Boxer Quest

[Walter]

This is a day that the multiverse will long remember. The day you finally got your license and became a Boxer in the Four Round Unlimited Circuit.

That's not WHY they'll remember it, of course. Today is also the day the Big Bad Polity betrayed Hell and launched a war the likes of which spacetime had never imagined. Oracles throughout history have slain themselves for merely glimpsing such a thing. Prophecy has bent like a bow, then snapped like a disco guy's fingers, at the slightest mention. But your thing is important too.

As long as you've been in existence, you've known that this would be your destiny. Every step, other than those extra steps that weren't and therefore don't count, was pointed towards this place, this time. This is an excellent idea, you are completely sure.

Well, you are pretty sure. That's probably fine.

You are taking the first step on a road that will lead you inexorably up*, throughout a legendary* career, to the very heights of the highest peak of the sweet science. Way to go, you! I'm a huge fan.

Let's get a basic idea of who you are, anyway. I mean, I know, of course, but maybe you could remind me, so if I have to describe you to someone, I wouldn't leave anything out.

Oh, dope, I can do the bold voice. Ahem. Just one question to start our correspondence.

What's your platform, young Boxer?

[] Cybeast
Sample subtypes: Steampunk Pigman, Woodfired Snakewoman, NUCLEAR MINOTAUR, etc
Part animal, part man, the beastfolk are physical exemplars, the products of an ongoing and vigorous transhuman impulse. The machinery is just the mechanical perfection icing on the monstrous hybrid vitality cake.

Combat Stats 1st
Noncombat Stats 4th
Special Moves 2nd
Special Rules 3rd


[] Cryptid
Sample subtypes: Angel, Ghost, Mummy, etc
Supernatural beings have many advantages in the squared circle, and throngs of them have come forth over the centuries to prove it. Their magic provides them with a daunting edge over opponents trapped by physics.

Combat Stats 2nd
Noncombat Stats 3rd
Special Moves 4th
Special Rules 1st

[] Human
Sample subtypes: Communist, Mafioso, American, etc
Made, according to some, in the image of God. The unimproved children of earth are still a factor when it comes time to throw hands, and no sane observer would dare to sleep on their belligerence.

Combat Stats 3rd
Noncombat Stats 2nd
Special Moves 1st
Special Rules 4th

[] Corporation
Sample subtypes: Megacorps, Small Mom n Pop shops, franchises, etc
Corporate personages have many advantages when it comes time to trade blows, and a long and distinguished history. If the belt can only be claimed by paying a price in blood, well, the corporations are eager to bid.

Combat Stats 4th
Noncombat Stats 1st
Special Moves 3rd
Special Rules 2nd

Here is a bit of a blurb about what those categories mean. Ultimately there will be a whole rules post about this stuff, but for the moment I hope this will give you something to go on. More important is to play what you want, but a lot of times people's wants are connected to their ability to navigate the rules system, which is more than fair.

Spoiler: Rules Preview:

Combat Stats: These stats (might, speed, defenses, stamina) are the basic ones that are used in Bouts. The system is, roughly, speed rolloff, then roll strength vs the other Boxer's defenses, with the loser of the speed rolloff taking a penalty. Then use the outcome to subtract stamina and potentially inflict damage/knockdowns/knockouts.

Noncombat Stats: These stats (reserves (called fuel/mana/willpower/budget depending on your platform and subplatform), cunning, charisma, resources) are used in Training turns, outside of Bouts. They help the Boxer book the best matches for their career, get the best Seconds, etc. Cunning and reserves are also used in bouts as part of some special moves. Note that this isn't exactly what's indicated by the name! Good job reading long enough to penetrate my deception.

Special Moves: Every Boxer has an array of sunday punches and secret techniques that they can use to claim victory. These cost stamina or reserves and apply to the particular clash (a clash is a minute of boxing, 3 clashes to a round) they are used in, plus sometimes more if they have a duration.

Special Rules: These are rules that apply to a Boxer all the time, not just during certain clashes. A werewolf's regeneration, a megacorp's flunky shield, etc. These tend to be very powerful, but a given Boxer will probably only have one or two.

I'll leave this open for a day, then post the next round of character creation tomorrow (subtype, name and description, dream, nemesis, etc).

Thanks for questing!

 

[Walter]

You've selected:

Cryptid

I see, a supernatural entity, eh? I should've known, you definitely have that vibe about you. You'll be in good company, cryptids are the second most populous group on the local Circuit, and the 4 Round Champ is actually a Demon, as is one of her Elite Four!

Hang on a tic, feel the old italics stirring. Maybe time for a bit of exposition, eh?

The massive collection of entities within the BBP known simply as 'cryptids' utterly defy tidy categorization. Choirs of Angels, the Legions of Hell, the once-living Undead... these well known subgroups barely scratch the surface of these beings' true diversity. There are one of a kind spirits, great hosts of elementally empowered surges and impossibly distant eldritch monstrosities. The Cryptids of the BBP are truly a marvel of the multiverse.

As Boxers, they have had great success, with many champions arising from their endlessly varied ranks. Their very natures make up their greatest weapon, giving them without any effort innate abilities that no amount of training or augmentation can grant to a mortal. Their greatest weakness is tied up in this same nature, as many of them have vulnerabilities that a knowledgeable foe can exploit, often without even breaking the rules.

There we go, phew, I do go on a bit. Anyway, let's say you remind me of a few more details, yes? And this time we are going to use 'plan format', by which I mean I'll go with the most popular distinct set of choices as a whole, rather than picking the most popular answer to each question.

One quick clarifier, before we go on. Don't worry about your nature being strong or weak in terms of how well you'll do in the ring. These choices will flavor your moves, and drive your story, but the overall system will work pretty much the same regardless. Vote for what you want to play, leave it to me to challenge and entertain you.

