KABUKI TOWN: CIRCUIT LEGENDS: MANEUVER OF THE MONTH: SIMPLIFYING GAME MATERIAL:

METALWORKS ARENA MIKE TYSON TERRIFIYNG PRESENCE TEAM FIGHTS HELPLESS NPCS

WARRIOR S
FIS T
ISSUE 16 YEAR 3

AND MORE:
VIKING MASK

SURVIVING GUNFIRE
SOCIAL COMBAT
FOR Street Fighter RPG
 WARRIOR S F I S T 16
,
EDITORIAL 2

SUMMARY “Weapons. An unfortunate reality in both the world of

Street Fighter and ours.” So the basic book of Street
Fighter RPG begins its approach to firearms and heavy
weapons. Indeed, it is a special set of equipment, which,
3 GAME MATERIAL perhaps for the first time in history, has balanced the
Firearms and their lethality; Helpless npcs; Armed Styles; forces between individuals.
Simplifying Team Fights; Viking Mask
Just knowing how to operate the gun, a little person can beat
9 KABUKI TOWN a big person. A knife or stick can also allow this, but it still takes
Feudal Castle; Metalworks speed and movement, efficient use - or even surprise. With a
gun, you just pull the trigger. A grenade just needs to be activated
13 MANEUVER OF THE MONTH and thrown.
Terrifiying Presence Sometimes you don’t even have to know how to use a gun
14 CIRCUIT LEGENDS - as shown by the thousands of unfortunate firearms accidents
each year. That’s why approaching them in RPGs has always been
Mike Tyson
problematic when seeking consistency.
16 SPECIAL This edition of WARRIOR’S FIST brings some articles focused
Social Combat on firearms, as well as one on armed styles - those, yes, with
bladed weapons. Kabuki Town is visited in two places, uniting the
old and the modern, and the circuit legend is someone so en-
trenched in the 80’s as powerful in the contemporary world.

MASTHEAD Street Fighter is, in any case, the confrontation of the old
and the modern, with a touch of magic and fantasy. Let the
Editors: Eric M. Souza and Odmir Fortes
players keep on knocking down thugs and their gizmos with
Texts: Eric M. Souza and Marcos Amaral
their hadoukens
Maps: Eric M. Souza
Layout: Rafael Bezerra
EDITORS SEEKING TO COMBAT
Cover: Odmir Fortes and Rafael Bezerra
VIOLENCE USING MARTIAL ARTS
Translation: Richard ‘Bat’ Brewster. Original Published in September 2019.

