei: That sounds good, I guess. Let’s try that. to go on Total Defense, which counts as your action
Defense Total 8. Rei instinctively reacts to Battle’s for the turn. So you will have to spend your action
lunge forward and gets ready to respond! next turn to stand up. OK, so Battle closed in with
Rei for a grapple and then threw him away 15 feet
Director: Alright. Battle is using his Heart Breaker. It onto some jagged rocks.
has an Accuracy bonus of +1, I get +1 for being at
Range 0, and I get a +2 bonus for successfully Rei: Ouch. Oshiro groans in pain and frustration.
Evading last turn. I will spend another 1 FS on Mostly frustration.
Accuracy, giving me a +5 against your 8. [Rolls] 5!
That hits. Director: Battle gets 3 Glory for using his Level three
Throw. And you get 2 more Super Energy, 1 for the
Rei: Today is clearly not a good day to be the hero. turn and 1 for suffering Life Bar damage. Battle gets
2 for the turn and for the Special Move. Hey, how
Director: Battle whispers in Oshiro’s ear, “You were much Super Energy do you have now?
going to defeat me, Oshiro? How were you going to
do that? A family legacy is not the same thing as Rei: Nine. One point away from being able to do a
technique and experience. You don’t stand a Super Move…
chance!” The damage for the Heart Breaker is 1d8,
which isn’t modified by your Stamina. Battle does Director: Let’s see if you can make that happen.
have a +1 Damage Bonus, so 1d8+1. [Rolls] 7 – so Time roll 2; we’re down to 89 and we’re at Range 2.
that’s 8 points off your Life Bar. You’ll have to spend the next turn standing up. Let’s
go!
Rei: OK. I’m down to 38 now. Crap! 8 points is
higher than my Stun Threshold! I’m Stunned! And the battle continues.

158
 5
pair of a Fighter and a Thug group is run as a
Thug Thrashing separate duel. The guidelines for running combats
with more than two combatants can also be used to
The Thug Thrashing sub-system of combat should simplify large Thug fights. In the case of huge
be used anytime in which Fighter-level combatants battles, it fits the martial arts genre to have the
engage non-Fighter-level combatants. Thus, characters face a limited number of Thug groups at
despite the name of the sub-system, these rules are once, but have more Thug groups waiting to take
used when player characters are fighting thugs, their place in combat; as one group is defeated,
security forces, military personnel, law another runs up to join the fight.
enforcement, or even normal, non-combat-trained
opponents. “Thug” is the term used to represent all In exceptional situations, a “Thug group” may
non-Fighter-level opponents in combat. Fighters possess a single member. This would be the case if
and Thugs are generally in entirely different leagues the remainder of the group had been incapacitated
when it comes to combat ability. A competent in combat, but a “group” may also be constructed
Fighter, especially one trained to fight multiple with just one member. For example, a single Thug 5
opponents, can often handle dozens of foes at the could provide a challenge for a single PL 1 Fighter.
same time. Thug Levels (see below) cannot be combined into a
single group. Therefore, if a single Thug 3 was
A number of Thugs are grouped together as a single leading five Thug 2s, they would need to be divided
opponent. Up to 10 Thugs can constitute a single into two Thug groups: one containing the single
Thug group. It should be noted that, as each group Thug 3 and the other with the five Thug 2s, even
is run as a separate character, a huge number of though combined they are less than 10 Thugs.
Thugs can be difficult for the Director, unless each
player character is facing a group of Thugs and each

Thug Attributes
Thug Normal Thug 1 Thug 2Thug 3Thug 3 Thug 4 Thug 5
Level
Initiative 1d4 1d4 1d6 1d6 1d8 1d10
Accurancy -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4
Damage 1 1d4 1d6 1d8 1d10 1d12
Defense 2 3 4 5 6 7
Life Save 1 2 3 4 5 6
Thug Qualities 0 0 1 2 3 4

159
 5

160
 5
The combat competency of a Thug is determined by the bonus the Thugs receive on all attack rolls.
its Thug Level, a rating from 1 to 5, with an Defense is the only defensive option the Thug may
additional category to represent “Normals.” use in combat and they cannot modify this number
Normals are people without combat training in any way.
whatsoever. The increasing level of Thug (i.e., Thug
1 through Thug 5) represents increasing levels of Damage is the default damage for all of the Thugs’
competency. Rowdy barroom brawlers or athletic attacks, modified by the target’s Stamina as usual.
people without formal combat training may be Thug This attack is not a Ranged attack. It might be the
1. Common criminals, security forces, and law Thugs’unarmed attacks or their attacks with some
enforcement would typically be Thug 2. Levels 3 handheld weapon; the details of this are up to the
through 5 can be used for differing levels of Director, but different weapons have no specific
hardened criminals, soldiers, elite fighters, and mechanical effect on combat.
assassins, culminating in Thug 5, the best of the
best, who can challenge low-level Fighter characters Life Save is used instead of Life Bar for Thugs. When
on their own. a Thug is hit in combat, the Director rolls 1d10. If the
roll is equal to or less than the Thug’s Life Save, the
The Thug attributes are not particularly evocative on Thug remains in combat. Otherwise, he is removed
their own. Every Thug 2 might possess the same from combat (knocked out or killed, as per the
attributes, whether he is a police officer, a soldier, or Director’s discretion, the character’s intentions, and
a faceless martial arts mook. In order to distinguish the needs of the story). High Strength subtracts
one group of Thugs from another, especially of from Life Save (e.g., a Fighter with Strength 2 would
differing descriptions, the attributes of Thugs can be reduce Thugs’ Life Saves by 2), and low Strength
modified by increasing one attribute to the next adds to Life Save. Each die size of damage done
higher level, while decreasing another one to the above 1d4 also subtracts 1 from Life Save, though a
next lower level. For example, a Thug 2 might do +1 damage does not affect it. If a Special Move
1d8 damage but only have Defense 3. Normals Element would add damage for any reason (such as
should not be modified in this way, as they really are the Juggle Element or the Power Up Element), this
not intended to be viable opponents for Fighters also subtracts one from the Thug’s Life Save.
anyway. Thug 5s who increase Damage by any
means add +1 damage to their 1d12. A Combo that hits a Thug ignores the damage from
any particular move in the Combo, but subtracts one
In addition to the above modifications, each Thug from the Life Save for every full 2 hits in the Combo.
group that is composed of Thug 2 or higher can be For example, a 4-hit Combo would subtract two
given Qualities and Weaknesses like a regular from the Thug group’s Life Save.
character. Weaknesses earn extra Qualities as usual.
If a Quality relates to a skill check and that roll is In the case of a Combo, instead of subtracting from
relevant, assume the Thug’s skill level is equal to Life Save, the penalty can instead be used to force
Defense. (Also see Thug Qualities and Thugs and another Thug in the same group to also make a Life
Skills below.) These Qualities and Weaknesses apply Save, albeit without modification. In this way, a
to every Thug in the group, not to individual Thugs.

Initiative functions in combat as usual. Accuracy is

161
 5
Combo can potentially hit multiple targets at once. These two effects, subtracting from Life Save and
hitting multiple targets, cannot be combined in the same Combo.

Example: Rei is fighting Thugs with Life Saves of 2. He hits one with a massive 8-hit Combo. This would
normally reduce the Thug’s Life Save to 0 (no modifier for the damage because the attack was a Combo, but -
4 for an 8-hit Combo). The targeted Thug would be automatically defeated. However, Rei could have instead
forced four Thugs to all make Life Saves of 2 instead of reducing 1 individual Thugs Life Save to zero.

Balancing Thugs Against Fighters

Thug groups can have tremendous flexibility in their variable attributes and Qualities. As such, it is
difficult to say how dangerous a particular Thug group might be against a Fighter. This becomes
important when the Director is trying to plan scenes involving Thug Thrashing combat.

While no specific mathematical formula exists, the Director can gauge how an encounter might go by
comparing several factors. Each Thug group may hit a player character roughly every other turn (this is
not necessarily statistically accurate, but it works as a rough calculation). Their average damage can
then be compared to the combined Life Bars of the player characters. This gives a rough time frame of
how many turns the player characters can stand against the Thugs.

Again, as an abstraction, it can also be assumed that the player characters will likely defeat one Thug
every turn or one Thug per level of Thug Thrashing Skill every turn. By comparing these numbers to the
number of turns the Thugs will likely need to defeat the player characters, an approximate number of
Thugs needed to challenge the group can be determined.

It should be noted that these numbers will often be very large. A high Power Level group of Fighters, all
with moderate levels of the Thug Thrashing Skill, can successfully defeat a huge number of opponents
before being worn down. These numbers may not always be plausible from the point of view of the
Director’s story. This is not necessarily a problem: Thug Thrashing fights are sometimes just an excuse
for a quick action sequence to remind the players how powerful their characters really are.

Thug Qualities combat. If a Thug group possesses a specific

Quality, especially one with no effect on combat,
The following list contains the Qualities that are the Quality should be worked into the Thugs’role in
available to Thugs. Keep in mind that, while all of the story in a noticeable way. For example, if the
these are available, many of them might make main villain maintains sexy, suggestively dressed
extremely unusual Thugs! Other Qualities from the bodyguards, the player characters should probably
standard list may be used, but most will have no have an opportunity to encounter them in a social
appreciable effect on a Thug group, in or out of setting before meeting them in combat.

162
 5

The next list contains the Weaknesses that are

Attractive Gun Expert Sharp Dressed available to Thugs. The Director may use other
Beautiful Intelligent Short Weaknesses from the standard list, but the
Big Intimidating Suggestive Attire effects of others would need to be significantly
Bishounen Light Tall increased to make them readily noticeable in
Buxom Luck Technique game. Weaknesses should affect the Thugs in the
Charming Magic Tomboy same way that they have to affect the player
Cute Pet characters; a Weakness that isn’t a Weakness
Dashing Power should not be allowed. If the crime lord’s
Driven Powerful Item personal assistants are thick and ugly, the player
Gadgeteering Psychic characters should be given an opportunity to
Genius Sexy exploit these Weaknesses in some way out of
combat.

163
 5
The following Special There are also a few unique Qualities available for
Code
Move Elements can Thug groups.
Dull Personality
be purchased as
Honorable
Qualities for Thugs. Competent Villain: This Quality allows a Thug group
Noteworthy Appearance
Each of these costs a of one (or, more rarely, more than one, such as twins
Style Weakness
number of Qualities or specially trained teammates) to ignore the
Thick
equal to the number multiple actions normally offered by opponents
Ugly
of Elements it would using the Thug Thrashing skill.
Unattractive
normally cost.
Unintelligent
Possessing one of Dangerous: This Quality allows the Thug group to
Unluck
these Qualities increase one of their attributes to the next higher
allows the Thug group Thug Level. This is in addition to the default
to use this Element in combat. All of their attacks modification of adding to one attribute by
are considered to possess this Element at all times. subtracting from another. This Quality may be
The Director can choose elements not listed here, taken more than once. Thug 5s may not take this
but care must be taken, as they may drastically alter Quality.
the way combat works.
Dramatic Villain: This Quality allows a Thug group
Aerial Element of one (or, more rarely, more than one, such as
Always Does Damage Element twins, specially trained teammates, or mind-linked
Area Effect Element monsters) to gain an Action Point each turn when
Bounce Element using the Dramatic Combat sub-system (see below).
Critical Hit Element
Fast Recovery Element Gun: This Quality can only be taken if the Thug
Hard to Evade Element group also has the Ranged Element as a Quality.
Harry Element See the special rules for the Gun Quality below.
Hits Low Element
Increased Knockback Element Hit Stun: When a Thug group with this Quality hits a
Increased Stun Element Fighter, the Fighter is affected by Hit Stun, just as if
Knocks Down Element he had been struck by another Fighter. This Quality
Knockback Advance Element counts as two Qualities.
Mobile Element
Position Shift Element Powerful Weapon: This increases the Damage of
Priority Element the Thug group by one die size, or adds +1 to 1d12
Ranged Element damage. This represents masterwork swords,
Teleportation Element chainsaws, extraordinary skill with weapons, or the
Temporary Invulnerability Element like. If applied to ranged weapons or guns, it could
Throw Element represent assault rifles, high-powered sniper rifles,
Unblockable Element poisoned shuriken, or the like. This Quality may be
taken more than once to represent truly awesome
weapons or multiple powerful weapons.

164
 5
Robust: This Quality allows a Thug group to always Thug Initiative and Control
maintain a minimum Life Save of 1, no matter how
powerful the attack or how long the Combo used Characters fighting Thugs roll Initiative and Control
against them. This Quality counts as two Qualities. as usual. Thugs roll Initiative as a group. Each group
rolls its own Initiative. Thugs do not need to roll
Skilled: The Thug group possesses a number of non- Control.
combat skills. The number of skills is equal to the
group’s Thug rank (1 through 5). Each of these skills The character with the highest Initiative total acts
is at a skill level equal to the Thug group’s Defense or first. Thugs never hold their Initiative.
4, whichever is higher. This Quality can be used to
create acrobatic ninja or perceptive security guards, Characters and Thug groups with simultaneous
for example. Initiative act simultaneously. Thugs are unaffected
by the normal rules for simultaneous initiative which
There is also one unique Weakness available for prioritize attacks over movement; Thug groups
Thug groups. move simultaneously and attack simultaneously.

Reduced Attributes: For each one point or one die Example: Koichiro and his Thug group opponent
size reduction in a Thug attribute, the group may both roll a 4 Initiative. Koichiro wants to attack and
choose an additional Quality. This is in addition to does not need to move; the Thug group needs to
the default modification of subtracting from one close with him before attacking. Normally,
attribute to add to another. This Weakness can be Koichiro’s attack would have priority over his
taken any number of times, but no attribute may be opponent’s movement. But in this case, the Thugs’
reduced below 1 (in the case of Initiative and movement and attack are both considered
Damage) or 0 (in the case of Defense and Life Save) simultaneous with Koichiro’s attack.
or –2 (in the case of Accuracy).

Procedure for Fighting Thugs Thug Movement

The rules in the following sections mark changes A Thug group is considered to be a single
and specific cases as they apply to Thugs in combat. combatant. For example, even though a Thug group
If no specific changes are noted here, combat may represent 10 soldiers, those soldiers move and
against Thugs is the same as the normal rules for act as a single character. Thus, the Range between
combat. the Thug group and the other combatants in the
combat is calculated as normal.
Thugs do not have any Fighting Spirit. They cannot
use Fighting Spirit in combat, but they are assumed Different combatants may be at different Ranges
to have it if they need it (e.g., if the Thug group has from a Thug group, as in normal combat. However,
the Throw Element, they can still move 1 Range and unlike normal combat, Thug groups maintain their
attack, even though they do not have 1 FS to spend). own Ranges even when multiple combatants are

165
 5
are opposing Fighters in the combat as well. In
this case, it is easiest to consider the Thug group
as a single combatant and to move them as a
single combatant. This may mean that 10
people are occupying a single band on the grid,
but it makes combat easier to run. Because
Thug groups contain multiple opponents, one
cannot Check a Thug group.
A Thug group can move 1 Range and attack or 2
Ranges without attacking. Generally speaking, a
Thug group will move to engage an opponent if
possible. Thug groups can be affected by
Environmental Hazards. It’s up to the Director to
decide whether Thug groups can leap up or down
cliffs or out of pits.

Thug Attacks and Defenses

Thugs have only one attack form, essentially a
“Basic Move.” One Thug from each Thug group will
attack each opponent within Range, provided there
are enough Thugs in the group. If not enough Thugs
remain in the group to attack all available targets,
fighting the same group. For example, two Fighters the Director chooses who gets attacked. Despite
might be at different Ranges from the same Thug the fact that Thug groups usually represent several
group. Even though one of them might Knock Back people, any number of Thug groups can target the
the Thug group (such as with the Increased Knock same character.
Back Element), this does not change the Range
between the other Fighter and the Thug group. This When Thugs attack, they roll 1d6 + their Accuracy
is because there are several people in a Thug group; attribute. Thugs cannot use Full Offense.
however, for simplicity, this abstraction remains
even when the Thug group is reduced to only one Thug damage does count against a Fighter’s Stun
Thug. Threshold, but it does not do Knock Back and it does
not do Hit Stun or Knock Down an opponent unless
Having a single Thug group be at different Ranges the Thug group possesses the Hit Stun Quality or
from multiple opponents becomes more Knocks Down Quality. If the Thug group possesses
complicated if the Director is using a grid to the Increased Knockback Quality, they knock
adjudicate position and movement because there opponents back 1 Range.

Thugs defend using their Defense attribute alone.

166
 5
No other defensive options In this case, the character cannot
are available to them. Thugs attack, may still move 1 Range, and
cannot use Full Defense. may add his Total Defense bonus to
his Agility Skill for
Defending Against avoiding Ranged attacks.
Thugs If a character successfully
uses Agility to avoid a
A character can use the Ranged attack, and the Thug
Defense or Evasion Skills group that used the attack
to defend against is within Range 2 or less
Thugs as usual. A with the character, and
combatant who there are at least 2 Thugs
successfully Evades remaining in the Thug
instead of using group that attacked, the
Defense may choose to character can automatically
move 2 Ranges, which incapacitate one Thug from the
costs 1 FS, or may instead receive a +2 group at the end of the turn. Even at close
Accuracy on his next attack, on this or the range, Thugs are often more zealous than they
following turn, as usual. He may also choose to are accurate! Doing this also earns 1 Glory. This
combine Defense and Evasion as usual. In addition Glory is divided by 3 at the end of combat as
to the normal options, a Fighter may use the Agility usual.
Skill in place of the Evasion Skill to Evade or
combine the Agility Skill with the Defense Skill in the In any case in which a character can use the
same manner as the Evasion Skill. Agility Skill, he may instead substitute the
Acrobatics Skill. However, the character’s
Defensive Responses can also be used against effective skill level is considered halved (round
Thugs; however, as many of them are based on a down).
response to specific kinds of Special Moves, many
will rarely be used.
Damage Effects Against Thugs
When facing Thugs with the Ranged Quality,
characters can use the Agility Skill as an additional A group of Thugs does not suffer Hit Stun when
defensive option. When hit by a Ranged attack, a struck. Thus, as long as any Thugs remain in a
character can make an Agility skill check. The DL for Thug group, they will get to act on their turn.
this check is 4 + the amount of damage done by the Initiative simply determines at what point
hit. If the check is successful, the character dodged during the turn the Thug group takes its action.
the shot and takes no damage. The size of the Thug
group has no effect on the difficulty of this roll. Damage against Thugs is determined according
While this is not at all realistic, it represents the to the Thug group’s Life Save (see above). A
conventions of the genre as seen in anime. A
character may also use his action to go “Full Agility.”

167
 5
failed Life Save removes one Thug from the group. Thug Events
As long as one Thug remains, the “group” continues
to exist. At the end of the turn, one roll is made on the
following chart for each Thug group. The effects
Thug groups do not normally suffer Knock Back, only affect the Thug group that rolled the event.
though an attack with the Increased Knockback or The effects begin at the beginning of the next turn
Hurl Elements will Knock Back a Thug group 1 and last for one full turn.
Range. A Thug group can be attacked by a Combo.
The effects of a Combo are described above in the The roll for the chart is 1d4 + the number of Thugs
description of Life Saves. remaining in the group at the end of the turn + the
level of the Thugs (i.e., Thug 1 adds 1, etc. Normals
When a Thug group suffers a Knock Down, the add 0).
effects are special. If the particular Thug hit in the
Thug group succeeded on his Life Save, a Knock Any even total on the roll is “no event.” In this case,
Down forces a second Life Save (i.e., a second the time roll is rolled and the next turn begins with
chance to take the Thug out of combat). If the no effects.
particular Thug hit in the Thug group failed his Life
Save, the rest of the Thug group is Knocked Back 1 The events on the chart are described primarily in
Range. Thug groups are never actually Knocked mechanical terms. It is up to the Director and the
Down. Using a Throw Special Move with the players to make these into interesting and
Sustained Hold Element against a Thug group entertaining descriptions.
completely ignores the 2nd turn of the Sustained
Hold; the Element has no effect. Use of Thug Events is recommended but optional; it
is intended to make Thugs a more unpredictable
End of the Turn in Thug Thrashing Combat opponent and to provide variation to extended
confrontations against large numbers of Thugs.
When tallying Glory in a fight against Thugs, the
Director should total the Glory earned for the whole Thug Event Chart
combat and then divide by three (round up). This is
the actual Glory earned. 3: Rout: One Thug is automatically defeated for no
Glory, but that Thug is assumed to have successfully
Fighters do accumulate Super Energy when fighting escaped from combat. This may cause later
Thugs, but the total gained is 1 less per turn than complications for the Fighters, depending on the
usual. This may result in a gain of zero Super Energy circumstances.
for the turn.
5: Plenty of Room: Because of space opening up for
Before the turn ends, one roll is made on the Thug
greater movement or because of fear of imminent
Event Chart for each Thug group (see below).
defeat, this Thug group rolls one die size larger for
Initiative next turn.
The time roll in any combat involving Thugs is 1d8.
7: Exhausting Combat: The strain of fighting so

168
 5
many opponents at once takes its toll on the additional benefits against Thugs. Characters
Fighters. All Fighters within Range 2 of this Thug fighting Thugs act once as normal on their turn in
group lose FS equal to the Thug’s normal damage. If the Initiative order. However, a character with the
the Fighter has no FS remaining, the Thug group Thug Thrashing Skill can act one additional time for
gets a free attack on the Fighter at the end of the each point of Thug Thrashing Skill. These extra
present turn instead. actions are full opportunities to act: the character
can move, attack, move and attack, refocus, recover
9: Lucky Strike: Because of luck, skill, or dirty from being Stunned, etc.
fighting, this Thug group receives +2 Accuracy on all
attacks on the following turn. If the character is fighting both a Thug group and
Fighter-level opponents within Range 2 or less, the
11: Defensive Advantage: Because of character can still use his Thug Thrashing actions to
environmental factors, teamwork, or cover, this attack a Thug group, but may not use them for any
Thug group’s Defense is doubled on the following other action, including movement.
turn.
The first action of the turn uses the character’s
13: Relentless Foes: Through force of will, rolled Control total. All of the remaining actions use
performance-enhancing combat drugs, or concealed half the Control roll (round down). If this results in
armor, this Thug group proves to be remarkably Control 0, the character does not get extra actions.
durable. Their Life Save is doubled on the following If the character suffered Hit Stun earlier in the turn,
turn. Thug Thrashing is based on half of the lowered
Control total (round down).
15: Adrenaline Surge: Through rage, sound tactics,
or brute strength and luck, this Thug group rolls one In the case of simultaneous Initiative, a character
die size larger for Damage on the following turn. still gets his full complement of Thug Thrashing
actions; he is simply attacking multiple opponents at
17: Endless Numbers: Because of sudden the same time.
reinforcements or the recovery of previously
defeated Thugs, opponents within Range 2 of this A character can use one of his Thug Thrashing
Thug group may not use the Thug Thrashing Skill on actions to go Full Defense, yet still use his remaining
the following turn. actions to act. If he is facing a Fighter-level
opponent at the same time, this version of Full
19: Blitz: Through excellent training, coordinating, Defense does not apply against the Fighter-level
positioning, or tactics, each Thug group gets an opponent; only if the character does no attacks and
immediate free attack against any opponents in is on Full Defense does the bonus apply against
range. The opponents’ defensive Skills are halved Fighters.
against this attack.
A character could even use Full Offense and Full
Thug Thrashing
Characters with the Thug Thrashing Skill get

