Mythras: The Badlands Tournament

In a distant world there is a place called The Badlands, ruled over by the evil overlord Baithorian. One day he decided to find a champion to be his personal retainer and bodyguard, so he announced a grand tournament. Participants would fight to the death in front of his dreadful court, with the winner of the tournament crowned his personal protector and showered with riches and respect. 

They would fight almost naked with naught but rags to cover their modesty. They would fight with weapons randomly chosen for them and be rewarded with a piece of armour for each fight they won. Fights would take place on the seventh day of each week, and survivors would be provided with healing while they awaited their next duel. It would not be fair in any way.

Introduction

This is my second attempt at a Mythras tournament after I tried a while ago using Dark Sun as a setting. My upcoming Mythras Classic Fantasy campaign will feature Baithorian as the bad guy and the winner of this tournament as his retainer.

Here is the first round of eight:

1. Lovar, Dwarf vs Traynon, Half-Orc

2. Ploix, Goblin vs Vrog, Orog

3. Hebnec, Deep Gnome vs Chaggos, Gnoll

4. Ook, Awakened Baboon vs Koz, Hobgoblin

5. Gorgo, Orc vs Fulvus, Halfling

6. Sizzk, Lizardman vs Sirioth, Dark Elf

7. Gakkomon, Chaos Beastman vs Zaine, Human Bandit

8. Vibug, Kobold vs Stighinn, Acephali*

* An Acephali is a Mythras-specific humanoid monster that live in tribes in hills and plains. They look like a human with no head and instead have a large face on their chest.

I'm not going to be listing all the stats for each fighter or going into a lot of detail about their appearance, personality etc since at the end of this they'll all be dead except one of them.

Fight 1: Lovar vs Traynon

Lovar and Traynon step into the arena, which for this first fight is a simple ring with sand covering the floor. The audience, a collection of the humanoid ne'er-do-wells who make up the "royal court" of The Badlands, is spread out around the edge with Baithorian watching from a large wooden scaffold behind them.

Two bugbears bring out the weapons: A stone greataxe for Lovar and a sabre for Traynon. Both fighters wear nothing but loincloths.

Initiative Phase

Lovar: 12

Traynon: 15

Round 1

First Cycle

Free actions: None

Traynon’s Turn

Traynon attacks (-1 AP). 89 vs 55 combat skill: Miss

Lovar parries (-1 AP). 55 vs 70 combat skill. Success

Differential roll: Lovar has 1 success level.

Lovar uses special effect: Disarm Opponent.

Traynon combat style roll: 47 vs 27 (H vs M weapon reduces his skill by 50%). Failure.

Traynon’s sabre is flung 6 feet away!

Traynon uses Outmanoeuvre (-1 AP).

Traynon rolls Evade: 5 vs 56 Evade skill: Success.

Lovar rolls Combat Style: 76 vs 70 Combat Style. Failure.

Traynon has 1 success level and outmanoeuvres Lovar. He can’t attack him this round.

Traynon moves over to his sabre.

Lovar’s Turn

Lovar follows Traynon across the arena.

Second Cycle

Traynon’s Turn

Traynon grabs his sabre from the floor (-1 AP).

Lovar’s Turn

Lovar can’t attack so dithers twice, using up his 2 AP.

Round 2

Free actions: None

First Cycle

Traynon’s Turn

Traynon attacks (-1 AP). 20 vs 55 combat skill: Success.

Lovar parries (-1 AP). 2 vs 70 combat skill: Critical Success.

Differential roll: Lovar has 1 success level (crit vs success).

Lovar uses special effect: Accidental Injury

Lovar rolls damage using Traynon’s sabre and his own damage modifier: 6 on Traynon’s left leg. -1/5 HP.

Traynon’s left leg suffers a serious wound! Traynon is stunned for 3 (1D3) turns and can’t attack.

Traynon makes an Endurance skill check vs Lovar’s parry roll of 2: 59. Failure.

Traynon’s leg is useless until healed and he falls onto the arena floor.

Now that he’s prone his skill rolls will be formidable (Skills reduced by 50%).

Lovar’s Turn

Lovar attacks (-1 AP). 53 vs 70 combat skill: Success.

Traynon parries (-1 AP). 30 vs 28 combat skill (Prone: Skill checks are formidable. Skills reduced by 50%): Failure.

Differential roll: Lovar has 1 success level (success vs failure).

Lovar uses special effect: Compel Surrender

Traynon makes a Willpower (26%) roll vs 53 (Lovar’s attack roll): 6. Success.

“You are downed, orc-kin. The fight is over!” Lovar shouts. Traynon grits his teeth through the pain and waves his sabre around from the floor. “Never! I’ll die before I submit to the likes of you!”

Lovar rolls damage and hit location: 5 damage on right leg (Serious wound). 0/5 HP.

Traynon is stunned for (D3) 2 turns. We’ll say it doesn’t stack with the 3 turns his first serious wound caused.

Traynon makes an Endurance (28%) roll vs 53 (Lovar’s attack roll): 56. Failure.

Traynon’s right leg is crippled.

“So be it.” Lovar says grimly, and brings his stone greataxe down on Traynon’s other leg, gashing it open and leaving Traynon almost about to black out from the pain.

Second Cycle

Traynon’s Turn

Traynon is stunned (3 turns left).

Traynon delays his action (Can use his last action point for a reactive action before his next turn).

Lovar’s Turn

Lovar attacks (-1 AP). 40 vs 70 combat skill: Success.

Traynon parries (-1 AP). 35 vs 28 combat skill (Prone: Skill checks are formidable. Skills reduced by 50%): Failure.

Differential roll: Lovar has 1 success level (success vs failure).

Lovar uses special effect: Maximise Damage

Lovar rolls damage and hit location: 12 damage on abdomen. -6/6 HP.

Traynon makes an Endurance (28%) roll vs 40 (Lovar’s attack roll): 62. Failure.

Traynon suffers a gratuitous death.

Lovar roars triumphantly and swings the huge axe down over his head. Traynon feebly raises his sabre but it is knocked out of the way as the axe cleaves him in half at the waist. Lovar raises the huge axe above his head and roars again, looking up at Baithorian who remains motionless in his throne, his face hidden behind his ghastly demon-like helmet.

A bugbear brings out a piece of scale mail armour, a sleeve for a left arm, handing it to Lovar who slips his arm into it and raises his fist as the crowd cheers. Almost unnoticed by the crowd, a little green frog-man walks into the arena and drags away the top half of Traynon's corpse, then comes back and takes hold of the feet, pulling the rest of it out of sight.