What is your deal, basically? Sum up your nature, and the concept of you, in a sentence. I can already tell you (or maybe your local manifestation) basically fit in a standard boxing ring. You might be an Ogre or a Dwarf, but you definitely aren't a Pixie or a Titan.
[]Write-In

What's your name and pronouns?
[]Write-In

Appearance?
[] Write-in

Attitude/energy? (Are you a cocky showoff, a studious and disciplined athlete, a raging brute or something else entirely?)
[] Write In

Attracted to?
[] Dudes
[] Ladies
[] Anyone, potentially
[] No.
[] Other (explain?)

What is your relation to mortal beings, at its most basic level?
[] I'm a fancy one of them, only big difference is I can use magic (Elf, Mermaid, etc)
[] I prey on them (Vampire, Brain Eater, etc)
[] I support them (Golem, City Spirit, etc)
[] I have a very structured and ritual way of relating to them (Genie, Contract Devil, etc)
[] I am utterly beyond their understanding (Certain Fae, Lovecraftian monstrosities, etc)

How long have you been around? I can tell that it's at least long enough that shipping you with like age people isn't gross.
[] Normal human lifetime, a few decades so far
[] Transhuman lifetime, hundred plus years
[] Elfy lifetime, hundreds of years
[] Eternal lifetime, thousands and thousands, well beyond count
[] Question has no meaning, I'm a part of the infinite fabric of spacetime

What part of the Big Bad Polity have you been living in/manifesting in/observing most recently? What is 'your neighborhood', essentially?
[] Cyberpunk Cityscape
[] Medieval Kingdom
[] Sparsely inhabited wilderness
[] Write-In

You've obviously been planning this for a long time now...why did you originally want to be a Boxer?
[] Strength Seeker: Being a Boxer is its own reason. This is my purpose.
[] Status Seeker: Boxers are the top men in the BBP, I'm clout chasing!
[] Social Seeker: The actions of another Boxer drove me here (write in elaboration as to whether this is a rival, an inspiring figure from your past, a love interest, etc).
[] Situation Seeker: The Champ of Champs is handed their belt by the Big Bad Boss itself. That must be me...for reasons...

Why did you finally finish preparing, and step into the ring? Was there a recent, motivating event that made you say... this is the year?
[] The Empty Throne: With the CHAMP enlisting, the belt is attainable for the first time in a decade.
[] The War: I need to influence BBP policy, which I can only do as a popular Boxer
[] It's Personal: Something happened recently, which pushed me to go (write in elaboration on basically what this was).
[] No: I just finished my preparation, it's a coincidence that it was the same day as the war.

Aside from your Seconds, which is to say, the people who are gonna help you as a Boxer (who we'll go into a bit later), do you have any other beings in your day to day life?
[] No, I'm a loner, or maybe that question isn't meaningful for someone like me.
[] A few close friends and family, I keep my circle tight.
[] Everybody knows me, and I know everybody! Wide circle of acquaintances, big extended family I keep close, etc.


All right, that should tide me over for another day! I'm aiming to do the third part of character creation tomorrow, and also to have the rules document up by then.

Thanks for voting!

 

[Walter]

Rules Post 1:

Attribute Tests:

Attribute Tests are resolved by rolling your number and manner of attribute dice (for example, 5d10, or 8d6). Each roll of 4 or higher is a success, while those below 4 are a failure. The result of the test is the number of successes.

Attribute Test modifiers:

[Attribute Name] Damage: For each point of Damage, roll one less dice to tests in this Attribute

+/- a #. This modifier, unless otherwise mentioned, will be applied to every dice rolled.

+/- # dice. This gives bonus dice, or subtracts penalty dice, from the Attribute. Note that extra dice may be of a different kind from the Boxer's base dice.

Succeed/Fail on an unmodified #: A given roll (before modifiers) is singled out for success/failure. Usually only matters where that result wouldn't already be success/failure.


Clash Rules:

Step 1: Set each Boxer to their chosen Stance:

Unless modified by Special Moves or Special Rules, this succeeds automatically. A Boxer who lacks the necessary Stamina to pay for their Stance is instead set to Sandbag Stance.


Step 2: Box Boxers roll Speed, then compare their number of successes.

The difference between the two scores is noted. The Boxer who has the higher number of successes is said to have 'The Edge'. If the result is a tie, then neither has The Edge.


Step 3: Apply Special Move modifiers:

Apply the modifiers for any Special Moves that they are using in that Clash, or remove those for any ongoing Special Moves whose duration has ended.

If the target is not Watching For the Special Move, then it takes effect automatically. If they are, however, the Special Move will only take effect if the user scores more successes on a Cunning test than the target.


Step 4: Both Boxers roll Defenses

Note the total successes of each Boxer, this is their Clash Defense.

Protect Yourself at all times: Boxer's first defend dice each turn is an automatic success, so long as they still have at least a Defense score of 1.


Step 5: Both Boxers roll Might, the loser of Step 2's rolloff applies the Edge Penalty as a modifier to each of their dice rolls. The result is their Clash Might.


Step 6: Compare a Boxer's Clash Might with their opponent's Clash Defense.

If the Clash Might is equal to or less than the Clash Defense, no damage is inflicted.

If the Clash Might is greater than the Clash Defense, (and the attacking Boxer still has Stamina), the defending Boxer must roll on the Damage Table and apply the results.

If the Clash Might is greater than three times the Clash Defense, (and the attacking Boxer still has Stamina) the defending Boxer must roll on the Damage Table and apply the results, and is also Knocked Down, and must roll on the Knockdown Table and apply the results.

If the Clash Might is greater than five times the Clash Defense, (and the attacking Boxer still has Stamina) the defending Boxer must roll on the Damage Table and apply the results, and is also Knocked down, and must roll on the Knockdown Table and apply the results, and is also Knocked Out, and loses the fight.


The Damage Table:

Stance Effects:
If both boxers are in Defensive Stance or Sandbag Stance, then do not roll, Target simply loses one point of Stamina.
If one boxer is in Aggressive Stance, then roll twice and take the lower result on the Damage table.
If both boxers are in Aggressive Stance, then roll on the table normally.