DISTRIBUTED FOR FREE

WARRIOR S F I S T 16
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FIREARMS AND THEIR LETHALITY
Reading articles in English about the difference
between firearms (and heavy weapons) and melee
weapons, in addition to their greater lethality, made
clear two crucial points:
1. Melee weapons (as well as fists and feet) require
strength and training; the less training and the less
strength, the less chance of injury.
2. Firearms (and heavy weapons) can hurt even
without intent or skill. A child may unintentionally fire a
weapon and kill a person if the shot hits.
Thus, RPG systems that seek a more coherent sim-
ulation for firearms and heavy weapons may even take
into account the technique
in use, but this tech-
nique needs to contrib-
ute less to the end result
than would occur with unarmed
combat or with melee weapons.
There needs to be a much greater ele-
ment of luck in firearms, so that a shot can hit and
cause great damage even when there is no
skill in use.
S
treet Fighter clearly does not pay much
attention to firearms or heavy weap-
ons. They are equipment for bad guys
or inferior fighters, not for the player charac-
ters. They are superheroes trained in martial
arts that have made their bodies even more
lethal than this modern equipment.
On the other hand, it is interesting
to note that the approach given by
Street Fighter to firearms and heavy
weapons is in line with this idea
that the technique has less rele-
vance - albeit unintentionally.
Unarmed or melee weapon
combat uses maneuvers
and damage is calculat-
ed in the sum of Attribute
+ Technique + Modifier, sub-
tracting the Target’s Soak. Other
damage, such as fall and fire, is
direct, without Soak.
About firearms and heavy
GAME MATERIAL 3
weapons, nothing is said clearly, but it is
likely that the intention of the designers is
that they are also rolled directly (because it is
stated that firearms are still dangerous and
that not even Street Fighters are immune
to explosives; hardly a firearm adding only
Technique and modifier could be dangerous
if there was Soak).
Still, the weapons are simplified. In the
rules of the basic book, it is possible to be
shot by goons, rest fifteen minutes and be
completely recovered. This is something
that was reviewed later: Perfect Warrior
brought the laser lightknife causing auto-
matically aggravated damage (and clearly no
Soak, which reinforces the idea that this is
also the case for firearms and heavy weap-
ons), and Contenders brought the rule that
these weapons automatically cause aggra-
vated damage.
This is an interesting approach that al-
lows a simulation with likelihood, even if it
 WARRIOR S F I S T 16
,
is a game of fantastic martial artists. A
young stupid boy with Firearms 1 and
a gun will still roll 4 dice of aggravated
damage in one shot, and can serious-
ly injure a rival seller (as in the tragic
death of Combo in Breaking Bad). A
player with no points in Firearms can
grab a rifle on the ground and shoot an
enemy in a scene of fury and despair,
rolling 6 dice of aggravated damage,
and even killing them.
As already said, Street Fighter is not
about firearms and heavy weapons.
The hero is expected to be like Swan
in Warriors and throw a knife in the
henchman’s fist before he can shoot.
Quick, lethal, heroic. However, it is in-
teresting to note that the system works
well with firearms and heavy weapons
with the interpretation that they are
not Soakable by normal means.
GAME MATERIAL 4
SURVIVING GUNFIRE
Firearms and heavy weapons are simplified in Using other goons as a shield
Street Fighter, so that they rarely appear in the scene
This is a very interesting option, which depends on
and players do not resort to them, maintaining the
analyzing the map to get coverage, using the movement
atmosphere of adventure and martial arts. Once you
of an attack to place oneself between two goons. The
need to avoid firearms (as the basic book suggests),
fighter then stuns one of them in order to leave him in
how should fighters act?
the line of sight of his accomplice, who will not be able
Of course they need to avoid being hit, but if they to shoot. If the goons are in line, the tactic allows even
don’t have Missile Reflection, the options are restricted. a single Street Fighter to stay on the offensive against a
The important thing is to ensure a plan of action for handful of shooters.
these moments.
The image of Chun Li confronting 4 shooters gives a
good example of this. She chooses a corner, interrupts
Using the scenery
them and moves to kick that shooter. Even if she doesn’t
Using the scenery as protection is the most basic knock him down or knock him out, she will still get only one
option. You can hide behind cars, light poles, barrels, shot, and may think about running or another strategy.
drums, anything that gets in the way of the shot,
until the shooting stops and the fighter can attract ERIC “MUSASHI” SOUZA
the henchman to the direct combat. With maneuvers
such as Flying Heel Stomp, you can jump lightly, hit
the henchman before he can shoot, and hide again
behind another obstacle further on.
Choke Throw allows you to grab him and fly him away,
knocking him down in a covered place and kicking his ass
before his buddies get close.
Hitting first is another option. But this is an action that
depends on the teammates and must be performed to-
gether, all knocking down or stunning their opponents be-
fore they can shoot.
 WARRIOR S F I S T 16
,
GAME MATERIAL 5

HELPLESS NPCS
Infant:
Strength m, Dexterity m, Stamina m
Health m
l

Child 2-5 years:

Strength m, Dexterity m
l , Stamina m
l
Health m
l

6-8 year old child/adult with

severe physical limitation:
Strength m, Dexterity m
l , Stamina m
l
Health mlml

I
Pre-adolescent:
n some situations, characters may experience con- should not enter this categorization, while there are Strength m, Dexterity m
lml, Stamina m
l
flicts in which children and defenseless characters children who practice weight lifting, and could qui- Health mlmlml
- such as the elderly or people with severe physical etly lift 20 kg (equivalent to Strength 1). Xaudo, for
disabilities - are put at risk. The Storyteller can seek example, is an elderly person, but with training and Teen up to 14 years old:
quick guidance, saving him the trouble of measuring great martial skill, which allows him to maintain levels Strength m
l , Dexterity m
lml, Stamina m
lml
physical characteristics of these people who are not above other people of his age. Health mlmlm lml
even able to fight. Taking the Attributes descriptions, The numbers are for generic situations about
and even NPCs (like Weasel), as a guideline, follow the Elderly:
characters who do not need sheets, but can be put in
estimated numbers for these scenes. Strength m/ m
l , Dexterity m
l , Stamina m
danger. l
Obviously, they are average numbers. Some 14 Health m
lm lml
year olds have adult complexion and stamina, and ERIC “MUSASHI” SOUZA
 WARRIOR S F I S T 16
,
ARMED STYLES
Unarmed fighting styles are defining for the type of character you want to
build, and even if there are many open maneuvers, the choice of style points
to what the fighter will learn and what approach they will use in the ring.
Thus, it’s possible to say that the style
is a definer of how the fighter will behave,
regardless of where he can train through-
out the campaign, with masters of other
martial arts.
A point outside the curve is the case
of armed styles. For example, Kenjutsu
is the art of fighting with swords, just as
Bōjutsu is the art of fighting with staffs.
How to simulate a character who has
trained these arts?
First of all, it can be observed that an
art centered on a weapon rarely needs
anything other than the Technique of the
weapon - probably just Athletics. The
Weapon Technique covers the possible
attacks and also covers the basic block-
ing (Parrying), besides the Berserk Attack
simulating dozens of effects according to
the player’s imagination.
Contenders points
the way designers in-
tended to go when it
comes to the relationship of styles with
certain weapons. So, creating a character
that practices a weapon style may involve
selecting a style related to that weapon,
to buy powers and simpler maneuvers,
and focus on developing the
study of the weapon,
including creating new
maneuvers or adapting
Special Maneuvers learned
for the use of the weap-
on (as in the example
of Contenders itself of
using Monkey Grab
Punch with Hook
Swords).
GAME MATERIAL 6
Thus, Aikido has a relationship with Kenjutsu,
and his weapon is Bokken. It is possible to create a
Kenjutsu practitioner by adopting Aikido as a fight-
ing style and investing in the Sword Technique (as
was done with Hayate in Times of Glory). A fighter
who has learned his armed style in military or po-
lice forces can obviously select Special Forces, and
an Okinawa martial artist who uses tonfa, skirt,
long stick or other characteristic
island weapon will select Karate
Shotokan, which originates from
the Okinawan style.
Another possibility, also
following a suggestion from
Contenders, is to modify
this basic style, adding
maneuvers and remov-
ing others, to obtain
its exclusively armed
version.
ERIC “MUSASHI” SOUZA
 WARRIOR S F I S T 16
,
SIMPLIFYING TEAM FIGHTS
S
treet Fighter offers a fast and com-
plex combat, full of nuances and strat-
egies, and that works perfectly for 1 x 1.
However, once the number of participants has
increased, there may be complications for the
Storyteller, who has to deal with several actions,
several speeds, movements and interruptions.
The combat is meant to be detailed, but one
person taking care of many fighters can be prob-
lematic (own experience). The WARRIOR’S FIST
has already presented specific rules for this,
such as the Fight against the Horde, ideal for
those epic scenes where heroes go out punch-
ing crowds of goons, or even guidelines for using
the Effect Card and for the Storyteller to interpret
goons in a reliable way (most of them would run
away after a good blow).