169
 5
Defense at the same time, allowing the accuracy of face Thugs. Differences between melee weapons
Full Offense while maintaining higher defenses than are unimportant for this purpose –the characters
usual, at a cost of one Thug Thrashing action. may use swords, clubs, polearms, or any of dozens
of other weapons. In combat, the character attacks
Special Actions Useable Against Thugs with a Basic Move. However, he receives a +1
Accuracy (to represent the weapon’s longer reach)
Talented, trained, and tactically minded Fighters can and the attack does +1 die size of damage (which
use their skills in unusual ways when fighting lesser means a –1 Life Save against Thugs). Unlike normal
opponents. Thus, Fighters have a few special Basic Moves, every attack with a weapon is worth 1
options when fighting Thugs. Glory (not just the first attack with a weapon, as
with Special Moves). Combos with weapons are still
Story Points can be used against Thugs. By using an worth Glory equal to the number of moves in the
action for the turn and spending a Story Point, a Combo; additional Glory is not scored for using a
character can initiate a Stunt Sequence. By doing weapon also. This Glory is divided by 3 as usual at
so, the character earns points equal to his Power the end of combat.
Level plus his Thug Thrashing Skill. These points are
then used to automatically defeat Thugs. It costs If the Director desires, these rules for melee
points equal to a Thug’s Thug level to remove a Thug weapons can also be used in regular combat
from the Thug group (Normals each count as _ for between Fighters. They should only be used when
this purpose). For example, a PL 4 character with both Fighters do not normally use weapons.
Thug Thrashing 2 initiates a Stunt Sequence. He has
6 points. As he is fighting Thug 2s, he can eliminate Thugs and Skills
three of them. Excess points are lost. A Stunt
Sequence earns Glory equal to the points spent (not Thugs and/or Thug groups may occasionally need to
counting lost excess). This Glory is divided by 3 as make skill checks. For example, a skill check might
usual at the end of combat. be necessary to determine whether or not a pair of
security guards could spot an intruding cat burglar.
The Director can always declare that a Stunt Another example might be a Normal who is
Sequence is not possible. Furthermore, the player contacted as an authority on ancient relics. The two
spending the Story Point must describe the amazing situations are handled differently.
actions his character is taking, the improvised
weapons he has just employed, or the extraordinary A Thug group is assumed to have any non-combat
circumstances that have just occurred that have skills the Director deems essential for the group to
eliminated the opponents. If the Director does not serve its purpose. In the above example, it is
approve, he can return the Story Point and the reasonable to assume that security guards would
player must choose a different action. have the Perception Skill. In this case, the Thug
group’s skill level is equal to 1/2 their base Defense
If the Director and circumstances in the story allow value (round up). A Thug group makes a skill check
it, Fighters may use conventional melee weapons to as a group, unless the results for a specific Thug are
necessary. The above security guards would make a
single roll, whether it was two guards or ten. A Thug

170
 5
group may also take the Skilled Quality, which gives balanced with other characters. A character who
them a number of Skills at a higher skill level. does not usually use a gun may have a narrative
reason to use one against Thugs. They function
Normals are people who have plenty of mundane similarly to melee weapons (see above): When used,
skills, as they have no real fighting ability. Generally, they function as Basic Moves, have a +1 Accuracy, do
the skill level of a Normal should be used as a plot +2 dice sizes of damage (i.e., -2 Life Save), and have
device. If the characters seek a scholar, they should the Ranged and Gun Elements. The Director should
eventually find one who knows what they need to never allow guns in combat against other Fighters.
know. If they bring a car to a mechanic, it can be
reasonably assumed that the mechanic can fix the Characters can use the Agility Skill to avoid
car. However, if specific skill levels must be known, gunshots, just as they can avoid any other Ranged
assume that a Normal possesses 6 Non-Combat attack.
Skills at level 6, and 3 more Skills at level 3.
More Dangerous Guns
Guns
The default rules for guns are appropriate for most
Guns are superior in many respects to all other campaigns. Here are a few campaign options in
ranged weapons, but the default portrayal of them case a greater sense of gun realism is desired.
in these rules is far from accurate –it is more suited
to the dynamic actions of larger-than-life heroes. The easiest thing to do is to increase the damage of
Guns are basically just a better version of a Ranged a gun based on its type. Handguns may add a single
attack. There are no rules for called shots, die, but assault rifles may add two or three die sizes.
automatic fire, or reloading, as elements such as This eliminates the need for the Powerful Weapon
these are out of place in the fighting game genre. Quality. A weapon like a grenade launcher may also
be presumed to have the Explosive Quality for free.
Thugs can be armed with guns if they have both the In narrative terms, a character defeated by gun-
Ranged and Gun Qualities. Guns differ from other wielding opponents should be seriously wounded
Ranged weapons in two ways: 1) Guns increase a and may not recover immediately.
Thug group’s damage by one die; 2) Guns can hit
targets “beyond” Range 5. This means that Thugs If even more lethality is desired, the Director may
with guns can shoot at targets before combat is add additional damage as above, and then allow
formally engaged. How long it takes characters to gun attacks to roll damage twice. Furthermore,
engage opponents is up to the Director, but anyone hit by a gun is automatically Stunned and
generally should not take long. anyone defeated by gun-wielding opponents is at
least seriously wounded, if not dead. Unfortunately,
Just as Fighters may be armed with melee weapons this takes some of the emphasis away from hand-
in some circumstances, they may also be armed to-hand combat in a game focused on martial
with guns. If a character has a gun as a normal part artists.
of his Special Moves, this should just be built using
the normal rules for Special Moves. It will not
correspond perfectly with these rules, but it will be

171
 5
Example of Thug Thrashing rating can be in the same Thug group. So there is
actually a Thug group of six thugs and a second Thug
Grace Tanaka: 1/2 American, 1/2 Japanese. Ex-nun group of one thug, the leader. He counts as his own
turned ninja. Her quest for justice has taken her to group even though he’s alone.
the bowels of Independence City, a crime-ridden
dark metropolis ruled from the shadows by the Grace: So what kind of Thugs are in each group?
infamous crime boss, Marcus Buchanan, also known
as the murderous Black Tiger. Director: Well, that you’ll have to find out the hard
way. OK. Time for Initiative.
Grace has been following leads that have led her to
a bad bar in a bad part of a bad town. After getting Grace: I’m spending 1 FS on Initiative, increasing me
nowhere with the patrons, she turns to leave, only to 1d10. My Control is 1d6.
to be surrounded by a gang belonging to one of
Tiger’s sub-lieutenants. A huge, tattooed brute Director: OK. The thugs have 1d4 and the leader has
steps in her way. “Cute little girl – you’re a long way 1d6 for Initiative. Roll!
from home.” He cracks his knuckles and laughs.
With a steely glare back at him, she responds, “And Grace: An 8! Guess that means I’m going first! And
you’re a short way from Hell!” And combat is joined! Control of…3.

Director: Nice line to get this fight started! This fight Director: Great! The gang rolled a 2 and the leader
is taking place inside the dive bar. If it looks like it rolled a 5.
would be in a biker bar in a bad movie, it’s probably
here. Even though it’s crowded and cluttered, I will Grace: What were their Control totals?
not be using any of the rules for Environmental
Hazards. Just use the scenario in your descriptions Director: Thugs don’t roll Control because they can
as you see fit. I’ll keep track of the time with a Time only use Basic Moves and they can’t do Combos. It’s
Roll, but we’ll just count it up from zero rather than one less thing I need to worry about when running
having a formal Timer count down from 99. You will them!
begin at Range 3 from your opponents.
Grace: Well, let me try to simplify things even more
Grace: How many thugs are there? for you. Let’s get rid of these rank-and-file thugs
first. I step forward 1 Range to Range 2 and use my
Director: Seven. Six thugs plus the leader. Spinning Sweep on them. It’s Level 3, so I have
enough Control. It has Accuracy +0, but I’ll get a -1
Grace: I hope they’re not too strong. I’m only Power for the Range. How do the Thugs defend
Level 1. So, since there are seven of them, that’s themselves? Do they have all the options I do?
one Thug group of seven?
Director: No, Thug groups have a static number for
Director: Actually, no. Only Thugs of the same Defense. They have no Evasion, no Tactics, and they
have no Fighting Spirit. More not to worry about.
Their Defense is a 3.

172
 5
Grace: OK. I won’t spend any FS. [Rolls] A 4! Hits! Grace: I knocked one over and the rest stumbled out
My damage is 1d6+1, and this move Knocks Down. of the way of the falling body?

Director: OK. Thugs also don’t have Life Bar. When Director: Sure! So, even though I said there was no
you hit them, they are either still standing and Knock Back, the Knock Down effect pushes them
unaffected by the specific amount of damage you back to Range 3 again. Now, before the Thugs get
did, or they’re out of the fight. This is determined by to go, you have Thug Thrashing Skill, right?
a Life Save: a number or less on a d10 to stay
standing. For these guys, only Thug 1s, their Life Grace: Yeah, Thug Thrashing 2.
Save is 2. So I have to roll a 1 or 2 on 1d10 for him to
stay in the fight. However, if you do a higher- Director: Cool! For every rank you have in Thug
damage attack, the Thugs’ Life Save drops even Thrashing Skill, you get an extra full turn’s worth of
further. Every die size above 1d4 subtracts 1 from actions. You can move, attack, even go on Full
the Thugs’ Life Save. Because your attack is 1d6+1, Defense while you’re still attacking! The only
their Life Save drops to a 1. difference is that your Control roll is considered
halved, round down.
Grace: Does the extra +1 of the 1d6+1 matter?
Grace: So I get two more actions, but only at Control
Director: No; only the die size. So, a Life Save of 1. 1 each?
[Rolls] A 3. One down!
Director: That’s right! Go for it!
Grace: That’s it? One down already?
Grace: OK. I’ll do a Jumping Basic Move. I close 2
Director: That’s it! Ranges for 1 FS, land at Range 1, and throw a kick
into one of the Thugs. No modifiers for Accuracy at
Grace: So, normally, they’d suffer Hit Stun, and they all.
would be Knocked Back 1 Range and Knocked
Down. How does this work? Director: Remember, their Defense hasn’t changed;
still a 3.
Director: OK, first, Thug groups do not suffer Hit
Stun. It’s one of the few things they have going for Grace: Right. [Rolls] Another 3, another hit!
them against Fighters. They are also not Knocked
Back by regular attacks. So you are still at Range 2. Director: As your Basic Moves only do 1d4 damage,
Knocking Down a Thug group is special. Rather than the Thug gets his full Life Save: a 2. [Rolls] A 3. Nice
Knocking Down the whole group, the effects try, guy! Two down! No Knock Back either, so you
depend on whether you took out your opponent or stay at Range 1. Next?
not. If you didn’t, they have to make a second Life
Save as they hit the ground. If you did take out a Grace: I whirl around and backhand another guy. All
Thug, then the rest of the group is Knocked Back 1 the same numbers apply, right?
Range.

173
 5
Director: Yes. Go ahead and roll. Grace: Yup.

Grace: Another 3, and another hit. Director: OK, so Grace stepped forward, dropped
down, and swept the legs out from under one of the
Director: He rolls a 4 on his Life Save and he goes toughs. As he tumbled back into his friends, she
down too. Still at Range 1. Unfortunately for you, bounced up and placed a high kick firmly in one of
it’s their turn. their faces, toppling that guy over a table, while one
of her fists whirled and slammed hard into another
Grace: What about the leader? Is he at Range 1 too? guy’s temple. He stumbled back into the jukebox,
which breaks on impact. Meanwhile, the leader
Director: Nope. He’s still back at Range 3. I track moved up behind Grace. As she noted his approach
their distances from you separately. Their distances from the corner of her eye, one of the other guys
from each other is irrelevant. If you had an ally in smashed her hard across the jaw!
this fight, things get a little trickier, but we could
have put it all out on a very simple pattern on a piece Grace: Sounds good to me!
of paper and everything would work smoothly. But
we don’t need to worry about that. Anyway, the Director: OK. You get 3 Glory for the Special Move.
leader goes next. He advances two Ranges to Check the time, which is 1d8 for a Thug fight…
Range 1. That’s all he gets to do. The rest of the [Rolls] 4. So all that happened in about 4 seconds or
Thugs get a single attack on you. How do you want so. One last end-of-turn task: a roll on the Thug
to defend? Event chart for each active Thug group. [Rolls twice]
An 8 for the thugs; all even results are no effect. The
Grace: I will use Evasion. I have Evasion 2 and I will leader, however, rolled a 7: Exhausting Combat. He
spend 1 FS on my defense. Defense Total 3. rolls his normal damage and applies it straight to
your Fighting Spirit. [Rolls]. Six.
Director: OK. Like Defense, Thugs’ Accuracy is
standard and never changes except for Range, and Grace: Wow. I’m down to 2 FS already.
even then, they usually choose to close instead of
attack. These guys have an Accuracy of +0. [Rolls] Director: Despite her control of the battlefield,
A 4. They hit! Damage is also, you guessed it, evidently Grace is a little unsure of herself now that
standard for all of them. Their damage is 1d4. [Rolls she’s surrounded.
again]. A hefty 4 points of damage!
Grace: The experience is bringing up memories of
Grace: Nice hit. I’m down to 26 Life Bar. the men who attacked her convent back in my past.

Director: Thug groups do not do Knock Back with Director: That’s awesome! Love it! Next turn…
their attacks, so you are still at Range 1. That looks
like the end of actions. Grace: OK, to summarize: there are 3 thugs left and
their boss, right?

Director: That’s right. Time to roll Initiative.

174
 5
Grace: I can’t afford to spend any FS, so I’ll be using Grace: Oh. So why do it?
my normal rolls. Uh oh. Initiative 3 and Control 4.
Director: Three reasons. First, it’s worth more Glory.
Director: The thugs get a 4 and the boss gets a 1. Second, a Combo, even of all Basic Moves, also
The Thug group goes first. Since they are at Range subtracts from the Thug’s Life Save, depending on
2, they advance 1 Range and attack. How will you how many hits are in the Combo. I suppose that
defend? reason doesn’t matter much against these guys.
Third, with a long Combo, you can attack more than
Grace: I’m still using Evasion and I’m going to have one opponent at the same time.
to rely on my skill alone. Have to save those last
points of Fighting Spirit for when I really need them! Grace: I’ll do it. I only have Control 2, so a 2-hit
So my Defense Total is just a 2. Combo of Basic Moves. Accuracy +0 against
Defense 3. [Rolls] A 4. Another hit. Damage is 1d4+
Director: OK. [Rolls] A 3. They took advantage of 1.
your obvious distraction and hit you again. Damage
is… [Rolls] Another 4 points! Director: Right. Normally, 1d4 wouldn’t subtract
from their Life Save, but a 2-hit Combo still
Grace: Ouch! 22 Life Bar remaining. Time to put an subtracts 1. [Rolls] A 4. So, another one down.
end to this. It’s my turn and I’m still at Range 1,
right? Grace: Hey, this is getting easy! I’ll do the exact
same thing on the last guy. [Rolls] 5! And that
Director: That’s right. should take care of the Thug group, right?

Grace: OK. For my first action, I’ll use my Rapid Director: [Rolls] A 5. Yup, that’s it. It’s just and the
Spear Hand. It has Accuracy +1, and I get another +1 leader now, and it’s his turn. He attacks with a +2
for having more Control than I need. Accuracy. How will you defend?

Director: The Thug group’s Defense remains 3; Grace: +2? Wow. I’ll combine Defense and Evasion; I
remember, it doesn’t change. have 2 in each. I add 1/2 of the lower Skill to the
higher, so that’s 3, right? And since that’s still not
Grace: Right. So I don’t need to roll to hit with a +2 enough, I’ll spend one of my last FS to defend.
Accuracy. This attack does 1d6+1, so that’s -1 Life Defense Total 4.
Save, right?
Director: [Rolls] A 1! Not good enough! That’s the
Director: Yup. 2-1 is one. [Rolls] 5. Thug number 4 end of the turn. He still gets to roll on the Thug
goes down. Second action? Event chart. A 5: Plenty of Room. Well, that
certainly makes sense after this turn! His Initiative
Grace: Well, half my rolled Control is 2. Can I do a gets increased by one die size next turn.
Combo on Thugs?

Director: Yes, but you ignore the damage of the

individual moves in the Combo.

175
 5
Grace: Bring it on! Grace: Oops. Forgot to roll that. [Rolls] 3.

Director: You get a total of 7 Glory this turn: 3 for the Director: You are at Range 1.
Special Move and 2 for each of the 2-hit Combos.
Grace: Perfect. I’m attacking with my Leaping
Grace: 9, actually: the Rapid Spear Hand has the Elbow Strike. No Accuracy modifier. What’s this
Increased Glory Element, so that’s plus two. guy’s Defense?

Director: Right. Time check. [Rolls] 4. The fight has Director: He has a 5.
lasted about 7 seconds. While Grace hesitated, the
remaining toughs closed on her. One of them threw Grace: Oh! In that case, I guess I’ll use my last point
a kick into her side. of Fighting Spirit for a +1 Accuracy. [Rolls] A 4. Hit!
That worked out well. This attack does 1d8 damage
Grace: Yeah, but that was just what I needed to normally.
shake off the distraction. My hand shot out like a
blur, driving dozens of spear hands into his face. I Director: So that’s 2 die sizes above 1d4, which
followed that with a knife hand and a jab to the next means -2 Life Save for him. His Life Save is normally
guy, and then a cartwheel kick on the last guy over a 4, so it’s reduced to a 2. Here goes nothing! [Rolls]
the bar. Tables and chairs went flying. 5. Despite his desperate attempt at intimidation,
he’s felled in one blow!
Director: And then the boss moved into the space
cleared out by you and threw a fast fist, trying to Grace: Even if that hadn’t taken him out, I still would
catch you off guard, but you dropped into a split and have had two more chances to attack him with Basic
the blow whiffed harmlessly above your head. Moves.

Grace: So let’s get to the next turn already! Director: True. Let’s check the time… [Rolls] A 4. A
total of about 11 seconds. You get 3 more Glory for
Director: OK. It’s down to you and the boss, and he’s the Special Move. What’s that make your total?
using the space cleared out by the brawl. He’s
flexing and throwing a few punches into the air. His Grace: 15.
Initiative increases to 1d8 this turn.
Director: Impressive. However, all Thug fights are
Grace: I’m still not increasing my Initiative. only worth 1/3 Glory, so you end up with 5. Now that
the men are sprawled all over the trashed bar, a
Director: Then let’s roll it. [Rolls] 7! mysterious figure who you hadn’t seen before steps
out of a room in the back. “Ms. Tanaka, I think we
Grace: Ha! 8! I go first! should talk…”

Director: What was your Control?

176
 5
Dramatic Combat of these two sub-systems in conjunction with one
another is to create a moderately powerful
opponent who is not quite Fighter-level, perhaps as
The Dramatic sub-system of combat changes the
the climax of a plot arc. The Director can create
dynamics of normal combat to include cinematic
such a character as a Thug 5 with appropriate Skills
effects. It alters the light “simulation” aspects of the
and the Dramatic Villain Quality. Various kinds of
normal combat system in favor of dramatic actions
dangerous animals or monsters can be created in
more in line with the combat action seen in manga
the same way.
and anime. This sub-system may be used as a
replacement for the normal combat system or for
fights in which the excitement of the story demands Initiative Procedure for Dramatic Combat
a higher level of drama. It allows characters to bring
more of their Non-Combat Skills into play, which In general, Dramatic Combat follows the same
favors some characters. procedure as the normal combat system.
Exceptions are noted here.
The Dramatic Combat system relies more on Basic
Moves than on Special Moves. As such, during the Every Fighter receives one Action Point at the
narrative at the end of the turn, all the action should beginning of the turn when Initiative is determined.
be described in exceptionally vivid detail. Over-the- This can be used during the turn or saved from turn
top martial arts action is good, but even better is to turn. Almost all of the special options in the
any scene typical of combat as seen in anime films. Dramatic Combat system require an Action Point to
In fact, as an optional rule, the Director can evaluate use. A Story Point can also be used for anything
the descriptions offered and award bonuses or requiring an Action Point. If the Director wants a
penalties to Accuracy for the next turn. These truly epic battle, he can allow all combatants to gain
should be between -2 and +2. two Action Points per turn, have full Life Bar, and
automatically heal one Life Bar at the end of the
Combatants using the Dramatic Combat sub-system turn.
have only half as much Life Bar as usual. However,
characters also have several opportunities to regain Because Special Moves are much less common in
Fighting Spirit and Life Bar during a fight. As such, this sub-system, rolls for Control are not made each
combat may become a longer process, depending turn. However, a character with a higher Speed
on the characters involved. There are also many Basic Quality may use his die size increase for either
additional options to choose from in combat. These Initiative or Control when making Initiative rolls in
considerations should be kept in mind when this sub-system. For example, a Speed 1 character
deciding whether or not to use the sub-system. specializing in Control would roll 1d8 in Dramatic
combat for Initiative, not 1d6 as usual. Likewise, a
The Thug Thrashing sub-system and the Dramatic Control Bonus is added to Initiative in this system.
Combat sub-system can be used together. Thugs do
not get an Action Point each turn (unless they have After Initiative is rolled, but before anyone takes any
the Dramatic Villain Quality), but can earn Action actions, a character can spend an Action Point to re-
Points through other actions (such as hitting for
maximum damage - see below). One particular use

177
 5
roll his Initiative. However, the new roll is kept, When using a Basic Move, the attacker can use an
regardless of whether or not it is better. Multiple Action Point to either gain +2 Accuracy or +1 die size
Action Points can be spent sequentially in this of damage. This can be applied to every Basic Move
manner. If necessary, characters declare their used. In descriptive terms, attacks that get a bonus
intention to re-roll Initiative in reverse order of to Accuracy can simulate the anime trope of
Power Level (i.e., lowest to highest). If these are showing dozens of hits from every angle. Attacks
tied, characters declare in reverse order of Speed. If that get a bonus to damage are usually just powerful
these are tied, characters roll 1d6 to break the tie or blows. However, it might also represent the anime
mutually agree on who should declare first. trope of a “repeat scene” in which the attack hits
with such force that the same blow is repeated as a
In the case of simultaneous Initiative, an additional moving anime still shot three or four times.
condition applies. If two opponents roll the same
Initiative and are within Ranges 0-2 at the beginning If the very first attack launched by a character
of the turn, their normal turns are replaced by a during a combat hits, and it does maximum
Flourish (see below). Unlike a normal Flourish, this damage, and it does damage at least equal to the
does not cost either character an Action Point. opponent’s Power Level, the Director can rule that
the opponent is immediately Knocked Out,
If a character hits his opponent and is not hit by regardless of Life Bar. On the other hand, after the
anyone else during the turn, he can spend an Action first attack, if a character hits an opponent for
Point at the beginning of his next turn to increase his maximum damage, the character receives an
Initiative roll by one die size. This costs no FS and additional Action Point.
also earns 1 Glory.
In addition to the normal defensive options available
Movement, Attacks, and Defenses in to Fighters, a combatant can use the Ki Skill in place
of Defense or the Acrobatics Skill in place of
Dramatic Combat Evasion. Each of these options costs an Action
Point. However, the Ki Skill cannot be used for
Movement is unchanged in the Dramatic Combat
defense on the same turn that a move with the
sub-system, except that characters cannot always
Ranged Element has been or would be used.
move to Range 5 (see Leaving Combat, below).
Furthermore, Environmental Hazards should not be
Because Special Moves are less common in the
used. Instead, such elements of the battlefield
Dramatic Combat sub-system, most defensive
should simply be used creatively in the narrative
options based on Tactics are going to be rare
description of the fight.
(excepting the Basic Response and Jinking
Response). However, when a Special Move is used in
With some exceptions (noted below), all attacks in
Dramatic Combat, all normal defensive options are
this sub-system are Basic Moves. Combos are not
available. If the defender must use a Special Move
used.
in order to use a specific defensive response, all
normal rules for using Special Moves in Dramatic
Combat apply (see below).