Roll 1d10, apply to the following table:
1-6: Target loses 1 point of Stamina
7: Target loses 1 point of Stamina and suffers 1 point of Speed Damage
8: Target loses 1 point of Stamina and suffers 1 point of Speed Damage and 1 point of Might Damage
9: Target loses 1 point of Stamina and suffers 1 point of Speed Damage, 1 point of Might Damage and 1 point of Defense Damage
10: Target loses 2 points of Stamina and suffers 2 points of Speed Damage, 2 points of Might Damage and 2 points of Defense Damage


The Knockdown Table:

Roll a d10, then add 1 for each knockdown you have already taken in this fight.

1-6: No serious impact, Boxer must pay one stamina to rise
7-8: Bell rung: Boxer loses ¼ starting Stamina, must then pay one stamina to rise
9-10: Brutal Fall: Boxer loses ½ starting Stamina, must then pay one stamina to rise
11+: He's not getting up from that: Boxer will not rise without reactive Special Move

Stance List:

Sandbag Stance: The Boxer has run out of energy, and is at the mercy of their foe, or is feigning such a condition.
Cost: 0 stamina per Clash
Special Rules: The Boxer does not roll Might in the Clash, and hence cannot damage their opponent directly.

Defensive Stance: The Boxer fights evasively, taking less damage at the cost of dealing less damage. Often used by Boxers seeking Decision Victories.
Cost 1 stamina per Clash
Special Rules: None

Aggressive Stance: The Boxer chases their opponent down, dragging the Bout into a slugging match. Often used by Boxers seeking Knockout Victories.
Cost 2 stamina per Clash
Special Rules: None

(Special Move) Stance: Many Special Moves are Stances. Each of them will clearly state which of the 3 above it descends from. If the Special Move doesn't go off (most commonly because the other Boxer is Watching For it), the Boxer will enter the ancestor Stance. (A failed Turtle Stance would go to Defensive, etc).
Special Move Stances cost the same as their ancestors and have the same special rules, unless otherwise specified, in which case the Special Move's rules take precedence over the base version.


Round Rules:
Each Round consists of a Corner Phase, followed by three Clashes as described above, followed by a Judge Phase.


Corner Phase:

This is when the questers have their input. They must decide:

• What Techniques any Seconds in the Corner use.
• What Special Moves the Boxer will be Watching For in the upcoming Clashes (these can be different in each round or the same throughout)
• What Stance the Boxer will take in each of the upcoming clashes
• What Special Moves the Boxer will attempt to use in each of the upcoming Clashes.

Judge Phase:

Each Judge will apply their Criteria to the previous three Clashes, and determine who they believe won the round. They will award that Boxer 10 points, and the other Boxer 9 points, or 8 if they were knocked down. Judge Criteria will be generally hidden from the players, although RP segments may make it more apparent.


Match Endings:

If a Boxer ever has a Clash Defense of 0, there will generally (but not always) be a referee stop, which will be marked down as a loss by KO.

If a Boxer is Knocked Down and fails to pay the cost to rise, they will be counted out and lose by KO.

If a Boxer is Knocked Out they will lose by KO.

If a number of rounds determined by the Circuit (4, 8, 12 or 16) go by without the match ending, it will end in a Judge's Decision. The winner will be the one scored ahead by two out of three judges, or a draw if no Boxer meets that Criteria.

 

[Walter]

Rules Post 2: Training Turns:

A training turn covers three months of a Boxer's time, ending in either a Bout or another Training turn, possibly interrupted by social scenes.


Quester Input:

The Questers will be responsible for choosing the Boxer's and Seconds' actions during the time period. Second's will take one action, while Boxers get two, one physical and one mental.


Noncombat Stats:

Reserves/Mana: This represents your power, and is generally spent during bouts to power Special Moves. During Training turns it might be a threshold that you need to clear in order to take a Mystic action, but it is tracked as an expendable resource.

Cunning: This represents a Boxer's instincts and sharp judgement, their affinity for quick thought in tight moments. It is used in Bouts to thwart enemy Special Attacks (and sometimes in using your own) and it is used occasionally in noncombat situations to elicit exposition, or to negotiate.

Charisma: This represents a Boxer's likeability, or at least their ability to warp the social world around themselves. It is that indefinable quality of character that lets a popular person and an outcast say the same things, and get two completely different reactions. It is used in training turns for social actions, and it caps the size of a Boxer's Entourage.

Resources: This represents the Boxer's income, independent of their sport. It generates Wealth, and is occasionally used as a threshold to determine how posh a Boxer might have become.

Generated Stats:

Wealth: Wealth is the expendable version of Resources. The Boxer accumulates Wealth from their Resources, from the rewards of Bouts, from sponsorships, and from many other places. If Resources is your income, Wealth is your bank account.

Clout: This is a measure of the Boxer's fame and influence, and comes only from winning Bouts. It is mostly used to calculate what other Boxers will take Bouts with you, or which ones will seek you out to challenge you. Clout degrades if you go too long without a bout.

 

[Walter]

All right, I've got a much better idea of what I'm dealing with now. Just need to get a few details about Lennox and his squad.

Before I ask you to remind me about your stats, let me tell you about your special rules, since that could impact your decisions.

You've got 4 special rules. After this we'll have your character sheet and they'll be there to look up whenever, but for now, let me just list them out.

Bump in the Fight: In any Clash in which your Clash Might exceeds your opponent's Clash Might, roll a d10. If it is a success then you regain a point of Stamina.

Four Armed... : Roll d11's rather than d10's for Defense rolls in Bouts, any unmodified roll of 11 counts as 2 successes.

...is forewarned: The first two of your Cunning dice when you are Watching Out for an enemy Special Move and they use it are automatically successes.

Come at the King, Best Not Miss: In any Bout where you are the higher ranked Boxer, increase your stamina by one third before the match begins.

Alright, with that out of the way, let's get to these questions!

