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WrestleFest - the Professional Wrestling game |
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By Gazza
([email protected])
Introduction WrestleFest is designed to be a "beer and pretzels" game to while away an evening when roleplaying - for one reason or another - is cancelled. It's supposed to be fast, easy, and fun (in a fairly mindless fashion). Players are "managers" of a particular "stable" of wrestlers, who will compete for various titles, feuds, and so forth. At least two players are required, but the more the merrier. Character generation is supposed to be fast and simple, so that it can be completed in about ten to fifteen minutes even for a novice. There aren't any "winners" or "losers" as such, in the long run. A player who manages to get lots of titles in his "stable" might consider himself a victor, but really, anyone who enjoys themselves has "won". Start So, the GM has bailed on you for the night, or someone's forgotten their character sheet, or the dog's eaten the module. You could go home, of course - but hey, you've got the dice, and you came ready for some fun. And you've played Civilisation, Axis and Allies, or Samurai Swords too often recently. Welcome to the world of WrestleFest. Character Generation Each player needs to create five wrestlers. This may sound like it would take a long time, but 2 minutes is ample to create a new wrestler under these rules. Write down three attributes: Speed, Strength, and Stamina. Now, you have to spread 4 points between these three attributes, which will end up rated from 0 to 4. 0 is "slow"/"weak"/"unfit", 1 is average, 2 is "fast"/"strong"/"enduring", 3 is "very fast"/"powerhouse"/"machine", and 4 is legendary. Give the wrestler a name - and if you're like my group, this part could easily take half an hour on its own. So, alternatively, roll one die twice and look up the following table:
If you get multiples of the same result, you can either make up your own or else get Mauler I, Son of Mauler, and so forth. And that's all there is to character generation. EXAMPLE Gary, Kylie, Greg, and Selwyn are sitting around waiting for their GM to arrive. He's half an hour late. Eventually, Gary says, "Look, bugger this, let's play Wrestlefest." Gary creates the following wrestlers:  Amazing Grace:
Speed 3, Stamina 1, Strength 0. A fast wrestler, but not too strong.
Bludgeon: Speed 0,
Stamina 0, Strength 4. All the eggs in 1 basket here - tremendously strong,
but not quick and lacks staying power.
Crazy Joe: Speed 2,
Stamina 1, Strength 1. Mostly average; slight speed advantage.
Demon Knight: (Gary
has been watching Billy Zane movies again): Speed 2, Stamina 0, Strength 2.
Either wins, or runs out of steam.
Eric the Viking:
Speed 0, Stamina 1, Strength 3. Tough, but not fast.
The other three create their wrestlers, too - but none have names nearly as cool as Gary's. Assigning Specialties Final step after everyone has their wrestlers is to organise who has what titles, and so forth. Each manager should designate two of his wrestlers as a tag team. Then, each manager gets one title to give to one of his wrestlers. There will always be a WrestleFest Title, and a Tag Team title. If there are more than two players, add some from the following: Transcontinental Title
TV Title (has to be defended
every round)
Australian Champion Title
Eliminator Title (matches for
this title can only end in submissions)
Steel Cage Title (must be
defended in a steel cage)
Battle Royale Title (defended
in Battle Royales)
If you've got more than 8 players, make up some more. And now you're ready to play. EXAMPLE Gary gets the Wrestlefest Title, which he gives to Demon Knight. He makes Crazy Joe and Eric the Viking his tag team - the Berserkers. Kylie gets the Tag Team Title, and her tag team consists of Brain Eater and Mind Melter - the PsiGuys (who obviously are the ones who get the title). Greg gets the TV Title and complains bitterly (since it has to be defended every round). After some thought, he gives it to Death Incarnate. His tag team consists of Death Incarnate and War Master - Apocalypse. (Note that it's OK for tag team wrestlers to wrestle individually as well - and thus get titles of their own.) Selwyn gets the Australian Champion Title, which he gives to Gnat. His tag team are Funnel Web and Red Back - the Spiders. Playing WrestleFest THE MATCH UPS WrestleFest is played in rounds. At the start of each round, the managers decide who will fight whom. This is figured as follows: 1. Every manager must have two fights per round. A tag team bout counts as only one fight. It is permissible for the same wrestler to be in both fights. 