Inspired by the Calvinball for Combat (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=20817.0) thread I've written up this drill.
Its a wuxia/kung-fuish /super powered martial arts style drill where the power of your long and perhaps oddly named martial arts moves can only be matched by the equally long named moves of your opponent.
The drill requires 1 judge and at least 2 players. The players take turns calling out an attack with the other players responding with a defense.
The judge picks a category, such as animal or kicks, and every moves used must fit the category. The judge can change the category after each complete attack and defense.
If all of the players agree their decision over rules the judge on any point or force the judge to pick a new category.
The player to the left of the judge starts with an attacks ("You cannot withstand the might of my golden Dragon Punch!") and the other player(s) then responds with a defense (Hundred Fans Wind Wall!).
Each player has 6-9 health that is tracked by the judge. Each move is worth up to 3 points.
Any player with a move valued less then the highest one loses that difference in health.
The judge scores each move on Category, Originality, and his discretion. Each one is valued at 1 point.
Category: Does it fit the chosen category? If the category is animals does it mention an animal in the name or sound related to a particular animal? Crushing Hoof Blow would work but Crushing Foot Blow would not.
Originality: Each move should be original and not too similar to previous moves. Each move can also only be used once, a repeated move is worth 0 points regardless o0f the other criteria as your opponent knows that one already.
Judge's Discretion: This point is automatically awarded to everyone but can be denied if the judge thinks the moves used is not cool enough or is too short..
After each exchange the judge lets the players know is they lost any points and why and any changes in their health.
Example
Judge: Category is arms.
Player to left of judge: Thousand Hand Strike
Player 2: The Arm Twist Like a Serpent Block
Judge: 3 points each, no damage. Category animals
Player 2: Arm Twist Like a Serpent Strike
Player to left: Gorilla Arm Hold.
Judge: Player 2 lost Originality point. Player 2 takes 1 damage and is now at 5.
(If both players agreed they could overrule the judge on the lose of point or force a change in category.)
Variants
My Kung-Fu is Superior
Instead of the judge choosing a category each player names a style. The style should be named descriptively such as 12 Animals style or the Iron Fist. The category point is awarded if a move fits the chosen style.
Death Match
Each player has 3 Health and the discretion point is only awarded to creative moves.
Away with damage, I say!
Have 'build up' instead, which much in the dragon ball Z style, shows you how your charging up to become even more powerful. When you reach the target number first, your opponent either staggers back in awe or is defeated (his choice, his narration). Then the other player perhaps creates and plays a new, more powerful opponent for this guy to take on.
It's a little more possitively spun, since even if you lose, you would have collected some build up (and get some positive feedback from it). While with damage, your always at zero damage when you lose - same feedback every time, no matter how well you might have been doing.
I like that. Build up it is.
In a 3+ player match everyone that is higher then someone else gets the difference in buildup. For 3 players scored 3,2,1 the guy with 3 gets 2 build up and the guy with 2 gets 1.
The loser can get the end narration rights in regular and My Kung-Fu is Superior play but in Sudden Death the winner gets the narration rights on how it ends.
New Variant
Tournament
Either multiple players take turns in 1 on 1 fights or the two players create a new character after the first one is defeated.
After each fight the build up target is increased by 1/2 and everyone keeps their build up from the last fight. For multiple players the new player takes the last players build up.
Everyone fights once or each player has a team of 5 characters that get to fight or however you want to organize the tournament.
tj333 - Wow, I think that your drill may be the way I'm going to do my combat in that wuxia game I was planning when I started the Calvinball for Combat thread. I love the way you codified what I was aiming for but couldn't articulate. And I definately will be using the build up method, and styles variant with option boxes for the others.