Best Physical Stat:
[] Might
[] Speed
[] Defense

Worst physical Stat: (cannot be the same as best)
[] Might
[] Speed
[] Defense

Best Noncombat Stat:
[] Mana
[] Cunning
[] Charisma
[] Resources

Worst Noncombat Stat (cannot be the same as the best):
[] Mana
[] Cunning
[] Charisma
[] Resources

That's all I need for your own sheet, but there's still the manner of your Entourage. Boxers are notorious for bringing people up from their roots to the top with them. You don't have too many allies, due to your habit of keeping your circle tight, but what's a King without a posse, right?

You know ten people that you'd consider as part of your circle. Pick four of them to come along with you on your adventure. They'll be part of RP updates, and if you don't hire someone for a particular Second role your hometown buds can do their best at it.

Yurn Tait (Ogre little bro): Every cocky loudmouth, it seems, eventually adopts a quiet calm person. Yurn is pretty much that for you. He's another Ogre, but with only two arms, hair that comes down over his eyes and Eggman's basic body shape. He's a voice of reason to your endless energy, and you trust him totally to stand behind you with his arms crossed, looking menacing. Point against him is that he doesn't really have any skills or abilities that you lack, just kind of a junior version of you. Point against that point against him is that you are amazing, and even a lesser version of you has gotta rock.

The Redmasks (Tame bandit gang): You don't know how many bandits are in the Redmasks, nor exactly what they are underneath those masks. You are pretty sure that there isn't actually an explicit number. They are more like the ideal, or notion, of a gang than an actual collection of entities. Individually weak, but cruel and cunning, they have a knack for being where they shouldn't, and they tell you everything. Taking them along will give you a host of flunkies, valuable in their collective weight, if not in their individual selves.

Mwekkum the Wise (Gnome sage charlatan): Mwekkum is a tiny, wizened figure. He dispenses prophecies and profound sounding sayings, but he's totally full of shit. He gets by on outrageous chutzpah and a good bit of luck, along with a healthy dose of people assuming that anyone who looks old and shriveled must be both wise and benevolent. Taking him along gives you a smart, unscrupulous ally, and what would a King be without a Vizier to back him up?

Zasha the Unseen (Agoraphobic Elf Damsel): The whole hero/tower/fair maiden is such an Ogre cliche, but, look, times haven't always been so good. Back in the day you ended up in one of those Tower Guardian situations, and when the Hero didn't show up (eaten by a dragon), everything kind of went off the rails. Zasha refused to leave the tower, finding it extremely convenient, and due to a bit of Fey Lawyer wrangling that you are STILL convinced wasn't legit you somehow ended up in charge of her upkeep. She's paid back your efforts in her own way, with minor thaumaturgy and extensive social media labor. Keeping her close covers a few bases that you very much don't, although she won't be physically attending any matches.

Memalagon (Noble steed/rival wyvern): Mem and you have a complicated relationship, according to her. Your take is that you fought, you won, and now she is your loyal steed. Classic case of the natural order asserting itself, with you on top, as per usual. Reptile gossip has it more that her take is different, that you are sort of a disappointing son figure to her, and she hangs around because she's concerned you'd get in a lot of trouble on your own, but you are pretty sure that's just garbled translation. If you bring her along, that's another ally you can trust, and she is basically an angry flying truck with a poison lance. That's gotta come in handy, right?

Sir Thaddeus (Human ex-Knight): Back in the day, Thad was a right terror, smiting beasts all across the land. Till he met you. His arm was delicious, and so was his horse, and that was all they wrote for Sir Thad. His family didn't pay the ransom, and you weren't about to boot a one armed man out into the monster infested wilderness, so he just...hung around. Eventually he started to find work for himself around the lair, fixing things and stuff like that. He's clever, and a hard worker. He'd be exceptionally useful, as a human who knows how to talk to other humans. The only thing is that you tore off his arm and ate it. That was a long time ago, and he's probably over it...

The Tin Soldier (Wind up man): You don't know who originally made this thing. You don't know where it's from, or who enchanted it. But you know it is damn useful. The Tin Soldier takes the orders of whoever winds it up for the next eight hours, before falling inert again. It has a staggering breath of knowledge, you've seen it do surgery, make maps, draw paintings...all kinds of stuff. It doesn't speak, or have any opinions, but just about everything else is fair game.

Greenwalker Greenwalker (Spirit of Emerald): G2 is an extremely strange guy, but you get along with him pretty well. He's trapped in a room somewhere, on some other dimension. He can push himself out into yours, however, against any green surface, stepping out of them and forming himself a body of the green material. He can only stay in your dimension for short time, but the two of you have had a number of profitable deals. He wants more stuff painted green, you love knowing someone who can spy through any green surface. Take him along, and you've got a spy most people won't see coming, for the low low price of making the world a bit more monocolor.

Nanny Enuguh (Hag prophet): Enuguh has the Second Sight, but sometimes she doesn't have the regular ordinary kind of sight. You've spent some time helping her out when she's been blind (she has some kind of eye time share going on with a coven, you dunno the details), and in return she's given you the occasional prophecy. She's smart, ruthless, and, you know, a freaking prophet. She is also pretty good at magic stuff, like all Hags. But, on the other side of things, she is not really a friend, and you don't know all the details of her entanglements.

Shameless (Doppleganger infiltrator) : The being known as Shameless is a pure mercenary, a shapeshifter with a cruel eye for the best way to exploit its talent. It is also incredibly helpful, able to get in just about anywhere and throw spanners in the works of most any organization. You are one of the few beings who has ever seen through one of its disguises, which gave it a grudging respect for you. Your own respect was earned when it tipped you to a rival's plans almost before they were made. You'd probably have to work out a paying arrangement, but having it around might let you be in two places at once.

We aren't doing plan voting this time, just taking each question individually.

I think this will be the last update we need for character creation, so I'm hoping to get the sheet up and get the quest proper started pretty soon after this. Thanks for reading!