2. Every manager must defend at least one title per round. This is in addition to any special requirements; for example, if a manager has the TV Title and the Tag Team Title, he has to defend both since the TV Title must be defended each round in any case. 3. Bouts must be between wrestlers with different managers. You can't schedule two of your own wrestlers to fight. For full immersion in the WrestleFest experience, this should be accompanied by campy "threats" and "put downs" in interviews between wrestlers. This process will involve wheeling and dealing between managers to schedule title opportunities. This should be encouraged. However, this entire process can take only 5 minutes - at the end of this period, if any manager doesn't have two fights scheduled, then he will randomly be assigned two bouts. Each group should decide what "randomly" means in this context. Having the other managers select who gets to fight is a valid and fun interpretation. EXAMPLE A massive round of arguments begins. Gary wants to challenge Kylie's PsiGuys with the Berserkers for the Tag Team Title, but Kylie has already agreed to pit the PsiGuys against Selwyn's Spiders. Frustrated, Gary does a quick campy impression of Eric the Viking criticising the PsiGuys for cowardice, before challenging Greg's Death Incarnate with Amazing Grace for the TV Title, and defending his Wrestlefest Title against Kylie's Brain Eater. Greg challenges Selwyn's Gnat for the Australian Champion Title with War Master. So the matchups to take place are: Amazing Grace (Gary) vs
Death Incarnate (Greg) for the TV Title.
Brain Eater (Kylie) vs Demon
Knight (Gary) for the Wrestlefest Title.
Spiders (Selwyn) vs PsiGuys
(Kylie) for the Tag Team Title.
War Master (Greg) vs Gnat
(Selwyn).
Note that Kylie's Brain Eater has two matchups - one Tag Team Title defence, and one title match with Demon Knight. This is allowed. The Bouts The actual bouts between wrestlers should be conducted simultaneously as far as is possible, but each manager should be controlling only one wrestler at a time (it gets too confusing otherwise). It may well be necessary for some players to sit out while they are waiting, but hopefully the process is entertaining from a spectator point of view as well. THE START OF A BOUT Managers can feel free to call out campy introductions for their wrestlers: "And coming down the aisle, weighing in at 308 pounds, from Melbourne, Victoria, the WrestleFest Champion, Mystery Man!". Then each player rolls 1 die and adds their wrestler's Speed. Highest total goes first; reroll ties. THE SEQUENCE The active wrestler chooses whether to make a normal attack, throw his opponent to the ropes, or make an aerial attack from the top turnbuckle. Tag team wrestlers have an additional option: double teaming. Having made the choice, the player rolls 2 dice and checks against the following table:
These results can be categorised as follows: Attacker fumbled (roll
2-3 for Normal Attack or Throw to the Ropes, or 2-5 for Aerial Attack or
Double Team). The attacker may take damage, which he should record under
"Damage". It is automatically the defender's turn next, and in addition the
attacker may be on the ground.
Attacker failed (roll 4-5
for Normal Attack or Throw to the Ropes). This attack did no damage. If the
defender was on the ground, he gets up. The attacker then rolls 1 die, adds
his speed, and subtracts his opponent's speed and the number of attacks he
has had in a row. If the result is 5 or more, he gets another attack; otherwise,
it is now the defender's go. For example, if the attacker has speed 2 and the
defender has speed 1, and it is the first attack, then a roll of 5-6 means that
the attacker gets another attack. On a roll of 1-4, it becomes the defender's
turn. Note that the exception here is that a roll of 6 always means that the
attacker goes again, while a roll of 1 always means that it is the defender's
turn.
Attacker did damage
(all other results). Firstly, the defender should record the number of hits he has
taken. If the attack specifies that the defender is now on the ground, then the
defender is on the ground (see below). If the attack specifies that the attacker
gets a free pin attempt, then immediately roll for a pin (see below) and, even if
the pin fails, the defender is still on the ground. Finally, roll to see whose turn it
is next (see Attacker failed above for this procedure).