Here, the idea is to approach the team fighting,
of Street Fighters groups, both in the arena and
outside, in order to help the Storyteller’s work.
GAME MATERIAL 7
TEAM STRUGGLES
Separate fights: a simple solution, even in-
stinctively, is to separate the fights. Each fight-
er confronts his opponent, and the Storyteller
approaches each turn separately. With this, he
can specifically look after the NPC in question
and avoid making mistakes or getting lost. The
weakness of this method is that it makes team
combos impossible or for a fighter to intervene
to help a colleague.
Group speed: this is an interesting solution,
favouring teamwork and considering that the
team fights together. Thus, the lowest Speed
among team members will be computed, as well
as the lowest Speed among rivals. The slowest
group moves first; everyone moves and declares
their attacks. At the end of this stage, the fast-
est group chooses where and how they will in-
terrupt. It is a common solution in several RPGs,
having been tested and used on a large scale.
Total complexity: isn’t simplicity an option?
Ok, one solution is for the Storyteller to use a
draft in which he notes the speeds and move-
ments of the NPCs, so as not to get lost. The
combat will be intense, but it’s important that
he avoids it becoming confusing, which is very
easy to happen.
ERIC “MUSASHI” SOUZA
 WARRIOR S F I S T 16
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VIKING MASK
T
he Mask is a character in a series of com-
ics developed between 1982 and 1985 by
Mike Richardson, and published in the late
1980s by Dark Horse Comics. The stories of these
comics revolve around a mask that each story is
worn by someone different, the first user being
Stanley Ipkiss. The mask is a symbiotic relic that
imbues any user with various powers and disinhi-
bition, allowing them to achieve their goals with-
out fear of consequences.
In comics, the mask is a bewitched object,
shaped like a human face, with nose and mouth
eyes. Besides being made of several pieces of
jade, and being a green stone, it justifies the fact
that the people who wear the mask get their
heads green. In the film, the mask was shown as
being of Nordic origin, and is made of green wood,
with a triangular shape. It is related to Loki, the
mischievous god.
In comics, the person wearing the mask gains
powers of self-healing, being able to be wounded
and bleed, but soon after being healed. In the film,
however, the person wearing the mask is invulner-
able to blows or gunshots, and can even fall from a
building, or even be crushed or kneaded, without the
presence of blood.
And unlike comics,
where the mask turns
the wearer into a cruel
and vindictive being, in the
movie the wearer only be-
comes dangerous or violent if he
is already a bad person, as in the case
of the mafia character Dorian Tyrell.
In Street Fighter, the mask can be used in
three ways: as in comics, as in film, and in be-
tween the media (the latter being the ideal ver-
sion for campaigns).
COMICS
The mask is a Level 5 Power Item. It has
Regeneration (1) and 4 Chi points to replenish the
character’s Chi and feed the healing.
MOVIES
The mask is incredibly powerful, a level 16
Power Item, so it is suitable for NPCs, or for play-
ers at very specific times. It’s so much power
that it’s interesting for the Storyteller to intensify
the mask’s evil influence and force loss of honor
GAME MATERIAL 8
and cruel acts. It has Regeneration (1),
Speed of the Mongoose (3), Toughskin
(2), Stunning Shout (2) and Sonic Boom
(3), the latter being also simulated for
weapons created by the user’s imagina-
tion. It still has a reserve of 5 Chi.
BALANCED VERSION
In this version, the mask is a level 5 Power
Item. It has Regeneration (1) and 4 more points
for some maneuver matching the character’s
personality. For example, Speed of the Mongoose
for Ipkiss, or Sonic Boom for Tyrell. The remaining
points become Chi reserve.
In all cases, the mask exerts an evil influence,
leading the character to become obsessive and
seek the last consequences in his actions. He
can test Honour to avoid cruel actions, needing
1 success in the less powerful versions, and 3
successes in the movie version. If he does not
succeed, he will be cruel and will lose Honor
constantly. A Fumble means succumbing and no
longer being able to resist throughout the scene.
ERIC “MUSASHI” SOUZA
 WARRIOR S F I S T 16
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KABUKI TOWN 9

