Powers and Perils

Dueling

Dueling is a highly regarded activity in Dirllar, and as such has its own customs and rules beyond simply sticking one another with thin pointed swords. Dueling is an accepted means of resolving disputes among the middle and upper classes of Dirllari society, so most citizens of means with have some skill in it.

Foil

Cost to Learn:30
Cost Next Level:NEL x 8
Maximum EL:(I+D+A)/15

Dirllari dueling is much like a ritualized dance, the long, graceful foils clacking and whipping though the air. The foils themselves are equally specialized:

Dueling Foil

WSB-2
Cost2SC
Weight1
FV6

The foils are very sharp, but still unable to penetrate hard plate. Roll 1d6 against each of the various armors - if the indicated numbers show, the point hits hard plate and does not penetrate:

Scale1
Brigandine1-2
Plate Mail1-3
Plate Armor1-5
Metal Helm1
Full Helm1-3

Fighting with a foil is very different from combat fighting. Since the primary attack is a sharp thrust, similar to that of an arrow, on any severe or deadly hits only one form of armor protects (helmet or body). Roll 1d6 to determine what is struck:

1-2Head
3-6Chest

However, in most duels, armor is not allowed, but the use of capes (requiring the Cape Parry skill), bucklers (Shield skill) or daggers (Two Weapon Fighting skill) to improve ones parrying ability is accepted.

Cape Parry

Cost to Learn:25
Cost Next Level:NEL x 6
Maximum EL:(D+A)/10

Light Cape

AV2
Cost3CC
Weight½
DR15

Half Length cape used to parry weapon attacks. Requires Cape Parry skill and increases DCV by 1

Full Cape

AV4
Cost5CC
Weight1
DR25

As for half cape, but full length. Increases DCV by 2.

Certain eccentric duelists have been know to use other object to parry with, such as chairs or drinking tankards. Each differing object requires it's own training:

Object Parry

Cost to Learn:30
Cost Next Level:NEL x 6
Maximum EL:(S+D+A)/15

Obviously, using a tankard is worthless against regular weapons (or at best, AV2 or so), but when you are out drinking and that's all you got...

Dueling Procedure

Dueling is similar to normal combat, except that due to nature of the nature of the blades and the stance of the duelists, parries are much more common.

In any phase, each duelist rolls 1d10 and adds their AB and "IB" (figured off intelligence, just like Agility determines AB) - the attack order goes from highest to lowest.

On his turn to attack, the aggressor makes his combat roll, subtracting foil skill and adding any defensive modifiers from the target. In this case a miss is always a miss, and a shield hit is considered a parry. In any case, the aggressor notes the type of hit.

The defender now makes his own combat roll in defense (attacker may add in his defensive modifiers against this). If the level of his "hit" is better than that of the attacker (i.e. he "scores" a severe hit when the attacker only managed a normal hit), then he has beaten back the attack or turned it aside, and no damage is done. It is now the next combatant's turn.

If the defender beats the aggressor's attack by two levels or more (i.e. the defender "scores" a severe hit when the aggressor got a shield hit), the defender gets an immediate counter-strike. The defender keeps his level of hit and the former attacker must make his own defensive roll. If the attacker can beat back the counter strike, the current aggressor's turn is done and initiative goes to the next person in the attack order. If The attacker beats the defender by 2 or more, he counter-strikes and the defender must try to beat that (and so on, until a hit actually lands or is blocked).

Due to the nature of the blades, deadly hits max out at 2d10 damage - we are not talking brute strength here, we are talking finesse.

At any time a duelist may "pull" his strike and shift down a hit type in damage (i.e. pulling a deadly blow to do only severe damage). Pulling a normal hit does 1d3 damage instead of 1d6.

Types Of Duels

Many duels are to "first blood", in which the first one to score 1 or more hits of damage is deemed the winner.

Also common are "duels to the yield" whereupon one of the combatants usually yields when they have taken half or more of their HPV in damage.

Less common are duels to the death, in which only one is allowed to live. In this case the duelist cannot strike an unconscious foe - any death strike must finish him through his DTV. If the poor soul does not expire on the dueling court, his seconds are honor bound to finish him off (those that do not are considered the worst of rogues.)

Burton Choinski