Note the following modifiers: Brute Force: With
every attack that actually does damage, roll 1 die, add the attacker's
Strength, and subtract the defender's Strength. If the result is 6 or higher, then
an extra hit of damage is inflicted. A roll of 6 always adds an extra hit, and a
roll of 1 never does. In the case of double teaming, use the higher of the
attacking team's Strength and add 1.
On The Ground: If,
when an attack is about to be made, the defender is on the ground, then the
attacker can choose to either attempt a pin or a submission hold in lieu of an
attack. If the pin or submission hold fails, then it is automatically the defender's
turn.
Pins: To resolve a pin
attempt, the defender rolls 2 dice and adds his Stamina. Compare this to the
amount of damage taken:
Submission Holds: To
resolve a submission, the defender rolls 2 dice and adds his Stamina.
Compare this to the amount of damage taken:
ENDING THE BOUT The bout ends either after a wrestler is successfully pinned or submits, or at the end of any attack sequence where both wrestlers have taken more than 40 hits damage. Note: The match does not immediately end after 40 hits of damage each. The current attacker can continue until it becomes the defender's turn - and only at that point does the match end. After the Bout If this was a title match, then the title may have changed hands. It is not permissible for a single wrestler to have more than one title; should this occur, the manager chooses which title to keep and the other title becomes vacant, to be awarded to whoever wins an elimination series of matches (with each manager selecting one wrestler to compete). Some exceptions to this rule can exist. For example, it is probably OK for a single wrestler to have two titles if one is a Tag Team title or Battle Royale title. EXAMPLE We'll go through a complete match here to illustrate the game: Amazing Grace vs Death Incarnate for the TV Title. "Here we are folks for the main event - Amazing Grace challenging Death Incarnate for the Television Title. Now, Amazing Grace has shown a lot of promise recently, but I'm not sure if he has what it takes to go up against Death. Death Incarnate really owns that title, wouldn't you agree Gene?" "Not really, Vince. After all, we haven't seen a lot of Death Incarnate in singles competition recently. I'll grant you that he and War Master are really racking up an impressive record in tag team matchups, but is Death really up to working without his partner? Amazing Grace has had a lot tougher singles competition recently, and I wouldn't be surprised to see an upset here tonight." Amazing Grace has Speed 3, Stamina 1, Strength 0. Death Incarnate has Speed 2, Stamina 1, Strength 1. Both Gary and Greg roll 1 die and add their wrestler's Speed to see who goes first. Gary groans as he rolls a 1 (+3 = 4), and Greg rolls a 4 (+2 = 6). Death Incarnate gets the jump on Amazing Grace, no doubt attacking while Amazing Grace is still waving to the crowd. Greg decides to start with an Aerial Attack - he wants this over quickly. He throws a 4 and a 2. 6 on the Aerial Attack table is an Elbow Smash for 1 hit of damage. He then checks for Brute Force, rolling a 4. He adds his Strength (1) and subtracts Amazing Grace's Strength (0) for a final total of 5 - less than the 6 needed for Brute Force. So Amazing Grace takes 1 hit of damage. "Oh, brutal start by Death Incarnate. Leaping into the air and landing a nasty elbow smash - Amazing Grace will be feeling that for a while." "Well, Vince, I wouldn't write Amazing Grace off just yet. One cowardly sneak attack doesn't win matchups at this level of competition." Greg then rolls to see if he goes again. He rolls a 2, adds his speed (2), subtracts his opponent's speed (3), and subtracts the number of attacks he's had in a row (1) for a total of 0 - much less than the 5 he needed to go again. (Actually, because Death Incarnate's speed is 1 less than Amazing Grace's, the only way he could've got a second attack was to roll 6 - an automatic success). It's now Amazing Grace's turn. Gary decides to start off with a normal attack, hoping to capitalise on Amazing Grace's speed advantage (normal attacks have the best chance of allowing a followup). He rolls a 6 and 3. 