 

[Walter]

Format:
Name: The name of the move
Generic Name: The generic name for this type of move
Effect: This is what effect the Special Move has while it is in effect
Cost: This is what must be expended in order to use the Special Move. Note that this is expended even if the other Boxer cancels the move by Watching For it.
Duration: This is the # of Clashes that the Special Move has its Effect once used. Unless specified this cannot pass the end of a Round.
Stance: This is the Stance the Boxer must be in in order to use the Special Move



Name: Go for the Throat
Generic Name: Careful Attack
Effect: Your first 3 Might dice are automatically successes when rolling for Clash Might, in addition, add 3d6 to your roll to determine Clash Might.
Cost: 1 Mana
Duration: Two Clashes
Stance: Any

Name: Bandit Activity
Generic Name: Draining Attack
Effect: For each point of Stamina you cause the other Boxer to lose by rolling on the Damage Table, roll a d6. If you get a Success on this dice, they lose a point of Reserves.
Cost: 1 Mana
Duration: 3 Clashes
Stance: Any

Name: Tyrant's Hand
Generic Name: Heavy Punches
Effect: If you force the enemy to suffer a Damage Table roll, instead make them suffer two Damage Table rolls.
Cost: 1 Mana
Duration: Two Clashes
Stance: Offense

Name: One Step Ahead
Generic Name: Full Speed
Effect: Roll 3d6, for each success adjust the Edge one point in your direction (ie, make it smaller if the enemy has the Edge, larger if you have it)
Cost: 1 Mana
Duration: Three Clashes
Stance: Any

Name: Guerilla Tactics
Generic Name: Counter Punch
Effect: Any dice the enemy rolls in their Clash Might roll that end up 0 or less are instead added as successes to your Clash Might total.
Cost: 1 Mana
Duration: Two Clashes
Stance: Defense

Name: Thicket Labyrinth
Generic Name: Tight Defense
Effect: Your first 3 dice on your Clash Defense roll are automatically successes, in addition roll 3d6 and add any successes to your Clash Defense
Cost: 1 Mana
Duration: 2 Clashes
Stance: Defense

Name: Gone to Ground
Generic Name: Total Defense
Effect: Do not roll Clash Might, your Defensive Stance does not cost any Stamina (Refund that already spent the round this Clash comes into effect)
Cost: 1 Mana
Duration: 3 Clashes
Stance: Defense

Name: Royal Prerogative
Generic Name: Flexible Defense
Effect: Roll a d6 whenever the Damage Table causes you to suffer Damage (not lose points of Stamina). If you roll a Success, do not suffer that damage.
Cost: 1 Mana
Duration: 2 Clashes
Stance: Offense

Name: Beast Gathers its Strength
Generic Name: Surge of Energy
Effect: Roll 3d6, regain a point of Stamina for each success
Cost: 1 Mana
Duration: None
Stance: Defense

 

[Walter]

Boxer Name: Lennox "Four Fists of Death" Tait

Platform: Cryptid
Nature: Predatory
Species: Ogre

Stats:
Might 7d10
Speed 5d10
Defense 8d11

Mana
Cunning 6d8
Charisma 5d8
Resources 3d8

Stamina: 20
Wealth: 33
Fame Rank 1 / 0 points
Infamy Rank 3 / 2 points
Disgrace Rank 1 / 0 points

Special Rules:

Bump in the Fight: In any Clash in which your Clash Might exceeds your opponent's Clash Might, roll a d10. If it is a success then you regain a point of Stamina.

Four Armed... : Roll d11's rather than d10's for Defense rolls in Bouts, any unmodified roll of 11 counts as 2 successes.

...is forewarned: The first two of your Cunning dice when you are Watching Out for an enemy Special Move and they use it are automatically successes.

Come at the King, Best Not Miss: In any Bout where you are the higher ranked Boxer, increase your stamina by one third before the match begins.

Special Moves:

Go for the Throat
Bandit Activity
Tyrant's Hand
One Step Ahead
Guerilla Tactics
Thicket Labyrinth
Gone to Ground
Royal Prerogative
Beast Gathers its Strength

Entourage:
Yurn Tait (Posse member, can function as Coach or Cut-man)
The Redmasks (Posse Member, can function as Scout or Fixer)
Mwekkum the Wise (Posse Member, can function as Booker or Coach)
Zasha the Unseen (Posse Member, can function as Scout or Booker)

Milos Purcell "The Black King" (Tier 1 Booker, paid 5 Wealth per season)
Wyke (Tier 2 Scout, paid 5 Wealth per season)

Picture:

 

[Walter]

You blink your eyes, managing only barely to keep from rubbing your wrists into them in disbelief. It wouldn't do for the Future Champ to be impressed by a mere frontier plex, after all.

But of course you are impressed, you are beyond impressed. You are blown away. The mere sight of Blender, in one glimpse, drives home just how backwater the wastes you'd come in in were. You see more people in front of you, crowding this bazaar, than had come across your shade dappled intersection in the last century.

The awnings and umbrellas that are everywhere in evidence flash white and red in the brilliant, filtered light of the dancing suns above. The people, the animals, the robots, the people that are animals and robots…they haggle and carouse, argue and jostle, with endless energy.

A thousand new odors challenge your nostrils. A hundred new accents creep past your ears, tantalizing hints of conversations beyond number.

The Aperture behind you spits green sparks once more, and the Redmasks pour through, a welcome dose of the familiar reality of your hideout, your minions and your world. They quickly form up around you, a leering, sneering barricade of bravado and thuggish assurance which insulates you from the worst of the crush in front of the doorway to other worlds.

Not that you could have been crushed. You tower over all and sundry, an emerald mountain of flesh and aggression. On an ordinary day, you are the center of every scene you might be in, the obvious focal point of everything going on around you.

That's still true here, you remind yourself, only they don't know it yet.

"Mwek!" you bark, trying to find him down amongst the Redmasks. The old gnome had a gift for disappearing, but you had no doubt that he was here. He'd wanted to visit a BBP Plex for decades.