FEUDAL CASTLE
This arena is an ancient feudal castle in the rural area of
Kabuki Town. As it is not occupied, it is usually used for street
fighting, especially the bridge that crosses the moat around
the castle.
During the night, the silence of the grounds is broken by punches
and street fighters’ kicks.
The moat is deep, but the fall does not cause any special damage
(consider the fall of 1 floor, raising by 1 the damage of some throw).
Returning is difficult, jumping directly from deep water is a great
achievement, requiring at least 4 successes in a Test of Dexterity
+ Athletics.

ERIC “MUSASHI” SOUZA

WARRIOR S F I S T 16
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METALWORKS
Kata Hagane is one of the leading
companies in the Kabuki Town
industrial park, supplying mainly tools
and automotive parts. The company is
well organized and profitable, but there
are suspicions from Interpol about its
involvement with illicit activities.
The truth is that Kata Hagane has already
received proposals from Shadaloo for its cut-
ting-edge technology, as well as supplying ma-
terials to the Tetsujin, especially for its knowl-
edge about the production of carbon nanotubes
resulting in incredibly strong steel (in ordinary
weapons, for example, it offers a +1 damage
bonus in addition to weapon modifiers).
There are Street Fighters working in Kata
Hagane, members of the Tetsujin clan who
oversee the company and try to prevent, in the
complex relationship of the clan with Shadaloo,
that the organization gains strength and es-
tablishes itself in Kabuki Town. The Tetsujin
even negotiate with M. Bison, but they want to
keep their influence in the city. So it’s not un-
common that the metalworks are the scene of
underworld struggles. They’re usually fought
near an old boiler. In general, the railings pro-
tect the fighters, but accidents can happen...
THE ARENA
Staircase: a fighter thrown in the staircase
will roll down two more steps, receiving +2
damage. If the fighter is pushed, he will suffer a
knockdown and receive +1 damage in addition to
the maneuver that pushed him.
Fall: Fighters can also be thrown on the lower
level. It’s the equivalent of a floor drop, so the
fighter receives one point of damage in addition
to the damage they received from the throw.
Fighters can’t be pushed that way, just thrown,
because the metal wall will hold them. However,
KABUKI TOWN 11
the thrower can be a bit more cruel and try to
throw the victim through the grid, according to
the rules of Perfect Warrior.
Chains: the hanging chains are used to de-
posit and to fish objects in the boiler. A fighter
can jump and grab them, needing to pass a Test
of Dexterity + Athletics to do so. The one who
has Wall Spring can still use the maneuver on
the chains, also being necessary the test. In case
of failure, the fighter does not hold correctly, but
can spend 1 Willpower and roll Strength, to, in
an act of desperation, grab the chain (closing his
turn). In case of fumbles, the fighter has no op-
tion - he will fall in the boiler.
Boiler: this cauldron is filled with molten iron
at a very high temperature, and burns much more
than a fire. A fighter who falls there suffers 4 points
of damage per turn, until he manages to get out. At
the very least, he’ll suffer the damage for two turns
- when he falls and the next turn, when he comes
out. Anyone with Stamina below 4 will automati-
cally go into dizzy and may burn to death.
ERIC “MUSASHI” SOUZA
WARRIOR S F I S T 16
,
TERRIFIYING PRESENCE
Some fighters are really scary and may evoke their chi to frighten people close to them, or even influence them.
TERRIFYING PRESENCE
Prerequisites: Focus • • •, Mysteries • • • •
Power Points: Ler Drit 2; Kabaddi 3
You gather your mystical forces and
knowledge of the occult to elevate your
presence in the mind of the enemy, com-
pletely terrorizing them and making it
difficult for them to fight for the next
moments.
System: Terrifying Presence has
range equal to character focus. The user
emits his energy directly into the target’s
mind with a resisted test of Charisma
+ Focus against Target’s Intelligence +
Focus. If the victim is successful in the
test, she can see through the maneuver
and nothing happens. If the user is suc-
cessful, two things can happen:
MANEUVER OF THE MONTH 13
If the victim has not yet attacked that turn, he will
become completely static, haunted by the presence of
such a powerful enemy, and will lose any movement or
attack that remains. In addition, the victim will have a
speed trap of -1 for each extra success in the Charism
+ Focus test for a number of turns equal to Focus -2.
If the victim has already acted in that turn, in the next
turn she will be considered dizzy, haunted by the presence
of such a powerful enemy. In addition, the victim will have
a speed trap of -1 for each extra success in the Charism +
Focus test for a number of turns equal to Focus -2.
The maneuver does no physical damage.
Cost: 1 Chi
Speed: +1
Damage: See description above
Move: None
MARCOS AMARAL
WARRIOR S F I S T 16
,
MIKE TYSON
Mike Tyson had a difficult childhood after his father
left home when he was only two. His youth was
marked by being locked up at age 11 in a juvenile
detention center where he began boxing, motivated
by the institution’s director, who was a former boxer.
At thirteen, he was discovered by coach Cus D’Amato,
who became responsible for his career. Mike Tyson
had an early physical development. At the age
of 12 he weighed more than 80 kilos, with
a great deal of muscle for a boy; at 15 he
was already a fast and knockout heavy-
weight; at 18, not even his coach could
stand up; at 20 he became the world
champion, the youngest heavyweight
to achieve this feat.
In 1981, at the age of 15, he be-
came the youth boxing champion
of the United States of America to
reach the world title in the following
year in the same age group. In 1983
he got angry with Atlas and went
back to work with Cus D’Amato and it
was under his guidance that in 1985 he
moved on to professional boxing. In the first year
he won 15 fights, 11 of them for K.O. (knock-out)
in the first round.
CIRCUIT LEGENDS
14
In 1986 a month after Cus D’Amato passed away, Tyson imposed
himself definitively as champion and became known all over the
world. The most important of the 13 victories of the year came on
22 November when, by defeating Trevor Berbick, he won the World
Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title. At 20, he was the youngest
boxer to achieve this feat.
The following year he also won the World Boxing
Federation and World Boxing Association titles, and
in 1988 he won three matches against renowned
boxers. All by K.O. before the fourth round.
Still in 1988 he married the actress and
model Robin Givens who, in the following year,
asked for divorce. On a TV show, she claimed
Tyson was, in her words, a manic-depressive.
These problems affected the career of the
boxer, who only fought twice in 1989, although
he won both challenges. The bad moment was
confirmed in 1990 when, on 11 February, he
was beaten in Japan by Buster Douglas with the
K.O. in the tenth round, losing his three world titles.
In July 1991, he was part of the jury of the Miss
America pageant, but ended up accused of rape by one
of the participants. In March 1992, Mike Tyson was sen-
tenced to six years in prison, but due to good behavior
he only served half his sentence. He got out of prison
in March 1995 and five months later fought again.
 WARRIOR S F I S T 16
,
CIRCUIT LEGENDS 15