9 on the Normal Attack column gives a result of Drop Kick for 2 hits of damage. His roll for Brute Force is 2 (+0 - 1 = 1, less than the 6 needed), so Death Incarnate takes 2 hits of damage. He then rolls to see if he can go again: a roll of 6 means he automatically gets to go again. He follows up with another Normal Attack, with a roll of 7, which is an Arm Bar for 1 damage (and a roll of 1 for Brute Force results in no extra damage). He rolls to see if he can go again, and gets 5; adding his Speed of 3, and subtracting Death Incarnate's Speed of 2 and the number of attacks he's had (2) results in 4 - not enough for a third attack. Currently, Amazing Grace has taken 1 hit of damage, and Death Incarnate has taken 3. "Looks like you were right, Gene. Amazing Grace has just responded with a devastating drop kick right to the kisser, and then starts going to work on Death Incarnate's right arm." "Yes, Vince, Death Incarnate is getting the worst of things so far. Amazing Grace might already be setting him up for a devastating Figure Nine Arm Lock." Greg isn't worried at the moment; he decides to throw Amazing Grace to the ropes. His roll is 6 - an Arm Drag Take Down, that does 1 damage and puts Amazing Grace on the ground. His Brute Force check is only 1 (+1-0=2), so no extra damage. Deciding to take a risk, Death Incarnate immediately goes for a Pin Attempt. Amazing Grace has taken 2 damage, so he needs a 4 or better to kick out - really only a 3 or better, since he gets to add his Stamina of 1. Gary throws a double 1 on his "kick out" roll - a natural 2! Death Incarnate wins! "What's this? Death Incarnate has just shrugged Amazing Grace off to the ropes..." "Oh, no! Death Incarnate's tag team partner - War Master - is standing at ring side. Amazing Grace is distracted... Vince, I think this is a set up!" "Death Incarnate is behind Amazing Grace now. It's an Arm Drag Take Down, but it looks like Amazing Grace landed pretty hard!" "I don't believe it! Vince, Death is going for the cover! It's 1, 2... NO! It can't be!" "That's right, Gene, the 3 count! Looks like it was an upset after all." "That man had no business at ring side, Vince. Apocalypse might well face serious issues over their conduct here today." "Maybe, Gene, but history will show that Death Incarnate defended his title successfully." Special Matches Steel Cage Matches:
Steel Cage matches are run as normal, except that all successful Throw To
Ropes moves allow the attacker to add 2 to his roll to check for Brute Force
(and all fumbled attacks do an additional 1 hit of damage). In addition, pins
and submission holds are not allowed; the bout ends by one attacker inflicting
more than 60 hits of damage on an opponent. After a steel cage match, the
loser must rest for at least one round to recover from injuries.
Battle Royales: There
are no multiple attack sequences in a Battle Royale. Instead, every wrestler
rolls 1 die and adds his Speed, and then each gets exactly one attack from
highest total to lowest (there will be many simultaneous attacks). There are no
pins or submissions, but any move that would normally result in the defender
being on the ground or pinned eliminates the defender instead. In addition, the
attacker can attempt to throw his opponent out in lieu of attacking; resolve
this as if it were a pin attempt. The winner is the last wrestler left in the ring.
Tag Team Matches: In
lieu of attacking, the attacker can try to "tag out". To do this, he rolls 2 dice
on the Pin table, but adding his Speed instead of his Stamina. A success
means he's successfully tagged out; a failure means that he's still in the ring.
In either case, it is now the defender's turn. The team member outside the ring
regains 1 hit for every attack made, regardless of whether it successful or not,
and regardless of whether it is his own team or the opposing team. The
exception is Double Team moves; since the other team member is not outside
the ring in such cases, he does not regain any hits. In addition, every time a
Double Team manoeuvre is attempted, the attacker should roll 1 die. On a
result of 1, the attackers have been disqualified.
And That's All, Folks! |
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Copyright � 2001 Gazza |
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