Duels

[This page uses the Base Course Set]

On occasion, the Three Rivers Guild holds a tournament of Duels. These are guild rules pertaining to those duels.

## Equipment

Duelists may bring any items they can carry on their person and owned items which are able to accompany them, such as personally-constructed automata.

## Arena

Official duels take place in the New Ironworks Coliseum. The dueling area is circular with a radius of 30 meters and a dirt floor. When contestants sign-up for the tournament, they may specify one of several "Home" fields to be set-up for their advantage:

* **Open Combat** - This setup leaves the field unchanged.
* **Forest Skirmish** - This setup adds fake trees for sparse cover and dense foliage to navigate through.
* **Urban Chase** - This setup adds several large building-like blockades for sparse cover, rooftop duels, or other feats of dizzying heights. The floor is replaced with concrete tiles.
* **Tavern Brawl** - This setup mimicks the furniture of a bar or tavern. The floor is replaced with wood. Tavern walls are erected to constrict the fighting space, though the duel may continue outside of the tavern.
* **Oceanic Strife** - This setup floods the arena with water and adds a central island of sand.
* **Custom** - Contestants may specify their own arenas under three conditions. First, all materials must be supplied by the contestants. Second, arenas may not pose serious harm to non-contestants. Third, there must be at least one axis of symmetry and starting zones must be placed perpendicular to an axis of symmetry.

## Disclaimers and Lethality

Contestants, when they sign-up, must sign a liability waiver removing the guild from all responsibility of Grievous Wounds. However, should a duel result in death, the opposing contestant(s) will be tried for murder under standard Gristan law.

## Rules of Combat

Duels may be won in three ways:

* Knocking your opponent unconscious, likely causing a Grievous Wound
* Persuading your opponent to surrender
* Declaring a *kayo*, with opponent concession

### Roughhousing

In order to succeed in a *kayo*, contestants are encouraged to roughhouse. Roughhousing attacks are never considered lethal and do not apply Grievous Wounds. A roughhousing attack has -10 Accuracy but applies Knocks according to the following rules:

#### Counting Knocks

*Count all that apply.*

* On a direct hit, apply 1 Knock.
* If the opponent has less than half health remaining, apply 1 Knock.
* Apply 1 Knock for every 10 damage received, rounded down.
* Apply 1 Knock for every 30 damage dealt, rounded down (ignored on Evasion).

#### Applying Knocks

*Knocks apply at the end of the attacker's attacks for that turn.*

* 1 Knock: The target is knocked backward 1 hex. If they hit an obstacle, they are knocked prone.
* 2 Knocks: The target is knocked backward 3 hexes or prone (their choice). If they hit an obstacle, they are knocked prone.
* 3 Knocks: The target is knocked prone.
* 4 Knocks: The target is knocked prone and staggered for the remainder of the Round.
* 5+ Knocks: The target is knocked prone, and staggered, and takes 3 stun damage.

### Declaring a *Kayo*

If your opponent is prone and you would be able to damage them again this turn, you may end your turn by declaring a *kayo*, an honorable way to end a duel by showing you have won without dealing the final blow. The opponent may accept defeat or continue fighting. If they choose the latter, their turn begins immediately, skipping the rest of your turn. However, you gain Flow to all rolls on your following turn. A *kayo'd* contestant cannot choose to continue fighting if they have no Vim or if they are stunned.