Part 5 - The Big Showdown

 A few months passed, and Max continued with his fights. He lost a few but won most of them. Finally, he started to gain experience and become known to others on the island.

One new rule that I added is inspired by Ed's (at THW) idea for time, an alternate to the way I've been running rounds. Starting at 0 Time at the beginning of each round, every time I return to the Fight table, whether it's from a tie, Passing 0d6 on the KO table of 2d6 on the Recovery table, I roll 1d6 vs the number of Time Points. Passing 0d6 (rolling above the number) results in adding 1 to Time and playing normally, while Passing 1d6 (rolling equal to or lower than Time) ends the round, and both fighters recover their Bonus Dice. 

With that in mind, here are the results of Max's matches:

1. Rep 4, Rage, Resilient: Win by Decision.

2. Rep 2, Iron Fist: Win by KO (R2).

3. Rep 2, Rage: Win by KO (R3).

BRAWL: Rematch with Tanner; Again broken up.

4. Rep 2, Bruiser: Win by Decision.

5. Rep 2, Charismatic: Win by KO (R2).

BRAWL: Rep 3, Resilient: KO.

6. Rep 3, Resolute: Win by Decision.

7. Rep 3, Agile: Win by Decision.

Max is now Rep 5. Rolling for his second Attribute, I get Agile, which grants +1d6 on the Fight table, when no one is In Control. but there's still some unfinished business.

After asking a few other fighters, Max went looking for Tanner. Twice the man got into his face, only for his goons to pull him off. And yet he kept telling people about how he dominated the upstart Max. He needed to get a lesson in humility.

(Q)  Does Max find Tanner outside? (Likely): Yes.

(Q)  Is he alone? (Unlikely): No.

(Q)  What's he doing? "Communicate, Control."

Max found Tanner by the docks, talking to some off-the-boat newcomers.

"If you want to succeed here," said Tanner, "you'll need leadership. Pay me enough and I'll show you how to succeed. Refuse and I'll show you suffering."

 "If he'll show you anything," Max said, "it'll be how to run."

(Q)  How does Tanner react to Max's appearance? "Peaceful, Feeble."

Tanner slowly turned. Seeing Max, he held up his hands. "Look, you and I don't have any beef. There's no reason for you to be here."

Max snorted. "That's funny because twice you got into my face, but as soon as I fought back, your goons jumped in." He pointed to the building. "How about an actual match? No goons, no bare fists. Just a regular fight once and for all.

(Q)  Does Tanner accept? (I'm saying Likely because I want this match.): X-No.

Tanner shook his head. "You're too angry, and you're not worth my time. I've got better things to do." with that, he walked away.

Well that didn't go according to plan. Time to try something else.

Max entered the arena and looked around.

(Q)  Does Max find an official? (Likely): Yes

(Q)  Does he seem like he'll cooperate? (50/50):  Yes.

Max found a short, portly man going over a list of matches, crossing out some names, and replacing others. "Mr. Wartz," he said to the man, "can I talk to you for a moment?"

The man looked up and smiled. "Hi Max, what can I do for you?"

"Tanner Smith's in my face," Max said. "I tried to challenge him to a match, but he turned me down, saying he didn't have to fight."

Wartz nodded. "Mr. Smith has that in his contract that he can pick and choose his opponents."

"Is there any way to get a match with him?" Max asked.

(Q)  Good question. How about it, Mr. Wartz? (Likely, for the same reason as before): Yes

Not only that but I rolled Doubles, resulting in a random event; "Deceit, Surprise."

"Actually, I've got an idea." A slow smile appeared on Wartz' face. "Just be ready tomorrow night."

The next night, Tanner Smith walked to the ring. Seeing Wartz, he leaned closer. "So this is a sure thing, you said?"

"Absolutely," the older man said. "No doubt in my mind."

He got into the ring and then his opponent walked out. And Tanner's eyes went wide as Max entered the ring.

"I thought you said it was a sure thing?" Tanner said to Wartz.

The other man shrugged. "I meant the match itself, not your chances of winning. Of course, you can leave if you want, unless you'd rather get paid."

Before the match, I made one more roll.

(Q)  Did Tanner Smith improve since we saw him last? (Likely): No.

So still Rep 4, Slow, Bleeder.