In 1996, he defied champion Evander Holyfield.

Style: Boxing Division: Tradicional Allies  Punch 
Holyfield won, but Tyson immediately asked for Rank: 8
School: Cus D’Amato Boxing Gym Contacts  Kick
a rematch. The two boxers met again on 28 June Wins: 50 Manager  Block 
Concept: Professional fighter Losses: 6
1997 for what was once called the fight of the cen- Draws: 3 Fame  Grab 
Signature: Raise your arms KO: 44 Resources  Athletics 
tury. But with 40 seconds to go in the third round
Focus
the unexpected happened: Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear Strength  Charisma  Perception 
Dexterity  Manipulation  Intelligence  Glory 
and was eventually disqualified. He claimed he only
Stamina  Appearance  Wits  Honor 
did that in response to repeated headbutts he had Chi 
been getting from Holyfield. Tyson lost the fight Alertness  Blind Fighting  Arena  Willpower 
Interrogation  Drive  Computer  Health 
and was banned for a year from the competition.
Intimidation  Leadership  Investigation  Combos: Deflecting Punch to Hyper Fist
Realizing the possibility of free combat, without Insight  Security Medicine  (dizzy), Head Butt to Head Bite, Dashing Punch
the restrictions of boxing, Tyson began to accept Streetwise  Stealth  Mysteries to Hyper Fist (dizzy), Deflecting Punch to
Subterfuge  Survival Style Lore  Power Uppercut (dizzy)
the invitations to fight in Street Fighting.
Playing with Tyson: You’ve fought hard to win
what you’ve earned and you think you deserve it. MANEUVER SP. DAM MOVE SPECIAL
Jab 7 10 3 Basic
With your opponents, however, you show respect,
Strong 5 12 3 Basic
the way you’ve learned in the noble art. Fighting
Fierce 4 14 2 Basic
is what matters when you’re in the ring, but once Apresamento 5 8 Um Basic. Ignores Block
you’re finished, your opponent is a fighter like you, Bloqueio 9 - - Basic. Abort; +2 Speed next turn
and deserves respect. You like the good life that Movement 8 - 6 Basic
money and fame provide, yet it doesn’t contain Jump 8 - 3 Aerial; Abort, evade against projectiles (Core p124, 20th p126)
your desires and excesses. Punch Defense 9 - - Soak +4 vs. Punch; -2 vs. other
Deflecting Punch 7 11 - Blocking bonus for punches only; then roll damage
Appearance: Tyson is very robust, especially Power Uppercut 4 14 Um Knockdown vs. Aerial
considering he’s not so tall for a heavyweight. He Head Butt 5 14 1
likes to show style and calls attention not only for Head Bite 6 11 Um Sustained Hold
his muscles, but also for tattoos and the composi- Dashing Punch 5 15 5 1 WP
tion of his look. Dashing Uppercut 5 15 5 Knockdown vs. Aerial, 1 WP
Hyper Fist 6 11 Um 3 damage tests, 1 WP