178
 5
If a combatant is hit by an attack, he suffers Hit Movement Options
Stun. In this case, if the Fighter has not yet acted
this turn, he loses his action entirely, unless he Athletics: A character can spend an Action Point and
spends an Action Point to act with a penalty to roll this Skill instead of an attack. For every full 4
Accuracy and skill checks (see Ignore Hit Stun). points rolled on the skill check, the combatant may
move one Range. This is in addition to normal
Action Point Options movement. Alternatively, instead of extra
movement, every full 3 points rolled can be used as a
Action Point Options are what specifically +1 Accuracy bonus on the following turn due to a
distinguish the Dramatic Combat sub-system from better tactical position on the battlefield. This
the regular combat system. There are options to bonus remains even if the character is hit before
change Initiative, movement, attacks, and defenses, using it. This skill can incorporate environmental
as well as opportunities to recover Life Bar and effects as a way to describe the bonuses brought
perform distinctive dramatic or supernatural about by the skill check.
actions. Each of these options requires one Action
Point to use. If it says the action takes the place of Leaving Combat: To get away from combat, the
an attack, the character can also move normally on character must simply move to Range 5. If no
the same turn. opponent objects to the character’s escape, the
character gets away. However, if the escape is
All of the available options are described in the opposed, the escaping character must spend an
following sections, each pertaining to a specific Action Point. Then, he and anyone trying to stop
aspect of the combat system. They are listed him must roll contested Athletics skill checks. If the
alphabetically. Many require a skill check, often escaping character beats all of his opponents’ skill
based on a Non-Combat Skill. This means that some checks, he moves to Range 5. Otherwise, he
character concepts and/or campaign styles may remains at Range 4. Note that this is a change from
fight drastically differently when using this sub- the movement rules in the normal combat system,
system. which normally allow anyone to move out to Range
5 with no restrictions whatsoever. Once away from
Initiative Option combat, a lone combatant can use Draw Ki, Realize
Potential, or Reaffirm Purpose to restore FS or earn
Action Points to heal damage without meeting the
Fast Reflexes: After Initiative has been determined,
normal conditions required by those options.
a character can spend an Action Point and roll this
Alternately, the character can flee the scene
Skill against all opponents who also have this Skill.
entirely.
If the character rolls higher than all his opponents,
or if none of them have this Skill, the character
automatically gets the highest Initiative for the turn.
Multiple characters can attempt to use this Skill on
the same turn. In this case, every character spends
an Action Point and the highest roll gets Initiative for
the turn.

179
 5
Attack Options reduced to zero Life Bar before his turn, the move
will not go off, but it does still occur even if the
Climactic Super Move: This move can only be used character suffers Hit Stun, is Knocked Down or is
when a combatant has less than 10% (round up) of Stunned. The damage of a Climactic Super Move is
his Life Bar remaining, and all of his opponents must based on a skill check. The DL is based on the
have 50% or more of their Life Bar left. It can also percentage of Life Bar remaining in the opponent
only be used once per combat. It does not cost FS or (round up).
Super Energy, but a character with Super Energy
accumulated must spend 10 (or all of it, if he has less A successful roll will immediately reduce the target’s
than 10) to use this option. Life Bar to zero and earns 10 Glory for the attacker.
An unsuccessful roll will do 10% of the opponent’s
The specific visual details of a Climactic Super Move full Life Bar as damage (round up) and earn 5 Glory.
can be modified each time it is used. A character
may have either a Close or Ranged Climactic Super Debilitating Injury: This attack costs an Action
Move (chosen when the character first acquires the Point. It is made as a normal Basic Move with a
Skill). At Power Level 5, the character obtains the penalty to Accuracy equal to the target’s Power
other form of Climactic Super Move (either Close or Level (minimum –4). If successful, the attack does
Ranged). A Close Climactic Super Move allows 2 no Life Bar damage. The attacker can choose one of
Ranges of movement, or 3 Ranges at a cost of 1 FS. two game effects: 1) The opponent loses all
It receives the normal bonus or penalty for attacking accumulated Action Points, or 2) the opponent loses
at Ranges 0-2. A Ranged Climactic Super Move does the use of one non-combat Skill for the remainder of
not allow any movement, but can be used at any the combat. The attacker can target whatever non-
Range. In either case, the attack has a –2 Accuracy combat Skill he wishes. If the opponent does not
penalty. have the chosen Skill, the attack has no effect. If
successful, such an injury must be carefully defined
The character announces his intention to use this in narrative terms.
move before Initiative is rolled and spends an Action
Point. The character is considered to be on Full Final Blow: With this option, a combatant attempts
Defense until the move goes off. If the character is to finish off his opponent in a single attack. The
attacker spends an Action Point and rolls an attack
Percentage of Target’s DL
Life Bar Remaining as normal, with a –4 Accuracy. This can be a Basic
Move or a Special Move. If the attack would hit
50% 4 against the opponent’s unmodified Defense skill, roll
damage as normal. If the damage rolled would be
60% 8 sufficient to defeat the opponent, the defender gets
no opportunity for a defensive option and is
70% 12
instantly defeated. If that is not the case, then no
100% 16 damage is done. A character can be the target of a
Final Blow only once per fight. A successful Final
Blow is worth 3 Glory.

180
 5

Flourish: In descriptive terms, a Flourish is seen in First, if two characters have simultaneous Initiative,
anime as a set of frames in a battle when both and the two Fighters are within Range 0-2 of one
fighters launch a series of Basic Moves at each other another at the beginning of the turn, a Flourish
rapidly, with nothing distinctive about any particular occurs. Otherwise, as an action, a character can ask
blow. an opponent to engage in a Flourish. In this latter

This dramatic action occurs in one of two ways.

181
 5
case, the one extending the invitation spends an the combat. This attack option does not need to be
Action Point and also increases their Initiative die by declared beforehand.
one size on the following turn, whether the
opponent accepts or not. If accepted, the Flourish is Property Damage: A character can spend an Action
resolved on the same turn as the invitation. To Point and use this skill in place of a normal attack. It
resolve the Flourish, each fighter rolls a single can be used against an opponent at any range. The
unmodified d10. The combatant who rolls higher opponent defends as normal with either Defense or
does a straight unmodified d10 of damage to his Evasion, but as thrown objects and debris can rarely
opponent and does 1 Range of Knock Back. This hit a competent Fighter, the opponent receives a +1
special form of attack cannot be defended against in to his Defense Total. Tactics cannot be used to
any way. If the roll is a tie, the Flourish has no effect. defend against this attack. Damage is calculated as
a Special Move with the Ranged Element, with
Freeze Frame Attack: This special attack form also Property Damage in place of the Ki Skill, and then
represents a trope seen in anime combat scenes. modified by the attacker’s Strength and the
The visual effect is a “freeze frame” in which a fist, defender’s Stamina. If the Property Damage attack
knee, or foot stays in contact with the opponent, hits, the attacker earns an Action Point.
usually while the opponent’s eyes bug out and he
spews blood or teeth. This attack is made as a Pulling Punches: Circumstances in a story might
normal Basic Move. If it hits and does at least 4 make a character wish to pull his punches against his
points of damage, the attacker spends an Action opponent. Often this is the result of a friend being
Point and sacrifices 1 point of damage to generate mind-controlled or two friends being forced to fight
the Freeze Frame effect. This earns the attacker 2 one another. There are two ways to pull punches.
Glory. This attack option does not need to be The first is simply to spend an Action Point before
declared beforehand. damage is rolled to do 1/2 damage (round down)
with an attack. However, if maximum damage is
Knocking an Opponent out of Combat: With a rolled, the full amount of damage rolled is inflicted
successful attack, a character may spend an Action instead.
Point to do less damage, but more Knock Back.
Each 2 points of damage sacrificed increases the The second use of pulling punches is to specifically
Knock Back by one Range. This can knock the break someone free from mind control. In this case,
opponent beyond Range 5 and out of combat. This an Action Point is spent when a normal attack hits.
opponent may then either choose to rest (see The successful attack only does one point of
“Leaving Combat,” above), escape the scene damage, but the full rolled damage is tallied
entirely, or else must spend the next turn doing separately. As soon as this tally reaches enough
nothing but returning to combat (appearing at damage to “defeat” the mind-controlled character,
Range 5 from his former position). The attacker may he recovers (at least for this fight). The downside of
effectively drive the opponent “further” away than this method is that the mind-controlled Fighter gets
Range 5. For each additional Range beyond 5, the a +1 Accuracy on all attacks and a +1 Defense Total
opponent must spend one full turn running back to against all attacks when fighting any character that
is using this method to free the character from mind
control until a) he is knocked free of mind control, b)
he defeats all the characters pulling punches, or c)

182
 5
the opponents stop pulling punches. If a character is and the attack occurs at the lower Initiative of the
freed from mind control in this manner, that two attackers. The defender can choose only a
character is also immune to mind-manipulating single defensive option, but the attackers each get a
magic for the remainder of that combat. chance to attack against the same Defense Total. If
either attacker hits, both attacks hit. On the
Special Moves: A character can spend an Action following turn, each of the team-up partners does
Point to attack with a Special Move instead of a not get an Action Point. Furthermore, attacks
Basic Move. Each Special Move of a character can cannot be combined two turns in a row. The
normally be used only once per combat scene. Director can also rule that attacks cannot be
However, all Special Moves receive an additional +2 combined for any reason.
Accuracy. If the move also has a signature call-tag
that is shouted when the move is used (it is up to the Defense Options
Director’s discretion that a call-tag has always been
a “signature”), the bonus is instead +3. In addition, Endure Great Hardship: If a character is either 1)
the damage of all Special Moves is increased one die below 50% Life Bar and all of his opponents have
size. over 50% of their Life Bar remaining, or 2) below
25% Life Bar regardless of the Life Bar of his
When using a Special Move, if the attack fails to opponents, the Endure Great Hardship Skill can be
defeat an opponent, the Fighter does not receive an used by spending an Action Point at the beginning
Action Point at the beginning of the following turn. of the turn when Initiative is rolled. During the turn,
In subsequent turns, a character may use a specific this Skill is used in place of the Defense Skill.
Special Move again at a cost in Action Points equal However, there are two changes: 1) the combatant
to twice the Special Move’s level (e.g., an L3 Special receives the bonus for being on Full Defense, even
Move would cost six Action Points to use a second though he may still attack, and 2) all damage done
time in the same combat). to the combatant from any successful hit is halved
(round down). If the character is using the Skill on
These rules also apply to the use of Super Moves in the turn in which he is finally defeated, an Endure
the Dramatic Combat sub-system. Super Moves still Great Hardship skill check at DL 12 will immediately
require Super Energy to use in addition to an Action restore the character to 1 Life Bar. This can re-occur
Point, and their use is still governed by the normal indefinitely.
rules for Super Moves regarding Invincibility and
Initiative. Though this Skill does not need FS to operate, a
character using this Skill who still has unspent FS
Surprise Attack: If a character has an opportunity to will lose 1 FS each turn this Skill is used. The
attack from surprise at the beginning of a fight character must spend an Action Point every turn to
(Director’s discretion), he can spend an Action Point continue to receive these benefits.
to do double damage with his first attack. It is
appropriate to allow contested skill checks between Full Defense: A fighter on Full Defense earns an
Danger Sense and Stealth before giving this benefit. additional Action Point at the end of any turn in

Team-Up: Two (and only two) combatants can

team-up for their attack. Each pays an Action Point

183
 5
which no attack hits the character. This Action Point
can only be used for recovery options (see below). Taking a Hit for Someone Else: After a character
Full Defense does not cost an Action Point to use. has been successfully attacked, another character at
the same Range or less from the attacker can spend
Ignore Hit Stun: In the Dramatic Combat sub- an Action Point and volunteer to take the hit. In
system, Hit Stun always forces the defender to lose order to do this, the intervening character must
his action for the turn if he has not already acted. By succeed at an Athletics skill check with a DL equal to
spending an Action Point, the target can ignore the the die roll of the successful attack. If successful, the
effect of Hit Stun and still act on his turn, but with -2 intervening character takes the original damage. If
Accuracy on any attack and -2 on any skill check. unsuccessful, the intervening character can choose
to either not take the hit, or he can still take the hit
Ki Face Off: If a character attacks an opponent with but instead suffer double damage. If the attempt to
a Special Move with the Ranged Element, the intervene is successful, the intervening character
defender can choose instead to defend with the Ki earns one Glory.
Skill and spend an Action Point to declare a Ki Face
Off. In this case, the characters are simply Recovery Options
projecting massive waves of ki force at one another.
Draw Ki: This Skill can only be used after the Sense
A Ki Face Off is a special defensive option that Ki Skill has been used on a previous turn. It is used in
replaces a normal attack roll. Instead, the attacker place of a normal attack. The combatant spends an
simply rolls damage as if he had hit his opponent. Action Point and rolls a skill check. The number
The defender rolls damage based solely on his Ki rolled is the number of FS gained by the combatant.
skill, as if he were calculating damage for a Special The maximum amount obtainable in a single roll is
Move with the Ranged Element (see the Ranged equal to the combatant’s PL x 2 or the previous
Element in Chapter 4). The fighter who does more result of the Sense Ki skill check, whichever is lower.
damage receives an Initiative bonus on the following Characters can gain FS above their normal starting
turn equal to the differences in damage. total with this Skill. The combatant only needs to
use the Sense Ki Skill once in a fight to Draw Ki
On the next turn, whichever of the two fighters wins several times over several turns.
Initiative against the other wins the Ki Face Off. This
does 1d12 damage, with a minimum equal to the Friendship Morale Boost: If a character has a
character’s Ki Skill, and 2 Ranges of Knock Back. On comrade or teammate with whom he has a close
the turn when the Ki Face Off begins, either relationship (subject to the Director’s judgment)
character can be attacked by a 3rd party with a +1 who suddenly appears during a fight, or who re-
Accuracy, but their effective defense skills are also appears in a fight after being gone for 5 or more
increased by an amount equal to their Ki Skill. If any turns, the fighting hero (not the arriving comrade)
damage is done by a character outside the Face Off, may spend up to twice the normal number of Action
the Ki Face Off ends immediately with no further Points to heal Life Bar on the following turn (see
effect. below). This Boost itself has no Action Point cost.

184
 5
Healing Life Bar: This option can be done on the gained by the combatant. The maximum amount
same turn in which the character also performs obtainable in a single roll is equal to the combatant’s
another action, but the character must have PL x 3. Characters cannot gain FS above their
suffered damage on the turn and also failed to do normal total. Alternatively, every 4 full points rolled
damage to any opponent. At the end of the turn, earns an Action Point, which can only be used to
the character can spend one or more Action Points heal the character. If the Director agrees that it
to heal Life Bar. The amount healed is equal to the enhances the fight and/or story in some way, a
amount of Action Points spent squared. The limit on player might suggest a story-based opportunity that
Action Points that can be spent at once is equal to has arisen during the fight to roll a Realize Potential
one’s Power Level. This can be done multiple times skill check without the normal conditions applying.
in a single combat.
Stand Off: At the end of any turn in which two
Reaffirm Purpose: This Skill is used in place of a opponents are within Ranges 0-2 and neither
normal attack. It may only be used if the Director character damaged the other, either character can
agrees that it is appropriate, based on the “purpose” request a Stand Off. If both consent, they each
defined for the character (see the Skill description in spend an Action Point and the Stand Off occurs on
Chapter 2). It can only be used on a turn following the following turn. During that turn, neither
one in which the character suffered damage without character takes any action, as they catch their
doing damage to any opponent. The combatant breath and prepare to attack again. The result of
spends an Action Point and rolls a skill check. The this is that each character either heals 1d6+PL Life
number rolled is the number of FS gained by the Bar at the end of the turn or the character may make
combatant. The maximum amount obtainable in a a modified Stance Evaluation check against the
single roll is equal to the combatant’s PL x 4. opponent (see below) during the turn. Anyone who
Characters cannot gain FS above their normal attacks one of the characters involved in the Stand
starting total. Alternatively, every 3 full points rolled Off receives a +2 Accuracy bonus. The fighter in the
earns an Action Point, which can only be used to Stand Off heals nothing if he suffers damage during
heal the character. If the Director feels the situation the same turn. More than two opponents can Stand
applies particularly well to the character’s purpose, Off at once, provided all unanimously agree to it.
he may give a bonus on the skill check.
Special Options
Realize Potential: This Skill is used in place of a
normal attack. It may only be used if one of the
Gadgeteering/Magic/Psychic: A character who
following conditions apply from the previous turn: 1)
possesses one of these Skills can spend an Action
the character has just stood up from being Knocked
Point and make a skill check against DL 8. If
Down, 2) the character has just recovered from
successful, the character can replace his skill level
being Stunned, 3) an opponent has hit the character
with any secondary Skill with his skill level in the
for maximum damage, or 4) the character had an
primary Skill. This skill check does not count as the
attack die roll of 1 that also managed to hit the
character’s action for the turn.
opponent.

The combatant spends an Action Point and rolls a

skill check. The number rolled is the number of FS

185
 5
Example: Asuka has Magic 6 and Property Damage If the mind-manipulation is successful, the
3. On her turn, she wants to use Property Damage, manipulator can choose one of the following
but wants more punch than her skill level can options: 1) Force the opponent to do nothing for a
deliver. She spends an Action Point to make a Magic full turn (the character defends as if he were
skill check and rolls a 9. As a result, for this turn, she Stunned); 2) Dictate the opponent’s action (within
can consider her Property Damage Skill to be 6 reason) on the following turn, or 3) Take the
instead of 3, matching her Magic skill level. opponent out of combat altogether. This last option
must be carefully defined in story terms – its use
Ki Yelling: For (melo)dramatic effect, characters in presumes that the target is no longer physically
anime based on fighting games (and shounen anime present on the scene. This might because the target
in general) often have long bouts of yelling before is forced to run away, or is sent to another
their most impressive ki attacks. The player is dimension, or is physically transported far from the
welcome to role-play this out if he wishes. The scene. The narrative effect in this case may not be
character must spend an Action Point and then explicitly “mind-manipulating” magic, though the
spends one full turn yelling, without moving or mechanics are the same.
taking any other action. He receives a +1 bonus on
all of his Defense Totals for the turn, but if the Power: This Skill may be used in combat if the
character is hit by any attack during the turn, the Director permits it. A character’s skill level in the
yell is cut off and has no effect. If the yell is Power Skill can be used in place of another
successful, for the following turn only, the appropriate Skill, depending on the definition of the
character’s levels in any one of the following Skills is character’s Power Quality. For example, a character
effectively doubled (which can bring its effective who could fly might use the Power Skill in place of
level above 10): Ki (which increases the damage of the Athletics Skill to move around the battleground.
Special Moves with the Ranged Element), Draw Ki,
Property Damage, or Climactic Super Move. Presence: This Skill may be rolled instead of an
attack. This option can only be used once per
Mind-Manipulating Magic: These rules are only combat. The character spends an Action Point and
applicable if the Director and a character’s concept makes a skill check. For each full 4 points rolled, the
allow for them. Such a character also needs the character obtains an Action Point. Applicable
Magic, Psychic, or Gadgeteering Skill. The character bonuses to interaction skill checks apply to this roll
spends an Action Point and then a contested skill as well. This option represents the character posing
check is made in place of a normal attack between off and impressing, stunning, or intimidating his
the relevant skill for the attacker (i.e., Magic, opponents with his very presence.
Psychic, or Gadgeteering) and either a straight d10
or a Grim Determination skill check for the defender, Pushing It: If a character wishes to push the limits of
modified by any Qualities related to one’s his abilities, he can declare that he is pushing
intellectual prowess or willpower (Director’s himself before rolling his action. This costs one
discretion). Action Point and allows the character to receive a +4
bonus to an attack roll, a damage roll, or a Defense
Total for one turn. In addition to the Action Point
cost, however, the character also suffers 1d6 Life Bar

186
 5
damage that cannot be recovered in any way on the Defense Totals are also –2. To escape such a
turn of the push. Defeating an opponent with an situation, a character must use the Zen State Skill as
action while pushing it is worth one Glory. Athletics (see below). Successfully escaping brings
the character back to the corporeal world in the
Sense Ki: This Skill is used in place of an attack. It same location as his place in the spiritual world.
must be used before the Draw Ki Skill can be used in
combat (see above). The combatant spends an Stance Evaluation: This Skill may be rolled in place
Action Point and rolls a Sense Ki skill check. The of a normal attack. The character spends an Action
number rolled on the check becomes the highest roll Point and rolls a skill check targeting a specific
possible on any subsequent Draw Ki skill check opponent. For every full 4 points rolled on the skill
during the fight. A character can try this option check, the next attack that the character makes
again on another turn in an attempt to roll a higher against his chosen opponent receives a +1 Accuracy
total, but the new total applies whether it is higher and +1 damage. If Stance Evaluation is used during
or lower. a Stand Off, the bonus is calculated for every full 2
points rolled, rather than 4.
Spirit Combat: In place of a normal attack, a
properly trained character can bring another Spiritual Combat
character with him to fight on a spiritual or mystical
plane. In order to do this, the character must spend As noted above, various demons, manifested spirits,
an Action Point, be within Range 4 or less, and and monsters of all kinds can be created by
possess one or more of the following Skills at the modifying a high level Thug and giving it the
listed skill levels: Meditation 10, Zen State 9+, Dramatic Villain Quality so that it can make use of
Spirituality 8+, Psychic 7+, or Magic 6+. The Action Points in the Dramatic Combat sub-system.
character makes a contested skill check against the This sub-system can also be used for fighting spirits
opponent, each character choosing one of these five and other incorporeal supernatural beings.
Skills. The defender can instead use Grim
Determination in his defense also. However, the Unlike normal opponents, however, if the creature in
defender does not need to have any of these Skills in question is purely spiritual or incorporeal, a
order to defend himself. If he lacks all of these character must possess at least one of the following
Skills, his skill check is an unmodified d10 only. The skills or Qualities in order to fight back effectively:
defender can also choose not to resist and willingly Magic, Psychic, an appropriate Power, 4 or more
enter Spirit Combat. levels of the Meditation Skill, Zen State Skill 3 or
more, or Spirituality Skill 2 or more. Combat is then
Once engaged in Spirit Combat, no other combatant conducted as usual. If a combatant lacks any of
can affect the characters. They move and interact these traits, he can still be harmed by spiritual
with one another on their own separate battlefield. beings, but all attacks against them are at –2
Combatants engaged in Spirit Combat may also use Accuracy and their Life Saves are +2 (i.e., they are
the additional Action Point options described under harder to defeat).
Spiritual Combat below. Those characters drawn
into such a fight who are not able to fight spiritual
beings (as defined below) can still fight in Spirit
Combat, but all attacks suffer –2 Accuracy and all

187
 5
In Spiritual Combat, a few additional options are
available. Like all options in the Dramatic Combat Director: In Dramatic Combat, that bonus is applied
sub-system, each of the following requires the use to Initiative instead. The same applies for your
of an Action Point. Control Bonus also.