The match begins . . . 

Tanner uses his Bonus Dice early on, getting Control and throwing a number of punches. He even makes it to the KO table but Passes 0d6. Max fights back and scores a knockdown after powerful cross. Tanner gets up, and his Rep drops to 3. He covers up for the rest of the round.

Note: To Cover Up is to protect yourself from an opponent's attack, either by blocking or dodging. Non-players Cover Up when their opponent rolls 3 or more d6 than they roll. To Cover up on the fight table, the fighters gains +1d6 but can only Pass the same number as his opponent. 

In Round 2, Max came flying out of the corner. Tanner tried to drag out the match but failed. After a flurry of punches, Max landed a hook that sent Tanner to the mat again. Passing 0d6, he was out cold.

The match was over, and Max stood tall, finally shutting up his tormentor from the last few months. As his opponent was led out of the ring, Max left as well, looking forward to dinner and a well-deserved night sleep.

One month later . . . 

Max sat on the dock's railing as a group of new fighters exited the boat. He smiled and waved to them. Some waved back while others kept their eyes glued to the dock. A few others even looked at him and smirked. Some time ago, this would've riled up the young man to hurl himself at the perpetrator. But now, more seasoned, and slightly wiser, Max simply shrugged it off.

They'll get their chance.

More Matches - Part 4

 So when we last left our hero, Max the fighter, he lost his first match in a painful first round KO. Now let's see if his luck can improve.

My plan for this session was simple. After randomly generating fighters, I'd run the matches, taking pictures as I rolled. At the end of the match, I'd write down the results. Then, after about a month of fights, I'd go back to the pictures and try to remember what happened, filling in the blanks as creativity as I could.

Only one problem.

After finishing all the matches, I learned a rather important lesson. You see, when you hover your phone above what you want to take a picture of, you have to actually Press The Button, well,  Every Single Time! (Face Palm).

So anyway, I'll do my best to cover the results based on what I wrote down. I'm considering his previous match to be #1.

2. Rep 3 opponent: Win by TKO (2nd rd).

3. Rep 3: Win by TKO (1st rd).

4. Rep 3: Loss by Split Decision.

Now a brief (sorry) recap of what happened.

Matches consist of 3 tables. After winning on the Fight table, the aggressor rolls on the KO table. Passing 2d6 means a knockdown and the opponent goes to the Recovery table. Passing 0d6 results in returning to the Fight table. And Passing 1d6 results in a reroll. Getting Pass 1d6 again is treated as Pass 0d6. I might adjust this to where it's treated as Pass 2d6 if you already scored at leas 1 knockdown, but for now, I'm trying to keep it simple.

For the Recovery table, Pass 2d6 means you stand up, but with a -1 to Rep. Pass 0d6 means a KO. Pass 1d6 is a reroll, but getting it twice means a TKO.

Matches are 3 rounds (6 for major fights). At the end, I check for a decision. However, since these are small-time fights, there are no 3 judge, 10 point systems. Instead, the crowd decides. By THW rules, I'd roll 1d6 for each and add 1 for each knockdown, with ties going to the Favorite (chosen at random before the match). Using Mythic rules, I treat is as a Fate Question, "Did I win?" I'd then adjust the odds depending on the number of knockdowns. The more times you send your opponent to the mat, the greater your chance of winning.

After the last match, I rolled that the month had ended. Unfortunately, I ended up with 3 Inc d6 and 3 dec d6. Since they all cancel out, my character does not roll to improve. But on the plus side, he doesn't  weaken either.

But that's no fun - let's do 1 more match!

I decided to start the new month checking for a Confrontation.

(Q) "Does Max get into a Confrontation?" (Likely) - Yes

After resting for a couple of days, Max got restless and went for a jog. He was just rounding a corner and entering a courtyard when - 

"What have we got here?"

I roll Rep 4. This guy's going to be a challenge. 

Before rolling for Attributes though, I want to know a little more about him. Pulling out One Page Mythic, I roll twice on the Descriptions table and get "Powerful," and "Perfect." Uh Oh.

Standing before Max was a tall and muscular man, clean cut and dressed in bright shiny work-out gear. "Tanner Smith could use a dummy to knock down before his first match," he said, feet spread part and with his fists against his hips.