He appeared an instant later, shifting in between a pair of the masks, his wizened countenance beaming in delight at the tumult around him.

He's already talking.

"…really just the floor of the next level up, but it would be hard to determine if not for the whimsical nature of the vista they've chosen to…"

"Mwek!" you demand.

He can go all day if you let him, just a nonstop flow of verbal vomit. Mwekkum never uses one word where two will do.

"What is it you are shouting about? Don't you know that I can hear you just fine, even in all of this tumult? A Gnome's ears can-" he asks, querulously.

He's shifted around so that you are interposing between him and the glare coming down from above, which lets him put down the hand that he'd been using to shade his eyes.

"Where is the Hall?" you ask.

It would be easy to get distracted here. Easy to get swallowed up, even. But you've got the Mark on your fists now, and you are here for a purpose.

The Mark. The thought fills you with a strange urgency. For so long you've been dreaming this, planning it. You always knew that one day your fists would speak for you, that you'd stand before the Countless and awe them with prowess like they'd never seen.

One day is very soon now, you tell yourself. It can't be long now. The registration is over with, you are a Boxer of the Four Round Circuit. You just need a ring and a ref. Oh, and a victim. Joined Hells do you need an opponent.

Mwekkum waves a parchment at you, before handing it to one of the Redmasks, who in turn hands it up to you.

The diagram on it is smeared and smudged, a meaningless tangle of lines and labels written so small and crooked that you know Mwek made the map himself.

"This isn't-" you begin, only to see the familiar three dots in the upper right part of your vision.

*Go down the street, then turn between that fountain that looks like an upside down foot and the tent with all the spinny things hanging off it. Push into that weird fog.*

The symbols splay themselves across your vision, autotranslating into meaning at a tremendous pace. You've long since exchanged contexts with Z, generating a private language that shouldn't be comprehensible for anyone who might be sightsnatching.

You give no sign to the Redmasks, just start walking. As ever, they anticipate your every movement, flowing about you like the tide of belligerent punks they are.

Your passage through the market is swift and unimpeded, your wake marked by the yelps of shopkeepers and passerbys suddenly jostled aside by your bristling formation. You can sense their chagrin, their sudden fear. This bazaar, this whole plex, it's soft. Outlaws like the Redmasks are like fire in a library, like a cat among the pigeons.

The market seems endless, but you quickly reach the tent Z was referring to. You stride confidently between it and the fountain of orange liquid, through a bank of Boundary fog and out a cracked pavestone alley.

The Hall looms before you.

It actually resembles some of the buildings that you've seen back in the wastes, if they were bitten by a were-bunker. It's a great rectangular thing, a big box with smaller boxes cut into the sides for windows. A pair of boxing gloves that have to be 30 feet each hang along the front of it, gently swaying back and forth. It's gaudy and tacky, in the extreme.

A tight grin crosses your face.

The rest of the Plex is still all around you, of course. But the hubbub of the Aperture market is nowhere to be heard, banished by your trip through the fog. The Hall stands in a big ole plaza, sparsely populated with other Boxers and their entourages, like it was daring the other buildings to come close and start something.

You start across the pavestones, the Mark on your fists calling out other Boxers to your attention, Z excitedly linking you any little thing that catches her gaze. You'd been a bit worried that, even secondhand, the stimulation of the trip would activate her phobias, but she seems giddy as a calf.

"Remember," pipes up old Mwek. "You are here to recruit a capable Second! We'll do our best for you, right enough, but hard work and belief is no substitute for professional experience! When you get in there-"

You cut him off with a lazy wave of your hand. You know the plan. You MADE the plan. You don't need reminding.

"I'm going to go up to the second floor," you tell him, "That's where the cheapest Seconds will be. I'm not gonna talk to the sketchy characters on the ground floor. I'm not gonna go up any higher where I can't afford the air they breath."

*You might, actually! There's a breath-a-loan contest running that's picked the tallest person in the area in 8 of the last 14 instances.*

"You gotta be sure!" Mwekkum blurted, "You are bringing someone into the circle, so before even them being good at their jobs, make sure they are someone you don't always want to punt. One of me is enough!"

"I got it," you say, waving away your bud's advice. "I'll do like I always do. It'll be fine."

Mwek looks deeply dubious, but doesn't say anything more as you push the pace and start to leave your entourage behind.

"Don't dawdle!" he shouts out to you as you move towards the building. "We're right up against the the edge of our window here. The best of the best won't stick around forever!"

You roll your eyes. The best of the best is you and only you.

"Say that again!" comes a shout from off to your right.

You look over, then do a doubletake. There are five Boxers involved in whatever's going on.

It looks like an elf and a fox cybeast are the good guys, getting menaced and bullied. You don't know their faction, but they are wearing matching jackets so they are clearly affiliated.

The heavies of the piece are a trio of horned Boxers, all heavyset and menacing, wearing the dark variation of Pack colors. The tallest of the three is a skeleton, it was the one whose shout drew your attention.

There's a swarm of stream-seeker drones whirling around above them, siphoning off Exposure in great gusts. Lots of viewers, then.

It has all the hallmarks of a promo, they are no doubt building up heat for some upcoming matches.

They might not appreciate a guest star, but free media basically can't be a bad thing. On the other hand, you might not want to get tangled up in a small time feud like whatever this is.

What's your play, champ-to-be?

[] Join in whatever this is, on the side of the outnumbered, unknown faction.
[] Join in whatever this is, on the side of the Pack.
[] Hurry ahead to the Hall before the best Seconds leave. Disregard this foolishness.

By the by, when you left the Redmasks…are they free to get up to their own devices, or do you have them tightly leashed? A bit of stand-and-deliver in the plaza around the Hall could be interesting. They could make more Wealth in a soft Plex like this than you'd see in a year back home, though that might very well stick to your name.

The Redmasks should...