ERIC “MUSASHI” SOUZA

 WARRIOR S F I S T 16
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SOCIAL COMBAT
The combat has its own rules in RPG
because players cannot exchange punches
and kicks in sessions to define who wins. It’s
not safe, it’s not the goal of a table game,
and it wouldn’t bring any representation of
what their characters are. So RPGs were
born with rules of combat.
In social and acting issues, however, initially the
player should try to use words and arguments to
convince his colleagues or some NPC. As the games
evolved, social skills and tests emerged to define
how well the character goes, regardless of the ar-
gument the player used, since an eloquent player
may have a character not skilled with words and
vice versa.
The basic book presents several possible tests
as well as the official and semi-official adventures.
But there are no rules for social combat, something
that came up later, in more recent RPGs, and is
highlighted mainly in Throne War (where there are
even social life points, and once defeated, the char-
acter gives in). This brief article provides guidelines
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for dealing with social combat within the original
Street Fighter rules.
A social combat is any situation where one
character tries to impose himself on another using
Social Attributes. Street Fighter is about fighting,
and has advanced and fluid rules for it. But it’s not
always interesting just fighting. There are two sit-
uations of social combat, and both are solved with
prolonged and resisted actions: the confrontation
and the imposition.
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CONFRONTATION IMPOSITION
in this situation, the characters discuss/ in this case, a character speaks, trying
dialogue. Both are active, exposing their to impose their point of view on another,
points of view, one wanting to convince who only tries to resist. It is interesting for
the other. speeches (Charisma + Subterfuge), or even
to convince a suspect to speak (Charisma
The players will interpret what they say,
+ Interrogation). In this case, the one who
just as they interpret their blows in combat,
imposes himself rolls the appropriate test,
but the dice will define it as an argument that
and the target rolls his Willpower (by the
impacts the other. Both will roll Manipulation
general rules, the permanent Willpower, but
or Charisma + Subterfuge (or appropriate
under stressful conditions the Storyteller can
Skill), and the one who manages to first obtain
determine that the current rating is rolled).
a number of successes equal to the other’s
It is a prolonged and resisted action, and he
Willpower will win.
who achieves 3 first successes wins.
For example: Chun Li and Guile discuss
For example: M. Bison speaks at the
how it is best to enter Mriganka for a spy
United Nations forum in order to convince
mission; Chun Li wants to enter as a tourist
them that he is a just king and Mriganka is
with false identities, and Guile prefers
persecuted by the CIA. He rolls Charisma +
invasion by swimming in the bay. She rolls
Subterfuge (9 dice), and the Storyteller defines
Manipulation + Investigation (8 dice) and he
that those leaders have an average Willpower
rolls Manipulation + Stealth (10 dice), Abilities
of 7 (they are tough men from a long political
related to the arguments they use. In turn 1,
career). In the first round, M. Bison rolls 5
Chun Li rolls 5 successes; Guile has Willpower
successes, and the leaders together roll 3.
9, and there are 4 more points left to go. He
M. Bison drops in front, with 2 successes. In
gets 3 successes; Chun Li has Willpower 8,
round 2, M. Bison takes 3 successes, and the
so 5 successes to go. In turn 2, Chun Li rolls
leaders roll 5. Back to square one. It looks like
a Fumble. She miscalculated and lost all the
it’s gonna be long and complicated, and the
convincing power she had conquered, and
dictator’s already starting to wonder if it’s not
loses her successes. Guile rolls, and gets 5
better to control all those minds.
successes. He completely convinces Chun Li
that the false identities would be discovered
ERIC “MUSASHI” SOUZA
by M. Bison, and the best is to enter by sea.