Call Forth Wisdom: This Skill can be used as the Rei: OK. So I have 1d8+1.
Property Damage Skill to attack a spirit with riddles
or ancient formulas and prayers. Director: And I still have 1d10. [Rolls] A 7.

Meditation: This Skill can be used in the same Rei: An 8! I get to go first! What Range are we?
manner as the Draw Ki Skill, but only if the
combatant is considered to be away from combat. Director: Let’s still use the usual Range of 3 for the
start of combat. Remember that you get an Action
Spirituality: For the cost of an Action Point, this Skill Point at the start of the turn.
can be used in place of the Defense Skill to defend
against attacks. Rei: I know! Well, I remember that Battle has ranged
attacks, so I’m going to back up to Range 4 and then
Zen State: This Skill can be used in place of the spend my Action Point to use Property Damage. I’m
Athletics Skill to either escape from combat or to going to leap up in the air and kick the contents off
pursue someone trying to escape combat. the back of a passing truck at him.

Director: Alright! Battle will defend with Evasion. He

Example of Dramatic Combat
has a +1 Defense Bonus and he gets a +1 Defense
Total against the Property Damage Skill. I’ll spend 2
After the confrontation in the underground city
FS for a Defense Total of 6.
proved inconclusive, Rei Oshiro ran into his nemesis
Dr. Battle again, this time on the streets of Tokyo.
Rei: I have a +1 Accuracy Bonus and I’ll spend 3 FS
The Director decided that this fight would best be
for a total of +4. [Rolls] A 3 – a hit! Unfortunately,
resolved with the Dramatic Combat sub-system.
my Property Damage is only 2, so that does 1d4.
Both Fighters are still Power Level 3.
Director: But it’s modified by your Strength and his
Rei: “I can’t believe you escaped that cave-in, Battle!
Stamina, so it’s 1d8. Roll it.
When are you going to realize that you have no
chance to defeat me?”
Rei: Six! Not enough to Stun him, but a solid hit.
Director: “And yet,” he responds, “you have yet to
Director: OK. Battle is down to 19 Life Bar.
defeat me either.” Let’s roll Initiative. Remember
that there is no Control roll in Dramatic Combat.
Rei: 19? Why so low?
Rei: But my Speed gives me a bonus on Control!
Director: Characters only have 1/2 Life Bar in the
Dramatic Combat system. Battle would normally be
Knocked Back, but he’s already at Range 4. You gain

188
 5
an extra Action Point for hitting with a Property
Damage attack. Rei: We each get another Action Point, right? I’m at 3
now.
Rei: Is Battle affected by Hit Stun in this system?
Director: And I’m at 2. Let’s roll Initiative.
Director: Yes, he loses his action entirely unless he
spends an Action Point, which he’s not going to do, Rei: A 9!
so that’s the end of the turn. No Glory earned. Rei
gets 1 Super Energy, while Battle gets 2. Time Director: Me, too!
check. [Rolls] 4. Time Count is down to 95.
Rei: So are we considered to have simultaneous
Rei: Time to press the advantage! Initiative?

Director: OK. Let’s roll Initiative. We each gain an Director: Not in the Dramatic system. In the case of
Action Point, so we both have two at the moment. tied Initiative, if the two Fighters are Range 0-2,
they both automatically use their turn to engage in a
Rei: Right. I rolled a 5. Flourish at no Action Point cost.

Director: An 8. I’ll go first. Since we’re still at Range Rei: So we just close in and throw lots of rapid
4, I’ll move 1 Range to Range 3 and then I’m going to punches and kicks at one another, hoping to
spend an Action Point to use the Athletics Skill. connect?
[Rolls] An 8 total! I can freely move 1 Range for every
4 points I rolled, so I’m going to use this to close to Director: That’s right. So to resolve a Flourish, we
Range 1. Range 4 to Range 1 in a single turn with no each roll an unmodified d10. Whoever wins does an
FS spent! Battle jumps back against a nearby automatic d10 damage to his opponent.
building, bounds into the air, and bounces off two
more walls before landing right in front of Rei. Rei: OK. [Rolls] A 4.

Rei: I want to save my Action Point, so I’m just going Director: I rolled a 7. So for damage… [Rolls] 6
to attack with a Basic Move. My Accuracy is +1. points.

Director: Battle will again use Evasion and spend 3 Rei: And there’s no defense against that?
FS. Defense Total 6.
Director: Nope.
Rei: I’ll spend 2 FS to give me a +3 Accuracy. [Rolls]
A 1. Miss! Rei: Alright. I’m down to 19 Life Bar too now.

Director: And that’s the end of the turn again. We Director: And that’s the end of the turn. After a
are presently at Range 1. Still no Glory earned. We furious flurry of brutal attacks, Battle manages to
each earn 1 more Super Energy. Time roll… [Rolls] 5.
Time Count down to 90. Let’s move on.

189
 5
land a punch right across Rei’s jaw. The Flourish Director: Looks that way. Dr. Battle followed up his
knocks you back to Range 2. No Glory earned. You punch attack with a glowing ball of blue ki energy.
get 2 Super Energy, while Battle gets 1. Time roll is a
4. Time Count is at 86. “Did you feel that, Oshiro? Rei: Yes, but before we round up the turn, I’m
I’m just getting started with you!” spending Action Points to heal.

Rei: Initiative: I roll a 5. Director: OK! How many? You can spend up to your
Power Level.
Director: And our hero continues to have his usual
luck against the doctor: I rolled a 7. Rei: Three it is, then. So I heal 9 Life Bar, bringing
me back up to 22. “You think you’ve got me where
Rei: How many Action Points do you have? you want me, Battle? I’ve been playing with you this
whole time!” I grin at him as I get ready to lunge.
Director: I have 3 now, and you have 4. But Battle is
going to spend one and use a Special Move: his Director: Great! You get 2 more Super Energy, as
Mystic Shot. does Battle for using a Special Move. Battle also
earns 3 Glory. Time count… [Rolls] another 5. Down
Rei: So how do Special Moves work again? to 81. Let’s see you deliver on your threat…

Director: They get a +2 Accuracy and +1 die size

increase on damage, but they can only be used once
without spending a lot of Action Points, and if I don’t
defeat you with this attack, I don’t get an Action
Point next turn. But I can live with that! So, I will
have a +2 Accuracy with this attack.

Rei: I will use Defense. I’ll also spend 3 FS to give me

a Defense Total 6.

Director: OK. Well, for 3 FS I can give myself a +5

Accuracy and automatically hit. I’ll do that.
Damage is normally 1d6+1, so it’s now 1d8+1. [Rolls]
6 more points! Can’t seem to Stun you! You’re also
Knocked Back to Range 3.

Rei: I’m down to 13 Life Bar and I lose my action

because of Hit Stun. I’m not spending an Action
Point to act. End of the turn?

190
6

191
 6
6. The Worlds of Fight! storytelling apply to the fighting game genre. This is
not absolutely true. A lot of anime and manga
storytelling focuses heavily on the complex web of
The previous chapters have described how to create
relationships between the main characters of the
a Fighter, how to use his Skills and Qualities in
story, especially in regard to familial and romantic
various situations, and most especially how to use
relationships. These relationships often have
his Special Moves to defeat his opponents in
explicitly comedic elements to them as well.
glorious combat. But in a role-playing game, the
question remains: what does one actually do with
Generally, this relational focus is not found in the
these characters? This question perhaps looms even
fighting game genre. Many of the main characters
larger in the fighting game genre. This chapter aims
(the Fighters of the campaign) seem lacking in many
to answer this question by providing further
important interpersonal relationships. Some even
guidelines for conceptualizing and role-playing
seem incapable of really relating to “normal” people
characters, how to set up a campaign, how to run
at all. This can pose a challenge for players and
stories within the campaign, and finally, how to
Directors. Fortunately, this is not universally true.
bring it to an exciting conclusion.
Some characters have melodramatic relationships
with other Fighters or with family members or other
As noted in the Introduction, the definition of the
loved ones that exist as important components in
fighting game genre actually cuts across the lines of
the character’s self-defining reason for fighting.
several other, more common genres in adventure
This is rich material for both role-playing and for
role-playing games. The majority of fighting games
story hooks. Furthermore, almost every fighting
are set in the modern or near-future era, often with
game, even the most serious in tone, seem to have
many supernatural elements thrown in. Some
room for one or more explicitly comedic characters
stories are similar to the mission-based approach
who are on the quest for the tastiest meat bun, or to
found in the espionage genre, while others involve
become the greatest waitress, or who actually
themes drawn from the gritty competition between
aspire to fighting greatness but who are only
the street and the corporation found in the
involved with the main characters by chance and
cyberpunk genre. Some fighting games have
coincidence. Normally, these characters are NPCs,
elements of traditional fantasy games, with
but there’s nothing to prevent a player from
swordplay, quests, and horrific monsters. All of
choosing one of these roles.
these similarities can be useful for gaining a better
understanding of the fighting game genre, but the
Just as the fighting game genre only bears some
genre itself remains distinctive. These distinctions
similarities with manga and anime, it also only bears
(several of which are described in the Introduction)
some similarities with the genre of martial arts film.
should be highlighted in the campaign.
While many story conventions work in both genres,
the characters are often quite different. While both
Because of the shared fan base between fighting
sorts of stories feature the exploits of martial artists
video games and anime, one might assume that
capable of feats impossible in the real world, the
many of the traditional tropes of anime and manga
characters in a fighting game often possess powers
and appearances that don’t translate well into live
action. This is one of the reasons live-action

192
 6
adaptations of fighting video games are often will make distinctions between, for example, all-
underwhelming. around characters, weak, fast characters, strong,
slow characters, and characters with great offensive
Despite all of these considerations, one specific ability but poor defensive ability. These kinds of
genre deserves special mention. Regardless of archetypes can be easily represented by the choice
whether a fighting game is set in the past, present, of Basic Qualities. For example, the strong, slow
or the future, the genre with which it shares the character would have Strength 2, but Speed –1. The
most in common is undoubtedly that of comic book fast character would conversely be Strength or
superheroes. Garishly costumed heroes and villains Stamina –1, but Speed 2.
fight unconventional battles with extraordinary
powers, often with intensely personal motivations. The other form of character archetype describes the
Secrets are kept, rivalries are established, and the character’s appearance, personality, motivation, or
fate of the world often hangs in the balance. There some combination of all three. Here are 20 common
is much inspirational material for a Fight! game in examples, presented in alphabetical order, which
the exploits of traditional superpowered comic book can provide inspiration for both PC and NPC
characters. Fighters. It should be noted that some of these
types overlap and a particular character may fit one,
These unique characteristics of the fighting game several, or none of these archetypes.
genre should be kept in mind as one conceptualizes
characters, stories, and campaigns. Androgynous Male: An unusual archetype, some
male characters in fighting video games are so
Designing Characters for the Campaign young and/or effeminate in appearance and
demeanor that players confuse them for female
Because there are only a limited number of Fighters characters. In some cases, the characters even dress
in the campaign, every one of them, whether PC or in women’s clothing. More often than not, such
NPC, needs due consideration. Each of them should characters are villains, but heroic examples do exist.
be distinctive, with interesting characteristics that
benefit the campaign. Thus, when beginning a new Big Fighter: Every fighting game has at least one
campaign, both the players and the Director should Fighter with the Big Quality and often the Tall
keep in mind the intended tone and power level. As Quality as well. Such characters are usually slow
these can vary widely, they can have a significant grappling characters. Many are professional
effect on the kinds of characters the Director and wrestlers who are fighting to prove that their martial
the players should create. art is not fake. Many are from “foreign lands”
(however that may be defined in the campaign) and
Whatever the style and tone of the game, however, many possess boisterous, jovial personalities that
there are a number of common archetypes found in quickly turn to barbaric rage when angry.
fighting games, which can be understood in two
different ways. Boss: Every Fight! campaign needs a Boss character.

The first way is to consider the nature of the

character as a Fighter. Fans of fighting video games

193
 6
This is the main villain of the whole campaign, who fight against opponents of as many other styles as
may be either a constant presence or an evil possible to realize their full potential as a warrior.
mastermind working behind the scenes until the end
of the campaign. A consideration of common Evil Female: Another specifically female archetype
master plans for the Boss can be found in the is the evil female. These characters are sometimes
section below on plot arcs in Constructing a employees of the Boss character, as assassins,
Campaign. The Boss is often more powerful than bodyguards, lovers, or some combination thereof.
any other Fighter, and often uses cheap moves and They are often curvy and alluring and are not above
tactics in combat. Some Bosses also have devious using their wiles to taunt and humiliate men. They
lieutenants called Sub-Bosses. tend to have distinctly unpleasant personalities:
merciless, cruel, and violent.
Cocky Fighter: These characters are loud,
overconfident, and often reckless. More often than Evil Fighter: The Evil Fighter archetype usually
not, they also have the skills to back up their applies specifically to male characters (see previous
bravado. They are often natural talents who reach entry). In many cases, evil characters work for the
martial arts excellence through raw talent and Boss character in some capacity, but this is not
instinct, and may chafe at the tedium of traditional necessarily the case. Some evil Fighters have their
training. own goals apart from or even in opposition to the
Boss character. Many evil characters are motivated
Cute Girl: Fighting games have a number of by greed or vengeance. While they may be violent,
common archetypes specifically for female they are usually not violent simply for its own sake
characters. Perhaps the most popular is the Cute (see the Psychotic Fighter, below).
Girl character. The rest of the details of the
character - her background, motivation, and fighting Goof Off: These characters are often associated
style for instance - are all secondary details to the with the Hero character. They are generally good
fact that she’s a cute girl with a sweet demeanor. characters, willing to fight the good fight, support
These characters are often young (under 18) and the Hero in his actions, and help in saving the day.
possessed of extraordinary self-confidence. But they are often easily distracted or not fully
aware of their own limitations. Sometimes, despite
Dedicated Martial Artist: This archetype might being great Fighters, they just don’t care about
seem unusual in a game in which every major what’s going on around them. They are often
character is an extraordinary martial artist! comedic characters, but they do not need to be
However, these characters are dedicated to a foolish. Instead of being the target of the joke,
particular style of martial arts or perhaps just to some Goof Off characters are just the light-hearted
excellence in the martial arts as an end in itself companions of the Hero, willing to crack a joke
above all other concerns. Sometimes they consider because the Hero is too focused to ever laugh.
themselves to be ambassadors of their style, eager
to show the world that it is superior to all other Hero: The Hero character is almost as necessary as
forms. Other times, they seek nothing more than to the Boss character in a fighting game campaign.
Whatever the Hero’s personal reason for fighting,
his actions directly interfere with the plans of the

194
 6
Boss. The Hero usually has a handsome face and a material.
noble personality, with charisma that draws other
good guys to want to follow or at least aid him. He Ninja: Ninja are found both in historical campaigns
may be taciturn or jovial, but he is always serious and in modern ones. Some are stereotypical ninja,
about the task at hand. Ideally, one or more of the maintaining their anonymity behind masks and
player characters in the campaign possesses this using traditional ninja gear and tricks. Others are
archetype. more modern with little to specifically distinguish
them as ninja except for their extraordinary speed
Heroine: Much like the case with the Evil Female and their ability to disappear, teleport, and/or turn
and the Evil Fighter, the Heroine is similar to, yet invisible, the hallmarks of the Ninja’s fighting style.
distinct from, the Hero. The Heroine will be aligned Ninja usually also have additional complications in
with the Hero but may not be one of his the form of their relationship with their clan, either
companions. Instead, the Heroine may have her because they are duty-bound to serve it or they are
own quest and simply cross paths with the Hero on the run and hunted by it or they are at war with
along the way. Like the Hero, she has a virtuous rival clans to determine whose ninjutsu is the
personality and a commitment to fight evil. She is strongest.
usually attractive and a very powerful Fighter.
Non-Human Fighter: Fighting games often have at
Ladies Man: This archetype applies to a male least one character who is not exactly human. Some
Fighter who is obsessed with his looks or at least games have entire rosters of Non-Human Fighters.
knows just how attractive he is and takes advantage These characters may be genetic experiments,
of it. He is always surrounded by beautiful women, evolutionary throwbacks, creations of superscience,
dressed in cutting edge fashions, and usually has a cyborgs, robots, demons, ghosts, other forms of
cocky attitude. It is interesting to note that many supernatural monsters, mutants, sentient animals,
examples of Ladies Man characters in fighting or any other being with mysterious powers and
games are surprisingly feminine in their appearance origins. Their Special Moves often demonstrate
and fashions. The evil version of this archetype may their unique abilities and their back-stories are often
embrace a haughty narcissistic attitude towards all filled with dangerous hunters and shadowy
those he deems less attractive than himself. conspiracies.

Military Fighter: Elite soldiers who just happen to Old Man: This archetype is often the mentor or
also be extraordinary martial artists are another sensei of one or more of the other Fighters in the
common archetype. These soldiers are usually the campaign. Despite his age, he remains a dangerous
epitome of military discipline in their appearance, Fighter, often with access to special techniques not
behavior, and attitude towards others, yet they shared with his students. The personality of the Old
often have circumstances in their lives that make Man often varies drastically, from the wise old
them remarkably flexible when it comes to master who dispenses wisdom to his students, to
adventuring on their own or ignoring normal chains the dirty old man who leers at cute girls, drinks and
of command. More often than not, these Fighters eats to excess, and acts like a buffoon. The same
are American (or at least Western). Most are male,
but female Military Fighters also exist in the source

195
 6
Old Man may possess both of these personalities at often be light-hearted competition enjoyed by both
different times. Physically, the Old Man is often Fighters; in darker rivalries, there will be a series of
bald and almost always possesses the Short Quality. fights to the death, only to be interrupted by
circumstances that leave the rivals to fight again
Psychotic Fighter: Some Fighters have sociopathic another day.
personalities with cold demeanors or wild-eyed
stares and malevolent grins. Such Fighters enjoy Student: Many Fighters are actually students in
terrorizing and brutalizing their opponents, and high school. The schoolgirl is an especially common
often use cruel attacks designed to maim and archetype. In fact, an entire campaign could be
humiliate the opponent. While such characters are constructed around the rivalries in a particular high
usually evil, they often do not serve the Boss school or series of schools. Despite their age and
directly, instead content to pursue their own twisted inexperience, these characters are just as competent
agendas. This archetype also applies to human as the rest of the Fighters in the campaign, often
Fighters that are either deformed or twisted in mind because they are prodigies or they’re utterly
and body and fight with unusual and disturbing obsessed with training in the martial arts.
fighting styles.

Rich and/or Famous Fighter: Some Fighters come

Constructing a Campaign
from backgrounds of affluence and take up the
study of martial arts out of boredom, yet they either The Basics
become masters in their own right or seek to
challenge excellent Fighters in pursuit of new thrills. While fighting game stories are fundamentally
They are often stuffy in demeanor and haughty about providing excuses for skilled martial artists to
towards those they consider beneath them. Similar fight one another, the campaign settings for these
to the Rich Fighter is the Famous Fighter who is stories are quite diverse. This section describes the
trying to prove himself against other Fighters to basic factors to consider when setting up a Fight!
demonstrate that he is not a fake. Some Famous campaign. The Director needs to decide where and
Fighters know they are competent martial artists, when the campaign takes place; the power level of
yet circumstances draw them out of their the Fighters in the setting; whether or not the
comfortable lives and into the events of the setting corresponds to the real world and if so, how
campaign. closely; what the stakes are in the campaign; what
the tone of the campaign will be; and finally, the
Rival: The Rival archetype is usually set in visual feel of the campaign. Some ideas are
opposition to the Hero, but he can really be provided here to help Directors think about each of
connected to any character. The Rival is either these factors.
another Fighter’s life-long friend or else his worst
enemy from childhood. At every reasonable Place: Some campaigns may involve the events
opportunity, the Rival seeks to demonstrate that he surrounding a single tournament or in a single city,
is the better Fighter. In friendly rivalries, this will while others have a much wider geographical scope.
Some campaigns may take place in Japan, while
others occur primarily in another country.