So, Tanner, who apparently likes to talk about himself in the third person, thinks Max is a tomato to slap around. Let's check out his Attributes.

Here's a pic of the confrontation, using a Battle board from THW, and with green dice for Max, red for Tanner, and white for any bystanders.

Now I borrowed Attributes from Friday Night Fights and other THW titles, with a few tweaks. Nearly every Attribute provides either a +1d6 or a -1 to Rep. Once again, something nice and simple. So rolling for Tanner, I get:

Slow (penalty on Fight table), Bleeder (Penalty on Recovery table).

This doesn't seem right. He's described as Powerful and Perfect. Heck, I even presented him as such. Maybe a Fate Q can help.

(Q)  Were Tanner Smith's descriptions merely a facade? (50/50 because I have no idea) (Also, if I get No, I'm rerolling 1 Attribute. If I get X-No, I'm rerolling both): Yes.

So, Tanner is all talk. Works for me.

The two circled each other, with Tanner raising his fists to chest level  and sliding one foot forward at a time. "Tanner is a methodical gladiator," he said. "He'll take you down, piece by piece."

 First roll on the Fight table: Pass 1d6 more. Max is In Control. Second roll, however is both Passing 1d6. 

Max slammed his fist right between the other man's eyes. Lunging forward, he grappled Max and tied him up. 

(Q)  "Does the fight get broken up?  (Very Unlikely) - Yes

Several men jumped in, separating the two. Surrounding Tanner sSmith, they led him away. "You got lucky this time, punk," the opponent said, "but Tanner will get you next time."

Hmm, that's interesting. I wonder . . . 

(Q) "Does Tanner want a match with Max?" (Likely, I mean why not, right?): X-No

"Anytime!" Max called out to him. "See you in the ring."

"Oh no," Tanner replied. "Tanner only fights those worthy of his time, and you haven't proven yourself yet." He disappeared, along with his apparent entourage.

Since this brawl didn't end in an X-No, Max doesn't gain a Dec d6. Since this is the first encounter of the month, it doesn't end yet, so hopefully, Max will have better luck in the near future.

Until next time . . . 

First Match - Mythic and THW

 When we last left our hero, Max, he had gotten to the island of Rott, gotten into a fight with a man known only as Mr. Flapjack, performed community service, and was shown to a room with a bed and food.

Now it's time for his first fight.

Here is a ring I threw together. The green dice represent Max while the red represent his opponent. The d6 in the corner represents the fighter's current Rep (I tend to lose track of stats easily at times). The 2d6 in the ring will be rolled each time while those outside the ring are bonus dice. Finally, the white dice are for miscellaneous rolls. 

Now Bonus Dice can be added to any dice rolls. For my fighter, I choose when to use them. For Non-Player Fighters (or NPF), I'll roll each BD. On 1-3, it gets used but lost until the next round. On 4-5, it doesn't get used or lost. On 6, it gets used but not counted and is lost.

Our fighters:

Max, as a reminder: Rep 3; Strong Willed.

Nick Twist (rolled at random): Rep 2; Iron Fist.

We start our match.

Max passes 2d6. Nick passes 1d6 and fails doesn't count his BD (though it doesn't get lost). This means Max is now In Control. Rerolling, Max now gets +1d6 to his roll.

Rolling In Control, Max passes 2d6. Nick again passes only 1d6. Max is still in control.

Circling his opponent, Max threw several jabs, which connected with Nick's face. He blinked and shook his head but remained in place.

Now both fighters pass 1d6, ending in a clinch. Now, normally this would burn half the round, but since I'm trying to mix both rules, I'm going to make it a Fate chart question.

(Q)  Does the round end? (I'm starting at Unlikely since this match has rounds): No.

The referee stepped between the two. "Okay boys, step back."

I'm rolling again on the Fight table, but no one is In Control.

Pushing past the referee, Nicks threw a hard hook that caught Max right in the jaw, staggering him.

With Nick passing 2d6 more than Max, he now gets to roll on the KO table to see if he knocks Max down.

As Max covered his face with his gloves, Nick delivered a series of punches to his ribs. Doubling over, Max crumpled to the canvas.

