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Materials Every player is allowed to wield a single short weapon.

You also need a number of 'deathballs': you should have at least three, up to one per participant if possible.

Deathballs should be represented by 'dodgeballs'/pl  

Setup This is a free-for-all battle.   

Rules Players arrange themselves in a circle with the Deathballs in the center.

After lay-on is called, players may not engage to their immediate left or right until two non-adjacent combatants have touched weapons.

Every player starts with three lives. If you are slain with a sword, your death count is 10 (last 5 seconds counted aloud) but you do not lose a life. But if you are slain with a deathball, your death count is 20 (last 5 seconds counted aloud) and you DO lose a life.

Deathballs are extremely dangerous. They can ONLY blocked with swords (and by mid-air collisions with other deathballs). Otherwise, deathballs count hits like a Fireball, including foot on ground and on a bounce. It is a common and legal tactic to halt a deathball's motion with your sword so you can pick it up without blowing yourself up.

Any physical contact with a deathball in motion is a death (other than contact with your sword or another deathball). It doesn't matter if you try to stop it with your hand or foot while it's in motion on the ground or if you juggle it in your hands or if you manage to catch it, it's still a death.

A deathball can be kicked (provided it's not in motion), but be careful how hard you kick at close range.

While held, deathballs are considered garb. (We didn't have this happen today but it's bound to happen eventually. I'm guessing if it did come up we would have to treat them like they were spellballs or throwing weapons held in hand--consider them garb while held in hand.)
  

Victory Be the last player alive in the game.   

Misc   

Variations

• 'Taking a death' to restore a lost limb will still cost you a life. This one's more errata than variant rule, I guess. There's been times I really felt like I needed to get my mobility back, and wanted to take a death so I could negate the leg wound I had. Given that this game has two kinds of deaths, some players may think that it's legal to cancel out a wound by taking a 'lesser death'.
• Define a field-centered Nirvana where players can return to life, instead of on-the-spot where they were killed. The initial fighters' circle forms up around Nirvana. Thrown deathballs are prone to 'wandering off' and the playing field expands accordingly. A central Nirvana would act as an anchor for the game and its participants, especially if the following sub-variants are used.
• Fighters are allowed a single short and small shield (considered Hardened). Deathballs break weapons but not shields. Broken weapons will return only after losing a life. Naturally the tactic will shift to blocking and halting deathballs in motion with your shield instead of your sword. Blocking with your sword will still work in a pinch, and it will become a viable tactic to disarm a player by targeting their weapon.
This variant was written with Shadowkin in mind; if you playtest this, let me know how it works out.
• Players can heal wounds by standing still with no sword, shield, or deathball in hand and reciting loudly "Healing 1, Healing 2, Healing 3..." through to "Healing 9", followed by "Healed!"
• Players can replace broken weapons by standing still with no sword, shield, or deathball in hand and reciting loudly "Mending 1, Mending 2, Mending 3..." through to "Mending 9", followed by "Mended

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