196
 6
Oftentimes, the tournament that serves as the focus events have changed in either small or drastic ways.
of the campaign occurs all over the world. For truly Perhaps cities have been destroyed, or islands have
epic games, the tournament may take place across risen from the sea, or whole continents may have
multiple planets or even multiple dimensions. sunk. The campaign world may have continents and
nations that are entirely made up. New worldwide
Power: The default rules of Fight! presume that a organizations, often criminal and/or corporate in
Fighter is an extraordinarily more competent nature, often dominate the world’s military,
combatant than just about anyone else besides economic, and/or political scene.
another Fighter. Still, how that translates into
narrative terms is up to the Director. What is the Two other components related to the question of
actual power level of the Fighters in comparison to campaign reality are the technology level of the
the rest of the world? In some campaigns, the world and the role of the supernatural. The default
characters are nothing more than fantastic martial presumptions of the genre are that both technology
artists competing against one another, who should beyond current real world examples exists and that
still be afraid of tanks and automatic weapons. At the supernatural (broadly understood) is real and
the other extreme, the characters in some active in the world. The Director needs to decide
campaigns may be super-beings, capable of how much either of these components impacts the
demolishing buildings, or even cities (though the normal people in the world.
default rules don’t really represent this style of play
very well). The presumption of most fighting games Scope: This is the stakes involved in the events of
is somewhere in the middle; there should be little the campaign. Scope could be phrased another way
that Fighters are afraid of when it comes to as: how much of the world will be affected if the
mundane soldiers and technology. heroes fail and in what way? The ramifications of the
heroes’ failure might be very local, such as a crime
If desired, the power level of the campaign can be lord continuing to dominate the underworld of the
further defined by requiring characters to have city. Other times, the stakes might be much higher,
certain Skills, such as Property Damage, at specified such as demons rising up and infesting the world.
minimum levels as they advance in Power Level. The scope of the campaign helps to establish how
Likewise, the Director can decide the DL of skill the players will react to certain situations, as well as
checks to reflect the desired power level of the how the Director should prioritize certain plot
campaign. For example, in a realistic campaign, the elements (so the heroes can learn what the stakes
DL of a Property Damage skill check to break down are).
a steel door might be 12. In a high-powered
campaign, DL 12 might be the difficulty level to Time: This refers to when the campaign take place.
destroy a skyscraper. As noted already, most fighting games take place in
the present or the near future. But many other
Reality: Most fighting games take place in the possibilities exist. Perhaps the campaign is set in a
modern world or the near future. However, very few near-future cyberpunk setting, a distant star-
of them pay much attention to the actual spanning future, or even in a barbaric post-
geopolitical structure of the real world. In many
cases, important people, places, and historical

197
 6
apocalyptic world. Several fighting games are favorite traditionally drawn characters get
instead set in the past, such as the Sengoku and Edo translated into a more realistic CGI medium.
eras of Japanese history. Even if the story does not Despite this, however, the visual sense intended by
occur on a recognizable Earth, some thought should the rules of Fight! encompasses both of these
be given as to the equivalent time period of the approaches.
campaign setting.
But these are not the only two choices, even if they
Tone: As noted in the Introduction, the storylines of are the dominant ones by far. Perhaps the players
most fighting games are taken very seriously, with would rather imagine the characters as real people,
humor being relegated to the secondary stories of maybe even going so far as to find photos of people
certain characters. Some games are even on whom to base their appearance. Whatever the
depressingly dark. However, there are a few that Director and players decide, the visual sense of the
are much more light-hearted, even bordering on characters (and thus the game world as a whole) will
silly. The default presumption of the genre and of impact the way that the players think about and
these rules is a melodramatically serious setting. role-play their characters. Indirectly, the visual
Regardless of what the Director chooses, the tone of sense of the game tends to relate to the sense of
the campaign will have a serious effect on the realism present in the game as a whole, and is thus a
character concepts of both PCs and NPCs, as well as relevant consideration for the campaign.
the kinds of scenes the Director will prepare for his
stories. Once the tone is established, the Director Group Size
should make sure he maintains it. Failing to do so
creates difficult situations for the players to role- Another basic consideration for the Director is to
play, as well as damaging the consistency of the decide how many players to include in his game.
campaign’s storyline. Role-playing games are group endeavors, but the
size of the group often depends on the skill and style
Visuals: This component of campaign design refers of the Director, the dynamics of the players, and
to the intended visual style of the campaign. A especially the nature of the game itself. For
simple way to understand this would be to answer example, a fantasy game about the exploits of
the following question: when the Director and the mighty heroes traveling around the world battling
players imagine the characters, what do the giants and dragons and accumulating power can
characters look like? Based on fighting video games, easily admit a larger group size than a modern game
characters are most easily imagined as either focused on the intimate relationships of a small
conforming to the artistic conventions of manga and group of companions hunting demonic monsters in
anime (in 2-D fighting games) or else according to their hometown.
semi-realistic CGI designs (typically in 3-D fighting
games). Sometimes the same character may be Fight! is not primarily a game of deep introspection,
rendered both ways when a traditionally 2-D video or even of intimate interpersonal relationships
game gets re-vamped into a new 3-D iteration. It is (though both of these can be a part of a campaign
sometimes unusual, even jarring, for fans when their with no problem). Still, the complexity of
characters’ Special Moves and the tactical detail of
the combat system suggests a preference for

198
 6
smaller playing groups. A group comprised of the The Tournament
Director and 2-4 players is probably ideal, and for
those who are interested in the experience, the The Tournament is the fundamental building block
genre even works well with a single player. The of the campaign setting. While it is not strictly
distinctive motivations and personalities of Fighters necessary, the premise of almost every fighting
often militate against banding together in large video game is that some person or group has
groups, so these smaller group sizes make more organized a deadly tournament and invited the very
sense in the fighting game genre. best Fighters in the world to participate. As such,
the Director should give serious thought to the
This is not to say that a larger group is not possible. nature of the tournament.
If the Director is comfortable working with a group
of six fighters, then there is nothing wrong with This premise is useful to the Director and the
that. However, significant attention should be given players. For the Director, it provides a framework
to the rationale for the group’s existence. Based on for the stories of the campaign. Inevitably, the
the individual character concepts, there needs to be tournament is never as straightforward as it
a reason why so many of the world’s greatest purports to be: the organizers have sinister motives,
Fighters are traveling, working, and fighting the prize is not what it seems, the fights attract the
together. They may be from the same family or attention of malevolent entities who invade the
martial arts school, they may be part of the same proceedings, or something similar. Any
military unit or law enforcement organization, or complication like this becomes useful story fodder.
they may even share the same destiny. But there And this is not just true for the later stages of the
should definitely be a strong reason for them to campaign either. By giving some thought to these
remain together through the events of the complications, signs and portents can be placed in
campaign. the campaign early on or even in the backgrounds of
the player characters.
An advantage to a small group size is that it is easier
for the Director to keep all the players involved in The tournament is also a convenient excuse for
the game. If the campaign is using tag teams or combat. While this may seem self-evident, it is
team combat, it is easy to make sure everyone is important to remember that in the fighting game
involved in combat, which is often the most time- genre, the most important plot revelations and
consuming part of play. But outside of combat, a moments of personal development, realized
smaller group size means that even if the player potential, and shocking personal discovery should
characters split up to handle different tasks, no one all occur during combat. Thus, the campaign’s plot
is kept out of play for very long. Again, the twists and turns need a forum for discovery, and
personalities and motivations of Fighters often lead tournament combat is an easy way to provide that
them to want to act alone, so when this occurs, a forum.
small group size will not alienate any one player for
long. The Director needs to be cognizant of this It should be noted that the term “Tournament” is
when setting up and running the game. used here in a much larger sense than just a fighting

199
 6
competition. While a campaign
can easily occur over the events of
a single tournament occurring in a
single location, perhaps even
beginning and ending over a
matter of mere days, the implied
meaning of this term is something
longer-lasting that occurs over a
wide area, perhaps even the whole
world.

Likewise, a tournament may have

very specific rules and traditions.
Some tournaments may be huge,
public events, televised for the
world to see. The Fighters might
be celebrities, drawing huge
crowds, with fan clubs,
endorsement deals, and all the
perks and hazards of fame. Little
do the crowds know, however, the
secrets that are kept by the
organizers and participants until it
is too late.

On the other hand, the

tournament might be a secret
affair, its location passed on
through covert couriers, taking
place in abandoned buildings,
back alleys, parking garages, and
underground fighting clubs. The
crowds are still there, but they are
smaller, and usually in the mood
for bloody entertainment, not a professional fact, there may not be anything like specific brackets, or
sports spectacle. judges, or codified rules of engagement. The tournament
might simply involve great Fighters encountering one
But the tournament need not be so formal as to another in random places, doing battle, and yet
have specific locations delineated for battle. In discovering that somehow their exploits are known,
perhaps even recorded in some way.

200
 6
The details of the tournament thus admit of a wide section describes 15 such elements to provide
degree of variation. However, the role of the additional inspiration for the Director. Many of
tournament in the campaign can help to define the these overlap with one another. The ubiquity of
tone of the game and fuel lots of character these elements means that they can be used to
motivations for the players and story ideas for the provide a strong “fighting game feel” to the
Director. campaign.

All this being said, despite the value of the Cataclysms: The settings of many fighting games
tournament, the campaign does not need one as an occur during or shortly after a cataclysm of some
organizing premise. If the Director and players would kind. This might be a world war, an economic
rather play a more freeform story, or one that is collapse, or a natural disaster. Sometimes
organized around some other plot element than a powerful supernatural forces are responsible for
tournament, there is nothing preventing someone the cataclysm, changing the way people
from doing so. If the Director so desires, he can even understand and live in the world around them.
eliminate rules that remind the players too much of Regardless of the nature of the cataclysm, as a
tournament combat such as ring-outs and time result, chaos and unrest often dominate the
counts. The greatest advantage of this setup is the backdrop of the setting.
flexibility in stories, as there is no overarching
campaign tournament to worry about. However, Fictional Geography: Whether the story takes
there is a potential problem in the nature of Power place ostensibly in the real world or in another
Level 8. world, many fighting games feature fictional
geography. This may be as simple as featuring a
Normally, Power Level 8 means that the characters fictional metropolis as the setting for a story of
have reached the fullness of their potential in this crime and urban decay or as elaborate as a whole
particular story arc (i.e., the campaign). It is a sign that new world or series of worlds, complete with
events are drawing to a close and that the Boss will unique histories, cultures, and governments.
soon appear. Without a tournament providing Sometimes new geography is the result of a
structure, though, when does the Boss appear? Is cataclysm.
there even a Boss in the campaign? Do the heroes
continue to adventure normally at PL 8 and are now Fighters as Power Source: This plot element is
just at the peak of their power? These questions need extremely common in fighting game stories.
to be answered, but if so desired, this method can Through various means, the “essence” of
create a more traditional adventure role-playing extraordinary fighters is collected, usually to be
experience. used for some nefarious purpose. The essence in
question might be knowledge of the Fighters’
Common Plot Elements of Fighting techniques, their ki, their fighting spirit, their
blood, or some other concept. The means of
Game Campaign Stories acquisition vary from videotaping the Fighters in
action, to implanted nanomachines, to monitoring
The tournament is the fundamental organizing
premise for a fighting game. However, there are other
common plot elements found in fighting games. This

201
 6
by robotic drones. Sometimes the acquisition of a the whole world through drugs, weapons, and
Fighter’s essence only comes about after the Fighter stranger threats. Whether the scope is large or
has been captured, in which case the process is small, these figures tend to hold power beyond what
always painful and often lethal. Once the essence is might normally be expected for their position. A
acquired, it might be used to power some weapon of crime lord of a city not only runs crime in the city; his
mass destruction, to empower a bioengineered influence affects the entire life of the city, putting
being to be the greatest Fighter in the world, to him in position to be the shadow ruler of the whole
program an army of cyborgs or super-soldiers, to town. A worldwide terrorist organization is not
create clones of the Fighters to rule the world, or to merely a threat to be addressed by world powers
provide the energy needed for some reality-altering (and extraordinary martial artists), but a power
supernatural ritual or summoning. This is without equivalent to or even greater than the military,
question one of the most common tropes of the political, and economic power of some nations.
genre – the fighting spirit of a Fighter is one of the Because of this huge sphere of influence, attempts
greatest powers in the world in fighting games. to curtail the syndicate’s criminal activities always
fail…at least until the player characters get involved.
Future Dystopia: Many fighting games occur in the
near future. However, these visions of the future are Mad Scientists: With all of the high-end gadgets,
rarely positive. Instead, some war, political weird fusions of supernatural power and modern
maneuvering, or economic manipulation on the part technology, and scientific processes to capture and
of an evil megacorporation have created a dark manage the essence of fighting spirit, it makes
future that shares some of the cultural aesthetics of sense that mad scientists are also commonplace in
the cyberpunk genre. In these worlds, governments the fighting game genre. While rarely the Boss, the
and corporations hold all the power in monolithic work of a mad scientist is often the reason for the
structures, while the common people have to Boss’power or plans. He may also be responsible for
struggle to survive. Sometimes the powers that be creating one or more villainous Fighters, perhaps
hold exclusive access to a resource necessary for the prototypes of the evil army the Boss is trying to
society to function, such as a new energy source. In create. On the other hand, sometimes the mad
fighting games set before the year 2000, settings scientist is a good guy, perhaps responsible for the
often possessed millennial angst as a factor. A creation of one or more of the player character
similar anxiety can be provoked around the year Fighters in the campaign. In fact, the mad scientist
2012 and its associated predictions of the end of the might be a rogue operative formerly in the Boss’
world. Regardless of the details, this dystopia colors employ. In rare cases, the scientist will create new
the setting and the motivations of the characters. gadgets and weapons for himself and become one
of the Fighters.
Huge Crime Syndicates: Criminal masterminds are
commonplace in fighting games and many times Magic Weapons and Techniques: In some fighting
serve as the Boss of the story. Sometimes the scope games, every one of the Fighters uses a weapon. In
of the game is small, and the crime lord may rule some cases, these are not regular weapons but
over the underworld of a single city. Sometimes, the rather magical or cursed weapons with histories and
masterminds are terrorists capable of threatening stories of their own. The weapons themselves
become secondary characters in the campaign, as

202
6

203
 6
they too possess relationships with the other convenient plot devices for the Director to use to
weapons. Through the hand of fate, the wielders of explain any number of disparate plot points.
these weapons are drawn into conflict with one
another. Similar to the idea of unique magic Public Tournaments: Despite the place of martial
weapons is the trope of related schools of martial arts tournaments in popular culture in the real
arts or special techniques. While this trope is more world, many tournaments in fighting games are
common in live-action wuxia films, it has its place in much larger affairs. These tournaments are instead
fighting games as well. Sometimes two schools huge televised competitions broadcast worldwide,
share a common origin, but have become divided with audiences larger than any other sporting event
into good and evil martial arts. Perhaps a specific in the world, including events like the Olympics or
technique defines mastery of a style, but learning the World Cup. Many of the Fighters are well-known
that technique could possibly transform the very celebrities with fan clubs who follow them around
nature of the Fighter who learns it. the world, while mysterious new Fighters become
cause for buzz and speculation.
Multiple Dimensions: Some fighting games have a
truly epic scope that involves wars occurring across Summoning God-Like Beings: The end game of
multiple dimensions. The Fighters may come into many Boss characters is to summon some powerful
contact with powerful beings, even gods, in their god-like being, usually one of unrelenting evil.
quests. Sometimes the context is a particular These summoning rituals are lengthy affairs and
relationship between dimensions, whether those need to be powered by extraordinary energies and/
dimensions are at war or are in some sort of or sacrifice. The consequences of a successful
necessary relationship with one another. In other summoning are always a radically transformed
cases, a story may be based across multiple world. Oftentimes, the summoner believes he has
timelines, perhaps telling two parts of the same the favor of the god-like being, or even that he will
story occurring at different points in history at the be able to control it for his own purposes. More
same time. Campaigns set across multiple often than not, he is wrong and ends up one of the
dimensions or timelines allow for great variety in first victims of the being’s manifestation before the
settings and themes and are also well suited to high heroes shut down the ritual.
power levels and deliberately confusing plotlines.
Tournament as Cover for Evil: As has already been
Mysterious Organizations: The sponsors of referenced in several other descriptions in this
tournaments in fighting games are often shrouded section, the campaign tournament is rarely
in mystery. The reason for secrecy is often well innocent. Without uncovering the mystery behind
founded: most of these organizations have the tournament, the finalists, no matter what their
nefarious motives for setting up the tournament in personal motives might be, will end up being
the first place. These organizations are invariably complicit in some great evil. This is such a common
huge and powerful, yet somehow their existence or trope that it is perfectly reasonable for the player
at least the scope of their power remains hidden characters to automatically be suspicious of the
from the general public. This makes them backers of the tournament. However, their personal
motivations for getting involved should trump their
suspicions and draw them into the action anyway.

204
 6
Underground Tournaments: While some aside from the player characters, he is responsible
tournaments are huge televised events, not all of for conceptualizing and developing all of these other
them are. The opposite extreme is also common: characters, including their very necessary
tournaments that are small-scale affairs, conducted motivations for being involved in the events of the
in out of the way places, found only by those who campaign. While a few might be lesser characters
are supposed to find them. In these scenarios, the whose motivations are less than epic, often used for
tournament is often a little darker, a little more comedic effect, the majority of the Fighters should
brutal, and the malice of the event and its organizers exist in a complex web of relationships and
a little closer to the surface. Despite the intertwined destinies, ensuring that all of them will
tournament’s secrecy, the fights still have diehard cross paths over the duration of the campaign.
fans thirsting for violence and despite what appears
to be a small scale, the ramifications of the The number of Fighters in the campaign heavily
tournament organizers’ plans are often still defines the feel of the campaign. If there are only 10
significant for the city or the world. or 12 such characters, the fighting world feels
intimate, as characters are likely to face off against
Worldwide Chaos: In many campaign scenarios, the one another multiple times during the course of the
world is in chaos. There might be rampant world game. This may not be desirable in all campaigns.
wars, natural disasters or supernatural cataclysms, In fact, early fighting games had such small rosters
rampant crime and terrorism, or economic simply because of hardware limitations.
imperialism. This may be the case even if the scope
of the campaign is contained to a single city. The Contemporary fighting games now seem a little
advantage of this trope is that it provides excuses to limited to players if there are less than 20-25
have an infinite supply of malcontents to oppose the characters, and the biggest games boast rosters
player characters. over 50. These much higher numbers are often
more conducive to a campaign, for they create
Worldwide Corporations: Massive worldwide greater variety among the opponents the player
corporations are commonplace in fighting game characters will face. This is even more necessary if
scenarios and often serve as the organizers of the the player characters are fighting as a team against
tournament. In other cases, their research or other teams – each non-player character team
investigations might set events in motion that bring needs two, three, or more members. Thus, even 8-
about the campaign setting. Sometimes different 10 teams in a campaign might necessitate creating
corporations are at war with one another and use 20-30 characters. This can be a huge workload for
the Fighters as their weapons. In all these cases, the the Director, especially if he wants the Fighters to be
corporations often possess even more power than at least moderately interesting in their own right.
the world’s governments. In some scenarios,
corporations may replace governments entirely. One easy way for the Director to manage this is to
simply not create all the Fighters until they are
Creating NPC Fighters needed. In this way, the Fighters or teams that the

It is the responsibility of the Director to decide how

many Fighters exist in the campaign setting for,

205
 6
player characters face at PL 1 can be created contain only a few options; additional supplements
immediately, but once they are encountered and will contain many more.
defeated, they may never be used in play again. As
the characters advance in Power Levels and in the The Director can also create a specific style for his
plot, the Director can create character sheets for campaign setting by requiring or restricting certain
new Fighters only as he needs them. Prior to their choices when players make their characters. For
appearance in a story, they remain only names and example, the Director may decide that the
concepts, or they may appear in a scene, but for campaign will be about armed fighters rather than
whatever reason, combat does not occur. unarmed fighters and require all players to work a
weapon into the visual descriptions of the character
The occasional exception can be made to this and his Special Moves. Building on this example, in
pattern: an old team can be brought back just to a campaign about the relationships between ten
have the more experienced player characters ancient and powerful weapons, coincidentally
trounce them soundly (often for comedic purposes) wielded by the Fighters, the Director could require
or a higher Power Level Fighter can be created in all characters to take the Powerful Item Quality. As
advance to thrash the low-level player characters, as a more drastic example, in a campaign based around
a foreshadowing of things to come. In this latter brutal, dirty, thoroughly underground pit fighting,
case, the character already has a sheet prepared for he could rule that no character could have Fame,
when the player characters deliver their Wealth, or even positive Appearance Qualities!
comeuppance.
Finally, the Director may come up with his own
House Rules to better generate the feel of the game
Choosing Campaign Options he wishes to run. For example, he might want Super
Moves to have a more epic feel in the game and
The Director also needs to decide what campaign decide that they always do double damage or that
options he wants to include in his game. These they may be constructed with twice as many
options take three forms: optional rules, character Elements as usual. The important thing to
requirements, and house rules. moderate such rules is to make sure that they are
applied equally to all Fighters. Even with that
There are several optional rules described in the precaution, some ideas may end up making some
core rules. Some examples include the ability of game elements too powerful or other ones useless.
characters to do Aerial Blocks or Tech Rolls. The
choice of a set of optional rules to use (or the choice
to use none of them at all) helps define the feel of
Example Story Arcs and Campaign
the game as well as the metagame parameters of Seeds
the fighting game being “played” during the
campaign. If the Director wants to emulate the feel Here are some examples of common story arcs
of a favorite video game, he can choose options that found in fighting games and a campaign seed for
duplicate the play of the game. The core rules each through which a Director could fully develop a
setting of his own.

