Origin Matthulhu - esam    Entered by Azus   

Created on 2010-01-17 22:29:05		Modified 2010-05-15 16:29:39		Class Militia
Lives See rules		Count see rules

Reeves At least one reeve is needed to act as Caesar.  

Materials Permitted equipment: any shield, any melee weapon, javelins, rocks, throwing weapons. Fighters are permitted to keep only a single short weapon with them at all times; any other equipment must be picked up from the Armory (see below).

Setup The participants begin the game in a _large_ circle. (The circle should be large enough to allow for at least 10 feet between adjacent fighters or have a diameter of 50 feet, whichever is larger.) Inside this circle is the Arena, where all fighting takes place. The outside of the Arena is Nirvana, where the dead wait to be called back to combat.

In the center of the Arena is the Armory, a smaller roped-off area containing an assortment of weapons and shields. There need not be enough equipment to supply every participant with a second weapon or a shield, but there should be at least one of every type of weapon from the rulebook (except bows, ordinarily). No melee fighting can take place inside the Armory, but fighters are free to grab any equipment from the Armory to supplement or replace their single short weapon. Slain fighters must immediately drop any equipment taken from the Armory, on the spot where they were killed (they can keep their single short). Equipment dropped by dead fighters can also be picked up and used by an Active fighter.

At the beginning of the game, Caesar shall number off all the fighters incrementally. It does not matter which fighter is designated as #1. While the game is in progress, any newcomers are assigned the next number available. It doesn't really matter if the fighters get out of order as they enter and leave combat.

  

Rules

Caesar runs the game and calls for combatants to join in the Arena. Caesar also keeps one or more healers on the field (also reeves). While fighting is in progress, the healers may move about the field returning dropped equipment to the Armory, healing wounded and unconscious fighters, and generally keeping the mob entertained by keeping combat from devolving into "gimp fights". The healers may not be attacked.

Caesar may call out any fighter's number. He may call multiple numbers in any sequence he wishes, at any time, at his discretion.

Any fighter whose number is called are declared Active and must step into the Arena. Active fighters remain in the Arena as long as they remain alive, keeping any wounds or damage to armor until death.

Caesar may also call "Caesar's Circus!", which signifies that all Inactive fighters are declared Active and must join in the Arena. (Dead fighters returning equipment or on their way back to the outside are not affected.)

Active fighters who stray too close to the edge may be attacked by anyone standing outside the Arena (though the inactive fighters may not step inside in order to attack them). However, an inactive fighter who takes out an Active fighter in this way must immediately join in the Arena--keeping any wounds taken!

  

Victory The closest thing to a victory condition in this game is being able to hold the field against all comers. Most fighters will immediately recognize the value in guarding the Armory, keeping newcomers from retrieving any gear to improve on their single short weapon. While this is a legal tactic, this also encourages Caesar to counter this by calling in multiple fighters at once to overwhelm the dirty camper.   

Misc
  

Variations Bows
Due to the nature of this scenario and its close-quarters combat, the inclusion of bows is not recommended. However, if you want to include the use of bows anyway, it would be best to cap bow strength at (say) 20 lb at a 28-inch draw, and to limit the number of arrows available on the field since they're likely to be trampled on if not quickly collected up (especially if Caesar calls for a "Caesar's Circus").


Teams
Instead of assigning each participant a unique number, Caesar may number off (for example) sixteen fighters from 1 through 8, or from 1 through 4. In this variant, fighters with the same number are always considered allied together. The number of 'teams' created in this way do not have to be equal in number. If Caesar calls out a team number with some members still Active and some dead, the dead teammates are made Active as soon as they have returned to the outside of the Arena.


Finite Lives
Each fighter begins the game with ten lives. Caesar is not honor-bound to ensure that no fighter is forced into the Arena more often than any other fighter, but all participants should be mindful that some fighters' lives do last longer than others'.


Coups-De-Grace
Fighters who takes a mortal blow to the torso or a second limb are not immediately slain, only mortally wounded. A mortally-wounded fighter falls unconscious but is still alive, at least until an opponent delivers a coup-de-grace shot on them. To deliver a coup-de-grace, a fighter simply need call out "coup de grace" (pronounced /koo-duh-grahss/ or /koo-day-grah/), "mercy kill", or some similar wording, followed by a courtesy tap to the upper torso. This finishes off the victim.

Unconscious fighters must remain on the field until they've received a coup-de-grace shot from another fighter. Note that "simo" kills do not permit either fighter to deliver a coup-de-grace on the other.

If the Finite Lives Rule is being used, a fighter does not lose a life until a coup-de-grace has been delivered on them.

If the team rules are being used, teammates are permitted to "drag" unconscious fighters around the field in order to bring them to a healer or to keep them away from enemies.   

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