Nick passed 2d6, scoring a knockdown. Now it's Max's turn to roll on the Recovery table. If he passes, he stands up. Knowing this is not the best place to be, I'm using 2 of his 3 BD, rolling 4d6 to stand up. All I need is to pass 2d6, or even 1d6 to score a reroll.

Nevermind.

Max reached for the ropes, but as he stretched, his ribs felt like they had caved in. Gasping for air, he dropped back to all fours. 

Then he heard it. "8, 9, 10. Knock out!"

Unfortunately, Max lost his first match, in a R1 KO to a tomato can opponent. He gains 1 Dec d6 and heads back to his bed hoping to end this horrible night with a rough night sleep.

Sorry, Max. Better luck next time.

Now let's see how much time has passed. I'm altering my previous rule by making this a Fate Question. I started last week at Very Unlikely and moving it up 1 odds after each event.

(Q)  Is the month over? (Unlikely): No.

This month continues, with Max currently at 1 Inc d6 and 2 Dec d6. Let's hope his luck improves in the near future.

The Consequences - Part 2 of Mythic and THW mixed game

We where left off, Max and his new 'friend' were arrested by the constable for brawling. However, on the island of Rott, fines and community service are favored over imprisonment. The question is, in what form will this take place.

I'm using this session to explore rules for improving my character. THW uses Increasing and Decreasing d6 for characters to receiving when things go well or badly. These can represent everything from currency to experience. At the end of a game month, you'd roll them all. If even 1d6 is higher than your Rep, you improve. But if 1 of your Dec d6 is a 1, you lose a point of Rep.

The question is, what makes a game month? In THW games, this is usually after 4 Encounters. However, since I'm running games with shorter or longer Encounters, that may not work well, especially if an Encounter is only a few rolls long. 

That's where Mythic comes in. Mythic Magazine #2 has Location Crafter rules for exploring different places. Each time you visit part of a location, you roll, with each roll possibly resulting in your clearing the end of a location. 

I'm going to use a streamlined version of this for the moment and maybe use the full version later. Basically, at the end of each session (not counting the first), I roll 2d6. If I roll 12 or lower, I get 1 Time Point. Each time after that, I add Time Points to my roll. When I roll a 13 or higher, the month ends and I total up all my Inc and Dec d6.

But first, let's play this session.

"What's going to happen to me?" Max asked the constable.

"Since you can't pay your fine," said the other man, "we're going to put you to work."

"Okay, what am I doing?"

Good question, Max. Let's ask the Fate Chart.

(Q)  What is Max doing to pay off his fine?  (Since this isn't a yes/no question, there are no odds, just a roll on the Discover Meaning table): Frighting + Beautiful

Now I highly doubt they're hiring a newcomer, with zero fame or infamy, as muscle. But they could mean painting?

(Q)  Does Max have to do painting (50/50 as I have no idea): Yes.

The constable took Max to the office and pointed to the wall. "Clear off the graffiti and repaint this to match the rest of the building." He pointed to some buckets that sat on the ground near the wall. "Get started."

I'm making this a Challenge by THW rules. It doesn't seem difficult, just tiring, so I'll keep it at Normal difficulty. This requires rolling versus Max's Rep of 3.

Pass 1d6. (A reroll is needed, but if I get this again, it counts as Passing 0d6; a Failure).

Pass 2d6.

After several hours of work, Max finally finished the wall. It took him some time to get the graffiti off, but he finally did.

Returning, the constable clapped him on the back. "Good work. Consider your fine paid. Now I'll show you where you can sleep."

Max gained 1 Decreasing d6 from the first session for the fine, but he gained 1 Increasing d6 for this one.

Normally, I'd now roll 2d6 for the time, but since he has no Time Points, I'm just giving him 1 TP.

Also, at the end of the month, he'll have to pay for lodging. for now, the cost of food and lodging is a number of Inc d6 equal to his Rep, or a 3. This may change later, but it seems like a good place to start.

Now let's let Max gets some food and sleep. Next time, he gets his first match.

Off the Boat, into a Fight - Mixing THW and Mythic GME

 I know, it's been a while since I posted games. I mean, I've been playing them, but I've been busy with other projects (such as trying to accomplish a miracle and get a book published), not to mention the stress from the pandemic and other things. However, after picking up some titles for Mythic, I decided to run a game. 