206
 6
World Tournament – Sci-Fi/Crime: The classic necromancer Gashadokuro. They were ultimately
archetype of the fighting game campaign is a successful and sealed his essence behind nine seals
massive worldwide tournament. In this version of scattered throughout the countryside. Now, 500
the archetype, the organizers of the tournament are years later, a secret clan of occultists wants to raise
conducting some form of advanced scientific or Gashadokuro to wreak havoc in the modern world.
fringe research revolving around the events of the In order to acquire the ki energy they need to open
competition. Additionally or alternatively, the the seals, they hold a tournament. Through the
organization behind all of the fighting is some form battles of the tournament, the clan will harvest the
of worldwide terrorist group planning to hold the fighting spirit of the combatants and use it to break
world ransom once their project has come to open the seals.
fruition.
Urban Crime: In this model, the campaign occurs in
Campaign Seed: The Fist of God: Ghalib Mustafa is a single major city. The Boss is the power behind all
the absolute authority behind the Hashim criminal activity in the city, and his authority usually
Corporation. He is also a fanatical follower of an extends to the legitimate political power in the city
obscure militant Islamic sect known as the Fist of as well. The Fighters in the story either work for the
God. For his contribution to the sect’s worldwide Boss or have an issue with him; the player characters
cause, Ghalib used his extensive resources to usually have personal reasons to oppose him
organize a fighting tournament for the world’s directly. In this scenario, if the Boss wins, it usually
greatest fighters. During the proceedings, he plans doesn’t mean the end of the world –but it usually
to use his security forces to kidnap the most means something very bad personally for the player
promising combatants, distill the contents of their characters and/or their loved ones.
minds, and use it to construct the architecture that
will go into programming his army of super-soldiers Campaign Seed: Brutal Saints: Independence City
to march on the world. is a huge metropolis, home to millions of people.
Little do they know that they are ultimately ruled by
World Tournament – Mystical: This is another Marcus Buchanan, the infamous Black Tiger, ruler of
classic model for a fighting game storyline, again Independence City’s underworld. Buchanan
based on a worldwide tournament. Similarly, the maintains his iron grip on the city with the help of
organizers of the tournament have a nefarious plot his five lieutenants, awesome fighters in their own
in mind. Unlike the above example, however, the right. Many people have reason to hate Buchanan,
plot does not involve some weapon or high-tech but few have the power to do anything about it.
gambit, but rather a supernatural threat. This may Those that do take to the streets, intent on stopping
be a summoning ritual to bring an evil god to Earth, the Black Tiger’s reign of terror. They are the Brutal
the resurrection of an ancient necromancer, or the Saints.
transformation of the Boss into a superpowered
entity. Horror/Fantasy: Some campaigns have a horror or
fantasy motif. The world may be a fantastic world or
Campaign Seed: Rage of the Nine Seals: In the
16th century, a group of lords banded together their
military and mystical resources to oppose the dread

207
 6
a version of the modern world after some among themselves in the mountains. One of their
supernatural apocalypse. In any case, “normal” own had given themselves over to dark powers and
people live among monsters, both intelligent and attempted to wrest control over all the families.
bestial. The populace may accept the existence of While the other clans banded together to oppose
monsters as a matter of course, or they may hide these dark powers, their own interclan politics
behind closed doors at night, fearful for their lives. refused to take a backseat. The result: war between
The Fighters might be heroes fighting against the five clans, sometimes bloody and overt, sometimes
monsters, or they may be monsters themselves. political and subtle, all the while maintaining their
contracts with the warring states and avoiding the
Campaign Seed: Nightreign: In the year 2012, bloody machinations of their sinister fallen brothers.
dimensional gates opened up all over the earth.
Through these portals, hordes of demons and Historical – Other: While practically nonexistent in
monsters invaded, and powerful magical forces the source material, a fighting game might take
plunged the world into endless darkness. Now the place in an alternate version of some other historical
remnant of humanity lives in perpetual fear of the setting. The Director could set the campaign in
world beyond the firelight, only dimly aware of the ancient China (the setting of traditional wuxia
beasts that rule the night. However, there is hope: stories), another Asian country in order to draw on
some humans fight against the reign of darkness, new history and new myths, or even further west:
driven to stop the power of the Nightreign once and the campaign could take place in an alternate
for all, even using the weapons and powers of the version of medieval Europe, where orders of knights
enemy against them. compete in the same way as do different schools of
martial arts in traditional Asian stories, or in the
Historical – Japanese: Many fighting games occur in tribal and religious warfare of Africa or Central
Japan’s historical past, especially during the America.
Sengoku and Edo eras. The Director need not worry
about historical accuracy, however, for rarely do Campaign Seed: Avignon: It is the 14th century in
these games cleave too closely to the actual facts Europe: a time of political and religious struggle and
regarding the period. The characters and stories strife. The Roman Catholic Church has undergone a
often possess fantastic and supernatural elements. schism and holy orders of knights supporting both
Likewise, they often involve characters from other sides have gone to war. However, in this alternate
cultures outside of historically insular Japan. version of history, knights are master swordsmen,
Sometimes the settings involve anachronistic trained in unique fighting arts learned at the hands
technology such as steampunk mecha, missiles, and of great teachers, and theological debates are
jet packs. The plot can pay tribute to the turbulent resolved by hand-to-hand combat. The power of
politics of the era or the setting can be little more faith and magic is also alive in the world, leading
than color for a more traditional fantasy storyline. knights to seek out the company of monks and
sorcerers to help them fight for their cause.
Campaign Seed: Ruthless Blood: During the Period
of the Warring States, six clans of ninja went to war Futuristic: Some fighting games take place far in
the future, amidst the trappings of traditional
science fiction stories. Alien races may have their

208
 6
own unique forms of martial arts combat. New player characters and the overarching plot of the
cultures may have codes of honor reminiscent of the Boss in the campaign. The more often he can
traditional codes of honor found in martial arts involve either of these elements, or especially have
stories. Ancient armaments might be upgraded to these two elements intersect, the easier it will be to
laser swords and powered armor. Tournaments come up with stories. In fact, it’s somewhat difficult
might be interstellar affairs across dozens of worlds. to imagine a “generic” Fight! story, as the stories
Other futuristic fighting games still take place on resonate more strongly the more they are
Earth and may involve massive megacorporations as connected to specific characters and/or a specific
the organizers of the tournament or as sponsors for plotline.
the Fighters themselves.
The nature of the player characters may provide a
Campaign Seed: Vore’s Wrath: In the far future, the ready source for story hooks, or it may prove to be a
Empire of the Vore, a violent and debauched race, great detriment. For example, if the players have all
extends across several galaxies. In order to decided to make elite members of a government
entertain the decadent masses, the Vore capture the covert ops team working undercover to find out the
best warriors from all of the worlds under their truth behind the tournament, then there is a ready
command and make them fight in merciless displays source of motivation, a connection to the campaign
of gladiatorial combat. However, some of the plot, and a narrative structure to move the
gladiators have seen the possibility of escaping their characters in the right direction in the form of their
plight, and of freeing a million planets from the superiors.
Vore’s tyranny. If these great warriors could find a
way to work together, they might also find a way to As a counterpoint, the players may have created the
put an end to the Empire forever. last surviving students of a destroyed martial arts
school who have decided to wander the earth
Writing Stories and Running the Game seeking their destiny. This is an interesting enough
story for character background, but unless the
Once the campaign and the player characters have Director wants to set them on the path of destiny
been designed, the game can begin. However, aside right away, there’s not much that immediately
from tournaments and duels in the streets, there suggests itself as a story hook.
may be some question as to what these characters
do, i.e., what kinds of stories does a group tell with Even when not readily apparent, the characters’
the Fight! rules? This section addresses that backgrounds will often remain the best source of
question as well as common conventions of the stories. The specific reason that the character fights
genre to include in stories that have not been (and every character should definitely have one) can
covered elsewhere and some thoughts to keep in suggest possible conflicts in which to involve the
mind when deciding which combat rules to use to character. For example, if the character fights to live
resolve a fight scene. up to the legacy of his heroic brother who was
murdered, the Fighter can encounter people who
When designing stories for the player characters, knew his brother. Some of these people may be old
the Director should constantly refer back to two
important foundations: the personal stories of the

209
 6
friends who now need the character’s assistance. Fighting holds a special place in these stories, no
Others will be old enemies that are only too happy matter what the motivation of the characters for
to take out their former nemesis’ sibling. being involved in the action and no matter what the
specific plotline is. Unlike many other role-playing
Once sources of conflict are identified, then specific games, all Fight! characters excel at combat. In fact,
plots can be designed around those conflicts. Most even if they are experts at something else as well,
of the standard modes of adventure storytelling chances are that they are still better fighters than
work just fine for Fight! characters. Particular their mastery of other fields of expertise. Thus, the
inspiration can be found in four broad categories: Director need not fear that too many combat scenes
the stories found in many shounen manga and will alienate the player whose character just isn’t as
anime, wuxia cinema, modern action films, and the useful in such scenes! In fact, important plot points,
comic book adventures of traditional superheroes. the clues the characters need to move forward, and
The fighting game genre draws inspiration from all great moments of personal character-based
of these in varying ways. Thus, if a plotline sounds revelation should all occur during combat.
like it would fit in one of these categories, it will
probably work in a Fight! story as well. So no matter the plot, it is inevitable that it will
eventually come down to fighting in some form.
Example Plotlines Oftentimes, this will be obvious, such as the case of
an assault on an opposing lord’s fortress or a quest
Here are some examples of the kinds of plots that for revenge against one’s enemies. But even a
can form the basis of a Fight! adventure. This is not covert infiltration will go sideways, a quest for
intended to be an exhaustive list; these are just a answers will require defeating a guardian in combat,
few ideas to demonstrate how varied the plots of and an attempt to help an innocent bystander with
stories in the fighting game genre can be. their “little problem” will require using one’s fists.
Combat is the primary form of conflict resolution in
The characters go on a quest to locate a lost item. Fight!, and even if occasionally diplomacy, stealth,
The characters seek revenge against a person or or clever planning win the day, most sessions should
group for a wrong done to them or to loved ones. end in bare-knuckled violence or the clang of
The characters invade an enemy encampment to clashing swords.
free captured allies.
The characters aid a total stranger who knows of Despite this section’s emphasis on the stories being
their prowess and seeks out their aid.
told beyond the walls of the arena, it has to be noted
The characters journey to a distant land or
that tournament combat also holds a particular
dimension to seek the aid of a great power or the
place in Fight! stories. Tournaments serve several
answer to a difficult question.
The characters defend a town from attack. purposes: they are excuses for organized combat,
The characters go undercover to investigate a they attract powerful people, especially other
suspicious organization. Fighters, and they can be great sources of rivalry
The characters try to prevent a terrorist attack and intrigue attached to the main plot of the
before innocent people are killed. campaign. They can serve as a break in the tension
of a larger or more complicated story, and can be an
easy environment for role-playing a character who

210
 6
makes fighting their life. For
Examples of Locations for Combat Stages all these reasons, the
inclusion of a local
Here is a list of examples drawn from fighting games to provide inspiration tournament, underground
for the Director in devising his own stages during stories.
fight club, street fight or, of
At a martial arts school, while students train or cheer in the background course, an official stage in the
In a back alley in a bad part of town main campaign tournament
In a building that’s on fire can provide a focus for the
In a cage with cheering crowds looking on, hungering for violence
In a cave with lava pools and falling rocks dissemination of plot points
In a dirty, bloodstained fighting arena in an underground fight club or conversely as a distraction
In a dive bar surrounded by patrons annoyed by the interruption from a more intense storyline.
In a haunted ruin, surrounded by ghosts
In a massive arena, surrounded by thousands of fans and giant video screens
In a parking garage Because combat is going to
In a public restroom with frightened patrons within be a frequent occurrence, the
In a top secret lab, surrounded by expensive and potentially dangerous equipment Director should give thought
In front of a schoolyard while students pass by
In front of or on top of a national monument
to where these fights are
In the center of a native village in the middle of a jungle going to take place (referred
In the grand room of a stately mansion to as “stages” in fighting
In the middle of a bamboo forest video games). Certainly,
In the middle of a factory with grinding gears and conveyer belts
In the middle of a public square while people pass by some of them are going to
In the middle of a restaurant as patrons are eating occur in a conventional arena
In the middle of a spa, bathhouse, or resort setting, but the locations
In the middle of an upscale party at an exclusive country club should never, ever be
In the ruins of an abandoned temple
On a beach under the moonlight mundane. Even the most
On a fiery plain in Hell itself traditional setting can be
On a floating platform at the heart of an alternate dimension spiced up with details about
On a street while traffic is driving by at high speed
On the center of a high bridge near a roaring waterfall
the crowds, the lighting, and
On the dance floor in the middle of a nightclub the pieces of the scenery sure
On the deck of a luxury ship to be destroyed during the
On the edge of a cliff leading to a precipitous drop course of the fight.
On the launch platform of a rocket, as the rocket is getting ready to take flight
On the middle of an ice floe with snow blowing
On the roof of a castle while thunder and lightning fill the sky There are a number of
On the roof of a skyscraper while helicopters fly overhead common tropes in the
On the stage or in the balcony of a theater fighting game genre. Brief
On the tarmac of a military base, surrounded by planes or tanks
On the top of a mountain with an expansive view of the land descriptions of several of
On the top of a moving train them are presented here.
On the wing of a moving airplane Including any of these into
Dozens more ideas can be found just by playing fighting video games.
stories can make the game
seem more true to the source
material.

211
 6
Action, Action, and More Action: This sort of goes the plot or a particular character’s subplot will
without saying, but a Fight! session should have no usually die slowly, so they can impart final clues,
shortage of action. Even in sessions in which role- advice, blessings, or wisdom to the heroes.
playing, character plumbing, or investigation take
center stage, there should almost always be an Epic Storyline: In the overall course of the
excuse for a quick Thug fight, a chase, or some other campaign, the fate of the world is in the hands of
use of an Action Sequence to remind the players the player characters. This may be literally the case,
that these characters are Fighters first and or it may be the case that the fate of their world, i.e.,
foremost. their personal lives, or the lives of their loved ones, is
in their hands. The price for failure is always grave
Collateral Damage: This trope is seen less often in and most heroes rise to the occasion to meet their
fighting games themselves (aside from bonus stages destiny.
such as destroying a car with one’s bare hands), but
it is in evidence in the intros to fighting games and in Meeting the Boss: Sometimes the player characters
the manga and anime based on fighting games. will encounter the final Boss before the climax of the
Fighters are highly destructive weapons, and the whole campaign. These scenes can be used to
scenery is never safe when a fight breaks out. impress upon the heroes the evil of the
Depending on the tone of the campaign, this may Boss’character or to provide clues into his master
mean holes punched in walls or it may mean plan. Occasionally these meetings will even be
buildings crumbling around the combatants. combat situations. For story reasons, the Boss will
Regardless of the level of destructiveness, this crush the heroes utterly in these encounters but will
emphasis on collateral damage should be kept in leave them for dead, because “obviously” they are
mind when describing combat. now no longer a threat. This also serves to increase
the desire of the player characters to see the Boss
Costume Changes: Even in more realistic defeated, as they seek revenge for their humiliation.
representations of the genre, Fighters can often
change into their traditional fighting garb from Mirror Match: In many fighting video games, the
whatever street clothes they might be wearing with Fighter will face a stage in which he needs to fight
a simple whirl about in a circle or by tearing their himself controlled by the CPU. This trope can also
street clothes off at the collar, revealing their be used during a Fight! campaign. There may be
fighting outfit underneath. This is especially so for many reasons why the character needs to fight
female characters. In some cases, these himself. Perhaps the opponent is a clone or cyborg
transformation sequences can be much longer and that looks and fights exactly like him. Perhaps he is
even feature brief moments of gratuitous nudity. actually a long lost twin relative. The mirror match
may occur in a more mystical or psychological
Dying Soliloquies: While there are no specific rules framework, as the character battles against himself
that determine when a character actually dies in to master his greatest fear or to find peace within
Fight!, it is a common trope of the genre that any himself after a great failure. Such a scene also gives
person who gets killed and who is also important to the Director an opportunity to try a different play
style with the Fighter than the style normally used
by the player himself.

212
 6
Training Journeys: Somewhere during the middle While it is obvious that the Director will use the Thug
stages of the campaign, one or more of the player Thrashing sub-system when the player characters
characters may feel called to go on a training are facing opponents who are not Fighters, there are
journey to improve themselves, realize their different ways to choose how to adjudicate combat
potential, or uncover some secret technique to scenes solely between Fighters. One approach is to
defeat a nemesis. These journeys often occur after use the normal combat system solely for
some sort of crushing defeat or personal crisis. The tournament combat. This prioritizes the strictly
Fighter goes off to find himself, returns whole, and tactical aspects of the rules for the explicitly
learns some dangerous new techniques along the competitive scenes in the narrative. The Dramatic
way. The rules for the Realize Potential Skill can be Combat sub-system can then be used for all other
used in conjunction with this trope. battles between Fighters, and can even be used for
certain Thug Thrashing confrontations. This allows
Examples of the application of these conventions, as more Skill use and the reduced Life Bars potentially
well as additional conventions not included here, speed up combat.
can be easily gathered from the source material.
The best way to keep generating new ideas for a Another approach is to use the normal combat
game is to simply play more fighting games, system for almost all combat scenes during the
especially those with story modes. campaign, but reserve the Dramatic Combat sub-
system for climactic fights at the end of story arcs or
Combat Systems and Glory to resolve important rivalries. This method allows
for a more cinematic approach to important fights,
The Director also needs to decide how he wants to but the sub-system’s reliance on Basic Moves rather
pace the acquisition of Glory during the campaign. than Special Moves might serve to create the
The rules present three different ways of earning opposite effect.
Glory in combat: through the normal combat
system, the Thug Thrashing sub-system, and the A different way to consider the two methods of
Dramatic Combat sub-system. Glory is earned much resolving combat is to define conditions for which
more quickly in the main system than it is in either each system will be used. For example, in a
of the two sub-systems. Thus, the choice of what campaign that aims to prioritize the tactical aspects
kinds of combat scenes the Director includes in his of combat for important fights, the Director decides
stories and the system used to resolve them has a that the normal combat system will be used for the
significant effect on the pacing of the campaign and first time a new Fighter is introduced in a story, for
the characters’ increase in Power Levels. all official tournament fights, and for any time the
player characters have a re-match against a Fighter
Using the normal combat system for all fights and who stands in the way of the main plot arc from
rarely allowing the player characters to face Thugs is moving forward (as a result of using the milestone
the fastest rate of play. Many groups could expect guidelines described in the next section, for
to progress from Power Level 1 to Power Level 8 in example). Aside from these situations, the group
about six months of regular play. The more will use the Dramatic Combat sub-system, as the
frequently other kinds of combat are used in the
game, the slower the rate of advancement.

213
 6
Director hopes the reduced Life Bar will keep
these less important combats moving more
swiftly.

Pacing a Campaign
Based on the patterns found in fighting video
games themselves, a Fight! campaign has a
natural structure built into it. The beginning of
the game introduces the heroes and should
rapidly introduce the Tournament that serves as
the means for delivering the plot (even if the
“tournament” is not understood as a
conventional fighting competition). The
campaign progresses through any manner of
stories as the characters face opponents and
build up their Power Level. As they reach Power
Level 8, it is time for the Director to move the
narrative towards the final confrontation with
the Boss. After the Boss is defeated, there
should be a brief denouement to find out what
happens to the player characters after the
fighting is over, and the campaign draws to a
close.

This campaign model may seem excessively

“railroad-y” to some players, but if the stories
being told are true to the genre that Fight!
seeks to emulate, there are really no plot
elements in this framework that one shouldn’t
reasonably expect to encounter anyway. The
details will differ from campaign to campaign,
and most especially the Fighters will differ from
campaign to campaign, and that is what’s most
important.

Furthermore, there is still room for flexibility in

this standard format. The heroes may face the
Boss before Power Level 8. By some miracle,

214
 6
they may even defeat him before Power Level 8. If will face three new Fighters every Power Level.
that occurs, there is simply more reason to wrap up Instead of just using that number as a guideline, the
any existing plot threads that must be addressed, Director could insist on achieving a milestone: the
and move on to the sequel. Similarly, while it is player characters must face and defeat each of
reasonable to expect that the player characters will these three new Fighters in order to move forward.
be involved in the main plot, that shouldn’t prevent
them from pursuing other side quests that may have What it means to “move forward” can take different
little or nothing to do with it. But Fight! is not really forms. Perhaps the Director has decided on a series
constructed as a “sandbox” game; there is a definite of critical pieces of information that need to be
expectation that there is an overarching plotline and acquired before moving forward in the story, and
a major villain that sooner or later need to be the characters will not be able to get these
addressed. revelations without achieving a milestone. Or the
Director might want to make the milestones even
The number of Fighters that the Director has chosen more mechanically significant by restricting the
for his game can be used as a tool to moderate the player characters from advancing in Power Level
progress of the campaign. As a simple guideline, the until they achieve the milestone, regardless of their
Director can divide the total number of non-player actual Glory totals.
character Fighters by eight. This is the number of
Fighters that should be introduced to the player The idea behind milestones is an emulation of the
characters in the course of each Power Level. As very structure of fighting video games. In every
they advance in Power Level, new Fighters are one-player fighting game, the player is presented
introduced. Generally, these new Fighters will be with a series of opponents that must be faced
the same Power Level as the player characters, so as before being able to reach the Boss, defeat him, and
to keep the game challenging. But occasionally a achieve his character’s unique ending. If the player
slightly more powerful opponent can be introduced is defeated by one of these opponents, he does not
to set up a future rivalry. Conversely, Fighters faced move on to the next one; he must face the same
by the player characters at lower Power Levels can opponent again and again until he has won.
remain at these lower levels and then be re- Milestones are an attempt to emulate this same
introduced later on. A lopsided re-match can be a pattern.
fun experience for the players, especially if these
Fighters had defeated the heroes earlier in the As a variation on the concept of milestones, the
campaign. Director can pay homage to a different classic
fighting video game motif. During the course of the
The division of the campaign’s Fighters across the campaign, he can insist that at least one of the
Power Levels can be formalized even further by player characters (the one reckoned as the game’s
introducing the idea of milestones. A milestone is a “hero” is the ideal choice for this if there is one in the
fight or series of fights that must not only be group) has defeated every other non-player
endured, but also won before being able to advance. character Fighter in the campaign in combat, and
For example, suppose the campaign had 24 non- perhaps has even faced off against all of his own
player character Fighters. Dividing these Fighters
across the Power Levels means the player characters

215
 6
allies in combat as well. All of this must occur before behind it all.
the characters can face the Boss. This firmly
establishes the hero of the campaign and, in a nod If the campaign is using Tag Teams or some other
to the metagame of Fight!, also establishes the main form of team combat where the Fighters fight
protagonist of the hypothetical video game that is individually, the heroes can face the Boss one at a
the campaign as well. time. In this way, every character gets to fight him,
but without the advantage of ganging up on him. To
Thus, there are many ways that the natural limits of make the fight more challenging, the Boss can have
the Power Level system and the limited number of a Life Bar (and maybe even Fighting Spirit) that is
Fighters in the setting can be used to pace the multiplied by the number of opponents he is facing
campaign as a whole. (though this will make for a long fight scene). If the
players wonder why they don’t fight all together
Creating and Fighting the Boss against such a dangerous foe, the Director can
appeal to the genre: these mighty Fighters respect
In many campaigns, the Boss will be a Power Level 8 the challenge of one-on-one combat, even when it
character, fit to fight any one of the player could mean one of their friends getting killed.
characters. But this raises the question: who gets to
fight the Boss? If you have an established “hero” Another way to make the Boss fight more
character in the group, and the other players don’t memorable is to simply make him higher than
object, that character makes an appropriate choice. Power Level 8. Many fighting video games do not
In this scenario, the other Fighters can face off have initially “playable” Bosses. Similarly, some
against the Boss’ lieutenants or hordes of especially games have Sub-Bosses that must be defeated
powerful minions. before meeting the Boss. If the Director wants to
simulate this, he can create the Boss as a Power
But as every character probably had a hand in Level 9 character or create the Sub-Boss as Power
reaching the final confrontation, they may all want a Level 9 and the final Boss as Power Level 10. Such
piece of the final opponent. Depending on how characters should be built as Power Level 8 in all
cleverly the Boss has been built, and how well he is respects, except for the characteristics specifically
played, he may be able to hold his own against a pertaining to Power Level contained on the chart
small group of opponents. At this point in the below. It is impossible for regular player characters
campaign, it’s not really important that the Boss and other NPC Fighters to achieve Power Level 9 or
wins; the fact that he is fighting at a disadvantage is 10.
a bonus from the narrative point of view at this
stage in the game. However, the Boss should not be
a pushover. He should lose, but he should be able to
get some scary hits in first. The Boss can also be
buffered by some Thug groups to give him some
more staying power, but the focus should definitely
be on the epic confrontation with the mastermind

216
 6
Power Total Super Combat DET Full Life Fighting
Level Glory Moves Bonuses Defense Bar Spirit

9 N/A 7 8/4 5+ 5 110 110

10 N/A 8 9/5 6+ 6 120 120

Secret Characters Losing to the Boss

In a similar manner to having Bosses and Sub- It’s quite possible that things will go wrong in the
Bosses beyond the normal hierarchy of Power final showdown. The Director has paced the
Level and the established roster of Fighters in campaign well, the heroes have progressed on a
the campaign, the Director can also create fairly steady course through the Power Levels, they
additional Fighters and introduce them during reach Power Level 8, the Director arranges the big
the campaign as “secret playable characters.” fight…and the heroes lose.
Such characters will often have unusual
abilities, deviate from the normal patterns of The Director should give thought to this outcome
character design of the other Fighters, and/or before the confrontation occurs. He needs to decide
will have a provocative connection to the plot what consequence the heroes will face for failure
that may not be fully explored in the present and in what possible directions the story could go
campaign. afterwards. The Director may decide to let the dice
fall where they may – the heroes fail, the Boss
If the Director is feeling especially cruel or is gloats, and the world becomes a horrible place.
suddenly inspired toward the end of the Many fighting video games that allow a player to
campaign, he could also introduce Secret play as the Boss also have an ending for the Boss in
Bosses beyond the main Boss. Normally, it is which they win. Perhaps the sequel to the campaign
best to introduce such characters in a non- will be the next group of heroes’ attempt to undo
combat situation before the campaign the Boss’ victory.
denouement, as a set-up for the next campaign.
But if the Director wants the heroes to fight it But for most groups, this will be an unsatisfying
out right away, he can create them as conclusion to the build up. So the Director needs to
exceptionally high Power Level characters. devise a balance between reasonable consequences
If a Secret Boss is beyond a Power Level 10 of failure, while providing new story elements that
Boss, treat them as PL 10, but add another 5 or will give the heroes a chance to re-group and get a
10 points of Life Bar and Fighting Spirit to them. re-match in a way that seems plausible in the story.

