After the confrontation in the underground city proved inconclusive, Rei Oshiro ran into his nemesis Dr. Battle again, this time on the streets of Tokyo.
The Director decided that this fight would best be resolved with the Dramatic Combat sub-system.
Both Fighters are still Power Level 3.
Rei: “I can’t believe you escaped that cave-in, Battle!
When are you going to realize that you have no chance to defeat me?”
Director: “And yet,” he responds, “you have yet to defeat me either.” Let’s roll Initiative. Remember that there is no Control roll in Dramatic Combat.
Rei: But my Speed gives me a bonus on Control!
Director: In Dramatic Combat, that bonus is applied to Initiative instead. The same applies for your Control Bonus also.
Rei: OK. So I have 1d8+1.
Director: And I still have 1d10. [Rolls] A 7.
Rei: An 8! I get to go first! What Range are we?
Director: Let’s still use the usual Range of 3 for the start of combat. Remember that you get an Action Point at the start of the turn.
Rei: I know! Well, I remember that Battle has ranged attacks, so I’m going to back up to Range 4 and then spend my Action Point to use Property Damage. I’m going to leap up in the air and kick the contents off the back of a passing truck at him.
Director: Alright! Battle will defend with Evasion. He has a +1 Defense Bonus and he gets a +1 Defense Total against the Property Damage Skill. I’ll spend 2 FS for a Defense Total of 6.
Rei: I have a +1 Accuracy Bonus and I’ll spend 3 FS for a total of +4. [Rolls] A 3 – a hit! Unfortunately, my Property Damage is only 2, so that does 1d4.
Director: But it’s modified by your Strength and his Stamina, so it’s 1d8. Roll it.
Rei: Six! Not enough to Stun him, but a solid hit.
Director: OK. Battle is down to 19 Life Bar.
Rei: 19? Why so low?
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
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an extra Action Point for hitting with a Property Damage attack.
Rei: Is Battle affected by Hit Stun in this system?
Director: Yes, he loses his action entirely unless he spends an Action Point, which he’s not going to do, so that’s the end of the turn. No Glory earned. Rei gets 1 Super Energy, while Battle gets 2. Time check. [Rolls] 4. Time Count is down to 95.
Rei: Time to press the advantage!
Director: OK. Let’s roll Initiative. We each gain an Action Point, so we both have two at the moment.
Rei: Right. I rolled a 5.
Director: An 8. I’ll go first. Since we’re still at Range 4, I’ll move 1 Range to Range 3 and then I’m going to spend an Action Point to use the Athletics Skill.
[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 Range 1. Range 4 to Range 1 in a single turn with no FS spent! Battle jumps back against a nearby building, bounds into the air, and bounces off two more walls before landing right in front of Rei.
Rei: I want to save my Action Point, so I’m just going to attack with a Basic Move. My Accuracy is +1.
Director: Battle will again use Evasion and spend 3 FS. Defense Total 6.
Rei: I’ll spend 2 FS to give me a +3 Accuracy. [Rolls]
A 1. Miss!
Director: And that’s the end of the turn again. We are presently at Range 1. Still no Glory earned. We each earn 1 more Super Energy. Time roll… [Rolls] 5.
Time Count down to 90. Let’s move on.
Rei: We each get another Action Point, right? I’m at 3 now.
Director: And I’m at 2. Let’s roll Initiative.
Rei: A 9!
Director: Me, too!
Rei: So are we considered to have simultaneous Initiative?
Director: Not in the Dramatic system. In the case of tied Initiative, if the two Fighters are Range 0-2, they both automatically use their turn to engage in a Flourish at no Action Point cost.
Rei: So we just close in and throw lots of rapid punches and kicks at one another, hoping to connect?
Director: That’s right. So to resolve a Flourish, we each roll an unmodified d10. Whoever wins does an automatic d10 damage to his opponent.
Rei: OK. [Rolls] A 4.
Director: I rolled a 7. So for damage… [Rolls] 6 points.
Rei: And there’s no defense against that?
Director: Nope.
Rei: Alright. I’m down to 19 Life Bar too now.