[] Take the Ogre's Share (Will generate 4d6 Wealth, 100% chance of Infamy)
[] Do as they will (Will generate 2d6 Wealth, 30% chance of infamy)
[] Best behavior (No effect)

 

[Walter]

So many informational updates, I've rebelled at the format. In honor of the old Amber RPG book's memorable way of introducing what each stat does I'll do my descriptions of each Second as a debate on whether they are the most important or not. This isn't entirely self indulgence, Lennox is super broke and will probably have to get by with an incomplete roster to start with.


Format:

Title: The name of the job

Just the facts: Description of the effects of having a Second of this type

Partisan's take: Why you should want one of these as your first (or one of your first) Seconds

Skeptic's take: Counterpoints to the above


Title: Coach

Just the facts: The Coach's quality determines the type of dice rolled for training actions (the quality of the training facility determines the quantity of dice). The Coach is also (along with the Cut-man) the only one who can talk to you between rounds, giving advice and encouragement. Most Boxers stick with a single Coach for their whole careers

Partisan's take: I don't imagine I have to try too hard to sell the character who makes the numbers go up faster to SV. You get the power of recursion. The Coach and facility are the most important things in the early game. Nothing else compares.

Skeptic's take: The Coach is certainly important, in fact, way too important to take right out the gate. You don't want to be stuck with a crappy coach. Better to save up till you can afford at least a medium tier coach.


Title: Cut-man

Just the facts: The Cut-man uses healing skills, buffing skills and encouraging skills on the fighter during Corner phases. They also determine what kind of dice are used when rolling to overcome lingering injuries.

Partisan's take: To a Boxer, victory is everything. The Cut-man, more than any other Second, adds to your ability within the ring, they can make the difference in which Boxer wins the match. The first duty of a Boxer is to win, everything flows from there. Winning gets you Clout, Wealth, all of it, so the most important Second is the one who makes you win.

Skeptic's take: Lennox's aim is to win the CHAMP's grand title, to be the best of everyone and everything. He better be wildly overqualified for the Four Round Circuit. Let a hometown friend do the Cut-man duties for a while, you should be rolling over any chump dumb enough to step in front of you.


Title: Scout

Just the facts: Scouts scour the available information about your rivals, watching their matches and reading the feeds. They can give you insight about how strong, comparatively, other Boxers are. They can tell you their Special Moves so you can be Watching For them from the start of the bout. They can even let you know what stances and strategies they've used in the past, what Signature Moves they are developing.

Partisan's take: Information brings victory. Making choices with full knowledge of their effects vs flailing in the dark is night and day, almost literally. With a good Scout you can book matches vs Boxers with moves you want to steal, Boxers who are weak/strong for their rank, and all sorts of other important things. The other method, aside from Scouts, to know enemy Special Moves to Watch For them is to get hit with them. You can imagine which is better.

Skeptic's take: Lennox doesn't have a big budget, and he expects he should be pretty dominant in the early going. 'Who to challenge' is 'everyone', and 'what challenges to take' is 'every challenge'. Scout is a luxury that isn't needed at this time.


Title: Booker

Just the facts: Bookers are responsible for arranging the opponent and venue of a Boxer's matches, as well as negotiating for what share of the profits they get.

Partisan's take: Lennox's primary difficulty is lack of funds. He needs funds to get Seconds, funds to buy training areas, Cut-man supplies...the list goes on. A good Booker will address this need. Booking the right fights makes it more likely, and more profitable, to win.

Skeptic's take: You are gonna be unbeaten, right? The matches will make themselves as the streak gets longer. Crushing exactly the right chump might gain a little, but the basic trend will be the same regardless of the path taken. Perpetual victory brings belts, without exception.


Title: Fixer

Just the facts: Fixers handle illegal stuff for the Boxer, whether that be contraband performance enhancers slipped into the Cut-man's ointments, paying local hoodlums to sabotage your opponent's gym or putting bets on your own matches.

Partisan's take: Stuff that is against the rules is strictly better than stuff that isn't. That's why it's against the rules. Crime pays better than work. Foul blows do more damage than ordinary ones. As long as you don't get caught, a Fixer's output is dominant over any and every other Second's efforts.

Skeptic's take: Fixers get caught, from time to time, and the blight can stick with a Boxer's career forever. Infamy is one thing, and a hint or two of danger can genuinely assist a boxer's career. Notoriety is something else, a stain you can't wash off. Play in the mud, get dirty.

 

[Walter]

The stride that takes you into the Hall is a transformative one. In a single step you pass from the common world to a separate and holy space, a pilgrimage permitted only to those who bear the Mark.

Within the Halls, there are Boxers and Seconds alone. The Countless can pry and scrape away at the edges of it, but their laws and their world cannot interfere within.

It is sacred, no other word for it.

For all that buildup your first glimpse of this secular temple was a bit of a letdown. The first room was nothing special, just a big room with a desk set in an opening in one of the walls where a bored looking civilian (must be a retired Second, because you don't feel the Mark from her) taps away at some kind of noise board.

There was a pair of Boxers here as well, but to your disappointment they weren't anyone you recognized.

A skunk cybeast leaned against one of the walls, idly scrolling a visualizer held daintily in one hand. He had been fitted with a coal fired furnace, but it was presently dormant, the stacks standing idly above his shoulders.

A hummingbird cybeast was the other obvious Boxer, doing some kind of rapid movement training over by a low table with a pair of chairs. She was stepping up onto the chair, then the table, then back down onto the other chair and finally onto the floor.

You roll your eyes and make your way towards the desk. There wasn't time, or all that much to gain, from talking to your rivals, your victims really, right now. Still, you hoped you'd never be so desperate that you tried to train inside the Hall.

Exposure might be nice, but the actions of the Redmasks would be putting your name about more effectively than a conversation would. Your priority had to be getting a reliable Second or two in your column before the training season proper got started.

"Lennox Tait, Boxer?" asks the woman behind the desk as you walk up.

"The one and only," you say, giving a confident grin. How long had you waited for that to be true? It was about damn time.

"You'll be looking to form a contract with a support staff then," she continued, "I just have a question before you head up."