217
 6
Perhaps the Boss leaves the heroes for dead, giving engineered. But if this is not the case, perhaps it is
them a chance to retreat and recover in secret. In best to just let evil win the day until more skilled
the meanwhile, the Boss is destroying cities with his heroes arise to set things right again.
death ray, but the heroes will be able to reach him
once again. Maybe a powerful supernatural ally or a Once the Boss is Defeated
sudden influx of massive ki energy revives the
heroes, but only at the cost of a part of their souls or The defeat of the Boss is the natural conclusion to a
even crippling them after the energy leaves their Fight! campaign. There are probably still some
bodies at the Boss’defeat. Maybe the Boss insists important scenes to be played out, but certainly the
that the heroes witness the birth of his new dark age combat has most likely finally come to an end. The
and they get a last second chance to ambush him question then becomes: what to do with these
before he flips the switch, but not before the Boss victorious Power Level 8 characters? There are
kills their loved ones before their eyes. It might just several possible answers to this question.
be easiest to frame the confrontation with the Boss
in a way that it is reasonable to see that he was not The default structure of a Fight! campaign also relies
as close to completing his project as they might on an implied meaning to the concept of Power
have thought, or there is a complication that arises Level. Power Level is not necessarily a reflection of
that the Boss himself didn’t foresee, giving the the overall power of a character, but rather a
heroes a chance to face him at a different time, in a demonstration of the character’s realized potential
different place. within the campaign storyline.
When the second confrontation occurs, the Director With this idea in mind, the easiest thing to do after
may want to adjust things slightly in the players’ the campaign is over is to just start the next
favor. Perhaps a few points of Life Bar and/or campaign using the same characters. This is the
Fighting Spirit can be taken away, or the Director equivalent of a video game sequel, with recurring
can just choose to play the character less efficiently faces along with new ones, a new Boss or a new plan
than he might normally. After all, the Boss has from an old Boss, and usually some tweaks to both
reason to be overconfident and careless, having the individual characters’ Special Moves as well as
already defeated these lesser opponents before. the optional rules in effect in the campaign as a
This time, the heroes should prevail. whole.
If they fail a second time, the Director is faced with a Because Power Level refers to the characters’
hard choice. To continue to manufacture realized potential within a specific plotline, the
circumstances to simply allow more re-matches will players will remake their same characters at Power
take away any of the thrill of the eventual victory. Level 1 once again. They then develop their Power
On the other hand, the Director may come to realize Level in response to the events of this new
that he has made his Boss too strong, or made the campaign. For some, this completely breaks the
circumstances of the final battle too challenging for suspension of disbelief: “Why can’t I suddenly do my
the PCs. In this case, a third try might be flying uppercut anymore? Did I somehow forget it?”
The rationale for this in the new campaign is not
that the character has forgotten his moves, but

218
 6
rather circumstances haven’t required him to pull improvements. Likewise, there is no longer any
these tricks out yet. When he “learns” his old moves reason to continue tallying Glory (unless the players
in the new campaign, this simply means that the want to).
Fighter realizes he will need all of his moves in order
to face this new danger. This approach allows the players to continue to use
the characters that they have worked so hard to play
If this idea is used, the Director can impose certain through the Power Levels. Eventually, however,
requirements on the new versions of the old story lines may become strained, as the Director
characters. Basic Qualities should not change. All of needs to keep coming up with increasingly
their old Special and Super Moves from the previous implausible opponents to face the characters. It
campaign should be kept on file and the Director begs the question: if all of these powerful Fighters,
can require that all players re-acquire some gods, and monsters were around during the events
percentage of their old moves over the course of of the tournament, why did they choose not to get
eight Power Levels. This should be a minimum of involved? If the Director and the players can
50% in order to make sure that the characters are continue to satisfactorily answer this question, the
recognizable from one game to the next. game can continue as long as they like. But
eventually the desire to return to a more “normal”
The Director in turn decides which non-player level of play will be the sign to start a new campaign.
character Fighters to keep in the campaign (usually
the most interesting or those most connected to the After defeating the Boss, the Director can create a
player characters). He could keep as few as none of slight extension to the campaign by simply
them or as many as all of the old ones, even adding introducing a new Boss right away. If the campaign
up to a half a dozen new Fighters. A new Boss is had a Boss at Power Level 8, a Power Level 9 Boss
introduced, or the old one is re-vamped (Bosses could be introduced. This storyline could then be
have an extraordinary ability to shrug off defeat). lengthened even further by introducing a Power
Level 10 Boss after that. This gives a couple more
The advantage of this approach is that it provides challenges for the heroes to face, but ultimately, this
some of the novelty of new characters mixed with is only a temporary solution. Such new, powerful
the familiarity of old favorites. This model is the opponents might be interesting for both the players
default approach implied by the design philosophy and the Director, but again the question arises of
of the Fight! rules, but it’s certainly not the only why such a powerful figure has remained a mystery
approach. throughout all the events so far, unless there are
some lingering plot threads that can be ascribed to
Instead of the Boss fight marking the end of the the actions of these mysterious new Bosses.
campaign, the characters could just continue to Perhaps these final Boss’ hands can be seen even in
adventure on their own. At this point, there is no other previous stories with a little creative hindsight.
Tournament to serve as a framework on which to
hang stories, so the Director has more freedom to
Finally, the group can just decide to start a brand
come up with different kinds of adventures. The
new campaign, with new Fighters, a new Boss, and a
mighty Power Level 8 heroes are at the height of
their power, so they no longer gain any

219
 6
new plot. This could be a good occasion to change the parameters of the game, trying out a different tone,
time, or scope. This approach is simple and effective, though leaving established characters behind when
the potential for a sequel is so readily available might be difficult for many groups to do.

Original Video Animation

Another more significant deviation from the normal pattern of pacing a campaign is to design an OVA
(original video animation). This refers to a stand-alone movie, often using characters from an
established series and/or characters that will be not be seen in any version of the video game. The
concept of an OVA opens up three more ideas for running the game.

The first use of the OVA is with characters that have reached Power Level 8. Instead of using any of the
ideas described above, the Director can come up with a detailed, and usually fairly long, plot line for a
single adventure (or perhaps a short series of small stories around a common plot). The Director can
also introduce a new set of villains that exist outside of the “official” list of Fighters in the campaign. By
the end of this special story, these new villains will inevitably be defeated (though they may show up
again in a future OVA if so desired). The purpose of this kind of story is to allow new challenges for
established characters, without necessarily having to invent a whole new chapter of the ongoing story.
If it matters to the group, however, the Director should be careful not to let the events of the OVA
damage the continuity of the established game so far.

A variant of this use of the OVA is to use such a story with characters who are not yet PL 8. Perhaps the
Director wants to give the campaign a temporary diversion by changing the normal tone of the
campaign in progress. This use of the OVA requires more work on the part of the Director, as he needs
to provide reasonable explanations to fit the side events of the OVA into the larger campaign plot.

A final use of the OVA concept in Fight! is to create a one-shot story. The players can make PL 8
characters (or any other Power Level, for that matter) and just have a single adventure involving them.
In this way, Fight! can be used in a convention setting, as a break from another ongoing game, or as an
introduction to the fighting game genre before considering the possibility of a full-fledged campaign.

While the fighting game genre is a consistent genre they are just suggestions. Come up with your own
unto itself, there are many ways to use the tropes of version of a fighting game and may it inspire sequels
the genre to tell exciting stories of heroic Fighters for years to come.
and the brutal Bosses who oppose them. This
chapter has provided a collection of guidelines,
ideas, plot hooks, and inspiration, but in the end,

220
221
Appendix 1: Example Characters Shine Holly
Here are two example Power Level 1 characters. Shine Holly is a wealthy young British woman. Her
They can be used as inspiration, as examples of how family name is unknown, as she has carefully
to make characters, as NPC Fighters in the Director’s concealed it to protect the lives and reputation of
campaign, or even as pre-made player characters. her aristocratic family. Just a few years ago, she was
Their backgrounds are fairly brief so that players or contacted by a mysterious figure. He explained to
Directors can adjust them as necessary to better fit her that she had been chosen to be the bearer of the
into their own games. Magnificent Spectrum, an awesome power given to
one person in a generation to face the malevolent
Hideki Douglas depredations of the Empty Black. Shine never even
learned if the enigmatic figure was human or not,
but she didn’t worry about too much: she had
Hideki is half-Japanese and half-American. He is also
superpowers!
the latest scion of the Azure Scythe School, a style
known for its cutting ki attacks and its honorable
She embarked on a life of adventure and excitement.
practitioners. Hideki is an exemplary member of his
Her enhanced fighting prowess brought her into the
school’s tradition: driven, honorable, and intelligent.
events of the campaign and introduced her to a
As a result, most people who meet him like him or at
whole new world of interesting people (including the
least respect him.
handsome but rather conservative Hideki Douglas).
She has since learned that she should be able to
A little while ago, he had an encounter with an
wield powers corresponding to all the colors of the
attractive British woman named Shine Holly. She
rainbow, but so far, she has only mastered the red
was a difficult person to deal with, as her approach
portion of the spectrum.
to life conflicted with his own more reserved
outlook. But he couldn’t help himself: before he
Shine has worked hard to keep her true identity a
knew it, he was in love with the reckless adventurer.
secret. If her family connection should become
known, she would be disowned for the frivolous
Long before Hideki found his way to the Azure
waste of her inheritance and her family would be in
Scythe, however, the young Douglas murdered his
danger from the power of the Empty Black. So she
American father in a fit of anger. His father was a
keeps her secret, tries to learn about her powers, and
stern and brutal man, who treated Hideki’s mother
cruelly. At the time, Hideki justified his action, but parties around the world.
since he has embraced the school of the Azure
Scythe, he has been haunted by the actions of his
past. His guilt motivates him to ever-greater
excellence in the martial arts, in the hope that one
day he can believe himself worthy of his school’s
glorious tradition.

222
223
224
225
226
Appendix 2: Character Generation Guidelines
Included here are all the steps necessary to create a character, as well as all of the lists of Skills,
Qualities, Weaknesses, Quirks, Move Elements, and Move Liabilities.

1. Choose the character’s Basic Qualities.

2. Choose four additional Qualities.
3. If desired, choose Weaknesses and Quirks to possibly earn more Qualities.
4. Spend 5 points on Combat Skills.
5. Spend 15 points on other Skills.
6. Spend 10 points on Special Moves.

Power Level Chart

Power Total Super Combat DET Full Life Fighting
Level Glory Moves Bonuses Defense Bar Spirit

1 0-25 0 0 3 +1 30 10

2 26-50 0 1 3 +2 40 20

3 51-100 1 2 3 +2 50 30

4 101-175 2 3/2 3 +3 60 40

5 176-250 3 4/2 4 +3 70 55

6 251-350 4 5/2 4 +4 80 70

7 351-500 5 6/3 4 +4 90 85

8 501+ 6 7/3 5 +5 100 100

227
 Combat Skills Non-Combat Qualities Weaknesses
Skills
Attractive Amnesia
Defense (Narrative) Beautiful (females only)
Evasion Annoying Voice
Big Bad Reputation
Tactics Animal Handling Bishounen (males only) Code
Combo Acrobatics Buxom (females only) Curse
Ki Athletics Charming Dangerous Job
Awareness Connections Dark Side
Call Forth Wisdom Cute (females only) Dependence
Non-Combat Cooking Dashing (males only) Doomed
Skills Danger Sense Driven Dull Personality
Deduction Fame Duty Bound
(Mechanical) Draw Ki Followers Fanatic
Endure Great Friend Fearsome Appearance
Agility Hardship Gadgeteering Fragile Self-Image
Climactic Super Fast Reflexes Genius Glass Jaw
Move Grim Great Destiny Haunted
Gadgeteering Determination Gun Expert Honorable
Magic High Society Immortal Being Hunted
Intimidation Influence Obsession
Power
Knowledge Intelligent Phobia
Psychic Lockpicking Intimidating Physical Handicap
Reaffirm Purpose Lost in the Crowd Light Poorly Drawn
Realize Potential Meditation Lucky Ritual
Stance Evaluation Occupation Magic Significant Other
Thug Thrashing Perception Mobility Style Weakness
Performance Pet Thick
Presence Power Ugly
Property Damage Powerful Item Unattractive
Receive Wisdom Psychic Unintelligent
Sense Ki Reputation Unlucky
Shadowing Sensei Vow
Sleight of Hand Sexy (females only) Warped
Smooth Talking Sharp Dressed (males only)
Specialization Short
Spirituality Suggestive Attire (females only)
Stealth Tall
Street Society Technique
Technological Theme Music
Aptitude Tomboy (females only)
The Fighting World Wealth
Zen State Weapon Expert

228
 Quirks Move Elements
Age Aerial
Arrogant Always Does Damage Mobile: Full movement after
Attitude Anti-Air attack
Brutal Area Effect (2 or 4) Mobile: Increased movement
Bumbling Friend Bounce - Only 2 Ranges (0)
Clueless Charge Back - Moves Low
Cooking Counter Mobile: Movement before or after
Dead Serious - Counter only (0) attack
Demure Critical Hit Pass Through
Disgraced Easy to Combo Position Shift
Distinctive Appearance Evade Ranged Power Up: Extra Control
Fan Service (females only) Explosive (3 or 5) Power Up: Life Bar
Glutton - Reduced damage (2) Priority
Greedy Fast Recovery Ranged (2)
Immature Hard to Evade (1-2) - Accuracy for Damage
Impulsive Harry - Draw Closer
In Love Hits Low - No Ranged Response
Lecherous Increased Accuracy (3-6) - Short Range
Loves Combat Increased Damage (1-6) - Very Fast
Nosebleeds (males only) Increased Glory (1+) - Very Slow
Pacifist Increased Knockback Reach
Reckless Increased Stun Reversal
Revenge Interrupt Subtle
Rivalry Interrupt only (0) Teleportation (2)
Scarred Invincible Interrupt - End in mid-air
Secret Juggle Temporary Invulnerability (3)
Short-Tempered - Launcher Temporary Technique (1+)
Suspicious - Spinning Juggle Throw (2 or 0)
Unworldly Ki and Strength - Carrying Grapple
Knocks Down (2) - Hurl
- Only at the end of a Combo (1) - Sustained Hold (2)
Knockback Advance Unblockable

229
 Move Liabilities Exotic Move Elements Exotic Move Liabilities

Behind Opponent Absorbs Attacks Move Sub-Set

Cross-Up - Absorb All Attacks Multi-Part Move: Multi-Part
Decreased Accuracy (1-3) - Absorb and Use Ranged Attack
Decreased Damage - Transform Energy Multi-Part Move: Multi-Part
Limited Damage: Knock Back Bomb Throw
Only - Moveable Bomb Prop
Limited Damage: Stun Only - No Range - Recover Prop with
Limited Move - Short Timer Special Move
Limited Movement: Borrow Identity Random Move
Movement away only Copies Moves
Limited Movement: Must Entangle (2)
move forward 1 Range Fake (2+) Additional Elements for
Limited Movement: No Flight (2) Super Moves Only
movement before attacking Free Movement (2)
Limited Use (2) Gradual Effect Breakthrough (1-4)
- Can Reload (1) - Delayed Onset Decreased Super Energy Cost
Negative Positioning Healing (2-3) Extended Duration
No Combo - Heal others Increased Accuracy (3-9)
No Damage (2) - Only heal others Increased Damage (1-8)
No Super Energy Illusionary Doubles Infinite Supers (5)
Non-Finisher - Defensive Illusion (2) Invincibility (1-4)
Only When Prone (2) - Offensive Illusion (1+) Unique Super Move
Random Element Invisibility
Range 0 - Maintain Effect
Self-Damage: Damages Power Enhancer (1+) Additional Liabilities for
Attacker (2) - Delayed Onset Super Moves Only
Self-Damage: Stuns Attacker Reflection
(2) Style Change
Super Move Enhancer (2) Increased Super Energy Cost (1-3)
Self-Prone
Slow Recovery - Not Stunned (2) Limited Choice
Super Energy (2) Suppression: Suppress Special
Moves (2)
- Suppress Super Moves
Suppression: Suppress movement
Suppression: Suppress Special
Moves and movement (5)
- Suppress Super Moves
Taunt
- Modify Super Energy
- Element Addition

230
Appendix 3: Example Special Limited Move: Can’t be used at Range 3
Accuracy: +0
Moves Damage: Based on Ki + 2 die sizes
The Fighter generates a ki energy effect that has no
The following pages contain 20 fairly common range with which to attack his opponent.
Special Moves found in fighting video games. These
examples serve two purposes: to give simple Fireball: L3
examples of how to construct Special Moves and to Ranged (2)
provide some pre-constructed typical moves for Accuracy: +0
players who wish to save themselves some effort. Damage: Based on Ki +1 die size
Note also that these are not the only ways these The Fighter launches some form of ranged ki attack
moves could be constructed. at the opponent. It might be fire, ice, sound, magic,
or any other form of energy.
Air Fireball: L4
Ranged (2) Flying Flip Kick: L3
Aerial Aerial
Hard to Evade No Movement
Accuracy: +0 Accuracy: +1
Damage: Based on Ki +1 Damage: 1d6+1
The Fighter leaps into the air and throws a fireball The Fighter back-flips in place, using the flip to kick
down at the opponent. the opponent.

Air Throw: L2 Flying Knee Thrust: L2

Interrupt Only Anti-Air
Throw (2) Knocks Down (2)
Limited Move: Can only Interrupt an Aerial attack Accuracy: +0
Accuracy: +1 Damage: 1d6
Damage: 1d8 The Fighter lunges forward with a quick knee.
The Fighter leaps up to meet his opponent in the air,
grabs him, and throws him forcefully to the ground. Flying Smash: L3
Aerial
Charging Smash: L3 Hard to Evade
Mobile: 2 Ranges Accuracy: +0
Accuracy: +0 Damage: 1d8
Damage: 1d8+1 The Fighter leaps into the air and uses his whole
The Fighter charges towards the opponent and body to smash into the opponent.
smashes him with his shoulder.
Flying Spinning Kick: L3
Close Ki Attack: L3 Mobile: 2 Ranges
Ranged (2)
Short Range

231
Knockback Advance Knocks Down (2)
Accuracy: +0 Accuracy: +0
Damage: 1d8 Damage: 1d6
The Fighter leaps spinning into the air, with his leg The Fighter ducks low and slides into the opponent,
outstretched like a blade. tripping him.

Forward Flip Kick: L3 Super Fireball: L5

Self-Prone Ranged (2)
Hard to Evade Knocks Down (2)
Accuracy: +1 Accuracy: +0
Damage: 1d6+1 Damage: Based on Ki + 1 die size
The Fighter performs a forward flip, bringing his legs The Fighter throws a larger, more powerful fireball
down on the opponent, and ending up on his back as attack at the opponent.
a result.
Super Uppercut: L4
Grab and Throw: L2 Anti-Air
Throw (2) Knocks Down (2)
Hurl No Movement
Accuracy: +1 Accuracy: +0
Damage: 1d6 Damage: 1d8+1
The Fighter picks up his opponent and throws him. The Fighter leaps into the air, delivering a powerful
uppercut.
Overhead Smash: L2
Hard to Evade Takedown: L2
Accuracy: +0 Throw (2)
Damage: 1d8 Position Shift
The Fighter brings down a strong overhead swing. Accuracy: +1
Damage: 1d6
Shockwave: L4 The Fighter performs any number of standard
Ranged (2) grappling takedowns on the opponent.
Knocks Down (2)
Hits Low Teleport Attack: L3
Accuracy: +0 Evade Ranged
Damage: Based on Ki Knocks Down (2)
The Fighter sends a wave of ki energy across the Teleportation (2)
ground to impact with his opponent. Accuracy: -1
Damage: 1d6
Slide Kick: L2 The Fighter disappears from his present location
Hits Low and reappears next to his opponent, launching an
uppercut as he reappears.