Note that I'm first posting how i'm using the rules before actually getting into my story. If you'd rather skip right to the story, just ignore the boxed-in section.

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After reading the Fight Stories pulp mags, along with The Book Thief, which features a street brawler named Max Vandenburg, I decided I wanted a boxing game. Now Two Hour Wargames has several fighting games, including Friday Night Fights and Alien Fight Night. However I decided to go with something a little simpler for now. Years earlier, Ed Teixeira, the creator and owner of Two Hour Wargames, created the Universal Interaction and Challenge to use for performing most non-combat actions. The idea behind it is that you roll 2d6 versus your Reputation, which can be anywhere from 3-5 and count each result separately. Each roll equal to less than your Rep counts as Passing. Pass 2d6 means you succeed while Passing 0d6 means Failure. Passing 1d6 results in a reroll. Your Rep can be modified by Attributes, Difficulty, and tools, but that's the basic rule for it.

Mythic by Tana Pidgeon, meanwhile is a set of rules for playing games without a Game Master. Using the Fate Chart, you'd roll 2d10 (or 1d100 if you have it) and ask yes or no questions, modifying the question based on the chances of certain results. For example, "Is there a monster in the room?" If you're in a dungeon, that'd most likely be a Yes, but it'd be less than a chance in someone's home. Rolling Doubles means a Random Event which can shake things up. 

Mythic has tons of options to use and even a newer edition of the Game Master Emulator that was recently released. However after using most of my birthday money on fiction novels (and I highly recommend The Book Thief and Puckoon!), I had just enough to get some of the Mythic Magazines. While I do have the original books, I decided for this to use One Page Mythic (Issue #25), which streamlines the rules for quicker and easier play. I'll also pick and choose from some of the other issues to use later. For now, I just want to get started.

For my boxing rules, I'm using a streamlined version of THW's boxing rules, called Smokers or underground boxing. This includes just 3 tables: Fight, KO, and Recovery. Matches start on the Fight table. If you Pass 2d6 more than your opponent, you go to the KO table. Passing 1d6 results in you're being In Control and rerolling with +1d6. Passing 0d6 mean a reroll. On the KO table, Passing 2d6 results in a knockdown and the opponent now rolls on the Recovery table. Passing 0d6 returns to the Fight table. On Recovery, Passing 2d6 means the fighter stands up while Passing 0d6 results in a knockout.

All fighters have a Rep stat. Rep 2 are your tomato cans, who usually get their clock cleaned on a regular basis. Rep 3 are your rookies. Rep 4 are more seasoned fighters. And Rep 5 are your pros. Each fighter also has Bonus Dice which can be used at any time. Reps 2-3 have 1 BD and Reps 4-5 have 2 BD. Finally, fighters have 1-2 Attributes which may modify stats and rolls. These are based on other THW games but streamlined for these rules.

Now, onto the Mythic part. With Mythic, you ask yes/no questions and roll as I mentioned before. In addition, you could generate Exceptional Yes and No answers (which I'll refer to as X-Yes or X-No). These are answers that add to the results. Finally, you can ask other qurestions and roll on the Discover tables for 1 or 2 word descriptions. These are also used for Random Events.

I could easily use either game for the entire story. However I enjoy both games and wanted to use them both so I tried to work them both in. For actual fights, I'll use THW's rules. For the story, I'll use Mythic. However' I'll also have some overlap here and there, and I might even jump back and forth for fun. If I were actually GMing a game, I wouldn't do this without the players agreeing. But since this is a solo game, I'm giving myself permission 😛.

Finally, I might use pictures later on, just not for this first one because I wanted to establish the rules and games. Also I don't have any boxer minis, nor do I have the patience to buy individual figures and patience. Now I know a number of people love to buy these, and I give them all the credit in the world for their artistic ability and attention to detail. Me? I prefer to buy a bulk pack of 20+ plastic figures and jump right in with them.

Now, onto the game.

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My character is Max Bowen, an Irish scrapper who's looking to make a name for himself. Max is Rep 3, starting near the bottom with room to grow. His Attribute, which I rolled at random is Strong Willed, giving him some more Bonus Dice. This fits with him being fearless, not running from a fight, even when he really should.