You frown, forehead wrinkling the slightest bit.

"I thought we took care of all that back in the registration?"

Rationally, you know that this couldn't be anything big. You had the Mark, they couldn't take that back now. You were a Boxer till the day you died. But you wouldn't put it past the Hall's minions to try and shake some Wealth out of you. They worked for the circuit champ, right? Maybe they already knew you were going to be the next to take her belt away.

"Of course, of course," she said, trying to be soothing, "It just looks like my associates forgot one thing. What's your nick?"

You break into another smile, this one relieved. Nothing big after all. You tell her your nickname, then pause as a thought strikes you.

"Hey, I answered your question…"

She taps the clicking thing in front of her a few times. It looks kind of like Z's flexipane, but a mechanical version with buttons that go up and down for each letter.

"We're here to help," she says.

"If I'm on the second floor," you answer, "Is there anyone I should pay special attention to? Anyone the Hall has a big file on you might want to let me know about?"

You loom up over her, easily twice her size, letting your radiant (albeit gap toothed) smile and sunny disposition do the lobbying.

Charisma rolled: 72845 -> 4 successes.

She blanches a bit, wilting under your direct attention, then taps furiously at her board. You choose to believe that she's inspired by an excess of belief in your prospects.

You wait, sensing that the information was forthcoming. You hum a little tune, da-da-de-da, da-da, da-da. People hate silence. If you make it, they'll fill it. A lesson from your little brother.

"The Maggot is looking for a new contender, she's much better than Second Floor material, but you'd pick up all her enemies along the way. Win-o-tron IV has a bet than it can make ANYONE a champ, it'll be cruising for prospects up on 2, but you might be a bit too strong for its purposes. Black King got a lot better last season, he will probably move up to Third Floor at least next year…"

She pauses, seemingly almost running out of breath.

"Thanks!" you say, brightly, and then lean back out of her cubby, letting the light hit her again. "I really appreciate it."

"Don't tell anyone I-" she begins, but you are already walking away, making the 'ok' sign with one of your upper hands as you scratch your back.

You've been warned, extensively, about the crowd of losers and posers who hang out around the stairs that lead to the Contract rooms. They might style themselves as the 'First Floor Seconds', as though there was some kind of parity between them and the people up the stairs, but the comparison was fundamentally ridiculous.

Seconds had expertise, professionalism. They commanded top rates, but they compensated their Boxers for it with their assistance. The flock of vultures that hung around on the first floor tried to compensate for their lack of talent by charging less. But (you had been assured, by Yurn and Mwekkum alike), it was a false savings to take them on. They were a waste of money, they were…

Not here?

Instead of the clamoring throng you'd expected, there were only a pair of figures. One of them was an old guy, with a big bushy beard, clad in stinking rags. Either a sage or a human, probably the former. The other was a genie, wearing the top half of a three piece suit and furiously flipping through a notebook.

"What's going on?" you asked.

"Threnody fucking Silverspoon!" snarls the genie, at the same time that the sage cried out "The Chosen One! He rides a sulfurous steed, and at his advent the heavens-".

You remember Zasha mentioning someone with that last name, but it was a while ago.

You reach out with your top two arms and, gently, take the dirty old man by a shoulder and clamp his mouth shut. With another arm you tap the genie's notebook.

"Sorry," you say, smiling easily as you hold the squirming man in place, "I meant to ask you what's going on?"

The genie fully looks up from his notebook, and up, and up, until he's looking into your face.

"Sorry, sorry, um, just before you got here, a rich human who just made her debut came through. She felt sorry for the people on the bottom floor and she tossed a bunch of Wealth around. Not so much hired them as just, just,"

He flaps an arm.

"Just paid them?" you put in.

"They are retired! Five hundred Wealth each! More scratch than they'd make in ten years! And I'm still sitting here like an asshole. It fucking stings."

"Ouch," you say, "Well, at least you had enough dignity not take her scraps?"

He gives a hollow laugh.

"I'm bound against that family! Of all the fucking things. Thanks Mom! Fucking Silverspoons, think owning a few dimensions lets them do anything."

You wince, theatrically. Genies had all sorts of weird rules about what they could and couldn't do. All the power wasn't remotely worth it, in your opinion.

"And this guy?" you ask.

You loosen your grip on the old beggar's mouth for a second and he's halfway through "The Great Change Begins" when you clamp back down.

"Wants to be a Coach, of all things," says the genie. "Thinks he's destined for greatness. He hears voices."

You shake your head sadly. A Boxer in a pinch might take a Booker or a Scout from down here, just figuring that they were better than nothing, with an eye towards replacing them later, but a Coach was a life choice. Your Coach was your better half. Nobody was about to take a cheap knockoff.

"Thanks," you tell them both, letting the old man go with a warning look.

He seems to take the hint, or perhaps his particular mania has moved into 'deranged muttering' from 'shouted doomsaying'.

You move towards the stairs, but a call turns you back around.

"I'm Kubemmepolo Tichondriot Flannigan Bobson the Wondrous," calls the genie, "And if you can't find a Scout or a Fixer up there, I'll do the job for just three Wealth per three months."

You give him a meaningful nod at that, then turn back up the stairs.

"Think about it!" comes his call as you leave the first floor behind.

The Second Floor, thankfully, is nowhere near as deserted as the foot of the stairs had been. Presumably the heiress hadn't stopped here on her way up to the top floor.

There must be two dozen of Blender Plex's Seconds clustered around these tables. They seem to be organized by role, though you imagine that a lot of these folks have a more diverse skillset.

A trio of Hands are moving about, but the Corporation they belong to, Jason's Ladders Limited, seems to be the only Boxer in line ahead of you.

What's your play, Future Champ?

Which table will you visit first?
[] Speak to the Coaches, including Winnotron IV
[] Speak to the Scouts
[] Speak to the Fixers
[] Speak to the Bookers, including the Maggot and the Black King
[] Speak to the Cut-men

By the by, what's your nickname?
[] Write-in