232
Teleportation: L3
No Damage (-2)
Evade Ranged
Teleportation (2)
End in Mid-Air
Priority
Fast Recovery
The Fighter disappears from his present position
and reappears elsewhere.

Tumble Attack: L4
Mobile: Move 2 Ranges
Hits Low
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 1d6
The Fighter rolls himself into a ball and bowls
himself into his opponent.

233
Appendix 4: Control
Combat Summary Conditions That Increase Control
The following pages describe all the basic effects
Add Control Bonus
that apply to Initiative, Control, Accuracy, defense,
Full Defense increases Initiative or Control by one
and damage. It also lists all of the Action Point
die size
Options available in Dramatic Combat. This
Spend Fighting Spirit at the beginning of the turn to
summary does not contain any effects of optional
increase die size
rules nor does it contain effects of Environmental
Spend FS to increase Control 12 (special case – see
Hazards.
rules)
Unused Control after Hit Stun increases Control by
Initiative two die sizes

Conditions That Increase Initiative Conditions That Lower Control

+1 to combatant with highest Initiative on previous Full Offense lowers Initiative or Control by one die
turn if he hit his opponent size
Await Opening increases Initiative or Control Hit Stun lowers Control by 4 or reduces it to 1/2
Full Defense increases Initiative or Control by one (round down), whichever is lower
die size
Spend Fighting Spirit at the beginning of the turn to
increase die size
Movement

Move 1 Range and attack

Conditions That Lower Initiative Move 1 Range and receive defense bonus instead of
attacking
Await Opening increases Initiative or Control Move 2 Ranges
Full Offense lowers Initiative or Control by one die Move 2 Ranges and attack with Basic Move or some
size Special Moves for 1 FS
Recover from being Stunned and stand up from Move 3 Ranges for 1 FS
Knock Down at the same time lowers Initiative by After Knocking Down opponent: Move 1 Range
one die size Power Up: No movement
Recover from being Stunned by being hit lowers Refocus and Await Opening: Move 1 Range
Initiative by one die size Movement after Hit Stun costs 1 extra FS
Standing up from being Knocked Down lowers
Initiative by one die size unless character has
already acted before being Knocked Down
Attack

Conditions That Increase Accuracy

234
Add Accuracy Bonus Defense is 1/2 and no other option may be used
Add Accuracy of Move While Stunned, Defense is 1/2 and no other option
Attacking after a successful Evasion without
may be used and FS cannot be used
movement: +2
Attacking at Range 0: +1
Attacking on Full Offense: roll 1d10 Successful Defense
Attacking with a Cross-Up: +2
Await Opening increases Accuracy Attack misses
If rolled Control is higher than needed for specific
attack, +1 bonus to Accuracy
Spend FS to increase Accuracy
Successful Evasion
Tag Team Switch Combo: +2
Attack misses and defender can either move exactly
2 Ranges for 1 FS or receive bonus to Accuracy on
Conditions That Decrease Accuracy next attack

Attacking at Range 2: -1
Ending a Combo with a Special Move: -1 Successful Tactics
Every full 3 moves in a Combo: -1
Subtract Accuracy of Move Attack misses and defender can choose Defensive
Using a Combo in a Defensive Response: -1 (costs 2 Response
FS)
Defensive Responses
Defense
Anti-Air/Juggle Response
Conditions That Increase Defense Basic Response
Counter Response (based on Defense)
Evade Ranged Response
Add Defense Bonus
Interrupt Response
Defense and Evasion can be used together for 1 FS
Jinking Response
If attacker only moves 1 Range and does not attack:
Priority Response
+1
Ranged Response (based on Ki)
On Full Defense, Defense (only) is increased
Reversal Response
according to the Power Level Chart
Throw Response
Spend FS to increase Defense Total

Conditions That Decrease Defense

On Full Offense, Defense is 1/2 and no other option

may be used
When defending against a Defensive Response,

235
Damage Action Point Options in Dramatic
Combat
Conditions That Increase Damage
Initiative Option
Add Damage Bonus
Combo adds damage Fast Reflexes
Ki Skill determines damage of Ranged Special Move
Opponent’s Stamina may add die size to damage
Some Elements add damage Movement Options
Strength may add die sizes to damage
Athletics
Leaving Combat
Conditions That Decrease Damage

Opponent’s Strength may subtract die size from Attack Options

damage
Some Liabilities decrease damage Climactic Super Move
Stamina may subtract die sizes from damage Debilitating Injury
Final Blow
Flourish
Effects of Damage Freeze Frame Attack
Knocking an Opponent out of Combat
First successful damage in a round: Attacker regains Property Damage
FS equal to Power Level Pulling Punches
Damage is subtracted from opponent’s Life Bar Special Moves
Defender suffers Hit Stun and loses 4 Control or is Surprise Attack
reduced to 1/2 (round down) Control Team-Up
Defender is Knocked Back 1 Range (Increased
Knockback or Launcher: 2 Ranges)
Defense Options
Defender may be Knocked Down or Stunned
Endure Great Hardship
End of Turn Full Defense
Ignore Hit Stun
Tally Glory and Super Energy Ki Face Off
Roll Time Roll and describe events of the turn Taking a Hit for Someone Else

Recovery Options

Draw Ki
Friendship Morale Boost

236
Healing Life Bar
Reaffirm Purpose
Realize Potential
Stand Off

Special Options
Gadgeteering/Magic/Psychic
Ki Yelling
Mind-Manipulating Magic
Power
Presence
Pushing It
Sense Ki
Spirit Combat
Stance Evaluation

Spiritual Combat
Call Forth Wisdom
Meditation
Spirituality
Zen State

237
Appendix 5: Glossary as a whole represents the storyline found in the
background of a fighting video game. At the heart
of a campaign’s story, there is often a tournament.
Accuracy: An attack’s bonus to hit, based on the
move’s Elements, Control, Range, Accuracy Bonus, Combat Bonus: A bonus to be added to a
and Fighting Spirit. character’s Accuracy, Control, Damage, or Defense
in combat. Combat Bonuses are acquired
Action Point: A resource acquired almost every turn automatically by advancing in Power Level.
in Dramatic Combat, used to power various special
effects, attacks, and Skill uses. Combat Skill: A Skill that has a specific application
in the combat rules and little or no use outside of
Action Sequence: A special sequence of skill checks combat. The five Combat Skills are Combo,
used to dramatically resolve a particular scene, such Defense, Evasion, Ki, and Tactics.
as a chase or infiltration.
Combo: A series of attacks combined into one
Attack String: An optional rule that modifies the attack for the purposes of rolling to hit. Combos
rules for Combos and Special Moves as a way to deal greater damage than a normal attack and are
emulate the fighting patterns found in 3-D fighting also worth more Glory and Super Energy. Also the
video games. name of one of the five Combat Skills, which sets
the maximum length of a character’s Combos in
Basic Move: Any punch, kick, elbow, head butt, or combat.
simple attack form used to strike an opponent. It is
distinguished from the special effects found in Control: A measure of a character’s self-control,
Special Moves and Super Moves. All Basic Moves tactical efficiency, and ability to make the best use
are considered L1 and have a base damage of 1d4. of an available situation in combat. Control is rolled
each turn and determines how powerful a move a
Basic Quality: Strength, Speed, and Stamina. These character can use as well as how long a Combo the
are the core characteristics that define a Fighter’s character can create. It also has an effect on
physical capabilities. They are established at Accuracy.
character generation and never change.
Defeated: The condition of a character who has
Boss: The principal villain of a campaign. This been reduced to zero Life Bar. In a fighting video
character will usually be the last opponent the game, this almost always means knocked
player characters will face at the climax of the unconscious, but the specific narrative meaning of
campaign. defeated in the game depends on the situation. In
any case, the character is no longer capable of
Campaign: A series of connected stories featuring fighting without rest and recovery.
the same protagonists, working towards a climactic
confrontation, usually against a Boss. The campaign Defense Total: The number that the attacker needs
to roll equal to or greater than in order to hit the
defender. It is derived from the defender’s chosen

238
defensive Skill, plus his Defense Bonus, Fighting Distance: The measure of distance between a
Spirit spent on defense, and miscellaneous character and an Environmental Hazard in combat.
modifiers. It is an abstraction and is rated from 0-6. It serves a
similar purpose but is not considered to be
Defensive Option: The choice of which defensive equivalent to Range.
Skill the defender uses to attempt to block or avoid
an attack. The three defensive options are the same Dramatic Combat: A sub-set of the normal combat
as the three defensive Skills: Defense, Evasion, and rules that provides for more skill use in combat,
Tactics. faster resolution of turns, and a greater emphasis on
narrative detail. In exchange, it simplifies the main
Defensive Response: One of a series of choices combat system and removes some of the
available to a character who has successfully capabilities and options of the characters.
defended using the Tactics Skill. Available Defensive
Responses depend on the defender’s Special Moves Element: An aspect of a Special Move or Super
and the move used by the attacker. A few Defensive Move that enables it to use special rules in combat
Responses are instead based on Defense or Ki. depending on the situation. Examples include a
move that is more accurate, more damaging, one
DET: An acronym referring to the three defensive that can interrupt an opponent’s move, or one that
Skills: Defense, Evasion, and Tactics. Unlike all other can knock an opponent down. A Special Move has a
Skills, the maximum level allowed for these Skills is number of Elements equal to its Level +1, while a
based on a specific entry on the Power Level chart, Super Move has a number of Elements equal to
and is much lower than other Skills. twice its Level.

Die Size: The specific die used to determine a result Environmental Hazard: A feature of a battleground
in combat. Fight! uses d4s, d6s, d8s, d10s, and d12s. that can have a specific effect on the combatants.
Many effects throughout the rules modify the die Examples include walls, ring-outs, dangerous
roll used by increasing or deceasing the die size scenery, or cliffs. The space between a character
before the roll. For example, a one die size increase and an Environmental Hazard is measured in
on a d6 increases the die used for the roll to a d8. Distances (not Ranges).

Difficulty Level (DL): The number set by the Fighter: A term used to describe any character that
Director that a character must equal or exceed on a is in an entirely different league of combat capability
skill check in order to succeed at the task. Difficulty from the rest of the world. This term describes all of
Levels usually range between 4 and 20. the player characters and all of the important non-
player characters in the campaign. All of the
Director: The person responsible for setting up the characters found in a fighting video game are
campaign, preparing the stories for the player Fighters.
characters, adjudicating the rules, and playing all of
the non-player characters encountered. Often Fighting Spirit: An abstract measure of a character’s
called a Game Master or GM in other role-playing
games.

239
ability to be flexible, creative, lucky, or focused in L2 or higher. Super Moves are L5 or higher.
combat. It also represents a character’s drive and
training, as well as the strength of their confidence Liability: An aspect of a Special Move or Super
and willpower. It is used for many purposes in Move that hinders the move’s flexibility in some
combat; very few die rolls cannot be modified by the way, making it less effective. However, in turn, the
use of Fighting Spirit. Liability allows the move to have one or more
additional Elements. Example Liabilities include
Glory: The measure of a character’s ability to show reduced accuracy, a move that permits no
power, flexibility, versatility, and skill in combat. It is movement, a move that does no damage, or a move
gained primarily through the use of a variety of that has a slow recovery time.
moves as well as the ability to hit with long Combos.
It functions equivalently to experience points in Life Bar: The measure of a character’s health,
other role-playing games. stamina, and willpower. As a character takes
damage, he loses Life Bar. When Life Bar is reduced
Hit Stun: An effect of being hit in combat. It to zero, the character is defeated. The speed of
reduces the character’s available Control, often recovery of Life Bar is up to the Director, but is
preventing him from acting during the turn. usually assumed to occur as fast as the story needs.
The term “Life Bar” refers to the long colored bar at
Initiative: A measure of a character’s speed, the top of the screen in a traditional fighting video
aggression, and ability to take advantage of a break game.
in the opponent’s concentration. The Initiative roll
at the beginning of the turn determines the order of Mechanical Skill: A type of Non-Combat Skill.
action for the turn. Mechanical Skills have specific mechanical game
effects in certain situations, unlike Narrative Skills,
Knock Back: The effect of being driven back one or whose use is based on circumstances within the
more Ranges after being hit in combat. All attacks story narrative and adjudicated solely by the
that do damage also do Knock Back. Director.

Knock Down: The effect of being knocked prone by Narrative Skill: A type of Non-Combat Skill.
an attack. Such a condition requires the character to Narrative Skills are basically equivalent to “skills” in
spend an action standing up before being able to most role-playing games, in that they are used
move or attack again. outside of combat situations and the Director sets
their difficulty of use and their effectiveness within
Level (L): A measure of the power and difficulty of a the narrative.
particular Special Move or Super Move. A move that
is higher level requires more Control to use in Non-Combat Skill: A Skill that is not normally used
combat, but is also composed of more Elements and in combat, though many Non-Combat Skills can be
is therefore more powerful and/or flexible. Basic used in special situations in the Dramatic Combat
Moves are considered to be L1. Special Moves are sub-system. While they are called “skills,” many
Non-Combat Skills also represent special abilities or
forms of training in mysticism and the martial arts.

240
Non-Player Character (NPC): A character in the Hazard.
game, who may or may not also be a Fighter, who is
not controlled by one of the players. Normally, the Special Move: A unique move of a Fighter. Special
Director controls all non-player characters. Moves, more than any other characteristic, define
the combat style of a Fighter. They can vary widely,
Player Character (PC): A Fighter in the game who is and are composed of Elements and Limitations,
controlled by a specific player. The player speaks for which define how the move is used in combat. Most
the character, in both the dialogue he says and in Special Moves are between L2 and L5. All Special
dictating what actions the character attempts to Moves have a base damage of 1d6.
perform in the story. Normally, each player controls
only one player character at a time. Story Point: An expendable resource acquired
through various means throughout the game. Story
Power Level (PL): A measure of a character’s Points can be used to re-roll die rolls, make use of
realized potential within a particular story arc. Qualities, modify combat abilities, and exert
Player characters normally begin at Power Level 1 narrative control over the immediate circumstances
and progress through Power Level 8 over the course of the story.
of the campaign. Power Level is roughly equivalent
to the term “level” in other level-based role-playing Stunning: A consequence of a particularly powerful
games. hit in combat. A character who is Stunned loses two
actions and has severely limited defensive
Quality: A positive aspect of a character not directly capabilities.
related to his combat abilities or his Skills. Qualities
define the character’s appearance, personality Stunt Sequence: A special tactic available to
traits, social connections, or special resources that Fighters which uses Story Points as a weapon
provide benefits for the character in appropriate against Thugs in the Thug Thrashing combat system.
situations. A Stunt Sequence is intended as a particularly
colorful narrative circumstance that allows a Fighter
Quirk: A minor personality trait that poses an to defeat several Thugs at once without directly
occasional inconvenience to the character. In attacking them by conventional means.
general, Quirks simply define certain key aspects of
a character’s personality, but under certain Super Energy: A resource used to power Super
circumstances, they may influence the character’s Moves. Super Energy is gained each turn in combat
actions or other characters’ reactions to him. by various means. When a Fighter wishes to use a
Having three or more Quirks counts as a Weakness. Super Move, he must expend 10 or more Super
Energy to do so.
Range: The measure of distance between a
character and another character or Thug group in Super Move: An especially powerful form of Special
combat. It is an abstraction and is rated from 0-5. Move. Super Moves function in most ways like
The Accuracy of attacks is affected by Range. It is Special Moves, but they are made up of more
not the same thing as Distance, which measures
distance between a character and an Environmental

241
Elements and do more damage. Super Moves are the framework of the campaign as a whole. In this
only available to Fighters of PL 3 or higher. A latter sense, a Tournament may be a traditional
Fighter must first accumulate Super Energy before competition, but it may also be simply the rationale
he can use a Super Move in combat. All Super provided by the Director in the campaign as to why
Moves have a base damage of 1d8. the Fighters encounter and fight one another.

Thug: Usually a reference to an opponent in combat Weakness: A negative aspect of a character not
who is not a Fighter. However, in terms of the rules, directly related to his combat abilities or his Skills.
a Thug is any character who is not a Fighter, Weaknesses define the character’s appearance,
encountered in combat or otherwise. Thugs operate personality traits, or background that impose
with different rules when it comes to both combat liabilities on the character in specific situations.
and Skill use.

Thug Group: A group of Thugs, numbering from one

(under certain circumstances) to 10. A Thug group
moves and acts as a single character in combat. All
the members of a Thug group must be of the same
Thug level and share the same characteristics.

Thug Level: A relative indicator of the overall

capability of the Thugs that make up a Thug group,
especially in combat. Thug level is rated from 1-5;
the higher the Thug’s level, the more dangerous he
is. There is also a special level called “Normal,”
which is used for any Thugs that are not intended to
be combatants.

Thug Thrashing: A sub-system of the main combat

system used whenever non-Fighters are engaged in
combat. It functions in most ways like the main
combat system, but with special considerations for
the differing characteristics of Thugs. Also the name
of a Mechanical Non-Combat Skill that is used in
Thug Thrashing combat that indicates a character’s
special skill at fighting multiple opponents at once.

Tournament: Either a reference to an organized

fighting competition that occurs in the context of a
story, as is commonly seen in the source material, or

242
Appendix 6: Source Material Samurai Shodown series
Sengoku Basara X
Soul Blade/Soul Calibur series
The following list contains all the video games and Star Gladiator series
video game series that were actively played and Street Fighter series
researched in designing the rules for Fight! SVC Chaos
Tao Feng
Arcana Heart series Tekken series
Art of Fighting series Tobal series
Asuka 120% Burning Fest series Virtua Fighter series
Battle Arena Toshinden series Vs.
Bloody Roar series World Heroes series
Capcom Fighting Evolution
Capcom vs. SNK series The following video games are either non-
Critical Blow traditional fighting games or non-fighting video
Darkstalkers series games that inspired thematic elements in Fight!
Dead or Alive series
Ehrgeiz Bushido Blade series
Evil Zone Cannon Spike
Fatal Fury series Death by Degrees
Fighters Impact Def Jam series
Fighters Megamix DBZ Budokai series
Garou Mark of the Wolves Fighting Force series
Guilty Gear series Godzilla Destroy All Monsters series
Hokuto no Ken Gundam Battle Assault series
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks
Kakuto Chojin Ninja Gaiden series
Kensei Pocket Fighter
King of Fighters series Power Stone series
Kizuna Encounter series Tech Romancer
Last Blade series Thrill Kill
Last Bronx Urban Reign
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter War of the Monsters
Marvel vs. Capcom series
Melty Blood series
Mortal Kombat series
NeoGeo Battle Coliseum
Power Instinct series
Psychic Force series
Real Bout series
Rival Schools United By Fate series

243
244
245
Contributor Bios convention scene for the past 10 years. He is the
writer and artist for Players Wanted. His gallery can
be seen at http://stubbedtoe.deviantart.com. His
Christopher Peter
wife Jennefer is also an artist and gamer, but she
prefers providing digital support for Bob, faking her
Christopher is an academic who has spent about as
way through Photoshop and still getting great
many years playing role-playing games as he has
results.
spent in school collecting advanced degrees.
Gaming before his age reached double digits, he is
Melissa Wang
thankful for all the good times that role-playing has
brought, especially for the friends who have become
Bless you all! It is an honor to be in this publication!
family over several decades together. When he is
I’m an art, manga and graphic novelist and
not gaming, Christopher spends his time writing
entertainment media enthusiast with hopes of
journal articles and books in his field. He is a
making interesting manga. I love watching people
longtime fan of fighting video games, collecting
play video games while drawing! I love drawing for
dozens of obscure titles, even though he considers
others and creating original art. You can see my
himself merely an intermediate player on a good
work at http://muddymelly.deviantart.com. I can be
day. Fight has been the product of over a decade of
contacted on Facebook and Skype as muddymelly.
work and he is happy that it is finally seeing print.
Danrey Borja
Wayne Deitrick
My name is Danrey. I am an aspiring artist that
Wayne has spent more than three decades playing
always tries to improve my skills as much as I can.
role-playing games, but this is his first published
Although I was born in the Philippines, I’m currently
contribution to the hobby. A software designer by
residing in Ontario, Canada. I primarily use
trade, he enjoys the thought process involved in
Photoshop for my artwork. My works can be seen at
bridging sound, interesting game mechanics with
http://killaflip.deviantart.com. I learned how to
equally interesting ways of improving the narrative.
draw usually from trial and error since most of my
When not working or playing games, he enjoys
skills are self-taught. Most of my works are
video games, sci fi television and movies, and living
influenced by anime and video game culture. I’m
out his own adventures in the great outdoors.
currently studying at University of Toronto and
mainly study sciences, but I do pick up some art
Bob and Jennefer Noberini
courses now and then. Art is my hobby. I enjoy
sitting down and drawing something. I ‘m inspired
Bob is a freelance artist who has been providing
by many great artists who push me to be better. I
artwork for role-playing games for the past 25 years.
really hope you all enjoy my pieces.
A gamer himself, his favorite genre is superhero
gaming, though he also enjoys fighting video
Imperia Studio
games. Bob has also been active in the local comic
Imperia Studio is a small independent graphic studio
established by Valeria Rodao and Andres Lacuesta.

246
Valeria Rodao is a graphic designer and plastic artist
born in 1986 in Montevideo, Uruguay. She studied
Paint and Drawing in the Universidad del Trabajo del
Uruguay (UTU) (Work University of Uruguay) and
Graphic Design in the Bios Academy, becoming one
of the best of her class. Andres Lacuesta, born in
1989, also in Montevideo, is a self-taught drawing
student, screenwriter, historical sciences and
literature student, and investigator for Universidad
de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay (UDELAR). The
style of the Studio is the result of the combined
forces of the two artists, giving every illustration
the sensory power of the art by using the method of
science and deep observation.

Catalina Silva

My name is Catalina, AKA Neko Rulz. I love cats,

tigers and wolves. I drink tea all day and enjoy
walking under the rain. My favorite places are those
surrounded by nature, mountains and trees. I was
born in Chile; a city named Temuco is my
hometown. Here art is not very appreciated. Even if
you have talent, you can’t easily do this for a living,
because in this culture, people prefer other life
priorities. To have something to work with, I’m
studying Graphic Design, and I try to tell everybody
that the career will be my future, but for me, it is just
a second chance. I just like illustration too much and
that’s why I’ve decided to offer myself working for
people via the Internet. And that’s why I’m really
grateful that people around the world like my art
this much.

247