Director: And that’s the end of the turn. After a furious flurry of brutal attacks, Battle manages to
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land a punch right across Rei’s jaw. The Flourish knocks you back to Range 2. No Glory earned. You get 2 Super Energy, while Battle gets 1. Time roll is a 4. Time Count is at 86. “Did you feel that, Oshiro?
I’m just getting started with you!”
Rei: Initiative: I roll a 5.
Director: And our hero continues to have his usual luck against the doctor: I rolled a 7.
Rei: How many Action Points do you have?
Director: I have 3 now, and you have 4. But Battle is going to spend one and use a Special Move: his Mystic Shot.
Rei: So how do Special Moves work again?
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?
Director: Looks that way. Dr. Battle followed up his punch attack with a glowing ball of blue ki energy.
Rei: Yes, but before we round up the turn, I’m spending Action Points to heal.
Director: OK! How many? You can spend up to your Power Level.
Rei: Three it is, then. So I heal 9 Life Bar, bringing me back up to 22. “You think you’ve got me where you want me, Battle? I’ve been playing with you this whole time!” I grin at him as I get ready to lunge.
Director: Great! You get 2 more Super Energy, as does Battle for using a Special Move. Battle also earns 3 Glory. Time count… [Rolls] another 5. Down to 81. Let’s see you deliver on your threat…
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6. The Worlds of Fight!
The previous chapters have described how to create a Fighter, how to use his Skills and Qualities in various situations, and most especially how to use his Special Moves to defeat his opponents in glorious combat. But in a role-playing game, the question remains: what does one actually do with these characters? This question perhaps looms even larger in the fighting game genre. This chapter aims to answer this question by providing further guidelines for conceptualizing and role-playing characters, how to set up a campaign, how to run stories within the campaign, and finally, how to bring it to an exciting conclusion.
As noted in the Introduction, the definition of the fighting game genre actually cuts across the lines of several other, more common genres in adventure role-playing games. The majority of fighting games are set in the modern or near-future era, often with many supernatural elements thrown in. Some stories are similar to the mission-based approach found in the espionage genre, while others involve themes drawn from the gritty competition between the street and the corporation found in the cyberpunk genre. Some fighting games have elements of traditional fantasy games, with swordplay, quests, and horrific monsters. All of these similarities can be useful for gaining a better understanding of the fighting game genre, but the genre itself remains distinctive. These distinctions (several of which are described in the Introduction) should be highlighted in the campaign.
Because of the shared fan base between fighting video games and anime, one might assume that many of the traditional tropes of anime and manga
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 relationships between the main characters of the story, especially in regard to familial and romantic relationships. These relationships often have explicitly comedic elements to them as well.
Generally, this relational focus is not found in the fighting game genre. Many of the main characters (the Fighters of the campaign) seem lacking in many important interpersonal relationships. Some even seem incapable of really relating to “normal” people at all. This can pose a challenge for players and Directors. Fortunately, this is not universally true.
Some characters have melodramatic relationships with other Fighters or with family members or other loved ones that exist as important components in the character’s self-defining reason for fighting.
This is rich material for both role-playing and for story hooks. Furthermore, almost every fighting game, even the most serious in tone, seem to have room for one or more explicitly comedic characters who are on the quest for the tastiest meat bun, or to become the greatest waitress, or who actually aspire to fighting greatness but who are only involved with the main characters by chance and coincidence. Normally, these characters are NPCs, but there’s nothing to prevent a player from choosing one of these roles.
Just as the fighting game genre only bears some similarities with manga and anime, it also only bears some similarities with the genre of martial arts film.
While many story conventions work in both genres, the characters are often quite different. While both sorts of stories feature the exploits of martial artists capable of feats impossible in the real world, the 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
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adaptations of fighting video games are often underwhelming.
Despite all of these considerations, one specific genre deserves special mention. Regardless of whether a fighting game is set in the past, present, or the future, the genre with which it shares the most in common is undoubtedly that of comic book superheroes. Garishly costumed heroes and villains fight unconventional battles with extraordinary powers, often with intensely personal motivations.
Secrets are kept, rivalries are established, and the fate of the world often hangs in the balance. There is much inspirational material for a Fight! game in the exploits of traditional superpowered comic book characters.
These unique characteristics of the fighting game genre should be kept in mind as one conceptualizes characters, stories, and campaigns.