Our story takes place around 1930 (I love the Pulp Era!) on a tiny island called Rott. This is a place where fighting is the way of life. Many countries send fighters here to test and boast their abilities. Others just send those troublemakers just to get them out of their way. Rott has its own leadership and laws, and in fact the rest of the world leaves the place alone. Every other country has agreed not to attack Rott, and firearms and other weapons are banned, except by officials. Now that doesn't stop some from using tools as weapons, but they're easier to deal with.

Our story begins with Max stepping off the boat onto the dock. (Now with Fate questions, most of the time, I'll interpret the results afterwards, but sometimes, I'll come up with something before rolling).

(Q)  Is anyone awaiting Max on the dock? (This seems Likely): Yes.

(I should also point out that I have a habit of asking a lot of questions. This isn't against the rules, but it could result in a lot of random events).

(Q)  Is it a male? (I'm going with Likely because I feel the chances would be around 60/40 for now): Yes.

Walking a little farther, Max sees a guy standing in his path.

(Q)  Does he seem friendly? (I'm going with 50/50. Could be a lifelong friend). X-No!

"Well look what we have here," the guy said, "a new jellybean I can pound to pieces." 

At this point, I'm interpreting the X-No to mean a fight's going to break out no matter what so there's no point in trying to talk my way out of it.

Max smirked. "Who're you calling a jellybean you overstuffed flapjack?" (Hey cut me some slack; I'm make these lines up as I go!).

The other man (let's call him Mr. Flapjack, or Flappy for short) glared. "Okay, that's it!" With that, he started forward.

Now for this game, there are 2 types of fights. Matches takes place in a ring, with rounds, scoring, etc. Brawls take place everywhere else and end either on a KO or if broken up. Otherwise they use the same rule.

Rolling for Flappy, I get Rep 3 as well, along with the Weak Willed attribute. He starts with 0 Bonus Dice. Something easy for a start, hopefully.

Rolling on the Fight table, Max wins with 1d6 more. This means he's In Control and now rolls with an additional 1d6. Rolling again, he gets the same result.

Flappy charges in, but Max stops him in his tracks with several jabs to the face.

This time both men Pass 1d6, a tie. This results in Max losing Control and a reroll. Now in THW boxing matches, returning to the Fight table burns half the round. But for this brawl, I'm going to try something different. Instead, I'm going to make it a Fate question.

(Q)  Does the fight get broken up? (I'm starting the odds at Nearly Impossible and raising them each time I roll): No.

Another roll on the Fight table and this time, Flappy Passes 2d6 more, sending him to the KO table.

The other man shoved Max away and threw a punishing haymaker, stumbling Max back a few steps.

Rolling on the KO table for Flappy, I get Pass 2d6. Ouch!

Stepping forward, the other man threw a series of body punches. Doubling over, Max crumpled to the dock.

Now Max has to roll on the Recovery table. Since I really don't want his first fight to be a crushing defeat, I'm using 2 of his 3 Bonus Dice. He now rolls 4d6 versus his Rep and Passes 2d6.

Wincing, Max stood up, trying to shake off the cobwebs.

(This counts as a reroll so I'll make it a Fate Question).

(Q)  Does the fight get broken up? (Now it's a Very Unlikely): No.

The two closed the distance and began throwing more punches.

The next roll on the fight table results in both men rolling Pass 0d6.

Max and the other man hurled punches at each, but both missed by a mile.

 (Q)  Does the fight get broken up? (Unlikely): X-Yes!

"That's it, they're done" Several hands pulled Max and the other hand apart, pushing the two men away. 

Just then the Constable showed up. "Brawling's illegal here. Both of you, come with me."

I'm interpreting the X-Yes meaning the fight ended with no winner, but still with consequences. i'm wondering though what those consequences are.

(Q)  Is Max thrown in jail? (50/50): No.

Brawlers are punished on Rott with either fines or community service, rather than jail time. This is why the leadership doesn't jump in immediately with the brawls. They get a portion of their money and resources from putting brawlers to work. Sort of like you're paid for matches but you pay to brawl.

"I don't have much on me to pay a fine," said Max.

"Don't worry," said the constable. "We have other means of dealing with you."

That's my first game. Pretty quick but it gave me a bunch of ideas. I'll begin expanding the rules as I go.

Hope you enjoyed it!